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Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey Issue 79 – Wednesday 10th December 2014 NEWS G Live host Vintage Fair, happening Sunday 14 December! FEATURES Our Features Editor gives you her Christmas present solutions! OPINION & ANALYSIS Find out why Feminism needs rebranding... CENTRE SPREAD Discover your Stagvent Calendar now! Merry Christmas! ENTERTAINMENT Hannah Kaine breaks down the 5 must watch Christmas movies! ARTS Best Pantomimes to see in Guildford now @thestagsurrey @thestagsurrey /TheStagSurrey www.thestagsurrey.co.uk ©The Friends of Della and Don The deadliest Tsunami in history? The National Geographic potentially thinks so... by Rebekkah Hughes, Editor This Boxing Day will mark the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami U nbelievably, it has been 10 years since the Indonesian Tsunami that happened on Boxing Day of 2004. On that day, a 1,200km strip of the earth’s crust shifted beneath the Indian Ocean and the earthquake subsequently released stored energy equivalent to over more than 23,000 Hiroshima bombs – an unimaginable figure that made the tsunami measure 9 on the Richter scale. The destruction of that day shocked the world, especially as the effects spread far and wide: within ten minutes of the earthquake, tsunami waves started to strike the Nicobar and Andaman Islands. Banda Aceh was struck within another ten minutes. Within two hours of the earthquake, both Thailand and Sri Lanka had been hit. The east cost of India was hit not long after that. Three hours after the earthquake tsunamis rolled over the Maldives and more than seven hours after that, the Somali coast was hit. The only positive to result from this natural disaster was the fantastic scale of public response to help and aid in the wake of the tsunami. Aceh in Indonesia has seen a dramatic turnaround in the 10 years since the tsunami. The recovery and rehabilitation has helped many people regain their lives after the trauma of the natural disaster, that the National Geographic pose as potentially the deadliest tsunami in modern history. Hence why the help and support given in the last 10 years should be noted. It soon appeared that the devastating natural disaster that struck on that seemingly average Boxing Day created a... Do You Remember December 2004? Della and Don were on holiday in Sri Lanka when the Boxing Day tsunami hit, and as a result formed the small charity: The Friends of Della and Don, which funds rehabilitation projects in terms of education, healthcare and facilties, for the local people in the villlage that they stayed in. One such project was for the fishing boat pictured above, which now acts as a key community facility helping fisherman who lost their livelihoods.
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The Stag: Issue 79

Apr 08, 2016

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Page 1: The Stag: Issue 79

Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey Issue 79 – Wednesday 10th December 2014

NEWS

G Live host Vintage Fair, happening Sunday 14 December!

FEATURES

Our Features Editor gives you her Christmas present solutions!

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Find out why Feminism needs rebranding...

CENTRE SPREAD

Discover your Stagvent Calendar now! Merry Christmas!

ENTERTAINMENT

Hannah Kaine breaks down the 5 must watch Christmas movies!

ARTS

Best Pantomimes to see in Guildford now

@thestagsurrey @thestagsurrey /TheStagSurrey www.thestagsurrey.co.uk

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• The deadliest Tsunami in history? The National Geographic potentially thinks so...

by Rebekkah Hughes, Editor • This Boxing Day will mark the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

Unbelievably, it has been 10 years since the Indonesian Tsunami that

happened on Boxing Day of 2004. On that day, a 1,200km strip of the earth’s crust shifted beneath the Indian Ocean and the earthquake subsequently released stored energy equivalent to over more than 23,000 Hiroshima bombs – an unimaginable figure that made the tsunami measure 9 on the

Richter scale. The destruction of that day shocked the world, especially as the effects spread far and wide: within ten minutes of the earthquake, tsunami waves started to strike the Nicobar and Andaman Islands. Banda Aceh was struck within another ten minutes. Within two hours of the earthquake, both Thailand and Sri Lanka had been hit. The east cost of India was hit not long after that. Three

hours after the earthquake tsunamis rolled over the Maldives and more than seven hours after that, the Somali coast was hit. The only positive to result from this natural disaster was the fantastic scale of public response to help and aid in the wake of the tsunami.

Aceh in Indonesia has seen a dramatic turnaround in the 10 years since the tsunami. The recovery and rehabilitation has

helped many people regain their lives after the trauma of the natural disaster, that the National Geographic pose as potentially the deadliest tsunami in modern history. Hence why the help and support given in the last 10 years should be noted.

It soon appeared that the devastating natural disaster that struck on that seemingly average Boxing Day created a...

Do You Remember December 2004?

Della and Don were on holiday in Sri Lanka when the Boxing Day tsunami hit, and as a result formed the small charity: The Friends of Della and Don, which funds rehabilitation projects in terms of education, healthcare and facilties, for the local people in the villlage that they stayed in. One such project was for the fishing boat pictured above, which now acts as a key community facility helping fisherman who lost their livelihoods.

Page 2: The Stag: Issue 79

EDITORIAL2 The Stag | 9th December 2013 [email protected]

Editor | Rebekkah [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief | Georgie [email protected]

Deputy Editor (Head of Design) | Josie [email protected] Team | Hannah Kaine, Rebekkah Hughes

Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Ibrahim [email protected] Team | Vacant

News Editor | [email protected] Team | Jenno Thanikkal, Josie Pullen Opinion & Analysis Editor | Joshua [email protected] & Analysis Team | Owen Davis, Catalina Ribas Pearce, Munya Mudarikiri, V

Features Editor | Katie [email protected] Team | Ellie Kerr-Smiley, Rachael Lowe, Melanie Hoste, Nancy Lubale, Ardy Cheung

Science and Technology Editor | Francesca [email protected] and Technology Team | David Makepeace, Thomas Chillery, Fahmid Chowdhury, Ben Hartfield, Hashim Shamsi, Holly Godwin

Societies Editor | Alex [email protected] Team | Matt Finch, Pablo Oriol Valls, Hannah, Bostock, Mike Parker & Kerri Moore, Katie Leuw, Chathurka Warnakulasuriya

Fashion Editor | Akey [email protected] Team | Rhiannon Hutchings, Kelly Yiu, Olivia Murphy

Arts Editor | Holly [email protected] Team |

Entertainment Editor | Tami [email protected] Team | Hannah Kaine, Tom Hagar, Luke Fraser

Literature Editor | Leo [email protected] Team | Nick Duffy, Megan Wilson

Sports Editor | Richard [email protected] Team | Alex Mackenzie Smith, Alex Nixon, Philip Daniel, Ye-Kwan Pang, Francesca Gillard, Caroline Katzer, Kieran Wiseman, Imad Ouachan

Web Editor | [email protected]

The Stag is an editorially independent newspaper and is published by the University of Surrey Student’s Union.

The views expressed in the paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the educational team, the Students’ Union or the University of Surrey.

Trinity Mirror (South)8 Tessa Road, Reading

RG1 8NS

The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to decide which articles are published.

Letter (Merry Christmas!) from the EditorFollow us on Instagram!

@thestagsurrey

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It’s that time of year again, the town lights have been switched on, the Christmas jumpers are flying

off the rails and we’re readying ourselves for the Christmas Party where the food never quite lives up to expectation, but there’s always the mulled wine to numb the dry turkey and slightly cold veg.

Christmas is a fantastic time of year, even if it somewhat dragged out by the retailers for far, far too long. I definitely do not need to see a dancing Santa or spray snow in a shop window in the middle of October.

However, one of my favourite things about Christmas, that I don’t mind too much if it comes a little early, is the fairy lights that adorn shop windows, trees, street lamps and eventually, Christmas trees themselves. They’re so pretty, and on those dull and dark winter

evenings, they brighten up even the most solemn of streets, and that little lift is something anyone can appreciate.

The lights, and the parades and festivities that surround the switch on of town and village lights,

often bring together a community always end up creating an atmosphere of happiness,

even if the fake snow is a little questionable.As students, Christmas decorations

can be expensive beyond the tinsel from Poundland, but if I could only have one decoration, it would be fairy lights.

They can be cheap, they can be battery operated and they can be as over- or understated as you like.

But, even if your decorations are a little lacking, you can enjoy the ones garnishing The Stag this year.

Merry Christmas Surrey!

...new wave, that of sympathy and the need to help those who had suffered. Aid has been donated in a plethora of ways, including financially, in rebuilding and constructing physical safe places and in food. It is estimated that nearly $10 billion has been cumulatively donated since the disaster struck.

The progress was slow to start with, but with 10 years between now and the initial impact, it is possible to see the achievements of how the world pulled together in a great time of need, even if the need was thousands of miles away from the festivities of their own homes. A mass reconstruction effort has seen new homes put into place and communities built from the ground up. Banda Aceh, the capital of the northern most province of Indonesia, is an entirely different place now to what it was even before the tsunami.

Lessons have been learnt: the Indonesian government now have knowledge in disaster response and have been able to apply their understanding of 2004 to future incidences, in the hope that this will to some extent prevent unnecessary disaster. It is especially important that these procedures are now in place, as Aceh sits on the particularly volatile “ring of fire”: a belt of tectonic activity prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. Being prepared will only aid the area in not

suffering the loss and struggle of reconstruction, which is too well known from the wake of the tsunami all those years ago.

It can only be hoped that a horrendous natural disaster such as the 2004 Indonesian Tsunami will not be repeated, or at least not to the same devastating result. Those who suffered on that Boxing Day 10 years ago paid a heavy price, but as we’ve shown before, if we need to pull together, across countries, seas and nationalities, we will do it again to help ease the unimaginable devastation that something like this can cause.

A scene of the wreckage from the 2004 Tsunami, Aceh, Indonesia

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A ruined building marked by its owner to show they were still alive, even though the house was moved several meters from its original position

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NEWS 3The Stag | 10th December 2014News Editor:

A Vintage Fair with a Festive Flair

Join G Live’s Creative Company for a Vintage Fair withafestiveflaironSunday 14 December

from 11.30am – 4.30pm.

Looking for inspiration for the perfect Christmas present?

Bargain hunters can sift through rails of vintage clothing and rummage through retro accessories to create the perfect vintage outfit. Browse a host of stalls selling vintage items and beautiful handmade crafts, including homeware, Christmas cards, cameras and vinyl. You’ll be able to pick up a unique gift with the personal touch, not available on the high street or online!

FREE ENTRY (no ticket required)If you would like to be a stallholder, please contact Joyce Law ([email protected]) or 01483 739065.

News

Guess Who’s Back…by Josie Pullen, Head of Design

After the disappearance of Surrey’s most beloved bronze statue, Alan Turing made his grand return to campus on the drizzly

morning of Thursday 4th December. An entourage of vans, hoisting equipment and construction workers began work opposite the Austin Pearce building, preparing to get Alan back in his rightful spot before lunchtime. It seems Alan came back just in time to wave goodbye as we leave for the Christmas holidays, but will he be here when we come back? Or will he make another News story when we return?

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Being Human, Being FreeThe UN General Assembly proclaimed

10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.

So we here at the Univeristy of Surrey have decided to remind ourselves and celebrate how far we as humans have come, and how far we still must go. It is an event hosted in collaboration with Surrey International Women's Society, Enactus Surrey, TEDxSurrey, Surrey Acs, Pensoc and Femsoc to celebrate 66 years of Human rights! The event will take place in Rubix starting at 6 pm till 9 pm.

We have organised an evening of; poetry, spoken word, music performances and heart warming short films.

by Jenno Thanikkal, News Writer

RubixMonday 15th December

6-9pm

...in collaboration with Surrey International Women’s Society, Enactus Surrey, TEDxSurrey, Surrey Acs, Pensoc and Femsoc to celebrate 66 years of Human rights!

Page 4: The Stag: Issue 79

OPINION & ANALYSIS4 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Opinion & AnalysisHave we put the NHS above criticism?

Owen Davis

Last month we commemorated our annual Remembrance Day, 100 years on from the beginning

of the First World War. This always rekindles the debate as to whether this serves to glamorise war, and promote a militaristic ideology in our country.

I don’t believe this personally, but I do have some sympathy for those that do. There seems to be a general, implicitly held view that the Armed Forces as an institution are unquestionably good, and that any such criticism is not just wrong, but intrinsically bad.

By the same token, anything less than outright public support is often seen as disrespectful in itself. The Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow has always refused to wear a poppy on TV, as he doesn’t wish to promote any symbols on air. For this he is accused of being unpatriotic, and insulting and disrespecting soldiers who have died. This of course is nonsense. In a free country, we can and should be able to wear what we choose.

I mention this because it is indicative of a culture in criticism of certain things - no matter how tempered - is met with anger rather than facts and logic. There is no better example of this than the NHS.

Now the NHS is a great thing, and infinitely better than a private insurance based system such as they have in the US. I don’t think there are many people who would disagree with that. Many of us have memories of

great care that we or a loved one has received. We were born in NHS hospitals, and some of us will die in them too. For these reasons we have adopted an emotional attachment to it.

However, the problem is that we have taken this too far. The NHS has become something of a state religion, unquestioningly idolised and fawned over. This national self-congratulation hit its peak with the baffling ‘NHS tribute’ at the Olympic opening ceremony, where nurses and children danced cheerfully on hospital beds.

As a result of this, reform of the NHS is becoming increasingly hard to achieve. We’ve all heard the horror stories about dirty wards, superbugs and patients who die in their own filth. We read about the grisly case of Stafford Hospital, where hundreds died needlessly over a number of years due to sub-standard care. Yet we turn a blind eye, hoping the problem will just go away on its own.

The reality is that our expectations exceed the reality. While the NHS does great things, it is still a huge, inefficient, bureaucratic body. It is hugely expensive, a fact hidden from us as the cost comes from our taxes, not our cheque books.

It still has to ration care, though we pretend otherwise. And like all institutions, it is run and managed by human beings, some who are good at their jobs and some who aren’t.

If we are to make the NHS the best it can be, we have to stop letting our sentimentality cloud our vision. By doing so we do the NHS a disservice, and in the long run it will only hurt us all.

I have written about the importance of free speech in earlier columns. The idea of this

is fundamental to a free press and is all the more important when you consider that there are many countries around the world including Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt where it is not possible to express oneself fully, in print. However, the problem I want to discuss is not one that is limited to the aforementioned countries, but which occurs in all countries. This is the issue that when people express opinions that are unpopular, they are unfairly shot down by those who disagree with them. The consequences of this are not as severe as being imprisoned, but if left unchecked they have the potential to stifle debate. Debate is what is important in a free society, as criticism can and does lead to innovation and improvement, which is why we must protect the right to offend.

I have recently observed a number of discussions within the media where

individuals have expressed themselves and faced unfair backlash. I will now go through three examples and explain why I believe this demonstrates that there is a worrying lack of regard for free speech and expression amongst many in our society that must be challenged.

The first example that I would like to refer to is of recent comments made by Zachary Quinto (star of Star Trek and the Heroes) about the lack of awareness of HIV amongst young gay men. These comments were then jumped on by gay rights and HIV campaigners as a sign that he believed there was no awareness amongst gay men and that HIV is not only a gay issue and should never be framed as such. While some within the LGBT community might have been offended by what he said, he is right to express his opinion, if he feels that there exists an issue. It is only up for us to determine whether or not we agree, rather than shoot him down for expressing an opinion which we might deem offensive.

My second example concerns the shirt worn by Dr Matt Taylor who worked on the Rosetta probe mission to land on the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet when he was interviewed following the successful

landing of the probe. He was not scrutinised for what he said about the mission, but rather was attacked by many online for his choice of clothing. The reason he faced this criticism was the fact that his shirt had scantily clad, but clothed, women on it. The debate around what he wore stems from the argument that women are sexualised in the media. I would agree that they are and go even further and say that women are sexualised in general. Now while this is absolutely abhorrent, I do believe that one man’s choice of clothes is ultimately a personal decision. The sexualisation of women is a social issue that requires action from civil society, the media and government. It is not something that can be blamed on a single person. That said, there are examples when women's rights campaigners have been right to make a strong intervention. Those who have campaigned against the visit of self-styled pickup artist, Julien Blanc were challenging him because he holds absolutely appalling views on women. He has said that he believes grabbing women around the throat is an acceptable pickup technique. This is clearly wrong and in my view comes close to incitement to sexual violence. Furthermore, it is an issue we should clearly stand up against.

My finial example is of Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who tweeted a picture of a house covered in England flags, with a white van outside on the final day of the run up to the Rochester and Strood by-election. This then exploded into a bitter row about whether Emily was a snob who looked down onto traditional labour supporters and patriots like this ‘white van man’. The outrageous overreaction that has spawned from this, resulting in the resignation of Emily Thornberry from her position as shadow attorney general, reflects how far the cynical attitude of people today has gone. People are always asking why politicians can’t be more honest and this is one reason why. They are so scared of putting a foot wrong and expressing an opinion that some might cause offense that it is better to lie to ensure that can remain in their position. Clearly, if we want to know what politicians believe it would be better if they could express themselves freely.

In closing I would like to argue that we should not be so quick to be offended by what people say and do as the right to express an unpopular opinion is what allows us to challenge corruption, hypocrisy and cynicism.

Why we need to stop taking offenseJoshua Langley

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OPINION & ANALYSIS 5The Stag | 10th December 2014Opinion & Analysis Editor: Joshua Langley

When Did Feminism Become a Bad Thing? Navigating the murky waters of gender inequalities with a paddle of common sense...by Catalina Ribas Pearce, Opinion & Analysis Writer

Hairy armpits do not equal feminism. It seems pretty crazy to need to point out that the length of your body hair

does not directly correlate with the strength of your belief in equal rights, but hey, we live in a pretty crazy world. So, whilst we’re at it, let’s point out a few other things feminism does not mean.

Feminism doesn’t mean that women are inherently better than men. You are not being a “feminist” if you vote for a female candidate in an election just because she is a woman, in the same way that you aren’t campaigning for ethnic equality by having Beyoncé as your ringtone. You also aren’t a feminist just because you express a dislike towards men, and feminism is definitely not saying that men and women are identical in every way. “Why the hell are you pointing out these glaringly obvious statements?” I sincerely hope you are all crying out. Well, apparently these things are not well-known facts in the dark and deeply misinformed corners of the internet.

The extent of this absolute mess struck me whilst perusing an online photo sharing website; I came across a picture of a girl holding a sign which read “I don’t need feminism because...” followed by a list which included things such as “I am my own person”. Yes, and if you are your own person, earning your very own money which is then going into your own bank account for you to use on your own things, then you maybe you should be kinda thankful that there was once a group of people lame enough to call themselves “feminists”. Even more upsetting than this is the fact that she is not alone: if you search for “I don’t need feminism because” there are hoards of young girls holding up signs that make me want to do an Emily Davidson and jump in front of a horse out of

sheer despair. Obviously there are always those who take a movement and monumentally piss all over it by misconstruing its objectives, and it appears that those who use feminism as a projection for some kind of extremist gender supremacy are polluting the minds of young girls growing up to hate the very word, never mind consider themselves in any way associated with it. I don’t think that I am going to be able to re-allocate any power to the term feminism in my 500 word article, but I want to try and find a definition I hope we can all get on board with. To do so I’m going to use the words of the ever-brilliant Caitlin Moran:

“What is feminism? Simply the belief that women should be as free as men, however nuts, dim, deluded, badly dressed, fat, receding, lazy and smug they might be. Are you a feminist? Hahaha. Of course you are.”

When it was first coined, the term “feminism” served a crucial purpose in highlighting gender inequalities, for which the women of Britain and beyond will be forever indebted, however my personal opinion is that it has got to the point where its modern-day connotations have become so blurred that it would be better to give up on the word altogether.

Rather, we need think of a new term that can bring it back to its basics and sum up what is really important here: equals rights and opportunities for every person to be the best that we can, knowing that we will probably spend a lot of time monumentally cocking things up and needing each other’s support just to muddle through somehow, whilst understanding that all of this has very little, or even nothing to do with the nature of our reproductive organs. I don’t mind what that term is, but I hope it can safely be said that we all need it.

The Internet is rammed with signs starting “I don’t need feminism because...” juxtaposed with the plethora of signs starting, “I need feminism because...”

Arriva Responds to Poor Service Claims

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A response to the “Student Bus Nightmare” feature in the previous issue of The Stag...

In the last issue of the stag I read two articles that identified the terrible experience that

students have been having with the Arriva bus service. It saddens me that so many have had such a torrid time with a service that is purposed with the task of enhancing your university experience. I thought that it would be appropriate to address some of the concerns highlighted within the articles which echo the concerns of many others.

The main issues regarding the bus service were identified as being; the Capacity (the bus being too full), Punctuality (the bus not arriving at the time scheduled), driver behaviour (The drivers being rude, making inappropriate comments or driving erratically). Lastly a poor complaints procedure that not only fails to acknowledge complaints but also fails to close the feedback loop and inform students as to what action is being taken regarding the issues that they

raise.On the 20th of December a group

consisting of university staff members, current students and myself met with the Arriva bus service to discuss the issues that have been raised in the article and by other students. To be quiet frank, we beat them black and blue with accounts of the poor overall service that students had been experiencing. To their credit they were receptive to the comments and issues and it was agreed that a plan of action would be thrashed out in the next couple of weeks and executed as soon as possible. The plan would detail a way to build capacity and provide more buses ensuring that students would be able to get the buses and not miss them due to them being full as well as a change in schedules to improve punctuality the details of this will be released shortly once everything is confirmed, so bear with us. We informed Arriva of the poor

driver behaviour experienced by students, highlighting the fact that all drivers are required to wear name badges so they can be identified. Arriva have promised to clamp down on misbehaviour and drivers not wearing name badges, so hopefully this will cease to be an issue. This is where we need you as students to help us help you, the university and students union have noted the issue with Arriva’s complaint procedure

and are now asking you to contact us with your complaints on either [email protected] or [email protected]. Please send us all your complaints and issues with as much detail as you possibly can i.e the number of the bus, the name of the driver, the time the bus arrived alongside the location it arrived to and the nature of the issue.

by Munya Mudarikiri, VP Welfare

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Page 6: The Stag: Issue 79

OPINION & ANALYSIS6 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

The Next French Revolutionby Virginia Kounddudi, Opinion & Analysis Writer

In 2014, the people of Scotland went to the polls in record numbers to decide the future

of their country. The people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets in record numbers to fight to preserve their democracy. In the summer we witnessed the largest democratic election in history, as a record number of Indians voted for their next president. In many countries we are currently seeing an increase in people's participation in their countries' affairs, and a wave of optimism. In other countries however, the national mood is nothing but pessimistic and the only view of its future is one of decline.

It has been said of France that political progress is never made unless the people go to war, or the people revolt. And right now, the French are pretty pissed off. François Hollande is simply the most unpopular French president of all time. His approval rating has fallen below 15% and is still falling (To put that into perspective both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have higher ratings). Before being elected, Hollande promised to put an end to austerity and deliver growth to the French people. This hasn’t happened, with

the economy stagnant and unemployment remaining high.

The people to profit the most from the president’s troubles are Marine Le Pen and her party the Front National (FN). In a similar way to UKIP, the FN has seized upon the public mood and people's dissatisfaction with politics by talking tough on immigration and Europe. Le Pen’s party has surged in popularity, and a recent poll suggested that if she and Hollande were to face off for the Presidency in 2017 - she would win. This prospect has scared many people, who fear her far-right policies and the party’s anti-Semitic past.

So who can the French look to in their time of need? Enter Sarkozy. The former president recently announced his political comeback and intentions for a rematch with Hollande in 2017. However if Sarkozy is going to retake the presidency, he faces a lot of challenges to do it. He is currently under investigation in two corruption cases. The first is for alleged illegal campaign financing while the second is for allegedly trying to bribe a judge for information about the first. After announcing his comeback, a poll suggested that over half of the French people

don’t want him back. He’s not the hero they deserve, nor the one they need.

The public mood can be summarised by just looking at the countries best selling literature at the moment. It’s not the latest acclaimed book written by Patrick Modiano, the winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature. Instead that lies in 3rd behind 1st place Merci pour ce moment (Thank you for the moment), a remarkable insight into the president written by his former partner Valérie Trierweiler. Just one of the many insights revealed in the book being that the (socialist) president refers to the poor as ‘toothless’. It is another scandal for a president who faces growing discontent from his people.

But more importantly, in 2nd place is Éric Zemmour’s Le Suicide Français (The French Suicide). The book decries the country's decline and attributes it to the forces of globalisation, and the loss of cultural identity stemming from immigration and the European Union. The book has proved disturbing for moderate thinkers in France, as it echoes a lot of the extreme rhetoric spouted by Marine Le Pen and the FN. It also illustrates the French people's pessimism

about their country. According to a poll they have even less faith in their future than the people of Iraq. And Iraq is currently engaged in a civil war with the Islamic State.

The French haven’t gone to war. But could they revolt?

Tony Blair: The most hated man in Britain?

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is perhaps the only person

in world who can truly comprehend how President Obama is feeling

about his loss of popularity. Like Obama, Blair was once regarded as a symbol of hope and change; someone who had the right balance of charisma and political capital. Public opinion is fickle at the best of times, but the scale of change in people’s perceptions of Blair is almost biblical.

Times change, and it is a

natural part of the political cycle that politicians loss their political capital and become unpopular; but it is rare for a politician who once seen as such a prophetic leader to be so reviled. But Blair’s record, like that of most politicians is mixed. He certainly made a positive contribution towards the peace process in Northern Ireland and advanced the cause of Gay rights considerably in this country. In repealing the controversial section 28 and introducing civil partnerships his government arguably paved the way for the introduction of fully equal gay marriages, this year. He is also the father of devolution, as it was his government that introduced Devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales which as we have seen in the recent independence debate has in many ways reignited democracy north of the boarder.

However, this is not what people remember Tony Blair for. He is remembered for one single policy that has become so notorious, that it has obliterated in many peoples minds all of the good that he achieved when in office. The policy to which I refer is of course the decision to support the United States in the 2003, War with Iraq. While I personally believe that this was in many ways an illegal war, that was justified on the basis of false or at the very least faulty intelligence, I do feel that we need to consider the legacy of Tony Blair in proportion to all that he

achieved. When it comes to Politics, the

British people I am afraid to say have a very short memory. While it is true that 1million people marched through the streets of London in opposition to the War, Blair and his new Labour Government were re-elected in 2005, with a fairly governable majority. This suggests to me that the British people would like to have their cake and eat it too. Clearly at the time the relative success of the British economy was regarded as a more significant for voters than the issue of the War in Iraq. It is important to remember this when evaluating the legacy of our former Prime Minister.

Nevertheless, Blair’s activities since leaving office in 2007 have not helped with the current perception of the man. Consultancy work for regimes with poor human rights records such as Kazakhstan and the fact that he is able to make £500,000 from certain ‘single’, speaking engagements, have led many to believe he is immoral and greedy. The latter of these examples I have no problem with as it is up to individuals to decide how much they want to pay for a service. The former example however raises some serious questions. As prime minister you are forced to deal with regimes that have bad human rights record, this is the unfortunate nature of the global system. However, the same does not apply when you leave office and it is your choice who you work with.

If the purpose of this work is to support transition to Democracy, you would think that a man who has been so heavily criticised for his role in Iraq would stay well clear. This suggests to me that quite simply, Blair has no shame.

His unpaid role as Middle East Peace Envoy also adds to the controversy, as it means that rather than remaining silent on the domestic affairs of Middle Eastern countries as would be advisable for someone who started a War there, he is regularly engaged in public debate on this issue. I think that in all reasonableness he should not be in this role, as it simply makes his position as an effective negotiator untenable.

Finally, it was recently revealed that the US branch of Save the Children had awarded Blair a ‘global legacy award’ for his contribution toward ending child poverty. As Prime Minister Blair was a major supporter of the Make Poverty History campaign. However, the question is whether it is right for someone who was a key supporter of a War that led to many thousands of deaths including those of children, to be given such an award. I would argue that it is wrong because the controversy of the man takes away from the real issue, which is children’s right. On the other hand I do believe that the will of the majority should not be the only criteria used in deciding whether an individual should be given an award.

Joshua Langley

Marie Antoinette and family models at Madame Tussauds

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Page 7: The Stag: Issue 79

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 7The Stag | 10th December 2014Sci/Tech Editor: Francesca Gillard

Science & TechnologyA Very Techy Christmasby David Makepeace, Science & Tech Writer

Christmas is fast approaching. The more organised among us will have finished their Christmas shopping by November and are now free

to sit back with a mulled wine while the rest of us panic buy and curse ourselves for not getting this done sooner. It was the same last year and it will be the same next year. But don’t worry; The Stag is here for you. Here’s our rundown of the top science and tech gifts to satisfy your friends and families inner geek this Christmas!

Kinetic Light Newton’s Cradle – thefowndry.com - £44.99

Equation Watch – thesciencemuseum.co.uk - £25.00

BArK Dog Bowl - zazzle.co.uk - £21.95

Solar Tree Charger – thediscoverystore.co.uk - £79.95

Tetris LED Stackable Lamp – amazon.co.uk - £25.58

The classic desk toy from the 80’s is back and it is better than ever. There’s not a self-respecting CEO

anywhere in the world that doesn’t have a Newton’s Cradle on their desk. With three different lighting modes to keep you entertained, there has never been a more fun way to demonstrate Newton’s laws of motion. Those laws may just have to be re-written, however, because a force from way back in the 80’s is about to exert an even greater force this Christmas.

Geek is all the rage right now, with thick framed glasses and comic book T-shirts lining the walls of every shop in the high street this

Christmas. I’m no fashion guru but I know enough that to complete any outfit you need to accessorize! With a different equation for each number on the 12 hour clock, getting this for your friends will let them show off their smarts or just down right confuse them. Either way, it doesn’t matter if someone works for NASA or simply wants that geek chic look, they’ll love this one.

Don’t forget the dog this Christmas. This chemical elements dog bowl, with Boron, Argon and Potassium

cleverly arranged to spell ‘bark’ is the perfect treat for your dog this year. If you’re not a fan of these particular elements, don’t worry, it’s fully customisable. Stop dressing your dog up like an elf, and get something that will actually make your house look good this year.

This is the perfect gift for your eco-friends. With 9 solar panels, USB and micro USB ports this is

the new way to charge all your devices. Not only is it a completely green way of charging your devices but it also looks fantastic. Don’t worry about those rare times when the sun isn’t shining, it also comes with a built in Lithium battery so you’ll never be short of charge. Why not give someone this beautiful eco-warrior badge this Christmas?

Everyone played Tetris when they were a kid (and most of you probably still play it now).

This was the game that introduced a whole generation to hand held gaming. What better way to give that special someone a nostalgia trip than with the stackable Tetris lamp? With endless combinations, this can be styled to light up your desk in any way you want. Simply add a piece to the stack and it will light up. Warning: This gift will lead to severe and endless procrastination.

Page 8: The Stag: Issue 79

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY8 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Top in Tech

“Government Created Virus”

by Fahmid Chowdhury, Senior Science & Tech Writer

Cybercriminals target vulnerable smartphone users

Approximately 50% and 60% of table and smartphone

users globally, respectively, have no safeguards against malicious software. These users are therefore vulnerable to an array of attacks ranging from phishing emails to session hijacking.

Old TV frequencies can be turned into free “Super WiFi”

GTA 5 – the top selling game in UK history

Symantec has come out with a statement that it has

found a computer bug that is so sophisticated that only a government could have created it. The piece of Malware has been stated to have been active since 2008.

Scientists have claimed that it can be possible to turn old

TV frequencies into easy-to-use, wide range WiFi. This WiFi network would have a much bigger range than existing WiFi networks.

Woolly Mammoth sells for around £189k

GTA 5, the free roaming virtual world masterpiece,

has become the UK’s biggest selling game after the recent next-gen release. It topples Call of Duty: Black Ops to take the prize.

A skeleton structure of a Woolly Mammoth has been

sold for around £189,000 to a telephone bidder at an auction. It is said to have died about 10,000 years ago and even has a set of tusks!

Are Gamers Better Learners?by Thomas Chillery, Science & Tech Writer

Throughout recent years there have been multiple studies on the effect gaming has

on our mental abilities. Such titles as “Can Video Games Create A Sharper Mind?” and “Playing Video Games Can Boost Brain Power” have certainly sprung up in articles covering the studies of independent groups. Almost in answer to the big releases in the past few weeks from the gaming industry, including but not limited to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a new study has been made by Daphne Bavelier and her colleagues. Bavelier, a research professor in brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, claims action games - such as Call of Duty - provide players with a learning edge over non-players.

According to Bavelier our brains are constantly trying to anticipate the future, be it during a conversation, sitting through another Friday afternoon lecture or watching the latest Hunger Games film, we constantly try to build “models” or “templates”. The better the templates we mentally produce the better our performance under such situations and in the case of fast paced action games a large increase in the efficiency at which we deal with situations has been observed.

Initially researchers pitted Action Gamers and Non-Action gamers against each other through testing of their visual performance, the Action Gamers were found to perform better than their Non-Action counterparts. This shows their brains were more capable of producing a

template to match the task at hand. Next Bavelier tested whether this increase in performance truly was a specific result of Action Games by recruiting 2 groups of people whom had very limited experience with any form of video game whatsoever.

Representing true student procrastination heaven, both groups were required to play 50 hours of video games over the course of 9 weeks, with one group playing your standard fast paced action shooter such as Call of Duty and the other set playing your more laid back colloquial form of entertainment such as The Sims. The applicants were tested before and after play on a pattern discrimination test. Again results suggested the group which played action games had a larger increase in the ability to generate templates as opposed to the control group.

Finally these gamers were given a perceptual learning task as a way to quantify the “amount of learning” each group underwent. Initially their results were indistinguishable between action and non-action gamers, however the Rochester researchers said the action gamers developed better templates during the test and showed an accelerated learning curve compared to the control group. An amazing notion from this work is that tests taken from months to even a year later still showed a difference in performance, suggesting a long-lasting effect is at play.

Although some studies bolster and others reject the scientific opinions made by this group, it is certainly very interesting (and perhaps reassuring) to read that video games may cause an improvement on our studies. So next time your parents or flatmates complain that you’re playing too much CoD or Halo this Christmas, just thrust this article before them and play away.

For the full scientific article, check out: “Action video game play facilitates the development of better perceptual techniques” by Vikranth R. Bejjanki et al.

[Black Mirror] is the title of Charlie Brooker’s TV show, referencing the screen on all devices we are glued to in 2014; a black mirror. We’re in the Science and Tech Section so if this gets a bit review-y I’ll slap myself on the wrist. Never has a piece of media so carefully and bleakly scrutinised the effect that technology is having on our lives. To set the scene for anyone who hasn’t seen it; every episode has a different premise, cast and setting so each is a mini movie. One of the plot lines is that a woman who filmed a murder on her phone is subjected to relive that day over and over again whilst the public film her on their phones. That description doesn’t do the harrowing situation justice.

There are many things discussed about new technology and how it could improve our

lives; however there is never much research done on how it affects our general day to day interactions with other people. The 2000’s babies are already much more tech savvy - with babies pinching the TV screen because they think it’s like an iPad. Black Mirror takes such examples and turns them up to 11. Is there going to be a point where you can recreate your deceased loved ones from their social network profile (Season 2, Episode 1) or have a ‘grain’ in your ear that records all of your actions so you can play back your whole life? (Season 1 Ep.3)

Both of these examples are extreme but as technology becomes more sophisticated and people spend more of their time uploading their whole life onto social media and google glass is just one step away from a ‘grain’, Black Mirror is becoming more of a true mirror than would be comfortable.

My point is, as we steamroll our

way towards Christmas, engage more in real life, our environment and leave virtuality behind, think of all the new inventions this year, the problems already with personal drones for spying and carrying weapons have created a head-ache for policy makers. There has already been a case of a drone getting shot down as the shooter thought they were in danger and

used self-defence as the reason for their actions. That is a Black Mirror episode waiting to happen.

The Christmas link in this article is tenuous but it is there; a Christmas special of Black Mirror is airing with this premise: humans are able to ‘Block’ other people from their real lives like on social media. Who would you block?

Look at Your Phone, Now Back At Me; Black Mirrorby Ben Hartfield, Senior Science & Tech Writer

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Page 9: The Stag: Issue 79

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 9The Stag | 10th December 2014Sci/Tech Editor: Francesca Gillard

The ‘Pulling Pill’The notion that a woman's

preference in men changes depending on the time of the month is not a new one. Factors that contribute to a caring, loving partner can be thrown out of the window during ovulation in order to prioritise a manly physique. Instinctually we are aware that they are the healthier specimens who are more capable of delivering ‘good’ genetic material to any future offspring.

Recent research has revealed, however, that women on the contraceptive pill often place less importance on physical appearance. This is due to the fact that the pill works by suppressing a woman's natural cycle, introducing hormones to the body that stop the monthly release of an egg from the

ovaries. Hence there is no longer a reason for the quality of genetic material to be a contributing factor, and other aspects become far more significant.

For those women not taking the contraceptive pill the criteria for an appealing partner are only biased towards physical health for the few days a month during ovulation. During this time the hormones associated with the reproductive system embody themselves as sexual desire and can influence decisions. Whereas, during this same time period, the desires of women who are taking the pill are void of this monthly urge, and as a result their need for typically masculine traits lessen and they are often able to find more effeminate men attractive based on their compatibility as people.

However brief the window of poor reasoning, it could still be argued that it is advantageous to consistently be able to choose sexual partners based predominantly on character.

So is this a triumph for the ‘nice guy’, the guy without the chiseled jaw line and muscular definition?

The answer is yes, in the short term, but a problem arises when a woman enters a relationship with a man under the hormonal conditions of the pill and then stops taking it once they have settled down together, suddenly finding she wants him to keep his clothes firmly on!

So if you’ re looking for love over Christmas the pill may indeed make her more attracted to you, but be warned; it might not last.

Could “Interstellar” become a reality?by Hashim Shamsi, Science & Tech Writer

by Holly Godwin, Science & Tech Writer

The end of Earth will not be the end of us. That’s the tag line for Christopher Nolan’s latest film,

Interstellar. The film is all about a group of Astronauts whizzing through a worm hole in the hopes of finding a new planet the Human race can call home. Of course it’s Science Fiction - but one day, may we, or our descendants, have to do the same?

The closest known potentially habitable planet is 13 light years away. If you were travelling at the speed of light, so about 299,792,458 metres per second, it would still take you 13 years to get there. Our current spacecraft aren’t even close to reaching those speeds. Even if they could, after 13 years, we may discover the planet may not have any signs of life and may not be suitable for us. It’s clear from this, that if we want to discover new worlds, we need to develop a new propulsion system.

Currently, the majority of propulsion systems use chemical rockets. Through this method, we can only gain thrust if we are continuously burning fuel. That’ a lot of fuel for a trip across the Galaxy. So what’s in store for the future? Before conquering the Galaxy, we should perhaps think closer to home. The next permanent Space colony may very well be on the planet Mars, but the major issue is the time it takes to get there. Depending on current positions of Earth and Mars the journey could take up to year. A future proposed method of propulsion could slash this time down to only 90 days.

Nuclear Fusion is the process that occurs in the high temperature core of the Sun. Fusion powered spacecraft could be created in the near future and will recreate the same process to take us further than

we’ve ever gone before. Trips to Mars could become commonplace, and there may be an increased human presence on the red planet. Fusion powered Spacecraft may even take us as far as Jupiter’s icy Moon, Europa. Beneath the icy crust of Europa lies an Ocean with more Water than the Earth. Future expeditions could take place to see whether life really does exist outside of Earth.

Let’s think ahead to the far future. If the human race really wants to push exploration to the limits, like the Astronauts in Interstellar, Fusion propulsion just won’t cut it. Unfortunately we don’t have the convenience of wormholes opening up for us to travel through. Even if we did, it may not end well. Instead, we would need to create a method of travelling faster than light. It sounds like Science Fiction, but Miguel Alcubierre proposed a method based on Einstein’s field equations in General relativity. His method states that rather than travelling faster than light, the spacecraft would create a bubble around itself by expanding space behind it, and contracting space in front of it. This bubble would carry the spacecraft over vast distances. Such a Spacecraft would allow us to reach Mars within minutes. Thinking bigger, it would become easier for us to send people into deep space and start colonies hundreds of millions of miles from Earth. Humanity will truly become a Space faring race.

We don’t know when the Alcubierre drive or even Fusion propulsion will become a reality, but for now these are all methods that are being actively researched. We can only hope that we will see a big change in our lifetime.

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Do you want to write for the Science and Technology Section? If you are interesed contact Francesca at:

[email protected]

Page 10: The Stag: Issue 79

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY10 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Fashion

Sports

Features

Opinion & AnalysisScience & Technology

Societies

EntertainmentLiterature

News

Arts

Do you like our Christmassy makeover?

Page 11: The Stag: Issue 79

FEATURES 11The Stag | 10th December 2014Features Editor: Katie Sands

Features

CAREERS SERVICE

by Ardy Cheung, Careers Ambassador

Your Future: Placement & Job Information at the Careers Service

The Careers Service has a whole host of information and resources to help you with job seeking and

applications. With so much information available, it can be difficult to know where to look first! So, here is a rundown to help you out.

You can find key tips for effective CV writing, preparing for interviews and making speculative applications in a range of leaflets here at the office. There are also great reference lists on websites and where to find part-time, placement and graduate vacancies. Referring back to these is a good idea to save you jotting down websites and names on scrappy bits of paper or in your notebooks which you tend to lose or forget! They are also available to download on the Careers Service website: www.surrey.ac.uk/careers/current/leaflets/.

Organisations such as Targetjobs, Prospects and The Times publish prospectuses every year to showcase what placement and graduate schemes are offered by companies. Use these as employer directories and to find student ratings on specific companies that you may be interested to work for. You can pick up your

free copy at the Careers Service.Employers use varying ways to recruit candidates.

The interview is the most common but many also require you to take aptitude and skills tests. The Careers Library has books that will help you to prepare for different types of interviews and skills tests. You are more than welcome to browse through or to loan these out for 3 days. New books have recently arrived so do make sure to take a look! Are you unsure about which career path your degree can lead to or want to read up about a specific job? The Careers Library is also the best place to start from.

Make sure to sign up to our online vacancies database, especially if you are after professional work experience as it will send you email alerts when vacancies relevant to you pop up. Following us @careerssurrey on Twitter will keep you updated on vacancies and employer events. Many of this information can be accessed with further resources online: www.surrey.ac.uk/careers.

Now that you have found out more about the useful information and resources that the Careers Service offers you, it is time to visit and make use of it!

The Careers Library on campus, in the Philip Merchant building

Have a Creative Christmas Features Editor, Katie Sands, gives you her Christmas gift solutionsby Katie Sands, Features Editor

Christmas can be a daunting season for those who don’t have the budget to buy their loved ones the gifts they might like the most. In this retail-mad holiday season, it can sometimes seem that the only option to enjoy your Christmas and get lovely presents for your family and friends is to break

the budget. Whilst there are some things that are worth splashing out for, with a little bit of creative thinking, students can find ways to minimise the financial

burden of Christmas and spend time enjoying the holiday season!

Here are a few easy ideas for Christmas that prove that with a bit of creativity, you can work off a much lower budget than usual:

1) Put a candy cane on your flatmates doorhandle with a Christmas card note attached on a piece of string or thread.

This is great because the candy cane hangs on the door handles and is a nice surprise when they return from lectures! Supermarkets and high street pound stores often stock candy canes for about £1-3, making this a great way to feel like you have done something thoughtful for your flatmates without buying individual gifts.

2) Personalised Christmas cards; even if you just buy coloured card and Christmas crafts of mini Christmas trees etcetera and write a personalised message.

This cuts down costs from buying a pack of cards, can be quite fun even if you don’t consider yourself ‘artistic’ and the effort will be appreciated.

3) Present tags can be made by cutting out the best parts of old Christmas cards from last year.

Just cut around part of the picture you like and put a whole punch in the corner for the ribbon, and you have a lovely present tag.

4) Secret Santa is a failsafe method to keep costs down with presents this Christmas, and groups can usually agree on a spending limit to keep it fair.

Secret Santa works by everyone writing their name on a piece of paper and putting it into a hat. Then everyone each draws a name from the hat, and whoever’s name you get you buy them a present, wrap it, and pretend it’s from Santa. The premise is to keep who buys whose present secret, but the reality is often different!

5) Use any skills you have! Can you draw, write,

do woodwork, knit, sew? Anything you make yourself will often be much cheaper than a purchased version, and as I keep saying, really personal, which is the sign of a good present!

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Page 12: The Stag: Issue 79

FEATURES12 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Forever Surrey

by Rachael Lowe, Alumni and Development Office

Merry Christmas from the Alumni and Development Office

As always things in the Alumni and Development

Office are busy and varied. You might think Christmas would be a quiet time for us, but it’s quite the reverse! In the last couple of weeks alone we have had four big events. These were the supporter reception, Jim Meets…Ruby Wax, School of Hospitality and Tourism alumni lecture at BAFTA and the University’s carol service. These are all the sort of events that you too will be invited to when you graduate.

The supporter reception was held as a thank you to patrons of the University of Surrey, whether that be financially or through giving their time. It showcased some of the projects that have benefited in the last year. These were illustrated through exhibition stands which included hay bales, plastic sheep and a hospital bed! I told you it was varied. The hay bales and sheep were to represent the vet school along with a cardiac screening initiative, hence the hospital bed. As you may be aware many of the facilities and equipment you enjoy as students is because of the generosity of our alumni supporters.

The Jim Meets…Ruby Wax event was part of the University’s first ever mental health awareness

week. We invited alumni along to the exclusive talk as it’s always exciting to have a celebrity on campus, especially when talking about such an important topic.

Graduates of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management were invited to join us for the second annual alumni lecture and festive drinks reception on Monday 1 December, hosted at the iconic BAFTA headquarters in London. The evening featured a guest lecture from Dr Chris Browne OBE, chief operating officer of TUI Aviation, who spoke on the developments of package holidays.

A personal favourite of mine is the University’s carol service at Guildford Cathedral, I do love a good Christmas carol. As part of this festive favourite we held a mulled wine and mince pie reception for our retired staff. We include retired staff as part of our alumni community so this is an ideal opportunity to invite them back to campus.

So I guess all that’s left to say for now is Merry Christmas! Have a great time, stay safe and I look forward to more columns next year. Oh, and apologies for the questionable photo from the alumni team, I hope it brings you a festive smile.

Elfing around (from left to right) are: Lucy Evans – Alumni Relations Officer for FBEL, Emma Pryke – Alumni Volunteer and International Officer, Amy Mason – Alumni Events Officer, Trudy Monk – Head of Alumni Relations and Rachael Lowe – Alumni Relations

My First Impressions of Surrey

by Nancy Lubale, International Student Writing Competition Winner

Choosing a Master’s programme is not an easy task. Choosing the right university is even harder. As

a Tullow Group Scholar from Kenya, I had the luxury of browsing through different courses in different universities in the UK. Then I stumbled on a name I had never heard of….I stopped to follow the link and go through the courses. Not convinced enough I went further to look at the website, then looked it up on Google and there it was! The fastest growing university in the UK, top 10 in the Guardian League table, the Times and the Sunday Times for the past few years, more than 95% graduate employability, only 34 minutes by train from London, a beautiful green-leafy campus, and a lake! That name was the University of Surrey. Believe me or not, I didn’t look further.

So, how was Surrey when I arrived? Exactly what I had imagined it to be. And the most outstanding thing is its beauty. Arriving just at the end of summer, it was so green with trees of every kind, flowers, the green lawns of grass and a walk beside the lake makes it heavenly.

The support and help we received from the

welcome week was very helpful. Having been met by the Meet and Greet crew at the airport, getting to the university by bus (for free), having someone help with the luggage and make it easy to find your court, the university tours, the trips Tesco and Loseley House, and the dinner organised by the International Office on Friday made it easy to settle in university.

Oh! I forgot to tell you about my course! MSc. Corporate Environmental Management. Don’t worry, I had not heard of it before as well. It is taught at the Centre for Environmental Strategy (CES) and oh my… I have never looked at environment and sustainable development the way this cause makes me to. The CES staff are friendly, approachable and very experienced. The style of teaching is different- one week intensive per module-but I like it.

Life outside university has been facilitated by Friends International. With them I have visited the Surrey Hills (the Hogs Back), a place of outstanding beauty; been to the oldest churches in Guildford (over 400 years Old!); had a meal with a British family and the best so far has been the bonfire night and fireworks in Bramley village. As the year goes by, I hope to learn more and enjoy the Surrey experience!

M2qrd: The New Age Cosmic Look by Melanie Hoste, Features Writer

There is rarely a time when you will find an aesthetic piece that

manages to embody the influential powers of science and art into a single item of jewellery.

Mariam Elgabry, a final year Biochemist-meets-secret-designer, has done exactly this in her line of work where each of her handmade creations represents an imperfection that has been transformed into a being that is alluring.

In this day and age where we are continuously trying to push our boundaries in fashion with quirky, off-beat designs, Elgabry’s jewellery fits the description right down to a ’t’. With its asymmetrical stones, glossed with powder reminiscent of the night sky thick with stars and enveloped in an array of thin wire, these pieces will bring that

contemporary edge to any of your outfits and without a doubt, catch anybody’s attention. Whilst being eccentric at first glance, on closer inspection, the jewellery mirrors the infinite cosmos in its design as well being carefully structured on a more static and molecular level.

So be daring and drift away from the conventional look. Immerse yourself with in this line of jewellery where you will feel as

if you are holding the universe and all that it contains in the palm of your hand.

Elgabry’s design is now featured at the Studio, on campus (www.facebook.com/SurreyStudio) and can also be viewed online at www.facebook.com/MsquaredWearableArt.

Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/m2qrd and follow her line of work on Instagram under ‘m2qrd’ for her complete range of designs.

The International Student support team recently held a competition for InternationalstudentstowriteabouttheirfirstexperiencesofSurreyUniversity

for the last 2 or so months, and below is the winning entry by Nancy Lubale

A unique Christmas gift to give, designed by a Surrey student!

Page 13: The Stag: Issue 79

FEATURES 13The Stag | 10th December 2014Features Editor: Katie Sands

by Ellie Kerr-Smiley, Features Writer

Christmas Drinks DebunkedOne Girls Journey to Discover the Best Christmas Drink of 2014 (Sans Coffee)**Except for one terrible, terrible mistake.

DISCLAIMER: All of these drinks are either from Starbucks or Costa Coffee. This is no offence to Nero or Pret, it’s just that they’re further away from my house… and all opinions are my own!I began my important festive investigative research (or festigative research) in the warm confines of the train station’s miniature Costa Coffee. Little did I know that not only did I have two

hot chocolates in front of me, but I was also about to embark upon the hardest hitting journalism known to mankind.

Drink 1: White Hot Chocolate – Costa Coffee

Drink(s) 3 & 4: Orange Hot Chocolate – Starbucks vs. Costa Coffee

Drink 5: The Terrible, Terrible Mistake (Sticky Toffee Latte) – Costa Coffee

Drink 6: The Holy Grail (Otherwise known as a Peppermint Hot Chocolate) – Starbucks

After trying Costa’s White Hot Chocolate last year I was (a little too) excited when I saw that it had reappeared on their festive menu.

Unfortunately, something had changed. Gone were the subtle hints of cinnamon, and in its place sat an overbearingly sickly raspberry coulis. Sure, the actual hot chocolate tasted good, but the warm and chocolatey gooeyness was taken over by the bitter taste of disappointment.

In a world with countless numbers of coffee chains, there is a girl with only the room in her life for one Orange Hot Chocolate. Who will win and who will be vanquished? Find out in Orange vs Orange!

In all honesty, both of the drinks tasted almost identical. Both chocolatey, both orangey, both delicious, but the Costa version came with a chocolate ‘disc’ on top so I think that constitutes a win.

In the interest of fairness I was convinced (against my better judgement) to include a coffee based drink on this list. I chose something with the most milk and added flavours possible to try and distract me from the fact

that I would be drinking the bitter mud water otherwise known as coffee. Unfortunately no amount of cream and syrups can cover that. The hint of sticky toffee was actually very nice, but it did a poor job of masking the overriding coffee which still tasted like Satan’s backwash.

Okay listen up kids, I’m about to tell you a story. Since the age of fifteen I had waited year after year for

the precious few months where Starbucks would take down their trademark green signs and replace them with cherry red and the promises of advertising their Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Year after year I would gorge upon the wonderful minty, chocolatey, creamy blend until mid-January when it would be snatched away from me and I would fall into a deep sadness until November came around again. And then, everything changed. About a year ago, I told this epic of love and heartbreak to a friend who worked at Starbucks who, after a second of looking slightly disturbed, announced that you can just order that drink any time of year. Just order a Hot Chocolate and ask them to add a shot of peppermint! My mind was blown wide open. I could have this nectar of the gods any time I wanted? This warm yet refreshing drink could be mine in July if I so chose? I highly recommend, no I insist, that you go out and get this drink as soon as is humanely possible, you will not be disappointed.

Expectations Reality

Drink 2: Black Forest Hot Chocolate – Costa Coffee

After the previous disappointment I turned to the other drink in front of me, the Black Forest Hot Chocolate. Unfortunately, as I should have

expected, the sickly sweet raspberry coulis was back and even bigger than before. On the upper hand, the White Hot Chocolate seemed a lot more appetising. Costa, I beg of you, please, please, go a little easier on the coulis.

Expectations Reality

(Perhaps they just forgot to add the minitature festive snowman and christmas trees to my drink?)

Rating: 3.5/5 (4/5 if I stop being a baby about the lack of cinnamon.)

(I am also becoming incredibly perturbed by the lack of festive decorations that adorn the drinks advertised on the website on the drinks

given to me.)

Rating: 3/5

(Again, I have been left without cute little santas and reindeer. It begs the question, is capitatlism a lie?) Rating: Starbucks: 4/5 & Costa: 4.5/5

(You know what? I don’t think they ever intended to give me any festive decorations at all. I have been lied to by a corporation for the last time. Down with capitalism, vive la revolution!)

Rating: 1/5

Rating: 5/5

(There were no pictures available of this magical drink and thus no way to disappoint me. Oh, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, you never let me down. Still, I drew my own version for you all. Pretty sure this is exactly how it looks when it’s served to you,

cherubs and all.)

Page 14: The Stag: Issue 79

FEATURES14 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

GamesAcross

1 The season of goodwill to all (informal) (4) 4 1 bird? (6) 9 Gift (for good people at 1?) (7) 10 Legal defence (5) 11 Family (to spend time with at 1?) (5) 12 Narcotic drugs - I sop tea (anagram) (7) 13 Illuminations (on the tree at 1?) (6) 15 Pet rodent (6) 18 Release (liquid) (7) 20 Sprite (at the top of the 1 tree?) (5) 22 Greet (anagram) - white heron (5) 23 Petty (7) 24 Warm woollen item of clothing (given at 1?) (6) 25 Present - many are given at 1! (4)

Down 2 Assembly (7) 3 View (like the Nativity at 1?) (5) 4 Design inked onto the skin (6) 5 Understand (7) 6 Be - live (5) 7 Facial blemish - see (4) 8 Decorative material (on the tree at 1?) (6) 13 Hear (6) 14 Playhouse (where one sees pantomimes at 1?) (7) 16 Court official - FBI fail (anagram) (7) 17 Sofa (where one views TV at 1?) (6) 19 Festive song? (5) 20 Brief relationship (informal) (5) 21 Old word for 1 (4)

Crossword

Sukdoku Winter Wordsearch

Page 15: The Stag: Issue 79

ARTS 15The Stag | 10th December 2014Arts Editor: Holly Hallam

A play where everything goes wrong has never felt so right

in Mischief Theatre’s production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong. The cast play the members of Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, whose attempt to dramatize the story of Peter Pan is met with obstacles at every turn, from prop malfunctions to lighting and sound mishaps. Setting collapsed about as often as the actors did.

One magical moment included how, rather than hoisting Wendy and her brothers into the air on a rigging system that we were informed was being operated by a man with no real training in the matter, the harness caught their clothing and left them stuck performing the next scene in their underpants.

During the interval, Laurence Pears, a truly hilarious actor who played the director Chris

Bean, with wig hairnet still on, approached me nervously asking whether I was with the press and asked if I had noticed anything going wrong with the play. It took me a good few minutes to realise he was still in character and left me laughing all the more.

The slapstick fills you with childish glee and the actors appear to have perfected comedy timing. Everything you could possibly imagine falls into side-splitting disaster; the resultant omnishambles bordering on the slightly macabre.

Peter Pan once said ‘To die would be an awfully big adventure’. It seems that to put on the play of Peter Pan proves hazardous enough to your health to make Peter Pan Goes Wrong a thrill ride from the curtain rising until final bows.

Mischief Theatre have scheduled further dates across the UK until next July

Review: Peter Pan Goes Wrongby Holly Hallam, Arts Editor

James Marlowe, Cornelius Booth, Laurence Pears, Harry Kershaw in Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Christmas is nearly upon us and Panto season is beginning.

Guildford has two to offer, with The Electric Theatre hosting Arabian Nights and the Yvonne Arnaud theatre putting on a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Arabian Nights is being performed by youth theatre company The Man in the Moon for a unique retelling of the story of Aladdin and Ali Baba, cast with local young actors under the age of 18.

The show is running from Thursday 18 December to Sunday 21 December.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the Yvonne Arnaud

theatre has been pegged as an all-singing, all-dancing spectacle full of magic and fun. Cast as The Wicked Queen is star of ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ Josie Lawrence, a wonderfully witty comedienne.

The show is running from Friday 5 December to Sunday 4 January.

On the 12th of December, The Yvonne Arnaud is also staging a Relaxed Performance of Snow White, to create a safe and calm environment including softer lighting and reduced noise. A Chill Out Room will also be staffed, for audience members who may need a few moments to relax during the show.

What’s On?: Guildford Pantosby Holly Hallam, Arts Editor

Arts

Page 16: The Stag: Issue 79

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Have you put up your decorations yet?

2522

Stagvent Calendar 2014!

Did you know?According to one nutritionst’s findings,theaveragepersoninthe UK consumes 7,000 calories

on Christmas Day...

Merry Christmas!

The First Day of Christmas!

4

Surrey’s Got Talent Final!

5In 1843, A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens

in just six weeks

Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Because their days are numbered!

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy!

What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck? A Christmas Quacker!

ArtificialChristmastrees have outsold real ones since 1991

Not long now! Have you done all of your shopping?

Do you have a December birthday?

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Did you know?According to one nutritionst’s findings,theaveragepersoninthe UK consumes 7,000 calories

on Christmas Day...

Merry Christmas!

2The number of gifts given by ‘My True Love’ in The Twelve Days of Christmas adds up to

364

Surrey’s Got Talent Final!

8

3Have you had a Christmas coffee

yet?

9

Holly berries are poisonous

Carols in Rubix, 7.30pm - mulled wine and mince pies!

13The Stag’s unofficial Christmas bake day

Tiny Xmas Winter wonderland, Rubix 11pm-4pm

Germany made the first artificialChristmas trees. They were made of goose feathers and dyed green.

10 days left of xmas shopping!

Christmas Eve!

Post your Christmas cards by today to get them to your loved ones in time for the 25th!

ArtificialChristmastrees have outsold real ones since 1991

Screening ‘The night before Christmas’ Rik Medlik building, £2 starting 7.30pm

Do you like Christmas pudding? You either love it or you hate it!

Not long now! Have you done all of your shopping?

Do you have a December birthday?

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Page 18: The Stag: Issue 79

ENTERTAINMENT18 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Top 5 Christmas MoviesIT’ S CHRISTMASSSSS. Everybody loves a good movie. Especially a CHRISTMAS movie. When the weather outside is dark and cold, and you are inside in the warm, all snug and with the people

you love, there isn’t a better time to sit down and watch a good old Christmas film. There’s something for everyone. These are my top 5 Christmas movies. Idefinitelyrecommendyougivethem a watch!

1) Love Actually (2003)

Richard Curtis’ rom-com might be seen as the most Christmassy movie of modern time. Even if you love

it or loathe it, you cannot deny how the snapshots of eight different love stories in the lead up to Christmas definitely produces a light-hearted comedy. The snapshots are interrelated and intertwined to create an intriguing film. What is love, actually? It realistically looks at relationships, happy and sad, successful and unsuccessful. There are certain bits of irony where the characters in the film are actually human and sometimes get things wrong. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me smile and tell people I love them. Definitely a holiday classic!

2) Elf (2003)Buddy, a human raised as one of Santa’s elves, was a crazy

and goofy human who actually believed he was an elf. He was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa’s sack and ended up in the North Pole. After being brought up by elves he started to realise he was different. Santa allowed Buddy when he was older to visit New York to find out his real identity. Buddy experiences the delight of human culture, and the busy New York City. This movie is all about Christmas spirit and is wonderful and enjoyable. It's a great family movie. This will be one of those Christmas movies that you will be able to watch over and over.

3) The Holiday (2006)Christmas is approaching and Iris and Amanda are

troubled with guy-problems. In the hope to get a new lease on life and to experience something new, the two women exchange their houses during the vacation season. Amanda swaps the sun and her mansion in Los Angeles for a cosy, and much colder, cottage in the Surrey countryside where she meets Graham who helps her put her life back on track. Meanwhile Iris relaxes in luxury and meets Arthur and Miles that help her regain her self-confidence. Nancy Meyers lighthearted romcom finds them love on the opposite sides of the Atlantic. It is a fun and entertaining film, one that will leave you feeling good.

4) Home Alone (1990)This is a total kids film, but not to mention many adults

love this film as well. The plot, well lets face it, is unbelievable. But you know what, who cares? IT’S FUNNY! Kevin, an 8 year old boy, who is picked on by his family during the Christmas period, finds that his wish comes true. His parents have disappeared. Really, they have departed for France and forgotten him but nonetheless this thrills him. Kevin proceeds to do what he wants, when he wants. However, this doesn’t all go to plan. Trouble starts when two burglars, decide their next target is the McCallister family home. Kevin believes it is his duty to protect and defend the house, creating numerous booby-traps for these rather idiotic burglars. This is a classic family Christmas comedy, which is guaranteed to make you laugh.

5) The Santa Clause (1994)On Christmas Eve, after being awakened by a sound on

the roof, Scott and his son Charlie have an interesting night. The intruder becomes startled after being confronted and ends up falling and then disappears, leaving his Santa Clause outfit and eight reindeer behind. Scott follows a set of instructions that were left with the suit. Non-stop humour and entertainment is brought to viewers as Scott is transported around the town dropping gifts through chimneys. Believing that this is all just a dream, Scott continues to complete the job until he realises his hair turns white and his beard grows longer. Now that Scott has finally accepted the fact he is Santa, how does he tell his family? A creative storyline brings laughter and enjoyment all year round, and gets you in the Christmas spirit.

by Hannah Kaine, Designer and Entertainment Writer

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Entertainment

Page 19: The Stag: Issue 79

ENTERTAINMENT 19The Stag | 10th December 2014Entertainment Editor: Tami Khramtchenko

Sheelanagig at the Boileroom

Ok, let’s try and piece this one together. On Saturday 15th

September, the Boileroom hosted Sheelanagig, a group from Bristol specialising in Balkan folk music. Still decorated with Mexican neon skulls and fairy lights from Halloween, the venue was prepared for the spectacle of crazed dance rhythms and explosive live performance of the marvelously insane.

The atmosphere was electric; the band never still and constantly bumping into each other during spontaneous dancing. The audience was moving nearly as much as the band, and I’m ashamed to say that

after quite a few beers from the bar, I was displaying some of my finest, most frantically uncoordinated moves. Sheelanagig’s complex varying rhythms (with a perfect amount of ‘oom-cha oom-cha’s) are irresistibly danceable; there was not a stationary person in the house.

The band covered all bases topically, moving from Eastern medleys, to the suitably haunting tale of the asthmatic vampire, Vlad the Inhaler, to medieval folk tales about witch children, to a song about the drummer’s exquisite beard. The instrumental songs displayed extreme virtuosity from all members, with fiddle, flute, guitar, double bass and drum solos

galore.As the evening drew a close, the

audience would not let the band go, with multiple encores, teases of new songs and comedic interludes between band members. A personal highlight was when guitarist Kit Hawes ventured into the crowd during an encore only to be hoisted onto the shoulders of fiddle-player, Aaron Catlow, playing erratic folky licks.

You can find their music online, but they are truly an act to be experienced live and definitely worth the headache the following day at work. Keep a look out for them next time they’re in Guildford; I’m sure you’ll hear them coming!

by Luke Fraser, Entertainment Writer

©Luke Fraser

WHAT’S ON AT CHRISTMAS?TheBBChasarrangedawholehostofTVprogrammesandfilmsovertheChristmasperiod!Here’s a look at what’s on:Tuesday 23rd December 20141.45pm Film: Chicken Run (2000)3.05pm The Gruffalo3.30pm Film: Cars 2 (2001)5.10pm Pointless Speical6.00pm The Great British Christmas Bake Off Christmas Masterclass (BBC2)9.00pm The Royle Family

11.00am Film: WALL-E (2008)1.45pm Film: Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of th Were-Rabbiit (2005)3.05pm Merry Madagasgar 3.25pm Shrek the Halls6.25pm Film: Toy Story 3 (2010)9.25pm Not Going Out10.30pm Film: Calendar Girls (2003) (BBC2)

Christmas Eve:

Christmas Day:11.00am Only Fools and Horses12.00pm Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out12.25pm Film: Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)1.40pm Shaun the Sheep2.00pm Top of the Pops3.00pm The Queen3.10pm Film: Puss in Boots (2011)5.00pm Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special6.15pm Doctor Who7.15pm Miranda7.50pm Call the Midwife10.40pm Michael McIntyre’s Very Christmassy Christmas Show

11.30am Film: Cool Runnings (1993)1.25pm The Incredible Adventure of Professor Branestawm 1.50pm Film: Singin’ in the Rain (1952) (BBC2)3.15pm Film: Monsters Inc (2001)6.55pm The Boy in a Dress 8.30pm Film: Avengers Assemble (2012)

Boxing Day:

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by Hannah Kaine, Designer and Entertainment Writer

Page 20: The Stag: Issue 79

ENTERTAINMENT20 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Live Review: Kasabian at Brixton Academy 4th December 2014

Kasabian have finished 2014 in imperious form. Their fifth studio album, 48:13, was released weeks

before they headlined Glastonbury festival and they have been performing a series of arena shows since, culminating with a five night residency at the historic Brixton Academy in London.

I had a ticket for the Thursday night show and any apprehensions I had about the band being tired out from their previous exertions were quickly put to bed. This was also the case with the evening’s support act, the Maccabees. They performed 11 tracks and were tight despite it being two years since they last headlined a large show. New tracks ‘Marks to Prove It’ and ‘Spit it Out’ had enough about them to suggest the forthcoming album will be well worth a listen and I found the gracious stage demeanour of the band quite endearing (it must be said that this sentimentality may have been partially beer-fuelled).

Kasabian packed their arena set in to the relatively intimate venue and a clock on the electronic screens ticked down the seconds until they appeared on stage. The band sauntered on not a moment late and launched straight into the psychedelic number ‘Bumblebee’. Singer Tom Meighan was intense and unshaven while guitarist Sergio Pizzorno reinforced his image as one of the most effortlessly cool band members of his generation with stage-ready swagger, trademark mop of hair and (slightly bizarrely) a fluffy tail dangling between his legs.

The opening song was followed by classic tracks ‘Shoot the Runner’ and ‘Underdog’, electrifying the audience. More crowd pleasers in the form of ‘Days are Forgotten’ and 48:13 single ‘Eez-eh’ came soon

after before a slower, more acoustic orientated section fronted by Pizzorno. String and brass sections rounded it out nicely, but during these tracks I considered giving into my full bladder of beer and nipping to the loo, an indication of the lull in the frantic pace of the gig so far.

I’m glad I didn’t however, as what happened next ignited the venue like a ball of tin foil chucked into a microwave.

The stage went dark, the silhouetted figure of Meighan drawled ‘Brixton…what the f*!@?’, and the band launched into the colossal, anthemic, roof-raising ‘Club Foot’. A funky cover of Cameo’s hit ‘Word Up’, 48:13 track ‘Treat’ and the eardrum splitting bass of ‘Switchblade Smiles’ gave some variety to the last third of the set. ‘Empire’ provided some groovy foot-stomping goodness before the big finale, ‘Fire’. Until this point I’d managed to avoid too much arm waving or mosh pitting as I was feeling a little under the weather, however there was no escaping the ecstatic whirlpool of bouncing fans that the floor became during this number. ‘Fire’ sounded so much more infectious and all-consuming live than any set of headphones could ever do justice to, which ultimately is what you want when you see a band like this in person.

‘Stevie’, ‘Vlad the Impaler’ and ‘L.S.F (Lost Souls Forver)’ made up the encore along with a rousing cover of classic Fatboy Slim dance track ‘Praise You’, the chorus of which echoed off the walls long after the band had vacated the stage.

Kasabian are a band on top of their game and if the other four nights were anywhere near as good as Thursday was, their residency in Brixton can be considered a huge success.

by Tom Hagar, Entertainment Writer

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Page 21: The Stag: Issue 79

FASHION 21The Stag | 26th November 2014Fashion Editor: Akey Khatun

FashionPresent Ideas: Xmas Edition

‘Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s CHRISTMAS!’ Fingers crossed Santa will come down my chimney. I’ve been behaving well lately just for that! To impress Santa even more, I will come and rescue people stranded in the exotic tropical island of Christmas present ideas confusion. Selecting presents for various people, one thing that you shouldn’t forget is UNIVERSALITY. Never ever buy things for people just purely because you like them. It’s possible that the present you picked up might leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth. To make a U turn before you hit the gridlock of bad present giving awkwardness, I’m going to show you what to pick for your friends and acquaintances, whose you’re not sure what to give.

by Kelly Yiu, Fashion Writer

To start off, there are fashion items that suit everyone’s flavour. Scarves are superb for Christmas presents. No one will push a scarf away when

a freezing blizzard gusts over in Christmas. This month per se, my scarf has been an excellent companion. In fact, I might go and make more ‘friends’ from Urban Outfitters or River Island in this time of the year.

Universal Fashion Items

ASOS Selected Clea Scarf ASOS Oversized Pinstripe Scarf

Gloves are scarves’ spouses, which can’t be divorced. Just observe how your hands shiver and become blistered when they go out with you

naked. Gloves are a snuggly jumper to hands. If you suspect some people you know are abusing their poor hands in winter, please come out and save their hands by giving out warming gloves in Christmas.

Scarves

Gloves

Moving on to skincare present ideas. People’s chapped lips

and skins will happily say thank you when you give out skincare products.

Hand cream and lip balms are the only Santa Claus to the desolation of lips and skin. Having a busy uni life, people can only remember to spread a layer of butter on a toasty loaf but a layer of nourishment on the rigid skin.

Skincare

I’ve been using L’occitane hand

cream. It was a birthday present from my dearest friend, Alyaa. So thank you Alyaa! It’s very handy and I really love it. It smells superb!

Feel like getting a high-end chapstick? I’d recommend this tinted Coco shine rogue. I’m currently using 68. I normally use this when I go to work. Not only does it nourish your delicate lips, it

also gives a tinge of natural baby pink.

If the one you want to send your warming love to is a girl, rich wintery nail polishes are not a bad option. When it comes to Christmas, droves of

nail polish brands would come up some absurdly amazing ideas.

Nails

Here’s a nail polish calendar. The person you’re going to give this to can follow the nail polish of the day and pamper herself everyday.

Have Tasted blood for your Christmas shopping day? Or if

you’re still not sure what to give, just follow your six sense, stand straight and give it out. Nobody will resist a heartwarming love in this freezing winter. Enjoy your shopping splurge, everyone! Merry Christmas!

Essie Mesmerized

Essie Candy Apple Mint

To Glittter or Not To Glitter?To all my ladies, how are

your nails looking? Are you being plain Jane or Glitzy glam? I’m not a big fan of glitter nail varnishes but when it comes to the month of Christmas, I decide to break my own rules! There are some amazing glittery nail varnishes out there at the moment and I love a fair few myself, here are a few that I love!

by Akey Khatun, Fashion Editor

Barry M

The Royal Textured Glitter

Collection - Majesty

£3.99

OPI Gwen Stefani Holiday

Collection

KISS ME - OR ELF!

£11.95

ESSIE

Rock At The Top

£7.99

Dior

Diorific -Old Equinoxe

£20

Page 22: The Stag: Issue 79

MUSIC22 The Stag | 26th November 2014 [email protected]

Christmas Beauty Collections

So it’s that time of the year again! Christmas means opening gifts, hot chocolates, turkey and music – but it also means buying countless gifts for friends and family, which can be extremely stressful for some! Luckily, many designers bring out limited editions and special gift sets that will be perfect for your loved ones, so you won’t be rushing to the stores on the 23rd in a panic.

Here’s a round-up of some new gift ideas that are available now – and don’t worry, we know that not all of you will want to splash loads of cash, so we’ve found a variety of price ranges!

For your sophisticated friends, look for limited editions or special holiday collection items to treat them with. For Her, look at Dior’s

new Multi-Use Make-Up Palette (£71), or YSL’s limited edition Wildly Gold Complete Make-Up Palette (£69) that comes in a special leopard print packaging – the Touche Éclat concealers (£25) also come in a special holiday packaging. For Him, consider ‘grooming’ sets, for example Clinique’s Great Skin for Him set (£34) which includes post-shave gel, shaving gel, a face scrub and an anti-age moisturizer. He may not admit it but he will appreciate it!

If your female friend loves having fancy nails, why not get her Nails Inc’s Alexa Hearts Collection (£45), which includes 6 beautiful colours, a nail file and a quilted pouch – every nail-conscious girl would love

this! Your stylish male friend might adore a Ted Baker travel kit, or if you’re at a loss, get him a gift card to his favourite store – you can’t go wrong with letting him find something he loves!

Buying gifts for your fragrance-fanatic friends is always easy, as almost every good department

store will have a huge range of gift ideas for him and her. Treat Him with a new Gucci Guilty gift set that comes with after-shave balm and shower gel (£69 for 90ml), or surprise Her with Estee Lauder’s new Modern Muse (£45 for a two-piece gift set). Check out The Fragrance Shop for some excellent deals on Christmas gifts!

for Him and Her!by Olivia Murphy, Fashion Writer

Of course there are always a huge variety of options available in both high street and high end stores – just pay them a

visit and I’m sure you’ll be inspired by the choices presented! Good luck, and have fun Christmas shopping!

Page 23: The Stag: Issue 79

FASHION 23The Stag | 26th November 2014Fashion Editor: Akey Khatun

by Rhiannon Hutchings, Fashion Writer

The Under £20 Christmas Gift Guide

The fashionista in your life may seem to have everything, so what on earth do you get him or her for Christmas, and on such a tight student budget? Fear not; I’ve compiled a list of ten ideas which may help to kick-start your Christmas shopping! Thank me later…

1. LED Compact Mirror by Pebble Grey

£19.99

This sleek and portable compact mirror is super handy, but the best part is that it lights up every time you open it, so you can feel like a supermodel wherever you go. Also handy for quick checks on a night out.

2. ASOS Leather Quilted Cuff Gloves

£20Leather gloves are an affordable luxury

that are good quality and perfect, of course, for the colder months.

3. Boohoo.com Faux Fur Collar Scarf

£12A cosy, stylish and affordable

collar scarf that comes in three different autumnal colours, also perfect for the chilly weather.

4. Uniqlo Flannel Check Shirt

£19.90Checked shirts will never go

out of style and are so easy to wear; Uniqlo has a fantastic selection of colours and patterns, all for under £20.

5. ‘Fashion that Changed the World’ by Jennifer

Croll £14.99

fromUrbanOutfittersA lovely illustrated book which

explores how fashion has changed over the years due to different social, economic and cultural factors.

6. Paul Smith Cotton Blend

Socks£17

These geometric print socks are funky and the mix of colours ensue they will go with practically everything in your wardrobe. It’s not Christmas without someone exchanging a pair of socks (and these are Paul Smith *nods*)

7. Gold Tone Gem Encrusted Necklace

by River Island£18

A beautiful necklace is the perfect gift for anyone who likes accessorising, and something statement like this is a lovely piece to wear for an event or Christmas party. It looks much more expensive than it is, too!

8. New Look black satchel

£19.99You can’t go wrong with a

simple, versatile but stylish black bag, and the satchel has been a key trend as of late.

9. House of Holland Alphabet Tights

£12For anyone who loves wearing

dresses or skirts, these quirky tights are perfect and will no doubt generate the turning of a few heads!

10.SilverMoustacheCufflinks£14

from notonthehighstreet.comWould it be weird if I, as a girl, started

wearing cufflinks? Whilst doing this research I got a bit excited as I didn’t realise how many thousands of styles of cufflinks exist. ANYWAY, notonthehighstreet.com has an amazing selection of them and I had a hard time choosing a pair for the guide. The moustaches are awesome, though.

for Fashionistas

Page 24: The Stag: Issue 79

LITERATURE24 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

LiteratureAuthor Interview: Ashley MakerAshley Maker is a young adult author who recently had her debut novel, Under the Trees, published by Cliffhanger

Press. Ashley is from Oklahoma and enjoys writing songs for her books as well as writing them. Under the Trees is a fantasy romance which follows the story of Princess Araya as she runs away to a neighbouring kingdom to escape an abusive arranged marriage. There, she falls into the hands of Prince Thoredmund, who decides to help her and provides refuge for her in his kingdom, unbeknown to his father. As their feelings for each other begin to grow, the fragile peace between the two kingdoms is threatened.

How long did it take for you to bring Under the Trees fromitsplanningstages to itsfinalmanuscript?

I started the rewrite in the fall of 2010 and finished it in the summer of 2011. That doesn’t include revision, which was an on and off again process all the way up to December 2013.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

Prince Silas. He’s Araya brother, and I had so much fun with his character because he’s a bit of a wild card. I’m even thinking of writing a companion novel from his POV one day.

Do you have any advice for writers hoping to be published?

Write what you want. If writers followed every piece of advice, or tip, or trend, we’d be writing in circles or not able to write at all. So write something you love and will be proud of, regardless of what others say about it. After your book is revised and ready, that’s the time to look into publication. Be sure to do lots of research on the different avenues of publishing so that you can find the best one for you. If you choose to submit to agents or publishing houses, make sure they’re legitimate since you’ll likely be working with them for years if they offer on your book. Also, while you’re shopping your book out, try to write something new. Publishing is one big waiting game. Having something new to focus on helps during those periods when things are going slow.

Where did your inspiration for Under the Trees come from?

Under the Trees is actually a complete rewrite of a book I finished when I was nineteen titled Araya. The first version was much sillier, and I had an agent tell me it had too much of a Middle Grade tone for a Young Adult book. After a few years of it being shelved, I set out to rewrite it as a Middle Grade book, but the first words of the rewrite ended up being the opening scene of Under the Trees. I knew before I hit the end of the first page that I wasn’t writing the lighthearted, comical MG novel I set out to. Araya’s new voice, and her desperation and fear, sent the novel in a darker, much more mature direction, falling squarely in the upper YA category. I loved it so much I plotted the entire novel around that scene, and on giving Prince Thoredmund his own point of view chapters, whereas before he had little journal entries interspersed at the end of every few chapters. The two versions are so drastically different that they’re hardly comparable today. Just about everything changed.

What made you decide to write from the alternating perspectives of Princess Araya and Prince Thoredmund?

I wanted the reader to be able to see the story from both sides, especially since Prince Thoredmund’s first chapter opens where Araya’s leaves off. There are important things the reader would never get to see if it only followed Araya’s POV, like all of the stuff going on at the castle and how the feud between the two royal families plays out.

What is your writing process? Do you have any habits? I’m a very slow writer, and I tend to edit while I write. I almost always write in my office at my desk, and before

I type anything out, I try to take ten minutes or so to brainstorm what I want to work on that day. As far as habits go, I like to listen to music on Grooveshark, and I always have something to drink and snack on nearby.

“I wanted the reader to be able to see the story from both sides”

“Write what you want.”

©M

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Was

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Under the Trees is available now on Amazon kindle. For more information on Ashley and the novel see:www.ashleymaker.comfacebook.com/authorashleytwitter.com/ashleymaker

by Megan Wilson, Literature Writer

Literature

Page 25: The Stag: Issue 79

LITERATURE 25The Stag | 10th December 2014Literature Editor: Leo Blanchard

Review: Stephen King - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craftby Nick Duffy, Literature Writer

I don’t normally write reviews of books, preferring instead to prattle

on endlessly about films; however as an English Literature student forever being promised shortcuts to literary success through guide books, dated advice and misplaced complements it seemed fitting to review this - Steven King's On Writing. I say review, but think of the following declaratives as more a biased recommendation then a reasoned analysis. Like I said, I don’t review books, and if the book was truly awful I wouldn’t have taken the time to write the following:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a peculiar mix of biography, guide book, and blunt advice from the bestselling horror writer Stephen King (Carrie, The Shinning, Salem’s Lot). To empathise this blunt and direct style, King eloquently describes his competition in the writing guide genre with: 'most books about

writing are filled with bullsh*t’ (pg. ix), and this serious approach is maintained throughout the book — King takes writing seriously and assumes the reader does too. In return, he exchanges comical anecdotes (usually at his own expense) and advice to the eager reader, who eagerly hopes to steal whatever shortcuts King may provide.

The book itself is divided into three sections: ‘The CV’, ‘The Toolbox’, and ‘On Writing’, with additional forewords acting as disclaimers, and a postscript describing King's 1999 accident first-hand. Also included is a list of book recommendations which seems to widen with every edition printed, and poems from his wife, Tabitha King.

The first section, ‘The CV’, is a cut back biography, where King mentions key moments of his life that directly affected he becoming an writer. This includes his early literary rejections, the life changing success of his debut novel Carrie, and his foray into drug

and alcohol addictions with the work written during that period of his life. Next is ‘The Toolbox’, a long, extended metaphor relating to a story from King’s youth involving a toolbox. I found it to be the weakest section of the book, with the advice being interesting but the constant referencing back to the image of a toolbox as unnecessary; fortunately though, this is also the shortest section of the book. The third and final section is eponymously titled ‘On Writing’, and features King dispensing advice, like that found in ‘The Toolbox’, but using his life as an example of them in practice.

So, in conclusion, if you’re interested in the process of writing, tips about writing, or the life and work of Stephen King, this book is an obvious recommendation.

However it doesn’t work as a straight biography, with King almost censoring his life beyond stories relevant to his career or writing itself.

Do you want to write for the Literature section? Do you want your creative writing piece or book review to be published? Then contact Leo, our Literature Editor, on:

[email protected]

“On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a peculiar mix of biography, guide book, and blunt advice from the bestselling horror writer

Stephen King”

5 Books That Make For Great Stocking-Fillers This Christmas

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

A strong favourite to win this year’s Nobel Literature

Prize, Murakami needs little introduction, his unique and powerful style of writing making him a modern legend in the literary world. Murakami was ultimately beaten out by French author Patrick Modiano but his latest and thirteenth novel in total Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage made a good case for his consideration for the prize. Chronicling its protagonist Tsukuru’s quest to reconnect with an old group of friends who exiled him decades ago for seemingly no reason, a shocking truth is stumbled upon that only further excites his curiosity. In the process, Murakami explores questions about the human condition that are difficult to avoid impulsively applying to your own life — great for the 21st century Socrates in your life.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Marlon James’s latest book, A Brief History of Seven Killings,

doesn’t make for easy reading but what it lacks in lightheartedness it makes up for in its gripping telling. Inspired by real events, involving an attempt on the life of Bob Marley, the story tells of a fictional investigation which tries to establish certain devilishly elusive truths. Taking place in Jamaica’s diverse landscapes against the chaotic political background that characterised Jamaica in the 1970s, this book delivers its gritty subject matter in a strikingly poetic style.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

The Narrow Road to the Deep North was this year’s winner

of the esteemed Man Booker Prize, and not without good reason. It’s no secret that the destructive power of war forces its way into every crevice of society, its twisted ideologies manifesting as death and destruction. But Flanagan’s latest novel performs the difficult role of expressing its slow and silent destruction of the mind; depicting both the after-war lives of both Far East POWs and the guards who would have worked in these prisons, The Narrow Road also presents the potential for redemption in the form of love.

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by BJ Novak

It’ll be a long time before Novak’s main source of fame is anything

other than his role as ‘Ryan the Temp’, a title he took on during his time in America's version of ‘The Office’ — his new book isn’t a bad start though. Kept lighthearted but memorable, the humours shows Novak’s knack for comedic timing, even off screen. Splitting twenty-two stories across 272 pages, this is the perfect book for the kind of friend or family member who starts reading books but tends to get bored before the 20th page, adding them to the ever-rising tower that’s been slowly crushing their bedside table.

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham’s Emmy-winning show ‘Girls’ hasn’t

just catapulted her to celebrity status, it’s bestowed upon her the power and responsibility of culturally symbolising the first generation of twenty-somethings to have prospects worse than those that came before them. Not That Kind of Girl is an assortment of autobiographical writings by Dunham spanning as many topics as it does formats, and it’s as chaotic as it is honest. In an age of Instagram filters and online profiles relentlessly plucked and preened, Not That Kind of Girl’s frankness feels powerfully refreshing — an ideal gift for the Hannah Horvath figures we all know.

by Leo Blanchard, Literature Editor

Page 26: The Stag: Issue 79

SOCIETIES26 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

Societiesby Pablo Oriol Valls, Photographic Society President

The University of Surrey's Photographic Society has participated in the 6th PhotoHunt organised by NUPS (National University Photographic Society). This event takes place in London and gathers photographic

societies from around the UK to take part in a hunt where members have to portray certain themes (such as symmetry, spontaneous, architecture and many others)! We are proud to say that our PhotoSoc was the attending society with the most members participating (26)! The winning pictures will be announced in January, so follow Surrey's PhotoSoc Facebook page to stay tuned for the results and upcoming events!

UoS Photographic SocietyLondon PhotoHunt 2014

Yes, it’s getting to that lovely part of the year where the

reams of coursework are coming to an end (albeit a horrific and cobbled together end for yours truly), that favourite student pastime of procrastination is working its magic on January exams and everybody’s getting into the season of goodwill!

For Marrow it has been a whole semester of goodwill which, with your help, we rounded off last week with an amazing 67 sign-ups to the Stem Cell Donor Register for our GI Joey Appeal, so again a BIG MARROW THANK YOU! Thursday’s event saw some of the funnier responses found on campus to our sign-up effort, from ‘Urm…no’ to ‘I have to go’ and my personal favourite, the cynically British answer to ‘Do you feel heroic today?’ which was simply: ‘Not really’. That said for the handful of those with misgivings we had quadruple (again 67!!!) more kind, thoughtful and just truly amazing people sign up. That means from this semester alone (not to mention you brilliant people who have signed up previously) we have 182 awesome Surrey students wandering around this Christmas minding their own business and potentially saving a life in the future! Yes life-saving, for those of you who have forgotten the distant memory of Fresher’s Fayre, Surrey Marrow try to help treat blood cancer by signing up Stem Cell donors, of whom 1 in 100 go on actually donate and save a life. So I would urge any one of the earlier ‘Urm no’-ers and ‘I have

to go’-ers to find one of our 182 potential lifesavers and see just how easy, scare-free and swag-building signing up is (then come find us next year!).

Anyway, back to Christmas, we’ve already started advent (in… style?) at Society Standing. But the real deal kicks off at our Christmas social on Tuesday 16th where we’ll be about in town, I’m sure we’ll bump into lots of you (both metaphorically and literally) all out doing the same thing so please say hello and find out more about Marrow, which you may or may not remember the next morning…

Also in the festive spirit we have through some horrible accident of fate volunteered ourselves to sing carols locally at M&S Weybridge on Saturday 20th. So locals - any support would be greatly appreciated, people travelling home please stop in for a casual gawk and anyone with a decent voice FOR THE LOVE OF CHRISTMAS PLEASE JOIN US! Again you can find us via Facebook (Surrey Marrow), twitter (@Surrey_Marrow) and email ([email protected]).

On that note of utter despair I think I should wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and once again thank you all for making this semester such an incredible one!

Happy Holidays,All of Surrey Marrow (except

Aaron who had an early Christmas in October & so isn’t included in this. Sorry Aaron but two Christmases is just anarchy…)

Merry Christmas Stag readers!

Merry Christmas from Surrey

Marrowby Matt Finch, Head of Marketing and Publicity for Surrey Marrow

Page 27: The Stag: Issue 79

SOCIETIES 27The Stag | 10th December 2014Societies Editor: Alex Page

For many, Christmas means sparkling lights, meat covered in gravy, the

dreaded Brussel sprouts (though I think they taste alright with some salt), pigs wrapped in blankets, attempting to fake a smile of gratitude even when receiving the most random of presents and time spent with family and friends. Of course, it is important to point out Christmas can be a painful time for people all over the world as some may feel lonely, poverty-stricken and depressed. What is Christmas really celebrating though? As Christians the main purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth and life of someone who lived on earth over 2000 years ago and changed history forever. But this wasn’t just ‘someone’: we believe He was and is the Son of God. It is necessary to note however, that Jesus’ actual birthday is likely to have been in autumn time, but Christians adopted the date from Winter Solstice festivals.

But how is the celebration of Jesus’ birth during Christmas relevant to us in the 21st Century? In short terms, Jesus’ birth, crucifixion and resurrection as written in the Bible, if we choose to believe it all, means we can have a relationship with who we believe is the creator of the Universe and it also would mean that though our physical bodies die, our souls will still live on for eternity, with God in Heaven.

Why choose to believe it? Because as it says in the Bible the wages for sin is death, but through Jesus we have a free gift of eternal life. Yet is it not cruel that God sent His one and only son to live in our imperfect world to eventually suffer and then die a horrific death? The Bible claims that Jesus sacrificed himself for us so that we wouldn’t have to die; he had chosen to do this. As Jesus says in the Bible (Matthew 26: 53): “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” This means that Jesus could have called out an army of angels to destroy those who were attempting to destroy Him, but he still went ahead with being abused and then slaughtered. Though Jesus did die, it is recorded that he was then resurrected three days later and was on earth for forty days before returning to Heaven to be with His father.

If what Jesus and the Bible claim is true then His birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection are the most important historical events ever. And Christmas is a great time to celebrate this, but isn’t the only time we do! Want to find out more? Contact us ([email protected]) or pop along to our Discover study we run on a Saturday at 3pm in Starbucks on Campus, which is an opportunity for people who are not Christians to discover who Jesus is.

UoS Christian Union

Christmas Holiday Period – the Christian Union Perspective

by Hannah Bostock, Female President of the Christian Union

A Very Ordinary ChristmasAtheist, Humanist and Secularist Society

by Mike Parker (AHS President) and Kerri Moore (AHS Treasurer)

The final straw broke. On the door mat was a red envelope, a first

class Santa stamp in the top right corner (they had even got to Royal Mail – unforgiveable!) and his name written in black biro. Inside the envelope was a card depicting what might be a nativity scene complete with Mary, shepherds and three men who had followed a star. It was a Christmas card with, he shuddered, Christianity. He threw the card on the ground and reached for the jerry can of petrol. Having suitably doused his entire house, he lit a match, surveyed his room with a deep scowl on his face, and proceeded to burn all evidence that anything remotely related to Jesus had infiltrated his house this year. With all the shops closed for Christmas and packs of carolers on the street, he saw no reason to go out, and simply sat reading the paper as his house burnt down around him. He'd have to find another day to perform his sacrifice to the Messiah Richard Dawkins.

We are, of course, joking. In all seriousness, why would a self-identifying atheist or Humanist celebrate Christmas any differently to anyone else? Take all the things

we associate with Christmas; good and often abundant food, giving and receiving presents, a jolly bearded man in a red suit, bad Christmas films (The Hogfather not-withstanding), family, festive lights, trees, awful Christmas number ones and the Nativity story involving a grumpy innkeeper who doesn’t like to help pregnant women.

There is, let’s face it, already little Christianity left in Christmas. Those of us who don’t subscribe to the religion can still embrace all the other joys, big and small, this winter festival brings. It would be the most horrendous kill joy, and probably someone you wouldn’t ever want to meet, who denies themselves and others the chance to enjoy the festivities just because they disagree with the Christian story that co-opted pagan winter festivals so long ago.

Christmas is now as much a cultural event as a religious one and one we think is especially important for university students. Many of us are miles from home, maybe continents away, and it is good for us to have an occasion that brings us back to those people who are important to us, whether that be family, friends or anyone else. And mince pies.

The Christmas Debate - Do You Celebrate?

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© Sarah Abnett

Page 28: The Stag: Issue 79

SOCIETIES28 The Stag | 10th December 2014 [email protected]

by Alex Page, Surrey Student PEN Press Officer

As we enter the holiday period, in the spirit of positivity

and joy it seems fitting to write about a recent campaign success. On the 19th November this year, Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan (affectionately known as ‘the Blogfather’) was released from prison. Hossein and local media outlets claim that his release is a result of being pardoned by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Along with other organisations in favour of freedom of expression, English PEN welcomes his release after being concerned with his situation and campaigning for his freedom.

On the 1st November 2008, Hossein was arrested by Iranian authorities during a visit to the country, 8 years after moving from Iran to Canada. After nearly two years of imprisonment without trial, Hossein was sentenced to 19 ½ years in prison, on charges of co-operation with hostile countries, spreading propaganda against the ruling establishment, promotion

of counter-revolutionary groups and insulting Islamic thought and religious figures. The first of these charges refers to a visit made by Hossein to Israel in 2006, where he travelled on a Canadian passport in an attempt to show his “Iranian readers what Israel really looks like and how people live there” and to “humanise” Iranians for Israelis. The other charges against him were reactions to his blogging activity that was initially critical of the Iranian government but had later become supportive of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In light of this huge success, English PEN also calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all other writers and bloggers currently detained in Iran solely in connection with their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and assembly, in accordance with Articles 9, 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party.”

To celebrate Hossein’s release and to join the campaign for the release of those who are wrongly imprisoned in Iran for exercising their freedom of expression, please visit the English PEN website and take action – spread the word on social media or write to the relevant authorities. More information about these options can be found on the English PEN website in an article titled ‘Iran: PEN welcomes release of blogger Hossein Derakhshan’.

Surrey Student PEN: Campaign Focus – Hossein Derakhshan

by Chathurka Warnakulasuriya, Sri Lankan Society President

On 8th November, the Sri Lankan Society “Surrey Lankans” took part in an Inter-University Cricket

competition held at the University of Warwick and emerged victorious for a second year running. The format was an indoor six a side tournament.

The road to victory began with the team posting an impressive 93 runs within 6 overs. With an aggressive batting display in all the matches by our batsmen we made it to the semi-final of the competition with a match to spare.

The team was pitted against a strong Imperial College team in the Semi Finals, but after another strong batting performance, the “Surrey Lankans”

bowlers provided a clinical bowling display to land the team in yet another final.

Surrey Lankans then faced Birmingham University in the final. In yet another perfect performance the team bowled out Birmingham for 54 runs and completed the win with 2 overs to spare. Everyone in the team gave in special performances when called on and resulted in Surrey being the winners two years running.

The Team: Chamara Moonamale (C)(WK), Kapilesh Nagendran, Isuru Umayanaga, Ranga Prabath, Sahan Munashinghe, Sachin Jayasinghe.

UoS Sri Lankan Society crowned Inter-University Cricket Champions

Every Friday night I have Friday night dinner with my family, I had a Bat Mitzvah at the age of thirteen, I attend synagogue on high holy days and I went on Israel Tour when I was sixteen, where I visited the holy land to learn more about my religion. All of the Jewish life choices that I have participated in, have made me understand what Judaism means to me.

In my second year of University I attended the Christmas Carol Service and I kept joking to my housemates that I was being a bad Jew, as I know all the carols and I was singing along as well as sitting in a cathedral praying to G-d, without really realising.

I have now reached my final year at University and decided it would be fun to join Gospel Choir and I have been attending every Monday from 6 till 8pm. I have loads of work, including doing my dissertation but going to Gospel Choir is an enjoyable break in my week and a way for me to unwind.

Wednesday was this years Christmas Carol Service. I had been feeling unwell all week but I really wanted to be a part of the society and sing on stage. Just before we performed, a few individuals from Gospel Choir told personal stories and Kirsten, our musical director, told us that if we are not religious we could just step back and listen. She also told us a story and then explained how happy she was to be able to watch us sing and watch the performance come together. I for one know that I got shivers down my spine when I realised how amazing it feels to make someone that happy.

As I stood in front of the congregation, I started singing ‘Amazing Grace’ I looked up to the

walls of the cathedral and to all the people sitting and listening to us sing and I realised, being a part of Gospel Choir is not just about being Christian. I realised being a part of Gospel Choir is being a part of a community that have the choice to believe in what they want. It is a truly spiritual experience.

As I listened to the readings and heard Israel and Jesus being mentioned, I knew that I could pray about whatever I needed to pray for, to whomever I wanted to pray to. Whether you are Catholic, Muslim, Sikh or any other religion you still have your own beliefs and choose what you believe in. As an individual you have a choice, you make that decision on your own and you are able to pray and know someone is listening from above. What we hopefully can all share are our values and what we stand for.

Every year we celebrate Christmas at home. Christmas is a time to spend time with your family and appreciate the things that you have in life. Chanukah is also celebrated around this time of year, for the same reasons. During this time Jews commemorate and publicise miracles and the tradition began after the Maccabean revolt when the Jews found a single cruse of olive oil to light eight days on the menorah.

In the cathedral I realised that Christmas is not just a seasonal occasion, it is the positive spiritual experience of being able to see the good in people. Whatever you do this Christmas time, make your aim to make a wish, share the warmth of your love and make at least one person happy.

Don't, Jew Know it's Christmas Timeby Katie Leuw, Gospel Choir

Page 29: The Stag: Issue 79

SPORT 29The Stag | 26th November 2014Sport Editor: Richard Reece

Sport

Interhalls League TablePosition Hall of Residence Points*1 International 92 Guildford 63 Surrey 5- Cathedral 5- Hazel Farm 5- Mixed 5

4 Battersea 45 Ronald Ross 3- Alexander Fleming 3

*Win 5 points, Second Place 3 Points, Third Place 1 Point.

Sports Executive Updateby Alex Mackenzie Smith, Sports Executive Chair

The Sports Exec have had a busy semester making sure sports

clubs’ issues and concerns are heard and specific action is taken. We have been working closely with the operational staff at Surrey Sports Park as well as staff within the Union to make sure things run smoothly and to ensure feedback is given. We have gelled really well and it’s been great working on a variety of projects with the team!

Team Huddleby Richard Reece, Sports Editor

This Christmas edition of The Stag is the last of 2014; the

next time we go to print will be in February! I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank

everyone who has contributed so far this season to make the new look Team Surrey Sports section the best it has ever been. As Sports Editor I am extremely lucky to be supported by one of the most professional University Sports Organisations anywhere. In particular this content would not go out twice a month without the continued support of VP Sport Dan Jacobs, the Activities and Sports team in the Students Union of Kara Nutley and Carella Fonseca, the Student Sport team over at Surrey Sports Park lead by Mark Garfoot and Claire Shapland, and the Team Surrey Media Squad run by Ian Watts.

At the time of writing Team Surrey lie 32nd in the BUCS points table with 719 points, our highest position yet. Our top BUCS points contributors so far have been Squash with 84 points, Volleyball with 70 points, Table Tennis and

Water Polo both with 52 points, Hockey with 51 points and Tennis with 50 points. We also currently have the following teams at the top of their league tables: Badminton M2, Basketball M1, Fencing M1, Football M1, Hockey M1, Hockey W2, Netball W1, Netball W3, Squash M1, Squash M2, Table Tennis M1, Volleyball M1, Water Polo M1, and American Football. That’s FOURTEEN teams from Team Surrey storming their seasons and on course for promotion and a big points haul at the end of the year.

As sport goes from strength to strength this year here at Surrey, so too have these four pages at the back of our campus newspaper. This section would not be the success it is without the writers and photographers who submit content every week. And they would have nothing to cover if you, the athletes of Team Surrey, wern’t up at 6am for early morning

circuits, dragging your equipment through the rain to make training, squeezing five of yourselves and the team’s kit into a three-door hatchback, and travelling across the South East of the country to represent your university for sport every wednesday. For all your hard work and effort so far this season, The Stag and wider Surrey community would like to say thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Upcoming Eventsby Alex Nixon, Sports Executive Events Officer

With Christmas nearing and term coming to a close the

biggest sporting events are yet to come with Varsity only a few months away followed shortly by grad sport. Until then we do have some fantastic social events

coming up.On the 13th of December we

have Surrey’s Christmas Mixed Netball the tournament will be taking place in Arena A & B at SSP from 12.30-4.30, with all entry fees going to charity and TEAMS you get FREE ENTRY to the Surrey United game afterwards. This is a fantastic event and a great way to spend your Saturday and support our local teams.

Another big event coming up is Surrey Slingfest! If you aren’t really sure how athletic and fun Ultimate Frisbee then get down on the 20th of December to Surrey sports park and see for yourself and cheer on the University Teams.

Finally Christmas day, I hope you have all asked for blue and gold paint and kit for Christmas as Varsity won’t be far away.

Merry Christmas from Team Surrey Media!

Page 30: The Stag: Issue 79

SPORT30 The Stag | 26th November 2014 [email protected]

THE FINAL SCORESWinning Scores from Week 8 of BUCS 03/12/14

Badminton M2 (A) 7-1 Brunel 2Badminton W1 (A) 5-3 R Holloway 1Basketball M2 (H) 68-67 Chichester 2

Fencing M1 (H) 127-105 UCL 2Golf 1 (H) 4-2 Kent 1

Hockey W1 (A) 3-1 Chichester 1

Netball 1 (H) 85-32 Brunel 3Netball 2 (A) 68-25 St Marys 2Netball 3 (A) 33-11 St Georges 3

Rugby W1 (H) 27-5 Reading 1Squash M1 (A) 20-1 Kings 2Squash M2 (A) 5-4 UCL 4Squash W1 (H) 7-6 Imperial 1

T Tennis M1 (A) 10-7 Herts 1Tennis M1 (H) 8-4 Chichester 1Tennis M2 (A) 8-4 R Holloway 2

Winning Scores from week 7 of BUCS 26/11/14

Badminton M1 (H) 5-3 Kings 2Badminton M2 (H) 8-0 BUCKS New 1Basketball M1 (H) 65-54 Bristol 1

Football M3 (H) 6-1 Anglia Ruskin 6Hockey M1 (H) 12-11 Imperial 1

Netball 1 (H) 66-23 LSE 1Netball 3 (H) 32-19 KCL 6

Squash M1 (A) 4-1 UCL 2Squash W1 (H) 4-0 Sussex 1Squash W2 (H) 4-0 Essex 2

T Tennis M1 (A) 12-5 R HollowayTennis M1 (H) 2-1 KCL 1Tennis M2 (A) 8-4 Herts 1Tennis W1 (H) 8-4 Brunel 1

Volleyball W2 (A) 3-0 Chichester 1

Your ArticlesWant to have an update from YOUR club in the next edition of The Stag?

#wednesdaywinners

Archeryby Philip Daniel, Archery VP

On the 23rd of November Stag Hill Archers had their first

regional competition of the year, competing against the 11 other universities in the Southeast archery league. Surrey hosted Queen Mary, Imperial and London universities at the surrey sports park.

At the end of the tournament, surrey’s seniors came 2nd out of the hosted teams and 4th overall, scoring 2017 points out of a possible 1800. Surrey’s novices also came 2nd out of the hosted teams and came 7th overall, scoring 1038 points out of a possible 2400. The top scorers for surrey seniors were Matt Sharpe (545), Janet Mak (512), Philip Daniel (490) and Hannah Whitmore (470). The top scorers for surrey novices were Andrew Saunders (367), Eric Cheung (347) and Edeline D’Souza (324).

Taekwondoby Ye-Kwan Pang

Saturday 29th November saw Team Surrey take 22 fighters to

the Imperial college Taekwondo open. It was the first national student competition of the year and a number of universities across the country took part.

The atmosphere itself was energetic with a definite thirst to win. I have to say I’m sure our chanting of “TEAM SURREY!” was the loudest, and most spirited out all the other universities. This ample amount of support along with a lot of promising talent saw our club take home a total of 13 medals, 2 golds, 4 silvers and 7 bronzes and securing 4th place overall as a team.

Everyone had done exceptionally well as we had hoped, and our four most deserving fighters were Keith Tsoi (Gold), Alex Bird; Dev Sheth (Silvers) and Duncan Ross (Bronze). Of course this is only the beginning and next

time we hope to bring back more medals, and the elevated title of best overall team!

Lacrosseby Francesca Gillard, Lacrosse Communications Officer

Wednesday 19th November saw Team Surrey Men’s

Lacrosse triumph at home against Portsmouth, winning 10-0. This is the first, yet very convincing, win for the newly developed team.

The men looked great in all aspects of the game, although the star was in attack with Archie Mitchison gaining Man of the Match for scoring 7 of Surrey’s 10 goals. Bill Cowderoy, Matt Smith and Defender Sandun Seneviratine also scored.

The midfield played a key role in the game with Jack Dunnigan producing some excellent interceptions and up and coming Joshua Stanley bringing some great physical play to the field.

Page 31: The Stag: Issue 79

SPORT 31The Stag | 26th November 2014Sport Editor: Richard Reece

Position University League Cup Individual Total1 Loughborough University 1853.5 96 702.2 2651.72 Durham University 1996 144 130.2 2270.23 University of Nottingham 1679 159 54 1892

31 Bournemouth University 693 72 0 76536 University of Surrey 616 84 19 71937 University of Essex 624.5 90 0 714.5

BUCS League Table

Steve the Stag Says:

Email your sports stories to: [email protected]

“Any reward is only worth the effort taken to earn it”

Portsmouth was stopped from getting a score on the board by a fantastic defensive operation from Surrey. Tristan and Vijay provided a very strong base thwarting many of the attacks Portsmouth had to offer and goalkeeper and captain Sam Spratley ensured Surrey kept a clean sheet in what he considers one of his best games.

It was a much-improved game from Surrey who will be looking to take this momentum into the next semester with an ever-improving team.

Ballroom & Latinby Caroline Katzer

Team Surrey’s Ballroom and Latin Dance Club headed off for

their first competition of the year (moreover for a lot of members the first dancing competition ever!) hosted by the University of Bath on 29th November. An event attended by more than 250 dancers of nine

universities. A total of 13 couples competed

for Team Surrey distributed among Beginner, Novice and Intermediate. Despite the early beginning of the day, as most girls started doing their make-up and hair at 6am, everyone was broad awake for the first heats of Beginners and Novice waltz and quickstep, followed by Beginners/Novice Viennese waltz. Pushed by the cheers of their team, Ian & Lyudmila became 3rd in their very first competition out of 50 at Beginners waltz and two more couples, Ben & Alexandra as well as Max & Rebecca, made it to the finals at Novice waltz/quickstep and Viennese waltz! But this should not be the end of a successful day. It was at Novice cha-cha and jive that Team Surrey could proof their dominance and take home a double win in a field of 65 couples with Max & Rebecca in 2nd and Ben & Lexie in 1st place. The latter ones even extended their collection of medals by winning the Beginner/Novice rumba, congrats! Chris & Angelika

who were the only ones competing at Intermediate did an amazing job and nobody understood why they dropped out before the finals, what a pity!

After hours long of dancing the fun just began with same sex cha-cha and team match. Team Surrey was able to nominate three teams à four couples with each one dancing either waltz, quickstep, cha-cha or jive. Unfortunately a lot of the other universities’ teams consisted of dancers of intermediate or advanced level, hence despite cheering enthusiastically Team Surrey was not able to make it to the finals. To conclude it has to be said that every single team member who competed did amazing and Bath Winter Friendly was just the warm-up for the upcoming competitions. Hence, after a long, exciting and mostly successful day the team drove home in a merry mood, motivated to train even harder!

Page 32: The Stag: Issue 79

SPORT32 The Stag | 26th November 2014 [email protected]

Club Spotlight: Basketball

November was a busy month for the University of Surrey Boat

Club. Having seized a few victories at Kingston Small Boats Head, the crews were already setting their sights on the upcoming races and who next to beat! But first, GB Trials loomed and on the 15th November, 4 Surrey athletes and 2 alumni headed to Boston for the first round. The Saturday saw a gruelling 2 kilometre test on the rowing machines. Nerves were high and the atmosphere was tense – but at the end of the day, all athletes SMASHED the cut-off mark with several personal bests beaten to a pulp. Big man Harry Glenister took on the visage of a ghost after his piece and after standing to leave, decided the floor was a better

option and

promptly bambi’d his way down. After a well-deserved sleep, the

Sunday saw the athletes take to the water for 5 kilometre timed pieces. Unfortunately (or fortunately for him), Rob Sherry was medically exempt from the day’s trials due to a rib injury. Rory Brampton tanked his way through the start of the piece, but a recurring back injury struck and he was left paddling in. Senior and Intermediate Men’s Captain Alastair Douglass, the only lightweight of the athletes, rowed up a storm and left the competition in his wake, earning his place as the fastest under 20 lightweight and 13th overall lightweight among a class of 62. His performance won him bronze in BUCS and earned a sweet 6 points for Team Surrey. Having recovered from the Saturday’s trials, Harry came out looking to smash it and proved his worth as the 4th fastest under 20

heavyweight, 6th fastest under 23 heavyweight and 39th overall in his class of 91.

Trials over and all the athletes having set the bar high, they headed home. Service stations provided some much needed fuel for the athletes in the form of fast food – things they had cut our prior to the trials. Ali, no longer lightweight, was rumoured to have eaten his bodyweight in food with ease – Big man, big appetite.

Moving down the club, the intermediates and beginners had their first tests of the season, with 5K tests for the intermediates and 2K tests for the beginner guys. There was blood, sweat and tears as PB’s and people alike were shattered. The beginner guys set some horrifying-(for the inters)-ly good times and set the standard for the year.

On Friday 28th we had a naming

ceremony for our new coxless four at Molesey Boat Club. The newly christened “Prof. Gill Nicholls” was generously bought for the club by a combination of the Alumni Fund and her namesake, who was there in person to pour champagne on the boat. Members of the student’s union and Surrey sports park joined us for a glass and nibbles in the boat house afterwards. We were also joined by founding members of Battersea Polytechnic Rowing Club,

and we were proud to tell them how far the club has come!

By the time this is released, intermediate crews from both the men and women’s squads will also have competed in Monmouth Head on Sunday 7th December. Keep an eye open for news from the day in our next article!

Boat Club Hits GB Trialsby Kieran Wiseman, Boat Communications Officer

The club has gone from strength to strength this year with the addition of new committee members and fresh talent coming to the university.

This year we have really wanted our club to be successful and become more recognised within the university. This is why we have been selected for this month club spotlight as not only are we successful as a club in BUCS but we have also really pushed for more involvement with stag media so everyone can know just how good our club is.

There is a huge demand for basketball at the University

of Surrey which was evident at active fresher’s with over 100 people turning up to give basketball a try, followed by 80 men and 30 women at trials who wanted to be part of the competitive teams playing in BUCS.

‘The trials were really tough this year as there was so many people to choose from, I am so happy I made the team this year!’ – Dimitris Nicolaou

Last year the Men’s 1st team had unbelievable success by achieving promotion to division 1A along with winning the cup and thrashing Kingston (Once again!) thus wining every competition open to them. This year they have continued to improve even with the loss of some of the more experienced players to placement/graduation. They currently sit comfortably at the top of their division with a strong chance of promotion to the Premier division taking the club to the highest league it’s ever been in.

Our iconic Coach of two years Miguel Cuesta had one word to describe our success ‘UNBELIEVABLE! ’

This year brought new addition not only to the players of the club but also added to the team of coaches. Surrey United player Kramer Knutson joined the club to coach the women’s and the men’s second team and has really already had a huge impact.

Following the recent promotion of the women’s team to division 2A the team has

The Men’s 2nd team are making excellent progress are= currently joint top after a close fought game against Chichester that they won with a triumphant comeback after being down throughout the game.

‘Even though the team has improved over last year we shouldn’t stop working on our game because it’s the only way we will keep our upwards progress’ - Paul Forna-Kreutzer

Following the recent promotion of the women’s team to division 2A they have come up against some really tough competition. It’s taken a bit of time but they have really begun to play well together as a team. This all came together at their most recent game against St Mary’s and getting that win they deserved!

The club has to thank the time and support put in by Carella, Kara and Dan at the students union as well as Claire Shapland from surrey Sports Park who have key in helping the club reach its full potential.

Make sure you come to our future home games on Wednesdays and make sure to buy your ticket early to see us beat Kingston at varsity for another year in a row!

To keep up to date with the club make sure you follow @USSUBASKETBALL and ensure you like the Facebook page ‘University Of Surrey Basketball’ for the latest news of how the club is doing.

by Imad Ouachan, Men’s Basketball President