The Gaudie 13th March 2012

Aberdeen Reclaims the Night By Jennifer Elliott Dozens of Aberdeen students and other residents of the Aberdeen- shire area celebrated Internation- al Women’s Day on 8 March by marching down Union Street. The event aimed to increase awareness of women and others who do not feel safe within the en- vironment they live in; specifically those threatened by the possibility of rape, sexual assault and harass- ment. The rally, organised by students, was intended to present a united front promoting an inclusive environment and safety in the streets at night. AUSA Women and Gender Officer, Daphne Heijdelberg, explained that the march was organised because it was unnacceptable that many locals do not feel safe walking the streets at night. Heijdelberg also accused those who advocate safety by not walking the streets alone of instigating fear among residents. Heijdelberg states that only 10% of victims actually report rape or sexual attacks because of fear or embarrassment. The organisers of Reclaim the Night have hit out at Aberdeen City Council for not adequately supporting the march. It emerged that he council attempted to invoice the march for six thousand pounds if they were to follow their original planned route. Heijdelberg stated: “It is a shame that Aberdeen City Council tries to make profit of its citizens for exercising their democratic right to march. Marches in Glasgow and Edinburgh organised last November for Reclaim the Night, were free.” The march in Aberdeen was the second annual event of its kind and participants hoped that their calls for a safe environment will be heard and responded to by the Council, police and other institu- tions throughout the city. Students’ Association success at NUS Scotland Conference By Konrad Wojnar Five delegates from Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) Council travelled to Irvine on the 4th March to participate in NUS Scotland’s National Confer- ence. They voted in elections and decided on motions that are to guide the union in the coming year. The National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland encompasses most universities and colleges north of the border, with notable exceptions being the Universities of Glasgow, St. Andrews and Dundee. More than 500,000 students are represented through NUS Scotland, including those at the University of Aberdeen. Although the offices of the policymaking Scottish Executive Council (SEC) are elected each year, the Union’s general agenda remains focussed around lobbying for greater equality amongst students, lower tuition fees and better education spending. Robin Parker, the incumbent NUS Scotland President and a former AUSA President, ran for re-election with a campaign which focused on his past achievements and his ideas for the future. His opponent, Charandeep Sin- gh, a former University of Strath- clyde S.A. President, challenged Mr.Parker’s ability to unite the Scottish student associations and accused Parker of being “solely re- actionary.” Mr. Singh was a major contribu- tor to the Our Fight, Our Future campaign by organising and con- necting with students throughout Glasgow. Our Future, Our Fight lobbied against the proposed £11.4 million cut in student college bursaries and overall student support. NUS Scotland was also involved in trying to dissuade MSPs from raising the RUK tuition fees, which is still a major point of contention across Scottish universities. Robin Parker eventually defeated Singh Charandeep in a close elec- tion. The delegates voted in his fa- vour 68 to 56. Mr. Parker commented, “I am absolutely honoured to have been re-elected NUS Scotland Presi- dent. I commend Charandeep and his team for the enthusiasm and positivity with which he ran his campaign and the issues he raised. “I’ve been amazed at the hard work and enthusiasm of students across Scotland over the past year, and look forward to continue working with them again to make lasting change in Scottish educa- tion. When students come together we’ve shown what we can do. Our students have had great campaigning successes this year, including Our Future, Our Fight, which saw over 80,000 emails sent to MSPs and college bursaries protected.” The conference dealt with many other issues. Delegates elected student leaders to various positions, updated national policy, and de- bated various issues. Jenny Batty, AUSA President of Welfare and Equal Opportunities, and one of the delegates to the conference, said, “One other thing that was striking in the confer- ence was that only one person ran for the new full time role of Vice President of Education. People are sometimes concerned about run- ning against an incumbent, but it was surprising to see only one can- didate running at a national level. Particularly when anecdotal evi- dence appears to be showing an incontinues on page 3 Reclaim the Night: students march down Union Street Photo/ Claire Wheelans The new design of Union Terrace Gardens has been chosen, voted upon, and passed with a slim majority. However, indifference and resentment still remain. P.3 Contributors debate equality in the university applications and admissions process. Should student background be taken into consideration? P. 8 Aberdeen lost the Boat Race to RGU, in a close competition. Gaudie were reporting at the scene, and even managed to break the news of the result. P.23 News Opine Sport “Claim our bodies, claim our right, take a stand, take back the night!” A chant from the march The Aberdeen University Student Newspaper Free Est. 1934 TheGaudie 13 March 2012

By Emily Badiozzaman University of Aberdeen’s A Capella group, appropriately named Aberpella, sang their way to St Andrews last weekend to compete in the annual Voice Festival UK. Having only been founded this year by Nathan Chadwick, the group of talented students proudly represented the University at a national level. Singing the classic jazz number “My Funny Valentine”, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, and a surprising and imaginative mash-up of “Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root and “Waka Waka” by Shakira, Aberpella competed against five other groups from Scotland. Though the group did not win the contest, they received praise from the judges who said that the group was “soulful and captivating” and that their performances were of an “ethereal quality”. The group was congratulated for its efforts by AUSA President Tessa Birley. Founder Nathan Chadwick, who hopes to create a new tradition for the university, had words of encouragement and support for the first timers: “To be able to get this far, in such little time demonstrates the amount of hard work and dedication our members have put in. We are proud to be part of the University of Aberdeen and to have the chance to represent the artistic talent that our student population has. We may have not won this year, however, we have made sure Aberdeen voices are heard.” To watch some of Aberpella’s performances check out their You- Tube channel: www.youtube.com/ users/Aberpella. By Jo Polydoros Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have been awarded a £51m grant by the Wellcome Trust to continue their investigation into fatal fungal infections. It is hoped that this research will prevent millions of fungal-related deaths each year. This is the biggest award ever given to the field of medical mycology and fungal immunology in the UK. The Aberdeen Fungal Group will head a new Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology Consortium (now one of the biggest in the world) and use the funding to train new scientists and clinicians, raise awareness of the problem and save 1.5 million people around the world per year. Prof Neil Gow, Chair of Microbiology at the University of Aberdeen and director of the consortium said, “Invasive fungal infections - infections in the major organs of the body - are associated with high mortality rates. “Immunocompromised patients, such as cancer, trauma and HIV patients, and people who have undergone bone and organ transplants, are more susceptible to fungal infection.” He added, “New strategies are desperately required to combat these life-threatening fungal infections.” The much-needed funding will place the University of Aberdeen at the centre of major research and training and will create ten international PhD studentships, three clinical PhD studentships and six postdoctoral research assistant posts across a number of UK institutions. News [email protected] 2 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 Editors’ Choice Editors: Aaron Murray & Henry Booth News Sport The Granite Press Opine Features Life & Style News Writers We would like to acknowledge the following writers for their contributions to this edition: Emily Badiozzaman Jennifer Elliott Charles Hepburn Marie Kienast Dan Naylor Konrad Wojnar We invite you to contribute to our News section for the next edition. Contact us at: gaudie.news@abdn. ac.uk P.4 P.6 P.9 P.14 P.11 P.24 RAG week is here! Emily Thorburn talks about the benefits of ragging. Kings Campus is suffering from random acts of vandalism. We investigate. The Kony 2012 video has gone viral across the globe, but is the charity behind it all good? Tired of having to make your way to the ice-cream van or the supermarket? We have a recipe for 10 Minute ice cream! Stan is on fire! More crosswords! More dingbats! More procrastination! Do ALL the puzzles! In Aberdeen’s latest bid for the cup, Bath comprehensivly beat Aberdeen 51-11 By Marie Kienast A bypass proposed in 2003 is still facing widespread opposition despite having been approved by Aberdeen City Council. The proposed plans for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) have not yet been implemented but Aberdeen Council believes that the proposed route will safely and efficiently redirect traffic around the city rather than through it. Aberdeen Council first initiated the infrastructure development AWPR in 2003. Although the councillors approved the proposed bypass in 2009, the construction work on the project has not yet begun. This is largely due to an active opposition movement which has garnered large numbers of signatures from Aberdonians for an official petition against the proposals, such as taking the Council to court. Opponents of the bypass project cite its negative environmental effects and its enormous costs as arguments against the construction. The Environmental Trust contends that the high-speed dual carriageway will destroy many rare trees in the twelve ancient forests around the city. Stan Blackley, the Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland accuses the AWPR of being “an expensive vanity project” which addresses symptoms rather than the roots of the problem. He suggests Aberdeen Council should instead invest in public transport services and the removal of freight traffic from local roads. Colin Howden, the Director of Transform Scotland, also doubts that the real expenses of the project and its estimated effectiveness overall have been made public: “Everyone knows that the real problem is car commuting into the city, especially during the morning rush hour - something that an orbital road will do nothing to address. The best way that Aberdeen’s traffic problems could be tackled would be to deliver commuter rail routes into the city.” On the other hand, supporters of the bypass claim that it will bring great economic benefits to the city. Kim Milne, Managing Director of the Balmoral Group said, “This is the single most important issue facing the economic development of our region. The project will improve road safety and ensure that the North East remains a competitive business location.” The Scottish Government is a vocal supporter, and Transport Minister Keith Brown has welcomed the decision of the Inner House of the House of Session: “We remain totally committed to the AWPR being built as soon as possible and we are pleased that we can now move forward with this project, which is vital to the future prosperity of the north east of Scotland as a whole.” Unless further legal challenges are submitted by opposition groups, the construction of the bypass is likely to now go ahead. Opposition grows over Council’s proposed new Aberdeen bypass The Aberdeen Bypass: map Photo/transportxtra.com UoA research £51m Praise for Aberpella “This is the single most important issue facing the economic development of our region.” Kim Milne Managing Director for the Balmoral Group

[email protected] News 28th February 2012 The Gaudie 3 UoA scientists discover genetic link behind depression By Emily Badiozzaman University of Aberdeen researchers have discovered that there is a genetic trigger that causes depression. An estimated one in five adults will suffer from depression at some point in their lives and treatments range from counselling to prescription medication. The significant discovery focuses on the BDNF gene, a gene that is found in areas of the brain which are vital to learning, higher thinking and long term memory. Research has also shown that the BDNF gene is prevalent in the part of the brain that controls moods. The University of Aberdeen’s research team, in collaboration with the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, have looked at a control next to the BDNF gene which acts as an ‘off switch’, allowing the gene to function properly. They have found that genetic mutation of this switch affects the levels of BDNF present in the brain, causing depression. Dr Alasdair MacKenzie, of the University’s Kosterlitz Centre for Therapeutics, said: “The mutation we studied increased the strength of the ‘off’ switch which, in turn, reduced the amounts of BDNF in critical parts of the brain, destabilising the genetic balance required to maintain mental health.” Their breakthrough discovery paves the way for developing new treatments that are genetically tailored to dealing with depression. The study, which was funded by the Medical Research Council, has been published in the Biological Psychiatry journal. UTG narrowly wins public backing By Dan Naylor The £140m Granite Web proposal has been backed by voters to replace the historic Union Terrace Gardens in the heart of the city. Supporters hoping it will “kickstart the refurbishment” of the city centre. However, the design won by a slim majority of only 45,301 to 41,175. The narrow margin highlights the confusion that has surrounded the project, from the chosen design to where the financial backing is coming from. This is also reflected in the poor turnout for the referendum; little over 86,000 votes were cast of a possible 165,000, reflecting the indifference of many to the gardens. The Granite Web, by the designers of New York’s High Line Park, will see 70,000 sq ft of green space spread over eight gardens, a cultural and arts centre with a café, along with two new plazas and a 5,000-seat outdoor auditorium. An alternative proposal was to simply rejuvenate the existing gardens. Chairman of the Aberdeen City Centre Association, John Michie, has been a strong supporter of the project from the very beginning, saying that “the problem about Union Street is that we have lost the buzz in the city centre. One of the great attractions about the city garden development is that it will refocus the city centre and will encourage people to stay on after work.” However, controversy has shrouded the proposal. Critics have questioned the need for such a drastic redevelopment of the historic gardens - several of the trees in it are believed to be over two centuries old. Steve Bothwell, of Common Good Aberdeen, instead supported a £7m revamp of the existing gardens. He criticised the campaign for the gardens, saying “the public were led to believe that Aberdeen would hit the skids if they didn’t vote for the project.” This follows on from a referendum that was dominated by accusations of cyber-bullying and threats. The divisive nature of the referendum has been met by supporters of the scheme, who are keen for the people of Aberdeen to put aside their views and rally behind the project. Sir Ian Wood, the Aberdeen oil tycoon, said that “The referendum result inevitably gives the impression of winners and losers - but today it’s the citizens of Aberdeen and future generations that have won.” Sir Wood has pledged £50 million of his own money to the project. Nevertheless, the financial cost of the project has come under fire, with critics commenting on the expenditure during the current period of economic difficulty. Concerns have also been raised that figures estimating the number of jobs and businesses the park will attract have been portrayed as fact throughout much of the campaign. Torry and Ferryhill councillor Alan Donnelly has been keen to play down these fears, saying “there will be no debt legacy. £92 million is affordable from the new business rates. It’s a very small chunk [of our budget].” The economic support for the project is based on Tax Incremental Financing, which would see a £92m loan subsidise the project, paid for with increased business rates. The Scottish government still need to see a financial plan for the project before it will be given the green light. But while the City Council is “confident” that the plans will go ahead, objectors have threatened to challenge the plans in court if the government passes the scheme. Mr Bothwell said the fight would start when the first planning steps were taken to raise Union Terrace Gardens to street level: “We will take on a legal challenge once the planning application goes in.” crease in the number of candidates running for full time positions in student unions across the UK.” Five delegates from the University of Aberdeen went to Irvine. Jenny Batty; Gordon Maloney - who is part of the SEC, and thus not officially a delegate - Aric Gilinsky; Tessa Birley, AUSA President; Megan Dunn and Josefine Bjorkqvist, AUSA President for Education and Employability, were Aberdeen’s representatives. Some delegates raised the issue that a vast majority of the first-timers to the conference, unfamiliar with its regulations and procedures, fell prey to the demagoguery of those who have already made NUS their home. Robin Parker was not the only Aberdonian to be re-elected. Graeme Kirkpatrick from Aberdeen College was re-elected as Vice President of Education. Gordon Maloney from the University of Aberdeen was elected as the non-sabbatical Vice President of Communities. For the second year in a row, awards were given to societies and students for their outstanding contributions to student life, sponsored by NUS Scotland and Endsleigh Insurance. AUSA’s Ab Fab Society won the Society of the Year Award and AUSA itself won the Equality and Diversity Award. All the nominations for the NUS Scotland awards will proceed to the NUS UK awards ceremony, which will be held from 24 to 26 April in Sheffield. It wouldn’t be a political conference without some political merriment. Jenny Batty stated: “Most debate from the conference was over quotas for university boards, which appeared to be the more contentious issue. However, another motion that passed with a clear majority was in regards to campaigning for nationalising the railway network – I expected this to be more contentious.” On the last day of the conference, Liam Burns, President of NUS UK, was scheduled to give a closing speech but arrived thirty minutes after the official ending of the ceremonies. However, this did not deter him and he proceeded to give the speech. Although the NUS Scotland Conference is over, there are some important issues already coming up to face the current administration. Obtaining the vote at 16 is a campaign that is at the peak of its efforts, in which NUS is involved. The NUS Women’s Conference is being held on 13 March to 15 March in Leeds, as well as the NUS UK in Sheffield in April. Continued from page 1 AUSA wins awards “The Granite Web”: the winning design for UTG Photo/designboom.com Dr Alasdair MacKenzie Photo/abdn.ac.uk Students march on Holyrood By Charles Hepburn A gathering of around five hundred students and activists marched on 29th February from Bute House, the official residence of the First Minster to the Scottish Parliament. The protest was targeted against the effects of increased austerity measures taken by both the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as the rising number of people unemployed between the ages of 16-24. The demonstration was organised, by a number of different groups, including Scottish Students Against Cuts (SSAC), and was supported in its aims by NUS Scotland, of which Robin Parker is now President. When the march reached the end of its route in front of the Scottish Parliament building, various speeches were given; some by students and presidents of student associations, others by representatives of organisations including Unite Trade Union and the Public and Commercial Services Union. Patrick Harvie, the Green Party MSP for Glasgow, also gave a short address to the crowd gathered on the grass: “There could not be a clearer example of the disparity between the interests of the one percent and those who are being exploited, than the row over workfare. It should not be an extremist statement to say that you want a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” While the aims of the demonstration were to highlight problems in education and employment, there was more to them than that. In particular it opposed the planned mergers of Scottish colleges and the reduction (according to the Scottish Funding Council) of almost 10% in student spending in those colleges from last year. Although it would be unfair not to mention that the Scottish has protected places at close to the same level as last year and the fees that make Scottish universities among the most expensive in Europe for students from the rest of the UK. “There could not be a clearer example of the disparity between the interests of the one per cent and those who are being exploited, than the row over workfare... It should not be an extremist statement to say that you want a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Patrick Harvie, Green Party MSP

University unveils new statue on Library’s seventh floor By Jennifer Elliott The University of Aberdeen has erected a new statue of the late David Craig on the seventh floor of the new multi-million pound University Library. Craig, who passed away in 2010 aged 94, was the founder of Aberdeen’s Craig Group. The institution ranks among Scotland’s top 100 companies and is one of the top twenty offshore companies in the North East of Scotland. Its divisions operate in Europe, Africa and the US providing offshore support, ROV survey, emergency response and rescue vessels, and oilfield supplies and leisure. The university named the floor after Mr Craig following a generous donation from the Craig Group and the Craig family. David Craig spent most of his young working life around the North Sea, which is visible from the University Library’s seventh floor. The bronze likeness to Craig was created by artist Candida Bond, who is based in the Aberdeen area and conducted an apprenticeship with British sculptor David Wynne, creator of the Queen Elizabeth Gates at Hyde Park in London. The Craig Group remains a family business to this day. Chairman and managing director of the group, Craig’s son Douglas Craig, graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in accountancy and political econmics and received an honourary doctorate in 2010. Douglas Craig stated, “We are delighted to contribute to this fantastic building and the Craig Floor looks magnificent. The David Craig Suite is a very touching and a fitting tribute to my father which will inspire everyone who uses it. Overlooking the North Sea is a perfect way to remember David who pioneered fishing in the North Sea, both as a skipper then at the helm of the group for more than seventy years.” The floor also features the university’s renowned divinity and philosophy collections which will be used to support some of the United Kingdom’s top research fellows who are based within the University of Aberdeen. The David Craig Suite contains numerous conference and seminar rooms which are available to students and the wider business community. Overall, the floor has been designed to inspire young academics throughout the university. Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Ian Diamond, said of the tribute, “We are honoured to host a lasting tribute to David Craig, who was an inspirational figure throughout the North-East, within our library.” Mr Craig Snr. was also recognised by the university four years ago when his services to the local business community earned him an honorary doctorate. He helped to lead the familyowned shipping and energy services firm to international success in the oil and gas industry and is believed to have been the oldest chairman of any Scottish company. However, away from the business world, Mr Craig’s great love was gardening and his dahlias were his pride and joy. Last year, The Royal Horticultural Society officially registered specially-grown dahlias in honour of Mr Craig. Statue of David Craig with sculptor Candida Bond Photo/ abdn.ac.uk Vandalism endemic on campus By Jennifer Elliott In 1997, the body of nine-yearold schoolboy Scott Simpson was discovered within the grounds of the University of Aberdeen. It emerged later that the boy had been lured away by serial sex offender Steven Leisk, sexually assaulted and then strangled with a scarf. Though Leisk pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years in jail, Scott Simpson’s family have had to endure further tragedy this year. Mother of the schoolboy, Patsy Simpson, commissioned a statue to be designed and erected last year on the anniversary of her son’s death. This week, however, the statue of the boy, depicted wearing jeans and a cap, has been ripped from the ground and vandalised. Simpson says that she is “disappointed” that the statue had been targeted, explaining “my niece went down to see it on Saturday and saw what had happened. A lot of family go down to that spot, there’s always somebody going down there”. The attack occurred after numerous vicious acts of vandalism in the wider Aberdeen area. Recently two teenage boys were charged with causing more than 40 thousands pounds worth of damage to a primary school, whilst cricket ground Mannofield Park has had to relinquish the opportunity to host an international match between Scotland and Canada as a result of vandals pouring weed killer over the grass. Within the Old Aberdeen area alone, dozens of car windows have been smashed merely as a result of malice, with no personal items being stolen. Police are appealing for information about the vandalism to the memorial of Scott Simpson on Elphinstone Road, but have no leads as yet. The vicious act committed by vandals has sent vibrations of disgust throughout the Old Aberdeen community. Third year student, Amy Ilyine, stated, “this act is disgraceful. My thoughts go out to the boy’s family and I hope they catch whoever did it”. It is currently unknown whether this was a direct attack or a random vicious act. Anyone with information about the vandalised statue can phone Grampian Police on 0845 6005700 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. 10 March 2012: One of several smashed car windscreens Photo/ Claire Wheelans “We are honoured to host a lasting tribute to David Craig, who was an inspirational figure throughout the North-East, within our library.” Professor Ian Diamond News The Gaudie [email protected] 4 13 March 2012

The term cyber bullying is a very new one, had you asked someone 30 or 40 years ago what it meant they probably would have assumed being beaten up by a robot. However, it is now a term that has very much come to stay and a practice which is horrific and potentially damaging to anyone who has been a victim. Cyber bullying has been enabled by technology, and that is what sets it apart from other forms of bullying; which means that cyber bullies can attack any time they like, no matter where they are. The problem of cyber bullying is usually associated with children and young teenagers, as bullying more generally is. However, studies suggest that it is actually a higher age group (about 15-17) who are most at risk, still mainly high school age students. Worryingly, though, another group at risk are university students. While cases may not be as obvious or as numerous as those in younger age groups the effects can be serious, including suicide in the most extreme cases. Cyber bullying is a general term applied to any abuse over mediums such as text messages, social networks, email etc. as such the general form it takes does not change depending on the victim. Abusive messages and threats are common forms of bullying; another tactic is ostracising one person by spreading malicious rumours about them on the internet. It is generally assumed that university students will be less susceptible to this type of abuse as their peers will be more mature and less likely to engage in this type of behaviour. However, this does not seem to be the case, incidents of pastoral care services having to deal with cyber bullying are on the rise, including at Aberdeen University. And the recent bad publicity generated by internet groups such as Unilad and Aberdeen Social Hierarchy has given rise to the question: are these sites just outright bullying or an ironic form of humour that many people don’t get? One of the many reasons that victims of cyber bullying at universities are not so visible is due to the simple fact that living away from home means that it can be hidden better. At its least harmful levels cyber bullying can take the form of embarrassing messages texted from phones or posted on social media, “fraping” which those in their late teens or early 20s are better able to laugh off than, for example, a 12 year old, who may not be able to see the funny side of such a prank. Because of this, those in the younger age bracket are far more visible as victims of cyber bullying. Throughout their teenage years the issue of privacy becomes important to most people, and this is true online as much as anywhere, so when those in high school or university come under attack on the web they are far less likely to tell anyone or to seek help. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of cyber bullying is the institutionalised nature that it can seem to take. I have already mentioned the controversial “Unilad” website which was taken off the internet after publishing an article which condoned rape as the odds of getting away with it “seemed pretty good.” While this is not the cyber bullying on an individual level as the term often implies, websites which publish offensive articles are obviously discriminatory against and insulting to large groups of people, in this case women. However, many users of Unilad claimed that this website was a tongue in cheek satire that was not meant to be taken seriously, although it should be noted that the website was taken down and described as “appalling” by its creator. In Aberdeen the Facebook group Aberdeen Social Hierarchy has recently sparked controversy for its inherent misogyny describing pictures of women as “deals or no deals” i.e. would you have sex with them or not. This was promptly taken down after numerous complaints and this time no one seemed to suggest that it was all in good humour. Features Editor: Hamish Mackenzie [email protected] Avivid and dynamic blue sky, a bright yellow moon that seems to illuminate the whole picture, two or three big dark cypresses in the front shaking in the rough winds and a quiet village that seems not yet asleep – and by now you will have Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in your mind. His vivid style, the intensive choice of colour and the unique movement of the lines are features we all associate with the Dutch painter. He was a genius, despite his difficult life and unsuccessful career. However, he not only had a passion for art, but also for sex. Syphilis, which he supposedly suffered from, was one of the most common STDs of the 19th and 20th centuries, and before the first effective medical treatment for syphilis was invented in 1910 - an arsenic compound they called “salvarsan” - the disease spread out rapidly and cost many people’s lives. But besides the lack of medical knowledge, having syphilis was also “perceived to be a consequence of immoral, improper, or promiscuous sexuality, the diagnosis resulting in severe social stigmatisation,” as Michael Hennerici notes in Neurology of Music. Since syphilis was hard to diagnose, and even harder to live with in regard of social stigmatism, the bacterium often remained in a patient’s body for decades, which lead to neurosyphilis: an infection of the brain or spinal cord caused by the bacterium treponema pallidum. Neurosyphilis occurs in the third stage of the syphilis’ development in the body. In this, the tertiary phase, damage to the heart and blood vessels can occur. This means that the brain’s protective “walls” - the three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord - will be affected, which allows the bacterium to enter the brain’s nervous cells. This damage can cause diverse symptoms, such as muscle weakness, decreasing mental functions, mood changes, hyperactive reflexes, personality and speech changes, hallucinations and delusions. However, some scientists believe that besides all these negative outcomes, neurosyphilis can help increase the intelligence and creativity of the sufferer. So, could neurosyphilis be the key to explaining the genius of Van Gogh and other artists? Doubtful, but the fact is that many important contemporaries of Van Gogh had neurosyphilis and they too were all highly creative, e.g. Paul Gauguin, Edouard Manet and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Scientists argue that hallucinations and delusions could have been a catalyst for unique sensations which led to experiencing colour, light and movement differently. So, even though their brain functions began to decrease because of the on-going destruction of nervous cells, the sensations they triggered could have led to extreme creative impulses. Another reaction which can be triggered by neurosyphilis is musical hallucination. Robert Schumann was a well known sufferer of this condition. He composed entire songs out of his hallucinations, believing the ghost of Schubert dictated them to him. This phenomenon is a result of malfunctioning brain networks which usually allow us to hear music. Modern brain scans show that similar areas are activated when hallucinating music, as are activated when actually listening to music. Only the primary auditory cortex, which is located behind the ears and responsible for the initial processing of sounds, shows no activity during musical hallucinations. It is interesting to note that some of these hallucinations occurred with deaf or hearing impaired people. Deafness is also a symptom of neurosyphilis. Though many scientists do not believe that a relationship between creativity and the damaged brain exists, all artists named above showed symptoms of syphilis or neurosyphilis during their lifetime and most creative periods. Admittedly, Vincent Van Gogh also had other mental health problems, but Gauguin and Schumann, for example, only had neurosyphilis which could explain their extremely creative phases. It is paradoxical and fascinating at the same time: a neurological disease, which destroys brain cells and thus diminishes skills and senses, can trigger sensations which enhance creative impulses of artists. Of course, not all their genius is simply the result of a brain disease, but it is the common denominator of many great minds which forms a connection between a mental decline and a creative climax. Painting as grand and unique as “Starry Night” are a rare phenomenon, so maybe it is the product of a very special mind set. 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 5 Syphilis in symphonies and sunflowers Maria Suessmilch examines the influence of neurosyphillis on our creativity Cyber Bullying: are you being funny or just abusive? Hamish Mackenzie sheds light on the issue of cyber-bullying Screenshot/ cached version of http://www.facebook.com/ASH.Aberdeen?sk=wall&filter=2. “If the girl you’ve taken for a drink.... won’t spread for your head, think about this mathematical statistic... 85% of rape cases go unreported. That seems to be fairly good odds.” Quote found at http:// www.guardian.co.uk/ lifeandstyle/2012/feb/12/ uni-lad-website-closurebanter Photo/ Leo Stockford “Neurosyphilis occurs in the third stage of the syphilis development in the body”

Features 6 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 [email protected] We’ve all experienced it: that awkward moment when you open your front door to witness a charity collection box being shoved under your nose, accompanied by a charity worker who is generally more demanding than a petulant child in a sweet shop. Or even worse, that moment when the usual “staring at the floor approach” has failed you (usually in shopping centres) and you somehow find yourself publically emptying your purse into a collection box so that passers-by do not think you as being tight-fisted. If, like me, you view this method of raising money as being more invasive than charitable, than you’ll be pleased to hear that for over one hundred years, groups of students have been joining forces to raise money for charity in a fun, productive and occasionally drunken manner. I am of course referring to Raising and Giving Week (RAG). RAG week gained its title during the Victorian period when students took a week out of university, stepping off campus to collect rags to clothe the poor. Records tells us that King’s College London and University College London, were the first major establishments to adopt the RAG Week tradition, and it is to them that Student’s Charities Campaigns are indebted. Today, RAG is one the most popular methods of raising money within the student arena, not just in the UK but in Ireland, the Netherlands, even spanning as far as South Africa, where students at the University of Pretoria to this day take part in an annual RAG march nicknamed the “Procession.” Made famous for its extreme fundraising methods, RAG experiments with the boundaries of money making techniques, continually introducing new and innovative ideas, including sponsored skydives, attempts to smash world records, pub crawls, dance-offs and various other competitions. Manchester University RAG is famed for creating the fifty five mile long “Bogle Stroll” while Exeter University RAG is known for holding the largest World AIDS Day event in the country, namely the Safer Sex Ball. At this stage, I imagine you’ve got some questions – does Aberdeen University have a RAG week? When is it? And how can I become involved? Well, never fear, for I am about to impart wisdom. This year sees the Aberdeen Student’s Charities Campaign launch its first ever RAG week. Beginning the week of the 23 April, RAG promises to bring a week of fundraising madness to students all over Aberdeen, both on and off campus. Known around campus primarily for its annual Jailbreak and Fashion Show, ASCC is encouraging students to sign up in teams of 5 or more, to enter the “Race for RAG” and to raise as much money as possible for charity. All proceeds will then be donated the thirtyeight local charities that ASCC supports. For the ASCC, the introduction of a RAG week is a chance to maximise their fundraising efforts and gives students the chance to get involved with the charities campaign on campus. Events such as sporting competitions, competitions between the various halls of residence and prizes for those dubbed the King and Queen of RAG week are on the cards. As good as this all sounds, the week is of supreme importance to the ASCC – should it be successful Aberdeen University is likely to have one of the most active and successful charities campaigns in the UK. So, if you’re tired of mindlessly throwing your coppers into collection boxes and just want to get more involved, then maybe RAG week is for you – a chance to meet new people, help local charities and actually feel like you’re making difference. If nothing else, it’ll generate some good Karma – and everyone needs some good Karma now and again. RAG week: seriously good craic Emily Thorburn discusses Raising and Giving for charity I n an industry where top-selling AAA video games take millions of pounds to produce, with teams that can stretch into the hundreds, small-time independent firms or individuals do not have access to willing publishers who can fund the months of development necessary. As an independent firm — I avoid the term indie as it is usually associated with simple yet fun concept games — your only source of revenue comes from the actual sales of the game and so some developers have opted to cash in early on a game by means of alpha funding. This entails selling copies of the game while the game is still in the early “alpha stages” of development, this is done either done by offering a pre-purchase or — more often — early, unfinished versions of the game. It is seen by the community as a great way to show your support for an early game and as a lifeline for struggling developers with popular ideas. This practice is harming the video game industry. By having an early “alpha launch” developers are losing out on the chance to pitch the game to a publisher, where they could acquire much greater resources and hopefully produce an AAA version of their game. Instead the game will be stuck in “indie limbo,” forever searching the community for a publisher, but without a firm willing to finish the game so it can be sold and a profit be made. The community can take charge, requesting new features be added, some of which will be added to the game, pushing back the launch date. If you resist the call for new features then, as your game is unlikely to have security features, skilled community members can modify your game adding in the desired features and distributing the changes as “mods” to the public. Mods do not directly harm game development but if they make important changes to the game, and therefore become a core part of it, you are then no longer the primary developer. Not being the primary developer makes it increasingly hard to finish a game: there is always another new feature to be added or another feature which needs to be balanced. You may think this is an unlikely situation, but it is not. Minecraft, one of the most successful independent games, was launched last year in an “unfinished” state. There was no explanation given to anything in the game, the win objective could only be completed with prior knowledge and many features remained did not work as intended. Minecraft does however manage to be fun, using only user created content. The majority of Minecraft’s user created content are not mods, rather content created within the game itself; it has been described as virtual Lego. In this manner it circumvents the usual rules and manages to be a successful alpha funded game, this benefits from ongoing development by giving old players a constant supply of new toys with which they can create anything they want. Developers have realised this and tried to make games with more open concepts. These are called sandbox games. One of these hybrid games is ProjectZomboid, it sells itself not as a game of zombie survival but as a game of your defeat during a “zom-pocalyspe.” It draws the player away from winning and towards losing. By changing the rules of game design they have created an unusual situation where, as we saw with Minecraft, the user is creating the content. However, as the creatable content is more limited it is not as suited to alpha funding as Minecraft. There are other ways of doing alpha funding. The company Kickstarter allows consumers to pledge money, which will be paid to the designers upon a project’s completion. This does, however, encourage high concept games which sound interesting, but then produce something substandard due to this guaranteed revenue. To be taken seriously, independent developers need to consider evolving their game from the ground up, avoiding alpha funding and instead make small games which show the direction in which they want the game to go. Developers should try to make their projects shine and avoid trying to get funding for their ultimate project on day one. As a final point, developers need to forget a problem they had with earlier home consoles: sequels are not an issue, just hide them as downloadable content. Alpha funding: the downfall of independent games? Alan Dermot Octavius O’Brien has a look at the advantages of releasing unfinished games Minecraft: simple, effective, and addictive Photo/ technobuffalo.com ADD US ON FACEBOOK! facebook.com/RagAbdn follow us on Twitter - @RagAbdn Aberdeen Students’ Charities Campaign is a registered charity in Scotland, No. SC008700

As study leave began to wither away, my mind - as it often does at this time - seemed in the clutches of a cyber-wanderlust insatiable. Between beating back the endless brain-farts appearing on my class’ Facebook group concerning exam rooms and just what that thing called a metaphor is (I’m an English student) I collided with the (fleetingly) popular University of Aberdeen Memes” page. I gave it a token “like”, derived mainly from my fondness for most memes and my loyalty to this fine campus. Indeed, several posts found there deserve a chuckle or two, though any lover of Skyrim will tell you that this “arrow in the knee” hoopla has to stop now. Seriously. The point is that it provided me with an opportunity to procrastinate, which I welcomed. For twenty minutes, I amused myself with the wit displayed, whilst firmly placing myself on the warm, soft “in” side of the in-jokes made. Then, I migrated pages. To what? Perhaps a video of an Orangutan urinating into its own gaping mouth, or of a woman defecating in a jacuzzi? Who knows? Certainly not me - my mind was a whirling maelstrom of stagnant pixels by this point, and in no fit state to do battle with Shakespeare in three days’ time. But that was that. Or was it? Several days later, a colleague of mine “liked” (and thus fully and completely agrees with, despite what was later strenuously denied) a picture emblazoned with something along the profane lines of this: “Engineering: ‘How is that?’ Science: ‘Why is that?’ Arts: ‘Do you want fries with that?” Frankly, I was chuffing furious when I read it. What understanding (other than the above entry level repetition of “that”) does the average engineer (the designated degree of my colleague) have of art? And thus - get ready - by extension, academia? (BOOM!). On a serious note, I was alarmed that such rampant intolerance as this was allowed to romp unchecked. How can respect for the arts have plunged to such a nadir amongst the artistically uneducated (he once claimed Jeremy Clarkson was a “great” writer)? This isn’t just about a meme, but rather the serious opinion its propogators share. I believe there is a gaseous, polluting confusion at the heart of this misplaced idiocy, owed in part to our school system, and in part to the lack of understanding by some (all) engineers as to what academia actually is. Considering the first factor, kindly engage in a memory exercise for me. Reflect back to the time in your Secondary School careers, when your school’s resident anti-smoking, condomwielding maniac (guidance teacher) gave you a crash course in UCAS. I am right when I say that this experience didn’t contain even the slightest mildewy whiff of the history of “The University.” Across Europe they were built on a mighty foundation of Philosophy, Law, Music, and Politics. Indeed, Aberdeen University itself was founded by Bishop Elphinstone as a law college in 1495. Men would travel to universities simply in the name of eloquence - a “Trivium” is an example of a contemporary course in this regard (not another Death Metal reference). It was an introductory curriculum at a medieval university comprised of grammar, logic and rhetoric, a trinity believed to be a path to eloquence. Eloquence was worth the bother back then it seems, but what about today? Sadly such a contextualising nugget of information as this was omitted from us when we were jettisoned from school to university. Information, I believe, that would kick Engineering into its correct place in the academic world - as a worthy school, but absolutely not as the supreme one. The second factor admittedly is borne of the first. We are sent hurtling into our various universities as (metaphorically) abortive and half-formed writhing lumps of human beings with “admissions procedure” still etched into our heads. For many students, UCAS becomes the degree, with no attempt to relate it to the campus they spend every day trudging around. Academia is the difference between time spent engaged in critical thought, and the job at the end. It’s the difference between debate and vocation. It’s a difference that doesn’t exist in the school of Engineering. A difference that causes Engineers to mistake themselves as artists. All one must do to see this point proved is walk into the Fraser Noble building and consider the plaque mounted in the foyer. A telling line therein is: “Engineering design makes use of these laws to solve particular problems. In this it is more closely related to art or craft” (see above the toy car for full quote). This Engineering manifesto yearns for artistic credibility and yet its followers are content with biting the hand that feeds. Put simply, unless something is done to rectify this concern, academia may find its hand completely devoured. “Engineering: ‘How is that?’ Science: ‘Why is that?’ Arts: ‘Do you want fries with that?’” Opine [email protected] 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 7 Editor: Alasdair Lane All opinions expressed in the opine section are those of the authors of the articles, and do not necessarily represent views held by The Gaudie, AUSA, or any company which advertises in The Gaudie Disclaimer Taking an arrow to the knee of academia Adam McIlroy discusses the inter-disciplinary offence that memes can cause I n France we are told in the media (by journalists, political thinkers and politicians themselves) that Britain, as part of the so-called “Anglo-Saxon world” has fully adopted multiculturalism and has developed an active policy against all types of discrimination. We are taught by some of these “experts” either that this political struggle against racism and its concrete form, discrimination, tends to restore a real equality, or by others that this acknowledgement of “ethnic” groups within society in fact nourishes a social fragmentationknown as “communitarisation”. Hence I was not surprised to be asked about ethnicity in my online application form for the academic year 2011-2012 as an Erasmus student. However, the question did shock me, to the extent that I found it rather disturbing. First, I felt that was an intolerable intrusion in the privacy of individuals and that ethnicity was anything but the business of universities or any other public institution. Immediately, against any form of rationality, a very stupid idea emerged in my mind: is it merely an innocent inconsequential question, or, rather, a fundamental interrogation, representative of the whole British way of thinking? No additional feedback about the purpose of this inquiry was provided. After a few seconds, I remembered all the things I heard about the “anti-discrimination” British policies and I filled the blanks, blaming myself for being so narrow-minded and suspicious. This kind of statistics only helps to measure diversity within British universities and then allow effective, accurate policies for the reduction of discrimination. Great! Let’s look at the options. White, Black (Caribbean, African, or Other), Asian (Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, or Other), Other, Mixed (with all possible combinations of the previous proposals). First I thought: “What would Michael Jackson have answered?”. Then, I considered the problems surrounding these possible answers. Do, as it is suggested here, all Black African people experience the same social conditions in the UK? Obviously, there are cultural differences between a Ghanaian, a Sudanese and a Namibian person. But as British citizens, you must also take into account differences between new immigrants and people from the second and even third generations. But here, thanks to the very scientific UCAS application form, all of these people will pick the same short, vague answer. More globally, this ethnicitycentred vision encourages, in my mind, the formation of “imagined communities” within society that will join very intrinsically different people together on the unique ground of their belonging to a supposed “ethnicity”. The distinction between a majority and minority groups within society (or even only between minorities) impels people to identify to a particular group based either on ethnicity, on religion or on sexual orientation. This results progressively in the weakening and fragmentation of society, which is not established on such particular groups but on a shared sense of the community within a political, social and territorial entity. Society is much more complex than a mere addition of particular groups or of atomised individuals. This arrogant perception of multiculturalism and the opposed conception of society are, I assume, those of a young French idealist student, very unfamiliar with the British social and political history. Nevertheless, I argue that the acknowledgement and promotion of such communities by public institutions, such as the higher education system, are linked to an unconscious distinction between “us” (whatever majority or minority that refers to) and “them.” Contrary to the republican universalism that acknowledges only citizens (principles of unity and indivisibility), British multiculturalism appears to me as nourishing both diversity and social confusion and fragmentation. However, despite my sincere commitment to the first “universalist” model, I must admit that both ways of thinking have been challenged by some dramatic events: the riots in 2005 in France and in 2011 in Britain for instance. “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” in the UK? David Errard discusses the question of ethnicity in British university admissions

By Alasdair Lane Afew weeks ago the SNP Education Minister, Mike Russell, made it clear to Holyrood that he would earnestly press ahead with new legislation that would make it mandatory for Scottish universities to take into account an applicant’s socioeconomic background when offering places. A flagrant abuse of equality? Or levelling the critically unfair economic playing field? For me, the latter prevails. So why should applicants from poorer areas be given an advantage over those from more affluent backgrounds? In my mind the fact that they’ve applied in the first place answers this question. Let me explain. There was an opinion held by many at my old school (I was privately educated) and I’m sure shared by many more middle-class students, that people from less well-off backgrounds don’t aspire to go to university anyway, so why should they be shown preferential treatment? This sentiment is as repugnant as it is completely inaccurate. Research carried out late last year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation into higher education aspirations found that 80% of Scottish school pupils hoped to study at uni in the future. From the pool of children interviewed a considerable number had very deprived backgrounds. The leader of the study, Professor Ralf St Clair, even explicitly stated that “government policy needs to go beyond long-held assumptions about low levels of aspiration in certain communities.” Now, I know what you’re thinking: if these school leavers are so desperate to get into university, why don’t they put the hard work in at school and get the grades? To answer this valid question I will tell you about my own educational experience. After successfully completing my Higher year at secondary school I decided to part company with private education and attend a local college in the place of a Sixth Year. In my own experience the gulf between private and state education is considerable (in Scotland at least), and considering that I studied at the same level at both institutions I feel in a position to make an impartial comparison. “Is it a problem with the schools then?” Well, yes it is to an extent, but when wasn’t it a problem with the schools? I’m not saying for a second that state educated pupils can’t do well, or that the privately educated can’t flunk- I have a friend who was privatelyeducated from day one and now spends his time watching day time TV and dealing weed. No, I’m simply reiterating what the official figures state: compared to 50.4% in Scotland’s wealthiest areas, only 7.2% of school leavers from the poorest communities meet the requirements for the university courses they apply to. And there it is: tackling the problem at its roots in the schools would be ideal, but this just isn’t an ideal world. If we’re to break the cycle of parent and child not receiving a further education then the admission process must favour those who haven’t had the advantages money can bring. At the end of the day the most important thing is, as Mike Russell puts it, “to address any barriers that may prevent young people from achieving their ambitions.” Opine 8 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 [email protected] Debate: Inequality in Uni. admissions? By James Holland SNP plans to force universities to take a quota of students from the poorest areas of Scotland are aimed at reducing inequality and establishing a fairer system of admissions to higher education. Yet, despite the noble aims of their legislation, the SNP’s acts will merely replace one unfair system for another. Under the plans, universities would be bound to take certain numbers of students from lower income backgrounds regardless of the fact that there may be better qualified candidates missing out on places. “So what”, you may say? “Universities are already clogged with stuck up private school kids who practically get handed their entrance to higher education on a plate, whilst other youngsters try hard and are denied the rewards for their efforts”. Is there any real evidence of this though? The figures suggest otherwise– 7.2% of pupils from poorer areas achieve the results necessary to go on to higher education contrasted with a relatively enormous 50% of the kids from the wealthiest backgrounds. In addition to this we must remember that universities are businesses, and part of the way they raise money is to attract the brightest candidates to produce the highest quality research and attain grants from companies and government agencies alike. Is it likely then that snobbish, aristocratic “we’re better than you” mentality is the real reason for the divergence between the numbers of successful university applications between the rich and the poor? Or is it merely the drive for high quality intellectually apt students who can be the fuel for the higher education machine? You get the sense when an education story like this breaks that politicians have got their blinkers on and are only half considering what the effects of their legislation will be on the people who are the objects of it- in this case the school children. The SNP ministers responsible are quite clearly only considering the plight of the school children who are less well off. In their folly they are flat out indifferent to the wishes and dreams of those school pupils who did not choose to be born into a wealthy family yet who nevertheless used the tools given to them, worked hard, utilised their innate talents and abilities and who would be effectively barred from an institution whose hands are tied by SNP legislation. What reasons, pray tell, will the university rejection letters to these children say? “Edinburgh University is sorry to have to inform you that due to recent laws passed we cannot accept your application to study Mathematics as we have had to take a less well qualified candidate in your place, purely because her family have less money than yours.” Meanwhile said applicant will have profited from her parents’ lower income and, as the University of St Andrews identified, this is inherently wrong because “students should feel like they have earned their university place and not rely on a decision from Holyrood.” Now I do not deny that the present system in flawed. Students from lower income backgrounds usually have parents who have never been to university so there is little or no tradition or expectation of those children attending university. Poorer children have none of the advantages available to privileged pupils, such as better funding for dyslexia treatment, sports facilities which could increase scholarships, intensive tutoring programs and much more contact time (including six week days at some private schools.) However, following what economists call “Hardy’s law” the SNP plan attacks the symptom of the problem - low university attendance among those from poorer backgrounds- and does not address the real heart of the issue, poor grades from the most impoverished children. If the plans went ahead and had any impact it would result in the establishment of an education illusion where all would appear to be well. The least well off would be attending uni in strong numbers and wouldn’t need any increased investment in their earlier education. How can we allow such a dreadful malaise to infect our education system when it is exactly the opposite which should be occurring? Universities Scotland reports that students from low income families leave the school system much earlier than the applying ages for university - further proof that the problem is the secondary school teaching, not university policy. In short we should treat the root, not the leaf, if we want to reinvigorate the plant of learning. Psychologists call the condition where we accept any means if the end seems virtuous “Noble Cause Corruption”, and the SNP are riddled with it. We the voters cannot allow Salmond and his cronies to turn round and say in five years: “ah the SNP got more students into university” if we know that it has come at the expense of crowding out those who really deserve a place. There should be no discrimination against anyone regardless of what school they went to. We only discriminate when there is a need to separate. Separate the brightest from the less bright, not the poor from the rich. By Emily Thorburn I am going to start by telling you a story, the one of my journey through UCAS and into the big bad world of university and academic life. Before I start, there are a couple of details to keep in mind; firstly, I’m from Edinburgh and secondly, I attended your runof-the-mill, comprehensive state school. As I go on, you’ll begin to understand why these details are important. We begin with my school year being herded into our dining hall and being barked at about university. It was our final year of school and we were plunged into the joys of open days, personal statements and the usual problems of applying to university. Should I become a brain surgeon or an astronaut, an actress or a lawyer? For most, the decision of where to go or what to study is familiar. However, the decision of whether or not to attend university is a dilemma which it seems is less common. At this stage, refer back to what I’ve already mentioned - I attended a state comprehensive meaning my school serviced a number of different suburbs and a number of different people from different socio-economic backgrounds. For some, university was not just an expectation or the natural path of what to do after secondary school; it was a hard financial choice. Now remember that I’ve already mentioned my hometown - it’s important to the story. In Edinburgh, a system to highlight the background of any person applying to one of the four Edinburgh-based universities (who is also from an Edinburgh based school) is already in place. Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS) aims to help the usually under represented achieve success in the world of higher education. Criteria for being LEAPS eligible includes coming from a poorer background (evidence of family income is verified upon application), being part of the first generation in your family to attend university, coming from a broken home, or a single parent family, or students who have found it difficult to dedicate time to their studies, for example young carers. Each student’s circumstance will then be taken into consideration by the university to which they are applying. So, you can imagine my surprise at hearing of Government proposals to introduce a scheme such as this on a national level – I had assumed each local authority across Scotland had its own version of LEAPS. While you are perfectly entitled to argue that it is unjust to have this system in one part of the country and not another, the actual merit of such a scheme cannot be underestimated. LEAPS and other systems proposed by the Government help to create a level playing field when applying for university and help to ensure the applicants are not penalized due to personal circumstance. While there will always be issues and sources of debate with the UCAS process, the importance of equality for students applying cannot be underestimated. Government proposals highlight the fact that university and educational opportunities ought to be universal and accessible to all regardless of circumstance, an idea which arguably should not be frowned upon. While you may look upon current proposals in a sceptical manner, if you could see the impact they actually have to the futures of certain applicants then I am willing to place money on the fact that you will change your mind. James Holland, Emily Thorburn, and Alasdair Lane discuss the proposal to bring applicant socio-economic background into the university admission process Photo/ Jimmy Sime/Hulton/Getty “For some, university was not just an expectation or the natural path of what to do after secondary school; it was a hard financial choice”

Jamie Burman 2nd year Economics and Geography Disagrees with the proposal, as he would a p p r e c i a t e having more time over Christmas to revise in order to achieve better exam results, even to the detriment of his winter holiday. [email protected] 13 march 2012 The Gaudie 9 Opine Tash Walker 1st year Biology Agrees with the proposal as it would allow for an uninterupted rest over the Christmas break, especially for those wanting to go abroad over winter. Also she feels that she can work more productivly at uni, and that a thorough break at Christmas would be a just reward for completing her exams in December. Dr. Tarrin Wills Co-Director of the Centre for Scandinavian Studies If the proposed changes go ahead, it would be less convenient for staff members as marking exam scripts would encroach on their Christmas holiday. However, students would recieve exam results before the start of the new semester. Comments on campus Anthony Okonkwo Accelerated Law The proposals would result in students being more engaged in their studies, and thus achieve better results. However, he feels that the semester must start a month earlier to compensate, for the lost revision time Nuraziemah Haji Jaidi 4th Year Property Agrees with the proposal because her academic work will still be fresh in her mind in time for the exams. This would mean that she could enjoy her holidays, knowing that the exams are finished. Then, after the holidays, the second semester of studies would start straight away, which would be more convienent. This week, we were on campus asking whether you agreed or disagreed with the proposal to move exams to December, and why. Kevin Anderson 3rd Year Philosophy and Poli- tics Disagrees with the proposal, as he feels that exam preperation would be too rushed for the students. Based on this, he would only agree to the proposal if the semester started at least three weeks earlier, preferably a full month. Photos/ James Holland I t had been a long day. After writing essays and rehearsing for a play, I wasn’t in the mood for any drama, but when I got home, I switched on my laptop and there they were. Plastered everywhere, all-pervasive. Watch this! Watch this! Donate money! Sign the petition! Go to this event! It’ll change your life! You’re a terrible person if you don’t watch this video RIGHT NOW! I’m talking, of course, about the “Kony 2012” film that, on the 6 March 2012, sprung up all over Facebook and Twitter. If you’ve been living under a socialnetworking rock for the past few days, allow me to explain. Kony 2012 is the work of the Invisible Children group, who aim to educate us about Joseph Kony, a war criminal in Uganda responsible for recruiting child soldiers. He’s done terrible things; taken children from their homes and forced them to commit awful acts: disfigure people, watch their friends die, even kill their own parents. After watching this 30-minute video, there was no doubt in my mind that he is an evil man who must be stopped. The Kony 2012 campaign aims to do just that – to make him known worldwide, to arrest him and bring him to justice. “What a terrible thing!” I hear you say. “Where do I sign up to donate all my money to this incredibly worthwhile cause?” Well, just hold it there for a second. After watching the video, I looked around. I thought about what Invisible Children were saying, and it’s clear that they’ve given us a masterclass in effective advertising. Now before you send me hate mail or batter down my door, hear this: I am not disputing that Joseph Kony is a war criminal. I am not saying that this is an issue we shouldn’t be shouting about at the top of our lungs. We need to get the governments of the world to listen – just not necessarily to Invisible Children. My first problem with the Kony 2012 campaign is that it epitomises “slacktivism.” Protesting used to be about writing to governments, standing in Parliament Square, attending talks, fighting for what you believe in. That’s all changed now, and the amount of self-righteousness that has stemmed from people clicking the “share” button on Facebook is unbelievable. Secondly, it’s that certain facts that Invisible Children present us with don’t follow through. “Stop this violence - the fighting must end!” we cry. “Worry not,” say Invisible Children, “we’re using direct military intervention to stop all the killing.” Wow, that’s a genius idea right there. Thanks guys. Aside from the fact that most of Kony’s troops are, well, children – and therefore the risk of children’s deaths if and when we intervene is dramatically high – the Ugandan military isn’t exactly all rainbows and smiles either. It doesn’t really add up that a military force notorious for raping locals and looting villages is going to improve the violent situation in Uganda – though the Kony 2012 campaigners are very keen for us to believe that it will. The other problem is funding – Invisible Children are asking us to donate whatever money we have to their campaign, but last year only 32% of the Kony 2012 campaign’s money went towards direct services. They’ve brought out a very well put-together film and some great merchandise and posters, granted, but with a problem on a scale such as this we need to see more practical action taken. Clicking a link on Twitter is all well and good in our comfy Western homes, but the situation is happening now, in real time, and the Kony 2012 campaign doesn’t seem to be doing enough about it at a grass roots level. Joseph Kony is a dreadful man – a war criminal who needs to be stopped. We need to lobby and fight for justice, we need to support our governments in doing all they can to stop him. What we also need, however, is for these Invisible Children to come out into the light and to show us exactly what they’re all about, before they drag the rest of us into the dark. Invisible Children - just how transparent are they? Jess Anderson questions the integrity of the charity behind the viral “Kony 2012” video Kony filmmakers pose with Sudan People’s Liberation Army Photo/ Glenna Gordon

By Adam Cook The man who took an arrow to the knee, and didn’t brag I t’s been widely praised by critics and gaming enthusiasts alike. The fifth in the Elder Scrolls series Skyrim marks a new development in the RPG genre. However, the game has received a number of complaints from a group of people who claim that they are being portrayed in an offensive fashion. The complaint has come from medieval Vikings who feel the portrayal of the Nords in Skyrim paints a negative view of medieval Viking lifestyle. In the game the Nords are a brutish, violent and racist people who support the enslavement of others. A spokesman for Medieval Viking Rights, Harold Skull Splitter, released a statement saying that this game was extremely offensive towards his people. There has never been any evidence that the medieval Viking peoples were as violent or racist as they are seen in Skyrim. New evidence uncovered by Harold Skull Splitter and his partners Ragnar Limb Cleaver, Thorlief Stabby Face and Nick Griffin have painted a new picture of Viking society as caucasian, blonde haired and blue eyed communities living peacefully away from other cultures. Despite all of this opposition Skyrim remains one of the best-selling games of the year and is captivating gamers all over the world. The Granite Press 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 11 By John Lewis Honourary member of the Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society First Aberdeen’s ecological credentials came under fire today from leading art curators who testify that their buses are not green. Neil Buchanan, head curator of Aberdeen Art Gallery argued that “whilst they may wish to believe they can make us think anything, it is still quite plain to the naked eye that their buses are in fact pink, closer to a fushia than anything of a viridian hue.” The comments come after First Aberdeen launched an advertising campaign claiming their buses are more ecologically friendly. Buchanan continued: “the buses themselves do not remind me of a leafy brook nor a verdant forest, but in their pink and purple livery have an evocation of Brazilian money or an eighties track suit somewhat.” Shortly after Mr. Buchanan made his comments, First Aberdeen announced their intention to redesign their fleet’s livery. 1. 3. 9. 7. 13. 14. 12. 17. 10. 11. 16. 2. 6. 4. 15. 36. 8. 5. 18. 28. 19. 27. 29. 35. 30. 22. 23. 26. 25. 31. 38. 21. 33. 37. 20. 24. 34. 32. Dingbats LINCOLN -> OLN Crossword Procrastinators By Stanislav Benes Stone Last issue’s answers ACROSS: 1. a great amount 2. 16th century seer 4. digits 5. shackles 8. Air France 10. Italian hello/goodbye 13. Swedish pop group 15. Basque separatist organisation 16. one circuit of a track 19. friend of Gilgamesh 20. a unit of weight 21. city in Western Germany 22. son of Abraham 28. sun god 30. commotion 31. Disc Jockey 32. disrobe 34. animalistic cry 35. Intellectual Property Rights 37. alien craft DOWN: 1. cigar brand, Italian island 3. follower of Jah 6. derogatory term for upper class 7. first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope 9. unit of area 11. Californian city 12. illegitimate child 14. musical genre 17. Associated Press 18. comfort or consolation 23. a hollow, bag-like structure 24. United Nations 25. European Organization for Nuclear Research (abbr.) 26. an exclamation 27. baby goat 28. about, concerning 29. to hurt 33. sign of agreement 36. silver 38. a superior First colour comments cause uproar Political Correctness in Skyrim sheds new light on Vikings Poltical Correctness Cartoon/ whatisyourrintelegence.com

Extracurricular activities are, for many students, a fundamental part of their student experience. From paintballing via painting or surfing to, say, student media; we are interested in all manner of different things, and it is often these interests that most impact our student experience. Aberdeen University has 126 societies catering for many different people and interests, and even then, if you can’t find one to fit you, you can create one (this year saw the creation of the Dodgeball Society among others). Students put a huge amount of time and effort into their different activities and this enthusiasm was reflected by the Students’ Association success at the NUS Scotland conference last week. Ab Fab won the Society of the Year Award and AUSA itself won the Equality and Diversity Award. On top of this, Daphne Heijdelberg, Gemma Riddell and the Dance Society were also nominated. The achievement of being shortlisted is impressive in itself and reflects the effort that goes into these societies. As with all other student groups or societies on campus The Gaudie is 100% by students for students. All of the paper’s content is written by you, for you. All of our adverts and news cater for you, to help raise issues or help celebrate life on campus. As with all student activities The Gaudie relies on the dedication and time of its members (that’s all of you!). By opening up the paper and making it easy and accessible for all students to contribute material, regardless of experience, we hope to have a paper that represents you (the 13,351 students that Wikipedia tells me attend this fine institution), informs you and provides a platform for all of us at university. Next time you grab a copy of your beloved Gaudie, think about this: the combined effort that goes into that paper is a tribute to the students that strive to involve themselves in the student community. The Gaudie’s writers spend hours of their week covering all manner of issues so that we are all more informed about our university. We all have opinions or interests, and The Gaudie is the perfect place to have those interests expressed. We can help you in a variety of ways to gain invaluable experience and to take part in something worthwhile. So if you have ever thought about writing, whether you are confident or not, send an email to one of the respective sections or directly to ourselves (James and AnneClaire) at gaudie.editor@abdn. ac.uk. We will go out of our way to help encourage you and get you involved with the team. Finally, you may notice that the paper is continually changing, for example this week we have moved the banner to the top of the page and reinstated the “three big stories” bar that nostalgically takes us back to the days of the BraidBlythe, editorforlife, editorship. A few editions back we actually changed the font (wondering how many of you eagle-eyed mistake hunters noticed that one, eh?!), but what is perhaps the most important change is that we are striving to improve the standard of content and the standard of its editing. As part of this, Dr Wayne Price from the English Department has very kindly agreed to conduct termly workshops to help all of us improve our writing standards. The next one will take place tomorrow (14 March 2012), 1pm3pm in Taylor A19. The session he provides for us is beneficial to all who are involved with The Gaudie and we stress that even if you don’t write, you are more than welcome to attend. In the meantime, enjoy your Easter holidays! Editorial [email protected] 10 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 Editors: Anne-Claire Deseilligny and James Valentine Editors Deputy Editor & Head of Production News Features Opine Life & Style Arts Listings Sport Copy Editor Online Editor Photography Editor Deputy Section Editors Copy Editing Team Production Assistant Editor-in-Chief James Valentine and Anne-Claire Deseilligny Leo Heydon Lancelot Stockford Aaron Murray and Henry Booth Hamish Mackenzie Alasdair Lane Conor Riordan Jessica Cregg Maria Suessmilch Ryan Ross Nick Marshall Seamus Salt Claire Wheelans Tasneem Mahmoud (News), Jo Polydoros (News), Monica McCarrey (Features), Samantha Worsley (Life & Style), Siobhan Hewison (Arts) Andrew Cheyne, Josh Doyle, Sam Prout Maria Suessmilch Tessa Birley Editorial Team We voluntarily adhere to the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct (www.pcc.org.uk) and aim to provide fair and balanced reporting. Butchart Centre University Road Old Aberdeen AB24 3UT Tel: 01224 272980 facebook Profiles Gaudie Arts Gaudie Opine Gaudie Life and style Gaudie Features Groups Gaudie Student Newspaper Gaudie News Gaudie Sports Gaudie Listings You can find The Gaudie on If you have something to say do so in The Gaudie Every AUSA society and sports club are entitled to two quarter page adverts in The Gaudie every year. Email gaudie. editor@abdn. ac.uk Societies Investigative Journalism Do you hear about issues on Campus? Want to find out the truth about the big University issues? Do you have an interest in investigating but don’t necessarily want to write articles? The Gaudie needs you For more info email [email protected] This Term’s Content Deadlines Thursday 12th April Thursday 26th April Thursday 10th May Photo/ Claire Wheelans

Life & Style [email protected] 13 Editor: Conor Riordan 13 March 2012 The Gaudie Fashion London Fashion Weekend Kirsten Rankin has a look at what was on offer at Somerset House I t’s London Fashion week – a time when beautiful people crawl out of the coolest nightclubs and into the limelight, you discover your new beauty ritual and you wait with baited breath to find your new “it” outfit for the upcoming season. It is a lot of work, but it is fun. I recently visited Somerset House for London Fashion Weekend, an event with catwalks, 70% off at designer stores, and talks from the industry’s finest. Bubbly, funny and dressed in this season’s metallic, Zoe Hardman presented the catwalk show. The show displayed two spring/ summer trends: Prim Rose (fiftiesinspired, pastel girly wear) and Game On (an athletic chic where it’s cool to wear heels with shorts). There was also a taster of what is to come in autumn/winter from designers Antipodium and Jasper Conran’s collections. As if this wasn’t excitement enough, there was fashion royalty. Hillary Alexander made an inspirational speech telling us all to wear what we are comfortable in, and not simply to conform. The stores were to die for. You could get a haircut from Tony and Guy at an amazingly discounted price, your eyebrows done at the Benefit counter and Westwood clothes at 70% off. If I were rich, I know where I’d shop. The stores were not just aimed at women. There was a male section too: a bonus for customers like me who dragged along their other half! This section was good too - he didn’t complain once, and I was there ALL day. If I hadn’t stayed there so longer I wouldn’t have got to meet Georgia Collins, who spoke on behalf of Elle Magazine (A.K.A the Bible) about the new beauty trends for this season. I would recite this talk back to you now but frankly, it deserves an article in its own right. Finally, I must tell you about the show bag. Designed by Holly Fulton, it was filled with great beauty buys like Elizabeth Arden’s infamous Eight Hour Cream, Impress fake nails, a Tony and Guy gift card, and a bar of Galaxy chocolate, to name just a few. Taking this bag home was the perfect way to take back a bit of the experience. It is safe to say I am now going to be a regular at this event, I hope to see you there next year. Style On Campus Emmi Makiharju has a look at some of Aberdeen’s best dressed this week Rachel Dunnigan Studies: Anthropology & History of Art Likes to dress in patterns, and eclectic prints, she enjoys mixing things up. Likes clothes from different shops. Favourite style decade is the 20s. Photo/ Emmi Makiharju Lauren Waterman Studies: English Dresses in girly clothes, for example colourful floral prints. Admires Rachel Bilson style. Her pick of a decade would be the 80s. Photo/ Emmi Makiharju Kirsten Rankin Studies: English & Film Likes to dress in feminine, sophisticated clothes and loves finding the perfect vintage items. Would never wear Adidas tracksuits. Photo/ Emmi Makiharju Heta Mattila Studies: English & Film Wears colourful clothing and is often mistaken for a hippie. Idea of a nightmare: dressing in something pink and frilly. Photo/ Emmi Makiharju London Fashion Week: the Jasper Conran fashion show Photo/ Duncan Henderson

Tom Herbert shows us how to makes these super-quick and nutritious chapattis, which he says are easier and tastier to serve with a curry than rice. Method: 1. Weigh the ingredients into a big bowl and mix together. Knead the really soft dough for a good 15 minutes, or longer if you can. Alternatively, blitz the lot in a food processor. Taste the dough for seasoning and add more salt if it’s bland. 2. Leave the dough to rest back in the b o w l for a f e w moments whilst you dig out a heavy frying pan or flat griddle and get it smoking hot. 3. Divide the dough into eight pieces. With a firm hand, shape them as round as you can. Then roll them out as thin as as possible on a well-floured surface. 4. Cook the chapattis one at a time. Drop them into the hot pan, and using a large pair of tongs give them a spin. Don’t let them stick or burn. After 30 seconds, flip them over and slightly scorch the underside. This should also take a minute at most. 5. Now here’s the rewarding bit..... If you’re baking on gas, remove the pan from the heat, and using the long tongs, hold the chapatti directly over the flame and it’ll blister and puff up. My Top5 Easter Time By Sam Prout 1Easter The only present-giving opportunity where chocolate doesn’t betray a complete lack of imagination, Easter rolls around mid-way through our three-week break. Like Christmas, the longweekend brings consumerism, Christianity and confectionary, but unlike Christmas, Simnel cake has balls (marzipan ones). 2Time Off Arriving just before the madness of exam season, the Easter break feels like the perfect opportunity to reacquaint oneself with Mr. Duvet, and Ms. Unwatched-DVDs. You’ve been back in lectures since February, you poor thing - you deserve a rest. 3The Sun It’s back. Well it didn’t really go away, but everyday now it stays light later, and it’s almost warm enough to spend the holiday studying outside! I for one cannot wait to swap these stifling snowboots for denim cut-offs and gladiator sandals. 4The University of Aberdeen Although the spring sunset looks nice from Broad Hill, without a stab-vest you may prefer to enjoy the dusk from high up in our very own New Library. Alternatively, hang around King Street watching the sunset silhouette of King’s College. 5Foraging In springtime the countryside around Aberdeen is full of bright colours (green, mostly) and delicious animals. Lambs, daffodils and capercaillie are just some of the things that await the brave explorer, but many are actually owned by people with guns so please ask permission first. Photo/ Petr Kratochvil (publicdomainpictures.net) Throw away those essaywriting blues because the first “sort-of-based-arounda-religious-holiday” holiday of the year is almost upon us! Whether you call it “Spring Break”, “Easter Holls” or “About Time”, get ready for three weeks of chocolaty sleep. Here are five reasons to be giddy about Easter Time. Food Interview with Tom Herbert Conor Riordan interviews baker and TV personality Tom Herbert Ingredients (makes 8 chapattis) 260g wholemeal flour 200ml warm water Large pinch of salt Tom Herbert is a 5th generation artisan baker and one half of the Fabulous Baker Brothers. Earlier this year Channel 4 launched their new prime time cooking series, The Fabulous Baker Brothers, a show which proves baking can be for boys too. Despite a short stint pursuing a career suggested by his careers advisor as a florist, Tom decided to follow family tradition and enter into an illustrious career as a baker. Tom has appeared on programmes such as In Search of the Perfect Loaf and Turn Back Time: The High Street, as well as winning Young Baker of Year after leaving baking college. But he described The Fabulous Baker Brothers as: “the jewel in the crown of ten years of hard work.” The series aim was to put the focus on the food, and the brother’s enthusiasm for food shines through their personalities. Tom said it was important baking was made accessible for everyone and to show it can be enjoyable too. “Too many people are buying factory made bread, which has no nutrition or real taste” he added: “People just don’t know how much better real bread is.” Tom obviously has a real zeal for his profession, something which must have been bred into him. When talking about working with his brother he said it was great as they had not worked together too much before. He added: “It was great to have a wingman, someone I’ve known all my life.” There is not much of a line between professional and private life for Tom, as family is deeply involved with everything he does. When asked to choose his favourite loaf he said: “that’s like trying to choose between children.” Before opting for his great granddad’s Shurston white loaf recipe. Is there anything Tom still has to prove as a baker? He said: “I’d like to bake bread in space, imagine how big the loaf would be in zero gravity!” He finished by adding that he would love to show that real bread can and should be enjoyed by all. Chapattis Tom Herbert shows us how to make chapattis Life and Style 14 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 [email protected] Tom Herbert Photo/ countrycalling.co.uk At last! A solution to the first world problem of ice-cream shortages. Gone are the days when no ice-cream in the freezer resulted in pouty faces and sulky moods (unless you also don’t have the ingredients to this recipe). I know it sounds crazy, but this really does work, and in ten minutes! Method: 1. Put the milk, vanilla and sugar in the smaller zip-lock bag, seal the bag. 2. Put the ice and salt in the larger bag, then put the smaller bag in and seal the larger bag. 3. Cover the bag in a towel. 4. Shake for 5-10 minutes. 5. Open large bag, remove small bag. 6. Eat all the ice-cream. It is ridiculous how simple this is, so there is no good reason not to give it a go. Well, what are you waiting for? Go! Ingredients 1 cup of milk 1 tsp vanilla extract (or whatever flavor you want) 2 tbsp sugar 4 cups crushed ice 4 tbsp salt 2 Zip-loc bags (one bigger then the other) 1 towel Instant ice-cream Samantha Worsley explains instant ice-cream Chapattis Photo/ Channel 4 Chocolate Ice Cream Photo/ Cascadian Farm (Flickr)

While volunteering in Quito I saw many great things. There is, however, a dark- er face of Ecuador that reveals the harsh reality of real poverty. It’s hard not to feel something when children as young as five go in for the hard sell. Instead of enjoying childhood or going to school, they’re forced to attach their little bodies to you like a ball and chain to your conscience, ex- perts in conveying sincerity and acute creators of guilt in the eyes of the unsuspecting visitor. Some of the poorest Ecuadori- ans don’t even sell. In their minds Westerners are walking, talking buckets of overflowing cash, just waiting to be emptied. They approach, palms spread and a pleading expression, daring you to reject such blatant desperation. Crowded markets are a play- ground for pickpockets and waving valuables around is like a fat salm- on winking at a grinning Cheshire cat; foolish, to say the least. The more intelligent breeds of criminals smear ketchup on you, leading you to believe you’ve been wounded. By the time you’ve un- wittingly thanked the robber for “assisting” you, the assailant has removed everything of value, leav- ing nothing but your wedding day photos dropped on the hot city streets. Yet this depiction of the city’s underworld is anything but repre- sentative of most Ecuadorians. I have never encountered nicer peo- ple in my life. People who amidst inequality, in a world where status and self-im- portance are derived from wealth, make the best out of what initial- ly makes you think it is they who were dealt the short straw in life. While my facial hair is fruitful and yielding, I am worried about going bald. Should I consider a weave, or hormonal supplements? Or should I just deal with it? AC We’re actually quite partial to a well-placed hairpiece. Or a particularly large Viking helmet, to detract attention from your everincreasing bald spot. Is it an eggplant or an aubergine? MA This is a question that has strained British-American relations for decades. No matter what you call it, you’ve got to remember that we’re all the same deep down. Tomato, tomato; potato, potato… let’s call the whole thing off. I love my girlfriend, but I can’t cope with her tendency to never wash or put on clean clothes. We share a flat, but I struggle to share a bed with her because of the smell. I’ve tried dropping hints but nothing seems to work. What can I do? PM Arrange for fumigators to arrive at your flat, when you know she’ll be in, to remove her toxic pong. Maybe she’ll get the message when there’s a big white tent over the whole building. Aberdeen University’s straight-talking OAP Agony Aunts solve all your problems Email Ethel & Janice all your problems: [email protected] Life The darker part of Ecuador Nicola McIlraith describes the side of Ecuador that tourists don’t see 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 15 [email protected] Life and Style Arecent survey has found that students overwhelmingly support the concept of chivalry. An online poll conducted by YouGov, on behalf of craiglist (www.craiglist.co.uk), found that 83% of students back acts like opening doors for women and offering to their carry bags. Susan Best, a spokesperson for craiglist said: “We were surprised by the level of student support for old-fashioned chivalry. Whatever happened to ‘revolting students’?” These “revolting students” would have fought against concepts thought to belong to a bygone era, like in Downton Abbey. Michelle Dockery, the actress who plays Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, only recently lamented that, “chivalry has been lost” since the era when Downton Abbey was set. She added that women today enjoy more freedoms and equality but one price has been the loss of chivalry. Modern young men, she claimed, wouldn’t think of showing “those old manners… such as opening doors for you”. Some early feminists rejected chivalry for sugaring the pill of female subjection and while some will describe the attitudes revealed by the poll as old-fashioned, others might call them “post-feminist”. A University of Aberdeen Student, Sam Varley said, “gender equality has come such a long way that chivalry is just the norm and not seen as a contradiction or threat to feminism.” Although student support for gentlemanly behaviour does fall slightly short of the 93% of British support as a whole, the poll does reveal that chivalry is not dead on campus. Chivalry is not extinct in our society, yet Conor Riordan laments the decline of chivalry In Ecuador: Dogs guarding a house Photo/ Nicola McIlraith Photo/ verydemotivational.com For the latest find us on Facebook or E-mail us at [email protected] The Aberdeen Swingdancing Society You’ll all be thrilled to hear that back in full force is Swing Dancing in Aberdeen’s workshop weekend for 2012- ‘Hop Potato’! International Teachers: Joseph Sewell and Charlotte Middlemiss of JiveSwing in the UK Claudio Santori and Betina Fischer of SwingStep in Germany More than 10 hours of classes at 2 different levels Performances, games and competitions 3+ parties The full workshop is only £55 Individual parties for £7 and all parties for £15 16th-18th March 2012 It’ll be an incredible St Patrick’s Day weekend!

Arts [email protected] 16 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 Editor: Jessica Cregg Interview with Nicola Roberts After leaving one of Britain’s most successful pop groups to carve out a name for herself as a solo-artist, Nicola Roberts has come on leaps and bounds. Having well and truly stepped out of the shadow’s with her 2011 album, Cinderella’s Eyes, Roberts’ work has been met with much critical praise, with her album even placed in the Guardian’s Top 50 albums of 2011. With such success behind her, Nicola talks to Jenny Entwistle about what she has planned for 2012 and the all too anticipated, album number two. Listening to the album its apparent immediately that each track addresses life issues that you’ve faced – in particular the track “Sticks and Stones”; was it important when making this album that you make it so lyrically personal? I think that when you’re writing an album it’s like all of the things come from inside you; like they come from your emotions or the way you think about certain situations. Because everything is how you see it or what you feel, I think it’s always inevitably going to be perceived as being more personal. The album gained massive critical success; does that mean more to you the fact that you made it in your own terms rather than being a team effort like with Girls Aloud? For me I left school, walked out of the classroom and onto the stage – I was just in the band when I turned 17 so I suppose for me to have the support of the other girls for so many years and work together as a team was amazing but it’s kind of now nice to have that 18 months of solid work on that little square CD and to sort of just to see, maybe, my own little journey on that little CD. As I’m used to working on a team and I like working on a team, it was important for me that everyone that we worked with on the record felt like they wanted to be on the team. I never wanted that situation where I would go into the studio and I would feel like “oh we’re writing a song today” but tomorrow I’ve got her, and the day after him, I didn’t want to feel like just another one on the conveyer belt. It felt like everyone wanted to be apart of the project and that’s why I think it worked. You collaborated with some amazing producers on this record (Metronomy, Diplo etc), who would be on your dream list for album two? Oh! M.I.A, Kate Bush, Missy Elliot… oh my god could you imagine? A little far-fetched…but! The visuals and aesthetics to accompany your music are obviously very important to you, and with Cinderella Eyes a lot of the artwork centralised around the fairytale theme, with very bright and bold colours. Is this a theme you’ll continue into your second album or something created specifically for Cinderella Eyes? The whole of the artwork was made to compliment, everything had to compliment… like electro music. The album has electro music so there’s so much going on in that thread of music that colour really and detail were the only real things that could compliment it. I think that this album, in terms of the sound, it’s “up” I see it as being “up”, and so colour is a reference to that. You look at each thing as it comes; so on “Beat of My Drum” I was really interested in all of the prints, and like the tribal prints and all of the colour patterns. “Beat of My Drum” to me was all cheerleader and Super Mario sounds but it’s cool, you know? So that was for that. Whereas for “Yoyo” everything was a bit darker, and actually the song, it’s like the needy sound of love. The side of love where you don’t know if you’re coming or going… it’s proper, it’s a bit of a head f**k, you know? It draws you to wear darker things and wear things are a little bit more serious; older and darker. You’ve come from being criticised in the press by the way that you look to being hailed as a fashion icon. After collaborating with Atlanta Weller to design part of your outfit on the Cinderella Eyes album cover; do you think fashion designing is something that you would like to do more of in the future? I would love the opportunity to have a collection, I would absolutely love it. As long as I’m able to be creative, being able to create things, be it in the studio or working on Dainty Doll it’s where I’m most happy and where I’m the most confident. So to be able to sort of have a collection… I feel like I would never want to just jump on the bandwagon of having a collection, I would have to take it far more seriously. It’s about timing and I think that fashion is very much a personal thing. It’s like, when you put something on in the morning and it determines whether… like I wont leave the house unless I feel like what I’m wearing fits my mood or creates the mood that I feel like I should be in that particular day whatever situation I’m going to be in. It’s very much a more personal thing than just wearing a nice coat. You champion a lot of causes, but most notably the stance against tanning and the use of sun beds. As you’ve got older you’ve been able to embrace the fact that you have a naturally pale complexion and started your range of Dainty Doll. What sort of advice can you offer to people who may be going through the same insecurities? Just bite the bullet. I think it’s like I had - what’s the word when you’re addicted to tanning? But it’s like anything that you go through as a person you have to make a change. So many people, like all the girls would be like “oh my god please just stop tanning, it’s much better when you’re pale!” but I was so wrapped up in it that no one could tell me. I think that, whatever the situation in life that you are in, you personally have to change - but it takes time. You’ve mentioned before about having the persona of “Little Nicola” do you think branching off and going solo has made you more confident and accepting who you are, or did that happen during the later years with Girls Aloud? It sort of happened around the last album. I don’t know, something just clicked. I had had the most amazing summer holiday with all of my friends from Liverpool and I had just become single. I started to go to all the fashion shows and change my mentality about beauty and commercialism, everything. My whole aspect and everything I looked at just changed. Then as soon as it did I just felt like… I felt looser. I think its important to feel loose, I really do. It’s Girls Aloud’s ten year anniversary this year; do you have any plans to celebrate? I am super looking forward to that. As so much of my life was spent in Girls Aloud you just couldn’t not celebrate it, it just couldn’t happen. Photos/ Nicola Roberts Press Release

Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on 31st December 2011 showed viewers exactly what we have all been recently missing in music: Pokey LaFarge. I must admit that, prior to this year, sadly my historical knowledge of American roots music and the blues was limited, but, with thanks to this band, I have a new found love of both old and new styles. It’s the rawness, the character and the eclectic mix of instruments that make for such interesting composition and easy listening. A young man so dear to the blues, country and Americana music; Pokey LaFarge’s eccentricity, charisma and love of his roots emanates proudly throughout his work. Harping back to the likes of Muddy Waters, Emmett Miller and Dixieland Jug Blowers, LaFarge digs deep into the history of American music and breathes life into old, forgotten workings. Raised in St Louis, with an impeccable sense of style inspired from the Depression-era, LaFarge released his debut solo album Marmalade in 2007, followed in 2008 by his sophomore album Beat, Move and Shake. The title track is a simple, guitar-plucking ditty with LaFarge’s distinctive voice creating melodic fun. In 2009 LaFarge began work with The South City Three, a trio of St Louis boys each with their individual talent and expertise for instruments such as the harmonica, washboard and arch top guitar. As a band, the first album Riverboat Soul, released in 2010, graced them with the support and recognition they deserve but predominately in America. “La La Blues”, the first song on the album, is the epitome of good, noteworthy music. The upright bass, harmonica, guitar and the chorus: “I’m so happy got me singing la la la” simultaneously produce a brilliant sound, and clarify that Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three are a perfect combination. In later years, blues musicians generally sang about the hardships of life, dwelling on love and misfortune. Yet LaFarge twists an old concept of music with modern concepts of travelling, people and the simple fun of getting drunk: he makes traditional, raw music relevant for today. LaFarge is a one of a kind lyricist and musician, demonstrated further in “You Don’t Want Me” and “Daffodil Blues”; the latter stripped down to an acoustic guitar and harmonica – beautiful, old-school blues. Middle of Nowhere, released mid-2011 sees LaFarge and the South City Three gain further flair and solidarity. “Drinkin’ Whiskey Tonight” is infectious, driven by the quick-paced bass and guitar, the character and appeal of the song comes through in live performances - something the band are clearly passionate about and enjoy. To an extent, in order to get an understanding and experience of the intricate workings of music like the blues and country, it is best seen live if simply to witness a washboard in use. Slide guitar, is prominent in “Ain’t the Same”, whilst “Feels So Good” and “Weedracker Bag” are good examples of the band’s up-beat, melodic take on love and happiness: “there’s two kinds of people in this world / well there’s you then there’s me”. No amount of praise for them will suffice for sticking to their roots and not only creating a fresh take on older music but reminding us of the roots from which stem a lot of what we listen to nowadays. The likes of Imelda May, Seasick Steve and Hugh Laurie are all on this bandwagon and there is a chance of more emerging. For those already with an interest in this genre of music, Pokey LaFarge is certainly one to add to your inventory. For everyone else, I greatly recommend you to look into them if only to see the energy and charisma of the Jools Holland performances, or to read around the music style. Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three are playing at the Blue Lamp on Thursday 22nd March; a perfectly suited venue with its cabaret style seating and whisky bottle candle holders. This is a band destined for bigger accreditation and with their growing fan base, it would be wise to see them now. One of the marvels and one of the sorrows of modern life in Britain is the homogeneity of our culture. Since the industrial revolution and the shift to urban lifestyles and centralised power that went with it, an unknown quantity of traditions and lifestyles have been lost, never to be recovered. Steven Anderson’s two-part project Your Leaning Neck is an attempt to represent and express this loss of culture and to celebrate both traditional and contemporary singers and artists who aim to continue the oral traditions of Scotland which have become increasingly marginalised. The ongoing exhibition at Peacock Visual Arts chronicles the first performance of the work at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, capturing two perspectives of the singers’ performance and presented in silence. Whilst the original performance was conceived as challenging the static institutionalisation of the Enlightenment and Scottish identity in the gallery, we see the excellently bearded Arthur Watson bellowing at a portrait of what might be King George II, here the singers have lost their voice and become in Anderson’s words “only a document.” On the night however, Anderson was clearly keen to move on to the second part of the evening; a special live re-contextualisation of the performances in neighbouring St. Andrew’s Cathedral. The contemporary artist Ruth Barker opened proceedings, wrapped in an ornate and chaotic dress which reminded me of the velvety fabrics used as backgrounds in classical portraits. She sang in a controlled, almost plainsong style, from the perspective of a forgotten Mother Earth character finding herself in modern Britain. She sounded both all-knowing yet lost, which particularly struck me singing in a cathedral on a Friday night in Aberdeen city centre. Arthur Watson followed, first popping his head round a pillar when a phone went off, then setting into his triptych of northeastern ballads from behind the seated audience at the back of the church. I must admit that most of what was sung my English ears couldn’t catch, but I nevertheless heard a sense of place in his voice and melodies that Ruth Barker’s goddess had clearly lost. Then from amongst the audience dotted around the pews, Elizabeth Stewart began her mournful traditional folk ballads. I was quite taken aback by the quiet emotionality in her performance and in the stillness of the cathedral, her voice and songs sounded ancient. Elizabeth has said she feels “within the song” when she sings and with the audience sat around her the old communal function of the songs seemed alive. The only group performance of the evening, the project of Hanna Tuulikki, followed with a modern, abstract interpretation of the use of the sounds of natural phenomena in Scottish folk songs. Focussing mainly on birdsong, the three singers sang delicately intertwined birdsongs and calm, clear tones which bounced beautifully around the space, and finally slowly drawing themselves apart, stretched the sound until it was lost. Finally, we were treated to a performance by Sheila Stewart, a huge figure in traditional Scottish music. The most direct performance of the night, Sheila sat right in front of her audience and encouraged our participation and engaged with us; she wanted to tell us stories and she wanted to tell them to our faces. She gripped her seat as she sang of horny nobleman and cunning maids and ended the night on a touching note as she cajoled us to join her in singing the folk standard “Health to the Company”. It was a cheerful, refreshingly human and social way to end. The video exhibition continues until 10th March, but it’s a shame that this performance is the only one planned to accompany it. As a way of setting a different, perhaps more reflective context in which to listen to the singers, the video worked nicely to encourage thinking about the past and lost ways of life. The second best option? See the video, read the informative leaflet and track down the singers yourself. It’ll be worth it. Your Leaning Neck - totally worth it Steven Anderson encourages us all to visit the latest installment at the Peacock Arts Centre Performance image/ Ruth Barker Photography/ Clyde Jones Pokey LaFarge’s energy brings back style to dull music scene Fiona Lawson takes a look at Missouri band, Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three, attempting to bring blues back The notion of using music to comfort you when you’re sad, or as an outlet for your anger is well known to anyone who has been a teenager. The satisfaction of closing your door and blasting AC/ DC’s “Highway to Hell” or “Rent” from the musical (depending on what you’re into - I alternate) is second to none when angry at someone or the world in general. And when the world turns all grey and gloomy and everyone seems to be against you, you can disap- pear for a moment into the sadness while listening to Sinatra’s “My Way” or ABBA’s “Our Last Sum- mer”. We’re always told to confront our feelings, told that hiding them away creates problems in the long run, supressed anger will lead to violence and mental illness etc. so surely using music as an outlet and as a way to let out sadness should be applauded by those in the know? And despite this the act of slamming a door and blasting music is deemed as pubescent behaviour and labelled as puerile and something that adults don’t do. I wonder if the situation would be different if we started blasting out Mozart or Beethoven? Imagine the scenario: you have a falling out with your friend/get an unacceptable mark on an essay. You utter a few strong words, reach for the gramophone and let the power of Mozart’s Requiem wash over you. I find it hard to imagine any mother walking in to tell you off for that (although I’m sure there are instances of that happening - the world is varied enough). How- ever absurd the thought of blasting Mozart when angry may sound to some, I’m very much up for trying it! So how about visual outlets? Apart from the group of lucky peo- ple who are good enough at draw- ing/doodling to use it as an outlet for sadness and anger, I haven’t heard of many people looking at art when they’re upset. This is something you tend to read about in Victorian novels and Hol- lywood films, where the heroine or hero, after having received bad news or found out a sad secret, will wander into an art gallery or muse- um, contemplating their life in the light of some Romantic painting or an antique sculpture. It seems that museum visits, as an emotional response, are for the contempla- tive moment, and are more often the result of coincidence (you happen to be next to a gallery) than a planned action, like turning music on and upping the volume. Hence, I would put the lack of sad and angry people in art galleries down to the incredible effectiveness of music to “get in there”, to elicit an immediate emotional response in a way visual imagery cannot (it is easy to close one’s eyes and lose the image, not so easy to close ones ears. Try it sometime, you will find that hands are no good…). While I still find that music is my number one go-to aspect of the arts when it comes to letting out anger or finding comfort when the world is cold and hostile, I am now intrigued by how I would respond if placed in an art gallery when sad. If only the Aberdeen Art Gallery was closer to home – as it is now I would probably have calmed down by the time I got there… Exhibition Your Leaning Neck Song As A Portrait Peacock Visual Arts 18th February - 10th March Comfort in the Arts: each their own way Fanny Johansson discusses the notion of using art for comfort [email protected] 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 17 Arts

I just want to carry the bin outside into the yard, but downstairs, still carrying the bin bag with me, I notice that this night, it smells like spring, is so beautiful that I decide to go out on the streets.* David Wagner, Welche Farbe hat Berlin “This is the opener of the book, Welche Farbe hat Berlin (What colour is Berlin)*, and it kind of sets the theme of the book. It’s what I like to call ‘Geh-Sucht’, an addiction of walking around and moving,” David Wagner says. And then I wonder what you see, when you walk through Berlin. I try to remember the streets of Berlin that I know. They are full of history, colour, culture, art and life. Ancient buildings like the Reichstag survived many regimes, years and wars. There are walls which used to separate people and are now are a piece of the past. There are streets, some colourful and bright, some a bit dingy and shabby. Others have become so famous that you just have to say their name and anybody will know which city you are talking of; and then there are people who witnessed all of this happening. David is one of those who saw history in the making. “When you are living in the time and place where history is happening, you don’t really notice it; only when you are away you suddenly see the things that have happened.” David Wagner, a Germanspeaking and -writing author, has been living in Berlin for 20 years. It is not only the place where he lives, but also the source for his newest book, Welche Farbe hat Berlin - a collection of observations, opinions and thoughts on the Berlin of our time. He came to the capital when the wall had been down for two years. The revolution had just ended, freedom had just begun and changes took place all over Germany. “I was 20 when I came to Berlin to study; in a way I’ve witnessed all these changes in the city and I’ve seen it evolve from two strictly divided parts into a completely new Berlin.” His debut novel, Meine Nachtblaue Hose, was published in 2000. “It is a book about the upcoming j o i n t Germany and the Berlin of the early 9 0 s - old houses, ruins, no telephones in the houses, no bathrooms or real heating.” I asked him how he became a writer. He sighs: “Well, I kind of slid into it. I started writing during my studies and published little stories and pieces for feuilleton pages in newspapers or literary magazines. I began writing Meine Nachtblaue Hose during my time at university. And when my studies came to an end and I had to write my dissertation, I somehow found myself writing my book instead of my dissertation and in the end the book was the only thing that was being finished. After uni I was hired by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)*. They had a Berlin supplement, because twelve years ago there was a huge Berlin hype in Germany; the new government was moving there, it became our capital and the FAZ had a Berlin section to try to describe, understand and depict this new Berlin. And this kind of led to my second book, In Berlin, which was a collection of the articles I wrote for the FAZ – Berlin in the ’90s, Berlin in change. And now, ten years later, my publisher wanted to re-publish in Berlin in a new edition. But I thought that, because Berlin has changed so much, the old book couldn’t do justice to the new Berlin and that’s how the idea for Welche Farbe hat Berlin emerged.” We spend quite some time talking about Berlin. It is a nice place to be, I admit “and a cheap one,” David adds. “That’s why you also find plenty of crappy art in Berlin, because people can afford to not sell their stuff and still make a living.” He is right, but his art, his books are of the good kind. They are enjoyable to read. It is pleasant to talk to David. He is easygoing and funny. He l o o k s like the typical person living in Berlin – hip and chic, but still easy and fun. You don’t see the forty years in his face, but you hear the forty years of experience in what he says and writes. Vier Äpfel, one of his other books and probably the best known in Germany, is a considerate and partly philosophical book. This novel is entirely set in a supermarket; it is an astonishingly deep and thoughtful examination of the society and age we live in. When I asked him what inspired this simple setting he said: “there is a very common, but as I think, poetical word for it in German: ‘Alltag’ (the everyday life)*. It is the everyday/ c o m m o n d a y , but also all the day, where everything and all you do is included. And going to the supermarket is a very common thing to do, but I like finding something special about things that are unnoticed,” like the gumball machines in Berlin. The big boxes were screwed on walls of buildings in the seventies: you put in ten Pfennig, turn the knob and out comes a big colourful gumball. “I like taking pictures of these machines; they seem to look sad and neglected.” It’s banal things he notices and gets behind and examines. In a city as big and colourful as Berlin you don’t notice many things, like, for example, the U-Bahn vending machines which also sell books now: if you’re waiting for the train, get a bit of culture instead of a bit of chocolate. This is just so Berlin, I think, culture in a vending machine, ready for you when you are. By the end of our conversation I only have one thought: I would love to go to Alexanderplatz now, have a cup of coffee and see how Berlin lives its day. It’s memories that connect you to something. To David, Berlin is full of memories and inspirations. It’s the place where he lives, the source of his income and his home. Talking to him made me realise two things: firstly – I miss home, I miss Berlin and secondly – I need to read more of him. * T r a n s l a t i o n s and in-brackets notes have been made by Maria Suessmilch A gumball machine Photo/ David Wagner - Welche Farbe hat Berlin Arts 18 The Gaudie 13 March 2012 [email protected] Interview with David Wagner Maria Suessmilch met the German author and asked him about his life, his work, and Berlin Photo/ Claire Wheelans Editing/ Maria Suessmilch

Photo/ Neil Hamilton Photo/ Neil Hamilton [email protected] 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 19 Arts What colour is Berlin? Photo/ Maria Suessmilch Photo/ David Wagner - Welche Farbe hat Berlin Photo/ David Wagner - Welche Farbe hat Photo/ David Wagner - Welche Farbe hat Photo/ Claire Wheelans Photo/ Neil Hamilton Photo/ Christina Mausolf Photo/ Maria Suessmilch

By Jo Lovatt It is easy to become enamoured by the female singer in any rock band – true, Band of Skulls’ haunting harmonies makes their sound distinct from any number of similar bands. Yet, it was Russell Marsden, singer/guitarist that really impressed; an enthusiastic musician, passionately engaging with the audience, and cycling through no less than four different guitars. Skulls’ drawn out vocals, long hair, wild beards (on the men!) lends the band to be compared to an early Kings of Leon. Homage or not, they pulled it off. Skulls opened with the title track from their new album, “Sweet Sour”, though they remained faithful to Baby Doll Doll Face Honey (2009) throughout the set. Playing all the old favourites- a dreamy rendition of “Fire” was infinitely more soulful on stage than on disc, and a number of new ones (“Lies” was especially good). I can’t decide if Sweet Sour is better than the Skull’s debut. It’s more catchy, but also less distinctive. The sound is softer, sexier, and more consistent, but the tracks of Baby Doll play- or were played- better live. The Lemon Tree provided friendly, but over-active security. A belated decision to confiscate my friends camera (in her words, “it’s not even an SLR!”), and making toilet-goers leave their drinks behind, were minor annoyances. The bar had quick and efficient service, drinks were decently priced, the crowd was animated, and there was no pulsing, sweaty crush – after all, it’s always pleasant if, by the end of the night, your makeup hasn’t melted off your face. It’s a shame that Band of Skulls haven’t received more UK coverage, but ticket prices reflected their recent US success at a steep £15. This must explain why the gig didn’t sell out, because I can’t think of any other reason not see this band. By Stanislav Benes The newest offering from Sunderland indie/art-rockers Field Music is eclectic, to say the very least. Featuring a mixture of sounds, styles and time signatures, packaged into short and often non sequitur-esque pieces, there seems to be a lot that could go wrong. The reassuring thing is that it doesn’t. On the first listen, the sounds can get a bit overwhelming or annoyingly fragmented, but things soon fall into place. At times the album slips into an almost Abbey Road feel, which is not at all a bad thing. The McCartney side of the Beatles is perhaps most evident on the tracks “Sorry Again, Mate” and “So Long Then”, exhibiting an estranged yet homey aura of everyday life from a lonesome lens. The number of such musical comparisons is as numerous as the number of shifts in pace and atmosphere present in the fifteensong spread. Despite that, the album never sounds derivative. Perhaps the weakest link in the catalogue is the short a cappella track “How Many More Times?”. Without any instrumental backing, the borderline cliché lyrics seem misplaced and vapid. But such weak spots are very few and far between, with the rest of the album providing much to hold on to. Arts 20 The Gaudie 15th September 2011 [email protected] By Louise Clark Indie group The Shins return with their highly anticipated new album Port of Morrow, the band’s first album since 2007’s Grammy nominated Wincing the Night Away. The band have changed considerably since their last album, with lead singer and songwriter James Mercer the only remaining original member, and their switch to his own record label, Aural Apothecary, means that this album will inevitably take a step away from classic Shins tracks. However, their songs still carry all the band’s unique trademarks which the fans know and love; they’re still the band that had Zach Braff swooning, way back when. This album has higher production values than much of The Shins earlier work, resulting in a more polished sound which should appeal to the masses, yet fortunately preserves the band’s charm and avoids being over produced. This album is incredibly easy to listen to; it’s breezy and fun and has a timeless quality so many artists today are lacking. Port of Morrow is mostly composed of dreamy lyrics and layered guitars, completed with Mercer’s distinct vocals and careful piano melodies. The album opens strongly with “The Rifle’s Spiral” and “Simple Song”, the album’s first single, both of which have been released online already. “Simple Song” is the most radio friendly track on the album, proven by its extensive airtime on BBC Radio 2. It’s got all the trademarks of The Shins and its catchy melody make it difficult to forget. “No Way Down” was a personal favourite after only one listen, the cheerful tempo and clever lyrics make it a fun and enjoyable track. The album closes with title track “Port of Morrow” in which Mercer sings in full falsetto, creating a slightly eerie and ethereal track which ties the album together nicely. This is The Shins revamped; they’re bigger, they’re catchier and they’re more accessible, without losing any of their appeal. If you didn’t think much of The Shins before, this album may not change your mind about them, but if you’ve liked even one song of theirs I urge you to give this album a listen. You won’t be disappointed. Music Single Field Music Plumb Aural Apothecary, Columbia Records Album The Ting Tings Sounds for Nowheresville Columbia Records By Alicia Ramsay The last time I saw Marionettes play was at a rather surreal charity gig in the Butchart exam hallcome-café. Whilst not only providing a soundtrack to the tango dance class during sound check (most likely unwanted, judging by uncoordinated dancing and angry faces) the band proved that they could still play their thrashing, punk tinged, pop songs just as well in a brightly lit, sparsely attended hall than they would at any other gig. Despite not having their usual packed out audience, dimmed lights or alcoholic beverages, Marionettes joyfully and fervently raced through their new material with the often strange and amusing chat typical of front-man Paddy, intermitted between songs. Marionettes’ music takes the best of the indie genre - intricate guitar riffs, layers of distortion, a sing-along chorus - and still manages to do something original with it all. Aside from the wry lyricism and melodic indie-rock songs, what seems most appealing about this band is their complete lack of pre- tension; there is simply a genuine sense of fun about their music and performances. They will be playing the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on the 13th April to celebrate the launch of their new E.P. You can purchase tickets - only £6! - on the Aberdeen box office website. Gig Bank of Skulls The Lemon Tree 22nd February 2012 Gig Marionettes Alfie’s Cafe, Butchart 1 March 2012 Album The Shins Port of Morrow Aural Apothecary, Columbia Records By Maria Suessmilch Gone are the days where the Ting Tings would make pleasant happy, mood music. The Manchester duo have adopted a rather more angst driven sound for their follow up to their wildly successful 2008 debut, We Started Nothing. Although it is said that one should never judge a book by its cover, to judge Sounds from the Nowheresville from its cover art would, in this case be all too apt. Although the band has, as the cover depicts, stripped back their sound to its bare bones, favouring Katie White’s punchy vocals paired with percussion, the departure from their fun, shout-along style has left their follow up feeling all-together more sombre. The 80’s influence is still present, along with their liberal use of hooks and samples – we’re just not dancing. One song in particular, “Soul Killing” – well, it kind of seems to be the theme of the record. As a huge fan of the Ting Tings’s previous work, I can’t help but feel all together disappointed that this record does not grab me the same way their debut did. It is a mixture of crazy sounds like bell’s ringing in “Silence”, girl band-ish melodies in “Day to Day” and loud hip-hopish rap in “Hang It Up”. The press release says they wanted to make tracks that sound different to the ones before, have musical freedom and no boundaries – yet this lack of boundaries seems to have made their existing fans feel slightly alienated by their new direction. I seriously don’t know what to make of it, but it’s certainly off my iPod tomorrow. By Lyndsey Dillon There is only one way to describe Dirty Dancing: The Musical: Amazing! The show was a composite of songs and dancing from the original film. However, it is safe to say that the dancing was what stood out. The dancers were brilliant, and at all times the stage was packed with action to the extent that choosing where to look was difficult. The finale was particularly impressive, with the stage full of dancers effortlessly performing ambitious lifts and moves. What is more, the character development was perfectly portrayed. You couldn’t ignore the chemistry between Johnny and Baby. Johnny was definitely a hit with the predominantly female audience: every time his shirt came off, screams and whoops deafened us all. Sighs of disappointment could usually be heard in the rowdy audience when he put it back on. The live band were unbelievably good, and it is safe to say that they made the show. You cannot however ignore the comic anecdotes, coming in particular from Baby’s sister, who was brilliantly performed. The final scene of the musical was awaited expectantly: how would the iconic Dirty Dancing lift be performed? Brilliantly of course! When the famous line “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” was delivered, the audience went wild. Conclusion? Definitely one of the best shows I have ever seen. Musical Dirty Dancing HMT Thursday 8th March

Accounting and Finance Architecture and the Built Environment Business Management Computing Communication, Marketing and Media Corporate Social Responsibility Engineering Fashion Management Health Sciences ABOUT TO GRADUATE? WHY NOT DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR? “A degree from Robert Gordon University is as near to a guarantee of a job as you can get” The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 MY TIME MY CAREER MY FUTURE WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? WWW.RGU.ac.uk/myfuture T: 01224 262203 E: [email protected] START DATES IN SEPTEMBER AND JANUARY STUDY FULL TIME, PART TIME OR ONLINE STUDY LIKE CRAZySIT FINAL EXAMS ATTEND GRADUATION GO CELEBRATE CONSIDER MY FUTURE APPLY FOR MASTERS IMPROVE EMPLOYABILITY PROGRESS CAREER A CLEAR FUTURE Journalism Library and Information Management Law MBA/MBA Oil and Gas/MBA Information Management Nursing Offshore Renewables Pharmacy Research Institutes Social Work Surveying

Listings Editor: Maria Suessmilch [email protected] 22 The Gaudie 13th March 2012 Cinema Vue Aberdeen The Muppets 1h 38min Comedy 16:00 The Woman In Black 1h 35min Drama 12:15; 14:30; 16:30; 18:45; 20:45 The best exotic Marigold Hotel 1h 58min Comedy 11:30; 14:15; 16:45; 19:30 This Means War 2h Action 11:15; 13:30; 15:45; 18:00; 20:15; 22:15 John Carter 3D 2h 19min Action 11:45; 14:30; 17:15; 20:00; 22:45 Safe House 1h 57min Action 12:45; 15:15; 17:45; 20:15; 22:45 The Raven 1h 43min Suspense 12:30; 15:00; 17:15; 19:45; 22:00 Societies Your Weekly Radio Guide Monday 11am - Folklore 1pm – Happy slapped by a jel- lyfish 2pm - Save It For the Radio 3pm - Happy Times 4pm - Around the world with Rachel 5pm - Tell You What 6pm - The Lead Belly 7pm - Happy Hour 8pm - La Voz Tuesday 11-12am - Mixtape 1pm - The Jazz Show 2pm - Goo man and friend 3-4pm - Comedy Society 5pm - Audio Rehab 6pm - The six o’clock Show 7-8pm - AUEM Wednesday 10-11am - Going Underground 12am-1pm - Chill Out Zone 3pm - Walk on the Wild Side 4pm - The Young Folk 6pm - This Is It 7-8pm - Feel Sorry For The Fanatic Thursday 10am - On This Day 11pm - The Dungans of Rap 1pm - Roll away your stone 2-3pm - State of the Art 4-5pm - Time for Thomas 6 pm - Ardvark Canal Rescue Radio Team 7pm - V for Veronika Friday 10am - That Friday Feeling 11am - Two Peas in a Pod 2pm - Evolution 3-4pm - Club Sounds 5-6pm - MJ Show 7-8pm - Ready for the Weekend Looking for... This is going to be a whole new section in Listings. We want to offer students a place where they can advertise for study groups, theatre groups, music bands, book clubs, foreign language teachers, flat- mates and many more. If you are interested in sending us your ad, then email: gaudie.listings@abdn. ac.uk. Your ad request should in- clude a contact name, a contact email address (we will not include phone numbers) and who you are looking for. Please note that we cannot print ads longer than 40 words. And also - we’re not a dating site, so no “She is looking for him” etc. ads! New space for student ads! AUSA Fashion Society Clothes, Cupcakes and Cocktails The Tunnels 14 March 6pm Price: £3, £2 for members We have so much junk in our trunks (wardrobes) that we can’t bear to throw out but we never wear either. The solution: a clothes swap! Come down with your unloved clothes and accessories and trade them for someone else’s unloved things. Live music, vintage sale, and competitions, with ace prizes in store! This is an event not to be missed! All proceeds go towards our Charity Fashion Show later on this Spring! Politics & IR Society Tea, Coffee and Foreign Aid Bookends 14 March 6pm Price: Free Entry We will be having a group discus- sion with a moderator on Foreign Aid. The event will begin with a short ten minute film which will kick off the discussion about the pros and cons of foreign aid, chari- ties and their implications on de- veloping states. We will be provid- ing tea, coffee and light snacks. History of Art Society Pub Quiz The Bobbin 16 March 7pm Price: £1 Come and join us in the Bobbin for some pub quiz fun! There are lots of prizes to win, among others a free ticket to our end of year ball! Bring your mates and have a good time! Philosopy Society & more Justice and Human Rights Week 19- 23 March Every year, the Philosophy Society run a series of events over one week on a particular theme. This year, we will be looking at justice and human rights, and will be hosting a variety of events with Debater, Amnesty, and the Law and Philosophy departments. www.philsoc.webs.com 19 March, time and location see website Film showing of You don’t like the truth: Four Days Inside Guantanamo 20 March, 7pm, location see website Talk from Dr. Nate Jezzi (Philosophy department) “Justics as Fairness” 21 March, 7:30pm, The Blue Lamp Pub discussion night “Do We Need Rights?” 22 March, 7pm, New King’s 14 Debate “This House Would Require Expert Juries” with Debater 23 March, 5:30pm, The Blue Lamp Panel Discussion: “How Should Society Punish?”, featuring aca- demics from Philosophy and Law departments (and others) AUSA Welfare Breaking the Silence Parade St Nicholas Kirk (Union Street) 17 March 1pm Price: Free Come and march with us through the streets of Aberdeen, breaking the silence of the city and encouraging people to talk about their mental health issues and tackling the stigma associated with mental health. The parade will be carnival themed with dancers and drummers, whether you turn up dressed up or not we’d welcome everyone! For more information visit www. ausa.org.uk/mentalhealth AUSA Carnival Fun-Fayre Alfie’s 20 March 11am - 2pm Price: Free This event will have funfair themed stalls to give you a chance to get away from your studies and take some time for yourself – whilst also learning some facts about mental health. There’s also a chance for you to enter our free raffle! AUSA Executive Committee Nominations Close 21 March 12noon This is your last chance to get your signatures together and run to be on AUSA’s Executive Commit- tee for 2012/13. There are six full time positions where you can take a year out of your studies or do it at the end of your degree: Student President, President for Education and Employability; President for Societies and Student Activities; President for Charities; President for Welfare and Equal Opportu- nities; President for Sport. If you don’t fancy taking a year out there are also seven volunteer roles that you can do alongside your studies – Vice President Equal Opportuni- ties; Vice President Education; Vice President Societies; Foresterhill Convenor; Environment and Eth- ics Officer; Vice President Charities; Sports Union Treasurer. For more information visit www.ausa. org.uk/elections or pick up a form from Butchart Centre today! University of Aberdeen Music Symphony Orchestra & Choral Society Music Hall 18 March 7:30pm Price:£2 students, £8 The Symphony Orchestra and Choral Society combine forces once more for a programme of music for Spring. Jillian Bain Christie, will perform five songs from Chants D’Auvergne by Canteloube, and bass soloist Colin Brockie joins acclaimed soprano Gillian Jack in Howard Goodall’s beautiful 2008 RequiemEternal Light. Centre Stage The Taming of the Shrew Arts Lecture Theatre 19 March & 21 March 6:30pm Price:£4 students, £5 In this Shakespearean screwball comedy, two wealthy sisters in Padua must be married off. The demure Bianca has no shortage of suitors, but who on earth will take the wild and shrewish Katherina? Only the gold-digging Petruchio, a man as maddeningly strong-willed and perverse as Katherina herself, is equal to the task of bullying her to the altar. Performing Arts The Pillow Man The Lemon Tree 29-31 March 6:30pm Price: £6 + bf Martin McDonagh’s critically ac- claimed black comedy depicts a writer in a totalitarian state, who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of child murders that are happening in his town. Centre Stage Monday Workshop Arts Lecture Theatre 17 March Price: Free Entry The awkward moments – Techniques for avoiding a scarlet face on stage when presented with a monologue of undying love for the actor/actress you secretly really fancy in real life ( or not). Or when required to pucker up or mount a fellow thespian. Aberdeen Students Charity Campaign RAG Week Sign Up Sign up for the ASCC RAG (Raising and Giving) Week which is taking place between 23 – 29 March. 15 March at Fosterhill 16 & 19 March in the Hub and at Hillhead 20 March at ASV RAG week aims to encourage students to fundraise for charity actively for one week. Fundrais- ing teams should be made up of at least five people, £2 per person to enter. All proceeds go to charities in and around Aberdeen. Debater Society Earl Marischal Debate on Scottish Independence Old Senate Room, Campus 16 March 6:30pm Price: Free Entry Debater invites politicians to come and debate against students. In Proposition: Kevin Stewart MSP - Member for Aberdeen Central - SNP Maureen Watt MSP - Member for Aberdeen South & North Kincardine - SNP Mark McDonald MSP - Member for North East Scotland - SNP In Opposition: Alex Johnstone MSP - Member for North East Scotland - Scottish Conservatives Richard Baker MSP - Member for North East Scotland - Scottish Labour Lewis Macdonald MSP - Member for North East Scotland - Scottish Labour Following the debate there will be a wine reception, and following the Q&A there will be a longer opportunity for visitors to enjoy the food and drink provided. University of Aberdeen Music Concert King’s College Chapel 15 March 7:30pm Price: £5, £2 students Andrew McNeill Baritone Lara McGrath Soprano Roger B. Williams Piano

@BeckAdlington – calls celebrates securing her place in London next summer. “Oh my god I’m going to the Olympics!!! Eek!!! Sooooo happy and relieved!” @Sammy_Ameobi – shows that it’s not only footballers who struggle with the gym. “Can’t believe I managed to get a stitch while walking on a treadmill this morning...sooo unfit!!!” @Wayne Rooney – can only applaud Lionel Messi. “Messi is a joke. For me the best ever.” @MarkCavendish – suffers in his hotel. “Always happy when a hotel has blackout blinds. Except for when a light in the room never QUITE goes out, just glows dimly. #awake #grumpy” @BeckyWainLH – pulls an all nighter. “Finally got to bed at5am, thankfully a class was cancelled this morn so got to sleep till 12. Swimming now,session 1 of todays 4 #bringiton” @andy_murray – can’t escape the Scots. “On way into the courts and all traffic has been stopped as there are men playing the bagpipes with american flags on top of them.... Weird” Sport [email protected] 24 The Gaudie Editor: Ryan Ross 13 March 2012 The week in tweets Rory McIlroy Takes On Maria Sharapova http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gTGOOB0z_- Q&feature=b-mv Video of the Week Aberdeen 1st team cleaned away by Bath, pulling the plug on chance of cup Duncan Clow retells Aberdeen defeat againt a “physical outfit” After successfully beating Loughborough Uni 1st XV 33- 26, Aberdeen were through to the quarter finals of the BUCS Cup and were drawn against Bath Uni 1st XV. As the game was an away fixture it would mean a long trip down. However, flights were arranged courtesy of Aberdeen University to get them there and back on the day - as long as everyone turned up to the airport on time. It was clear right from the kickoff that Bath were a physical outfit, as Stew Shaw collected the ball, along with a thumping tackle as his reward. With a slope and slight wind in Aberdeen’s favour, it was hoped to kick for territory into Bath’s half, but their back three were sharp and often used the quick lineout option to regain ground. Contrary to the belief that Bath would play a tight game around the ruck, their forwards instead often ran angles off the fly half and centres, which is how they scored their first try with a neat offload putting their second row and captain through. Two more tries were lost after the ball was spun wide following extended pressure from Bath. Aberdeen were not lying down though, and Wardlaw made a half break from his own twenty-two but unfortunately slipped in the process and the chance was gone. Soon, after trucking the ball up, Bath infringed at the side of a ruck and a penalty was won which Graeme Clow slotted easily from the ten metre mark. This inspired Aberdeen further and minutes later, as their scrum half tried to box kick, Ranald Henderson threw his body at the ball and charged the kick down which he then managed to collect and score in the corner. The conversion unluckily hit the post, though Clow was spot on with his next kick, as was his opposite number, and so at half time it was 27-11 to Bath. The second half saw a continued determination from Aberdeen and perhaps they realised they had shown their counterparts too much respect up until this point. A number of line breaks were made by Oag and Grant, but when the support wasn’t there Bath were clinical in turning the ball over. This is how they scored tries five and six, with their hooker and their full back both crossing the line. Much of this half was spent in Bath’s half which is a testament to Aberdeen’s tenacity. Even though most of the opposition were in the Bath RFC Academy system, Aberdeen’s fitness was surprisingly close to matching theirs. Their coach too was impressed at how Aberdeen battled on, and no player did this more so than Fraser Lyle who had a number of barnstorming runs as well as putting in some huge hits. The front row held their own too, which was essential in giving Aberdeen good clean balls. Late in the game, Aberdeen were stuck five metres from the Bath try line and were looking to score. Jamie Lauder’s unfailing ability to score in this area unfortunately left him at the crucial moment. Disappointingly, during this time, Jamie Chalmers injured his neck and it looks likely that this match has brought an early end to his season. The final score of 51-11 may look like a walkover, but this result did not reflect the tightly fought game, and it was a spectacle to watch. This was achieved with the comparatively limited training facilities and time available to use them, so it is left to wonder what could have been achieved if Aberdeen had the same setup as Bath. On a positive note, Aberdeen 2nd XV and 3rd XV have both won their leagues with the 2nd XV in the semifinals of the Scottish Conference Cup where they are due to play Strathclyde 1st XV. Aberdeen Uni 1st XV Bath Uni 1st XV 51 11 Bath University Wednesday 16th November All Photos/ “Paradise, Passion, Party”

By Adam Downie With the season nearly over and the Granite City Chal- lenge less than a week away, Wednesday was another successful day for Aberdeen Uni- versity on the sports field with cru- cial wins both in the league, cup and plate competitions. The netball firsts comprehensively disposed of close rivals Heriot Watt by beating them 52-32 in the ASV. The victory shows the great improvement in the team as the reverse fixture was won by Aberdeen with a margin of just two points. The victory was particularly enjoy- able for Aberdeen Captain Franc- esca Lamb as her sister was playing on the Heriot Watt team. The basketball women’s first team secured their place in the Scottish Conference Cup finals on the 21st March by putting away Edinburgh seconds 56-35. Having already wrapped up their league, the girls are now looking forward to competing for a league and cup double in a fortnight. Also in the knockout competition, the football men’s thirds won the closest match of the day as they beat Glasgow Caledonian seconds on penalties after a 2-2 draw. The victory put them into the Plate final in a fortnight and still with the possibility of getting double suc- cess in league and Plate. In their last game of the season the women’s lacrosse first demol- ished their Stirling opponents with a 20-2 victory in the Aberdeen spring sun. Their club has grown dramatically in size over the past two years and this is a great indication of what is to come. Aberdeen’s President for Sport said, “the success enjoyed in such a variety of sports shows both the depth and breadth of talent at the university.” He added, “This has been another very successful week for university sport and we’re delighted to see such convincing victories, even at such a late stage in the season.” These successes come at the start of a busy week for university sport, with the annual Aberdeen Asset Management Universities’ Boat Race on Saturday, followed on the Sunday by our famous Superteams event on King’s pitches. Next Wednesday is the Granite City Challenge with around 30 teams competing against RGU, and to- day’s victories will be a great boost ahead of that. Write for Sports! [email protected] [email protected] 13 March 2012 The Gaudie 23 Sports University of Aberdeen: Success across the board Aberdeen University’s Men’s fourths took on the University of the West of Scotland’s firsts last week, fresh from a defeat to Stirling. Aberdeen went into the contest knowing that only victory over their closest rivals would ensure their ascent in the BUCS rankings. The team’s efforts paid off, thanks to a combination of strong defensive play, fierce counter-attacks and sheer determination. The Paisley pitch was in poor condition, hindering both team’s play. The opening twenty minutes were characterised by sloppy passes and multiple throw-ins as both sides struggled to get accustomed to the boggy conditions. The large amount of possession enjoyed by Aberdeen afforded them two great opportunities in the first half, with Thomas Tucker’s shot and Sam Horsfield’s acrobatic header only just being denied by UWS’ increasingly overworked goalkeeper. On thirty minutes, Fraser Maltman was injured and had to be substituted due to an inflammation of a previous Achilles injury. Max Williams, on loan from the Aberdeen seconds, took on the role of midfield playmaker with aplomb, instantly making his presence felt. By pushing the ball out to the wings, Aberdeen were subjected to many rash tackles by UWS defenders frustrated from a lack of possession. Rapid passing and positioning were the key elements that Aberdeen had developed in preparation for the game, and the second half presented many opportunities to put that work into practice. As play began to progress deeper into the opposition’s half, striker Gordon Connelly coolly slotted home an excellent lofted ball delivered to him by rightwinger Dan Kallos in the sixtieth minute. Aberdeen led 1-0. The demoralising effects of the goal presented a great opportunity to bring on Adam McLardy - making his team debut - and Elliot Hoare in place of McConway and Tucker. A gentle reshuffling of the midfield paid dividends for the defence, as Andrew Morris helped to shore up the gap between the left-sided Kennouche and centreback Galbraith. Reorganised and motivated by the goal, Aberdeen surged forward with vigour. Time and time again, the UWS defence was split by Aberdeen’s passing play. At seventy minutes, the home team’s frustration became too much; a hasty challenge by a UWS winger drew the first yellow card of an otherwise disciplined game. Despite this setback, UWS continually turned the screw on the opposing side and challenged for the ball. Aberdeen, however, held the momentum. By bolting from his left-back position, Kennouche fired an accurate ball through to McLardy, who in turn sought out Hoare. The resultant shot bounced out of the reach of the UWS keeper and was sidefooted by Connelly, who was rewarded with an open net for his second goal of the match. Aberdeen now found themselves 2-0 up. Aberdeen took the tempo out of the game and retained possession. However, Aberdeen’s dominance was momentarily thwarted after a blunder by Lewis McArthur allowed a UWS defender to cannonball a shot into the roof of the net. UWS 1-2 Aberdeen. Despite this blip, the one-goal cushion was enough for Aberdeen to record their first victory of the season. Kallos commended the team for their efforts after the game, stating: “they did well to grind out a good result despite the awful state of the pitch.” Lessons learned from the Stirling game were demonstrated against UWS, and it is hoped that the fourths will be able to carry this form into the remaining three fixtures of the season. Aberdeen storm to decisive victory Sofiane Kennouche contends that 2-1 Scoreline makes 2012 a leap year worth waiting for Photo/ Sofiane Kennouche Aberdeen student, Evangeline Stevenson, is undertaking a Swimathon challenge to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Evie is in her third year of studies and works on a parttime basis for the university as a swim instructor. Evie is aiming to swim five kilometres at the King’s Pavilion swimming pool, during April. She is also holding a charity collection event in Aberdeen city centre - also on 27th April - to raise funds. The Marie Curie Cancer Care Foundation was set up in 1948 to help provide support for families who have been affected by cancer.Now the Foundation has a nursing service to aid patients, in addition to nine hospices. They are also heavily involved in research to develop a further understanding of the disease and looking for a cure. You can support Evie by making a donation to the collection box at the King’s Pavillion. Evie is holding a bakesale on the 16th March in Burchart. 5km Swim for Charity Ryan Ross promotes a charity swimathon Photo/ Claire Wheelans Oarsome! The Boat race kicks off! By Jenny Elliott The two universities have made their final team selection for the annual race on the River Dee, which was won last year for the 14th time by Aberdeen University with a time of eight minutes and 22 seconds. The final teams were selected on 22nd February for the race held on 10th March. The rowers were selected by the team presidents by their performance in training and the preparation during the build up to race day. The entire day consisted of various rowing competitions with differing lengths and capabilities. The university teams battled it out by rowing 3.5km from the Bridge of Dee to Aberdeen Boat Club. The event was sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management, who also donate a substantial amount to fund both universities’ boat clubs. Hugh Little, Head of Acquisitions for Aberdeen Asset Management, says “Aberdeen Asset Management have sponsored the race for 12 consecutive years and each year we are impressed with the high calibre of athletes who compete in the race. Both teams are in excellent shape and have been training rigorously and braving the freezing elements this winter.” The day commenced with a “Media Rowing Battle” with both the Evening Express and Northsound competing. Northsound comfortably took the win but both teams enjoyed a companionable race. Aberdeen’s second boat swiftly took the lead in the second race of the day, winning by a good four lengths. The alumni competition saw RGU take a clear win. The day did not progress without controversy though as the Aberdeen alumni boat threw a “white flag” believing the RGU boat to not have adhered to clear water space rules. However, the boats continued nonetheless, and any controversy suggested was overruled as RGU were awarded the silverware for the race. With scores even, both universities’ first boats rowed back to the starting line. Support from both Aberdeen universities and Aberdeenshire residents filled both pedestrian bridges and the main bank of the river. As the boats came into view, it soon became clear that the RGU boat held a steady lead throughout the race and coasted to a win in the final stretch. Deputy Principal and Vice-Chancellor of RGU, Professor John Harper, emphasised his commendation for the RGU crew who succeeded in winning only their third boat race in over a decade. Professor Iain Diamond of Aberdeen University commended both teams’ rigorous training schedules and dedication, whilst encouraging supporters to recognise the skill of these athletes in maintaining both a sporting and an academic career. RGU Team: Ruth Wright, Lucy Bonnamy, Sarah Marshall, Gary Wilsom, Scott Purdie, Sophie White, Alastair Crawford, Richard Hills, Diane Tool (cox) AU Team: Katie McPherson, John McIntyre, Alex Wohling, Alex MacQueen, Calum Thirlwell, Ellie Wagstaff, Ingibjorg Thomsen, Jenny Allan, Naomi Patterson, Andrew McNeil (cox)