palatinate issue 742

JCR Presidents and Senior Fresh-ers’ Representatives have expressed their concerns over University inter-vention in Freshers’ Week.

Unlike previously, this year’s ‘In-duction Week’ spanned a full seven days before the start of term, with greater academic focus and depart-mental commitments for the new intake.

However, just weeks before the arrival of the freshers, the Univer-sity informed organisers that col-lege bars should not close later than 11pm from Sunday to Thursday. Whilst the move corresponded with a more scholarly freshers’ week, this imposition of policy shocked Senior Freshers’ Representatives who had already planned college events in the

JCR.When notified of the change,

Collingwood had invested four and a half thousand pounds in two college events, Josephine Butler had booked bands and rented equipment for their “Bar Blowouts”, and other col-leges had paid deposits amounting to thousands of pounds. College JCRs had been acting under the pretence that the bars would remain open late, as has been the norm in previ-ous freshers’ weeks.

Professor Adrian Darnell, Deputy Head of Colleges (Student Experi-ence) moderated his stance following discussion with College Principals, JCR Presidents and DSU President Archie Dallas. Yet college bars were still only permitted to operate after 11pm on two weekday evenings, and could only do so if granted permis-sion from the Principal.

The University claimed that the decision was in accordance with

“the Standard Operating Procedures of Bars” during normal term-time. However, University statutes state that bar opening times are at the dis-cretion of the college Principal and Bursar. The University also clearly stated it had changed its position “for this year” due to the “pre-existing irrevocable arrangements” which JCRs had made. This has prompted concerns about the future of Durham University’s freshers’ week.

Michael Galea, Trevelyan Senior Freshers’ Representative, fears JCRs will be unable to fight for later bar

opening times next year if the Uni-versity provides sufficient advance warning. He believes this will lead to “more students heading out to town and freshers’ week becoming less college orientated and more about clubbing.”

He suggests the “Facebook effect” and Durham’s late start to term con-tributes to this problem: “Incoming students will have had months of seeing photos on Facebook of their friends on alcohol fuelled parties in clubs. When they come to Durham they expect the same so naturally want to go out.”

In March, a student group headed by Scott Parker, former DSU Wel-fare and Education Officer, created the “Alcohol Paper”. The paper pro-posed a series of recommendations for induction week, which was later signed off as University policy.

PalatinateDurham’s student newspaper since 1948No. 742

www.palatinate.org.ukTuesday 16th October 2012FREE

Freshers’ week fallout Sally Wardle

continued on page 3

Durham’s Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking tells her winning storyPalatinate Sport, pages 18-19

The revised format of freshers’ week has divided opinion Photographs: Tom Metcalfe/Durham University/Samuel Spencer

Five Durham University students have been awarded the top prize in the 2012 Undergraduate Awards.Henrietta Bailey-King, Alexandra Mansell, Louise Sayers, Andrew Bar-ratt and Jonathan Penny all won their respective categories, fighting off competition from thousands of other entrants.

The Undergraduate Awards (UA) aim to identify and reward “innova-tive undergraduate research” from across the globe and was founded in 2008 by two Trinity College Dub-lin graduates. President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, is the most high-profile of the organisation’s patrons and will personally meet all the win-ners at a ceremony in November.

There were a total of 21 catego-ries with two winners selected from each. Durham University had the highest number of overall winners with a further seven Durham stu-dents “highly commended” by the judging panels.

Jonathan Penny was successful in the Modern Cultural Studies catego-ry. His essay “The Brain of Britten: Notational aspects of the ‘Serenade’” analyses the discrepancies between English composer Benjamin Brit-ten’s original work “The Serenade” and subsequent performances of the piece.

He spoke of his success: “I never dreamed of winning the category- especially as it included other dis-ciplines coming under the heading Modern Cultural Studies, rather than just music.”

All of the winners are invited to a ‘UA Summit’ which will include workshops and speakers over three days. Louise Hodgson, UA Pro-gramme Director, commented: “This conference will serve as a three-day pop-up incubation centre for some of the world’s most exceptional young minds.”

Student success at research awardsMatt Lee

Student representatives angry over enforced changes to induction week structure

“College is the safest place for students to be during the induction period”

The DSU ‘Alcohol Paper’

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Inside No.742

Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and retains full editorial independence from DSU and Durham University. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to [email protected]

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A University-student partnership should be equalFreshers of Durham, it is our pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the wonderful staff of this esteemed publication. Just in case the delightful chaos of the last couple of weeks hasn’t made you realise yet, you’re in for an awesome few years.

But what is this 36-page rag you’ve just picked up? Briefly, we are Palatinate, Durham’s student newspaper since 1948, and our aim is to bring you news, sport, comment and cultural coverage every two weeks in our print edi-tion and fresh, online content at www.palatinate.org.uk.

As is custom, it’s our turn to throw in our tuppence worth of sage advice to you recently inducted Durhamites.

Undoubtedly you’ll be sick of hearing the cliché ‘don’t let your degree get in the way of your education’. It featured in the ma-triculation address at the Cathe-dral, it was the subject of DUCK officer Carmen O’Loughlin’s first mass email and – perhaps with a slightly more alcoholic focus – is emblazoned on a plaque above the entrance to Cuth’s Bar.

However sensible that titbit of

wisdom might be, you’re probably saturated by now. We trust you’ll make lifelong friends, join bizarre societies and generally attack everything you do with relentless Durham vigour.

This cohort of freshers marks the beginning of the £9000 gen-eration, the first students to be paying the increased fee level for their education.

This year group have been en-couraged by the media to demand value for money. In Durham, they will be the year group who think nothing of ordering a vodka and coke in the Riverside Café, who view the Palatine Centre as a standard part of the mishmash that makes up the unique archi-tectural vision of the Science Site, and who see glass walls and the e-den as a normal part of library life. So much the better.

But, to horribly misquote Bob Dylan, the education system, it is a-changin’. And among much of our student body, there is a very real sense that this generation is the one who will have to take responsibility for representing student interests when they are under siege.

Our new Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, Professor Tom Ward, argues (p.9) that students should see themselves as partners in the education system.

If, as Professor Ward argues, we are in a partnership with those who provide us with our precious degrees, we must make sure it is an equal one.

The drama surrounding early bar closures and charges for col-lege accommodation during fresher’s week, as well as the experiences of postgraduate stu-dents at Ustinov struggling with internet outages over the summer, demonstrates just how important it is that we advocate effectively for our own interests, and of our fellow students.

It’s about value for money, yes, but more importantly, it’s about demonstrating that this Univer-sity is a hugely important part of our lives, these colleges are our home, and that the safety and enjoyment of our fellow students is something we truly care about.

Charlie Taverner & Olivia Rudgard

The Back Page page 16

Palatinate TV - Freshers’ Fair freebie challenge

Blogs: The Invisible Student gives a clandestine insight into Durham’s strangest lectures. This week: Harry Potter

PTV Profile: Lily van den BroeckeFollowing her Paralympic gold medal, we catch up with Durham’s golden girl

Year Abroad Blogs: Launching this week, read and share stories good and bad about travels away from the Bubble

Editorial

Politics pages 12-13

Get Involved in your student newspaper!

The best of Palatinate Online this week www.palatinate.org.uk

Keep up to date with Durham news, sport, comment and cultural coverage at www.palatinate.org.uk

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Editors’ Picks

Comment: The ethics of violent TV on religious sites

Sport:Holly Colvin, Durham and England star, interviewed

Careers:Tips for getting ahead in marketing

University policies change freshers’ week

The Group concluded “college is the safest place for students to be during the induction period and also that we should be supporting our college bars rather than bars in town.”

Those involved in the organisation of Freshers’ Week expressed their concern over the repercussions of closing college bars early.

Nick Cooper, President of Trevely-an College, noted that “by enforcing 11pm closing times for the majority of the week we are effectively being made to encourage the decisions of freshers to go out into town.

“We found that on one of the nights we had been allowed to stay open until 12.30 we had much fewer freshers heading into town and a much better atmosphere in the col-lege.”

Siri Minsaas, Senior Freshers’ Representative of Josephine Butler added: “It is a bit disappointing when

you’ve spent four months planning Freshers’ Week and freshers come up to you in the evening events ask-ing for directions to Loveshack.

“However, they are adults and I can understand why having their drinks taken off them before mid-night on some nights would encour-age anyone to go out.”

The welfare problems created by the early bar closures and freshers venturing into town alone appear in direct conflict with the recommen-dations of the ‘Alcohol Paper’ passed through the University Council.

Collingwood President Harry Ry-lott suggests: “The freshers who will be punished by this policy are not those who will drink regardless, but those who would have been able to socialise in the safe environment of Collingwood JCR and who will in-stead be forced elsewhere, into po-tentially unpleasant, uncomfortable, and at worst, dangerous situations.”

The University’s decision to close college bars at 11pm Sunday to Thursday may also have implications for the rest of the year, in particular for college formals. Colleges in-house entertainment is often heavily cen-tred on the bar.

Despite a new push for an aca-demic “Induction Week”, students have complained of poorly organised

departmental events and a lack of communication between the Univer-sity and colleges.

Thomas Bishop, the Senior Man at St Chad’s College, described the induction talks run by departments during Freshers’ Week as “highly

disorganised and often chaotic.” The University failed to provide a list of when the departmental com-mitments were, or where students needed to go.

Instead, one Freshers’ Represent-ative at Collingwood spent four days contacting all 28 departments, com-piling a universal timetable of these commitments which he then sent out to the colleges.

However, Thomas Bishop sug-gests that whilst entire days were scheduled for departmental com-mitments, these slots were often not filled. Colleges had little knowledge of when students were free, and so were unable to plan events. This left

many students with nothing to do during the day.

The utility of departmental talks has also been called into question. One day the Psychology depart-ment sent their freshers on a tour of Queen’s Campus despite the fact that most students will only study mod-ules in Durham City.

Thomas believes that the Univer-sity should focus on “quality of talks, rather than quantity.”

Throughout this investigation, an underlying theme has emerged: the hard work and enthusiasm of Fresh-ers’ Representatives. The volunteers often work fifteen to twenty hour days, ensuring the smooth running of Freshers’ Week. Despite anger towards bar licensing and poorly organised departmental talks, most feel their weeks were a success, largely because of the work of these volunteers. Yet concerns remain over the future of Freshers’ Week.

Michael Galea criticised the Uni-versity for failing to communicate and cooperate with Senior Freshers’ Representatives:

“While millions is pumped into advertising and promoting the ‘Dur-ham difference’, the only thing that I find different about Durham is a fun-damental failure to acknowledge stu-dent opinion by the University.”

The Riverside Café will be closed until November before becoming a café by day and bar by night Photograph: Naomi Ellis

News

PALATINATE | Tuesday 16th October 2012 www.palatinate.org.uk 3

DSU President Archie Dallas was involved in the original discussions

News Editors:Matt Lee & Harriet [email protected]

Deputies:Lizzie McAdam, James Ablett & Jillian Ward

@PalatinateUK

Palatinate

Refurbish works on the DSU’s Dunelm House began over the sum-mer and are continuing into Michael-mas term.

This term work focuses on the Fonteyn Ballroom and the Riverside Café and whilst long-term plans are still in the pipeline, the feasibility of other plans is still under discussion.

At the moment, the Kingsgate Bar is closed and will not re-open for another month. This deadline is de-pendent upon how much work is to be done.

So far issues have been encoun-tered including the presence of as-bestos and unforeseen circumstanc-es such as punctured water pipes.

The proposed plan is to combine the bar with the Riverside Café, pro-viding a welcoming student environ-ment throughout the day and night.

Café facilities will be available dur-ing the day with bar services taking over the space during the evenings.

The renovated bar is aimed at providing a different type of atmos-phere to the other places on offer in Durham. Jazz nights, comedy shows and other events will be offered on a regular basis.

This term will also see the ball-room floor replaced. The Fonteyn Ballroom is one of the larger halls in the University with a capacity of 700.

However, its high demand has led to several issues with the current floor including splinters affecting some dance groups.

The DSU is home to over 200 so-cieties including academic societies, DUCK, student development as well as specialist sports groups.

A number of societies have already expressed fears that if plans stall for too long it could result in disruption to these societies and a lower quality finish to the facilities than intended.

However, there remains a strong determination amongst those in-volved to avoid delays at all costs. Plans are currently under review by the University for a business case, and, if deemed feasible, work would commence on this within a few years.

DSU President, Archie Dallas says of the work: “It is a huge job and we want to make sure it’s done prop-erly.”

DSU refurb underway this termLizzie McAdam

Continued from page 1

700 Capacity of the Fonteyn Ballroom in Dunelm House

“A fundamental failure to acknowledge student opinion”Michael Galea

Postgraduate students at Ustinov College staying in college over the summer experienced problems with internet failure and scheduled DUO maintenance close to dissertation deadlines.

Students living in college accom-modation lost access to the internet several times, on one occasion over a four day period.

Those affected included many pre-sessional students arriving in Durham early for language courses.

The lack of out-of-hours support available to students from CIS when the internet failed, particularly dur-ing weekends, meant that problems reported on a Friday were not fixed for several days.

Matt Hann, a student in Politics and International Relations who lived at Ustinov over the summer said: “CIS seem unable to fix anything over weekends or in the evening. They seem not to realise that post-grads are here all the year round, and that the college is our home.”

DUO was also taken down for scheduled maintenance two days before the MA dissertation deadline.

Another MA International Rela-tions student commented: “I rely on the internet for a large amount of my research, and for most of my leisure time. As a foreign student it is also my only connection with home, so these problems have greatly added to my stress.”

Approximately 1,200 students had rooms in Durham between June and September.

A spokesperson for the University said: “We are still investigating the reasons as to the frequency of these outages in order to determine a more permanent fix.

“Outages which occur out of hours are dealt with as a priority on the first working day following the re-port of the incident.

“The timing of this particular work was a cause for understandable concern amongst the MA students referred to. We understand the frus-tration this must have caused and for that we apologise.”

Conservative MP Robert Halfon has criticised the University for accept-ing a £2.5 million endowment from a former Kuwaiti Prime Minister who stepped down over corruption charges.

The former Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, gave the money to support research on re-gional politics and security.

Robert Halfon described the University’s acceptance of the gift as “astonishing.” He has previously criticised the University for its links to the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, after one of his aides was of-fered a doctorate by Durham. At that time, Halfon suggested that “ethical questions” should be asked of the University. Last year, he stated that Durham University and the London School of Economics had accepted “blood money” from “despotic re-gimes” in the Middle East.

The new comments come after the former Kuwaiti Prime Minister attended the new academic pro-gramme’s launch in person last month, after pledging the personal donation last year.

He stepped down as Prime Minis-ter after the money was pledged due to allegations that his government had illegally appropriated state

funds, which led to mass protests in Kuwait. Although Sheikh Nasser was cleared of the allegations, he refused to appear before a parliamentary panel probe into the matter. His son, Sabah, attended Durham University.

The donation has enabled the University’s School of Government and International Affairs to establish in perpetuity the Nasser al-Moham-mad al-Sabah Programme in Inter-

national Relations, Regional Politics and Security, which will promote research underpinning a greater understanding of Middle Eastern societies.

Raheem Kassam from The Henry Jackson Society, a foreign policy think tank, disapproved of the Uni-versity’s reluctance to rethink their policy, stating: “Durham University should feel obliged to reject any do-nations from leaders who have been implicated in scandals.

“Durham should question wheth-er it is ethical and whether it ties in to their commitments. They should

explain what their policy is regard-ing moral standards in education. Students will be up in arms about this.”

Although the University refused to comment further on the criti-cisms, they reiterated last year’s statement, saying that:

“Durham University was hon-oured to receive a personal com-mitment of £2.5m from His High-ness Sheikh Nasser Bin Muhammad Al-Sabah, former Prime Minister of Kuwait, to endow a research pro-gramme in Durham’s School of Gov-ernment and International Affairs.

“The programme will focus on regional politics and security and will support the research of an ex-isting professorship, as well as PhD studentships. One of the student-ships is named in honour of General Sir Peter de la Billière, who holds an honorary degree from Durham and is a long-time associate of the former Prime Minister’s.

“The University conducted a de-tailed process of due diligence be-fore finalising its acceptance of this gift. We are aware that His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al Sabah has previ-ously faced charges brought by op-position MPs in the Kuwait Parlia-ment and that he was able to satisfy his Parliament on that issue.

“Kuwait is one of the more open and progressive societies in the Mid-dle East.”


Ustinov postgraduates suffer from internet failings Olivia Rudgard

“Durham should question whether it ties into their commitments.”Raheem Kassam from The Henry Jackson Society

MP criticises Durham for accepting “astonishing” Kuwaiti donation Harriet Line

News

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The Palatine Centre, a £48 million university investment, is set to open on the 24th of October, hav-ing been under constuction for the past two years.

The centre contains a new law school, moved from the Bailey, as well as a new student services building that will include careers facilities, counselling services, dis-ability services, immigration and a financial support office.

This unites the services that were previously spread across town, making it easier for students to access them. It also provides meeting rooms and lecture halls and law school facilities include a mooting chamber.

Most students spoken to were excited about the centre, one in particular about the catering fa-cilities:

“The food facilities are out-standing. It’s extremely helpful seeing as the science site is so far from the centre of town.”

Some law students were less positive about the change. One said that the new department was “impersonal” while another said:

“It feels too much like a hospi-tal, I don’t understand the art and statues they have put in there and I preferred being on the Bailey, the building there was more suited to studying law.”

On the positive side they said they appreciated the space that the school provided and found it “light and airy.”

Earlier this year the library extension was opened, provid-ing students with 500 extra study spaces and a 42% increase in floor space, countering crowding prob-lems during exam weeks.

The changes were undertaken as part of the “Gateway Project” which sought to “reconfigure” fa-cilities along Stockton Road.

Joanna Thom

PALATINATE | Tuesday 16th October 2012 5www.palatinate.org.uk

PFor more details, visit www.palatinate.org.uk

To apply you must be over 18 and a British citizen. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

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Palatine Centre opens

The Palatine Centre, located next to the renamed Bill Bryson Library Photograph: Rose Innes

£48 millionThe cost of the Stockton Road development

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The beginning of term is filled with new prospects for everyone and I’m more than aware that people are motivated to do things for different reasons.

Whether you want to enhance your CV, gain some transferable skills, meet new people, or just have fun, Durham has lots of opportuni-ties for you and this year DUCK (Dur-ham University Charities Kommit-tee) is looking to link up with every single one of you, through your col-lege, society or department!

The saying ‘don’t let your degree get in the way of your education’ sums up the true ethos of DUCK.

You can spend the next year in the library, be caught up in the monotony

of day to day Durham life or you can get involved, make a difference and have a lot of fun doing it.

Having attempted to study History for the last three years, I know from first-hand experience that DUCK is a great way to spend your time.

And it’s not just me. Throughout the history of Durham University, students involved with fundraising and DUCK have set themselves apart and created some incredible stories in the process.

Past escapades range from sus-pending an Austin 7 under Kingsgate Bridge, breaking into Durham prison to put a box of chocolates on the Gov-ernor’s desk and getting to Syndey, Australia without spending a penny on our annual DUCK Jailbreak.

These legendary tales are just a few stories from people that have stepped up and got involved and done silly things in the name of char-ity.

But in whatever way you want to this year, if you want to be part of something bigger – even if it’s donat-ing a Penny to Pudsey for Children in Need - make a difference (that phrase again), and get involved.

The Government continues to defend its decision to ban London Metropol-itan University from hosting interna-tional students from outside the EU.

Last month, the establishment lost the ability to sponsor the foreign students following an investigation by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), a bureau that has subsequently come under fire for failing to implement a new visa system successfully.

Part of the Home Office, the UKBA raised concerns about students not attending courses or having the required level of English language skills.

The UKBA also found that a large proportion were here illegitimately, with a quarter of a 101 student sam-ple still in the country despite having had their visas revoked. Two fur-ther samples covering 600 students found problems in 60 per cent of cas-es, with the issues ranging across a spectrum of language and visa areas.

Damian Green, the immigration minister, said the figures showed the problems there were not isolated, and that there had been a systemic

failure by the UKBA. Facing calls to allow students to

finish their degrees, he defended the injunction, telling MPs, “institutions must comply with the rules, whether they sponsor 10, 100 or 1,000 inter-national students.”

The students in question face de-portation if they cannot find an al-ternative sponsor in the next three months.

Following the ban, last month the Commons Public Accounts Commit-tee published a report investigat-ing the UK Border Agency and its “unacceptable” failure to act quickly enough on abuses in the system, or to remove bogus students from the country.

London Metropolitan is a prime example both of their failures, and their ensuing crackdown as officials play ‘catch-up’ in an attempt to rec-tify their extensive mistakes.

The problems stem from the 2009 introduction of a new visa system. Prior to the new procedure, it was the responsibility of immigration of-ficers to evaluate the legitimacy of foreign students.

This was replaced by the current system where the onus is on the col-leges or universities to prove their

students are in the country rightfully. The old checks were removed be-

fore the new ones were completely in use, with some aspects not fully op-erational until a year later, the CPAC said.

Although many higher education institutions have watched events unfold with growing unease, a state-ment from Durham University re-mained confident in their checks.

Professor Tom Ward, Pro-Vice- Chancellor for Education, comment-ed: “All students meet the same or equivalent standards of entry.

“We work closely with the UK Bor-der Agency to ensure that we have the necessary policies and proce-dures in place to meet all the UKBA requirements.”

Similarly, Chulachat Kanjanaoran-siri, a 3rd year international student, commented: “Checks on interna-tional students are quite strict. How-ever, the UKBA should be careful and considerate when revoking a right to sponsor non-EU students as implica-tions can be quite severe.

“At the same time, if you are a genuine student, I don’t think there is anything to fear.”


London Met in visa scandalJames Ablett

News

New DUCK Officer’s Column

Carmen O’LoughlinDUCK Officer

“The saying ‘don’t let your degree get in the way of your edu-cation’ sums up the true ethos of DUCK ”

Durham’s returning students have struggled with accommodation this autumn, with college let agreements beginning a week after the arrival of first year students.

The change in let agreements is one among a series of induction week plans put in place this year by the University.

In a press release, Deputy Head of Colleges Adrian Darnell explained that “returning students, whose col-lege let agreements begin on October 6, may be able to take up their college place at an earlier date for an addi-tional charge.

“Freshers’ reps and students help-ing deliver the Durham Students’ Union fair should be able to take up their college places at an earlier date, with free accommodation but a charge for food in catered colleges.”

Darnell insisted the change was enforced “in consultation with stu-dent representatives” in order for

induction week to “focus on new stu-dents.”

However, it has caused widespread difficulties, especially for students in-volved in extra-curricular activities at both college and university levels.

Many returning students were un-able to attend the Durham Students’ Union Fair, which showcases univer-sity-wide sports and societies.

In an interview with Palatinate, DSU Societies and Development Of-ficer Jim Elliott said that only after

negotiation with the University were “named stall-holders able to move into their college accommodation free of charge”, but with a charge for food.

Another problem Elliott noted was the “lack of returners who were able to attend the Fair [...] since many did not come back to Durham until [the] weekend before the start of term”, which made it “much harder for re-turners to try something new this year, which is a great shame.”

The let agreements also caused problems in terms of organisation and turn-out to college-based events.

Siri Minsaas, Head Frep at Jose-phine Butler College, said the change in let agreements made it so that “presidents of societies couldn’t come in for the college Freshers’ Fair.”

She also had to postpone a ‘Meet your College Parents’ event, adding that “livers-in returners missed out on events they were invited to” dur-ing Induction Week.

Thomas Bishop, Senior Man at St Chad’s College, also noted that Team Durham held captain meetings dur-

ing induction week which returning students were unable to attend.

Many argued that the let agree-ments created an obstacle for inte-gration between years.

While Bishop welcomed “the initi-ative to properly induct freshers, the balance between inducting freshers and welcoming back returning stu-dents is not correct.

“Returning students are given in-sufficient time to settle in before lec-tures begin, and also miss out on all of the Freshers’ Week fun.”

Freshers of Durham, I speak to you directly.

Take a second, if you will, to stop being quite so excited about your new life in Durham and consider the last seven jam-packed days of your life.

I’m not talking about the amazing new clubs you’ve joined or the ‘hi-larious’ stories from Freshers’ Week but instead of the hundreds of non-freshers that you will have met since you arrived.

To give you an idea, I’m talking about the hideously enthusiastic Freshers’ Reps who helped unpack your car, the stashed-up folk at the Students’ Union, people trying to bribe you into their society and your academic parents looking after your degree.

What it’s easy to forget, when faced with this barrage of passion, is that these people are all volunteers. Fundamentally, what makes Durham such an amazing university is the dedication and drive of the students that inhabit it.

The amount of time that students give over to improving your time here is astounding, and often goes unrecognized. I don’t think that the University are deliberately trying to exclude non-first years from Induc-tion Week; I just think that they often take for granted how much students contribute.

It’s the students that make Dur-ham what it is, and the fact that they were overlooked in something as fundamental as Freshers’ Week ac-commodation is, to be honest, a little bit revealing.


PTo see all the latest news, visit www.palatinate.org.uk

No home for college returners in first week

DSU President’s ColumnArchie DallasDSU President

@PalatinateUK

Palatinate

“The University can often take for granted how much students contribute”

Jillian Ward

Van Mildert was not alone experiencing difficulties housing returners in freshers’ week Photograph: Durham University

£20 The cost per night for returning students to stay in their college rooms

“The balance be-tween inducting freshers and welcoming back returners is not correct”

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It may not have made headline news this summer, but the Uni-versity has appointed a new Pro-

Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for your education experience. And he speaks with passion about Dur-ham’s value for money and widening access to higher education.

Professor Tom Ward, the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Education and Professor of Mathematics, joined the University at the start of September after twenty years at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Despite his re-cent arrival, Professor Ward has al-ready been impressed by the student community.

“Across this extremely broad range of activities there is a feeling that everything that is done is done very well, and done rather intensely. Be it sport, be it music, be it Theology. That’s quite fabulous.”

I met Professor Ward inside the recently completed Palatine Centre, just off one of the airy open plan of-fices that each possesses a glorious Cathedral view. The whiff of fresh white paint served as a constant re-minder of the £60 million Gateway project in which we sat.

The impressive location, com-bined with the impending arrival of a fresher cohort paying £9,000 tuition fees, turned the conversation quickly towards value for money.

“The net income we get to teach students is not significantly more. It’s just coming from a different source.

It’s a debt placed on the student, in-stead of all coming in block grant form from the government. So, the challenge is that we don’t have signif-icant resources to play with, but we do have significantly raised expecta-tions.

“But the reason I’m optimistic is that Durham students place enor-mously high expectations upon themselves, so everything we try and do that requires more from them, of energy, of commitment, of enthusi-asm, of entry tariff, they’re up for it.”

Confident in the commitment to the college system and investment in physical facilities that has already be-gun, Professor Ward noted: “The fact we have a professional rugby coach, the fact that we can provide facilities like [the Palatine centre] and some of the new learning space, I wouldn’t have any radical alterations.”

But, when pressed on how the University would react to the inevita-bly raised expectations, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor took an alternative view.

“All students are pretty smart about this. I think they know that if they pressurise the University to treat them more as customers who have purchased something and less as partners in education, they are pushing sort of in the wrong direc-tion.

“Why are Durham students so employable? It’s not just that they’re very smart, it’s not just that the educational quality is very high, it’s

largely driven by the volunteering and the work they do. The way they contribute to college life, the skills they acquire from charitable activity, from sporting activity, all that stuff.”

However, Professor Ward ad-mitted that “we’re going to need to adapt” how the University and DSU work together to set education pol-icy. For example, the Educational & Welfare Officer, Jenny James, will now sit in on the early meetings when the agenda is being set for the year.

Having studied Mathematics at Warwick University, then working at two American universities before taking up a lectureship at UEA in 1992, Professor Ward is steeped in higher education. After becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UEA, he is in an experienced position to judge the wider landscape.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor predicts “serious turbulence” because of the £9,000 fees but with different effects on different parts of the sector.

“It’s possible at Durham, in some discipline areas, you don’t need to think about where your students are coming from [in terms of numbers and quality]. That’s a fabulous thing but it should never close our mind to the obligation to go out and sell Dur-ham, in particular to different audi-ences.”

This year Durham University only experienced a 0.8% drop in applica-tions by those eligible to pay home


Professor Tom Ward, the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, talks to Charlie Taverner about diversity, stuffed swans and the student experience

Breaking down artificial barriers

Special needs students participate in the Grey in the

The Palatine Centre: part of the new £60m development Photograph: Durham University

News Features@PalatinateUK

Palatinate

fees. The national context shows a stark contrast, with UCAS recording a 7.7% decrease for all universities.

Professor Ward suggested that while Durham will continue to recruit strongly “it will be harder and harder to be confident that it is really reach-ing all the students with the ability to achieve a Durham education.”

“We want to be confident that there are no artificial barriers for the brightest kids, the most energetic, who are going to take advantage of the Durham University education.”

Durham’s exaggerated stereotype - of being populated by white, upper-middle class students from expensive public schools in the South - is well-known. Although he quietly laughed at the description, Professor Ward accepted that despite the “wide-spread commitment” to widening access already in place, there is still work to be done.

“I respect and love already some of the tradition and history; the Hog-warts. It’s miraculous, it’s amazing. But there are things in that which ar-tificially raise those barriers.”

“If I were a sixteen year old from a household in which higher education did not feature in my parents or my grandparents’ generation, what are the barriers to me imagining myself, picturing myself, at Durham as a stu-dent?

“One of the barriers is it’s a little daunting to picture myself getting an A* and two As. But that barrier isn’t the one we’re going to remove. It’s part of our commitment.

“But the barrier of “I can’t see my-self in a group of people that have those accents” or “I can’t see myself in a group of people that are dressed like that” sometimes we can do some-thing about.”

To a student community that ap-pears wedded to tradition, from for-mals to drunken college days, this might seem an inconvenient truth. However, Professor Ward’s sugges-tion for change is more “a gentle nudge sort of thing.”

“When a student is organising a charitable event or a social event, just that thought, “I wonder how this looks to a sixteen year old who didn’t go to the school I went to?” Are there ways in which we don’t alter any of the substance of what we’re doing, but just be a little more accessible to a diverse audience?”

Taking the example of DUCK’s charity hitch-hike, Formally Lost - an event he described as “completely fabulous, really wonderful” - Profes-sor Ward stressed the importance of giving students from a range of back-grounds the confidence to “step in.”

While his suggestions might rile a few Durhamites, Professor Ward cer-tainly seems to have rapidly picked up the essence of this particular stu-dent community.

“This is not an elite university be-cause we eat stuffed swans. It’s an elite university because the students here are extremely smart, work ex-tremely hard and play extremely hard.”

Professor Ward in full flow Photograph: Durham University

Accelerate is the Premier Marketing Graduate Programme run by DAS. A division of communications gi-ant Omnicom, whose clients include Pepsi and the 2012 Olympics, DAS is a network of world-class agencies of-fering specialist marketing and com-munications services.

As the ominous job hunt begins for many third years, DAS Project Manager Francesca Crane spoke to Palatinate about how to make gradu-ate applications stand out, offering tips on how to craft the perfect CV for a career in marketing.

What are your CV tips for those applying for a marketing role?

Try to only include relevant infor-

mation and if you don’t have loads of stuff to put on your CV, don’t try to fluff it out – a page or two is more than enough. Even more importantly though, include extra-curricular ac-tivities – we love to find out what makes you tick, so knowing that you play the drums or are on the rowing team helps us get to know you bet-ter and understand if you’re a team player or a leader. Finally, if you are creative and like to think outside of the box, please do! We’re a creative industry and showing a little bit of creative flair can really help your CV physically stand out.

Some students might be worried that they lack relevant experi-ence. Is previous work experience necessarily essential?

If you are able to do some work ex-perience or internships during your

university holidays, it’s a great way to see if agency life is something you would like. However, previous work experience is by no means essen-tial so don’t worry if you don’t have any. If you can show that you have researched the agency or company you’re applying to and have an inter-est and understanding of what’s go-ing on in the industry, that’s a great way to show how keen you are. Fur-thermore, if you can show campaigns or brands that you love and explain why, that’s another great way to get your passion across.

What transferable skills will stu-dents have that may be useful?

Being logical in your thinking and transferring this into the workplace is essential in agency life. You will of-ten be involved in planning a project or campaign so doing so in a logical,

coherent way from the outset is in-valuable. You will also need to bring in all of your personal skills to build relationships with peers, seniors and clients alike.

Social media has become crucial to marketing - how can students use this to their advantage?

Digital is at the heart of everything our agencies do, so showing that you have a good handle on social media is a definite plus. Put links on your CV to your LinkedIn or Twitter – but only if you want us to see your pro-files on each. You can follow Brand

Republic or Campaign on Twitter to keep up to date with industry news and follow specific advertising agen-cies to hear news from them.

What is the most rewarding thing about a career in marketing com-munications?

You can work with some of the top brands within some of the most creatively awarded agencies in the world. You can put your creative spin on something that you can see through from start to finish in a rela-tively short time span, providing real results for your clients. Finally, you will most likely be working for sev-eral clients on various campaigns so a career in marketing communica-tions can be a really interesting one – constantly changing, pushing your boundaries and exposing you to new, exciting projects.

As Britain faces the ramifica-tions of a double dip reces-sion, the government is at-

tempting to stimulate growth and reduce unemployment through changes to employment laws. Re-forms are being put forward in an attempt to incentivise employers to take on more workers and thus re-duce unemployment.

As a result, the government faces a balancing act, which Business Sec-retary Vince Cable explained to ITV as the need “to have confidence in business that they can hire people … [while retaining] basic labour rights and protection.”

The idea behind easing con-straints on employment is that em-ployers will more readily hire know-ing that a reduction in staff will be

easier. The government is looking to reduce the £72,000 compensation limit for unfair dismissal. The upper cap, whilst only being awarded to around 2% of cases per annum, was seen as putting businesses off hiring employees. The voluntary “no-fault dismissal” scheme sees employers taking “settlement agreements” rath-er than entering into legal disputes with employees. Through giving a compensation package, employers gain protection against being taken to an employment tribunal.

These plans are the result of an earlier government-commissioned report by Adrian Beecroft, a venture captialist and Conservative donor, which suggested movement towards tribunal reform.

The idea behind the reform is that employers will be able to both hire with a greater peace of mind, and also remove and replace underper-forming workers with greater ease, creating efficient and productive companies. Unions have been vocal in their opposition of such changes. Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC), warned that the proposals were “little more than a smokescreen to erode hard won rights” and would ”not create a single new job.”

The General Secretary of Britain’s General Union GMB, Paul Kenny, took

his criticism one stage further, sug-gesting that such reforms would ac-tually have an adverse impact upon the economy. He said: “In fact the steps being taken here by govern-ment, and the ‘noises off’ about it be-ing easier to sack people, will have a much more profound effect on work-ers than employers. It will increase feelings of job insecurity and reduce the confidence of workers as con-

sumers to commit to spending.”Naturally, any reduction in the

rights and liberties of workers is con-trary to unions’ interests. However, the reforms are an attempt to reduce the red tape that companies face in dealing with the recruiting process and to increase their confidence in hiring people. Likewise, while a re-duction in the compensation limit for unfair dismissal may seem to be

a move against the interest of those unfairly dismissed, in reality the median handout is between £3,000-£4,000 - over £68,000 less than the upper limit. The reforms are the product of compromise and of the coalition, and are a meaningful step towards creating a working environ-ment beneficial for both business and those looking for work.

Careers Editor: Amy [email protected]

something ca-reers related


Energising plans for employment laws

Business Secretary Vince Cable aims to cut legal red tape Photograph: Liberal Democrats

Ben Hamer

CV tips for a great career in marketing

DAS Project Manager Francesca Crane

Katie Rosseinsky

Careers@PalatiCAREERS

Palatinate

“Employers will more readily hire if they know that a reduction in staff will be easier ”

I applied to the Nestlé Sales Grad-uate Scheme in my third year at Durham and, like many finalists,

this meant juggling the comple-tion of arduous competency based questions alongside dissertation and summative deadlines. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to get an offer from Nestlé before the end of my first term. Despite the countless eve-nings spent dedicated to completing form after form, I can now see that sending off as many applications as possible is now certainly paying off.

After completing a twelve week internship with Unilever in the sum-mer between second and third year, I had a pretty firm idea of which companies I wanted to apply to, hav-ing done some basic research using sites such as Milkround and also from speaking to colleagues who have moved around in the industry.

During my time at Unilever, I en-joyed the customer-facing element of sales combined with the number-focused approach to achieve busi-ness and personal targets.

The exciting, setting of working in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) made each day in the office very different. One day I would be out in stores, monitoring the compliance of retailers in executing a Ben & Jerry’s promotion, the next I would be analysing daily sales re-ports against forecasted volumes to make sure enough stock was being produced.

Having a company like Unilever on my CV certainly gave me the confidence to think my application would at least be considered by the various HR teams in the filtering process. I would advise any student to apply for summer internships as, until I began at Unilever, I couldn’t have told you what a role in sales en-tailed. The responsibilities assigned to me during my placement meant I had direct, sales-related examples to draw upon in the competency based questions of the online application.

Despite this, I would estimate that only 70% of the schemes I applied to actually replied to me, and only 30% of these came with the positive news that I had made it through to the next stage of the process: the art student’s worst nightmare – an on-line numerical reasoning test. From my experience, all the companies I

applied to made this a prerequisite of their procedure.

What was unique about my Nestlé application was that, having somehow passed the numerical testing, to proceed further I had to complete a Youtube video where I was required to film myself answer-ing three questions: what does sales mean to me at a company like Nestlé, what skills are required to succeed in the role and why I would make an ideal candidate. I was given three days notice to complete my video and when I turned up to the Assessment Day having been suc-cessful in passing this stage, I was immediately recognised by the sales graduate co-ordinator as “that girl from Durham who filmed her video outside the Cathedral” which was both refreshing and comforting at a time when nerves were high.

Another favourable aspect of the Nestlé Assessment Day was that, throughout the whole day, a team of twenty senior employees were involved, whereas, at previous as-sessment centres, there had rarely been more than three or four. They were involved, charismatic and warm; a first impression that helped

me make my decision to choose the Nestlé grad scheme.

The day was structured around three exercises – an individual com-petency based interview, a group task and a role play exercise, a for-mat very similar to the one adopted by Unilever. I found out the following day that I had been successful and was offered a place on the gradu-ate scheme. I wanted to work for a company that valued each individual employee and offered accelerated career development whilst still maintaining a work-life balance, and Nestlé seemed like somewhere I could achieve this.

Having now worked at Nestlé for just over a month, I have not been let down by my initially high expectations: our first week involved a residential training camp for all 40 grads at in Maidenhead, includ-ing the chance to meet Olympian Pete Reed who is a member of Team Nestlé . Our second and third weeks consisted of training days in both their Gatwick and York offices.

Therefore, whilst the initial proc-ess of completing online applica-tions is time-consuming and dis-heartening, the opportunities have been so worth it. I am now working as a Customer Business Executive for Confectionery on the Morrisons team. I am throughly enjoying my job and excited about the opportuni-ties available to me at Nestlé.

Defining a ‘web-startup’ is tricky. Google, slightly sanctimoni-ously, refers to itself as a ‘startup’. Some define it in terms of employ-ee count, level of funding, time in business, or revenue. In reality, a web-startup is an early stage web-based company.

One thing is certain, for a web-startup to succeed, it must fun-damentally change the way we act online. Facebook and Twit-ter have permanently altered communication and interaction. YouTube transformed distribut-ing and viewing videos. Of course, these are now substantially sized companies but they all began as web-startups.

If a few people are going to create something that disrupts conventional online practices, they must be competent in a wide range of areas, with the ability to fulfil varied tasks simultaneously.

Fulfilling these substantial roles successfully entails signifi-cant responsibility and account-ability that would not be required at a large company internship.

Indeed, Alex Depledge, Director of Teddle, states that initiative and independence are more impor-tant than specific skills. The ability to make autonomous decisions in a wide variety of tasks is para-mount, so that senior staff can fo-cus on their work.

Everything is uncertain, be-cause the environment is con-stantly changing, meaning long and unstructured hours. You leave when your work is finished, and not before. Your social life may well take a hit. You will not be paid handsomely (if at all). However, Dom Lewis, Co-Founder of Tray, comments that if you are proac-tive, passionate and innovative, you can build yourself into a busi-ness, and fundamentally change how things are done, irrespective of age, experience, or qualifica-tions.

It is possible to have a real impact in a very exciting space, which is something that is unlike-ly to happen in a large structured company, where you are limited by protocol and hierarchy.

Business Editor: Flo [email protected]

Business

11www.palatinate.org.uk

Insight into start-up web firms

“I have not been let down by my

intially high expectations”

Annie Goman

@PalatinateUK

Palatinate

Sweet success in FMCG firms

Mark Lazar

Perks of the job: Nestlé’s corporate sponsorship has extra benefits such as meeting Olympian Peter Reed Photograph: Annie Goman

PALATINATE | Tuesday 16th October 2012

The home stretch is approach-ing. On November 6th the American people will go to

the polls to elect their next President. It will set the direction of the United States in terms of ideology, in terms of its role on the world stage and, less overtly, in terms of electoral practice.

A decisive win on the themes of ‘hope’ and ‘change’ in 2008 cement-ed Barack Obama’s place as an inter-national champion: a revolutionary candidate who could strip away the intrigue from politics and halt the slide into economic depression.

Four years on, many Americans feel differently. His approval ratings have been middling, rarely hitting 50% in the past two years. For over three years the `right track/wrong track’ poll has been damning. Even his signature `Obamacare’ bill, which has provided millions more with healthcare, has proven at best divi-sive, at worst unpopular. The con-trast between 2008 and 2012 seems stark. So what happened?

On the simplest level, the major thorn in President Obama’s side has been the economy. The Democrats inherited a disastrous situation from the Bush administration: from early 2008 to mid-2009, under Republi-can economic policy, 7.5 million jobs were lost. Whilst Obama’s policies

have been largely successful in tack-ling these ill fortunes, providing 4.6 million new jobs since March 2010, many Americans feel it hasn’t been enough.

Unemployment is mired at over 8% and the latest reports show jobs growth slowing and manufacturing levels falling. The United States is definitely on the road to prosperity, but for the jobless it is a long road to walk.

Obama’s stimulus package may have saved jobs, improved quality of life for many, and helped to stem a possible tide of homelessness by subsidising mortgages, but this isn’t seen as a strong enough case for re-election.

This is Obama’s second problem. Expectations were set so high when he took office that no matter how well he did putting the country back on the road to recovery, it would never have been enough in the eyes of the American people. All the good done in his first term has been over-shadowed by past notions of sweep-ing change.

With this bleak outlook for Obama

in mind, the Republicans should have had a relatively easy task ahead of them. Why, then, are they left scratching their heads at the Presi-dent’s persistent lead in the polls over their own nominee Mitt Rom-ney?

There are several possible expla-nations. Firstly, the race has matured into more than a mere referendum on Obama’s handling of the econom-ic crisis. The recent eruption of anti-Western riots across the Middle East has catapulted foreign policy into the campaign, placing Romney on the back foot.

An incumbent President will usu-ally have the upper hand in a foreign policy debate due to their experience with international relations. Obama is also likely to receive a poll boost, albeit temporarily, due to the `Rally Round the Flag’ effect. The American people picture their President as a symbol of national unity and support them accordingly during times of diplomatic crisis.

Beyond that, an opposition party cannot resolve foreign policy issues themselves and so cannot take any credit. Meanwhile criticism of the government’s handling of the situa-tion backfires amidst claims of politi-cising national tragedies, as Romney has so recently learned. Pair this with Romney’s infamous criticism of the London Olympics and the incumbent becomes the more credible figure to represent America on the global

stage.The same can be said in reference

to healthcare. By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Romney in-curred a barrage of harsh criticisms. Ryan championed a controversial budget that proposed scrapping cur-rent medical care for the elderly and replacing it with private insurance schemes partially subsidised by the government.

Such a risky Vice-Presidential pick proved a double-edged sword. Ryan, a devout Catholic, helped to assuage any doubts amongst grassroots Re-publican voters regarding Romney’s Mormon faith, and choosing the au-thor of a budget strengthened the ap-peal of the Republican party amongst voters longing for a better economy.

On the other hand, his arrival on the national scene magnified scruti-ny of the ‘Ryan Plan’, exposing several flaws with the arithmetic. Beyond that, the budget proved widely un-popular with the elderly who were afraid of losing their healthcare en-titlements. The older demographic will prove very important in swing states such as Florida.

But even the widening campaign perspective only explains Romney’s

recent flagging in the national polls. The only long-term explanation for the resilience of the polls is very sim-ple. People have, in general, already made up their minds. Very few un-decided voters still exist, with the unprecedented number of campaign adverts leading many to reach their final conclusions long before the election day.

Romney is seen by many as less trustworthy due to his oft-men-tioned founding of the investment colossus Bain Capital, and is depicted as caring little for the middle class. These concerns were further vali-dated by the secret tapes leaked of a fundraising speech in which he stat-ed his job was “not to worry about those people” who rely on govern-ment welfare.

This helps us understand why the race has for so long been so close, and why nothing seems to change that significantly. It also explains Romney’s ideological shift towards the right on social issues in recent months.

Setting a narrative of economic restoration and playing to independ-ent voters’ concerns over Obama’s recovery plans has not done enough to guarantee Romney victory. With President Obama holding a narrow yet crucial lead in many swing states, Romney has only one viable tactic left: he must rally the grassroots sup-porters, pander to the traditional Re-publican base, and hope for the best.

The state of play: Obama vs Romney

PoliticsPolitics Editor: Francis [email protected]

Andrew Plygawko

12 Tuesday 16th October 2012 | PALATINATE www.palatinate.org.ukDeputy: Joe Mayes

With the start of polling fast approaching, the two candidates are locking horns in a series of live televised debates Photograph: Donkey Hotey

“The major thorn in President Obama’s side has been the economy”

8%Minimum unemployment rate in USA in recent months

Cabinet reshuffles have always been something of a risk. They can give the Prime Minister a

short-term boost that quickly fades or for some can end in disaster.

David Cameron’s reshuffle in early September saw him ship out some more liberal-minded ministers from government and bring in others who are seen to be more pleasing to core Tory supporters.

For example, out went Ken Clarke as Justice Secretary and in came Chris Grayling, once described by a Liberal Democrat MP as “a man who does not have a liberal bone in his body.”

This is a move that will please more hard-line Conservatives who are in favour of tougher prison sen-tences, and may mean more confron-tations with the European Court of Human Rights on matters concern-ing the UK’s sovereignty.

In a similar shift to less liberal ground, Owen Paterson became the new Environment Secretary. He has said that he is not a great supporter of wind farms nor of expensive green energy subsidies. We can expect a more uncompromising stance to-wards the global warming lobby from Paterson than the previous

minister.Justine Greening was also re-

moved as Transport Secretary after just ten months and replaced by the more amenable Patrick McLoughlin; ironically, he’s afraid of flying. Boris Johnson condemned Greening’s re-moval, saying that the only possible reason for her demotion could be her opposition to a third runway at Hea-throw. Indeed, McLoughlin comes with no such baggage.

The reshuffle also saw Baroness Warsi demoted from Party Chair-woman to a Senior Minister at the Foreign Office, her previous duties being taken on by the smooth talking Grant Shapps.

One of the less surprising replace-ments was that of Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary who presided over the NHS reforms debacle. In his place comes Jeremy Hunt, a sur-prising choice given the controversy over his handling of the takeover of BSkyB.

A setback to Cameron’s plans for this shake-up came when Iain

Duncan Smith refused to accept his intended position as Justice Secre-tary and insisted on remaining as the Work and Pensions Secretary. The Chancellor George Osborne will therefore have to be prepared for more confrontations with this department over the next year as he plans to make further cuts to the welfare budget.

The appointment of Andrew

Mitchell as Chief Whip also landed Cameron in trouble. Only a few days later Mitchell allegedly insulted a po-liceman by calling him a ‘pleb’, lead-ing some to question Mr Cameron’s judgement.

The changes to the Cabinet have been more extensive than expected which perhaps shows an attempt by Cameron to revive his government’s popularity. However, reshuffles have

not always proved successful. The ‘night of the long knives’ during Ha-rold Macmillan’s premiership, so-called because he ditched a third of his Cabinet, was seen as a hysterical overreaction and failed completely. Cameron’s changes to his Cabinet are not quite on the same level, but this re-branding exercise and lurch to the right could backfire.

Labour’s Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods is your local MP. She is the Member of Parliament for the City of Durham and was first elected in 2005 with a majority of 3,274. She was re-elected in 2010 and is cur-rently a Shadow Minister for Com-munities and Local Government.

In Parliament she voted against the increase in tuition fees to £9,000 in 2010 and she chairs the All-Party Universities Group. Amongst many local issues, she has campaigned to encourage more graduates to take up jobs in the North East and for the greater provision of free school meals.

Previously a Professor of Social Policy at the University of North-umbria, Blackman-Woods has wide

political experience in the local com-munity. Before becoming an MP she worked as a welfare rights officer and councillor for Newcastle City Council.

With her first speech at Westmin-ster she acknowledged the impor-tance of Durham Cathedral, Durham University and the city’s mining her-itage to her constituency. She quoted Bill Bryson by describing Durham as “a perfect little city” and encouraged other MPs to “go there at once.”

She has described Durham Uni-versity as both “an extremely suc-cessful educational institution” and a “key City employer” that is of “great strategic importance to our future.”

In a recent statement, Blackman-Woods said she would use the com-ing weeks in Parliament to “do all [she] can to expose the hugely nega-tive impact the excessive cuts being carried out by the Coalition Govern-

ment will have in Durham.”She also said she would “[high-

light] the short termism of cuts to Higher Education and the way in which cuts to public services make life more difficult for vulnerable peo-ple.”

You can meet Dr Blackman-Woods at her constituency office at the Min-ers’ Hall, Redhills or you can contact her at [email protected].

13

Joe Mayes

PALATINATE | Tuesday 16th October 2012

Charlotte Hook

“Overall this is a serious lurch to the right.”

Senior Tory Minister

www.palatinate.org.uk

Who is your local MP?

@PalatinateUK

Palatinate

‘Lurch to the right’ in Cabinet reshuffle

“I will do all I can to expose the negative impact of the excessive cuts.”

Roberta Blackman-Woods MP

Photograph: The Prime Minister’s Office

Photograph: timrawle

The BBC drama ‘Inspector George Gently’ last week concluded with a fatal shoot-

out filmed on location in Durham Cathedral. With bullets clearly seen to damage religious artefacts and innocent choirboys witnessing at-tempted murder, the episode has be-come contentious. The sight of bul-lets ricocheting around a UNESCO World Heritage Site caused unease. Not only is the cathedral a protected building, but one of extreme reli-gious significance.

As a Theology student, the arising controversy has interested me great-ly: was this a justifiably dramatic mo-ment or a shameful desecration?

The BBC based the episode on T. S. Eliot’s play ‘Murder in the Cathedral’, which dramatises Archbishop Tho-mas Becket’s assassination in 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral. Likewise in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the famous “star-cross’d lovers” both commit the cardinal sin of suicide in the Capulet Crypt of the church. Clearly, history is no stranger to this debate.

Evidently religious buildings have been used to depict violence throughout the centuries, but is this decision an acceptable one?

Those who responded angrily to the BBC episode questioned the us-

age of weaponry in a place supposed to represent peace and protection. On the surface, they have a point. Christianity is an inherently non-vi-olent religion, with Jesus promoting his golden rule to “love thy neigh-bour” and Matthew 5:9 proclaiming “blessed are the peacemakers.”

However, although it is an impor-tant emblem of faith, I do not believe the character of the cathedral has been ‘violated’ by the decision to stage a shootout within its walls. In contrast, the BBC producers were evidently keen to draw upon reli-gious themes.

The storyline was one of moral-ity. Corrupt police officers respon-sible for fraud and murder covertly worked alongside criminals to try and frame Inspector Gently, himself entirely sincere. Eventually good tri-umphed over evil in the cathedral showdown, restoring justice and in-tegrity within the force.

The idea of remorse also featured; Gently apologised for failing to trust his Sergeant and for leaving him unarmed, a move that left the latter with potentially fatal injuries, draw-ing parallels with John 15:13, “no one has greater love than this, that he lay his life down for his friends.”

So while the episode was violent, this violence helped promote the ca-thedral and its message to the public. A cathedral spokesman emphasized this, explaining that “bad things sometimes happen in sacred places” and that worship may not be the only occurance in a religious setting.

Given the increasing secularisa-tion of Britain, religious buildings cannot be solely marketed to those with faith. The cathedral relies heavily on donations for its upkeep, and without publicity this will not be achieved. Featuring it during a

primetime television slot on a ma-jor channel such as the BBC will un-doubtedly be positive for tourism, an advantage the cathedral cannot afford to refuse.

Many Facebook fans of the build-ing recognized this, praising the pro-ducers for their style of filming. The camera panned in on the cathedral’s intricate architecture and stain glass windows, showcasing the very best to over 4.3 million viewers. The Fa-cebook page likewise urges fans to contribute to its upkeep, pointing out that it is the only large medieval cathedral in Britain which does not charge for entry.

Consequently, we cannot be too scared to use religious buildings for dramatic purposes through fear of offending a minority. If religious trepidation amongst society pre-vents the media from having access

to buildings such as the cathedral it is we, the public, who ultimately lose out.

This three part series was filmed exclusively in the North East, includ-ing in St Mary’s College and on Palace Green, and I believe there really was no better place for the finale than a location at the very heart of the city.

The BBC’s filming did not violate the cathedral, nor should it have of-fended religious believers.

Instead it celebrated the magnifi-cent beauty of ‘Britain’s Best Build-ing’, as voted in a Guardian survey last year, and proudly showcased it for all to see.

Comment Editor: Florence [email protected]

PReact online at palatinate.org.uk

Comment

14 www.palatinate.org.uk

Amy Simpkins

TV shoot-out in cathedral: a step too far?Violent George Gently scenes are not offensive and promote Durham’s heritage

“Religious buildings cannot be marketed solely to those with faith

”

Deputy:David Siesage

Durham Cathedral, site of the explosive George Gently finale Photograph: Charlotte Snead

Illustration: Sean Mui

Tuesday 16th October 2012 | PALATINATE

@PalatinateUK

Palatinate


The £9000 generation must be proactive

FlorenceSnead

New students must make their fees worthwhile by engaging fully in University life

Ah, freshers’ week. Another Great British Summer has fleetingly passed us by, and

we’ve barely had a chance to dig out our winter gear before Durham is once again buzzing with student life.

Now that we’re a couple of weeks into term and can once again venture into the nightclubs without the fear of suffocation, I find myself wonder-ing how this year’s first years have found their time so far.

Of course, three weeks is not long enough to form a rounded impres-sion of all that Durham has to offer - it’s barely enough time to shake off the freshers’ flu which they will have caught by now.

For many people, it’s highly likely that before going to university, there was at least one person who told you

that freshers’ week would be one of the best weeks of your life, ruefully wishing that they could once again be in your position. Guilt-free nights out combined with the ‘only 40% mind-set’ have prompted even the most studious among the student community to pine for the days of minimal responsibility.

Being a university fresher is some-thing that I feel particularly quali-fied to reminisce about, having gone through the entire process not once, but twice, the first time at a different university before coming to Durham.

My move into a final year in Dur-ham has prompted reflection on the somewhat bizarre phenomenon that is freshers’ week.

In many ways my freshers’ week experiences at both universities were pretty similar, revolving around alcohol, small talk and going freebie-crazy at the fairs.

Freshers’ week will always be an overwhelming experience even for the hardiest of party animals, but this year’s is more significant than ever given the tuition fee increase that sparked so much uproar.

With applications to higher educa-tion institutions allegedly down by an approximate 15,000 people, we already know that students this year have had to think longer and harder about whether university is really worth the money.

Public reaction to the impact of in-creased fees has varied. It has ranged from claims that students will party harder in a hedonistic rebellion to make up for such huge expenses, to those that they will spend the next

few years ensconced in the library to ensure the highest marks possible.

Both these notions fall into the improbable extremes; more likely is that new students will behave the same, perhaps just saddled with more worry than previous years about maintaining the fine balance between work and play.

Now that the drunken haze of freshers’ week has lifted, it will be interesting to see if either of these

polar opposites arise as the effects of the £9000 fees come into play for our first years.

It is indeed a hefty bill to foot, and it is this, more than anything, that highlights the need for fresh-ers to seize every opportunity they can during their time in Durham. In-creased fees mean there is no longer space for student apathy.

I urge freshers to think what they want to get out of their time here the most, and not to be afraid of pursu-ing this. Whether this be excelling in academic work, building a friendship network, trying new things or get-ting involved with the DSU (or Palati-nate!), being proactive is key to mak-ing the most of your time here.

One final thing: freshers’ week is only the start. It’s possible that while fun, it didn’t quite live up to your ex-pectations of ‘the best week ever’. However, the same can’t be said as you settle into university life and the next few years here in Durham. Let’s be honest, they’ll be great.

Britain’s financial crisis is partially a result of the teaching of outdated economic myths

JamesMurray

Perhaps one of the more alarm-ing, yet understated reasons why we are in such devastat-

ing financial turmoil is because the version of economics being taught is hopelessly inaccurate. Yes, even here at Durham economic theories are being taught which are so inaccurate they amount to misinformation.

Take these apparently simple questions: What is money? Where does it come from? These are ques-tions which you would think should be straightforward. However the answers given are often confused and inaccurate, and beset by ulterior motives. The best way to describe the answers given for these ques-tions are that they are the following myths.

The first myth: money emerged from barter. This is a classic and pro-lific notion within economic theory which lays its foundations. The

problem is that there is no evidence that it ever happened. In fact, money emerged out of debt-based relation-ships.

Before money, human society was radically different and large scale trade was simply not possible. Anthropologists have known this for over a hundred years. Adam Smith, writer of ‘The Wealth of Nations’ asks us to imagine a time before money where the butcher had to go and barter with the ironmonger for his knives - the problem is that there were no butchers and ironmongers before money.

The implications are profound. Money did not emerge from a ‘real’ economy of trade independent of the state by some invisible hand. In fact, in many cases it took a central-ised power to introduce monetary systems, so money and the market were the result of state activity and there is nothing intrinsic in them. They existed as a byproduct of cen-tralised government.

Now for the second myth: money today is created by the central bank or government. In reality money is created by commercial banks - well

at least 97% of it. Economists are taught that money is created by the central banks and expanded by com-mercial banks according to a process unimaginatively named the ‘money multiplier’ effect.

The story goes that when some-body deposits money, the bank, thinking they will only ever want to withdraw a small proportion at any one time, lends the remain-ing amount out. The person who borrows it redeposits this money, which is in turn lent again and so on.

This is usually cited as the principal mechanism behind fractional re-serve banking, and it is why there is a ‘run’ on the bank when people lose confidence in their ability to repay.

This is a familiar story to econo-mists but in fact banking has not worked in this way for years. Banks don’t have to wait for depositors to put money in the bank to make a loan.

When a bank makes a loan, it can create the money out of nothing by simultaneously increasing the assets and liabilities on its balance sheet. Bank lending is not limited by the Bank of England’s supply of ‘base’ money.

Instead, according to the Bank of England, “money is endogenous - the Bank supplies base money on demand at its prevailing interest rate, and broad money is cre-ated by the banking system”. Broad money means the common units of exchange, including cash, notes and the digital numbers you see when you look at your bank balance.

That these two fallacies lie at the heart of current economic theory has lead to a fatal oversight in eco-

nomic policy. The first myth gives rise to the

‘market is king’ mentality which can be so pernicious when not properly controlled. In the case of the second myth, by viewing banking and finan-cial institutions as merely intermedi-aries in the economy, policy makers have completely omitted the role that such institutions play in shaping (and breaking) the economy. In real-ity such institutions are the principal components of the economy.

If we intend to create an economy which functions for the benefit of society and fosters stability then economists must start teaching a version of economics which actually relates to reality.

The reluctance to update refuted theories can only be attributed to ulterior motives. The current economic syllabus is the result of political and ideological motivations. Teaching economic theory as it is is akin to teaching creationism despite the fossil record.

The problem is that in the case of economics, trying to run a country on myths and imaginings ends in un-employment, poverty and misery.

The dangers of teaching bad economics

“There is no longer space for student apathy

”

“The reluctance to update refuted theories can only be attributed to ulterior motives

”

“Freshers’ week will always be an overwhelming experience

”

Aged just 15 years and 336 days, in 2005 Holly Colvin became the youngest crick-

eter ever to play a Test Match for England. She stepped out against Australia in the Ashes and has never looked back. Her record stands to this day. A graduate from St. Mary’s college in June 2012, the left-arm spinner recently flew back from Sri Lanka, after her England side suf-fered an agonising four run defeat in the final of the World Twenty 20. De-spite the narrow defeat, ‘Colin’ was the leading wicket taker in the 2012 tournament, and Palatinate thought it was about time we caught up with her about what life is really like at the summit of women’s sport.

You were the youngest Test Cricketer ever to play for England. How did that feel?

The day before the test I was asked to the nets because Australia had a left-arm spinner and England didn’t have one - they wanted the practice. I got home that evening and the head coach called and asked if I was free the next day and wanted to

play so I said, alright then! It was all a bit surreal. I had no idea who I was bowling at, but I was actually bowl-ing to some of the greatest cricketers Australia has seen. We drew the Test Match but won the Ashes in the end and it was brilliant, great to be part of.

How did you get into cricket in the first place?

My older brother Patrick would always drag me into the garden and make me bowl at him. I thought it was unfair that he was doing some-thing that I couldn’t so when I was about 8 or 9 I started to join in with the boys. I was the only girl but I didn’t care because I got quite good!

How crucial has Durham Uni-versity been in your development as a cricketer?

I chose Durham because it was highly regarded on the cricket front. I applied because it not only had the cricket but it also had the solid de-gree and is a really prestigious uni-versity to go to. They were under-standing and I balanced my studies with my cricket. Training hard with the boys always helped because it pushed us to our limits and we found it a challenge. We’d get up at 7am with the boys and chase them round the track. It was a challenge bowling at some pretty strong lads but I think I thrived on it.

Did you go in to the tourna-ment with the attitude that noth-ing other than winning it was good enough?

I think we did, yes. That was our main aim. We were unbeaten in

20/20 cricket and won the last 20 games in a row, until the end of Sep-tember. We weren’t beaten in the tournament until the final, and even beat Australia in the group stages. We’d played some really good crick-et up to that point. We were the best in the tournament.

What went wrong in the final?We had to chase down 145, which

was a decent total. We were just out-played. We didn’t bowl as well as we s h o u l d have done and

should have kept them

to a lower score. A n d t h e n w e

lost too m a n y

wickets in the chase. We showed some fight at the end, when probably the game was lost. But we left ourselves with too much to do. Lots of people have said that we did the country proud in getting to the final, but to be honest it’s pretty bittersweet.

You were the top wicket taker in the tournament. On a personal level, did you surpass the goals you set yourself?

My aim was to make a contribu-tion. In T20 cricket what I wanted was to take crucial wickets at crucial times. I was able to do that, but con-sistency was the problem. To be the leading wicket taker was quite sur-prising because we’ve got so many

other spinners in our team. But the pitch conditions in Sri Lanka cer-tainly helped.

You hit the winning runs in the 2009 final and were out there at the end this time around. Did you ever believe you might be able to do the same again in the dying overs?

I walked out to the middle and knew that we had no right to win the game from the position we were in. But we thought we might as well give it a try. Neither I nor Dani [Ha-zell, also of Durham] had faced a single ball the entire tournament! The top order had done the job for us in all the previous games. So we had nothing to lose. When I hit a shot over the bowler’s head for four, I ran past Dani and she came back for the second run and said “Oh my God mate, that’s gone for four!” So I had no idea where that shot came from. We nearly got out of the hole we’d created but it wasn’t enough.

Do you think that, especially in the wake of the Olympics, women’s sport is enjoying greater coverage and exposure than ever before?

I think people tune in naturally to watch men’s sport, and when the games are tied in with that you can get additional fans. We had a lot of English reporters based in Colombo who came on board with us. And having all the double-headers, our games before the men’s games, and televised, I think was a boost for us. The Olympics has meant that wom-en’s sport in general is being taken a

lot more seriously.Do you think people’s previous-

ly derogatory attitude towards women’s sport is changing?

Yes. When I first started, a lot of people didn’t even know women’s cricket existed. But I don’t really mind the negative opinions, It’s not as if people are trying to make the game sexier by dressing us in skimpy clothing. It’s the fact that we are now seen not as women playing sport but as individuals.

And what does life as a gradu-ate hold for you now? Can you live off of being a professional crick-eter alone?

I’ve got a short-term plan but no long-term plan! This year is a mas-sive year for women’s cricket be-cause there is the one-day World Cup in the West Indies in February. This is vital preparation time for us. We do at least 3 days a week of crick-et and regularly head off to Edgbas-ton, as well as screening weekends and fitness testing. I’m basically go-ing to train and get as much work experience as I can until I go to India. After that, I have no idea!

Sport Editors: William Warr & Kate Houghton [email protected]

Sport


Holly Colvin: T20 spin queenPalatinate chats to the ex-Durham student after England Women crash out in World Cup cricket final

Tom Ryder

11.85Colvin’s T20 bowling average

“I ran past Dani and she said, ‘Oh my God mate, that’s gone for four!’”

Holly Colvin took 9 wickets in the tournament, making her England’s lead wicket taker and the second highest overall Photographs: English Cricket Board

Deputies:Tom Ryder &Callum Brogan

@PalatiSPORT

Palatinate


DUAFC put in a strong performance against the professional side Photograph: Spencer Brown Photograph: Ben Rodford

There are several reasons why So-phie Hosking, a Trevelyan College Graduate in 2007 and former rower with DUBC, might not have expected to cross the finish line first in her Ol-ympic Rowing final on the 4th of Au-gust this year. To begin with, a mere week beforehand no British woman had ever won an Olympic rowing gold medal.

Then there was the issue that she had only been rowing with her part-ner, Kat Copeland for less than six months, when usually rowers tend to have rowed together for the whole Olympiad period of four years.

This, combined with the fact that over the summer at the 3 World Cups against their major rivals they had only secured one bronze medal in their Lightweight Double Sculls category, meant that when they lined up on the start line you would have been forgiven for expecting them to be fortunate to end up with a medal of any colour.

Expectations aside, the British boat controlled the 2000m race from the start, taking the lead just after the 500m mark and holding on for an emphatic victory of just over 2 sec-onds from the Chinese boat.

The pair may well be best remem-bered, however, for their celebration moments after they crossed the line

in which Sophie Hosking turned round to face Kat Copeland and after a brief pause and a few words, the realisation of their achievement hit them both and throwing their arms aloft, they collapsed into an embrace. “We’re going to be on a stamp!” were allegedly the words that sparked their jubilation.

Palatinate was fortunate enough to catch up with Sophie after the fe-ver of the Olympics had subsided.

Palatinate: What’s it been like after you have won Olympic gold – how has your life changed?

Sophie Hosking: It’s been quite manic ever since. I’ve had lots of press engagements. And I’ve just tried to catch up with all my friends and family. I haven’t had a huge amount of time to myself but it’s been good being that busy and just trying to enjoy all the opportunities that have come from winning.

P: Have you met lots of famous peo-ple?

SH: I met Kate Middleton, which

Simon MocattaWilliam Warr

Sport

Olympic rowing gold medallist and Durham alumna Sophie Hosking tells Palatinate her secrets to success

“Kanye West gets me in the right zone for racing”

“I work hard and don’t cut any corners”Durham University Men’s Foot-

ball Club finalised their pre-season preparations in the perfect way after a hugely encouraging performance against Newcastle United reserves.

In what was comfortably the big-gest fixture in the club’s history, the first team more than held their own against a star-studded professional reserve side, losing 1-0 over the 90 minutes.

The scoreline belies Durham’s dominance in the early periods, how-ever, as both Joe Barwick and Jonny Giles hit the woodwork in the first forty-five minutes.

After coming so close to taking the lead, it was cruel to concede on the fifty-minute mark, courtesy of a header from a set-piece.

The goal was all the more painful considering the delivery came from an erroneous free-kick decision from the referee.

Nonetheless, the decision to move

Josh Addinall into central midfield alongside Tom Almond and Spencer Brown ensured Durham had firm control of proceedings in the centre of the park, while Billy Wells and Ol-iver Gill combined to form a formida-ble centre-half partnership.

Gill in particular shone through-out and deservedly received the man-of-the-match award from his team-mates after the game.

In addition, Giles and Dan McWil-liams linked up with regularity on the left-hand side, while Tom Spurl-ing and Matt Goss similarly worked well as a pair on the opposite flank.

To compete against, and indeed at times overwhelm, a team laden with professionals and future stars bodes extremely well for the forthcoming BUCS season.

After securing back-to-back pro-

motions, the first team will at the very least be aiming for a season of consolidation in Northern 1A, but on the basis of this performance ambi-tions within the club could be set even higher.

Club Captain Spencer Brown was thrilled with the team’s performance, and believes it will fill the side with confidence ahead of the first BUCS league game against Leeds.

“We were well on top for over half the game, and simultaneously looked rock-solid defensively and threaten-ing going forward,” he said.

“Our ‘keeper had very little to do throughout the whole game, and af-ter hitting the woodwork twice in the first half we can count ourselves un-lucky not to come away with a result.

“Nonetheless, this was an incred-ible experience, playing on an im-maculate pitch and enjoying world-class facilities.

“Peter Beardsley was watching, and the Newcastle first-team squad were training very nearby, so as foot-ballers it was a fantastic day out.

“More importantly, it shall hope-fully mean we’re firing on all cylin-ders for the start of the BUCS season.”

After an opening day trip to Leeds, Durham will host Leeds Met on 24th October. Games against Chester, Liv-erpool and Newcastle will then fol-low.

Historic Day for DUAFCDurham University football club more than hold their own in a final pre-season friendly against Newcastle United reservesBillly Phillips

“We’re firing on all cylinders for the start of the BUCS season” Spencer Brown, DUAFC club captain

1-0Final score: Newcastle FC Reserves vs DUAFC


was quite cool. All the famous people wanted to talk to the athletes which was really nice.

P: What was the lead up to the race like? How did you prepare?

SH: For the six weeks leading up to the Games we were away first in Ger-many and then in Italy. We flew back before the Games started and had a trip to the Olympic village and then went back to our own accommoda-tion and we were in quite a good lit-tle bubble. We focused on our own performance and delivering what we had done in training.

P: Did you feel much pressure in the weeks beforehand?

SH: No not really, we knew how well we were going as a boat but we were flying under the radar a bit. Being in our team there a lot of high profile athletes probably in a lot more de-mand than we were.

P: How do you get psyched for a race?

SH: I try and stay as calm as possible for the morning before. Then about an hour before I like to listen to some music and that really gets me in the right zone for racing, either Kanye West or Gaslight Anthem.

P: If you had to pinpoint reasons or qualities for you being successful and getting to the top of your sport over other talented athletes – what would they be?

SH: Perseverance, confidence in my abilities and also making the right de-cisions for me. I work hard and don’t cut any corners. That really started for me at Durham, learning to enjoy university sport and to also keep working hard towards a goal.

P: Do you think your time at Durham helped you?

SH: Yes definitely. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to carry on rowing once I got to university. I think if I had gone to another university I probably wouldn’t have carried on, but at Dur-ham it was a lot easier to get into a successful rowing programme.

P: And did you enjoy your time in DUBC?

SH: Yeah definitely. I was there at a time when there were a lot of other U23 athletes, so we had a good train-ing group.

P: How much training were you do-ing a week?

SH: It depended very much if we were home or abroad. We obviously can train harder on camp but we can recover better. In the UK it was maybe 15-16 sessions a week and then on camp more like 20. We normally do three sessions a day and then a day off every three weeks. You normally try to not think how much training you’re doing! It means that you’re eating up to 4,000 calories a day!

P: What are your plans for the future? Rio 2016?

SH: I’m going to take time out and think about what I want to do. After the emotion of an Olympic Games it would be stupid to rush into any deci-sions. I need to let the dust settle a bit and think about my motivations and whether I want to commit to the next four years. Rowing is a not a sport that you can do half-heartedly and I’d only want to do it if I was 100% con-vinced it was the right thing to do.

“We’re going to be on a stamp!”

Kat Copeland’s first words to Sophie on crossing the line as Olympic Champions

Golden Moment: Sophie and her doubles partner, Kat Copeland, celebrating their monumentous victory on the Olympic podium Photograph: Ben Rodford

@PalatiSPORT

Palatinate

Blades of glory: Sophie Hosking and Kat Copeland rowing into history Photograph: Ben Rodford

20The number of training sessions a week on camp

As Durham enters another academic year, so begins the sporting season.

In preparation for what hopes to be a successful season in the BUCS leagues, many of the Univer-sity Sports teams completely several weeks of pre-season training prior to the start of term.

With Durham finishing an all time best of second in BUCS last year, a massive effort is required from all teams if they intend to equal if not

exceed this exceptional ranking.Wednesday 10th October saw

Team Durham sides take to the field in final dress rehearsals for some and opening BUCS clashes for others.

Rugby have had a smashing start to the season.

They recently beat Oxford and also overcame Northumbria with a 27-7 win on Wednesday.

Although this triumph is encour-aging, Duncan Finnie emphasised the impact that losing key players will have on their pursuit of another Twickenham final.

He said: “We have lost seven guys from the starting line up. A couple of freshers have come in but it’s go-ing to take time to get to know each other on the pitch.

“Our realistic aim is to win the league and go to Twickenham but we won’t be steam rolling teams like we did last season.”

The men’s second team battled

with Newcastle but Durham frustrat-ingly lost 6-4.

However, K-man - the lacrosse social secretary - was not too con-cerned by the loss.

He said: “Pre-season went really well and we’ve got excellent coach-ing. This was our first game, so natu-rally we were a bit rusty but we know where we need to improve. We’re gunning for another BUCS victory.”

The seconds took their friendly match against Newcastle as an op-portunity to experiment and rotate players into different positions to find the winning combination.

They lost 15-33 on this occasion but Hannah Rodgers, a new member of the team, expressed a determina-tion to thrash them in their league meeting.

Similarly to rugby, the netball first team have also lost a large number of key players, to the extent that their rivals do not believe they will be able to maintain their spot in the Premier-ship.

Despite this, DUNC aim to prove the haters wrong by finishing at least fourth.

The women’s 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teams were all away at Leeds Univer-sity.

The second team looked confident securing an easy 2-0 victory but the thirds only managed a 0-0 draw, and the fourths suffered a bruising 6-3 loss.

Ele Morley, fourth team captain, said: “We have a lot to work on but I’m feeling positive. With training we’ll beat them in the league.”

Tuesday 16th October 2012 | PALATINATE

Sport Interview with Sophie HoskingWhat it takes to be a gold medallist, p. 18-19

Durham sides gear up for dominationKate Houghton “We won’t be

able to steam roller teams like we did last season”Duncan Finnie, DURFC

Wtih a string of successful results under their belts, Durham’s sport sides, including DUWRFC, are ready to tackle a new season Photograph: Anni Pekie

Holly Colvin: World T20 finalistEngland’s cricketers just miss out in Sri Lanka, p. 17

RUGBY

NETBALL

LACROSSE

HOCKEY

2ndDurham’s all time best BUCS position (last year)

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