Palatinate Online

Phoenix – Bankrupt!

sub.editors — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:38:35 +0000

by Alex Egge

With their fifth album, Bankrupt! Phoenix produce a solid, although at times inconsistent, follow-up to 2009′s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The album is a movement in a more experimental direction which payed off tremendously on some songs. Unfortunately this also makes the album lack a cohesive feel. Overall, Bankrupt! is an interesting album which provides some uptempo poppy songs along with some more laid back and experimental tracks but in the process loses focus.

The album starts off with one of the most commercial tracks, the first single ‘Entertainment‘. This song’s upbeat tempo and catchy chorus are indicative of the band’s unique style, while the overall scope of the song feels much larger due to more high-tech production.

Other standout tracks include ‘S.O.S in Bel Air‘, which has the perfect mix of tantalizing harmonies and melodic synthesizers with a chorus that is hard to resist singing along to. The song ‘Drakkar Noir‘ is also a fantastically upbeat and comparatively poppy addition to the mix. These songs showcase the punctuated lyricism and distinctive vocal style of singer Thomas Mars.

The song ‘Chloroform‘ combines the melodies and lyricism of classic Phoenix with the experiemental new direction that prevades this album. The simple yet poetic lyrics pair nicely with the fantastic beat and slow tempo which drive this song. This steady beat is broken by a softer and more sweaping second half which leaves the listener hoping for more. This song’s gentle ending is refreshing and makes this song a risk very much worth taking and the standout track of this album.

The song ‘Bourgeois ’ is a pleasantly slowed down and simpler track which gets overshadowed by the other tracks on the album. This track is a refreshing throwback to the style found on previous albums and provides respite from the more complicated and produced style that Phoenix embraced this time around.

Unfortunately the title track ‘Bankrupt!‘ is the biggest flaw on this album. At nearly 7 minutes long this song needed to be strong throughout and provide a solid centre to the album, a risk that did not pay off. With an intro over 4 and a half minutes long, this song drags to get started. The intro is a fairly generic and tedious synth solo that is increadibly out of place on an album full of high-tempo vocally driven songs. The song continues into an unremarkable dirge-like ballad which creates a long lull right in the middle of an otherise fantastic mix.

Overall, Bankrupt! is a great album which gives Phoenix’s signature style a revamped and braver sound. The band took more risks with this album, many of which resulted in fantastic songs such as ‘Chloroform’ and ‘Bourgeois’. These risks also unfortunetly resulted in the dissapointing title track which is the album’s biggest weakness. Bankrupt! is a welcome return to Phoenix after a 4 year gap since their last album, but with a little more focus and consistency it would have better lived up to its hype.

Durham conmen target student

sub.editors — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:45:26 +0000

by Natasha Tierney

An international student was the victim of a scam operation in Durham Market Place.

A man approached the 22 year old claiming to be selling an iPhone and iPad as he was struggling to pay his rent.

The student said he was interested in buying the items and withdrew £250 from a cash point.

He went with the man to a nearby garage where he was shown the iPad and iPhone in the boot of a car.

Having handed over the £250 in cash, the man gave him a bag that he claimed contained both devices.

However, on opening the bag later the student discovered that it in fact contained just a 1.5 litre bottle of water and some cardboard.

The Northern Echo reports that Durham police are now warning people to be on their guard against similar scams.

They say the conman is described as white, around 5 ft 8ins tall, clean shaven with short fair hair and of slim build. Another man, who remained in the car during the scam exchange, is described as white and of a “dirty” appearance, with frizzy hair and a mustache.

The police urge anyone with further information to contact PC Paul Vickers on their non-emergency number, 101.

Last year, a study showed that Durham had the third lowest university crime rate in Britain based on a report of crimes within a three mile radius of the main university campus.

In February, the University’s Police Liaison Officer Phil Raine told Palatinate that reports of crimes, particularly of burglaries and thefts, had decreased since the previous year.

He assured students that “Durham is very safe.”

Photograph: Durham University

Year Abroad: Paris of the Middle East

blogs.editor — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:43 +0000

By Seun Onabolu

Entirely foreign to the region and as a stranger to the less economically developed world, my arrival in Beirut is best characterised by discomfort – discomfort that perhaps I ought to have been prepared for or at least to have expected from a move to a so famously unsettled land. But clouded by ignorance and deluded by optimism, I had naively (perhaps unforgivably) made no effort to even consider the meaning of those nuances suggested within Beirut’s mercilessly repeated slogan, “The Paris of the Middle East” – and instead I had rather understood from those words something more akin to Paris in the Middle East – a view which, of course, I now treat as great misjudgement.

Perhaps, like the Paris of the Enlightenment, Beirut ought to be considered the pioneer amongst an Arab fleet – a pioneer in the protection of human rights, religious pluralism, and freedom of expression in a region that is yet to address many of these fundamental socio-political issues. Rather, I cannot help but feel that if Beirut is indeed a pioneering Middle Eastern city in any aspect of its development then it must be navigating blindly. Clumsily unaware of its weight Lebanese society seems to find itself where it is by chance without any control over its course. Unsurprisingly then, it is constantly unsettled, ever unsure, even when it finds itself in pleasant waters.

Superficiality is that deep foundation upon which Lebanon now builds itself – an impenetrable facade which, upon its discovery, leaves us at best in dismay, otherwise utterly confounded. Only on so fictitious a foundation could a Paris be built in the region. It is commonplace knowledge that the house built on sand repeatedly suffers spoil at the indiscriminate hand of the sea, and the well- known consequence of such commonplace error is so brutally evident in Beiruti society. As such, what is of real interest is the cause of such ignorance in a society that is surely now old enough to make its own way. If not from mistakes, then from what will it learn?

For example, the woman’s apparent freedom to dress as she wishes has somehow almost been enough to see the surrender of her voice – her surrender, whether it be because of ignorance or because of despair, being far more sorrowful an image than her denial. So widespread across all strata of society here is a viciously false misconception: that such a small (and yet so seemingly large) freedom is exchangeable for or even equivalent to the enjoyment of equal rights – which the Lebanese woman is most certainly not afforded. I hasten to add that the woman’s plight is but one of several discrepancies in this place.

The seemingly honourable title of “The Paris of the Middle East” is surely, verily, and solely a lingering relic of colonialist France. The confusion of a rude interruption and unfinished statement plagues Lebanese society with diffraction. The same thorough misjudgement that I am now ashamed to have made before my arrival is pitifully commonplace misunderstanding amongst the greater population here. The consequent sui generis cultural identity (or lack thereof) is woefully ridiculous and comically absurd. In every sense engulfed in unrest and with friction at its borders with Israel in the south and Syria, Lebanon’s crisis is much more than its post-colonial identity issue. Surely, as the capital of a state which is half the size of Wales but whose problematic presence far exceeds its size, Beirut ought to have long ago unshackled itself from that patronising and submissive linking with France.

Photograph: Seun Onabolu

University artwork: the artist’s perspective

sub.editors — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:19:08 +0000

by Lucy Edwardes Jones

The work of Durham sculptor Fenwick Lawson, featured in and around many University colleges and buildings, has undoubtedly inspired debate among students. The haunting figures outside the Bill Bryson library, ‘Cry for Justice – The Scream’, are inspired by victims of the Vietnam conflict. The same sense of violence is captured by the Law School’s newly installed sculpture, ‘The Hostage’, based upon the Lebanon hostage crisis.

Students have expressed mixed opinions on these works, particularly following recent revelations of the University’s £1.4m spend on art, with some questioning the appropriateness of the depressing subject matter in a place of study.

Lawson will make a rare public appearance on Sunday 26th May, when he will be “In Conversation” with artist-in-residence at Ustinov College, Alan O’Cain. This informal event, organised by Ustinov Cafe des Arts, is part of Ustinov College’s Tenth Anniversary celebrations. Discussion will explore the sculptor’s life and works, giving students a chance to learn about the meaning and processes behind these familiar sculptures. Original Fenwick Lawson sculptures, newly cast into bronze, will also be on show.

The event will also provide an opportunity to explore the works of Alan O’Cain, including his current project for Ustinov; a permanently sited 8-metre wide triptych painted on aluminium panels, donated as gift rather than adding to the University’s 5-fold art overspend. Some feel that recent criticism of university artwork has overlooked the fact that many pieces were donated, including Fay Pomerance’s ‘Sphere of Redemption’.

Attending this talk will allow students to learn more about the perspective of the artist within the university’s highly controversial acquisition of an extensive art collection. Sculptor Fenwick Lawson will be ‘In Conversation’ with Artist Alan O’Cain at Fisher House, Ustinov College, Sunday May 26th, 6.15 pm, admission free.

Photographs: Lawson’s ‘Cry for Justice – The Scream’, courtesy of Nicoletta Asciuto,
Alan O’Cain and Fenwick Lawson in the studio, courtesy of Juliet Lunn

Reader’s Scigest 16-05-13

sub.editors — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:07:28 +0000

By Jonny Bowers

Both parents took young to the Jurassic park

Modern birds have been used to test the probably incubation behaviour of Theropods, the group of carnivorous dinosaurs from which birds descended (pictured). Published in Biology Letters the study suggests that shared incubation from both parents is an ancestral behavioural trait that could be traced back to the dinosaurs. Previously it had been proposed that male Theropods were responsible of the incubation of eggs. The new findings will change the way in which theory of dinosaur parenthood and reproduction is considered by palaeontologists.

Cottoning on

Raw, unprocessed cotton could be the best way of dealing with oil spills, new research has suggested. Scientists have recently published a report saying that raw cotton can hold 30 times its own weight in crude oil through both adsorption and absorption. In addition to this, cotton is easily grown and would act as an ecologically friendly alternative to synthetic sorbents. There was very little research previously existing on raw cotton’s properties as previous studies focussed on other materials from wool to straw made from barley. It is hoped that by looking into ways of cleaning up spills major oil disasters can be contained in future.

Sign of change?

“Alltrials”, a campaign launched this January, has sent out a call this week for all of its UK supporters to sign a petition or send a letter to their MEP in a hope that this will result in the issue being raised at the EU. The campaign wants all of the trials on drugs commissioned by pharmaceutical companies to be published so that doctors and health authorities can make educated decisions about prescription. GlaxoSmithKline has come out in support of the campaign, but some other pharmaceuticals remain convinced that the extra cost of publishing some studies outweighs the benefits of transparency. The campaign has become global, with branches as far afield as the US and South Africa.

Photograph: Dallas Krentzel

Atmospheric carbon dioxide at highest level in human history

sub.editors — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:15:26 +0000

By Rory Tingle

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere have reached 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history, according to readings from the US government observatory in Hawaii.

The last time this amount of greenhouse gas was in the air was three to five million years ago, when sea levels were forty meters higher than today and the Arctic was ice free. Similar conditions are expected to return in time – with devastating consequences for human civilisation – unless CO₂ emissions are rapidly curtailed.

“It symbolises that so far we have failed miserably in tackling this problem,” said Peter Tans, who runs the Mauna Loa observatory which recently reported the reading.

The 400 ppm level may reduce slightly as the northern hemisphere enters the growing season, but this level is expected to be consistently surpassed in the coming years.

Scientists have used the news to urge world leaders to take urgent measures to combat global warming. Sir Brian Hoskins, a leading climatologist from Imperial College London, said the figure should “jolt governments into action”.

Scientists have long argued that carbon dioxide concentrations must be pushed back to 350 ppm to avoid a catastrophic 2°C rise in temperatures, as the 350.org campaign demands. A rapid transition away from fossil fuels would be needed to achieve this, with oceans and forests absorbing excess carbon dioxide to bring concentrations back down to a safe level.

Edward Davey, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change also used this opportunity to hit back at climate change sceptics, saying: “This isn’t just a symbolic milestone, it’s yet another piece of clear scientific evidence of the effect human activity is having on our planet”.

The news comes several weeks after the European Parliament voted against a plan to undertake vital reforms to the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Bob Ward, policy director on climate change at the London School of Economics reflected: “We are creating a prehistoric climate in which human societies will face huge and potentially catastrophic risks. Only by urgently reducing global emissions will we be able to avoid the full consequences of turning back the climate clock by 3 million years”.

Photograph: Kevin Dooley

Gallery – Durham, round 2: Pearl Izumi Tour Series

sub.editors — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:08:18 +0000

See a selection of moments from round two of the annual event, where Rapha Condor JLT’s Kristian House successfully defended his Durham title with a dominant solo ride.

Keystone XL – The key moment in America’s climate battle?

blogs.editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:35 +0000

By Rory Tingle

Nearly two months after Democrat campaigners shamed Republican global warming deniers in Congress pressure is growing on Obama to take historic action on climate change by blocking the Keystone XL pipeline.

A group of 150 high-profile Democrat party donors have written to Obama claiming that his presidency is the last “in which it is possible for America to choose a responsible path forward for itself before climate disruption becomes unmanageably dangerous”.

The pipeline represents a massive infrastructure project, which would link the Alberta tar sands in Canada to the refineries of the Texas coast, with the possibility of transporting 830,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day.

A rejection of the pipeline could signify a vital turning point in America’s troubled battle against global warming, with the Democrat campaigners comparing the decision to President Lincoln’s ending of slavery.

However, Obama would face huge opposition from Republicans in Congress such as John Boehner, who recently claimed that concerns over carbon emissions were “almost comical”.

Others are intent on depriving campaigners of a symbolic turning point around which to rally support. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman said:

“There have been thousands of miles of pipelines that have been built while President Obama has been in office, and I think the point is that it hasn’t necessarily had a significant impact one way or the other in addressing climate change”.

In other words, the fossil fuel lobby still have the upper hand; weighing up the political risks, it seems that Obama is likely to approve the project.

The battle lines are set, with the Democrat campaigners pledging to “support you in every way possible”. Will Obama hold his nerve and live up to his promise to make climate change a key issue in his second term?

“The politics of this are tough”, as Obama said to the audience of a west coast fundraiser last month.

Still, didn’t old Lincoln have a bit of a hard time abolishing the slave trade?

Honours shared as Hatfield and Collingwood dominate College Hockey Cup

sub.editors — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:52 +0000

Sophie Barton holds possession for Collingwood.

by Jack Miller

Wednesday 8th May saw Collingwood and Hatfield battle it out in the finals of this year’s floodlit knockout hockey tournament.

They had both made it to the men’s and the women’s finals, in the competition where DUHC’s finest are allowed to represent their colleges to show who really boasts the most hockey talent in Durham.

Both sides brought down strong support on the day, but the crowd grew restless as the pushback for the ladies’ game was delayed due to an issue with the water pump on the pitch. With the umpires agreeing to press on and play the first half while the pump was fixed, the dry pitch in the first period made for some interesting hockey.

With both sides placed mid-table in the college league and boasting several ringers from the university side, it was clear that it would be a tight contest from the outset.

Early on, Hatfield utilised the dry pitch the most by sending several hard, bobbling balls into the D that proved hard to defend against. But it was Collingwood who created the first real opening, with a superb through ball from Lucy Burton-Brown cutting through the Hatfield defence and allowing Amy Symes-Thompson a chance to shoot. However, Hatfield goalkeeper Alice Stuart-Grumbar was up to the challenge, saving well at her feet.

Collingwood continued to press forward with Sophie Barton winning several penalty corners, and the women in red were denied only by more fine saves from Stuart-Grumbar, most notably down to her right after a fierce strike from Emma O’Nien.

However, Collingwood continued to penetrate the Hatfield defence, and a slick passing move on the 16-yard line resulted in another opening for O’Nien, who smartly finished into the corner on her reverse stick to put Collingwood ahead.

There was controversy on the stroke of half-time, as Hatfield were denied an equaliser through an Alice Banks strike from a penalty-corner, which bobbled (probably as a result of the dry pitch) and was ruled to have crept over the height of the backboard.

The pitch was finally watered at half-time, which made for a much better quality of hockey in the second half.

Hatfield began to offer a little more going forward, and created the best chance of the half, as after an excellent run down the right, the speedy Alice Kerr’s ball into the D was somehow missed on the back post. As the half progressed, Collingwood began to hold onto the ball a little better and were able to close out the game as Hatfield were unable to create any more openings.

Thus the game finished 1-0 to Collingwood, marking their second victory in the competition in as many years.

Collingwood’s Ollie Silverton at full stretch.

Hatfield’s men must have fancied their chances of exacting some revenge, as undefeated in the cup competition in three years and boasting some of the university squad’s top talent, they looked incredibly hard to beat from the outset. Collingwood, who were also missing key players at the back through injury, knew they were facing an uphill struggle.

The game began at an incredibly fast pace, and Hatfield almost scored straight from the push-back after a lovely move down the left, denied only by an outstanding piece of defending by stand-in centre-back Russell Speight.

They did not have to wait long though, and Hatfield went one up after the terrier-like Tom Batchelor won the ball in the Collingwood half, before beating two players and finding Martyn Lear on the back-post with his reverse stick.

Hatfield scored again moments later, with Collingwood again giving the ball away in their own half, and Lear again put the ball into the net, after an incredible goal-line clearance from Jamie Chamberlain, to make it 2-0.

It looked at this point as though the game could turn into a riot, but the partisan Collingwood crowd was not silenced and their team began to settle a little as Hatfield continued to press forward.

However, there was nothing they could do to stop Hatfield scoring again, and Collingwood once again shot themselves in the foot, giving the ball away in a dangerous area. A passing move down the right resulted in a squared ball from Hatfield veteran Jack Kennedy which was finished off by Josh Barnes for Hatfield’s third. Kennedy and Barnes again combined moments later, but the latter could only find the post after an imaginative through ball from Kennedy.

Collingwood then began to create some chances of their own, with fresher Ed Peel looking dangerous, and it was from his aerial ball into the D that Ollie Silverton’s first-time cross-shot missed the back post by inches.

The reds were then pegged back by a careless sin-bin for fresher Fred Swift after a cynical foul, but you wouldn’t have thought it as Collingwood scored a breakaway goal just before half-time. Peel was centre of the action again as great work down the right drew Adam Williams out of the Hatfield goal, before Will Thompson was able to slot in the rebound past a desperate Kennedy on the goal-line, giving Collingwood something to play for in the second half.

Spurred on by their goal, Collingwood began the second half positively, winning a couple of penalty-corners, but it was Hatfield who drew first blood. Batchelor expertly finished into the far corner to make it 4-1 after he had robbed a defender in a dangerous area, although from the sideline it looked as though he may have fouled him.

Hatfield’s men celebrate their 4-2 victory.

Hatfield were kept at bay by Collingwood keeper Simon Carey, who produced a great double save from a penalty corner. The game became increasingly open, and with Hatfield’s Mark Foster and Collingwood’s Chamberlain trading aerials, the crowd was treated to end-to-end hockey in the final stages.

Collingwood gave themselves a lifeline with a few minutes left on the clock, as Peel once again caused havoc in the D, dispossessing the Hatfield centre-back before playing in Silverton who finished well. This was a case of too little, too late however from Collingwood, and despite late pressure they could do nothing more about the result.

The men’s clash finished 4-2 then; four wins in a row in this competition for Hatfield is a very impressive achievement indeed. Special mentions should be made for Adam Williams, Jack Kennedy, and George Simmons, who have featured in all four victories.

Photographs: Mark Foster

Inaugural Zambian Cup promises thrilling day of sport

sub.editors — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:42 +0000

by Jack Miller

For several years now, Team Durham has proudly supported the Sport in Action Zambia charity, a project based around social development through sport.

The initiative works to deliver school PE lessons, community sports programmes and health awareness workshops within the most deprived areas of the country, particularly in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.

Through the provision of sport, the focus is on the positive effect that sport can have upon underprivileged communities that are struggling with high levels of unemployment, crime, and many health risks such as HIV-AIDS. By encouraging children and young people to attend sessions, the project hopes that sport can be used as a medium to develop motivation and self-development, and help improve the quality of their lives.

Team Durham has been doing more and more work with the charity every year, and the 4^th of June will see the first ever ‘Team Durham Zambian Cup’, where a selection of the most talented sportspeople in the University will compete against each other in a multi-sports tournament, hopefully raising a large amount of money for this worthwhile cause.

Tickets are £10 and include entry for all six games on offer during the day:

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Women’s Hockey at Netball, 12 – 1pm.

Men’s Football vs. Men’s Rugby at Hockey, 1.15 – 2.15pm.

Women’s Hockey vs. Women’s Netball at Lacrosse, 2.30 – 3.30pm.

Men’s Hockey vs. Men’s Football at Rugby, 3.45 – 5pm.

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Women’s Netball at Hockey, 5.15 – 6.15pm.

Men’s Hockey vs. Men’s Rugby at Football, 6.30 – 7.30pm.

Your money will also get you discount entry into Monk Durham’s Zambian Cup event that will be happening in the evening, with more details and deals to be announced soon. As well as this, the bar at Maiden Castle will be open all day, accompanied by stands selling food; this looks set to be one of the events of the summer.

Head of this new project, second-year student Mark Foster, told Palatinate that “the whole idea came from trying to put on a fun event where we could put some of the best sportsmen and women at the University out of their comfort zone.

“We wanted to challenge them at things they are not really used to and find out which club is really the ‘best sports club in Durham’. Being able to do this while raising as much money as we can for such an important charity is an incredible opportunity, and hopefully we will be successful enough that we can carry on this event on over the next few years.”

Reps from each of the sports teams involved will be selling tickets over the next few weeks. Ensure you sign up to support your friends, your club, or just to support a truly worthwhile cause.

For more information, visit the event page on Facebook.

Durham scientists aid antibiotic renaissance

sub.editors — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:26:11 +0000

By Chris Somers

Recent research led by scientists from Durham University’s School of Biological and Biomedical Science has made a significant contribution to the understanding of antibiotic resistance.

The research project, led by Professor Adrian Walmsley, who worked in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Birmingham, has isolated inhibitors for the development of antibiotic resistance, potentially laying the foundations for an urgently needed renaissance in the use of antibiotics.

This most recent development in the fight against antibiotic resistance comes at a time when the issue is becoming more globally problematic than ever before. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that multi-drug resistance accounts for more than 150,00 deaths a year due to tuberculosis alone. The WHO has recently predicted a “doomsday scenario of a world without antibiotics”, as an ever-increasing number of common bacterial infections become incurable.

The research focused on so-called gram-negative bacteria, which are inherently less susceptible to antibiotic treatments due to their characteristic outer membrane and possession of transmembrane ‘pumps’ capable of rejecting molecules designed to interfere with the bacteria’s metabolic activity.

Examples of gram-negative bacteria include those which cause food poisoning, meningitis, gonorrhoea and respiratory problems.

Professor Walmsley elaborated:

“By investigating how these pumps function, we have been able to identify the molecular events that are involved in binding and transporting an antibiotic from the cell. This advance in our understanding will ultimately aid the development of ‘pump blockers’. This is important because these pumps often confer resistance to multiple, structurally unrelated, drugs; which means that they could also be resistant to new drugs which have never been used before.”

The research, which was funded by the Welcome Trust, provides the first clear insight into the structure of the protein pumps, and how this allows them to transport antibiotic components from the cells.

Dr Vassiliy Bavro from the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham said:

“This study greatly expands our understanding of the mechanistic aspects of the pump function, and in particular challenges our previous concepts of energy requirements for pump assembly and cycling. By elucidating the intricate details of how these essential nanomachines come together, it also provides a new working model of their functional cycle in general, paving the way to development of novel approaches to disrupting their function.”

Photograpgh: Sean Ragan

Durham welcomes Pearl Izumi Tour Series

sub.editors — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:06:38 +0000

by Daniel Hobbs

Durham is set to host the second round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series on Thursday 16^th May.

The Tour sees Britain’s best domestic cycling teams come up against one another in battle to be crowned champions by the end of the series.

Although individual glory is a bonus, the competition is all about the team and placing three out of the team’s five riders highest up the finishing order as possible to gain the highest amount of points.

The event boasts a number of household names. These include last year’s stage victor Kristian House and Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy, both riding for Rapha Condor JLT.

In addition to the team competition, there are also three intermediate sprints taking place each round – roughly every 15 minutes – providing great entertainment for the watching crowds. The first five riders across the line receive points and the cyclist with the most points at the end of the series wins the sprint competition.

The Durham circuit is the second round out of a total of eleven in the series, and provides a challenging prospect for the cyclists as they have to negotiate the cobbled streets and steep climbs of Durham city, described as ‘the most notorious circuit on the Tour calendar’.

Team Raleigh won the first round, filling three of the top six spots in Kirkcaldy, Fife, and will be looking to cement their position at the top of the standings with another win in Durham. However at this early stage of the Tour it is all to play for, and the teams will be sizing one another up to see which teams are in with a chance of becoming Tour champions.

The race starts near Durham School at 7pm, finishing at approximately 8.15pm, so if work is getting you down, leave the house for some fresh air and what should be an extremely exciting race. The atmosphere at last year’s event was electric (not to mention some dramatic crashes) and it is a great way to relieve the stress of impending exams.

For more information visit www.tourseries.co.uk.

Photograph: Flickr ID ‘limegarth’

Extreme Fundraising

sub.editors — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:35:08 +0000

By Cressida Peever

Durham’s bravest procrastinators went to death-defying lengths last Saturday 11^th May to raise money for DUCK by bungee jumping on Palace Green.

Whether it was their devotion to fundraising, or simply a hope of putting exam fear into perspective by plummeting towards the ground, 55 students signed up to throw themselves from a 175ft crane, which stood almost as high as the largest cathedral tower.

Palatinate Editor, Harriet Line, was one of those bold enough to risk the drop. “The feeling of plummeting towards the ground was a very peculiar one.” She told us, “Both terrifying and exhilarating. I wasn’t frightened at all, however, I screamed embarrassingly loudly.”

The weather was far from ideal; looking up into the bleak, grey clouds of the English summer as the wind rattled the jumping-platform, it seemed a wonder that anyone had ventured forth from the warmth and safety of the library.

DUCK Challenges Officer, Chris Pocock allayed my concern by asserting that it was only strong wind which could thwart the student’s fundraising fun. Rain, sleet, or even the miracle of sunshine would not have been a problem for the proceedings.

“This is one of our only events where you can just rock up on the day”, Chris explained. He was also proud to report that no one had backed out of the event.

Shalaka and Rhiannon’s tandem jump.

I spoke to Shalaka Darshane and Rhiannon Cowling after their tandem jump. When jumping in pairs, fundraisers had to face each other, and the leader of the pair had to topple backwards from the platform. Still full of adrenalin, they said they felt like jelly, and their excitement was such that they smiled and giggled more than they were able to form words about their experience.

I was also informed that the mother of another jumper had phoned around the family with strict instructions not to offer sponsorship in an attempt to stop her son from risking his life (and dignity) for DUCK.

Harriet summed up the event by saying that it was “great watching everyone jump, and incredible to see so many people willing to throw themselves off a crane for a good cause.” And if you would like evidence of her embarrassing screaming, here’s a clip for you to enjoy.

Harriet throws herself to fate. Video: Christabel Wickert

Nightline announces training weekend

sub.editors — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:13:39 +0000

by Durham University Nightline

In the last edition of Palatinate, several students wrote about the need for a greater awareness of mental health issues which affect student life.

After exams Nightline will be holding a Training Weekend, from 1^st-2^nd June, which aims to raise awareness and encourage Durham students to be open about these issues and to discuss mental health and well being.

Here, a new volunteer talks about their experience, having attended the most recent Nightline weekend:

“The most important thing I learnt on the Nightline training weekend was that “it’s okay not to be okay”. As an apparently happy-go-lucky person with equally carefree seeming friends, the thought that I, or one of my friends, might not be okay was not something I wanted to face prior to the weekend.

When friends did talk to me about mental illnesses they suffer from or problems they were having, I would inwardly panic – “what could I possibly say to make this better?” Often I would talk about my own experiences to show I could empathise but the weekend made me realise that this rarely helps.

When people, especially friends, gather the courage to talk to you, usually they want to do just that – talk – and they just want you to listen. You do not need solutions to their problems; often there are none. You just need ears.

The weekend also helped my own mental health; the talks and group exercises teach you to focus on the feelings of the person you are listening to. This can help you to become more aware of your own emotions, so you can realise when you are not okay and need somebody to listen to you for a while. This is an incredibly important awareness skill in the busy world of university where issues can creep up on you.

I would recommend the weekend to everyone, because anyone can learn something from it. You will learn how to actually listen, rather than just hear; you might learn something invaluable about mental health; and you might just, like I did, learn something about yourself that you know will stay with you forever. I honestly cannot think of a more valuable way to spend a weekend.”

Look out for Nightline volunteers outside the Bill Bryson Library over lunchtime every day this week, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the organization or the training weekend.

For more information, visit the website (www.dur.ac.uk/nightline) or ‘like’ Nightline on ‘Facebook’ (www.facebook.com/durhamnightline) to be updated on sign-up for the training weekend.

Photograph: Durham University Nightline

Year Abroad: An insight into Switzerland

blogs.editor — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:01:27 +0000

By Georgia Scanlon

I’ve now been living in Bern for almost 6 weeks. I feel my confidence with speaking German has grown (not necessarily meaning I’m making fewer mistakes!), I’m loving my classes, and enjoying being back in student halls. This Erasmus semester has also given me a chance to get to know a bit more about Switzerland. Before I came, I knew a tiny bit but after 6 weeks I thought that these were some pretty interesting things that were worth sharing:

1) Switzerland has 4 languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Romansh looks very much like Italian to me, and has only been a language of Switzerland since 1938. It was voted in as a national language by an overwhelming majority – 92%, and one of the main reasons why it was put to a vote was because Mussolini was trying to claim it was an Italian dialect.

2) Swiss German vs German German (or Hochdeutsch). There’s a big difference. Swiss German has a very very strong accent (Haus is pronounced Huus for example), but there is also a difference in vocabulary at a basic level – like thank you and excuse me. There is no accusative case (doesn’t mean much to English speakers, we don’t have cases) and no perfect tense (example “I have been” or “I have eaten”) either. What confuses my brain the most however is the use of French words by Germans. Instead of “Danke” (thank you) they say “merci”. This is completely weird to me, having spent the last 7/8 years trying to never mix these two languages.

3) Swiss French. There isn’t a big difference between Swiss French and French French, but they just speak a lot slower here (according to the French French students I’ve met).

4) Knocking on desks. This both perplexed and slightly scared me the first time this happened. At the end of a lecture, students knock on the desks to signify applause for the lecturer. By now (four weeks into lectures) I join in, but didn’t have the foggiest at the start.

5) They say “sorry”. And by that, I mean they say the English word “sorry” to apologise. Albeit in a strong accent that I can’t convey in writing but still, they say “sorry”. And quite often actually, so it isn’t just the English that do that!

6) The coins. Swiss Francs are pretty, prettier than Euros anyway. They are pretty colours and have lines and squiggles on them. However, I have a massive issue with the coins. Why are they nearly ALL SILVER? And all the same shape!! And why make a 10p the same as a 50p! It makes NO SENSE. I miss the British system with all the nice different shapes, sizes and colours. Is it really that hard?!

7) The vending machines in the main train station sells pregnancy tests. Alongside hemp flavoured iced tea. Weird.

8) Everything is shut on a Sunday. In mainland Europe, this is normal. I still don’t like it.

9) The army. Around the weekends you see lots of young-ish guys walking around in army uniforms, especially at Bern Hauptbahnhof (the main station), some wielding slightly scary guns. This is because military service is still compulsory in Switzerland. At the age of 18, men do a year in the army, and go back for 3 week refresher courses every year until their mid-30s. They are also allowed to keep aforementioned terrifying gun once they have finished their service.

10) The letters CH. I had always wondered why the letters CH represented Switzerland, and why at the end of web addresses there was .ch. This is because Switzerland is actually called the Swiss Confederation, or in Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica. Hence CH.

11) Bears. In Bern, bears are everywhere (not living ones- that would make living here quite dangerous). Bern’s symbol is of a bear, and there’s a myth that the founder of the city went out into the woods nearby and the first animal he saw was a bear, which was why he named the city Bern. Not actually true but it’s a good story anyway! This means there are bear statues, bear paintings, bear pits (so there are a few live bears around), and even a model of a bear on a unicycle on one of the tram wires.

12) Dogs. They like dogs here. They’re almost treated like humans, they’re allowed in all restaurants and allowed to sit under the table, though they draw the line at dropping food on the floor for them.

13) Cantons. The Swiss version of counties/states/départements/Bundesländer etc. There are 26 of them, and most do speak German.

14) Recycling. Despite being super duper enthusiastic about recycling (they take it very very seriously), they give away plastic bags at the supermarket like nobody’s business. I’m used to having to pay for them in the UK, but not here. Strikes me as a bit odd when they like recycling so much.

15) Fondue. A few weeks ago, some of the Swiss French students cooked an amazing fondue for us and taught us how to eat it properly. You’re supposed to twirl the bit of bread that you’ve dipped in the fondue around (like spaghetti) to tie up all the stringy cheese bits, and also you should stir the cheese very quickly with the bread. Apparently there’s also a forfeit for the first person to drop their bread in the cheese, but I’m not so sure on that one!

Anyway, that’s a little bit of an insight into what I’ve experienced of Switzerland so far- also worth noting: the country doesn’t grind to a halt when it snows. Amazing!

Photograph: Georgia Scanlon

Interviewed: Ghostpoet

sub.editors — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:19 +0000

by Patrick Bernard

Obaro Ejimiwe, AKA Ghostpoet, is on the bus when he picks up the phone. I feel this is apt. Back in London now after a decade in the Midlands, he is never more at home than on tfl. His sophomore album Some Say I So I Say Light is out in a fortnight and he is on his way to Shoreditch High Street. Despite the mainstream success of his first album, behind the moniker is still a believable human person.

How did you approach the second album?

I just kind of decided that I needed to be true to myself and make music that I would want to listen to first and foremost and just be creative with my imagination and not allow myself to be restricted,

An easier or a more difficult task than the first?

I wouldn’t say easier. I guess I would say I was in a better position this time around because I wasn’t working a 9-5 job like I was the first time around, I guess in between, a different process.

[loud screech] sorry…I’m on a bus [laughs]

The first album was a bedroom production, put together in a spare room in Coventry. How did your experience in the studio compare?

I mean, the demos were originally made on the road and at home on an upright piano. I was a case of this time around I felt that I wanted to try out the studio and see how that would work, and yeah I was a great learning experience for me—oh shit this bus is going in the completely wrong direction—[he moves to front of the bus] “are you going Shoreditch? Like Shoreditch high street?” [to the bus driver]—sorry—I just wanted to try things that were going to push me, you know, push my boundaries and I felt like the studio would do that this time around.

[Ghostpoet is now off the bus]

This album has an impressive list of featured guests (Lucy Rose, Gwilym Gold and Tony Allen). How did this come about?

Gwilym Gold is someone that I know, a mate of mine, I’ve known him for a few years so when I wrote that particular tune he seemed like the voice that I wanted on it and luckily he was up for it doing it. Lucy Rose is pretty much the same situation, in terms of me writing a song and hearing her own solo stuff for the first time, I was a fan of hers anyway from the stuff she’d done with Bombay Bicycle Club, but I was really intrigued by her voice more when I heard it solo and again I felt that she was the voice that I wanted on it and she was luckily up for it again. Tony Allen came about from my co-producer on this record Richard Formby (Darkstar, Wild Beasts, Egyptian Hip-Hop) and basically hearing the demo of that particular track and saying “let’s get Tony Allen on the track”, and I didn’t know but I though give it a go and so we made the inquiries and he was up for it and it was great having him down and great him being on the record. I just wanted people to help me create a record which was very much about music and being creative, that’s what I wanted to do.

How different would you say this record is from the last?

It’s different, you know, it’s like anything in life, everyday is different. I feel this record is a reflection of a period of time in my life which is different from the first and musically I’ve evolved and creatively I think I’ve evolved, I feel that with the way the first record went, I felt that I could do what I want and I feel that with the first record my mindset was very much about being expressive and luckily people seemed to like what I did and it felt to me that I could just continue down that road and it’s the road that I’m comfortable, so I feel this time around I would just try to explore my creativity a bit more. So yeah, I’m happy with how it’s gone so far, no complaints.

Now that you are part of the ‘music industry’ and have made a name for yourself, would you say that your subject material, lyrically, has changed, now that your life has?

Um, not really, I think that I’m still just talking about life, you know. I’m just getting on the bus now, this is what I do [bus arrives but he doesn’t have enough money on his oyster card]—“f**king hell”—I’m very much within the world, I don’t really talk about being in the music industry because not everyone can relate to that, even though it is obviously what I’m doing, this is what I do as a career, but it’s not what everyday people can relate to. I look at it from the point of view of a listener of music, first and foremost a fan of music, and the stuff that I love has always been music which evokes some kind of emotion in me, makes me think and feel something and I want to try and do that with the music that I make really.

The first album received a great of critical acclaim and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. The dust has settled now, but was that at the back of your mind?

I mean, it was great that it happened, but I don’t want to be defined by being nominated for the Mercury, I want to be defined for hopefully a long lasting career [he is at the counter of a newsagents—“can I put six quid on that please”] and it’s kind of a case of that I didn’t want to get bogged down by the idea of you know potentially, “ah, there’ll more people listening to it, more than my next door neighbour and my dog this time around”. I’ve got to make music for me, I’ve got to make music that I want to listen to first and foremost, and that’s what I did the first time around [runs for the bus—“are you going Shoreditch?”

The album is out in two weeks with a UK tour in support. How has the live show developed?

I’ve just kind of increased my band a little bit so now it’s a three-piece, a combination of drums, keys, guitars, backing vocals, electronic elements and good vibes really. The live show for me is about creating an experience. When I go to gigs I want to be, not entertained, but I want to take away something from that gig that I wouldn’t have from another, and that’s what I’m trying to do with my live show.

One for the fans. The name of the first album, Peanut Blues and Melancholy Jam, if you had to describe yourself using any single condiment?

I guess, a salt and pepper combo shaker, that’s it. A mixture of two things that on it’s own are two individual pieces but mixed together make something different.

That is more than a single condiment, but I let him off. Ghostpoet is by now a well seasoned artist. He is also on the right bus, for which I congratulate him. I ask about his hat (in which he spent most of the first album) but before I can finish he interrupts: ‘I no longer wear hats. My hat days are done. I don’t have time for hats any more. With hats, I feel that I can’t be defined by any particular material thing.’ I am sorry to hear. This is an individual with a clear sense of himself and his music and on his way, I hope, to further success. And Shoreditch.

Some Say I So I Say Light is out now on Play It Again Sam.

Points of View: University Rowing

sub.editors — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:31:21 +0000

Indigo catches up with two members of the University Rowing Freshers’ Squad to find out more about their opinions on Durham life, as well as more about their discipline.

Name, college and subject:

Digby (left) and Sam (right).

Sam Taylor, Hatfield, Criminology.

Digby Walker, Cuth’s, Natural Sciences.

On average, how much of your time does rowing take up per week?

Sam: Just over 30 hours per week in training, but in reality it’s much more. We think about it a lot! If you have a really tough ergo in the evening it takes over your whole day because you’re thinking about it constantly.

Digby: You board the pain train in the morning, for breakfast, lunch and tea, and the ticket master charges you with blood sweat and tears.

Sam: I’ve cried before.

Digby: I’ve cried and been sick.

Sam: We’ve been sick together.

What is the most useful thing DU rowing has taught you for later life?

Sam: Commitments never stop. I’ve had points where I’ve wanted to give up, but it’s the realisation that the people who you do it with also makes an incredible amount of difference. I’ve been injured for the last few months, but I’ve wanted to pull through so that I can be back rowing with my boys!

Digby: We have spoken at great length about the psychology of rowing and how it does translate into later life; I’ve always considered myself to be a strong-minded person, but when I think of that last five hundred metres on the ergo…

Sam: You discover the fact that your mind has limits that are far beyond what you can ever think they are.

Digby: Mike Spracklen, the Canadian Rowing Coach, said that everyone’s got a mental place where they stop, be it a rainy day, a girlfriend, whatever it is… you need to push those boundaries back. You have to push that barrier to just beyond the 2k mark. For example, last weekend, we won our medal by 0.15 of a second.

At this point, the boys go off on a tangent about how statistically they are the most successful fresher squad ever. It is clear how passionate they are about their discipline, as it’s difficult to reign them back in.

Is the worst thing about it the ergos?

Sam: Yes.

Digby: Er… no… I’m not too keen on the whole of it really!

(Both Laugh)

Sam: You know people say it’s a love-hate relationship? The moment it’s over, it’s great and you love it! Then when you start again you hate it with a passion. But if I had to pick the worst thing, it is the ergos… When you’ve got an ergo for an hour, and you’ve got forty-five minutes left and you hurt… And you know you just have to sit there, and realise that every stroke is going to lead to another. It’s just a game of inches, and pushing yourself that inch further.

Digby: You stack up the inches, and then you make a foot, and then a furlong.

Will you be continuing rowing after this year?

Digby: Yes

Sam: I will be trying to go into the lightweight category, which will be another challenge.

Digby: I went from a ‘no’ to a ‘yes’. I was absolutely a ‘no’! I missed spending time with my friends in college, but when I’d offhandedly mention that I was considering quitting, they’d say, ‘What are you doing?’. So, slowly, I came around to the idea. I’ve become so adept at fitting my time around all these billions of hours of rowing, that I’d have to fill the gap with some other university sport to take up my time, and why quit when I enjoy it? Now that it’s summer and you’re racing as well as training, and you can see the results coming into fruition. The fresher’s squad has been amazing.

Sam: I want to carry on because in a way, it is my university experience. If I were to stop I’d lose the bonds that I’ve formed, and I’m not willing to do that. Perhaps next year won’t be as successful, but by our last year, we will have built up a really good group of guys, and I want to be part of the success of the next fresher’s crew leading into the next couple of years.

In your opinion, which college has the best bar? You can’t choose your own.

Digby: Cuth’s.

You’re not allowed to say your own!

Sam: Cuth’s is open a lot, but Castle is my favourite.

Digby: Jimmy Allen’s… Fabio’s.

They’re not college bars…

If you founded your own college, what would you call it?

Both: Hercules.

They both erupt into laughter. Now might be a good time to mention that ‘Hercules’ is Digby’s middle name.

Sam: I would call mine Fabio’s… Or DUBC? That would get around the issue of having rowing friends and college friends!

In which area of the University would you like to see increased funding?

Sam: We saw a Palatinate article about the funding to DUBC, and we felt quite hurt. It asked how we can spend a million pounds just to scrape half a second from someone’s split time.

Digby: That’s the difference between a gold and nothing.

Sam: And we’re talking about the possibility of being in the GB squad or not. And also, they got some of their statistics wrong. We’re actually funded externally as well. We wouldn’t have rowing tanks and other facilities if it wasn’t for the fact that we’re at the top of our game and we can attract other finding.

I would say on a personal note, I can see that given the increase in tuition fees, people can say how science students get more resources, whereas I get less contact time and it can feel like I’m funding other people’s degrees.

But I would like to see more funding for the academic sports side. We need more help for students struggling with their work.

Digby: For people coming straight out of school it’s a big step. If I were struggling, I wouldn’t know who to go to.

Sam: I am struggling. And I haven’t got a clue where to go to in order to fit in my busy lifestyle. I know there is a way for me to get better grades, but I’ve been out of education for quite a while, and there needs to be a support system for the step up between A-Level and a degree. Whereas for rowing, I know exactly who to see if I have a problem.

Digby: The person I would go and see first about anything in University life is Franz.

Franz is the boys’ rowing coach. At this point they tell me that he is a wonderful person who deserves a payrise.

How would you persuade applicants to choose Durham over other universities?

Sam: Durham has the wonderful ability to entrap you – not in an Oxbridge bubble – but just so that you don’t want to leave.

Digby: The college system is absolutely brilliant. It’s a beautiful place, and fantastic that everything is so close together. Friends, college and sport are great. Ultimately, I chose it because of the academic reputation. If it’s petty things like night-life that concern you, you can get a train to Newcastle, but I think Durham is better.

Sam: Everywhere you go, you see people you know, which makes your day so much better!

Klute or Loveshack?

Both: Klute.

Sam: You do love a Loveshack Wednesday, though.

Digby: That’s true, but I’m a Klute man through and through.

Describe your discipline in 3 words.

Sam: Committed, Sweaty…

Digby: Disciplined… Ergo, water, gym… Pain…

Sam: Yes, definitely pain!

Digby: Right, we get three words each:

Really

Overly

Worked

Incestuous

Noble

Goons.

If you are involved in a sport or society, and would like to shed some light on it like Sam and Digby, or think that you can provide a different perspective on life in Durham, email Features with ‘Points Of View’ as the subject.

Interview and photograph by Cressida Peever.

Cue Castle joy: Castle A pool retake the DUPL trophy

sub.editors — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:19:31 +0000

By Simon Atkinson

Castle A have won the prestigious Durham University Pool League (DUPL) trophy – a title the team have not won since 2008.

Taking place annually, the 2012/13 Trophy competition saw 64 college pool teams fighting for a place in finals day, which was held on 28^th April at the Claypath Pool and Snooker Club.

With the first rounds commencing in first term, Castle A had a fairly easy ride to the semi-finals, beating Collingwood B, Hild Bede B, Butler B and Collingwood C in successive rounds.

By finals day, four teams had made it to the semi-final stage – Castle A, Aidans A, Ustinov A and Butler A (all Premiership sides). After a random draw, Castle were to play Ustinov and Aidans to play Butler.

In terms of performance, it would be fair to say that Butler didn’t really show up on the day, eventually losing 5-0 to a strong Aidan’s side who had previously defeated favourites Collingwood A.

Butler player James Priest took the loss particularly to heart – “that isn’t how we usually play, it was a pathetic performance and we feel as though we have let ourselves and our college down,” he said afterwards.

In the other semi-final match however, Castle convincingly beat the postgraduates of Ustinov 5-2, with particularly impressive performances from Jack Barratt, David Gell and Si Atkinson in the doubles and then Danny Williamson (Castle’s ex-England pool player), who helped seal victory.

After a bite of food, the final was a tense affair; however both teams managed to hide their nerves. Castle got off to a great start, with David Gell (Castle fresher and University B player) beating the Aidan’s captain, Rich Whitfield.

Aidans then fought back, establishing a 2-1 lead through Rob Berkeley and Tom Reilly.

However, with excellent doubles play Castle went on to win the next four nervy frames to win the competition.

After a fairly disappointing performance in the overall league, finishing fifth, this competition was of particular significance to the team as it confirmed their place in the post-exams Champions’ Cup competition.

After the victory, the team were presented with the cup and their individual trophies by DUPL President Kit Gallagher.

Despite the lack of a crowd for the final, it was a great day for Castle pool.

Photograph: Simon Atkinson

Noah and the Whale – Heart of Nowhere

sub.editors — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:37:21 +0000

by Katie Sheppard

Noah and the Whale is a band that is reaching its musical middle age – having produced 4 albums in 5 years. Their fourth album, Heart of Nowhere, is out on the 6^th may. There has always been something that has endeared me to the band. I’m not sure whether it’s their kooky name (a play on the band’s favorite film ‘Squid and the Whale‘) or whether because their first album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down was so plucky and playful that my youthful soft spot for them endures for their 5^th year in the limelight. Heart of Nowhere is yet another example of Charlie Fink’s ingenuity when it comes to music – the lead singer has spearheaded an album with a thoroughly new sound. A new sound for the band, that is. There is a definite throw back to late 70s and early 80s in this album, with musical similarity to Sting, as well as something in the tune and staccato of the track ‘Silver and Gold being‘ reminiscent of the Talking Heads. Electric guitar solos? Noah and the Whale? “Surely not!” I hear you say. But they are there, tucked into the middle of ‘All Through the Night‘, a slightly awkward addition to their sound, like a Chemist in an English lecture.

Despite a new found fondness for electrical instruments, Noah and the Whale still employ orchestral aspects, with violin strings resonating throughout ‘Lifetime‘, and the nostalgia which has always exuded from their songs is retained. The tracks are musically complex and diverse, with great use of an electric base guitar, notably in ‘Still After All These Years‘.

The song ‘There Will Come a Time‘ is the single from Heart of Nowhere and here Noah and Whale seem to be in full swing, confidently echoing the style of ‘Last Night On Earth‘, with a bit more oomph. In the last two tracks the music softens slightly, and Fink is all of a sudden captivating. It becomes apparent that the strength of the band is their songwriting, and ‘Now Is Exactly The Time‘ showcases Fink’s expressive lyricism; “If you can, try and get to know your parents well. Forgive them too…When they give you advice offer sympathy, they’re just showing you who they wanted to be”. Unlike the rest of the album, in the later songs Fink touches upon the honesty that defines him as a songwriter. The band’s second album The First Days of Spring chronicled Fink and Laura Marling’s break up, and it is this album in which the band is at their most enchanting and profound. In The First Days of Spring, the sweeping orchestral music complemented the melancholy of the lyrics, however there is something of the profundity of Fink’s style that is lost in the light-hearted pop-rock of Heart of Nowhere. The new album has a rich and confident sound, but while Noah and The Whale can write pop, they suit sadness better.

Kings of the Hill conquer Bailey once again

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:05:07 +0000

The men’s Hill squad with Charlie Richardson (centre front). Photograph: Sam Hibdige

by Rob Berkeley

Durham’s hill colleges emerged victorious for the third consecutive year from the annual Hill-Bailey rugby clash.

Continuing their recent theme of domination in this fixture, the Hill men’s squad ran out 13-10 winners in a tense encounter at the Hollow Drift.

The Hill women’s squad also claimed victory at Maiden Castle with an impressive five-try performance.

The Bailey were undone by the forward power of their opponents, with the Hill overcoming a four-point half-time deficit with a penalty try and kicks from the boot of Chris Morgan.

The match began tentatively, with high error and penalty counts perhaps indicating the lack of training time the squads have been able to enjoy.

However, as the first half progressed so too did the quality of the action, with the combative approach of the Hill side at the breakdown earning Morgan the chance to claim an early three-point lead after quarter of an hour.

Keen to press home their advantage in the pack after a Bailey lock was sent to the sin-bin, the Hill made an apparently pre-planned triple change after 20 minutes, replacing their entire front row.

While this tactic allowed the red-shirted Hill side to exert intense pressure on the Bailey scrummage, it did perhaps backfire when they were caught cold in open play immediately afterwards.

Moving the ball down their right flank, the Bailey backs showed impressive handling and despite being hauled down five metres out, the necessary back-row muscle arrived quickly in the form of David Wood to bundle over for the first try of the evening. Charlie Willans added the straight-forward conversion, making the score 7-3.

Photographs: Elis Wilkins

Charlie Willians converts the Bailey try.

The Bailey side maintained this pressure for the rest of the half. Their four-point margin was maintained at 10-6 as the fly-halves traded kicks, but it could easily have been greater.

With the underdogs leading at the interval, the Hill squad sensed it was key to seize the ascendancy early in the second period.

Combined with some ruthless work up front, the Hill’s dynamic ball carriers began to force the pace. Camped inside the Bailey 22, the Hill side were awarded a string of penalties.

Opting against taking the points, the Hill went for the jugular at scrum-time and got their reward as the referee’s whistle soon signalled a penalty try.

With Morgan – one of the Hill’s numerous fly-halves – adding the simplest of conversions, the cup holders deservedly regained the lead at 13-10 going into the final quarter.

The expected pressure came in waves of black Bailey shirts, who enjoyed considerable gains down their left flank in front of the lively crowd in the stands. However, the Bailey speed merchants failed to find the key pass needed to canter under the posts, being twice denied by frantic sliding Hill defence.

It seemed inevitable that the Bailey would find a way to score, but when the try-line was eventually breached the ball was held up by a phenomenal last-ditch tackle from the Hill wing Hancock.

Photographs: Elis Wilkins

Hill wing Hancock makes a try-saving tackle.

The Bailey’s golden chance had gone. After running down the clock, the Hill backs knocked the ball out of play to secure a hard-fought victory.

Despite being a fairly low-scoring encounter, there was plenty of expansive rugby on show to entertain the healthy crowds lining both sides of the pitch.

The money raised on the gate this year will be used to benefit charities selected by St Aidan’s College rugby captain Charlie Richardson.

Richardson, who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has chosen to distribute the funds between charities devoted to the disease such as the Lymphoma Association and Macmillan Cancer Support, as well as the Great North Air Ambulance, St. Cuthbert’s Hospice, Beating Bowel Cancer and the spinal injury charity Walk Once More.

Over at Maiden Castle, the women’s Hill side made it a double over the Bailey as they triumphed 27-0, with tries from Becky Gough, Selina Armitt, Vicky Stahle and a Sophie Lee brace.

Proceeds from this match will be donated to the Sport in Action Zambia project.

New NUS survey highlights the problems of our university’s ‘lad culture’

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

by Joanna Thom

A National Union of Students report, released in March, explicitly named Durham University for its lad culture.

The survey which is called ‘that’s what she said: women’s experiences of ‘lad culture’ in higher education’ was commissioned as a result of the NUS Hidden Marks report.

The report found that one in seven female students at University had experienced serious physical or sexual assault during their time at University.

The survey indicated that alcohol and a competitive drinking culture, along with misogyny and intolerant attitudes towards homosexuality and other minority groups, has resulted in a ‘lad culture’ which can make students uncomfortable and take away from the educational atmosphere of a university.

While Durham is not famed for its outrageous social life, the tradition of formals and socials and the “work hard, play hard attitude” mean that the students are known to drink heavily and enjoy nights out.

Catherine Brydges, a member of the new feminist society which held its first meeting this term, claimed that ‘lad culture’ is a big problem at the university, and one that is not scrutinised enough.

She said: “It minimises issues like sexual assault and sexual harassment by making them into the punch lines of jokes.”

She also claimed that it has a damaging effect on others ability to enjoy themselves when in social spaces and said: “Essentially, it’s a group that’s already dominant, privileged men, asserting its dominance in spaces that should be friendly and open to everyone, like bars, pubs and clubs.”

The use of the word ‘banter’ was highlighted as a key undertaking of those who participated in ‘lad culture.’ It was portrayed as a misogynistic activity that can make others feel uncomfortable and was indicated as having a negative effect on University campuses.

“It minimises issues like sexual assault and sexual harassment by making them into the punch lines of jokes.”

Jenny James, the Student Union’s education and welfare officer stated that the use of the word banter is regularly seen as negative.
She said: “I’ve spoken to quite a few students about this and people seem to get away with some really offensive and inappropriate behaviour by labelling it as “banter”.

I don’t at all think that it’s done maliciously most of the time, I just think that people don’t realise the impact that their actions or words can have.”
However she also indicated that there are changes being made within the University to improve the negative culture.

She said: “The newly formed Students’ Union Feminist Society had its first meeting recently and it was a huge success with a really large turnout of both men and women which was great to see.”

Socials were an environment highlighted for inducing a great amount of ‘lad culture.’

The social secretary of one college rugby club claimed that on socials lad culture is prevalent, most notably in his team when the “Howzat” rule is enforced which results in members consuming anything from a drink to a newspaper or banana skin.

However he said: “I think that the social side of it is crucial, whilst at times there is an element of excessiveness it is a great way of bonding as a team and getting to know your teammates.”

The captain of a college boat club, one of the most popular sports that students become involved in at Durham, indicated that while they enjoy socials, over indulgence on socials is not an issue.

“It is a great way of bonding as a team and getting to know your teammates.”

However she claimed that at other boat clubs, despite not being a sport that is known for its ‘laddish’ behaviour, the drinking culture can be damaging. She said that some college boat clubs “had piss ups in their boat houses” which had resulted in damage to others property and “there, there is a problem.”

One student indicated that she did not feel that there was anything wrong with the socials at her boat club, despite the fact that they were known for being rowdy.

She said: “The Boat club has male only drinking societies, but that doesn’t make me feel excluded or threatened. They are just boys being boys, having fun in a male only environment which is healthy.”

Excessive and binge drinking has regularly been highlighted by the press for causing both health and social problems.

A recent notice sent by the Durham medical services encouraged students to be more controlled in their consumption of alcohol and to consider other options when enjoying a night out.

College bars do offer free cordial at certain hours in order to encourage sensible drinking and Fresher’s week includes both non-drinking and drinking activities.

However many students spoken to indicated that in order to feel involved in societies and their college, drinking was a necessity.

In addition to excessive drinking, everyday language used was highlighted as a cause of discomfort for many students. When used with negative connotations, words such as “gay”, “retard” and “whore”, were seen to add to the exclusion of members of the university.

Other universities have also been highlighted for the ‘lad culture’ and the over the top attitude to alcohol. Exeter University recently had its safe sex ball, a notorious ball in which students dress up in underwear to promote safe sex, cancelled because one girl was raped on her way home.

Lucy, an Exter University alumnus, said: “While the initial intentions of the safe sex ball were good, it’s gotten out of hand and is now just an opportunity to promote sexism. It used to be a bit of fun but every year it gets more and more degrading and after last years events, putting a stop to it was definitely the right move.”

The inappropriate behaviour of some students at it, with one couple being caught having sex on the dance floor, has also led to a lot of negative press.
Additionally the Facebook page “Spotted: Sexism on campus” highlights the numerous occasions where sexism and sexual assault have taken place within university campuses.

“Putting a stop to it was definitely the right move.”

The page includes multiple examples where Durham students indicated that sexism has taken place and has made them feel uncomfortable, including through language used towards them, for example the casual use of the word slut, and through the insulting attitudes of some students towards women.

Sites such as The Lad Bible, True Lad and Uni Lad enable the construction of the “Lad” identity and have caused controversy for the misogyny they show towards women. They include articles which celebrate the drinking culture and posts that are degrading towards women.

While the current drinking culture is being highlighted as a negative aspect of the student lifestyle, the University commented that they “are determined to further improve upon what we do to expedite and support courteous and mutually respectful behaviour from, and to, our students and staff.”

While the report indicates that a complete change in attitude and culture is impossible in the immediate future, it stresses the need to combat the emergence of the ‘lad culture’ and suggests the establishment of a commission to work towards this.

Photograph: Rose Innes

Exclusive interview with lecturer gives dark insight into hidden culture

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:50:57 +0000

By Jillian Ward

Official Durham University figures show that the university employs very few women in senior professional posts and very few ethnic minorities.

The data, obtained by Palatinate through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted to the University, shows that there are 71 women and 274 men at the highest pay grade of University employees.

Female employees decrease from 427 to 195 employees between pay grades seven and eight. The transition from grades seven to eight for men, on the other hand, goes from 449 to 301 employees. Theresa McKinven, Durham University and Colleges Union (DUCU) Equality Representative, provided Palatinate with a further breakdown of staff in terms of gender by department.

She said: “Only 27% of academic staff are female, 10% of Professors in Science are female, 22% of Professors in Arts and Humanities are female, and 37% of Professors in Social Sciences and Health are female.”

Figures are also conservative amongst the ethnic make-up of professional staff. The University has 1,937 white employees; the next largest ethnic group is Asian or Asian British – Indian, with 26 employees.

“Only 27% of academic staff are female”

Explaining the statistics, Tom Ward, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Chair of the Disability and Equality Advisory Group, commented, “There is no single, simple answer to this.

“The sector as a whole has poor representation of women, and very poor representation of minority ethnic groups, in senior positions.”
Conversely, Theresa McKinven pointed out that the figures concerning gender cannot be attributed to academia in general, as their severity is amongst the worst of all British universities.

She said: “These numbers put Durham in the bottom 10% of UK universities for female academic staff, so it’s clear that the low numbers of women academics at Durham doesn’t simply reflect women being under-represented generally in academia, particularly at higher grades.”

Palatinate interviewed a Durham lecturer, who wishes to remain anonymous, for a first-hand explanation of the gender discrepancies.

Upon seeing the FoI data, the lecturer said: “The overall percentage [of female employees] is an embarrassment. The numbers make Durham look like a white, male University. And [...] that’s certainly not how I would want Durham to be known.”

Part of the discordance in female to male staff, this lecturer explained, has to do with the lifestyle that accompanies being a Durham employee.

The lecturer spoke of tension in the University between supporting its staff and producing competitive research output, saying: “the Pro Vice-Chancellors and the Vice-Chancellor don’t really care about work/life balance, because ultimately, what they’re after is maintaining Durham’s prestige. So long as that is always a priority, everything else gets pushed aside.”

The lecturer added that “There’s a huge amount of pressure on junior scholars to produce a lot of work, and a lot of your work gets done outside of your office hours. Which means, if you have a family, when are you supposed to do it?”

Tom Ward also acknowledged the need for staff support at Durham, saying: “Durham will always be a very challenging place to work, because it is a hugely ambitious institution – but within that relentless ambition I hope we can provide [...] a supportive and nurturing environment.”

“There is no single, simple answer to this.”

However, the lecturer noted that “Durham does not have very generous maternity or paternity leave [...] compared to other places. Obviously that’s then prejudicial to women.”

Another issue the lecturer identified was the dropping off of female employees from grades seven to eight: “I think the issue is quite complicated because there are so many factors that are involved – but in a sense it’s also very simple.

“There’s a high number of female lecturers in grade seven, and they’re starting to drop off at grade eight. That means they’re leaving, or that they’re not passing probation.”

Theresa McKinven had a different explanation for the drop off in women from grade seven to eight. She said, “The drop-off may represent the higher proportion of women in teaching or research only positions (often grade 7) where there is little possibility of promotion.

“Promotion from Teaching Fellow, to Senior Teaching Fellow to the equivalent of a Teaching Professor is very difficult and not all faculties support this as a career trajectory [...]. Teaching Fellows are mostly grade 7 or 8 positions which indicates that many women have a very truncated career path.”
“However,” she added, “there are conflicting views on what the data means.”

Jenny James, DSU Education and Welfare Officer, told Palatinate that DUCU has gathered information on female employees at Durham and “they know of many women who have left and gone to other universities because they feel like their careers won’t be progressed here.”

In the interview, the lecturer asked “Why? What is going on with the internal hiring process that seems to be blatantly sexist?” The answer to that question is twofold. On the one hand, the evidence suggests that the people making hiring decisions tend not to prioritise gender equality. On the other hand, the process of promotion can be difficult: “The review process that goes with promotions can feel like a bullying process with unreasonable expectations.”

“they know of many women who have left and gone to other universities because they feel like their careers won’t be progressed here.”

According to the DSU, the issue of staff diversity has been discussed on University Council. Tom Ward also stated that the “profile of equality and diversity is high in the University.”

Theresa McKinven also expressed a proactive stance towards the issue, saying, “DUCU welcomes the current focus on diversity and equality and the work being done to improve the present imbalance.”

The lecturer interviewed by Palatinate disagreed, and stated: “I don’t think the Vice-Chancellor is ever receptive to any comment that is critical towards Durham.

“I also think that part of it is that he [the Vice-Chancellor] is coming from the demographic that has benefitted from this sexist institutionalism. If the sexism is institutionalised, and you’re a part of the institution, it becomes very difficult to even see it.”

Theresa McKinven also implied that sexism is institutionalised at Durham, saying, “The gender and ethnicity imbalance is a symptom of a bigger, cultural problem which is both demonstrated and exacerbated by the lack of diversity at very senior levels.”

For instance, there is only one female staff member on Council out of seven staff members in total, and only one female head of department.

Asked about the lack of women in senior staff levels of the university, the anonymous lecturer stated that women are “smart” for not working these jobs.
“My experience,” the lecturer said, “has been that you do not want to get involved in the politics at the faculty level or above, because it’s a war. And part of that is going to mean that the people who are in those positions are going to be alpha males [...] and if you’re not an alpha male, why would you want to be there?

“It’s kind of like the Margaret Thatcher situation. Is Thatcher an example of [...] the victory of feminism? Well in one sense yes, because she’s the first woman Prime Minister, but in another sense absolutely not, because she did it by playing the rules of the male chauvinist game, and she didn’t do anything when she was there to actually alleviate the institutional sexism that prevailed. And I think that’s the same case here, that most women by choice wouldn’t be going into that bear pit because it’s a bear pit.”

Explaining the lack of women in the top tiers of the university, Tom Ward said “The position we are in is the end product of a great many processes, including a necessarily highly distributed appointment process, and wider social pressures.”

When asked what Durham is doing to address the gender imbalance in its staff, Tom Ward said that “Part of the progress here involves real culture change in the organisation, and attracting a wider applicant pool involves changing our reputation in the sector.”

However, data shows that the total number of applicants to professional University positions are nowhere near as lopsided as the numbers of those employed in higher level staff positions: women and men account for 34.5% and 52% of these applicants respectively (13.5% of applicants refused to state their gender).

Perhaps, then, what Durham needs is a “real culture change” if it is to improve its staff equality.

Photograph: Durham Univeristy

The Legendary Leonardo

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:43:24 +0000

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the titular character in literary adaptation, The Great Gatsby, which has recieved contoversial release date changes. Photograph: Warner Bros.

by Frankie Humphries

Leonardo DiCaprio is often regarded as a ‘good actor’ with a healthy number of rich, varied roles and high-grossing films under his belt. He is renowned for his daring portrayal of difficult characters and is well respected within his industry. Having worked with legends such as Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep from the very start of his career, DiCaprio appears to be destined for greatness, if he hasn’t achieved it already.

Things didn’t necessarily start well for Leo – he was kicked off the set of a children’s television series, aged 5, for being disruptive. Things soon improved, however, when he was hand-picked by Robert De Niro to play alongside him in This Boy’s Life. For his portrayal of Johnny Depp’s mentally handicapped brother in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, DiCaprio was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, at the tender age of 18. From this point onwards, it was clear that he would go far.

His career reached new heights in 1996/7 when he played two love-struck young heartthrobs in Romeo and Juliet and Titanic. The international stardom and creation of a pin-up hunk that came with these roles are not what DiCaprio intended, or wanted. They also fail to show him at his best, as did his portrayal of Louis XIV and his secret twin brother, Philippe, in The Man in the Iron Mask. For this, he won a Golden Raspberry Award for worst screen couple (probably not the highlight of his career).

Catch Me If You Can saw another Golden Globe nomination in 2002 and signs that DiCaprio was back to his best. The Aviator (2004) and Blood Diamond (2006) followed – he won a Golden Globe for the former and received two Academy Award nominations. There is no need to dwell on his career from 2006 onwards. Revolutionary Road, Inception and Django Unchained all received enough attention to confirm his status as a great actor with a fantastic ability to take on a variety of emotionally intense roles. In 2011, DiCaprio teamed up with Clint Eastwood to play J. Edgar, a career risk which went largely unnoticed amidst his bigger roles. His strong portrayal of ‘in the closet’ Hoover, young and old, shows DiCaprio in another intense (and incredible) light.

Working with legendary directors Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino demonstrates DiCaprio’s respectability. His working partnership with Martin Scorsese takes this to another level and the pair have produced fantastic work together again and again. Some of DiCaprio’s best films emerge when he works with Scorsese: Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006) and Shutter Island (2010). At the end of this year another Scorsese-DiCaprio union, The Wolf of Wall Street, will be released. Given their history together, this is an exciting prospect (as are the rumours of them collaborating on a Sinatra film!)

Scorsese has a similar relationship with Robert De Niro and, interestingly, the latter did not win his first Academy Award until the age of 38, for his role in Raging Bull. Leonardo is now 38 and his stellar performances of late will surely be recognised with an Oscar before too long. I certainly hope so, given that he is taking “a long, long break” from acting at the end of this year. Before that, however, we have his reunion with Baz Luhrmann to look forward to. On May 17th, The Great Gatsby will (finally!) hit the big screen in 3D. The trailers look spectacular and DiCaprio is sure to do F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic Jay Gatsby justice. The shift in the release of this film from Christmas to Summer sparked rumours of box-office benefits at the expense of Oscars for the movie. However, it’s billed to open the Cannes Film Festival – a great honour which suggests the prospect of future critical acclaim.

In DiCaprio’s words, “If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.” I guess that means he doesn’t need an Oscar to validate his marvellous career but it sure would be nice. It’s about time that Leonardo DiCaprio is recognised as the great actor that he truly is.

The Great Gatsby is in cinemas from May 17th.

Check out the print edition for our timeline of Leo’s career.

Law school postgraduate anger at inconsistencies in PhD funding

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:40:53 +0000

by Nicoletta Ascuito

by Charlotte Bransgrove

Durham University Law Department’s recent decision to offer two paid teaching assistant posts for full time PhD students beginning courses in 2014 has caused outcry among students.

Postgraduate researchers from the Law School have reacted angrily to the news, criticising both the generous salary and the fact that the positions were not open to current students.

In its last edition, Palatinate published an article highlighting pay discrepancies between postgraduates employed in different departments within the university.

It also revealed that a third of post graduate students employed across the country are paid less than the National Minimum Wage for their real working hours, according to a report undertaken by the National Union of Students.

Now it appears the university may be neglecting the needs of struggling PhD students in its funding process.

Postgraduates, unlike undergraduates, are not offered any government aided loans, which means many PhD students have difficulties financing both living costs and tuition fees, particularly in the current economic climate.

The University Law Department website advertises a number of funding opportunities for postgraduates, including studentships provided by the Law School and the Durham Doctoral Studentships which are available from The Faculty of Social Sciences & Health. It also points to external opportunities for funding such as The British Chevening Scholarships.

However, as many of these are not exclusively for Law students, competition is very high and funding can be exceedingly difficult to obtain.

Durham Law School currently has 73 postgraduate research students, whose tuition fees for 2012 – 2013 stood at £3,828 for home and EU students, and £12,600 for those from overseas.

On a website for prospective postgraduate students, the University states: “It is very important that you have sufficient funds in place to meet your tuition fees and living costs before you start your course.”

For subjects like Law, where funding is rare, students are often required to take up part time work in order to afford their studies.
The two Graduate Teaching Assistant posts advertised on the university website offered a salary of between £24,049 and £29,541 each, designed to alleviate financial pressures on Law students pursuing PhD studies.

When asked to explain the new posts, however, a University spokesperson said that “the advert summarising the role on the University’s recruitment website was incorrect.”

“Candidates who applied for this position will be informed that the salary is 50% of the grade 6 salary (i.e. approx £12,024-£14,770), 17.5 hrs/wk. Their PhD tuition fees are also covered at the home/EU rate.”

Yet the “incorrect” advert summarising the role has been criticised by students, who have highlighted that such generous posts will only aid a very few number of students in the Law School, rather than addressing the general issue of funding within the department.
As justification for the posts, Deryck Beyleveld, Head of Durham Law School, said: “Graduate Teaching Assistant posts provide important opportunities for us to attract new postgraduate students to Durham. They demand additional skills and responsibilities, hence their slightly higher level of remuneration.”

The University spokesperson explained these additional responsibilities: “GTAs will also contribute as appropriate to curriculum development, undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision, enhancement of the student experience, administration within the School (including as a member of School committees to an extent commensurate with the nature of the post), and by undertaking other responsibilities as required by the Head of School.”

“By contrast,” he added, “PhD students who are in receipt of Durham Law School PGR Scholarships (about a quarter of the total number of Law PhD students) receive £6,000 per annum and have their fees paid. For this, they usually undertake to do some teaching, although some can act as research assistants on a contract for services.

“The teaching is usually 40 one-hour tutorials per year (four different tutorials repeated ten times). They also usually undertake some marking.”

However, one research student, voicing concerns about the new posts to Palatinate, stated that they are “one of the lucky few” who receives £6,000 and pay for tuition fees “in exchange for working as a tutor in law.”

“It’s hard to see how full time PhD students in the posts could do more teaching than I already do, which is around 40 contact hours, 50 marking hours, and 18 office hours, ignoring all preparation.”

Moreover, students expressed their frustration at the exclusion of those currently involved with research in the Law Department from applying.

When asked why current students could not apply for the posts, the University spokesperson stated, “The posts in question are not scholarships, but fixed term staff appointments. University policy relating to GTAs requires that the funding for the posts is made available to help recruit additional post-graduate students to Durham for a full three years. This policy also applies to Durham Doctoral Fellowships.”

Manet: Portraying Life

sub.editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:38:56 +0000

by Zosia Eyres

Walking around the Royal Academy’s ‘Manet: Portraying Life’ exhibition is a polarising experience of highs and lows. The genius of the artist being displayed cannot be denied as one is presented with portraits that brim with life, as the sitters are at once completely raw and believable while their preoccupations are also somehow lifted to a higher plain of nobility. This can be seen in Manet’s painting ‘The Railway’ in which the model stares out at the viewer with a book in her hand with an air of pensiveness, while progress in the form of the smoke of a train glides past the subject and across the canvas.

However, although there are certain works within the exhibit that illustrate Manet’s skill and creativity, there are also many paintings that do not. The showcasing of abandoned and unfinished works of art, although surely interesting for a passionate Manet enthusiast are, for a general visitor, just bad paintings – there was clearly a reason that the painter did not wish to continue these works and their place in such a mainstream exhibition seems strange.

Furthermore the whole concept of the exhibition seemed vaguely redundant. The organisers wished us to look at Manet with a fresh eye with the aim of examining the artist’s skill at portraiture, yet this idea was hardly groundbreaking as all of Manet’s work are in effect examples of portraiture (with the exception of a few nature studies). Even his paintings which are filled with people have a clear focus on each individual subject as they are painted with attention and detail. The entire concept of the exhibit seems as if it has been done before.

Now as a fan of the Royal Academy, I don’t wish to be completely scathing with my review. What I did find interesting was the artist’s painting of his friends who we can also recognise as popular figures (these included Monet, Baudelaire and Zola.) One of these works happened to be my favourite painting within the collection; ‘The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil’ exuded charm and was a magnetic depiction of a family at rest within a fertile landscape.

However, this star-spotting eventually only served to increase my feeling of disappointment. I felt that I should not have been at what was described as a “landmark” exhibition of this excellent painter solely to look out for famous figures in an almost Where’s Wally form of entertainment.

To conclude, the Royal Academy’s exhibition felt as if it was severely lacking. With only 54 works of art and an entire room dedicated to a map of Paris and some art books, perhaps the organisers found it difficult to gather all the paintings that they wanted to.

Although this is an understandable difficulty when working with a painter who is so in demand, what was most embarrassing was that the painting which was set out as the star piece and had a room to itself was the beautiful ‘Music in the Tuileries’ – a painting that can be seen for free at The National Gallery all year round.

Therefore although I did enjoy aspects of the exhibition, what stuck with me most was that it seemed rather insipid. I’d therefore have to agree with Adrian Searle’s comment for The Guardian that, “so much is missing, and quite a bit is missable, too.”

Photograph: Edouard Manet’s ‘The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil’ (1874) exuded charm as a magnetic depiction of a family at rest. Photograph: FlickrID ehtysrofnahtanoj