bathimpact

The right for freedom of choice

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:41:09 +0100

Photo Credit: marco gomes

Written by: Hugo Verity

Catherine Zeta-Jones does it. So does Kate Winslet. You might have dabbled now and then or hate everything to do with it. You might hate me in 500 words’ time. The question is: who are the haters to tell the smokers they can’t do it?

I’m not a die-hard tobacco lover or cancer sceptic; I would never encourage it or deny its risks. But I’m not an anti-smoker either. It seems a habit (ironically) of ours to divide the world into love or hate, black or white, good or bad. You either smoke and are stupid, or you don’t and are a saint. The powers that be, to generalise, tend to claim the latter. It doesn’t seem to strike them (not publically anyway) that it is all of these things - that it can be good and bad. And there’s a problem to all this; a problem that leads me to sit as I do, not impartial or critical but a defender of the underdog, even a promoter of freedom (depending how self-righteous I get). I’m an anti-anti-smoker.

The problem with the ram-the-message-home mentality - one that dwarves all opponents - is that it is both patronising and stigmatising. It would be safe to say that many smokers realise the problem. It’s a killer, a baby-deformer, an “expensive way to die”. Message received and understood. It’s horrible. But it’s also at least one other thing: their tool for coping with the hell of life. It makes me wonder: what happens to the prisoner and the homeless guy, the labourer and the burdened single parent? We seem unable to remember that if we take away a pleasure, we’ll not only teeter on prohibition (and history teaches us where that leads) but ban something that people use to split life into manageable chunks. Stress is a killer, you know.

Educate people, and the choice is theirs. We all believe in the right to live, within reason, as we wish - the impossible utopia that we all seek. The point is (my little gym-goers and fruit-eaters) that to know the risks and to do it anyway says something more than ‘that person’s an idiot, a stupid and selfish fool’. It says instead ‘it’s worth it and it’s up to me’.

Restrict it by all means, but hate people for it? Totally ban it? I’d sooner not. So, before you slate people for their little ounce of pleasure remember this: smoking never drove anyone to punch a bystander, and few smokers hate the moment that a cigarette relieves boredom, anger or grief. First and foremost, no good comes from stigmatising smokers. Why? Because they are not just smokers, they are people. They are mothers, hard-workers, royalty and labourers. Seems a funny way to go about creating a fairer world, telling people what they can’t do. Bring on the counter-attack.

Interview: Tom Hesketh

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:13:00 +0100

Four years ago Tourism Australia ran a competition for “The Best Job in the World”, looking for the perfect candidate to look after Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. They ran the competition again this year, expanding to six positions, and one of Bath’s very own students is through to the final 25 for the job of Wildlife Caretaker on Kangaroo Island. bathimapct got chance to talk to Tom and ask him a few questions.

What made you apply for the job?

I love travel, adventure and wildlife, and I’m just finishing a degree in Applied Biology at Bath University, and what better first job to apply for than 6 months in Australia? My brother Jon took a gap year before college and travelled to Australia; 12 months later he’s living in New Zealand and has had the time of his life in both places. My mum and dad visited him for a month in Australia in January and they had such an awesome time that I decided I needed to go – it looked amazing.

I saw back in March that Tourism Australia were advertising for, not one, but 6 “Best Jobs in the World”. I remembered when this was done a few years ago and it was won by a Brit called Ben Southall, so I investigated how to apply. The whole job description was so appealing, and the idea of being paid A$100,000 as a six month salary sounded pretty good too!

The Job Description: “As Wildlife Caretaker you’ll swim with sea lions, come face to face with great white sharks and assist with conservation projects. Your duties will allow you to explore our amazing environment by foot, kayak, bicycle, and boat, taking only photographs and leaving only footprints. On Kangaroo Island you’ll talk to wallabies and cuddle koalas, sunbake with seals on pristine beaches at Seal Bay, feed echidnas in untouched bushland, and play with dolphins in crystal waters…”.

What has the process been like so far?

The application started with just a homemade 30 second video uploaded to Youtube. Me and my friend Matt went down to Dinton Pastures, our local park at home, and shot the whole thing in a day. There’s a bit in the video where I run to jump in the lake, but it was way too cold a day for me to actually go through with it!

When I heard that they had 600,000 enquiries and 45,000 video applications from all over the world I thought I stood no chance at all. But, against all odds, I checked their web site on the 11th of April and 6 video applications were shown as “best examples” including mine! I started a blog so from then on I posted updates on my progress. The 23rd April was a nervous day before the official short listing decision but ended with an email at 3 minutes to midnight saying:

“Congratulations on making the shortlist…from over 600,000 entries submitted across the globe for six jobs, you are one of only 25 candidates in the running for the role of Wildlife Caretaker based in South Australia.”

I was still in with a chance of winning! Since then I’ve been all over social media campaigning, as well as doing some stunts like covering twice the width of the island in a day and performing a flashmob dance down in town. It’s all been pretty tough to manage while trying to revise for final year exams at the same time.

You covered twice the width of the island?

Yeah, I’m part of the Triathlon Team here at uni and we did a half Iron Man a few months ago. The island is 55km across so I figured by doing it twice, as well as stopping off at Bristol Zoo to check out all the animals, it would be a good way of showing that I’m more than capable for the job. It was tough doing it all, but I had friends with me for all the swimming, running and cycling, and hopefully it all will have been worth it.

So, what comes next?

Now the 25 candidates will be shortlisted to 3 for each job, and they’ll take those 3 out to Australia. I’ve just handed in all the final versions of my CV, references and all the social media and press stuff for them to look over, but I’ll keep posting online in the mean time. I find out in a week’s time whether or not I’m through so it’s going to be a pretty tense week.

What would it mean to you to get the job?

It’s simply the best start I could have to my working life, an absolute dream job. If I get it I know I will be the luckiest guy in the world, and if I don’t I know I’ll at least have given it my best shot! So please wish me luck, and if you get chance then go check out my blog and see my progress, as the more support I can get the better!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomHeskethForBestJobInTheWorld

Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesketh123

Bath student fined & jailed

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:20:41 +0100

Photo Credit: CalebWheelerRobinson

Written by: Dylan Baker

A former University of Bath student has been jailed for 12 months after admitting to charges of bribery and possession of an imitation weapon.

Yang Li, a 26 year old Masters student in innovation and technology management attempted to bribe Professor Andrew Graves to give him a passing mark of 40% in his dissertation, after it was awarded 37%.

At a meeting on 23rd November, Li offered Graves £5,000 in return for a 40% mark but Graves declined and asked Li to leave. Upon putting the money away, a replica gun which was loaded with six pellets fell from Li’s pocket. Professor Graves said he felt ‘fear’ and ‘alarm’ upon seeing the gun.

Blake James, speaking in Li’s defense, argued that Li was in no way a “sham” student. He explained to Bristol Crown Court that it was not unusual for Li to carry large amounts of cash and that he was in possession of the 0.177 air pistol for shooting practice and didn’t want to leave it in his car. Mr Li’s defense also said that his client was worried about the future of his studies, due his fears about being able to move from his current student visa – which is due to expire – to a Tier 1 visa.

The judge, Michael Longman, said: “Your bid to achieve a pass mark by offering what was a bribe to your professor was ill-conceived to the point of being a spectacular mistake and one which was doomed to fail from the start.”

Li was ordered to pay £4,880 in prosecution costs and spend twelve months in jail as he sobbed in the Bristol Court with his parents, wife and parents-in-law. He will return to China after he has served his jail sentence.

High Tension: DPRK Undercover

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:40:40 +0100

Photo Credit: prebano66

Written by: Daphne Karnezis

In March 2013, BBC journalist John Sweeney convinced not only the North Korean authorities, but also a group of unwitting students that he was in fact Professor Sweeney, History professor at LSE. This façade was adopted in order for Sweeney to accompany the LSE students on a trip to North Korea, thereby gaining entry as a tourist into a country that forbids journalists and has become known as “the last Stalinist state”.

Mr Sweeney, a graduate of LSE himself, has earned a reputation as a journalist whose risk-taking has involved hiding in a car boot in Zimbabwe in order to meet with the leader of the opposition during the Robert Mugabe regime. His investigations have played a critical part in the acquittal of three women wrongly convicted of killing their children. In this case however, the stakes were higher. Although the full group was fortunate enough to depart from the country before North Korean authorities realised Mr Sweeney was in the country, critics are claiming he took investigative journalism too far, in that he knowingly jeopardized the safety of the students. Had Mr Sweeney and his cameraman’s identities been discovered whilst still in North Korea, it could have meant detention of the entire party in a country whose current environment is already uneasy due to renewed nuclear tensions.

The educational trip itself is thought to have been organised in the name of the prestigious Grimshaw Society (of the LSE International Relations Department), which is claimed to have circulated details of the trip to its members. This goes against claims from the LSE itself that the students were totally unaware of the trip. An LSE International Relations postgraduate student who prefers to remain anonymous told me that she “joined Grimshaw because it’s a prestigious club and I was interested in attending their various discussions on current affairs. I wouldn’t necessarily steer clear of the trips now but to me it reflects negatively on the club because they clearly don’t know what their members are getting into”.

The credibility of the BBC’s recent mission is further brought into question when considering the novelty and quality of the information ultimately presented in the BBC’s Panorama programme on April 15th. The majority of existing documentaries are filmed at the North Korean-Chinese border, and feature stories from North Koreans fleeing their country, with very few exceptions. The most notable exception to this is perhaps the documentary Children of the Secret State (2000), which captured the lives of homeless North Korean orphans, shot in the country using ‘underground’ cameramen. Although Sweeney’s footage was of the few filmed within the country itself, his Twitter account has been bombarded with comments degrading the quality of his work. Whether Sweeney’s insight added value or not, it is such ‘episodes’ that threaten to cast a shadow on the validity and credibility of investigative journalism.

This is not the first time questions have been raised about how far journalists and the press should go in terms of what they are allowed to publish; findings from the 2011-2012 Leveson Inquiry revealed that, even in journalism courses, ethics are not singled out as being important. It remains to be seen whether Sweeney’s insight is genuinely valuable, given that North Korea is becoming increasingly isolationist and the mounting tension between North Korea and their ‘enemies’, the US. and South Korea.

Powell's Peeves: Keepers creepers

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:20:00 +0100

This latest and rather upsettingly last entrance into my sporting sentiments is going to look at a subject very close to my old ticker. For those of you that are regular readers of my ramblings over the last year, or if indeed you know me, will more than likely know that I am one of those lunatics that decide to stand between the sticks week in week out all in the name of fun.

The reason I am telling you this, is that I need to get one of my biggest pet hates off of my chest before I disappear onto distant shores for my placement years. This hate is that of the idiocy of the fans who decide to say stupid things about the performance of the heroes that put their bodies on the line for their team. The species that I hear is known as the goalkeeper.

These fans who clearly have never stood in a training session whilst the whole team pelt balls or pucks towards the goal. Take a hockey keeper for example, the poor fool stands there in the D, with so much padding he looks like Mr Blobby. It is well documented that being a keeper is a lonely career, where you put your reputation in the air every week ready for it to be smashed to pieces.

If a striker misses a chance, big deal, if a keeper makes a mistake, 99 times in 100 it results in a goal, cue the verbal assassination of said individual. Granted we know what we are signing up for when we take on the role of being ‘a cat’. But when fans continue to sit in the stands eating their pie, whilst criticising goalkeepers, I will not be able to sleep at night.

I was recently stood in the terraces of a football establishment, surrounded by ignorant pigs, sorry football fans. In goal was a young goalkeeper who had recently turned professional. I am sure he would be the first to admit that he didn’t have his greatest match, however the incompetence of the fools playing in front of him just left him entirely exposed and helpless between the sticks. Having read the comments of these ignoranuses on fora on the Berners-Lee network, I felt sick, the young keeper who was singled out from the rest of his incompetent teammates. No wonder we rarely produce quality keepers in this country nowadays, because who on earth would put themselves through this criticism when they know they are going to earn less money than every single player in the club. Rants 2012-13 over.

Getting your tits out for feminism

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:40:47 +0100

Photo Credit: Ammar Abd Rabbo

Written by Rebecca Muir

The naked female body is used by feminists to subvert institutional sexism and reclaim ownership of the female form. However, is this actually an effective method to get feminism to be taken seriously, or does it just mean that people seriously miss the point?

How a woman reveals her body uproots so many assumptions deeply engrained in society. Last month in Steubenville, Ohio, a young girl was raped and assaulted by two footballers. While she was completely unconscious and bystanders watched, the two young men posted explicit details on Twitter. Despite this, victim-blaming comments on social media appeared, describing her as ‘a loose drunk slut’. This yielded sympathy for the rapists, as ‘they did what most people in their situation would have done’. As this girl was attractive and dared to expose her legs while at a party, she lost ownership of her body. This sends out a clear message to women; you cannot dress or look how you want to. Feminists using their body to expose this inequality, to reply to this oppression using a clever tactic that angers and disturbs men most of all – my body is mine and I can do what I like with it.

The media focusing on the narrow category of a nineteen year old with a banging body has a cascade of ramifications for everyone’s body image and self-worth. As we are being constantly bombarded with images of pert tits and tiny waists, toilet papers such as The Sun are defining female attractiveness with airbrushed and unrealistic images. Women are reduced to hyper-sexualised caricatures, packaged for male gratification. The high turn-over of these models reinforces female inferiority in society, as women are treated like disposable objects only useful for entertaining the male gaze. Femen, a Ukrainian topless protest group, are quite rightfully angry about the way women are devalued and have staged many topless demonstrations in response to the inequality. A nineteen year old Femen protester recently received threats of stoning after displaying the words ‘my body belongs to me’ on her chest. These women are putting themselves in real danger in order to reclaim their bodies and rights, and it is definitely effective at highlighting how society treats women.

However, this method could be seen to be a cheap gimmick in order to get press attention – attention which probably won’t convey the desired political message. Unfortunately feminists are in a power struggle, where ironically their most potent weapon is their bodies (and its objectification). Femen have been covered by the press internationally, appearing in news features and articles on CNN, BBC and Euronews. But you can’t help but think one of the reasons they have this much media impact is because they are often slim, blonde and attractive – a narrow desirable category of appearance that normally decorates the pages of newspapers anyway. People probably aren’t looking at their chests to read the Ukrainian protest slogans. Sex sells, but it’s effectiveness at challenging patriarchy is questionable.

Women are disproportionately underrepresented in the most influential public spheres of UK society, with men making up nearly 80% of MPs and 74% of news journalists. No wonder women try and use any power they can grasp to try and change the oppressive barriers in place. It’s uncertain whether this is the best tactic to actually change the way society thinks about women, or if it just reinforces the idea that women are only worthy if they are pretty. Feminists are fighting for sexual liberation, freedom and overall equality. It’s quite a shame that while using their assets to promote change, the message gets lost in translation, and they can simply be seen as fit birds.

What does Ice Hockey mean to you?

Sun, 05 May 2013 16:20:44 +0100

Written by Ben Hooper

What does the acronym NHL (National Hockey League) mean to you? I’m guessing it doesn’t mean a whole lot and just looks like I’ve spelled NHS wrongly.

Well you can un-hold your breath; this isn’t going to be an article about sport in the health service, or a team of nurses in tight spandex fighting their way through the underbelly of the seedy custard wrestling championships. No - this is an article about Ice Hockey.

I’ve mentioned the NHL because it’s what most people have heard of when it comes to the top flight of professional leagues; the British Elite league amongst others goes unnoticed to those in an area without a local ice rink, and ice hockey is an alien sport to most Brits and continental Europeans.

The first thing people mention (in my experience) about the sport is violence, people with no teeth and more violence. Although it is a fairly violent sport, the violence is almost completely a tactical necessity of the game - so don’t let it put you off.

Nowadays, the sport’s stereotyped brutality is far outweighed by the intricate skill and fitness of the players - however, this is only true of the top flight of professional ice hockey; there are some leagues in which as a spectator, you are guaranteed a certain number of fights.

The Team: Five out-skaters on the ice at a time, and one net minder (goalie.) The out-skaters are made up of two defence-men, (left and right) and three forwards (left wing, centre and right wing)

The Hockey Rink: There are three zones on an ice hockey rink, one team’s defensive zone, the neutral zone and the same team’s offensive zone. The ice is separated into three sections by two rather large blue lines along the ice; the neutral zone sits between these blue lines. The offside rule in hockey is pretty straightforward; it states that the puck must enter the attacking zone before any of the attacking players.

The BUIHA (British University Ice Hockey Association) run the national Ice Hockey league. Unfortunately, there aren’t many teams, especially in the local area, and British ice hockey suffers on occasion from lack of support. For example, just last year, Bristol’s ice rink was closed after 46 years- which meant the end of many hockey teams, and that the rinks nearest to Bristol are now in Cardiff and Swindon.

Temporary Christmas rinks pop up at Christmas- However, for anyone who really wants to experience the freedom of skating, this is hardly an alternative. Many teams have a large cohort, and play at a semi-professional standard, usually benefitting from foreign players from some of the world’s leading hockey nations.

The league winners fluctuate somewhat year to year, but the teams with a high number of foreign students prosper - which makes the league unfair but adds competitiveness, and allows able British players to develop amongst higher skilled players.

British professional ice hockey has a devout fan base and is thoroughly entertaining, but despite this, there are only ten teams in the league. This wasn’t always the case - in fact ice hockey was a massively popular sport in Britain until before WWII, with crowds numbering in the ten thousands for the world’s first ever ice hockey Varsity game, between Oxford and Cambridge (This is played yearly to this day).

Now, just a few thousand turn up to professional games. Even though British Ice Hockey is on the decline, if you get a chance to catch Cardiff, Coventry, Sheffield or Nottingham play I strongly recommend it.

Otherwise, the NHL play-offs in the US is just about to start, the most exciting period of the season, where after 82 games, the top eight teams from the Eastern and Western conferences battle it out in best of seven round-robins until there’s just two teams left.

After years of drought the Toronto Maple leafs are looking good going into the play-offs, for the first time in six years but whether they can beat the steaming HOT Hawks or Penguins remains to be seen.

British vs European: The Divide

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:40:39 +0100

Photo Credit: vl8189

Written by: Tom Ash

If you put a gun to my head and told me to answer, in one word, the question “where are you from?” then the answer would have to be “Europe”. Naturally, it is not the answer I would give in more amiable circumstances. I like to explain that I was born in Britain, but currently live in Spain and my immediate family are based in France; clarity saves on future misunderstandings, after all. But the only word which can hope to encompass all of those places is ‘Europe’. Surely that makes me (as well as others), whose national situation is a good deal more polygamous and interesting than my own, first and foremost European? What an odd proposition that is.

At the risk of sounding sensationalist, ‘European’ has always been something of a dirty word in the British tabloid press (particularly, dare I say, when preceded by ‘Eastern’). The barrage of euro-pessimism emanating from The Sun and chums equates positive endorsement of a cultural European demos, to overt subversion by the evil federalists towards a United States of Europe, or so it would seem. Even most non-xenophobes are hesitant to accept a continental identity, buying the line that to do so would be treachery to dear old Blighty. Being British must come before all else (unless you are Welsh, Scottish or Irish, that is).

But it is ironic that this patriotism – or, to give it the less fashionable name, nationalism - should be a response to an apparently constructed identity thrust upon us by self-interested politicians and beardy intellectuals. For it is from precisely this source that our sense of Britishness derives.

Consider: The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed just over three hundred years ago (Ireland didn’t get added for another century) when the English monarchy formalised its annexation of Wales and Scotland into a single union. None of the parties concerned, even the English (who did rather well out of the arrangement) were thrilled by the idea of sharing a country with the smelly foreigners who lived miles away. To pacify this incipient grumbling, English politicians and pro-unionists harnessed the power of nationalism, encouraging the divergent populaces to unite behind a convergent cultural identity; Britain.

Britishness then, is just as much a construct as Europeanism. Indeed, other countries recognise this when, in their native idiom, they continue to identify us as English and England (much to the other Home Countries’ chagrin) and scarcely use the words ‘British’ or ‘United Kingdom). If there is no shame in feeling British, then nor is there any in feeling European; less, even, given that the British Empire, warts and all, was popularised and justified by means of British nationalism.

The two identities are not mutually exclusive of course – one can be both British and European (check your passport if you don’t believe me) – but British people seem to think they are. There is a prevalent ‘us and them’ sentiment which seems to stem from the idea that mainland Europe has always been united against us. In reality, however, this is another red-top myth; Britain and its components have been allied with one European state against another throughout history just as much as they have been allied against us. Of course, the great irony is that the one time Europe was (officially) against us was when it was controlled by a totalitarian, nationalist regime during the Second World War.

If that is where nationalism is proven to lead, then I would rather be a European than a patriot.

Inter Halls Championships 2013

Sat, 04 May 2013 17:15:38 +0100

Photo Credit: 3:Thirty Club

Written by Jordan Kenny

Wednesday 17th April saw the University of Bath hold its second annual recreational sport day, the ‘Inter Halls Championships,’ building on the success of a year’s worth of student competition as a part of the 3:Thirty Club, funded by Sport England.

Whilst not all of the 3:Thirty Club activities were hosted on the day, a number of Students’ Union clubs put on either competitive or drop in sessions for both First and later year students.

Every single one of the University’s large range of sport facilities were used on the day- from Lacrosse being played on the Medical Pitches, through to games of Basketball in the Founders Hall.

The day began with the University’s Inter-Departmental Football clubs holding a tournament on the St. Johns Pitches, where a last minute decision that was made by the players themselves saw the format change from the traditional 11 to 7 aside football, to ensure that the pitches were able to last the day. This late change led to a much greater competition and hence a greater show, and overall, in excess of 150 boys took part. The games were played in a league style format, ending with Economics eventually taking the crown.

In the Sports Training Village, Netball and Volleyball took place court side, with a huge amount of students who don’t normally take part donning their trainers and hitting the courts. Alongside this, badminton courts were available as part of a few ‘No Strings Sessions,’ where a number of people took the opportunity to rock up and play, without making any commitment to any clubs.

Further into the Sports Training Village, the Swimming and Water Polo club had organised a ‘Duel in the Pool,’ pitting two great sets of athletes against one another!

Back outside, both Astros hosted the Inter-Halls Hockey, where two full games were played amongst mainly Freshers, battling to represent the halls that they live in. Over in the Founders Hall, the Basketball Club hosted their normal recreational session, with four hoops free for anyone to turn up and show off their skills.

Finally at the Medical Pitches, Lacrosse looked to finish their recreational programme on a high for the year, embracing the existing four teams to battle it out all afternoon.

Over the final few weeks of term, further competitions will be taking place, plus a number of ‘Get fit for summer’ activities. For further information on these, check out bathstudent.com/sport, teambath.com/3thirty or email 3thirty@bath.ac.uk.

Revolting students & their protests

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:30:38 +0100

Photo Credit: Morten Watkins

Written by Tom Ash

Amidst the green and pleasant pastures of rural Sussex, a storm has been brewing of late. Anyone paying much attention to the news will know that the student protesters have been uprooted from their makeshift camp by a court injunction issued last month, ably assisted by over a hundred security and police officers who laid siege to Bramber House, dashingly scaling the walls and battering down its doors with pneumatic drills.

The siege of Leningrad this was not, but even now, with the dust settled and the thunderous boots of the law silent once again, there are lingering issues to consider. Not least among them is that insidious little injunction, granted by Mrs Justice Proudman, which not only gave the university the right to evict the protesters, but also the power to prevent any protest which it does not sanction from taking place on its premises between now and September.

There are two tangible problems with the way University of Sussex management have acted. The first is an abject, even wilful failure to engage with the concerns of staff and students alike over the outsourcing of university jobs. But let us leave that aside. Let us push through the growing enjeu of a university sector where management overrules the academic body. Let us ignore the rights of students, as paying clients, to have a say in the running of their institution. Let us pay no heed to the abdication of responsibility for redundancies and reduced pay that will result from the outsourcing.

Because there is a fundamental rottenness that sits at the heart of this, which seeps out from the injunction that Justice Proudman saw fit to issue. In her infinite wisdom, she has chosen to place the right of property over the right to freedom of expression. In and of itself, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; we wouldn’t want the unwashed masses to be able to invade our homes and turn them into bastions of protest.

But there is a distinction to be made in the case of a university like Sussex; unlike my house, Sussex is a public institution with a royal charter and the students protesting within its walls were members of its academia. Even if they weren’t, if Sussex is a public body then even if its estates are privately-owned, they are held in trust by the university on behalf of the country. In reality of course, the increasing privatisation of universities means that they are coming to be seen as private bodies in more than just the economic sense, as the High Court ruling proves.

The injunction is to be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. Of course, by the time European judges come to a conclusion it will be too little, too late for the Sussex protesters. At least, however, if a ruling is reached that the injunction was unlawful then British judges in the future may think twice before issuing similar writs. For at the moment the mere mention of the ‘I’ word seems enough to make the arbitrators shiver with delight like an addict getting their fix. We need to wean our judiciary junkies off their injunctive opiate, and do it quickly; because all too often they are siding with the private and not with the public.

Powell's Peeves - Give him a break

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:45:36 +0100

This week I would like to talk about the furore surrounding one Mr. Paolo Di Canio. He has recently moved managerial positions from Swindon Town to Sunderland. He left Swindon citing mistreatment from the Board, including the sale of Matt Ritchie behind his back.

At Swindon, Di Canio managed to get the team out of League Two and was doing well in League One. As such I can’t help but sit here and give him my admiration for somebody who is obviously a great football manager.

Now we’re up to date we can talk about the issue over which a certain David Miliband has resigned. Miliband was Sunderland’s vice-chairman and was also a non-executive director. A similar thing occurred when Di Canio started at Swindon when the GMB withdrew its sponsorship, citing his political views.

Every single person who is upset with his political views seemingly keeps on stating the same thing – that these views have no place in football. So why can’t these people practice what they preach? He was fined in 2005 for performing three facist salutes in a game for Lazio. He was never fined again.

So why are we holding him up as some kind of needful paragon of democratic process? He supports fascism, a lot of people have. Get over it, he hasn’t rammed his views down anyone’s throats since 2005, now stop ramming yours down his.

For my two cents I think that he is a brilliant man - a journalist’s wet dream. He’s pushed over a referee while playing against Arsenal while with Sheffield Wednesday, and earned the enmity of Wimbledon fans in 2000 with what could be arguably hailed as one of the most physics defying goals ever (seriously, youtube it – it’s literally unbelievable). This year he bought fans who turned out to clear the snow off the pitch, pizza in thanks. In September, he subbed his keeper after he let in two goals in twenty minutes. From all of this I can only see a crazy Italian who has huge passion for football. He offered to spend £30,000 of his own money to keep players at Swindon. Sure he may be a fascist, but as long as he keeps to football and keeps schtum about it, let’s cut out the stick.

It’s a freedom we enjoy to have political views or to quit over the appointment of a talented manager who happens not to vote for your brother’s party but I know which I think is the worse crime.

Tremendous effort from Tri Club

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:15:33 +0100

Photo Credit: University of Bath Tri Club

Written by: Emily Hogge

At 7am Wednesday 13th March the chatter of voices and whirring of tires could be heard outside the library, as distant splashes rang out from the pool and the first murmur of pounding feet emanated around the Bath university campus.

The challenge had been set, the goal was clear and the next 18 hours would determine the outcome. As the early risers climbed off the bus or stumbled out off their houses looks of confusion spread across their faces as a red blur disappeared around the corner and a red glow lit up the library. For the triathlon team it was the start of what was to be an immense challenge.

17 hours and 30 minutes later the last pedal stroke was turned amidst cheers and cries of satisfaction – the challenge was complete! Tired bodies collapsed onto the floor, smiles broke out across their faces and laughter and singing emanated around the dark and cold campus. 79.1km swum in the pool, 913km run and over 3240km cycled - the challenge had been smashed, a truly incredible achievement.

All 50 of the triathletes who took part gave 100% pushing themselves to the limit. They all went way beyond the call of duty. It was incredible to watch, to witness the determination and commitment of the human mind and body. It was remarkable to feel the sense of loyalty and dedication to the cause – to see the belief and hear the excitement about the work of The Zoe Trust and share in people’s enthusiasm for the future of our children.

There were some remarkable efforts; Dan Thorby completed an IronMan triathlon and Mary Bird ¾ of an IronMan in around 14 hours – they are true heroes, both so close to breaking point yet determined to fight on. Some other fantastic efforts were by Daniel Moorland, Lucy Harvey and Joshua Doran who completed their first Olympic distance triathlons. But I wish I could mention every one of the triathletes who took part because they were all amazing and showed such determination and courage.

With £3302.35 currently raised and more still being donated it has been an extremely successful challenge. But more than the money it was so exciting to see people pushing themselves to the limit for a great cause, to hear the triumphant tales and stories of the day – to see the pleasure and the pride of the athletes. Watching people enjoy getting involved in the work that we are doing was wonderful and I hope that in the future they will remember The Zoe Trust name and come and join us in our fight to give our children a brighter future.

On behalf of the Zoe Trust I would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part, our wonderful supporters and to everyone who dug deep and sponsored us. Also thank you to the University of Bath Students’ Union for their support and help.

Awards issue is now resolved

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:31:51 +0100

Written by Matthew Powell

April at the University of Bath. Many things happen at this time – our brief glimpse of the sun is one. Another is awards season. If you have made a sizeable commitment to university sport over the length of your course then there is a chance that you could be eligible for a Blues Award.

The majority of these awards are in recognition of “achievement, performance and commitment.” There are a few extra special awards for clubs, teams or committee members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their execution of services for the university.

There are three levels of standard award that the University gives out: a Full Blue for being in a University first team and a national team simultaneously for two years, a Half Blue for playing for a first team for two years and having junior international representation or a BUCS podium finish and Colours for playing for a University team for two to three years.

This year the entire process was hindered by an administrative error by Bath University Computing Services. The error was caused by a mailbox reaching its quota and therefore emails containing nominations bounced. It was not known at what stage the mailbox reached its quota and therefore SU Sport were not aware of the point at which the nominations were lost.

When SU Sport realised that there had been applications that had not been received they extended the application process for awards for a further four days past the original deadline. This was based upon advice received from BUCS which stated that affected students would receive an undelivered email notice; however it appears that individuals did not receive this failure notice. The clarity of the original email was also brought into question, as it appears that some members of sports clubs merely thought it was an extension to the original deadline for those that had not already applied, rather than the opportunity to resubmit nomination forms.

It was at this point that various complaints were made to the bathimpact team and as such we contacted SU Sport Officer Jon Gleave, who informed us that the SU Sport team had been investigating a potential solution to the issue from the point at which they received the first complaint on the 29th March.

Unfortunately due to the Easter Break, the response time took longer as several key members of the Blues Awards Committee were on annual leave and as such couldn’t convene.

Working with the Blues Awards Committee, SU Sport managed to arrange for nominations to be resubmitted for those individuals that were affected. Appropriately, it was necessary for those individuals to prove that they had submitted a nomination before the original deadline.

Alex Grounds, a member of the Hockey Committee said of SU Sport’s response: “It is nice to see that the people that deserve recognition, shall not be deprived of the chance of an award due to somebody else’s mistake.”

It is important however to remember that due to this error we have all been overlooking the reason behind the awards themselves – to thank the men and women who take part in sport at the University of Bath and who strive to perform to the best of their abilities week in week out for the furtherance of our university’s reputation.

It is supposed to be a time of celebration and recognition and it so nearly turned into one of diasappointment, although with the solutions put into place, hopefully there will be less people left disappointed.

Hopefully the action taken by SU Sport has helped to resolve the situation as originally we were made aware of 23 members of one particular Sports Club being deprived of the opportunity to be recognised for their sporting commitment.

If you have missed the opportunity to be nominated for a Blues Award, please be aware that it is possible to apply again next year.

bathimpact Special Report | Animal research on campus: The facts revealed

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:45:00 +0100

by Rowan Emslie

There is a certain, unfortunate breed of mouse that is incredibly prone to addiction. It will forsake water for alcohol, it won’t contain itself around drugs, it will abandon almost all other activities to run around and get high all day. This type of mouse is coveted by scientists who wish to study the effects of addiction – how the brain and behaviour are altered, or how to improve the ‘cold turkey’ period. Destructive personality traits are not the preserve of humans alone.

Animal research generates a lot of ire. Facilities have been targeted by arsonists and bomb makers and researchers have been sent death threats and suffered violent, personal attacks. People all over the world are passionate about animal rights; this passion sometimes spills over into aggression and violence. Understandably, many researchers are reluctant to publicly highlight their work and facilities are often shrouded in secrecy as well as huge security measures.

I was only dimly aware of the animal research that happens at the University of Bath. I had heard vague assertions from friends which were never followed up with any hard facts. How did they know about these things? Were they involved? What was being tested? This year, my position at bathimpact, with a lot of help from the University and faculty, has granted access to some of these facilities to gather some real information.

WHAT I SAW, WHAT I LEARNED
The facility itself is licensed by the Home Office, as are the ‘Project Leaders’ who are responsible for particular studies and, below these, ‘Personal Licences’ which are required for any contributors to those studies. If, at any time, anybody is found to have contravened the enormous amount of regulations surrounding animal research – mistreatment of animals in any way, going beyond the remit of your particular license – the offender could be black-listed for life, depending on the severity of the misdemeanour. Not only is animal welfare vital for good science, I am told, it is very much in the interest of the careers of the professionals who work there.

The vast majority of the testing at this facility is considered ‘mild’
– the lowest Home Office rating for animal suffering. Some minor
surgery is performed, under anaesthesia and pain killers. In other studies the animals are also treated with addictive drugs. Many of the experiments focus on behavioural changes under drug treatment – issues like addiction or depression are examined, including the testing of the controversial group of drugs known as SSRIs, of which Prozac is the most familiar. These are drugs that are prescribed to and used by humans in Britain and most of the world.

Of course, there are deaths. There are several thousand mice and rats in the facility, all of which are fed and watered in enclosures that are cleaned at least once a week by a dedicated staff. Rodents do not have a huge life expectancy and some develop medical issues. These are humanely put down with either a simple neck-breaking procedure or an overdose of CO2. The bodies are donated to a local reptile facility.

Often, it is growth patterns that interest the researchers – such studies are often useful for cancer research. They add a gene from a jellyfish which glows bright green under ultra-violet light, to certain parts of the body such as the brain or other organs. This allows researchers to better see what has or has not changed. Looking at some mice, glowing in the dark, they didn’t seem to me to be bothered by this addition to their bodies. Scientists do not think this harms them in any way, but it does raise the spectre of another side of the animal research debate: is it ethical to change the biological make-up of a living animal or is that playing God?

To follow up on this question I spoke to Dr Robert Kelsh whose work at the University focuses on the Zebra fish. He is a Professor of Stem Cell and Developmental Genetics, his work focuses on the neural crest which develops in embryos and helps to generate various elements of the body – the jaw, the nerves in the skin, parts of the bowel and pigmentation. After speaking to him, he took me to see the fish he studies. More specifically, he showed me the embryos – all their research is done in the first five days of embryonic development – because these embryos are incredibly visible. They are, in fact, see-through. You can quite literally watch skin pigment develop, cell by cell.

The work done in the fish facility is less intrusive than the work done with rodents. What they work with they can only see with microscopes. The embryos he showed me were alive and well, not even anaesthetised. But these are embryos, and the researchers are interested in stem cells: both of those things are controversial. Rightly or wrongly, such work might upset people, not because of the actual harm done to the animals in question (it should be noted that these fish are better looked after than most pet shop fish) but because of the powerful nature of genetic tampering. Should anybody, regardless of intent or effect, be altering something as basic as the genetic structure of an animal?

“I do not think that the changes we make in the course of our research are any more substantial than those made routinely by, for example, selective breeding. …[E]xperience tells us that the frequent outcome of our meddling in eco-systems is disruption of that eco-system, sometimes disastrously. But this is a new field, and one where active anticipation of these and other problems is being encouraged, and guidelines being drawn up to protect against this.”

Dr Kelsh and his team have the ability to keep up to thirty thousand fish – they are studied partly because of how small, easy to keep and easy to breed they are – but actually keep more like ten to fifteen thousand. “We don’t like to keep more fish than we need,” I am told. The adult fish are kept for breeding purposes only. As they age, they become less useful for breeding and so are euthanized with an overdose of anaesthetic. Other than this, no procedure is done on them after the first five days of their existence.

Much of the research is exciting, none more so, I think, than the study of pigment cells from Zebrafish to find drugs that inhibit the protein ALK, linked with cancer development. They noticed that screening embryos for drugs that decreased production of a certain type of pigment cell - iridophores, the ones that make fish scales shiny - highlights which drugs would stop ALK expressing cancer cells from developing into dangerous tumours. This is a cheap and easy idea for screening for treatments for several very dangerous cancers. It’s the sort of thing people tend not to get upset about.

It is conspicuous that animal rights groups and their associated literature mostly shies away from mentioning medical research done on animals. PETA list the following: “stopping the use of animals in cosmetics laboratories, agricultural research, dog and cat food trials, weapons tests, aerospace studies, and car-crash simulations”. As I prepared to write this article, I was ready to convince the relevant campus authorities to give me access not only to dispel myths but also to expose some of the fascinating medical work being done. What actually happened was I was met by some very proud professionals who were very keen to let the wider public know what they were working on. Despite this, I was told by some other experienced members of student media that as recently as five years ago, this article would have been a no go.

WHY NOW?
I asked some of the researchers what made them want to talk to bathimpact. Dr Sarah Bailey, Department of Pharmacy Pharmacology, had this to say “My personal view on why we should be open? The public fund a lot of medical research, through research councils and medical charities, much of which involves using animals. The vast majority of the public support animal research for medical purposes; this support depends to some extent on how we keep people informed about what we do. If scientists are not open then we may be viewed as having something to hide - and we don’t- the UK has the strictest legislation regulating animal research which places animal welfare at the centre of everything we do. That is important for all researchers. The University has recently signed up to the concordat on openness on animal research along with more than 40 other organizations.”

“We have always been open about our work, through the website and publications. We’re very confident that we work within very stringent guidelines - the UK legislation is more so than those of any other country I have worked in or discussed with colleagues. And our fish are more healthy than, for example, many you can freely buy in pet shops!”

There will always be people who regard any animal research as ethically wrong, just as there are people who regard eating meat as ethically wrong. For me, the whole issue is more complicated than any blanket judgement of right or wrong. The regulations seemed to be incredibly strict, the actual conditions of the animals were, as far as I could see, near impeccable and all the individuals involved had considered, long and hard, what they did and how they did it. To ignore these extra factors seems like wilful ignorance.

Hopefully, this article has shed some light about what actually happens with animal research on campus and dispelled some myths. Fear not for your pets, these researchers are dedicated scientists just like, no doubt, many of you wish to be.

With thanks to Will Marsh and Vicky Just as well as the researchers involved. If you would like to comment about animal research on campus please email impact-editor@bath.ac.uk

SU President to run for NUS NEC

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:15:26 +0000

Written by Dan Phillips

University of Bath Students’ Union President, Chris Clements, is set to stand for election to the block of 15 on the National Union of Students (NUS) National Executive Council (NEC).

The primary purpose of the NEC is to ensure that NUS is fulfilling the policy mandates from National Conference. It also sets emergency policy, resolves conflicts and prioritises the work and resources of the organisation. Block of 15 is a voluntary position.

Speaking of his nomination, Clements commented “I think it is vitally important that Bath SU actively involves itself in the decision making of the NUS to ensure its work is relevant to our students. At times NUS can seem dominated by factions and I hope to bring a sensible voice to the discussions at NEC”.

The role also includes acting as a liaison between students unions and the NEC. On this, Clements added “I hope to encourage member unions to not only share and discuss national issues at an officer level but also speak to everyday, uninvolved students about the issues they are facing”.

Clements’ manifesto largely focuses on the need to support activities groups, where the majority of involvement in Students’ Unions comes from. It also has a focus on the need to effectively communicate the work NUS does both on campaigning and on supporting Students’ Unions to the wider membership.

The position will be voted on alongside the full time positions at National Conference in April. Any student or full time officer of a member Students’ Union is eligible to run or nominate others for the positions. Bath SU officers have nominated individuals for 3 of the 6 President and Vice-President positions.

Prof Sci: the art of rigging elections

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:15:26 +0000

Photo Credit: Darius Gilani

Dear Professor Science,

My “friend” is running an election campaign at the moment and “they” were wondering if there is anything that “they” could use to help “them” in their efforts to drum up votes?

Mr. W. Clinton

I shall split today’s question into two parts. Firstly is against all rules, pure and simple – rig the election. I’m assuming, for no reason whatsoever, that the election your “friend” is running for is going to have online votes counted by a computer on a newly made website full of possible security exploits. I would use “hacking” and just rig the election. Good examples of how to “hack” can be found in programs such as CSI:Miami.

However, there are plenty of ways to legitimately sway people’s opinions without actively cheating.

What you have to consider is this: humans, despite common belief to the contrary, are not rational beings and are affected by social cues much more habitually than anyone would care to admit!

Thus, my first advice is to paint yourself as empathic to everyone. Try talking to people and pretend to understand their pains and grievances. Whether or not you actually follow up on this is irrelevant; paint yourself as a much more important part of everybody’s social group than your contender and you should be gravy. You should also find it useful to demonise your opposition; if you say they hate all members of any circus then they are far less likely to receive votes from members of the circus!
The term that I like to use is the personality cult. You need to become the opinionary epicentre of your group. If you can produce a group of people who look to you for how to think, much in the way that celebrities are “role models”, then they are indeed very likely to turn out to vote!

This segues nicely into my next point about our being emotion animals. People are much more likely to vote if they are voting against someone they feel strong dislike for than someone for whom they feel a strong affinity. You could use this to your advantage as negatively campaigning is thus very effective at causing people to vote against your opposition (and thus for you!).

People are also very social - despite my best efforts with Dungeons and Dragons and not showering, I keep having to talk to people. It’s disturbing. Anyhow, you should attempt to make yourself seem as though you are going to be the winner. Get yourself a maven and improve your image from what it is already. Due to a psychological effect imaginatively named the bandwagon effect people like to vote for who they think will win in order to be able to say that they picked the winning side.

The other thing you must remember is that people approach politicians they know nothing about in much the same way they approach normal people they have never met - first impressions really do count and it is almost always essentially love or hate at first sight!

Therefore, Mr. Clinton, the very best advice I can give you is to vilify the shit out of your opponent!

BIC: the dragon, tiger and macaw

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:30:43 +0000

Photo Credit: dilmarouseff

Written by Norton Yeung

Brazil, Russia, India and China – four up-and-coming economic powers –predicted by Goldman Sachs to dominate the world economy by 2050. Out of the BRICs, Brazil, India and China (BIC) are especially interesting as nations with no prior statuses as superpowers. China, with its double-digit growth over the past three decades, is emerging as the challenger to the American world order. India, with its rapidly growing service sector, follows closely with the world’s largest democracy. But the Macaw is preparing itself with its balance of industry and natural resources. So who will emerge dominant amongst the BIC?

First we have China, long considered ‘a sleeping giant’ in the words of Napoleon, which most would agree no longer is the case. It is currently the second-largest economy in the world. Although the recession has meant that its robust economy has stopped growing in the astonishing double digits, China still managed to maintain 9.2% growth for the last four years, towering over fellow BRICs. Growth also attracted more foreign investment than any other BRIC in 2011, putting it second only to America. This in turn spurs further growth, all the while bringing in technological know-how and driving infrastructural improvements.
The growth has also come with many perks, most notably in education. The cheap, low-skilled labour force is enjoying better access to education – China is speculated to become the world’s largest English-speaking country in ten years time. The end-product is an impressive improvement in competitiveness, equipping China’s traditionally industrious labour force, with new skills. The Tiger and the Macaw appear to have no choice but to bow before the Dragon’s might.

Not according to the US though. The National Intelligence Council stated that double-digit growth is not sustainable for any nation in the long term, and ‘by 2020 (China’s) economy will probably be expanding by only 5%’For such a case, the NIC warns that China risks becoming ‘trapped in middle-income status’. That would spell the end for China’s quest for the superpower title. Pile that risk on top of the ever-growing demand for imported energy, a rapidly-aging population, a shrinking workforce, suffocating pollution and brewing domestic calls for democracy in the one-party state, and the mighty Dragon appears to be just a straw away from having his back broken.

What’s more, the Tiger is hot on its heels. By purchasing power parity, India is the third biggest economy. Like China, India takes advantage of cheap labour to gain an edge - and just like China, this comparative advantage has attracted much outsourcing of industry from the West.
But there is one important edge that India has over its fellow BRICs: entrepreneurship. India’s democratic and economically-liberal institutions are by definition more entrepreneur-friendly. In contrast, China’s system is one of control – both political and economically. In short, as Harvard Business School Professor Khanna puts it, ‘China has shackled its independent business people. India has empowered them.’ Independent innovation, crucial in ‘soft’ industries (e.g. advertising, software, biotechnology), is in abundance in India. Although China still maintains a significant edge over India in the traditional ‘hard’ industries, the global trend is leaning towards India’s advantage as ‘soft’ industries come into prominence. With this competitive advantage, the Tiger may well speed past the Dragon.

This is, however, outweighed by India’s problem of mass poverty. Whereas China’s growth from 1990-97 reduced absolute poverty by 20%, India’s boom, having started a decade later, has done relatively little for the poor. The World Bank reported that in 2010, 68.2% of India’s population remained under the $2 mark of daily income – the highest proportion of poverty amongst the BRICs. In addition, the Tiger also suffers from the same issues facing the Dragon. To quote the NIC report again, such ‘problems and traps’ include ‘inequities between rural and urban sectors’ and ‘increasing constraints on resources such as water’.

To the Macaw, however, resource constraints are not a problem. Brazil differs from India and China; it is a huge exporter of natural resources (especially soy, iron ore and oil). Riding on the increasing exploitation of resources, Morgan Stanley declared Brazil as the world’s largest emerging market in February 2008, outshining India and China in terms of stocks available for foreign investors. What’s more, according to Graham Underwood, director of investment firm GFT UK, Brazil enjoys other advantages: a more ‘respectable corporate governance’ regime, a more ‘sustainable supply of well-educated people’, and it is geographically better-placed to trade with the US and Europe. Poverty has also been tackled; under the ‘bolsa familia’ programme, poverty was reduced by 40%. With such balance, Brazil is well-equipped to be the only BRIC able to sustain competition in manufacturing, services, and resource supplying simultaneously. Indeed PwC recently forecast Brazil to overtake Russia by 2050 to become the 4th largest economy.

That said, sadly, in the world of economic competition (as in life), size does matter, a lot. Brazil’s economy, at some $2,178 bn, is a mere fraction of China’s $ 11,316 bn, and less than half of India’s $4,469 bn. The Macaw has been growing slower than other BICs, trudging along at a painful 2.7% as of 2011. In terms of infrastructure, Brazil is severely lacking. What’s more, the Majestic Macaw is apparently less attractive to foreign businesses, being named 126th out of 183 in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings.

Out of the three, China, as things stand today, is significantly better-placed to emerge dominant. This is due to three key factors. Firstly, the Dragon has a decade’s head-start over the Tiger and the Macaw. With the ongoing economic crisis, it is very unlikely that India or Brazil will be able to close that gap in the foreseeable future. Secondly, the prospect of slowing Chinese growth and its potential impact on domestic stability can be outweighed by the expansion of China’s domestic market. The Economist recently stated, ‘2013 may… be the year that China’s services sector officially eclipses industry’. Once this important prerequisite is achieved, risk of domestic dissent would be minimised, giving the regime space to solve other issues undermining economic potential. Finally, China maintains constant trade relationships with most of the world, which, despite regional territorial tensions, have remained stable. While some parts of the world are still yet to establish solid commercial links with Brazil or India, China already has a foot in the door; it has become an indispensable part of world trade. As it stands now, China is stronger externally than India or Brazil as an economic power. Nonetheless, it is important to bear in mind that this verdict is based on observations at the present day. Change, however, can, and will, come from within. When it does, the Dragon’s chances of becoming the next superpower will ultimately rest with its people.

Economics of racism

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:45:36 +0000

Photo Credit: theps

Everything has roots, including stereotypes. The Jews are stingy because they dealt money, one of the few trades they could get away with during the Diaspora. Blacks are criminals, because discriminatory employment and economic procedures pushed them to the brink of society and often into moments of desperation. The French are smelly because the only eat cheese, the Chinese good at maths because of a rich history of advanced science and education. Stereotypes are therefore often – but not always – based on some element of truth, a truth which when taken seriously causes fierce divides in society and the corruption of a basic capitalist principle: competition.

It may seem that an economic recession might exacerbate racism in society, but this hasn’t happened to the extent seen in the past. Whilst racism is a deep-rooted hate of someone based on ethnicity and ancestry, xenophobia is a fear of cultural outsiders; something which might be more applicable to our current society. At the height of the recession, the BNP was bankrupt as it seemed the party had misjudged the ‘ethnic Brits’ attitudes to people of different race. Meanwhile, UKIP – still bigoted, but certainly less bothered by ethnicity – stormed the recent by-elections in Eastleigh to take second place ahead of the Conservatives. It seems that at times of economic downturn, people are less bothered by race, but more so by outsiders.

Now I will be the first to tell you that we, as a nation, do not work hard enough to keep up with the changing world. This doesn’t stop us, driven by the hatemobile that is the British tabloid press, from having pretty opinionated theories as to why immigrants and minorities are awful. ‘They just come here to steal our money’, ‘they took are jobs’, ‘this is a Christian country, despite that fact I am not a Christian or care that much, I’m just annoyed that they being treated equally’ etc. The fact is that legal immigrants give far more to the economy than they take out, are less likely to apply for benefits and, with every 1% increase in immigrants, our economy takes a nice 7% boost in GDP. Immigrants are, in fact, pretty awesome.

So why the hate? Why would we be willing to lose out economically in exchange for shallow-minded, racist opinions and why would the government and press not do more to discourage it? Some claim it is a psychological thing, but unfortunately it most likely isn’t as simple as that. Economists from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman have claimed that organic competition is key to success, so it baffles that ‘big business’ is so keen to avoid an influx of cheap labour. Becker claims that racism and xenophobia works for both sides; the workers and the bosses. Whilst workers feel like they’re not going to lose their jobs, the bosses can use anti-immigration mentalities as a way to keep their workers happy. And by bosses, I mean politicians.

If economics was as important to politicians as politics is, the world would be a much safer place. We don’t need to look far back in history to see what happens when leaders mix institutionalised racism, economics and politics.

bite meets... That Joanna Bradshaw

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:15:29 +0000

TG: First up, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your EP?

JB: I’m Joanna, a recent Sociology and Social Research graduate from the University of Bath and I release music under the name of That Joanna Bradshaw. I’m releasing my first EP, ‘As Promised…’, on the 11th March and the type of music that I play is acoustic/folk and it tries to tell stories through the music from my experiences and it’s meant to try and help others who might have been in a similar situations. I’ve been writing songs since he age of 10 and I’ve just always loved music, I did a lot of choir and musical theatre when I was younger and know I write my own songs.

TG: What was the recording process?

JB: I worked with a producer named Andy Cooke who also runs the Bath Open Mic Nights here. He’s a lovely guy and we worked on it all together.

TG: What would you say have been your main influence?

JB: I guess I’ve always listened to people like Adele and Damien Rice who tell stories and try to make the most out of bad situations by writing songs and get something good out of it.

TG: You’ve also got Skinny Love, any reason why?

JB:Skinny Love is just one of my favourite songs, and lyrically it’s just beautifully haunting. It’s also kind of my boyfriend and I’s song, so that’s also kind of why I picked it for my first EP.
You’ve also got a big launch party for it coming up in Bath haven’t you? Could you tell us about that?

JB: It’s on the 16th of March and it’s from 8pm to 11pm. Free admission, so I really want people to come because it’s the more the merrier really. It’s at Jikka Jikka which is on George Street. There’s live music throughout the evening from artists such as Lily Stokes, Andy Cook, DJ B and his girls, and Carousels and Cuisines who have also just released their EP and they’re a fantastic band, so I highly recommend coming down..

Sat in seat A25

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:30:38 +0000

Written by Holly Narey

The man in B25 looks like he is about to die. Pallid,
gaunt, with an unhealthy sheen betraying the battle
of conflicting temperatures within him, each breath
he lets juddering out of his lungs is followed by a tense
pause as all around him doubt slightly that it will ever
be followed by another creaking inhalation. As he shuffled
down the aisle, clutching his ticket and peering at it
through what I seemed like a hazy fog of airborne bacteria,
I had realised with dread that of course, he was for me.

My commute is an experience I have carefully manipulated
to make bearable; I have my laptop before me on the
table, my coffee behind it to the left and croissant in line
to the right. I buy my coffee, extra hot, five minutes before
boarding. It warms my hand on the platform. When I get on
the train it sits there, cooling, as I stare at my empty Word
document. I blink slowly at it. The insertion point blinks
back. I pick at my croissant, tearing strips off one at a time.
Approximately fifteen minutes into my journey I allow myself
a game of solitaire, and by then my coffee has cooled to
a gentle warmth despite the efforts of the Styrofoam cup.
It fights a losing battle, as do I. I drink my coffee, finish
my scraps of pastry and icing sugar, disembark and walk
the few hundred metres to my office, to my cubicle, where
I will spend the day entering data, printing data, emailing
data and shredding data. I will create nothing. I will leave
work, stare at my laptop screen for another half hour on
the journey home, creating nothing, and then will arrive to
my empty flat and consume dinner, consume half a bottle
of wine and consume some inane drivel on the television.
I contribute nothing, I am a passive cog in the machinery
of this city, being pushed by parts much stronger than I.

The man falls into the seat opposite me, pulling a ream
of tattered toilet paper out of his sleeve, mopping his forehead
and then stemming the flow from his nose. Revolting.
I shift my croissant towards me, away from the radius of
his noxious breath. He breathes slurpily through his mouth
and settles. I blink at him. He blinks out the window. The
insertion point blinks at me. Each flash a reminder of the
hours wasted in an inability to turn ideas into words on
a page. My brain has atrophied, new links between neurones
slowing to a stop, my mind is closing to new ideas. I
should have done this writing when I was younger, when I
could daydream for hours, now I have solitaire and writer’s
block.

He sneezes. It is a thing of majesty. My eyes widen with
horror at the sight of his recoil, knowing what will inevitably
follow. His face, before so lifeless and flaccid, now
tightens, his nose scrunching up towards his now screwedup
eyes, his head turning to face the ceiling. At the crest
of the wave his mouth opens to reveal a look of misery
and surprise, and then he leans forward, lifting his hand
to stem the torrent that will surely follow. It is a noise to
topple cities. The windows rattle. His old rags of tissues
don’t stand a chance, tattered loo roll flaps in the gale that
is emitted from his nose and mouth. I feel droplets on my
face, in my widened, terrified eyes. I give my croissant up
for dead. My heart sinks; I know what is in store for me. My
future is sat in front of me, mopping up mucous and humiliation.
I want to scream at the injustice of it all; instead
I get up, pack up my things (leaving the contaminated croissant
and coffee) and move to the door as the train slows
to my stop. I walk straight to the station toilets and scrub
my hands, my arms, even my face. I take my laptop out of
its case and wipe the cover with soap and dry it with paper
towels. I stare into the mirror and breathe deeply, willing
myself to fight the infection that in my fear I imagine I can
already feel spreading through my veins and arteries, my
nervous heart rate pumping what I imagine as a slick black
ooze through my body ever the faster. I pack up my laptop
again and walk to work.

I am a bag of nerves the rest of the day. I doodle on
the desk, the fake wood texture beneath my paper distorting
my pen movements. Stars turn into dancing men, with
jerky triangular limbs, the faces I try to draw are warped to
display unintended emotions. I feel myself clouding over.
In my break I go to the bathroom and spend ten minutes
staring at my face in the mirror, trying to work out whether
I am actually going paler by the second, and if so whether
it is due to anxiety or disease. The answer comes at lunch,
when my tuna and sweetcorn sandwich re-emerges after
a few short minutes. As I lift my face away from where it
rests heavily on the edge of my bin, blinking away from the
harsh office lights that seem to have taken on the ferocity
of the sun, I vaguely register my boss stood over me. “Jesus
Christ, go home”. I don’t bother to respond. My coat is
already on and I’m stumbling towards the door.

I don’t even remember the journey home. The next
thing I know I’m sat at my desk in my flat, my laptop in
front of me, searching for my symptoms to find out if I’m
dying. The internet, of course, says yes, but as it cries leukaemia
and tumours for even the slightest headache I try
to remain calm. As I read, I sneeze eight times in a row, I
wipe the cold sweat from my brow and my streaming eyes,
staunching a flow of ectoplasm impressive enough to thrill
Victorian society. I feel like I am seeping ice out of every
pore, this is more than the flu, my brain is fiery and frenzied
in thought. Sufficiently terrified, I fill a jug of water,
place it next to the bed, close the curtains (has the sun ever
been so bright?) and collapse into bed. In the darkened
room I feel as though I can almost see figures coming out
of the wall. I touch my forehead and the heat seems to burn
my hand. I sleep.

I wake. I have no idea how long I’ve slept for, was it
hours? It feels longer somehow, it’s as though I remember
time passing even though I was not actively participating
in it; my head is clearer but I feel exhausted, drained, like
someone has pulled a plug at the back of my brain. Oh my
head is heavy. I am surprised to discover that I am sat upright,
in a chair, not in the bed where I am sure I spent
my fevered sleep. I can remember hazy dreams, people and
places, harshly bright and gleamingly real. My hand is resting
on the keyboard, typing full stops ad infinitum on my
formerly blank Word document. I raise my hand to grip
the mouse, every movement an effort. I’ll delete all of this
and leave it as it was, bring back the empty page that reflects
my incapability of achieving anything of significance,
it may as well be a list of my valuable achievements. Ha. I
click and drag, selecting the lines of dots. Going through
pages and pages of these taunting symbols of finality until…
words. On page eighty two I reach words. It is a story;
beautifully written, touching and funny and real. In it I see
hints of the things I almost remember from my fevered
dreams, people and scenarios, along with ideas I had toyed
with over the years in my hours of daydreaming at the office,
things I would one day make into my masterpiece; my
masterpiece that is right here sat before me… at least some
of it is. I sit and read from the start to the finish. Or rather,
not the finish – I read until the last sentence but it’s clearly
not the end. There is no resolution, no closure. It doesn’t
even work as a cliff-hanger.

To be continued