The Stag
FR
Editor: Mariam Nasir
NEWS p. 3
Surrey Students Snowbound
Courtesy of Nicholas Elia
University of Surrey students’ Christmas holidays start early
New Year’s Resolutions You Me At Six
Christina Webb
Literature Editor
H
aving just received a
friend’s text stating:
‘My new year’s diet has
now begun so prepare to watch
me disappear!’ I was inspired
to write this article on active
Issue 25 | The University of Surrey Students’ Union | thestagsurrey.co.uk
The University of Surrey Newspaper
Tuesday 18th January 2011
FEATURES p.7 SCIENCE & TECH p.14
responses to 2011’s supposed
‘new start.’
It’s that time of year when
plenty of people promise to
diet or swear they’ll eat less
chocolate, others plan to stop
procrastinating and most
students
(story cont. page 8)
SOCIETIES p.16
Lorna Salmom
Music Editor
Y ou Me At Six are a pop-
punk band born and bred
in Surrey. They shot to fame
in 2008 on with their debut
album ‘Take Off Your Colours’,
which included the well played
singles ‘Save it for the Bedroom’
(cont. page 22)
Editor-In-Chief: Chris Whitehead
ARTS p.17
Tom Goulding
News Editor
U
niversity of Surrey
students attempting
to travel home for the
Christmas holidays last month
were faced with treacherous
weather conditions. Both UK
and international students
who attend the University
of Surrey were affected by
heavy snowfall, which led to
the cancellation of flights and
gridlock on major roads.
The South East of the country
was hit particularly hard on the
18th and 19th of December over
one of the busiest weekends
of the year. Flights in and out
of Heathrow and Gatwick
remained suspended, while
the airports themselves were
virtually closed as the severe
weather showed no sign of
relenting. A limited number of
You Me At Six
EE
SPORTS p.23
flights were authorized during
an extensive operation to clear
the runways manually, but this
was little consolation to the
estimated 400,000 passengers
who had made plans to travel
for Christmas.
British Airways confirmed
that food and blankets
had been provided for
stranded passengers while
some had been put up in
alternative accommodation.
A spokeswoman for BA said,
“we are in the hands of the
weather”, while London Mayor
Boris Johnson was far more
critical of the delays. He asked
whether the British Airport
Authority had been efficient
enough in preparing to prevent
the potential crisis.
“I stressed the huge
economic importance of
Heathrow.
(story cont. page 4)
Editor’s Letter Your Stag Team
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone! This year is all about mak-
ing those resolutions stick. No more doing work last minute, biting
nails or missing lectures. 2011 is all about change and this year, The Comms Officer | Chris Whitehead
Stag’s resolution is to provide better and more interesting news. See ussu.communications@surrey.ac.uk.
the rest of the team’s resolutions in the Features section.
It feels amazing to be back at university. The holidays were good but Editor | Mariam Nasir
exam stress and coursework made it difficult to enjoy them. I know editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
most of us can’t wait till this month is over. For those of us graduat-
ing this year, only 6 more months and then it is time to enter the Deputy Editor (Design) | Bakita Kasadha de-
‘real world’. sign@thestagsurrey.co.uk
For those of you bored of revision, the games page is back! Have fun solving the soduku, cross Design Team | Zoe Kitchener, Rowan Ling, Am-
word, maze and word search. On a different note, don’t forget to read out celebrity inter- rin Lokhandwalla, Jack White, Stacey Hunter &
views, in music – You Me at Six and in sports – David Schneider. Charlotte Clarke
If you have any comments, questions or articles, send them to editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk.
Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Eunice Njag
Good Luck with your exams!!
marketing@the stagsurrey.co.uk
Marketing Officers | Harriet Drudge , Imogen
Mariam
Jones & Kristel Tchamba

News Team
News Editor | Tom Goulding
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Team | Jack White
Apology
Features Team
The Stag would like to apologise to Vice Chancellor Christopher Features Editor | Jyoti Rambhai
Snowden for the headline of issue 24, should have read “Vice features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Chancellor Questioned over “Poorly Built” Accommodation” as the
built quality of Manor Park was an opinion. Science & Tech Team
Science & Technology Editor | Helen Finn
sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Team| Rachel Lismore-Burns & Emma
Cooper

Societies Team
Societies Editor | Utkarsh Sharma
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Team | Jahir I. Rafiq & Apoorva Sondhi

Arts Team
Your Saabatical Team Dance & Theatre Editor | Rachel Gildea
dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
President | Malcolm Hunt: Ussu.president@surrey.ac.uk Team | Lucy Al-Zoghbi, Sian Goldby &
VP Education | Stef Jones: Ussu.education@surrey.ac.uk Alex Sutton
VP Welfare | Georgina Hancock: Ussu.welfare@surrey.ac.uk
VP Sports | Trung: Ussu.sports@surrey.ac.uk Film Editor | Ollie Sim
VP Societies | Osama Salih: Ussu.Societies@surrey.ac.uk film@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Literature Editor| Christina Webb
literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Team| Demitri Levantis, Miranda Sullivan
& Hollie Rowe-Roberts

Music Editor | Lorna Salmon

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Team: Liam Conroy & Mike Sherlock
The Stag is an editiorially independent newspaper and is
published by the University of Surrey Student’s Union.

Sports Team
The Views expressed in the paper are those of the individual Sports Editor |Marisa Guerreiro Da Costa
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sports@thestagsurrey.co.uk
educational team, the Students’ Union or the University of Surrey.
Copy Editors | Emma Armitage, Vijay Bhaskar,
Surrey & Berkshire Media Ltd. Yemi Dipeolu, Nicole Vassell & Faha Zahid
8 Tessa Road, Reading copyteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk
RG1 8NS
Webmasters | Ankur Banerjee & Andy Smith
The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to
webteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk
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Please direct all enquiries to the relevant section editors.

news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Sex Crime Sparks Racial Controversy
Andrew Markland
T
hroughout November
last year there were
many incidents of rape
and sexual assault carried out
in the Derby area by a gang of
Asian men. There were 26 girls
involved in the case, all be-
tween the ages of 12-18. The
ringleaders of this gang have
“
been given indeterminate jail
terms.
Mohammed Liaqat, 28, and
Abid Saddique, 27, were found
guilty and have been jailed for
8 and 11 years respectively.
Liaqat was found guilty of one
count of rape, two of sexual as-
“
Your crimes can
only be described
as evil
sault, aiding and abetting rape,
affray and four counts of sexual
activity with a child.
Saddique was convicted of
Student Health Care now provides a FREE,
CONFIDENTIAL contraceptive drop-in service for all in the field are often not
under 25s
EACH FRIDAY 1pm-3pm DROP-IN
Student Health Care, University Court. Ext 9051
 New and repeat contraceptive prescriptions, from Heathrow when we
 EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION,
 Pregnancy testing and pregnancy advice,
 Free condoms,
 Chlamydia testing and all general sexual health cancelled. The only option
advice
four counts of rape, as well as
tinuing danger to young girls.
two counts of false imprison-
ment, two of sexual assault,
Six other men have also been
sentenced for their part in
three charges of sexual activ-
the abuse. Many of the gang’s
ity with a child, perverting the
victims were given alcohol or
course of justice and aidingdrugs before being forced to
and abetting rape. Judge Phil-
have sex in cars, rented houses
ip Head told Saddique: “Youror hotels across the Midlands.
crimes can only be described as
The crimes have attracted
evil,” adding that he was a con-
a lot of controversy, and there
is one controversial factor
that many of the experts
happy to discuss freely:
the race of the abusers.
The string of convictions
in cities such as Rother-
ham, Preston, Blackburn,
Rochdale and now Derby
have more often than not
involved Asian men, spe-
cifically men of Pakistani
origin, and mainly Muslim.
In this case the judge said
“the race of the victims and
their abusers was coinci-
dental”, but there are con-
The Stag ‘Wanted’ Competion Winner!
My name is Pierre Barn-
ouin and I took a picture
of myself and The Stag at
home, in Costa Rica. Al-
though it might not be the
furthest away from Guild-
ford, my The Stag prob-
ably traveled the most.
I was supposed to leave
had the large amount of
snow just after university
finished, but found out
that my flight had been
my airline gave me was
to wait 6 days until after
Christmas to fly or to take Pierre Barnouin with The Stag abroad
The Stag
“
cerns within Asian communi-
ties about the problem.
Mohammed Shafiq, head
of the Ramadhan Foundation,
a Muslim youth organisation,
“
These people think
that white girls have
fewer morals and are
less valuable than our
girls.
became the first community
leader to speak out on the is-
sue. “Although there have been
some cases of white men being
involved in this sexual exploita-
tion of young girls, most of the
perpetrators are Muslim. There
are some Muslims who think
that as long as these sex gangs
aren’t targeting their own sis-
ters and daughters the issue
doesn’t affect them... but the vast
majority of Muslims find these
actions abhorrent and disgust-
ing,” he said. He stresses these
thestagsurrey.co.uk
NEWS 03
are not religiously-motivated
offences but crimes carried out
by men for their own depraved
sexual gratification. He added
that “These people think that
white girls have fewer morals
and are less valuable than our
girls”. Another commentator,
Manzoor Moghul, chairman of
the Muslim Forum, agrees. “Of-
fenders are under the misap-
prehension white girls are easy
prey. The way they dress, their
culture, makes them easy pick-
ings,” he said.
But other experts in the
field believe it is wrong to sug-
gest that child sexual exploita-
tion is solely perpetrated by
Asian men against white girls.
Sheila Taylor runs ‘Safe and
Sound Derby’, a group that was
instrumental in persuading
girls to give evidence against
Siddique and Liaqat said “This
model of street-grooming is go-
ing on in many places. It is just
that the recent spate of prosecu-
tions against Asian men in the
north of England and Midlands
makes it look like it is concen-
trated in these communities,”
She says that the issue is not
race but the overall increase
in sex crimes over the last few
years should be addressed. The
‘Derby Safeguarding Children
Board’ has formally requested
that the Home Office carry out
research into the backgrounds
of those involved in sexual ex-
ploitation.
The Home Office said: “We
are working to ensure local po-
lice and children’s services are
well placed to respond to child
sexual exploitation, includ-
ing supporting dedicated child
abuse teams and specialist of-
ficers in every police force.”
a plane from Birmingham in 2
days time. I opted for the lat-
ter and found myself taking a
train up to Birmingham, stay-
ing the night and flying out
the next morning to Frankfurt
in Germany. Once in the Ger-
man city, I changed plane for
one bound for Washington
D.C. I spent Christmas there
and continued on to San Jose,
Costa Rica flying via Houston,
Texas. This copy of The Stag
has traveled thousands of
miles by car, train and plane
through snow, wind, rain and
shine.
04 NEWS
Students’
Snow Stress
(story cont. from front
page.)...If there was a war on
we’d surely be able to sort
this out,” he said. “Most people
realise that it has not snowed
at Heathrow for some time so
it is vital everything is done to
get the aircraft and passengers
moving again.”
One international student
who faced delays at Heathrow
told The Stag, “It was worrying
as I wondered if I would get
back in time to be with my
family. Luckily I managed to
get on my flight the next day
so I guess it worked out okay
in the end. It’s really annoying
Courtesy of Faha Zahid
Chris Moyles Brings Show to Surrey
Tom Goulding
News Editor
R
adio 1 DJ and presenter,
Chris Moyles provided
an evening of festive en-
tertainment at the University
of Surrey student’s union last
month.
The event, which took place
on 21st December during the
first week of the Christmas
break, saw Chris Moyles and
his Breakfast Show co-hosts,
Dom, Aled and Comedy Dave,
bring their Christmas themed
‘Karol-oke’ night to the Rubix
stage in an evening of singing
and dancing.
Aled Jones had been broad-
casting live from Surrey Sports
Park the week before, where he
announced he was giving away
free tickets to the invite only
Karol-oke night. This prompt-
ed over 500 listeners to arrive
at the site in order to get their
thestagsurrey.co.uk
The Stag
but sometimes you can’t help
these things.”
Meanwhile, Transport for
London battled to stay on
top of the snow that settled
across the capital on Saturday
morning, using an arsenal
of 38 gritters to spread over
500 tonnes of grit throughout
the region. Southwest Train
services were still operating
between Guildford and
Waterloo, however motorists
attempting to leave Surrey
via the M25 were diverted
when a tanker carrying
liquid petroleum overturned,
closing the motorway between
junctions five and six.
For many Surrey students
who succeeded in leaving
Guildford, it was this diversion
that caused several hours of
delays, with some choosing
“
hands on one.
In total, an estimated 1,000
people attended the Karol-oke
night. Moyles admitted he had
“never been to Guildford be-
fore” but said the town was
“
We let you pre-
tend for three min-
utes only that they
are rock stars.
easily accessible from London
and was “very excited” to be
there.
When asked what people
could expect from the evening,
Dave explained, “They’re going
to volunteer to come up and
sing with our live band and
pretend for three minutes only
that they are rock stars.”
to postpone their journey
until the roads had cleared.
Undergraduate, Elliot Miles,
currently in his second year as
a chemical engineering student
at the university, made the
decision to wait, “The A3 and
M25 were blocked on Saturday
18th, so I couldn’t drive back
until the Sunday. By then, the
A3 was clear but the M25 was
still blocked so I had to take a
different route to avoid it.” One
student union representative
said it took “seven hours” to
travel to Suffolk on the M25,
a journey that would have
usually taken “two and a half
hours at most.”
The transport secretary
Philip Hammond has ignored
accusations of complacency,
and has confirmed that
government consultations are
being made.
In a survey conducted by
the University of Surrey to
establish whether students
had benefited from the
various snow alerts sent via
text and email during the
adverse conditions throughout
November and December 65%
rated the Student Union’s
communicative performance
as extremely good. Students
were said to be satisfied with
the clearing of roads and
pathways on campus, but 24%
were very dissatisfied with the
availability of public transport.
Of the 105 undergraduates and
postgraduates who responded,
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Mayhem UK
Students’ Ignorance Causes
Andrew Markland
I t is an image that
characterises a time of
unrest: Parliament Square,
themselves to railings and
defaced paintings in the cause
of women’s right to vote - and,
in the aftermath of serious ultimately, prevailed.
civil disorder, scattered with Of course, advocates of
charred debris, mangled peaceful protest say violence
barriers and broken glass. The of any kind undermines
roll-call of injuries, the cost of the moral authority of the
the damage inflicted on central protesters’ cause, but in the
London’s infrastructure last few years the assumption
- all prompted the swift that British democracy
guarantees everyone a voice
condemnation from the home
has been undermined by
secretary and the National
both the ineffectiveness of
Union of Students alike.
the Iraq demo (the largest
However if drawing
demonstration in the history of
attention to their cause
Britain, which went unheard)
was the protesters’ aim, the
and now the sense of betrayal
wreckage proved effective.
felt by students who voted Lib
Every newspaper front page
Dem because of the party’s
and TV bulletin used images of
pledge to vote against fee
the chaos to illustrate the anger
increases.
unleashed among students by
Many condemn the act of
the government’s plans.
throwing a fire extinguisher
Few would approve of
off of a roof, but there is a
hurling a fire extinguisher from
solemn understanding that
the roof of a tall building, yet in
the majority of those involved
between such behaviour and
in the protest had no other
peaceful protests, lay direct
means of articulating their
action and civil disobedience
frustration. As New Statesman
which target property, rather
columnist Laurie Penny says,
than people.
“An act like smashing windows
This lineage stretches
of tax avoiders is not a cause
back to the Suffragettes,
of social breakdown, it’s a
who smashed windows, set
symptom of social breakdown.”
fire to letterboxes, chained
Courtesy of Surrey Students’ Union
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Education Initiative
Is “Falling Apart”
Andrew Markland
M
Ps have voted to raise
tuition fees in England
to up to £9,000 a year,
but Ministers have proposed
that students from disadvan-
taged backgrounds could have
one year paid by the state, plus
another year paid by their uni-
versities.
Three days before Parlia-
ment decided on the govern-
ment’s controversial plans,
ministers announced they
were looking to use a £150m
fund to provide a year’s free tu-
ition for poorer students. This
would then be matched by the
university to provide another
year’s study free of charge.
The proposal was thought
to have helped persuade some
Lib Dem MPs to support the
government. Under the plans,
universities charging more
than £6,000 a year could be
forced to pay such students’
fees for a second year. Ministers
believe up to 18,000 students
could ultimately benefit, signif-
icantly increasing the numbers
of children from poorer back-
grounds going on to higher ed-
ucation. Cash for the new fund
- set aside for pupils who were
eligible for free school meals -
would come from the National
Scholarship Programme al-
ready announced. Free school
meals are available to families
claiming certain benefits and
are given to around 80,000 pu-
pils in each school year.
This new scheme has al-
ready come under fire by Uni-
versities UK chief executive, Ni-
cola Dandridge, who said that
in practice the government’s
proposals would be “difficult
and counterproductive”. She
also feared that the scheme
would hit some institutions
harder than others. The Labour
party have also been quick to
criticise, with Shadow Busi-
ness Secretary, John Denham,
saying that the government’s
scheme was “falling apart”.
One prevailing criticism of
the initiative is the dispropor-
tion in budget between univer-
sities nationwide. The payout
may not affect highly estab-
lished universities, such as
Oxford, endowed with a £3bn
budget per annum, or even
Surrey (£47m per annum),
but could entail difficulties
for many other Universities
around the country. With this
comes the consideration that
the initiative does not cater
for poorly funded universities,
and could increase the finan-
cial strain placed on the UK
education system.
The Stag NEWS 05
Buses fail To Arriva On Time
Tom Leeder
H
undreds of students
have been left out
in the cold waiting
for University buses – causing
them to be late for vital lectures.
The Arriva bus service has
been criticised by students for
continually failing to deliver a
punctual service and now The
Stag can reveal that the Stu-
dents’ Union has been inun-
dated with complaints about
buses that are severely late
past two or three weeks, so staff being disciplined and
or failing to turn up at all. On
something has clearly changed several being dismissed.
numerous occasions stranded
but we need to ascertain In recent months Arriva
students have had to seek out
“
what the problem actually is.” have increased the frequen-
alternative modes of transport
Students are growing frustrat- cy of buses that run during
in order to reach University.
ed with buses that fail to arrive peak hours and they have also
One Psychology student said:
within their allocated time slot introduced double decker
“I have lived in five coun-
leaving no other option but to buses to accommodate sig-
tries and I have never seen
wait for the next bus. Harmer nificantly more passengers
a bus service anywhere
insists that any bus failing and help to ease congestion
that is of such low quality.”
at troublesome bus stops.
“
Arriva has provided transport to turn up does so for a good
Harmer moved to reassure
to the University for 14 years I have lived in five students by saying: “Overall
and has only in recent months countries and I have I feel the level of service we
experienced problems with
never seen a bus ser-
provide is very good and we
the service it provides. It’s
vice anywhere that is are looking to build upon that
an issue the Students’ Union
and develop our relationship
has been attempting to bring of such low quality. with the university further.
to the attention of Arriva for
some time, and it seems the
reason: “Some days we do en- I agree we have to do a bit
counter problems and the last more work on the reliability
company has finally taken no-
resort is to pull a bus from a issue and I feel we can achieve
tice, although when The Stag
specified route, but sometimes that sooner rather than later.”
spoke to Graham Harmer, Sur-
it is better to cut a bus to ensure This view was echoed by New-
rey Regional Manager of Ar-
that the service for the rest of by: “We are very confident
riva, he blamed the issues on
the day continues on time.” that there will be a significant
the town itself. “Guildford is a
To compound Arriva’s woes improvement by early 2011.
very difficult town to run a reli-
Surrey students have been re- If there isn’t an improvement
able bus service because of the
porting incidents of drivers then we will not stop until the
traffic. There are a lot of prob-
being ‘rude and sharp’ towards service does become more re-
lems coming from the gyratory
them as they try to board the liable.”
system and heading up to the
service. A second year student SU President Malcolm Hunt
University. We have to make
said after boarding an already said: “I’m glad we have man-
allowances for that, it is part
late bus: “I found the driver to aged to bring this to the atten-
of our job as a bus operator.”
be extremely rude towards me tion of Arriva and I’m pleased
James Newby, Director of
and the rest of the paying pas- to see action is taking place
Traded Services and Business
sengers.” Arriva have respond- to resolve the issues students
Support for Surrey University
ed strongly to any misconduct have told us about.”
said: “We are aware the is-
by drivers with members of
sue has got a lot worse in the
Editor’s View
Having lived in Manor Park being late most of the times.
making a change. As for the
for a year, I have had some Arriva has to take some
attitude of the bus drivers,
experience of the Arriva drastic steps to improve
I think a smile goes a long
buses. The unreliability of the quality of their service
way, do your bit and see
the buses was an additional since students have dead-
how it goes. If you have any
stress for me since I had lines and timetables which
comments or complaints
to be at the bus stop 45 they need to consider. about the Arriva bus serv-
minutes prior to the time I I think the Student’s Un-
ice, please do let us know.
had lectures or work since ion, VP Welfare Georgina
You can email The Stag at
buses had a habit of not Hancock in particular, has
editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk.
turning up at all. This was been working hard towards
Share your experience,
frustrating as even when making Arriva see the
good or bad, and we’ll print
I was at the bus stop 45 students perspective and
it in the next edition.
minutes before, I ended up
thestagsurrey.co.uk
06 NEWS The Stag news@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Off Campus!
Students Reluctant
To Accept Defeat
On Increasing Fees
Jack White

Bluefin Tuna
several times over. probably suffered “internal
Tom Goulding
News Editor WWF has warned that if the trauma” caused by fireworks

I
n this issue, birds are fall-
ing from the sky in America;
Students protest against fees medicine with compulsive
rate of fishing continues as it is, that could have startled them
the Atlantic population of the on New Year’s Eve. A believ-
bluefin tuna will be virtually able idea, but what about the
extinct within three years. Jap- fish? It doesn’t take a lecture

A
s 2011 settles in, stu-
dents across Britain are
preparing to stand fast
and continue the valiant fight
against the Government’s rise
in tuition fees and cuts to Uni-
versity budgets.
Demonstrations have been
called for Saturday 29th Janu-
ary: a mass event in London
and a smaller Manchester pro-
test. The demonstrations have
been backed by the two largest
student campaigning groups –
the National Campaign Against
Fees and Cuts and the Educa-
tion Activist Network – as well
as the NUS and the UCU and
PCS trade unions.
In a recent poll by The Stu-
dent Panel and London Media,
93% of students supported the
protest at Conservative Party
HQ in November.
The National Campaign
Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC)
will be holding an open confer-
ence at University College Lon-
don on 22nd January. The con-
ference will discuss how best
to bring the national student
campaign closer to defeating
the Coalition Government.
NCAFC specifically invites
those students who represent
a local campaigning group or
side effects in Italy and an al- anese champion of sustainable from Mr. Komatsu to know
who would like to set one up. fishing Hideyuki Komatsu has that for all their shortcomings,
most endangered fish is sold in
Since Parliament narrowly said it’s time to start butcher- fish are unlikely to be driven to
Japan…
passed the legislation to in- ing other forms of sea life, such commit Hitchcock-esque acts
Happy New Year! In the last
crease fees, the student move- as the minke whale. “While the of terror by the offset of Cath-
Off Campus!, complete and utter
ment has increasingly taken its minke whale has a green light erine Wheels. Could Obama be
nuclear annihilation seemed
cue from cases where concert- above it, the fin whale has a to blame? Or BP? The Stag is
imminent, but now Kim Jong-il
ed public pressure has defeat- yellow light. But a red light is placing its bets on Kim Jong-il.
is putting his ‘holy war’ on ice
ed government initiative. Most flashing over the bluefin tuna.” Finally, a retired 70-year-
for an aptly timed global freeze,
obviously, the widespread ri- Still if Mr. Komatsu is a old Italian man (not Silvio Ber-
it seems there’s no need to do
ots of 1989/90 caused Parlia- reputable fish sympathizer, lusconi but watch this space)
anything too brash, like, say,
ment to repeal the Poll Tax and he probably won’t like what’s is suing his doctors for pre-
spend £250,000 on a fish.
led directly to the downfall of been going on in the United scribing a medicine, which he
Ricky Cheng doesn’t think
Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s States this month. In two sepa- insists, made him gamble away
so. Owner of a Hong Kong su-
controversial Prime Minister. rate incidents, over 100,000 €300,000. Paolo Chisci had
shi restaurant, Mr. Cheng has
The Liberal-Democrats have drum fish have washed up been taking dopamine since
bought a 342kg bluefin tuna
borne the brunt of student dis- along a 20-mile stretch of the 1999, but says he was not in-
for a record-breaking 32.4m
pleasure over the education Arkansas River, and 5,000 formed about the compulsive
yen. When asked what could
funding crisis. Students voted blackbirds have dropped from side-effects of the drug which
have possibly possessed him
for them in droves (48%) at the sky. Weirder still, in neigh- led him to buy 500 instant lot-
to pay so much for what is, at
the General Election, but by bouring Louisiana, 500 dead tery scratch cards a day until
the end of the day, a fish, Mr.
the end of November, support blackbirds were found littered his family finally discovered
Cheng said, “Good tuna is re-
slumped to 15%. across the city of Laberre. This the addiction.
ally selling to people in Hong
Labour has picked up much of course begs the obvious Compulsive behaviour has
Kong and China, and this is a
of the support – 43% of stu- question, is the Earth’s core been linked to dopamine be-
really good fish.” Unfortunate-
dents now say they would slowing down and if so, will fore, and in 2008 research car-
ly for the bluefin tuna, the UN
vote Labour, putting them first Aaron Eckhart be needed to ried out in America found that
decided earlier last year that
amongst the university popula- jump start it through a series 13% of 3,000 patients who
it wasn’t quite good enough to
tion. However the Labour Par- of tactical nuclear explosions à were on the drug suffered from
make the protected species list,
ty has yet to formalise its poli- la 2003 blockbuster The Core? at least one form of addiction.
leaving it open to the whim of
cy on education funding and it The answer is thankfully Mr. Chisci should probably be
the Japanese fishing fleets. It is
remains to be seen whether or no. Experts have theorized a thankful that he didn’t spend
thought that 80% of the Atlan-
not it will continue to support dull and depressingly plausi- the money on a bluefin tuna.
tic and Pacific bluefin tuna is
high fees, or return to the more ble explanation for the strange That’s all for this week,
consumed by Japan, meaning
social policy of free education. avian behaviour seen by hys- make sure you pick up The
that an average morning down
Keep up-to-date on the terical suburban residents. Stag for the next issue of Off
the Tokyo marketplace could
forthcoming protests at www. They concluded that the birds Campus!
probably put Jesus out of a job
anticuts.com.

thestagsurrey.co.uk
features@thestagsurrey.co.uk The Stag FEATURES 07

What Does the VAT Increase Medium Latte from Starbucks

Price before
increase
£2.45
Price after
increase
£2.50

Mean for Students at Surrey? Pint of Foster at Chancellors

Breakfast toast at Hillside
£2.40
£0.55
£2.45
£0.75
Breakfast roll at Hillside £1.50 £1.70
Jyoti Rambhai Pair of Standard Peep-toe Heels from £19.57 £19.99
Features Editor
New Look

E
verybody should now be
fully aware the VAT has
gone up from 17.5% to
20%. It’s all well the govern-
ment saying that it is neces-
sary to help bring down the
UK’s high budget deficit, but
Standard Men’s Cardigan from Burton £29.37 £30.00
Trains: Off-Peak Return from Guildford to £15.70 £16.80
London Waterloo
Unleaded Petrol from Shell 123.9p/litre 127.9p/litre
Increase in petrol adds minimum of £1.50 extra to fill up a small tank.
So after the rise in tuition dren’s clothing, newspapers

© altogetherfool 2009
it’s not going to be easy for us
students trying to budget all
the costs, especially as we do
not get extra money from the
Students Loan Company.
fees going through in 2010,
it really isn’t a great start to
2011. Although basic food
bought at supermarkets such
as, bread, milk, butter, etc, chil-
and magazines, which are not
subject to VAT, the small in-
crease in prices makes a big
difference to our budget. Just
take a look above.

Against All Odds Facebook to Get New Features

Fran White
Features Team

O
fficially launched in 2004,
Facebook was created in a

© Jason McElweenie
dorm at Harvard Univer-
sity by Mark Zuckerberg, before
going straight into competition
with the like of MySpace. In July
2010 it had 500 million users,
although it is determined to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg
reach the 1 billion mark.
It is the world’s biggest photo The Guardian)
site, beating Flickr and Pho- Facebook is starting to be pre-
tobucket and what Facebook dicted as a site that will overtake
© David Spender

didn’t have, it is about to get. Google. If you type Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg is in plans
to create Facebook e-mail.
This means you can have an
Camera Left: Nick Clegg is continuing to push his party’s progressive line on universities e-mail address along the lines
of example123@facebook.com.
to phase out tuition fees over the course of
Mrs B the next six years to ensure this vital policy
It is promising to be quicker,
Features Team less formal and to hopefully cut
is affordable even at this time of economic
into the Google search engine
the first ten links to appear are
directing you to login into Face-
book – they are getting you there
as quick as they can. Facebook
can be set as your homepage
just like Google.

T
uition fees are going up – that was de-
cided on the 9th December to be pre-
cise. It’s made me think a lot about
my education, almost as if it is a burden. I’ll
have this great omen behind me constantly
reminding me about the great sum I have to
pay back when I’ve finished university, each
time I sit down at every lecture.
The underlying issue is that university is
not supposed to be a burden. Simon Hughes,
the new deputy leader of the Liberal Demo-
crats, agreed with this saying: “Our position
has been that in a tight economic situation
we need to think about university in num-
bers, we need to make sure there's value for
money but it would be wrong to put more
financial burden on students by way of tu-
ition fees”.
There is still hope though. Mr Clegg said
in a message to Liberal-Democrat party-
members that they have “developed a plan
down on the amount of spam we The latest rumour is of allow-
crisis’. He is aware that ‘Ending tuition fees
often get on our current email ing users to shop from within
would cost billions of pounds every year.
addresses. Facebook and to give reviews
We need to be certain we can afford it before
Alongside this new revela- of the products to others on our
we make any promises.” There is hope when
tion, Facebook has had some site. Facebook will then be able
he lets us know that. “But I can make this
new investors, Goldman Sachs. to study shopping patterns and
pledge: at the next election we will have the
Why? In order to allow the rich sell them back to the retailers.
best, most progressive package for students
users of the site to be able to
of any mainstream party: that is my guaran-
invest in Goldman Sachs to be
tee to you.”
able to buy shares.
Whilst the increase of tuition fees might
“In any 20 minutes, Face-
leave students feeling like there is just no
book typically sees 1m shared
hope, Nick Clegg reassures students with
links, 2.7m photos uploaded and
this promising pledge.
10.2m comments. Facebook
Recent views saw Stella English win the
also records 7.7m "likes" every
apprentice on Sunday 19th December. The
20 minutes, generated not just
mother of two left school at age 15, worked
by users on facebook.com but
in Japanese Bank for 10 years, pursued the
on more than 2 million other
Apprentice and went on to win it. If that
sites across the web that have
doesn’t speak for itself I don’t know what
embedded Facebook's com-
will. We can’t all be Stella English but we can
menting tools.” (Jemma Kiss,
be who we are with no limitations.

thestagsurrey.co.uk
08 FEATURES The Stag features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

New Year’s
The City that Never Sleeps:

New York
Resolutions
...cont’d from front page
...will promise they’ll pre-
pare for exams much better
than before.
Some stay true to their new
rules for an acceptable time,
others stray, whilst many tend
to know right from the begin-
ning that the latter is going to
happen even before February will work better. Writing
begins. I am particularly famil- these things for a set day
iar with this! However, I have in a diary is also helpful –
found that in the last couple which leads onto my next
of years, I have found some point...
simple things to stick to when 5. Set separate deadlines!
aiming to achieve the majority Accepting that something
of things that I want to when will be done by the end of
writing a New Year’s Resolu- the year usually doesn’t
tions list, and on the whole, it work.
can work: 6. Write resolutions in stages.
1. Keep the list short and Helpful, as many things

sweet. Don’t try to promise
yourself too many things!
2. Be realistic.
3. Number the list, there-
fore you will feel a sense
of achievement even if you
only accomplish one and
you can attempt to achieve
each of the goals sepa-
rately.
© Effervescing Elephant
can’t be blitzed or begun
all in one go. For example,
instead of ‘get a job/work
experience’ try: contact
‘specific workplaces/com-
panies’/update CV/write
cover letters/send etc.
7. Be positive – rather than blooming cherry blossoms and crisp crimson
state things that you plan Fran White leaves help to bring the park to life – they set
Features Team
not to do, state things that the scene. There is an ice rink on which many

Y
4. Be specific – actions over you plan to do. ou may have seen the skyline, Statue of are having fun.
words. I found this most 8. Keep it somewhere you Liberty and Times Square on the silver You cannot leave without visiting the tear-
important as nothing won’t forget so that you screen, however it is only by standing in shaped garden, the memorial to John Lennon
changed when I scribbled look at it reasonably regu- the hustle and bustle amongst the thousands of and the Strawberry Fields, situated just across
things down such as ‘be larly, treating it as a sort of tourists does fascinating city comes to life. from the Dakota building. It is the most visited
more organised.’ Also, ‘exer- long term to-do list (I find I As I venture out into the extremely cold, spot of Central Park, and it receives a yearly
cise’ or ‘join the gym’ may get short term things com- crisp air and head towards Times Square I $1m grant from his widow Yoko Ono to main-
seem specific, but ‘read up pleted but never long term stand amongst the tourists, who are posing, tain it. This peaceful spot contains a grove of
on membership details/ things). It becomes more photographing or simply staring in awe at the stately elms and a tiled mosaic. The mosaic is
phone gym/buy a pilates likely that you will achieve features which surround them. It is commonly so intricately designed, yet it just simply reads
DVD/go for 3 runs a week’ your resolutions. known as the “Crossroads of the World”. It’s “imagine”.
no surprise really – the traffic barely stops un- For a full three hundred and sixty degree
less the traffic light is on red, but then that only view of the city, make your way up the Rock-
Stag Team Members’ Resolutions stops one lane. It is a constant buzz, the gaudy efeller Centre. The views are spectacular.
billboards and glittery marquees are almost Standing that high up is a great place to be in
“To get work placement sorted out, to work harder for my captivating. There are in total, a staggering the city, as it can feel crowded after so long you
exams and to sort of my finances in terms of savings.” sixty mega-billboards and forty miles of neon can start to forget that open space exists. The
Christina Webb (ME) lighting. It’s astonishing and mind boggling to air is fresher and the city looks like a whole dif-
even think about how it was all set up. ferent place from up here.
“To travel... starting with Amsterdam and Brighton!” As I am tired after my flight, I retreat back to Of course you must see the Statue of Lib-
Bakita Kasadha my hotel, The Hotel Rodger Williams on Madi- erty. Some prefer to go onto the island itself
son Avenue, and decide try the lavish hotel however, I feel that the best way to see it was
“Just to be better this year than last year. You can really take restaurant. New York is host to thousands of by the Staten Island Ferry. Although this is just
that as something different for each person.” glamorous restaurants. Of course if fine din- a commuter’s ferry, it is free and gives great
Jack White ing is not to your taste there are many low-key photo opportunities: the view of the statue is
places to eat and a McDonalds on every block; perfect as is the view of Downtown Manhattan.
“Stop biting my nails.” these, with it being America, have huge por- By staying on the ferry there and back you can
Mariam Nasir tions where small translates as big and large do the trip in around 40 minutes for free.
translates as… well, you get the picture. The city is host to many clubs, bars and res-
“To get a 1st this year at University.” The next morning, a Sunday coincidently, I taurants, and it doesn’t take long at night for
Jyoti Rambhai wander down to Central Park, about a twenty the nightlife to ignite. Its reputation precedes
minute walk from my hotel. The park is an it, as it really is the city that never sleeps. It’s
“My new year’s resolution is to wake up for at least 5 days of oasis from the insanity: the perfectly mowed energy and unrestrained attitude never dips or
every week, by 9AM and to eat healthily (no junk).” lawns, meandering wooded paths, provide the slows down. So why should you.
Utkarsh Sharma bit of nature which the New Yorkers crave. The

thestagsurrey.co.uk
features@thestagsurrey.co.uk The Stag FEATURES 09

Fashion
Student H
i guys, welcome to our first issue of 2011! We hope that ture on tights – showing how they can be worn as both a fashion
everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Year! An- statement and as a stylish cover up as we transition between
other year has come and we hope it will be a fantastic seasons. We hope that you enjoy this issue and as ever if you

Buy of
one for fashion, and by the looks of the sensational outfits we have any feedback, comments or ideas we would love to hear
have already seen so early in the year and with awards season from you. Email us at cc00206@surrey.ac.uk/na00107@surrey.
just around the corner we’re sure we won’t be disappointed! In ac.uk

the Week
this issue we bring you three mini features – we have our regular
best dressed and student buy of the week features and a fea- Nisha and Christie

T Fashion Tights
ety of fashionable tights and socks. These
his week our student dazzling pair of sheer diamond tights are
buy of the week comes really classy and help to lengthen the legs.
from the forever faithful It is better to wear sheer tights like these
Topshop, who also offer a 10% when wearing a longer dress, no shorter

A
discount to students all year lthough the world of fashion is con- These suspender style tights are per- than just above the knee. You can find
round. We have chosen this stantly changing, with new ideas fect for a night out, it is best to team them these tights at www.legsandstockings.
on-trend camel blouse with a and old trends returning, tights are with a simple and straight cut dress as co.uk/brands-brand~Pretty Polly.htm or
Peter Pan colour. While camel a faithful friend to everyone in the fash- frills or patterns may look a bit too fussy. at Debenhams, Boots and Wilkinson for
is a huge trend for this season, ion world. They cover pale legs, allow us These particular tights are House of Hol- just £8.45.
the Peter Pan collar as a fin- girls to wear dresses and skirts through- land. You can pick them up from John These opaque Pretty Polly diamond
ishing detail is fast becoming out the cold season and above all they are Lewis, Selfridges or www.houseofhol- tights are great as they can be worn on
a hot trend itself, showing up comfortable. Their popularity has lead to land.co.uk for £12. Be careful when put- a night out with a dress and heels or in
in the ready-to-wear catwalk a variety of fashionable designs for both ting them on as the sheer part at the top the day with boots, pumps or dolly shoes.
collections of Miu Miu and can daywear and eveningwear, helping to of the tights is very delicate. These tights are also available in pink for
already be seen all over the spice up your outfits. Pretty Polly hosiery produces a vari- just £6.45.
high street.
This versatile blouse is easy
glamour at its best, pair with
black shorts and cute flats for
a chic day outfit or pair the
blouse with your favourite
skinny jeans for an equally
lecture chic outfit. Visit www.
topshop.com to snap up this
blouse before it sells out.

Best-Dressed of the Week: no denying that a little sparkle is an all round winner suiting

“
can add an element of fun to both Kim’s personality and ap-
Kim Kardashian in Tadashi Shoji any girls wardrobe.
The dress is a perfect mix
proach to fashion, we love it.

I
n the past month we have
seen some outstanding
outfits on the red carpet,
and with Christmas and New
geous dress. While attending of gold and aubergine colours
her family Christmas party, and is completely on trend as
Kim chose this sparkling, one- purple is a key colour this sea-
shouldered dress by Tadashi son. However for us the one

“
Year having just passed there
has been no shortage of events
for celebrities to attend. So
many events, so many looks
to choose from! However this
week none other than the
thing that makes this dress a
knockout is the cut and shape:
Kim knows... how the one shoulder and length of
to work her killer the dress provide an elegant
touch while the deeper au-
hourglass figure
bergine colour gives a hint of
in a gorgeous
© David Shankbone

beautiful Kim Kardashian is drama.

our pick of the week. If there’s dress. Kim has also chosen to cinch
one thing that Kim knows how in her waist with a black waist-
to do, it’s how to work her Shoji (Fall 2010) and while band, making the fit perfect
killer hourglass figure in a gor- Christmas may be over there’s for her body shape. This dress

thestagsurrey.co.uk
10 FEATURES The Stag features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Games
Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send your answers to editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk to get a mention in the paper.

Sudoku Wordsearch
2 1 7 E S I C E X E E F
1 3 9 8 F P E W N E F X B
8 6 5 C R T D E D G E E
7 3 1 4 O O D U I D W R G
9 8 6 D M L G L E h C I
6 5 7 2 P I S D N O T I N
6 2 1 R S B E G G S Z S
2 8 9 7 O E G M A X E E G
4 1 3 S M A X E A D D R
The words to find are:

PROMISE
DIET

Crossword 1 4
NEW
BEGIN
EXERCISE
COLD
6 EXAMS
1

Maze Mania
2

3 5

ACROSS
1. Hidden, also means witchcraft
2. Controversial BBC business man
3. Screen parameter you’ll never keep
4. Out with the old half and in with the new

DOWN
1. German mountain of sugar on the Internet
2. Week starting 7th February
3. Kardashian’s figure and timepiece Relive your childhood and
guide our stevie home!
4. English woman likes Sugar
5. Negative German
6. Famous American biscuit

thestagsurrey.co.uk
New Student
6 Month Membership
Just £105 (FULL YEAR £195)

SIGN UP FOR MEMBERSHIP TODAY FOR

• Use of a range of Surrey Sports Park facilities
including the swimming pool, classes, health
and fitness centre, squash and tennis courts
• Access to Student Sports Clubs
Find out more at surreysportspark.co.uk
18 SCIENCE & TECH The Stag @thestagsurrey.co.uk

thestagsurrey.co.uk
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk The Stag SOCIETIES 21

thestagsurrey.co.uk
14 Science & Tech The Stag societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk

That’ll Do, Pig That’ll Do

Rachel Lismore-Burns
In Ontario, Canada, a small
farm has been home to a
controversial and revolution-
ary scientific project called
‘Enviropig’.
The pigs here have
undergone drastic genetic
modification so that they
now contain genes from mice
and E.coli bacteria, and may
become the first GM animals
to be licensed for human
consumption.
GM foods – foods that have
had their DNA deliberately
altered through genetic
engineering - have been on
sale to the public since the
1990s. However, these have
only ever included foods such
as corn and rice and some
vegetables. Typically they are
modified to be pest resistant
or to increase their seasonal
growth. The first vegetable to
undergo genetic modification
and go on sale was the tomato
(given the name ‘FlavrSavr’),
which was altered to reduce
softening after ripening.
However it did not produce a
profit and removed from the
market in 1996.
Other than crops, one of the
only GM animals to go on sale
was the ‘GloFish’ which was sold
for pet purposes. This brand of
zebrafish was modified to grow
into fluorescent red, green and
orange coloured fish.
Controversy has always
surrounded the idea of
selling GM animals for human
consumption over worries
that it may have unforeseen
dangers and consequences.
Whilst studies have researched
the foods and found them
to be safe, many people still
remain unconvinced – mainly
because the studies are often
carried out by the companies
looking to sell the product.
However, with more and more
developments being made in
the GM market and global food
demand growing, it is looking
like it may become increasingly
difficult to hold off what many
scientists are calling a miracle
technology.
The alterations to the
‘Enviropig’ for example mean An Enviropig in its pen
that it can digest phosphates
more easily. Naturally, pigs In a similar situation in the in the U.S) has ruled that the Enviropig is still unsure but it
cannot digest these chemicals U.S, a GM salmon has been ‘AquAdvantage’ salmon are certainly seems that the idea of
and they end up polluting and engineered so that it will safe to be farmed and eaten. GM food is losing its stereotype
damaging the environment. grow twice as quickly as it A decision has yet to and we may be seeing the
With the alterations however, would naturally. The Food and be made over whether the beginning of GM animals’
it seems that the pigs may be Drug Administration (which salmon are to be sold in the becoming commonplace in the
‘greener’ and cheaper to feed. regulates food consumption food market and the fate of the supermarket.

Top 6 Scientific
Ways To Lose Weight
Emma Cooper
We all may have indulged a lit-
tle over Christmas so here are
some tips to help trim that
waistline.
Don’t crash diet. Crash
dieting can lead to you craving
more sugary foods as your
body needs to have instant
gratification. So the best thing
to do is eat three standard
meals a day with healthy
snacks in between.
Exercise may be boring
but it is an essential way to
lose weight. By reducing your
calorie intake and exercising,
you are toning as well as losing
fat. If the Sports Centre is out
of your money league, invest
in a pair of trainers and make
nature your gym by going
jogging. Exercise doesn’t have
to be a separate part of your
daily routine either, it can easily
be incorporated; by climbing
stairs instead of using the lift
or walking rather than taking
the bus.
Calorie intake. You should
be eating 2500 calories if
you’re a healthy male and
around 2000 calories a day if
you’re a healthy female. We
often don’t realise how much
we are eating so if you’re trying
to lose weight, be responsible
and start a food diary.
When you have a meal,
write down exactly what you
have eaten, even if it’s part of
a salad, i.e. the salad dressing.
It’s often the small bits that are
the most fattening!
Invest in a blender. It was
recently found that when you
eat the same amount of food
and water but pop it in a food
processor before you eat it,
basically making it a soup;
it fills you up more than an
ordinary meal and a glass of
water.
This is the case because
Make nature your gym
once the water is absorbed,
your stomach shrinks quite it fills you up more than water favour of protein can help you
rapidly. Whereas if the food is but is better for you then lose weight easily.
in soup form it stays in your fruit juices and high calorific The whole idea is that
stomach for longer, making smoothies. Semi skimmed the protein keeps you fuller
you feel fuller for longer and milk is the best option as it’s for longer by producing a
thus lose weight. healthy but tasty as well. particular hormone which
Drink plenty of milk. It was Protein is your best friend when sent to your brain
also found that drinking milk whilst trying to lose weight. turns off the hunger in your
helps you lose weight because Cutting out carbohydrates in stomach.

thestagsurrey.co.uk
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Computer Society
Iman Majid & Jahir Rafiq
W
ho would
have thought
programming
is that much interesting
before actually attending a
workshop called “safe sex”....
Don’t be scared! It’s just one
fun way of learning safe and
defensive conduct in our world
of  programming. That’s what
CompSoc is all about - fun &
learning.
In all, CompSoc delivered
an amazing year for all of
us - be it through variety in
programming or  just playing
around with creativity.
In the last year, CompSoc
achieved a number of fairly
massive milestones. Not
only will it increase the
employability of members in
the near future but also it has
successfully wiped out the
wrong notions of computer
fun  - especially programming,
which some would presume
to be boring. Computing
is  actually all about practice
and mutual transport of data.
“London at Night”
The london eye is a ferris wheel located at the south bank of the Thames river. It will be officialy
known as the EDF Energy London eye fron the 20th January 2010. It was opened on the 31rst of
Decemver 1999 by Tony Blair, but was made available to the public on 9th march 2000.
Last year we completed C++
101. It’s great to see that people
actually have interest  in such
things like C++. The members
of Surrey CompSoc voted C++
as an interesting  language to
learn that may create more
opportunities for future
employment.
A “Not-a-Lecture”  series
of talks and code challenges
was on action to address
this need.  The lectures were
absolutely brilliant and member
attendance increased  as the
days progressed.
However, our main intention
was to learn through fun - and
people really did have fun as
they started to raise different
issues and couple of guys
actually turned up with new
ideas.
We however tried many
other things as well. One of
the most popular one was the
“splat” challenge which seemed
to have provided fun as the
suggestions showed we could
go ahead with this again.
I must also  mention the
windows “GUI” code writing
with the specification. We also
designed for a game of Tic-Tac-
Toe for Windows. It’s quite
surprising how we managed
to do all sort of things in just
three hours.
We have lot of plans for
the upcoming semester. It’s
always a terrifying job to
balance between lecture  and
maintaining societies like this
which obviously require a lot
of thinking and collaboration.
But we’re all out there
to utilize the best possible
opportunities and together
we can really make a huge
difference.
The Stag
BruSurrey – The
University Of
Surrey’s Bruneian
Society first event
Dalinatul Ahmed
S
aturday, 8th January 2011
- The University of Sur-
rey’s Bruneian Society
which is better known as Bru-
Surrey kick-started its events
calendar with a brief but first
ever ‘eat and get together’
ceremony on the 8th January
2011. The function was held at
a renowned restaurant in the
heart of Guildford, Surrey.
Around 26 Bruneians at-
tended the social event which
was considered a way for the
members of the society to meet
each other and strengthen rela-
tionships amongst them. More
events and activities will be or-
ganised to bring together the
University of Surrey Bruneian
students in the future to form
long-lasting relationships.
The lunch was hosted by the
President of BruSurrey Society,
Abdul Muiz bin Hj Muhd Hasbi,
whom took the opportunity to
congratulate everyone on the
establishment of the society
and expressed his gratitude
“
and appreciation for the sup-
port given by the members of
“
The society will
endeavour to pro-
mote the Bruneian
culture, customs
and tradition in or-
der to demonstrate
multicultural value
of Bruneian people
internationally.
the society for making its first
social gathering a success.
He added that various ac-
tivities and events have been
planned and will be held
throughout the year. The ‘doa
selamat’ (prayer) was read by
Muhammad Saifullah bin Haji
Chuchu, appointed the male
religious representative of the
society.
thestagsurrey.co.uk
Societies 15
Following that, members
of the society had fun walking
around the town and enjoying
the scenery around the Castle
of Guildford. The society has
gained ratification from the
University of Surrey as an offi-
cial society in November 2010.
Currently, the society is in
the midst of building up their
structure as Bruneian repre-
sentation in Guildford. The
main aim on the establishment
of the society is to unite previ-
ous, current & future Bruneian
students from University of
Surrey.
Through the society, it is
hoped that the current and
future members of the society
will foster a good relationship
in supporting each other in all
aspects, be it in terms of social
issues, student welfare, aca-
demic studies or religious un-
derstanding. In addition, the
members of the society will be
supporting and being actively
involved with any festivals and
national celebrations held by
the Brunei Student Union and
Brunei High Commissioner
(both Bruneian establishments
based in London) as well as
various events held by the Uni-
versity of Surrey. The society
will endeavour to promote the
Bruneian culture, customs and
tradition in order to demon-
strate multicultural value of
Bruneian people internation-
ally.
With its excellent academic
reputation and fantastic stu-
dent life, University of Surrey
has become one of the top uni-
versities of choices for those
Bruneian students whom like
to further their studies abroad.
There are currently over 30
Bruneian students studying at
Surrey in a wide range of un-
dergraduate and postgraduate
degrees including Computing,
Chemical Engineering, Civil En-
gineering, Human Resources
Management, Business Man-
agement, Microbial Sciences,
Nutrition and Food Science,
Politics and Nursing.
16 SOCIETIES
Dance Music Society
edWard b
T -
urn your calendar back
to 2007 and the Dance
Music Society of today
was merely a bunch of guys
with a little idea in their minds.
The idea to bring an under-
ground genre of music loved
by the masses in London and
other cities around the UK to a
cheesy and commercial based
Guildford.
As you all most definitely
know, a night out in the Stu-
dents’ Union, Flares, Dusk
or Casino all share the same
traits, but what a lot of you
don’t know is that so much
more is on offer, right here in
the heart of our campus.
So moving on 3 years what
has this idea evolved into? So-
ciety is a bad label - event orga-
nizer / promoter is more along
the lines - but that’s something
we can leave to the Students’
Union to quarrel about.
The introduction of The Liv-
ing Room’s new minimalist de-
cor has opened so many doors
for us as well as other event
organizing societies. Its vibe
thestagsurrey.co.uk
The Stag
creating attributes and crisp
sound system has provided a
platform to throw some truly
legendary parties as well as
creating some unforgettable
memories.
Just over a year ago we
kicked off our fortnightly Liv-
ing Room residency, at first
experimental but momentum
was quickly gathered. 27 suc-
cessful events later we find
“Filtered” where it is today. By
bringing guest DJs from some
of the best UK clubs (Fabric in-
cluded), our profile has risen
in Guildford but also to a point
where promoters in London,
websites and independent
magazines have started to take
notice. The sound, predomi-
nantly deep house accom-
panied by an array of dubby
techno has brought the same
faithful crowd back week af-
ter week, not just students but
Guildford town goers with the
majority of them sick of the
Baywatch theme tune being
drummed into their ears.
As well as our flagship Fil-
tered night, we’ve tried and
succeeded on occasions to edu-
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
od M o o d
cate people in what we do. The
DJ school was a new addition
G o
last year providing a hands-on,
d
fun and cheap way to learn the
basic skills of beat matching,
analogue mixing as well as the
o
Fo
theory behind the construc-
tion of a DJ set. After a few tri-
al sessions we find ourselves
Good
with a full program ready to be
sprung into action.
Shortly after exams we will
be back into it again. With a few
big dates already organized,
next semester is set to be one
of our best. Space Ibiza’s Lewis
Ryder is one of the treats al-
ready in the February party
bag. We also have something
big, fun and rather outrageous
planned for the Union towards
the end of term. Make sure you
keep your eyes peeled for that
one.
For more information on If you eat five pieces of fruit and veg a day -
The Dance Music Society, Fil- you ‘re helping you body and mind.
tered, upcoming parties or feel
like you have something you Eating well stops you feeling sluggish and helps aid your concentration,
could offer to us feel free to giving you all the energy you need to stay awake through the last ten
minutes of your Friday afternoon lecture...
visit: For more advice on staying healthy in body and mind, contact Student Health Care.
If you feel troubled and want to talk to someone, try the Centre for Wellbeing
www.facebook.com/wearefil- Student Health Care - T: 01483 68 9051 E: studenthealthcare@surrey.ac.uk
tered. Centre for Wellbeing - T: 01483 68 9498 E: centreforwellbeing@surrey.ac.uk
See you guys on the dance
floor.
dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Dance & Theatre
Dance Against The Cuts Stripped Down,
Loved Up Ballet
Rachel Gildea
Dance Editior
A
s the seriousness
and extent of the
government’s recent
cuts to reduce student tuition
fees sinks in around the UK;
and the media continues to
focus on the violent nature
of recent protests, students
in Brighton and London have
found a new way to shake
things up (and down,and move
it all around) – DANCE!
Last month, students at
Sussex University and UCL
posted videos on You Tube of
dances they had made during
occupations and ‘sit ins’ in
protest to higher tuition fees.
Whilst this is arguably just a
bit of fun to pass the time, the
Thought Night – New year-new you?
Sian Goldby
F
irstly, happy new
year one and all! It’s
a strange reflective
time of year, during which
the entertainment industry
inundates society with those
‘best of...s’ or ‘coming up...s’
applicable to each year as it
rolls on. I was going to be one
of the contributors to that, and
bang out some kind of hilarious
new year’s resolutions, which
to be honest would probably
comprise of various efforts to
videos are getting more and
more hits each day and other
such facebook groups are
popping up all over the place.
But this isn’t all song and
dance, the facts are utterly
spine chilling and the dance
carries a grave undertones of
a gloomy future for students –
the new government proposes
an 80% cut in university’s
teaching budget and estimates
that students will graduate
with an average of £50,000
debt.
But 2011 holds hope: At
New Year, students at UCL
launched their ‘Dance against
the Deficit – Having it Peaceful’
campaign which hopes to
host a dance event this month
outside the Bank of England in
London and describes itself as
buy less Starbucks.
So instead I’ve invested a
little thought into the nature of
this time of year, and how it is
a perfect example of human’s
struggle to fully live in the
present. It is an integral part
of human nature to reflect
on the past, without such we
would never learn from our
mistakes and therefore never
move forward. A want to
challenge the past is equally as
useful. For example, without
the modernists we would not
have had the post-modernists
‘playful with purpose’.
All students those who
work in the arts – in any form
are welcome to join. They are
requested to bring their own
moves, music, good spirit and
boogie en masse to inspire
change. The event hopes
to ward off violence, and
‘celebrate and showcase how
valuable the arts are in this
country’.
Dancing against the cuts
is fun, peaceful, powerful and
conveys a potent message – we
will not stand by whilst this
happens. Let us dance.
For more information on
Dance Against the Cuts and
to find out how you can get
involved at Surrey please
contact me at rg00081@
surrey.ac.uk.
– a certain degree of revolution
from the past is essential in
order to expand the human
experience and stretch the
boundaries of human thinking.
However in these instances the
past is never forgotten.
Perhaps reflection is the
only attainable way to realise
our place in the world. If
we try and pin down our
consciousness in the exact
present moment, we are
immediately already reflecting
on the past. To be self-conscious
and regard ourselves in the
The Stag Entertainement: Dance & Theatre 17
Lucy Al-Zoghbi
Dance Reporter
English National
Ballet
The Nutcracker
London Coliseum
2.30pm 17th
December 2010
T
his year sees English
National Ballet
present their tenth
interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s
classic The Nutcracker. The
beautiful score is weaved into
Eagling’s choreographic fabric;
some of its most iconic excerpts
provide musical landmarks for
an eagerly awaiting audience.
Eagling opens the
performance with artistic
ease. A warm, inviting scene
prevails with skaters whizzing
about the stage and families
walking in the crisp, white
snow. Characterisation is well
developed and quite realistic.
A detailed set and Edwardian
period costume support this
charming scene.
In keeping with the original
story, Clara’s dream is key to
the performance, evoking a
variety of characters. Mice
fester the performance with
their mischievous ways whilst
the Sugar Plum Fairy radiates
the stage, and sparkling with
moment requires some level of
self reflection.
This idea of self-reflection
can also apply to imaginings
of the future. It is also very
‘human’ to live your life in the
future, where self-reflection
is only gained through a
fantastical image of what you
‘will be’. Quentin Crisp strikes
a good point when he claims
that living in the future is the
death of happiness.
He also claims that
happiness is about living in
the present. ‘The essence of
thestagsurrey.co.uk
elegance she epitomises the
ballerina image. The corps
de ballets are strong; the
simple choreography follows
a symmetrical form, resulting
in some stunning visuals.
The dream is cut short when
the characters amalgamate
on stage, circling around and
around into something like a
whirlwind. At once they are
gone and a young Clara sits up
in her bed, startled, and runs
to tell her brother. A clever
ending that resolves the tale’s
disorder.
English National Ballet
present good technique and
performance throughout the
piece but I was not convinced
by the characterisation
of the principal dancers,
Erina Takahashi and James
Forbat. Similarly, some of the
transitions between Clara and
supporting male characters
were a little laboured,
sometimes clumsy particularly
during lift work. These small
discrepancies did not instil my
confidence in the performance,
and I was not overly at ease
whilst watching.
Traditionalists might
regard Eagling’s restaging to
be stripped down or untrue
to the original story but this
version seems to capture its
essence: young love and the
spirit of Christmas.
happiness is its absoluteness.
It is automatically the state of
being of those who live in the
continuous present all over
their bodies.’
So perhaps what is needed
is knowledge of the past as well
as potential futures, in order
to develop as people as well
as retain our aspirations. But
an enjoyment of the ‘present’
without being over-analytical
in reflection, I would say is the
closest that anyone is going to
get to fully living in the here
and now.
18 Entertainment: Film The Stag film@thestagsurrey.co.uk

FILM
The King’s Speech
(12A, Dir: Tom Hooper)
 boyhood teasing seems to be

I
f 2010 was to be any actor’s
year, Colin Firth is certainly
up there. In The King’s
Speech, he is engrossing as
“the stammering King George
VI”. Every single struggle to
blast out a syllable is painfully
communicated and in many
aspects, personal.
What makes The King’s
Speech a cut above the prestige
picture is that it is about the
triumph of an individual who
gradually improves, albeit with
subtlety.
Geoffrey Rush is obviously
having a great time playing the
King’s speech therapist, Lionel
Logue, who forms an offbeat
relationship with George. The
correlation between the two
is the entertaining and often
heartbreaking basis of The
King’s Speech. The therapeutic
the crowd-pleaser and the
growing pressure on George to
be the next ascent to the throne
on the eve of a second World
War is even more reason to
commiserate with him.
The underdog aspect of The
King’s Speech is apparent, but
the production value, writing
and acting (particularly Firth
and Bonham-Carter) does
make the film an enjoyable
two hours.
It could have spent more
time on the monarchy it is
portraying and Timothy Spall’s
stodgily characterised Churchill
is somewhat distracting, but it
is easy to see why it is getting
the nominations for the
upcoming awards. If anything,
Firth’s time is now. And The
King’s Speech is a delightful
film on the mechanics and the
struggle for speech.

Tron: Legacy
(PG, Dir: Joseph Kosinski)
 reviving. Unfortunately, it lacks

T
he distant sequel to Tron
(1982) takes off twenty
years later. Kevin Flynn
(Jeff Bridges) is reported as
being disappeared, while his
son Sam (Garrett Hedland)
is a tearaway who is told
about a mysterious computer
laboratory. He is soon captured
and entered into a computer
program where his father is the
the razzle-dazzle at an epic
scale in which should be an
entertaining couple of hours. It
quickly begins to be a visually
impressive bore. Only with
possible exception of a stodgy,
wax-like Jeff Bridges for which
the youth technology seems to
be lagging behind the rest of
the film.
It is temporarily engaging

Meet The Parents: Little Fockers

controller of a grid comprising
of many retro games.
It is such a shame because
it seems like a reboot worth
and the score, as much as it is
fittingly techno, it seems to be
headache after a while. As with
(12A, Dir: Paul Weitz) 
much hyped up promises; it is
not bad, just disappointing.

I
cannot help feeling Robert
De Niro is giving us more
reason to urge him to
retire. In Machete, he was
terrible as a Texan senator and
each year he seems more tired
and could not care less about
what he doing now. There
must be quite a nest egg he is
saving up, because having an
erectile dysfunction while Ben
Stiller pokes a needle through
his…well, it just seems a long
time ago since his finest role
as Rupert Pupkin in The King
of Comedy.
So Meet The Parents:
Little Fockers is pretty much
a meaningless, crude, lame
attempt to remember how
funny that ‘Focker’ joke was a
decade ago. The basic gist is
pretty much the same. Greg
(Ben Stiller) is gradually
earning the respect of Jack
(Robert De Niro), who wants to
make Greg “The GodFocker”.
There are unfortunate
coincidences that lead Jack
to suspect that Greg is not
to be trusted. Greg has an
embarrassing family and he
also wants to prove to Jack that
he provide for his new family.
No surprises. No reason. No
laughs. We’re focked.

thestagsurrey.co.uk
literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk
127 hours Dir: Danny Boyle
I
f the Saw series has
anything to learn, it is that
just losing any bodily part
ten to twenty times an hour
is not really a big deal. Who
cares? It is boring. To ratchet
up the gore is all the Saw
creators know how to do.
It is like someone getting an
oversized inflatable hammer
from a fair ground and bashing
it over your head repeatedly
while you walk on. It is
annoying and after a while, it
gets tiring.
However, to go all out in
spending time with characters,
sensitising the audience
in order to anticipate the
inevitable takes skill. And the
culmination is unbearable,
like imagining a rich tea
biscuit scrape off the skin of
your teeth. 127 Hours is a 15
certificate and Saw is an 18.
And yet, even for a horror fan
that has seen countless buckets
of gore over the past years, the
Top Film Picks
OF GODS AND MEN

127 HOURS

THE KING’S SPEECH

CATFISH

THE WAY BACK

The Stag
scary ones always seem to hold
back. 127 Hours does just that
until breaking point (no pun
intended).
Danny Boyle directs this
true story based on Aron
Ralston’s book Between A Rock
and a Hard Place. James Franco
is commanding as the arrogant
Aron Ralston who suddenly
dislodges a boulder that pins
his lower arm against a canyon
wall. No one knows he is there
and he has not told anyone
where he is going. Aron leaves
video diaries while trying to
find a way to free himself from
the boulder.
In many ways, 127 Hours is
the small film you make after
cleaning up the Oscars. What
Danny Boyle manages to do is
tease us in what we already
know. There is a point where
Aron is going to have to do
the unspeakable act and many
times there are hints that, “this
is it! Or is it?”.
thestagsurrey.co.uk
Entertainment: Film 19
It is a trembling feeling left
by hindsight such as United 93
or the more relevant Touching
The Void, which has closer
similarities in the surreal
accounts of madness and
hallucination.
Sound takes a more central
role and the overpowering
tension is accredited much
towards the sounds of grating
pain coming from “that scene”.
What is also fascinating is just
gazing into James Franco’s
convincing performance as
someone who knows what
mess he has got himself into.
He is the face of humanity,
while the rest of the film
is mocking. From the
Koyaanisqatsi-esque opening
(where the titles does not turn
up until fifteen minutes or so
later) to Scooby Doo. This is
the more adventurous title this
week, but no one would blame
you for seeing The King’s
Speech instead.
20 Entertainment: Literature The Stag literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Literature
Can A Book Save Your Life? likely to protect you in the gonna live with that one’ –
Christina Webb
Literature Editor event of a shooting?’ Without Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom,
further or do, he declares, ‘let’s dismissing his book award as

P
utting an annual book
review in an arguably
pragmatic and distinctive
new light, Tom Shillue presents
a video on behalf of Electric
Literature, investigating which
books can really save your life.
And, as he states, ‘that’s not
metaphorical, that’s reality.’
Yes, he gets a gunman to do
the deed, to see which book
would be most practical to
shield oneself from a bullet. So,
not a video on self-help books
at any rate. Shillue asks, ‘of all
the big books that came out in
2010, which would be the most
shoot some books’ as he puts
on protective headphones.
‘Okay, let’s see how some of
these books fared...’ He goes
through David Mitchell’s new
novel The Thousand Autumns
of Jacob De Zoet – ‘you’re not
the book is ‘still dead’ and then
moving onto the Kindle.
Against presumptions
regarding the hard surface, the
Kindle fails miserably in this
task, its only consolation being
that ‘you’re gonna die quickly
with a Kindle.’
After unsuccessfully
checking Rick Moody’s The
Four Fingers of Death and
The Instructions by Adam
Levin, the ultimate winner of
the most protective book was
Joshua Cohen’s Witz.
This video can be found on
Youtube.

Renowned Authors Come

Out Of Copyright In New Year
The Henry
Christina Webb the Center for the Study of the European countries.
Literature Editor Public Domain keeps track of The copyright laws of the
the authors who have entered United States have prevented

A
s soon as the New Year the public domain each year. any books added to the public
began, on January This year the work of 661 domain in 2011. CSPD writes,

Root Letters
1st many famous authors and artists became "Sadly, we will have nothing

“
artists, including authors F. entitled to be entered, join the to celebrate this January 1st.
Scott Fitzgerald, Isaac Babel, Public Domain Works List for Not a single published work
Nathaniel West and is entering the
John Buchan came public domain this
out of copyright. year. Or next year. Miranda Sullivan Anderton not to go to any
Making their work Or the year after. Literature Repoter trouble, requesting only Indian
more accessible Or the year after tea and rock cakes.

T
and widely viewed, that. In fact, in the his book should Occasionally people see
as well as less United States, no definitely be more through the irony, as did a
famous than it is. In senior tutor at Cambridge

“
expensive, this will publication will
interest in their work enter the public 1980, under the pseudonym
and achievements. domain until of Henry Root, author William Im going to
As a result of 2019." Donaldson compiled a book write a strongly
‘Public Domain Day,’ The public of satirical letters he wrote to worded letter
which celebrates the domain issue is politicians, prime ministers,
role of the public complicated by laws monarchs, lawyers, TV
domain in our governing orphan personalities, ensuring a reply university when Root sent a
societies,’ the list was works, books and by enclosing a £1 note with his letter beginning: "Yours is a
formed. art that could be in letter. There is no escape from college at which brains are
Look forward to the public domain, being caught in Root’s trap. neither here nor there, I'm
more books about and the author Those who reply are subject told … This being the case, I'm
them in the near cannot be located to ongoing ridicule in the form prepared to send my boy to
future, such as new or contacted. of career advice, or offering to you … He's 15 now and shows
audio books and e For Canada, turn up at someone’s doorstep every sign of needing all the
books from F. Scott Australia, England to discuss the matter further advantages that money can
Fitzgerald, who is and European (a scare tactic used on James buy.”
one of the most countries, the Anderton, the Chief Constable This effortless read takes
anticipated authors works in the public of Greater Manchester Police the classic British tagline
to join the Public domain will be at the time). He sets a date and “I’m going to write a strongly
Domain list. flourishing with time, and encloses his pound worded letter…” to a whole
At Duke University, new words. note to help cover costs, asking new level.

thestagsurrey.co.uk
music@thestagsurrey.co.uk The Stag Entertainment: Music 21

Music
This Is Surrey 2011 - The Mod Culture Revival
with the ‘Teddy Boy’s’ leading dissimilar to that we see in Meadows put the darker What is sad is that when
Lorna Samlon
Music Editor the way with their vanity and society today. side of this youth culture the Mod subculture first
narcissism. These young ‘Mods’ The culture itself developed into the spotlight, revealing lost its touch, it was due to

Y
outh culture essentially
defines music and has
done for years. Groups
of youths take bands and solo
artists under their wings, and
literally live the music: they
become the lyrics and the
beat through their clothes and
attitudes to life.
This way of life proves
welcoming for teenagers, as it
gives them a sense of belonging
and something to believe in.
MOD culture (originally
known as the ‘modernists’) was
a sub culture that originated
in London in the 1950s, and
peaked in the early to mid
60s. Mod culture revolved
around their sense of style,
cared for their Ben Sherman’s
(founded in 1963) and tailor-
made suits as a mother would
a newborn baby.
Another hallmark of a Mod
was Italian motor scooters,
such as Lambrettas and
Vespas.
Significant elements of the
Mod lifestyle included bands
in the music scene such as The
Who and The Kinks. The latter
even wrote a song to parody
the sudden fashion obsession
that had erupted among the
Mod scene with ‘Dedicated
Follower of Fashion’.
The Mod scene was also
associated with drink, drugs
and clubbing; a scene not too
when British teenagers began
rejecting the dull, timid, old-
fashioned and uninspired
British culture surrounding
them.
From the mid to late 60s,
the media used the term ‘mod’
in a wider sense, relating to
anything popular, fashionable
or modern.
There was a Mod revival in
the United Kingdom in the late
1970s to early 1980s, and this
has been artfully captured in
the recent film ‘This Is England’,
based in 1983, followed up
with the T.V. drama ‘This Is
England ‘86’.
These fantastic creations
from the mind of Shane
the emotional and political
struggles behind the
superficiality of the scene they
had revived
During the 80s, Mod culture
fell from grace once more;
though with the release of ‘This
Is England’, there has been yet
another revival. You can hardly
walk two minutes around the
University without seeing a
Fred Perry polo and a pair of
winklepickers.
I have also been shocked to
see numerous girls with half
their hair shaved off, another
fashion throwback from the
60s, taken on by even the
prettiest ‘Topshop’ girl as a
statement.
a lack of vitality; it had been
commercialised, artificial and
mass produced.
I feel now that the This
Is England hype will be
short lived; an unavoidable
inevitability when a
fashionable subculture gains
popularity among the masses.
For those that enjoyed the
music and the fashion before
the recent hype, it’s a great
shame.
You have to wonder, really;
have these fashion victims
with their statement haircuts
and supposedly ‘vintage’ shirts
even heard of Toots & The
Maytals? ...Nah. I didn’t think
so.

The Vaccines: A Cure For The Indie-itch?

has been shallow and varied. with the genre, the simplistic 'Blow It Up' is more of the
Mike Sherlock
Music Reporter NME have hallmarked the band lyrics reflect the experience same. An enjoyable guitar
as being the big thing of 2011, of the 'normal' life lead by the ensemble with a quick and

A
fter a rocky couple of
years for indie music,
London based four
piece band The Vaccines
are set to make a big impact
in 2011. From the summer
of 2010, people have been
gossiping relentlessly about
the new 'cool' indie band.
While keeping their identities
relatively unknown they
managed to build the hypest
hype around the capital, and
everyone wanted to talk about
them and their early nineties
rock n' roll style... Or so it
seemed.
In reality, the reception
but the following is evidence to
the contrary: One reply posted
under an article on the NME's
website reads: “The Vaccines
- The worst Indie band in
London.”, the sort of comment
that a 'real' music lover would
post every time. Not to say that
their released tracks so far are
not catchy, 'Post Break-Up Sex'
is a stereotypical indie track;
and to all fans of the genre, it
is pleasing. The chorus: “Post
break-up sex, that helps you
forget your ex. What did you
expect from post break up sex?”
does exactly what it says on the
tin. As has become associated
band. The song itself is catchy
and danceable, easy music to
chill out to.
Non pop/indie fans are
unlikely to enjoy this band.
They conform to most rules
of the genre, and admittedly
are very good at what they do.
The song 'Wreckin' Bar/Ra Ra
Ra' is a 90 second quick paced
song that experiments with
reverb and choral vocals. It is a
fun song, that I could compare
to the work of The Libertines,
without the clever lyrics of
Pete Doherty, the former junior
poet laureate, or the fame and
fortune.
consistent drum track; together
with some more happy go lucky
song lyrics about wanting to
lead the single life and a chorus
that repeats the song title over
and over.
The album is due for release
in March, and I will definitely
give it a listen. It won’t be for
everyone, but if you fancy an
album that is fun and light
hearted, similar sounding
to The Cribs or Dirty Pretty
Things then give it a go.
After all, if the New Music
Express says it is going to
be big, then who are we to
disagree...

thestagsurrey.co.uk
 22 Entertainment: Music
You Me At Six Interview
(Continued from Front Page)
and ‘Kiss and Tell’. With the
end of 2010 and the New Year
now here, it’s clear that they
have no intention of slowing
down. Along with the release
of their most recent album
‘Hold Me Down’ (January
2010), with strong backing
from Radio One, the YM@6
hype is unwavering.
On the 10th December,
I got the chance to catch up
with rhythm guitarist and
backing vocalist Max Helyer
prior to the Doncaster Dome
gig.
This is the last tour for the
‘Hold Me Down’ album- what
venue are you most looking
forward to playing at?
I’ve enjoyed playing the
Manchester Apollo before, but
I’d have to say Hammersmith.
It’ll be our first time performing
there, and I can’t wait. It’s cool
because it brings back a few
childhood memories for me. I
saw Green Day perform there
in 2006 and that was amazing.
‘Underdog’ and ‘Liquid
Confidence’ are the two
stand-out tracks from ‘Hold
Me Down’, but what are your
personal favourites?
I’d say three stand out for
me. ‘Stay With Me’, ‘Contagious’
and ‘Hard To Swallow’. I feel
5-A-DAY
Miranda Sullivan
Literature Repoter
This fortnight’s 5-A-Day
showcases the ‘Fun Lovin’
Criminals’. Formed in 1993,
The New York band have had
four top twenty hits in the UK.
They produce a rhythmic
mix of blues and hip-hop,
creating effortlessly catchy
tracks. The band are made up
of Brian Leiser, Frank Benbini
and the possibly ‘too cool’
front man Huey Morgan.
Also featured is a new
exciting artist ‘Skrillex’,
otherwise known as Sonny
Moore of ‘From First To Last’.
Having left the band in 2007,
Moore took on the alias
thestagsurrey.co.uk
The Stag
I had a good input into these
tracks; but the main thing is
that it’s the type of music I like.
If I was to just sit and just listen
to music, it’d be something like
that.
You grew up in Surrey, so
what memories do you hold
of your home county?
I definitely had some good
times growing up in Surrey.
But obviously being in a band,
I have many memories of the
music scene. Our first show
was at the Guildford Backline,
and funnily enough we were
the last to play there before it
shut. I hear it’s recently been
reopened and rebranded
though.
What is your opinion of
the Guildford music scene?
How do you feel it could
improve?
I think the beauty of the
Guildford music scene lies in
the small, intimate venues.
Places like Backline and The
Boileroom are what makes it.
I think its improving all the
time; the Surrey music scene
is powerful, although I feel
some larger venues wouldn’t
go amiss one day. Guildford is
home to ACM too- so obviously
there’s going to be some
brilliant talent around.
You recently did the Vans
‘Skrillex’ and began work as
a DJ. As with the Fun Lovin’
Criminals, Skrillex provides
an interesting blend of genres,
merging metalcore and post-
hardcore with both dubstep
and electro-house music; and
trust me- it works.
1. ‘The Fun Lovin’
Criminal’ – Fun Lovin’ Criminals
(A-sides, B-sides and Rarities)
2. ‘Inhaler’ – Miles Kane
(Inhaler)
3. ‘Kill EVERYBODY’ –
Skrillex (Scary Monsters and
Nice Sprites)
4. ‘We Used To Vacation’
– Cold War Kids (Robbers &
Cowards)
5. ‘Bleed American’ – Jimmy
Eat World (Jimmy Eat World)
Warped Tour- do you have
any plans to do it again next
year?
Going on the Warped Tour
is an amazing experience;
we’ve done it for the past two
years, so I think next year we’ll
be giving it a miss and come
back to it in 2012. The best
thing about it is the American
publicity we got, but you have
to work hard for it. You have
to wake up early and power
through all the gigs in the
blazing heat, but despite all the
tough times it’s all so worth it.
Literally, it was a dream come
true. Now, we’re through that
doorway into America and
hoping for more success there.
In Summer 2011 you’ll be
touring with Blink 182, how
does it feel to know you’ll be
performing with them?
Another dream come true.
As a band, we’ve always been
fans of Blink. We’re obviously
all psyched about it and can’t
wait to just hang out with
them all. A few years back we
toured with front-man Tom
Delonge’s other band ‘Angels
and Airwaves’, so it’ll be great
to see him again.
So, what can we expect to
see from your next album?
Basically, I feel that ‘Hold
Me Down’ has defined us;
(c)daMusic.be
Huey Morgan leading a rendi-
tion of ‘Scoobie snacks’ which
charted at twenty two in the
UK charts and featured on the
album ‘Come Find Yourself’.
You Me At Six Performing on the Vans Tour
our new album however will
show our maturity. We’re
progressing and working on a
fresh, new sound. What’s great
is that kids seem to get us;
they understand where we’re
coming from, so we’re hoping
to give everyone what they
want. Right now, we’re trying
to find ourselves the right
producer. A few names have
been thrown around, Rich
Costey (Muse, The Mars Volta,
Jimmy Eat World) being one of
which.
Finally, there have been
a few internet rumours
concerning a single with
Chiddy Bang- can you shed
any light on this?
Well, potentially yes,
New Talent
Prime
Mike Sherlock
Literature Repoter
If you are clued up in the
boisterous intricacies of
Dubstep then you may have
stumbled across Prime on
Youtube or Soundcloud. If
you are a more casual listener,
however, then you probably
haven’t.
The lad from Dartford
has over 250,000 views on
Youtube and nearly a thousand
subscribers. After producing
nearly a hundred tracks, Prime
finally signed his first contract
with ‘Stupid Fly’ records.
The first release is a four
track EP called ‘Unity’; which
is now available to download
music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
potentially not... All I’ll say is
that it could be in the pipeline.
They’re great, so I’d be stoked
if we did.
In the weeks following the
interview with Max, it was
revealed online that the single
with Chiddy Bang was no mere
rumour. After a few teaser
videos to tempt the fans, on the
3rd January, the track ‘Rescue
Me’ was played on Zane Lowe’s
Radio One breakfast show, and
is due to be officially released
on the 13th February.
So, there you have it. Watch
this space in the New Year- I
can say with confidence they’ll
no doubt be providing the
backing track for our Summer
break.
on iTunes.
His musical upbringing
certainly shows true in his
tracks, with melodic Dubstep
wobbles and Drum ‘n’ Bass
synths throughout.
He also shows off his talent
to remix existing tracks;
making them even better.
Have a listen to his remix of DJ
Fresh's ‘Golddust’ to ease you
into Prime, which takes you on
an emphatic journey from Dub,
to Dance, to Drum Step.
The EP has some epic
tracks that can’t be found on
Youtube, so it is definitely
worth for the small asking price
on the iTunes store, especially
if you have any unused iTunes
vouchers lying around.
sports@thestagsurrey.co.uk The Stag SPORTS 23

An Interview with..... David Schneider

and nutrition schedule as a game at the fantastic Surrey I grew up in the shadows. I divorce Kevin took me under
Latoya Andree Kessie Guildford Heat player? Sports Park. his wing and protected his
was either Jeff Schneider’s
Seeing as it’s the start of the I try to train daily, but also Do you see motivation as son or Kevin Schneider’s little little brother.
new year, The Stag sports know my limitations. Some key in sport? If so, how do brother. I am able to live my dream
team wanted to do something days you just have to put your you keep yourself motivated? There was no David because of him, but we are
different and introduce you feet up and watch movies all What sports philosophy do Schneider. Growing up, Kevin living my dream together. I
to Guildford Heat’s Number 9 day. Since I have been here, I you always live by? was the superstar; everyone would not be the player or
Player David Schneider. Here have started a diet, but every Success is peace of mind thought that he would be the type of person without my
now and again I love a good which is a direct result of self- unbelievable college basketball older brother.
is what he had to say:
Do you want introduce
cheeseburger and coke. satisfaction in knowing you did player. After the divorce, Kev What do you like to do in
Is there anything that you your best to become the best just wasn’t really the same. He your spare time when you
yourself to the readers?
do in addition to this so that you are capable of becoming. did play college basketball; on are not playing Basketball?
I’m David Schneider. I’m a
you gain a special advantage To me motivation is going all a team that didn’t appreciate I surf, go to the beach, play
6’3 point guard professional
on the court? out and putting all your cards him and where he rode the guitar, and go dancing with
basketball player for the
Personally, I just like to on the table. My philosophy bench his entire career. Kev friends.
Guildford Heat. I am twenty-
three years old and was born
relax and have a good time out is: “Trust your heart if the dreamed about being a college Do you have any New Year
in Toledo, Ohio, but currently
there on the court. This game seas catch fire and live your basketball player his whole life Resolutions?
is supposed to be fun and it’s life through the stars walk and after his senior season, To be a great son, great
live in Myrtle Beach, South
not every day you are in the backward”. It is about taking his dream was gone. And then brother, and great basketball
Carolina. I am a graduate of
spotlight. So to me it’s show chances. you have me, who exceeded player.
the College of William and
Mary and have been playing
time. Who is your idol? expectations. As a post-exams treat don’t
If someone was to say they Its a bit of a strange one With the type of career I forget to watch Schneider and
basketball for twenty years.
were interested in playing but I think it has to be my had, Kevin could have been other Guildford Heat Players
How did you get into
basketball, what would you older brother. My parents got jealous, cold-hearted, bitter, play against the Milton Keynes
basketball?
recommend that they do? divorced in 2001. I was 13 and completely turn his back Lions on 30th January.
My basketball journey
Come to a Guildford Heat years old. For my entire life on me. Instead, after the
started when I first learned
how to walk. My grandfather
played at Winston Salem,
my father played at Virginia
Tech, and my older brother
played at Hawaii Pacific. Both
my grandfather and father
coached college basketball for
over twenty years.
What would you say has
been the highest point of
your Basketball Career?
My biggest success was
making 2 CAA Championship
games the only two times ever
in school history, to sell out
Kaplan Arena, and make the
NIT only the second time in
school history. Now my biggest
success is playing professional
basketball.
What would you say has
been the lowest point of your
career?
My biggest failure was
never making it to the NCAA
tournament while playing
college basketball.
So how have you been
finding the Guildford Heat
Team so far?
I am fortunate to be playing
professional basketball this
year, because I thought my
basketball playing days were
over after college. The team
has very experienced players
such as Dean Williams, Mike
Martin, and Julius Joseph to
help me grow as a player and
handle the transition.
Could you tell us about
your obligatory training Schneider on the attack

thestagsurrey.co.uk
24 Sports The Stag music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Sports Round-Up
Chess Boxing
Marisa Da Costa
Sports Editor

Ever heard someone

Sam Limbert up for that disappointment questioning the intelligence of
by being awarded an MBE in athletes?
the New Year Honours after Well that may be about
Football
a great year saw him become to end. Invented by Iepe
As usual, the hectic festive
the first European to win the Rubingh, Chess Boxing is
period threw up many
US Open for 40 years. US and aiming to combine the most
surprise results as the Premier
European golf writers also intellectually challenging
League continued to intrigue.
voted McDowell as player game, Chess, with one of the
Manchester United continued
of the year. To cap it all off, most physically demanding
their unbeaten run and sit top
McDowell’s birdie putt on the sports, boxing. Now, that’s
of the table with games in hand
16th in his deciding Ryder Cup a combination hard to
on their rivals, whilst Arsenal
singles match was voted as imagine! Played in 11 rounds,
and Manchester City’s draw
the European Tour shot of the 6 of Chess and 5 of boxing,
meant the two didn’t make the
year. victory is claimed either by
inroads on the leaders they’d
Darts checkmate or knockout.
hoped for, with them sitting in
In the PDC World The first official chessboxing
third and second respectively.
Championships at Alexandra fight happened in 2003 and
The Gunners did however
Palace, Adrian Lewis won the since then the sport has grown
contribute to the demise of
event for the first time with a
Champions Chelsea who were
7-5 win over Gary Anderson.
comprehensively beaten 3-1 at
Lewis also became the first
the Emirates in their worst run
player to ever complete a nine-
of results for over ten years.
dart finish in the final of the
Arsenal secured the win with
competition, doing so in the
goals from Alex Song, Cesc
first set. He is now in second
Fabregas and Theo Walcott.
place in the world rankings
At the bottom, there are
behind Phil Taylor, who had
seven teams within two points
been surprisingly eliminated
of each other as the fight for
in the quarter finals of the
survival intensified.
McCoy before his grand national win tournament.
Four Premier League
Sports Personality
managers found themselves
London Wasps on Sunday 30th first aired by Graeme Swann In the traditional end of
under immense pressure over
January in Abu Dhabi as the on his online diary and was year BBC awards ceremony,
Christmas. Carlo Ancelotti,
two sides will play in the first then performed by the team this year held in Birmingham,
Gerard Houllier and Avram
competitive English game to after retaining the Urn at the jockey AP McCoy was named
Grant all had their futures The world of Chess Boxing
be played abroad. MCG. Look for cricket lovers Sports Personality of 2010. and now the World Chess Boxing
questioned, whilst Englishman
Welsh dancing supremo continuing to perform it in the The British public voted for Organization (WCBO) aims to
Roy Hodgson left Liverpool by
Gavin Henson made his return coming weeks. McCoy ahead of darts legend organize 3 to 4 championships
mutual consent with the Reds
to competitive rugby following Away from Australia, South Phil Taylor in 2nd place and a year. Its practice is spreading
12th in the league. Anfield
18 months away from the game Africa and India drew their athlete Jessica Ennis in 3rd. worldwide and amongst
legend Kenny Dalglish will
as he appeared for Saracens in three match test series 1-1. The Other winners on the night the biggest training centers
take charge for the rest of the
their 13-6 win over London great Sachin Tendulkar scored included Tom Daley as young are London, Berlin and Los
season and attempt to salvage
Wasps at Wembley. his 50th and 51st test centuries sports personality of the year, Angeles. So what does it takes
something from a forgettable
Henson almost scored a try in the series for India Sir Frank Williams collected to become a chessboxer?
season for Liverpool.
with his first touch but was Golf the Helen Rollason award, Chessboxing fighters must
Rugby Union
denied by a last ditch tackle on Even though Lee Westwood Lance Haggith was the unsung be proficient in both aspects
After the Christmas fixtures,
the line. became world number 1 sports hero, Rafael Nadal of the sport as they cannot
Leicester Tigers sit at the top of
Cricket before Christmas, it has been received overseas personality win solely in one discipline;
the Aviva Premiership, mainly
All winter, cricket headlines Northern Ireland’s Graeme of the year, potential athletes should have
thanks to a 27-15 win over
have focused on England’s epic McDowell who has scooped Colin Montgomerie claimed a background in either boxing
second placed Northampton
efforts to win the Ashes for end of year awards. Both the coach of the year with his or other martial arts and
Saints.
the first time in Australia for Westwood and McDowell European Ryder Cup awarded chess skills. Can Chessboxing
Harlequins, who train
24 years. However that series missed out on the BBC Sports team of the year and David represent a new generation
at Surrey Sports Park, will
has got a dance craze to sweep Personality of the Year; Beckham received a lifetime of sports challenging both the
play their LV=Cup game with
the nation; the sprinkler was however McDowell has made achievement award. body and mind to its extreme?

thestagsurrey.co.uk