A B E R D E E N U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R 1 J U LY 2 0 1 4 | F R E E

The Gaudie is also online at

www.thegaudie.co.uk

facebook/thegaudie@thegaudie

Next week around 2,300 students will graduate from the University of Aber-deen and move on to new pastures.

The ceremonies will run three times a day at 11 am, 3pm and 6.30 pm through-out the week, with students graduating by course.

Traditionally the Chancellor of the Uni-versity bestows degrees upon graduates, but the current Chancellor, the Duchess of Rothesay, will not be conducting this year’s ceremonies. The Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Diamond will act in her stead.

The graduates are expected to collect their gowns from the MacRobert build-ing on the day of graduation, and to wear their gowns and to hold hoods and mor-tarboards in their hands at the beginning of the ceremony.

Furthermore, the male students are required to wear dark suits, highland daydress or white shirts with dark ties, whereas female students should have a dark skirt or trousers and white blouse or a dress in black or white material. Also

military uniforms and national costumes are accepted.

The graduates need to attend a briefing and a roll call an hour and 15 minutes before the start of their graduation cer-emony. This will take place in the King’s College ground floor rooms KCG7 and KCG8.

Clare Blanchard, MA in English Lit-erature and French graduate, was ex-cited about formal graduation and said: “Graduating feels a lot like standing at the top of a mountain. It took a long time, and a lot of hard work to make it to the top. There were times that I stum-bled and didn’t think I would ever make it. Having made it I feel a huge sense of achievement and empowerment.

“Then I look down the other side and realise that there will be no more coffee breaks with my friends and no more stu-dent loans. It’s all mortgages and gradu-ate jobs, and I guess it’s all downhill from here!”

Also MA in English and Primary Edu-cation graduate Keren Green was enthu-siastic about graduating: “University has been a great experience, I’ve met lots of interesting people and friends I know I’ll have for life: I’m going to miss being a

student, but I’m excited for my future as a teacher!”

Besides undergraduates, also a num-ber of postgraduates are delighted to finish their degrees. Noora Kinnunen, graduating from a new program of MSc in Strategic Studies and Management, commented:

“Being a guinea pig for a new degree combination has been challenging but rewarding. Earning your master’s degree within a year on subjects that don’t have much in common and having no previous experience in either of them has required a lot of patience from both myself and the staff involved, but it has definitely been worth it!”

Around 700 students will also gradu-ate in absentia, not being able to attend a ceremony. The university will mail their degree certificates to their home address-es.

The University will also bestow a num-ber of honorary degrees to distinguished individuals to acknowledge and celebrate their success, as well as to provide stu-dents with inspiration and role models. This year’s honorary graduates will be revealed next week.

By Dan Naylor and Anna Katila

Class of 2014 celebrate graduation

Graduating feels a lot like standing at the top of a mountain. It took a long time, and a lot of hard work to make it to the top.Clare Blanchard

Bob Dylan: Changin’ for the better

Ryan James Macredie discusses Bob Dylan’s recent return to form and breaks down the comparative success of his latest world tour. p.13

Monarchy Debate

Nicholas Layden and Euan Davidson debate the validity of a constitutional monarchy. p.9

Dolphins make a splash on campus

A fifty-strong pod of life-size dolphin sculptures has appeared in the streets of Aberdeen City during last week.

The locations of the dolphin sculptures form a Wild Dolphins art trail, and it is a part of a summer arts project.

The dolphin sculptures can be found around the city centre as well as on the beach and most parks in Aberdeen. There is also one dolphin in front of the Sir Duncan Rice Library on the University of Aberdeen’s King’s College campus as well as in front of the Aberdeen Aquatics Centre.

The dolphins are brightly painted and feature different themes, ranging from Northern Lights and the oil industry to Aberdeen’s football colours.

The Wild Dolphins project has been organised by Wild in Art with the ARCHIE foundation at at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).

The arts project is sponsored by a number of local organisations, including the University of Aberdeen.

The fibre glass dolphins are on the display for the next 10 weeks, up until the end of August. After the project the dolphin sculptures will be auctioned off in aid of the ARCHIE Foundation and WDC.

Evening Express encourages both residents and visitors to seek the dolphins and participate in a competition in which the best dolphin selfies that are uploaded to the paper’s Twitter page with the hashtag #dolphie will receive a £50 prize.

By Anna Katila

One of the dolphin pod located outside the Sir Duncan Rice Library. Photo: Josiah Bircham

Editorial | The Gaudie2 1.7.2014

Editorial TeamHead Editors

Online Manager

News Editors

Features Editor

Opine Editor

Puzzles Editor

Life & Style Editor

Listings Editor

Arts Editor

Sport Editor

Photography Editor

Head Copy Editor

Production TeamHead of Production

Production Assistants

Copy Editing Team

Online Publishing Assistant

Advertising and Marketing Officer

Grant Costello and Josiah Bircham

Darren Coutts

Rachel Clark and Anna Katila

Gemma Shields

Richard Wood

Vacant

Tadas Cilcius

Rosie Beetschen

Michael Cameron

Vacant

Vacant

Andrew Parker

Josiah Bircham

Igor Mzeanovich, John Feltham, Graham Burns

Rosie Beetschen, Josiah Bircham, Andrew Parker.

Steven Kellow

Vacant

We voluntarily adhere to the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct (www.pcc.org.uk) and aim to provide fair and balanced reporting.

Butchart CentreUniversity RoadOld AberdeenAB24 3UTTel: 01224 272980

Do you have an event you would like to advertise in The Gaudie? If so, email us at editor@thegaudie.com. Every society and sport club are entitled to two quarter page adverts free every year.

If you are a company wishing to advertise in The Gaudie, please also contact editor@thegaudie.com.

A note from the new editors EditorialAnother year, another set of wide-eyed students have graced the offices of The Gaudie as editors.

Looking back, it’s been an interesting year with an incredible team as we’ve worked to bring out the best in student journalism. Some brilliant articles, ranging from reporting on student gambling and stripping, to our coverage of the exams marking boycott, have graced The Gaudie’s front page this year, and the rest of the paper has followed in the same vein.

Despite the fun and many laughs, it’s been a demanding job for the now former head editors of The Gaudie. Yet Emily Thorburn and Alasdair Lane have done it, and left this fine institution better than they found it.

There is a strong legacy of Aberdeen University students picking up and reading The Gaudie and this year we had the chance to celebrate a landmark year in that tradition with The Gaudie’s 80th birthday. We had editors from decades past relive their experiences in short contributions, which is a testament to the ever present impact of The Gaudie on students’ times in Aberdeen.

This year was not only dictated by legacy and tradition: we also saw innovation with projects such as Gaudie TV, an intiative which proved another valuable addition to the newspaper’s efforts to deliver quality content on a variety of platforms. Equally, we saw yet more engagement with students over social media, as well as a number of online exclusive articles. The commitment to change and development is something that we will endevour to bring in to the year to

come. ‘So what’s in store for The Gaudie

next year?’ You ask, with hope and expectation glinting in your eye. Well, a fair amount actually. The Gaudie is going through some exciting changes with a strengthened online presence and a redesign of our website. We’ve also got an app being worked on just now so you can access the Gaudie on the go. The app and website will be designed in line with the slightly updated new look of the newspaper, which, if you haven’t already noticed, has been partially put in place in this edition.

We’ve got some other exciting developments that include the institution of a whole new section: Puzzles! Everyone loves puzzles, and everyone will love Puzzles. This tenuously allows us to segway on to a quick breakdown of our current vacancies. We’re searching for a

new Sport editor and Photography editor, though there will be two new positions available: Puzzles editor and Advertising and Marketing Officer. As we have suffered budget cuts advertising will be more important than ever this year and the Advertising and Marketing position should help create major opportunities for the paper.

We have an almost totally new editorial team this year but, for what they lack in experience, they more than make up for in talent as I hope this edition will display!

The Gaudie is a very established publication with a history stretching back to early in the twentieth century. The weight of tradition is heavy on any editor coming in to such a publication but we will strive to keep next year’s Gaudie a relevant, non-biased, and high quality paper for the University of Aberdeen.

By Grant Costello and Josiah Bircham

We will strive to keep next year’s Gaudie a relevant, non-biased, and high quality paper for the University of Aberdeen.

The University of Aberdeen Development Trust has recently launched a new look

and a complementary brochure which outlines its ambitious plans for the future and asks everyone involved to look forward and give back.

Established in 1982, the Devel-opment Trust is an independent charity whose sole purpose is to raise funds for the University of Aberdeen, benefiting students, staff and the wider community in a number of ways. The Trust’s pri-orities are based around the ambi-tions of the University with the aim of generating support through donations and gifts in kind from the world-wide family of alumni, friends and supporters.

Following on from the success of the Sixth Century Campaign,

which saw the creation of many new facilities for students such as the Sir Duncan Rice Library and the Suttie Centre, the De-velopment Trust has entered an ambitious new phase. Since the appointment of Johnston Car-michael CEO Sandy Manson as their Chair last year, the Trust has emphasized its commitment to continue enhancing Aberdeen’s reputation as one of the leading universities in the world.

The Trust’s priorities are now based around ‘Patronage of our students’, ‘Progress of our innova-tion’, and ‘Preservation of our her-itage’. Looking to the future they have stated that everything they do should have a beneficial and positive impact on all University of Aberdeen students and alumni while also driving research to meet

global challenges and embrac-ing and sharing the University’s cultural heritage.

Providing scholarships and supporting the wider student experience through the provision of brilliant facilities and activities are central focuses of the Trust. Through a range of scholarships many students are able to come to Aberdeen who otherwise would have been unable to experience the benefit of a university educa-tion.

Through donations or giving their time by mentoring or volun-teering, supporters are now being asked to look forward and give back to the University for the ben-efit, not only of current students, but for generations of students to come. For more information visit www.abdn.ac.uk/giving.

All opinions expressed in the Editorial section are those of the authors of the articles, and do not necessarily represent views held by The Gaudie, AUSA, or any company which advertises in The Gaudie

University of Aberdeen Development Trust Looks to the Future

Sponsored editorial

wishes you aHappy Graduation!

News | The Gaudie1.7.2014 3

Editors: Rachel Clark & Anna Katila news@thegaudie.com

One of the three British men in the recruitment video for Isis has been named as Abdul Rakib Amin from Aberdeen.

The video, named ‘There is No Life Without Jihad’, is attempting to recruit British Muslims to join the Islamic Militant group Isis in a Holy War. The video comes after Isis has made advances through Iraq.

The other two British men have also been named, as Nasser Matha-na and Reyaad Khan from Cardiff.

Rakib, identified in the 13-minute video as Brother Abu Bara’al Hin-di, is originally from Bangladesh, but grew up in Aberdeen attending Sunnybank Primary School and St. Macher Academy.

Leaders at an Aberdeen mosque

have appealed for Rakib to come home to his family, with Iman Ibrahim Alwawi, adding that they would welcome him back, but not if he had been radicalised.

Alwawi then went on to reject any notion that Rakib could have been radicalised while in Aberdeen.

Dr. Salah Beltagui, a spokesper-son from the Muslim of Council of Scotland, warned against any Brit-ish Muslims going to Syria or Iraq, saying that they are making things worse for their families in Scotland and that there are better ways of helping those in Iraq and Syria.

Dr. Beltagui also said that he was not aware of any other men leav-ing Scotland to fight for Isis or any other terror groups:

“These men who have gone out there were not recruited through open channels. They have been re-cruited through the internet. This type of recruitment has been go-ing on for three years, so there is nothing new there. It is a pity we haven’t done anything earlier.”

These men who have gone out there were not recruited through open channels. They have been recruited through the internet.

Dr Salah Beltagui

The long awaited work for the re-development of the old Triple Kirks church into a new £20-million of-fice complex has begun this month. The new seven-storey office space is expected to be completed around the end of 2015.

Triple Kirks church, originally de-signed by Aberdeen’s chief archi-tect Archibald Simpson, opened its doors in 1843 as a part of a group of three churches, but the site has lain derelict for years following the demolition of the Albion and St Paul’s churches in 1981.

The Dandara Group, one the of UK’s largest independent property development companies, is the or-ganisation that is to take forward the redevelopment project follow-ing their purchase of the develop-ment rights from the Stewart Milne Group late last year.

The new complex, which is to be called ‘The Point’, aims to create around 80,000sqft of office space while incorporating the iconic church spire into its new look and modern design.

Gavin Wyley, managing direc-tor of Dandara in Aberdeen, said: “This is another significant step forward for the regeneration of Ab-

erdeen city centre as a prime place to do business, and we are proud to have acquired one of the city’s true architectural jewels.”

Aberdeen City Council voted last year to approve the new Hal-liday Fraser Munro design for ‘The Point’, giving the redevelopment its final go ahead.

Deputy council leader Marie Boulton said on the decision and the news of the development: “This is wonderful news. Triple Kirks is a shining example of some of Aber-deen’s finest architecture. The re-development of this historic land-mark is something citizens have wanted to see for many years.”

Jihadist Abdul Rakib Amin confirmed as AberdonianBy Rachel Clark

Commencement of £20m Triple Kirks restoration

By Grant Costello

‘The Point’, aims to create around 80,000sqft of office space while incorporating the iconic church spire.

An impression of the finished development. Photo: dandara

A third River Don crossing has been confirmed, with costs already rising by £2.5 million.

Balfour Beatty have been con-tracted to construct the bridge, which will see a single carriageway link road between the Whitestripes road junction and the Tillydrone Avenue / St. Macher Drive junc-tion, as well as the new proposed bridge.

The costs were initially projected to be around £15.5 million, but they have now risen to £18 million due to increased construction costs.

Convener Willie Young com-mented on the announcement: “The Third Don Crossing is a sig-nificant piece of infrastructure for Aberdeen and is a key project iden-tified in Aberdeen’s Strategic Infra-structure Plan.

“The bids for the project came in higher than anticipated, largely as a result of the economy picking up

and the construction industry tak-ing off again, but we are commit-ted to the Third Don Crossing and have made provision for the addi-tional costs.

“The most important thing for us is that we work with all of the peo-ple who are affected by the works for the Third Don Crossing, and we are taking steps to ensure that the communities on either side of the new road and bridge are kept fully informed of the project.

“A site office will be set up on the Tillydrone side which will be open to the public, where council officers can keep them up to date with the construction and answer any ques-tions people may have about it.”

It was also added that public meetings will be held in Bridge of Don, Danestone and Tillydrone where Councillor Young will dis-cuss mitigation measures and the works more generally with the lo-cal community.

Building work will begin later this year and the bridge is expected to be open to the public late 2015.

A report by Professor Dunleavy of The London School of Economics has claimed that the start up costs of an independent Scotland could be between £150m and £200m.

This comes in contrast to the claim by the UK Treasury that the start up costs could be as much as £2.7bn, owing to the creation of new administrative structures to replace existing bodies currently shared by the whole of the UK.

Commenting on the report, a spokesperson for the First Min-ister said the UK treasury’s figure of £2.7bn had been ‘blown out the water’. A UK Treasury spokesman, however, claimed the Scottish government are ‘refusing to come clean’ on the start up costs of an independent Scotland: “Professor Dunleavy accepts there may be over a billion pounds in additional costs to Scotland at a time when the economy and our national fi-nances are recovering.”

Professor Dunleavy claims that Scotland could continue to share

UK bodies after independence, but would need to build it’s own sys-tems by 2021. However, a hostile approach by the UK government could “greatly add” to the cost of building these systems, but costs could be offset due to Scotland having a “smaller government ma-chine”.

This report followed Professor Dunleavy’s dismissal of the UK Treasury’s use of his research to calculate the £2.7bn figure for the costs of setting up an independent Scotland. A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said Profes-sor Dunleavy’s findings “totally vindicated” the Scottish govern-ment’s position: “Their figure of £2.7bn has been blown out of the water by Professor Dunleavy. The No campaign’s arguments have been totally and utterly demol-ished.”

He added: “The set-up costs, which Prof Dunleavy estimates at £200m, would be offset against the scope that he has pointed out for efficiencies from better delivery of services.”

Third River Don crossing announcedBy Rachel Clark

The costs of Scottish independenceBy Jonathan Waddell

Photo by Josiah Bircham

News | The Gaudie4 1.7.2014

A medical device company SIRA-KOSS that has spun out of the Uni-versity of Aberdeen, has won a ma-jor venture prize.

The company’s innovative SIRA-KOSS MaxSi™ Graft technology produces purely synthetic material, with no variability in performance as artificial bones. This product could potentially treat thousands of patients with back pain or trau-matic bone injuries.

The Worshipful Company of Ar-mourers and Brasiers granted the award of £25,000. Professor Iain Gibson, a University biomaterials chemist and principal investigator of the SIRAKOSS MaxSi™ Graft technology, said: “SIRAKOSS is delighted to be recognised in this way.

“Funding from the prize will help bring our unique synthetic bone

material closer to market. This could help the many hundreds of thousands of people who need bone grafts or bone repairs follow-ing the type of fractures suffered in road accidents which can be diffi-cult to heal.”

Professor Gibson has spent eight years with his team in developing the MaxSi™ Graft technology. It has a unique chemical composition and scaffold structure which en-sures that bone repair and fusion are achieved.

Professor Gibson explains the advantages of the product: “We are taking a different approach to the synthesis of our material which we believe will make it more suc-cessful than other artificial bone products currently available to surgeons. Our product contains no human or animal proteins which removes the risk of potential batch-to-batch variability in per-formance. Also, because it’s made in the lab, it could be available in

endless supply.“Currently, patients who need

bone grafts will frequently have bone grafted from elsewhere in their body or from bone harvested from a cadaver. Both of these types of grafts have their issues.”

Brian Butchart, CEO of SIRAKO-SS adds: “The Prize will progress efforts in achieving regulatory ap-proval for clinical use. The aim is to have MaxSi™ Graft technology approved for use in patients in two years’ time.”

By Anna Katila

Students from the University of Aberdeen and the local Bucks-burn Academy recently joined forces with Aberdeen City Council to produce a video promoting sus-tainable living.

Developed, written, directed and performed by students from both the University of Aberdeen and Bucksburn Academy, the video showcases small changes that can make a big difference when it comes to saving energy and help-ing the environment.

The video was funded by Aber-deen City Council and the EU IN-TERREG IVB North West Europe programme through the project Mitigation in Urban Areas: Solu-tions for Innovative Cities (MU-SIC).

The MUSIC project brought together different stakeholders from across the city to work to-wards a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. The idea for the video was initiated by one of the working groups

within the MUSIC project called Learning for Sustainability. It had representatives from Bucksburn Academy and the University of Aberdeen.

Wendy Devall, MUSIC Project Manager at Aberdeen City Coun-cil, said: “Energy Smart is an en-gaging video which gets across the message of living sustainably and saving energy in your home. The Mitigation in Urban Areas: Solu-tions for Innovative Cities (MU-SIC) Project was proud to support the development of this video.”

The video, aimed at youth living independently for the first time, features a variety of energy saving tips that people sharing rented flats can carry out in their own homes. From boiling just enough water in the kettle for your cup of tea, to using energy saving light bulbs, all the energy saving tips featured in the video were sug-gested by students from the Uni-versity of Aberdeen and Bucks-burn Academy.

The video can be viewed on Aberdeen City Council’s Youtube channel.

By Sarah Turner

It has been announced that the University of Aberdeen is one of 14 UK universities who have won a new programme designed to ac-celerate the commercialisation of great ideas in transport.

The Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) awarded the winners £1 mil-lion collectively to improve collab-oration with both major companies and SMEs.

These projects will concentrate on developing products and solu-tions in making transport more connected. The activities are aimed at the global Intelligent Mobility

market, which is projected to be worth £900 billion annually by 2025.

This funding will see the Cen-tre for Transport Research at the University of Aberdeen forming a partnership with Sustainable Road Freight at Heriot-Watt University to establish a Scottish Centre of Excellence for TSC.

The University of Aberdeen will take on the responsibility of pas-senger transport, whilst Heriot-Watt University will focus on freight transport.

Professor John Nelson, the Chair in Transport Studies, commented: “By officially bringing together two centres dedicated to research encompassing intelligent mobility

expertise in passenger and freight transport we will push forward

with a vision of intelligent mobil-ity which draws upon components from passengers, freight, and the transport network, held together by an underlying framework of data and information technology.

“This is a unique opportunity to align TSC and University Partner Program with Scottish Enterprise’s mobility integration challenge. We aim to create a regional network, with strong support from Scottish Enterprise, for hosting outreach activities to more fully engage in-dustry and government partners in the development of an integrated intelligent mobility framework that builds upon existing synergies in the research and application of novel IT in the transport sector.”

By Rachel Clark

The University of Aberdeen work-ing with the dot.rural Digital Econ-omy Hub have recently developed a new mobile phone app designed to inform people and raise aware-ness of the level of information that today devices are able to gather on their users for private companies.

The Trusted Ting Things app is currently being trialled on bus stops across the North East of Scotland, mainly in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Using the app, us-ers scan the NFC tags at bus stops, tags designed to give commut-ers up to date information on the distance of the nearest bus, which then inform the user of the infor-mation different organisation re-quest from them before they pro-ceed to being connected to the bus time table.

Project Leader Dr Edoardo Pignotti said: “There is an increas-ing amount of devices such as pas-sive radio tags, internet connected sensor platforms and embedded computers in the home and public spaces these days and many peo-ple use them in good faith but they may be blind to what info they are giving up, and to whom. People have a right to know exactly what these devices are - what kind of data they are collecting; if the data is transmitted, and if so, who it is sent to; what the data is used for.”

The app has been accessible from bus stops by the public since April 2014. A spokesman from Aber-deenshire Council said: “The app is an excellent way to ensure our customers are confident that the data they are accessing is safe, es-pecially as we will be using the NFC tags as one of the primary sources of real time bus information”.

By Grant Costello

Students get Energy Smart

Recording the video. Photo by Sarah Turner

Energy Smart is an engag-ing video which gets across the message of living sus-tainably and saving energy in your home.

Wendy Devall

Watchdog App created by University of Aberdeen

New synthetic bone wins a prizeJohn Conway and Professor Iain Gibson. Photo: Aberdeen University

University of Aberdeen wins £1m grant

The activities are aimed at the global Intelligent Mobility market, which is projected to be worth £900 billion annually by 2025.

Features | The Gaudie1.7.2014 5

Editor: Gemma Shields features@thegaudie.com

Fear is a potent and unrelenting motivator. With graduations looming it has a place in

the minds of all of our departing students, perhaps particularly with those due to qualify with degrees in arts related subjects. Whilst graduation is supposed to provide a cause for triumphant celebration as the reward for the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance, this transition may prove onerous for those

who will no longer be in the safe confines of academic life, no longer free to inconsequentially ponder the works of Milton, engage in ardent philosophising or even consider the implications of Paris, Texas on New German Cinema. Graduands must now find, and quickly, a practical application or outlet for all the creative reserves they have built up and honed over the past years. This is, of course, much easier said than done. Their expectations risk going unfulfilled in the highly competitive sector they are about to enter in to,

many will settle for jobs out with their preferred field, for less than they expected and far less than they are now qualified for. Last year, half of UK graduates were stuck in non-graduate positions. Those undertaking positions beneath their qualified level rose from 39% in the previous year to 47% according to the Office for National Statistics. Similarly the Higher Education Statistics Agency offers than in 2012/13 only 4% of graduates enter in to work relating to arts, entertainment and recreation. These issues manifest in

a fear shared among all graduates, not least those graduating from arts related subjects with no direct vocational link to the wider world.

University of Aberdeen’s own graduand and up-and-coming conceptual and visual artist Heta Mattila is attempting to capture this fear in a series of intimate and striking portraits. On why she has chosen to photograph her peers, she offers: “I wanted to capture the essence of what it is like to graduate from a creative degree. Many of my friends did degrees in Law, (continued on p.6)

The art of fearBy Gemma Shields

Gemma Shields talks with up-and-coming conceptual artist and Aberdeen graduand Heta Mattila about the problems facing students graduating from arts related subjects.

Heta has tapped in to one of the quietest, most painful and resonate emotions among soon-to-be graduates

Features | The Gaudie6 1.7.2014

Medicine or Accounting and the closer graduation came the more I realised my own inner panic about my future. Once I shared this with others who undertook similar degrees to my own I discovered I was not alone. I felt that these images could serve as a common sigh of relief - people might realise or be comforted by the fact that we are all thinking about the same things and fear what the future holds for us similarly”.

Artistic expression taps into the most private and personal emotions and Heta’s creative endeavours are no exception. “My ‘art’ always comes back to me; my photography reflects what is happening in my life at the time. Of course I take photographs simply out of the will to experiment but generally I try visualise what I would like to see photographed and work on that conceptual basis.”

Many will find comfort in not just the aesthetic appeal of the Finnish-born artist’s work but in the emotions it engages with. This resonates in her hopes for the project: “I wish that the people who see it, especially people with or undertaking arts degrees, become a sort of community. That through the images people can see that they are not alone. I also wish to expose to those people with a clearer image of their future the fears and thoughts of those of us who are less certain.”

One image reveals the anxiety that one might not be creative enough, another that the career they enter into as a result will not be fulfilling or even enough to make a living from and another intimates a different sort of fear, one that suggests that the successes they might gain from engaging with their chosen field might hamper their chance for love and shared experiences in life. Whilst these are all extremely personal thoughts and fears to those who lent their image and emotion to the project, each photo and corresponding idea are likely to strike a chord amongst their fellow students and

graduands. As a soon-to-be graduate of

English with Film and Visual Culture, this fear of what is to come is naturally personal to Heta who plans to put what she has gained from her academic experience over the last four years to good use. “I hope that someday the things that I have learned will prove to be useful. Also I hope that I have become a more intelligent reader and observer as a result of my English and Film degree, so that I do not just take everything as it is and rather consider things with a little bit more depth.”

The artist’s motivation is concurrent with the visual project. It is “Ironically, the future. The fear of everything that is to come keeps me on my toes and helps me to thrive to be better and explore different fields of art and other aspects of life”.

Why, then, do people choose to undertake certain arts degrees if their potential success is limited from the beginning? Heta suggests that it is important not to supress your creative instincts and engage with them as wholeheartedly as possible while you can and, for as long as you can, be that determined by the world of work or your own stamina for the discipline: “ I did not want to suffocate my artistic nature too early. I wanted to become a vet but the closer I got to applying the more it dawned on me that if I pursue that route it closes pretty much all the other doors for me. I did not want to settle to one path just yet, which, yes, might cause me to sleep on my parents sofa for a while in the future but eventually I will figure it, whatever it is, out.

What we can accredit pursuing arts related degrees with is nurturing such a creative talent; Heta has tapped into one of the quietest, most painful and resonate emotions among her peers and all soon-to-be graduates alike. What is certain is that arts students might find some relief in knowing that they are not alone.

On June 24th the death penalty of Li Yan, accused of killing her abusive husband,

was overturned due to the appeals from women’s rights advocates. The decision for a retrial marks a step in the right direction for China’s ever-growing fight for women’s rights, where a recent rise in feminist activism has alerted media attentions on a national as well as international level. For a country that stands infamous in the suppression of social and political activism, the actions of China’s feminists seem to have escaped censorship. An optimistic but somewhat naive outlook would trust in the slowly evolving beliefs of the culture that was built on the confines of patriarchy. A different perspective, even though pessimistic at heart, points to the dismissal of the turmoil merely as

‘girls causing trouble’.The progression of women’s

rights in China came to a standstill after the beginnings of the People’s Republic. Where, in other parts of the world, women have slowly achieved further rights over the years, women in China gradually lost any political and social positioning they achieved during the communist advance. The recent statistics are grim, with women representing 4.9% of the Central Committee, women’s wages stand as 74% in proportion to men’s, and approximately 25% of married women have suffered from domestic abuse. Li Yan’s case can be seen as demonstrating a new positive direction for rectifying China’s legal system to take the aspect of domestic abuse into consideration, instead of heavily relying on the death penalty.

Li Yan does not stand alone in the fight for women’s rights as activists have staged protests, occupations,

and performances around China, highlighting the harsh realities of life as a woman in the state.

The stunts that barely classify as newsworthy around Europe and North America anymore are again catching steam where they have not been seen before. Topless women in protest might not attract too much media attention in London; however the same protest coming from Guangzhou signifies the spreading of women’s appeals for equality around the world. However, the latest protest in Guagzhou seems to have not been a feminist protest after all, rather an advertising gimmick for a commercial company. By this standard, feminist activism has reached a stage of popular culture in China that can be used in a commercial sense. A country that has previously censored and repressed similar endeavors is now allowing these issues to be commercially exhibited, without visible sanctions neither for the protestors nor for the commercial sphere.

Carol Dyhouse, a social historian whose work focuses on gender issues, in her recent interview on feminism and her book Girl Trouble shed some light on the subject of the representation of feminism in media. She states that “the media […] continues to love stories about girls in trouble or causing trouble”. This sorry truth applied to the media coverage of feminism in China can be used to explain the lack of tumult surrounding the issue. If this is the case and the activism is not taken seriously enough to propose a threat, then at least women are still able to publicly demonstrate their appeals for equality, which is an achievement in its own. Whether it’s domestic abuse or discrimination within work, efforts are being made to ensure women’s rights are held in high regard, even if the media were to refuse it the gravity it deserves.

The rise of feminism in China: girls causing troubleAn investigation into the history of the fight against inequality and the new surge in feminist activism in the People’s Republic.

I felt that these images could serve as a common sigh of relief – people might realise that we are all thinking about the same things and fear what the future holds similarly’

Topless women in protest might not attract too much media attention in London; however the same protest coming from Guangzhou signifies the spreading of women’s appeals for equality around the world.

By Emmi Mäkiharju

Features | The Gaudie1.7.2014 7

The year was 2002 and Manchester had just finished hosting the Commonwealth

Games. A year later the City of Manchester Stadium was bought over and turned into the more familiar Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club. This is possibly the most lasting feature of the games being held in Manchester: not much of a legacy is it? So what about the games being held in Glasgow? It is a city that is not too dissimilar to Manchester: both have suffered heavily from industrial decline, high poverty rates and large scale drug abuse in many areas. The Games in

Glasgow represent something quite different for Glasgow than they did for Manchester, however, considering that the only real legacy of the Manchester Games are some new sporting facilities. In fact, if you ask anyone in Britain where the last place in Britain to host the games was they might have difficulty remembering. This may be in part due to the Common Wealth Games relatively secondary nature compared to sporting events such as the Olympics, but mainly due to a sole focus on the issue of sport and not the wider picture. In Glasgow we have already seen the beginnings of a legacy before the Games have even begun, with old dilapidated tenements being torn down and replaced with new, fit

for purpose, sustainable housing. The infamous Red Road Flats are in the process of being demolished and replaced with modern family homes. This is perhaps the best example of Glasgow’s transition from an old industrial city, to a modern, globalised centre readying to compete with cities such as Munich, Barcelona and Milan on the world stage - something which Manchester failed to do on these particular levels. There are those who have argued that the regeneration has instead created a two tier city where the more wealthy citizens live in the new estates on the edge of the city, and the poorer citizens remain in the city centre and surrounding areas where economic prospects have

not changed at all.This is not, however, the first

time that urban renewal has been attempted in the East End of Glasgow. In 1976, the Glasgow Eastern Area Renewal Scheme (GEAR) was created as an attempt to turnaround the declining fortunes of the area. Despite limited success in certain areas, GEAR was widely regarded as having failed with criticism directed at three specific areas. Firstly, GEAR brought in much less money than was actually spent. Secondly, that GEAR failed because there were too many organisations involved resulting in increased levels of bureaucracy. Lastly, due to GEAR focusing on one specific area, as opposed to the wider region,

it isolated the area from wider socioeconomic problems and made little headway. This suggests that whilst the current Commonwealth Games regeneration scheme may be taking a different strategic route than that of the Glasgow Eastern Area Renewal Scheme, it is not necessarily guaranteed to improve the situation in the East End and could face the same shortfalls as similar regeneration schemes before it.

The Games organisers in Glasgow have made sure they will not be overshadowed. Whilst they are operating on a shoestring budget compared to this summer’s other big sporting event, namely the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Glasgow 2014 organisers have made sure that

every penny has been well spent and that the Games will showcase the very best of Scotland. They know the Games will not be as widely watched as the World Cup, nor as grand as the Olympics in London two years ago, but they have never expressed any intention to try and compete with these titanic events. It is for precisely this reason that the legacy of Glasgow 2014 will be a long lasting one. Many people have not expressed much of an opinion on the Games thus far and those who have more often than not have expressed the opinion that the looming referendum on Scottish Independence will ruin the event. However, what the Games will do is showcase the best of Scotland’s sporting, cultural and historical

features and hopefully restore a lost sense of pride in the city of Glasgow and augment the Scottish identity. Scotland is a nation that punches well above its weight in sporting events, and although we may not have made it to Brazil we will potentially make a big impact on the world stage in Glasgow. Shockwaves might once again be sent through Scotland once the sporting prowess of the nation is on show, just like they did when competing as part of Team GB at the Olympics.

Of course the Games have not been without some feelings of negativity with the announcement that Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic gold medallist, and Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray will not

be participating. However, people from across the UK flocking to Glasgow will get to see the likes of Usain Bolt, the world record holder for the 100m and 200m sprint, compete.

The referendum will of course be looming over the event, but both sides have agreed to put a hold on campaigning and cheer on the Scottish Team for better or for worse, though how successful that will be remains to be seen. The referendum may have divided large parts of the nation, but the Games offer all Scots the chance to stand united behind some of the best athletes and sporting personalities in Europe. Whilst the achievements may provide a case for short term jubilation in

Scotland, it is the long term legacy that we should be proud of and it has already begun. Families now have modern housing, where before they lived in cramped 1960s tower blocks, there has been widespread job creation across areas where unemployment has been the defining feature of the family unit for the past couple of generations, and, most importantly, it has given those from disadvantaged areas the opportunity to participate in the Games right at the heart of Glasgow 2014, and may well inspire a future generation. That will be the legacy of Glasgow 2014: pride and unity in our team and in our nation. The Games offer Glasgow and Scotland a great opportunity - all they have to do it seize it.

Legacy: Scotland and the Commonwealth GamesA consideration of what hosting the Commonwealth Games will mean for Scotland’s future.

The legacy of Glasgow 2014 will be a long lasting one.

What the Games will do is showcase the best of Scotland’s sporting, cultural and historical features and hopefully restore a lost sense of pride in the city of Glasgow and augment the Scottish identity.

The SECC precinct venue. Photo by Event Industry News (eventindustrynews.co.uk)

By Aarran McPherson

Opine | The Gaudie8 1.7.2014

Editor: Richard Wood opine@thegaudie.com

During my third academic year I wrote an article dis-cussing how four years at

university, or even five years if, like me, you study a language, is too long. We maintain a penniless stu-dent lifestyle, cooped up in lecture halls and drowning in assessments, often until the age of 23, while those who attended English uni-versities have already begun their journey along the path to a suc-cessful career. Now, however, on

the eve of my graduation, my feel-ings have changed considerably.

It goes without saying that ob-taining a degree was my primary purpose in attending Aberdeen University, yet it is the skills and

lessons I have learnt outside aca-demia that I believe have made my prolonged time here unbelievably worthwhile.

Studying French required me to work in France for a year, and even though my time abroad left a lot to be desired, it forced me to remember why I chose my degree and allowed me to demonstrate my commitment to a subject that may not always live up to expectation. When work seems futile to the ca-reer to which you aspire it is vital to remember that you are showing the world not only a dedication to your studies, but an ability to adapt to areas that may not be your forte and a willingness to entertain new ideas by accepting a more rounded view of your area of study. You must not regret these times of diffi-culty and frustration but use them to develop a strength, which will aid you in the future.

I have changed significantly as a person during my five years at uni-versity. I have had time to establish myself as an individual, develop-ing the confidence to accept chal-lenges that I may have previously avoided due to peer pressure or uncertainty. After a chance discov-ery of a leaflet distributed by the International Student Volunteer programme I decided to attend the meeting arranged for that even-ing. Three months later I travelled to Thailand with eleven students I had never met resulting in the most incredible experience of my life. Without an extended univer-sity career I would not have had the confidence or opportunity to undertake such a life changing adventure, thereby stressing the importance of university in self-development.

The idea of time is an extremely contradictory one. In our lives we seem to be obsessed with shortcuts whether it’s developing the fast-est broadband connection or the quickest way to lose weight. Yet we also seem determined to preserve the moments we don’t want to forget, often photographing every outfit we wear and every meal we eat. Anything worth doing takes time and if it was within my power I would love to tell my 19-year-old self not to wish the time at univer-sity away. I would have explained that despite containing the most difficult points of my life, my final year would be the best of my uni-versity career and that it would be completely worth it in the end. It is

up to us to decide what to do with the time that is given to us. A five year course will last five years whether we simply endure it or take advantage of every opportu-nity it provides. My desire to now prolong my student status has re-sulted in my offering to write this article only two weeks after cel-ebrating my freedom from essays.

So, for those still studying I leave you with this advice: use your stu-dent years wisely and never say no to an opportunity simply through fear of the unknown. And to those who have finally reached the end: remember that this is really just the beginning.

One chapter ends, another begins

By Lucy Jarmen

On the eve of graduation, Lucy Jarmen looks back at her five year course and offers advice to those wishing the time away

Without an extended university career I would not have had the confidence or opportunity to undertake such a life changing adventure thereby stressing the importance of university in self-development.

With the next loan instal-ment months away, there’s something about

being penniless which rather dulls the summer. Time off and no money do not the perfect summer make. So, sharpen your CV and give a moment to consider these tips:

1. Your new home doesn’t have to be in retail…or in a coffee shop, or a bar (as tempting as that is). Going for generic summer jobs is a mistake - and not only because they’re tedious and often under-

paid. Make your life easier and look elsewhere: try theatres, ho-tels, summer camps, travel agents, leisure centres and so forth. Tutor, if you can: this offers good pay for few hours while keeping your brain sharp.

2. Look for more than just money. Too many of us leave university un-derqualified for the jobs we’d like as we have too little appropriate experience. Working fewer hours in a relevant field often proves a better investment than pocketing more money in the short term by doing something completely re-moved from your ambitions.

3. Mass applications are a waste

of time. Spend a little time person-alising your application – it’s what HR are looking for. Demonstrate that your skills are applicable to this specific role and that you’re familiar with the company you’re applying to. Sure, each application may take longer, but your response rate will increase dramatically.

4. Pinpoint whatever really makes you employable. There are al-ways those who idly complain that they’re ‘overqualified’ for the jobs they’re applying for. This smacks of snobbery, but also idiocy: em-ployers know students will leave quickly, and high staff turnover is costly in business. Make sure you can explain precisely why you’re

worth having, even if you won’t be around forever.

5. Organise the basics. Have ref-erences to hand, know your avail-ability for shifts, prepare answers to a few ‘standard’ interview ques-tions – previous experience, abil-ity in a team, strengths and weak-nesses, your ambitions, why this role interests you and what about the company attracted you.

These questions are so common-place that employers will expect a prepared answer: being unable to describe your strengths isn’t charmingly British and self-depre-cating, it’s unhelpful to a manager wondering which position would best suit you.

Summer: an opportunity to make some moneyEarning money can be difficult to balance against CV building opportunities over the summer. These top five tips should help you consider your options.

By David EllisStudentMoneySaver.co.uk

Online Survey1. The future of the monarchy

17.5% - The UK should abol-ish the monarchy and adopt a

Presidential system

17.5% - The UK should abol-ish the monarchy and retain

the Parliamentary system

%21.74 - The UK should keep the monarchy but reduce its

role

2. Prospects after graduation

very pessimistic- 0%pessimistic- 4.55%

unsure- 18.18%

optimistic- 68.18%

very optimistic- 9.09%

3. What are you doing over summer?

not going anywhere

having a ‘stay-cation’(somewhere local)

leaving the country for a holiday

Students celebrate graduation. Photo by Leo Stockford

Opine | The Gaudie1.7.2014 9

Nicholas Layden and Euan Davidson debate the monarchy’s validity in the twenty-first century due to recent events in Spain

All opinions expressed in the Opine section are those of the authors of the articles,

and do not necessarily represent views held by

The Gaudie, AUSA, or any company which advertises in

The Gaudie

Disclaimer

Constitutional monarchy: should it stay or should it go?

Debate:

The resignation of King Juan in Spain, with his son Fe-lipe taking the throne, has

sparked the usual cries from in-dignant commentators that the continuation of monarchies is an-tiquated. Of course, this flies in the face of public opinion - not that these commentators, who cry that these bastions of tradition are an affront to democracy, care about what the public actually wants.

In Britain, the majority of people (including those aged 18-24, the most likely republicans) believe Prince George will be our King when his time comes. Addition-ally, 66% believe Britain is better off as a monarchy. It is easy to see why: the great commitment of our Royal Family to the public good serves our nation well. As Prince Andrew served in the Falklands War, so Prince Harry has served tours of duty in Afghanistan – one can hardly say that the Royals have avoided the tough tasks of our times. Indeed, even in terms of their funding, the Royal Fam-ily is of no cost to the taxpayer as the money they spend comes from profits on their property.

In Spain, rather than making the country less democratic, the na-tion is a democracy now because of King Juan. It was his personal commitment to an electable gov-ernment that prevented Spain from reverting to a dictatorship.

His denouncement of the military coup and orders to the generals re-sponsible to stand down cut short a political crisis and reversion to undemocratic government. Fur-thermore, despite recent scan-dals, the monarchy has regained its popularity since 2012 and pro-vided a great service to Spain. The King can act as an ambassador in a manner unlike a civil servant or elected minister. The personal connections of King Juan secured an infrastructure project worth $9.9 billion from Saudi Arabia. Regardless of whether the sensi-tivities of chattering classes are offended, the Spanish monarchy has now provided Spain with an important high-speed rail link that its struggling economy desperately required.

The idea of royal families being of no value, or of lesser value than an elected President, is clearly mis-informed. The continuity and sta-bility provided by constitutional monarchies is of great value to democracies, providing a reliable high-profile public servant who is regularly more popular than elected politicians. The reason for a monarch’s popularity is often be-cause they are not constantly try-ing to pull a fast one on the elec-torate. Their detachment from day to day policy matters allow them to provide a far more unifying figure than a party political elected head of state.

Of course, there is a crucial as-sumption that is required to make monarchies of value to nations. It

must be a constitutional monar-chy, only they can provide the ben-efits of a hereditary head of state. An absolute monarchy is just as unsatisfactory as a military dicta-tor; it is impossible to compare the injustice of an unaccountable government with the benefits of a democratic government supported by a constitutional monarch.

It is difficult, having reviewed the facts, to see how a republic would be of greater value than a monar-chy. Not only would it reduce faith in national institutions (the Span-ish recently voted the monarchy as their best institution), an elected head of state would only serve to put another tier of politicians in our government. I am quite certain that this is something that would fail to benefit us, and demonstrate in short order the advantages of monarchy.

The history of British Parlia-mentary democracy is a testament to the strength of our nation – in-cluding our monarchy. Rather than being subject to the sweeping tides of revolution that often stormed the continent of Europe, Britain has succeeded time and time again in adapting to the need of the day without casting aside everything that makes it British. We should look forward to the continuation of our monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II has been indefatigable and there is nothing to suggest that anyone in the current line of succession would not be of equal value to all of us.

With the news that King Juan Carlos of Spain has abdicated, the old argu-

ment of whether or not constitu-tional monarchy is the ideal form of government has been thrown into prominence again. If you look at Spain the answer has to be a re-sounding no. The behaviour of the royal family over the last few years has shown what a toxic combina-tion that the lack of accountability and legal immunity can result in. From Juan Carlos’ decision to go on a luxury elephant hunt in the depths of the economic crisis or

his daughter and son in law being under investigation for fraud, it looks like the Spanish royals are extremely out of touch.

But what of constitutional mon-archy here in Britain? True, Brit-ain’s royals have shown slightly more sense over recent years but that cannot justify what is a funda-mentally anti-democratic institu-tion. We are consistently told that the monarch has no real power and what power she does have is a mere formality. Official legal advice published by the government has made clear that the royal veto is no mere formality, but is a chance for either the Queen or the Prince to shape and influence the content

of a bill. At least thirty-nine bills in recent years have been subject to royal consent with the monarch asking for changes to be made to all of them. In one particularly telling case, the Queen forced the government to remove transfer-ring the power to authorise mili-tary strikes from the monarch to parliament from the 1999 Military Actions Against Iraq Bill. A civil service document, which was only released following a court order, stated that if royal consent wasn’t given to a bill a major plank of that bill would have to be removed. To make it clear that the monarchy is not powerless, look at the fact that Prince Charles has used his veto

twelve times since 2005. Another claim constantly used

by the supporters of the monarchy in this country is that it is good for tourism. This is simply incorrect as a whole range of tourist attractions are more successful than Windsor Castle. In fact the Castle is only ranked 24th out of all the tourist attractions in the UK. ‘Visit Brit-ain’ has shown a range of reasons why Tourists come here: scenery, sights, culture and history to name a few. Let’s be clear, tourists do not come here because of how we run our government. We’re eighth in the world rankings for tourism; every single country above us in the rankings is a republic. The tourism

argument is not only wrong its ir-relevant. Hereditary monarchy is simply wrong, the idea that Eliza-beth Windsor was chosen by god to rule over us all should have died centuries ago.

As a country, if we are to rein-vigorate our democracy we need drastic constitutional reform: pro-portional representation at all elec-tions, an elected second chamber, major devolution of powers to the regions and downwards to com-munities, and yes we need a re-public. We need to blow away the cobwebs from our creaking old po-litical structures and breathe new life into them, otherwise political participation in this country will just continue to fall. Is it any sur-prise we have growing dissolution with government when our head of state is a billionaire who really doesn’t understand the challenges that ordinary people are going through however much she might try to understand?

By Nicholas Layden

By Euan Davidson

In Spain, rather than making the country less democratic, the nation is a democracy now because of King Juan.

Official legal advice published by the government has made clear that the royal veto is no mere formality but is a chance for either the Queen or the Prince to shape and influence the content of a bill.

HM Elizabeth II. Photo by Bill Ingils (wikimedia)

Republican protest in Alicante. Photo by Richard Wood

Life & Style | The Gaudie10 1.7.2014

lifeandstyle@thegaudie.comLife & StyleHow to succeed at interning in London

Students this summer will flock to London to ‘gain experience of the workplace’ through the

means of the unpaid internship. Internships have now become an almost compulsory part of the stu-dent experience and any student that is serious about getting a job in industries like the media, fash-ion and politics will get themselves an internship, the best of which are only available in London. So there are some dos and don’ts for intern-ing in London, although most of the advice can be transferred to general internships as well.

DON’T just take any internship. Try to be discerning about what may be useful to you. If you want to work in fashion, getting an intern-ship at a bank will not help you. However, if you are not able to get an internship at a label, perhaps a fashion magazine will take you on. This will help you gain perspective of another side of the industry, and may show you another route to go down. This is the same with most of the London-based industries. For journalism, if that internship at the BBC is not available to you, then consider the local council’s media office. In politics, perhaps gaining experience at a local lobby group, or the local council, rather than the highly sought-after West-minster internships will be better for you.

DO know the public transport sys-tem. London has a complex public transport system, and often there is more than one way to get where you are going. You need to be com-pletely sure of which station you are getting on at, where you change and where you need to get off. If there is a delay or a line closure you need to know about the backup routes you could take. A topped-up Oyster card is compulsory, so you are prepared for every eventuality.

DO get accommodation sorted in advance. Accommodation in London is expensive, and highly sought after. Making sure you have some accommodation that is with-in your price range is difficult to get, especially if you are on a strict budget. So getting it sorted in ad-vance is a must, as you may not be able to find the best accommoda-tion for the right price. If it is not possible to get it sorted in advance, then youth hostels are the cheapest for a short term fix until something more permanent can be arranged.

DO know your rights. If you are doing an unpaid internship, then there are certain things you can claim back, including travel and expenses related to the internship. Your employer should grant you this, as they are not paying you a wage that they would normally pay someone to do the job. Also be aware of how much you are do-ing, and what tasks you are being given. If you are being given the same kind of tasks as a normal em-ployee, without pay, then you are

fully within your rights to talk to the boss about this, and perhaps come to an arrangement.

DO say yes to all the opportuni-ties you’re given. Even if you are just making a tea and coffee run, complete the task as well as you can, and with as good grace as you can. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, you are gaining experience of the workplace, and if you complete the simple tasks well, and on time, the employer may give you some more taxing responsibilities.

DO talk to everyone and anyone. Anyone can be a contact, and if they remember you for being po-lite, friendly and helpful, then they will help you in the future. This is also where doing the tea and cof-fee run will help, as you will get to know people’s names and faces, and they will remember you, more importantly, if you bring them a cup of tea or coffee just when they are needing one.

DON’T wear inappropriate clothes. This may seem juvenile but the correct clothes go a long way to making a good first impression on people. Don’t turn up in jeans and a hoodie to a business meeting (un-less your employer says to). Don’t be afraid to ask someone if you are unsure about what kind of dress code is expected. However, as a general rule of thumb, it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. This gives a better impression, but do not forget to use your own judgement.

By Grace Balfour-Harle

Don’t turn up in jeans and a hoodie to a business meeting (unless your employer says to).

Former L&S Editor interns in London. Photo by Alicia Jensen

Is your dream summer worth the price you pay?

Everyone’s friends are ready for big changes when summer comes: to break up, when in a relationship, in order to experience one more sum-mer romance or leave one’s part-time job thinking you deserve a better one has become so common for most students. However, when summer ends, students come back to Aberdeen having nothing more than memories of the past year. So, how do you make big changes in your life without causing troubles?

To start with, last academic year showed that to have accommoda-tion in Aberdeen from the very first day of your studies is hard, but nevertheless essential. Person-ally, I had some friends who stayed at my apartment last September because they were unable to find a room. In time, they managed to find dreary rooms far away from the university campus. To avoid that, you need to sort out your ac-commodation before leaving Aber-deen for summer holidays!

When leaving your part-time job it’s also important to stay on good terms with your boss. Whether you hated the company you worked for or not, there’s no perfect student

job. So tell your boss that you will be willing to come back to work af-ter summer ends in order to keep your pocket filled with some cash!

The topic of relationships seems to be quite subjective and unique to everyone. On one hand, to meet someone charming and enjoy sum-mer with that person sounds like a perfect plan. On the other hand, the fact that a breakup with your other half might be the case for you not to get into relationships again looks quite sad. Especially, if the whole year of being together was really nice. Thus, it’s totally up to you to measure all pros and cons in order to enjoy your summer mak-ing the right decisions!

By Tadas Cilcius

However, when sum-mer ends, students come back to Aberdeen having nothing more than memories of the past year.

Apple pie recipe for your graduation party

Ingredients

• 1kgapples

• 250gplainflour

• 250gsugar

• 250gsemolina

• 250-300mloil

• bakingparchment

MethodStep1:Gratetheapplesintoabowl.

Step2:Drainmostofthejuicefromthebowl,butremembernottoleaveapplestoodry.

Step3:Addapinchofcinnamontotheapples.

Step4:Mixtheflour,sugarandsemolinainanotherbowluntileverythingbecomesuniform.

Step5:Linethebakingtraywiththeparchment,andthenmakesurethatyouspreadafinelayerofoilonthewholesurfaceofit.

Step6:Heatuptheovenovento220°C.

Step7:Sprinklealayerofthewhitemixtureofflour,semolinaandsugarontothepreparedbakingtray.

Step8:Addalayerofapples,makingsurethatitisevenandthattherearenowhitepatchesleftuncovered.Carryonwithasmanylayersasyouwant,butrememberthatthetopmostoneshouldbewhite.

Step9:Spreadtherestoftheoilcarefullyonthetoplayermakingsurethatitreachesthemarginsandcornersofyourpie.

Step10:Putthepieintheovenforapproximatelyonehourandhopeforthebest(checkitfromtimetotimetoseeifthetoplayerchangesitscolourintoaverycaramel-likeoneandthemarginslookcrunchy).

Step11:Youcanenjoythepieonitsownorwithsomeicecreamontop.Enjoy!

Photo by Lilitik22 (wikimedia)

By Anastasia Cojocaru

Editor: Tadas Cilcius

Life and Style | The Gaudie1.7.2014 11

Whether you like reading or not, there are some books which need to be read by

every graduate, no matter the sub-ject studied. Here you have a selec-tion of books which might teach you some useful lesson for the fu-ture:

1. The art of happiness by Dalai Lama XIV

How to achieve a state of happi-ness has always been a big ques-tion. The Dalai Lama will tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that ‘the very motion of our life is towards happiness’. This work explores the concept of hap-piness and how it can be attained. It is a book which might teach one about finding happiness by gradu-ally detaching from immaterial and superficial beliefs. The gradu-ate student might be given an idea about the Dalai Lama’s outlook

on life because this work contains many of his core beliefs which can inspire anyone, irrespective of reli-gious affiliation or spiritual belief.

2. Emotional intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Being smart can be defined in an entirely new way when emotional intelligence comes into question. The author delineates the five cru-cial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine one’s success. This work will teach one how to successfully manage emotions by looking at a new in-sight into the rational and emo-tional minds of a human being. A good understanding of emotional intelligence will help anyone ef-fectively manage the complex re-lationships required in the modern work environment.

3. Writing Science: How to write papers that get cited and pro-

posals that get funded by Joshua Schimel

Success is not always defined by getting papers into print, but by making them enter the reader’s consciousness. This work will make the person writing the pa-per present their research in a clear manner that will maximise reader’s comprehension. The book discusses each aspect of successful science writing, from the overall structure of a paper or proposal to individual sections, paragraphs, sentences and words. So if you still haven’t figured it out how to deal with some essays, this book might offer some valuable pieces of ad-vice.

4. Difficult conversations by Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, Shei-la Heen

Why read this? Because everybody has them. From asking your tutor for an extension to your friend who is dating that guy you just cannot stand, you will definitely encounter

them. But one has to learn how to deal with them. So here you have what this book can teach you: how to start the conversation without defensiveness, how to keep and re-gain your balance in the face of at-tacks and accusations, and how to decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation. Last but not least, it will show one why what is not said is as important as what it is.

5. Nosh for students by Joy May

I still remember my first attempts at cooking on my own in the first year when everything ended up burnt to a crisp. A book like this could have been perfect for that time. This particular cookbook is highly recommended for students because it is focused around their needs, taking into account factors such as time and money. It also includes vegetarian options and it teaches one how to plan a meal.

By Anastasia Cojocaru

MY TOP5: Books that every graduate should read

What is climbing to you?

When I climb I feel like I’m one with the rock, every part of my body is focused on being on the rock in the best position I can and thinking about what the next move should be. The nice thing about climbing is that it’s just you and the rock, and you need to some-how figure out how to go higher until you reach the end of the wall.

There are two kinds of climbing: routes climbing and bouldering. Routes climbing is the most popu-lar as it is the one that you reach the top of a mountain wall with a rope. Bouldering is all about ex-plosive strength and super finger strengths. You don’t need a rope because you ‘boulder’ a massive ‘rock’ which isn’t usually high, it’s just about going around it and then up.

Tell us about your first climbing experience. Where was it? How did it go?

I discovered climbing while I was on a trip in the south of China, in a village called Yangshuo. I’d never seen this sport in action before that. I was travelling with a bike between a mountain and fields, and I suddenly saw a person on a high rock wall. I stopped and admired his actions. I got to know the people and they introduced me to the sport. That day I promised myself that I would start climb-ing as soon as I came back to Aberdeen, and I did so after my 6-month exchange in China. So I did not climb that day in China; my first time was in Aberdeen at the Transition Extreme indoor walls.

If I were planning to take up climbing, how should I start doing

it? What equipment is essential to have for that?

You should start by trying it in an indoor wall, they are safer. You can usually rent the equipment at the indoor centre. You need a har-ness, a belay device and a pair of climbing shoes.

What is the climbing paradise?

There are many places where there are very good mountain walls, such as the Alps, or Kalymnos - a Greek island where I am actually going this August for 20 days of intensive climbing.Kalymnos has mainly tufa rocks. It is wonderful because you can combine a beach holiday with a climbing holiday, and it is very organised for climbers since every year there is a climbing festival sponsored by The North Face. There are walls up to 40-50m high.

Many people think that climbing is very dangerous. Is it really so? How to reduce the risk?

I don’t think climbing is a danger-ous sport as long as you know how to use the equipment and take the basic precautions, such as making sure the knot to your harness is done in the correct way, the bi-layer knows how to belay, and that you know how to make a knot at the end of the rope in case it is too short compared to the lengths of the route. Most importantly, make sure the equipment hasn’t been overused. It is good to change a rope after 2 years (always depend-ing on how many times it has been used and how many falls it has taken). Quickdraws are also good to change after 2-3 years (always depending on the usage).

Silvio Rockfeller shares his impressions about climbing – his new passion

Interview:

Silvio climbs a rockface in Tenerife. Photos by Silvio Rockfeller

By Tadas Cilcius

Listings | The Gaudie12 1.7.2014

Editor: Rosie Beetschen listings@thegaudie.com

Congratulations on your Graduation! Come and visit us with your friends and family on Kings Lawn after the ceremony at our free and fun Alumni photo booth.

Stay in touch and find out about the many benefits available to alumni @ abdn.ac.uk/alumni

Scan code to like us on Facebook

Beyond AberdeenT in the ParkBalado, KinrossFriday 11 July – Sunday 13 July Tickets available on web-site

Scotland’s longest running music festival is back as 85,000 fans flock to the Balado airfield in Kinross-shire for a long weekend of music. In a surprising turn of events it seems that fewer people want to subject themselves to the mud, litter, toilet queues and general drunkenness that accompanies big music festivals, so there are still tickets on sale. With Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris and the Arctic Monkeys headlin-ing the main stages it’s worth checking the website and snap-ping up the last tickets – if that sort of thing is enjoyable for you.

The Edinburgh FringeEdinburghFriday 1 August – Monday 25 August

With highlights such as Jane Fonda on trial, zombies and an all-male Wuthering Heights, not to mention ‘50 Shades the Musi-cal’, there’s probably something for everyone at the Edinburgh Fringe. If you don’t want to pay for an expensive ticket to see the big names, there’s always the Free Fringe, a dangerous tombola of events ranging from fairly decent comedy through to 40 minutes solid of a man star-ing at himself in a mirror saying “I… Love. You” which I was too embarrassed to get up and leave from a couple of years ago.

Glasgow Commonwealth GamesGlasgowWednesday 23 July — Sunday 3 August Tickets available on website

The Glasgow 2014 Common-wealth Games promise to be the best Commonwealth Games ever according to the Glasgow Com-monwealth Games website which probably should say something like that. 6,500 athletes and officials from 71 nations and ter-ritories will compete in 17 sports over 11 days. From lawn bowls to wrestling and judo, and high adrenaline track events to gym-nastics, Glasgow will be the stage for a fantastic summer of sport, as well as a range of cultural and arts events open to everyone.

Strathaven Balloon FestivalJohn Hastie Park, StrathavenFriday 22 August – Sunday 24 August Free

If the last three listings were too mainstream for your tastes, the annual Strathaven Balloon Festi-val is probably the thing for you. A spectacular international hot air ballooning event, it’s the only one of its kind in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK. As well as the amazing sights of bal-loons launching into the air there are also Saturday and Sunday Fun Days and the apparently fa-mous Saturday Evening Glow. If you think the awesome spectacle being described is full of hot air, you’re completely correct.

The Little KicksThe Lemon TreeSaturday 5 JulyDoors 7:30pm £8.80

Having been played on BBC 6 Music and completing a successful tour across the UK & Europe, The Little Kicks are making a name for themselves in the music world. Performing as the headline act at the Lemon Tree, the band will be playing the majority of tracks from their latest album “Put Your Love In Front Of Me” as well as some old favourites. The band has been nominated previously for Best Live Act at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards so those attending can expect a great live show.

Music

The Appleseed CastThe Lemon TreeThursday 17 JulyDoors 8pm£11 inc. b.f.

Since forming in 1997, the Ap-pleseed Cast has turned from one of the definitive bands of the emo era into a group that has contin-ued to open up new possibilities of rock music. Whether immersed in light melodies, atmospherics and instrumental experimentation or stripped down to the band’s spin on the basics of rock ‘n’ roll, with each new recording fans around the world have learned to expect the unexpected.

EventsTraditional Bushcraft DayHaddo House & Country Park, EllonFriday 11 July10:00 — 16:00£25 adults, £10 children

Return to your primal roots. Become like a caveman. Ignore centuries of evolution and innova-tion. Come along and partake in the learning of ‘bushcraft’, the skill of making useful objects from materials found in nature using the second, slightly patronising, conjoined phrase: ‘handskills’. Here you’ll learn the skills of us-ing local and familiar plants and freshly cut wood to make crafts such as natural cordage, a willow whistle and a carve a project of your choosing.

Stonehaven Highland GamesMackie Academy Playing Fields,StonehavenSaturday 19 July – Sunday 20 July10:00Free

This year will be the first High-land Games in Stonehaven since 2011 so the Committee have a new and bigger event planned than ever seen before. The Main Event will be held on Sunday 20th July at Mackie Academy and will include classic Scottish events like highland dancing, tossing the caber, haggis wrangling, hammer throwing and, for the first time, Stonehaven will host a Pipe Band Competition. On the Saturday there will be mini Highland Games featuring an inter-schools competition in events such as 400 and 800 metre races, long jump, high jump, tossing the caber and tug o’ war.

ComedyShappi KhorsandiThe Lemon TreeFriday 11 JulyDoors 7.30pm £15.40 inc. b.f.

Comedian, best-selling author and Radio 4 regular Shappi Khorsandi is back this spring with her highly anticipated new show Shappi Khorsandi Live. Shappi has had a huge number of high profile television appearances including Live At The Apollo, Michael McI-ntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, The Graham Norton Show and Have I Got News For You. She was also nominated at the prestigious 2010 British Comedy Awards in the Best Female Comic category, up against fellow nominees Jo Brand and Sarah Millican.

Party at the Palace

Dates: 9th-10th AugustLocation: Linlithgow Palace

Prices:Day Tickets — £56 (incl. bf)Weekend Tickets — £101 (incl. bf)

Taking place on the backdrop of Linlithgow Palace, Party at the Palace is a celebration of Scot-tish music new and old. Acts over the weekend line up range from Deacon Blue, to Donnie Munro of Runrig, to The View and Fright-ened Rabbit. In terms of getting to the Festival, Linlithgow is about half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow so is cheap and easy to reach. All in all, the location, the price and the lineup make this a gem of a Scottish festival.

Belladrum Tartan Heart

Dates: 8th-9th August Location: Beauly, Inverness

Prices: Sold Out

This year, Tartan Heart is be-ing headlined by Tom Jones and Raorlight, which, for a small festival outside Inverness is pretty darn impressive. Further down the bill are Scottish favourites like Frightened Rabbit, The Temper-ance Movement, Capercaillie and Randolph’s Leap. Alongside these Tartan Heart is also offering Grandmaster Flash, I Am Kloot, The Blockheads and Billy Bragg. A top notch lineup set into the Scottish country side: no wonder it’s sold out

Wickerman

Dates: 25th-26th JulyLocation: East Kirkcarswell

Prices:Day Tickets — £70 (Saturday Only)Weekend Ticket — £105

With a Main Stage Lineup headed by Dizzee Rascal, Wickerman is one of this summer’s favourites. As well as that, the lineup boasts del Amitri, The Feeling, Alabama 3, The Zombies and Alex Metric. But what sets Wickerman apart from the other festivals on this list (and all other festivals for that matter) is that on Saturday night they burn a giant wickerman, which must be quite something to behold.

Arts | The Gaudie1.7.2014 13

Editor: Michael Camerson arts@thegaudie.com

The decade between 2003 and 2013 is a forgettable one for Bob Dylan fans, As the mas-

ter attempted to play crowd-pleas-ing sets with a hopeless lead guitar player in Denny Friedman, many fans stopped making the effort to go and see him live. Fortunately, I was not one of these fans and when the UK tour of November 2013 was announced I was on it like a spark.

What this tour produced was be-yond our wildest dreams. The vari-ation of popular, well-known songs from night to night was dropped for a solid set list of recent songs and older ones altered to suit the diminished vocal range he now boasts. The effect of this solid set list was that it improved each time it was played, with every band member getting more comfort-able with the songs as each show passed. The talismanic Charlie Sexton returned to his rightful role on lead guitar to the joy of the fans and, by judging facial expressions of the members, the band itself.

A new album, Tempest, was at the

heart of this tour with the recurring highlight being the masterpiece “Long and Wasted Years,” a pretty accurate description of the decade preceding this tour. The live incar-nation of the song, however, takes Dylan’s voice to places that I did not think he could still reach and Sexton’s guitar work is almost as impressive.

Dylan also started each set with the song “Things Have Changed,” beginning with the ominous lines “I’m a worried man with a worried mind.” This eerie tone is continued in songs such as Forgetful Heart and Scarlet Town (which violinist Donnie Herron absolutely shines on) throughout the set, but we are given light hearted relief from Dy-lan’s dirge-like ballads with playful songs like Spirit on the Water and Dusquesne Whistle, lightening the tone of the evening but not com-promising on quality of musician-ship.

Old classics are in there too such as Simple Twist of Fate, She Be-longs to Me and Tangled Up in Blue. With a change of key here and there and an alteration of tem-po, these songs are tailored around Dylan’s voice and gives us a new understanding of songs that we thought we knew so well. There are few musicians in the world whose songs are still revealing new mean-ings fifty years after they were writ-ten. This, in essence, is what is so pleasing about this set and this tour: the realization that Bob Dy-lan, at seventy-three years of age, is not stagnating as so many artists do, he is artistically active, with a genuine passion to create new mu-sic and improve on his already as-tounding repertoire.

It is also interesting to note that Dylan has two short breaks in his set, leaving the stage to rest be-tween the first half of the show and

the second and then again before his encores. A sign of age, yes, but after the break he seems rejuvenat-ed and his voice does not deterio-rate towards the end of the show as it previously did in years gone by. It also gives us a chance to divulge his first half’s entertainment and prepare ourselves for another hour of genius.

Going to a Bob Dylan concert can be compared to going into a boxing match. You go in willingly, prepare yourself and accept the risk that you are likely to leave the show hurt.

The same set list was used be-tween my first show of the tour on the 18thth of November 2013 to my last show in Dublin on the 17th of June 2014 and, each time, it re-vealed something different about every song and, each time, Dylan looked a happy man, his growling tones filling each venue and filling our souls with every emotion that music could make us feel.

So where will Dylan go from here? A man that has already proved eve-rything but is determined to prove more. His next move is a mystery to even his biggest fans but I just hope that this return to form is not a temporary one. Long live the King.

Changin’ for the betterBy Ryan James Macredie

Top Scottish festivals which aren’t T in the Park

Going to a Bob Dylan concert can be com-pared to going into a boxing match. You go in willingly, prepare yourself and accept the risk that you are likely to leave the show hurt.

The variation of popular, well-known songs from night to night was dropped for a solid set list of recent songs and older ones altered to suit the diminished vocal range he now boasts.

In focus:

Photo by Martin Gallacher (flikr)Photo by David Dawson (flikr)

Photo by Andrea Orlandi

Arts | The Gaudie14 1.7.2014

For Aberdeen, local bands don’t come much bigger than The Little Kicks. It’s kind of

silly how good their CV looks: air-play on Radio 1, Radio Scotland and BBC 6 Music; a recent appear-ance on STV Glasgow; support slots for the likes of Foals, Fright-ened Rabbit, Maximo Park, Errors and The Vaccines; multiple nation-al and European tours… Just last week they played at the AECC as part of Brewdog’s AGM. This Sat-urday they’ll headline The Lemon Tree, in what should be something of a ‘belter’.

I talked a wee bit about their most recent album (2013’s Put Your Love In Front Of Me) in this column back when it first came out 9 months ago, and now that it’s reached full term, it sounds more vibrant and alive than ever. Hor-rific pregnancy metaphors aside, it’s true that the release has proved something of a slow-burning suc-cess, as frontman Steven Milne

told me: “I don’t think it’s some-thing that people get straight away – not that it’s complex or anything. I suppose the first half is kind of the singles, then the second half flips over and becomes more of a tougher listen I guess, like there’s more downbeat stuff, some disco stuff…” He’s doing himself a bit of a disservice there, actually. Lead single ‘Girl’ is as catchy and im-mediate as anything you’re likely to hear, and the main hook doesn’t even come in until two thirds of the way through the song. Perhaps what Milne is trying to intimate is that, while PYLIFOM (which is clearly a much better title) has its riotous moments, much of its charm comes from its considered

approach. For example, ‘Girl’ starts with a simple, almost motorik drum beat, which is joined by the understated rumbling of a synth and Milne’s wistful vocal for the first verse. Your average indie band would follow up with a “woah”-heavy sing-along chorus. Instead, we’re simultaneously hit with more synths and guitars. It’s huge. When the vocals eventually come into the next chorus – all multi-tracked and in a range of harmonies, it’s huger.

The Little Kicks are essentially an indie-dance band. A weird thing has happened to indie-dance mu-sic over the last few years: when bands like Two Door Cinema Club and Friendly Fires gowwt massive, they inspired a raft of imitators who thought all a song needed was a frenetic guitar riff, as if seeing a crowd pogoing with hands aloft meant they were mak-ing great ‘dance’ music. The Little Kicks do it the hard way: utilising rhythm and texture just as much as melody and dynamics. PYLIFOM (say it out loud, it’s great) came out last September, in-between Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and Arcade Fire’s Reflektor. The former brought guitars to dance music, the latter infused indie-rock with disco. In The Little Kicks, Aberdeen has its own indie-dance

pioneers. There’s even an ‘I Feel Love’ homage in ‘Heartbreak, Pt. 1’ – in fact the whole album sounds a bit like Giorgio Moroder producing Edwyn Collins.

As a live prospect, the Little Kicks are probably in as good a shape as they’ve ever been. Milne describes them as “beefier” than on record (sonically rather than physically). As well as dancing, there’ll also be some emotions on the go this Saturday, as it’s the last gig bass-ist Lewis Porter will play with the band before he moves to Paris. It’s a landmark show then, in various ways. Normally at this point I’d say “If you like local music, you need to go to this”, but for this, I needn’t be so restrictive.

By Alan Henderson

“That’s my score to date. I haven’t killed anybody for years, and don’t intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through.”

Poor Frank. He’s had a terrible time of it: abandoned by his mother; losing his genitals

to a dog attack at three; older brother sent to an asylum. His only consolation is his precious Factory ritual, from which he predicts upcoming events from sacrificial wasps—that and one day buying a crossbow.

Frank’s tyrannical reign over the wildlife of the island he lives on with his stern, eccentric father is punctured by the escape of his brother, Eric, who was sectioned for several deranged incidents following a breakdown. The only certainty Frank can rely on is the inevitability of death, from which he extracts all meaning. “All our lives are symbols.”

The adherence of the text to the tropes of Gothic literature is almost a parody: that locked door that must be opened; sexual repression; murder; the oppression of the weather. All ffamiliar beats for students. You might be inclined to accuse Banks of contriving tension by withholding the facts—just who is Old Saul, and What Happened to Eric? I disclose nothing by admitting I’m employing it myself.

But beyond the infamy of the plot, the most shocking revelation of the

book is the unavoidable sympathy with the damaged protagonist. You can certainly fault his precocious, if adolescent, logic. You can condemn his virulent repulsion of women, and his meticulously orchestrated murders. But you can’t deny that at one point in your life, you were the Lord of your childhood garden or street. As a young adult, many are confronted by their own manufactured narratives, and have to resolve a demented personal canon. That’s why you can’t hate him. In fact, you’ll admire the cruel irony of his twisted genesis.

Frank is the opposite of what he thinks he is, his loss of sexual identity becoming his defining feature. That’s all there is to it; it’s almost trite. But it’s a unique and sordid path that Ian Banks lays out to reach the all too familiar conclusion—we’re all full of it.

By David Robertson

ARTSNEWSBy Rosie Beetschen

A new play featuring phone hack-ing, written by Richard Bean and starring Billie Piper as an ambi-tious tabloid news editor is about to be staged by the National Theatre. Composed in the wake of the scandal, the satirical play focuses on the turbulent relation-ships between the papers, the politicians and the police. “It’s a comedy – with teeth,” said direc-tor Sir Nicholas Hytner.

Street artist Banksy’s Cheltenham ‘spies’ artwork may be removed by the owner of the building in order for it to be sold. Wednesday 25 June saw a specialist firm - used to remove another Banksy piece in North London - erect scaffolding around the depiction of three spies listening in on a telephone box. People living in the local area have been guarding the site to prevent the removal.

BBC Two’s satirical show Weekly Wipe presenter, Charlie Brooker, is to star in a sniper game. Appear-ing in the World War II computer game Sniper Elite 3, he had to don a motion capture suit to become a German Field officer in Hitler’s entourage.

Publishing house Penguin has defended author Kevin Brooks’ Carnegie medal after journal-ists criticised the winning novel, The Bunker Diary, for its “shock value”, “lack of redemption” and for being “depressing”. Shannon Cullen, publisher for the children’s imprint of Penguin, Puffin books, said that the book was actually “thought-provoking” and bound to be “divisive”.

The Hunger Games release, Mock-ingjay – Part one, has fired off its promotional campaign with a teaser video appearing to be from the fictional world Panem itself. The clip depicts President Snow addressing the districts and warn-ing against plots of revolution. The much-anticipated film will be in cinemas on 21 of November.

Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone manuscript has sold for over $2m, breaking the world record for the sale of a popular music manu-script. A working draft of the fin-ished song in Dylan’s own writing went to an unidentified bidder at Sotheby’s auction. It is the only known surviving draft of the final lyrics for the rock anthem.

As a live prospect, the Little Kicks are probably in as good a shape as they’ve ever been.

Alan Henderson discusses The Little Kicks

This Saturday they’ll headline The Lemon Tree, in what should be something of a ‘belter’.

The Wasp Factory Iain Banks

But beyond the infamy of the plot, the most shocking revelation of the book is the unavoidable sympathy with the damaged protagonist.

The Little Kicks perform. Photo from news.stv.tv

A second album for an artist like Ed Sheeran was never going to be easy; there’s only

so much you can do with an acous-tic guitar and clever lyrics, as has been shown by countless singer/songwriters before him, but X leaps that hurdle with ease — the melodies are as impressive as they always have been, and the diver-sification (notably in ‘The Man’, a particular stand out track on the album) between songs keeps it clear of being declared ‘same-y’. But that’s where the positives end. Despite being musically mature, Sheeran seems as though he re-gressed into the psyche of an at-tention seeking teenager when he sat down to write his lyrics. The countless references to drinking, partying and drug taking are so blunt and in-your-face that they come across as boastful, as if to say ‘Look at me, I take drugs!’ in a very fifteen-year-old kind of way. The

other wide spread problem in the album is the deliberate and me-chanical way in which every song ends in a way designed to be sung-along-with live. There’s something horribly vain about writing songs with the conscious intention of having them sung back to you — the same vanity that is clear from his self-involved drug related brag-ging. Baring this in mind, it surely can’t all be a coincidence — what becomes unpleasantly apparent is that Ed Sheeran, writer of ‘You Need Me’, a rejection of control-ling record labels, is aiming his lat-est album at commercially reliable and musically passionate teenager because it holds the most profit.

Ed SheeranXALBUMRELEASE: 23 JUNE 2014

After the outstanding success of her best selling Platinum debut album ‘Born to Die’,

Lana Del Rey gave herself a lot to live up to with the recent release of her second album, ‘Ultraviolence’. This album, which some might claim is long overdue, further so-lidifies the songstress as one of the great song writers of the era. Del Rey has upped the ante, produc-ing a sultry, more mature record with dark undertones rippling throughout; the title itself hints at the brooding tones within. Much like her last album, Del Rey places focus on vintage Hollywood glam-our and old-school Gangster cul-ture, with the first ‘bad-boy’ boy-friends rearing their heads in songs like ‘Cruel World’ and ‘Brooklyn Baby’. The latter, a lamentation on a young hipsters love for an indie-band guitarist, drawls on about un-requited love and men being, basi-cally, pretty damn nasty! However, at the base of her song writing, Del

Rey ultimately shows her female characters to be shallow, hiding be-hind the image of their bad-ass love interests. The majority of the al-bum projects not too dissimilar an image as it’s predecessor: money, drugs and love are a vicious cycle, leading to a glamours yet violent lifestyle. The tension heightens at the start of ‘Pretty When I Cry’ as the vocals crack, illuminating the undying love and devotion felt for the cruel drug dealer boyfriend. The overall theme of this album appears to be a more mature, and although she doesn’t stray far from her usual ethereal song content, her collaboration with Dan Auer-bach (of the Black Keys) who pro-duced the album, does provide the album with revitalising rock base notes. If ‘Born to Die’ presents Del Rey as a modern reimagining of

Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ (which she herself asserts) then ‘Ultravio-lence’ imagines this character hav-ing graduated from dungarees and pigtails, and moved onto leather jackets and red lipstick.

Arts | The Gaudie1.7.2014 15

REVIEWSMusic

From the very first seconds of ‘The Hunting Party’ and all the way to the clos-

ing song, one thing is evident - Linkin Park are trying to sound angry. And they are trying hard. Yes, the album has a certain edge, especially when compared to the bland radio friendliness of previous LP songs like ‘Burn It Down’. Yes, Chester Bennington is screaming his guts out on al-most every track. And yes, there are some indisputably aggressive songs like ‘War’, which is prob-ably the closest thing to straight-forward punk that this band has ever recorded.

Mike Shinoda and co. describe ‘The Hunting Party’ as their back-to-the-roots record, their middle finger to the current wave of generic, mainstream rock music that you hear on almost every station. So, is the album as dif-ferent as they think it is?

The best answer is the track

‘Guilty All The Same’ where hip-hop legend Rakim drops in for a verse. It is a song about media censorship and with lyrics like “You record companies kill me”, it is not even a bit subtle about it. Then again, lyrical subtlety was never one of LP’s strengths, so what about the rest of the song? ‘Uninspired’ is the perfect word when it comes to the rest of the song. The electronics are barely audible, the dominating instrument being the guitar. The guitar work itself consists of a few power chords, organized in a pattern that sounds like it’s taken straight from the ‘Nu-met-al for dummies’ textbook. The bass and the drums contribute nothing to the overall sound — they are there because they have to be there. Rakim raps, Ches-ter screams, they are angry and they are loud. But that is that. In the end, ‘Guilty All The Same’ does not offer anything beyond its loudness. Just like the rest of the album.

Linkin ParkThe Hunting PartyALBUMRELEASE: 17 JUNE 2014

By Dimitar Grigorov

Film

Recent novel adaptation The Fault in Our Stars had a lot of hype to live up to. Based

on John Green’s New York Times best seller, its success was bound up not necessarily in the quality of the film, but in whether or not it would meet the standards of Green’s legions of eager fans. For-tunately, Neustadter and Weber’s screenplay proves to be exemplary of how to effectively capture the best features of the source mate-rial, in this case a mix of comedy and romance found in the midst of great tragedy.

The film focuses on the doomed romance of Hazel Grace, portrayed by Shailene Woodley, who suffers from terminal thyroid and lung cancer, and Augustus Waters, por-trayed by Ansel Elgort, a cancer survivor. Certainly from its prem-ise the film may sound like two hours of ever growing sorrow, but as Jodi Picoult wrote of the novel, this is interspersed with ‘staccato bursts of humour’ that go a long way from making this more than a trite tale about the terminally ill.

Not every chord is struck per-fectly, however. Particularly during the film’s opening scenes, we are exposed to perhaps one too many overwrought and cheesy lines. For-tunately, Woodley and Elgort suc-ceed in holding their performances together long enough to move away from the somewhat stilted introductions to their characters. Praise is also deserved by Laura Dern for her minor yet important role as Hazel’s mother, particularly for her ability to accurately depict a woman caught between feelings of simultaneous joy and grief for her daughter.

All in all, The Fault in Our Stars is an excellent take on the genre of tragic romances, particularly for its ability to show the light of life in the face of death. You have been warned though: tissues are highly recommended.

The Fault in Our StarsStarring: Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort

By Andrew Parker

By Rebekah Caruthers

By Michael Cameron

The guitar work itself consists of a few power chords, organized in a pattern that sounds like it’s taken straight from the ‘Nu-metal for dummies’ textbook.

Lana Del ReyUltraviolenceALBUMRELEASE: 13 JUNE 2014 Del Rey has upped

the ante, producing a sultry, more mature record with dark undertones rippling throughout.

Photo by Jaguar Cars MENA (flikr)

Photo by Glam Adelaide

All in all, The Fault in Our Stars is an excellent take on the genre of tragic romances, particularly for its ability to show the light of life in the face of death.

Photo by Eva Rinaldi (wikimedia)

Jaime XXGirl/ Sleep SoundALBUMRELEASE: 5 MAY

Jamie XX’s recent releases have not failed to disappoint, either in their variety or their qual-

ity. Girl opens with the delightfully back handed statement ‘you’re the most beautiful girl in all of Hack-ney’. It moves with a liquidity and oscillation which falls to silence and builds to impressive swelling crescendos. The rhythmic vocals drift between haziness and crisp and piercing clarity, which coupled with the general fluctuation of the song lends a certain dreaminess, something which continues into Sleep Sound — Jamie XX’s inter-esting take on a lullaby — which takes the idea of a song to put you to sleep and gives it an electronic revamp. The odd out of key note and the skipping and jumping of backing track, juxtaposes with the gentle harp into and sleepy rythmic base line that is introduced later in the song. All in all, an admirable of-fering from Jamie XX.

By Michael Cameron

Sport | The Gaudie1.7.2014 16

Editor: Vacant sport@thegaudie.com

Can you imagine this man motivating you?

https://vine.co/v/MTrtQLuuhY0

Video of the Week

The week in tweets@Team_Scotland congratulate Chris Hoy.

Baby Hoy on the way - Massive congratulations to @chrishoy and @SarraHoy on the news of their baby! #GoScotland!

@themichaelowen shows disbelief at the world cup controversy.

Tell me I’m seeing things. Surely Suarez didn’t bite someone again?

Comedian @TonyCowards shares his view on Suarez.

Suarez has been banned for 9 matches, or in England terms, 3 World Cups.

@RobbieSavage8 gives an update on his Brazil experiences.

So this morning went to see Christ the redeemer this afternoon going to meet pele !! Wow #brasil2014

Scottish International and Glasgow Western hockey player @hollycram tries out an Anti-Gravity treadmill

Doing a running session on an Anti-Gravity treadmill listening to Katy Perry’s ‘Walking on Air’ gives the song a whole new meaning.

Team GB cyclist @_katiearchibald mentions her recent success.

Hey @DameSarahStorey, remember that one time we got silver and bronze at the National TT champs? That was cool.

Road to the Commonwealth Games: Neil Fachie

Paralympic gold medalist Neil Fachie is gearing up for the Commonwealth

Games. The former University of Aberdeen physics student will be representing Scotland in two track para-cycling events with a good chance to take home yet another two gold medals.

Fachie has just finished cel-ebrating his success at the World Championships in April, where Pete Mitchell and Fachie became the first duo in history to ride one kilometre in under one minute as they shattered the world record and claimed the world title in 59.460 sec.

Fachie will be competing at Glasgow 2014 with new tandem partner Craig Maclean in the 1000m Time Trial, a race against the clock, and the Match Sprint, a series of head to head battles on the track.

Fachie said: “Training has been going really well and I feel as though I have improved as an ath-lete since the London Paralympics. I’m really confident Craig and I will be challenging for medals and if all goes to plan we can hopefully come away with two golds.”

Fachie encourages anyone with

a disability to take up sport: “I feel sport has helped me not only develop as an athlete but also as a person. I used to be a really shy person, but now I am much more confident about who I am. Once

you start getting involved in the social side of sport as well, you will soon realise that having a disabil-ity and being unique is actually a great thing. Later in life standing out from the crowd is exactly what you want to do!”

With the para-cycling events at

Glasgow 2014 less than a month away Fachie is excited to put on his best performance in front of a home crowd: “I have never competed in a Commonwealth Games before and so to have the

opportunity to represent Scotland in a home games is really special. I know the crowd are going to be amazing and particularly the support for Scottish athletes will be out of this world. I am really excited and can’t wait to get out there and race.”

He added: “It is very rare that Scotland gets to host a major in-ternational multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games and it may be something that we never again see within our lifetimes. An event like this can bring so much to the nation, not just in sporting terms. For those that are lucky enough to get tickets to go and spectate it will be a moment they never forget, but, even for those that don’t, there are still plenty of opportunities to see top athletes at work.”

Track Cycling at Glasgow 2014 will be taking place between the 24-27th July at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

By Josefine Björkqvist

I have never competed in a Commonwealth Games before and so to have the opportunity to represent Scotland in a home games is really special.

Neil Fachie

Neil Fachie and Dave Readle for team GB 2009. Photo by Stuart Grout (flikr)

Students v Alumni at new Sports Day

This year is a momentous year for sport in Scotland as the nation plays host to the Com-

monwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.

It’s also an exciting year in the history and heritage of University of Aberdeen sport as it’s the 125th anniversary of the launch of the Athletics Association - the fore-runner of today’s Sports Union.

To mark the occasion, a new date has been added to the sporting calendar: the first ever Student v Alumni Sports Day taking place on Saturday September 13 and open to all students and alumni old and new.

The main events of the challenge will be the Student v Alumni Exhi-bition Matches which will be held throughout the day.

Matches will see current students take on alumni in the fol-lowing sports: rugby, men’s and women’s hockey, netball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, water polo, indoor rowing, football and golf.

Events will take part on Kings Playing Fields, at ASV and at the Aquatics Centre.

But the day will not be limited to those involved in sport: organisers also want to see as many faces on Kings Lawn enjoying the carnival atmosphere, and food and drink will be available throughout the

day. The day will end with a Sports

Awards Ceremony and ‘Club House Curry Night’ in Elphinstone Hall.

Event Ambassador and Para-lympic athlete Neil Fachie said: “Sport, whether it is competitive or just for fun, can play a major part in a student’s life and I am sure my fellow alumni will agree that having world class sporting facilities on your door step is a fantastic opportunity.

“Keeping in touch with your alma matter can also provide many personal and professional gains. The Student v Alumni event is a great way for students and alumni to celebrate together the benefits of being part of the Aberdeen family. ”

Student v Alumni Day is aimed at those who graduated this year to 50 years ago, whether or not they took part in sport competitively.

Alumni entry fee is £25 and includes sports registration, a sou-

venir t-shirt and goody bag, entry to the awards ceremony and food and drinks voucher at the awards ceremony.

A proportion of the entry fee will go towards supporting the University’s sports scholarship programme.

For more information or to reg-ister for a team please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/sportsday

By Marc McCorkell

Come along to the Student v Alumni Sports Day