THE WHITE LADYNews

Marine Conference to be held inAberdeen pg. 5

Comment

The incurious case of JulianAssange pg. 8

Tuesday 27 September 2011 Free

Lifestyle

The best wines under £10 pg. 14

Culture

Downton Abbey has returned fora second season pg. 19

Zeitgeist of St Andrews

Physicists around the world areamazed and confused at the resultspublished by scientists at the CERNresearch facility in Geneva. Tests on thesubatomic particles known as neutrinoshave led to results that indicate that theybroke the cosmic speed of light,something Albert Einstein declared tobe impossible in 1905. If the results arefound to be true one hundred years ofaccepted physics would come crashingdown around us and new possibilitieswould open up in the realms of timetravel.But the results published recently

have been discussed by physicists incareful and considered tones before theyare fully endorsed as a paradigm shift inthe way we go about doing science.Scientists at CERN have asked forothers to repeat their experiments andhave opened up the debate on theirfindings in order to ensure accuracy.Antonio Ereditato, author of the reportand scientist on the OPERA project atCern, told the BBC:“We wanted to find a mistake -

trivial mistakes, more complicatedmistakes, or nasty effects - andwedidn't.“When you don't find anything, then

you say ‘well, now I'm forced to go outand ask the community to scrutinisethis’.”The OPERA project, or Oscillation

Project with Emulsion tRackingApparatus, tests the phenomenon of

neutrino oscillations by firing neutrinosfrom a particle accelerator inwhich theyare created into a cavern underneathGran Sasso, Italy 730 km away. Theparticles measured showed that theyreached their Italian destination about60 nanoseconds faster than it would takea light beam to cover the same distance.That amounts to a speed greater thanlight by about 0.0025 percent.

Still many physicists are sceptical of theresults and John Ellis, a CERN theorist,has warned of the dangers of coming toconclusions too soon, “These guys havedone their level best, but beforethrowing Einstein on the bonfire, youwould like to see an independentexperiment.”

Despite the fact that the team at

CERN measured the travel times ofneutrino bunches some 16,000 times,and have reached a level of statisticalsignificance that in scientific circleswould count as a formal discovery, theyare looking for confirmation fromsimilar projects around the world.

Continued on pg. 3

Science Faster Than The Speed of Light

Win two tickets to theKateKennedyOpeningBall InsideThis Issuewww.theopeningball.co.uk

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL2 EDITORIAL

Editorial

We are back with our second issue of The WhiteLady and as youmay have noticed, we have switched toa smallerweekly format. LastWeek’s issue proved bothprovocative and controversial to many readers, asFacebook hummed with criticism and applause fromdifferent parts of the University. The most obviouscriticism was the sheer amount of typographical errorspresent in the first issue, right from the first page.Whileno newspaper is perfect when it comes to scanning textsfor typos, especially in the first issue as readers ofPrivate Eye or a newspaper such as the grauniad willknow, this doesn’t make up for the editorial failings andas editor of the newspaper, I apologise to you all for this.More important is the quality of the articles printed

and I am glad our issue was able to stir debate amongstStAndrewsstudents andbring to light someof the issuessurrounding newspapers at our University. As editor ithas been a rollercoaster of a journey from initial idea towriting and to getting it to print, with setbacks along theway. A week in the life of an editor has seen medistributing copies in the cold, being screamed at in thestreet and staying up far into the night beggingwriters tofinish their pieces on time. In short it has been nothingbut hard work and a lot of fun.One of the most frequent criticisms levelled by

readers is the anonymity of the newspaper, which hasled some to call the people behind it ‘cowards’. Itwas anoversight on my part to think that this would not be anissue and that people might welcome the prospect ofarticles written solely for their merit and not merely fortheprospectof anauthor seeing theirname inprint. I alsothought it might seem a little arrogant of me to paste myname all over the newspaper and gain a form of minorcelebrity at theUniversity. Aswas rightly pointed out tome though, thismeant that there was no-one to blame orhold accountable for the newspaper. To clear thismatterup, I would like to say very openly that my name isJames Lowe and I am a 3rd year student of thisUniversity. Those of you who have sent me emails willknow this already and it has been already made veryclear to all bodies of the University.The decision as towhether to print student’s articles

with their names next to them has been trickier to dealwith and not something I am sure I have the answer toyet.Anumberof studentswhohaveapproachedmewithpieces have asked for their names not to be printed andI am still inclined to keep it this way. I stick by mystatement that this newspaper is about articles not egos.That said, I also realise that people who wish to go intojournalism will want to build up a CV from the work

they do for the newspaper. I am willing, therefore, toprint names of regular writers whowish for me to do so.I can’t think of a fairer way of balancing the criticismand the value of anonymity in our newspaper. You allknow my name now and as I said in the first issue, thebuck stops here. This should be good enough for allarticles that go to publication.I hope you enjoy this week’s issue of The White

Lady and that it provides you with up-to-date news andfeatures that keep you informed and entertained. Wereally do wish to serve the student body at large and soany submissions or feedback you have will always bewelcome. Oh, and don’t forget to try the White Ladycocktail specially made by the Scores Hotel, andavailable for 2 for £5 at their bar – it really is delicious!And good luck to all of you who enter our competitionto win two free tickets to the Kate Kennedy OpeningBall. Other than that, I wish you all the best with youracademic studies this year and hope to hear more fromyou in the future.

Yours faithfully,

The Editor

We are looking for students who are interested in being part of our new media venture. Positions are available in a wide range of roles that offer hands on ecperience and canbecome part of your CV, including being part of the Editorial Team, the Business Team and also IT positions. So if you fancy yourself as an entrepreneur who ahs the skills todrum up business and manage assets or are handy with a computer emails us at business@the-white-lady.co.uk.If you are interested in joining the editorial team, regularly contributing to our newspaper, or just want to send in articles please send your pieces to submissions@the-white-

lady.co.uk. If you wish to beomce a regular writer or part of our editorial team, please indicate this in your email and we will get back to you with further details. We would alsolove to hear any feedback from our readers on this issue or indeed what you would like to see more of in future issues at editor@the-white-lady.co.uk. Thank-you once again fortaking the time to read our newspaper. - The Editor

Sudoku

ear Readers,D

We Want To Hear Your Voice

Easy Hard Evil

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 NEWS 3

News

Thursday 22nd September sawSchool III, St Salvator’s Quadrangle,playhost to a special lecture inhonourofthe 600th Anniversary of the Universityof St Andrews. Dr. Norman Reiddelivered the lecture on theUniversity’srich past and exploring our ancientmotto ‘Aien aristeuein’, or ‘Ever toExcel’.

Our University’s history isnotoriously placed amongst changingreligious and secular politics of latemedievalEurope that had local, nationaland international effects on the events ofsix centuries. Having been shaped bygenerations of scholars and religiousleaders, St Andrews still bears the marksof their achievements in its structure,

traditions and on its paving stones. Theefforts of all those connected to theUniversity, throughout history, havemeant that it has been a place of learning

for all those at the forefront of the fieldsof human endeavour.

Scotland’s oldest University mightbe steeped in history, but now more thanever has proven a chance to connect withour past and learn about its wider impacton society, religion, politics andintellectual thought.Dr Reid, the University’s Head of

Special Collections, is author of ‘Ever toExcel: An Illustrated History of theUniversity of StAndrews’. In his lecture,he helped to explainwhat the anniversaryhas to celebrate, talk about his ownattempt to uphold theUniversity’smotto,and his purpose and approach in writingthe book.University of St Andrews Principal,

Professor Louise Richardson,commented, “In Ever to Excel,commissioned as part of our 600thanniversary celebrations, we gain aninsight into the role the University hasplayed across the centuries and in allareas of society on local, national andinternational stages. On a more humanscale, we catch the enthralling glimpse ofthe lives of those upon whose shouldersour University still stands.”Dr. Reid’s lecture opened up the

annals of history and provided insightinto this glorious institution’s past,indeed it reminded us of why thisUniversity is a world-renowned seat oflearning – as we are searching ever toexcel.

600th Anniversary Lecture: Ever to Excel

In 2007 Fermilab'sMINOS collaboration reportedresults measuring the flight-time of neutrinos yieldinga speed exceeding that of light by 1.8 sigma. The levelof variation needed to declare a discovery on thematteris 5.0 sigma, the CERN experiment yielded a variationof 6.0 sigma. Spokespeople for both Fermilab and theT2K experiment confirmed their intentions to test theOPERA result in coming months. Fermilab noted inreaction to the OPERA announcement that thedetectors for the MINOS project are being upgraded,and new results are not expected until at least 2012.

Just this small difference would open up thepossibility of time travel and wreak havoc with longheld principles of cause and effect. Albert Einstein, theauthor of modern physics, whose theory of specialrelativity established the speed of light as the ultimatelimit, said that if you could send a message faster thanlight, “You could send a telegram to the past.”Alvaro de Rujula, a theorist at CERN, called the

claim “flabbergasting.”But the team of scientists understands the dangers

of what are known as ‘systematic errors’, which could

easily make an erroneous result look like abreakthrough.This is what has motivated them to publish their

measurements."My dream would be that another, independent

experiment finds the same thing - then I would berelieved," Dr Ereditato told the BBC.But for now, he explained, "we are not claiming

things, we want just to be helped by the community inunderstanding our crazy result - because it is crazy".

Science Faster Than The Speed of Light (continued)

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL4 NEWS

Ideally, he would have been hailingtriumphant forward strides along the path topeace in theMiddle East, or basking in the glowof a recently-inked peace deal.

That was his goal two years ago when hefirst took the podium at the UN's headquarterson New York's East River, confidentlypredicting that what had eluded countless USpresidents before himwould be achievedwithintwo years.

Obama had it easy then. After eight years ofGeorge W Bush, who ignored the UN inlaunching the Iraq war and was consistentlywithering in his assessment of the institution'susefulness, theworldwas very ready for BarackObama. As Stewart Patrick of the Council ofForeignRelations haswritten,Obama promiseda "new era of engagement" and "had hisaudience at hello".

Last year the talks between the Israelisand Palestinians were still alive, just, andObama was still able to bask in the newatmosphere of co-operation between theworld'sonly superpower and the rest of us.

There was much to celebrate yesterday: aresolute UN presence in the Ivory Coast whichstood up to Laurent Gbagbo's attempt to ignoreelection results; The UN-led referendum thatcreated South Sudan from the ruins of twodecades of conflict, and of course the Arabspring. Twelve months at the same forum,Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were all representedby now-departed dictators. It has, as Mr Obamasaid, been an extraordinary year. But not in theMiddle East.

All the president could do was stress hisdesire to achieve a Palestinian state whilesafeguarding Israel's security. As he has said sooften before, it is up to the Israelis andPalestinians to "reach agreement on the issuesthat divide them". "Peace depends uponcompromise among peoples who must livetogether long after our speeches are over, andour votes have been counted," he said. Noblewords, but words he could well have utteredverbatimwhen he addressed the issue two yearsago.

UnitedNations -OnThursday, Israeli PrimeMinisterBenjamin Netanyahu took on President MahmoudAhmadinejad and the ‘terrorist’ Iranian regime, deploringAhmadinejad's ‘anti-Semitic rants’ and his repeatedclaims that the ‘Holocaust is a lie.’

Ahmadinejad had been speaking onWednesday, andaddressing the U.N. General Assembly's annual debate,Netanyahu denounced the Iranian leader's remarks.

He said Ahmadinejad's comments were a disgraceful‘mockery of the charter of the United Nations.’ He saidpeople who listened to Ahmadinejad gave "legitimacy toa man who denies the murder of 6 million Jews, whilepromising to wipe out the state of Israel, the state of theJews."

"Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a liespoke from this podium. To those who refused to comeand to thosewho left inprotest, I commendyou.Youstoodup for moral clarity, and you brought honor to yourcountries.

"But to those who gave this Holocaust denier ahearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people,and decent people everywhere, have you no shame?Haveyou no decency?"

Noting that theUnitedNationswas founded "after the

carnage of World War II, after the horrors of theHolocaust, it was charged with preventing the recurrenceof such horrendous events."

"Nothing has undermined that mission. Nothing hasimpeded it more than the systematic assault on the truth."

Netanyahu showed a copy of minutes of senior Naziofficials when they met to discuss how to carry out theextermination of Jewry and noted plans to constructconcentration camps. Are such plans "lies?" he asked.

As for the Iranian regime, he said it "is fueled by anextreme fundamentalism that burst onto the world scenethree decades ago after lying dormant for centuries."

He said "women, minorities, gays or anyone elsedeemed not to be a true believer is brutally subjugated,"and he said "the most urgent challenge" facing the UnitedNations is "toprevent the tyrants ofTehran fromacquiringnuclear weapons."

"Are the members of the United Nations up to thatchallenge? Will the international community confront adespotism that terrorizes its own people as they bravelystand up for freedom? Will it take action against thedictators who stole an election in broad daylight and thengunned down Iranian protesters who died on thesidewalks, on the street, choking on their ownblood?Will

the international community stop the terrorist regime ofIran from developing atomic weapons, therebyendangering the peace of the entire world?"

He said Palestinians must have the power to governthemselves, but it must be "effectively demilitarised."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday heexpected the Security Council to finish debating his nation'sapplication for full United Nations membership in weeks, not months.

Speaking to journalists on his plane back from the GeneralAssembly in New York where he presented the request to U.N.Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Abbas said Security Councilmembers had initially appeared unenthusiastic about discussing theapplication.

But the mood appeared to change after he made a speech to theGeneral Assembly on Friday, pressing the case for an independentPalestinian state alongside Israel, he said.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, has said it will block theapplication. Both governments say direct peace talks are the correctway for Palestinians to pursue peace.Washington holds veto power inthe 15-member Security Council.

"We are talking about weeks not months," Abbas said of theSecurity Council deliberations, adding that the process could take amaximum 35 days.

Lebanon's U.N. ambassador said the Security Council wouldconvene on Monday to discuss Abbas's application.

Abbas's statehood bid reflects his loss of faith after 20 years offailed peace talks sponsored by the United States, and alarm at Israelisettlement expansion inoccupied land thatPalestinianswant for a state.

Talking about a return to peace talks with Israel, Abbas said: "Wewill not deal with any initiative which does not contain a halt tosettlement or the '67 borders."

Apart from the U.S. veto threat, it was unclear if the required nineof the body's 15 members would support the bid.

Independence for Palestine?

Barack Obama

Benjamin Netanyahu

Mahmoud Abbas

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 NEWS 5

Expertswith radically differing views onsome of most critical issues facing the planetwill be in Scotland this week at a majorinternational gathering of 1,000 marinescientists. The World Conference on MarineBiodiversity has been brought to Scotland bythe Universities of Aberdeen and StAndrews, and takes place at the AberdeenExhibition and Conference Centre betweenSeptember 26th and 30th.

Organisers are expecting a lively debatewith controversial opinions on key topicssuch as the extinction of marine species, theimpact on our oceans of climate change, theresults of fishing policies and industry, andthe conservation of sea mammals.

French ocean explorer,environmentalist, educator and filmproducerJean-Michel Cousteau — son of famousunderwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau— kicked off the conference on the Mondaymorning at a hard-hitting session featuringvideo footage from some of the world’s mostchallenged marine environments. Jean-Michel also give a public talk at AberdeenMusic Hall that evening to close this year’sTechfest In September science festival.

Academic keynote speakers will includeProfessor Shahid Naeem of ColumbiaUniversity, NewYork, who will put the case

for the decline in biodiversity as being thesingle most important challenge for ourecosystems.

Dr Mark Costello of the University ofAucklandwill deliver a rather alternative takeon the issue, and will present new data toshow that there are far fewer species on Earththan widely believed – and it is possible todiscover them all this century.

Jeff Ardron of the Marine ConservationBiology Institute in Washington, DC, willseek to connect science with policy andexplore the issues around the MarineProtected Areas (MPAs). While JóhannSigurjónsson, Forstjóri, Director General ofHafrannsóknastofnunin Marine ResearchInstitute, Iceland, will give the Icelandicapproach to fisheries industry in the NorthAtlantic, including quotas, conservation andwhaling.

Professor Terry Dawson of theUniversity of Dundee will look at the hotlydebated issuesofclimatechangeand its effecton the ocean environment.

Meanwhile Anne-Helene Prieur-Richard, Deputy Director of Diversitas, theinternational programme established toaddress the complex scientific questionsposed by the loss in biodiversity andecosystem services, will be placinginternational policy on the issue in thespotlight.

Also presenting to delegates will beRichard Brock, film-maker and founder of

the Brock Initiative who produced Life onEarth and Living Planet in a 35-year careerwith the BBC Natural History Unit; alongwith communication and bioinformaticsexpert, Professor Phil Bourne of theUniversity of California, San Diego.

The Martha T Muse Prize for Scienceand Policy inAntarctica, with its unrestrictedaward money of $100,000 made by TheTinker Foundation, presented annually to anindividual who has demonstrated potentialfor sustained and significant contributionsthat will enhance the understanding and/orpreservation of Antarctica, was won by Dr.Jose Xavier of the Institute of MarineResearch of the University of Coimbra inPortugal and the British Antarctic Survey inthe UK.

Also featured will be internationally-renowned artist Lily Simonsen, who willcreate on a three-metre canvas her ownimpressions of the whole event. Award-winning film-maker Emma Robins will bepromoting Fair Trade Coral and the PlasticOceans Foundation will be highlightingissues ofmarine litter andplastic in the ocean.

Dr Martin Solan, from the University ofAberdeen’s Oceanlab, is one of theconference organisers. He said: “There arefewmorecritical issues facingourplanet thanthe health of our marine ecosystems. Andthere are many differing views both on theinterpretation of data, on the seriousness ofthe challenges, and the actions we should

take. We are excited to have this opportunityto bring together scientists, industry experts,interest groups and policy-makers fromacross the world to explore and debate thesevery controversial issues and hopefully toagree actions we need to take.”

Co-organiser Professor David MPaterson, from theUniversity of St Andrews,is keen to highlight the impact of humanactivity on our oceans, saying: “Internationalmarine crime and the cross-bordercooperation we need to tackle it is also verymuch on the agenda next week. One of theevening events will be a public seminar onmarine terrorism, the trafficking of humans,drugs and weapons, the dumping of toxicwaste, and unregulated and unreportedfishing. We are pleased to be hosting this atthe University of St Andrews on TuesdaySeptember 27th with our Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson inthe chair.”

Andrew Pratt, Ambassador ProgrammeExecutive at Aberdeen Convention Bureau,which helped to bring the conference to thecity, said: “TheWorldConference onMarineBiodiversity is a great example of ourAmbassador Programme in practice. Weworkedwith the organisers to put together thesuccessful bid to bring this event toAberdeenand are looking forward to welcomingdelegates from all over the world to our citynext week.”

The conference continues.

New research conducted by St Andrewsbiologists and in partnership with theUniversity of the West Indies has found thatthe release of a single female guppy into thewild can generate entire new populations,even where no males are present.

The research published on Tuesday 20thSeptemberdemonstrates that theguppy isoneof the world’s most invasive fish. Until nowit was thought that the release of guppies intothe wild was harmless at best, but with theexception of Antarctica these fish have beenfound in every continent in the world.

The popular ornamental fish, originallyfound inTrinidadand thenorth-eastern fringeof South America, is to be found in over 70countries throughout the world. The researchshows that even the well intentioned releaseof discarded pets can lead to the loss ofbiological diversity, as a single female guppyfish can establish an entirely new, viablepopulation.

St Andrews lead researcher Dr AmyDeacon commented, “Our findings show thatthe guppies range has expanded dramaticallysince the early 1900s”.

Having surveyed hundreds of fishbiologists around the world, scientists foundthat the two most common methods ofguppies ending up in the wild are the escapesof ornamental fish and the deliberateintroduction of them as a means ofcontrolling the larvae of mosquitoes thatspread malaria.

In places such as Southern India, guppies

are routinely released into watertroughs, wells and small ponds formosquito control. Although self-contained at first, heavy rains andflooding mean that the fisheventually find their way tostreams and rivers where theycome into contact with native fish.

Dr Deacon explained,“Usually only one or a few fish arereleased. We know that the vastmajority of species introduced to anew habitat in this way are unableto survive, let alone establish apopulation, which left us with ahuge question mark.”

In an attempt to unravel themystery, researchers conducted asimple experiment in which singlewild female guppies were placedin outdoor tanks. After two years,researchers discovered that almostall the tanks contained populationsof guppies, each founded by justone female.

Dr Deacon explained how thefinding might explain the guppy’ssuccess as an invasive species,“Sperm storage is an excellentadaptation for living in constantlychanging habitats, and it mightalso explain the guppies’ global success.Female guppies can store sperm in theirreproductive tracts for many months aftermating, and this enables single fish toestablish populations, even when no malesare present.

“We also found that these populationskept all of the important behaviours that wild

guppies have, so they would be well-equipped for surviving in a newenvironment.”

Dr Deacon continued, “Our study showswhy we should be cautious when releasingexotic species.

“Seemingly harmless activities such as achild freeing a few pet fish or a concerned

householder using guppies to controlmosquitoes, can ultimately contribute to thereduction of biodiversity in freshwaterhabitats across the world.”

The research, published by the journalPLoS ONE, was funded by the NaturalEnvironment Research Council and theEuropean Research Council.

Warning Issued AgainstReleasing Pet Fish

Marine Experts’ ‘Clashof the Poseidons’

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL6 NEWS

Ed Milliband has announced plans to capTuition Fees at £6,000 if he comes into power.He has said that funding for the scheme willcome from a higher interest tax on loans fromthose who earn over £65,000. Further fundingwould come from preventing the planned cut incorporation tax to ease what Mr. Miliband iscalling the ‘burden of debt’ on students up anddown the country. Reactions to the news havebeen varied with many saying that the leader ofthe Labour Party is simply trying to win thestudent vote that helped get the LiberalDemocrats into power. Many ministers arepointing to the fact that it was Labour whobrought in tuition fees in the first place.Furthermore,EdMilibandhadpromised tobringin a graduate tax instead of fees, leadingUniversities Minister David Willets to ask ifsuch aU-turn could be in anyway credible. LiamBurns, President of the National Union ofStudentswas quoted as saying: ‘If they think thisis going to be a manifesto policy, then I'm sorry- this isn't going to win support of students”

An Irish Coroner’s Court has heard that the deathof Galway pensioner Michael Flaherty was due tospontaneous combustion.Theverdictmarks the firstinstance of such a verdict in Ireland’s history. Afterforensic scientists discounted the possibility of Mr.Flaherty’s death occurring from the small fireplacehe was found laying next to, the coroner Dr. CiaranMcLoughlin found himself forced to give a verdictof spontaneous human combustion as the onlypossible likely cause of death. In the last 300 yearsthere have been over 200 cases of reportedspontaneous combustion with a notable moderncases being the death of American Mary Reeser,whose charred body was found in her Floridaapartment in 1951. Her corpse was reduced mostlyto ashes, but her home remained intact. The policereport claimed the 67-year-old widow’s dressinggown had caught fire but no flame source oraccelerant was ever found. Some scientists havesuggested the ‘wick effect’ in which a person’sclothes act as awick and their fat the fuel source, butno verified conclusion has ever been made as tospontaneous human combustion.

Women in Saudi Arabia are to be given the rightto vote and run in municipal elections, the GulfKingdom's King Abdullah has announced. KingAbdullah was quoted as saying that womenwouldalso have the right to be appointed to theconsultative Shura Council. The news will bewelcomedbyactivists and theprogressive factionsof society who have long called for greater rightsforwomen in the ultra-conservative kingdom.Thechanges will take effect from next year havingannounced the decision in a speech opening thenew term of the Shura Council, King Abdullahsaid, ‘Because we refuse to marginalise women insociety in all roles that comply with sharia, wehave decided, after deliberation with our seniorulama [clerics] and others... to involve women inthe Shura Council as members, starting from nextterm’.’Women will be able to run as candidates inthemunicipal election andwill even have a right tovote.’ The news provides an extraordinarydevelopment for women in Saudi Arabia, who arenot allowed to drive or leave the countryunaccompanied.

In The Media

Often referred to as St Andrews’ second founder,the life and legacy of Sir James Irvinewill be celebratedat a symposium in Parliament Hall on Wednesday,marking the publication of a new biography of the manby his granddaughter Julia Melvin.Irvine, who was not only a respected Chemist, was

Principal and Vice-Chancellor of St Andrews from1920until hisdeath in1952.Having first begun teachingat the University following his award of a Doctor ofScience degree, he was appointed Professor ofChemistry in 1909 andDean of Science in 1912.Duringhis tenure as Principal, Irvine led St Andrews through acomplete renovation and restoration of both buildingsand traditions that set in motion the quality of academicstudy performed here today. As a man of science hefocused on research-led inquiry that is integral stilltoday in the University’s mission statement.Having masterminded the 500th Anniversary

celebrations a century ago it is fitting that this biographyand symposium should be held during the 600th

Anniversary celebrations, to honour themanwhomadeSt Andrews the world-class institution it is today. Thenew book, entitled ‘James Colquhoun Irvine: StAndrews’ Second Founder’ was written by hisgranddaughter and fellow St Andrews alumni, JuliaMelvin.The symposium which is to be held on Wednesday

will see speakers including the author, the chemist TonyButler, Muniments Archivist Rachel Hart and he writerand commentator William Shawcross pay tribute toIrvine’s monumental achievements.But Irvine was more than just a Principal of St

Andrews University, he was respected in his field andhis influence stretched beyond the University’s ancientwalls and into the British Colonies and the world. Hisdiscoveries as a pioneering carbohydrate chemist gaveknowledge to chemistry of the previously unlocked‘ring structures’ of the carbohydrates. His work alsohelped to inform developments in biology such as thediscovery of DNA.

DuringWWI he and his team in St Andrews helpedsave the lives of thousands of troops. His use of naturalsources such as dahlia tubers and seaweed enabled theprotection of Allied forces against meningitis, thescourge of the campaigns in Asia Minor.Melvin’s new biography illuminates the life of this

great Scotsman and may help extend his legacy. Theauthor has pledged all royalties to St Andrews 600thAnniversary Campaign and its efforts to raise £100million to nurture research-led teaching and inquiryacross the Arts and Sciences.The Irvine Symposium takes place at 2.30 p.m. on

Wednesday 28th September in Parliament Hall, SouthStreet, St Andrews. The event is not ticketed and entryis free of charge. It will be followed by a viewing of aspecial exhibition on Principal Irvine in MUSA wherethere will be an opportunity to meet the author, JuliaMelvin, who will be signing books after the event.

St Andrews'SecondFounderRemembered

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 NEWS 7

Your article could be here. Email us atsubmissions@the-white-lady.co.uk. All forms of

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Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL8 COMMENT

Comment

All views expressed in the Comment section are the views of the individual authors and not representative of the views of The White Lady.

If you have any views or wish to comment on any of the articles here please email the editor at editor@the-white-lady.co.uk or go onto our websitewww.the-white-lady.co.uk.

This week marks the unauthorised, and thusunimprovably ironic, release of Julian Assange’sautobiography. The material originates from a series ofinterviews Assange gave to ghostwriter AndrewO’Hagan. Little comment has emerged from the highpriest of (targeted) leaks himself, although he is said tohave chirped unambiguously that ‘all memoir isprostitution’. Aha, well, indeed, voila. I really shouldconsign my copy of Robert Graves’Goodbye to All That,and perhaps even some of the finer war poems ofWilfredOwen, to the dustbin. What piffle these great works are -Assange ought to know. After all, he knows everything -heknowsbetter thaneveryworld leader combinedexactlywhatweought andought not to know, andwhen. Iwonderif he extends this thoughts to biographies aswell? Perhapshe has even dipped into Richard Ellman’s majesticbiography of Oscar Wilde in search of inspiration for hisunceasing stream of timeless aphorisms. I wonder furtherif the use of such a phrase better typifies his egotismor hisself-delusion? Probably a strong combination of both.

I personally can’t wait to snuggle up to the long andboring tales Assange must have told about his empty life.I’m running short on sleeping tablets and gather that thislittle gem is going to be quite cheap. Douglas Murraywrote in the Spectator after his powerful denunciation ofhim at this year’s Hay-on-Wye festival, that Assange’sconversation is like aural Rohypnol. This must mean thatthere is a strong likelihood not only of his ghostwriterhaving endured some life-denying tedium, but that theproductwewill be subjected tomay itself set newstandardsfor soporific inducement.

The book comes out on the back of a load of leakswhichWikileaksdidn’t themselvesknowwere comingout.One must really take one’s hat off; they seem to beexceeding even their own standards in the professionalunleashing of chaos.

Charles Dickens wrote that ‘it is a melancholy truththat even great men have poor relations’. Sadly, JulianAssange has now conclusively illustrated that mediocremen suffer infinitely worse fates. Needless to say

there are countless governments and organisationswho are not particularly pleased with Mr. Assange’sconduct, yet there are even more disputes which Assangeseems to have orchestrated with the newspapers he washoping to be syndicated by. The Guardian and the NewYork Times have had a particularly bad experience.Assange often changes his mind and is unforgivablyerratic. Nick Davies and Ian Traynor are the two Guardianjournalists who first attempted toworkwith him in relationto the releaseofAfghanWardocuments.Not all parties saweye-to-eye, for Assange was often too forthright andthoughtless even by the Guardian’s standards. One suchdisagreement arose when Assange gave the go-ahead to

post the names of Afghan civilians on the Guardian’swebsite. He claimed to be suing the Guardian for their takeon his decision. He is not.

Yet this was only a taster for what was to come.The following is just a one example of the plethora of

Wikileaks’ unintended consequences. In July 2010, it wasreported that the Taliban had issued severewarnings to anyAfghans whowere named as NATO-informants in the warlogs released by Wikileaks. No fewer than 92,000classified military files relating to the war in Afghanistanhad been leaked. AdmiralMikeMullen, a top officer in theUS military, suspected even before this that Assange mayalready have had blood on his hands because of hisorganisation’s reckless and self-righteous behavior.

When confronted about the possibility that his leakshave incurred fatalities, Assange is usually point-blankunaware. Alternatively, he is prone to giving long andrambling speeches about the ‘greater good’ at which he isaiming. Nowhere has this greater good yet materialized,except perhaps in thewarpedworldviewof JulianAssange,where any damage to America’s foreign policy network isprogress of a kind by definition. Almost as charming is histendency to take great credit while refusing any debits.Armed only with his unfailing cheek and audacity(Wikileaks is never armed with evidence of the ‘greatergood’) Assange asserted of the Arab Spring thatWikileaksseemed to have ‘played a significant role in it’. In aninterview with the Human Rights Lawyer Philippe Sands,

he even provided awe-inspiring detail, saying that at least30 people had been killed in the Egyptian revolution. Hewas immediately corrected by Sands, who kindly steeredhim nearer the 300mark. ‘I amnot up to datewith the deathcount’, he replied. For all the gusto with which heperpetrates them, Assange has always been unusuallyincurious about the consequences of his actions.

It will be worth picking up a copy of this book, if onlyto get a whiff of the unpardonable stench emanated byAssange’s confused narcissism. With this odour in mind,you too might think twice before indulging in the guiltypleasures offered by his disorganised organisation.

The Incurious Case of Julian Assange

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 COMMENT 9

With the cutting of the ribbon yesterday the StAndrews University Library officially re-openedthis year. Inside can be found many cosmeticrefurbishments and a new layout to better servestudents’ needs.When it was announced last year that a major

overhaul and re-build of the library was to becancelled there was outcry from many areas of thestudent population. The library has been insufficientin suiting the needs of students for years now, as itscapacity andquality has not kept upwith the demandof a larger student body and the modern age. The£7m investment for refurbishment that replaced theinitial development package was seen by many asinsufficient. Now you have the chance to see wherethe money has gone.While many students will notice not only the

difference in lay-out on level 2, the main entrancesite to the library, they will also see the lack ofrefurbishment upstairs. Indeed very little, other thanthe toilets, has been changed at all upstairs.

But it is the refurbishment of level two thatshould be focused on and seen as a promising viewinto the future image and functionality of our library.In just 16 weeks the team behind the refurbishmenthave managed to pull off a stunning job inredesigning the layout of level 2, to suit students’needs.The larger entrance in the foyer allows for greater

access in and out of the library, with a new systemexpected to come in during Reading Week thatinvolves swiping your card for access. Of course,swiping your card for entrance to the library mightseem a little much, but it will allow for display screensto inform you of your overdue books, books that are onhold and also how many books you have checked out,as you enter and exit. Furthermore, it will aid librarystaff to monitor the type of people that use the libraryso that they can adapt their services to those they serve.One of themost striking new features of the library

is the cafe to the left as you enter. Serving yousandwiches, paninis, soup and coffee from as little as£1 the cafe seats around 70 people and is open from8:30 am to 8 pm most days. Until now students havebeen forced to either bring a sandwich with them orventure out into the town to find food whilst trying tostudy. During exam periods this can often prove anunwelcome interruption from study. The new servicesshould make it easier to grab a coffee to fuel the allnight essaywritingmany a student has ended up doing.Speaking of all night essaywriting, the new library

hasalsoextended its openinghourswith its self-servicecheckout and return available from 8 am to 2amMonday toThursday.Theweekendhours are8amuntilmidnight on a Friday, 10 am until midnight on aSaturday and 10 am until 2am on a Sunday. Longeropening hours,while not encouragingworking into theearly hours, does allow for students to look somethingup or get some work done during those periods.The book return system is also much easier to use

with a new ATM looking machine that allows you toreturn books during all opening hours. You simplyslide thebook into themachine’smouth, scanyour cardand the conveyer belt will take your book away to besorted automatically; certainly making life easier forstaff and students alike.

Further improvements in terms of ease of accessare the desks that are spread out throughout level 2,eachwith a centre piece that hasmultiple power pointsfor laptop users. The spread of seating allows for thenatural development of quieter and louder areas wherenorms will come into practice. There are also moreprivate group rooms that canbebookedwith the librarystaff for group discussions. These rooms will be

equippedwith screens for sharing information andwillbe accessed via a system of scanning matriculationcards and punching in a unique code to allow for easeof use.Other changes include improved ventilation and

heating systems so that there will no longer be times ofoverheating or freezing temperatures. The new holdshelf is in the short loan meaning it can be accessed atall times but only those who have reserved the booksmay remove them from the area. The desks have beenupdated and comfortable seating placedwith them thatwill provide nearly twice the formed seating capacitywhen the refurbishments are complete.Indeed, while there are a number of functions such

as use of lockers, automatic gates, laptop storage andaccess to rooms thatmay take a little time to come in toplace and get used to, the overall library refurbishmenthas proven to be a success. It sets out a good view tohow the above levels will change next summer andthough we didn’t get the library we wanted, therefurbishment has given the team a chance to reviewwhat is possible and have performed a very good job indelivering a very workable compromise.

The New Library

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL10 COMMENT

Clubs In St Andrews - A Short Introduction

You may have seen them galavanting about town in their matching ties or crowding the bar at Number Forty. Youmight also have seen friendly girls with pristine smiles hosting a variety of enjoyable socials in popular placessuch as Ma Bells. St Andrews - for such a small town - is strangely populated with all sorts of private clubs, butwhat are they about and where do they come from? Some even come under fire from the student body, why so?

The answer could be because most of these organisations maintain some level of secrecy. This often leads to thecirculation of rumours and apocryphal stories which are not informative, tending to demonise these different clubs- often unfairly. These organisations, however, are generally much more straightforward than most people think.So here is a very short and entirely unexhaustive introduction, to some of our University’s Clubs:

The Kate Kennedy Clubwas founded in 1926 by students James Doak and Donald Kennedy in theirefforts to re-introduce theKateKennedyProcession -anhistoricalprocession through the streetsofStAndrews– which had been previously banned by the Senatus Academicus as it had slowly degenerated into a bawdyand unseemly spectacle. In its present incarnation, the KK continues to maintain the tradition of the KateKennedy Procession to a high standard, despite being disaffiliated from the University by Principal Louise

Richardson. Its three stated aims are

(1) to maintain the traditions of the University and town of St Andrews(2) Uphold and improve Town and Gown relations(3) Raise money for local charities. They operate the Opening Ball and May Ball – two of the mostprominent events of the student social calendar and all proceeds from these events are given to charities.

Membership is restricted to males only and members can be easily spotted by their silver and red striped ties.Applications for membership are held yearly. All first year males are eligible for membership, and 9 Bejantsare eventually selected after two rounds of interviews. The initial number of applicants is cut down to 20 afterthe first round, and a final acceptance ceremony then occurs known as ‘Short Leet’.

The Strafford Club was founded in 1995 in honour of Thomas Wentworth, the 1st Earl of Strafford who died protecting King Charles I. It is a dining club ofwhich membership is available only to men and by invitation alone. The Strafford Club holds formal dinners – roughly six times every year – which take place invarious restaurants around St Andrews. In fact, the student menu at Maisha, an Indian restaurant in town, displays a photo of the Strafford club enjoying one of theirmeals on the front cover. The Strafford Club is committed to the ideals of constitutional monarchy and its continuation in the United Kingdom and abroad. Members ofthe club are easily distinguished by their tradition of wearing academic gowns to formal dinners and by their blue and white striped bow-ties.

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 COMMENT 11

The Kensington Club was founded in 2001 by studentZacharias P. Pieri and is a male-only dining club. Members meetroughly once a month for formal dinners or luncheons which are heldin either black tie or jacket and tie respectively. The Kensington Clubis fundamentally a monarchist club but the main ethos hinges on theenjoyment of good food and wine and maintaining a high level ofconversation and etiquette. Membership is by invitation only to allmales who are residents of St Andrews – town and gown alike can bemembers.Membership is attained bybeing invited to a series of eventsand finally by personal acceptance by the Club President, where theyare given their distinctive green, white, and red striped ties.

The Lumsden Club was founded in 2001 to commemorate the efforts of St Andrewsalumnus, Louisa Lumsden, who was instrumental in the fight for women’s equality, notably inthe sphere of education. The Lumsden Club is well-known for their yearly Pimm’s charity eventwhich often sells out extremely quickly. The Lumsden Club also holds other social events –normally at bars in town – which also aim to raise money for charity. Membership is attainedthrough two rounds of interviews and, after a vote by the whole club, ten First Year girls areaccepted every year. Membership of the Lumsden Club is open to women only.

In addition to these clubs described, othergroups and societies such as The League of StAndrews Brewers – a private club purported tomake their own beer and alcohol - or TheElephants - a dining club where all members aresaid to wear evening slippers with golden elephantsembroidered on them – are just some of the otherorganisations out there in St Andrews.

Tell us about your Club? Or better still, simply

create one!

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL12 OPENING BALL

Opening Ball

Do you want a chance to win two ticketsto the Opening Ball?

Go onto the-white-lady.co.ukfor more details

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 OPENING BALL 13

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL14 LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle

The Recipe:

Ingredients

Cupcakes

225g grated carrots2 large eggs130g caster sugar,120ml Mazola Corn Oil½tsp vanilla extract2tsp fresh orange zest120g plain flour1tsp bicarbonate of sodaPinch of salt1tsp Cinnamon

Icing

175g cream cheese450g icing sugar125g unsalted butter,(at room temperature)Zest from one orange

Equipment:

2 x mixing bowls24 x cupcake linersElectric mixer (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC

2. Line two 12 hole muffin tins with cupcake cases

3. Mix the eggs and sugar and beat together until fluffy

4. Carefully add the oil, vanilla extract and orange zest tothe mixture

5. Sift the flower, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamoninto a separate mixing bowl

6. Slowly add the flour-mixture to the sugar and eggs

7. Mix in the grated carrots and stir well

8. Put the mixture into the cupcake liners using a spoon, fillingeach case with about two thirds of batter

9. Place the trays in the oven and bake for approximately 25minutes. The cupcakes will be a dark golden brown whenfinished, and feel spongy to the touch.

10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before putting on a coolingrack.

11. Icing: place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beatwell until smooth and pale.

12. Ice the cupcakes once they have cooled completely.

Carrot Cupcakes

Wine:

Henri Di Lorgere MaconVillages 2009£ 4.99Aldi

This is a refreshing whitewhite that is crisp with awell-rounded sweetness.It is excellent with chickenand vegetarian dishes.

La Trour de Marrenon 2010£4.00Tesco

This is a light and pleasantred wine that can be drunkon its own or with a meal.

It goes well with veal, lamb,and stews.

Toso Brut Argentina£ 7.99Luvians

Toso is an Argentiniansparkling wine that ticklesthe palate. It is reminiscentof dry prosecco and verydrinkable.It is excellent as an apertif.

Supermarkets today have a wide selection of wines - andchoosing which one can be difficult. Here are the bestwines under £10.

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 LIFESTYLE 15

Fashion:Suit you, Sir!Our little bubble is full of its ownquirks - and this is ever so truewhen it comes to fashion. TheWhite Lady's style expert givestheir latest tips on how to dress forthe season, Bubble-style.

The last hurrah of the Scottish ‘summer’ is drawing to its close as temperaturesdrop and we find ourselves steadily sliding into winter. It is probably about time tostart thinking about wrapping up against the cold (of night at least). This is what weare looking forward to seeing being paraded down Market Street this autumn.

IN

Knitted ties – wear formally for a modern, textured look or casually fora quirky accessory to stand-out.

Shawl-collared cardigans – combine with a t-shirt for a warm, relaxedlook or dress it up with a nice shirt as an alternative to wearing a jacket.

Suede shoes – take care when wearing around St Andrews;waterproofing advised!

Patchwork pashminas – with so many colours together, these warmscarves go with just about anything and can be worn in many situationsto add lots of colour to an outfit.

Brown leather boots – a versatile part of any woman’s wardrobe whichcan be combined with jeans for a smart but practical day-time look.

'Boyfriend’ jumpers – wear an oversized wool or cashmere jumper tokeep warm and cosy instead of a jacket.

OUT

Narrow lapels – jackets are starting to feature wider lapels despiteretaining a fitted silhouette.

Plaid shirts – the loud lumberjack look is finished. Why it even startedremains a mystery.

Over-sized beanies – these supposedly Rasta-inspired hats look like ateapot cosy is being used as headgear.

Jeggings – they are not jeans and they are not leggings. Make up yourmind and choose one.

Ugg Boots – these are making an attempted come-back. If you are notsixteen, you probably should not be wearing them.

Pale pink lipstick – wearers often appear to have lips made of plastic.Be wary of what shade you buy to avoid this.

As you may have noticed after spending more than an hour out on the townis that St Andrews is populated by an astonishing number of Barbour jackets.It is undeniably a key piece in the unofficial 'St Andrews Uniform'.

The Barbour jacket goes well with other signature St Andrews pieces. Forexample, it canbecasuallywornwith red trouandacigaror theequally stylishand practical Hunter wellies. Girls can match the Barbour with tan leatherboots and snugly fitting jeans for a ‘cash’ yet country-glam look.

Due to its versatility, theBarbour jacket is arguably oneof themost importantpurchases for someone who wishes to blend into the town. It is the perfectform of ‘town camouflage’. However, the Barbour jacket will only keep youincognito as long as you remain within the bounds of the bubble.

For some reason loud trousers andBarbour jackets draw attention rather thanrepel if you venture out into beautiful Fife, or indeed most other places inScotland. The reason for this is unknown to this author – should you find thereason why, please let us know.

Should you for some reason not own a Barbour jacket you can buy your ownat any Barbour shop or www.barbourbymail.co.uk. Jackets can be boughtsignificantly cheaper second hand – so keep an eye out in charity shops, orcheck out Amazon for a good deal on an authentic jacket. .

The Barbour jacket is quite a good investment considering the cold Scottishautumn and winter. The wax jackets are both wind and water-proof and willkeep you warm and cosy on dark and rainy days.

St Andrews Uniform Help - The Barbour Jacket

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL16 LIFESTYLE

Organic Food For Students

On the 20th of September, the One WorldSociety led a Slow Food Walk giving St Andrewsstudents the opportunity to discover what localalternatives there are to supermarket chainssuch as Tesco and Morrisons.

There are many benefits to eating organicand locally produced food. Most food that is soldlocally comes from smaller producers. While notalways the case, these producers typically use

fewer chemicals in their foods than their largercompetitors, making it a healthier option.Furthermore, the short transports are better forthe environment and ensure that the foodreaches your doorstep fresh and full of taste.

However, locally produced food is oftenperceived to be more expensive, and thus manystudents shy away from such products in favourof Tesco Value. Yet is the assumption that locally

produced food is always more expensive thantheirmass-­‐producedequivalentsreally true?TheWhite Lady has conducted a thoroughinvestigationtoensureyouvalue foryourmoney.Comparisons have been made betweensupermarket products and their localalternatives for meat, dairy products, fruit andvegetables.

Organic food is known for being environmentally friendly and giving various healthbenefits. However, as students there is a general perception that eating locally producedfood means eating overly expensive food. But is that really true? The White Lady hasinvestigated whether it is possible to eat well without it breaking your budget.

Meat is significantly cheaper to buyin the supermarket than the localbutchers, and they have an equallyextensive selection of Scottish meat.However, one may question whataccounts for the difference in price.One possibie reason is quality.Of theproducts that have been tested at thebutchers, they have all been of anextraordinary standard. Those thatare conscious of the quality of theirmeat may still find that going to thebutchers is worth the few extrapounds.

Eggs tend to be reasonablypriced in the local shops aswell as in thesupermarkets. Thesupermarkets aremarginally cheaper,however if one considersthe many benefits of eatinglocally produced foods, itseems insignificant.

Cheese, on the other hand,is notably more expensivein the local shops.However, as can be seen inthe table, the supermarkets

* On Tuesdays there is a 10% students discount. Due to it onlybeing offered on one day, this discount has not been takeninto account in the table.

** 10% have been taken off of the prices to account for thestudent discount. Present your student card in order toreceive it.

Meat

Eggs and Cheese

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 LIFESTYLE 17

TheUKmaynothave the right climate togrow bananas or mangoes, but there isstill a wealth of fruit and berries, whichcan be grown locally such as pears,apples and strawberries.

Apples are not cheaper in the localshops. This can be accounted for by thefact that they are many times importedfrom other parts of the UK. Theseproducts are therefore not local, andcould just as well be bought in thesupermarket.

Locally grownberries, however, such asraspberries and strawberries arecheaper at the local fruit and vegetableshop. Keep inmind that fruit pricesmayfluctuate depending on the season.

Depending on the product, vegetables can be cheaper ormoreexpensive in the local shop.Broccoli, for example, ischeaper at JohnBirrell andSon thanat the supermarkets.It should also be noted that the vegetables found in thelocal shop were typically bigger than those found in thesupermarkets. Itwasalso foundthatat thesupermarkets,loose vegetables are cheaper than pre-­‐packaged ones.

Another option to look out for is Veg Boxes, organised bythe One World Society. These offer crates of carrots,potatoes, onions, and seasonal vegetables worth £11pounds at the price of £6. They are delivered fromBellfield Organics farm, and picked up at the union onTuesdays. For more information, e-­‐mailsta.vegboxes@gmail.com.

Fruit

Vegetables

While most products are cheaper to buy in thesupermarket, for items such as eggs and fruit you canindeed get a better deal in the local shops. Furthermore,the local shops often offers a wider selection than thesupermarkets within their field.

It is worth checking out the bakery, the cheesemongersand the butchers - especially if you are concerned abouteating food that is good for the environment. At times youcan find organic food in the supermarkets. These aresometimes on offer, so keep an eye out for that.

- A Third Year Student

Verdict

Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL18 CULTURE

CultureARTS CINEMA TV CLUBS &

SOCIETIESSPORT TALKS & EVENTS

Hamlet Cut to the Bone(The Byre)04/10/2011 7.30 pm£13 (£10/£8) FOBdiscount appliesAB Paterson Auditorium

David Keller’s laudedone-man interpretation ofHamlet that cuts to thebone of every characterhas reached St Andrews.

Mary Queen of ScotsGot Her Head ChoppedOff (LyceumEdinburgh)16/09/2011 – 15/10/2011£13-29 depending onseats

Liz Lochhead’s take onthe life and fate of twoqueens.

Orpheus in theUnderworld (AdamSmith TheatreKirkcaldy)29/09/2011£14 (U-26’s £5)

This opera, originally setat the court of NapoleonIII of France, has beentranslated into acontemporary operadrawing parallels to ourmodern, media-frenziedworld.

Colombiana (15)Daily20:35

Crazy, StupidLove (12A)Daily17:55, 20:30

Harry Potter 72D (12A)Wed 28 Sep23:00

I Don't Knowhow she does it(12A)Daily18:10

Spy Kids 4 3D(PG)Sun 25 Sep14:20

Tinker TailorSoldier Spy (15)Daily17:45, 20:25

American Gangster(2007)Starring DenzelWashington, RussellCrowe, Chiwetel Ejioforand Josh BrolinCategory GeneralMovie/DramaITV4 10:00pm-1:15am(3 hours 15 minutes) Tue27 Sep

Miss Congeniality 2:Armed and Fabulous(2005)Starring Sandra Bullock,Regina King, WilliamShatner and HeatherBurnsCategory ComedyITV2 7:50pm-10:00pm(2 hours 10 minutes)Wed 28 Sep

Scarface (1983)Starring Al Pacino,Michelle Pfeiffer andRobert LoggiaCategory Detective/ThrillerITV4 10:35pm-1:55am(3 hours 20 minutes) Thu29 Sep

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1958)starring ElizabethTaylor, Paul Newman,Burl Ives, Jack Carsonand Larry GatesCategory General

Wine and Cheese27/09/2011 7:30-11:30pmThe Byre TheatreMembers free, non-members £12Enjoy a drink and somecheese with the Wineand Cheese Society!

Philosophy Pub Quiz27/09/2011 8:00-10:30pmAikmans Cellar BarFreeGet quizzing withPhilSoc

SAS Social – Blue andWhite28/09/2011 9:30 pm –00:30 amMaBellsFreeParty it up with the SkiSports club!

Behind theBikeSheds30/09/2011 10:00 pm –2 amVenue 1Dress up in yourschool-uniform andcelebrate the return tostudying with a ‘backto school’ theme

Live Rugby WorldCupCanada v Japan(Kick-off 5.00am).Japan’s final poolfixture; Canada stillto play New Zealandin Wellington.ITV404:30 am Tue 27 Sep

Greatest EnglandWorldCupMatchesThe best moments ofEnglish world cupmoments.ITV407:45 pm Tue 27 Sep

Live NFLDallas Cowboys vW a s h i n g t o nRedskins01:30 am Tue 27 Sep

Superbike WorldChampionship 2011Highlights of the tworaces at AutodromoEnzoeDinoFerrari inImola, Italy.Channel 407:05 am Sat 1 Oct

Farewell Reception –Rev Dr JamieWalkerTuesday 27 September4 pm

Maritime TerrorismEvening EventTuesday 27 September7 pm

Come and Play with theUniversity of StAndrews SymphonyOrchestra followed byCeilidhTuesday 27 September6:30 pm

Lunchtime concert:Jessica Leary(soprano) andChristopher Baxter(piano)Wednesday 28September 1:15 pm

A Symposium on theLife and Legacy ofPrincipal Sir JamesIrvine (1877-1952)Wednesday 28September 2:30 pm

Principal’s OpenForumMeetingWednesday 28September 4 pm

Classical Music For Beginnerspg. 20

Review of Crazy Stupid Lovepg. 19

The Return of Downton Abbeypg. 19

TWL - Tuesday September 27, 2011 CULTURE 19

Downton Abbey

Sunday saw the second instalmentof the long-awaited ‘posh soap’come costume drama, DowntonAbbey, return to our screens.

Set two years into the war life at theAbbey is about to change and asmany ofits ‘downstairs’ characters remind us,and more than the ‘upstairs’ dare tothink. The arrival of Bates’ wife andMatthew Crawley’s new flame addsomething new to the mix that is certainto provide a reason to spend Sundaynights at home.Written by actor Julian Fellowes, or

Julian Kitchener-Fellowes, BaronFellowes of West Stafford DL, as he isnow called, Downton Abbey is the seriesto be watching. Its first series aired lastyear and became an unprecedented hitamong viewers, regularly bringing inaudience of over 9 million an episode.Oftencompared toBridesheadRevisited,the charm of the series comes in itsperpetual drama and intricate plot linesthat twist and turn, leaving its viewersalways wanting more. The star of theshow is obviously Highclere Castlewhich provides the backdrop formuch ofthe splendid scenery, as well as acting asthe seat for the fictional Granthamfamily.The Earl of Grantham is played by

Hugh Bonneville, known to many asBernie from Notting Hill, and is a kindlypaternalistic peer who sees it as his dutyto protect and promote his dynasty and

his people – even if it means passing hisestate to his distant cousin, leaving hisdaughters without their share. Noblerthan the Earl, though not in titles, are thecharacters of Matthew Crawley, heir tothe Grantham seat, and John Bates, theEarl’s valet. Both characters provide thelove interests of the plot, but are oftenthwarted by their honourable ways anddevilish female intervention.Indeedwomenplayan integral role in

the story of DowntonAbbey, often beingrepresented as both headstrong andwickedly determined. The Earl’s threedaughters are all highly individual andtherefore trying on the Earl’s patience.The eldest, Mary, who acts asMatthew’slove interest formuchof the first series, isoften seen causing intrigue with othermen or terrorising her younger sister

Edith. Edith, the shy, slightly less prettyand often neglected middle daughterplays the boorish misfit whose mainfunction seems to be in ruining her eldersister’s prospects ofmarriage. Left out ofthe sibling rivalry is the stunningyoungest sister, Sybil, who spends hertime becoming political and trying to ‘dosomething’ for thewar effort, enlisting asa nurse.But above all females in both

presence and dominance is the DowagerCountessplayedbyDameMaggieSmith.As the Earl’s mother, she often offers herunwanted opinions in the form short one-liners that leave the viewer in hystericsand her targets in shock. On the new heir,Matthew, informing the Granthamfamily that he should be able to run theestate on the weekend for instance, the

Dowager Countess innocently asks,‘What is a weekend?’ Other aristocraticremarks include those made followingthe untimely death of their Turkish guest,Mr. Pamuk, during his visit to the familyseat, from which the Dowager Countessconcludes: ‘No Englishman woulddreamof dying in someone else’s house’.The second season is underway and

viewers can look forward to at least onedeath, marriage or sacking as it has beenrumoured that two of its female castmembers will not be returning for thethird series. There are also plans for aChristmas Special after the season endsin November. Downton Abbey can befound every Sunday on ITV at 9pm oryou can catch up on episodes on ITVplayer and elsewhere online.

TV

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

While we might be expecting thestandard run-of-the-mill film from aSteve Carell film, Crazy, Stupid, Lovecomes off as a sweet romantic comedythatmanages topull it off for viewers.CalWeaver (Carell) is stunned to learn thathis wife Emily (JulianneMoore) cheatedon himwith co-worker David Lindhagen(Ken Bacon) and now wants a divorce.

Soon he becomes the drunk at alocal bar who whines about his life towhomever will listen to him beforereturning to his lonely apartment. That is

of course, until he meets Jacob Palmer,playedbyRyanGoslingofTheNotebookfame. With his toned physique andirresistible charm many a viewer, nevermind the series of women he beds in thefilm, will fall in love with him. TakingCal on as a project, Jacob manages toteachhimhowtodress to impress andbedthe women of his dreams.

Therein lies the problem, as the truewoman of Cal’s dreams is his separatedwife, Emily. The plot takes thepredictable twists and turns as both mensee their feelings of true love ignite atdifferent points in the film moving

towards the final conclusion that seeseven Cal’s son getting involved in theaction.

Crazy, Stupid, Love, for all itspredictability and rom-com clichés,manages to hold its own and prove bothfunny and heart warming. Its littleintrigues and foiled plans remind us ofthe wise saying ‘Life is what happenswhen you make other plans’. A film thatwould suit both sexes and wouldcertainly be a good film for a date night!

Film

20 CULTURE Tuesday September 27, 2011 - TWL

From indie rock toheavymetal, all formsof music find their roots in classical music,yet because classical music is such aculturally engrained concept (takeBeethoven’s 9th Symphony for example),many never take the time to look at classicalmusic itself. When people generally hear thephrase classical music their mindimmediately conjures images of Mozart andBeethoven and the ubiquitous compositionsthat gowith them, leading them tomissout ona world of beauty.

What is generally considered to beclassical music actually spans roughly from1600 to 1900, in what is called the commonpractice period, which is specific to westernclassical music. The term “classical” did notcome into use until the 19th century in order toillustrate theGoldenAge ofmusic during the18th century. The common practice periodbegan with the Baroque era which saw someof the most extensive transformations ofmusic as harmonic forms were developedalongside the modern Major and minorscales, shedding the renaissancewriting formof Modes.

From these new harmonic scalescounterpoint (playing two melodies againstone another) was developed, shaping themusic of the next several centuries. Baroquemusic is characterised by its heavy use ofcounterpoint and its heavy and ornate nature,the culmination of which came with JohannSebastian Bach who perfected all aspects ofBaroque music.

The brief transitional period between theBaroque era and the classical is generallycalled the Rococo, and can be best describedas “Baroque light”, which lead to the fulltransition into the “classical period” in the1760’s with composers such as Franz JosephHaydn. Haydn was in many ways the fatherof the classical period, having composed 104Symphonies across his lifetime as well asscores of other compositions. In fact, hisinfluence was so great that he taught legendssuchasMozart andBeethoven, bothofwhomdedicated numerous works to him.

The classical era’s music can be bestdescribed as far more homophonic (melodywith a chordal accompaniment) thanBaroque music and lighter in texture. Thiswas helped by the advent of the fortepiano

and then later during the early 19th century thepianoforte (more or less the modern piano).These instrumentshad theability tobeplayedsoftly or loudly andhad a larger octave range,replacing the harpsichord as the mainkeyboard instrument inmusic.Moreover, theclassical era is characterizedby its outburst ofpiano works and the dominance of the pianoin compositions.

Beethoven illustrated this well by hisvolume of piano sonatas which are literally amap to the transition from the classical periodto the Romantic. In fact, along with hiscontemporary Franz Shubert, Beethovenformed the foundations ofwhat theRomanticperiod was. Romanticism is bestcharacterized by an exploration of structuresand forms, but with a heavier emphasis onemotion and harmony in the pieces. Ingeneral it encouraged song-likemelodies anduse of dischord to bring about a richermelody.

This exploration of forms is in manyways why romantic music sounds sodifferently fromclassical andbaroque,whichboth focused on structure and the formswithin a specific and unbreakable structure.Frederick Chopin was allegedly amelancholy and unhappy man, somethingthat can be sensed in his richly harmonicmusic. This emotional exploration is alsowhat allowed for the creation of new genresof music: as composers began to explore andperfect older forms they became dissatisfiedand they simplybegan tomakenewformsup,which more or less coloured the transitioninto the 20th century.

Although in terms of terminology, 20thcentury music is not technically classicalmusic, its association and evolution from thegenre more or less make it part of classicalmusic. As the 20th century went on classicalmusicmore or less began to fade as a conceptand was simply replaced by imitationsattempting to do something new, or moviemusic.Noone is quite surewhat sort ofmusicyou would call these new forms: they followthe structure and formsof classicalmusic, yetare not part of any of the established genrestoday. At best guess, classical music as itstands focuses on minimalism and theexploration of tones developed from othergenres such as pop or rock with classicalstructures.

If youwant to see this best in action, takea few minutes to go on YouTube and searchfor the Lady Gaga Fugue. The line betweenBach andGaga is thin, indeed it could be saidthat theWell Tempered Clavier was the BadRomance of its day.

If you are new to classical music and aren’tsure who to listen to, try this list below tointroduce yourself to each era and thecomposers that go with them.Baroque:Baroquemusic is a bit like finely aged stilton,so it’s likely to be an acquired taste. Themusic is quite ornate and busy and, strangely,is likely to give you a headache if you don’ttend to listen to things in a bustlingatmosphere. If you don’t listen to classicalmusic at all this isn’t a good place to start, butif you do decide to venture into the Baroquestart with Vivaldi. Although it’s not veryclever, it’s easy listening music(comparatively); from there you should trysome George Frederic Handel for a taste ofBaroque opera and then of course Bach forone of his sublime Cantata’s or his complexkeyboard and organ works. There is neverreally an occasion that would call forBaroque music, so this is best done on yourown in an adventurous mood.

Classical: TheClassical era is like a goodred wine; it goes with most everything andalmost everyone enjoys it. Its music is light,upbeat, and clear. It lacks the heavy and thicknature of theBaroque so you can listen to thisanytime, especiallywhenyouwant to relaxorenjoy a good book. Mozart is the obviouschoice to start with ismore or less impossibleto dislike and always sounds upbeat. For

something less cliché go for Haydn andSchubert and enjoy a taste of late classical/early romantic. You can try Beethoven ofcourse, but his Sonatas tend to be for themoreserious classical listeners. If you want to tryfor a classy dinner party, put on a stringquartet during the meal.

Romantic: Romantic music is a bit likebrandy as it is deliciously complex, but noteveryonewill enjoy it. Thedynamic nature ofthe music and the emotion they are meant toevoke generally mean you should listen toRomantic music when you are reading anenthralling novel, sipping some brandy orenjoying a few friends over for a quiet nightof intellectual discussion. Chopin is a goodcomposer to start with for Romanticism, andin a similar vein Liszt (generally consideredthe greatest pianist to have ever lived); for thepinnacle of Romantic music you should tryJohannes Brahms. His deeply emotional andrichmusic is best enjoyedwith a private nightin reading some sort of tome such asWar andPeace.

Whatever you decide, make sure youtake the time to listen to the music and beginto find your own way through the era,possibly even find your own favourites.

Our classical music expert attemptsto strike a chord with you as he givesyou the information you need to getinto the world of classical music.

Classical Music for Beginners

The legendary Indie rockgroup, R.E.M. have announced thatthe band is breaking up. The group

just posted an announcement on itswebsite:

‘To our Fans and Friends: AsR.E.M., and as lifelong friends andco-conspirators,wehavedecided tocall it a day as a band. We walkawaywithagreat senseofgratitude,of finality, and of astonishment atall we have accomplished. Toanyone who ever felt touched by

our music, our deepest thanks forlistening.’

R.E.M.'s announcement comesseveral months after the bandreleased its best album inmore thana decade, Collapse Into Now, andnearly 30 years after its 1983 debut,Murmur. Famous for such hits as‘Losing My Religion’, ‘EverybodyHurts’ and ‘The One I Love’,

R.E.M. will have been a band mostpeople would be familiar with asthey grew up.

Michael Stipe, lead singer ofR.E.M., is quotes as saying:

‘A wise man once said, 'Theskill in attending a party is knowingwhen it's time to leave. We builtsomething extraordinary together.We did this thing. And now we're

going to walk away from it.‘I hope our fans realize this

wasn't an easy decision; but allthings must end, and we wanted todo it right, to do it our way.

‘We have to thank all thepeoplewho helped us beR.E.M. forthese 31 years; our deepestgratitude to thosewho allowedus todo this. It's been amazing.’

It's The End ofR.E.M As We KnowIt

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