THE University of Essexs SU

bar welcomes its students back

with a new look. Whilst a total
re-vamp was never on the cards,
it was about time something was
done about the state of the bar. The
favourite social spot has undergone
a facelif and exchanged its previous
tired image with a new logo and a
lick of funky red and white paint.
The extraction of some of the games
machines has also given the bar a
more spacious feel.
Afer a Facebook group was set up
to gather student opinions, it was
clear that the popularity of the SU
bar was on the decline. The majority
of the suggestions for improvement
centred around the toilets, the
crowded bar area and the overall
feel of the venue.
Luckily these have been the focus
of the changes and with a small
budget the SU bar has undergone a
turnaround. Ravleen Wasu, a third
year student, commented The
colours defnitely give it a beter
atmosphere, it seems much bigger
and brighter now.
Last year the smoothie bar never
reached its full potential. However,
this year it has been moved to Top
Bar and whilst the Students Union
admits that it was introduced at a
point where too many things were
being done in a short space of time,
every efort will be put in to beter
the organisation to get it up and
running this year.
The relocation of this leaves space
to open the drinks bar on both sides,
a popular choice with the students
who were fnding a tedious wait of
up to half an hour at the crowded
bar. A through way between the bars
enables the staf to move between
the two, reducing waiting time and
should create a calmer atmosphere
on those busy nights.
Continued on page three...
Free newspaper for students, by students Issue 84 - week 0 & 1 3 October, 2008
News 1 - 4
Essex Welcomes Nursing
Undergraduates
Features 5 - 6
What the Credit Crunch Means
to You
Comment 7 - 9
Questions to the New President
Music 10 - 12
The Summer Festivals
Live Music in Colchester
Film 13 - 14
The best of the new and the
classics
Arts 15 - 16
Look to the West End Sky
Books 18 - 19
Recommended Reads and the
Latest Books to Hit + Shelves
Myxomatosis 20 - 21
Need a little spice in your
Rabbit? Be a part of the disease.
Sports 20 - 24
BUSA Becomes BUCS
What Clubs are Available on
Campus?
the
|
Rabbit
Laptop Giveaway to Local Students
The new look SU bar
Article by Tifany Huton
Photo Credits: Tom Embury
THE University of Essex (UoE) is
introducing a scheme to provide
local students with a free laptop
from 2009.
Potential students were introduced
to the new scheme at the recent
open days at the Colchester
and Southend campuses in late
September.
Students from Essex, Sufolk and
the London Boroughs of Havering,
Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham,
Newham, Waltham Forest and
Enfeld will be eligible, providing
they meet certain academic criteria.
Students will need to be bachelor
degree students who confrm UoE
as their frm choice through UCAS,
and successfully atain the grades
required by the University.
When asked why local students
had been chosen for such a scheme,
David Shaw, the University
Marketing Manager in External
Relations, said The chosen areas
are under-represented in terms of
school-leavers going to University.
We are trying to increase the
numbers of students from these
areas going to University and can
access some funding to go towards
this initiative. It is thought that
as many as 800 local students will
beneft from the initiative.
According to Mr. Shaw, the
University is predicting a 20%
increase in the number of local
students applying to University,
and hope that this can provide
extra income over the next three
years. This comes at a time when
many Universities have seen a slow
down or even a fall in admissions
caused by the increased cost of
studying.
Jonathan Withams, a student from
Chelmsford, and therefore within
the local area feels dubious about
the scheme, he commented that:
Just being local shouldn't entitle
anyone to a free laptop. They
should be given to the most needy
students or one should be bought
for each of the University hall
rooms and ofered as a free service
that comes with the room.
Claire Franks, who is from London
and outside of the local area,
believes the initiative is not aimed
at the right people; The scheme
would be beter if the students
who were most in need received
them. I don't understand why
local students should be given
laptops, they have no extra need or
justifcation for such a scheme to be
introduced.
The exact specifcations of the
Laptops remains to be announced,
but a number of diferent
companies have been approached
as the University seeks to get the
best deal. The Students Union
chose not to comment.
The SU Bar Gets a Facelif
Article by Tom Embury
Meet Myxi
Fi nd mor e about our Myxi pr oj ec t on page 22
the
|
Rabbit - Hard Working Bunnies
2 RabbitNews www.therabbitonline.com
Editorial
Beginnings are always messy, a
wise man once said.
Hopefully you will fnd that this is
not the case with our beginning this
year. We present to you the product
of long hours of sweat and tears
a brand spanking new design to
feast your eyes upon. The freshers
amongst you will perhaps not be
quite so impressed, but we hope that
the content will be key in winning
over your hearts.
Were looking at targeting the
primary concerns you had last
year by making the content more
relevant to you and increasing our
accessibility. As a result, you can
now check out our website:
www.therabbitonline.com
It is still a work in progress but
hopes to one day cater to all your
extra-Rabbity needs. Alternatively
we encourage you e-mail each editor
via the section e-mails located at
the top of each section, and get as
involved as possible by sending us
your reactions and articles.
the|Rabbit comes out every
fortnight, on Fridays. If youre
reading this on the publication date,
make sure you pop by our Freshers
Fair stall tomorrow and grill one
of our contributors on everything
the|Rabbit experience entails!
We have some great content in this
issue, so be sure to check out all the
exciting campus news, the interview
with new SU President Dominic
Kavakeb, and of course our new
project Myxomatosis on page 22.
My inbox and I always welcome any
suggestions, thoughts, leters and
rants that you may want to send our
way. I hope to see you all again here,
in two weeks time - watch this space
and have a great time.
Margarida Santos Silva
rabbit@essex.ac.uk
THIS year the University of Essex
campus in Southend is opening
its doors to prospective nurses.
Afer 12 years of undergraduate
nursing degrees being ofered
only by Anglia Ruskin University
throughout Essex, Essex University
and the strategic health authority
(SHA) identifed the need to
develop nursing programmes with
a focus on the community.
Sarah Lee, Lecturer, programme
lead BSc Nursing, commented
that there has been a drive to
reduce hospital admissions in the
chronically ill so that the number
of individuals nursed in the
community has increased, as has
the level of sophisticated nursing
care required.
The new BSc Nursing Degree
concentrates on primary care with
an emphasis on holistic nursing.
This approach is concerned with
the patient as a whole and focuses
not only on the medical but also
the psychological aspects of the
patient.
Holistic nursing atempts to
maintain and restore patient
health, but values the individuals
independence and personal needs
by ofering support and care
within the community or home.
The three year course creates a
balance between academic study,
using state of the art equipment at
the Southend campus and clinical
skills that come from placements
throughout Essex. These make
up a 37.5 hour week consisting of
shif work in a variety of setings,
preparing the students for life as a
nurse.
120 places are available this year
to UK/EU residents, which have
been flling up fast. Completion of
the course results in admitance as
either a registered adult or mental
health nurse to the Nursing and
Midwifery councils professional
register.
The importance of nurses and
the urgent demand for more is
demonstrated by the fact that
course fees are paid by the SHA
and a means tested bursary is
ofered from the NHS. All students
are also eligible for a 4000 learning
allowance per year.
Although it is hoped that this will
encourage students, they are quick
to point out that whilst nursing is a
rewarding and valuable vocation,
it is also challenging and requires a
genuine interest in helping people,
along with the ability to tap into
the emotional health of a patient.
The aim of nurses in general is
to enhance peoples lives during
their time of need. In introducing
this programme, The University
of Essex hopes to be successful
in producing qualifed and
enthusiastic nurses into the
community for years to come.
Article by Tifany Huton
Are you a student on
the new Nursing Degree
scheme? Share your
experiences with us and
let us know how its
coming along.
RabNews@essex.ac.uk
Essex Welcomes Nursing Undergraduates
Editor:
Margarida Santos Silva
rabbit@essex.ac.uk
Deputy Editor:
Alex Reily
Consistency Editor:
David Felton
rabhelp@essex.ac.uk
News Editor:
Tom Embury
rabnews@essex.ac.uk
Features Editor:
Steve Hussey
Assistant Features Editor:
Abigail Dale
rabfeatures@essex.ac.uk
Comment Editor:
Ellie Smith
Assistant Comment Editor:
David Batho
rabcomment@essex.ac.uk
Lifestyle& Arts Editor:
Ben Crothers
rablife@essex.ac.uk
Music Editor:
Jonathan Dadds
Assistant Music Editor:
Mischa Fetzer
rabmusic@essex.ac.uk
Film Editor:
Dolly Emmerson
Assistant Film Editor:
Shaun Munro
rabflm@essex.ac.uk
Literature & Creative Writing
Editor
Charlie Vowden
Assistant Literature and Creative
Writing:
Louise Buckley
rabbooks@essex.ac.uk
Games Editor:
Daniel Bishop
rabgames@essex.ac.uk
Sports Editor:
Will Cooper
rabsport@essex.ac.uk
Agony Bunny:
An Annoymous Rabbit
agonyrabbit@essex.ac.uk
Photographers:
Kirsty Reynolds,
Alex Reily,
Jamie Clark,
Tom Embury
She to whom we owe our soul:
Kirsty Reynolds
Other Designers:
Margarida Santos Silva,
Alex Reily
Writers:
Cuthbert Mustard,
Tifany Huton,
Anne Onomess,
Becky Robertson,
Peter Efstathiou,
Alex Howell,
Paul Robinson,
Oliver Massey,
Harpreet Paul,
Aidan Kitson,
Michelle Burton,
Kevin Smith,
Dionne Boothe,
Stephanie Barrows,
Krishna Vyas,
Kat Maher,
Anna Velardi,
Melanie Russell,
Charlote Brown
THE University of Essexs
Students Union is asking
students for suggestions for how
to use a new space which has been
opened up by the vacating of the
insurance company Endsleigh
over the summer.
Endsleigh, which specialises in
student insurance has been vacating
campuses across the country as its
branches have become fnancially
unviable. However it will continue
to operate through its online
presence.
The space will be used during
freshers week as a headquarters for
the SUs freshers squad however
afer this the SU has no fxed plans
for the room and is asking students
to suggest possible uses for the
space which is located next to Go
Go Global on square 3.
The redevelopment of this space
is the latest in a series of changes
which have been made by the
SU on campus over the summer
months. Other changes have seen
an introduction of a bakery into
the space formerly occupied by
the Union shop, which has been
merged with the Post Ofce on
Square 4 and extended to cover the
areas formerly occupied by the Job
Shop and Copy Centre.
The SU hoped that the merging of
the Post Ofce and Union shop will
make both services more accessible
and easy to use for students due to
the extra space available for both.
Along with the redevelopment, the
Post Ofce has also expanded into
providing a travel agents service
for students alongside its usual
services.
The bakery will be run as a
franchise of Ginsters, who will
provide equipment and stock for
the bakery. However, it will be
operated by the SU. The bakery will
be open during the day but also
late at night as the SU hopes to tap
into the lucrative post-pub trade
which is currently only serviced
on campus by the University run
Happy Days fast-food outlet on
Square 4. The SU was keen to stress
that any profts made from the new
bakery will be put back into the SU
to help fnance its role in student
representation, advice and other
services.
Article by Cuthbert Mustard
Photo Credits: Tom Embury
Endsleigh Out, Students Union In
The ex-location of Endsleigh insurance
What do you think
should go into the new
space? Another shop or
fast-food outlet, possibly
an of-licence? Email in
with your suggestions to
RabNews@essex.ac.uk
THE SU executive commitee
welcomed campus resident
freshers as they arrived this
Sunday. For the frst time,
each student living on campus
accommodation received a knock
on their door and a personal hello,
as well as an SU goodie bag, from
one of the members of the exec.
Each goodie bag had a leter
from the SU president Dominic
Kavakeb, a Go! magazine, a new
Term Planner, a Chlamydia test
pack fyer, as well as several other
promotional bits and pieces.
The action is a part of a series
of steps to break down barriers
between the students and their
elected ofcials. In addition,
University accommodation talks
were followed by an address from
the SU. Each ofcer introduced
themselves before turning the
assembly in into a mock General
Meeting. The debate was centred
on a motion calling for Free
Education. Afer the debate, with
many contributions from the foor
the vote was in favour. Dominic
Kavakeb said: this was only
a mock general meeting but it
shows what can be achieved when
students are allowed to debate.
Free Education and the issue of top-
up fees are ongoing campaigns for
the President, also ex-Campaigns
Ofcer, and for the SU.
The SU exec is composed of the fve
Sabbatical (full-time) Ofcers ofen
and seven Non-Sabbatical (part-
time) Ofcers who were all elected
during the course of last year. You
can look out for more information
on the ofcers and elections in
later issues of the|Rabbit, or log
on to our website.
THE Students Union has been
awarded a Bronze by the Students
Union Evaluation Initiative
(SUEI).
The Gold was awarded to Leeds
Students Union, with Silvers for
Bath and Hull. Teesside Students
Union were also awarded a Bronze.
The awards were presented on July
30.
SUEI aims to help Students
Unions by providing them with
assessments that enable them to
indicate areas of improvement.
The Initiative looks at a wide
range of areas from participation
and representation, future plans
and quality of management to
reputation and fnance. Their team
evaluate every aspect of a Students
Union including the student
ofcers and full-time staf.
Dominic Kavakeb, Student
Union President, told the Rabbit:
Obviously I am very pleased
that our Union has been rewarded
for its hard work and continued
good practice. I must pay tribute
to my predecessors and the
whole SU team for their work
on this particular award and it
is important that we take on the
advice on where we must improve
for the future. Overall this exercise
was extremely satisfactory in its
results but also highlighted areas
where we can do beter, which we
will be using to move forward in
the coming year.
VICE-CHANCELLOR Professor
Colin Riordan formally
accessioned the 1,000,000th book
to be added to the Albert Sloman
Library in May. The milestone
achievement was reached as all
three volumes of The Andy Warhol
Catalogue Raisonne were added to
the Librarys extensive collection.
The catalogue provides
information about various
published and unpublished
paintings, sculptures and drawings
by the famous artist Andy Warhol
between 1961 and 1969. Colin
Riordan fxed the library bar
codes to the three volume work
signalling the 1,000,000th text to
have been added to the library
since it opened in 1967.
Speaking to the Rabbit, deputy
librarian, Nigel Cochrane said;
the presence of a strong research
library is of vital importance to
a research-intensive University
such as this one.
He added that; In the Albert
Sloman Library traditional printed
books and journals have been joined
by electronic databases, online
journals and e-books, all of which
increase access to information
and hopefully make the life of
the student easier.
Article by Tom Embury
RabbitNews 3 rabnews@essex.ac.uk
Article by Alex Reily
Photo Credits: Alex Reily
Albert Sloman Library Acquires 1,000,000th Book
SU Secure Bronze
Award
The three volumes can be found in the special collections section of the
library
Continued from page 1
Another of the main changes
involves Top Bar, which has
become a completely non-alcoholic
venue during the day.
The aim was to lose the old man
image in favour of a seting similar
to a common room. Zak Sufee,
VP Welfare and Community,
stated that with the current fall in
licensed trade due to the smoking
ban, the SU have decided to use
this opportunity and take action
by having an unlicensed social
space for our students.
The goal is to create a space where
all students, whatever their beliefs
or background can feel comfortable
and welcomed during the day. Its
important that students are not
isolated because they dont drink
alcohol. During the evening, from
6 o-clock onwards, Top Bar will
resume activity, although the
intention is to hire the space out
to societies who can hold either
alcoholic or non-alcoholic events
there, in order to utilize the space.
The SU bar toilets have also been
refurbished This is a task that
the SU has at last addressed,
afer listening to the voice of the
students. The toilets are now far
more pleasant and this extends to
the outside area as well, which is
now pink.

The small, but signifcant
changes have received a positive
response. Codane Brown, a third
year student, believes that the
extra space will come in handy
when the big sporting events are
being shown. Its also good they
are accommodating everyone,
including the non-drinkers.
However, whilst the reactions
have been encouraging, the SU is
still keen to hear your views, so get
in touch if you want to share your
opinion, their e-mail is su@essex.
ac.uk
The SU Bar Gets a Facelif
The juice bar as it was before...
...and afer the revamp
Students Union Closer to
Students
Article by Maggie Santos Silva
Endsleigh Out, Students Union In
ATOP the Health and Human
Sciences (HHS) department last
week a new nine meter wind
turbine was installed. The turbine,
which is called a QR5, is mounted
vertically and resembles a triple
helix. It provides 50% of the
buildings electricity. The unique
design acts to reduce the noise and
vibration that can normally prove
a problem with traditional wind
turbines, while also having less
of a negative visual impact. It is
also suited to a built up area like
the university, as it is much more
efcient in harnessing the power of
the wind.
According to Chris Woodman,
Project Ofcer in the Universitys
Estate Management Section,
This wind turbine will save
approximately 0.42kg of carbon
dioxide per kilowat of energy
generated. During the turbines
anticipated 25 year design life it
will save more than 87 tonnes of
carbon dioxide
The turbine is manufactured by
UK company, Quiet Revolution.
According to their website,
the turbine alone cost 25,000,
more to install and for the other
components.
The project forms part of the
Universitys ongoing energy saving
and environmental campaign.
Work is also been done to reduce
heat loss from University buildings,
using thermal imaging to highlight
trouble areas. The University has
managed to save 300 tonnes of
CO2 with improved insulation
throughout the campus.
The newly built Brain Sciences
building has many integrated
solar panels, rainwater harvesting
for fushing of toilets, as well as
ground source heat pumps, which
utilise the energy in the soil to heat
the building.
4 RabbitNews www.therabbitonline.com RabbitNews 5 rabnews@essex.ac.uk
news in brief
Health and Human Sciences Building
Gets New Wind Turbine
QR5 Helix wind turbine atop the HHS building
Article by Tom Embury
Photo Credits: Tom Embury
Students Union Website Goes Live
THE Students Union website has
been re-designed to make it easier
for users to access information
about the services and activities
the SU provides. This includes
a complete re-vamp of the site
navigation and an increase in
useful content such as minutes
from Council meetings and
research reports, enabling students
to fnd out what the SU is doing on
their behalf.
The site launch was carried out
over a period of a few weeks which
meant that not all sections were
accessible straight away. These
initial gaps led to some frustration
from users. Speaking to the Rabbit
Laura Wilson, 3rd Year American
Studies student said: I wasnt
happy afer the new website went
live because on the day it went live
and for a few days afer the website
was incomplete. Many of the links
were dead and it was really difcult
to navigate. The SU website is the
frst port of call for new students,
it would have been beter to leave
the existing website than have
something that was half fnished.
Despite these early problems the
SU has received a large amount of
positive feedback from students
who are pleased with the brighter
and fresher appearance. A new
feedback system is currently being
developed which will make it easier
for students to make suggestions
and complaints in order to help the
SU continue to improve.
The old design had been in place
since October 2006 and was
updated on a daily basis. Using
feedback from students and users
the SU Marketing ofcer and two
members of student staf designed
the new-look site in house which
meant that costs were kept to the
absolute minimum. The site now
features more interactive content
such as videos and photos and
includes news, a whos who in the
SU and a full list of societies and
events.
The back-end of the SU website is
one of the most advanced in the
country and following last years
online election fraud a complete
review of security was carried
out. The site re-design only afects
the front end of the website
but secure transactions such as
online payments meet industry
standards.
As well as the changes that have
been made to the SU website, the
Web Support Unit (now known
as Web and Learning Technology)
have been working with staf
from all three campuses to
construct a more accessible user
friendly University website. The
project took place over a period
of eighteen months and includes
improvements to the course fnder
and information regarding Student
Finance.
Keith Brooke, Manager of Web
and Learning Technology at
the University told the|Rabbit:
Weve tried to make it much more
modern and clean-looking, with
more intuitive navigation and
clear targeting of our various key
audiences. The site refects work
External Relations have been doing
on the Universitys branding, has a
much stronger visual presence and
takes into account the Universitys
multi-campus location.
The previous website had been in
place for eight years and despite
being updated and improved
constantly the visual aspect
remained the same. Due to an
increasing programme of new
developments the old website
was unable to support proposed
changes. Therefore a user survey
was launched and research into
web trends, usage, good practice,
standards and design was carried
out.
So far both the SU and the University
websites have not faced any major
issues and it is hoped that the new
look will prove to be a success with
students and users. Brooke said: It
was lovely to see a succession of
positive messages coming in afer
the site launch. Its an on-going
project and we have lots of plans
for further enhancements.
Visit
www.essexstudent.com
and
www.essex.ac.uk
To See the Results
Article by Charlote Vowden
Abbey National
On Campus
A new Abbey National branch has
opened at the University of Essex,
meaning that there are now three
banks on the Colchester campus.
The new branch has opened on
Square 4, and hopes to provide
services aimed at students. This
comes afer Endsleigh Insurance
closed their campus ofce, and
also at a time when the Santander
Group, who own Abbey, have
been looking to expand their UK
presence. Santander were closely
involved with projects with both
the University and the Students
Union last year, although it is not
know if this has anything to do with
the new branch being built.
Overseas Degree
Sham
An academic at a top UK university
has come forward to expose the
fact that international students
lacking even basic English language
skills are being awarded degrees.
The anonymous academic says
Universities are ofen desperate to
recruit overseas students because of
the money they bring in. A foreign
student can expect to pay an average
of 19,000 for a year of study,
and this is making it difcult for
professors to fail them, even when
they are forced to communicate
with their students using pictures
and symbols because their English
is so poor . Most of these tend to be
on postgraduate courses, as there is
less demand for them compared to
undergraduate degrees.
Top Universities
fail on Student
Happiness
According to the Sunday Times
university league tables, some of
the top universities academically
are amongst the worst for student
satisfaction. Bristol, Edinburgh,
Imperial College London, the
London School of Economics (LSE)
and Manchester are all among the
botom 25 universities for student
satisfaction, despite achieving high
overall rankings. Students complain
of poor teaching and lack of support,
with the rate of expansion and size
of the big city Universities meaning
that undergraduate teaching
sufers. This is in contradiction to
small campus universities, such as
Essex, who tend to perform well in
such areas.
Apologies
This week we are apologising for
Robert Mugabe the broken spork
found in the staf room and for
making our designer cry!
Freshers Parents Report Rambo Rugby Club
The new look Students Union Website
Media Guild presence at this years
Freshers Fair is believed to be
the strongest ever. With a fresh
identity for the student television
station R:TV, which was rebranded
over the summer as SX:TV, a
cleaner layout for the|Rabbit,
and the booming presence of the
radio station RED and its stage
- the Media Guild are confdent
that they will be recruiting more
members than ever.
The Students Union Freshers Fair
will be held on Saturday October
4 in Squares 3, 4 and 5 of the
Wivenhoe Campus, from 12 - 4pm
and it is one of the biggest and
best atended Freshers Fairs in the
country. It is designed to introduce
new students to all of the diferent
activities that the Students Union
runs and give them a chance to get
involved with them. The Union is
keen to show that what you can
gain from University life goes
beyond the normal benefts of your
degree.
SU President Dominic Kavakeb
commented: Every year the
Freshers Fair is an amazing
showcase of the things that the
Union does. It is a great opportunity
to fnd something youll enjoy
and can be the beginning of your
University experience. In my
frst year I found my passion at
Freshers Fair, political activism,
and have never looked back since!
Make sure you come down to the
squares and check out everything
the Union has to ofer.
More than 100 diferent clubs
and societies will have stalls at
the Freshers Fair, giving students
the opportunity to fnd out more
about whats on ofer and sign
up. Each club or society charges a
small membership fee for joining
but the signing up process is really
very simple. Special Freshers
Passport cards will be available
from around the fair - to sign up
students simply need to pick up
a label from the club or society of
their choice and take it to one of the
pay points. Alternatively, they can
visit essexstudent.com and sign up
to any of the clubs and societies
online.
In addition to the Media Presence
and club and society stalls, this
years Freshers Fair will also boast
a display area with performances
from students, and stalls run
by student-friendly companies
including Pyramid Posters, Yatess,
Liquid/Envy, and Think Fresh
the fresh fruit and vegetable
suppliers.
There will also be a main Students
Union stall, where you can fnd
out more about everything that the
Union ofers and speak directly to
the student ofcers and staf.
4 RabbitNews www.therabbitonline.com RabbitNews 5 rabnews@essex.ac.uk
Article by Michelle Burton
Photo Credits: Kirsty Reynolds
Student Media on the Up
Previous freshers fair in full swing
Freshers Parents Report Rambo Rugby Club
THE University of Essex Rugby
Club were asked to leave toy
guns at home afer several
students parents complained
of armed soldiers on campus.
The Rugby Club were out on
Sunday September 28 recruiting
Freshers ahead of the new term,
but overly worried parents, new to
the University and its ways, saw
things rather diferently.
First XV captain Ben Ross told the
Rabbit; At the beginning of the
night we were approached and
asked to get rid of our plastic guns
because there had been several
phone calls from parents warning
security that there were armed
soldiers on campus. We obliged
and continued without the guns
which we disposed of. When later
asked to quieten down we did
so because we all recognise the
importance of the impression made
on any parents at the university.
He added that: Our aim is to
make the rugby club visible so
that we can recruit new players
and continue to perform at a high
standard in the coming year. We
were approached by several people
who were interested in playing for
the rugby team last night.
Arnold Ma, VP Services and
Communications, said that We
were trying hard to make a
good frst impression and have
a welcoming atmosphere for
Freshers. The Rugby club were
being a litle over boisterous so we
asked them to quieten down. The
Rugby Club have since met with
the Students Union who will keep
an eye out for further disruptions
from this and any other clubs and
societies.
Joseph Cohen, a third year history
student, thought that the mater
was completely overblown; I was
there, and to be honest I didnt
notice any problems, it just seemed
like a normal night out on campus.
I think that the Rugby Clubs
recruiting methods were excellent,
its good for a sports club to be
socially active.
Although the Rugby team are
known for their characteristic
methods of recruting and
extravegant socials, they are keen
for their image to remain spotless.
Anyone wishing to join the team
can come to their stall at this
Saturdays Freshers Fair or sign
up online via the Students Union
website.
Article by Charlote Vowden
One of the rugby team in costume
Over the summer the University of
Essex became the 73rd University in
the country to be awarded Fairtrade
status. The award is the result of
fve years campaigning between
members of the University and
Students Union, and it represents
the institutes commitment to
providing and promoting products
carrying the Fairtrade mark.
The scheme to award Fairtrade
status to Universities and Colleges
started with Oxford Brookes
University in 2003. The Fairtrade
mark ensures disadvantaged
farmers and workers get a fair
deal for the goods they produce.
One of the key factors in gaining
this award was the move to ensure
Fairtrade options in all shops, bars
and restaurants on campus.
There have been concerns raised
on campus in the past as to the
actual value of the Fairtrade mark,
notably last years debate ran by the
Economics Society which looked at
the efects of Fairtrade on LEDCs
and the possibility of it inadvertently
allowing governments to be corrupt.
Despite this, it is still a sought afer
accreditation for Universities and
Colleges, as shown by the increasing
number of establishments striving
to obtain this status.
To fnd out more about the Fairtrade
campaign or other environmental
issues on campus you can e-mail
Mat Bennet of the Environmental
Commitee at mrbenn@essex.ac.uk
If you have any
questions, opinions or
articles you would like
to submit, dont be shy.
Just drop a line to
rabnews@essex.ac.uk
or visit
www.therabbitonline.com
Uni gets Fairtrade Status
Article by Maggie Santos Silva
meet the editorial team
Did you know that the Rabbit isnt written by trained monkeys? Oh no... its worse! Take a look and meet the team, and hopefully one day youll join us.
6 RabbitMedia www.therabbitonline.com
Comment Editor
Ellie Smith - 20
History 3rd Year
Likes: People, Politics,
History, The environment,
Archery
Dislikes: silence,
monotony and when
facebook goes ofine
Best fresher experience:
Nothing can ever beat my frst year partying all week
and then sleeping all weekend, good times.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I want to open up the
rabbit as a genuinely accessible medium for discussion
and debate for anyone and everyone on campus while
making it relevant for to all our students, including
minority groups such as mature students, SWD and
foreign students.
Sports Editor
William Robert Cooper - 21
History 3rd Year
Likes: Southampton FC, Top Gear,
Online Gaming
Dislikes: Caravans, Dark enclosed
spaces, Heights
Best fresher experience: 3am, SU
Marketing Ofce witnessing a
group of drunken students with a fre
extinguisher being apprehended by
security.
I joined the|Rabbit because: Mostly I felt I could make the sports
section more engaging and readable to the student population, but
also vital for my CV.
Deputy Editor
Alex Reily 19
English Literature 2nd
Year
Likes: Obama,
Rambunctiousness,
Rugby
Dislikes: Sarah Palin,
Hypocrites, incorrect
speling [sic.], Bad
translations
Best Fresher experience: The collective brilliance
of self catered freedom, brilliant friendships and
massive parties!
I joined the|Rabbit because: My ambition to
become a journalist drove me into its clutches and
once youre in, its addictive.
Lifestyle and Arts Editor
Ben Crothers - 21
History of Art & Film 4th Year
Likes: Music, fashion, comic books
and I should probably say art and
flm seeing as thats what Im here
for!
Dislikes: The never-ending Quays
bridge, naps, and kebabs!
Best fresher experience: Seems like
forever ago now, but it must have been prety good if Im back
for my fourth year!
I joined the|Rabbit because: This seemed like the perfect
opportunity to get some experience. Ive writen for The Rabbit
in previous years, and I recommend it to anyone. Universitys all
about fnding out who you are and where you see your life going,
and you may fnd your passion in journalism, photography, or
any other aspect of the paper. Plus, theres nothing quite like
seeing your name in print!
Editor
Margarida Santos Silva - 20
Economics 2nd Year
Likes: Debating, roller coasters, and
peanut buter kit kats.
Dislikes: Not having enough hours
in a day, and seeing gummy bears
on the pavement
Best fresher experience: Finding
a door to Narnia while looking for
my
EC111 lecture. Unfortunately Ive not managed to locate it
again.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I thought I could help give it a
face lif and try to make it more relevant to campus life; its
extraordinarily fun to get involved with and I recommend it to
anyone.
Books and Creative Writing
Editior
Charlote Victoria Vowden - 20
Creative Writing 3rd Year
Likes: A night in with the girls and a
few botles of wine,trying new things,
geting lost in a good book for several
hours, being spontaneous.
Dislikes: Laziness, cold weather, My
tendency to be just a teeny bit clumsy.
Best fresher experience: Its too difcult to single out my best
fresher experience as the whole year was fantastic but i have to say
it was made even beter because of the mates i made in Manningtree
court.
I joined the|Rabbit because: and why should people write for
your section and the rabbit as a whole: I plan to pursue a career
in journalism so I thought it was a great way to gain valuable
experience. Plus you get to meet people who share the same
interests.
Welcome to Red!
The ofcial radio station for the University of Essex!
We are currently going through an exciting transition, with the
new-look station launching in October 2008. If you are interested
in geting involved, whether it be presenting a show or working
behind the scenes, for example as a producer or programmer,
let us know! Dont worry if you havnt got any experience, all
our presenters, DJs and those working behind the scenes are
fully trained. So what are you waiting for?
Did you know that the Rabbit isnt written by trained monkeys? Oh no... its worse! Take a look and meet the team, and hopefully one day youll join us.
RabbitMedia 7 rabbit@essex.ac.uk
Film Editor
Dolly Emmerson
English Literature 4th Year
Likes: Words, cheese, black
and white photos
Dislikes: Morris dancing,
sausages
Best Fresher experience:
Befriending a 6 foot whale
called Whalesh who recently
married a dolphin.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I love flm, I love writing.
People should join the rabbit if they like one of the above.
Do it ... just do it!
News Editor
Tom Embury - 20
Politics 3rd Year
Likes: Music,
Reading,Writing, Other
things that make me
look like a well rounded
individual.
Dislikes: Many - slow
news weeks are always
prety annoying.
Best Fresher experience: Drinking by the lakes and
being assaulted by the swans
I joined the|Rabbit because: I started two years ago
to gain experience fro my future career. I was editor
last year and just cant leave - its that addictive! People
should write for news as it is the only section where you
have a chance of making the front page.
Consistency Editor
David Felton -21
English Literature 3rd Year
Likes: Reading, creative
writing, cofee, sarcasm.
Dislikes: Being told comic
books arent literature.
Best fresher experience:
Finding out about the secret
government institute for
Occult research and development under the robotics lab.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I wanted to accumulate
valuable experience in student journalism, introduce the
new creative writing and literature pages, and get my
dictaphone out in public
Music Editor
Jonathan Daddsy Dadds
- 20
Computer Science 2nd Year
Likes: Seeing bands, writing
music, train journeys,
cookies.
Dislikes: Missing the last
train home, warm drinks,
long summers with no work
to do.
Best Fresher experience: The freshers fair was awesome
fun, it was nice to meet likeminded people. Doing our frst
show on RED radio was fun too.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I joined the rabbit as music
editor because I love music (obviously) and I saw it as a
good way of hearing new music frst. People should write
for the music section because you can say whatever you
want (well, almost) about new music and share it with
campus.
Games Editor
Daniel Bishop - 20
Computer Games Engineering
1st Year
Likes: Computer games
(obviously) Karate, TV and
drinking.
Dislikes: Expensive alcohol.
Best Fresher experience:
Hanging out in the SU bar and
going to Flirt.
I joined the|Rabbit because: I joined The Rabbit due to my
love for writing games reviews and playing games as a whole. I
thought the best way to get more experience would be to write
reviews for the paper, and play some of the latest games (like I
needed an excuse anyway). People should write for my section,
as its a valid excuse to sit and play some great video games, and
just have some time of from the studying.
Features Editor
Stephen Hussey - 20
Philosophy, Politics and
Economics 3rd Year
Likes: MAOAM chews, quiz
machines, Karl Pilkington.
Dislikes: Radio adverts, running
out of hot water mid-shower,
mint and chocolate together in
any form.
Best Fresher experience: Not having a clue where I lived at 3am
on my frst night, bursting into a random tower fat to fnd no-
one but a solitary man asleep with his head in the toilet. I asked
Do I live here? Do you recognise me from earlier today? He
didnt give me an answer.
I joined the|Rabbit because: For freedom! As a student you
have a golden opportunity to write about anything you choose
to (not a privilege many aspiring journalists get to enjoy!). Seize
it and get writing!
The soaring cost of everyday life is geting
harder and harder to contain. In recent
months we have experienced price rises in
food products ranging from the healthiest
of apples to the naughtiest of chocolates. It
is becoming increasingly important to count
the pennies during those periodic visits to
Tesco. Afer all, who wants to waste money
on food when there is an abundance of other
more entertaining things to spend a student
loan on?
Tesco value products provide the easiest
way to keep a food bill down but there are
other ways. By buying in bulk you can save
high percentages of the cost of food, a prime
example being that ever trusty student
staple: Pasta, which also has the bonus of
being light and thus easy to carry up the hill
on the homeward journey. A 3kg bag of pasta
can end up saving you 40p per kg compared
to the cost of a 500g bag of the same type!
Whilst Tesco provides a tempting range of
value foods, always be careful that what
you buy is actually what you get. In some
cases the purchase of non value foods
is worthwhile because of the ridiculous
amount of water and fat that the value foods
contain. For example, Tesco Value sausages
are an absolute bargain at 54p for eight but
unfortunately once cooked they shrink to
approximately a third of the size and barely
earn the classifcation of edible. Thankfully,
for us penny pinching students there is an
answer: Look for a deal! Believe me, its
worth the extra search; as I write this eight
Richmond sausages cost only 99p at half
price and made a lovely sausage sandwich
for my lunch.
Eating out or even buying a ready made
sandwich in the campus shop will raise the
cost of your food bill dramatically. Whilst
a meal deal in the campus shop will cost
2.89, the food required to make it yourself
can be bought for a much smaller sum: Two
loaves cost around 1 (a two for one deal
can always be found), 16 bacon slices can be
bought for around 2.50, Mayonnaise costs
1.73 and letuce and tomato are available
for around 1 each. Totalled up this comes
to approximately 6 and will provide at least
eight BLT sandwiches, which would cost
23.12 in the campus shop!
A
Tesco clubcard is defnitely a worthwhile
pick up. Whilst you initially see no reward
for your eforts, once you have accumulated
those costly points then you can receive
free meals and discounts at restaurants in
Colchester. Caf Rouge, La Tasca and The
Slug and Letuce are amongst participating
chains and with a small amount of efort on
Tesco.com to exchange the vouchers you can
earn yourself a meal without expense.
Unfortunately, skimping on price is not
always the answer because: cheap bin bags
break all over your kitchen foor, cheap
meat shrinks when cooked, value beans
are inedible and cheap vodka is ofen akin
to paint stripper. The best advice is to hunt
for two for one ofers, bulk buy long lasting
foods wherever possible and cook large
meals with your friends. Remember that
rule: Bulk is always cheaper.
Well here it is. The mother of all crises, the
end of the coveted City bonus, 2008s answer
to the Great Flood, purging bankers and
wallets everywhere. Even Nostradamus
himself failed to predict this one (though,
no doubt scholars will convince us that on
a closer reading of the great prophet, he
in fact most defnitely did. Just give them
time).
Right on cue, the doomsayers bark like terriers
to assure the nation that the apocalypse is
upon us. Its a revolutionarys wet dream:
already envisaging standing atop the pile of
rubble that once held up the New York stock
exchange declaring The end of capitalism
is nigh. At the risk of killing Santa Claus,
Ill take my chances
in declaring this mere
fantasy. At least for the
time being.
Lets breathe for a
second. Yes, weve
hit a global rough
patch and it all
sounds tremendously
distressing for those
involved, but lets
address the only
question in a crisis that
maters: How does
it afect me? I dont
work in the City. I dont
have a bonus or a job
or a pension to protect.
So I can understand
perfectly well the
temptation to slide your
hand over the remote
control, switch of the
news, be thankful you are in this warm litle
bubble we call university and get on with
your life.
Unfortunately, I have a niggling fear that
like most great bubbles, this one may be
apt to burst under the pressure. At the
risk of sounding like
a cheesy government
infomercial, the
economy will afect us
all. Fellow students,
we can not hide from
this one. Rising food
prices and utility bills
may leave those of us
who are rent-paying
Tesco junkies thumbing
around our pockets for
loose change at the end
of the month.
Oh, well I suppose an
overdraf would deal
with all that. Err well,
sort of, but, read the
bold print: C-R-E-D-I-T
crunch. By defnition,
a credit crunch implies
banks are nervous to
lend, so when they do,
be sure theyll tag on a higher interest rate
to cover their risk. Therell be no free iPod
for signing up with commercial banks this
year (incentives have been reduced to free
cinema tickets). Even that last resort, that
trusted emergency bank of M&D (mum and
dad), may be tighter than ever in the year to
come.
Of course theres the mater of employability.
Just when you thought youd have a nice
cosy job waiting for you at the end of it all,
bankruptcies are causing potential graduate
frms to disappear by the day. And even
those companies lef have put a freeze on
recruitment.
Surely I cant be leaving you in this note of
inherent pessimism? What, oh great god
of fnances, can we do to save our money?
Well, it might be time to economise. Do you
really need three lates a day? Could you
walk rather than drive? Do you need the
heating and lights on all day? And yes worst
of all, the inevitable, it just might be time to
bid farewell to the pre-packed ease of the
campus shop for a while and go back to the
good old days of the packed lunch.
But hey, at least while youre making the
weeks sandwiches you can smile that were
all in it together.
Want to share your response to a feature, or submit your own?
E-mail rabfeatures@essex.ac.uk or visit www.therabbitonline.com
Article by Stephen Hussey
Dude, Wheres My Credit?
Features
RabbitFeatures 9 www.therabbitonline.com
When You Go Down to the Shops Today...
Clubcards, Sausages and Broken Bin Bags
Article by Alex Reily
Lets breathe for a
second. Yes, weve
hit global rough
patch and it all
sounds tremendously
distressing for those
involved
Hunt for two for
one ofers, bulk buy
long lasting foods
wherever possible and
cook large meals with
your friends
Animal prints, over-sized knit wear, snug
sweater dresses, dangerous caged platforms
and black lipstick are what fashion this
fall is all about. But, with the efects of the
credit crunch taking hold and of course
the inevitable dent in our bank accounts
afer fresher's week, how will the fashion
followers among us cope?
Even celebrities such as actress Lindsay
Lohan and self confessed slave to fashion
Henry Conway are beginning to tighten the
strings on their Louis Vuiton Purses. As the
face of 2008s Visa Swap Shop, Lohan swears
by her signature outft of 'black leggings,
black tank top and black leather jacket. It's
safe and cheap.' The trick is to accessorise
your outft appropriately. In the day opt for
a cute pair of pumps and chunky bracelet
and in the evening spice it up with a pair of
killer heels, colourful clutch bag and vibrant
earrings.
Get your friends involved. Borrow and swap
pieces with each other as it will enable you
to continually change the look of the same
outft. Think how diferent that litle black
dress will look with a pair of tan gladiator
heels and thick buckle belt that your best
mate has lent you for the night.
The Visa Swap Shop takes the idea of
clothes swapping to the next level. It came
to Londons Covent Garden this July and
the collection available included an Issa
dress, two pairs of Jimmy Choos and a Miu
Miu bag donated by Lohan. Fellow fashion
fans were able to swap their high street and
designer clothes for points which were put
onto a Visa Card. These points could then be
spent in the shop when it opened its doors
for one weekend only.
At the launch party, Henry Conway was
ready to give up his spectacular sequin
peacock headdress in exchange for another
equally fabulous fashion must have. He
said 'with the pressures of the credit crunch
looming this kind of thing is a great way for
people to inject a bit of life back into their
wardrobes.'
Margot Stilley also expressed her support
for economical shopping and revealed the
golden rule for any party girl. Its all about
the shoes; if youre wearing fantastic shoes
then nothing else maters. Never go to a
party in pumps, always wear heels, they
make your legs look great.
So, if all the celebrities are doing it, why
shouldnt we? If pieces from seasons past
are lurking at the back of your wardrobe,
don't throw them away, swap them! Get
your fellow fashionistas to bring a bag
of unwanted clothes along and have a
swapping session.
If youre a litle more creative, you could
always customize the clothes you no longer
wear. Remove bows and big rufes, take up
a hem or use the fabric to make something
entirely new. Haberdasheries are great
places to pick up ideas and if you need a
litle push in the right direction check out
Josyrose.com, a brilliant website that will
help you realise the potential of clothes you
had given up on.
However, just because youre on a budget it
doesnt mean you cant hit the shops from
time to time. Follow the tips below on smart
shopping and save yourself a few of those
precious pennies for what really maters.
Saving Money Without Sacrifcing Style
RabbitFeatures 11 rabfeatures@essex.ac.uk
Article by Charlote Vowden
Size Doesnt
Mater
Dont be tempted to try and squeeze
into a smaller size. People who look
good wear clothes that ft in all the
right places and fater the contours
of their bodies. Everything is cut
diferently so dont be disheartened
if your wearing a top thats two sizes
bigger than you would normally
wear. Lets be honest, youll get more
use out of a pair of jeans that allow
you to sit down comfortably without
causing a mufn top situation than
the size 8 skinny jeans that take
you 15 minutes to get into in the
morning.
Vintage Rocks!
Head for Vintage and Second-hand
stores. Theyre full of high quality,
lightly worn clothing and you can
ofen fnd great one-of statement
pieces that will liven up your look.
Invest in the
Right Places
The top half of your body is the area
most people pay atention to so if you
love showing of labels, then spend
the most money on tops and jackets
and choose cheaper alternatives for
the botom. Also, if youre buying
clothes for work, spend a litle more
money on items as they are going to
be used on a regular basis and looking
scrufy wont impress your boss.
Shop
Around
Dont hurry to the check-out; youll
be surprised how many stores carry
the same things for diferent prices.
Go Online
Websites such as asos.com and oli.
co.uk are brilliant for picking up
designer gear at discount prices and
if you sign up for free on secretsales.
com then you get access to exclusive
sales from the comfort of your own
home.
Do the Maths
If you really want to get serious,
fashion website Handbag.com will
work out how much each item of
clothing you have costs every time
you wear it. For example if a pair
of trousers costs 155 and they are
worn twice a week for a year then
it works out at 67p per wear. Now
thats an investment!
Become a
Seasonal
Shopper
Wait for the end of season sales.
With high street stores slashing
prices its a great time to replenish
your wardrobe, but be warned sale
shopping is not for the faint hearted
and be careful you dont buy things
for the sake of it!
Features
Think how diferent
that litle black dress
will look with a pair of
tan gladiator heels and
thick buckle belt that
your best mate has
lent you for the night
A fascinating insight into celebrity credit crunch fashion dilema
First of all congratulations on being voted
in as our new president. No-one should
pretend that you won the election in ideal
circumstances, frst being told that youd
lost and then two weeks later the exposure
of the election fraud and the recount being
told you were in fact the president elect.
With the summer to setle into the new
role, how are you feeling as you truly
begin your term as president and prepare
to meet the new freshers?
Obviously you are right in saying there
were a few complications with the election
result which certainly took its toll on
everyone involved! However, as far as Im
concerned the way in which I was elected
is no longer important. I cant spend the
whole year thinking about that because the
important thing to do is now move on and
do the best possible job. My preparations so
far have gone very well having had three
months in the job to get ready for the new
term. My predecessor helped me a lot in
the handover period and I feel confdent
that I can get things done that I want to.
Three months doing a job which is about
students without any students around has
been strange, which is why I honestly cant
wait until term starts. I feel very excited, as
relating to students is my primary role and
what I was elected to do!
As a ferce advocate of free education, how
do you see the fght for free education
progressing now, particularly given
Professor Riordans controversial opinions
on the top up fees and the lifing of the
cap?
The Vice-Chancellors opinions on top up fees
are no diferent to the vast majority of those
in charge of universities across the country.
Most VCs will argue that increasing top up
fees is the only way to fund universities.
Obviously, our position on this is that this
isnt good enough. Education is a right and
not a privilege and no one should have to
pay for their rights. However, a campaign
directed against this university would not
be good enough to make serious gains.
We have to target our government who
are the ones who are wasting tax payers
money killing innocent people in Iraq and
Afghanistan and yet refusing to pay for
our education. Any campaign needs to be
a national one which unites students across
the country. I see the fght for free education
as starting here so we can repeat the feats
of our brothers and sisters in Europe who
have stopped their governments from
introducing fees. What is clear to me is
that this is not a campaign which will go
away nor can we let it. We need maximum
involvement from students so we can create
the possibility of an education system away
from the market and education can go back
to being something you teach and learn not
buy and sell.
As a Campaigns Ofcer you spent much
of your time out on the squares in direct
contract with the student body, but the
job of president has typically meant long
ofce hours and a far less hands-on role.
How do you see yourself interacting with
the student voice now term has started?
Well I disagree that being President means
less contact with students. If anything,
doing this job full time will allow me to have
more contact with the student body than
ever before. I think that in the past there has
been a tendency for Presidents to see their
role as pushing pens in ofces but this is not
my style. Being the President means being
the principle point of contact between the
university and the students and without
knowing what the students want, this cant
be done. I will always prioritise talking to
students over bureaucracy. This is the main
priority for the Union for the year ahead and
so is something which is absolutely central.
We are looking at new ways to engage
students. We will be holding more regular
sabb / student forums, working hard to get
quorate general meetings, using the media
to be more accountable and just generally
being more open. Hearing the student voice
and interacting with it is vital to us and
comes above everything else.
As president what do you see as the main
issues efecting our campus this coming
year?
Well obviously, as previously mentioned,
the idea of fnding beter ways to relate to
students is a massive priority. In terms of
the campus, we have seen a trend towards
a market based education system in
recent years and this needs to be resisted.
Increasingly we have seen universities
acting as businesses, students being treated
as consumers and education being treated as
a commodity. This manifests itself in many
diferent ways, from top-up fees, to course
closures, to the privatisation of sections of
the campus. Its a problem that could change
the very nature of a university and we must
act on this now. Other important issues are
trying to get the university to commit to a
non-alcoholic space as of course we have
now lead the way by turning Top Bar non-
alcoholic during the day. We now want the
University to follow suit and start catering
for all students.
Finally, whats your message to the freshers
this year?
My message to freshers is quite simple.
University is an amazing experience, but
its also an experience that should be about
more than just an education. Its a time to
meet new people, learn new things, and
also a time to question the world around
us. So please take advantage of this unique
opportunity and get involved with the
Students Union. Whether you agree with
us or not get involved and join the debate!
Comment
12 RabbitComment www.therabbitonline.com
Ministers of the Scotish Parliament (MSPs)
have the ability to vote on the creation
of laws which efect only England and its
citizens. This starkly contrasts the fact that
English MPs cannot vote on any issues
which are specifc only to Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland. The efect that this
can have on English citizens is demonstrated
by the fact that all students studying at
University in England have to pay tuition
fees which are currently set at 3,145.
With the current high rates of infation and
thus the worsening fnancial situation that
students are fnding themselves in, this extra
cost which was introduced in 2004 acts a
huge burden on the shoulders of students in
England. MSPs were partly responsible for
voting to pass the bill to introduce tuition
fees in England and with the vote being so
close to failing at 316 votes to 311 the Scotish
votes could have made all the diference
and resulted in the cost we experience
today. However, in Scotland, where English
MPs did not get a say in the introduction of
tuition fees, the bill was originally refused
and Scotish students remained free of the
extra cost of tuition fees.
This situation has been questioned and
discussed for some 11 years. The 'West
Lothian Question' was frst coined in
1997 and asks; "For how long will English
constituencies and English Honourable
members tolerate...at least 119 Honourable
Members from Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland exercising an important,
and probably ofen decisive, efect on British
politics while they themselves have no say
in the same maters in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland?"
In June this year the conservative party
backed a plan to give English MPs more
explicit infuence over English specifc
laws and to reduce the infuence that
MSPs have over English laws. Despite the
risks of turning the MSPs into second class
ministers in Parliament, David Cameron
and Ken Clarke backed the idea stating that
it is the only fair way to address the 'West
Lothian Question' and correct the situation
in which Scotish ministers have an equal
say on English laws but English ministers
have no say in the Scotish Parliament.
The issue means that MSPs have infuence
over English people who are not living
in their constituencies and have thus not
elected them as leaders; which makes one
question how democracy is working in such
a situation.
In response to the 'West Lothian Question'
there are some points which need to be
made. Firstly that in the past the conservative
party has largely depended on the votes of
Ulster Unionists and when this was the case
they unsurprisingly did not kick up a fuss
about how unfair it was. And secondly that
the labour government has already reduced
the number of MSPs. Finally, if the issue that
English laws should be made by English
people becomes a constitutional issue then
the UK cannot survive, because afer all it is
supposed to be the 'United Kingdom' made
up of assorted and unequal parts.
The 'West Lothian Question' once again
seems destined to be ignored and unsolved
for a while longer and we must resign
ourselves to the fact that people elected by
Scotish citizens get to vote to create laws
afecting only those who have had no say in
electing them.
A Scotish Double Standard? MPs in Decision Row
Article by Alex Reily
Article by Ellie Smith
A Closer Look: Dominic Kavakeb
Our Comment Editor gives us a fascinating insight into the thoughts and feelings of the new SU President
We have to target our
government who are the
ones who are wasting
tax payers money killing
innocent people in Iraq
and Afghanistan and yet
refusing to pay for our
education
Capitalism is ofen associated with
exploitation, the apparent "bourgeois class"
and inequality. Most of these assumptions
are in some way correct, however people
tend to forget the other parts that are actually
quite benefcial to the people, the ability of
progress that it allows and the technological
innovation that it has created.
Capitalism benefts everyone in society when
all is considered. Granted, under capitalist
systems sometimes people are exploited,
however I would suggest that instead of
having some kind of communist revolution
which would destabilise the world, perhaps
there should be more regulations to prevent,
for example sweat shops. Or if we all use
that as an excuse as to why Capitalism is
a bad thing then why don't people boycot
these businesses and force the market to
change through the power of the consumer?
If this is not a possibility then neither is the
communist utopia which would rely on the
peoples unity and willingness to support
everyone else and not just themselves.
The real issue is not capitalism causing
exploitation but rather governments refusal
to create a legal framework to ensure the
rights of workers and people abusing the
market. It is not necessarily the values of
capitalism which cause exploitation and
in many ways it is more open to freedom
than any other system is. Hence the fact that
it is more ofen than not associated with
democracy and in many cases paved the
way for a democratic government.
Capitalism also addresses the realistic state
of Human Afairs, we do not live in Nation
States where everybody feels a connection
to each other, we live in a very multicultural
nation where we are all very diferent. To
expect people to work on behalf of the people
and not themselves is ridiculous. I would
personally prefer to have good quality, well
manufactured and efciently made goods
over cheap and uniform products any day.
Under the capitalist state, we have the ability
to demand quality and we have an ability to
choose the best provider, rather than just
accepting what the state gives us. Therefore,
Capitalism provides the ability for everybody
to pursue their interests and defend their
own personal liberties and freedoms in a
way that a communist economy would not.
In a capitalist world there is also a motivation
for self improvement that would not exist
under the communist utopia where there is
guaranteed equality no mater what you do.
How many people would take the time to
educate themselves for example if there were
not the fnancial incentives of a beter job
at the end of a degree? It is this motivation
for self improvement that has provided
some of the advancements that we all enjoy
the benefts of, for example, sliced bread.
Had some Baker not seen the potential for
business of producing pre-sliced bread you
would still be labouring over that uncut
rock before you could make a sandwich.
Perhaps it can be said that Capitalism is not
the best thing since sliced bread because in
many ways it created it. If we were all equal
no mater what we did I wonder whether
Mr Baker would have thought to advance
industry by making sliced bread a reality.
Competition is a crucial part of human
nature. Without competition, people are
encouraged to become lazy, motivation is
not always inbuilt. This is where capitalism
succeeds in a way that a Marxist economy
would not.
Capitalism is not the dirty word that many
people seem to think it is, it benefts us all to
a great extent, there are problems associated
with capitalism as with any economic system,
however a majority of these problems have
arisen from the incapability of people and
governments to work together in order to
preserve free markets and the ability of
people to innovate and create their own
futures. I believe that the type of competition
that capitalism instigates is something worth
fghting to preserve.
The best thing since sliced bread?
Article by Becky Robertson
RabbitComment 13 rabcomment@essex.ac.uk
Scientifc and religious beliefs can run
parallel. That is, some religious beliefs can
remain coherent if transposed into another
context. For example, the birth of Jesus is
something which I doubt most historians
would deny. As such the religious and
historical beliefs run parallel; both historian
and Christian believe in the birth of a man
named Jesus. Importantly though, the
Christians would perhaps accept it as an
article of faith whereas the historian would
require historical reasons to count said birth
as an established fact.
Similarly to a historian needing proof to
establish a historical fact, in order for a
scientist to establish something as a scientifc
fact she must adhere to certain criteria
inherent in the scientifc practice that license
the assertion of a particular claim as a fact.
Creationists, in treating certain religious
statements as scientifcally provable, open
themselves up to the customarily defned
criteria which determine what is permissible
as established fact. Only very few religious
points can even be atempted to be brought
into the scientifc world, but with this
atempt to bring religion in line with science
must come the acceptance of how scientifc
practice is conducted. That is, if one is to
treat scientifc practice as the Archimedean
point from which the world of religious
belief can be levered, one must live the life
of a scientist and speak the corresponding
language. This means accepting all the terms
that come with it, that is that if scientifc
practice is frm, religious beliefs, if movable,
are correspondingly mutable.
Creationists take religious claims and
then try and fnd scientifc reasons to back
them up. That is, creationists work from
hypotheses just as scientists do. However,
a crucial diference is that the scientist can
plausibly reject a hypothesis if her (or other
valid) investigations invalidate it. I don't see
how the creationist could possibly reject her
religious hypotheses, established as they are
on faith. What makes the creationists bad
scientists is that no mater what the scientifc
conclusions as to the validity of their work,
they will still take their religious hypothesis
as a point of fact because to them the fact
is already established prior to the scientifc
work.
The scientifc life is one always predicated
on premises which can at a later date be
overruled. If the creationist cannot even in
principle accept a scientifc point of fact as
having authority over her conjectures and
hypotheses, then she refuses to really be
involved in scientifc practice and thereby
refuses to be a scientist.
Creationism is Not a Science
Article by Dave Batho
Want to share your opinions and submit your own article?
E-mail rabcomment@essex.ac.uk or visitwww.therabbitonline.com
SWD Exposed: are the university and union doing enough to help
students who are most vulnerable?
I am an ordinary student and yet I feel
alienated and ofen uterly ignored. I'm in
the fnal year of an essay degree, I like going
out and I'm even social secretary for one
of our many sports clubs but as a disabled
student I am continually made to feel out
of place. The stigma that follows students
with disabilities (or SWDs) like myself is
that we are a dependant and quiet minority
who don't complain, don't contribute and
breaking these misconceptions is ofen the
frst barrier in being accepted as who we
are.
So here are the home truths from the
other side of the fence that you won't hear
anywhere else. But frst let's just start with
the word "disabled". It implies that we lack
ability, dumbing us down even through the
simplest act of classifying us, and as such is
a word that fails us as a minority. But being
disabled is not that we lack ability as we are,
but that by judging us by the standards and
expectations of so called "normal" students
it is you who makes us disabled, rather than
accepting us as an individual with therefore
individual needs and abilities just like
anybody else. So why are we considered so
diferent?
Disability itself is a term that is both diverse
and difcult to defne and yet so many
people come under mantle from those with
dyslexia or mild autism to those with arthritis
or full paraplegia. What is important is that
such a broad defnition is understood not as
something which essentially represses and
atacks us but one which includes us rather
than divides us from the rest of society. But
also so much more than this, simple things
ensure that this defnition is understood and
taken into account with easy accessibility
to give us our dignity and ensure our
equality. These concepts simply ensure that
institutions meet the requirements of the new
disability laws and as such are not enough.
Fundamental things such as acceptance on
our own terms and basic accessibility is
the minimum requirement for anywhere
seeking to be truly disabled friendly, such
as an institution like our university. It was
truly sickening and saddening at a campus
where all groups and all minorities are
accepted and yet so many departments are
less than accessible and many of the on
campus venues are entirely inaccessible.
Accessibility isn't just being able to get from
A to B, it is geting there quickly and easily.
Here's my own classic example which is Top
Bar. Anyone unable to climb the stairs has to
go through a lif to an adjacent department
and through a corridor meaning travelling
an extra 400m in order to get to a bar less
than 20 meters away, a travesty for immobile
students. That is not accessible and it's not
acceptable. What is worse than inaccessible
permanent buildings are special events for
a broad population including SWDs held
in inaccessible venues and I'm afraid that
includes the summer ball and the simplest
measures would solve it. More carpeting
would have solved the issue and yet was
ignored. Sadly the voice we need is gone
and it embiters me. We may be wheelchair
bound, we may be mute but nothing will
stand in the way of what we need and our
voices will be heard.
Article by Anne Onomess
Music
Jonathan
Dadds
Music Editor
Hey guys,
Hope everyone
had a nice summer!
I certainly did, hiting Neuhausen ob
Eck in Germany for Southside festival
and then heading to Latitude festival
for some more musical fun.
Anyway, Im Daddsy and Im the new
music Editor for this year. I like most
genres of music and love chating (or
ranting on occasions) to people about
music, so feel free to email me or send
me a Facebook message.
Over the next year I hope to review as
many of the best releases as possible, get
reviewers to as many gigs as possible,
interview as many bands as possible,
and try and introduce more people to
our own talent from the University.
If you want to help by reviewing
new releases, interviewing bands or
reviewing shows then get in touch. It
doesnt mater what kind of music you
like, if you enjoy reviewing music youll
be a welcome addition to the team!
I was quite happy to see the SU event
listings for this term, and noticing that
there seems to be more interest in geting
bands to the Uni this year. Thanks to the
Students Union for puting on more
gigs! If youre interested in geting
more bands to campus please consider
going to these gigs, even if theyre not
really your thing and hopefully the SU
will see that people want live music and
give us live music.
Until next time, enjoy yourselves, enjoy
the great new releases this month, and if
you want to get involved, dont hesitate
to get in contact!
Daddsy
x
Feed the Animals is the fourth album by Girl Talk
(Gregg Gillis). It is composed almost entirely of
samples taken from other artists songs, plus minor
original instrumentation by Girl Talk.
The album was sold online as a pay-what-you-like
system. He specializes in sample-based remixes,
in which he uses at least a dozen elements from
diferent songs to create a new song. A wide range
of songs are used from the likes of Rage Against the
Machine, Jay-Z, Radiohead, and many others that
cover a whole range of music.
It is an enjoyable album to listen to. The mix of these
genres might put some people of, but it should not
as it is one of the best mashups I have heard, and
(quite signifcantly) it is free. To fault this album is
hard because the mixes are great and they all fow
into each other well. Defnitely worth a listen.
As the whirling intro of Mike Skinners (AKA The
Streets) fourth album begins you could easily expect
pop singing! Instead Skinner starts to talk about the
deeper things in life, the world, taking chances and not
wasting time. It is refreshing and not how I expected
this album to begin. Heaven For The Weather starts
with a gospel style tune, Skinner almost preaching
in his raps. This album shows a diferent side to the
rapper to previous releases.
On The Edge of a Clif carries on the deeper thoughts
of Skinner, layered with some brilliant music. This
track alone puts the album above the previous albums
for me. The album then goes quite funky, almost twee,
with seemingly no limit to backing track genres. The
Streetss new ofering seems to cover a lot more ground
than previous albums. It is due to this reason that I
preferred it, and I know you will too.
Roots Manuva
Slime and Reason
4/5
Three years afer the release of Awfully Deep, Rodney
Smith aka Roots Manuva makes a triumphant return
with his most innovative and experimental album
to date. Slime and Reason is the fourth album by the
rap artist featuring a fantastic array of co-producers
from all corners of the music spectrum.
Those worried that his lyrical fow may have been
somewhat disturbed by a lengthy absence will
pleased by this many-sided album; CD1 is a jazz
infused rap journey while CD2 is a dub album with
a juicy Caribbean favour.
Let the Spirit is a fantastic analogue synth track
produced by Metronomy, the juxtaposition between
the light-hearted electro and the soulful vocals make
for a perfect blend. On a darker tone, Buf Nuf is
a far more grimy track and features the talents of
producer Toddla T. This album is brimming with
gems and Rodney serves up just the right mix of both
fun and deprecation to keep the listener involved.
It is hard to fault this album and it has given me
another 101 reasons to give this man the praise he so
clearly deserves.
One song that you couldnt escape this summer was
I Kissed a Girl, the frst single released from Perrys
debut album One of the Boys. The album is full of
catchy up beat pop with the exception of Thinking
of You where Perry slows the tempo right down and
expresses some emotion.
Perry uses wity lyrics and mocks her ex with lines
like I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf
while jacking of to Mozart from the track Ur So
Gay. Im sure a lot of girls will connect with her sense
of humour.
The only problem is that it is too commercial and
many of the tracks sound very alike. Hot N Cold
stood out for me; with a real catchy beat and a rather
camp feel, it drilled the chorus into my head and
had me humming all day. If you like Gwen Stefani
or Kelly Clarkson then this album is for you.
A
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b
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r
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v
i
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w
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14 RabbitMusic www.therabbitonline.com
Katy Perry
One of the Boys
3/5
The Streets
Everything is Borrowed
5/5
Girl Talk
Feed The Animals
4/5

Review by Jonathan Dadds
Review by Oliver Massey
Review by Paul Robinson Review by Harpreet Paul
Eagerly anticipated, the fourth
studio album by the Kings of Leon
is as exceptional as to be expected
from these four Tennesseans. It
features some great distorted bass rifs in the familiar
repeating paterns that have become a signature of Kings,
such as Crawl, leaving space for more bluesy guitar solos
than in Because of the Times.
The pace of Only by the Night fuctuates naturally from
frisky songs like their frst single, Sex on Fire and Manhatan
to calmer introspective tracks such as the fantastic opener,
Closer and Cold Desert which carries heavy post rock
leanings. Calebs vocals are at their strongest yet combining
feeling and melody. In many tracks it has a distant echoing
feel, which coupled with the tremolo guitar and background
strings give an overall ethereal foating vibe to the music.
Although this album does not have as much raw energy as
the groups frst two, it is still superb and blows any recent
competition out of the water.
Review by Aidan Kitson
Kings of Leon
Only by the Night
4/5
Eleven years afer the release of their highly
regarded debut album, Young Team, Scotish
post-rockers Mogwai release their sixth album
The Hawk Is Howling. Opening with the piano
led intro of Im Jim Morrison, Im Dead the band
quickly move to their heaviest song yet; Batcat.
Batcat feels like it was heavily infuenced by
Glasgow Mega-Snake, the distorted guitars
somehow sounding angry at the listener.
The band adds electronics to their sound,
building a sonic soundscape for the listener. One
of the more mellow tracks, Local Authority, uses
synth to give it a calming sound. In I Love You,
Im Going to Blow Up Your School the band use a
brilliant mixture of bass and guitar to give the
song a sinister feel, before the ending rif erupts
into a mass of distorted guitar and ringing
electronics.
Overall this album does not really progress from
previous albums, so if you loved the last album
then youll love this.
Mogwai
The Hawk is Howling
4/5
Review by Jonathan Dadds
Summer Festivals - a review
Latitude
V Festival
Latitude festival is a paradigm shif compared to other music festivals on ofer.
Comparing Reading/Leeds to Latitude is like comparing Oasis to Bjork. Sure,
you know what Oasis is like and that any album will be good; but with Bjork
there is just so much more going on. Latitude festival is in my mind unique
in that there is always something going on, and more importantly, something
worth seeing. Although I found that some of the music was rubbish (Jonquil,
Glasvegas (worst drummer ever), Foals to name three), it was more than
made up for by just going into a random tent. From listening to an Asian poet
recounting how he corrected the punctuation of a white racist, to watching a
condensed version of 2001 A Space Odyssey with a live soundtrack, there was
always something memorable and diferent to do.
As always with festivals there is the opportunity to go to see bands you have
never heard of, for this Latitude was fantastic if you listen to music with an
open mind. Some of my favourite discoveries were a.P.A.t.T [sic], The Wave
Machines, and Death Ray Trebuchey [sic], check them out! Surprisingly for a
festival the staf were fantastic, bar staf as well as stewards. Siting to watch
some comedy and having a bunch of stewards come and sit next to you and
chat away was a nice change! In the wood (which had a disco! Only complaint
was that sometimes it was hard to see the disco for the trees) the stewards
would dress as fairies, complete with pointed ears, wings, and glitery make-
up. All in all the festival combined to make a wonderful experience that I
cannot recommend highly enough. I will certainly be going next year!
V festival is easily the most pop orientated festival, and probably the
most commercial as well. The two headliners, Muse and The Verve, both
earned their headline slot. Muse are renowned for their impressive visual
displays, and this was no exception. A particular highlight of Muse for me
was their cover of Ennio Morricones Man With The Harmonica, from the
Once Upon a Time in The West soundtrack.
The Stranglers opened the main stage on Sunday, playing their universally
known Golden Brown midway through their solid set. By Friday morning
there was already the seemingly inevitable rumours of Amy Winehouse
cancelling, but to much surprise she appeared in her alloted slot on
Sunday evening, and performed much more coherently than when I saw
her at Glastonbury earlier in the year. She also didnt atack anyone in the
audience this time, which was a bonus!
The Verve, who reformed last year and have headlined festivals all around
the world this summer, came on stage just as the rain started to fall on
us. They closed the Hylands Park V Festival this year, playing all of their
familiar anthems such as Bitersweet Symphony and The Drugs Dont Work,
before closing with their new single, Love is Noise.
U
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RabbitMusic 15 rabmusic@essex.ac.uk
Glastonbury
Having atended Glastonbury in a voluntary working capacity I have
nothing but praise for the festival and the decision to work rather than pay
for entry. Despite working for a six hour shif as a barman on each day there
was still plenty of time to experience the wonders and of course there was
plenty to see and to hear.
With so much going on it was easy to get lost but being larger than other
festivals it inevitably has more to ofer. From the controversial atendance by
Jay-Z to the mesmerizing manipulation of a one stringed guitar by ex-street
busker Seasick Steve; there were fantastic shows taking place all around and
at all times.
Atending in a working capacity had its advantages as well as the obvious
drawback of having to work. Workers received food and drinks vouchers
and had a separate campsite which helped us to avoid geting quite as mud
covered and meant we did not have to share toilets with the masses! Best
of all was the fact that entry was completely free which becomes a large
atraction compared to the staggering ticket prices. The traditional festival
experience was maintained and I had the pleasure of erecting my tent on a
dark stormy night and waking to fnd that it was not designed to withstand
people falling on it and had thus failed to keep the water out.
Glastonbury comes with its oddities in dress and atitude, which combined
with various diverse and mainstream musicians ofers a fantastic experience
that I would recommend to all. Beware, however, of the man wearing
nothing but a small top hat
Alex Reily
Reading
I started the festival on Friday by seeing Blood Red Shoes. The duo were
very energetic, but really tight at the same time, and their sound did not feel
lacking, despite the fact that they only used drums, guitar and vocals. Later
I saw Late of the Pier, dressed in capes and striking poses throughout their
set. They were incredible, and almost every song of of their album Fantasy
Black Channel could be released as a single.
The Friday headliner was Rage Against The Machine. They came on stage
dressed in Guantanamo Bay jump suits, their heads covered with black
sacks, and proceeded to play Bombtrack. Their set was just as good as I
had thought it would be. During Wake Up, Zack de la Rocha launched a
scathing speech on the Bush administrations actions in Iraq.
We made it to the Radio 1 Tent on Saturday just in time for Mystery Jets,
who were very good, and stayed to see The Ting Tings, who were beter
than expected. Later we returned to watch Foals, who were good, but I
think their layered and dense sound would have been beter if I knew their
material beter. The best band of Saturday was without a doubt Justice,
whos electro dance music had the whole Radio 1 tent moving.
Sunday was spent in the Dance Arena, starting with Crystal Castles. Their
album is great, but live the singer, Alice Glass, seems to be incoherently
intoxicated for every gig they play.
The best band of Sunday was Chromeo. They play cheesy electrofunk, but
pull it of well. The duo demonstrated their talent, with one member singing,
playing drums and controlling the synths all during one song. They came
back for an encore, covering midnight train by Journey.
Afer watching Simian Mobile Disco and Digitalism, I thought Id check out
Metallica. They closed with an impressive frework display, and although
Im not exactly the biggest Metallica fan around, I was very impressed by
their performance.
Alex Howell
Peter Efstathiou Alex Howell
Was3000, October 4, Top Bar, 2
Litle Man Tate, October 7, Arts Centre, 10
Regards, October 9, Level 2, 3
Kevin Pearce, October 9, Arts Centre, 6
Audio Bullys, October 11, Subzero
Sad At The Clinic, October 11, Top Bar, 2
Dividing The Line, October 15, The Twist, 6
Camera Obscura, October 15, Arts Centre, 8
The Beagles, October 18, Top Bar
Erol Alkan, October 25, Subzero 7
Legend, October 25, Top Bar, 2
Dirty Prety Things, November 1, Subzero, 10
Time Out, November 1, Top Bar, 2
Grammatics, November 4, Arts Centre, 6
Koopa, November 6, The Twist, 5
The Company, November 8, Top Bar, 2
The Automatic, November 11, Subzero
Half Ton Man, November 15, Top Bar, 2
Red Hot Radiators, November 22, Top Bar
Burn This Life, November 29, Top Bar, 2
Toot, November 30, Arts Centre, 6
The Wedding Present, December 2, Arts Centre,
12
Pendulum, December 6, Subzero 8
Pride Tiger, December 14, Arts Centre, 6
My Passion, December 17, The Twist, 5
What Live Music is There in Colchester This Term?
A good old singsong
seems a popular choice
as the foundation for
flm and theatre at the
moment, and it is with
litle surprise that Mama
Mia fnally makes it to
the big screen. Those
who have seen the stage
show will know what to
expect, and those who
have not will receive no
more than a pat on the
back for guessing that
it is a slightly ify plot
wrapped around some of
Abbas greatest hits.
With this in mind it
would be easy to assume
that any enjoyment of this
flm rests heavily on the
viewers opinion of Abba
and afer the frst few
performances of classic
songs this assumption
does not feel misplaced. It is by the fnal performance
of Waterloo as the credits role that such prejudice either
disappears or becomes forever cemented in a three minute
cringe.
The fact is that this flm is likely to divide opinions completely.
It is a love/hate flm. There can be no doubt that Meryl Streep
is fantastic in the lead role, a role that is well supported by
Julie Walters and Christine Baranski. Even the three men can
be forgiven for some below par singing due to the fact that
they had the guts to agree to do the flm at all.
Despite the faws and downfalls it can be said that this flm is
fun with the widespread opinion being that it is best enjoyed
at a sing along screening. Taking this into consideration it
seems to make more sense to go a step further and simply go
see the show completely live, with professional singers and
a large audience full of people ready to bellow the winner
takes it all.
Hancock is surprisingly
disappointing. As an idea
it was a work of genius
but unfortunately the
execution was a waste of
such imagination which
leaves the audience
disappointed.
The frst half is brilliant.
From the opening music
(Whammer Jammer by
J. Geils Band) to the
comically executed
introduction of the title
character everything is
promising. Then it gets
even beter when the story progresses into a deep and
meaningful look at the difculties faced by an alcoholic with
low self esteem. This batle between will power and anger is
incredibly moving. All of this is fantastic, but honestly, they
should have stretched the frst half out for the full two hours,
this would have resulted in an excellent flm.
Unfortunately, there is a twist which is hugely disappointing
and akin to the and then he woke up twist that primary
school teachers tell their pupils not to put into short stories.
Audiences would be beter of stopping the flm when a
drunk mortal gets put to bed, that way disappointment
would be avoided and you will leave the cinema with
complete satisfaction.
Even though this is not the most fatering of reviews, you
should still watch this flm. The idea is brilliant and the
person who thought I know, lets give an alcoholic some
super powers and see what would happen is worthy of a
standing ovation. What a shame that Hollywood ruined it.
Wall-E is an ingenious
flm warning its audience
what will happen if
they do not change their
wasteful ways. Wall-E
introduces its protagonist,
a rubbish collecting
robot of the same name,
on an emptied earth
lef by humans. Fleeing
from their destruction
on a cruise ship set on
a course through space,
man hopes their poor
treatment of their planet
would literally be swept
under the carpert. Wall-E
is a loveable creation from
the ever imaginative Pixar
who cannot fail to touch
the hearts of many.
Wall-E sorts through the debris lef by humans, stacking it
into neat piles whilst squirreling away the pieces of intrigue.
Wall-Es home is a magpies nest of collectables housing the
Rubik Cubes, light bulbs, cutlery and lighters amongst other
things. Hello Dolly! is played on loop as Wall-E longs to have
some form of afection and as usual Pixar does not disappoint
as the super-bot EVE is introduced. Wall-E becomes besoted
with this less than afectionate machine that shoots before she
thinks, resulting in a series of touching wooing moments
and their collaboration in an and atempt to restore Earth and
its human inhabitants.
Wall-E is a flm that will be enjoyed by children for its
amusing sounds and colourful scenes, but it is also a flm with
a very poignant message that will probably only be gauged
by the older audience members who have actually seen the
demolition hinted at on screen happen in their own, non-
Pixar created, world. It is a love-story involving computers,
going against the usual flmic belief that is it computers and
robots that will turn on this world as it is the humans that
bleed the planet dry through their greed.
This is a flm well worth the watch, purchase and repeat.
Film
Dolly Emmerson
Film Editor
16 RabbitFilm www.therabbitonline.com
Article by Alex Reily
Article by Dolly Emmerson
Article by Kevin Smith
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Surprisingly, most of summer 2008s
commercial and critical big-hiters were
superhero pictures (Iron Man, The Dark
Knight, and Hellboy 2: The Golden
Army). Yet the summer also saw a slew of
disappointing and mediocre blockbusters
(Hancock, and Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Stoner
comedy well and truly reached its apex in
recent months (Harold and Kumar Escape
from Guantanamo Bay and Pineapple
Express), whilst we saw Guy Ritchie and
Ben Stiller return to form (Rocknrolla and
Tropic Thunder respectively). The coming
months bring long-awaited returns to the
camera from The Coen Brothers (Burn
Afer Reading), David Fincher (The
Curious Case of Benjamin Buton) and
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), all of
whom will doubtless be vying for Oscar
statuetes. I look forward to covering as
many of these flms as possible.
To all the old and to all the new
Welcome! I hope the summer has proven
to be as colourful and varied as the
cinema screens have been this break. We
have been graced with the wonderful
Wall-E, the epic The Dark Knight and
the irrepressible Mamma Mia; an eclectic
collection that will hopefully be followed
and beaten by the upcoming flms of
next term. What we have waiting for
us in the not too distant future is the
eagerly anticipated Quantum of Solace,
a flm that will no doubt prove all the
Craig-doubters wrong yet again and
the pairing of two great legends in
Righteous Kill where Robert DeNiro and
Al Pacino come together in a flm that
will be undoubtedly brilliant if only for
the weight behind the acting.
Shaun Munro
Assistant Film Editor
Want to share
your opinions and
submit your own
flm review?
Just drop a line to
rabflm@essex.ac.uk
or visit
www.therabbitonline.com
Released in 1971, Dirty Harry is, as far as
Im concerned, Clint Eastwoods greatest
flm. Full of atitude, action and brilliant
one liners, it is certainly a classic and one of
my favourite flms. - Tom Embury
Eastwood plays Harry Callahan, a
maverick San Francisco cop who earned
the name Dirty Harry due to his refusal to
stick to the rules when handling homicide
cases. Callahan, and new partner Chico,
are tasked with capturing a deranged killer
sniper who goes by the name Scorpio.
Afer killing three women and nearly
killing both Callahan and Chico, the killer
is arrested, the location of his latest victim
revealed, and his weapon captured by
Harry at Kezar Stadium. However, because
he had no warrant, Harrys evidence is
thrown out and Scorpio is freed.
With the murderer now back on the streets,
despite all his hard work, Callahan resorts
to following killer around the streets of San
Francisco. Scorpio eventually resorts to
having a thug beat him up before claiming
that it was Harry that did it, and succeeds in
geting him reprimanded by his superiors.
As such, when the maniac returns to his own
ways and takes a school bus full of children
hostage, Callahan is disgusted that the
chief and mayor refuse to allow him to stop
Scorpio. He storms out, leaving his badge
behind, and intercepts the bus, rescues the
children, and afer an exhilarating pursuit,
dishes out some summarily justice. As
he corners the killer for the breathtaking
fnale, he uters the immortal line that has
to be up there as one of the greatest flm
lines of all time; Do you feel lucky? Well,
do ya, punk?
Despite a relatively simple storyline, the
acting from Eastwood, .44 Magnum in
hand, is brilliant. He exudes cool from start
to fnish, and creates a character in Callahan
you cannot help but love.
However, Andy Robinson, who
plays the deranged Scorpio, nearly
steals the show. He manages to
portray a villain that everyone
can despise. He is sinister and
evil, and manages to maintain an
air of deranged lunacy from start
to fnish.
The music is excellent, the
action scenes well done,
and San Francisco
makes a brilliant back
drop. All in all, one
of the coolest flms
of the last 40 years,
and a surprisingly good social comment to
boot.
Batman -
The Dark Knight
RabbitFilm 17 rabflm@essex.ac.uk
Batman fever has invariably swept the world with
the release of Christopher Nolans superhero opus
The Dark Knight, audiences focking in their droves
to capture the fnal glimpses of the late Heath
Ledger on celluloid. Even resting on its own laurels,
The Dark Knight is without doubt the most austere
superhero picture ever made, packed to the brim
with Oscar-calibre material.
This flm is not without its share of contrivances and
curiosities, yet the interminable lengths to which
Christopher Nolan challenges our expectations
of the comic book and action genres seemingly
mitigates the flms minor faws. The narrative is
multi-faceted and takes all involved to the darkest
recesses that this medium has ever travelled.
The majority of the hype surrounding The Dark
Knight evidently stems from the fnal performance
of the late Heath Ledger who, in almost chameleonic
fashion, entirely entrenches himself within the role
of the demented, sadistic clown known as The
Joker. Far from Jack Nicholsons campy iteration
of the Caped Crusaders most famed enemy,
Ledger creates one of the
most memorable screen
villains of the last two
decades, for which he is
certain to garner himself
a posthumous Best
Supporting Actor Oscar
nomination.
Perhaps the unsung hero
of The Dark Knight is
Aaron Eckharts District
Atorney Harvey Dent,
who seeks to once and
for all clean Gotham Citys streets. Dents story arc
rouses this flms genuine sense of pathos, thanks in
large part to Eckhart his chiselled-jaw and dapper
appearance aid in painting him as Gothams fnal
ray of light in the war against crime. Although not
as fashy as Ledgers astounding
turn, Eckhart deserves more
recognition than he is ever
likely to receive.
Christopher Nolans work is
an astounding achievement,
melding the fantastical world of
paperback with the grity reality
of modern crime-noir classics such
as Heat and The Departed. Nolan
confdently directs a lengthy picture
that manages to remain concise and
thoroughly gripping thanks to an
expert understanding of peak-and-
trough narrative form. This flm will
undoubtedly be remembered as a
dirge for Ledger, yet it is poignant in
a sense that his rendition of the Joker
shall be remembered for decades,
and is certainly the most powerful
performance of this all-too brief
career. The Dark Knight does justice
to a medium too-frequently derided
for its simplicity, and sets a towering
benchmark that will be difcult to
topple. More Greek tragedy than pop-
culture pastiche, Christopher Nolan
demonstrates that blockbusters and
action flms can maintain artistic
integrity and intelligence.
Article by Shaun Munro
Article by Tom Embury
From the 15th to the 30th
October, London will be
hosting the 52nd BFI flm
festival. The city will be
showing a large selection of
flms as well as providing
various courses and
activities for any members of
the public with an ambitious
eye on the flm industry. Of
course such a high profle
event brings with it the
atention of the press whose
job it is to spread the good word and provide insight into the festival.
The press launch was held on 10th September at the Leicester Square
Odeon, and as well as providing a free bag full of goodies, it also gave a
brief what to expect introduction to this years festival.
The festival promises to provide a mixture of both big budget Hollywood
extravagances as well as low budget independent flms and shorts from
all over the world. In addition to an open air screening of Quantum of
Solace, highlights include a 40th anniversary screening of Once Upon
a Time in the West, the opening gala showing of Frost/Nixon, and
interviews and Q and As with many of the stars, directors and writers.
It is promised that the key themes of the event will be politics, history
and memory; a well selected and potentially infuential subject mater
that makes for a fne work of fction as well as educating the masses
through a medium that is proving to be as popular as ever. Film is
mostly regarded as entertainment, but here is a rare opportunity to
catch a gem that means much more.
With all this to look forward to remember it is the 15th September when
it all kicks of, and any opportunity to take part should not be missed. If
people are without a major interest in flm then the ultimate temptation
is surely the opportunity to see the new James Bond in Trafalgar Square,
for free. Based upon the 30 minute clip reel projected to close the Press
Launch it looks like London has a lot to look forward to and enjoy.
Article by Kevin Smith
The BFI 52nd LFF
yet again walks our
cobbled streets
CL A S S I C CORNE R
DI RT Y HA RRY
Its not like youre spoilt for choice when
dining out in Colchester, so when I came
across Gastro 1603, I was pleasantly
surprised. Situated in Old Siege House,
which was built in the 15th century,
Gastro 1603 is slightly out of town, and
provides a pleasant environment in
which to dine. It is defnitely a refreshing
change from Colchesters high street!
The restaurant ofers Italian food with
a French infuence, and whilst the
menu consists mainly of meat and fsh,
vegetarians can choose from an array of
pastas and salads. The prices may be
slightly over the average student budget,
but Gastro 1603 is a great place for a
special occasion. The food, atmosphere,
and service are second to none, and the
live music on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday evenings is not to be missed.
Freshers, welcome to Essex!
You have certainly picked the
right place if you are visualising
your university experience as one which you will never forget. We all know how dull
nightlife at home can be; same atmosphere, same old Berna Boggs standing in the
corner looking like shes got something up her backside! Well, youre lucky enough to
get the best of both worlds! Not
only does the university hold
the title of Best Student Venue
in the UK, but Colchester too
ofers some decent clubs if you
ever fancy a change from Level
2 or Sub Zero.
Route, situated on Queen
Street, has a great atmosphere,
with commercial club and RnB
tunes in the main room, and a
separate alternative area. The club can get busy on a Thursday night, so be sure to arrive
early to avoid the queues. Also worth checking out is the new, extravagant Liquid. Its
found on High Street, and brings top DJs to the streets of Colchester. Plus, its buzzing
with atmosphere due to the recent re-opening! And dont forget; Monday nights are
all about Sexy Pennys at the Silk Road. The intimate venue has a great, chilled-out
vibe, and with 1 drinks all night, what more could you ask for? You can fnd plenty
of other pubs and bars around
Colchester, including Ziba,
The Playhouse, and Yatess,
all of which are cheap and
lively, and guarantee to kick-
start your night! Taxis cost no
more than 7 into town from
campus, which can always be
split with your fellow ravers.
Let the party begin!
Summer has been somewhat disappointing for many of us here in Britain, and whats more, the unpredictable weather has not aided
our pick of perfect clothes. Fear not, though; whether youre returning to Colchester from a well deserved summer break, or youre
a lucky Fresher just geting to grips with the area, heres a lowdown of the trendiest places to bag an autumn bargain!
Lifestyle
18 RabbitLifestyle www.therabbitonline.com
Rabbit Food
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Fantastic, afordable food served with
the loveliest of smiles! China Blue
ofers a wide selection of traditional
courses, including four set meals with
the most complementary of favours.
There is something for everyone at this
Chinese restaurant, from Cantonese
style meals to the much more daring!
The wine list ofers a wide selection
of good quality wines, and most
drinks are available for reasonable
prices. The Steamed Dim Sum Pork
Dumplings are highly recommended
as a starter, best followed by the
Chargrilled Chicken in Sweet Chili
Sauce.
Review by Alex Reily
Hi Fashion Introducing Colchesters Shopping Hot Spots
Article by Dionne Boothe
Perfect for the fashion conscious and
money conscious alike be sure to bag a
bargain for night and day here. Colchester
is lucky in that this store is a fair size
remember to use your student card to get
an extra 10% of!
Girls, boys we all love it! Topshop
very rarely fails us. Both Topshop and
Topman are small here but you are likely
to fnd something you like. If that perfect
dress (or shirt for the lads) is not to be
unearthed, head for the accessories, which
will brighten any outft. Now with 15% of
for students, you really cant go wrong.
You might only fnd yourself
hanging in this fashion fanatics
fting room at the beginning of
the term due to the pricey tags.
If you pick your item carefully,
however, youll be able to create
many diferent looks with it to
see you through the term.
Dont rule this shop
of just yet! Yes, it can be
expensive, and yes, you
could probably fnd it
cheaper, but, believe me,
there are some hidden
bargains in here. Head
up to the frst foor and
youll fnd Ted Baker
and French Connection,
but there are also some
reasonably-priced, less
well-known brands worth
checking out! If, like me,
you would like to sneak a
peak at how the other half
live (i.e. non-students!),
Kurt Geiger never fails
to disappoint, and youd
be sure to make a show-
stopping entrance in
some towering heels. Be
sure to take advantage
of W&Gs 10% student
discount!
It doesnt end there! Ladies, the High
Street, Colchesters leading street, is home to
Dorothy Perkins, Oasis and MAC, and gents,
you can get kited out from Burton and Next
too. Colchester is also home to Gap, Deben-
hams, River Island, TK Maxx, and Karen Mil-
len. Dont be shy to have a taste at M&S; if
you read the glossies, youll be surprised at
some of the litle gems you may fnd here!
There are several boutique shops in Colches-
ter too, so make sure you look in the corners
to unravel them all. There really is some-
thing for everyone, whether youre afer a
small treat or a posh frock!
Article by Stephanie Barrows
After Hours All You Need to Know For a Night on the Town
Review by Krishna Vyas
Where:
75 East Street
01206 792 333
Ratings:
Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 25 per head
Where:
25 Head Street
01206 761876
Ratings:
Food: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Price: 30 for two with non-
alcoholic drinks
Based on Gregory
M a g u i r e s
eponymous best-
selling novel, this
superbly polished,
s p e l l b i n d i n g
musical transports
audiences to a
spectacular fantasy
world of wizardry,
witchcraf, sorcery
and spells, to tell
the incredible
untold story of an extraordinary friendship between the
unlikeliest of characters; the blonde, popular Glinda, and the
misunderstood outcast, Elphaba, whose destiny is to become
the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, the villain of the
classic flm, The Wizard of Oz. We are forced to question
just how wicked Elphaba actually is, as the musical acts as
a cautionary tale of the blind trust we all too ofen invest in
our governments.
The musical, which has made more than 45m since its
London premiere in September 2006, has already established
itself as a West End classic. With its engaging characters,
enchanting music, and a surprisingly emotional plot,
Wicked is quite simply unmissable!
As someone who has heard the people sing for the majority
of her life, I was extremely excited to see what legendary
collaborators Boubil and Schonberg had to ofer. What the
audience fnds in Marguerite is a story immediately tainted
by tragedy. The epic image of Julian Ovendens character,
Armand, carrying the limp fgure of Marguerite from the
stage, is a powerful statement of the doomed nature of their
relationship, the afair which shapes the plot. Set against the
wistful, romantic backdrop of occupied Paris, the audience
cannot help but be drawn into their relationship, which
follows the formula of many famous lovers gone before them,
torn apart by society but drawn together by fate. Although
the lyrics lack the power of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon
(no song in the production could be considered memorable
or particularly catchy), one cannot help but feel an emotional
response to the plight of Marguerite. Ruthie Henshall gives
a commited and soulful performance, portraying a broken
woman, dying of regret and a broken heart, whilst the role
of her lover, Armand, could perhaps have benefted from
a more experienced actor. Ovendens performance was
somewhat lacking in maturity, although at times this could be
mistaken for an intentional character trait. For the most part,
he seemed to overact the role. Whilst I admired the strength
of this original, modern musical, it appeared to be lacking
in the magic which was expected from the creators of Jean
Valjean, and it is not surprising that the show is experiencing
such a short run.
Arts
RabbitArts 19 rablife@essex.ac.uk
The fashion world is commonly
accused of taking itself too
seriously. An ambitious show
that closed recently at the
new Embankment Galleries
in Londons Somerset House,
suggests that it may not be
taking itself seriously enough.
Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices
in Fashion and Architecture
is the frst exhibition of its
scale and kindmore than
three hundred contemporary
works by forty-six mostly
avant-garde architects and
designers, chosen to represent
what Brooke Hodge, MOCAs
curator of architecture and design, calls the increasingly
fruitful dialogue between the two disciplines.
As Suzy Menkes claimed, Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices
in Fashion and Architecture is something else: a fascinating
study of how the two crafs have run on separate, albeit
similar, lines over the last 25 years.
Skin + Bones stands to atract, if not reconcile, two camps
that rarely converge in a gallery: the followers of fashion
and the severe drafsmen in Bauhaus glasses.
The exhibition starts with the unexceptional premise that
fashion and architecture are, if not equals, cognates
related languages with a common root. Both architecture
and fashion are based on the human body and on ideas of
space, volume, and movement. Each functions as shelter or
wrapping for the bodya mediating layer between the body
and the environmentand can express personal, political,
and cultural identity. Architects and fashion designers
produce environments defned through spatial awareness.
Presenting the work of international fashion designers
and architects, the exhibition examines themes such as
shelter, identity, tectonic strategies, creative process, and
parallel stylistic tendencies including deconstruction and
minimalism.
As one moves through the show, the volume of work is both
fascinating and sufocating. Multiple passes are required to
absorb the clothes, the architectural models, the drawings,
and the footage of fashion shows gone by. In other words,
this impressive exhibition is an immersive journey into
some of the elements that have made the contemporary
environment - architecture of the body, and architecture of
socio-spatial content.
It seeks to remind us that beyond the decay of social inequity,
the rot of religious extremism, and the dogmatic rhetoric of
the socio-political strife is a lightness. This lightness revels
in the glamour of the overtly stylised object, the sublime
complexity of the environments we make as a culture, and,
most importantly, a blind optimism in beauty that has the
capacity to rise above all malcontent.
The exhibition was certainly theory-lite, but it fulflled the
need to simultaneously educate the public about something
they tend to take for granted: Fashion + Architecture.
Article by Anna Velardi
Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture
Look to the West End Sky
Article by Ben Crothers
Wicked Marguerite
Article by Kat Maher
The Lion King, Disney's 1997 award-winning Broadway
musical, has won 24 major awards, including the 1998 Tony
Award for best musical. Even if youre not a fan of the theatre,
The Lion King is a must see. Weve all seen it a million
times on DVD, and now its truly in a league of its own in
Londons West End. You may have heard the rave reviews,
but its not until you actually see the show that you fully
appreciate how incredible it is! The costumes are nothing
short of spectacular, with music and humour to match. If you
fancy geting out of Colchester, and have a few bob to spare,
The Lion King, now showing at the Lyceum Theatre, comes
highly recommended.
Article by Krishna Vyas
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Berl i n-based arti st Henri k Schrat creates
a si te speci fi c artwork that transforms the
Gal l ery i nto a "wunderkammer" - a magi c
cabi net, where l etters and text meet and
create new meani ngs before they travel
out of the Gal l ery i nto the publ i c spaces
and archi tecture of campus.
Drawi ng upon a vi sual l anguage i nspi red
by si l houettes, comi cs and sci ence fi cti on,
Schrat i nvents scenari os ful l of i rony and
l ayered meani ng as he creates a narrati ve
j ourney that travel s around campus,
searchi ng for the answer of the si mpl e
questi on, Why i s text al ways bl ack?
Uni versi ty Gal l ery, Monday Fri day 11am
5pm, Saturday 12 4 pm. Admi ssi on
Free. For f ur t h e r i n f o r ma t i o n pl e a s e
s e e www. e s s e x . a c . uk / a r t s / o f f i c e o r
c a l l 01206 873184.
The Lion King
K-PAX, frst published
in 1995 is the frst in the
trilogy by Gene Brewer
and tells the story of
Dr Brewer from the
Manhatan Psychiatric
Institute and his patient
prot (rhymes with goat)
who insists that he is a K-PAXian [sic]
from the planet K-PAX; also inhabited by
tree frogs the size of dogs where no laws,
governments or religions exist. Dr Brewer
is convinced that prot is in complete
denial and amnesia for his past and is
determined to discover an event which
has triggered his strange behaviour and
claims. But time is running out, prot has
almost completed his tour of earth and
plans to return to K-PAX at a specifc
time and date in August regardless of
Brewers intetions.
The novel takes the form of documentation
of the sessions between prot and Dr
Brewer during which the doctor asks
many questions about K-PAX and prot
himself whilst trying to decipher whether
he is an alien, or a mentally ill human
from earth. By the end, Dr Brewer has
his opinion, but whether you agree with
him or not is another mater.
The mood of the narrative is constantly
changing which keeps it interesting. At
the top of the page you will be in fts
of laughter and by the botom you will
be taken aback by the harsh realities of
mental illness.
From a psychological perspective K-PAX
is a brilliant book as the terms that
are used are understandable, and Dr
Brewers inquisitive nature is contagious;
you begin to appreciate why he asks the
questions that he does. It is also good
from a sociological point of view as prot
compares earth and K-PAX making you
refect on the society in which we live.
Books
20 RabbitBooks&CW www.therabbitonline.com
Charlote Vowden
Literature and
Creative Writing
Editor
The big 40. For many this
number is an uncomfortable
landmark which triggers a series
of events in a desperate bid to
prove that they arent fazed by
their age; ofen resulting with
the purchase of a sports car and
the adoption of a new hobby.
Nevertheless the 40th birthday
of The Man Booker Prize is a
somewhat more dignifed afair.
The award was established to
encourage the wider reading
of the crme de la crme in
fction across the UK and the
Commonwealth and has been
presented to writers such as
Pat Barker, Ben Okri and most
recently Anne Enright. The
winner of the prize receives
a well deserved 50,000 and
along with the other short
listed authors is guaranteed a
worldwide readership.
To celebrate the V&A have put
together a special exhibition
which runs until May 2009
displaying every book which
has won and been short listed
since 1969.
Despite the long running debate
surrounding the validity and
fairness of the prize I cant
help but hope that this does
not induce a mid-life crisis of
its own and that it is able to
continue to recognise talent well
into the next chapter of its life.
The winner will be announced
on October 14, log on to www.
themanbookerprize.com for
more information.
P e r s e p o l i s ,
Marjane Satrapis
aut obi ogr aphi c al
graphic novel,
explores her
childhood in Iran
during the turbulent
years surrounding the
1979 Iranian Revolution. Satrapi,
an Iranian artist who now resides
in Paris, describes her life from
age eight to womanhood through
a series of vignetes, from the
poignant to the hilarious.
First published to enormous success
in Satrapis adopted France, where
adult comic books are a long-
favored form of artistic expression.
Satrapis simplistic, black and white
illustrations convey an immense
range of emotion, perhaps telling
more of the story than the words
themselves, and Persepolis is
certainly one of the most original
memoirs of our day.
The novels guileless tone, balanced
by its humor and stark illustrations,
reveals in startling ways the realities
of growing up amid war, revolution,
and a fundamentalist regime. It is
compelling to see Iran through the
eyes of a child (who later becomes
a Kim Wilde-obsessed, rebellious
teenager), and the realizations that
we all make from childhood to
adolescence are intensifed by the
missiles and religious dictums of
Satrapis times.
Persepolis will teach you more about
Iran than you are ever likely to learn
from the news, and the authors life
story is not one which will easily be
forgoten. It both chills and warms
the soul, and Satrapis touching,
funny, illuminating memoir deserves
a much wider audience than that
which it has already achieved.
C h e r i e s
a ut obi ogr a phy
provides a
compelling insight
into the workings
of Downing Street
and also the life of a
barrister. However,
there are points when Cheries
claims are far from believable;
at times the antics of the woman
who became the PMs wife are
particularly shocking.
Cherie takes an amusing stance on
the issues between the stepping
down of Tony Blair, stating that
Gordon Browns rush to take over
made Tony remain in ofce for
longer. Thankfully she stops herself
short of a playground style sticking
out of the tongue.
There is however some glaring
inconsistencies in the text which
include the revelation that Leo
was conceived at Balmoral because
she was too embarrassed to take
contraception despite the fact that
she has since published the fact to
the world in an autobiography.
Unbelievable claims also include
her whispering; You are a good
man. And God knows your motives
are pure, even if the consequences
are not as you hoped in Tonys ear
in front of the worlds media without
any of them noticing. This comes
despite the numerous amounts of
times the media have caught her
out, the Lippygate incident to
name but one.
One cannot help but feel cheated
because essentially Cherie has used
this book to stick a knife in the
back of politicians who have been
unfortunate enough to cross her
path.
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Review by Melanie Russell
Litle, Brown Book Group, 18.99
Review by Alex Reily
Jonathan Cape publication, 14.99
Review by Ben Crothers
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Recomended Reads
As the staf of Waterstones on campus
prepare for the mad rush of book buying
students that will be emptying the shelves
at the beginning of term, they have gladly
taken a minute to suggest a much enjoyed
read. Each of these titles can be found in
store and Pauline and the team are more
than happy to help you fnd your very own
favourite.
Friends Like These By Danny Wallace,
Ebury Press, 11.99
Whats a man to do when hes just about
to turn 30? For Danny Wallace, the answer
is to retreat back to his younger days and
atempt to re-establish contact with his best
friends from school. A very funny book
which I was very sorry to fnish. - Paulines
choice.
No Time for Goodbye By
Linwood Barclay, Orion,
7.99
Barclay has writen an
addictive page-turner that I
just couldnt put down. Its
a turbo-charged thriller that
got me at every twist and turn. Defnitely
one of the best suspense novels Ive read
for a long time. Rickys choice.
The Wild Places By Robert
MacFarlane, Granta Books,
8.99
In his second book,
MacFarlane turns his
atention to the remaining
wild and unpopulated
regions of Britain. It is a
record of journeys into the moors, forests,
marshes and beaches that still retain their
remoteness. A beautifully writen piece of
travel literature, crammed with thoughts
on the meaning of wilderness. Above all it
is a love song to a sadly vanishing part of
these islands. - Iriss choice.
Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyf By Frits Barend,
Bloomsbury, 8.99
Youll be Cruyf-turning the pages of this if
you enjoy a good football read as much as
me. Barend interviewed Cruyf periodically
over his entire career, and now were able
to read the highlights of these meetings.
This is a fascinating insight into the mind
of the Dutch master. - Pauls choice.
Lessons in Heartbreak By Cathy Kelly,
HarperCollins, 6.99
A beautiful story about life, love and
friendship thats flled with excitement and
hope. I found it difcult to put it down
highly recommended. - Sonyas choice.
The spring of
1918 saw some
of the bloodiest
and dramatic
batles unfold
along the
Western Front
as, in what
would be their
fnal bid to win
the war, the
German army launched a series of
devastating atacks. For four months they
bombarded the French and British lines
with increadible force which resulted in
devastating causaulties on both sides, but
eventually the German advance ran out of
steam.
Oral Historian at the Imperial War Museum
Peter Hart has collected evidence provided
by hundreds of combatants from the British
Empire and Germany to put together an
informative epic account of the events which
pushed men on both sides to breaking
point, but which ultimately brought victory
to Britain.
Harts ability to tell the story from all angles
enables you to understand what happened
and why, as well as providing a poignant
reminder of the realities the men faced in
the front line.
RabbitBooks&CW 21 rabbooks@essex.ac.uk
CreativeWriting
Classic Corner
Margery Allingham died in June 1966
leaving the
Cargo of Eagles
u n f i n i s h e d .
Her husband
and lifetime
c o l l a b o r a t o r ,
Youngman Carter,
s u b s e q u e n t l y
fnished the novel
at her request.
In the fctional
town of Saltey,
somewhere on the Essex marshes, the
novel follows detective Mr Albert Campion
as he undertakes a mysterious case that is
unsupported by the new establishment
with which he is becoming increasingly
disillusioned.
The Campion Mysteries include some 38
novels and short stories throughout which
the reader is presented with the gradual
maturation of the protagonist Albert
Campion.
Cargo of Eagles is not the best of the
Campion mysteries but the plot is well
executed and the characters continue to
develop well throughout.
Cargo of Eagles - A Campion Mystery
By Margery Allingham, Vintage publication,
RRP: 7.99 Review by Alex Reily
Paperbacks
From the shade of the palm trees I admire
the unbroken view of waves rolling along
the golden sands. The sound lulls me as I sit,
sipping my fruity cocktail and relaxing on
the unblemished tropical island.
This is not how you should start your best
selling travel book. Unfortunately, the
problem that the aspiring travel writer has
is that a lot of people have already had the
same idea. Ever since Theroux enjoyed wild
success 200 years ago writing about a really long train journey,
everybodys been at it; you no longer get a hefy advance just for
going on holiday and handing in your diary, you have to make
your writing stand out.
This is why the above opening lines would not land you any
deals. Firstly, its full of clichs which you need to edit out if you
want to be a paid writer. Secondly, the descriptions are obvious
everybody is aware of how a wave behaves. If youre writing
about an exotic place, pick out the things that make it diferent.
What you need is an angle; whether youre following the countries
politics or writing a guide for child-friendly destinations, you
should write with a specifc audience in mind.
Fortunately for travel note takers who want to take that next step,
it is not all bad news. Despite the amount of it out there, travel
writing still sells. Travel journalism is the quickest and easiest way
to get experience in the feld and the internet is opening up ever
more opportunities to do so.
Article submission sites such as Helium and Hubpages will pay
writers for good articles. You can also earn a share of the Google
ad revenue on a list of sites published at AdMoolah. Not only can
you earn money through these sites, you gain valuable experience
and build up a portfolio of published work. You can also search for
sites seeking online travel writers, the beneft of which is that the
companies will already have made a name for themselves -About.
com, and Suite101.com both hire writers and section editors.
Of course you should also pitch to newspapers and magazines,
although it is a good idea to start of with smaller, local publications.
Many newspapers do not have a dedicated travel writing staf.
Contact your papers feature editor and enquire about being a
stringer to write about weekend events and festivals. If the editor
wants to see clips, ofer to write a couple just to pique his or her
interest. If they decide not to use them, you can always use the
articles in one of the media options listed above.
Article by Charlote Brown
Photo Credits: Charlote Vowden
Pushing aside any
p r e c o n c e p t i o n s ,
Christopher Kelly
unveils a side to the
warrior king that most
of us are unaware
of. Astute politician
and frst rate military
commander, the true
story of Atilla the Hun is
one of espionage, super
powers and complex
intelligence.
Lie Back and Listen
From the tender age of
eight cheeky chappy
chef Jamie Oliver could
be found cooking in
the kitchen. Today he
has become a social
revolutionary, fghting
to improve the quality
of British food and
cooking. Gilly Smith
talks to people at the
centre of this upheaval
in the food industry
with fascinating
consequence.
The Bright Young people
were at the centre of
the scandals that flled
1920s gossip columns.
They were a pleasure
seeking, bohemian party
going youth cult that
had been brought up in
the shadow of the war.
However, underneath
the razzle dazzle and the
seemingly glamorous
lifestyles lay a troubled
generation struggling to cope with transition
into the far more serious thirties.
Reviews by Charlote Vowden
Atila the Hun By Christopher Kelly,
The Bodley Head publication, 12.99
The Jamie Oliver Efect By Gilly Smith, Andre
Deutsch publication, 8.99
Bright Young People - The reise and Fall of a
Generation 1918-1940
By D.J.Taylor, Vintage publication, 9.99
1918: A Very British Victory By Peter Hart
Read by Clive Mantle
Audio Length: 6hours 21min
Orion Publishing Group, 16.99
Review by Charlote Vowden
Whats on? October 5 - 17
GIRLS NIGHT OUT WITH PENNY VINCENZI, CRISTINA
ODONE AND JENNY COLGAN, October 6
Cannizaro House Hotel, Wimbledon, 7.30 for 8pm start
As part of the Wimbledom Literary Festival, author Penny
Vincenzi returns for her sell out night with guests and fellow
writers.
www.wimbledonbookfest.org (15)
BOOK LAUNCH October 7
Waterstones, Picadilly, London, 6.30pm
Beatles biographer Philip Norman talks to Paul Du Noyer about
his latest book John Lennon: The Life. Ticket price is redeemable
with the purchase of a book. (3) www.waterstones.com/events
BOOK SIGNING October 9
Waterstones, Picadilly London, 5pm
Girls Aloud sign copies of their new autobiography. It is advisable
that you arrive early to avoid disappointment as it will be very
busy. Strictly frst come, frst serve basis. www.waterstones.com/
events (Free)
NATIONAL POETRY DAY October 9
To celebrate, events including poet Derek Adams giving a
talk on how poets can use their experience of work in writing
and workshops encouraging you to pick up a pen are running
throughout the day. For full details and listings see htp://www.
essex-poetry-festival.co.uk/workshop.htm. (Free)
ESSEX POETRY FESTIVAL until October 11
The Essex Poetry Festival has been running since late September
and consists of a series of readings and workshops around the
county. At the Civic and Cramphorn theatre in Chelmsford, poet
Catherine Smith will be presenting the Essex Poetry competition
winners their awards. This will be followed by an open mic
session and a chance to meet the team from London Magazine
and their guest poets. (Ticket prices vary)
Log on to www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk to see the full line up.
BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING October 14
Waterstones, Norwich Castle St, 7.00pm
Paul Willets will give a brief talk and then sign copies of his
new book Teenage Flicks: Memories of the Sub-beautiful. www.
waterstones.com/events (Free)
M
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22 RabbitMyxomatosis www.therabbitonline.com
Meet Myxi
You may have thought things would come right again
If you could only keep quite still and wait. - Philip Larkin, Myxomatosis
You can e-mail your submission to:
rabbit@essex.ac.uk
Or pop your memory in an envelope and
hand it in at the SU reception.
If youd rather post it for added anonymity;
the|Rabbit - Myxomatosis
University of Essex Students Union
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester, Essex
CO4 3SQ
What were they thinking, you ask, to name a page
afer a disease? You may have noticed our new
mascot on the front page, the cute 2 eared bunny
who we call Myxi. Sometimes it is important to
explore the dark side within - ones own nemesis.
If the rest of the|Rabbit aims to do one thing - aims
to reach out to you and give you all that which
you cant obtain elsewhere - the point of Myxi is to
reach out to you and get from you what we cant
get anywhere else.
The real world has to enter somewhere and
however ofputing this disease can be we decided
to give a litle of our space and time into making
sure reality however, gross and of-puting it
may be, has room to vent. We hope to change the
stereotype of this disease from something very
destructive into something positive for everyone
it touches. So, students of the University of Essex,
we beg of you, be creative, be something else, but
most of all be real.
Myxi will be an ongoing project aimed at fnding
out what makes Essex students tick. It might range
from the simplest request to something requiring
more thought, but we hope we can fnd those
amongst us willing to oblige.
Episode One
Everyone has a moment they want to hold
forever. In this day and age the camera is as
frequent as the wrist watch once was. What
wed like from you is a real image - an image of
something youve seen and decided to keep a
memory of - in digital form or otherwise.
It can be something you had a feeling about, or
a connection with; it can be as plain or as out of
the ordinary as you desire.
To show you the kind of thing were afer, weve
asked one of our team to lead by example.
Postgraduates
Were looking for your inspiration, your
stories, your experiences. Feel like you can
encourage others through your words and
pass on your wisdom?
Wed like to hear about it.
Please e-mail any stories to
rabbit@essex.ac.uk
A day by the lakes, a day to remember.
-
Agony Bunny - agonyrabbit@essex.ac.uk
RabbitMyxomatosis 23 agonyrabbit@essex.ac.uk
Hello! After spending years burrowing my bunny holes around campus I have learnt a lot about campus life and helped the bunny population with their problems.
I have now decided to get out of the dark and fnd a nice warm offce with plenty of carrots and answer your problems, so welcome to my frst column.
Dear Agony Rabbit,
I am just about to start at the Uni, but I am
really worried about a few things. Not sure
what to do, I have never lived away from
home before, and I have a really great bunch
of mates at home, we have been friends
since primary school, so I have never really
needed to make new friends before. Im
just concerned that I wont get along with
anyone. I dont know what to do!
Thanks
Worried soon to be frst year
Hello,
I wouldnt worry too much if I was you,
everybody will be feeling the same, a new
place and new people can be very scary, but
afer a few weeks you will wonder what you
were worried about! As well as your new
fat mates, you will meet people from your
course, also if you have a hobby, a certain
interest then check out the various sports
and societies that are on ofer, freshers
fare is a great opportunity for this. If you
join a sport or soc then you are guaranteed
to meet even more people, and if there is
nothing you fancy then you can always set
up your own! Just remember everybody
is in the same position, so try to relax and
enjoy your frst few weeks here.
Hope that helps
Agony Rabbit
Dear Agony Rabbit,
I know this isnt really the biggest of
problems, but Im starting my second
year and about to live of campus for the
frst time. Just a bit worried about geting
to and from campus, and also living with
less people, as I lived in the towers now Im
only going to have three fatmates.
Thanks
Anon Second Year
Dear anon second year,
Something a lot of students worry
about, and you shouldnt! It is best to be
concerned about your safety geting to
and from campus, best advice is to get to
know the other students living in your area
and arrange to travel to and from campus
together, if not then the SU operates a
Safety bus (details can be found on the SU
Website). Travelling to and from campus
with your fatmates and those living around
you will let you get to know others. Many
people enjoy the freedom living of campus
can bring, a break from campus life, having
a living room with sofas, living in a diferent
community as well as the housewarming
parties, just dont upset your neighbours
and you will be fne!
Agony Rabbit
Dear Agony Rabbit,
I've had this same repeating problem over
and over again and it's driving me mad!
I meet a girl and we firt a bit and I start
to wonder if I like her but I'm terrible at
reading signals and assume she's not
interested so I don't try it on with her. We
then become friends and deep down that
feeling doesn't go away that I like her. If I
fnally get the courage to see if she likes me
too then she says that 'we're just friends' or
she might admit that had we not fallen into
the friendship zone then something might
have happened between us. If I'm brave
and try it on with a girl earlier on then ofen
I get rejected. Can two friends make a good
couple? How can I tell if a girl fancies
me before we become friends? Help!
Anonymous male student
Dear Anonymous male student,
There are no set paterns and rules to
relationships, they are all completely
diferent and complex. Some people
like to get to know someone before they
commit, whilst others do not want to get
together with a friend as they worry that if
it was to go wrong then it would ruin their
friendship. Many people that are friends
do end up geting together as it can form a
basis to a relationship. However, I think you
need to be honest with girls, whether that is
those that you have become friends with or
new girls you meet. It can be difcult to tell
whether someone fancies you or not and
that is why you need to be honest.
I hope that helps, and good luck
Agony Rabbit
If you have any problems, no mater
how big or small then please email me
at agonyrabbit@essex.ac.uk all emails
are treated confdentially and no names
will ever be printed.
VOLUNTEERS
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Mystery Jets Poster 4.indd 2 15/9/08 13:38:45
It's been a while since I have played a beat-em-up game,
usually because I am more drawn into RPSs or FPSs
than spend long hours mashing butons in order to use
my opponent as a punch bag. As the ffh game in the
Soul Caliber series, this iteration brings the series into
the next generation arena, including amazing graphics,
online multiplayer and character creation.
The game has several modes, including Story, Arcade
and the Tower of Lost Souls. The story mode is very
short, lasting only around 5 rounds per character, and
starts with a long text sequence explaining the story and
motivation of the character your playing. In all honesty,
a nice cutscene or voiceover would be beter here, as on
non-HD TV's, the text can be hard to read. The difculty
levels (normal and hard) have no real diference between
them, I would expect to spend less than 10 minutes or
less for each character to complete. The cut-scenes at the
end look amazing, however they are very short and most
are repeated for nearly all the characters. I would really
use the story to re-familiarise yourself with the controls
and gameplay mechanics, however those interested in
the story eternally retold will enjoy this short section.
The arcade mode is similar to Dead or Alive and the
previous Soul Caliber, and is really used to unlock
achievements and items for character creation.
The tower of lost souls is one of the best parts of the
game, you select two fghters and work up (or down)
the tower tag-fghting opponents along the way. This
can be used to unlock more items, and to really fesh out
the single player aspect of the game. It's still much more
fun than the story and arcade modes, but lacks cutscenes
and real background to the characters.
It seems a shame that because the graphics are so good,
this is wasted on the lack of cutscenes and character
dialogue. It has to be said that Darth Vader and the secret
apprentice actually look beter in Soul Caliber than they
do in the upcoming Force Unleashed game. The batle
stages look great, are fully interactive and destructible,
really adding to the games appeal.
The character creation system has taken up way to
much of my time, you can customise nearly everything
a character has, including mannerisms, fghting style,
clothes and weapons. The items unlocked from the single
player modes can be used on your own characters, and
then brought online to fght players around the world.
Sometimes fghting games have a limited appeal and
set place for the game shelf. Once completed they are
shelved until your friends come round to play 'vs' mode
occasionally. Soul Caliber 4 has more to ofer than the
standard fghting game, with online multiplayer and
character creation, this will be a great addition to your
games, and keep you entertained for quite a while.
Coming this fall (around November), is a new update
for the Microsof Xbox360.
Usually individual dashboard updates aren't worth
writing about, however this update is a major makeover
for the platform, bringing completely new features for
gamers.
The frst (and most major) is the new dashboard. Instead
of the 'blades', when booting up the console players will
see the redesigned user interface similar to the Windows
Media Center platform. This will confuse new users at
frst, however it is simple to use, and shows all the menu
items in roughly the same places as before. The new
options allow users to install games from the disc to the
hard drive, which shortens loading times and noise of
the machine when used. This will of course require a
hard drive equipped Xbox, as most games take around
6.5Gb of storage. You will still have to put the disc in
the drive tray to run the game due to copy protection,
but this is a small price to pay for having GTA4 loading
quicker than the sloth it is now.
The other major addition is Avatars. Not Mii's, Avatars.
Despite looking near exactly the same, Microsof are
adding the ability to create your own avatar. Although
these will only be used in games that are rated around
E10+ (kids games) or lower, players can still create an
avatar that is viewable by your friends and from your
dashboard. Achievements from certain games will
unlock more clothing for your avatar, which is not
ripping of Playstation 3's Home in anyway at all.
The old blade system is not completely gone, it replaces
the guide buton menu when playing a game, meaning
that you no longer have to go to the dashboard to play a
game from your hard drive.
Also included is the ability to preview themes before
you use/buy them (don't worry about the themes you
already have bought, they will work perfectly in the new
dashboard), and information about your game in the
disc tray straight through the main dashboard screen.
This update is free, and will be hiting xbox 360's
sometime in November.
Games
RabbitGames 25 rabgames@essex.ac.uk
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In atempting to list the greatest entries into the current
generation of gaming, one is able to form a solid
argument for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
to sit atop that list. Twenty years following the release
of the original Metal Gear, the fourth title in Hideo
Kojimas acclaimed series brings to a close the tale
of one of gamings most revered protagonists war-
scarred veteran Solid Snake. In a story ripped from
todays headlines, iconic soldier Solid Snake is charged
with an unsanctioned mission to eliminate returning
villain Revolver Liquid Ocelot before his plans for
worldwide insurrection are complete. Furthermore,
Snake (now codenamed Old Snake) must endure
the side-efects of the Foxdie virus inhabiting his body,
namely his accelerated aging and compromised vitality.
With death imminent, Snakes mission to eliminate
Liquid is something of a fnal act.
Whilst Guns of the Patriots generally upholds the long-
standing mechanics of the series, Kojima has made
several welcome gameplay refnements. Refecting the
tempestuous nature of the games narrative, stealth is no
longer an obligatory technique for survival, but rather,
Snakes fnal mission is so action-packed that you may
fnd yourself killing more enemies than in the previous
titles combined. Thankfully, the chaos is captured
competently by the games new, intuitive combat and
camera systems.
Visually, Guns of the Patriots is one of the most
stunning titles currently available on any platform,
a fact demonstrated best in the games plentiful cut-
scenes. Together with Hideo Kojimas stunning eye for
cinematic style and a scintillating score from Harry
Gregson-Williams, the game is a feast to both observe
and experience, its breathtaking look and feel easily able
to rival the quality of any Hollywood flm. In lieu of
astronomical expectations, Hideo Kojima has crafed
an exhilarating fnal chapter for Solid Snake. With the
games great emotional resonance and artistic integrity,
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots presents the most
convincing argument yet for games to be considered as
art.
Although Snakes fate will be heavily divisive among
fans, and the game is certainly easier than previous
installments, Hideo Kojima has crafed a defnitive
masterpiece. Snakes fnal adventure will not win over
those who disliked the previous titles, yet the game
has undoubtedly revolutionised the current gaming
generation as the previous games did for theirs.
Article by Daniel Bishop
Article by Daniel Bishop
Article by Daniel Bishop
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Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
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Sports
26 RabbitSports www.therabbitonline.com
BUCS Season Preview
Football
The 2007-8 season was a highly successful
one for Essex football, with all eight teams
usually being able to turnout on a regular
basis. The mens 2
nd
s and 3
rd
s can look
forward to an opening fxture against
each other in BUCS league 3B. The mens
6
th
s and 7
th
s also have this similar scenario
in league 6B, but will have to wait a few
months before they meet. The womens
1
st
s came within minutes of reaching the
Premier Division last year, and remain in
league 1A as a result.
Sports Editors
Verdict: Although
I cannot see the
mens 1
st
s completely
replicating their 100%
record, confdence will be high among most
of the mens teams afer last years exploits,
meaning further promotion challenges
could be on the cards. I also believe the
womens team will be challenging for a
place in the BUCS Premier Division again
afer their narrow play-of defeat last
season.
Rugby
The Rugby club was
another that enjoyed
multiple successes from
its teams. The best mens
1
st
XV performance was
probably the 61-7 demolition
of Kent University, and they also
accumulated 270 points in matches played
in the Autumn Term. Furthermore, with
talented players to call on from the lower
teams, this will give them a wide range
of options when they come up against
tougher opposition. The mens 2
nd
and 3
rd

XV enjoyed a derby with the 2
nd
teams
class eventually showing through.
Sports Editors Verdict: I feel the Womens
team can only look forward with
confdence afer a disastrous run of defeats
last year they most likely do not want to
be reminded of. As for the Mens teams,
because they have signifcant strength in
depth, a strong showing in their BUCS
groups and an extended cup run would
constitute another good season.
Afer a few BUSA games it was
clear that the mens 1
st
team was
arguably one of the best teams
the club had assembled for years.
They fnished their BUSA league with a
100% win record. The womens teams also
created a squad well capable of going out
and winning matches, and although they
couldnt match the successes of their male
counterparts, their efort and commitment
could not be questioned. Additionally,
both mens and womens 2
nd
teams put in
reasonable performances.
Sports Editors Verdict: Losing the
infuential David Coates is a massive blow
for the mens team, nonetheless it was
their performances as a team that ensured
their promotion last year, and when this
happened they honestly looked unbeatable.
Furthermore, the womens teams showed
fashes of brilliance last season, yet lacked
some consistency. If they can get a run of
wins going this time around I have high
hopes for them.
Hockey
The mens team contributed the most
entertaining match on last years Derby
Day, and despite eventually losing to
East Anglia, they put up a terrifc fght.
Nonetheless, a possibly tough season lies
ahead, as both mens and womens teams
are placed in high-ranking leagues, being
BUCS groups 1A and 2A respectively.
Sports Editors
Verdict: I think
Basketball have the
trickiest test of all the
Essex BUCS teams.
I feel that if they
comfortably preserve
their status in both leagues
this season could be defned as a success.
Both teams success this season will also
depend upon how many of last years team
they have been able to retain.
Basketball
With fve teams entering the new BUCS
leagues, the Badminton teams will be
another interesting club to watch. A Mens
team thrashing 7-2 East Anglia on Derby
Day rounded of a positive season. The
recent news that Essex University has
been secured as a Badminton Excellence
centre will open up a great deal of further
coaching opportunities for the club. The
mens 2
nd
and 3
rd
teams will be tested when
they play each other in BUCS group 4B at
the beginning of November.
Sports Editors Verdict:
From what I understand,
the Badminton team are
seting their ambitions
extremely high this year. Furthermore,
I think that now with the possibility of
more advanced coaching, these ambitions
for progression in their respective BUCS
leagues are justifed. It will certainly be a
club whose development over the coming
year we shall watch with great interest.
Badminton
Netball was another of the Sports
Federations 2008-2009 seasons success
stories. Along with winning their respective
BUSA league, they made it all the way
to a BUSA fnal against the University
of York. The stage was set afer they had
won fve of their six games by Christmas.
In their BUCS league this year the 1
st
team
face opposition from the universities of
Greenwich, Middlesex and Hertfordshire
along the way, which will without question
test their new found confdence gained as a
result of last seasons achievements.
Sports Editors
Verdict: I think
it may be a beter
year for Essex
Netball than some of
the club may believe.
They need to ensure that they can replace
any departing players efectively, as well
as developing the abilities of players in the
2
nd
and 3
rd
teams, who can look towards
establishing themselves in the 1
st
team in
the next few years.
Netball
The mens 1
st
Volleyball team was
surprisingly one of only fve Essex University
teams last year that were occupying top spot
in their BUSA league at Christmas. Their
eventual record showed that they went
on to lose only three games out of eleven
all season. Like Basketball they will be
severely tested, as they compete in league
1A this year amongst the elite teams in the
South Eastern Conference. The Womens
team should also have a good chance of
promotion from league 2B against a group
of all-London university opposition, having
showed glimpses of promise at the end of
last season.
Sports Editors
Verdict: Their
Derby Day double
loss will not have
disheartened these
teams very easily, as
their BUSA cup run was
a signifcant achievement.
Along with Hockey, I think the new players
they recruit and their compatibility as a
team will be the key to how well both mens
and womens Volleyball perform over the
coming twelve months.
Volleyball
The Tennis club has one team apiece for
men and women entering BUCS this year.
Based on the performances last year, their
success will depend upon how easily they
can forge a setled team. Unfortunately,
none of the three mens Cricket teams
excelled throughout the 2007-8 summer
season, with wins being a rare occurrence.
They will undoubtedly be hoping for beter
fortunes this time around. On the other
hand, the Womens cricket recorded only
the one loss, which came at the end of their
cup run. The Squash teams also had varied
achievements, and like many other clubs
this year their fortunes will depend upon
how many of their current team they still
have available. Nonetheless, with the high
quality of the coaching the teams receive,
they will certainly be looking to beter last
seasons performances. To complete the
BUCS line-up for the 2008-9 year, it includes
a further seven teams competing in Fencing,
Golf, Table Tennis and Waterpolo.
Other
Will Cooper, our Sports Editor, takes a look at past accomplishments and encounching challenges
RabbitSports 27 rabsports@essex.ac.uk
A Freshers Guide to the Sports Federation
Aikido
ckhans@essex.ac.uk
Training times:
Mondays 8.30 - 10.30 am
Thursdays 8.30 - 10.30 am
American football
blades@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Wednesdays 7 10 pm
Sundays 11 3 pm
Archery
kzivti@essex.ac.uk
Athletics
dwpowe@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 7pm
Wednesdays 6:45pm
Thursdays 5pm
Badminton
ldevoi@essex.ac.uk
Boxing
jcmore@essex.ac.uk
Mondays 5 6 pm
Thursdays 5-7pm
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
ckhans@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 8 - 10
Fridays 4 - 6

Cheerleading
cheer@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 6 - 8 pm
Fridays 5 - 7 pm
Cricket
djshar@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 6 - 8 pm
(Women)
Mondays 8 - 10 pm (Men)
Wednesdays 6 - 8 pm
(Men)
Disc Sports
pefsta@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Wednesday Afernoons
Saturdays 3 - 4 pm
Essex Dance
slreed@essex.ac.uk
Fencing
rrouss@essex.ac.uk
Gaelic Football
smmcge@essex.ac.uk
Gliding
kkrish@essex.ac.uk
Golf
jptayl@essex.ac.uk
Hockey
kolivem@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 6 - 8 pm
(Women)
Tuesdays 7.30 - 10 pm
(Men)
Fridays 4 - 5 pm
Horse Riding
spbuss@essex.ac.uk
Riding times:
Wednesday afernoons
1 - 2 pm (Beginner)
2 - 3 pm (Intermediate)
3 - 4 pm (Advanced)

Jiu Jitsu
jray@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 8 - 10 pm
Thursdays 8 - 10 pm
Kickboxing
theod@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 8 - 10 pm
Wednesdays 8 - 10 pm
Mens Basketball
nparis@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 4 - 6 pm
Fridays 5 - 7 pm

Mens Football
sharril@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 5 - 7 pm
Thursdays 5 - 7 pm

Mens Rugby Union
sfpres@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 7 - 9 pm
Fridays 5 - 7 pm
Mountaineering
sjwjoy@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 5 - 10 pm
Wednesdays 12 - 5 pm
Sundays 12 - 5 pm

Netball
secoat@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 6 - 8 pm
Thursdays 5 - 6 pm
Pool
poolclub@essex.ac.uk
Session Times:
Wednesdays 2 5 pm
Sundays 2 5 pm
Rowing
jpwrya@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Fridays 9 - 10 pm
Skydiving
maslet@essex.ac.uk
Snowsports
snowspo@essex.ac.uk
Southend Fencing
mrscop@essex.ac.uk
Southend Football
sburre@essex.ac.uk
Squash
maley@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 6 - 8.15 pm
Thursdays 6 - 8.15 pm
Sub Aqua
gdrich@essex.ac.uk
Swimming / Water Polo
swim@essex.ac.uk
Tuesdays 8 - 9 pm
Thursdays 5 6 pm
Thursdays 8.30 - 9.30 pm
Sundays 9 - 10 pm
Table Tennis
dsking@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Thursdays 4 - 6 pm
Ten Pin Bowling
bowling@essex.ac.uk
Club Sessions:
Monday 8 12 pm
Wednesday 2.30 5 pm
Tennis
sharrih@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Mondays 5 - 7 pm
Thursdays 6 - 8 pm
Trampolining
lfaris@essex.ac.uk
Triathlon
jrizzo@essex.ac.uk
Volleyball
cgiles@essex.ac.uk
Tuesdays 6 8 pm
(Womens)
Tuesdays 8 10 pm (Men's)
Sundays 1 3 pm (Mixed)
Womens Basketball
aortiz@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 6 - 8 pm
Thursdays 6 - 8 pm
Womens Football
sorsbo@essex.ac.uk
Tuesdays 5 7 pm
Fridays 5 6 pm
Womens Rugby Union
umille@essex.ac.uk
Training Times:
Tuesdays 7 - 9 pm
Fridays 6 - 8 pm
Clubs and Training Times
Abu Sayeed
VP Sports and Societies
The Vice-President of Sports and Societies is
the man at the top. He is also the President
of the Sports Federation. The responsibility
for the overall running of the clubs within
the Federation and its political leadership
lies with him. The VP Sports and Societies
is ultimately responsible for club budgets,
discipline and equipment. As well as liasing
closely with the Sports Centre to ensure the
provision of facilities for student led sport he
is the frst point of contact in regards to BUCS
(British Universities and Colleges Sport).
Adam Burrows
Sports Fed Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the co-
ordination of Finance Commitee and the
allocation of Sports Federation allocations.
Alongside this they hold budget and audit
meetings with our individual clubs to
ensure the money granted to them is spent
as specifed.

Emma Irvine
Sports Development Ofcer
The Sports Development Ofcer is expected
to explore the various revenues through
which clubs can progress and achieve
as many of their individual objectives as
possible. Alongside the task of helping
facilitate mini-bus tests which are taken by
students and increase the awareness of the
sports bursary scheme previous ofcers have
atempted to strengthen ties regarding old-
boy funding for clubs and involving media
to promote sport. Aside from these roles the
Sports Development Ofcer will work with
the martial arts federal group.

Kayleigh O'Leary
Fundraising Ofcer
The Fundraising Ofcer will be required
to work closely with the Vice-President
on Sports Fed nights (Score!) and RAG,
and Sports Fed Charity Week, the charity
calendar and wider SU fundraising
projects. Alongside providing wide-ranging
fundraising opportunities for the whole of
our clubs, the Fundraising Ofcer will be
placed in charge of parenting the specialist
federal group.

Phil Macken
Events Ofcer
The responsibilities that reside with the
Events Ofce is to simply help facilitate and
deliver large campus events such as Derby
Day and Alumni, whilst also working with
the Fundraising Ofcer around large-scale
charity events, and large-scale volunteer
projects. The track and gym sports will also
be placed under the guidance of this ofcer.

Richard Smyth
Alumni Ofcer
The main focus of this executive position is
to raise the profle of our existing intramural
sports program and atempt to signifcantly
improve and add to it. This involves working
closely with the personnel at the Sports
Centre so that the Sports Fed can allow
its clubs to get the most out of intramural
sports. Furthermore, the Alumni Ofcer
is required to try and establish further
opportunities between the feld sports in
intramural competitions, and will also work
in association with the federal group as its
parent.

Stephen Prest
Communications Ofcer
This ofcer will be concerned with the
establishment of a website for every
individual sports club within the Sports
Fed to ensure the student body receives an
appropriate level of information for each
club. They are also responsible for the Sport
Fed newsleter, a regular mail-out detailing
meeting dates, results, and news from the
Sports Federation. The Communication
Ofcer will also be responsible for the
development and maintaining of the racket
sports federal group.

Sports Federation 1st Year
Representatives
The Sports Federation 1st Year Reps are free of a
specifc responsibility to help facilitate the other
Sports Federation Executive Ofcers. Whilst
the other ofcers (excluding the Treasurer) have
specifc obligations that comes with their post,
the 1st Year Reps are on hand to ensure that they
are doing their jobs efectively. If there was a
problem such as an ofcer failing to hold a federal
meeting, the clubs can come in confdence to a
1st Year Rep should they not wish or be able to
contact the Vice-President
Want to write for the
sports section?
Want to have
your big matches
covered?
E-mail
rabsport@essex.ac.uk
or visit
www.therabbitonline.com
With a new university term begins a new
term of sport, and for the 2008-09 season,
under the guidance of a newly established
association. The British Universities and
Colleges Sport (BUCS) was formed in June
2008, and draws together and merges the
expertise of the two previously prominent
governing bodies, being the British
Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and
University College Sport (UCS). The new
organisation has been branded as a fresh start
for university sport, with the vision set out
to enhance the student sporting experience
in the key areas of performance, competition
and participation. On a national scale, the
new association will ofer a comprehensive,
multi-sport competition structure and
manage the development of programmes,
services and facilities for grass-roots sports.
Ed Smith, the new BUCS chairman, issued
this short statement: Puting sport at the
heart of the university experience is central
to our success. Encouraging more people
on and around campus to get active, maybe
for the frst time, to improve their health
and ftness as well as develop new skills
is a commitment every higher education
institution should be making. With our
members BUCS will be working to improve
sport and recreation for students, staf and
related communities and supporting the
case for high-quality facilities and healthy
campus services.
In light of this statement, what does this newly
created organisation actually mean for the
sporting community here at the University
of Essex? In reality, hardly anything will
change. In efect, the only changes are at
the top, and will not signifcantly afect the
average student participating in a BUCS
sport. Nonetheless it will not be completely
inefective to the university; for example, the
personnel through whom Essex University
has to liase with regarding fxtures amongst
other things will be diferent. Furthermore,
radical changes like the changing of the BUCS
matchday from a Wednesday to another day
is unlikely to ever occur.
One new signifcant feature is the new
revamped BUCS website. Interactive content
and scoreboards are just some of the new
features available and each visitor will be
able to tailor their website experience to the
sports and news that interest them the most.
Once the competitive matches begin results
lists and league tables will be updated more
efciently.
However the real possibility of change will
likely be implemented in the long term. This
could lead to a sustained amount of further
fnancing that could potentially be shared
between universities across the country.
Initially however, no student is likely to
notice the diference of the newly established
BUCS. Yet as mentioned previously, it is in
the long term where the real efects of this
change will be felt.
BUSA Now British Universities and
Colleges Sport
28 RabbitSports rabsports@essex.ac.uk
Article by Will Cooper
Any further information regarding
BUCS formation along with updates
and results can be accessed at
www.bucs.org.uk.
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