D U N D E E U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D E N T S M A G A Z I N E

The Magdalen
DUfC
Meet
DunDees
Medallist
Gold
ChristMas
Dinner recipe
photography
100 years of
Fashion
Daniel sloss
ticket giveaway
e
d
i
t
o
r
i
a
l
First of all, Id like to say congratulations to Barack Obama,
the re-elected President of the United States. With his
second term starting in January he will continue to ofer us
the hope for change that is so vital in times like these.
This month The Magdalen hopes to bring you a
bit of Christmas cheer with Mhairi Rutherfords Christmas
Dinner recipe. Its quick, easy to make and delicious and all
costs under 50. Its a great excuse to have your friends over
and drink a bit too much wine.
Also be sure to check out Nicholas Mandersons
interview with Daniel Sloss. Get an insight to the comedians
world and learn how to you can win two free tickets to see
him at the Dundee Rep on Saturday 8th of December!
Through the devastating destruction of
Hurricane Sandy our very own Special Olympic gold
medallist, Gregor MacKenzie sheds a beam of light onto
Dundee, reminding us that nothing is impossible. He shows
us that with the right attitude, confdence, hard work and
a practical joke or two, success is attainable. He is truly an
inspiration to us all.
And fnally, thank you to The Magdalens team,
youve outdone yourselves again!
Melina Nicolaides
editor-iN-chief
Published by:
Daniel McGlade, VPCC
DUSA, Airlie Place
Dundee, DD1 4PH
vpcc@dusa.co.uk
Printed by:
Winters & Simpson
Print
16 Dunsinane Avenue
Dundee, DD2 3QT
Editor in Chief:
Melina Nicolaides
themagdalen@dusa.co.uk
Deputy Editor:
Nicholas Manderson
Editoral Assistants:
Catriona Duthie
Kevin Fullerton
Editorial
The Magdalen PAGE 2 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Editorial
Category Editors:
Current Afairs | Benjamin Blaser
Features | Danielle Ames
Entertainment | Jane Johnston
Art | Francisco Garcia
Travel | Shannon Pryde
Fashion | Claire McPhillimy
Lifestyle | Mhairi Rutherford
Production:
Graphic Design | Nicholas Manderson, Melina
Nicolaides, & Stacy Rowlison.
Cover Photograph | Steven Fullerton
Cover Photoshop | Steven Fullerton
Contributors: Benjamin Blaser, Danielle Ames, Jane Johnston, Francisco Garcia, Shannon
Pryde, Claire McPhillimy, Mhairi Rutherford, NIcholas Manderson, Melina Nicolaides, Steven
Fullerton, Kevin Fullerton, Catriona Duthie, Stacy Rowlison, Gregor MacKenzie, Fiona
MacKenzie, Andrew Woof, Brian Mudie, Iain MacKinnon, Kirstie Allan, Jalal Abukather, Felix
Reimer, Christine Norval, Rose Matheson, Geraint James, Kathryn McKnight, Sarasvath
Arulampalam, Leona Reid, Brian Cox, Daniel Sloss, Fleur Darkin, Andrew Jardine & Gillian
Easson.
C
o
n
t
e
n
t
s
The Magdalen PAGE 3 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Contents
Editorial
4 Exec News, Campus
News & Spex Pistols
Lifestyle
5 Christmas Dinner Recipe
Travel
8 Climbing Kilimanjaro
Current Afairs
9 Malala
10 Defending Disability
12 Palestines Apartheid
13 When going abroad
Features
14 A Miserable Guide to
Christmas
16 A Few Words with Brian
Cox
18 Dundees Unsung Hero
Fashion
20 Beauty Remedies
21 Captured on Campus
22 The Hit List
24 Selling Dreams
Art
26 SDT | Fleur Darkin
27 Silent Cinema
28 Creative Dundee

Entertainment
30 Daniel Sloss interview
31 Reformed Band Review
32 Previews
33 Band of the Month
Sport
34 Meet the Team | DUFC
cover | Meet GreGor p. 18
WiN ticKetS to dANieL SLoSS
p. 30
F
or the most part, the more
liberal and peace loving
members of the world
breathed a collective sigh relief
when Barack Obama was re-elected
into a second term as President of
the United States of America.
In the run up to the November 6th
polling day, pundits were predicting
a tight sprint to the fnish with each
candidate jetting between the
crucial swing states to gather every
ounce of support they could muster.
Ten days before voting stations
opened, Republican candidate, Mitt
Romney, was seen to be slightly
ahead of the Democrats Barack
Obama, according to opinion polls.
Rather morbidly though, Obamas
campaign was aided by the
devastation in the wake of hurricane
Sandy, as the US media showed
a calm and collected President
Obama, stepping into the fold
ofering help and support.
Heading back on the campaign
trail, Barack Obama was coming
just in front of Mitt Romney in the
polls. The two men were essentially
neck and neck, with few of the
regular pundits ofering a concrete
prediction of how the vote will fall.
Mitt Romney emphasised just
how close the vote might be only
Hes Here to stay
Editorial
I
t seems like it was just
yesterday that I wrote my last
column for The Magdalen.
There are many exciting and
interesting events happening over
nicholas manderson
EXEC
NEWS
A N D R E W
J AR D I NE
VPE
hours before voting stations opened,
stating that Ohio - one of the crucial
swing states - would make or break
his chances of becoming President.
In the end Ohio with Obama, with
Romney conceding victory once
the majority of results had swung
against his favour.
Before the state of Florida, the
eighth swing state, had fnished
counting its ballots and declared,
Obama had won in the other seven
swing states. Overall, President
Obama won 303 electoral votes to
Romneys 206; a far more decisive
result that had been expected.
the next few months. DUSA will
be holding a Raising and Giving
Week starting on the 14th January,
where we will be raising money,
in conjunction with Cash for Kids,
for TCCL Lodge, who are building
a lodge to provide respite for those
recovering from cancer. There will
be many exciting events including
a comedy night as well as cards
being sold, with all the money going
to straight to TCCL Lodge. Why not
pick up a pack of Xmas cards today,
and help a really worthwhile cause.
To add to this, the Rector
Elections are creeping up fast, with
nominations opening at the end of
November. The Rectors role at the
University is to look afer students
pastoral interests at an institutional
level. This is a key position in the
University, so why not have a
think about who you might like to
nominate.
Thats all from me for this issue. As
always the Exec is here for you, so
feel free to contact us at any time.
vpe@dusa.co.uk
The Magdalen PAGE 4 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Editorial
1. Start by squeezing the orange
juice out into a bowl, and mix in
the cranberry sauce; season with
a little salt.
2. Snip the ends of the
sausages, and squeeze (delightful,
I know) out the flling.
3. Make a slit in each chicken
breast; Cut with a sharp knife
from the side in, to make a pocket
and fll with the sausage meat.
4. Drizzle a baking dish with
oil, and place the chicken in side
by side. Spread a little oil of the
chicken, season, and then pour
over the orange and cranberry
mix. (or whatever youre using).
Make sure it has been well
distributed about the mix too.
The Magdalen
PAGE 5
NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Lifestyle
ChiCken
Cranberry & Orange
mhari rutherford
6 chicken breasts
4 chilli sausages
1 navel orange
6 tbsp cranberry
sauce
Salt and Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Potatoes
Seasoning
ingredients
Feel free to use Turkey for this
recipe. The turkey will take longer
to cook than the chicken, so be
careful with timings. I recommend
visiting the butcher for the chicken
and sausages; I found it to be
far more economical than the
supermarket, and better value.
5. Let the chicken marinade for
at least 30 minutes, then bake in a
200 degree oven for 40 minutes,
or until cooked through.
1. Pour around 3 tbsp of oil (or
goose fat) into an oven tray, and
place in a 220 degree oven.
2. While your oil heats up, peel
the potatoes and chop them in
half, then boil in salted water for
10 minutes..
3. Drain and place in heated
oil, spooning the hot oil over
the potatoes. Next, season
with salt and pepper and place
in a 200 degree oven for 40
minutes, turning the potatoes
occasionally.
Chicken
Potatoes
cooking directions
in honor of the holiday season which is fast approaching, our Lifestyle editor,
Mhairi Rutherford, took it upon herself to put together a fantastic Christmas
dinner. its quick, easy to make, cheap and a great way to get all your friends
and family around to celebrate the end of term.
Serves 6
with roasted potatoes
1. Preheat your oven to 200
degrees. Slice the peppers in half
and discard the seeds. Cut the
feta into smaller pieces. Arrange
on a tray, drizzle with oil and
season with pepper; roast for 10
minutes.
2. Dice your red onion and
fry on a medium heat in oil and
butter. When it has sofened and
is beginning to colour round the
edges, then sprinkle in the sugar.
Add the vinegar and cook for
a few minutes longer, until the
onions are starting to get sticky
and caramelise.
ingredients
2 sweet Red Peppers
Packet of feta
Ready Roll puff
pastry
2 red onions
2tbsp balsamic
vinegar
1 heaped tsp of sugar
Olive Oil
Seasonings
3. Roll out your pastry
(prerolled is much easier) on a
surface sprinkled with four. Cut
into six rectangles and arrange
on an oiled tray.
4. Spread the onion mixture
over the pastry, and assemble
pieces of the roasted pepper and
feta on top.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until
the pastry is pufed and golden
around the edges.
cooking directions
Roasted Pepper, Onion &
Feta taRt
Serves 4-6
The Magdalen PAGE 6 NO. 32 - Oct 2012 Lifestyle
Molten Chocolate
pudding
ingredients
150g plain Chocolate
150g unsalted Butter
120g plain Flour
30g ground almonds
3 eggs, plus 3 egg
yolks
Zest of an orange
1tsp Vanilla essence
baking directions
If your dish is more shallow, reduce
the cooking time. Check on its
progress when its been in the oven
for about 18 minutes.
1. Melt the butter and chocolate
together in a bain-marie. Make
sure the bowl isnt touching the
water. Put to the side and let cool.
2. To separate the egg yolks,
crack the egg in a bowl, and either
catch the yolk between the shells
until its separate from the white,
or, quite simply crack the egg, and
catch the yolk, letting the white
fall through your fngers; Messy
but satisfying.
3. Beat the three yolks, and
three eggs, and vanilla essence
with the sugar, using an electric
whisk, until its pale and thick.
Sieve the almonds and four
and stir in. If youd rather not use
almonds, swap it for 30g plain
four. Add the orange zest.
4. Gradually add the
chocolate butter mix to the batter,
stirring constantly, until its well
combined.
5. Tip into a buttered dish
and chill for at least half an hour
before baking in a preheated 200
degree oven for 20 minutes.
Serves 4-6
F
ancy climbing up Mount
Everest? Childreach
International is recruiting
volunteers from Dundee to head
to the Everest Base Camp next
summer. If the word Everest is not
enough to get you lacing up your
boots then let the Dundee group
who conquered Kilimanjaro tempt
you.
I and 16 other students headed
out to Tanzania in July to climb
Mount Kilimanjaro. Thirty-four
times bigger than the Law Hill,
Mount Kilimanjaro is not exactly
a walk in the park! We followed
the Machame Route, which took
fve days to ascend and one day to
descend. Shortly before arriving at
our hotel we caught our frst glimpse
of Kilimanjaro and, considering
most of us thought it was a cloud, it
was rather intimidating.
We had the opportunity to visit
Lotima Primary School, where
some of the 41,393.31 our group
had raised now stood as new toilets,
classrooms and a kitchen. All 400
pupils performed a traditional song
and dance and were even kind
enough to ignore my attempt at
Swahili! It was amazing to see what
our hard work had achieved and
the diference we had made to the
kids lives.
Our climb started at the
Machame Gate, which took us
through the dense rainforest to the
Machame Hut (3030m). The next
day we broke through the clouds
at Shira Crater (3837m), a shrubby
moorland dotted with spectacular
volcanic features. Upwards to the
Lava Tower (4637m), the blistering
cold and lack of oxygen hit us. We
slept at Barranco Camp (3976m),
which was surrounded by the
Barranco wall. This provided our
frst hands-on climb, changing the
pace from the usual plod.
Barafu Camp (4673m) was our
last stop before the summit. The lack
of oxygen resulted in the need for a
frequent rest stop, even when your
walk was simply to get to the toilet
50m away. Morale was at an all-time
low as we headed to bed at 9pm to
prepare for our summit attempt.
Four hours later we were under the
light of stars, our guides showing
how impressive they were as they
navigated the paths in the darkness.
You could see lights from the head-
torches of other climbers like stars;
a reminder of how far was lef to go.
The ascent to Stella Point (5756m)
was the worst we had felt, but just
as we were giving up, the sun broke
through the horizon to warm our
numb fngers and dampened spirits.
Many people say that reaching
the Uhuru Peak (5895m) is like a
drunken night out you need
photos to piece everything together.
You remember the sign and hugging
everyone but the details are blurred.
Nevertheless, the huge sense of
relief and satisfaction banished any
tiredness.
More info on the everest climb can be found
here: http://www.childreach.org.uk
climbing
Kilimanjaro
The Magdalen
PAGE 8 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Travel
Unbelievably, everybody in the
group made it to the summit and
although it is a feat to have climbed
the Worlds highest free-standing
mountain, we only had to talk to
the guides and porters to put things
into perspective. One of our guides
completed his 840th summit
attempt and was heading up again
in another few days. The porters are
required to carry so much and when
they sprint past you, you instantly
stop complaining. They are the
unsung heroes of Kilimanjaro and
their praises should be sung as
loudly as they themselves sang
during the mountain climb.
Our group would like to thank
everyone who helped us reach our
fundraising targets in whatever
form it was; be it sponsoring a Space
Hopper commute to Ninewells or
buying some cake from our bake
sale!
rose matheson
Travel
CURRENT AFFAIRS
T
he callous shooting of
14-year-old Malala Yousafzai
has brought into the
spotlight the darker side of religion.
For many years, various religions
have used their chosen deity as an
excuse to silence those who try to
stand up and change things.
Malala was shot for publicly
stating her belief that women
should have the same education
rights as boys in Pakistan (Pakistani
women have a 39.6% literacy rate,
compared to 67.7% for men). The
Taliban's reason for doing so? By
stating her right to be educated,
Malala was trying to 'westernise'
Pakistani culture. Sickeningly, the
Taliban boasted their responsibility
for shooting the innocent teenager,
as though it was their right, even
their duty.
This sickening trend is not limited
to groups claiming Islam as their
scapegoat. For example, the depth
of covered-up sexual abuse in the
Catholic church is only now coming
to light (reported cases in the UK
doubled from 2010 to 2011) and
various religions practise barbaric
female circumcision (as a means to
prevent premarital sex). And the list
goes on.
So, why does an element of
human society, generally devoted to
peace and unity, end up condoning
this kind of misogyny, child abuse
and murder? For me, the answer
is in what Malala was fghting for;
education. Lack of education
allows a small minority of educated,
powerful people to interpret holy
texts however it suits them, and
then teach them to those who don't
have the power and infuence, and
of course, the education. This cycle
can continue perpetually, at the
leader, government or terrorists
whim..
the PArAdox of reLiGioN
ANd huMAN riGhtS
MALALA
christine norval
The Magdalen PAGE 10 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Current Affairs
CURRENT AFFAIRS
I
n the past the Paralympics
have been treated as little more
than a coda to the Summer
games, but this years games
smashed previous records for
attendance and worldwide viewing
fgures; an obvious positive. But
most encouraging of all was the tone
of the commentary and of public
reaction to the games. No longer
defned by diference, the reactions
to Ellie Simmonds triumphs
were similar to those of Rebecca
Adlington. Just four years earlier a
more patronising arent they brave
narrative tended to prevail. But
many of the resulting think-pieces
lauding our progressive attitude to
disability are jumping the gun to
fnd out why we only have to look at
main Paralympic sponsor Atos.
The Atos controversy stems from
their contract with the Department
of Work and Pensions to administer
disability beneft assessments.
These assessments were introduced
on a trial basis in the dying days
of the last Labour government,
and enthusiastically expanded
by the coalition. There has long
been a press narrative of disability
claimants as scroungers, despite
ofcial fgures that have consistently
shown fraud rates to be well below
1%. Despite an ofcial position of
there being no targets with the
assessments, several whistle-
blowers have reported pressure to
pass just 12-13% as unft to work
suggesting the government believe
a fraud rate of 87% and above. No
evidence exists to support this.
defeNdiNG
diSAbiLity
ellie Simmonds won Gold in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley at the
London 2012 Paralympic games
Geraint james
The Magdalen PAGE 11 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Current Affairs
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Internally, assessors are paid a 70
bonus for each claimant they fnd
ft to work, incentivising away any
chance of an unbiased test. Thirty
eight per cent of appeals succeed,
and this rises to 70% with the
involvement of advocacy groups.
Any test that produces inaccurate
results 38% of the time must be
considered a test unft for purpose.
But not all are ft to fght these
verdicts. Freedom of Information
requests have highlighted 1,100
deaths afer being found partially or
fully ft to work. A Reading man was
found ft to work while in a coma.
Stephen Hill was awaiting heart
surgery when found ft to work
one month later a heart attack killed
him. A Fife man died a week afer
being found ft to work; he weighed
six stone at time of death.
I have always believed you can
judge society on how it treats its
most vulnerable. On these criteria
we have a long way to go mature
attitudes toward disabled athletes
dont make up for successive
governments hostility toward
the disabled. The Atos tests show
how cuts can disproportionately
hurt the sick. Closer to home, 18
months ago our University lauded
for its commitment to supporting
disabled students gave serious
consideration to shutting down the
Disability Access Centre. The Access
Centre is the only one in the region
and one of just three across all of
Scotland. This means it provides
disability assessments for students
along the entirety of the east coast,
paid for by the Scottish government.
This shows the fnancial argument
was as weak as the moral argument
given the number of students
whose education would have been
adversely afected. Fortunately, a
student-led campaign successfully
mobilised opposition to this,
bringing together students, staf
and representatives, reversing
most of the proposed cuts. But with
University senior management
committed to a policy of selling
of property, vigilance is required
to ensure their deeds match their
words when it comes to supporting
disability.
Atos proved to be a controversial sponsor of the London 2012 Paralympics
The Magdalen PAGE 12 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Current Affairs
CURRENT AFFAIRS
I
come from Palestine, a country
in the heart of the Middle East.
Many students are curious to
know more about Palestine. It is a
place people hear a lot about, but
know little of.
I live in Jerusalem, a city that has
been facing invaders and confict for
over two thousand years. The latest
occupation (Israel) has lasted over
half a century. Being a Palestinian
living in Jerusalem means I am
treated as a second class resident
living under Israeli state authority.
Compared to a Jewish Israeli citizen,
we have unequal rights, unequal
access to basic resources, unequal
life opportunities; basically unequal
realities.
Visiting Palestine today,
you would be able to see how
Palestinian neighbourhoods have
turned into tiny ghettos encircled
by a huge concrete wall. This
Apartheid Wall has been declared
illegal by the International Court
of Justice. My old high school lies
behind the Apartheid Wall. To get to
school, I had to cross checkpoints,
wait in line for lengthy times, and
have my school bag searched
thoroughly everyday. Two and a
half million Palestinians live in the
West Bank and their freedom of
travel is extremely restricted by
the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli
checkpoint system. Palestinians
need to obtain permits from Israeli
authorities to travel across the West
Bank making visiting relatives living
as little as a mile away unimaginably
difcult.
In Palestine/Israel, the confict is
neither religious nor nationalistic.
The Israeli state in its current form
constitutes a colonizing power
oppressing Palestinians under an
Apartheid system. That is why many
Palestinians strive for equal rights,
justice and dignity for all.
Many people believe in a two-
state solution. One small state for the
Palestinians and a big state meant
for Jews only. I dont believe this
solution is realistic. The facts the
growing number of settlements,
the wall and land seizures make
it impossible. Pursuing it will lead
to more misery and hate. I believe
it is not for politicians and foreign
powers to dictate what happens in
Palestine but the Palestinian people.
Palestine has always been a land
that welcomed people of all faiths
and races. I believe that could be
achieved by seeking a solution
where equal rights would be granted
to all, in one democratic and secular
state. It would be a place where all
cultures, religions and traditions are
upheld and respected.

LiviNG uNder APArtheid
jalal abukather
Palestines struggle for equality
The Magdalen PAGE 13 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Features
I
t was 8am Pacifc Time and
I could not believe what
my sleep-deprived eyes
were reading. My colleague will
be advising you. The time slot is
Wednesday between 10 and 1 o'clock
on Level 3 Tower Extension.
Due to the eight-hour time
diference, I had been up all night
to email in real-time with staf at
the School of Humanities and
International Ofce. Afer more than
a dozen emails, most starting I'm
Felix, a UoD student currently on
exchange in Vancouver, Canada,
I was summoned to the Tower
Building to sort out a mess not of my
making.
For all the talk about
internationalisation a core part of
the University of Dundees mission,
according to its website a lot of
work remains to be done to support
outgoing exchange students.
Take the infexible learning
agreements; these are binding
agreements between students and
their school, listing all modules
students are required to take at
their host university to get the
necessary credit points. This policy
sounds reasonable, especially if you
take into account that it is in part
a reaction to exchange students
to Asia who tried to get credits for
yoga classes. When I had to change
my learning agreement because
of cancellations and scheduling
conficts, however, staf in Dundee
seemed puzzled about what to do.
In the end, I was told to pick any
class, even if it was not related to my
degree at all, to meet the number of
required courses.
As any former exchange student
will tell you, that number is quite
high. Whereas most students in
Dundee take two or three modules
per semester, exchange students
to North America must enrol in
fve, based on the assumption that
classes overseas are easier than in
Scotland. The opposite is true, and I
havent met a single foreign student
in Dundee who thinks that studying
here is more difcult than back
home. Even if you accept Dundees
assumption, it doesnt explain why
outgoing exchange students get
stuck with more classes than their
local peers. Most of my Canadian
friends enrolled in three modules
per term; none of them did more
than four.
Since many other countries dont
give students a three-week break
around Easter or a month of for
Christmas, it is easy to see how the
heavy workload could negatively
afect the exchange experience.
The International Ofce, getting this
feedback all the time, is aware of
the issue but academic schools
are not. Their requirements show
a disappointing disregard for
the students who represent this
university abroad.
Given the beginning of my
exchange, I was not terribly
surprised when things didnt go
smoothly at its end. We don't
seem to have received your Level
3 Module Choice Form, read the
email I got in midJuly, marking the
frst time I heard about this. The
International Ofce confrmed
that they informed the History
Department of my return, suggesting
that the department failed to send
me the relevant documents in time.
(The History Department had no
comment when contacted for this
article.)
Many students want to go abroad
but shy away because they think an
exchange might be too expensive
or too difcult. Yes, money can be
an issue, though there is fnancial
support for going to European
countries. And yes, organizing
the move to another country or
continent can be nervewracking.
Yet despite the time and
resources that the International
Ofce and individual schools are
investing into convincing students
to take the plunge, more could
be done. One school is currently
looking into creating a list of
approved classes for outgoing
exchange students, giving them
more fexibility once they get to their
host university. More schools should
learn from this great idea. Schools
should also listen to the feedback
of returning students and lower the
number of required classes for those
on exchange. Blaming laziness does
not cut it, since there are already
minimum grade requirements for
getting accepted into Dundees
exchange programmes.
None of this is regarding the
academic or administrative staf
I dealt with; they all tried to be as
helpful as possible. If the university
is serious about internationalisation,
its policies and processes need to
catch up.
When going abroad...
CURRENT AFFAIRS
felix reimer
W
hen I discuss Christmas
with other people, I
feel like little Timmy
staring through a frosty window
at a glistening Christmas turkey,
wondering what such delights must
taste like. People seem so enthused
by it, discussing gifs and what
theyre going to do with their day
spending it with family or weeping
in a corner alone with some wine,
that sort of thing while I shrug and
dont massively care. Im not like
Scrooge, the popular character who
With every new christmas comes
another year where George Michael
fails to give his heart to someone
special. youd think hed have learnt by
now. but thats not the only sadness
related to the christmas season.
The Magdalen PAGE 14 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Features
was an arsehole and then wasnt
when a ghost reminded him that
everyone hated him; Im just really
not that fussed.
But this ennui soon transforms
itself into outright annoyance come
late October. Because of the way that
The Magdalens print cycle works,
this article is currently being written
in October for the November/
December issue, and already people
are telling me their gif ideas in some
of the most banal conversations Ive
had all year. People seem to turn
Christmas
A Miserable Guide To
kevin fullerton
into misty-eyed capitalist cretins at
the mere mention of Christmas gifs,
convinced that giving a bad gif to
someone will cause them to hate
you forever.
Heres my Christmas gif buying
strategy: I begin thinking about what
Ill buy people on December 22nd. I
usually come to this conclusion: If
the gif is for a woman, I buy them
bath products. If the gif is for a man,
I buy them male bath products. If
I hate the person Im buying a gif
for, I buy them a Michael McIntyre
DVD. If theyre dead, I dont buy them
anything.
I then purchase all of these
thoughtful gifs on December 23rd. I
once made the mistake of delaying
this strategy by a day and buying my
gifs on Christmas Eve.
As I entered Argos to buy my fve-
year old nephew some male bath
products, I was placed into their
bizarre queuing system with around
forty or ffy other furious customers,
some of whom had been waiting for
hours on end. They were terrifyingly
angry, screaming abuse at the acne-
ridden teenage Christmas temps
who were desperately handing
the boxes of crap and Christmas
toys over as quickly as they could.
It was like that bit in Titanic when
the peasant classes are trapped
in the hold screaming at the tofs
to let them out, except instead of
freedom to get to a lifeboat, these
peasants were getting Tefal Kettles.
As Fairytale of New York by The
Pogues blared in my ears, a song
thats actually quite good until you
hear it seven hundred times in
December, I vowed I would never
leave my fat on Christmas Eve
again.
Let them know its Christmas
time warbles Bob Geldof with his
parade of eighties has-beens. Let
them know? Theyre probably sick
of hearing it by now with you not
shutting up about it Bob! And thats
the fundamental problem with
Christmas; its everywhere. On the
radio, the songs all sound the same.
Slade wish it could be Christmas
every day, without factoring in the
fnancial consequences of such a
wish; Eartha Kitt wants her Santa
Baby to slip a sable under her tree,
meaning that she wants to sleep
with a bearded older man. And
everybody seems to want it to
snow, ignoring the fact that with
the happiness of snow comes the
miserable hangover of slush.
And all the while these songs
jangle in an endless repetition,
defecating into your eardrums
with festive glee. Its a loop of a
loop, repeating itself ad infnitum
and screaming into your ear like
a crap drunk at a party who ran
out of things to say a while into
your conversation but cant fgure
out a way to leave, so he just tells
you about charity and Oh dont
you wish it could be Christmas
every day? and other such banal
dribblings until you throw your
drink in his face, swear loudly and
leave yourself, deciding that instead
of going to the next party youd
much prefer to just weep in a corner
alone with some wine.
If Christmas was maybe just a
little more quiet about itself then
maybe it could be just that little bit
more enjoyable. Anyway, what was
I saying? Oh yeah, Merry Christmas
everyone!
The Magdalen PAGE 15 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Features
Dont be afraid
to challenge it
Since a hamster, a goat named
Mervyn, and david hasselhoff
have all been nominated for
position as university of dundee
rector, if you were given the
opportunity to nominate any
animal what would it be?
A Grizzly Bear. I think hed do
very well on campus. If you saw a
Grizzly Bear standing in the middle
of campus, I think you would treat
it with respect. I get a lot of respect.
And its quite near the sea, youd get
a lot of nice fsh I think youd need
someone whos quite imposing that
would make a contribution. It would
crush the people it didnt like.

if the union wanted to name a
cocktail after you, the brian cox-
tail, What would be in it?
Probably pomegranate. Quite
a lot of berries, blueberries, and
blackberries. It would have to have
a mixture of Prosecco and Vodka at
the base. And some very delicate
not too much, but a little ginger and
coconut. That would be the healthy
elements to disguise the unhealthy
elements.
Whats your best pickup line to
hook that brunette at the bar?
Oh, good god! Oh god, I havent
used a pickup line since afer the
Korean War. I dont knowHang on
let me thinkOh yeah.. yeah Do you
really want to be here? It gets the
job done.

Surprised you didnt mention your
Wikipedia page, thatd probably
work on me. im sure every
students fantasy is to one day
have a Wikipedia page devoted to
themselves, how excited were you
when you got a page, and do you
like whats written?
I always forget to self aggrandize.
One of the things I could have said
is, Im actually the real Brian Cox, as
opposed to the other one. You know
theres another Brian Cox, but Im the
real one. I dont read it [the Wikipedia
page] but its very nice to have one.

Seeing as you played the number
one movie villain in the flm,
Manhunter can you give us your
best hannibal Lecter impression?
Please send me something wet.
(We here at the Magdalen are still
trying to fgure this one out) That
was a line I had, which was kind of
nasty really when you think about it.
But I did say that.

What have you learned from
your three years as rector at the
university of dundee?
There is so much Ive learnt,
about myself, about things that I
like, things that upset me. I think
Ive learnt really what an incredible
community a university can be,
but like all communities, it faces
a lot of threat. In terms of within,
and also from without. Also things
that surprise me is the amount of
loneliness a lot of students sufer
from. And Ive learnt really about the
courage of people. Really how they
deal with it, and how courageous
they are, and we tend to forget that.
Coming out of a school system into
a university is very exposing, and
to see how they deal with that, and
how they cope is quite humbling
sometimes. And thats been the
most interesting part of the job, and
for me the most thankful part of
the job. I took the job quite literally,
I didnt want to be one of these
rectors that comes along, and with
great respect, does silly interviews
and stuf like that, I wanted to be
somebody proactive in a way, and
was responsible for the pastoral life
of the university.

What do you think makes the
university of dundee unique?
I dont think we quite know
what makes Dundee unique, but
it certainly is unique With the
other universities theres this sort
of monumental aspects of the
Cambridges and the Oxfords, and
even the Glasgows, they have a
kind of character about them, but
nobody quite knows what Dundees
character is, its very elusive and
I think thats what makes it really
interesting, and people do have a
good time. Because it is also quite
a small town, and I think people
really do enjoy it, and theyre always
surprised that they enjoy it. And I
think its very conducive to making
friends, because it is a university
town and the students live in such
close proximity to one another... For
me, its been interesting coming back
here, because I was born here, but I
couldnt wait to get away. When I was
a kid, I saw that river and I wanted
to cross it, I wanted to get across that
river like nobodys business, and
now one of the greatest joys for me
is to see the skyline of Dundee and
know Im coming to it, and thats afer
50 years, and thats quite remarkable
really. There is something very
positive and it has a great energy
about it, and despite what people
have tried to do to it, how people
have joked about the city, how
theyve debated the city, what
theyve done to it, it still has this real
life force about it. Im very excited
about it. Im very proud to have been
rector of the university.

And do you have any last advice
for us young, foolish, and skint uni
students?
Enjoy it, and dont be afraid to
challenge it.

a few words with...
Brian
Cox
danielle ames
for more brian cox check
out the duSAtv interview at
www.youtube.com/dusatv
A
dose of cafeine to force
your eyelids open, a
chunky mufn to keep
your stomach from chatting in the
silent area, or a study break, be it well
deserved, or your tenth consecutive
one in a row. The library caf is the
juncture of sufering students. If
youve clocked in your fair share
of hours revising the latest sleep
inducing lecture, painstakingly
cramming for exams, or just clogging
up the computers playing Skyrim,
youve probably met Gregor.
Twenty-seven year old Gregor
Mackenzie works in the library
caf, and his friend and support
worker, PhD student Andrew Woof,
accounts his legendary anecdotes.
When Gregor told a police ofcer
that Andrew had a body in the boot
of his car just for a laugh, or their
adventure on the Falkirk Wheel
when Gregor told the tour guide
in front of a boat full of people that
he had a bomb in his bag, as well as
Gregors tendencies to nip into a nail
parlour and ask the pretty lady for a
massage.
However, what Gregor is probably
most well known for is his inspiring
power lifing performance at the
2011 Special Olympics World
Summer Games in Athens. Born
with Downs Syndrome, Gregor has
consistently shown discipline to
keep himself ft and healthy, an efort
most likely made for the ladies,
mentor Andrew assures us. Gregor
has demonstrated a keen and
successful interest in weightlifing,
competing in a large competition
in Leicester in 2010, where he was
encouraged to sign up for the 2011
Special Olympics.
Afer a rigorous year of training
for Athens, the Special Olympics
Team GB few to the small Greek
island of Skiathos for preparation
before the Special Olympics began.
It was while in Skiathos that Gregor
caught perhaps the most ill-timed
food poisoning possible which had
him hospitalised for the three days
preceding the competition. Gregor
was frst admitted to a local hospital,
before being transferred to a military
hospital, where he was fed mainly
chicken and rice to raise his weight
levels up to competing standards.
On the day of competition, even
Gregors parents were unsure as to
whether he would lif, until they saw
him walk onto the stage.
Gregor describes the challenge of
competing in the Special Olympics
as extremely inspiring, although he
was exceptionally nervous before
performing; he says it was reassuring
to hear the audience cheering him
on. Gregors mother Fiona says
the experience was Very nerve
wracking, because I know Gregors
really competitive, and I want him
to do as well as possible! But it
was a brilliant opportunity. Fiona
describes seeing Special Olympics
founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver
sitting in the front row cheering
Gregor on and shouting his name.
She said it was motivational to see
someone so infuential, and who
appeared so comfortable in their
danielle ames
DunDees unsung
hero
GreGor With hiS GoLd, SiLver &
broNze MedALS
The Magdalen PAGE 18 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Features
own skin encouraging Gregors
achievements.
Gregor competed in three
categories; bench, dead lif, and
squatting. His favourite event is
bench, and the most difcult is
squatting, a category with thirteen
diferent ways to be disqualifed
during the lif. Fiona recounts,
Ill never forget when [coach]
Gary Porter brought you out in
Athens stadium, and the stage was
massive, and he said to you, if you
lif this well, youll get a gold medal.
Gregor proceeded to complete a
successful performance with an
exceptional frst lif, which resulted
in him procuring a well-rounded
congregation of a bronze, silver, and
gold medal, with an additional silver
medal for his overall efort. When
asked how it felt to win four medals,
Gregor quickly disclosed, Extremely
happy!
Gregor seems to have been
allotted a couple more minutes than
the rest of us onto his fve minutes
of fame, as he was nominated, and
awarded the honour of carrying
the Olympic torch while running
through Cupar. All of Gregors
support workers cheered him
on wearing hand-made t-shirts
supporting Gregor. Fiona and
Gregor both describe it as one of
the best days of their lives. Andrew
characterises the experience, A
fantastic day, and a real thrill seeing
him running with the torch. He
certainly seemed to enjoy all the
attention he received. He now has
a topic of conversation to impress
every lady with.
Next on Gregors agenda is the
British Championships in November
down in Bradford. In the meantime
however, Gregor can be found
serving piping hot cups of tea and
scones to the famished students of
Dundee, and a word of warning to
the ladies, beware, as you just might
fnd it as exceedingly difcult as I did
to resist a dose of the Gregor charm.
The Magdalen PAGE 19 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Features
The Magdalen
PAGE 20 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Fashion
I
dont know about anyone else
but I anticipate winter with
mixed emotions. Part of me is
jumping for joy at the prospect of a
break from university, presents and
(most importantly) an unforgivable
amount of food. The other part of
me, however, is saying sayonara
to my skin. Every winter as soon
as I step outside or, now that Im at
university, just stand in my fat, I can
feel my skin getting drier and drier.
If youre lucky enough to aford
central heating then you probably
dont have this problem. Freezing
weather, heavy rain and a ridiculous
amount of wind can wreak havoc. In
my desperation I frantically ficked
my way through some beauty
magazines and they unsurprisingly
recommended a huge amount
of products and routines. Im a
student. I can hardly aford a bottle
of Lambrini let alone a tub of
fancy moisturiser. So I decided to
experiment.
The only thing I could think of that
cost relatively no money was a DIY
face mask. Im a complete novice in
terms of skincare and cooking so
this was bound to go well. I wanted
something that would hydrate my
skin as best as possible. I found
that the best ingredients to get rid
of dryness are honey and natural
yoghurt. Take half an avocado, a
quarter cup of honey and a quarter
cup of yoghurt, mash the avocado
and stir in the honey and yoghurt.
Chill for ten minutes and youre
done.
Unfortunately, its not only skin that
can go haywire during the winter
months. Afer stepping outside into
wind and rain my hair resembles
that of Monica Bing in Barbados. No
matter how many hours you slave
over your hair, as soon as the cold
weather comes, it all goes to pot. Hair
can go dry, frizzy and limp but there
are some simple things you can do
to avoid a winter hair disaster. The
To avoid a complete winter
disaster take heed of these simple
tips. Just remember to take any
allergies into consideration
before trying the masks!
things Ive found most efective are
leave in conditioners and masks
which help to keep hair shiny and
hydrated whilst taming the frizz! To
make a hydrating hair mask all you
need is honey and olive oil. Pour
some olive oil into a bowl and heat in
a microwave for around 30 seconds.
Add some honey and stir until its
all combined. Rub into wet hair and
wash out 15 minutes later.
D
I
Y

kathryn mckniGht
Beauty
Remedies
Fashion
captured on campus
H
ello and welcome to The
Magdalens new Fashion
feature, Captured on
Campus! Over the upcoming
year well be hunting down our
Universitys best dressed students
and celebrity guests to be featured
in the magazine!
This past month we spotted
double denim, tartan scarves and
tops and an abundance of military
style jackets.
The country chic aesthetic that
has infltrated the runways this
season has also hit campus. Muted
greens, tan collegiate satchels and
classic tarten have been all over
campus this month.
Our Fashion photographers will
be out and about ready to snap a
picture of you looking your best. So
pull out your most Vogue-worthy
outfts and be ready to be Captured
on Campus!
the
new
campus
style
The Magdalen
PAGE 21
NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Fashion
the
hit
list
claire mcphillimy
Beauty
english rose
country chic
clothing
safely stylish
footwear
It may have been slowly
trickling of the runway
but dip-dye hair is still
massively popular and
for good reason. Stick to
natural colours only one
or two shades lighter than
your base to achieve a
surprisingly polished look.
Alexa Chung is one celebrity
who rocks this hair trend,
always adding trademark
bedhead waves to amp up
the indie factor. A naturally
messy but elegantly
fnished hairstyle, dip-dye
is the prefect contradiction
to the structured tailoring
and cinched in waists of this
season. Make-up wise, cheat
your way to an English Rose
complexion with clean eyes,
light foundation and a gentle
sweep of blusher.
Maybe Ive been watching too
much Downtown Abbey, maybe
its because Ralph Laurens AW12
collection has been top of my dream
Hit List for months, or maybe its just
because this heritage look is pretty
much always a British winter staple
whatever the reason I cant get
enough of the whole country-manor,
stable-chic look. Quilting, tweed
tailoring, the classic Mac , its all there
this season and looking better than
ever. A trend that works wonderfully
with this look is geometrically
patterned knitwear. Jonathan
Saunders checked jumpers and
Burberry Prorsums Wowl-print
pullover have both fltered into
the high street, with New Look in
particular boasting a varied range of
trendy winter warmers that when
styled right add an extra edge to
your country chic wardrobe. Layer
over a shirt with a gold-tipped collar,
pair with distressed denim and
leather brogues for a casual campus
style that will garner serious fashion
envy.
Leather riding boots to
complete the country
chic heritage look? Hardly
original I know, but they tick
all three style, comfort and
weatherproof boxes so Im
going to go there again Im
afraid. Basically any leather
footwear works well with
this months Hit List trend,
although fashion savvy
shoppers should look out for
pointed toes which were one
of aw12s key footwear shapes.
If these options are a little too
feminine or predictable for
you, then chunky Dr Martens
add a tough grunge edge to
even the safest of outfts, and
have been seen on practically
everyone lately.
creature comforts
accessories
This is an urgent appeal for your
help. The high street is overfowing
with animal inspired knitwear-
hats styled as owls, knitted panda
mittens, black and white penguin
socks- and all of these quirky cute
accessories are looking for a home.
So save yourself from the gloom
of boring winter coats and adopt
a woolly friend youll look good,
youll feel warm, and youre helping
out the animal kingdom (sort of...
well no, not really... at all. But you will
look cute as a button.) Check out
Accessorize, H&M and New Looks
oferings.

racoon hat: accessorize, 17
owl cuff:accessorize, 10
owl snood: topshop, 25
horse Bangle: chloe, 465
silk shirt with
Dipped collar:
topshop, 36.00
owl Jumper:new
look, 22.99
geometric
Jumper: new
look, 49.99
grey coat: h&m,
59.99
Black Doctor martens: 150
ankle Boots: topshop, 65
riding Boots: Zara, 79.99
Black Quilted hunters:125
garnier BB cream: Boots, 7
Bourjois Blusher: Boots, 6
loreal Beach fizz spray: Boots, 9
chanel lipstick in Boy:24
h
o
r
s
t

P

h
o
r
s
t
,

M
a
i
n
b
o
c
h
e
r

c
o
r
s
e
t
.

P
i
n
k

S
a
t
i
n

c
o
r
s
e
t

m
a
d
e

b
y

d
e
t
o
l
l
e

f
o
r

M
a
n
i
b
o
c
h
e
r
A
m
e
r
i
c
a
n

v
o
g
u
e
,

M
a
r
c
h

1
9
3
9

h
o
r
s
t

e
s
t
a
t
e

/

v
i
c
t
o
r
i
a

a
n
d

A
l
b
e
r
t

M
u
s
e
u
m
,

L
o
n
d
o
n
F
ashion photography brings
to mind famous names like
David Bailey and famous
faces like Kate Moss. Glossy spreads
in magazines starring half-dressed
footballers staring at perfume
bottles with a dazed expression and
leggy models wearing constructions
that defy gravity. But what is it really?
The Selling Dreams exhibition has
attempted to squeeze 100 years of
fashion photography into one small
gallery at the McManus, and in our
opinion has successfully managed
to give the viewer a brief but thought
provoking overview of a century of
fashion and social trends.
One of the most obvious things
you notice about the exhibition
is the development of the clothes
themselves as time goes by. From
the elaborate waist-cinching gowns
of the 1930s to the simple yet chic
mini dresses of the swinging sixties;
fashion continues to develop
alongside the people who wear it
and make it their own. What fashion
photography shows us is that, no
matter how much the clothes may
change from season to season,
true style is absolutely timeless. It's
not just about the clothes of that
particular era, in fact some of the
photographs in the exhibit feature
a distinct lack of clothes or such
an artistically lighted set that the
clothes are barely visible; instead,
its about the attitude and that ever-
elusive concept of style.
Why would people still want to
look at photos of a model wearing
clothes designed over 50 years
ago? Because it expresses to them
something of the sentiments at the
time; what shape society was taking,
social norms and conventions
changing, the general mood of the
public the list is endless. What
you want to take away from fashion
photography is entirely up to you.
Take, for example, the classic
photograph of Twiggy on a bicycle
taken in 1966; it is impossible to look
at that picture without instantly
feeling a little more optimistic about
life. The youthful exuberance
refects the outburst of cool British
culture at the time and that is why
we love it. The dress, of course, is
something you could wear to a 60s
themed costume party, but it is the
smile, the short hair, the carelessly-
riding-a-bicycle-in-a-mini-skirt that
shows a certain new found, fedgling
freedom of that time. What would be
your favourite fashion photography
moment, and why?
One of the most telling
photographs is Rankins Hungry
from 1995. Featuring a skinny
model gorging herself on a large bar
of chocolate, its a highly stylised
comment on an industry ofen
accused of promoting anorexia.
The photo is as fashionable as it is
controversial; the bright red leather
jacket screaming 90s fashion. Its
also an opportunity to see a piece
of the famous Rankin who most
recently photographed Daniel Craig
and can boast of a shot of the Queen
herself blasting a killer smile.
You may wonder about
the diferent kinds of fashion
photography that exist today. Have
you ever considered street fashion?
Or fashion bloggers? Take, for
example The Sartorialist; a fashion
blog written by New Yorker Scott
Schuman, or even the Magdalen's
version in our Captured on Campus
feature . The fashion models of
today have gone from the fantasy of
Naomi Campbell to our next door
neighbours. The photographers
too are our friends, the ones at the
party who will not stop snapping
pictures of you in your skirt from a
most unfattering angle (yet another
photo to un-tag on Facebook).
Our generation is becoming more
and more instant as the reign of
social networking gives us the
opportunity to not only express
ourselves through our style, but also
say what we want to say about the
era and society in which we live.
And when we have the opportunity
to capture and share these stylish
social moments through the art of
photography, nothing seems out of
reach anymore.
selling dreams
Fashion
t
i
m

W
a
l
k
e
r
,

L
i
l
y

c
o
l
e

&

G
i
a
n
t

c
a
m
e
r
a
,

i
t
a
l
i
a
n

v
o
g
u
e
,

2
0
0
5

t
i
m

W
a
l
k
e
r

/

v
i
c
t
o
r
i
a

a
n
d

A
l
b
e
r
t

M
u
s
e
u
m
,

L
o
n
d
o
n
sarasvathi arulampalam & leona reid
Selling dreams: one
hundred years of
fashion Photography
until 6
th
Jan 2013 at the
McManus Galleries.
free eNtry.
What frst attracted you to
Scottish dance theatre, and the
role of Sdt artistic director?
I worked here quite a lot for
theatre, and in Edinburgh for the
National Theatre of Scotland and at
the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
I had also been to the Dundee Rep
with shows. So, I always knew of
Scottish Dance Theatre because
SDT is held in very high esteem
throughout the country and I had
seen them in London and various
festivals. They are a very solid,
grounded company with really high
production standards. Its hard to be
a company like that, as the funding
landscape is such that its hard to
have high production values, and
so very few companies can employ
people like Scottish Dance Theatre
can; theyre a jewel in the crown.

has your background been more
theatre based then, rather than
specifcally being dance focused?
I had been working in theatre as a
choreographer. I had been a dancer
but I had been a choreographer,
really, from the moment I graduated.
I had my own company that toured
and then I freelanced doing various
theatre dance things.
Scottish dance theatre is a
very close company, with some
dancers performing the same
pieces for seven years. how has it
been to join such a company?
I think its fantastic. The art can
sufer from focusing entirely on new
or emerging people who have just
graduated. Its really hard to make
great work and it takes years to
develop it, so if you have a group of
people who know each other and
know how to work together then
thats how you can get somewhere.
Any great piece of art doesnt
happen in isolation, so you want to
be working with the same people.
Theres an assumption when you
take on the role of artistic director
that youre going to come in and fre
everyone and bring in your own
team. I dont have that impulse at
all, my impulse is to work with the
people who have been here for
years and try and imbibe what the
sense of the company is. Again,
everything in the arts is focused on
new and doesnt have a history
or a legacy and thats how you get
somewhere interesting, having that
legacy and history.
So, it has been a really exciting
company to join.
the company spent three weeks
touring india at the end of
october. is it relaxing to settle in
without the full attention of the
entire company?
Yes, its great. Its nice and quiet
and I can be at my desk and think. Its
great to have the time to visualise all
the things we can do and theres so
much we want to do.
Ill be in India in March, as we want
to extend this project with India for
at least three years, so we have a
really signifcant cultural exchange.
This tour sees the beginning of a big
co-production with India, which is
based on the history of Dundee and
the jute fow between west Nepal
and Dundee.
is that something a new audience
can struggle with or causes them
to hesitate, that the absence
of meaning isnt as satisfying,
particularly when compared to
classical arts, like ballet?
It has to be great work, whether
youre explaining what it means or
not. Something like ballet already
has a really strong narrative, so
already the audience knows how to
receive it, and I think that is one of
the challenges with contemporary
dance, is that the audience doesnt
know necessarily how to receive
it. You know how to receive a play,
everything is organised around
a narrative principle. But with
contemporary dance you might be
asked to respond as if its a painting,
and youre just responding to a
composition; which isnt easy if
youre sat in a seat being schooled
entirely by screen and TV and
cinema, and plays.
One of the things Im hoping to
achieve is to increase the dance
readership here, specifcally in
Dundee and Scotland; so that we
all become a bit more conversant in
what dance is and what it can be.

FleuR DaRkin
ART
iNtervieW
Artistic director of Scottish dance theatre
Scottish dance theatre will be performing at
the rep theatre November 21 + 22. tickets 5
on the day for students.
The Magdalen PAGE 27 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Art
I
n 2011, silent cinema was
reinvigorated on our silver
screens to rapturous applause
with The Artist (dir: Michael
Hazanavicius) happily scooping
BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars.
Its by no means a bad flm; its
fun and satisfying to the viewer,
however there is a certain irony.
Its not really a silent flm. Rather
its a sound flm that is all about the
absence of sound.
The absence of sound is what
singles out a silent flm as being a
silent flm. Its crucial to think about
the absence of recorded sound.
What we might call silent flm is
by no means silent. They were
shot with dialogue, with directors
barking at actors to get the desired
composition. For the most part,
silent flms have sufered because
of the assumption of silence. These
flms with their musical scores
blaring over them dont use the
hushed reverence of a library as a
tool, but for some reason they have
been given second-rate treatment
over the decades. Most recordings
of silent flms are accompanied
by awful honky-tonk music,
reminiscent of some backwater
saloon. These flms deserve proper
and full scores; and fortunately
there is a growing movement
reinvigorating some of the greatest
titles of the silent era.
Scottish Ensemble treated
Dundee to a fve-day residency
last month. The ensemble aims to
redefne the string orchestra. One
of the highlights of their 2012/13
season is their re-imagining of F.W.
Murnaus Faust (1926), a gem of
German Expressionist cinema. In
collaboration with DJ Alex Smoke,
Scottish Ensemble performed a
new 21
st
century score live at the
DCA. The experience was both
haunting and mesmerising, with DJ
Alex Smokes electronic elements
breathing life into the fantastical
elements of the flm, while Scottish
Ensembles strings were as rich
and foreboding as Murnaus
expressionist shadows.
At the beginning of November
Minima Music returned to the DCA
to perform Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau,
1922). Since 2006 Minima have been
performing their unique scores
to a growing repertoire of silent
flms. Minimas performances are a
real cinema experience; their live
accompaniments dissolve the age of
the flms. Of course some of the flms
in the repertoire cant escape their
nine decades, but for the most part
Minimas music creates a sense of
timelessness.
Live contemporary scores to
silent flms is a growing trend,
creating a fantastic new interest
in this type of cinema. Be sure to
keep your eyes peeled for future
screenings. Even if you dont think
you would enjoy silent cinema,
with a live score youll fnd yourself
pleasantly surprised.
See Alfred Hitchcocks
The Manxman(1929)
with live piano
accompaniment by Jane
Gardner.
DCA
Friday 30th Nov, 7pm
Art
Making noise for
SileNT CiNeMA
nicholas manderson
The Magdalen PAGE 28 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Art
What is creative dundee?
Creative Dundee is a platform to
amplify all the immense creative
talent and events happening in
and around the city. Originally
started as a website back in 2008,
we introduced a regular events
programme last year and encourage
networking and collaboration
through social media. Working
collectively, we help people shout
louder, it's as simple as that. Our site
contributors come from a range of
backgrounds. Some are studying,
others are working, but everyone
shares a passion to see Dundee
recognised as the cultural hub is
deserves to be.
Earlier this year to tie in with the
University degree show period
where thousands of visitors come
to the city, we crowd-sourced a
creative guide Creative Dundee
IncorpoRated to highlight people
who live, study and work in the city's
top rated cultural places to visit,
places to eat, drink, be merry, shop
independently and much more.
What spurred you to start creative
dundee?
Dundee has a thriving creative
scene and a great eco-system that
covers everything from innovative
underground arts events held in
obscure venues; through to well-
respected cultural organisation who
host major touring exhibitions. Yet
I was surprised when visiting other
cities to hear how little people knew
of Dundee's arts scene. Information
on what to do and where to go in
Dundee was pretty sparse and it
doesn't make navigating a new city
easy. Myself and my co-founder
decided to take action rather than sit
about complaining and so Creative
Dundee was born it's a way to
hook everything up under one
umbrella but also show of our best
to the world..
What is a creative dundee Pecha
Kucha night?
Pecha Kucha Nights are run
globally in approx 572 cities (always
growing!). They were devised in
Tokyo in 2003, as an event for
creatives to meet, network and
hear others talk about their work.
The much loved 'Pecha Kucha'
format, meaning small-talk or
chit-chat in Japanese, is relaxed
and enjoyable, with something
for everyone. Roughly a dozen
presenters show and talk through
their 20 images, each image for
just 20 seconds; it keeps things
fast, frantic and fun! We've had a
fantastic mix of speakers so far,
including Phillip Long, Director of
the V&A at Dundee; Ross Fraser
McLean, a photographer who
was kidnapped in India by snake
charmers; a Balkan jazz band called
Sink; the optically curious Richard
Cook from Spex Pistols; and Kate
Pickering, graduate of the university
and founder of ingenious jewellery
incubator, Vanilla Ink. The format
gives everyone an equal platform,
irrespective of people's stage of
career. The PKN audience is also
immense the 200 strong crowd
includes creatives, non-creatives,
students and professionals you
just don't fnd that blend or energy in
the room anywhere else, but we are
a little biased! PKNs are a great way
to connect with things happening
locally and leave with a huge boost
of creative inspiration!
www.pecha-kucha.org
how can students get involved
with cd and its members?
Creative Dundee is
independently run by a core team
who do it for the love of the city. We
rely on collaborations with other
individuals and organisations to
provide high quality information
which our audiences fnd valuable
and relevant; and because the
arts and creative scenes are so
broad, varied and exciting, were
always looking for interesting
content, bloggers, contributors
and collaborative partners
people who share our values and
aspirations. Dundee's compact size
ofers students a unique chance
to highlight whatever they are
passionate about, have their voices
heard and make a real diference to
what's going on. We say, how can you
resist?
ART
creative dundee
co-fouNder GiLLiAN eASSoN exPLAiNS ALL
www.creativedundee.com
@creativedundee
same day tickets
on all shows
all the time
www.dundeerep.co.uk
5
Dundee Rep Student Pass
drama, dance, comedy & music
Follow us:
The Magdalen PAGE 30 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Entertainment
you were the youngest comedian
at the edinburgh fringe when you
frst started out, how was that?
It was an advantage, defnitely
helped give me an angle. But now
Im trying to move away from that
young image. Im a comedian who
just happened to be young when I
started out; I dont want it to defne
the rest of my career.
But, I love the Fringe, it has always
been good to me, and its a home
audience, which is really nice. Its a
joy to work there. I always start my
tour at the Fringe and its what spurs
me on in January to sit down and
prepare my new material.

Weve seen you a lot on tv this
year, is this the rise of daniel
Sloss?
No, I dont think so. The TV
comedy shows and panel shows are
great fun to do, but Im probably just
there to tick a box for the producer. I
can fulfl a certain role on the panel
shows, I suppose. It was fantastic
to be on Russell Howards Good
News. Russell asked me to come on
his show and just do my stand up,
which suits me fne and gave me
a great opportunity to do my new
material.
I much prefer gigging and doing
my stand up. I dont want to become
a big arena comedian as that sucks
the fun out of the material. I mean,
I have the DVD out now, which is
great, but Im not going to be selling
out in that sense.
you had a short lived series on
bbc three?
Yes, it was fun to do and had
good viewing fgures but there was
a change in management at BBC
Three and for whatever reasons
it didnt continue. Again, I prefer
to stick to the stand up stuf, thats
where my heart lies.
your material has switched
over the past 18 months,
becoming more mature, have you
experienced a maturing too?
Thats really because Ive changed.
Im no longer the teenager I was
when I started doing stand up. Im no
longer living in my parents house
anymore, Ive got my own place
with a friend in Edinburgh now.
Plus Im single now, I had been in a
relationship previously so that also
allows more freedom. It has been
a year of change, but thats had a
positive efect. Im the most proud of
this years show.
have you experienced the dundee
night life?
I have indeed. I had an ofer to
study at Dundee Uni before starting
doing comedy full time. Ive had a
few messy nights at Skint!
WiN A PAir of ticKetS to see daniel Sloss
drink of choice?
White wine, or on nights out
Sambuca

Favourite flm?
Dark Knight

favourite computer game?
Fifa series

boxers or briefs?
Boxer briefs, y-fronts look awful
and squeeze my penis too much,
uncomfortable.

daddy or chips?
Daddy

Pet hate?
Lads, or lad culture

Phobia?
Velvet, frosted glass, cotton wool
balls and vegetables
QuicK fire QueStioNS
ENTERTAINMENT
Simply email dANieL to knairn@dundeereptheatre.co.uk to be in with a chance.
at dundee rep on Saturday 8 december
SLoSS
dANieL
iNtervieW
nicholas manderson
The Magdalen PAGE 31 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Entertainment
W
ith the two veritable
nineties behemoths
of Blur and The Stone
Roses reforming this year, it seems
that a band coming back has
become the trendy thing to do. A
few years ago it was mainly naf acts
with little to no artistic credibility
who reformed. Take That, for
instance, came back together in
2005 to the joy of lonely middle-
aged women who lived with their
cats. In the 90s they dressed like
Depeche Mode had merged with
the Village People and they sang
songs that were as banal as they
were irritating. But come 2005 their
reformation was a commercial
success as the women who were
teenagers when Take That had
their frst go-around focked in their
thousands to concerts to relive their
lost youth.
But bar the odd interesting
comeback, the Pixies reforming
afer years of acrimony for instance,
it seemed that the bands of actual
worth in other words, bands
that I like rarely staged a money-
grabbing revival tour until now. And
frankly thats the way I like it.
A part of the beauty of pop music
is that every band has their day in
the sun. They come to represent
a specifc era, sometimes even
maybe even just a specifc year or
two, within which fashion trends
were diferent and sometimes, with
punk as a pertinent example, an
entirely diferent political world
was being sung about. As soon as
a band reforms, that snapshot in
time is erased. Once that band that
you loved, afer 10 or 20 years of
irrelevance, comes back on stage
their myth in the rock pantheon is
obliterated. They go from creative
ENTERTAINMENT
reforMed
megaliths to touring greatest-hits
artists. They become a tribute act of
themselves.
When Guns n Roses came back
there was a clamour of excitement
for them. People were overjoyed.
Then they actually went to see Gun
n Roses. Lead singer Axl Rose was
a mumbling, shambling, rock star
casualty, bloated from a decade of
drugs and dickishness. In a moment
every Guns n Roses fans memory
was gone, and thats the gamble
with a band coming back. Maybe it
was best to never relive it in the frst
place.
bANdS
kevin fullerton
blur broke up in 2002 after Graham
coxon left the band
the Stone roses began to
dissolve in 1996, with the
departure of John Squire
O
nce the hype of new Bond
outing Skyfall (recommended
last month) has died down,
at the start of November well have the
thrills and excitement of Breaking Dawn:
Part 2 to look forward to. No doubt this
will be yet another vampire thrill-fest,
this time with added baby (who is
apparently dating a teenage Jacob, not
sure how thats going to work out). By
now you know whether you love it or
hate it, so book your tickets/avoid as
required.
Towards the end of November weve
got the remake of Red Dawn coming
out. It could be a fop like Total Recall or
a success like Dredd; Im hoping for the
latter, and the trailer looks interesting
enough. Also appearing is The Life of Pi
adaptation, it certainly looks intriguing
and might be worth a look.
And then to end the year weve
got Django Unchained coming out on
Christmas Day, the latest Tarantino
movie which is sure to be a hit. But,
more importantly, the frst in The Hobbit
trilogy is released. Geeks around the
world will swoon at hairy dwarves and
get all hot and bothered over some epic
action sequences, plus Gollum and
Gandalf are both back. Its going to be
awesome.
MovieS
ENTERTAINMENT
PrevieWS
iain mackinnon
for More revieWS ANd PrevieWS
checK out the MAGdALeNS WebSite.
The Magdalen PAGE 32 NO. 32 - Nov 2012 Entertainment
SLeiGh beLLS
First of, this band has nothing to
do with Christmas. And I will not
recommend holiday music because
I work in retail, so I hear Christmas
songs from October through to
January every year, and it makes
me want to Van Gogh myself.
Anyway, a few key words related
to Sleigh Bells: volume, distortion,
smutty, loud. This band is all about
an adrenaline rush, and If you
wanted to trash something, this is
the soundtrack youd stick on. Their
songs are full of synths, screeches,
clashing guitars, punk bass, lightning
bolts all fghting to be heard the
most. But the amp-destroying power
is transformed into addictive sweets
through the clever melodies and
surprisingly pure vocals of front
woman Alexi Krauss.
Sleigh Bells are truly unlike
anything else right now. If you ever
get a chance to see them live, do.
Krauss shows you exactly how to
dance/frenzy to such energetic
noise pop.
NeW bANdS of the MoNth:
the WeeKNd
Okay, Im not one of those people
that hates an artist because theyre
mainstream but generally I hate
mainstream artists. This mostly
covers people who fall under the
RnB and Dance genre, right?
So for me to like Abel Tesfaye aka
The Weeknd, who isnt just RnB but
Dirty RnB, he must be making some
killer music.
His three albums are for, and
about, the nocturnal. Patient
echoes are enticed with a solid
beat to create savvy atmospherics
that command the NSFW nature
of the songs. Combined with
the lyrics, from the persona of a
solipsist playboy, youre pushed to
be ofended, but never are. Youre
instead captivated by the disasters
of his crimes and loves, and a part
of you cant help but want to be
implicit.
The Weeknds louche sound is
the perfect escape from every pop
cover of Christmas songs on repeat.
Also his frst two albums were
released for free download, which is
exactly the kind of artist you want to
follow all year round.




the WeeKNd & SLeiGh beLLS
LiyL | Santogold, M83, yeah yeah yeahs.
StArt With | riot rhythm, rill rill, comeback
Kid, rachel
It could be an interesting time in
November in the FPS world with Black
Ops II and Halo 4 coming out within
a week of each other. My moneys on
CoD, its become enormous over the
past few years and will stick with the
same formula; whereas Halo 4 has
been developed by 343 instead of
Bungie. Odds are it wont live up to the
quality of its predecessors.
New instalments in the Assassins
Creed and Hitman series also arrive
on shelves soon, but Hitman doesnt
really look like it has anything great
to draw new players in; other than
those latex-clad nuns from the trailer
that caused all that fuss back in
May.
Assassins Creed is more likely to
please. With the action moving
forward to the American Revolution,
you play a tomahawk-wielding
assassin who meets everyone from
Washington: Franklin, Jeferson and
others. You wont get to kill any of
them in the main storyline, thats to be
included in some upcoming DLC.


kirstie allan
ENTERTAINMENT
GAMeS
Assasins creed
LiyL | Lana del ray, Purity ring, frank ocean.
StArt With | Wicked Games, Loft Music, d.d
the WeeKNd
SLeiGh beLLS
meet
the
team
D.U.F.C
Dundee University Fencing Club
Where do you get the motivation to train
so hard from?
Lucy Higham (Womens Captain)
Its fun!
Mimi Figge (President)
Who didnt fddle around with a sword when they
were a kid?! Its a bit of pirate and I like that.
What are your main objectives for the
season?
Ross Hockaday (Mens Captain)
I like to see a strong performance at BUCS (British
University College Sports).Universities across the
country compete in it. We want to win the BUCS
trophy.
tell me more about the social aspect of
the club?
Mimi
We go to the pub afer every training session for a
bit of banter and beer and a catch up. We also have
parties and movie nights.
Lucy
Yeah we had the freshers welcome party recently
Wwhich was 90s theme, I went as one of the Spice
Girls.
did you get a lot of freshers sign up?
Mimi
We had a good intake this year, and a lot of people
are sticking with it. Loads of people seem to be
enjoying it, which is the main part..
Any words of wisdom for the freshers on
the team?
Mimi
Go for it. Hit them before they hit you!
Ross
And relax!.
has the club improved in recent years?
Lucy
Well we joined. (laughs). Weve had a consistently
good intake of beginners, which means well still
have a strong team when people graduate.
Ross
The Womens Team came second at BUCS last
year. We also have a strong mens team which Im
confdent will perform well this year.
Any fundraisers we can look forward to?
Lucy
Were planning James Bond themed night in
Mono, with suits and cocktail dresses, and maybe a
roulette table. Itll be in second semester.
ROAST URKEY
CHRISTMA LUNCHES
ONLY 4.9*
ROAST URKEY
CHRISTMA LUNCHES
ONLY 4.9*
\` \. '` `` ' `| ` `\. ''
10
TH
- 14
TH
DECMBR
10
TH
- 14
TH
DECMBR
DNT BE A TURKEY
DNT BE A TURKEY