the Magdalen

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 No.16
The Art Issue 3
May 2010

The Magdalen
The Degree Show Special
5 Campus News 30 Fashion: Focus on Textiles

8 Political Opinion: Elections 33 Making a feature of Blunders

9 Degree show
Science:
17 Art Review 34 Volcanic Inconvenience
Political Opinion
18 Facebook - A Liability?
35 Jigsaw Babies
19 Music Review

20 Comic Book Movie Feature 36 Pamela Anderson - not just sex!

22 Brian Cox!
Sport:
24 A Windy Discussion 37 Cricket
38 The SPL
25 Goodbye to Teletext
39 Barry and Calum enjoy a banter
Travel:
26 Inter-railing
28 Marrakech
29 Istanbul - but not that one
The Magdalen

Editor
Beth Shackley Editorial
Online Editor
Ruth Hunter
Hello gentle readers,
Assistant Editors
This month we have an artistic
Sam Longden feast for you all, with an exclusive
Henrietta Evans insight into the frantic minds of
fourth year art students preparing
Current Affairs Editor for their Degree Show. Fashion
Faye Cawood editor Liz has featured Textiles
students, who have bestowed
Design Gurus
a wonderful array of colour and
design to the fashion pages.
Hannah Graham
Albert Lehzen We were lucky enough to speak
with Brian Cox, who encourages
Entertainments Editor us all to explore our creative sides.
Ruth Hunter Turn to page twenty two for his
fountain of wisdom! Our features
Fashion Editor
are magnificent this month, with
discussions including Teletext,
Liz O’Hara Facebook and Windfarms. Donít
forget to read the sporting chat on
Features Editor pages thirty seven to thirty nine, as
Ross Barrow Barry and Lum wave goodbye. Beth: Thy humble Editor (who has lost the
In other news, the Awards Dinner King complex due to a lack of friends).
Science Editor
saw the declaration of the Best
Dr Jon Urch Contributing Journalist of the year
- a title awarded to Ruth Hunter.
Sports Editor Ruth has contributed exceedingly
Barry Davidson to the Magdalen cause, single-
handedly creating our online blog
Travel Editor and harassing countless students
Kirsty Fergusson
on their favourite breakfast cereals.
Congratulations to her!
Contributors This year has been amazing,
with everyone achieving huge
Victoria Anderson amounts. I want to personally
Catherine Beaton thank my whole team of writers,
editors, and the current DUSA Paul Malik and Liz O’Hara - the nominees
Suzanna Clarke
Gary Cocker
exec. who have been more than for Best Contributing Journalist award
supportive. Thanks of course to pose at the glitzy awards dinner.
Nicola Dalling you, the reader, who make The
Stefan Donelly Magdalen possible. The Degree
Rosemary Gudmunsen Show exemplifies the very best
May Jasper of our enthusiastic and dedicated
Amy Jordan students - so it is a magnificent
way to end our academic year.
Holly Keasey
Craig Kelly I wish everyone the very best
Claire Leyden in their exams, and to those
Kate MacRitchie graduating, good luck in the real
Paul Malik world - you will be missed!
Rory Martin
Calum Munro
Beth Shackley
Editor
Daniel Rapier a.e.shackley@dundee.ac.uk The launch of the Election Issue!
Faye Simms
Andrew Smith
Sina Steading
Ryan Swann PRINTED BY PUBLISHED BY
David Winters & Sons Graeme Thewliss Recycle your copy
16 Dunsinane Ave D.U.S.A of The Magdalen
Dunsinane Ind. Est. Airlie Place
Dundee DD2 3QT Dundee DD1 4HP
sales@winterspioneers.co.uk vpc@dusa.co.uk

Campus News
He’s pure Dundonian, ken.
Brian Cox on campus
Hollywood actor and Dundee rector Brian
Cox popped onto campus on the 5th and
6th of May for a visit. The Dundee born
actor had a very busy schedule trying
to pack in as much as he could over the
two day visit. He got chance to speak to
students as well as have a look at areas of
campus. He even managed to film a cameo
role for DUSA’s soap Skint, he played a
biochemist that had found a way to block
brain waves. Cox wants to take his role
as rector seriously and get involved with
Dundee university as much as he can, from
helping with fundraising to fighting cuts.
Cox said this visit was a fact finding journey
and he listened to the concerns of students
and staff. He said that he hoped to leave the
city with a better understanding of what
the university’s needs were as a whole.
Degree show
The annual degree show will be held on the
22nd-30th may at the university’s Duncan
of Jordanstone collage of art and design.
This is the annual showcase for students
graduating in 2010 to display their work.
There will be a range of disciplines on
show from fine art, animation, jewellery,
textile design, illustration, interactive media
design, digital film and graphic design as
well as many others. Of course this is all
celebrated afterwards at the infamous
degree show party at The Union, there will
be guest DJ’s and turner prize winner David
Creed. It’s a chance for students to let their
hair down and with the event being across
all four floors of the union and open until
3.30 am there is something for everyone.
Last years degree show was a huge success
and this year is expected to be just as good.
DoJ has produced some much loved and
even famous jewellers and artists and many
other famous people in art. The degree
show is a chance to have a sneak peak
future leaders in art and design’s work as
well as having a brilliant time.
Man who cycled the world
Mark Beaumont, more commonly known
as the man who cycled the world, will be
holding a talk at the university of Dundee
on the 27th of may. Mark currently holds
the Guinness world record for the fastest
circumnavigation of the world by bicycle.
He also climbed the two highest mountains
Mark Beaumont on his bicycle.
in South America and cycled between
them. Mark is a local boy educated at the
high school of Dundee. His talk will be
about the world record, his trip to south
America and should be highly entertaining
as well as factual and interesting.
Graduation ball
The Grad ball is a chance for students who
are vacating Dundee this summer to say
goodbye, for now, to friends as well as
sunny Dundee. The 12 hour event runs from
6pm to 6am and features a host of exciting
things to do. There will be a champagne
reception and a marquee as well as a BBQ.
There will be no shortage of entertainment
on the night from an exciting fairground to
a casino. There will also be a ceilidh band
as well as live bands and exciting DJs. The
bands and DJ’s are still to be confirmed
but there is one act that we know about
already; the X factors Danyl Johnson. Danyl
used to be a teacher but shot to fame last
year on the X factor. Simon Cowell said
No.16
The Art Issue 5
May 2010
his rendition of ‘with a little help from my
friends’ was the best first audition ever
which is high praise indeed. Danyl will be
performing along with other acts that will
be announced soon!
Dundee plays a part in new
drug development
Scientists at the university of Dundee will
lead a £10 million pound Europe wide
project trying to find the early indicators
of cancer and increase the effectiveness
of the development of new drugs. The
project could limit the use of animal
testing and boost safety for all involved in
clinical trials. The project will help reduce
time and money spent on ineffective
drugs. The project aims to look at 3 R’s:
reduction, refinement and replacement
of experimental animal use. The project
will explore the use of non evasive
procedures such as MRI scanning to study
the effects of developmental treatments.
These techniques mean that the same
animal can be used for more trials and also
detect precancerous tumours at a much
earlier point. In the long run this would
mean a reduction in animal testing and a
development of better drugs.
Monikie 10k race
On the 9th of may the third Monikie bike
ride took place for diabetes research. The
race covers 10k around beautiful Tayside
countryside with river views. It is open
to the general public and athletes of all
standards. The race is currently in its third
year and raised £8,000 last year and over
750 people took part. Current rector Brian
Cox helped promote the event when he
visited Dundee in May, Cox is a diabetes
sufferer so it is a cause close to his heart.
Charity run gathers much excitement.
The Magdalen

No Airbrushing:
...Just cuts.
Now follows an emotionally
charged article by His Excellence,
Calum Munro.

Cuts. It’s been the focus of the

election. And I don’t just mean
the recent DUSA Exec elections.
Forget the Leaders Debates – the
Chancellor’s Debate said it all.
All three candidates to control UK
purse agreed that the cuts they
planned to impose were “More
severe than Thatcher”. Coming
from the sort of area where “NO
POLL TAX!” and “HANDS OFF
OF OUR JOBS!” graffiti is still
visible twenty years on, this
doesn’t sit well. We didn’t feel the
boom, so why are we feeling the
impact of the bust?
All this talk of bust has me a little
flustered. Aside this columnist’s opinion
that cutting illegal wars and gathering
some of the £123bn in unclaimed tax of
the last decade (I get that from a reliable,
inside source) would be wholly wiser and
fairer, we appear to be headed for the
shit. And what is this investment to be
replaced by? Mr Cameron’s ‘Big Society’.
But hang on, didn’t a certain Iron Lady
once suggest there was ‘no such thing
as society’?
Lets bring our focus to excellence...
education. In January, the Government
pledged to cut education spending in
England by £449m, an impact that could
jeopardise 9,000 jobs in England alone
according to the University & College
Union (UCU) and the excellence of
degrees. Barnett Formula debate aside,
it seems plausible that Scotland will be
lumbered with a similar impact to the
block grant soon. We’ve already seen
teaching places cut by an administration
that pledged to focus on cutting class
sizes. All this, when the latest figures see
University applications up by around 16-
23%. More business = more money, no?
Sadly it doesn’t quite seem as simple as
that. At national and local level students,
frontline staff and their unions are being
shut out of the process – from the UK
Russell report to Dundee University’s
Strategic Review. A recent issue of this
beacon of journalistic probing highlighted
the secretive if not clandestine threats
tabled- exempt from student consultation
and opportunistically published through
the backdoor during the exam/summer
recess.
You have elected a fantastic new student
executive that will work closely with
student and staff groups both internally
and nationally to guide you and future
generations of Dundee University
students through the coming years. It’s
a question of what we choose to afford
– trident or tuition fees, Saturday night
lecture wine or frontline teaching staff.
Dundee University gets so much right,
and I am proud to be graduating from
this renowned institution based upon
the people and ideals it represents.
Let’s not make the mistake of confusing
targets, figures and star ratings with
wholesome education. This isn’t about
scaremongering.
“There is a major debate to be had
about all of these proposals, time and
time again DUSA have nailed our colours
to the mast and we will continue to do so,
please make sure you play your part in
shaping your education” - Andrew Smith,
DUSA President.
 No.16
The Art Issue 7
May 2010

NUS:
NUS Referendum
On the 1st April 2010 Dundee
University students voted against
our union becoming affiliated
with the NUS. It wasn’t a close
vote either: nearly 4 times more
students voted no than yes to
DUSA joining the NUS, 467 for
and 1795 against. I asked current
DUSA president, Andrew Smith,
his feelings on the result of the
referendum.
Firstly are you glad about the result?
Yes I am. I was in support of the no vote
and helped campaign for it. The students
of Dundee have shown that they want
us to concentrate on delivering the best
union we can with the resources we have
and must continue to do so.
How much difference do you feel
there would have been had we joined
the NUS? In reality it would not have
changed things day to day. My argument
was never that NUS membership would
be bad, just that the money could be
better spent. It is now up to DUSA
to ensure that we live up to the high
expectations that students have of us.
Are you pleased with the number of
students who voted?
Considering that it was the last day
of term I think that 2300 was a very
good turnout. It was significantly higher
than the turnout at DUSA elections
and suggested there is a demand for
students to take part in the decision
making process. Had we had better
weather all week and had it taken
place earlier in term, I think we could
have done even better but all things
considered I’m very happy with the
turnout.
Does it please you to know the students
are happy with things the way they
are? In a way it was a clear vote of
confidence. More importantly though
it was a very good chance for DUSA
to engage with its members in major
issues and to really involve students
in what we are doing. I would hope
that every student who voted against
affiliation holds us accountable during
the years ahead and demands as much
as possible from their union. I would
also hope people who voted yes do not
get dispirited and instead get involved
and try to help in making DUSA a bigger
name on the national stage.
Is there anything else you would like to
add?
I would like to thank both campaign
teams and everyone at NUS Scotland
for the roles they played in the vote. I
think the vote leaves us with serious
questions on how we engage with the
NUS and other unions. I also think that
the result leaves NUS Scotland with
some questions about what they do next
in terms of working with non affiliated
unions.
Although there were benefits
to joining the NUS such as a
national voice and discounts in
retailers, we should take pride in
our union. DUSA have won best
union more than once and we
can compete with some of the
bigger club chains on drink deals
and theme nights. It also means
that the £31,000 it would have
cost to join the NUS can be better
spent improving our union and
societies.

Dear student,

It has been a wonderful two years that I have spent working for you. I have had a transformative and
overwhelmingly positive six years in Dundee. When I originally joined our fine campus it was due a
serious renovation and Dundee was still very much Scumdee in the minds of far too many.

Since then the status of the city and the status of the campus have grown immeasurably. Upon
graduating with a degree in History I had the pleasure of being elected to the office of Vice President
of Student Activities and was subsequently voted in to the position of your President. The past year
has been an immense learning curve. It has been both a privilege and an honour. I have worked with
thousands of you and have been supported by the best staff and Executive that I could possibly have
wished for.

To the backdrop of recession and economic chaos it is only made more imperative that our universities go from strength to
strength and that students continue to play an active role in both developing and shaping education. Please play an active role in
your Union, get involved and make sure that your representatives are acting on your behalf. A University is the sum of its students
and it is for that reason that in leaving I am very optimistic about the future of DUSA.

If wealth were measured in the good friends we keep and the company that we share then I would be a millionaire many times
over, sadly as it is not then I am off in to the big wide world to oil the wheels of capitalism and earn my keep. The people we are
when we enter University and the people we are when we exit are very different, in between times there is love, poverty, war, tears,
laughs and a hell of a lot of banter. I hope you have a fantastic summer and thoroughly enjoy the rest of your time at Dundee

Peace and love,

Andrew Smith
The Magdalen
Election:
Hindsight with Rory Martin and Faye Cawood
The UK general election of 2010
produced a relatively rare system of
government: a hung parliament. The
Conservatives won the most seats (306),
followed by Labour (258), and finally
the Liberal Democrats (57).The country
experienced mildly chaotic political-limbo,
followed by the eventual inauguration of
a new Prime Minister (David Cameron)
and Deputy Prime Minister (Nick
Clegg). A coalition between the Liberal
Democrats and the Conservatives has
finally been established.
The party leaders are still at the stage
where they are battling it out for cabinet
members and trying to decide what
policies to run with. Having the country
governed by a hung parliament is an
unusual situation for the UK; however,
the months leading up to the election
were also unusual in their own right.
The key policies from the coalition parties
on topics such education do differ this
could cause some problems.
Education:
The Conservatives pledge to create
10,000 extra university places this year.
Financing this will be incentives provided
to graduate students in an attempt to
get them to pay back their student loans
early.
Lib Dems aim to do away with “unfair
tuition fees” for all first year students,
and for students in their final year, tuition
fees should be scrapped straight away.
They want fees
to be scrapped
completely (this
would be done
over a six-year
period).
However policy-
wise they both
take the same
standpoint on War:
The Lib Dems
support the war
in Afghanistan,
promising to be
“critical supporters”
of the operation. They aim for a strategy
which will include “other players in the
region”.
The Conservatives are fully supportive
of the war in Afghanistan, holding
the “mission” as “vital” to the national
security of the UK.
The new Tory-Lib Dem coalition has an
overall majority in the Commons, with
363 seats. The Conservatives have
yielded to the Lib Dems by planning to
have a referendum on the alternative
vote system, despite being opposed
to it prior to the election (and with
some Conservative MPs remaining in
that position now). In other important
areas, the Conservatives are calling the
shots: on the economy, foreign policy,
immigration and health. Both parties
appear to be in agreement over the
environment and civil liberties. However,
the possibility of a break up still lurks in
the background. Compromise is crucial
to a successful coalition, and both parties
have factions within them that still not
only oppose other party policies, but the
coalition itself. The next few weeks will
be crucial as we see how the coalition
works. At least for now Britain has some
political stability.
The election effect on the media was
particularly strong this year, with one of
the highlights being a person rather than
an event – the BBC’s ever-present, ever-
active political editor, Nick Robinson.
Another highlight was the media reaction
to Gordon Brown’s comment on a
member of the electorate in late April.
Gordon opined that it was very nice to
meet her and swiftly got into his car. He
then spoke to one of his aides as they
drove off. The aide asked him what the
woman had said. Clearly pissed off,
Gordon responded: “Everything, she was
just a bigoted woman…”The importance
of this gaffe in relation to Labour’s
performance in the final results was
grossly exaggerated.
The media were also extremely excited
this year about the Lib Dems. After the
first election debate in April, the media
were very impressed indeed with Nick
Clegg. Public opinion of Clegg soared
within a couple of days, making him the
most popular party leader since Winston
Churchill. Unfortunately for Clegg,
opinion polls do not foretell election
Degree Show 2010:
The Preparation
The Magdalen
Degree Show:
Degree Show
Preparations
It’s Friday the 30th of April and
around Duncan of Jordanstone art
college the first tangible signs of
preparation for the degree show
are beginning to emerge. Studios
are being cleared to make way
for gallery space and the 4th year
students are packing up their
finished pieces to transport them
to their new resting place where
they will be viewed with more
significance then possibly any
The impossibly empty Matthew Building
other piece of work they have
created so far in their university
careers. This is the day these
students have effectively been
working toward since 1st year.
Some have since that day,
gone abroad and experienced
the contexts of other creative
environments, many have led
elaborate social lives within and
outside the college, others have
had invested interests in activities
apart from art and a large amount
will be trying to hold down part-
time jobs. But in the month or so
coming up of each artists’ life, all
additional personal, academic
and professional duties aside, is
consumed by the constructive,
financial and artistic preparation
of putting together for coherent
and intriguing public viewing, the
fruits of their artistic education.
Those from the years below
watch this process as it comes
about, as well as helping the 4th
years set up. Our own Magdalen
DOJ correspondent, third year
Art and philosophy student Suzi
Clarke explores the significance
of the Degree show event and its
implications on the careers of the
art students that pass through the
Duncan of Jordanstone walls.
Impending preparation iof Metalwork

Degree Show:
“Crunch Time”
with Suzanna Clarke
As a 3rd year art student
myself the concept of putting
together a degree show has
loomed over my dishevelled
head since day one of my
degree. For those people who
were wise enough not to take
on a degree which requires
the long distance stamina
of a camel, I will explain the
significance of it for those
involved. A good analogy
could be that of climbing a
mountain. Years of training
and work to even get to
base camp, a constant uphill
struggle every bit of the way
until eventually four years
later you reach the summit.
During these four years you
gradually evolve from a social
butterfly, into someone whose
number of nights out drop off
like digits through frostbite.
As I haven’t actually gone
through this experience
myself it is perhaps a bit
inappropriate for me to try
and explain the stress that
art students are put under
in the closing weeks before
the degree show is unveiled.
As I walk around the college
I am greeted with a mix of
grimacing smiles, hysterical
laughter quickly followed by
a breakdown into tears and
those few fortunate types
who are able to take these
things in their stride (an
approach I am sure I won’t
be able to undertake when
in this position next year). I
am personally delighted to
see that even at this stage
everyone is not completely
sure on how their work will
turn out or how they want it to
be presented. It is comforting
No.16
The Art Issue 11
May 2010
and exciting to see that many
of the students, even with this
immense amount of pressure
still incorporate an element of
play with regards to their work.
In previous years of walking in
to the college on degree show
night it can be hard to imagine
the chaos that preceded the
building in the weeks before.
An immense amount of work
is done by staff and students
alike to prepare this incredibly
bizarre and convoluted
building into an appropriate
space for showing artwork.
Outsiders forget that
throughout the year these
spaces are filled with students
excitedly throwing paint and
ink around, drawing and
painting on every imaginable
surface of the building (paper
is an expensive material and in
recent times often disregarded
as a resource in the life of an
art student). Only ten days
before the students’ work is
assessed do the other three
years vacate these spaces
and the already exhausted
fourth years are presented
with spaces that are anything
but pristine. I know of students
who have literally (with the
help of some of us dedicated
helpers) had to spend days
scrubbing the floors with
brillo pads and sand paper
in the effort of creating an
environment which will do
their hard work justice. Even
those students who I know to
enjoy the chaotic element of
creating and displaying their
work have become sticklers
of perfection when it comes to
their prescribed space.
The Magdalen
Degree Show:
One such student is James
Lee, a fourth year Art and
Philosophy student who is
exhibiting in the Matthew
Building. I wanted to ask
James how he was felt about
the year and his conclusions
as it all comes to an end.
Suzanna: “How has it been
putting your work up in the
space?”
James: “I hate people with plans,
people have been going around
with plans, isn’t that weird?
People who plan, I just don’t get
it??”
Suzanna: “So you prefer your
work to come together naturally?”
The organised chaos of the Textiles studio!
James: “Nah, I just like letting the
chaos flow”
Suzanna: “If you could sum up
this year in one sentence what
would it be?”
James: “Chaos, despair, blind
hope, dead ends, more despair”
“A lot of people say that the work
should stand on its own, I mean
a lot of the times it’s not the case,
you have to be able to defend it”
Suzanna: Do you think you’ll be
successful in selling your work?”
James: I could probably sell me
better than I can sell the work,
win them over with my charm “
Suzanna: “So do you feel as
you come to the end of it all that
you’ve reached a conclusion of
some sort?”
James: “In fourth year you
blossom I think, first year is
always the best year, second
and third year kind of drag and
in fourth year you blossom, the
tutors take you seriously, they
take your ideas seriously and
they’re very critical because they
expect you to take your work
seriously.”
James is a student that clearly
enjoys an element of play in his
work and it has been brilliant to
encounter an artist who doesn’t
take themselves too seriously,
yet still creates beautiful thought
provoking work.
 No.16
The Art Issue 13
May 2010

Degree Show:
Another dynamic student to look
out for is Philippa Claire McDuff,
a fine art student exhibiting in the
main Crawford Building. As this
Magdalen issue is released a day
before the shows opening I don’t
want to go into too much detail as
it would be a spoiler of the impact
of this particular work. Although
I’m sure there will be some
uptight prude who has something
to say about it, after speaking to
Philippa it seems like this reaction
would not be altogether bad and
in fact reinforce the fundamental
concepts that drive her work.

Philippa: “It’s very feminist, that’s

the whole point. I’m not trying to
take a stand, it’s about how in
certain ways it’s very common
to see a naked woman and at
other times it is very unusual. In
that when you open a newspaper
and there’s a picture of a naked
woman you are not shocked but
if a naked woman walked down
the street you would be. I want
people to reassess why they’re
shocked by a certain image in
one place but not in another.”

Suzanna: “Do you think the fact

that your work is in a gallery
space, makes it more acceptable
to see a naked figure?”

Philippa: “Not necessarily,

because I still don’t think people
will expect it, in a gallery you
expect to see a painted nude but
that’s not what I have done.”
The Magdalen

Degree Show:
Not only do students have to be
prepared to sell their work to the There is a real air of excitement
public and to a certain extent in the college at this time of
themselves, but they also have year as these run down spaces
a night before the opening called are transformed into beautiful
the industry night. This entails arrangements of work and
not only scary business types but installations that transport you
many others from the art industry from one world into another. Yet
including gallery curators, which this atmosphere is mixed with a
could provide an all important sense of relief, as if the whole
stepping stone or opportunity year has been building to this
for those wishing to pursue a end point and everyone is now
career in art once they graduate. letting out a great sigh of relief.
For many the degree show can I’m not envious of these fourth
feel like make or break time with years who have gone through
regards to their futures. As with an emotional roller-coaster this
anything that you have been year. Yet to see at the end of
completely submersed in working it all what can be achieved, it
towards for so long it can be hard gives me a glimmer of hope for
to see the light at the end of the this next year ahead of me.
tunnel. Yet as I walk around the
studios as this preparation week
comes to a close it is amazing
to see the raw talent that this art
school produces.

Interior Design student, Sarah, sets up for the show with her exhibition - “Communitea”.

Degree Show:
Ruth Hunter’s artistic
ramblings.
The descent to the fine art studios
leads down such a disorientating
array of corridors and discreet
layering of steps that you barely
notice you are in a basement
until you peer out of the window
and realise that you are looking
up. The studio is bright and white
and is sectioned off like a kitchen
showroom. Instead of familiar
everyday objects, each section
contains an artistic workspace.
In each one there now exists a
unique, almost-completed piece
of work. The parameters of each
space is divided on the floor with
the detritus from the construction
of each individual sculpture.
There is a common line like the
marking of a country on a map
that runs between all of them,
a mixture of the dust of a white
plaster, of plastic shards, of string
and thread, of metal dust and
others less recognisable leftover
material. Each marks the end of
a world.
The room smells of dusty chalk
and house-paint. On an old
pale pink cushioned couch in
the centre of the room, three
artists sit. One is on her laptop
translating the meaning of her
finished piece in to language,
another is unravelling an acrylic
blue cloth painted with clouds, the
third in the middle, is talking at
great speed about the infringing
confines of generic gallery space.
Approaching a man in a corner
splicing up pieces of transparent,
electric blue plastic in an
industrial clamp we discuss his
work, the beginning, the process,
the anticipated final product and
more enlightening, the meaning
No.16
The Art Issue 15
May 2010
to be derived. I
stare off on to the
far wall where the
smiling expression
of a pustule on
a white plaster
tentacle reminds
me of Pacman.
Articulating
my journalistic
intentions in
a generalised
fashion to those
who will listen, I
simultaneously try
to work out what
they might be. The
artists discuss the
more technical
efforts that go in
to their work that
may be obscured
behind the intended
final appearance
of pure idea. There
is lighting to be
adjusted, metal to
weld, material to cut, delicate the piece and physically
objects to transport, final touches propelled the idea, an organic
that will angle a piece slightly growth between material and
more toward optimism, or anxiety artist, the artist giving visual life
or despair, or hallucination or fear to their thoughts and developing
or green or volume or sharpness it simultaneously mentally and
or revelation and perhaps in physically in the creation of the
some people’s opinion, genius. piece. The process is recycled
back in to the artist like a
Some artists discuss their work cyclical process of nature until
as the manipulation of ideas, of the final product, is the final
taking a thought and following it piece the death of this train of
through visual and spatial means thought? Those that appear to
as opposed to linguistically, be more coherent and elaborate
mathematically, or merely stretched it to its very ends. And
intuitively. Others describe their yet within it all there are still so
work like a dialectic evolution many perspectives of the viewer
between it and themselves. Their that will conceive what was
own senses have manipulated never intended.
The Magdalen

Degree Show:
Trials and Tribulations
This issues’ entertainment section has focused its giant journalistic eyeball on art, the event of the moment being
the 2010 Duncan of Jordanstone degree show. We also looked at local exhibitions in Dundee, the undervalued art
of comics at the cinema, and Visual poetry from DOJ student Holly Keasey. The anticipation of the degree show
has been steadily building in stress and excitement since the start of the academic year. Contained within the buzz
of activity, is the constant fundraising by the art students to create the finances to make the show happen and
to do justice to their work. On top of all this is the preparation of gallery space, transportation of art and various
milestones that loom unexpectedly along the way. Amongst this activity, there has also been some buzz around
Duncan of Jordanstone concerning the degree show graphic. Many Students have aired the general view that it fails
to represent the show and the artists. Shot in the style of a fashion shoot in an old Victorian mansion this image has
caused some controversy amongst some of the students. Due to copyright reasons we cannot publish it here but The
Magdalen asks “does this image represent all the departments of DOJ?” These include: Animation, Art, Philosophy
and Contemporary Practices, Fine Art,
Graphic Design, Illustration, Interactive
Media Design, Interior and Environmental,
Design, Jewellery and Metal Design,
Product Design, Textile, Design, Time Based
Art & Digital Film.

Indeed, can one image really contain an

all-inclusive message that will please each
discipline? Either way the indignation
of some students at this one image is a
testament to the passion and personal
commitment they have poured in to the
show, that they would feel such outrage.

Aside from all the pressure of preparation,

the success of the show could lead to some
promising career paths for these artists.
Many past students of DOJ have gone
on to lead successful art careers or have
gained scholarships and bursaries in to
prestigious courses. In 2008 DOJ students
Susan Forbes, Joyce Stewart and Ge Jio
Zhang have were awarded the John Kinross
Scholarship. The £2,000 scholarship is
intended to assist students in Scotland
within the disciplines of Painting, Sculpture,
Printmaking and Architecture to live and
study in Florence for a period of up to three
months, providing an incredible opportunity
for young artists. Lara Scouller graduated
in 2006 from School of Fine Art. and has a
solo exhibition coming up in England. Jay
Yung, a Fine Art graduate was selected by
Grizedale Arts as one of 7 artists going to
China to participate in the Nanling VIllage
Project. These and many more have left
DOJ with great prospects. Can the 2010
Degree show match up to the success of its
predecessors?
Holly Keasey’s Visual Poetry - third year Fine Art and Philosophy

Art at the DCA:
Musings on Alex Frost’s “The
Connoisseurs” with Kate MacRitchie
Of all the numerous, exciting art
events on in Dundee you may
have heard of the delightfully
unusual Alex Frost exhibition
showing at the DCA. On a
Saturday afternoon, being high-
brow arty types (or at least
pretending to be) our lovely Editor
and I skipped along, hand in
hand, to inflict our perspective.
Frost’s work is eclectic to say the least,
but recurring themes are prevalent
throughout the exhibition, such as the
internet, needles and consumerism to
name but a few. The disparate nature
of some of the pieces relates well to the
exhibition’s title, “The Connoisseurs.”
Walking around the gallery feels like
viewing a private collection of a refined,
particular artistic taste. In fact, the title
seems like an ironic joke on Frost’s
part; perhaps a commentary on the
snobbery attached to what can be
defined as art. The giant, colourful nose
sculptures floating in the middle of the
main gallery’s floor seem to be aloofly
turning their noses up at the artist’s own
work. Originally commissioned for the
Glenfiddich distillery, the pompously
flared nostrils seem to playfully convey
everything that is absurd about the
whisky tasting culture.
What is truly striking about this exhibition
is the range of materials involved and
the innovative techniques employed by
the artist. The process of creating the
art appears to have been as thought
provoking as the final pieces. Frost’s
innovative “blind portraits” for example,
were created by piercing a photograph
and painting through it so that the image
of his model’s face appears on the
opposite side, therefore in viewing the
portrait you are essentially viewing the
back of the painting. Thus the process
is ‘blind’, as the final outcome is never
certain. The portraits are also blind in
another sense; the subjects all have their
eyes closed, and when combined with
Frost’s unusual technique, the result
is, quite frankly, creepy. To look at rows
of sullen, close-lidded, deathly faces is
unnerving; we do not know why their
eyes are shut, if they are intended to look
so corpse-like or why the artist chose
this particular method to create them.
In experiencing such uncertainty the
audience too is emotionally blind.
Though the pieces seem to have little in
common, on closer inspection a certain
selectiveness is apparent, again relating
to an overall theme of connoisseurship.
No.16
The Art Issue
17
May 2010
The massive WiFi mural, reminiscent of
your local swimming pool, is comprised
solely from materials bought online.
Plastic starfish, fish tank decorations and
miscellaneous aquatic objects litter the
bottom of the pool. (Although for realism,
I would have added some plasters and
a verruca sock...) Furthermore Frost’s
sculpted food products all resemble
the type of foods found in the shopping
basket of a middle-class vegetarian,
all substitutes to this particular dietary
requirement.
“The Connoisseurs” presents a series
of oxymorons and subversions. The
old is balanced by the new, the hi-tech
alongside the handmade and the mass
produced versus the individual. Though
the collection has numerous interlinking
themes, which can become slightly
overwhelming, Frost’s work nevertheless
is highly unique and engaging. Pieces
such as the WiFi mural and the brightly
vibrant noses lend a playful air to the
exhibition, suggesting that the artist does
not take himself too seriously, This sense
of humour draws you into a communal
relationship with the artist so that to view
Frost’s work is to be in on the joke.
The Magdalen

feature: facebook
I never thought I’d say it, but how Gary Cocker
I long to have been at University
in the 1980s. Sure, there would University of Dundee
have been the unholy trinity of
bad hair, bad music and insipid
Thatcherites to suffer, but both See more results for Magdalen
the bane and reluctant essence
of my existence would have been Displaying top 2 results
but a far and distant dream.

Facebook has truly exploded on

my social life into tatters. However, as photo of the 1980s will be small beer
campuses over the past couple of
with many, the introduction of alcohol into compared to what is to appear in 20 or
years. With many of the computers
the equation slowly blurs this machete so years’ time.
in the University Library which are
not emanating the dull white glow of into a friendly Louis Theroux-style
inquisitor, ostensibly there to soothe me We all know that previous generations
Wikipedia are instead bathing their
and let me tell things from my side. had just as much fun and mischief (or
captive student in a luxurious blue
more, if they are to be believed) when
tinge. For the time being, Facebook
Of course, this deception is cleared up they were our age; however, the lack
seems like a glorious invention, a tool
as soon as the last drop of Guinness of such distinct, detailed and graphic
to converse and swap tips or anecdotes
leaves my vastly dehydrated body the evidence makes it seem much less of a
with classmates, keep in touch with
next morning. I log onto Facebook, red- heinous crime. One only has to look at
old school friends and do the odd bit
eyed and green-faced. I despairingly the outrage unleashed by the photo of
of “perving” (although I am of course
shake my head at my socialist mate the young ‘gentleman’ urinating on a war
innocent of the last charge). Adding to its
making the clenched fist salute in all of memorial shortly before Remembrance
one-stop-shop ethos, it even has games
his 35 photos; I chortle at my flatmate’s Sunday to gauge how future elections
and applications to wile your life away
seeming impression of a stroke victim on shall be fought on images not ideas, on
with when you could instead be wasting
the dancefloor; I just about vomit at the photos and not principles. 
time reading lecture notes. It also, of
course, has the facility to upload all those sight of two acquaintances becoming,
well, acquainted towards the end of the To all those who pursue a career in gutter
photos that seemed like a good idea on
night. I’ve escaped, I gasp with a sigh of journalism, Facebook is undoubtedly a
Friday night.
relief. blessing; however, to those of us who
seek to gain some vague sense of dignity
As with many, I’m not the most camera-
...And then I see myself lying in a bath and perhaps even a halfway decent job
friendly of individuals; my instinctive
missing half of my clothes and covered in following our debauched student years,
reaction is to treat the appearance of
what I hope is shower gel, and I realise we should remember that a Facebook is
such an item as the equivalent of the
that the “Boris ‘n’ Dave Bullingdon Club” for life and not just for Christmas.
wielding of a machete designed to maim

New Writing Dundee is now available

An anthology of new writing from Dundee and across the globe has been published which
includes pieces from new and previously unpublished authors, students from the University
alongside internationally renowned authors. This year New Writing Dundee received around
600 submissions, and the editorial staff narrowed down the work to forty pieces of poetry and
prose.

New Writing Dundee will also have several other events, including their very own spot at the
Dundee Literary Festival on Wednesday, June 23rd from 6pm in the Dalhousie Building. This
fun evening will not only feature New Writing Dundee stories through music and professional
readings – including a reading by Christopher Reid – but it will also launch the festival.

Copies, costing £5, can be purchased from Waterstone’s store in Commercial Street, Dundee,
or by contacting Anna Day, Director of Literary Dundee, on 01382 384413
or at a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk.

Music Review:
The Bluetones play the canine abode.
Paul Malik reviews... while tipsy.
Is it better or worse to attend gigs
and shows under the influence?
A Monday session inspired by
the optimistic affects of a sunny
day took the place of some much
needed studying, would this
have a negative affect on my
appreciation of the band? In the
case of the Bluetones as it turns
out, the drunker the better.
Classic FM for Studying.
A useful compliation reviewed by Mark Bonnington.
Well it might
seem like a cliché
to start off with,
but this CD really
does do what it
says on the tin.
It provides 10
tracks, in varying
styles, all highly suitable for those last
few hours of essay-cramming or long
Sundays of revision notes. All 10 tracks
have been chosen for their ability to be
mentally stimulating without providing too
much of a distraction. Highlights include
the CD’s opening track, with the high
Romantic tones of Mozart’s Concerto for
Clarinet and Orchestra in A. Believe it or
not, it has been proven that listening to
Wolfgang’s work increases intellectual
prowess, with the term ‘Mozart effect’
being first coined by Dr.Alfred A.Tomatis.
I’ll have to admit, prior to turning up at
Dundee’s Canine abode, I hadn’t really
heard much of what London’s Bluetones
were about. Half-assed journalism on
my part (or the fact that their myspace
is solely dedicated to new tracks), it
would seem that their past as a Britpop
band is something they’d like to forget.
This however, couldn’t be said about the
crowd.
Amongst the thronging masses,
receding hairlines and beer bellies, a
time travelling trip to the early nineties
seemed to have taken place. Dundee’s
faithful seemed to have taken denim to a
whole new level and Ben Sherman must
have noticed an incredible surge in sales
of chequered shirts. Incorporating old
and new, the London quartet appeared to
just plod along waiting for the inevitable.
When the band cracked out the song
everyone in the crowd had been waiting
to hear, “Slight Return”, once a stalwart
of radio hit-list’s and indie dance floors
Also included on this CD is Mozart’s
famous Laudate Dominum, with vocals
provided by stunning soprano Lucia
Popp.
My personal recommendation from
the collection would have to be Ralph
Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme
by Thomas Tallis. The original Thomas
Tallis was a composer at the court of
Henry VIII, and we have the high soaring
melodies so favoured in Renaissance
music. The piece has a haunting beauty,
is beautifully orchestrated, and provides
that longed-for moment of respite in
the library, when you think your brain is
about to melt through your eyes. Film-
maestro James Horner was so moved by
this piece he stole it to provide the love-
theme when composing the soundtrack
to ‘Troy.’
No.16
The Art Issue 19
May 2010
everywhere, the band cursed their
fortunes as a one hit wonder.
The Bluetones are a band who don’t
wear their musical influences on their
sleeves as much as tattoo them to
their foreheads, the twanging guitars
and nasal whine of singer Mark Morris
portrays the band as nothing more than a
poor-tribute to the Stone Roses. Yet the
crowd seemed to love it, singing along
to a song which you might not remember
the name of, but no-doubt will have
listened to countless times. A band who
owe everything to one song, also seem
to be haunted by it. They somewhat
graciously accept that the majority
of those in attendance only came to
hear that “fucking song”, as Morris so
poignantly put it.
Bland indie music it seems is alive and
well, no doubt, influencing bands like The
Courteeners in pioneering landfill music
which seems to be enjoying somewhat of
a revival of late.
Other gems to listen out for is the
spanish-infused Concerto de Aranjuez,
beautifully played by the National
Orchestra of Spain, Debussy’s etheriel
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
(yes Twilight fans, Debussy did write
other stuff) and Beethoven’s dramatic
‘Emperor’ Adagio in E Flat, among
others. I mean if it bumps you up a
grade, why not?
If you enjoyed this work try Spotifying:
Horner, James: Troy, Music from the
Motion Picture (Warner Music, 2004)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Requiem
(Decca, 1992)
Popp, Lucia: The Very Best of Lucia
Popp (EMI Records, 2005)
The Magdalen
Brian Talks:
It is early May and Beth and
I [the great Ruth Hunter],
sit down on The Magdalen
couch to chat with Dundee
University’s new rector Brian
Cox. Despite a hectic and
demanding schedule that
called him back to Edinburgh
that very evening Mr. Cox
generously spent 45 minutes
talking with us.
With a list of questions set out before
me I soon find myself straying from their
intended order and topics. I listen to the
native Dundonian talk with great depth
about the history of Dundee, religious
thought, the distinctions
between generational
perspectives, the “My days are Dundee.
My nights are
elections, the strategic
review, philosophy,
his acting career and
something else… but
much more. We could
not fit it all within the
my days are Dundee.”
humble confines of this
magazinical medium.
You will be able however
to read the full interview
online on our blog at
dundeemag.blogspot.
com or on the DUSA website at dusa.
co.uk/themagdalen.
Have you got many plans for the
summer?
Awe and wonder at Dundee’s greatness
‘I don’t at the moment,
I think I’ve got about
...sort of two maybe three
possibilities of movies and
I’ve got to see which comes
up first. At the moment I’ve
got a film premier in Madrid
at the festival at the end of
May.’
For the film
opportunities, what
kind of films are they?
‘They’re sort of
blockbuster-y types, they’re
studio movies. It’s time I
made some money. I haven’t done a
studio movie for a long time. I’ve just
been following stuff that I want to do but
I’ve got to get, fiscally in order. Especially
if I’m going be coming to Scotland more,
I’ve got to be able to afford it.’
What has changed
most about Dundee
since you were young?
‘I think the things that’s
changed most is its
formed a much stronger
personality. I grew up in
Dundee in the post war
period. It’s a city that’s
gone through horrendous
acts, horrendous times and
come out the other side
of it. It needs to find itself
architecturally and hopefully
that’s what’s going to
happen with the waterfront
development as long as they
don’t fuck it up and they do
have a way of fucking things
up in Dundee.’
In so far as your role
as rector representing
the students of
Dundee from what
you have seen so
far, what would you
consider to be the
most pressing issue?
‘I haven’t really formed that
opinion yet, I would need to
see a bit more, I’m coming
with an open mind. There’s going be a lot
of cuts and I think that certain things are
just non viable and maybe should just fall
off the table. But I don’t want the balance
of the university to be too upset, I want it
not just to be a scientific university but I
want also to be a humanities university.
Especially with the art school, the English
department, creative writing, what have
you. I think big brothers are going have
to look after little brothers. They’re going
have to be judicious about that without
being confrontational. We’re going have
to do a lot of inner patronage. So that
would involve everybody taking care of
everyone else. So the university keeps
its character, keeps its uniqueness. And
that there is still room for the cutting
edge, so that there is still room for the
eccentric. ‘
You’ve played some
psychologically deranged
characters in the past, what
drew you to these roles? Were
you interested in horror stories
or horror films when you were
 No.16
The Art Issue 21
May 2010

younger?
You had
‘No, not at all. I mean I’ve played other a role in
characters as well. I’ve played Hannibal the 1968
lector and Herman Goerring, people who TV series
are shall we say, of certain questionable The Sex
sensibilities. But the interesting thing Olympics,
for me is that they are only certain it had a
steps away from who we are. All these lot about
characters are over-endowed in certain reality
areas, or under endowed in certain television
areas, no compassion, no sentimentality. in it...
I think its just part of the human condition
and the true presentation of them is to ‘Yeah it is
show who they are, without judgement. astonishing
Not as a good guy not as a bad guy prophetic
but this is a human being who has a television, for
value system that is completely amoral. 1968. It was
If you look at people like Ted Bundy or Nigel Neil
people who are clearly deranged you who [came up
get a sense that they are only a certain with] the idea
number of steps away from you. You that television
know we all have choices to make, you runs the
know it’s the difference between when world. [In
you just squeeze a child’s cheek and it] basically
you just squeeze it too hard, and the gap there are two
between those things is just very slight; peoples, there’s the high life and the on the back of a BBC tray, he climbs
if you want to take it to its extreme end, low life, the high life are the people who down on a rope and in the middle of the
human beings a capable of that. It’s work in the media and the low life are set he shows the painting to the cameras
something that we have in us as human the people the media serve. The low life but he falls off the rope and breaks his
beings and we exercise constantly, are like the audience samples, they just neck. The cameras pan in on him as the
choices in our behaviour, and how we sit there and watch the television. And dead body and the audience ratings go
come across and how we deal with other of course we’ve reached point where way up. Everyone thinks it’s because of
people. That’s why these characters I’ve its porn, the sex Olympics. [It’s the big the painting but of course it’s because
played in the past have interested me, thing] and the audience are getting bored of the guy dying on television. One of
I’m interested in not just nasty characters with it, they’re not as alive anymore, and the TV executives decides to partake in
but characters who are misfits anyway, nobody bothers with art anymore people the show because he wants out of the
who feel sort of excluded in some way. ‘ don’t paint. And a guy draws a painting system, so him and the woman he’s had
a child with go off
and go and live
on an island and I
decide to put this
psychopath on the
island, who killed
his partner in an
excessively violent
sexual act, then
mayhem ensues
and it’s all booked
up with cameras
and the audience
love it. It shows
the extent of what
reality television
does. ‘

FIGHT CUTS! ...says Brian. He may have gone a little far in his campaigns, but we love him for it.
The Magdalen

Comic Book Movies

Comic Book Movies have come
a long way from Shark
Repellant Bat-spray; gone
by DaniIel W. Rapier
is Adam West's camp sixties
romp, replaced with alcoholic
billionaires, Spartans and
profane 10 year-old assassins.
Forget the tights and put
your pants back inside your
trousers, you're not in
Smallville, Kansas any more.
Cape Fear
There's a lot more to comics ....However not every
If The Dark Knight taught than just cowls and teenage Comic Book movie is a winner,
us one thing, apart from boy sidekicks though and in for every "Up, Up and Away"
that trick with a pencil, it's fact the best comics, graphic there are some crashing
that comic book movies are novels and adaptations from downs, for every Blade
big business these days. With the last decade have been non- there's a Blade Trinity, for
over 1 billion taken at the superhero material.... every Hellboy, a Howard the
box office, the latest Batman Duck.
film showed the world that
superheroes are no longer
just the preserve of the
geek.
This summer sees several 2000ad staple, the British classic Judge Dredd, is another
films hoping to capitalize on film from the comic stable that falls far short of classic.
that success, from the big The anonymous lawman was replaced with the well-known
budget Iron Man 2 to the indie and wholly recognizable Sylvester Stallone. It might seem
films Kick-Ass and Paper Man. pedantic but when your character is meant to represent the
To celebrate The Magdalen facelessness of the legal system, casting Rambo might not
takes a close look at the be the best move.
best and worst of Comic
Book Movies.

Following the idiom, once bitten twice shy, it would take John It's in these pockets
Wagner, creator of Dredd, nearly ten years to return to the silver of criminal activities, the
screen. The result would be worth the wait. David Cronenburg's shadows of morality that
adaptation of Wagner's A History of Violence is a story of mistaken the best comic book work
identity, mafia and murder that mercifully involves absolutely no has been created both in
Rob Schneider. Staring Viggo Mortensen, the film uses Wagner's super-heroics or otherwise,
graphic novel as a springboard to create a tense and deliberately and this is true of their
ambiguous crime thriller. adaptations.

Just like A History of Violence, Road to Perdition deals with the influence of mafia on the life
of those that partake in the underworld, however places the narrative in Capone's America. Max
Allan Collins' graphic novel is based, in part, on the classic Manga Lone Wolf and Cub, which itself
was turned into six films. Both in the Japanese original and Sam Mendes' 2002 reconsideration
of Perdition, the story revolves around the relationship between a man and his boy after the
father suffers the indignation of betrayal. Part tale of vengeance part of redemption, Perdition
sees protagonist Michael Sullivan Sr., played by Tom Hanks, trying to emancipate his son from his
own underworld dealings. The adaptation, directed by Sam Medes, (Jarhead) won an Oscar for
best Cinematography and it's more than deserved. Road to Perdition is a beautiful film seeped
with not only in noir tradition but also a fantastic sense of Americana. Within the film there are
often shots taken directly from the panels of original graphic novel, adding a sense of synergy
between the two works.

However realism and comics often stand at parallels, with it being hard ...Which
to combine spandex costumes and believability and Robert Rodriguez's Sin takes us full
City is the ultimate extension of this. A highly stylized and hyper-realistic circle, right
neo-noir assault on the senses, Sin City is based on the art and writing of back to a
comic legend Frank Miller, who also takes credit for the reinvention and terrible comic
reinvigoration of the blind crime-fighter, Daredevil... book movie.
 No.16
The Art Issue 23
May 2010

"With No Power If Batman

is 80 and
Spider-man a

Comes No sprightly 48
years of age
then Kick-Ass,
the newest
creation of

Responsibility" Scottish Comic

book writer
Mark Millar, is
in its terrible
twos.

Created in 2008 alongside artist John Romita, Jr. (his father incidentally was only the second
artist ever to draw the original Spider-man comic series) Kick-Ass asks the simple question; "Why
do you think nobody's tried to be a superhero before?"

Kick-Ass is comic's ultimate high concept and
what follows is an anarchic and violent
story of an ordinary teenage boy, Dave
Lizewski, desperately trying to answer
his own reservations. But Kick-Ass is as
much to do with teenage hormones, as it is
superpowers and the titular superman has
as much trouble with girls as the Fantastic
Four do with planet eating monsters or
mole men.
The translation to film, itself written alongside
the comic, was done without the backing of any
major film studios which means Kick-Ass has
indie sensibilities with mainstream appeal. Kick-Ass
is Tarantino does comic blockbuster.
However the comic book star of the summer
will be the man in the iron mask, Tony Stark.

Iron Man 2 takes what was great about the first movie and absolutely runs with it, creating
a whole universe as it goes. Whether it's Samuel L. Jackson's eye-patched Nick Fury or Robert
Downey Jr.'s cameo in 2008's Incredible Hulk, Marvel is trying to do what no one else has done
before, and create a single world in which all these characters exist, just like in the comics. Iron
Man 2 is just one, very enjoyable, part of a larger picture.

Comic book movies and

adaptations no longer
have to hide in the
corner or stand apart
from their less nerdy
peers. It's taken the
best part of a century
but comics are not
just in the mainstream...
Hit Girl takes her job they are driving it.
seriously:
Mark Miller's Kick Ass.
The Magdalen

Never happy eh?

by Craig Kelly
Is it just me or are all these complaints
about wind-turbines just a lot of hot air?
Sorry, poor attempt at a joke. Seriously
though, I’m perplexed by this throng of
people who are driving the campaign to
stop wind turbines coming to Dundee’s
waterfront. They came to my attention
after crashing a ‘Saturday Night Evening
Lecture’ but I didn’t think too much of it.
However, whilst on my way to an event at
the Discovery Point I was confronted with
them again. Whilst loitering, or as I like to
call it ‘having a sneaky fag’, I got chatting
to one of them. I knew this was going to
be good.
‘What’s the problem with wind turbines?’
His answer was a mixture of their
aesthetic deficiencies, noise pollution
– which I thought was an ironic choice
of words – and something to do with
shadows. This was getting odd….
Shadows, f*cking shadows? Then the
punch line, ‘I wouldn’t want one in my
back garden’.
honest, I thought our hope in renewables
now lay elsewhere – perhaps geothermal
release – but it seems we can have a
second crack at being the leaders in the
development and manufacture of wind
turbines. Not only ‘us’ in the Scottish
context, but Dundee, a city which has a
skilled workforce but a lack of jobs. A city
located perfectly to transport the turbines
via water to the continent. Some would
say Dundee was the ideal location for
such a factory.
You see, wind turbines don’t just
reduce Scotland’s dependence on finite
resources. They don’t just make energy
cheaper for each of us and all of us as a
whole. Wind turbines allow us to become
the leading exporters in a technology
which is being adopted around the globe.
I once argued with a friend on Uist about
wind turbines. He was a science student,
me a poor historian, an unfair contest I
feel. But he explained to me the problem
with wind turbines was that because
they have a life span, the carbon used to
develop the turbine is merely cancelled
out by the carbon which is saved by the
turbine during its usage, and therefore is
a bit of a wasted exercise. The solution
to have a manufacturing plant powered
by turbines solves this problem.
Oh, and I actually think they look quite
good as well.

Where do I start? Firstly, no one is

proposing that we put wind turbines in
people’s back gardens. I don’t imagine a
circumstance where you drive up Perth
Road and see tenements almost taking
off as enormous wind turbines located
in the communal gardens get a wee bit
out of control. This is not a problem.
Secondly, I don’t have a garden, but if I
did I’d be quite contented to have a wind
turbine in it.

The reality is that Dundee is an

exciting place to live right now. The
waterfront project will deliver to this city
the physical machination of the spirit
which has existed in recent years. We
are embodying modern Scotland and
part of that modernity is renewable
energies. The proposed factory to build
wind turbine parts will be powered by
wind turbines – novel, fitting and just
the kind of symbolism our city needs.
Once, Scotland led the way in the
manufacturing of wind turbine technology
but because of a lack of investment
Denmark stole a lead on us. To be

Stefan Donnelly’s Farewell to Teletext
‘Text’ is a pretty generic
word. Now it’s probably
most associated with the
mobile phone feature that
allows the quick sending
of general inanities
around the world. 15 years
ago, however, it was
shorthand for a “proto-
internet” of information
and entertainment, all
in glorious 8-colour
pixilation with confusing
blocky graphics. Not unlike
a giant colourful text
message.
The heyday of teletext,
in terms of content and
viewership, was around
10-15 years ago. Many are
surprised to realise it’s
still around, albeit in a
crippled, neglected form.
Alas, not for much longer.
With Dundee’s analogue
signal being switched off
on the 4th August, BBC’s
Ceefax, the last remaining
UK analogue teletext
service (with ITV and C4’s
‘Teletext’ shutting down
back on December 14th),
will cease to be. There is
a shiny digital equivalent
with half the content and
none of the charm, but as
you may be able to tell, I
am not a fan.
The ITV and Channel 4
Teletext closure was
perhaps the biggest loss.
Its graphics looked a
little fancier, and it
possessed the most bizarre,
idiosyncratic range of
pages. Some were brilliant,
like the legendary
“Bamboozle”, the most
difficult and frustrating
quiz on television. Planet
Sound was probably the best
music magazine in the UK
when it had a decent number
of pages. “Digitiser”, and
its less cultish successor,
“Gamestation” were decent
computer games sections.
And the greatest loss of
the mid-December closure
was, of course, no Teletext
Advent Calendar with
its glorious use of the
‘reveal’ button! If that’s
not preparation for the
birth of Christ I don’t
know what is.
Then there was the
odder still: “Mega-
Zine”, ostensibly a
children’s letters page,
actually commandeered
by a frightening cartel
of would-be internet
forumites. “Turner the
Worm” was a Teletext
children’s cartoon,
though I don’t recall
much talk about him in
the playground. And if
you think problem pages in
papers detail a scary sub-
section of society, imagine
those written by teenagers
to an obscure teletext
page. Paramount Text’s
‘Mailbox’ even led to the
real-life marriage of two
regular contributors.
With all this already gone,
you could wonder what we
are losing with the demise
of Ceefax. Well, if you’ve
ever wanted regular updates
on the views of right-wing
pensioners, you’ll miss
letters page “Dear Ceefax”.
If you like to know the
time in several cities,
there’s “World Clock”.
There’s also “Community
Magazine” which is neither
a magazine, nor is it about
community; and 8 sub-
pages on UK competitive
chess. There are more
useful pages: News, Sport,
TV listings, flights, etc.
though admittedly only
useful if you can’t be
bothered turning off the
TV and turning on the
internet. But who can,
really?
Ceefax is the original. The
first accidentally invented
teletext service in the
world, with a dreadful but
No.16
The Art Issue 25
May 2010
May 22 10y 15.54.03
durable phonetic title (see
facts). Its end is the end
of the teletext era. It
has just covered its last
election with a mammoth
number of pages turned
over to nauseating detail
on who got what in every
constituency. It’s also the
last football season those
so inclined can keep up
to date with every goal,
booking and attendance
through the silent drama of
Ceefax live scores.
Teletext prefigured the
internet and then was
rendered redundant by it,
but within its usurper
it may be preserved.
Amidst blogs and websites
about teletext, you can
find archived teletext on
Youtube (really!). Whilst
on late-night BBC2 you can
still occasionally catch
“Pages from Ceefax” (what
it says on the tin, set
to light jazz). And if
you doubt the continuing
cultural influence of
teletext, just look to
‘house’ outfit “Ceephax Acid
Crew”.
Apparently, more people
watch teletext subtitles
than have hearing
difficulties in the UK, so
perhaps we are all silent
teletext fanatics; the
ignored cult phenomenon
of a generation. Perhaps
we have secretly adored
that brashly coloured,
ever-dated, weather-
affected carousel of arcane
information all along. If
this somehow is not the
case though, take a look
at Ceefax, fall in love and
say goodbye.
The Magdalen
Travel:
InterRailing:
Victoria Anderson
For some of us, planning a week
of sunshine and sangria for the
coming summer is a full-time
commitment. But if you haven’t
yet considered your getaway
plans for the summer – don’t
fret! There is still time, and an
InterRailing adventure could be
the perfect low budget alternative
to frying on a beach this
summer…
How does it work?
Well. First, you need to visit www.
interrailnet.com
Here, you have two options. You can
Camp Birkenau
purchase a ‘Global Train Pass’ for as
little as £255 (the use of ‘global’ is a
little misleading in this instance - the
pass does in fact, cover rail travel in 30
European countries).
Or, you can buy an InterRail pass for an
individual country for as little as £29.
Where you go from here is entirely up to
you! You could use the pass to tour the
southern beaches of the Mediterranean,
soak up the culture in Scandinavia, or
enjoy as many weeks as you can seeing,
eating and drinking as much as you can!
If you plan on going away for a week,
or a couple of months, an InterRail pass
can offer the flexibility that may suit you.
Where shall I go? Warsaw
Given the current economic climate Total costs?
(yawn) and general assumption that The cost of InterRail passes varries
students enjoy a cheap drink, the widely depending on location, longevity
Eastern corner of a Global Pass would of the pass etc etc. It is important to note,
certainly get my vote. And if you are that as well as the pass you will need
seeking value for money, friendly locals to (presumably) arrange travel to your
and interesting sights, I think it would be opening city (Attitude Travel offer a fairly
a solid option. comprehensive list of budget European
airlines that service the UK www.
You can fly into Poland for peanuts if attitudetravel.com/uk/lowcostairlines),
you plan in advance, and Warsaw and as well as travel insurance, hotels/
Krakow are definitely worth a stop. hostels (I have used www.hostelbookers.
Warsaw has some truly incredible
architecture and excellent nightlife. But
Krakow is the real gem. The locals are
tremendously friendly and there is a
great buzz from fellow travellers arriving
into the city over the summer months. Of
course, if you’re in Krakow, it is essential
you rest your excellent pint of Okocim
for an excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau,
easily reached by train, bus, and taxi.
And the cool air of the Wieliczka Salt
Mines (more interesting than it sounds,
I promise!) offers an excellent hangover
cure.
From Poland, why not head to Bratislava,
Prague, Budapest, or down to the
coastlines of beautiful Croatia? You
can have you pick of stunning castles,
‘informative’ breweries, bizarre churches
decorated entirely with human bones,
and of course, some excellent bars and Bone ossuary in Kurna Hora
nightclubs.

Travel:
com in numerous parts of the world
and it hasn’t let me down yet) and any
spending money. While all of this can
work out remarkably cheap, depending
on organisation, accommodation
expectations and eating light – do not fail
to factor such costs into your plans.
Don’t forget!
InterRail Passes can only be used by
European residents.
The dubiously named ‘Global Pass’ is not
valid in your own country of residence
– you may get a discount on rail travel
here, but generally you’ll find its cheaper
to fly out of the UK to your location.
The InterRail passes can limit the
The ash cloud:
The infamous ash cloud from
an Icelandic volcano stopped
air traffic over Britain for 6 days
but how did it affect Dundee
students, as well as the rest of the
world?
May Jasper, reports:
My twin sister has been living in Spain
for almost a year. I was looking forward
to my trip to Santander in the north of
Spain, to spend a weekend catching up
and hanging out with her.
Thursday the 15th of April, the long
awaited date in my diary, soon came
around. However, with the alarm set for
4.30am and the prospect of spending
seven hours milling around London
Stansted Airport, I knew it was not
number of ‘travel days’ within any given
period. Be sure to plan a rough route and
check travel times before you buy any
passes.
Limited train services do not allow
InterRail travellers without a surcharge,
and overnight trains will almost certainly
have a charge on top of your pass. The
cost of this will depend upon route, and
for overnight trains – the style and size
of the cabin and bunks. Check the handy
Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable
for all information regarding train times
and services.
Do not try and tape money, passports of
insurance documents to your thigh while
going to be a pleasant journey. On arrival
at Stansted Airport I was struck by the
volume of passengers leaving departures
with large amounts of luggage. Brushing
this off I proceeded to the check in, which
I found to be closed. Perhaps I was having
a particularly slow day or perhaps it was
because it was 6 o’clock in the morning;
or perhaps it was because I had never
considered the eruption of a volcano
in Iceland as a potential obstacle in my
journey to Spain. It took a while for me to
grasp what exactly was going on.
Just my luck. Little did I know that over the
next six days, much of European airspace
was to be closed in light of this my troubles
were of little significance.
Though I can blame neither the airport
nor the airline for the cancellation of my
No.16
The Art Issue 27
May 2010
on night trains. Yes, people do it. No, it’s
not clever. Yes, it’s funny watching such
individuals peel their skin off in order to
prove their citizenship to an increasingly
angered Slovak border control officer at
4am. Buy a money belt instead.
Czech lager is strong. Do not under any
circumstances have ‘a couple’ (or four,
or six…) with lunch before finding your
hostel for the night. This will only end in
disaster. Bags down, then explore.
flight, I am still a passenger who has lost
almost £250 booking and rebooking
flights. Ryanair has set up a link online for
passengers to apply for refunds. There is
no guarantee that refunds will be given
however. They unfortunately do not provide
you with a proof of a refund request nor
of the success or failure of your refund.
Easyjet provided a maze of links and logins
and I found myself accosted and accused
of wrong passwords and usernames. I have
all but given up hope of even finding the
refund application.
I am disappointed, yet glad my situation
wasn’t worse. Whether I will ever receive
any refund is impossible to tell.
The Magdalen
Travel:
If you’re looking for an interesting
city-break away, MARRAKECH is
worthy of your consideration.
Warning: a destination probably not
recommended for vegetarians, animal rights
activists, enochlophobics or those looking for a
glass of wine with every meal.
Marrakech, once known as an elite haven
for ‘foodies’ and those seeking luxury riads
(that’s a posh B&B) at bargain prices. But
with two certain budget airlines recently
launching flights from the UK into the
shopper’s paradise, it has become a far
more accessible holiday destination to the
likes of you and I than ever before.
Sleeping:
In Marrakech itself, you can sleep in either
an intimate riad in the historic medina
(the old city), or a hotel in the fashionable
new district of Gueliz (home to most of
Marrakech’s hotels and high-street shops).
Hostels are more typical B&B’s are rare,
but given the excellent rates of mid-range
accommodation, those on a budget will not
struggle.
Shopping:
Marrakech boasts the largest market
(souks) in Morroco. Expect it to be busy,
The souks
and incredibly loud, with a fantastic array
of scents, sights and bargains waiting to
be had! It is however, incredibly important
that you are prepared to barter in the
souks. Most of the men on the stalls did
not make the items you are purchasing,
and they almost certainly paid very little
for the goods themselves, so be weary of
Seeking sanctuary in the Jardin Majorelle
over-paying. Most of the bazaars are filled
with friendly sellers who want to entice you
in and chat while you marvel at their wares.
But be vigilant, as you will undoubtedly
be accosted by individuals offering you
directions to a tanning shop you had no
intention of visiting or women offering non-
existent henna tattoos. Have fun, but be
alert. People offering ‘advice’ and directions
in the souks often expect to be paid, so take
a map and go it alone!
‘Must have’ items:
- Tagine dish. To come to Morocco and
return without a tagine is a sorry day
indeed.
- Argan oil. Either to cook with, or in
cosmetic products. It is only produced in
Morocco and supposedly contains age-
defying ingredients. Worth a try at least!
- Leather. You will smell the tannery souks
before you enter them, but the quality
and array of goat, cow and camel leathers
available is vast, and much of it is great
quality.
Food and drink:
The food in Marrakech is outstanding. Do
what the locals do and eat from the food
stalls in the main Carlie at the Djemaa el-
Fna. While some of the menus may appear
a little adventurous for many Westerners
(boiled goats head, for example), they are
all strictly regulated and licensed by the
government and thus, both tasty and safe
to eat. With a huge range of traditional
Moroccan tagines, harira, stews and
aubergine dishes, as well as European
favourites (Italian restaurants in particular)
and delicious ice-cream salons – there
Ali ben Yousseff Medersa
should be something for every palate.
Stalls selling fresh orange juice and mint
tea are abundant in the medina (and
it is bad etiquette to refuse tea when
purchasing an item in the bazaars), while
bottled water is easily sourced in the
souks. You will however, struggle to find
an alcoholic beverage in Marrakech. Law
and etiquette dictate that alcohol should
not be consumed within view of a mosque
(which is frankly, everywhere). However
some restaurants do give you the option of
drinking alcohol indoors.
Sights:
Marrakech is blessed with many historic
buildings, bazaars, and Mosque’s – you will
not be short of things to see. For a cheap
and convenient way to get your bearings,
the hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour bus
is a great way to gain a quick insight into
the city’s prime locations. A map of the
souks is ESSENTIAL if you are attempting to
find one the museums or Islamic schools
hidden within their labyrinths. The souks
can be difficult to
navigate, and to make
the most of your time
a guidebook and/or a
map are advisable.
Marrakech is exciting,
fast-paced, full of
glorious sunshine and
incredible food and
most of all – affordable.
So ditch the London
city-break idea, and
head Marrakech with
your French phrase
book and sun-block
for a fantastic trip
somewhere a little
more exotic this
summer.
 No.16
The Art Issue 29
May 2010

Travel:
Kirsty Fergusson takes us on
a delightful journey to Istanbul,
minus the chips and cheese.

Generally when you mention Istanbul

to a Dundee student, culture isn’t what
springs to mind immediately. Whilst it
provides us with all our post-mono kebab
needs, our Istanbul is a far-cry from the
beautiful Turkish city itself! This year,
Istanbul is one of the 2010 European
Cities of Culture, a title which has been
bestowed upon such places as Paris,
Madrid and Florence. Basically, summer
2010 looks to be one of the best times to
travel to the edge of Europe and explore
the former capital of the Roman Empire.

Possible one of the most interesting

aspects of Istanbul is it‘s constant fusion
of eastern and western influence. This
can be seen all around the city from
it’s glorious Islamic architecture to it’s
westernized suburbs and European-
Mosque due to the impressive blue tiles If museums and architecture aren’t
style Dolmabahçe Palace. Arguably the
inside. Luckily this working mosque your thing, Istanbul’s bazaars should
most famous building is the Aya Sofya, a
is open to the public but operates a whet your appetite for parting with your
former basilica, then mosque, and now
separate tourist entrance during high hard-earned student loan. The Grand
a museum. Full of stunning mosaics and
season in order to preserve the building Bazaar, established in the 15th Century,
beautiful artefacts, the interior is well
as a place of worship. If you aren’t all is usually swamped with tourists. It does
worth the small entry fee, however if
‘history-ed’ out by this point, then a tour however sell everything under the sun
you’re on the classic student budget, the
of the Harem of the Topkapi Palace, and is a great place to watch hapless
outside certainly a must-see in Istanbul.
where the Ottoman princes were brought tourists bartering with the shop owners in
Located nearby is the Sultan Ahmet
up, is highly recommended. pidgin Turkish! The Spice Bazaar is also
Mosque, widely known as the Blue
worth visiting to see the array of colorful
powders and purchase some Turkish
Delight. Once you’ve shopped-till-you-
drop, relax in one of the many hammams
- Turkish baths - in the city.

When evening comes, why not sail to

the Orient? Well, not quite, but you can
take regular boat trips on the Bosphorus
which divides the European part of
Istanbul from the Asian part. State-run
ferries are surprisingly cheap and allow
you to see the wonders of this divided
city from the water. Grab a grilled kebap
in homage to our very own Dundee
Istanbul, a side of meze, and head for
head for the boats to see Istanbul’s
ecclectic mix of architecture along the
riverside.
The Magdalen

Fashion: Textile Special

BDes / BDes (Hons) Textile
Design Overview

“Textile Design is a multidisciplinary

course offering you a range of textile
design specialisms including print,
knit and mixed media. enabling
you to cross boundaries from one
discipline to another and to direct
your work towards a fashion,
interior, craft or gallery outcome.
There is a strong emphasis on
visual research and drawing for
design and concept development.
Projects encourage you to become
self-motivated and to generate a
personal creative language. Many
of our graduates have established
their own design businesses
and studios or have successfully
pursued careers in the textiles and
fashion industry, trend forecasting,
buying, theatre costume design,
textile conservation, art therapy,
arts administration and design
education.”
 No.16
The Art Issue 31
May 2010

Fashion: Textile Special

In a studio, which looks more like an eclectic hive of creativity and cutting edge design, 2010’s Textile
Design graduates have been working furiously in sketchbooks and on collections using print, weave, knit,
and mixed media. Even walking down the Textile Design corridor during the last few months, you can see
final pieces and collections begin to blossom: from long, beautifully printed sashes of material cascading
down the walls, having been pinned there to dry, to dedicated girls lying on the cold marble hall floors for
days, cutting shapes from a huge stencil, stanley knife in hand with only the radio for a friend!

These girls (a common trend: we have no male Textile Designers this year) have been literally shedding
blood sweat and tears to reach their final outcome for Duncan of Jordanstone’s prestigious Degree Show.
Enjoy!

Nicola Dalling - 4th year Textiles

Laser cut acrylic
inspired by Las
Vegas buildings.

Just for our

Magdalen

readers: a sneak

preview of some of

the amazing work

we will see at the

Degree Show!

Love,

Liz O’Hara
Fashion: Textile Special

Claire Elizabeth
Leyden -
4th year Textiles
“Flowers of the Botanic Garden were used as the initial
inspiration for my collections due to the vast range
of colour and texture found inside. My scarves are
hand woven using vibrant silks and cottons. Stripes of
luxurious textures are present across collections and
the pieces are aimed towards both male and female.
Each collection differs slightly in relation to colour
palette and proportion of colour but bold stripes remain
constant though the collections. They are designed for
spring/summer seasons due to the light floating nature
of the scarves.”
 No.16
The Art Issue 33
May 2010
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The Magdalen
Science
Eruption Disruption
by Rosemary Gudmunsen
Last month thousands of tourists
were stranded, countless
holidays were delayed and
several state visits were
canceled. Airlines suffered losses
of around £130 million per day
as an ominous cloud of volcanic
ash eliminated any air-travel
plans. The absence of guidelines,
or limits, for engine use in ash
conditions have made it difficult to
judge safety risks associated with
the cloud disrupting travel to and
from European airports.
This flying ban followed seismic activity
under an Icelandic icecap, which covers
a volcano. A sequence of major events
were involved, beginning with small
earthquakes that resulted in crust
displacement. Magma then flowed,
which caused a huge pressure build-up –
resulting in eruption.
Election Result: a bad night for science.
The result of the general election
on May 6th was quite simply a
terrible night for science.
In the lead up to the election, popular
opinion suggested that the Liberal
Democrats were the party with the
soundest scientific policies. They were
also the only party that promised to
protect the science budget in 2010/2011,
with a wait-and-see approach in future
Dr. Evan Harris
If the force of a volcanic eruption ejects
ash high enough it can reach be carried
by the wind and will be dispersed over
many miles – in this case from Iceland
to Europe.
The glass particles present in the ash,
known as tephra, are capable of harming
an airplane in many ways – blinding the
pilot, damaging lights and sensors and
disturbing radio communication.
It can result in engine failure when
machinery is damaged. Jet engines
take in large quantities of air when in
operation. The high temperatures of
about 1400oC melt the particles, which
can then fuse to the components. This
can be countered by reducing engine
speed and losing height as the cool air is
capable of re-solidifying the glass which
shatters, freeing the engines.
years based on the state of the UK
economy, which can only be described
as sensible given the current deficit.
If support for science was top of your
agenda, Thursday’s Election results
were nothing other than a wipe-out for
the Liberal Democrats who had until
then been surfing the wave of wide
public support for Nick Clegg. On Friday
morning the bare facts were that the Lib
Dems had not only failed to gain ground
but had lost 5 MPs overall.
For scientists the defeat of Dr. Evan
Harris, formerly a doctor and registrar,
in his Oxford West and Abingdon
constituency, was quite possibly the most
damaging blow of the evening. Evan
Harris was the Science Spokesman for
the Lib Dems and had the reputation as
one of the House of Commons strongest
science advocates. He sat on the cross-
party Science and Technology Select
Committee, which membership was so
The many inconvenienced travelers
may have wondered if the prolonged
cancellations were really necessary.
However, due to a lack of research in to
this area it is not yet known what levels
of ash that planes can safely navigate
through. We know that jet engines can
survive unfortunate collisions with flying
geese because the aviation authorities
tell airlines they need to test their
engines in this manner. However, there
is no requirement for manufacturers
to study the effects of ash damage, so
regulatory agencies, like the Federal
Aviation Administration, have introduced
the early study of ash engine limits as a
matter of urgency.
depleted following the standing-down
and defeat of many sitting MPs that only
one member active in the last parliament
survived. His championing of science
issues will be sorely missed.
The commitment to maintaining and
increasing science budgets in the UK
is essential to keep the UK economy
competitive. The Royal Society argue
in a recent letter to The Times that in
the face of improved science funding
from governments in Europe and the
US, where despite the current three-
year budget freeze science funding will
increase by 5.9% each year, the UK
will face a brain drain with many young
science graduates choosing to work
abroad. And with both the main parties
admitting that major funding cuts are
inevitable, who would blame them?

Science
Let’s make healthy babies... but how far are we willing to go?
by Catherine Beaton
There now exists an alternative
to the currently available tests for
assessing the health of a baby-to
be. A revolutionary technique allows
the genetic testing of fertilised eggs
before they reach the potential mum.
Removed cells can be genetically
tested to ensure they do not contain
genes linked to certain diseases,
without damage to the rest of the
fertilised egg. This process is called
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
(PGD), and ensures that only
unaffected embryos are transferred
into women undergoing fertility
treatment.
This technology has presented clinicians,
scientists and the general public with a
vast array of ethical conundrums. What
is the moral status of the preimplantation
embryo? How serious does a condition
need to be before PGD is considered
acceptable? Should PGD be used
for non-medical reasons e.g. family
balancing?
It is easier to accept this type of testing
for early onset, seriously debilitating and
sometimes lethal genetic conditions. But
what about late-onset conditions that
appear with strikingly high frequency in
the general population e.g. Huntington’s
and Alzheimer’s, sufferers of which can
enjoy 40-50 healthy years of life before
they are affected?
Supporters argue that PGD is more
ethically agreeable than the current
testing of the fluid sac that surrounds the
baby during pregnancy (amniocentesis)
that might possibly lead parents
to choose abortion, However, this
comes down to timing and when an
individual considers ‘life’ to begin. Is
it at fertilisation, with the entry of the
sperm into the egg and the creation of
an embryo? Or is implantation into the
lining of the uterus the event that heralds
the start of a new life? The fact remains
that in the eyes of the governing bodies,
an embryo, comparatively rudimentary in
development compared to a 12 week old
foetus, will have a lower moral status and
limited rights.
No.16
The Art Issue 35
May 2010
There is no doubt that the experience term? The parents could opt for another,
for prospective parents will differ greatly probably unnecessary, cycle of I.V.F
between discarding embryos at merely and PGD. Or what if all embryos tested
days old (already necessary for routine are found to be affected, or carriers, of
assisted fertility procedures) and aborting the genetic condition in question? Do
a foetus already developing in the the team proceed with ‘mock embryo
mother, to which emotional ties have transfers’ to ensure the parents cannot
been made. reach any conclusion about their own
chances of being affected?
And yes, it can’t be helped…’designer
babies’ have to feature in this argument. Saviour siblings, where a new baby
PGD is already used to test for sex- can act as an organ donor for a pre-
linked disorders therefore the technology existing brother or sister can also be
is there to select male or female embryos created using PGD. Like every other
for the purpose of family balancing, i.e. issue discussed here this test has its
the selection of a boy/girl, if we so wish. supporters and opponents. Ethically,
This practice is currently prohibited embryos should not be exposed to PGD
in the UK. However, there exists unless the benefits outweigh the risks
the argument that family balancing and that is a difficult resolution to make
permits parental freedom and allows in the case of saviour siblings.
for the different experiences involved For most students parenthood might
in raising children of the opposite sex. seem a life time away; however it is
The Ethics Committee of the American never too early to examine how we
Society of Reproductive Medicine in feel about such issues. A survey by
2001, deemed sex selection for the the HFEA, responsible for the tight
purposes of sex variety but not for regulation of such practices at IVF clinics
the first child, acceptable. Therefore, in the UK, concluded in 2003 that there
in the USA, applications for PGD for were predominantly negative attitudes
the purposes of sex selection are towards sex selection for non-medical
reviewed on an individual basis and at purposes but for the other examples
the discretion of the clinician. Is this a raised here, these are topics that are
slippery slope towards the creation of very likely to divide the population.
babies with blonde hair, blue eyes and
high IQs? It has to be said that this is
unlikely due to the multifactorial nature
of desirable traits, the limited choice of
genes available from the parents and
the relatively low number of embryos
produced by each cycle of IVF.
Nondisclosure PGD, where the
parents are at risk of carrying a known
genetic disorder but have opted out
of genetic testing for themselves,
further complicates the situation. The
intention here is to perform PGD on
embryos created by I.V.F and to only
transfer unaffected embryos, but all
without disclosing any information to the
parents from which their status could be
deduced. This throws up some difficult
situations.
What is to be done if all of the embryos
are healthy, proceed through embryo
transfer but fail to implant or reach
The Magdalen
XXX...?
Why Pamela Anderson is a
misunderstood heroine
by Andrew Smith
When Beth asked me what I
would like to put in my final article
for the Magdalen I was torn.
On one hand I thought I should
produce a magnum-opus of a
piece about the challenges facing
education or the importance of
citizenship and advocacy in a
globalised world… after a lot of
soul searching I chose against
both of these humdrum boring
topic and instead have decided to
defend Pamela Anderson.
I will start my defence by stating that it is
my utmost belief that Pamela Anderson
is quite arguably the most important
figure to emerge in the post Cold War
world. The impact Pamela Anderson has
had on the world in social, political and
economic terms.
Her demand for her sex tape was one of
the single largest contributing factors to
technological development in the last 20
years. The tape, which is allegedly very
long, boring and often incoherent, was
the first major tape of the Napster era.
In the early days of the internet there
were two types of users: there were
Visionaries and there were Porn Fiends.
The Visionaries saw the potential of the
internet as a democratising force and a
great medium for mass communication
and self expression, the Visionaries may
have had the correct long- term goal for
the internet but there weren’t enough of
them to create the demand.
For the internet to be a global success
it needed to appeal to the masses, what
it needed was porn. The internet made
porn anonymous: it removed the taboo of
paying money to watch consenting adults
having sexual relations. This meant
that rather than going to the ‘specialist’
stores porn fiends could fulfil their wildest
fantasies without leaving the comfort of
their own rooms.
This sudden growth
in internet traffic and
file sharing was what
provided the demand
for major investment
on the behalf of
web providers and
search engines. As
the demand for the product soared,
so did the quality of the product. Soon
computer based firms were competing
to provide the best internet experience
they could for an army of lonely couch
masturbators.
The development of the internet has also
seen a major growth in interactive and
smart technology, such as I-Phones,
Blackberry’s and Youtube: none of this
would have been possible without that
initial demand that ensured the internets
success, that initial demand that was
symbolised by Pam’s humble sex tape.
The reality of the situation is that the
immense growth of the internet across
the world is still very much the product
of that initial demand. It is quite plausible
to say that the widespread political
movements against totalitarianism in
both China and Iran, both of which have
relied heavily on the internet, would not
have been possible without Pam’s sex
tape.
If we take this argument to its logical
conclusion it is also fair to say that
Spotify, Facebook and Amazon all have
to thank that very same badly shot and
allegedly very blurry video.
New technology is not destined to
succeed, just look at Beta-Max. What
technology needs to do to succeed is to
capture the attention of the masses and
it was the prospect of cheap, free and
disposable porn that ensured the internet
would do just that. Bearing in mind the
major cultural significance of Pam’s
video- who better symbolises the anti
establishment nature of the mainstream
internet star. In letting millions of
viewers in to her private life Pam was
democratising herself and ensuring the
success of interactive technology for
years to come.
It also has to be said that Pamela
Anderson has used her hard fought for
fame for good causes. Not contented
with just making money, Pam has used
her fame to further the causes of social
justice and animal rights: she has hosted
a very powerful documentary entitled
Kentucky Fried Cruelty, raised millions
to fight AIDS abroad and has written
very publicly to Barack Obama about the
injustice of America’s drug policies.
None of these actions have been to
promote mainstream or popular causes;
she has selflessly risked her career in
order to stand up for what she believes
in and in doing so has provided a very
positive role model for young people.
She has taken on every preconception
and stereotype that chauvinistic
mainstream society has for busty blonde
women.
Is she perfect? Far from it, however she
is a strong and beautiful role model that
has stood the test of time and in her own
unique way made the internet what it
is. Next time you are on Facebook you
should wonder what the world would
have been like without the internet, fast
computers and interactive phones, I’m
old enough to remember it and it wasn’t
pretty…
 No.16
The Art Issue 37
May 2010

Sport:
What a difference a year makes
for the Cricket Club...
The Cricket Club will provide the last club
of focus in this eventful sporting year at
Dundee. The club appear to be one of
the most visible and enthusiastic of our
sports clubs which is reflected through
the continued updating of their events
and fixtures on facebook. Somewhat
surprisingly though, things were very
different at his
stage last year.
The club was
in a dilapidated
state at the end
of last summer,
this was largely
due to poor
membership
numbers and a
lack of effective
training or any
social events.
Captain Simon
McDowell did
his best to keep
the club going
though, fielding
one team (1st
XI) that were
disappointingly
relegated from
the top division of BUCS Scottish cricket.
On a more positive note though, last
year did see the team reach the final of
the conference cup, before losing out to
Napier.
A new committee was elected at the
conclusion of last season, and met
before the season ended to discuss
plans to turn the club around. As 2nd
XI captain Jonathan Tanner comments,
“We had already identified that one of
the key issues affecting the club was a
lack of members, and thus decided to
place particular emphasis on recruitment
at the sports fayre at the start of this
academic year, as well as at the later
refreshers fayre”. Having attracted a core
of new members the club decided to run
a number of social events, something
they had rarely done previously. This
included a day out paintballing which
helped greatly in building a team spirit.
In addition, the club sought to improve
the structure of training, greatly aided by
the efforts of Coach Sarah Rountree.
In order for the club to survive though
they required funds for equipment and
to cover other costs. It was at this point
decided to hold a major fundraising
event which it was hoped would keep the
club strong for years to come. Decided
upon was a 24 hour cricket marathon.
Honourably, it was decided that funds
raised from the event would be split
between the club and Dundee Disabled
Children’s Association, a charity which
we had raised funds for in a similar event
in 2005. All proceeds being split 50/50
between the club and the charity.
The big day came on Sunday 11th April.
It kicked off at 10am with a couple of
matches against local side Freuchie,
before settling down to play a series of
20 over and 40 over games amongst
club members As Jonathan describes,
“Fortunately the day itself was sunny,
however by the night it was becoming
very bitter. The games under lights were
a terrific novelty, and we had a great
attendance with well over sixty people
involved in the day overall. By dawn the
survivors were knackered and perhaps
the hardest shift was the final few
hours between 6am and 10am on the
Monday”. Overall there was at least 247
overs bowled (the equivalent of 2 and a
half days of test cricket) 1256 runs: 154
singles, 40 twos, 2 threes, 145 fours, 3
fives, 40 sixes. 196 extras. 84 wickets:
23 bowled, 29
catches, 6 lbws,
13 run outs, and
2 stumpings.
The amount
raised is still to
be announced
and sponsorship
money is
continuing to be
collected, but a
substantial total is
expected.
With the club now
running two teams
and having ran
such a successful
fundraising event
along with a more
stable season, it
seems they are
back on track and
aim to grow even stronger next year,
“Next year promises to be the most
exciting one yet for the club, and we
are aiming to field a 3rd XI in the BUCS
outdoor leagues (something Dundee
has never managed before), as well as
getting the 1st XI back into division one
and the 2nd XI to have another strong
season. We also hope to put in strong
performances in the BUCS indoor
competitions”, enthused Jonathan.
The Magdalen
Sport:
Bring back the playoffs!
Gary Cocker
Ever since its inception in
1998, the SPL has been cruelly
experimented with more than
Josef Fritzl’s kids. Arguments
over its late-season split into top
and bottom 6 are still ongoing,
with the impending fixture chaos
this season angering in particular
Motherwell, who now have a
third trip to Parkhead of the
season, causing a sizeable loss
in revenue. However, a problem
far more deserving of scrutiny is
the current promotion/relegation
system from the SPL, where
only the top Division 1 team
replaces the bottom SPL team as
long as they meet stadia criteria
(which, believe me, is not as
straightforward as it seems). At
the moment, two solutions (either
an expanded 16 or 18 team SPL
with a similar system, or the
reintroduction of playoffs between
the second-bottom SPL team and
the second-top 1st Division team)
have been proposed to revitalise
the league, both of which deserve
serious consideration.
As a Dundee fan condemned (as is
looking likely at time of writing) to a 6th
season of watching my team play in
what some wags have termed the “Fizzy
Pop League”, my views on this may be
considered biased. This, to a certain
extent, is true; were I, for example, a
St Mirren or Hamilton fan, I may be
instinctively opposed to opening up the
system to more movement as it may
threaten my team’s SPL status. However,
it is important for the good of the game in
Scotland that something is done to revive
a tired and despair-inducing system.
You only need to examine some of the
teams in Division 1 to see the potential.
Raith Rovers and Ross County each
reached the semifinals of the Scottish
Cup this year; Dundee, Raith and County
all put SPL teams out of the Cups
this season (OK, twice that team was
Aberdeen but still); Partick Thistle and
Dunfermline are teams with a sizeable
fan base and a decent history; hell, even
Queen of The South, who had a wee
European venture thanks to their cup run
last season which saw them also knock
out our sheeploving neighbours to the
North, would put up more than a fight in
the SPL. Each of these teams deserves
their shot, but due to the current
restrictions imposed by one-up one-
down, only Inverness will go up, resulting
in the continuation of dwindling crowds
and a ‘talent drain’ from each of these
clubs as skilled players go elsewhere to
boost their career prospects.
An expanded SPL or the reintroduction
of a playoff system would not only do
wonders for these clubs, but also for
those already in the SPL. An expanded
SPL with 2 games against every other
team would prevent Kilmarnock and
Falkirk seemingly playing each other
every week and truly make derbies
something special. Whilst they may
have dreaded them, the playoffs of old
ensured teams near the bottom of the
SPL still had something to play for (or
against, as the case may be) at the end
of the season, keeping crowds high and
passions even higher. Pretty much every
playoff had a full house, bringing in even
more revenue for teams whose accounts
depended on Old Firm games and
derbies. An even stronger idea may be
to copy the 2nd and 3rd division play-off
systems, where 2nd, 3rd and 4th place
all have a chance of promotion through a
tourney.
Whilst the prognosis for the SPL’s
ailments may differ, the diagnosis
remains the same. The current
bottleneck at the bottom is preventing
both true competition and talent to
emerge and flourish. To paraphrase
David Cameron (something I never
thought I’d do), we can’t go on like this.
Let’s expand to 18, reintroduce the
playoffs and inject some passion back
into our national game.
Jockyís nae chuffed.

Sport:
Stuff the Summer of Love...It’s the Summer of Sport!!
Barry Davidson
So as the university year comes
to a close we gear up for a
summer of tank tops, flip flops,
and aviator shades. Along
with these fashion necessities,
though, comes a mouth-watering
array of summer sport which will
keep us all entertained as we
count down the days to Fresher’s
2010. My Magdalen colleague,
the esteemed jar fiend Calum
Munro, and I, take a light hearted
look at three of the major sporting
events ahead and make our
insightful, albeit innuendo ridden,
predictions as to who will come
out on top.
The World Cup
BD: I reckon it’s Spain’s trophy. I’ve got
Brazil in a sweepie and I hope to god
they do it but I just think Spain have a
great balance in their team. The midfield
is unbelievable, Xavi and Iniesta are
unstoppable when they are both on
form, and are complimented by two
great finishers up front in David Villa and
Fernando Torres.
CM: Having drawn Greece in the same
sweepie I am looking for them to build
on their success of 2004... but on a more
serious note, I think there is as much
chance of that happening as me turning
out to be a pacy right winger – that joke
works on two levels. Spain do seem to
be the favourites, but don’t count out the
Brazzers, Argies, Dutch and... England.
Even though my Mum’s from Wembley,
that result wouldn’t sit well with me.
BD: Yeah agreed, anyone but England
for me, my mother is also from England
but I couldn’t give a monkey’s if this
upsets her!
No.16
The Art Issue 39
May 2010
CM: When his Scouse mum’s about
things get tighter – and I don’t just
mean my grip on my wallet!
Wimbledon
BD: My only hope for Wimbledon is
that somebody comes armed just in
case Cliff gets up to sing again. I would
go on a ‘Summer Holiday’ just to avoid
him. (Jokes- clearly all you Cliff fans/
fan out there)
CM: Get bent, Cliff is awesome.
Mens? Well, I’d have to go for Federer.
Roddick on a good day. But let’s not
kid ourselves, women’s tennis interests
me more. After Simona Halep broke
my wee heart (Google her to find out
why) I’ll be keeping a close eye on the
back... hand of Sharapova and the
arse of Ivanovic. SERVE of Ivanovic.
God I always get those two mixed up.
BD: In the men’s I can’t see past always revert to entertaining himself to
Roger Federer. I would love Murray to get through it; a tactic employed regularly
do it but I just think he is still lacking in our flat... eh Calum?
something. Can see Andy making
it to the semi’s, possibly even the CM: Entertain myself? Yes I enjoy
final depending on the draw, but in video games, arts and crafts an-...
my opinion he is still a bit behind the HARHARHAR! Last time I was across
big two on the big stage. Women’s at the golf there I fell down a dune to the
tennis to put it bluntly is ‘bawz’, boring, amusement of Michael Vaughan’s caddy,
baseline stuff, paint drying material if was told to be quiet as Monty lined
you may. I will go for Serena Williams up a shot, and held up Hugh Grant’s
though if I have to pick. car – true story. Westwood, Lawrie and
Mickelson are probably my picks here.
The Open Championship I’d love to see an oldie like Tom Watson
BD: If Tiger can keep his eye on the pipe in again. Tiger hasn’t got back
game instead of the St Andrew’s posh on his A-game yet and is at a career
totty lingering in the galleries I honestly crossroads. He needs to win something
think he will be the man to beat. Lee soon and this could be it.
Westwood and Ian Poulter could be
a shout for a European challenge. I So that’s it, our final piece, university is
rekon Tiger is destined to win a major over... We’ll meet again...
this year though, and after all, he can
23–27 June 2010
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