Last term I sent out an email entitled ‘What does TCSU do for me?’ The lack of tangible benefits from TCSU used to be a fairly frequent grumble in college and despite the fact that I’ve been on the committee for most of my time here, I must admit I shared in it as well. Well, we hope to have rectified that this term.

Firstly the TCSU office, bastion of tyranny, has been cleared out and given to the people. When meeting spaces are short within college, a private room seemed a little odd and it didn’t actually have enough chairs for the whole committee anyway. We’ve thrown the ghosts and empty wine bottles of previous committees out and replaced them with computers and printers. Enjoy! ... or at least have less far to walk when you want to print that essay. Together with this we’ve arranged for a brand new meeting room in Great Court I. Well, perhaps this is not entirely altruistic as we do need somewhere to meet ourselves, but still it is there for everyone to use.

At many colleges, Super Formal is a themed event where the normal rules are relaxed slightly and formal takes on an extra twist. College doesn’t trust you lot with this yet (but keep coming along to our non-alcoholic events like the tea parties in hall and who knows). Instead, we’re nearing the end of negotiations for Special Formals with fancier menus, finer china and a more refined atmosphere. Well, if you decide to bring it that is. These are new within Trinity and will very much be what you make of them. Provisionally the first will be on 31st October, but confirmation is required.

The possibility of college stash went down very well, so we’ve gone ahead and bought some Trinity polo shirts. Look out for these being sold at an open meeting some time this term. Who knows, it might even mean we reach quorum by persuading 20 people to turn up. We can always hope.

That’s the new ground we’re breaking into so what about the old standards? The VK bottles have only just been scraped off the sticky floor, but already it seems that we’ve had the highest ever WPR turnover and Burrells looked similarly packed. Access appreciates all of your help and the welfare team are still stocked up with supplies and advice.

What’s next? We’re still focused on JCR renovation and once we’ve washed our hoodies and recovered from fresher’s week it’ll be straight back into action. So, to return to the question in hand, is TCSU doing enough for the students of Trinity? I’m in no position to judge, its my job to write the hyperbole and I’d praise TCSU regardless. What do you think? ... no, really, what do you guys actually think? One thing that has surprised me in doing this job is the lack of feedback I receive, either positive or negative. Not happy with what we’re up to? Let us know and we’ll try set that straight.

Tiring work as this is though, it’ll soon be time for a new TCSU committee. Are you up to the job? Feel free to ask us at any time about the work involved and then put yourself to the test in elections next January. For all you first years out there, half of the current committee were freshers themselves when elected. It’s more gritty than it is glamorous, but it’s a hell of an experience!

Issue No 20

The Independent Trinity Newspaper since 2007

IN BRIEF 2

MISS ADVISE 4

SPORT 8

Kindly sponsored by

travisty.co.ukFriday 16th October 2009

What’s new, TCSU?It’s the beginning of a new year at Trinity and apart from the obvious arrival of an outdoor kitchen in Great Court and over 200 new undergraduates (or as we like to call them, ‘Freshers’, from the Latin for ‘fresh meat’), there are lots of exciting things in store. TCSU President Oli McFarlane spills the beans....

Introducing Georgia Hart’s new column:

5

MichaelmasFashionSpecial

6

Is monogamy for you?

2 IN BRIef friday 16th October 2009travisty.co.uk

Editor’s Letter

Soumaya Keynes

Firstly, a big hello from all of us at Travisty to all of you who are reading our wonderful paper for the first time!

This year, I am excited to introduce Jason Ehrhart as our new fashion columnist (turn to page 6 to read his advice about the latest trends). Another columnist who you will be hearing from every issue is former Deputy Editor of Travisty, Georgia Hart. Her words of wisdom on any and all topics will be collected under a new (and probably terrible) pun on her surname every issue: see page 5 for the very first one we came up with.

Having struggled with some difficult editorial problems, mainly centring on when fresher should be capitalised and where the apostrophe goes in Fresher(‘)s(‘) Week, I don’t have the energy left to pontificate to the newbies among us. This may be a source of relief. Your first few weeks at Trinity tend to be filled with the good advice you just didn’t take (and yes, I’m quoting Alanis Morrisette): how to write an essay, how to make friends, when to go to which club... even Magpie and Stump decided to provide ‘lessons for freshers’. But do you know what the best thing is about coming to Trinity? Finding it all for yourself.

So good luck, kids! And to all the second, third and fourth years (and those people who just won’t leave), welcome back....

Ellie xx

P.S. As always, if you’d like to get involved in Travisty, please email me (er319)!

A. N. OtherGOOd Odds fOR the GIRls

A new term marks new faces, new activities and most importantly, a return of the BA Dinner. Friday saw our first, and the fine setting of Neville’s cloisters, while no less magnificent than the OCR for our drinks reception, was slightly spoiled by the murky dampness of the evening. Dinner itself marked a fine return to form - the added selection on cheese board was much commented upon - but the coup de grâce was surely the eviction of the rowdy undergrads (and thank God that we never were one!) to the Wolfson bunker for the duration of our festivities. Fine music and fine G&Ts rounded off the evening in style, retiring to the BA suite afterwards for more free-flowing liquid nourishment. A few of our younger colleagues were seen to break the blockade by securing an invite – a young lady of some sporting prowess was spotted, although we couldn’t for the life of us identify her Scandinavian companion. A copper-coloured couple were seen to elope in the direction of an orange coloured bar early in the evening; and much later, the misdirected wanderings of a wayward lamb called upon the committee’s strong arm as he attempted to smuggle the blood (although most certainly not the body) of his Lord away into the night…

BA Murmurings

Overheard in Trinity... >> One image-conscious fresher is already making contacts (or rather making contact with a seemingly influential party girl). >> A diminuitive sportsman’s birthday memories included mem-

bers of the Cambridgeshire constabulary and an intimate encounter with the Whewells Court statue.

>> Did the loftiest of boaties follow the advice of another maturer and sophisticated man (in charge of the ultimate party’s funds), regarding this year’s fresher “talent”?

friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk 3

The fresher intake this year comprises of 135 boys and fewer than 70 girls. Even by Trinity’s standards, that is pretty pathetic. If I were a first year girl, I might be rather upset at having so few companions. As a fourth year guy, I am bitterly disappointed. There are many good

arguments that can be made for gender balance within the university; they are tedious and I have little time for them. I merely expected a plentiful supply of young girls for my last year in college. Seventy is not plentiful.

In fact, numerically speaking, seventy is a pittance. A fresher a day (as important to repelling the physician as any apple), with perhaps an extra or two as a weekend treat, would still see a proud, masculine athlete exhausting an entire year (and himself) within the term. Even allowing a term for them to fallow, what of Lent? Matthew (18: 20-22) speaks of Jesus inviting Peter to forgive seventy different people seven times. In a situation that was grimly prophetic of the quandary we now face, Peter had probably run out of people to forgive, or some such religious thing. But surely Jesus wasn’t suggesting that I return to each fresher, on seven different occasions? That Jesus, eh? Talk about stamina.

I do not blame college for the drought - not one iota. Anyone who has ever spoken to the fellows about admissions will know that they take access issues very seriously and are desperate to increase the diversity of people in the college. But really, how hard can it be for a 17 year old girl to impress at interview? Turn up wearing school uniform and pigtails - how can they not let you in? Are there still girls out there who haven’t seen Gossip Girl, and who still don’t realise how to truly excel?

I presume the problem lies elsewhere, and that there simply aren’t enough talented young women applying to Trinity. But that is just crazy. We are the biggest, richest, best looking college in Cambridge. Women love shallow stuff like that. We are the collegiate equivalent of Hugh Hefner, ladding around in our academic dressing gowns, showing off our mansion; so why is our grotto swimming-pool not heaving with nubile, busty minds? We even have our own TV show, presenting Trinity to the nation in the best possible light. Furthermore, the college peer-support network for

For the 2008 matriculation year both male and female applicants had a success rate of 27% when applying to Cambridge. Slightly more men applied and so 1,674 men and 1,532 women were admitted across the University. The presence of all woman colleges means that there will naturally be fewer women at mixed colleges such as Trinity. People need to realise that admissions are a reflection of applications. If fewer women apply to Trinity then it is likely that fewer will be admitted - it’s as simple as that.

- Joe Farish, CUSU Access

“”

BREAKING NEWS:Shock Shortage of Fresher Floozies

women is much more established than its masculine counterpart. We have Women of Trinity (or WoTtF?!), whose sole purpose seems to be to gather girls together to sit around, pretending to do Pilates while they feed each other cake. And let’s not forget their penchant for bitching (both publicly and hilariously) amongst themselves once a year at TCSU hustings. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Of course, I am preaching to the converted here; any girl reading this has already made the sensible decision to apply to Trinity, and managed to get in. Congratulations. It is the ideal place for any girl to be introduced to polite society, learn correct dinner party etiquette and ultimately reach the time-honoured goal of finding a suitable husband. After all, the numbers are in your favour.

For more information on admissions, or to have your say, visit travisty.co.uk

A. N. OtherGOOd Odds fOR the GIRls

Here on Page 3, the traditional home of chauvinism, our mystery correspondent sounds off about 2:1, the grade we’d all like but the gender balance we probably don’t.

4 feAtuRes friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk

Miss Advise...Travisty’s resident agony aunt

What’s Hot

Dear Bewildered in Blue Boar,

It’s completely understandable that you’ll grab any friendships offered to you in the first couple of weeks, but this doesn’t mean they have to be your friends for the rest of your time at Trinity. You’ll meet more people as the year goes on and have plenty of opportunity to form a solid group of friends - so there’s really no need to worry right now. The second years only really became that way in the second half of last year, and I’m sure the same will happen with the freshers.

With regard to your particular ‘clique’, I think you summed it up perfectly when you said ‘this isn’t school anymore’. You’re quite right, and those that seclude themselves into small groups end up rather isolated from the rest of the year, who

Dear Miss Advise,

Well I’m a fresher here at Trinity and I’ve been really enjoying it so far. Freshers’ Week was loads of fun and I’m really keen for the rest of the term! What I’m a bit more worried about is the friendship group I seem to have fallen into. It’s like we’re already some exclusive clique which is just too cool for all the other freshers or something.

I kind of went along with it at first - I mean, it’s scary coming here and not knowing anyone, so I wasn’t going to turn down friendships. But now I’m not so sure. I think I’d rather know lots of people in my year, maybe having a few really close friends, than just be part of a very small group. I guess I envy the second years, as they seem to all be friends with each other and not really have divisions at all. I mean, this isn’t school anymore, and I kind of resent our self-appointed leader - I don’t want to have to follow around someone like that.

Bewildered in Blue Boar

>> ‘TRINITY’ oN ITvMurder, sex, incest and intrigue. The new ITV drama has it all. We love it, not least because of its far-fetched plot and cringe-worthy one-liners, but because of its setting in Trinity College, Bridgeford University. How can we not? With the antics of the Dandelion Club, Mathmo parties and student elections, isn’t it just such fun to watch our lives being played out on TV with such realism?

>> CUCA fResheRs’ gUIdeThe Conservative Association have hit the nail on the head. A must read for Freshers’ Week because I definitely need to know 1) how to save water by drinking champagne 2) where the most expensive restaurants are (what else am I going to spend my student loan on?) and 3) how to tie a bow tie. Possibly the most useful piece of information any fresher could have. And no, Labour, it’s not elitist. It’s just a Freshers’ Guide.

>> o2 AReNATrinity College’s recent purchase of the O2 Arena in London is clearly testimony to our enormous wealth and influence. (Not that we really needed any confirmation of that – even the freshers already know how much better than John’s we are.) But what I want to know is, does this mean free tickets for all Trinity students? Or maybe we can hold our May Ball there? Perhaps use a helicopter to get everyone over there. God knows, we should be able to afford it.

>> hoT fResheRsHats off to this year’s freshers, who have apparently been described as ‘hot, pretty much across the board.’ But this does raise one serious question which I think needs to be debated by Trinity’s student body – is it wrong for a fourth year to hit on freshers?

Email Miss Advise with your problems at

travistymissadvise@googlemail.com

seem to have much more fun. While it might have seemed ‘cool’ at school to be part of some elite group, the same isn’t really true when you get to university. Don’t bother with this guy and his adoring group, anyone who thinks they’re too good for everyone else isn’t worth your time. You’ll be much better off finding real, long-lasting friendships than this unfortunate development in your year.

Best of luck in your first year at Trinity,

Miss Advise

friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk feAtuRes 5

What’s NotYoung Harts Run FreeWhat a great song. However, more pertinently, Candi Staton has given us all a mature and astute perspective on how we as ‘young hearts’ should approach dating and relationships slightly less seriously.

A large proportion of people arrive at Cambridge every year in really quite settled relationships and, unsurprisingly, due to various distance and time-pressure related stresses, very few weather the storm. Every fresher year has similar issues, people missing their loved ones or dealing with the green eyed monster when they’re just trying to make new friends, just as every college undergoes the phenomenon of ‘second-term hook-up’; in diverse ways people tend to get together, but in Cambridge especially they also tend to stay together. I do not know if this is an entirely good idea; a great Sitcom Scientist once said, to the onset of snores, “monogamy can be a tricky concept, y’know, anthropologically speaking.” I think he has a point. After all, Candi is not alone in bemoaning her cheating man who is busy loving every woman that he can. In fact, her hit largely owes its success to everyone who could all too easily put themselves in her shoes.

I challenge anyone reading this to not have been at least a shoulder to cry on for someone who has been cheated on, and, rather than burning bras and swearing off men or exclusively comforting oneself with Jenna Jameson, is it insane to wonder whether monogamy is just not everybody’s cup of tea? If this apparent fundamental of human interaction were more severely questioned, then perhaps eventually

people would not have to end up in poor Candi’s predicament. At this point let me just say that I have absolutely no problem with monogamy, as long as it is genuinely faithful and what both people want, I just don’t think it should be seen as a goal prescribed by society because that expectation allows people to think that they can have the best of both worlds by cheating.

A friend of mine is a fresher at Bristol, and many of the girls she has met are theoretically in monogamous, stable relationships...except that ALL of their boyfriends at other universities are cheating on them. Why they take them back I have no idea (I do know that girls cheat too, I think I just hear about that less.) My main gripe is: what’s the point of a relationship like that? Either do the relationship thing or play the field. Indeed, many see university as a time for ‘young hearts to run free’, breaking loose from home constraints and forgetting decorum, and maybe yourself, in the pursuit of fun and delirious times to bring up in the future as fond anecdotes of misspent youth. This sounds great all round, just not if your girlfriend of two years is in Cuba building houses on a gap year, or your uni boyfriend is still studying but you’re already in the workplace.

Infidelity is not like that proverbial tree in a forest; eventually it will catch up with you, so why not come clean and either choose monogamy or not. Decidedly. Trinity’s very own Zeeko told us all straight at Burrells: “I’ve never cheated on a girl in my life. Even when a pretty girl catches my eye.” He may be too good to be true, but I appreciate his sentiment.

Georgia hartlOOKING GeORGIOus

>> A meeTINg Room YoU CAN’T bookIt is commendable that our current TCSU committee has actually taken steps to improve something in college – clearly a meeting room for student societies is a good idea. However, it seems they have only managed to take tentative baby steps at best as it will not be bookable – clearly not such a good idea. What self-respecting society holds impromptu meetings? Sounds a bit TCS-Useless to me.

>> bAllAReAs if the Freshers weren’t confused enough already by the Cambridge’s bizarre habit of calling clubs by different names, TCSUents have decided to complicate the matter by directing everyone to another club by the name of Ballare. Strange because I could have sworn it said Ballare outside a club which everyone was calling Cindies? Well, in any case I think I ended up at Life, er, I mean The Place or maybe it was The Plase?

>> gReAT CoURTOnce the bathing place of Lord Byron, a corner of our beloved Great Court has now been turned into, well, a nuclear power station? A bomb shelter? Words really fail to describe the temporary kitchen, although any suggestions for a suitable name would be welcome. (Ed: I’m plumping for the SPACESHIP.)

>> bURRell’s gARdeN pAThIt’s dark, dangerous and frightening. Why the fellows voted NOT to light it remains a mystery. Apparently, it spoiled the aesthetics of the garden. Or they felt that lights would cast shadows, making it more terrifying for vulnerable students. Talk about overthinking a simple issue. There were muggings there last term for goodness sake! Clearly it needs to be lit to enable students to walk back to their rooms more safely. The sooner college recognizes this, the better.

The Travisty Committee

Editor.......................Ellie ReedsDeputy Editor........Jase TaylorWebmaster............Pete CalvertTreasurer............Nathan Kettle

This Issue’s ContributorsOli McFarlaneNatasha PesaranSoumaya KeynesSonum SumarivaJoe Farish

Chris DeaconSoumaya KeynesJason EhrhartGeorgia HartEmma Leadbetter

give

you inspiration on how to make trends your own.

Michaelmas term is perhaps the most important term in Cambridge’s fashion calendar, as trends make the transition between the simple, lighter fabrics and softer colours of Summer to the layering of thicker fabrics and deeper colours of Autumn, and for this reason, it can be the most difficult to get right.

A new term, a new fashion columnist and brand-spanking new (or at least recycled) trends are the three ingredients in this veritable smorgasbord of fashion delights.

-MENSWEAR-

As the temperature drops over the next few weeks, outerwear will become a wardrobe staple once again. To carry you through the Autumn/Winter season, jackets, coats, knitwear and blazers will all play a large role, with knitwear taking centre stage this season.

KnitwearBulky, chunky and oversized cable knits are perhaps the most prominent of this season’s knitwear, taking inspiration from the summer’s cricket jumpers. Stick with creams, beiges and greys for a casual look, or take a punt on deep reds, teamed with blacks for a more Dickensian look. Arran jumpers (knitwear with complex stitching patterns in one colour) and Fair Isle jumpers (stitching patterns in multiple colours) give yet another retro twist to Autumn/Winter knitwear, with arcade patterns bringing Spring’s ‘geek chic’ up-to-date, ready for winter.

Knitwear should not be worn fitted, but instead oversized with subtle layering over casual shirts, and with skinny, slim or straight leg jeans. Try contrasting your knitwear with the use of lighter jeans and heavy workman boots.

Jackets/CoatsThe perennial classic, the trench coat, should be a wardrobe staple due to its versatility. They sit perfectly with suits, but equally as well with smart, tailored white t-shirts. Trench coats should be worn only in midnight blues, blacks and dark greys, however, check trench coats have emerged this season, in line with the return of the ‘Mod’ (think Suggs from Madness).

The trench coat is always a safe investment, but if you want to stand out in a crowd, take a look at pea coats. The nautical look, so key throughout spring and summer, has re-emerged in the naval pea coat. Pea coats are characterised by their double breasting and are shorter than the aforementioned trench coats, and are certainly not as versatile, but, with their military and nautical styling, can be used a complimentary piece to striped Breton t-shirts, blue casual Chambray shirts and plaid checks. Look for lapels and gold buttons and team with slim trousers or jeans, but avoid super-skinnies to avoid looking too top-heavy.

Edged blazers are becoming more prominent in Autumn, with a twist on the classic sporting blazers particularly popular in Cambridge in Lent term. Think Ralph Lauren, teamed with vibrantly coloured chinos or skinny jeans, for a Hoxton twist on a gentleman’s classic.

-LADIESWEAR-

For ladies this autumn, there will be an emergence of three key trends: 80s inspired tailoring, but with feminine embellishments and sequins; groupie chic meets rock chick grunge; and regal prints with royal colours.

1980s Power Glam Revival This term coats for women are secondary to jackets, and I’m not talking about the bomber variety. Blazers and jackets with shoulder pads are the key piece in this new trend. Harem pants mixed up with elements of sportswear bring a new twist to this 80’s inspired look. The use of body-con skirts and dresses give a structured look to this trend. Looking forward to Christmas, sequinned jackets and dresses will see you through the party season and so are wise investments. For inspiration, try watching Dynasty episodes online!

Groupie ChicThis trend takes its inspiration from 1960s/1970s rock star groupies. Think Marianne Faithful, with a relaxed, casual feel, but still managing to look effortlessly stylish and sexy. Fur is key

6 fAshION friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk

How To Look Good (Dressed)Jason ehrhartthe GOK WAN Of tRINIty

As ever in the world of fashion, change is afoot, and in my new column, I will aim to keep you Trinitarians in the know of what’s hot and not for the coming season, and give

friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk fAshION 7in this trend, with ‘The Chubby’ (a half-way house between a fur coat and a shrug) featuring heavily, to give a top heavy appearance. Try oversized fits on embellished sweaters to give that “just picked off my boyfriend’s floor” look to the outfit.

Use layering under embellished tops and work in leather and studding to give an outfit rock and grunge credibility and remember to mix together different fabrics, like lace and fur to give texture. Tapered leg trousers and lace leggings elongate the

legs, so mix this up with a chunky top half to create the ultimate fierce groupie look.

RegalThe high street is about to come over all regal, but don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have to source your family heirlooms or steal the crown jewels, but it does mean the use of luxury fabrics, like velvet, delicate laces and embellished prints. The key colours are red, black and blue with a smattering of metallics. One of my favourite elements of this trend is the use of cameos, as demonstrated by Elly Jackson of La Roux in the Bulletproof video. Use cameos sparingly, and stick mainly to accessories, such as rings and chunky necklaces. When adopting this trend, be careful not to look too prim by wearing high necklines, but instead keep it playful or you will end up looking like a Victorian headmistress.

These Boots Weren’t Made for WalkingI have a confession to make. I just spent over a hundred pounds on a new pair of shoes. Yes, that’s right, a poor student with no job, and who is just about to start a second year at university already overdrawn, went out and bought an obscenely expensive pair of shoes. Ok, so not that uncommon you might think, students are notoriously bad with money. But then these are not just any pair of shoes. You might think, of course that spending a hundred pounds on French Sole pumps, or Russell and Bromley boots perhaps, well that’s understandable. Those are practical shoes by high quality designers, they’ll last for years and they’ll get so much wear that they in fact merit the term ‘good investment.’ But no, we are not talking useful, ‘good-investment’ shoes. We are talking over a hundred pounds spent on a pair of Ugg Boots.

Those infamous Ugg boots. They seem to have been around for years. A pair of shoes which scream IMPRACTICAL; the sheepskin becomes suffocating in hot weather, you can’t walk or do too much physical activity in them, but even worse any rain or mud and they’re completely ruined. But of course, fashion takes no notice of practicality so they still became for a time the most sought after trend. Everyone was wearing them, Sienna Miller, Keira Knightley, Kate Bosworth, Thandie Newton, Sarah Jessica Parker ... the list is practically endless, hell, even Brad Pitt, Leo Di Caprio and Justin Timberlake got in on the trend. But then, the inevitable happened. Cheap, look-a-like sheepskin boots started cropping up all over the place. They were everywhere, being sold on market-stalls and high-street retailers for a fraction of the real price. Think Burberry plaid all over again- something once the height of fashion and chic design had become well, cheap and let’s face it, tacky. The worst thing about the fake Uggs was the way the heels would cave in

at the back, they were messy and scruffy, and not a patch on the original brand.

So what, you may ask, ever induced me to pay full price for a pair of shoes which we’ve established are:a) impractical, especially for winter; b) have been around for eternity (in fashion terms at least) and so surely must be on their way out by now; c) which could easily be confused with a cheap and tacky fake?

Well, it seems even a product as worn out as the Ugg only needs a little updating to keep the cash rolling in. Ingeniously, they’ve come up with the new Bailey Button Ugg- the difference? It has a button on the side. Well it is a very nice button... But to be truthful, they’re just so damn comfortable! Who cares if I can’t walk long distances or in the heat or the rain? Just sitting here (no, I haven’t taken them off since I got them home) my feet feel totally warm as if cushioned by furry clouds. And as for the charge that I might run the risk of being mistaken for a chav as I walk around Cambridge, I’m sure it won’t be long before Bailey Button copies arrive, but until then I’m going to enjoy falling in love with my furry friends all over again.

Natasha PesarandefINItely NOt the tRINNy ANd susANNAh Of tRINIty

8 friday 16th October 2009 travisty.co.uk

Pedro’s One Million StrokesTaking his college boatie experience to its logical conclusion, Trinity’s Pedro Salgard-Cunha will set off in January to attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Pedro, who as Men’s Captain of First and Third back in 2006 saw the club through the first of its recent headship successes, hopes to become the first Portuguese man to row across any ocean and the third Trinity graduate, taking the college’s record up to one percent of all successful crossings ever recorded.

Pedro has been in training since the start of the summer, when a chance encounter with ocean rowing veteran and skipper Matt Craughwell got him hooked on the idea of completing this massive feat. The expedition is entirely unsupported and the first of its kind: a mixed, international crew of six. Pedro is hoping Trinity students will be able to help out by getting onboard with his sponsorship efforts for the once-in-a-lifetime row. As well as finding £15000 of his own money for his crewing fees, he also wants to use this opportunity to raise £3000 for the local charity East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. His website www.onemillionstrokes.org.uk lets you Sponsor a Mile for just one pound, contribute donations to his kit list, or even suggest some tunes for his iPod – he needs 7500 tracks if he never wants to listen to the same song twice! Using the website you can then track the boat’s live progress as it makes its way from Africa to the Americas, and send messages to the crew via their land-based support team.

The forty day row will see Pedro and his five crew mates covering more than 3000 miles across the Atlantic from Morocco to Port St. Charles, Barbados. Their custom-built

rowing boat takes six rowers, who work an alternating shift-pattern of two hours sculling and two hours sleeping in coffin-sized cabins at either end of the boat. Facing ocean swell up to 20ft high in a 37ft plywood boat might sound like a crazy plan, but Pedro is confident that the crew will go all the way. He’ll be drawing on his rowing training over the last five years in Trinity, and on his military experience serving as an Engineering Officer in Kosovo before university. For once, though, he’s been able to take a break from training in order to try to gain weight in preparation for the row. On average ocean rowers can assume they will lose nearly two stone in body weight over the six weeks at sea, and so Pedro needs to combine weights training with a steady diet of protein shakes and double cream.

Pedro’s www.onemillionstrokes.org.uk website and its Portuguese counterpart www.remosnoatlantico.com.pt contain loads of photos and facts about the boat, the crew, and the route. Look out for more fundraising events as the January launch date approaches – raffles, pub crawls and rowathons are in the pipeline.

emma leadbetterROWING RePORteR

TC Photo Society This shot was taken out of a taxi window in Rajasthan, India. I think it captures an important essence of Indian city life - as even with dilapidated buildings and a chaotic framework of cables, there lies a unique character and charm. This charm is hard to describe in writing; however, one of the beauties of photography is that you don’t need words.“ ”Quite.

Thanks to Sonum Sumaria and TCPS for this image.