“I hated Sussex. . .” -Howard Marks

Winter 2010

A N OT E FROM THE EDITORS

Welcome to the first edition of The Pulse for this academic year. A few weeks ago amongst the plethora of emails that we

receive in our inbox – including a press release about ‘Cuddlemat’, the amazing colour change bathmat! – we were informed about the imminent arrival in Brighton of Señor Nice himself, Howard Marks. It was an opportunity we couldn’t miss so we tracked down some free press passes to an Audience with Mr Nice and bagged ourselves an interview along the way.

Jackets off, wine purchased, we sat and awaited Mr Marks’ entrance on stage. But he wasn’t alone; on he came armed with a hefty measure of rum, a pint of lager, a chalice of wine and a mischievous grin across his face. Marks treated us to hours of belly hugging musings that ranged from life in prison to letters to the government about the smoking ban (he doesn’t approve). Needless to say, we left Komedia that night with fresh enthusiasm about this term’s The Pulse.

Coming up this issue we ask, what’s the point of art without frames? We look into the Save the Arts campaign, a movement battling the proposed cuts to arts funding. We showcase Hope & Harlequin’s array of Charleston chic vintage attire in our editorial fashion shoot and our man on the scene, Harry Yeates does a marathon society hop for your benefit. Finally, jumping into the deep end of politics at Sussex, a fresher traces his journey from Oceana to Millbank.

Enjoy!

Ariel and Mary-Rachel.Editors in Chief.

CommuniCations offiCerSol Schonfield

communications@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

editors-in-ChiefAriel cohen

MAry-rAchel MccAbepulse@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

designersGAbriele bArySAiteGrAhAM MonAGhAntollevin WilliAMS

oliviA WilSon

PhotograPherseleAnor cAMpen

leAh JAqueS

features editorsnAtAShA lee

hArry yeAteSpulse-features@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

arts and Culture editorslilly dAniell

ben lloydpulse-artsculture@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

fashion editorsAlice butlerlucy MorriS

pulse-fashionlifestyle@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

PolitiCspAtrick doWSon

AShA nAzninpulse-politics@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

PubliCity offiCersJoShuA boydbilly picArd

pulse-publicity@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

student media offiCefalmer house

university of sussexbrightonbn1 9Qf

telephone 01273 678875

contents

COVER FEATUREHoward Marks speaks to The Pulse 03

ARTS AND CULTURESave the Arts 07White Night 09Returneth the Scottish play 11The Dice Man 12Frameless, what’s the point? 13

FASHIONThe Girl who Cried Woolf 14Dior Illustrated 17EDITORIAL - Twilight Sleep 18Haute Humanitarianism 24

FEATURESociety Watch 26

POLITICSA Fresh Look at Campus Politics 29I Want YOU for Sussex Democracy 31

VOLUME 17 ISSUE #1

With thanks to:Peter Webb and Radical Images for providing us with our back page image. www.radicalimages.org.ukBrighton Ballroom for allowing us to use their premises for our editorial fashion shootJake Green for the images of Howard Markswww.jakegreen.co.uk

The Pulse is a free termly publication written by students for students. Views expressed in The Pulse are not allways the views of the Students’ Union, The Pulse or the University Of Sussex. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of any copywrite material in this issue and to ensure the acuracy of this terms articles. Please contact the communications officer if you are aware of any ommissions or errors.

‘twilight sleep’ 18

Words: MARY-RACHEL MCCABE Images: JAKE GREEN

A M A r k s I s T r E V O L U T I O N

Jake greenwww.jakegreen.co.uk

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I think it’s very important that the education system

receives the funding it needs so that everyone can fulfil

their potential regardless oftheir economic background

“

“

Famous for his audacious cannabis trafficking and liberal opinions, Howard Marks has become somewhat of an icon

in the world of literature and spoken word. Born in 1945 in Kenfig Hill, a small Welsh coal-mining village, Howard attended Oxford University where he earned a degree in nuclear physics and post graduate qualifications in philosophy. Following that, he moved on to the greener pastures of the University of Sussex to further his studies in the Philosophy of Science and the dealing of dope.During the mid 1980s, Howard Marks had forty-three aliases, eighty-nine phone lines, and twenty five companies t r a d i n g throughout the world. Described by the Daily Mail as 'the most s o p h i s t i c a t e d drugs baron of all time', he has worked with the British Secret Service and has been connected with the Mafia, the IRA, MI6 and the CIA. Back in the spotlight of late due to the release of Bernard Rose’s film, Mr Nice, an adaptation of Howard’s autobiography of the same title, I was recently bestowed with the opportunity to have an exclusive chat for The Pulse with the man himself after his Brighton Komedia appearance. I thought it appropriate to begin with a few courtesy questions about the film; surely it must have been weird watching his life – including the seven years spent in America’s toughest federal penitentiary - play out in front of him on the big screen? “It was all strangely familiar the first time I saw it,” he declared, “I’ve seen it several times now and it gets better every time I see it. Naturally it’s an odd sensation but it is definitely an enjoyable one.” In the film, Howard is played by BAFTA winning Rhys Ifans; was the choice purely based on his fellow Welsh roots, I wondered,

and did Howard even have a say in it? “When I first met Rhys in 1996 with the Super Furry Animals he announced his intention to play me should my book ever be published and should there ever be a film made of it and should he ever become an actor.” Considering he had it mapped out for fourteen years, how was Rhys’s portrayal of Howard in the end? “Some reviews have claimed he was born to play me, I think he did well, he makes me look taller and better looking,” quipped the real deal. Leading the life that he has – from Oxford graduate to worldwide hashish smuggler to federal prisoner to national treasure – I thought

that Howard would be keen to have as much influence as possible on the film. Apparently not though – it turns out he’s just as laid back as his a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l narrative suggests, “I went to the set a few times and even had a cameo that

eventually and regrettably ended up on the cutting room floor but in terms of having any influence on Bernard’s interpretation of my book, there wasn’t much.”Enough of the film then, time to dig into the past. “I hated Sussex University” pronounces Marks in the early stages of his autobiography. When asked why, he candidly replied, “Well, let’s just say that studying the philosophy of science wasn’t the most interesting thing I was involved in at the time.” Makes sense, considering he lists his primary interests in those years as “marijuana, LSD, rock music, and after-eight philosophy”. But surely he must have liked something about Brighton? “It’s a great city and the sea is a very powerful draw, so yes, I do like a lot about Brighton.” Good save, Mister Nice.Whilst still hovering around the subject of education I thought it would be rude not to ask the working-class-chap-come-Oxford-graduate what his thoughts are on the massive

feature

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Jake greenwww.jakegreen.co.uk

featurecuts to education that our beloved government are planning. “I could never have had the education I have been very privileged to have if it hadn’t been for a scholarship to Balliol, so I think it’s very important that the education system receives the funding it needs so that everyone can fulfil their potential regardless of their economic background.”Staying with politics, in 1997, Marks ran as a parliamentary candidate on the single issue of the legalisation of cannabis and, interestingly, his daughter Amber – a barrister – continues to support her father in his tireless campaign. On the topic, Howard remarked, “I don’t believe that its prohibition is necessary, so I will always advocate the legalisation of marijuana but I don’t think the moral majority see it in quite the same way and it doesn’t look likely that they will in the near future. There are far more people smoking than when I was at university, so things are changing, it’s just quite a slow process.”Little by little the awe that I had felt for Howard Marks since I read Mr Nice for the first time some years ago was increasing. Having written three autobiographical books (Mr Nice, Dope Stories, Señor Nice) and dabbled in journalism over the years, it seemed it would have been a shame not to squeeze a little bit of advice out of him for any budding young journalists or writers residing among the Sussex student body. “It’s very easy to procrastinate when you’re a writer,” he wisely articulates, “so the best advice I can give is to just get on with it and write things down.” Finally, what does the future hold for Howard Marks? “I’m writing a crime thriller trilogy, I’ve just about finished the second book, so I’ll be concentrating on writing the third and will be taking a new version of the Audience with Mr Nice show on tour next year. Other than that, I intend to continue having a very pleasant time.” So there you have it. Whether you view him as a criminal mastermind, a serial stoner or a literary genius, one thing is incontrovertible - he knows how to put a smile on your face.Mr Nice (the film) will be released on dvd nationwide on 31 January 2011. Mr Nice (the book) is available to buy now in all good bookstores

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omewhere in a bustling street in Lon-don, there hangs a notice; crudely fashioned out of a silver wire and a stained piece of white card, it casually shows the opening times of the art gallery behind it. “ART GAL-LERY CLOSED: SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUES-DAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY. ADMIS-SION, £17.50’. Art. It’s funny how one small, inconspicuous word can be the cause of such a controversial debate. Throw in another lit-tle blighter called ‘cuts’ and it would appear you have one of the most heated arguments of today on your hands...More debated than the Mona Lisa’s smile (well almost), the recent turmoil over cuts to the arts has become a hot topic for discussion with talk of 25-30% cuts in government

CLAUDIA COCkrELL & JOsIE CArDEr

funding, on top of the 3.5% cuts made to ac-commodate the Olympics. The Arts Council has warned that cuts like these would mean that out of approximately 850 organisations on its portfolio, 200 would shortly disappear with others taking heavy cutbacks leading to a reduction in their services. Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, said; “As soon as [cuts] go over a certain level they start to cut into the heart of what we do.” This can’t be good news for the tourist econ-omy; directors of top arts facilities including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Serpentine Gallery, Sadlers Wells theatre and the South Bank Centre have warned that 25% cuts would cause irrepara-ble damage to one of Britain’s leading indus-tries - which currently generates at least £2 for every £1 invested. Vicky Heywood, chief executive of the RSC warned that “What is going to happen will lead a long legacy; it will not be a short-term problem.”The UK Film Council is another arts initia-

s

Cut us, don’t kill us.

tive that has been sent to the gallows. Re-cently, the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, confirmed plans to abolish the council, in addition to the Museums, Libraries and Ar-chives Council. The UKFC’s chairman, Tim Bevan, expressed outrage at the move, say-ing that “Abolishing the most successful film support organisation the UK has ever had is a bad decision… People will rightly look back on today’s announcement and say it was a big mistake, driven by short-term thinking and political expediency.” The film industry “deserves better”.

“ ”The government claims that cuts to arts funding is neces-sary for the economy, as Hunt says “In the light of the cur-rent financial situation… it is the right time to look again

at the role, size and scope of these organisa-tions.” But artists aren’t uncooperative about the cuts; one slogan that the campaigners are chanting poignantly asks, “Cut us, Don’t Kill Us”. Serota adds that “Of course savings can be made. On a 10% cut… we can maintain the character of what we do, albeit in a slightly reduced form”. The main concern is that a cut of more than 10% would cripple the cultural identity that Britain has built over the past 50 years.But could the cuts ever be beneficial for the nation’s artistic identity? In times of strug-gle, you either sink, or you swim; certain cut backs may generate an underground sub-cul-ture of artists, allowing only the determined and genuinely talented artists to have their work recognised and only the best art to be shown. However, the fact that art is so sub-jective means that the recurring question of what makes for ‘good’ art once again raises its ugly, papier-mâché figure-head. So, regardless of artistic taste, government

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arts & culture

cuts are not good news for the humble con-sumer. Who to call then but the campaign-ers? The Save the Arts campaign encourages the public to sign a petition to be sent to Jer-emy Hunt, appealing to the government not to diminish arts funding and risk destroying the long-term achievement of Britain’s vi-brant arts culture, as well as the social and economic benefits it brings to all. Over a

hundred well-known, leading artists includ-ing David Hockney, Damien Hirst, David Shrigley, Anthony Caro, Anish Kapoor,

Richard Hamilton, Bridget Riley, Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin have joined the campaign. So is this the end for the arts? Has this indus-try been given its lasts rites, to not go with a bang, but with a whimper? Time will tell, but for now, I direct your attentions to Ex-hibit A; ‘Uncertainty’.

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wonder is referred to as White Night. Since 1993 these nights have been filled with artistic performances. The event most like our own however, is that of France. Start-ing in Paris in 2002 the night has comprised of an immersion into the arts of the capital, encouraging a wealth of artist-local interac-tion.An estimated 30,000 people attended this year's event on the 30th of October. For the third year running Brighton’s cultural institutions opened their doors for free, for a night of over 60 different participant-centred events across town; from interactive

s it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s a man in drag singing opera from a shop window.In 2008 Brighton joined the 120 cities world-wide hosting performances, installations, ex-hibitions and talks, taking place yearly from dusk until dawn when the clocks go back. Last month Brighton locals and artists alike needed little persuasion to participate in the international phenomenon known as White Night or Nuit Blanche, meaning ‘all-nighter’.This nocturnal festival has flourished from its humble beginnings in St Petersburg, where from May until June the nights only fall as dark as a twilight blue. This natural

NightWhite

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IsABELLE FATHIMANI & NATAsHA COWAN

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performances at the Basement to talks on endangered species at the Sea Life centre.Brighton’s night shared the theme of 'Illu-mination' with the Nuit Blanche of Amiens in France. The numerous light installations and projections, drunks in fancy dress, fami-lies with kids past their bedtime, live music and a few zombies celebrating the rise of the dead, enhanced that uninhibited feeling which can come so naturally to Brighton, delivering the joie de vivre of a festival at-mosphere, minus the tents and portaloos!It may have been a night fuelled in part by booze, but it was one especially centred

around exploring the city inside and out. David Smith, Brighton's councillor for Cul-ture stated that the night has “a civilising effect on the city centre”, describing it as an alternative to a boozy night out. A civilised night out? Perhaps, although the crabs at the Sea Life centre may beg to differ after a White Nighter decided it was cruel to keep sea creatures incarcerated. Having allegedly set one loose, staff were forced to evacuate as zombies chanted 'we want fish!' outside. This night of eccentricity has certainly been embraced by this little cultural hub we call home.

Night

arts & culture

Eleanor Campen

30-10-10

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s the world’s first (!) frame free photog-raphy festival closes, (The Brighton Photo Biennial 2010, curated by Martin Parr; ‘doing for photography what Downton did for Sun-day nights’) we ask:

Why!

What does the frame mean now?

Since the middle ages, the public notion of art has grown and shifted. In the western world art has become universally accessible. For young, ‘attractive’ couples in Fulham it has become quite the faux pas not to have a quirky modern painting hanging in the living room. Very much framed. Borders, I draw borders around everything I write.Do you like your windows framed? IS THE POPE CATHOLIC? Rothko framed his work with borders of colour, Rothko is a God.Martin Parr is a great man and thus may do what he pleases, but it does not make it the best way of doing things. If you frame art (in whichever way you see framing as framing) it will make it better. 2 dimensional, 3 dimen-sional, the sculpture is framed by its plinth, performance in its arena of action, the film lives in the screen (like a mouse living in its house), and so on. This is all likely indisput-able. Architecturally, picture frames change space, precisely because they are architectural. They are spatial intricacies that you can add and remove and adapt.Imagine designing a house with walls that extend outwards and withdraw inwards in various places. Pokes of space that come in and out of your rooms, your doorways, your hallways; arbitrary nooks and projections. This would surely make the space more in-teresting? You are a maverick after all!

Of course this is a silly example, but such boundless architectural space is unjustifi-ably expensive and stupid for all but the least average Joe. Thus the need for bounds. It is the picture frame not the picture that cre-ates spatial texture; and together they make space harmonious. Framing sculpture works in the same way if only you care to look.The frame means so much now, because there is so much art. The frame is the area of still-ness between the real world and that created by the artist. The stillness is just the right place to decide what’s rubbish and what’s not. It enhances everything within it, and somehow remains invisible from the art it-self. Whether it was from a lack of funding or just a mistaken aesthetic muddle-up, the frame free aspect of the Biennial was, rather, frameful. A sculptural depth and physicality was lost from the photographs and they be-came as flat as the paper they were printed on. But there were some very redeeming photos.And finally, if you live in a dangerous place, the Bronx for example, a frame (like that of the Mona Lisa) might also incorporate sev-eral inches of bulletproof glass to keep your pride and joy safe!

A FramelessExhibitionism

JOsHUA COOk

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A new performance of one of Shakespeare’s more famous tragedies, Macbeth, in Brighton, raises once again the much explored ques-tion of how best to recreate Shakespeare’s plays in modern theatre. Yet whether a direc-tor chooses to adhere entirely to the original performance style that Shakespeare intended, cross-dressing and all, or adapts a play with modern twists and the use of new technology, each production remains, somehow, Shake-speare’s own. Even today his universal themes

and unique characters are recogn-isable through virtually any genre of theatre, and it is this that allows each new generation the freedom to innovate in their productions of his work.The upcoming direction of Macbeth at the Brighton Dome promises to be a fine example of this, as theatre group Teatr Piesn Kozła are known for their powerful interpretations that represent the musicality and muscularity of Shakespeare’s plays. Physical theatre is being used in-creasingly in Shakespearean productions, as his plays, filled with violence, passion and more often than not, an element of darkness and foreboding, provide the perfect backdrop for a performance filled with dramatic move-ment and choral song. However, this is not to say that all modern interpretations surpass the traditional method of performance.Productions that have followed the original script and directions, such as Gregory Doran’s 2010 version of Twelfth Night, have succeeded in representing the story and the characters in the way Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience might have viewed them, displaying attributes that are sometimes lost in modern, interpre-tive productions. However, even Doran added music and song to his production, as he under-stood the importance of music in the theme of carnival and festivities in the Elizabethan era. Moving away from light and comic perfor-

mances, Macbeth is almost always interpreted differently from the original script, as in this play (and similarly in Hamlet), Shakespeare focuses on one character and the dark recesses of his mind. Both are often performed using physicality to envelope the audience in the same sense of turmoil and intensity that the character is faced with. This style enables the audience to gain a sense of the powerful vio-lence of Macbeth’s nature and the passion and horror of Lady Macbeth’s character.

The scottish Play returneth

Through the perpetual use of Shakespeare to introduce bright young minds across the world to literature, interest in his plays has yet to falter. Directors are constantly looking to ap-peal to different age groups, many of which are seeking something different, unique, not simply a reproduction from their English text-book. Let’s hope that Teatr Piesn Kozła will provide such a unique performance, continu-ing the rich history of innovation in Shake-spearean productions whilst showcasing the effectiveness of physicality in Shakespearean theatre.

Macbeth will be at The Brighton Dome from Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 November.

arts & culture

MANDALENA MUNkONGE

Photo by Krzysztof bieliński

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A die knocks first at thought... why The Dice Man still has us thinking

‘He picked up the two dice and began shak-ing them in the bowl of his hands. The dice fell: a one and a two – three. He was to leave his wife and children forever.’ With the im-mediate resolution of thought and decision, the die is God; Luke Rhinehart its disciple. And so it is, that Rhinehart audaciously tears the reader from a world framed by ‘habits, consistency and boredom’ and propels them into the parlous realm of chance. The Dice Man, published in 1971, has since entrenched itself in today’s myriad avenues of popular culture. Yet what is it that has made the nov-el so compelling and so relevant to yet an-other generation of readers?

Luke Rhinehart, protagonist of The Dice Man, was conceived ten years after author George Cockcroft first began ‘dicing’; sur-rendering decision-making to the roll of a die. Cockcroft was born in the United States in 1932. Having obtained a PhD in psychol-ogy, he went on to teach at numerous uni-versities across America. It was in one of his lectures that he asked his students whether freedom was not essentially to ‘get away from habit and causality and make all your deci-sions by casting dice’ (The Observer, August 2000). The notion was so contentious that Cockcroft knew instantly it was an idea to be written about in what would become his semi-autobiographical novel, The Dice Man.Released in the U.S. at a time of racial and societal strife, when American citizens were facing up to the horrors of the Vietnam War,

to switch between personas forecast a trend born out in chatrooms around the globe with the advent of the internet. That the novel has remained in step with societal trends since is apparent in the innumerable references it has received in literature, popular music and beyond.

Today as we face a time of continued politi-cal and moral uncertainty, the novel again re-veals its relevance. The boundless freedoms Cockroft illuminates, at a time when indi-vidual identity is agitated by the insidious pervasion of mass media; the undermining of societal templates and the edification of per-sonal identity that hooks the reader and stirs those fleeting fantasies of being someone else. More than thirty years on from its first publication The Dice Man is still met with the strangely captivating union of delight and revulsion. Offering fresh perspective and bucking oppressive norms, perhaps the en-during appeal of the novel remains simply in The Dice Man’s own seductive maxim: ‘Any-body can be anybody’.

sOPHIE CAMPAIGNE

the subject matter of the novel; rape, mur-der and the general subversion of ‘the moral order of the universe’, tapped in to a climate of moral uncertainty, yet initially resulted in the novel being banned in several countries. However, it achieved cult classic status in Britain, garnering praise from the likes of An-thony Burgess, and has been championed by subsequent generations. Rhinehart’s ability

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The Girl Who Cried WoolfALICE BUTLEr

fashion

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I t would be fair to say that the Monday

night University Challenge line up paled

in comparison with the Marc Jacobs front

row, sartorially speaking. But just because

Paxman is no broadcasting dandy and Corpus

Christi have a ceaseless penchant for the

corduroy blazer, does not mean the fashionable

glitterati and the literati cannot rub Balmain

powerhouse shoulders. As when Vivienne

Westwood has emblazoned her fabrics with

her riotous textual manifestos, both shoppers

and readers can unite on the same page. As

an English student whose style history reads

like a roll call of novelistic oddballs, I have a

burning desire to prove that clothes and books

are the new black. Paper back or Hard back,

bohemian bookishness is back!

The reason I have taken it upon myself to

shake up the cultural establishment, can be

traced back to a Cluedo type crime scene, not

in a library but in a bookshop. The culprit? A

fading star of the town high street, clad in the

finest hemp and destined for the stratospheric

heights of ‘Grumpy Old Women’. The weapon?

A pink mobile phone. Obviously quick to judge

any Burberry Wearing Blonde, audacious

enough to cross the neo-gothic threshold, the

strait-laced shopkeeper’s biting reply to my

fleeting fone action, ‘This is a bookshop not a

dress shop!’, did little to appease my academic

aspirations. Has she not seen how smoking

hot Atonement’s Cecelia looks in that library

scene? Aside from the fact that the second-

hand joint in question features an enchanting

collection of costume texts, the common

misconception that fashion is just a glossy

commodity deserves an overhaul. As Gertrude

Stein, a fashion leader in Parisian androgyny

(Agyness who?) wrote: ‘fashion is the real

thing in abstraction’. Therefore, like her

stream of consciousness law of identity that

a ‘rose is a rose is a rose’, fashion is the avant-

garde. Waving the banner of modernity, or

rather draping it rather artfully in cascading

silk folds, clothes – like literature - have the

ability to transform and transgress existing

notions of culture.

We can look to Virginia Woolf, as both

Bloomsbury bohemian and Vogue-published

trendsetter, for sartorial inspiration; as in

Orlando when the cross-dressing narrator

proclaims: ‘Vain trifles as they seem, clothes

have, they say, more important offices than

to merely keep us warm. They change the

view of our world and the world’s view of us’.

The art of twenty first century adornment

requires much more pondering than mere

protection from the elements: Paris Hilton’s

Jean Paul Gaultier, Autumn/Winter 2010-11,

Vogue.co.uk

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fashioncommitment to commando is a fine example

of this. The exteriority of your appearance, of

how you may adopt a lavish masquerade, is an

intricately stitched hallmark of identity and

the historical moment. Woolf gives her own

Churchillian speech in the emphatic essay

‘Three Guineas’: ‘The connection between

dress and war is not far to seek; your finest

clothes are those you wear as soldiers’. But

Woolf’s style advice resonates more with

the Parisian boulevards than fighting modish

rivals on the beaches. Backing a Couture

Coup d’etat, I concur with Woolf’s peaceful

sartorial protest. True suffrage sense said

she! In To The Lighthouse, Mrs Ramsay, the

belle époque beauty, uses the dressing room

theatre as a space for aesthetic contemplation

and a ‘ceremony of choosing jewels’ - the right

jewels for her ‘black dress’.

In her capsule holiday wardrobe Little Black

Dress, Mrs Ramsay can be seen as the forebear

to Breakfast at Tiffany’s Holly Golightly, the

ultimate literary princess du jour, and icon in

sixties sex appeal. Sombrely elegant in dark

glasses, ‘a slim cool back dress, black sandals,

a pearl choker’; Truman Capote’s melancholic

social climber is a fashion deity in Lit Land.

Lacking in pennies but adorned in pearls, her

refined appearance is an inspiration to every

cash-strapped, tight pocketed student on both

sides of the pond. Style waits for no one. In

The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell (ever the big

brother auteur) believes that no one’s purse

strings are a barrier to living out a 1940s film

noir fantasy: standing on a suburban street

corner you too can look like ‘Clark Gable or

Greta Garbo’.

The communion between the pages of Vogue,

and the pages of our classic novels, would

appear to be an aesthetically abundant

Treasure Island. Rather, if you want a novel

way to look de rigueur, pick one up, or off

the shelf. In a move of artistic exchange, the

current crop of designers have championed

their fictive fashion faves on the catwalk. From

Erdem’s modern day Miss Havishams, pale

and interesting in their delicately frayed white

lace, to Jean Paul Gaultier’s Forster inspired,

’Passage to India’ take on Bloomsbury, the

current fashion mood is pure poetry.

So it would seem, in an ironic twist of fate,

between the bindings of our enduring books,

we can find the styles that bind us. Remember

you’ve got to read at least a chapter; for the

nemesis of this piece is clearly guilty of that

life- long faux pas – of judging a book by its

cover.

ERDEM, SPRING/SUMMER 2011. Vogue.co.uk

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René Gruau’s women were provocative yet elegant, modern yet timeless. It is these complex yet fascinating

dichotomies which secured Gruau’s work as instantly enduring. Celebrating one of the most fruitful relationships in fashion, Somerset House invites us to view the product of René Gruau and the House of Dior’s friendship. ‘Dior Illustrated’ looks closely at Gruau’s beauty and fashion illustrations and their everlasting, unforgettable, era-defining splendour. Christian Dior and of René Gruau first met in 1936 while both working on the fashion desk of Le Figaro. Sharing an audacious design aesthetic, their partnership flourished with the launch of Dior’s first perfume, Miss Dior, in December 1947. This was just one season after Dior’s groundbreaking New Look collection, when Dior requested a series of ‘Miss Dior’ inspired illustrations.Renowned for capturing the post-war woman using bold lines, a fluidity of style, daring use of negative space and flat planes Gruau’s images

define the post-war approach to graphic design. ‘Gruau invented for Dior a completely new advertising style, which was sophisticated, daring and humorous’ said the curator, Vincent Leret. ‘He was the first one to break free of the product and rely on symbolic interpretations and enduring motifs – rather than simply drawing the bottles themselves’. The illustrations are symbols of what the Dior Woman is like in attitude, appearance and demeanour. Gruau sold a lifestyle rather than just a fragrance with his designs.The exhibition runs until 9th January 2011.

LUCy MOrrIsillustrated

vogue.co.uk

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fashion

Photography: Leah Jacques & Ella Campen/ Stylists: Lucy Morris & Alice Butler

Taking style cues from Edith Wharton’s 1927 novel, opt for sheer fabrics and billowing shapes for a contemporary take on jazz age glamour ...it speaks easy....

Twilight sleep

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fashion

We thank Hope and Harlequin for donating the clothing, Lilly Lewis for the head dress and Brighton Ballrooms for the venue.

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As the m a j o r i t y o f

the British population feel the biting effects of an economy in recession, shopping should be the last thing on our minds. While for some this is certainly the case as they skip the seasonal winter-wardrobe updates, others may indulge in crazy shopping sprees as a form of sartorial escapism. I would (perhaps rather foolishly) opt for the latter option. One can’t deny the short-lived therapeutic value of shopping. However, there might be a more plausible solution:

the charity s h o p . B r i g h t o n in all its

humanitarian creed counts a total of 83 charity shops! And those who have but a few pennies to their name, or the sanctimonious souls who won't go out shopping unless it makes the world a better place, can find a haven in these humble establishments.

Armed with a 20 pound note, I follow the painstakingly mapped charity shop trail which spans all the way from St James Street in Brighton to George Street in Hove. To

Haute umanitarianismEMMA LABOyrIE

fashion

It also supports me in for once feeling a genuine sense of humanitarianism as opposed to guilt after

spending money.

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fashion

set the bar a little higher, I have opted to hunt for smart (think: dinner or job interview) attire. Due to the cyclical nature of fashion I have no doubt that Oxfam or the British Heart Foundation will contain some hidden jewels amidst the scruffy, dusty granny clothes. And indeed first time lucky! In Sussex Beacon on St James Street I immediately single out a linen Marks & Spencer's suit. The skirt hasn't got much going for it, but the jacket has a beautiful cut, and with its subtle, nude tone, it’s a much sought after item this winter. For a mere £8.50, I score a blazer, which would have cost at least £60 pounds at market value, and if that’s not good enough, my purchase helps support men and women living with aids in Britain. It also supports me in for once feeling a genuine sense of h u m a n i t a r i a n i s m as opposed to guilt after spending money. Finally, cheap chic thrills without crossing the Primark threshold!Optimistically I set forth to Hove’s George

Street. Rule number one for the virgin charity shopper: go to towns with a high concentration of wealth for generally more stylish, designer finds. Hove is thus my best bet in the quest of finding my envisaged ensemble. After a thorough inspection, and an awkward trying on session in the shop (in the company of three old ladies, and with a distinct curtain absence, I have to fight over limited mirror space in a show of immodesty) I once again make my way to the counter feeling quite the Good Samaritan. Spending a mere fiver on a camel coloured, high waisted pencil skirt, currently omnipresent in most high street stores; and the same note again on a nude blouse with bow detail, which will look great teamed with the jacket. Proven that money goes a long way in

charity shops, I have managed to stay within my budget, with even £1.50 to spare for a well-deserved coffee. Let’s just hope it’s fair trade.

LJ

s O C I E T yW A T C H

HArry yEATEs

W hen Margaret Thatcher claimed: ‘There is no such thing as society’ not only was she

offending sociologists everywhere but proving she had never been to the University of Sussex, where she would have found a multitude of wonderful societies co-existing in perfect harmony. In an attempt to prove just how much there is on campus beyond academic study, I spent a couple of glorious days as a serial society hopper - a venture which in the space of forty-eight hours saw me try most things from peaceful Buddhist meditation to bringing down the human race as a zombie. I found a new level of respect for Anarchists, wrote prose with the pros at the creative writing society, enjoyed a brief stint as an unsuccessful ukulele player and juggled, struggled and was generally befuddled at the circus society. And if next week I wasn’t planning on life drawing, cheerleading and

kickboxing, I’d do it all again… It was Tuesday and I went to meet the Anarchists. I was tempted to burst into their

meeting, overturn a few tables and shout: ‘Fight the Power’, but not entirely confident my old-school brand of anarchy would be welcome, I refrained. I knew little about the group, what they stood for and what they hoped to achieve, and after an hour I’m not sure how much that had changed as there was a presumed level of anarchic knowledge I simply didn’t have. The group was highly intellectual and discussed the relationship between Anarchist tradition and Socialism and while I remain more inclined to agree with centre-left politics it was with a new found respect that I left anarchy behind.With my head full of revolutionary

thoughts I marched over to the Creative Writing society. Our first task was to continue one

for anyone considering an evening of

ukulele, juggling, and eliminating the human race I would

seriously recommend clearing your mind of all other distractions

beforehand...

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of two sentences; either: ‘A disturbance in this society was nothing new’ or ‘The uneasy silence was shattered by an explosion’. I chose the latter and wrote some nonsense about crystallising moments and permanent idling, it was all very pretentious and generic but the group more than compensated for my lack of creative flair. I found one contribution particularly moving as someone read a poem they had worked on which dealt with the heavy subject of Electroconvulsive therapy. Wednesday, and my day of intense social hobnobbing began with the tranquil calm of Buddhist meditation - there’s nothing like a bit of oooing and aaaring to help see in the day at half past two in the afternoon. My Dad is himself an Iyengar Yoga instructor and so I’m used to seeing people mould themselves into all kinds of interesting shapes in an attempt to find an elusive calm. But for anyone considering an evening of ukulele, juggling, and eliminating the human race I would seriously recommend clearing your mind of all other distractions beforehand, taking a deep breath and meditating Buddhist style. Feeling horizontally laidback, I meandered over to the ukulele society. Having (and I don’t use this world lightly) mastered the chorus of Bob Dylan’s ‘Hey Mr. Tambourine Man’ on the guitar, it was with an arrogant swagger that I rolled up to join the group. Sure I had never played the ukulele before and was using my flatmate’s children’s instrument, but I was in a non-judgmental zone and was, after all, very familiar with the works of George Formby. But ‘Cleaning Windows’ wasn’t going to help me now as we were taught, The Monkeys’: ‘I’m A Believer’; one thing I wasn’t by the end of a painstaking hour which taught me that the ukulele was meant for someone else but not for me.From the sublime to the even more sublime,

I hitched up my clown pants and followed the sound of fun and games. If I fail my degree, which is entirely plausible, then I would seriously contemplate running off and

phoenixwritersclub.com

life.com

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feature

de.academic.ru

maintenance.ioffer.com

joining the circus. Every aspect of my circus ‘skills’ would need a lot of work but when work is breathing fire, lion taming and being shot out of a cannon, I think I would put in

the over-time. I should probably stress that Sussex’s Circus Society does not at present offer these activities, but one can dream. For the time being my highlight was successfully juggling three balls. My lowlight; showing a remarkable ineptitude for the hoola-hoop while practising with an attractive lady - and there is nothing less appealing then an un-coordinated hoola hooper let me tell you. And for my encore, armed only with a pair of socks (which is a legitimate weapon) I headed down to library square and joined a mass of eager zombie slayers, for what was to prove one of the strangest, most awe inspiring nights of my life. Before learning what side I was batting for, the zombies or the humans, house rules dictated I had a nickname. I felt it needed to be understated but with an air of confidence and after much deliberation I decided on Poppa Smurf. I was told that, because I studied English at A-level, I was a zombie and so was left to give chase as mere mortals fled in every direction. After he had become ‘one of us’ I spoke to the founder of the Humans vs Zombies society who told me of the occupational hazards that go with the job. He had just recovered from throwing up after running into a wall and had in the past dislocated his thumb. Not to be outdone however, I watched on as one of the two remaining humans was left needing medical attention after running into a tree. It summed up the evening perfectly: wonderfully surreal.So there you have it, if you want to meet new and interesting people, learn new skills or just go to great lengths to avoid doing anything which could be mistaken for work towards a degree, then I can fully recommend submerging yourself in Sussex’s societies.

For more information on Sussex’s societies visit: www.ussu.info/societies

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The first whiff of political bisk hit me on my first dive into the Union. Walking past the jamboree of colourful stalls

at the Freshers’ fair I stumbled across a more sober table, which turned out to be a hive for campaigning Socialists. This stood out far more than any beer-swilling, frisbee throwing, hemp-wearing society ever could and so I walked over, slightly apprehensive.

I knew that Sussex was famously Left wing, and this was one of the main reasons I came, but I still had a couple of questions that I couldn’t quite work out. As I locked eyes with the man heading the stall he immediately bombarded me with questions about huge ideas of freedom, equality and poverty with a genuine pained expression upon his stubble stained face. It was refreshing to have a conversation that didn’t start with the words “Are you goin’ Oceana tonight?’, or ‘listen

to this choon’, but even so, this was a hard conversation to have, especially with someone who truly cared about the answer. I turned a deep purple, and searched for any answer he might have wanted, then stumbled and stammered until the words “Equality…is so…good” came out of my mouth. Any credibility I’d pretended to have had disintegrated along with his pained expression, and, tail between

my quivering legs, I reignited the well trod ‘Oceana: pros and cons’ debate. Often Library Square re-bears itself into Speaker’s Corner, in which the alphabet of political opinion is broadcast to the alphabet of listeners. One event I saw was being held by the Socialist Workers’ Party. One can tell instantly that their speakers are more prepared and enthusiastic than most and, and although I don’t agree with some of their opinions, their passion is astonishing. An

G E T T I N G A C T I V E O N C A M P U SsILAs BrOWN

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tom Wills

older speaker leapt to the stage and started reeling off a list of individuals that he ‘hated’ or were ‘scum of the earth’. It was like roll-call’s evil, mangled twin. The only way I believed that Socialists could gain followings

was through education and enlightenment, and this was almost the opposite - simplifying and infantilising their causes. However, my opinions changed somewhat drastically after the national demonstration against the proposed education cuts. Having flyered for the event I had accrued a number of half-hearted and semi-listless ‘comrades’ like myself to rally with. On the train it was clear that not many of us knew much about it, apart from that they were raising the fees and that Cameron and Clegg were DEFINITELY wrong. As we dispersed into the throng of like-minded cluelessness we were similar to sheep being herded. The shepherds however - those leading the chants - were so energetic that in the space of half an hour we had gone from wanting to take pictures of Parliament, to wanting its members to be taken to the stocks.Something about being in a crowd, and shouting together is really powerful. It’s something you can’t find in the lecture halls, or in ‘Oceana’ for that matter. It’s active politics. The truth is that however brash or intimidating the Socialist contingent is they

seem to be the only truly active idealists. They are the ones who see no need in fluffing their Society table in bright colours, they are the ones who campaign on Library Square and march through Westminster. But I’m

wondering whether I got caught up in the active element and the romance of linking arms for a common cause, rather than the ideals.

G E T T I N G A C T I V E O N C A M P U S

politics

tom harle

I turned a deep purple, and searched for any answer he might have wanted, then stumbled

and stammered until the words “Equality…is so…good” came out of my mouth.

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For those starting university, it’s easy to get caught up in the student bubble. You could spend your first year at Sussex

without leaving the campus. And it’s easy to spend the rest of your degree in this bubble, at least to some extent. So it’s important to remember that student democracy plays a big part in the Sussex micro-society. Everything from the union’s environmental policy to what can be sold on campus is decided by students. It’s the bread and butter of university life.So how engaged are we? On Tuesday the 16th of November, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was postponed as too few people came. A very unscientific focus group (some of my flatmates) suggested that while they wanted

to get engaged in student politics, and saw the AGM as something they were interested in, they still didn’t make the meeting. To say it’s apathy misses the point and is a disservice to many students. Five hundred students from Sussex were on the cuts demonstration in London and 800 attended last years Emergency General Meeting (EGM) with 200 having to be turned away at the door for lack of space. The number needed for an AGM to take place is around 550 (10% of the student

body). So it’s not like we don’t have enough students who are willing to put their time aside for political issues.Maybe this is a poor comparison. Perhaps a national protest on an issue that appeals to people on multiple levels is a more inviting proposition than an afternoon sitting on the

M A K E Y O U R V O I C E H E A R DPATrICk DOWsON

We must not forget that this is our university. It is

nothing without us

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floor of Mandela Hall listening to the thrust and counter-thrust of a debate about the union budget. But in the AGM, your vote and contribution makes a direct difference to the running of the Union, while the protest – important though it was – was a message to a government who can listen or not as they choose. Furthermore, the legitimacy of a message to those in power – be it the government or the managerial staff at the university – is diminished when we come to these events in diminished numbers. We must not forget that this is our university. It is nothing without us. And we must exercise our power in the areas where we have it, by going to AGMs and other public meetings, by making student elections exciting, hard-fought and well turned out, and by making our voices heard when we are not listened to. The union has power. It is on our side. And

the more we engage with it, the more it works for us. So what can you do? Well, for starters you could attend the AGM. It is rescheduled for Tuesday 23rd November, so if you’re reading this on the 24th then you’ve missed it for this year. You can also stand for an elected office; Reps are elected every October and Union Councillors soon after. There are full time, year long sabbatical positions which any student can stand for, which are chosen in the Spring Term – though if you’re not in your final year, you have to suspend your degree. There are also part-time sabbatical positions that do not require you to put a hold on your degree. This is your forum. Make yourself heard and vote.

If any of this is of interest to you, visit www.sussexstudent.com/democracy

politics

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Andrew Spratley