Knightley gives to Beat

The beautiful and elegant Ms Keira Knightley has been under a lot of pressure recently. Speculations about her body image have been used and exploited to further the weight debate, at the peak of the size zero phenomenon.

After recently claiming she is more than willing to quit the business to get her life back, she has announced that she will match the £3,000 in libel damages she was awarded this morning, over a printed article about her weight.

The Daily Mail drew reference to her weight, over the story on the death of 19-year-old Sophie Mazurek who had died of anorexia. Knightley was appalled by the implications and found it offensive that the story suggests that she is responsible.

The story, published in January, headed "If pictures like this one of Keira carried a health warning, my darling daughter might have lived".

I think that Knightley has been a refreshing bud of talent to the film industry, who has kept her word and remained true to herself and grounded. So many pledge this at the beginning of their career and fall short, but she stands tall among the rest for this very reason. It is true that she has such a tiny, fragile frame, but we cannot push the size zero debate onto a naturally slender woman. That is not how the game works. She simply does not qualify, and certainly not to be upset and exploited in this way simply for a newspaper's angle to accompany a 'pap' shot of her on the beach. And it is atrocious that she could be labelled responsible for the mental illness of another being. All the discussions of Knightley being featured and idolised on pro-ana websites is really out of her hands. Yes - she is on them. No - she does not validate this. Her pictures are everywhere on the web, and available for all.

I have known women in a similar situation who are very thin, and people assume this is the best feature for them since the fall of the corset, but the truth is, there are two sides of the coin, and more often than not, these women wish to be slightly bigger, and despite the fact they can and will always eat what they want, they actually struggle to put on and maintain weight. Call it 'fast metabolism' or something. Therefore, the grass is not always greener.

I sympathise with Knightley, although she doesn't need any from me. She's doing fine. I also congratulate her for 'non-hesitantly' donating her damages to Beat, (Beat Eating Disorders) a fantastic organisation that is so supportive, providing advice and information to all. An organisation with fantastic reps that I have had the privilege to converse with.

This is the second cash award they have gratefully received from this type of situation. Last week, Kate Winslet donated an amount from similar libel damages where Grazia, fashion magazine, suggested she had visited a dieting doctor after Winslet had openly criticised the 'zero hero' culture. The magazine apologised and accepted the fact that the visit to the doctor had been to deal with a neck problem.

I think if Knightley does leave this business, which I hope she doesn't, she will look back on her life knowing that she made the big time; had the fame and had the courage to live her life the way she wants to. I can understand that she is exhausted. Exhausted from explaining and apologising over her 'normal' weight, which is beginning to define her. I just hope she doesn't say knightley night to her career just yet.

KU freshens up

A behaviour change to erase the carbon footprint of Kingston University is getting ready to start this week, with a scheme overseen by The Carbon Trust.

As one of 17 universities to be accepted for the Higher Education Carbon Management Programme, Kingston University will install energy measuring devices in every building to find out the total of energy used and its efficiency, to target efforts to reduce energy consumption.

Nicola Corrigan, the University's Sustainability Facilitator, who is taking on the role of Project manager said: “The University has made a commitment to reduce its impact on the environment...for at least a couple of years. It will be behaviour change, actually getting people to think about using energy more wisely.”

Kingston students welcome the scheme, as many consider the University to be wasteful. English and Journalism student, Jo Cotterell, says: “There are loads of unnecessary lights turned on around university all the time. It would be a good start by keeping these off as they seem to be for appearance only.”

This has been confirmed by the results of a recent energy audit report at Penrhyn Road campus, covered by journalism students' newspaper, The River. The report revealed that “a third of the total energy used throughout the daytime is wasted throughout the night.”
The Carbon Trust is a government funded independent body helping organisations reduce carbon emissions and develop low carbon technologies, by offering insight and drive to change lifetime habits and better the climate change situation.

Donald Beaton, the University Secretary, will become the Project sponsor and is excited for the University's commitment but proud that it is no stranger to energy saving with its development of energy efficient buildings, bus services and its promotion of car sharing.

“Our successful application to join the Carbon Management scheme demonstrates the University’s commitment to cut carbon emissions associated to our organisations operations.”

A 'Turn it Off' campaign will also run with this scheme within the University to remind everyone of the simple steps to save energy. Nicola said: “I’m looking forward to leading this project and making some positive changes.”

Top up on this university!

The latest UCAS figures show that the university application rate has increased by six per cent, recovering from the loss of 15,000 students last year when top up fees were first introduced.

The National Union of Students campaign, 'Admission: Impossible', launched last October continues to encourage students to attend university and fight for the prevention of a further rise in fees, currently capped at £3000.

The NUS President, Gemma Tumelty, welcomes the rise in applications but feels there is concern to keep pushing the campaign to hold the government to account: “The make up of students accessing Higher Education is still predominantly white middle class and privileged. All students who have the ability and the aspiration should be applying and supported through the system”.

She added: “There is a strong role for campaigns...highlighting the potential risks to any further marketisation of the education system".

Thousands of students gathered outside the University of London's Union last October, on Malet Street, marking the first protest held by 'Admission: Impossible', marched peacefully towards to Trafalgar Square. Three thousand red balloons were released representing every pound of the new annual tuition fee, which is expected to leave students in the red.

The event was supported by Mr Tony Benn, former left wing politician who likened the government induced fees to slave masters: “When people are in debt they are slaves and we must see that that does not happen.”

It is the current high costs of university that are forcing many young people to find employment during term time, to fund fees, living costs and lifestyle. First year zoology student, Lee Bowden, says that the fees are not only affecting him but putting pressure on his family too: “I felt bad that my mum had to pay double what she had to pay for my brother so I could go.”

Lee supports himself with a part time job in supermarket chain Sainsbury's and says: “it's hard to be disciplined and not spend it [money] on going out and clothes.”

Since October, The NUS have held the Great Higher Education Funding Debate in Westminster, last March, which was covered by Kingston University's student newspaper, 'Sublime'. Students from as far as Liverpool and Canterbury came to represent their universities and pledge support for the NUS.

The reliability of UCAS figures used by the Labour Party to justify the top up fee system was questioned as research shows that almost 100,000 students apply to university but do not continue to take up their agreed place.

A key figure at the debate was MP Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education who defended Labour's Party policy. “Top up fees offer a progressive redistributed system of student support...resulting in poorer students paying back less than their richer classmates.”

But he will surely be made accountable to the promises he made in a letter addressing the Admission Impossible campaign: “that there is absolutely no prospect of the fee cap for UK and EU full-time undergraduates being lifted before 2010 at the earliest.”

Roller Derby - Keep rollin', rollin' rollin'

Roller Derby, the latest American export, has crashed into Britain leaving women thirsty for more.

Roller Derby is a rare all female sport, where men are banished to the sidelines and have to settle for the role of coach or water boy, with women owning the track.

Two five-a-side teams continually circle the indoor flat track, or a specially built banked track, resembling the kind used by speeding track cyclists. Each game consisting of three 20 minute periods, the aim is for certain team members to score the most points by lapping the opposition. Other team members play rough and tumble on skates and must take down their rivals to free the track for their scorers to get past.

It is inevitable that there will be bumps and bruises in this high speed battle but roller derby does has its own rules and regulations enforced by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), founded in 2004.

Teams consist of a 'Pivot' who leads the team around the track, three 'blockers' who stay just behind guarding each other in 'the pack' and a 'Jammer', who can score points after having lapped the opposition. 'Blockers' must knock over their opponents from the game whilst preventing the 'Jammer' from scoring.

'Blockers' can legally tear down the opposition using their arms and bodies to make contact with the opponent's body, from neck to waist. Illegal moves include: grabbing, tripping, elbows in the face and all types of fighting.

Women adopt a different persona when competing, with teams encouraging creative skate names and custom 'sex appeal' uniforms for an exciting image, including short skirts and fish nets, celebrating the innovative blend of the fast and furious with a spot of femininity.

Bee Bentley, 36, who goes by the name Iva Issues, is founder and 'Jammer' for the Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames, the largest UK league to date, with almost 30 regular skaters. She describes it as: “Fast, fearless, fierce, furious and fun! Woman can be athletic, tough and dangerous, whilst still maintaining their feminism.

“If women are tough enough to give birth to the children of this world there's nothing too dangerous for them to face and conquer.”

Originally from America, Bentley was introduced to Roller derby as a child. She has been skating since the age of six and religiously watched it in the seventies: “I was a big fan and enthusiast of skating from a very young age.” She claims herself and friends “scrimmaged after speed skating practice for fun”.
She now trains six hours a week, and whilst she hopes to lead the Birmingham Dames to victory in the UK Nationals this September, “I try to get back to skate with my home team, the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, as much as possible.”

Created over 70 years ago this sport has its own history. Developed out of the Great Depression it began as a long distance roller skating race where competitors circled the track clocking up the miles.

Promoter, Leo Seltzer noticed that the crowd enjoyed the inevitable collisions, as skaters tried to lap each other. Thousands of fans followed until many leagues collapsed in the seventies due to high overheads.

With rekindled popularity, the Americans have dubbed the return as 'a national punk rock derby renaissance'. The UK has teams around the country competing in leagues, willing to take this 'rough and tumble' sport all the way.

All women over 18 can get involved with the twice weekly practices. No previous experience necessary, as Bentley enthuses: “Don't give up – you will get it! Be prepared to work hard but knock them harder... Be safe but don't be careful.”

www.myspace.com/blitzdames