''The Cheese Grater'' is a student satirical and investigative magazine produced at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
by a society of
UCL Union
Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
, a
students' union
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
. It was first published in March 2004, and was most recently named London's best student publication in the 2022
Student Publication Association
The Student Publication Association (SPA) is a national body for student newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The SPA aims to provide support and training for student journalists, encourage best practice, and ...
awards.
The contents are a mix of (student) political news stories, exclusive investigations and humorous items, particularly
cartoons
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
. It most often concerns itself with activities of UCL Union, of which its writers are generally strongly critical.
Origins
''The Cheese Grater'' was formed when "René Lavanchy", then a first-year student at UCL, decided to found a new magazine to plug what he saw as a gap in the provision of student media at the college, specifically as
UCL Union
Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
regulations prevented the publication of most serious criticism of the Union at that time. Dissatisfied with the tone, content and production values of ''
Pi Magazine
''UCL Pi Media'' is the oldest and largest student journalism society at University College London Union. Initially launched as a newspaper in 1946 and named after former Provost David Pye, it now publishes on three platforms: ''Pi Online'', ''P ...
'', the only significant student publication at the time, he resolved to edit a new magazine himself and publish it on the cheap. Having approached a fellow halls resident, he secured him as treasurer and applied for the magazine to be affiliated as a society of UCL Union, so that it could publicise through the Union and use a UCL e-mail address. The society was affiliated on 12 February 2004.
The first issue came out on 25 March 2004. It was photocopied - badly - onto 7 out of 8 A4 pages, the last being blank, and the page numbers were handwritten on the original. Publication continues to be done by hand on public photocopying machines without any binding. The first issue struck the keynote of ''The Cheese Grater''s tone with a spoof article purporting to be the script of ''The Passion of Rick Jones'', a film based on ''
The Passion of The Christ
''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film produced, directed and co-written by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Monica Bellucci as Mary M ...
'' but transferring the scene to UCL Union's annual general meeting.
In 2016, ''The Cheese Grater'' launched a sister publication, ''Grater Expectations''; an irregularly published zine with a feminist slant and focusing on absurdist humour and art.
Notable articles
''The Cheese Grater''s second issue came out in October 2004 and included an article on the controversy between
Ted Honderich
Ted Honderich (born 30 January 1933) is a Canadian-born British professor of philosophy, who was Grote Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London.
Biography
Honderich was born Edgar Dawn Ross Honderich o ...
and the newspaper ''
London Student
''London Student'' is a student paper, originally the official student newspaper of the University of London Union. It began publishing in 1979 and was at one point the largest student-run newspaper in Europe (representing over 120,000 students). ...
''.
After ''
London Student
''London Student'' is a student paper, originally the official student newspaper of the University of London Union. It began publishing in 1979 and was at one point the largest student-run newspaper in Europe (representing over 120,000 students). ...
'' ran an issue (20 September 2004) with the front-page headline 'Racial Harm-ony' and the headline 'Honder-Sick' on page 2, in which it accused the UCL emeritus professor of philosophy of damaging race relations at the University of London, Honderich's lawyers wrote to the paper and demanded a right of reply, citing inaccuracies. The reply was duly published. Shortly afterwards came ''The Cheese Graters account of the events, including a reproduction of part of the lawyers' letter. The article accused the London Student journalists of bad journalism and Honderich of overreacting. Although the then ''London Student'' editor took exception to the article, neither he nor anyone else has shown there was anything inaccurate in it. This was the first article to carry ''The Cheese Grater''s "special report" banner.
The lashing out against UCL Union institutions which characterises ''The Cheese Grater'' only really got going in February 2005, with another special report accusing then UCL Union sabbatical officer David Renton of laziness, incompetence and general neglect of his duties. Although the article was qualified in its condemnation (the editor regrets that it was not more assertive) the level and detail of criticism was unprecedented in recent student discourse, and the subject was reportedly shocked.
Since then, ''The Cheese Grater'' has continued to espouse particular causes and criticise what it sees as failing institutions and people. It condemned UCL Union's executive in February 2005 for failing to stand up to the
National Union of Students; it has criticised the union's awards process (Social Colours) and elections procedures; and it has attacked other media, including ''UCL News'' (a UCL newsletter, no longer printed) but mainly ''
Pi Magazine
''UCL Pi Media'' is the oldest and largest student journalism society at University College London Union. Initially launched as a newspaper in 1946 and named after former Provost David Pye, it now publishes on three platforms: ''Pi Online'', ''P ...
'', on the grounds that it is bland, unoriginal, has no strong editorial controls, is badly written, full of spelling mistakes, frequently inaccurate, appallingly badly designed and a hub for reactionary forces in student politics. In March 2006 the magazine revealed – using the evidence of a leaked e-mail – that then student editor of ''Pi Magazine'' Simon Dedman had cheated in recent UCL Union elections, securing the election of Nick Barnard as Media and Communications Officer, and that neither person had been significantly disciplined for it.
The magazine has also covered issues of student welfare. In December 2005 it published a story detailing failings around the construction of UCL's new Anthropology building, which caused noise and dust pollution as well as severely disrupting the studies of students in neighbouring departments. In October 2008, another investigation revealed that UCL had failed to remove large quantities of
asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
from its premises, some of which were exposed and left in areas used by students and staff.
Since Autumn 2005, a series of articles have appeared under the heading 'UCL plc', written under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
'Mr Chatterbox' (a reference to
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
's novel ''
Vile Bodies
Vile may refer to:
Characters
* Vile (Mega Man X), a character from the Mega Man X game series
* Doctor Vile (Dr. Weil), a character from the Mega Man Zero game series
* V.I.L.E., a fictional villain group in the ''Carmen Sandiego'' franchise ...
''). The articles were a series of attacks on UCL administration's plans for UCL and what the volunteers of the Cheese Grater perceived to be a corporate-style policies, including a new identity for the college, which Mr Chatterbox alleged to have cost around £600,000.
In 2008, UCL Union passed a motion at the Annual General Meeting to ban the military from UCL. In response, ''The Cheese Grater'' published a Special Report which looked at the supposed democratic failings of the AGM. The magazine alleged that the motion to ban the military was null and void, making reference to a breach of the 1994 Education Act and to repeated procedural irregularities during the meeting. Once the issue was put online, ''The Cheese Grater'' website received over 900 hits in three days.
In February 2011, ''The Cheese Grater'' published documents from UCL Academic Board meetings which revealed the potential impact of government higher education cuts at UCL. The findings suggested a £35 million budget shortfall for UCL even if it were to charge the full £9,000 undergraduate tuition fee. Following the publication of this article, the documents revealing this were removed from the UCL website. The article was later picked up by
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
, who published a piece using the magazine's findings on 24 February 2011.
In March 2012, ''The Cheese Grater'' investigated UCL's bid to build a second London campus in Stratford, uncovering local residents' objections to the potential demolition of their homes and inadequacies in Newham Council's consultation process. The story was later picked up by ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' and other national news sources.
In 2017 the magazine covered UCL's cutting of ties with the
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...
, and in 2018, ''The Cheese Grater'' covered the UCU strike action, which affected UCL as well as many other London universities.
In 2021 the magazine launched an investigation into sexual harassment, intimidation, and bullying committed by UCL Security in Halls of Residence throughout the 2020–2021 academic year. The five month long investigation saw two of its writers uncover vast alleged abuses committed by UCL Security staff resulting in the publication of victims recollections of the alleged abuses. The article resulted in UCL launching an investigation, of which its findings have still not been published.
In 2022 the magazine published an article strongly criticising UCL's decision to cut ties with
Stonewall, the article was widely received with both praise and criticism after it reached over 60,000 people on social media. The article exposed procedural inconsistencies, and lobbying by an established inter-departmental network of gender critical feminists amongst UCL's academic staff.
The UCL Graters
Members of the Cheese Grater Magazine Society founded the UCL Graters sketch comedy group in 2011. As the magazine was founded due to dissatisfaction with UCL's student media, so the UCL Graters were created due to dissatisfaction with UCL's student comedy scene. The group's cast changes yearly, tending to focus on darker and more absurd humour than UCL's Comedy Club and the MDs Comedy Revue. The group is run by the society's Show Coordinator, who directs the group in writing and performing their own material at shows in UCL and around London.
The Graters reached the semi-finals of the Leicester Square Theatre Sketch-Off in 2016, and were described as "exemplary" by the Wee Review for their 2017 Fringe show.
The Graters have performed at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
every year since their founding at various venues, including the
Underbelly
Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society.
This term could refer to:
Business
* ...
and
Just the Tonic. The Fringe was cancelled in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, but the Graters returned to Edinburgh in 2021.
List of shows
*''Julian Ignores His Friends And Talks To A Pretty Girl'' (2012), a sketch show.
*''Crab Salad'' (2013), a sketch show.
*''Our Jackie'' (2014), a comedy play.
*''2015: A Sketch Odyssey'' (2015), a sketch show starring Ruby Clyde, Luke Reilly and Hûw Steer, produced by Will Orton.
*''UCL Graters: Immature Cheddar'' (2016), a sketch show starring Luke Reilly, Hûw Steer, Sarah King and Sam Pryce, produced by Will Orton and Freddie Lynch.
*''UCL Graters: Smashing'' (2017), a sketch show starring Hûw Steer, Heather Dempsey and Felicity Wareing, produced by Will Orton and Alex Diamond.
*''UCL Graters: Panopticon'' (2018), a thematic sketch show starring Joe Andreyev, Sam Dodgshon, Isobel MacLeod, Luke Shepherd and Felicity Wareing, produced by Alice Fraser-Edwards.
*''Clothesline'' (2019), a play-sketch hybrid about an unwashed pile of laundry. Starring Gassan Abdulrazek, Jake Bishop, Darcy Bounsall, Agnes Carrington-Windo, Sam Dodgshon and Jennie Howitt. Produced by Agnes Carrington-Windo, Sam Dodgshon and Alice Fraser Edwards.
*''Post Humour'' (2021), a play-sketch hybrid set in a surreal British Post Office. Starring Jennie Howitt, Rob Davidson, Anisa Khorassani, Sabrina Asrafova, Harris Morris, and Sam Dodgshon. Directed by Jennie Howitt and produced by Bori Papp. Winner of the Derek Spirit of the Fringe award.
Independence and censorship
Although UCL Union's Democracy and Communications sabbatical officer is ''The Cheese Grater''s so-called "legal publisher" (British libel law does not recognise such a title), the sabbatical officers traditionally pass issues of the magazine with few quibbles, thus allowing the magazine to remain as independent as possible.
This state of affairs was disrupted in October 2008 when an article in issue 18 was
censored
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
by Communications and Services Officer Charlie Clinton, leading the magazine to instead publish a story condemning his interference. The incident earned Clinton the nickname 'Hot Potato', due to a phrase he used when censoring the article.
Awards
The magazine won Best Student Publication at the
UCL Union
Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
arts awards in May 2006, May 2007, May 2008, May 2009, June 2011 and June 2014. It was short listed for the award in 2010 and 2012 but lost out in the final stages. In November 2006, ''The Cheese Grater'' won Best Small Budget Publication at The
Guardian Student Media Awards
The ''Guardian'' Student Media Awards were an annual UK-wide student journalism competition run by ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name i ...
, and in November 2007 was nominated in the Best Magazine category. In June 2012, the society also won the
UCL Union
Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
award for Best Garage Theatre Show for its inaugural comedy show, and in June 2014 was awarded the Diversity & Inclusion Award. In 2016, the society won the 'Most Improved Society' award, after the launch of its sister zine and the expansion of its sketch comedy arm.
In 2021, the UCL Graters' Fringe show, Post Humour, won the Derek Comedy Award for Spirit of the Fringe.
In 2022, The Cheese Grater Magazine was nominated and later awarded the best student publication in London by the
Student Publication Association
The Student Publication Association (SPA) is a national body for student newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The SPA aims to provide support and training for student journalists, encourage best practice, and ...
.
[ ]
Structure
The constitution of the Magazine states the society must have three executive officers, the President, Treasurer, and Welfare Officer. The editorial structure of the publication consists of an Editor-In-Chief, an Investigations Editor, Online Editor, and Humour Editor. The magazine committee has also incorporated a Socials and Community Outreach Officer, Sketch Director, Sketch Producer, and Graphics Editor as it has expanded. The position of Zine Editor was created following the launch of the magazines sister publication.
All positions are elected through the Students Union of UCL. The elected positions form the committee.
Former Presidents and Editors-In-Chief
Editors-In-Chief
*Nandini Agarwal and Mel Benedichuk (2022–2023)
*Alfie Pannell and Rusheen Bansal (2021–2022)
*Sophia Robinson (2020–2021)
*Suzy Kingston and Weronika Strzyzynska (2019–2020)
*Ollie Dunn and Peter FitzSimons (2018–2019)
*Jason Murugesu and Jack Redfern (2017–2018)
*Ollie Phelan (September 2016 – August 2017)
*Bo Franklin (September 2015 – August 2016)
*Charlie Hayton (September 2014 – August 2015)
*Hannah Sketchley (September 2013 – August 2014)
*Will Rowland (September 2012 – August 2013)
*Chon Böll (September 2011 – August 2012)
*Thom Rhoades (September 2010 – August 2011)
*A.Z. McKenna (September 2009 – August 2010)
*Jenni Hulse (September 2008 – August 2009)
*Hannah Hudson (January – August 2008)
*Mark Ravinet (September 2006 – December 2007)
*René Lavanchy (September 2004 – August 2006)
President
*Jamie Dorrington (2022–2023)
*Maryam Badghisi (2021–2022)
*Rob Davidson (2020–2021)
References
External links
''The Cheese Grater Magazine''website contains all the issues in
PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
format.
''The UCL Graters'' YouTube channel.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheese Grater
British student media groups
Clubs and societies of University College London
Magazines established in 2004
Magazines published in London
Student magazines published in the United Kingdom