Forge Press #148

Interview: Warda Yassin, Sheffield’s new Poet Laureate

Lifestyle 19 Why food can bring us comfort through lockdown

Arts & Theatre 26

Forge Press ISSUE 148 | FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2020

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

One in four ‘Sheffessions’ mental health related despite fewer students accessing professional support

FORGETODAY.COM

Only 11% of students vote to elect new SU Council Pippa Coleshill Sheffield Students’ Union has elected a new team of SU Councillors, with the winners

word ‘stress’ comes up a lot. Some of them are much more serious and are truly heart-breaking to read.”

Sheffield Nightline have also reported more students struggling with their mental health particularly in relation to loneliness and anxiety than in previous years, with instant messaging contacts increasing by 92% this year. Of those contacts, 57% have referenced Covid-19

announced online on Wednesday 4 November.

The results came after a short 24-hour voting period to choose the 46 departmental Councillors, eight representative Councillors as well as the Sports, Societies and Ethical and Environmental Councillors.

But the turnout for this year’s elections fell for the second year in a row to 11%. Last year’s turnout was 12.6%, down from 15% in 2018.

But SU President, Beth Eyre, said she was “really impressed” by this year’s turnout.

“We reduced the voting period from three days to 24 hours this year, so we expected to be slightly down, but the results were really good: 3,390 voters compared to 4,038 last year.

“We also were up on nominations at 214 compared to 166 last year. It’s clear our students want their voices heard. I’m really looking forward to working with the councillors to make sure the SU is representing and supporting our students in the best possible way.”

A few departments have either had no nominations or the winner has resigned from the position.

No student nominated themselves to be the Civil & Structural Engineering Councillor, while the new Russian and Slovakian Studies

Continued on page 4 >>

Continued on page 6>>

Credit: George Tuli

Hannah Ahmed One in four Sheffession submissions were mental health related in the last two weeks, according to the page’s admins.

The statistics come after the anonymous Facebook confession page posted a message signposting University support services available to Sheffield students.

The admins told Forge Press: “It’s really worrying for us because

the submissions are completely anonymous and we read them with no way of directly helping the person who wrote it.”

The current proportion of mental health related submissions is double the average for 2019 although roughly half of all Sheffessions reference the issue during exam periods.

While there has been an increase in these types of submissions since new restrictions have been

introduced, admins said mental health had been a prevalent theme since the start of term.

“The general themes of many of the submissions surround loneliness, a real lack of motivation to do university work either due to the difficulty of online learning or a lack of communication and support from departments and anxiety about the new restrictions.

“Many report feeling lost, not knowing what’s happening and the

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Forge Press

Letter from the Editor FORGE PRESS EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief

Kate Procter

Deputy Editor

Emily Evans

Deputy Editor

Taylor Ogle

Managing Editor Becky Sliwa Webb Head of Design George Tuli Head of Photography Rebekah Lowri Head of Online Rahul Warrier Head of Marketing Harry Daniels Inclusions & Welfare Officer Bethan Davis Production Assistant Sraddha Sabu Production Assistant Kirsty Hamilton-Emery Head of News Jack Mattless News Editor Sophie Henderson News Editor Hannah Ahmed News Editor Pippa Coleshill Features Editor Anastasia Koutsounia Features Editor Dana Raer Opinion Editor Ella Craig Science & Tech Editor Louise Elliott Science & Tech Editor Sarah Laptain Lifestyle Editor Claire Gelhaus Lifestyle Editor Eve Thomas Break Editor John Gilding Arts & Theatre Editor Jack Redfern Arts & Theatre Editor Betty Wilson Music Editor Thomas Hirst Screen Editor Annabel Goldsmith Screen Editor Kerry Violet Games Editor Catherine Lewis Games Editor Joe Warner Head of Sport Harry Harrison Sport Editor Patrick Burke Sport Editor Tom Coates

Get involved Do you want to get involved with Forge Press for the 2020/21 academic year?

We’d love to hear from you! Check out the ‘Forge Press Contributors’ group on Facebook to find out more.

Contact editor@forgetoday.com or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

“Don’t suffer in silence”

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bout 12 months ago I dealt with a deterioration in my mental health. After a few weeks of dealing with my condition in silence I reached out for help. I let my department know how I was feeling and contacted the University Health Service. What I hadn’t expected was the level of support I would receive in return. While the number of services available both internal and external to university can be tricky to navigate at first, I was surprised by both their readiness and kindness. I’m aware that this won’t have been everyone’s experience. The SAMHS service in particular is oversubscribed and some students can wait weeks to get an initial appointment - I myself had to wait over a month due to the Christmas break. However, having dealt with an extremely poor CAMHS service back home, I just appreciated that I didn’t have to wait half a year for an appointment. The reason I’m sharing my experience is to encourage those of you reading this, who feel like you are struggling, to reach out for help.

As you can see from our front page, the university’s confession page, ‘Sheffessions’, has reported a significant increase in the number of mental health related submissions recently. Yet when our News Editor contacted SAMHS for her

news story, she found that fewer students were accessing the service compared to previous years. I don’t feel I’m in a position to assess why there are fewer students accessing SAMHS help. Though I’d like to hope it is because they are being signposted to other services first such as the new Wellbeing Service.

In the meantime, the Forge Press team will keep investigating mental health provision at the university, and if you think there is something we should look into or you’d like to share your experience we invite you to contact us.

As it is, I hope you enjoy reading this issue the team has worked hard to make, and that it provides some relief to you this month.

Kate Procter Editor-in-Chief

Friday 13 November 2020

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NEWS “I graduated with a 2:1 and now I work in a warehouse”: Job searching during a pandemic Page 7 ▶

NEWS

The big picture

University pledges carbon neutral campus by 2030 Page 4 ▶

OPINION

Head of Photography, Rebekah Lowri, reflects on the past via Google Photo’s ‘Memories’ feature.

The photo above is an image taken by Rebekah’s partner while spending time at the Kazan Kremlin. The building behind my tiny figure is the Kul Sharif mosque - the biggest mosque in Europe.

Credit: Rebekah Lowri

There’s a feature within Google Photos which allows you to reminisce about the past known as ‘Memories’. With 28 billion photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos every week, the service is home to more than four trillion photos and videos, some of which undoubtedly belong to you and to me.

Recently, I have been receiving many notifications from the Google Photos app on my phone, with messages entitled “one year ago today” or “one year ago this week”.

As well as making me feel nostalgic for time gone by, the photographic breadcrumb-trail I’ve left behind me has highlighted the stark contrast in how and where I’m spending my time this year compared to last.

This time last year, I was living with an old Russian lady in the city of Kazan, which is around 800km east of Moscow. The city is the capital of Tatarstan, a majority

Covid-19 and the climate crisis are part of the same problem muslim Republic within the Russian Federation. My companions and I spent our time at university, as well as at the ballet, opera, having lunch with monks, travelling the Trans-Siberian Railway - all the while blissfully unaware of what the following months would bring.

This year, I’m holed up at home, leaving the house only to walk the dog or go get groceries. The only people I talk to are on the screen in front of me. It feels like I’m living on a different planet than I was last year, I’m sure this is a familiar feeling for many.

It’s hard to imagine how different life was only a year ago, and harder to imagine life returning to a precovid state anytime soon. But these small notifications that pop up every few days serve as a reminder that there is a world beyond the four walls of my flat, even if for now they can only be experienced through a screen.

Page 11 ▶

ARTS & THEATRE Theatre Review: Here’s What She Said to Me Page 28 ▶

GAMES Among Us: Finding friendship in a game about murder and betrayal Page 36 ▶

Forge Press

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News

Fewer students accessing mental health support Hannah Ahmed >> continued from Page 1 or lockdown as a cause for their contacting.

While students have been reporting their mental health struggles to anonymous sites, reports to Student Access to Mental Health Support (SAMHS), who put students in contact with a mental health professional, remain relatively similar to previous years.

Similar to most mental health and counselling services, SAMHS saw a decline in the number of students accessing their services over the first lockdown. Earlier this year numbers fell back from 1,316 in semester two of 2018/19 to 705 in

semester two of 2019/20.

Numbers increased over the summer and during the first half of this term but they remain lower than in the previous year.

Where wait times between initial contact to an appointment with a clinician fell over summer to five working days, currently the wait time is around fifteen days. This is where it has been in previous years in the first semester.

SAMHS now offers a fast-track route with shorter wait times for students who are having to self isolate.

But with the recent implementation of a second lockdown there are concerns over the detrimental impact it could have on students who are already

Credit: Sheffield SU

SU Officers launch student food drive Sophie Henderson The Students’ Union Officer team are collecting food and fundraising for three food banks in Sheffield.

They aim to rally students, societies and sports groups who are able to donate food and fundraise for the S2, S6 and Burngreave food banks.

In a Facebook post, SU President Beth Eyre said: “The scale of food poverty in Britain has been rising for the last decade. Covid-19 has exacerbated this deep rooted problem in society and communities have been left to provide for their most vulnerable over what is going to be an uncertain winter period.

struggling with mental health issues.

Speaking to Forge Press, SAMHS said: “There may be pent-up needs that will present to our service at some point in the future. Whether this will emerge during this lockdown or once the Covid crisis begins to resolve is unclear.

“Resources for SAMHS have been protected over the past year. We continue to work with our local NHS

“Uni of Sheffield students are an important stakeholder within our local community and it is our duty to do what we can to alleviate the problem, especially in the short term.”

While there is an immediate demand for certain food items, the Officer team said money was the best way to make a difference as it allows the food banks to operate more effectively. The aim is to achieve a target of £1,500 in fundraising with money raised split equally across the foodbanks.

Eyre said: “Going into a second lockdown, the issue of food poverty becomes more imperative to address than ever. With a month of even more economic uncertainty and infection rates high, not everybody has the privilege of bulk buying to stock their cupboards over November.”

The items in immediate demand are: long life fruit juice or squash, rice pudding, tinned fruit, tinned veg, tinned meat and fish, UHT milk, sugar, cooking oil, biscuits, cereal, dried mash, tinned potatoes, tomatoes and pulses, baked beans, toiletries, washing powder, toilet roll and nappies.

Food can be dropped off at the main entrance of the SU and money can be donated by visiting the ‘Sheffield Food Poverty Appeal’ page on Virgin Money Giving.

services to ensure our students have good access to statutory services.

There has also been significant investment in the new faculty based Wellbeing Service” The Mental Health Matters society (MHM), who campaign for mental health awareness to reduce stigma surrounding talking about mental health, said: “Freshers are particularly struggling to socialise

without many opportunities to meet people outside their accommodation, especially not being able to talk with other students from their courses.

“Other issues that people have encountered include confined spaces to self-isolate when having to stay inside small bedrooms both in the University halls and in student houses.”

University of Sheffield pledges carbon neutral campus by 2030 Kate Procter The University of Sheffield has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions on campus by 2030 and across all activities by 2038.

The announcement places it among a small number of institutions that have committed to this level of transformational action in response to the climate emergency The strategy is the latest step in the University of Sheffield’s sustainability journey, in which its students have played a key role.

Working with University staff to embed sustainable changes across the institution, students are involved at every stage, ensuring this new sustainability strategy reflects their priorities and ambitions.

Earlier this year, student representatives played a key role alongside staff in the University’s decision to switch procured campus electricity to a renewable supplier, Bryt Energy, ensuring that 100 per cent of procured electricity on campus will come from wind, solar and hydro sources.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Koen Lamberts, said: “The

Credit: Sheffield University

world is facing a climate emergency and universities are uniquely placed to respond to the global challenges that we face.

“We aim to become one of the most sustainable research-intensive universities in the country by aligning our research, teaching and campus to ensure sustainable practice across everything we do.

We will become net carbon neutral on campus by 2030 and across all activities by 2038.

“The challenges we face are multifaceted and any action we take to overcome them requires a careful balance between environmental, economic and social factors to understand their full impact. But we will never lose sight of the urgent need to cut emissions, restore habitats and secure our planet for the future.”

Friday 13 November 2020

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News

Sheffield student fined £10,000 for Halloween party

Sheffield term dates fall outside Government's Christmas travel window

Jack Mattless

New plans from the government aim to allocate students specific travel days between 3 and 9 December to minimise the risk of Covid-19 spreading.

However the University of Sheffield’s autumn semester is not currently due to end until Friday 18 December.

Unless there is a full shift to online classes in the final two weeks of term, all students wishing to return home for Christmas currently face a choice between missing out on teaching or risking a Christmas away from home.

The Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan has strongly advised students to travel within this window, telling BBC Breakfast those who chose to leave campus after 9 December risked “potentially not getting home for Christmas” if they had to self-isolate first.

But in a letter to students last week, Donelan insisted that faceto-face teaching must continue throughout the Autumn semester,

A student at the University of Sheffield has been fined £10,000 after a party of more than seventy people was discovered in Endcliffe Student Village.

Fines totalling more than £90,000 were issued by police in Sheffield over Halloween weekend to organisers of gatherings which fell foul of Tier 3 lockdown restrictions.

Officers dispersed groups at Endcliffe Crescent, Club Garden Road and Stalker Lees Road, issuing the maximum £10,000 to party organisers on all three occasions.

In the early hours of Sunday, they were also called to an illegal rave at a disused warehouse in Kelham Island made up of over 300 people.

The gathering was dispersed with a sound system worth thousands of pounds seized, and a 17-yearold boy arrested on suspicion of obstruction. It is understood they are still currently carrying out enquiries to locate the organiser.

Superintendent Paul McCurry said: “We fully appreciate how difficult the last few months have been and this current situation is incredibly frustrating for everyone, however organising house parties at a time when the infection rate is rising so rapidly is extremely irresponsible.

“Hospital admissions are continuing to increase and in order for these to slow down, we must reduce the spread of the virus between different households.”

A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield said: “It is imperative that students respect social distancing rules and others safety and we strongly condemn any breaches of government regulations.

“Our University Security Services and South Yorkshire Police have been working very closely since the start of term and we have been clear and consistent with our messaging around student conduct and behaviour, regularly stressing to students that it is their

Credit: Jack Mattless

social responsibility to adhere to government guidance. We thank the vast majority of our students for their ongoing efforts to do so and help stop the spread of Covid-19.

“We will continue to take action if we receive specific reports of anti-social behaviour, including reports of social distancing not being adhered to, as well as provide practical and emotional support to students who may be struggling at this time.”

Jack Mattless

citing its importance to students’ “mental health and wellbeing.”

Sheffield Students’ Union President, Beth Eyre, has told Forge Press the Government's new plans to get students home for Christmas “produces more questions than it does answers”.

However, she added: “It’s good we finally have this guidance. I will be working closely with the University on how it can be applied at Sheffield in a way that supports all students, whether they wish to travel or stay on campus over the Christmas vacation”.

Her comments come after she asked University Vice Chancellor, Koen Lamberts, to prioritise student wellbeing in a “frank discussion” on the realities of the Christmas period last week.

Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, said the “mandatory cut-off date for inperson teaching to deliver a ‘student travel window’ does create practical challenges for universities which our members will now work hard to mitigate.”

n i e r a s t l u s e The r r u o y o h w t u find o ! e r a s r o l l i c n u o C U S s n o i t c e l m/e

o c . u s d sheffiel

Your

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Forge Press

News SU brings 'Roar to your Door' to combat lockdown blues Jack Mattless This week, students were able to bring the magic of a Wednesday at Foundry to their living rooms thanks to a new initiative from Sheffield Students’ Union.

Roar To Your Door, which ran on Wednesday 11 November, promised to bring “all the Roar fun to your house”, with students able to order VKs, Red Bull, Passoa and Jungfrau from the SU website on a click a click and collect basis.

Prices started at just £4.00 for a four pack of VKs while those eager for a Thursday morning hangover could opt for a £45.00 bumper crate including 24 bottles of VK, 8 cans of Red Bull and a bottle of Passoa.

Completing what was sure to be an unmissable experience, resident Roar DJ, Jimmy the Gent, will be live streaming a set for home listening from 7-10pm.

SU Development Officer, Jordan Weir, said the scheme was part of his “overarching vision” for the

Students’ Union: “We have noticed within our Powered by Students surveys, there is a general trend of dissatisfaction of online events and a want for physical activity.

“I have therefore been working hard with staff to formulate ways in which we can bring the ‘SU to your door’ and give our students and members the opportunity to experience the best that our Students’ Union has to offer. The ‘Roar to your door’ event is just one of many other exciting projects that we will be releasing over the next few weeks.”

Despite a number of Sheffield students being fined for throwing house parties over Halloween weekend and the society- oriented nature of Roar, Weir was confident the initiative would not encourage household mixing: “Myself and the Officer team have been really happy with the ongoing behaviour of students during this really tough time. I’m sure students will continue to do the right thing and be responsible in the current climate we live in.

“This initiative gives students an outlet to enjoy the brilliance of the SU and the wonderful club nights that we all dearly miss.”

New SU Council team Pippa Coleshill >> continued from Page 1 Councillor winner has already stepped down. Due to this, the SU

Credit: Forge Press

Council will decide whether to run a by-election for these roles in the coming weeks.

However, other newly elected members are already getting stuck into their roles.

Joseph Rebak, a third year History

student and the new departmental councillor, told Forge Press he was “looking forward to ensuring the student voice was heard loud and clear.

“My most immediate concern is on expanding access to study space.

Sheffield Hallam University has opened up their library facilities to students for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I think our university is just as capable.

“The University of Sheffield’s response has been insufficient.

Students are given only a very small window to book study space in the IC and Western Bank, making it impractical for many, particularly commuter students, to attend.”

The previous academic year saw the SU Council pass the ‘Fast Fashion Free Campus’ policy and eradicate the selling of bottled water in the SU. The Council also secured 100% furlough pay for all staff on campus backdated throughout the whole of the first national lockdown.

The Council will continue to work as the highest decision-making body in the Students’ Union in a year that will see more challenges to students through the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Student Food Drive Donate food and money to help with food poverty in Sheffield.

You can physically donate food to the designated drop off point in the SU Plaza and donate money to our fundraising page bit.ly/3ei2JR1

Friday 13 November 2020

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News

“In July I graduated with a 2:1 and now I work in a warehouse”: Job searching during a pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic has seen UK unemployment rates soar, causing the job search for graduates to become even more difficult.

Official figures show the proportion of people out of work grew to 4.1% in the three months to July, compared with 3.9% previously.

Young people aged 16-24 have been the most affected with the biggest drop in employment compared with other age groups.

Dan Teague, a History graduate, has been working in a warehouse for the last two months since graduating with a 2:1 from the University of Sheffield in July.

He told Forge Press: “A few months ago I was finishing my dissertation in my bedroom, today I got up at 5am to load bikes onto lorries for 8 hours.

“When I didn't get my ideal options for this year like the Civil Service and local council grad schemes, I didn't envisage getting turned down by supermarkets and customer service roles and it's certainly been a blow to my self

processed, I might well be back to being unemployed,” he said.

“Really, I'm completely treading water because I can't quit a job when jobs are hard to come by, but equally I'm too tired to invest the necessary time to invest into applications for better jobs in what is a very crowded job market.”

The furlough scheme allows employees to continue to be paid when work is not available at that time, however people on fixed-term contracts miss out.

In an increasingly online world, many graduates have turned to LinkedIn to find job opportunities.

Kirsty Ngo, a recent Geography graduate, said it was hard not to compare herself to others.

She said: “Seeing everyone’s success stories on LinkedIn makes me wonder whether I’m actually suited for the jobs that I really want to apply for, and maybe I shouldn’t be too ambitious in my career.

“When I look at the LinkedIn job postings and see the huge number of applicants it does demotivate me a bit.

“I’m starting to feel the pressure

esteem.”

A survey for the Prince’s Trust found that 44% of 16-24 yearolds said they had to lower their aspirations.

Teague was also concerned for the future given his warehouse job contract ends in December: “After Christmas stock is

because I don’t want to end up having huge gaps in my CV. I’m aware that job searching is going to be a struggle but knowing that I’m not the only one helps me to stop being so hard on myself.”

Currently, Ngo is working a parttime admin job with a firm that she interned at last year. She says it has

Pippa Coleshill

Sheffield RAG celebrates 100th anniversary Sophie Henderson Sheffield Raising and Giving (RAG) celebrated its centenary anniversary this year with a 10-day long virtual RAG week.

RAG began in 1920 as ‘Hospital Saturday’, where medical students raised money for local hospitals. It has since developed into fundraising for charities across Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, activities this year were made virtual in order to follow University and

Government guidelines.

The committee said: “Normally, we work with numerous societies to run events across the University, ranging from flash mobs to bake sales and pub quizzes to 24 hour challenges.

“The restrictions this year have meant we've adapted to make as many of these possible at a safe social distance. We're still fundraising during RAG Week with the help of so many great societies.”

Bake Soc got involved with a week-long campaign of events to

of young people as a mere afterthought, rather than a priority.”

She called instead for “real jobs” to be created “otherwise it just becomes a tokenistic, sticking plaster solution, that burns up significant resources that might be better utilised.”

Top: Dan Teague, Bottom: Kirsty Ngo

raise money for Sheffield Mind, which included a baking challenge judged by Rahul Mandal, previous winner of Great British Bake Off. President of Bake Soc, Katie Garvey, said: “It was great to get everyone together virtually to raise awareness about mental health and do something really positive and wholesome like baking. We'll be keeping our Virgin Money page live all month for donations to Mind, it's a really important charity doing essential work so do donate if you can.”

Over the course of the week, the Carbon Neutral Society has been collectively walking and running 100km to raise money for the Trussell Trust. The committee said:

been great to have some kind of structure in her day.

Ngo and Teague both spoke of the demanding application process to find graduate jobs.

Teague said the gruelling application process is not only timeconsuming but demoralising as most companies do not even reply despite lengthy application processes.

Ngo added: “There are longer delays in the process of applications, and due to the high number of applicants I find that I’m getting less personal feedback than usual.

“A lot of grad schemes who hire on a rolling basis have paused their application processes due to the amount of people applying this year.

A lot of big firms have closed down some of their regional offices which makes me feel like the competition is even more fierce than usual.”

The Government has launched a scheme called Kickstart to create work placements for unemployed young people. Employers will be paid £1,500 for every employee that they train. The scheme aims to help young people build the skills they need to find a job.

However, with job vacancies significantly lower now than preCovid, there are concerns the scheme will not do enough to create long-term jobs.

Kirstie Donnelly, chief executive of the City & Guilds skills organisation warned: “This is yet another example of a quickfix solution which appears to be positioning the skills development

“So far we have raised £53 for the charity and hope to continue raising more money with the continuation of our walks and runs.”

RAG also held their own event, ‘RAGmaster 100’, a series of 10 challenges across 10 days, which are based on the TV game show, Taskmaster.

One fundraiser, Steve Maloney, said: “I took part in two of RAG week’s RAGmaster challenges, the stack-10 challenge and the bottleflip challenge. It was great helping to raise money for three great causes, the Cathedral Archer Project, Sheffield Mind and High Peak Foodbank by doing something easy and fun in the house.”

Above: Some of Bake Soc's RAG cupcakes. Credit: Bake Soc

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Forge Press

News

“The past four years have been exhausting”: American students in Sheffield react to the US election results

A

Pippa Coleshill fter a turbulent US election campaign, students at the University gave their reaction to Joe Biden’s White House victory and Donald Trump’s refusal to concede.

Claire Gelhaus, 19, from Wisconsin, is studying for a BA in Journalism “For a while I was preparing for another Trump term just for mental soundness as I didn't want to be let down. I made sure my vote made it from Sheffield to home, and hoped for the best. So then when the results came out, my first reaction was relief.

“It gives you faith in the system, that maybe we can change something. Supporting grassroots organisations and holding elected local and national officials responsible is also important, but this is a huge victory.

“Overall this week was exhausting.

The past four years have been exhausting. I’m relieved, and proud, and a little patriotic, and hopeful.

“I’m also angry, it shouldn't be this close. It is embarrassing that so many Americans chose Trump again.”

Taylor Ogle, 23, from Florida, is studying for an MA in Journalism “The peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of American democracy.

In a normal election cycle, the transition period is not something people would worry about. The most airtime the media might spend on it would be to broadcast the losing candidate’s concession speech or discuss the president-elect’s cabinet elections. However, 2020’s Presidential Race was a far cry from a normal election.

“For starters, over 150 million Americans voted in the election.

This was the highest voter turnout in an American election in over a century. Rigorous campaigning and grassroots community organisers have motivated the American people to take their country back from a brutish force who denied climate change and ignored the pandemic.

“But that’s only one side of the story. While Donald Trump lost the popular vote to his opponent Joe Biden, he received nearly 71 million votes smashing his 2016 record by almost 9 million.

“President Trump crying ‘fraud’ is nothing new. In fact, if he weren’t the sitting US President, it wouldn’t be newsworthy at all. It can be difficult to tell if the allegations of voter fraud are a masterful tactic to stir his supporters or if he is so much of a sore-loser that he is genuinely incapable of gracefully accepting his loss.

“I, alongside the 75 million Americans who voted for them, have placed a hopeful trust in a new administration - one that stands for the antithesis of the sciencedenying, hateful, and chaotic four years gone by.”

Charlotte Flores, 19, from New Mexico, is studying Philosophy and Politics “I was personally extremely relieved to hear that Trump was not reelected. However, I think getting Trump out of office is going to be a bit more complicated than it may have been in ‘normal’ election years.

“Unfortunately, in the US, the transfer of power is not immediate.

Trump will still be in office for a few months and there is much that can still happen in that time.

“A new President is not the solution to all our problems and it’s important to remember that going forward. I do hope this will be a turning point for the US and I hope it serves as a cautionary tale for US voters and politicians as well as other countries, however, it’s important to stay skeptical and look at the underlying issues that led to this situation.

“Trump’s impact on the US will most definitely leave residual damage and the backlash from the election results is already starting.

This goes much deeper than politics.

Ultimately Trump has given rise to and excused widespread hate, racism, and violence, empowering hate groups along the way.”

Jamila Blair, 19, North America Society (NAS) President, is studying Biomedical Science “ When I saw that Joe Biden was the president-elect, for the first time in three days, it felt like I could finally breathe again.

“I then went online and saw videos of people celebrating in the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan with singing, dancing, honking and more. After four years of waking up to a different news headline more

disgusting and discouraging than the last, the election results felt like a win long overdue.

“Trump’s presidency normalised threatening human rights, disregarding climate change, degrading marginalised groups, and overall poor character in politics.

“I hope to experience transparency in the way that Biden and other politicians address the deficiencies of our country - then we can talk about making it a better place.”

Clockwise from top left: Jamila Blair, Charlotte Flores, Taylor Ogle, Claire Gelhaus

Friday 13 November 2020

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News

“Current financial support does not even cover the rent”: Sheffield’s local businesses adapt to survive Hannah Ahmed & Pippa Coleshill Local businesses in retail and hospitality are having to adapt to stay afloat after a second national lockdown forced them to close for all but takeaway service last week.

While many accept a second national lockdown is necessary, there are fears the Government’s current financial support package is insufficient.

The Treehouse board game cafe has been forced to close its doors but will continue to sell board games, beer and snacks online.

Speaking to Forge Press, coowner Ruth Haigh, said: “I think the decision to go back into national lockdown was the right one, but I do feel frustrated that it wasn't done sooner.

“The tier system has mostly felt like a confusing waste of time for us, and the idea of a three-tier system where Wetherspoons is still open in the top tier always felt like madness.”

Haigh said staff are relieved that the furlough scheme has been extended but they will be slowly losing money over lockdown as the grants aren’t sufficient to fund other costs.

“We've had some great support from our community so far and I'm sure they'll want to help if things get really desperate.

“I'm optimistic we'll come out the other side in some form, but things could get pretty tough if the lockdown goes on too long.”

Student favourite, the Nottingham House pub, are restarting their takeaway pie service where people can reheat pies at home.

Cax Langan, the landlord, expressed frustration that it has taken the government so long to implement this lockdown. He insisted it should have started during school half term, the week of 19 October.

Cax’s disappointment extends to the government’s current financial provision which he hopes will change: “Current financial support doesn't even cover the rent, never mind bills and costs of closing/ reopening.”

Vittles Cafe, located in Broomhill, are in a similar financial quandary.

Michael Casswell, owner of Vittles, said the Government grant for their business is £1,334 per month. If they hadn’t made the

Left: Made by Jonty takeaway boxes.

Top right: Treehouse Cafe staff member.

Bottom right: Michael Casswell.

decision to operate a food takeaway service, their overheads alone would summount to £1,676.

“We hope the takeaway does well to plug the support gaps. Currently, takeaway is around four percent of our turnover as most customers sit in. This needs to improve drastically.

“In addition to this we are directors of a limited company therefore we receive zero financial assistance from the government for everyday home expenses.

“No furlough, no self-employed grants, zilch. This was the same from 23 March to 31 July and now again for this month.”

In a similar position, breakfast

University contact tracing praised as Covid cases fall Jack Mattless Andrew Lee, a Reader in Global Public Health at the University of Sheffield, has hailed the University’s new internal contact system a success just two weeks after its launch.

Designed to work alongside NHS Test and Trace, the new institutionwide team have been in place since 24 October, charged with contact tracing student and staff Covid-19 cases.

In a tweet, Lee said over 90% of positive cases had been contacted within 24 hours of notification, with their contacts traced and informed by the next day. On some days, the figure was 100%.

“Many thanks to students and

staff for their cooperation & civic-mindedness to keep our community safe”, he added.

Combined new staff and student cases reported to the University in the week up to 6 November averaged at just 8.3 in a population of nearly 37,000. In early October, when cases on campus peaked, infection statistics were roughly nine times higher than this.

By contrast, the Government’s test and trace system failed to successfully trace more than 40% of infected people’s at-risk contacts in the week between 22 and 28 October, its worst performance since being set up in May. It’s a failing that's been borne out by some frustrated Sheffield residents.

Olivia Blake, the Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, has called on the Government to make urgent fixes after one of her constituents was left waiting fourteen days for a test result.

In a letter to Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, she said: “Constituents, like others up and down the country, have had a very difficult time through this crisis and many have made great sacrifices.

In return for these sacrifices, they were promised a ’world beating’ effective test, track and trace system.

“Once again, the government has not delivered on its rhetoric and it is my constituents who are paying the price for this failure.”

and brunch restaurant, Made by Jonty, is hoping to manage their overheads by opening a takeaway service.

Opening Friday through Sunday, Jonty invested in a service hatch in which customers can collect food while also distributing through City Grab and Just Eat. Jonty Cork said: “I'm a lot more prepared for this lockdown, so I don't think the financial hit will be too dramatic. We won't go backwards.

“This time of year is classically meant to be very profitable, so we will lose out on that.”

After panic buying consumed the nation during the first national

lockdown back in March, Jonty is worried that big suppliers will take trade away from local businesses again.

“If you’re going to panic buy, please panic buy locally.”

Seven subjects at University of Sheffield ranked in global top 100 Jack Mattless The University of Sheffield ranked among the top 100 places in the world in seven separate fields of study according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World Subject Rankings 2021.

The University was named one of the best places to study law (66th place), arts and humanities (67th place), social sciences (70th place), education (75th place), psychology (83rd place), clinical and health (93rd place) and engineering (98th place).

THE compares 1,400 researchfocussed institutions across six continents and ranks them against 13 comprehensive performance indicators including staff-tostudent ratio and research

productivity.

The news comes after Sheffield was named one of the top ten universities in the UK to study journalism, engineering, architecture, dentistry and urban studies by the Guardian University Guide 2021. The University also climbed to 28th place in next year’s Complete University Guide, its highest performance since 2017.

Koen Lamberts, University Vice Chancellor, said he was “pleased that the University of Sheffield has been recognised for being one of the best places in the world to study, which is a testament to the high standards of teaching and learning our dedicated staff provide to inspire the next generation."

10

Forge Press

News

“We aren't allowed to fully embrace our roots without some form of mockery”: Sheffield students reflect on experiences of accent prejudice Sophie Henderson

T

hree current Sheffield students have spoken to Forge Press on their experience of accent prejudice while studying at the University.

This comes after a study by a Newcastle-born Durham student found evidence of 'prejudice and discrimination' and even physical abuse directed at students from the North.

Yasmin Waters, a Journalism Studies student from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, has found it “liberating” to be “put into a mixing pot of people from all over the UK and the world” at University.

However, she has found comparisons are often made between the dialects of students from the North and South of England. She said: “It’s not just a comparison, it’s how the words are loaded. A person from the South is immediately labelled ‘posh’ or more put together, but whereas for the North, we’re naturally all more ‘rowdy”.

In the workplace, Waters found “everybody speaks very similarly and there's no place for different dialects in business”.

She said she has not heard many people in the media industry who “embrace their regionalisms”, citing radio presenters Sara Cox and Graham Norton as an exception.

She said this “shows there's clearly barriers in place or people feeling the pressure to conform.”

At university, she said some tutors with strong regional accents “strip back that dialect” while doing journalistic work and “go to more of what's seen as a very formal way of doing journalism.”

She said: “I think it’s really sad to live in a country that's so divided by this idea of class that we aren't allowed to fully embrace our roots without some form of mockery.

“I understand perhaps not using local slang from a particular place’s dialect because you’re potentially putting barriers in place with communication.

“

I think it’s really sad to live in a country that's so divided by this idea of class that we aren't allowed to fully embrace our roots without some form of mockery - Yasmin Waters “But the dialect itself should not be the problem, it should be celebrated. If we were all the same how boring would that be?”

Ryan Smith, a Masters student in the School of English, said being at university while having a Sheffield accent has made him become “very conscious” of what he was saying.

He said: “In seminars you don’t want to speak as much because you don’t want to feel like you’re a fool”. Smith said he was told by one tutor that his answer to a question was “simple” and by another that he had made “an obvious point” in a discussion.

“You start thinking ‘am I stupid?

Am I not saying it academically enough? Do I have to add longer words into what I’m saying?’”

Smith has also felt self-conscious in social situations at university. He said:“It’s frustrating to think I should

Left: Ryan Smith. Right: Rebekah Lowri have to expand what I’m saying and say things slower so [other people] can understand me”.

When discussing hobbies at school, a fellow student once told him: “I wasn’t really into sport. You usually find the ones into sport are hooligans”.

Smith, who played football, said: “After that I couldn’t listen to anything else other than the word ‘hooligans’. It’s hard not to feel angry at them. I’ve never had a go at anyone but as soon as you hear that accent next you think maybe they do think that I’m a hooligan.”

However, he said he has found teaching staff from working class backgrounds to be particularly supportive. He said: “They helped me massively and they put everything in perspective. If they can do it, I can do it.

“It becomes more comforting and you start to realise you do have a place at University as a working class student. It’s not just for people who you think look down on you.

You realise that this is your place to be and there was a reason you were accepted.”

Smith said the University needs to accept more students from a working class background.

“You’ve seen it over summer with the A-level and GCSE nonsense.

The algorithm that just happens to favour private schools and just

happens to destroy the hopes of working class kids.”

Rebekah Lowri, a Russian and French student from Swansea in South Wales, said before coming to Sheffield she began her undergraduate studies in London. It was there that she was mocked over her accent and “neutralised” it as a result.

Lowri was initially told she sounded “unprofessional” and “stupid”, but after changing her accent was then told she “wasn’t Welsh enough”.

As a student in Sheffield, she said: “It has been okay other than people genuinely not believing that I speak

“

It's just unfortunate that my accent is one of the casualties that's had to half-disappear because of what's been said to me - Rebekah Lowri

Welsh because I don't sound like someone from Gavin and Stacey, which in itself is a bit reductionist and stereotypical.

“It’s not very nice when their reference for your entire culture is a TV programme.”

As a native speaker of the Welsh language, she said: “I’ve come across quite a lot of people of student age, which I thought was very odd, sort of failing to see how someone’s native language would affect the way they speak in English. I think that's a problem for people who come from non-UK countries.”

On neutralising her accent, she said: “I do feel quite in shame about it because I feel like I've lost a little part of myself to the world.

“It's just unfortunate that my accent is one of the casualties that's had to half-disappear because of what's been said to me, which I think is a real shame.”

A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield declined to comment directly on instances of accent prejudice on campus but pointed to the institution’s strong record in attracting students from diverse backgrounds.

Friday 13 November 2020

11

Opinion

Covid-19 and the climate crisis are part of the same problem The lack of action and incoherent messages about Covid-19 mirror the government's attitude to climate change, says Keziah Spaine

A

fter December 2019, when I saw the opportunity for a Green New Deal to be implemented in the UK crushed by the Conservatives’ majority, I decided that next year I would put a lot of my political energy into making a Green New Deal possible and getting as many people on our campus angry at the University and the carbon-emitting companies it invites on campus every year.

Now that the immanence of a climate catastrophe is clear, it is depressing and terrifying to have a government that subsidies fossil fuel companies. They even tried to push through the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Yet, despite all of this, the government still believes the UK can be carbon neutral by 2050.

Back in January, I thought that nothing could be more damaging to the fabric of human society than global warming, with its threat of rising sea levels and eventual extinction of life on Earth. Then Covid-19 arrived and I pretty much forgot that the Maldives are projected to be submerged underwater by 2100. Instead, I started panicking about the lack of pasta in my cupboard and being stopped by the police in Endcliffe Park.

It also seemed as though many people felt positive about lockdown’s impact on the climate:. we all stayed in doors, less of us used transport, and industry came to a stop. On social media, people celebrated seeing wildlife that had seemingly disappeared, and many pundits came to the conclusion that “humans were the virus all along”.

Indeed, rather than talk about how we should rebuild postpandemic society in a sustainable way, some turned to eco-facism and decided that the world would just be better off without us. Although scientists have shown that lockdown caused a 17% decrease in emissions in April this year compared to 2019, we know this crisis will only cut emissions temporarily, with big businesses continually lobbying the government to reopen the economy and workers returning to their jobs.

Over the next few years, we will probably see the argument that Covid-19 has had a positive effect on the environment and that we can carry on as usual, investing in electric cars and relying on the public to shop sustainably. Climate deniers and politicians that rely on the support of the fossil fuel industry will once again refuse to change the way our economy works by arguing the reduction in emissions over lockdown was enough, or that we’ve spent too

Disposable facemask littered on the ground. Credit: Pixabay

much money as a result of Covid-19, and therefore couldn’t possibly spend any more.

However, we have to see the disastrous handling of Covid-19 as inextricably linked to the way governments have handled climate policy and its implementation, or lack thereof. Our government delayed locking down the UK, privatised our testing regimes, U-turned on everything from feeding children to the furlough scheme. Then, when we came out of lockdown they allowed the virus to run riot by encouraging us to 'Eat Out to Help Out' and refused to financially support people that needed government help the most.

Millions are now unemployed and will remain so for the foreseeable future. This lack of coherent messaging and decisive action mirrors the government’s attitude to climate change. Unable to see into the future and focused on satisfying the industries they need for political support, our government is failing to take the radical action needed to prevent imminent climate catastrophe and have ignored the scientists.

Not to mention the disproportionate effects both Covid-19 and climate change have on the most marginalised communities. The Global North does absolutely nothing to stop rising sea levels as it watches

Climate protest in London. Credit: Kevin Snyman via Pixabay

“

Climate change has been forgotten, which makes sense as environmental breakdown isn’t a lived reality for many people in this country

famines, droughts and floods destroy communities in the Global South, in the same way it thinks nothing of people of colour not only disproportionately working on the front lines of this pandemic, but disproportionately dying of the virus as well, as statistics show that Black people are more at risk of dying from Covid-19 than any other ethnicity. It isn’t a stretch to argue that Western governments’ priorities are inherently white supremacist, with marginalised communities paying the price of both climate change’s and Covid-19’s impacts.

Climate change has been forgotten, which makes sense as environmental breakdown isn’t a lived reality for many people in this country, whereas Covid19is destroying communities and families everyday. What is needed is a policy platform and a government that doesn’t see the preservation of life and public health as an inconvenience, and is able to think ahead, aware of the consequences of inaction - whether it be towards a deadly virus or rising global temperatures. When we finally prioritise the welfare of human beings over the welfare of profit-greedy corporations, we will be in a much better place to tackle both pandemics and environmental degradation.

12

Forge Press

Opinion

Will students be driving home for Christmas?

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Jake Dannatt sk every student up and down the country where they would rather be for Christmas and it is guaranteed only a handful will say ‘university’. The prospect of Christmas dinner with your flat may seem like a fun idea at first, but can it really beat pigs in blankets with the family?

After students travelled to Sheffield from all parts of the country and even the world in September, it’s no wonder cases skyrocketed amongst students.

Sheffield University has recorded more than 1,000 cases and of course many more will have been made to isolate. Yet wasn’t this inevitable?

The Government could surely have seen the movement of students as a potential cause for a second wave. It begs the question of what will happen for Christmas and how can universities prepare for the return of students in semester two?

If they ever go home in the first place.

This week, it was announced that there is likely to be mass testing for all university students who are

travelling home to allow them to get home safely without spreading the virus. It is proposed that this will occur from 30 November to 6 December to allow time for a ‘travel window’ which will stagger the movement of students across one week.

This is much more organised than when students travelled to university. If we had a plan like this in place before the September term, maybe the student cases would have been lower.

Gavin Williamson has been on record saying the Government will “make sure” students can return home for Christmas, and although this was before the November lockdown was announced, this week’s proposed mass testing could be the solution to Williamson’s promise. It is without question that the Prime Minister will face real pressure from students and parents, but with the possibility of the November lockdown being extended, the situation is becoming increasingly worrying as the plans are yet to be confirmed.

It has gradually become the feeling that many will simply go home regardless of whatever rules are in place. Who can blame

them? Hundreds will have had Covid-19 already and consider themselves immune and therefore think being home with family is far more important. It would be near impossible to keep students at university during Christmas anyway.

Universities just do not “have the powers nor any desire to require students to stay” during Christmas, according to Loughborough University’s Chief Operating Officer. But how can it be done safely? The suggestion of a quarantine period before travelling home has been mentioned, but this would carry challenges with regards to learning and having to shift the entirety of university online.

With the mass testing week in early December, students are likely to have to isolate and if students test positive, they will have to isolate until a positive test. The logistics would be very difficult to manage.

Not all students live away from home and a lot already have the majority of their classes online. Dr Jo Grady, General Secretary of the UCU, dubbed the earlier plans for student’s isolating before travelling home as “unworkable and chaotic” and added universities are “not boarding schools”. However, this

It shouldn't be down to small businesses to pay for children's meals

P

Josh Thory-Rao

overty is a serious issue in this country; that is an undisputed fact. In 2017 and 18 the Social Metrics Commission found that 14.3 million people were in poverty in the UK, 4.6 million of them children - this number is likely to have risen significantly given the Coronavirus pandemic started.

Free school meals have been an essential lifeline for many of these children. It could be their one hot meal a day, a meal they wouldn’t have had otherwise - for all school types, 17.3% of pupils in England were eligible for free school meals in January 2020.

But there has been a surge in the number of UK children registering for free school meals, with an estimated 1 million pupils recently signing up for the first time, according to analysis by the Food Foundation think tank.

The pandemic saw the extension of free school meals (via food parcels and supermarket vouchers) through the summer holidays. However, there has been controversy due to the Government’s decision not to continue this policy through the October half term despite the ongoing pandemic.

The solution for this crisis is much debated, as has been the issue of poverty relief for centuries. Should the state be responsible or should parents who can’t cope with the financial burdens of parenthood be forced to rely on the good will of those more fortunate than them? Those who favour a free market seem to naturally prefer the latter, whereas those on the left economically support the former.

The free marketers would look at footballer Marcus Rashford’s interventions in raising money for children and nod their heads; if honours like the MBE can be used to encourage charity like this, great. If

charity was solving poverty then this would be a fantastic solution. But it’s not.

The sporadic and inconsistent nature of charity work, whilst doing immense good for certain people at certain times, means it will never be a consistent and effective alternative to state intervention. You must also consider that honours, accolades and ‘good press’ are poor incentives for the wealthy to part with their money. Take Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world; he could do immense good, earn many awards and become a global hero, but he hasn’t. He’d rather keep his money.

So for any sort of effective and consistent poverty relief the state must play a role in incentivising the wealthy to contribute, and managing how that contribution is distributed.

Certainly, some people resent paying taxes; but it is widely accepted by most as a civic responsibility, a contribution toward making society a better place. The

Sheffield Christmas market 2019 Credit: 1nine8four via Flikr was before the new announcement added a bit more clarity to the situation.

Mass testing is already being trialled at Durham and De Montfort, with a one-hour test result, in the hopes this can be used nationwide in the near future. Looking at the options, this would be the most efficient way of ensuring a safe return home for students. Though the question of when these tests will take place, to ensure those who have Covid-19 can isolate, is a very important one. As you can see, there are no easy answers.

Yet there will, of course, be some individuals who either by choice or other circumstances stay at university over the festive period. It is vital that the

University does not forget about these students. Some sort of plan should be drawn out to cater for those staying and to ensure their Christmas is as enjoyable as possible.

If the plans do go ahead to allow students to go home, there should be strong preparations for their return in the second semester to prevent another rise in cases. The simplest method would be to move learning online for the first two weeks. Discouraging social gatherings with several households for the same period may also work effectively. But this is all dependent on what restrictions are in place in the new year. While it is impossible to predict the future, Christmas Day at home looks set to be in our sights.

NHS, the police service, education; all rely on taxpayer money – and these are the bedrock of our society.

Sure, you might prefer to go private if you can afford to, but it is hard to deny that we get excellent services considering that they are free at the point of use. A society like this should be the best of both worlds – we allow those who have the freedom to be successful and make money, whilst ensuring that the most vulnerable are not allowed to suffer because of their lack of economic stability. This should be the type of society that Americans see from across the Atlantic and envy.

But this is not the reality we are seeing in our country. Many members of our current Government don’t believe that the income tax we pay would be well used to feed hungry kids. Yet they can afford to waste over £100 billion on Brexit (a figure which is said to have exceeded the total paid to the EU by us since membership), and take a wage of over £80,000 per annum plus expenses, a wage which is continually rising. Think about this; would you rather the taxes you paid be given to Boris Johnson and his

ministers to spend on new homes in Chelsea or would you rather it went to making sure children in poverty got a nutritious meal every day? Although there is plenty of convincing debate about whether we should tax the wealthy more, we must first consider the poor financial priorities of this Government.

So, what is the take away here?

Some people in this country live in extreme poverty and the majority of the time this is not their fault.

Even if it was, it’s certainly not their children’s fault, and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter who you blame (although I would definitely encourage you to blame the Government). The point is that it’s morally reprehensible for a country as rich as ours to have so many children, and adults for that matter, going hungry because of poverty.

Based on our Government’s spending patterns, it’s clear where their priorities lie: evidently not in the well-being of their citizens. Charity may be a valuable lifeline for many in poverty, but it also represents a failure of the state to look after its own people.

Friday 13 November 2020

13

Opinion

This is not the time or year for MP pay rises With a looming economic crisis due to Covid-19 Orla Katz Webb-Lamb questions whether 2020 is the best year for an MP salary increase

A

ccording to IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, MPs could receive a £3,000 salary boost this financial year. But is this really fair considering that poverty in the UK is at its highest in recent years?

This increase is in line with the rise in public sector salaries across the board, and it’s a calculation which happens each year in order to keep MPs’ salaries moving with the rest of the public sector. This process is important because it positions the role of an MP as a job just like any other. Without it, it would appear that MPs are not facing the same economic challenges that the country is.

It is also the case that if MPs have a decent salary, there is more incentive for people to try

to become an MP, which in turn improves the democratic process.

If MPs’ salaries were considerably lower than they are today, it could potentially risk making parliament exclusively for people who already feel financially comfortable. This would not keep our legislature diverse or representative.

Whilst it is not out of the blue that MPs’ salaries are up for a rise, it comes at a questionable time. Many people have been made redundant and are subsequently in more poverty than they have ever faced in their lives. This year, between April and June, 100,000 people used food banks for the first time.

On 14 September, The Guardian reported that extreme poverty ‘will double by Christmas’ because of Covid-19. With the extent to which poverty and financial insecurity is on the rise, it seems insulting

and inconsiderate that MPs might receive a pay rise.

On top of this, many businesses are struggling to stay alive Liverpool, the first area to be placed under a Tier 3 restriction prior to the national lockdown, has seen too many independents temporarily or permanently close. Cafe Tabac on Bold Street is one of those, which, on 14 October, closed its doors temporarily, reminding people that they had been trading “for over 40 years”. For others it is worse, such as Bread and Butter on Hope Street, which announced its permanent closure ten weeks ago.

Bearing this in mind, it does suddenly feel ridiculous and overly generous that MPs, who already receive an incredibly comfortable salary of £81,932 (well above the UK average of £29,009), are about to receive an extra £3,000 each from public funds.

Thankfully, it is not unusual that people are confused and outraged by this new suggestion. Backlash has been widespread, even amongst MPs themselves. Dr Rosena AllinKhan, the MP for Tooting, is very

Top Left: House of Parliament.

Credit: zeljkoo via Flikr (CC BY-NCND 2.0). Top Right: Sir Keir Starmer.

Credit: Chris McAndrew. Below: Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP for Tooting.

Credit: David Woolfall

“

This isn’t right.

Millions face job uncertainty and to give us MPs a pay rise now just sends the wrong message and highlights the economic divide in our country - Rosena Allin-Khan

much against this proposal. She tweeted, “This isn’t right. Millions face job uncertainty and to give us MPs a pay rise now just sends the wrong message and highlights the economic divide in our country”.

She has said that if she cannot reject the extra money, she will donate it straight to charity.

Sir Keir Starmer also disagrees with the potential pay rise. On LBC Radio he stated, “This year of all years we shouldn’t have it,” and “That money, if it’s available, should be spent on key workers – those who have been on the frontline through this pandemic.”

This is an honourable move from two people who have been offered a generous salary increase, especially considering the financial situation this year.

One final issue with this IPSA calculation is that it is not transparent. If it is the case that the £3,000 rise has been calculated in line with other public sector pay rises, then it does not state anywhere which public sector salaries have risen and by how much.

Furthermore, the current suggestion of the extra £3,000 puts MPs’ salary rises above inflation, with a 3.1% increase in pay in comparison to the 1.8% inflation rise. Therefore, without the explanation of where other public sector pay has risen, it is simply unclear why, even if a raise is in accord, it is one as large as £3,000 a year. This could be seen as hypocritical, especially as public sector wages do not always increase as seamlessly as those of MPs. IPSA is independent from parliament, and therefore MPs do not have a say on their salaries, but in April this year a story resurfaced from three years ago of MP’s cheering when they voted down a bill to give nurses a raise. The fact that this has not been revisited, and is seemingly three years overdue, does suggest a double standard.

All in all, whilst it is important to monitor the salaries of MPs, this is not the time or year in which they deserve or should get an increase in their pay.

14

Forge Press

Features

Sheffield students on speaking out against the abortion ban in Poland

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Ingrid Edvardsen n Thursday 29 October, 70 students gathered in front of The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union to protest against the abortion ban that was implemented into Polish law on 22 October.

Between holding coat hangers and harsh banners, the crowd of young, frustrated people, rhythmically jumped up and down to Polish chants and slogans, calling for prochoice rights for all women. The engagement, anger, and frustration of the protesters were undeniable; for students entering the SU, it was impossible to walk by without stopping to watch them.

Women are not incubators!

The national-conservative party currently in power in Poland, Law and Justice, has been associated with anti-immigration, Euroscepticism and homophobia, but it is their tough treatment on women’s rights to abortion that has been flooding international media this past month. Poland’s highest court, the Constitutional Tribunal,

where judges are mostly nominated by the Law and Justice party, legally challenged the Polish abortion law.

Despite Poland already having one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, the new legislation would mean a near-total ban. Up until now, abortion was only allowed in three narrowly defined cases; if a woman’s life or health is in danger, if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, and lastly, in case of severe foetus disabilities. The latter has now been ruled as going against the Polish constitution by the Constitutional Tribunal, and since foetal malformation made up for 98% of all Polish terminations, this effectively makes abortion illegal.

Urodzę wam lewaka! – I would give birth to a leftist!

Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of Poles have taken to the streets to protest. One of the Polish students who took part in the protest outside the Students’ Union was 20-year-old Politics student Marcelina Mazińska.

Marcelina is from Poland’s capital city, Warsaw, which she describes as more liberal than some of the rural areas. When asked how she feels

about the new legislative change that has been made in her home country, “disappointed” and “angry” are the first words that come to her mind.

“I knew for a long time that bad things were happening in Poland, but I still had hope. This has definitely made me feel more pessimistic about the future of Poland,” she says. In conversation with the Polish women that organised the protest outside the SU, they explain that due to the entangled relationship between right-wing party Law and Justice and the Catholic Church, the ban was not wholly unexpected. “Not

“

Polish students share a mutual feeling of frustration about being stuck in the UK and only being able to see what is going on in their home country from afar

only have they deprived women of fundamental human rights, but they have also undermined judicial independence,” say the protest organisers.

abortion rights help protect healthy families; both mother and child.”

I wish I could abort Polish government!

If men needed abortions it would be in every store!

The international community, as well as most human rights organisations, have gone on to express deep concerns about the impact this ban would have on Polish women. Marcelina is certain that this will lead to more illegal abortions and that women who have the resources will go abroad to have the termination, while others might be forced to move permanently to a more liberal country.

This is why the ban will have the most significant impact on poor women who cannot afford abortion abroad.

“It will affect both their mental and physical health. Some women may try to conduct unsafe abortions on their own, while others will be forced to give birth to a child that only will survive a few hours,” says Marcelina.

“Abortion is not something they do because they are ‘anti-family’, but

The protest at the SU received great engagement. Polish students in Sheffield share a mutual feeling of frustration about being stuck in the UK and only being able to see what is going on in their home country from afar.

Marcelina says: “It has had a massive impact on our mental well-being. Being here in Sheffield, without any option to join the demonstrations, when we are aware that many of our friends and family are marching on the streets every day, ‘accompanied’ by squadrons of far-right followers – is very stressful.”

The organisers highlighted that hosting small demonstrations, both by the SU and the City Hall, has made them feel less helpless and in turn given them a chance to spread awareness. When asked if they would have joined the protests currently going on in Poland if

Friday 13 November 2020

15

Features

Interview

Diversity’s Ashley Banjo: “If my kids said to me, ‘Dad, what happened in 2020?’, I would want to tell them a story of hope” Orla Katz Webb-Lamb

Credit: Ingrid Edvardsen they had been there, there is no hesitance in their voice: “Of course – it’s history, it’s solidarity, it’s the right cause”.

Women united, we’ll never be defeated!

The Polish students encourage all students of the University who want to show their support to Polish women to raise awareness via social media and the many online petitions, like that of Amnesty International. “The best is to educate yourself and others about what has happened - tell people about it,” adds Marcelina.

Despite the final and binding ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, Polish people hope that the remarkable actions taken globally will have some impact on the situation in Poland. In response to the recent changes in Polish law, many European countries have started to offer free abortions for vulnerable women.

“I really love Poland, but it feels like my country doesn’t love me back.”

When dance troupe Diversity’s performance at the first Britain’s Got Talent semi-final of 2020 was met with uproar and over 24,000 Ofcom complaints, it became the second most complained about TV moment of the past decade. What seems to have led to the objections were the references to the Black Lives Matter movement - in particular, those to the memory of George Floyd. In a poignant moment during the routine the group’s leader, Ashley Banjo, was seen with his head pinned under a knee, re-creating the now infamous and fatal position in which George Floyd died.

I thought the performance was an incredible and moving way to deal with something so important; I felt gratitude towards Diversity for being so publicly vocal against racism. Unfortunately, not everyone in the country felt the same, and Banjo, amongst many other members, is still receiving daily abuse via Twitter.

Wanting to know more, I contacted Banjo to get a better understanding of what happened behind the scenes.

For viewers your performance was a surprise; however it must have been ages in the making for you. How did the idea come about?

It didn’t come about how anyone would have expected. I had two or three phone calls with ITV and they asked if I wanted to stand in for Simon Cowell and in the same sort of breath they said: “We have a performance slot and we think it would be great for you to come out on week one as a judge and perform”. I was like, OK, but the problem is that the performance is six days away, that doesn’t leave us with much time… It was two days’ prep for me and two and a half days to learn it. We turned up to BGT, they hadn’t seen anything, didn’t know what we were doing, but were fully supportive. It was literally that quick.

Was it a long process to come to an agreement with ITV? Not at all, they trust me creatively.

At any point they could have

stopped me, or shut it down, but they were supportive.

of start to defeat the object of what it is to create, surely.

What was your decision process regarding the way it was presented?

The idea was to go to BGT to create something that represented this year. We wanted people to feel emotionally affected but, if anything, feel more hopeful by the end of it.

If my kids said to me, “Dad, what happened in 2020?”, I would want to tell them a story of hope and people coming together. That doesn’t mean shying away from the difficult issues, it just means that we brought them to the forefront and they made positive change, and that’s what the set was about and that’s why we presented it in that way.

That’s true, the impression I got was that people felt affronted that their safe space had become politicised.

What do you think of the comments that the performance shouldn’t have a place on a family show?

I would agree if the same people were up in arms about the glorification of World War One, the discussion around climate change, the dog meat industry, or various other things that entertainers and artists have brought to BGT. However, what they’re actually complaining about is that it’s a type of politics and conversation that makes them uncomfortable, so they lean on the fact that “oh no this is a safe space” and I’m like, well it wasn’t safe when we were talking about flying spitfires over - millions of people died in the wars, but that’s safe [to talk about] because we are on the correct, and winning side.

When you found out about the reaction, where were you? What did you think?

I was filming when it went out. A lot of people were saying “oh great, the show has been really well received”, but because we are not used to getting negative responses I started to notice, “no there’s definitely more negative here than I’m used to”, and then it just grew and grew and grew.

Did you expect it to be controversial or politicised? To this extent?

No. No way. I thought there would be people that didn’t like it, I thought it would spark a bit of debate but I didn’t think I would help to make BGT the most complained about show in a decade and I didn’t think I would be in the news every day for three weeks.

This is the first time you guys have done something more political, so I would not expect you to be used to any kind of negative comments. How did that impact you?

I understand the idea that entertainment is escapism for the most part, but what I don’t agree with is that that’s all entertainment can be used for. At the end of the day, if they try to tell us that’s all it’s good for, it’s completely untrue.

Art and politics are so closely intertwined, as are art and social issues. Because at the end of the day it’s about human expression, and if we can’t say this is what we feel in this crazy year, then you sort

ITV have very much stood in solidarity with you, what do you think of that?

Oh, super proud of them, as a commercial channel at the end of the day money talks. It’s one thing to say we support you but it’s another thing to spend £100,000 to place that on page ads across national tabloids. I respect them for being so open with the way they support us, I respect Ofcom for their report and saying that they don’t feel there’s anything to investigate. I respect the production company for standing by us. These are not predominantly Black-run channels or companies either, these are obviously predominantly white-owned and run which is really important - the way systems are designed means we need the people in power to really make changes.

Do you think that we have made progress with racism in recent years in Britain?

Yes, I think that there’s a long way to go but we’ve definitely made progress all the time. Part of me thinks that racist attitudes just get hidden and suppressed more, as opposed to dying out. On Twitter people are able to make accounts

left, right and center, but they should be linked to those profiles and there should be accountability because nowadays people can say things online that they would get arrested for saying in real life. They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

Has being a parent made you feel differently about social issues like race in Britain and made you reflect on what you want to talk to your children about?

Funnily enough, when I had my first baby, Rosie, it made me much more conscious about womens’ rights than it did race rights. It made me go, “wow I really want the world to be equal and fair for YOU”, because I completely see that there’s a long way to go there. It sort of made me more conscious about equality between men and women, in the workplace especially.

What is your opinion about Black representation on TV? I think that there is more Black culture on TV but I still think that Black people are underrepresented, especially across prime time and major channels. And I think that’s because a lot of people have been in the game for so long, so a lot of what we’re seeing is reminiscent of the past. Whereas, I think that as change has come in and new people come up I think that we genuinely see changes there, a lot of emerging talent, and it’s different from the old school talent. But if you look from the people who are famous from back in the day, there aren’t an awful lot of Black people.

What are your hopes for the future?

I feel like it would be really easy to go “I hope for a world that is equal”, and Martin Luther King had a dream; I feel like he said that about 50 years ago, and we’re still waiting for it. We’ll probably be waiting a long time before genuine equality exists but I suppose I just hope that we can still be in a world where conversations are open and we’re making positive steps. I hope we just keep taking steps in the right direction, in the hope that one day we will get there.

16

Forge Press

Science & Tech

A birthday message from beyond the grave: The science behind the Kardashian hologram Sarah Laptain Kim Kardashian’s latest appearance in the news comes after sharing a surprise birthday present from Kanye. Posting a video of “the most thoughtful gift of a lifetime” it shows a hologram of her deceased father sending a message for her 40th birthday.

In the message, Robert Kardiashian, who died in 2003, tells Kim he watches over her as well as dancing, telling jokes and praising Kanye as “the most, most, most, most, most, most, genius man in the world” (a giveaway of who wrote the script). The gift has been met with mixed reviews, with some seeing it as very thoughtful and others criticising the expense.

How was the hologram made?

This is not the first time we’ve seen a celebrity hologram. At the Coachella festival in 2012 Tupac was brought back to life for an audience in a similar way.

Although it hasn’t been revealed exactly how Robert Kardashian’s hologram was created, a company called Kaleida has claimed to have madeit.

What we are calling holograms here are not what we see in science fiction films where figures appear from small devices to carry their messages. The holograms we see are from visual effects that first originated with a technique called Pepper’s Ghost used in plays in the

late 1800s. An actor in an unseen room is lit so that their reflection in an angled pane of glass looks like a ghostly figure on stage.

Over time, the materials used became less cumbersome than a glass panel and video began to be projected onto it rather than a figure in another room. Now with the availability of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the videos projected don’t have to be of a living person.

Illustration of Pepper’s Ghost being used in theatre.

Credit: Wiki Commons

Creating the video initially would have used someone acting as a body double - performing the actions they wanted Robert Kardashian to make and trying to move in a similar way to how he did, imitating any ticks or characteristic movements.

It’s important that they get the physicality right.

Next, using machine learning, an algorithm tries to match the facial

expressions of the person being created and the body double. From studying videos and images of your subject this creates their facial expressions for the hologram. Their voice is created in a similar way, using AI and old recordings of them.

Kaleida uses a material called Holonet which is a very thin gauze to project onto. It allows much more range than glass used in the basic Pepper’s Ghost hologram. It’s more portable and is very bright, giving a better image when watching.

What are the ethics surrounding hologram creation?

Since Kim tweeted the video, there has been lots of discussion about the ethics of producing these kinds of holograms. It brings into question the rights people have after they die - they have no control over how they are portrayed in a holographic image. Whoever creates the holograms has huge power over the deceased person’s image, able to

“

Whoever creates the holograms has huge power over the deceased person’s image, able to make them do or say whatever they want

Screen capture from the video on Kim Kardashian’s Twitter. make them do or say whatever they want.

Even the creation of holograms of people who are currently alive is problematic. If made to look realistic enough, holograms can be created so it appears people have said something they haven’t. Imagine the ability to create speeches for world leaders that they never actually said. There’s a huge capacity for disinformation.

Although they have no ethics policy in writing, in an interview with Slate, Kaleida director and producer Daniel Reynolds said: “as a company, we’re kind of in a lucky position where we can act with a conscience and decline work if we want.” So, if they were indeed the creators of Robert Kardashian’s hologram then they deemed it ethical enough to produce.

AI can help doctors predict risk of patients developing mouth cancer Kate Procter Artificial intelligence can help doctors better predict the risk of patients developing oral cancer, new research has revealed.

The pioneering study, from the University of Sheffield, is examining the use of machine learning and AI to assist pathologists and improve the early detection of oral cancer.

The work is particularly important given that the rate of people being diagnosed with oral cancers including mouth, tongue, tonsil and oropharyngeal cancer, has increased

by almost 60% in the last 10 years.

Evidence suggests tobacco and alcohol consumption, viruses, old age as well as not eating enough fruit and vegetables can increase the risk of developing the disease. Oral cancer is often detected late which means that the patient survival rates are poor.

Currently, doctors must predict the likelihood of pre-cancerous changes, known as oral epithelial dysplasia (OED), developing into cancer by assessing a patient’s biopsy on 15 different criteria to establish a score. This score

then determines whether action is needed and what treatment pathway should be taken.

Dr Ali Khurram, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Sheffield’s School of Clinical Dentistry, said: “The precise grading of OED is a huge diagnostic challenge, even for experienced pathologists, as it is so subjective.

At the moment a biopsy may be graded differently by different pathologists, the same pathologist may even grade the same biopsy differently on a different day.”

For example, one patient may

Dr Ali Khurram, Credit: University of Sheffield

“

As technology continues to advance... ethics and potentially laws involving holograms will have to be discussed more As technology continues to advance, increasing the ability to make more lifelike holograms, ethics and potentially laws involving holograms will have to be discussed more. Until then, we will all have to become a bit more sceptical of who it is we are watching.

be advised to undergo surgery and intensive treatment, while another patient may be monitored for further changes.

Dr Khurram added: “Machine learning and AI can aid tissue diagnostics by removing subjectivity, using automation and quantification to guide diagnosis and treatment. Until now this hasn’t been investigated, but AI has the potential to revolutionise oral cancer diagnosis and management by ensuring accuracy, consistency and objectivity.”

Dr Khurram said people often feel threatened by AI, however rather than replacing a doctor’s expertise, exceptionally high-level of training and experience, the technology can help to assist their decision-making and compliment their skills.

Friday 13 November 2020

17

Science & Tech

Water ice on the Moon may be easier to reach than we thought George Tuli New observations have revealed that water on the lunar surface may be more accessible than previously thought. The discovery is particularly exciting for NASA, which hopes to use the Moon’s resources, such as water, in future crewed missions.

In one study, researchers found direct evidence of water molecules in areas of the Moon lit by the Sun. A second study suggests that water ice may occur within small craters and pockets across the Moon’s surface — if this is true, water would be more easily accessible to future missions. Both studies were published in the journal Nature in October.

We already knew there was water on the Moon Water on the Moon in the form of ice was confirmed by India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2008, but that water is difficult to reach.

It occurs mainly in large craters at the Moon’s south pole that are in perpetual darkness. In these areas temperatures plummet to possibly -240 °C making them among the coldest places in the Solar System, and unreachable with current technology. Despite

frigid temperatures at the Moon’s south pole, daytime temperatures elsewhere on the lunar surface exceed the boiling point of water.

It was previously thought that any water outside of the south pole would have evaporated long ago, but the new research suggests this is not the case.

Speaking to The Verge, Casey Honniball, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre and lead author of one of the studies, said: “If we find that [water is] abundant enough in certain locations, it would be easier to access versus going into these very cold, very dark places.”

The water was detected by a flying observatory Honniball and her team detected water molecules on the lunar surface using the NASA/DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a modified Boeing 747 aircraft equipped with instruments to collect data on objects in space.

SOFIA flies above much of Earth’s atmosphere giving the instruments a clear view of the Solar System. The researchers used the observatory’s 2.7-metre reflecting telescope and an infrared camera to pick up the signature specific to water

molecules.

The detection of molecular water came as a surprise to the team, who didn’t think that water could survive the high temperatures of the Moon’s daytime. They speculated that the water could be stored within glasses or in voids between grains, protected from the harsh lunar environment and saving it from evaporation.

The second study didn’t detect water directly, but analysed the temperature of mini-craters littering the lunar surface. The researchers used data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to determine that these craters are cold enough for ice to form. In a future Moon mission, these craters would be far easier to reach than the large, dark craters on the south pole. The team estimates that 40,000 square kilometres of the lunar surface can trap water in this way.

There are still many unknowns While the first study did detect water, only a small amount was found — about 350 ml of water trapped in a cubic metre of lunar soil. And the water will most likely take a lot of work to extract; if the material trapping the water is glass, it will have to be melted to extract

Top: The Moon in Waxing Gibbous phase. Credit: George Tuli Bottom: NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA. Credit: NASA/Tony Landis

the water.

And the second study hasn’t confirmed that there’s water in the cold traps on the surface. Future observations, remote or in situ, will have to examine these in closer detail before we know.

What does this mean for future missions?

The abundance of water across the Moon’s surface broadens the list of places where a lunar base could be established. If the water can be extracted and purified it could be used for drinking and for hydrating plants. Or it could be split into hydrogen and oxygen and used as rocket fuel. Using existing resources on the Moon would reduce the resources that need to be brought

up from Earth, saving weight, fuel, time, and money.

NASA and private companies are working to collect more data on lunar water. NASA plans to send a rover called Viper to the Moon in 2023 to map out the locations of surface water ice, and to collect samples. And a private company, Intuitive Machines, plans to send a lander to the surface as soon as 2022, with the same drill as Viper’s, to test the effectiveness of the drill at sampling the water ice. These data, combined with remote observation data, will determine whether or not the water can be used by future astronauts in missions such as those in the Artemis programme.

18

Forge Press

Science & Tech

University switches default search engine to Ecosia Lucas Mentken Hundreds of computers around campus are switching their default search engine to Ecosia, allowing students and staff to plant trees one search at a time.

The switch, which was announced on the Sustainability at Sheffield blog last month, is the result of a two-year long campaign led by the People and Planet student society.

Ecosia on Campus is a global movement where students from all over the world lobby their universities to adopt the Ecosia search engine. Ecosia is based in Berlin and donates 80% or more of its profits to non-profit organizations that focus on reforestation.

The University of Sheffield will be the latest university to join other higher education institutions in the UK who adopted Ecosia on their campuses, including the University of Sussex and the University of Leeds.

Dominic Meeks, Chair of People and Planet Sheffield, said that the Covid-19 pandemic made the final discussions with the University difficult due to correspondence issues and the absence of staff.

In the end however, Meeks is very glad that they were able to finish the

talks over the summer and switch the default search engine in time for the start of the new academic year.

Although the benefits of Ecosia in Sheffield will not be seen immediately due to less face-to-face teaching and reduced capacities, Meeks hopes that the usage on campus will increase in the future.

However, Meeks knows that there is more work to be done, particularly because new Covid-19 restrictions prevent students from working around campus as much as they used to.

“We know the campaign is not finished,” the second year biology student said. “Everyone is still mainly working from their own space so the more we can encourage people to install Ecosia on their laptops, the more we can make a difference.”

Possible future plans to spread the word about Ecosia include the distribution of QR codes around the Students’ Union to encourage more people to use the search engine on their personal devices.

To make his vision of every University computer running Ecosia a reality, Meeks set up a Facebook group and engaged with likeminded individuals from universities all over the world who were working on the same cause. Through this

Credit: Ecosia communication he gained valuable insight in how to tackle some of the University’s initial concerns, enabling him to convince them that this was a risk-free decision with global benefits, he wrote on the Sustainability at Sheffield blog.

“Especially now during Covid there is such a positive link between mental health and being outside in green spaces,” Meeks said. “I think it shows that it’s really important for our own good as well as the good of the planet.”

To help convince the University about Ecosia, Meeks was supported

by Fred Henderson, a former University of Sussex student and co-founder of Ecosia on Campus.

Henderson said: “Now that the University of Sheffield has made Ecosia its default search engine, we will be able to plant thousands more trees this year.

“I can’t thank Dominic and the People and Planet team enough for initiating this environmental change, and to the faculty and IT department for implementing the switch. I hope it will inspire other universities around the world to join the movement.”

Ecosia has already planted over 100 million trees in total, with student searches accounting for over 135,000 trees since the launch of the Ecosia on Campus campaign three years ago.

Now, Sheffield students can help grow this number further by using the following link to enable Ecosia on their personal devices: ecosia.co/ sheffielduniversity.

Dr Isabel Bennett from UCL and Dr Alice Pyne from the University of Sheffield Credit: University of Sheffield

Team of scientists develop faster way to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria Kate Procter A faster way of detecting antibiotic resistance in bacteria has been developed by a team of scientists.

The new technique, developed by a collaborative team of researchers including a scientist from the University of Sheffield, uses nanotechnology to detect antibiotic resistance in approximately 45 minutes.

The standard method for detecting resistance is a relatively slow process that typically takes between 12 and 24 hours. The ability to reduce this time could significantly help the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria - a problem which is predicted to cause 10 million deaths per year and cost the global economy $100 trillion by 2050.

“We were able to show that our faster method was able to reproduce

“

We were able to show that our faster method was able to reproduce values from gold standard measurements … in a fraction of the time

values from gold standard measurements … in a fraction of the time,” said study co-author Dr. Alice Pyne from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Speeding up the time it takes to identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria could improve our ability to prescribe antibiotics correctly and reduce the misuse of antibiotic treatments - a key step in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

The new method uses a new Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) detection system.

This involves a nanomechanical cantilever sensor working together with a laser to detect single bacterial cells as they pass through the laser’s focus, which provides a simple readout of antibiotic resistance by detecting growth (resistant) or death (sensitive) of the bacteria.

By placing a reflective surface - a small stiff cantilever - in a filtered growth medium in a petri dish and reflecting a laser off it onto a photodiode detector, it is possible to detect bacteria as they pass through the path of the laser, therefore altering the signal at the detector.

Following the addition of the antibiotic to the petri dish, the study has shown that it is possible to detect whether fewer bacteria interfere with the laser beam, thereby indicating cell death in the antibiotic-sensitive bacteria.

Friday 13 November 2020

19

Lifestyle

Turn your thumb green: Student-friendly houseplants anyone can keep alive Taylor Ogle

W

ith a second lockdown looming on the horizon, brightening up our homes is more important than ever. Houseplants can be a great way of sprucing up your space. Not only do they offer a bit of colour and life, but they make nature feel more accessible throughout the darker months. However, not all houseplants are created equal and many need special care to keep them happy and healthy.

For the budding botanical enthusiast, the pothos, or devil’s ivy, is a brilliant introductory plant.

These fun and dangly plants are surprisingly low maintenance which allows them to survive a forgetful owner. Pothos aren’t picky about which kind of soil they have, and they do well in either bright indirect light or lowlight. Pothos plants also look lovely despite being low-fuss. Their draping vines and wide leaves make fantastic accents to bookshelves and can even be hung from baskets. You can also take cuttings from a pothos and propagate them. Pothos typically need to be watered every two to three weeks although this may increase in the warmer months.

I water mine from the bottom by placing their planters in a bowl of water and letting them soak until their soil is moist all the way through.

Ivy is another option for a prospective plant owner looking for something straightforward. Not only are they cheap, but, like pothos, they boast cascading leaves that can really brighten up an otherwise drab desk. Ivies like bright light, but some varieties can tolerate medium light. They need a good amount of moisture, but their soil should be allowed to dry completely between waterings. They should never be left in standing water, although they do like the occasional misting. If you are interested in growing your ivy collection or starting one for a friend, ivies can be propagated by taking stem cuttings. While they make a nice aesthetic addition to a space, they serve a functional

purpose by helping purify the air.

If you’re up for more of a challenge, maidenhair ferns can be a gorgeous addition to your collection. Maidenhair ferns are well-loved for their delicate featherlike foliage despite the extra work required to maintain them. These ferns like full or partial shade, but indirect light is ideal. Moisture is absolutely key to keeping them alive. If maidenhair ferns dry out, they are difficult to bring back.

Humidity is also critical. This sounds tricky, but a plant mister goes a long way. Alternatively, you can place the plastic container on top

of some pebbles and water within a bigger pot. This maintains humidity without leaving them in excess water. Keeping multiple plants close together is another way to preserve humidity. Don’t panic if some of your ferns fronds go yellow or limp, just trim them back gently.

If you love the look of a maidenhair fern, but fear for its well being, a Boston fern may be a happy compromise. Boston ferns like indirect light and a decent amount of humidity. They should be watered regularly as they prefer damp soil, but these ferns are less picky than their cousin.

Lastly, we come to every student’s go-to plant: the humble succulent.

Succulents are well loved for their forgiveness of chaotic lifestyles which leave little time for watering.

There is a wide range of succulents out there for every amateur botanist

ranging in colour, size, and shape. Succulents need plenty of light, but watering shouldn’t be ignored. In the colder months they need less frequent watering, but in the summer they will need more attention.

However, succulents should never be overwatered. If the

“

Regardless of the types of plants you tend to, there is a simple pleasure to be found in caring for them

soil is dry throughout, then it is time for a drink, but if it’s still damp, leave it for another day or two.

Regardless of the size of your green thumb or the types of plants you tend to, there is a simple pleasure to be found in caring for them. Not only do they brighten up your space and add a glimmer of nature to your room, but they provide something to look after.

As students, it’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves, whether

Top: Author’s housplants. Left: Ivy. Right: Maidenhair fern. Credit: Taylor Ogle

that means poor sleep schedules or forgetting to eat. Taking care of a plant can be a little reminder that we need to take care of ourselves too.

20

Forge Press

Lifestyle

Well-being column

Food can bring us comfort through lockdown and beyond- so why deny it?

Amber Coates

F

ew things are more essential, currently, than comfort. As England goes into a second national lockdown, it is perfectly understandable that you may be stressed, afraid, and in need of reassurance. Often, one of the ways that this anxiety manifests is in anxiety around food.

In many childhoods, food is framed as a vehicle for comfort.

The message is clearly sent, from personal experience, film and television: if we are sad or hurt as children, a sweet treat will cheer us up.

As we get older, this message persists on screen. Whether it is the iconic ‘pizza in Italy’ moment with Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love, or Bridget Jones’s forlorn, heartbroken dive into the ice cream tub, food is represented as the end of sadness, and a means of stepping into a better feeling. In other words, food is a comfort.

That is, on screen and in theory.

In practice, within society, harmful messages surround ‘comfort food’, i.e. the simple act of using food to comfort ourselves. As we move away from the childhood message that food will make us feel better, we are propelled towards a world where control over food is

both encouraged and admired. It says a lot about how society moves us away from listening to our own bodies, when ‘how to eat intuitively’ is a question which needs to be asked.

We are born knowing what our bodies need, through regulatory systems such as the hunger and fullness signals, as well as a feeling of desire for food. Yet we are bombarded with messages which pull us away from this place of trust within ourselves, in our own body, in what our body needs and how it is perfectly unique, and not supposed to look or be like anybody else’s.

I would like to make the claim, particularly during a winter of uncertainty around so many things, that we can take back this powerful tool from being something which is framed as negative, and transform it into something comforting again.

Food can soothe us, in adulthood, as it did when we were younger.

Routine - whether it is eating, hygiene, getting some air, or movement - is our most basic resource to make ourselves feel better. Even when all other activities are stripped away, whether through government Covid restrictions or by difficult periods of mental or physical health, making the basic tasks of our everyday life more enjoyable becomes a tool of comfort and

power.

We cannot know what we will be doing in four weeks’ time, after this period of lockdown comes to an end, but we can decide what we might enjoy cooking and eating, today and tomorrow.

This is by no means an elitist argument that you must cook something fresh every day, or grind your own flour by hand. In her brilliant book Eat Up!, Ruby Tandoh explores food as a comfort and a joy, regardless of the relative effort it takes. From elaborately cooked dinners to the recognisable instant comfort of Cadburys chocolate, everything she discusses brings some level of comfort.

What is important is not the foods you personally select for yourself to eat, but rather that you know that it is okay to derive comfort, and a level of acceptance, from food. A warm meal can feel like a hug, something of warmth and something soothing. During a winter where we are physically distant from many people we care about, a taste which reminds us of them can bring us back to memories, and a greater feeling of connectedness. And if we can use this comfort, then why shouldn’t we?

We need to celebrate that we enjoy food during this period of lockdown and beyond. Whether that enjoyment takes the form of

“

trying some new recipes, meal prepping to alleviate stress, or simply eating some foods which remind you of better times and people you love, food can be a powerful tool of comfort. We still have that inbuilt connection between food and feeling safe, even if it is not as nurtured in adulthood.

I hope that you can allow your body to change, and that you can understand that comfort through food is both joyful and important.

Something done as frequently as eating deserves to be pleasurable, especially in a year when the world has realised how important and how needful, small pleasures really are.

white chocolate chunks. I like to cut some into halves, and others into quarters, so that the cookies have a more varied texture.

Next, roll the mixture into 22 medium sized balls, and freeze for half an hour. The cookies will hold their round shape far better this way!

At this point, you could also leave them in the freezer for another day, or freeze half the batch. If cooking from frozen, simply add 2 minutes to the baking time.

Next, line a tray with baking paper, place some of the cookies spread apart on it (usually 5-6 at a time), and bake for 10ten minutes.

Turn the tray around halfway through the 10 minute bake time.

After 10 minutes, they should be

golden brown; the cinnamon will mean they are darker than vanilla based cookies.

Leave to stand for a while, as the centre will still be cooking even out of the oven, and enjoy!

A warm meal can feel like a hug, something of warmth and something soothing

Autumnal Spiced White Chocolate Cookies These warming spiced cookies are perfect for the start of winter

(Makes roughly 22 cookies- halve the quantities if you have fewer people to make for, or freeze some for the future.)

Ingredients

Method

225g unsalted butter (left out of the fridge to soften before baking) 200g light soft brown sugar 90g golden caster sugar 350g plain flour Two eggs 1tsp baking powder 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 1tsp Ginger 2-3 tsp cinnamon (depending on how much you like it!)

200g white chocolate, cut into smaller chunks Half a tsp of salt

PreheatPre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 220 fan assisted.

Clean the work surfaces and wash your hands.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric whisk.

Mix the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes.

Next, add in one egg at a time until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Do not overmix.

Add in all remaining dry ingredients to the mixture (flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, spices). Do not overmix- simply combine.

Next, chop up and add in your

Credit: Illustration by Robin Ireland Photo by Amber Coates

Friday 13 November 2020

21

Lifestyle

Go from disposable cameras to professional snaps: A beginner’s guide to film photography

W George Tuli

hile the photography landscape is dominated by digital cameras and phones, film is making a comeback. For decades, film photography was easy and costeffective, and the quality of photos far exceeded that of early digital cameras.

But during the 2000s digital cameras soon surpassed their analogue rivals, and became widely adopted. Today, the most popular cameras are smartphones, with some having four or more cameras built-in. You can take dozens of high-resolution photos pera second and, photos that move when you press on them. You can instantly message them to friends and family, and apply digital filters and post them to social media in seconds.

What then, is so appealing about film photography?

The limitation to 36 or fewer shots per roll of film makes you slow down and think about your composition — whether a photo is really worth taking. It’s easy to take for granted ‘unlimited’ photos on a digital camera, when there’s no real cost of taking unnecessary pictures.

Digital photos can beriddled with noise: distorted and blown out pixels. Compare this to the grain in film, often a desirable characteristic.

Film can also offer an artistic advantage — physical manipulation of film and experimentation with light and chemicals when developing can offer endless possibilities.

The gear A 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is the best starting point.

Choose a model made by one of the big brands from the seventies: Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, or Minolta. This will ensure good build quality at a relatively cheap price.

Make sure you choose a camera with a program mode which will help you get the right settings for your exposure.

You can find many old film cameras on eBay, but it’s also worth looking in charity shops or markets,

especially if you want to see and get a feel for the camera before you buy it. Check all the mechanisms are functioning as intended — go through all the shutter speeds and make sure the shutter opens and closes without sticking.

When you’re choosing a lens for starting out, 50mm is the best

basics, you can buy additional lenses with shorter or longer focal lengths.

35mm film can still be bought cheaply online from Amazon and other retailers. Film is sold at different “speeds” or ISO numbers.

Low ISO film (50-200) is suited to bright, sunny conditions, like a trip to the beach or a day in the snow,

Taking a photo If the camera you chose has an automatic mode, this will choose the exposure settings for you — the image will be properly exposed, for the most part. Automatic mode often makes bright objects (like the sky) too dark, and dark objects (those in shadow) too bright. To get around this, you need to use a manual mode, and this requires understanding of shutter speed and aperture.

Shutter speed is how long the film is exposed

option. The ‘nifty fifty’ gives a similar magnification as the human eye, so it’ll make framing your shots easy.

Whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, or just taking snapshots at events, 50mm is a good starting point. Once you’ve learnt your camera and some film photography

“

The limitation to 36 or fewer shots per roll of film makes you slow down and think about your composition

while high ISO film (over 400) is better for gloomy days and indoors.

Kodak’s Portra 160 film is one of my favourites, offering fine grain, natural colours and warm skin tones.

to light coming in through the lens.

Fast shutter speeds are used in bright conditions, and slow shutter speeds in darker conditions. For slower speeds (1/30 and slower) camera shake can become a problem, so you’ll need to rest the

Credit: George Tuli camera on a surface or use a tripod.

The aperture controls the light let into the lens. A wide aperture (f/1.8) lets more light into the lens than a narrow aperture (f/16). Adjusting the aperture changes the depth of field in your photo — how much of the frame is in focus.

Different combinations of aperture and shutter speed are required for different types of photo. For example, in a landscape photo you want the foreground and background to be in focus, so you need a narrow aperture (f/11) but you’ll need to use a slower shutter speed so the film is exposed to this lower amount of light for longer. This will result in a properly exposed shot. Equally, for sports you want to freeze the action, so a fast shutter speed and wide aperture are necessary.

Many cameras come with a light meter to help you expose the shot correctly.

Developing your shots Getting your film developed isn’t as cheap as it once was. One option is making your own dark room by blacking out the windows of your bathroom and buying the required chemicals and equipment. In the long run, this is cheaper and can often be fun, but it’s not always practical. When starting out, your best bet is to post your film to a lab that will do the hard work for you. They’ll post your negatives along with prints of your photos.

You can usually get digital copies of your photos on a CD or have them emailed to you, to save you having to scan them in.

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Break

How not to deal with your flatmates John Gilding

What if...

They never do their washing-up Do - Approach the subject calmly, and explain why it is a problem from a hygiene perspective, as well as why cluttering up the table and worktop isn’t very fair on you and the rest of the flat.

Be sensitive though, their dishes might not be the only thing piling up on them, they might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by life. Check in to see if they’re okay once in a while too.

Don’t - Hold a spontaneous Greek plate-smashing dance with their pile

of washing up, with a man standing in the corner strumming a guitar as a backing track. Not only is it a harmful and inaccurate stereotype, you still have to live with this person, and smashing their crockery is a surefire way to create a hostile atmosphere.

Don’t - Lead a torchlit pitchfork mob with the rest of your flat to their door, batter the door down and kidnap the offending speaker with a net on a stick. Even if you intend to give it back when they learn to be more responsible with it, pitchfork mobs are never the right way to go about things. Just ask Shrek.

They always have their music way too loud and late

You seem to be doing all the chores

Do - Wait until the next day to talk to them. Confronting them when you’re tired and irritated isn’t going to be productive, and you might end up saying things you don’t mean, which will only make things worse.

They might not even realise they are being loud, so just a small side comment in the morning should be enough.

Do - Use a lot of “I” statements, which avoid laying the blame at the feet of anyone else, which makes people more likely to think of it from your point of view. Offer solutions as well, like a chart or just giving each person their own job, like Bin Day Coordinator, or Chief of Kitchen Cleaning.

Quick Quiz

Don’t - Just stop doing them without telling anybody. If everyone else is stuck in the rut of “ah, someone else will do it” whenever they see a full bin, you stopping isn’t going to change that. Doing nothing is just going to lead to a growing tide of microwave rice sachets, empty cans and Snackrite crisp packets, that refuses to stop expanding until the world looks like the beginning of WALL-E.

They steal your food Do - If you’re really sure something’s going on, and who it is (check with your other flatmates whether they’re noticing things go missing), start the conversation with some kind of apology for not being

League last week, but what scoring milestone did he reach in the same match?

1. What is the popular nickname for legendary musician Bruce Springsteen (right), who recently released his 12th UK number one album?

9. The Government's furlough scheme (aka. Job Retention scheme) in the UK has been extended until when?

10. The Rugby Union Six Nations tournament finished at the end of October, almost nine months after it started in February. England won the tournament, and Italy finished last. In what year did Italy last win a match in the Six Nations?

2. If you hadn’t noticed, the 2020 US Presidential election was held last week. Name the two running mates on the ballot.

3. Johnny Depp (bottom left) lost his High Court libel case last over allegations of domestic abuse made in a newspaper. What newspaper was it?

4. A brand-new airport has opened in Berlin, Germany.

How many years behind schedule was the opening?

The Answers 6. In the Netherlands, a metro train that broke through the buffers at the end of a station was saved from a dangerous fall by a sculpture of what?

7. What song has overtaken

Despacito as the mostwatched YouTube video of all time, with over seven billion views?

8. Harry Kane played his 300th game for Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa

1. 'The Boss' 2. Mike Pence and Kamala Harris 3. The Sun 4. Nine 5. Henry Jones (Senior) 6. A whale's tail 7.

Baby Shark 8. He scored his 200th goal 9. March 2021 10.

2015 (vs Scotland)

5. Scottish actor Sean Connery (bottom right) passed away last week. He was best known for playing James Bond, but what was his role in the Indiana Jones series?

clear.

For example “I’m sorry for not mentioning this sooner, but I’m not totally comfortable with the whole food sharing thing we’ve got going on here”. You’ll get a much better response than if you just go ballistic at them from the off.

Don’t - Slowly replace the kind of food they like to steal with less appealing alternatives, and see how long it takes for them to notice and stop. For example, if there’s a big pot of yoghurt in the fridge, and the leftover half always seems to disappear, swap that half for mayonnaise.

Or switching out your mysteriously vanishing cheddar cheese for lard.

Or do, because it sounds quite fun.

Images (Clockwise from top left): A pile of washing up waiting for a nice scrub, Credit: Forge Press; The best way to test whether your cheese is secretly lard is to grate it, Credit: Didriks; Tina Turner on her 50th Anniversary tour in Birmingham, Credit: Phillip Spittle; Sean Connery in James Bond, Credit: Dutch National Archieve via Wikimedia Common (CC BY-SA 3.0 NL); Johnny Depp, Credit: Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bruce Springsteen performing in Germany in 2013, Credit: Jolanda Bakker.

Useless Sheffield Trivia Tina Turner played her lastever live gig in Sheffield, in 2009.

The gig was part of her 50th Anniversary tour across America and Europe, and finished at what is now the FlyDSA Arena. She retired from performing after the concert, probably because she thought that she could never top that experience.

The FlyDSA Arena is, after all, the ultimate stage for an artist to perform on. Forget Madison Square Garden, come to Quite Near Meadowhall.

Friday 13 November

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Break

A Letter: From Mr C. Ovid to Forge Press

Written by Ryan Smith Dear Forge Press, It seems there’s been some changes since we last spoke. I hope you’re all well and have been keeping yourself busy as you can, given pretty much everything is online now. I couldn’t imagine spending hour upon hour staring at a screen in the name of education. You’d think the students would go out and Get A Real Job, but no, they’ve all been told to stay inside and ‘be safe’. Whatever that means, considering they reckon student halls are one of the most dangerous places outside hospitals right now. It’s madness, isn’t it?

Just when you think you’ve seen it all – students being left to fend for themselves all across the country – they’re now told they might have to stay put over Christmas! Thousands of students sat a few hundred feet from an elite university, all drilled

by the older generation that ‘you’ve not had it bad, you should have seen the war!’ in the hopes they’ll suddenly cheer up if they snap their fingers. Surely the best idea would be to send them home all across the country, and build the economy that way. It’d bloody help me, I tell you.

How else am I to afford the heating this winter?

To be fair, I saw how well the Tier 3 approach went in Sheffield. Why was it stopped? It was ideal! Shops are open, but closed potentially, but furloughed if businesses go bust, but you can eat if you go out, but distanced, but you can’t get a pint unless you have a substantial meal, but you must stay home to protect the NHS, but you must do your duty to keep business and ‘the economy’ going. Is that right? I hope your clever students can figure all of that lot out, because I haven’t the foggiest. They also went from paying one third of your wages, to two thirds, but only if you work one third of your hours, but then it was 67% if you’re on furlough, and now they’re saying it is back up to 80%, like in summer...which is no sodding good to those who have already lost their job or been made redundant!

What’s worse is that they always

make out like it’s easy to follow. Can’t they just let me work rather than have all this stop-start nonsense? In Sheffield city centre, hardly anything had closed anyway. I managed to get a coffee, something to eat and buy a few early Christmas presents for me kids.

But of course we’re now facing a four-week national lockdown.

Disaster of a decision made far too early, if you ask me. What sense does it make to bring everybody back inside again? Where will I work now?

Here’s to the ‘selfish’ few who have no regard for the rest of the country, and still go out as much as possible, meet, and do all the things students do, like all the house parties I’ve seen

in the news.

Speaking of kids, it was refreshing to see the government recently vote against feeding the poorest children in one of the richest countries in the world. At least Tories admit they don’t care now, it’s like being told: “You’re just gonna have to ride this one out” by a doctor rather than having a needle shoved in your arm.

If it wasn’t for that decision, you’d almost be fooled into thinking the government’s job would be to look after it’s people. Otherwise, it’s everybody for themselves, like the days of the Victorians. What else are children good for if not being forced to work for their food? Don’t they know there are chimneys to sweep?

I must also praise the University of Sheffield’s Vice-Chancellor Koen Lamberts for doing the honourable thing and keeping the University open. Of course, taking the lead from this absolutely-not-shambolicat-all government is only the logical process, but furthermore, I believe he must have had inspiration from watching Jaws on repeat to keep himself entertained during lockdown periods. In the film, Mayor Larry Vaughn opts to keep the beaches of Amity Island open in an attempt that the great white shark will just decide it’s had enough people to eat that day, and swim home. In the same vein, I hope he goes further and forces students into as many classes as possible. It would help me out, and then they’ll get their money’s worth, and not focus on the uselessness of not having anything to do all day. Not everybody goes to university, you know! Some of us have to work and keep up appearances!

Yours,

Mr C. Ovid

Where Are They Now? - Sheffield Alumni you didn’t know about John Gilding The faces of famous Sheffield students-gone-by line Leavygreave Road, with the likes of Jessica EnnisHill and Dan Walker watching over you whenever you make a trip to the Diamond. John Gilding takes a look at some of Sheffield’s other successful products who, for one reason or another, didn’t quite make the cut.

Eddie Izzard Izzard studied Accounting and Financial Management at Sheffield in the 1980s, but left before finishing his degree to pursue a career in stand-up comedy.

Around 40 years later, that decision seems to have paid off, as he is regarded as one of Britain’s finest comic exports,

and has appeared in a number of successful productions, like Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen and, well, Cars 2.

Some of his most famous achievements though have come from running marathons though.

In 2009 he ran 43 marathons in 51 days across the UK, and in 2016 he completed 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa, raising money for Sport Relief on both occasions.

In 2010, he was voted in as Honorary President of our SU, celebrating his successes since leaving the University.

Sir Donald Bailey An unsung hero of World War Two, Donald Bailey graduated from the University of Sheffield with an engineering degree in 1923.

He invented the Bailey Bridge

Joseph Marcell

(brilliant engineering mind, not as creative when it came to naming things), which was a pre-assembled portable bridge that could be built quickly, without any specialised equipment, to allow tanks and infantry to cross rivers as they made their way across Europe.

By the end of the war, US and British troops had built over 4,000 bridges, over 2,500 of them in Italy, and Bailey received a knighthood for his contribution to the war victory.

Sheffield engineers, you’ve got some big boots to fill.

Amy Johnson Although she does have a building named after her, Amy Johnson didn’t make it onto the Sheffield walk of fame, but it’s difficult to to work out why not.

After graduating from the University of Sheffield with an economics degree, she took up flying as a hobby, and proceeded to become rather good at it.

She broke numerous records

throughout her career, and perhaps most famously, she was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.

In the war, she continued her flying career as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary, moving RAF equipment around the country. It was in this role that she sadly died, in some mysterious circumstances in the Thames Estuary.

Best known for playing the longsuffering butler Geoffrey in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, actor Joseph Marcell studied at the University of Sheffield.

Originally from Saint Lucia, he’s also an accomplished Shakespeare actor, having played King Lear in a Shakespeare Globe world tour of, surprisingly, King Lear, amongst numerous other roles.

As well as huge American sitcoms and Shakespeare, he’s been in some British classics; he had a stint on Eastenders, appeared in Holby City, Doctor Who and the masterpiece that is Death In Paradise.

Images (Clockwise from top left): The Peace Gardens look desolate as England's new lockdown is announced, Credit: Forge Press; Sheffield’s answer to the Hollywood walk of fame, Credit: Forge Press; Eddie Izzard at a Labour party rally in 2015 - Edited, Credit: Giuseppe Sollazzo.

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Forge Press

Looking Ahead

Our cultural calendar highlights

Television

Theatre

Television

Film

Indie

Truth Seekers

The Crown

The Life Ahead

BENEE

29 October – 7 November

30 October

15 November

13 November

13 November

A unique live-streamed production of Sarah Cane’s deeply personal meditation on the meaning of love.

Pulsing with loss and longing, its resonance will be doubly powerful as we reconnect our lives after the loneliness and seclusion inflicted by the pandemic. Tickets from £10 at Chichester Festival Theatre.

A Netflix true crime docmeets-YouTube conspiracy, this murder-mystery play, based on Jonathan Coe’s 1994 same-name satirical novel about the scheming Winshaws, is a refreshing take on the classic whodunnit. Tickets cost £12 from whatacarveup.com.

Starting from the late 1970s, Season Four takes us right through the 80s as tensions arise between Thatcher and the Queen. Charles’s romance with a young Diana provides a much-needed fairy tale to unite the British people, behind closed doors the Royal Family is becoming increasingly divided. On Netflix.

Set in seaside Italy, Oscar-winner Sophia Loren plays an aging Holcaust survivor who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a 12-yearold immigrant from Senegal who recently robbed her. On Netflix.

After going viral on TikTok earlier this year with ‘Supalonely’, 20-yearold New Zealander BENEE is releasing her debut album. As well as the aforementioned song, Hey u x includes collaborations from the likes of Grimes and Lily Allen to create what has been described as a “genre-bending” album.

Crave

Film Dreamland 17 November

Indie

Babeheaven

Film

Uncle Frank

20 November

25 November

The west London duo’s debut album, Home For Now, has been four years in the making and is every bit as thoughtful as it is forward-looking, exploring the complexities of human connection. Vocalist Nancy Andersen and guitarist Jamie Travisa create a tranquil ambience to carry you through dark winter nights.

Paul Bettany shines as a closeted gay literature professor in 1970s New York who, accompanied by his teenage niece, reluctantly returns home to the South to attend his father’s funeral. On Amazon.

Theatre Dot.Dot.Dot

Until 27 November

A teen bounty hunter is torn between helping or capturing a seductive fugitive bank robber hiding in his small town during the Great Depression. Starring Margot Robbie, the film offers a cautionary tale about the dangers of tantalising fantasy becoming a gritty and morally corrupting reality. Available to watch on Amazon Prime, Apple

Daniel Kitson presents his account of six ridiculous and devastating months, experienced largely from a safe distance, almost immediately misremembered and retold so inaccurately as to be very nearly fictional. Conceived and written specifically to be performed in and streamed from empty theatres, the show is touring from various venues.

TV and Google Play.

Theatre

Molly Lynch and Oli Higginson as Cathy and Jamie. Photograph: Pamela Raith

Pop

The Last Five Years

Paloma Faith

26 - 29 November

Saturday 31 October, 6pm

An emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers, Cathy and Jamie, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The performance unfolds in an unconventional structure with the story told in reverse by Cathy, from the end of their turbulent relationship, whilst Jamie tells his story chronologically from the spark of their initial meeting.

Tickets cost £15, plus £3 transactional fee, and are available from stream.theatre.

Faith wrote most of the songs for her fifth album, Infinte Things, before the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world. Then we went into lockdown, and she ripped them all up and started afresh. She spent her downtime learning to engineer her own music to develop a new track list that explores not only love and relationships, but also sickness and loss.

Friday 13 November 2020

25

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Forge Press

Arts & Theatre

Interview

“Poetry belongs to the people.

You don’t have to be published, or win awards to write” Flo Cornall, speaks to Warda Yassin, Sheffield’s new Poet Laureate, on what she has in store for her new role, creative practice in the time of Covid-19 and encouraging reluctant writers to pick up poetry.

A

s Covid-19 brings a stop to the creative industries, Warda Yassin’s recent introduction as the Sheffield Poet Laureate comes as a beacon of hope to the arts scene in Sheffield in such uncertain times.

Following her collection of poems Tea with Cardamom, which won the 2018 New Poets Prize, before being published in 2019, her path to Laureateship was set. For the next two years, Yassin will fill the role, becoming the second to do so following Otis Mensah.

The announcement came as a tremendous honour to her: “I grew up in Sheffield, and was born in Sheffield. Often the landmarks,

industry, landscape and the neighbourhood I grew up in features in my work. I’ve had a journey in writing poetry that has stemmed from Sheffield, I started when I was 19 and now I’m 27”.

Yassin’s journey to this role has become full-circle for her as a poet. From celebrating poetry in her childhood home to developing the young voices of today: “I started quite late, like at 19. I’m from Somalia and Gabay is our traditional form of poetry, it’s really free and everyone can write poetry in Somalia and you don’t have to be

“

I’m from Somalia and Gabay is our traditional form of poetry, it’s really free and everyone can write poetry in Somalia and you don’t have to be literate.

literate. There’s no rules or anything.

So it was very much around the house, it’s a poetic language and early on I had quite a budding interest in poetry.

“My uncle was a poet, my mother writes poetry to uplift the family and that purpose has simply been to just celebrate and share love. There are many different bases for poetry in people’s life and it would be fantastic to see more people getting involved in the city.”

About the prominence of the local poetry collective and organisation Hive, Yassin discussed how this group has nurtured her poetic practice and become “absolutely instrumental to my poetry journey.”

“It wasn’t until I found Hive, and through it Vicky Morris, who subsequently became my mentor and one of my biggest poetic influences that I saw I could actively become a part of poetry.”

The development of Yassin’s confidence in her own poetic voice was particularly inspiring. As a poet and writer myself, I was naturally intrigued as to where it all began for Yassin so it was comforting to hear her story of beginning poetry quite reluctantly and shyly.

“

Warda Yassin at Off The Shelf Festival. Credit: Timm Cleasby

I know I was writing for years before I was brave enough and not as scared to go out there.

That confidence in herself and her work, Yassin noted, “was founded and centred, not in the university I was going to at the time or the school I was studying in, it was out of the classroom that I fell in love with poetry.” A story which I’m sure a lot of poets can relate to in some form, to finally having that belief in the stories you are writing.

She said: “I know I was writing for years before I was brave enough and not as scared to go out there.”

In fact, one of Yassin’s priorities during her laureateship is to work with reluctant writers who are worried about making their first brave step to getting involved in poetry.

Reflecting on how she was once

that person at 19, she states: “I know that often those that need poetry the most, are the ones not necessarily readily finding it right now and they need that.

“I think when you get that initial surge and wave of ‘I’ve done this in my bedroom’ or ‘I’ve been writing this and I want to share it’. I think it’s so important to take that step and reach out to that range of organisations. There are opportunities for young people, and anyone, to immerse themselves in art.”

About the wide array of creative organisations in Sheffield, Yassin

Friday 13 November 2020

27

Arts & Theatre

Fresh books knows that there’s a lot going on in this city and is determined to shed light onto these organisations and collaborate with them during her laureateship from the likes of Hive, Nyara, Utopia Theatre, and So Africa Festival.

Moving onto how Covid-19 has impacted the nation. It has been a difficult year to say the least, with the city’s arts industry being put on hold from theatres to local open mic nights. Yassin’s initial responsibility was one of self-care, safety and precaution. Acknowledging that her creativity was put a little bit on the backburner because she was preoccupied with more pressing things.

“As that loudness subdued to the realisation of this as the new normal, I found myself in nature and getting back to reading poetry. There were some great collections that I was reading this summer. I found myself writing when I got back to that safe space and wasn’t so anxious about other things.”

DINA Theatre commissioned her to write a lockdown piece, ‘Cavendish Court’ which explores visits to her grandmother during the pandemic from her window, looking fluidly at the idea of relationships, closeness and distance.

Lockdown also let her slow down, both as a full-time secondary school teacher and giving herself valuable time to immerse herself in reading.

She humorously admits: “I wrote more than I ever did towards the end of lockdown just as it was ending.

I was like, why didn’t I have this in July, in all that time?”

The pressures of lockdown certainly did put constraints on practically everything, everybody was grappling through the same things such as loneliness, distance and detachment.

Discussing the power of poetry

“

I wrote more than I ever did towards the end of lockdown just as it was ending. I was like, why didn’t I have this in July, in all that time?

Home Body Rupi Kaur

These Violent Delights Chloe Gong

A Promised Land Barack Obama

Taking readers on a reflective journey of

A reimagined Romeo & Juliet set in 1920s

Twelve years on from his historic election win,

growth and acceptance, Kaur stuns in this

Shanghai, this stunning debut is filled with

this first volume of Obama’s memoirs provides

strikingly honest poetry collection.

monsters, betrayal and, of course, love.

an intimate insight into life in the White House.

“

I wouldn’t have become a writer or a poet if I didn’t have a group of people who believed in me and encouraged me to unite people, Yassin said: “Poetry has the ability to connect everyone together, you don’t have to necessarily write it to be a part of that feeling. It’s whatever it gives you. I am interested in my lineage, my faith, my neighbourhood, my family and my sense of self.”

We then discuss the possibility of new writers in the time of Covid-19, specifically when lockdown was happening. Yassin thinks lockdown probably did create or introduce people’s writing instincts and that has the ability for new writers to “find themselves through their words because it was isolating, unprecedented and terrifying.”

She said: “There is something that brings people together, and even though writing is a lonely process, it is also not lonely if that makes sense.

There is that human connection and connecting with other people as well.”

Connecting with other people can often be facilitated by the incredibly rich arts scene we have in Sheffield, for new writers in particular there are a number of workshops that are welcoming safe spaces to develop your poetic practice.

Whilst poetry is something Yassin does write personally alone at night, it is also something she would greatly encourage to do in workshop spaces: “You got to be around people that inspire you. It is important to be around people who make you excited about writing, excited about poetry. That kind of enthusiasm, and craftsmanship inspires me as well.”

That initial leap into immersing yourself in art, understandably, is often the hardest part. Yassin accredits this to the often exclusionary and traditional highbrow stereotype that poetry is reserved for certain ‘types’ of people. She argues it is the opposite case and demolishes the notion that poetry can belong to a single group.

She states: “There’s such an idea of poetry that people think about

before they get involved in it, that there’s a certain way you have to write, or a subject material or style.

“Poetry has a lawless form. It belongs to the people, it belongs to everybody. I think everybody would benefit from it, whether or not they want to create something different.

You don’t have to be published, or win awards to write poetry.

It can simply be to connect and understand.”

So what’s next for Warda Yassin as the Sheffield Poet Laureate?

She plans to collaborate further with Sheffield art organisations and communities. Currently, she is working with Hive on an ongoing project called ‘Mixing Roots’ where she is working with people of colour between the ages of 14 and 23, exploring and writing their stories.

As well as teaching workshops, she wants to showcase the talent and writers that we have in the city. Of particular concern to her is the budding writers thinking about making their first brave step toward “showing up to something, sending that email, sending that tweet”; she wants to bridge that quite daunting leap.

She believes encouraging young people to be part of the conversation is particularly important, especially continuing the accessibility of safe spaces for young people and encouraging them to “find themselves in poetry.”

Reflecting that she was once in those shoes, she said: “I’m aware that I wouldn’t have become a writer or a poet if I didn’t have a group of people who believed in me and encouraged me, both within and outside of the household and communities I’m a part of.”

Yassin wants to explore and experiment within her own poetic practice further as well: “I’m still learning, I’m learning to open my subject material and I’m trying to lie a little more because I’m so obsessed with truth.”

During her laureateship, Yassin is also on a journey as well. Looking to “not necessarily represent the city, but amplify the poetry in our city”.

As the conversation comes to a close, it is clear that Warda Yassin’s experience, encouragement and strong belief in the poetry that our city holds, or is perhaps hiding, is enough to make anyone want to pick up a pen and start writing. In Yassin’s words, poetry “belongs to the people, it belongs to everybody.”

Opinion

£500 million and counting to UK cultural venues – but is it enough?

Holly Williams Theatre performances, music gigs, art exhibitions, museums: arguably the nation’s most beloved pastimes.

For many of us, they’re firmly rooted in our earliest memories: where we first learnt how big a T-Rex was, or left an auditorium beaming after a production of Jack and the Beanstalk. For innumerable others, the arts have shaped careers and created livelihoods. They’ve opened doors to self-expression, formed platforms to voice political views, and influenced entire social movements. Crucially – they aren’t simply a hobby.

So, the question many of us have been wondering is: what exactly is our leadership doing to help?

Back in July, they outlined plans to rescue the UK’s cultural scene with a sum of £1.75 billion going “to places that define culture in all areas of the country”. Despite this, the government made it clear that not every job in the arts sector could be saved. Redundancies were inevitable. On top of this, Rishi Sunak was widely criticised at the beginning of October for suggesting that musicians, among other jobs in the arts sector, would have to retrain to adjust to life post-Covid.

To date, the aptly named Cultural Recovery Fund has allocated over £500 million, with 2,500 venues getting a slice of its allowance. In early October, grants totalling a further £75 million were allocated to big tourist venues including the Globe Theatre, the English National Ballet, and Birmingham Hippodrome. Many received parcels of £3 million to get back on track.

It’s understandable that the government would prioritise these venues. The Globe Theatre alone is a landmark of English cultural heritage and a hub of worldwide tourism. However, these venues would likely survive on their own without the government’s assistance, as they generate mass money year in, year out The smaller venues, however, may not be as

lucky.

The Prime Minister’s announcement of a second national lockdown, which commenced on the 5 November, is likely to send local cultural sites up and down the country to an early grave. Numerous theatres, including Newbury’s Watermill Theatre, announced their closure, and have described the lockdown as a “huge blow”. There is no doubt that, without the extra funding, many venues will never reopen.

Some have taken to criticising the Art’s Council’s highly selective funding. One drag performer, ‘La Gateau Chocolat’, received over £200,000 – more than many schools, museums, and galleries combined. The Art’s Council defended their choice, stating that: “Le Gateau Chocolat is a leading Black and LGBTQ+ performer, and one of the few performers in Britain whose work spans across multiple art forms, including drag, cabaret, opera, musical theatre, and live art.”

While it’s totally understandable to view the government’s spending as controversial, it has to be understood that there is no truly fair way of allocating money. Their decision to prioritise support for an act which represents both the LGBTQ+ and Black communities is a very necessary and commendable choice, but at what cost?

Perhaps the unrest surrounding this issue can be seen as a reflection of the general discontent felt towards the Government in light of their haphazard approach to handling Covid-19. Regardless, it has to be said that the arts industry is one of the stalwarts of British culture. Its contributions throughout history deserve the attention of our leadership, and those working in the sector should feel both heard and supported. Who knows what the future holds for the thousands who will be affected by this second lockdown, and every action that the government undertakes in the months and years to come?

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Forge Press

Arts & Theatre Live Theatre Review

A triumphant telling of otherwise neglected stories

Here’s What She Said to Me Crucible Theatre

Esme Constanti Oladipo Agboluaje’s Here’s What She Said to Me promises a story told in a combination of “drama with music, poetry and movement”. The run, cut short by the national lockdown, is its world premiere.

This was my first trip to the theatre since March. The Crucible allocated slots in which you must arrive and leave in order to enable social distancing whilst moving through the theatre. Of course, masks were compulsory throughout the visit, and temperature was taken upon arrival. It was, needless to say, a bit different to previous experiences.

The play centres around the lives of three women spanning across multiple generations and continents;

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we follow Agbeke (Ayo-Dele Edwards), Omotola (Estella Daniels) and Aramide (Kiké Brimah) in their journeys with immigration, identity and injustice but also watch them approach each of these milestones with an unbridled courage and pride following the repeated cruelty with which they have been treated by the world and the men that inhabit it.

It would be a disservice to state that any one of the three actresses stole the show; Brimah, Edwards, and Daniels were all completely brilliant. The fluidity with which they transitioned between the different characters was so effortless that you forget there are only three women on stage. The parallels found in the stories of the women seem far more apparent through this choice of having just three actresses performing every

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role.

Credit must be given to both director Mojisola Elufowoju and movement director Karin FisherPotisk for their engaging use of dance and physical theatre, which can at times come across as somewhat contrived, but here felt entirely natural. It was compelling to watch as the women created sounds and shapes whilst miming the majority of their actions using just their bodies and very few props

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to help them along the way.

Set design from Amanda Stoodley, lights from Andy Purves and sound from Rob Hart did well to merge organic, traditional shapes and sounds with the harsher, more industrial themes found most strikingly in a tree made from coils of wire and light, and in the juxtaposition of modern music against traditional songs performed by the women.

Here’s What She Said to Me is

Estella Daniels, centre, with AyoDele Edwards and Kiké Brimah in Here’s What She Said to Me. Credit: Chris Saunders

triumphant in telling the unabridged stories of three women who have been otherwise neglected. It is one of the most genuinely moving productions I have seen in a long time.

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30

Forge Press

Music

Credit: Sonic PR

Interview Andrew Cushin opens up on his new single, working with Noel Gallagher and his songwriting process

H

Thomas Hirst aving recently released his third single, ‘Where's My Family Gone?’, Newcastle’s Andrew Cushin is quickly becoming the talk of the toon’. The confidence fostered by his hometown momentum, combined with his penchant for earnest songwriting and a prestigious feature from Noel Gallagher, has resulted in a track that oozes with personality and melodic charm. So, I I caught up with Cushin to discuss the new track, his songwriting process, Noel Gallagher, and what the future holds.

The new single had only just come out when we spoke, “I’m pleased because it's been a long process from recording it to getting it out”.

The track, written almost nine months before its release, is one on which Cushin ventures out from his previous acoustic-centric success, adopting a much bigger soundscape.

Noting his relief at its release, Cushin

explained: “I’ve done my bit and it's up to everybody else to see if they like it or not,” but also expressed his humble concern at how “it is a bit more stressful, because it’s when all the haters and that sort of bollocks comes out”.

‘Wheres My Family Gone?’ is a continuation of the lyrical content fans have become accustomed to from Cushin. Never deceitful, the track sees him open up about a time in his life, at the start of the year, where the relentless gigging was starting to do more damage than good.

“I was in a really dark place, I wasn’t speaking to my mum, I had virtually no family to turn to, and cos the gigs were starting to build up, it was just a case of going from city to city and living out of a suitcase.”

With visits home to see his family and girlfriend few and far between, Cushin commented on how important his guitar and songwriting was to him whilst on the road, with this track being born out of that mobile seclusion. “There's a line

in the song: 'The only friend I have is here, he’s built with strings and listening ears,’ which is a reflection of the guitar being virtually the only thing that I could put any kind of emotion or attachment into at that point.”

“It got to the point where the only person who really knew who I was, as daft as it sounds, was the guitar,” he said.

It is clear that the process of songwriting is a cathartic experience for Cushin. He assured me he never writes for the sake of putting something out: “I don’t write songs so I’ve got something to play on stage, I don’t write songs for money or for any of that bollocks.” Instead, he highlighted, the process is intrinsically linked with his personal experience, a way of helping him through.

“I write songs as a way of therapy, so if I’m feeling shit, the last thing I wanna do is go and talk to someone, it's just the person I am, so writing songs is basically a way of coping with the shit that I’m feeling inside.”

As his songs do come from places of struggle, it was hard not to mention lockdown and whether or not this writing process was one that relieved the monotony. “Being in the house didn’t bother us too much,” he said, pointing out the welcome break lockdown gave him from his busy schedule, “it was more the frustration of everything getting cancelled.

“I was meant to have 30 odd festivals in the lockdown period Leeds, Isle of Wight, Boardmasters, Victorious - I was on with Sam Fender and Gerry Cinnamon, I was doing festivals on the same day as Stormzy, it was absolutely ridiculous.

I wouldn’t have imagined in a thousand years I’d be playing those festivals, so when they got cancelled it became more of a case of just writing to keep myself occupied.”

But for Cushin, writing about the pandemic was never on the cards: “Artists, in particular in lockdown, were just writing about Covid and how lockdown is affecting them, it was the same sort of things as the Instagram lives, it was great up until week three.” He said for him, he’s always wanted to stand out and write about something different, commenting again that he went, as he has always done, inwards for inspiration.

“I just wrote about, again, the stuff I was feeling inside, the topics that maybe other people would see as a bit callous or a bit morbid, but, it’s set me out from the crowd, you know what I mean?”

When we moved back onto the single, I couldn’t not mention the influence of a certain Manchester legend. Speaking on Noel Gallagher's input in the studio, Cushin stated: “It is still very much my composition, but what did change was the song didn’t originally have a middle eight.

So where you hear Noel’s guitar solo now, that was never there originally.”

The Gallagher brother had a big impact with filling out the sound, adding synthesised embellishments and a hook-line bass. “It’s been taken from what I would say was a low key ballad, and has been turned into an anthem.” He also mused on the attention he paid to “every finger movement” Noel made during his

solo.

“I’m not the best electric guitar player in the world, but now I’ve mastered it, and when we rehearse it with the band and the electric its sounds so, so big, which is definitely down to the production that’s been put into it.”

However, it was not just production that Gallagher has assisted with, the help he’s given Cushin in getting into the tight-knit music community was something he paid repeated tribute to: “I spoke to him last night and I said, listen, you’ve given me a head start of a lifetime and an opportunity to change my life. I’m fortunate enough now that I see Noel Gallagher as a friend, someone I can text on a regular basis if I’m struggling with my music or even if I just can’t use an amp or something.”

Gallagher has been in Cushin’s corner from pretty much the get-go, showcasing him to Virgin EMI, and into the radar of Ted Cockle (the guy who signed Amy Winehouse, Lewis Capaldi, and Jake Bugg to name a few), who Cushin had nothing but admiration for. “The fact that they’re there makes it a hell of a lot easier, and saves so much time in not having to play, you know, dust bin clubs to five or ten people who don’t have a clue who you are.

“This year in particular I owe my life really, and I certainly owe the start of my career both Ted and Noel.”

On the topic of what’s next, Cushin exhibited the same uncertainty as most. With a run of gigs at a local social club where he frequently plays darts - “I’m gonna sound like a little old man here, but I fucking love darts” - being cancelled for the second time. It is clear that the suffering silence of no return to live music is something seeping through to every crevasse of the industry, without end in sight.

“I’ve got gigs in the new year for like March time, and they're booked in and getting announced very soon, but we’ve also got backup dates booked already, for next September.

“It's such a frustrating time for every person y’know, no just artists but everyone, I think we’re all in the same boat this year, but hopefully this song can keep people positive and maybe build some momentum for my gigs in the future.”

Andrew Cushins latest single ‘Where's My Family Gone?’ Is out now on all streaming platforms.

Friday 13 November 2020

31

Music Red Smoke The Reytons Sheffield's own Reytons cause chaos with this loud, cocky and assured banger, cementing them as one of the city's best.

Fresh tracks

Straight Murder Giggs ft. Dave A lyrical masterclass from two of the UKs best, a guarenteed grime classic and one we've had on constant repeat.

Album Reviews

“

Many of the tracks just blend into an indistinct and tame RnB flow, never reaching a satisfying climax

Ariana Grande Positions

Two years have passed since Sweetener was introduced to the world, which showcased Ariana Grande’s pop roots blended with a fresh, new R&B, hip-hop vibe – a welcome surprise for many at the time. Marking a new era for her, Grande became a more reflective and mature artist, and she draws upon this sentiment yet again in 2020 Positions, released the day before Halloween, can’t decide if it's a trick or a treat. The esteemed features from The Weeknd, Ty Dolla $ign and Doja Cat help Grande to draw out her R&B roots, arguably more than ever before, but, despite her vocal talent, the blandness of the music makes it little more than a middleof-the-road affair.

Wrote whilst in lockdown with new boyfriend Dalton Gomez, the record has a mellow R&B vibe, with tracks that feel more thoughtful, featuring lyrics like: “I’ve never been this scared before / feelings I just can’t ignore,” and, “heaven sent you to me / I’m just hopin’ I don’t repeat history,” showcasing how this new relationship has impassioned her music.

It is with these deep and considered lyrics where the album shines, securing it as a classic Grande offering. In ‘Safety Net’,her collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, she sings, “You’re making me forget my past, never thought I’d feel like that again / I came to peace with my path”. Here, the lyrics are melancholic and vulnerable reflections on past love, plus it’s also a real vibe.

Conversely, tracks like the raunchy second offering, ‘34+35’ (do the math), make your ears stick-up as its racy lyrics are juxtaposed by

pure and nostalgic strings. It's a true female empowerment anthem, but the excitement of this track will only fade away with time.

There's something lacking with Positions that means it shines less brightly than some of her previous releases, it could be the lack of a signature pop belter that we’ve become accustomed to with Grande. Many of the tracks just blend into an indistinct and tame R&B flow,never reaching a satisfying climax, but then the album may not be here to appease listeners of mainstream music.

Whilst lyrically Grande shines on Positions, the album’s boring musical composition hinders the potential of what could have been the most significant album of 2020.

Oliver Morgan

Elvis Costello Hey Clockface

“Why should anybody listen to me?”

Elvis Costello asks on single ‘No Flag’, and for the rest of the album he searches for an answer to that question.

Recorded with seasoned jazz pros in New York, Paris, and by Costello alone in Helsinki, Hey Clockface has a disjointed feel and struggles to find its feet in any one sound. The opening track, ‘Revolution #49’, is a spoken word piece that just tries

just a little too hard, whilst also forecasting the rest of the spoken word pieces that follow. If you are a fan of Leonard Cohen but want something a little worse, these are the tracks for you.

After ‘No Flag’, with its throbbing bass, walls of wailing guitar and ‘edgy’ lyrics such as ‘No God for the damn that I don’t give,’ is mercifully over, he begins a three-track croonfest. At this point coherence is out the window, and although Costello's famed vibrato voice and luscious instrumentation is present on the album, long-time collaborators Steve Nieve, Snarky Puppy member Chris Bullock, and Wilco guitarist Nils Cline, are what save it.

The last of the next three, ‘I Do (Zola’s Song)’ is a magnificent piece that sounds straight out of a noir film. Think Edward Norton’s film Motherless Brooklyn to give a sense of the mood on this.

Costello opts for another selfrecorded number to break up what was shaping up to be a half-decent jazz album. There is decent use of sampling from a man of his age and twanging guitars reminiscent of spaghetti westerns, but the weirdly high-pitched backing vocals detract from the result.

The title track sees Costello become Randy Newman - you wouldn’t be surprised to hear it in the next Toy Story (if we ever get one). The lyrical themes of the album have emerged by this point, with a focus on aging, lost loves and forgotten passions being central to most of the tracks. ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’ is a decent story of a newspaper columnist whose sharp tongue ends up cutting her strings and burning her bridges along the

“

Costello is at his best when he is economic, and those flashes of the lyrical brilliance come through best on the songs where he is at his least pretentious.

same lines.

Costello is at his best when he is economic, and those flashes of the lyrical brilliance that were shown on classic albums like This Year’s Model come through best on the songs where he is at his least pretentious.

‘What Is It That I Need That I Don’t Already Have?’ - the inspiration for which came from an overheard conversation with Bob Dylan is a simple song about regrets throughout life, and works to great effect. The final track, ‘Byline’, is perhaps the best on the album, with its simplistic arrangement letting Costello’s vocals and writing shine through.

If you can make it through Costello’s solo projects on the album, get past the hideous cover, and you aren’t looking for vintage Costello, then this album, to answer his question, is worth listening to.

Ethan Moss

Eels

Earth to Dora

It’s fair to say that the world has changed quite dramatically since Mark Oliver Everett and his Eels released The Deconstruction, all the way back in 2018. However, times may have changed but the band hasn’t, and they are back with their familiar, almost melancholic take on rock via their thirteenth studio album, Earth to Dora.

The album contains a dozen drowsy yet entertaining tracks which seek to send you into a deep, reflective, lucid dream; firstly about what life could have been like this year, and secondly about what the future holds.

The LP takes listeners on a voyage, from the elevating tones of ‘Anything for Boo’ and the easygoing ‘Are We Alright Again’, to

Headstart Jade Bird Her first release in a year is an indie delight; one where Bird laments a crush not picking up on her countless signals.

“

The album contains a dozen drowsy,yet entertaining tracks which seek to send you into a deep, reflective, lucid dream the mellow and breathy melody that is ‘Of Unsent Letters’ and the empowering focus of ‘Waking Up’.

It feels like you are embarking on a journey of emotional discovery, with every rise comes a fall in tone, yet, quite beautifully, this suits the distinctive mood, and is something only the Eels could achieve in what has been an unprecedented year.

The highlight of the album comes in the way of the title track, ‘Earth to Dora’. An uplifting and distinct ballad which takes the structure of a personal letter and transforms it into what can only be described as a musical masterpiece.

The theme of lost love and reflecting on the past is expressed most explicitly in the song, ‘The Gentle Souls’, through the lyrics, “I don't know why she's back for more” and “Now she belongs with the gentle souls”. Although the theme of lost love seems a tedious talking point in the indie-rock genre, the Eels provide a fresh take on the matter, adding to the optimistic message of the album about how life will get better - going some way to address the current concerns and issues facing fans this year.

Despite 2020 marking an impressive 25 years on from the band's formation, the Eels show no sign of stopping here. The inspiring tone of the music collaborates perfectly with the somewhat calm and reassuring nature of the lyrics, and together they form the Eels’ way of giving listeners a big hug, which is quite simply what everybody needs at the moment.

On the whole, Earth to Dora proves the Eels still have enough room in their indie-rock tank to produce enjoyable music, and long may it continue. Matthew Giloney Credit: Republic Records, MBCPR, Sonic PR

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Forge Press

Music

Feature Why listening to new music is good for your mental health

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Ethan Commons e all love our comfort music.

The tracks that make us feel something.

Whether it be the songs that remind you of the happiness you felt at a party, or the sadness and depravity of a hard break-up.

Music is an expression of the mind and an exploration of the mental state. As an exchange of emotions and ideas between the artist and listener, music allows us to express feelings we may not know how to. When given the choice, most will choose the tracks they know best because they know how it makes them feel. Research into

the effect of music on our mind and emotions has shown we listen to the music we know and love because our brains respond with a healthy balance of chemicals and hormones.

It allows us to remain in a realm of emotional safety, a space where we know and understand how a song will make us feel and where we feel comfortable knowing we’re in control.

However, in those odd occasions where we venture out of our comfort zones into the unexplored lands of new music, we can often feel distressed, uncomfortable and like we are wasting our time.

This is because our brains process ‘the new’ by releasing dopamine that inhibits a negative response to ‘the new’. Just like how the excitement

Credit: Wuhuiru55, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) of a new car or starting a new job can make us ecstatic with joy or sick with anxiety, the brain doesn’t know how to process that which is unfamiliar.

‘But if our brains don’t like new music, then why bother? Surely this is a warning sign?’ you may ask.

Yet, by breaking down the barriers that our brains build in response to new music, the initial feelings of discomfort are swept away by the exhilarating excitement of the new. By opening the door to the unknown, you enable yourself to explore the uncharted lands of your mind, and with exploration comes understanding.

Overtime, as new music becomes familiar, our brains check the initial chemical imbalance of the unknown and pull it into the realm of familiarity and an emotional sense of safety. From this, new music is extremely beneficial in managing your mental health. By guiding us down a path of greater understanding, new music can open up the ability to answer the questions you ask yourself daily, strengthening your ability to

Credit: TheMovieDB

Opinion

Why we should look to live albums in lockdown

S

Simon Taylor

matterings of applause, a few cheers, the odd shout of something indiscernible, a sudden swell of noise as the first notes of a song begin to play,

and then the crowd roars; there is no mistaking the beginning of a live album. Even prior to the pandemic, the medium of recording a live performance provided artists with an avenue to demonstrate the length and breadth of their discography, while providing a level

of character and energy that puts the dreaded compilation album to shame.

In some cases, whether necessitated by technical limitations or through a desire to experiment, the live album can also showcase a totally different arrangement

manage the spectrum of emotions we all feel on a day to day basis.

By engaging you in an active analysis of yourself, new music grounds you in the present.

Exploring new genres and artists can act as a way of informal meditation; an escape from the stresses and confusion of modern life. Whether you’re listening to the angst and chaotic energy of Nirvana,

or the melancholic chime of the Smiths, new music ultimately allows you to express yourself in ways that the old or familiar may not offer.

In a world shaped by Covid, none of us can take a gap year out and travel to Thailand to ‘find ourselves’ but exploring new music may allow you to expand your mind and understanding of yourself from the comfort of your own home.

for classic songs, such as on Radiohead’s I Might Be Wrong. In other cases, they can provide a way to capture a memorable or even momentous occasion in an artist’s career, such as Johnny Cash’s Live At Folsom Prison. As much as some people might not place much value in the live versions of their favourite songs, the live album has always held an important place in the macrocosm of the musical art form.

In these unprecedented times, however, there is an additional quality that few would have expected; they are currently the only means by which fans can experience the passion, chaos, and rawness of a truly great live performance. With large gatherings of any kind banned for the foreseeable future it is not hard to see why people are turning to these snapshots in time for their ‘fix’ of live music. The case in their favour is only furthered when the alternatives - online shows and limited crowd gigs - fail to recreate anything to the same standard.

Listening to music has always been an exercise in escapism and the best live albums can transport you to a place across the globe, and to a time that occurred decades ago.

That person you hear screaming in excitement might well be 70- yearsold now with grandkids and tinnitus, possibly unrelated to the speakers pumping out the music in question.

Yet that excitement has forever been immortalised, and you too can

feel that same excitement, while the shoving, shouting, sweating, and hearing damage is not included.

A crucial addition to the live album is the integration of video in the later half of the 20th Ccentury, which allowed for accompanying footage. The internet, however, has not only increased our access to countless recordings and footage of live performances, but has also enabled artists to further their own creativity. The release of Homecoming by Beyoncé, for example, coincided with the release of an award winning, feature length documentary that covers the events surrounding and including the performance. Importantly, this was directed by Beyoncé herself and made especially to be available on a specific streaming platform. When an artist can release both an award winning album and award winning feature film simultaneously for fans to appreciate at their own leisure, it becomes clear how extraordinary a medium live albums have become for both the artist and the listener.

As we come to terms with the long term damage this pandemic will have had on the arts, it is important to support artists who have been left in the lurch. In the process, why not take the opportunity to reevaluate the live album. After all, where else can you witness the greatest artists of the last century recreating their own masterpieces live while you sit on the toilet?

Friday 13 November 2020

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Screen

Film Review

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Thomas Hirst There is no greater maestro of political debate and courtroom drama than screenwriter turned director, Aaron Sorkin. From A Few Good Men to The West Wing, Sorkin’s writing is invigorating, grandiose, and always captures the imagination, and with The Trial of the Chicago 7 he does not disappoint. And, despite taking place over fifty years ago, it is more relevant than ever.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 was made for the big screen, even before Sorkin injected it with his signature sparkling dialogue. Sorkin is in his natural element, dissecting and dramatising material with a message. The civil protests and clashes with police will be all too recognisable to some, the ranges of personalities within the seven make for clever, often humorous interaction, and the fierceness of

the judge acts as a stark reminder of systemic injustices in the American judicial system.

The film is centred around the trial of leading radical anti-war protesters, who, after storming Chicago with their irked followers during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, were apprehended.

Seven of the different ring leaders are arrested and tried, with an extra political inclusion of Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers being tried with them. What follows is a court drama that, thanks to the electrifying edit from Alan Baumgarten and outstanding work from the all star cast, never gets boring and tells this shameful section of American History with slick wit and undeniable force.

Of the cast, Mark Rylance’s take on defence attorney, Willian Kunstler, is snappy and vitriolic, whilst on the flip side of the judicial coin, Frank Langella is on

frightening form as the forceful Judge Julius Hoffman. Much of the drama within the court comes from these two, and they carry it with entrancing acumen. Of the seven, Eddie Redmayne’s student activist, Tom Hayden, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Yippie activist, Abbie Hoffman (who shines in a rare dramatic role), provide the two opposing ideologies within the group, and in turn, the war movement itself. This permits an exploration of the schisms that exist between each of the seven, allowing Sorkin to expose said tensions with verbal battles of wit and severity, which also provides the movie with a surprising comedic crutch.

Credit: TheMovieDB

“

The Trial of the Chicago 7 was made for the big screen, even before Sorkin injected it with his signature sparkling dialogue.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a timely film, one that reflects the societal struggles of the time, whilst holding up a star spangled mirror of shame to how, despite the 50 year gap, the same arguments are still being had in modern America.

Sorkin’s masterful script plus his growing directorial ability make for a film that is a contemplative yet often Kafkaesque exploration of a harrowing chapter in American history, delivered at a time so important to America’s future.

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Screen

Film Review

Rebecca Marina Vieira-Coen

Based on Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel of the same name, Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of Rebecca deviates from his usual cinematic focus on dark psychological horrors, in favour of a glossy, romantic thriller. The film follows an unnamed protagonist (Lily James), who after a rose-tinted whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo, marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer). After moving into his beautiful Cornish estate, she becomes haunted by the memory of his deceased first wife, while dealing with the hostility of Mrs Danvers, the ominous housekeeper (Kristin Scott Thomas) who loathes her being there.

This isn’t the first time that Rebecca has been adapted for the screen. Hitchcock famously adapted the novel in 1940. Wheatley’s attempt remains an enjoyable watch, albeit one that feels less nuanced

and original when compared to its earlier counterpart.

The new adaptation has the considerable benefit of being shot in the 21st century. Its colourful and aesthetically pleasing cinematography, particularly during the early scenes set in the south of France, is easily one of its more memorable elements. The film is dreamy, elegant and picturesque - certainly reflective of the high society lifestyle experienced by its characters. However, this greater emphasis on the romantic and visual side of Rebecca has resulted in it falling short on the emotional complexity and dark ambiguity which made its predecessor an instant classic.

Hammer’s Maxim de Winter lacks the intense temperament and authority that his enigmatic persona demands. This results in a watered down version of the character that is overshadowed by the performances of the other actors in

Left: Rebecca (1940), Above t: Rebecca (2020). Credit: TheMovieDB

the film.

On the other hand, Kristen Scott Thomas’ icy Mrs Danvers is a far more memorable performance; the actor retains the cold and malign nature of the character, while adapting her slightly so as to create

a notable distinction from the 1940 portrayal by Judith Anderson, which made the character infamous. While Anderson’s version is unwaveringly bitter and apathetic, Scott Thomas’ feigned amiability during the build up to the film’s climax provides a

TV Review

The Queen’s Gambit Lucy Vincent The Queen’s Gambit delves into the life of a young orphan and chess prodigy named Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy). The show explores feminism, drug addiction, alcoholism and mental health all against the framework of the social adversities of living in 1950s and 1960s America as a woman.

We follow Beth as she experiences new relationships and learns how to handle her rising status while competing to become the world’s greatest chess player. TaylorJoy transgresses the typicality of performance, for this coming of age narrative, by playing both Beth at her present age to her at age 15. With striking red hair and garish eyeliner, Taylor-Joy shows her acting prowess through a wonderful performance with childlike mannerisms that erode the

barrier of being conscious that she is actually an adult in her twenties, not a young teenager.

Other notable stars in the series are Thomas Brody Sangster who plays the USA Chess Champion and Beth’s rival, Benny Watts. Harry Melling plays Harry Beltik, one of the best chess players in Kentucky.

These men weave their way into Beth’s life at various points and challenge her both mentally and physically, however her success as a chess player consistently subverts expectations by also participating in the hedonistic culture of 1960’s America- she has to work consistently against the grain in order to prove her skill.

The show is aesthetically beautiful and creates glamour in the world of chess. Taylor-Joy’s captivating performance has viewers sitting on the edge of their seat during a seemingly mundane game, using her body language and narrowing

The Queen’s Gambit. Credit: TheMovieDB

eyes to anxiously await her next move. This is particularly well demonstrated via a long chess match sequence where the camera barely pans down to the chess board, remaining focused on their faces as he yawns either in distraction or irritation at Beth’s unexpected talent. This close-up

filming further emphasises Beth’s dedication to chess; her consistent eyes on Harry are not only to calculate his next move but also to express her disappointment in his late arrival and lack of dedication.

What makes The Queen’s Gambit such a great series is the rawness and complex themes shown in each

new spin on the iconic role.

While the film is an entertaining watch, it is the story of Rebecca itself which draws you in, as opposed to the quality of the adaptation itself. Wheatley’s attempt at reimagining the film is respectable and captivating, however it is difficult to watch without inevitably comparing it to the more emotive original.

character. The timely wardrobe and production design transport the viewer back to 1960s America, assimilating them even more with the struggles a female chess player would face. Gabriele Binder, the costume designer behind the show’s looks, chose a vivid color palette when creating Beth’s outfits. Her wardrobe is also centered on a light green shade, which is seen in her first look when she arrives at the orphanage as a child as well as in one of her last looks, a collared dress she wears during a chess competition. This continuity added a lovely dimension and it is this level of detail which is often overlooked in a series, but to me, particularly stood out in this one.

Each episode has a distinctive feel, adapting the atmosphere and surroundings to fit Beth’s mood. The show regularly flashes back to her childhood as Beth pieces together her past and her mother’s emotional turmoil, which mirror Beth’s own struggle with her rising fame. The show does suffer from pacing issues; each chess match felt repetitive and it takes several episodes before Beth even loses one. This made the show feel unrealistic - even the greatest chess players of all time have had a higher percentage in losses. Beth on the other hand always seems to win.

Friday 13 November 2020

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Screen

Fresh episodes

I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here ITV For a (slight) sense of normality, tune in to the infamous show as it returns for its 20th series.

Small Axe BBC One The first episode of Steve McQueen’s Anthology series follows the true story of the Mangrove restaurant in the 1970s.

The ethics of parody: How does Sasha Baron Cohen’s new Borat film land?

H Kane Regan

is name is ‘a-Borat’ and he’s back with a ‘Subsequent Moviefilm’. In this latest escapade, shamed journalist Borat Sagdiyev is removed from the gulag (in which he has been imprisoned for 14 years) and entrusted with a plot to restore honour to ‘the great nation of Kazakhstan’.

By applying his acute journalistic acumen, Borat divines that an approach on President Trump may prove difficult (since, of course, he defecated in the bushes outside

Trump Tower back in 2006). Now considered a celebrity in America and under threats of execution from his Kazakhstani Premier, Borat takes on a series of disguises in order to tutor Tutar, his daughter, in all manners that proffer her a sufficient gift to Vice President Mike Pence.

In Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Sasha Baron Cohen delivers us yet another shocking scrutiny of America through the medium of political satire - but to what extent is it ethical?

Parody itself is negative in intent.

It sets a target through absurd exaggerations and lures, limns and

laughs at that target, discrediting them in the eyes of its audience.

Political parody, then, is persuasive.

In order to achieve persuasion, parodists such as Cohen must have an objective. For that persuasion to be effective and for it to stay true to the objective, the audience must recognise the authority and moralistic intention that its author disguises behind the character, and they must then weigh this intention alongside its target’s vices.

Now, in the case of Borat, these vices might be obvious for those who are aware of Rudy Giuliani, for those willing to engage in the

Credit: TheMovieDB

self-flagellatory act of monitoring American politics. The moralistic intentions of Cohen may also be blatant to those who are willing to endure the counterfeit smiles and contrived laughs of a Jimmy Kimmel

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Parody itself is negative in intent. It sets a target through absurd exaggerations and lures, limns and laughs at the target, discrediting them in the eyes of the audience.

The Trials of Oscar Pistorius BBC Two This documentary takes a look at the first week following the tragic and controversial death of Reeva Steenkamp.

interview. But for those who simply have something better to do, and who want to wind down with a good comedy flick, a lack of awareness in these areas can become problematic.

This is because parody operates using the peripheral route to persuasion. The peripheral route encourages an audience to agree with its message based on criteria besides the strength of an argument: criteria such as attractiveness or wit. Opposing that is the central route. We can achieve persuasion through the central route based on the strength of our argument, and studies suggest that this route is deemed to have a more lasting effect on an audience’s attitude.

The peripheral route, then, is problematic insofar as a viewer lacking political awareness, or unfamiliar with Cohen’s moralistic make-up, can misconstrue the absurdism within the film as an acceptable form of humour in everyday life. They can take the absurd and the offensive and apply it in the wrong context. Rather than use its humour to tease out monsters, they could, themselves, become one. And, to speak of monsters, with Borat’s release being in such close conjunction to the presidential election, the most ardent Republicans no doubt consider this short term, peripheral persuasion as a form of liberal propaganda.

But, at the end of the day, comedy is subjective. How can we decide the ethics of a political parody without exercising our own bias? Without being, to some degree, unjust in our own assertions? For Cohen, his comedy is a moralistic exploit. For his victims - immoral. No, the cuts, edits and inserts do not favour his victims. Their opportunity for retort is limited. But Cohen’s victims are identified long before his execution.

He morally weighs up his target: he makes his own ethical calculations.

Through performance, Cohen and his exceptional costar, Maria Bakalova, do not simply point at monsters: they do not make pets of them. They allow the monsters to reveal their dire traits of their own fruition. Through entirely absurd means, Cohen’s ‘victims’ continually spout the unethical because the unethical is within them. Parody, then, will always do a service to politics - not inhibit them.

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Forge Press

Games

Among Us: Finding friendship in a game about murder and betrayal Among Us is arguably the most impactful game of the year in terms of its sheer popularity. But in a game based soley around deception, there are a surprising amount of friendships forged aboard the virtual ship. Uditi Singh gives a dramatic recollection of her experience.

I

nnerSloth’s 2018 microbudget title Among Us has gained mass popularity over the last couple of months; and not without reason.

The game’s simple Mafia like model has struck a chord with gamers everywhere, and even people who don’t really play games have found themselves hooked - myself included.

When my brother rang me up one day to excitedly tell me about a new game he’d found out about, I didn’t take much notice. After all, I thought, he seems to find a new game to obsess over every month.

But this seemed different: first my best friend told me about it, then another brought it up, and another.

As this chain just kept on getting longer, I became more and more intrigued. From their descriptions, it didn’t seem to be the kind of game I’d like; “you’re on a spaceship, and you betray your team members and kill them to win” just didn’t sell the experience to me. However, being the good sister and friend that I am, I sighed, gave in, and decided to strap myself in the game’s figurative spaceship for the ride. And boy, what a ride it’s been.

I wish I could pinpoint exactly

why Among Us is so addictive. It isn’t the most graphically advanced game in the world, nor does it have an impressive storyline to its name (though people are certainly making up their own backstories).

Nonetheless, the game itself is immensely entertaining, as many social deduction games are especially when friends are involved.

And, also like other social deduction games, Among Us is easy to play, but tough to master. If you play on a public server though, the game is a completely different beast.

You’ll find yourself in a room full of complete strangers, with the potential for mass chaos (or fun!) to swiftly ensue.

I’ve joined games with ridiculously unfair settings - cheats that guarantee the impostor’s victory, every time. I’ve joined games where no one spoke English, but we still managed to win. I’ve even joined games where players flirt with each

other, as if this were some kind of ‘Gaming Tinder’, but my favourite games have been the ones where I find myself with a group of instant best friends from the world over.

One evening I logged into a lobby with seven or eight other people, and began playing as usual. Over the course of the next couple of games though, this group seemed to come together so easily that one

would suspect we’d known each other for years. Smart, methodical players, presenting evidence and concrete facts to the jury of fellow crewmates, rather than half heartedly typing ‘red sus’ in the chat. There was also lighthearted banter with a new player who didn’t understand how the game worked.

We taught them the ropes, bonded, and generally had a splendid

Friday 13 November 2020

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Games Assassins Creed: Valhalla PC; PS4; XBO; XBX/S; Stadia; later: PS5 Control Eivor, a Viking involved in the conflict between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order.

Fresh games time for a few more games. We were super sleuths, musketeers, comrades. Exposing liars, narrowly escaping danger, running the ship.

Until…

“You were disconnected from the server.” I was shocked, frustrated, and heartbroken. My new friends had been ripped away from me in a mere instant - I’d gone from hopping around my virtual spaceship, merrily completing tasks one minute, to hovering in the proverbial abyss the next.

Disconnected. Distraught. Stranded.

The urge to hit ‘delete app’ was unbearable. Tears began falling down - no, flying out of my face, travelling at great velocity across the room before creating dozens of pebble sized dents in the wall.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little melodramatic; it was upsetting, but not that upsetting. I soon calmed down, and managed to reason with myself - how, indeed, would I have kept in touch with these people anyway? Sooner or later something

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Tears began falling down - no, flying out of my face, travelling at great velocity...

like this had to happen, unless you’d feel comfortable with sharing your contact details or Twitter handle with a group of strangers. That may be okay for some, but it’s not for me. For the truly determined though, there are subreddits like r/ AmongUsFriendFinder that fellow lost souls can use to try and re-find the friends they sorely miss; at the time of writing, the subreddit has over 25,000 members - validation that I am not alone in my plight.

In all seriousness though, InnerSloth, being a small indie studio, understandably didn’t have the budget to create and maintain too many reliable servers for Among Us, and certainly didn’t anticipate

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory PS4; XBO; Switch Play as over 20 characters as you slash, jump and cast spells to eliminate those pesky notes in this new rhythm game.

the game exploding in popularity the way it has. It is annoying, yes, but we move on, despite the pain.

I find it funny how even in a game designed to rip a team of players apart from the inside out, in a game built on deception, we manage to find friends, and build communities, however fleeting they may be.

And when the inevitable happens and you must log off, you can be reasonably sure that another day, you’ll be able to do it all over again.

You would expect the craze around Among Us to fade, as is the case with most fads and trends.

However, the developers have already scrapped a planned sequel in favour of improving the original game itself, to build on what they know already works well. Because of this, it seems like we’ll be hearing about this game for some time especially from loyal players who will continue to soldier on, merrily hopping around their ships in their collective quest to discover more of the universe.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS4; PS5 Peter Parker is gone; become the next Spiderman and defend New York from two warring factions!

Credit- top (in order): Ubisoft, Square Enix, Insomniac Games Among Us images - InnerSloth

COME & STUDY AT THE SU! Change of scenery from your bedroom • Table service from Coffee Revs & Bar One • Clean and safe environment • Warm and comfortable • Free Wifi

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Forge Press

Games

Review

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Catherine Lewis

I

t’s safe to say that fast paced, beat-em-up action isn’t something that’s associated with the stereotypically relaxed, laid-back farming sim genre. However, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Switch, PS4 and Windows) bridges the gap between these two polar opposites so seamlessly - and the resulting love-child created is something so perfect and redefining of both genres that it’s hard to believe that they were ever apart.

Calling the game a love-child of the action and farming genres is an incredibly appropriate analogy, as you play as Sakuna, the spoiled daughter of a warrior god and harvest goddess. After being banished from the capital of the Godly Realm to the forbidding Hinoe Island, along with a ragtag group of outcast humans and your guardian

Tama, your quest is to rid the land of demons and grow and forage enough food to survive.

The gameplay is directly split across these two elements of action and farming, and neither feels ‘more important’ than the other. There are a multitude of side-scrolling platforming levels, full of enemies and tough bosses to conquer using Sakuna’s one and two-handed weapons and special fighting skills.

The most important tool in your arsenal though is your ‘divine raiment’, which essentially works as a grappling hook to fling you across difficult obstacles, discover hidden paths,

and skilfully dodge enemy attacks. This fast, combo-heavy combat is addictive, challenging, and most importantly, really fun.

While traversing the levels, you’ll be able to forage for food and mine for materials and ore to later turn into new, more powerful weapons and equipment. The demons you slay will also drop meat, which is incredibly important to keep you and the others fed. Each kind of food has a different effect, from stat boosts to poison resistance, so planning out your meals based on the level or boss you’re trying to beat is very important.

Meanwhile, you also have your rice fields to carefully tend to in order to produce the highest quality yield you can over the course of each ingame year.

Sakuna’s power as a fighter ties in directly to the quality of the rice she produces, with stats like her attack and health corresponding with qualities such as the yield and stickiness of the rice.

Producing high quality rice also helps you unlock new special fighting and raiment skills to use out in the field, so it’s definitely in your best interest not to neglect your farming duties.

Delving further into the farming element, the game does an incredible job at illustrating Sakuna’s growth both in her skills and as a

character as you progress.

When you first start out, the prospect of tending to the fields is genuinely daunting. How far apart do I need to space these seeds?

How much water do I need to use?

Have I tilled the soil well enough?

All of these factors are impossible to measure in your first attempt, and each stage takes so long to complete, to the point that it really does feel exhausting and arduous, matching lazy Sakuna’s feelings towards the task.

However, as the in-game years pass, and Sakuna develops experience and continues to work the fields, you’ll unlock passive skills which gradually make things a little easier, like planting multiple seeds at once, being able to see a grid indicating where they should be planted, and simply being able to move faster while going about your tasks. These skills make the farming portion of the game much more enjoyable, and are subtly introduced at a pace that matches Sakuna’s attitude towards her work changing as the story advances. Her development feels very genuine, her improved skills constantly reflecting

“

her ever-shifting mindset, and it’s incredibly satisfying to experience.

One difficulty I experienced though was with certain skills coming into effect as I was already completing a task. In the case of planting the seeds, the aim is to keep them all spread out evenly, with each seed placed alone in a grid space. However, as you’re planting, if you unlock the next skill-level up, giving you more seeds at once to plant and in a different configuration, it can completely disrupt your planting pattern. For example, once when I was almost done with planting seeds which had been placed down as sets of three in a vertical line, I unlocked the next stage up which plants them in a four-by-four grid instead.

Because of this, I could no longer place my remaining seeds without overlapping them over previously planted ones, which was incredibly annoying as they’d all been perfectly spaced until then. Overall it wasn’t to much detriment, but it’s a bit frustrating that something meant to reward the player for their efforts can inconvenience them instead.

Another thing that the game

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is simply a genre redefining game - it’s unique, experimental, and it’s executed brilliantly.

Friday 13 November 2020

“

Slowly learning about each character and what makes them tick just by living and working together feels so authentic does incredibly well though is the development of the other characters and their relationships together.

When you first arrive on the island, you don’t know a thing about the group of humans, and have no reason to like them either, given they played a large part in your eviction from the capital. However, you’ll get to know more about them and their backgrounds through chats over dinner, and random events triggered when you explore around the fields and house. Slowly learning about each character and what makes them tick just by living and working together feels so authentic, much more so than most other simulation games where it’s just a case of giving a character a gift every day until they like you.

It would be remiss not to give credit to how utterly gorgeous this game is. From the warm,

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Games earthy colour palettes to the lively character models and beautiful art style, the whole world feels so in touch with nature, and the Japanese mythology inspired setting is simply breathtaking. The music, too, is brilliantly composed - from the gentle twang of traditional string instruments accompanying your leisurely daily strolls around the rice field, to the exciting fast-paced numbers that play as you fell hordes of demons out in the wilderness, it all ties together to create one of the most immersive environments I’ve personally ever experienced in a game.

It’s honestly difficult to find anything to criticise about this game as it’s just done so well throughout.

I personally found some of the English voice acting grating at times, but there is the option to switch to Japanese voices at any time, a fantastic universal fix in gaming.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is simply a genre redefining game it’s unique, experimental, and it’s executed brilliantly. Anyone who enjoys platformers or simulation games will find something to love here, but particularly for anyone who’s felt burnt out by farming sims in the past, I implore you to give this a shot - it’ll be everything you didn’t know you needed.

Images: Marvelous Europe

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Forge Press

Sport

Sport thoughts A third of community tennis centres to close due to COVID

Sport thoughts Proposed Salary cap a positive for Formula One

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It is clear that there is some disparity in the salaries of some Formula One drivers at the moment Jordon Sollof A cap on Formula One drivers’ salaries is under discussion as it is believed that teams have agreed in principle to the idea. It proposes a $30 million cap for teams to pay drivers, starting from 2023. Teams can pay more but the excess will be deducted from a $135 million annual budget – another cap for all teams by 2023.

Formula One superstar and soonto-be seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, is paid an estimated £40 million a year, although he is yet to negotiate a contract for 2021.

Speaking to Reuters (source link?), Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said it was an emotional issue: “Formula One teams, in order to be sustainable long-term and attractive sports franchises, need to show profitability like any other

Lewis Hamilton. Credit: jen_ross83, Wikimedia Commons company out there and I think we all need to achieve that.

“On the other side, it’s clear that drivers, the ones that are in Formula One, are the best in the world and should earn high salaries like all the other top stars in sport.”

It is clear that there is disparity in the salaries of some Formula One drivers at the moment. Hamilton, of course, earns a substantial amount when compared to Williams drivers, Nicolas Latifi and George Russell, who each earn around £1m. The sport needs to do all it can to bring the teams closer together both on and off the track, as this will in turn increase the appeal and popularity of the sport.

Mercedes are the Constructors’ World Champions once again for a record seventh consecutive year,

SWFC points penalty halved after appeal Tom Coates Sheffield Wednesday’s points deduction has been reduced from 12 to six in a boost to their hopes of Championship survival.

The Owls were handed a 12-point deduction in July, following a breach of the EFL’s profitability and sustainability rules. The club had included the sale of Hillsborough Stadium in the 2017/18 accounts

to avoid displaying a pre-tax loss of £35.4m. However, an arbitration panel has decided that the deduction will be halved after the club’s appeal was upheld in part.

The decision means that although Wednesday remain rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, they are now just three points adrift of safety. It provides another lift for the second tier strugglers, who ended a run of four consecutive defeats with a 1-0 win over

and their spending has played a part in their dominance. Fans want to see closer, more exciting races every single week, and the proposed salary cap is a small, but positive step towards achieving this.

It will also help put a lid on spending as the sport faces an uncertain financial future as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with income streams likely to be affected for several years to come. The caps on annual budgets and salaries suggests that the sport intends to do all it can to level the playing field and make it a spectacle that is harder to predict than ever before.

There are still many more things to be done for this to really happen, but signs point to a different and exciting future for Formula One and its fans.

Bournemouth on Tuesday.

In a press conference on Thursday, owner Dejphon Chansiri insisted that although the decision to reduce the deduction was better than nothing, he was still disappointed that any form of deduction was applied in the first place.

Despite criticism from sections of the Wednesday fanbase, he also claimed that he has no intention of selling the club that he purchased from Milan Mandaric in 2015.

The focus of Garry Monk’s squad, however, will remain firmly fixed on escaping the relegation zone.

Following their goalless stalemate against Millwall, the Owls sit 23rd and are just two points adrift of safety. They will return to action following the international break, when they travel to Deepdale to face Preston North End.

Credit: StockSnap, Needpix.com

Wiktoria Wrzyszcz Tennis is a socially distant sport where opponents are separated from each other by over 23 meters of a tennis court. What makes it even more Covid-secure is the fact that to play tennis you need just two players and a maximum of four players when it comes to the doubles. While team sports and contact sports have suffered the most during the pandemic, you would expect tennis to be sufficiently adapted to survive the natural selection brought to the world of sports by the coronavirus restrictions. But strangely enough, at least a third of indoor tennis centres in Britain may soon be permanently closed because of the financial struggle.

According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which supports a network of 54 tennis centres, at least a third of indoor venues need additional funding from the Government in order to survive

“

But strangely enough, at least one third of indoor tennis centres in Britain may soon be permenantly closed because of the financial struggle

the coming months. Following the introduction of tier two and tier three restrictions, facilities claimed they expect to lose up to £100,000 in just a few weeks as adults can only play indoor tennis with members of their households or during a one-on-one session with a coach. However, the second lockdown means that the LTA will find itself in an even more tricky position as now outdoor venues are also closed.

In order to save the sport, a cofounder of a Wandsworth tennis club launched an online petition against the closure of outdoor tennis facilities. Although it was signed by almost 14,000 people, it did not convince the Government to allow the courts to remain open.

The LTA has received support from Julian Knight, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, but for now, cannot count on any additional financial help. The Government has promised to offer a £100 million package of support for leisure facilities, but as it will be spread among various public sports facilities, tennis venues may not receive a slice big enough to save them.

The hope brought to British tennis by the 372% rise in court bookings between May and July, when compared to the last year, is now gone. At present, the future of one of the UK’s top five sports looks very gloomy. Without significant financial help, many local communities and aspiring players may soon lose their local tennis facilities.

Friday 30 November 2020

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Sport

Interview: A virtual sit down with Korfball development coach Sophie Armitage Tom Coates What is korf ball?

That is the question most ask when they hear or read about the sport.

Created in Holland, it is immensely popular at the University of Sheffield.

The objective is to throw a ball into a basket that is mounted on a high pole and is played by combined teams of both males and females.

Sophie Armitage, a second year Robotics student, has given Forge Press an insight into life on the korf ball team and committee.

Whereas many try korf ball out of pure curiosity, the sport is very much embedded into Sophie’s DNA. Armitage said: “Quite a lot of my family have played it before. My parents played, and one of my uncles and his two daughters play.”

As well as providing a competitive sporting environment, korf ball provides excellent social benefits.

She said: “I have made a lot of good friends from it, and it’s nice because you’ve got a mix of year groups.

“Once you start playing korf ball, you tend to stick with it. You’ll have people from first year up to people who have done two courses and are in their fifth year or something, technically.”

The fact that so many opt to carry on playing korf ball throughout their time in education ensures that there

Campus Leagues postponed due to second lockdown University of Sheffield Campus Leagues are a staple of the student culture and a great way to stay social, but they’ve met an issue this year writes Harry Harrison

is plenty of guidance for beginners.

Armitage started playing the sport as a fresher in 2019, and after developing a love for the game, has stepped on to the committee as a Development Coach for the 2020/21 academic year.

She explained: “I knew I wanted to get on the committee, because I had such a good time in first year, and I wanted to be a bigger part of korf ball.

“On the committee, you get to be involved a lot more. Being a development coach allows me to really get involved and teach people everything that I learned in my first year.”

With the 2020/21 academic year in its relative infancy, there will be plenty of freshers keen to seek new opportunities when restrictions allow. Armitage has simple advice for anyone who is considering trying korf ball.

“Come and join. You’ll have so much fun. Everyone is really nice, and because few people have played it before when they start, it’s great for people who haven’t played sport in a while or have no idea what’s going on,” She said.

“Everyone is in the same situation as you. There are no trials, it’s all about turning up and having a go.

There’s no pressure with initiations or anything like that, it’s just a lot of fun.”

The return of Campus Leagues at the University of Sheffield has been postponed until further notice.

The Government’s most recent lockdown measures have meant that the November return for Campus Leagues is not permitted.

SU Sports Officer Matt Graves said: “Some of our Campus Leagues were all set to be launched with a November restart, but unfortunately the Government has ruled that university sports facilities are not exempt from lockdown”.

The original plan was for football leagues to return in November, then when previous constraints were lifted, netball, touch rugby and squash leagues would also resume.

SUMFC food donations to feed 100 Sheffield children

Credit: Sport Sheffield

Harry Harrison The team at the University’s Men’s Football Club have collected and donated at least 20 full carrier bags of food, which is expected to help feed 100 children in Sheffield.

The team felt it was really important to help these children and their families over this half-term and were inspired by professional footballer Marcus Rashford’s great work.

Club Captain, Toby Newton-Dunn, said to Forge Press last week: “We saw the stuff [Rashford] has been doing in the last couple of weeks and we thought it would be great for us Many will be wondering when Campus Leagues will now return after the delay. It is unlikely that they will be back in semester one.

Graves said: “We are working hard behind the scenes to bring this incredibly popular programme back in semester two, for a multitude of sports.”

Credits: Sport Sheffield

to help the people of Sheffield.”

The club’s work started when Charity Sec, Fraser Harding, requested that members bring food donations to training. After the success of that stage, Harding and Newton-Dunn decided they would ask for donations on their socials, to be dropped off to them outside the Students’ Union.

The team then opted to take donations from students outside the SU, where they collected £45 worth of food.

Newton-Dunn told Forge Press that a lot of donations came from people who went to the shop for food after they had seen the team’s stall. He said: “A lot of people saw

us outside the SU and decided to go to the shop and buy some food and donate. Two girls saw us, went to the shop and came back with two carrier bags full of food.”

The food collected by the club was taken to the Handsworth Inn, a Sheffield pub recognised by Rashford on Twitter for the work it is doing to feed the city’s children.

Newton-Dunn also revealed that behind the scenes communication had been made with SU Sports Officer Matt Graves and the rest of the Uni’s sports clubs to collect food donations that will help Sheffield’s most vulnerable.

Their scheme was set into action last Monday.

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Forge Press

Sport

Photo Credit: Sport Sheffield

by Patrick Burke

University of Sheffield Cricket Club among those rallying behind sport’s Movember efforts It’s the penultimate month of the year, which means it’s Movember time once again for a large number of the University of Sheffield’s sport clubs.

The Movember Foundation began in 2003 in Australia and New Zealand, and has been growing annually since it first launched here in the UK in 2007. It seeks to raise awareness of a plethora of issues relating to men’s health, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and male suicide, and has been supported by more than six million participants since its inception which has helped to fund over 1,250 projects.

The University’s sports clubs are pooling together all donations received through their member’s ‘Mo Space’, which you will find dotted across social media.

The Sports Committee are running a fundraising league table, and clubs are aiming to beat last year’s efforts, when astonishingly over £18,000 was raised.

Just eight days into the month, clubs have made a sizable indent

towards that target. Sheffield University Cricket Club (SUCC) are well on their way to providing a significant amount towards the grand total, their donations currently standing at over £3,000.

The Netball Club have raised over £1,250, the Rugby Union Club over £2,500, and we could very easily go on.

Speaking to Forge Press,Greg Spires, the Inclusions and Charity Officer for SUCC, said an impressive 45 members of the club were taking part.

While SUCC have taken part in Movember in years gone by, Spires told us their involvement was deemed more important than ever

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Sport has a tremendous captivating power to unite people

in 2020.

“We have participated in Movember for the past few years and have seen an exponential growth in the number of members participating as well as our totals raised,” he said.

“This year, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone massively and has plunged many of our favourite things into uncertainty. We wanted to come together as a club to raise money for a fantastic cause that will support men across the UK with mental health issues and testicular and prostate cancer, especially during a time when NHS resources and medical attention is being diverted elsewhere.”

Spires also concurred that sport has a tremendous captivating power to unite people behind worthy causes.

“Absolutely it does. Sport has intrinsic benefits that are certainly not limited to the physical.

Socialising and exceptional teamwork are also major benefits of sporting clubs which allows excellent friendships to build.

“Causes such as Movember are a no-brainer for sports clubs as they allow us to come together at a tough time to do what we can to support those who are suffering with physical or mental health in the UK. “Movember definitely demonstrates how effective sports teams and activities related to sport can be in raising awareness and funds for charitable causes.”

As well as the traditional growing of a moustache, members of SUCC are taking part via the route of Move for Movember – a challenge to run 60km across the month, signifying the 60 men on average lost to suicide hourly.

And their early efforts have yielded remarkable reward.

“We have been overwhelmed with donations so far,” said Spires. “We set an initial target of £3,000 which would have beaten the previous year’s effort. We have set a very fast pace that will without doubt make us more ambitious as we look to extend our fundraising target to £5,000.

“People can support our

fundraising efforts by donating to the team Movember page via the link, or by following our social media for updates on our attempts at facial hair as well as our Move for Movember efforts.

“Any donations will be gratefully received as we continue to push ourselves to reach that £5,000 target and take our total raised for charities since March to over £10,000.”

Sports Officer Matt Graves was also full of praise for the work of the Unviersity’s sports clubs, commenting: “It’s fantastic to see our student groups taking so much initiative in fundraising for Movember. It’s a fantastic cause, and the level of awareness our clubs are creating also shouldn’t be underestimated. This Movember, I’m proud to be part of the black and gold community” You can find out more about each individual club’s efforts via their respective social media channels, and the Sports Committee will also post regular updates.