Forge Press #145

Lifestyle

Arts & Theatre

Start planning for that postlockdown getaway

Science & Tech

Looking at Picasso: a new online exhibition

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Even man’s best friend has a grumpy teen phase

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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ISSUE 145 | WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY 2019 | FREE

Unite representatives snubbed by VC during COVID-19 shutdown

Image: Dan West

Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

Students slam lack of library closure support Niall O’Callaghan News Editor

The University is “considering a range of options” to reopen libraries and learning spaces for Masters students as they write their dissertations over the summer.

All library sites have been closed since 9.00am on Wednesday 18 March, leaving some Masters students without access to libraries or learning spaces for over half of their course.

A spokesperson for the

University of Sheffield told Forge Press: “We understand that the coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the lives of our students and we want to thank you all for the patience and co-operation you have shown whilst we moved our teaching online and continue to respond to a rapidly changing situation.

“As we expect social distancing measures to be in place for several months, we are considering a range of options for our libraries and learning spaces as part of the wider

recovery planning work. Our priority is to ensure that the campus is safe for students and staff and we are continuing to monitor government guidelines and adapt as a University.

“While our library buildings are closed, our digital library is open for business as usual. The service has close to a million ebooks and over 60,000 journal titles along with a virtual library team and specialist librarians ready to support you.

“If any student has difficulty in finding a book they need then we urge them to... (cont. on p5)

Unite the Union on campus have expressed their disappointment with the Vice-Chancellor, after he confirmed he wouldn’t meet workers’ representatives - and accused him of “turning his back” on his staff.

They asked the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Koen Lamberts, to meet representatives of the trade union, as well as to intervene to support furloughed workers who are currently earning less than the minimum wage.

More than 1,000 staff and supporters recently signed an open letter to the Vice-Chancellor, asking him to use university cash to furlough workers at 100 per cent of pay, to ensure they didn’t take home less than the minimum wage.

Workers’ representatives say there are currently 500 employees of the Students’ Union, and another 200 of Unicus - a standalone company owned by the University are currently earning £6.16 an hour.

According to a survey by Unite at the SU, more than two-thirds of those asked said they would struggle to pay for housing costs (73 per cent) and food and basic amenities (67 per cent). Less than a fifth said they had family who could support them financially.

The union asked the ViceChancellor to intervene to ensure these workers are furloughed on full pay, as has been the policy with University of Sheffield’s own

employees. However, in a letter from the University, they were told that he wouldn’t meet with them to discuss this, nor would all employees on campus be paid full furlough pay.

“Koen Lamberts has turned his back on the community that makes up the University of Sheffield,” said Harriet Eisner, the Unite regional officer.

“This is an ill-judged decision which is going to affect the reputation of the university. We urge him to think again and engage with the union which has the workers’ best interests at heart during the current health crisis.

“The Vice Chancellor is in charge of the University, employees of Unicus and the Students’ Union are part of his university community.

They are employed on the lowest possible pay rates and are currently furloughed on 80 per cent of that.

“I find it incredible that the Vice Chancellor appears to be washing his hands of these young people who have paid fees to study at his university and work at his university in order to pay for their food and accommodation.”

Unite have been representing workers on campus throughout the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the University and Students’ Union operating online-only since mid-March, with many of the campus’ casual staff, who work in the cafes, shops and outlets around campus, furloughed as a result.

In response to Unite, a spokesperson for the University of Sheffield... (cont on p3)

forgetoday.com

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Editorial

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Ben Warner Managing Editor Becky Sliwa Webb Deputy Editor Bethan Davis Deputy Editor Patrick Burke News Coordinator Tevy Kuch Sport Coordinator Michael Ekman LOF Coordinator Jack Mattless Entertainments Coordinator Ella Craig Entertainments Coordinator Ash Williams News Editor Lucas Mentken News Editor Georgie Marple News Editor Niall O’Callaghan Features Editor Anastasia Koutsounia Features Editor Bernadette Hsiao Opinion Editor Jack Mattless Opinion Editor Jack Redfern Arts & Theatre Editor Kate Procter Arts & Theatre Editor Rosie Davenport Lifestyle Editor Em Evans Lifestyle Editor Taylor Ogle Music Editor Ella Craig Music Editor Dana Raer Screen Editor Dan Cross Screen Editor Josh Teggert Games Editor Catherine Lewis Games Editor Ash Williams Science & Tech Editor George Tuli Science & Tech Editor Bárbara Pinho Break Editor Luke Baldwin Break Editor Alicia Hannah Sport Editor Alex Brotherton Sport Editor Harry Harrison Head of Design Claire Gelhaus Secretary and Social Secretary Tom Buckland Inclusions and Welfare Officer Chloe Dervey Head of Marketing and Publicity VACANT Head of Photography Charlie Burrell Head of Online Aimee Cooper

When I walked into the Forge Press AGM in March 2017, having never been to anything like it before, I don’t think I could’ve envisioned where that decision to run – purely because all my mates were and I didn’t want to feel left out – would lead.

This is my 38th, and final, issue with this wonderful newspaper, and I’m so proud that for the last year I’ve been able to lead it as Editorin-Chief. Working with my amazing committee has been an honour, and a pleasure to see them all grow into the team that they are now.

Joining Forge was the best possible thing I could’ve done at uni, it opened up so many other opportunities which you can read about in a piece I’ve done for Opinion.

This newspaper has been my home for the last three years, giving me something to go and do on a hungover Thursday morning, a way to learn a whole host of new skills, to meet some really interesting people, and generally just being a wonderful place to be.

It was heart-warming to see so many people eager to join the committee at last month’s AGM, when we had a monumental 60 candidates running – our members are the lifeblood of this paper, and they make putting this together worthwhile.

Next year’s editorial team looks incredibly strong, and the managing team of Kate, Alex and Emily will do a fantastic job. I wish them the very best of luck, and hope they enjoy it as much as I have.

There are a few people I’d like to say thank you to for making my time on Forge so rewarding, but the

biggest credit has to go to this year’s editorial team. I’ve constantly been amazed by the innovative design and content ideas you’ve had, and it’s been wonderful helping you put them into practice.

Special thanks must go to my deputies – Bethan and Patrick – for putting up with all the things I’ve tried to do in the last year, including bringing Fuse back in November and organising a national conference.

They’ve helped me every single step of the way and I couldn’t have done it without them.

The same goes for Becky, our amazing staff support, who has worked hard all year helping us put this together every two weeks, as well as doing a whole host of other stuff you’ll never hear about behind the scenes.

Lastly, thank you to all the people from my previous years on Forge, from all three outlets, amongst whom I’ve made some great friends and learnt some important skills.

A lot of amazing things have happened to the paper this year, including being nominated for six national awards in March, and it’s just a shame we couldn’t see the year out with a bang, covering Sheffield Varsity and giving you a couple of final, printed copies of the paper.

But I hope you’ve enjoyed our increased online output, including this, our second online-only edition, which is a joint effort between the old and new editorial teams. There’s a real range of content inside, lots of it themed around the lockdown and coronavirus which many of us are still getting used to. It’s also been great to see the new section

PIC OF THE PRESS

editors already coming up with some interesting ideas, like Music examining the impact COVID-19 could have on the industry, or Screen doing the same for cinemas.

If you’re running out of things to talk about on the constant Zoom calls, why not try the questions laid out in Break? Or why not find out from Games why The Sims 4 isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

And finally, I’ve done a couple of my final bits ever for Forge Press (unless I think of a really good PhD idea) – the last Society Spotlight of the year on page 23, as well as a round-up of the 20 biggest news stories of 2019/20, if you really want to feel like this year’s gone by at warp-speed.

I know this paper is in strong hands with the next Editor-in-Chief, Kate, who has been doing a fantastic job for Arts for over a year, while also helping out other sections all over the shop. She’s well-equipped for this role, and I can’t wait to see what she does with it over the next 12 months.

Last of all, I want to say thank you to yourselves, the readers, for taking the time to read the paper every fortnight, devour the content inside and tell us how you think we can improve. You’ve made the last 38 issues feel like the most important thing I’ll ever do, and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this final issue of the year.

Weston Park on a warm evening, on my first photo walk since lockdown began

Get involved Do you want to get involved with Forge Press for the 2020/21 academic year? We’d love to hear from you! There are loads of opportunities, reporting on the city’s culture, holding SU Officers to account or covering Sheffield Varsity. Check out the ‘Forge Press Contributors’ group on Facebook to find out more about what we do.

Contact editor@forgetoday.com or message us on Facebook with any questions.

Image: Charlie Burrell

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

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News in Brief

Got a story? press.news@forgetoday.com

News editors Niall O’Callaghan, Tevy Kuch, Lucas Mentken and Georgie Marple

SHEFFIELD Fell runner finds live bomb

SHEFFIELD City’s Ikea set to reopen its doors

NATIONAL Cummings refuses to resign

A mortar shell has been blown up by the Army after it was found by a fell runner in the Peak District on 25 May and authorities were called to investigate. The bomb is thought to have been left over from World War II when the area was used as a shooting range.

Ikea will reopen on Monday 1 June as some restrictions on non-essential retail are lifted. The store will have a one-way system, limits on customer numbers and social distancing “wardens” to make sure people are two meters apart. Adults will only be permitted to shop one at a time.

Dominic Cummings has refused to resign after repeatedly breaking the lockdown rules he helped to create. In an unprecedented press conference he told journalists that he was not sorry and had not offered the PM his resignation. Boris Johnson continued to back him.

Image: Evilbish

Image: Kgbo

NATIONAL Men more likely to break lockdown

UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL Sheffield COVID-19 Costa Rica legalises experts to host Q&A same-sex marriage

A University of Sheffield study has found that young men are more likely to break the lockdown rules than their female counterparts. The study found that around half of men aged 19-24 have broken lockdown rules compared to a quarter of women.

A panel of researchers and clinicians from the University and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals will run an online Q+A regarding COVID-19 on Wednesday 24 June. Organisers are encouraging students to submit questions to be answered on the night.

VC declines to meet staff reps during coronavirus pandemic Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

(cont. from front) ...told Forge Press: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the way UK universities operate. We don’t yet understand the full impact of the pandemic, but the University of Sheffield has already seen a loss of revenue from our accommodation, campus and conference activity and we are modelling some difficult financial scenarios based on how the pandemic may affect our next academic year.

“Although the University has committed to topping up the salary of any of its furloughed staff, the Sheffield Students Union and Unicus are separate employers with different financial and governance structures to the University.

“Both organisations are reliant on revenues from food and drink outlets to cover their staff costs and, like other retail and hospitality outlets, they have taken the

Vice-Chancellor Professor Koen Lamberts Image: The University of York

decision to access the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme scheme to support their staff and protect jobs while their buildings and facilities remain closed and revenues from those activities have

The University is committed to working collaboratively to minimise the impact on all our communities dried up.

“The University is committed to working collaboratively to minimise the impact of the pandemic on all our communities. We are working together to mitigate longer term financial risks and to ensure a safe return to work as we look at how we will reopen our campus.

“Leaders at both the Students’ Union and Unicus are working hard

Costa Rica has made same-sex marriage legal, becoming the first country in Central America to do so. A lesbian couple married live on national television as soon as the Supreme Court lifted the ban.

The move was praised by LGBT+ organisations around the world.

to make sure that staff do not face financial hardship.

“Unicus has also written to its furloughed staff with details of their hardship fund and invited applications to it.”

Image: George Tuli

Uni halls backtrack on move-out following criticism Tevy Kuch News Coordinator

In an email sent out on Thursday 21 May, residents were asked to collect their belongings following a designated timetable set out for each building as early as Friday 22 May for some.

Students unable to attend their allocated timeslot were asked to email the accommodation office or arrange for Ping Locker to remove items before 8 June.

Following student feedback, the University backtracked the following day and extended the moving out date to 5 July to help assist with the number of students accessing the accommodation to clear out belongings Catherine Lewis, a second-year journalism student, said: “When I received the first email I just couldn’t believe how quickly I was going to have to get everything sorted, and in the middle of all my deadlines and exams.

“I was really panicking wondering how I was going to manage it amongst everything else and on such short notice.

“I was so relieved when I got the updated email the next day that basically gives me an extra month to get everything sorted, thankfully after all my exams are done. I’m just so glad they took the feedback on board and saw the sense in giving people more time, because even if we’re stuck at home, exam period is a busy time for us all.”

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forgetoday.com

News

Cash-raising campaign a success for museum Jack Mattless News Editor

£7,666 in donations so far look set to help keep NESM afloat until then.

Museum Chief Executive, Matthew Wakefield, admitted that whilst “it’s a big ask to ask people to donate, every penny will help.”

He said: “We’re continuing to do everything we can to be the guardians of emergency services history and celebrate these amazing people.”

To find out more about how to help the museum, send an email to info@visitnesm.org.uk.

The Leadmill is taking part in a national initiative to prevent the closure of music venues around the country. #SaveOurVenues was launched by the Music Venue Trust to help provide financial support for independent music venues that risk closure due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This initiative, alongside online merchandise sales are examples of the club’s attempts to prevent debts and staff redundancies as a result of COVID-19.

As the majority of The Leadmill’s income comes from ticket sales and

bar profits, they are in dire need of support whilst they are unable to open their doors to the public.

There are currently 1,388 financial supporters who have donated to support the popular club and venue, and the club have raised over £21,000 in financial support so far.

The Leadmill have also shown musicians vi n We lls and comedians live streaming from their homes in an attempt to gain financial support. Billy Bragg performed on 16 May to support the venue. His live stream was recorded in his living e :K ge

Sheffield’s Emergency Services Museum Image: ‘Chemical Engineer’

Georgie Marple News Editor

Ima

Sheffield’s National Emergency Services Museum (NESM) looks set to survive lockdown after a crowdfunding campaign launched in its aid raised over three-quarters of its £10,000 target within a few weeks of launching.

The museum relies on donations from its 45,000 annual visitors but was left in difficulty after being forced to close doors and cease all outreach activity with the Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement on 23 March.

The organisation was due to run out of funding in mid-June after its application for government support was turned down, a threat that many smaller institutions have been facing in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Founded in 1984 and located in a rare Victorian fire and police station hybrid building on West Bar, the museum plays host to an array of important cultural artefacts including a 47-foot lifeboat and a collection of paintings by Sheffield artist Joe Scarborough, alongside immersive experiences such as a fire engine ride experience and a smoky Blitz exhibition.

Whilst lockdown restrictions on the leisure industry mean the site is unlikely to reopen before 1 July, the

Leadmill join impassioned campaign to save small music venues nationally room, where his wife and manager, Juliet, had created a set for his performance.

His performance alone raised over £12,000 for the #SaveOurVenues initiative.

Bragg said “I should be in Australia at the moment, where 500-700 people would see me per night, but here, through the miracle of the internet, it’s probably two or three times that many people that are watching me” on his live stream.

He made a spin on the

government’s phrase “social distancing,” as he emphasised “spatial distancing” and “social solidarity” during this time, and encouraged such “social solidarity” to continue once after the coronavirus pandemic is over. He praised those who are “indulged in social solidarity” and urged them to “keep it going.”

Bragg’s performance is one of the many live streams that The Leadmill are hosting during the ongoing situation. Other ‘lockdown live streams’ include streaming their popular Saturday club night ‘Sonic Saturdays’ on Twitch and performances from comedians such as Al Murray and Sean Walsh.

University converts to 100 per cent renewable electricity Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

The University of Sheffield has announced it is to switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity for the first time.

It comes after Sheffield University signed new energy contracts with Bryt Energy, ensuring their purchased supply will be sourced completely from renewable sources.

Harry Carling, the SU Development Officer, praised the University’s switch, as well as paying tribute to a number of climatefocused student groups for pushing it to “the top of the University’s agenda”.

Renewable energy will now be used to supply the University’s buildings, including the central campus, residences such as the student villages, and University facilities further afield, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) on the Sheffield/ Rotherham border.

This represents a victory for the ‘UoS Energy Switch’ campaign, made up of students and staff, which has consistently urged the University to switch to a clean energy supplier. As it stands, electricity accounts for more than half of oncampus emissions in Sheffield, and they say the new, renewable, supply will reduce emissions by as much as 17,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

This is part of wider efforts by the University to try to become carbon neutral.

“We are absolutely committed to addressing climate change via our research, our education and our institutional actions,” ViceChancellor Professor Koen Lamberts said of the soon-to-be-announced switch.

“We look forward to working closely with our students and staff on the next phase of our sustainable development.”

Meanwhile, SU Development Officer Harry spoke of his pride in those who have fought for the University to implement this change.

“It is so important that we have a University that values our student voice, and this is particularly important when talking about environmental issues. I’m exceptionally proud of our studentled Clean Energy Switch Campaign and Sustainability Committee, who have done an incredible job in making sure this issue has been pushed to the top of the agenda in the University.

This is the latest victory for climate campaigners at the University of Sheffield, as last year they pressured University management to finally divest from fossil fuels, more than three years after they said they would, while climate justice has been a key SU policy this year.

Image: DPP Law

Crime down during COVID-19 pandemic Yash Raveendra News Editor

Most crimes in South Yorkshire have seen a large drop since lockdown started, according to data from UK Crime Stats.

South Yorkshire Police told the BBC that violent crimes had dropped mainly due to pubs and clubs being closed.

“Without the night time economy, violence and incidents of a similar nature are significantly down to pretty much zero,” Assistant Chief Constable Tim Forber of SYP said.

Central Sheffield remains

the hot spot where most of these crimes usually occur, while Burngreave, Darnall and Sharrow follow right after.

The number of burglaries in Sheffield has also dropped from 127 to 80 cases in a month since more people are staying at home.

However, there has been a rise in anti-social behaviour, fraud and shopping scams ever since the beginning of lockdown.

Age UK said that elderly people are more vulnerable to these scams and have advised them to “never rush into anything and stay alert.”

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

News

Online-only for Mental Health Awareness Week Jack Mattless News Editor

A two-month lockdown may be enough to put anyone’s head under severe strain, but it hasn’t stopped Sheffield’s student clubs and societies coming together virtually to support their members and the wider community in aid of this year’s

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Mental Health Awareness Week.

Whilst star-studded endorsements from Phillip Schofield, Gordon Ramsay and Davina McCall mean the national campaign received a flurry of media coverage, the grassroots-level is where the majority of action takes place and the impact of COVID-19

has been most palpable.

One second-year student told Forge: “members of our society had been planning to do a charity skydive to raise money for MIND (the mental health charity) but this was obviously cancelled because of Coronavirus which, whilst the right decision, was disappointing in terms of our fundraising and awareness raising efforts.”

But student groups have adapted quickly to new circumstances with many societies using the period

between the 18-24 May to remind their members of the support services available through the university and others going a step further still, offering free, online wellbeing activities for students.

Commenting on his society’s collaborative virtual meditation session, Politics Society President, Joe Ellis, stated that “we want to make sure that all polsoccers have loads of ideas and opportunities to improve their mental health and wellbeing.”

Western Bank Library, currently off-limits to students looking to finish their academic studies Image: The Spaces

SU President Jake Verity Image: Vote Verity for President

Underpass used for charity fundraising Niall O’Callaghan News Editor

Library arrangements could be made for Masters students Niall O’Callaghan News Editor

(cont. from front) ...contact the virtual library team for assistance.

If the library doesn’t have access to the title you need, the team will try to find it for you. Subject to availability, the library service can order an e-book for you and let you know when it is available, or suggest an alternative. If there are materials that are not on your resource list, but you may find them useful for a dissertation, thesis or project, then you can also suggest materials for the library to add.”

The University did not respond to a question regarding whether they felt justified in charging Masters students, some of whom are paying over £20,000, the full course fees for delivering just six months of

face-to-face teaching, littered with strikes.

They also did not respond to a question regarding whether Masters students’ grades would suffer for submitting a dissertation which had suffered from a lack of library access.

Some departments have already taken action to ensure grades are “fair, equitable and inclusive,” though there is no University-wide strategy. The Department of History has asked their Masters students to write a statement alongside their dissertation detailing how the pandemic has affected their work, for example.

Despite this, some students have been left concerned that their work will suffer disproportionately.

One such History student told Forge Press: “It is helpful to know that the online library is there

for support, however I am still concerned that without certain resources that cannot be attained, my work will be significantly affected.”

Henry Lock, a Masters student in the Department of Geography said: “I appreciate that the University cannot take the decision to reopen the libraries, however I would like to query whether a system could be set up so that students can request and pick up selected books.

“This would be a massive help to many Masters students who find themselves unable to access academic literature at a time when we are writing our dissertations.

“Whilst the online resources are helpful, I know from past experience that my work has benefited significantly from physical books. ” Education Officer Charlie Porter

said he would support a “requestonly service” when he feels it is safe to do so.

“I support the University’s position of protecting the health and safety of staff and students as a priority,” he told Forge Press.

“At the same time, I recognise that many students, particularly those on PG programmes with work to complete over summer, are keen to get access to libraries and a request-only service is one way of doing this.

“This is something that I’d only feel comfortable supporting if it could be guaranteed to be safe, which I’m not sure it can at this moment in time as it would require library staff to go to work, possibly on public transport, and also encourage students on to campus whilst the lockdown is still ongoing.”

Sheffield Students’ Union have announced the line-up for the online edition of Underpass Festival as well as two fundraising initiatives.

The original festival, due to take place on the first weekend of May, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A rescheduled festival is expected to take place in October.

The line-up for the virtual festival, taking place via YouTube on Saturday 30 May, will feature the likes of Larkins, Red Rum Club, APRE, Gizmo Varillas and The Covasettes all booked to play from home.

Despite the online festival being a “fundraising event in itself”, two initiatives ‘Funderpass’ and ‘Runderpass’ aim to raise money in the lead up to the online festival.

The initiatives ask students to either run 5k or bake a cake, tag five of their friends and donate £5 via the Underpass website. The money raised will be split between NHS Charities Together, Foodhall and RAG at Sheffield SU. “The last few months have been enormously difficult for everybody and I’m very hopeful that this event will be able to bring some positivity to our lives” said SU President Jake Verity.

“As many of our students have had the end to their academic year cut short, this event should hopefully be able to offer our students something to enjoy.

“This event is in aid of some fantastic charities and I’m hoping that Underpass can be a real force for good for both our students, the city and the country.”

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New ‘fast fashion’ regime set to be adopted

by SU

News

The pies are back - Notty House starts running deliveries The pie-famous Notty House on Whitham Road Image: Neil Theasby

Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

Sheffield Students’ Union will adopt a new regime towards ‘fast fashion’ brands, after a new policy was passed in the final SU Council meeting of the year.

Harry Carling, SU Development Officer, and Rosa Tully, Women’s Officer, proposed the policy in the meeting on Thursday 14 May. As a result of the policy, the Students’ Union will have no dealings with, or promote, fast fashion companies or suppliers in any way. There will also be efforts to promote sourcing secondhand or ethically and ecologically responsible clothing brands.

Uniforms for SU staff will be purchased from sustainable suppliers, while they will also lobby the University of Sheffield to do the same.

The two Officers implemented the policy, it says, due to the fast fashion industry being the second biggest polluter in the world, as well as evidence being found in nine countries that forced and child labour was being used in textile production.

The policy also says that companies who derive some of their profits from such practices are unethical, and shouldn’t be allowed to have a place at the SU; the policy also supports safe working conditions, fair pay and freedom from exploitation at all levels of the supply chain, which in its current climate, isn’t present in the industry.

The policy will be up for renewal in November 2022, and has come into place before the end of the academic year.

forgetoday.com

Lucas Mentken News Editor

The Nottingham House successfully trialled its first takeaway service last weekend and announced that it will be implementing it every weekend from now.

The Whitham Road, Broomhill pub, which is popular with many students in the area, is one of the latest Sheffield establishments to offer takeaway food and drinks after having to close in late March.

Following the success of the trial which took place from Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May, the Notty House will aim to continue its service every following weekend.

People can order online through Facebook and choose a collection slot to pick up their cold pies with an optional side of mash and mushy peas. Pies cost £5.50 each, or £7 with mash and peas.

The Nottingham House also offered takeaway drinks alongside food to be collected via its beer

garden.

Speaking about the takeaway service to Forge Press, landlord Cathal Langan, or Cax as he is also known, said: “It went really well.

There was lots of interest which was good to see so we are going to try to do it every weekend now.

“Lots of people were really happy so it’s going to be something to look forward to for the weekend.”

Pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK were told to shut for the foreseeable future on 20 March,

three days before the national lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, many businesses have had to completely change the way they operate, with some offering delivery and takeaway options for customers.

Langan said that since pubs have had to shut down completely there has been no income at all.

“Going forward if we do these pies every weekend it just helps pay some of the bills and keeps our head above water until hopefully more normal times,” he added.

The Nottingham House received a positive response on its first Facebook announcement of the takeaway trial on 12 May with over 200 reactions and more than 200 comments.

People can find all the details about how to place an order on the Nottingham House Facebook page.

There will also be an announcement every Monday about the new pie selection for the upcoming weekend.

UoS Wind Orchestra raises hundreds to support Sheffield Hospitals Charity Tevy Kuch News Coordinator

The Sheffield University Wind Orchestra held a virtual concert on 16 May to raise funds for Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

The virtual orchestra, which featured music from The Incredibles, has raised over £400 for the NHS. Although the virus forced their spring tour to a halt, members proposed to hold a virtual concert fundraiser for Sheffield Teaching Hospital.

The charity is personal to a majority of the members who spend hours of volunteering work as part of their degrees.

The stream has now amassed an astounding 9,000 views online while continuing to receive over 1,200 reactions.

Publicity Secretaries Billy Rigg and James Bateman said: “We knew

that it was always going to be a tough undertaking, but are chuffed with how it went. It appears to have been well received, and we’re happy to have raised several hundred pounds for the Sheffield Hospitals Charity!”

David Fennimore, a Medicine student, said: “It fills me with pride to play alongside such talented musicians, and to play with the aim to raise funds for local hospitals. One of the best things I have done with SUWO.” Social Secretary for SUWO and Physics and Medical Physics student, Jothi Venkatesh, said: “Lockdown meant leaving SUWO behind, so the virtual orchestra was a great way to stay connected with the other members. It was such a shame that we couldn’t put on our usual concert this spring, but it was great that we could produce some music for people to enjoy whilst they’re stuck at home.”

Some of the musicians participating in the virtual orchestra Image: SUWO

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

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News

This year, in 20 Forge Press stories Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

Cheap student singles return on First bus routes One of the SU President Jake Verity’s policy pledges was vindicated early in the year, as First Buses brought back £1 student singles. An initial trial was extended after the move proved successful.

SU shuts down to support climate strikers Alongside the first of this year’s student-led climate strikes, the SU closed its doors for an hour in solidarity, with many staff joining the march into the city centre.

Jared O’Mara It was a busy summer and autumn for independent Hallam MP Jared O’Mara, being arrested alongside his chief of staff, who later went on an explosive tirade on the MP’s Twitter account, and being subject to an official complaint from one of his constituents. He decided to step down from his seat ahead of December’s General Election, being replaced by Olivia Blake.

Hong Kong protesters find support from Sheffielders Pro-Hong Kong democracy protesters, including Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield, took to the streets of Sheffield after a volatile demonstration weeks earlier outside the Town Hall.

Companies at Launchpad careers fair criticised over sustainability record The University was criticised for inviting companies with poor records on sustainability to a careers fair in October, which saw protests outside from students.

SU respond to ‘My Culture Is Not Your Costume’ criticism After criticism of their campaign which encouraged students to think carefully about their choice of Halloween costume, the SU criticised coverage, which it said missed the UCU strikes Some students have lost up to 22 days of teaching this year, as UCU members at Sheffield University went on strike over pensions, pay equality, and more in two seperate ballots. Sheffield was one of those to strike over both.

The UCU says that the second round of strikes, in February and March, affected 1.2 million students across the country.

message of the campaign.

“Cowardly” Uni refuse to meet

Student blocks set for ‘urgent’ fire inquiry Following a fire at a Bolton student housing block, local fire chiefs ordered an “urgent” inquiry into the safety of private student accommodation in the city. Over 100 students were evacuated from a block in Sheffield in October.

Dubbed ‘Silence of the Lamberts’,

Eight Department of Chemistry staff to be made redundanct Staff in the Department of Chemistry, with a combined 200 years’ experience, were set to be made involuntarily redundant following a departmental review. Revealed before Christmas, the staff were expected to be let go earlier this year, after a period of consultation with the staff had taken place.

Student groups “shocked” by ISO’s pro-China posts A number of international student groups expressed concern over posts from International Students’ Officer Sissi Li, which could’ve worsened tensions between groups on campus.

Hallam rugby union sides banned from Varsity 2020 Sheffield Hallam’s rugby union sides were banned from Varsity 2020, due to a breach of the university’s Code of Conduct, in regards to an initiation ceremony for the team, where freshers were allegedly made to lie on the floor while senior players urinated on them.

New MP pledges to support Sheffield students In an exclusive interview with Forge Press, newly-elected Hallam MP Olivia Blake pledged her support to students, while calling for the prioritisation of fighting for trans and non-binary rights.

Unite call for better terms for Sheffield SU’s casual staff Trade union reps at the Students’ Union called on management to address their policy on sick pay, as well as the use of zero-hours contracts, for casual staff. There are currently 600 casual staff at the SU. Record turnout sees new SU Officer team elected On a record turnout, the 2020/21 SU Officers were elected in March. The winners were Beth Eyre (President), Jordan Weir (Development), Lily

students during strike action the University repeatedly refused to meet students over concerns they had for their education during the second period of UCU strikes, despite the union and SU both being eager to make an event happen, ensuring safety for all parties.

Grimshaw (Women’s), Ellie Lynas (Education), Joel Kirk (Activities), Iuri Montenegro (International Students’), Holly Ellis (Welfare) and Matt Graves (Sports).

Forge Press writers shortlisted for six SPA National Awards Forge Press and writers were shortlisted for six national awards by the Student Publication Association, including ‘Best Publication’, ‘Best Sports Coverage’ and ‘Best Newspaper Design’.

Coronavirus The global coronavirus pandemic led to a physical shutdown of the University from March onwards, with teaching moving online and the Students’ Union moving online-only.

Students have pulled together, petitioning the University to implement a no-detriment ‘safety net’ policy, while also fundraising for charity.

Societies and committees have also continued to operate throughout the pandemic, innovating to move their activities online, including running online Annual General Meetings.

SYP use of ‘stop and search’ up by 300% The local police force’s use of the controversial ‘stop and search’ tactic grew by 270 per cent in four years, an FOI revealed.

NUS reveal new leadership team Larissa Kennedy of Warwick was announced as the new NUS President, along with Salsabil Elmegri (VP Further Education) and Hillary Gyebi-Ababio (VP Higher Education).

Sheffield SU boss faces criticism over “trip to India” comments Jaki Booth, Sheffield SU chief executive, was criticised over comments made in a virtual meeting regarding not wanting to “pay … for trips to India”, although clarified her comments and apologised in a subsequent meeting with casual staff.

From top: the 2020/21 SU Officers; a UCU sign outside the Diamond; Jake Verity securing £1 bus fares; the Dainton Building, where the Department of Chemistry is based Images: Charlie Burrell, Ben Warner, Sheffield SU and Niall O’Callaghan

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Wednesday 27 May 2020

9

Anastasia Koutsounia Bernadette Hsiao Features Editors

Features

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the last issue of this academic year!

As COVID-19 is currently taking over the world, we look at how it has affected the politics and ideas of democracy in Europe. We also discuss how successfully it has been dealthas well as adapting to a new life when coming to university.

Last but not least, we look into what women face in the workplace and what measures can be implemented to improve their rights.

Being Features Editor has been fun and enjoyable and I’d like to thank Anastasia for this year, and our contributors for their work. I’m sure Anastasia and Dana will continue to make Features an amazing section!

I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they come up with!

(Bernadette x)

How has COVID-19 affected democracy?

Alexander Cockhill Features Contributor

On 17 April, the European Parliament passed a resolution reminding national governments that emergency measures used to control the pandemic must remain in line with the rule of law. Particular condemnation was reserved for the Hungarian government, which by declaring an indefinite state of emergency, is now able to rule by decree without a time limit.

Criticism was also directed at the Polish government, both for further strengthening government control over the Constitutional Court and for attempting to go ahead with the presidential election in the midst of a pandemic. In the end the election was cancelled at the eleventh hour as a result of backroom negotiations within the ruling coalition.

Certainly, it is not the first time that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has used a crisis to increase his own domestic political power. In 2011 the newly dominant Fidesz, Orbán’s party, passed a new constitution in response to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis with particular reference to high levels of Hungarian debt. This constitution mandated a debt ceiling and deprived the Constitutional Court of any power to review financial laws.

Similarly during the 2015 Migrant Crisis, the Hungarian government used a vague constitutional authorisation in Article 15 (1) which states ‘the Government shall exercise powers that are not expressly conferred by laws on another state body’ to declare ‘a nationwide state of crisis due to mass migration’. The government continues to renew this state of crisis every six months despite the border with Serbia being sealed and no migrants currently entering Hungary.

None of the articles outlining emergency powers in the Hungarian constitution reference an epidemic or pandemic (or indeed mass migration) as a reason to declare a state of emergency. Regardless, Fidesz passed a set of sweeping

emergency laws in late March, giving the Prime Minister the right to rule by decree without parliamentary scrutiny. These laws give extraordinary powers to the government including the ability to suspend and repeal statutory provisions without parliamentary approval, as well as suspending court proceedings and criminalising the publication of ‘false’ news.

Crucially, the emergency powers lack a ‘sunset clause’, meaning that they have no end date and can potentially continue indefinitely.

These emergency powers have raised concerns over freedom of expression in Hungary. Much media attention has been given to the arrest of a 64 year-old man in the town of Szerencs. Allegedly, the man shared a Facebook post claiming that the Hungarian leadership’s attempts to lift the lockdown would only cause more deaths and referred to Orbán as a ‘dictator’ several times. The man was arrested by the police on 12 May on a ‘well-founded suspicion of fear-mongering’. Such a case has the capacity to set a very dangerous precedent in Hungary.

On 17 May, Orbán’s Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyás, told Hir TV that the government will propose emergency powers to end in early June. Regardless of whether Fidesz willingly gives up emergency powers, it sets a precedent whereby the government is able to pick and choose the timeframe of emergency powers in the future, independent of any parliamentary control.

While much of the focus on democratic backsliding during the coronavirus pandemic has been on Hungary, the same concerning trend is also visible in Poland. Firstly, Polish presidential elections slated for 10 May were unofficially cancelled just three days before they were due to go ahead. The ruling party, PiS (Law and Justice), nonetheless introduced new legislation the next day that allowed for elections to take place through postal ballots, enshrining postal voting as the norm for whenever the election is rearranged.

Despite international concern over whether a vote in the middle of a

A KOD demonstration in Warsaw, 2016 Image: Zorro2212

pandemic could be truly free or fair, the election was only stopped due to a backroom deal between PiS and coalition partner Porozumienie.

PiS were gambling that the effective cancellation of the presidential election will cause the Supreme Court to declare the election invalid and allow for it to be rescheduled at a later date. However, an election in the near future will make opposition rallies difficult due to the ban on mass gatherings.

In addition, many candidates have found themselves short on fundings having already spent their campaign funds on the cancelled 10 May election. These circumstances seem to be tailored to benefit incumbent PiS candidate President Andrzej Duda who has already completed a tour of all 380 Polish counties.

Another permanent feature of Polish politics since the election of PiS in 2015 has been the ongoing battle over the independence of the country’s judiciary and, due to the pandemic, the most dramatic recent developments have largely escaped media attention. In late April, Supreme Court First President Małgorzata Gersdorf, the most prominent critic of PiS’s erosion of judicial independence, retired.

Gersdorf stated that she wanted the next-longest serving supreme court justice to be her successor.

But having left the position vacant, the responsibility for appointing a new Supreme Court First President falls to Duda who in turn appointed Kamil Zaradkiewicz as the interim

president responsible for organising the election of Gersdorf’s successor.

Due to Zaradkiewicz’s close relations to Duda, this decision led to fears that he will choose a candidate amenable to PiS, effectively subjecting the Constitutional Court to government control. Even the continuous presence of independent judges on the court will do little to prevent this, as Duda can expand the number of judges on the court as much as he wants and pick his preferred candidates from the PiScontrolled National Council of the Judiciary.

These judicial reforms have put PiS on a collision course with Brussels, who launched legal action against the Polish government on April 29. Back in January, the PiS-controlled parliament passed the Polish Judiciary Panel Law. Dubbed by critics the ‘muzzle law’ it made it possible for the governing party to sack judges for ‘political actions’, including questioning the independence of the panel responsible for judicial appointments. Brussels argues that such a panel undermines the independence of the judiciary.

Hungary and Poland provide the most notable examples of democratic backsliding within the EU during the last decade and demonstrate the most illiberal political steps taken by member states during the pandemic.

However, they are not the only examples of democratic backsliding within the EU; other states have also

been accused of trampling freedom of expression. This has culminated with the assassinations of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 and Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak in 2018, both after revealing allegations of corruption concerning major political figures. Certainly, the level of political freedom and fairness found in many European states has been called into question in recent years.

This is not to say that democracy has come to an end in Central Europe.

Competitive elections continue and politicians remain accountable to the electorate. Recent trends do, however, reveal a trend of contempt towards certain democratic procedures which, if allowed to continue, will weaken democratic institutions in the region. With the current pandemic would-be illiberal governments have been afforded an opportunity to increase their domestic political power as a result of the diversion of media attention and the impossibility of street protests. And whilst this has been evident in Hungary and Poland, it is not impossible for such a situation to happen in other European states. It is now, when the news are overrun with coronavirus stories and updates, more than ever we need not forget to keep an eye on our governments because it is certainly within the interests of Europe’s citizens to bring the current pandemic to a rapid halt,but such an end must not come at the detriment of democratic values.

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Features

How effectively have different countries faced coronavirus?

Benjamin Nealon Features Contributor

Image:

Across the world, countries’ reactions to COVID-19 have varied both in timeframe and in the measures taken. As the crisis rages on, it is worth taking a look at the steps taken by countries internationally to prevent or tackle the long-term effect of the pandemic and the extent to which they succeeded.

In the UK, the Government enacted a lockdown on 23 March.

By this date, 6,650 people had tested positive, although the actual number of cases was probably higher.

The lockdown guidelines banned people from leaving their house for non-essential journeys, limited outdoor exercise to one hour a day and r stopped people from going to work if it could be done from home.

Seven weeks later, lockdown was eased slightly. The government announced that unlimited exercise was now permitted and told people to go to work if their place of employment was open. They also permitted meeting with people from other households in open spaces, as long as both people keep two meters apart. llie Be se Ulys

The UK Government has been accused of handling the crisis poorly. Critics cite the high death toll and initial unwillingness to enact a lockdown as evidence for this, as well as the inability to give clear instructions. As of 26 May, the UK has the highest death toll in Europe and the second-highest in the world after the United States. But before we draw any conclusions about how well the UK has dealt with the crisis, we should look at the measures enacted by other countries.

Italy was one of the worstaffected countries in Europe initially. The Italian Government enacted lockdowns to the Lombardy region on 22 February in response to 79 confirmed cases, but as with the UK, the actual number was probably higher. Lockdown was expanded to the entire country on 9 March, making Italy the first

country in Europe to implement a national lockdown due to COVID-19.

The initial measures imposed a ban on sporting events, shut schools and banned travel except for work and those with a family reason.

The lockdown was tightened on 21 March, closing all non-necessary businesses.

As Italy eased its lockdown, travel between municipalities were permitted for health reasons and to visit relatives but travel between regions were still forbidden.

On the other hand, Sweden broke the international precedent of issuing lockdown orders. Instead, they are keen to keep their country mostly open. The Swedish government has tried to encourage p e o p l e to behave appropriately amid the crisis, rather than impose restrictions.

They have issued guidelines to work from home if possible, avoid unnecessary travel, engage in social distancing and for people above 70 to stay at home.

They have also imposed bans on gatherings of over 50 people and closed secondary schools.

On 21 May, Sweden became the country with the highest coronavirus death toll per capita, although has since been overtaken by the UK again. It has also faced criticism from the international press as its death toll has risen.

Across the Atlantic, the USA showed a reluctance to impose lockdown measures to say the least.

On 28 February, at a rally, President Donald Trump downplayed the dangers of the virus, even going so far as to call it the “Democrats’ new hoax” in a campaign rally in South Carolina. This wasn’t the first time he understated the danger of the disease. On 26 February, he said that “the number of cases is going to be down to close to zero”.

There were 15 confirmed cases in the USA at that time. He continued to publicly dismiss the dangers until early March.

As the virus began spreading across the country rapidly, governors in major states enacted

lockdown measures similar to the rest of the world. In late March, Trump showed a desire to scale back social distancing measures to boost the economy. American protestors took to the streets to show their opposition towards the ‘stay-at-home orders’ issued by state governors. Through a series of tweets, the President voiced his support for these actions.

Due to mounting pressure from the Trump administration and protestors, states began lifting lockdown measures.

However, there are many concerns that a second wave in the autumn could be awaiting due to premature reopening. The President ruled out a second lockdown if that happens.

America currently has the highest death toll in the world and the response taken by the country has been condemned internationally for its inadequacy.

In stark contrast to the USA, New Zealand has received international praise for its response to COVID-19.

They reacted early, imposing restrictions on foreign travellers from China on 4 February. The first case was confirmed on 28 February and from 16 March, the country began enacting lockdown measures.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduced a country-wide alert system, indicating the level of threat t h e virus

currently poses.

On 23 March, Ardern announced that the alert level would be put to three and all schools would close.

She also announced that on 26 March, the alert level would be put to four, a country-wide lockdown. By 20 April, there were only nine new cases, however, Ardern extended the lockdown by another week to ‘lock in the gains’ made against the virus. By 27 April, the country was

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson Image: Pippa Fowles

down to less than 10 new cases daily and began lifting measures.

Jacinda Ardern has received international recognition for her clear messaging and strong leadership in the face of this global pandemic.

To draw any firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the UK’s response to COVID-19 at this point would be irresponsible. The crisis is still panning out, with a second wave being a strong possibility. However, there are some comparisons that can be made.

The UK Government reduced the number of deaths considerably by enacting lockdown measures.

Within two weeks, the number of daily cases began dropping in direct response to this. It’s too early to compare Sweden’s response to the UK’s but preliminary numbers

indicate that the disease is persisting in Sweden whilst it begins to disappear from other countries. This indicates that by failing to implement a mandatory lockdown, the disease continues to spread.

From New Zealand and Italy’s response, it’s clear the UK would have benefited from an earlier response to the virus. The UK was on nearly 1,000 daily cases before lockdown measures were enacted.

Two months later, the UK is still coping with the virus whereas in New Zealand there are nearly zero daily cases and Italy has a lower total death toll, despite having an older population.

Another criticism of the British Government was clarity. When lockdown measures were to be eased, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the country, setting

out the roadmap to the end of lockdown. The public reception, however, suggests that the message was unclear and insufficient. Over the following days, government ministers had to set out what the new rules were again, and more clearly. This confusion did nothing to ease the public’s mind about the future of the country. Again, by drawing a comparison to Ardern, New Zealand had clear messaging by their PM. The rules for each alert level were set out and there was little confusion in the country about what was permitted. Whilst the clarity of the UK Government’s messaging wasn’t nearly as bad as the USA, it still led to some confusion and people unknowingly breaking lockdown rules.

When the crisis is over, it will be easier to draw direct comparisons. If a second wave of the virus appears, countries may want to enact more lockdowns. However, with a global recession on the horizon, they may be more reluctant to shut down their economies again. Only time will tell which countries approached the crisis in the best way.

US President Donald Trump Image: White House

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Wednesday 27 May 2020

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Features

Finding your own University experience: everyone is different!

Katerina Vyurkova and Stephanie Lam share their thoughts on adjusting to University life as an international student and making friends Katerina Vyurkova Features Contributor

A university is a melting pot for ethnicities. It is a rainbow painted in endless colours of global cultures and it is the best representation of globalisation’s permanent presence in the UK despite the recent political developments.

As students flock from all corners of the world to a place they may have never been acquainted with before, the rose-tinted glasses they come in wearing, filled with excitement and a sense of adventure, soon fall off and the gloomy reality hits in.

They might not understand the local dialect and dislike the national cuisine; they don’t see anyone like them, the people’s mentality may seem just too complex to understand, and they might find the sky too grey and the wind too cold. With time, they start feeling like they are all on their own.

Understandably, students instinctively crave interaction with those who come from the same country as them. They share so many things together, the language, Stephanine Lam Features Contributor

Growing up in a Chinese-American household, I liked to believe I was proud to belong to two different cultures. It wasn’t until I walked into the Students’ Union for the first time and noticed a group of Chinese international students sitting and chatting with one another that I realised this might not have been entirely true. I’m embarrassed to say that, instead of approaching them, I instinctively hid behind a large Varsity poster to avoid being noticed. Yet my hesitation to reach out to the Chinese students wasn’t me rejecting my heritage, but feeling intimidated by it.

At home, I learned to speak both Mandarin and Cantonese and I enjoyed partaking in Chinese customs and holidays. However, I always identified more with the American culture. I found that channeling my inner ‘American’ tastes and preferences helped me get along with my friends and

love for their food, inside jokes and anything else that screams ‘home’.’

This cultural and ethnic support really may start filling students’ hearts with hope that life in a foreign land may not be as bleak as they first have thought.

New life in a novel place may have

We are part of the country or ethnic group that brought us into the world, so why hide away from the beauty of that? other difficulties too. In times of crisis and emergency, people’s first instinct is to unite with those who they feel they can trust. When you are surrounded by those similar to you, anyone will start feeling more protected and guarded against any challenge that comes their way.

Even if they’ve never met before, knowing that they share something so integral to both of their identities may well uplift them, as they can

classmates back home. But here, I found it set me apart from the students from China or Hong Kong.

When I first started interacting with the Chinese students in my course I felt a bit awkward.

We didn’t grow up in the same environment, so I couldn’t relate to their conversations about how different the British schools systems were. My Mandarin and Cantonese speaking skills are both poor, so it was sometimes hard to translate certain words during a conversation. Nonetheless, once I got past my initial hesitation, I realised that integrating myself with people of my ethnicity was a blessing in disguise. In time I found myself learning more about my roots, being introduced to new foods and mainstream media that helped me acquire a better understanding of Chinese culture. I also found that interacting with Chinese students gave me a sense of belonging.

My positive experience is only one of many and it should be an

be certain that they can all lend a helping hand to each other in a way that no one else can.

Yet, there’s always a ‘but.’ While the ‘university experience’ may have different meanings to each person, it is still a journey that helps everyone grow and learn how to jump over obstacles on their own. Some may simply want to focus on their studies and get the grades they need, without putting themselves through the gruelling process of stepping out of comfort zones. Leaving all they knew too well behind already feels like a gigantic step in their progress of self-development and all they want is peaceful companionship with those that understand them more than anybody else in that peculiar place.

Others, however, regard university as a time to truly discover oneself. It is undeniable that our culture, language and especially ethnicity shape the fundamentals of our internal mechanism. We are, and always will be, part of the country or ethnic group that has brought us into this world. So, why continue hiding away from the beauty of letting go

of everything that we think makes us up, and open up to something completely, drastically and scarily new within us?

There are so many things to

indication that university students coming from outside the UK should seek to connect with people in their ethnicity group. Social Science professors at Bangor University published an article last year explaining that when students are far away from home, they can go through a series of changes that will eventually shape who they are as individuals. The article pointed out that when they chose to make acquaintances with members of their ethnicity, it helped ground them. While it is certainly not the only g r o u p students can find a sense of

belonging in, it is the one that offers a sense of familiarity even from the initial interaction. According to the article, when students establish a sense of belonging, it improves their social and behavioral functions; this in turn helps them succeed both mentally and academically in their courses.

Opinions tend to vary on whether or not it is beneficial to be surrounded by people of your culture when

Regardless, it should be open to those that genuinely respect one another, and there are no boundaries miss out on. Learning how to rely on oneself and not your ethnic neighbours, building unexpected friendships and closing the gap between those that seem so ‘other,’ immersing oneself into the ethnic kaleidoscope of the student community, learning about others’ worldviews and life experiences and seeing the world for what it is; a limitless flow of contrasting representatives of humanity.

Anyone is free to build any type of nest they like in a new place. If they

prefer to grant the access to this nest only to those that are just like them, so be it. Regardless, it should be open to those that genuinely respect and care for one another, and there are no ethnic boundaries for human emotions.

To stop feeling like an ‘other,’ it’s important to recognise you might be viewing others like that too.

To dive into a fulfilling university experience, consider taking the chance to meet some new people, joining a society or sport is a good start as you will most likely find someone with a common interest.

At the end of the day, there’s no harm in giving it a go!

in a foreign country. However, there is no denying that, particularly in periods of uncertainty, people of the same ethnic group band together.

Now when I see a group of students from China and Hong Kong, I go over and introduce myself. They might laugh at my accent and I might not understand their Chinese pop culture references, but in the end it’s nice to know I’m still accepted for who I am.

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Features

Women’s workplaces should no longer reflect that of Bridget Jones’ Diary Betty Wilson Features Contributor

We have all watched that scene in Bridget Jones’ Diary where Daniel Cleaver (Bridget’s boss, played

by Hugh Grant) emails her on the work computer about her lack of skirt, and we all laughed. Even now, in 2020, we still want to laugh. But this is a prime example of sexual harassment in the workplace and it’s not funny.

There is a difference between not harassing someone because it’s against a code of conduct or because it is deeply inappropriate

52%

of women have experienced some level of sexual harassment in the workplace

from someone in a position of authority over the victim: a boss, manager, or a more experienced coworker, someone who could impact wages, promotions or whether the woman even gets to keep their job. However, 80 per cent of the women affected did not report the issue and for many, reporting would have

Sh avid Image: D

Recent months saw 67-yearold Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years imprisonment for rape and sexual assault and many view this as a massive victory for the #MeToo movement.

Yet this is just the beginning of the fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the workplace. There is still so much more work that needs to be done. This isn’t about calling out every man who has ever harassed a woman in the workplace, it is about making sure that no-one else gets harassed. It is just as much about legal changes to protect women as it is about changing societal attitudes towards sexual harassment in the workplace.

As non-profit organisation Silence Breakers Alliance said: “[Weinstein] is going to jail - but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused.”

Harvey Weinstein is just one - very high-profile - man, but this is not a singular issue. It is happening everywhere, from Hollywood to your local office job, in big businesses and in small. And now is the moment to realise this is so much larger than it may at first appear. Recent statistics suggest

that 52 per cent of women have experienced some level of sexual harassment in the workplace, a figure that is significantly higher amongst 16-24 year olds, LGBT+ people and women of colour. 20 per cent of these cases have come

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threatened their career or their personal safety.

Yet this is not just an issue of sexual harassment, it is a wider problem that impacts all women in the workplace. Whether that is being 16-years-old and having a stranger flirt with you whilst you serve them coffee, or being penalised for wanting to have children and maintain your career or, like Bridget Jones, receiving sexualised emails regarding your outfit choices; being a working woman seems to be synonymous with dealing with these inappropriate behaviours from men.

Perhaps the most frequently discussed workplace issue for

women is the gender pay gap.

Currently in the U.K, the current gap for full time employees stands at 8.9 per cent with 78 per cent of big companies reporting a favouring of men when it comes

It’s just as much about legal changes to protect women as it is about changing societal attitudes towards sexual harassment in the workplace to wages. This meant that in 2019, women were effectively working for free from 14 November until the end of the year. That’s 34 days, excluding Christmas. The reasons for this are all connected to everyday sexism that has embedded itself in society: nearly 70 per cent of women will accept the salary they are offered without any negotiation (possibly due in part to a fear of male authority figures) compared to only 52 per cent of men. 43 per cent of women face maternity discrimination and often take up the main caregiving role in the home despite the impact this could have on their careers. Although women now surpass men in educational achievement, they still only make up less than five per cent of CEOs. This shows that women are not taken as seriously in the workplace as men, leaving ample room for sexual harassment and assaults to continue regardless of the growing #MeToo movement.

Progress is being made, albeit slowly and not nearly as drastically as needed.

Despite gender discrimination being covered

by Section 13 of the Equality Act (2010), as of June 2019, employers still had no legal duty to protect employees against sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, but are often liable for any harassment that does occur.

Nowadays most companies have a written code of conduct which warns against sexual harassment

and assault but this still isn’t enough. Legality is only one side of the solution. In order to truly end this problem affecting women in the workplace, vast changes in social attitudes need to take place.

There is a difference between not harassing someone because it is against the company code of conduct versus because you know it is deeply inappropriate.

78%

of big companies reported more favourable pay packets for men when compared to women

Alongside official policies, more and more businesses are working to promote a better working environment for all genders. This includes offering clear training on sexual harassment, as well as re-evaluating the requirements for promotions and managerial roles to give women a more equal opportunity to succeed in their careers. If all companies were willing to provide these opportunities, attitudes and policies would change at a much faster rate and the workplace would become a much friendlier environment not just for women but for everyone.

Overall, the world is moving

forwards in the fight against sexual assault and against harassment.

Harvey Weinstein’s sentence proves that even the most powerful of men can be brought to justice for these crimes, but his sentence came out of mass media coverage and pressures to set an

Women now surpass men in educational achievement, but still make up less than five per cent of CEOs example. Now that example has been set, it needs to be implicated in all workplaces to ensure that women are safe and protected both legally and socially. Change is going to come but we don’t need to sit around and wait for it. This is the time to keep speaking up, to keep calling out others’ behaviour and to check our own in certain situations. Stop laughing at scenes like the one in Bridget Jones and maybe, sooner rather than later, the workplace will be a safe and equal place for everyone.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

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Jack Mattless and Jack Redfern Opinion Editors

Opinion

Hello readers, we hope you’re all well and keeping safe. Forge Press wants to stay connected in this time with online issues and here at Opinion we want to keep you all up to date with what our contributors have to say.

We have a piece on the Democratic nominee for President, Joe Biden, and a piece, in line with Mental Health Awareness Week, on mental

health medication.

We’ve also a piece from Alice Preece on online learning, another on the ongoing debate of STEM versus Arts subjects and a piece on exams from our new Editor-inChief, Kate Procter.

And finally, on that note, we’d like to welcome our two new section Editors, Ella Craig and Taylor Ogle.

We have loved working on Opinion and it’s nice to know it’s being passed on into safe hands.

“Democrats would rather lose with Biden than win with Bernie” Josh Thory-Rao Opinion Contributor

The existence of a neoliberal consensus in the west for the last 40 years has meant even ‘progressive’ leaders such as Barack Obama and Tony Blair have done little to transform society for the working class whilst still embarking on disastrous foreign policy escapades.

This was perhaps why it was so inspiring for someone like Bernie Sanders to be in the running for the US presidency.

He may not be as left-wing as some of his UK counterparts, but he would have provided a break from the dreary carousel of candidates that both the Democratic and Republican parties have been producing for decades.

Unfortunately, establishment Democrats have had their way, with Joe Biden winning

Presumptive Democratic nominee, former VicePresident Joe Biden Image: Gage Skidmore

A campus return should be for Arts and Humanities too, not just STEM students Ciara O’Sullivan Opinion Contributor

The continued dismissal of Arts and Humanities degrees as inferior is now manifesting through potential plans to bring STEM students back to university first. The coronavirus crisis is not to be understated and there is a definite need to limit interaction between students, however, as soon as it is deemed safe for STEM students to return to campus, Arts and Humanities should be allowed to as well.

People argue that the return of STEM students is more urgent as their courses require rigorous practicals using expensive equipment. This is compounded by the idea that humanities courses are only about reading and writing, rather than being dependent on heavy machinery. However, seminars and discussion groups are a really important part of the way Arts and Humanities students process and consolidate their

knowledge, which is often hugely complex. For this reason, it is of similar importance that they too have access to University buildings.

It makes sense that to deal with the return to campus, ‘necessary’ or ‘essential’ aspects of a course will be conducted with less people, vigilant hygiene, and social distancing. Why can’t students doing literaturebased subjects also take part in classes, whilst keeping these measures in mind?

Arts and Humanities students are all too familiar with the argument that STEM subjects are more important. In fact, as a society, we continually undervalue Arts and Humanities. These subjects are all about humans, why and how we interact with each other, and cultures. Arts and humanities can teach us where we went wrong in the past, and how we can make the best of the future. They are all about nurturing and knowing about each other. The way subjects such as history, psychology, philosophy,

sociology and arts have been disregarded is a modern capitalist scandal. It is disappointing that even institutions such as universities are complicit in the continued and systematic dismissal of Arts and Humanities students.

The vast majority of students

Jessop West, a popular haunt for Arts and Humanities students everywhere Image: The University of Sheffield

the nomination to run for president; a man who is offering essentially the same platform that Hilary Clinton lost on in 2016, i.e. not being Donald Trump. The Democratic Party is expecting Sanders supporters to fall in line and ‘unite’ to beat Trump but why should left-wing independents vote for a candidate who is offering none of the policies which they have been calling for?

Aside from his lack of a policy platform , Biden’s history on LGBT+ and race issues is extremely problematic. Not only was he against gay marriage until the 2010s, but justice policies he spearheaded as a Senator for Delaware hurt the state’s black communities disproportionately.

Democrats have no right to expect Sanders supporters to vote for Biden when he offers no significant alternative to Trump on either moral

or socio-economic issues. And crucially, Democrats claim the key objective is to beat Trump, but Trump won on an anti-establishment platform in 2016 and he will surely do this again against Biden. The party knows this, and they know Sanders could have garnered the popular support to have won; they would rather lose with Biden than win with Sanders.

Sanders was not perfect on all counts – his foreign policy, for example, is far more interventionist than someone like Jeremy Corbyn (having voted for wars in Libya, Afghanistan and intervention in Yugoslavia) – but in the context of US politics he represented a clear break from the status quo and in this regard he was not just the obvious candidate to beat Trump, but also someone who would try to use that victory to transform US society.

have struggled with the transition to online learning through this pandemic, not just STEM students.

Grappling with online lectures and unreliable Wi-Fi has been challenging for most. To make Arts and Humanities students wait longer for normality than STEM students sends a clear message that their degrees are not worth the same. It reinforces the idea that STEM are essential subjects, and

too important to be compromised.

Instead, Arts and Humanities are the obvious subjects to be sacrificed at this time of crisis, where efforts can be allocated and focused to ‘more important’ disciplines only.

This is misguided, given their true value, and bolsters already pervasive discrimination against non-STEM subjects.

14

Opinion

forgetoday.com

Discouraging medication for mental health is another form of stigmatisation Sophie Elwin Opinion Contributor

I recently read a Daily Telegraph article titled “We are a sedated society: the rise in antidepressants during lockdown”. It was published at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week, yet it further stigmatises mental health and mental illness treatments.

It isn’t surprising that cases of mental illness have risen since mid-March. A global pandemic is incredibly scary and stressful for anyone, let alone if you have existing mental health conditions. Mental health awareness week has arguably never come at a better time.

This is why articles such as those in The Telegraph are so disheartening.

The author of the article posited that GP’s are too “trigger-happy” with antidepressant prescriptions. It cited a 15 per cent rise in antidepressant prescriptions since March as evidence for this. John Read, Professor in Clinical Psychology,was quoted saying that as a nation we are “sedated”, and that medication

is not the best solution for mental illness, yet patients and GPs seem to think it is.

The difficulty of gaining longterm therapy through the NHS was partly blamed, although Read didn’t cite therapy as a major solution either. He said we should look to non-medical solutions such as ‘social prescribing’, where volunteering, gardening, socialising, and sports are encouraged. Ask anyone who has suffered with depression or anxiety, doing some gardening or playing tennis does not provide them with the help or support they require to be healthy and happy. This concept of ‘curing’ depression or mental illness with fresh air, socialisation and hobbies has been around since discussions of mental health began; it’s time we shake off this problematic view.

Many people need medication in order to function properly, to get out of bed and just get through the day.

No one wants to rely on medication for this, I’m pretty sure anyone suffering with mental illness wishes they could come off their medication

and instead meet up with friends, go on a run and volunteer in order to feel better. But this just isn’t the reality. Therapy is important, and it works incredibly well for many people. However, waiting lists can be long, and during lockdown therapy appointments are done via Zoom or Skype, which can put people off due to the lack of in-person connection.

I have seen first-hand how mental illness can truly affect people, how it sucks the life out of them and causes so much pain. Articles like this one which label those who, due to no fault of their own, require antidepressants to function, to feel happiness or to quell their crushing anxiety, as “sedated people” who had “trigger-happy” doctors are disgraceful.

It shames them and further stigmatises mental health whilst simultaneously belittling it by suggesting coping techniques such as gardening. Worst of all, it has been published during a week where such stigmatisation is supposed to be highlighted as outdated, offensive, and unproductive.

The University of Sheffield’s campus media Check out forgetoday.com for more

‘Coping techniques’ such as gardening risk undermining mental health Image: Pixabay

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

15

Opinion

£9,250 a year for an online journalism course? Alice Preece isn’t so sure

The Class of 2021 face finishing their degrees online-only next year Image: Pixabay Alice Preece Opinion Contributor

£9,250 a year. For what?

Online lectures with buffering videos and constant audio cut outs.

A university experience with no nights out, no seminar debates and no teaching of practical skills.

This could be the reality students face next year.

Universities were extremely quick to shut down in response to the coronavirus. They handled the lockdown incredibly well and transitioned to online learning very quickly. For most, there were only a few more assessments left anyway – it didn’t have to be a big deal. This was always going to be temporary.

But now, Cambridge has announced all lectures will be

moving online for the full 2020/21 academic year and other universities are set to follow suit.

There’s just one small problem: online learning doesn’t work in the

Universities cannot make up for the missed content through online lecture - they will never replicate real interaction long run. This morning I sat at my computer ready to take an online mock exam. About 20 minutes in, an error message popped up: “Your computer has problems connecting to the server.”

Okay, so what now? I could still see the online clock ticking down, minute by minute, but I was unable to carry on typing because of this annoying little pop up message.

I refreshed the page (I seemed to have no other option) and then I watched as my exam disappeared, along with my only chance to practice before I sit the test that determines what degree classification I’ll receive at the end of next year.

In my actual exam invigilators will be watching me via Zoom to help me if anything like that happens unless, of course, the extra pressure put on my internet connection from a video call stops me from being able to access the online test at all.

Between the strikes and early end to the year, students have missed out on so much valuable teaching

Don’t miss your chance to get involved in student groups - it’s never too late Ben Warner Editor-in-Chief

For my entire first year at uni, I wasn’t that bothered about getting involved with the Students’ Union, more interested in watching football in The Edge Bar or attempting to get coursework done.

Now, as I come to the end of my fourth (and probably final) year in Sheffield, I’m incredibly glad that I changed that mentality – and if you’re reading this in the same boat as I was, I’d strongly encourage you to get involved too.

If there’s something you can do in the Students’ Union, it’s a good bet I’ve done it, from being on committees, representing my department on SU Council for two years, filling up the Bar One

tills single handedly, and even (unsuccessfully, I might add) running for an SU Officer position.

In doing all this, not only have I built up some valuable life skills in working as part of a team, developing and achieving long-term goals and managing a budget, but I’ve also made a whole bunch of friends I never would’ve met otherwise, and had some great experiences like going to London to report on free education marches and planning this year’s Student Publication Association National Conference.

This year has been wonderful, leading this paper through some great, and some slightly more difficult, times and seeing the committee grow into the amazing team that has produced this paper, and I truly couldn’t have asked for

anything else from my final year.

All of this is a roundabout way of telling you not to waste the opportunity you have in Sheffield, to get involved with the best Students’ Union in the country, as there’ll definitely be something up your street, from dozens of national and cultural societies, working and representative committees, political groups, or even if you just fancy playing a bit of Pokémon.

Next year is going to be a strange one, but our student groups will persist, and it’s never too late to get involved with the amazing things they do.

time. Universities cannot make up for the missed content through online lectures – they will never replicate the real interaction that

What happens when I go to an employer and I don’t have any of the knowledge I should’ve learnt at university? students pay for within a lecture hall. Online teaching is passive, not engaging and quite frankly, boring.

How on earth I can be expected to complete a journalism degree and learn how to use audio and video equipment without leaving my room

is beyond me.

I’m sure the university will keep me happy though – they’ll hand me a 2.1 and hope I leave them alone.

But what happens when I go to an employer and I don’t have any of the knowledge I should’ve learnt over my three years at university?

At the end of a day, we’ve paid for a service. And we aren’t receiving it.

So, when 10-year-olds return to their free education in June, I’ll be sitting at home watching my bank account descend into chaos as I try to determine whether I can justify paying nine grand for an education I’m not actually benefiting from.

Campaigning 101: How Not to Win an Election Image: Ben Warner

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16

Lifestyle

Em Evans, Taylor Ogle, Claire Gelhaus and Eve Thomas Lifestyle Editors

Welcome to the final issue of this academic year! We would also like to introduce your new Lifestyle Editors for next year - Claire and Eve! They will be here to deliver you content throughout summer and next year.

For issue 145 we have various articles that will be sure to spark your creative side during lockdown.

Check out Claire’s piece on her

experience sending hand-written letters to loved ones to inspire you into doing the same. We also have a piece on how to bake the best banana bread - that’s if you haven’t done so yet! Everyone is experiencing lockdown differently and that’s mainly down to who we are spending it with. On page 18 we have six different perspectives on relationships throughout this time that you might find you relate with too.

Sending hand-written letters to relatives While we’re all spread across the globe sheltered in our own communities, communication is a necessity. Instead of FaceTiming or texting, I wrote letters to friends and family and realised the meaningful message a hand-written letter gives a loved one.

Claire Gelhaus Lifestyle Editor

Historically, in times of crisis and war, letters sent from one family unit to another, to friends and dear ones, act as time capsules of unbelievable circumstances.

Whole books reprint these correspondences by letter; they record our history, what is hidden and public, and dear declarations of love. To me, it only makes sense that antiquated ways would return in difficulty as touching tokens of care, and ways to make more of an effort for contact than a text or social media post can.

Almost two months ago I left Sheffield and returned home to the US because of COVID-19, with only enough time to hastily pack what I thought was necessary. It was tough to leave my friends and most of my belongings for an undetermined amount of time. Since then, I’ve kept in contact with all my friends.

But the routine of waking up early for a UK-time lecture and a day full

of work just to sit around and maybe talk to a friend became so dull, our conversations all sounded the same.

And really, after a while, what else is there to say? Hometown drama plucked over and “how are you?”’s exhausted, I picked up letter-writing again.

From my own experience, a good way to start a letter is by describing your day ... adding in questions so that the recipient is more likely to respond I imagined my friends and family opening their mailboxes and digging through bills to find a real letter, and I hoped it would brighten their days. I know it’s outdated and timeconsuming, but what I enjoy is the idea of it all, the fun stationery, the

way I could ramble or be short, and in the end it was a letter. Just the same as any other letter written for years and years. I could write the most deeply emotional, soul-baring, or long and funny (dinner-describing) correspondences. And there was something to look forward to on my end - something to mark the days.

It became as if I was ripping out the pages in my journal to mail to a friend, an ocean away. In selfmade fear of them being too boring I even included something extra, a drawing, a sticker, some pressed flowers. Against the instant delivery of a text, the thought of a dear friend taking the same care in responding as I did felt much more meaningful.

There’s so many ways to make use of a letter, something so simple as written words can be so significant: your style of handwriting, the subject and structure of your letters.

From my own experience, a good way to start a letter is by describing the best part of your day and then I sometimes pick a prompt to write

about, adding in questions so that the recipient is more likely to respond. Some examples of these are what was the first thing on my mind that day, what I will miss about now, a time I laughed really hard recently.

I know it can be difficult too, and not all letters (or conversations) have to be cheery- I think just sincere attempts to connect are important.

And if you don’t want to put pen to paper, the app Slowly lets you make penpals from your phone and the mailing time depends on where you and your penpal live. Matches with strangers are made based on common interests and languagesand a nickname and avatar is all you need, or you can add friends you know from their own unique code.

I downloaded Slowly a month ago, and since then have corresponded with people from many different countries about museums, travelling, books I’ve read and TV shows we’ve both watched. It’s such a friendly way to feel like we really are all alike.

Perhaps there’s something to be said about the power of taking the time to send a message. During the American special election season, handwritten postcards replaced digital messages to send to voters in key swing states. A huge effort of 10 million postcards were sent and my own family received two. The idea is the same behind my messages to my friends. When swamped with bills and ads constantly, the bright spot of a hand-written note inside your mailbox means people are more likely to read it and open it. A plea to vote from a far-off stranger, in their print, becomes a call to action.

Writing letters has become a way for me to feel good about the things I am creating and doing during such a surreal and lonely era. My own letters might not be historically significant, but each one I receive I save in a box, safely tucked into its own envelope, and I imagine my friends and family have their own archives to keep their history, too.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

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Lifestyle

Recipe: the perfect lockdown banana bread Uditi Singh Lifestyle Contributor

I love banana bread. Even more so because most recipes are super simple and easy to put together.

But sometimes some folks, myself included, may not have access to an electric whisk. So, by melting the butter, we can eliminate the process of creaming entirely - no electric mixer needed! Take it one step further and brown the butter so that you’ve got a banana bread that is flavourful, moist, and downright delicious.

EQUIPMENT: An 8x5 inch loaf pan (but realistically, use whatever you have!)

Cooking spray, or melted butter A whisk, or a fork Potato masher (optional)

Spatula or wooden spoon Mixing bowl INGREDIENTS: Eight tablespoons/113gms unsalted butter One cup/220gms granulated sugar Two large eggs ¼ cup milk One teaspoon vanilla extract Four medium bananas, very ripe Two cups/300gms all-purpose flour One teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup/55gms chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional) METHOD: 1) Preheat the oven to 180°c and spray the loaf pan with cooking spray or use melted butter.

2) Melt the butter in a saucepan

and stir until the milk solids in the butter begin to toast. It will bubble and foam first and then turn a golden colour. This takes 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Be careful to not let it burn!

3) Whisk the melted, slightly cooled butter and sugar together and add the eggs, one at a time, until combined and smooth.

4) Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until combined.

5) Peel the bananas and add them into the batter. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash them in.

6) Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Switch to a spatula or a wooden spoon and stir the mixture together. Stop mixing when there is no more dry flour visible. If using - fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips.

7) Pour the batter into the loaf

pan. Use the spatula to smooth the surface of the batter.

8) Bake for 50 to 65 minutes until the top of the banana bread is a dark golden brown. Keep an eye on it as ovens can vary.

9) Take the loaf pan out of the oven and cool the banana bread for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edge and take it out of the pan and cool for a further 10 minutes.

10) Serve and enjoy!

How to get planning for post-lockdown travel adventures

With the world at our fingertips thanks to the internet and with a bit of creativity, exploring is still possible. Look no further than your sofa; with the help of a laptop, get planning your next trip away and immerse yourself in virtual tours, languages and cultures from all over the world.

Charlotte Crompton Lifestyle Contributor

With all the time we have on our hands during lockdown, there has never been a greater opportunity to research your dream travel destinations and get prepared for next summer. If you’re thinking of going interrailing or backpacking for weeks on end, then the planning could take a while. Utilise lockdown to research the best routes to take, things to do on the way, and hostels to stay in. Waste no time on your travels by finding out now the best attractions, beaches and eateries for wherever your desired destination may be.

In your preparation you could also: Create a bucket list of places you would love to see and things you want to do to tick off on your travels.

Research ways to reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably while travelling.

Get ahead of the game now and make a budgeting strategy if you plan to be on the road for many months.

You may feel a headache coming on just from the thought of planning a huge trip, but there’s no need to stress - you have the opportunity to take your time researching routes and immersing yourself in cultures

across the globe before you leave your front door.

Google gives you access to practically anywhere on earth and can be a great way to identify which places you like the look of and would like to visit in real life. From European cities to America’s national parks, you will never feel underwhelmed arriving somewhere that you have already checked out on Google Earth.

Google Earth is a gift from the travelling Gods to explorers stuck at home, and is the perfect way to see what the world has to offer Virtual tours will definitely be the best solution for a summer jeopardised by COVID-19. There are some incredible virtual tours available of palaces, volcanoes, mountains, natural wonders and many, many more. If you’re getting bored of doing laps around your local park, try a virtual hike up Machu Picchu or marvel at the Taj Mahal. Whether you’re after a holiday exploring nature, visiting landmarks, or browsing around

galleries, there will be a virtual tour for you.

Even without virtual exploring, there are a number of ways to immerse yourself in different cultures around the world from home. Here’s a few ideas: Listen to language teaching podcasts and get to grips with the lingo of your travel destination of choice.

Have a listen to the Coffee Break podcast series on Spotify which gives lessons in Spanish, French, Italian and German or subscribe to travel podcasts such as Women Who Travel to hear other people’s travel adventures.

Listen to the ‘Top 50’ hits on Spotify of any country you fancy.

Try a virtual cooking class and dabble in exotic cuisines or browse through an international cookbook.

Escape to a new destination through Netflix’s variety of travel movies.

There are loads of films on Netflix available for your streaming pleasure that could inspire

your next trip. Have a look at these: Up In the Air (2009), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Lion (2016), Lost In Translation (2003), Roma (2018), Eat Pray Love (2010).

While we have the time, have a look on BBC iPlayer and binge watch some travel-themed TV programmes. A few good ones are: Planet Earth, Race Across the World, The Real Marigold Hotel, Blue Planet II, The Americas with Simon Reeve and The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan.

Indulge in some travel books from around the world and impress your

future travelling companions with your newly acquired knowledge of culture.

Though it may not be as exciting as the real thing, virtual travel during lockdown is a fun alternative and useful for planning future trips. There are also many ways to transport yourself through film, music, podcasts and literature to any destination that you desire.

18

Lifestyle

forgetoday.com

Perspectives on relationships during lockdown Every lockdown experience is different, and it’s mainly down to the people we are sharing it with. Whether it be with family, friends, partners or alone, gaining some perspective on the unique circumstances that people are currently living in can allow us to think differently about our own experience and encourage us to think a little more positively. Here we have six different lockdown perspectives that you might be able to relate to.

Virtual Netflixing by Eve Thomas A national lockdown has challenges of every shape and size, but many couples across the world are sharing in the same long-distanceshaped challenge. For many, this will be the first time they’ve done long-distance, but not so for my boyfriend and I. He lives in Essex, over 150 miles from Sheffield, so long-distance is no stranger to us.

This situation is particularly frustrating because he works long hours, so now that he’s furloughed and at home all day, it’s painfully ironic that I can’t see him: the one opportunity to spend more than a weekend together is no opportunity at all. Of course, our frustrations pale in comparison to the struggles of many at this time: we’re financially stable, have happy family lives and are in good health. However, as we’re all discovering, the lockdown is long and hard when you miss someone.

We cope mostly with FaceTime. Sometimes we chat, and sometimes we’re just doing our own thing quietly on either end of the phone. We’ve started watching TV series in sync with one another. We’ll load everything up on the telly (Last Tango in Halifax, Luther, and After Life so far) and one of us will count down from three so that we hit the play button together.

There are moments I feel the whole situation is unfair; relationships take time, but perhaps it’s also an opportunity to grow together.

A bumpy start with a happy resolution by Sophie Elwin I was a little grumpy (to say the least) about moving back home. I love my family; they are incredibly supportive and I enjoy their company, yet I always find myself happier when in Sheffield. I just feel more ‘me’ there. When I first moved home, I was upset and irritated that I wasn’t at uni for my final semester.

Add in the stress of looming deadlines and worries about life post-graduation, I wasn’t the easiest person to be around. I had stupid fights with my brother and parents, often quoting “you just don’t understand!”, making me feel 15 again.

The tensions of the first few weeks calmed as we all settled into a new routine.

I now spend most of my day focusing on uni work in my room but always have lunch and dinner with my family. We have a quiz night once a week and go on family cycles every Thursday. This way I feel like I have enough time to myself whilst also getting to enjoy more quality time with my family than I have ever done before. My mum and I watch TV every night which I love (I introduced her to Gavin & Stacey!), and I am getting to bond lots with my gorgeous pets.

Overall, my relationship with my family has been okay. It was a bumpy start and since then there have been ups and downs, but I am grateful to be in lockdown with people who I truly love and who look after me.

A home away from home by Emily Evans At the point that lockdown was announced, I was adamant about making the experience as exciting as possible. Since money would no longer be spent in pubs and cafes, lockdown presented an opportunity to host ‘Come Dine With Me’ challenges and watch every film under the sun, with the few friends that decided not to return home. The whole concept of this seemed genuinely amusing to me at the time and one that was different to the typical student lifestyle - that was all until the missing of family and the boyfriend began to creep in.

Let’s just say that my current living situation is somewhat different; the first few weeks were filled with an overwhelming amount of pleasantries, a fight for the bathroom and a serious craving for privacy. At the end of the day, living with your boyfriend’s family at 21 is quite a unique experience, but it’s a choice that I’m thrilled I made. Not only has it been an ideal way to bond with his family, but it has also allowed me and Charlie to test whether living together is something that could work in the future after nine solid weeks, we can see that it definitely is. Just like many, I miss my family, but we can get through this together!

An experience with the significant other by Ella Craig Many people have gone through the lockdown months without seeing their partners and are envious when I tell them that I’m isolating with my boyfriend. Who wouldn’t want the constant movie nights in, eating snacks, playing games and taking each of these unprecedented days as they come, with their partner?

After living together for almost two years, I expected that lockdown with my boyfriend would be a walk in the park - excuse the irony.

Yet that’s not always the case. As with anyone, when living together, arguments are bound to happen. Usually, you would get some fresh air, meet a friend, grab a coffee and when you get back the argument is all forgotten. But with all these solutions unavailable because of the lockdown, it can be difficult after arguments.

We also tried to have days where we were apart, to the lockdown’s extent, getting on with our separate work. This meant we could talk about our separate days over dinner, adding a bit of normality back to these strange times.

However, on other days, the lockdown brought us closer. The excess spare time, while we are both furloughed, has given us the chance to go for walks together, watch the films on our watch-list and more importantly, be more open in conversations about our feelings and mental health.

Flatmates becoming family by Uditi Singh If there is anything I remember from fourth-grade social studies, it is this - “man is a social animal and cannot live in isolation.” This has never been truer than now. Even when we are advised to stay home for our own safety and the safety of those around us, we look for ways to build communities. We look for ways to strengthen the bonds that we already have, and sometimes even endeavour to build new ones. With the internet now at our fingertips, this has never been easier.

I have chosen to hunker down in Sheffield and luckily, all four of my flatmates are still here too. My flatmates are my family, my home away from home. We have more flat dinners together, I bake them cakes, we confide in each other.

We even had a mini fashion show one night! I feel like I’ve never been closer to them. We found comfort in each other when we thought we had lost it.

My advice would be to reach out as much as you are comfortable with.

Sometimes, you may find comfort in places you never thought it would be.

My friends are now scattered all across the globe, from Uruguay to Singapore.

Sure, I would much rather see them in person, but I am grateful for what I can get. I know it is frustrating to be away from your nearest and dearest.

Lovely letters to relatives by Eve Rafferty We’re so lucky to live in a world where our loved ones are just a few clicks away. Through video calls, phone calls, texting and having a conversation made entirely out of gifs, it’s easy to keep connected. Let’s not forget the classic family Zoom quizzes with your older relatives who struggle to figure out how it all works! To help cope with anxiety, I’ve been limiting my time on social media and technology and instead reserving time spent online for family and friends. It’s something I’d recommend if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the tidal wave of news updates and guidelines. A few hours of chatting each week isn’t a lot though and so I’ve been branching out into different communication styles. It may seem old-fashioned, but letter-writing has been my favourite way of staying in contact with those I love! Receiving a handwritten note in the post is such a special experience and gives you something to keep as a memento of this bizarre time. Not only is it exciting to send and receive, it allows you to take more time crafting your conversations and thoughts. Writing back and forth with my mum has helped us to grow closer, despite the distance between us. Why don’t you send a hand-written letter to someone to brighten their day?

Hone your skills, and relieve the quarantine boredom Introducing Forge Radio’s ‘Isolation Pod’

— No experience required — Record from home — Pitch your own ideas

Join ‘Forge Radio Isolation Pod’ on Facebook to get involved

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20

Luke Baldwin and Betty Wilson Break Editors

Break

As I’m writing this my left eye is incredibly swollen and the whole screen is blurry, but this will be the last time my name will be in this paper and I’m not going to miss out.

Five years ago I joined Forge Press on a whim. I wasn’t enjoying my time at uni and the Screen editor role seemed like a perfect distraction from what was going on in my

Quarantine Quiz

personal life. Now, having moved between various sections and roles, I can honestly say joining was one of the best decisions of my life.

Not only have I learnt so many skills, I have met some of the most wonderful friends I could ask for on Forge. Friends who I will cherish for the rest of my life, with whom I share some of my fondest memories.

But alas, I will be graduating this summer so my time on Forge has come to an end.

Are you tired of being forced to find fun questions for your weekly lockdown quiz with your mates? Have you answered every pub quiz on the Internet? Forge Press is here to help with 12 rounds of questions to keep you entertained! There’s 60 points to get in total!

The News

Geography

History

Science + Tech

Music

1. Adele shared a photo from her birthday which got lots of attention in the news, but can you tell me how old she is?

1. Can you name the mountains which make up the UK’s Three Peak Challenge?

1. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to which island after his defeat at Waterloo?

2. Bucharest is the capital city of which country?

2. England has been invaded many times, but in which year was it invaded twice?

1. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first people to set foot on the Moon, but what was the name of the third astronaut who stayed on board the shuttle?

1. These are the opening lyrics to which song? “I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills, I have to pay. Ain’t it sad?”

2. Elon Musk and Grimes gave birth to their first baby X Æ A-12. Grime tweeted four meanings behind the name, but can you tell me one of them?

3. Donald Trump stirred controversy when touring a face mask factory due to a song playing in the background. What was the song?

3. What river flows through the city of Rome?

4. What does D.C. stand for in Washington D.C.?

5. Denmark uses which currency?

4. Holly Willoughby resigned from which TV show after almost 12 years?

1.

4. Which Spartan king is said to have led 300 soldiers to defend against Persian invaders during the battle of Thermopylae in 480BC? 5. Christopher Colombus famously sailed to America in three ships, can you name one of them?

5. To the nearest million, how much money did Captain Tom raise for the NHS?

Catchphrase

3. The assassination of which head of state sparked the beginning of the First World War and is also the name of a Scottish rock band?

2. On the periodic table, what is the symbol for the element gold?

3. Who invented penicillin using mould which had grown on an old piece of bread?

4. Alan Turing famously cracked which German code during World War Two?

2. In 2014, Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst won Eurovision, but what song did she sing?

3. Who is the best-selling female musician of all time?

4. In 1962, Ringo Starr became The Beatles’ drummer. Who did he replace?

5. The molecular structure of DNA is said to be which shape?

5. This week, Lady Gaga released the single ‘Rain On Me’, but what is her real name?

4.

5.

Each of these strings of pictures allude to a film or TV show.

Can you figure out what it is?

2.

3.

of

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Picture Round

21

Here’s some pictures of me holding confectionery that has been cut in half. I was originally going to photoshop my hand out but I can’t be bothered. Can you work out what they are?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Art

Screen

Sport

Politics

Cryptic Clue

1. “They were the best of times, they were the worst of times” is a quote from which literary classic?

1. Parasite won the most Oscars at the most recent Academy Awards earlier this year, but how many did it win?

1. The green ball in snooker is worth how many points?

1. Along with France, UK, USA and Russia, who is the fifth permanent member of the UN Security Council?

These clues are the names of a band or musician. For example: “exploding baby cat” would be Atomic Kitten. Can you figure out who each one is?

2. Sonnets are written in what structure, denoting the number of syllables and rhythm of each line?

3. ‘The Scream’ was painted by which Norweigean expressionist?

4. Which Broadway production has won the most Tony Awards?

5. Can you name three cats from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats?

2. What is the name of the former army major who was accused of cheating his way to the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire jackpot in 2001?

2. Last year, which player scored the fastest Premier League goal of all time, scoring in just 7.69 seconds?

3. What is the maximum possible score in 10-pin bowling?

3. “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” is the tagline of which 1986 horror film?

4. What term is used for getting three under par on a golf hole?

4. “Beam me up Scotty”, “Luke, I am your father” and “Do you feel lucky punk?” all have what in common?

5. What is Muhammed Ali’s real name?

2. Who is the current speaker of the House of Commons?

3. What is the name of the 16th century manor house which acts as a country home for the Prime Minister?

4. The American Republican Party is often nicknamed the GOP. What does this stand for?

5. When was the first Labour government elected?

5. What street do The Simpsons live on?

3.Dark Knight 4.Twin Peaks

1.Tiger King 2.Shape of Water

Picture round

4.Wispa Gold 5.Lion Bar

1.Jaffa Cake 2.Boost 3.Twix

1.Four 2.Charles Ingram 3.The 4.Albatross 5.Cassius Clay

1.Three 2.Shane Long 3.300

5.Double helix

3.Alexander Fleming 4.Enigma 1.Michael Collins 2.Au

5.1924

3.Chequers 4.Grand Old Party

(Joanne, Angelina) Germanotta

3.Madonna 4.Pete Best 5.Stefani

1.China 2.Sir Lindsay Hoyle

1.‘Money, Money, Money’ by just Google it!

4.Celebrity Juice 5.33

Archangel 3.‘Live and Let Die’ Blackbird, A = favourite song:

ABBA 2. ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’

Politics

Catchphrase

5.Homeland

Fly 4.All misquotes 5.Evergreen

Art

1.Green Day 2.Iron Maiden (May-

Terrace

4.The Producers 5.There’s loads, Pentameter 3.Edvard Munch 1.Tale of Two Cities 2.Iambic

of favourite plane:

elven spelling of Ai, A-12 = name 1.32 2.X = unknown variable, Æ = of Columbia 5. Krone

Pike. 2.Romania 3.Tiber 4.District 1.Ben Nevis, Snowden, Scafell

History

Sport

Cryptic Clue

Den) 3.Little Mix 4.Linkin Park

Geography

Music

Screen

5.Bruno Mars

Science+Tech

2. I’ve made a little house out of metal to spend my month in.

3. I’ve put eggs, flour and sugar in a bowl but I’m only making a tiny cake.

4. He sent me the URL while I was by the swings.

5. Frank the boxer’s thinking of going to another planet.

The ANSWERS The News

1. Greta Thunberg, Natalie Bennett and The Grinch meet once a year. When do they meet?

1.St. Helena 2.1066 3.Franz Ferdinand 4.Leonidas 5.Santa Maria, Nina, Pinta

Good luck with your summer assessments, from all of us at Forge Press!

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

23

It’s been a fantastic year for Sheffield University’s societies and committees, raising loads of money, welcoming new members and adapting in the face of a global pandemic.

In tribute to them, we wanted to dedicate the final Society Spotlight section of the year not to any individual group, but to all of the wonderful student groups we have here in Sheffield.

Here’s to even more success in 2020/21!

forgetoday.com

24

Arts & Theatre

Kate Procter and Rosie Davenport Arts Editors

So this is it: the final Forge Press issue of the academic year. Looking back at all Rosie and I had planned to cover this semester provides some perspective on what we have missed out on these last few months: Countless comedy and theatre shows, art exhibitions, and performing festivals that have had to be postponed or cancelled.

The situation has provided some unexpected blessings, not least an abundance of dance and theatre performances accessible for free. However, never in our lifetime have so many venues and individuals been at financial risk.

Rosie and I have loved working on the Arts section and encourage you to support culture in the UK, and Sheffield in particular, in any way you can. We look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Images: Phlegm

FEATURE Jessica Forsyth Arts & Theatre Contributor

While the whole nation has been erecting rainbows in their windows to spread hope during lockdown with the multi-coloured symbol, street artists have been using this opportunity to spread the message of the importance of our key workers in a more permanent fashion.

Earlier this month, elusive street artist Banksy unveiled a new artwork titled ‘Game Changer’. His monochromatic piece pays tribute to healthcare workers worldwide, portraying a boy playing with a nurse superhero toy with figures of Batman and Spiderman in a waste basket on the floor. The nurse is wearing a cape, face mask and a white apron embellished with a red cross, and has her arm raised as if she is flying.

The work is currently on display to staff and patients in a corridor of Southampton General Hospital, and will later go on auction to raise money for the NHS. Banksy left a note for hospital workers, saying: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it’s only black and white.”

This is Banksy’s second piece of work during lockdown - in April, he posted images of a series of his signature stencilled rats causing mayhem in his bathroom during

How are street artists responding to lockdown? quarantine. The caption on the picture reads: “My wife hates it when I work from home.”

Unable to go outside, many street artists have, like Banksy, turned to Instagram to share new work.

Sheffield street artist, Phlegm (@ phlegm_art) has posted 76 times on Instagram since the pandemic began, the majority of them satire about current news, politicians statements or commending the work of key workers. A sketch of a tree covered in face masks, a group of people wearing masks captioned “bus stop getting busier as some workers return to work”, one of his infamously surreal figures holding up an oversized COVID-19 virus.

Speaking to Forge Press, he said: “I started the pandemic diary the day lockdown started. With the increasing worry about the whole world turning inside out it gave me a cathartic release and some work routine.

“As the weeks rolled on I realised it was important to just document what I felt and saw around me as the world slowly adjusts to changes in such a strange point in our lives.”

It isn’t clear whether these are political jabs or just observations,

Image: Banksy

but it does seem that the majority of them are satirising the problems of everyday people such as stock piling toilet roll or ‘staying alert’. Whatever the purpose of these posts they have been resonating with his Instagram followers, receiving comments like “...a welcome surprise during the global lockdown to be able feel your sense of humor through your recent drawings” and “I have LOVED all of your work during quarantine” becoming a common occurrence on the page.

London-based artist Chris

Shea, aka State of the Art (@ stateoftheart_), has been using his talent for good during lockdown,creating a nationwide symbol and campaign to raise money to support the NHS. The ‘Rainbow Boy’ campaign is based on the street artist’s depiction of a boy standing over a rainbow with a mask on. The artist is spraying this onto houses and walls around London as well as printing it on t-shirts in the hope of raising £20,000 on the JustGiving page, currently the total is at just under

£16,000. This is a clear and much more permanent version of what millions have been putting up in their front gardens and windows, as well as immortalising the dedicated and determined key workers we may have previously taken for granted.

Rather than a simple applause every Thursday, which has recently been criticised since it does little to help key workers, this is a proactive way in which we can support them now and ensure their work will not be forgotten.

Outside of the UK, French street artist Christian Guemy has been using his large fan base of 154,000 followers to raise money for a French hospital foundation by selling prints of a new piece of work. The print is an extremely colourful portrayal of a man and woman kissing with face masks covering their mouths.

The artist’s usual work consists of layered text and graphic drawings of people and always includes a wide colour spectrum. The piece perfectly depicts the loss of intimacy we feel from not being able to see, meet and touch the people we care about most, reminding us that we are not alone despite how difficult it must feel.

All this inspiring work has been exceptionally uplifting during lockdown. It shows how through hardship, we can remain united and motivated by art. Even a simple child’s rainbow stuck to a window can inspire us to keep going.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Arts & Theatre

Left: Pablo Picasso, Women at Their Toilette, Paris, winter 1937–38.

Photograph: Succession Picasso/DACS. Above: Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman, Mougins, 4 December 1962. Photograph: Succession Picasso/DACS.

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION REVIEW

Picasso and Paper Royal Academy of Arts Beth Whiteman Arts Contributor

When you hear the name Picasso, it’s likely the first image that comes to mind is of abstract, flat, disembodied shapes in a burst of colour and intersecting lines.

The Royal Academy of Arts current exhibition, Picasso and Paper, deconstructs not only Picasso’s signature style and the method behind his madness, but explores the unassuming medium that he utilised to great effect: paper.

Picasso collected a medley of paper from the luxurious to the humble: fine wallpaper, newspaper pages, postcards, invitations, hotel stationary, even napkins. Paper, to Picasso, was both technical and sensual, pattern, texture, and treatment, each diverse

characteristic presented infinite possibilities.

It feels odd, virtually viewing an exhibition where the emphasis is on the physical characteristics of an object. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to get the full effect of some works from a sweeping camera shot. From behind the fourth wall, we cannot truly gauge the scale and vivacity of the cardboard costumes designed by Picasso for the 1917 ballet production ‘Parade’, which incorporated Cubist elements (when the movement was still relatively avant-garde) and applied them to a traditionally genteel mode of performance.

Work that was created to be experienced as a spectacle can lose some of its panache when filtered through a screen, particularly when the soul of the work is vested in its spatial or textural qualities.

And yet, virtual tours can also bring new meaning and help us

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION REVIEW

Jakob Kudsk Steensen: Catharsis

Serpentine Gallery Stephanie Lam Arts Contributor

Upon logging on to Catharsis, a virtual art exhibition, viewers are immediately transported to another world. What was first a laptop screen is now replaced with an untouched, serene forest.

Catharsis, created by Danish artist and art director Jakob Kudsk Steensen, is a digital simulation that

uses audio and slow media to portray an “ideal ecosystem”. The physical exhibition was featured earlier this year at the Serpentine Gallery in London.

The three-and-a-half minute exhibition video begins at the bottom of a crystal blue lake. The camera then pans out to show vast images of Redwood trees and other forest vegetation. Viewers are taken further up the tree tops, until they can see a bird’s eye view

connect with artists on a deeper level.

It’s difficult to imagine we can relate to a figure who enjoyed both genius and admiration, and I must confess prior to this exhibition my experiences with Picasso left me relatively nonplussed, aside from one visceral viewing of his ‘Guernica’ (1937) masterpiece several years ago.

What struck me deeply however, when watching Picasso and Paper, was what we learn about Picasso and the currency of creation when he was, for once, limited in his powers.

At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Picasso and his then-partner Dora Maar left Paris for Royan on the French coast. Here he filled eight sketchbooks (three of which are featured in the exhibit) and while Picasso didn’t formally represent war in his work, one has to wonder if the sketchbooks he filled with sheep skulls and women weeping are actually an admission of fear at of a mountainous landscape. The scenery is vaguely reminiscent of famous nature parks, like Yosemite National Park in California.

While all the scenes Steensen creates in Catharsis are impressive, the portrayal of the forest is what stands out the most. Each virtual redwood tree casts a unique shadow on the ground, imitating the movement of sunlight. If viewers look closely enough, they can see the slight ruffling of branches and leaves. These small details can trick people into thinking they are looking at video footage of a forest, and not a graphic simulation.

the encroaching Nazi storm cloud.

He had reason to be afraid, for we know the Nazi’s not only waged a genocidal war, but a cultural one.

Picasso was a degenerate artist in their eyes, and with the Nazi occupation of Paris his studio was forcibly closed and he was forbidden from producing on threat of being extradited to face the fascist

Picasso’s paper creations symbolise that creativity is not dependent on quality materials, and it can be a lifeline to us in darker times... government he had condemned in his painting of ‘Guernica’.

Picasso’s urge to create in these times led him to scavenge for materials. ‘Head of a Dog’ (1943) which makes an appearance in the exhibit, is made of a crumpled, torn and burnt paper napkin and was presented to Dora Maar after Another unique aspect of Catharsis is its audio system. Steensen collaborated with American sound artist Matt McCorkle to incorporate animal, water and wind noises.

McCorkle said he traveled to various North American forests to capture diverse nature sounds. These effects help to enhance the holistic atmosphere of the forest.

Although Catharsis manages to successfully capture nature’s beauty, the exhibition can be quite boring after a few minutes of scrolling. The project can be visually redundant, and lacking in originality. The forest, lake and

25

her own dog died. Both his Royan sketchbooks and napkin work signify not only the potential in the everyday, but also demonstrates how we use creation as an act of catharsis.

While the severity of the circumstances are inarguably different, there is still a poignancy from this section of the exhibition that resonates in the current world of lockdown. How many of us have turned to art in our hour of isolation, and channelled our anxiety, grief, and anger into creative outlets?

Modern channels such as Facebook and Instagram are rife with poetry and prose, painting and prints, pottery and metalwork, many depicting front-line workers. We use creativity to communicate across the warren of negative news, to spread comfort and support when we physically cannot. Picasso’s paper creations symbolize that creativity is not dependent on quality materials, and it can be a lifeline to us in darker times as well as a mode of communication when we are cut off from the world.

The exhibition covers a broad spectrum of Picasso’s work and techniques, facilitating a wider appreciation of his wit and skill beyond his trademark abstract work. The background music elevates the tour experience, changing to match the mood of Picasso’s work and allowing the viewer to feel for themselves the influence of an artist’s state of mind on their creativity. The exhibition also dismantles the notion that one needs professional or expensive equipment to create, when one of the greatest artists of the 20th century found cheap materials a creative challenge.

Overall, Picasso and Paper is a technical and emotive success which has extra value in the current climate, where people are reaching out to art for comfort. Enjoy the luxury of having the entire gallery all to yourself.

mountains looks like any other landscape one can find by searching on Google Images. The sensations the project can invoke in viewers can easily be replicated by watching a high definition YouTube video. It can be argued that on a surface level, there is nothing aesthetically unique about Catharsis.

Nevertheless, in a time where national parks are closed and people are confined to their homes, Catharsis provides viewers with a perfect escape into nature. The project does fulfill Steensen’s goal of inspiring people to appreciate what mother nature has to offer.

26

Arts & Theatre phenomenon, but the use of toxic language to disrespect people with an avid interest in something has undeniably been amplified by the popularity of the series.

While some have criticised Stephanie Meyer for years, believing her to be cashing in on recycled material, I believe this doesn’t get to the real heart of the issues that plague Twilight; issues that many fans can recognise and discuss whilst still enjoying the books. Those criticisms fall short in analysing Twilight and rest on assumptions about it being a trashy YA romance.

Scholars have directed worthy

OPINION

Why I can’t wait for the release of Twilight ‘Midnight Sun’ Katie Garvey Arts Contributor

This year has been full of surprises, and one of the more unusual events we can definitely add is the announcement of a new book in the Twilight saga. On 4 May author Stephanie Meyer finally announced the news that Midnight Sun will be published, 12 years after she abandoned the manuscript following an online leak. In doing so, she set social media alight with fans of the vampiric series sharing their delight about the upcoming release.

Midnight Sun is set to follow the original story of the first Twilight book. But this time we hear the point of view of everyone’s favourite sparkly-vegetarian vampire, Edward Cullen. To be clear Meyer isn’t adding to the story with a sequel; but merely building on our understanding of a character in the story we already know and love. So why exactly has Midnight Sun caused such a stir among both dedicated fans, and those of us having thought they were past their ‘Twilight phase’ but are now returning to the books and revisiting the world of Twilight once more?

On 4 May Stephanie Meyer finally announced that Midnight Sun will be published, 12 years after an online leak Cast your mind back to 2008; the golden age of Twilight if you will.

The final book, Breaking Dawn, had just been published followed by the release of the first movie that

made US$393.6 million worldwide.

It was a cultural moment in every sense of the term. Cultivating a mass following of predominantly adolescent fans known at the time as Twihards (yes, we really called

100m

copies of the Twilight books have been sold worldwide

ourselves that!). Catapulting its young cast into celebrity stardom and inspiring a whole wave of books, music, TV shows and movies inspired by the human meets vampire trope - even Stevie Nicks has cited the Twilight books as inspiration for her music in recent years.

I vividly remember having to wait in order to take the books out from my school library due to their popularity; whether you liked Twilight or not it’s positive impact on child literacy rates were undeniable. Fan culture was at its height back then and as any selfrespecting fangirl will tell you, reading and writing fan fiction was part and parcel of being a dedicated fan. Thousands of fans emerged writing non-canonical stories about Meyer’s characters, most famously E.L James who’s hugely successful Fifty Shades of Grey has since been outed as a published Twilight fanfic. For me reading the books and watching the films was only the start. Whole online communities were formed of people who all loved Twilight - there were even Twilight meet-ups and conventions! But when did it become so cringey and undesirable just to like something, albeit to like it a lot? Meyer is not Fitzgerald and Midnight Sun won’t be the next great American novel, but that misses the point. Twilight

offers escapism for millions of people, allowing them to leave behind the mundane world in 2008 or the worrying one in 2020.

Most of the shaming associated with Twilight derives from a misogynistic culture that aims to belittle young girls and their interests as frivolous and unintelligent. We see it all the time in popular culture; if you enjoy the music of Justin Bieber you’re basic.

One Direction fan? Then you must be a ‘crazy fan girl’. And Twilight has received the same harsh treatment.

Fan shaming is by no means a new

forgetoday.com

Edward Cullen’s story. So whether the thought of a Twilight renaissance is the best or in fact the worst thing you can imagine right now, it is happening! Flocks of original fans along with first time readers will be picking up the book come 4 August, will you be one?

Flocks of original fans along with first time readers will be picking up the book come 4 August, will you be one? criticism at the saga’s movies due to their problematic portrayal of white actors as beautiful immortals while casting indigenous people as shape shifting wolves. But maybe Twilight deserves a second chance and hopefully Midnight Sun will be an opportunity to address and change some of these problematic elements of the story.

After waiting 12 years since the draft manuscript was leaked, fans will finally get to hear the full side of

Did you like this piece?

Email press.arts@ forgetoday.com to find out more about how you can write for us in 2020/21!

Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, is set to release Midnight Sun this summer Image: Gage Skidmore

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28

Nicholas Dacre and Thomas Hirst Music Editors

Music

Hello, and welcome to the Music section! We are the new Music editors for 2020/21, and we’re extremely excited to play our part in the running of this fantastic paper.

We’re both extremely passionate about music so can’t wait to get started! A massive thank you to the departing editors, Ella and Dana, they did a brilliant job and

thoroughly enjoyed their time heading up the section, and we wish them the best of luck. In this issue we have an interview with local band Minds Idle, who’s debut EP Live from an Island has just been released.We also discuss the effect of lockdown on music. Finally, we have reviews of the latest releases from The 1975, Sleaford Mods and Little Simz. We hope you enjoy reading!

Forge Press sits down (virtually) with Minds Idle INTERVIEW Tom Coates Incoming Sport Editor

“Spacey, psychedelic retro pop.”

That is how Ted Mitchell, frontman of four-piece Minds Idle, describes their sound.

The latest band to emerge on Sheffield’s stacked conveyor belt of bands are anything but conventional, and a vintage sound runs through their debut EP. Live from an Island draws upon the glam rock of the 1960s and 70s, whilst adding layers of dreamy psych-pop melodies that create something irresistibly unique and engaging.

The EP was released at a bizarre time for the newcomers, who gave it to the world in the midst of a global pandemic. Having arrived on 15 May, it’s impossible to promote with any live shows and fans will have to wait to hear the new tracks live. Whilst it is a difficult time for musical minds, Mitchell and lead guitarist Jack Cathan retain an optimistic outlook.

Whilst it is a difficult time for musical minds, Mitchell and lead guitarist Jack retain a positive outlook Recent events have given the pair a break from busy full-time jobs, and from their home’s practice room, the pair were able to see the bright side as they spoke to Forge Press via Zoom.

“That’s the thing about lockdown.

My job is a bit hectic, it’s a lot of London and Manchester and staying over there, so I’ll be in London for a week or Manchester for a week. It’s all last minute,” said Ted. “It’s been a blessing to be honest, musically. In other aspects of life, it’s not great but for music it’s great.”

He has had help with remaining

creative from lead guitarist Jack, who was the first of the band to start making music.

“For us, it was quite weird. A lot of people start playing when they’re a lot younger, whereas none of us did,” Jack told us.

Unlike in the case of many bands, when Minds Idle began making music together, there were no initial plans for world domination.

Ted admitted: “We were together for a while before we were actually a band.”

My dad showed me Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd when I was a teenager and then it was a spiral “Just fucking around in Ted’s room, basically,” added Jack.

It was not until they decided they wanted to get involved with the bustling Sheffield gig circuit that they took a decision to move forward as a band. They have since appeared at several of the Steel City’s famous venues and ventured to Manchester for a slot at Gulliver’s.

Their unique, retro style has earned them plaudits throughout their hometown, and is a result of combining tastes and the influence of family members. ‘Musical Grandads’ is the phrase they coin to describe themselves.

Jack said: “We have an eclectic music taste, all of us like different music. My dad was in a band in Sheffield, so I grew up around musical people and there was music constantly being played all the time.”

Ted has a similar tale to tell, although concedes that it is his preferences that appear most prominently on the EP. “My taste bleeds through, probably a little too much,” he said.

“My dad showed me Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd when I was a teenager and then it was a spiral. My grandad, well it’s the same story with him.

The older the people, the older the music.”

The topical cover of Minds Idles’ new EP, ‘Live from an Island’, out now.

Although they take great pride in producing and mixing their own tracks, they have others to be grateful for in making their ambitions of releasing music a reality. The band’s first single, ‘All This Time’ was made possible with the help of Sheffield gig aficionado Martin Clark.

You lose out on that live connection which you get from being there. It’ll never replace live gigs Ted explained: “He’s a dude who goes round and basically does a gig every night. He goes to see a gig every night and has done for the past two years. Literally, 365 days a year.

“He likes us, and he’s watched all of our gigs, and he helped out financially to record our first single.”

Their debut effort was released last year, although both admit that they are no longer fond of it.

“We’re not big fans of that one to be honest. Good song, badly produced. The producer guy was a friend of a friend and we were

relatively new to it all. He was a super nice guy, but we didn’t really like the way he made the record sound,” said Ted. Jack added: “His musical taste was quite a lot different to ours in terms of what he listened to and what he played in his band. It was too shiny.”

Although the band may not favour their debut single, their followers certainly do. With very little promotion, the track has accumulated over 2,000 streams on Spotify since its release in October.

However, they will be hoping to see their new EP exceed that number and it will certainly cater to several tastes.

Opening track ‘Teenage Residue’ is a soothing and meandering introduction and is followed by the almost bluesy and romantic ‘Love in the Time of the Apocalypse’. ‘Son of an Alchemist’ incorporates jazz into retro pop-rock and ‘6060’ is more subdued but boasts infectious, soaring melodies.

They’ve spent the last few months working tirelessly to enable the EP’s release, but such is the band’s ambition that they are already making progress on future plans.

Next up? Music videos.

“We’re going to try and tout

around for gigs, of course, but we’re not fully focused on that side of things. We’re gonna get a couple of music videos done, the wheels are already in motion for that,” Ted explains.

“To be honest, we sort of want to get on with recording. We recorded the EP ourselves and we’re going to carry on recording ourselves because you can do that in lockdown, you don’t need to go into a studio.”

With the live music scene on pause, it is perhaps for the best that the minds of the band are elsewhere.

They do, however, have an eye on the campaign to save independent music venues from closing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venues in Sheffield have been at the forefront of the campaign, and Billy Bragg recently hosted an online stream to raise funds for The Leadmill.

“It’ll be fucked if we lose half our venues. It’ll be half of the bands getting a chance,” concedes Ted. Minds Idle, like many bands, have turned to Instagram Live to perform material for fans. Several have taken to social media to perform both regular and unplugged renditions of their material, as well as taking on covers.

“Every band and their mothers are doing Instagram Lives these days and that might be the way things are going.” Ted said.

However, there is pessimism amongst those in the industry as to whether they can ever really replace the live music experience.

“You lose out on that live connection, which you get from being there. It’ll never replace gigs.”

Jack added.

Live from an Island, the new EP from Minds Idle, is available on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

29

Music

The potential impact of COVID-19 on songwriting

OPINION

Tom Coates Incoming Sport Editor

For some, making music is merely a hobby. For others, a profession.

Often, it is a combination of the two but for almost all who create it, music is an outlet of expression.

Songs become blank canvases for sharing and storytelling, and the music we receive as consumers is often reflective of the lives of those who are behind it.

A brief look back through the history books evidences this. The UK’s decision to leave the EU stunned

With large portions of the world in lockdown, the creative minds behind music are being tested like never before and divided the nation in 2016, and was followed by a wave of angry, politically motivated music. Across several genres, there was tangible angst within albums that was

driven by the uncertainty planted in the music industry by Brexit. The prominence of records built on a bedrock of social commentary was also increased by the wave of rightwing nationalism which emerged throughout and in the wake of 2016.

A similar trend emerged in America when Donald Trump was elected President, and anti-Trump anthems shot to commercial success due to the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$ and Eminem.

World events dictate the music that is created, and this could become more apparent over the next few months and years than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has put normal life as we know it on hold, as countries across the globe feel the devastating impact of a deadly virus. In previous large-scale events, there has at the very least been distraction. Although political developments can create entire sub-genres, they still mix with the various musical influences that have been around for generations, such as love and life experiences.

The challenge that artists face now is that they are being starved of life experiences. Or to be more accurate, they are having one life experience that they are sharing with most of

Upcoming live streams to look out for KCON: TACT YouTube June 20-26

A festival celebrating all things K-Pop, featuring a mixture of live and pre-taped recordings streamed 24/7 for a full week.

Image: LG

Dear Class of 2020 YouTube June 6 Hosted by Barack Obama, this virtual graduation for students will feature performances from Lady Gaga, Alciia Keys and others.

Image: Justin Higuchi

Picture Show: A Tribute to John Prine YouTube June 11

Celebrating the life of country legend John Prine, who sadly lost his battle with COVID-19 in April.

Image: Eric Frommer

the planet’s inhabitants. With large portions of the world in lockdown, the creative minds behind music are being tested like never before.

In what will surely be a crowded field of isolationinspired sounds, ingenious talents will stand out Streaming platforms and record shops will undoubtedly be littered with albums that document the difficulty of isolation, but with the diminishing of originality there is a risk of saturation. With many musical minds required by their financial situations to produce, the wheel of new releases won’t stop turning but creating excellence that stands out will be tough.

However, music has a habit of shining when the odds are stacked against it. In what will surely be a crowded field of isolation-inspired sounds, ingenious talents that find inspiration will stand out more clearly than ever before. The road ahead is rocky, but it could shine the spotlight on new saviours.

Should we really leave the live streams in lockdown?

OPINION Thomas Hirst Music Editor

I miss live music. I’d do pretty much anything to be packed into a sweaty room, wincing at cracks of guitar feedback and debating whether I really want to spend a fiver on a Carlsberg. Yet, here we are: the pandemic has left both artists and fans alike stuck inside.

However, the subsequent isolation has pushed artists to produce some impressive and innovative content for fans stuck at home and throughout it all there has been one constant; live streaming.

Once in lockdown, it was obvious that streaming would be the way forward, but what I didn’t see coming was how - despite being further away than ever before - we’ve come so much closer to some of our favourite artists. We see glimpses of their homes in the background of a streamed set, the

books on their shelves, the paintings on their walls. We can pick their brains in the stream chat rooms, and listening parties give us access to inside thoughts on the music we love and the artist’s experiences in making it. It’s added a humanity to many superstars as well as a level platform for those wanting to break through.

Whilst people may see this as superficial, it has provided many of us with a needed escape from the monotony, but, it has also got us thinking, how can we take the systems that have provided the industry a much needed stage in lockdown, and then integrate them once we are allowed to roam free and refill those sweaty rooms?

This isn’t the first time the idea has been experimented with: Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella performance was live streamed to around 458,000 people, and 400,000 people paid for livestreams of The Grateful Dead’s farewell concerts in 2015. It was clearly an avenue that

was being considered, and with the progression of technology and newfound fondness of the platform in lockdown could see a new online era of the industry. One that could fill a gap in progression that has been evident for a while.

Just imagine being able to watch your favourite band play a gig live in Japan, or to be able to pick a small indie festival and be able to watch it all live like its Glastonbury, providing even more exposure to those wanting to make a name for themselves, even if it just entails continuing the surge of the live set/ Q&A format.

The possible applications of the technology is intoxicating, and whilst the technology may still be a way off in terms of consistent quality and reliable connections, it seems to be a logical forward step for an industry that’s in need of a fresh revamp, and with what we’ve seen come out of a few months in lockdown, who knows how far it can go.

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REVIEW The 1975: Notes on a Conditional Form Matthew Rees Music Contributor

In an interview with Billboard, Matty Healy claimed The 1975 to be the music industry’s ‘definitive band of the last decade’. Many indie fans argued against this statement but in reality, it’s hard to argue against The 1975’s enigmatic frontman.

Since the release of their debut album in 2013, the Manchester outfit have morphed from an emo-alt rock contingent into one of the most intriguing and sought-after acts on the planet. The release of A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships in 2018 earned the band a headline slot at Reading and Leeds and finally gave them the critical acclaim they desired. After numerous delays, the eagerly anticipated Notes on A Conditional Form was finally released earlier this month.

Music However, despite the early promise indicated by its eight singles, the album is ultimately a hectic experiment that lacks cohesion.

The first voice to appear on the record is activist Greta Thunberg, whose outstanding and emotive monologue on the climate crisis leaves the band with a tough act to follow. However, with ‘People’, they do so sublimely. It is a snarling track led by an ear-piercing riff that grabs you by the scruff of the neck, pins you against the wall and forcefeeds you a stringent diet of grungy rock ‘n’ roll. Even your dad, who has declared the band to be ‘nambypamby bollocks’ purely based on Matty Healy’s appearance, starts to tap his foot a little and proceeds to discreetly notch the volume up a few levels. You’ve never heard The 1975 like this before. You’re giddy.

Adrenaline is pumping. But for the next 15 minutes, you’re bored.

‘The End (Music for Cars)’ is an M83 inspired, hyper-atmospheric instrumental transition that destroys all progress made by the initial tracks. It is lost this soon into NOACF and feels like it was originally designed to open the album, but then forgotten about, then remembered, then rashly chucked in at the last minute.

‘Frail State Of Mind’ and ‘Yeah I Know’ are solid numbers, displaying the new tech driven direction of the band instigated by A Brief Inquiry’s stand out track ‘How to Draw/Petrichor’. Yet, by the time you’ve got to the latter, you feel like you’ve already heard it before, with both lacking any distinctive punch. Meanwhile, ‘The Birthday Party’ provides some lyrical scraps to feed on, offering an insight into touring life for Matty Healy in the setting of a debauchery-stricken hotel. ‘In a boring conversation with a girl called Mel / About her friend in Cincinnati called Matty as well’ is a witty anecdote that finally provides some life to the opening section of the album.

The most frustrating bit about NOACF is the lack of accompaniment to the devastatingly brilliant middle chapter. It flows beautifully,

VINYL REVIEW Sleaford Mods: All That Glue

encompasses a range of emotions and flexes every muscle in the band’s musical capabilities. ‘Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America’ delves deep into the complexities of the ‘snowflake’ generation, providing an empathetic story about the struggles of two teens coming to terms with their sexuality. It is a beautifully constructed story, elevated by the inclusion of Phoebe Bridgers, who sublimely portrays Matty Healy’s most impressive lyrics to date.

Meanwhile, ‘Then Because She Goes’ and ‘Me & You Together Song’ are perfectly executed teenpop love songs that are served in a heavy dosage of wonderfully delicious nacho cheese. Matt Healy clearly enjoys borrowing ideas from a whole range of genres, and, with these two tracks, it seems to be the early-noughty depths of the Legally Blonde soundtrack in which he’s found inspiration.

The standout track from NOACF is the sensational ‘Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied’. This gospelinfused ballad encapsulates everything great about The 1975 and provides an uplifting commentary on modern society that is complemented by a heartwarming chorus that will no-doubt

REVIEW Little Simz: Drop 6 (EP) Thomas Hirst Music Editor

Nicholas Dacre Music Editor

This newly-released compilation from Sleaford Mods sees the duo chronologically handpick album cuts, physical exclusives and a slew of unreleased material to provide an outlook of their career so far, right from the pub-playing days of Austerity Dogs to last year’s top 10 release Eton Alive. Many tracks on the project will be wholly familiar to fans of the band, notably ‘Tied Up in Nottz’ and ‘Jobseeker’, with the latter finally being released on major streaming services, saving many the trouble of relying on their infamous Jools Holland performance to listen to it. ‘No-one’s Bothered’ is reworked into the aptly-titled ‘Slow One’s Bothered’, with its slower tempo complementing the dismissive and lackadaisical tone of the track. The project also shines a light on perhaps overlooked cuts from previous albums - the melodic

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and almost ballad-like ‘When You Come Up to Me’, taken from Eton Alive is a fitting conclusion to the project, as it perfectly highlights the duo’s musical progression. The new tracks on the record will most certainly satisfy the craving for fresh Mods’ material too; the abrasive lead single ‘Second’ features a dark beat and gnarly vocal delivery from Jason Williamson, harking back to the raw and uncompromising sound which gained them notoriety.

Whilst the album largely features already released songs, it is the physical release of the project that truly makes it a must have and must listen for fans. The duo have never skimped on their vinyl releases, with All That Glue certainly keeping up this tradition. I was fortunate

enough to pick up the limited edition gold vinyl release (see picture) and it is a sight to behold. The vinyls themselves are beautiful; watching their gold finish spin on my player is truly a joy. If that wasn’t enough, the package also contains a flexi-disc of their first ever recording, the titular ‘All That Glue’, along with a 16-page booklet charting the inexorable rise of the band with words from the legendary Iggy Pop. It is no wonder that the album debuted at number one in the UK vinyls chart, not to mention number 10 in the official albums chart. It is an absolute treat for fans of the band, and it helps propel this project from a solid, well-chronicled compilation to an integral and necessary addition to fan’s collections.

Locked down in London, UK hip-hop heroine Little Simz has released her new EP, Drop 6. For Simbi Ajikawo, following up her sensational 2019 release Grey Area would be no simple task; the album was her most confident, radical and well-received yet. But, for her to do so independently and from the confines of her apartment, and for it to be as good as it is, only exemplifies her ability as an MC. The record embodies this isolation, its minimalist production is a single bed apartment incarnate and it makes the record feel like one that could only have ever been born out of lockdown. Even if on some tracks - mainly ‘damn right’ - the production seems a bit lacklustre, it gives the record its own personality and sets it apart from the rest of Little Simz’s back catalogue.

Despite the obvious talent behind the five-track EP, it seems we’ve found Little Simz at her most

soon be circulating around arenas. It derives from the same ilk as that of ‘Sincerity is Scary’ and ‘If I Believe You’ and has already proved a fan favourite, trending on Twitter within hours of being released.

However, the album peaks here.

It’s a shame, because if whittled down, reordered and better considered, then NOACF could easily rival A Brief Inquiry… as one of their best works to date. NOACF ends in a haphazard manner that tries to cram in every possible genre of music into one frantic twentyminute blur. It just doesn’t work. It’s disappointing, overwhelming the brilliance of ‘What Should I Say’ that sees the band enter new electronic avenues that would not sound out of place on a Disclosure record.

Overall, Notes on a Conditional Form is not a bad record. It displays some of The 1975’s most impressive material to date, but this is sadly lost in the middle of fiddly tech experiments and unnecessary interludes. It’s refreshing to see a band at the top of their game explore new avenues and not settle for a tried and tested recipe. One thing is for sure; it will be interesting to see what avenue the band goes down next, considering the numerous hints plotted throughout NOACF.

uncertain, as self-doubt trickles through the cracks of the record. She starts out with two confident and hard hitting tracks in ‘might bang, might not’ and ‘one life, might live’.

But as you move through the EP this confidence alleviates into an air of cautious introspection, one where you can tell Little Simz is delighted to be at this stage of her career, but also anxious about whether she can maintain it. This is embodied within the culminating track, ‘where’s my lighter’, in which she contemplates being in the “deep end” whilst also “focusing on her next masterpiece”, all whilst the haunting tones of Alewya lift the track into the ethereal.

Whatever follows is bound to cement her as queen of the rap scene Drop 6 maintains the attitude of Little Simz’s past whilst also exposing us to the inner working of her dubious mind. It’s the type of EP that we may look back at retrospectively as necessary in her development. It feels like Little Simz is on the cusp of greatness and whatever follows is bound to cement her as queen of the UK rap scene.

The University of Sheffield’s independent student newspaper

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Annabel Goldsmith and Kerry Violet Screen Editors

Screen REVIEW TV: Normal People Betty Wilson Incoming Break Editor

Normal People is the country’s new lockdown binge of the month.

Spanning twelve episodes, at less than half an hour each, BBC Three’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s 2019 novel has proved to be a smash hit - gaining over 16 million hits on iPlayer already.

What makes this unconventional romance so compelling is the realism of the relationship between main characters Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar Jones). The two leads keep on reaching the make or break point of their relationship, never quite making it over the finish line before life, or more often than not their own misunderstandings

of the other’s feelings, tears them apart. There is no classic rom-com moment where they finally get their happy ever after because when does this happen in reality, especially during your twenties?

This representation of life as a twenty-something is perfectly portrayed throughout the show.

From the scenes set at Trinity College Dublin where the other students in Connell’s English seminar are all spouting intellectual comments despite not having read the set text, to the more serious discussion of male mental health

There is no classic rom-com moment where they finally get their happy ever after because when does this happen in reality... and the struggle of fitting into a new life away from home, Normal

Issue 145, the last issue of the year, and with the country on lockdown, screen-related content is more popular than ever. This issue includes contributions from your new Screen editors Annabel and Kerry as they bring to you a feature on how the entertainment industry has adapted in response to COVID-19, with cinemas closed

People manages to capture both the confusion and the beauty of this age bracket. It covers class divides, school bullying, navigating new and old relationships, finding and reinventing yourself again, loss, family and most importantly, love.

The naturality of the show is also presented through the sex scenes that have gained much critical attention.

On set, there was an intimacy advisor to help make the cast members feel comfortable and to enhance the authenticity of the scenes, something that is incredibly clear when watching. But what Normal People also does so well is its focus on consent and safe sex. Connell is the guy you want to have sex with because he doesn’t make these discussions awkward, and this aspect of the scenes never feels forced or over-done. The audience feels as if they are there with Connell

REVIEW Film: Ema Levi Broomand Screen Contributor

There are often movies that hold up a mirror to the world, acting as a snapshot or a vivid bookmark of the time it was made.

Ema, directed by Pablo Larrain, is such a movie. As a successor to his previous narrative feature, Jackie (2017), this movie is a psychosexual dance-drama that follows the turbulent life of a Chilean couple embroiled in an adoption row.

Revered Mexican actor Gael Garcia

Must be pretty hot stood that close to the sun Image: TheMovieDB

Bernal and newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo star as the fiery leads.

Although the movie is magnificent in scope and rich with visual flair, there is never a moment in which Bernal and Girolamo fail to mesmerise. Even in the midst of subdued scenes, these two face off with such intensity and grace; acting at its most raw and finest.

This gorgeous exploration of love,

and Marianne, they feel the desire and confusion as well as the tensions within t h e i r

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in Normal People.

Image: TheMovieDB relationship that drives the plot.

Visually, the show is stunning, with Hettie MacDonald and Lenny Abrahamson’s direction grief and family owes as much to the stunning writing as it does to the visual bravado of Larrain. This is, after all, an ambitious study of the adoption and social services system in Chile, infused into a love story set within a world of dance.

A trademark scene of a red fireball behind the dancers has been displayed on posters prior to its release and for fans and those wishing to explore Larrain’s films for the first time, the aforementioned scene is a stunning infusion of storytelling, dance and music that seldom comes alive on the screen with such brilliance.

However, just as we saw with Jackie, Larrain has an uncanny ability to delve into the emotional depths of his characters amidst the ensuing chaos around them. In fact, some of the most profound moments of character development in Ema come in the middle of the fastpaced, thumping dance scenes. The cinematography is also on par with some of the best of this year. In fact, it’s hard to pinpoint another movie so far this year in which directorial visual flair, cinematography and acting intensity have merged to

and social gatherings banned, causing streaming platforms to take centre stage in delivering film and television shows. Read Kerry’s piece on how, with the rise of streaming, cinemas have been going against studios due to financial pressure.

Entertainment is a necessity during uncertain times and a global pandemic is certainly no exception!

This issue features the popular lockdown watch Normal People and the film festival favourite, Ema.

encompassing the beauty and the bleakness of the show, immersing the audience in the lives of the characters and the desperation behind their relationship. The Irish setting adds to this blurred distinction between reality and fiction, with the contrast between the calm beach locations and the busy worlds of high school and university emphasising the different lives of the protagonists as they move from quiet County Sligo to the big city living of Dublin.

Likewise, the music adds to the emotional side of the show with each episode having a different cover - from ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ to ‘Make You Feel My Love’ - that enhances the deepness you find yourself feeling whilst watching. Normal People is a mustwatch for any twenty-something but be warned, it will break your heart. create an anarchic movie that leaves very little to the imagination in the space of two short hours.

As deeply profound as it is, the liberating way in which this film steamrolls ahead is sometimes all too rapid. The audience may find

There is no classic rom-com moment where they finally get their happy ever after because when does this happen in reality... themselves struggling to keep up since the movie is not unlike a crazy fever dream. This is a minor flaw

Larrain makes up for in the riveting final act. Props must also be given to indie streamer MUBI who has in effect saved this gem from the devastating economic fallout of the pandemic on the cinematic industry.

Were it not for the streamer it’s easy to see how this project could have been lost and forgotten about, but thankfully it’s there waiting for the next viewer to revel in its glory.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

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Screen

Studios v Cinemas: The adversity of working in the film industry due to COVID-19 FEATURE Kerry Violet Screen Editor

Traditionally, the relationship between film studios and cinemas has been fairly simple. When it comes to new releases, significant investment is made in marketing a film to ensure that customers eagerly await its big-screen arrival.

For a period of time known as the ‘theatrical window’, these films are then available to watch exclusively in the cinema, before being released as part of an on-demand service or on DVD. Of course, there are illegal websites that provide you with a barely watchable version of the film, yet believe it or not, it doesn’t feel quite the same if it’s not in the cinema. Whether you’re watching a cartoon for the whole family or a blockbuster with all guns blazing, you still buy the popcorn, spend more than you meant to, and pretend to hate watching the adverts when you watch something in the cinema. The point being it’s

Pete Davidson’s life postSNL fame Image: TheMovieDB

never just about the film, it’s always about the experience.

This could, however, be about to change as a result of the adversity the film industry is facing due to COVID-19. Now that the UK’s two biggest cinema chains have issued bans on showing Universal films, the conflict between studios and

When the rest of the world opens up again, surely the most hardcore film lovers will have other experiences on their minds? cinemas may have only just begun.

The bold move made by Cineworld and AMC Theatres (owners of Odeon) came in the form of retaliation against Universal Studios’ decision to withdraw the cinema release of their sequel to 2016’s animated movie Trolls.

Trolls World Tour was instead made available as a premium video

on demand (PVOD) during the lockdown, a decision which seems to have been profitable for Universal to say the least seeing as the film made US$100m (equivalent to £80m) in the first three weeks of it being available on-demand alone.

In a way, the implementation of lockdown forced the hand of Universal to either move the release date to whenever cinemas reopen, or to experiment with on-demand services at home. The financial success of the film has clearly shone a light on how studios such as Universal are much less dependent on cinemas than previously thought. If people are just as likely to consume digital marketing and click on a link that allows them to purchase the film for a day or two, why not cut out the middleman role that cinemas currently fill?

Doing so would mean cinemas would no longer be able to take their cut of the profit and studios would also save money due to the need for physical marketing like film posters becoming obsolete.

Having said this, Trolls World Tour is a family-friendly film and the fact that so many parents are currently desperately trying to find new ways to keep their children entertained in lockdown could be a large contributing factor to its success. It will, therefore, be interesting to see if future releases are solely available as PVOD, whether they hail from a wider variety of genres, and how well they do financially in comparison.

The answer to these questions could be revealed sooner rather than later as Universal seems to have chosen to take a potential risk by sticking with their gameplan. Judd Apatow’s new comedy The King of Staten Island will now be released on demand from 12 June 2020 instead of in cinemas as originally planned.

With Pete Davidson starring as what can only be described as an obvious variant of himself, the film could not be further from the subject matter of Trolls World Tour. Whether people will flock to pay the PVOD fee or not will give an insight into what the future of the film industry could look like. After all, the CEO of NBCUniversal did recently announce a plan to abandon the theatrical window by simultaneously releasing upcoming titles in cinemas and as PVOD. However, this approach is only being taken for films with a lower

The original Trolls installment grossed over $340m Image: TheMovieDB

budget, whereas the process with blockbusters is so far set to remain unchanged once cinemas eventually open again. Such blockbusters that have had their cinema release date pushed back include Jordan Peele’s highly anticipated Candyman, the latest James Bond instalment No Time to Die and the ninth Fast & Furious film. All of the aforementioned are action-filled, edge-of-your-seat flicks and could understandably be thought to generate more interest and therefore profit if watched on a large screen with amplified speakers, rather than in one’s own considerably less atmospheric living room.

Whilst we should not overlook the power that the novelty of a cinema visit holds, I’m not too confident that watching films will necessarily be at the top of the general public’s to-do list when a large majority of them have spent months streaming every movie under the sun. When the rest of the world opens up again, surely even the most hardcore film lovers will have other experiences on their minds?

In my opinion, nothing compares to the experience of watching a film in the cinema and whilst I would rather pay more to see a film in all its cinematic glory, it mustn’t be forgotten that this may not be a feasible reality for those

$7bn

revenue lost in global film industry by end of March 2020

whose disposable income could drop considerably as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. What needs to be remembered regarding the future of cinema, is the simple economics of it all and with a recession unlike anything this country has ever seen on the horizon, we must wonder if the demand for cinemas will remain the same. On a similar note,

however, the viewer is ultimately in charge and, if they demand, studios and cinemas will supply, whether that be via the medium of cinema or through on demand services.

Like it or not, Universal has ripped

Whether the future of cinema holds as much hope is less predictable and the behaviour of loyal film fans hold the power to shape it up the rulebook and whether they continue to do so or not after a global pandemic will only be revealed with time. The same can be said for competing studios who may possibly have to make the same decisions regarding the release of some of their biggest films and, if the world remains in a state of lockdown for longer than anticipated, we could be looking at a permanent change to the industry. God forbid they follow the likes of Disney by giving us even more streaming services to add to the list!

However, if cashing in on the home entertainment business is the only way to keep studios afloat, it could be a sad reality in years to come.

Whether the future of cinema holds as much hope is less predictable and the behaviour of loyal film fans hold the power to shape it during these troubling times. Without the support of the paying public, all cinemas from large to independent will struggle to turn a profit with studios leaving them out of a process that has been followed for years.

The question now is: will this be a temporary adjustment so that studios can get by during lockdown, or are they in it for the long run?

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FEATURE Annabel Goldsmith Screen Editor

forgetoday.com

Screen

Forge Press’ Top 10 isolation films

All Images/Posters: TheMovieDB Films that are relatable at a time like this are hard to find, and watching films shot in stunning locations with people in close proximity to each other feels almost hurtful at the moment. This list features a wide range of films, from independent cinema to the classics, that make you thankful that whilst you are stuck in a room, it is not as bad as what some of the characters in these films had to go through.

The specifications of the films in this list are: they are entirely shot in one room, building or estate; the characters are forced to stay in lockdown for some reason, wherever it is an external or internal factor, or the narrative implies that a characters was imprisoned in a room for a long period of time (this only pertains to one of the films on this list). Ranked in order of most intense lockdown experience, these films are guaranteed to give you ideas for how to entertain yourself during lockdown or make you thankful that your life right now really isn’t all that bad.

1. Dogtooth (2009) dir. by Yorgos

Lanthimos Taking top spot is a drama from the great Greek filmmaker, Yorgos Lanthimos. Dogtooth is about a family where the parents bring their children up in a fenced compound; their children have no knowledge of the outside world and are only given the opportunity to leave if, according to their parents, they ‘lose a dogtooth’. It’s the perfect

lockdown film as the children have to entertain themselves with what is in their immediate vicinity.

2.

Room (2015) dir. by Lenny Abrahamson Room leaves you emotionally stunned as you witness the lives of Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) and her son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), as they live, held captive, in a shed they simply call Room. Joy trying to ensure the safety and happiness of her son as they remain trapped in a small room is compelling to watch at this time due to the powerful performances of both Larson and Tremblay alone.

3. The Lighthouse (2019) dir. by Robert Eggers Feeling as if the days are only distinguished by loneliness and exhaustion? The Lighthouse is the perfect quarantine film for you. Two New England lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattison) try to maintain sanity living and working on a remote lighthouse.

This horror was a standout from 2019 and seems just perfect for times like this to watch - and remember, it’s bad luck to kill a seabird.

4. Persona (1966) dir. by Ingmar

Bergman The film considered to be Ingmar Bergman’s magnum opus, Persona is the perfect film about how lockdown has affected our minds and emotions. Actress Elisabeth Vogler (Liv Ullmann) is advised to

take time off to recover from an emotional breakdown that caused her to become mute. Elisabet goes to a beach house on the Baltic sea with a nurse (Bibi Andersson) to keep her company, and over the course of their time together simply reading and walking on the beach, the two women become incredibly close in a way where the divisions between their own personal identity become foggy.

5. Woman in the Dunes (1964)

dir. by Hiroshi Teshigahara Next on the list is Hiroshi Teshigahara’s thriller about entomologist Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) who, after spending a night in a hut at the bottom of a sand dune, finds the ladder that he used to get down to the hut has disappeared and he is now trapped with no grip to climb up. Woman in the Dunes is a compelling film that makes you feel helpless and trapped just watching it, a beautiful film that makes you thankful that you are not physically trapped in your room by sand.

6.

Braid (2018) dir. by Mitzi Peirone Braid is a trippy, visually stunning horror film about two girls trying to steal from their wealthy yet mentally unstable friend who lives in a dilapidated mansion and in a deadly world of make-believe. The two girls have to participate in perverse games to achieve information about the whereabouts of her fortune.

Mitzi Peirone’s directorial debut is

perfect lockdown watching, as days blur into one, fantasy and reality do too in this unique American horror film.

7. The Party (2017) dir. by Sally Potter The Party is filmed entirely in the home of Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) as she holds a small party with her friends to celebrate her political ascension. However, the lives of the bourgeois friends plummet following shocking revelations that ends with a long-awaited smoking gun. The small cast and the suffocating intimacy of the setting are perfect for quarantine viewing as tensions arise from constant intimacy. This film is a favourite of mine but remains low on this list because none of the characters are social distancing, but the tensions of being trapped in a room with the same family members and friends for an undetermined period of time may hit home for some people at a time like this.

8. Funny Games (1997) dir. by

Michael Haneke This psychological thriller from Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke spices up the quarantine film playlist

by Paul (Arno Frisch) making you complicit in playing sadistic games and holding Georg’s family hostage.

Funny Games takes place entirely at a scenic lakeside vacation, a lovely location to imagine yourself in, albeit without the hostage situation.

9.Rear

Window (1954) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock’s mystery thriller is up next on the list. The film focuses on photographer Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart), who is physically confined to his apartment following a leg injury, as he watches his neighbours and one night witnesses a murder. A film for being restricted to staring out of your window, but people-watching in quarantine is just slightly creepy. I wouldn’t recommend taking a super long camera lens to your window or using binoculars to stare at your neighbours, even if you are trying to be a good citizen.

10.

Oldboy (2003) dir. by Park Chan-Wook Finishing off the list is the South Korean neo-noir action film, Oldboy. Whilst Dae-su (Choi Minsik) spends a long time trapped in one room, he is not there for the entirety of the runtime as he is in pursuit to take revenge on whoever held him captive for 15 years. It’s a great film for lockdown as the film gives you great activity ideas such as fighting with the wall, staring at the television for an undetermined period of time and eating fried mandu.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

35

Ash Williams and Catherine Lewis Games Editors

Games

Wow, a lot has changed since the last time we wrote one of these. The last editorial was published hours before the announcement that all face-toface teaching was suspended, and, rather eerily, the last interaction we had in person was saying how we’d “hopefully see each other next week.” Sadly, that never got to happen, so it’s with a heavy heart

that we say goodbye to Ash this issue, who says it’s been an absolute pleasure. Good luck for the future, Ash! It’s not all sad though, as we can give a warm welcome to Joe Warner, who you might recognise from the phenomenal pieces he’s produced this year (including for this issue!).

He’ll be working alongside Catherine for the next year to keep bringing you that lovely Games goodness.

Enjoy!

Simulated disappointment? With Sims 4, it’s real OPINION

Tom Buckland Secretary & Social Secretary

This needs to be said: The Sims 4 is a massive disappointment.

Not only that, but as an avid Sims fan, more often than not it feels like a colossal waste of my money.

Why is that? The answer is simple.

EA simply just aren’t trying hard enough, and they aren’t listening to what we want.

I’m sure there are many of you who are shocked by this response to The Sims, especially during this pandemic, where a time-vacuum like that is the most enticing thing ever and we’ll all jump at the excuse to live different lives in a video game rather than worry about deadlines.

However, I insist you look at this game closely and you understand that it just isn’t good enough.

Cast your mind back to previous entries in the series. The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3; all of these are games that, despite their flaws, were satisfying. You came away feeling fulfilled, and like the product you were using was complete.

We are eight game packs, 18 stuff packs, and now nine expansion packs (after the recent announcement of Eco Lifestyle, but we’ll get to that shortly) in, and yet I find myself growing bored of playing in less than an hour. Why is this?

Because everything that The Sims 4 produces feels half-baked.

The easiest way to realise this is to, once again, think about the packs and DLCs of past Sims games.

Though not to everyone’s tastes, it’s indisputable that each and every pack in older games had a satisfying quantity of content - at the very least with expansion packs, The Sims’ largest DLC in regards to the amount of content. One of The Sims 4’s DLCs, Get Famous, added a new town with a total of two livable lots. In contrast, The Sims 3’s Showtime has 13. That is a shockingly inadequate difference, especially in a game that is meant to be a successor.

I understand that The Sims 4 is

attempting to be a game playable on most, if not all, computers - so as to not isolate its casual community who aren’t avidly fascinated with the wider world of gaming. Though, again, I must reiterate that this quality is insufficient. The Sims 4 severely decreased its scope, removing the open-world features that The Sims 3 had, thus allowing far more room for improvement elsewhere. There really isn’t an excuse for a £40 expansion pack providing me with two places to let my Sims live, especially when one of these lots is completely empty.

It takes you five seconds to look at some of the lots the team have created and find countless discrepencies And it takes you five seconds to look at some of the lots that The Sims 4 team have created in these expansions and find countless discrepancies.

Bathrooms and backdoors completely missing where they should be - this lack of attention to important detail is pitiful.

When it came to The Sims’ 20th birthday on 4 February 2020, marking the day that the franchise began, the fans were let down - as they have been on a regular basis. We were expecting a fun event, reward, or a mixture of both. Instead, we got a rather… eccentric-looking hot tub.

A hot tub, that before that birthday, was paid-for content. So not only was this gift from EA poor, it was disrespectful in the eyes of every player who had spent money on content just to have hot tubs.

Basically, no-one won - other than The Sims team.

And that’s what stings. I’m here telling you every single thing that infuriates me about The Sims 4 and its constant failures and mistakes, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t eventually cave and buy The Sims 4 Eco Living, the next expansion,

once it’s released. Every time I desperately hope that they’ve listened to us, that this new content is going to demonstrate that they hear us and are giving us content we can enjoy absolutely.

Now, before you offer a rebuttal, I’m aware of the two times The Sims 4 has actively tried to listen to us and act upon our feedback.

They have allowed its player base to communally vote on the themes of two stuff packs. Thus, Laundry Day Stuff, and the upcoming Nifty Knitting Stuff were created.

Personally, being able to add laundry and knitting to a video game doesn’t make me feel like I’m having my voice heard. In fact, when I looked at both of these surveys, on both accounts, I wasn’t particularly stirred by the options I was granted.

There shouldn’t be a need for a poll to figure out what your player base wants, especially when the majority of packs from previous games were solid and mostly enjoyable. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” would be apt, but apparently The Sims 4 decided to strip back what made The

The left-hand Sim accurately portrays the author’s reaction to new expansions Image: IGDB

Sims work so well until all that was left was a hollow, meaningless shell.

Toddlers weren’t even in the game before fans complained and they had to be added in. Not only that, but The Sims 4 lacks content for most life-states other than young adult and adult. It’s no longer a family simulator, it’s something far more uninvolved.

I will end this on the subject of Eco Lifestyle, which I’m sure came as a surprise to many. It did to me,

Apparently The Sims 4 decided to strip back what made The Sims work so well until it left a hollow, meaningless shell and I even naively tried to convince myself that it was a good surprise.

Upon watching the trailer, despite what looked promising in the gameplay, I realised I hadn’t even thought about wanting this because

I, strangely enough, didn’t want it.

Eco Lifestyle is rehashing a lot of concepts in The Sims 4’s other expansions. The conservationist career and emphasis on the environment from Island Living returns with a new shoddy coat of paint, and a lot of the way it has an emphasis on community bears similarities to what City Living attempted.

I shouldn’t be paying for The Sims 4’s retries, and nor should you. It’s not good enough. Hopefully, I’m proven wrong, and Eco Lifestyle shows that The Sims 4 isn’t a shameful mess in comparison to its predecessors. You may disagree with me, but I am confident that if The Sims, The Sims 2, or The Sims 3 and their respective content were being produced now, there’d be no debate that The Sims 4 was lacking.

The Sims 5 can not come soon enough. Though I still worry that’ll be even worse.

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Games

How old is your brain?

Joe Warner

There are a select few instances in my life that I’ve cried out of sheer happiness, and 21 December 2007 was one of them; this was the night my mum gave me my main Christmas present, a black Nintendo DS Lite. After I calmed down, she pulled out another two presents I was allowed to open.

Already excited beyond belief, I remember tearing open the coloured paper that concealed the first game box, more frantically than I’d torn any wrapping paper that had been presented to me before it. “Pokémon Pearl!!” I cried, and then I actually cried. Again. I’m not ashamed of it. I was ridiculously happy.

After once again calming down (and obviously saying a lot of excited ‘thank yous’), I slightly less excitedly opened the second present; I wanted to savour it: “Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training: How old is your brain?” My eyes scanned the game box, excitement and anticipation soon giving way to an uneasy smile. Numbers. Sudoku.

Learning. Isn’t this what I went to school for? I eagerly and politely thanked my mum. I was far from disappointed (I was a grateful kid who’d just got a new console AND a new Pokémon game), but this definitely wasn’t what I expected.

Mum explained that while she was happy with me playing video games,

she didn’t want me to fall behind at school. I figured this was more than reasonable, and reluctantly agreed that she was probably right.

Thing is, anyone who’s actually played Brain Training knows how awesome it is. Naive eight-yearold me didn’t have the maturity to see this phenomenon for what it was though, at least not at first. He didn’t buy his own clothes, had a bad buzz cut, and didn’t know how to tie his own shoelaces. I was not a child. I was a fuzzy egg.

As I continued to play the game, mild amusement replaced my initial reluctance. I completed the minigames every day and did my brain age checks, like Dr. Kawashima told me to (or at least, his floating digitised head) and before I knew it, I was voluntarily practicing my times tables, and found myself speedrunning Calculations x 20 for fun. After my parents took notice, they started playing too. Just two weeks earlier, they’d barely picked up a game controller; now, we were engaging in fully fledged educational warfare.

For the first time, a video game hadn’t just hooked me, but my entire family.

Mum began her attack on my high scores. First she took Calculations x 20 and x 100, followed by Reading Aloud, Syllable Count, and... well, literally everything else. It was

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Video G and We Mind less like an attack really, more like a massacre. I’d occasionally claw back a high score or two, only to be crushed again almost immediately.

Admittedly, my dad and I never stood a chance.

She was untouchable. This never discouraged us though; we were all competing fiercely against one another, and we genuinely bonded through it.

Looking back now, this is easily one of my happiest gaming memories.

Brain Training’s appeal comes in part from the simplicity of its minigames, but also its abundance of charm: the familiar theme tune. The talking head that made funny faces. The unrivalled stress and intensity of low to high. This game was, truly, a phenomenon, its ability to hook even the most casual of gamers only rivalled since by the likes of Wii Sports and Wii Fit, which truly need no introduction.

Recently I clicked the game card back into my DS, for old times’ sake.

Triangle Maths is still as elusive and confusing as ever, and Mum’s still at the top of the leaderboards, exactly where she should be. She may not be around anymore, but the fond memories of our intense yet friendly competition live on, and her high scores are something she left behind; a reminder of the good times we shared.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Games ellbeing Body Do you remember the excitement of setting up the Wii Balance Board in front of your TV, fighting with your sibling over who gets to go first? I do. I used to come home after school, excited to cycle around the island or do some Yoga in Wii Fit Plus. The game made exercise fun and playful. My brother and I used to compete on who would burn the most calories in a day – the winner would get more ice cream. My mum loved that she found a way to get us exercising every day, without us having to play football in the muddy garden.

Today, we’re basically doing the same thing. We can’t really leave the house, so we’re looking for ways to work out inside. Whether you subscribed to a workout plan, or trying to at least go for a walk, the good intention is there. With your bed ever so nearby, the uni work you still have to complete at home and the full snack cupboard in the kitchen, it’s hard to actually get yourself to exercise – or maybe that’s just me.

I prefer social sports like cheerleading; I enjoy being with a team, pushing each other to exercise and get better. Even the gym is a social activity, because you have the sense of community, that you’re all in it together. At home, one can feel alienated and lonely. Even with some equipment

37

Games

Gaming to stay healthy Miriam Kuepper

like bands, dumbbells and workout mats, I couldn’t find myself actually working out that much. Since lockdown, I got quite out of shape, and even just walking up three flights of stairs was getting me out of breath – I had to care a little more for my fitness, but how would I make this fun?

This is when I got the old Wii and the Balance Board from the basement and plugged it in. Couldn’t be worse than not working out at all. Standing on the Balance Board and turning on those comforting games is like a safety blanket wrapped around me. I really got into it again – playing it at least twice a day – but I was soon craving new exercises and challenges.

A friend suggested getting Ring Fit Adventure, which is like a modernised version of Wii Fit for the Nintendo Switch. The game comes with a ring and a leg strap. At first it feels a little weird using those gadgets when playing, but I got used to it. The game itself is a lot more fun than Wii Fit: you’re the hero in an adventure game, and to move on to the next level, you have to work your way through an obstacle course. You smash boxes and collect coins, all while jogging on the spot. It’s a little bit like playing the newest Mario adventure, but way more active. Every level is just a few minutes long, so you can easily take

it as a break after a study session, instead of getting another snack out of boredom (which I used to be guilty of!).

If you have a Balance Board at home, why not turn on that Wii and get some exercise in? Or invest some money and buy Ring Fit Adventure?

Both are fun, easy to play and don’t need much time or space; and if you get sucked into the game, you don’t have to feel bad about playing a game all day instead of working on your assignments – just tell yourself you’ve been keeping your physique in shape! Don’t come and blame me for sore muscles though…

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Science & Tech

And here it is: the last issue of 2019/2020. No one thought it’d be like this, and we definitely didn’t think we'd publish something solely online for our last piece of work. Still, here we are: editing a science section in a moment in which science stories are probably overwhelming you. Times like these only serve to remind us of how

important, relevant, and urgent good science journalism is, and we (Bárbara and George) hope that we have served this purpose well so far. We're now handing this section over to the capable hands of Sarah and Louise, two science students who are excited to cover science and technology for you. They will strive to improve our section and deliver the most accurate and exciting science possible. Stay tuned to hear more and, as usual, stay safe.

All of this is further propagated by an increased tendency to drink alcohol during this time. A recent YouGov poll showed 75 per cent of people in the UK are either drinking the same or more than before the pandemic. This is despite an increase in liquor prices and, of course, the shutdown of pubs and bars. The surge of booze in the system may help as a night-cap, however, it can lead to some wacky dreams once it finally clears. As the level of alcohol drops, it causes sleep to become shallow and people find themselves waking up more frequently. This

leads to an increase in REM sleep and an increased recall of particularly vivid and scary dreams.

So, whilst weird dreams are not necessarily a reason to worry, it may be worth talking through them with the people around you. You may find that they are also experiencing the same thing. It may be fun to share the wacky adventures you went on during the night, however, please remember that if you are struggling with anxiety during the day, these dreams may reflect a deeper issue.

Remember that you are not alone and that we are all in this together.

ATLAS since last year, and hoped it would eventually become bright enough to see with the naked eye.

However, upon approaching

George Tuli and Bárbara Pinho Science & Tech Editors

Are you having weird dreams? Blame it on the pandemic Many people are experiencing some truly horrifying dreams. Experts say it's normal and down to the current coronavirus pandemic.

People around the world can witness a swan soaring across the sky – Comet SWAN that is. According to NASA’s website, the newly discovered comet will make several appearances between late May and early June. The European Space Agency said it is certain that this comet will occur “once in a lifetime.”

Although astronomers haven’t found the comet’s estimated orbital period, they are certain this will be in the thousands or millions of years.

Comet SWAN is in the midst of moving from the southern skies to the northern. It can best be seen in

the Southern Hemisphere, however, people in the Northern Hemisphere

Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN).

This instrument detects solar

Observatory (SOHO) instrument,

hundreds and hundreds of hours

Astronomers had monitored Comet

can still catch a glimpse. Comet SWAN appears more green than other comets and has a “ghostly” appearance; at its peak, it will be bright enough to observe without a telescope.

Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo found Comet SWAN in April 2020 – his ninth comet discovery. Mattiazzo works in pathology and pursues astronomy as a hobby, but during the pandemic, Mattiazzo has been able to designate more time towards comet searching, observing satellite images taken

by NASA’s Solar & Heliospheric

winds through ultraviolet light released from hydrogen gas. As the comet moves, metric tons of water is released. The instrument is able to pick up large traces of hydrogen and oxygen molecules.

Mattiazzo noticed a blob of light consistently present in the SWAN images, which he recognized as a comet and reported his findings to NASA. With an ejection rate of 1,300 kg of water vapour every second, the European Space Agency considers Comet SWAN to be relatively fast in comparison to other comets.

“A true comet hunter will spend

Since SOHO’s initiation in 1995, 12 comets have been unearthed using SWAN instruments.

C o m e t SWAN is the 3,932nd comet discovered by SOHO. Some astronomers see Comet SWAN as a ‘replacement’ for the previously anticipated Comet ATLAS.

the Sun’s atmosphere, ATLAS broke up.

Astronomers are encouraging people to partake in the upcoming v i e w i n g of Comet SWAN, where members of the ag Im public will have the opportunity to witness an outer space event while maintaining social distancing and lockdown requirements.

B

Stephanie Lam Science & Tech Contributor

searching and maybe finding nothing. You've got to be really really lucky,” Mattiazzo said to ABC Mildura-Swan Hill.

C r (C Gloor via Flick

Comet SWAN passing through our night sky

e: Ch rist ian

any deeper mental health issues.

The change in sleeping patterns means that we are also more likely to remember our crazy dreams.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is unique to mammals and birds, and basically the stage of sleep in which we dream. A longer time spent in REM sleep means people are more likely to remember what they dream. Since social distancing means fewer people are having to commute to work each morning, they are allowing themselves the extra hour of REM sleep, increasing their chances of dream recall.

2.0 ).

A pandemic is definitely a valid reason to be feeling a bit more anxious. All the stress from coronavirus, alongside changing sleep patterns and, for some, an increased tendency to drink, have been causing some wacky dreams to appear. And it seems a fair number of people have been experiencing this worldwide.

Experts are not at all surprised by this, so we can rest assured that this is quite normal given the circumstances. A pandemic is scary and stressful, and it is these emotional thoughts which often crop up in our dreams. Dreams are a way of processing the day, the more anxious we are, the more vivid our dreams become. Our brain begins to simulate the same stressors we experience during our waking life

so that we can wake up “prepared” to tackle these fight or flight situations the next day. This is called the threat-simulation theory, and it’s supposed to be an evolutionary tactic to increase our survival.

In times of great fear and anxiety (like a pandemic), these stressors are much more profound and can lead to some awful dreams.

Experts have compared these sorts of dreams to those which people had after 9/11 or the Gulf War, especially in individuals with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

They are urging people who are experiencing especially frightening dreams to talk through their dreams with their friends and family, and seek professional help if needed.

Individuals who work on the frontline such as doctors, nurses and carers are especially encouraged to log their dreams, in order to reflect on what they are feeling and identify

Y

Malgorzata Urbacz Science & Tech Contributor

Stay safe and enjoy the night sky!

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

39

Science & Tech

PALAEONTOLOGY

Spinosaurus aegyptiacus is first known aquatic dinosaur New evidence suggests dinosaurs may have ruled not only the land but the waters too.

Annabel Lever Science & Tech Contributor

Ground-breaking research provides “unambiguous evidence” that the dinosaur Spinosaurus aegyptiacus possessed a uniquely-shaped tail that facilitated swimming.

This, combined with its other aquatic adaptations, proves that Spinosaurus was an aquatic dinosaur, and opens the door to the theory that dinosaurs invaded the water not just as visitors, but as inhabitants.

However wacky you choose to imagine a terrestrial dinosaur, something like it probably exists.

From the turkey-sized predator, Compsognathus, to the giant Mamenchisaurus, whose 46foot neck alone is longer than the rest of its body put together, to the monstrous (and toothless) Gigantoraptor, confirmed dinosaur morphologies range from the improbable to the seemingly ridiculous.

So, with diversity this immense, what makes aquatic dinosaurs such a problematic idea?

Really, it’s all in the name. The concept of living in water isn’t new at all; in fact, many wellknown marine reptiles, including plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and crocodilians, lived during the time of the dinosaurs. However, these water-dwelling beasts were not dinosaurs.

The name “dinosaur” is not just a general term; it’s also the name of a scientific group. Strictly, all dinosaurs fall into the group Dinosauria: the ‘terrible lizards’.

Species contained in a scientific group all share a set of clearlydefined features and share a common ancestor. For Dinosauria these features include some reptilian traits – having a spine comprised of vertebrae, and producing eggs, for example, as well as more complex morphological specifications.

Critically, all members of Dinosauria have legs that are positioned directly under their

bodies, unlike other reptiles, whose legs are positioned to the side. This is possible due to the presence of a hole in dinosaur hip sockets, which allows the leg to sit below. Because of this evolutionary development, dinosaurs could walk and run effectively, and their legs were able to bear the weight of their heavy bodies. This distinction is what makes species like Spinosaurus (as well as modernday birds), dinosaurs. It is also what excludes prehistoric marine reptiles (and indeed avian reptiles) from the group: they lack this key evolutionary development.

Thus, scientists considered dinosaurs to be entirely terrestrial.

While it was agreed that many dinosaurs were able to venture into the water seeking prey, perhaps wading through on long legs, theories surrounding aquatic dinosaurs fell by the wayside, abandoned due to controversy and a lack of conclusive results.

That is, until recently. In 2014, Ibrahim and his team found that the sail-backed Spinosaurus, an unequivocal dinosaur, possessed bones with unusually thick walls, similar to those that help modern animals like penguins control their buoyancy. Their suggestion that this could indicate an aquatic lifestyle was met with pushback at the time.

Scientific peers found the results polarizing – for some, it was just more evidence that the dinosaur may have waded into the water after its prey. Luckily, Ibrahim was not deterred.

Spinosaurus' tail was found to exert more than eight times the amount of thrust that was acheived by tails of other dinosaurs In 2018, the team discovered a Spinosaurus tail that was 80 per cent complete. Modelling this

Top: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was an aquatic dinosaur - its powerful, paddle-like tail propelled it through the water.

Bottom: Reconstruction of the S. aegyptiacus skeleton showing the large bones of its 'sail'.

Paintings by Louise Smith. Scale drawing (top left) adapted from KoprX via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) fossil allowed them to produce a plastic replica, which was used in underwater experiments designed to identify the forces generated by the tail. If the forces generated a strong thrust, it would suggest that Spinosaurus used its wide, finshaped tail to propel it through the water like a paddle.

The results, reported in Nature in April 2020, were more than Ibrahim could possibly have hoped for. Spinosaurus’ tail was found to exert more than eight times the amount of thrust that was achieved by tails of other dinosaurs, such as Coelophysis or Allosaurus.

This finding cemented Ibrahim’s belief that the tail was used for more than just stability while wading. It is a paddle, used for tail-propelled swimming, which would have allowed the 16m long Spinosaurus to navigate aquatic habitats much like a grossly oversized (and deadly) newt.

The tails efficiency, coupled with the previous findings suggesting buoyancy control and a pescatarian diet, implies that Spinosaurus not only ventured into the water, but certainly swam, and even spent time submerged. However, these adaptations wouldn’t have

precluded life on land, either. Fossil evidence of Spinosaurus has been found far inland; so, while the dinosaur was certainly a swimmer, it’s likely that it also spent at least some time ashore.

By discovering that Spinosaurus was a swimming dinosaur, Ibrahim’s team has begun to redefine longstanding beliefs about what a dinosaur can be. What’s more, these results also hint at a much larger trend – the potential for a “persistent and widespread” presence of dinosaurs in aquatic habitats.

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Science & Tech

Scientists have discovered a new species… on Twitter!

Saskia Lee Science & Tech Contributor

You’re probably getting sore thumbs from the amount of scrolling you’ve been doing during lockdown.

Perhaps you’re feeling guilty for procrastinating when you should be working. Or maybe you’re taking a well-earned break from revising as exams get nearer and nearer.

In the last few weeks, Ana Sofia Reboleira, biologist and Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, found something during her (not so) mindless scrolling which caught her eye.

That something was a photo of a millipede, posted by Derek Hennen Now you’re probably wondering what is so special about a photo of a millipede? Well, in this case, it wasn’t the millipede that was special but the two tiny specks on its head! Along with her colleague Henrik Enghoff, Reboleira realised that these tiny spots were a fungus – an unusual fungus which had never been identified on an American millipede before. With access to one of the world’s largest biological collections, at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, the pair were able to compare the image on Twitter

with their own millipede specimens – on which they discovered several more specimens of the fungus.

So, from one photo on Twitter, Reboleira had identified a fungus which had never been described before. It was suitably named Troglomyces twitteri after its place of discovery.

This new species looks a little bit like an insect larva – but is not an animal but a fungus. Troglomyces twitteri is part of the Laboulbeniales group of fungi which are parasitic fungi that tend to live on insects, arachnids, and, in this case, on millipedes. There are around 30

other species of Laboulbeniales which live on millipede hosts, and most of these have only been discovered since 2014. Researchers are in agreement that there are likely to be many more species of this kind yet to be discovered. These fungi live with half of their ‘body’ inside and the other half outside of their host. The fungus depends on the millipede for its survival; by piercing the host’s outer surface with a specially designed suction structure they gain nutrition from their host.

Very little is known about the biology of this group of fungi, making this discovery very useful for researchers in this area.

Reboleira believes that, in addition to learning more about this species, we can also learn more about the

New AI algorithm successfully detects different brain injuries Lucas Mentken News Editor

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London have clinically validated a new algorithm. The study shows how this method could help patients in emergency rooms get home sooner. The AI (artificial intelligence) successfully detected and identified different types of brain lesions from a large set of Computer Tomography (CT) scans.

This technology could significantly speed up diagnoses, reducing the need for detailed assessments.

Image: University of Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Worldwide, up to 60 million people are affected by traumatic brain injury. When a patient has a head injury, they are usually sent for a CT scan to check for blood in or around the brain, and to help determine whether surgery is required. Of all the patients who have a head injury, only between 10 to 15 per cent have a lesion that can be seen on a CT scan.

The new algorithm could, therefore, help identify these patients who need further treatment, so those without brain lesions can be sent home.

“Detailed assessment of a CT scan with annotations can take hours, especially in patients with more severe injuries,” said co-first author Dr Virginia Newcombe, from Cambridge’s Department of Medicine. “We wanted to design and develop a tool that could automatically identify and quantify the different types of brain lesions so that we could use it in research and explore its possible use in a hospital setting.”

The new machine learning tool, which is based on an artificial neural network, was trained on more than 600 different CT scans showing brain lesions of different sizes and types. It was then validated on an existing large dataset of CT scans.

Even though scientists are exploring this novel algorithm for research only, it could also be used in clinical approaches, as long as there’s proper validation to it.

“CT is an incredibly important diagnostic tool, but it’s rarely used quantitatively,” said co-senior author Professor David Menon, from Cambridge’s Department of Medicine. “Often, much of the rich information available in a CT scan is missed, and as researchers, we know that the type, volume and location of a lesion on the brain are important to patient outcomes.”

By automatically analysing large datasets, researchers could now address questions that had not been addressed before, targeting better prognosis and, eventually, improving therapies.

Troublesome teens: the canine edition Annabel Lever Science & Tech Contributor

Teenagers. We’ve all been one: a hormone-charged baby adult, fuelled by an inexplicable need to challenge our parents and prove our independence. The bad behaviour, chaos, and general mess that results is at least somewhat predictable.

Foremost, it’s just part of “being a teen”: an identifiable phase that you’ll inevitably grow out of. We can understand this for humans – but what about dogs?

New research from Lucy Asher et al, published in Biology Letters, suggests that dogs go through a similar phase of puberty to humans.

In this phase, they become less obedient and more likely to cause trouble for their carer.

Sadly, this is also the age at which the highest number of dogs are given up and taken to shelters.

Asher suspected that this may be a result of behaviour which forms a natural part of being a “canine teenager”. With this research, she hopes to educate owners and reduce the number of dogs punished for these challenging weeks.

Asher and her team studied trainee guide dogs between the ages of five and 12 months. Through this age period, these super-smart pups become reproductively receptive.

Starting puberty complicates a lot of things, for humans and dogs alike. Critically for dogs, the period creates a conflict: the urge to be independent and breed, versus the urge to be cared for by humans.

At around the age of eight months,

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insects that the fungus infects, and of the parasitic relationships they share with their hosts. In a recent interview, Reboleira spoke about the significance of her discovery and of social media in science research: “As far as we know, this is the first time that a new species has been discovered on Twitter. It highlights the importance of these platforms for sharing research and thereby being able to achieve new results. I hope that it will motivate professional and amateur researchers to share more data via social media.”

Perhaps all this time we spend on social media isn’t such a bad thing – keep sharing the things that interest you for everyone else to share. Keep scrolling… you never know what you might find.

the dogs became less trainable and less responsive to commands.

They only acted this way with their primary carers, not their trainers, indicating that the behaviour really does emulate the teenage behaviour of young humans. However, at about 12 months old, the dogs returned to their receptive, trainable selves.

Research in humans demonstrates that children with an insecure attachment to their carer enter puberty earlier, and show higher amounts of conflict behaviour towards them. Remarkably, the study also found this trend in dogs – those that displayed more attention-seeking behaviour at five months entered puberty earlier and showed lower levels of obedience at eight months old.

Asher describes all this behaviour as being possible “by dogs piggybacking on human mechanisms for bonding with children”. The very nature of the relationship between an owner and their dog promotes this testing period, which is particularly conflict-fuelled if the dog has an insecure relationship with their owner (much as it is for children and their parents).

Doggy teenagers are much more vulnerable during this period than human teenagers, however. By spreading awareness of the reality – and brevity – of this period, Asher hopes to reduce the number of dogs that suffer from owners assuming that this conflict will continue throughout the dog’s life.

Human teenage behaviour is tolerated for years, while a dog’s teens will last just a few months. Stay on good terms, and persevere with their behaviour. You’ll have a wellbehaved, friendly dog far quicker than a well-behaved, friendly teen!

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41

Sport Thoughts

press.sport@forgetoday.com

Forge_Sport @ForgeSport

Is wax the answer for Cricket’s SOS (Save our Swing) Plea?

Henry Clark Sport Contributor

Cricket is a game that prides itself on tradition, but coronavirus is forcing the sport to think outside the box due to current prohibitions.

Those that play, watch and comment on cricket don’t particularly like change - à la The Hundred. But a global pandemic threatens a loss of broadcasting revenue that could do irreversible damage from top to bottom in the game. It means cricket has to go on.

Fast bowlers taking the outside edge of a flailing blade of willow with swing is one of the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of the game. However, the mechanics behind producing it raises serious health concerns.

Applying saliva to the ball before rubbing it on a piece of material, usually a trouser leg – not sandpaper but we’ll leave that for another time Messrs Smith, Warner and Bancroft – is not possible at the moment; it poses serious viral transmission risks.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) are charged with finding a safe alternative, with their medical advisory committee having said that it is “highly unlikely” that the virus could be transmitted through sweat. They recommended a ban on applying saliva to the ball but claim sweat is a safe alternative.

Applying saliva to the ball before rubbing it on a piece of material, usually a trouser leg... is impossible at the moment Whilst they acknowledge this won’t be as effective or practical as the usual method, the ICC have also said bowler-friendly pitches could help level the playing field. As the chasm widens between bat and ball in favour of the former, outlawing swing bowling isn’t an option.

Australian manufacturer Kookaburra has developed a wax alternative. The principle is that the

England’s national cricket team Image: Airwolfhound, Flickr

fielding side will be able to apply a thin layer of the synthetic product to the ball from a pocket-size sponge applicator which is carried by the umpire every 10 overs.

Critics say the wax is a gimmick and I think the idea is simply a nonstarter because where do you draw

the line? The significant amount of law-bending that allowing an artificial substance to treat the ball opens an ethical can of worms. Such change is likely to be vetoed by the MCC. In an ideal world (one where living with this virus has become

‘normal’) there would be no need to play cricket. Perhaps it is a sad indictment that the financial necessity to preserve the game’s existence threatens the safety of those who play. If the game can’t be played properly, is it really worth playing at all? It’s just not cricket.

The Beast vs The Mountain - Boxing’s next success or disappointment?

Luke Hansford Sport Contributor

Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson have been monumental figures in the world of strongmen, both contributing significantly to the humongous growth seen in the sport over the last five years, but now they attempt to set another sport alight, taking to the boxing ring for an almighty battle of the titans.

Since Eddie Hall’s World’s Strongest Man triumph in 2017, the relationship between Eddie and Hafthor deteriorated rapidly after the Icelandic strongman and Game of Thrones star ’Thor’ accused the referees of cheating by disallowing him a repetition during the Viking press. He claimed the repetition

was fine and that proceedings were being rigged in favour of Hall. Since then they have both been at each other’s throats, pushing each other

to uncharted limits. Most recently, Thor controversially broke Eddie Hall’s four-year deadlifting record of 500kg, with the Icelandic mountain pulling 501kg on 2 May 2020.

Afterwards, Thor challenged Hall to a boxing match on his YouTube live stream, which the Englishman duly accepted.

In the last two years, boxing has rapidly grown as a sport. The mass coverage it has received has been hugely effective for attracting more fans, especially the younger generation. YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul were allowed to display their boxing prowess professionally, with promoter Eddie Hearn leading the event. With strongmen being painted into the wider picture, the sport can guarantee that another tsunami of fans will come crashing in. So in theory, the more the merrier, right?

It’s not all so simple. Many of

boxing’s older fans are starting to get agitated, claiming that these amateur fighters going into professional battles are tainting the sport and that money is now taking over authenticity. Fighters that have trained their whole lives, attempting to earn a chance at competing professionally, are ignored in favour of the men that have become something elsewhere, yet are valued much higher due to the amount of money they will generate.

Some say it will be a terrible spectacle. Thor is currently 200kg and standing at 6’9”, with Hall weighing approximately 170kg at 6’3”.

They have both been tipped to gas out relatively promptly, leading to a sluggish, lackadaisical encounter. It will be interesting to see if either of these anti-cardio brutes could finish the ring walk, let alone put on a halfdecent fight.

Hafthor Bjornsson in 2017 Image: Paula R Lively, Wikimedia Commons

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Sport

Coronavirus and it’s impact on non-league football clubs across the country Tom Coates and Patrick Burke Sports Editors

Away from the glamour and riches of England’s top divisions, nonleague football clubs are facing huge challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have taken a look at the cases of four different semi-professional outfits, exploring how they have been impacted.

Stocksbridge Park Steels Sheffield outfit Stocksbridge Park Steels have certainly felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The club have set up a Crowdfunder campaign to compensate for the loss of income caused by the abrupt end to the football season. They are aiming to raise £20,000 for ‘essential ground maintenance, machinery and machine repairs, plus building work to ensure The Local Look Stadium meets the required Safety Standards’.

As well as losing out on gate receipts from the remaining league games, the Steels are also unlikely to host their traditional friendlies with professional sides over the summer, adding to their financial woes.

Cammell Laird 1907 The expunging of results from this campaign had little effect on NWCFL First Division South outfit Cammell

Lairds as they sat comfortably in mid-table, so manager Phil Burton has turned his attention to preparing for next season.

“It’s going to be a very different pre-season probably within a shorter time frame, but preparationwise it’s actually been much better than usual because we’ve had a lot more time to reflect, change and improve our plans. All we’re waiting on now is dates which we can slot into the infrastructure we’ve set up,” he said.

The club’s junior media team have arranged a fundraiser to improve their output and content, which can be found on our site at forgetoday. com/sport.

Vauxhall Motors Few have been dealt a harsher hand than NWCFL First Division South club Vauxhall Motors, who had made mathematically certain of promotion before the FA expunged their results - understandably a bitter pill to swallow for manager Mick McGraa.

“Even the day we did get promoted, it was a weird one without any real celebration because there was so much uncertainty, but the decision was a really difficult one to take. To be honest we were set up to have a real go in the division above, so I struggle to see how we pick ourselves up to do this again,”

Maine Road FC, of the NWCFL, have seen the season voided Image: RWyn he said.

“The current situation will reflect in the budget next year, so I fear we could struggle to keep hold of a number of players who’ve earned the right to play higher up.”

Bradford (Park Avenue) Although financial uncertainty is lingering around all non-league clubs, the pandemic has offered

a glimmer of hope for the West Yorkshire side. Having axed two managers before the start of October, the former play-off contenders found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle and rock-bottom of the National League North.

However, with the divisions below having their seasons expunged, it appears as if the club may have been handed a crucial lifeline.

Despite this, Avenue are in the same boat as many others as they ponder the implications of football without fans. Speaking to Forge Press, manager Mark Bower said: “We don’t know when fans will be allowed in the ground. For nonleague teams, that’s vital as there’s no TV money at our level. We need people in the ground to be able to pay wages.”

Uni of Sheffield’s Single-Seater Race plans thwarted by COVID-19 Harry Harrison Incoming Head of Sport

A group of university engineering students have had their competitive

Image: Sheffield Formula Racing

racing plans put on hold this year due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Sheffield Formula Racing were supposed to be on track in July at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, but the events will no longer go ahead as originally planned.

“COVID-19 has sadly led to the cancellation of all Formula Student events in their regular format,” said Henry Mansfield, Team Principal.

“The car we have designed this year will not be built for a 2020 competition.”

In an attempt to have at least some competition in July, the Formula Student group has decided

to hold events virtually and Sheffield Formula Racing have registered to compete.

The competition will consist of ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’ events, with the former involving a design evaluation event.

The competition will consist of ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’ events, with the former involcing a design evaluation event The action for the casual fan will be in the ‘dynamic’ events, involving a simulated lap-time event, where the teams will all attempt to adjust the set-up of a base car and attain the

best times, and a Competitive Sim Race using home race simulators.

Henry said: “We will be holding regular video meetings to discuss and progress our plans for this

event, with the hope of scoring a strong result overall and hopefully a position on the ‘virtual’ podium.”

Unfortunately for the team, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their progress in developing the SFR-11 race car.

The team was making good time, ahead of their usual schedule, and were looking to optimise the car with significant testing once the car was completed.

Fortunately, the work this year will not be wasted as the team said the SFR-11 will likely be developed further and used for competition in 2021.

Forge Press

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Got a sports tale to tell? press.sport@forgetoday.com

Michael Ekman Sport Coordinator

I’ve been part of Forge for two years now, having been Sport Coordinator this past year, and looking back at our previous issues, I can honestly say that I’m so proud of all the coverage we have produced.

I hope that all our readers as well

as the athletes and teams we’ve spoken to can see that we have always tried our utmost to create a compelling section.

It’s been an absolute joy having had this role and shedding some light on the successes of different teams and individuals who otherwise may not get the full coverage they deserve. I’m also very happy to see

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Sport that the ‘Women in Sport’ column that we launched this year has been a success and a lot of athletes have been very helpful in making it such.

Forge has been a big part of my university life and it’s been a pleasure being part of this great paper. I am going to miss it dearly but I have every confidence that next year’s team will do a terrific job!

Sport

A message from the Forge Sport team Alex Brotherton Incoming Deputy Editor

As a Sport Editor, I’ve enjoyed some of the same exciting experiences as professional journalists, such as sitting in the press box at football matches and asking questions in press conferences. But the most enjoyable thing for me has been telling the stories of our student athletes. Despite their monumental dedication and heroic efforts over the year, they rarely receive coverage in local or national media,

so to be able to report on and share their achievements has been extremely rewarding. It’s been a pleasure to meet such inspiring individuals, whose abilities to juggle the usual student workload with training and competitions while achieving sporting excellence, never ceases to amaze me. From team sports to individual competitions, from match reports to stories of charity fundraising, I’ve loved every aspect of covering student sport.

I can’t wait to see how the Sport section develops next year, finding

innovative new ways to continue representing our student athlete community. I’m sure the new team will do a great job!

Harry Harrison Incoming Head of Sport

A promising year of sports cut short!

I’m super disappointed we didn’t get to finish Varsity and of course, I’m gutted we weren’t able to bring more action from our uni’s great sports teams and athletes to your attention.

But what a year of sport it was to that point right? It was great to see so many of our student-athletes be recognised for their achievements at this year’s ESPS awards and if you haven’t seen the coverage we did of

that, make sure you go look! Also, it was wicked to find out that our uni has it’s very own single-seater race team. Being able to go to the lab Sheffield Formula Racing work in was awesome and I hope next year we’ll bring you more about them.

Speaking of next year, I will be back on the Sports team but this time as your Head of Sport, alongside editors Tom Coates and Patrick Burke who I know are super passionate and ready to put together some great reads for all of you. Thanks for reading this year! Stay safe!

Uni of athletes keeping in shape during lockdown Alex Brotherton Incoming Deputy Editor

During lockdown, people across the UK have been keeping fit in various socially-distanced ways, like running or exercise classes via Zoom. But what if you’re an elite athlete that relies on special facilities and equipment to train?

We spoke to some student athletes on the university’s Elite Sports Performance Scheme to find out how they’ve adapted.

Rosie in her paddling pool with the bungee rope around her waist.

Gwyneth’s DIY climbing wall she and her flat created in their home.

Gwyneth hanging off her fingerboard with extra weights attached.

Rosie Rudin, 21, senior international swimmer “With pools and leisure centres being closed, I bought a paddling pool from Amazon and with the help of my dad attached a bungee and rope to the garden fence so that I can still practice my stroke. The pool is extremely cold (10-15 degrees Celsius) compared to a normal pool, which is 28 degrees. I will be doing an English Channel relay attempt next year though, so this will get me used to the temperature!

“Si from University Performance Sport has provided me with a home gym programme that I’ve been following, and I’ve also been running a few times a week. For swimmers

who want to stay fit, I’d recommend following gym HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts online, like at Sport Sheffield. Doing workouts with others on Zoom keeps you motivated too.”

Gwyneth Uttley, 20, junior international climber “Climbing is a sport based on community and the outdoor lifestyle, so training with less people is very strange. Lockdown has meant that all climbing walls are closed and the Peak District has been closed to climbers.

“I’ve remained in Sheffield as I live with three other climbers, which makes it easier to find the motivation to train. We’ve been building up strength through exercises like pull ups (a lot of pull ups!) and fingerboard (hanging off a piece of wood to strengthen the fingers). We built a board to climb on made from wood which has allowed us to replicate the movements of climbing that conditioning exercises don’t allow.

“For other climbers unable to climb, I’d recommend setting a goal to keep you motivated, even if it’s just something like doing a one-

legged squat. Watching climbing films and having video calls with fellow climbers has also kept me motivated.”

Timothy Dowden, 19, flatwater kayaker “Initially my water-based training had to stop, so for a few weeks I was just running and using weights.

Setting goals, like running a halfmarathon and doing stretching outside to break up the monotonous indoor routine, really helped.

Thankfully, after the most recent exercise rules change, kayaking is now allowed. Although we have to keep to pairs, it’s mentally a lot easier than training alone.

“Effectively the whole season has been called off, but hopefully there will be some events in October before winter fully hits.

“Training in lockdown can be really hard, as we lose structure in our days and miss those we usually see day to day. Setting a training timetable really helps, but my way of keeping productive has been getting out first thing in the morning. If getting out of bed is a struggle, you could see if a friend will train with you via FaceTime.”

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Sport

press.sport@forgetoday.com

Forge_Sport @ForgeSport

A look back at the University’s sporting year Michael Ekman Sport Coordinator

With the sporting year coming to an abrupt halt, we here at the Sport team on Forge Press thought it would be best to reminisce about the big moments in the year gone by.

There have been so many highlights and achievements

that we have been able to cover, everything from charity runs and team tournaments, to individual medal wins and weekly BUCS fixtures.

We in the Sport team thoroughly enjoy that we are able to take part in these milestones and that we can be there to report on them when they happen.

Through all of your stories, we do our best to tell your tale of perseverance, determination and discipline that you all put yourselves through to get to where you are.

University sport isn’t always about competition though, and during these past weeks, we have seen a huge number of teams joining together for a good cause despite

being separated from each other.

Several fundraising challenges have been completed by different groups, such as running over 1,000 miles while socially distancing at home, collecting funds for Tony Fould’s Mi Amigo memorial in Endcliffe Park or climbing Kilimanjaro by just going up and down their stairs.

Such achievements never cease to amaze and evidence as to why the sporting culture at this University is one of the best in the country!

SEE YOU IN 20/21...