Issue 7: Adaptability
Contents 1. Flying the Nest 3. 7 Podcasts for Curious Minds 7. Baby Boomers vs Millennials: A Personal Story 9. A Concise Irish to English Dictionary 11. Tired of Earth? Try Milton Keynes! 13. The Death of the Diet 15. The Evolution of Modern Art 17. What to Expect of the 2020’s?
Welcome back to another year of Cardiff Student Media, with all new content, designs and team members! My name is Jasmine Snow and this year I have the pleasure of being Editor-in-Chief of Q3 and working alongside my lovely Deputy Editors Eduardo Karas and Nidhi Pattni. This issue’s theme is adaptability, in every sense of the word, whether that means repurposing an item, growing as an individual or adjusting to change. Considering the huge changes in our political, economical and enviromental climate we felt now was a better time than ever to talk about adaptability (but not the same old issues you read about in the news). Speaking of change, Q3’s website and branding has had a brand new makeover. In the spirit of our theme, we have adapted an old logo and asked illustra-
tor Josie Sommer to create us a header that illustrated all of the arts we want to dicuss here at Q3 - which turned out beauifully. This year, our team comes from London, Brazil and Dubai and so we’re keen to bring you culture from all over the world. As well as, a strong focus on local culture such as, in-depth profiles of Cardiff University’s societies, sports teams and artists which you can expect to see a lot of in the next issue. Finally, thank you for reading our mini-magazine, we as a team are so grateful to have worked on this project and hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did working on it. Editor-in-Chief:
Jasm!e Snow
Flying the Nest By Megan Evans The moment that my new bedroom door closed after spending a begrudgingly long day of laughs, tears and tension between myself and my family, I knew that it was the start of a new beginning. After countless days in the summer of preparing for the big move, involving packing my entire bedroom into a small amount of space in my Dad’s boot, driving my Mum crazy with piles of crockery and books spilling into every room in the house and the social media notifications from course mates I had yet to have met, I finally felt some sense of relief when I lay in my new unmade bed. Now fresh in my surroundings, I felt like the best thing to do was to introduce myself to my new house mates despite spending the past few hours struggling to carry my belongings and shouting at my parents to hurry up. Initial impressions are very important to me because I feel like you can tell a lot about a person from a first meeting. Instead of socialising in the kitchen like I was supposed to, I sat in silence for a mere 30 seconds before bursting into tears. How am I going to make it through the next three years cooking, cleaning, attending 9am lectures consisting of being hungover and sleep deprived and over thinking everything from my appearance to what my boyfriend had got up to the night before, to spending nearly £200 within the first couple of weeks and somehow motivating myself that it is going to be okay whilst I figure out what I will actually do with my life after I graduate. It hadn’t even been a day! I was already worried about the judgement I was going to get in my seminars and lectures if I turn up late, not knowing what to say and to wear the best planned outfits possible i.e not to wear the same two items in at least a couple of days. I was already worried about the anxious messages from relatives about how my first few days of university had been, how many friends I had made and whether or not I 1.
was going to come home in a few weeks just so they know whether to make an extra portion of dinner. I was even more scared if I somehow lose all my personal belongings in the space of a day or night because of my inability to function, whilst I figure out where the reception is to collect my parcel. This is how my first day at freshers went. Waking up was never an easy task until that morning, I was wide awake at 7am to the rattling of the window from the passing train. The sound of noise was prevalent from nearby neighbours downstairs and outside. To go from living in the quiet countryside to the big bold city of Cardiff was a transition I thought that I could never fully adjust to. A few weeks prior to the move, an email came through about a treasure hunt to meet other students doing my course so I felt obliged to go along and make some friends on my course. As soon as I left my new flat, and walked to the front of Cardiff University’s main building I felt an instant surge of liberation. So many students all with the same confused, anxious look on their faces as we all unite as being the newbies. A day of chatting, laughing and getting lost whilst trying to navigate in a city I had only visited four times despite living about an hour away was definitely amusing to look back on. The first night out of freshers was one of my most memorable nights out. The day dragged and I knew I couldn’t wait until the Icebreaker event that all my flatmates had bought tickets for. Getting ready seemed hours, trying outfit after outfit on until I made do with a red bandeau top and some sparkly culottes. The makeup was plastered on so thick like a shield, as my skin had broken out badly due to anxiety and hormone levels flaring up. As I walked into the kitchen, a drink was immediately thrown into my hand and ring of fire was strewn across the tiny kitchen table. It didn’t take long for everyone to be drunk, including myself and despite being unable to walk properly in a straight line, we all decided
to save money and walk to the Student’s Union instead of taking a taxi which would’ve reduced the time by 99%. This was an entertaining time to dish the dirt with my new friends as we stumbled our way across roads, somehow alive. The queue outside the club took about an hour as it was the most anticipated night out, and full to bursting with students. As soon as we walked in, the smell of booze was so overpowering, I felt drunk from just inhaling the fumes. VKs were passed around, music was blasting and everyone was dancing and carefree. I again, felt this feeling of comfort in this new city with all these new people, not just from the influence of alcohol. Even though I had only turned eighteen a few months previous and had only been on a handful of nights out, this was of the best. We stayed out partying as a big group for
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around three hours, before finally heading back to the flat, armed with takeaway burgers and kebabs from Fattoush. It still managed to take another hour and a half to get back to bed again as two of my flatmates decided to sing along to a High School Musical playlist whilst improvising with the mop and broom in the kitchen, videos that I still have on my phone that I will forever cherish. Before I got back into bed that night at 4am despite being incredibly tipsy, I knew that Cardiff was the best option for me, the nights are thriving, the city was beautiful and I couldn’t wait to embark on my three year journey.
Illustration by YL Tang
7 Podcasts for The Joe Rogan Experience By ike ’Brien I had no idea who oe Rogan was prior to encountering his podcast, The oe Rogan E perience, but one thing’s for sure: this man ranks amongst the greatest interviewers and conversationalists of our time. Rogan’s career has spanned the mediums of television, live comedy, mi ed martial arts, and colour commentary to name a few, bringing what seems like impossible degrees of life e perience to virtually any conversation. hat’s more, The oe Rogan E perience consistently provides insightful yet casually toned interviews with high pro le guests. n indiscriminate show which advocates for open dialogue, Rogan has interviewed a polarity of political gures, from Democratic nominee Bernie anders to conservative psychologist ordan Peterson. utside the world of politics, Rogan unravels celebrities and creatives of all walks of life with into icating worldliness, guaranteeing both an entertaining and educational e perience regardless of your familiarity with the guest or subject matter. Popular Episodes: • Episode • Episode • Episode
68: Edward nowden 6 : Elon usk : Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Off Menu By Hannah Penwright ff enu, with comedians Ed Gamble and ames caster is a simple idea, but e cellently e ecuted with a range of guests which makes every episode entertaining. Each episode features a celebrity guest describing their dream three course meal (including drinks), as well as a pre starter, which can either be poppadoms or bread (always asked with great enthusiasm by ames). Before the guest is invited into the restaurant’, Ed and ames decide on one ingredient that, if mentioned by the guest as part of their meal, they say will be banished from the imaginary restaurant. Previous guests include chef Tom erridge, hip hop artist oyle Carner and ock the eek’ host Dara ’Brian. These guests are greeted by a genie waiter name d ames (sounds odd I know, but it’s hilarious in it’s own weird way) who serves them throughout the evening. Discovering each of the celebrity’s meal choices, the reason why they chose it and the comedians commentary is very entertaining. It’s the perfect podcast to listen to in the background whilst you’re working, cleaning or if you have a long journey ahead of you. Not to mention, if any of the restaurants mentioned take your fancy and you want to try them out yourself then links can be found on the ff enu website. Popular Episodes: • Episode : Nish umar (Christmas pecial) • Episode : Dara Briain • Episode : isling Bea
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the Curious Mind Hello Internet By Christopher Colbourn Hello Internet was a podcast hosted by educational Youtuber’s CGP Grey and (honorary) Dr. Brady Haran about what it is like to be a Youtuber. The format of the show has since become quite conversational, just two guys talking about what they’ve been up to recently and occasionally set homework for each other; as well as the Tims (listeners). They have a banters rapport, which usually consists of Grey is often mocked at for being a cold robot, whilst Brady is poked at for being cuddly and sentimental. The best test of whether you will like this show or not is to watch some of Dovsky’s Hello Internet animated videos on Youtube, because he visualises some of Grey and Brady’s weirder discussions and you are almost guaranteed to like the podcast if you like those. Popular Episodes: • Episode 87: Podcast of the Century • Episode: 88: Do Not Ring Bell • Episode 86: Banana Republic
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My Brother My Brother and Me By Helena Iciek My Brother My Brother and Me, started in 2010 as a way for three siblings to stay in touch with one another, but has now become a much beloved comedy advice show for the modern era. Hosted by eldest brother Justin McElroy, middlest brother Travis McElroy, and sweet baby brother Griffin McElroy, the show answers the most burning uestions from ahoo answers, such as Has a Baby Ever Gone to Jail , I Ate a Whole Can of Baked Beans and How is our Father Is He Good The brothers also provide bi arre solutions to listener’s e ually bi arre ueries, such as whether or not it’s odd to have other children’s drawings on your fridge and where you’re supposed to look when getting a haircut. As the show’s popularity has grown, new segments have been added over time such as, ‘Haunted Doll Watch’, in which the brothers order supposedly haunted dolls with silly backstories. The show simply exudes positivity, and whilst the advice the brothers give may be comically terrible, they provide a light-hearted, comical and affirming outlet for listeners. This is proved evident by the huge online community surrounding the family, a community who seem to have adopted the brother’s ludicrous sense of humour. My Brother My Brother and Me provides a small break from reality every week. Popular Episodes: • Episode 215: Glass Shark • Episode 55: Spaghettageddon • Episode 2 6L Shower Boys
No Such Thing as a Fish By Mike O’Brien If you’re familiar with QI, the panel show famously hosted by Stephen Fry, you may have wondered who on Earth is finding all this obscure trivia. As it happens, there’s a QI Office in Covent Garden, where a group of writers and researchers aptly named ‘the QI Elves’ scour for oddities and idiosyncrasies through time and space. Four of said elves host their own podcast, No Such Thing as a Fish, in which they bring their favourite fact to share every Friday. No Such Thing as a Fish is a non-stop laugh riot and learning experience, a romp through history’s most fascinating and laughable highlights supplemented by unbelievably witty interplay between the Elves. Popular Episodes: • Episode 2 6: No Such Thing as a Banana with Wifi • Episode 105: No Such Thing as Pancakes for Perverts • Episode 2 5: No Such Thing as Giving Birth p a Climbing Wall
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My Dad Wrote a Porno By Mike O’Brien My Dad Wrote a Porno is a podcast in which host Jamie Morton reads his father’s erotic novel, Belinda Blinked, with his two best friends. As if the premise wasn’t disturbing enough, it’s bettered by the fact that Belinda Blinked is one of the most garish, unattractive, and unwittingly hysterical pieces of erotic literature ever written. Not only is the source material a hoot, but the running commentary offered by Morton, Cooper, and Levine enriches the most uncomfortable laughingstock since Peep Show. Moreover, the media-savvy trio of hosts’ deconstruction of the novel is a genuinely valuable resource for budding writers, as Belinda Blinked leads by astronomically poor example. Popular Episodes: • S5E1: The Aftermath • S1E1: The Job Interview • S4E1: Dearly Beloved
My Favourite Murder By Bronte Spargo With podcasts increasingly rising in popularity, it can be difficult to know where to start. Similarly, to the genre of true crime which has continued to skyrocket (as evidenced by series such as, Netflix’s Mindhunter). My Favourite Murder combines both, and since its inception in 2016, it’s fanbase of ‘Murderinos’ has grown exponentially. If you’re already an avid true crime fan, or just want to learn more about figures such as, Charles Manson, this is the podcast for you. Each episode, hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, who both select a true crime story to tell to each other and discuss. Horrendously hilarious, morbid, but always with a dose of humour. My Favourite Murder guarantees to have viewers laughing and nodding along with the hosts, but more than just a comedy show about murder, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark have created a kick-ass feminist community that empowers each other through such as, memorable catchphrases like ‘stay sexy and don’t get murdered’. Imbued with compassion alongside the jokes, both women strive to ensure they treat these cases and the victims with respect as they highlight common issues in true crime such as, discrimination towards sex workers, the LGBTQ+ community and mental health sufferers etc. With episodes still coming out biweekly, live shows happening world-wide and an active Facebook community; you won’t regret delving into this podcast. Popular Episodes: • Episode 45: Funky Diva • Episode 172: I’m Fine, Look Away • Episode 174: Round Winds and High Waters
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Illustration by Diana Valeanu
Baby Boomers vs Millenials: A Personal Story by Sarah Harrris It’s hard to believe that there was once a time when 4G wasn’t a thing, social media didn’t exist, and everything wasn’t attainable at the touch of a button. When I think about my childhood, I remember playing board games, riding my bike with the other kids on the street, playing conkers and rounder’s and trekking to the local corner shop with £1 and coming back with a bag full. I sometimes struggle to adapt to our rapidly advancing society and it makes me question, how must the generations that came before me be adapting to this new era? My family moved from Peshawar, a city in Northern Pakistan, to the UK in 2001. Having moved from a developing country where very few people owned televisions and cars and where electricity was unstable, it was a huge shock to the system. Whilst writing this article I decided to take a little look at my childhood videos to see how much things had really changed. Even the quality of the videos was grainy and had a subtle humming sound in the back, something we’d never get in the HD films we take on our iPhone cameras today. When I asked my parents whether they enjoy living in today’s society, their answer was slightly complex. Without some of the advancements we’ve made, they wouldn’t be able to stay in contact with their family in Pakistan and other corners of the world with such ease. My dad, a plastic surgeon, wouldn’t have been able to perform the numerous life-saving surgeries he has without the advancement of medical technology. My brother, who was diagnosed with Autism would not have received the care and help he has access to today, without all the scientific advancements that have been made in the area. But at the same time, they both wished they could return to a time when things were simpler, a time when we weren’t constantly glued to a screen and 7.
people had meaningful face-to-face conversations. My grandparents, who recently moved in with us from Pakistan, could not agree more. Bearing in mind, many of our grandparents were alive during the Second World War, we can only but imagine how much they have witnessed society develop over what is essentially a short span of time. My grandparents often fondly tell us stories of their youth and how carefree life was back then. My grandma will shake her head at my outfit choices and regularly tell me that I would never have been allowed to dress this way back in her day. I can understand it being harder for our grandparents, rather than our parents to adapt to this day and age. They were raised with a mind-set and traditions that are so different from the ones we have today. They didn’t spend their Saturday nights at Juice or Pryzm but would often spend them with their loved ones and instead of so gracefully nursing a hangover on Sunday morning, you would find them in Church or in a temple. When was the last time any of us played a board game with our housemates or took an aimless stroll on our own? Or even sat in a coffee shop and observed the people around us instead of scrolling through someone else’s life on Instagram? The generations that came before us were able to do all these things so blissfully, why do we find it almost impossible? Of course, not all changes in society have been negative. Women can now vote. Gay Marriage is legal in so many parts of the world. Education is more easily accessible than it has ever been. But at the same time, we’ve lost touch with some of the core values we once had. We choose work over family and friends. We choose screens over real life experiences. We’re better at keeping up with the Kardashians rather than our own family members. It’s a shame, that with each positive change in the world, there have been so many disadvantages when really, we
should be celebrating how far we’ve come as a society. Lately, we’ve had the emergence of the ‘VSCO’ girl through TikTok, something which has essentially been around for generations without the label but has so recently been branded by Generation Z in attempts of raising their social standing. I guess that’s one thing that hasn’t changed throughout these years. Almost every action we take part in is in hopes of satisfying others. Trends like this emerge every few years thanks to the internet and social media and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. In a way it speaks volumes about the short attention spans of the current generation, who move on to the next trend within minutes. I guess that’s
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why it’s not as difficult for Millennials and Generation Z’ers to deal with this transition as compared to Baby Boomers and Generation X. We’re much less emotionally attached to our society and more self-absorbed whereas those before us showed the complete opposite characteristics. We’re constantly waiting for the next big thing instead of dwelling on what’s been lost. It will be interesting to see how the generations that come after us deal with the changes that are to come. Maybe they’ll have flying cars by then and be able to teleport or maybe, just like us, our children will be enjoying a couple dozen VKs in the SU or skipping their Thursday morning lectures and hoping they’ve been recorded.
By Sai Contrary to what some very wrong people assume, Ireland is different to England. Apart from the location, accent and general history I’m not going to go into there are a few finer details to look out for. The most striking difference is noticeable even when just walking down the street. When one passes a British person, said person will immediately go quiet, often look away and generally try to disappear. An Irish person on the other hand, would do no such thing, and maybe even give you a slightly too loud but friendly hello. Similarly, whilst a British person will generally chuckle at most, your jokes will feel wholly appreciated in Ireland. On the topic of humour, the vast majority of Irish humour, or craic (crack), falls within two categories. One of them is similar to English humour; sarcasm and dark humour in general, although this is often delivered with a stoic face, making you second guess whether what was said was meant seriously or not. The other category is related, but on behalf of the English. Any minor inconvenience befalling someone English is said to be deserved for “payback for 800 years” and also the famine. The latter is incidentally also very popular to joke about itself. Also, somewhat morbid are Irish Grandmas. Not that they don’t look lovely (don’t they ALL look lovely?), but whenever you talk to one for any amount of time, you will hear your grandma knew has died. Small talk you know? When doing small talk in Britain, the conversation will usually consist of feinted interest, but generally sound like any other normal conversation. In Ireland, half of it will be “oh” and “ah”. When I went back to County Clare last year, I overheard a chat that went something like: “Oh, hello there!” “Oh. hi!” “Oh, its beautiful out isn’t it?” “Ah yes” “Ah, I hope it’ll last” 9.
“Ah, yes” “Oh well I’ll see you around” “Oh, yes definitely” Now, unrelated, in Britain the term “lad” is generally used to describe someone in favour of the football, or generally a young man with a lot of bravado. Not so in Ireland. Every young man, no matter his posture, is a lad. Women can be lads too. Or even your grandma talking about who died, can be a lad.
Talking about people: Actors. Britain has a lot of very nice actors, known for their charm and “sexy British accents”, such has Tom Hiddleston, Brendadirk Cramplescrunch and Julie Andrews. However, Ireland has Cillian Murphy. Which should be enough said already. There is also Liam Neeson, who no longer has the accent, and Saoirse Ronan, who has the accent but isn’t really Irish. And then there is Brendon Gleeson and his son, but his son doesn’t really count anymore. Sorry.
Now some important things about Ireland that need to be known and might or might not have anything to do with comparing Ireland to Britain. There are two types of Taytos’ crisps: Freestaytos, and Ulstaytos, separated only by a border signposted in kilometres or miles. Talking about politics: According to 2016 statistics, the average Irish person drinks more tea than the average British person. Also Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, akin to the British Prime Minister, is the first openly gay Taoiseach and also the first with Indian heritage. Ireland was also the first nation to have the people vote for gay marriage, back in 2015. Lastly, the absolute best thing about Ireland: Michael D Higgins, or Higgeldy, who is an amazing diplomat and President of Ireland, lives in a big park in Dublin, and has St. Bernard dogs about double the size of himself. I rest my point.
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Illustration by Diana Valeanu
Tired of Earth? By Mike O’Brien ‘Nothing can be more awakening than visiting another place’, my colleague and fellow section editor Jasmine Snow writes. Frankly, she’s correct. As Mark Twain once said, travel is fatal to prejudice. So if you’re consumed with wanderlust, have grown tiresome of the conventions of planet Earth, and really want to stress test the degree of prejudice you hold towards those from different places, I could not recommend Milton Keynes enough. Milton Keynes is a strong contender for one of the wonders of the world, if not the most wondrous. If you’re a decorated traveller with a one-upping anecdote for every spiritual energy you’ve encountered in a faraway land, I invite you to sample Milton Keynes, a town whose demonic Silent Hill aura will sink its teeth into your memory and leave you a bald, decrepit, middle-aged mess wondering if there’s more to life than indistinct murmurs of Brexit and clouds. Holistically, Milton Keynes feels like a town built by a SimCity newcomer, someone whose idea of traffic is placing a roundabout every two yards because they lack the attention deficit to follow a straight line for longer than five seconds. But perhaps their most objectionable design choice was to open the ‘recreation’ tab and put everything remotely engaging within a 1km space, and then putting that space somewhere an hour away from where everyone actually lives. I remain ultimately convinced that, unlike the rest of the planet, Milton Keynes has been sealed off in a dome akin to that of Springfield in The Simpsons Movie, only this is an invisible dome whose internal surface area is a pure simulation. Where other travel destinations might include human beings with ambitions, needs, and desires, Milton Keynes offers a refreshing lack of nuance in its citizens. The population of Milton Keynes has achieved such enviable wanderlust that every person you encounter seems eternally consumed by the question: why am I here? If you weren’t charmed already, Milton Keynes is to culture what Damascus is to peacetime. Milton 11.
Keynes is a fascinating alternative-history reimagining in which Russia achieved world domination and rendered Britain a Communist bloc with nothing but brutalist architecture and depression. Our most famous landmarks include some cows made of concrete (genuinely), and Bletchley Park. You may know Bletchley Park as the headquarters of the British wartime codebreakers, including Alan Turing, whose genius helped saved Britain from Nazi tyranny. This contribution to the war effort is somewhat undermined however by Milton Keynes’ dire need of a little Nazi chic, if nothing else. Looking for love? Make your way to Milton Keynes’ city centre, download Tinder, set your radius to one mile and experience for yourself the thrilling homogeneity of nearby Miltons. If men are your interest, I hope you enjoy tanned Essex rejects whose gratingly forced accents reek of desperate attempts to feign London roots in lieu of a personality, with bios consisting of nothing but their height and an Instagram handle. If you’re into women, fear not, because an army of self-proclaimed ‘princess’ single mothers are in town to steal your heart. These are women who feel galvanised by bad-bitch pseudo-empowerment music, who think their ‘attitude problem’ is some sort of marketable trait, and physically cannot achieve any self-representation without a Snapchat filter. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, London is close by – that’s where all the ambitious people are anyway. Above all, Milton Keynes is your chance to be somebody. If you are between the age of 18 and 65, you’re already something special in Milton Keynes. The town is god’s pitstop, not only for people who can’t afford to live in London, but for the passage of life. Unlike Earth, life simply does not occur in Milton Keynes. People are born there, and they die there, but they never live there. But as far as purgatory daycares and retirement homes go, you could do worse. The shopping centre is nice at Christmas.
Try Milton Keynes!
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Illustration by Diana Valeanu
The Death of the Diet by Nidhi Pattni I made a lifestyle change this summer. No, it wasn’t some drastic shift in my life, but a simple change I made by listening only to my body. I stopped following diets. Dieting is addictive, I would say the second most thrilling activity after seeing that your Dominos pizza is on its way on the delivery tracker is finding a diet that promises astronomical results in less than a month. It’s an unhealthy obsession and for those who find it difficult to stay consistent to a healthy lifestyle without slipping up, diets are a great way to postpone the actual hard work of making a permanent shift in eating habits. Following a fad diet for me became as toxic as the food I was eating, it provided no nutritional value to my life and somehow, I always ended up where I started. So, this summer vacation as I was embarking on 3 months of relaxation and no rules or deadlines, I decided that it was finally time to fix this deep-rooted issue I had with relying on short term means for long term results.
I started with reflection. I evaluated why I felt the need to achieve my health and fitness goals in such a short span of time, why was I in such a rush? If you saw my YouTube search history, you’d find a bunch of videos with titles such as “Lose 40 pounds in 2 months!!” or “Lose weight without any exercise!” and “The Zodiac signs as Kardashians”. My point being, I was obsessed with seeing my body go through a dramatic transformation, I blame all those episodes of Extreme Weight loss I binge watched. So my first step in this lifestyle change was to question that urgency and update my definition of a transformation. After that, it was quite simple, I paid attention to what the people around me were doing. The two 14.
people I listen to the most now is my mother and my grandmother. We often underestimate the vast knowledge they have about eating well and living a long, healthy life. My grandmother has always given me advice about how I should be eating my dinner before 7:30 PM, how I shouldn’t have my phone near me while I eat, and how I should only eat locally produced food. But I never listened because I always had this ignorant mindset that I will only become fitter and look like the girls on my Instagram feed if I made a drastic change and cut out entire food groups from my life. But she always scoffed at those fad diets because she knew that ultimately the only thing you lose with such harsh food restrictions is your mind.
So I learnt from her and from the rest of my family how to cook healthy meals that didn’t just comprise of salads, but wholesome food from my homeland of India. I never realised just how healthy my favourite Indian meals were and my whole life I assumed that because they were so delicious, they had to be bad for me. But I was so wrong. I learnt to make those meals over the summer, perfected them by having my friends and family try them and give me their constructive criticism. I learnt to love cooking for myself and respecting my body enough to give it what it deserves and not just what it craves. With this knew mindset, I might not look like Maya Jama in less than 2 months but maybe in a year or two I’ll look in the mirror and respect the effort I put in by listening to my body and not some influencer getting paid to sell me a laxative.
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The Evolution of Modern Art by Shubhangi Dua Art is a conceptual term which could be looked through various perspectives in different timelines. Starting from caves of Ajanta, the city of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro in the South Asia region to Venus of Hohle Fels, one of the earliest form of cave art recovered from Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany in Europe. we’ve jumped from realism, Impressionism, expressionism, surrealism, pop art, for that matter even abstract art to a world of Conceptual/Installation art and photo realism In 1967, an American artist, Sol LeWitt introduced us to the term, ‘conceptual art’ which he described as, “the idea itself, even if not made visual, is as much a work of art as any finished product.” The objective was to send a message that art can be simple and smart at the same time. Artists used logic, mathematics, linguistic skills or general knowledge in their work such as in the case of Joseph Kosuth, Four Colours Four Words (Blue, Red, Yellow, Green),1966 and Mel Ramsden (Art & Language Group) Secret Painting, 1967-1968. Another form of art, Photo realism contributed heavily to the evolution of the art industry. Artists projected illustrations on canvas with utmost precision by using airbrush that it almost replicated a photograph such as showcased in the artwork by Chuck Close, Self-portrait (1967-68). The painting portrays are an unshaven man and messy hair, smoking a cigarette created in black and white. Graffiti is another technique that comes to mind that has played an imminent role in the new millennium. The ambition demands evolution which prompted the official authorities in many countries to prohibit it with a proper capital punishment mentioned in various constitutions. ‘Banksy’ comes to mind when I think of graffiti or street art. Banksy is an anonymous artist and political activist active since the 1990s whose work is satirical and political in nature such 15.
as Balloon Girl which self destructed in 2018 and is now called Love is in the Bin and Brexit mural of man chipping away at European Union flag appeared on Dover on June 8. Over the years Banksy vandalised or in other words depicted art work to spread a message and criticise wrongdoers in society. However, the new millennium may not comprise of the typical conceptual art or photo realism as seen in the 20th century but the art forms have left a huge impact in the world of creativity. Art has developed over the years with new technologies and advancement. In my opinion, capitalism and globalisation plays a huge role in the art industry today. Globalisation has made it possible for people from different backgrounds in terms of race, cast, creed and gender to learn distinctive forms of art ranging from classic styles to photorealism, from Wabi-sabi of Japan to Persian art of Iran, from water colours to sculptures and the list goes on. The availability of artistic material all over the globe makes it possible to not only choose a medium or material but also allows individuals to amalgamate techniques and styles and develop a new style. In this age, art techniques are conserved and applied in different natures. Art which was once a subject considered conservatively unimportant is now one of the most influential industry. Fashion is another form of creativity contributing towards the art industry. For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art organises the most famous themed ball of the year, “The Met Gala”, a fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. fashion designers are the artists creating and enhancing an individuals body with clothes, ornaments and colours. Every year, people around the world wait for their favourite celebrities to walk down the red carpet of the Met in the unique glamorous styles. However, with each passing year even the outfits of the ball have modified and some times spreads a powerful
message such as in the 2019 Met Gala, the screenwriter, actor and creator of The Chi, Lena Waithe wore a pinstripe double breasted Pyer Moss suit with a strong statement stitched on the back, “Black drag queens invented camp.” Constantly changing fashion trends are a driving force in the state of capitalism, an important element of the new millennium impacting art directly or indirectly in the present. Art has evolved through the centuries but has managed to preserve old techniques for example Mandala art of India originated in 4th century and is now made all over the world has managed to survive millennials. Origami and ceramics originating in Japan is another technique preserved through times immemorial. Various styles of art can be observed all around us in any form or medium, even spectacles on floor can be considered art as illustrated by a 17 year old prankster in The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2016. Several visitors mistook as a postmodern masterpiece proving that art can be anything if presented in a creative environment. Honestly, if my room was open for an art exhibit, I’m sure the copper glass kept upside down on a white cloth will be perceived as “art”.
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Photograph entitled ‘Masquerade’ By Iris van Brunschot
What to Expect of the 20’s? by Amelia Field Our society is in a constant state of change, it seems that every day there are new discoveries which leads us to think what could the next 10 years hold. 1980s films show the future consisting of flying cars and buildings in the sky but the reality may be a bit more simple. There are two aspects of change which have been most prevalent in this day an age. The first being technology. We see the endless possibilities of technology being explored in TV shows such as Black Mirror and Mr Robot, which show us where we can end up if technology is used in the wrong way, or put into the wrong hands. In reality, I believe that technology will continue in the direction that it has been developing so far. Through how it is used to make our lives simpler and get rid of every-day stresses. This may be seen through the introduction of Smart homes, where devices are linked up across a house to, for example, turn on and off lights when you come into or out of a room. Or automatically created shopping lists. All these changes can sound slightly mundane but can have large impacts on communities which require help around the house such as the elderly or disabled. This may then lead to there being decline in the number of care assistants needed in such households affecting many hundreds of jobs. The sharing of personal information online has been something which has populated the news re-cently with the Cambridge analytica scandal. Audiences want a personal tailored experience when using the internet but this can sometimes go too far when more private information is shared leading to an influence on voting or personal habits. This can lead to swaying of opinions which can cause real life consequences. I can see that despite
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there being a change in opinions, leading to more cautious consumers not as willing to share all their information, there will be a clash between this and the desire to have a personalised experience online. The last change in technology is through how it has changed relationships. In the film ‘Her’ we see the lead character fall for his personalised ‘Alexa’ like operating system. Although the future may not see us going this far, there is a possibility of more relationships being fully online leading to the death of traditional dating and love. The beloved dating apps the majority of us have will be able to find that ‘perfect person’ for us through a series of analytical tests and the scary world of deep fakes may develop its accuracy leading to a number of possible scandals and controversies. At the forefront of everyone’s mind right now is climate change, and it feels the everywhere you look there are demonstrations and campaigns. Hundreds of businesses are changing their ap-proaches to create more sustainable products or improve their CSR to appeal to the changing needs of consumers. With the ever preset threat of the ticking clock of climate change the world has been taking an environmentally friendly lifestyle more seriously. This may mean that in 10 years we will, as a planet, have declared a climate emergency and hopefully the sufficient chang-es have been made in order to prevent a mass extinction in the future. Through the demonstrations and protests that have been happening over the past years, we hope that awareness spreads to the everyday person, as well as large corporations causing instrumental change. On the other hand, we may find that in the space of 10 years, we have not put in enough effort and we must deal with the consequences of this potentially ending life as we know it. Now as companies have started to offer alternatives
for their products the hope is that there will be a bottom up approach from companies. From brands such as Simple offering biodegradable face wipes to then lead to multinational oil companies cutting down on the resources they use and gov-ernments putting legislation in place to stop the excessive use of single use plastics and diesel cars. On a more social level not taking the world for granted and a positive attitude towards the require-ment is required. We have seen this change being adopted by a large part of the population through the adoption of veganism and vegetarianism. Seeing the impacts of mass farming on habitats, peo-ple and the animals themselves has lead to their being a large population of more conscious con-sumers leading to chains having to adopt vegan options and change their rules on how they source their produce. This will also have a large impact on the farming industry which has also taken a hit through this radical change. Despite many jobs being lost, there is the possibility of replacing these
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with jobs that may appear in farming for these dietary needs and in other more sustainable areas. The future ahead is uncertain and only predictions are able to be made as to where we will end up but it is important to stay informed about how we are to progress to ensure that the world is not de-stroyed by our actions and that we limit technology so that it can’t be used against us. All of this draws back to human nature asking us to be hopeful and try to make a positive impact on the busy world around us.
Editors: Jasmine Snow Eduardo Karas Nidhi Pattni
Illustrators:/Photographers: Jasmine Snow YL Tang Iris van Brunschot Diana Valeanu
Contributers: Bronte Spargo Helena Iciek Mike O’Brien Hannah Penwright Christopher Colbourn
Megaan Evans Gwenddolen Sai Miyoshi Woebking Nidhi Pattni Sarah Harris Shubhangi Dua Amelia Field