Contents
Glasgow University Magazine
FEATURES / 04-07 The Interrail Trap Drugs. Work. My Thesis
POLITICS / 08-11
New Capital CrISIS Stretching Out Against Stigma The Flip Side of ‘Je suis Charlie’
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EDITOR
Daniel Patterson
DEPUTY EDITOR Abbey Fleming
FEATURES EDITOR Paul Butterfield
POLITICS EDITOR Sophia Gore
CULTURE EDITOR Lisa Monozlai
STYLE EDITOR
CULTURE / 13-17
The Importance of Jaws: Honouring the Iconic Film Phenomenon A Canadian in London Finishing off the Ampersand Trilogy with RM Hubbert Inside Pond’s Cookie-Cutter Psychedelic Rock The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos
STYLE / 18-24
Featured Designer Akash Sharma Fashion on Show: From Catwalk to Gallery Model Image At the Click of a Button The Sexualisation of American Apparel
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / 25-27
Why Brazil Might Be on the Brink of Recession The Eurozone: Doomed To Fail From Inception How Exchange Rate Volatility Affects Inflation Targeting Policies
Anne Devlin
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR Mashal Aamir
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Stephanie Scullion
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jessica Taylor
PHOTO EDITOR Aidan Morrissey
PROOFREADING Calum MacRae
COVER DESIGN Jamie Donald
ILLUSTRATORS Jamie Donald Zoe Williams Katie Catling
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jessica Taylor
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / 28-30
The Politics of Climate Change What Kind of Flirt Are You? Mars One: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity or Corporate Fantasy?
LIVING WITH DISABILITY / 31 CONTRIBUTORS:
Catherine Robb, Jamie Donald, Patrick McCafferty, Rhys Harper, Josh Stevens, Jack Hanington, Youngwon Do, Aleena Din, Lisa Monozlai, Donald Marshall, Robbie Orr, Anne Devlin, Rhiannon Norman, Jasmine Wilson, Cesar Imbert, Rachel Walker, Kasia Grzeszczyk, Argyris Argyroudis, Ali Rustamov, Theodora Strati, Emma Briggs, Marcia McSwegan.
The views articulated in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Students’ Representative Council or the University of Glasgow. Glasgow University Magazine, John McIntyre Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ editors@glasgowuniversitymagazine.co.uk
Jessica is GUM’s Graphic Designer and is responsible for producing the entire magazine. If you are interested in working with her or would like to see more of her work please get in touch. jessicacora.creative@gmail.com www.behance.net/jessicacoracreative www.facebook.com/jessicacoracreative
The Fleeting Hour
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
The Fleeting Hour In our final issue of the academic year, we explore an exciting range of ideas to entertain and engage you over the summer break. Our Features section includes perspectives on two very different concerns for students – how best to travel Europe and the concerns surrounding the emergence of ‘study drugs’ on university campuses. We also take a look at a winning submission in this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition. In Politics, we raise pressing issues of local, national and international importance. We explore an exciting new aerobics campaign to fight mental health stigma, and consider the physical breakdown of our ancient parliament at Westminster. We study the background to the current IS conflict and ask some difficult questions about the significance of race in our responses to terrorism. Culture looks at the impact of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws 40 years after its release, and speaks to band Pond and guitarist RM Hubbert about their latest work. In our third Style editorial, we turn to Akash Sharma’s one-off tribal-inspired collection, captured by photographer Peter Methven on the streets of Glasgow.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
I’m thrilled that this year has seen GUM broaden its appeal by providing a platform for students to explore interests in two new areas: Business & Economics and Science & Technology. In these final sections, we consider the consequences of oil corruption in Brazil and political inaction on climate change, and gain an insight into the science of flirting. I’m proud of the diversity of perspectives we have been able to include in GUM this past year, as well as the quality of the creative pieces featured - whether artwork, poetry or short stories. I’ve been delighted to see writers and the magazine improve together with each issue. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the hard work of everyone involved, to thank readers for your continued support, and to wish the incoming team the best of luck in the year ahead.
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The Interrail Trap Features
Glasgow University Magazine
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While the premise is great and allows us to access a large number of Europe’s surprises in a short space of time, it risks restricting you to a narrow set of objectives. These trains resemble a moving festival, where hangovers and impractical rucksacks can be found in abundance but where a real taste of Europe and a worthwhile travelling experience are harder to find.
Patrick McCafferty considers the downsides to exploring Europe on the back of an Interrail ticket. Europe calls us – to explore the roots of modern Western civilisation, to experience its weather and its people, and to partake in an increasingly popular student tradition: the Interrail holiday. The gist of the Interrail ticket itself is appealing: a budget pass which allows you to travel the width and length of the continent from Lisbon to Bucharest, and Hamburg to Naples, giving young travellers a taste of what it is to move between countries, to feel responsible and return home with a sense of their place in society, ready to start or return to university and develop as a well-rounded citizen. What fault can we find with this set up, 250,000 tickets for which are sold every year, that brings tourists to our nations’ capitals, contributing to businesses both big and small? Surely this synopsis is enough to tempt even the sturdiest recluse into a short trip abroad. Due to its unsurprising popularity, too many of us, inexperienced travellers as we are, are taking to Interrail as a rite of passage, only to be whisked round foreign capitals by train for a few weeks before returning home with a false impression of what Europe is actually like. Add to this the hostel drinking culture, bar crawls and nightclub PRs, and the result is essentially an expensive trip during which one might see little more than town squares, a museum or two and the interior of slow, sweaty trains on which you are likely to encounter much the same people – perhaps literally the same people – as were in your hostel the previous night.
The temptation is always to keep things simple. Interrail’s simplicity is what makes it attractive: one payment to cover all of your travel costs, with a limit of ten travelling days out of twenty-two (as allows the most popular pass). However the pass reduces complications to the point of uniformity. It eliminates the problem of language barriers and having to queue for tickets, making the process of getting from A to B a mere flash of a wristband. In some ways, the pass reduces the potential for spontaneity and choice. The plan is never to deviate from the railway tracks. You can’t catch a cheap bus or hitchhike. This impairs one of the most important aspects of travel – the freedom to go where you want. It creates an illusion of freedom by setting manageable limits. We think only of those places within our reach. This often leaves us choosing from a handful of major cities: Berlin, Amsterdam, Venice, Prague, Budapest, Barcelona. Inevitably travellers tick off as many countries as possible in order to see as much as they can. The Interrailing pass tricks us into believing we are making our own decisions about the places we go when in fact, given the time constraints, our options present only a superficial impression of the countries we visit. This is conveyor-belt travelling: you stop at a city; you look around for a bit; you move to the next.
Features
Glasgow University Magazine
“Since the Interrail pass herds young holiday-makers to the major cities such as Prague and Berlin, these places have become developed so as to be presented to them in a very orchestrated way.” Since the Interrail pass herds young holiday-makers to the major cities such as Prague and Berlin, these places have become developed so as to be presented to them in a very orchestrated way. It is easy and cheap for business if everyone arrives at once, and as a consequence the ‘product’ one experiences as an Interrailer is also easy and cheap – a long way from an authentic representation of a destination. One cannot fault local businesses for taking advantage of the tourist trade. The disposable income of middle-class British youths is an invaluable source of income to families across Europe. In Croatia, for example, the tourism industry makes up 15% of the GDP, taking in roughly €7b a year. However, if you allow yourself to explore a place on the terms of local companies the impression you leave with will be shaped by guided tours of city centres, organized bar crawls and tourist traps like Torture and Porn museums. These are especially aimed at the Interrailing youth, who have little time to spend and want to cram as much fun in as they can.If there is anything of real travel to be found in this method of exploration then it is surely only the negative aspects. You might get your wallet stolen or you might get dehydrated. If you stick to the Interrail pass it is almost impossible to surmount these touristic snares, which neither empower the traveller nor allow an honest portrayal of the destination. To achieve these, we must by choose our own path and not be led as part of the herd.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
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These are especially aimed at the Interrailing youth, who have little time to spend and want to cram as much fun in as they can. If there is anything of real travel to be found in this method of exploration then it is surely only the negative aspects. You might get your wallet stolen or you might get dehydrated. If you stick to the Interrail pass it is almost impossible to surmount these touristic snares, which neither empower the traveller nor allow an honest portrayal of the destination. To achieve these, we must by choose our own path and not be led as part of the herd. The Interrailing pass provides the traveller with security but restricts them to staying on the conveyor belt. All that’s needed is a little research and imagination to realise that the whole of Europe is at your disposal – nature reserves; hidden castles; rural villages with few visitors. Many of these gems are accessible by train. Yet a focus on unnecessary limitations will prevent most Interrailers from reaching them. Interrailing encourages a sense of trust, a trust better placed in one’s own individuality and ability to break from the norm. By all means plan ahead, by all means get drunk in St. Peters Square, but don’t consider it any more than a holiday, periodically interrupted by sweaty British yahs telling you how wonderfully quaint their hostel in Krakow was. Remember that Europe is best seen first-hand, not through the window of an Interrail train.
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Features
Glasgow University Magazine
Drugs. Work. Jamie Donald considers the future of cognitive enhancement drugs – an increasingly popular study aid in higher education.
It is far from groundbreaking news that some students are partial to experimenting with drugs. Recently, however, this old cliché is being granted new life with the evolution of the scenarios in which these experiments take place - hazy nights in dark club toilets and smoke-fogged flats are giving way to studious binges in secluded corners of the library. Depending where you get your numbers, reports show that as many as one in five students has used a cognitive enhancement drug during their time at university.
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Questions abound about the ability of a graduate who has relied on study drugs to attain their degree to work effectively later in their careers. Tolerances can grow, dependencies can form, and with life as a young professional arguably even more stressful than as a student, it wouldn’t be a great leap to imagine that some study drug users will continue their consumption in working life. It’s not unknown for people in the professional world to use drugs to keep up with the pace of high-pressure jobs (notably the abundance of cocaine that apparently fuels our economy in the City of London), but that reality is left pointedly tacit. Would employers feel comfortable knowing that some candidates for recruitment had used ‘study aids’ to get their degree?
Nootropics (commonly referred to as ‘study drugs’) such as Ritalin, Adderall and Modafinil are gradually making their way into the spectrum of ‘normal’ student life. Legally intended as prescription drugs (for disorders such as ADHD and narcolepsy), they are often sold to friends by legitimate users, but can just as easily be bought online from websites claiming to sell ‘gardening supplies’ or ‘research chemicals’, with the goods unconvincingly labeled: ‘not for human consumption’. Consume, however, they do. With the current state of the job market for recent graduates, and with student loans dangling ominously overhead, it’s not surprising that many students are willing to dabble around questionable corners of the internet to buy themselves an edge when the going gets tough. It could be argued that the growing prevalence of these drugs on campuses is symptomatic of a wider issue – we’re a generation faced with great uncertainty, with even high performers struggling to stand out in an increasingly competitive world. Even the early years of university can be overwhelming for students, with little to no guidance provided to teach them how to effectively - and healthily - manage their time, amongst an onslaught of essays and deadlines entirely different to that of their high-school experience. The pressure to do well is understandable, but the increasing use of ‘study drugs’ raises ethical questions. Does a student who pops Ritalin to tackle an essay have an advantage over everyone else? Entire swathes of society live their lives fueled by caffeine - such a normalized practice that no one would accuse them of unfairly seizing the upper hand – and its effects appear remarkably similar. Increased energy, focus - that little kick to keep you going just a little longer through the day. Of the people I’ve spoken to who’ve used study drugs, none claim to produce work of a higher standard than they would otherwise. It’s simply a case of their productivity being boosted - their process put into ‘fastforward’. On the other hand, effective time keeping is a key skill required for obtaining a quality degree, and a non-doped student who has meticulously planned their various commitments over the course of weeks and months may feel cheated by this chemical efficiency.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
As most of these drugs were developed and intended for prescription use, their side effects and health risks are well researched and documented - the main offenders being anxiety, insomnia, increased heart rate and blood pressure, irritability, headaches and nausea. In standard prescription procedure, a doctor or pharmacist would inform a patient about these possibilities. However, when students sideline the role of medical professionals in the distribution process, they themselves take on the responsibility for processing this information, and self-regulation of drug use is (somewhat notoriously) a risky business. Then again, I’m pretty sure a doctor wouldn’t endorse the aggressive consumption of coffee, energy drinks or cigarettes that can occur in the run up to deadlines, and anyone who’s been there will be familiar with the wholly unpleasant side effects that follow. Cognitive enhancement drugs, then, represent a rather awkward customer for students, universities, and governments. We stand on the precipice of two alternate futures. In one, study drugs are stocked in the vending machines in libraries, a pound a pop, right by the Red Bulls and junk food. In another, they’re tracked, criminalized and tested for. With their popularity apparently ever-soaring, the decisions that will decide which path is taken are imminent.
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Features
Glasgow University Magazine
My Thesis Having won the ‘People’s Choice’ award at the University’s Three Minute Thesis competition in March, Philosophy PhD student Catherine Robb explains her thesis ‘The Nature and Value of Talent’ for GUM.
Talents play a central role in our lives. For those who are talented, their ability often shapes the course of their life; determining who they might become, how they value themselves, and are valued by others. This is because talents are significant not just for the talented person but for society as a whole: a talent for figure skating, for instance, benefits not just figure skaters but also the sport’s fans. My thesis aims to question whether we should develop our talents, specifically exploring what reasons we might have for thinking we would have an obligation to do so. The most effective way to explain how I will answer this question is by using three examples. To begin with, let’s take as our first example Usain Bolt, who is a talented sprinter and has already developed his talent to an extremely high level. Now, think of all the positive outcomes that have arisen from this: as a result of his success he can provide for his family and support various charities and noble causes, and as a result of his fame he can serve as a positive role model. We might think that if Bolt didn’t develop his talent then he would have been doing something wrong, because lots of people would have missed out on these benefits. If we think that we ought to develop our talents because of the positive consequences that will arise from doing so, then we are appealing to the theory of consequentialism, which states that we ought to do what brings about the best consequences for the largest number of people. Those who agree with consequentialism will have to make clear what makes a consequence the ‘best’ one, and will have to decide whether the positive effects that a consequence has on people should be measured only by the number of people impacted or by how and the extent to which each person is affected. Regardless of which account is most plausible, we might think that consequentialism generally doesn’t get to the heart of the matter regarding talents.
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To adopt this line of thinking would be to appeal to the intrinsic value of talent development, stating that there is something valuable about allowing one’s talent to flourish regardless of the potential consequences of doing so. It is not clear why we should disregard consideration of consequences altogether when it comes to talent development. This is highlighted by our third example. Imagine that you are an extremely talented violinist; you know there will be some good consequences if you develop your talent, and (for argument’s sake) you also think that there is intrinsic value in you developing your talent. But, for some reason, you find that playing the violin just makes you completely miserable, and the thought of developing your talent repulses you and fills you with dread. From this there seems to emerge a tension: what should you do when your personal concerns about your own happiness and wellbeing conflict with concerns about the intrinsic value of talent development and its potential consequences? Should you develop your talent to play the violin even though it makes you unhappy? My thesis aims to break from the traditional way of thinking about talent development as based on consequentialism on the one hand, and intrinsic value on the other hand. Instead, I aim to show that considerations of personal well-being are equally, if not more important than cultivating talents when considering whether we ought to do so. Consequently, this puts pressure on the common way of thinking about talent as being something that we should nurture because they are good for you. Rather, I claim that we do not necessarily have an obligation to develop our talents if doing so will be detrimental to our overall happiness, no matter how useful or valuable those talents are, or will be, to society.
“It is not clear why we should disregard consideration of consequences altogether when it comes to talent development.” To understand why, consider a second example: the impressionist painter Paul Gauguin. Gauguin infamously neglected his family in Denmark so he could move to France to develop his artistic talent. Few positive consequences arose from this – he didn’t become particularly happy, wealthy, successful or famous during his lifetime. Still, irrespective of the negative consequences, we might think that Gauguin was right to believe he ought to develop his talent – that doing so would be good for him, because developing one’s talents is valuable in itself.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
New Capital With the Palace of Westminster in a state of decay, Rhys Harper asks whether we should dig deep into the national purse to fund critical repairs or look elsewhere.
Westminster is falling apart. That is not a Scottish nationalist or UKIP vote-wrangling sentiment: it’s a fact. As was made clear in the BBC’s recent fly-on-the-wall series Inside the Commons, £50m is spent every year on the upkeep of the Houses of Parliament; a building most taxpayers will visit perhaps once in their lives, if at all. In March, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow warned that even more funding is required to prevent Parliament’s demise. In a time of austerity it is difficult to justify such expenditure to those who don’t spend their days strolling the corridors of power. Bercow lamented, ‘It would be a huge pity if we decided that by the time we had reached the 200th anniversary of the vast fire which consumed the old Parliament and brought this one in to being, we had to abandon this site and look elsewhere in order to serve the public interest properly. Yet I will tell you in all candour that unless management of the very highest quality and a not inconsequential sum of public money are deployed on this estate over the next ten years that will be the outcome.’ Right you are, John. Westminster’s decline is the perfect opportunity for the UK’s parliament, government, civil service and ‘capital city’ to up sticks from London to somewhere different, such as Manchester. The idea of ditching London as our capital seems ridiculous, and yet that perception of absurdity, and of northern inferiority, is precisely the reason a move of this kind is desperately needed. Bercow felt that £3bn was a realistic estimate of the amount required to refurbish Parliament. To put that in to perspective, the grossly expensive Scottish Parliament cost taxpayers £431m, ten times the original £43m budget. It is entirely feasible that a new Mancunian site would be a significantly cheaper option than a revamp at Westminster. Manchester is arguably the closest city to the centre of the UK. It has everything a capital city needs: expanding business infrastructure, increasing transport connectivity, a growing media hub, a leading university, an excess of burger eateries and a sprawling gay scene. Making Manchester the capital city would be a bold declaration of commitment to alleviating regional inequalities. In 1961, Brazil successfully shifted its capital from the south to the centre for similar reasons. Why shouldn’t it work here? Talk of a ‘north/south divide’ has become commonplace in British politics. However, our knowledge of the UK’s socioeconomic divide is twinned with a sense of inferiority that will blight us if left unaddressed. Geographically unbalanced news coverage of free schools, Boris bikes, mortgage inflation, and so on are accepted as the norm whether you live in York, Belfast, Aberdeen or elsewhere.
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The mixed reactions of BBC staff to the corporation’s move from London to Salford might have been understandable had the transition been conducted on camelback - but it was not. The idea of London as some Promised Land for ambitious graduates pervades despite its ongoing Paris-like gentrification and the social engineering brought about by unpaid internships and impossible living costs. London is a wonderful, vibrant, global city like Hong Kong, Sydney and New York - none of which are capitals. With a new capital city, residents of Birmingham and Dundee alike might live long enough to see Newsnight prioritize coverage of ISIS and pharmaceutical scandals over reports of Tube strikes in London. The Guardian might start reviewing plays performed beyond The Old Vic and the BBC might realize that no one north of Gainsborough finds Miranda Hart remotely entertaining.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
With Manchester as the seat of power, the north of England’s economy would be revitalized and the region would benefit from a permanent gravitational pull of business and investment. Dissatisfaction at the chasm between a distant Westminster and the interests of everyday Brits - crystalized in last year’s Scottish independence referendum led by the anti-Westminster (rather than anti-English) Yes campaign might fade with the adoption of a more representative capital city. The SNP would be weakened; their carefully-crafted portrayal of Scotland as the victim of a bullying Westminster, diminished. Moving our capital to Manchester could also energize disenfranchised English folk with no devolution option before them. In England they have tuition fees and prescription charges. It’s like America with less casual obesity, and instead of guns, racist southerners have social media accounts. I have no doubt that many English taxpayers would vote to be more like Scotland if given the chance. So don’t take offence, London. We’ll still see each other from time to time. Please believe that change, however radical it may seem, is often for the better.
Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
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crISIS Josh Stevens clarifies some common misunderstandings surrounding the conflict in Iraq and Syria.
Despite dominating the news, much confusion remains around the current situation in the Middle East. For twenty-five years, western forces have been fighting in the area, each conflict giving birth to the next and spreading Islamist extremism across the globe. Following the ‘War on Terror’ declared after the 9/11 attacks, Al-Qaeda (who had supported the Taliban in their ruling of Afghanistan), lost many of its leaders, including Osama bin Laden; leaving the network dispersed and lacking effective organisation. In time splinter factions and other insurgent groups throughout Iraq coalesced over a common disdain of hegemonic western culture. After re-consolidating its identity as a movement, the network had reformed by 2006 as the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). After attempts by the United States to eliminate much of its leadership, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was appointed head of ISI and began filling out the ranks with people who had served in Saddam Hussein’s regime. They officially split from al-Qaeda and advocated a more brutal approach in pursuing their objectives. The Arab Spring of 2011 triggered a civil war in Syria, in which ISI were able to expand from northern Iraq and into eastern Syria. In occupying populated areas, ISI made use of valuable resources such as oil and infrastructure. This area is populated mainly by Kurds; the indigenous people of south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria and Northern Iraq, who are providing resistance against ISI with support from western forces.
“If the last twenty-five years have proven anything, it is that counterinsurgency is no easy task.” The actual size of the territory occupied remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 12,000 square miles (the size of Belgium) to 35,000 square miles (the size of Jordan). What is clear is that the network is a major security threat and is fast consolidating a state. In 2013 ISI aligned with other militants in the area to become ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and then the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or IS. The CIA estimates there are between 20,000 and 31,500 IS fighters, though other assessments range from 9,000 to 200,000.
These figures demonstrate the ambiguity of this conflict. Since many splinter groups are dispersed widely throughout the Kurdish region and in other Arab states, the relative threat such groups pose remains unclear. An important concern is the ability of IS to access weapons. A report found in the possession of IS fighters detailed Saudi anti-tank rockets given to the Syrian Freedom Army as well as US and Chinese manufactured arms. This illustrates the disturbing role of the defence market in this conflict. Western efforts so far have included airstrikes by the United States, supported by Gulf countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as similar actions by Australia, the UK, Canada and Jordan. However, the effectiveness of these efforts is debatable. IS continues to cause fear around the world, especially in its use of social media. Last winter saw an insidious succession of decapitation videos while in February, Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh was shown being immolated in a cage. If the last twenty-five years have proven anything, it is that counter-insurgency is no easy task. There is a significant difference between killing influential figures in a terrorist organisation, and destroying their ideas. It is a vicious cycle of supposed martyrdom, as the assassination of network leaders can encourage aspiring militants rather than deter them. Education is the best weapon, however as IS militants do not belong to a single country and there is limited civil infrastructure in place, this is near impossible to deploy. Arming local freedom fighters is problematic because that is one reason why organisations such as the Taliban, al-Qaeda and IS have weapons today. Many Islamic leaders have spoken out against IS, but they will not listen; this is a conflict not of religion, but of power and ideology. The growing influence of IS is a great cause for concern, but ghosts from past conflicts are making military strategy and diplomatic efforts increasingly difficult. There needs to be a long-term, holistic strategy to fully address the problems that have long plagued western forces in the Middle East.
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Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
Stretching Out Against Stigma Jack Hanington raises awareness of the creative ways that communities in Glasgow are kicking back against the stigma surrounding mental health.
It is incumbent on any healthy society to try to give a voice to the voiceless. In the UK today, many people who experience mental illnesses find themselves silenced due to the stigma that surrounds the issue. To tackle this problem, a Glasgow group called Sweet Aerobics has decided to provide a dynamic space for the voiceless by dedicating a day of aerobics to raising awareness of mental health issues. As the NHS Mental Health Trust battles austerity measures, it is crucial that local, creative campaigns continue to fight from the margins to de-stigmatise mental illness in the face of ignorance and indifference.
“Currently, mental health initiatives are allocated just 12% of the NHS budget, despite accounting for 22% of the NHS’s work.” In recent years, the politics surrounding mental health has moved in a new direction, towards an idea called ‘the parity of esteem’; to inspire hopes of a fresh approach to the care of those living with mental illness. Since its conception it has evolved into a bureaucratic buzzphrase. ‘The parity of esteem’ was originally a pledge to treat mental illness with the same importance as physical illness, but amid the austerity of the past few years, funding for mental health services was among the first commitments to be slashed. Currently, mental health initiatives are allocated just 12% of the NHS budget, despite accounting for 22% of the NHS’s work. This imbalance is a result of the attack on the welfare state over the last five years: cuts to the NHS’s Mental Health Trust have reduced the budget by £253m while half of the early intervention programmes aimed at young people have been halted. The absence of personalised help for people living with mental illness has been met by anti-depressants and inadequate bestseller guides to meditation. Behind these problems lies the issue of stigma and the nervous silence that surrounds mental illness. Almost nine out of ten Britons who experience mental health problems say they face stigma and discrimination and it is predicted that a quarter of the two million Scots suffering from mental illness never seek treatment.
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The pressures are immense for Glaswegians in particular. Even though the Scottish NHS has been freed from southern austerity, socioeconomic factors mean that sufferers in this city are especially marginalised. The Glasgow Centre for Population Health reports that the numbers of suicides, psychiatric admissions to hospitals, and alcohol and drug-related factors in areas of Glasgow remain among the highest in the UK. These problems cannot be addressed through anti-depressant prescriptions alone (these have increased by a quarter in the last four years), nor through meditation. Releasing sufferers from stigma is a crucial part of modernising our approach to mental health. With the help of Govan’s Kinning Park Complex, Sweet Aerobics hopes to create an energetic approach to de-stigmatising mental illness; one that increases the happiness of participants while raising awareness of the deeper troubles that patients face. Sweet Aerobics is designed to support this movement with a day of fabulously uncoordinated routines, nutritious food, colourful smoothies and great music. The event will raise funds for The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), an institution that specialises in helping people who live with mental illness by providing expert advice and volunteering opportunities. SAMH is at the forefront of communal projects designed to discuss and combat the stigma surrounding mental illness in Scotland. Sweet Aerobics does not promise the solution to these troubles, however it does open up a unique platform for escape and enjoyment. Hula-hooping, space-bopping, face-pulling, and tunes jumping: just for a moment, everyone is in time, all following an abstract routine to raise awareness of mental health. Come along this May 30.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
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Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
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The Flip Side of ‘Je suis Charlie’ A critical evaluation of racial parity in the wake of Charlie Hebdo.
In GUM’s last issue, Voltaire was the concluding thought of the article on Charlie Hebdo: ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’. Voltaire’s famous quote beautifully represents the willingness to protect freedom of expression; the core value of liberal democracy. What’s more, it has become an international moral compass since the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks - being quoted widely in news coverage and on social media as an ideal. However, I find it rather depressing that the freedom of expression we have nowadays seeks inspiration from the 18th century. On January 7 of this year, French magazine Charlie Hebdo was targeted by terrorists. Initially I thought that I was the only one to feel uncomfortable with slogans such as ‘Je suis Charlie’ or ‘Not Afraid’. Unsurprisingly, responsive slogans to represent minorities followed; among them ‘I am not Charlie’ and ‘Je suis Ahmed’ - confirming that I was not alone in noticing some uncomfortable sentiments masked as tolerance for free expression. Exactly what were people supposed to be afraid of? I would also ‘defend to the death’ a person’s right to express their opinion, but a terrorist attack is not a threat one faces every day for expressing themselves in most Western societies.
“Where most European states have firmly embraced democracy, the masses can undermine the freedom of expression that should be enjoyed by smaller groups.” Insults and threats that ethnic and religious minorities face are more common. I am quite confident I am not the only Asian student to be mocked by random teenagers or be told ‘fuck you, Asian’ by a stranger on the street. One in every four Muslim students who attended a recent talk about Islamophobia at the University of Glasgow admitted to experiencing hatred as a result of their faith. Worldwide condemnation of the Paris attacks exacerbated the situation for many. Muslims face Islamophobic social media posts every day.
Muslims were blamed for their ‘responsibility’ for the attack and encouraged to express publicly their regret. There is a sense that while not all Muslims are terrorists, all the terrorists are Muslims. Where is freedom of expression in a society where religious minorities are undermined so learn to self-censor their opinions? Before accepting that these reactions are all about freedom of expression, we must ask why an attack in Norway did not inspire the same level of outrage. In July 2011, 77 people were killed and 319 injured in an attack against multiculturalism by Christian extremist Anders Behring Breivik. It is not a coincidence that ‘Je suis Ahmed’ was less successful than ‘Je suis Charlie’ for it is freedom of the majority that is dominant. Minorities are rarely represented, they are usually ‘represented against’ as a threat to freedom. 21st century democracy requires understandings different from those of the 18th century. When the most urgent task for democrats was to overcome absolute monarchy, typical struggles for freedom of expression came in the form of public unrest against oppression by a single power. However, in contemporary society, where most European states have firmly embraced democracy, the masses can undermine the freedom of expression that should be enjoyed by smaller groups. People have the power to undermine the rights of others through ownership of a media corporation, by being politically active, or even simply by belonging to a political, racial, religious or sexual majority. Hence, a simplistic understanding of power relations where people always think of themselves as the suppressed, the ‘Charlie’, only distracts from the complex issues surrounding freedom of expression. To quote Georg Lukacs, ‘Happy are those ages when the starry sky is the map of all possible paths — ages whose paths are illuminated by the light of the stars’. We live in a society where the real threat is not always so clear. Our responsibility is to protect different perspectives not only from authorities but also from the potential threat of the mainstream.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
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The Importance of Jaws: Honouring the Iconic Film Phenomenon 40 years ago, the blueprint of the Hollywood summer blockbuster emerged with Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Today, the movie remains paramount in filmmaking and popular culture, and continues to influence our phobia of the sea. Aleena Din
The day was June 20th 1975. Americans of all walks flocked to the Cinema Hall and what emerged 124 minutes later was a generation that had ‘Da- Dum, Da- Dum’ ringing in their ears and a serious fear of what existed beneath the sea’s murky surface. 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of Jaws, the blockbuster American thriller about a man-eating great white shark that led to the vilification of sharks and changed the way films were produced and marketed. As witnesses to this everevolving and all-encompassing cinematic experience, we have a duty to contemplate the ways that Jaws changed the game in everything from filmmaking to popular culture to wildlife conservation. And what a story it is.
“The biggest dilemma toward the development of the film was what Spielberg dubbed ‘the great white turd’- his malfunctioning mechanical shark-shaped archenemy.” Rewind back to a year before Jaws’ original release in 1975 and Spielberg was walking a tightrope - one false move and his career would be over. But it was a series of almost laughable disasters that shaped the future of Jaws’ humble project. The waters of Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, were the temporary home of the goose-bumped Jaws cast and crew who braved its freezing conditions. At the time, many contemplated how Spielberg was going to pull off what seemed like a disaster of a shoot and recover from an expensive, late and frankly impossible state of affairs. Jaws’ script was a somewhat spontaneous situation. The original screenplay was written by the author of the book on which the film was based, Peter Benchley, who told Empire magazine in a 1995 interview that he ‘didn’t know how to put the character texture into a screenplay’. So, the baton was handed to American screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, and a bevy of other writers were hired to rewrite scenes in the original script.
Add in improvisation by actors such as Roy Scheider, who coined the iconic phrase ‘We’re going to need a bigger boat’, and you get this melting pot of creatives managing to produce an unexpected but intriguing story. The biggest dilemma in the development of the film was what Spielberg dubbed ‘the great white turd’- his malfunctioning mechanical shark-shaped archenemy. Jaws’ infamous mechanical shark, made by art director Joe Alves, often failed to work in water so the film’s creators were forced to use other methods to establish the shark’s presence. With clever cinematic techniques and composer John Williams’ haunting music, Spielberg was able to create an iconic brand of filmmaking. While watching Jaws, the audience spends much of their time not seeing the film’s killer shark antagonist on screen. This allows their imagination to run riot as the superb camerawork lets the audience see through the eyes of the monster and witness first-hand the shark’s terrifying capabilities. Jaws’ success can in part be credited to its creative advertising - its unprecedented $700,000 television marketing ploy lured in movie-goers and set a new benchmark for those trailing behind. The now iconic film poster of a woman swimming above a seething great white shark has sparked a trend of poster spoofs and parodies, with famous American humour magazine, MAD, kicking off the Jaws parody trend on the cover of its 1976 issue. This brand of filmmaking and marketing was a watershed moment for the business. The film was the first to break the $100 million ceiling in box office revenue; it reached six million domestic video sales and is now the 7th highest grossing film of all time. Jaws, along with Star Wars, marked a new era for Hollywood and acted as a template for future thriller films (Ridley Scott’s science fiction phenomena Alien was pitched as ‘Jaws in space’). Jaws is embedded in popular culture. Williams’ simplistic but powerful music, a port of call for any heart-thumping moment, has become the most recognisable theme tune in history. Due to the success of Jaws, the then 26-year-old Spielberg was thrown into the Hollywood stratosphere; Oscar Schindler and Indiana Jones may not have made it to the big screen without the success of this 1975 hit. Spielberg manipulated his audience by using clever filmmaking to catapult them into fear, and like most trailblazers, he proved that the capacity of the imagination should not be underestimated – frightening us out of our skins at the same time.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
A Canadian in London After hearing about its vibrant arts scene and illustrious reputation, an exchange student at the University of Glasgow took a first-time trip to London. Lisa Monozlai documents her visit to the world’s most popular tourist destination.
London is intimidating. As an exchange student from Toronto, a city with a population of 2.8 million, I thought I knew everything about what made up a metropolis. But London trumped those numbers and my expectations. While sitting in a rooftop bar surrounded by live flamingos and exotic plants, a Londoner friend of mine told me that the rumoured regulars of this uber-posh venue, Kensington Roof Gardens, were British royals and reality television stars. Looking out from the gardens I could see old, ornate architecture contrasting the skyscrapers that mark the world’s most competitive financial district; buildings including the 87-storey Shard and the Gherkin – both of which continued to remind me of London’s great stature.
“Throughout my three-day trek of the city, I noticed one unifying feature construction.” The city seemed to be one of the swankiest - an international hub of high fashion, high politics and big business. Of course London is so much more than that, but it’s what drives millions of tourists to visit year after year - we all want to see what a global powerhouse looks like. But, beyond the pricey drinks and tourist traps there are the niche ‘hipster’ cafes in Shoreditch, East End graffiti, and the eccentric markets of Notting Hill and Camden Lock, which boast ideologies very different to those of corporate London. Walking through Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, I noticed a Banksy print of a rat holding a sign saying ‘You Lie’ on display in a shop storefront, a small glimpse of the big graffiti counterculture within the city. Hundreds of food stands fill this market, along with antique stalls, vintage clothing and thousands of people crowded onto the street looking to grab a good deal. From its financial district, the Square Mile, to the historic buildings of Westminster to the weird cafes in Shoreditch, London’s many neighbourhoods are wonderfully diverse. Although, throughout my three-day trek of the city, I noticed one unifying feature - construction. Dozens of cranes tower over London’s skyline ready to build its next skyscraper and, on the ground, construction workers are developing yet another subway line. It’s a symptom of gentrification and a city that’s always changing. London is a brilliant city, but it’s one that moves so fast it can be hard to keep up with.
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Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
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Finishing Off the Ampersand Trilogy with RM Hubbert Scottish guitarist and singer RM Hubbert discusses how he arrived at his distinctive guitar style, the completion of his album trilogy and his plans for the future. Donald Marshall
RM Hubbert is a musician from Glasgow whose unique sound relies on his intricate guitar playing and haunting songwriting. He has recently finished The Ampersand Trilogy, a series of albums exploring the death of his parents and other personal issues, released on independent Glasgow label Chemikal Underground. The second album in the trilogy, Thirteen Lost and Found, won the Scottish Album of the Year Award. He has just released an album of extra tracks from the sessions called Ampersand Extras. GUM’s Donald Marshall talked to Hubby about the trilogy and his plans for the future.
I recorded some great bands there, like The Yummy Fur, Lungleg and Ganger and Gilded Lil to name but a few. I think I may have helped record some of the first Belle and Sebastian demos as well. You used to be in a post-rock band called El Hombre Trajeado, but they disbanded in 2006. Now that you’re solo, do you prefer being in a band or doing stuff on your own? El Hombre has always been a democracy. Everything is written together, all decisions are made together. It’s easier being a solo musician but there’s a lot to be said for having compadres.
Things have changed a lot for you since you released your album First and Last in 2010. How does it feel to have finished The Ampersand Trilogy? A little odd, to tell the truth. It’s like losing a particularly loved but possibly unhygienic comfort blanket. This year marks the tenth anniversary of my father dying, which was the event that started the whole RM Hubbert experiment. Making those albums helped me express myself at a time when I couldn’t do so conventionally, but now I’ve been trying to do the same thing in a more ordinary way. How do you feel about Ampersand Extras in relation to the other records in the trilogy? It captures a lot of the little moments that weren’t tied to the ‘big picture’, which each of the other albums in the trilogy were trying to convey - mostly the happier moments! I’m glad to have released it because I think it helps give a better overall context to the other work. Having finished such a large project, what are your musical plans for the future? I’m in the middle of writing two separate albums just now. Both are collaborative but in very different ways. One has a political context. The other, well, I’m just seeing what happens. You went to the now legendary Beatbox class (part of a government scheme in which musicians on the dole were taught sound engineering), along with Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. What was that like? That was a great time! I actually ended up teaching there after my course finished in exchange for getting to use the studio on the weekend.
What made you decide to combine flamenco guitar with personal expression? In other words, did you deliberately turn that very traditional music into something new or did it just happen? Learning flamenco guitar was pretty much an accident. I was looking for something difficult to learn after my father died so I could focus on something other than that for a few hours a day, and I remembered that flamenco was supposed to be very challenging. Six months into teaching myself I realised I didn’t enjoy the music much; though I liked flamenco’s pure passion, I didn’t like its melodic constraints. What I ended up doing was playing flamenco with the right hand and post rock with the left. Hubby’s is some of the most reflective and thoughtful music being made in Scotland today. As mentioned, he is working on two new projects that will undoubtedly be as creative and innovative as The Ampersand Trilogy. Ampersand Extras is his latest release that contains previously unheard music from the Ampersand recording sessions. It’s available now from his record label Chemikal Underground’s online shop.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
Inside Pond’s Cookie-Cutter Psychedelic Rock Australian band, Pond, formed in 2008 as an offshoot from other well-known rockers, Tame Impala. They’re now capturing the world with their self-proclaimed ‘Hello Kitty of psychedelic rock’ sound. Robbie Orr caught up with band members Nick Allbrook and Joe Ryan at Oran Mor to talk whiskey, Glasgow and their latest album, Man It Feels Like Space Again.
As I’m led up the stairs into the Oran Mor green room, I find Joe Ryan lounging on a sofa halfway through a baguette watching a Facebook clip of an unstable saxophonist. As Nick Allbrook joins us, I’m struck by how settled they are - the calm of a band used to long tours and different cities. How do you prepare for your live shows? NA: We eat any symbolic foods, like bread. JR: And baguettes. And we have a few hours of mindless taunting of one another. NA: We try to keep a nice balance between extremely crude behaviour and playing scrabble while drinking peppermint tea, just to balance the ledger. NME described your 2015 album, Man It feels Like Space Again, as an ‘eccentric take on pop’. Is that what you intended to create? And do you agree with that description? NA: Yeah, I suppose that’s a pretty good idea. I mean, the record is like a plastic cookie cutter version of consumable psychedelic rock; it’s the Hello Kitty of psych rock for the kids to buy in hilarious little dispensable packs. But no, I don’t think we had any specific intentions straight out like that, no self-awareness of us being labelled as psychedelic golden boys. We don’t really know the meaning of that label or have any belief in it. Pond has a lo-fi sound to its music. What attracted you to that style? NA: Lack of funds. What’s your process when you go about creating a record? JR: Most of the songs are written off canvas. Each person writes their own song or at least gets the general gist of it to make things easier when they introduce it to the group. Then the rest of the boys add their own inflections. How do you go about writing your lyrics? NA: It depends what song they’re going in to. Sometimes the song just needs something that’s phonetically pleasing and has no context or meaning. I love things with no context or meaning.
Then with others you can’t avoid having some sort of emotional meaning behind them. This is the first album you’ve recorded onto tape, how did the process differ from the last few albums you’ve done? JR: We were using one inch tape this time which allows for sixteen tracks, so rather than just diving in and doing two or three guitar tracks of the same line, we had to consider more closely what sounds worked and what didn’t. NA: Yeah, instead of fixing things by just painting over them we tried to do a single stroke right. What were your main musical influences when you were recording the album? NA: We all consume so much musically and visually and everything that it’s just like a massive collection of years of things that come into your eyes and ears and brain and skin, so it’s pretty hard to narrow it down. I suppose we were listening to quite a lot of Brian Eno and Queen, that fractured, self-consciously plastic kind of glam. You wrote a lot of Man It Feels Like Space Again around the same time as your fifth album, Hobo Rocket (2013). Did the band have creative explosions which you then interpreted later on or was it always a separate project? JR: We’d just come back from tour and were in each other’s heads and playing well together, so we had a weekend free and decided to record the album. I think we were waiting for an appropriate amount of time to give Man It Feels Like Space Again its due attention. How have you guys been enjoying Glasgow? NA: I love this place; it’s so richly cultural. There’s so many artists and movements that seem so influential and enormous in their scale and power and I’d never really heard of any of them. I’ve come away with a head full of inspiration from this city - I just love it. We went to the Pot Still two nights in a row, me and Jamie, ‘cause I’m a despicable whiskey fiend. Beckoning me over to their plethora of fresh fruit and premade baguettes, Nick offers me a beer for the road, a kind gesture I can’t refuse. He tells me this room’s usually reserved for wedding parties. ‘The bridal suite’, I reply. ‘Yeah, me and Joe are gonna shag furiously later’, he laughs, and with that vivid mental image I make for the road shaking hands on the way.
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Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos A rock photographer’s 1980s snapshots of the eminent sounds of young Scotland are on display until September 26 at Low Parks Museum in Hamilton. The exhibition, called What Presence!, is part of the Season of Photography; a series of exhibitions held across Scotland that document and celebrate its lively cultural history and wealth of artistic pursuits.
Scotland’s 1980s indie music was prolific. From the jangly rock-pop of The Bluebells to post-punk Glasgow-based Orange Juice (the latter signed with famous independent label Postcard Records), the 80s for Scotland was so culturally significant it helped to turn Glasgow into the distinguished music hub it is today. But while everyone was boasting about the success of young musicians, photographer Harry Papadopoulos was documenting their lives.
“Harry was a very laid-back guy. The Bluebells did quite a lot of different shoots with him and he’d just go for a walk to places he knew. One time he took us to a tunnel underneath Kelvingrove Park – there was only one shaft of light coming down from a drain.” Born in Glasgow, Papadopoulos was a former maths teacher until he put aside his chalkboard and began chronicling the faces behind Britain’s growing post-punk scene. He became a staff photographer at now defunct music weekly Sound as well as with NME, pouring out candid images of Aztec Camera, The Clash, and even a 23-year-old Peter Capaldi. Most well-known for his role as the twelfth doctor in Doctor Who, he also sang lead in the Glasgow School of Art band, Dreamboys. Papadopoulos worked at Sound until 1984 and remained great friends with one of his favourite subjects, Ken McCluskey of The Bluebells, who explained his eccentric photography techniques in a 2011 interview with The Herald: ‘Harry was a very laid-back guy. The Bluebells did quite a lot of different shoots with him and he’d just go for a walk to places he knew. One time he took us to a tunnel underneath Kelvingrove Park where there was only one shaft of light coming down from a drain’.
So, why should the young Scots of 2015 care about the photography of the timeworn post-punk, pop and indie-rock of the 80s? Along with Glasgow-based indie label Postcard Records’ influence over the sounds of contemporary bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Belle and Sebastian, music journalist Simon Goddard told NME that Postcard Records was one of the things that gave Glasgow’s cultural tundra the same clout as New York City’s most influential music publishers. And Papadopoulos was there to document it all.
Despite his notoriety in documenting Britain’s pop culture, Papadopoulos’ current exhibition at Low Parks Museum is happenstance. On a visit to the photographer’s house, McCluskey accidentally stumbled onto hundreds of photographs of 1980s indie musicians that were ‘lying about’ and thought to clean up and curate them. So, he did McCluskey helped collect and refurbish the old photos into a book called What Presence! The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos (2013), a title inspired by a popular Orange Juice single.
What Presence! is only one of the exhibitions on around Scotland that are part of the Season of Photography. Organised by the Institute for Photography in Scotland, the exhibition series aims to promote awareness of Scottish photography, past and present, and display the medium’s diversity and cultural significance. Noteworthy exhibits on or upcoming in Glasgow include Passion by Maud Saulter at Street Level Photoworks, Fèis presenting Documenting Britain at Gallery 103 and Yaz Norris’ Enduring Light at The Arches.
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Featured Designer Akash Sharma Style Editor Anne Devlin presents the creations of Akash Sharma, captured by photographer Peter Methven in a summer editorial.
Here at GUM we have consistently championed and showcased Glasgow’s talent and this issue is no exception. The designs coming out of Glasgow School of Art continue to inspire and amaze. Akash Sharma is a third-year Textiles student at the prestigious institution and his focus isn’t even necessarily fashion design. The inspiration for the collection came from the Ndebele Tribe of South Africa who ‘have really fascinating imagery’ according to Akash. Not wanting the origins of his prints to be too obvious, he abstracted the characteristics of his initial drawings to develop the prints. This is a sportswear collection. Akash always had a clear vision of creating padded jackets – seen on our female models in the editorial – which he says led the sports aesthetic. The Ndebele tribe’s tradition of wearing rings around their arms and legs also ‘pushed this sports vibe’ in his mind. The clothes have a casual sense of accessibility in their sports look. Akash offers pieces for both womenswear and menswear. The process for the collection began with research, which led Akash to develop the drawings for the final prints. He ‘toyed with a variety of colours before settling on the final palette’. The method is a four-layer repeat, all handmade by Akash himself. The true details of the intricate prints are remarkable up close. Specialising in printed textiles, Akash only produced this featured collection as a course project but we are certainly glad he did. With no plans for a future collection, Akash is still focused on the future. A lifelong Glaswegian, Akash is hoping for a career elsewhere, perhaps the fashion mecca of London. For him, styling and buying better suit his preferences; giving him a chance to remain at the heart of the fashion industry without creating the clothes himself. This one-off collection is evidence enough that Akash has a future in fashion. The sportswear pieces are effortlessly at home in Glasgow’s urban landscape, as shown in the accompanying editorial. Glasgow is the perfect backdrop for truly innovative and inspiring fashion. Background by Jamie Donald
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Model: Mika Kailes (Model Team)
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
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Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Model: Viola Marx (Model Team)
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Models: Mika Kailes (Model Team), Viola Marx (Model Team), Nikki Vance (Model Team)
Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Model: Nikki Vance (Model Team)
Issue 3
21
Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Models: Mika Kailes (Model Team), Viola Marx (Model Team), Nikki Vance (Model Team)
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up & Hair: Jodie Mann Models: Nikki Vance (Model Team), Viola Marx (Model Team)
Issue 3
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Fashion on Show: From Catwalk to Gallery César Imbert takes us on a journey through the history of fashion exhibitions and how they have become the norm.
After huge success in New York, the exhibition ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’, dedicated to one of the most talented and controversial designers of the last decade, is coming to the V&A in London. With 30,000 tickets sold since April last year, the exhibition broke the record for the highest advance sales for a V&A exhibition. These figures prove the increasing popularity of fashion exhibitions among audiences beyond the industry. It feels a lot has changed since Karl Lagerfeld refused to collaborate with the Metropolitan Museum of Art on an exhibition about Gabrielle Chanel because he wasn’t ‘interested in a display that’s just old dresses’.
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Soon, large fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and even Chanel realized the positive impact of showcasing their heritage. All these brands started to use their history as a marketing tool to take the customer on a historical and fantastical journey. This storytelling strategy also aims to highlight the brand’s historic savoir-faire and to reinforce its identity. Clips about Coco Chanel’s life and her groundbreaking role in fashion can now be seen all over the web, purposefully omitting her reprehensible behaviour during World War Two. The runway is no longer the only place for fashion to be displayed. Nowadays, exhibitions allow centuries of garments - from opulently embroidered 18th century evening gowns to present-day prints and everything in between - to be showcased and impart some historical knowledge in doing so.
When appointed ‘Special Consultant’ to The Costume Institute in 1973, Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief at Vogue, launched a new craze for fashion exhibitions by featuring historic dresses in exuberant displays and mise-en-scène. Even though Vreeland’s exhibitions were sometimes far from the historical truth, they attracted thousands of visitors willing to view clothes not only as mere fabric but as pieces of art in their own right. With Vreeland, fashion found its way into museums.
Model Image The aesthetics of models in the fashion industry is under constant debate. Rachel Walker argues their identity is very much rooted in their bodies.
To think of models in the fashion industry is to think of their bodies: on the crudest account, a model is a mannequin - a body upon which clothes can be showcased to serve objectives. A living, breathing mannequin, who can transform items from mere slips of fabric into something beautiful, provocative, alive. The model can act as a representative for the brand, an indicator of the clientele it wants to attract. Instead of taking a realistic approach that acknowledges that most people are not skinny, the fashion industry helps to enshrine the myth of idealised body types. Looking at catwalk models or the glossy adverts in fashion magazines, it would be easy to think that you can’t be beautiful unless you’re 5’9, thin as a rake and have impeccable cheekbones. The fashion world does not reflect real body types and has produced a toxic atmosphere of endlessly striving to be thin, with models suffering eating disorders, continuous pressure to lose weight, and a culture of fat-shaming that is undoubtedly perpetuated by the media and its attempts to draw attention to every celebrity who gains a few pounds. Recently, France has moved to ban models that are too thin; a certification stating that the model has at least a BMI of 18 for a height of 5’7 is necessary to be hired. In addition, there are regular weight checks.
Illustration by Zoe Williams
Fines of up to 75,000 euros can be administered for failing to meet these conditions, as well as further penalties for anything (including pro-anorexia websites) that glorifies extreme thinness. This encourages models to be healthy and aims to counteract the stigma of eating that is often associated with the fashion industry. It represents a step in the direction of healthier, more achievable standards that recognise women are beautiful regardless of their shape, size and colour. It is important, however, to appreciate that sometimes skinny is the norm – with songs like Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ popularising the denigration of slim women for being somehow less feminine simply because they’re less curvaceous. Clothes are purchased and worn by real women – slim, plus-size, tall, petite, hour-glass or however we choose to label ourselves – and this should be reflected in the models we see. France’s decree helps to promote good health among models, but until beauty standards cease to be all about weight, I doubt that much will change.
Style
Glasgow University Magazine
At the Click of a Button Jasmine Wilson explores the growth of online shopping and how social media is integral to the marketing process of fashion brands.
The debate surrounding online shopping is one that has been greatly discussed over the last decade and the arguments have been exhausted to such a degree that the words ‘internet revolution’ are now met with a stifled yawn. So what is the future for online stores and high street brands if Internet shopping is now the norm? Well, if you possess an Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest account, the likelihood is that you have noticed brands’ mobile and social media to engage customers on a global scale and a daily basis.
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After being spotted wearing an ASOS maternity dress, the nation’s favourite – Kate Middleton – went on to sell out not only the dainty polka dot dress she was papped in, but also the majority of ASOS’s maternity line. This was without an extravagant marketing campaign or a pricey celebrity endorsement; just one quick tweet from ASOS and sales rocketed. What’s more, the expectant mothers who marvelled at Kate’s dress most likely saw her photo on social media. It’s not enough for brands to offer an online store – that was so ten years ago. The partnership of social media and shopping is the future, so get your gran on Instagram. Who knows, she might spot the Queen wearing a Phase Eight number and miss out on all the fun.
Gone are the days where you would whip on your fancy coat and take a trip to the high street to rifle through the racks in the hope of finding that one gem in your size. Anytime, anywhere, you can now flick through your phone to survey the latest trends and those wearing them. The celebrities we desire to emulate are no longer wearing lavish brands and are instead turning to online shops such as ASOS. From pop royalty Taylor Swift to actual royalty Kate Middleton; as soon as they’ve been spotted in their latest steal, websites crash, stock runs out and one or two CEOs clap their hands with glee.
The Sexualisation of American Apparel Never far from controversy, American Apparel is a brand that creates headlines. Rhiannon Norman discusses the provocative nature that is the trademark of AA’s advertising campaigns.
With over 260 stores, American Apparel has become one of the most recognisable brands of our time. Founded in 1989 by Dov Charney, the company’s CEO until earlier this year, AA prides itself on making all its clothes – predominantly cotton t-shirts and underwear – in US factories and paying every employee a fair wage. Despite these admirable commitments, American Apparel has been the subject of controversy and several lawsuits due to its treatment of women. The brand is synonymous with its overtly sexual and frequently banned advertising campaigns. These are characteristically ‘Lolita-esque’ and generally contain full-frontal nudity with nubile girls spreading their legs and pouting all for the sake of advertising socks. One of American Apparel’s most controversial campaigns shows a young pant-clad model licking a man’s crotch and gazing at the camera. Several other campaigns show women wearing jumpers and nothing else, and only last year there was outcry at AA’s campaign featuring models photographed bent over so their crotches were visible in order to advertise mini-skirts that resembled school uniforms.
Campaigns that sexualise young girls are highly inappropriate and have undertones of paedophilia, which is unforgivable for such an influential brand to promote. However, many have lorded American Apparel’s advertising campaigns as being at the forefront of female liberation. This caused a different kind of controversy in March when many women took to social media to express their anger at the fact the brand had begun to Photoshop nipples and pubic hair from their campaigns. There was widespread anger at American Apparel’s decision to cease using real women with cellulite and spots to model their clothes, and begin using conventional models, with a leaked casting call stating that ‘American Apparel is going through a rebranding image so will be shooting models moving forward. Real models. Not Instagram hoes or thots’ (thot meaning ‘that hoe over there’). Exploitation is the overwhelming theme of American Apparel’s advertising. However, its former appreciation of the natural female form, pubic hair included, can be understood as liberating and a step forward in the way brands and the public view women. However, it’s impossible to view the images as entirely liberating because nude women feature extensively while men are always shown clothed, aside from a token torso here and there. The abundance of female nudity in AA’s advertising is concerning because it portrays the female form as an object to be manipulated rather than celebrated.
Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
Why Brazil Might Be on the Brink of Recession Kasia Grzeszczyk explores the blows Brazil’s economy has suffered in recent times.
Brazil’s economy has had a bad year so far. It risks recession, with no potential solutions at hand. Though the sun is out in Brazil, the forecasts for 2015 do not look bright – with the IMF estimating a 0.5% contraction in GDP. This will be the second consecutive year that the economy has shrunk. With a disappointing average growth rate of 1.2% during President Rousseff’s first term while South American neighbours experienced greater success, many Brazilians and investors were left unsatisfied. In 2014, the country’s GDP growth closed at just 0.1%.
“Another factor is the current inflation rate, significantly above the 4.5% target, at 7.7% in February 2015.” Adding to Brazil’s troubles is a fall in the exchange rate of the Brazilian Real currency. The currency depreciated by 6% against the United States Dollar. However, the pressure on import prices outweighed the increase in exports. Investors are reducing their commitment to the country, causing exchange rates to fall further. Another factor is the current inflation rate, significantly above the 4.5% target, at 7.7% in February 2015. This reduces consumer purchasing power, which depends on the domestic market and is crucial in any economy. This increase in inflation was due to dramatic cuts in interest rates between 2011 and 2012. For Brazilians, this simply means less money to spend, because of the high inflation and sky-high cost of loans taken out during the low-interest rate period. Confidence among domestic consumers is at a 10-year low, according to business school Fundação Getulio Vargas. Background by Jamie Donald
Policy levers are broken. The government cannot relax fiscal policy, as it would cause interest rates to rise, making it more difficult to borrow. In an attempt to combat Brazil’s economic worries, the government is tightening its fiscal policy through austerity measures – namely cuts in unemployment insurance. The government also increased fuel duty, bad news for Brazilians, many of whom depend on cars in their daily lives. Following a recent water shortage, prices of energy and water were increased to reduce demand, as 75% of Brazil’s power comes from hydroelectric dams. Energy rates will rise by 30% this year alone. During these vulnerable economic times in Brazil, a scandal at the state-owned oil giant Petrobras came to light. ‘Car Wash’ is a bribery investigation studying the actions of senior politicians, leaders of both houses of Congress, and President Rousseff herself. Former executives of Petrobras are alleged to have presided over a scheme that saw construction companies pay enormous bribes in exchange for contracts relating to oil refineries and tankers. The period of corruption overlaps with President Rousseff’s time as chairwoman of Petrobras. The company is the largest investor in Brazil yet its accounts have been frozen. The decision to stop approving the issue of corporate bonds led to a lack of investment - one reason for the projected -0.5% contraction. As other Brazilian companies based their bond issue on Petrobras in the past, no bonds were issued this year, although some of these firms still have strong balance sheets. The Petrobras scandal is not wholly responsible for Brazil’s economic difficulties but it has contributed to reduced confidence in the country as a place to invest and do business. This crisis might be a good opportunity for President Rousseff to realize that policies that emphasize the government’s role in the economy might have played a role in the problems Brazil now faces.
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Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
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The Eurozone: Doomed to Fail From Inception Argyris Argyroudis highlights the issues that have blighted the Eurozone since the start
The Eurozone crisis has had far-reaching implications, particularly for those in indebted Mediterranean countries. According to the OECD, youth unemployment rates in Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal increased to 58.3%, 55.5%, 40.0% and 38.1% respectively in 2013. The debt crisis in the Eurozone and the way it has been approached has led to declining living standards in southern European countries, as well as damaging socio-cultural effects including increased suicide rates and poorer mental health. Some attribute the current crisis to the EU’s management of Europe’s economic challenges, criticising ‘troika austerity’, while others blame years of fiscal irresponsibility by high-deficit governments. However, some have argued that from the moment of its inception, the common currency was set to drag the entire EU into economic straits that would prove unsustainable in the long run. One of the key issues facing the Eurozone is that countries with increased levels of debt including Greece and Spain are members of the same monetary union as states such as Germany, which run trade surpluses. This compromises the conditions for common growth.
“The independence of the ECB may be compromised when individual states request additional support, as common fiscal policies need to be pursued throughout the Eurozone area.” Referring to British economist Keynes, commentators point out the absence of a Surplus Recycling Mechanism within the EU. Even though the United States has such a system in place, there is no such mechanism in Europe to facilitate balance by encouraging surplus regions to invest in deficit regions. The European Monetary Union (EMU) has made it more difficult for member states to borrow directly from the European Central Bank (ECB). Governments with high deficits are likely to increase pressure on the ECB to provide them with money, and this increases inflation levels, which in turn results in higher interest rates. The independence of the ECB may be compromised when individual states request additional support, as common fiscal policies need to be pursued throughout the Eurozone area.
The adoption of a common currency by multiple countries poses even more threats. Economic theory usually suggests that trade imbalances can be rectified by depreciating the currency of a deficit region relative to that of a surplus region, in order to make the exports of the country with the depreciated currency more attractive in comparison with those of the strong. If currency devaluations are no longer possible, the forces underpinning trade imbalances threaten the future existence of a monetary union. Policies to develop a monetary union on more sustainable grounds could have averted the current difficulties Europe now faces. If each Eurozone country were to have increased wage levels according to the commonly agreed principle ‘inflation goal (2%) + the increase in labour productivity’, the states’ relative levels of price competitiveness could have remained stable. The Maastricht Treaty was not built on sustainable foundations in the first place. The treaty, which moved Europe toward convergence around the Euro currency, did set specific entrance criteria for admitting other countries into the EMU. These criteria included detailed limitations on the level of public debt and fiscal deficits. After entering the EMU, countries would need to meet criteria imposed by the Stability and Growth Pact. Nonetheless, some countries used selective accountancy to satisfy the criteria, granting them membership to the EMU. The limits on annual public-sector deficits that were set out in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact in 1997 were also exceeded in just about every member state. Critics blame problematic Eurozone member states for allowing themselves to accumulate enormous debts over the years. They claim that governments tended to overstate the benefit of current expenditures, even if they were deficit-financed, thus underestimating the tax burden passed on to future generations. The causes of the Eurozone crisis are directly related to the deep-seated problems of establishing a sustainable European Monetary System; a critical design flaw in the international financial infrastructure. Unfortunately, the instability of global financial markets, one of the problems the EMU was intended to protect against, now threatens to derail the entire European common currency project.
Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
How Exchange Rate Volatility Affects Inflation Targeting Policies Ali Rustamov explores how inflation-targeting policies cause fluctuations in exchange rates and how this affects us.
Inflation-targeting is one of the most crucial points of monetary policy regulation in 28 nations around the world including the UK. Since each country has distinct interests regarding their inflation rate, there are different determinants relevant in setting their inflation targets. For example, in Britain the inflation target is set by the government and the main factor informing this figure is sustainable growth. Meanwhile in South Korea, the target is decided jointly by the central bank and the government on the basis of previous inflation rates and monetary policy flexibility.
“As all imports are for final consumption, it also influences the inflation rate together with aggregate demand and output gap in a similar way to the first model.” The most popular methodologies used to show the relationship between exchange rate volatility and inflation rates are the McCallum & Nelson model and the standard New Keynesian model. They both depict the result of depreciation as an increase in inflation. The former views all imports as intermediate goods while the latter regards all imports as final consumer goods. The exchange rate deprecation leads to an increase in aggregate demand because of the relatively low prices of exports in relation to imports. As all goods are shown as intermediate goods in the McCallum & Nelson model, they are used for producing domestic products and the process is described as potential output fall. As a result, it causes an upward pressure on the inflation rate. Background by Jamie Donald
In the Keynesian model, as all goods are described as final consumer goods; it does not show the effects of a potential output but instead shows the impact of depreciation on the prices of imported products. As all imports are for final consumption, it also influences the inflation rate together with aggregate demand and output gap in a similar way to the first model. Consequently, the appreciation of the exchange rate renders exports more expensive in relation to imports. Domestic aggregate demand falls, in turn pushing domestic manufacturers to cut their production costs (thus scaling back on labour and causing an increase in unemployment) and adopt more competitive measures against foreign imported products. Finally, it results in lowering the general prices of goods and services that define deflation. In the UK, where a floating exchange rate system is in operation, the main aim of monetary policy is to achieve a specific level of inflation, as is the goal for the 27 other countries that use this strategy. From the end of 2007, there was a gradual decrease in the value of the pound sterling that resulted in increased inflation during that period, but this was limited due to the recession in 2009, which lowered the inflation rate considerably. Guatemala also controlled their exchange rate regime and continues to maintain a similar inflation targeting policy. However, Guatemala’s exchange rate system was floated independently until 2011. The country then switched to a managed exchange rate, which showed that through use of this system, the exchange rate fluctuations were much less visible therefore volatility of the inflation rate was more stable. Exchange rate volatility clearly has a significant role in inflation-targeting methodologies. Inflation rates respond more to changes in exchange rates in a floating exchange rate system than to government intervention – states would do well to reflect on this.
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Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
28
The Politics of Climate Change Theodora Strati explores the politics preventing action on climate change.
Most politicians seem to support science and the fight against climate change. However this year some have challenged the efforts of those in public life, and especially David Cameron, who in 2010 promised to lead the ‘greenest government ever’. Despite using the environment as his ‘strong card’ during election campaigns, David Cameron does not appear to deliver on his promises. For example, rather than working proactively to take the lead and exceed expectations, he opted to meet only the minimum target set by the European Union to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. This resulted in undermining all the efforts of investing in new forms of energy. Actions such as these have inspired distrust among scientists and the public alike.
“With 97% of scientists agreeing that climate change is the result of human activity, it is alarming that leaders do not work harder to address this challenge.” The climate changes dramatically and a major cause of this is the greenhouse effect, which has been exacerbated in recent years. Human activity releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which prevent the loss of heat (sunlight) into space, causing temperatures to rise. During the last century, the Earth’s temperatures have increased by approximately 0.5°C, with significant implications for our planet. Consequences include the extreme weather events that are otherwise unexplained, and the melting of ice caps, which result in rising sea levels. In the past century alone, sea levels have risen by 15-20cm.
With 97% of scientists agreeing that climate change is the result of human activity, it is alarming that leaders do not work harder to address this challenge. As one of the greatest problems we face, climate change should be a major concern both for governments and the public. Despite George Osborne failing to mention climate change in last year’s autumn statement, inaction on this issue is likely to have devastating consequences for Britain’s economy and society. At the time, this led some to accuse the government of a lack of leadership. Politicians must work immediately to make climate change one of their highest priorities. In December this year, the United Nations will host a cruciaconference in Paris, where the object is to reach a universal and legally binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many countries have shown a willingness to act and though negotiations can be extremely difficult, the rewards that follow are significant. Often elected officials do not give full consideration to scientific findings unless it is politically expedient to do so. Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, feels disappointed that politicians ignore scientific evidence and are ‘cowardly’ about using findings to reach a decision. It is crucial that leaders realize that some issues might not seem convenient in everyday politics but are far too important to be ignored. Climate change is a real phenomenon that impacts the lives of every person in the world. As a result of climate change, there are millions of people whose future is anything but certain. It is clear that our leaders should take greater action and demonstrate greater leadership on climate change. More effort must be made to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and to seize the opportunity that this year’s conference in Paris presents.
Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
29
What Kind of Flirt Are You? ‘How to…’ columns have become commonplace in most magazines and tabloids. But how informed are their recommendations? Emma Briggs examines the science of flirting and shares with us the biological do’s and dont’s.
Whether it’s a cheesy pick-up line or a cheeky but classy low-cut top, we all have our own techniques to catch the eye of someone we’ve taken a fancy to. Now science could help you work out what kind of flirt you are, what that says about you and best of all, how to tell if your charm is working. Five flirting styles have been identified, each one with a distinct approach to communicating attraction: physical, traditional, sincere, polite and playful. A US study took single students who had never met before and asked them to make conversation for ten minutes while being filmed. Participants were told the researchers wanted to study how strangers interacted and afterwards completed a survey that asked if they were attracted to their conversational partners among other questions. The mannerisms of those who said they were attracted to their new acquaintance were analysed and from the results five kinds of flirting emerged. 38 verbal and nonverbal mannerisms were linked to the different approaches and the significance of these was evaluated. Physical flirters are particularly capable of recognising romantic interest from others and have no problem conveying their own. When introduced to a stranger they liked, these flirts had good conversational fluency despite asking fewer questions and paying fewer compliments. Male physical flirts also threw fewer flirtatious glances despite being interested, which seems oddly counterproductive. Physical flirts tend to flirt in clubs and bars where body language is fairly uninhibited. Perhaps the near-empty room where participants were introduced to one another cramped these boys’ style! Although physical flirts are unlikely to use friendship to initiate a relationship and can come across as quite full on, they may in fact have more serious interests despite the direct nature of their techniques. Conversational competence and affinity-seeking skills displayed by physical flirts are actually key in establishing a romantic relationship. Students high on the traditional scale believed that men should make the first move and that women should not proactively pursue romantic interests, however those at the other end of the spectrum cared little about who was the instigator. Traditional girls who were attracted to their partners tended to be more passive and opened the palms of their hands more often; possibly a more subtle and demure way of signalling interest. The males typically leaned forward and shook their heads more often, both of which signal romantic attraction. Interestingly, traditional flirts also seemed to enjoy some teasing - cheeky.
Illustration by Katie Catling
Sincere flirts were, well, sincere. Both sexes demonstrated genuine conversational interest, paid attention, smiled, laughed and threw some flirtatious glances in for good measure. It seems that sincere flirts are most likely to be interested in a serious romantic relationship and establishing a true connection with the other person. The polite flirts were more reserved still. Both men and women fidgeted less and nodded and said ‘yes’ more often. Male polite flirts were also less likely to move closer in order to maintain what they considered to be a respectful distance. They also tended to speak in a lower pitch. Unfortunately the unusual body language of the polite flirts can be less than seductive. Where they may feel they’re showing respect and conveying attraction, those with different styles might perceive them as standoffish and uninterested. Sadly, this means that polite flirts experience a lower success rate. Lastly, we have the playful flirts. These individuals are characterised as fairly coy at first. Females chance some romantic glances and males protrude their chests and sit with legs uncrossed. These may be the most dangerous flirts of all because even though they give all the right signs, through open body language, paying complements and flirtatious gazing; playful flirts are unlikely to be looking to pursue romantic interests. Instead, the flirting is more likely intended to boost self-esteem or serve other instrumental goals. There are some tell-tale signs of attraction to look out for in both men and women to judge if someone is interested. Independent of their styles, girls open their palms more often when attracted to someone and both sexes glance flirtatiously and pay compliments - particularly men. Apart from traditional flirts, people tend not to tease each other too often. Women smile and laugh more whereas men protrude their chests, move in closer and speak in a higher pitch. So what would scientists advise? If you’re having issues and think you may be a polite flirt then try out a more physical or sincere approach. If you’re quite full on and girls seem to think you’re only after one thing, ask more questions and show some genuine interest. Lastly, if you’re looking for the real thing, don’t get hung up on a playful flirt. For more information you can find the original paper at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10919-014-0199-8
Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
30
Mars One: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity or Corporate Fantasy? While the opportunity to travel on a one-way ticket to another planet seems like an exciting opportunity, Theodora Strati explains why this controversial venture may be no more than a corporate pipe dream with questionable participants.
There has apparently been no psychological testing. Roche commented, ‘That is just not enough information available to make a judgment on someone about anything.’
We have all heard about Mars One, the private enterprise preparing to launch a one-way trip to Mars, and the incredible response it has received from the public. However, this unprecedented mission has caused much uncertainty in the scientific community.
Another thing that came to light recently and will raise further doubts is the end of the coalition between Mars One and Endemol, a television production company. This contract was hoped to generate up to $6 billion for the enterprise, mostly through investments by people keen to watch the manned mission. Mars One now has no arrangement with a television company and most importantly a shortage of crucial funds.
There are many who doubt that Mars One can succeed. Their concern is based on the current conditions on Mars, where temperatures can fall to -62°C and there is no atmosphere, leaving the surface exposed to huge amounts of radiation. Out of the 43 unmanned missions already attempted, 21 have failed. While Mars is our neighbour, it is still close to 140 million miles away.
“Every candidate receives points when they move to the next round of the application and according to Roche, those people with the most points have donated money to Mars One or purchased merchandise.” One of the 100 finalists in the application process, Dr. Joseph Roche, decided to shed some light on the process of choosing the candidates who will embark on a one-way trip to Mars. He is a former researcher at NASA and when he applied to Mars One, he did not take it seriously and viewed it simply as an opportunity to attract more people to space science. However, when he was shortlisted, he decided to express his concerns about the entire process. He questioned the claim that over 200,000 people applied for the project, when the actual number was just 2,761. Every candidate receives points when they move to the next round of the application and according to Roche, those people with the most points have donated money to Mars One or purchased merchandise. It is remarkable that a memo sent to applicants on how to handle media requests advised that, ‘If you are offered payment for an interview then feel free to accept it. We do kindly ask for you to donate 75% of your profit to Mars One.’ It was initially expected that the selection process should involve tests and interviews, similarly to how astronauts are chosen. According to Roche, the 100 finalists have so far only had a 10-minute Skype conversation and a physical check-up, which they were responsible for arranging.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
Mars One responded to Roche’s comments by denying most of the claims and insisting that finalists would be interviewed at a later stage. They accepted that most of the applicants had donated money but claimed this did not influence decisions about the competence of candidates. They commented, ‘the selection process will be much more thorough from here on. We will bring our candidates together, we will put them through team and individual challenges, there will be much longer interviews, and there will be a much bigger selection committee.’ Mars One confirmed termination of their relationship with Endemol and said that while there is not yet another deal, they are hopeful about the future. Nevertheless, some scientists remain skeptical as Mars One continues to be tight-lipped about its future plans. Theoretical physicist Gerard ’t Hooft argues that the mission might be feasible one hundred years from now but not ten. Regardless of whether or not Mars One makes it to launch, questions about the project’s planning and preparation seem unlikely to go away soon.
Living With Disability
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 3
31
Living With Disability Marcia McSwegan reflects on her experiences as a disabled student at the University of Glasgow.
No one likes staying in hospital. It’s supposed to make you feel better and aid recovery but in my experience it only makes me feel miserable. Unfortunately, I spend an awful lot of time in hospitals. Over the last three years, I have spent over a year in total as an inpatient, and an endless amount of time at outpatient clinics, day-wards, test centres and – worst of all – the endoscopy suite.
I am used to hospitals, but this particular stay was hellish. Due to MRSA cultures growing on my skin, I was placed in an isolated room, which deprived me of social contact with anyone beyond the cheeky doctors, overworked nurses and my distressed family. I was stuck in bed, with my symptoms getting gradually worse for two weeks before they decided to do anything about it.
On December 21st 2012, the day the world was supposed to end, I was taken down to the Glasgow Royal’s endoscopy suite to have my very first feeding tube inserted. Seven days later, I was still in hospital. My tube had blocked and I was heading back to endoscopy yet again. But that was okay: surely this would be the end to it all. At least I now had a diagnosis – gastroparesis. I thought that at this point, life could only get better. How wrong could I be? I was discharged from hospital ten days later but was back in by January 5th. This time I didn’t get home for four months and had two operations and countless tests and IV drips along the way.
Then, to make matters worse, I vomited up the jejunal extension of my feeding tube. I was weak and sore with infection, and due to collapsed veins (a side-effect of too many hospital stays), I now had no way to receive medication or nutrition. The doctors assured me that this would be resolved quickly but weeks passed before it was replaced. Two months on, I am still suffering the consequences. The negligence with which I was treated, being left to dehydrate and become malnourished, was simply unacceptable. Additionally, I am reliant on steroid replacement therapy for hypopituitarism and had no way of receiving this, leaving me at risk of entering an adrenal coma. As I say, I’m no stranger to hospital stays, but this managed to make Glasgow Royal look like a holiday camp in comparison!
“I am known affectionately in endoscopy and by doctors as ‘the biter’ as I have bitten three different doctors. Oops!”
While I hate being in hospitals, being ill has allowed me to meet some beautiful, brave and strong people who never let the fact that they are chronically ill bring them down or hold them back. Through hospital wards I have met ladies of all ages and backgrounds with Chrohn’s, ulcerative colitis, diabetes and gastroparesis, and all the complications that go with illness. About a month after my diagnosis, a lady called Fiona McCrossan was admitted onto my ward. She showed me I was not suffering alone and introduced me to the Facebook gastroparesis support sites that have provided me with help, advice, support, and, most importantly, a sense of belonging with people I now consider friends. In 2014, I sadly heard of the deaths of one lady from the gastroparesis support community, to whom my last article was dedicated, and three women with whom I had spent a lot of time in hospitals. So this article is dedicated to Sharon (39), Mary (83) and Christine (34), who all lost their battles with illness this year. May they rest in peace and be comforted by the fact they are not suffering any more.
I became something of a regular at the endoscopy department at Glasgow Royal. To this day, the endoscopy staff (who are simply wonderful) laugh and joke upon my arrival. In total, I have had 37 endoscopies; 31 NJ tube placements (due to blocked and vomited up tubes); 5 PEG-J tube jejunal extensions needing re-sited, and a trial Botox injection into my pylorus (this helps many gastroparesis victims but actually made me worse). I have now reached a point where simple sedation, which used to knock me out cold, no longer has much effect. I am known affectionately in endoscopy and by doctors as ‘the biter’ as I have bitten three different doctors. Oops! Thankfully, since having the NJs replaced by a PEGJ tube, I have managed to spend considerably more time at home, and attend university more often than I ever managed to make school. I did, however, take a very nasty bladder infection in October 2014, and spent three and a half weeks in Glasgow Gartnavel General Hospital.