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NOVEMBER 2013
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NUMBER: 01
Front Cover: Catrin Stephen
Now Accepting Submissions! If you have never been published before, are an undergraduate, and perhaps interested in going into academia or further research, then this opportunity is perfect for you. Groundings in an Undergraduate peer-reviewed journal in the arts, humanities and social-sciences. Submit your essay that links to the theme below, to be put forward for consideration for publishing in the next volume of Groundings.
Turning points: Frontiers, Modernity and the Individual We are in the time of change at the moment. It is 100 years since the end of WW1 and 20 years into the new millennium. We can now start analysing the new century. What role should the individual play, when history faces a turning point. In times of change we experience many turning points, bring up questions about the individual and where he stands in contrast to the society or community. Frontiers are both physical and metaphorical. It allows people to discuss burning issues such as migration, but also the crossing from being a child to be an adult.
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Contents Formalities Editorial From the Board Politics Transformative Politics Will May Survive the Winter? The Debates Ruining Christmas for the Kids! Culture and Opinion D*** F*****: What’s it all about? The Sanctity of Christmas? G-You’s Indie Festive Take Over Special Feature GUCFS: Simon's Community Culture and Opinion Taking the Christ out of Christmas? Far-Flung Festivals Lifestyle and Features Have Yourself a Very Vegan Christmas Top 5 Christmas Markets New Year’s Eve Across the Globe Science All I want for Christmas is…. less waste Welfare Dark Days and Nights Sport A glimmer of humanity Saving the Slopes Science All I want for Christmas is…. less waste
Art Student Artist Spotlight: Nessie Wise
CONTRIBUTORS Harry Coloe Hannah Ford Kirsten Wales Alfie Farrington Blair Cunningham Ethan Marshall
Grace Saunders Sarah Findlay Alison McIntyre Michael Cartledge Nessie Wise Miles Lockhart
WELCOME
Hello dear reader, Welcome to the final edition of G-YOU for 2018! Don't know about you, but I am super surprised I have made it this far through the year - especially given I am typing this up after pulling an all-nighter... ‘Tis indeed the season to be jolly and enjoy all the revelries on offer across campus, from the glorious Beer Bar Christmas Quiz, to the Carols by Candlelight parade in the city centre, or even the grandest end of term ball – D*** F*****. However, this time of year can seem desolate for many. With Students having the dreaded end of semester exams or essays to complete, the pressure truly is mounting. There are others though, that aren’t as lucky as most of us here. Where we study, drink and celebrate our way through the festivities, many are left seeking any form of refuge and shelter from the Baltic weather. In this issue we of course are looking at the idea of Winterval – and all the unique traditions and celebration that occur at this time of year – however, in the middle we take a pause to look at Simon Community Scotland, the partner charity of the GUCFS. It is far too easy to get caught up in all the fairy lights and tinsel, only to miss our neighbours left sat in the cold. So yes, enjoy this edition. Use it to relax between study sessions, or just to peruse as you eat your lunch from The Union Kitchen, but also just remember to take time to look around you and see who there is to spread your festive cheer to. Happy Holidays,
Owain Campton Co.Editor-In-Chief Convener of Libraries
EDITORIAL TEAM Co. Editor-in-Chief Co. Editor-in-Chief Design Editor Politics Editor Culture and Opinion Editor Arts Editor Science and Technology Editor Sports and Wellbeing Editor Lifestyle and Features Editor
Owain Campton Isabelle Thornton Catrin Stephen Bethany Tallulah Howard Daisy Thomson Skye Brettell Lucy Rawbone Laura Hannah Lucy Donaldson | 3
FORMALITIES
FROM THE BOARD
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he end of first semester may rarely feel like the most wonderful time of the year, but the Union has plenty on offer over the winter months to keep you busy and ward away the winter blues! Be that with our kitchen, our committees or our end of term function, D*** F*****. Before the semester is out you can look forward to Christmas HIVE – where some of the worst and best Christmas costumes will be on show. Our Games committee will be running a few more Beer Bar quizzes on Monday nights in collaboration with student charities before the December exam diet begins, and every Friday in the Union we have Open Mic, with prizes to be won and plentiful tunes to be sung. My own debates’ committee will be running our regular speaker training every Tuesday until the last week of term, in the Bridie Library of the GUU, and the Parliamentary season will continue in January with many
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more hours of debating, drinking, and heckling. The Board of Management are keeping ourselves busy hoping to make 2019 as great as the previous years; we’re working on the Strategic plan for the Union’s future over the next 5 years; Refreshers’ Week is coming together nicely; and we’re hoping to build on the success of individual club nights such as ABBA HIVE on the Saturday – so watch this space! Any mention of the next few months for the Unionn would be foolish to ignore D*** F*****. The painters & builders of D*** F***** committee have been working hard, putting in long hours to make sure you have the best 12 hours of your life as you finish up your December exams. So be sure to come dressed to the nines, with the stamina and the pals there to help you last until breakfast. We’ve got a whole raft of events and committees for you to get involved in, and we’re planning for a 2019 that’s even better. Enjoy the rest of the Winter Semester, enjoy DF and all the hard work of our committees, and I’ll see you all in 2019.
-Harry Coloe, Convener of Debates
POLITICS
TRANSFORMATIVE POLITICS
A
A 2018 REVIEW Brazil
nother exciting year in the realm of politics: Contributor Alfie Farrington, fourth year history student, and politics editor Bethany Howard have a little look into what has changed the shape of global politics over the past year.
India On 6th September 2018, the Supreme Court of India decriminalised homosexuality. Although this is undoubtedly worthy of celebration, more needs to be done to ensure worldwide progression on the question of LGBT rights. Gay couples in India cannot marry or enter civil partnerships. Discrimination from family members as well as attacks and beatings are still fairly common throughout India. Where there is acceptance, it is currently in cities, with most rural areas receiving little education. It certainly doesn’t help that Indian authorities continue to prohibit charities and educational institutions from entering the nation. Over 11,000 nongovernmental organizations have lost their right to accept foreign funds since 2014. Major Western funders including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations have been impeded in their attempts to transfer cash to organisations in India. This may sound bleak, but LGBT rights activists maintain that the hearing of 2018 is by far the greatest breakthrough for gay rights since the nation’s independence. They believe this could also have positive consequences for other Commonwealth nations. We must now hope that the Indian Government will take the sound advice of the Supreme Court; drive the message that homosexuality is not a criminal offence, create public awareness tackling the stigma that the LGBT community regularly face, and aid police forces in training to be able to deal with these issues with greater efficacy.
Jair Bolsonaro will be coming into office on the first of January, after winning Presidency in Brazil in late October with 55.2% of the vote, invoking absolute fear in many sectors of the Brazilian public. Soon after his election, fighting broke out across the country and policemen were seen entering universities and taking down anti-fascist banners. He is known for his far-right stance on politics, open appraisal for dictatorships as well as remarks in favour of torture. He is keen on increasing security for Brazilian citizens, and this involves securing gun rights for "every honest citizen" through the relaxation of gun ownership laws and by granting the police force greater freedom to kill. His win is one of a series of politicians who have been elected to reorder neoliberal elitist politics through mobilising xenophobia and populist support.
China 2018 has also witnessed the continued growth of China’s global influence. The task of reconstructing the old Silk Roads, otherwise known as the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, has flourished over the past two years. The network of pipelines, railways and highways that links Asia via the Middle East to Europe and south through Africa is astounding. This consists of 900 different projects that are thought to have been costed at close to $1trn. A land ‘belt’ stretches from China, through Khorogs on the border with Kazakhstan, into Europe. There’s also the series of maritime links that connects Chinese cities via several He is also openly against the lega- ports to both Africa and the Meditelisation of abortion and gay rights rranean. These links cover 65 nations, which won him the support of many 70% of the Earth’s population and evangelic Christian voters. In terms 28% of global GDP, close to $21trn. of the economy, he looks to reduce state intervention and therefore pri- We can speculate as to what the incenvatise many of the existing state-ow- tive is here; China aims to aid growned companies. Bolsonaro, during th, tap into valuable natural resources his campaign, used scare tactics with in diverse regions and open up new the warning that Brazil could become markets for its own goods. Many cithe next Venezuela without a massive tizens in the poorer nations on these change in politics. Venezuela conti- belts and roads also welcome the wornues to be in state of hyperinflation, ks; they’re thankful for job creation with predicted inflation going up by and capital injection, despite the fact 1,000,000% by the end of 2018, with that this is often relatively minimal. prices doubling every 26 days on ave- Also significant: the Chinese ‘debt rage, resulting in hundreds of thou- trap’ which has been set in all corners sands being forced to leave the coun- of the globe. In sub-Saharan Africa, China is the largest lender of bilateral try. loans. These loans are often massive, mainly used to stimulate economic growth within a given nation. What’s concerning here is the collateral attached; not long ago, Sri Lanka essentially defaulted on a loan it had taken from China and had to hand over control of the port of Hambantota. This understandably alarmed Indian leaders as China received an unbelievable strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean. Is China capitalising on an American administration lacking the initiative, and frankly the brains, to proceed with similar rapid international reform? | 5
POLITICS
Continued...
A 2018 REVIEW
The United States Politics are as exciting as usual with President Donald Trump’s latest hobby of engaging in global trade wars. On the 1st of June he started to raise US tariffs on steel and aluminium against China. This escalated on the 6th of July to both China and the US imposing tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods, justifying his actions on years of unfair trade. He also placed heavier tariffs on the EU, Canada and Mexico, in turn triggering retaliation tariffs on US imports. On top of this, he took America out of the trans-pacific partnership, enforced renegotiation of NAFTA and left the Paris Climate Change Accord, overtly reverting to isolationist and protectionist politics.
should only really be celebrated if the outcomes are favourable, i.e. instating an honest, courageous, incorruptible and morally upstanding leader, who will serve as a beacon of hope for surrounding nations and the continent in general.
In other news, women in Saudi Arabia were granted the licence to drive in June. This was seen as a moment that made history for the women who had been subject to a total ban on driving for decades. However, there has been some criticism of this being "cultural revolution disguised as economic reform" as Saudi women are still very much subject to restrictions in the hyper conservative Islamic state; e.g. all women have to have an official male guardian to make major decisions such as on travel, marriage and signing contracts, and there are still very strict regulations on clothing and interaction with men outside the family sphere.
The contest between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa earlier this year was by no means inspiring, with the incumbent president Mnangagwa hardly representing the comprehensive break from the past that Zimbabwe desperately needs. The rumours that Chiwenga, the coup mastermind and former commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, is running the show behind closed doors now carry increasing weight going into 2019. 2018 has seen increased suppression of the opposition, with six dead in the aftermath of the election and other human rights abuses now surfacing. Are the legacies and practices of African dictators too firmly entrenched in their respective nations to bring about genuine chan- Europe However, after the midterms, the pu- ge? A bizarre year once again in Europe. blic showed some defiance towards The rise of populism is disconcerting Trump's administration as the Dewith the decline of many of Europe’s mocrats won a majority in the Houonce-solid social democratic parties se of Representatives, giving them and institutions. Is the Nordic Model more authority to investigate Trump's under serious threat? Why are confinances and also look into the alleditions for social democratic policies gations of his administration's affiliaand initiatives less acceptable now tions with Russia. On a positive note, than during interwar and post-war the midterms resulted in a more diperiods? In the United States, The verse range of candidates including a New Deal was widely praised in the record number of women, people of 1930s and thereafter, with particular colour and LGBT candidates. nostalgia from those of the left who The Middle East thank Roosevelt for introducing an There was also a public reaction In December 2017, Donald Trump element of social democracy to a reagainst Trump’s policy with the disco- decided to recognise Jerusalem as the latively individualist society. This also very of the hundreds of migrant chil- capital as Israel, upsetting the Arab came at a time that was ripe for a ridren stuck at the US-Mexican border World, and intensifying the Palesti- ght-wing populist ascendancy. separated from their families. Inter- ne-Israeli conflict in 2018. In March national outrage and public outcry there was a six-week campaign by the In Europe, few politicians have advowithin the US forced Trump to sign Palestinians with a series of protests cated implementing comprehensive an executive order in June to end his at the Gaza Strip called the "Great reform and change in a convincing administration’s "zero-tolerance" po- March of Return". The violence as manner, also failing to uphold values licy of the separation of parents and the result of the protests was deadly, of the established order; liberal, prochildren who have illegally crossed with 110 Palestinians killed and thou- gressive democracy, which has produthe border. sands injured between March and ced the greatest societies the world has May. Israel's use of tear gas and live ever known. We’d like to know how Zimbabwe ammunition was condemned on the European politicians aim to counter A ‘highlight’ of 2018 has surely been 13th of June in a United Nations Ge- this growth of the populist movement. the news that Robert Mugabe’s tenu- neral Assembly resolution and recei- Are there any clear answers? -Alfie Farrington re has come to an end. His removal ved global criticism. -Bethanny Tallulah Howard, Politics Editor 6 |
POLITICS
Will Theresa May Survive the Winter?
Sea – separating the UK from Ireland. Theresa May’s alternative proposal in the draft agreement suggests that the whole of the UK stays in the EU customs union until a trade agreement is put in place, further delaying the transition process. The draft agreement is still in line with the EU’s former proposal, keeping Northern Ireland closely tied this the rules of the EU single market in the form of a “single customs territory”. Both ideas are problematic for many MPS and politicians in the UK.
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hings aren’t looking too good for May after the publication of her 585-page draft Brexit Agreement on the 14 of November. May’s agreement, comprised of solutions for the Northern Ireland backstop and also details on state aid, the financial settlement and citizens’ rights after Brexit, has been met head on with cabinet resignations. This includes Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey and Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, with word out that Michael Gove is tottering about, on the verge of going as well. Nonetheless, at 10:30 on the 15th of November, Theresa May addressed the House of Commons in order to persuade parliament that her agreement was the best deal and ‘in the national interest’ in its compliance to the 2016 referendum vote. This was met with fury and indignation, seen with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s denouncement of her ‘botched’, ‘halfbaked’ deal, and SNP Ian Blackford’s passionate speech about May’s lack of respect for Scotland whose position is not separately dealt with within the agreement. Large sectors of MPs have reacted strongly against the considerations of her ideas, including Tory Hardliners within her own cabinet, The DUP, The Greens, Labour Eurosceptics, and Remainers on both sides of the Conservative and Labour Party. If May is to be successful, she will need to get this agreement through parliament by early December, with 320 votes out of the 650 available. If not, she risks the eventuality of “No deal” with the EU, a challenge to her leadership in the form of a vote of no confidence, or even a second referendum…
First, we have the Brexit Hardliners, including within her own cabinet such as Andrea Leadson and Penny Mordant who threaten to quit over her compromise with Europe. This is because, if the UK provides an UK wide backstop insurance policy, this means that we will comply to ensuring a “level playing field” with the EU 27 with trade competition, and also adhere to certain EU laws such as fishing rights and environmental standards. As James Forsyth from the Spectator puts it: ‘to protect the union, she then had two options. One was to risk no deal, which she would see as a personal failure (and would guarantee her removal.) The other was to recognise that she was in a hole but carry on digging until it was big enough to fit the whole UK in, not just Northern Ireland.' This idea of burying the UK into a hole holds true with MPs from the ‘European Research Group’ chaired by Jacob Rees Moog, who have shared their wish that the cabinet would block the Prime minister's agreement.
Then of course, Theresa May has the DUP to contend with. The DUP, making up her majority government, will never accept Northern Ireland being subject to a different set of rules to the rest of the UK. Jeffery Donaldson, MP for the DUP, has confirmed this in his comments to the BBC that the deal has the intention ‘to break up the United Kingdom’. There goes 10 less parliamentary votes that May needs for her agreement. The Remainer section of the conservatives will be encouraged to rebel against May’s agreement after Jo Johnson, former Minister for Transport, resigned over May’s deal, instead advocating a “people’s vote” in the form of a second referendum. The idea of a second referendum has recently captured the public’s imagination with the People’s Vote march containing 700,000 people, making it the seconded largest protest in the UK this century after the Stop First let’s have a look at the possibilities for the said solu- the War demonstration against the Iraq War in 2003. tion of the Backstop issue. The backstop is an insurance policy for Northern Ireland that ensures an open border All in all, Theresa May appears to be confronted by all between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. sides, across the spectrum of political parties and the geAn open border is vital for the maintenance of peace neral public, with rumours of certain conservatives trand the long trading relationship across borders in kee- ying to trigger a vote of no confidence to take down her ping with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. For months leadership. Time is running out for May to convince the now, Britain has rejected the EU’s proposals for a backs- many fractured sections within her own party and from top whereby Northern Ireland stays within the customs without to back her agreement before the ‘special sumunion and the single market, insuring free trade with the mit’ of all EU leaders at the end of November to sign EU 27 through the removal of trade barriers and tari- off the withdrawal deal. Will she survive the winter? We ffs, but also imposing EU law on national enterprise and shall very soon find out. | 7 trade. This idea would put the trade border in the Irish -Bethanny Tallulah Howard, Politics Editor
THE DEBATE
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he Union has a rich history of debating, steming from its founding. However, only a few know about it or get involved. This column is intended to stoke discourse outside the usual set of Union debaters, as well as invite you into join with them. You can find them in the Bridie Library, Tuesdays at 6pm during term time, or on Facebook - @guudebating
-Owain Campton, Co.Editor-in-Chief
This House Would Not Lie To Their Children About Santa! Opposition
Proposition
The idea of an obese pensioner squeezing down our 15 cm wide chimneys (if we have one at all) to deposit an assortment of Toys R Us disposable gifts then steal our baked goods has become a romantic one, but wouldn’t we be better without this fairytale? As such a fundamental image to children wouldn’t someone that works more than once a year and doesn’t have a cholesterol higher than all his elves combined be better? General image aside, much of the positive morals we think Santa Claus instils go beyond dubious to downright sinister: “You’d better watch out, you’d better not cry, you’d better not pout I’m telling you why…He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake”. Teaching them there’s an omnipotent being in constant surveillance and judgement of them seems oddly reminiscent of the old-testament judgement of centuries past, all that’s changed is the name and punishment, God to Clause, damnation to coal. A secular upbringing needs to teach children their actions are accountable to themselves and their fellow citizens, not a bearded figure in the sky. Our choices should be made out of empathy and responsibility, not personal rewards or punishments We aren’t teaching kids to be kind, selfless or wise, all they need to do for that shiny plastic toy is eat their greens and be polite; is this what we want their sense of morality to be? Obedience, rewarded with material goods by the magical other? The famous rhyme also echoes a deep suppression of feeling, that to cry is equally damning as the ‘bad behaviour’ our jolly red overlord will punish. Values like privacy, honesty and freedom seem to be at odds with Santa’s moralistic rule over our children. Such a lie, which children eventually discover, also diminishes the importance of truth; inconvenient truths need to come before convenient lies perpetuated out of tradition, which can often pervade adulthood afterwards. What else will children accept as truth because it fits best and doesn’t rock the boat? In all honesty, many children look forward to the gifts from Santa more than gifts from friends and relatives. Why? They don’t need to be grateful to Santa, conveniently absent when they open them. With Santa we downplay the importance of human generosity, and gratitude. Acknowledging the effort and love gifts from our closest embody is immeasurably important, gifts as rewards without any need to return kindness or show gratitude threatens this. A child ripping open gifts, overjoyed, only to praise Santa and overlook the exhausted parents that made the effort seems to cheapen gift-giving; it removes any human connection the gift represented and leaves only a material reward for a few Ps and Qs.
At some point in a person’s life they need a little magic. A spell of random good luck or the adherence to an old and dusty tradition or perhaps just believe in something so unreasonable it brings them comfort. Belief can be one of the important things in life and it is belief that is at the core of this debate. It is a parent’s duty to protect and enable their child to live the best possible life they can. Instilling good qualities and behaviour should be the prime priority of a parent but Orwellian control over your child’s beliefs does not fall within this priority. A child should be free to belief whatever they want too and believing that a rather shapely and eternally joyful man drops down your chimney ever year to reward good behaviour with material gifts is not a harmful belief. It encourages goo d behaviour and punishes bad behaviour. The belief in Santa is not harmful to a child yet what I predict may be raised in counter to my position is that to allow your child to believe in Santa you must lie to them. This rebuttal however lacks moral nuance and can be easily handled. Some lies can be good. To save someone pain or prevent avoidable difficulties these are good reasons to lie. Honesty is a virtue yet sometimes brutal honesty is not the best course of action. Another rebuttal that is equally insufficient is the suggestion that allowing a child to believe in Santa is being complacent in deluding your child. Santa does, unfortunately, not exist as all we rational thinking adults know but children are not known for their cutting-edge rational thinking. Of course, some children might connect the dots and figure it out for them selves that Santa is not the real and this is how the veil should be lifted, by the child themselves and not the parent. Actively removing the wonder and joy of laying out mince pies and milk ever year is cruel. You are harming your child’s childhood experiences. Not buying into the lie of Santa removes your child’s ability to look back fondly upon a time when they were so blissfully naïve. Why remove something that allows your child to suspend their disbelief for their early years? Once they grow up and encounter the constant stress of education, relationships and work they may find themselves wishing for a bit of magical mystery in their lives. Children should be allowed to believe in the wonderous and the absurd because they as soon as they enter the real word that opportunity is lost to them. To conclude, removing Santa from a person’s childhood is removing a magical experience that everyone should have a right to experience, even if they quickly figure out that the truth that unfortunately the magical deeds and tale of Santa is nothing but that, a tale but it is a tale worth telling.
This Christmas, don’t let Santa steal the connection between Parent and child, don’t let him enforce out-dated morals on children, and don’t let him attack our values of generosity and truth. 8 |
-Blair Cunningham
-Ethan Marshall
D*** F***** What’s it all about?
more bizarre. Daft Friday truly became more dance than concert in the 1930’s, when women were finally allowed to attend (albeit only accompanying men). But the 30’s would bring its own problems, including a notable attempt to change the dress code to more casual wear, with the Union announcing in 1933 that anyone wearing a ‘boiled shirt’ (a kind of stiff collar dress shirt) would be denied entry. This provoked a huge outcry from the students, as reported in a somewhat confusing article by the Gilmorehill Globe (which would later become the Glasgow Guardian).
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ome of you may have seen the queue that formed in the wee hours of the morning on the 8th November. A huge crowd of people, waiting in excess of 6 hours, all in the hopes of claiming a ticket to Daft Friday. But why is this one celebration considered to be worth such a fuss. Well, this year marks 110 years since it all kicked off, so what better time than to take a look at its glorious history. Some of you may have visited the Bridie Library in the Union. Named in honour of James Bridie, the nom-de-plume of Osborne Henry Mavor, who was the founder of the Citizens Theatre and was instrumental in the creation of the Edinburgh Fringe, this man also invented Daft Friday. He describes it in the book Union Ygorra by Charles Oakley. He was nursing a Clergyman’s sore throat one morning (a sore throat caused by shouting a lot, as a clergyman might) and began to demand entertainment. The President of the Union asked what he would like, and he said he would like a concert. So a piano was brought in, along with someone to play it and the impromptu concert began. Word spread around the campus and more and more people started to arrive, eventually so many that the concert was relocated to the debates chamber. Still more poured in, including a company from the local pantomime. Eventually a supper of ham and eggs was served and still the party went on until Saturday morning and, it was said “Nobody with any tincture of humanity in him attended a class that day”. This was the beginning of what would become Daft Friday. So Daft Friday began as a concert but would not stay that way. In 1925 it was decided that a dance should be held for union members, as it was felt the old concerts had lost their appeal, as well as some of their lustre. So, the concert began to be eclipsed by a regular dance, which became bigger, more lavish and
Finally, let us examine what makes Daft Friday truly unique and that is The Theme. Believed to have started during the 1950’s, themes have ranged from the ambiguity of Video Games, to the specificity of Beauty and the Beast and from the antiquity of The Iliad to the futurity of Star Wars. The Theme was not always kept a secret but has always transformed the union from its old self into a place from the wildest depths of our imaginations. Today, of course, the theme is kept secret from all but the committee until the night itself. This is also why it is commonly referred to as D*** F***** on posters, as people believe using its name to be bad luck. But it is all these things, along with the months of hard work and over a century of history, that truly makes Daft Friday a night to remember (even if most people don’t by the following morning). -Michael Cartledge, Critic-at-Large
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CULTURE AND OPINION
The Sanctity of Christmas? Bah, Humbug
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on’t you just love Christmas? Walking around Christmas markets, looking for gifts and cards to give to loved ones, wrapped up in cosy new season clothes, sipping on overpriced mulled wine, and eating festive food. This is holiday consumerism and it has taken over the purity of Christmas. We’re subject to holiday consumerism continuously throughout the year through commercials and rebranding. It’s frivolous. But we undeniably will give into it. However, while the marketable image of Christmas is bright, shiny, and enjoyable, it is not universal. Christmas could be considered as a competition – who can have the best decorations or the most expensive presents? This is cruel, deeply problematic and does not represent what the institution of Christmas is supposed to be about. Consumerism highlights class segregation and the struggles that come with it, replacing festivity with fear. Christmas has become a custom that represents wealth and social status as opposed to religion, compassion, and goodwill. People will spend lots of money on commercialised products that they don’t need, just so they can tell people about it. When Christmas becomes about bragging, low-income families may find it hard to compete as they can’t keep up with the societal view of Christmas. This incessant need to buy things around the holidays can make people feel ashamed. People may therefore feel pressured into spending money they don’t have, on crazes that they don’t need. Christmas really sums up societies deep fascination with and obligation to materialism. Evidently, we have a desire to spend money. You can easily realise this when it comes to the consumption of food this time of year. We scramble around Tesco hunting down the best carrots, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, and turkey, in order to have the best feast possible. Well, you and the other hundreds of people in the shop. Strangely enough, this food is available to buy all year round, but of course, you only really need it at Christmas. The turkey you buy comes from a farm that distributes the turkeys to the shop all year round. So why do you only care to buy it now? It’s 10 |
because you think you should. This is consumerism at one of its peak forms. Now, I’m no Scrooge. I love Christmas, and I (like the next person) will continuously participate in the sport of consumerism. Which, in turn, boosts our economy, production, and provides more jobs with increased wages (which is important for people of all ages). While this exemplifies a benefit to consumerism, it further demonstrates the vicious cycle we in which we belong. We will work more hours in jobs we don’t want, to earn money to buy products we definitely don’t need. What’s the point? The answer is, that we don’t know anything different from this consumerist way of life. But why should we care? We shouldn’t. There should be no shame in you buying things you want with the money that you’ve earned. Why shouldn’t you walk around a Christmas market and buy things that you enjoy? The idea of a traditional Christmas has been gone for years - and arguably this is for the better. Christmas being a consumer holiday allows people of all religions and backgrounds to celebrate it, bringing people together, rather than it just being about one religion. In our household, consumerism brings my family together each year. People will travel miles for us to be together on Christmas Day – eating the carrots that are available all year round, exchanging gifts bought from Christmas markets, pulling crackers that have a bad joke and cheap bottle opener inside. We’ll play games which we only ever bring out for Christmas day, before gathering around the TV to watch the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing and laughing at our aunties drunkenly dancing to the theme song. All of this is fuelled by consumerism. But all of this is what makes Christmas so special. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have the best food or most expensive gifts. The commercial stuff we don’t need ensures that people will take time out of their hectic lives to spend time together - the real sanctity of Christmas. -Grace Saunders
CULTURE AND OPINION Johanna Crighton Joint Head Painter 2017
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G-You’s Indie Festive Take Over
inter is descending on Glasgow; with shorter days, colder nights and the inevitable same festive songs playing over and over again in shops. If you’ll be stuck in a retail job over the holiday period, or shudder at the thought of hearing the same tired and worn out ‘Now That’s What I Call Christmas’ tunes for another year then we have the playlist for you. Perfect for Christmas travels, revision or dissertation work, and those late walks back from the pub.
Christmas Will Break Your Heart LCD Soundsystem
Following in a long line of traditional sad Christmas power ballads, Christmas Will Break Your Heart is the perfect tune for the inevitable post-festivity blues. The song was the band’s first venture into new music in five years. It followed frontman James Murphy’s ideas of a Christmas song that he had sung to himself for years, and was recorded in September of 2015. Christmas Will Break Your Heart is perfect for the inevitable travels home after D*** F*****, where you’ll be feeling queasy and a little hungover: uncertain of what awaits you at home, and how your friends and family will have inevitably changed. Kindle a Flame in Her Heart Los Campesinos!
White Winter Hymnal Fleet Foxes While relatively unconcerned with Christmas or festivities, this song – with its choral refrains and soft vocals, is a beautiful winter song. When the snow inevitably rolls into Glasgow, probably at the least opportune moment, this is the song you’ll want as you trudge through the snow to your first pint of the day or your friend’s flat with working heating. The musical equivalent of a hot beverage or a dram, sometimes you can like a song just because it’s perfectly nice and heart-warming. For this playlist and many more Check out the Official G-YOU Spotify Here!
It’s Christmas and You’re Boring Me Slow Club Slow Club – the Sheffield duo known for their thoughtful indie pop - surprise with a heartfelt exposition of a situation too many have been in. A comfortable relationship has over the holidays reached the end of the line – with the narrator sad to realise that “You've made me happy but you don't excite me; I'll wait till New Years to tell you we're through”. It’s a softly sung acoustic piece reminding us that the holiday season is prone to just as many romantic issues as the rest of the year, despite what Hollywood may have us think. It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop Frightened Rabbit
In Kindle a Flame in her Heart, Los Campesinos! Find themselves grappling with the angst and loneliness of Christmas, when you’re maybe most prone to nostalgia, and likely to hold rose-tinted specs to past relationships. As is to be expected from a cult-band like LC! the lyrics are sharp, funny and often deeply personal. Reader, don’t be fooled, after your fourth G&T you have not realised the error of your ways, do not drunk text or call your ex!
According to Frightened Rabbit, the holiday season is the time for charity, goodwill and trying to make amends for the years’ failings. The Scottish rockers put together a genuine plea for us to make amends, and cross divides we’ve let fester over the past 11 months, “And life might never get better than this; It's the perfect excuse for our natures to change; and wear shiny clothes”. A sentiment we should all try to get behind over the festive period, be it with annoying siblings, ignorant distant relatives, or being asked to do your parents a favour.
Driving Under Stars Maricka Hackman
For many of us, Christmas is a time to return to our distant homes, bringing with it stress, excitement, nostalgia and a feeling of loss for a period of our lives long since passed. The holiday season is where we’re expected to occupy a role and a life that, for many of us, we’ve long since outgrown. Hackman’s soft guitar and questioning lyrics perfectly accompany those making their distant journeys back home for the holiday season. A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss) Glasgvegas
We end our playlist with some homegrown talent. Glasvegas’s festive song focuses, like many a Christmas classic, on how we overcome those feelings of loneliness we feel during the festive period. It’s a beautiful ballad, with the piano segueing into a percussion and synth led finale – where we can all hopefully feel a little less alone. Perfect for the walk home from the pub on Christmas Eve, when you’re feeling a little too sorry for yourself.
-Harry Coloe | 11
ment sessions. Simon Community aim see beyond a person's current or past circumstances, and recognize their inherent value, worth and potential as human beings.
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lasgow University Charity Fashion Show (GUCFS) beyond the shoots, the Instagram’s, the graphics, and the spectacular of the show itself, are fundraising this year for the charity ‘Simon community Scotland’. Charity remains the focus of GUCFS, and this year they are fundraising for one, whose values are to combat the he causes and effects of homelessness across Glasgow and Scotland. The charity, whose vision is that everyone should have a safe place to live and access to the support they need, focus on inclusion, and every individual is treated as exactly that, an individual. In 2014 more than 36,000 people asked for help with homelessness across Scotland and many more are struggling on their own. The charity acknowledges the unique circumstances of everyone, and therefore creates a tailored response for induviduals. They aim help beyond just providing home, but provide life skills, RSVP pet workshops, period poverty points-to allow homeless people access to sanitary products, and group skills develop-
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As Christmas looms and spirits rise, the problem and hardship of homelessness is worsened as winter also draws in, hard and fast. The biting negative temperatures which we complain about on the day-to-day, threaten the health and the lives of those sleeping rough. Stay Warm, Stay Safe is the heading of Simon Community Scotland’s most recent campaign to help people on the street whose priorities are far from the Christmas-mania and sparkly lights of the festive markets. But whose lives are at risk of hypothermia and cold weather related illness’s. People who are homeless or begging are not often active. Sometimes people will sit at the same begging pitch all day in freezing and wet conditions. Many of the people on the streets have poor health as a result of the survival lifestyle they live in and poor nutrition, diet, smoking, inactivity, little access to healthcare, stress, trauma, and substance misuse, all of which contribute to a lower level of resilience to the cold. Christmas is a time for giving, and that means more than just giving a few coins here and there. Simon Community have street team and go out on the cold winter nights offering medical; support, and give dry clothes socks and shoes to those suffering on the streets. Following this, when body temperature reaches below 32 degrees, people may pass out and stop moving at all. If you see this in anyone sleeping rough, Simon Community Scotland and GUCFS urge you call 999, or the Glasgow helpline at 0800 027 7466.
How Can You Help?
You can help to by knowing the early signs of hypothermia, which include: shivering
fast breathing
cold and pale skin
tiredness
slurred speech
confusion
If you See Somebody in Trouble Call: 999 or the Glasgow helpline at: 0800 027 7466
Glasgow University Charity Fashion Show are working to help combat this and raise funds to support the hard work of this charity. So far, members of the society have gone abseiling, participated in ‘Jailbreak’ climbed munros, baked cakes, run 100 miles, walked the kilt walk, and held quizzes, all to contribute to the charity. GUCFS will continue to raise money until the show on February the 23rd.
Within all this fundraising, the society hope to increase awareness of the problem of homelessness in Glasgow, and the valuable and hard work of Simon Community Scotland in combatting the effects and causes of homelessness in Glasgow, particularly in the long harsh winter months. Think of people on the streets when it gets cold this year and remember to give, to more than just your loved ones this Christmas.
From GUCFS: Help us, help them this Christmas and give more than just a sparing glance or some spare change, lets work together to help those living on the streets ‘Stay Warm and Stay Safe’ this winter and support those sleeping on the streets to make changes and overcome their problems. -Sarah Findlay
To Donate Go To:
justgiving.com/fundraising/gucfs19 | 13
CULTURE AND OPINION
Taking the Christ out of Christmas?
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have been asked before why I celebrate Christmas as a non-believer and someone who doesn’t associate themselves with Christianity in any way. Many of my earliest memories of Christmas are linked to it as a Christian holiday – singing Christmas carols in the village square on Christmas Eve (We Three Kings was always my favourite), playing Mary in the school nativity play when I was five, even occasionally accompanying my grandmother to her parishes Christmas church service. But, I do not think it is a holiday than Christians alone can or should have any monopoly on. My personal affection for Christmas comes mostly from nostalgia for some of my favourite childhood memories – big family Christmases, the excitement of all the novelty and the presents, and obviously the great food. Those memories are universal and aren’t affected by whether I thought the main man in the sky was the Lord or a big guy with a sack and a sleigh. We are a generation often defined by our love of nostalgia, so I think it’s fairly reasonable for us to keep engaging with a holiday that gave us so many defining childhood moments, regardless of whether we believe in the religion it’s based on. But also, Christmas is not particularly religious anymore, so I don’t feel I am co-opting it. It has been commercialised to the extent that most ‘Christmas’ centric media is actually areligious. Father Christmas and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer are some of the most famous ‘Christmas’ characters, while hardly anyone could tell you the names of the Kings
in the nativity story, or even tell you what myrrh is really supposed to do. As much a celebration of capitalism and consumerism as anything else these days, after all Santa Claus’s iconic outfit that defines so much Christmas imagery, famously came from a Coca-Cola advert, rather than anything remotely spiritual. So many of the Christmas traditions I have nostalgia for are actually pagan in origin - the yuletide log, the holly and the mistletoe being brought in an hung over the fireplace. In fact, the entire holiday was originally a pagan midwinter solstice celebration, it is generally agreed by many historians that Jesus was actually born in the summer. The festival was set at the 25th to better co-opt the midwinter celebrations the pagans were already having in order to more successfully convert them. But even when it comes to the traditions that don’t have ancient pre-Christian roots, they were all just invented at some point and most have no Christian significance. Most of the Christmas carols aren’t religious, the tradition of exchanging presents isn’t either, and even Christmas trees were only brought to Britain in the 1840s by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. Ultimately, I also like celebrating Christmas because aside from the nostalgia it is a holiday that emphasises kindness to strangers and goodwill to all regardless of race faith or creed. Christians should welcome the lessening of the explicitly religious element, if it means that their message of goodwill is spread further and touches more people. I will always celebrate it, because it is a part of my family, my memories, and because there is a value in traditions regardless of their origin, they are valuable as long as they do no harm and bring us closer together, as families and as a country to have a shared celebration.
Write for G-YOU
D
-Daisy Thomson, Culture and Opinion Editor
o you like writting and are interested in having your work published in the magazine or online, then come along to our open ontributor meetings, Monday at 5pm, in G12, or email;
libraries@guu.co.uk
CULTURE AND OPINION Johanna Crighton Joint Head Painter 2017
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Far-Flung Festivals
inter doesn’t have to be all mince pies and tinsel... have a look at these alternative winter festivals…
The Festival of Santo Tomás, Chichicastenango, Guatemala On the week leading up to the 21st of December the Guatemalan town of Chichicastenango becomes captivated with an electric mix of Catholic and Native Mayan traditions in honour of the town's patron saint. Festivities include religious processions, cultural dances, music and fireworks. Performers and locals dress in masks and costumes that represent the Spanish conquistadors who colonised Guatemala in the 16th century. Traditional dances re-enact the subjugation of the local people. The highlight of the final day of celebrations is the “palo valador” - dancers who ascend a 30 metre wooden pole in order to leap off. The dancers rapidly swirl around the pole while their rope unravels in time to prevent them hitting the ground. International Festival of the Sahara, Douz, Tunisia Between December and January every year in a small oasis in the desert people come from all over North Africa (and the world) to watch the festivities of the International Festival of the Sahara. Since 1910 people have come together here to celebrate traditional desert culture, particularly Bedouin life. The festival has its roots in an annual Bedouin bridal fair - nomadic families would meet to trade and inspect each other’s sons and daughters for future weddings. Now attracting over 50,000 visitors, the festival has expanded to celebrate many traditions. Different kinds of races (dog, camel and horse), rabbit chasing, a poetry contest, wrestling, music, traditional marriage re-enactments and belly dancing are all on the programme this year. Mevlâna Festival, Konya, Turkey Between the 10th and 17th of December the city of Konya in Turkey commemorates the anniversary of Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi’s (Mevlâna) 'wedding night' with Allah. Rumi’s quotable poetry and religious writings are held in high regard around the world. Over a million people flock to Konya to celebrate Rumi’s life, work and death (his union with God). The Sema ceremony represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through love and mind to perfection. Rumi believed that union with Allah was achievable through dance; after his death his followers formed a brotherhood of whirling dervishes with dance as their main means of worship. Dancers called ‘dervishes’ wear white headdresses representing the ego’s tomb and a white skirt symbolic of the ego’s shroud. The dervishes move as a group in a circle simultaneously spinning individually - creating an entrancing kaleidoscope of wide spinning skirts.
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LIFESTYLE CULTUREAND ANDFEATURES OPINION
Continued...
Festival of the Goddess of the Sea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the beach in Rio. The festival of the Goddess of the Sea begins (in true Rio style) with fireworks over the lagoon with samba music as a backing track - festive! After the fireworks the celebration moves onto the sand where rafts are made in honour of Lemanja. Filled with offerings of flowers, perfumes and jewellery the rafts are set afloat. Luck is said to be bestowed upon anyone that follows their raft, jumps over 7 consecutive waves and then returns ashore without turning their back on the sea - so as not to offend the goddess. Lemanja who is often depicted as a mermaid, is a central deity in the Candomblé religion. Powerful, she watches over sailors and fishermen and controls their catches. She is also concerned with every aspect of womanhood, fertility, and family; plus, she is the protector of children. -Alison McIntyre
Have Yourself a Very Vegan Christmas
C
hristmas dinner can be a contentious topic with yourself and your family- any vegan/vegetarian has probably had the argument with their disapproving parents about what they’re going to eat on Christmas day as the rest of their siblings tuck into a giant turkey. Coming from a very traditional country household where meat is served with every meal, I know I dread the yearly quarrel. So this Christmas, why not try something new- classic crowd pleasers you didn’t think were meat or dairy free, or perhaps some new recipes to try out for your friends or family? Whether you’re a vegan/vegetarian sick of eating extra stuffing balls as your main meal (once, I was served quorn chicken nuggets as my turkey alternative), or if you normally eat turkey but fancy a healthier and more ecological alternative this festive season, there are dozens of alternatives just waiting to be tried!
Pre/Post Dinner Snacks Arguably the best part about Christmas is the fact you can eat all day, snacking on chocolates and crisps without a shred of guilt just because it’s Christmas. However, there are several ways of making your seasonal indulgence even more guilt free- for instance, did you know that Tesco chocolate mint thins are accidentally vegan? Better yet, try Divine’s range of mint thins- they’re vegan, and fairtrade! Or, if you’re more of a salty snack fiend, why not buy in pringles- a Christmas classic- or doritos instead of sensations? There are so many accidentally vegan snacks to choose from, why wouldn’t you? 16 |
LIFESTYLE AND FEATURES
Continued... Hannah's Vegan Bread Sauce
Skye's Vegan Yorkshires
The main event Bored of that M&S nut roast that’s horrifically dry your mum normally buys in for you because she doesn’t know what “those vegetarian sorts” normally eat? We recommend a mushroom wellington to replace the turkey, which you can buy from most shops, or make yourself. Miss the days when you still ate pigs in blankets (I know I certainly do)? Look no further than Quorn’s range of cocktail sausages- they honestly taste exactly the same as the real thing. Wrap them in some “facon”, pour on some gravy and you won’t feel left out anymore. If you’re wanting to have an entirely vegan Christmas dinner, remember that Bisto gravy is cruelty-free, and roast veg/roast potatoes can so easily be made vegan/vegetarian and just as yummy with the right seasoning by substituting goose fat for vegetable or sunflower oil! If this wasn’t convincing enough, we’ve compiled a couple of recipes for the best parts of a cruelty-free Christmas feast! -Skye Brettell, Arts Editor
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Top 5 Christmas Markets Across the World
t’s that time of year again, when people tumble out onto the streets to buy their Christmas presents in busy department stores, or bustling high street shops. But what really makes it feel like Christmas is when the doors are opened to the worlds most famous markets, filling the air with the smell of mulled wine and gingerbread. If you haven’t been playing Christmas music since November 1st, here are the top 5 markets across the globe to get you into the festive mood! Prague, Czech Republic, Wenceslas Square and Old town square The Christmas markets are at the heart of the festive period in Prague. From the 1st of December, until the 6th of January, Wenceslas square and Old town square are transformed into a magical winter wonderland, bursting with popular local food, drink, crafts, as well as wooden toys, and scented candles. The festive atmosphere is amplified by the school choirs who perform dressed in traditional costumes to sing carols, providing shoppers with a musical backdrop. What makes Prague’s market especially magical, is the enormous Christmas tree that stands in the Old town square.
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LIFESTYLE AND FEATURES
Continued...
Strasbourg Christmas market, France The Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik is one of Europe’s largest and oldest Christmas markets, dating back to 1570. At the hub of the market, visitors will find a 100 foot Christmas tree, sprinkled in metres of fairy lights and covered in decorations. Strasbourg officially became the ‘Capital of Christmas’ in 1992, when Jean-Jacques opened up market stalls on the various squares all across the city. This shows just how successful the market is on terms of Christmas! Differing from its hot temperatures in the Summer, Strasbourg’s typical heavy snowfall covers the Christmas markets, creating the most festive of atmospheres.
Toronto, Canada Steering the attention outside of Europe, the Christmas markets of Canada celebrate the traditional sights and scents of the festive period. Set in the Victorian Era, the market creates a traditional atmosphere and unites local musicians, food makers and local craftspeople. The enchanted décor fashions a romantic setting for visitors and tourists to enjoy. Finally, the Christmas tree is a sight to be seen- the magical lights provide for the perfect Instagram moment!
Advent, Zagreb, Croatia The Advent market in Zagreb has been nominated for the best Christmas market in Europe for three years running, making it a popular attraction for tourists. The ice rink and ice sculptures provide quite a contrast to Zagreb’s exotic and sunny beaches, giving it a festive feel. The Christmas story can be experienced next to the cathedral, where a live nativity is performed and there are even real animals included! The Advent market is sprawled across Zagreb, stuffing the city with an array of lights, decorations and live entertainment. It brings food, drink, ice skating and much more under the umbrella of Christmas. Dresden, Berlin Last but not least, Germany- the capital of Europe for spectacular Christmas markets. Christmas markets all over the world originated from Germany in the 1400s, making it an important centre for the festive period, and reason for the countries attraction. Berlin is a magnet for tourists during the Christmas period, and the markets are a huge part of the holiday tradition. The oldest Christmas market lies in Dresden, established in 1434. -Kirsten Wales 18 |
LIFESTYLE AND FEATURES
New Year’s Eve Across the Globe
H
ere’s our guide to the most spectacular, superstitious and bizarre New Year’s Eve traditions. We’ve tried to avoid the most well-known rituals, instead we’ll focus on lesser-known gems. These might give you the inspiration to try something a little different to round off the year. Well perhaps not, but they’re funny anyhow.
Rural Québec - Ice fishing! You can forget your fireworks, your firecrackers; spend your night with a mate on one of Quebec’s most spectacular sheets of ice! What better way to bring in the New Year by fooling an unsuspecting trout. Does this tradition have an interesting history? Probably, but we aren’t sure. Whatever the origins of this ritual, it beats paying £12 for a double. Rural Italy - Launching chairs, pots and furniture from your window at midnight. A rejection of the old in favour of the new! What an incredible excuse to get rid of the “non-stick” frying pan your nan got you a few months prior. “Grandmother dear… what I lack in cookware, I now more than make up for in hope, happy new year!.” Chile – Yellow underwear, lentils and a night in a graveyard. Chile is known for wine, beautiful mountains and the gifted midfielder Arturo Vidal. What you may not know is that on 31st December, many Chileans choose to wear yellow clothes, particularly yellow undergarments, as it is said to restore vitality to your life! Lentils also bring good luck and, like in Spain, twelve grapes symbolise a wish for each month of the year. In Talca, locals often choose to camp in a graveyard on the night of the 31st, which is thought to have come from a time when a family decided to spend a night with their recently deceased father. Odd, yet sort of pleasant. Ecuador – Effigies and “sexy dancing” Possibly the greatest NYE tradition of all time. In Ecuador, many men dress up in drag with the intention of looking horrendous. They apply clown-like makeup, absurd wigs and wear ridiculous miniskirts. This is supposed to represent the “widow” of the year that is about to pass. These “widows” then parade on the streets and stop passing cars. Their purpose; to amuse with a parody of sexy dancing. Across the nation, citizens also burn giant effigies of politicians and celebrities. This represents the death of the old year and the birth of the new. Romania – Bear costumes Yeah, just people on the booze storming around dressed as bears. Subtle but effective. Portugal – It gets serious The tradition is to drink champagne and eat twelve raisins, obviously one raisin per month. What’s also interesting… the Bolo-Rei - a round cake with a hole in the centre. The cake contains raisins, nuts and crystallised fruit. Inside is hidden a fava (simply a broad bean). Tradition maintains that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the Bolo-Rei next year. A small prize (usually a small toy) is also included in the centre but fairly recently the inclusion of the prize was forbidden by the European Union for safety reasons. Curse you, bureaucrats! -Alfie Farrington | 19
SCIENCE
All I Want For Christmas Is…. Less Waste
A
lthough I often get wrapped up in the joy and excitement of Christmas dinner, present giving and general festivities, I am becoming to realize the importance of looking at the environmental cost it’s having on our planet. What with straws being banned in many places and supermarket plastic bags having a charge added to them what better time to re-evaluate the waste that we all contribute towards at Christmas. So here are some of the debates and ways to reduce your damaging impact this year at Christmas.
which I’m sure they’ll love or tutoring sessions with older children, perhaps even a music lesson if you are talented enough. Another example for alternative gift giving is experience days including tickets to a show or sports event, local attractions or ice skating in a Christmas market. Finally, if you’re a budding baker how about making some homemade edibles, this could include anything from homemade jam to warm mince pies. I know that would go down a treat in my family!
Christmas cards
There is much debate in the family households these days to buying a real Christmas tree or artificial one, both of which have benefits and drawbacks. Negatively, plastic trees are made of petroleum products and use up resources in both manufacturing and shipping adding to everyone’s carbon footprint. They are also non-biodegradable so although artificial trees are theoretically supposed to last forever, when thrown out they fill our landfill sites and really do last forever. However, it can reduce the cost of Christmas each year if they are stored and re-used appealing to many people wishing to save money at Christmas!
Cards in general are something I have a personal hatred for. If it’s not the struggle of picking the right card for that particular person or the extortionate price of cards, it’s the most pointless waste of paper and chopping down of trees. Around 1 billion cards end up in the bin each year with a Merry Christmas message in from your Auntie that you’ll be seeing on Christmas day anyway or a distant relative that you have zero interest in staying in contact with anymore but for what real reason? Although it can be argued that charity Christmas cards raise lots of money for a good cause does it really outweigh the environmental impact? There a lot of things that can be done now to minimise the impact. For example, sending e-Christmas cards or even cutting up and recycling old Christmas cards to make new ones. Or alternatively, high street stores have started to aid the recycling of cards for people now by collecting and transporting them to paper mills. This can be found in Tesco, WHSMiths and TK Maxx nationwide.
Gift giving and wrapping paper
Perhaps one of the most fun things about Christmas as a kid but also one of the worse environmentally. Many gifts these days involve copious amounts of plastic packaging as well as batteries containing toxic or corrosive materials. I’m sure I don’t have to lecture you on the environmental impact plastic is having anymore. The amount of wrapping paper used for presents is enough to wrap around the equator 9 times and around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging is produced. It is estimated that within three months, 41% of toys children receive will be broken and in turn thrown out. Or people will get the latest model of phones with only 10-15% being recycled. So here are just a few ideas to reduce this. Many people these days have started to offer services instead of goods, this often seen as more thoughtful as you are putting in your energy, time or experti20 | uses little of no natural resources. These gifts se that can be anything from offering childcare to a parent,
Artificial vs Real Christmas Trees
On the other hand, real Christmas trees are renewable resource grown on otherwise unproductive fields for farmers positioned on steep hills. They are replanted regularly to keep up with demand and contribute to air quality whilst in their 7-10-year growth. It is important to remember to recycle the trees once no longer in use however, as six million trees are brought every year but on average only 1.2 million are recycled. Usually local authorities will help with this either collecting trees or sorting a collection point where they can then be recycled into mulch- a material that is spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil. Alternatively, you could also buy a live potted Christmas tree that can be used for around 2-3 years. Let’s not forget too that a real tree adds to the Christmassy smell!
Decorative lighting
It is without a doubt that Christmas lights are part and parcel of most living room tree decorations during December. Unfortunately, this means on average 10 hours of switched on lights which, if incandescent bulbs, produce large quantities of carbon monoxide harmful to humans. Not only this these incandescent light bulbs run at a much higher wattage and power than LED bulbs all at which comes at a cost to the consumer. Therefore, it is important to remember to switch the Christmas tree lights off during the night as this is a simple waste of energy and when you’re not in. -Lucy Rawbone, Science and Technology Editor
WELFARE
Dark Days and Nights
The effects & experiences of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
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e can all agree that our moods can be impacted by the weather; long hot summer days are when we feel most cheerful and carefree and it isn’t uncommon to feel tired and grumpy during cold, dark and wet winter days. Although for some people the ‘winter blues’ can hit harder than others. SAD is a mental health issue that ranges across a broad spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, there are those who are not affected at all by seasonal changes in weather. In the middle there are those of us who notice feeling more tired and down during the winter. And finally, at the other end of the spectrum there are people who struggle to carry out daily routines because of the effects of SAD. In the UK, Reports show that about 3% of the population suffer debilitating symptoms of SAD and 20% experience more mild ‘down in the dumps’ effects. There are many varying symptoms of SAD but the most common can include; depression, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, anxiety, overeating, loss of sex drive and sudden mood changes. The main indicator points to the timings of these symptoms – a winter related mental health issue that recurs each year. Experts relate SAD to the physical and environmental surroundings of winter months, as it can be triggered by a lack of sunlight which leads to lower levels of melatonin and serotonin, our mood controlling hormones. I began to feel the effects of SAD during my first year of uni, having moved to Glasgow after my gap year in Sydney, I couldn’t help but be hit by the sudden change in climate and weather. I had little or no desire to go outside, I would stay in my room alone watching Friends on a constant repeat and barely speaking to any of my flatmates. I noticed myself (a normally happy, upbeat and outgoing person) become bitter, bad-tempered and irritable, hardly enjoying any aspect of the new and exciting uni life. I felt this way for the entirety of first semester and it was only until after the Christmas break, I felt back to my normal self and finally began to enjoy university.
pretty shitty again until Christmas. I attempted to combat these feelings by going out a lot more and increasing the amount I drank on nights out to mask feeling sad. Unsurprisingly this didn’t do me any good at all and only added to the problem, after waking up not being able to remember entire nights and therefore being hit by rather debilitating anxiety. The worst came when I was in the library on Level 1, with an essay due in a matter of days, I sat crippled by anxiety, unable to write even a word and so stared at my blank laptop screen for three hours. I thought nothing of it until the annual cycle began again in first semester of third year. I would go to class and begin my day normally only to be succumbed to an anger I couldn’t shake off all day. I would go home to my flatmates and cause arguments and shout to those who would shout back. I slammed doors and banged around feeling completely and utterly full of rage and not knowing why. I would go to the gym to attempt to ‘run it off’ but exercise never worked for me. I pushed away people who wanted to get close to me and made unwise relationship decisions. By the end of October, I was exhausted and I was aware I had to do something to change. I went to Oxford for a long weekend for a change of scenery and it was only on the train journey back that I pieced together the commonalities of the last three winters. I found out about SAD online and I finally felt some relief having a name for what I was experiencing.
Now, in my fourth and final year, I am almost the whole way through first semester without experiencing any severe symptoms. After finding out about SAD and doing some research, I was aware of what I could possibly feel and what affects my mood the most, so I have done my best to prevent myself from feeling down. I have cut my alcohol consumption down, whilst still maintaining social relations and having fun on a night out. I have tried to spend as much time as possible outdoors, with hikes up Ben Lomond and walks through Glasgow’s many parks. I am lucky in that my understanding led to me being able to solve the problems I was experiencing; it can be far more deep rooted for others. That being said, as winter draws in It wasn’t until first semester of second year that I experien- the darkness will always be there, it is just how you cope ced the symptoms again. I had noticed my mood deterio- with it that changes. rate at the beginning of October and I continued feeling -Isabelle Thornton, Co. Editor-in-Chief | 21
SPORT
A glimmer of humanity
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t was one of the most curious Christmas Days we are ever likely to see
- wrote Captain CI Stockwell of the
Royal Welsh fusiliers. In a time when political tensions are high, Brexit woes haunting Britain and with Yemen on the brink of the world’s worst famine in 100 years it is difficult to imagine that enemies were able to lay down their arms in a war that was supposed to be over by Christmas but would evidently not be. The Christmas Day truce of 1914 would become one of the most famous moments in warring history not for horrific death tolls but because of a willingness to disobey orders and enjoy a relative peace that seemed a distant fantasy.
Ceasefires had occurred along the front line as early as December 18th, although British High Command were worried that fraternising with the enemy would make soldiers question why and what they were fighting for and destroy the offensive spirit. Contrary to popular belief, it was in fact the Germans who, obsessed with the festive period, acted bizarrely cordially with guns falling silent and trees being sent to the front line. Gifts were exchanged and both sides partook in joint burials and sang carols. In these pockets of peace along the Western Front, war was forgotten. Among the harmony that befell some of Western Eu-
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rope, footballs were being kicked around the dismal, shell-holed no man’s land. A sport that has so often been said to bring people together no matter what race, religion or gender can teach us a lot about peace – a recurrent word at this time of year. The story of the Christmas truce and indeed the bringing together of enemies through football should remain particularly important as we commemorate those who fought in WWI 100 years on from its end. As the World struggles to deal with crises in the Middle East and end civil wars in Africa, it is frustrating to think that such a simple object as a football could create an accord and serenity between two of the bitterest enemies in modern war history. While football as a sport has had its own issues with violence and continues to tackle cross-city rivalries that go well beyond the turnstiles, there are times when you can be proud to be a football fan and recognise the good it is doing in the world and how much more it can do with the power and wealth that it holds. While this may sound contradictory with the gross wages that some players earn, tournaments such as the World Cup see England players donating their wages to charities such as UNICEF as well as Help for Heroes and the British Forces Foundation – maintaining the connection with those innocent soldiers playing the sport they loved, in a time which permitted them to do little else of enjoyment. As we move further away from the wars that ravaged Europe in the beginning of the 20th century in time, it would seem that we are losing more and more our faith and trust in humanity. This trust shone for a brief moment when men faced off against one another as enemies in the trenches, but as friends on the pitch. Of course we will not see the people of Palestine face off against Israel in a game of football but can there not be a blissful silence and rest for those caught up in conflict over this festive period? -Miles Lockhart
SPORT
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Saving the Slopes
or many families up and down the country, winter is welcomed not for Christmas and the exchanges of gifts or abundance of food, but for the thought of dusting off their ski boots and googles and jetting off to France, Italy, Austria to spend a well-deserved break on the slopes. Having never done this myself it has always sounded appealing and listening to friends talk in excitement about their upcoming trips, gives me the appreciation of how important this time is for some. But what if I told you that only too soon these carefree weeks that highlight your year may be a thing of the past, that it may not be something your children or grandchildren will have the pleasure of experiencing. This is the harsh reality we are facing, and there is one key culprit - Global Warming. Global warming, climate change; words that get thrown around so often these days it’s difficult to scroll through Facebook for more than 30 seconds without seeing an article or three on it. Like so many global issues, the world is split; many people embracing the need for change and accepting their responsibility as a habitant on this Earth to save what humans have destroyed, and the ones in denial who listen to the more delusional “world leaders” and refuse to believe this is even a problem. There are however cold hard facts, the Earth’s surface in its entirety is heating up and with it, winters are becoming shorter and ski resorts are beginning to suffer. Since the golden age of skiing in the 70s and 80s, there is now 30 days less snow in alpine resorts and scientists have predicted that by 2100 they will have lost 70% of their current snow cover. This not only affects families or students on ski trips but also will impact professional winter sport. Shockingly, recent studies have shown that by 2050, 9 of the previous host countries of the Winter Olympics will not be reliable enough to host them again – let that sink in.
So what can be done? We are all guilty to some extent or another and although it may seem like an uphill battle, it is do-able. Here are a few small “student friendly” changes that you can be made in order to save the slopes. The number one thing you can do is to eat less meat – in particular beef and lamb. A vegan diet can decrease your carbon footprint by 20%, however even eliminating red meat or simply adding in more plant-based meals to your diet can make all the difference. The second is a big one, consumption. Especially around this time of year when you are frantically trying to find presents to give at Christmas, the rate of unnecessary consumption skyrockets. In order to combat this, try buying second hand from a charity shop, or give someone an experience – a concert or sports match – not a materialistic object that may have produced equal emissions to having your heating on for three days. Finally the last is a simple one, wear a jumper. As students, we tend to be better than most at saving on energy with regards to turning our heating on, however there is always more to be done. Make sure your heating is turned off over night and set a timer for when you wake up to have a quick blast of heat for an hour. Apart from this, layer up as much as possible and you’ll find yourself saving not only your ski holiday but also your bank account. This article may have shocked many of you. These cruel facts may not have occurred to you winter sports enthusiasts. However, the figures stated in this article are only predicted values and are not irreversible. This is the key, we cannot give up. I know how easy it is to think “it’s too late” but the reality is it is not. So if you don’t want your kids and grandkids to grow up in a ski-holiday-less world, take a look at what impact you are having on the planet and adjust your lifestyle in order to save the planet and consequently the slopes. -Laura Hannah, Sports and Welfare Editor | 23
ART
Student Artist Spotlight: Nessie Wise
“I started embroidering about five years ago following the discovery of a hoop and a bag of tangled threads in my house. Since then it's become my favourite medium to work with as it is an incredibly freeing, expressive and forgiving medium to work with - there's no such thing as an out of place stitch! I especially love replicating famous artworks as embroidery is like painting with thread - each stitch is like a paintstroke, lending itself beautifully to the overall finish of the piece. Embroidery provides much needed respite from constant uni work and stress, hence why I'm always working on a project! I think at least every family member and friend has received something I've stitched by now! - Nessie Wise, 4th year, History of Art
Like Nessie’s work? Give her a follow on Instagram (@_cross_stitch_bitch)
Your Art, Here!
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o you want to see your artwork featured in the magazine or online? Send us an email; we are more than happy to support student artists!
libraries@guu.co.uk
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