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UNIVERSITY
F E S T I VA L NOVEMBER
PRODUCED BY THE LIBRARIES COMMITTEE
GLASGOW
FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIV FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIFESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIFESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTI-
4. Festival theme introduction - Catherine Bouchard
SHOWCASE 5. Celebration (Kukeri) - Radoslav Serafimov 6-7. Fiesta - Evan Colley
SCIENCE 8-9. Science of the Spark - Anastasija Šlapina , 10-11. On snake oil salesmen, pseudoscience, and the ethical dilemma of skincare MLMs - Ana Negut, ARTS AND CULTIRE 12. The Tortured vs. Joyous Artist - Krys Siguenza-Limin 13. To Be or Not To Be (Happy) - Rochelle Chlala 14-15. All Together Now: Celebrations Heal Alex Enaholo
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GLASGOW UNIVERSITY UNION’S MAGAZINE- NOVEMBER 2021 GLASGOW UNIVERSITY UNION’S MAGAZINE NOV 2021
TABLE OF
CONTENTS POLITICS
G-YOU TEAM:
LIFESTYLE 17. Staying Groovy: the influence of 1970s festival fashion - Erin Graham 18-19. Everything Is Not What It Seems - Abby Crombie
Fuad Kehinde- Editor-in-Chief Catherine Bouchard- Co-Editor-inChief Ana Negut- Production Officer Olivia Swarthout- Graphics Editor Nina Munro- Events Coordinator Duncan Henderson- Campus Editor Lina Leonhard- Arts Editor Erin Graham-Lifestyle Editor Radoslav Serafimov- Science Editor Samyukta Vidyashankar- Politics Editor Evan Colley- Showcase Editor
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16. Let’s Get Political - Alex Palmer
THEME NOTE When the theme ‘Festival’ was first floated to our team, everyone’s mind went somewhere different. For some, images of crowded music festivals sprung to mind; others were transported to their cultural festivals and rites growing up. Some were inspired to cut to the roots of how celebrating manifests itself in different facets of culture, with others reflecting on the core rituals associated with festivals, and how these present in events like classical concerts or political party conferences. Festivals arguably lie at the heart of human identity and culture, with the first festivals predating ancient Greek and Roman times, hence, there are plentiful celebratory moments and traditions to draw on for this issue. This issue also wades into the nuance behind our conceptions of ‘festival’. The growing commercialisation of the act of celebrating casts alarming shadows over local communities and their traditions. In light of the growing trend to kitschify old festivals to attract tourist revenues, it is more important than ever to understand how to respectfully celebrate others’ festivals without disrupting them. Larger festivals have begun to eclipse smaller celebrations that have endured for generations, prompting a grassroots level fight back for the right to celebrate as communities to preserve older histories. Large scale events sweep into town, leaving behind litter and environmental pollution in their wake - won’t someone think of the coked up Glastonbury eels? And for what - so we can post the perfect festival look on our instagram and curate a 5 minute highlight reel of events we hated anyway?
This issue starts with two creative pieces that reflect on the core ethos of festival and rituals, before moving on to two science articles that compare the history of festival traditions with the modern mysticism of commercialised science. Our next two articles reflect on the duality of celebration, and reflective sadness as the flipside of the festival coin. The issue then moves on to explore celebration and festival in the post covid context, with an article on the importance of healing through celebration. Our final three articles focus on the modern aspects of festivals post covid, with reflections on party conferences, festival fashion and the glamourised social media appeal of festivals. Join us now, in this issue’s revelry.
BY CATHERINE BOUCHARD.
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There has never seemed a time more apt than now to unpack what it means to celebrate. Swept up on a wave of post-lockdown bacchanalia, everything seems revived anew in Glasgow. Festival is global, and yet, festival begins at home. As we once again dance in clubs, chin pints during freshers week, and drag ourselves in for our 9ams, the city has now become our festival.
BY RADOSLAV SERAFIMOV.
It’s the bells you’ll hear first They want their presence to be known They come, like gluttony and thirst Creatures of wool and blood and bone Pounding feet, they’re fast approaching The opposite of winter, the messengers of spring The bringers of a death encroaching On evil, cold, corrupted things
And now you see them, emerging from the darkness Fur and fang, masked faces, shining in the fire Hairy bodies bent under bells of blackness Their rings coax the flames higher, higher They ring the fire, their chants unceasing They sing of spring, of new life breathing But before that they must fix things For no life can rise where death may still reside They are demons yes, they are cruel But they are ours, so we bring them fuel And as they raise their voices higher, calling all the evils to them And burst across the fire, burning them to ruin I see their one true burden, the aim behind their madness They are here to burn away the sadness Every winter ends my friends But not because we cower It ends because some seek no higher power Some leave their homes one winter’s morning And as the sun is dawning Don the skins of demons, becoming omens Of destruction for all those other winter’s mornings And as they chant and ring their bells The message is now clear Life’s not gone, life’s not going You may have covered us, tried to send us to a frozen hell, But we remain We are still here!
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KUKERI
Chants and hollers fill the twilight They call their challenge boldly We stoke the pyre to fend off night Waiting on them, embers burning coldly
BY EVAN COLLEY.
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FIESTA
‘For the rest of the night they listened to the sounds and
The procession was now at its peak, and the fiesta was at its loudest. The two knew then that the effigy was being unveiled to the crowd. A breeze drifted past the bridge and cooled the old man and the woman, and although the crowd was suddenly at its loudest they seemed not to hear. The woman looked at the rushing crowd and watched for a while. How exciting it must be. She turned back to the old man, and looked at him with great tenderness. She walked toward him and sat down to his left. For the rest of the night they listened to the sounds and watched the people walk by. They did not say a word.
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A voice came from the crowd. “You are going to miss it!” The old man brought his head forward and looked at the woman in front of him. “If you do not get up now you will miss the great procession!” The fiesta was in celebration of St. Christopher. It was tradition that an effigy of the saint be paraded around the town, covered in various valuables to show appreciation for his protection and guidance. It was a tradition that had been happening for centuries, and the town was very proud of their annual fiesta. “Ah,” The old man said slowly. “Of course, San Cristóbal.” He looked at the woman gently and smiled. “You do not want to see him? He is the highlight of the whole festival! You can not miss him,” She smiled back at the old man and extended a willowy arm for the old man to take up. The woman had an air about her which made the old man trust her. He did not know what it was that made him think this but he thought it nonetheless. She continued to smile softly, and when he did not take her hand she frowned. “You do not want to see him?” She asked again. “No, no,” The old man replied. “I am fine sitting here. Please, go! Make sure you do not miss him yourself. As you say, he is the highlight of the whole event.” As they were talking the great collection of people behind them grew and grew, and now it seemed that there were twice the amount of people there were before. The evening quickly became hotter and louder, the smells from the stalls more fragrant and the excitement of the town grew to be almost unbearable. The woman looked at the old man curiously. “Why is it that you do not want to go? Is it too loud?” “It is not too loud,” The old man said. “I am not sure what it is. I enjoy sitting here because I can watch the people. I can watch them walk and listen to their voices.” “And that is all?” The woman said. The old man nodded and smiled.
FIESTA FIESTA FIESTA FIEST
To his left there were lights and bustling streets. There were happy bright eyed smiley salesmen who wheeled wooden carts about, selling quick food and cola and candy floss, while opposite there were women and children dancing to the small, spritely sounds of a lone guitarist and his old worn out instrument. There was bunting strung above them, tied from balcony to balcony, drooping down toward those below, and with them were lights, like little stars, brightening the street below alongside the voices of happy people and singers and the footsteps of dancers who had been going and going long since the evening. To his right there were people, more people, all chatting and making their way across the bridge and funneling themselves into the opposite street with the bright lights and dancers, which led directly to the square where it all was happening. The great procession was exciting and powerful. He had not for a long time seen so many people so excited. The Fiesta happened annually, and each year its goers seemed to become more and more excited, as they looked to have more and more fun. The reason that they looked most excited, the old man thought, more excited than they would be normally, was because the festival was cancelled last year due to torrential downpour. “What a sad year,” He said aloud to himself. “This one will be happier.” He stroked his white beard and smiled, knowing truly that this year was to be the best yet. More and more and more people walked past the old man, who sat content on his little bench, enjoying the cool heat of the evening and the sounds of the people, their chatter, their shoes clicking the cobbles below them. He sat on the same bench every evening. He enjoyed listening to the river rush beneath him, but he could not hear the river now for the people were too loud. It was the only day of the year where this was the case, and he didn’t mind. The river and its sounds would be there tomorrow, and so would he.
d watched the people walk by. They did not say a word.’
by Anastasija Šļapina.
Y ou cannot look me in the eye and say that you don’t have a single photo of fireworks on your phone. Or that you have never felt the itch to capture those illuminating moments in the sky. We usually discuss the price of the fireworks, the colours and the shapes of them - we say “that was pretty” and move on. But how did we even come about making something so beautiful, and loud, and dangerous? Have you ever wondered how fireworks work? Well, I am going to break it down for you!
If you are trying to explode something, you need a mix of fuel and an oxidizer. The fuel is a source of energy electrons, which are small, negatively charged particles. The electrons from the fuel are transferred to the oxidizer in a combustion reaction, and because of this, energy is released. The sulfur and charcoal in the gunpowder act as fuel, while potassium nitrate acts as the oxidizer. Modern fireworks also have a binder.
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It is not clear how and when fireworks were first invented. Though, it is known that firecrackers are precursors of fireworks, which were created two thousand years ago in China. Firecrackers consist of gunpowder or flash powder in a tight paper tube with a fuse. History is filled with legends about firecrackers being discovered by chance. One of these stories is about Chinese alchemists who combined honey, sulfur and saltpetre, and, when heated up, this mixture set ablaze. Another popular legend involves a Chinese cook making the same combination, which exploded when put in an enclosed space. The early gunpowder was used to scare off evil spirits, as the firecrackers created loud bangs. The gunpowder would be inserted into a bamboo stick and thrown into the fire, which made the stick explode. Later, honey was replaced by charcoal, and bamboo was replaced with small containers for the gunpowder.
The binder, usually dextrin, holds the mixture together, makes it more stable, and helps time the explosion correctly. Usually, the backbone of a firework is an aerial shell consisting of four parts - container, stars, bursting charge and a fuse. The shell is launched from a mortar with a lifting charge (gunpowder in the container) which ignites the fuse. The fuse burns while the shell rises up to 300 meters into the sky, and at the correct point, lights the bursting charge in the shell so it explodes. With the explosion, the stars that are responsible for the colour of the fireworks start burning.
As I mentioned before, stars generate the colour of the fireworks. The colours in the stars are achieved by the use of metal salts. In chemistry, salts mean any compounds with metal and non-metal atoms bonded together. The most typical metal salts used in fireworks to make them colourful are strontium carbonate (red), sodium nitrate (yellow), barium chloride (green) and calcium chloride (orange). Some colours are more difficult to produce. Copper salts, for instance, are unstable at higher temperatures, so it is hard to achieve blue coloured fireworks. Purple is also a hard one because it needs both copper and strontium. But how do we see the colour? Well, the heat given out in the explosion is absorbed by electrons in the metal salt atoms which causes them to be excited to higher energy levels. This excited state is not stable, so electrons release extra energy and return to their normal state. The excess energy is emitted as light. The gap between the ground and excited levels of electrons in different metals results in different wavelengths of light being emitted, which are translated into different colours.
I hope this hasn’t turned you away from enjoying the magic that fireworks can bring you. At the very least, now you know a bit of science behind fireworks and can use this knowledge when you see them next time. If you only take one message away from this, it ought to be that firework creation needs to be precise and that it is an expert craftsmanship. At the end of the day, fireworks are explosive devices, and if even a single component is off, you get an unwanted bang. So, even if you know how to light up the fuse and stand by, leave everything else to the experts.
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Some shells are more complicated and can explode in a sequence and have different effects in the sky. These are called multibreak shells. More common ones are round shells that produce a sphere and ring shells that make a ring in the sky. When exploding, palm shells take the shape of a palm tree by curving downwards. Since willow fireworks are long-burning, when they drop to earth they leave a path resembling willow branches.
The idiom ‘snake oil salesman’ is one of
my favourites in the English language, not only because of how fitting it has proven to be during current public health debates but also because of its interesting origins. The snake-oil scam has its origins in the deceptive American appropriation of Chinese traditional medicinal practices, following the popularization of medicinal snake oil by Transcontinental Railroad migrant workers. In the opportunistic spirit of late 19th century US capitalism, businessman-doing-business Clark Stanley patented a “miraculous” rattlesnake oil cure that was vaguely reminiscent of Chinese traditional medicine. By the early 20th century, both the claim about the effectiveness of rattlesnake oil and the presumption that Clark Stanley’s product contained actual snake oil had been debunked, earning the phrase ‘snake oil salesman’ its infamous meaning.
Contemporary pseudoscientific scams continue to illustrate this concept. Thanks to modern-day Stanley Clarks, the commercialisation of ineffective products using the guise of enlightened medicine often continues to appropriate cultural practices and traditions. However, during the last few decades, we can identify varying emerging trends among pseudoscientific scams, whether we are talking about Big Essential Oil™ challenging nationwide vaccination programmes or fraudulent cosmetic companies profiting off of societal pressures on the female body image. Inserting scientific-sounding language in cosmetic product descriptions and commercials has proven to be a highly successful business practice, partially due to a misinformed public, but also due to the vulnerability of the target audience. Due to ever-changing and ever-growing expectations
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ON SNAKE OIL SALESMEN, PSEUDOSCIENCE, AND THE ETHICAL DILEMMA OF SKINCARE MLMS
The pseudoscience of skincare is a particularly controversial topic, with well-known brands selling face creams with “active water” or “deconstructed water”, or even products that claim to “replace” the water in the traditional composition of skincare products with the much more effective aloe vera (keep in mind that aloe vera leaf gel contains over 98% water). The research behind these products usually involves a very small number of subjects and is often presented without information regarding the skin conditions or personal lifestyles of the subjects, both crucial factors in real dermatology. Furthermore, it has been argued that the majority of the ‘skintech’ field is a pseudoscientific paradise. The testing of skin tech devices often occurs in less-than-ideal conditions, failing to follow trusted scientific methods, especially when having to replicate results. What skin tech companies lack in scientific backing is compensated for by aggressive social media marketing campaigns,usually starring your favourite low list celebrities that you haven’t thought of in years, as well as your lifestyle and beauty influencers, and micro-influencers turned girlboss businesswomen.
Personally, my fascination with pseudoscientific scams started after a local Eastern European micro-influencer I had been following got involved in a very interesting pyramid scheme. For privacy purposes, let’s call our young entrepreneur Alicia. After Alicia started advertising these products on her Instagram stories, as well as presenting her female audience with unmissable business opportunities at the tender age of 16, I had to find out about the intricacies of the MLM she had been sucked into. After a quick glance, I could notice most of Alicia’s advertisements consisted of pictures and videos of packaged products, as well as alleged before and after pictures. The images were accompanied by claims about the health benefits and long-term results of using these products (e.g., the lip-gloss Alicia was selling wasn’t your usual lip gloss; it was a long-term non-invasive alternative to lip fillers that would magically increase the outer surface of your lip). Interestingly enough, her website contained a link to a PowerPoint created by the US-based multinational company whose products Alicia had been selling. The presentation detailed advertisement guidelines and tips about social media marketing tools, outlining a basic marketing strategy. The most interesting parts of the PowerPoint were, of course, the disclaimers about the fact that the company dWWoes not pretend that their products have actual health benefits or that their skincare products are proven to cure acne. A few Google searches later, I was looking into multiple lawsuits involving the company, including a 47 million dollar settlement following a class-action lawsuit in China. In conclusion, I will simply reiterate a powerful phrase once spoken by female rap icon (ironically) turned anti-vax media personality Nicki Minaj: “Barbz, stay in school”.
by ana negut.
G-YOU MAGAZINE// FESTIVAL // NOV 2021 // 11
regarding one’s youthful appearance within the patriarchal system, consumers prove to be desperate enough to blindly trust misguided advertising. This type of vulnerability, as well as the financial vulnerability of the consumers, are largely exploited by the skincare industry. Promises of unattainable results (such as reverse-aging effects) and financial abundance are often weaponized in order to manipulate women into elaborate distributor-focused marketing schemes. Sooner or later, as these consumers find themselves wrapped up in multi-level-marketing schemes, they reach a point where the effectiveness of the product they bought loses relevance. Seeing as they are stuck promoting “miracle cures” with personal financial risks in mind, those who find themselves at the base of MLM pyramid structures are inclined to replicate corporate patterns of misleading advertisement.
When Lorde officially released her much awaited comeback, Solar Power, a good handful of her fans decided that she had lost her artistic touch during her time out of the spotlight. They couldn’t relate to her newfound cheeriness. One fan decided that her comeback was a cheap response to depression. They couldn’t accept her joy; it was almost as if they wanted her to be miserable forever. Works of art and literature codified into classical canon are often tragic, critical, or upsetting. The so-called “greatest love story ever told” is about two teenagers falling into a love so deep that it leads to their suicides. So, what’s the big idea? Why are we so obsessed with the suffering artist? Why are we so sure that art rooted in tragedy and agony is more worthy? Humans are not inherently miserable creatures; indeed we suffer, but our moments of joy have the potential to meet the moments of suffering measure for measure. Joy and suffering are posed as a dichotomy. In this dichotomy, joy is ignorance and naivety. The joyful artist is content, and therefore stupid. On the other hand, the suffering artist’s work is never finished. They are never satisfied, and therefore always making progress. As ty to cy.
we grow older, the simple joys of childhood are replaced with the painful realithat life is not always fair, people are not always kind, and that good things come an end. Suffering is tied in this way to maturity; it becomes a ticket to legitimaCritics then see the suffering artist as intelligent, aware, and therefore more worthy.
The truth is, Lorde’s Solar Power is a completely worthy piece of art. It’s a record of progress, a promise that depressive moods don’t always last forever. Though the joyful artist is seen as immature and naive, accepting joy and experiencing it in spite of the unfairness of the world is a form of resistance. The joyful artist isn’t just passively satisfied, they are actively happy. When we calculate the worth of art, we often rely on critics, monetary value, and the quantity of fans. However, we often ignore the factor of individual feelings in response to work and personal enjoyment. A joyful romp of a movie may bring a smile to our faces, or a painful movie with a happy ending may bring tears to our eyes. Though we pit joy and suffering against each other, they work best in tandem because that is the reality of our lives. Art and literature that reflect an understanding of the world that is a balance between joy as resistance and suffering as inevitable are equally worthy to works produced by the tortured artist, which reflect tragedy alone. So, if the dichotomy of suffering as active and mature; and joy as passive and naive is a false one, then why are we so drawn to the suffering artist? It is not because suffering is truly more mature or interesting, but because suffering is hidden in our regular lives. It exists as an elephant in the room. We may experience financial hardship, grief, depression and upset, but that is not what we perform in public and even some private spaces. People expose their joys all the time, posting achievements and fun experiences to Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and even Facebook. Even if these moments aren’t always honest, most things that people choose to publicize are instances of celebration and happiness. You could look at my journal, read my poems, and suppose that I am the most miserable human on earth. But if you saw my Instagram, you would think me to be the happiest. Rarely do people showcase their sadness outside of intimate company, and even when they do, they pose it as humorous, allowing the veneer of joy to continue. Art rooted in suffering does not rely on this veneer. We experience this art as something we lack in real life: public intimacy, catharsis of pain, and the feeling that maybe we are not alone in our moments of silent sadness. The suffering artist exposes a part of themselves which most of us feel ashamed to reveal. They peel back the veil of joy, the expectation of eternal happiness as success, and reach out to the viewer. They invite us into the most intimate, emotionally raw parts of their psyche, and we choose to accept that invitation because we recognize that same depth of agony within ourselves.
by Krys Siguenza-Limin.
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ARTIST JOYOUS VS. TORTURED THE
Content warning: mentions of suicide & mental illness.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
HAPPY
el in things that make them happy, whether that be games, family time, or cotton candy. A time where the main aim is to experience a small slice of happiness. While lifelong joy would be ideal, the impact that small joys can have on you is not something that minimizes the importance of happiness as a value. Yet, outside of festivals, is happiness a key motivator for what many of us choose to do? And if so, are we chasing long term happiness or a good night with lasting memories? As a child of immigrants, a lot of what fueled my decisions stemmed from how likely it will bring my parents closer to finally saying they’re proud of me. (I swear I’m fine :’)). Yet, while I joke, a lot of societies and cultures focus on stability, success, and the upholding of traditions when it comes to making decisions. Happiness is an afterthought to the possible repercussions of not upholding these values.
by Rochelle Chlala.
Most of these articles are discussing festivals. A joyous time where people can gather and rev-
William Tov, a Cambodian psychological researcher, reports that Europeans/Americans not only tend to report feelings of joy/happiness more, but they prioritize these emotions throughout their daily life. Conversely, with a large group of POC communities, mainly dealing with East Asians in his research, feelings such as peace/serenity are considered of higher priority. However, the ideals of each vary. Humans often adapt to their surroundings and any change in values from culture to culture would simply be a response to the socioeconomic backgrounds of said individuals, as well as other deep-seeded circumstances. A simple example would be a child born in a society that favors strict academic success would often develop such a success as a value, while in a culture that focused more on artistic talents, would grow to have individuality as highly important. Despite my grave oversimplification of developmental psychology, evidently, no value, cultural or denominational, is the correct one. We all seek the best foundation for the world we live in.
We have all heard the phrase ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’, yet that often simply leads to misunderstanding and a sense of judgement. Putting aside values and permitting ourselves to share the good, the bad, and the ugly scores more than trying to enforce an utilitarian way of feeling or comparing to how you personally would react. The University of Nottingham reported on the substantial advantages of peer support and the difference that the ability to share experiences, and to share in experiences, can have when empathizing and aiding a person. Thus, our ability to be vulnerable and show that regardless of a contrast in inherently valuable traits, we will still use shared experiences to understand and help, but not to solve or enforce, is one of the best things that tie us all together. It doesn’t take a genius to identify that we all strive for different things. At the base of us lies a different ethos, a mockup of our culture, background, and experiences. While at times it can cause divisions (literally just turn on the news any other day), it creates a world where happiness or peace or vocational success are all strived for and a world where we all work to achieve all these desires.
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To admit that some of our fundamentals sets us apart could be disastrous. It could encourage the idea that people who focus on certain values should maintain a tight knit community and that developing connections with people who do not share the same focus is unsustainable. However, just taking a look at the friendships formed across our campus have proven that this isn’t just false but counterproductive. The things that define us don’t just stem from what we were taught but also what we experience. The whole Nature vs Nurture debate is not one that will be discussed here or could even attempt to be answered, but the combination of the two, whilst possibly differing in weight, is what allows all of us to be the person we are today - hopefully reading this fantastic article in G-You. Undoubtedly, fundamental priorities and values can cause riffs in friendships, relationships etc.…but we allow interests and experiences to form connections and even develop great empathy.
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I don’t know about you, but when the clubs opened af-
ter eighteen months of pandemic misery, I was first in line. After eighteen months which objectively lacked in fun, the only thing I wanted to do was put on my dancing shoes and let loose. I feel most people are the same: everyone wants to enjoy themselves, if not in HIVE then at the theatre, or the football or TRNSMT. Essentially, after something so horrible as a pandemic, once the healing has begun, everyone wants to celebrate.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are the event which perhaps best typifies this debate. Previous Olympic Games have always been jubilant and lively affairs; while the run up to the Tokyo Games was met with muted fanfare and even protests within Japan. As the nation’s intensive care wards filled and it became clear that no spectators would be able to attend, huge questions had to be asked about whether the games should go ahead. Ultimately, they did, and were met with great success for the host nation who achieved their highest ever medal tally and the global TV audiences were some of the highest ever achieved by the games.
‘we
can
continue
to
re-unite
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This is not a new phenomenon; for eons humans have used festivals to signify the end of dark times and begin the healing process. Clearly, there is something for everyone in a celebration of art, culture, and good times. However, these celebrations, especially when they happen near tragedies, can be viewed as disrespectful. Detractors feel that celebrating amounts to rubbing it in the faces of those who have lost, or ignoring the problems faced by our society in favour of debauchery. For COVID, this argument takes on an extra relevance as the risks are not yet completely gone. As our festivals pose the possibility of spreading the very issue that we are trying to recover from, how can celebrations help us to heal?
On Campus, 2021 freshers week marked the welcoming of new first years, but equally the celebration of all things Glasgow Uni and the return of students to the West End. The inclusion of a wider slate of daytime events for all students as well as the return of HIVE allowed the Uni community to feel much more whole again; there is no feeling like seeing everyone you know in Beer Bar or eating unreasonable amounts of free Domino’s at the freshers fair. While there is a way to go in terms of on-campus teaching and the added issues of the accommodation shortage, I feel that freshers week marked a turning point; Glasgow University finally feels like my Uni again. Clearly, all three of these celebrations, although vastly different in scale and success, have one thing in common; they all mark the beginning of better times. In spite of the tragedies of the past eighteen months and the continuing problems of covid, they have managed to unite communities both local and global. Festivals undoubtedly have a role to play in the recovery from Covid-19, and so long as we are careful, we can continue to re-unite through festivals and celebration.
by Alex Enaholo.
through
festivals
and
celebration’
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Closer to home, the Edinburgh festivals made a much more tentative return, with a mixture of outdoor shows and online events. As the event involves performers from across the globe, small ad-hoc venues and an audience mostly made up of tourists, it was clear that any festival which did take place would be miniscule in comparison to previous years. And while many of the outdoor performances did take place with sell-out crowds, Edinburgh lacked the usual electric atmosphere this August with far fewer street performers and art installations. The festivals felt more like a eulogy to what had been rather than a signal of what is to come. Still, with bigger and brighter things promised for next year’s EIF and Fringe, there is hope for the future.
‘Clearly, all three of these celebrations, although vastly different in scale and success, have one thing in common; they all mark the beginning of better times.’
Overall, while the event did have issues, especially around athletes missing out on the competition due to isolation, and the lack of additional tourists to Tokyo, it definitely marked a turning point in the pandemic globally and served as a beacon of hope for the international aspect of Covid recovery.
LET’S GET POLITICAL It
cannot have escaped the attention of anyone with a political ear to the ground (after all it happens for a few weeks in the autumn every year) but this September party conference season finally returned in-person, to a much-anticipated buzz. Hordes of identically besuited party members descended upon conference venues across the country to vote on policy, listen to their favourite politicians’ speeches, and eat those stale hotel sandwiches that always seem to be provided at this sort of event.
This year, however, conference formats are different. As society slowly figures out how to host large events safely, some parties have adopted a more cautious approach by moving entirely online or providing hybrid options. The Conservative and Labour Parties along with the Scottish Greens delivered their 2021 conferences in-person, as will the Green Party of England and Wales. In contrast, the SNP appear likely to utilise the online option; a move already taken by the Liberal Democrats (save for a small gathering of delegates in London). Other than a flurry of headlines at the time of the conferences themselves however, it’s certainly not the speeches, nor the endless policy that sticks in the minds of the electorate— For better or worse, it is undeniably the more “unusual” goings on that find their way onto social media and into column inches: the politicians out partying, the speeches gone wrong, and the cringeworthy PR stunts. If, unlike me, you don’t have a mild-verging-on-being-a-problem Twitter habit, you may have been spared the horror of the blurry images of a slightly worse for wear Foreign Secretary out clubbing whilst at the Conservative Conference in Manchester, or perhaps the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions trying her hand at Karaoke. Most of these moments seem to arise from the seeming suspension of social norms that arise at these events; courtesy no doubt of the industrial amounts of alcohol freely available. Others have worked their way into tradition. Each year on the last night of their Federal Conference, for instance, a few hundred of the supposedly meek and moderate Liberal Democrats get together to sing bawdy,
BY Alex Palmer.
More prominent still are the moments where the careful scripting of the Conference falls apart as everything just goes wrong. Who can forget Theresa May’s ill-fated 2017 speech, during which she was handed a P45, had a coughing fit, and the backdrop fell apart behind her? Mrs. May (ever the fount of political memes) also provided us with her infamous “MayBot” dance onto stage to ABBA during her 2018 address, while Liz Truss will be forever remembered for her now infamous ‘cheese speech’ in 2014. If you ever thought you might have sounded a little awkward delivering a presentation, just give that a listen. Unless you’re a policy wonk or keenly interested in political speeches, these small, but entertaining, excerpts may well be the only interaction you have with any political party conference at all. However, these events remain fundamentally important political moments. They fashion the policies you are asked to vote on at an election, allow disparate local parties and members to congregate and be introduced to views other than their own, and, by the looks of it, allow some politicians to finally let their hair down and show their human side— and after all, why should they be any different in that respect?
‘They fashion the policies you are asked to vote on at an election, allow disparate local parties and members to congregate and be introduced to views other than their own, and, by the looks of it, allow some politicians to finally let their hair down and show their human side— and after all, why should they be any different in that respect?’
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So, for the uninitiated, here’s a quick rundown of what a party conference is. “Conference” is, at heart, an event to showcase both new policy ideas and for party leaders to show their political mettle to the Nation. Manifesto policy is sometimes set by party members in attendance, sometimes voted upon as guidance to the leadership, and sometimes just revealed by that leadership to the (hopefully) adoring applause of members. Conference also features debates and fringe events run by many and various organisations seeking to gain attention or influence.
Staying Groovy: the influence of 1970s By Erin Graham. festival fashion
With almost no reports of violence at Woodstock 1969, the anti-war, propeace, general ‘go with the flow’ energy fused itself with the fashion of the generation. With many festival goers barefoot for 3 days straight, their raw-hem, sun-bleached low rise bell bottoms trailed along the daisy fields, which soon became the product of natural flower crowns and necklaces made for friends by lovers and lovers by friends. With burnt neutral tones defining the Woodstock colour pallet, crimson red fringe hung from every single body in Bethen as they danced from dawn to dusk, the vibes were immaculate. Some of the most iconic photographs of festival culture from this century come from Woodstock crowds, known faces but unknown stories. Photographs show friends locked in embrace in crochet ponchos and rose-tinted milk bottle glasses, lovers’ neck and neck, connected by a daisy chain in the unproblematic psychedelic eutopia that was Woodstock. Albeit appropriated, gentrified and cheapened, the ‘trends’ that came from 1970s music festivals have remained consistently popular styles on fast fashion websites such as Shein and Boohoo since their rebirth in 2018. I myself went to an Abba tribute night a couple of weeks ago and a good 60% of the attendees had the exact same pair of pink/peach lyrca flared trousers, or a halter neck mini dress with frilly sleeves and a plastic flower crown. Although this is a stereotyped version of the 70s culture worn at music festivals today, and not necessarily the most complementary to the original Woodstock goers; it is testament to the sheer cultural impact the generation and its carefree, peace-loving fashion has had on people. Teenagers who were born 30-40 years after the first Woodstock and probably couldn’t even tell you what it was, are googling “70s halloween inspo” as we speak. A mark of success in the fashion industry, as well as the art and cinema sectors, is the recurrence and the transcendence of your work through the decades that follow. The cultural relevance needs to remain. In the case of Woodstock fashion, the feeling has transcended through generations and is evolving and growing with the times, while remaining timeless. That is the epitome of power in the fashion industry, staying groovy 40 years later.
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When you google ‘70s festival fashion’, the first three rows on Google Images are pictures from the last decade, as in, 2010… This is the personification of the concept that has fascinated me in the years that I have been going to festivals: circular fashion trends. You always hear your mum say ‘MY GOD where did you get that? That’s what they wore back in my day’ when you go out wearing your flared jeans or your floral bandana, or if you’re me…your pink Go-Go boots. Albeit fast fashion brands are releasing ‘new’ clothes by the second, the fashion itself, the style and the fit of the clothing has all been done before. This is not necessarily a bad thing – as my mum always says, imitation is the biggest form of flattery. 1970s fashion and the festivals it flourished in have been some of the most memorable, and influential and defiant styles of the century. The 1970s saw some of the first anti-capitalist festivals on record, most namely Woodstock. The smell of narcotics, political and racial injustice, and rebellion were in the air. The first ever Woodstock, which took place in 1969, was kind of an epic disaster. The days leading up to the festival were cursed by torrential downpours that contributed to the organisers moving location last minute to a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, resulting in incomplete infrastructure and cows sleeping amongst festival goers. Due to this, the organisers granted free entry to 300,000 out of the 400,000 attendees. Originally titled ‘An Aquarian Experience: 3 Days of Peace and Music’ and known as Woodstock from then on, the festival brought together supporters of the counterculture movement. With America deep in the Vietnam War, and rife with violent racism and racial injustice, Woodstock became a symbol of rebellion and defiance, an idyllic escape from the rather shitty world the attendees were living in outside.
everything is not what it seems P
reviously, the only thing I worried about when going to a music festival was “Am I going to get stuck behind some ridiculously tall person?”. Now, there are completely new worries and pressures to consider, even before getting to the field. The worst of all? The ever-looming, ever-present, social media presence. One quick look at the festival hashtag on Instagram and you’re overwhelmed with post after post of perfectly curated, completely unattainable festival outfits and VIP wigwams having the ‘time of their lives’. This is far from the reality of ruined shoes (courtesy of the typical rainy Scottish weather), overpriced food and drink, and the lingering question of whether it was beer or piss just thrown over you. So why do we do it? The fear of missing out, or FOMO, is a familiar term. You probably joke with friends about having ‘major FOMO’ but unfortunately, it’s a very real thing and fuels a lot of this social media behaviour. I’ve had friends spend a lot of money, the kind of money that makes my student loan look like pennies, on attending a festival where they don’t even know who is headlining. FOMO can rear its ugly head for many different reasons, whether it’s anxiety or jealousy - most of the time it’s just us striving for that social recognition. We believe we are less than, have less than, and will be less than everyone else, because we see all these other opportunities and experiences people are having and aren’t involved. We also just want people to relate to us. So, this partly explains the motivation for setting that 8:50am alarm for Ticketmaster to bag your festival ticket, but where does the pressing need to glamourise the experience come from?
People are also social media savvy. This generation is the first to have grown in front of the camera, always manned with a phone and a tablet. Research has found that we’ve evolved to engage with a post more when it’s received a large number of likes. This spurs on a ‘follow the crowd’ kind of mentality, where we produce carbon copies of the same overdone pose, standing in the middle of that scorched (or saturated) field, surrounded by discarded drink cups, with the saturation turned right up to emanate some form of sunshine because of the positive reaction we know it will get. It’s foolproof. Social media is a virtual reality, not an actual one; and while it can put on a good show when it comes to catering to the social interaction we innately crave as human beings, it’s nothing in comparison to the real deal. Now, I’m not saying just don’t bother attending a festival, because some of my best memories to date live in those sweaty crowds and £9 (I know) vodka red bulls. All I’m saying is that your music festival experience shouldn’t be crafted for social media. It should be crafted for you. You should see who you want, wear what you want, and take pictures of the things you want to remember: unfiltered.
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The likes, views, replies, and comments we get from posting on social media is like a real, physiological high - it’s why we can’t keep away from it. It’s a reward cycle, where you get a shot of dopamine every time that little notification pops up. We’ve psychologically trained ourselves to become dependent upon positive reinforcements from social media, which impacts our mood and influence our behaviour. But, I hear you say, how are we exhibiting these obsessive behaviours with next-tono signal in the middle of the field? That doesn’t stop anyone. I’ve witnessed people climbing fences, statues, and even abandoning their ‘favourite artist ever’ just to get enough signal to post to the ‘gram. This need to document every single moment seems new, at least in my lifetime. Now, when the lights dim, the intro music begins, suddenly you’re surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of micro-concerts going on with people desperate to show their own little online world that they are here, in this moment, and are having the best time.
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by Abby Crombie
Social media is a virtual reality, not an actual one; and while it can put on a good show when it comes to catering to the social interaction we innately crave as human beings, it’s nothing in comparison to the real deal.
G-You is produced, written and designed by students of the University of Glasgow. We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and encourage any interested student writers to get in touch with their ideas.
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DESIGN AND ARTWORK BY: ANA NEGUT (PRODUCTION OFFICER AT G-YOU) // PRODUCED BY: THE LIBRARIES COMMITTEE photo credits to Aneesh Ans
