JUSTY
NOVEMBER 2013
LOREM IPSUM SPACE FOR TITLE LOREM
FOOD MAGAZINE PAGES LOREM SPACE
NUMBER: 01
Front Cover: Catrin Stephen
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Contents Formalities Editorial From the Board Alumni Column: Kirsten Oswald Politics Politics Editorial Work without Water Coolers Christians, Christendom, and Going to Church: How the Right uses Religion The Out-of-Date Nation State Changing The System not the Locks The Debates Online Family is as Good as a Real One Art The Lesser Known Glasgow Culture and Opinion Ms. Margo: Resident Agony Aunt Community Gentrification Around the West End in 8 Cocktails Caldecott Community New York, New York Science Internet reality Knowing Bee, Knowing you Sport Home Fixtures Life by a Thousand Cuts Comic Creators Club
CONTRIBUTORS
Matilda Handley Kate McMahon Kirsten Oswald Hubert Ritz David MacDonald Andrew McLean Alison McIntyre
Alexander Frase Matej Ballaty Laughlan Woolnough Phoebe Anderson Michael Cartledge Suzanne Elliott Carmel Connelly
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to the first issue of the new academic year! I am not going to rerun all the clichés of what it means to come out of summer and start back to classes, I am not going to go on and talk about “new academic year, new you” because you already know that. Instead I am just going to say good luck for what this year brings, because we are all in the same boat, and I can’t pretend to have some greater insight on how to get the best out of this year. Sure the classes we pick may be different, and the clubs or societies we join may be different…but at the end of the day we are all a part of one large student community with each other. If we weren’t then we wouldn’t have half the amazing things that are available to us here at the GUU or U.of.G. The services that all four student bodies provide rely on people caring about each other, and this comes from the inherent sense of community that these student leaders have felt over the years while at Glasgow. If you ask anybody that ran in the last round of elections why they stood, their response will have some reference to how much they have got out of being apart of the GUU, the SRC, GUSA or the QM, and how they want to “give back”. In this issue we look at this idea of community and connectivity through a number of different lenses, but from me I just want to say remember that you are part of one large community, one that will be there for you through the ups and downs of student-dom, but community only works properly if everyone take part. So be sound, look out for each other and get involved. I promise it’ll be rewarding. 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 Editor Sports and Wellbeing Editor Online and Features Editor
Owain Campton Isabelle Thornton Catrin Stephen Bethany Tallulah Howard Daisy Thomson Skye Brettell Lucy Rawbone Laura Hannah Lucy Donaldson 3
FORMALITIES
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FROM THE BOARD
ello and welcome to the Glasgow University Union, we have so many opportunities for you to get involved.
On a weekly basis you can join our musical talent at the Open Mic events, or show off your smarts with friends at the Beer Bar Quiz. If journalism is more your thing then you can write for the Union magazine, G-You. Or challenge your ideas, and practice your public speaking at Debates training, and later in the year at Parliamentary Debates. Additionally, you can grab a drink in the Union bars, a coffee in the Drawing room, or some food in the Union Kitchen.
did with my first year at the University of Glasgow. I started off my university experience by coming to the Union every night during Freshers’ Week and getting to know my new flat mates as well as the GUU freshers’ helpers. This really helped me settle into university life as I came to Glasgow not knowing anyone and was quickly assured that the Union was actually a community full of lovely people. What I love most about the community at GUU is how welcoming it is; I’ve started nights here not knowing half the people I’m hanging out with and left Beer Bar with new best friends. Everyone is always keen to help others out with having a good time, so if you’re new to town and not sure where your place is, why not start chatting to the folk in the green GUU t-shirts and see how we can help you make the most of your first year?
In my first year, drunken nights often led me to Beer Bar with its cheap booze, and welcoming atmosphere. Hive nights are very popular with freshers as it’s an easy place to get to know people at your new university. If drinking isn’t your thing, or you want to do stuff during the day, then the Union also has a kitchen, The Union offers you so much, and the more you engage the libraries to study in and hosts many societies, including Debates. more you get out of it, so throw yourself into it. -Kate McMahon and Matilda Handley, 2-Year PSMs Getting involved with the GUU is undoubtedly the best thing I
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Alumni Column - Kirsten Oswald
hen I came to Glasgow to study it felt a long way from home. I grew up in Carnoustie, a lovely but small East Coast seaside town, and by the time I finished school I had my sights set on somewhere a bit different. In the early 1990s, Glasgow was certainly that, with arts, music, and culture of all sorts at the forefront in a vibrant regenerating city that never slept. I loved it so much that I’ve never left – well only as far as East Renfrewshire.
But in amongst all that, the thing I loved best was the people. Glasgow has rightly got a reputation for being a friendly place, and so it turned out. Not only native Glaswegians, but those of us who’d arrived from elsewhere enjoyed the company of folk we’d never otherwise have met. Nowhere was this truer than in the GUU. I’d initially been more of a QM girl – the look, music and political chat, was all more to my taste. But I found myself in the GUU more and more, enjoying the fact that there was such a variety of people spending time there, and so much to do. That opportunity to get to know people from all over the world, and folk from so many different backgrounds with such varied views, experiences and interests has undoubtedly shaped my world view. Despite my earlier thoughts that I’d fit in best at the QM, I ended up getting increasingly involved at the GUU 4
to the extent that I ended up joining the Board, and serving as an ordinary member then as Convenor of Libraries and Publicity.
My overwhelming memory of my student days is of folk from near and far having fun together. There is definitely a lesson for us all in there.
It’s no exaggeration to say I loved my two years as a GUU Board Member. I made friends for life, and I even married one of my fellow Board Members. It’s been about 25 years since I left the Board, but I still consider my fellow GUU-ers scattered all over the world, to be my pals. Earlier this year, I had a great trip to Belgium and met up with an old (sorry, Paula) GUU mate. It’s a lovely thing to have that common connection that’s always there.
I hope you too get involved, and enjoy these years where you have the freedom to do different things, stretch your horizons and make these pals you’ll always have. Happy Freshers’ Week!
During my time on the board, I was involved in the opening of a new nightclub, participating in board meetings, developing publicity campaigns, I even cleared bars, and much more besides. So, the breadth of experiences that being a GUU Board Member gave me was impressive, albeit some of it seemed a wee bit scary at the time. These were things I wouldn’t have done otherwise. But it was all fun, and it definitely made me a bit more confident, and open to new ideas. All of this stood me in good stead after I graduated, and developed a career in Human Resources Management. Then, in 2015 I was elected as the SNP MP for East Renfrewshire, which was a very big change of career. I’ve no doubt that my student experience of getting my sleeves rolled up and taking on new challenges helped – at least a bit!
-Kirsten Oswald Former PSM and Convener of Liraries MA (Hons) Modern & Medevil History 1995 MP for East Renfrewshire 2015 – 2017
POLITICS
POLITICS EDITORIAL his edition’s theme Connectivity and Community is particularly pertinent to our politics section. Within the
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past weeks and months, buzz words such as ‘fragmentation’, ‘split’, ‘divide’ and phrases such as ‘the crisis of democracy’, ‘the decline of Europe’ have been thrown around. The papers seem to point to some kind of cultural crisis, whether it stems from continual coverage of the rise of populism and divisions between far right and left politics, to general social issues such as social media’s influence on youth isolation and mental health. With all of this extreme negativity pushing an image of a quick coming technologically governed dystopian world, it is important to define how we really connect to one another and what our idea of community is or should be.
The following articles analyse our sense of ‘connectivity and community’ covering the social, economic and political aspects. Andrew McLean’s article ‘The Out-of-Date Nation State’, is a fascinating and radical article, which provides a well backed up, critical theory as to why we are having global issues characterised by division, soaring inequality and instability – the inadequacy of the nation state model. David MacDonald focuses on the social aspects of community and compares how far right political parties and religious communities’ reliance on exclusion and social categorisation, creates tensions in our diverse, multi-cultural society. Hubert Ritz’s article focuses on the economic, with a concise analysis of how the ‘gig economy’ raises competition and restricts community feeling at work. To create solidarity, we need to actively voice how we envisage community, and not lie passive to systems which appear to breed disconnection and turmoil. Therefore, please write in with your thoughts on what community and connectivity means to you! -Bethany Tallulah Howard, Politics Editor
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WORK WITHOUT WATER COOLERS
ears ago, a job was for life. The bonds formed in the office, in the mines, the ship yard, or the unions were the heart of people’s social circles. Then in the 1980s many of these jobs were destroyed – and with them the power of the unions, changing the way people live and earn. Those who want to be competitive in the modern workplace must commit to being ‘lifelong learners’, constantly retraining to keep up with technology or to find a new job as their old occupation becomes obsolete. Most people expect to do a variety of different jobs throughout their careers, and, according the Guardian, the number of workers who could lose their jobs with little or no notice has risen by 2 million, to 7.1 million, in the last ten years. As technology advances, more and more people are working from home, meeting colleagues only through Skype calls and emails while often facing direct competition from workers all over the world. Meanwhile companies are pressing for zero-hours con-
tracts and for workers to claim self-employed status so that bosses can respond quickly to changes in the market. A more connected world, along with employment legislation which makes it very difficult to fire real workers, has made these new systems more attractive to firms than keeping long-term staff. Several websites and applications like Mechanical Turk, People per Hour, and Handy.com allow firms and individuals to advertise tasks for people to complete online (or in person) in exchange for money. These platforms have rating systems so ‘employers’ and workers have better information on each other than they would in traditional interactions. Hundreds of five-star reviews are a lot more reassuring than a couple of referees who are legally bound to not write anything damaging. This ‘gig economy’ (where the labour market is characterised by freelance work and short contracts) is likely to grow quickly over the next decade, raising questions for wider society. There are many significant eco-
nomic concerns associated with this expansion, such as how risk and profits will be distributed between workers and employees, and whether people can be trusted to fill their own pension pots. Short-term contracts and self-employed status could mean that ‘workers’ are terminated for obscure contract breaches, or for simply acting in a manner that is within the terms of the contract but that irritates the hiring firm (Deliveroo already ends contracts
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POLITICS
Continued
with riders who accept a lower percentage of jobs than their peers). These relatively flimsy contracts also mean that companies like Deliveroo can easily punish workers for organising or joining unions. Clearly, worker’s rights are being eroded by the brutal competition of nearly frictionless app-based markets. Many people will live far more stressful lives as a result, with precarious livelihoods and a constant pressure to perform. With today’s legislation, gig workers are responsible for their own health and safety whilst companies are responsible for pay incentives; a setup which is certainly dangerous when workers have no bargaining power. For example, Uber-Eats run ‘promotions’ where they offer their riders extra pay if they complete a certain number of deliveries within a set time. This means that shaving two minutes off a delivery in wet conditions can lead to an extra £20 – an invitation to behave recklessly. Couriers complain they are ‘dodging death to meet deadlines’.
Still, there are potential benefits to this system of employment. For students and carers, the gig economy can offer much needed income and the flexibility to work around a hectic schedule. And although home-based workers are likely to find it difficult to make new friends in their workplace (since colleagues and bosses could be hundreds or even thousands of miles away), they might respond to this by increasing their participation in local clubs and societies, joining football teams or volunteering, and so creating better connected communities. Perhaps more participation in activities at a local level could even help to bridge the social divide created by globalisation. On a darker note, loneliness might continue to be an issue as people may not have the courage or motivation to join clubs. Those who do join may pursue more socially exclusive activities such as golf, where they are likely to meet people of the same class and gender, and so perpetuate various types of inequality or stigma by networking and help-
ing each other. Workers in the gig economy who come from a variety of backgrounds will often have incentives to cheat if any strike action is proposed. Whilst a worker with a family may wish to withhold labour to fight for better pay and conditions, a student (or someone working from abroad) may not be as concerned and pocket some extra money during any attempted action. Trade union bosses claim that the rise of the gig economy was one of three main factors which led to a 4.2% drop in membership in 2017. Although, with proper regulation, the gig economy could offer many economic benefits and welcome employment for some, sadly it is likely that it will replace many jobs that have traditionally offered security to workers. Society will certainly change as the way we work and make friends changes, and who knows, maybe we’ll go from being lifelong learners to being lifelong workers. -Hubert Ritz
Christians, Christendom, and Going to Church How the Right uses Religion
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he 2015 migrant crisis, mass immigration, Brexit, Trump… These issues seem quite separate from going to church on a Sunday – yet at the core of both is identity conflict and the struggle for social inclusivity. What is the difference between lots of young British professionals moving to London to get a job and an Iranian immigrant doing the same: nothing. Both just see London as a place to better pursue their goals however, rigid social stereotyping will affect the way in which both live their lives within the same environment. Both the Right and religion employ social stereotyping to create in-groups and out-groups. Religion is used by everyone from the mainstream conservatives to the far-right to define the in-group of their country in an exclusive way. If the Right emphasises religion, it excludes Muslim immigrants as the other. This is a key part 6
of the Right’s attempt to paint immigration as an ‘us versus them’ dichotomy. The fact that humans form groups is unavoidable, they are a way of gaining the benefits of community and belonging. For those actively involved in church, the Baby Boomer’s demographic specifically, the church becomes a large part of their social life. Coffee mornings, fetes, sales, and taking up organisational positions within the church give many people something to get up for. But the flip side of this is, as with any group, it also creates social exclusion. The following behaviour acts to maintain only long-standing Christian followers within their church community: laughing at the new people who come for baptisms for not knowing the songs, making sure there are just enough seats at coffee mornings for the regulars but not any more so as to exclude new-
POLITICS
comers, and talking badly of those who are less religious. Here the possible harms of any group arise: negative treatment of the out-group and denial of access to the in-group. This is where I think Religious ideas of their exclusive community becomes analogous to political strategy: political figures who dislike immigration abuse this out-group mentality to paint the out -group as an active threat. When Boris Johnson compares Muslim women to letter boxes, he is playing to the negative aspects of an already generalised stereotype, further reinforcing a negative view of those who are different. This is also why Daily Mail stories about Sharia law are so harmful, they latch onto this group mentality about outsiders and paint them as a threat, specifically to the Christian groups of people.
The fact that humans form groups is unavoidable, they are a way of gaining the benefits of community and belonging. Christianity, even after you control for wealth, age, and education, is a predictive factor in anti-Immigration and racist views. In over 15 European countries, research from The Pew Centre showed that in answer to the question: “Would you feel comfortable welcoming a Muslim into your family?”, Christians answered in a more exclusionary way than those that gave no religion. However, it must be noted that The Church as an organisation is dying; membership, revenues, people learning to be ministers are down all across Europe – And yet the call to defend “Christian Europe” from the Muslim immigrant is louder than ever. This is because lots of people still identify as Christian, even if they do not practice it. In the UK 43% of people still claim to believe in “the Christian god” if not exactly that described in the Bible, while less than 10% regularly attend church. We are therefore losing the positive bits of religion: the community, moral teaching, support networks, whilst people are still to a large degree defining themselves as Christian. And these casual Christians still show increased levels of anti-Immigration sentiment. The majority of the change is between people
who claim to have Christian beliefs and those who do not; active church membership is not a major factor. The Right-Wing News website, Breitbart, works by comparing categories of Religions. By reinforcing the importance of religion, and the inferiority of the immigrant to that religion, they make people with otherwise soft connections to Christianity feel like their way of life is being threatened. This is done in Hungary by Victor Orban’s government, where the idea of defending a Christian Europe is used to build border fences. By increasing the perceived importance of Christianity, the in-group, it makes it easier to paint immigrants as the out group, using religion as the dividing line. In the UK, we have that infamous poster from the Brexit campaign “Breaking Point” written over a queue of middle eastern faces, the implication being that more of the out-group coming in was a serious threat. This is a logic fallacy that is seen across politics. Just like UKIP clamours for the good old days when there were lots of jobs and also communal religious institutions like the Boy’s Brigade, Sunday Schools, Women’s Institutes, the same idea of threat and loss is applied and blamed on the outsider. This loss of a previously existing social network coincided with increased immigration. When you see the cultural institutions of your parents and grandparents falling apart, and identify with those institutions, it is easy to draw the line connecting immigration with causing that, especially with the siren calls of cultural war coming from the right. So, what should we do? We should support religious led efforts to save drowning refugees in the Mediterranean, and counter-intuitively support liberal churches. Both The Church of Scotland and The Church of England leadership hold very pro-refugee stances and getting these Christian voices of loving your neighbour is important to counteract the very human feeling of us versus them. We should also oppose the right’s definition of what the UK is. If we can reinforce the secular and multi-cultural identity of the UK, we can deny the right the ability to define the in-group as Christians, but as humans, we can undercut the false dichotomy of the outsider.
-David MacDonald 7
POLITICS
The Out-of-Date Nation State
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n his Democracy and the Global Order, David Held described globalisation as, “The stretching and deepening of social relations and institutions across space and time”. Globalisation and the development of new time-space dimensions in the 20th and 21st centuries have rendered centuries old political institutions unfit for purpose in the modern age. Political institutions designed to operate on a narrower geographical scale, in a world of nation states, such as Westminster, had long outlived their usefulness by the dawn of the new millennium. The same globalisation helped also to reveal the folly of national citizenship, an engrained idea and social institution. As a political unit and institution, the nation state is out of date. The globally dominant nation-state model engenders violence and instability in the world’s poorest regions whilst allowing the global elite to profit from the current system of global financial regulations. Nation states and their national governments, collectively the most dangerous forces of the modern era, must be held accountable to higher transnational bodies. Until new ideas of political organisation replace the nation-state model and there is a global economic redistribution of wealth, the Arabs of terror ridden Syria and Iraq will continue to suffer under destructive parodies of the western nation-state model. The horrors of the Middle-East and North-Africa and the ensuing human refugee crisis, the effects of which are being felt by their European neighbours, cannot be solved by hard borders and barbed wire.
We know that borders and barbed wire will do little to aid the oppressed Palestinian or Arab Christian minorities of Syria. No one nation has the divine power to solve such a crisis. Only through co-ordinated and trans-nationally coherent policies can Arabs and North Africans be liberated from suffering at the hands nation-state advocates. Because of the globally dominant, backward nation-state model, dynamic multinational companies such as, Apple, Nike and Uber are able to evade national taxation systems by taking advantage of elite law firms who find gaps between differing national tax codes. Whether it be Robert Peel introducing income tax in his 1842 budget to reduce the deficit or David Lloyd George’s raising of excess profits tax in 1917 to pay for the war effort, nation-state tax systems have always evolved with the times. In early 2015 Apple devised a strategy that would allow the company to hold much of its non-US earnings in a $252 billion store of cash in the British island of Jersey. Like many more notorious tax-havens in the Caribbean, British-Jersey charges no tax on corporate
If the economic situation of the world’s poorest individuals is to be improved, taxation systems able to track large trans-national flows of money must be constructed. profits for a majority of companies thereby allowing Apple to evade tax. Speaking to the Irish Times, Edward Kleinbard, a former corporate lawyer and a professor of tax law at the University of Southern California said that, “US multinational firms are the global grandmasters of tax-avoidance schemes that deplete not just US tax collection but the tax collection of every large economy in the world”.
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It is clear then, that the next evolution of tax, must be trans-national. If the economic situation of the world’s poorest individuals is to be improved, taxation systems able to track large trans-national flows of money must be constructed.
The construction of such systems will ensure that more money is introduced into public channels leading to public services receiving a fairer share of funding across the board alleviating inequality and poverty. It is clear that the nation-state as a geographical unit and a political force is unable to solve the major crises of our time. The political turmoil in the Middle East finds its roots in transnational forces and the resultant human refugee crisis is one that transcends national borders. No single Russian warplane or American gunboat will bring an end to the suffering faced by the Syrians, only region-wide political reforms and transnational agreements will. Similarly, only by transnational and cohesive efforts will we be able to prevent the injustice of tax evasion by the global elite. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries the idea of national citizenship has served jingoistic forces and has been called upon time and time again to rally the masses of nations. In 1940, the St Louis Star and Times included a speech Hitler made where he argued that, “Nationalism and Socialism had to be redefined and they had to be blended into one strong new idea to carry new strength which would make Germany great again.” Five years from the St Louis Star and Times’ publication of the speech Berlin was in ruins and millions of Germans had died. Today, Donald Trump uses similar rhetoric when describing his desire for America and America alone to be great in the world. At Trump Tower on the 16th of June 2015 Donald Trump asked, “When do we beat Mexico at the border? When did we beat Japan at anything? When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal?” I argue that, to prevent the re-emergence of destructive forces akin to those witnessed last century, as well as attacking the man we must attack the nationalistic ideas that infest his mind and inform his actions. An abandonment of nationalistic toxic rhetoric and meaningless bravado by Trump would surely sooner signal the death knell of the Illegal drugs trade plaguing the region and sooner herald cheaper goods for US consumers.
POLITICS
Trumps’ attempts to construct America’s neighbours as outsiders is destructive. Americans, Mexicans and Chinese are all citizens of the same world and the success of one group, despite Trumps assertions, does not come at the expense of another. Through developing new ideas of global citizenship, the inherited poverty and harmful nationalistic sentiments, intrinsic to the idea of national-citizenship, can be eradicated.
In a globalised interconnected world, it is vital, then, that links and solidarities are developed both within and across regions so that justice and goodwill can transcend national borders and traditional notions of nationality.
We must develop both transnational bodies and a transnational consciousnesses so that justice for workers transcends national borders
However, rather than helplessly watch the first elected Marxist head of state be undemocratically deposed of, the East Kilbride workforce showed solidarity and, on the 22nd of March 1974, ceased work on the warplane engines. The actions of the East Kilbride workforce, midst fury from Rolls Royce and Pinochet’s government, saved innocent Chilean’s from certain death. It is clear, then, that in a globalised world with powerful multinational actors, transnational solidarities between workers are vital. Without trans-national solidarities injustices would continue unchecked and global inequalities would deepen. Post-coup, in the 1980s and 90s, Scotland’s Chile Solidarity movement also assisted Chilean exiles who were settling in Scotland. Through realising the shared desires and goals of political fairness and justice we can create new solidarities within both the global community and within communities of natives and migrants.
Agents of neo-liberal globalisation such as political actors and communication and transport technologies encourage global migration. Neo-liberal globalisation in the 21st century is characterised by free markets, free trade and the free movement of people. Different social groups have distinct relationships to global flows of capital with some profiting from them and others effectively imprisoned by them. This inequality, intrinsic to neo-liberal globalisation, means that for many, migration is not a matter of choice but a matter of economic necessity.
For example, when Chilean war planes powered by British Rolls Royce engines, fired rockets at the La Moneda Palace in Santiago, workers at the Rolls Royce factory in East Kilbride Scotland were horrified.
As a political institution the nation state is out of date. The idea of national citizenship that the nation state breeds is exclusionary and divisive and its centralised form of government unfit for the modern age. We must develop both transnational bodies and a transnational consciousnesses so that justice for workers transcends national borders and so that the wealth of the elite can be shared more fairly across the world.
-Andrew McLean
Letters
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f you are interested in voicing your opinion on any of the pieces you've read in this issue, and would like your letter published online or in the next issue, write to us at:
libraries@guu.co.uk 9
POLITICS
Changing the System not the Locks
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ight now 68.5 million people (one in every 110 people) have been forced to flee their home as a result of persecution, conflict or violence. Of these people 3.1 million are asylum seekers (someone that no government as yet recognises as a refugee). Last year 14,166 people were granted asylum in the UK of which nearly 1,500 were received by Glasgow. As the only dispersal area in Scotland it’s safe to say Glasgow is more than pulling its weight in the fight against unnecessary destitution of an already threatened population. Glasgow has benefited from increased cultural diversity; there is now a growing young population in which asylum seekers and refugees have played a significant role. Since the ‘People Make Glasgow’ campaign launched in 2013, Glaswegians have been repeatedly praised for their ability to make their city great. But after the Commonwealth Games and its “legacy” has packed up and left, and 2014’s Year of Homecoming is truly forgotten, can Glaswegians be trusted with the task of making Glasgow...tolerant, welcoming and compassionate? This July Serco (a private company outsourced by the Government to house asylum seekers) provided Glaswegians the opportunity to prove that they could oppose the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and the Tory policies that support it. When Serco unexpectedly announced its plans to change the locks and evict up to 300 asylum seekers from their homes charities, councillors and community members responded in uproar. Although Serco claim they only threaten "failed asylum seekers" with eviction it is important to remember many were still
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pursuing legal appeal cases. Destitution is a cheap method that our government uses to create an underclass of exploited, invisible and hopeless human beings. Since the law states that asylum seekers may not work, nor can councils provide shelter, the only viable response to the threat was through protest. Within two days of the announcement, hundreds of campaigners rallied on a rainy evening on Buchanan Street. Joined by councillors, MSPs and charity CEO’s they chanted and listened to short speeches demonstrating their objection to the irresponsible and frankly dangerous treatment of asylum seekers proving that Serco are not the people who make Glasgow. Over the following days there were protests outside Serco offices. Furthermore, two Afghan men, after being told their locks were being changed despite having pending applications of asylum, went on hunger strike. The eviction notices were taken to the Court of Session (Scotland’s highest court) as the Scottish legal route to evict is 28 days, 21 days longer than Serco gave their tenants. As a result of the demonstrations Serco removed the threat of immediate mass eviction in order to await a legal ruling on the proceedings raised against them. Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to bring asylum accommodation back to the public sector taking the opportunity to slam Theresa May for dumping the UK’s moral duty on a profiteering private company. Although the threat may only be ‘paused’, Glasgow has proven that despite living in a toxic combination of austerity and normalised xenophobic hatred we still feel a moral duty to help those most in need. -Alison McIntyre
THE DEBATE
This House Believes That an online family can be as good as a real family.
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PROPOSITION
or centuries across culture and nations the bonds of emotion between the individual and their immediate family have been at the heart of society, politics and culture. Most families love and support each other through good times and bad. But in recent times, the close nature of families has become strained. Whether it is due to the burdening stress of managing finances in the post-austerity economy or families coming to terms with individuals exploring their identity more freely in our socially progressive era many people feel less of a bond to their immediate family, which is a sad thing. As a bare minimum, a family should be able to provide emotional support regardless of other events or ability to provide material support which is particularly hard for many of the poorest families. This is good – we all need people we can depend upon when the going gets tough. But when your family will not or cannot is there an alternative that can be as good as a ‘real’ family? Online families, communities of like-minded individuals who can depend on each other for support regardless of where they are geographically, can provide the bare minimum support that a ‘real’ family should be able to. Think here specifically of groups like the LGBTQ+ community as a worked example. As society has progressed over the past 50-60 years it has rightly become less and less frowned upon to explore one’s identity, whether that is with regard to gender, sexual orientation or other. Not only that but more often now this is happening at a younger age. However, whilst the situation is better there are still many people out there who will not support other people’s exploration of their individual identity. And when this person is a close family member this can be even more painful to cope with. If you are a young person, exploring identity can be a difficult thing when you are also going through puberty and making important decisions for your life’s future such as whether to go to university. It is important that close support is available to help you regardless of any extenuating circumstances. This is particularly important in other cultures which are more socially conservative, and you can’t rely on support from neighbours or your local ‘real’ community. Online families are therefore better than a real family for this support. Increasing global internet accessibility affords greater chance that you will find someone like you to help you and the anonymity a keyboard affords allows you to be as personal or as confidential as you want when getting support from someone – an option people don’t necessarily have with their family in-person. Will online families ever replace ‘real’ families? Unlikely. But can they be as good as a real family for those who need support when their ‘real family’ won’t offer it? Yes.
-Alexander Fraser
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OPPOSITION
ne might argue that if a person grows closer to an online community than to their biological family, for them, their virtual network becomes a better family than their blood relatives. However, even though some might prefer this trade-off, is it possible that they are sacrificing something in the process, some important positive aspect of being a ‘real’ family, that online groups cannot replicate? Just think of the main differences between a traditional family and virtual community: It’s first the shared household and then the shared past. Why do they matter? Physical proximity is such a crucial part ofTHE ourDEBATE relationships that living in the same household fundamentally changes the presence another person has in our life. For example, a simple hug can provide emotional support better than any number of messages or video calls. Family holidays, shared dinners, and the footsteps of your siblings on the stairs every morning contribute to a unique quality of face to face relationships: they are deeply rooted in your reality. This is very relevant to families, the people that raised you or grew up with you. The huge quantity of time spent together means they formed you, made you who you are today – whether you were mostly playing with siblings or fighting with them, learning to cook from grandparents or actively avoiding discussing politics with them. Being so close for such a long time makes the inter-personal connection stronger and more robust. In most families, this means they are caring and loving in a depth that online communities cannot achieve. However, in the minority of families where members fundamentally disagree and are in conflict, I still think this bond is a benefit. Of course, real and virtual families alike need to solve internal conflicts. However, unlike an online community, relatives are pushed to resolve such arguments by more than just their sentiments: they draw from the bond of a shared past, which motivates to reconcile – it is horrible to lose contact with a parent, sibling or child, because of how big a role they played in your past life. This means that in a conflict where an online family might abandon you, your real family will try make amends. Where your virtual support network crumbles, your relatives will criticise, but will not cut you off. In the end, the ‘real’ family can support you just by being there, giving you a certainty that your grandparents’ home still smells the same when you visit them, that your sister will invite you to Christmas dinner even though you argue, and that your mom will hug you when you need it.
-Matej Ballaty
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 11
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ART
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Lesser Known Glasgow Kinning Park
Located right next to the Kinning Park subway station, this area of southside offers loads of really fun activities to do with friends. From Lazer Quest to trampoline parks, this fairly unknown area offers something for everyone. A particular favourite of ours is the TCA bouldering centre is a very chilled out environment to hang out, drink good coffee and maybe even pick up a new skil. While fairly busy in the evenings, the centre is a place for all abilities to come and give climbing a go. B
The Lighthouse Glasgow
Down a small side alley just off Buchanon Street can be found “The Lighthouse”, is an art exhibition space with 5 floors. The main attraction however is the view from the top- a spiral staircase leads you to a small viewing platform, from which you can see all over the city- on a clear day even the Campsie hills are visible. Brilliant (and free!) day out. C
The Necropolis
Possibly an even better view of the city can be found from the top of the city’s largest graveyard. Hidden behind the beautiful Glasgow Cathedral, “The Necropolis”- which eerily translates as “City of the Dead”- is not to everyone’s taste, but for many a truly stunning walk. G-You urges our readers to respectful when visiting, and encourages a visit to such a stunning piece of the city’s heritage. D
Kelvingrove Park
As well as being a short cut walking to Uni for many, the park is a hub of activity and culture, especially during the summer months. In the hot weather, it seems as though the whole of Glasgow Uni turn out to soak up some sun. The park is home to festivals such as “Summer Nights at the Kelvingrove Bandstand”, and “The Glasgow Mela Festival”, as well as some fantastic snowball fights and sledging races in winter. E
Glasgow Green
By far the oldest park in the city, this gorgeous green is home to one of Glasgow’s best museums- the People’s Palace, which showcases Glasgow life through old photographs, objects and more. It also has a giant green house, similar to the botanical gardens which you can wander though. The Green is also home a few celebrations throughout the year- the BBC Proms, Glasgow Fireworks Night- complete with carnival rides sweet stands- and most importantly, Scotland’s hot new Festival, TRNSMT. Whoever you are, the Green has something for everyone. F
The Hug and Pint Bar and Venue
Located near the bottom of Great Western Road, this little gem is a brilliant bar and venue for regular smaller gigs. If that wasn’t enough, its upstairs is also offers deliciously different vegan Vietnamese street food- perfect for sharing with friends. In fact, Glasgow is quite possibly Scotland’s most vegan friendly city- places such as “The 78” with its Sunday Jazz nights, “The Flying Duck” and “The 13th Note” all offer an exclusively vegan menu as well as a brilliant music venue. Our city really does cater to everyone’s needs. G
Central Station
As well as being next to just about every fast food outlet you could ever want, central station is actually a gateway to some of Glasgow’s best outlying areas, and some of the best day trips. Regular trains depart to Balloch and the surrounding areas of Loch Lomond, to Milngavie (pronounced “mull-guy” for the record) where you’re just a short walk or bus away from the start of “The West Highland Way”, and many spectacular hikes such as Dumgoyne and Ben A’an. Going west, regular services out to coastal towns such as Largs and Troon facilitate your beach trips, and 15 quid will get you from Glasgow- Ardrossan- The Isle of Arran and back in just over two hours. The delights of living in Glasgow are not simply limited to within the city bounderies. 14
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Bath Street
While Club reps will make sure you know about the wonders of Sauchiehall street, many freshers don’t discover Bath Street soon enough. Running parallel to the home of Garage and Firewater, Bath street offers a more chilled clubbing and bar-ing scene. Fine institutions such as Flat 0/1, a techno “club” that’s designed to feel more like you’re at a flat party, with couches and bathtubs lying around the place. A stone’s throw away is the Howlin Wolf, a late night bar open till 3am every night, with regular live music. If you’re feeling hungry head along to Slouch, another late night bar open till 3, but serves delicacies such as “The Glasgow Salad” (just chips four different ways) till 2am. Wherever takes your fancy, Sauchiehall street’s neighbour offers a more relaxed alternative to the regular Glasgow clubbing scene. I
The Hidden Lane, Finnieston
Located down an alley in perhaps Glasgow’s trendiest areas, The Hidden Lane is home to record shops, cute tea rooms, artists and more. Every Saturday all these colourful businesses come to life and open their doors to the few who know how to find them. Finnieston in general is a good place to explore- quirky gift and antique shops, trendy bars and even a café dedicated only to avocados are all definitely worth a look! J
Disappeared off the face off the map..Whoops...
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Ruthven Lane and More…
Just off Byres Road can be found Ruthven lane, which leads you down a journey of unknown books shops, clothes shops and antique shops. Stop for a refreshment at the Hanoi Bike Shop in between browsing the treasures this lane has to offer, and watch you don’t step on the many cats that like to hang out there. L
Inn Deep Bar
Possibly out favourite pub except our precious Beer Bar, Inn Deep offers good food, good beer and a great view of the River Kelvin. Hosting weekly poetry nights, this place has everything a student can possibly want- and if that wasn’t good enough, it’s dog friendly, so is constantly crawling with our furry friends, who are always happy to be played with and petted while you sip a reasonably priced pint. M
The Science Centre
Not just for kids, the centre offers daily planetarium shows, documentary showings, workshops and talks. Definitely worth a visit if you have a scientific interest. N
The Barrowland Ballroom and Market
The famous “Barras” houses some of the biggest names performing in Glasgow, an truly brilliant venue. Right next door however, is the lesser known Barras Market, open every weekend- shops, stalls, eateries and pubs fill this area of the Tron Gate, where you can famously “buy anything” there. The atmosphere on a busy day is fantastic, with some lively little beer gardens to pop if you start to feel thirsty…
-Skye Brettell, Arts Editor with Laughlan Woolnough & Phoebe Anderson
Ms. Margo
CULTURE AND OPINION
our resident agony aunt! If you have any pressing or funny questions that you need advice on, send them to: libraries@guu.co.uk!
Dear Ms. Margo, I’m worried that me and my halls flatmates won’t get on, what can I do?
N
obody is exactly at Kanye West levels of confidence when they first move into halls. Everyone is full of nerves when they start and even if they seem more confident, I can guarantee that it’s just a bluff. Just make sure to talk to your flatmates and try to make the first effort to break the ice because they will be grateful and like you more for it. If all your flatmates really do end up being a bust, then try to meet the people in your block! Try to organise or attend a block gathering near the beginning of term to meet people. You have a bigger chance of finding a genuine connection in a bigger group. Even if you don’t get on it’s not the end of the world but keep making some effort because will make your life living together easier. Even if you just make the effort through to the end of Freshers’ Week that can make or break your freshers because through going to events with them you can meet other people. Join lots of societies, not just one! Be adventurous and you never know what unexpected hobbies you’ll find a passion for, or even a society you stick with for the people, not the hobby. I would personally recommend prioritising societies with better socials and judging them based on how welcoming they are and how well you get on with the other members. You’ll have a better time doing an activity surrounded by friends and meeting nice people, then spending four years in an unwelcoming society, even if that society is for a hobby you love. Spend as much time socialising as you can – obviously studying is important and you don’t want to fail, but apart from that first year is just a pass/fail year so you should spend as much time getting out there and having fun now, before honours years come up and you really have to take studying seriously.
Dear Ms. Margo, I’m not that into drinking and I’m worried this will make making friends harder, any tips?
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t’s important to remember that pubs serve things other than shots. Coke looks identical to rum and coke, so you can hide it if you are really worried about social acceptance, but I don’t think it will be a problem. It’s increasingly common among young people not to drink as people become more aware of the health risks. According to The Guardian more than a quarter of young people don’t drink, so you definitely won’t be the only one. Regardless, people shouldn’t judge you for not wanting to poison yourself with a toxic substance, and if they do they’re not the sort of people you’ll want to be friends with anyway. It’s obviously possible to enjoy Hive and other freshers’ nights without drinking, but if being surrounding by sweaty drunk people trying to sing along to Mr Brightside isn’t your thing (understandable), there are tons of daytime freshers’ events. These are mostly non-alcoholic, and I recommend them even if you do drink; they cater to a huge range of interests and can be a better place to really get to know people and have a proper conversation, as well as get a small break from some of the madness of freshers. You can extend that beyond freshers by joining societies that don’t revolve around drinking or going out for their socials – maybe the rugby club isn’t for you but there are plenty of societies that might be. The transition to university can be really hard, if you are struggling you can call Nightline 7pm to 7am during term time on 0141 334 9516 or visit gunightline.org for instant messaging. 15
CULTURE AND OPINION
Community Gentrification
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here is often a stigma placed around gentrification, with the belief that it is pushing away current inhabitants only for them to be replaced by wealthier residents. This is often the tainted view that I hear. The area I grew up in, Lambeth in London, has experienced huge changes, beginning even before my birth. Some feel that gentrification is a modern phenomenon. In many cities those that are earning a lot are moving into more picturesque areas, leading to changes that cater to the new occupants, as they are spending more money than the locals. Often in London, when I tell people that I go to university in Glasgow, what springs into their mind is an outdated view of a city riddled with drink and criminal activity. Now that I have lived here for a year, I see it as a welcoming city, with its “People Make Glasgow” slogan everywhere. The gentrification of major areas, like Finnieston, which has been branded as the “hippest place to live” in the country by The Times, has driven up the prices of houses in the area - property prices rose by 14% in the district in 2017, the third biggest rise in the UK. This meant some residents could no longer afford to live there, therefore these communities have been shattered.
From this, there is often opposition toward gentrification as it changes the communities in the areas that it affects. Previously, these urban locations may have had strong ties between locals. This would have been developed through mutual connections, potentially through knowing people through interactions built
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through generations for example at school, or through people shopping in local businesses, supporting their area. Some might argue that there has been an erosion in both of these areas. The first diminishing as people move away from where they had grown up and their families had been. Then those that move in cannot create the same relationships that had previously been in place, in some cases not even trying to interact with their neighbours in the same way. Locals, already with a community in place, may not interact with the newer residents, feeling segregated from these possibly more affluent and educated peers. The second has seen the replacement of smaller businesses, that would have only had one or two stores, like butchers, by national chains like supermarkets. This has reduced the sense of communities in areas as they are no longer connecting to people in the same way, as they once did. There has been a move to try to create communities in city areas that have been gentrified. This could be an attempt to show that there has been a regeneration, as places do go through developmental stages, as an attempt to modernise. A great example of this that I know from London is a food and drink project called ‘Pop Brixton’ that holds local businesses, trying to promote people to support smaller companies in their local area, rather than only buy from big chains. There have been attempts to create a sense of community with the ‘People Make Glasgow’ brand in the city, though this is in a different way. This slogan encourages a sense of pride in those that live in the city. -Matilda Handley
CULTURE AND OPINION
Around the West End in 8 Cocktails
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avigating a new city can be hard (as is returning from a long summer away from Glasgow) and what better way to acclimatise than to take an alcohol-fuelled journey around the West End. The following are 8 of the best (and mostly affordable) cocktails and their respective bars to spend time away from the library and the confines of Murano; after all what problem can’t be solved with a cocktail in hand?! 1. The Left Bank
5. Vodka Wodka
Located on Gibson St, The Left Bank is a cosy, cute and dog-friendly bar with cocktails at between £6-£7. The laidback attitude makes these cocktails effortlessly cool with the standout drink being the Chai Thai – spiced rum, homemade chai syrup, pineapple and lime.
Vodka Wodka holds a special place in all of our hearts; it is the go-to bar for society pub crawls, birthday drinks and everything in between. Although the Kamikaze bottle is the most famous, the best cocktail this place has to offer is the Jolly Rancher and at only £3.50 from Monday-Thursday you’ll end up having several!
2. Bank St Café Across the road from the gym (post-workout cocktail anyone?) Bank St Café is unmissable, mostly because everyone you know will be in there but also because at £5 a cocktail who can resist! The cocktail menu is constantly changing according to season, the festive cocktail menu is arguably the most fun, but the best of them all is the Drumstick cocktail – sweets and alcohol! 3. Bar Soba
6. The Parlour Somehow The Parlour on Vinicombe St makes it seem socially acceptable, if not compulsory to have cocktails at any time of the day. There are cocktails to accompany breakfast, lunch and dinner and with a fantastic choice of pizza there is plenty to soak up all that alcohol with. Go for a boozy brunch and have Mimosas! 7. Hillhead Book club
Possibly the coolest bar on Byres Road, Bar Soba offers a cocktail list as long as your arm and an Asian-fusion bar snack menu at great prices including Loaded Thai Fries and Bang Bang Chicken Wings. You could easily spend all day and night drinking cocktails at Bar Soba but if you’re out with a group of pals the Soba Skulls are a must-have! Inspired by the full moon parties of Thailand, the Soba Skulls are huge and made to be shared – with Mango Tango as the most tropical cocktail of them all.
Book club is a place we will all visit time and time again, mostly because you have to try every cocktail on the menu. It is one of the best bars to go to chill and hangout with sofas, table-tennis and videogames for use. On a budget, Book club offers the cheapest cocktail in town, the Strawberry Mojito – only £3 Sunday-Thursday. On the other hand, if you have money to spend (thank you SAAS) and some pals a Gramaphone will hit the spot!
4. Grosvenor Café
8. Òran Mór
The first of many cocktail bars on the gorgeous Ashton Lane, the Grosvenor Café sits high above them all with dim-lighting and plenty of room, making this one the perfect spot for cocktails with that special someone. Between Monday-Thursday you can grab any cocktail for half price and the Pornstar Martini is by far their best.
The once church now bar/restaurant/club stands proudly on the corner of Byres Road and Great Western and is the best for late-night drinks when everywhere else has shut its doors. Open until 3am on Friday and Saturday, the Oran Mor is slick and very Scottish with their most famous cocktail the Velvet Kilt – whiskey and butterscotch schnapps with homemade tablet.
-Isabelle Thornton, Co. Editor-in-Chief 17
CULTURE AND OPINION
The Caldecott Community
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don’t know how most people meet the love of their life, but I think even for the 1930s my grandparents story is unusual. My grandparents met in 1938 aged eleven; my grandfather recalls vividly being taken by ‘a fair-haired girl with golden skin’ to see the newts in the pond and he claims he was smitten from that day on (although my grandmother took some further convincing - they didn’t start going out until they were 23).
As far as meet-cutes go, newts are possibly not quite as romantic as my grandfather has made them out to be for all these years, but their meeting was unique for much bigger reasons than the unusually outsized role amphibians played in the sparking of romance. My grandparents met on the day that my grandfather joined the Caldecott Community, a boarding school in Kent for children from ‘broken’ homes. The Caldecott Community is hard to categorise: it was not quite a boarding school – it was charitable and specifically for ‘troubled’ children, but neither was it a normal foster home. As my grandfather says, “It was simply a ‘community’; a collection of children and adults whose sole aim was to provide for children from ‘broken’ homes and fit them for life as adults in the wider world.” Caldecott began in 1911 as a nursery for working women in London. It was founded by Leila Rendel, an upper-class suffragette and activist who had strong connections to the famous Bloomsbury Group of liberal artists and intellectuals who were preeminent at the time. The nursery quickly expanded beyond the walls of the inner-city nursery and as it’s children began to age it moved to a country house and so the set-up that my grandparents experienced and the successful formula that continued to work for over 50 years began to be developed. The community relied on Miss Leila’s ex-
tensive network of friends and supporters – the children’s families paid what they could and many paid nothing at all. The Community lived in a series of country mansions in Kent, often loaned or rented from Miss Leila’s sympathetic friends. The staff were mostly single women who lost their opportunity to marry and start a family because of the deaths of a generation of men in the great war. They accepted minimal pay in return for board, keep, and the opportunity to look after the children they’d never have the opportunity to have for their own. It is interesting to consider what society has lost with the passing of this generation of women who gave so much.
It morphed over the years from a working women’s nursery to a home for children whose families couldn’t look after them for a variety of reasons. My grandmother joined the community aged two because her mother was a single, unmarried working mother in 1929, not exactly an accepting time for that situation and she couldn’t look after her baby and work. My grandfather arrived aged eleven. His mother left when he was a baby and his father wasn’t interested, so he had spent his childhood up to that point being passed around uninterested relatives. This was the days before social services and my grandfather thinks he was referred by a concerned teacher. All the children had similar stories and the majority only had one parent at most. Caldecott was radical for its time because it was founded on a community ethos and never patronised its children or treated them as lesser in any way. This was an incredibly progressive stance to have in a period when workhouses still existed and if the poor were helped at all it was considered a noble act that should only be extended to the ‘deserving poor’. Caldecott was in many ways a precursor to the world we take for granted today. In a time without social services, no
NHS, and only a very limited understanding of psychology and the impact of childhood neglect, Caldecott managed to see the ways in which these children needed help and helped them in a holistic way simply by providing a secure environment to grow in and a firm moral grounding. The community nature of the organisation can be seen in how the children were involved in the running. My grandfather mentions in his writings that, “New children were taught very early on that while the adults were nominally in charge, the children themselves were expected to be ‘careful and helpful with those younger than themselves’”. They were also expected to do their share of chores and were all taught to cook and clean, including the boys. Boys doing chores maybe doesn’t sound impressive to us now in our generation, but it was radical for the 1930s and it produced a married life where my grandparents would alternate weeks and share housework after my grandfather retired. That’s a huge difference to what was typical of that generation who married in the 1950s when the housewife archetype was at its peak and men weren’t expected to lift a finger around the home. Growing up, my grandparents always seemed ‘different’ to other people in an intangible way. They would take in local teenagers who needed somewhere to stay, and took their children on CND marches as babies, political actions like everything in their lives undoubtedly influenced by the Caldecott ethos. They owed their lives to Caldecott: everything from their marriage, to their careers, to their lifelong love of art and literature. The effect on them was so great that they even named my mother Leila after the founder Leila Rendel. Communities have a healing power beyond the physical resources they provide – Caldecott produced well-adjusted kids out of thin air because they felt supported, and loved, and they had a network that lasted a lifetime. It’s even arguable that Caldecott has ultimately proved more valuable to them than the benefits if their families had stuck around. Although I never attended Caldecott even I, two generations later, am feeling its benefits and I’ll be forever grateful to the organisation that gave my grandparents golden childhoods so different from the abusive and neglectful ones they were rescued from. I know the story of the Caldecott Community off by heart because whenever I saw them Caldecott would come up constantly, always with fondness and gratitude imbued in every word of whichever story they were telling.
-Daisy Thomson, Culture and Opinion Editor 18
CULTURE AND OPINION
New York, New York
The Theatre Community in the Big Apple
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nitially I had hope to make a ‘Fear and loathing in Las Vegas’ pun, but whilst I have visited Vegas recently, there is little to say on the theatre community there (largely because it’s mostly big scale shows designed for tourists, more entertainment often than theatre.). However, my time in New York gave me a unique insight into the theatre of the city and how it affects both the visitors and residents. While in New York I saw two shows; Twelfth Night by Public Theatre (part of Shakespeare in the Park) and Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Nederlander Theatre. Both exceptional pieces of theatre and both offer a very interesting look at the theatre community of New York.
kespeare in the Park, while not exclusive to NY, is best known there, whilst musicals are the provenance of the whole world. There were several audience members from far afield and many who hung around after the show to get autographs (myself included). Stage door appearances can range from a brief glimpse to full on conversations. Whilst waiting for the star of the show, Samantha Barks (Eponine in Les Miserables, on stage and screen), I had an interesting conversation with Tommy Bracco, who had stared as Giulio the bellhop (the real MVP), because there exists a community spirit, even here, in the heart of Broadway. The way we chatted was the same as I chat with fellow am-dram actors after a show.
Let us start with some Shakespeare. Shakespeare in the Park, run by Public Theatre, is a project bringing quality theatre to the masses for nothing. You sign up on their website and can get a free ticket to their performances. You need to get said tickets from Central Park, on the day of the performance, with the box office opening at 12 noon. Not being a native of New York, I naively thought that arriving half an hour early would afford me ease in getting a ticket. I was wrong. I arrived at 11.30 and the queue for tickets already stretched past the theatre, down the path and was approaching Central Park Drive (in short, it was very long). Nonetheless, I took my place in the line and was rewarded with tickets to that night’s performance. During my wait, I discovered from some Public Theatre employees that not only was this actually a rather slow day by regular standards, but that some people regularly show up at 6 o’clock in the morning and camp out in order to get tickets. As insane as that sounds, it truly warmed my heart that Shakespeare seems so popular over there.
Community in theatre means lots of things and New York really shows this. It’s a camaraderie between the audience members, a network of theatre-makers, it’s the people that the theatre helps. From charitable works like Shakespeare in the Park, to Broadway hits Like Pretty Woman, this spirit exists everywhere. And its why people like me do theatre.
-Michael Cartledge, Critic-at-Large
The show itself featured an air of the community around it. The Delacorte Theatre, which has a capacity of 1,800 was completely full and buzzing when I walked in. There were already actors on the stage, interacting and mingling with the audience (indeed, due to the contemporary style of the piece, I often could not tell one from the other). There was the kind of buzz about the place that I’ve never encountered before, a real sense of joy from everyone. The community, which is supported by the charitable work done by this project, coming together to support it. There was a sense of community at the Nederlander as well, but in a different sense. It was a more national theatre community rather than a New York one, perhaps because Sha-
Write for G-YOU
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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 19
SCIENCE
Pixelated Playground
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Are Our Online Communities Our Dangerous New Reality?
he way we connect with other people has changed. Human interaction is no longer restricted to face to face conversation or to hazy chatter across telephone lines. Lives are lived in Facebook Messenger, in WhatsApp group chats and on online forums. For us so called adults out there, your friendship groups, job prospects, interests and hobbies are all, to some extent, determined and cultivated virtually. Lives are lived online, in the spaces between Twitter posts and Facebook statuses. Perhaps more crucially in the lives of children, burgeoning friendships and social status – crucial factors in influencing young people in key stages of development – are now arguably more defined by the pixelated playground in which they play rather than the concrete one. For better or worse, online communities flourish in all corners of the internet and all corners of our everyday life.
This so-called virtual world is not so virtual anymore To get an idea of the broad scope of these communities, there is no better a place to look than Reddit, the epitome of the best and worst aspects of these mediums of online connection. Founded in 2005 by two grad students of the University of Virginia, Reddit is a social media platform centred around the fostering of news accumulation and discussion forums called ‘subreddits.’ No matter what your interests, whether they be social, political, historical or just plain odd, there will undoubtedly be a subreddit and – by extension – a community for you. Everything from dubious political affiliations, to baking fanatics or simply a forum for listing useless facts, all of it has a subreddit. This extends to more mainstream interests too, collation of visual media such as funny cat and dog videos, as well as a holistic listing of meme history. Yes, seriously. It is here, with candid comments and upvotes, you can find kindred souls, can share ideas on social issues and make friends from across the globe. People who struggle to find people that share their interests in everyday life can now look to forums like this. You are no longer restricted geographical boundaries or divides, it’s your broadband speed and access to technology instead that determines your ability to reach out. Suddenly, lonely people across the globe can reach out and form relationships they otherwise couldn’t have. Have their beliefs and interests reaffirmed in a way their homelife or work environment may not allow and be exposed to new ideas, different ways of thinking politically and socially than what they are taught by parents or communities 20
or educational practises in the real world. In societies and states where there still exists a struggle to afford basic freedoms to citizens, this can be hugely influential in liberalisation processes and the development of new ideas. Even in the places where a level of censorship is enforced, like China or Saudi Arabia, people still find a way of reaching out and communicating, even if it as simple as sharing music tastes or tv habits as a means to open discussion.
For bullied children and young adults, those who struggle with identity crises or other social stigmatisation, this widening of connectivity and communication is so important. For finding friends where you otherwise wouldn’t, to feel valued and not alone when other aspects of your life might suggest otherwise. Yet there exists a much darker downside to these communities, one that has already begun to manifest into negative real-life actions and consequences. If we assume that good people can find these communities affirming of their good beliefs, we can logically apply this to those with more negative, extremist viewpoints who, as studies have shown, return consistently to similar or een the same sites on a daily basis. Even with their rigorous moderating practises and significant designation of resources, Reddit and other online community sites like it have played host to some particularly violent groups and radicalisation processes. Movements such as Neo-Nazism, radical Islam, and most recently the ‘Incelocalypse’ have reduced these forums to echo chambers for toxic, racist and sexist ideology, reinforcing the rhetoric of hate and misogyny as they draw people in under that the veil of pixelated anonymity. When people put faith in these communities, dedicate their time and energy and consider it an important part of their lifestyle, it gives the leading figures within social power over them, the same we see social hierarchies manifest on playgrounds and in office blocks. Radical grow in power in these online communities, amass cult-like followers in a way and with a speed and toxicity they could never have done before. And the most frightening aspect of this toxic psychological conditioning is its manifestation in the real world. When people are spurred into violent actions by these communities and figures, like that of the Incel attacks perpetrated by Elliot Rodgers in California in 2014 and Alek Minassian in Toronto in 2018, we see the consequences of our virtual world. With police departments across the world still lacking consistent and effective training to deal with a virtual world of criminality, harassment and hate, we have worryingly reached a moment in the history of the internet where this so-called virtual world is not so virtual anymore. -Suzanne Elliott
SCIENCE
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Knowing Bee, Knowing You!
ou are probably familiar with the typical honey bees and bumble bees, but did you know there are around 20,000 species of bees around the world all living and working together in altruistic communities that thrive and are so crucial to our everyday life. Bees play a vital role in almost all habitats and especially ours, with one in every three bites we have of food is helped along its way by bees in some way. Among the top 100 crops that make up 90% of people’s diets around the world bees are responsible for pollinating around 70 of them. Honey bees have a harsh cast system where neither male or female benefits because it’s all about the queen bee. Almost all are female workers (apis mellifera) which do pretty much everything from building the hive to cleaning the hive and even collecting the pollen and nectar. Workers can live from four to nine months during the winter however a worker bee born in the summer will only last about six weeks before dying of exhaustion. In contrast the male drones (apis mellifera) wait to mate with the queen bee in the summer after which they are no longer needed and die or perhaps even harsher, they are forced to leave the hive in the autumn to make room as they are no longer needed. So, it’s all royals and riches for the Queen (apis mellifera) as she lives at the top of the chain waited on hand and foot. Queen bee’s ca live up to 5 years and lay up to 2,000 eggs in one day. When a queen bee dies or leaves the hive to find a new swarm their community is in need of a new queen. Some of the eggs last laid are coated in royal jelly and are considered the chosen ones. Amongst these a queen will emerge but the science to how and why the royal jelly does this is unknown. Worker bees produce royal jelly from a gland in their head called the hypopharynx and feed it to the newly hatched honey larvae.
Royal jelly is made up of substances like digested pollen and either honey or nectar making it high in proteins and vitamins (specifically B) as well as lipids, hormones, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. After three days of the worker bees feeding the larvae royal jelly they select a chosen few which they continue to feed royal jelly whilst the others are switched to a less nutritious diet. The royal jelly is then believed to trigger other Queen bee like developments, such as the ovaries for laying eggs. If one queen emerges first she will search for and destroy any other queen still developing in their wax cells. If they all develop at the same time they will literally fight to their death. Once emerged queens continue eating royal jelly their whole life and it is believed to be the reason the queen lives a lot longer than any other. Not bad eh.
But, why is the bee community so important to our community? Bees are in trouble, honeybees are suffering from colony collapse disorder in which hives are found abandoned. There are a number of reasons for this including changes in agriculture- wild flower meadows have been plowed up, hedges have been ripped out, and the use of pesticides has drastically increased. As well as this, human’s trading
bees around the world in small boxes has led to the spread of disease among their communities. Bees are critical for pollinating plants that produce a huge range of food, including blueberries, almonds, cherries, tomato’s and perhaps the best, Agarve plants which make tequila. This decline in crops would lead to the decline of income to farmers contributing to unemployment worldwide and with the global value of insect pollination estimated at 153 billion euros every year it’s going to end up costing a lot too. Who doesn’t want a tomato base of their pizza, or one more shot of tequila to finish that messy night out? Not only this, a whole host of creature pray on or parasitize bees. Without which there would be a massive decline in biodiversity possibly leading to the extinction of many other species. Finally, perhaps the most unknown fact about bees is that they are trained to fight crime. Yes, fight crime. Scientist have developed a detector using a box of bees trained to stick out their tongue every time they smell something dodgy like explosives. An infra-red sensor then registers the movement of the bee’s tongues and alerts security staff in the presence of danger, how clever! Just because there is no price tag on the importance of the bee communities to our communities does not mean that there is not a hefty price to pay in the destruction of their reign. -Lucy Rawbone, Science Editor
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Home Fixtures
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Sporting Communities as a Home Student
hile leaving home and moving to University is definitely a daunting experience, perhaps more nerve-racking (in my opinion), is staying at home while starting uni. Put it this way: when moving in to halls, you are faced with a building full of people all in the same position, all of whom are desperate to make friends with the people they are forced to live with for the following year. It’s a ready-made social circle. On the other hand, walking into a lecture hall of 200+ people who all appear to already know someone is not much of a bonding experience. Home students are largely ignored amongst the many events and efforts to welcome the new coming freshers. So while there are ... home students currently at Glasgow uni, it can feel quite isolating. For me and many others, the defining factor in our experience is joining a sports club.
second year; after joining a sports club that had several training sessions, a weekly social and a programme specifically designed for beginners, I was finally able to enjoy myself. With all the various clubs out there, many of which have programmes for all levels and abilities, there is something for everyone regardless of athletic ability. Take the time to find the one for you to ensure you have a better first year experience than I did and so many others in the same position.
For most of our school experiences, we are told that uni is going to be the best time of our lives. For home students, it can seem like a bit of an anti-climax as the wild nights out and life-long friendships are not as easily made. Personally, joining a sports club made all the difference in this respect. I’m now not even a member of the club I initially joined, but it changed my uni experience for the better, and I finally understood what There’s nothing like a good sweaty training session to everyone had meant about these four years being the break the ice, and if fitness and gym buddies aren’t best of your life. -Carmel Connelly enough of an attraction, most clubs have a weekly social. Unlike those in halls, home students often don’t have a reason to participate in events at the union or even a squad for Thursday night hive (sad I know). So whether you’re the fresher who signs up for absolutely everything and turns up to nothing, or someone who avoids flyers like the plague, making the effort to join a sports club will have lasting rewards. For example; the opportunity to train and compete with your peers for next to nothing in membership fees, something that is hard to come by in the rest of adult life. Or if competing isn’t your thing, just having planned training sessions and someone there to hold you accountable to sweating out those pints of fun. As someone who spent first year of uni without getting involved in any type of club, I feel that I have a unique perspective on the impact that a sports club can have on a individual’s life at uni as a whole. In first year, it was all lectures, labs and not much else. I continued to have the same school friends and go out to the same places as I had as a teenager. So while I was perfectly happy, being at university did not enhance my life in any way. Then in
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Life by a Thousand Cuts
ports stars are more often than not seen as controversial characters. From tax avoidance to doping to sexual harassment, there is an endless stream of dodgy goings-on in the world of professional sport. The oxymoron here is that whether these people like it or not they are role models to fans of all ages, in particular children. This may be seen as worrying however not everyone follows the negative stereotype and there’s one guy recently who is somewhat defying it. Last month, well-respected NBA heavyweight and all-round great guy, LeBron James opened a school that will set up 240 disenfranchised children with a stable school life. Each child that attends the “I promise school” will receive a bike so they can always get to school regardless if their parents own a car, free school meals throughout the day as well as counselling services for either child or parent who are under stress. James is primarily funding this project however he is doing so in conjunction with Akron Public Schools. This detail in particular I think is of importance, the school is being built and centred in Akron, Ohio, the very same city that LeBron struggled his way through school and home life and only due to the help and support of surrounding families found his
passion in basketball. Many athletes are in a similar position to James, coming from impoverished communities. So the question is, when they break free of these roots is it understandable that they may want to say “see ya later” or do they have a responsibility to return to where it all began and make a positive impact? I strongly believe in the latter and here is why. When it comes to this argument some might say it’s their money, they earn it, they can spend it how they want, right? Wrong. In actuality a single person needs very little to survive, to just about make it through life, this is shown through millions of people all over the world in poverty who are able to “live” with very little money. However it is not really living, this doesn’t mean that they are happy or comfortable and 9 times out of 10 they are not. Now this works both ways, there are plenty of athletes who earn seven figure paychecks, own five houses and four cars, and who are not happy. The difference between these two situations is that the latter is not life threatening, the athletes don’t have to worry if they will even be able to pay for their next meal for themselves and their families. The craziest part of this scenario is that between these two groups of people, a mutualistic relationship can blossom, and what better way for this to occur than within their communities. An athlete's roots are always going to be important to them, it’ll always be the first swimming pool they swam in or court they played on, the first place they won a medal and the first place they lost a race. If every single multimillion dollar sport stars took a step back from the fancy cars and lavish lifestyle and gave even a fraction of their fortune towards helping the young people in their communities, little by little across the globe the fight against poverty would slowly but surely begin to build momentum in what could be described as life by a thousand cuts. -Laura Hannah, Sports Editor
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