NOVEMBER 2013
JUSTY
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CONTENTS Hon Sec Blair gives you his rundown of December at the GUU FROM THE BOARD
Don't Give Sexual Violence a Home at UofG NEWS & POLITICS
MovemberMemoirs NEWS & POLITICS
PAGE 5-6
PAGE 4
Fear and Loathing in 2016
CULTURE
SCIENCE
PAGE 10
PAGE 11
Come Rhyme With Me & Library Lunches
LIFESTYLE
REVIEW
PAGE 12
Travel Tales: Interrailing TRAVEL
PAGE 13
From Light Till Dark: Library PLaylist CULTURE PAGE 16-17
Don't be Afraid of the Dark
PHOTOGRAPHY
How to Keep Warm this Winter: The Hot Drink Round-Up
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PAGE 7
Autumn on Campus
PAGE 9
PAGE 8
NEWS & POLITICS
PAGE 6
Scotland's Flaming Folklore
VIEWS
Building Modern Feminism
PAGE 14-15
Written in the Stars HOROSCOPES PAGE 18-19
CONTRIBUTORS
WELCOME
Blair Lockwood Katie MacLeod Ciaran Doherty Joanne Ferguson Harry Coloe Lottie Van Grieken Emma Harrison Caitlin Young Sinead O'Hagan Sophie Thorton Zoe McNaughton Hannah West Hannah Lane Amy McShane
I know, I know. It's cold, you're tired. Deadlines are looming. But let me tell you something...it's going to be okay. Promise.
EDITORIAL TEAM
The theme of your November/December Issue is 'Light and Dark.' Winter months are full of plenty of the two; dark nights, bright days, and the fluctuations of mood that this time of year brings. Whatever you interpret 'Light and Dark' to be, I hope that this issue gives you a little bit of both. After all, what is one without the other?
Cover/Graphic Design - Rachel McCarney News & Politics Editor - Joanne Ferguson Views Editor - Amy McShane Lifestyle Editor - Katie MacLeod Culture Editor - Caitlin Young Photography Editor - Tom Smits Website/Features Editor - Jess Simpson, Johanna Crighton Social Media - Lottie van Grieken
We have discussion of how to make light of recent political darkness (p8), and healthy and frank discussions that can and should occur surrounding men and women's mental health and access to rights (p7). Our first 'Sciene' column is here (p11): understanding the science behind darkness. Because if you understand it, then you're less scared of it....right? And we have our first of our 'Written in the Stars,' providing your horoscope for the months ahead. This is the last issue of term, so I wish you the best of luck with exams, and a brilliant Christmas. See you next year! Anna Ireland Editor-In-Chief
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FROM THE BOARD
From The Board
Blair Lockwood Honorary Secretary
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ello to you dear friend. As the days are getting shorter and the number of weeks until Christmas can be counted on one hand, it can only mean one thing; the atrocity that is exams are upon us once again. Whether it is getting out of bed ridiculously early only to get a sub-average seat in the level 7 annexe or holding conversations about how it is hard to hold proper conversations during the exam period – there are few positives to exams, and the negatives are equally bountiful.
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owever, there is light in the end of the tunnel, the Glasgow University Union has some great events on that you can look forward to after you have sat your exams. If you are lucky enough to finish on the 1st of December or earlier (or, if you are a sneaky 4th year without any exams at all), you can and should come down to the last HIVE night of the semester; appropriately dubbed Christmas HIVE. We guarantee that all your wishes (at least when it comes to Christmas tunes) will be granted, it may be for this holiday to be exactly like last Christmas, to joyfully be rockin’ around the Christmas tree or maybe you are hoping to experience a real-life fairytale of New York.
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he next event in the GUU calendar is even bigger, it is actually the biggest of them all, namely D*** F***** (or Daft Friday, as is its uncensored name). Ever since 1909, the Union has held a concert/ball on the last Friday of term, which means that this year’s edition, which takes place on Friday the 16th of December, is the 108th edition. It all started with James Bridie, who was the Honorary Secretary at the time, was bored and decided he wanted a concert. Together with the President, he got a piano into one of the common rooms of the building, and started to play and sing. More students joined later on, and the concert went on without interruption until the early hours of Saturday. Since James Bridie’s impromptu gig, the event has grown massively, and it is now one of the biggest student events in the UK. Over the past years, the Union has hosted well known acts like CHVRCHES, Bombay Bicycle Club and Sub Focus.
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*** F***** is not only about music though, there is a lot more to it. One of the main characteristics of the event is that every edition has a theme. Last year took us to the wonderful Caribbean world of Jack
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Sparrow, with Pirates of the Caribbean being the theme. The year before that, the Union was transformed into the savannahs of Africa, when Lion King was the theme. Other previous themes have included Lord of the Rings, Marvel and James Bond. The theme is meant to be a secret up until the night, so for those of you who already got excited for a big fat reveal, I have to let you down, but what I can say is that the D*** F***** committee has been working relentlessly since September, and it all looks nothing short of brilliant. So if you are one of the 1700 lucky people with a ticket to DF, get your ballwear ready and get excited for the best end of term-celebration possible.
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hen, Christmas is upon us, which this year thankfully lasts for quite a while, until the 8th of January, to be precise, when second semester dawns. To make the transition from holiday back to uni as smooth as possible, we have some treats lined up for when you get back in January. Between the 11th and the 21st, the four student bodies on campus presents you Refreshers Week. The GUU will during this period bring you some extraordinary one-off HIVE nights, along with events run by our four committees, such as the Big Fat Quiz of the Year and a very special Big Band edition of open microphone, or open mic, as the young people tend to call it.
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o, with all that said, the only thing left for me to do is to wish you a ridiculously merry Christmas on behalf of the Glasgow University Union, and that you have a holiday stuffed with stuffing (hehe) and other delicious foodstuffs, shared with your friends, family and other loved ones.
NEWS & POLITICS
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eing a Freshers’ Helper in September for the first time, despite it being my final year, I expected nothing more than carefree, mindless, fun showing freshers how great their time in Glasgow can be, through the medium of alcohol. What I didn’t expect, and which was completely refreshing, was to have my eyes opened to the world of sexual violence through sexual violence prevention training.
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t the beginning of the week, all 4 student bodies – us here at the GUU, QMU, SRC and GUSA – were given a two-hour training session, preparing us on how to recognise and how we would be best to deal with cases of, or potential cases of, sexual violence, if we were to ever come across any. Particular attention was also afforded to the position of a third party outsider through the Bystander Intervention campaign.
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he students who trained us were trained by Rape Crisis Scotland, the organisation who initiated the partnership with University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University on this issue. The main aim is at tackling gender-based violence through awareness by others, furthering the awareness of the whole sexual violence culture throughout society. Francesca from Sexpression, a student-run charity for young people to discuss and decisions about sex and relationships, explains what sparked this awareness partnership: “we have been working on this over the last year, and it was predominantly prompted by the Let’s Talk campaign that they then wanted to take a step further.” Let’s Talk is a University of Glasgow student society-led campaign aiming to eliminate sexual violence occurring on campus through altering and improving report infrastructure, recognising the importance of bystander intervention and generally being increasingly support-friendly with regards to sexual violence survivors.
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he statistics presented were completely startling – 1 in 22 women having been sexually assaulted since the age of 16. The number is significantly lower with regards to men with a figure of 1 in 167. However, as reminded to us by Jack Smith who guided the training session and is QMU President, “it’s important to remember that this is the number of people who have experien-
Don't Give Sexual Violence a Home at UofG
Katie MacLeod Lifestyle Editor
ced sexual violence and have said so in a survey – the actual number is probably higher.” This is particularly relevant to students, with on-campus sexual violence continuing to rise by as much as 6.2% in the previous year, a statistic that was presented in a Police Scotland statement earlier this year. It was a startling figure to digest.
"Despite a campaign almost defined by controversy and lunacy, these past two weeks have demonstrated this madness more than ever"
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llegations of sexual violence can often have a certain taboo surrounding them. The aim of this awareness campaign is an attempt to eliminate that taboo, allowing survivors to effectively seek the help that they need to recover from their ordeal. There is a steady stream of slanders of ‘false allegations’ with regards to crimes of sexual violence, and this is what fuels the stigma attached to allegations in regards of these crimes. There is a mentality in society to automatically respond with heinous comments such as ‘you just regret having sex with him when you were drunk’ to deflect the seriousness of the allegation. Sexual violence crimes have the same number of false allegation numbers as any other crime that is committed in the country – 2%. Only 2% of sexual violence allegations are found to be false, and so the stigma that is attached to this notion comes purely from society and the way that society perceives
sexual violence. It is quite perhaps that society doesn’t fully understand what sexual violence entails. It is not just rape, or ‘serious’ sexual assault. It is absolutely anything sexual that you do not consent to – from groping to rape, and everything in between. This ignorance to the variety and scope of sexual violence is perhaps why the stigma is attached to sexual violence allegations – people do not realise quite how widespread an issue it really is, across campus, and throughout society at large. The process of reporting a crime to the police is such an enduring and traumatic experience in itself, having to relay the story to what feels like hundreds of different people over and over; reliving it for months – why would somebody put themselves through such an ordeal if they weren’t telling the truth? The scepticism attached to sexual violence is quite frankly disgusting and creates a culture where it is allowed to continue with little consequence. It is with thanks to these sessions of sexual violence training available on campus at university that will be the trigger to this realisation. It is an incredibly informative, comfortable, respectful environment where the aspects of sexual violence are discussed, as well as how is best to respond as a possible bystander to a situation that may seem conspicuous in this regard.
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he Bystander Intervention section of the session was the pinnacle of my interest because as a Freshers’ Helper I felt like it was relevant to my position. It was made clear from the start that control of the situation must stay with the person actively involved in the situation – the ‘potential victim’ shall we say. Just because something may look
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strange and suspicious from the outside doesn’t mean that it is, and so leaving the control with said person allows them to guide the situation. Asking simple questions such as ‘can you walk me home?’ allows them an opportunity to remove themselves from a position they may feel uncomfortable with, without drawing great deals of attention to the situation. It is also important to add that you do not need to be suspicious of every single person when you are out drinking with your friends. Getting hit on at the bar is not an act suspicious of potential sexual violence. There is the resulting worry that people then become overly cautious when they are exposed to situations such as that because of the stories relayed of sexual violence at university. You cannot let yourself be restrained from living and enjoying your life through fear of being subject to sexual violence.
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fter catching up with Francesca, who took the training session I attended, I asked her how students had responded to the training sessions to which she told me, “the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. We
are now on our fourth open student session after the Freshers’ Week sessions, which themselves were overwhelmingly positive.” To have such incredible feedback on such an important issue is an extremely positive sign for what is to come in the future within this field. The spread of this message throughout campus as a whole is something that will undoubtedly be a result of this campaign, tackling its aim of awareness.
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or more information regarding the support available at the University of Glasgow visit: ttps://www.glasgowstudent.net/ advice/health-and-safety/sexual-violence/
Movember Memoirs
t’s that time of year again, where men all across the world put down their razors for 30 days and do their best to grow some lip hair, all in the name of charity. o, where did this fascination with growing Fu Manchu’s and handlebars all begin? The story starts in 2003 with two friends in Australia who, inspired by a friend’s campaign for breast cancer, decided to challenge 30 guys to grow moustaches with them for a month. Each man paid the small sum of 10 dollars each, which was donated to a prostate cancer charity. he guys involved quickly noticed the ability their new found facial hair had to spark up a conversation. Interest in this lip warming challenge grew quickly and in just one year the number of Mo bros grew from 30 to 450. This became the first official Movember, and in just 30 razor free days the brethren of Mo bros raised over £20,000. Movember migrated to the UK and USA in 2007 by this stage it had raised over 4 million pounds. s of 2015, over 5 million whiskered warriors have gone through the itchy, awkward for those of us who struggle to produce, magnificent facial features of the 80’s, slightly embarrassing process of not shaving for 30 days.
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ampaigns such as these are not there to scare you; they are there to liberate you and help you to continue a carefree disposition by teaching you how best to deal with certain situations, how to protect your friends, but also letting you know that if you require it, support is out there. good way to think of it is that you are most likely in a comfortable and consensual situation, non-legally speaking, “where it’s as easy to say ‘no’ as it is to say ‘yes.’” If you don’t feel comfortable saying ‘no’ to somebody with regards to anything sexual then this is probably not a consensual situation.
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he efforts of the Mo bros have been well rewarded, as an incredible £443 million has been raised. This money has funded over 1,200 men’s health projects in over 20 participating countries. This money has funded projects related to Prostate cancer, men’s mental health charities and many more amazing projects across the globe. ver the last few years, social media is full of Mo bros hairy heroics and stories of their hard working charities. Across the University many individuals and societies are tending to their moustaches in preparation for the final reveal on the 30th of November. One such story is that of former University of Glasgow student and current teacher Eamon Cooke. lifelong wrestling fan, Eamon has decided to emulate the famous horseshoe moustache of his wrestling hero, Hulk Hogan. This wrestlers big blonde bristle baton is among the more challenging of Movember moustaches you will see this month. Eamon’s moustache is all to raise awareness for men’s mental health. Mental health problems currently affect 1 in 8 men in the UK and on average 13 men take their life each day. Eamon’s charity Contact NI aims to raise awareness of this growing problem and offers free counselling and support to anyone who needs it, for whatever reason.
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s one last added bonus Eamon on the 30th of November will be teaching all his classes that day dressed as the man himself, Hulk Hogan. The outfit will be complete with leggings, bandana, feather boas, WWE belt, fake tan and of course, the Movember masterpiece that will (hopefully) be his moustache. amon’s charity is just one of the amazing organisations people are raising money for this month but if you would like to donate to him, his just giving page can be found on the G-You Facebook.
NEWS & POLITICS
Building Modern Feminism
Joanne Ferguson Politics Editor
I am unbelievably glad that someone is writing our election coverage. There are so many other important things I’m excited to tell you about. For example, some people are really starting to get a handle on the many, many dimensions of feminism. The Huffington post recently did a series called #BuildingModernMen talking about the astonishingly high rates of male suicide and how helping men to discuss their emotions is the best way of tackling this. In understanding why this is such a key angle to take, it is first important to understand how the patriarchy affects men. Men are encouraged not to cry because it’s seen as showing weakness. Or more accurately, showing emotion is seen as showing weakness. Emotion is typically associated with women. Men were associated with logic and reasoning. This can be seen in styles of writing – traditionally men writing treatises, and women writing character-centric novels. Totally not quoting my English Lit essay here… But it’s more important to note that even in modern society, where men and women are
considered equally capable of logic in western liberal democracies, emotion and logic are still categorised as masculine and feminine. The distinction is that while a woman can act tough and strong and keep her emotions to herself, she is still considered masculine for doing so. We still associate characteristics with masculinity and femininity, even if we no longer do with the male and female sexes. Obviously it is still not ideal to be a woman in the workplace, but at least we are trying to make progress. Unfortunately, there has been very little progress in the other direction, allowing those who identify as male to exhibit “feminine” characteristics like the showing of emotion. But what feminism needs to note is that these two issues are not only allied, they are interconnected. Both are as a result of society condemning femininity – condemning women for assuming they are incapable of logic, and condemning men for lowering themselves to the status of a woman. Think about for a child. I was a tomboy – which is a horrible phrase in itself and made me ashamed to be a girl – but it
was a hell of a lot easier for me to play with toy cars than it would be for a boy to play with a Barbie. This is because society saw me wanting to behave in a masculine way as admirable.
Huffington Post, 'We Asked Men When They Last Cried'). In it, some men said they cried regularly, some men said not at all. We can’t know whether those men didn’t cry at all by choice, but there were no dramatic effects to suggest “Menareencouragednot we should feel sad for these men, so that suggests the Hutocrybecauseit'sseenas ffington Post saw this as a legitimate response. It suggests showingweakness. Or that what they are aiming for to cry whether moreaccurately,showing isyouthatareit isa okay man, a woman, or emotionisseenasshowing anything in between, but that it is also okay not to. And if it’s not what they’re aiming for it’s weakness” what I’m aiming for. We have This why it is so important to keep talking about this. that feminism embraces campaigns such as #Buil- In a world where Donald dingModernMen, other than Trump is president, a man taking momentum away from who has literally bragged confrontational men’s rights about sexual assault, it is groups. If we help men to important to remember that behave in typically feminine there is hope. We have made ways, then we prove that it progress since the beginning is okay to be feminine, whe- of feminism – Mary Wollstother you are male or female. necraft’s Vindication of the RiObviously we have to keep ghts of Women is practically in mind that it is also okay to misogynist if you read it with a be masculine, and not show contemporary mindset – and your emotion. You just have to if we pretend that we haven’t, have the choice. then we let it slip away. So I salute the Huffington Post That was actually showca- for having this conversation, sed well in the campaign’s and this is my part in making promotional video (Search sure that conversation doesn’t stop.
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VIEWS
Fear and LoAthing in 2016
Harry Coloe
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016 has been for all wants of a definition, a god awful year. We have seen our country vote to leave the Europe Union, we have seen the United States vote for a candidate antithetical to every value they hold, we have seen huge cultural figures die, we have suffered the burden of ever more coursework, of dissertations and 9 to 5 labs, we have bared the brunt of increasingly costly pints in the beer bar and we have very little to assuage our fear that it is all going to shit. So what can we do? What little joys are there left in this world of despair?
do you do with all this anger? You run around some aesthetically pleasing fields. Kelvingrove is, to put it in your mum’s words, on your backdoor step. Go out there and stop being a fanny. Run, walk, stalk someone who has a beautiful whippet and post the pics on the Dogspotting facebook page. I literally don’t care as long as you leave your damp, cold flat for the damp, cold paths of Kelvingrove. Just going out in daylight and not having to think about the historiography of some central eastern European in the 20th century will do you wonders. Put some happy songs on, some sad songs, ) Cook dinner for some friends grab a flat white from Offshore like the hipster West-Ender you are, stick Cooking dinner for friends is one of those headphones on and star in your the easiest, and most satisfying ways own deeply angsty Noah Baumbach to make sure that your friends are, film, you’ll feel all the better for it. y’know, still your friends. Not only does it test your remaining post-fresher ) Eat healthily weeks’ friendships, but it also shows which friends are willing to suffer your Students eat poorly. Cheesy pasta, shitty cooking just to spend time with pizza, kebabs, take away, even that you. Even if you can only cook an la Fav isn’t doing you favours: all exomelette (shame on you, pal), it is pensive, all poor life choices. Is that a much more gratifying for your friends beer belly or are you just pleased to when it’s cooked by someone else. see me? Making what you eat from Cooking is probably a skill you should scratch, and seeing what you put in develop, it’s about as impressive as a there, makes you feel much better strawpedo and twice as useful. Even if about yourself. Yes, you may be hoit’s just an extension of pres for MNH, rribly hungover, but having anxiety or a carb loader for Hive Thursday, fe- over the thousands of calories you eding your friends will make you feel just consumed from that Pepperoni good (like a classic irish granny) and Passion isn’t gonna help. Make some will literally keep people you are mo- soup, some minestrone, some cousderately fond of alive for a few more cous; hell even just make a cheese hours. A win, win, I’d say. toasty from scratch rather than pay 7 quid for it. When you’re eating heal) Go for a run / walk / just outside! thily and sometimes not doing horrible things to your body you feel much You are angry at the world. Donald better. Trust me. Maybe (I really hope Trump is inevitably going to break up so at least, but am yet to find out, oh the loving bestfriendship of Biden and god why). Obama. Melania Trump will probably have to plagiarise every speech Mi) Join a political party chelle Obama ever gave, and Sainsbury’s have put up the price of their If you are still raging against the mabasic garlic bread: this is hell. So what chine, and not stuck in 2009, then just
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join a political party already. If you can justify and know why you’re joining a party other than your pals are in it, then you’re more than qualified. It’s the best way to get your voice heard, to have a say in what policies are supported and generally not to sound like a broken record the next time an election comes rolling through.
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) Be less mean to each other
If we’re so wound up over some dickhead like Trump winning the presidency we can all be less mean to each other. If you can’t, get in the sea. Like it isn’t hard, just try to empathise with people you normally wouldn’t. We’re all pretty similar, we all share 50% of our DNA with bananas. If you’re not a dick to bananas, why bother sneering at people different to yourself or who choose to go about their lives in slightly – completely non-important – ways. If you think it’s legit to be such a tool just because you’ve had a few pints or because someone doesn’t fit into your tiny view of the world then just hop on out of beer bar pal, and get in the sea.
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here has been a huge amount of outpouring of grief and frustration over the past few weeks, with wave after wave of bad news hitting us. For that grief and frustration to do anything we actually have to try and do better. We’re constantly complaining that the older generations have screwed us over, and they have, but we can’t just stand by, we can’t just drown our sorrows in pints of fun: we do have to try to be better. That starts with ourselves but continues with the way we treat others. It’s not exactly easy, but it’s far better than continuing with these stereotypes and cruelties that have let ideologues and fools and Toupee wearing Cheetos cruise into power. We can do better and we should, let’s start trying.
CULTURE
Scotland's Flaming Folklore
Lottie van Grieken Social Media Editor
Guy Fawkes Night While many of us do remember the 5th of November as ‘Bonfire Night’, how many people remember the reasoning behind this longstanding winter tradition? On the 5th November 1605, Guy Fawkes was arrested as part of an effort to blow up the House of Lords using gunpowder. On the night, to celebrate the fact that King James I had escaped this attempted death, there were bonfires lit all over London. To this day, each year, a bonfire is lit across the UK on the evening of the 5th November, with a straw ‘Guy Fawkes’ at the top, with fireworks, sparklers and celebration about his failure to bring down the parliament and kill the King all those years ago.
kings. Fire is central to many Scots Hogmanay festivities, with bonfires and fireworks present in almost every village/town/city and fire’s purpose is twofold: for celebration and for purification.
making of the fire balls which allows them to burn for so long. The procession is lead by a piper throughout the village and it is said that often the carriers will keep the fireball with them as they continue first footing.
Comrie’s Hogmanay Flambeaux
Biggar’s Bonfire
In keeping with the flame-y traditions, Comrie’s Flambeaux is an ancient fire festival in which 8 Flambeaux torches (large tree trucks which are burning at the top) are lit at midnight and paraded through the village. The Flambeaux are carried to each entrance to the village to drive out the evil spirits from the previous year and to cleanse the village for the New Year to come. The procession is followed by a pipe band and by villagers who share drinks and music and go ‘first footing’ from house to house en-route. There is a ceilidh in the central square of the St Andrew’s Day Torchlight Parade village. Once the Flambeaux have been paraded, they are tossed into To celebrate Scotland’s very own St the River Earn, signifying the casting Andrew’s Day, there is an annual tor- away of the evil spirits, and the celechlight parade through the West End brations continue into the early hours. of Glasgow. Paraders carry torches from the North Kelvinside football pitches to Kelvingrove Park followed by Stonehaven’s Fireball Festival samba bands and all the pipers and drummers you can dream of as a ce- Fire is used worldwide as something lebration of Scotland’s Patron Saint ‘both creative and destructive’. In Day. There is music and celebration Stonehaven, the tradition of the Hogthroughout the West End in coordina- manay fireballs is thought to have tion with this! (This year, the torchlight gone back for at least a hundred or a parade will be on the 26th November) hundred and fifty years and the festival is again used as a purification for Hogmanay the village in anticipation of the New Year. Locals swing flaming wire cages Hogmanay is an old Scots word for around their heads through the streets New Year’s Eve. The use of fire in old of the village and go from house to Hogmanay traditions is thought to house to celebrate with one another. perhaps have derived from the Vi- It is said there is a secret recipe in the
Dating back to the pagan times of fire worshipping, Biggar, once again, uses fire to cleanse the town in preparation of a New Year. The Biggar bonfire is one of the oldest Hogmanay traditions in Scotland. It is believed that even during the World Wars, a candle in a tin was kept lit at the bonfire site as a celebration but also to avoid enemy bombers. In past years, once the fire was lit, it would be left to burn for days and days. Now, there is a torchlight parade before the bonfire is lit ritually by the towns oldest resident in the central square and allowed to burn into the early hours of the New Year.
Burghead’s Burning Clavie Burghead locals continue their fire-y fun from Hogmanay to the 11th January. It is thought that this dates back to the 1750s when the Julian calendar was reformed in the UK. On this night, the clavie, which is a barrel filled with wood, tar and barrel parts is nailed to a post and carried to the house of one of the oldest residents, who then sets it alight with peat from his own fire, before the burning clavie is carried back through the town. It ends with the clavie being carried to an old stone fort on Doorie Hill just out of the village.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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Autumn on Campus
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Emma Harrison
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id-Autumn is undoubtedly one of the best times of year for photography. With hundreds of colours of leaves crisp on the ground, cool skies and temperatures just right for layering up for a stroll around the west end, it's ideal for getting some good shots; not to mention, our campus looks beautiful! I headed out with my camera to the University and Kelvingrove park to record some of the sights.
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) I started with the long path down to the South front of the University, framed with benches down to the archway. With the sun behind a cloud and rain still covering the paving slabs in a cold sheen, I thought this was a particularly moody shot that shows the incoming chill of winter; the colours have been desaturated to emphasise this. ) The Hogwarts-esque towers that make up the central building are easily the most photogenic part of the University, and definitely my favourite part of campus! In addition to capturing a corner of this architecture, I also included part of the large tree towering in the centre of the East Quadrangle; it is rarely more eye-catching than at this time of the year, when its leaves turn into a plethora of rich reds and gold.
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) Turning towards Kelvingrove park, I spotted this bench as I was leaving University avenue. I loved the coating of leaves produced by the overhanging trees that line the street; a naturally made photo composition just waiting to be captured. ) As always, Kelvingrove was full of curious squirrels, but this one was particularly happy to be on camera! It was hard to pick a favourite from the numerous photos provided, but I especially liked the quintessential ‘squirrel pose’ caught in this one while my model had a lunchtime snack. ) Unsurprisingly, most of my photos from the day were leaf focused! This tree looked very close to shedding the last of its covering, and I liked the textural effect that these dried-out leaves produced, as well as their warm chestnut colour. ) This shot took quite a few attempts, but I eventually managed to catch a leaf falling from its tree. Although it’s a little further away than I had been aiming, I liked the framing produced by the su-
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SCIENCE
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Caitlin Young Science and Culture Editor
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Now, I know what you might think; physicists they know their stuff right? Yes this is true – to an extent. That ‘stuff’ that they know only accounts for 5% of the universe. Yes, you read that right, 95% of the universe is currently unknown by all of these Einstein –types.
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emember when your mum and dad would tell you not to be afraid of the dark or the monsters under the bed. Think of physicists as the kids, NASA as the mum and dad, and aliens as the monsters under the bed (I’m kidding, aliens don’t exist). Yes, 95% is a lot of stuff not to know, while they have a vague idea about what is out there, this is all just guesswork. So they decided to group all of this unknown ‘stuff’ into one big category called dark matter and dark energy. They’re a creative bunch. But the question is, should physicists be afraid of the dark?
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e, as well as all our surroundings, are made up of atoms. These tiny particles are made up of subatomic particles, which if you can believe it are even smaller. Only 5% of our universe, which you could say is pretty big, is made up of matter that we know about it. The remainder of the
universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy.
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ark matter is only 25% of the unknown, the other 70% is dark energy, which is essentially a force that repels gravity – gravity being the thing that keeps everything in its place. No biggie.
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he idea of dark matter was created to make sense of the gravitational effects observed in the universe that didn’t match up with the amount of visible matter. So, how did they come to this seemingly vague conclusion? It is all to do with how the galaxies in our universe are spinning. In the 1930s a Swiss Astronomer, Fritz Zwicky, observed an unusual occurrence, which contradicted many of the fundamental laws of physics. Zwicky observed that some galaxies were spinning at a velocity that meant that the stars within them should be flying away from each other. 30 years later, female astronomer, Vera Rubin, made the same observations but because she was a woman her discovery was disregarded. No surprise there. Both Zwicky and Rubin shared the same problem – their observations defied a lot of the laws of physics because things weren’t behaving the way they should
be. Together, this was enough to convince others that something strange was happening.
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he effects of this invisible substance were great enough for astronomers to make the conclusion that there must be a lot more dark matter than visible matter. This ‘invisible substance’ has a name, which all well and good, but they are still not exactly sure what it is.
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hile both dark matter and dark energy are weird, the latter is the weirdest or as physicists say “the most mysterious”. So much so that its discovery was a total shock to physicists – the discovery meant that everything that they thought was true essentially was thrown out the window because of this mysterious force. The universe is regarded to be flat, and fortunately for physicists the discovery of dark energy did not cause them a massive headache and contradict this theory. Recent discoveries suggested that the rate of expansion of the universe is increasing. For the longest time, it was assumed that the universe was flat, and we still have this assumption but there are some questions to be answered. Due to the changing nature of the expansion rate of the universe, physicists came to
the conclusion that there was something acting like gravity but in the opposite way, it was a repulsive force. Dark energy is now often described as repulsive gravity – it is pushing the universe apart.
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o summarise, physics is just a giant headache. But in all seriousness, while physicists and astronomers alike have a vague idea of what is going on beyond what we already know there is still a tonne that they have to get to the bottom of. As we discover more and more about dark matter and dark energy it gets exciting because as the physicists delve deeper into their research it could mean that what we think we know isn’t actually correct.
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o, back to my original question: should physicists be afraid of the dark? My answer is no. As a physics student with aspirations of going into a research career, the prospect of possibly being part of discovering even 1% of the 95% that is currently unknown is an exciting one. In this case, the dark is nothing to be afraid of. However, we were probably right as kids not to trust our parents when they told us not to be afraid of the dark – who knows what was lurking under the bed.
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LIFESTYLE
How To Keep Warm This Winter: The Hot Drink Round-Up
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Katie MacLeod Lifestyle Editor
I hate to say it, but I really do look forward to those Christmas coffee cups. Going to Costa recently, I asked for my drink in a takeaway cup, despite having all intention on lounging on their couch for the next 45 minutes admiring said takeaway cup thinking of the happy winter months ahead. What’s not to love about the jolly-red, snowman-adorning, festive-patterned cups? They symbolise all that is good about winter, and warm your hands from the all-too-early December (November!!!) icy cold chill with its charming contents. They are a symbol that we can now, officially, start the count-down to Christmas. We can start unbuttoning those top buttons on our jeans. We can begin to shop for Christmas party dresses. We can start enjoying turkey and cranberry for every meal if we so wish. We can start sending our parents links to things we cannot afford but would very much appreciate in our stocking, even at the age of 21…. Oh! And we can begin to….study for December exams. But even that is a reason to treat yourself to Christmas in a cup, it is guaranteed to make a long day in the library a bit more delicious, reminding you that the end is nigh and soon you will be driving (or most likely getting on a bus or train) home for Christmas to your cosy home and your dog, away from chilly student flats and library café sandwiches for lunch.
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n this note, let’s have a look at this season’s HOTTEST new drinks....
Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate: Costa
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started my winter drink season off with this, dare I say it, absolute belter. I am partial to a good hot chocolate, I’ll tell you that and I have had a fair share in my time. This, however, completely takes the biscuit. Toasted marshmallow, you say? You didn’t expect much, you say? You will be proven wrong. It is silky perfection. It’s not sickly or overpowering, but adds a much needed dimension onto a standard hot chocolate. It really does taste of toasted marshmallow, believe it or not. And to top it off, you get sparkly marshmallows on top…. I might be showing my very limited girly tendencies here, but what is not to love about that? 5/5 would have every day of life if was not trying to slim for D*** F*****
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Toffee Nut Latte: Starbucks
e all know it, we all love it, we all wait all year for it. I think. Or that could possibly just be me. However, regardless, it is a classic, it is definitely exceeding the ‘quite nice’ category, and its existence will hopefully never cease. If you’ve never had one on the run up to Christmas then I find it hard to relate to your life at all. 3/5 would have perhaps once every two weeks if could be bothered venturing down the dreaded Great George Street and back again
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Mint Hot Chocolate: Pret a Manger
Street?) I may have a different opinion on the whole situation but actually venturing outside of the Westend bubble to be let down like this has certainly left a sour taste in more ways than one. It was alright, at very best. Let’s leave it at that, no one likes a bitch. 1/5 would probably never have again unless wanted to be put in a bad mood, ie, oh yeah…never
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Honeycomb Latte: Costa
have to say, I was sceptical. But, despite these levels of scepticism (and a brother who is a Costa Barista urging me to) I tried it. And it was incredible. It literally tasted like a Crunchie mixed with coffee… weirdly enough. It even came with little Crunchie pieces on the top, and whipped cream. Now, this is where I begin to feel uneasy….whipped cream….on a coffee…. are you wise? Not for me thanks, bud. I like my coffee hot, and there’s nothing worse than when that cream starts to melt, you take a sip of the coffee, and it’s lukewarm at best. It might be aesthetically more pleasing for your Instagram post, but further than this there are no kind words to say on the matter. Order this coffee minus the cream, if you’re a normal human being, and you’ll have a Christmas coffee that might even be better than the toffee nut. 4/5 would order more frequently than a toffee nut but would chop Barista’s hands off if given to me with whipped cream
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o, here we have it folks – the peaks ’m going to begin by saying, it was and troughs of winter drinks on the not worth a Subway ride into town for. market. I hope you gain as many I mean, if it was at bottom of the hill pounds, sampling the many more hot beside M&S (whaaaaat? Did someone drinking delights, as I will. say Pret at the bottom of Great George
REVIEW
come rhyme with me
when you look at the menu, “where to begin!” a top tip to take into consideration it gets awfully busy, but you can book reservations we reckon if you want somewhere to take mum for that award, singl-end undoubtedly won!
Sinead O’Hagan & Sophie Thorton
another wee tip from glasgow west end a cafe called pena that sits round the bend back once again for some west end reviews, of gibson street roughly half way up the hill for restaurant recommendations and advice you can use. a sweet little coffee shop where you can go and can chill when sinead's parents flew over to Glasgow the hot drinks they boast are all just two pounds we found a new budget for dining to blow and the cafe always smells of fresh coffee grounds there is outdoor seating for al fresco dining a pleasant evening was had at turnip and enjoy although in Glasgow right now, the sun is far from shining with unusual ingredients, from choo choo to bok choy so we suggest you ditch the library cafeteria coffee the food was divine and the wine splendid to match rather walk down to pena, their lattes are ever so frothy! a culinary experience that need not be patched the restaurant boasts that it is michelin recommended ubiquitous chip is an indulgent day out and that, we will agree, the menu was splendid an expensive treat, there is no doubt however the service was somewhat quite slow whilst the menu is a tad more pricey and the building was drafty from the number of windows the experience should not be taken lightly but don’t let the snow put you off here for dining the atmosphere light, charming and fun we’re only fine picking, its merely just whining we sat up on the mezzanine, it was second to none the balcony was all decked out in ivy we probably don’t need to make you aware we were given our own we corner, plenty of privacy that in glasgow west end brunch is quite the affair what really made the meal ever so special an abundance of all day breakfasts appear the wine that they served was a chip creation, next level! sweet and savoury, far and near we both agree that we have found number one and so concludes this rhyme for some time the delicious singl-end will not be outdone until next term? maybe next time join us, come dine they cater for meat eaters, veggies and vegans, xxx LIFESTYLE
Zoe McNaughton
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Library Lunches
e’ve all been there - it’s 1pm in the library, your concentration’s slipping and you’ve got a hunger that a Fraser building egg-mayo just isn’t going to satisfy. As students, there’s nothing we love better than a good lunch-deal; they’re quick, good value for money and perfect for refuelling on a busy day at uni. Lucky for us here in the West End, we’re never more than a stone’s throw away from something truly delicious. As a self-proclaimed food lover and regular lunch-eater, I’ve done my research and it’s safe to say we’re spoilt for choice on the lunch front. Whether you want a quick hand-held bite or something a little more indulgent, Glasgow’s always got you covered.
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yres Road is an obvious go-to for a bite to eat in between study sessions, but there is so much more to it than your average Boots meal-deal. Why settle for a cold chicken wrap when you could get some fresh hot Mexican
just a few doors down? Grab a burrito, tortilla chips and a can at Taco Mazama for just under a fiver. This popular spot boasts a variety of tasty fillings and toppings, and caters to meat-eaters, veggies and vegans alike. If you’re not in the mood for all that spice though, take a little walk up the road to Old Salty’s. This popular chippy offers an under-appreciated £5 lunch deal on weekdays; options range from lighter fayre like soups and salads, to their prized mac and cheese or a small fish supper if you’ve got that Friday feeling.
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f it’s just a sandwich you’re after, the possibilities are endless. You’re first port of call has got to be Peña. This cute little nook down Eton Lane is just a two minute walk from the library, and is a favourite among coffee aficionados as well as foodies. Its ever-evolving menu now offers creative open-faced sandwiches and salads as well as their famous cheese toasties, which you can still grab
with any hot drink in their deal. Walk a little to Great Western Road and you’ll come across the sandwich institution that is Il Cappuccino. Having served hungry West-Enders for over 20 years, their £4.50 lunch-deal, which includes a special sandwich, crisps and a drink, is an offer not to be refused - the esteemed Italian Stallion is a personal favourite.
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n the mood for something a bit healthier? Don’t be put off by Roots and Fruits’ shop prices; just £3 will buy you a big bowl of fresh soup and bread, ideal on one of Glasgow’s triweekly rainy days. Tchai-Ovna’s hippie paradise on Otago Lane is also great for a cozy-catch up, and are now serving free sandwiches with each bowl of their comforting veggie soups.
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hile these are all lunchtime gems that aren’t to be missed, these few suggestions don’t do the huge variety the West End has to offer justice. In this ever-expanding foodie hotspot, there are so many more places to go, menus to see and sandwiches to conquer. All I can say is, challenge accepted. MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 13
TRAVEL
Travel Tales: Interrailing Hannah West & Hannah Lane
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RAVELLING AS A GROUP:
ndoubtedly one of the things to get you through a dark winter are the long university summers at the end of the here are, without doubt, pros and cons to traacademic year. Filling this time, however, can be more velling with a large group of friends. Being in a of a challenge; it takes a bit of organisation and planning to do group of like-minded people who are all up for something out of the ordinary and adventurous with that time. To make this easier, organising an interrailing trip around Euro- enjoying the adventure together is a huge amount of fun – so pe is a great way to go travelling and see as many countries as many memories are made and so many laughs had. Group travel is also a great way to go if it’s your first trip by yourself possible whilst on a tight budget. or without family, as you will always be surrounded by familiar faces and will always have help if something goes wrong. Plus, there’s the ‘safety in numbers’ aspect that allows you to go to places that perhaps wouldn’t be as safe to travel to alone.
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RAVELLING AS A COUPLE:
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owever, going in a large group – probably as many as five or more – does take more organisation than a quiet trip for two or three. Even before you’re out of the country, there are meetings to organise and trains to book; and this can be a tricky thing when contribution from everyone in the group is needed. As a solution for this, I would suggest planning in advance and making sure there is enough time to reschedule meetings and book the trip in time. However, as a warning, if you’re a natural leader you may end up being the guardian of nterrailing as a couple only enhances the allure that trave- the group for the majority of the trip! lling has as a romantic and thrilling activity; whilst arguments about who it was who forgot to book seat reservations on that train to Paris are inevitable, travel brings forth into the everyday so many breath-taking and astonishing experiences. Lasting memories about that night you spent drinking wine on the beach in Nice or that day your boyfriend got heatstroke in the Gardens of Schönbrunn are made, and you can be assured that they will last a lifetime. fter a busy year spent at uni surrounded by so many different people, spending time travelling with your partner can be a refreshing and welcome change. Although for some the idea of trekking across Europe with only one person by your side to talk to and share the unpredictabilites of travelling with can appear rather daunting, the experience really is an ideal way to allow your relationship to grow.
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RAGUE
or a budget destination that still has beautiful architecture, incredible weather and amazing night life, Prague is a great one for student travellers. A stark contrast to vast cities such as Berlin, Prague is a far smaller city, with everything you could ever want to see condensed into a much smaller area which you can walk around with ease, seeing everything you could possibly want to. It’s a brilliant city for first-time travellers, because as soon as you find Old Town Square it’s easy to navigate your way to the beautiful Vltava River, the Charles Bridge, the Castle and an abundance of wonderful places to relax and enjoy the atmosphere (our personal favourite, the Beer Garden by the Vltava with live music every day).
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TRAVEL
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UDAPEST
f you’re looking for a culturally enticing European destination that doesn’t break the bank, Budapest is an ideal destination. Located in central Hungary, Budapest is easily accessible by train from many cities across Europe and is financially ideal due to its placement in Eastern Europe. Hostels and hotels are cheap and easily accessible, and the city contains many exciting and cultural landmarks, museums and other tourist destinations.
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firm favourite for us was the Fisherman’s Bastion, situated on Buda Castle Hill – the lovely lookout towers of the Bastion were built in the nineteenth century to serve as a lookout point for the best panoramic views of the Danube river and the city, and due to their architectural beauty are still popular with tourists today. The famous Eastern European thermal baths are an ideal way to spend some time unwinding in Budapest – we visited Széchenyi baths in the City Park, and found bobbing around in pools of differing temperatures and sizes to be ideal for those looking for a calm and relaxing way to spend a day. Other attractions include climbing Gellért Hill; going for a very cheap but delicious coffee in one of the many coffee shops; strolling around Margaret Island and the Danube, or taking a tour round the beautiful parliament building. Spending even a weekend in Budapest is enough time to get a taste of this terrific city and all it has to offer, and we will definitely be back to see more.
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OP TIPS
) Research! Always make sure you know enough about the place you’re going to travel websites often have great forums where people post their experiences in certain places, and reviews on hostels or Air B&Bs are a great way to find out how suitable a place is for you.
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) Book train tickets in advance – some trains can only be boarded with reservations, and for overnight trains it will also help you get a sleeper room together! ) Invest in Theft and Loss coverage for your interrail ticket – you only get given one, and without coverage your tickets won’t be refunded if it gets lost or stolen. ) Work out how the interrail ticket works before you leave – it can be more confusing than you think!
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CULTURE
Library Playlist: from light till dark Caitlin Young
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he dreaded winter exam season is fast approaching. Not only do we need to deal with the horrible Glaswegian winter weather, we also have to deal with the stress of exams and the lack of seats in the library. But if there’s one thing that can make all of that better is a great study playlist. So here are my recommendations to take you from the gloomy dark mornings ‘til the gloomy dark evenings in the library.
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OR YOUR COMMUTE immy Eat World – Salt, Sweat, Sugar
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tart your day off in the right way with a song that will get you motivated and excited for the day ahead (I’m kidding, you’re going to the library and it’s probably still dark. But I’m being optimistic.) alsey – New Americana
e all need a sassy song to walk to, even the boys, and this is a perfect song for that. You do you and march up library hill and own your day at the library.
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ajor Lazer – Lean On
his may be the song of summer 2015 but that doesn’t mean you can’t listen to it on your morning walk to the library. It’ll remind you of the good times and momentarily distract you from the horrors that are lurking behind the doors of the library.
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OR PROCRASTINATION odd Terje – Dolorean Dynamite
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ne hour left before you leave the library and your thinking about whether or not to take your pals up on the offer to go out tonight. So you listen to your ‘going out’ songs to help you decide. You’ll probably end up going out, let’s not lie.
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hantom Planet – California
ithout fail this song always makes me think of summer aka freedom from uni, so whenever this comes on shuffle my concentration dwindles to nothing. tis Redding – Sitting on the Dock of the Bay ou WISH you were sitting on the dock of the bay and not sitting in the library surrounded by a pile of books.
CULTURE
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OR BEING PRODUCTIVE on Iver – Towers
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ustin Vernon’s soothing voice will aid your studying perfectly. Bon Iver really can’t go wrong, so anyone of their songs would be a perfect addition to the playlist.
leetwood Mac – Crystal
his one is one of their relatively unknown gems. It’s a very chilled and soothing song so it definitely won’t distract you from that mountain of reading that you’ve got to get through for Monday. inematic Orchestra – Arrival of the Birds
cores are one of the best things to listen to whilst studying. As we all know it’s so easy to get distracted by the lyrics of one of your favourite songs and then before you know it you’re rereading the same page in your textbook for the 10th time.
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G Lewis – Warm his song has a good chilled out beat and it definitely won’t distract you from what you need to get done.
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OR HEADING HOME ohnny Cash – Hurt
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his is perfect for when it gets to midnight in the lib, you’ve lost all motivation, you’re questioning whether uni is really for you and you just want to look out the window and pretend to be in a sad movie. The struggle is most definitely real.
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eyonce – Schoolin’ Life Who needs a degree when your schoolin’ life” is what Beyonce tells us. So If Beyonce says it must be true… right?
he Weeknd – I Can’t Feel My Face
he walk home songs are important so it’s essential that you get them right. By the end of the day you probably won’t be able to feel your brain because it’ll be like mush after your long day in the wonderful library. So this song is quite apt for the situation.
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OR YOUR BREAK ustin Timberlake – Cry Me A River
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ne of the best break-up songs gifted to us but also a good one to listen to because lets be honest Justin T can cheer up any bad situation, no matter what song.
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obin Schulz – Sugar fun song to perk you up when you reach the halfway point in your study sesh, anything to keep your sanity levels high is a win.
anklemut – My Head is a Jungle
idway through your library day, you feel like can’t on and your head literally feels like it might explode. This song probably describes those feelings.
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HOROSCOPES
WRITTEN IN THE STARS
Amy McShane
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r e y o u a s c o n f u s e d a b o u t y o u r l if e a s I a m? D o y o u o f t e n l o o k t o t h e s t a r s, s t r a i n i n g y o u r e y e s t h r o u g h t h e l i g h t p o l l u t i o n o f t h e W e s t E n d, t o t r y a n d f i n d a n s w e r s? P r o b a b ly n o t. Ev e n s o, I h a v e d e c i d e d t h i s m o n t h t o t u r n m y p r o cr a s t i n a t i n g h a b it s i n t o d e v e l o p i n g a n e w h o b b y: h o r o s c o p e s. I’v e g o t t h e m o n t h o f N o v e m b e r c o v e r e d, y o u c a n s it b a c k a n d r e l a x, f o r I k n o w e x a c t ly w h a t’s g o i n g t o h a p p e n t o y o u a f t e r a n a ly s i n g t h e z o d i a c s i g n s a n d r u b b i n g u p a cr y st a l b a l l I f o u n d i n t h e B y r e s R o a d O x f a m s h o p. L e t m e l a y o u t y o u r f o r t u n e s... AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
PISCES (Feb 19 - March 20)
A fire sign, the stars says Aquarius guys and gals are ‘independent’, so I think you’re going to have a pretty sassy November. You enjoy fun with friends (who doesn’t?) and intellectual conversation, so I predict you’ll have a fun intellectual conversation with friends this month. However, you’re known not to like people who disagree with you, so make sure they’re friends with similar opinions to you. That way, you won’t let your temperamental streak shine through this November. No one wants that in the run up to Christmas.
Pisces is a water sign. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a bath this month? Pisces enjoy swimming and being alone, and both of those are things you can do in your bath, so you’re off to a pretty great start this November. Be careful though, because you don’t take well to criticism - so maybe make sure your flatmates don’t catch sight of you trying to swim in the bath. The stars tell me you like music, so maybe cover up the sound of splashing with some singing?
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
The stars tell me you are ruled by Mars. That’s pretty great. Mars make Snickers, Malteasers, Galaxy, Bounty...your November is going to be banging. Thankfully, Aries are a fan of ‘comfortable clothes’ (?) so you can keep that food baby underwraps. Unless, of course, you end up canoodling with a Libra this month - they are your most compatible for relationships. Maybe take a peek are your library crush’s student card on their desk and work out their star sign? If it’s Libra, the
Taurus signs are apparently excellent cooks and entertainers. You know what that means - dinner party! You also like gardening and using your hands. Why not forage your ingredients in the Botanic gardens? That’s pretty West End if you ask me. However, you are also stubborn, so if you find some sort of tasty mushroom-looking thing in the Botanics but you’re not too sure it’s safe for your dinner party, don’t be stubborn - maybe just try Waitrose instead.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Gemini, it is written in the stars that this month you should do some exploring. You are inquisitive and curious, it sounds like you need an adventure. You are also indecisive, so I’ve made the decision for you: book the cheapest flight out of Glasgow International Airport for this weekend. The first result is Bristol, and the second is Tiree. Those are two pretty bold choices, what’s it going to be? Geminis don’t like being alone so I recommend you veto Tiree for just now.
The Cancer sign is a crab, so I think we both know what the stars have in store for you: a trip to the Sealife Centre! I must stress that you should not get this confused with ‘Sea World’ and watch Blackfish on Netflix before your trip. You are very emotional and sensitive so this would probably not be a good idea. I’ve had a look at the Sealife Centre Loch Lomond website for you and you’re in for a treat - they are home to the only Cow-Nose Rays in Scotland! Damn!
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HOROSCOPES
LEO (July 23 - Aug 22)
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
Leos are passionate and feisty, but also arrogant and stubborn. It sounds like you need to let all of those fiery emotions out with something like salsa dancing. You’re also extremely difficult to resist (I know that feeling well...I’m a Leo) so perhaps your salsa moves will attract the attention of a fellow fiery dancer. You could both learn to salsa together this November and keep each other warm with all that jumping around in leotards. That’s salsa dancing, right?
According to the stars, you like animals, healthy food, books and cleanliness. I predict that you will read a book about healthy food for clean guinea pigs this month. It’s scary how accurate the stars can be. You knew that was coming, didn’t you? Find yourself a little spot in the library and find that book I talked about. Apparently your attitude to life is ‘all work and no play’, so I think you deserve some time out from your coursework. Enjoy that guinea pig book.
LIBRA (Sept 23 - Oct 22)
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Libra, I’ve been told that your lucky day is Friday. The stars have something great set up for you. Put your dancing shoes on, meet your favourite friend and head out on the town. I’m pretty sure Viper is open on a Friday. I can see that you’re ready to meet your lifelong partner. I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone who found their lifelong partner in Viper, but the stars don’t lie, so keep your eyes peeled - they’re in that room somewhere.
Ah, Scorpio. The colour you should be embracing this month is red. Go crazy, buy a whole new red-themed wardrobe for this month. I predict that wearing red will get you lots of attention, particularly from any charging bulls hanging around the West End. Your planet this month is Pluto, which is the planet of transformation and regeneration, so really embrace that red look - make it your ‘thing’. It’s hipster. Good luck will follow. But seriously, stay away from bulls.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Sagittarius, if you’re single and looking for someone to spoon with this winter, why don’t you join those salsa classes I told Leo about? You guys are pretty compatible...just saying. The stars show me that you are a free spirit, optimistic and enthusiastic. As everyone else around you feels the effect of the constant darkness that blankets Scotland for the next six months, make sure you sprinkle as much of that optimism around as possible. Be optimistic at uni, be optimistic at work, be optimistic in the shower. Just be optimistic everywhere: you are the glue holding society together, and the stars thank you for that.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 19) How did you get so lucky, Capricorn? A birthday AND Christmas (if you celebrate it) all in one month!? The stars also tell me your dislikes are ‘almost everything at some point’. Hm. I assume that includes the festive season overshadowing your birthday? Yeah, I thought so. Try not to get too worked up over that. You’re known for being close to your family, so just think about how much you love them and everything will be great this November. Think of all the presents this month...
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GUU WEEKLY
EVENTS MONDAY
THURSDAY
TUESDAY
FRIDAY
BEER BAR QUIZ
HIVE
SPEAKER TRAINING
OPEN MIC NIGHT
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
CONTRIBUTORS MEETING 20 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ
SWITCH SATURDAY