January '17: The Feel Good Issue by Glasgow University Union's Official Magazine

NOVEMBER 2013

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CONTENTS Liseli gives you her rundown of Semester One at the GUU

Positivity and Parkinson's

Debating Success for GUU in the Netherlands

CHARITY

NEWS&POLITICS

FROM THE BOARD

PAGE 5-6

PAGE 4

British Values NEWS&POLITICS PAGE 7-8

PAGE 6

A Positive Start to Your Semester

Behind the Scenes: Daft Friday'16

Featured Photographs: Winter Edition

CULTURE

LIFESTYLE

BEHIND THE SCENES

PHOTOGRAPHY

PAGE 8

PAGE 9

PAGE 10-11

PAGE 12

Choose your Friends. Choose to See T2.

Humans of Hollywood CULTURE PAGE 13

Seasonal Affective Disorder VIEWS PAGE 17

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2017? We've Got you Covered CULTURE PAGE 14-15

The Invisible Sixty Million VIEWS PAGE 18

GUDPC: Feeling Strong SOCIETY PAGE 16

Art Feature: Woman and Rose ART PAGE 19

CONTRIBUTORS Liseli Sumbwaynambe Lottie Van Grieken Joanne Ferguson Harry Coloe Caitlin Young Katie MacLeod Rita Skeeter Tom Smits Rachel McCarney Amy McShane David Nkansah Sophie Bryer

EDITORIAL TEAM Cover/GraphicDesign-RachelMcCarney News&PoliticsEditor-JoanneFerguson Views Editor - Amy McShane Lifestyle Editor - Katie MacLeod Culture Editor - Caitlin Young Photography Editor - Tom Smits Website/FeaturesEditor-JessSimpson, Johanna Crighton Social Media - Lottie van Grieken

WELCOME

Happy New Year! I hope you had a relaxing festive break and are ready to get back to extended procrastination and empty fridges. January is often seen as a month of change; resolutions are made, goals are set and the gym seems to loom larger than ever. With this in mind, our theme for this issue is 'Feeling Good.' It's great to set goals, but is easy to forget to look at the positive side of things in the midst of constant criticism and need for change. Sometimes, things are okay as they are! I hope our articles offer you a slice of this mentality. We've got tips for a positive start to your semester (p.9), the best of the year ahead (p.14) and discuss finding the good in tough times (p.5, p.7). We know this month can be hard, but sometimes focusing on making what you have seem better can do more good than striving to alter everything. Have a great month!

Anna Ireland Editor-In-Chief MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 3

FROM THE BOARD

From The Board Liseli Sumbwaynambe Assistant Honorary Secretary

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ello and HAPPY 2017!

ow the pigs in blankets and fireworks are done, as a board we have been working extra hard to ease your transition from festive season to University life. After ending last term with the magical D*** F*****, this semester we are keeping the ball rolling starting with the Cross Campus Refreshers Week! Over the fortnight we will be running events with our pals QMU, GUSA and SRC to bring a packed schedule of events.

his first week of Refreshers has seen some incredible events including Radio 1’s Huw Stephens DJ set on our opening Switch Saturday and a debate on travel to Mars! Affiliated clubs and societies are extremely important to everything we do within the Union. Over the upcoming weeks we have taken the opportunity to collaborate with some of our societies to provide you with exclusive one off events! This Thursday (19th) we are hosting a carnival themed Hispanic Panic in the Well in association with the Hispanic Society. For one night we will be bringing the Rio Carnival to you with salsa music all night . If salsa isn’t for you, we have teamed up with the Big Band Society on Wednesday (18th) for Big Band Open Mic! Similar to our weekly open mic, this night will give members the opportunity to sing their heart out while backed by a full brass band!

econd Semester is one of my favourite times of year. Within the GUU second semester only means one thing… MONTH OF GAMES. Month of Games is your chance to get your name down in gold leaf whether your strengths lie in the infamous strawpedo race or a treasure hunt across campus. During February there will be events on every week with prizes. Prizes range from your name eternalised on the Beer Bar wall to cash pri-

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zes to piggyback you through to SAASmas – don’t say we aren’t good to you! Games Committee will be running tournaments including Iron Stomach, the Big All Day Games Event (B.A.D.G.E), Dodgeball, Pool, Darts and Beer Pong… to name a few. To keep up to date with what is going on in the GUU follow our Facebook Page and the GUU GAMES COM page!

he Union however is not all about games, we are extremely proud of our long history of debating success. Having won the world debating championship five times and moulded speakers of the quality of Charles Kennedy, we have gained global recognition for our unique training and lively events. This month we sent two teams to compete in the World Debating Championships at The Hague.

f you would like to take the opportunity to get involved in debating, speaker training is held on Tuesday’s at 6pm in the Bridie Library. The speaker training program teaches you to be a witty, intelligent and engaging speaker giving you the skills necessary to confidently express your opinions. For those interested in competitive debating this is where you can train to compete against the likes of Oxford and Harvard, but it is also a great opportunity to kick back and enjoy a VK (or two) by the fire!

adly as we enter this semester we also draw closer to the end of our term as your Board of Management. After such a successful year we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their contributions towards the Union. With elections coming up in March this is a great opportunity to get involved within the Union! We will be having an open evening in the beginning of February to give you the chance to speak to us and find out what a day in the life of a Board Member is actually like! If you will not be able to make that we are always around the building and available to chat!

CHARITY

Positivity and Parkinsons Lottie Van Grieken Social Media Editor

‘

among other things which can impact on the daily lives of those suffering from it. While there has been progress in medical care, there is yet to be a cure for Parkinson’s and the disease is one which progressively worsens for the individual over time. A huge lack of awareness over the symptoms of the disease, and its imremors? Slow movement? pact on lives, is something which Blanked expression? ‘Shif- in itself poses as a challenge for those living with Parkinson’s. ty’ behaviour?

ifty-four-year-old Mark Worsfold was arrested at the 2012 Olympic games for his suspicious behaviour, in that he was not smiling and expressly showing that he was enjoying himself and because of ‘his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course’.

T W

hilst these could be the signs of drunkenness, drug abuse or a suspicious characters, are you aware these are some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?

arkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological condition which affects around one in every 500 people. That equates to around 127,000 people in the UK. Parkinson’s is caused by a lack of a chemical called dopamine, because some of the cells in their brain have died. Without this, many people find their movements slow, as the loss of these nerve cells in the brain causes the symptoms of Parkinson’s to occur. Parkinson’s Disease does not only have the obvious physical symptoms, such as slowness, tremors, rigidity and seemingly blanked facial expression, but also causes tiredness, pains and depression

"Being open and honest and understanding means that other people do not have to face stereotypes and misunderstandings.""

ut it’s the new year afterall. Where is the positivity? New year, new challenges, new determination and new positivity.

few days into the New Year, I posted my own story of the impact of knowing someone with Parkinson’s Disease by sharing (for the first time on social media) a Justgiving fundraising page for my Dad. Around 10 years ago, my Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This May, he will be cycling the 81 mile ‘Etape Caledonia’ for the sixth time.

I thought initially that I could ignore it and pretend nothing would change and that it would not affect my family and daily life… thought that if I told people that I had Parkinson’s, that I would be, sympathetically perhaps, cast aside by the wider world’ (from his Justgiving page)

t took a lot of time for my Dad, and our family, to come to terms with the realities of his Parkinson’s and the future realities which we would all face from it, and for so long it was an ‘elephant in the corner’, known about but never discussed. But overwhelmingly, I remember my Dad telling me he didn’t want us to treat him differently, or act like he couldn’t do things anymore, and that he was still the same person, ‘just a bit slower’. He couldn’t have been more right about this, as 10 years on, he still is one of the most determined and capable people I know and never fails to amaze us with his ambitions. He is positive in the face of his struggles and has learnt (more than ever) to live life to the fullest.

ne of the crucial things to come from this all is to learn that being open and honest and understanding of illnesses which have such an impact on a persons life hopefully means that other people do not have to face stereotypes and MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 5

NEWS & POLITICS

misunderstandings in the same ways. People with Parkinson’s have enough of a struggle without having to suffer through the stereotypes, stares and assumptions of their disease being associated with such negativity as alcoholism and drug abuse.

his year my Dad has taken his challenge is one step further. In April he will be turning 60, and ever determined, over the course of this year he has challenged himself with fundraising £60,000 for Parkinson’s UK.

‘

My fundraising target is very ambitious, but if it is achieved it would fund cutting edge re-

search for a full year and fund a Parkinson’s nurse for a day a week for a year.’

e has many plays for trying to raise this funding, but his biggest event will be the Etape cycle. I don’t know about you, but even in the face of my ever hopeful new years’ fitness resolution, I cannot image ever being able to complete an 81mile uphill cycle.

y Dad’s story is just one of thousands, and there are so many people out there who struggle through things such as Parkinson’s and other diseases like it without a platform to discuss it so openly.

Parkinson’s may slow movements, but it does not impact on a person’s personality.

f you would like to find out more information, ways to get involved, help raise awareness or funding, please have a look at the Parkinson’s UK website: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/ r in more detail about my Dad’s own experience and fundraising challenge: https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ Marc-van-Grieken1?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Marc-van-Grieken1&utm_ campaign=pfp-share

Debating Success for GUU in the Netherlands

Harry Coloe

very year, in the post-Christmas holiday period hundreds of university students leave their loved ones, their guaranteed food babies, and any sense of holiday relaxation at home, in order to travel to the World University Debating Championship. Universities across the globe: Harvard, Yale, Sydney, Oxford, Cambridge, IIUM and more send teams to compete in the World Championships that Glasgow University Union helped to set up in 1981. Glasgow University Union still to this day sends teams to the World University Debating Championships, and competes with the best institutions in the world. Glasgow University Union have won these championships 5 times in its history, making it one of the world’s most successful debating institutions. This year the G.U.U. saw a level of success

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not seen in 19 years. With debates centered around the armed forces, sport, post-genocide policy, technology start-ups and economic policy, after 9 rounds of debating Glasgow University Union A (Bethany Garry & Owen Mooney), came twelfth overall, beating over 300 teams & progressing into the Open Octofinals. G.U.U A progressed through their Octo & Quarter Finals, and went out on a controversial split decision in the Open Se-

"Glasgow University Union is one of the world's most successful debating institutions."

mi-Finals of the World University Debating Championships. By the end of their tournament, the team had progressed further than Cambridge, Harvard and multiple other prestigious institutions, in a competition made up of over 1000 individual competitors. G.U.U. went with a point to prove, and they emphatically did so. Congratulations to both Bethany and Owen for such a great achievement and making the Union so proud.

NEWS & POLITICS

British Values

Joanne Ferguson Politics Editor The theme for this month’s issue is positivity … Yeah, that’s just not going to happen in a politics article. Here is one of the many reasons why I am uneasy about the current political climate. When I was a kid, I knew the name Nick Griffin. Granted, I sometimes thought he was the guy in Family Guy, but I had a pretty good understanding of the fact that he was evil. I’m pretty sure he was a joke. Sort of in the way that UKIP were before Brexit: nobody I knew liked them, and they were never going to get more than that one MP who actually seemed fairly sane. (If you haven’t seen Douglas Carswell’s Twitter reaction to Nigel Farage resigning, go look it up). UKIP aren’t exactly as strong, mainstream political force now, but they are frightening enough that the Tories are clearly worried. What this results in is their ideology filtering into the largest party currently in parliament. Arguably, this all started with the Olympics. Despite what it foreshadowed, this remains one of my favourite photographs of a politician ever:

Obviously this particular stunt didn’t go to plan, but it’s clear that British Patriotism isn’t a new thing. Whether it was revering Team GB, or desperately begging for Andy Murray to win Wimbledon, there’ve always been British flags flying. But I think it’s a new thing for it to be so explicit within politics itself, to be such a driving force of how the government conducts itself. As you may have guessed, I'm talking about Theresa May’s ‘Red, White and Blue’ Brexit. This is not an adjective. In order for this to have any bearing whatsoever on what Brexit was going to look like, the fact that this Brexit was going to be British – which is already necessarily the case within the word ‘Brexit’ – the Prime Minister has

to define British Values. I’ve heard those words before – in a GUU Parliamentary Debate . That this has become a real thing in actual British politics is at best unnerving.

who represent the population (not particularly proportionally, but that’s another issue), then we get a Britain that doesn’t believe in personal bodily autonomy.

In order to define British values, Theresa May would basically need to describe a list of values that are applicable to Britain as a whole. There are two ways of doing this: the first is to find all the values that apply to every single person in Britain. If you do that, you are going to end up with the most incredibly generic values possible (eg valuing right to life) because there’s over sixty million people in Britain and it is incredibly statistically likely that at least one of them doesn’t like tea. The second way is to define a list of values that apply to the majority of British people. Given that the majority of people voted to leave the EU, presumably a ‘Red, White and Blue Brexit’ could literally just mean a Brexit that’s in favour of Brexit. But other values that are more contentious than tea, would presumably be on the list. For example, one British value, if we take it as British laws, since they were voted by parliament,

By this I mean that it is currently, in Britain, illegal to smoke marijuana. This means you don’t have the right to choose what you put in your own body. This is not a value that I for one agree with. And I’m both a Lib Dem and a student. I know plenty of people who don’t agree with that value. So right there, I’ve given you two communities that alienates. So just picture that applied to much more important minorities eg religious and sexual minorities. By religious minorities I don’t necessarily mean that the Queen isn’t allowed to be a Catholic, but presumably that suggests that sectarianism is a British value. But if we take the majority Christian population of Britain and the fact that you can’t mark X as your gender on your passport, does that mean that Christianity and the gender binary are British values? That is an incredibly harmful signal to send

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VIEWS out to those who belong to these minorities. Especially those who don’t even physically look like the majority of Brits. So ethnic minorities, second or third generation immigrants. We’ve already seen in America an increase in ethnic minority children being told in the playground to go home, because they’re not welcome there anymore. The country voted for them to leave. I don’t care whatever sort of special relationship we have with America, we cannot send out the same sorts of signals as Trump. But that’s what Theresa May would have to do if she attempted to define British values. The only out is what the SNP have done, in defining Scotland as a place that is tolerant, open and fair. I don’t support the SNP. I don’t support nationalism in any sense. But at least

what they’ve done is only principally wrong, and doesn’t cause the same sort of ostracisation of minorities that I’ve spoken about. You could say that there’s still time to save it, still time for the Tories to copy the SNP. ‘Red, White and Blue’ could still mean tolerant, open and fair. But it is far, far too late for that. For one thing we already voted for Brexit, which was undeniably won in large part through immigration, and the wish to restrict thereof. There’s even further evidence of this though. For example, Cameron wanting Muslim people to inform on other Muslims who may be becoming extremists – which at the very least signals to the rest of the population that Muslims are more likely to become extremists than anyone else. This is a strange line to take, given that the most recent act of terrorism was

he one and only trailer released for the film gives comfort to long time fans by revamping the classic voice over that was in the first film, adding in a few modern twists, while following Renton through the streets of Edinburgh. The trailer continues at a fast pace giving us a whirlwind idea of what we should expect from this long awaited sequel and of course Spud, Sick Boy, Begbie and even

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I voted to remain in the UK when I considered it a co-operational relationship between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. That was when it had no identity other than that structural definition. Now Britain is beginning to gain an identity – or rather, regain its identity from the nineteenth century – and it is an identity that is literally as far from my own political beliefs as it is possible to get. I don’t believe that you can define any nation’s values – not Scotland’s, not Britain’s, not America’s. The attempt to do so can result in nothing but alienation and hostility. Is it surprising I can't find a positive twist?

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS. CHOOSE TO SEE T2.

CULTURE

he 90s was the decade of the heroin-chic models but you could say that Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting showed that heroin-chic was a less than desirable look. Trainspotting truly defined a decade; nothing that came before or after the film has had was quite the same as Trainspotting. So the question is, will T2 hold the same magic and charm of the first or will it be the same as other long awaited sequels to a massive film and flop?

done by Thomas Mair, the far-right extremist who murdered Jo Cox.

Diane make a return.

he sequel will have a new generation judging it, which could be both a good and bad thing. Those who grew up in the 90s will undoubtedly be very protective of the cult classic and will give the film a fair chance but for those of us that didn’t live through the craze, what will we think. Upon the trailer’s initial release it divided opinions, many fear that a sequel will ruin the original magic of Boyle modern masterpiece but just as many can’t wait to bask in the nostalgia of the cult classic. For me, the film is like marmite. You either love it or you hate it, it’s a very polarising film. I loved the film, Boyle’s directing style put you in the character’s shoes and helped you to try and un-

derstand what it was like for the boys during that time.

2 doesn’t pick up where the first film ended. The boys have grown up, lived life and gained new experiences. 20 years have gone by and Renton returns from Amsterdam to make amends with his friends. But just like any film worth watching, there wouldn’t be a hook unless there was a villain lurking in the shadows and that villain is Robert Carlyle’s character Begbie who coincidently has just been released from prison. I think we can say for definite that it’s not going to be smooth sailing for the boys. I’m just hoping that there’s no babies crawling on the ceiling present in this one.

LIFESTYLE

A Positive Start to Your Semester Katie MacLeod Lifestyle Editor

ou’ve still got the pile of Christmas presents because you don’t know where to put them. You’ve drank so much prosecco your blood no longer knows its own company. You've not really moved off the couch. You've watched all of the Christmas specials on TV at least twice. Your new years’ resolutions are already falling apart at the seams, a bit like your jeans. AND THEN, before you know it, you’re back in Glasgow, expected to be ready and raring to go for a fantastic semester of learning and productivity and general prodigy-like behaviour. After almost a month of being an entirely sub-par human being on the ‘functioning’ scale, can real-life really come a-knocking and expect us to automatically revert back into being the geniuses we know we are? Of course not. The transition from Christmas sloth to proper person is one that is necessary to allow us to begin to operate a real life again.

e all start the semester with great intentions; we tell ourselves that we will devise a study plan and stick to it, that we will only drink twice a week, that we will cook healthy meals every single night and not fall foul to the comfort and ease of Deliveroo. However, does this ever really happen?... Incredibly rarely.

o not only start your semester with a glitteringly positive attitude, but CONTINUE this momentum right through until May, follow our beautiful tips:

. PERSPECTIVE. As the highly emotional and highly hormonal creatures that we students are, it is incredibly easy to make small issues seem like the end of the world. Yes, coursework may be building up higher than your lifelong expectations. Yes, you may have a kitchen consisting of unwashed dishes and empty cupboards. Yes, you may not have opened Moodle since December. These aren’t a particularly great accumulation of things, but in perspective, you’re not dying are you? These are all things that are rectifiable with a combination of a little organisation, motivation, and a little time. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the amount that you haven’t done, but, realistically, you haven’t run over your cat. You're just a normal human in that sometimes things slip a little bit. You’ve not caused world hunger; you just haven’t looked at your uni email in a while.

. Not everything will be perfect – don’t expect it to be. If things were perfect all the time we wouldn’t know true happiness, because we would never know how special and relieving that feeling of happiness is after a period of despair and distress. That was deep. But seriously, do not beat yourself up about you/your life/your grades not being perfect. Things can and will improve with some patience and perseverance. Use the feeling of ‘imperfection’ to motivate you towards your personal ‘perfection’ – don’t waste time feeling disheartened by it. Beat it off with the realisation that things do and will go wrong at some points in your life, and with this realisation will come positivity that things can be bettered.

. Eat well and exercise. It doesn’t take a guru to realise that eating fruit and vegetables and getting your heart rate up makes you more energetic, alert and focused, and in turn, more positive about life in general. The gym

isn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t have to be. The best thing you can do when you’re feeling less-than positive is to go for a walk. Get out into the fresh air and see other people going about their daily lives, you’ll more than definitely see a few dogs as well which will undoubtedly cheer you up. You will come back feeling a little bit lighter. As a self-confessed ex-chunky gal, that was the number one thing I noticed as I changed my lifestyle – the positivity entered and the lethargy vacated. Force yourself to eat a few more bits of fruit and vegetables a day and before you know it, it will be a routine. It will be a routine that will make you feel better in most ways, and when you feel better in most ways, it’s inevitable that your positivity levels will rocket. You don’t need to start an Instagram-worthy meal prep and smoothie regiment, just have a banana instead of a packet of crisps. Be good to yourself.

. Make your space the nicest place to be, ever. Whether it be your living room, your kitchen, your bathroom, or your bedroom, make it a haven. Make it the place you look forward to going to at the end of the day, or at a point where you feel like you could burst with stress and worry. Everybody needs a place that they can go to recharge their batteries, re-energise their tired bodies and brains, and recuperate for the day following. By making your space and enjoyable and relaxing place to be – a place that you truly look forward to hiding away in – you are doing yourself a massive favour. By doing this, it takes no effort to shut off and rejuvenate, it makes it nothing but a pleasure. Through giving yourself this space to be only you, you are allowing your mind to rest, and a rested mind leads to a positive outlook on your busy life.

here we have it, kids. Now I expect to see us all bright, sunny and motivated human beings, even come the end of May when exams and deadlines have attempted to steal our souls, happiness, and Hive Thursdays.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind the scenes: Daft friday '16 Rita Skeeter

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ello readers, I’m Rita Skeeter and I write for the distinguished GUU monthly prophet, G-You magazine.

icture this, Fergus Greig, a muggle boy of just 21, President of the Glasgow University Union enters the building to find his home transformed into the magic of the wizarding world. For 12 weeks in the lead up the infamous D*** F***** Fergus found himself disbanded from the GUU every Wednesday and Sunday while the magic began. He remained clueless in the face of the preparations about the actual existence of such this mythical event, as the magic of D*** F***** lies in its exclusivity, secrecy and lack of assurance that it will reappear from year to year.

eaturing Bondax, Gabrielle Aplin and Ava Love our President sure was in for a treat. Guests were also treated to a jazz quartet, Swing Sen-

sation, Disco Through the Ages, Lazer Tag, a headphone disco and (of course) a gourmet breakfast feast in the Great Hall. The walls of Hogwarts were transformed into lifelike scenes from Potters past and butter-beer was a plenty from the outset. Greig’s dress ropes were scrutinised, singing skills tested at the annual karaoke and dancing shoes worn to the ground at the Yule Ball (a two-hour ceilidh and HIVE til 8 made quick work of that).

team of talented elves guarded the secret theme for 12 weeks in the build up to this sought after event, while working their magic (fuelled by ample good wines and late nights) to transform the evening into something to celebrate for the President.

Apart from the fact that I came out traumatised. A

matter of hours later, I received the good news – I ne of the honoured guests of the night, Miss was now a builder. A sentence I never thought I’d Cho Chang (long sought after date to Pot- be happy to say. ter himself) spilled the secrets of the magic behind the scenes.

O “

Having experienced the magic that is D*** F***** throughout my university career and being utterly stupefied by its intrigue, I thought to myself, “I really must get involved.” This is an event created entirely by a student body of talented painters, and not-so-talented builders – I knew it was my calling to be a builder. The process of my getting involved began by signing up to the builders interviewing process at the Glasgow University Union’s Committees Fair. From this moment, the anticipation really did rise exponentially. After receiving an email telling me to arrive at the GUU one fine Sunday, I knew there was no other way I wanted to spend my Sundays. Sitting in a room full of potential D*** F***** builders, my name was called and I walked into the panel. Unfortunately, to save the surprise for those of you who will undoubtedly sign up next year after reading this article, I will say no more about the interview.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

hat was to come was more than I could have expected. Having the theme revealed to us, our very own Harry Potter, it was nothing but sheer joy and excited anxiety that I felt. Every single Sunday from that point on was spent in the great four walls that is the Debates Chamber, working on our staggering transformations. A sign would be placed on the doors of the Chamber – “D*** F***** Committee only. No entry.” How exciting. How exclusive. Before, Sundays were spent walking between the couch and the fridge, with the only exercise being the scrolling of my social media finger and thumb-pressing on the tv remote. Now, this was replaced with hours of genuine physical handiwork. It involved learning how to use power tools, and how to rasp a piece of hardboard without removing 789420 layers of skin in the process. Basic adult tasks that I will use later in life. I found myself saying things

such as “what a lovely piece of hardboard,” and it was at this point I realised that D*** F***** really does change you.

eing completely genuine, I have never felt such satisfaction and pride in seeing the end result. Watching the painting team recreate scarily life-like scenes onto (beautifully made) wooden

boards, to create an atmosphere in such a large space, was wonderful. The talent that exists within the committee is inspiring. It was only in getting involved that I appreciated the dedication, hard graft and love that is put into the making of this event. Looking around on the night and seeing fellow students having the time of their lives, dressed to impress, felt like an unexplainable achievement. Knowing that I was a part of the making of the most successful event of the student calendar was nothing short of lovely.

n joining the D*** F***** Committee, I not only lost the lazy-Sunday life, but I made incredible friends and made incredible memories. Through a cascade of stories that should never be told, something amazing is made. And it is this that makes D*** F***** so absolutely wonderful.

f you don’t sign up for an interview next year, you are astonishingly silly.”

"A team of talented elves guarded the secret theme for 12 weeks in the build up to this sought after event" MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 11

PHOTOGRAPHY

Featured Photographs: Winter Edition Tom Smits

ottie Van Grieken - Chamonix, France

ess Simpson - Kelvingrove, Glasgow

5 ndrew Muir - Borgh, Eilean Siar, UK

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om Smits - The Seychells

CULTURE

Humans of Caitlin Young Science and Culture Editor

ody shaming has plagued Hollywood women for decades but the emergence of the term ‘Dad Bod’ has meant that the male stars are now being subjected to it now. This isn’t the main problem however; the problem is that no one seems to be stopping it.

ody shaming is unfortunately something that is common in our society. But, what pops into your head when you hear the term ‘body shaming’? You would be forgiven if your first natural thought was to think of a female victim who is overweight; but sadly there are more people that are subjected to it. While skinny shaming is just as prevalent as fat shaming it gets more attention than body-shaming in men. Fat or skinny shaming is just as damaging to a man as it is to a women, so why doesn’t it receive the same backlash or shock factor that females being body shamed get? What is the difference? The focus can be put on Hollywood to answer this head scratcher of a question.

n 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio was on holiday with his girlfriend and in usual fashion for a big name celebrity it was well documented by the paparazzi. Nothing out of the ordi-

nary there, right? What was out of the ordinary was that Leo, the world’s sweetheart who has deserved about 10 Oscars, was subjected to fat-shaming. His so-called ‘Dad Bod’ was zoomed in on and plastered all over the Internet, ‘Leonardo DiFlabrio’ and ‘The Great Fatsby’ he was dubbed. No one blinked an eye - it was okay to describe him as flabby, fat and note that he had let himself go. Weeks later the same publication came under fire for giving the same treatment to a Jessica Simpson but this time around it was deemed as cruel and unfair.

o what is the difference between these stars? Both have been in the spotlight since a very early age and have more money than most but why do they both warrant different treatment and reactions when they come under fire from body shamers? For women, not just those in the public eye, weight gain is linked to failure and humiliation. For the likes of Jessica Simpson this subject matter could be openly discussed on chat shows and plastered on the covers of magazines for weeks, they would stalk her weight loss journey until she got back to her ‘goal weight’ and

then they would celebrate her. But for Leonardo DiCaprio, his weight gain taunts could be likened to that of a bad fashion choice. He would be openly slated and condemned once but it would soon be forgotten about.

eo isn’t the only example of male body shaming; more and more male stars have come forward to share their experiences. A common misconception is that male stars don’t share the same body anxiety woes as women but they do, it might not be about how thin they are but if they aren’t ‘buff enough’ their confidence can take a significant hit. Henry Cavill aka Superman and everyone’s favourite Magic Mike, Channing Tatum, have openly spoken about their body struggles. Tatum mentioned that his weight majorly fluctuates in the time between filming movies but he of course feels the need to get back into shape when the time calls for it because of the never changing cookie cutter mould that a leading man must fit into. This then begins a sort of domino effect; the men that go to watch the films starring men at their physical peak believe that, that is what they should look like. This is the male equivalent of

girls pining over magazines of Victoria’s Secret models thinking that everyone should look like that.

hat makes the world so interesting is that no one person is the same; if that were the case it would be a very boring world. This logic should be applied to physical appearance; there should be no ‘ideal body’ because it’s just simply not possible. We idolise people that are at their physical peak, they have worked hard to do that and most openly admit that they do not maintain the ‘perfect body’ all year round. But when they ‘let themselves go’ who says that anyone has the right to draw attention to that fact or say that it’s okay to body shame a man but not a woman. If a stranger came up to me in the street and said I could do with losing the few pounds I had put on over the Christmas period (thank you pigs in blankets) I would be shocked but most of all my confidence would take a major hit. Yes, most celebrities are well aware that public scrutiny comes with the job but they definitely didn’t sign up for their insecurities to be the subject of mass gossip, male or female.

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CULTURE

2017? We've got you Caitlin Young

covered

fter the disastrous year that was 2016 I think I can safely say that everyone is more than happy to see the back of it. Whether it was the death of some of the most loved music, film and TV icons (watching Harry Potter will never quite be the same) or if uni just drove you to complete madness (I feel you). It was a terrible year all round. But! 2017 is a new year and hopefully that means that the universe will take pity on us and give us a good’un in return. No hard feelings.

uckily for all of us there is a lot to look forward to this year, so let’s make the most of it (rabbit paws and four leaf clovers at the ready).

ilm, TV and Everything Inbetween

017 is a big year for films; a lot of the big blockbuster studios have lined up some impressive films to keep the masses entertained. I feel like every year is a big year for superhero movies and 2017 is definitely no different. DC is coming into the mix with the release of both Wonder Women and then Justice League, which is set to try and compete with Marvel’s unstoppable money making machine that is the Avenger’s (good luck DC). Never one to fade into the background, Marvel gives us the sequel to the surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy, the third instalment in the Thor movies and the second attempt at rebooting Spiderman, we’re spoiled for choice. 2017 also sees the return of Jack Sparrow in the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, yes I said fifth – feel old yet? Orlando Bloom aka Will Turner will also make a return. If that doesn’t take your fancy, the live action release of Beauty and the Beast will appeal to everyone’s Disney loving inner child, it’s set to be a massive hit.

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estivals

ith T in the Park taking a hiatus for this year many of us will have to go further afield for our summer festival fix. We’re lucky that the UK is home to some of the best festivals in the world. The rumours for Glastonbury’s headliners have been flying about for a while now; Ed Sheeran, Radiohead and Foo Fighters are among the favourites to be headlining, the festival never disappoints with its stellar line ups! Bestival is also a firm favourite amongst students, this year their headliners include Jess Glyne and Fatboy Slim – something for everyone. Reading and Leeds is definitely a winner with all of the diehard festival goers, this is a festival where there will definitely be something for everyone; headlining this year are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foals and Disclosure – what more could you ask for?

CULTURE

usic

017 is definitely shaping up to be a big year for music, Ed Sheeran is sticking with his love of mathematical functions and is set to release his third studio album Divide or ÷ in its more edgier form. For all you One Direction fans out there, both secret and out and proud, Harry Styles, Liam Payne AND Niall Horan are releasing their debut solo endeavours; Harry Styles’ former flame Taylor Swift is also set to release a new album, watch your back Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston - there’s nothing worse that a T.Swifty scorned. Everyone’s favourite formerchild-star-turned-wild-chid Miley Cyrus will be releasing some new music as well, rumour has it that she will depart from her Bangerz style and go back to her country roots. She loves to shock everyone so who knows what she has up her sleeve! Sia, Justin Timberlake, Major Lazer and Maroon 5 are also set to release new albums this year.

econd semester is always a fun one at uni as there are plenty of things going on, especially in the Union. Kicking it off is Refreshers Week where you will get to relive the glory of those fabulous 10 days in September before deadlines and exams became real. This time round you can just rest easy and enjoy yourself by remembering that the first two weeks of the semester don’t actually count (that’s what I tell myself anyway). Keep your eyes peeled for everything going on in the Union this week!

ater on in the semester there is the infamous and insanely fun Month of Games held by Games Comm, take part in BADGE or the many other fun activities they have going on! If you’re a keen debater or interested in what actually goes on in the debates chamber, keep your eyes peeled for this semester’s upcoming debates. And finally, from your lovely Libraries Committee - we have a lot up our sleeve for this semester, it’s going to be an exciting few months! Finally, to tie it all up GUU will yet again have their big end of year blow out beach party so that all of us can wave goodbye to another year at uni and get excited for that four month summer!

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SOCIETY

GUPDC: Feeling Strong

Rachel McCarney

hat goes through your mind when you think of Pole dancing? Stripping or sport? It has been a source of debate for many years now with my people piping up to have their say. Contrary to common belief pole dancing did not begin in strip clubs. As a sport and art form can be traced back over 800 years to the ancient traditional Indian sport Mallakahamb which can be translated in English as ‘Pole gymnastics’ in which male gymnasts perform in concert on a vertical wooden pole which is slightly wider in diameter than a standard modern pole. Over the years, it has been adapted and used and in the 1920’s poles were incorporated into travelling circuses. Since then, it moved from tents to clubs and was incorporated into burlesque dancing thus earning it’s sexual connotations.

ecent years has seen an increase of people turning to pole dancing as a form of exercise and recreation earning a lot of negative backlash. Only last year a huge social media debate was sparked when 3 young girls appeared on this morning in shorts and t-shirts performing difficult pole dancing moves. The segment was labelled as “provocative” by some tabloids and caused a social media frenzy.

owever the other side of the debate was how is it any different from child gymnastics? The outfits are much the same and the pole is just vertical rather than horizontal. The same strength, skill and endurance is needed for both sports. Many people

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are sick of this negative stigma and want for pole to be seen as a sport and for the skill and dedication needed to excel at pole to be recognised so much so that the International pole sports federation have recently applied to make pole and Olympic sport.

thers have taken a different approach to using pole dancing. Paola Vallani, a psychologist and Psychotherapist incorporated pole dance into her therapeutic practise. She talks about it in her book Pole Dance Therapy “I noticed that pole dance combines the benefits of meditation with those of fitness and the beauty of dance. Psychological elements of rhythmic and melodic music are correlated to the expressive potential of gesture…On a psychological level, dealing with a practice that enhances the positive side of life and sensuality, opens up a space where this important aspects of the self can emerge and express, without any fear.”

he University of Glasgow is home to one of the biggest pole dancing clubs in Scotland. Glasgow University Pole Dancing Club (GUPDC) is the largest student run dance club on campus. The 300 members strong dance club attracts men and women from all backgrounds, countries, students and non-students.

his week we caught up with Leah Panton, a third-year Politics student and secretary of the Glasgow University pole dancing club. When Leah first joined, she was a shy 18 year old but through pole she has taken on numerous leadership roles and has seen her confidence go from strength to strength, both body and mind.

ole dancing receives a lot of criticism for the small outfits that dancers are required to wear. When we asked, Leah has this ever made her feel self-conscious she replied:

“

In the beginning when you join in leggings and t-shirts you look at the people in the more advanced levels who are dressed in tiny shorts and sports bras and think ‘oh no I could never wear anything like that’ but as you progress you realise that you need to for grip for moves but by the time that happens you don’t care about getting body out because you look around at everyone of all shapes and sizes utilising their strength and endurance to produce such amazing moves you don’t feel self conscious about your body you just want to wear what will be most effective for doing the moves”

f you would like to get a taste of what pole is truly like GUPDC will be polling through the past in their Annual show Déjá Vú on the 9th and 10th of Feburary at 7pm. The show will be taking place in QMU’s Qudos and tickets can be purchased for £4 from the QMU box office from the 23rd of January or can be bought on the door on the night. All profits from the shows will be donated to Papyrus, a charity which aids suicide prevention in young people.

or more information about GUPDC and how to get involved visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gupdc/

VIEWS I often think about all of the ‘things’ throughout history that weren’t taken seriously but, in retrospect, seem so obviously legitimate. The abolition of slavery; the enfranchisement of women; homosexuality; transgenderism...and then there is mental illness. Of course, some faced a far greater injustice than others - I am not grouping these great struggles together - but what amazes me is the endless cycle of society: to fight something radical, accept it, look back and wonder how we were so ignorant - then continue to scoff at the next stigmatised issue. It is no secret that mental illness is currently going through this process, and every day a new step is taken towards its acceptance, but it still needs to be talked about. Things only change if people talk about them. I don’t want to make this personal. Just because I am writing about it doesn’t even mean it is personal - but equally it doesn’t mean it isn’t personal. Society knows mental illness is a deserving issue in its own right: science proves it, people prove it, and most of us feel it. It is as deserving as any physical illness yet it remains a stigma. To be ‘depressed’ is attention-seeking, lazy and just a bout of feeling ‘sad’, To have anxiety is antisocial, pathetic; a weakness. And anything else is to be... crazy. But of course, cause and triggers and treatments can be found for all of it and that means it is a problem worth trying to solve. But I can’t fit every single mental illness into an entire article, so I want to shout about one issue and try to persuade you, if you haven’t been already, that Seasonal Affective Disorder is real and it matters. I think perhaps the primary reason that S.A.D is not taken seriously is it’s acronym. I’m sure whoever named it thought ‘I’ve nailed this one’, but the truth is they’ve just made it

Seasonal Affective Disorder Amy McShane Views Editor all seem a bit ridiculous. S.A.D? That thing where you feel sad? Hah! S.A.D happens in autumn and winter, when there is significantly less sunlight and there are fewer hours in the day. Symptoms are similar to that of clinical depression; a persistent low mood, loss of interest in everyday activities, irritability, feelings of guilt and worthlessness and even feeling lethargic. On their own, these symptoms may seem fairly unextraordinary, but put together and over a consistent period of time the strain can be something significant. Understanding why these symptoms occur is fairly straightforward when you live in Scotland. Moments stood outside in pure sunlight are like gold for several months of the year. The chemical serotonin has strong links with depression, and this diminishes with less exposure to sunlight. The lack of daylight can feel truly soul destroying at times: waking up in the dark, spending your day inside and returning home in the dark creates an inescapable feeling of claustrophobia. The body’s natural clock also sometimes struggles with the change in routine as sunlight is used to know when one should be awake or resting. It’s not just feeling tired the way we all are in winter; it is feeling like there is no point in even getting up to carry out a day shrouded in heavy darkness, surrounded by tired leaves

raining from sleeping trees; only to do all the same again the next day for months on end. It is feeling like life is just a bit crap and it will stay that way until it’s mid July and you’re lying sprawled outside in a pool of golden vitamin D. Life just can’t happen in the winter. Unlike many other forms of mental illness, S.A.D can be a lot easier to soothe. Firstly, you can migrate to the Bahamas between the months of November and February. Problem very probably solved. Should that be slightly unrealistic, you can also try chasing sunlight. Walking outside whenever it’s light enough to put away your torch feels good. If it’s too cold, put another layer on. If there’s nowhere to go, pick a direction and just keep walking until you forget there was nowhere to go. Find plants in a botanical garden, drink in the life and the shades of green. Put candles on and feel safe and contained in your bedroom before you sleep. Look at pictures of your summer just to smell, hear and feel every detail. Make the effort to trudge through sleet to drink coffee with friends and relatives. And even if it’s New Year’s day and you’re sitting in an empty student flat trying to decide which of your deadlines to tackle first before you go to work, remember how quickly the spring comes around.

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OPINION

Amy McShane

THE INVISIBLE SIXTY MILLION

ast semester, I realised how easy it is to be ignorant. I took a class in called ‘the Sociology of Migration’ (I am joint honours Politics and Sociology) and I focused my studies particularly on the ‘migration crisis’ of the Mediterranean, one of the most controversial topics currently. But is it truly controversial, or is the answer pretty straight forward? I liked to think I was about as liberal as it gets; anyone and everyone is welcome. But that wasn’t where my ignorance stemmed from, it came from not knowing enough about an issue that is so incredibly important, and believing far too much of what I read in the mainstream media.

don’t mean sharing links to Daily Mail articles on how the ‘swarms’ of ‘refugees’ crossing British borders were claiming benefits and committing crimes, I mean buying into the political agendas of world leaders and the ‘official’ statistics we trust so fiercely; if the British government vows to take action against immigration, surely that’s because it is necessary. But necessary for whom? States securitise immigration as a threat to our existence as a functioning society simply because a nation that is afraid means the polity is relied on, and thus is more powerful. It seems to be an archetypal stage of life; finding out that most things are about power and money, and there isn’t much chance of changing that anytime soon.

owever, I also realised how devoid of real, genuine emotion I was

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when I thought of displaced people. I felt guilty and sad and sorry for ‘them’, but I could not see past the concept of ‘them’ as a group. A thing. A political concept, alien to me. And while I haven’t come up with a plan of action to take down capitalism, I have come to realise there are ways in which you can fight the desensitisation of a very stigmatised humanitarian crisis.

efugees in the UK are at a high risk of homelessness because of strict time limits on government asylum accommodation. An asylum seeker cannot work, but if they are eventually granted asylum (where they then fall under the term ‘refugee’) they are given a limited amount of time to find work, otherwise they face eviction. As a white Scottish person with a reasonable CV who has been through the painfully slow process of job hunting on many occasions, I cannot begin to imagine the impossibility of job seeking for refugees. An event recently appeared on my Facebook called ‘Cup of Tea with a Refugee’ for Glasgow Night Shelter, an organisation set up in 2011. The evening is spent with ‘people from all backgrounds and nationalities to show that we are all more alike than we are different’, and donations and supplies can also be brought. Some research on the charity suggests that the people of Glasgow can meet some of the fifteen male refugees who seek food and shelter there every night. As soon as I saw the event, I immediately understood the importance of putting a face to a cause we only ever hear about

on social media or the news. I have never (knowingly) met a refugee, but to have the opportunity to do so and learn from someone who knows far better than me what it means to be displaced, seems like a good place to start in educating myself.

s a Western society many of us may sit around dinner tables and voice our beliefs on who should and shouldn’t live within the imaginary lines that cross over the globe, suggesting our criteria for what really makes someone ‘deserving’ of citizenship in our precious territory, and speaking for the people who have never had a voice. There are over sixty million displaced people in the world, yet we are so infatuated with nationalism that society ignores that enormous group of souls. We are so far away from them it barely even enters our life; this foreign concept of not having a home, a passport, or a nationality. To put an identity on an issue concerning such a massive population might sway our innocently uninformed opinions. Events like the Glasgow Night Shelter’s, more exposure of the amazing pieces of photojournalism you often stumble across online, greater use of words and writing platforms to let others speak. I don’t have the answers, but my guilt snapped me into realising that I was born with such a freedom that others would die for, and I should do something with that for them. I hope to figure it out soon, there is no time to waste.

ART

I wanted to do something that was relevant to the recent tensions with race (in the states with trumps election) so I drew on peace by depicting a dark skinned woman holding a white rose/ flower. Her eyes are dark with lots of shadows and light. I think it's calming and relaxed/ peaceful (in time for RETURN TO UNIVERSITY). Overall with this piece I wanted to convey peace at a time of political turmoil and uncertainty in the world."

SOPHIE BRYER, 3RD YEAR, PHILOSOPHY

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