Impact Magazine Issue 240 by Impact Magazine

ISSUE 240 MARCH 2016

A L S O

I N S I D E

S E L F I E S | SH OTT INGHAM | S EX ON T V

WELCOME

EDITORIAL Why should I care, what have the Students’ Union officers ever really achieved? I think this is a question a lot of us end up asking ourselves - especially as the time approaches to have our pathways to Hallward blocked by campaigners giving out sweets, promising that they can deliver policies that will ‘really help enhance your student experience’. Most people take the flyer, grab the free pen, put their head down and dash towards their lectures ignoring the coloured t-shirts, hoping that they don’t actually stop and talk to you in your morning rush. I for one am guilty of this. But there is something to be said for student politics and whether or not it can really affect change on campus. This is not the place to reel off the SU’s accomplishments or even the lack of them - the institution itself is far from perfect - but only to highlight that nothing will change at all so long as we remain apathetic. If we look to our current political situation, a recent Ipsos MORI survey revealed that 43% of participants thought that of the two main political parties, the Conservatives had the best team of leaders to deal with the country’s problems compared to only 16% of voters who had faith in the Labour party leadership. However, when asked which party would be better to look after the interests of the ordinary man, the gap was much narrower. 33% of participants sided with the Conservative party, whilst 29% of people said that the Labour party would more effectively represent them. These statistics convey a certain disparity between the ability of the Conservative party to project their leadership and their policies. Voters are clearly recognising the need for change but voter apathy, which we all know our own generation is notorious for, is preventing any real chance of this. Much the same can be said of our own student representatives. We are supposed to be voting for the people who we believe that can lead change, the people that can represent our needs. But if we don’t engage at least on a base level in our own university environment, what hope do we ever have in getting our voices heard and represented in government? If we want a government that isn’t full of parliamentary fat cats with a blasé attitude towards young people, we have to start at home.

BELINDA TOOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

INSIDE!

4 NEWS

DRUGS (AGAIN)

But Do You Know What You’re Taking?

7 COMMENT

MOONCUPS The Future of Periods?

10 F E AT U R E S

STUDENTS AND DYSLEXIA

Does UoN Help Enough?

16 T R AV E L

SPOTLIGHT ON MADEIRA More Than Just A Cake

22 SCIENCE

40 GAMING

GREMLINS IN THE GAMES How Buggy Is Too Buggy?

ROTTEN EGGS & SPIDERS

The Science of Student Living

FILM & TV

IMPACT FILM AWARDS 2016 “And the Impie goes to…”

FOOD

HALAL IN HALLWARD

A Discriminated Student Diet?

MUSIC

33 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE

Music’s Countercultural Legacy

ON THE COVER

ST Y L E

“FASHION IS ABOUT HAVING FUN” Talking with designer Goh Lai Chan

ARTS

BURLESQUE

The Much-Maligned Art

34 EXPOSURE

SHOWCASING SCANDINAVIA

Fun in Finland

SPORT

“THE TOP ONE” Local Legend Brian Clough Profiled

IMPACT NEWS

THE REAL HIT DO STUDENTS KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TAKING? WORDS BY HANNAH EVES, TAMSIN PARNELL, MARCO DALL’ANTONIA & KATIE CASH IMAGE BY INDIA MEADE

Most people are aware of the dangers of alcohol overindulgence, but what about drugs? As the actual practice of drug taking remains something of a taboo in our society, and consequently suffers limited quality control, drug use can of course have serious consequences. On the back of recent media attention and ‘horror stories’ regarding nights out gone wrong, Impact investigates the drug culture within Nottingham and whether or not students know exactly what it is they’re taking. It is almost to be expected that many students have done or will experiment with drugs and other substances whilst at University. After all, living away from home and in a city labelled by the Daily Mirror as the drug trade capital of the UK, it’s not surprising that the majority of Nottingham students you speak to have had some experience with narcotics. According to the NHS website almost half of 16 to 24 year olds in England and Wales have

tried drugs at least once, the most common being cannabis. Despite such statistics confirming that students are more likely to take drugs regularly than any other group in society, the National Health Service’s site maintains that “drugs are illegal for a reason”. Taking them can result in serious risks to mental and physical health and can also lead to problems with addiction. Disastrous effects on studies and even long term health issues have surfaced as some of the more serious consequences of irresponsible drug usage.

“63.4% of students surveyed stated that they are not confident about what their drugs contain, whilst 75% do not believe that the drugs they take are pure” Whilst most side effects produced by drug consumption can be considered mild, such as headaches and nausea, in a January survey of over 160 University of Nottingham students, Impact found that some individuals have indeed developed long term mental and physical health issues as a consequence of their encounters with drugs. After taking MDMA, a third year Film and Television Studies student had an epileptic seizure and was told by doctors that had he not taken the drug, he “probably would not” have developed epilepsy. Similarly, *James Hill, a first year Law student, told Impact: “I went to a house party with some friends when a mutual friend offered me a joint. Turns out, the joint had crushed LSD in it so I started hallucinating and tripping really badly. I had really bad anxiety, and was convinced that my friends were trying to kill me and that I was trapped in someone else’s body”.

He went on to say: “I remember being so freaked out that I had suicidal thoughts, which isn’t great considering that the trip lasted 5 hours and felt like an eternity. If I’m honest, the experience has definitely messed me up mentally a bit. Ever since, I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks”. These are not the only University of Nottingham students to have experienced the effects of consuming impure substances. In fact, 63.4% of students surveyed stated that they are not confident about what their drugs contain, whilst 75% do not believe that the drugs they take are pure. “I wouldn’t know exactly what’s in my drugs, but as I only take drugs occasionally I don’t worry about it overly,” University of Nottingham student, *Adam Green, told Impact.

“I remember being so freaked out that I had suicidal thoughts… the experience has definitely messed me up mentally a bit” However, this represents a minority perspective as almost 70% still stated that they would reject a drug if they did not know what it contained. This discrepancy suggests that students do not consider what is in the drugs they consume regularly, although in approaching a new drug they would be more cautious. Also, with a small number of students having ever actually tested their drugs - only 23.6% - it seems that most UoN students are comfortable trusting their dealers that what they ask for is what they get. The majority of students choose their dealer based on a friend’s recommendation and almost 20% identified their source as a friend. Furthermore, over 20% of students had never considered that their drugs may not be pure or had assumed that they were trustworthy. Thus illustrating that students place great faith in the reliability of strangers. Yet these are the people they are potentially trusting with their lives. Due to the lack of quality control resulting from the illegal nature of many drugs, these substances are often mixed with other drugs in order to maximise profit. Therefore, Impact asked students if the legality of certain substances was an issue that bothered them. The survey revealed that the legality of the substances was not enough to deter 38.5% of students.

Impact’s survey also revealed that 47 of the UoN students questioned have taken cocaine, a Class A drug. Only 11 of these students admitted that they are confident that they know what is in the drugs they take and just 4 believe that their drugs are pure. According to the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the most common substances with which cocaine is mixed are caffeine and phenacetin, a painkiller chemically related to paracetamol. However, it is no longer used in the UK because of suspected links with cancer. The BBC reported that 58 samples of cocaine mixed with phenacetin were found by HM Revenue and Customs out of a total of 214 batches between October and December 2008. Undoubtedly then, the fact that UoN students appear to be uninformed about what their drugs contain and ambivalent with regards to their dealers leaves them vulnerable to potentially devastating consequences. In early January 2016, an 18 year old from Birmingham died after in a club after taking a Class A drug belonging to a “bad batch”, according to West Midlands Police. Another instance occurred in September 2014 in which a twenty year old student at Bournemouth University died after taking a fatal dose of MDMA with her boyfriend. The drug caused her to go into cardiac arrest hours after leaving the London club. Such stories have made Nottingham students more aware of the dangers of taking drugs but have provided them with little guidance to ensure a greater degree of safety. Some have turned to seemingly more scientific ways of minimising risk such as drug testing kits. Nevertheless, this does not guarantee perfect results and still represents a small percentage of the student community. Thus, there remains on the streets of Nottingham a real concern for those who choose to take drugs as there is no guarantee of quality. Of course, the NHS advises taking against taking any form of drugs as a way of reducing your risk. Failing this, the best option is to find out as much information as possible, including risks such as the dangers of mixing with alcohol or with other drugs. While it may be unrealistic and naïve to expect all students to avoid drug taking, the least one can do is educate yourself.

A further 10.6% acknowledged that they would not feel any more comfortable taking a drug if it was classified as legal. The apathy regarding legality is also clear in the kinds of drugs students confess to having taken. Out of 162 students, a majority of 66 confessed to having taken MDMA.

*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY

IMPACT COMMENT

ROOM 101

SELFIES

We all know the feeling. Those things you just cannot stand. They awake a hatred within you that you haven’t known since the checkout machine said there was an unexpected item in the baggage area. Go on, put it in Room 101.

WORDS BY MADDIE WAKTARE IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD

Selfies. I just can’t fathom exactly how and why this shameless vanity has become a social norm. Selfies are no longer just a fad. They are a rite of passage into the hideous world of adolescence. A membership badge for the twenty-first century. Selfies are a way of life.

If you’re hung over, a few empty vodka bottles will do the trick. If you’re going out, post a picture of an open door. DO NOT, on the other hand, post yet another picture of your empty, boring, expressionless face.

If we continue on this path, future generations of children will learn about the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries, the first moon landing of 1969 - and what, they will ask, was achieved in the post millennium era? To their question there is only one answer: we are the generation of The Selfie.

These selfies are the most attention seeking of the three. They come attached with a self-deprecating comment such as, ‘Look so ugly in this but oh well’ or ‘Just got home from running to the North Pole and back, hair looks shit but here you go’.

In the face of such catastrophe, action must be taken. It is time to impose stringent set of rules upon this incessant picture taking. It is time to introduce: a Selfie Law.

“If you find your own face that interesting, set aside a few hours every day to stare at the mirror” Now, a ‘smiling kangaroo selfie’; ‘Taj Mahal selfie’ or ‘I just sat next to Will Ferrell on a plane selfie’ will not be prosecuted. Essentially, using the selfie to demonstrate something GENUINELY INTERESTING is pardonable. Most group selfies also exist under this classification. However, anyone posting selfies consisting of a lone, pouting, heavily filtered face/body may face up to six months jail time and/or community service. Selfies taken before, during or after a session at the gym will be punishable by death. I’ve broken the illegal selfie down into three main categories, which are as follows:

1. THE ‘NO RELEVANCE’ SELFIE

This consists of a selfie which has absolutely nothing to do with the accompanying caption. For example: ‘Really bored of revision now’; ‘OMG SOOOOOO hungover’; or, elder sibling of the former, ‘Super excited for a night out with the girls’. So tiring. If you want to let everyone know that you’ve had enough of revision, a picture of some books exemplifies a study overload. 6

2. THE ‘SHAMELESS LIE’ SELFIE

Not only is the caption often factually questionable but the selfie taker clearly does not think that they look even remotely unattractive in the picture, otherwise, they quite simply would not have posted it.

3. THE ‘SCRAPING THE BARREL’ SELFIE

These, unlike the no relevance selfie tend to be consistent with their caption. For example, one which plagued the final months of 2015 was the ‘Christmas jumper time’ selfie. Yes, you are in fact wearing a Christmas jumper, congratulations. However, this does not and never will mean your selfie is justified. You are (hence the name) scraping the barrel for reasons to take yet another draining, soulless picture of yourself. You see, what it comes down to is this. If I’m good friends with you I see your ugly mug EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don’t need it plastered across the internet as well! And if not, then I’ve got you on Facebook because I actually take an interest in your life. I want to know about what you’ve been doing; where you’ve been travelling; your goals and achievements. If all I see is selfies, I will be forced to come to the conclusion that you are, quite literally, wallowing away your fallow existence flicking through Instagram filters on your iPhone 5s. If you find your own face that interesting, set aside a few hours every day to stare at the mirror. But please oh please stop filling your snapchat story and my news feeds with this ego-stroking, self-indulgent rubbish.

IMPACT COMMENT 120kg. That’s how much sanitary waste, according to the book Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation, that the average female produces during her thirty-eight years of periods. In other numbers, between 8,000 and 17,000 tampons in a lifetime - then add the packaging, applicators and raw materials. The Chic Ecologist reported in 2010 that plastic tampon applicators take around 25 years to decompose in the ocean, so they litter the seabed and end up in the stomachs of marine wildlife if they are flushed down the toilet. Traditional sanitary wear is contributing to an ever impending environmental crisis. Imagine a world where sanitary products were reusable. Cue menstrual cups - small, flexible, and plastic bowls – that sit just inside the vagina to collect, not absorb, the flow of blood. It can be in use for up to twelve hours continuously, compared to just four hours for tampons. It is then removed, the blood tipped down the toilet, and the cup washed in the sink – ready to be inserted again. This one product can last for up to ten years – dramatically reducing the environmental impact of your period.

LET’S TALK ABOUT

MENSTRUAL CUPS FRIGHTENING, EMPOWERING, EXCITING… WORDS BY RACHEL LEWIS IMAGE BY MENSTRUATIONSTASSE.NET VIA FLICKR The benefits of menstrual cups are also personal. In the 1980s, superabsorbent Rely tampons caused the death of thirty-eight women through Toxic Shock Syndrome. According to the NHS website, TSS is a bacterial infection that can lead to complete organ failure and is caused by tampons in around 50% of cases. Menstrual cups do not eliminate the risk of infection, but they are a viable and healthy alternative. Tampons also absorb the natural fluids in the vagina, which can upset the delicate pH and bacterial balance. Fewer chemicals equals less chance of painful cystitis. A good quality menstrual cup costs around £15, and needs to be replaced a minimum of every five years. If you use a £2 box of tampons or towels every cycle that makes £24 a year, and £912 over 38 years. These cost savings are noticeable, but are not dramatic in terms of a lifetime’s salary. However, think about the difference it could make to somebody with no or little income. Thehomelessperiod.com is seeking to alleviate the distress that homeless women face during their period, but whilst they propose free tampons and towels to be

distributed through homeless shelters, perhaps menstrual cups would be more convenient and cost effective. Girls and women in developing countries could also benefit from a sanitary product that needs to be replaced much less often. The continuing cost of towels makes them unaffordable, meaning women are forced to use unhygienic old rags, which can cause infection. Lack of sanitary wear also means that girls are less likely to attend school and other social activities once they start puberty. The menstrual cup is not the solution to international gender equality; it cannot be used in areas where there is no clean water and some cultures prohibit sanitary products that need to be inserted into the vagina. But it is a means to kickstart a more open discussion about global periods. This is not a product just for hippies, earth-lovers, or the #natural type – it a serious chance for every woman to take their period into their own hands.

“Traditional sanitary wear is contributing to an ever impending environmental crisis” For many, reusing a sanitary product sounds neither hygienic nor pleasant. There is a culture of marketing and gender that has manipulated us to resent the by-product of our fertility. Author Karen Houppert wrote in The Curse, ‘for something that happens to half of the human population, menstruation seems to be treated with a lot of shame and secrecy’. The menstrual cup sounds disgusting because we have been conditioned to be repulsed by any physical contact with our own blood. Even advertising typically plays on the social consequences of a period disaster. Worried about leaking? Buy our sanitary towel.

IMPACT COMMENT

“WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO SOMEWHERE AT RISK OF TERRORIST ATTACK?” IMAGES BY TONY HISGETT AND ‘CELINIE’ VIA FLICKR

“We have to accept that there’s always going to be risks” If I had been asked this question at the start of last summer, I would have answered a firm, ‘yes’. However, my resolve was shattered after spending two hours on the phone to one of my closest friends, who was staying in Tunisia and happened, by chance, to leave the beach a matter of hours before the tragic massacre took place. The threat of terrorism seemed more real than ever before. I was forced to ask myself where I would be prepared to travel and just how much danger I would be willing to put myself in. Later that summer, I visited India and one of the girls I was travelling with spent two days in hospital with excruciating abdominal pains, uncontrollable diarrhoea and a burning temperature, courtesy of amoebic dysentery. When I went home this Christmas, I caught up with a friend who had just spent five months teaching in a favela called Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She told stories of crouching to the floor with classes of young children at the sound of shootouts, of a stray bullet coming through a kitchen wall and killing a woman doing her washing up. My point is that travelling to interesting, eye-opening places is often dangerous. This danger, of course, comes in varying degrees. But, if we want to explore places more exotic than Skegness or the Blackpool Pleasure Beach, we have to accept that there’s always going to be risks. WORDS BY MADDIE WAKTARE

For me the answer is undoubtedly yes, which I’m sure isn’t the expected or widely held view. My Dad is originally from Egypt so we visit his family at least once a year there. Over the last decade the increased terror risk has not prevented our holidays and here’s why. These terrorists have one aim and that is to strike fear into our hearts, stopping tourists and destroying the economy. Why should we give in? If you’re visiting Egypt or any of the other places that have recently suffered abominable attacks, be reassured their security is now at its highest alert, making it probably one of the safest times to go. According to the Washington Blog, “you are 1,904 times more likely to die from a car accident than from a terrorist attack” proving just how slim the chances really are. Now is economically the best time to go abroad, flights and accommodation prices have plummeted, meaning you’re definitely in for a bargain. So why not consider a holiday to these destinations, take a stand, don’t let the terrorists grind you down. One things for sure, no matter how hard they try they can never take away the Egyptian sunshine and hospitality. Happy holidaying. WORDS BY AMINA YOUSSEF

“These terrorists have one aim and that is to strike fear into our hearts, stopping tourists and destroying the economy”

“Keeping up with the dangers of the world can be impossible” I watched with horror with the rest of the world as the Paris attacks took place last November, complete with the knowledge that I had plans to stay there with a friend over Christmas. After making sure that she and everyone she knew was alright, I was faced with the question of whether or not I would still go to Paris. That keeping up with the dangers of the world can be impossible, especially in a time like this, is perhaps the reality of life. There was no warning from the Foreign Office about the possibility of particular danger in Tunisia before the shooting last year, although there had been a threat from the ISIS linked terror group who carried out the attack a month before.

After being in Paris during the November terrorist attacks, hiding in our underground apartment for 24 hours, relying on BBC News for information, knowing that one small decision made differently could have ended our lives, I don't think I'll ever go back. Being abroad during a terrorist attack is isolating and confusing, and when we called the British Embassy to ask for advice, it turned out we knew more from social media than they did. I had to inform the Embassy that there was a curfew and martial law declared on the streets. Terrified and hiding, I had to tell them. Any terrorist attack is scary, and of course you can never know when it will happen, but being just streets away from crazed fanatics wielding guns and bombs, I know only too well how dangerous they are. ISIS are a real threat and sadly that will make me forever wary and careful where I visit. WORDS BY BETH ROWLAND

“Being abroad during a terrorist attack is isolating and confusing”

I went to Paris. There was security everywhere you looked and bags were continuously being checked. The cruel irony is that the period after the attacks was likely the safest time to be in Paris. There is no way to tell where might be targeted for an attack, and I am unwilling to let that line of thought govern my actions. However, before I go on holiday, in order to be as safe as can reasonably be expected, I want every piece of information available to me. WORDS BY BEN LEWIS

IMPACT FEATURES

“I JUST STRUGGLE WITH BEING SLOW AT EVERYTHING” Impact Features investigates how dyslexic students cope at university, and how much support is provided for them… WORDS BY RACHEL HARRISON IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD

The British Dyslexia Association defines the condition as “a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling”. Put simply, this means that those who are dyslexic struggle to read and write coherently, to varying degrees of severity. According to research undertaken at the University of Leicester, around 10% of the whole population identify as dyslexic. In contrast, only 4% of the student population do so. Does this mean that dyslexic young people are discouraged from attending university? Or does it instead suggest that young people are often unaware that they are dyslexic? As all of the dyslexic students who spoke to Impact said they were not put off applying to university because of their learning difficulty, we can assume that the latter is correct. In addition, prospective students may be discouraged from applying as they are unaware of the support offered at the institutions.

“According to research undertaken at the University of Leicester, around 10% of the whole population identify as dyslexic” The lack of knowledge regarding the support available certainly seems to be an

issue here at the University of Nottingham (UoN). When asked about their opinion of support available to dyslexic students, such students’ responses included that they “don’t have much knowledge” of what’s available and that the university’s “approach” to dyslexia is unclear. One service that the university offers to dyslexic students that appears relatively unknown is Practical Academic Support Work (PASW). This service includes a range of facilities, the most well-known of which being the provision of a note-taker. Yet other services offered by PASW are library support assistance and non-exam reading. These appear to be relatively unheard of amongst dyslexic students; Brad Davies* believes that “aside from extra time in exams there’s not really too much else offered”. This is clearly not the case, yet the issue of how to advertise such services remains a difficult one for the university. A more commonly recognised service is Academic Support - an umbrella term that encompasses everything from dissertation advice to one-to-one support sessions. Claire Edwards* describes Academic Support as “very good” – a sentiment supported by Daniel Leese*, who says that “they’re good at providing extra support at exam time etc”. Yet the demand appears to be too great for the services provided, as Emma Adams* has found “it’s always impossible to see [Academic] Support” as they are always so busy. The service has won various awards,

indicating that it is a valuable source of support for students to take advantage of; however it also appears to be struggling with the demands of catering for all students.

“Lack of knowledge of available support certainly seems to be an issue here at the University of Nottingham” Daniel highlights a further issue with seeking support: services at the university “require confirmation from [a student’s] old school and sometimes this isn’t easily available”. As dyslexia is a learning difficulty, it is not as easy to ‘prove’ as a physical disability, thus causing problems. Similarly, as dyslexia is not physically debilitating, people are often unaware that they are affected. In 2007, The Telegraph reported that as many as two million adults have dyslexia but are not aware of it. This may also stem from developments in knowledge of dyslexia being relatively recent; dyslexic adults may have just assumed (or been told) that they were unintelligent or ‘slow learners’ as children. In order to try and combat the problem of undiagnosed dyslexia, UoN offers a formal screening test in order to diagnose dyslexic students. The screening comprises of reading, writing and spelling tests; students are encouraged to attend if they are being

pulled up on small mistakes that they had not noticed before. The British Dyslexia Association, in addition to the NHS, also offers such a test. As testing becomes more widely available, it is hoped that the amount of people struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia will decrease.

“As dyslexia is a learning difficulty, it is not as easy to ‘prove’ as a physical disability, thus causing problems to arise” Despite this, even when dyslexia has been diagnosed, there are multiple problems faced by sufferers, not least

of which is social. Multiple students Impact spoke to believe that they struggle with university more than their peers, which can sometimes create a divide between the dyslexic student and other students on his/her course. Emma explains, “I just struggle with being slow at everything, e.g. reading and writing essays”, which can act as an isolating barrier. Although the social effects of being dyslexic are harder to combat, the government helps to overcome the monetary costs of having a disability (either mental or physical) at university by offering the Disabled Students’ Allowance. This enables dyslexic students, in addition to all students suffering from any form of handicap, to access up to £5,212 in order to buy specialist

equipment. The substantial funding the university receives in this area also enables Academic Support to offer sophisticated facilities and equipment.

“Multiple students Impact spoke to believe that they struggle with university more than their peers” But is funding really enough? From talking to dyslexic students studying at UoN, it is clear that there is a difference between what they believe the university offers in terms of support and what it actually offers. Although both PASW and Academic Support have a variety of services on offer

to make dyslexic students’ studies easier, they seem to be relatively unheard of. Some students, like Brad, are aware of being able to get extra time in exams, and not much else. Others, like Emma, believe that Academic Support is always too busy to bother with. Clearly UoN has the services available; making them more well-known would benefit both dyslexic students and the university alike. If you would like to know more about Academic Support you can find them at bit.ly/1Tx0dad Academic Support were approached for comment but there was no response at the time of going to print.

*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY

IMPACT FEATURES

WELCOME TO SHOTTINGHAM? Before anyone even arrives at the University of Nottingham, they’re bound to have heard the city’s pet name: Shottingham. However, as the majority of the student population have never even heard of a shooting, Impact Features investigated whether our lovely city really deserves such a harsh alias. WORDS BY NATALIE MALLORY IMAGE BY PERETZ PARTENSKY VIA FLICKR Before researching I spoke to students who have lived in Nottingham to see if they had any anecdotes that could help the investigation. The first student, third year student Natasha, said she remembers often playing ‘gunshot or firework?’ whilst staying in Newark Hall. For those that of you that have yet to experience the unsourceable bangs in the night, this game refers to the loud and sudden noises often heard throughout Nottingham. This is something that I can also remember playing while living near Radford.

Of all the other students spoken to, none had ever seen a gun in Nottingham, or had even heard of gun-related crime from a reliable source. Except that is for one student, who remembered an armed robbery in Ladbrokes on Derby Road in 2014.

“I remember a time when my housemates and I were drawn from the house by the sound of repetitive shots”

So if many people living in Nottingham have never even seen a gun, where has the name ‘Shottingham’ come from? Interestingly, while the overall crime rate in Nottingham at the end of June 2015 was higher than the average in similar areas (such as Birmingham, Sheffield and Leicester) the gun crime rate statistics had halved, suggesting that while crimes are increasing, gun crime is thankfully not a huge proportion of it.

Last year, whilst living near Wollaton Hall & Park, I personally remember a time when my housemates and I were drawn from the house by the sound of repetitive shots. We debated whether the sound could be a gun or perhaps a car repeatedly backfiring, and after a while decided to investigate. Following the noise, we arrived at Wollaton Park to discover a very large war re-enactment taking place and the noises we had heard were blanks from rifles and cannon fire - proof that not all sounds of gunshots are criminal activity.

“The gun crime rate statistics had halved, suggesting that while crimes are increasing, gun crime is thankfully not a huge proportion of it” In November 2015 the Nottingham Police confirmed a total of 8,506 crimes were committed, but only 60 of them involved weapons. Their report neglected to state

what kind of weapons these were. Nevertheless, the statistics from November confirm that weapon related crime is in fact decreasing, as in July 2015 there had been 75 incidents and just 69 in the following October. Whilst talking to students about gun crime, it became apparent that while no one had really heard of any incidents, many had heard true stories of multiple stabbings that have taken place. As recently as the 28th December 2015 a man was stabbed outside the city centre’s McDonald’s on Clumber Street and on 2nd August 2015 a man was also stabbed in Market Square. The statistics seem to show that while our city has its fair share of crime, the emphasis on guns is perhaps misguided. So, if weapon related crime is decreasing, and there are no students who have witnessed a gun attack, why has Nottingham been given such a harsh name?

“It seems strange that Nottingham is referred to as Shottingham when you are far more likely to get stabbed in the high street than shot” One argument could be that as a city in the Midlands, Nottingham is often grouped together with other cities in the region and misperceived as the gun capital. In 2014 the Office for National Statistics released figures showing that one in nine incidents of gun crime in England and Wales took place in the West Midlands. Yet, as we have already established that

gun crime is decreasing in Nottingham, it suggests that the reported attacks are most likely occurring in other cities in the Midlands. However, the name just seems to have stuck. Nottingham’s nickname has not been changed to reflect the new statistics. So, while you could argue that you’d be unlikely to be shot in Nottingham now, a few years ago when the nickname surfaced, that was arguably not the case. In 2006, multiple news outlets reported that Nottingham had become the gun capital of the country, over-taking London. Moreover, The Telegraph actually reported that ‘Nottingham's position at the top of the gun offences table places it among the most crime-troubled cities in western Europe’. Yet this is no longer the case. While crime is still high in Nottingham, it no longer

deserves the nickname ‘Shottingham’ as gun crime is currently decreasing in the city. Whilst students may often speculate as to whether bangs are gunshots or fireworks according to statistics they are most likely the latter. Furthermore, while Nottingham did once live up to its harsh name, nowadays you’re more likely to see or hear of a knife crime than that of a gun. ‘Stabbingham’, ‘Guttingham’ and ‘Shankingham’ are yet to catch on.

STATISTICS FROM THE NOTTINGHAM POLICE, UK CRIME STATS WEBSITE, THE TELEGRAPH AND THE NOTTINGHAM POST

IMPACT FEATURES

WORDS BY AMRIT SANTOS IMAGE BY GEMMA BROWN

THE UNDISCUSSED EATING DISORDER

Let’s talk eating disorders. Let’s be frank. Let’s discuss how their definition has evolved. We’ll start by clarifying that they are complex (and, in large part, permanent) psychological afflictions, which can be caused by various reasons and are often accompanied by our dastardly friends Anxiety and Depression. It’s also vital to distinguish between the cause of an eating disorder (ED), and the things that sustain it, which in my case – as is so for many others – were fashion images. Fashion likes to shirk this responsibility but in fact, it has merely championed a new veneer of fitness, which only superficially combats the stigma around the dangerous health habits attributed to the industry. But I’m going to share a secret with you: exercise and clean eating are frankly the most genius pretence out there for disguising an ED.

“I never ever saw a pound drop off” The stress of Freshers’ year triggered my own body dysmorphia. I wasn’t interested in getting wasted on a regular basis and my extreme shyness prevented me from joining any societies consequently the gym became my best friend. I blew a shit ton of cash buying the cutest running shoes and sexiest sports bras, convincing myself that the iconic swoosh and bright colours would benefit my work out. Fashion was becoming dominated by sportswear and how-to fitness videos were everywhere – these were my own particular strains of poison, specifically the Victoria’s Secret ‘Runway Ready’ vids. A friend at this time reached out to me – I assured her I was simply modifying my diet and fitness regime for the better, having been coaxed into adhering to the gospel that is the health-food craze. I was in denial for months; I never purged, so I wasn’t bulimic. I never weighed myself or took measurements, so I couldn’t be anorexic. My period never stopped, and because I was drinking so much water and consuming ‘cleanly’, my skin and hair, honestly, looked better than ever. Sounds great, right? But here’s the catch: I was in constant physical pain and if I wasn’t sore from the residual ‘burn’ of my work out the next day, this equated to failure. I developed a routine of chugging water and treadmilling it till I had burned X amount of calories. I had mentally catalogued the calorie content of different foods - my progress was measured in apples or packets of crisps. I’d then spend more time in my room perfecting those ‘model secret moves’ the VS videos had so generously shared with me. The ritual finished in excessive mirror gazing. I never ever saw a pound drop off and didn’t understand why the hell the few people I did talk to ever made comments about my size or weight. But on some level I did secretly revel in the attention and pathetically, would scour my lecture theatres to check I was the skinniest girl present. What took me a long time to learn, was that obsession - no matter how it manifests itself in your reality - is always dangerous. My newfound preoccupation also endowed me with a loathsome sense of superiority (ironic as the disorder resulted from feelings

of inadequacy), and I even had girls asking me for advice, which only condoned my compulsive behaviours. These compulsions were highly circumstantial - I would find that I relaxed when I was home or visiting my boyfriend, when I could indulge in culinary delights that I otherwise deprived myself of. But the most profound guilt would soon follow. As someone who would make love to pasta, rice and bread if it were anatomically possible, it really became a question of selfflagellation. When so-so ‘compliments’ became sincere concern from my family, the cogs of logic in my highly regimented brain began to turn. My Tumblr dash was awash with tight abs and I had been following all the Angels on social media (meeting Candice Swanepoel by complete chance one day was for me equivalent to the coming of the Messiah) – reluctantly, I realised I had to immediately remove all thinspiration.

“This article has no inspirational ending” Two and a half years on, I still have to resist triggering internet searches and tabloid consumption. I don’t exercise at all anymore, which isn’t ideal either but at this point I know I would be mercilessly relinquished to that slippery slope if I even dared a Yoga class or morning swim. I strongly condemn the industry for refusing outright to address the issue in any tangible way. Cause and sustenance seem to be poorly understood concepts - model Karen Elson even admitted in 2009 that her

career in fashion had facilitated her own lifelong ED. Pitiful counter arguments include sizeist discrimination against thin models which I can’t help but scoff at as the industry is sizeist by definition. Fitness has taken on sine qua non status – rigorous regimes are encouraged with the promise of achieving a ‘runway body’ and are constantly glamorised. At age 20, I thought I was immune to developing such delusions but the truth is that I was reeled in by simply another oppressive lure of our glorious patriarchal capitalist culture. I was under the irrational impression that staring at these images long enough would magically transform me. This article has no inspirational ending – heck, the best I could do was recognise the behaviours and pinpoint the cause which helps mitigate bad habits and negative thinking. EDs basically f**k you over repeatedly and I would only advise others to seriously question the ideals that not only dictate how you should look, but also how you conduct your health and lifestyle; inspirational words of wisdom and vague legislation sadly just fall short of fixing the epidemic on our hands here. Call me when society changes, but I won’t be holding my breath.

IMPACT TRAVEL

SPOTLIGHT ON

MADEIRA Amongst the seemingly infinite blue waves of the North Atlantic Ocean, Madeira Island offers a paradise of green scenery originating from rich volcanic soil. The harmony between different elements of nature is present on every corner of the island. From majestic mountains to beautiful beaches and a wealth of greenery all year round, Madeira is simply a hidden gem in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is spread over 801.1km2 south from mainland Portugal. That is approximately half the size of the city of London! It is an autonomous region of Portugal and its population is at about 250,000 inhabitants. The island despite its size, boasts a great deal of activities and tours available both on land and sea. The deep waters surrounding the island make it an ideal destination for dolphin and whale spotting. With special whale migration patterns, this is the perfect place for potentially spotting the biggest mammal on earth – the blue whale. For some of the world’s nicest beaches grab a ferry to Porto Santos and enjoy the crystal clear waters and sandy beaches. While there why not try surfing, paddle boarding, diving, canoeing or any other water sport you may enjoy. From London, there’s only 3 hours and 35 minutes of flight time separating you from this paradise. The warm subtropical weather makes you feel welcome the moment you step onto the island. Madeira is unique in its mild climate all year long. The temperature never exceeds 26°C, which means you, can enjoy the warmth of the sun without ever feeling overwhelmed by the heat. The coldest month is January and average temperatures never dip below 16°C. The island is perfect for a relaxed winter escape. It is a world of wonder for the lover of the outdoors and anyone with an interest in the nature, culture and cuisine of the island.

Jeep safari tours are a great way to explore Madeira and enjoy the bumpy roads that are otherwise hard to conquer on foot. The island’s enchanting beauty is best experienced on one of the ‘Levada’ trails. The word “Levada” is a Portuguese word, which means to carry. Originally used by the agricultural communities, the levadas are used for the transportation of rainwater. Their primary purpose is to move water from the much wetter north side of the island to the drier southern part. By following the streams you will come across evergreen landscapes of vivid greenery that tightly embrace the mountains. There are a range of walks to choose from, depending on whether you are an expert hiker or a walking novice. Tours are available from as little as £20 for a full day excursion. A highly recommended walk is the ’25 Fontes’ where you will find 25 natural springs that meet and fall into a crystal clear lake, followed by a breathtaking waterfall.

“Madeira imparts an important reminder to all visitors of the importance of living in harmony with the natural beauty found around us” Mountain hiking is a must for the lover of the outdoors during their time on the island. Hike up into the mountainous regions and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the mountains peaking through a blanket of clouds. Grab a taxi to Pico de Ariero, 1,818m above sea level for the chance to admire the sights of fascinating geological formations and continue for the highest peak of the island – Pico Ruivo.

For an alternative view of the city from above, head to the center of Funchal for cable cars that take you higher into Monte. The 15-minute ride will have you gazing at picturesque architecture, banana plantations and fascinating geological formations. In Monte, you are greeted by a view that represents the symbiosis between humans and the environment. The two live in harmony. There you will find traditional ‘wicker toboggans’ sled rides, used for centuries to transport goods from the mountainsides to the city of Funchal. If you are not looking for thrills, see Monte’s Palace of Tropical Gardens or the famous Church of Our Lady of the Mount. The city shows awareness for the importance of preservation of their local environment through their ‘flowering city’ competition which gathers locals to take part in commercially or privately to win prizes for the most beautiful flower garden and it is worth visiting for in April. Madeira is known for many things; in particular its production of wine is recognized globally and that wine is often accompanied by the Madeira cake. Its second recognition comes from being the motherland of football superstar Christiano Ronaldo. The pride of the locals is evident in the display of his memorabilia alongside a massive statue erected in his honor.

“From majestic mountains to beautiful beaches and a wealth of greenery all year round, Madeira is simply a hidden gem in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.” The pleasant interactions with locals are likely to make anyone want to stay on the island - Winston Churchill was no exception. Following the end of the Second World War, Churchill spent much of his remaining time painting in a fishing village in Madeira called Camara de Lobos. His former home has now been transformed into a pub that tourists can visit. Camara de Lobos is a small fishing village that offers an authentic experience into the lives of the locals. Visit Bar Filhos D’Mar for an original taste of the local alcoholic drink called Poncha. Historically it was used by the local fishermen to help combat seasickness, and it’s made out of passionfruit, honey, lemon, sugar and aguardente de cana (local rum). All ingredients are either native to or produced on the island. The abundance of sea life surrounding the island also means that traditional Madeira dishes are simply delicious and healthy. A range of restaurants in the city of Funchal will undoubtedly satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. From sophisticated brasseries to traditional eateries – you will be spoilt for choice.

“Visit Bar Filhos D’Mar for an original taste of the local alcoholic drink called Poncha. Historically used by the local fishermen to help combat seasickness. It is made out of passion fruit, honey, lemon, sugar and aguardente de cana (local rum)”

Madeira imparts an important reminder to all visitors of the importance of living in harmony with the natural beauty found around us. There is a sense of deep serenity that follows you during your time on the island, something the locals themselves believe to be the cause of their daily joy.

WORDS AND IMAGES BY JUSTYNA MICUN

IMPACT TRAVEL

UNUSUAL HOTELS IMAGES BY ‘BJAGLIN’ VIA FLICKR

PUERTO CHUVICA SALT HOTEL

THE FRYING PAN TOWER

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world, so it may not be all that shocking to discover their Puerto Chuvica’s Salt Hotel. The penny drops, however, when you realise that the hotel is actually made from salt. Walls, floors, tables, chairs, beds – everything is crafted from salt. Just like an igloo, the hotel borrows from its natural surroundings to create a shelter and is decked out in genuine Inca furnishings (on top of the salt, of course). The salt hotel is nothing but authentic. Don’t worry, it won’t dissolve overnight! EMILY HOWARD

A terrifying night experience or the perfect place to get away from the world? The Frying Pan Tower, situated 34 miles off the Coast of North Carolina, was formerly a Coast Guard light station and has now been renovated into a hotel for guests to experience a unique stay completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The new hotel is known for it’s beautiful sunsets on the open water, with no other construction or land to see for miles. The once in a lifetime stay costs around $500 per person for two nights, but does not include essential boat transfers.

CAPSULE HOTEL

IGLU-DORF HOTEL

Originating in Japan as a Kapuseru Hoteru but now a concept that has gained popularity all over the world as a ‘capsule hotel’, these hotels involve a night’s sleep in a space filled with many pod-like rooms stacked on top of each other. As one would expect, basic overnight accommodation is provided with shared facilities such as baths, saunas and lockers. The room measures a tight space of 2 square metres but manages to include a television and wireless connection. The benefits of such a hotel is undoubtedly its price and convenience. Rooms cost an average of $25 per night, making it a cheap option for backpackers or the common Japanese businessman too drunk to catch their last train home.

A once in a lifetime experience is to stay in an Igloo Hotel in locations across Switzerland or Germany. This involves moving three thousand tons of snow each year to build each village. Artists worldwide are invited to produce designs and patterns in each igloo to look over the guests from the frozen walls. The villages are open through Christmas to the beginning of April each year. A tunnel complex connects each igloo to the next, creating a community. There are beautiful ice sculptures in each room, tied to a different theme every year and are conveniently located close to the popular ski resorts.

NICOLE TEH

REBECCA CHRISTMAS

PRIYA THAKRAR

IMPACT TRAVEL

BEST PLACES TO SKI chocolate box, the plethora of flowing blue slopes and long red runs encourages a different skiing experience every single day – for newbies through to aficionados. Despite the lack of black pistes, the boundless surrounding off-piste offers an enticing challenge. Why not also take the cable-car across the valley to Les Arcs for day? Plus, the area has an impressive 50 year history of winter sports, and played host to the Olympic bobsleigh track and a luge run. Beyond the snow there are also heated swimming pools and spas and buzzing bars, for those who are looking for something other than skiing - the après-ski is unparalleled! EMILY HOWARD AND PRIYA THAKRAR

LE MASSIF DE CHARLEVOIX, CANADA Located in the mountainous region of Quebec, ski aficionados will be glad to know that Le Massif de Charlevoix is known to have the highest vertical drop east of the Rockies. Incredibly scenic, every slope provides an unrestricted view overlooking the St. Lawrence River, which connects the Great lakes with the Atlantic ocean, that will definitely take your breath away. Home to La Charlevoix , this triple diamond run will definitely make your palms sweat with a view that looks like it ends directly in the St. Lawrence River! Apart from skiing and snowboarding , sledding is one of the activities provided as an alternative but certainly cannot be missed. Le Massif de Charlevoix’s sled run is 7.5km long and winds down Mont Liguori, rewarding individuals with both thrill and an amazing scenery. NICOLE TEH

DIZIN SKI RESORT, IRAN A must-visit ski resort is Dizin in Iran, 43 miles north of Tehran in the Alborz mountain range. You can purchase a day pass for just $20! High quality equipment and instructor hire is also of great value. With many sunny days and drier air than many European resorts, the snow and visibility is great. Take a telecabin to the top and witness Mount Damavand, the highest peak in the Middle East that provides amazing scenic views. Due to its high altitude, the ski and snowboard season lasts from mid-November to May, longer than many European ski resorts. Dizin is perfect for beginners and professionals. For accommodation, there are also many cozy affordable hotels and chalets within walking distance. What’s more, Dizin has grass-skiing in the summer as well as hiking and horse riding! NELLIE KHOSSOUSI

LA PLAGNE, FRANCE A collection of villages in the traditional Savoie Alps, La Plagne is vast, equalled by the range in altitude (1250-3250m). The area is surrounded by beautiful, traditional mountain villages such as Champagny-en-Vanoise for those interested in history, but also houses a number of bars, restaurants and bowling alleys located in the close-by Belle Plagne. It is wellknown for its impressive ski area - 225 kilometres of runs for every level of skier - and although it’s not exactly an aesthetic

IMAGES BY ‘LJPHILIPS34’, ‘YOUNG SHANAHAN’ AND ANTTI T NISSINEN VIA FLICKR

IMPACT TRAVEL

It pays to be Chinese during Chinese New Year - literally. Red packets containing cash are given to children from their elders as a symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. But this is merely one of the many traditions of a festival that is centuries old. The Chinese New Year does not follow the Gregorian calendar, which celebrates the new year on the 1st day of every year. Rather, Chinese New Year is celebrated at the turn of Chinese lunar calendar, which this year counts the new year on the 8th of February.

“Family is central to the Chinese New Year” Family is central to the theme of the Chinese New Year, and dinner on the eve before the New Year is known as reunion dinner. China in all its vastness often see families spread themselves across the country, be it for work, marriage or other reasons. Thus, the evening preceding the Chinese New Year is taken as an occasion for the family to gather for a reunion dinner. The next day kicks off in a series of gatherings and reunions as firecrackers are set off and doors are decorated with red coloured paper cuts symbolising longevity, happiness and good fortune. Families spend the holidays dressed to the nines visiting relatives, sharing meals and catching up with relatives who have returned from the far flung corner of the earth. During these sessions, they share meals together, play cards and gamble with traditional games such as Mahjong. Snacks like pineapple tarts, sambal rolls, and prawn crackers are just some of the delicacies eaten during the New Year.

“It’s a time of decadence and reunion” This holiday is usually a rollicking good time of decadence and heart-warming reunion. In tune with modern times, families have shrunk, and to fill that relatively new void of visitations are friends who also catch up during these holidays. Such celebrations are often bankrolled by the aforementioned red packets given to the young from their elders as a form of blessing.

A holiday of such magnitude involving one of the most populous nations in the world would inevitably attract commercial attention, and indeed many corporations have sat up and taken notice. Chinese New Year sales and promotions have increasingly become a staple, as many flock to the stores to purchase new clothes for their visitations, while holiday packages have proliferated as some seek to spend the holiday abroad on vacation. With the increased Chinese diaspora throughout the world, many countries and their respective Chinatowns also commemorate the event in a flamboyant show of parades and the like. Interestingly, the biggest Chinese New Year celebration outside of China occurs not in another Asian city but San Francisco. It is heartwarming to know that no matter the times or place, the Chinese have not forgotten their roots. Then again, with such exuberant celebrations, why would they?

IMPACT SCIENCE

BEST APPS FOR STUDENT LIFE:

ANKIDROID Energy drink, all-nighters, procrastination, breakdowns and ‘the fear’. These are most common words and terms used during the exam season. In essence, what links them is that they have nothing to do with the actual doing of work. Admittedly during these high-stress periods it is rare that anyone wants to actually discuss revision itself other than answering the question “how’s it all going?” with a terse “shit”. Methods for revision and achievement vary widely from person to person and have been honed by most students since GCSEs. Perhaps it is time to share strategies with each other and experiment with what works best. However, tried and tested flash cards are a method favoured by many in a variety of fields as they provoke long term recall whilst also enabling one to work on the go. With everything now being available via mobile technology, it was inevitable that this concept would be harnessed for mobile devices; such is the case with the application Ankidroid. The app is available on Android and iOS (though for a not insignificant fee of £19), but also available for free for both Windows and Mac computers. Simply, the app allows you to create your own flashcards. What makes the system different to manually and painstakingly designed paper cards is that the system knows when you need to see the cards again. It uses what is known as Spaced Repetition Software, or SRS, a software system based on the effective learning process proposed by Professor Cecil Mace in 1932. When you see a question on the ‘front’ of the card, you answer it out loud or in your head and then push ‘see answer’ and depending on how well you knew the answer

(or not as the case may be) you touch the equivalent button e.g. hard or easy and the system will know when best to show you the card again. The better you knew the answer, the longer it’ll wait before repeating the same card. It also gives you statistics on your answers, so you can use this to know which study areas need more work.

“You can use Ankidroid to know which study areas need more work” The multi-format system allows for easy syncing, meaning you can access your created virtual card decks from anywhere and any device, in theory. Many decks have already been created from around the world; at a glance these include world capital cities, the Greek alphabet for mathematics, patent law and amino acid structures and symbols.

EACH ISSUE, IMPACT LOOKS AT THE APPS THAT HELP MAKE STUDENTS’ LIVES A LITTLE EASIER WORDS BY STEPHEN KENNY IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD

One of the best features of having a computerised app system is that pictures and audio files can be uploaded and used for questions and answers, which is useful for foreign language learners if you don’t want your native language to give you too many hints. This functionality means that the cards can be customised to suit anyone’s needs, for instance if you learn better with words or pictures then you can adjust accordingly. The system is easy to use but the functionality can be confusing to begin with; not all the buttons on the home screen are easy to access and it takes a bit of time to make the ideal flashcard that works for you. What this app does very well is determine exactly what kind of learning works best for you, which is in itself an incredibly useful thing to know. Ankidroid is an essential app for those who use flashcards anyway, but for those who don’t, the system works in such a way that it’d be a useful addition to anybody’s study programme. For the tight ones of you who don’t wish to fork out, iOS has Brainscape, which works just as well.

IMPACT SCIENCE

THE SCIENCE OF STUDENT LIVING

WORDS BY JOANNE BLUNT IMAGE BY ALEX FARZAD

IMPACT INVESTIGATES THE MURKY SCIENCE BEHIND STUDENT DIGS WORDS BY JOANNE BLUNT IMAGE BY DABID LEE VIA FLICKR

HEATING BILLS “Why is my heating bill twice as much as yours?” We’ve all heard the same discussion time and again in Hallward. The fact is some houses are incredibly difficult to heat, no matter how cheap your tariff. The problem is so prolific that the government commissioned a report into ‘Hard to Heat Homes’. The study found that, in order to stay healthy, the homes of young adults needed to be only 18°C. Cold houses tend to be single bricked, which removes the option of cavity wall insulation. If the building has stray passages and an odd shape, it will have a greater area of wall to lose heat through. Large windows allow more heat to escape and high ceilings make bringing the air on the ground to a sensible heat more difficult, as the hot air rises into high ceilings. These are all things to bear in mind now the house hunt has properly commenced.

“Experts predict this year’s influx of house spiders will be even greater than usual” SPIDER INVASIONS

Autumn is a horrible time for arachnophobes. Spiders far larger than average suddenly appear and we’re left running for the glasses and paper to expel them tentatively from our homes. At other times of year, spiders would much rather stay away from us. However, during mating season the behaviour of male spiders changes dramatically as they go in search of a mate across your kitchen floor. Unfortunately, due to the long, wet yet warm summer, experts predict that this year’s influx of house spiders will be even greater than usual. One way to keep them out is by spreading lemon or other strong smells around cracks and doorways. Spiders cannot see well and rely on their sense of smell to find mates so if you cover up the smell of any female spiders, the males will leave you well alone.

NOCTURNAL HABITS

Students often get a reputation for being lazy due to night owl tendencies and lack of enthusiasm for 9am starts. However, study after study has shown this to be unfair. 70% of students have difficulty sleeping. Young people's sleeping hours are pushed back much further than adults. Sleep is regulated by the hormone melatonin which is released as the evening progresses to make you feel tired and absorbed as the sun rises in the morning to wake you up. Melatonin is released much later in the evening in young adults which means they find it much harder to get to sleep at a reasonable time in order to be refreshed in the morning. Another major cause of sleeping troubles is the ‘sleep debt’ – sleeping for much longer on the weekends compared to on the weekdays. Tiredness damages concentration and general well-being detrimentally so establishing a good sleeping pattern is essential for a healthy lifestyle.

BEST BEFORE DATES

Every student takes sell by dates as a polite suggestion rather than a rule, much to the horror of their families back home who claim food poisoning will be inevitable. ‘Best Before’ dates however have nothing to do with safety but are rather there to indicate when the product will be at it’s freshest and are there simply to protect the quality. Lots of food can be used a while after the use by date if cooked or prepared properly. For example, eggs can be used if cooked until yolk and white are solid or if used in cakes. ‘Use by’ dates are a different story. They are assigned to quickly perishable goods such as meat and eating them after the use by date could damage your health. On average, we throw away £700 of edible food each every year which has led to a major review in food labelling whose results will hopefully yield smart packaging, which will change colour when the food is no longer safe to eat.

IMPACT SCIENCE

NOT LOST IN SPACE IMPACT DETAILS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOST FAMOUS ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE WORDS BY LUKE NORMAN IMAGE BY NASA VIA FLICKR

In 2015 Tim Peake made history by being the first British astronaut to visit the station under the European Space Agency (ESA). Since then he has already conducted a spacewalk replacing a faulty voltage regulator, had a space photography masterclass and eaten a bacon sandwich as his first meal on board. But what is everyday life like on the international spacestation?

THE TEAM

There are currently six astronauts aboard the ISS for Expedition 46; Commander Scott Kelly (USA), Yuri Malenchenko (UKR), Sergey Volkov (UKR), Tim Kopra (USA), Mihail Kornienko (RUS) and Tim Peake (GBR). Kelly, Kornienko and Volkov will all leave in March, whilst the other three astronauts will stay on for Expedition 47 until June 2016.

“Just how can you go to the toilet in zero-gravity?” SPACEWALKS

Spacewalks allow the crew to fix the exterior of the space-station and conduct tests outside; these can last, on average, for five to eight hours at a time. They are very complicated procedures which involve everything from leaving the station to the air the walkers breathe. In order to leave the ISS, the astronauts must first pass through an airlock. The airlock is a two-door passage which stops air escaping from the spacecraft; the first door opens allowing the air lock to fill with air from the station, it then closes behind them and the second door opens safely for the astronaut’s exit, preventing air from the main section escaping.

During the walk astronauts breathe pure oxygen from tanks which removes nitrogen from their bodies. The presence of nitrogen in the body whilst in space, can produce bubbles of gas in the joints which cause aches and pains for the astronauts, commonly known as ‘the bends’.

CUPOLA

First installed in 2010, the Cupola is one of the most breath-taking parts of the ISS. It allows up to two astronauts to be inside and see the Earth from the station. It features 360 degrees of viewing freedom and thus serves as the primary observatory on board due to its dome-like structure and height of roughly 1.5 metres. Its seven windows are made of transparent fused silica glass and borosilicate glass. Originally given to NASA by ESA in exchange for the transport of parts, it was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to be used on the ISS. The Cupola featured in Commander Chris Hadfield’s revised version of David Bowie’s

‘Space Oddity’ in 2013 in the scenes of him looking towards the Earth.

TOILET FACILITIES

One of the most asked questions to astronauts, according to Peake, is just how can you go to the toilet in zerogravity? The answer, my friends, is suction. The astronauts have to pee into a pipe which then sucks it back into a container and for number twos the same principle applies, just sitting on a box! The waste is then subjected to a vacuum, which kills off any bacteria and pathogens whilst also removing any odours that are released.

IMPACT FOOD REVOLUCIÓN DE CUBA

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

REUNION RESTAURANTS

It's a new year at Nottingham and Impact Food has scouted out all the new restaurants to check out for the post deadline and exam season. Celebrate new semester, new you with new (good!) food.

Revolución de Cuba, as the name suggests, serves amazing authentic Cuban cuisine straight in the heart of Nottingham. Its also an equally fantastic bar and venue for all sorts of parties, offering a fantastic selection of deals on drinks and food for large gatherings, as well as brilliant entertainment in the form of fiesta classes and cocktail making masterclasses from only £25. The aesthetic of this restaurant/bar truly represents the vibrant, energetic culture of Cuba right here in the middle of England. This is a place not only good for the tastebuds, but which needs to be praised and visited just for the wonderful design, creating such a great atmosphere that's stylish, fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously like some other restaurants. Perfect for those who want to start the year in class (but not the academic sort!). MONDAY - SUNDAY, 10:00 - 22:00, 26 - 28 MARKET STREET, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 6HW 0115 871 5735 WORDS BY PRIYANKA MISTRY AND CHARLOTTE MARTIN IMAGE BY PRIYANKA MISTRY

INFERNO What’s missing from Nottingham’s foodscape? A pizza-serving Subway. Well that’s where Inferno comes in. Located right in the heart of the city, next to Victoria Centre, comes this new form of fast foodery which you never knew you needed. Whether you are choosing from the many pizza ideas on the menu or you decide to make your own from scratch, these pizzas are incredible. Inferno is a great place to go with a group of friends or catch up with a mate after a long day at uni; infused with an amazing atmosphere and the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet in a fast food restaurant. These pizzas are both affordable and great value for money. If you don’t feel up to getting a whole 11-inch pizza yourself you can even ask for a half and half pizza to share at no extra cost. These pizzas are fully customisable yourself so whatever you want on top from their many ingredients, then you have the option to be as daring as you want. MONDAY -THURSDAY, 11:00 - 23:00, FRIDAY - SATURDAY, 11:00 - 00:00, SUNDAY, 11:00 - 22:00 37 MILTON ST, NOTTINGHAM NG1 3EN 0115 947 3262 WORDS & IMAGE BY ANDREW JONES

PIEMINISTER The story of this company is such a sweet one, and is especially sentimental for us Notts students. Pieminister is known for its award winning pies, and they are currently in the process of opening right here in Nottingham. The founders met (and later married) right here in Nottingham while studying at our university and developed the idea for this fantastic chain of quality classic british pies; we especially congratulate them for their fantastic ethical business practices in sourcing their meat and eggs as free range, and their environmental project in Temna, Malawi to build a forest. Come check out Pieminister and support these amazing notts graduates. We recommend their Heidi pie, made with goat's cheese and sweet potato. OPENING HOURS AVAILABLE SOON 57 LONG ROW, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 6JB WWW.PIEMINISTER.CO.UK WORDS BY ISABEL JURY | IMAGE BY SODANIE CHEA VIA FLICKR

THAIKHUN Tucked away in the Victoria Centre (behind Joe’s Kitchen) Thaikhun boasts an array of drinks and authentic Thai street food. Our favourites included the Gai Satay (grilled satay marinated chicken skewers served with peanut sauce, cucumber relish and toast) and the Thai prawn toast - the Bangkok Street Platter offers a "true taste" of Thailand.The use of good ingredients and traditional recipes in an open kitchen makes for a rich eating and drinking experience. We loved the Coconut Mojitos and the Monsoon Valley wine (imported from Thailand), especially the red which would be an exquisite accompaniment to beef dishes such as the Nua Yang. The décor itself is eye-catching, matched by a fabulous heated terrace with a street view of the city. Thaikhun really has a fun and casual atmosphere with genuinely friendly service making it ideal for drinks and a bite to eat. It is definitely somewhere you ought to check out for that upcoming social event/group meal - they have a section available to hire which seats up to 30 people! Overall, we would 100% recommend visiting. And if that doesn’t convince you then maybe the 20% student discount (coming soon) will! MONDAY - SUNDAY, 12:00 - 22:00 R7, VICTORIA SHOPPING CENTRE, NOTTINGHAM NG1 3QN 0115 838 9950 WORDS & IMAGE BY ZENAB HAQ AND RADHIKA CHOND

IMPACT FOOD

RAPID RECIPES

NEW YEAR NEW YOU We have found for you the most delicious and healthy recipes to start 2016 on a good foot. Simple, wholesome and filling, these nutritious recipes show that comfort food can be enjoyed health-consciously with these amazing recipes.

Butternut Squash Coconut Soup with Rice

Healthy Homemade Wheat Pizza INGREDIENTS Base 2 cups of whole wheat flour splash of olive oil 100ml of water chopped garlic pizza sauce or tomato puree pesto (optional) mixed vegetables (e.g. onions, mushrooms, spinach) cheese (optional) condiment of choice

METHOD 1. Mix pizza base ingredients together, knead dough then roll it out on a floured surface, leave base for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan). Chop up vegetables for pizza, spread pizza sauce and pesto on base. 3. Add cheese if desired, then vegetables. Put in the oven for 20 minutes. 4. Take out pizza when nicely cooked, drizzle your favourite condiment on top, slice up and it's ready to serve! WORDS BY LEANNE HUGHES IMAGE BY MIKE MCCUNE VIA FLICKR

INGREDIENTS 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped 2-3 cups of brown rice 2 cans of coconut milk 2-3 sticks of lemongrass plenty of coriander, fresh or dried 3 red chillies olive oil 2 garlic cloves ginger, fresh or dried 1 onion, diced limejuice cumin 1.5 litres of vegetable stock

blender until the mixture is fine, then add straight to a hot frying pan. Add diced onions and a chopped up squash to the pan. 3. Once butternut squash is slightly softened, add the contents of the pan to the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the rice. 4. Add coconut milk, and wait for the soup to thicken a bit.

METHOD

5. Add some more lime juice, season with pepper, scatter some red chillies in the mix and it's ready to serve.

1 Start to boil your stock water on the stove.

WORDS AND IMAGE BY ISABEL JURY

2. Blend chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime juice, coriander, a bit of olive oil and cumin in a

Toast and Blueberries Dessert

Chickpea and Tomato Curry INGREDIENTS

METHOD

olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, diced 1 tablespoon of diced ginger root, or powdered 1 tablespoon of curry powder 2 cans of chickpeas 2 cans of tomatoes 1 tablespoon of dried coriander, or ½ cup of fresh 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 3-4 cups of brown rice

1. Cook onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder together with oil. Boil rice separately. 2. Add chickpeas and tomatoes to pot and mix together. 3. Add coriander and lemon juice, then serve with rice. WORDS BY GABBY AHMED IMAGE BY ‘PELICAN’ VIA FLICKR

INGREDIENTS whole wheat bread, toasted crunchy peanut butter agave nectar cinnamon blueberries

METHOD 1. Toast your whole wheat bread, smother it with crunchy peanut butter.

2. Sprinkle loads of cinnamon on the toast, add on some blueberries and drizzle the agave nectar, a natural sugar-free sweetener. Deliciousness in less than 10 minutes! WORDS AND IMAGE BY DIANA SMITH

IMPACT FOOD

IS IT HARD TO EAT HALAL AT UNIVERSITY? IMPACT FOOD INVESTIGATE THE HARDSHIPS BEHIND A WAY OF LIFE WORDS BY LYDIA ECCLESTON AND ISABEL JURY IMAGE BY GUIAN BOLISAY VIA FLICKR

Students arrive at university expecting their home comforts to be on their doorstep, whether that be catered accommodation or not, and why shouldn’t they be? Every supermarket stocks options for vegetarians and vegans, glutenand wheat-free needs, so is Halal meat any different? We investigated whether it is easy for students at the University of Nottingham to buy Halal meat, to eat it at the university, and whether prices match nonHalal meat products. In Nottingham the local bigbrand stores, by the usual student accommodation, include a Sainsbury’s Local, Lidl and Tesco Express. These small stores stock a limited range of all products, fresh meat and ready-meals that include meat are easily available. However, no

Halal meat products are yet stocked in these stores even though there is a vast Muslim community within the University, many of whom eat Halal meat only.

“Eating Halal during first year can be significantly easier” There are, however, small independent grocery and convenience stores within the area that stock or specialise in Halal products. Some can be found as locally as on Ilkeston Road, just a small walk or bus ride for those who live in halls or houses around Lenton. Yet, it seems strange with such a huge consumer need, that so many well known supermarkets do not stock the meat. This inconvenience often leads to difficulty when cooking and deciding where to go when looking for a restaurant. A staggering 80% of people asked* said they have eaten vegetarian options when in a restaurant or when cooking at home due to a lack of available Halal meat. Javahir Askari , second year Politics student, told us, “I often have to use Quorn products in cooking, as it’s easier to get hold of, and normally cheaper.” This begs the question as to whether society, in this regard, is truly equal? Should students, in a university in England, have to compromise and restrict their diets because their environment does not accommodate their religious or cultural dietary needs? When examining the consumption of Halal meat amongst students, it becomes clear that the financial cost of these products is significantly higher compared to standard non-Halal meat. Given that all students typically struggle to manage their money, the pressure of maintaining a somewhat expensive dietary requirement with such an already limited budget becomes an increased problem. When looking at one British supermarket, Asda, the price of 500g of Halal minced beef is £4*, compared to the standard minced beef which is only £2. This pricing is common across all supermarkets. Even ‘luxurious meat’, such as organic minced beef, can come in at less, selling for £3.50 in Sainsburys. According to The Telegraph, the average Briton consumes an estimated 2100g of meat in a month, with 33% eating in excess of this. If this done by only eating Halal meats such as minced beef typically sold for £4*, this means that £16.80 would be spent on meat alone in a month. Non-Halal meat would only cost £8.40, spending exactly half of an expensive portion of student diets. Although initially this seemed like an insignificant price variation, we can see that Halal meat can soon add up and cost twice as much as a standard meat, meaning Muslim students are forced to spend more on food. The alternative of eating vegetarian becomes considerably more viable when looking at how expensive buying Halal meat is, as non-meat options become more accessible, and it’s so much easier to eat vegetable-based meals. When cooking from scratch, it is apparent that abstaining from any meat is the most affordable and easiest way to ensure that food is Halal for students but means that students have to compromise their

diets, for both the difficulty of accessing the meat and financial cost. Muslim students are restricted in their diets by this steep price difference in with meat and the difficulty in obtaining it. Another problem for students involves eating out - going for a meal means checking the restaurant's Halal options, and sometimes even having to choose vegetarian options you wouldn't normally choose when dining out, just to be able to have something to eat at all in a restaurant or fast food chain restaurant.

“Halal meat can soon add up and cost twice as much as a standard meat” Strangely enough, despite the expense and difficulty of obtaining Halal meat from convenience stores, it can be widely consumed across the UK in several chain restaurants which are easily accessible in Nottingham and available at affordable prices. Many restaurants source the majority of their meat from Halal abattoirs, making their menu options flexible for a wider audience of dietary requirements, one of the most notable Halal restaurants in the country is Nandos, offering 61 restaurants across the UK which sell exclusively Halal meat. KFC has about 90 fast food restaurants which are also exclusively Halal, and these stores carry official accreditation from the Halal Food Authority (HFA).

a large extent of choices on what you can purchase. On Campus you can find places like Chicken Joes which offer Halal meat with HFA approval, and Hall catering can provide Halal meat on request as well as other dietary requirements. Some smaller stores in and around Lenton do provide Halal meat to cook at home, but the choice is limited and significantly more costly. If you eat Halal then there are options available for you at Nottingham; eating Halal during first year can be significantly easier with a catering option provided by the university who does their best to provide a multitude of options for all dietary requirements of its students. If you are living outside of campus and cooking for yourself, we highly recommend shopping around to find the most affordable option, try out your local Halal butcher and see whats available, do research into brands and you’ll find that many companies do offer Halal products. *All price comparisons sourced from moneysupermarket. com, information correct as of 9/11/2015.

As we can see there are definitely options available for students in Nottingham to maintain a Halal diet, but this does come at an extra cost and isn’t always available to

IMPACT STYLE

KEEPING CULTURE ALIVE THROUGH COUTURE WORDS BY CLAIRE ELIZABETH SEAH IMAGES BY â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;CLAIREELIZABETHSEAHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; & THE DESIGNER

Impact Style discusses the role of culture in fashion with Singaporean designer Goh Laichan, known for his modern take on the Cheongsam We live in a world of fast fashion. Gone is the time when fashion trends came by the decade; nowadays the turnover is so quick that some trends do not even last a full day. Hailing from the tiny island of Singapore, which takes pride in preserving the traditions of the racially diverse cultures native to it, I wondered how relevant our traditional costumes continued to be in this everchanging fashion climate. Over the holidays, one of our independent local designers, Goh Lai Chan, kindly agreed to an interview with me. Laichan, his brand name, sells a wide variety of clothes, both designed and curated. However, his signature piece, which motivates local and international clients to return to his boutique, is a particular type of dress. Known as the Qipao, or more affectionately to me as the Cheongsam, it is an outfit unique to Chinese culture. The Cheongsam has served as inspiration for many famous designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Valentino. Laichan has been designing beautiful Cheongsams for decades and offers them both off-the-rack and bespoke. Our meeting one Saturday afternoon led to one of the most insightful discussions I have had on fashion. We discussed everything from the life of a designer to cultural appropriation. What was most obvious to me, throughout our encounter, was the raw passion and humble confidence he exuded as he shared his opinions with me. What follows below is a only taste of what he shared that day, but I believe that even within these lines, an unfaltering desire to cherish and protect a piece of physical heritage is easily detectable. Why and when did you decide to get into the fashion business? It was a matter of choice. When I was 16, I realised I did not want to work for someone else. Then the question was, what were the career options I had? I went through a process of elimination and ended up with... fashion.

What were your origins as a designer? I started designing clothes for my friends from my home. I would draw the designs and initially, my sister sewed them. From the start, I was not interested in making casualwear, like graphic tee shirts. Instead, I designed cocktail dresses and evening gowns, clothes that would be worn for events like parties, which allowed my designs to be seen and talked about. It was a very organic process on the one hand, but on the other hand, calculated with many strategic choices. Did you face any particular struggles or strengths in the early years? When I first came on to the designing scene, it was during a time when Singapore was not very fashion forward and that was a major advantage for me. It meant that it was a time where if you were good enough, or more importantly, if your designs were seen enough, it was not difficult to maintain a business. I also think the amount of effort one invested was the winning factor – being well disciplined, delivering goods on time, etc. these qualities were what ensured continuity and success for my business.

How would you describe the relationship you share with the Cheongsam? For me, I believe that the Cheongsam is a piece of clothing that remains permanently relevant for many reasons and so I set myself the task of modernizing it, so that others would be motivated to treasure this outfit. Unlike the big fashion houses, I do not regard it as a “one-season” item; it is a timeless and classic outfit. Are there any particular features that makes your Cheongsams unique? My customers believe it is elements like the buttons or the material, but personally, I believe it is the way I cut the Cheongsam. What I mean by ‘the cut’ is the way in which the material is first cut before being sewn together to make the dress. This is what defines my Cheongsams because I designed it for the modern woman; it is contemporary, “updated” and the key to preserving the relevance of the outfit.

Do you think brands have a responsibility to educate? For example, through crediting the cultures from which they are inspired by? I do not think they have such a responsibility. Fashion is partly about having fun and these brands are businesses, not educators. Moreover, with the big fashion houses, part of the motivation behind the culturally inspired designs is the belief that these designs will be profitable. It is not in the scope for brands to have to do the educating; that is the responsibility of schools.

What are your thoughts on ‘cultural appropriation’? I think the definition of ‘cultural appropriation’ is too vague. If you’re talking about a situation where the original and the designer pieces are nearly identical save for minor details, that to me is quite different from a designer taking inspiration from the Kebaya (another traditional outfit found in Singapore) and producing personal interpretations of it. Fashion and inspiration are nearly synonymous, especially today, with brands churning out designs at ridiculously fast rates and so designers taking inspiration from other cultures should be viewed as a tool for sharing ideas and spreading awareness.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DESIGNER VISIT LAICHAN.COM

IMPACT STYLE

RHYTHM OF THE

NIGHT

MINIMAL CLOTHING, MAXIMUM EFFECT SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT ACCESSORY IS ATTITUDE

IZZIE WEARS DRESS BY COS, WHITE T-SHIRT BY COS, GREY TUNICA BY STARING AT STARS, JACKET BY ZARA PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMY RAINBOW & GEMMA BROWN, MODELLED BY IZZIE WONG & ADAM MELONE, STYLED & EDITED BY CHANELLE OLALEYE, RAPHAELA RING & AMRIT SANTOS

IMPACT STYLE

AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY WORDS BY RAPHAELA RING ILLUSTRATION BY AMRIT SANTOS

Do we really need fashion shows? 2015 has seen young designers like Raf Simons and Alexander Wang close their doors on the fashion week circus. When prompted, the main reason given to explain the departure was the hectic environment of the industry and constant expectation of newness and creative innovation. With almost every month playing host to yet another fashion week, from Tokyo to Tbilisi and Kuala Lumpur to Leeds – the fashion industry stretches wide and far. And while some admire the rapid globalisation of fashion weeks, (not even a century ago was it that Eleanor Lambert staged the first one in New York in 1943 to compensate for the blockage of trends from Paris during the occupation), others complain about the constant jet lag and pressure this puts on the creative heads of labels.

“If nothing more than one or two statement pieces are needed to update your wardrobe from last season to this season, why bother?” Indeed, creating lucrative collection after collection is a heavy burden to bear -– but has it gone too far? In our demands for ceaseless innovation, have we pushed designers to a point where creativity is almost impossible? It has long been argued that fashion glances backwards too often, that is steals more than it creates, copies more than invents. If anything it seems as if ‘fashion’ has been replaced by a series of indistinguishable collections channelling ‘normcore’ and ‘structure’, born out of mood boards covered with 50 different shades of black and the odd camel tone. This is not to say that I don’t love The Row, Suno, Céline – Hell, Phoebe Philo is a superstar, but compared to Elsa Schiaparelli or the modernity of the late Alexander McQueen, her fashion are more clothes than art. If one collection looks like the next, fashion week and trends seem redundant. If nothing more than one or two statement pieces are needed to update your wardrobe from last season to this season, why bother? This frustration that has been felt throughout the industry has given rise to a new type of show – the ‘showy’-show. Chanel’s infamous demonstration runway from 2014 for example, which helped add a layer of depth to each item, portrayed a mood and message - that is what fashion is all about. In a similar vein, the recent Pitti Uomo show created by guest designer Marco de Vincenzo generated art, not just clothes. Instead of presenting a collection he showed eleven unique looks and spent the funds on refurbishing the ancient theatre that provided the backdrop for the mystical show. In an interview to Vogue, he stated that every fashion designer just wants to be free. Free of marketing pressure, free of financial boundaries, free to create. So although it seems that the era of clone-like models stalking emotionlessly down a runway past the critical bob of Anna Wintour and striking pompadour of Suzy Menkes has reached its due day, there is still a place for fashion week in our world. The industry needs to slow down – no doubt about that – but it doesn’t need to do so at the expense of fashion week; rather it could use fashion week as a tool to inspire the public as well as other designers, to share ideas and philosophies. 32

IMPACT STYLE

Take it as a tribute to David Bowie or don’t. Take it as a fun and messy experiment, sentimental of those teenage years surrounded by glue guns and scrapbooks. Or don’t. But enjoy the dramatic glamour of the glitter. PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMY RAINBOW, MODELLED BY ALMAZ RISH, STYLED AND EDITED BY CHANELLE OLALEYE, RAPHAELA RING AND AMRIT SANTOS

IMPACT EXPOSURE

P H O T O G R A P H Y

B Y

AMY RAINBOW

IMPACT GAMING

GAMEPLAY VERSUS STORY VIDEOGAMES’ OLDEST DEBATE WORDS BY TOM WELSHMAN IMAGES COURTESY OFAVALANCHE STUDIOS/SQUARE ENIX & QUANTIC DREAM/SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT

The debate regarding whether gameplay or story is the more important component of videogames has gone on for decades now. Is improving the way in which you interact with the game or upgrading the unfolding narrative itself the road to making a great game?

“So both things are important to various degrees” The story in a game can have a powerful effect on players. The narratives we love from film and television are there in certain games, only with the added involvement of driving the action yourself. Whilst the gameplay is also stellar in these example games, I will talk here only about the story’s relevance. The relationship between the two components will also come later. The Bioshock series is frequently cited as having an outstanding storyline which puts the player in a string of very human problems, set in a mystical world. One of the key story elements of that game involves the late reveal that your guide through the underwater world of Rapture up to that point has actually been subtly playing you for a fool. You experience chills, feel somewhat betrayed and are also in awe of game’s ability to trick you in this way. It is these moments of sudden realisation and emotion which highlight the power of story. There are dialogue and fight scenes in the Witcher series which do not feel planned or stale at all. Part of it is just the recognition that the game has affected you

more than expected. Games of this kind also have a gradual effect in terms of story: the worlds actually feel real and slowly draw you in, making you wish you lived there too. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, among other Bethesda Softworks titles, does this well whilst avoiding genre clichés and dodging potential cheesiness. It plays on nostalgic desires to be taken on a swashbuckling adventure in a completely different universe. And that is powerful. However, one cannot deny that the way in which one interacts with this world may be as relevant as the world itself. The power of simplicity, of just being fun to play, is highlighted by games which do not really have any recognisable story at all. The obvious example is sports games. Orthodox titles like FIFA and zany leftfield games like Rocket League gather an immense following without any discernible story. And it is not just because people buy them for the love of football: these games are so tightly wound that just playing them gives people a great deal of joy. The argument is furthered by examples of games which do have a story but the gameplay overshadows it by being especially unique or interesting.

“The bridging between genres is almost self-sabotaging” The Just Cause series is a prime example of this. There is a vaguely interesting story in each game of the trilogy, always revolving around overthrowing a corrupt dictatorship, but the crazy gameplay is what people buy the game for. The developer in that case consciously decided to create a world where you can do insane stunts and combat activities which are obviously impossible in reality but are immense fun to play around with. Perhaps a story isn’t even needed in games like that. Moreover, the fiendishly difficult Dark Souls has built a reputation on a style of gameplay which stands out from other Western titles because of its demanding nature. A story exists in the background but it has been semi-intentionally been put there to show off this uncompromising approach to gameplay. So both things are important to various degrees and both can make or break a game. But the crux of my argument is this: the greatest games of all time have both concepts, yes, but gameplay is the foundation upon which the rest of the game is built. And for that reason it is indispensable. Take the recent game Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain as an example. That has an excellent story which includes many of the aforementioned ‘oh, snap’ affecting moments in the storytelling. But these would be

redundant if the game was not fun to play. It is incredibly wellcrafted in that respect. Other commentators have noted the game’s way of creating a set of rules for the gameworld, and then letting the player do what they wish within these broad limits. As a result there are fun situations which were not directly intended by the developer but you are still able to experience them because of the game’s design. My previous example of The Witcher is similar. The most recent instalment has been called one of the greatest roleplaying games of all time. This is partly due to its magnificent story, something very important in that genre, but also its fantastic combat and conversational design choices which quietly facilitate for this grand adventure. A game which is perhaps my favourite of all time, Mass Effect 2, also falls into this category. The story obviously stuck with me but it was the tense firefights, using my abilities correctly and directing squads to carry out orders which made up this story on the ground level.

acclaimed, some argued that this type of game takes up an uncomfortable middle ground between two mediums where you actually expect the story to unfold like a film but your involvement through controls interferes with this expectation. So the bridging between genres is almost selfsabotaging. In my opinion it is evidence that one should go fully one way or the other, and on that logic a good game can have an endearing story but only when driven by properly created gameplay mechanics.

Of course, a number of successful games exist where story is given priority and it functions as more of an interactive film, with a number of quick-time events being used to progress the game. Heavy Rain, released in 2010, would be an example of this. But whilst the story was rightly

IMPACT GAMING

BUGGY AND BROKEN

IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO RELEASE A BUG-FILLED GAME? WORDS BY TIM SPENCER IMAGE BY GEMMA BROWN

With such delights as the devastatingly broken Batman: Arkham Knight on PC, the games industry has released titles that have been absolute messes in recent years. It is getting to the point that publishers are forced to offer refunds for broken games, losing much credibility in the process. It is now the time to look at whether there can ever be a time where bringing a buggy game to market is acceptable, and whether and how developers can mitigate damage caused. The first real problem that game developers find is that they do not have time or resources to release games in the way they want. This is especially prevalent in smaller game companies. The number of glitches in the early release of Cities Skylines was entirely down to the fact that they only had eleven members in their team. The small teams can claim this much more than the AAA releases can, but it doesn’t mean that large teams are always at fault. It is unlikely that any group can create a completely bug-free experience, especially when people playing games have a tendency to find ways to break them. The infamous trick in Skyrim where players put a bucket on a shopkeeper’s head meant that players could steal everything in the shop without the shopkeeper seeing. It is unlikely Bethesda would have realised that, due to their sight mechanic working from a cone of vision for NPCs, people could corrupt it and turn it into a bug. Not only do developers have limited resources, they also can never know what enterprising players will try out, so that also makes it difficult to make a completely bug-free game.

“It is unlikely that any group can create a completely bug-free experience” Another huge problem that the games industry has is skyrocketing budgets, leading to decreased profits. This means that large publishers such as Warner Bros. have forced their developers to release games way before they are ready for publishing. The developers of the aforementioned Batman: Arkham Knight struggled with the PC version as they didn’t

have time to test it out, thereby not discovering that the game was completely broken on all but a few high-end PCs. This is a problem across the entire games industry, with many new releases becoming unplayable due to publishers forcing games out way before they realistically can be released properly. This is only compounded by publishers allegedly meddling whilst games are in development: changing what the game needs to be before it’s released. The brilliantly conceived, but deeply flawed Just Cause 3 had huge numbers of bugs that the developers couldn’t remove, because the publisher Square Enix kept changing their minds on how the mechanics worked in the game. Large game publishers do not help the natural development problems mentioned before, and it is only going to get worse if costs keep increasing.

“Most importantly it destroys trust” It is therefore sometimes acceptable to release a buggy game, but it is never acceptable to release a broken one. Getting rid of the Skyrim bug is part of the post-release process all good developers go through, as gamers are great bug testers (trying out literally every possibility). It is even sometimes unfortunate that some PCs or consoles will be unable to run games for a certain period of time, but every effort should be made to make them work. It is the developer's job to recover the mistakes of the game but publishers need to move away from the strong-armed control that they have achieved over developers. This is damaging for those working inside the industry, damaging for players outside, and most importantly it destroys trust in publishers in the future. If a player stops buying games as a result of bugs within any of the previously mentioned games, there should be no illusion who is to blame: nobody but the publisher.

IMPACT GAMING

STEAM AND EARLY ACCESS WORDS BY LIAM EVANS IMAGE BY MIKE DEAL VIA FLICKR Early access is becoming an increasingly popular method of funding for small, independent teams, allowing consumers to purchase a game in an early stage of development. Typically released in Alpha (unstable and feature incomplete) or Beta (feature complete but unoptimised) users can support, and shape the games they want to play. This rise in popularity lies largely with digital-distribution behemoth and gaseous water form, Steam, introducing the early access release platform in 2013. This has in turn allowed developers to diverge from crowd-pleasing games to make more unique titles.

“Steam Early Access has been a clear financial success” Freed from the creative shackles of the publisher you’d expect a plethora of games, widely varying in genres, themes, artwork you name it. But as we see this model becoming more established, it appears that this is not completely the case. Currently there seems to be a neverending list of developers throwing their hats into the “open world survival game” ring, showcasing new, groundbreaking ideas such as crafting and zombies. This totally can’t be seen in the most successful early access game of all time,

Minecraft. A game that shifted the industry’s attention towards this business model, and managed to sell three copies to every eight-year-old while doing so. Steam Early Access has been a clear financial success; three of the ten games on Steam’s ‘Top Sellers’ list at the time of writing are early access. In some cases, millions of copies have been sold while still in Alpha. One of these success stories is the standalone DayZ title, which was released December, 2013 and has since amassed around 3.4 million sales. The game remains in the Alpha stage of development today, and is looking very unlikely to meet its aim of an early 2016 full release. Despite this, it was placed 52nd on PC Gamer’s Top 100 Greatest Games list… illustrating the credibility of gaming journalism. Most of my 29 hours playing DayZ has been spent running around finding various soiled hats, and one time I saw a cow.

“By the time you complete your game, people may have burnt out and stopped playing” The progress made by Bohemia Interactive at finishing DayZ has been at a snail’s pace, and while waiting for the game to reach a more playable state I’ve already lost interest. That is the risk ran by the time you complete your game, people may have already burnt out and no one is playing it. What is promising for fans of DayZ though, is that the company have a record of delivering games through the model. And they certainly aren’t going to run out of money unless they’re going H.A.M. at the club every night - although it would probably explain why they are taking so long. That is another issue by buying the game early; you are placing trust in the developer to actually finish it. I think the biggest concern for me with early access games is the business model itself. The nature of the model leads to a worsened experience for the user. But what I am criticising of Steam is that they jumped onto the buzz surrounding these games, making it so they can purchased through their system. I would argue they have keenly promoted some titles (Ark: Survival Evolved a permanent fixture on the Store page) over less expensive and finished titles like the acclaimed Undertale. I am not saying early access games are not well-made, fun, or have the potential to be, but they are released as an incomplete experience. And therefore Steam is supporting a substandard quality of games.

IMPACT FILM & TV

IMPACT

FILM

AWARDS THE FILM AWARDS SEASON IS NEARLY UPON US AND SO, IN THE SPIRIT OF THIS TIME OF YEAR, IMPACT FILM & TV HAVE TAKEN A LOOK BACK AT THE FILMS OF 2015 AND SELECTED SOME AWARDS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE COMING MONTHS.

WORDS BY IBTISAM AHMED & HENRY STANLEY IMAGE BY DAVIDLOHR BUESO VIA FLICKR

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Nominees: Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (Tangerine), Abraham Attah (Beasts of No Nation)

daddy issues and a back story with Luke Skywalker that we’ll hopefully get more of, the leader of the First Order is easily the best villain of the year, and perhaps of the whole Star Wars saga.

Winner: Jacob Tremblay (Room)

BEST FIGHT SEQUENCE

Being one of the leads in a film about forced captivity and abuse is difficult enough, but carrying that emotional heft as your first major performance in a critically-acclaimed production is astonishing. That Jacob Tremblay does so, at the grand old age of nine should give other Hollywood stars something to seriously think about. While Brie Larson has been getting the most of the attention, Tremblay’s evolution from naïve comfort in the confines of imprisonment, to wide-eyed and uneasy wonder at the outside world, is what really sells Room. We are delighted to see the SAG Awards gave him a nomination and, with four roles confirmed for this year alone, the future is bright for this young actor.

BEST SPY FILM

Nominees: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Spectre, Kingsman: The Secret Service Winner: Spy 2015 was most definitely the year of the cinematic spy. With a vast array of great spy flicks, this was not an easy decision to make. However, with Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne leading a film that subverted every rule the genre has, Spy was perhaps the most enjoyable of the lot, leaving audiences in stitches. McCarthy delivers the ultimate anti-spy, whilst Jason Statham’s over-the-top macho Rick Ford parodied his own career wonderfully - and very nearly stole the film.

Nominees: Yellow Jacket vs Ant-man (Ant-Man), Bond vs Mr Hinx (Spectre), Indominus Rex vs T-Rex/Raptors (Jurassic World) Winner: Church Brawl (Kingsman: The Secret Service) No fight scene of 2015 quite lives up to fast-paced, humourpacked, extreme church brawl that occurs midway through Kingsman. The pub fight earlier deserves a mention, but this one steals the film. Focussing on Colin Firth’s Harry Hart as he, amid the chaos, cuts down the congregation, whilst his fellows look on in horror. The pacing of the scene is incredible, never pausing for breath, whilst also managing to infuse comedy and action perfectly.

WORST PERFORMANCE BY AN OSCAR WINNER Nominees: Eddie Redmayne (Jupiter Ascending), Morgan Freeman (Ted 2), Robert de Niro (The Intern)

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2)

Nominees: Bing Bong (Inside Out), Antony the Ant (Ant-Man), the Raptors (Jurassic World)

Sorry J-Law. Katniss might have been your star vehicle, but you were a far cry from the actor we came to love in the earlier instalments, and such great performances as Winter’s Bone and Silver Linings Playbook. While the other nominees hammed it up in mediocre-at-best films, Lawrence fell victim to that pesky little problem of taking oneself too seriously. True, a dystopian society in the midst of a civil war is no cheery matter, but we haven’t seen such a one-note performance from an awards darling in a long time. The fact that her previous forays in the same role were more nuanced only made it worse.

Winner: BB-8 (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

WORST TRAILER

BEST NON-HUMAN CHARACTER

From the moment this cheeky little droid with a roly-poly body and a mischievous glint in its eye popped up in the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the world was in love. Nothing short of turning into a murderous psychopath would ruin that first image fans had of an actual, working ball of delight rolling across the screen. Not only does BB-8 have the looks – including the cutest thumbs-up ever seen – the plucky little astromech is an important part of the plot who, thankfully, survives for the next instalment. 2017 can’t come fast enough.

Nominees: Aloha, Jem and the Holograms, The Huntsman: Winter’s War Winner: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Terminator: Genisys

Nominees: Millennium Falcon chase (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Ethan Hunt Plane Stunt (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation), Dom’s car vs. helicopter (Furious 7)

The cardinal sin of any trailer is revealing crucial plot points, and both our winners do so in spades. Terminator: Genisys didn’t have much going for it to begin with, so giving away its grand twist, one which takes the franchise in a whole new direction no less, guaranteed its spot in the annals of worst marketing. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice similarly removes the shock factor of what could have been some amazing moments from the final product. Whether it will suffer the way Terminator did remains to be seen, but it was a lousy move nonetheless.

Winner: The entire film (Mad Max: Fury Road)

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

BEST VEHICLE SEQUENCE

Could this really have gone any other way? George Miller’s masterpiece already has the rare honour of being a critical darling and a blockbuster hit, and that is exactly what the numerous vehicle sequences in the film handle so splendidly. Whether it’s the chase through the sandstorm, the War Rig’s many impressive features, the insane fight sequences, or the pyromaniac guitarist, the visuals are both strangely beautiful and incomparably exhilarating. Likening the two-hour run-time to a Monet on acid might be the most apt description, so this can hardly be called a surprise winner.

BEST BADDIE

Nominees: Franz Oberhauser (Spectre), Richmond Valentine (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron) Winner: Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) Kylo Ren - the villainous icon of the new Star Wars trilogy. With his cross guard lightsabre and tendency to erupt into a forcepowered temper tantrum, Kylo not only captured some of Vader’s darkness, but also managed to be a relatable villain. With serious

Nominees: The Good Dinosaur, Terminator Genisys, Spectre, Fantastic 4 Winner: Spectre It has been a great year for cinema, with some HUGE releases. But a few never quite lived up to the hype. This is none more true than for Spectre. 2012’s Skyfall was a hard act to follow, but Spectre was such a bland Bond flick that it felt like a huge step backwards. The opening sequence may have been awesome, but overall the film failed to engage with the ‘wow’ factor that Bond films need. With an attempt to tie the other three Craig films together, as well as setting up its own villain in Christoph Waltz’s Oberhauser, the film was underwhelming at best. If this is indeed Craig’s last outing as 007, it’s a definite step down from the triumph of Skyfall. Do you agree with our decisions? Let us know on Twitter @impactfilm. And check out our Best & Worst online NOW!

IMPACT FILM & TV

SHAKESPEARE:

THE SCREEN OR THE STAGE? WE INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE BARD’S WORKS ARE BEST VIEWED ON STAGE OR THE BIG SCREEN THE SCREEN In light of the recent Macbeth adaptation to hit our screens, it’s fair to say that Shakespearean film has received a new lease of life - one that’s a definite challenge to the theatrical lineage. However, the success of Shakespeare on screen isn’t merely attributed to adaptations, but is also apparent in appropriations such as She’s The Man (Twelfth Night), The Lion King (Hamlet), and of course 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew). As a huge Shakespeare fan, I’m the first to admit that many film adaptations fall flat. However, if done right, watching The Bard on screen can reach a level of awesome that the stage simply can’t. Unlike theatre, which is restricted to adapting Shakespeare with actors, props, lighting and setting, film has the added advantage of special effects and CGI. In Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth (2015), these were used to their fullest potential - and the outcome was amazing. Slow-motion shots, mixed with fast-paced action, led to a graphic beheading that’s simply mind-blowing to watch. Macbeth is notorious for its violence and brutality - something that stage cannot replicate on the same level as film. Moreover, watching epic action unfold makes for a more engaging viewing experience, whether you’re a fan of Shakespeare or not. Film also has the upper hand when it comes to updating The Bard for contemporary audiences. It’s easy to hint at a modern setting when you’ve access to a variety of locations in numerous shots, but theatre is restricted to a single physical space. A good example is the Shakespearean appropriation 10 Things I Hate About You. Director Gill Junger takes The Taming of The Shrew and transforms it to a story of teenage angst, something which most people can relate to. Given that it went on to gross $8 million in its opening weekend – there’s no denying that appropriated Shakespeare resonated with audiences in its updated format. Thus, it is possible to deduce that film creates a successful pathway between Shakespeare and the modern audience, but more importantly, many of these on-screen adaptations are still popular today. If you’re willing to make the effort to see Shakespeare in the theatre, chances are you’re already a fan of his work. Stage adaptations do not entice new audiences to this exceptional writer. So who can deny the central role of film in presenting Shakespeare’s stories to future generations? Without the excitement of modern formats, Shakespeare would be reserved for those who innately love the plays, and confined to classroom teaching for those who simply couldn’t care less. Film enables everyone to enjoy Shakespeare, and through them, his literature is kept alive. WORDS BY LARISSA ROWAN IMAGE COURTESY OF STUDIOCANAL

THE STAGE Despite the attempts of film directors across the globe to translate Shakespeare into adaptations for our cinema screens, in the hope of attracting ‘wider audiences’, these theatrical masterpieces in film are often feeble and ill-judged (She’s The Man anyone?) It is no secret that Shakespeare is the master of the stage, and considered the world’s best dramatic writer. Why would anyone want to effectively ruin these great works by manipulating corrupt versions onto our screens? Shakespeare on film or television can be tolerable, David Tennant’s Hamlet is one such example, broadcast by the BBC in 2009. The reason however, why this version of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy succeeds, is because it uses a cast of actors accustomed to the demands of live theatre, and steals the charms of the 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet. Directed by the RSC’s Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, this televised adaptation was a triumph due to the talent of the actors, who are used to Shakespeare’s jargon, and trained in the task of portraying his characters. Many film adaptations instead avoid actors who can express Shakespeare’s language effectively, instead choosing clichéd A-listers who will raise the commercial value of their film, ensuring its popularity; Michael Fassbender in 2015’s Macbeth being a prime example.

“Nothing can compare to the trickery and magic of live theatre productions” Whilst the special effects of film are considered more ‘spectacular’ than theatre, nothing can compare to the trickery and magic of live theatre productions, which are becoming increasingly innovative and, in my eyes, matching that of film. From the innovative staging at the RSC, where the stage lifted revealing the doomed Richard II, to Sheffield Crucible’s 2012 Macbeth in-the-round, where Banquo’s ghost emerged to peals of thunder from the centre of the banqueting table, theatre has the potential to shock and amaze in a capacity that far exceeds film. The atmosphere and emotion when watching a play cannot be replicated by passively sitting in a cinema, detached from the action. Theatre is considered elitist by many, a pastime only for those who have vast amounts of money to spare, compared to a £4 savoy ticket. With schemes like the RSC Key however, where 16-25 year olds are offered tickets to Shakespearean performances for just £5, world-class theatre can actually prove a cheaper and more exciting experience than low-quality filmic productions. Although film adaptations supposedly appeal to a ‘wider audience’, Shakespeare in its original form is too complex for some, many theatre companies including The Handlebards, Young Shakespeare Company and Propeller, try to appeal to younger audiences through presenting comedy. No child is going to refuse the spectacle and wonder of the theatre, and parents enjoy its educational value. Theatre is superior to cinema for presenting The Bard – many consider the greatest children’s appropriation of Shakespeare to be Gnomeo and Juliet. I rest my case. WORDS BY AMY WILCOCKSON

IMPACT FILM & TV

REMAKE/REMISTAKE WORDS BY ELEANOR MISSEN IMAGE COURTESY OF MARVEL/COLUMBIA With the resurgence of remakes in the last few years and highly anticipated films coming up soon, such as Ghostbusters, Point Break and Jumanji, there’s a delicate balance of pleasing fans of the original and giving the film a new twist that makes it stand out in its own time. The question is, based on remakes we have already seen, what makes a good’un?

DO DON’T GET IN THE A-LISTERS BEST BITS, BE GONE

There were mixed reviews when Tim Burton remade Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, but as a remake of a popular classic, it was a success. This quirky version of the beloved Roald Dahl tale was an excellent remake, particularly in choosing Johnny Depp as the star. Making the story his own, Burton enlisted Depp to bring a new eccentricity to the character of Willy Wonka, and his superb acting makes the film bold and brilliant.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH NEW

With a well known story, there are always risks that the new film will be too similar to the original to stand out. In remaking 2002’s Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man introduced Andrew Garfield as our new Spidey, and it worked. This is because, although the story has similarities, Marc Webb introduced a new and powerful villain in The Lizard, a mad scientist’s experiment gone wrong. Not only is The Lizard a visually extraordinary villain but it brings a new spin to a well-known superhero flick.

CGI HAS IMPROVED - PROVE IT!

With many remakes and reboots appearing over 10 years after their original, the technology of film has changed drastically. Remakes are perfect if there is potential for the fictional world to be updated and re-mastered. The original Total Recall had some incredible effects for its time, and its remake in 2012 was the perfect opportunity to have these updated and re-envisioned. This new Total Recall made the futuristic, technologically-run world stunning to watch.

Although there are mixed feelings about the 2005 Fantastic Four film, it is leaps and bounds above the disappointing 2015 remake. The whole appeal of the Fantastic Four, and many superhero films, is the discovery of amazing powers that are explored and developed. The 2005 Fantastic Four had some great scenes of the team discovering their abilities, along with the fun and responsibility that accompanies them. By contrast, the most recent Fantastic Four cuts experimentation altogether, with the four going from not having powers, to living with them with ease. It makes for a disappointing film, which feels like potentially huge scenes may have been deleted.

RIDICULOUS FACTOR: 100

There are many films out there that don’t to be highly believable, but it’s important in big blockbusters to have some realistic features that make the experience immersive, and not laughable. The 1998 Godzilla may have been cheesy at times, but overall, it was a worthwhile action movie. The 2014 Godzilla had true potential, with impressive special effects and talented actors. However, after a while the storyline just becomes ridiculous, with Godzilla fighting another monster, the MUTO, and ending up as the hero. The film concludes with the American media saying Godzilla is ‘’the savior’’ of the city, which seems far too cheesy, and undermines his destructive power as a monster. So, it’s clear that creating a remake that’s loved by all is a challenge. Some films are just too beloved by fans. Will this be a year of excellent remakes, or will they be money-making tools that ruin the originals? Fingers crossed for the former!

IMPACT FILM & TV

SEX!

NOW WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION... WORDS BY GEORGE DRISCOLL IMAGE BY LUCY BURRLUCK VIA FLICKR

Warning: Mild spoilers for Marvel’s Jessica Jones ahead… It’s well recognised - in TV, sex can be used as a device to manipulate an audience whilst simultaneously boosting ratings. Most people have experienced that awkward moment, when your parents walk in and the most graphic, sensual shag scene has just dominated your favourite TV show. Game of Thrones and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, are particularly guilty in this respect, and sometimes, it feels like they just aren’t warranted.

“Penetration galore, for the sake of being provocative and controversial” These TV shows are using sex as bait for you to keep watching, and studios are supplying the cash. It’s programming prostitution. All I’m arguing is that there is a time and a place, and after Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have shagged for the fourth time, it loses its meaning and falls flat. In Game of Thrones some incest is arguably necessary for the story, but for the majority of time there’s penetration galore, purely for the sake of being provocative. In GoT’s previous season they had a particular rape scene that sparked controversy due to the fact it was not in the books. The showrunners exploited it as a means to draw viewers and spark discussion. It worked. Many sex scenes are pointless and add nothing to the plot, but the encounter in this episode polarised GoT fans. Some argued that it furthered the villainous rapist’s characterisation, others argued it was an insult to rape victims.

GoT is just one renowned example. In a recent press Q&A, Jessica Jones actress, Krysten Ritter, stated there was “nothing sexy” about her sex scenes, due to the repetitive nature on the set. Well, some audience members feel the same way. Initially, these scenes were enticing, as they show the power relationship between the two supers, breaking furniture in a Twilight-WWE sexy showdown. But then it happened again. And again. This time could be better spent developing plot, not sitting through the same sex scene now completely devoid of any raunchiness - and offering nothing new to the story.

“This time could be better spent developing plot, not sitting through the same sex scene” Sometimes, sex is essential for TV shows, particularly those featuring affairs, incest or developing relationships, where it thrusts the plot along. However, after having served their purpose in the story, sex-scenes should be left alone to make way for more interesting drama. In the first season of True Detective, Woody Harrelson has a particularly passionate and dirty scene that’s crucial to his character development. It’s on screen long enough to impact the audience, but is not abused as a motif to boost ratings. This is how it should be done. Impactful, helpful to the plot and downright bawdy. Repetition and abusing sex does not make a small screen spectacle, it creates a pointless subject that a contemporary audience can easily yawn their way through.

IMPACT MUSIC

CHILDREN OF THE

REVOLUTION THE BIRTH (AND DEATH) OF THE POP MUSIC COUNTERCULTURE WORDS BY LIAM INSCOE – JONES IMAGES BY THE US NATIONAL ARCHIVES, ED VILL & BLONDINRIKARD FROBERG VIA FLICKR

In truth, it’s always been about the poetry. ‘Counterculture’ may be a term only coined in the sixties, but its reach stretches back into the movement of 18th century Romanticism, and its foundation in the poetry of William Wordsworth. From the writing of Bob Dylan in the folk revival of the sixties, flanked by the likes of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, to Patti Smith, laying down the groundwork of punk in the 1970s. A lack of poetry then is perhaps to blame for the lack of an emergent counterculture in recent decades, although it may be the most lyrical of musical mediums, rap music, which seeks to lay the path for a future resurgence.

“In truth, it’s always been about the poetry” The point of a counterculture is that it exists on the fringes. When it becomes populist then naturally it becomes the culture to be countered - such is the ebb and flow of the music industry over the past sixty years. The beat generation was the first countercultural movement to boast popular music as one of its facets, and the first to emerge since the Bohemian movement of mid-19th century Europe. Encompassing the iconic likes of painter Jackson Pollock, author William S. Burroughs and poet Allen Ginsberg, the scene emerged in response to the clean-cut and wholesome, albeit tepid state of being eminent in post-war America, and folk-revivalism in the heart of Greenwich Village was an essential aspect of the movement. Dylan travelled to New York in 1960 in order to visit and play for Woody Guthrie in hospital, where he was dying. Dylan called Guthrie ‘the true voice of the American spirit’ but would himself

become the forefront of the movement that reacted against the very foundations of American culture. Songs like ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ and ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ became icons of the definitive counterculture movement, anthems for civil rights triumphs of the day. It was a movement which embraced sexuality and gender fluidity half a century before such notions have come to be popularised recently. It is typical of the nature of the counterculture though, that the inception of the beat generation’s musical voice, embodied by Dylan and his fellows Josh White, Oscar Brand and Susan Reed, has now come to be considered an era that was the inception of popular music as we know it today. On albums such as Highway 61 Revisited, Dylan turned to rock instrumentation, and the begrudging head of that particular movement split it at its roots. Given the general English disposition, it took a few years longer for counterculture to take hold in Britain’s affluent baby boomer generation, but it did eventually in the form of punk and rock and roll. Dylan was a major influence on The Beatles, but it was the Rolling Stones, whose song ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ encapsulated the disgruntled voice of a generation who, after the disbandment of national service, essentially had little to do. While the mods and rockers had it out on the beaches of Brighton a year earlier in 1964, the poetic, psychedelic counterculture of Greenwich and LA took form in working class aggression on UK shores.

“Counterculture normally arises from difficult situations” The Stones and Led Zeppelin’s off-stage antics certainly held a kind of anti-establishment bite, and David Bowie wore a dress on the cover of The Man Who Sold the World, but it took until 1975 for underground music to solidify this angst into a countercultural movement. Again, poetry took the lead. Patti Smith’s Horses opened with the lines “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”: the start of a poem written by Smith and printed on the rear of the LP sleeve. Horses may not have paved the way for the punk aesthetic in quite the way the likes of The Velvet Underground, Raw Power and The Sonics did, but her lyrical exploration of death, godlessness and breaking free of your oppressive forefathers was about as punk as you could get.

England’s second wave of Angry Young Men in twenty years was in full swing by 1978 with the arrival of The Clash, Black Flag, The Ramones and The Dead Kennedys, and was started by a woman. Songs like ‘London Calling’ and ‘Holiday in Cambodia’ were angry indeed, and as politically non-partisan as Woody Guthrie had been. However, the punk movement also brought with it a new disconcerting edge to the counterculture: the art of doing it for the sake of it. The Sex Pistols are British icons, and for a time at the forefront of punk, but watch an interview of them defending ‘God Save The Queen’ and it’s clear they can do little but rant and rave. Punk was countercultural self-mythologising, its anti-establishment ethos stripped down to plain old antieverything. This became clear around the time the special edition ‘Anarchy in the UK’ Mastercard came out last year. It’s not a long leap between them and the likes of Five Seconds of Summer in respect to sincerity.

“Folk-revivalism in the heart of Greenwich Village was an essential aspect of the beat generation” Counterculture normally arises from difficult situations, and that is what makes the emergence of hip-hop music in the early eighties a worthy successor. Like Woody Guthrie and Patti Smith, the forefather of rap music is Gil Scott-Heron, a beat poet. Rhyming over a homespun instrumental gave a voice to the voiceless projects, and groups like De La Soul, Public Enemy and N.W.A. propelled yet more civil rights anthems into the mainstream. You can’t get much more anti-establishment a song as ‘Fuck Da Police’, but you’d be hard pushed to find a more sincere sentiment either. As a countercultural signifier though, the genre’s non-partisan voice has now become far too weighted towards the underground. The likes of Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar represent something of a return to the eighties leaning towards mindfulness and openness, but Killer Mike, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock and Brother Ali remain firmly in a niche. Grime is the go-to modern proxy for punk but, although clearly a movement, the genre could hardly been deemed a new counterculture since in its lyrics, and in its ethos, the genre speaks to the culture directly. It may be anti-establishment, but somewhat pointlessly, and the infatuation with money, Nike and iPhones hardly inspire a revolutionary spirit, but rather point towards a creative dead end.

“The counterculture was never about musical revolution, it was about an ethos” If the tail end of punk seemed a little vacuous, and if grime most certainly does, then there’s a reason for that: the counterculture was never about musical revolution, it was about an ethos. The spirit of the music came before the medium of its delivery, hence its often poetic leanings at inception. Hip-hop was, and still is largely, built out of soul and funk samples, and the form the beatnik movement took was folk music: an old English

tradition. The next counter must be built upon ideas, not a search for new sounds to relay them. Charlton Heston, a past cinematic proponent of the beat generation, once said ‘never trust anyone over 30.’ He should know: he’s 78 now and a spokesman for the NRA. But with the prospects of modern British youth looking decidedly bleak and a swathe of quite tepid pop music providing a culture to truly be countered; the time is nigh for the next revolutionary movement in art, in literature, and in music. Just where it will come from, though, is yet to be seen.

IMPACT MUSIC

THE LONELY ART FORM? HAS THE EARNEST PURSUIT OF MUSIC BECOME AN ISOLATING EXPERIENCE?

YES

Take a walk. Just take a short walk, go to the shop, or across campus, go anywhere you want. Headphones will likely become as important as tying your shoelaces for this. Look around you, every day we see hundreds if not thousands of people and yet we speak to so few of them. It is considered insane to even smile at one another in the street. God forbid you say hello to a stranger. The fantasy of finding your soulmate by sharing a smile across a sunlit road is dead and gone. Why? No one interacts with each other. A reliance on music has trapped everyone, the headphone cable has become the oppressive chain preventing us from conversing with one another. Perhaps that’s a little over dramatic, but I don’t remember the last time a stranger said hello to me other than to give me a flyer for a dreadful club night or to pressure me into donating to charity. This isn’t to say that we should stop enjoying music, music is a wonderful cultural entity and should be greatly appreciated. Just don’t be scared to take off the headphones once in awhile and strike up a conversation, you never know where it might lead.

“Don’t be scared to take off the headphones once in awhile and strike up a conversation” Gone are the days where everyone would crowd around the boombox in the corridor listening to the latest cassette. Genre tastes are so intricate in contemporary society that no one can agree on what to listen to. The closest we get to sharing an album is the Spotify playlist used at pre’s before heading to Ocean, in which every other song is met with a chorus of “I hate this song, who put this on?”. Gig attendance is falling, with some reports suggesting that as much as 76% of English adults don’t attend live music events. Headphones have replaced speakers. This stands as irrefutable evidence that music has become a solitary activity.

Anyone who argues that music is anything but unifying has never stood in a dark room, or in a damp field, or in front of any stage, surrounded by thousands of complete strangers singing along to their favourite song. There is an endless list of pop and rock icons that can sell twenty thousand tickets without batting an eyelid. Numerous festivals see attendances of more than one hundred thousand people every year. There are plenty of key political issues that people won’t leave their house for, so the fact that music can generate such expansive crowds, while charging for the pleasure, is incredible.

“One of the first questions we ask one another is ‘What sort of music do you like?’” Music has an impact on the lives of everyone and the meaning derived from this impact is always shared. Thriving local music scenes mean venues like The Bodega and Rescue Rooms can become a haven for music fans with nothing in common but their love for a specific band or type of music. Complete strangers can be too shy to ever say a word to one another, but, when the band start playing their favourite song, will sing every word to each other with more passion than your average wedding vows. It isn’t just live music either; Spotify playlists are shared by thousands. While it isn’t quite the same as face-to-face interaction, there is something to be found in knowing that you share a love for that band with so many other people across the globe. Music might not always be visibly unifying at a first glance, but it doesn’t take much effort to find the universal impact of the sonic experience. Hence why one of the first questions we ask one another is “What sort of music do you like?” WORDS BY AUSTIN SMITH IMAGE BY VIRGINIA MOORE

WORDS BY LIAM FLEMING

IMPACT MUSIC

“YOU WANT TO PROVOKE PEOPLE, THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT”

Five-piece alternative post-punk outfit Eagulls hail from Leeds and are soon to be bringing along with them, wherever they go, their as yet untitled sophomore LP. Their latest effort, drummer Henry Ruddel assures Impact, will boast all the same charging, belligerent angst we relished on debut Eagulls but in its melodies as well as its lyrics, we can expect some departure from what has come before. WORDS BY JAMES NOBLE IMAGE BY IAN CHEEK

“It’s not a conscious departure, but it is going to be different. It’s still very much an Eagulls album, but I think we just approached it in a different way,” explains Ruddel, “We took a step back from a lot of the songs this time, we resisted the initial urges to just write a song and leave it at that. We’d come back to them, maybe like a week later each time, and just see what we wanted to do with it. I think having the time to be able to do that really changed them.” Going on the popularity of their eponymous 2014 debut and subsequent tours alone, it’s clear that Eagulls have struck a chord with a following as disillusioned and pessimistic as themselves. Set to jarring feedback, an imposing rhythm section and buzzsaw guitar parts charged with adrenaline, George Mitchell’s distinctive vocals bawled with vitriolic stories of hopelessness, addiction and dejection – constituent parts of what the eponymous final track pronounced a ‘Soulless Youth’. So what about their new material? “Lyrically, and in the underlying tone of the album, it’s still very much the same as the last one. It’s George’s take on mundane, bleak, modern British life. It’s a very pessimistic outlook on making wrong choices; on why things are the way they are when they shouldn’t be.”

“School, college, university, job, kids, marriage, house, mortgage – that’s your life, enjoy it. You’re just being sold”

the earnestness with which Mitchell wails “There’s no reason, no sense, no meaning behind my awkward smile” on Eagulls’ opener ‘Nerve Endings’, “I’m nervous and I’m tired.” More than Mitchell’s personal distress, however, Eagulls spoke more generally of a ‘Soulless Youth’ crippled with an acutely abject existential crisis. “It was a lot to do with just getting passed from pillar to pillar in terms of going from one system to the next – you know, school, college, university, job, kids, marriage, house, mortgage – that’s your life, enjoy it. But obviously that’s not for everyone, and even if you do want it, it’s not as easy as that, and I think it felt like, you know, what’s the point? You’re just being sold, but no one ever says anything because it’s the normal thing to do and everyone just gets on with it.” Will the new album be as resolutely bleak as this, or do Eagulls hope to inspire some optimism in their listeners? Ruddel thinks the overall tone of the new LP is less abrasive and more melodic, but the same pertinence is given to the asking of questions rather than providing answers. “That’s what you want to do as a band, you want to provoke people, you want them to think, that’s the whole point really,” he concludes, “I think, George, when he’s singing about stuff, it’s a question – he’s not come to any conclusion where “life’s like this”, I think he’s more saying “Well, why is it like this?” I doubt it will change anything, but I mean, George doesn’t have the answers, I don’t, you don’t, you know what I mean, no one does. And I think that’s what he’s getting at.”

It appears that at least musically, their new LP will have a different feel. “The new ones are very melodic, and it’s so funny sometimes, ‘cause Goldy [Guitarist Mark Goldsworthy] can write the most ‘pop’ melody going on guitar, and it sounds like the most uplifting melody you’ve ever heard, and then it’s just once all five of us get our hands on it, it just becomes the most bleak, negative thing. But that’s what I love about what we do. I think if you sung certain lyrics over it, it could be, you know, so poppy,” laughs Ruddel, “but as soon as George puts his outlook on it, it just becomes the most depressing thing ever. I mean that in a good way.” It’s clear, then, that Eagulls pride themselves on creating a pointedly bleak soundscape, drawing upon the profound influences of a sprawling heritage of English post-punk groups like Joy Division, Killing Joke and The Cure. Paramount to their integrity, in part, is the sincerity that underlines such a pessimistic outlook. Ruddel comments that they’ve never wanted to be a band based on particular “characters or gimmicks”, and that they prefer to “just put a song out and let people judge it for themselves.” Though ardent that they aren’t a character-based band, Mitchell’s troubled and self-destructive outlook undoubtedly underlines the lyrical content of their material. “George obviously suffers a lot from anxiety – even him going to the shop to get a pint of milk can have a strange effect on him,” explains Ruddel. This confirms

IMPACT MUSIC

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF MUSIC AFTER A LANDMARK 2015, WE TRAWL THROUGH THE WRECKAGE OF ITS AFTERMATH, TO SEE IF 2016 IS REALLY WORTH THE HYPE*… WORDS BY LIAM INSCOE–JONES & JAMES NOBLE IMAGE BY DANIELE DALLEDONNE VIA FLICKR

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL THE 90’S: PART 2

The 90’s are back! All your favourite hipster-friendly bands from the dirty decade return in 2016: PJ Harvey is releasing her album The Hope Six Demolition Project, Radiohead is back on tour and in the studio and looking to release their 9th LP this year, while weirdly Josh Homme is putting out an album with Iggy Pop and the Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders: Post Pop Depression arrives in March… Now’s a good time to release those Jeff Buckley bedroom tapes I feel.

THE YEAR OF THE TRIPPY TAPE

Trendsetter and ‘Voice of a Generation’ Miley Cyrus broke ground last year by becoming the first Billboard 100 pop star to put out a ninety minute psychedelic mixtape with, you guessed it, a 90s psych-pop band. With the floodgates opened, in 2016 we can look forward to Kanye West’s David Bowie tribute album, Charlie Puth’s second tribute to the late great Marvin Gaye, the two hour long breakup record Here, Oh Dear and Taylor Swift’s cassette tape-only foray into the post-hard-core scene. (Five Seconds of Summer are threatening to make actual punk music, but that’s just a rumour at this stage.)

THE DEFINITELY-NOT-FOR-THE-MONEY-COMEBACK TOUR In another blast from the past, The Stone Roses are making their second comeback tour in the space of five years, headlining T in the Park. Despite not having released an album since 1994 and having made no promises to make another – this move is purely for creative purposes. Phil Collins is also going back on tour, having released his retirement album Going Back in 2010 (Going Back To The Well is a working title for the globetrotting drum-stravaganza.) Most excitingly, the genuinely excellent LCD Soundsystem are back – having released their farewell album, farewell concert, and farewell concert film in 2010. They’re headlining Coachella and Primavera this spring. This Is Happening, and definitely not for the money.

ONE FOR THE LOCALS

2016 will see Nottingham continue to play host to a diverse range of artists. Father John Misty will continue to tour his acclaimed sophomore album I Love You, Honeybear in May. This month will also see the return of Dot to Dot Festival – a day of performances held around the city which, in the last ten years, has hosted the likes of Mumford & Sons, Florence & The Machine and The 1975. Big names from Ellie Goulding to (in exciting news for everybody’s mothers), Jeff Lynne’s ELO will perform at the city’s Motorpoint Arena from March, whilst The Bodega will host exciting upcoming artists like the mysterious garage/surf rock group Black Honey and the indie guitars and tropical grooves of Habitats. To keep up to date throughout the year, be sure to check in with our online monthly Gig Guide for a regular breakdown of must-see performances in 2016.

THE YEAR OF THE RAP TITANS

Last year was huge for hip-hop, but somehow some colossal names are still to drop and 2016 is the year. Kanye’s Waves comes first, while Drake’s Views From The 6 arrives at a TBC date, preceded by, like it or not, Macklemore’s This Unruly Mess I’ve Made in February. All three are genuine contenders for biggest sales figures this year, whilst the actual best records are likely to come from Pusha T and Run The Jewels with much less fanfare.

DONALD TRUMP’S CHRISTMAS PRESIDENTIAL PLAYLIST

Obama started the trend, naming To Pimp A Butterfly his favourite album of 2015 (along with just about everybody else) and President Elect Trump is set to release his own from the Oval Office this coming December. It’s early days but hot tips for entry include Heaven 17’s ‘We Don’t Need This Fascist Groove Thang’ and the lead single from Father John Misty’s upcoming third LP ‘Fucked In The USA’. *(Some of which may be sheer speculation)

IMPACT ARTS

WORDS BY SCARLETT WHITE IMAGES BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD

Impact Arts takes a look at the stigma that surrounds the glitter-dusted dance worlds that are burlesque and pole dancing and asks the question can they be considered art forms? When the subject of pole and burlesque dancing comes to mind, generally, the images that automatically present themselves are not pretty ones. Seedy strip bars, gyrating girls in G-strings stuffed with cash, amid a bunch of sleazy perverts in anoraks are the visions that are conjured, images that are shady, sexual and unacceptable in day to day life. They are shameful, hidden, taboo. Women that partake in such activities are branded as ‘sluts’, and certainly aren’t nice girls to be taken home to mum. Right?

“Anyone who’s been to a pole class will see that the focus is not to flaunt to attract men” Well if you enjoy believing in concepts straight out of last century then, for you, this may well still be the case. For the rest of us, however, it is becoming increasingly more apparent in this day and age that the sordid stereotype attached to these styles of performance, are woefully out of date. With more and more women (and men) across the country taking to the pole, sticking on a nipple pastie or grabbing a garter, for fitness and for fun, surely it is time to ditch the stigma and embrace burlesque and pole dancing for what it truly can be – art. In the mainstream media and public consciousness, it is true, pole dancing has been more commonly associated with the strip club scene. However, it is little known that pole dancing can actually be dated way back to 12th century Chinese acrobatic performances, undeniable expressions of gymnastic and artistic skill that is a far cry from the sexual stereotype that is associated with pole today. Luckily, in a return to these ideas in recent years, gyms and dance studios around the country have offered classes in ‘Pole Fitness’, a rebrand that embraces the concept of pole dance as a fabulous way to get fit and have fun. And it is not only gyms that have joined the hype. University culture has

new moves, not to flaunt around in order to attract men. There are different styles of pole dance, and while you can incorporate sexiness if you want (which can be empowering!), the society focuses on more of an athletic style”. She also goes on to add that she would consider pole dance “to be an art form as much as any other dance form” as “anyone can see that it takes an incredible amount of strength and control, and certainly has an element of performance that evokes emotion in ways that people don't usually expect”. With this view of pole dancing becoming more and more common, and with the growth of pole fitness classes and societies, it is clear that the artistic performance skills involved are steadily becoming more recognised. However, this is largely due to the fact that, quite understandably, pole dance does not necessarily require the removal of clothes to be considered a performance. Where, then, does this leave the art of burlesque?

“Burlesque’s true focus is not the stripping: it is the cabaret style performance, the sassy attitude, the art of the tease” Of course with burlesque dancing, stripping is an undeniable part of it, which leads many to, once again, ignorantly denigrate the form and cast it aside as a sordid sexual performance. Some famous burlesque dancers accept this; Dita Von Teese, arguably the world’s most famous burlesque dancer, has in many interviews proudly owned the term ‘stripper’ and has claimed that her aim is to change perceptions of what it means to be one. Whether the term is accepted or not by the performers, however, just from watching a burlesque performance it is abundantly clear that burlesque’s true focus is not the stripping: it is the cabaret style performance, the sassy attitude, the art of the tease. For the people who have had the opportunity to see a live professional burlesque show, it is clear the level of artistry that goes into a performance. Rachel Lewis, a third year History student, describes her experience of a burlesque show: ‘The burlesque show was very clearly about entertainment,’ she tells Impact Arts, ‘and it has that comedic element that is focused on parody. A good burlesque dancer may only take a stocking off, whereas I would imagine strippers tend to get as naked as possible.’

also embraced the pole dancing craze as many such institutions around the country now offer their very own Pole Dance Societies - the University of Nottingham is not an exception.

“The burlesque show was very clearly about entertainment” Far from encouraging participants to smear on body glitter and don see-through underwear, Nottingham’s Pole Dance Society is advertised on the SU website as a sport that combines grace, elegance and strength. Anna Phipps-Brian, a third year English student and the current General Secretary for Pole Society, tells Impact Arts how she believes that critics of pole dancing and believers of the stigma surrounding it are “for the most part, very misinformed”. Anna explains, “Anyone who's actually been to a pole class will see that the focus is on using strength and technique to achieve

Another crucial element of both burlesque and pole dancing that is often ignored due to stigma, is confidence. Twirling around on a pole, or strutting your stuff straddling a chair prop, with clothes on or off, those who perform all agree that the dance forms offer a massive body confidence boost. Women and men of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to take part, especially in burlesque where you will see all kinds of bodies proudly on display. After all, who is going to think you are sexy if you yourself don’t believe it first? Sexiness aside though, it is clear that the negative stigma attached to burlesque and pole dancing is completely untrue. Like all art forms both are open to artistic interpretation, so whether it is to get fit, to boost confidence or just to have fun and feel like a sass queen drenched in glitter, burlesque and pole dancing must certainly be considered art forms. Ultimately, it’s time to ditch the stigma and embrace the style.

IMPACT ARTS

WORDS BY JESSICA MILLOTT IMAGE BY DENISE ODONG

EXPERIENCING THE STYLE

Walking into the studio that hosts Nottingham Dance and Fitness’s burlesque class, I was extremely apprehensive. Although I had danced from a young age, burlesque was a completely different style to anything I had previously experienced – and I had no idea what to expect. Stage make-up? Feather boas? Maybe some nipple tassels? But there was none of that. Instead, my expectations were thwarted as the ladies and teacher present were in sports gear and trainers, no make-up, and ready to have fun.

“Body confidence is an added bonus to a stimulating activity” Thrown in at the deep end, the first routine was to ‘El Tango’ by Roxanne, a sassy, Spanish number, the choreography of which included a prop: a chair. One that we had to caress, spin on and straddle. But absolutely nothing was sexualised. The prop was there as an artistic device that enhanced the art you were creating. Maybe the lack of sexualisation came from the natural look that we all had whilst learning, but then imagining the routine on a stage in corsets, skirts and heels just made it seem all the more spectacular to me. I saw the beauty in the style because that is what burlesque is: beautiful! In the hour we began another two routines, one that was extremely fast paced, and one that required a lot of upper body strength (something I am severely lacking in) as we has to hold ourselves on the edge of the chair whilst weaving our legs, our arms being the only support. Dancing to songs like ‘Sparkling Diamonds’ and ‘Seven Nation Army’ felt liberating and tested muscles I didn’t even know I had. Who knew that exercise could make you feel sexy?

The simplest element to remember in burlesque can be summarised to this: hips, core and chin. Drawing a figure of eight with your hips when walking turns it into a strut, engaging and contracting your core enhances your entire torso, and simply lifting and lowering the chin adds fierceness to your face that promotes the sass in your routine. Observing myself in the mirror as I concentrated on the style of burlesque, I saw a confident woman looking back, and although I did not feel entirely confident, I looked it! It was a virtuous circle looking confident made me confident, and because I felt confident I looked even more so. Burlesque empowered me. I felt strong and sexy, and quoting a fellow classmate: “it was nice to let go of body consciousness for an hour and be as sexy and as free as you want to be”. In fact, the ladies were there to have fun and try something different, and it is a great way to exercise!

Despite preconceptions, the women involved in burlesque aren’t necessarily blessed with a trim waist and a big chest; the women are of completely different shapes and sizes who are there for different reasons. Body confidence is an added bonus to a stimulating activity. After experiencing the style, I can say with honesty that burlesque is a tangible art form, and the stigma that is attached to the style comes from ignorance and an unnecessary sexualisation of a beautiful style of cabaret dance.

WITH THANKS TO BERNI MEEHAM AND FESA MABROUK AT NOTTINGHAM DANCE AND FITNESS 57

IMPACT ARTS

DEAR AGONY ARTS... LIFE’S HARD ENOUGH WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG, LET ALONE WHEN YOU’RE SUFFERING AT THE PEN OF A MELODRAMATIC AUTHOR! OUR FOUR AGONY AUNTS LEND THEIR EARS AND WISDOM TO THE WOES OF FAMOUS LITERARY CHARACTERS - IF ONLY THEY’D REALLY HAD SUCH GUIDING HANDS... WORDS BY JESSICA RUSHTON, AMY WILCOCKSON, LIZZIE ROBINSON AND ISLA MCLACHLAN IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD

Dear Agony Aunt, I’m out of my depth. I have never met such a WORM of a child in all of my life. Matilda is uncontrollable. She never listens when I tell her “I’m right, you’re wrong. I’m big, you’re small and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I think I hate children. My ideal school would be without any children inside it. Children are INSECTS. How do I get rid of her?! Sometimes I try swinging children around the room to get them to shut up. Usually this works. However, I think my next move maybe to use the ‘chokey’. Children do not know what is best for them. Please help. Miss Agatha Trunchball

Dear Miss Trunchbull, Let’s make this clear: violence is never the answer! And under no circumstances is the ‘chokey’ to be used, no matter how annoying the child! Maybe you should take a leaf out of Miss Honey’s book and be super sweet to children instead? Otherwise, I’m afraid newts might unfortunately have to be involved. Children aren’t ignorant little slugs, or witless weeds or empty-headed hamsters, but have young strong minds that need nurturing! Perhaps, if you truly cannot stand children, a change of career is in order? Teaching probably just isn’t the job for you, although being a prison guard or general evil tyrant would be great career options! And regarding Matilda – I’d be careful around her! She has a stronger mind than most… Take care, Auntie Jessica

Dear Agony Aunt, Why is it always me? My grandmother tells me I’m not good enough to live up to the Longbottom family name, and I feel like I’m useless at my lessons. The potions master in particular hates me, and the only thing I’m good at is Herbology. And when did knowing anything about dangerous plants ever help anybody? I’m supposed to be a pure-blood, but I can’t even perform the simplest piece of magic. Maybe it’s true and I am a Squib! Also, I think my friends Harry and Ron are hiding something from me, but I’m not sure what it is. Sometimes, I feel like my only friend is my toad, Trevor. How can I become better at magic? And how can I stand up to my friends? Neville Longbottom

Dear Neville, You are not useless! Don’t degrade Herbology, knowing about dangerous plants could get you out of some tricky situations! Have courage. This will help as you grow. Magic isn’t easy, but you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people. Take deep breaths and remember you are talented. Keep practising and keep your head up! Practise makes perfect with your magic; you could always ask Hermione Granger for some tips! What about starting up a club in a secret room that has all the requirements to practise? You can make new friends too! Have confidence in your own abilities and it will shine through you. After all, it is important to remember that we all have magic inside us. Love, Auntie Amy

Dearest Darlingest Agony Aunt, Since WHEN has green been the new...well...ANY colour? I mean, I'm all for diversity (I totally didn't learn what that meant until half an hour ago), but SERIOUSLY?! To put it simply - I loathe my roommate. She is just so unusually and exceedingly peculiar, altogether, quite impossible to describe! She is just soâ&#x20AC;Ś green! There, I've said it. All I want to do is fix her hair and perform a personality dialysis. What do I do? Frustrated, Glinda

Hello Glinda, Ok so firstly you need to calm down! You need to sit down, have a herbal tea and relax that pretty blonde head of yours. This sounds like a typical boarding school problem so I would recommend that you both put your differences aside. You should give her a token of friendship, maybe an item of clothing perhaps? A hat in this case would be perfect, perhaps a black one as hats are the new black! You need to take a step back and reflect on the situation from her point of view, after all, she didn't choose to be your roommate either. And for crying out loud, don't tell her how popular you are, that will only make matters worse and make her feel insecure! Finally, no matter what you do, do not let a MAN get between you! If you follow my advice then your friendship should defy gravity! Lots of love, Auntie Lizzie

Agony Aunt, Can you believe it, Elizabeth Bennett just rejected my hand in marriage! I cannot understand where I went wrong. What is wrong with observing the inferiority of her connections? After all they are so decidedly below my own. I thought she would be grateful to marry above her station but apparently not! Can you please be so kind as to advise where I went wrong? My good opinion once lost is lost forever; ask Colonel Fitzwilliam. I am also concerned as I have the deceptive Mr Wickham as a potential rival suitor; I am in urgent need of relationship advice. Mr F. Darcy

Mr D, Back up brother! You expected a woman to enjoy being presented as inferior? Are you mad? Is your soul utterly bereft of romance? Have you missed all the Instagram posts about girls wanting their guys to make them feel like princesses? Elizabeth is not a woman to show gratitude in a man's descent; remember, it is the single man in possession of a fortune who is in want of a wife, not the other way round! You need to write her a letter as face-to-face communication is clearly not your forte. Write a faithful narrative, include details concerning your dealings with Wickham, and refer her to Colonel Fitzwilliam as you did to me, if necessary. Once you accept your mistakes and learn to behave in a more gentleman like manner, trust me, your lady will come round. Lots of love, Auntie Isla

IMPACT ARTS

WORDS BY AARON TEJ IMAGE BY DOUGGIE MCMEEKIN

After receiving his Physics Degree, University of Nottingham alumni Douggie McMeekin trained at LAMDA and is now receiving his professional stage debut as one of the Lost Boys in Ella Hicksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wendy & Peter Pan at the Royal Shakespeare Company. I talked to him about his time at UoN, drama school and all things magical.

Theatre seems to have been a big part of your time at Nottingham; did you have an interest in acting prior to university?

You often hear that the initial aim of drama school is to break you down so that they can build you back up again. Was that your experience?

I did a bit at school but it was always just for fun, I never did it for A-Level or anything like that. I was always good at maths and science and came to Nottingham to do Physics, and kind of fell into it. You fall into things in the first term or two and they end up being your primary outlooks for time spending. The New Theatre was exactly that, for me it was where I made a few of my friends early on and just never looked back.

No that doesn’t happen at all. I’ve heard that phrase banded about but I think drama school is a facilitator for you to just learn who you are. You can really take the time to try and understand this crazy, whatever you want to call it, whatever acting really is: an art form or a skill or whatever. You take the time to really understand your body and mind, how to take down texts and how to connect with other people. It’s an amazing place and not somewhere that changes who you are, if anything it makes you realise who you are.

“I still wasn’t 100% sure whether I wanted to be an actor but I knew I wanted to learn how” How have the skills you learnt whilst involved in a student-run Theatre Company shaped your career? It was where it all began, for sure. I liked it at school but it was always just for fun whereas at the New Theatre there was a big group of us who loved it and took it really seriously. We were quite competitive about it, we wanted to put on really good shows and make sure that our show was the best. I became very good friends with some of the presidents, who really defined the atmosphere of the building – a lot of who have continued on in the industry. For a lot of them their interests were cultivated at the New Theatre and they’re still some of my closest mates. So during your time here, you went to National Student Drama Festival (NSDF) and the Edinburgh Fringe. How was the experience of meeting other student companies and getting a taste of the industry so early on in your career? NSDF was the turning point for me. I went there in my 4th Year when I was working on the Students Union. I did a Physics Degree, then I was the SU Activities Officer; I wasn’t really planning on being an actor at all. All I knew was that I loved it and then I went up to NSDF and I met a few people including the casting director of the RSC and I didn’t even know who she was at the time. I remember that the show we did went quite well, for whatever reason my performance went quite well.

“People will always tell you about how hard it is but you just don’t listen” That’s always good! Yeah, lots of people were pushing me, telling me to do it, and I was like “aaah! I don’t really know” It’s not something I’d ever thought about doing and it didn’t really fit in with what my Dad wanted. And then I met Hannah Miller and she said just find the course you want to study because going to drama school doesn’t mean you become an actor. You go to drama school to learn how to be an actor. I remember hearing that bit of advice and being like ok, ok, that I can fit into my world – do I want to go and learn how to be an actor? The answer to that was yes, I did. I still wasn’t 100% sure whether I wanted to be an actor but I knew I wanted to learn how. I decided to apply for a few courses and I got in. I think that week at NSDF really was the point where it all came together.

Since graduating drama school you have been prolific. Others aren’t so lucky. What can an actor to do to stay creatively engaged when they are out of work? It’s hard. Everyone says ‘it’s hard’, ‘you will be out of work’ et cetera… people will always tell you about how hard it is but you just don’t listen. I remember thinking it will never happen to me and that I’d be fine. No one is ever fine, it’s brutal. A lot of the time it’s not worth it but then little things happen and it is. This year I’ve spent 5 months auditioning, working in a brewery and genuinely being pretty miserable. But, suddenly, things change and it becomes the best job in the world. So you’re in Wendy and Peter Pan till the end of January, tell me about your character Curly. Curly is one of four lost boys. Wendy is the central character; she and her two brothers fly to Neverland with Peter and Tinkerbell. Curly is lovely and beautiful, perhaps a bit slow, he loves breakfast and joy and can’t stand the idea of being sad!

“In this industry there are so few parts for women, compared to white men – it’s nuts” Why is the story of Peter Pan still such a crowd pleaser today? It’s just so good. When I was cast I read the book for the first time since I was a kid and it’s just a masterpiece in imagination. All of these things fit into the mind in a very honest way – we have a tendency nowadays to be overly positive and that’s great but it’s also dishonest. In this, these lost boys are full of joy but essentially they’re children who’ve died. [chuckles]. It’s a lovely balance of being really fun, full of light and colour, whilst also offering a very human, grounded take on the world. What does Hickson’s newly adapted text bring to this familiar story? It makes Wendy the central character and follows her journey in getting over the loss of her brother – everything is kind of Wendy’s World. In this industry there are so few parts for women, compared to white men – it’s nuts. Even though this cast isn’t the best example of trying to combat that, when the ten-year-old girls in the audience see Wendy they’ll say, “Oh my god she’s amazing, she’s so strong and confident and honest and lovely and I just want to be her.” I think that is an amazingly powerful thing.

IMPACT SPORT

‘YOU’VE GOT NO HISTORY…’ A LOOK AT JUST WHY HISTORY IS SO IMPORTANT TO SPORT WORDS BY CONNOR HIGGS RIGHT IMAGE BY ‘PAUL’ VIA FLICKR It’s something I’m sure Chelsea and Manchester City fans have heard over and over, alongside less savoury variations. It’s the biggest challenge to a new team in any sport, and what ultimately drives sales across sport. If you’ve got the history, you’re onto a winner. After the conclusion of the 2015 Formula One World Championship season, the question of cheaper engines was discussed by the Formula One governing body, the FIA. When reading about these discussion, I was intrigued, but in no way surprised, to read that Ferrari had the chance to automatically veto any changes

across the sport, attesting to their importance to the sport as a whole. In addition, the richest team were given the biggest share of the profits from the season, regardless of their final constructor’s position. While the fairness of such situations has been discussed at length, the nature of the beast comes from the simple fact that Ferrari are the biggest name in the sport, and always will be. The red livery of the Ferrari cars have often come to symbolise the sport entire, and most drivers will agree that to drive for Ferrari would be the pinnacle of their Formula One career. And why is the FIA content to allow this evident bias to continue? Easy: Money, money and more money. Ferrari no doubt generates more revenue for the sport than any other team. And this is the same for the biggest teams in any sport. Real Madrid and Barcelona will always be two of the biggest teams in the world, simply down to their long and illustrious histories both in Spain and in Europe; Real

Madrid have won a record ten European titles. In the English game, Liverpool and Manchester United remain two of the biggest clubs in the country, and not because they are the two best. As the two most successful teams in England, their appeal comes from the annals and record books, and not from presentday glory. In basketball, the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers are the two most successful teams in NBA history; they have faced each other in the Finals a record 12 times. The name itself is enough to entice fans to matches, and it is these historical rivalries that will always get fans’ blood pumping more than any more, because it is also historical pride of place that is at stake, and not just present-day success. In the same way, ask most sports fans around the world to name an American baseball side, and I’m confident 90% of those will say either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. You need not look past these teams because no other

side has the simple appeal that these do in terms of success. Such events are a broadcasters dream, of course. Liverpool/ United will always be on Sky Sports, just as the Celtics vs the Lakers will be on US television. Events such as the Masters at Augusta are streamed in countries around the world, it being the biggest and most prestigious individual golfing tournament. Such historical resonance is impossible to replicate in smaller, newer tournaments, and is why it is hard for new teams to generate a fan base accordingly. Even sports themselves fall under the weight of a lack of history; the old North American Soccer League is a prime example of that. Football’s slow growth in the US stems from the fact that it is still a new sport over in the States; its growth in popularity in recent years comes from the fact that a new generation, which has had the chance to grow up watching the game, feel more attuned to the admittedly shorter history of the teams. It is why, despite present successes, teams such as Chelsea and Manchester City will be derided for their lack of success in the past, and why they have often been accused of ‘buying success’ with an influx of foreign investment creating the groundwork for the team to achieve. For investors, chairman, and owners, these loyal fan bases, stretching back to earlier successes, are a dream. It is a sure-fire winner if you can invest in a side so certain of being financially strong. For broadcasters, the same thing applies. It’s why the bigger teams have always seemed to be getting further and further

away from the rest of the field, because ultimately no one can compete with their pull and financial power. The Barclays Premier League, oddly enough, is the exception that proves the rule. The nature of TV licensing deals in the modern era has allowed smaller teams to wield more financial power, and as a result close the gap between them and the bigger teams to a certain extent. The same cannot be said for the Spanish La Liga or German Bundesliga. Wimbledon will always be one of the biggest tennis tournaments, as with the Masters.

one wants to create for oneself, and the opportunities of further success it creates. For fans, it is the historically big games that get the blood pumping. For investors, it is the money it generates. Even for sports stars, the pull of the tournaments with history will always be strong. It is why the Olympics will always be the pinnacle of any athlete’s career, for you are continuing a legacy that ultimately stretches back to Ancient Greece. It is memories that will last a lifetime, and it is why it will always get the cash registers rocking.

History is so important in sport because of the ultimate legacy

IMPACT SPORT

SO JUST WHO IS… BRIAN CLOUGH? AN INSIGHT TO LEGENDARY NOTTINGHAM FOREST MANAGER, BRIAN CLOUGH WORDS BY CONNOR HIGGS IMAGES BY DNCNH VIA FLICKR

Speak to any of the thousands of Nottingham Forest supporters around the city, and the word that will be used to describe Brian Clough more than any other would probably be ‘legend.’ Though immortalised in Market Square and the renaming of the stretch of the A52 between Derby and Nottingham, many outside of the football world, may be hard pressed to explain just why he is remembered so fondly, both in Nottingham and across the country. Had it not been for his successful managerial career, Brian Clough may well have been remembered better for being one of the English Football League’s highest goal-scorers. In playing spells at Middlesbrough and Sunderland, Clough scored a scarcely believable 251 goals in 274 games, equal to a goal every 98 minutes. With his playing career ended at just 29 years of age due to anterior cruciate ligament damage, Clough quickly took over at Hartlepools United, with limited success with the perennial strugglers in an 18-month stint.

In May 1967, Clough and longserving assistant Peter Taylor took over at Derby County, then a struggling Second Division side who had not graced the top division, then known as the First Division, for a decade. Clough’s philosophy of developing young talent was forged here, with players such as John McGovern, John O’Hare and Roy McFarland all being signed by Clough before the age of 21. With experience coming in the form of Tottenham legend Dave Mackay and Willie Carlin, Derby were promoted from the Second Division in Clough’s second season in charge, setting a club record of 22 games unbeaten, a record which still stands today.

“I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.” In only their third season back in the top division, Clough and Derby succeeded in usurping Liverpool and Leeds to take the 1971-72 season, Derby’s first

league championship victory in their 88-year history. However, Clough’s fiery nature and outspoken manner ultimately led to his resignation from Derby County, after a long feud with Derby chairman Sam Longson. Clough’s outspoken nature also led to a number of remarks made to the media; after Derby lost to Juventus in the European Cup semifinal in 1973, Clough told the Italian reporters: “No cheating bastards do I talk to,” as well as questioning the Italian nation during the Second World War. After a short stint as manager of Brighton and Hove Albion, Clough left the Third Division club to manage Leeds United, First Division champions and a team that Clough had been a fervent critic of. Until Darko Milanič’s winless six-game stint as Leeds manager in 2014, Clough had the uneviable record of being Leeds’ least successful manager, and lasted just 44 days before he was sacked. Clough’s stint as Leeds manager and his years at Derby are the subject of the 2006 novel The Damned United, written by David Peace, and the 2009 film of the same

name. While not historically accurate in a number of respects regarding Clough, the film especially is a fascinating insight into both the world of football in the 1970s and the nature of Brian Clough’s eminent talent. Clough’s stint as Nottingham Forest manager is ultimately what he is best remembered for, and why he will always be adored to the Forest faithful. Like Derby, Nottingham Forest were a club in the Second Division, and, like Derby, in his second season as manager, Clough, now reunited with Taylor, managed to guide the club to promotion to the First Division. If Leicester’s rise from relegation-threatened to title challengers seems barely believable, Clough’s and Forest’s achievements in their first season in the First Division border on the fantastical. A League and League Cup double in 1978 made Clough one of only four people in the history of the Football League (and Premier League thereafter) to win the league championship with two different clubs. This was followed with back-toback European Cup victories, in 1979 and 1980, with Clough still the only English manager to achieve the feat. However, what Clough regarded as his greatest achievement was the then record 42 league games which

Forest went unbeaten for, spread across two seasons from November 1977 and December 1978. Two more League Cups in 1989 and 1990 gave Forest their final successes, both under Clough and overall, before his retirement in 1993 when Forest were relegated from the Premier League. Despite not reaching his earlier successes in later years, it is a symbol of his success that Clough turned Forest from a Second Division team to one of the eminent names in English football, a tradition that continues on today, despite their decadelong stint without Premier League football.

Clough’s successes with teams who had not won major trophies in a number of years are what stand him out as one of the greatest English managers of all time. What made him a legend, however, is the sharp wit and turn of phrase that allied with his talent. Often controversial, sometimes magical, always entertaining, it is a mark of the man himself that Clough could get away with saying: “I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.”

IMPACT SPORT

THE UNIFYING NATURE OF SPORT

A LOOK AT THE UNIFYING NATURE OF SPORT IN THE FACE OF TRAGEDY, AND THE POSITIVE EFFECT THAT CAN COME THROUGH IT

WORDS BY CONNOR HIGGS IMAGE BY BEN SUTHERLAND VIA FLICKR to drive for Ferrari later in his career, indicate the unifying nature of sport.

A lot is made in sport around rivalries, both between teams and players in individual sport. Heated games will always bring in the biggest attendances, and often generates a feeling of division between different groups of supporters. However, it is a mark of the game that means that, ultimately, the sporting community comes together regardless of affiliation in the face of tragedy. Back in November of 2015, in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks in the heart of Paris, the footballing world came together in a huge show of solidarity. The friendly between England and France just three days later embodied this perfectly, with La Marseillaise sung by nearly 70,000 people at Wembley that night. What was shown that night was the power of sport as a vehicle of remembrance, commemoration, yet also escapism, in allowing us to both honour and also provide us with the entertainment to, for the briefest of moments, forget our troubles and come together.

While not explicitly confirmed, the ‘Christmas Truce’ of 1914, during the first year of the First World War, serves as a perfect indication of sport bringing people together. Despite the disputed nature of the claims, the football matches that have been said to have occurred between Allied and Central Power troops are the perfect indication of the escapist nature of sport. Just within the footballing world, events such as the Hillsborough disaster, Munich Air Crash and the Bradford City stadium fire serve to highlight how the football community can come together in support of those affected. Football is ultimately transcended, with cities divided across teams, such as Liverpool and Everton, coming together in commemoration and respect. However, across other sports, such bonds and unity are just as apparent. The recent deaths of Phillip Hughes, cricketer and Australian Test-match international, and Jules Bianchi, a Formula One driver expected

Anyone on social media at the time of Phillip Hughes’ death, with the amount of those posting photos of their bats in tribute to him, knows just how quickly such a reaction can spread. Australia captain Michael Clarke dedicated his side’s 2015 Cricket World Cup victory to Hughes, as a nation celebrated victory while remembering their fallen hero. The advent of social media allows sporting tragedies a greater dimension additionally, with the public now having an ever-greater platform to mark their respects.

“The sporting community comes together regardless of affiliation” After Jules Bianchi’s death in July 2015, the next race, won rather fittingly by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, was dedicated to him, as well as race number 17 being retired in dedication to him. It was the tragedy itself, however, in much the same manner as that of Ayrton Senna back in 1994, that propelled the sport to act in the face of tragedy. Ayrton Senna’s death showed the F1 world the work that needed to be done in regards to safety. The huge leaps that were taken in the wake of the tragedy serve to highlight just

how much it affected the sport as a whole. Bianchi’s death brought the issue of safety, and particularly that of the cockpit, into sharp focus once again. While never something that is desired, sport ultimately learns from the mistakes that lead to these tragedies. The Hillsborough disaster made safety in football stadiums a top priority, and one need only attend a football game in the top leagues at present to see just how paramount safety now is. While the all-seater stadiums could be said to take something away from the atmosphere at games, no one will claim to truly prefer the previous system of unsafe terracing that ultimately led to the loss of supporters’ lives. Sport’s ultimate appeal in the face of tragedy, however, is the escape it ultimately affords. When one’s team goes out to play, regardless of overall feelings and emotions, there is a sense of excitement and pride, with thousands upon thousands coming together. In recognising the sheer masses of supporters who feel the same way as you, a city, a community or even an individual can recognise the power of sport.

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Cover Image: Alex Farzad Inside Back Cover Image: Amy Rainbow