NEWS
FEATURES
SPORT
“University: The Time of Your Life But are Time Management Issues Leaving Students Overwhelmed”
“Stop the Clocks”
“Pressure - Is It Pushing Down on our University of Nottingham Sports Stars?”
02
IMPACT
A note from the...
Artistic Director
“
“
INTRO
H
ey there! I’m probably a new face to most of you so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Ella, Impact’s Artistic Director this year. You can normally find me a week before our print deadline hunched over a computer screen several hours each day designing the pages on which we can present these fabulously written articles to you lovely readers. I won’t lie, when asked to be in charge of the theme and editor’s note for this issue, I panicked a little. Writing is definitely not my forte, so this is very much out of my comfort zone. But here goes nothing… The theme of issue #256 is Time and Change. Whether you thrive on change, your mind’s endlessly stuck in the past or future, or you simply don’t believe in the concept of time (trust me, some don’t) time and change are inevitable and affect us all. It can be scary how quickly things change over time. I’m a completely different person to who I was five years ago, with different people in my life and a different future which I would have never predicted for myself previously. It’s taking a while, but I’m slowly learning to see change and time passing as a positive thing. There has never been a more important time to live in the present so enjoy every seemingly irrelevant moment and don’t fixate on the bad times – they never last. Now here’s what’s in store for our readers this issue… In News, Miriam looks at how students are managing their time at university and Marvel discusses the implications of 24-hour libraries. Features take us through the best parts of the last century and Emily chats to Nottingham’s very own Philosophy lecturer, Jon Robson, about time and technology (think ‘Black Mirror’). In Lifestyle, expect to discover the history of time itself with Inga and marvel at our wonderful Gatsby themed photoshoot taken in Lenton’s Savoy Cinema. From Impact Entertainment, Jack looks at why society and the media romanticise serial killers (I know I’m definitely prone to a good true crime documentary) and four students turn to poetry to describe their experience of each university year. Finally, flick through to Sport to hear about Nottingham’s sporting plans for the year ahead and delve deeper into the lives of our sporting stars as Tristan discusses the harmful effects of the pressure to succeed. I hope you’ll like what you see in the following pages, and as you browse, take a moment to think of Impact’s design team – we’re small, but passionate. I love designing. Impact’s given me the chance to find the kind of style I enjoy designing in. This year we’ve tried to create a bolder more contemporary looking magazine with a different style of illustration and more focus on photography and layout. I’ve really loved being the Artistic Director for the past four issues, despite the stresses! Exploring my creative side and having a finished result that I can physically hold in my hands is so worth it. It’s so important to never lose our creativity, whatever form it takes. So I challenge you this: When you next have some free time on your hands, do something creative, loosen up, and most of all be present in that moment. Happy Reading! Ella
03
04
IMPACT
CONTENTS
News
06
University: The Time of Your Life. But Are Time Management Issues Leaving Students Overwhelmed? Accessibility of Transport Through a University Day 24-Hour Libraries: Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat.
12 14 16 17 18 20 21 22
06 08 10
Features
12
The ‘Snowflake’ Generation: How Should Our Generation Be Perceived? The Best of the Decades: 1920 - 2000 Early Bird vs. Night Owl Stop the Clocks. Internalised Homophobia: Defining It and Deadling With It What WIll the Future of University Look Like? Experiencing Grief Let’s Talk About Grief
Lifestyle
24
The Intrigue of Abandoned Places How Mass-Tourism and the Rise of Social Media Have Affected the World How Government Policy Has Affected Levels of Obesity and People’s Willingness to Eat Healthily The Cyclical Nature of Fashion: One Trend Fits All Gay Designs: The Power and Influence of LGBTQ Fashion Great Gatsby Photoshoot The History of Lenton’s Savoy Cinema Which Places Will Be Gone in a Few Years as a Result of Climate Change? The Heirloom of Time Itself Exposure: Past, Present, Future
44 46 47 48 50 51 52
24 26 28 30 32 34 38 39 40 42
Entertainment
44
Article 13 and What It Could Mean for Entertainers and Students Alike The Broken Record of Homophobia in Music Films Are Getting Longer But Are They Getting Better? From Twilight to Ted Bundy: The Romanticisation of Psychopaths and Serial Killers in Modern Media Are Video Games Getting Easier? What’s in Store for the Future of Gaming? Poetry Collaboration: We Grow Towards the Sun
Sport Future Prospects of our Sporting Program Pressure - Is it Pushing Down on our University of Nottingham Sport Stars? The Glittering Green and Gold of Yesteryear
54 54 56 58
Party
Time
Flies
I’m ! e t La
Time for Tea
06
IMPACT
University: The Time of your Life But are time management issues leaving student’s overwhelmed? Miriam Thompson Impact investigated just how well our students manage their time and whether or not we are coping with university demands.
University can be an intense experience. The experience of being away from home for the first time means having to learn how to live independently and, importantly, how to manage your time well. There is a blunt transition from life at home defined by parental instructions to being overloaded with chores, university work and finding time for a social life. It can all be rather overwhelming for many students. Accordingly, Impact asked students a number of questions about their time management at university to find out how students manage their time and whether they feel the demand is too much to handle. Across the board, first year undergraduates responded the most negatively, answering that their time management had become worse at university or stayed the same. First years also had the highest ratings of nights out per week, averaging 2.5 nights out of 7. As students progressed through university they rated their time management as having improved; with a lower percentage of students leaving work until the last minute, instead choosing to do it every week so it doesn’t build up. Seemingly, time management correlates with ageing. This is an unsurprising result as students become more accustomed to university life as time progresses and generally find it easier to maintain a work life balance.
In 2019, The Times named the University of Nottingham Sports University of The Year. This brings with it the question of whether extracurricular activities at university take up more or less time than actual university work. Many sports teams often train for more than 5 hours a week, plus match times and away days, which can constitute a huge commitment on top of university work. Is the demand for extracurricular activities too high, costing students the ability to maintain a functioning life?
Has Your Time Management Got Better or Worse Since Being at University?
34%
16%
Worse Stayed the Same
50%
Better
Impact asked students, in an average week, they spend more time committed to sports and societies or university work. A
NEWS
startling 42.1% of students asked stated they spend more time devoted to extra curricular activities rather than university work.
There were other students, however, who felt like there was adequate time to balance all aspects of life easily, although many pointed out that this often varies according to personality types.
This is a worrying percentage of students considering that when asked further if they felt there was enough time in the week after university work to maintain a functioning life including social time, extracurricular and enough sleep, 56% of students answered no.
“Only if you are very organised. It is very easy to get behind and it can be hard trying not to feel guilty when you do go out, or to not feel FOMO when others go out without you.”
If You Totalled Up Your Hours in an Average Week, Which Do You Spend More Time Doing?
42.1% 2.7% 2.6%
07
There were other students, however, who felt like there was adequate time to balance all aspects of life easily, although many pointed out that this often varies according to personality types.
Extra Curricular
“Only if you are very organised. It is very easy to get behind and it can be hard trying not to feel guilty when you do go out, or to not feel FOMO when others go out without you.”
Work and Doing Nothing
Do You Think You Manage Your Time Well at University?
Social
52.6% University Work
53% No
Do You Feel Like There is Enough Time in the Week After University Work to Have a Functioning Life?
Yes
47%
44% No Yes
56%
When asked overall whether students feel they balance their time well, only 53% of students said yes with 47% stating no. This is a large percentage of the student population who feel they have poor time management, made more worrying by the previous concerns that extracurricular activities often take up more time than university work. With a high emphasis on building CV’s, many students feel like they have to participate in extracurricular activities to make themselves stand out from the crowd; but is this making students unhealthy?
One student stated that: “The amount of university work we have to do is emotionally and physically draining. Once I have finished my work for the day I am too tired to go on a night out or socialise. Similarly, if I do go on a night out, my work suffers the next day.” Another student indicated that: “I think it depends on your social activities. I personally find it difficult to balance university work, society commitments, social activities, going to the gym, part time work and having enough sleep and time to relax.”
According to YouGov, one in four students suffer from mental health issues. Time management can often be vital for managing stress and reducing the effects of feeling overwhelmed. With this in mind it is little wonder why students have one of the highest rates of mental health issues among the population. The demand of different aspects life on their time is for many students, as evidenced, too high. Although the University provides dedicated resources concerning time management, it still appears to be an issue that a large proportion of the student population are struggling with. Therefore, this begs the question, should more be done?
08
IMPACT
Accessibility of Transport Through a University Day From morning lectures to nights out on the town, Impact investigates the transport options for students in Nottingham
Katie Moncur As the University of Nottingham is split across four campuses and the majority of University students live off-campus in areas such as Lenton and Dunkirk, the accessibility of transport in Nottingham is an important matter for the dayto-day lives of the student community. Nottingham City Transport have paired up with the University and state that they are ‘the only transport provider to run buses on to all of the main University
campuses’. The Orange Line 34 bus runs from the city onto University Park campus with the Monday to Friday daytime service meaning there is a bus every 5-6 minutes during term time. Despite this, the bus service is oversubscribed with huge crowds of students seen at the Lenton bus stops at peak times, especially between 8:30 and 9am, with many struggling to get on a bus and make it to their lectures on time. Alongside the issue of overcrowding, if you haven’t opted for the £239 academic year bus pass, buses only accept cash or an app-bought ticket which requires verification to get student rates. Although the pass is an easy and
NEWS
efficient way to pay for travel, as it is linked to the University ID cards and allows unlimited journeys, it is out of many students’ budgets. Chris, a fifth-year Chemical Engineer, spoke to us: “The buses are great but I’ve been caught out so many times not having the right coins and the bus drivers can’t give you any change. It’s really annoying when your usage doesn’t justify the investment of the bus pass and they don’t make it easy for you buying student tickets on the app.” Despite complaints about the bus services, NCT states: ‘All of our buses have CCTV, Wi-Fi, real time tracking, low floor entrances and a wheelchair / pushchair bay. 90% of buses now have audio announcements.’ The fleets are highly accessible with new buses also equipped with charging ports, NCT adapting their transport to both students’ and the general public’s changing needs. These charging ports are especially suited for students travelling home on the bus after a night out in town when it is more likely that maintaining phone battery is a priority. Nottingham is known for its thriving nightlife scene and so the transport system should reflect this. The N34 runs from the city to University Park and Beeston every night until 3:45am, with the N36 doing the same on Fridays and Saturdays. It is free for those with the academic year bus pass, making the night buses a transport option for returning home after clubbing. Josh, a first-year Law student, spoke to Impact about the night bus system: “The night bus after clubbing is way too expensive if you don’t have a bus pass. £3 is so bad especially because freshers are unlikely to have a bus pass as they live in halls and not in Lenton and there is always the issue of needing exact change. It only coming every hour is not ideal and it stops before some clubs have shut so it doesn’t really work for me.” 39% of University of Nottingham students have never taken the night bus, preferring other modes of transport such as Uber or regular taxis. Despite losing their license in London in 2017, Uber is popular in Nottingham as a way to get to and from university and home after a night out, with the cars being available 24 hours a day with multiple vehicle options: UberX, UberXL for groups of up to 6 people, and Assist with special assistance from trained drivers. The fairly low prices and the range of cars allow the service to be widely accessible yet, this year, the company have decided to increase fares by 9% following a strike orchestrated by the United Private Hire Drivers union last October with drivers demanding higher wages.
09
An Uber spokesperson said: “To give you an idea of what this means: an average trip with no surcharge from University of Nottingham to Nottingham Station would have cost £6.50 under the previous fare structure, and will now be £7.10. We’re making these changes to help provide a better service for you in the East Midlands and the surrounding area by attracting more drivers to some of our busiest areas.” Freya, a second-year Architecture student, responded to this news: “The increase in Uber and cab fares is a bit ridiculous seeing as there are already surges in prices at times when you need to use them the most, such as getting into Uni for a 9am or home from a night out. Students also aren’t exactly rich so it’s just another pressure on your finances.” Despite these recent changes, 69% of students still opt for getting an Uber home after clubbing rather than a regular taxi. Emily, a second-year English student, supports this saying: “I always go to book an Uber as a first option because it’s quick and easy and it feels more secure than normal taxis because of everyone’s ratings and its popularity. You know that in the city centre one isn’t going to be more than ten minutes away and you don’t have to worry about cash as it’s done by direct debit. You can also do the ‘Track My Uber’ thing where you can let others know you’re on a trip so I send that to my boyfriend if I’m travelling alone or late so he knows where I am – it’s a pretty big bonus.” Andy Hoe, Owner of Ocean nightclub in Nottingham, spoke to Impact about late night transport: “I know the taxis can be a pain overcharging, flat fares etc. People should always insist on the fare going on the meter – drivers have to by law! I think a lot more use Uber now, which is obviously easier from a user point of view and in not getting ripped off.” Students living in Lenton and on campus regularly report issues with daytime and night-time transport on Facebook pages such as ‘Buy/Sell Tickets (Notts uni) – Unisalad’ but the complaints extend to come from those who are residents of Sutton Bonington campus. Emily, a fifth-year Vet Medicine student, said: “It’s terrible for those of us living on Sutton Bonington. The buses, especially the hopper buses, are completely unreliable and the supposedly ‘fixed’ taxi rate is never honoured making it really expensive to go out in Nottingham.” The Nottingham transport network is extensive and has been well-developed but as it is under pressure to fulfil student demands and to connect the University community which is naturally spread across multiple sites, its level of success has divided students’ opinions.
10
IMPACT
s e i r a r ib
L r u o H 4
2
t a E p e e l S k r o W . t a e p e R
Marvel Kalu Balancing nights out and coursework submissions is the bane of every student’s uni life, Marvel investigates whether 24 hour libraries help solve this issue.
NEWS
11
Time management is a major factor that many students struggle with. Trying to balance university life and everyday life can be a chore, and sometimes making it through a whole day at university can be a struggle. So, in between the skipped lectures and nights out, when and where do we find the time to get work done? The answer: 24-hour libraries! Many students assert the convenience of 24/7 opening libraries, with one final year psychology student stating, “Just knowing that I can go onto campus at any time and get work done is a big relief”. However, how do 24/7 library opening times affect students? Does it encourage an unhealthy work rate? University is the first time most students will encounter the dreaded ‘all-nighter’, when the deadline is fast approaching and so the decision is made to go to the library to avoid distraction at home. At the beginning of the academic year, the University announced the expansion of 24/7 opening hours for George Green Library and Jubilee Campus and more coverage during medical and veterinary medicine exams, which fall outside of the standard exam period. As a result of the large demand from students, the University are continuing to operate 24/7 opening hours in the six big libraries throughout exam periods. They even added additional periods in February, March and April. UoN are not alone in this 24-hour library service movement across universities. Leeds, Kings and Reading are a few other examples of institutions that are a part of this growing trend. Bath was the first university in the UK to test the idea, when they went 24 hour back in 1996. "We were planning for a large and expensive extension to the library and the thinking was: if we're going to spend money on a big new facility why not keep it open for longer?" says deputy librarian Gavin Rea. All these universities have agreed to offer around the clock accessibility to learning resources and spaces for students, whether out of habit or necessity, the option is there. Whilst this may be good news to most students who asked for it, it encourages the question as to why 24/7 opening libraries are so in demand. Accordingly, Impact asked students their opinions on the existence of 24 hour libraries, finding that the pros and cons seemed to balance each other out. Do 24 hour libraries set an unhealthy precedent? Should universities not be preparing their students for employment, during which most work occurs in the day. In the working world, there will be no chance to re-do your 9am at 3pm, a third-year philosophy student stated that “whilst I agree with this statement the pressures on a uni student are different to that of someone who works a 9-5. When I get one then hopefully my sleeping pattern will be better”. When it comes to sleeping patterns, university students are notorious for not having one. Are 24-hour libraries enhancing this behaviour? Are they to blame? One second year student states: “24-hour libraries accommodate my bad sleeping pattern. I think my sleeping pattern was already bad, the 24-hour library just helps”. One of the most common reasons students prefer to work away from the comfort of their rooms, is the temptation of wanting to fall asleep. However, in 2018, the University of Manchester introduced futuristic sleeping pods in the library so that students could catch up with sleep while at University. The pods were installed as part of an informal experiment into how napping can optimise the brain's ability to learn and retain information.
es le Imag of Goog
In a world where people crave convenience, 24 hour libraries seem like a fantastic idea. But in reality the impact that they have on students well being far outweighs the benefits.
ourtesy
Taking this into consideration, it is clear that the 24-hour library has its downsides in terms of academic performance, especially when most students start their all-nighters past midnight. UoN have also started pushing awareness of the many study rooms that students can book days, weeks, even hours in advance.
Image C
Whilst we do not have futuristic sleep pods at UoN, a truly tired student can easily fall asleep hunched over their desk. How does this affect the level of work that is actually being done? With the pressure of deadlines, it is understandable why students would find solace in 24-hour libraries but sacrificing sleep has its consequences. Studies done by ‘sleep.org’ state that “not getting enough shuteye may take as much of a toll on an undergraduate's academic performance as drinking too much”.
12
IMPACT
The ‘Snowflake’ Generation How Should Our Generation Be Perceived? Rory Jones We asked students, professors and parents about their views on the labelling of Generation Z as being overly sensitive compared to past generations.
Has our generation been borne into a cold, modern society, or are we all just ‘snowflakes’ too easily offended by anything and everything? Surely this assertion hasn’t just appeared out of nowhere, nevertheless, Impact found a range of different views on the subject.
universities, where education and learning are advanced through dialogue and debate. It underpins academic freedom. This right extends to all forms of expression.” Below the government have set out five principles on upholding freedom of speech in universities:
In the age of political correctness, inter-generational division, and increasing conflict between the far-left and the far-right, it is 1) Everyone has the right to free speech within the law. important to take a deeper look at this issue. The term ‘snowflake’ holds both political and social connotations. 2) Universities should seek to expose their members and students to the widest possible range of views–whilst ensuring that they Socially, this pertains to the viewpoint that this culture of act within the law. complaining and lack of tolerance has led to a generation of overly sensitive young adults, incapable of accepting the 3) If a speaker breaks the law, it is the speaker who is culpable. challenges dealt with by those who preceded them. However, if those organising an event invite speakers who they might reasonably have suspected would use their platform to As for the political aspect, parliament passed the following bill break the law (i.e. because they have done so previously) they ‘Free speech: guidance for universities and students organising may fall foul of the law themselves. events’ in March 2018: 4) Protest is itself a legitimate expression of freedom of speech. “Everyone has the right to free speech within the law. This can However, protest must not shut down debate. Protesters who include the right to say things which, though lawful, others may attempt to prevent viewpoints being heard infringe upon the find disturbing, upsetting or offensive. This right is a foundation rights of others. Student Unions, Universities and law enforcement for democracy. It is important in all settings, but especially in must hold such people to account–and ensure that sufficient
FEATURES
resources are in place to prevent protesters from blocking debate. 5) Students should not be deterred from organising events due to over bureaucratic procedures. Where free speech is inhibited, there should be recourse available to challenge that inhibition. The guidance is designed for universities and students in England and Wales. Different laws apply to universities in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but nonetheless we hope that they find this useful.” The 4th clause in this bill is the most controversial - due to its ambiguity. What does it mean to protest in a way that does not ‘shut down debate’? This lacks coherence, and perpetuates students resentment towards their rights to freedom of speech.
“Many students expressed disdain towards the term ‘snowflake’, as the term is ‘derogatory by its very definition.’” In the wake of these guidelines, we decided to interview a number of students - as well as people from older generations on the view that this really is the ‘snowflake generation’.
What students told us: Many students expressed disdain towards the term ‘snowflake’, as the term is ‘derogatory by its very definition’. One student even suggested that this generation are more akin to ‘raindrops’ than snowflakes. Although the majority of students disliked the derisory term ‘snowflake’, there were some who could see its pertinence to a certain segment of our generation. Political correctness was seen as paradoxical by some students. While it was acknowledged as being a positive force in alleviating stereotypes and forms of discrimination rife in previous generations, it has increased pressure on post-millennials to always ‘say the right thing’, especially on social media. One student told us that this was a ‘ridiculous’ assertion, citing social media as a key factor in creating the perception that this generation is more sensitive. They affirmed that ‘social media is a platform; you have to be careful how you use it.’ Similarly, social media was described as an ‘amplifying agent’ by other students, as the accessibility of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter enables people of Generation Z to express themselves freely. One student even described the perception of Generation Z as ‘snowflakes’ as an ‘illusion’, as previous generations may have been equally as sensitive from a sociological standpoint - without the means to express themselves that social media offers.
What Millennials told us: One Millennial we talked to admitted that they were ‘grateful’ to not have grown up with access to social media, and the exposure it provides. For example, as a teenager outside of school hours, they would have had no communication with fellow classmates, unless they happened to live nearby or had arranged to meet with them. This is almost completely antithetical to teenagers nowadays, who will continue to talk to and be spoken to, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. In addition, some millennials expressed sympathy towards Generation Z - with mounting academic and social pressure
13
that was non-existent in generations such as the Baby Boomers (1945-1960), who didn’t need as lofty academic qualifications for their job security.
What Generation X told us: This age group was the most divided in terms of how they perceive Generation Z. Interestingly, everyone we asked from Generation X insinuated that social media, and the technological revolution has also made parenting harder. There is certainly the case that during childhood, post-millennials did not encounter comparable political upheaval to those who grew up earlier in the 20th century. For example, much of Generation X would have come of age during the time Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, with the miners’ strike of 1984-1985. Some parents suggested that the personal ‘softness’ of some post-millennials stems from the comparative ‘easiness’ of their childhood, as they did not grow up in a time of political turmoil. On the contrary, some people of this generation held a more optimistic view of Generation Z, stating that the political engagement of young adults - such as in anti-Brexit protests - is promising to see.
Common Observations across different generations: When asked about the relative difficulties encountered by various generations, all age groups referred to the First World War as the most adverse period to have grown up in in recent memory. The Lost Generation, born in the late 19th century or at the start of the 20th, were afflicted by the devastation of World War 1 (1914-1918). Most sources estimate that at least 10 million people died during this calamitous period. For those who survived the war, they will also have experienced the Great Depression (19291939), and a second World War (1939-1945). Regardless of your stance on how arduous life as a post-post-millennial may be - this is far removed from modern problems such as not getting enough likes on Instagram.
“Social Media was mentioned by almost everyone interviewed - as it is embedded in the fabric of Generation Z.” Social Media was mentioned by almost everyone interviewed as it is embedded in the fabric of Generation Z. One interviewee told us that this ‘makes growing up harder’, as it forces young people to be careful with how they use it. They went on to state that ‘social media is a platform; you have to be careful how you use it.’
All things considered… The term ‘snowflake’ is generally perceived as a harsh label for an entire generation. Numerous people we talked to mentioned the inherent conflict between generations, especially seeing that over the last century, each generation has seemingly been more progressive than its predecessor. While many people of Generation Z are perceived to be too progressive or too tied down with political correctness, which may be warranted, there is also much to be proud of, according to some. Both students and parents mentioned Generation Z’s conscientiousness with regard to political change, the environment and outdated attitudes. Perhaps that same conscientiousness is precisely what some perceive as indicative of ‘snowflakes’.
14
IMPACT
The Best of 1920
Hayley Sleigh
For me the greatest moment of the 1920s would be legendary dancer Josephine Baker’s star-making performance at the Folies Bergère music hall, during which she wore little more than a skirt made of sixteen bananas. She was an instant sensation and received over 1,000 marriage proposals. At a time when her native U.S. was enacting Jim Crow laws, this gorgeous and talented black woman was making Europe fall in love with her. Baker rocked every decade: in the 1930s she became a movie star; in the 1940s she fought the Nazis; in the 1950s she adopted 12 children; in the 1960s she was the only female speaker at the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr; when she died in the 1970s, she was the only American woman in history to be buried in France with military honours. If you can name a more fabulous badass, I’ll eat my banana-skirt.
Esme Johnson
Olivia Morel
There are certain 1940s movies that will be remembered for generations to come that seem to be the best of the era. The 1940 adaptation of John Steinbeck’s iconic 1939 novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ about American society in the Great Depression. Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s infamous gothic novel ‘Rebecca’. The 9 Oscar nominated mystery drama ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941). The heartwarming emotional drama ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946) and much- loved Disney classics such as ‘Pinocchio’ (1940) ‘Dumbo’ (1941) ‘Bambi’ (1942) have all made this decade one to remember.
1920 1930 1940 1950 19 6 The 1930s were brilliant in the development of new technologies, especially within film. In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s first animated feature film, was released. Ranked among the 100 greatest American films by the American Film Institute, Snow White changed the course of cinema history. It garnered an Academy Honorary Award for Walt Disney, resulting in one full-sized Oscar and seven miniature ones. The movie meant a lot to me during my childhood, and has for children around the world. I believe Snow White and its cinematic legacy are a beacon of hope in a time so dark in other ways.
Francesca Hadland
This decade brought hope into people’s hearts after the horrors of the Second World War and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many important and promising things happened in the decade: Elizabeth II started her reign in 1952; TV episodes were broadcast in colour for the first time in 1951; Audrey Hepburn debuted on the big screens in 1953; NASA was created in 1958, starting the age of the space race and amazing new scientific discoveries. One thing I would want from the 1950s for a perfect decade is the belief that even if things are not great at the moment, they will get better.
Kateryna Vine
FEATURES
15
the Decades: 2000
Megan Bowie
Our Impact writers list their favourite moments from each decade, combining them to produce the perfect year.
While the 1960s had their ups and downs, it was a decade which dramatically changed society—largely for the good. It was definitely not a time considered a mecca for people from all walks of life, but huge leaps were made. The best thing therefore, was the 1963 Moon Landing, which launched an era of excitement about science and progress. Humans contacted a celestial body that was not Earth, a remarkable and awe-inspiring achievement considering the first airplane was invented just sixty years earlier.
My favourite part of the 2000’s (or noughties) has definitely got to be the catalogue of chic flicks that emerged and formed my childhood. Take Wild Child (2008), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008) and Mean Girls (2004) alongside St Trinians (2007) and She’s the Man (2006), and that right there is a reflection on the greatness to come out of the 00’s. These films explored friendship and love, gave us life lessons and taught us that on Wednesdays we wear pink. Anyone else feel old yet?
Emily Casey The 1980s gave us many questionable things, which we are glad stayed firmly in that era: insane shoulder pads, humongous hair and of course, All. The. Lycra. But, one thing that we certainly are grateful for is the music! Can you imagine living in an era when Michael Jackson and Madonna were releasing never-beforeheard hits? In fact, we love ‘80s music so much that it still resonates today; I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) is a sure-fire way of making a group of strangers the best of friends.
9 60 1970 1980 1990 2000 Brianna Croughan
The decade that brought us a host of different music, fashion and entertainment. We have the 1970s to thank for flared trousers, the rise of Disco and Grease hitting screens in 1978. The best of the 1970s however, must go to ABBA, the infamous Swedish pop-group who have continued to dominate the music scene worldwide with their timeless classics: “Mamma Mia!”, “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trouper”. Where would we be without them?!
Everyone thinks the decade of their childhood was the best, but there is no doubt that kids born in the 1990s (most of us) are right in this assumption. Perhaps the reason for this is its long-lasting influence on pop culture. If you think of the 90s, you think Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, Clueless, Pulp Fiction and Friends. It was also the best decade of Disney films; the beginning of the Toy Story series plus the amazing Aladdin, Tarzan and Mulan. Now, do not even get me started on the fashion that defined this decade, and those that followed it.
Charlotte Hegley
16
IMPACT
Early Bird
UoN students Isla and Pandora battle it out as they compare their daily routines as an Early Bird and a Night Owl. 07:00
09:00
At 7:00am the alarm sounds. It takes me about three minutes to drag myself out of unconsciousness. I lie there for an additional ten minutes and indulge in tempting thoughts: how warm my bed is, how I could just close my drooping eyes again and… no time for that. I get up, chuck on my dressing gown, and head to the kitchen. Often, I stumble upon a stray housemate who has not yet been to sleep. Mumbling something about bedtime, they shuffle away as I make breakfast. By 9:00 am, I am showered, dressed, and sat at my desk. Working might be a bit of a stretch but, the fact of the matter is, I’m up and about and I have started my day off well. For me, the most productive working period is before lunch.
things like fruit and nuts, and I drink lots of water (and tea).
15:00
After dinner, I continue to do work that is of a less challenging nature and then finish the evening with a Netflix break to wind down.
23:30
VS I’ve been a night owl as long as I can remember. As a little kid, I remember secretly reading until even past my mum’s bedtime. Eventually my family let it go, deciding that if I wanted to stay up until sunrise reading and be tired the next day at school, then on my head be it. This pattern has definitely carried on into adulthood, and if I’m being honest has probably got a little more extreme; most days I don’t get to sleep before 3:00am, and I pull all-nighters pretty regularly. If I have even a week off university, I go completely nocturnal. Most people I know think it is really unhealthy, but I genuinely get my best work done between 1:00 and 5:00am. It’s when I feel the most creative and the most productive. There’s no one around to distract me, it’s just me, the moon and whatever work I want to get done. You should give it a try sometime! The morning
By 11.30 pm, some of my housemates are just settling in for a night of hard work. You’ll find me, however, tucked up like a quilted burrito and ready for bed: alarm set, lights out.
Isla Weir
My brain is fresh, rested, and not-yet bogged down with the stress of the day. I try to tackle the most difficult tasks during this time. Food, water, and exercise are very important. I snack constantly (every hour or so) on healthy
“The morning birds are better company than you’d expect”
By about 3:00pm, I usually start getting bored and irritable. I find exercise helps a lot with this; it allows me to work out some of the frustration and gives me a much needed dose of fresh air.
“Mumbling something about bedtime, they shuffle away as I make breakfast”
birds are better company than you’d expect. There’s a certain peacefulness in seeing the sky gradually transition from inky black to soft pink while you toil away at an essay or finish that book that you really couldn’t put down. Plus, cereal tastes best as a 2:00am dinner, promise. There is a downside to this lifestyle, admittedly, as our society revolves around rising early to start work, and then going to bed at a ‘reasonable hour’ (yawn). So if I want to take advantage of my night hours, I’m probably going to be pretty exhausted throughout the day. This is where my good friend coffee comes in handy, but it can’t sustain me forever. Maybe I should move to Australia and see if the time-zone shift helps?
Pandora Ogg
Night Owl
FEATURES
17
STOP. THE CLOCKS Emily Hall
Emily Hall interviews University of Nottingham’s Assistant Professor in Philosophy Jon Robson to explore technological advances over time and their effects on society. It is the year 2019. Donald Trump is president. An egg has the most liked photo in Instagram history. The rate of technological advances is increasing more quickly than I can keep up with and we seem more determined than ever to document every single second of our existence (for if we don’t put it on our Snapchat or Instagram stories, did it even happen?). But what if we take a step back? What if we force ourselves to look at how far technology has come and consider where it could go next?
“Could this be a warning that technological advances could be extremely detrimental to our mental wellbeing and ability to maintain stable relationships?”
therefore it is our responsibility, or rather our obligation, to use it to our advantage. When considering the technological advances which have been made over time, Robson acknowledged that some philosophers believe that ‘this very progress is causing problems’, of morality, consent and ethics. ‘Human beings tend to do things first, then figure out if it is morally right afterwards’ he said while laughing. He agreed that it is hard to predict what advances we may see in the next thirty years, but that shows like Black Mirror depict an altered version of society featuring things which wouldn’t be hard to implement into our current lives. If we expect to see changes as dramatic as we have already seen happen in the last one hundred years, which saw the Wright brothers fly the first aeroplane and the Apollo missions land man on the moon, who knows what the next century will entail.
“‘Time is something we project onto the World’ he denotes, and therefore it is our responsibility, or rather our obligation, to use it to our advantage”
If the popular Netflix series Black Mirror is anything to go by, then we’re talking remotely controlled murderous bumblebees and video graphic contact lenses. When considering how quickly technology has advanced, these concepts might not be too far fetched at all. The episode Nosedive is scarily relatable. We are presented with a society whom rate each other in a way comparable to a TripAdvisor review. Everyone’s rating determines their social rank, and the leading character’s mental health and self-confidence is shattered when not being adored by every individual she meets. Could this be a warning that technological advances could be extremely detrimental to our mental wellbeing and ability to maintain stable relationships? Will we lose what it is that makes us human; making mistakes, not liking absolutely everyone that we encounter, being intelligent and having independent, spontaneous thoughts? The thought is a scary one, and so who better to bring some clarity than an expert on the concept of time itself, Assistant Professor in Philosophy here at Nottingham, Jon Robson.
Robson brought an interesting academic perspective on how society has experienced technological advancements, yet still so much is unknown. I just hope that through all the progression and developments, we don’t lose what makes us who we are. Of course, scientific discoveries and breakthroughs must continue, and the progression of research over the past one hundred years is staggering, and hopefully can save even more lives. Yet, the importance of looking back cannot be emphasised enough, for if we see how far we’ve come, it may make us more conscious to keep an eye on where we’re going. Whatever happens, I guess I’ll see you on the other side.
Robson brought clarity to the malleability of time when asked the question of what time is; ‘the past is fixed, whereas the future isn’t’. The future can be anything and everything. ‘Time is something we project onto the World’ he denotes, and
Jon Robson and Benjamin L. Curtis have written a book about the concept of time entitled ‘A Critical Introduction to the Metaphysics of Time’ if you are interested in any further reading surrounding this topic.
Image courtesy of ‘Pixabay’ via Google Images
18
IMPACT
Jenson Kemp gives us an insight into internalised homophobia, where it comes from and why it is such a prevalent issue. I have been out as gay ever since I was 14. I very much thought I had processed it and accepted my sexuality a long time ago. Coming out and being out has never been especially difficult for me: I have an accepting and tolerant family who didn’t even need an announcement or declaration, I had good friends who accepted me for who I was and I didn’t experience any significant bullying or any experiences which would have required me to hide or play down my sexuality. I didn’t want to be gay and proud - I didn’t feel the need - I just wanted to be gay and get on with it. After three years at university, however, I realised that I have internalised homophobia.
“Internalised homophobia is defined by LGBT charity the Rainbow Project as the internalisation of the negative attitudes and depictions of LGBT people.” Internalised homophobia is defined by LGBT charity the Rainbow Project as the internalisation of the negative attitudes and depictions of LGBT people- that what we are is ‘not the norm’ and that we are in some way deficient or wrong. Internalised homophobia manifests itself in many ways. Some ways are more extreme and obvious, for example; denial of your sexual orientation to yourself and others, attempting to change your sexual orientation, contempt for those that are more obviously ‘out’.
There are the experiences many gay men, including myself, will be aware of if they have ever downloaded the gay dating and hook-up app Grindr, with men declaring loudly and proudly how they are ‘STRAIGHT ACTING’ as if being straight and ‘masculine’ is the pinnacle of the male hierarchy- with ‘straight acting’ gays below and the ‘fems’ at the bottom. Or even Grindr profiles who rule out anyone camp or feminine, thus implying that there is something inherently wrong or bad about being camp- again that it is ‘not the norm’.
“The inability of these people to fully come to terms with their homosexuality is glaringly obvious and I personally feel sorry for them.” The inability of these people to fully come to terms with their homosexuality is glaringly obvious and I personally feel sorry for them. There is however a subtler type of internalised homophobia- being highly conscious of your own mannerisms, behaviours and ideas is one example of this. It is something which I am conscious that I do myself. I occasionally check my behaviour in certain situations, motivated by the desire to not seem ‘too gay’ as if such there was such a thing. Alongside this, there is the unusual desire to over-achieve in certain environments. I personally notice this in workplace settings as if I am a model representative of the LGBT community- as if I need to prove something because I am gay. These tendencies are motivated by internalised homophobia- the acute and sometimes painful recognition of how society labels us, and thus the desire to not play up to that label, or at least show we are still valuable members of society despite being gay, when in reality we simply shouldn’t care. It is easy to see where internalised homophobia comes from. For many, a more severe experience of internalised homophobia may originate from highly negative childhood occurrences-
FEATURES
“I occasionally check my behaviour in certain situations, motivated by the desire to not seem ‘too gay.”
19
parents who have reinforced that being gay is bad or wrong, bullying and the breakdown of some close relationships upon coming out. But for others it comes from the perception that is displayed from certain prominent aspects of our society. For example, here in the UK lawmakers can be elected in spite of their backwards views towards LGBT people, like some members of the Democratic Unionist Party, which currently props up the government. Added to this is the fact that as children we rarely, or even never, see people like us on film and TV. In 2017, Disney announced its first gay character in Beauty and the Beast- a villain with weak autonomy who pines for his straight masculine friend- how
Internalised Homophobia: Defining It and Dealing with It Jenson Kemp subversive. It is this which entrenches homophobia into society and makes it impossible to avoid and inevitable we will entrench into ourselves. The consequences of this are dire. This internalisation of a negative image causes strains on mental health, it is a root cause of the high rate of mental health problems among our community- which, according to the LGBT charity Stonewall is 50% higher than the national average. This falls in the midst of a mental health epidemic in the UK which is exacerbated for many LGBT people. We need to overcome this for the benefit of the mental health of all LGBT people. We need to challenge the behaviour and mannerisms of ourselves and other LGBT people, challenge the homophobia we see within the LGBT community and stop holding ourselves to an unnecessarily high standards compared to others - there is nothing to prove. I myself have realised that it is not simply good enough to be gay and get on with it in this society. There is a great importance and power in being gay and proud.
“There is a great importance and power in being gay and proud.”
20
IMPACT
What Will the Future of University Look Like? Emily Casey
Emily discusses her take on what university will be like in the future Higher education still maintains a prestigious reputation in the UK. In fact, our oldest universities (Oxford and Cambridge) remain steeped in archaic traditions, such as ‘trashing’; where an individual is plastered with champagne, silly string, eggs and flour by their peers upon finishing their final exam. Such traditions may remain today, but what will university study will be like for the students of the future. In the words of Busted, let’s go to the year 3000. A fresher is deciding on what course they want to undertake, but what will they choose? There’s History: The Beginnings of the Kardashian Empire, Languages: How Emojis and GIFs Superseded the Spoken Word and of course, Biology: The Evolution of Humans to Naturally Contoured Faces.
“Thanks to recent funding from our alien overlords- each student has been assigned their very own robot” With so many choices and decisions to make, university life can seem overwhelming but thankfully in the 31st century, universities have employed a few home comforts to ease the transition. And I mean ‘employed’ literally. That’s right- thanks to recent funding from our alien overlords- each student has been assigned their very own robot! Despite being paid to serve you, these robots will soon become your best friends, and make sure that you are never alone (partly because they must have constant surveillance on you). Your AI BFF is there to make life easier. Of course, university has moved on from the olden days so there’s no more note taking, or even writing in general. But, your robot will be sure to attend every one of your lectures, absorb the information provided via their memory sponge, and import this into your university microchip for your convenience. Can you believe that students used to physically leave their rooms to attend lessons? Nowadays, we incorporate the latest hologram technology into your studies. This means that everyone tunes into their Google Glass and can virtually attend the seminar whilst remaining exactly where they are.
“Be especially sure to apply soon if you wish to work on Saturn” But, university is so much more than just studying, and universities during the year 3000 certainly have a lot of extracurricular activities to offer. New students wishing to live like their ancestors can experience what is was like to drive a real manual car with Retrosoc, whereas those who live in the here and now can experience the latest in transportation with the Hoverboard society. For foodies, we have the newest food pills- now updated with intergalactic cuisine! An undergraduate degree will typically last for 7 Earth days (as this is how long it takes to upload all the necessary information into your brain). However, there are study abroad options for those stratosphere-trotters amongst you. This will extend your time of study but will allow you to get a real insight into what it’s like to live and work on another planet! These places are often hard to come by and be especially sure to apply soon if you wish to work on Saturn! University is an important part of any earthling’s life and we hope to e-meet you soon.
FEATURES
21
Experiencing Grief Emily Hall
Emily Hall investigates the process of grieving the loss of a friend. It is often said that time is a healer. It can help to fix broken bones or heal the skin, along with providing perspective and reflection. However, when considering loss and grief, time can make a wound feel deeper, with each day bringing new unfamiliar, pain. Most people will experience grief at some point in their life. It’s inevitability frightening, and its unpredictable nature often initiates one of the first stages of grief- shock. You find your body becoming numb. Voices become whispers, people’s movements become hazy and your sense of reality is altered. It seems impossible to comprehend that amount of loss and sadness at once, and so we retract from the present moment.
“I have only experienced real shock once, after hearing the devastating news of a friend of mine passing away, aged only 17” I would say I have only experienced real shock once, after hearing the devastating news of a friend of mine passing away, aged only 17. It is only looking back on it now that I realise I went into a state of shock. I didn’t cry or shout or scream or feel sadness at all. I just remember feeling a complete sense of emptiness. I couldn’t speak or articulate how I was feeling, and it wasn’t until my fingers became numb and I started to hyperventilate that I began to actually feel again and be brought back into the room. I think about that day often, as many others do when they have lost loved ones and recall it now as the start of my changed perspective on the harsh fragility of life. For those who are fortunate enough to not have experienced grief, you might assume that that first day would be the worse. However, time is cruel in the sense that after a while, when the numbness has passed, it opens the wound which the shock protected you from. It could be days, weeks, months, even years before the full extent of your loss rains down on you. You could be doing a very mundane task, maybe emptying the dishwasher, and suddenly a wave
of unthinkable sadness falls upon you. Time can help you measure grief, but certainly not control or heal its sting. We all experience loss differently, and so the grieving process will be different from person to person. The normal steps are usually followed, such as a funeral or celebration of life service, but it is the time after this when one can feel lost and confused. When the regularities and formalities have been carried out, we are forced to look ahead into the future, without that person in it. After the passing of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life as a form of mourning. Mourning clothes then became tradition, and a way of signposting that an individual was experiencing pain. An external way to demonstrate internal agonies may benefit us in the 21st century. Perhaps we don’t need to only wear black forever, but sometimes grief is a lonely journey travelled alone and so making people aware of your position may be a positive thing. Having spoken rather negatively about time, one must consider the possibilities of memory it offers, which can bring light to such dark times. Being able to think retrospectively about the person whom you lost in a positive way, although not easy, can be incredibly healing. It may not happen immediately, and time offers you the space and clarity to remember bright and happier times. This process shouldn’t be rushed and allow yourself time to feel comfortable in reflection.
“You could be doing a very mundane task, maybe emptying the dishwasher, and suddenly a wave of unthinkable sadness falls upon you” For certain experiences, time has healing powers which can help with recovery or acceptance. There is no right way to experience bereavement, and for some, time may ease the pain whilst for others it further exposes the void left in your life. I suppose all one can do is know that nothing is wrong or abnormal when it comes to expressing grief, and unfortunately there is no cure, but surrounding yourself with love and kindness is a good place to start.
22
IMPACT
Le t’ s Ta lk
Amy Wilcockson interviews Beth Rowland, the founder of Let’s Talk About Loss, about her experience tackling grief. Amy Wilcockson Ever since Beth Rowland, University of Nottingham alumni and Impact’s very own Online Editor from 2015-2016, set up her support organisation, Let’s Talk About Loss, I’ve marvelled at her ability to be honest and open about the issues affecting young people when faced with grief and loss. The success of Let’s Talk About Loss is immense, with Beth receiving thousands of emails from people who all want to join meet up groups and discuss their experiences with others. After following Let’s Talk About Loss’s journey online, I spoke to Beth about the misconceptions surrounding grief, her future plans for her outstanding support organisation, and her advice on experiencing grief whilst at university.
There are groups in Nottingham, London and Bristol. Why these cities, and what is unique about each group?
Ab ou t L os s
Can you tell us a little about the story of Let’s Talk About Loss? Let’s Talk About Loss is the UK’s only support organisation that specifically supports bereaved young people aged 16-30 in the UK. I set the organisation up in 2016, just over a year after my mum died. She had cancer, she’d been ill throughout my time at university, and after she died I felt completely alone, and really helpless. I trawled the internet trying to find support groups or other young people who had also been bereaved, but I couldn’t find anyone my own age talking about grief.
“I’d found a real niche – young people felt ignored and left out of honest, open discussions about grief and mental health” I started blogging, and after I posted the first one on Facebook, I realised that other people wanted to hear what I had to say! I clearly was not alone in my grief, and I started to build an amazing online community. We grew really quickly, and it was clear to me that I’d found a real niche – young people felt ignored and left out of honest, open discussions about grief and mental health, and I knew that I needed to start having those conversations.
The first group was set up in Nottingham in March 2018. I set it up mostly out of a selfish desire to have a group of friends who had been bereaved! My friends and family were all really supportive, but it’s important to surround yourself with people who really understand. I wasn’t sure if anyone would come along but some people did. People shared their stories and said that this group was exactly what they had been looking for. It’s such a supportive and welcoming atmosphere, because everyone knows how horrific and terrifying grief is.
“I don’t want any young person to feel the way I did – broken, confused, isolated, left out in the world because it wasn’t normal to be bereaved young.” The London and Bristol groups are newer – we featured as part of a BBC Three documentary called George Shelley: Learning to Grieve which led to thousands of young people contacting us and asking for meet up groups in their area! Once we have two hosts and two attendees, we can launch a group, so I hope in 2019 we will see even more groups launch! The London groups (North and South London) are already really big, and our first Bristol meet up is at the end of February so we’re expecting a high turnout to that too! It’s hard to describe what they are like really, but all of them are simply a group of normal people hanging out as friends would do, getting to know and support each other.
Let’s Talk About Loss has received many awards, including a Points of Light award. What’s been your proudest moment after setting up the initial meetup group? I recently won a Points of Light award from the Prime Minister, and was awarded the Rising Star Award at the 2018 Directory of Social Change Awards, which involved a trip to the House of Lords for the awards ceremony, which was so exciting! I’m not doing this for awards though – I didn’t set up Let’s Talk About Loss for any sort of recognition. I have to say that my proudest moments come when I get emails from young people who feel completely alone, overjoyed to have found a support network of other people just like them. That for me is why I do this. I don’t want any young person to feel the way I did – broken, confused, isolated, left out in the world because it wasn’t normal to be bereaved young. The stories of lives changed, and lives saved – that is what keeps me up answering emails late at night, and what spurs me on to keep talking about loss and grief.
Which stigmas surrounding grief would you most like to eradicate? What are some common misconceptions?
Image courtesy of Lizzie Paddock
I HATE it when people say, “it will get easier”. The reality is far more complex, and I wish that it was easier to explain. I’ve just supported a Kickstarter for an incredible picture book called Mum’s Jumper (it’s technically for kids but
FEATURES
Ab ou t L os s
23
We are also going to be releasing our own range of bereavement cards in the summer, designed by another UoN alumni and amazing designer Zoë Guy. We want young people to be able to send cards to their bereaved friends that are modern, youthful and sensitive – no more grey landscape scenes or horrible bears on bereavement cards!
“Tell someone so that you are not having to cope by yourself, and make sure that if you ever need any support, you speak up” Finally, we have big plans to start a podcast! I would love to hear more stories of grief, and not everyone wants to write a blog, or read one, so we’re exploring different mediums!
the story is so beautiful I’ll be giving it to all my bereaved adult friends!) The little girl in the book loses her mum and wears her mum’s jumper to remember her. At first, the jumper is massive, but as the girl grows up, it fits her better. That is what grief is like – the jumper. It doesn’t change over time. It doesn’t get smaller or easier – it stays as it is. Instead, you grow, and change, and develop, so that the grief seems smaller, and hopefully less painful.
“You grow, and change, and develop, so that the grief seems smaller, and is less heavy and cumbersome and awkward” Another misconception I have to mention is that bereaved people don’t want to talk about the person they have lost. NOT TRUE! I obviously spend lots of my time talking about my grief, but I also love talking about my mum as she was when she was alive! She is still my mum and I don’t want people to act as if she never existed. For many people it is really hard to talk about the person who has gone. But however tough it is, it is better than never talking about them! Don’t try and skirt around the subject or avoid talking to them in case they are sad – talking about loss is vitally important if we are to tackle the taboos and stigmas around it, and so my advice is be brave, open up discussions and sensitively support that person through difficult conversations.
Do you have any advice to give to anyone who is experiencing grief at university at the moment? University can be a really challenging time in many ways, especially if you are dealing with any sort of mental health issue. My mum died in the summer between second and third year, and I so nearly dropped out at the start of my third year – I really thought I couldn’t cope. In many ways, I didn’t cope very well because I threw myself into my course, and Impact, and I didn’t give myself enough time to grieve. My advice is always to talk about grief – universities are fantastic places as they offer brilliant mental health support that is free. The counselling service at UoN are absolutely fantastic and saw me through some dark days. As was my incredible GP who I saw through Cripps Health Centre. Make the most of support services available to you, but also make sure you are talking to your friends about how you are feeling. Together, we can talk through the taboos.
You’ve written articles for The Independent, and featured in the BBC Three documentary George Shelley: Learning to Grieve. What’s next? I want 2019 to be a year of growth for Let’s Talk About Loss. We want to grow and expand the blog and think about how that can be a great online resource for young people suffering in silence. We are also hoping to formally register as a charity as it will open up lots of funding opportunities. Also, as I’ve mentioned we want meet ups all across the country, so one of my priorities this year is expanding geographically. In Nottingham we have some very exciting plans for a photography exhibition and we’d love any students who have been bereaved to submit their photos. It will be called “When Words Hurt” – the idea being that we can showcase grief without needing to say anything and show people in photo format what grief looks like.
Images courtesy of Beth Rowland
24
IMPACT
The Intrigue of Abandoned Places Alana McKenna
What fascination do desolate places hold over us? Alana McKenna uncovers the world of hidden locations for Impact Lifestyle. Abandoned sites and buildings are scattered across landscapes wherever you go, ranging from ruins of beautiful historic buildings, such as the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia, to more sinister places such as Wales’ abandoned Denbigh Insane Asylum and Japan’s hauntingly empty ‘Gulliver’s Kingdom’ amusement park. Alongside these locations are the less exciting abandoned places, such as empty houses and retain properties.
the factories, and thus the surrounding environment.
Something we often don’t think about whilst desiring to explore these kinds of places, is exactly why they offer such an element of interest and intrigue. Perhaps it is simply the fear of and desire to uncover the unknown, with fear being a common feature that our culture is obsessed with, reflected by the increasing popularity of things such as violent crime and psychological documentaries. Or, perhaps it is because we know we shouldn’t be exploring these potentially dangerous places, which offers an element of thrill. On a brighter note, possibly it is because abandoned places allow one to dive into the depths of their imagination, wondering how these places existed before abandonment, and just how they came to be abandoned.
Another risk that abandoned places pose on the environment is that they are often used to illegally dispose of hazardous waste, which can result in harmful substances having an impact on the surrounding land. Additionally, criminal activity is also a cause for concern when it comes to abandoned locations such as warehouses, which can often be used for the manufacturing of illegal substances, the remnants of which can cause contamination to the building and its surroundings.
“Perhaps it is simply the fear of and desire to uncover the unknown” Aside from the excitement that goes hand in hand with abandoned placed, a factor of abandoned places which is often overlooked is their potential damage to the environment. Abandoned places, specifically in the form of empty houses and properties, create several environmental risks. Older buildings have a likelihood of containing asbestos, as well as lack of maintenance being likely to cause problems such as blockages, which encourages mould growth that can easily spread and impact others as a result. When sites are abandoned, they are often left to rot away, which can have an extremely negative impact on the environment. Many abandoned factories often contain chemicals that will not be properly disposed of, resulting in the risk of toxic contents transferring to the surroundings of
“A factor of abandoned places which is often overlooked is their potential damage to the environment”
A prime example of an abandoned place that has been extremely damaging to the environment is The Brio Superfund site. This is a former industrial location in Texas, which housed several chemical companies from 1957 until 1982, when the company went bankrupt. Since the abandonment of the site upon its bankruptcy, harmful materials such as unprocessed petroleum have leaked into the earth surrounding the site, contaminating groundwater as a result. As well as this having a direct environmental impact, it has negatively impacted nearby residents, creating a range of health problems, amongst which were reports of birth defects, central nervous system disorders and even cancer. Despite these risks, abandoned places remain enticing; presenting the allure of the forbidden and a tangible representation of the past.
LIFESTYLE
25
Photography by Poppy Wickenden and Molly Evans
26
IMPACT
How Mass-Tourism and the Rise of Social Media have Affected the World Lois Barton Lois discusses the relationship between social media and mass tourism and whether this is having a positive or negative impact on our planet.
“Where travel agencies have died out, Instagram has stepped up offering pages and pages of holiday destination suggestions”
Travel is currently the cheapest it has ever been and with budget airlines offering quick and affordable flights across the globe, more and more young people are ditching work and postponing their postgraduate jobs to travel the world. But this epidemic is due to so much more than just budget travel options. It has coincided with the rise of Instagram, travel blogs and social media in the last decade. Since “doingitforthegram” became a hashtag and selfies became a legitimate form of photography, increasing numbers of travellers are searching for locations that will boost their likes and look the most beautiful in a photo. Where travel agencies have died out, Instagram has stepped up offering pages and pages of holiday destination suggestions. These sites are an eclectic mixture of photographs from pristine white sand beaches, dramatic cliff edges, powerful waterfalls and vast lakes. Whilst the images differ in their landscape, they have two very important things in common. Firstly, they are undeniably beautiful. And secondly, they are totally isolated without a tourist in sight. But is this really the reality?
Behind the camera paints a different picture. What is not captured in the photo, are the queues of tourists desperate to get the perfect shot and the destruction left behind. “Mass tourism” and “over-tourism” are becoming commonplace amongst many of the most “Instagrammable” spots and have serious consequences. Mass tourism can have a severe impact on the environment and on the locals and irrevocable changes have been made to some of the most travelled destinations. The number of locations that are seriously struggling to keep up with the flow of tourists is increasing rapidly. Caps are being placed on visitor numbers in Machu Picchu, the Koh Khai Islands, Santorini and many other popular locations. Even countries such as New Zealand that have encouraged tourism in the past are now seeing the consequences of over-tourism. In 2015, the tourism board of Wanaka (New Zealand) began a project whereby they invited travel bloggers and social media influencers to visit them and to post about their adventures in an attempt to boost the tourist economy of this small town. By May 2018, just three years later, Wanaka had the highest percentage growth in New Zealand in visitor spending, recording
LIFESTYLE
17% increase in 2018 on top of 20% growth the year before. The rapid increase in visitors has caused the Queenstown Lakes District Council to come up with a ten-year plan. In this plan it is predicted that by 2023 the number of visitors to this town of only 8,460, will reach almost five million per year. This would make that ratio of visitors to residents thirty-four to one. These statistics are worrying, and the main concerns are that infrastructure will be unable to cope and that the cost of living will become unaffordable for locals.
“The main concerns are that infrastructure will be unable to cope and that the cost of living will become unaffordable for locals” But New Zealand is not the only country dealing with a tourist influx. Thailand, famous for its long stretches of sandy and clear-water beaches, dotted with fishing boats and palm trees, is now gaining a different reputation. Overrun by unruly tourists, the Thai beaches are littered with plastic cups, empty beer bottles and other rubbish that is washed directly into the ocean. What is more, as tourism increases in Thailand certain species of animals are decreasing rapidly as their habitats are being knocked down to build luxury hotels and villas. In the last two decades, the Koh Tachia beach has been an incredibly popular holiday destination, but heavy tourism has had drastic effects on its ecosystems. Well-known for snorkelling, coral reefs and its Instagram-worthy beauty, Koh Tachia, was stated by local authorities to be able to hold only seventy people yet by 2016 was seeing an excess of one-thousand visitors per day. Tourist boats leaking gasoline in the waters are seriously damaging the coral reefs and litter has been left scattered across what once were pristine beaches. The devastating consequences of overcrowding led to the beach’s eventual and indefinite closure in 2016. Despite this however, mass tourism is still rife across the rest of Thailand. The internet was shocked in June 2018 when pictures of a dead whale washed ashore was found to have died from consuming huge quantities of plastic that had ended up in the ocean. Thai
27
authorities are desperately trying to maintain control over the tourism industry, as perhaps if social media influencers were to show the realities of these places, over-tourism might slow down. Finally, not only is mass-tourism having an environmental effect, it is also having negative implications for the cultural and religious heritage of popular sites. Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque is the biggest mosque in the country and one of the biggest in the world. It is a key location for daily worship, and prayer ceremonies take place regularly. During Eid, it is visited by more than 41,000 Muslims celebrating the religious holiday. It is also a tourist hotspot and you will find its decadent beauty spread across social media. The influx of tourism to this religious site has been branded as disrespectful by some, and celebrities such as Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Kendall Jenner have all been criticized for pictures they have taken at the mosque. Some showed too much skin (it is required that you dress in the Hijab or Abaya for entry) and some just did not appear to take a respectful approach to a place that for most of its visitors is so much more than just a beautiful building. It is important that we as travellers are aware of the history of the places that we are visiting in order to ensure they retain their culture and prestige.
“It is also having negative implications for the cultural and religious heritage of popular sites” Of course, tourism is not all negative and many countries have a huge reliance on visitors for their economies, however, next time an Instagram picture catches your eye, just stop for a second and think about how many other people will be stood around waiting to get the same photo. If you want that beach to still look the same in twenty years’ time, spare it a visit... for now!
How Gov e Policy Has Af f of Obesity a n Willingness to E
28
IMPACT
Edward Camilleri and Charlotte Hegley Edward and Charlotte take a look at what the government are doing to improve the obesity problem in England, whether these policies are effective and what can be done in the future... Obesity is slowly becoming an epidemic in England, with over one-fifth of the population being classified as ‘obese’. This proportion of the population has tripled over the last twenty years: England now almost matches America in that over a quarter of all adults are obese. Countries like Japan, Korea and Italy report that less than ten percent of their populations are obese. The problem is not exclusive to England’s adult population but reaches the younger generation, with one in ten children entering primary school being classified as ‘obese’. The problems of obesity are countless but include premature death, an increase in the chances of the individual getting heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes. The government, alongside local authorities, have introduced a number of policies to tackle the problem... Key statistics on obesity in England (2018): 26% of all adults are obese 1 in 5 children in year six (ages ten or eleven) are obese 617,000 hospital admissions as a result of obesity
‘‘A shockingly low 13% of health authorities have a concrete future plan to help prevent or treat the condition’’
Government policies under the current Conservatives government:
The current Tory government have imposed numerous policies to try and tackle obesity… Soft Drinks Industry Levy (Sugar tax) - Sugary soft drinks provide 26% of the total sugar intakes for people aged 11 to 18 years old in England. The revenue made from the levy will be invested into other programmes in order to reduce obesity. Sugar Reduction - This policy aims to reduce the sugar intake of children by at least 20% by 2020. Nine family everyday food categories add the most to children’s sugar intake from breakfast cereals to spreads and toppings. Public Health England - this agency have created multiple marketing campaigns to improve lifestyles. 1.
Change4Life - This campaign advises people on how to reduce the amount of sugar in their children’s diet, through the ‘Be Food Smart’ app which informs people of nutritional facts about foods. 2.
One You Campaign - This campaign is aimed at adults aged 40 - 60 years old, encouraging healthy cooking, physical exercise and an alcohol consumption guide The Government have also empowered local authorities to take a stance against local obesity issues:
LIFESTYLE
v ernment f fected Levels a nd People’s o Eat Healthily
29
Planning policies - local authorities are trying to make a diverse range of food available at shops and markets that are easily accessible to the general public. At local facilities, schools and hospitals they are ensuring that there are healthy food options for staff, students and customers. Not allowing an over-concentration of hot food takeaways in town centres and restricting their proximity to schools and other facilities for children and families in order to discourage them from this unhealthier food type. Restricting the Opening of Takeaway Outlets - Local councils have the power to refuse planning permission for new food outlets if they have adverse effects on public health. Working with Schools - For some children, their school lunch is their main meal; being their main nutritional safety net. A large amount of students choose to purchase lunch from nearby outlets and what food made available for them is very influential on the levels of obesity within schools. In order to ensure the obesity levels are low, local authorities can do a number of things, including, talking to children about what food they would like on offer from the school, making the canteen more attractive, adopting cashless payments for efficiency, not allowing pupils to leave lunch-times and offering free school meals. Despite the policies introduced by both government bodies and local authorities, obesity levels amongst almost every age group have either remained static or increased in the last twenty years. Undoubtedly, people are spending more time in front of screens than ever before. Whether this takes the form of a TV, phone or laptop, the lack of exercise and lazy attitude this encourages is undeniably detrimental to public health. Perhaps this is something policies could dedicate more
‘‘The problem is not exclusive to England’s adult population but reaches the younger generation’’ attention on, focusing not just on the food itself, but the exercise habits individuals can adopt to improve their weight and subsequently, health. Arguably not enough time and money is spent on this problem, and this needs to change if obesity levels can start falling. Perhaps more needs to be done by health institutions themselves, with NHS facilities for treating obesity being described as ‘patchy’. A shockingly low 13% of health authorities have a concrete future plan to help prevent or treat the condition. Further, many GPs have been criticised by their patients because of their claims that patients’ unhealthy weight is a result of their lifestyle, rather than something for the NHS to solve or treat. James Robertson, a director at the NAO, claims specific guidelines are needed to help GPs, saying that their role in helping the problem is central. Looking to the future, the gradual increase in healthier lifestyles at the level of the individuals (such as a rise in vegetarians and vegans) could help decrease the obesity levels in the long term. English student Esme Johnson notices how, as a society, we are slowly ‘becoming more knowledgeable about the impact of our diets not only ourselves, but on the environment’. However, as mentioned, there is more that the government and the NHS itself can do, and these initiatives need to be introduced quickly and on mass, if we hope to get obesity levels back to the level they were at twenty years ago... Photography by Tahira Rowe
30
IMPACT
The Cyclical Nature of Fashion:
One Trend Fits All Marvel Kalu Marvel considers how the fashion trends of the past are returning to reclaim their place as wardrobe staples.
Fashion periodically focuses on a specific culture or time to provide what is known as ‘escapist fashion’. It allows those of us unfamiliar with other eras to take a peek into that world and become a part of it through our dress. But what is the impact of this cyclical pattern, and how has it influenced past fashion trends? Regarding the fashion industry, nostalgia is the gift that keeps on giving. The Guardian coined it as ‘now-stalgia’, with many designers having gone back to previous trends for inspiration for their current collections. It appears fashion is obsessed with looking back; it has seen the rebirth of the brand Baby Phat with low-rise velour tracksuits, as well as the return of teddy coats, the resurgence of animal prints (particularly snake print), and the reincarnation of fanny packs, neon coloured clothing, and mini matrix sunglasses.
‘‘Fashion speaks to the need to redefine ourselves as human beings’’
Sometimes fashion speaks to the need to redefine ourselves as human beings. (Call it a rebirth of sorts.) When fashion designers catch on to that need, they spin new and interesting takes on where they think fashion should be going. Sometimes they come up with something new and exciting, at other times they merely rework old designs. Either way, the end result is often exactly what is called for. As of summer 2018, we saw the re-emergence of the chunky shoe. There are now chunky trainers, sandals, heels, and boots, most famously the Fila Disruptor trainers. The style of these trainers and the brand name were popularly sported by ethnic minorities in the mid-90s. The sawtooth-soled trainer—most often seen in white—was originally released in 1996, and its newly-updated rerelease, the Disruptor II, delivers on multiple trends simultaneously: the resurgence of 90s fashion, the rise of bulked up sneakers like those seen on your stereotypical dad, and even, one could argue, fashion’s current love of the deliberately ugly. What was once considered the ‘dad shoe’ is now loved by many because of the level of comfort they offer. In the 1980s, chunky shoes were targeted
LIFESTYLE
towards the working woman, with comfortable footwear being advertised to those with long commutes, as demonstrated by Melanie Griffith, who in the 1988 film Working Girl, swapped her chunky sneakers for pumps once she arrived at her office. Not only was comfort widely accepted, it was embraced. Chunky sneakers are now created from a high-fashion perspective by nearly every luxury brand, like Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Prada.
in the 90s, the real difference lies within how they are advertised. Marketing strategies targeting urban artists such as Skepta, Stormzy, Rita Ora, and many more have altered our perception of the desirability of these items. Using celebrity status to engage and target specific audiences is nothing new in the fashion industry, but plays a vital role in the cyclical nature of fashion and how we consume it.
‘‘A thrifting culture of reworking vintage items for a modern-day wardrobe’’
A lot of fashion trends are ‘oldies but goodies’ and are being reshaped and redefined by a new generation. You can find a multitude of articles that express how to rock old styles but in a new, modern way. An example of this is flared trousers, which never really took off until the mid-60s, when the iconic duo Sonny and Cher helped to popularise the look in the US through their television appearances. Now, a lot of students can be spotted wearing flared or wide-leg trousers on campus.
Brands such as Fila, Ellesse, Kappa, and No Fear were all popular and booming during the late 90s and early noughties. In an interview with Quartzy magazine, Louis Colon III, Fila North America’s Director of Heritage, stated that Fila wanted to be more than ‘a nostalgia brand’ and that their intentions are ‘to balance past, present, and future. This time, Fila wants to stick around.’ Therefore, despite what other people may say about the trainers, it is inevitable that they will soon be a part of our wardrobes, given their new status as a staple in popular culture. While the style of such clothing and shoes has not changed much since when they were first released
The cyclical nature of fashion has promoted a thrifting culture of reworking vintage items for a modern-day wardrobe. Thrifting started off as a way for people to save money and still be able to express themselves, but can also allow clothing outlets such as Urban Outfitters to make new profit from old trends. As times change there is one thing of which we can be certain: if we hang on to that old favourite jacket or coat long enough, it will come back into style.
31
32
IMPACT
Gay Designs: the power and influence of LGBTQ Fashion Esme Johnson Whether it is leading designers paving the way for trends around the globe, or individuals using style to campaign for inclusion and representation in one of the most profitable industries in the world, the LGBTQ community has long been an active and important part of fashion.
Fashion is a powerful means of self-expression, with the industry operating as a kind of safe space for those who do not conform to the mainstream, and continues to push boundaries to this day. Whether you are thinking of the pioneering women who first wore trousers (a laughably insignificant act to us in 2019), or of the openly queer designers, models, and more who are unafraid to use fashion to encode aspects of their identity, clothing has always been political. While it is certain that clothing has been a significant part of the self since ancient times, it was the end of the 19th century which gave way to the seismic societal shifts of the 20th century. You might consider the fashion of the openly gay Oscar Wilde a turning point. Or, perhaps film star Marlene Dietrich, who was not only part of an underground community of lesbian and bisexual actresses in the 1930s, but was incredibly progressive in her fashion, subverting gender norms by popularizing the women’s trouser suit. This was prior to the cultural revolution of the 1960s, but was vital in paving the way for some of the most prominent fashion figures in history.
‘‘Clothing has always been political.’’ Indeed, the most influential names in fashion of the past fifty years have been those of gay men. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Michael Kors, Perry Ellis, Alexander McQueen, and Tom Ford—they are powerhouses of mainstream fashion, and their influence is global. The work of these figures has changed the creative industry, allowing for the icons of popular culture to experiment with fashion and challenge its gendered ‘rules’. From David Bowie to George Michael, from Lynda Carter to Freddie Mercury, from Diana Ross to Lady Gaga—these famous creatives have been highly visible in their support and in their expression, regardless of whether they are part of the community or not. These icons are not only in the past, either. Although the gender binary persists, the lines are increasingly blurring, allowing people to show who they are, and that they belong. Now, we have prominent figures like Hanne Gaby Odiele, Frank Ocean,
LIFESTYLE
Ellen Page, Telfar Clemens, Troye Sivan, Ezra Miller, Nik Kacy, and Janelle Monae, and they are just a handful of visible people who are using their platforms and their fashion to speak out and educate. The young and up-and-coming icons we see today are the result of decades of change, and will only continue the fight. What was once a subculture that was prohibited and oppressed has thrived as society has become more accepting. Though the fight for equality and respect is ongoing, the ability to use fashion as a way to express yourself is becoming more and more the norm, no matter who you are. From the models on the catwalks to the designers behind the scenes, the industry and its proponents are championing resilience and tolerance, using fashion to signal that they belong. Society is hurtling forward, despite the prejudice that still exists, and fashion will undoubtedly be the medium which leads the changes that will break down boundaries without the need for hate. Queer organisations, highlighting the lack of explicit acknowledgment of LGBTQ persons in fashion, have taken the reigns on fashion too, printing slogans on t-shirts as a simple sign of activism via an everyday garment. Indeed, designers are not the only LGBTQ people whose fashion speaks their own truth. Ordinary people sculpt their identities using mainstream and ‘niche’ stereotypes and forms to create something new, something which is as trend-setting as it is political. The erasure or quieting of queer voices in mainstream fashion is being reclaimed by individuals on a day-to-day basis.
‘‘The industry and its proponents are championing resilience and tolerance.’’ February 2019 was LGBT+ History Month, remembering and celebrating the history and the future of the community. At UoN, these positive changes are being felt amongst the student body in how they view fashion. “I don’t think gender dictates the way people dress anymore,” says Charlotte. “Baggy jeans, loose-fitting shirts, and vintage
33
jumpers have gained so much popularity and are impossible to define as either ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’. This makes the fashion industry way more progressive than it has been before, no longer entirely separating ‘male’ and ‘female’ dress codes.” Meanwhile, Kateryna cites Cara Delevingne as her LGBTQ fashion icon. “She seems to manage a perfect balance between girly and more androgynous fashion. I personally think that fashion is a lot less gendered now, with no pressure being put on men or women to be overly-feminine or overly masculine. One is free to do what one wants.”
‘‘There is still discord, even in the same industry which the community has given so much to.’’ LGBTQ fashion icons are clearly important figures in the lives of young people. Jase cites the “gender non-conforming” fashion of queer men such as George Michael, Rickey Thompson, MNEK, Olly Alexander, and Alok Vaid-Menon as his icons. He also touches on how fashion can appropriate gay culture, however, pointing towards the Louis Vuitton ‘harnesses’ recently seen on Timothee Chalemet and Michael B Jordan as examples, which shows that despite the influence of queer designers and figures, there is still discord, even in the same industry which the community has given so much to. We live in turbulent times. Climate change, war, political strife— it can sometimes seem like the world is slipping backwards at alarming speed. But we have much reason to be positive, and the tolerance and creative force of the fashion industry will long remain a beacon of hope, lighting a path of diversity and equality for all which serves the individual and the masses. Disenfranchised communities have always existed, and they have always survived. Their influence may not have always been acknowledged, even in the industry they dominate, but their power is immense, and often communicated through nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
34
Directors: Charlotte Hegley, Rosa Morgan, Esme Johnson Models: Beth Douce, Alana Mckenna, Natasha Fernandes James Hurman,Jonny Khan Hair & make-up: Rosie Jasper Olivia Cunningham,Sophie Gordon, Esme Johnson
IMPACT
THE GREAT GATSBY
Photographers: Ibrahim Khan Isaac Weinstock
Impact Lifestyle love a good throwback photoshoot and this time we thought we would take it back to the 1920s, creating a Gatsby-esque feel shoot. We used Lenton’s Savoy Cinema as this shoot’s location, a student favourite. It provided the perfect red and golden hues to match the looks we created. Think glitz, glam and lots of dark lipstick.
LIFESTYLE
35
36
IMPACT
LIFESTYLE
37
38
IMPACT
The History of Lenton’s Savoy Cinema Megan Bowie Megan looks at the history of the Savoy Cinema and why it will always be a student favourite
The Savoy Cinema: the only reason to enter Lenton if you do not live there. The cinema was built in 1935 at the heart of Derby Road, making it the only surviving pre-World War Two cinema left in Nottingham! With its art-deco design, it is a quirky little building amongst the grey dull nature of its neighbouring surroundings. It creates a draw to the cinema for those interested in the history of the area and adds a little bit of culture to the average visit to the movies. The hand changed sign outside the front of the cinema showing the screening times (called the marquee), is super cute and vintage looking; perfect for an Instagram post. Observing the Savoy employees climb up on their ladder and place the lettering on is something of an art form in itself.
‘Cuddle up to your significant other or tinder date whilst waiting for the new Avengers to show.’ Aside from the building’s design and history, the cinema is known for much more among students and locals. Its double (couple) seats are always a winner for a romantic date night. Cuddle up to your significant other or tinder date whilst waiting for the new Avengers to show. However, the unnumbered seating in the smaller screen can leave you sitting 6 rows separate from your mates so going on time to actually see the adverts is recommended if you want to sit next to your pals. The best thing about the Savoy that unites all students is most definitely the price. With student tickets only costing £4.85 compared to Cineworld who charge £9.40, the Savoy cinema is the ideal place to still enjoy a movie without being victim to daylight robbery by Cineworld. Further to this, the Savoy may be old fashioned, but it still serves up Tango Ice Blasts (a firm favourite of cinema goers) along with the classic popcorn and nachos, again at a significantly lower cost compared to the big competitors in the area like the Showcase cinema down the road.
‘The best thing about the Savoy however that unites all students is most definitely the price.’ The Savoy may only show films once a day, due to a restricted selection of viewing times, but I would rather go to this small character filled cinema and pay half the price for the pleasure than provide business to fancy expensive cinemas any day. Who is with me? Photography by Molly Evans
LIFESTYLE
39
Which Places Will Be Gone in a Few Years as a Result of Climate Change?
Ella Morton
It is a well-known fact that global climate change has caused huge irreversible damage to our environment, with recent figures stating that current levels of greenhouse gases are higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years Sea levels are rising, rainforests are disappearing, and wildlife is struggling to survive. While this undoubtedly poses a major threat to the whole planet, it is now apparent that certain geographical areas are more exposed to the consequences of climate change than others. These locations include many of the world’s prime tourist destinations, with some facing the prospect of disappearing completely. One such place, is the iconic Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, which is home to the world’s largest coral reef and the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Since 2016, it has been reported that human-induced climate change has resulted in half of the reef being bleached to death. Coral bleaching is a global problem which occurs when a rise in ocean temperature destroys a reef’s colourful algae, leaving the coral to starve. As a result of this, not only will we lose a remarkable natural landscape, but an abundance of marine life will also face the loss of their habitat and potential extinction.
‘‘Undoubtedly poses a major threat to the whole planet’’ Similarly, the Maldives is a low-lying archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, known for its idyllic beaches, reefs and lagoons. As a country, the Maldives relies almost exclusively on both the tourism and fishing industry, and as such the endangerment of both their coral reefs and beach erosion poses a profound threat to their economic base. Furthermore, eighty percent of the land area of the Maldives is only one meter above mean sea level, meaning that the threat of sea levels rising even a metre would result in the loss of the entire land area. However, it is not only beaches and islands that are affected by climate change. The ancient and cultural city of Venice has seen floodwaters turn Piazza San Marco into a swimming pool in the last 4 months, as more than seventy percent of the city was inundated with water rising over five feet above normal levels. This demonstrates the threat of climate change not just to natural environments, but also cultural landmarks, as centuries of historical and cultural artifacts are put at risk.
‘‘Threat of climate change not just to natural environments, but also cultural landmarks’’ In addition, over the last century global warming has caused all Alpine glaciers to recede, resulting in measurably less snow in the Alps. In fact, it is predicted that if global warming doesn’t slow down Alpine slopes reaching up to 3,000m or more could have fifty percent less snow by the end of the century. This would have a dramatic effect on many Alpine villages, where up to ninety percent of the economy depends on winter tourism. Climate change therefore poses a fundamental threat to the environment, wildlife and people’s livelihoods, and is thus a crisis we must all be conscious of preventing.
40
IMPACT
The Heirloom of Time Itself Inga Becker-Hansen
Our fixation on time has increased as time has progressed and we, as a society, have become fixated upon the importance of time and how little ‘time’ we have left. But how did time come about?
The notation of measurement of time can be first eluded to sun and moon dials , some dating back to Ancient Egypt. However times have moved from the dependence of good weather in order to determine the time of day…. The development of the mechanical watch required a millennium in order to progress from the water clock. Galileo designed the original clock interface and being blind, he described the design intricately to his son. Following this the balance wheel was then introduced to the mechanical system in the 17th century. The main spring within the system has power, following from being wound by the ‘crown’, to form a power reserve. The balance wheel does not unwind as a result of the power of the main wheel going through the escape wheel to push the bejewelled pallet fork. This pivot and prevents unwinding. To unlock and force the hands of the clock to go further, the renewed balance is reversed and the momentum returned back to the pallet fork. This pauses back and forth state allows the regulation of time.
Images Courtesy of Google Images
LIFESTYLE
The Origins of Time The earliest recording of the very concept of the idea of time and the relation of events in a chronological order can be illustrated within Ancient Egyptian times c. 2650-2600 BC) , as a philosopher of the time Ptahotep wrote “ Follow your desire as long as you live, and do not perform more than is ordered, do not lessen the time of following desire, for the wasting of time is an abomination to the spirit...” Texts from Hindu philosophy dating to the 2nd millennium BC use the theory of time in terms of religious life cycles, each cycle lasting 4,320,000 years. Around the same time Ancient Greek philosophers such as Parmenides also observed the nature of time. The Incas of the Inca Empire (1438-1533) saw the timelines of past, present and future running parallel to one another so that the past and the future combine in affecting events of the present time. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (367 BC–347 BC) viewed time as an article dependent on change and the amount of motion. He considered time as an amount of motion before and after the motion itself although also noting that change and time are closely related although refusing to confirm their co-dependence. From this philosophy he view time as a live and real moment and further to this saw time as a phenomenon depending on the soul. He saw a relation between time and the subject/ the observer of time, and thus his derivations were based upon a subjective view. Aristotle’s theories went on to continue and influence of the main philosopher of the middle ages Thomas Aquinas (12251274), whoever embedded it also with Christian philosophies and arising from this he amounted to the conclusion that nature, human knowledge, science, faith and time are all cohesive with one another. He based his theories upon the idea of a God which doesn’t exist in time at all, but timeless or atemporal.
‘Timelines of past, present and future running parallel to one another’ Newton’s (1643-1726) time theory ideas arose from the work of predecessor Barrow who had described time as a mathematical concept. But also in relation to the religious aspect of life
41
within the 16th and 17th century , such as Aquinas, Newton viewed physics and nature as the laws of God and believed that scientists merely uncovered the governing laws. Newton arose to he idea of absolute time or ‘Newtonian time’ whereby time is independent to any event, and continues at a constant pace throughout the universe and reality, and due to its measurability would be able to be measured mathematically. Leibniz believed that space and time are not real entities but are ‘virtual’ relationships and mathematical concept, and time being a successive phenomenon. Leibniz’s (1646-1716) theory of time was not fully defined and completed to a definitive conclusion, and in 1962 he wrote that time is ‘nothing else beyond the measure of motion’. He argued that time is uniform or equally distributed and homogenous, but moments only accumulate to an apparent change. Leibniz theorised time as an article related to the order of succession-relations in changing events. He saw time as being derived from events.
‘Time as a mathematical concept’ From the original theory of ‘absolute time’ Einstein progressed onwards and upwards as he defined the speed of light as absolute, which cannot be exceeded. He realised that in order for the properties of the speed of light to be upheld, space and time must be flexible. His models have been shown to be accurate in relation to reality, more so than Newton’s previous work. He merged the concepts of time and space to form a four-dimensional space-time. Thus, time is evaluated as a coordinate identifying the object’s position within spacetime model. As a result the past, present anf future are simply a point on this four dimensional space-time graph so that all three tenses are present within the same moment but we are unable to see them. Thus, time does not flow it just ‘is’ . further to this , the perception of time moving arises from how human brains function rather than the reality. The late Stephen Hawking went on to develop the theoretical method of time further, explaining that just as the universe has a beginning, so does time. The beginning of the universe will have been dictated by the laws of physics, however he theorised that an obscure singularity will have caused these laws to be broken, and thus the generation of the beginning of time. This arises to the idea of space-time being infinite without a defined boundary. This may also lead to the the eventual collapse of the universe, as time cannot be reversed and the universe shall continue to age.
42
IMPACT
EXPO S Past. Prese
BIRTH
Photography credits: Molly E
PAST
NOSTALGIA
LIFESTYLE
O SURE: e nt. Future.
y Evans and Sophie Gordon
FASTFORWARD FUTURE
43
AGEING
FAMILY HERITAGE
Image courtesy of Sophie Gordon
44
IMPACT
Article 13 and What Entertainers and Francesca gives us an overview of Article 13 and lets us know what it could mean for entertainment as a whole, as well as us as students.
©
Article 13 is part of a controversial copyright directive voted for by the European Parliament that will force online services, such as YouTube, to do much more to prevent the spread of copyrighted material on their platforms and across the internet. But what will this mean for the entertainment industry, for students, and for the future? What are the new laws? What is Article 13? For the first time since 2001, the EU has introduced new ‘copyright rules fit for the digital era’ including the controversial Article 13. Article 13, also known as the ‘meme-ban’, is concerned with the ways ‘online content sharing services’ handle copyrighted content, such as music, television shows, and films.
Article 13 refers specifically to services where users are able to upload content that enables public access to ‘protected works’, services centred on user generated content, for example, Dailymotion, YouTube, and Soundcloud.
The article states that ‘online content sharing service providers and right holders shall cooperate in good faith in order to ensure that unauthorised protected works or other subject matter are not available on their services’. In other words, services such as those aforementioned will be held legally accountable for material on their platforms that infringes on copyright. For example, this will mean a change from YouTube’s current ‘safe harbour’ provisions in Europe and the US where it is prevented from being sued if a user uploads an album, be that The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed or Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next. There are, however, a list of exceptions to the Article including non-profit online encyclopedias, online marketplaces, and cloud storage services, among others. In many ways, the new directive seems to be a fair movement, after all, stealing another person’s property, whether purposefully, or accidentally without malicious intent, is undoubtedly wrong, not to mention easier than ever to do thanks to today’s technology. In July 2018, Sir Paul McCartney wrote how ‘some user-upload content platforms refuse to compensate artists and all music creators fairly for their work, while they exploit it for their own profit’, arguing that Article 13 will ensure a ‘sustainable future for music’. The Article itself further states that it shall ‘in no way affect legitimate uses’, and people will still be allowed to use parts of copyright-protected material for reviews, criticism and parody. However, things are not always what they seem, especially when the internet is concerned. Why should we be concerned? Article 13, ‘the meme killer’, will also have a number of repercussions that could affect us as students.
The imposing of Article 13 could mean that platforms will use algorithms that may delete anything that creates a risk of breaching copyright, something YouTube has already been doing. These algorithms could infringe on freedom of speech, and limit creativity, therefore doing more harm than good. Campaigners are warning that this could lead to a monitoring of ‘all content uploaded
]
]
“This then begs the question: during our inevitable procrastination sessions, how will the internet entertain us if memes are killed by Article 13?”
ENTERTAINMENT
It ©ould Mean For Students Alike
45
[
]
“Now is the time to voice your opinion, as it may be your last chance”
to the internet’ to delete any content with ‘a likeness to existing copyright’. As YouTube’s current algorithms have already proved, such systems can, and do, make errors when it comes to what is judged to be infringing of copyright. The complexities of memes especially will most likely be too much for the software which, while able to spot unauthorised uploads of Cardi B, will be unable to understand parodies and memes that use copyright images for a creative and entertaining purpose. This then begs the question: during our inevitable procrastination sessions, how will the internet entertain us if memes are killed by Article 13? Video gamers who stream gameplay on sites such as Twitch and YouTube could also be affected by the ‘meme-ban’. Currently, most video game publishers allow streamers to share videos of their gameplay online, demonstrating the benefits of the use of copyrighted material in regard to free publicity for entertainment and informative purposes. However, Article 13 could theoretically make it so that the aforementioned streaming sites have to take down any content which includes their games, which in turn due to the lack of publicity may be detrimental to game publishers. It’s possible that gamers may also be able to argue a case for their content considering the fact that it includes their own review and commentary, but such defences may not be enough. Similarly, from a student perspective, access to free content will be vastly limited. Music, for example, will be made less available on YouTube, and covers of songs by upcoming artists and content creators could be monitored, and deleted. The Article will also limit our choice of streaming service; YouTube attracts 1.8 billion users each month, 85% of which use the platform to access music content, eight times the number of Spotify users. Although Spotify for students is relatively inexpensive, and has a free version available, the service still isn’t a viable option for everyone, and the free form of the platform isn’t the greatest as you are bombarded with adverts and cannot skip songs.
©
Access to free recordings of plays, TV shows, and movies will also be hugely limited. As students, it can be incredibly useful to access certain adapted versions of books, for example, which are currently available on YouTube for free. However, with the introduction of Article 13, it will become a lot more difficult, and more expensive, to view informative, educational content such as this. What happens now?
The final version of the new EU copyright laws has recently been agreed upon, however it is not yet law as in a few weeks MEPs will vote to decide on whether it is passed. For the UK specifically, if a deal is made with the EU for Brexit, and the directive becomes law, it would apply to the UK during any transition period.
The passing of the law has many people worried for the aforementioned reasons, and anti-Article 13 petitions and awareness campaigns currently pervade the web. If the law is passed in the European Parliaments final vote, it will be implemented by national governments over the next two years. In the meantime, hug your memes tight and be sure to read up on Article 13 and decide whether you support the new laws. If you don’t, now is the time to voice your opinion, as it may be your last chance.
]
Francesca Hadland
]
The Broken Record of Homophobia in Music 46
IMPACT
Laura Stanley Lesbophobia and homophobia are grotesque and outdated forms of discrimination; yet many musicians are still writing lyrics depicting these insulting themes. Laura discusses the fetishising of female homosexual activities and the offensive homophobic slurs used in popular music today, and how these lyrics are representative of discriminatory behaviour in society as a whole. It’s 2019 and artists continue to release homophobic songs. In January 2019, The Weeknd released a song with Gesaffelstein called ‘Lost in the Fire’. The Weeknd sings about enjoying watching his girlfriend have sex with another girl. It’s depressingly nothing new. Lesbians, society – and porn – tells us again and again, exist to titillate men. The song also features a lovely, succinct throwback to the corrective ‘rape’ some lesbians suffer, in the name of ‘conversion therapy’, the idea that it is possible to ‘convert’ homosexuality to heterosexuality through abuse, when The Weeknd boosts that he’ll “fuck [his girlfriend] straight.”
“Lesbians, society – and porn – tells us again and again, exist to titillate men” The Weeknd’s lyrics may pale in comparison, however, to the notoriously homophobic history of hip hop. Eminem’s songs, for example, are rife with slurs such as “f*ggot” and “l*z.” His misogynistic lyrics rarely leave a woman unscathed by violence, but if you want a particular vomit-inducer, here are lyrics that Eminem was told to cut from his 1999 single ‘My Name Is…’: “Raping lesbians whilst they’re screaming at me, Let’s just be friends!” The term lesbophobia describes the combination of homophobia and misogyny faced exclusively by female homosexuals. Those lyrics are a more visceral sickening definition. Female musicians also have a reputation for homophobic songs. In 2018, Rita Ora, Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, and Charlie XCX released ‘Girls’. In the song, homosexuality is implied to be close-minded because Ora is “fifty-fifty” (bisexual) and “open-minded.” The lyrics describe how the ‘Girls’ kiss for the sake of the man they “got with” because “he was lookin’’. The song screams “look how hot it is when girls fool around with each other!” It’s three minutes of unadulterated male fantasy. The repetition of “red wine, I just wanna kiss girls” suggests it’s only exciting because it’s alcohol-fuelled, atypical behaviour.
“The song screams ‘look how hot it is when girls fool around with each other!’ It’s three minutes of unadulterated male fantasy” Again, this is just another song that adds to the sizeable history of homophobia in music. Katy Perry’s 2008 song ‘I Kissed a Girl’, like Demi Lovato’s 2015 song ‘Cool for the Summer’, exoticizes lesbian relationships by framing them as a fun experiment. Kissing a girl, especially when it might be wrong is a cheap thrill. Perry associates homosexual behaviour with deviance: “it’s not what good girls do.” Lovato warns how it must remain a secret: “don’t tell your mother.” In many countries, homosexuals are still tortured and murdered for their sexuality, but never mind that denial of basic human rights, homosexuality is stigmatised and therefore so, so sexy! Sarcastic rhetoric aside, this act of musicians fetishizing lesbians, to ‘sex up’ their songs, or just downright normalising violence against women in their lyrics, must stop. This lesbophobia must stop. Isn’t good music meant to be creative and original? Is it really that subversive when song lyrics reflect how society has and continues to oppress female homosexuals by objectifying them or by repeating the kind of demanding language, like slurs, that is a tool of that oppression? I think not.
ENTERTAINMENT
47
Films are Getting Longer But are They Getting Better? Esme Johnson Esme examines the increasing length of modern blockbuster’s; does longer mean better? Or does there need to be a limit? Nowadays, it seems like going to see a film, or even just sitting at home to view one, is a big event. It takes up literally your entire evening. But were films always this long, and what does it say about the limitations of the form? The longest film in history is a 2011 experimental film called Modern Times Forever, which runs for a staggering 240 hours or 10 days in length. In contrast, the average theatrical film today is expected to be 100-120 minutes long. However, recently, films have been getting longer and longer. Of course, there have always been long films. The original 1963 cut of Cleopatra was 350 minutes long, for example. But at a time when it seems like people are becoming less able to focus on something for an extended amount of time, it seems almost antithetical for blockbusters to be keeping our bums on seats for increasing amounts of time. And yet, some of the highest-grossing films of the past decade or so have been creeping steadily up from the two-hour minute mark. For example, Avatar possessed a running time of 2 hours, 42 minutes. Two hours is a long time to be sat still, staring at a screen. Students of course know what this is like, though perhaps comparing a film to a lecture isn’t quite fair. Still, the point remains that studios seem to be demanding that we remain sat down for longer than ever before. So, is this a good thing or not? Arguably, we have to consider that we might be getting more bang for our buck by getting more screen time for a similar price. Also, filmmaking has changed so dramatically that the stories being told need a longer runtime compared to the films of the early to midtwentieth century which practically couldn’t be longer than an hour and a half. So, maybe this increase in time isn’t a bad thing. However, the possibility of time limits for films must be considered in the context of requiring provisions to survive a screening, falling victim to a numb bum after extended sitting, or enduring two hours of a child kicking
your seat. I have sat through plenty of films with longer runtimes, and it usually does not put me off, though I will admit that even during films I was excited to see, I found myself thinking ‘is this only the beginning of act three?’. I don’t want that. I want to be fully absorbed by the story, not thinking about how long it’s going to take to get to the end. It has to be asked if these films are actually getting any better, too. Toy Story, which is widely considered a fantastic film is just 1 hour 21 minutes. Good films don’t need to be long. Maybe filmmakers are just getting lazy, or just overreaching in terms of what the form itself can achieve. I can think of countless films which should have been television shows, which would then have been able to prevent the cutting of great content and put a stop to the plague that is Part 1 and Part 2 films, particularly YA adaptations.
“It seems almost antithetical for blockbusters to be keeping our bums on seats for increasing amounts of time.” Film is a mutable form, yes, but it should have a limit, for the sake of its audiences. At home, you can pause but at the cinema you have to tough it out. The majority of people would be unhappy for there to be an intermission in the middle of their blockbuster flick, but equally unhappy to sit for hours at a time having inhaled all their popcorn and oversized drink within the first twenty minutes. However, tt seems like the film industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame is rumoured to be three hours long, and the film will nevertheless rake in the cash. Whether it, and other films like it, can deliver a story that delights and thrills while keeping their audiences engaged is yet to be seen.
48
IMPACT
FROM TWILIGHT to TED Bundy: The Romanticisation of Psychopaths and Serial Killers in Modern Media are
Jack Richardson Why the current obsession with Serial Killers? Jack takes a look at modern media and speculates as to why we’re horrifyingly attracted to these terrifying villains, real and fictional.
almost all of whom not convicted serial murderers”. Barely a week later, however, the service paid $9 million for the rights to stream the new Bundy biopic starring Zac Efron. Y’know, that movie criticised for portraying “a serial killer as a rock star” and leaving “condemnation of his character to an undertone”, as one early review put it. You could argue emphasising Bundy’s charm and likeability is realistic – that is how he got close to his victims. But isn’t that the point? Portraying Bundy as his victims saw him is dangerous because it puts us in the mindset of those victims.
“Ted Bundy would’ve killed me The Bundy controversies are the most recent in a for sure, he’d be like get in my trend of portraying killers and unhealthy assholes as van I’d be like okay daddy” sympathetic and desirable. Netflix’s own series You, about bookstore owner Joe stalking and murdering Yeah, you read that right. his girlfriend, caused a similar spate of thirst tweets that the actor portraying Joe, Penn Badgley, is wholly Netflix documentary Conversations against: with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes recently sparked a rash of similar "@PennBadgley kidnap me pls” thirst tweets about the real-life rapist, “no thx” necrophile, and serial-killer, prompting Netflix to tweet: Most notably, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown came under fire for defending Joe on Instagram: “He’s “I've seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy’s not creepy, he’s in love with her and it’s okay”. After alleged hotness and would like to gently watching the whole season Brown amended her stance, remind everyone that there are literally but the point still stands: is our media’s glorification of THOUSANDS of hot men on the service — unhealthy and psychopathic behaviour damaging?
ENTERTAINMENT
The ‘antihero killer’ trope has existed for decades, arguably re-popularised by Anthony Hopkins’ chilling take on Hannibal Lecter back in 1991’s Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins’ Lecter was magnetic, sure, but still categorically villainous, and not the film’s main focus. Clarice Sterling, Silence’s protagonist, was his incorruptible opposite.
“Portraying Bundy as his victims saw him is dangerous because it puts us in the mindset of those victims.” Fast forward to 2013, however, and NBC’s critically lauded prequel series Hannibal transformed Lecter into a much more complex, tragic, and even romantic figure. Crucially, unlike Clarice Sterling, series protagonist Will Graham is seduced by Lecter by the show’s end. I adore Hannibal, but it undeniably romanticises murder and eroticises cannibalism; Lecter guts Will, kills his unborn child by proxy, frames him for murder, turns him into a murderer, feeds him several people, and almost eats his brain, yet the show insists their relationship is darkly romantic, complete with showrunner Bryan Fuller’s public endorsement. Is the likeability of the series’ ‘modern’ Lecter and the corruptibility of protagonist Will Graham representative of modern attitudes? The trope is becoming ever more popular; Dexter cast the serial killer as a vigilante targeting other killers. Bates Motel, another TV prequel to a classic serial killer horror (Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 Psycho) modernised murderer Norman Bates as a teenage heartthrob victimised by his tyrannical ‘worse than him so he looks good by comparison’ mother, Nora. The way I see it, our attraction to these disturbed, abusive a**holes is Twilight’s fault. Edward Cullen, that guy generations adored (and Robert Pattinson hated) ticks every box for an abusive lover; he’s controlling, possessive, jealous, isolating, he proposes to Bella fully aware she isn’t ready, the list goes on. And Bella is a willing victim, excited by violence and aggression, attracted to the forbidden. Twilight endorses the harmful Beauty and the Beast narrative that any ‘bad boy’ can be tamed by the right girl. Then Twilight (d)evolved into Fifty Shades of Grey (famously reskinned Twilight fanfiction) and things got a lot more real. Now, rather than vampire superpowers, the abusive boyfriend used money to control his ‘lover’. This greater realism was offset by exaggerating the unhealthiness of the central relationship (Christian Grey has a fit when his new wife doesn’t change the surname in her email address). Not only that, Fifty Shades’ adult audience meant the abuse became sexual; several times in the books, main character Anastasia Steel actively refuses Grey’s advances only to be, essentially, assaulted.
49
But author E. L. James insists it’s a beautiful romance. The problem with Fifty Shades is how it pathologizes BDSM. Although perfectly healthy when practiced safely and sanely, James turned BDSM into a symptom of Christian Grey’s psychological issues. After being sexually traumatised by an older woman in his youth, the only way Grey can have sex now is with whips and leather straps. The overarching story of the trilogy, therefore, is Anastasia ‘taming’ Christian (there’s that Beauty and the Beast metaphor again!) so they can have vanilla sex and live happily ever after. Besides discrediting the healthy BDSM community, Fifty Shades confuses ‘kinky’ and ‘erotic’ with ‘abusive’ and even ‘psychopathic’ (considering some of the stuff Grey does, this really isn’t an exaggeration). So, a generation of teens experienced the Twilight phenomenon, then grew into the Fifty Shades franchise which, I’m ashamed to say, was also a cultural phenomenon (complete with hit pop songs and lavish product placement), presenting us with rolemodels of increasingly abusive relationships. That’s how we got fourteen-year-old Millie Bobby Brown defending a stalker on Instagram without realising it.
“Fifty Shades’ adult audience meant the abuse became sexual.” Combined with sympathetic reinterpretations of previously definitively evil characters, a la Bates Motel and Hannibal, this media environment has fostered our fascination with moral ambiguity: TV is oversaturated with psychologically damaged, morally corrupt (ostensibly male) antiheroes – Breaking Bad’s Walter White, Mad Men’s Don Draper, House of Cards’ Frank Underwood, even Rick and Morty has become a pop-culture juggernaut. These characters are charming, often good looking, and generally the smartest people in the room. But the line between making them sympathetic and justifying or glorifying their behaviour is blurring. The scariest thing is that this desensitisation to unhealthy behaviour seems to be growing beyond fictions like You and affecting people’s perceptions of real-life killers like Ted Bundy. These sympathetic psychos are almost uniformly male, their victims women who think they can ‘tame’ them because they ‘understand’ them. So, how will that affect us, and our relationships? Just something to think about.
50
ARE VIDEO GAMES GETTING EASIER? IMPACT
Georgia Butcher
Are video games getting easier, and, if so, is that a bad thing? Georgia discusses the levels of difficulty of recent video games, and how making games easier has also made them more accessible. In a word, yes. What with the plethora of direction provided in modern games, the option to tweak the difficulty to your heart’s content, and an abundance of guides available to you via a quick google search, yeah, video games are getting easier. But the real question is, is this a bad thing? Even the ‘harder’ games (Dark Souls comes to mind) has nothing on the precarious movement mechanics of the original Tomb Raider, or the button-mashing requirements of the first few God of War games, and don’t even get me started on Crash Bandicoot’s ‘Slippery Climb’ level.
“If making them ‘easier’ helps grow the gaming community, why would that be a bad thing?” Yet, is this difficulty shift a bad thing? Of course not. Gaming has long been an arguably ‘niche’ form of entertainment, so if making them ‘easier’ helps prevent that and grow the gaming community, why would that be a bad thing? If anything, this simply makes games increasingly accessible to a much wider variety of individuals, allowing everyone, regardless of age, gender, or disability, to indulge in the fun that arises from video games. I myself love video games, and the idea that nowadays quite literally anyone can play them, is something I find wonderful! Plus, a lack of focus on solely making games ‘hard’ has allowed for greater development of other aspects of a game: the story, the soundtrack, the graphics- all key elements to any well-rounded modern game. Though games may be ‘easier’ nowadays, that doesn’t make them ‘worse’ – modern games are not only more beautiful (*cough* Witcher 3 *cough*), but far more advanced in regard to their mechanics, and contain some beautifully varied soundtracks which really aid the immersive experience. Of course, there are some who would argue that such a shift has been detrimental to the world of gaming. For some, easier games are due to the increased commodification of the gaming industry, with games being made easier so as to cater to ‘casual gamers’ who prefer to finish a game in a day or two. Considering the increasing lack of free time in today’s world, is this really a surprise, and is it really a problem?
“A lack of focus on solely making games ‘hard’ has allowed for greater development of other aspects of a game” Sure, if you really want to invest your time in a challenging, punishing game, there’s less today on the present market than, say, 10 years ago, but is this not simply an inevitable evolution of the industry? After all, gaming is still an industry – a $116 billion industry – of course it’s going to cater to its market. But that doesn’t make it a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean there’s less quality to the games of today (one need only indulge in the recent God of War, or Red Dead Redemption 2 to see that modern games are still brilliant). If anything, it just means there are more games out there, and more players ready to play them. If that means they’re easier as a result, so what? So yes, games are getting easier. But, this shift is perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the great surge in gamers in recent years, and so long as easier means more accessible, and continues to spread the love for video games, then I for one 100% support the shift.
ENTERTAINMENT
51
What’s in Store for the Future of Gaming? Georgia Butcher As technology continues to advance, Georgia looks at what might be in store for the future of video games Gaming is undoubtedly a massive industry in today’s society. In December 2018, market analysts expected the industry to generate $134.9 billion by the end of the year, an amazing 10.9% rise compared to 2017, contrasting with the 8% decrease in television services within the same period. Considering its staggering importance, it’s unsurprising that the industry is continuing to evolve with it spreading not only to new platforms, but also introducing new technologies. So, what exactly can we expect for the immediate future of gaming? One big thing seems to be the increase in mobile gaming. Comprising about 47% of the current industry, it’s perhaps unsurprising that so much emphasis has been placed on capitalising on it. As phone technology continues to advance, the variety of games now available for the platform grows with 2018 seeing the release of popular PC-based MMO Runescape releasing its Old School version to mobile towards the end of the year with plans to do the same for Runescape 3 sometime in 2019. Blizzard also announced the mobile exclusive Diablo Immortal at last year’s Blizzcon (though this latter announcement was much less well received…).
“The graphics of VR games don’t even come close to the current releases.” However, though mobile gaming may form a big part of gaming’s future, it’s certainly not the only major development in store. Avoiding the obvious better graphics and smoother controls, the most significant developments include the increased quality of Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Both have gained popularity in recent years, Pokémon Go being a brilliant AR success which spread like wildfire on a global scale. But alas, the excitement waned after a few short months, a year at most, with few still playing today, despite its updates. At present, both AR and VR are still significantly inferior to the more traditional modes of gaming. VR is definitely fun, but the graphics of VR games don’t even come close to the current releases. Though it certainly proves more immersive (there’s nothing quite as terrifying as a horror game in VR), it’s still incomparable to the level of games released on more traditional platforms. Nevertheless, as technology continues to advance, this gap becomes ever smaller. In January 2019, Helsinki-based company Varjo Technologies announced the official launch of its innovative VR-1 headset, which claims to deliver humaneye resolution of 60 pixels per degree, bringing “every detail, texture, contour and colour into 20/20 focus.” Though designed solely for business use, such as for training simulations, design-oriented industries, as well as Engineering and Architecture, with such a massive surge in VR quality it can’t be long before this same level of technology becomes possible for the world of video games. Though at $6,000 a headset, it’s unlikely that such a mode of gaming will be an affordable option for many anytime soon, but at least it’s something to look forward to. Personally, I’m still waiting for when gaming involves simply lying down, flicking on a headset, and navigating through ones favourite games using solely brain power, but this may merely be a pipe dream – at least for the next few decades anyway. In the meantime however, I’ve no doubt hat the next few years of gaming will prove to be just as interesting, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
52
IMPACT
Poetry Collaboration:
We Grow Olivia Stock, Lauren Winson, Esther Kearney, Hannah Pickard We asked a poet from each year group to write two stanzas reflecting on their time at university.
Year two starts with something new… New year- same old fears of failure. Frantically clambering stairs, scrawled notes and papers a plea to productivity. These books on uppermost shelves cast down their gaze like pagan totems upon mountain tops, unseen sunshine glints upon a valley of bowed heads, all praying to shiny idols: laptop and phone screens. Deliver us the holy grail, that debt encrusted first class degree.
Year one has just begun… Sticky floors, slamming doors, 3am at superstores, cold showers, cherry sours, coming alive in the twilight hours; beans on toast - again, does anyone have a pen? Charity shops, bottle tops, cigarette butts and budget cuts, overdue essays and cold takeaway pizza for breakfast without mum’s disapproving gaze; the future? I’ll deal with it tomorrow.
ENTERTAINMENT
53
Year four is an open door… The many feelings of uncertainty bubbling up acidic inside, endless tracks of choice freedom debt loneliness, surrounded by words of pretentious humanities scholars bursting my eardrums, friends are receiving cheques, I’m regretting buying a Boots meal deal. The thoughts of travel escape stability healthiness money family brew in my fragile mind, an existential cocktail to soothe my aching self-doubt, the future flung out in front of me, but the lapse of time doesn’t scare me; I look back in anguish and smiles, and tread carefully among the unknown distances ahead.
Year three presents us with the key… I feel like a runaway kite Caught mid-flight in the same whirlwind That claimed Dorothy Desperately looking for those lost halcyon days. Last year’s lazy summer walks and 4am romance Now slip through my fingers like sand The future’s just an unknown adventure And we'll step into the abyss together.
Towards the Sun
54
IMPACT
Future Prospects of our sporting program Image Courtesy of Google Images
Zoe Burgess After being voted the Sports University of the Year for 2019, how does the University plan to maintain its inclusive and exciting programs? The University of Nottingham offers more student sports clubs than any other UK university, with the breadth and depth of the sports offered being unrivalled. We also have the largest intramural sports league with over 3,500 students playing against each other every week. Looking ahead on University Park, the David Ross Sports Village is undergoing works to improve it even further and the latest project is in its finishing stages. A state of the art health suite is being built which includes a Finnish sauna, a steam room, an experiential shower and an ice fountain, all
of which will support athletes and members and enhance their experience. There are also new and exciting things coming for the individual clubs within the University’s sports programme. Whilst we’re all aware of the football, rugby and American football teams, the University offers so much more than the generic and popular sports. We’d like to spotlight some of the lesser known sports and show you why they’re great to get involved with and how they have and will improve year on year.
SPORT
Volleyball The UoN volleyball club has over 150 members and six teams which compete in the BUCS league, alongside recreational teams which participate in IMS tournaments as well as local tournaments. Of the six teams competing in BUCS, there are three women’s and three men’s. The 1sts squad of both genders are performance teams and the men’s squad also compete in the Premier League. The teams often attend beach and grass tournaments as well as hosting their own tournaments. The highlight of the year is the team taking part in the Tri-Campus games, where players may get the chance to play on our Malaysia or China campus. Due to having so many different teams, the volleyball club promotes development across all levels and beginners or experienced players are both welcome. They offer taster sessions for people to give it a go. The club is one of the fastest growing in the University and has previously earned the title of Participation Club of the Year. Looking to the future, the University is currently developing brand new beach volleyball courts at Highfields, which could also be used for beach football. This new and exciting aspect of the sport will allow for even more teams to be established within the club and an opportunity for players to adapt their skills. This investment is testament to the inclusivity of the volleyball club and highlights that it is one of the fastest growing sports in Britain.
Softball and Baseball These clubs operate jointly and, whilst popular over the pond, they aren’t talked about much here. However, our university teams are something worth shouting about. The softball team has won the National University Softball Championships twice in the last 5 years. The sport has grown so much that there is now an A and a B team, meaning students of differing abilities can join in. Our baseball team is one of the most established in the country and it also has an A and B squad. The vast majority of the current players began playing at university so it’s something anyone can try and prove themselves to be a good player. Alongside the university leagues there is also the university softball tournament held on campus, the EMIC, and the university baseball tournament held at Loughborough, the M1ST, within which our teams are regularly competitive. Hannah Campbell Hewson, President of the softball club, told us both clubs plan to continue the sessions they run through the Engage programme. They have also been trying to get the word out as both sports are rising in popularity in the UK following the MLB games in London in summer 2019. Both clubs are also hoping to join the BUCS leagues in the next
55
few years and this recognition and publicity will allow them to grow even more. Furthermore, talks have taken place regarding an IMS rounders league which could form in the future> This shows the sport’s rapid growth and adaptation, again highlighting the Softball and Baseball club’s inclusivity, as they aim to not just develop their competitive teams, but their recreational ones too. There is so much more to come for the University’s sport programme throughout this year and exciting prospects for the coming years too, and not just for the most popular sports. Those discussed above are just a few of the lesser known sports and show that every team is always looking for more participants and to expand their reach. It is so easy to join in and all clubs are welcoming anyone to come and try something new, with hundreds of Engage sessions being put on weekly across the University. Now is an exciting time to be a part of our University’s sports programme, whether you’re looking to get into performance sport or just to do some exercise and meet new people, the diverse and ever expanding programme offers something for everyone. From the health suite to the new beach volleyball courts, the dedicated team behind the sports programme are doing all they can to continue improving and diversifying what is on offer.
56
IMPACT
Is it Pushing Down on our University of Nottingham Sports Stars? Tristan Simpson Tristan takes a look at the damaging effects of high expectations on the health of Green and Gold athletes and if this causes athletes to turn to supplements. We all love getting behind our sport teams, whether it’s our local team, our national team or one of the University teams. Watching athletes perform at the top level sets an example for us all, showing us technically and physically what the elite looks like. Yet, often we miss the great amounts of effort it takes to reach that standard. Both on and off the pitch athletes are expected to put their bodies through intense training and hard work, which can often lead to difficulties with mental health and a turn to other substances to keep the athletes in peak condition. It is not just all fun and games; we may see the highs of the University’s successes, but we miss the real lows of some of our athletes. In February 2017, the University of Nottingham announced a new sponsorship deal with Myprotein. This sponsorship deal included providing elite athletes with nutritional support and helping them stay healthy on and off the field. Yet, does this sort of influence take over an athlete’s life? It is understandable that to reach the top level a healthy and clean lifestyle is vital, but do students feel that their sport becomes the sole purpose of their day-to-day lifestyles? Dan Tilley, the Director of Sport at The University of Nottingham, commented after the announcement of the deal with Myprotein, saying that, “We believe strongly in a holistic approach to supporting our student athletes and sports clubs and so MyProtein’s expertise in sports nutrition will be invaluable to the department.” The University is pushing its sport programme right to the top level, and a ‘holistic approach’ is one of the key contributors to their ever improving successes. Myprotein and the supplements provided by the company encourage athletes to work towards their optimum condition to compete in. The sport programme at the University is immersive, and student athletes are not just taking on a leisurely activity,
but a change to their diet and lifestyle. However, with this responsibility comes a huge amount of pressure, pressure which can often become difficult to deal with and can quickly evolve into serious health issues. Speaking with one anonymous athlete surrounding the pressures they face as an athlete, they said, “In some instances I think pressure can always be turned into a positive emotion. For example, without it I do not think people involved in sport would improve, but, this pressure can also act negatively and can cause anxiety issues.” “I used to have an eating disorder and it started affecting my performance so I started to take protein shakes as a way to put on some weight. I have also taken ‘carb blockers’ and things like that before.” Discussing the expectations on the University sport teams and athletes in general, they further emphasised the damaging effects of pressure on mental health. “I fully believe this [pressure and expectation] affects your body image and mental health. As already mentioned, I struggled with an eating disorder and became obsessed with training and as a result became very underweight. I used to try and find supplements which would make me lose weight quicker. I know I am not the only one who has suffered from this as a result.” “I have felt pressure from the sport to lose weight and look ‘skinny’ as it looks better as a runner and it can improve your times.” It is clear that the expectations and high ambitions of the elite University sport stars can develop lasting and negative effects, particularly around body image. Speaking with another anonymous athlete the same issues circulated. They said: “With American Football as we are currently the best in the
SPORT
“There is a huge expectation surrounding the size, speed and strength of the players as we start and end each year with a training session surrounding how much you can lift, how fast you can run, your agility, stuff like that. It’s expected that you will have progressed throughout the year, and if you haven’t it’s frowned upon by the coaches.” “I have a lot of issues with my body image and mental health surrounding that [expectation] as currently I’m on a diet. I’m trying to lose a lot of weight but with that I’m losing strength, and it’s hard to balance the two as I don’t feel happy with my weight at the moment but it’s expected in my position that you would be a larger man, I’m 120KG and I’m one of the smaller guys in my position.”
57
at the University, but worldwide with all athletes aiming for the top. The competitiveness of sport from a young age means athletes are brought up surrounded by expectation, constantly having to maintain or improve their physique so they can adapt to a higher level of performance. Having nutritional support and intense training, guides athletes on the right track for success, but more attention needs to be paid to athlete’s mental health and a holistic approach which incorporates athletes happiness as well as their drive.
When further asked about supplement usage, they said: “Supplements are something I know 90% of the team take just like the usual protein shakes, vitamin tablets and stuff like that [...] I know a lot of guys feel a need to take supplements due to the pressure of having to play well.” Whilst it is important to stay in prime condition, balancing both academic and sporting development can take its toll, ending with serious implications. This is clearly not a problem strictly
Image courtesy of Google Images
58
IMPACT
The Glittering Green and Gold of Yesteryear Alex Riggs
The University of Nottingham has a long history of excellence in sport that continues to this day, with the Green and Gold winning multiple Championships at last year’s BUCS Big Wednesday and the acclaimed Sports University of the Year award in 2018. Given this established tradition, it’s no surprise that UoN can count plenty of outstanding athletes amongst its alumni. We’ve taken a look at some of the best sportspeople and gathered their reflections on their time at the University of Nottingham.
my degree as well. I was very pleased that I could go away and come back with an Olympic medal and honour their trust and faith”. After missing out on a medal in 2004, he recovered to become world champion in 2007 before claiming Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008.
First among those in the University’s sporting Hall of Fame is Baillie and Stott. The pair met and became friends when they enrolling in 1997, both training at the nearby National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont. They then started to compete as a duo in 2004, which proved to be the start of a remarkable partnership, taking a bronze medal in the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Nottingham in 2009. They then won gold at the European Championships in 2012. That win set them up for their greatest triumph at the London Olympics in 2012, taking the gold in front of a jubilant home crowd.
Earlier Olympic success for Green and Gold athletes also came on the hockey field. Robert Clift studied Economics here in the early 1980s and made his breakthrough into the senior England team. Clift went on to become a silver medallist at the World and European Cups in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Unfortunately, he tasted final defeat in the Green and Gold of Nottingham when they lost out to Loughborough in the 1984 University Championship final. Despite this, Clift was to experience success on the highest stage of all in 1988, winning gold after a 3-1 victory in the final against West Germany in the Seoul Olympics of that year. The team then went on to be voted Team of the Year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards the same year. He was also able to see his son Ali avenge his own defeat against Loughborough when he took the BUCS title as a student at Nottingham.
“I was very pleased that I could go away and come back with an Olympic medal and honour their trust and faith” The canoeing excellence doesn’t stop there. Tim Brabants also led the way, studying medicine between 1996 and 2002 whilst aiming to make the Olympic Games. He achieved this in 2000, becoming the first Briton to win a medal in canoeing. He reflected on that time after his induction into the University’s sporting Hall of Fame: “the University was great, they encouraged me to participate in my sport, to excel, and to complete
Sporting greatness from Nottingham alumni is not only limited to British athletes. Deng Yaping, the legendary Chinese Table Tennis player, was awarded a research masters in Contemporary Chinese Studies at Nottingham in 2002. Yaping won her first national championship aged just 13 and was a world champion in both singles and doubles at 18. She went on to dominate the sport throughout the 1990s, taking two gold medals at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, as well as retaining her
world titles twice. She retired aged just 24 in 1997, but was voted the Chinese female athlete of the century for her efforts. Yaping also spoke glowingly of her time at Nottingham, saying “I gained a lot from the University. The best memories of my life were in my three and a half years here.”
“The best memories of my life were in my three and a half years here” Moreover, Nottingham alumni are also amongst some of the best in team sports. Chris Wyles studied Politics at Nottingham before embarking on a successful rugby career. After beginning a professional career with Nottingham and Northampton, he joined Saracens in 2008, where he established himself as a club legend in a ten-year spell, making 254 appearances and scoring 74 tries, a record for the side. Wyles was an integral part of Saracens’ dominance of European rugby in recent years, winning the Premiership four times and taking two European titles, as well as representing his birth nation, the United States, at three editions of the Rugby World Cup and the Rio Olympics in 2016. These alumni are prime examples of just how much of a sporting powerhouse the University of Nottingham has become. With success stories in every sport, the Green and Gold have produced a remarkable spate of great athletes, breaking records and winning titles whilst representing countries from around the globe.
CREDITS CREDITS
THE TEAM
Editorial
Sophie Hunt Ben Henaghan Editor-in-Chief Connor Higgs Jennifer Peck Print EditorFrancesca Hadland Ben Baruch
Editor NicolasOnline Caballero
Design
design + images design + images Artistic Director Poppy Anne Malby Assistant Rhys ThomasDesigner Head of Images Denise Odong Illustrator Poppy Anne Malby
Artistic Director Assistant Designer Head of Images Head of Images Illustrator Head of Illustration
Web Developer Lawrie Cate Marvel Kalu Deputy Online Editors Amy Wilcockson Natasha Fernandes Emily Harbottle Shanai Momi
online
sections
Head of Reviews Head of Sport Sports Editor
Management
nager naging Assistant ager
Poppy Anne Malby
Sections
Head of News Head of Features Features Editor Head of Comment Head of Lifestyle Food Editor Science Editor Style Editor Editor Sarah Lindga Sarah News Lindgarde Travel Editor Head Peck of Features Head of EntertainmentJennifer P Jennifer Arts Editor Jack Ta Features Editor Jack Taylor Film and TV Editor Head of Lifestyle Elle M Elle Magill Music Editor Lifestyle Editor Rhys Thom Rhys Thomas Head of Reviews Science Correspondent Reviews Editor Ben E Ben Edge Head of Entertainment Head of SportIsobel She Isobel Sheene Sport Editor Entertainment Editor Matthew John Matthew Johnson
sections
of Reviews EmmaHead Heasman Head of Sport Tom Monks Sports Editor Jimmy Moorhouse
management
External Manager Internal Manager Publicity Assistant
External Manager Ruby Tyler Managing Assistant Mollie External Lewington Internal Manager Shannon Macleod
Ella Taylor Phoebe Raine Poppy Anne Ma Tahira Rowe Ella RobinsonRhys Thom Denise Od Philippa Stazicker MollyPoppy Evans Anne Ma Sophie Gordon
Lawrie Cate Amy Wilcockson Emily Harbottle
Faye Price Charlotte Hegley Rosa Morgan Inga Becker Hansen Esme Johnson News Editor Amy Wilcockson HeadButcher of Features Georgia Esther Kearney Features Editor Nicolas Caballero Head of Lifestyle Hannah Pickard Lifestyle Katie MoncurEditor Science Correspondent James Hurman Zoe Burgess Head of Entertainment Tristan Simpson Entertainment Editor
management
Emma Heasman Eleanor Gray
Online Editor Web Developer Deputy Online Editors
Connor Higgs Ben Baruch Nicolas Caballero
Artistic Director Assitant Designers
per e Editors
THE TEAM Online
editorial
editorial
online
59
THE TEAM
Editor-in-Chief Print Editor
ef
59
CREDITS
Just
doin
g ou
r bit
!
Emma Heasm Tom Mo Jimmy Moorho
Sian Baldwin Alana McKenna Megan Gallagher
Ruby Tyler Mollie Lewington Shannon Macleod
Cover Image by Poppy Anne Malby
Disclaimer:are The views opinions expressed throughout are those of the writers views and opinions expressed throughout those ofand the writers or interviewees, not Impact as a whole. not Impact as a whole. Cover Design by Ella Taylor Photography by Ibrahim Khan (Instagram: @shotbyibby) Model: Natasha Fernandes Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed throughout are those of the writers and interviewees, not Impact as a whole.
WHOLE 248.indd 59
12/09/2017 12:38
Just
doin
g ou
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM
#256
March 2019
Want to get
INVOLVED? Head to our website for more information
www.impactnottingham.com