#278

Vinay Patel (Head of Sports)

Being part of Impact Magazine was hugely significant for me, as it encouraged me to pursue journalism as a career. The platform allowed me to be creative and truly express myself as a writer, whether it was for the print or online edition. Impact also opened the door to furthering my editing skills as I advanced through the committee, from Associate Sports Editor to Head of Sport. The license to be innovative and conceptualise unique article ideas for the Sport department certainly boosted my confidence as a student journalist. My work at Impact earned me a role as a writer for freelance sports publication DubSports and I am currently undertaking the NCTJ Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism. I would certainly recommend pursuing a role in committee because it serves as a springboard to break into the industry, as well as offering the opportunity to define yourself as a journalist.

Charlotte Bower (Food Editor)

My impact from Impact Magazine: The time spent with the magazine has been some of my fondest memories of university life. I’ve met some wonderful people, gained confidence in writing new things, and experienced the processes underlying journalism in more ways than one. My involvement with Impact truly began in my second year, when I wrote for the lifestyle section and attended a journalism conference which opened my eyes to perspectives I had not yet considered. This opportunity provided me valuable insights into the industry and encouraged me to become an editor for the lifestyle section in my final year. Being a part of the magazine has been remarkable, offering opportunities to explore a range of interests through writing while fostering creativity and innovation. I highly recommend getting involved.

Hannah Walton-Hughes (Head of News)

Impact Magazine has been a huge part of my time at UON. From writing articles for print and online, to becoming Head of Reviews in my second year, and finally Head of News this year, being part of this society has helped me to develop as a journalist. Highlights from my time include: interviewing local MPs, leading the coverage of the Student Union Elections this year, and attending the Media Conference in second year, with invaluable talks from experts in the field. My dream is to become a political journalist at a national paper, and the skills I have gained from Impact will stand me in good stead. These skills include (but are not limited to): journalistic writing and editing, organisation, teamwork, and tenaciousness. I could not recommend getting involved in this society more; it opens up a wealth of opportunities, and develops you as a journalist and a person.

Katie Sullivan (Style Editor)

Eva Sutton (Head of Lifestyle)

I first encountered Impact in Freshers’ Week at the Society Fair in first-year, but I was too anxious to go up to the stand, having convinced myself that I wasn’t “good enough” to have a part in it. I wish I could go back and change my mind – my Impact journey has been one of my favourite university experiences, and my only regret is that I didn’t start it sooner. Going from a contributor to Associate Editor in second-year to now Head of Lifestyle has not only improved my confidence, but has consolidated a career in the media as a future goal of mine. But while I have gained skills I am sure will benefit me as I enter the world of work, it’s the friendships I have made that I am most indebted to, and I will look back at my time at Impact as some of my fondest memories spent here at UoN.

When I left home to start university at UoN in 2021 I was already set on building a career in journalism. My English degree was intended to expand my skill set to do so and act as a backup in case I banged my head one day and woke up deciding I no longer wanted to pursue my dream career. I can solemnly swear, being a member of Impact Magazine only affirmed my faith further that journalism is the career I need in life. The first taste of working for a real magazine in a fun, pressure free environment is anyone’s perfect introduction to journalism as a hobby or career. Impact Magazine has been one of the most profound influences on my university experience, I will miss it dearly and there are not enough words in existence for me to do it justice on how it can shape a person.

Dear reader,

As we come to the end of the academic year, we’re presented with the bittersweet mix of blue skies and heartfelt goodbyes, grateful for the year that’s passed and eager for the summer that awaits. We hope, with this issue of Impact, you are able to take the time to reflect on the wonderful year we’ve had and dive into the depth and breadth of the varied perspectives on the world that this issue presents, alongside the distinct accounts of student experiences here at the University of Nottingham.

It has truly been an honour to step into the role of Print Editor of Impact Magazine this year and work with so many incredibly talented contributors, editors and designers; they are the reason this magazine is what it is and the hard work they put into every print, including this one, is remarkable. In Print #278, we have chosen to take you on a journey behind the scenes of various aspects of life, from student stories to career prospects to creative histories and processes.

Enjoy flicking through our Features section discussing the UK voting system and the importance of the right to protest, alongside an insight into the experience of being a bilingual international student. Our lifestyle section presents the background of Nottingham’s own fashion designer, Paul Smith, a series of behind the scenes interviews with employees of travel industries and discussions of student experiences with one piece delving into student life in halls and the other delving into the complex world of student dissections. The Entertainment section looks into different histories of creativity and interviews around student gameplay and the film and TV industry.

Our reviews section will give you our classic recommendations, bringing you reviews of books, movies and music from today and the 2000s, alongside a look at the Shakespeare adaptations gracing our present-day screens. Our sports society focused investigation covers the potential exclusivity and barriers within these societies. The sports section itself gives an insight into the realities of sporting careers, with discussions of the struggles of adapting to professional sport and two interviews with Olympic athletes followed by a reflection on iconic moments in the Champions League.

Accompanying the diverse range of articles and detailed design, Issue #278 presents you with a series of engaging photoshoots with our talented Editor-in-chief, Lottie Murray, putting a behind the scenes twist on a stunning fashion shoot; a beautiful appreciation of Palestinian culture follows; and our final photoshoot shows a celebration of the people working behind the scenes throughout the University of Nottingham to highlight the work they do to make our student experience run as smoothly as it is does.

Our talented design team has worked so hard to make this issue full of gorgeous illustrations and beautiful layouts and it has been a delight to work alongside Jocey Neligwa, our Artistic Director, Ed Farley, our Head of Illustrations, Thomas Acrotopula, our Head of Images and the wonderful team of illustrators on all four of the issues that we’ve completed. Working with Lottie Murray, our Editor-in-Chief and the amazing team of Editors we’ve had this year at Impact has been an invaluable and incredible experience; I hope our final issue of Impact is as much of a pleasure for you to read as it was for us to create.

Good Luck and Best Wishes, Your Print Editor, Vivika Sahajpal

Contents

features

The Right to Protest Anna Boyne

Bilingual or Bye-lingual?

Soha Kassab

Is ‘First-Past-the-Post’ Representative of a Modern Democracy Megan Brown

PALEstinian Culture

Lifestyle

The Nottingham Roots of Paul Smith: The Man and the Brand Vishvajyth Ponnambalam

Mortui Vivos Docent: An Insight Into Cadaveric Dissections Berit Mathew

Behind the Scenes of Catered Accommodation Ella Beadman

Individuals who make the world go round *literally* Harriet Rothwell-Inch, Katie Sullivan

SIAMESE TWINS

Entertainment

Interview with Dungeons and Dragons Amelia Brookes

Love Letters

Jocey Neligwa, Vivika Sahajpal

Lights, Camera….Action? Lottie Murray

The European Arts and Cultural Encounters: An Exploration Vivika Sahajpal

The Women Pioneers of Hip-Hop Natalie Howarth

The Process of Songwriting: Exploring the Emotional Journey Behind Yasmine Medjdoub

PORTLAND BUILDING: BEHIND

reviews

Critics Recommend Ellie-Mae Davies, Eva Hughes-Sutton, Hayley Lawson, Lottie Murray, Harriet Rothwell-Inch

Eternal Adaptability: Changing Shakespeare For a Modern Audience Alex Tyndall

Investigation

Alex Paszkowicz, Serena Mehdwan and Tom Hayward sport

Former Green and Gold Athletes Look To Chase Olympic Glory in Paris Vinay Patel

Why Is Adapting to Professional Tennis So Difficult? Tomos Millward

The Champions League’s Top Ten Most Iconic Moments Ayman Ahmer

Mary Carolan, Lottie Murray, Ed Farley

THE RIGHT

Illustrations by Alfie Johnson

The suffragettes, Nelson Mandela, and Scottish rugby fans belting out ‘Flower of Scotland’. What do they all have in common? Well, the UK government’s new proposed laws on protesting could have the unintended consequence of criminalising them all. This suggestion was made by David Anderson, a former independent reviewer of terror legislation. He explained that a straightforward prohibition on the glorification of terrorism is dangerous in principle because terrorism is defined without geographical or historical limits. Tightening the law on glorifying terrorist groups, praising the work of people widely regarded as heroes today, or simply singing your unofficial national anthem, could be considered illegal. Impact’s Anna Boyne discusses the Right to Protest, exploring the legal changes and restrictions placed on protest in the United Kingdom and what oppositions have to say about it.

Rishi Sunak’s other proposals include banning the possession of flares and other pyrotechnics at protests, purposefully concealing your identity, and climbing on war memorials.

These attempts to crack down on protesting should be viewed in the context of movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM), Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. Most recently, the Israel-Gaza war has also triggered impassioned protesting in the UK. Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have been calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while others have been demanding the release of Jewish hostages.

Police powers and politicians’ safety

At the end of February 2024, Sunak announced new measures using existing police powers “to defend our democracy and our values from those that seek to hijack them.” These included a new Defending Democracy Protocol with additional patrols on MPs’ homes and constituency offices and £30 million in new funding for protective security.

This came in response to heightened concerns for politicians’ safety. In his speech, Sunak criticised the “pattern of increasingly violent and intimidatory behaviour seemingly intended to shout down elected representatives and hijack the democratic process through force itself.”

He also paid homage to Mike Freer who had recently announced he would step down from his role as MP for Finchley and Golder’s Green. In 2021, Freer narrowly avoided being murdered by Ali Harbi Ali who then went on to kill MP Sir David Amess.

A fire at Freer’s north London constituency office in December 2023 emerged to be an arson attack. Freer is pro-Israel and represents a heavily Jewish constituency. Although the motivations behind the arson attack remain unknown, it is likely the Israel-Gaza conflict heightened grievances held by those who opposed his stance on the war.For Freer, the stress on himself and his family had become “intolerable”.

“An Amnesty International petition to scrap these new laws currently has 21,141 signatures.”

Written by Anna Boyne

LEGAL CHANGES

In recent years, the UK government has passed two laws aiming to clamp down on protests. The Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Act 2022 enables the police to impose new conditions on a protest beyond its location, timing and the numbers involved.

An unjustifiably noisy protest that causes harm to others may now be shut down. People taking part in a protest no longer have the defence of being ignorant of the conditions that have been imposed upon a protest. Damaging a statue now carries a 10-year prison sentence.

The latter is an obvious reference to BLM protests in 2020 when the removal or defacement of statues deemed to have been racist became a focal point of resistance.

Most notoriously, a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and pushed into the docks in Bristol. Using his fortune made from slave trading, Colston donated generously to charities in Bristol and was considered a great philanthropist in his lifetime. Anti-racism campaigners had been calling for its removal for years, until finally taking things into their own hands.

In January 2022, four protesters were cleared of causing criminal damage. However, the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Act which came into force three months later would have drastically changed this outcome.

22-year-old student Cressie Gethin was recently found guilty of causing a public nuisance- something which also now carries a 10-year prison sentence. Gethin is a supporter of Just Stop Oil, a nonviolent civil resistance group demanding the UK Government stop licensing all new oil, gas and coal projects.

On the 20th of July 2022, she climbed a motorway gantry above the M25. This was two days after the government’s net zero strategies were declared unlawful, and one day after the UK recorded its highest-ever temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius- a milestone that scientists previously thought was impossible.

A spokesperson from Just Stop Oil commented: “the judiciary - like the police - is proving to be an effective arm of the oil and gas industry, by silencing and imprisoning members of the public taking nonviolent action against climate collapse. Future generations will be disgusted by rulings such as this.”

TO PROTEST

On the 20th of July 2022, she climbed a motorway gantry above the M25. This was two days after the government’s net zero strategies were declared unlawful, and one day after the UK recorded its highest-ever temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius- a milestone that scientists previously thought was impossible.

A spokesperson from Just Stop Oil commented: “the judiciary - like the police - is proving to be an effective arm of the oil and gas industry, by silencing and imprisoning members of the public taking nonviolent action against climate collapse. Future generations will be disgusted by rulings such as this.”

The Public Order Act 2023 is the most recent legal change. It gives the secretary of state new powers to impose an injunction to stop protesters from protesting in a particular area.

opposition

An Amnesty International petition to scrap these new laws currently has 21,141 signatures. A spokesperson said: “What does the future hold if we allow the government to restrict our right to protest? The answer is nothing good.”

As well as restricting people’s ability to protest peacefully, they claim the UK government has “demonised and scapegoated protestors.”

Amnesty International also criticised Sunak’s ‘Prevent’ programme which aims to stop vulnerable people being drawn into extremism. They commented: “Islamophobic stereotypes play a major role in referrals - the Prime Minister appears to be suggesting that Muslims will be targeted in this new Government crackdown.”

“The overwhelmingly peaceful protests about mass atrocities in Gaza must not be conflated with extremism… The threat to impose yet more restrictions on people’s right to peacefully protest is deeply worrying and suggests the Government is determined to silence those who may disagree with its policies.”

How will we look back at the protests of the 2020s?

When we think back to the Suffragettes who chained themselves to gates, underwent hunger strikes, and jumped in front of the King’s racehorse, we consider them heroines. Their main demand: votes for women. Yet at the time, this was a radical idea.

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for almost twenty years for his anti-apartheid activism, but later became President of South Africa and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

This begs the question: how will we look back at protests of the 2020s? Who will be our historical heroes? Will it be the government increasingly restricting rights to protest, or will it be those pushing change for the better?

For Amnesty International, “many mass protests have demonstrated that the government of the day is on the wrong side of history.”

“People taking part in a protest no longer have the defence of being ignorant of the conditions that have been imposed upon a protest”

“Their main demand: votes for women. Yet at the time, this was a radical idea”

Bilingual or Bye-lingual?

By Soha Kassab

In a world where language barriers are present, including for those either working or studying in a foreign country, communicating with others can be difficult, particularly for those who aren’t fluent or have strong language proficiency in a particular language when abroad or talking to others in a foreign language. In addition, there is also the challenge for those working or studying abroad, or even living abroad, of having to adapt to a new culture and environment or maintaining their own identity and neglecting another. Impact’s Soha Kassab talks about the problems regarding language barriers but provides her personal experiences on adapting and studying material in a different language, alongside how this affects identity when consistently exposed to a foreign culture.

In a world where globalization has turned into a chaotic bazaar where ideas and goods are exchanged—and let’s not forget about all the culture clashes and the traditions that fade away—lingua francas have become the currency of communication, making transactions smoother between people with different linguistic backgrounds. Yet, amidst all that, the rest of the world’s tapestry of languages gets traded off like cheap trinkets, and all the sellers and buyers become too comfortable forgetting the idioms and metaphors of their own languages.

To me, my first language was nothing but a mere characteristic that the older generations often scolded me and my friends for lacking. It wasn’t until I was no longer submerged in Arabic music, or engulfed by Arabic ads and billboards that I realized how identities are deeply rooted in the languages we are exposed to daily. I mean, when something is always right around the corner, you eventually stop looking for it, right?

It saddens me and simultaneously fills me with an odd comfort to know that I’m not alone in this.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”Nelson Mandela

It’s no secret that we, as humans, almost always take things for granted, so it is no surprise that most international students only ever grow to truly appreciate their language when they move to a country where their language is one of the minorities - just like them. Unfortunate news for me; I am no exception. Growing up around English books and Western media while also attending an international British school made it too easy for me to neglect my Arabic language and cling to the English one for dear life. This inevitably seeped into my identity and made it nearly impossible for me to connect to my Arab side despite growing up in an Arab country and being surrounded by Arab friends, a very Arab family, and an even more Arab society… quite ironic, isn’t it? More unfortunate news for me; I never really understood or grasped the gravity of the situation until I left home and came to the UK for my studies.

When asked about their experiences with language and the cultural adaption of the country they moved to, most international students told Impact Magazine that even though they were confident in their English language, other cultural aspects such as slang and “informal mannerisms” left them with a cultural shock they didn’t expect to experience having grown up in Westernised environments. Alongside the unexpected shock, international students have also admitted that the lack of exposure to their mother tongue when studying abroad has made them seek out their language and culture in hopes of sensing a bit of the familiarity of home in foreign lands.

Kuwaiti student, Dana Beidas spoke to Impact Magazine about her arrival to the USA, and she shared that her amplified appreciation for Arab culture caught her “off guard” especially since it was not a major concern of hers when she was back home. “Now I try to go to Arab-themed events and gatherings as much as I can, while also gravitating towards having similarly ethnic circles.” she continued.

“International students in a foreign country will face difficulties or challenges into adapting towards a new culture and environment.”

Similarly, a Singaporean student opened up about their experience in British society as a member of a more conservative Asian society. The contrasting norms of both societies made it harder for the student to adapt as “certain mannerisms and waves of thinking were either completely foreign or had a lack of exposure where I came from.” Ergo, beyond the textbooks, the lecture halls and the hours wasted away at the library, there blooms a silent revolution led by international students who are desperately trying to balance all the contradicting parts of themselves. However! Right next to that blooming field of resilience and first steps, a newly discovered aspect of our identity crises sprouts. You win some, you lose some, I suppose…

Now it might be my father’s long lectures on the importance of language and the articles on language and identity that I so voraciously kept devouring since my arrival to the UK or it might just be my never-ending search for missing parts of my own intangible identity, but I’ve come to cherish a very weighty truth: Language has never been and - never will be - just a vessel for communication. In my very humble opinion (I say unassuming because I don’t want to seem overbearing, but I do fully believe that this opinion of mine is more of a fact, so you have no other choice but to believe me), language might be the very essence of one’s identity.

Besides all the obvious reasons such as embracing one’s culture and giving a voice to one’s society and whatnot, one of the most important reasons to develop our native languages is because it is vital for the shaping of our mindset and our thinking. Whether we like it or not, and whether we are ready to face it or not; our very enigmatic and very thrilling journey of self-searching could never have a solid destination if we don’t pick up our native languages on the way.

The next time you remember words that were whispered in your ear as a child or you think about the language in which stories were passed down around your dinner table, I want you to remember this; these are not just random noises, this is your language that reflects your cultural, national, and individual identity. Who do we become if our languages remain so far away from our tongues? How could we possibly know ourselves if we can’t speak the languages of those who paved the way for us and those who raised us?

“...language might be the very essence of one’s identity”

As for me, I wish I was writing this from a universe where my mother tongue stands alone as something more than my mother’s tongue, but hey, I’m still 19 and I like to think that I haven’t wasted my chances quite yet, so I’ve got all the time and patience in the world to relearn the language that’s been collecting dust on my shelf for the past years. So, as we wander through unfamiliar territories with nothing to us but our child-like whimsy and curiosity, our parents on Facetime 24/7 and our undying need to define ourselves, let me leave you with a sense of hope that we are not, in fact, too late to unlearn whatever warped definition we have of our native languages and to gain new (and hopefully better) perspectives on our relationship with our culture and our roots. There is a certain solace in being so young and unidentified, so without any further hesitations from you or extended metaphors from me… roots in the soil, head in the clouds, reach.

Is ‘First-Past-the-Post’ Representative

By Megan Brown

The first-past-the-post or FPTP voting is an electoral system used for centuries by many countries, including the United Kingdom. Through this system, voters select one candidate from a single-member constituency, and ultimately, the candidate who receives the most votes overall wins, even without the need for an absolute majority. Many criticize this system, suggesting that it is outdated and flawed, leading to questions about its ability to serve the democratic will of the United Kingdom and its people. Impact’s Megan Brown explores whether FPTP is representative of a modern democracy and whether an alternative system, such as Proportional Representation, would be better suited.

“This familiarity makes the process of voting easier to understand, causing an increase in voters”

THE PROS OF FFTP

A positive often associated with the FPTP voting system is that it is relatively simple for not only voters but politicians, tellers and election administrators too.

As mentioned previously, this system has been widely used in the UK for centuries, therefore, making it a process that is familiar to many. This familiarity makes the process of voting easier to understand, causing an increase in voters, as individuals are not left feeling confused or overwhelmed like the majority of politics.

Secondly, single-choice ballots are an efficient process, which takes up little to no time for the voters or tellers. For example, the system requires voters to know the name of their preferred candidate or party and to mark this choice on a ballot paper, therefore, meaning that the process of casting a vote should only take individuals a few seconds to do, especially now with the option of postal vote.

On the other hand, this straightforward numerical system means that counting votes takes place in the form of tallying – a method of addition that we all most likely learnt back in primary school, therefore, highlighting again, the quick and simple nature that comes along with this system.

Another positive of FPTP would be the fact it typically produces clear outcomes, with one party or candidate winning a majority of seats. Therefore, this can lead to a stable, strong and singular government, as it reduces the risk of political gridlock which describes uncertainty and difficulty in passing laws and carrying out the needs of the people.

“many argue that this straightforward system comes at the cost of accuracy and fairness”

of a Modern Democracy?

Illustrations by Ed Farley

THE CONS OF FFTP

However, despite arguments of simplicity, many argue that this straightforward system comes at the cost of accuracy and fairness, as the results may not always reflect the true preferences of the electorate, leading to outcomes that are not adequately representative of the population’s overall views.

One issue that arises when considering FPTP as a voting system supposedly representative of a modern democracy, would be the idea surrounding geographic concentration of support. This refers to the idea that this voting system favours parties that have increased support in specific regions around the UK. This ultimately means that if a party is consistently winning by large margins in specific constituencies while losing in others, a significant number of seats can be acquired, despite the possibility that the party’s overall vote is not particularly high. This, therefore, highlights the issue of disproportionate and non-representative votes, as many would argue that through non-representative votes, FPTP often causes an immense number of wasted votes. For instance, according to the Electoral Reform Society, over 70% of votes in the 2005 general election went towards a losing candidate, meaning there was a high number of wasted votes.

Furthermore, another issue surrounding the voting system is that it encourages tactical voting, where individuals may strategically vote for a party or candidate that has a higher chance of winning to prevent a party they definitely do not want to win. This tactical voting usually occurs when these individuals believe they have little chance of helping ensure that the candidate or party they want to see elected, wins. This, therefore, favours two larger parties, in this case, the Labour and Conservative parties, and can lead to a polarized political landscape where smaller parties struggle to gain representation and often lose out on votes due to fears of a pointless vote.

Similarly, Duverger’s Law is another identifiable issue that becomes apparent under the FPTP voting system. The principle, named after Maurice Duverger, a political scientist, suggests that whilst a single-party government is produced by FPTP, this outcome can only happen when there are two significant oppositional parties. This means that smaller parties, including the Green Party and Liberal Democrats, may struggle to win seats, putting them at a disadvantage due to biases towards larger parties. Therefore, it can be argued that parliament elected under this voting system do not reflect the range of views held by people in the UK.

“An alternate electoral system … would be proportional representation, a voting system designed to ensure the distribution of seats reflects the proportion of votes”

An Alternate Electoral

An alternate electoral system that could be adopted instead, would be proportional representation, a voting system designed to ensure the distribution of seats reflects the proportion of votes received by each candidate or party. In this system, seats are allocated to parties based on the percentage of votes they individually receive. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and seats are then allocated based on a system that takes into account voters’ preferences, and whilst there are several variations of PR, it is generally praised for its ability to provide more diverse laws, by allowing smaller parties and groups to gain representation. It further encourages the cooperation of parties, as governments are often formed through negotiation. However, it could also be argued that this system can weaken the direct link between constituents and their elected representatives compared to constituency-based systems.

Concept inspired by Banksy’s work titled “Banksy’s Rage, The Flower Thrower (love is in the air) 2005”

“He [Banksy] replaced what would usually be a rock or Molotov cocktail with flowers to signify peace and I aimed the same for the orange. The orange signifies an important and peaceful time in Palestinian history and that is what I truly wish for Palestinians now, peace and prosperity”

Creative Direction: Riwa Kaedbey & Lana Kaedbey

Photography & Illustration: Lana Kaedbey

Photoshoot courtesy of UoN Students for Palestine Society Model: Riwa Kaedbey

By Vishvajyth Ponnambalam

The Nottingham Roots of Paul Smith:

“Though this rich history may have faded into the distant past, Nottingham has actually played a role in the recent modern fashion scene”

Compared to the large, metropolitan cities such as London and Manchester, celebrated for their contributions throughout the world, Nottingham may only be a medium-sized student city nestled in the heart of England. Nevertheless, the city still boasts a world-renowned reputation for being the birthplace of many famous brands and companies. The Raleigh bicycle company, for example, was founded in Nottingham in 1887, and it is the oldest bicycle company in the world, still based in its hometown today.

In the ever-changing world of fashion too, Nottingham has made its mark. Following the invention of the knitting frame in the 18th century in Calverton, a village in Nottinghamshire, the city’s lace-making trade was propelled from simply being a domestic industry into a major international exporting city by the mid-19th century. The lace industry penetrated throughout the inner city, particularly in and around the areas of Hockley, the remnants of which can still be seen today with Lace Market, now a popular area for both locals and students.

Though this rich history may have faded into the distant past, Nottingham has actually played a role in the recent modern fashion scene, being the birthplace of the high-end clothing brand Paul Smith, eponymously named after its creator, Paul (Brierley) Smith.

Smith was born and bred in Nottingham and first started out as a designer in the city centre in the 70s. The Paul Smith brand has grown throughout its 50-year history, revolutionising men’s fashion, with boutiques from New York to Tokyo. But who is the man behind the brand? Who is Paul Smith?

Paul Smith was born in 1946, the youngest of three children to a draper father in Beeston, a town on the outskirts of Nottingham. He had to leave school at the age of 15 to start working, where he had his first experience in the fashion industry through working in a clothing warehouse. However, this was not the beginning of his interest in fashion as he did not enjoy this experience. In fact, Paul’s initial ambition was to become a professional racing cyclist. Yet, his hopes of this were dashed when, at 17, Paul was involved in a serious road accident whilst cycling back home from work and had to spend six months in hospital recovering.

During this period, he started taking more of an interest in fashion after being introduced to fashion design by students at a local college. He became more involved in the clothing warehouse, channelling his newfound interest by creating innovative displays which led to his promotion to menswear buyer at the warehouse. Paul didn’t just stop here, however. He enrolled in evening classes to learn tailoring, which was the beginning of the long road to success.

He was eventually noticed by the head tailor of Savile Row’s Lincroft Kilgour in London and was offered a job, where his designs were worn by the elite clientele that frequented the luxury boutique, building up his confidence and customer base. This provided Paul with the motivation to branch out and open up his own shop. Paul Smith Vêtements pour Hommes, which opened in 1970, started out in a small 3 x 3m store with no windows, at 6 Byard Lane in Nottingham city centre.

Illustrations by Vivika Sahajpal

The Man and the Brand

Paul had made the decision to move back to Nottingham from London, to start his own venture alongside his girlfriend Pauline Denyer in his hometown. The decision to set up in Nottingham, rather than fashion capitals such as London, Paris or New York, may have been a decision some would deem imprudent, which could explain why the early years of the Paul Smith brand were slow business.

The year 1976 brought the Paul Smith brand to new heights, with his very first menswear collection being shown at his friends’ house in Paris, which ended up being a great success. Paul became the first designer to open up a store dedicated to men’s clothing and accessories in the prominent Floral Street in London’s Covent Garden. Throughout his career, Paul maintains an overall message of positivity and peace. These can be witnessed through his unique ‘charm shirts’.

These came about when he was in Milan with Pauline on Via Monte Napoleone (the most expensive street in Europe) and bought charms, such as the peace sign and doves from a stall for a bracelet but ended up sewing them onto the plackets (where buttonholes are placed) of shirts. Paul also pioneered the use of photographic print on fabric during the 80’s, which came from his love of photography, handed down from his father’s own passion. Novel innovations such as these set Paul apart from his contemporaries and firmly placed him at the pinnacle of fashion design in the later years of the 20th century.

His contributions to fashion were duly rewarded, from receiving the Queen’s Award for Industry in 1995 and being inducted into the New Labour Creative Industries Task Force, to being bestowed a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, the second British designer to ever receive one. Paul married his long-term partner of 30 years, Pauline, on the same day he received his knighthood.

But how has Paul Smith defined the fashion of today? He has been credited, along with Giorgio Armani, for revolutionising modern suiting, making cuts less stiff and more relaxed compared to the tight-fitted suits of the past. We also have Paul to thank for bringing a touch of personality to the boxer shorts, by introducing spotted designs, which was a marked shift from the plain and bare men’s undergarments that were the standard. This illustrates Paul’s unique thought process and visual expertise.

Always one to collaborate and try new things, Paul is a prime example of consistently innovating, one such example being the Leica X2 Digital Camera, released in 2012, a fusion of German engineering and British design.

Regardless of the global presence of his brand, Paul continues to work from his London office, staying true to his brand’s British roots, with all products being designed with his direct involvement from there. He has also not forgotten his hometown of Nottingham, with a shop in Willoughby Street and two large warehouses that are home to the production, distribution, and logistics of Paul Smith.

Recently, the Paul Smith brand celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, commemorated by memorabilia such as an eponymous book, exploring Paul’s career through 50 objects alongside contributions from colleagues and friends. Paul Smith’s legacy on men’s fashion extends far beyond aesthetics; it reflects a balance between creativity, business savvy, as well as a commitment to enduring style.

“Paul also pioneered the use of photographic print on fabric during the 80’s, which came from his love of photography, handed down from his father’s own passion”

Lifestyle

Mortui Vivos Docent:

By Berit Mathew

I’m 18 years old, with no prior experience. I step into the Dissection Room and head over to the table I’m assigned. My friend unzips the bag and I fumble around to assemble the scalpel, and we make the first cut into our cadaver. I look up and there above the door hangs the sign “Mortui Vivos Docent” – “The dead teach the living”. When I step back and think about it, it’s bizarre that I had this opportunity, yet this is very much the norm for many medical students across the world. For me, it quickly became just another weekly activity. Berit Mathew explores the history behind cadaveric dissections and her experience of her first dissection in her first year as a medical student at the University of Nottingham.

When prompted to think about the history of full-body dissection, many will think of grave robbing, but there’s a lot more to the story than just this morbid practice. Dissections of the human body date back to ancient civilisations. The ancient Egyptians are famous for their embalming rituals, commonly known as mummification, which includes removing internal organs and making small incisions. This, however, was not done for anatomical insight.

The first record of dissections for medical advancements was in ancient India, in the 6th Century BCE book “Sushruta Samhita”. It documents the systematic preparation and dissection of the human body and mentions hundreds of different joints, ligaments and bones. The ancient Greeks played a crucial role in medical and anatomical advancements, but they weren’t all too keen on human dissections; famous physicians such as Hippocrates and Aristotle paved the way to understanding anatomy, but they did so by dissecting animals instead. Claudius Galen also documented many findings that were pivotal to understanding human anatomy, but again, he did this not through human dissection, but through his work as a gladiator surgeon.

Illustrations by Clara Wodny

It wasn’t until Herophilus and Erasistratus that dissections became a big spectacle. Funded by the royals in Alexandria, they performed human dissection in public, both for the purpose of medical advancement but also to boost Alexandria’s reputation in the world of science and anatomy. Through this, they discovered a great amount about the heart, brain and nervous system, a lot of which is still being taught to medical students across the globe. After a few decades, their dissections were put to an end when they were accused of vivisection – dissecting the living. This, along with the widespread introduction of Christianity, in which dissections were considered unsacred, marked the end of human dissection for a long time.

Medieval Europe saw dissections come back into play, with the first sanctioned full-body dissection since Herophilus and Erasistratus performed in public display by Mondino de Liuzzi in Bologna in 1315. Eventually, the popularity of dissections grew again, with Pope Clement VII giving Papal approval for it in 1537, which even inspired many Renaissance painters like Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

However, as its popularity grew, so did its demand. Dissections were commonly done on criminals, but now there wasn’t a fast enough supply. Thus came the emergence of “body snatchers” and grave robbing – the prevalence of which eventually led to the Anatomy Act of 1832 which increased the availability of legal cadavers. As a result, the value of illegally obtained corpses decreased, making the unethical practices of body robbing essentially obsolete.

“It documents the systematic preparation and dissection of the human body and mentions hundreds of different joints, ligaments and bones”

An Insight Into Cadaveric Dissections

By the 20th Century, legal body donations became the main source of cadavers for medical schools. This became possible through the Anatomy Act of 1984, the most recent, which significantly simplified the process of donating your body for dissection. Alongside the Human Tissue Act of 2004, they are the two main pieces of legislation that regulate and provide licences for dissections within medical schools. They aim to ensure that all human material is used ethically and safely, with proper consent.

As medical students, the importance of treating cadavers with the utmost respect and dignity is drilled into us from before we even step foot into the dissection room. On the first day, we were told to not say anything about the cadaver that we wouldn’t say in front of their families. I have lived by that and would advise all medical students to do the same. Not only do these legal acts regulate its use, but also its disposal – donors have the right to choose exactly how and where their bodies are disposed of, and this is adhered to as far as is practicable.

My experience within the dissection room can only be described as eye-opening. It has aided my learning tremendously and given me the opportunity to independently explore the body parts that I learn about in the lecture theatres. Being able to see the theory right in front of you and being able to touch, move and prod at it is, in my opinion, invaluable. Many medical schools that previously have not used dissections, such as the University of Birmingham, are beginning to recognise these benefits and are moving towards the introduction of fullbody dissections.

“Being able to see the theory right in front of you and being able to touch, move and prod at it is, in my opinion, invaluable.”

Despite this, there are many medical schools across the country that yield fantastically qualified doctors without utilising dissections within their course. The University of Sheffield for example, once known as the hub of anatomy, is now slowly moving away from full-body dissections. There are many other ways of teaching anatomy, including the use of prosections (previously dissected body parts), virtual dissections, imaging and AI, all of which are insightful and potentially a better fit for many students.

But, for me, dissection didn’t just teach me anatomy. It taught me how to confidently and comfortably navigate the human body. It exposed me to the ‘gory’ side of medicine, it taught me how to use surgical tools, how to work effectively within a team, and the importance of respect towards the human body. I have learnt so much at that one table that I do not think would’ve been possible anywhere else. As daunting as it was at first, and as difficult as it still is to assemble a scalpel, I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity, and to all those who donate their bodies for the advancement of science.

Behind the Scenes

By Ella Beadman

Illustrations by Alfie Johnson

To cook or not to cook, that is the question. No food shopping, cooked meals, no washing up seems like a no-brainer when moving into the scary world of university, especially when you already have so much to worry about. However, the choice is never that simple. Having lived in catered halls myself, I have a little bit of inside knowledge on what it’s really like.

Dinner Times:

One of the common arguments against catered halls is the lack of flexibility with mealtimes. At Nottingham, dinner is available from 5pm to 7:30pm, and not only does this start incredibly early, but it is also incredibly impractical. Given the fact that the typical teaching hours at Nottingham run between 9am and 6pm, and this is a catered halls service provided exclusively for students, it doesn’t make much sense that dinner hours clash with timetabling hours.

Lifestyle

Not only this, but many students have other extracurricular activities such as sports clubs, societies, and jobs. While the obvious solution to some of these issues would be to go to dinner later, anyone who has gone to dinner towards the end knows that there is virtually nothing left worth eating, especially if you have dietary requirements. Going earlier isn’t always a feasible solution either. Not only do the dinner times make it hard to juggle responsibilities, they also don’t fit in with the lifestyles of students, who typically stay awake later. For me and many others in halls, the inevitable late-night pot noodle or take-away became a regular occurrence. Having had dinner at 5:30 I was normally pretty hungry by 11pm. This wasn’t beneficial for my bank account or diet.

For me and many others in halls, the inevitable latenight pot noodle or take-away became a regular occurrence. Having had dinner at 5:30 I was normally pretty hungry by 11pm. This wasn’t beneficial for my bank account or diet.

However, I was in the cohort of students in halls during the covid pandemic, and while we didn’t get a Crisis night out, one of the good things we got was 9pm snacks which was loved by everyone. This shows that there clearly is a demand for later food, and that the university is able to provide this. So, if the university can do it, why don’t they aim to meet the needs of the students more, especially when students are so vocal about wanting more flexibility?

Diet and Nutrition

The university’s sustainable food policy states that it “prides itself on being able to provide a wide and varied catering” as well as “serve nutritionally balanced meals and raise awareness of healthy eating”. At first glance at the menu, it seems that this is just what it does. However, from personal experience, this is not the case. When I stayed in halls, there was a lack of freshly cooked vegetables and a limited range of fruit on offer. So, healthy eating wasn’t always the easiest, especially when lunch time food options consist of a range of meal deals, wraps, pizza, and pasta.

While I loved the Daily Bites card, I can see how I didn’t have the healthiest diet in my first year (however, who is to say that I would have eaten any better if I cooked for myself). Another issue that I found in halls was a lack of vegetarian options. One dinner time I was served plain rice and sweetcorn as they had nothing else left for me – not the wide and varied catering promised!

Behind the policies and promises, the services the university delivers fall short. Despite this, looking at it comparatively to self-catered accommodation, you are being provided with a different hot meal every night. No endless rotation of pesto pasta and stir-fry that tends to happen with self-catering!

Catered Accommodation

Cost

While the cost of catered accommodation is higher than self-catered, I would argue that it is worth the money in terms of the services you get. The cheapest catered hall on University Park campus is Lincoln Hall, costing from £206.28 per week (for 2023/2024). With this you get 17 meals a week, the cleaning of all communal spaces, and the use of the gym. In comparison to the cheapest self-catered hall close to University Park, Broadgate Park, costing from £137.69 a week which only includes the cleaning of communal spaces once a fortnight.

Taking into account weekly spending on food, which UCAS’s student lifestyle report indicates is on average £44 a week for UK students, self-catered students would be looking at a weekly spending of around £181.69. This leaves a difference of £24.59 a week. However, if time is money, then I would argue that catered halls are really good value for money as you do not have to shop, cook, or clean. With all the other stresses and responsibilities you have to deal with, as well as settling into university life, catered halls can be really helpful as it gives you fewer things to contend with.

“So, if the university can do it, why don’t they aim to meet the needs of the students more, especially when students are so vocal about wanting more flexibility?”

Is it worth it?

Although there are clearly a lot of issues to be addressed with catered halls, and there is work that can be done in order to create a service that is inclusive of a variety of dietary requirements and the lifestyle of students, there are a lot of positives as well. The social side of catered halls is unbeaten. Dinner time with everyone at the end of the day is a great time to socialise, relax, and have a bit of fun. You have an entire hall of people to mix with rather than just your flat. It is far easier to find a group of people you’ll like in a hall of 250 people compared to a flat of 7.

“However, if time is money, then I would argue that catered halls are really good value for money as you do not have to shop, cook, or clean.”

I would advocate for catered halls just for the social side alone. Throughout the year, formals and sports activities are organised for residents to enjoy, and they often do a barbeque in the summer too. When else will you have a reason to get dressed up to go downstairs to eat tacos? And above all else, there is no disgusting and borderline hazardous shared kitchen that you might have to contend with in self-catered.

Regardless of some of the obvious issues, I had such an amazing time in halls and would still strongly recommend it to someone moving to Nottingham next year. After all, you’re coming to university for the experience, not the fine dining. And if we are being honest with ourselves, could we really do any better in the kitchen? For most of us, probably not, so we might as well let someone cook for us as we have the rest of our lives to cook dinner for ourselves!

Lifestyle

Individuals who make the

By Harriet Rothwell-Inch

Illustrations by Jocey Neligwa

In this interview, Impact’s Harriet Rothwell-Inch discovers the backstage magic of Disney’s Cruise Line. Katie Bacon is a Retail Associate on board, working in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique as Fairy Godmother’s apprentice, transforming children ages 3-12 into princesses, royal knights, captains, and occasionally even pirates!

Is there anything about working for Disney Cruises that has surprised you?

“Having worked for the Disney company before at the UK Disney stores, I was familiar with how the company works. However, I was surprised by the popularity of cruising! Disney currently have five ships, with three more opening in the next few years. When people think of a Disney vacation, they think of the theme parks, yet so many guests tell me they prefer cruising!”

How is living on board a cruise ship and for how long are you at sea?

“It’s not easy, that’s for sure! I’m usually away for five to six months at a time and it’s a tough working environment; I often work around 70 hours per week. It’s also difficult to get any time to yourself as most of us have roommates. Luckily, any time I do have off is my own, so I always make sure to prioritise myself. This job has allowed me to visit so many amazing places. I would never have had the chance to otherwise.”

What’s your day-to-day working routine on board?

“On board cruise ships, no matter what role you work in, you work every single day! My day typically starts at 8am. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is open from 9am-9pm and is often fully booked. In between appointments, everything must be restocked, and then after the boutique closes, we clean and ensure that everything is ready for the following day. After work, my friends and I might watch a movie in the cinema on board, or relax at the crew bar. There are plenty of crew-specific events each week to meet people from different departments.”

Do you have a particularly magical moment from your time working with Disney Cruises?

“One stand-out moment for me was a little boy who came in and asked if, instead of the ‘boy options’, he could do an Elsa transformation. His mum was so happy that I could give him the long Elsa hair he always wanted, and I chatted with him about his ice powers! There’s another princess who I have seen a few times now, and every time she gets so excited and runs up and hugs me with the biggest smile on her face.

I love connecting with each child who comes into the Boutique and encouraging them to be whomever they want to be. I truly wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”

world go round *literally*

Impact’s Harriet Rothwell-Inch interviews Delene Hammond, who has been working for British Airways as a Cabin Crew member for a year and a half, to learn more about what it’s like working behind the scenes of the travel industry.

Do you get a say in which flights you work or which destinations you get to go to?

“We have a bidding system which allows us to ‘bid’ for the trips we want each month. You aren’t always guaranteed the trips so you can end up with a mixed bag sometimes! For next month, I had bid for a trip to Bermuda but got Barbados along with a few US and Canada trips instead. However, last December I asked for a trip to Cape Town as my family lives there and I got it!”

Do you have any memorable passenger stories?

“I had an ex-Prime Minister and their two bodyguards onboard recently! We also occasionally bump into passengers on layovers and visit the sights together which is always memorable. This happened once in Las Vegas; we met some passengers from our flight and visited the Las Vegas sign together.”

The travel industry is one we all love to indulge in, but we never really consider the work that goes on behind the scenes and the new ways it reaches us. Impact’s Katie Sullivan spoke to Katie Griffiths, a content creator (formerly the face of @zantebible on TikTok) to hear her take.

How do you think modern technology has impacted the travel industry?

‘I think positively! There are so many places that I would have no idea about if it wasn’t for TikTok or social media in general. I think it’s great for the economy and small businesses, and for these places to get more views and get their businesses out there, because I think that could have been quite hard in the past.’

What is your favourite memory?

‘One of my friends had missed her graduation because of COVID, so she bought a cap and gown for herself. A TV show came up to us and said they wanted to film us doing a graduation celebration for her, so they took us to this beautiful side of the island on the side of the cliffs looking out on the sunset … and she jumped in the sea with her cap and gown on! When you’re working in the travel industry and you’re abroad all the time with your best friends, you get moments like that every single day.’

By Katie Sullivan

What drew you to being a flight attendant and is the reality how you imagined it would be?

“After university, I decided I didn’t want a job related to my degree and wanted a change. I’ve always been interested in travelling so when I saw that BA were hiring, I applied! It’s pretty much how I imagined – lots of flying around the world and seeing new places. But the antisocial hours, time changes, and being away from home for up to nine days at a time, means that it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”

How much exploring/travelling do you get to do as part of the job?

“It’s all destination dependent, as certain trips have longer layovers than others. I had 3 nights in Japan a few months ago and managed to see a fair bit of it. When you only have 24 hours on an eastcoast US trip, it makes it more difficult to fit things in. In general, the hotels we stay in are central to the action of the city, such as in New York – we stay only a few blocks away from Grand Central station.”

How do you think the travel industry has recovered from COVID?

‘I did one season in Zante before COVID, then I was in Zante during COVID, and I’ve done it after, so I’ve seen it all. I think lockdown might have opened people’s eyes that there is only one life out there – if you want to travel, do it while you’re young. Don’t wait for the right time because there never is a right time, you’ve just got to go and do it!’

What is the biggest motivation for people to travel?

‘Everyone is different, but probably FOMO! That is thanks to social media. I think one of the main things that makes me want to visit a new place is because I’ve seen someone else do it. It’s so popular now for Brits to travel and go to Australia. When I’m sitting at home on a Wednesday and it’s chucking it down with rain and my friends are in Australia sitting on a beach with a beautiful sunset – I’ve got FOMO!’

Siamese Twins

Entertainment

By Amelia Brookes

Interview with

Dungeons 'n' Dragons

Illustrations by Ed Farley

In conversation with Elizabeth, the DM, third-year student, Willow, player, and James, player.

Elizabeth, would you mind telling me about the plot of the campaign?

Elizabeth- The campaign is set five years after a worldwide magical war, in the city of Belgrave, a very large kingdom surrounded by enchanted walls. (The main characters) are an entire party of magic users, in a city where magic is criminalised. The penalty for using magic within the city walls is death. The players were found using magic and arrested, and were asked to form a new division of the police force called ‘The Axel Division’, which was basically designed to try and improve public opinion of magic users.

As the DM, how much work goes into the campaign behind the scenes?

Elizabeth- Whew! Honestly, it depends hugely on the week. The work at the start was probably the most. The entire time we’ve been running, I have the overarching plot of the campaign, so slightly less work now because I know where we’re going… depending on what they do, obviously. They’re investigating crimes, so it would be smaller ‘modules’ where they’re investigating a certain thing. If they’re continuing investigating something that I’ve already set up, it’s less work for me. Unless there is a fight… fights take more set-up work and more work in session. You have a lot of statblocks, running initiative, (making sure) everyone knows what they’re doing… minis, maps…

Question for the players… how does that translate for you? Do you see that being reflected?

Willow- Yeah, definitely! I think that breaking it down into cases helps pace the narrative a lot.

James- It means that we’re not juggling lots of information all at once.

Willow- If there’s ever a case of not knowing what to do it feels like it’s because we missed something, rather than something wasn’t made clear.

How long have you guys been doing this campaign for?

Elizabeth- In terms of actual game content, a year.

Do you mind telling me how this campaign has brought you together and helped build community?

James- When I graduated, I kind of drifted away from a lot of uni stuff, and I have a lot going on. Because it’s scheduled, I just know that one evening I’m not free. So it’s an easy way to know that I always get to see this group of friends regardless of anything else I’m doing.

Willow- Also, the style of campaign that it is… it’s very low-effort. We spend the first hour of it chatting and ordering food and play some DnD, then it’ll be 10pm and time to stop. Regardless of how drained I am that day, I can do this.

Are all of these cases connected somehow?

Elizabeth- Depends on the case, but usually yes.

Do you think that you’ve gained any skills from being in the DnD campaign?

Elizabeth- Organisation skills and improvisation skills 100%. Especially as the DM, you can put the guesswork in for what’s going to happen, but ultimately you are responding to people.

What advice would you give someone trying to go into DnD for the first time?

Elizabeth- Just go for it and have fun.

James- Find a group who vibe with you in terms of what you’re looking for. Do a session zero.

Willow- Finding the right group, I think, is so important- ascertaining what kind of thing is going to be run, even if it’s just finding out how much roleplaying-game there is compared to combat.

James- I think also, awareness that there are other systems out there, and DnD is not the be-all-and-end-all of tabletop games.

Love Letters

By Jocey Neligwa & Vivika Sahajpal

Dear the Superhero genre,

“Avengers!...”

A love letter to the superhero genre. DC & Marvel alike, yes I enjoy both. A genre that I owe most of my childhood to, and maybe even as a teen, ever seeing the HULK, Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-man, at the age of seven – I was first introduced to the magic of cinema. Being introduced to a universe of super powered beings truly opened my imagination. Comprehending that the man with glasses can fly or get so angry he rages with pure green destruction, was mind blowing enough as a young child. But it’s growing up with you into my teen years, that I started to appreciate you as the movies you are – almost as though they became documentaries following the lives of my favourite characters. The casting, watching comic books come alive, or actors stepping into the shoes of characters that they were seemingly born for. The simple feelings of forgetting these are films, the characters feeling more real, or real people being superheroes in our own lives. Over years of storytelling in the Marvel universe, bringing together characters from different storylines, through many and each film, cultivating a world so vast. The possibilities are endless, that allows us to escape to, relate to or purely awe in the cinematic excellence. One of my favourites, Spider-Man. And films like ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse’, a true dedication to the character, storytelling, colour, sound etc. to bring a story to life, will always be incredible. The magnitude of the impact that you’ve had on generations of film lovers is almost immeasurable, especially on myself.

And as it goes… “…Assemble!”

Lots of love, Jocey

Neligwa

Illustrations by Jocey Neligwa

Dear The Prestige,

I fell in love with you the first time I watched you and your scenes have haunted me ever since. You managed to combine the capturing beauty of science and stage magic with the darkness of 1890s London and a chilling insight into the sinister side of human nature.

With your phenomenal cast, you told the story of a broken friendship and a growing feud that demonstrated sacrifices made in blind anger and determination fueled by vengeance. Your two magicians played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman performing alongside Scarlett Johannson, Rebecca Hall, Michael Caine and David Bowie brought you to life in an incredible way. Because of this, each scene plunged me into a convoluted discovery of emotion, depth and humanity.

Christopher Nolan intertwined strands of your plot across different times, plotlines and characters, expertly jumping between them and interweaving them into the intricate web of obsession, secrecy and mystery that shrouds the whole film.

I fell in love with you because you were able to so beautifully capture the fragility of the human psyche whilst warning against the consuming possibilities of ambition. You gave me one of my first experiences of truly recognising the things I appreciate most in cinema.

You told a story of passion, never assigning light and dark or good and evil to the competing magicians and their natures but instead warning against the way they both spiralled. You combined breathtaking cinematography with a commentary on the human condition that still hasn’t left me, thank you.

With Love and Gratitude, Vivi Sahajpal

Lights, Camera….Action?

Illustrations by Jocey Neligwa

“the British government has recently become more committed to cutting their funding for the arts, leaving many creatives underpaid and overused.”

As many of us come to the end of our undergraduate/postgraduate degrees, we are faced with the daunting assignment of sending out what seems to be an endless amount of job applications or continuing our education in one chosen *specialist* field. Some of us here at Impact, and beyond, are exploring ways that we can pursue our love of journalism and storytelling and it is common to be often tormented by the damaging labels that are attached to creative industries: oversaturated, underfunded, and frivolous. An industry that seems to be rather popular at the moment is film & television and in light of the recent 2023 Writers Guild of America strikes, it appears to be a seemingly less welcoming industry. However, the local Nottingham community continues to prove that you should not be put off by the darker side of pursuing a career in filmmaking; our friends over at Lounge Trip, an U25s filmmaking group and film screening collective, sat down with Impact’s Lottie Murray to explore how the team are navigating the complex, and often unwelcoming, world of filmmaking.

By Lottie Murray

One word: Networking. Any collective, Longue Trip included, thrives based on its community spirit; combining a group of young ambitious people has been an essential way to explore the intricacies of production. The team told us that initially, Lounge Trip “came after a few of us met at the BFI film academy in 2021, we developed a love for filmmaking and programming and Lounge Trip became the name for our little community of filmmakers and enthusiasts”. Now more than ever, Longue trip is proof there is nothing more encouraging than surrounding ourselves with trustworthy and inspiring minds while creating and producing; people you never feel you have to compete with.

As students, it can be frightening to invest in other parts of our futures outside of our degrees: “Balancing filmmaking and other responsibilities like education and work is still unfortunately a difficult task”. We are often expected to dedicate a huge chunk of our time to developing our creative skills through volunteering. The inability to earn money while we learn creates a huge obstacle for sustaining ourselves and “the ambition we all feel often parallels with the more realistic need to be able to afford rent and food etc”.

To make matters worse, the British government has recently become more committed to cutting their funding for the arts, leaving many creatives underpaid and overused. As young people, it can be extremely discouraging to have our passions, and future careers, labelled in such a negative manner and “It’s appalling - frankly”. Rishi Sunak’s government has appeared in national tabloids (rather ironic) slandering what Sunak refers to as ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees. This marvellously empowering term is attributed to the study of subjects such as Photography, English Literature and Fine Art. By Sunak deeming these as ‘the least employable degrees’, he ultimately fails to recognise that “the arts are so integral to the function of our lives”. Lounge Trip goes on to note that “it’s upsetting to see such blatant disregard for it”.

When it comes to getting ideas from script to screen, there is no strictly correct way of undergoing this creative process. Lounge Trip shares that when it comes to getting ideas off the ground, “we are lucky to have a group of people that are all striving for the same goal, so we usually bounce ideas around together until we have something we’d all like to work on”.

Lounge Trip goes on to explain that “film career progressions have always been a very individual goal. With Lounge Trip, we aim to support each other throughout our careers, to allow ourselves more free time to focus on studies and work. Although a lot of film work is unpaid, we use these experiences to grow our network, and share information with each other. Whether that be about new funding pots, filmmakers we might want to collaborate with, or even just unique ways of how to run a set. Knowledge shared is knowledge squared etc”.

Nottingham certainly has an impressively rich tapestry of culture to offer and Longue Trip expressed their gratitude to some of their own inspirations and cheerleaders in the city: “Other film collectives such as Jackie Treehorn, Kino Klubb and Fortune and Glory definitely inspired us when looking at how we wanted to run our events. The work of venues such as Broadway Cinema and Nottingham Contemporary will always hold special places in our hearts, and just looking at other filmmakers’ work inspires us, creative people are amazing!”

Arguably, the hardest part of the creative process is believing in your ideas and making them come into fruition.

Many people also struggle to source filmmaking equipment since it is extremely expensive but you do not need fancy tools. Often a phone camera will suffice.

If your journey as a student at University of Nottingham will continue after reading this, there are various ways you can explore your cinematic creativity including joining societies such as filmmaking society (@uonfilmmaking), Dark Celluloid (@uondarkcelluloid), and of course our neighbours over at NSTV (@ nstvofficial). NSTV has an outstanding legacy of producing an array of documentaries, short films and live streams to name a few and joining their society during your time at UoN will provide you with invaluable filmmaking resources and skills.

While on the topic of Nottingham as a hub for culture, Lounge Trip have successfully incorporated ways to celebrate the wonderful array of creatives dotted across Nottingham: both students and professionals. When it comes to planning their events, thek team aims to blend a wide range of different mediums. They primarily do this by “championing their work through art stalls that we run alongside our screenings”. More specifically, “for film projects, we have found collaborators all over. Oftentimes at networking events, but we have also met people from a direct message, or even from chatting to people in cafe bars, [we] have ended up with someone working with us on a film!”

They primarily do this by “championing their work through art stalls that we run alongside our screenings”. More specifically, “for film projects, we have found collaborators all over. Oftentimes at networking events, but we have also met people from a direct message, or even from chatting to people in cafe bars, [we] have ended up with someone working with us on a film!”

Having attended a Longue Trip screening myself, this young film collective embodies everything which must be preserved in the filmmaking industry, regardless of both national and local funding cuts. Combining such a plethora of talent in Nottingham throughout their events is a beautiful and appreciative way to demonstrate just how intricate the creative process can be; there are so many ways one can express themselves through artistic means.

If you only take one thing away from this it would be to get to creating, unapologetically! People too often underestimate the essentiality of the arts and honestly it’s rather boring. It is frustrating that the industry proves to be so difficult to navigate but don’t let people’s unwarranted opinions limit you; you may feel as though you cannot contribute anything ‘unique’ to the complex world of film, but surely it holds some value that your name will appear on the credits?

You can follow Lounge Trip on Instagram (@loungetrip_ and @loungetripproductions) to keep up to date with upcoming screenings and independent production.

“this young film collective embodies everything which must be preserved in the filmmaking industry, regardless of both national and local funding cuts.”

Entertainment

Entertainment

The European Arts

Written & Illustrations by Vivika Sahajpal

The European arts sit in a constantly changing realm of culture, both being influenced by and influencing others in a beautiful and fascinating display of cultural exchange, and fine art is no exception. However, when you factor in historical context and the stories swept under the rug, this sentiment becomes significantly more complicated and significantly less sincere. This doesn’t mean that the beauty created is not authentic, it simply means that there are layers to peel back and histories to acknowledge in genuinely appreciating that beauty. Impact’s Vivika Sahajpal discusses.

The influence that can occur across cultures manifests itself in different ways, sometimes through dynamic changes to an individual artist’s journey, the shaping of entire new artistic movements or sometimes it occurs as fleeting moments of infatuation with an unknown and romanticised culture that an artist hasn’t had any genuine experience of. Across time and movements, through Europe’s explorations and conquests, the exposure of European artists to other cultures has grown and the fine art of certain cultures, cultural motifs and more functional forms of art have all inspired in their own ways.

During the time of the Rococo art movement in the mid-1700s, there was a movement known as Chinoiserie. Whilst typically associated with China, given its name being derived from the French word for Chinese, it was in fact inspired by an ambiguous notion of Eastern aesthetic that combined various cultures across South and East Asia and reduced them to one. It occurred at a time when European exploration of the rest of the world was causing various artefacts and objects of these cultures to be brought back to Europe via trade which in turn caused the fantasy of Chinoiserie.

Francois Boucher is a prime example of one of the artists who embraced this; from 1731 to the late 1750s, many of his paintings and drawings were filled with the perceived aesthetics of the Far East. This resulted in a whole body of work that depicted European interpretations of ‘Chinese’ heritage, leading to pieces that combined French scenes with Eastern motifs, resulting in portrayed imagined cultures.

The later decades of the 1800s saw a more specific yet still reductive inspiration taken from the East with Japanese prints sparking a series of art movements with their techniques. The impressionist artists of the 1870s were captivated by the beauty of Japanese art in form, structure and aesthetics alongside the hidden sentiments it projected. This completely altered the European approach to art, partially due to due to technique and motifs, but also due to the presence of Japanese philosophy in the art they encountered.

Claude Monet, an extremely prominent founding artist of the impressionist movement, is said to have come across Japanese Prints being used in a food shop and immediately become enthralled with them. He proceeded to collect and study them, with his admiration of Japanese art and Eastern philosophy influencing many different aspects of his life. His unique style is extremely powerful because of the combination of his relationship with nature as his inspiration and a deep understanding of the techniques he was merging with his own.

The Japanese influence on impressionism continued with post-impressionism and the art nouveau movements that emerged in the late 1880s and early 1890s, remaining prominent into the first decade of the 1900s. The post-impressionist artists were named as such in hindsight and at the time considered themselves independent. With styles that set them apart from the naturalist approach of impressionism, their work was characterised by their developed focus on conveying deeper meaning.

It was from his collection of Japanese prints that post-impressionist Vincent Van Gogh modernised his art into a new form of expression. Through the approach to colour, perspective and spatial composition of Japanese Art, Van Gogh brought a new atmosphere to his work by applying these approaches, alongside his other inspirations to his own subjects and concepts.

“The impressionist artists of the 1870s were captivated by the beauty of Japanese art in form, structure and aesthetics alongside the hidden sentiments it projected.”

And Cultural Encounters: An Exploration

Often discussing how the cheerful nature of Japanese prints resonated with him, it was every element of them that Van Gogh considered to be an incredible artistic achievement.

Similarly, yet perhaps entirely differently, the art nouveau movement spanned several artistic disciplines and demonstrated the immense influence Japanese art and objects had on artistic culture as a whole and not solely styles of painting. One of the ways this manifested was through illustrated theatre posters throughout Europe that used classic motifs of Japanese woodblock prints, particularly those of nature as well as flat expanses of colour and other techniques that weren’t particularly seen in European Art prior to impressionism.

The early decades of the 20th century saw the movement of Fauvism; though short-lived, it paved the way for many movements after and many of its artists are prime examples of the way colonial theft across regions of Africa and Oceania changed the nature of European art, whilst also contributing to damaging characterisations. Fauvism was largely a transitional stage for its artists and Henri Matisse, arguably its leader, was one of the few who continued with it throughout his career.

Matisse encountered African sculptures and masks, brought to Europe via imperialism, through museums and galleries. They significantly shaped his art despite the lack of knowledge that society had on the uses, meanings and origins of these artefacts at the time.

The design of the African art he encountered changed the direction of his work causing him to combine this influence with that of his European predecessors giving rise to Fauvism. Rooted in a rejection of the traditional presentation of dimensions similar to that of the post-impressionists and the use of complementary, unnatural colours with broader brush strokes, Fauvism developed into other movements that also took significant inspiration from African art.

One of these movements was Cubism, founded by a close friend of Matisse, the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, alongside George Braque. Famous for its geometric forms and two-dimensionality, the movement took elements from art from different regions of Africa in a similar way to Fauvism. Matisse and Picasso encountered African art sculptures together, with Picasso famously discussing the way these encounters shaped his conceptualisation of art as a whole and his purpose within it.

Despite the profound impact it had on him, Picasso, along with the rest of European society had a contempt for these artefacts that they knew so little about showing the way society used other cultures, only to discard them. Picasso’s use of Central African aesthetics continued throughout his career as he continued to collect African artefacts, yet he later denied that that was where the inspiration for his Cubist work lay.

Cubism then sparked a series of movements just as impressionism and every other art movement had, demonstrating the interconnectivity of artistic expression and the significance of cultural encounters. There is massive breadth and depth to the range of European movements and artists shaped by colonial conquest, beginning with Western explorers and their exoticised, reductive accounts of the flourishing cultures they found; the European movements and artists explored here are just scratching the surface.

With some of these cross-cultural influences having been left unknown, denied or ignored, not only are the works of unnamed artists left with their significance forgotten, but often left actively erased. In acknowledging their significance, it is not simply their influence on European art that is important, but their role as art and artefacts in their own right. The beauty, found and lost across eras of art and cultures and countries, must be acknowledged as a whole in order to be genuinely acknowledged.

“Cubism then sparked a series of movements... demonstrating the interconnectivity of artistic expression and the significance of cultural encounters.”

Illustrations by Anya Soares

The Women Pioneers of Hip-Hop

By Natalie Howarth

Hip-hop is a subcultural phenomenon that ruled the 1990s and continues to be one of the most popular and consumed genres of music. Hip-hop is versatile and has an entire subculture attached to it, cementing its status as a beautiful and art form. The genre functions as a mode of storytelling through rhythm and beats that originated in the 1970s in African American sections of New York City, predominantly the Bronx, before dispersing globally following the huge success. Impact’s Natalie Howarth explores the wonders of the Female HipHop industry, over the years.

Since its inception, the art form has been notoriously male-dominated during its inception and popularisation: mainstream male rappers boast a desire to uphold the subordination of women in rap (synonymous with hip-hop) through misogynistic lyrics, consequently marginalised by the efforts to keep women out of the hip-hop scene. However, many women resisted the rejection from the scene and emerged and were therefore given a framework to aim to deconstruct and dismantle the pervasive misogyny they experienced from other male creatives. The amplification of women’s stories and shared experiences struck a collectivism that is important to be preserved. And is being continued in the scene today thanks to many women who continue to rule the scene.

Ms. Lauryn Hill:

As one of the most commercially successful artists of the last 30 years, Lauryn Hill broke many records for female solo artists across all genres, not just hiphop. Her lyricism embraces the beauty of womanhood, accompanied by multigenre sounds that include elements of soul and reggae.

“Hip-hop is versatile and has an entire subculture attached to it, cementing its status as a beautiful art form”

Queen Latifah:

A household name, Queen Latifah was a part of New York’s hip-hop collective, Native Tongues, alongside A Tribe Called Quest. The collective itself is known for its social consciousness of adversities and hardships that minority groups face and aims to raise this in their music. Her song Ladies First is an empowering and unifying song that questions authority in an attempt to reclaim women’s power and position as equal in wider society.

MC Sha-Rock:

Known as ‘the Mother of the Mic’, MC Sha-Rock was the first woman MC who ruled the early hip-hop scene. Her presence within the scene brought about mainstream and massive success, as she introduced an echo chamber of rap methods to the industry to empower the underrepresented.

Missy Elliot:

A unique, one-of-a-kind rapper who undeniably changed the game for hip-hop as a cemented legend in the hip-hop scene. Missy Elliot’s Get Your Freak On music video totally subverts the 2000s expectation of hypersexualised depictions of women in the hip-hop industry.

Salt-N-Pepa:

The group formed in New York City in 1985 and embodied an underrepresented, uber-feminine style incongruous to the space as hip-hop had initially been perceived as a masculine space. They set so many precedents for their successors, through the unapologetic embrace of sexuality that is empowering rather than degrading.

Little Simz:

A current favourite rapper within the UK hip hop scene, Little Simz’s music can be defined as an eloquent fusion of multiple genres to create an authentic and distinct sound. She is currently the best in the game for her unabashed sense of self!

“many women resisted the rejection from the scene and emerged and were therefore given a framework to aim to deconstruct and dismantle the pervasive misogyny they experienced from other male creatives”

The Process of Songwriting: Exploring the Emotional Journey Behind

By Yasmine Medjdoub

Every day, the majority of the population consumes music in some way. Since we view it as such a necessity it is often difficult to comprehend just how much goes into its production. Particularly, songwriting is a rather complex process. Impact’s Yasmine Medjdoub explore how artists such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Adele have mastered the art of writing moving lyrical masterpieces.

“where heartfelt vulnerability permeates every word”

’Twas a pretty rough day in NYC. My friends took me to Tiffany’s. We had too much champagne. I bought us all rings. It was very insane and funny, and on the way back to the studio, Njomza was like, ‘b*itch, this gotta be a song, lol’. So we wrote it that afternoon.’ – Ariana Grande on the making of 7 Rings

Stories like Ariana Grande’s revelation about the making of the hit 7 Rings stand as a testament to the enigmatic process of songwriting. It unveils a world where ordinary moments morph into extraordinary melodies. Songwriting, the bedrock of musical creation, invites us into a realm where emotions intertwine with technical prowess. From intimate anecdotes to big productions, songwriters traverse diverse paths to birth their masterpieces.

“It emanates from personal encounters, fleeting emotions, poignant observations, and the zeitgeist of current events”

The spark of inspiration ignites the songwriting journey, drawing from a myriad of sources that traverse the depths of human experience. It emanates from personal encounters, fleeting emotions, poignant observations, and the zeitgeist of current events. In this interview, Taylor Swift aptly expresses in an Interview for her documentary ‘Miss Americana’, “I think as a songwriter, there is that urge to connect. There is that urge to say like, this is how I feel sometimes and then have fans say, ‘Oh my god, like, I feel that way too.’” Swift’s sentiment echoes the universal desire among songwriters to encapsulate the human experience in their lyrics.

Further adding to this is Billie Eilish’s insight into her process behind crafting What Was I Made for? for the Barbie movie. In a Billboard interview, Eilish explained she delves into a selfless approach, where she transcends her own persona to embody the character she’s writing for:

“I was purely inspired by this movie and this character and the way I thought she would feel and wrote about that.” This revelation underscores the complexity of songwriting, where the artist becomes a vessel for emotion, weaving together melodies and lyrics that transcend individuality to resonate universally.

Further adding to this is Billie Eilish’s insight into her process behind crafting What Was I Made for? for the Barbie movie. In a Billboard interview, Eilish explained she delves into a selfless approach, where she transcends her own persona to embody the character she’s writing for: “I was purely inspired by this movie and this character and the way I thought she would feel and wrote about that.” This revelation underscores the complexity of songwriting, where the artist becomes a vessel for emotion, weaving together melodies and lyrics that transcend individuality to resonate universally.

“Songwriting, the bedrock of musical creation, invites us into a realm where emotions intertwine with technical prowess”

In songwriting, diversity thrives through various approaches that artists undertake. Some craft narratives that transport listeners to different realms, employing storytelling as their primary tool. Others prefer a confessional style, baring their souls through raw, intimate lyrics. Artists like Adele exemplify this approach in songs like Someone Like You, where heartfelt vulnerability permeates every word, inviting listeners into the depths of personal experience.

Concept-driven songwriting transforms abstract ideas, challenging listeners to delve deeper into the layers of meaning. Ariana Grande’s latest album ‘Eternal Sunshine’ stands as a great example, weaving a narrative of love, loss, and heartbreak. In a Zach Sang interview about the emotional depth of the album, she states, “I had some sessions where I was writing more emotionally and reactively, but that’s also very human, so I didn’t want to erase all of it.”

“Regardless of the approach or genre, songwriting remains a deeply personal endeavour”

Moreover, the influence of genre cannot be understated in shaping songwriting techniques, as each genre imbues its own set of rules and conventions, guiding songwriters towards innovative expressions. Regardless of the approach or genre, songwriting remains a deeply personal endeavour, allowing artists to channel their innermost thoughts and emotions that resonate across boundaries and generations.

THE PORTLAND CLUB IN CINEMAS NOW

The students of the University of Nottingham are surrounded by a series of systems, protocols and routines crafted and carried out by the people working behind the scenes to give us the fulfilling, vibrant student experience we take for granted. It’s important we appreciate and recognise the hard work and care that goes into giving us the experiences we’re lucky enough to have. Here we introduce you to some of the people who make that possible through their roles in the Portland Building.

PHOTOGRAPHY: THOMAS ACRATOPULO DESIGN: JOCEY NELIGWA CREATIVE DIRECTION: VIVIKA SAHAJPAL & JOCEY NELIGWA WORDS: VIVIKA SAHAJPAL

FASTTIMES

Hattie, a Masters student in Translation Studies, works at Portland coffee along with many other students including Beth, a second year Law student. Portland coffee, alongside Mooch where Lottie, a 2nd year PPE student works, offers students a place to take a much needed break on campus accompanied by a delicious treat, a creative hot (or iced!) drink and friendly faces. Lakeside Arts, where Katie works, presents us with the opportunity to experience all sorts of creative shows and showcases and see some of the incredible talent hidden in Nottingham while also giving students a chance to get more involved and have new experiences.

Illustrated by Ed Farley

Photography by Thomas Acratopulo

Pictured: Jess Couchman

HATTIE - PORTLAND COFFEE BETH - PORTLAND COFFEEE LOTTIE - MOOCH KATIE- LAKESIDE ARTS

ONCE UPON A TIME

IN NOTTINGHAM

If you make your way upstairs in the Portland Building, you’ll find a cornucopia of cuisines that cater to every potential student palate and promises to offer a delicious lunch during a busy day packed with lectures. This food court, that’s useful to so many students wouldn’t be possible without the caring people working behind the scenes who have seen the uni change and helped it adapt over the decades they’ve worked there to give us the Portland building food court we have today.

COMING SOON TO A PORTLAND NEAR YOU...

Adventures in catering

Adam Jackson started off as a trainee waiter at the age of 16 and received his 25 years of service last month! He’s seen UoN change so much from buildings being built to the fluctuations in student culture, not to mention Mooch go through five different names of the years.

Carl Hutchinson, has been at UoN for 21 years with the last two and a half being in the Portland Building. He’s worked in food prep and production, first in EMCC and now in the Portland Building where he works with colleagues he met when he first started working at UoN.

Alex Roulstone has been at UoN for 12 years and has worked in the Portland Building for the last two! He’s noticed the way that the university has diversified and become more accepting to change during his time here.

ALEX ROULSTONE

CARL HUTCHINSON ADAM JACKSON

“Shake it like a Polaroid picture”

CRITICS

Illustrations by Jocey Neligwa

Hey Ya! – OutKast : 2000’s MUSIC RECOMMENDATION

Released back in 2003, Hey Ya! by OutKast is a staple tune from the early 2000s. Easily recognisable from its intro ‘one, two, three, uh’, the song has become an iconic addition to any upbeat playlist. Its commercial success was immediate, reaching number one in the United States, Australia and more.

Not only is the song incredible, but the music video released alongside it is just as iconic and has won multiple awards, such as the MTV Music Video of the Year back in 2004. With the set being inspired by the Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show,

By Ellie-Mae Davies

it features multiple versions of André 3000 as the different members of the band, with a crowd of cheering women in front of them.

Hey Ya! may just be one of the best feel-good anthems ever created!

27 DRESSES : 2000’s MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

The 2000s are renowned for their romantic-comedy repertoire. The issue with such a plethora of romance perfection is that some films get overlooked, one of these being the underrated gem 27 Dresses (2008).

27 Dresses takes “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” to an extreme. It follows wedding aficionado Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl),

whose closet hoards her 27 different bridesmaid dresses worn to 27 different weddings, as she plans her sister’s wedding to the man she’s secretly in love with.

While the plot is predictable, the film’s charm comes from the chemistry between Jane and the cynical Kevin Doyle (James Marsden) who, in classic rom-com fashion, finds his outlook on love challenged by Jane’s unyielding hopeless romanticism.

By Eva Hughes-Sutton

27 Dresses will leave both a sweet taste in your mouth and Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets stuck in your head, making it the perfect addition to your next chick-flick binge-watch.

The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hosseini is a gut-wrenching novel set in war-torn Afghanistan about two young boys of different ethnicities, one of privilege and one of oppression. The novel is about guilt, human rights, culture and most importantly friendship, making it a must-read for those hoping to delve deeper into Afghan modern history and individuality.

It allows readers to recognise the crucial nature of kindness and friendship. Telling readers what happened from the 1970s to as recent as the early 2000s, this novel covers a wide scope and does so in a way destined to bring a tear to the eye as we see our narrator run from his mistakes and grow.

By Hayley Lawson

The Kite Runner: 2000’s BOOK RECOMMENDATION

RECOMMEND...

Coffee: MODERN MUSIC RECOMMENDATION

I think it’s about time I stop gatekeeping the alternative band ‘The Redroom’ and introduce Impact’s faithful to their fantastic latest release, Coffee. Jessica Lewis-Ward has such stunning vocals, and the musical composition can only be described as spectacular. With a jazzy and upbeat feeling, I think this song may well be my personal summer anthem.

With the music industry being dominated by heartbreak at the minute (which I am definitely guilty of pouring my heart out to), it is so refreshing to hear a wholesome and catchy love song that compares two of life’s most exciting things: coffee and, of course, love.

By Hayley Lawson

The first time that I watched Parasite, I simply couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The story of the Kim family’s struggle to make ends meet quickly transformed into the attempted eradication of an arrogant rich family. After landing a job tutoring the daughter in said rich family, Ki-woo, the eldest Kim child, crafted a master plan which got the entire family working within the household in some capacity.

Parasite: MODERN MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

The plan was a success and they began leeching onto the luxuries of this life, like parasites.

Parasite offers a remarkably witty, yet monotone, insight into the parallel of the rich and poor navigating the capitalist system.

By Lottie Murray

Bong Joon-ho provides his audience with a subtle allegorical reminder that money is not the sole root of power; a strong intellect and social understanding mustn’t be underestimated.

In my humble opinion, there is no better film of the 21st century than Parasite and I do not say that lightly.

‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’: MODERN BOOK RECOMMENDATION

‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’ is the debut novel of Korean essayist Hwang Bo-Reum, translated into English by “rising star” Singaporean translator Shanna Tan. It’s a beautifully written and “heartwarming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books”.

The protagonist of this story is Yeongju, who abandoned her demanding job and fast-paced lifestyle following extreme emotional burnout to follow her dream of opening a bookshop. The HyunamDong Bookshop becomes a refuge for her and her many customers as they learn to disregard societal expectations in favour of personal happiness.

By Harriet Rothwell-Inch

This book fits snugly into the ‘cosy fiction’ subgenre. Slow- paced and filled with loveable characters whose stories inspire hope and self-reflection, I’d particularly recommend this book to final- year students experiencing societal pressure to have everything figured out. This book will inadvertently guide you to see that it’s perfectly ok if you don’t, and that you are enough.

By Alex Tyndall

Eternal Adaptability:

Whether we realise it or not, we have all been exposed to the work of William Shakespeare in one form or another. Traditionally, this would be through classroom discussions and analysis of key sonnets, soliloquies and stage plays. But the stories that we most commonly associate with Shakespeare live on in different forms, retold and reimagined. John Green’s 2012 novel The Fault In Our Stars takes its name by playing on a line from the play Julius Caeser – “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

But a far more popular way to transpose the works of Shakespeare to a contemporary audience is via the silver screen. Some attempts are far more successful than others – and some plays are far easier to repackage, their stories more universal, the themes more applicable to a wider range of scenarios and people.

There is often an idea of reverence around Shakespeare – a perception that he is untouchable, a paradigm of literature, a genius in every right whose works cannot be tampered with. But to explore such stories in different lights, different settings, altering the gender or ethnicity of the characters allows for not only greater accessibility to a wider audience, but also interesting analysis of the original stories themselves, and the changing political and social landscape since these plays were first written over 400 years ago.

Perhaps one of the most famous adaptations of Shakespeare’s work is West Side Story. First performed in 1957 as a stage musical, it has spawned 2 subsequent films (1961 and 2021), all of which explore racial, social, and economic tensions between white and Puerto Rican communities in Upper Westside Manhattan. It is a simultaneously lovely and heartbreaking story, only partially less tragic than the original play in the sense that Maria, based on Juliet, survives at the end, destined to live on without her Tony (Romeo).

Illustrations by Ed Farley

The basic story beats, two lovers from opposing factors, doomed to fail as a result of the circumstances around them, are infinitely repeatable, immediately recognisable, either as vague reconstructions or faithful adaptations. One such adaptation that springs to mind is Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonardi DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the titular characters. The use of Shakespeare’s original text, combined with a gritty Venice (Verona) Beach setting, makes for a timeless, utterly stunning piece of cinema.

“Shakespearean plays fit remarkably well into the modern film genre of chick flicks.”

It’s worth remembering that not all of Shakespeare’s ideas were particularly original. The story of Hamlet, for example, originates from the Medieval Nordic tale of Amleth, and would have been a relatively well-known story before Shakespeare’s play premiered in the early 1600s. And yet, his retelling remains the most well-known, influencing films such as The Lion King (1994), which is one of the most highly decorated animated films of all time. Nevertheless, some adaptions, such as The Northman (2022) decided to skip Shakespeare entirely and tap right into the heart of the original legend of Amleth, allowing for a gritty Viking-inspired retelling, filled with gorgeous sweeping shots of Icelandic landscapes.

Shakespearean plays fit remarkably well into the modern film genre of chick flicks. His more comedic plays which had strong romantic plot lines such as Much Ado About Nothing have been transformed into films such as Anyone But You (2023), which premiered to mixed reviews, with, ironically, some audience members commenting that the references to Shakespeare felt a bit ‘forced’. In the same vein is She’s The Man (2006), which was a hilarious play on Twelfth Night, set in the ‘Illyria Prep’ boarding school in Massachusetts, instead of a sunny Mediterranean coast. If you grew up in the mid-to-late 2000s, there’s a high chance you’re already very familiar with this teen comedy classic; it was a staple in our English classroom whenever the end of term rolled around, nearly as infamous as the Music department’s love of the 1978 musical Grease.

Changing Shakespeare For a Modern Audience

The tumultuous landscape of high school lends itself very nicely to the complicated plotlines and dramatic tensions of Shakespeare’s plays. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), for example, is an adaptation of The Taming Of The Shrew, set in Padua High School. It features what would now be considered an all-star cast of Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt – all of whom were, at the time, still relatively fresh-faced.

A significantly more serious play is O from 2001 – a retelling of Othello, also starring Julia Stiles as ‘Desi’ (Desdemona), alongside Mekhi Phifer as Odin (Othello) and Josh Hartnett as Hugo (Iago). Far removed from its rom-com cousins, O serves as a bitter, devastating reminder of the pressures of high school, the pervasive, intertwined nature of racism and jealousy, and the trauma of school shootings. The film was originally scheduled to be released in October 1999, but, in April of that year, the world was struck by the Columbine massacre. As a result, the date was pushed back, and the film was eventually released in August 2001.

“There is often an idea of reverence around Shakespeare – a perception that he is untouchable… a genius in every right whose works cannot be tampered with.”

The world of Shakespeare adaptations is rich and vast, influencing stories from around the globe, in a variety of different forms. Some more generic tales are significantly easier to repackage than others – the star-crossed lovers, a familial betrayal, a power struggle to become king, leader, owner of a Glaswegian restaurant (looking at you, James McAvoy) – all stories we have seen time and time before, and will see time and time again. And yet, even more obscure attempts have been made to twist what should be relatively singular plots. My Own Private Idaho (1991) is an incredibly loose retelling of the Henry IV and Henry V plays, which seems from the outset to be a strange endeavour, but makes for a deeply emotional and heartfelt film.

For the most part, the majority of adaptations are true-to-form, stage-to-screen retellings, which allow for more dynamic settings and a useful collection of camera and editorial techniques that give a deeper dimension to the original plays. Whilst some directors, such as Sir Kenneth Branagh, endeavour to make as faithful of an adaptation as possible (such as a four-hour-long film of Hamlet), there is so much creative liberty that can be taken to enhance, advance, or explore these iconic works.

Shakespeare may be a revered subject in secondary school, but his works aren’t perfect monoliths to be worshipped in their purest form. It’s something that the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) excels at –pushing the boundaries, provoking new reactions and providing interesting perspectives on seemingly unchangeable characteristics. As long as we keep adapting Shakespeare’s plays, his legacy will live on forever.

Impact Investigates

ByAlex Paszkowicz, Serena Mehdwan and

Design by Jocey Neligwa

It’s unquestionable that sport plays an instrumental role at the University of Nottingham - named Best University in the UK for sports by The Times in 2024, the wealth of sporting opportunities seems almost endless and sporting achievements foster a real sense of pride among students. Yet not without controversy. University sporting societies have long been associated with cultural problems such as initiations for prospective members. In particular, there are frequent questions over how inclusive and welcoming sports societies really are.

Despite cultural changes, are sports societies really fostering a welcoming environment for all at the University? According to a survey conducted by Impact’s Investigations team, 60% of respondents expressed feelings of exclusion from activities by their sports societies. Many students attribute this to the often excessive use of alcohol at sport society’s social events. Members are ‘forced to drink beyond their limit at socials’, deterring their participation in socials, and impacting their reputation in their teams. A friend of a student in the society revealed her friend felt uncomfortable expressing her problems to other members of her society as ‘she was worried it would reinforce stereotypes around her identity’.

In recent years, conversations around inclusivity have become more prominent and the University has sought to crack down on unacceptable behaviour in sports. To investigate, impact’s investigations team delved into the experiences of a current student to learn more about the situation and asked the current Sports Officer, Sean Nolan, about what the Student Union is doing to tackle the issues around culture and inclusivity in University sports.

We begin with our conversation with a current student at the University of Nottingham, an ex-member of the general Cricket Society. In their opinion, the Cricket Society had taken steps to be inclusive to all its members, by offering alternatives to the typical Wednesday sports night out. There were sober socials that members could attend, and no one was forced to drink more than they wanted to, unlike the experience of members in other sports societies. The student described that there was a lot of pressure to do well in the training activities, especially because many members were also involved in local clubs.

Tom Hayward

“I think it’s important to understand that i nitiations don’t and won’t just stop overnight because somebody politely asked!”

Additionally, freshers joining the society were put into their house group, made up of 6 people, and had their house leader who was a returner member. Through this, freshers and returners could get to know each other, hosting their own smaller events, which could be less overwhelming than attending whole society events immediately. The society has a Facebook and Instagram page where members can access information about upcoming training and socials, and ask questions.

The student described elements of the Cricket Society’s events that they felt were not the most inclusive, particularly the social contacts and interactions between members of the society. Most of the committee members who were returners ‘liked to keep to themselves’, which could make it uncomfortable for new members, and there were consistently clear distinctions between the freshers and returners throughout the year, for example ‘evident in the style of outfits girls would wear at the weekly socials’.

The student suggested that aside from the initial training sessions during freshers week, having more consistent activities like this over the year and some external activities, especially for new and prospective members could make the society more inclusive.

With positive and negative elements, Cricket Society has all the tools to begin to maintain an inclusive environment for future students. To shed light on the issue of inclusivity of sports societies from the perspective of our University Students’ Union, Impact caught up with current Sports Officer, Sean Nolan.

“Sports university of the year” but for who?

Sean’s firsthand experience as an active member of the squash club, becoming a committee member, and his subsequent involvement in the Students’ Union for two years, uniquely position him to offer insights into this matter.

Reflecting on his journey, Sean acknowledges that while he ‘struggled to feel welcomed’ in the squash club, his perception gradually changed over time, ultimately becoming an integral part of his university experience. He explains that he can ‘look at the club now in a very good place socially across all levels’. Adjusting to any new group inevitably requires some time, but it’s evident that Sean’s experience improved as time went on.

To combat the issue of forced initiations, Sean collaborated with club committees to prepare educational workshops for members aimed at preventing the growth of toxic cultures. Additionally, he created new sanctions to deter societies from enforcing compulsory initiations. Reiterating his Let’s Talk series, he believes they are an important development to open conversations into celebrating diversity and inclusivity in sport, empowering all members to achieve their goals at our University.

“Despite cultural changes, are sports societies really fostering a welcoming environment for all at the University?”

While these efforts have clearly translated into concrete improvements, insights from students suggest that individual societies should look to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for all students.

In our survey, one student recommended that societies should organise activities throughout the year to create a more inclusive atmosphere since sometimes they ‘can feel a bit like cliques’.

“The student suggested that aside from the initial training sessions during freshers week, having more consistent activities like this over the year and some external activities, especially for new and prospective members could make the society more inclusive.”

These insights demonstrate a strong commitment from the Students’ Union to fostering an open and inclusive environment in sporting societies. Initiatives like pronoun badges and workshops aimed at preventing toxic cultures going a long way to improve inclusivity for students. With students highlighting a potential distance between freshers and more experienced members, communication and integration should be an area of focus for societies.

Most agree on the need to reduce pressure on alcohol consumption, especially for those who choose not to partake or have religious obligations. Additionally, another student believes societies should not enforce punishments ‘if someone can’t afford a certain costume’ for social events. Steps are being taken in the right direction, but there remains work to be done in moving towards a more inclusive sporting experience for all students at the University.

FORMER GREEN AND GOLD ATHLETES LOOK TO CHASE OLYMPIC GLORY IN PARIS

By Vinay Patel

Illustrations by Clara Wodny

The Green and Gold have made a habit of elevating the university through their sporting exploits, boasting a number of successful alumni to show for it. With the Olympic Games in Paris fast approaching, Impact’s Vinay Patel had the opportunity to interview Team GB athletes Katie Snowden and Tom Sorsby.

Tom Sorsby studied History at Nottingham between 2015-2018 and was an integral part of the men’s hockey team. Like Katie, he also drove home the importance of balancing his academic and sporting commitments. “There were points at which it was tough to manage but I had to see what we had across the season and when the academic deadlines were and just try my best to squeeze in as much as possible.” Tom’s favourite memory at Nottingham was during his first Varsity, “We got a few thousand people down to Highfields to watch the game on the Beeston pitch, which was definitely one of the highlights for me and we won, which helped.”

He also encouraged aspiring student-athletes to enjoy their university experience, “Nottingham, has a lot to offer, there’s loads of things that you can do to further yourself while you’re at university. Don’t let the experience go by just focusing on your sport. I think it’s important just to try and get a balanced few years at university and just enjoy all aspects of it.”

“That connection you get from playing a team sport, I think could be utilised to help people with their mental health issues […] because it’s something that everyone struggles with”

While Sorsby also had to undergo the demanding transition from student to professional athlete, he pointed out how the support at Nottingham made it easier. “They set you up to be used to the lifestyle of a full-time athlete, the support that we got at university is very similar to the support that I’m getting now. I think then it’s just growing up a little bit after university.”

When asked about the overshadowing mental health issues in elite sports, Tom believes that it is important to continue raising awareness. “It’s probably one of those topics that I think for guys, is not particularly talked about enough. Just trying to normalize it and get people talking is a big thing. That connection you get from playing a team sport, I think could be utilised to help people with their mental health issues and navigate things because it’s something that everyone struggles with at times.”

“to get out for the first game and you can hear a pin drop, it’s the weirdest combination of emotions”

Having made his international debut in 2019, Sorbsy quickly advanced through the ranks and played every game for Team GB in Tokyo two years later. He also represented England in the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and in the World Cup last year, where they advanced to the quarter-finals. More recently, Sorsby has helped Team GB qualify for Paris and hopes to take advantage of everything he missed out on in Tokyo. “It was a really weird mix of emotions in Tokyo because you build it up to be the pinnacle of your sporting career. And then to get out for the first game and you can hear a pin drop, it’s the weirdest combination of emotions. But we’ve done really well to qualify and we’re making some great strides with the team, so it’d be great to play in front of some fans and also try and bring home some medals as well.”

Katie Snowden graduated with a Geography degree in 2015, while specialising in 1500m and 1800m running for the Green and Gold throughout her time at Nottingham. In Snowden’s experience, it was always about finding a balance between her studies and high-level sports commitments:“I’d say the main thing was being pretty disciplined and managing my time as best as I could”. She continued by explaining that “one of my reasons for going to Nottingham was that I loved my course and wanted to make sure I got the most out of it while also feeling like I could balance the running.”

“I got a really bad injury during 2018-2019 and I think that would have been a moment when a lot of athletes maybe would have struggled to come back”

While Snowden acknowledged that the transition from student to professional athlete is far from easy, it certainly isn’t impossible: “I just tried to nail down some of the basic things that I felt like I probably could have been doing a bit better, whether that’s sleep, recovery or nutrition. At university, it’s a bit tricky to do all those things as best you can but [after graduating], try to manage your social life around races.” However, her advice to any aspiring student-athletes is to just enjoy the experience, “it is challenging at times having to balance a workload with [sport] but my main advice would be to enjoy it and not think too much about the outcome. Even now I look back and those couple of years that I had were the most fun so I’d definitely cherish them.”

“Even now I look back and those couple of years that I had were the most fun so I’d definitely cherish them”

Last August, Snowden set an English women’s record in the 1500m in Budapest and believes that she is in the best shape of her career ahead of an important few months. She outlined that “we’ve had quite a few championship experiences in the last couple of years that were postponed, so I feel really fortunate that I’m actually coming into some of my best years. Back-to-back years is something we wouldn’t have normally had [without Covid], so I think that’s quite exciting.” After participating in Tokyo 2020 behind closed doors, Snowden hopes to fulfil her lifelong dream of a traditional Olympics experience in Paris:“Although I feel really fortunate to have gone to Tokyo, it wasn’t quite the normal experience that I’d hoped for and that has added that extra motivation to make Paris. It would just be really exciting to fully immerse myself in the Olympic experience that I always dreamed of.”

When asked about the legacy she wishes to leave behind in her sport and as an athlete, Snowden offered her insight: “I’d like people to see me as someone who has persevered because after I graduated from Nottingham, it didn’t go particularly smoothly for a couple of years. I got a really bad injury during 2018-2019 and I think that would have been a moment when a lot of athletes maybe would have struggled to come back. So I’m quite glad I persevered and came out better on the other side. I’m hoping it shows that it doesn’t have to always go smoothly and you will have challenges along the way. And if you’re not the best at school or university it doesn’t matter because you can actually pursue it for so long.”

There is no doubt that both Katie and Tom will continue to make the university proud throughout the remainder of their careers and we hope to see them aim for Gold in Paris this summer!

WHY IS ADAPTING TO PROFESSIONAL TENNIS SO DIFFICULT?

Photography by Thomas Acraputolo &Anya Soares

Tennis has always been, like many other sports, obsessed withyoung talents. However, only a handful of those young talents manage to fulfil their potential.. The majority of teenagers who attempt to play tennis professionally struggle hugely with both the physical and mental side of the game, even if they eventually become one of the few success stories. Impact’s Tomos Millward explores the careers of Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Emma Raducanu and their challenges, to investigate the difficult transition to professional tennis.

Firstly, the most essential context to establish is the scheduling of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Each year, there are: 42 ATP 250 Tournaments; 11 ATP 500 Tournaments; 9 ATP 1000 Tournaments; 4 Grand Slams; 1 World Tour Finals and 4 Davis Cup Tournaments.

Whilst most tennis fans will recognise the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon) the ATP’s scheduling forces players to go beyond these headline events to accrue the necessary ranking points to compete. The top 30 players in the world (Gauff is currently No.3 and Alcaraz No. 2) must play all four Grand Slams, eight Master’s 1000 tournaments, four ATP 500 tournaments, and two ATP 250 tournaments. This is the absolute minimum required to maintain their ranking and adds up to a whopping 18 tournaments per year. If we assume that Top 30 players, especially Gauff and Alcaraz, are likely to progress deep into these tournaments, the single most difficult element of adapting to full-time tennis is evidently the schedule. All players, in this case, young players, are forced to play a brutal amount of tennis every single year.

“Whilst tempting to blame her predicament on being injury-prone, the ATP’s overwhelming schedule clearly placed too much strain on the young star”

By Tomos Millward

This is one of the most prevalent challenges that former British No. 1 Emma Raducanu has faced. Raducanu was propelled into the spotlight following her surprise victory at the US Open after entering the tournament ranked 150th in the world. However, the former World No. 10 has been unable to replicate this competitive level following that unbelievable victory in 2021. During 2022, Raducanu exited the Australian Open in the second round, concluded her early hardcourt season in the first round of the Miami Open, and retired half an hour into the first round at our own Nottingham Open.

Raducanu’s biggest problem was persistent injuries. These injury issues were not the result of a single incident which required surgery or an extended period away from the game. Instead, they were smaller and more persistent issues, such as blisters on her hands and back and wrist injuries. The fact that Raducanu’s injury woes are the result of a plethora of small injuries and not a single incident points towards her body’s inability to compete at the level required of elite tennis players. Whilst tempting to blame her predicament on being injury-prone, the ATP’s overwhelming schedule clearly placed too much strain on the young star.

“Unlike physical issues which cause premature withdrawals from events, mental struggles are comparatively easy to conceal”

The success of Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz provides a stark contrast with Raducanu’s fortunes. Gauff has won seven singles titles and eight doubles titles by the age of 20 and Alcaraz has won thirteen singles titles, including victory at Wimbledon over Novak Djokovic. Besides these two players performing at a higher level than Raducanu, their ability to adapt to the schedule of professional tennis players is also a major strength. However, whilst both players boast much better injury records than Raducanu, this is not to say their bodies have not had a difficult time adapting to the professional schedule. Even Alcaraz, who has achieved so much in such a short amount of time, has been disrupted by recurrent injuries to his right hamstring and left wrist. All this evidence from these three players and countless others suggests that the ATP’s current scheduling is the biggest barrier for young prospects to become full-time players and reach their potential. The fact that all young players experience injury and fitness issues to a certain degree, would suggest that the current ATP schedule is both unnatural for their bodies and disruptive to their lifestyles.

Another challenge of adapting to professional sport is the mental component of the game. Whilst being a top-level athlete at any age is challenging and requires impressive amounts of composure, to thrust young players whose minds are not fully developed, into this level of attention and a highly competitive sport, is bound to cause issues. Unlike physical issues which cause premature withdrawals from events, mental struggles are often concealed, thus reducing the number of public instances.

Take Raducanu, for example, who has openly spoken about the mental trials she has faced and the toughness of mind required to overcome her consistent fitness issues. Her career’s downturn has also led to her switching between coaches in an attempt to arrest this slide. Since her US Open victory in 2021, she has worked with nine different coaches. This is a highly unusual amount and speaks to her panic and fear, understandable emotions given her young age, the global attention on her, and the competitive nature of elite sport.

“All players, in this case, young players, are forced to play a brutal amount of tennis every single year”

Even the most successful players in the world struggle with mental challenges, look no further than Coco Gauff’s discussions that her meteoric rise led to a depressive mental state. The American has openly spoken about considering time away from the game, imagining whether her life would be improved as a normal teenager, and how she suffered from depression for a year. For many youngsters, however, speaking out like Gauff is not a viable option, and their mental struggles may remain hidden or manifest themselves in erratic behaviour or poorly judged decisions, such as Raducanu’s constant coaching changes. The pressures felt by these players and any resultant blunders are all too understandable and, like other teenagers who become overnight sensations, can cause issues beyond worsened performance.

Making the leap to professional tennis would be an incredible challenge for somebody of any age. The sport’s natural encouragement and hunger for ever-younger players leads to teenagers, whose bodies and minds are not fully developed, being forced into an oppressive schedule which almost inevitably leads to excessive physical and mental challenges. On the flip side, some may argue, as many older professionals do, that the difficulties that come with adapting to full-time tennis are natural and bring the best out of players. Perhaps, as uncomfortable as it is to reckon with, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff may not be the players they are today if many more Emma Raducanu’s had not fallen short of their potential.

sport

“The pressures felt by these players and any resultant blunders are all too understandable and […] can cause issues beyond worsened performance”

THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE’S

By Ayman Ahmer

The Champions League has undoubtedly warranted a whirlwind of emotions over the years. Impact’s Ayman Ahmer takes one for the team and narrows it down to some of the most memorial and iconic moments from the past 20 *ish* years.

10. Ronaldinho’s Iconic Dance Goal v Chelsea 2004/2005

While Brazil has produced some of the most skilful football players of all time, none of them can quite compare to the one and only Ronaldinho. An artist in many ways, he played the game in a manner one could only understand if they had grown up in the favelas. Ronaldinho showcased his footballing genius at the highest stage against Mourinho’s Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League knockout stages. This goal, somewhat comparable to the Cha-Cha slide, silenced a sea of spectators in awe of the magic they had witnessed before their own eyes. It’s hard to see anyone ever emulate such a breathtaking goal in the future.

9. Mourinho touchline sprint v Manchester Utd 2003/2004

Porto’s last-minute equaliser against Premier League heavyweights Manchester United created one of the greatest celebrations we have seen to date. Mourinho’s iconic touchline sprint marked the start of his journey to becoming one of football’s most decorated managers. Defeating Sir Alex Ferguson’s mighty United side gave British fans a brief insight into the Special One’s arrogance they would soon become accustomed to.

8. Didier Drogba’s meltdown v Barcelona 2008/2009 - ‘This is a disgrace’

Besides the pair of iconic goals scored by Michael Essien and Andres Iniesta, this tie is often remembered for Drogba’s manic meltdown at the full-time whistle. After Chelsea had been denied four viable penalty shouts, chaos erupted with players hounding Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo. Through the midst of all the grappling, Sky’s cameras were subject to an enraged Drogba bellowing ‘THIS IS A DISGRACE!’ in his less-than-desirable yellow flip flops.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo’s overhead kick v Juventus 2017/2018

It takes something special for opposition supporters to stand up and applaud a goal scored against them… and that’s exactly what this was… special. Even by Ronaldo’s exulted standards, this goal was mesmerising. The timing, the execution, the accuracy and the downright audacity to even attempt it, truly does make this, as Zidane said, one of the most beautiful goals scored in the history of the game.

6. Barcelona v Man Utd CL final 2010/2011

There has never been such a dominant display of football by a side in a final quite like Barcelona in the 2011/2012 campaign. The world was given the privilege to witness football greatness as the midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets ran rings around a helpless United side. This was the moment when Guardiola’s Barcelona established hegemony over European football.

5. Lionel Messi’s solo run v Real Madrid 2010/2011

Messi’s 88th minute goal versus bitter rivals Real Madrid was poetry in motion. As the full-time whistle approached, he picked up the ball near the halfway line from Busquets, dashing past five dumfounded Madrid players and clinically slotted it past Casillas. It was undeniably one of the finest goals the competition has ever seen. Despite attempts at the dark arts by Mourinho’s Madrid, the sublime genius of Guardiola’s side prevailed.

TOP TEN MOST ICONIC MOMENTS

Illustrations by Vivika Sahajpal

4. Man Utd v Bayern Munich – Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s last min winner 1998/1999

With the Premier League and League Cup already in the trophy cabinet, United had their eyes fixed on the Champions League. German heavyweights Bayern stood firm in the way of United’s aim of winning an unprecedented treble. Having trailed the game 1-0 down for 90 minutes, Teddy Sheringham’s 91st-minute equaliser was swept in off of Ryan Giggs’ mishit shot. Two minutes later, Bayern’s miseries were compounded with Solskjær’s prodded finish into the roof of the net, in what capped a remarkable turnaround. Left speechless after winning his first Champions League trophy for United, Ferguson’s immediate reaction fittingly summed up the nature of the match - “Football, bloody hell!”

3. Liverpool v Barcelona 4-0 2018/2019

Salah out. Firmino out. 3-0 down, with the task of preventing Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scoring. No one thought Liverpool had a chance of overturning their 3-0 deficit to Barcelona. However, the power of Anfield is something that should never be underestimated. Considering the occasion, the injuries and the context of the season, Jurgen Klopp’s mentality monsters performed at a level that was incomprehensible. You don’t have to be a Liverpool fan to admire the scale and magnitude of this comeback. Trent Alexander Arnold’s spontaneous whipped corner to Divock Origi will live long in the memory of all true football fans.

2. ‘La Remontada’ - Barcelona v PSG comeback 2016/2017

At halftime it was reported that Luis Enrique told his Barcelona players “Boys, even if there are only five minutes left, you’ll still be able to score three goals.” The resounding belief of Enrique transmitted itself throughout all areas of the pitch. Barcelona remembered who they were. Neymar put in one of the greatest individual performances seen in the competition, scoring a majestic free kick and high-pressure penalty. However, his most significant contribution was feinting past Verratti and drifting a perfectly weighted ball for Sergi Roberto to throw himself at. They had done the unthinkable. Overturned a 4-goal deficit. 6-1. A moment stamped in history books forever.

1.’Miracle of Istanbul’ - Liverpool v AC Milan 2004/2005

Liverpool’s valiant effort to reach the Champions League final was threatened by humiliation when a whirlwind of AC Milan attacks saw them trail 3-0 at halftime. Well…that was until Steven Gerrard struck in minute 56. The Liverpool captain’s glancing header galvanised his side and shifted the moment in their favour. 4 minutes later Vladamir Smicer, an outcast of the Liverpool squad nearing the final months of his contract, powerfully struck the ball into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Dida. Panic spread through the hearts of all the experienced Milan players. Xabi Alonso’s rebounded penalty finish sealed Liverpool’s outstanding comeback. Against all logic and sense Liverpool were reborn. The match was to be decided by penalties. As a nervy Andriy Shevchenko stepped up to the spot, Liverpool’s destiny lay in the balance. Jerzey Dudek’s save saw all Liverpool fans around the world erupt and ascend into a state of euphoria. They had witnessed a real-life miracle in front of their eyes.

UON’S CREATIVE WRITING

We Should Do This More

by Mary Carolan

And I think there is always something about it, about realising that it will always work. And I think one day always comes quicker than you had thought it would when mum said that one day, it will work out and be exactly how you didn’t think it would be, but glad it is. Because one day you’ll wake up and you’ll look at your table and you’ll see who’s there, and who’s not, and maybe you won’t wish it to be any different. And I think that’s exactly when you’ll realise that the one day has been every day that you haven’t thought about when it will come. And you’ll realise that some version of you would have really loved to see this. And then you’ll laugh a little, as if catching up with an old friend (like I suppose you are). You’ll say, “we should do this stuff more”, giving just to yourself, and maybe you finally will. Because you were young once and almost is such a sad word and I think we should rely on something as being an “almost” less. Because whatever “it” is, is exactly what it should be. Because maybe there has always been something about it, about you, and you never needed to wait for it to become so.

Illustrations by Clara Wodny

The Essence of What Once Was by

Lottie Murray

The presence of the spectator has been bestowed upon us. There is a voice embedded in me that does not resemble my own; One that tries to seamlessly disguise its fear, caution, and excitement while I hear it crystal clear. Through each stage of my life, I have welcomed new witnesses but there has been one constant. Just as a camera lens captures the most convoluted plots, scripted and staged to appeal, the naked eye of my mother has witnessed both the mundanity and extraordinary moments. From transforming sand into intricate designs with only the aid of the ocean’s vastness to counting raw pasta shapes to improve my mental arithmetic, she has lavished me with praise and admiration just as one would with the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Having begun tuning in much later, I sit wide-eyed in awe of the woman who raised me; perceiving only her cheerful demeanor and a glimpse into her remarkable nature. Observing each milestone of adult life, without knowing its significance, I have subconsciously referred to her exquisite guidance as she is my ultimate icon. Now watching from afar, we must adjust the framing and relearn technique as we ponder on the essence of what once was.

Cell Mates

by Ed Farley

He suffered the indignity of walking past strangers, spending a few painful milliseconds wondering if it was her. But now all was said and done… surely, she was one? She thinks she saw him too. She spends milliseconds in relief, lying to herself that she didn’t. Her pain says he’s haunting her, but reality says he could’ve been anyone. After all that investment, they never truly knew each other. Alas, they must spend the rest of their lives aware of their respective existences.

Years pass, many other strangers will hurt them. They’ll ask what they do to deserve it; thinking that they’ll spend a lifetime in their prisons. After all, what are questions if not sentences without endings? Cell mates will come and go, they get over them, each quicker than the last. She refers to ‘him’ but by this point, it’s not ‘him’. He refers to ‘her’, but it’s not ‘her’. In a game of comparison, they find solace knowing that the hurt isn’t as bad, as the sort they inflicted on each other.

Those milliseconds return, lasting forever. City paths become mental paths; people transform to units of measurements. It’ll be these times; they will see each other. These times; for sure. Always cell mates, with plenty of terms left to serve.

Editor-in-Chief: Lottie Murray

Print Editor: Vivika Sahajpal

Head of Online: James Hadland

Deputy Online Editor: Thomas Martin

Deputy Online Editor: Ariya Joshi

External Manager: Shakira Hamilton

Internal Manager: Esme Mckenzie

Social Media Manager: Harriet Rothwell-Inch

Welfare Officer: Charlotte Deville

Artistic Director: Jocelyn Neligwa

Head of Illustrations: Edward Farley

Head of Images/Photography: Thomas Acratopulo

Head of News: Hannah Walton-Hughes

News Editor: Esme Mckenzie

Campus News Editor: Harry Chapman

Head of Investigations: Arabella Mitchell

Head of Features: Evie Crossland

Features Editor: Mike Wong

Comment Editor: Megan Brown

Head of Lifestyle: Eva Sutton

Travel Editor: Alice Thébault

Science Editor: Leacsaidh Marlow

Style Editor: Katie Sullivan

Food Editor: Charlotte Bowers

Head of Entertainment: Amelia Brookes

Arts Editor: Natalie Howarth

Music Editor: Ellie-Mae Davies

Film & TV Editor: Christy Clark

Gaming Editor: Alyana Fatima

Head of Reviews: Hayley Lawson

Investigations Editor: Alex Paszkowicz

Reviews Editor: Amy Child

Head of Sport: Vinay Patel

Sports Editor: Ayman Ahmer

Head of Podcasts: Jess Couchman

Podcast Editor: Anna Boyne

meet the team

With Thanks to the Design Team:

vivika sahajpal

Jocelyn Neligwa

EDWARD FARLEY

Thomas Acratopulo

Alfie Johnson

Clara Wodny