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16 February 2018
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Issue 13.8
Lecturers Set to Strike February 22 A Refugee’s Journey From Syria to Kent Page 16
We’ve Had #Enough News Page 4
Peaky Blinders Series Four: Review Photo by Roger Blackwell|Flickr
By Grace Pocock Newspaper News Editor & Bill Bowkett Website News Editor
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alkouts at 61 universities, including the University of Kent, are set to go ahead in the coming weeks because of changes to lecturers’ pension plans. On January 22, the University and College Union (UCU) announced 14 days of strikes in February over employers’ plans to downgrade lecturers and staff’s future pensions. The University of Kent is one of many universities participating in the strike, with many students’ lectures and seminars likely to
be affected by the decision. The strike dates have been confirmed at the University of Kent. The number of strike days will increase in increments over the course of four weeks beginning with two days on the first week, and five on the fourth. Other action may include other UCU members refusing to undertake voluntary duties, to cover for absent colleagues, or to reschedule lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action. A spokesperson for the University of Kent has said: “We very much regret the decision taken by UCU. It is unclear how many of our colleagues will join this action. We will keep under review the potential impact of this action on student progress
and the ways any such impact may be mitigated”. Student response to the strike has been mixed. There is widespread support among students for their lecturers’ industrial action, with the National Union of Students (NUS) and UCU issuing a joint statement condemning the “marketisation of education” and warning that cuts to lecturers’ pensions would lead to a recruitment crisis. Other students, however, are concerned that this strike will impact their studies. A UCU spokesperson said: “Students are understandably worried
Entertainment Page 23
Interview with Kent RAG Societies Page 27
Extinction. Creative Writing Culture Page 15
Continued on page three...
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News
2017/2018
Print and online editorial contacts: Editor-in-Chief Kiran Saggu
Group of Students Denied Tanancy Because of Gender By Grace Pocock Newspaper News Editor
editor @inquiremedia.co.uk
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News
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Opinion
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Lifestyle
group of four male students have been told this week that they will be unable to move into the house they signed for December 31, claiming that this is based on their gender. The boys, all second-year students at the University of Kent, were contacted by their estate agent, Caxtons, February 6 to tell them their tenancy application had been withdrawn. Caxtons informed them in this email that the reason for this withdrawal was that the landlord had: ‘had a group of boys in the past who did not respect or look after the property, and [the property] had to be completely redecorated and refurnished’. The email a l s o stated: ‘because of
this, the landlord has decided they would rather four girls, or a mixed group (girls and boys) to rent the house’. Daniel Williams, one of the students who was supposed to be moving into the house next year, said: “we were told we had basically secured the house. We were all very happy, as we were looking forward to living together finally” On the reason given by the landlord, Williams commented: “we were all offended and disgusted by the generalisation, and the fact it took 10 weeks to be confirmed; in the last 10 weeks we could have found a better place, now it’s going to be much more difficult”. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon issue in student populations, another student t o l d InQuire they had
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three times. Williams was quick to state that the estate agents have been very supportive in this difficult situation, and they are working with them to secure another property as soon as they can. Caxton’s have offered the boys a £100 refund on their admin fees if they sign for another of their properties, or a full refund should they choose to sign elsewhere. The stress of the situation, has had a negative impact of the students’ coursework, with Williams saying: ‘searching for a new property has made mine [and the other student’s who signed for the house]’s assignments very delayed’. The four-bed property, in a prime location between the university and Canterbury West station, has since been relisted on Caxton’s website, with no mention of the landlord’s wishes for a mixed gender or all female group.
Canterbury to Place City of Culture Bid By Alejandro Javierre Writer
newspaper.entertainment @inquiremedia.co.uk
Georgia Dack
the same problem last year, and that in the end they searched for a female housemate to meet the landlord’s demands. Whilst landlords may prefer female-only tenancy, the discrimination is potentially against the law. The Equality Act of 2010 states that it is ‘unlawful for a person who has the authority to dispose of premises (by selling, letting or sub-letting a property) to discriminate against or victimise someone else in a number of ways including by offering the premises to them on less favourable terms; by not letting or selling the premises to them or by treating them less favourably’. Unfortunately, since the boys had only signed a preliminary contract, the landlord was able to overturn their potential tenancy without repercussions. Caxtons have been working with the students to negate the landlord’s decision, attempting to appeal it
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anterbury City Council have officially agreed with the Labour Party’s proposal to consider placing a bid for Canterbury to become the UK City of Culture in 2025. While the council does not need to officially place a bid until 2019, they have stated that they have unanimously agreed to start “looking at the feasibility” of placing a bid, in a tweet sent out on February 7. The City of Culture award is a prestigious, and hotly contested accolade for any UK city to obtain. It was first created by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in response to the huge successes generated in rejuvenating Liverpool during the 2008 European Capital of Culture. It was first awarded to the city of Londonderry in 2013, and has since been awarded to several cities across the country in four-year intervals similar to its European counterpart. There have been several calls
for Canterbury City Council to consider making bids to become the City of Culture over the years, with Orlando Bloom advocating for his home city to place a bid for it in 2017. However, Canterbury lost to Hull in the final stages of the competition in 2017. The judges claimed the entry was “too generic” to stand up against the diverse competition of the other competing cities. Canterbury has a long history ,dating back to the middle ages, of being a popular tourist destination. Should the city prove successful, a new chapter of the Canterbury tale could unfold; a massive increase in tourism and infrastructure that could place East Kent on the map for millions of holidaymakers for decades to come. Canterbury also narrowly missed out on the shortlist for 2008 European Capital of Culture to Liverpool. Canterbury’s bid was based on the theme “odyssey”, focussed on a bright future, which was
to be reflected both in the city itself and in the surrounding countryside. Liverpool’s award in 2008 sparked the development of the now renowned Liverpool One shopping centre on the abandoned Paradise Street. This development along with various other cultural programs aimed to revitalise the city’s dwindling tourism industry. These programmes were
estimated to have brought in over £750 million over the course of the year, as well as 9.7 million visitors into the city, 34% more than the previous year. To this day, revenue and visitor counts in the city remain much higher than they were prior to 2008. If Canterbury is successful in its bid for the City of Culture award in 2025 it will receive similar support and growth.
Photo by Antony McCallum|Wikimedia
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
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News
Lecturers Set to Strike February 22 Following Pension Changes Continued from page one...
about what will happen, and angry that their universities appear to be doing absolutely nothing to avert the most disruptive strike action ever seen on UK campuses. As students are being treated as consumers by the government, it is unsurprising that they are unhappy a service they feel
they are paying for is not being provided and some are seeking redress.” As yet, no compensation has been agreed on, and it is unclear exactly what impact this will have on students’ studies. Here at the University of Kent, a petition has been started by students who wish to show their support for their lecturers over this difficult time. It now has
nearly 2,000 signatures. Kent Union has also issued a statement, and written an open letter to the Vice Chancellor urging her to minimise the effect the strike action has on students. However, this letter is in contradiction to the NUS’s statement, which stands by the UCU’s decision for more disruptive and impactful action.
Why Are Lecturers Going on Strike? WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT? Universities UK has proposed to axe the guaranteed pension for tens of thousands of university staff. Independent research shows the typical UCU member stands to see their retirement income reduced by £10,000 a year if these cuts to the USS pension fund are imposed. WHAT WOULD THESE CHANGES MEAN? •
Final pensions would depend on how the stock market performs not on contributions.
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A reduction in retirement benefits by between 20% and 40% depending on grade and length of service. A typical lecturer stands to lose around £10,000 a year.
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The worst pensions in the education sector, far worse than those available to both school teachers and staff in ‘new’ universities.
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A recruitment and retention crisis as staff seek better financial security elsewhere. WHY TAKE STRIKE ACTION?
88% of UCU members voted to take strike action in legal ballots on record turnouts, but despite this staff concerns have been completely ignored by universities. While UCU has sought a negotiated solution, the employers are committed to a hard-line approach which decimates staff’s retirement savings. Strike action is the last resort for us but in this case we have no choice. WHO IS AFFECTED? UCU has initially called 14 days of strike action which will begin in many of the UK’s universities on 22 February 2018 and continue throughout the following weeks. The University of Kent is one of the universities participating. HOW LONG WILL THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION LAST? UCU members want to be at work, not on strike. But we are determined to continue the dispute until we achieve justice for our members. CAN THE STRIKE BE RESOLVED? Yes. The National Union of Students has called for the involvement of the government’s arbitration service ACAS to bring the two sides together for meaningful negotiations. Some vice-chancellors have even publicly asked their own side to resume national talks. UCU is happy to take up either suggestion. We believe both sides owe students their best efforts to resolve things before disruption begins. Information taken from the UCU website
News We’ve Had Enough: New Campaign Launched Against Sexual Assault
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By Grace Pocock Newspaper News Editor
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ollowing numerous reports and rumours of alleged sexual assaults at UKC The ‘We’ve Had #Enough.’ campaign was launched by Molly Hope, who explained it’s purpose to InQuire: “‘We’ve Had Enough’ is a student-led campaign to bring together students from the University of Kent in solidarity against sexual assault on campus. In light of the rising numbers of students being sexually assaulted on campus we decided to start a campaign to bring about change in our University. We feel that the University and Kent Union are not protecting its students who feel they have
the right to our bodies. Furthermore, we’re asking for more transparency from the University and Union about the amount of sexual assault happening on campus, and what is being done to combat it. By coming together as a positive force for change we hope to rewrite the way sexual assault is viewed on campus, and push the University to make preventing sexual assault a priority. They need to be made aware that sexual assault is a serious problem that needs addressing, and that action needs to be taken against those who put students in danger. Students deserve the right to know what is happening on
their own campus and they deserve the right to feel safe on campus. In order to make our voices head we intend to hold a peaceful protest on campus where individuals and societies can come together to tell the University that We’ve Had Enough and that change is needed.”
Photo by Kent Union
A full interview with Molly Hope can be found at www. InQuirelive.com.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
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News
In Conversation with Kent Union President, Ruth Wilkinson By Bill Bowkett Website News Editor
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ent Union President Ruth Wilkinson sat down with InQuire to discuss her time in office, the upcoming elections, and the many challenges facing the Union this year. Bill: You’ve been president for 10 months now, how has the experience been for you so far? Ruth: I started the role in July, and time has literally disappeared! I can’t believe it’s term two already. It’s been amazing though. We’ve had some brilliant events like the Reclaim the Night March; the Movember campaign, which raised over £15k for men’s mental health; an awesome black history month; disabilities history month; as well as all our day to day meeting with the University and lobbying efforts. These events are testament to the work of the officer team!
On a Kent level I think there are issues around study space, value for money for humanities courses, hidden costs in studying, and living costs.
Bill: What has been your favourite moment so far in term? Ruth: I’ve been working on delivering a project tackling
Bill: Nominations for the leadership elections opened on January 22. What kind of person will students want in a Union President? Ruth: I think students are looking for someone who is open and transparent, who really considers their views, and who works hard on the ground. I think they will want someone who connects with them personally, and who has exciting ideas for the future of the Union. I don’t think we get it right all the time, and it can be so hard to balance all the meetings we are expected to attend alongside keeping up with students.
sexual harassment in night clubs and pubs across Canterbury and Medway, and my hands-down best moment this term has been being awarded £12,000 by the Police Crime Commissioner to properly deliver training to every single staff member working on a bar or door in the night time economy. That means License holders have to tackle sexual harassment. It’s the first place in the UK that this is happening, and I really hope it makes huge strides to stamping out the prevalence of sexual harassment in the night time economy! It’s taken quite a lot of lobbying from myself and my predecessors to get here, and I’m so proud of this stand by Kent Union.
Bill: What do you think are going to be the main issues for this upcoming election? Ruth: There are so many huge issues playing out in the national press right now that are so relevant to students: freedom of speech, sexual harassment, living costs, and Brexit! I hope that some of those issues come up alongside creative ideas about how to respond to them.
Bill: Can you give an update on what the Union has achieved this academic year so far? Ruth: There’s loads of stuff I could talk about here and it would fill a newspaper! Some big exciting things have been winning the Zero Tolerance funding to tackle sexual harassment. We’re about to launch in January an
exciting Nightline which is a confidential, non-judgemental, student led listening service. For the first time ever we’re running a joint awards with the University in June which will be a huge celebration of student achievement (nominate yourself and others now online). We’re working hard towards the development of a real students’
union building, and the free printing development is making strides, but not ready to release to students yet. Common rooms with kitchen facilities (yes – microwaves) are being lobbied for in schools so that hopefully at some point in the near future you will have a common room near you! Bill: On average, students pay between £130-£190 towards the cost of a union during their degree. Are they getting value for money and if so what do they get? Ruth: Yes I think so! There’s not only representation support; things like a 24 hour library, the night bus, free academic societies – all achieved through representation; we also have the Jobshop, providing over 5,000 roles a year to students; the the advice centre, which sees one in four students about issues from VISAs, to finances, to housing trouble. And that’s before we even get into the support from staff to societies, volunteering, sports clubs and student media. None of the membership money students pay to be a member of
a club or group goes towards the union, it all stays in the hands of the student group.
Bill: Back in December, the former University Minister Jo Johnson said that universities could face fines over free speech curbs. Do you agree with this idea? Do you think that Kent has
of their vice-chancellor, who reportedly earned over £400,000 a year. Are you aware of how much senior members of staff are earning here, and whether this is an issue? Ruth: Yes, I am aware how much the Vice Chancellor earns at Kent, she actually announced it publicly on BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme when it was broadcast from Kent. There clearly is a huge issue at institutions like Bath Spa, and Bath, and generally across the sector, but I think Kent has taken the approach to be as open as possible. I’m looking forward to the OFS (Office for Students) having a role in ensuring that senior university staff members are paid reasonable amounts in keeping with their responsibilities.
Bill: There has been a suggestion to have two year degrees with Photo by Kent Union 45 week terms with a free speech problem for potential financial benefits. certain types of groups and What’s your opinion on people? this? Ruth: I believe in free speech, Ruth: Since fees have risen and I believe that University from £3k to £9k a year we have is a place to have healthy, seen a significant drop in the intellectual, debates. However numbers of mature students, our campuses are home to over part time students, and students 6,000 students, they deserve to with dependants attending feel safe while they are living University. There is an argument and studying at Kent, so we that two year degrees might give draw the line at a speaker who better access to these students could incite people to commit and many others, and it means hate crimes or violence. We also they aren’t paying for a year believe strongly that a panel that doesn’t count towards their should be balanced, so if one end result. I would like to hear person in the room has strong more from students about this. opinions on one side of the I fundamentally believe that the argument. We’d also like to see student loan system is broken someone on the panel who has and that the Government needs strong opinions on the other to commit to a review of higher side of the argument. In reality, education funding, Kent Union it is incredibly rare that we supports the NUS with lobbying would ever ask a speaker not to the Universities Minister to come to campus. move this forward. We need to know what this actually looks Bill: A story that like, and how it will affect all dominated last semester students. At first glance I think it was the question of the could massively increase access pay of university staff. for students with dependants, This week, hundreds of mature students, and other students marched through groups who currently struggle the University of Bath to commit and fund a three year protesting against the degree. retirement arrangements
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Opinion
Will Korea Ever be United? under a quadruple rainbow. The current ruler, Kim JongUn, apparently learned how to he Korean peninsula is no drive a car at the age of three. A stranger to subjugation. refusal to believe these things Since its founding in 676 AD, will get the average North KoKorea had independent rule for rean at best imprisoned, and at only fifty years; it’s more powworst killed. erful neighbours, Japan, China, South Korea meanwhile is and Mongolia, otherwise forced now a wealthy deit into vassalage as a functionmoraing puppet kingdom. Though cy, “Even if the Korea lacked its independence, Kim dynasty could it remained a united country. somehow be convinced to In 1945, however, when the step down, China would simply victorious powers of the move in to replace them. USA and USSR vied for the It is global politics, and while it is Korean land, it was carved essentially an extremely in two. American acquired large scale pissing contest, it the South, Russia the North, is crucial for international and Korea lost its unity. reputation.” Since then, the two parts of the peninsula have taken wildly with different paths. North Korea is an overall run by one of the most unpleas- high quality of life with all ant dictatorships in the world, basic rights guaranteed. The the Kim family. Kim Il-Sung’s country is far from perfect, with birthday is celebrated yearly government corruption and as a national holiday entitled political difficulties, but any ‘The Day of the Sun’. Kim sane person would rather live Jong-Il, it is taught, was born in South Korea than the North. Matt Nuttal Writer
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Thanks to the two Koreas decision to participate as a single team in the South Korean Winter Olympics this year, 2018, there has been talk of a full reunification, and at first glance it seems easy. Follow the path Germany laid out in 1989, after the Berlen Wall fell, and have the South help the North to catch up into a new Korea. As with the divided Germany, however, far greater powers are at play. It is not coincidental that the North and South are the quintessence of their two founding countries, the USSR and the USA. The two countries are, and essentially always have been, puppets. The Cold War may be over, but Asia still remains divided between China and the USA. To maintain the balance, there must be a communist country and a democratic country in the area. Even if the Kim dynasty could somehow be convinced to
Photo by Expedition 38 | Wikimedia step down, China would simply move in to replace them. It is global politics, and while it is essentially an extremely large scale pissing contest, it is crucial for international reputation. As such, Korea will not unify until one of the two great powers in America and China step back. The only question that remains is why each side agreed to unify for these Winter Olympics. After all, if they are realistically not going to
unify, why work together for a sport competition? It is a hard question to answer, but when considering the decision to participate together at these Olympics, it must be remembered that Korea did not choose to be divided. Both Koreas, no matter how different their politics, still desire unification; they just want it in different ways. That is why they are participating together, even if genuine unification remains a near-impossible dream.
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Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
Opinion
Pope Francis’s Defense of Child Rapists By Jesse Bedayn Opinion Editor
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postolic succession is the Catholic belief that, with consecration down the generations, priests today are in some way connected to the apostles. In a spiritual passing of the baton, priests become imbued with a historical holiness. Today, however, a poisonous practice is tracing its way back to the top of the Catholic Church in reverse. Modern cases of protecting and sheltering pederasts within the Church, initially believed to be on the peripheries of the institution, is continually being found closer to the top of the Church. Today it has reached the top in the figure of Pope Francis. Back in 2002 Cardinal Bernard Law was found on multiple occasions to have relocated confirmed pederast priests to other parishes to avoid scandal. Decades before the scandal broke, Bernard Law received many letters regarding the immoral actions of priests, yet never moved to punish or report them. Due to a lack of laws regarding the mandatory reporting of pederasty, he managed to resign his position in Boston,
and then be appointed to a sinecure in the Vatican with the prestige of voting in conclave to usher in the previous pope. During December of last year, the confirmed protector of pederasts died without facing criminal justice. Now his shady tactics live on in the current Pope. Pope Francis recently received a letter regarding the sexual molestation of children from a Chilean priest and lied about the fact. Speaking in Chile the Pope said “there is not a single piece of evidence against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?”. The truth is the letter in question was handed to a senior adviser of the Pope, Cardinal O’Malley—incidentally Bernard Law’s successor— making the Pope’s claims at best one of culpable ignorance. A photo was taken of the exchange in order to assure Carlos Cruz, the victim and drafter of the letter, that the letter would be received and noted. The allegations in question refer to the case of a Chilean priest, Fernando Karadima, who was found by the Catholic Church to be guilty of ‘sexually abusing minors’. In both the sentence and the punishment the Catholic Church chose to
drop the strong language of eternal morality for a much softer language of impunity. Instead of using any of their own weighty words—sacrilege, desecration, unpardonable sin—they were content to say abuse. More importantly there was no eternal damnation or excommunication as punishment, to say nothing of criminal punishment, but instead Karadima was sentenced to a “life of prayer and penitence”. The allegations in the letter to Pope Francis state that Juan Barros, the priest whom the Pope has defended in mobster-like tones was aware of Karadima’s crimes. For the first time following the revelations of 2002, the new head of the Catholic Church has continued the long-term tradition of covering for pederasts within the Church. In the case of Bernard Law, the furthest the previous Pope went was allowing him to shelter under the Vatican City’s sovereignty. In this case, the present Pope has already lied about his own knowledge of pederasty within the Church. The protection of pederasty is not an aberration, but an institutional feature of the Catholic Church.
Photo by Benhur Arcayahn| Wikimedia
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Photo by Wikimedia
What’s Next for South Africa? By Bill Bowkett Website News Editor
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ith Cyril Ramaphosa set to replace Jacob Zuma as the next President of South Africa, the country is now stuck amidst the various levels of corruption and scandals poisoning the political landscape - most of which were started by Zuma. In the wake of the 75-yearold being recalled to hand in his resignation, the African National Congress (ANC) now faces the challenge of restoring an effective government. At the heart of South African politics, issues like negligence and corruption have plagued the system, because of an administration led by the man that many call the ‘Teflon’. Back in 2009, Zuma’s modest upbringing and promotion of traditional family values, endured vast popularity among many working class South Africans, with supporters labeling him as the ‘People’s President’. Since being elected as the presidential successor to Nelson Mandela, however, Zuma’s credibility has fallen so far flat from his mass popularity eight years ago, that even his own party now want him out. Looking towards the future, the AMC see Ramaphosa as the man to lead the country forward in these particularly
difficult times. He has many of the desired and essential qualities necessary to become the next leader of the ‘rainbow nation’. By calling a meeting of the party to decide Zuma’s fate ahead of next year’s General Elections, Ramaphosa has began his leadership positively, by putting the interests of the electorate first. As a businessman turned politician who went from trade unionist to one of Africa’s wealthiest businessman, Ramaphosa wants to outline and implement his plans to kick-start a stalled South African economy. He wants to tackle entrenched poverty, end continual racial segregation and help bring balance to the social inequality that has seen South Africa become one of the most unemployment developed nations. A win in the 2019 Elections will stand him in good ground for the continuation of his Presidency, in order for him to fulfil his political objectives and for him to distance the party away from Zuma’s turbulent tenure. Whatever happens, South Africa badly needs to open an era of less corrupt, more effective and accountable government, that puts trust back into the heart its people.
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Opinion
What Needs to Change About Award Shows By Katinka Pim Writer
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t is probably recognisable to all, that although diversity in award shows has been a problem since their origin, it was the 2015, then the 2016 Oscars that brought the issue to the forefront of people’s minds. It was the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, created in 2015, then continued by the public after the still ‘So White’ nominations in 2016, that took hold of social media and demanded the attention that the issue has so long deserved. In the last year, however, we have seen the arrival of genderneutral awards encouraged by the MTV and TV music awards. The public’s reaction was generally positive to the wins of Emma Watson and Millie Bobby Brown who both taking home awards in their mixed gender categories. Having questioned the following, here are some responses from students at the University of Kent on the
matter: ‘Oh I love Emma Watson, it was such a dream for me to see her win an award which is so groundbreaking.’ - Sophie Heard, fresher, studies Drama. ‘I love that such a strong feminist won the first gender neutral award, I just think it’s so fitting’ - Elena Coombe, fresher, studies Physics and Astrophysics. Despite the apparent progress there has been some controversy in the proposed system. Some women are worried that females are still not represented enough in the entertainment industry, if gender neutral awards were to become mainstream it may lead to women losing out not only on awards, but on nominations too. On the other hand, are we really expected to stick to a system which was created to put women aside in a separate category so they could have the opportunity to win some awards alongside men? Furthermore, are we expected
to not attempt to change a system in which one of the biggest award shows of the year, the Oscars, has been so non-inclusive that a hashtag had to be started in order to raise attention and make a change? Although this may be the opinion of many there are others who believe that providing a more inclusive environment would be detrimental, for example @ DemCelticsTho tweeted: “We really would rather have inclusion as a society rather than actually giving credit to the BEST directors in film. An award show is an award show. It shouldn’t have to bend it’s knee to fit inclusion and be forced to include ANYONE, whoever wins deserves it”. This tweet may surprise some, as it came from a gender who have always been seen as inferior to males, entertainment not excluded; however, it isn’t women who suffer the most in these shows, as they have some visibility in their allotted
categories. It is clear it’s ethnic minorities, people of colour in particular, with the trending hastag #OscarsSoWhite. Female and black @teazozo also expresses her opinion on twitter: “I wonder why we still wish to win a Grammy or an Oscar when we’ve been shown time and time again, we are not wanted there.”. This attitude here can be seen to reflect the apparent unyielding oppressive nature of these award shows, and it’s this attitude we should wish
protein. So if anyone should be worrying about their diet, it’s the people who consume meat without a second thought. Not only have organisations such as Cancer Research placed processed meats in category one on their carcinogenic foods list (which means these foods are linked to the development of multiple different cancers). Beef, lamb, and pork were placed in category two, meaning these foods can increase the risk of cancer and most probably contribute to its development. Think chicken is safe? Think again. Chickens are highly susceptible to disease because of unsanitary living conditions. They are also pumped full of antibiotics that can make humans who consume them more immune to antibiotics. If this wasn’t enough, meat
consumption is heavily linked with heart disease, heart attacks, obesity, a sluggish metabolism, diabetes and many other health risks. Even though we no longer live in the stone age, we still continue to exploit animals from food to fashion. We are no longer cave men, are we? We no longer have to desperately forage for meat and wear animal skin on our backs. To do so in this day and age is related to our own human greed, lack of empathy, and vanity. Fortunately, we have evolved and adapted so that we no longer have to murder creatures that cannot speak up for themselves. It is common knowledge that animals are cruelly slaughtered every day for human consumption, but did
you know that the meat and fur industry is killing the environment? Livestock farming produces up to 50% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions which is more than all emissions from ships, planes, trucks, cars and all other transport put together. The copious amounts of land, food and energy that is needed to raise a mass number of animals kill for food and fashion is worrying. If you won’t consider switching to a vegetarian lifestyle for your health or the animals, at least consider it for your fellow human beings: your children, your grandchildren, and many generations to come.
Photo by René Keijze | Wikimedia to quash. This woman has so little faith in the Oscars that she thinks black people should retreat from them altogether. This is painfully disgracefu and everyone worldwide who’s involved in these events, be it viewer, celebrity, or producer, should be making every effort possible to change the course of, not just the Oscars, but all of these award shows. They should be made more inclusive, and allow everyone an equal chance to get the credit due for their work.
Vegetarianism is the Answer By Lee Russell Writer
A
nyone who has adopted a vegetarian lifestyle has probably been asked the fated question: ‘Where do you get your protein!?’ But my question is: Why has everyone taken on the role of my nutritionist all of a sudden? Also, I’m standing here quite alive and well, thanks. Beans. Lentils. Nuts. Oats. These foods are not only named as both vegetarian and high in protein by the NHS, they are listed as high in fibre and other essential vitamins, so as long as you regularly incorporate these foods into your diet, you’re good on the protein. Also, with a vegetarian lifestyle, you’re more likely to consume foods that are good for you in a way other than just,
Photo by Scott Bauer | Wikimedia
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
What Unions Must do to Make Strikes Effective By Michael Lear Writer
S
trikes are essential as a means to uphold basic rights and prevent exploitation. They provide workers with real power to protect themselves against unscrupulous employers imposing unfair practices. However, their effectiveness hinges on getting the public on their side, encouraging sympathy while directing anger towards the employer. This means that strikes must only be used as a last resort. It is worth remembering that sympathy is often in short supply when innocent people are dragged into disputes that do not immediately concern them. No-one likes to be a pawn in a game, but for commuters whose daily lives are impacted by strikes on public transport, to give just one example, this is the harsh reality. Of course, the rationale behind striking is to create disruption and exert pressure on employers. However, when workers are dealing directly with the public, this has to be balanced with a sense of duty to provide a service that people expect, and the tide of public opinion can quickly turn. This volatility risks
undermining the perceived legitimacy of the decision to ‘down tools’. For if there is no display of popular support to lend weight to a campaign, an employer is unlikely to come under significant pressure to change its stance on an issue. In the worst case scenario the reputation of striking workers may be tarnished thereby strengthening the hand of employers, and reducing the chances of reaching a settlement. The impact of strikes is soon to be felt by university students across the UK,including Kent. As a result of a dispute over planned changes to one of the main pension schemes for lecturers and other academic staff, 14 days of strike action spread over 4 weeks has been scheduled later this month. No doubt the decision to strike was not taken lightly, but with the introduction of tuition fees and the attempted marketisation of higher education, this makes the consequences of strike action all the more severe. Clearly, universities have to honour their obligations to students by doing their utmost to ensure that crucial teaching time is not missed. If that is not possible adequate compensation ought to be
provided. Having said that, responsibility also rests with staff participating in the strike to minimise the disruption to students. While the National Union of Students has pledged its support for the lecturers, whether this will be reflected in the views of students once the strike action begins is not yet clear. The success of strikes should be scrutinised. Take the waves of NHS strikes in 2016, which centred around the government’s efforts to introduce a new contract for junior doctors. Despite the unprecedented nature of the strikes, which even extended to emergency care, the contract was eventually imposed and further planned strike action was called off. It’s fair to say that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is not exactly the country’s most popular politician, but the highly charged atmosphere created by the Department of Health and the British Medical Association, representing junior doctors, can hardly have helped relations between the two sides. This highlights another issue with strikes, namely that they can fuel bitterness and resentment, which in the long-term may be damaging to
9
Opinion
Photo by J. Howard Miller | Wikimedia employer-employee relations. Such a toxic environment cannot be conducive to tackling the well-documented challenges facing the NHS. If all other options have been exhausted strikes have their place because they can certainly bring about positive outcomes. However, unions must first take steps to win the public’s
backing, and never take its support for granted. Crucially, there must be some level of protection to ensure those who are not involved in the dispute are not adversely affected. Employers and employees must recognise their responsibility to do everything possible to resolve their differences by coming to the table.
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10
Editorial
Kerouac’ed By Jesse Bedayn Newspaper Opinion Editor
I
am again reading ‘On the Road’ and finding the prospect of participating in a similar journey alluring, or, at least, compelling. I know the friends I would do it with, Jack and George. George, much like Dean, is the uncontrollable one, always ‘shooting off,’ yapping about his latest profound idea of happiness, or drooling over the bright-eyed girl standing by the bar. He is easily intoxicated on whatever delight, be it pleasures of the flesh, poignant camaraderie, or the pure bliss that comes with speeding down the motorway. Jack is much the same, though his head is just a twist more screwed on. Jack is sober now, so he doesn’t drink or smoke, but he does freely and excitedly take part in just about any other act that brings the elation that he seeks. Both comrades act under the ‘yes’ philosophy, exemplified so well by Kerouac and his chums. Whatever it is, climbing a crane at three in the morning, fighting the man who’s harassing that nice lady, invariably standing up for self or friend, or hopping
on the next train to Glasgow with no structured plan, a romantic notion of what the journey could be, and not being disappointed either way. Both have lived on the wrong side of poverty, and experienced the down-andout world, and both reflect on it with no embarrassment nor any desire to experience it again. The three of us all find great delight in the labyrinths of the mind. Our conversations center around reading, philosophy, or some weird notion that has lately gained purchase in our minds. I can picture us now, speeding down the motorway, debating the possible routes to the greatest joy of life. There is, it seems, a certain freedom in Kerouac’s kind of poverty. That is neither to discredit the legitimate plight of the working class, nor to argue that the poor should be necessarily happier than the rich. It is instead, not poverty alone, but the combination of the genuine ‘yes’ philosophy, and a lack of financial means. For the gang, it seems more oriented toward the consequences of perhaps prudently irrational decisions that are made on the instincts of pleasure. They choose to steal, drink at 11AM, speed
down the motorway, crash a stranger’s party, drop a spouse off and leave for New York. And all done with little, if any, remorse. This lifestyle can only be replicated by the down-and-out lifestyle–though not so down-and-out as Orwell was in Paris and London. The rich may imitate this lifestyle, but the safety net afforded by money, and family, usually keeps the imitators at bay, away from the edge. H. S. Thompson rightly explained, “The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” The gang seems to be driving dangerously close to the ravine. Spinning, intoxicated by pleasure, and knowing, but not concerning themselves with the nearby terminal cliff. It seems true sublimity exists very close to the edge, the importance being not only its proximity, but it’s unknown depth. Of course, I write of all this acutely aware... It is called the ‘edge,’ after all.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
‘A Hacker’s Story’: Cyber-Crime Story Taps Into the Ethics of Hacking
What’s on... ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (15) Fri 16th - Wed 21st Feb 2018 JANE (PG) Sat 17th Feb 2018 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SING A LONG (PG) Sun 18th Feb 2018 DOWNSIZING (15) Fri 23rd - Sun 25th Feb 2018 THE POST (12A) Fri 23rd Feb - Thurs 1st Mar 2018
A
Hacker’s Story is a riveting new documentary short film edited and directed by Chris Duncan of ThinkNation. The titular hacker is Jake Davis, a convicted hacker, who tells the story of how he become infamous for being part of illegal vigilante hacker collective,
DOWNSIZING (15) Fri 23rd - Sun 25th Feb 2018 THE PRINCE OF NOTHINGWOOD (15) Sat 24th Feb 2018 COCO (PG) Tues 27th Feb 2018
By Lola Boom Writer
LAST FLAG FLYING (15) Fri 2nd Mar 2018 PHANTOM THREAD (15) Fri 2nd - Mon 4th Mar 2018 BOYS DON’T CRY (18) Saat 3rd Mar 2018 JOURNEY’S END (12A) Sun 4th - Thurs 7th Mar 2018 JUPITER’S MOON (15) Fri 8th Mar 2018 LOVELESS (15) Sat 9th - Sun 10th Mar 2018 ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. (12A) Sat 9th Mar 2018
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11
By Emmanuel Omodeinde and Miranda Thomas
Anonymous, and as the founder of LulzSec. You don’t have to have an in-depth knowledge of hacking to enjoy this documentary. It’s informative for complete laymen as well as extremely entertaining. At only 20 minutes long the documentary moves at a brisk pace quickly getting the audience familiar with the basics of hacking before getting into the ethics. It’s incredibly well shot and edited, for example, there’s a shot of Davis walking along Brighton pier set to electronic music which makes it seem like a thriller. Davis, one of the interviewees, is a charismatic figure, and we’re clearly encouraged to sympathise with him and his motives.
Through the other interviewees, Professor Ruth Blakeley, and Richard Jones, we get different perspectives on hacking and the ethics of it, but the director guides us toward Davis’ perspective. Overall, it’s a fascinating documentary which takes a look into the murky world of hacking, its implications and ethical conundrums.
Photo by the Gulbenkian
‘Human flow’: More Humanity In Global Migration Crisis
“
You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land”. This quote was taken from a 2015 poem by SomaliBritish writer Warsan Shire, it resonates strongly at the moment, particularly with Ai WeiWei’s new documentary, ‘Human Flow’. The movie, shown by The Gulbenkian on Sunday 28th January, is the first long feature film directed and co-produced by Weiwei, a wellknown Chinese artist and activist. There are many ways in which Human Flow is soul-stirring. First of all, the cinematography, filmed across 23 countries, is spectacular. Using drone technology, and his own iPhone, Weiwei captures the gigantic dimension of the migration crisis, and at the same time, the very
individual character of it; each refugee’s story is different. The juxtaposition of wide landscapes, with people appearing like ants, and personal interviews with migrants is jarring to viewers who might feel the migration crisis is a distant issue. On the whole, ‘Human Flow’ is a documentary about humanity and the importance of it, while asking questions like: what makes us human? What unites us across the world? Often it turns out to be the most fundamental things. Being able to contact loved ones, or to have a place to rest. Simple things that refugees are often deprived of. Ultimately, the movie is a consideration of the dangers of ignoring our humanity. The film points out the hypocrisy of Europe: why some can own
passports, while others can’t. It’s the coldness and absurdity of borders. Weiwei films many scenes in Eastern Europe where border policy has become far more strict in recent years. By the end of the documentary the sense that we are all in this together, that the migration crisis is both global and unavoidable. Migration because of war is urgent. Migration because of climate change, and lack of resources is inevitable. Weiwei’s film reminds us that we can’t ignore what is happening any longer. More importantly, the movie shows laughs, love, sadness, fears, and hopes of real people in an era of distant news headlines.
12
Culture
Arts
Female Artists overlooked and undervalued.
I
recently set up a poll on Facebook to see how many female artists like Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-Le-Brun my friends had heard of. The results of my poll weren’t very surprising; most of my friends aren’t very artsy, and many of these women drew, painted, and sculpted, in a time when women were not considered artists. Caravaggio, Bernini, Watteau, and Jacques-Louis David were the names to contend with when Gentileschi and Vigee-Le-Brun first put brush to canvas. More surprising still was how few people had heard of Tracey Emin, a still very influential contemporary artist. Even fewer had heard of Barbara Hepworth, a revolutionary sculptor in the 1960s and 70s. However, this kind of ignorance of female artists is not uncommon. Even though I did two years of A-level history of art, we didn’t study any female artists throughout the entirety of the first year. In the second, we covered two: Gentileschi and Vigee-Le-Brun. We did not cover modern artists like Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Tamara de Lempicka, or Vanessa Bell. The only artist that the majority of people had heard of was Frida Kahlo, which was a relief; Kahlo was extremely talented. However, Kahlo was only known as the wife of the muralist Diego Rivera until the 1970’s when the feminist movement latched onto her image rather than her art. The problem for female artists over the years has been the use of their image, rather than their art, to put them in the public eye. Their accomplishments are never what fascinates people; there is always a heavy reliance on their backstories. Artemisia Gentileschi was invited to England by King Charles I in the late 1630s, when her father was working as court painter. It was her talent and fame as an artist – the first female artist accepted into the “Accademia delle Arti del Disegno” in Florence – that earned her the invitation. But, anyone who knows anything about Gentileschi would rather talk about her as a symbol of the feminist movement, and about the trial her father instigated against her rapist in the early 1600s. Without undermining her incredible personal life, it is equally important that her art is respected as well; it is stunning, and on par with Caravaggio, the great Baroque painter of that time.
Elisabeth Vigee-Le-Brun is similarly forgotten, despite being as prolific a painter as any. Producing 660 portraits, and 200 landscapes; she was the portrait painter for Marie Antoinette at the French Royal Court, and was acclaimed by all of Europe’s most elite, even painting a portrait of Catherine The Great’s granddaughters, and the last king of Poland. These achievements are overlooked, sometimes entirely, for the achievements of the men of the period, such as JacquesLouis David, who sketched the ‘Tennis Court Oath’, ‘The Oath of the Horatii’, and ‘Death Of Marat’. While there is no denying that David’s work is brilliant, it is at the expense of the gentler elegance of Vigee-Le-Brun’s art. Arguably, her ‘Self Portrait in a Straw Hat’, is the only painting people might recognise her for. And as with Artemisia Gentileschi, and Frida Kahlo, it is her image and repuation, not her other extraordinary works, for which she is best known. Even 20th century artists are forgotten; Vanessa Bell and her art become overshadowed by the critiques of her husband Clive, and the literary accomplishments of her sister, Virginia Woolf. Tamara de Lempicka has bwcome forgotten entirely; art history washes away any gay representation of women. Even in the 1920s, de Lempicka was known for her libido and her scandalous relationships with men and women, in particular Vita Sackville-West. Her art has slowly been rediscovered following the 1960s revival of the Art Deco style, but compared with artists like Picasso, her work of the 1920s and 1930s are comparatively unknown. The majority of these women are better known within the history of art sphere, but they are almost entirely unheard of in the general memory of the public. Even when female painters and artists are recognised, it is more for their public image than for their art, more for their likeness than for their personal achievements. Their art should be studied and discussed, both for the artistic grandeur, and for the personal trials which created it. They should be celebrated, not merely as feminist icons, but as artists of repute, on-par with any of their male counterparts. Their names should be as quick to the tongue as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
By Madeleine Warwick Writer
Photos by wikimedia
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire 13
Books
Culture
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child:
a Review
By Emilijia Sinkunaite Writer
Photo by flickr
W
ith over 450 million copies sold, Harry Potter is the best-selling book series of all time. An 11-year-old boy who lives under the staircase represents childhood, tradition and magic. Whenever we remember him, we get reminded of the harsh reality
of the world – we are growing up. However, J. K. Rowling is here once again to try and stop this aging process. Previews of the play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ (written by Jack Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany) began at the Palace Theatre, London on 7 June 2016. The story begins nineteen years after the events of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’. Harry is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and the father of three children. His middle child, Albus, struggles with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted.
“childhood, tradition and magic”
Native Son
by Richard Wright N
ative Son was written by AfricanAmerican writer, Richard Wright, and published in 1940. Deemed a protest novel, it was a massive success, and sold 250, 000 copies in its first three weeks making Wright the first best-selling black writer in America. It tells the story of a 20-year-old AfricanAmerican man named Bigger Thomas living in poverty on the segregated south side of Chicago. He gets a job as a chauffeur for the wealthy white Dalton family. The patriarch, Mr Dalton is an owner of a majority stock in the real estate company which Bigger’s family pays rent to. Mr Dalton’s wife, Mrs Dalton is blind and their 23-year-old daughter, Mary, is becoming increasingly influenced by Jan Erlone, a leader of a community party front. The climax of the narrative comes when Mary asks Bigger to drive her around one day. She meets up with Jan and they invite Bigger to eat and drink with them. They all get drunk, so Bigger takes Mary home to put her to bed. He becomes sexually aroused and tries to rape her, but the blind Mrs
Nevertheless, with this unexpected surprise release, there were a lot of unexpected reactions. Many people argue that J. K. Rowling owes her fans a real book rather than a script. They also claim that the plot has gaps; for example, the time turner and Cedric Diggory’s death were created in previous books, suggesting that the writers lacked originality. The majority of people have rejected the play as a novel. However, man do agree that its success on stage is due to its special effects, and amazing casting. Even if you are one of those who did not like the script, don’t despair, Rowling is preparing two new books: ‘Harry Potter: A History
of Magic’ and ‘Harry Potter: A Journey Through the History of Magic’ .But, even if the play or these new books are denounced, it is important to remember that we do not always have to follow the same rules of the canon. It is, after all, the 21st century, and there is an allowance for experimentation. If we want to go back in time, we can still remember all the things Harry Potter taught us: selflessness, bravery, and even a bit of reckless behaviour. But, if we want to move forward we have to embrace new ideas. As it is said in the ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’: “There is never a perfect answer in this messy, emotional world. Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic.”. Let’s trust Rowling on this.
By Emmanuel Omodeinde Writer
Dalton walks into Mary’s room and in his haste to avoid being caught with a white woman he accidentally smothers Mary. Wracked with guilt, Bigger flees and attempts to cover his tracks, but eventually accepts the futility of escape as he feels as though he had preemptiely committed the crimes. The novel makes many apt observations about race and the struggles Black people experience living in America. Unfortunately, in the current Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump eras, few realities have changed since the book was written eight decades ago. Police brutality, black deaths in police custody, and massincarceration of African-Americans– especially men–are still the greatest issues affecting Black Americans today. High violent crime rates, white flight, segregation, and gentrification ushered by the Jim Crow Laws, forced African-Americans into deprived neighbourhoods in the south side of Chicago. The novel, however, was not released without controversy and criticism. Some African-American writers saw
the depiction of Bigger Thomas as a collection of racist stereotypes about black men. Fellow writer, James Baldwin, who was a friend and protégé said: “No American Negro exists who does not have his private Bigger Thomas living in his skull.” However, Baldwin also criticised the novel for its stereotypical protagonist. Personally, I see Bigger Thomas as an archetype of black men and an extreme representation of the trapped feeling many Black people feel while living in western societies dominated by white supremacy. Jordan Peele’s satirical horrorthriller ‘Get Out’ conveyed the same ideas through its main protagonist and the concept of the sunken place. Although the novel may not do much to change the stereotypes some hold on to about black people, it’s far from one-dimensional. One may argue that it could be more nuanced in its
Photo by wikimedia
observations about race, but in my opinion, it is a powerful and incredibly written masterpiece.
14
Culture
Decoding Cocoliztli
C
ocoliztli means ‘pestilence’ in the Nahuatl language, the tongue used by the Aztecs who dominated central Mexico for over two hundred years. The pestilence was well named, with a long rap sheet of intimidating symptoms ranging from a black tongue to blood flowing from the ears. Francisco Hernández de Toledo, the physician of the court to King Philip II of Spain recorded his observations during the 1576 cocoliztli epidemic: “Pulse was frequent, fast, small, and weak — sometimes even null. The eyes and the whole body were yellow. This stage was followed by delirium and seizures. Then, hard and painful nodules appeared behind one or both ears along with heartache, chest pain, abdominal pain, tremor, great anxiety, and dysentery. The blood that flowed when cutting a vein had a green colour or was very pale and dry. In some cases gangrene invaded their lips, pudendal regions, and other regions of the body with putrefact members. Blood flowed from the ears and in many cases blood truly gushed from the nose.”
It is a gruesome image, and the outcome of the various cocoliztli epidemics was also bleak. The estimated mortality of the 1545 epidemic was 80% of the population, with another major epidemic following in 1576, during Francisco Hernández de Toledo’s expedition to Mexico and central America, claiming another 45% of the remaining population. The various cocoliztli outbreaks are collectively considered as one of the of the deadliest epidemics in human history, comparable to the bubonic plague in Europe, however for the next nearly 500 years it was not known what caused this mystery disease. However, recently scientists may have brought us one step closer to understanding where these outbreaks came from. An international team of scientists believe that a rare strain of Salmonella could be a strong candidate for what caused the outbreaks. The researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology
Science By Emma Leach Science Correspondant
and History, Harvard University and the University of Tübingen used ancient DNA to identify the pathogen. Their paper “Salmonella enterica genomes from victims of a major sixteenth-century epidemic in Mexico” was published in Nature Ecology and Evolution on the 15th of January. The discovery came from a cemetery in the town of TeposcolulaYucundaa, Oaxaca. Previous archaeological studies at the site had linked the cemetery to the 1545 epidemic, the town was moved to a mountain in a neighbouring valley after the epidemic, leaving the cemetery untouched for centuries after. DNA found in the pulp of the teeth of 29 individuals found at the site. The samples retrieved were then ran through a computational program called MALT which sequences the DNA samples and characterises pathogens it finds. The results of this showed that 10 of the individuals found at the cemetery contained Salmonella enterica. As is the way with science, it is still not possible to know for certain
if Salmonella definitely caused cocoliztli, the finding has given rise to many questions which have yet to be explored. For example it could be possible that the disease had some interactions with other circulating pathogens, possibly introduced by Europeans, leading to the extreme list of symptoms observed back in 1576. The mortality rate of the closest related relative to Salmonella enterica in the modern day has a 10-15% mortality rate, it is not clear what may have caused the staggering 80% mortality rate back in 1545; 500 years is a long time on the evolutionary scale for bacteria. Limitations in the study can also not rule out there being other candidates, the methods used do not pick up RNA, which is the biological coding material for many viruses. Regardless of the questions currently left unanswered, it is clear that ancient DNA holds many secrets left to be unlocked as technology improves and fields such as metagenomics boom. Who knows what factors of pathogenesis we may come to understand in the future.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire 15
Creative Writing By Matt Nuttall
We now present the execution of Dexter Maron, convicted of murdering two victims; Maria Schiano and Helen Liston. The sentence will be carried out via electric chair in ten minutes. Please stand by.” Maron, pressed up against the bars of his tiny window to hear the announcement, slumped back down onto his bed. So, this was it. Five years of appeals and desperate pleas to avoid the ultimate punishment had failed. In ten minutes, and oh, thirty seconds or so, he’d be dead. Gone. Out of this world, and into what lay beyond, assuming there was anything there. He’d been thinking about that a lot lately, whether there was something on the other side. He’d had a lot of time to think, after all there isn’t much to do in a cell not much larger than your average garden shed with only a toilet, a sink, and a bed to keep you company. He’d had even more time to think recently, having not slept going on 80 hours. It’s hard to sleep when your death is so close. Back to the topic at hand–he wasn’t sure whether he wanted an afterlife. On the one hand, permanent nothingness seemed a little depressing; he wanted to have something else after these ten minutes and… actually more like nine minutes now. But on the other hand, sinners were supposed to be punished, weren’t they? Maron wasn’t entirely sure, he’d never paid much attention in church, but he definitely remembered that bad people went to hell. And there was no doubt he was a bad person. All you had to do was listen to the announcements to work that out. Two murders of two innocent women: that’s about as sinful as it gets. He was the worst of the worst, the scum of the earth. Only people like that kill others. And yet he had done exactly that. Six years, Four months and Twenty-six days ago he had shot Schiano in the chest, Liston in the stomach, raided their shop, and left them bleeding on the floor to die. Originally, he had justified his actions. His family would starve if he didn’t get food. The women were going to call the police, they had to be stopped. It wasn’t his fault, he was just in a bad situation. But he’d stopped doing that now. What was the point? Maybe he’d been unlucky? Maybe if he’d been born into a better family? Maybe if he hadn’t lost his job? Maybe if the American government gave a shit about the poor people littered across the American Midwest? Maybe if they gave a shit about people who struggle to feed their families and keep their loved ones alive? But the blame could only be spread so thinly
Execution.
Matt Nuttall has been writing short stories on and off for the last three or four years, mostly about people and how they react to all sorts of dramatics.
“
Culture
before it began to fall on him. He, after all, had pulled the trigger. He had loaded the gun and walked into the roadside shop knowing there was a good chance that he would be leaving corpses behind. And yet he still went through with it. For his own benefit, he had stolen two people’s lives. It was only fair that he was sitting here, five minutes from his own demise. Ironically, the government gave you a small amount of freedom when it came to your death. After keeping you locked up for years he had been allowed to choose his final meal, lasagne, Italian food had always been his favourite. He’d been permitted to see his relatives, although only Mum bothered coming anymore; the rest of his family had given up on him. Hell, he was even allowed to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair, he chose the chair; needles had always creeped him out. Giving prisoners a modicum of freedom a few hours before their demise didn’t really matter, there wasn’t much they could do now anyway. “One minute before the execution of Dexter Maron…” Maron didn’t even bother listening this time, he knew what it was going to say. The guards would be here any minute; in fact, he could hear them marching along the cold, hard concrete floor of the cell block. A key turned in the cell door and light streamed into the room. Guards dragged him upright and pulled him along to the chair. Maron spotted the sun through a distant window; the last time he would see it, he presumed. That made him sad. Sadder than the idea of dying really, the knowledge that he would never see nature again. The beauty of the outside world would forever be denied to him now; the rivers, the trees, the birds, never to be seen again. Wind would never again brush his face, rain would never… his train of thought was cut off as the guards stopped. Maron looked down, and saw it. There it was. The chair. Dark and metallic, designed to send thousands of volts through his veins and remove him from the world. The guards strapped him into it; he didn’t bother resisting. He could see the executioner through a window. According to the guards who had taunted him the day before, he went by the name of Jon Stukel. Was he ready? Could he accept that in mere seconds he would be met by the cold embrace of death? Realistically, the answer was no. He wanted to be free again, he wanted to escape this prison and experience life anew! But he knew it was too
late. He strained against the straps, but then the switch was flicked and excruciating pain came. Then blackness. Jon Stukel flicked the switch back and Maron slumped in the chair. Another piece of shit shovelled from the earth. He smiled, dusted off his hands, and walked out.
Do you write fiction or poetry? Send it to newspaper.culture@inquiremedia. co.uk to have it published in the next issue!
“Dark and metallic, designed to send volts coursing through his veins and remove him from the world”
Photo by wikimedia
16
InQuire
A
REFUGEE’S JOURNEY From Syria To Kent
Jesse Bedayn Newspaper Opinion Editor
I
n the spring of 2011, a thirteen-year-old Syrian boy was playing on the stoop of his house. Around midday the unmistakable crunch of an anti-aircraft gun, converted to shoot at ground targets, burst down the street. His cousin and brother instinctively ran to him, but the gunmen did not desist. The young boy’s mother, forced inside by the menacing fire, waved a piece of white cloth at the gunners, signifying surrender. O, a close friend of the 13-year-old boy, told me this story with sober intensity, “Not one of them
survived,” he said, pausing, “They all died.” Not without their own tragedies, O’s family escaped the fate of many in their community, and now live in Kent. O was twelve when the Syrian Civil War began on March 15, 2011. In the years preceding the conflict, O had led a regular life. “There are a lot of good memories,” he tells me, smiling. He has dark, unkempt hair, and an engaging smile that isn’t afraid to show itself. He is soft spoken, has a kind demeanor, and always listens intently to my questions and conversation. He spoke to me about his life in Syria, and of his arduous trip to the U.K. I asked him why he thought the soldiers were so
indiscriminate in their targeting: “No one knows,” he says, “If you see your friend attacked, you have to defend your friend, and they don’t accept this defense, so they attack everyone.” For O’s mother, the arbitrary aim of the troops was her greatest fear as she moved her children through military checkpoints in Syria. “There was a lot of killing, but her greatest fear was troops shooting us,” O told me. His mother later died of a heart attack in Lebanon, the “living was so bad and there was a lot of stress,” he said, and at that, the subject was exhausted. He later told me he was admitted to a hospital after his mother’s death, he was in such a state of profound grief. O’s neighborhood was one of the first areas to be bombed by the government in 2011. “When we see a bomb coming we just move to another area,” he said, “if you sit here, in this room, you hear the bomb doing this”: he whistled for four seconds with a dropping pitch, sounding like a
cartoon bomb. His family had to stay in neighborhood basements with other community members to avoid the bombs. “It (the neighborhood) was like a big grave; it was hurt in the soul.” After moving from district to district in Syria, his family moved to Lebanon. During their second year in Lebanon the Lebanese began to grow anxious over losing jobs to Syrians, and his family couldn’t find work. In 2016 his older brother was invited by the U.N. to re-settle in a European country. Consequently, on September 7, 2016, the whole family was re-settled in an east Kent town. His arrival in England was marred, however, when his name was mistaken by immigration authorities. Dispirited, he asked authorities twice to amend it, but his identification documents continue to bear a name that is not his. The naming error seemed to set a tone for his experience in Kent. Once in university he found it difficult to engage fellow students, who generally seemed not to notice his presence. He found anti-Islamic graffiti near the academy he attends: “Islam = sh*t,”. He notified the proper authorities, but it took three weeks for the hate message to be painted over. He tells me that, in Syria, “We grow to love everyone, and to be friendly with everyone.” Iraqi refugees who entered Syria in 2007 became part of their family and community. In England, he longed for the brotherhood that he had found in the communities of Syria. The place he did feel at home was with the Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN), an organization that works hard to provide support for refugees and asylumseekers in Kent.
“It
was like a
big grave; it was hurt in the soul.”
For O, adapting to British culture has been a jolting transition, but his optimistic integrity is unwavering: “When I find something good in the British culture,” he tells me, “I take it, why not? Because it’s good.” He is taking full advantage of the willingness of his teachers to inform and guide him, which he says results in a much better
education than was available in Syria: “Here, if one of the students doesn’t understand, the teachers gladly sit and explain until it is understood.” The teachers seem far less motivated in Syria. He hopes to become an architect, and is a tenacious worker always striving for top grades. He told me that the only part of our conversation that he did not want reported was whether he supported the Syrian government or the Syrian rebels. “It’s just my opinion, I don’t want them to think that I support the killing of anyone. My religion taught me not to kill anyone.” Even though he had a bike he walked with me back into town after our conversation. We stopped at a store, and he bought us each a coke. Before we parted, I asked what he thought of British architecture, “Rubbish” he replied. “If you are in a room of a Syrian home” and you hear a foreboding whistle, he explained, “and a bomb goes off in the room next to you, you will not be hurt; in England a bomb would take down this whole block,” he says, pointing to the buildings around us. His answer reminds me of how vastly different our lives, and worlds, have been. But I’m left hopeful knowing that millions of people like us want to build a sturdy bridge between our worlds. Maybe O will be the one to design it.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
17
Bridging the Divide Rectifying a Misunderstanding About Refugees
Jesse Bedayn Newspaper Opinion Editor
A
nti-refugee sentiment typically begins with the presumptive belief that asylum seekers are in some way responsible for the unrest in their home country. This assumption portrays the refugee not as a victim, but as a potential threat; it establishes grounds on which the British citizen can criticize the refugee for coming to his or her country because of their perceived faults in their home state, reinforcing xenophobic fear. An anti-immigration proponent might mumble about the unfairness of the situation: ‘Why do they get to come to the Uk? They don’t belong. Why don’t they fix their own country?’ while, at the same time, giving sincere deference to English victims of terrorism. This is not a proposal that the English gates be opened to every refugee–that would come with a whole host of difficulties–instead it is an appeal to Briish citizens to attempt to look beyond the statistics and understand the common humanity that has been lost in the public’s discourse over Islam. I spoke to 18-year-old Syrian refugee who resettled in Kent. He wished to remain anonymous, and be referred to as O. Before I had a conversation with him, I supported the typically left-leaning position on refugee immigration; but somewhere in the back of my head I was annoyed by refugees who don’t voluntarly jump at the opportunity to offer gratitude to their host nation. Perhaps O fits this description. Though he is certainly grateful, he never angled his conversation toward positive descriptions of Britain except when asked. Many would consider the disposition mildly offensive, But, after talking to him for two hours I would attribute
this ostensible gap as a basic misunderstanding: a misunderstanding of differences. This misunderstanding began by conflating the ‘enemy’ with the Middle East, which has been the battleground for our wars with Iraq, Afghanistan, ISIS, and other terrorist groups. This association has deep roots and is the basis for our inability to understand each other. Those of us who live comfortably in Britain cannot begin to understand the experiences of refugees who were violently pushed from their homes. If we only knew their life histories we might understand the difference between Islam and ISIS. After the Manchester bombings O saw “Islam = Shit” spray painted on a wall near his school, the misunderstanding is obvious. At university he finds it difficult to engage fellow students who don’t seem to notice him. The lack of
acknowledgment of refugees tarnishes O’s experience of British culture; it creates the facade of a cold society. Regardless, he stoically tries to embrace his new life. If only they knew who he was, and what he escaped. O lost most of his family, including his own mother, to the civil war. I asked if he had any friends left in Syria; he didn’t know. He still tries calling the few people who are unable to leave, understanding that they might never pick up. Western conceptions of the Islamic world are rife with images of our troops in Iraq, people jumping from the World Trade Centre, the devastation in
Manchester, and the terrifying neighboring countries attacks in Paris. In 2016, after horrid attacks on their however, 75% of all civilians, why do we “The terrorist attacks fail to do the same took place in for countries in deference these ten the Middle countries: East? They that is rightly given to Iraq, are not Yemen , immune those who lost loved ones in Pakistan, to Turkey, hardship, Manchester should be equally given Nigeria, and India, the suffer to Syrian refugees who have been Philippines, more than Somalia, we care through much the same Afganistan, to imagine. and Syria. Iraq This is experience.” alone suffered where the 12,186 terror attack misunderstanding casualties alone. In Syria, the must be bridged. We must Syrian Observatory for Human clarify to ourselves that, Rights (SOHR) estimated regardless of nation, there that by mid-July 2017 18,243 are victims of terrorism and children had been killed in the civil war that need a place Civil War. O’s friends can be to re-build their lives. The found in those statistics, and O deference that is rightly given is among the millions of Syrian to those who lost loved ones in citizens who mourned. O’s Manchester should be equally neighborhood in Syria was one given to Syrian refugees who of the first areas to be bombed have been through much the by the government in 2011, the same experience. We should no town is a graveyard of rubble. longer perceive refugees as a The Western world threat, but, instead see them as immediately reaches victims of an equally unwanted out a hand war. to our A wall held together by mortar and misunderstanding separates the Western world from the Middle East. It’s time to break down the wall and bridge the divide.
18
Lifestyle
Life
Tiny Life
By Amber Bytheway Writer
E
ver thought about stripping your lifestyle down to the bare bones? Are you a renowned hoarder who has amassed a collection of clutter that should be relegated to the dustbin? Now, for many, living in a space the size of a garden shed is a very real solution. The perfect trend for millennials who desire a more simple way of life in order to survive the testing financial climate. Cue the Tiny House movement, a growing social movement whereby some individuals have chosen to sell their standard sized homes of approximately 2,600 square feet in exchange for tiny houses of between 100 to 400 square feet. You may question the attraction of living in such a confined space, but those who have already switched believe the lifestyle provides a more efficient and cost-effective living space. If you’re conscious of your spending building a tiny house can save you significant amounts of money because of lower utility bills and lower monthly payments on a mortgage. Channel 4’s ‘Amazing Space’s presenter George Clarke, quipped that in order for a tiny house to work it needs to be spacious, affordable and liveable. Successful design in tiny housing always requires a frustratingly focused eye for detail. Despite the struggle that constructing a tiny house may require, the functional design of tiny houses has also resulted in the structure becoming an economically viable solution for temporary housing in response to natural disasters. Back in 2005, after the incredibly destructive Hurricane Katrina, there was a need for immediate redevelopment, Katrina Cottages designed by Marianne Cusato were one such solution to rapidly settle the problem of re-housing victims who had lost their homes. Following suit, the ergonomic design of the tiny house spread to Portland and Seattle, where investment in the Tiny House Movement was approved in an attempt to eradicate homelessness. In Seattle, the homes, which were paid for from a collection of donations, cost about $2,200 each to build, and residents were expected to pay $90 per month for utilities. The movement described tiny homes as providing safe and
dignified housing solutions for the homeless. But the Tiny House Movement isn’t just a humanitarian effort. If jumping onto the property ladder with a three-bed semi-detached just isn’t for you, being creative on a budget can produce some fantastic results. Take, for example, one college student from Florida who ditched dorm life to build his own tiny house for just $15,000. He’s now renting his impressive work of DIY on Airbnb. If tiny houses aren’t for you, perhaps you’d like to achieve a simpler and cheaper lifestyle on four wheels with The Van Life Movement. The bohemian culture is often associated with surfers, adventuring backpackers and the iconic Volkswagen van. In consequence, many followers of the Van Life Movement have used their innovative lifestyle as a premise for a business start-up where the van-life trend is seen as a social media phenomenon. There is no denying there is great risk involved in downsizing to this extreme but if you see yourself as a wanderer of the world van-life could be as much a professional opportunity as well as a lifestyle choice. Before committing to the downsizing movement, it is crucial to ensure that you are well researched and conduct a thorough investigation into how it will meet your specific needs. Embracing minimalism does not mean you have to deprive yourself, but if you really cannot bear to let go of your 500-piece record collection then take a moment to appreciate the amenities of a regular-sized house, or build a tiny one and buy an IPod.
“Embracing minimalism does not mean you have to deprive yourself ”
Make Your Uni Bedroom Feel Like Home Photo by Pexels
By Maddy Tucker Writer
T
hroughout your time at university your bedroom is a space where you can be at your most productive and find complete relaxation. Therefore it is important to make it feel as inviting as possible. Here are five tips to make your room feel like a home away from home.
Cosy bedding
Bringing your bedding from home is a good way to instantly personalise your room. After a hectic working day or a night out, there’s nothing better than crashing out in bed, your bed. So go mad with blankets and cushions, the cosier the better. For added familiarity, you might want to use the same washing powder that you use at home.
Fairy lights
Lighting can really transform the feel of your room, whether it’s a desk lamp for frantic
Photo by Conner Murphy on Unsplash
late-night essay writing or fairy lights for chilling out with a film. Battery-powered fairy lights are a fire-safe option and you can pick them up almost anywhere!
Homely scents
Picking a nice scent for your room is sure to lift your spirits. Although candles aren’t allowed in halls, room diffusers are an excellent alternative. You can also mix up the scent depending on the season; perhaps something warm and spicy for the winter months, and a slightly more fresh, more light, scent for the summer.
Plants
Adding some greenery can make all the difference. Research has shown how beneficial it is to have something ‘living’ in your room. As well as being a good way to decorate your space, plants provide real health benefits such as purifying the air. They’re also proven to enhance focus and lower stress. Just remember to water them before you go away for the holidays…
Photographs
Perhaps the most important tip for making your room your own is plastering your pin board or walls with photos: lots and lots of photos. Surrounding yourself with pictures of your loved ones and happy memories can really give you a boost. You might also want to pin up any letters or postcards from home as well as your favourite film posters and artwork. It won’t take long to personalise your room exactly how you like it and you have the whole year to keep adding special touches. However, it’s always worth remembering that as important as it is to make your university room as cosy as possible, be sure to prop your door open occasionally and make your flatmates welcome.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
19
Lifestyle
Style
Review: Makeup Revolution’s ‘Conceal and Define’ Concealer By Danielle Fowler Writer
M
akeup Revolution’s ‘Conceal and Define’ concealer has arguably been the cheapest product to take the beauty world by storm in 2018. Available at the bargain price of £4, this concealer claims to offer a lightweight yet full coverage to cover blemishes, even skin tone, and counteract dark circles with a matte finish. After YouTuber Holly Boon, along with many bloggers, reviewed this concealer on her channel and claimed to love the product, drug stores and online retailers have been running out of stock. I managed to get my hands on this apparent miracle product, and was intrigued to try it out as I have always struggled with under-eye creasing and extreme dark circles which are the absolute bane of my life. I have used high end concealers such as MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (£18), Urban
Decay Naked Skin ( £19), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (£24), and have also used and loved lower end concealers such as Maybelline Eraser Eye Anti-age Concealer (£8.99). To my frustration, I have yet to find a concealer that offers me minimal under-eye creasing, while also able to cover my dark circles without leaving a greyish undertone. On first application, this concealer offers a very full coverage and was easily blended with my Real Techniques Beauty Blender. The large doe-foot applicator is a timeless favourite that manages to spread the product evenly, and in the hard to reach areas. In comparison to the Maybelline concealer which is also raved about on social media as ‘the best drug store concealer’, I noticed Makeup Revolution’s concealer had a much higher coverage, but was slightly less hydrating. This concealer stayed on all day, and although it did not cover my dark circles as much as I was led to believe by some
reviews, for £4 I would highly recommend this Tarte Shape Tape dupe. For people like me who deal with dark circles, colour correcting our under eyes before applying the concealer is pretty compulsory if you really do not want those bags to peek through. Or, if you are even more like me and you don’t have time for that, you can just layer up the product. In terms of creasing, I did not notice any extra texture under my eyes than I have with any other concealer. I will be repurchasing this concealer, although in a lighter shade, as it has won the spot as my current favourite.
Photo by maquillalia
Fenty Beauty Steps Forward for Women of Colour
By Tarnjoat Kaur Writer
all over the internet flocked to review the enormous range that Fenty had to
R
hianna launched Fenty Beauty on September 8th last year, attracting attention from all over the makeup world. The brand broke precedent within the makeup industry by including, in their first release, a wide spectrum of skin tones. As well as their foundations, Rhianna’s other products, her highlight and contouring sticks in particular, have been praised for being inclusive of a variety of skin tones. Previously, initial brand launches have focused on those with a paler complexion, with a few darker shades potentially being released much later on, if at all. Rhianna has said “ women everywhere would be included” within her brand and many beauty experts and reviewers have agreed that the brand has made huge steps towards including women of colour within the market. One of the darker foundations, 440 was initially sold out in almost every store and online. There is a huge untapped market of people of colour, particularly those with darker skin tones. Makeup bloggers and vloggers from
Photo by rojakdaily
offer. Nyama Tang was one, reviewing the Pro Filt’r soft matte foundation in the darkest shade 490. For Nyama the foundation was much better at matching her skin than most other
foundations she had tried. The selling point for her however was that during one for the biggest makeup launches of the year “there were girls in there that looked like me” getting matched for
Photo by rojakdaily
Photo by rojakdaily
similar shades. The beauty vlogger is among POC women who have found it
extremely heart-warming to finally see inclusion within the industry. The brand has also had many positive reviews from non POC women such as from Nikkie from NikkieTutorials, who has nearly 9 million subscribers on YouTube. The beauty guru has also praised the brand for its inclusivity of lighter skin tones, including a variety of different undertones. The range is not only inclusive of darker shades, but also has shade 100 specifically catering to people who are albino. The brand is also advertised as cruelty free, and is not sold in China, where animal testing is mandatory within the makeup industry. As a result of Fenty’s success, other influential brands have also quickly followed suit in trying to make their brand more inclusive, including MAC, L’Oréal and Estee Lauder, who released darker shades after the success of Fenty Beauty. With Fenty’s success, many people have felt that the brand has established a market for minority women and makeup enthusiasts that they hope will continue to release more and more inclusive makeup ranges in the future.
20
Lifestyle
A Weekend: Dublin By Robyn Grant Writer
I
t’s come to that time of the year when everyone is looking to plan their next holiday. Christmas is over, the new year has begun, and we’ve all survived that long haul through January which means 2018 can finally get under way. When looking for your next getaway destination I’m sure you’ll be considering somewhere warm, somewhere to escape this cold, miserable, weather which seems to dampen the lives of us British folk. However, as students, our slim wallets can only take us so far to experience this change in culture we’re all longing for. A great place which is relatively cost effective and can quench your thirst for change is Dublin. Although it might not satisfy your need for vitamin D, it will definitely offer you a city full of culture, personality and spirit like no other. Being the capital of Ireland, it’s a city full of energy, but that doesn’t take away from the natural elegance of this historical place. My memory of the city resides mainly in the cobbled streets: I was always curious to see what was around the next corner, and pleasantly surprised when I came across the river Liffey, the river that runs through the centre of Dublin, bridge after bridge crosses it, each with it’s own historical significance. However, when you think of Dublin its historical connotations are not what may first cross your mind. I, like most people, think of Guinness. In fact, Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction is the Guinness factory; a brewery which can answer all of your Guinness related questions in a short tour. When you reach the top of the building you are welcomed with a pint and a 360 degree view of the city from above. When in Dublin it’s a must do experience. After a day exploring Dublin castle, Kilmainham Gaol or even the General Post Office, which is a landmark for Irish nationalism, you could settle down for an evening of what students do best; drinking. What better way to explore Dublin than following in the footsteps of a real Irish man by going on a musical or literary pub crawl. The city truly is like no other; it’s rich in culture, vibrant and will leave you feeling merrier than when you arrived, and not just because of the Guinness.
Travel
The Drinker’s Tour of Dublin By Jasper Gilardi Newspaper Editor
I
spent the better part of four days in Dublin last year with a close childhood friend. I say ‘the better part’ because we spent a great deal of our time in and out of pubs, and perhaps of the four days we spent there I can only recall three. And we happily discovered that they do, in fact, serve beer before 11. The striking architecture, that old-city feel, is characteristically Dublin. We made it to the tourist
haunts, but given our sevenGuinness count by three in the afternoon, we weren’t too excited about the twenty-euro price tag on the factory tour. That was money better spent on beer elsewhere. Having not spent more than a few hours together since high school it wasn’t hard to walk and talk for hours. We took breaks only to rest our feet and quench our thirst. Rowan and I share few interests; he is an extraordinarily talented musician, and I, despite all of my wishes, was never bitten by that bug. But we met when we were four over Legos, and like all friends you meet when you’re four, shared interest doesn’t need to extend
farther than your toes. As Rowan was a musician we were often stopped in front of some busker, or trekking up dark stairways following our ears; they led us to some unusual places, but never to a dull moment. The best of these forays was a small pub where the “No. 1 Irish fiddle player” – surely one of many – had turned what would have been a little quiet pub into the most lively, and raucous of parties. The nightclub across the street was visibly dead in comparison. This was real music, played with real instruments, grins and Guinness all around.
Wondering What it’s like to Study 8852km Away from Home? By Maisie Koeun Lee Writer
Y
ou look around campus and you can witness in the students what ethnic and cultural diversity looks like. Amongst the many home students are many international students from all over the world, some from countries you could hardly imagine visiting. Speaking with them you hear stories about exotic cultures, languages, lifestyles, and more. But wait, would you possibly consider being one yourself? What I can share is my story of constant travelling and studying abroad in different parts of the world, and the many things I gained from the experience. Becoming more intellectual was one such benefit. Another was comprehending the meaning of ‘diversity’ beyond its textbook definition. I have learned how blissful it is to live among people with different backgrounds and ideologies. from which you
consequentially grow into a more mature person, gaining unique
perspectives whilst learning heartily what it means to coexist. I am from Seoul, South Korea. In Korea, more than half of the population speak the same language, and share the same history and ethnic background. Because I lived in such a homogeneous nation what truly altered of my life was learning English from a young age. Adopting a foreign language opened a whole new world of history, politics, and society from the opposite side of the globe. Eventually I realised I had to be there. The first step of living up to my dream was my student exchange experience in Las Vegas. In the middle of the Nevadan desert I studied at an American middle school, staying with your average American family for five months.. I was no longer a regular South Korean kid who dreamt a regular life path in her home country, but someone who would always aspire to take Photo by Flickr chances in foreign
worlds. I was twelve, and more was to come. After returning back home and travelling now and then, I decided to pursue higher education abroad, this time in England. After two years of my A-Level studies in Brighton, I am now a student at University of Kent studying Social Policy. Unlike my previous
experience in the US, it is high-level university education that is the challenge. Everything from learning materials and teaching methods to the style of examination was different. Adapting to such changes was definitely demanding. But as I went through my course, it is not only the depth of my knowledge which has grown, but I realise that I have become someone who can combine my knowledge of one world to another. Once again, there was nothing more meaningful than encountering greater diversity on a university campus; meeting fellow students and professors from quite literally all over the world. As I try to condense my life’s chronology of roaming the globe, there is one thing I can say without hesitation; if you are planning of studying or living abroad at some point, it is two-hundred percent worth giving a shot.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
Food
Avocado Alternatives By Georgie Hoffman Writer
I
are reaping the benefits of their hard work - the answer is no. The market is increasingly controlled by a drug cartel in Mexico. Farmers are threatened, extorted, and occasionally kidnapped by these cartels, who
f you’ve ever had brunch, or if you’ve ever been on Instagram, you will most likely be familiar with the millennials’ sweetheart, the avocado. Avocadoes look good on toast, they taste great, and they contain high levels of vitamin B and diverse fats, making them not only delicious, but actually good for you. However, these creamy greens are not as innocent as they look in their emoji form (yes there is an avocado emoji in the works). High demand has made it more profitable for farmers in Chile and Mexico to grow avocadoes have Photo by Wikimedia Commons now over other crops. In Chile, an average of 320 litres found of water is needed to produce the trade to be just one avocado. That’s almost a almost as lucrative as bathtub worth of water. In Mexico, cocaine. growers are illegally thinning out pine This news may be as bitter to some as forests to make room for avocado the lemon you squeeze over a slice of trees. You may ask if these farmers creamy green toast. But fear not! Here
are five delicious alternatives that you can enjoy just as much as avocadoes, but without the guilt.
Hummus
Like avocadoes, hummus contains healthy fats, and is a great source of protein and fibre. Hummus works as a dip for vegetables and crackers, but it also goes well on toast. I’d recommend spreading it on brown bread and topping it off with slices of tomatoes or peppers.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain complex carbohydrates and high levels antioxidants, making them nutritious and filling. A new trick you may have heard of is slicing a sweet potato very thinly and toasting it for five to ten minutes. I will say, I have tried this and it doesn’t always work well. My alternative would be to make a sweet potato mash
Lifestyle
and spread that on toast, seasoned with salt and cinnamon.
Nut Butters
If you want to fill the avocado shaped hole in your breakfast life, nut butters are a great way to go. They spread easily on toast, no mashing involved. Sprinkle some berries on the top and your meal is Instagram ready. There are many of different kinds to try and most of them are very high in protein and essential fatty acids.
Peas
If you still crave a lovely green slice of toast, peas are your best bet. Peas have a high protein and vitamin content, and they’re also much cheaper than avocadoes as they’re grown in the UK, which also significantly reduces their environmental impact. Add two tablespoons of water to a bowl full of peas and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Mash them until they’re creamy and then spread on toast. You can even use the same seasoning you would on avocadoes, and you’ll never know the difference.
What’s so Super About Superfoods? By Benedetta Picarone Fabris Writer
S
uperfoods, we’ve all heard about them. Kale, pomegranates, goji berries, chia seeds, raw cacao powder, hemp, green tea… these foods aren’t just healthy, they are superhealthy. Eating them every day and in large quantities is going to change your life, making your skin glow and your hair shine, lower your blood pressure, and perhaps even cure cancer. Or so some say. There are no doubts that so-called superfoods actually do have health benefits; kale is full of vitamins and fibre; chia seeds have extremely high omega-3 content; and green tea is rich in B-vitamins, folate, and antioxidants. The question is: are they as miraculously healthy as they are claimed to be?
There is very little scientific evidence to back up the ‘superness’ of superfoods. In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) actually banned the use of the term on product packaging as the industry has yet to convincingly prove the miraculous properties of these foods. In short, eating them isn’t going to do you any harm, but there is no way that a handful of goji berries a day will cure cancer or heart disease. Most of the studies endorsing superfoods and their qualities– such as a 2008 study looking at the link between broccoli and diabetes– consider individual chemicals contained in the foods, not the entirety of the food itself. For example, many argue that the effect of sulforaphene on some isolated cells will differ from the effect of broccoli on a human body. The whole concept of
superfoods therefore appears to be a mere marketing gimmick, a term invented to sell products at inflated prices. Superfoods have an aura about them and are marketed as an shortcut to health that doesn’t involve the strenuous task of reinventing one’s lifestyle, but rather the simple one of adding some chia seeds to our diet. And that sounds appealing to many. The truth is, when it comes to health, there are no quick fixes. The only way to live a long, healthy life is to follow a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, and not smoke. No superfood is going to do the work for you. So, while you can keep enjoying your goji berries and green tea, don’t worry if you can’t afford a blender for a morning superfood smoothie. Eat your five-a-day, and you should be okay.
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Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
22
Entertainment
Oscars
2018 Best Picture Nominations Phantom Thread
By Margot Aquaro Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘Phantom Thread’ is set in 1950’s post-war London. As the title suggests, a thread of passion and love is sown in through masterful cinematography. The protagonists’ lovestory is portrayed with effortless lightness and a touching depth that marvels the audience. The story intricately parallels dressmaker Reynold Woodcock’s (Daniel DayLewis) passion for fashion design to the possibilities of all-consuming love, leaving a sweet but nostalgic fairy tale aftertaste. As Alma (Vicky Krieps) warns Woodcock, “whatever you do, do it carefully” we are reminded of the risks and consequences that often come with love. The film is a reminder of the invisible thread that connects each of us with the people we meet, interact with, and notice.. Through the art of fashion, ‘Phantom Thread’ depicts the realities of relationships: the strong, and the weak; the memorable, and the forgettable; the ones we choose, and the ones we don’t. The film shocked critics and viewers alike with a total of six nominations.
Call Me by Your Name
By Andrea Berdegue Directed by Luca Guadagnino, ‘Call Me by Your Name’ is about an attractive doctoral student Oliver (Armie Hammer) who stays with a family in Italy to intern for a professor and falls in love with his bright son Elio (Timothee Chalamet). The love story beautifully portrays the experience of first love from the perspective of a gay man, and also explores the relationship between Elio and his parents, who, unlike in many other coming-out films, calmly accept their son’s sexual orientation . Although ‘Call me by Your Name’ won at Los Angeles Dilm Critics Association’, it received no nominations in any other category, making its best picture win unlikely.
The Post
By Charlie Maguire ‘The Post’ is a timely and suspenseful drama that exposes the events surrounding the publication of the top secret Pentagon Papers, which detaild U.S progress in the Vietnam War. Award winning director Stephen Spielberg manages to capture the tension of the newsroom even though the ending was spoiled by history some 50
FILM
years ago. Although the film has an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, who plays Washington Posts editor, and Ben Bradlee, Meryl Streep’s performance overshadows the predominantly male cast. Streep was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Katherine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post who must come to terms with her powerful influence in the case.
Dunkirk
By Adam Millward Writer Christopher Nolan’s 2017 feature ‘Dunkirk’ delves into the murky world of the war epic, taking on the 1940 evacuation of British forces from the French beaches. Nolan’s thoughtful masterpiece shuns the usual war-flick clichés; there’s no scrapping bulldog, and only a hint of stiff upper lip. The silence between the soldiers is complimented by a jarring Hans Zimmer score of ascending pitterpatters, insistent ticking, and deep growls and grunts that lend the feature an unyielding suspense. The film tightens continually, leaving the viewer gasping for air at the film’s climax. While Kenneth Branagh chews the scenery as the charismatic commander overseeing the evacuation, Tom Hardy’s understated eyebrow movement as he portrays a half-masked fighter pilot deserve a best actor nomination of their own. Doubtful that ‘Dunkirk’ will win Best Picture this year, probably not even best director, for Nolan’s best efforts. Even a slip-up like last year’s La-La Land fiasco don’t risk handing Dunkirk any major plaudits. Dunkirk however, for its faults, is a technical masterpiece, an instant wartime classic even if it isn’t richly rewarded at the upcoming Oscars.
The Shape of Water By Georgia Dack Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’ is an entry that, as a fantasy, has unexpectedly made waves this awards season.
Photo by MovieBoozer
Eliza (Sally Hawkins) is a mute cleaner in a government lab who befriends a humanoid amphibian. The film often treads the line between enjoyable and uncomfortable, the overall result is odd yet startlingly beautiful. The plot ultimately comes to a poignant end, portraying the beauty of two lonely beings finding unlikely connection. The film can be praised for its distinctive and breath-taking visuals, which fuse the dark cold-war era with Del Toro’s signature flair for fantasy, all of which is complemented by Desplat’s sweeping and nostalgic score. Hawkins’ complex and committed portrayal has earned her a Best Actress nomination for which she is a strong contender. Spencer and Richard Jenkins’ characters are heartfelt performances, but slighted by their multi-dimensionality, and Shannon’s villain feels equally like a cardboard cutout. Despite some apt accusations of plagiarism and rehashing, it’s already been a huge critical success. With an astounding 13 academy award nominations, and wins in smaller gongs, it’s a high contender for Best Picture.
Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
By Lisa Wehrstedt “Raped while dying”, “Still no arrests” and “How come, Chief Willoughby?”. These lines, printed on the infamous billboards become cathartic monuments to a mother’s rage and grief. Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) loses her daughter seven months prior to the events of the film, and is still looking for justice. Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is not the sole carrier of this burden, as the made-up town of Ebbing is ridden by a lack of justice, dim-witted Officer Dixson (Sam Rockwell) is notorious for his racially driven police brutality. The billboards became a catalyst bringing to the surface issues of racism, homophobia, police brutality, and inadequacy, and exposes the residents’ refusal confront these matters. The film is an unpolished meditation on loss, grief, and vengeance, held together by McDormand’s brilliant execution of a mother’s primal pain. Constantly holding a precarious balance between humour, tragedy and chaos, McDonagh manages to round out the initially comedic characters, and deliver an amazing film with breath-taking cinematography. ‘Three Billboards’ has already won at the Golden Globes, and Las Vegas Critics prises.
Lady Bird
By Joe Cumner Lady Bird is the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, an actor who very familiar with roles in indie films. It’s quite common for actors to make the transition to writing/directing, but it is the rare case that they any good. Gerwig is an exception. Centred around the character of Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan),
Gerwig’s film is a brilliant exploration of teenage life, encapsulating their awkwardness and hilarity. The film has character, style, and heart, not to mention some incredible performances. Ronan’s portrayal of the titular character is amazing, but greater praise must be given to Laurie Metcalf, who plays Lady Bird’s mother. This year, the race for supporting actress is going to be tight, and I would be surprised if Metcalf doesn’t come out as the overall winner. ‘Lady Bird’ is gorgeous, with a colour palette of muted, bright shades permeating throughout the cinematography. Having already won 11 critics prizes, the film’s chances at winning Best Picture are undoubtedly high.
Get Out
By Emmanuel Omodeinde ‘Get Out’ is an absolute masterpiece written and directed by Jordan Peele, who is best known as half of the sketch comedy duo, ‘Key and Peele’. The satirical horror-thriller tackles the illusion of a post-racial America in which Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a black man goes to visit his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams) at her parents’ home. ‘Get Out’ perfectly captured the zeitgeist with the increasing tensions surrounding race relations in the U.S. following the election of Donald Trump. Tied with Lady Bird for number of critics prices, ‘Get Out’ has been nominated in three other categories, including Best Actor. It would be a well-deserved win for Kaluuya, who is only the second Black British actor to be nominated in this category.
Darkest Hour
By George Knight Joe Wright’s ‘Darkest Hour’ portrays a unique historical events, and breaks away from conventional adaptations of World War II films. Whereas other adaptations focus mostly on action, with films such as Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ taking centre stage in 2017, ‘Darkest Hour’ stands out as a unique look at Winston Churchill’s role in the war. Taking place entirely within the month of May in 1940. The film depicts a micro-history with Gary Oldman playing Winston Churchill as he manages the war effort from London. Instead of presenting vivid and graphic images of frontline combat, ‘Darkest Hour’ earns its critical acclaim by offering a totally domestic view of events, presenting the inner emotions and turmoil of the British parliament as it grapples with imminent defeat in Dunkirk. The cast’s performances, and brilliant visuals, all culminate in a gripping story. The British voting bloc put ‘Darkest Hour’ in the race, and Oldman was nominated for the award of Best Actor, but will that be enough to earn them the prize?
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire 23
Entertainment
TV
Mozart in the Jungle: A Brilliant Symphony By Jasper Gilardi Newspaper Editor
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ne could hardly call Amazon an underdog in the streaming market, but their content has not yet received its much-deserved notoriety. ‘Mozart in The Jungle’ is a gem buried amongst all of the nicknacks that Amazon offers. The show’s crisp classical music jars ears accustomed to today’s monotonous sounds. Violins and violas, piccolos and pianos soar behind a stellar script with even more captivating characters. Rodrigo DeSouza, a young Mexican conductor, is brought in to revitalise the New York symphony. His idiosyncrasies and frustration with red tape make Rodrigo ill-suited to be the conductor of a struggling symphony; all he wants to do is play the music himself. Hailey Rutledge, a young oboist joins the orchestra as well, and finds herself grasping her dream but struggling for air. The story centres around the pair, and is loosely based on the autobiography ‘Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music’ by Blair Tindall, who was an oboist for the New York Symphony. Character construction makes and breaks a show, and it is certainly something that the writers of ‘Mozart in the Jungle’ excel at. Jesse Pinkman from ‘Breaking Bad’, Tyrion Lannister from ‘Game of Thrones’, Abed from “Community”, these are extremely well written and well developed characters; what they say is said in a way that only they could say it, what they do is done in a way that only they could have done it. They are a whole people, not many fragments of a person stitched together loosely
to create something we usually call a ‘character’. This is what ‘Mozart in the Jungle’ does so well; each character wears their persona on their sleeve: their motivations, doubts, wit, charm, and desires. What’s more is that you can see that the actors enjoy their roles. Gael Garcia Bernal, who plays Rodrigo, is in constant competition with himself to see how ‘Rodrigo’ he can be; the escalating eccentricities are seemingly endless, and Bernal clearly loved every minute of it. As the characters in the show experience, the classical genre is a waning pleasure for an ageing audience. But you may find that the taste of classical music you get in ‘Mozart in the Jungle’ blossoms into a full-blown addiction. After watching the first season’s finale I could not stop listening to Jean Sibelius’s violin concerto; it became the soundtrack for the banal walk between my last lecture and home. The show is disarmingly charming, and you will find yourself falling in love with its characters.
Photo by Amazon
Peaky Blinders Series Four: Review
Photo by BBC website
By George Knight Writer
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BC Two’s hit show ‘Peaky Blinders’, which first aired in 2013, has raised the stakes with each new series, introducing new characters, and new challenges that the Shelby family cleverly manage to skirt. In Season 4, which was released in November of last year, the Shelbys face their greatest foe yet, the Sicilian Mafia. Under the leadership of Luca Changretta (Adrian Brody), the eldest son of a previous antagonist Vicente Changretta, the Mafia attempt to enact a ‘vendetta’ for Vicente’s death. ‘Peaky Blinders’ is known for its dramatic twists and turns, which create intensity and constant instability . Its bleak tone is similar to other heart-wrenching programmes like ‘Game of Thrones’, and it’s likely no coincidence that a previous ‘Thrones’ actor, Aiden Gillen, plays Aberama Gold in the new series. From the first episode, a tone of loss and constant danger is set. Despite finally growing beyond a small Birmingham gang, the Shelbys are once again challenged by powerful enemies. Betrayal, murder, and revenge, colour the season as the relationships within the family are tested again and again.
Although the plot’s intensity does keep the audience on its toes, the elaborate behind-the-scene plans that remain unseen also distance it from the experience of the Peaky universe. No longer are any characters relatable, instead they act as plot devices for the repeated shock factor. As Mark Butler wrote in iNews, the twists seem “a little too convenient” at times, as is evident by a major plot twist, which, although it offers a penultimate sense of catharsis, comes across feeling cheap and detracted from the programmes depth. Nevertheless, the series is redeemed by its brilliant soundtrack, and stunning visuals. The industrial scenery, periodic set, and costume design, deeply immerses the audience, and is complimented by variations of the programme’s theme song ‘Red Right Hand’ by Nick Cave. Other songs by rock and punk artist like FIDLAR and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes fit the programme’s tone well, and help the modern audience connect with the historical setting. The series fulfils its goal to impress and lead the Shelbys to bigger horizons. The ending’s cliff-hanger undoubtedly leaves the audience wanting more. This new series builds upon the last, exceeding expectations while adding new layers to an already in-depth story.
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Entertainment MUSIC Reviewing the 60th Grammys By Joe Cumner Writer
t’s no secret that the Grammys are becoming less and less relevant. This year, the viewership dropped to an alltime low. Objectively judging music is undoubtedly a difficult task, especially when the awards nominations are expected to appeal to a large audience and at the same time avoid pandering to the mainstream. Awards ceremonies are predominantly voted for by a select body, and the Grammys are no different. But the question needs to be asked, who exactly is voting, and why are they voting for Bruno Mars? It’s not that he makes terrible music; his latest release is more of his same accessible, catchy pop tunes, but they don’t hold a candle to some of the other songs nominated in his categories. He won album of the year, beating Childish Gambino’s ‘Awaken My Love’, Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’, and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Damn’. Every single one of those albums is better than Mars’ ‘24K Magic’. Lorde’s release is her best to date, and Childish Gambino has progressed incredibly as an artist.
Although ‘Damn’ may not be better than Kendrick’s last release ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, had ‘Damn’ been released by any other artist, it would surely be their magnum opus. A similar mistake occurred in the Record of the Year category, where Mars’ titular track ‘24K Magic’ beat Kendrick’s ‘Humble’ and Childish Gambino’s ‘Redbone’. Whilst ‘Humble’ is not necessarily the best song in ‘Damn’, it is certainly better than ‘24K Magic’. ‘Redbone’ on the other hand may be the best song off ‘Awaken, My Love’, and may, in fact, be one of Gambino’s best tracks yet. It was predominant in the meme culture of 2017, and remains one of the most recognisable and well composed contemporary hip-hop releases. ‘24K Magic’ on the other hand was only trying to recapture the style and essence of ‘Uptown Funk’, and although that formula is catchy, how it ever managed to win its category, is beyond me. However, not all the selections were terrible. LCD Soundsystem’s mid-album track ‘Tonite’ received a well-deserved win in the Best Dance Recording
category, and Kraftwerk’s latest album ‘3-D The Catalogue’ won out in the Best Dance/Electronic Album. Kraftwerk are still making great music, and whatever many internet critics said, I was a huge fan of LCD Soundsystem’s new album. It was a roaring return to form for the dance-rock legends, and it’s nice to finally see them get some recognition. Even so, the bad decisions outweighed the good. Mars beat Gambino in another category, Best R&B Song. Infuriating as it is seeing Mars taking the awards for best album and record, it would be impossible to say the same for any category concerned with R&B, a genre that Gambino dominated last year. It is just another example of why the Grammys’ constant pandering and focus on the mainstream depletes their relevance. Music is a progressive and evolving art form. New mediums of musical exploration and production allow for a greater breadth of artists to take the stage. The mainstream pop that dominated in the early 2000s no longer holds its grip over the audiences, and the Grammys needs to learn this, or they risk fading into irrelevance. Photo by Grammys
Dolores O’Riordan: a Tribute O
By Iwan Mason Writer
n 15 January, singer-songwriter, and frontwoman of The Cranberries Dolores O’Riordan, was found dead in her London hotel room. While the reason for her death is still unexplained, the police are treating it as unsuspicious. Since news of O’Riordan’s death was made public, tributes from the music world have poured in with the likes of Dave Davies, U2, and Hozier, praising O’Riordan’s singular voice, as well as her role as a force of inspiration. Born on 6 September 1971 in
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Limerick County, music quickly became a vital component of O’Riordan’s life; she played the organ in church, was enthralled by the Gaelic folk scene, Introduced to heavy metal by her brothers. These influences moulded her desire to create her own music. She wrote her first song ‘Calling’ at the age of twelve. But music also became an escape, as O’Riordan’s early life was overshadowed by tragedy. In 1968, her father was left unable to work after a biking accident, and in 2013 she revealed that she had been sexually molested as a child. “I have a lot of
secrets about my childhood” she told The Guardian in 1995. Despite her horrific past, O’Riordan’s fervent desire to create music never dissipated, and in 1990 she replaced the departing lead vocalist of the Limerick band,
Cranberry Saw Us. The band soon after renamed themselves The Cranberries. Initially described as a shy performer who would perform with her back to the audience, the band’s debut album ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ became an international sensation. The release of their second album ‘No Need to Argue’ in 1994 cemented the band’s place in history, and their biggest hit ‘Zombie’ winning Best Song’ at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards. The band went on to release three more albums before taking a hiatus in 2003. O’Riordan would go on to release two solo albums before The Cranberries reunited in 2009 to release ‘Roses’ in 2013. But despite this apparent success story, O’Riordan’s life was becoming ever more chaotic. She claimed to have attempted suicide by an overdose of painkillers in 2012, and in 2014 divorced her husband of forty years, Don Burton, with whom she had three children. During the same year, she was arrested for headbutting a policeman and was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar. Nevertheless, O’Riordan persevered with music, going on to form D.A.R.K.
with former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke. In 2016 they released their debut album ‘Science Agrees’. Just last year, The Cranberries released ‘Something Else’, a collection of unplugged and orchestral versions of previous singles and three original songs. It seemed that right up to her sudden and untimely death last month, O’Riordan was in good spirits. After midnight on 15 January she left Dan Waite, a label executive, two voicemail messages in which she sang ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, and lovingly spoke about her children. She was found dead later that same morning. The voice of Dolores O’Riordan was a voice you could never unhear. Wrapped in a thick Limerick accent, it lilted through the white-noise of the mid-nineties with its boots on, initially teasing the ear like the plaintive jingle of hidden windchimes before raising to an anguished wail that mesmerized and unsettled listeners. She brought humanity, dignity, and an honesty to her music that continues to provide solace whenever music feels over-polished and streamlined. Dolores O’Riordan, you will be missed, but never forgotten.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire 25
Entertainment
GAMES
Okami HD By Chris Atkinson Writer
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t is one of the best games I’ve played in a while. The high-definition remaster of the classic 2006 game is now available on the current generation of consoles (PS4, Xbox One), as well as on PC. It allows people to once again take control of the magical wolf Amaterasu to save the land of Nippon all while meeting charming side characters and battling evil creatures along the way. The gameplay of ‘Ōkami’ combines several elements of action, platform, and puzzle games in a style akin to the ‘Legend of Zelda’ game series. Unique to the game is the Celestial Brush mechanic, which allows players to pause the game and summon a canvas, which can then be painted. When the players draw certain patterns on the canvas, the magic of the Celestial Brush creates effects on the game world. For example, drawing a circle in the sky summons the sun, and allows the player to turn night into day, while drawing a line through an enemy creates a powerful slash attack that causes heavy damage. These powers can be used to aid puzzle solving alongside use in combat, and a large amount of the game’s storyline revolves around discovering new Celestial Brush techniques. The game’s art style is something to behold, a beautiful mix of cel-shaded
art that comes together to give the impression that it is set in a Japanese ink illustration. The game almost seems to recognise that it is beautiful with the camera occasionally wrestling control out of the players grip to show beautiful vistas. The developers also included several cut scenes dedicated to showing the world of Ōkami bursting to life. The beautiful graphics combine with some of the best music in gaming history, and create an absolutely amazing atmosphere, full of wonder and excitement. The game’s darker sections do occasionally feel out of place, but they are incredibly effective at creating a horrifying, creepy, atmosphere, and are juxtaposed well against the lighter, more family friendly portions of the game. The writing is the area that most people will find divisive. Due to its
Photo by Okami HD
family friendly age rating, some of the writing, both the overall larger story beats, and the individual character dialogue, can come across as a little bit childlike and simplistic. While some may be able to ignore it, others won’t, and it can become an issue the longer the game is played. ‘Ōkami’ is a long game. The main story alone can take over 30 hours to complete, so if you play the first few hours and don’t like the writing then you’re in trouble. When it was first released many people
considered ‘Ōkami’ to be the best game of all time. While I probably wouldn’t give the game the exact same praise, I will say that it is a master class in game design; creating an atmosphere, and crafting side characters to exist in the world. I found it almost impossible to not have a huge smile on my face when I played this, and it is the best example of a ‘fun’ video game that I’ve played to date. It definitely deserves both attention and applause.
Entertainment
Across: 1 Cafe, 3 Proposal, 9 Shell, 10 Croquet, 11 Abacus, 12 Esher, 14 Legion, 16 Profit, 19 McKee, 21 Remedy, 24 Norwich, 25 Shrek, 26 Orangery, 27 Wren. Down: 1 Cask, 2 Fleabag, 4 Recess, 5 Pioneer, 6/20 South Korea, 7 Literati, 8 Alec, 13 Flamingo, 15 Opening, 17 Federer, 18 Archer, 22 Musk, 23 Akon.
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18. Monica ___, British writer and novelist whose works include Brick Lane (2003) (3) 19. It’s A ___, a 1987 UK No. 1 single for the Pet Shop Boys (3) 20. Lizard of Africa able to change skin colour (9) 21. Bedrich ___, 19thC Czech composer (7) 22. A device in which something can be caught and penned (4) Down 2. A South American cud-chewing mammal, a beast of burden (5) 3. One of a breed of very large smoothhaired dogs (5,4) 4/4A. US singer-songwriter whose UK hit singles include 16 (2017) (6,7)
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Puzzles Sudoku Hard
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Fun & games
Puzzles by Matthew Sapsed
Going to all your lectures and seminars can really take its toll. So, take some time to relax, but keep your brain ticking over at the same time with these quick puzzles!
Arrowword
Spray (of water, say)
Neither one or the other
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Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire 27
Societies
A Conversation with Kent RAG Sat Down with Kent IBluenQuire Rag’s events officers, India Thompson, and Molly
Sheldrake, to hear about the charitable work the society has done this year they have planned for the rest of the term. Maisie Lee : Could you tell us about what kind of work Kent Rag does? India: Kent rag is the official fundraising society of the University and the Union. Our main role is to fundraise for, and raise awareness of different charities, both locally and nationally, and also on and off campus. So far we organised events like the lip-synch battle for freshers; halloween escape for breast cancer awareness; and the Christmas event at Venue, which was a lot of fun because the members had to decorate up the whole place themselves. Maisie Lee : I was actually at the Christmas event in Venue, it was a ton of fun! India: Yes it was, those are the things we do, and we try to get as many societies to get involved to bring the University together as a whole whilst making money for different purposes. Molly: Yes, if any societies that need our help with fundraising, we could aid them as well. Maisie Lee : I see can that you guys have done a lot of events and fundraising throughout this year. What is the most memorable event that you done so far? Molly: I think it’s definitely the Christmas event we’ve done in Venue. India: Yes, I agree because it was the most exhausting event, and it was the event where we all had put down most of our time and effort into last term. Some of us were actually a bit afraid that the result will not turn out as good as we originally expected. Molly: I have personally never seen Saturday night in Venue that packed (laugh), so yes it was so much fun and it definitely payed off all the efforts we all put in. India: Halloween escape was one of the most memorable events as well as the event itself was a lot of fun. We all got to dress up, painted blood all over our faces, and freaked people out; it was really nice in general to see people enjoy. As events officers, it felt great when we were asked when the next event is going to be. For upcoming Valentine’s day time we’ve got escape room event planned so we’re pretty excited about that. Maisie Lee : Kent Rag week
by Maisie Lee Website Opinion Editor
is beginning next Monday 19th of February. Could you explain what is going to happen during the time? Molly: Each year, we organise a week full of events that usually take place February every year. We have set of events that we run each year but under different themes and in association with different local/national charities. We have popular events like pamper night, escape room, and colour run planned. This year’s pamper night is going to be for the pilgrim’s hospice which is a local charity. Local beauticians will be visiting the campus along with students helping out, and they will run pampering sessions like facials and nail-painting. Last year was a big success, so we’re hoping this year would go well too. India: Yeah, pamper nights are always quite packed (laugh). This will be our first event on Monday. Molly and India: Also, as we mentioned, for Valentine’s day we’ve got an escape room prepared just like our halloween event, but with a love twist added that would bring more Valentine’s feel to it. It’s going to take place pretty much all day, from 11am to 7pm. And that is for the British heart foundation. Wednesday, we have our annual colour-run, which is always quite a popular one. It’s a 5km run around the campus where people are given powder paints to throw at each other. This event is for fundraising for the Young Minds in collaboration with the college committees on campus like Turing and Keynes. Thursday, we’re attempting to break Guinness world records on the plaza with the silly things like how many post-it notes can you stick up on your face or how many cream-filled biscuits you can stack in your mouth in thirty seconds. Each attempt you take, you can donate a pound or any small amount of money, and we’ll film people who beat all the contestants or who actually get to send off their records to Guinness. We will be raising money for the local charity Catching Lives. So, for the entire week we’ve got these fun and simultaneously meaningful fundraising events planned. Maisie Lee : What are the steps you take when organising such events from a rough sketch? Molly and India: We have our events team of maybe 30 people, and we meet every week to plan events for the term. We plan every event a
month in advance; we decide what it is going to be for, who is going to help out, how much money is to be raised, how to promote in association with the charities, and so on. India: I guess the actual decision-making behind the scenes within the events team are done fairly easily, but it’s actually the promoting and advertising our events to as many people as possible that we feel is challenging. Maisie Lee : Do you guys build strong relationships or connections with local charities or fundraising organisations as well? India: Officers, including me, usually have personal connections with local charities as they volunteer and work with them over the summer. But at the beginning of each year, we get to choose charities to get in touch and work with throughout the academic year taking into considerations the fundraising work from the past year and which area to focus our impacts this year. We also try to evenly balance out the local and national work. It is true that charity work on a national level is easier due to general awareness (such as breast cancer awareness week) so many people are already hyped up for the events. But I guess it is as equally as important to help out local charities and community based projects as well. Maisie Lee: So what do you love most about being part of Kent Rag, and what are your difficulties? Molly: First of all, it is definitely stressful sometimes especially for the officers, since there are events happening constantly; there is at least one event happening every month. But I personally I joined Kent Rag to carry on with my volunteering that I was doing before I came to uni. I just love helping people out, and making people feel good about themselves and community they live in. India: It is the same for me too. I joined Kent Rag because I wanted to get more involved in local community and become an active member within and without. I was also interested in witnessing the direct impact of fundraising work we do since I can see clearly where the money raised goes. Also being the events officer, it is rewarding to see when the events go well and people actually enjoy themselves being part of the events. The disadvantage is being a third year, balancing Rag work with my uni work is sometimes difficult. However, the benefits I receive from Rag are definitely
outweighing the costs. Maisie Lee: Lot of students feel lost when it comes to fundraising or charity work. Is there anything you would like to tell them? Molly: I want many more students to know we are firstly here to help regardless of who you are, a society or an individual. So if they could come to us with a good intention or an event idea, we will walk them through with all the steps in order to achieve the goal they set. I think that is the part people often overlook and forget that we’re always here to help. India: I think Kent Rag is a great support system for students so if they simply have good event ideas or want to get more involved in local communities we can direct people or organisations they
need to contact. We’re also less intimidating than we look (laugh), so people can come straight to us to discuss whatever plans or ideas they have. Maisie Lee: Is there anything you would like say about the upcoming Kent Rag week? Molly: I hope for a big turnout. Students will be able to offer valuable support for the charities whilst having some fun. The more people come the better the events will be. India: There is no pressure at all, you can just turn up whenever you can and stay as long as you want. It is fine if you can only stay for five minutes. Also, the events could help students get away from heavy workload for a while and just enjoy the relief we provide.
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Classifieds
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Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire
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Classifieds
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Sport
Kent Falcons Claim Win Over CCCU On Snowy Sunday By Caitlin Casey Website Sport Editor
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unning one-by-one through a spirit tunnel of cheerleaders, the Kent Falcons prepared themselves for a battle against the Christ Church Chargers. Not only a massive Varsity fixture, but a league game too. The Kent Falcons awaited their game uneasily, but with confidence - they are afterall undefeated at the top of the league. They played through the blizzard of snow and hail; the spectators hid inside the Pavilion. The Falcon’s won with a comfortable lead of 20-0. InQuire sat down with President Joe Ganly, defensive Feranmi ‘Fez’ Oke, and Tom ‘Jersey’ Crawford to discuss the win, and how they prepared to face the Christ Church Chargers. Caitlin: So, tell InQuire about the roles you played today. Joe: I actually didn’t play my normal position today, usually I’m responsible for deep defence at the back of the pitch. I follow deep defence out so receivers on the other team don’t catch the ball. Today for Varsity, I was just in midfield doing everything in between. Jersey: I’m offensive, my role is to catch the ball when it comes to me (laughing), and block the other receivers and running backs. I was also on special team units today which involve plays like the kick-off, kick-off return, and field goals. Fez: I play defensive, my actual role is outside line-backer, and it’s just a bit of everything: a lot of tackling, a lot of
wrestling, a lot of coverage, following receivers, and a lot of attacking the quarterbacks. It’s the Jack of all trades. Caitlin: Have you ever played before university? Jersey: 95% of our team have never played before Uni, and the other 5% are American year abroad or have been playing for
people for each scenario we play on the squad. Today for Varsity we had 67 active players playing, but offensive and defensive train at the same time on two different side of the pitch, and then play together to practice. Fez: We actually have external coaching staff that come in and pick the squads for each match. We have to adjust our plays to every different team because nobody plays the same.
knew from the start CCCU had to play a particular way they tried to get under our skin, so we had to play with composure. Our team is really close so when you see your quarterback hurt the intensity goes up. Jersey: We didn’t go in nervous, because we know what we had to do. Ganly: Our strength is very adaptive, so we knew there was always a plan B. Fez: We have the best defence in the South. Caitlin: How do you feel the Falcons played as a team? Joe: Our coach said it at the end, there’s no reason we can’t go
England. I think it’s a great sport. Fez: I think it’s the fastest growing sport in England. Caitlin: What were your trainings and prep like for Varsity? Fez: We just train normally. We train three times a week already, so there was no way we could add any more trainings in. Joe: Our whole team is 85 people, and everyone plays, there’s an away game squad of 53 that we take to away games but there’s only ever 11 people on the pitch. There’s 11 different
Caitlin: How do you feel the game went? Fez: CCCU concussed our quarterback, and we lost our best player, so our offensive scheme changed completely. We were up by two scores, but we knew what we had to do. We
undefeated if we stick together. We had to rally each other around when our QB got injured. We only have one, it was terrifying. Jersey: The QB knows everything inside out, we have a receiver, but he had to step up into the QB position and it affects it when we can’t pass to him. I don’t think Christ Church gave up once. Fez: Within the first ten minutes we were pushed back to our own 10 yards where it’s easy to score, which really put us off, but as a defence we held
them off. I think ultimately we did what we do best, we stuck to our game plan and we didn’t let anything affect how we play when it easily could’ve. For every team we prepare for that game in particular, and we try to exploit their weaknesses; we try to cover our tracks for every game. It wasn’t extremely clean, but we tried to dominate. We kept getting defeated on one play, it was frustrating when we’d trained all week for it. Caitlin:How did the game differ to last year’s performance? Joe: We didn’t play them at Varsity last year and we hadn’t played them for two years. Before Christmas we had a league game with them that we won so we always knew that they were going to come fighting. We’ve never lost to Christ Church, so the pressure was on. Jersey: CCCU are the dirtiest team we’ve ever played, but we need to win every game because UEA are just behind us. Fez: We’ve not lost a game this season, we’re undefeated and that made it even higher pressure. This wasn’t just Varsity, it was a BUCS game we knew we had to win. Caitlin: Were you worried? Fez: No game is a guarantee, you never know what the score is going to be. Jersey: We went into the first game before Christmas way too confident, and we nearly lost because of that. Joe: We came into it expecting a battle. Even though they didn’t score, we didn’t know that they were going to lose until the end.
Friday 16 February 2018 InQuire Caitlin:Did you lose enthusiasm when the snow took over? Joe: It made us play even harder, because we knew that one team was going to let the conditions hit them on the chin, and we were determined to keep on going. Jersey: We’ve always wanted to play in the snow and we didn’t expect it. Joe: We’ve never played when it’s settled. Jersey: We had to change our tactics because we’re a very pass heavy team, and it affects how we play. You must catch it with your body rather than your hands in the snow, but you’re still going into it with 100%. Caitlin: Did you ever think CCCU were going to score? Jersey: I have the greatest
confidence in our defence, so no. CAitlin: Were Christ church as prepared as you? Fez: We had a game, and they had a bi-week, so they didn’t even have a match. They had more time than us to train because we were working on our other league match. Jersey: One of their coaches is our former head coach. Last year he switched to CCCU, so they know how we play. Caitlin: Do you think there was a player who stood out? (Joe, Fez and Jersey deliberate) Fez: We can’t pick, and I think that proves how good we are as a team. Jersey: Usually we have a stand out player but we all gave our heart. Rakim
Trapp-Jackson really stepped up as the quarterback when we didn’t have one. Caitlin: How do you feel moving forward? Jersey: If you think ahead you start to let yourself go, we take one game at a time. There are 5 teams in our league, we’re in South East 1A. Fez: Our next game is the biggest game of the season, a home game on Sunday against UEA. We beat them last away game. They’ve played 7 games you play 8 games in total - they have 6 wins and 1 loss to us. We’ve played 6 games and won all 6. UEA know that if they beat us, both of us finish 7 wins 1 loss, and it determines who we play in the play-off. They’re trying everything to beat us. They’re the
hardest game we’ll have to face. They’re quick, and they’re big. Jersey: They have a lot more personnel than us. They’ve already had two weeks to prepare. Joe: You have to respect teams that are working as hard as you. There are about 112 teams in England now. After March 4th we’ll be in trophy games, and any home supporters for that game would be great. Jersey: More supporters and more shouting puts the rivals off. Caitlin: Do you feel you can win? Jersey: Why not? Joe: The coaches have put hundreds of hours into training us. It’s an elevated level of play which is a challenge, it’s exciting knowing you can rise up to their level.
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Fez: We’re taking it one game at a time. We can’t afford to think about the trophy games yet. CAitlin: Is there anything you would like to finish on? Fez: Special shout out to Caitlin and InQuire. The Kent Falcons are pro-Inquire, #VarsityWins, #KentFalcons ##Winners, and come to the UEA game!! (Bring a jumper). A great game for Varsity and a well-deserved win to the Kent Falcons. The Falcon’s play their league games every Sunday. Make sure to catch the team in their BUCS fixture on Sunday at the Pavilion - their biggest game of the year – and after 4 March for their cup games.
Photo by Kent Falcons
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InQuire
Another Kent Varsity Win By James Bayliss Newspaper Sport Editor
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he University of Kent celebrated another Varsity win as teams across campus played their part to bring home the points in front of large crowds of passionate supporters at all venues, home and away. Varsity was all but won come the final days of the competition, with Kent boasting promising leads after a dominant set of results on Monday. Kent Swim kicked off Varsity with an 80-68 win over CCCU who
pushed Kent all the way, in a far tighter affair than seen in previous years. Nonetheless the points came home and it was over to the Kent Dance to maintain the winning run, which they did in another tight contest that saw Kent steal the win by a mere point. Day twp saw Kent Lacrosse earn plenty of wins, as well as the Men’s football 1sts claiming a dominant 4-1 win in front of big crowds and camera’s as KTV live streamed the event. The Womens Football 1sts were unfortunately defeated, suffering to two late goals, but
fought valiantly nonetheless . Both the mens and womens Badminton came out strong winners on day two as well, with 8-0 and 7-1 wins to their name. The volleyball teams were given tough matches on day three as the women’s team came through a tough 3-2 win in front of a noisey home crowd at the CCCU Sport Centre. The mens basketball added to Kent’s taly on Saturday night in a 64-41 victory. Entering Sunday, Kent were looking comfortable. Sunday was the stage for Netball and American
Football as the teams looked to add to what had been a dominant opening half of Varsity for UKC. Netball 4s, 3s and 2s all won with comfortable leads, but it was the 1s who suffered a two point defeat in an epic encouter at CCCU’s main court. Sunday evening got snowy as the American Football recorded a shutout 20-0 victory to maintain their unbeaten record this season. Magic Monday was the busiest day at Varsity seeing Hockey, Football, and Tennis, take centre stage. Men’s Tennis, and the Rutherford
Raiders stole the show with their wins, though Women’s Football 2s suffered a 2-1 defeat, despite a tight contest on a sunny pavilion pitch. Kent Snow added to the points on Tuesday with Equestrian and Trampoining performing as well. Wedneday was the final day of Varsity, with the much anticipated men’s and women’s Rugby matches played in the evening in front of huge crowds. Both teams lost, the women’s team 1236, and the men’s 14-13. Go to www.inquirelive. co.uk to find match reports.