InQuire 14.10

InQuire

The University of Kent’s Student Newspaper Issue 14.10 Friday 15 March 2019 inquiremedia.co.uk FREE

Year of the woman VP Activities Langeveldt elected Kent Union president

History made as 5 women take sabbatical roles

Turnout low as 8/10 students fail to turn up to polls

Full-Time Officer team 2019/20 term (left to right): Omolade Adedapo, Vice-President (Welfare and Community); Sasha Langeveldt, President; Victoria Saward-Read, Vice-President (Academic Experience); Emily Window, Vice-President (Student Engagement); Laura Carlin, Vice-President (Postgraduate Experience). Photo by Emily Heath

By Bill Bowkett Newspaper News Editor

S

asha Langeveldt is the new President-elect of Kent Union, following the results of the Leadership Elections on Friday March 8.

Langeveldt, incumbent Vice-President (Activities), defeated challengers Connor Hanagan-Morrissey and Lauren Thynne to become President for 2019-20 term—she will take over from current President, Aaron Thompson.

On International Women’s Day, all 5 FullTime Officers for Kent Union for the academic year 2019/2020 will be female – the first time in history* – after Omolade Adedapo (Vice-President for Welfare and Community), Emily Window (Vice-President for Student Engagement), Victoria Saward-Read (Vice-President for Academic Experience), Laura Carlin (Vice-President for Postgraduate Experience) and Sasha Langeveldt (President) were elected to their respective positions. Read recognised it as a “powerful” sentiment.

The successful candidates were announced

live in front of an audience of students and Union staff at The Venue on Friday.

The new Student Officer team will start in the summer when they will become the voice of more than 20,000 students at Kent.

Sasha Langeveldt said it was an “Amazing day” to see five women on stage with the keys to the Union building.

“The Union has changed and done a lot over the last year, but there is always room for improvement. Nobody understand the pressure of a sabbatical officer, especially when it comes to mental health—it has been such a stressful job.”

Emily Window celebrated her re-election by downing a VK on stage when collecting her winner’s t-shirt.

She told InQuire: “I remember this time last year and I just couldn’t believe that students still put their faith in me. They’ve obviously seen what I’ve done and believed in me, it’s honestly, what’s the word…it’s just feels really good.

“To be honest, I think last year I was com-

pletely on my own. I didn’t have a campaign team, it was rough, but I had so much energy last year. But this year’s been different because I was balancing a full-time job, I was still trying to represent students while trying to convince students to vote for me and still believe in me, and I was up against more people this year as well. They were all amazing to be up against, I would’ve been happy if any one of us had won because they were perfectly pleasant candidates. And debates, everyone had such good ideas this year. It’s a fresh new role and everyone brought fresh ideas”.

When asked what was going to be the biggest difference compared to this year, Omolade Adedapo said: “I think for me, knowing how to get things done quickly—last year I was sort of new in the role, getting used to how the University works, but next year I can just hit the ground running, get things done by Monday morning.”

Victoria Saward-Reed, who won by less than Continued on Page 2...

Latest: University of Kent student death in Keynes College Page 3

Feature Michael Jackson: Monster, mastermind, or both?

Page 12

Science and Technology A patient seems to have been cleared of HIV... but it’s not for everyone Page 16

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2018/2019

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Bill Bowkett

Continued from Page 1...

26 votes said: “Everyone was telling me this week we were the closest full battle, and we both believed that either one of us would’ve been brilliant for the job. But obviously I’m thrilled that I got it, but at the same time I would’ve been happy to have lost to Shaun.

He’s a great person, and at the end of the day it could’ve gone either way, it was so close. I’m happy it went my way, but I’m gutted for Sean.”

On her victory, Victoria added: “I think the biggest difference is that we’ve now got societies to look after, it’s not just the reps, it’s the societies, which is going to be more fun than it was previously. We’ve now got the scope to reach out to more people. Also, we’ve got all of the candidates and sabs who got elected this year

got more student-based drive this year, through which they would want to bring back what actually matters which is student opinion.”

Laura Carlin was “overwhelmed” and “emotional” with her victory in the race to become the first Vice-President for Postgraduate Experience which was introduced as a result of the University Executive Committee (UEC) vote in November. She told Kent Television she would “fight and stand up for those who have never had a voice”.

She added: “My team pulled together—from Hogwarts society to rag and korfball—they all knew I was the voice that is needed, and they know I won’t hide away behind the status.

One girl, bless her, she stood on plaza every single day for me, regardless of if I was there

or not, she would be there. I’m not going to lie, on Tuesday I accepted that I was going to lose, because of the endorsements given to some current sabbatical roles, it was quite heart-breaking because people already had that kind of power and support. I felt personally ignored, but then I thought you know what, even if I have lost, I’m not going to let people get to me. I wanted people to see who I am and that I’m strong.

And that I can jumped over that hurdle. And that I can carry on.”

Patel, a member of Vice-President (Student Engagement) candidate Kirby Talines’s campaign team, said the elections were “real eyeopener”.

This year’s elections saw a large decrease in the number of students voting—2,760 members of the student elec-

torate voted, 11.9% of Canterbury Campus students, down from 3,543 votes in 2018.

Medway had a turnout of 180 students, 8.1% of the Medway student body, down from 229 votes in 2018. The college with the highest number of voters was Elliot College, with around 561 votes, 16.8%. The College with the highest voter turnout as a percentage of the College’s total student population was Turing College, with a voter turnout of 19.7%. The School of Psychology had the largest turnout, having both the highest number of voters at 275 votes, and the highest proportion of voters out of the School’s total number of students at 25.1%.

Elected as Part-Time Officers were as follows: Stephen Kamara, BAME Network Chair; Riya Jogani, Women’s Net-

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Jordan Ifield

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Opinion

Koeun Maisie Lee

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Entertainment

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Features Corben Neyland Newspaper Features Editor

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Ellie Fielding

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Culture Maryah Chughtai Newspaper Culture Editor

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Shani Thomas

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Sport

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Science and Tech

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work Chair; Siwar Aldaoud, International Students Network Chair; Felicia Dean, Societies Network Chair; Carolyn Postlethwaite, Sustainability Network Chair; Philip Crocker, Disabilities Network Chair; Robert Land, Volunteering Network Chair; Ethan Basso, Undergraduate Science Faculty Representative; Kristina Sandeva, Undergraduate Social Sciences Faculty Representative, Robbie MacKinnon, Undergraduate Humanities Faculty Representative and Student Trustees, Aarish Hyder and Muhammad Abdullah.

To relive election night, visit www.inquiremedia.co.uk.

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

Student Union Shop to merge with Co-op

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At a glance Students at the University of Kent have been short-listed for 3 National Societies Awards: T24 for Best Arts Society; Molly Hope, InQuire Editor-in-Chief, for Best Individual Contribution; and the Islamic Society (ISOC) for Best Faith and Cultural Society. Respect the No are also nominated for The Tab’s Diversity Society Of The Year.

New network taskforce of school and university bodies including the NUS, UCAS and University UK has being created by the government to help freshers’ transition into university to face challenges such as mental health. It comes after 100 student suicides at universities last year.

A poll of 38,000 UK students, seen by the Guardian, suggests rates of psychological distress and illness are on the rise in UK universities, with “alarmingly high” levels of anxiety, loneliness, substance misuse and thoughts of self-harm. It is the largest-ever mental health poll of universities and researching say there needs to be “an urgent call to action”.

A letter written by students has called on Kent Union to endorse the Global Youth Strike on Friday 15 March.

The write how activist Greta Thunberg has inspired a “youth revolution” across the world in standing up to climate change and global warming. Last month hundreds of fellow students took to the streets of Canterbury, with thousands coming together nationally. A UN report states that civilisation has just 11 years to change and campaigners are calling on governments to “wake up and take the issue seriously”.

Essentials was renamed the SU Shop in 2018 after the opening of the Parkwood Student Hub (Photo by Lee Evans Partnerships)

The move will hope to address feedback from students that prices in the campus outlet are too expensive.

By Alejandro Javierre News Sub-Editor

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s of September 2019, the SU Shop – located in Parkwood and the Plaza – will be rebranded as Cooperative mini-stores, Kent Union confirms.

The supermarket chain, with over 7,000 stores strong across the UK, is set to collaborate with the University of Kent’s Student’s Union amidst

criticism from both staff and students.

The current stores, previously called Essentials before a rebranding as the SU Shop last year, is primarily being stocked with products from the Cooperative Food Group, though the management is overseen by Kent Union who is responsible for the pricing of products and advertisements.

The management of the store will remain in the hands of the Union, but the commercial move will mean lower prices. The stores will also no longer stock University of Kent merchandise.

Current Kent Union President Aaron Thompson has stated in response to the move that “I’m really excited that Kent Union will be partnering with Co-op” and that one of the biggest issues that students gave feedback on last year was that store prices were too high.

It is believed that that the move

will “offer Kent students better value for money, a bigger product range, and even bigger discounts”.

The newly redeveloped stores will be the second Cooperative Group-partnered franchise to be present in Canterbury. The stores are expected to stock the full range of foods on offer at Co-op stores, including Fairtrade goods, international products, and an in-store bakery. Both student union stores will also receive further refurbishments, with the introduction of 15 self-scan tills and a larger focus on customer service in the future.

The stores will still be run by Kent Union staff and will become part of a larger development program aimed at refurbishing existing Kent Union facilities.

Andrew Duffield, the Head of Retail for Kent Union and manager of the Student Union Shop for the past two years, has

alleviated concerns over the employment of students at the stores following the acquisition, saying: “Employing students remains a key priority for Kent Union, helping them fund their studies and develop skills that will support them in the job market when they graduate.”

The new acquisition also gives holders of TOTUM student discount cards a 10% discount off products bought at each store, and members can also receive a 5% reward when purchasing Co-op branded products, with a further 1% donated to local charity causes such as the Hyde Park Picture House and the Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre (HEART) Project.

Martin Rogers, Co-op’s Head Media Representative has stated that “at the heart of the Co-op it is about connecting communities, bringing people together, and making a difference.”

UKC student death in Keynes flat

By Bill Bowkett Newspaper News Editor

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University of Kent student was found dead in Keynes College, the University confirms.

Emergency services—including the police, ambulance crews, and a forensics team—were spotted yesterday evening (March 7) on campus at around 6.30-7pm. Kent Live re-

ported that they left campus at 11pm.

The details of the death are still unknownand the police are not treating the death as suspicous.

A university spokesman confirmed the news, writing: “We can confirm the death of a student at our Canterbury campus. Kent Police attended the scene and next of kin are being informed.

“We are offering support to the student’s housemates, fellow stu-

dents and staff. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the student’s family at this difficult time.”

Kent Union told InQuire: “We have been made aware of the recent death of a student on the Canterbury campus.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the family and those affected.

“We will work with the University to ensure anyone affected is supported through this difficult time. The needs

of the family are of the utmost importance at this time, we ask everyone to be respectful and mindful of this.”

If you feel affected by any of the issues covered in this story, speak to University Wellbeing staff at 01227 826573 or call Canterbury Nightline for help outside of working hours at 01227 824848.

Duo Tears for Fears have announced a special outdoor gig in Kent this summer. The BRIT winning band, made up of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, shot to fame in the 1980s with hits including Everybody Wants to Rule the World. They have announced that they will play the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury on Sunday, June 23.

National Front stickers have been appearing around the streets of Canterbury, prompting anger from local residents. The propaganda posted around St Dunstan’s features phrases such as: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”. The labels have been spotted on roads including Rheims Way and London Road, including posters plastered on bus stops calling for “Britain for the British”. The fascist political organisation campaigns against multiculturalism and what it sees as the “Islamisation of the United Kingdom”, advocateing the preservation of traditional British culture.

Photo by Kent Online

Correction:

We put in the last publication, 14.9, that Equip to Overcome were being coached

by Lionel Richie, when they are actually being coached by Tom Jones.

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Labour declares support towards ‘People’s Vote’

Photo by Parliament

By Will Jarvis Writer

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ebruary 18 marked the most considerable breakaway from the Labour party in recent history.

So far, a total of eleven members have seceded from the Labour party and have formed the new ‘Independent Group’.

Members include: Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffer, Gavin Shuker, Joan Ryan, Heidi Allen Ann Coffey, Angela Smith and Ian Austin.

The new party has partially united over the anti-Semitism that has marred the party since 2015.

The leading concern for these new members is Corbyn’s apparent passiveness over a Tory Brexit.

Mr Shuker MP for South Luton and member of the Independent Groups has remarked that Labour was “riddled with antisemitism, it presents a threat to our national security and it’s perfectly content to enable the hard Tory Brexit that will directly and negatively affect people”.

Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, Whitstable and the Villages has expressed her grief at the recent defection but hopes that their message is heard so that the party can effectively combat what she calls ‘this awful Tory Brexit’ and all forms of anti-Semitism within the Labour party.

In light of the of the recent rebellion, the opposition revealed an effective U-turn on its Brexit policy.

Shadow foreign secretary and Kent alumnus Emily Thornberry has confirmed that Labour will push for a second referendum in the face of a no-deal Brexit or unfavourable Tory Brexit. Stating that “If it’s a choice between that [a second referendum] and a disastrous Tory Brexit, we will be campaigning to remain”.

The change in course for the Labour party seems to match the views of party members, with seventy per cent wanting a second referendum and ninety per cent of those stating they would vote to remain.

In the face of the defection of the eleven members and a growing dissatisfaction with the Brexit process amongst voters, Labour leadership is signalling that the vote on the 12 March will both be opposed and come with an amendment demanding a second referendum.

Canterbury’s own Rosie Duffield is reportedly “excited by the recent developments in the Opposition stance on Brexit and the potential for a People’s Vote”.

Seeing no deal Brexit as disastrous for the Kent economy and for its people, Rosie has for a long time been an avid supporter of a People’s Vote and although she has given no official statement, her secretary expressed her views, saying that she has “always supported and championed the idea of a People’s Vote, she believes it is in the best interests of the people of Canterbury, Whitstable, the local villages”.

Aaron Thompson, Kent Union President, has expressed his desire for a second referendum favouring a remain vote. In December two-hundred members of Kent Union backed a petition for Kent Union to support a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal. Backed

by For our Futures Sake, the ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ bus arrived at the University of Kent, where it was made clear that the Student Union does not support Brexit.

Another supporter of the ‘People’s Vote’ includes University Chancellor and former BBC journalist, Gavin Esler.

“If it’s a choice between that [a second referendum] and a disastrous Tory Brexit, we will be campaigning to remain”

“Europe is part of our DNA and we are determined to remain outward looking” Leaving the EU is prooving to be a major and growing source of uncertainty for the UK’s university of sector.

InQuire sat down with Professor Jeremy Carrette, Kent’s Dean of Europe, to find out more.

Interview by Jordan Ifield (Website News Editor), Bill Bowkett (Newspaper News Editor) and Jesse Bedayn (Newspaper Editor)

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s the country is fully aware, 29 March 2019 will likely go down as the single most significant change in British politics during our lifetimes. No country has tried to leave the EU before, and the ramifications of leaving are still unknown.

For the University of Kent, who advertise themselves regularly as the UK’s “European University”, such a change was never going to go unnoticed, and with Brexit now just over two weeks away, InQuire interviewed the University’s Dean of Europe, Professor Jean Carrette, for details on how Brexit will effect UKC.

What does your title of Dean of Europe entail?

“The Dean of Europe is a unique role for the university sector, there are very few positions that are specifically dedicated to Europe, and the reason that we have a role of a Dean of Europe is because we are the UK’s European University. Why are we the UK’s European University? Because up until very recently, when Brexit started making other universities become interested in Europe we had, and still have four campuses in Europe: in Brus-

Photo by UKC

sels, Paris, Rome and Athens.”

“We are the only university to have our own premises in Europe, because most of the current work that other universities do is to be linked via a partnership with another university. We deliver our own work, we have our own building, we have our own academics there and admin staff. It’s a very unique facility.”

“I manage the European centres, there are academic directors in each of those sectors on the ground, I feedback from those centres to the management of the university about what we’re doing in those sectors, and I also work with international partnerships in building all kinds of relationships across researching and teaching and supporting liaison with other universities across Europe”.

How will Brexit affect UKC students and research?

“The most vital issue behind what you just asked is how the government leaves. As we stand to date (8th March), being part of the EU allows us access to the facilities and operations within the European community.

“All the European sector universities are able to work together with great ease. In terms of the credit system you may be aware of, the ECT credits (you see on your Moodle pages), that is a great symbol of the Bologna process, which was an agreement to allow universities to have mobility for exchanges to be made and the credits for work that you could do in Europe.

“It also allows us to build research projects, so huge projects, whether in space technology, or developing nutrition, cancer research, developing political research, delivering literary

research, academics from this university can easily move around Europe’s academia.”

“If we leave with no deal, we won’t have any access to those operations. Student mobility will be limited, research activity will be constrained, and that includes grants that the EU presently offer UKC and other UK universities. Now we get money from the European Union—if we leave with no-deal, we will have no access to the Horizon 2020 grants for academics. Our research will become challenged, as a university, academic partnerships will be constrained, and we will be facing a limitation. UKC receives upwards of £2.5 million in research funding that comes in from the EU, and that money could potentially be lost.

“We are obviously preparing for these changes, it’s not that it’s going to be a complete end to those arrangements. The challenge of Brexit for higher education in the UK is to find solutions to this problem. Because if anything, higher education is about relationships.

“Let me give you one example, we have a link just across the channel, to the University of Lyon—one of the biggest universities with 60,000 students, one of the largest medical schools in France, and we’re presently developing a relationship with them. They have an institute there called the Institute Pasteur, related to the great physician. That knowledge is transferred to this country and enables us to work together to develop vaccines and medicine. That’s the vitality of those exchanges and relationship of knowledge, and if we lose that we’re going be behind the curve.

“What students would lose? What students would lose is their year abroad potential. Erasmus will be challenged. Students on the Erasmus scheme won’t get the financial support that they would’ve got while we remain in the EU.” Recently there was a letter sent to Parliament by just over 100 UK universities regarding Brexit and their concerns, do you know if UKC was one of them?

“Well I don’t know the signatories of that letter, but the University of Kent is a member of the Universities UK, so what the UUK is saying is representative of our concerns.

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

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Jeremy is responsible for developing the University’s European engagement strategy, including strategic oversight of its European postgraduate centres. (Photo by the University of Kent)

No deal will be damaging to the sector.

We need to find solutions to it.”

“Just to be clear, Karen Cox our VC, has been in the media stating very clearly that we support the EU case and demands, and that no deal will be damaging to the sector. And that we need to find solutions to it.”

How much communication has the university had with the Conservative government regarding Brexit?

“In short, communication has been limited. As you know, Rosie Duffield’s team contacted us about whether we had been involved in any communications, and she made a point on the floor of Parliament stating precisely that we weren’t consulted sufficiently.

The ministers hadn’t been to see us or Christchurch. So there has been a lack of engagement in the university sector.”

Is the University in favour of a people’s vote?

“A university institution can’t take a specific political stance, so we don’t take a political stance. But individuals within the university make it clear what would be beneficial or not for the sector, and, therefore, we are following the UUK in saying that this is bad for our sector.

“The specific political outcomes are matters of individual viewpoint. However, I think it is absolutely clear that we are one of the few universities who has a Chancellor, Gavin Esler, who is actively engaged and trying to bring about a people’s vote. I think that is extraordinary situation and something that I deeply value, that we have that political voice to say where universities are being potentially damaged. Gavin Esler has been fighting the cause on what will be best for our university, which is to get a clarity from the people about what they understood by that first vote.

“But it is our view to make a distinction between Europe and the EU. Our connections to Europe are beyond a system called the EU which is a political structure, we will always be a part of Europe.”

The University of Kent is famously known as the “UK’s European University” will this be compromised by Brexit, will this effect advertising to students abroad?

“It’s something we think about a lot, and there are differences of opinion across the spectrum on that question. A lot of students aren’t aware that we are the UK’s European university until they come on to the campus and then say, ‘Oh we’re the UK’s European University’.

“So, in response to recruitment, they

come to the University of Kent because UKC is offering great education, great courses, and they see that from the prospectus and visiting the campus.

“I think when people see signs around campus, at the entrance, some people may confuse the meaning of that.

What does it mean to be UK’s European University? I think we need to educate people about the meaning of our brand.

“We did a survey of students on arrivals day in September asking students and parents about that brand and it was about 50/50, with some saying ‘I don’t understand why or what it means’ and others saying ‘Actually this is really positive’”.

How will Brexit affect international students?

“Again, we need to understand what sort of Brexit we are facing. If we’re facing a no-deal Brexit, the situation regarding recruitment is going to be fundamentally different, because the key thing is the EU fee. At the moment the UK and EU students have the same home fee level. If we have a no-deal, we’ll have to charge international fees.

“It may stop a certain amount of flow from Europe. What we’re not clear about—and this will again be government decision-making—is we might be in a situation where we have a variable fee for specific courses.

“One of the interesting things is that, in whatever scenario, we are investing heavily in our campuses in Brussels and Paris etc, because they get a lot of international students and will have a lot of access to no visa restrictions as well for EU students to go and study there as postgraduates.”

“We have potential options for using our campuses in Europe to deliver courses that we could’ve delivered here. It’s not a decision we’ve made, but we have a unique facility in Europe.”

Controversial Polish politican who thinks women shouldn’t vote speaks to students

By Miray Atilgan Writer

of all member states. However, this would be in the interest of “left-wing intellectuals”, who control and shape n Monday 4 of February 2019, the transition of the EU to a “Union the UKC Eastern European Soof European Socialist Republics”. ciety invited Janusz Korwin-Mikke Mr Korwin-Mikke’s answer to this to talk about different current issues development is the abolition of the including the Ukrainian conflict and EU and democracy, which he dethe creation of a European Union scribed in the past as the “stupidest (EU) Army. form of government ever The Polish politician was a conceived” because member of the Europe“two bums from unan Parliament from der a beer stand 2014 until 2018 and have twice as founder of the party many votes as Wolność Janusza a university Korwin-Mikprofessor”. ke (Freedom He also for Janusz Korsaid, not a win-Mikke), which long time he has led since its ago, that formation in 2015. w o m e n On the question on “should not whether a European be allowed Army should intervene to vote”. He Photo by Wikipedia in the Ukrainian conflict, says women are he stated that a common “less intelligent” army would not serve its purthan men. Second, they pose because European men are no are mostly not interested in polilonger taught to be “aggressive”, untics. Third, those women, who parlike “black men”, Russians or Musticipate at elections, “usually vote lims. Thus, the lack of soldiers, who for the more handsome man” or, “are not afraid to lose their lives” even worse, for the welfare state. would lead to a weak and defeata“If someone gives money to an unble army. Furthermore, he emphaemployed person, he should have sised that such a European Army his hand cut off because he is dewould undermine the sovereignty stroying the morale of the people”.

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Opinion Abortion laws: time for change?

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Photo by Alchemica | Wikipedia Commons

Pre-abortion demonstration in the Netherlands in 1971 (left)

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t is estimated that at least 23,000 women die every year from unsafe abortions.

Shockingly, this tragedy occurs in an age where the technology is available to complete abortions safely and with minimum impact to a woman’s life. Yet in the developing world, and even some remaining countries in Europe, accessibility to an abortion is restricted.

This month, the Guardian published a story about an 11-year-old Argentinian girl who, after being raped by a 65-year-old man, was forced to give birth due to being refused an abortion. To make matters worse, after enduring 23 weeks of pregnancy, the child was forced to undergo an operation similar to a caesarean section. The baby is now unlikely to survive.

There are thousands of similar cases globally, and it is the female victims who live with both the physical and psychological consequences in most cases. Girls and women a-like are unwillingly forced to become mothers, whilst the male perpetrator gets away with little consequence.

Can this 11-year-old girl really be labelled as a mother to this premature baby? She has barely reached puberty and has already had thrust upon her one of the hardest careers in the world, parenting. Is it fair that a girl of such as young age should have no choice in the matter of whether she gets to keep the unnecessary reminder of the rape she endured not even six months ago?

We seem to forget that just over 50 years ago, women were being forced into the same situation as this girl was. Before abortion was

legalised in England and Wales in 1967, women were forced to endure ‘back-street’ methods in order to get the help that they needed in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. One would have hoped that 50 years later, abortion laws would have come a long way from where they were. It is, however, recorded that only 37% of the world’s 1.64 billion women of reproductive age live in countries that allow abortion without any restrictions.

In fact, the Republic of Ireland’s referendum vote in 2018 reflected the generational divide on the matter. Younger voters were shown to lean towards changing the abortion law, whilst the majority of voters over the age of 65 choosing to keep the eighth amendment, which are the legalities set out to protect the unborn child’s rights. This sharp increase of liberal views amongst younger generations is beginning to show that laws on abortion need to change. In Argentina, abortion is restricted unless necessary in order to protect the woman’s physical health. Without the proper laws, this 11 year-old-girl’s circumstance, neither her own, nor her baby’s health, was protected.

There was no perfect moral or ethical solution to this child’s story. Either way she was going to face the lasting traumas of her rape for the rest of her life. Had she been granted her decision to have an abortion, however, she wouldn’t have had to deal with the physical trauma of carrying an unborn child at the age of 11. The psychological trauma led to her attempting to commit suicide twice. Maybe this could have been stopped. This is not a unique story. Young girls all over the world go through this same trauma every year.

This is why abortion laws need to be changed.

By Kiro Evans Writer

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Photo by Fotopersbureau ‘t Sticht | wikipedia

By Elisabeth Few Writer

The media is not aiding the knife crime debate, they’re holding it back

“Perhaps even more worrying is the repeated failure from the usual suspects to explore any options that exist outside the realm of short-term fixes.”

hisper it quietly, but the media is perhaps the most wrongfully victimised industry in this country.

“It’s the media” they say, when trying to explain a societal problem. “Blame the media”, they shout, when responsibility for a complex problem is difficult to pin down. The media, in itself an ambiguous term, is actually pretty blameless for a number of issues they get charged with. The failure for this country to reach any form of consensus on how to deal with the knife crime issue, however, is almost entirely down to “the media”.

Mainly out of ignorance, the media has managed to distort the issue and leave the most important elements of the debate on the fringes. The overwhelming majority of broadcasters, researchers, and producers and, consequently, the overwhelming majority of knee-jerk pundits and columnists they invite onto their shows, all come from a world that is almost entirely removed from the one they are poised to comment on. It’s the equivalent of grabbing three drug dealers from Croydon, sticking a microphone in their face, and asking them to analyse the Stock Market. This wouldn’t happen because they’re not qualified to comment on a world that isn’t their own. Middle-class journalists who largely come from privileged backgrounds, analysing a problem that largely affects poverty-stricken, working class kids, rarely aids the debate in a meaningful way, especially when they continuously parrot the same, mostly debunked, ideas.

Longer prison sentences? This will only drag naive knife-carrying teenagers further into the world of criminality and danger perpetuating the problem.

More stop and search? Maybe, but let’s

first face the uncomfortable reality that embodies the racialised element which has consumed the policy; namely the fact that black people are 4.3 times more likely to be stopped than white people, despite the fact that searches of white people are 3.3% more likely result in further action, according to analysis by the London School of Economics. It’s a black problem? Unfortunately for those looking for an easy way out, it’s far more about class than race, with rapper and activist Akala demonstrating last week what a minimal number of black people actually perpetrate knife offences (only a few dozen of 1.2 million black people living in London are actually involved). It’s okay to have these debates, but journalists challenging these easy answers are shockingly rare. Perhaps even more worrying is the repeated failure from the usual suspects to explore any options that exist outside the realm of short-term fixes.

The coverage can also be slightly unsettling. The tragic deaths of Jodie Chesney and Yousef Makki in a single weekend were rightfully eulogised by the front pages of national newspapers, but these are the same tabloids that normally relegate coverage of the death of a black London teenager, for example, to the middle pages, with far less emotional rhetoric. I suspect the journalists can relate to those who come from middle class areas or from middle class families, far more so than the victims from impoverished areas who haven’t quite got their lives on track, hence the uncomfortable disparity in the coverage.

The knife crime that is ravaging Britain is complex and does not elicit simple answers. But the British media are not helping. Their facile attempts to tame an issue they are ill-equipped to understand only hinders the debate far more than helping it.

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

7

Opinion

Photo by Gage Skidmore | Wikimedia Commons

By Dimitri Andreou Writer

B

ernie Sanders, the 77-year-old senator from Vermont, narrowly missed out on the Democratic nomination in the 2016 US presidential election primaries. Many commentators have since argued that had Bernie been selected as the Democratic presidential candidate, we may have never seen Trump in the White House. Thankfully, Sanders has recently announced his intention to run again in the 2020 US presidential election. In the age of Trump, the US desperately needs a Bernie Sanders presidency.

Sanders is a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist”, who stands on a policy platform including health care for all, a more sustainable climate policy and more equal wealth distribution, to name a few. These policies, when put to the American people by a personality like Sanders, could certainly beat Donald Trump, who has also announced his intention to run for a second term.

It is an understatement to claim that Sanders in the White House would be good for the US. It is more appropriate, and more realistic to say that the US needs him in office. Current US politics are simply not working for the majority of Americans.

India and Pakistan: will the conflict ever be resolved?

By Olivia Warr Writer

T

ensions between Pakistan and India are rising over Kashmir yet again, and this time the conflict must be defused before nuclear weapons get involved.

Ever since Partition in 1947, the region of Kashmir has been disputed by Pakistan and India.

The Muslim majority in Kashmir makes Pakistan believe it is theirs, but India believes Kashmir is an important part of their multi-ethnic state. This fighting has been going on for too long, and because both Pakistan and India are nuclear rivals, it is vital that the constant conflict between them diffuses before it becomes catastrophic.

Pakistan’s capture of Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian air force pilot, became a focal point for the tension. His release, as a sign of peace from Pakistan, was a positive move made—it is, however, not enough. One of the biggest problems that Pakistan has is its terror groups. One report on the matter stated that “Pakistan’s use of terrorist groups as part of its security and foreign policy is a function of its obsession with India.” The terrorist groups that Pakistan have supported have killed hundreds of people in In-

dia, and if the country continues to aid and abet, there is no chance for peace between the two nations. When Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based militant group launched an attack that killed over 40 Indian soldiers, India retaliated by launching air strikes in Pakistan territory, demonstrating how Pakistan’s endorsement of terror groups is fueling the fight. Even though tensions simmered down with the return of Varthaman, this is not the end of the troubling conflict – Pakistan needs to do more.

India also needs to work towards peace. Imran Khan, the Pakistani Prime Minister, appeared on television and called for peace, stating that the two countries could not afford a miscalculation in the fighting—their nuclear weapons would pose too significant a threat. After the Indian airstrike, Indian journalists celebrated, and many citizens took to social media to share their support for India’s retaliation in the conflict. Pakistan have started to take steps to promote peace; they have just started to arrest members of Jaish-e-Mohammad, including the brother of the leader. This willingness to change their stance needs to be reciprocated by India. Yet Indian officials have not made any comments on the matter - they need to

Why the US needs Bernie Sanders Presidency

In withdrawing from the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, Trump has impeded the international community’s efforts in combatting the climate change threat. As one of the planet’s largest polluters, the US must take a leading role in battling climate change. According to the United Nations, the world has approximately 12 years left to control global warming. If this is not achieved, the planet will face irreversible damage. With this in mind, the US needs a president that will take the necessary steps to tackle climate change (and believe it actually exists).

Sanders’s economic programme, on the other hand, will lead to massive economic growth and challenge the rampant inequality present in American society. Sanders aims to raise the minimum wage nationally to $15. In some states, the figure currently stands as low as $7.25.

According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Sanders’s increase of the minimum wage would give 67.3% of Americans a significant pay increase. The proposal, according to the EPI, would put more money in the pockets of the lowest-paid American workers, who currently spend more of their limited earnings than any other economic group in the US. Therefore, the EPI concludes that Sanders’ minimum wage increase will lead to general economic growth as

Photo by Wikipedia

those it will benefit the most are statistically likely to contribute this extra income back into the economy.

While Sanders’ policies may be sound, he first has to win the Democratic nomination in a race that currently has 12 candidates. While potential candidates like Andrew Yang and Elizabeth Warren have similar policies to Sanders, they simply cannot compete with his level of support among Democratic voters. It is estimated that within the first 24 hours of his campaign launch, almost $6 million was raised for his campaign, most of which came from small, individual donations from ordinary Americans. His policies are also significantly more achievable. Yang is an entrepreneur who calls for “compassionate capitalism”. While this may be a snappy soundbite, many voters believe that the current system of capitalism cannot be compassionate, and that the entire system must be completely reorganised, not just renamed, to benefit everybody.

Sanders is the Democratic candidate with the most support and, quite simply, the only candidate that can provide a sufficient alternative to Trump’s heartless, reckless and unsustainable politics. It is time to bring radical, compassionate and sustainable political change to the US, and Bernie Sanders is our best chance. The US, and the world, needs President Bernie Sanders.

The Independent Group: a far away hope for British politics?

By Oliver Trapnell Writer

T ensure they make it clear to their own country and Pakistan that they are prepared to work towards peace.

Both Pakistan and India possess substantial amount of nuclear weapons; recent estimates suggest around 120 and 110 respectively, and their history as conflicting nations make the threat of nuclear war a serious one. There have been four wars since the 1947 partition, each involved many deaths and casualties. It would be easy for nuclear weapons to become involved if the fighting escalates much further. It will result an act that would be disastrous for both countries and the rest of the world.

It is not easy to just create peace, especially between two countries that have been fighting for decades. The issues surrounding the identity of Kashmir won’t just disappear either. Unfortunately, this is the essence of the tension between the two nations. Pakistan and India will eventually need a ceasefire, as they enforced in 2003, so that they can work towards bringing their countries together under peace. This would be immensely beneficial for both Pakistan and India, as well as Kashmir; a state that has been forced into the conflict between two warring nations.

he news of 7 Labour MPs forming a breakaway group last month caused a major stir in the sphere of British politics. With the culmination of three years’ work since the referendum, the Brexit deal, is looking to be a hard exit. As Britain holds its breath in the runup to our withdrawal from Europe, could the breakaway group hold the key to a successful and strong government? Or is this breakaway a herald that marks Britain to remain in the zeitgeist of failing British politics?

The breakaway—now dubbed ‘the Independent Group’—was created in response to the failure of contemporary British politics, especially in regard to the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and the internal concerns from the Labour party regarding anti-Semitism. After the initial breakaway, 3 members from the Conservative party also joined the set, arguing that a right-wing takeover was forming within the Conservative party. As of yet, they are leaderless which poses concerns for any future plans they may have, but with growing support from politicians and the public alike, they look to be in good form in the near future.

The group, now consisting of both Labour and Conservative MPs, sees itself to be centrist, with the hope that with additional support a new party can be formed. The centrism movement is how it sounds—an ideology that is neither disproportionately Left nor Right-wing, and holds an equilibrium of social hierarchy and social equality. The Independ-

ent Group believe that neither of the main parties have the fortitude capable of paving the way through the uncertain times that lie ahead for Britain.

So, what comes next? They aim to form a political party by Autumn 2019 with aims to support ‘evidence-led policies’ and of course a second referendum on the EU. The Independent Group has yet to put forward a manifesto. They nevertheless have clearly voiced that Britain is “a great country of which people are rightly proud” that needs a government that must do “whatever it takes” to preserve national interests. With this in mind, they certainly seem to be a group on which the public can rely.

The hidden strength of Independent Group lies in its possibilities.

With such uncertainty prevailing in contemporary Britain, perhaps a breath of fresh air could be in our greatest interests. Having a party that holds a centrist policy can capture the votes of those who sway both ways in political ideologies and for those who do not consider themselves as either left or right.

At this stage, however, all of this is mere speculation. With a leaderless party and no manifesto, they certainly have a long way to go before it can be even called ‘a party’. Especially with Brexit looming just over the horizon, can we rely on such a small group to meet the demands of the British public and provide stable leadership in the years to come?

At least in the near future, I see no reliable party that is capable of leading us through Brexit, but can say for certain, that the Independent Group holds great possibilities in a new Britain outside of the EU.

8

Editorial

Elections are over. What’s next?

By Maisie Lee Newspaper Opinion Editor

T

o the 2,760 University of Kent students who voted in the Kent Union leadership elections, well done. On International Women’s Day, you have elected the first ever female full-time officer team—Sasha, Laura, Omolade, Victoria, and Emily—along with 11 new part-time officers who will be serving as the student representatives in Kent Union. Results night in Venue, on Friday March 8, was buzzing with a concoction of student reactions, the festiveness inside the Venue however, was only enjoyed by a few students—for a majority of the students, it was just another regular rainy Friday evening.

The 2,760 student turnout was comprised of 11.9% (2,580 votes) of Canterbury campus students and 8.1% (180 votes) of Medway students.

The overall turnout is lower than last year, which garnered 3,543 votes, 15.3% of the student body.

While the candidates put issues on the table—such as student mental health, free speech regulations, and gym memberships—which would directly impact student lives, a majority of the students chose not to utilise their ballots.

Opinions of more than 80% of the students were not reflected in one of the most important democratic processes at the University of Kent, and the new officers are about to begin their term with mandate entrusted to them by less than a quarter of students they will be working for.

One of the reasons why Kent leadership elections suffer from notoriously low turnout each year may be the general indifference among students. High levels of apathy during the election process is indeed problematic, but what fundamentally keeps students away from the elections is a lack of knowl-

edge about the Union and what it does.

Union Officers, every year, promise to increase student engagement and understanding of the role of the SU, but it rarely increases. This year’s Leadership Elections had a lower voter turnout than last year—what happened this year? How did the 2018/2019 lose student engagement throughout the year? Only when the FTO’s garner the attention of a majority of students will they have the legitimacy of their office and be able to fully represent the student body. First on their plate should be engagement.

Sasha, after she won the presidential race, told InQuire that she recognises the need for improvement regarding communication between Kent Union and the students. While a greater part of the onus is on the Union strives to reach out to students in a more effective way, it is also the students’ duty to constantly engage, scrutinize, support, and hold the Union to account. If you voted for a candidate in this election, keep your eye on her throughout the year. See if she delivers on her promises and brings you the changes that you voted for.

During the academic year 2019/2020, you should be witnessing more sustainable policies, enhanced academic support with more common rooms installed in each school, a toolkit for student housing support, improved level of Medway sports provision, and greater mental health support. These are all the changes you voted for. Now, make sure you can enjoy them in your following years at Kent.

Keep your eye on the officers, go talk to them when necessary, and make sure they listen to your voice.

Now that the election itself has ended, some will rejoice in a return to their regular university lives, with no more consecutive InQuire editorials about voting, or candidates approaching you around campus—but it is not over yet. The election may have

ended, but now that the new FTO team in set in, your role as a supporter, critic, scrutinizer, and judge begins.

Emily Heath | InQuire Media

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

Lifestyle

How to have

UKC, what turns

dewy skin in Spring W

ith spring at the doorstep, and the warm weather advancing, our skincare routine needs to adapt to suit the new climate. A change in routine does not need to break the bank, so here is where you can save and where to splurge: For your morning routine, skincare should be focused on replenishing the skin’s moisture and prepping the skin for your day.

Day

•Cleanse – Oil and sweat can build up over-

night, so cleansing creates a clean base for your routine. You can get great cleansers on the high street, brands such as Boots Botanics can provide everything you need for a small cost.

•Toner – Although not necessarily essential,

a rosewater toner provides an extra layer of hydration if you find your skin remains flaky from the winter months. Cheaper toners often contain alcohol, which can be damaging, so if you’re in need of the extra hydration, invest in a toner such as the Pixi Rosewater Toner – this will alleviate any dryness effectively.

•Oil – Oil hydrates skin more effectively than a standard moisturiser. You can find great inexpensive morning oils such as The Ordinary’s “Marine Hyaluronics” for under £6.

•Moisturise – Surprisingly, a good

moisturiser can be found in most drugstores.

With sunny days becoming more frequent, it’s important to include an SPF into your routine. Simple does great moisturisers for under £5.

9

By Meg warwick Website Sports Editor

you on?

Night It’s important to cleanse at night, to wash away the day and restore your skin.

•Double Cleansing

– The most effective way to make sure all the remnants of the day are removed, is a two-stage cleanse.

Firstly, take an oil-based cleanser to remove any makeup or dirt. Effective oil-based cleansers are hard to find: Liz Earle “Cleanse and Polish” is great if you want a thorough cleanse. For the second, using your normal (morning) cleanser is fine to save some money.

•Acid Tone

– This removes any dead skin cells that have emerged from the cleanse and allows for cells to be rejuvenated. I would always recommend the Pixi Glow Tonic as the best acid for youthful skin, however, The Ordinary “Glycolic Acid” performs a similar function for under half the price. Depending on the dryness of your skin, the cheaper alternative may work just as well.

•Oil

– This is where to splurge. You cannot beat cult night time oils such as Estee Lauder “Advanced Night Repair” or Kiehl’s “Midnight Recovery Oil” – a cheaper alternative such as rosehip may work, but won’t be as effective.

•Moisturise – Save

some money here, you can use the same moisturiser as your morning routine for the same effect.

Follow these tips and you can say goodbye to dry and patchy skin, and hello to a Springready, dewy complexion.

Cosmopolitin

I

n a survey conducted by Student Beans about student sexual activity at university, UKC was ranked #32 out of 109 universities—with an average of 4 sexual partners per student; however, the Telegraph has found that “more than half of 18 to 30-year-olds struggle to find satisfaction between the sheets”.

So, what can a university student do to get ‘turned on’? What fetishes does UKC have? After conducting a survey among UKC students, I found several different results: there was a large correlation in being turned on by licking, nibbling, and sucking—an accounting student said: “I personally have sucked a few ear lobes and have gotten good results”.

While a maths student suggested: “I’ve found

another student in history said that: “I’m into BDSM—I enjoy pain, so I’ve had body restraints whilst being flogged. Orgasm torture is pretty cool too”. The extremity was dependent upon the individual, a lacrosse player, for example, said “choking obviously is a fetish”, whilst a drama student took this a step further, saying: “strangling to the point of unconsciousness is peng”.

A lot of UKC student fetishes and turn-ons all have a major thing in common: control. “It can be fun to take control and give it up”, said a history student, openly admitting to trying both submission and domination.

Oftentimes, many people engage in fetishes because of their other half. A member of Women’s Lacrosse described “a guy who enjoyed spitting in

“I’m into BDSM—I enjoy pain, so I’ve had body restraints whilst being flogged.

Orgasm torture is pretty cool too”.

Gabriel Matula | Unsplash

Zulmaury Saavedra | Unsplash

By Alice Tomlinson Writer

that giving a blow job after sucking an ice cube my mouth. I didn’t find it at all pleasurable, but he always goes down well. Nipple biting and licking sure did”. A history student gave a more extreme is also great for both parties”. Sexologist O’Reilly example: “one guy I had sex with tried to spray states that sucking on skin feels good because it whipped cream inside my vagina. The top bit was “can invoke a primal response of pleasure and sattoo rough though”. isfaction”.

The same person added to this: “a guy I dated Many Kent students said that verbal communionce, wanted me to literally beat his penis. Like cation is a large part of sexual stimulation. The punch it”. A male history student then said: “I Medical Daily agreed, saying that “the brain is tried knives with this one freaky girl, but that was a considered a sex organ more powerful than genilittle too much”. Engaging in what one party’s detalia, because it’s where sex drive stems from”. sires whilst the other is uncomfortable may affect Over the past few years, however, there long term relationships, as Allure research found has been an increase in “safety and comfort are the most engagement with BDSM. important aspects of kink”.

According to Cosmopolitan, BDSM relationships have nearly doubled in numbers, with a 96.2% Note: Communication with increase on the site, your sexual partner is of following the release utmost importance. Be sure of the Fifty Shades of that everything you do is Grey trilogy. One stuconsented to by both parties. dent who studies histoIf you would like any support, ry said: “I like a bit of contact University Wellbeing staff at 01227 826573 slapping around the face, but not so hard that I get bruised.

A light, dominate niu niu | Unsplash slap”. Whereas

Food Afternoon Tea

By Emily Carter Writer

The best library snacks to keep you motivated

W

ith deadlines approaching and exam season beginning, going to the library has become a fundamental part of my daily routine, so snacking is a must when trying to get through a long, tiresome session.

However, the problems are: choosing which foods don’t make a ridiculous amount of noise leaving me feeling self-conscious as I crunch away on a bag of crisps, and how to eat relatively healthy whilst keeping my energy levels up.

Jelleke Vanootegam | Unsplash

Eat out Tiny Tim’s Tearoom:

By Hannah Lean Writer

10

These are just some of the snacks I tend to grab when I need an energy boost and a much-needed distraction from my work.

Donjah Haberman| Unsplash

Baked goods

Tetiana Bykovets | Unsplash

G

et the “quintessentially English experience” at Tiny Tim’s tearoom in Canterbury, serving afternoon teas Monday to Sunday. Awarded Kent’s tea shop of the year, it doesn’t disappoint. With Scones the size of muffins and locally sourced produce, it’s a must to visit.

The building is renowned as one of the most haunted places in Canterbury (dating back to the 1600s), with the ghosts of three children, said to be causing a nuisance. If this sparks your interest, their “ghost room” upstairs will satisfy our curiosity for more information and ‘spookier’ stories.

Tempted? Walk through the Whitefriars arcade and you’ll find it instantly, with old school décor and display of sweet treats in the window. A cream tea, two scones, jam, butter and clotted cream and tea will cost £7.95. This huge portion can easily be split between two. Why not treat yourself to the best Canterbury has to offer?

Nuts Nuts are a great snack to have in the library. They are pretty healthy and provide lots of energy. There are a wide variety of different nuts to choose from, with my personal favourite being dry, roasted nuts which are easy to pick up from most supermarkets in snack size bags.

Gaelle Marcel | Unsplash

Inevitably, I do crave some unhealthy food when I’m working. If you’re wanting to eat a cake, cookie or muffin, then baking them yourself at home, using a healthier recipe can be better for you and less expensive than buying singular bakes.

Tara Evans| Unsplash

Smoothies

Breakfast bars Tiny Tim’s Tearoom | Facebook

Do it yourself: Ham and Cheese and Crème fresh, Salmon and cucumber Time to make: 5 minutes Ingredients: •Ham - pack of slices •Cheese - block or grated •Salmon – pack of slices •Cucumber - one •Crème fresh •Bread - slices

How to: •Layer crème fresh on two slices of bread times the number of people eating.

•Add a slice of ham and handful of cheese to one half of the sandwhiches.

•For the other, add a slice of salmon and cucumber, cutting them into thin circles, then layer them in the sandwich.

•Cut the sandwiches into four triangles and display on a plate.

Smoothies are a great way to have a healthy and sweet snack, that is extremely convenient when having to work and eat at the same time. The library café is a great place to seek out some healthy smoothies.

Scones Time: less than 30 minutes Ingredients •Flour (225g/8oz) •Pinch of salt •Butter (55g/2oz) •Caster sugar (25g/1oz) •Milk (150ml/5fl oz) •Egg- 1 to glaze •Sultanas (handful- you can create your own combinations here, chocolate or cherries would work just as well) •Jam and clotted cream to serve

How to: •Heat the oven to 220C. Lightly grease a baking sheet using a piece of foil dipped in butter •Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter with your hands until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

•Stir in the sugar and then add the milk to get a soft dough.

•Turn out this dough onto some flour and knead lightly.

You don’t want to overheat the dough. Next roll out the dough, you could even use a wine or vodka bottle as a rolling pin until the dough is 2cm thick. Cut out circles using a cutter or a cup will work just as well.

•Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake until well risen and golden.

•Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter, jam and clotted cream.

Although they’re not my favourite snack, breakfast bars are a great way of ensuring you don’t miss out on the most important meal of the day and can be both savoury and sweet, which you can eat anytime of day.

Dane Deaner| Unsplash

Dane Deaner| Unsplash

Dark chocolate

Fruit When I’m really craving chocolate, I tend to reach for dark, as it is generally healthier than milk or white. Having a little bit will cure those cravings and provide a great energy boost, (not to mention the great health benefits).

I’m pretty picky with the fruit I like but picking up a fruit pot is a great way of feeling accomplished for eating something healthy, one of your five-a-day. Dried fruit is also great to snack on and easy to keep stocked up.

If you’re studying at the library a lot this term, then it’s essential to ensure you’re well fed and energised, resisting the temptation to spend money on unhealthy snacks which distract you from work. Often making snacks at home is inexpensive and can be tailored to your individual tastes, so prepare your snacks in advance.

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

Turning

By Sabrina Latchman Website Lifestyle Editor

All photos by Sabrina Latchman

21 in Rome S

urrounded by golden and terracotta hued buildings, with grand marble columns and ruins, the history of this eternal city is an omnipresent factor, felt on every cobbled corner. There’s so much to see and do, but when you’re on a student budget, there’s only so many days you can try and fit everything in.

We stayed in an Airbnb situated right of the river within walking distance of all the major sites. This is a great, cost-effective option for students if you’re with a group. In terms of transportation, my advice is to walk everywhere. It’s the best way to see everything, not to mention the cheapest option. (Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes).

On our first day we visited Pizzaria La Montecarlo, an amazing small café-esque restaurant. Upon arrival, however, we realised very quickly that the few moments we’d spent on DuoLingo hadn’t taught us enough. A tip: learn key questions and phrases when travelling. My friends had written down a few on notepad, which we held close like a bible.

A friend had advised us to visit as many churches as possible, so on day one we stumbled into the first we saw, and were left mouths with our wide open with shock. It was like travelling back in time, drawing your imagine to what it must have been like in its hay day. Alongside the vast paintings and murals on display, it was particularly extraordinary when you looked up. The

ceilings had the most intricate and fascinating designs and artwork. One church even had mirrored tables, so you could inspect the work without being left with the neck ache.

Later that evening, we decided to visit the “Pope’s palace” – the entrance to the Vatican really is beautiful at night.

It was less crowded and beautifully lit up.

On the following day, we planned to see the majority of the main attractions: the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum.

The day was one of the warmest of the trip and so after making it to the top of the steps, we noticed a terrace bar and decided to treat ourselves to a glass of wine whilst looking over the sunbathed view of Rome.

After our drinks, we headed to the Trevi Fountain, passing what looked like a fashion editorial shoot, and made a wish. Marvelling at the immense precision and artistry we grabbed a cannoli (cannolo in Italian) and enjoyed the view. We then made our way to visit the Colosseum at sunset. A great idea in theory – it looked beautiful, but in practice we arrived when it was closed.

Still, we managed to peer in and again took in the sites of the area at sunset.

Monday came and so did my birthday. Twenty one in Rome, we decided a nice way to spend it would be to visit the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel. When visiting the Vatican, there is so much to see, you really do need a whole day to do it all and take it in. They offer student tickets online,

11

Lifestyle

which allow you get in for cheaper and skip the queues. Just don’t forget your student ID. In the evening, we decided to go out for a nice meal, to the Trastevere. This is the area across the river, considered the “real section” of the city, which is more densely populated.

It hosts a multitude of bars and restaurants, including Taverna Trilussa, where we ate (and splashed the most cash). We all but forgot this, however, when the food came out – if you plan on indulging, I’d highly recommend coming here. (They’re also famous for their award-winning ravioli).

After dinner we walked around to find a glorious live jazz bar, “Pimms So Good”, and had a wonderfully strange evening.

After buying several rounds of cocktails (which roughly equated to the same price as in the UK), with the bartenders simply telling us to pay it later, we came across a friendly group of Italian men our age.

Following a few more drinks with them, showing us how go take a tequila shot “their way”: wiping the lemon between thumb and index finger, applying the salt, licking this and then taking it, the bar began to close. The bartenders were scattered and the guys we met just said ‘walk out with us, we don’t pay’.

Amazed, and a little drunk, we walked out with them. “Sticazzi” was the word they taught us, or roughly translated, ‘who fucking cares’. With that, we waved ciao to a wonderful, albeit, eventful 21st trip to Rome. If ever you find yourself stuck on where to travel, I couldn’t recommend the city enough.

It’s certainly a birthday I won’t forget.

12

Feature

Michael Jackson:

By Corben Neyland Newspaper Features Editor

A

lmost a decade after the death of one of the world’s biggest music superstars, the recently released HBO and Channel 4 documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ has sparked controversy across the world.

The documentary, released in the UK and US last week, shared the experiences of two men who were allegedly sexually abused by Michael Jackson. Jackson died at the age of 50 in June 2009.

The questions that have come into the frame after the release of the controversial documentary is, will the reputation of the ‘King of Pop’ forever be tarnished by these accusations?

And what will happen to the legacy of his music?

There are two sides to the debate that has been hotly contested, especially on social media, since the release of the documentary. There is the one side who claims that Jackson was a paedophile and that the allegations him against him are true and cannot be argued with.

Then there are the staunch defenders of Jackson who argue that the allegations are nothing but blackmail and attempts to take money from Jackson’s estate, all of which was left to his family.

Louis Theroux, the much-loved British journalist, posted on his Twitter account after watching the documentary “If you can’t see that Michael Jackson was a paedophile after watching Dan Reed’s film, you are being willfully blind.

And if you are campaigning against it you are actively colluding in the silencing of victims.”

The documentary centers around the experiences of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, both of whom were young boys in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when the alleged abuse began. Throughout the documentary, the two men provide explicit details of their experiences and interactions with the popstar, and document their time spent at the Neverland Ranch, the home of Jackson, which the documentary is named after.

Following the release, the Jackson family has denied the allegations, however, the claims have

“He was one of the kindest, most gentle, loving, caring people I knew - and he also sexually abused me, for seven years” - Wade Robson, ‘Leaving Neverland’

cast a huge dark cloud over the reputation of the deceased star, as well as causing massive division in public opinion.

Jackson’s estate is suing HBO, who released the documentary in the US, for $100 million (£77 million) for allegedly breaching a nondisparagement clause included in an old contract.

Paul Blanchard, the founder of PR company Right Angles, has stated that “this is the Brexit of pop

music.

People will be more divided than ever. The longer it goes Wade on, the more Robson claims the alienated and sexual abuse began divided people are.” when he was seven There is no doubt | Credit:HBO that the description of events in the documentary left many feeling uncomfortable and the detail with which the two men describe their experiences is somewhat disturbing However, this is not the first time that

allegations against Jackson have become public.

In 1993, civil proceedings were opened against Jackson following child abuse accusations by a boy called Jordy Chandler and his family. These allegations were later settled out of court.

In 2003, Jackson was the defendant in a highly-publicized trial where criminal charges were brought against him and criminal court proceedings were opened for child

molestation charges.

Eventually, Jackson was acquitted of criminal charges on the grounds of reasonable doubt.

Many have claimed that Jackson being acquitted did not prove his innocence, but rather left a lot of the facts of the case up to interpretation. Some people have even compared Jackson’s trial to the trial

of O.J Simpson.

The director of the documentary, Dan Reed, has said that the film could be “America’s Jimmy Saville moment”, implying a public national reckoning of the acclaimed popstar. Obviously, however, the main difference between the two is the level of fame. Saville was a national star, having been a BBC DJ and TV celebrity, whilst Michael Jackson was an internationally recognized superstar.

Yet the comparison is still true, and the argument of celebrities abusing their power is very much still relevant. The #MeToo movement has sparked a huge debate around celebrities abusing their positions of power.

The conviction last year of Bill Cosby, the symbol of a wholesome family man, and the allegations against R&B singer R. Kelly have only added to that debate and highlighted the issues regarding celebrities and the power that they have.

But there is a completely different element to the debate when children become involved. The accusations against Jimmy Saville in the UK and now against Jackson create an entirely different debate. Why were these celebrities able to use their positions of power to allegedly groom, abuse and brainwash these children into secrecy?

Whilst we are yet to see whether the allegations against Jackson hold any truth, and we may never be able to ascertain the complete facts, the allegations alone and the detail that the two men go into are enough to make one question the power that celebrities have.

Another issue regarding these debates is the trust that the public seem to have in celebrities because of their positions in power or the fame that they hold.

A lot of the time the public feel that they personally know a celebrity because they identify with them, or because their music exerts emotion that helps them connect with the artist, or simply because they see the celebrity on television every single day. However, this doesn’t mean that they know the celebrity as a person, it means they

Wade Robson (left) and James Safechuck (right) , the two victims of Jackson’s alleged abuse,

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

13

Monster? Musical mastermind? Or both?

know their public persona.

Although Jackson’s persona of having a sales of Jackson’s music have actually increased distance themselves from Jackson, others Wade Robson, one of the two men in the childlike personality since the release of the documentary. may choose to endeavor to protect the singer’s documentary, states at one point that his family may have The BBC has said that it “does not ban artists” reputation, however, one thing is for certain went on a trip to the Grand Canyon and he made and that it could continue to play Jackson’s is that the allegations presented in ‘Leaving was given the choice between going music. However, Scott Bryan, the host of BBC Neverland’ will forever be associated with with them or staying with Jackson podcast Must Watch, said he personally had to Michael Jackson, his brand and his legacy. in Neverland. Robson chose delete 15 Jackson songs from his iPhone after However, his musical legacy and his music to stay, and his family watching the documentary, stating that it should be remembered for what it was. It was embarked for a camping was “a little uncomfortable” to hear the the music that completely changed a generation. trip to the Grand singer’s music.

It was the music that completely changed dance Canyon for 5 days, Although the singer’s musical and choreography. It was music that completely whilst he was legacy may still live on, his changed pop and changed the entire music left alone with cultural legacy could soon industry as well and ultimately, it is music that Jackson. be erased following the should be remembered as some of the greatest Arguably, documentary. A statue of musical creations of all time, despite the some blame Jackson has already been accusations that will be forever be connected to could rest removed from Britain’s it. with the National Football Museum One thing is true, the allegations that have parents of in Manchester, just days tainted Jackson’s reputation shouldn’t allow us to the victims. after the documentary was view his music with contempt, because his music Although aired. was important then and it is still important now. the alleged abuse took place in a time where This there was far could more general trust between possibly people, and lead to between the public his wax Michael Jackson and James Safechuck, when Safechuck was 10, in 1988 | Credit: HBO and celebrities, it sculpture does not excuse in Madame the fact that the parents Tussauds being allowed their children at removed from age seven, to sleep in the same exhibition, however, bed as a 30-something year-old Madame Tussauds have musician, whilst the parents slept in a not made any comment as separate room. him of yet.

As critical as it may be, it is unimaginable that seem more As well as this, an a parent in the current day and age would allow innocent to the parents of episode of the longthe same thing to happen, because of the lack the victims, the fact that he running cartoon sitcom of trust within society now, but also because of was spending so much time with The Simpson’s was pulled the revelations of such sinister abuse becoming children, especially in confined from streaming services more and more prominent following allegations spaces, should have been a massive red after it featured the voice of against other celebrities. flag and a warning sign that something Michael Jackson. Jackson untoward was happening. And voiced the character Leon perhaps the scariest part of these Kompowsky who meets allegations was that nobody had Homer in an episode that seen the warning signs. was first aired in 1991.

This shows how we as people The documentary could often can often confuse knowing also have an effect on a celebrity’s public persona and the West End production seeing them on television and Thriller Live which has hearing their music daily, with been running for 10 years. knowing them as a person.

However, the musical has Another question that has refused to comment on been raised following the whether the allegations accusations is what will happen are affecting their shows to the Jackson’s musical legacy? and have continued to take Is it possible to distinguish his bookings until the end of musical talent from his personal September this year. controversies?

Regardless of the affect As much as many may be that the allegations are divided over the allegations having against Michael against him, it is simply incorrect Jackson’s brand, the to say that Jackson’s music didn’t simple fact is that the define a generation or create a singer is no longer here legendary change in pop music. to defend himself, and Some radio stations across these allegations will the world, such as in Australia always linger around and New Zealand, have already his reputation. The stopped playing Jackson’s prominence of the internet music. Leon Wratt, the owner of in this day and age also MediaWorks which owns nine means that every piece of radio stations in New Zealand, information about Jackson said that the company wanted to will be tainted with these “err on the side of caution” and allegations for however that the company is guided by the long his legacy remains. audience.

Inevitably, people will Radio stations in the UK take these allegations and however have not taken such a make their own opinions stance against the singer’s work, of them, and some will Michael Jackson at the American Music Awards, 1993 | Credit: Wikimedia , and Dan Reed (centre) the director of ‘Leaving Neverland’. | Credit: Taylor Jewell and in fact, in some countries, choose to completely

14

Television

Green Book review - watchable anti-racism road movie

By Hal Kitchen Film and TV Sub-Editor

S

eriously, I don’t think I’ve ever had so little to say about any of the eight movies they chose for the Best Picture nominees this year, and Green Book, the winner, might be the most unremarkable of the lot. Viggo Mortensen plays Tony “Lip”, a New York doorman who takes a job chauffeuring a black concert pianist named Dr Don Shirley on a two-month tour of the Deep South in the run-up to Christmas. One character is a bit of a slob, the other’s a bit of a snob and, initially, they get on each other’s nerves, but gradually they learn to see past one another’s foibles, start bonding and ultimately forge a friendship that lasts a lifetime. Imagine a way less eventful version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

They turn the “fish-out-of-water” stuff into a central theme of a sense of belonging and com-

munity, a sense of tribalism builds up and they start to bond through being equally objectionable to the Deep South rich set.

Tony has the right colour skin but no manners, Don has the right manners but the wrong coloured skin, and eventually all they have in common with anyone else in a hundred-mile radius is their mutual sense of beleaguered discomfort. But the whole thing is surprisingly unsurprising, nothing ever really happens.

They go from place to place, they have some banter, get into a few scrapes, a few arguments, they eat a lot and that’s it. Even the racism they encounter has no real sense of danger or bite.

Although Mortensen gets more screen time it’s really Don’s Story. The bigger arc is nothing to do with Tony’s prejudice and all about Don learning to lower his defences. He’s so used to

Captain Marvel review

T

he latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) arrived in cinemas this month, appropriately, on International Women’s Day. Captain Marvel tells the origin story of a new and extremely powerful hero, alias Carol Danvers, who will clearly have an important part to play in the hotly anticipated Avengers: Endgame, which is coming out this April. The film does get off to a bit of a slow start, but when things begin to get exciting, it is incredibly difficult to take your eyes off the screen.

Brie Larson gives a pretty good performance as the titular char-

acter and is backed up by many other talented actors, particularly Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Lashana Lynch as pilot, Maria Rambeau. Everyone’s favourite character, though, is likely to be Goose the cat, who may not be all that he seems.

One of the things that makes Captain Marvel such an enjoyable film is its aesthetics. It features some showstopping CGI effects, which include Carol’s photon blast powers, several sci-fi fight sequences, and the de-ageing of Samuel L. Jackson.

Prosthetics are also used highly effectively in making the aliens

known as Skrulls look especially other-worldly and unique. The film’s overall ‘look’, however, is very clearly 1990s-style: from Captain Marvel’s first arrival on earth in the middle of a Blockbuster Video store to ‘high tech’ pagers and slow internet dial-up connections. Even the cat’s name, Goose, was changed from the comic books’ original ‘Chewie’ in order to reference the film Top Gun. Though it was entertaining to see all of these little references, especially some of the 90s songs featured in the soundtrack, there were certain scenes towards the beginning of

the film where they could have been toned down just a little bit.

Not only does Captain Marvel make reference to the 1990s, but it also features several callbacks to the other films of the MCU. The film opens with a touching tribute to creator, Stan Lee, who sadly passed away last year and of course features one of his famous cameos. This is not the only cameo in the film, however, as viewers will also notice appearances from fan-favourite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Guardians of The Galaxy’s Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and

not belonging anywhere that he is never truly himself around anyone, except for Tony who gets to see him at his most vulnerable and likes him more for it. Mortensen’s performance is a broad caricature but he plays it naturally enough. Ali has the subtler role, showing that Moonlight wasn’t just a fluke of good directing, and they both have good chemistry together.

The film has good flow, a good soundtrack, and enough of the standard buddy movie banter to keep it one of the fastest 130 minutes you’ll have in a theatre. And ultimately, I do recommend it. I had a good time watching it, but it never actually Photo by Universal Pictures impressed in any way.

By Peggy Welch Writer

Korath (Djimon Hounsou). All of these moments serve to make the film more engaging, and in most cases, more humorous.

Overall, Captain Marvel is a highly entertaining film for all audiences and an excellent addition to the MCU. It is slowpaced at the beginning and some scenes could have been longer to provide more context, but despite this, it is definitely a film worth watching.

Its heroine is powerful, relatable, and likeable, so it will be great to see Carol Danvers again in Avengers: Endgame — she’s sure to make a great member of

the Avengers and hopefully has what it takes to come out on top against even the toughest of villains.

The Umbrella Academy, Netflix’s alternative superheroes

Photo by Marvel Studios

T

here is a new show on Netflix about a ragtag group of superheroes in New York, but it’s not the latest Marvel tryst we’ve just sort of come to expect—it’s something surprisingly different. Based on the comic book series of the same name from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy follows seven adopted super-siblings reunited for their cold and distant father’s funeral, just in time for the approaching apocalypse they didn’t know was coming.

For many TV shows, one element has become very important—the music. After the popularity of Stranger Things’ 80s based nostalgic soundtrack, Atlanta’s mix of hip-hop and soul and more recently, Sex Education’s fun indie score, the music has become more and more central to the making of a truly great series. In this respect, The Umbrella Academy does not disappoint. A mix of truly outthere tracks that you don’t know

you love until you see the show and some covers of classics by Gerard Way and ex-My Chemical Romance Guitarist, Ray Toro, adds immeasurably to the tone and overall effect of the show.

Moreover, the visuals and style are equally impressive, balancing dark and brooding sequences with elements of kitsch and colour, the mundane with the weird, modern with retro, and never being too heavy handed with either extreme of the aesthetic. Everything on screen is used to either add to plot or characterisation, with each sibling’s costumes and childhood bedrooms complementing their stories and personalities and best of all—there’s always something to look at. Scenes, where characters are just talking, are made interesting by their surroundings, with new things to be found with each viewing.

The writing, however, is good and bad. To give it its due, the good is shown through

its handling of both the dark tone and the light humour, of which it finds a good balance and executes well.

The story itself is also gripping, due mostly to just how imaginative it is.

It avoids a formula and for the most part avoids being predictable, keeping your interest and an incredible desire to find out what happens next. Then, sadly, is the writer’s negative half. This mostly occurs in the characters, they fall into the very Americanised trap of being formulaic, having one main feature and one main flaw, never changing. Nevertheless, they’re happily quite compelling. Oh yeah, and it forces a romance between two of the siblings which is just…horrible.

With fun but redundant characters, very interesting situations,

and some very funny and some very dark elements and actors,

most viewers have fallen totally in love with it.

By Emily Webb-Mortimer Writer

Photo by Netflix

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

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Entertainment

Thank U, Next: Ariana’s Triumph Over Trauma

S

ix months after the release of her Grammy award-winning album Sweetener, Ariana Grande is back again with Thank U, Next. Created as an outlet for the avalanche of incessant public exposure since the tragic passing of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, and most recently, her short-lived engagement with comedian Pete Davidson, Ariana shows her fans and the rest of the world that she is not one to shy away from her problems.

The album shows Ariana doing what she does best, with songs such as ‘imagine’ highlighting her impressive vocal range and her ability to produce whistle notes (a talent which few artists can claim) and ‘fake smile’ where she sings about the stresses of bad publicity and her struggles with fame.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Grande album without her fantastic range of hard-hitting ballads to her fast-paced anthems.

She also pours her deepest

thoughts into songs such as ‘needy’ and ‘ghostin’, in which she sings about unattainable love and addresses her insecurities. In ‘needy’, she sings “I admit that I’m a lil’ messed up… I’m obsessive and I love too hard” revealing hard truths about herself which adds to the running theme of emotional turmoil, something that is apparent throughout the album.

In ‘ghostin’, a song she was initially reluctant to release, Grande exposes her thoughts and feelings towards loving a person whilst being in a relationship with someone else and her apologetic woes slowly build with an accompaniment from a gentle climax of violins and vocal harmonies that play on to the end of the song.

Thank U, Next is closely centred around Grande’s personal experiences with relationships, from recalling the elation that stems from reconciling after a fight with a partner (‘make

up’), to the pleasure in a sexual relationship with no strings attached (‘bloodline’).

We can see the contrast between the loved-up and elated feelings that Grande shared with us on her previous album, Sweetener—composed during her engagement with Davidson—to the reflective and independent stance she has developed as a result of her public trauma.

Prior to the release of this album, Grande stated that she is abstaining from romantic relationships for 2019, tweeting: “spoiler for the rest of this year / probably my life: it’s no one.”

At a time that it was assumed she would take a break from the media spotlight and music, Ariana pushes through the negativity and expresses her gratitude, love, sorrow and regret through a widely critically acclaimed release that has already topped music charts worldwide.

By Reese Marnu Writer

Photo by Getty/Kevin Winter

Dream Theater Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey returns with ‘Distance over review

By Violeta Ivanonva Writer

A

ssassin’s Creed Odyssey is the newest instalment of the series launched to audiences in October of last year. Its predecessor, AC Origins, gave the franchise’s players an insight to an ancient world and the formation of the brotherhood set in Egypt, so when it was announced that the next launch will be travelling 400 years back before the events of Origins, it opened up room for scepticism.

The scepticism, however, quickly faded when players became engaged with the completely new world and circumstances, that of Ancient Greece, and relevant characters that are neatly set within the parameters of the history and story.

Lovers of the Ancient Greek period will find themselves within a vibrant and reasonably accurate adaptation of the world, with not only the geographical layout but also the historically famous figures they meet along the storyline—every island a player visits looks robust and alive with communities and history.

The story of Odyssey is a profound one of family, yet it comes short in its development and execution from the main characters. This is to say that, given the choice to play as either Kassandra or Alexios, there is largely no difference between them and a second

run through the game as the other would largely be to no effect. Disregarding that, however, the story is enthralling and the characters are likeable.

The graphics are a clear step up from past instalments. The character models are impressive although sometimes awkwardly animated. The game world looks colourful and warm as if it were eternally the end of spring and with the combination of the soundtrack and scenery, it feels very cinematic. As far as gameplay, there are three main parts of the game that the player dedicates time to: The Main Quests, The Mercenary List, and The Cultist List, with each of them being engaging in their own way. The combat is fluid and fun and the character always feels like they're in danger whenever there is a battle. The staple stealth system in this game was also improved from the previous iterations with the addition of skills that focus on silent assassinations for those who pref e r a more patient a n d planned approach to completing objectives. And for those who enjoyed the naval combat in Black Flag will be pleased to know that it has made a comeback here, despite it being limited by its setting.

Even with minor flaws such as the less than ideal character development and the sometimes bothersome Animus plotline, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is worth its price tag as it makes up for all its shortcomings with updated graphics, an interface that nods to RPG, exciting c o m bat, and the largest to date AC m a p to explore.

time’

and the songwriting is much more focused.

Written in just 18 days, the album is one of the shortest in their entire career clocking in at just one hour, yet they lose nothing for it.

Album opener ‘Untethered Angel’, begins with a slow-burn acoustic, launching into a stomping heavy riff and a soaring chorus as well Photo by InsideOut Music as some impressive instrumental interplay rogressive metal titans between guitarist John Petrucci Dream Theater have returned and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. with their long-awaited 14th stu‘Paralyzed’, the most commerdio album, Distance Over Time. cial track on the album, showcasThey are no strangers to anyone es a heavy riff that guides it and who considers themselves a fan the memorable melodic chorus of progressive rock/metal mushould be enough to entice fans. sic, for, in their 30-year career, ‘Fall into the Light’ opens with a the band have undeniably laid Metallica-esque riff but soon falls down the pillars for this into an extremely melodic acousgenre of music. Their last tic section. If anything, the first album, 2016’s conceptuthree tracks should cleanse those al rock opera The Astonishing who were plagued by the band’s literally polarized their fanbase, last studio effort. The band delivsplitting it right in half. Most fans er a plentiful of heavy moments will be pleased to know that this that long-time fans appreciate time around, the band has taken on albums like 1994’s Awake and a ‘back to the roots’ approach 2003’s Train of Thought. Much whilst never losing sight of the praise has to also be bestowed melody, and the results show. upon the production and mix The songs are more streamlined of the album, for the band have

P

Photo by Flickr

By Yoan Dzhugdanov Writer

delivered their most bombastic mix in recent years with every instrument shining through clear and bright. Barstool Warrior, Room 137 and S2N demonstrate the diversity on the album for they all sound completely different musically whilst also including lyrics which are penned by each individual band member with drummer Mike Mangini penning lyrics for the first time in his 8-year career with the band on track Room 137.

‘At Wit’s End’ is one of the album’s highlights and longest tracks opening with a dizzying heavy riff but soon delivering the album’s most emotional and melodic chorus in which vocalist James LaBrie truly shines.

‘Out of Reach’ sees the band deliver one of the band’s strongest ballads in their entire career, at least in my opinion. Album closer, ‘Pale Blue Dot’, is the true epic which delivers a juggernaut of riffs and stomping drums rhythms whilst addressing the question of our own existence.

Distance Over Time is Dream Theater’s redemptive return to what they do best. It’s sure to give their fans a much-needed boost proving that Dream Theater is here to stay with many musical endeavours left.

Last Issues’s Crossword Answers Across: 5/23 Viola Davis, 7 Cowes, 9 Old-timer, 10 Yurt, 11 Horgan, 13 Bacon, 15 Tatum, 17 Fences, 20 Roulette, 22 E-nose.

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Down: 1 Oval, 2/4/18/16 How to Get Away With Murder, 3 Scarab, 6 Amman, 8 Strange, 12 Outline, 14 Conserve, 17 Fluid, 19 Hook, 21 Tusk.

Crossword

1

2

3

1 8 6

6 4 7 8 2 3

9 1 8 4 5 8

7 1 5 3

2 3 9 1

Across 1. Informally, a minor quarrel (4) 3. An attachment for a light fitting that prevents glare (8) 8. Brian ___, US actor whose films include Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970) (5) 10. A specimen slightly differing from a type (7) 11. 1989 UK Top 10 single for James (3,4) 12. A small carton for food, usually plastic or cardboard (3) 15. A peninsula in southwestern Europe (6) 17. A pen for cattle (6) 19/21. Fyodor Dostoevsky novel first

8 9 3 2

Down 1. A temporary expedient or substitute (9) 2. A hard mineral which sparks easily when struck with steel (5) 4. John ___, US writer whose works include The Cider House Rules (1985) (6)

5

6

6 5

8 5 9 3 1

3 2 9

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6 8 7

4 8

published as a serial from 1868 to 1869 (3,5) 20. A child of precocious genius or virtuosity (7) 23. A 2003 UK No 1 single for Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul (7) 24. In Spanish, a friend (5) 25. Military overalls (8) 26. A projecting boss, knob, or pin (4)

4

Sudoku Hard

Games Sudoku Easy

16

7

5. A mass of burning matter (4) 6. Anything used to begin a process (7) 7. A genus of animals closely allied to mice, but larger (3) 9. Informally, a jacket with a flexible covering for head and neck (6) 13. Indian commercial film industry (9) 14. A crown or crown-like structure (6) 16. A member or unit in a structure (7) 18. A circle of society or class (6) 21. See 19 Across 22. A male deer, especially a red deer over four years old (4) 23. British Expeditionary Force (abbreviation) (3)

Fun & games Puzzles by Matthew Sapsed

Arrowword Ambition

Facts

Turn

Pipelike

Animal doctor

Real, true

Aged, elderly

Poor

Swindle

8

9

10

Attack

11

12

Place

Name

Doner, say

Bunkum (slang)

13

Bare, naked

14 15

16

Light wood

17

Molten rock

Swiftly

Oceangoing vessel

Rod

Friend

18 19

20

21

22 23

Tragedy

Small social insect

Indian dress Huge mythical being

24 Lacking strength

25

Cruel person

26

Medical judge Access

Attempt

Science and Technology A patient seems to have been cleared of HIV, but it’s not for everyone

By Emma Leach Science and Technology Editor

O

n the face of things, it seems to be a scientific miracle, not one, but two patients recently announced to be showing signs of remission from HIV after receiving stem cell transplants.

The first to be announced was the anonymous “London patient” described in Nature on the 5 March, and announced recently at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. The second was the “Dusseldorf patient”, also announced in a recent conference. The London patient has been off antiretrovirals for 18 months, the Dusseldorf patient has been off them for 3 months.

This is not the first time that a patient has been in long-term remission of HIV, in 2008 at the very same conference, it was announced that Timothy Ray Brown, sometimes known as “the Berlin patient” was in remission. Eleven years later he was at the conference to watch Professor Ravi Gupta, the researcher behind the recent breakthrough of the

London patient, announce his news to a packed auditorium in Seattle.

These three patients all have the same treatment method in common, they all received a stem cell transplant from a donor with a genetic mutation known as CCR5-delta32. This rare mutation in the CCR5 gene confers the owner with a resistance to HIV, as it produces a rare cell surface receptor which blocks HIV attachment to the cell.

Another thing that all three of these patients shared was a life-threatening cancer on top of their HIV. Timothy Ray Brown was suffering from leukaemia, the London patient was suffering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Stem cell transplants were carried out as a last resort to save their lives after other treatment methods had proven ineffective, and donors with the advantageous genetic mutation were selected for the transplant.

It is a very unique set of circumstances to come together, which is why it has been such a long time between the announcement about Timothy Ray Brown, and the London and Dusseldorf patients. There are other patients who

Flaming February

By Steven Allain Writer

O

n the 26th February, the UK saw its warmest recorded winter day with a high of 21.2ºC, at Kew, London. The previous highest temperature recorded for February was 19.7ºC in Greenwich, London back in 1988. Warm days in the middle of winter are not uncommon, but seeing as the weather we experienced was closer to that of August, it is a cause for concern.

We cannot link the weather event to climate change, but we do know that more hot days like this are on their way as the climate changes. As it does so, it will not only affect ourselves but also our wildlife. Birds, amphibians and flowers have all seen a shift in when they emerge from their winter slumber over the past couple of decades.

This can lead to huge population declines as their prey has yet to emerge.

In some cases, the animals themselves have not properly hibernated, and so emerge in the spring to breed and can’t keep up with the competition that has been able to hibernate properly.

It is rare that the UK is hotter than a number of European holiday destinations, such as Spain – particularly in the middle of winter. The warm weather we observed is colloquially known as a ‘fool’s spring’. What is worrying is we are unsure as to how these weather events will impact not only our wildlife but also our economy in the long run.

The hard thing for climate scientists

to do is to link climate change and weather—the two are almost completely different to one another. The climate of a particular region can define the weather but not the other way around.

Climate change sceptics often point to cold weather providing evidence that everything is fine—just think about Trump this winter. Unfortunately, what we have experienced this winter is not a one-off and it is linked to a global event unwrapping before our very eyes.

When trying to make sense of climate change, it is easy to look for trends and one of these is very alarming. Nine of the ten hottest years on record globally have occurred since 2005, and January of this year was Australia’s hottest ever recorded month, with some areas reaching a sweltering 49ºC. Elsewhere prolonged droughts have been recognised as worsening California’s destructive wildfires, which have been in the news recently due to their sheer size and destructive power.

These events should be the red flags that alarm us to danger, but instead humankind is still burning fossil fuels at an alarming rate and deforesting areas of land that would have once acted as carbon sinks. Climate change isn’t a cataclysmic event that happens in an instant, it’s the continual degradation of a global system that sustains all life on this planet. We’re soon going to reach the tipping point, where there is no going back. Unless we act now, we may well see sunbathing in February.

have had the transplants, but not yet come off antiretroviral drugs, so there may yet be more similar stories in the future.

Sadly, this does not herald a ‘cure’ for all sufferers of HIV, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the procedure is dangerous, with between 10% and 20% chance of death. The wiping out of the existing immune system can kill the patient, as can failure in the transplant, as can host-donor rejection. This also leads to the procedure being very costly. This is why it is, and is likely to remain, a last chance effort for those rare HIV patients who are unfortunate enough to have aggressive cancers.

Another problem is that of demographics. Despite successful efforts to reduce infection rates, Africa is still the home to the majority of those living with HIV, with more than 1 million people living with the disease in the African continent.

The CCR5 genetic mutation required for the procedure is not only extremely rare, but is also only found in European populations, providing additional logistical and scalability issues for treating

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire 17

those in Africa.

HIV is not the death sentence it once was if diagnosed and treated appropriately, with antiretroviral drugs allowing those infected to reach old age. For now, they are likely to remain the treatment method of choice for all but a select few HIV patients.

More work needs to be done in developing nations to prevent further infections, and make sure those with the disease get treatment. But once receiving treatment, drugs prove to be the most cost effective and scalable option.

That’s not to say that there will not be another option in the future. Each victory is a step forward in research efforts.

There may also be the option to utilise CRISPR in the future, not to pre-engi-

Photo by NIAID | Flickr

neer embryos for resistance, like the highly controversial efforts of scientist He Jiankui in China recently, but to treat those who are already infected.

It is an area that is likely to keep the scientific community and bioethicists busy for many years to come. For now, those in HIV remission is likely to remain a very small, exclusive club.

Back from extinction The ‘Lazarus’ species proving science wrong

By Emma Leach Science and Technology Editor

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019 has been a good year so far for Lazarus species, a term used to describe species that were previously thought to have become extinct, but have been rediscovered at a later date.

Three of the most heavily publicised so far this year are Wallace’s giant bee, which hadn’t been seen for nearly 40 years, the Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise, not seen for over 100 years, and the Formosan clouded leopard, which had a last confirmed sighting in 1983.

The rediscoveries of these species, and others like them, highlights just how difficult it can be to make a judgement on what is definitely extinct. For some it is a reflection on how little we understand some of the rarest creatures on our planet, for others it may merely be a reflection on how well they are able to evade us. Here are some other examples of Lazarus species.

Coelacanth This denizen of the deep is a fish named after the Greek for “hollow spine”. They are more than 2 metres long, and can live for more than 60 years. They rest in caves near reefs within diving distance, making it all the more shocking that they were thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. They were first discovered by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938 when browsing the catch of an angler in South Africa.

Lord Howe stick insect Island species are much more susceptible to extinction, as they are more limited in their ability to move to new favourable locations, if their home territory becomes less than ideal. So when rats managed to get to the one island that the Lord Howe stick insect inhabited in 1920 aboard a boat, it was assumed that the insect was gone for good.

Remarkably in 2001, 24 of the insects were found on Ball’s Pyramid, a sea stack 14 miles away from their home island.

South Island takahe A small, colourful, flightless bird native to New Zealand, the takahe was first discovered in the 1840s by visiting Europeans. They were collected throughout the century, and it was assumed that the last bird was captured in 1898. However, 50 years later, an expedition led by Geoffrey Orbell found a small population of them in a valley within the Murchison mountains.

The birds are now subject of conservation efforts, having nearly gone extinct, again, since their rediscovery.

Laotian rock rat The Laotian rock rat is a large rodent that looks somewhat akin to a rat crossed with a squirrel. It was first discovered in Laos in 2005, and was thought to be so distinct from other rodents that it came from a completely separate genetic family.

However later analysis of the fossil record suggests that it may be a Lazarus taxa from the Diatomyidae family, which was thought to have gone extinct 11 million years ago.

Images (Top, clockwise) - Lord Howe stick insect (Wikimedia commons), South Island takahe (Wikipedia), Laotian rock rat (Wikimedia commons), Coelacanth (Flickr)

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Culture

Commemorate Women’s Rights

this year with old classics and new inspirational books

By Upama Thangden Writer

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or International Women’s Day 2019, let’s revisit the revolutionary books that gave women the rights they have today and some new books that continue to advocate for equality everywhere.

Revolutionary Classics: 1) A Vindication of the Rights of Women – Mary Wollstonecraft Published in 1792, before feminism was even a discourse for revolution, this book advocated for women’s rights in education and the need for equality amongst both sexes. As one of the earliest known feminist philosophers, Mary Wollstonecraft argues that women were inferior to men because of their lack of education. This issue is still present in some countries today, despite it having been centuries since it was first published. In 2019, we need to use the wisdom left behind for us to continue the advocacy for women’s rights everywhere.

2) A Room of One’s Own – Virginia Woolf One of Virginia Woolf’s most powerful feminist texts that justifies the right for women to possess intellectual liberty and financial independence. In a literary world dominated by men, Woolf argued for both literal and figurative space for women writers to exercise their intelligence and creative freedom.

3) The Second Sex – Simone de Beauvoir “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” is one of the famous quotations from this ground-breaking feminist text.

First published in 1949, it was received with both success and outrage as she changed the course of feminist thinking by examining the deeply ingrained gendered beliefs imposed by society.

Arts

Contemporary inspirations: 4) Seeing Like a Feminist – Nivedita Menon Through the lens of a feminist and a revolutionary, this book looks at the challenges feminism faces in India. Focusing on various issues in the Hindu culture, Nivedita Menon emphasises the failure of the laws that were implemented to emancipate women. A politically engaging book which gives readers an insight in the history of feminism in India.

5) I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai An outstanding autobiography of a young female advocate who was shot by the Taliban that was trying to silence her voice. This is the story about how she never gave up her rights to education in Pakistan and how the miraculous recovery brought her to the global stage, advocating for girls’ education in the United Nations at the age of sixteen.

6) We Should All Be Feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The book offers a unique definition of the word ‘feminism’ for the 21st century feminist and argues the need to advocate for inclusion and awareness. The author dives into the world of sexual politics and tells the readers what is needed in order to be a modern-day feminist and why everyone should be a feminist.

7) The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf Naomi Wolf’s bestselling novel explores the different effects of everyday pressures on women, and how society continuously makes them feel like theyhave to conform to their physcial expectations of ‘beauty’ and the potential oppressive and tyrannical impact it can have of them.

University of Michigan

Wikimedia Commons

Women written by men

By Glafira Kiyan Writer

By Maryah Chughtai Newspaper Culture Editor

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João Silas | Unsplash

tweet that claimed male authors were only able to write about overly sexualised and idealised versions of women, faced a lot of online backlash. It is however important to compare the different ways in which females have been stereotypically depicted for many centuries.

In Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, for example, Katherine is shown to overtly worships her husband, Petruchio, which can suggest that there was an obvious dominant and submissive gender role play between them. She says: “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper...”

Even amongst more modern male writers, such as Swift, Archer, and Charles Bukowski, there is a tendency to portray their female characters as suppressed, sexualised bodies, that are stigmatised to the point where they do not seem to be beautiful—though still seemingly interest the male gaze: “To my right sat a rather dark blonde, gone a bit too fat, neck and cheeks now flabby, obviously drunk; but there was a certain lingering beauty to her features, and her body still looked firm and well-shaped. In fact, her legs were long and lovely.”

This representation creates a disproportionate view on feminine attributes in prose and poetry, and offers little to no imagination. It stereotypes women and diminishes their role in society. Patriarchy assigns men and women to superior and inferior roles, meaning that it can be challenged through cre-

ative forms of expression and should forward alternative arguments. It therefore suggests that many of these female characters reflect the ways in which male authors think about female experiences. They objectify women and do not wish to try and represent women in an informed way.

Great female writers, such as Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters, produced authentic male characters that generally provide justice to the many aspects of masculinity. Their characters are soulful, not necessarily good, but they did not belittle them in any way. Mr Darcy—loved and hated by all—was the epitome of a perfect gentleman. Edward Rochester—a brooding, stern man with a kind heart, so passionately written, despite the historical context and his many flaws. Gilbert Blythe provides another example of a well-depicted male character who is a charming chap with a heart on his sleeve: “He was a tall boy, with curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes…”(Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Montgomery). The focus on their eyes, suggests that women are able to look past physical appearances and look straight into the ‘soul’ of their characters.

In terms of psychology, men think differently than women. Rational thoughts circulate their minds. Mushy feelings are not their cup of tea.

We can only hope that maybe one day justice will be done to female characters as well.

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

Books

19

Culture

3 artists on Climate change

By Timea Koppandi Arts Sub-Editor

of those already exposed to longstanding environmental injustices.

Through the narratives in her artwork, she explores the changing climate as a palpable, human experience.

Artists as such have proven that art plays an active role in aiding the issues that society faces. Climate change has reached a critical level and throughout their art, they hope to make a change.

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hese are the words of Nicholas Serota, The Chair of Arts Council in England, who spoke out about the pressing matters of climate change. Artists all over the world have used their art to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change. The following American artists have gained popularity through their pieces dedicated to environment preservation.

1) ‘Western Flag’ (2017), by John Gerrard, represents the sad reality of pollution and the West’s ignorance towards climate change.

Gerrard stated: “One of the greatest legacies of the 20th century is not just population explosion or better standards of living, but vastly raised carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere…this flag gives this invisible gas, this international risk, an image, a way to represent itself.” For his artwork to be created, he took between 10,000-15,000 photos of Spindletop, Texas, where the site of the world’s first major oil discovery is.

2) ‘Cascade’ by Alexis Rockman is a large painting which portrays the relationship between nature and industry and the damages that have been caused. In a conversation with The New York Times, Rockman said: “I used to hope that knowledge and information would open our eyes to environmental devastation and that we would save the world. I made art partly to cope with what I was witnessing and to support a campaign for conservation. Over the past two decades, I realized we have a crucial Achilles heel: Our brains are wired to be tribal and to think only in the seasonal short term. The idea of “sac-

Davide Tolfo | Facebook

“When it comes to the environment, time is running out. We must accelerate our response to the threats.

Art has an important role in helping society face up to the challenges of climate change and create a more sustainable future for us all.” rificing” for the future seems ridiculous to most people when they are entrenched in a daily struggle for survival. Even if they will listen, people just don’t have the collective will to do much.”

Jaideep Sen | Facebook

3) ‘The Peo-ple Cried Mer-cy in the Storm’ by Allison Janae Hamilton is a sculpture which references the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, which caused 2,500 deaths in Florida and 3,000 deaths in the Caribbean. Many of those who perished were black, migrant farm workers who were buried in communal unmarked graves. Hamilton claims that “as climate change continues to threaten our environments, it increases the vulnerability

Margaret Calvert-Cason | Facebook

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Culture

Sensitivity

Readers

By Nina Yulo Writer

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iterature is no stranger to stereotypical characters and tired tropes. There are the classic love triangles, the forbidden romances, the bumbling but loyal sidekick, and the troubled heroes. Though these characters and storylines may stick with us, sometimes they all tend to fit into the same mould: white and straight.

In recent years, a new trend has taken the literary world by storm: sensitivity readers. These are editors who help weed out any problematic content or language that could be perceived as offensive or ignorant.

This topic has sparked conversation on both social media and news outlets, with even The Guardian and the New York Times taking sides in the debate.

Firstly, the issues pointed out by the sensitivity readers can help iron out any cultural misunderstandings or inaccuracies. For example, Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar takes place during Gandhi’s independence movement in India in 1942.

An earlier draft of the novel included superstitions about the Dalit people, the ‘untouchables’ of the Hindu caste system. The sensitivity readers’ input helped gauge the specific experience of a Dalit person in the 1940s. Also, Anna Hecker’s manuscript of her book When the Beat Drops was sent to sensitivity readers, who pointed out problematic clichés and stereotypes with regards to her mixed-race protagonist. As a result, she says in a Writer’s Digest blog entry, that the sensitivity readers helped her create more nuanced and complex characters.

But as the Young-Adult Lit community champions sensitivity readers as one way to write more inclusive and authentic narratives, others in the publishing industry aren’t so sure. For instance, where does the balance strike between authenticity and pandering?

Are sensitivity readers there to foster awareness and responsibility, or do they minimize authors’ voices in order to amplify their own?

Essentially, literature is meant to expose us to uncomfortable truths. The greatest works of fiction have stood out precisely because they are not afraid to offend. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird depicts the injustice of racial discrimination, the “n-word” crisply spelled out on the pages. Likewise, Toni Morrison’s Beloved reveals the horrors of slavery in the most graphic and gruesome form. If however, these novels were to be published nowadays, it would be very likely that they would be subject to sensitivity reading for potentially ‘triggering’ content.

Although advocates would say that the arguments against sensitivity readers are missing the point, it’s not censorship per se. Sensitivity readers do not only rule out exclusionary language but provide a different perspective to cultural and racial experiences that may not be the author’s own. The word ‘sensitivity’ does not help their case as it carries such negative connotations, especially in an age where a person has more chances of being crucified on social media for a controversial comment than being struck by lightning. Nevertheless, this topic of sensitivity readers is an important debate, and one that should be addressed and explored as such.

eading can be one of those things that you love to do, but you simply cannot seem to get around to doing. On top of balancing what seems to feel like endless amounts of university work, a decent social life, and the general world of ‘adulting’, only a small percentage of us are able to read for leisure.

There are however some small and very obvious changes one can make, which may prove to be useful the next time you attempt to read a book.

1.

Read books you want to read: This seems a bit obvious, but more than often people pick up a book because of a pushy friend’s suggestion, or because it was the only thing you had on your shelf. So, rather than getting half way through a book and simply binning it because it just ‘isn’t for you’, try researching, looking at reviews, finding books that are recommended based on your previous reads, and hopefully you may find something more up your street.

Ben White | Unsplash

2.

Never let that book go: No matter how busy your day is, or how much people try and state otherwise, we all find ourselves consumed by a few moments of scrolling, liking, and double-tapping. If you carry your book with you, make a conscious decision to read it while you are standing at a bus stop, eating your lunch, or on the train ride home.

Alexis Brown | Unsplash 3.

Find a reading buddy: There is a joy of watching TV with a friend and being able to laugh at and share each other’s thoughts or revising together and giving each other that much-needed moral support. You can also start reading new books at the same time and give each other regular updates and keep each other on your toes.

Lacie Slezak | Unsplash 4.

Keep calm and skim on: Alternatively, you should not feel obligated to read and digest every word in every page, skimming through pages is OK. Everyone can relate to the idea of reading a page a thousand times over and still not understanding what is happening. The trick is, however, to not let this put you off the book, and to keep calm and continue to skim through the pages.

5.

Leave the book on a cliffhanger and…

Though this would prove to be difficult, it will make you 10x more likely to pick up the book later. Your curiosity is your biggest motivation.

By Paru Rai Books Sub-Editor

Nicole Honeywill | Unsplash

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5 tips to help you read more

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Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

Bringing Gambia to Canterbury

What’s on...

The Favourite 12th to 30th Mar 2019 Green Book 15th to 21st 2019 Burning 16th Mar How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 17th to 24th Mar 2019 All Is True 17th to 18th Mar 2019 Total Dhamaal 20th Mar 2019

By Timea Koppandi Arts Sub-Editor

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orn in London, Sona Jobarteh is part of the five main Kora-playing Griot families from West Africa.

She is a professional Kora player, an instrument which has 21 strings and is a mix between a lute-bridgeharp. The Kora is one of the most important musical instruments for the Manding people of West Africa (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau).

The practice of playing the Kora is transmitted hereditary from

father to son, belonging exclusively to the Griot families who are allowed to play professionally. Sona, is the first female Griot Kora player, rising in a profession which has been male dominated for more than seven centuries. Her music has been influenced by two famous family members: her grandfather Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, a significant icon in Gambia’s cultural history, and her cousin Toumani Diabaté, who is known for his exceptional skill at playing the Kora.

Sona has performed all across the globe, from Africa to Europe and Asia, introducing to various cultures the rhythms of Gambian music.

She is a well praised musician and has a warm presence on stage, distinctive voice, skills as an instrumentalist, and infectious melodies.

She has also been remarked for her work

City of God 22nd Mar 2019 on the multi-award winning documentary entitled ‘The Motherland’. For the soundtrack of the film, she invented a new instrument called the ‘Nkora’, which is a fusion between the Ngoni, another instrument with strings, and the Kora.

This innovation in the world of African music enabled Sona to seize the sonic beauty of the landscape. Her work on the soundtrack of ‘The Motherland’ offered her the opportunity of showing her skills as a composPhoto by The Gulbenkian er, multi-instrumentalist and

Bohemian Rhapsody SingAlong 23rd Mar 2019 The Private War 23rd to 25th Mar 2019 If Beale Street Could Talk 24th to 27th Mar 2019 Happy End 28h Mar 2019 Girl 29th Mar 2019 Loro 30th Mar 2019 The Lego Movie 2 31st Mar to 7th Apr 2019 On the Basis of Sex 31st Mar to 4th Apr 2019 Capernaum 3rd Apr 2019 Boy Erased 5th to 7th Apr 2019

Prices Full - £8.70 GulbCard Member - £6.70 Senior - £7.70 Registered Disabled - £7.70 Student - £6.00 Student GulbCard Member £5.00 Unemployed - £7.70

21

producer. Directed by Owen Alik Shahadah, this film has been awarded across the world.

The quality and the unicity of her voice attracted the attention of a successful Hollywood film composer, Alex Heffes, who in 2011 offered her the role of a solo vocalist in the soundtrack of the film called ‘First Grader’. The piece she performed won the “Discovery of the Year Prize” at the Hollywood World Soundtrack Awards in 2012.

In 2011 Sona released her critically acclaimed first solo album entitled “Fasiya”. The album represents her personal musical journey and the ever developing tradition that she has been born into. It also presents her abilities on various musical instruments such as the bass, ngoni, flute, guitar and percussion, and reveals her capacities as a mature producer. Growing up both in The Gambia and the UK enabled Sana to produce a body of work which encapsulates her experience as an individual belonging to two separate cultures.

In 2014 Sona began to establish her dream of setting up Gambia’s first cultural Acad-

emy. She started by founding the Junior department which has been very successful, students gaining both national and international recognition for their skills. They have partaken in several State events and opening ceremonies, while also performing frequently at top hotel resorts in the country. The success of the school has been noticed by the German president who personally visited the school. Now Sona is working towards the expansion of the academy, physically as well as developing the curriculum. The Gambia Academy of Culture is looking forward to receive volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, you can find more information on their website http://www. sonajobarteh.com/thegambiaacademy.html .

The Gulbenkian is hosting Sona Jobarteh on Tuesday the 19 th of March, at 8 o’clock for £12, for students. The tickets can be bought at the till in the Gulbenkian or their website

Get Ready for Autistic Creativity in April T

he Autism Arts Festival aims to be both a celebration of autistic creativity and an attempt to develop the idea of a relaxed performance further to create an entire festival that’s as accessible to neurodivergent people as possible. The festival will also include an exhibition in the Studio 3 gallery curated by the WEBworks collective which will run from 18th – 28th April 2019.

Events include Dyspla Short Films (Gulbenkian Cinema) Supported by the Arts Council England, DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival 2018 showcases a collection of moving images dedicated to exploring ‘The Neurodivergent Aesthetic’.

Open Mic Poetry with Callum Brazzo (Gulbenkian Café) Lava Elastic, a neurodivergent comedy/poetry night based in Brighton, is stretching to Canterbury for the next Autism Arts Festival. This poetry afternoon will feature a mixture of established poets and open mic slots.

Oska Bright Film Festival presents Queer Freedom (Gulbenkian Cinema) A collection of short films celebrating the queer community, love and self-expression. Featuring John and Michael (Canada), which pays tribute to two men with Down’s Syndrome who shared an intimate and profoundly loving relationship, and Life on Two Spectrums, which

follows ‘Tia Anna’ a drag queen with Asperger’s.

Open Mic Comedy with Sarah Saeed (Gulbenkian Café) Lava Elastic, a neurodivergent comedy/poetry night based in Brighton, is stretching to Canterbury for the next Autism Arts Festival. This comedy show will feature a mixture of established stand-ups and open mic slots.

All Night Avengers (Lupino) In preparation for Avengers: Endgame, which should be opening in the festival weekend, we’ll be screening four films with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the Lupino cinema in an all-night Marvel movie marathon.

Jon Adams – The Catography of Autism Research (Aphra) Jon through the ‘medium of cats’ will present ‘catographically’ a map of an autistic persons view on the current priority’s in autism research, the people who set them and some autistic people’s experiences of participatory research.

(Warning this performance may contain cats, inappropriate language, irony, sarcasm, metaphor, humour & theory of mind.)

Sensory Circus by Feel Theatre (Jarman 1) Blast off into space with Neo, our little alien puppet and discover the magical wonders of planet circus. Sensory Circus is a UV and LED glow performance combining circus and puppetry created specifically for children and young people with autism and PMLD, followed by a sensory play session.

Open Mic Music with Mel Golding (Gulbenkian Café) This will feature a mixture of established musicians and open mic slots.

For more information on the Festival events and to book tickets visit https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/event/autism-arts-festival-2019-2/

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Sport

Our graduates work for great news brands.

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MA in Multimedia Journalism l Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists l Real-world work experience including at KMTV - the UK’s only professional TV station within a university l Learn print, broadcast and digital journalism skills l £1,000 discount for Kent graduates l We score 92/100 for graduate prospects Find out more: kent.ac.uk/journalism or email journalism@kent.ac.uk

Friday 15 March 2019 InQuire

23

Sport

Thoughts on the World Rugby Nations Championship

No smoke without fire for Manchester City

By Joe Acklam Writer In recent weeks, talk was of Manchester City chasing a potential and unprecedented quadruple, but in the last few days they’ve obtained a very different, more unwelcome, kind of quadruple. The Citizens now have UEFA, The Premier League, the English FA, and FIFA are all investigating them for breaches of FFP regulations.

Financial Fair Play is a series of rules introduced in 2009 to prevent clubs from spending beyond their means and engaging in ‘financial doping’ as former UEFA president and well-known bribe receiver, Michael Platini, put it.

Manchester City, along with perennial bottle jobs PSG, are currently being investigated for having broken these rules. This is not the first time that City have been caught up in this kind of incident, having been fined back in 2014, but this time seems far more serious.

German newspaper, Der Spiegel, have released their investigation that found Manchester City disguised investment from their owners as sponsorship deals, so that they could spend £50 million on professional hospital patient, court jester and part-time footballer, Benjamin Mendy, alongside others in their record-breaking 2017/18 season.

Unsurprisingly Manchester City have denied these allegations, with manager Pep Guardiola saying that people are trying to undermine the club’s achievements. But City could face a ban from the Champions League or a transfer ban for having breached FFP regulations.

In an almost probably unrelated note, rumours are circulating from the same source that first mentioned Ronaldo moving to Juventus, that Pep Guardiola has reached a verbal agreement to replace Massimiliano Allegri as manager of the Turin giants. But again, that probably has nothing to do with this and a potential Champions League ban.

Manchester City wriggled their way out of a proper punishment back in 2014 by being able to stall UEFA with legal action, however it seems unlikely that they would allow City to get away with this again. With all of these organisations working on the case, there surely can’t be all this smoke with no fire.

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By Ben Lovell-Smith Writer

ast week the international rugby governing body World Rugby announced their intentions to launch a new structure to the rugby calendar, called The Nations Championship, starting in 2022. This restructure will function as an inclusive, merit based competition with promotion and relegation, which provides a pathway for all unions to get to the top. A Nations Championship Champion will be found through a play off system, which will take place during the Autumn International window. The system retains the traditional competitions of the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship, and also retains space for the Lions Tour and the Rugby World Cup, meaning that the Nations Championship will only run fully twice every four years.

This is a positive step for rugby. It will make the Autumn Internationals far more exciting as teams will be playing for more than just bragging rights and the competition should be more attractive to newcomers, growing the game as a whole. Furthermore, the promotion and relegation system makes rugby a far more inclusive sport and provides a pathway for successful teams such as Georgia to aspire to play at the top table.

However, this announcement has been very controversial to many rugby fans for a number of reasons. The first concern with this structure is for player welfare as Nations would be forced to play a series of back to back international fixtures, which are well known to take a significant toll on the body.

Photo by The South African

This is of particular relevance to England and France, where the club game holds more importance than anywhere in the world, so players will not be guaranteed adequate rest periods once they return from international duty.

The Nations Championship is clearly a financially motivated departure.

Perhaps World Rugby are trying to arrest more control over the state of the game as a whole, by increasing the importance of international rugby over club rugby once more.

World Rugby claim that the broadcast rights sold from the Nations Championship as well as sponsorship deals will raise revenue which will be used to support financially struggling Rugby Unions across the world.

If this is the case, then it can only be seen as a positive for the game.

Another major criticism that has been levelled at this potential competition is that it may devalue the World Cup, which is currently the only competition able to properly decipher who the best team in the world is. With an international competition occurring every year, is there much point in the Rugby World Cup anymore? Well, in my opinion, yes.

This competition is simply just a streamlined version of the current system.

The best teams play each other every autumn anyway. World Rugby believe that it will not devalue the Rugby World Cup as the World Cup will be expanded and launched properly on the world stage by expanding to 24 teams in 2027, thereby making it less similar to the Nations Championship and increasing the inclusivity of the game globally.

Women at Kent continued... ...Continued from page

back

She is the Tennis Queen who is a total badass and the epitome of success, persistence, and athleticism. Also, as a woman of colour, she is a huge inspiration for me, showing strength and dedication in tough situations”.

Megan Warwick, InQuire Media’s very own Sports Website Editor, holds a key position in pushing the collective sports voice at Kent: “As a sports journalist, I have focused solely on covering all sporting aspects of UKC and sharing the achievements of others.”

Warwick’s contributions certainly haven’t been missed and she was awarded Kent Union’s ‘Volunteer of the Month’ in September. Her hard work hasn’t stopped there, especially in February when she lead the coverage of the largest university sporting

event in Canterbury, Varsity: “I feel like I achieved great Varsity coverage, smashing previous years and really raising the bar for next year.”

As Captain of the Women’s Lacrosse 2nd Team, Warwick has insight on both the reporting and participation aspect of sport: “I think that getting involved in sport is easy.

You just have to find something that suits you, stick at it, and never give up. Kent does need more mixed teams/clubs, but equality takes time and the bridge will be bridged.”

Sporting Inspiration: “I love Lyndsey Hooper, the Sports Journalist who I recently met this year. She dominates the football scene as a female commentator and has excellent knowledge of the sport.”

Lauren Thynne’s name probably sounds familiar to you, or perhaps if you have anything to do with sport at Canterbury or Medway, you’ll al-

ready have come into contact with Lauren as she is on both the Team Kent and Team Medway executive committees. Lauren is also President of Kent Knights Ice Hockey, Goalkeeper for the UKC’s Women’s Hockey 3rd Team and President of Women’s Rugby in Medway; her love for all sports cannot be denied!

From her own experience, Thynne stresses the different ways for women to get involved in sport at Kent: “There are lots of women’s clubs that love it when new people come along to try something new. The Kent Sport Let’s Play sessions are also a great way to get involved without commitment as well—but if you’re thinking about trying something, just do it!”

On the other hand, speaking about female participation within Ice Hockey, Thynne admits it has been inherently low. Nevertheless, she states improvements are being made: “With

the integration of women in this year’s NHL all-star competition, it gives young girls someone to look up to, and older players role models to inspire. It would be great to see more girls getting involved in a whole range of sports when they’re younger, so that they can learn lots of new skills for when they grow up. I think that’s probably the reason why more women don’t play sport—exposure at a younger age.”

Sporting Inspiration: “Kendall Coyne Schofield [right]. She is the first woman to ever compete against men in the NHL skills competition this year”.

Feeling inspired by these words of fellow women at Kent? Sport can be for everyone and there is an increasing awareness of the steps that need to be taken to increase diversity of women in sport. But it starts with you. Give a new sport a go and hopefully many more will follow.

Emily Heath | Head of Photography, InQuire

Sport www.InQuireLive.co.uk/sport

InQuire

The growing pains of VAR will be worth it F

125/115 win against UCL sparks celebration

By Kiro Evans Newspaper Sports Editor

or all the glory of Manchester United’s remarkable recovery in Paris a week ago, their unlikely revival and Paris Saint Germain’s spectacular capitulation wasn’t purely down to footballing genius. The deciding penalty, eventually smashed home by Marcus Rashford, was rewarded by the Video Assistant Referee, still a relatively new feature in football, and very much a novel concept in the Champions League. While it fiddled in previous rounds, the VAR essentially decided the tie last Wednesday, despite the fact that around half of football fans are not convinced that the penalty given against Presnel Kimpembe was fair.

VAR was never going to solve football or eliminate controversy—if anything, it has made the sport even more debatable. What it will do is clear up obvious errors that previously undermined the sport. Kimpembe’s handball, regardless of what side of the debate you are on, was not a clear and obvious mistake. But the referee, on second, third and fourth glance, decided it was a penalty, meaning he received the courtesy of being more confident about his decision and seeing the incident from a better angle. This cannot be a bad thing.

The biggest opponents of VAR seem to be those who fear it going against their team, or somehow ruining football. It can only make football more precise and, ultimately, more enjoyable. While the delays will take getting used to, football is moving in the right direction and the luddites should allow time for this new technology to integrate itself properly in the sport.

By Meg Warwick Website Sports Editor

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Photo from Facebook

UKC Men’s Fencing win the BUCS Conference Cup

By Anna Hughes Writer

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Our female sport’s voices at Kent

omen at Kent have excelled in sport, in a manner of different roles: as Sport Scholars, Union Representatives, Committee Members of mixed or female Sports Clubs and Sport Journalists. Speaking with five of these heavily involved women, we can gather that there are many ways to be involved with sport at Kent, especially as we acknowledge and break the barriers previously perceived to be in our way.

Danielle Kirby, a Karate Sports Scholar at the University, is the current BUCS National Champion, multiple European medallist and a member of the England National Team; yet inspiring results are not the end of the Kirby’s involvement in sport, she is also President of UKC’s Karate club, and has seen first hand the struggles of gaining female members.

Kirby believes that female participation is lower than it should be because some sports, such as Karate, are construed with an incorrect image: “The sport is seen as a masculine and violent one where people will get hurt, which keeps females away. If anything, females should want to join as it teaches you how to defend yourself and is focused on avoiding conflict.”

There is also a lack of promotion of women’s sport because men’s events are considered to be more exciting to watch. However, Kirby highlights,

in Karate “females bring a whole different set of skills and qualities. For example, we may not be as good at the throws, but we make up for it with our kicks and fast punches.”

Sporting Inspiration: “Some of my best friends within the sport are on the national team. Seeing how hard they work and sharing the journey with them inspires me to keep going.”

Emily Window, the face of sport at Kent Union as Vice President (Sports), has been involved at Sport at Kent since her second year, when she joined the trampolining team.

Since then, in her role as VP, she explains, “it’s my responsibility to ensure that sport at Kent is the best it can be for all students—which is why I’ve been working on big projects this year such as reviewing the membership options at Kent Sport as well as developing sports facilities at the Medway Campus.”

Although now heavily involved in the administration side of sport, Window is still setting herself new sporting goals and completed her first half marathon back in October: “I’d never been into running but decided to set myself a challenge and raise money for a good cause at the same time”.

Sporting Inspiration: “I have so much respect for so many female athletes, so for me it’s a toss-up between Simone Biles and Serena Williams”.

Samira Conteh is Kent Falcon’s (American Football Team) Game Day

KC Men’s Fencing 1st Team became the BUCS Conference Cup champions after beating UCL 2nd Team 125-115 in Brunel.

For those who have little fencingknowledge, the fencing event was divided into three disciplines, which are foil, epee, and sabre. There were three matches of bouts in five-point increments to 45 in a rolling tally. The scores are then totalled to make a max potential score of 135.

UKC fenced Sabre first, and won 4536. They then followed through with foil, which they also won 45-34. When it came to the Epee, UKC already had a twenty-point lead against the opposition, the score 90-70. All UKC needed was 25 points to secure the win.

The Epee was the final discipline, which UCL are known for being strong at, but UKC still flourished.

The club president Pat Stillman brought the team to 24 points and new member Ben Alison scored the 25th point, bring UKC to victory.

The team’s foil anchor, who was the final fencer, Thomas Echevard stated after receiving his award, “this was the most beautiful medal [he’d ever won]”, elaborating to stated that the UKC Men’s Fencing 1st Team had “travelled together, fought together and won together round after round, and built something beautiful in the process”.

The team also quoted that the highlight of winning was “drowning themselves in celebratory chicken nuggets”.

Well done to Team Kent for yet another win.

Manager. Conteh has been with the Falcons for three seasons, held a committee role for two years and recruited three other female players to the team over that time. Yet her time with the Falcons is soon coming to an end, with her graduation in July; Conteh remarks, “I hope that I have left some kind of legacy on the team. I would love to see more female players after I’ve gone.”

As someone who took the step into the unknown, Conteh explains what she believes the barriers are for women getting into certain sports: American Football “is seen as a predominately ‘male sport’”, primarily because “we don’t see women playing the sport.

Most people can name male American Football players, Basketball players, Football players off the top of their head because it’s heavily televised and the image of these sports are quite masculinised.

I guess it’s quite daunting to want to play a sport when you haven’t seen anyone like you also playing that sport—I know it was for me. Also, I think some people just assume it’s a male only sport so don’t bother looking into it, but there are loads of opportunities to play. Don’t assume anything until you’ve tried it.”

Sporting Inspiration: “Serena Williams!

Continued on Sports Page 2 Emily Heath | Head of Photography, InQuire