InQuire 17.2

InQuire www.inquiremedia.org

The University of Kent’s student publication

Monday 4 October 2021 17.1

Government Targets Low-Earning Graduates To Pay Pandemic Debts A Roman Holiday Lifestyle Pages 8

Germany says goodbye to 'Mutti' Photo by Ainy Shiyam

By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

T

he UK government have announced plans to lower the threshold for which students will start to repay their tuition loans. With the current lowest threshold being at £27,295 per year, the Treasury aims to bring this down in order to pay for the pandemic spending, and encourage younger people to take cheaper, vocational courses. The Chancellor of th Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, aims to leave his mark on the loan system in the run up to the budget next month.

This comes as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has advised the government that it is "essentially impossible" to use tuition fees to bring in money to the dwindling and heavily indebted Treasury pot. The IFS' stated that any low-

ering of this sort would disproportionately target average-earning university graduates, and said it would be better to raise the revenue through income tax as it would be a more progressive taxation (meaning the more income you make, the more tax you would pay). Another suggestion from the IFS - economist Ben Waltmann, was to increase the repayment period, so that graduates pay more later in life, rather than penalising the low earners fresh out of education.

Instead of accepting the think tank's analysis, the government is heavily considering the dropping the income threshold for students to start paying back their tuition at around £23,000 per year. This is foretasted to bring the treasury just under £2 billion a year.

Graduates earning the current initial threshold would be seeing £800 less of the income, per year. This would add extra pressure to young, average earners, after the national insurance payments were increased earlier this month. This will mean that some of the lower salary bands will be paying more than 50% of their earnings out in tax, NI and loan repayments before they see a penny of their wages.

A senior economist from the Institute for Public Policy Research, Henry Parkes, said that the government plans are "virtually indistinguishable from a tax rise targeted at young workers alone".

The Vice-President for Higher Education at the National Union of Students, Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, simply said that

“ The injustice is simply astounding”

the "injustice is simply astounding".

The move would be a U-turn on former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May's position, in which she raised the threshold of earning from its initial place of £21,000 per year.

Kent Law student, Hollie Torris-Horne, had this to say about it: "Education should be free! They should be investing in our futures, rather than disincentivising people who will be bringing in greater tax revenue later in life".

An opposing comment came from Ed Day, a third year Kent Astrophysics student. " Its not that bad, because we are getting the service of education from the university - who says that we should have any say on what and when the loan repayments should be".

The plans have not become statue, of yet.

Kent releases new care course for people in the community

By Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief The University of Kent’s Centre for Child Protection (CCP), a body conducting practice, research and teaching in the field, is releasing a new free course called ‘Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People’.

Aimed to aid in communication for children, it will provide guidance for practitioners and carers dealing with pre-ver-

bal children to adolescents.

The course lasts four weeks and will show individuals the factors that can lead to a child or young person becoming vulnerable, age-appropriate activities and techniques for each age category, methods of facilitating communication, challenges that vulnerable children and young people might be facing in communicating effectively, as well as the levels of vulnerability they might be facing and areas of safeguarding.

The co-facilitator and Training Officer at CCP, Emma Soutar, says “Practitioners and carers understand the positive impact effective communication can have, yet research shows that practice can be difficult to achieve.”

As a research paper from the University of Sussex points out, “Whilst there is a substantial body of knowledge about the circumstances surrounding social workers' communications with children in the extraordinary contexts of chil-

dren being seriously harmed or killed, less is known about how social workers communicate with children in ordinary, everyday practice, the challenges they encounter in this process and the sense social workers and children make of these interactions.”

The University of Kent’s course is available as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and can be signed up for through FutureLearn.

Opinion page 7

Feature pages 12-13

Life Offline

Little Amal visits Canterbury Culture page 14

Plus: Entertainment

Montero: Lil Nas X's killer debut

Science & technology

Converting carbon dioxide: fuel stations on Mars?

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Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

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Meet the team Committee

Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

editor@inquiremedia.org

Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

newspaper.editor@inquiremedia.org

Jake Yates-Hart Website Editor

website.editor@inquiremedia.org

Ainy Shiyam Head of Photography & Design photography@inquiremedia.org

Grace Bishop Head of Media & Events

marketing@inquiremedia.org

Johnathan Guy Head of Technology

technology@inquiremedia.org

Editorial Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

newspaper.news@inquiremedia.org

Vacant Website News Editor

website.news@inquiremedia.org

Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

newspaper.opinion@inqiremedia.org

Dan Esson Website Opinion Editor

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Priya Hawes Newspaper Features Editor features@inquiremedia.org

Sam Watson Website Features Editor

website.features@inquiremedia.org

Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor

newspaper.lifestyle@inquiremedia.org

Katie Daly Website Lifestyle Editor

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Ed Streatfield Newspaper Entertainment Editor newspaper.entertainment @inquiremedia.org

Elena Martyn Website Entertainment Editor website.entertainment @inquiremedia.org

Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

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Eleanor Summers Website Culture Editor

Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle: The most controversial appointments

By Rory Bathgate News Writer In September, prime minister Boris Johnson reshuffled his top government team. Among those removed from their posts were Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who was widely criticised for being on holiday during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Raab becomes Justice Secretary, replacing Robert Buckland. Others who lost their roles in the reshuffle include Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, the most unpopular cabinet minister among Conservatives, who according to ConservativeHome was at the time of his firing polling at negative 50% popularity amongst Conservative party members. His successor is Nadhim Zahawi, former vaccines minister and co-founder of YouGov, whose voting record suggests no major changes to Tory education policy.

Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel have kept their posts as Chancellor and Home

Secretary respectively, with Sunak ranking 2nd in the same ConservativeHome popularity poll that revealed the extent of party contempt for Williamson.

Ranking 1st in the same poll was Liz Truss, who has taken over as Foreign Secretary, becoming the second woman to hold the post. The appointment of Mrs Truss has led to renewed scrutiny of her former posts, such as when in 2019 whilst acting as Secretary of State for International Trade she was forced to apologise for her department “inadvertently” shipping military supplies to Saudi Arabia on three separate occasions. The shipments included £435,450 worth of military radio parts, and were made in

violation of a pledge to not licence exports that could contribute to the war in Yemen.

Oliver Dowden has been replaced in the role of Culture Secretary by Nadine Dorries, an MP and part-time author.

She publicly voted against the 2013 Same-Sex Couples Bill, having written a blog post in 2012 in which she stated that “Gay marriage is a policy which

has been pursued by the metro elite gay activists and needs to be put into the same bin”, though in 2018 tweeted that her vote had been her “greatest regret as MP”.

Critics of her appointment have argued she is unsuitable for office, citing her claim that “Boris didn’t go far enough” in reference to comparing Muslim women in burqas to “bankrobbers” and postboxes”. Additionally, in a 2017 tweet she stated: “Leftwing snowflakes are killing comedy, tearing down historic statues, removing books from universities, dumbing down panto, removing Christ from Christmas and suppressing free speech. Sadly, it must be true, history does repeat itself. It will be music next.” Regarding the appointment, one Tory MP was quoted by the BBC as having said "Some people were a bit taken back in terms of her suitability for the role… We're going to have fun."

Institute of Culture and Creative Industries launches at Kent

By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

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n September, the Institute of Culture and Creative Industries launched at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre. The launch event, hosted by the Institute’s director Professor Catherine Richardson and kicked off with a speech by Kent’s vice-chancellor and president Karen Cox, laid out the ICCI’s short- and medium-term goals.

The ICCI brings together – for the first time – every creative offering at Kent under one umbrella. This means that the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, which now encompasses the theatre, cinema, and Colyer-Fergusson Hall, is brought together and coordinated alongside all of the creative work done at the university. The School of Arts & Humanities, as

well as other divisions at Kent, will now have much of their research brought under the scope of ICCI. To get a better understanding of the ICCI’s aims, we spoke to Director Catherine Richardson about two of the most important projects the Institute is leading on: Creative Kent, and Creative Estuary. ‘One of our main aims, one of the main reasons that the ICCI exists, is to get people thinking about the creative work that they do – it’s not just Arts & Humanities students. In creativity, there’s a lot of different areas: there’s a lot of technical aspects; lighting; design; gaming and coding; the social science part of it– all of that is creative.’ The ICCI’s launch is especially important for student employability – as Catherine explains, ‘the creative sector is as big as the construction industry in the UK,

constant innovative thinking… making the world anew is important’.

Creative Kent is an ICCI project designed to connect different aspects of the university community in a creative way, as well as linking this up to the rest of Kent and the country: ‘an English student and a Physics student have more in common than they think: they’re both constantly having to think creatively.

Creative Kent is there to put them in contact, to give them the resources they need to make good creative work. Our arts venues, our research, the cultural offering in Kent: all these need to be constantly connected. That is what we at ICCI are here to do’.

Creative Estuary, on the other hand, is a more ambitious project. Feeding into Medway’s City of Culture bid, Creative Estuary is an ICCI-piloted scheme to

website.culture@inquiremedia.org

Johnathan Guy Newspaper Science & Tech Editor technology@inquiremedia.org

completely rejuvenate the Thames Estuary, making it one of the foremost creative hubs in the world. There’s plenty of opportunity for all kinds of students, as well as for ‘training and apprenticeships’. For the often-forgotten Medway campus, Creative Estuary presents a big opportunity for dynamic renewal.

At the launch, which showcased some of the talent coming to Kent in the next few months including a memorable beatboxing set, the ICCI’s Director of Culture and Creative Projects David Sefton announced the new 2021/2022 Gulbenkian Arts Centre programme.

The 72-page document of theatre, music and comedy is an exciting start for David’s tenure as the Gulbenkian’s new Creative Director and promises much for students to engage with over the course of the coming year. From Greek theatre to stand-up with Iain Stirling, there’s something for everyone.

Find out more about the ICCI at the University of Kent’s website.

Jamie Neil Website Science & Tech Editor science@inquiremedia.org

Connor Haywood Newspaper Sport Editor

newspaper.sport@inquiremedia.org

Vacant Website Sports Editor

website.sport@inquiremedia.org

Harvey Blazquez Newspaper Satire Editor

newspaper.satire@inquiremedia.org

Tahmid Morshed Website Satire Editor

website.satire@inquiremedia.org

Photo by Ainy Shiyam

Corrections We will report any inaccurate information published as soon as the error is discovered. Editorial corrections will be printed on this page. For more information, contact Tarini Tiwari at inquire@kentunion.co.uk

Mail and Office: Student Media Centre, Above Venue, Kent Union, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NW Additional copies may be found online at issue.com/ inquirelive or on our website www.inquiremedia.co.uk Please report suspicious activity at our distribution racks by emailing marketing@inquiremedia. co.uk. © MMXX InQuire Media Group, in partnership with the Canterbury Media Group. All rights reserved

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

News

The Election Section: A Declining Right-Wing Resuscitates Beleaguered Centre

By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

F

ive countries held elections over September which give us some idea of the state of play in global politics.

Though in isolation each election is not necessarily important, an analysis of the rising and fading players, as well as ideologies, is crucial to forecasting what the next few tumultuous years might look like internationally. Russia, Norway, Canada, Iceland and Germany all took to the polls this week to decide the formation of their national governments – it should be caveated, of course, that each country has a different system of democracy, and some like Russia have outright corrupt systems of election.

Despite this, the country’s ruling United Russia party (led by an increasingly autocratic Vladimir Putin) was dealt a blow on the 19th of September ballot, as they lost nearly 20 seats to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, a direct descendent of the ruling party of the USSR. This diminishment in United Russia’s vote does not have a large impact in practise – Putin still has a large majority in the State Duma – but it does represent something of a loss of confidence in his governance. Over three-quarters of Russian people look back more favourably on the pre-Putin Communist project than the current regime, and many blame the leader for Russia’s slapdash Covid response.

In Norway, the earliest election of the month, there was a defeat for the ruling right-wing coalition as Erna Solberg’s Conservative Party lost 9 seats, losing the coalition’s majority in the Storting (Norwegian legislature). This left it to the largest party, Jonas Gahr Støre's social-democratic Labour Party, to form a government. Solberg has been increasingly embattled in recent months by divisions in her ruling coalition and a fractious Covid response; this translat-

ed to electoral decimation.

The big winners of the night were the centrist, agrarian People’s Party, who gained 9 seats to become the third-largest party in the chamber, and almost certainly the biggest coalition partner in Labour’s new government. The other big winners were the left parties, the democratic socialist Left Party and the communist Reds, who also collectively gained 9 seats and will endeavour to have a strong socialist influence on the new centre-left government.

The biggest losers of the night were undoubtedly the farright People’s Party and Merkelite Christian Democrats, who both suffered for their support of Solberg’s increasingly unpopular government by losing dozens of seats.

In Iceland, one of the lowest-populated countries in the world, the centre-left coalition government won a modest increase in seats – seeing off a challenge from the right. However, the Prime Minister’s ecosocialist Left-Green Movement lost seats. This means her predecessor, the agrarian-centrist Progressives leader Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, is likely to return to his role as the head of government. The left-wing Socialist Party, who were thought to prove a confounding force in the election, failed by 1% to meet the electoral representation threshold. The increase of their vote is likely to have caused the Prime Min-

ister’s Left-Green Movement to lose seats.

Two of the biggest democracies in the world (and G7 members) also held elections this month: Germany and Canada. Canadians went to the polls on the 20th of September, and ultimately renewed their tempered confidence for Justin Trudeau’s ruling Liberals.

Despite opinion poll leads earlier in the race, Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives did not gain any seats in this election,

Canada did not want this early election to be called and rewarded the parties who called it with chilled ambivalence.

Moreover, Maxime Bernier’s far-right People’s Party gained 5% of the vote, but no seats, thawing their hopes for an electoral success.

On Sunday 26th, Germany held a federal election – the first not contested by the hugely-popular Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her party, the CDU (and its Bavarian sister party the CSU) fell to their lowest share of Image from Element5 Digital the vote since their conception in 1945.

The Social Democrats, who tied with the CDU at roughly 25% of the vote each but won 10 more seats, is now in coalition talks with smaller parties to work out who will form the next German government.

The CDU’s disastrous performance has been pinned by many on their unpopular Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet, who earlia fact which will almost certainly lead er in the year was videoed laughing at to a reckoning within the party for the the site of mass-flooding. Merkel’s forformer election favourite. Likewise, mer finance minister, the SPD’s Olaf despite encouraging signs throughScholtz, was on the other hand received out August, the centre-left New Demwarmly by the electorate and is now the ocrats failed to make the electoral German public’s preferred candidate breakthrough they had hoped for, and for Chancellor. only made a modest 1 seat gain. In an The Green Party, who at one point over election which almost completely mirthe summer was polling as the largest rored the one two years ago, with only a party, won nearly 15% of the vote. Their handful of seats changing hands, it was Chancellor candidate and co-leader Anthe Green Party which really suffered at nalena Baerbock was visibly disappointthis election. After losing almost twoed on election night, admitting they had thirds of its electoral support, they renot met expectations and she personally mained at a tawdry 2 seats. People in had ‘made mistakes’. Nevertheless, the

Greens have achieved their best share of the vote in any federal election and are now one of the biggest green parties in Europe. As the third-largest party in the Bundestag, they will almost certainly be the second-biggest partner in any coalition agreement. They also did well in regional elections and are the now the largest party in the Berlin regional parliament.

The smaller parties in the new Bundestag had a mixed night. The centre-right neoliberal Free Democrats gained seats, meaning they are also likely to have a role in future coalition arrangements.

The far-right AfD – who no party has agreed to work with – lost seats, as did the left-wing Die Linke, who only just made the threshold for electoral representation. Many saw the almost halving of Die Linke’s vote since 2017 as the result of scaremongering by the media over their potential role in an SPDGreen coalition, as well as a result of decay in their East German, post-communist base.

So, what do these results tell us about the political moment? Firstly, the 2010s trend of Pasokification – the destruction of social-democratic parties across Europe – appears to be receding, as social-democrats make gains in Germany, Norway and Iceland. Secondly, the ascendant far-right has been stopped in its tracks across the Global North, failing to make the breakthroughs they’d hoped for in Germany and Canada.

Both features point to a general exhaustion with radical parties, many of whom became serious political players in the last few years, perhaps because of the pandemic. Technocratic – perhaps bland – politicians have done well out of this. Though nothing is set in stone, this gives us a good indication of what elections in other countries might look like down the line.

Anti-Vax Protest Staged Outside Simon Langton Girls' in Canterbury

By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

S

Photo by Daniel Schludi

imon Langton Girls' Grammar School on Old Dover Road has been beleaguered by protests in the last few weeks by those spreading disinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine.

After staging protests at the beginning of term, those involved returned last week - the week the government introduced vaccine shots for 12-15 year olds - holding placards containing inaccurate and misleading information about the vaccine. SLGGS' headteacher Paul Pollard accused the group of engaging in “propagan-

da that has much in common with familiar far-right tropes”, as well as encouraging students not to engage in conversation with the antivaxxers or accept their literature.

This is the second school in the local area that antivax groups have targeted. A woman at the Faversham Abbey School was reportedly assaulted in an altercation with protestors. Despite scientific consensus repeatedly confirming that all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines are safe, antivax movements have gained

Photo by the Kier Group traction internationally over the last 18 months, with sizeable demonstrations taking places in many cities across the globe.

This summer, an antivax protest attended by over a hundred people took place in Canterbury, apparently clashing at one point

with a simultaneous Palestine liberation march.

UK Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty continues to insist that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective against the disease.

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Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

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Labour Party Conference: a mixed weekend for Keir Starmer?

By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

I

n the last weekend of September, Labour Party Conference was held in Brighton. The weekend was a fraught one for Labour leader Keir Starmer, who spent much of the conference attempting to pass reforms to the party rules and making wins on binding party policy. Though the Labour left, who were against the majority of Starmer’s proposed rule changes, won some minor victories on policy (including making the introduction of a social-

ist Green New Deal, £15 minimum wage and renationalisation of a number of assets) they failed to prevent rule changes passing. This now means that 20% of MPs must nominate candidates for the Labour leadership and deputy leadership instead of the previous 10%. Many left commentators accused Starmer and the right of the Labour Party of trying to frustrate the will of the members. It was pointed out by commentator Owen Jones that only one candidate (Keir Starmer) would have made the ballot in the 2020 leadership election under these rules.

Other notable moments during conference included the resignation of shadow cabinet member Andy McDonald, who was Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights and Protections. McDonald wrote in Tribune that Keir Starmer had ‘broken promises’ which got him elected as leader, accusing him of lacking ‘integrity’. A day later, during the leader’s speech, Starmer was heckled by left-wing members of conference. One heckler, former Big Brother contestant Carole Vincent, told Sky News she had not planned to interrupt the Labour leader's keynote

'Broken’ Brexit deal sees fallout in Canterbury and beyond

By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

T

he knock on effects from the lorry driver shortage has meant there has been dwindling of resources, such as fuels, foods, construction material and a number of other products, throughout Canterbury and the nation. A shortage of workers has also been reported throughout many industries – largely jobs which were traditionally filled by EU migrants. Many have claimed these problems have been seeded from the fallout of Brexit.

InQuire spoke to Kent Criminology student, Eilish Mahoney, who faced firsthand problems with fuel shortages. “Me and my boyfriend were low on petrol, so we went out to fill up. Unlike how this would normally take 10 minutes (drive there, filling up and back) and you would be able to go to your closest petrol station, we had to search round several petrol stations around the city for 30 minutes. We

eventually opted to drive 20 minutes outside of Canterbury just to find one with petrol, only then to queue for another half an hour before we could get any”.

One group who are calling for changes to be implemented in the Brexit status-quo is the cross-party, cross-industry UK Trade and Business Commission called Christmas eve trade deal negotiated by the current Conservative government ‘broken’.

The commission heard over 22 hours of oral testimony from 54 witnesses, over 11 sessions – on subjects including the challenges affecting a broad range of industries currently, the supply crisis itself, the UK/Australia trade deal and the impact of the new trading environment on small businesses.

The report that the diverse commission came out with made four key recommendations. They asked the government the bring back the Brexit support fund with similar applications but suggested an increase in grants. The original

hardship fund missed its assigned application target by more than half, as well as paying out less than a third of its allocated £20 Million pot.

The report went onto suggest digitising checks for food exporters, to streamline and organise the process. They also suggested that the cost of the UK visa process should be l o w -

address but was prompted after he delivered ‘a speech which was full of nothing really.’

One vote which attracted attention outside the party was the motion for Labour to support proportional representation for future general elections.

Many, including former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, support PR and a progressive alliance with other leftof-centre parties to secure it. The vote failed to pass Conference – while nearly 80% of members supported the motion, it was defeated by affiliates – who alongside members are half the voting

bloc – which mostly comprises the Labour-affiliated trade unions.

Jeremy Corbyn, who is still a Labour member though not a Labour MP, said the following about Starmer’s performance over the weekend: ‘‘We were promised effective opposition, but instead the Tories have been given a free pass time and again’, and that Keir Starmer had ‘turned his back on hope’.

ered for academics and skilled workers, as it is currently around five times higher than competing countries. e last suggestion they made was to establish a new authority to protect food standards in new trade deals. This comes as the UK now allows Australian beef to be imported into the country under the new trade deal between the two nations.

This has been allowed despite hormone treatments being used in the production of Aussie beef – something which would be against regulation if it was produced in Britain.

It seemed the commission wasn’t alone in its diagnosis of the Brexit deal, with Opinium finding

has caused more problems that it has solved. The poll showed that only 15% of people believed in the contrary.

Labour MP Hilary Benn, the parliamentary co-convenor of the commission, said in a statement “The evidence we’ve heard from dozens of experts and businesses confirms that this deal is broken, and will continue to create problems in our supply chain and cost jobs and money in the UK. “We’re calling on the government now to work with business and our European neighbours to implement these reasonable improvements to their deal and measures to support UK firms.”

Another MP who sits on the commission, Roger Gale, of the Conservative party, said “It is clear that businesses, industries and institutions are struggling now and unless more meaningful action is taken, we will continue to see more shutters come down and see Britain overtaken by international competitors where we were once leading the pack."That's why I urge my party colleagues in the government to seriously consider the suggestions we've made today and to move quickly to support businesses."

that 53% of people in the UK believe the deal

Phtoto by Samuel Regan-Asante/Unsplash

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021 Have something you want to say? Write a letter to newspaper.editor@inquiremedia.co.uk and be featured in the next InQuire newspaper

T Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

he past few months gave me an entirely new degree of Covid anxiety. I saw my home country, India, ravaged by the virus unlike any other nation in the pandemic so far. It was almost apocalyptic. I was fighting off nerves whenever my parents mentioned they were going to the shops because I just didn’t know what would happen if they caught it. I couldn’t bring myself to process that possibility. As time went on, India’s strict lockdowns and ramping up of vaccine distribution helped the second wave die down. All the while, India continued exports of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine

O Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

n Wednesday, our MP – Rosie Duffield – was in a video call on the YouTube account of Graham Linehan, a man who was banned by Twitter after being viciously transphobic. His behaviour has only got worse in recent months; he has campaigned across the UK against trans rights, most recently in Scotland where he demonstrated against reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Our MP was on a YouTube video with him, alongside other TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists), causing material harm to one of the most marginalised minorities in the UK right now. This fits into

T Jake Yates-Hart Website Editor

ime flies by when you’re an editor, doesn’t it?

When this edition comes out, Freshers’ Week will have come and gone and what hopefully remains are newly founded friendships, some great memories, and anxiety about whether your scratchy throat is freshers’ flu or Covid. Either way, I hope you had fun. We all deserved it. But now, we have the actual degree to think about. Lectures and seminars, even online, can be daunting in the first few weeks. You’re nervous to sit next to strangers in the lecture hall; you’re hesitant to answer the seminar leader’s questions; the library becomes a labyrinth when you’re finding a book on the reading list. Not

Editorial

to countries like the UK. Now, as Britain seeks to open borders and simultaneously avoid a return to tightened restrictions, it has deemed double-vaccinated Indians as ineligible for restriction-free travel. Why? Because the Indian Covishield (identical to Astra-Zeneca) is being regarded as an unapproved vaccine in the UK. This ignores the fact that British people have been vaccinated with doses provided by India, making them essentially Covishield-receivers. It’s modern-day racism at its finest, with the Schengen Visa Info website saying Britons were “unwittingly” dosed with it, as if India laced the vaccines

with some primitive exotic drug. It took far too long for countries to send aid to India during its second wave.

And yet, despite everything, India’s Serum Institute has honoured all its vaccine contracts. It’s a residual colonial mindset where it’s India’s responsibility to help Western powers but there isn’t a requirement to reciprocate that aid. I want my family to be able to come visit me, but above that I want Indians to be treated as equals on the vaccine front, somewhat alleviating the vaccine racism faced by 1.3 billion people as well as millions more across African nations.

a pattern of behaviour which has only accelerated in recent months. On Twitter, she admitted to having ‘gender critical’ beliefs which mean she cannot abide furthering rights for trans women and men. When people criticised her statements, she accused them of being ‘misogynists’.

In a Sunday Times interview with Duffield, she said that men in relationships with women who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are ‘appropriating gay culture’, completely erasing bi and pan identities. This interview came out in time for Bi Awareness Week. Statements like this framing transphobia and biphobia as a reasonable debate

- are unconscionable, dangerous and indulgent. ‘Gender critical’ is an exclusionary, reactionary project which will harm both women and the LGBTQ+ community in the medium term. Our MP’s pattern of behaviour is a threat to the LGBTQ+ community at Kent and beyond, and everybody standing by in the Labour Party are becoming culpable in their silence. Mental health and suicide rates for trans people are some of the worst for any minority group; hate crimes and violence are on the rise year on year. Individuals in positions of power - like our MP - using their platform for hate are the reason why.

to mention that feeling when your WiFi’s cutting out over a Zoom seminar, and you want to throw your laptop out the window.

Nevertheless, the fun doesn’t stop now that Freshers’ is over. Celebrate your first week of classes by downing some shots at Venue, Woody’s, or K-Bar (or perhaps all three!). Alternatively, now might be the best time to reach out of your comfort zone and visit some off-campus clubs. Club Chemistry is always an exciting, energetic night, with three floors to choose from, each with a different music genre blasting out the speakers… and from my recollection, there’s a fricking unicorn statue, which

is always fun. If you attended the Freshers’ Fair (whether you’re a first year or not), hopefully you’ve had time to explore the societies available. I encourage everyone to join at least one. It’s a great way to explore more of what you love with other likeminded individuals. Hell, join InQuire while you’re at it!

Remember, studying is important but finding a balance between education and having a social life is even more so. After all, all work and no play makes you a dull student… or whatever that line is.

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Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Opinion

After 18 months of lockdowns, it’s good to be back: though something feels wrong Anonymous

New lenient test and trace guidance the need for face coverings. As someone small rooms, often with no windows or nificant than any previous. We will have will only make transmission easier for that is double jabbed, I still like to carlittle ventilation made me feel claustroto learn how to live with Covid to move cannot deny that after such a long the virus, helping to infect more people. ry a face covering with me and mostly phobic and made it feel inevitable that on, but refusing to bring in further retime of being locked down at home If you are contacted by test and trace, or choose to wear it when I am out shopanother serious wave of the virus will strictions as we move into colder weaththat it is good to be back at univera close contact has a confirmed positive ping. I did however also go clubbing be incoming very soon. Fresher’s flu is a er, where viruses have an advantage sity and with other students and lecturtest, you do not have to isolate if you during Fresher’s Week, and the scenes yearly phenomenon already- with Covid does not feel like the right way forward ers. However, the sudden removal of have been double jabbed or are under of thousands of students crammed into in the mix, this year’s could be more sigat the current time. all restrictions feels slightly premature. the age of 18. The new The virus is still extremely prevalent, rules on self-isolating and cases are still high. The refusal to therefore seem pointbring back any restrictions seems to less in fighting the virus, have correlated with Sajid Javid's eleand instead seem to fovation to Health Secretary. While Hancus on making the procock was just as useless in the position, cess ‘fairer’ for schoolhe was much more cautious than Javid, children, while giving in some cases putting in more restricmore of an incentive for tions than seemed necessary. However, adults to get vaccinatwhile the overly-cautious approach was ed. There has been an seen as annoying by many, it did help abundance of evidence to keep the virus at bay. On the other showing that even while hand, the new Health Secretary has double jabbed, no one been known for his hard-line, populist is immune from the viapproaches to issues, including revokrus, and individuals can ing Shamima Begum’s still be carriers.

British citizenship Fresher’s flu These soft rules predecessors. A mixture of domestic when she tried to reis a yearly are therefore Alex Charilaou popularity and international presentaturn to the UK after phenomenon likely to help the Newspaper Editor tion management, as well as the strong joining Islamic State. already- with virus spread to economic fortunes of Germany, have left It fits into a pattern of Covid in the mix, more people than ext month, as per the German conher the most powerful Western politician behaviour which privi- this year’s could before.

While stitution, Angela Merkel will step outside the United States. leges electoral success be more signifvaccines may be down as Chancellor. This is a moWhen popular, though unfocussed, disconover the execution of icant than any the way out of mentous moment in European politics, tent with the political system fed xenophopolicy. previous the pandemic, we both because of Merkel’s longevity (the secbic and far-right currents throughout The past Fresher’s may need a yearly ond-longest tenure of any post-war German Europe, Merkel rose to the occasion.

Week has felt strange. This time last jab in order to protect leader) and position as, in effect, the most Far from the nauseating accounts year everything was virtual, and the inthe most vulnerable in powerful woman in the world. Over the last given by many on the centre-right, famous ‘rule of six’, as well as a 10pm society against new vardecade-and-half, Merkel has built a reputaMerkel has not been a godlike curfew for the hospitality sector had iants and mutations, as tion centred around astute maternalism and maternal saviour to refugees been announced. This was when daily is done with the flu. steady, competent caution. Despite fevers of and immigrants over the last case numbers were averaging around While it is underfawning adoration in the liberal media, one decade. It’s true, of course, that Photo by Faces of the World/Flickr 5000, while deaths were remaining standable that the should not let themselves be subsumed by she has been criticised from her below 60. Comparing these to current government wishes the revisionism of ‘Mama Merkel’. Merkeright by those who accuse her of wanting to in this climate of deep depression, Greece numbers is quite terrifying. Daily cases to move on from the lism ought to be remembered as a disasflood Europe with migrants and capitulate elected the anti-austerity, radical-left SYRare now averaging over 30,000, while virus as soon as postrously successful political project, disguisto the ‘captivities of Islam’ – similar stateIZA to form a government in 2015, their deaths are consistently in the hundreds sible, this should only ing gangsterish opportunism as pragmatic, ments have been made about Biden, Conte, finance minister Yanis Varoufakis tried to every week. Yet the government is turnbe done when the time unifying moderation. It is both the product and Macron; it doesn’t make them true. In strike a new deal – sans austerity – with ing a blind eye and refusing to enact is right. Going on their of careful refashioning of Merkel’s image (as reality, Merkel was for months during the Merkel’s team. The response given by his any restrictions in order to counter this. logic from this time evidenced by her temperamentality in the migrant crisis a cheerleader for ‘Fortress EuGerman counterpart was this: “elections With clubs allowed to open and stulast year, both case and refugee crisis) and an incidental collision rope’, a set of policies – in contravention of change nothing, there are rules”. Overruling dents travelling long distances across death numbers are too of historical forces (Trump’s election catathe European Convention of Human Rights the democratic will of the Greek people on the country and the world, it is easy to high, especially for with pulting Merkel to the adorned ‘leader of the – developed to repel migrants from reaching Merkel’s behalf, their administration bulsee why case numbers are only going to no restrictions at all. free world’) which has painted her as a resmainland Europe. This involved quick fixes lied the Greek government into taking a new flare up even further. You only need to People are free to see olutely successful technocrat, as opposed to and workarounds, including dangling aid round of austerity measures (contrary to the see the queues outside The Venue to see as many people as they an enemy of freedom and human rights and and future EU concessions to an increasingwishes of the people) in return for a stimuhow even one person carrying coronawish and can go into the perpetrator of innumerable sufferings. ly autocratic Erdogan (President of Turkey), lus fund. German media – up until this point virus without knowing could lead to an busy public areas such It is worth remembering that Merkel’s apthereby holding up refugees in the Middle merrily acting as government propagandists outbreak on campus. as supermarkets without proval – both inside and outside Germany East to stop them getting through to Europe – were shocked by Merkel’s ‘catalogue of – has not always been astronomical. When – with extremely violent results. cruelties’, it was an obvious calculation. The she and her party were elected in 2005, it If borders are one aspect of Merkel’s apausterity measures were not to encourage was on a record low electoral performance. palling legacy, austerity is another. In the fiscal responsibility, such that it can be said Her popularity was ensured by an ideologiaftermath of the EU sovereign debt crisis, such a thing exists, but to suppress a demcal vacuum in the country, and a complete Merkel led the EU’s cooperation with the ocratic challenge to undemocratic power: dereliction of financial and ethical prinIMF (a risibly cruel institution at the best the power of finance capital, and of the unciples by the Social Democrats, who cut of times) to ‘negotiate’ Greece’s bailout accountable European Commission. As Allthe welfare state with greater vigour and package. In practise, this involved the most gemeine Zeitung remarked, “There is a fine precision than the CDU could dream of. severe austerity packages ever enforced in line between saving and punishing Greece.

Merkel has therefore presided over a decthe Global North, ravaging Greece’s welfare This night the line has disappeared.” ade of increasing economic precarity and system and decimating industry. 98% of the Merkel will be remembered by many as a disastrous neoliberalisation with almost no funds eventually given by the EU bypassed stalwart leader, a liberal face in an increasopposition – and, it should be stressed, the the Greek economy entirely, going instead ingly bleak global picture. She shouldn’t be. active electoral cooperation of the ‘opposistraight to multinational banks and finanHer political project was one of mass impovtion’ SPD. The position she found herself cial institutions. Austerity, of course, failed: erishment and greed, and certainly not one in gave her much more power to shape naGreece’s economic travails worsened, and that should be remembered fondly. tional and global affairs than many of her their debt became unmanageable. When, Photo by Marianne Martin

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Germany waves goodbye to 'Mutti'

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Opinion

Afghanistan: the United States had ulterior motives Photo by Trump White House Archived/Flickr

Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh Opinion Writer When one has working electricity, running water, and a right to criticise the government, they tend to forget the complexities of other countries and their governments. All I ask of my British audience is to take a step back and remember the world is much bigger

than this island we live on, and to take consideration of their privilege when retelling the stories of other people.

I am not Afghan nor am I in Afghanistan, yet I am using my privilege in the comfort of my well-lit house in Tehran to tell their story. This should be kept in mind.

The day that US troops were withdrawn and the Taliban took control is

one I cannot forget. Standing still with a glass of chai in front of the television screen, my father remained frozen as the Iranian news broadcasters announced the exile of President Ashraf Ghani, and the seizure of power by the Taliban. The scenes were on replay in my head over and over – the shock on the faces of the people, the silent, desperate running. Over the next few

days, the news progressed as many Afghan nationals attempted to flee their country, seeking refuge.

The taste of betrayal was on everybody’s lips: these proud people were promised hope, and instead lost everything.

It is fundamental to understand the history of Afghanistan’s politics.

After the Soviet invasion, an Islamic militant group was created to combat the Soviet soldiers. This group was henceforth called the Taliban. They would proceed to rule Afghanistan throughout the 1990s, restricting freedoms, introducing mass-oppression, and enforcing extreme Islamic law. For years the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, until the fateful September 11 Twin Towers attacks.

America was in an uproar to find the terrorists who had committed this horrifying act, and vowed revenge. President George Bush located the culprit, Osama Bin Laden, to be hidden in Afghanistan, and hence announced a project which would dispatch US soldiers to help re-build Afghanistan’s governmental structure and locate Bin Laden to ensure an end to any future terrorism.

The US army presented honourable intentions: they were dedicated to fight terrorism, to help Afghans, and to re-

build a country. Except that wasn’t all they did.

Though the US soldiers were active in fighting against the Taliban, problems arose. One of the biggest issues was the mining of Afghanistan’s two biggest exports, oil and opium. The USA was vehemently accused of imperialist manoeuvring by many left-wing groups, including members of the Bernie Sanders campaign such as his former press secretary Briahna Joy Gray. They painted the troops as occupiers taking advantage of a weakened nation to steal natural resources. There were also alleged claims of violence and murder by US soldiers, something which has notably occurred amongst the US military during other foreign campaigns, namely Vietnam (for instance Incident on Hill 192) and Nicaragua (the Contras).

The problems don’t end there. Biden’s sudden withdrawal of troops (which had been initiated by Trump) caused a butterfly effect. Not only were the Afghan militia not trained well enough nor given enough resources by the US military, the Afghan militia also claimed to have not been told about the withdrawal and thus were unable to fight back against the powerful Taliban.

Although Ashraf Ghani has been painted as a villain by certain news sites or political groups, his exile in the United Arab Emirates makes more sense when one realises the Taliban allegedly gave him the option of leaving Afghanistan or having a civil war. Ghani, who was familiar with the similar history of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, did not want to see bloodshed and violence in his country – thus he left.

Blocking the M25 is not the way to force meaningful insulation reform

Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

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n the past few weeks, a new group linked to Extinction Rebellion has come to the forefront of protests in the UK, most notably blocking the M25 on several occasions. This group, Insulate Britain, demand that the government insulate all UK homes in order to reduce energy costs. They claim that doing this is the most cost-efficient way to reduce fuel poverty, as well as reducing carbon emissions. They have been criticised by numerous government officials, journalists, and the UK public due to their method of protest, as well as being accused of hypocrisy.

While the group themselves is relatively young, having only being established in the summer, they have become notorious in the past few weeks due to the nature of their protests: blocking the busiest motorway in the UK. They claim that they did not wish to stop traffic, but believe it is the ‘only action… the government will take note of’. However,

while the government has noticed their emerged such as patients suffering unactions, they have instead seen them in necessary health complications due to a negative light. They have recently won not being able to access essential treata ruling by the high court that climate ment in time. One driver had to resort change protestors can be jailed if they to driving their mother to a hospital continue their campaign of blocking due to ambulance delays. They became the M25. They hope that stuck in six-hour traffic, this will reduce further disThe injunction and was forced to watch her ruption around London. It is necessary grow weaker and weaker remains to be seen what in tackling after suffering a stroke. If effect this injunction will the dangerous she had received treatment have on protestors, who protests within 90 minutes then any may just ignore the ruling lasting damage would have and continue. been minimal, but instead now experiThe injunction is necessary in tackling ences complete paralysis down her left the dangerous protests which can put side. both protestors and drivers lives at risk.

In a heated interview on Good MornIndeed, the protests themselves seem to ing Britain, senior Insulate Britain acbe making their case lose support with tivist and spokesperson Liam Norton the general public due to the amount of was questioned on why they had resortdisruption that it causes. Some footage ed to blocking the motorway. He comhas emerged of some angry drivers atpared the group to Winston Churchill’s tempting to remove protesters from the initial stand to fight fascism in 1937, roads themselves. The hold up of a mawhere only six MPs backed him. What jor highway such as the M25 can cause Norton failed to acknowledge however, delays in many different industries, inis how many UK individuals do indeed cluding the health sector. Stories have hold the same views of the group, that

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all homes should be sufficiently insulated, and that the government holds a responsibility to fight against climate change. What the general public do not support is the method of protest, dangerously blocking busy motorways in order to garner further attention towards the issue. In fact, having huge tailbacks of cars with their engines left running will only hurt the environment further, which make it seem odd that these groups claim that they advocate a greener world. The interview took a bizarre turn where Norton refused to answer questions on whether his own home was insulated, while seeming to acknowledge that he could afford it to be if he wanted.

Reluctancy of members of climate groups to take individual small steps, and instead focussing on using large, dangerous protests to generate attention around their agenda may seem to be why they do not have as much support as they would have hoped. However, it is important to realise that they may not feel that they have any other

options. It is easier for governments to ignore more peaceful protests, and when they come more disruptive and violent is when they respond, either by shutting them down or enforcing some beneficial changes. The suffragettes in the early 20th century, to whom Insulate Britain also compare themselves, were notorious for their elaborate and disruptive protests in order to attract attention. Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden has indicated her sympathy toward the agenda of Insulate Britain and acknowledges that in order to attract the attention of the government and general public that it does seem necessary to disrupt the lives of others, otherwise they will continue to be ignored.

While this is the case, the disruptive tactics used do seem to be causing the group’s public support to be in decline, which will only worsen their case in the long run. While public protest has a fine line to what will generate and worsen support, Insulate Britain seem to be firmly on the wrong side on this line, at least for the time being.

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Lifestyle

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Travel

MyRoman*Holiday

By Ainy Shiyam Head of Photography & Design

*Not technically Roman but it's catchy

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Life

How to make a Good First Impression at your Lectures

By Grace Bishop Lifestyle Editor/Media & Events

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ollowing months of Lockdown and online learning, I’m sure Freshers are eager to make a good first impressions with their Autumnal wardrobe styling the most in season colours.

With a year of isolation in one’s bedroom, I can safely say I did some damage to my bank account with an endless pile of orders turning up each week - like little presents to reward myself for being so secluded. Either way my wardrobe struggles to close now. But, with the prospect of being around people again there is a slight pressure in how to carry oneself. Hopefully this article will provide some insight into a simple but elegant early morning lecture outfit.

Essential Neutrals: I don’t know about you, but I tend to go through phases

With a plainer item of clothing, it is easily paired with a brighter fashion pieces. Popular Autumn colours at the moment include emerald green, electric blue and burnt sand shades. As they say, black goes with everything, and it really is true. For a cosier look, opt for some elasticated joggers and jumper with a puffer jacket or gilet (something I hold close to my heart). If you’d prefer a more fitted and figure flattering option try a basic black mini skirt with a ribbed bodysuit something both stylish and comfy. My personal favourite would be Zara pleated trousers with a scuba neck bodysuit. Who said simple couldn’t be chic and affordable?

Accessories: You could put together the most fashionable outfit, but if you don’t add essential accessories then the outfit remains unfinished and almost plain.

If you’d rather a simple look then add more dramatic jewellery to balance the outfit; chunkier necklaces or rings can add a subtle finish. Gold jewellery pairs perfectly with neutral colours and can really add a bronzed colour to your face. Obviously with lectures

"If you're bulking up your

wardrobe this Autumn, stick to neutrals; these

colours will be timeless and forever adored" with different colours - one minute I love bright and bold statement pieces and the next I retreat into black leggings and baggy jumpers.

If you’re bulking up your wardrobe this Autumn, stick to neutral colours.

Whether it be black, white, beige or grey - these colours will be timeless and forever adored.

you’ll need some way of taking notes; whether it be a laptop or notepad - meaning you’ll need a bag big enough to fit this. A plain black tote

but can’t be fully appreciated in Templeman. Although if you decide to go for more, then keep your outfit simple in order to balance out the

"The best thing about Uni-

Lifestyle

New Series: A Review on Kukki, An Independent Korean Food Shop This new series will venture out to Canterbury's best independent shops; clothing stores, restaurants, pubs - you name it! Although a night in Spoons is great, immersing yourself into your new city shows the uniqueness of your new home.

versity is that nobody knows who you are; which offers a great opportunity to reinvent yourself" bag can offer the perfect solution, fitting all essentials with a classy elegance.

Shoes are everything: You don’t need the most expensive pair of Air Forces or New balance trainers to make a good impression but matching your outfit to your look really is the cherry on top. Plain white trainers are always a good choice and match with everything however when it’s cold, Chelsea ankle boots add a touch of sophistication and essential warmth!

If not, you can always cash in that student discount and treat yourself to something new? One piece of advice from a third year student is to buy shoes for clubbing! Any of your other shoes will be ruined with an variety of different alcohol being thrown on them.

Simple Makeup: If you can drag yourself out of bed early enough to apply makeup, then opt for simple and natural. A dramatic smoky eye is perfect for Vensday

final look. Or if you’re anything like me and wake up 10 minutes before the lecture actually starts then no makeup is always accepted among students.

Makeup from the night before can be touched up if you’re in a rush - trust me, we’ve all been there!Most of all; don’t panic - although you feel as if everyone is judging you, I can promise they aren’t. But picking a fashionable outfit can take some pressure off of this feeling - it’s one of the few things that you are in control of during the first week.

The best thing about University is that nobody knows who you are; which offers a great opportunity to reinvent yourself. Whether you were a nerd or princess throughout Secondary school, you are able to remould yourself into who you’d like to be perceived as and where better to start than your first outfit.

Photo by Ainy Shiyam/InQuire

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s part of our local independent Shops in Spotlight series, we are looking at businesses in Canterbury and more widely in the county to celebrate and raise awareness of them after a very tough 18 months. The first shop in our series is Canterbury’s Kukki, the city’s one stop shop for Chinese, Japanese and Korean speciality foods.

Whether it’s ramen, gochujang, tofu or spice, they have you covered.

As one second-year international student studying Law told us, ‘Kukki is a godsend for me; it means I can have the food I love and have grown up with at an affordable price in the city I study in’.

Since Kukki was opened by shopkeeper Stevie Tung on Station Road West five years ago, it has become an invaluable resource for both students and those in the local community.

As a local software engineer who lives in Canterbury told us ‘the shopkeeper in Kukki is always really helpful and accommodating, and is very attentive, ready to help if you need it’.

Kukki stocks a wide range of foodstuffs, from dozens of different types of ramen, noodles, and rice at cheap prices, to fresh food and vegetables. If you’re planning to get things in for a simple lunch, or cook traditional Asian cuisines, you’ll absolutely find what you’re looking for at Kukki.

Though the shop, like many others, has no doubt been hit by the effects of multiple lockdowns and the general economic downturn affected by Covid-19, it seems Kukki is still going from strength to strength.

As a third-year English and Drama international student commented to InQuire, ‘it seems busier than ever in there’. We would really recommend dropping into Kukki next time you’re going through Canterbury or past to the train station or Sainsbury’s; they would really appreciate your visit!

ByAlex Charilaou Newspaper Editor Photo by Freestocks/Unsplash

Photo by Ainy Shiyam/InQuire

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Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Lifestyle

Life

cooking time required throughout the week.

Some dishes even taste better the next day after being reheated!

Many restaurant style dishes can be made at home due to ‘fakeaway’ recipes. YouTube is especially good for these, with creators such as Joshua Weismann and Ethan Chlebowski offering good informative videos whilst being

Broke but Hungry: Mealtimes at Uni don't have to be boring!

By Sam Webb Opinion Editor

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tudents across the country are unfairly labelled as being lazy when it comes to the kitchen, with many surviving on Pot Noodles and supermarket ready meals that simply need to be thrown in a microwave.

It does not have to be this way.

Food should not just be used as fuel, but instead mealtimes should be en-

Photo by Nadine Primeau/Unsplash

joyable in both preparation and eating.

Constantly improving technologies and the internet mean that there is now an abundance of simple recipes that are easily accessible, and often for free.

Many sites target students and focus on achieving a full nutritional meal for minimal cost.

Nutrition and staying healthy is extremely important for students. Failing to fuel your body with a healthy diet can lead to issues such as becoming more susceptible to illnesses such as meningitis and being less able to concentrate and retain information from lectures. This does not have to be expensive, as most fruit and vegetables are easy to come by and are therefore budget friendly.

While I am not saying that you should eat like a rabbit, it is a good idea to add greens and goodness into each meal, whether it be lettuce in your sandwich or throwing some peppers into a homemade curry.

These have the added benefit of adding a more interesting

texture and flavour to meals. More free time at university means there is more time to find a new hobby.

This can begin by finding recipes and exploring what flavours and foods you prefer before creating your own recipes based on these new findings. Many seasonings, such as paprika, chilli powder, and garlic powder can be used in many different dishes and cuisines. Salt and pepper are essential for any kitchen cupboard as they can turn a good dish to a great dish due to the amount of flavour that they add.

In order to keep prices low and wastage minimal, meal planning can be beneficial. This can be done by cooking several portions, say for four people at the beginning of the week, and then saving these leftovers and reheating for meals as the week goes on.

This could be done with meals such as a chilli con carne which can easily be reheated in the microwave. This often works cheaper than cooking separate meals every day in a week, and also ensures that less leftovers will be thrown away if not finished. It also means that if you are relatively lazy, that this will also minimise the amount of actual

There are even a few businesses created with the aim of targeting students in order to cook nutritional dishes.

This includes MOB Kitchen, who were originally started up by a student whilst at university and have gone on to become one of the biggest UK food businesses with a huge online presence.

BBC Good Food is another great site who boast thousands of recipes. Even supermarkets such as ASDA include recipes on their website and can include a price per portion when ordering food deliveries or pick-ups directly through them.

If the facilities available are made use of, there is no reason as to why students cannot create flavourful, nutritional meals.

This includes the use of a freezer. It is not simply there to store frozen pizzas and ice cream, instead it can help fresh food last longer, such as bread, vegetables, or raw meat. This means that rather than buying a small amount of food each week, that you can buy slightly more and just freeze what is not used, working out cheaper in the long run.

In short, university is a great time to discover a love for cooking. The food you eat is made more personal if made by yourself, especially when it is made with care, and for cheaper than if it was premade.

“Students across the country are unfairly labelled as being lazy

when it comes to the kitchen” entertaining at the same time. If you prefer following recipe instructions, both creators, as well as many others have websites which include step by step instructions, just like you’d find in a cookbook. Weismann even runs ‘but better’ (which challenges to make fast food better) and ‘but cheaper’ (which makes restaurant-style meals cheaper per portion) series on his channel which can be extremely helpful for students on a tight budget.

Spicy Battered Tofu on Rice: Easy, Healthy and Vegetarian!

By Tarini Tiwari Editor in Chief

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’ve been vegetarian my whole life, and something I’ve always held as a principle is that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be about substituting your usual meat options for soya. It’s about creating healthy, balanced meals that incorporate natural sources of protein while also eating Quorn chicken nuggets because they are delicious, let’s face it. This recipe is something I created based off of an NYT Cooking recipe that failed miserably. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Sticky rice (Around 1/2 cup per person, but this is quite a sizeable serving).

The Tofoo Co. Spicy Sweet Chilli Bites (1/2 a packet per person).

Very Lazy Chopped Garlic (1 tsp).

Honey (1 tsp).

Gochujang (1 tsp).

Soya sauce (1/2 a tsp).

Sesame oil (1/2 a tsp.

Teriyaki marinade (1/2 a tsp).

Ginger powder (1/2 tsp).

Oil of your choice (1 tbsp).

Any vegetable of your choice (I like tenderstem broccoli because it keeps for a while and has a great texture!).

If you want to be extra fancy (and spend a bit more money) and make

the battered tofu from scratch: Firm or extra-firm tofu (1/4 block per person).

All-purpose flour (1 cup).

Baking powder (1/2 tsp).

Paprika powder (1 tsp).

Garlic powder (1 tsp).

Cayenne/hot chilli powder (1/2 tsp).

Salt and pepper.

Milk of your choice (1/2 a cup).

Directions: For the brave choosing to make the battered tofu from scratch: 1. Drain your tofu and leave wrapped in kitchen towel, ideally for a few hours. This is optional but will help the frying process.

2. Cube the tofu.

3. Mix together your dry ingredients in a bowl and pour the milk into another bowl.

4. Dip each cube into the milk then coat it in the dry mixture twice over (milk and powder twice each per cube).

5. Pour oil into a wok, ideally an inch and a bit deep, and let it heat up. Be careful about ventilation!

Use the exhaust fan and have a window open to ensure you don’t set off any fire alarms.

6. Drop each cube into the oil and let them cook until golden brown and until the batter appears solidi-

fied around the tofu.

7. Line a colander with kitchen towel to form a makeshift basket to dump the tofu into after it’s been deep-fried, allowing the excess oil to drain before serving.

1. Put the tofoo bites on a baking tray and cook in the oven as per the instructions on the packet.

2. Rinse your rice with cold water, drain it and then pour boiling water into it once it’s on the hob. You’re looking to have about a centimetre more water than rice.

3. Keep stirring the rice intermittently, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a spatula to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.

4. Meanwhile, feel free to cook any vegetables of your choosing how you like them. I like to fry up broccoli in oil, garlic and soya sauce, sesame oil and teriyaki marinade. It tenderises it without letting it lose its crunch!

5. In a small pan, put the chopped garlic, honey and gochujang in before turning on the hob. Once your pan is hot you want to turn down the heat as much as possible so as not to burn the sauce.

6. Sprinkle in the ginger and pour in the soya sauce, sesame oil and teriyaki marinade. Make sure to

stir well—gochujang takes a few seconds to incorporate fully.

7. Serve up your fully-cooked rice, adding the tofu bites and veg on top. Then drizzle your spicy gochujang sauce over the whole dish.

And there you have it! It’s a meal that looks professional, is so full of flavour and doesn’t break the bank! The best part of it is that pretty much all the ingredients last you ages, so you don’t have to repurchase them for a long time!

Just store them in your fridge and cupboard and whip this dish up in about 20 minutes whenever you crave it (and trust me, you will).

Photo by Callum Lewis/Unsplash

Photo by Syd Wachs/Unsplash

Photo by Anh Nguyen/Unsplash

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Lifestyle

Life

Pubs and Clubs Reopening after Lockdown; Is it the Same?

By Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor/Media & Events

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ith the emergence of new freshers coming to explore their new found independence; bars and night clubs are the first to check off on the list. As you trade in your college textbooks for clubbing outfits, you might feel a sense of unease surrounding this freedom.

After two years of isolation, encouraging us to drink in our kitchen's on FaceTime, the prospect of finally being ableto go out sparks simultaneous excitement with post lockdown anxiety.

Questions race through our minds like will our social skills be the same? Will you be as close to your friendship group from before?

Will the clubbing experience be the same? As

Photo by Brooke Lark/Unsplash

someone who went out just last night and is writing this article hungover from the comfort of my bed - I’m hoping to provide some insight to those nervous about venturing outside the house again.

Being Double Vaccinated: As is UK law now, clubs require you to be double vaccinated from the end of September before you gain entry to a nightclub in order to protect both yourself and others. This has received a fair amount of scrutiny considering people have been going out since July when they were granted access from Boris. With a dance floor full of freshers from all around the world crammed into a sweaty mosh pit where the 1 metre rule is not respected I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

Lockdown has definitely made me a germ-ophobe! What were the last few lockdowns for if we’re spiking the figures again for a few hours of house music? Although it was curbed by my intake of jäger-bombs - I’d say if you’re concerned about being close to others then avoid clubs and stick to bars or pubs.

I don’t know if lockdown has matured or mellowed me but the thought of being pushed around in a club listening to the latest Tik-Tok music doesn’t appeal to me - personally I’d rather head over to The Dolphin and drown myself in a bucket of wine. Class with a glass always.

Bars and pubs allow drinking at a far safer distance without the anxiety of Coronavirus, so if you hold some post lockdown worry then fear not because you can still enjoy freshers at Cherry Tree. Be sure to get the ‘Pigfucker', Canter-

bury's best kept secret.

Music: Depending on which vibe you’d hope to achieve - the music can make or break the night. Clubbing is great for house music but if you’d rather opt for a more chilled vibe then the Kent Music Society are a great option. This group of talented young musicians play live music and have several open mic nights between Woody’s and the Gulbenkian allowing anyone to perform their musical talents.

If you’d rather venture into Canterbury then The Lady Luck and Penny Theatre have a variety of live bands perform. A low key but fun night out.

Pubs and Bars are a great way to meet new people with a similar taste in music - making for a great conversation starter.

Social Skills: With the last couple of years existing only on a screen, I was slightly concerned about my social skills dipping when finally I was able to speak to another human. If you’re worried about the conversation dying, then the topic of lockdown is always a safe subject to start with - everyone loves to vent! However if you’d rather avoid this then clubbing would be the better choice.

But if you’re a fresher and are looking to broaden your snapchat friends then a night in a bar making friends with drunken conversation is great fun. Anyone will speak to you after a few Pornstar Martini’s.

What does Consent look like: Having had a bad experience with this the other night I thought I’d explain what consent looks like

“As you trade in your college textbooks for

clubbing outfits, you might feel a sense of unease

surrounding this newfound freedom”

Tackling Homesickness at University

By Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor/Media & Events

O

nce the excitement of freshers calms down, usually the homesickness sets in. Suddenly the panic from living alone for the first time may spark this, or you might just miss your own bed - either way it sucks.

Although not everyone suffers from this, the unlucky ones are probably reading this article for some insight.

Keep Busy: The first term at University is both crammed with activities whilst also remaining quiet and at some times, boring.

The one piece of advice you should take from this article is to keep yourself as busy as possible.

The busier the better. If you have jam packed your day with a range of activities and different faces, your brain won’t have time to focus on what you

“Once you throw yourself into housemates your new

and meet new people.

The sooner you settle at University, the less homesick you will be in the long run.

Keep in Contact: Although you feel as if you shouldn’t contact home and to embrace your new found independence, there is no rule that stops you.

You might even miss your annoying siblings? During my time at

it, the homesickness magically evaporates and just like

that, you've jumped the first hurdle at University” miss - something you notice a lot more in a quiet and lonely halls room.

This soaring social life is also a great way for you to build bridges with

and how to avoid ‘lad culture’. If you’re going out with a group of people make sure you stick together - your friends will always have your backs. Usually if you go clubbing there will be the inevitable group of people who will try their luck on some unsuspecting girl, however if you aren’t interested then be sure to take notes.

Firstly, if they become uncomfortably close to you - simply move away and retreat back to your friends.

If this fails then simply tell them no, how can they argue with that?

However if they are particularly forceful, the bouncers and bar staff are lifesavers - just explain your situation and they will make sure you are safe.

But if you’d like to avoid any confrontation,then a strange dance move will immediately give them the ‘ick’ and they will be sure to move onto their next target. Just stay safe.

Therefore, although we’ve spent over a year under house arrest - everything has magically slipped back into place, except our own personal anxieties surrounding Covid19.

If there is any advice I can offer, it is to focus and prioritise your own mental health - if socialising so soon after the pandemic is triggering then avoid the situation and look after yourself. All I can say to those who do choose to venture out is to stay safe.

University a FaceTime to home always will never happen again. helped my homesickness - just don’t Once you throw yourself into it, the make it too regular, this might worsen homesickness magically evaporates the longing. Casual texts or phone calls and just like that, you’ve jumped the can be the perfect first hurdle at University. solution to ease your anxiety of being away from home for the first time.

It Passes: Eventually this feeling will go and sometimes it’s just a waiting game. Although incorporating a busier schedule can speed this along.

Regular exercise: This can release endorphins and brighten your mood whilst getting you out of the confines of your University bedroom.

This could be a simple 30 minute walk or an intense 5K run, whichever works for you (I’d recommend Westgate Gardens for both) Although homesickness is horrible when you are trying to settle into a new city, the most important thing is to focus on your mental health - if you are genuinely unhappy then a weekend at home could do a world of wonders.

But make sure you try and enjoy your first term - freshers is an amazing experience and Photo by Anthony Tran/Unsplash

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Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Feature

LIFE OFFLINE

Freshers' Fair 2021 - one for the history books

Priya Hawes Newspaper Features Editor

O

vernight, the world went mad. Suddenly, the whole family was home, everyone was working from their rooms spending hours on Zoom or Teams meetings with people they used to see almost every day. Many lost their jobs, businesses closed, and economies collapsed. The whole world stopped but time carried on. Whilst many in the beginning were happy to finally catch that break from the then stressful existing world - making sure not to miss that 7 am bus or not having to get dressed properly from the waist down - we found ourselves living in limbo between the real and virtual world. Our routines were thrown overboard, and we were left with an unnerving stillness… the calm before the storm. No one had anticipated the deadly disease to spread at the rate it did, so we did our best to stop it by staying home and waiting for it to pass.

As time dragged on, those hours we worked hard for, hoping at the end to afford a holiday maybe, became a distant dream.

The longer the lockdown dragged on the less

Photo by Tim Grouw/Unsplash

realistic those dreams of seeing your family and friends became. Was this going to last a couple of months or a couple of years many asked themselves? Governments were put under immense pressure to work together to tackle the virus without harming the economic welfare of their country.

Amongst all of this, school kids were sent home and had to sit in front of their computers for hours on end, every day. After many months of no in-person teaching, A-level exams were cancelled. With large amounts of students being accepted to the universities of their choice; they were left with the dilemma of delaying their education for a year or going straight back into virtual learning. Many were apprehensive about whether the teaching would be the same online. The main part though, if we’re being honest, was the social aspect of the UK university experience as it was then put under threat by the pandemic. The UK has a reputation for their social activities. Societies, covering a whole board of extra curriculars to join, has been at the forefront of “Uni life”. Alongside getting your

degree of course… but what’s fun about all work and no play?

Freshers’ Week is the best opportunity to find your passion, as the campus is transformed into a miniature city of its own, with stalls as far as the eye can see. All societies are present to give you a visual and more intimate introduction into them with live demonstartions to showcase their society.

Meeting those who have already joined is a way of seeing how we’re all willing to share and grow our community, whichever one that may be. Freebies are given out constantly and a lot of work and organisation is put into making it a friendly and inclusive environment. This warrants a special shout out to Kent Union for all their hard work and dedication to bring Uni life back to normality. With emphasis on it being a friendly environment comes the point of moving to university never being easy. After having the comfort of four walls for an extensive amount of time, the idea of living in a foreign environment deemed extra challenging. The great thing about Fresher’s Week is such that anyone from any stage at undergraduate level to postgraduate level can join in. Meaning although second years did miss out on their first week’s experiences here at Kent and all over the world, they are extra hopeful now to be able to explore all their options.

Photo by Aditya Chinchure/Unsplash

To say Freshers’ 2021 was better than the previous year is an understatement. Freshers’ 2020 was primarily online, minus the limited amount of socially distanced events.

Although the university did their best to provide a welcome week, including opening the bars on campus such as Woody’s and K-Bar, the six-person rule made it difficult for them to fully get to know people in a comfortable and relaxed setting. The constant enforcing of the rules, although extremely necessary, made the atmosphere a lot more tense. The lack of motivation started setting in when the taster and welcome events consisted of sitting at your d e s k staring at a screen with people you have never seen before.

So, for this year to be closer to normality, it is a whole new University experience for stage 2 undergraduates too. This time around Kent Uni campus is finally alive and thriving again with organised activities rang-

ing from rock climbing in front of Templeman all the way to petting zoos, making students a lot more enthusiastic for this year. The main take away from second years is “having more motivation to study because there’s more to look forward to with in-person seminars”.

The difference between online and in-person seminars was such that students feel more engaged and familiar to their learning material as it is more of a hands-on approach. The pandemic affected all courses of study all around the globe to varying degrees. When thinking of the heavily scientific based courses including Forensic Science and Biomedical Sciences, the lack of laboratory work proved difficult to grasp the then theoretical material presented to them on a sheet of paper. More arts-based subjects such as Literature and Film, the practicalities of going outside and filming or writing about events that happen during everyday life, was just not achievable.

Ultimately with this restraint, the quality of work was not up to its usual high standard. Many lacked the inspiration... there is only so much you can draw out by looking at the blank wall in your flat. This would demotivate

"Having more motivation to study because there is more to look forward to with in-person seminars."

anyone, yet we have all persevered and have come out the other end with a sense of appreciation towards normality and mundane things.

Grabbing a coffee at Café Néro after a seminar has never seemed so exciting, however silly that might have sounded to us back in 2019. After being stuck in your room attendPhoto by Ainy Shiyam Head of Photography

13

InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Photo by Ainy Shiyam Head of Photography

ing online events and discussions, the fun side of Uni seemed to fall away. Having no divide between workspace and relaxation area, there just was not enough motivation for students to put in the work and achieve things to their highest potential. However, this year the university has made a great effort in bringing back life offline for all years

Feature

to enjoy. The inclusivity of it all is what makes students feel it’s a safer environment with more support and resources out there to help you.

18 months of not being able to socialise and interact with people has taken its toll on the mental health of many people, not just students. But as young adults, having to deal with so many changes at once, many feel pressure to succeed, not just academically, but also socially. Many feel extra pressure and nerves to deal with the stresses of normal life again. Getting back into a routine seems to be the goal but at the same time, following through is clearly an issue. Speaking to a couple of first years, the results vary between excitement and nerves. So, what exactly changed between the years? We heard about their experience being on campus so far to compare that to second years. Obviously, the new students on campus have not had any classes yet, but focusing on Welcome Week, we have already found it to be worlds apart. I spoke to Linn Arlt, a first year Law student at the University. “As an international student, I am excited to get to know the English culture, but I am nervous about not having in-person lectures as I don’t know how to meet as many people as I normally would.” A concern many of us have expressed. Nevertheless, with societies coming off the virtual and into the real world, students have many opportunities to meet people.

Linn mentioned how many people she has met through societies already and that would be the main difference between the years.

Last year, however, gave the now stage 2 students an even better chance to bond with their house/flatmates as they had no one else to hang out with as sad as that sounds.

Alongside societies, with events being held at Venue and other nightclubs in Canterbury, many are stepping into the UK nightlife for the first time. The Highstreet is finally buzzing again on Friday and Saturday nights and life finally has a feel of normality again.

The virtual world still softly plays in the background of our day to day lives over here at the University of Kent but is decreasing slowly which both staff and students are extremely fond of. Although not many students will be attending in-person lectures, the in-person seminars will take place. A step in the right direction for the students as the teaching will be back to what they are used to. After many months spent watching lectures and seminars in bed, getting dressed to walk to campus is seen as a privilege. A fact many young adults under normal circumstances would probably never think to say.

This just comes to show how their time spent off campus and online could not have been more different to this academic year.

As we all know, being in lockdown was not

the best for the social aspect but being in the same boat made everyone bond a bit more as they were all basically living on top of each other. The sense of community was still high even during those unprecedented times so focusing on the positive side of things, many feel they were lucky to a certain point just to be able to live on campus. With some flats being forced to self-isolate, they decided to make the most of it with their flat parties in their isolation bubbles, even when they were not allowed in the outside world. High expectations are held for this year due to the brilliant start of Fresher’s week, but now off to class we go, for the real work begins.

"I've made so many friends by joining different societies"

Photo by Aslan Ntumba Photographer

14

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Culture

The secrets of

the cathedral

By Elle Summers, Website Culture Editor

T

he start of first term marks an exciting time for many of us, with either us older students running ourselves into the ground as we try to re-live our fresher days, or with the freshers settling in and getting used to being in a new city. With ‘Freedom Day’ well and truly behind us, I think it is safe to say that the want to return to a complete normal suddenly seems very within our reach. The Photo: canterbury-cathedral.org past 18 months has meant that unfortunately, many of the current UKC student population has not had Kent One card at the entrance and you’re good to the opportunity to explore the beautiful city we now go. Alternatively, you can book onto a tour around all call home. So, I implore you, set down those pens the Cathedral for just £5 to discover its great hisand notebooks momentarily, give your liver a cou- tory. ple of hours away from the booze, head on down the hill and explore all the city has to offer.

Once inside, the marvel of the buildings speaks for itself, but here are some fun facts about the CatheWith winding river walks, the Kent Downs not dral and the treasures it holds… that far away, cute coffee shops and amazing parts of living history, there is something for everyone to Whilst in the Cathedral, you can also pay a visit to explore as we hang onto the summer sun for the last the shrine to Thomas Becket. It is believed that over few days of September. But for now, let me tell you 100,000 pilgrims would have visited the shrine about what is easily Canterbury’s most iconic build- every year since it was first constructed. Yet, in 1538 ing – its Cathedral. due to the Reformation, King Henry VIII gave orders for it to be totally destroyed. Today, you may Situated in the heart of our beloved city, the Cathe- still see a shrine, which has been digitally recondral stands at 72 metres high, marking the skyline structed last year using CGI. which you can see from campus. If you head on into town through the Westgate Towers and carry on in If you do venture into town to marvel at the beaua straight line until you get to Jack Wills, take a left tiful sights of the Cathedral, let us know what you and you’ll be outside the entrance, just around the thought about it! Also, be sure to share with us any corner from The Drapers Arms and The Chocolate recommendations you have about your visit or the Café – both of which I highly recommend! Now key places in the city. here comes the best part of this, entrance for all UKC students is completely free! Just flash your

St Augustine founded the first Cathedral in 600AD

The Cathedral was built in stone by the Normans, using creamy white Caen stone imported from France Canterbury Cathedral had one of medieval Britain’s first running water supplies, even flushing the monk’s toilets Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered here in 1170, having the top of his skull sliced off by four knights. He soon after became a saint in 1173, resulting in thousands of medieval pilgrims flocking to his shrine The Cathedral was nearly destroyed in 1174 when sparks set fire to the roof and burnt down the Quire

Photo: Diliff

It costs roughly £18,000 per days to keep the Cathedral as safe and as beautiful as it currently is

Museum of the Year 2021

And the winner is...

By Juliette Moisan, Newspaper Culture Editor

O

n the 21st September at the Science Museum in London, the winner of this year's edition of the Museum of the Year Award, granted by the Art Fund, was announced. Firstside, in Colchester, Essex, won this edition and will therefore be receiving a grant of £100.000 to pursue its development. Firstsite was chosen as the winner out of a pool of five candidates, the others being the Centre for Contemporary Art in Derry, the Experience Barnsley, the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds and the Timespan in Helmsdale. To partake in the competition and be short-listed, the museums applying had to answer three questions: what has been achieved in the past that showed imagination and determination? How do you think this made a difference? How will you build on this in the future? Simon Wallis, director of Museum of the Year, stressed that, among the five nominees on the short list, "everyone is a winner".

on ambitious and groundbreaking works, Firstsite aims to celebrate the diversity, the creativity and the innovation of the people of its region but also of the world. Throughout the pandemic, the Firstsite's team also put in a lot of work to maintain some sorts of normal, with actions ranging from the distribution of welfare packages to talks promoting the importance of mental health in a situation of crisis. The gallery, which had been placed under special funding measures due to the uncertainty of its future six years ago, now has the funds to invest in its future and develop many new projects.

In the past, the grants have benefitted numerous museums, with both household names such as the Albert & Victoria Museum in London receiving the price

Indeed, despite Firstside winning the grant and the prize, the four other museums short-listed will be receiving a grant of £15.000 in recognition of the work they have done throughout the years to develop, and especially in of the work they have put in over the last year. Art Fund director Jenny Waldman stressed that, in these unprecedented times, the resilience museums have shown "is nothing short of heroic", and that the grants will serve as an encouragement for them to continue stepping the path with positive initiatives.

This year is a crossroads for Firstsite as, besides being the recipient of the grant, the museum is also celebrating its tenth birthday. In its unusual and striking building, the museum aims to continue in its course. Having acquired a reputation for putting

Photo: firstsite.uk

in 2016, or smaller museums like the St Fagans in Cardiff in 2019. Last year, the Art Fund upped the grant to £200.000 to split it evenly between the five candidates (the Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Gairloch Museum in Wester Ross, the Science Museum and the South London Gallery in London, and the Towner Eastbourne). The Art Fund Museum of the Year prize might be relatively young, as

it started in 2013, but it lies within a process that has been going on since 1973, regularly changing name throughout history. Regardless of the name the prize bears, it has consistently bolstered innovation and creativity, giving the means to museums to invest in themselves and in their community, as well as enabling culture and art to be spread outside of stricter bounds.

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InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Culture

Wrapping the unwrappable: Christo and Jeanne-Claude

By Juliette Moisan, Newspaper Culture Editor

million pounds. The money entirely came out of the Christo and Jeanne Claude estate, though, mostly through the sale of some of their artworks.

This is largely because of their longstanding, unwavering goal to be fully independent from any

O

n September 18th, the landmark Arc de Triomphe in Paris was revealed to the public, covered in what looked like giant white sheets. The art Photo: Elliott Verdier piece, entitled l'Arc de Triomphe empaqueté (Arc de Triomphe: Wrapped in English), is the result of the dreams and the work of Christo and JeanneClaude, two artists who spent their whole lives challenging the notions of what art is. Christo, born in 1935 in Bulgaria, and Jeanne-Claude, born in the same year in Morocco, explored their relationship with art and their understanding of it by wrapping large, theoretically un-wrappable monuments and places. They were also driven by their love for each other and, after Jeanne-Claude's passing in 2009, Christo endeavoured to continue their life's work for the remainder of his life.

He passed away in 2020 and this year, his latest project was unveiled to the public in the French capital.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris will be wrapped from the 16th of September to the 3rd of October. Covered in a fabric made of fully-recyclable thermoplastic, the Arc de Triomphe: Wrapped was a lifelong dream for the couple, which could only be completed posthumously due to the Covid situation last year.

Photographs of the artwork have gone around the world. Many criticisms emerged, in France but also elsewhere, regarding the performance, calling it tonedeaf in the current environmental climate. Even if the fabric used is fully recyclable, the cost of the project and its environmental impact are still significant: the whole process cost around the significant sum of 12

organisations, and so, even posthumously, they relied only on themselves.

However, while the technicalities of the installation and the environmental impact that it could have have been discussed at length, the artwork

raises other, maybe more interesting questions.

The main one that comes to mind is the "why" of it all: why choose to wrap a monument, why this one, why now?

This artwork is, of course, temporary: the Arc de Triomphe will not remain wrapped for long, so wrapping it might appear useless: why go to all of this trouble for something that will be gone so soon? In fact, it is largely the ephemeral aspect of the project that gives it its significance. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's art has always had been impermanent, which is what makes it impressive. The immutability of the Arc de Triomphe, made to display France's glory at the time of Napoleon, clashes against Christo and Jeanne-Claude's fleeting project, making its significance more evident. Putting next to one another a perennial monument and a temporary exhibition makes us reflect on what art is and the impact it can have on the world. Many people, when prompted to speak about what the project meant to them, said that it gave them a new appreciation for the Arc de Triomphe: after passing something for years, we tend to not see it anymore. Concealing it before unveiling it again made people think about the significance of the building, which is what Christo and Jeanne-Claude have achieved throughout their lives on different continents.

Moreover, the fabric used gives the impression that the Arc de Triomphe is softer, moving with the wind. This is an impressive feat when dealing with 50.000 tons of marble. People are, therefore, made to reflect on the monument and its significance. Usually merely a part of history, it becomes something that moves and breathes with Paris.

Regardless of what Christo and Jeanne-Claude intended to accomplish, in the end, there doesn't need to be one set reason justifying the project. I can have ones wildly different from someone else's, and, in the end, it might say more about oneself than it truly does about the Arc de Triomphe or the process of wrapping it up.

Book Review: Beautiful World, Where Are You

S

ally Rooney, one of the foremost millennial writers and author of bestsellers Normal People (2018), adapted on screen, and Conversations with Friends (2017), just released h e r late s t

Photo: Patrick Bolger

book, Beautiful World, Where Are You. The novel immediately jumped to the top of the UK's book charts and has beaten by 1,200% the number of sales Normal People had made in its first day in the shelves of Waterstones.

Before diving into my thoughts about this book, I will state in the spirit of honesty that I adore Sally Rooney. I have referred to her as my favourite contemporary Irish writer (sorry John Boyne). This statement did make my sister go, ‘you have a favourite Irish writer, what a nerd’ but I stand by my claim. Rooney's witty remarks on classes and Marxism, as well as the charming and equally frustrating inability of Connell and Marianne to communicate won me over in Normal People. The twisted duos in her first novel were equally delightful to read about.

Therefore, you can imagine how high my hopes were for Beautiful World, Where Are You. To be honest, I was left with mixed feelings.

The story revolves around four people in their late twenties/early thirties, figuring out a few things about sex and relationships. In between, there are some rather deep philosophical discussions. This is is pretty much all there is to know about the plot.

Her books are never plot driven, rather focusing the characters' thoughts, which has not been a problem to me until her latest novel. I found the whole story lacked structure and cohesion, and I really struggled to understand the dynamic between

Alice and Felix, their behaviour being questionable at best. I simply could not understand why they were acting so poorly, which made it hard to empathise with them. I did put the book down a couple of times because of this. This obviously affected my reading experience, but I also felt like the novel lacked a general natural flow. I found the book quite difficult to read and to get engrossed in . Unlike a few reviews I've read, though, this was not at all because of the emailing portion, which proved to be by far my favourite portion of the book. For me, the exchanges between Alice and Eileen were the highlight of the book. I found the idea of witnessing their respective lives and the way they filtered it for each other quite endearing. Those emails gave Rooney the opportunity to address mental health issues in a rather refreshing way. You also find the usual quips about the publishing industry and the discussions about motherhood in a world where climate change makes it something a lot more stressful to envision and navigate. Simon’s faith is also discussed at great length, giving the reader plenty of food for thought. Some of the thoughts and the way they are presented might come off as a little pompous, but you grow used to it.

In the end, since the only section I truly enjoyed in the book was the correspondence one, but actually passionately loved it, I find it hard to give proper

feedback. The book served its purpose, and I should have known from the blurb that it wasn’t going to be my cup of tea. This doesn't mean I'm not overall excited to see what she comes up with next. Indeed, as she signed a two books deal with the Wylie Agency, there is definitely more to come from Sally Rooney. In the meantime, I’ll just re-read her first two books.

Photo: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

By Juliette Hazell, Writer

16

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Culture

Romeo Juliet a new adaptation by the

Amal comes & to Canterbury

national theatre

Own Country), the movie projected at the Gulbenkian is a modern take on Shakespeare’s iconic Romeo and Juliet by the National Theatre. The cast also includes, among others, Ella Dacres, Fisayo Akinade, Deborah Findlay and Tamsin Greig.

This is not your usual filmed theatre representation, but nor is it merely a movie based on Shakespeare’s story. The 90-minute movie, directed by Simon Godwin, was filmed in a theatre in Lyttelton in 17

Photo: National Theatre

By Fleur Jouet, Writer

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days in December 2020, while it was closed because of the pandemic. This adaptation truly is a crossroads between theatre and cinema. Romeo and Juliet has been acted out and adapted countless times, so finding a new and modern way to adapt it is quite an undertaking. This version could very well be, in my opinion, the perfect marriage between theatre and cinema, a fresh take on the most famous English love story. It is also the first-ever film produced by the National Theatre, which I would say is, in itself, a good enough reason to watch it.

If this account as well as the raging reviews, and the stellar cast is not enough to convince you, I would definitely recommend you watch the trailer.

You can actually feel the electricity on stage, and the original screenplay certainly piqued my curiosity.

With Shakespeare’s words as raw material, this film has a lot of potential, as well as very high expectations to live up to.

Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?.

Whether you’re a play-lover who will mouth along these famous poetic words, or if you’ve never read or seen the play but always wanted to, you (probably) know about one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet. Regularly revisited throughout the years and via different mediums, the play is a landmark of British and worldwide culture. The Gulbenkian offered a screening of a modern adaptation of the play, entitled Romeo & Juliet and coming from the National Theatre.

In this article, we go through a few of the adaptations that have been made, and the effect they’ve had on Shakespeare’s legacy.

Film adaptations are a great way to finally get around to watching a play and make for lovely evenings, but it also allows you to cross “watching a Shakespeare play” off of your bucket list. It makes for the perfect opportunity to decide for yourself whether Romeo and Juliet deserves its role in pop culture Despite the appearances, it is a play about so much more than adolescent love prevented by feuding families. It’s about love in all its beauty, violence and power as well as youth, faith, fate. Not only is it one of the most beautiful plays ever written, Romeo and Juliet is also the perfect catharsis.

You swoon at the beauty and intensity of their love, you ache and despair as they try to save each other, you curse their feuding families. If well done, your heart breaks into a million pieces, and when the curtain drops – or the credits start rolling – you might need a minute to pick them up.

Truly the worse-case scenario is that you spent an hour and a half watching a poor adaptation of a brilliant play.

Starring Jessie Buckley (Judy, Wild Rose) and Josh O’Connor (The Crown, God’s Photo: close-upfilm.co.uk

By Alex Charilaou, Newspaper Editor

O

n 21 October, Little Amal comes to Canterbury. Over the last few months, Amal – an enormous puppet representing a child refugee – has travelled all the way up from the Turkish-Syrian border through Europe, and her first UK stop will be Canterbury. Amal, who travels with the message ‘Don’t forget about us’, represents hundreds of thousands of child refugees who pass through Europe every year, fleeing violence and impoverishment. So far, she has held hands with the Pope in Rome and danced with children across Greece, Germany and France. After Canterbury, she will spend time in Trafalgar Square before moving on to the rest of her trip through the UK: Birmingham, Coventry, Sheffield and – finally – Manchester.

The Executive Director of Good Chance Theatre, Naomi Webb, had the following to say about The Walk, one of the biggest community theatre projects in the world: “Since Good Chance began, we’ve found ourselves at the forefront of the argument for the importance of art in humanitarian crises; its disarming power to bring people together and to tell human stories. The Walk is the culmination of many years’ work across the world with so many people. We hope it will push the boundaries of what art can achieve.”

The project and the selection of the Gulbenkian has been a source of enthusiasm for many at the university. Chief p u p peteer for the Canterbury leg of the project Pete Morton called The Walk ‘a fantastic opportunity’, saying every-

Photos by walkwithamal.org body at Gulbenkian was ‘so excited to be involved’.

David Sefton, Gulbenkian’s Artistic Director, said the theatre was ‘looking forward to hosting what promises to be one of the most memorable events in the history of the University and the city. This is a genuinely collaborative project drawing together multiple departments on campus and working with local, national and international partners to create something momentous.’

Margherita Laera, Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts, said it was a wonderful opportunity for students and staff in the department and ‘a real opportunity for students and staff to be on the front line’. Students will be involved through the process of the Canterbury leg of The Walk, including helping to make puppets for the procession.

The Canterbury leg of Amal’s journey will take her on a procession from Canterbury Cathedral, where she will be flanked by local schoolchildren and families, all the way up to campus and finishing off at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre. Once on campus, Little Amal will be greeted by representatives from the University of Kent, including members from Professor David Herd’s Refugee Tales project. The Walk will end with live performances of music, arts, a n d puppetry at the Gulbenkian, in which Amal will be a guest o f honour.

Visit Amal in Canterbury on October 21 either outside Canterbury Cathedral or on campus later in the day.

Find out more at the Gulbenkian website.

Photos by walkwithamal.org

Photo: comingsoon.it Claudia Andujar

Claudia Andujar holding The Guardian, London, 1989 Robert M. Davis/Oxfam

18

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Film & TV

Entertainment

The Green Knight: A24's spellbindingly poetic Arthurian tale

By Ed Streatfield, Newspaper Entertainment Editor

T

he meaning to the 14th century Arthurian epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, has been disputed by academics for centuries.

However, Director David Lowery with his interpretation masterfully captures the feudal anxieties of honour, integrity and nature with a poeticism rarely seen within medieval period dramas. Starring Dev Patel as the hedonistic Gawain, nephew of King Arthur, who has not yet cemented his honour, preferring to spend his days recovering from boozing and brothels. Yet as soon as he is invited to the kings table, The Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), a gorgon like towering figure made of moss and stone, challenges the court duel him, if in return he can strike his opponent in the same

position he was struck in a years-time at his distant chapel. Gawain seeking to gain his honour in front of the King is puzzled when the Green Knight kneels with his head arched for decapitation.

When he takes the bait, the Green Knight picks up his head and leaves, reminding him he will receive the same fate in a years’ time.

The Green Knight’s foundation is based on a seemingly simplistic quest; however, the psychological turmoil of Gawain’s fate leads him torn between his integrity and his legacy. Patel, most notable for Slumdog Millionaire, gives his career best performance as he reflects both fear and bravery simultaneously. In doing so, he discards the tired unrealistic dichotomy found in medieval films between the emotionless intrepid alpha male and the quivering serf. This is refreshingly humanising as the absolute fear of combat is often underplayed.

What Lowery sustains masterfully throughout the runtime is the ethereal uncertainty of the medieval gaze. He highlights the setting of the film, the 5th and 6th centuries, as the Anglo-Saxons renounced paganism and turned to Christianity; arguably one of the major turning points towards the foundation of modern western ‘civilization’. The Green Knight therefore represents the overwhelming force of nature. The Christian belief of mans dominion over the earth is ruptured as the green knight survives his decapitation

"The spirituality of the film is sustained through a sublime dissonant choral soundtrack and ethereal editing; refracting a psychedelic trance onto the audience with awe-inspiring beauty."

and dismantles any sense of rationality or control Christianity might give. Leaving Gawain only uncertain of his own morality. The spirituality of the film is sustained through a sublime dissonant choral soundtrack and ethereal editing; refracting a psychedelic trance onto the audience with awe-inspiring beauty.

Although the film is mesmerising, I find the cult following of A24 throughout the 2010’s to be a symptom of the brandification of cinema. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a branded representation of auteur theory’s death to cinephiles, A24 exists as a seemingly contradictory image against this development. While Lowery and other abundantly talented directors such as Robert Eggars and Ari Aster produce seminal works, the result of their efforts are funnelled, marketed and consumed within A24’s branding only. This isn’t new within the history of cinema, with the golden era of Hollywood

defined by the aesthetic difference between MGM, Warner Bros and others.

However A24 is the brand which has shaped itself to accommodate to independent cinema lovers within an era dominated by cinematic corporatism.

Essentially to become an elitist icon seemingly representing the director’s vision, but consumed for the same reason other brands are, their own self-image.

So while I hope David Lowery finds the recognition he deserves independently, I sadly doubt a film this bold could receive the traction it deserves outside of A24.

The Green Knight is in cinemas now, and available on Amazon Prime

Photos by A24

Lil Nas X - Montero: An Introspective Career Solidifying Debut

By Sergio Niblett-Morales, Writer TW// suicide, homophobia and racism Initially, I wrote off Lil Nas X as being a one-hit wonder with his song Old Town Road released in 2019. The song felt inauthentic, though it went on to massive

Photo by Columbia Records

success with its remix (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) going on to win three Grammy Awards.

However, with his debut album MONTERO, Lil Nas X provides exactly what ‘Old Town Road’ was lacking. It is full of both triumphant and introspective tracks that tells Lil Nas X’s story, not only as an artist, but as a person.

Throughout the album, Lil Nas X refers to his own identity as a

black gay man. He came out in June 2019, at the peak of his success with Old Town Road. Consequentially, MONTERO is an introspective exploration of his sexuality.

An example of this is the title track Montero (Call Me By Your Name). This HipHop/Pop song, with banjo flourishes giving a Spanish/Middle Eastern tone, details his desire to love his partner openly. Lil Nas X said about the song in a post to his younger self on Twitter, “I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open many other doors for many other queer people to simply exist.” The track itself is incredibly enjoyable, with an earworm chorus through the repetition of “Call me when you want, call me when you need”.

The album then shifts to Dead Right Now, a sombre trap song with soul elements. Detailing Lil Nas X’s rise to stardom and the consequential negative experiences. Sonically, it is a standout track with background horns complemented by a choir at the end of the second verse.

That’s What I Want, an upbeat Pop-Rock song, has contrastingly sadder lyrics as Lil Nas X pines for someone’s love. The chorus embodies this dichotomy

between the production and the lyrics. Lil Nas X sings “I want (I), someone to love me/ I need (I), someone who needs me”, the transition from “want” to a “need” reflects the desperation in the track.

Sun Goes Down, an R&B-like mid-tempo track, is another of the songs on the album in which Lil Nas X recalls the loneliness, racism and homophobia that he experienced. It is punctuated by a sense of depression yet acceptance in the lyrics, with the post-chorus reflecting this, “But there’s much more to life than dying/Over your past mistakes (Oh)/And people who threw dirt on your name.”

One of my favourites on the album, Void, follows the lyrical tone of Sun Goes Down in which Lil Nas X reflects on loneliness. In the second verse, Lil Nas X says “I’m getting tired of the way I’ve been living/I’d rather die than to live with these feelings”. The strongest aspect of the track are the melodies in which Lil Nas X transfers into his upper register.

Aside from the introspective tracks that feature Lil Nas X only, numerous collaborations adorn the album. Some more personal lyrically, particularly One Of Me featuring Elton John and ‘Am I

Dreaming’ featuring Miley Cyrus.

Others are more generalised such as Scoop featuring Doja Cat and Dolla Sign Slime featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

Scoop and Dolla Sign Slime both consider media influence in his career. Scoop, a bouncy trap infused track, does this through references to wanting to be the daily scoop. The hook consists primarily of the track title which is catchy yet repetitive. Doja Cat shines on the track with her cadence and vocals being reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar.

Dolla Sign Slime, another trumpet accompanied trap song is solid. The track is less personal than some of the others on the album in which Lil Nas X states his success despite attempts to prevent it. The chorus says this outwardly, “I’m the same dollar sign slime, they gon’ hear me.”

Megan fits perfectly onto the song and, like Doja, shines with her cadence. Whilst this song is not my favourite, the lively cadences are enough to keep the song interesting.

My favourite collaboration, Industry Baby featuring Jack Harlow, is also a fresh and anthemic Pop-Trap track. Like Dolla Sign Slime, Lil Nas X also proclaims his success despite those who

tried to bring him down.

The closing track, Am I Dreaming featuring Miley Cyrus, is a slow-paced ballad with shimmering strings alongside a guitar. Tonally matching the introspection of the album, Lil Nas X proclaims on the chorus to “never forget me, and everything I’ve done.” Miley’s vocals complement Lil Nas X’s well which produces a cohesive ending to MONTERO. Overall, MONTERO provides a compelling tale of Lil Nas X’s identity which was lacking with tracks such as Old Town Road.

The cathartic nature of the album combined with the introspection of his own experiences as a black gay man, makes MONTERO a very strong debut album.

Sergio's top tracks: 1. Industry Baby 2. Void 3. Dead Right Now 4. Tales Of Dominica 5. That’s What I Want Montero is stream now

available

to

19

InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Music

Entertainment

Gossip Girl Returns: Champagne progressivism

By Juliette Moisan, Newspaper Culture Editor If you were a teenager in the 2010s, you probably grew up watching Blair and Serena wrestle for popularity and go through many romantic storylines, with a constant backdrop of sparkle and decadence. So did I. This show was era defining, as it brought a new genre of teen drama, and when I heard that a reboot was in the works, I was hoping to be convinced.

First of all, one of the first thing you notice about Gossip Girl 2.0 is the cast: at last, the characters are not all white

and straight. The leads are all queer and/or POCs, which is a refreshing change. In the original show, there were very few POCs apart from the Thorpes, who popped in and out of New York just in time for Black History Month. However, the characters, despite what could have been redeeming qualities, appear flat and there is very little depth to them. In an attempt to make them "nicer" than their 2007 counterparts, the writers took their particularities away.

Julian Calloway's character building, for example, essentially amounts to her being nice. It is unlikely that the überrich children of privilege are as universally nice as the characters in the show are. In the end, those who are most interesting are the 2007 ones coming

Photo by HBO

Photos by HBO

back in the show, and bringing in a reminder of what the first generation was like, namely Nelly Yuki and Georgina Sparks, through her son, Milo.

Joshua Safran, the show's writer, said in an interview that the show is "very much dealing with the way the world looks now, where wealth and privilege come from, and how you handle that."

However, the show also comes short in this attempt, despite providing many occasions to tackle serious and relevant issues. Financial struggles are never addressed as they may have been with the Humphreys in Gossip Girl 2007, and without any poor characters among the new generation of students to provide a comparison, the wealth they all display could almost seem commonplace. Additionally, the show only skims the top of other issues it should aim to bring forwards, such as racial profiling.

Originally, the show was, for many of its watchers, an occasion to escape reality by portraying lives that the majority of us will never know. Watching the 2007 characters drinking champagne more expensive than my rent is what made the show so appealing. Without the glamour, fashion and sparkles, Gossip Girl would probably never have garnered popularity; It was a welcome form of escapism. The new Gossip Girl tries to retain this image by having the stories set in lavish parties and the characters dressed in head-to-toe designer clothes. However,

its message is fundamentally different, challenging hierarchy and sexual norms. Trying to cram into six 55 minutes episodes students fighting against capitalism while wearing designer clothes at expensive events, all on a backdrop of tired teen soaps archetypes and sexual awakenings, is too much for a single show and it becomes a parody of itself.

As it never figures out whether it wants to be light and sparkly like the first series was, or instead properly tackle serious issues, Gossip Girl 2021 does a half-hearted job at both. Neither a stress-free glittering bubble nor a proper attempt at deconstructing stereotypes, it comes short in achieving any of its original aims.

All in all, the show feels like a desperate attempt at being "woke", packing as many stereotypes as possible into characters with little depth. While it makes for a good way to pass the time, Gossip Girl 2.0 lacks the spark of the original show and comes up short in its attempt to convince. To be enjoyed, the new version shouldn't be compared to the original show, but should instead be seen as a standalone. However, when the show returns after its half-season break in

November, I hope that the writers will have considered some of the feedbacks watchers gave. Especially that the lavishness of the characters' lives played a big role in the public's love for the series and that Gossip Girl without conflicts and backstabbing just isn't Gossip Girl.

Gossip Girl is available on BBC iPlayer

Virtual Reality: Descending into a hyper-real hellhole

Photos by ABBA

By Daniel Esson, Website Opinion Editor Some years ago Virtual Reality (VR) gaming seemed like the stuff of sci-fi, at best the pipe dream of Silicon Valley tech-bros. In the 1990s Sega and Forte both made attempts to develop VR technology for gaming, but they were commercial failures. However, when a VR headset intended for the mass market, the Oculus Rift, started as a Kickstarter crowdfunded project in 2012, the idea of VR gaming re-entered the mainstream.

The Kickstarter campaign was extremely successful, raising over 2 million dollars from around 10,000 contributors, helping to fund the development of the Oculus Rift. As many interesting new technologies tend to be, the Oculus Rift and all associated rights were purchased by Facebook in 2014, who have since released several updated versions of the Rift. Since the days when Oculus stood alone within the market, the technology has edged ever closer to the centre-stage, with Sony, Lenovo, Dell, Google and others all developing their own versions of VR headgear. However, as much as many gamers may like the idea of an increasingly immersive video game world, this belies the potential danger of this new gaming frontier.

There have been several bouts of moral panic surrounding gaming in the wake of violent crimes such as the 1999

Columbine High School Massacre, addiction as a disorder in the 11th reviwhere the perpetrators had a penchant sion of the International Classification for violent video games. Much of this of Diseases. Whilst there is controversy is rightly treated with scepticism, and around whether this is a disorder in most people would agree that just itself or an expression of underlying playing too much Call of Duty isn’t mental health issues, it’s hard to deny particularly likely to turn people into that for a small minority of gamers, violent criminals, the same way playing video games can have a detrimental too much Minecraft hasn’t yet led impact on people’s lives. many people to flee to the hills, punch It seems intuitively possible that VR down some trees gaming risks exacerbatand start homegaming addiction in Call of Duty et al could ing steading. Howthose who already have it. ever, pretending become hyper-real Alternativethat video games combat simulations, ly, when it where gamers of all can never have develops ages can feel the trig- further, it negative consequences is equally ger-squeeze, smell the could create misguided. cordite, see the gore up a whole The most well close, and experience new avenue known way in the trauma of war from of psywhich video games cho-social their living rooms. can be damaging problems is in their obvious by providaddictive potential. Anybody who’s ing escapism rivalling been a serious gamer will have stayed that of strong drugs. up until the small hours of the morning There seems no clearly playing a long-anticipated release, to defined endpoint for the detriment of their plans the next VR and associated day. One famous and extreme example technologies such as was in Taiwan in 2012, where an 18 Augmented, Mixed, or year-old died at an internet café after Computer-Mediated playing Diablo 3 for about 40 hours Reality. As developers straight. The World Health Organipush towards ever more sation has even included video game realistic digital experi-

ence, the allure of genuinely escaping reality into a virtual world that you can see, touch and interact with, may become stronger to many gamers.

Given that much technology that begins for military purposes, like the internet, eventually makes it to the mainstream, this phenomenon intersecting with the emergent VR market is worrying. When ultra-realistic VR is eventually used to train soldiers, it seems possible that one day this will become available to consumers. If not

regulated properly, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume that Call of Duty et al could become hyper-real combat simulations, where gamers of all ages can feel the trigger-squeeze, smell the cordite, see the gore up close, and experience the trauma of war from their living rooms. In a world where ‘Big-Tech’ seems increasingly powerful and sinister, it makes sense to be sceptical of products attempting to shift the contours of reality, no matter how fun it starts off.

20

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Science and Technology

NASA awards $146m in Artemis contracts to private space firms

By Johnathan Guy, Science and Technology Editor Recently, NASA revealed that, (via its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2) announcement), it was awarding five of the largest private technology and space-related companies in the US contracts worth a combined $146m.

These were awarded in order to utilise the companies’ expertise in the formation of the initial stages of their recently announced Artemis project, which NASA hopes will “will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.” The Artemis project, (named after the twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology), represents a landmark push by NASA to begin both putting people on the Moon for the first time since 1972, and, rather ambitiously, establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon. Two notable companies that received contract awards are Blue Origin (owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos) and SpaceX (owned by Elon Musk), with contracts worth $26.5 million and $9.4 million respectively.

“develop lander design concepts, evaluating their performance, design, construction standards, mission assurance requirements, interfaces, safety, crew health accommodations, and medical capabilities”. The Artemis project intends to make use of huge technological advancements that have occurred during the 49 years since the last manned Moon mission, such as their new powerful rocket known as the Space Launch System – a super

to the lunar surface and serves as a staging point for deep space exploration”. It would also appear from NASA communications via their NASA_ Gateway account on Twitter that they intend to make The Gateway capable of performing science investigations even without a crew, which, depending on the complexity of the experiments they mean, would be a huge leap forward in space exploration.

“[We] will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.”

According to NASA, the companies have been given the awards in order to

heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle that replaced the Ares I and V. NASA intends this model of launch vehicle to become their primary option during deep space exploration missions both within and without the Artemis project, especially with regard to launches of their Orion spacecraft.

These spacecraft, it is intended, will carry passengers to The Gateway, a planned permanent outpost orbiting the Moon which “provides essential support for long-term human return

NASA has suggested that these missions should start by December of this year, however, they had been originally planned for 2016 and have so far been delayed at least eight times. According to the materials on their website, Artemis is also the first step towards Mars missions as their ‘horizon goal’, but they first want to explore the entire surface of the Moon, beginning with the lunar south pole.

With the last manned mission to the Moon being one that broke many records (such as having the longest spacewalk, the longest lunar landing and the largest lunar samples brought back to Earth), it will be fascinating to see if NASA’s ambitious but potentially ground-breaking plans come to fruition.

Illustration from NASA Image Gallery

Converting carbon dioxide: fuel stations on Mars?

By Johnathan Guy, Science and Technology Editor

In a relatively small university lab in central Cincinnati, Ohio, Applied Science assistant professor Jingjie Wu and his team have managed to use a carbon catalyst in a palm-sized reactor to convert CO2 into methane – viable rocket fuel. His findings have been published in the Nature Communications journal where it has been read thousands of times.

this will in turn mean less fuel is required to carry the weight of the rocket into space. However, Wu has set his sights even wider than space travel.

According to an interview given to SciTechDaily, the chemical engineer started his career studying electric vehicle fuel cells, but shifted focus on CO2 conversion about a decade ago.

tion of rubber and plastics, and the conversion process for CO2 to methane is also seemingly quite efficient, converting over 90 percent of captured CO2 to methane, according to a study published by PNNL researchers in the journal ChemSusChem. Other laboratories are, meanwhile, looking at converting CO2 to other products like methanol, which some argue has many more applications than methane – making this technology potentially game-changing for several fields.

“We have excess green energy that we just throw away. We can store this excess renewable energy in chemicals [...]

This idea is arguably revolutionary for space travel in the near and medium term, as while many alternative Photos by A is for Aphra propulsion systems for rockets have been theorised, very few have made it beyond being theoretical. So, for now at least, it appears we are stuck with variations He believes that this technology could of rocket fuel. Wu believes that this convert CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere to will be especially important in future usable methane gas, potentially helpMars missions, as the red planet has ing reduce emissions while also reducan atmosphere mostly made of carbon ing consumption of fossil fuels. dioxide – in practice, this could mean that rockets sent to Mars will need to His lab also uses catalysts to produce carry far less fuel, as it won’t need to other products with CO2, including carry fuel for the return journey, and ethylene, which is vital for the produc-

So we can produce methanol from carbon dioxide and use them to produce other downstream materials. Then maybe one day we could live on Mars.”

Photo by Martin Adams

Ultimately, the final footprint this technology would have with regard to the climate is dependent entirely on how the captured CO2 is used – it is not a solution to the climate crisis on its own, and should not be relied on as one, but it certainly appears promising as an intermediate solution for reducing both the use and waste of fossil fuel extraction processes, and also for reducing CO2 emissions.

InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

21

Science and Technology

Google to release Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with new Tensor chip

By Rory Bathgate, Writer For the past few generations of Pixel phones, Google have played it safe. Without a shadow of a doubt, the Pixel 4 and 5 kept up the reputation of the phone series through their excellent cameras — look at any list of best phone cameras for the past few years, and you’ll consistently be met with variations of the word ‘Pixel’. Relying on their highly impressive post-processing, Google regularly out-perform Apple and Samsung in portrait, low light and naturalistic photography.

Despite all of this, the Google Pixel series has still failed to become quite the success that it has the potential to be. Moreover, having the ‘overall best’ phone cameras on the market isn’t as attention-grabbing as some of the flashier features on rival handsets, such as the insane 100x zoom available on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. For those who keep a close eye on phone manufacturers, this has been quite the point of confusion. As one of the best-known tech companies in the world, with market dominance on cloud services and the two most visited websites in the world, YouTube and Google Search, the relative lack of advertising for Pixel phones arguably made no sense.

Google, for their part, have recently acknowledged this in their claims that the Pixel 6 series is aiming to compete with other companies’ flagship models, in comparison to their more modest entries in recent years, particularly the budget-friendly 4a and 5a.

Indeed, all of that changes this month with the release of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which come with Google’s first integrated circuit, the Tensor. It is a significant milestone for the product line, which for its five years of existence has utilised the Snapdragon chips like many other Android models. The act of producing an in-house chip is not, in and of itself, Google getting ahead of the competition.

Apple introduced the M1 last year to much acclaim, which powers its

Photo by and from Google

iPad and MacBook ranges, and was lauded in the tech world for the advances in processing power and security features that it offered.

Unlike Apple, Google have opted to modify existing hardware rather than go back to the drawing board altogether; current rumour has it that the Tensor is most likely constructed from outsourced ARM CPU cores, in combination with existing GPU architecture. Evidently, the excitement surrounding Tensor — they already announced their largest ever marketing push for the product — lies in the software that it runs, along with its specific power configuration. In conversation with The Verge, Google Development and Services VP Rick Osterloh stated “the standard stuff people look at will be very competitive and the AI stuff will be totally differentiated.” In other words, Google accept that the architecture of Tensor may not look exciting on paper, but are slightly less than quietly confident that the results will speak for themselves.

At time of writing, there are no official samples of photos or videos taken on the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro. Despite this there are plenty of exciting leaks, suggesting that Google’s existing photo AI will see major speed upgrades in its ability to process photo and video exposure, colour and focus. Indeed, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, discussing a hands-on meeting he had with Google, teased that Tensor is sophisticated enough to allow ‘portrait mode for video.’ This is impressive, but with the reveal of the iPhone 13 having shown off much the same in the form of focus racking within Cinematic Mode for iOS, the bar is definitely high for Google to prove the worth of the Tensor chip.

Another exciting addition comes in the form of a 4x telephoto lens for the Pixel 6 Pro. Although this is less powerful than the 10x optical zooms offered by Samsung and Oppo, the combination of the lens and the Tensor chip’s sharpening capabilities carries the potential to open up a new world of framing opportunities

for budding photographers, with focus above 4x perhaps achievable through enhanced digital zooming.

In all the discussion of just how good the Pixel 6 series cameras could be perhaps the most exciting capability of Tensor has been overlooked: the updates to its computation of speech and text. Google have focused intently on AI through services such as the Google Assistant in recent years, and updates to the always handy Google Translate have seen it graduate to translating text live through the camera, and even allowing fast paced translation between two participants to keep conversation as fluid as possible. Tensor reportedly levels up these abilities like never before, with The Verge stating that the Pixel 6 they saw was able to dictate speech ‘nearly instantaneous[ly]’ and ‘translate from French to English in real time from a playing video.’

It is in features such as this that Google might have found the unique appeal of the Pixel series; any phone can battle for the ‘best camera’ title, but users just might be swayed by quality-of-life features that can simply only be found at the crossroads between hardware and Google’s near-miraculous software. The cherry on top with Tensor?

All of this was achievable without an internet connection: Google appear to really be offering the power of their server-side AI in the palm of your hand.

The past few years in smartphone innovation blend together upon reflection; handsets have shipped with more and more cameras on the back, fewer cables in the box, and countless updates to the features to which we are all accustomed. But no one company can be said to have delivered something truly new, or previously thought impossible. Perhaps this autumn, Google will finally buck the trend.

Monday 4 October 2021 InQuire

Gulbenkian

Spooky Season Movies Sunday 7th November at 1.30pm & Sunday 14th November at 3pm.

Tickets £3.50pp.

Killer Evening Screenings including: Ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers – that is what Gawain has to deal with in the epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend The Green Knight on Saturday 16th and Thursday 21st October at 7pm. Tickets £8.95 (Concessions available) In a documentary that reaches terrifying heights, The Alpinist is a fascinating and thrilling investigation into visionary climber Marc-Andre Leclerc on Saturday 30th October, 7pm. Not a film for the faint of heart or those scared of heights! Tickets £8.95 (Concessions available) For our horror film fans about there, expect plenty of gory thrills and a bonkers twist from Malig-

halloween

To get you in the mood for Halloween, Gulbenkian Arts Centre is screening an abundant selection of spooky treats! Mixing up a terrific potion of fang-tastic family favourites with terrifying new releases, head to Gulbenkian for spooky going’s on this autumn.

Fang-tastic Family Films including: Bursting with colour and life, Pixar’s Coco is an extraordinary musical journey through the Land of the Dead. See it on Sunday 17th October at 3pm. Tickets £3.50pp.

Come along in your finest Halloween fancy dress and celebrate 20 years of the wizarding world on film with our anniversary screening of Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone on Sunday 31st October.

Tickets £3.50pp.

Everyone's favourite spooky family is back in the animated comedy sequel The Addams Family 2 on

Photos by The Gulbenkian

nant on Sunday 31st October. The latest creation from 'Conjuring' universe architect James Wan. Tickets £8.95 (Concessions available) Catch the update of the classic 1990s film that has become the latest black horror hit, Candyman on Tuesday 2nd November. This new take, produced by Jordon Peele and directed by rising star Nia DaCosta, gives the franchise a significant overhaul making Candyman into a brilliant horror that addresses issues like racial injustice and gentrification. Tickets £8.95 (Concessions available). Candyman is part of the weekly 2ForTuesday deal at Gulbenkian where Students and Under 25s can get 2 tickets for the price of 1.

For more information and tickets please visit www.thegulbenkian. co.uk.

CATCH OF THE DAY AT GULBENKIAN ARTS CENTRE

B

ring your mates, your mammy, grab a pint, and get ready for one craic-ing night out at Gulbenkian Arts Centre with Red Fox Theatre’s Catch of the Day on Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd October at 7.30pm.

Ireland, 1966. An ordinary skipper sails into the sleepy town of Dingle with a very unusual catch… Chaos immediately ensues and a ridiculous series of events are put into motion, involving the head of the Irish government, a publican who happens to be an

amateur marine biologist, a magical dolphin, the actual Queen of England, and a whole bunch of really confused nuns.

An unbelievable true story, Catch of the Day is a riotous romp of a play, all set in a West of Ireland pub. Built from the testimonies of those who remember, this ‘side-splittingly funny’ (The Irish Post *****) and ‘utterly joyous’ (Within Her Words *****) mash-up of live music, comedy, and theatre, is the ‘ideal show for a night out with friends and family’ (London Theatre 1 *****).

Following an award-nominated run at Edinburgh Fringe (shortlisted for Best Musical), critically acclaimed, sellout shows in London and Oxford, and fresh from its home-coming Irish tour, Catch of the Day visits Gulbenkian Arts Centre for the first time.

Tickets for the event are £10 (Concessions available). Suitable for ages 14+. For tickets and more information please visit www.thegulbenkian.co.uk.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILMS G

ulbenkian has a fantastic programme of film events lined up for Black History Month this year!

Respect is the new film from Liesl Tommy following the remarkable true story of Aretha franklin’s career from a child singing in a church choir to international superstardom. Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, and Mary J. Blige, this is one musical sensation not to miss! Screening from Friday 8th October at Gulbenkian Arts Centre.

See British cult classic Babylon is a film that captures the trials

and tribulations of young black youths in 80s London with vivid cinematography, a powerful message and an incredible soundtrack . See it on Friday 29th October. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with film cast member Beverley Woodhams, and a DJ set in the café from 9.30pm.

In 2017, Jordan Peele’s Get Out was a watershed moment to horror subverting the genre’s long record of offensive racial tropes, and four years on it’s legacy can be seen across film and tv. Catch the update of the classic 1990s film that has become the latest black horror hit, Candyman on

Tuesday 2nd November. This new take, produced by Jordon Peele and directed by rising star Nia DaCosta, gives the franchise a significant overhaul making Candyman is a brilliant horror that addresses issues such as racial injustice and gentrification. Tickets £8.95 (Concessions available).

For more information and tickets please visit www.thegulbenkian. co.uk

23

InQuire Monday 4 October 2021

Satire

Park wood in hysteria over flour vandalism

By Harvey Blazquez, Newspaper Satire Editor

S

Photo by David Todd McCarty/Unsplash

tudents in Parkwood accommodation have been disturbed by a recent spate of unusual vandalism. Upon opening their front doors, dozens of students have found peculiar messages on the floor, written in flour. Plain flour was used in all but three cases, where a composite of cornflour and gluten-free flour was used.

A first-year student, who wished to remain anonymous, described the scene at his accommodation: “Yeah I was baffled at first, I walk in and the first thing I see is ‘Ban Shrek the Third’ written in flour. My heart sank - that film has a special place for me. When my housemates got back I was crying on the floor covered in flour, they won’t talk to me anymore.”

Lillian, who had been living in her accommodation for less than a w e e k , discovered the message ‘FRESHLY SQUEEZED ASPARAGUS’ after entering her accommodation. She has been unable to eat asparagus since the incident, and is looking into artichokes as an alternative. Another student, Marco, opened his front door and saw ‘Action required immediately’. “I was worried at first but opened it up and it was just one of those TV license letters,” Marco explains, whilst we browse the disappointingly sparse range of chinos in Primark.

Perhaps the most disturbing piece of vandalism was an image of five small ovals inside a rough circle with the words ‘you can make an omelette without breaking an egg’. Jane, who is partway through her Bi-diplôme, dismissed the incident: “I was told to expect this sort of thing in England, I can relax a bit now since the first one has happened.” Jane’s omelette has proved particularly revolting, with many unable to escape the image of uncracked eggs swimming in a sorry pool of reduced milk,

horrifyingly outlined in flour.

Some residents have tried to decode the events, and explain what is motivating the culprit. Plato, a first-year student, offered his explanation: “I have no doubt that this a protest against increasing accommodation costs. For a five-bed house, the annual cost has gone up by £90 compared to last year, and is roughly £200 more than what it was two years ago. The flour, a cheap staple, is a contrast with the overpriced accommodation.” Another student, named Heraclitus, interrupted our interview and began disparaging Plato: “Shut your mouth or I’ll batter you. All you do is spout nonsense. Jeremy told me that you spent two hours yesterday trying to drink the same glass of water twice just to prove me wrong. I’m not joking I’ll turn up to your seminars and smack you.”

Similarities between the current crime spree and previous happenings in Parkwood have been pointed out. In the middle of November 2018, students woke up to a huge pyramid of decomposing pumpkins near Ellenden Court. In December 2019, hundreds of houses received leaflets carrying the message ‘Alberto most definitely has the sauce’ alongside a pixelated image of Beach Boys member Al Jardine. It is unclear if Al Jardine was behind either of these stunts, but a number of sightings of Jardine

Photo by Aziz Acharki/Unsplash

in the Parkwood area have been reported.

How is this criminal managing to create these flour images within student’s houses? No signs of forced entry have been identified, and all of the victims claim to have locked all doors and windows before leaving their houses. I waited outside the Ingram Building for two hours, and asked passers-by for their opinions. The expert consensus is that this criminal operates through the letterbox, inserting flour through it and then somehow sculpting the flour. It is possible that a long tubular device is utilised, with the criminal exhaling into it in

order to shape the flour.

There have been no flour vandalism incidents in the last four days, and students are hopeful that their heightened vigilance is deterring any further crimes. Even if we are safe now, the spectre of this villain will haunt Parkwood for years. One group of students is petitioning the University to remove all letterboxes from accommodation buildings, they claim that letterboxes are not worth the pain. The legend of the flour vandal lives on in many names: ‘Mr Tube’, ‘Huff Daddy’, ‘Gian Lorenzo Panini’ and ‘Bread’ are some popular nicknames for the culprit. They may not strike again, but they’re still out there somewhere plotting their next move. Stay vigilant, glue your letterbox shut and fear the grain.

Sport

www.inquiremedia.co.uk/sport

InQ Quire

DRINKING IN STADIUMS TO RETURN? Perhaps you could say... 'Alcoh-goal'? Or not.

Photos by Pawel Kadysz & Tristian Lothaire

By Connor Haywood Newspaper Sports Editor

A

n infamous clash between Millwall fans and those of Luton Town on 13th March 1985 prompted then Prime Minister; Margaret Thatcher to convene a so-dubbed - "war-cabinet". This brought into place 'The Sporting Events Act 1985' which remains with us to this day; this may not be the case for much longer if a local Kent MP has their way. New proposals have been brought forward by a fan led review championed by Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP for Chatham & Aylesford.

If said act is repealed, drinking in football stadiums may be allowed once again.

The specific clause under contention forbids "the consumption of alcohol within view of the playing area". Another chapter, often disregarded, is the prohibition of "drunken entry into a football ground". It is well-known and accepted in all but law that many fans simply engage in pre-drinking at nearby pubs therefore showing up to the stadium already tipsy at least - smashed at the extreme. Not to mention the distinct gap in the forementioned act; the allowance of drinking in the causeway during half-time. This inadvertently encourages many to down the pints in those precious fifteen

minutes. It is not surprising this act is now being challenged after eighteen-months of flimsy and readily undermined Covid-19 restrictions that could be easily picked apart by mere seconds of logical thinking. Such as, the 10pm curfew imposed on the hospitality industry which led to many a joke and comment - "because corona can't get you before ten!".

With this same nursery level deductions the flaws in 'The Sporting Events Act 1985' can be easily disregarded and so often is.

So, what are the proposed positives from repealing this act? Tracey Crouch MP, the former Sports Minister and qualified FA coach, told The Times - "We kettle people

into drinking quickly at half time and that is the unheatlhy aspect of the football fan's relationship with alcohol. They drink a lot in a short space of time". She further added, that the lifting of this ban could assist in levelling up clubs lower down the leagues; since drinking is permitted in nonleague football below Nationals. She has a track record for standing up for lower tier clubs before. The MP for Chatham and Aylesford was placed as the chair for the cross-parliamentary review of the controversial European Super League in April 2021.

If these proposals were to be piloted, those attending matches in League Two and the

National League could expect to have some liberty in spacing out their drink indulgence.

Whether the timing or the quantity of consumption is the real crux for the average football fan remains to be seen. The UK's football policing head, chief constable Mark Roberts, is quoted as calling the move "irresponsible".

He went onto further to state that there is a clear correlation between alcohol and disorderly behaviour at football matches. Adding onto his statement, that this was not unique to the sport. Cricket, Horse Racing and Rugby have seen rising alcohol related crimes. The behaviour of select England fans at Wembley Stadium during the delayed 2020 European Championships iws certainly seared onto much of the public's imagination. Not to mention, the environmental impact; images of London landmarks such as Leicester Square littered with discarded cans. With these events in recent memory, mass support for this move will be hard to find outside football fan proportion of the populace. Despite all this, it may not be long before pints are seen amongst the crowd once again.