InQuire 17.3 by InQuire Media

InQuire The University of Kent’s student publication

www.inquiremedia.org

The Best Horror Movies For Halloween

Monday 18 October 2021 17.3

The Final Frontier: Captain Kirk Goes to Space Science & Technology: Page 15

Lifestyle: Page 9

Black History Month: On Campus and Beyond

Wretched at 60: "Anger is not enough"

By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

Illustration by Tracy Okundia

t is that time of year once again. The 34th rendition of Black History Month is upon us, with University of Kent students and the wider nation finally able to celebrate pan-African and Caribbean history together, alongside the effects that Black and Brown peoples have had on British society and beyond. The social restrictions of 2020 and 2021 meant that last Black History Month’s celebrations could not take place in person, leaving many to be relieved at the return of the retrospective relish. However, with the world still under the influence of the coronavirus Pandemic, albeit at a reduced rate since the rising vaccine uptake, a mix of in-person and virtual celebrations seems to be the approach that organisers are taking.

On campus this month, you can expect a range of BHM themed events – the first of which was The Proud To Be campaign event. This episode, which kicked off on 1st October, is part of a wider national campaign co-ordinated by Black History Month UK Magazine. Its intention: to encourage young black and brown people throughout the UK to share what they are Proud To Be, by letter, email or social media – including audio and video additions – which ultimately get published in the magazine itself and its online platforms. The Editor of the publication, Catherine Ross, had this to say about why the campaign was devised. “It’s been a challenging time for many Black and Brown people, with so much in the media about racism, inequality and injustice. We wanted the theme of Black History Month 2021 to focus on celebrating being Black or Brown, and to inspire and share the pride people have in their heritage and culture – in their own way, and in their own words. “By asking people to share what they are Proud To Be we can share both individual stories and the vast richness of diversity that Black and Brown people bring to the UK. “Black Lives Matter means people being able to live life to the fullest without having to compromise who they are. Everyone deserves the right to be Proud To Be everything they are and want to be in life.” Black History Month UK have also created a new resource pack for schools to integrate into their curriculum all year round, so that black history does not get forgotten for the remaining 11 months of the year. Returning to campus now, a screening of Respect is showing at the Gulbenkien Cinema on the 8th, 13th and 15th October at 19:00. The movie is a dramatisation of Aretha Franklin's career, showing her rise from singing in her father’s church choir to international recognition. A true story set in the post-war era, the movie gives us a peak behind the curtain at how stardom can intersect

with a normal human life, with the icon losing family at a young age and suffering abuse from loved ones – all while changing the course of Soul music forever. Franklin is played by singer Jennifer Hudson. Another interesting localised event occurring is the Black Success panel, where students will get the chance to hear from three ex-Kent Union elected Officers, who will discuss “being black and successful, overcoming challenges, encouraging students to take up roles in the Union and debunking stereotypes”. The trio of Omolade, Sasha (who was the first black woman elected to be Kent Union President in 2019) and Aaron have worked on several different campaigns in their time, and have a wealth of experience to share about what life is like post-university. They will be appearing on Microsoft Teams on 21st October at 18:00 (link available on the Kent Union website). There is also a talk by DKMS, as part of their campaign to raise awareness on blood cancer and hematopoietic issues, for which stem cell donors are desperately needed - especially for black patients. People of all ethnicities between ages 18-55 are encouraged to sign up to the stem cell registry. The talk in question is also hosted on Microsoft Teams on the 14th October at midday (once again, link available on the Kent Union website). Back to in-person fun now, with a Wide Sargasso Sea book club discussion taking place in the Templeman Lecture Theatre at 14:00 – also on 14th of October. In the words of Kent Union, this celebrated “author draws you into a world of oppression and entrapment in colonial Jamaica. She takes you on a journey of exploring complex racial identity dictated by class”. This is an open invite to all students, with no need to have had past knowledge or interaction with the novel. The first 15 attendants will receive a free copy of the book too! To close off the month of commemoration, the Gulbenkian will be showing a second movie on the 29th October at 19:00. Babylon is the fictional story of David, a working class black Musician in South West London. The film depicts the city in the 1980s, with all its disparities in opportunity between black and white people. It shows David’s struggle and downward spiral, in a town that neglects to take a care for his torment. The unfair treatment by society and the law drives David to do things he would not otherwise be capable of.

"The injustice is simply astounding”

Continued on page 2

Features: Page 12

SummerTime Streaming & Sounds

News Page 2

Entertainment: Pages 18-19 Culture: page 17

nathaniel j. hall's First time Plus:

Sport Loss & loss in

the world of football: Barcelona in a Messi

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

News

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

... The movie will be followed by the 'Babylon: After Party', with a Reggae DJ set at the Gulbenkian bar & café, which begins at 21:30. All are welcome, even those who could not attend the movie beforehand.

Kent Professor Wins Nobel Prize By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

he University was proud to announce that one of its alumni and emeritus professors, Abdulrazak Gurnah, has received a Nobel Prize for Literature for his body of work. The Committee awarded him the honour because of ‘his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.’ Originally from Tanzania, the professor is the man behind a number of notable novels, such as The Last Gift, Memory of Departure, Admiring Silence, By The Sea and Dottie Paradise – the latter of which was shortlisted for a 1994 Booker Prize. His most recent novel, Afterlives (published 2020), is a historical fiction that follows four protagonists living in East Africa (modern Tanzania) in the early 20th century, during the time of German colonial rule. The story is set during the period of the Maji Maji Uprising – a rebellion which

saw the Animist and Islamic natives attempt to resist their western oppressors. This was largely due to the German policies in the area, which led to the locals being forced to grow cotton for export with little mutual gain. The book was longlisted for a Orwell Prize of Political Fiction. Professor Gurnah was, until his recent retirement, an active member of Kent’s School of English, where he specialised in post-colonial literature. The Head of the School, Dr Bashir Abu-Manneh, proclaimed that ‘Abdulrazak Gurnah’s writing epitomises our contemporary condition of displacement, violence, and belonging. His is the struggle for individual voice, for justice, for feeling at home in an ever-changing world. No one writing today has articulated the pains of exile and the rewards of belonging so well. Canterbury and Kent are both his exile and home.’ The University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox, also expressed her feeling of pride. ‘On behalf of the entire University I’d like to extend our huge congratulations to Abdulrazak for this tremendous achievement. Abdul-

razak is a complete inspiration to all of us – as a teacher, an alumnus of Kent and as such a powerful voice in postcolonial literature. His stories, some of which were first drafted in our very own Templeman Library, have touched millions worldwide and shine a light on human experiences

that are so often ignored. We couldn’t be prouder of his success.’ A lecture from the professor can be found on the University of Kent Youtube page, under the title ‘Indian Ocean Journeys | Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah | Think Kent’.

Photo from the University of Kent News Centre

newspaper.opinion@inqiremedia.org

Dan Esson Website Opinion Editor

website.opinion@inquiremedia.org

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

website.lifestyle@inquiremedia.org

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

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

Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

newspaper.culture@inquiremedia.org

Eleanor Summers Website Culture Editor

website.culture@inquiremedia.org

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

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

Connor Haywood Newspaper Sport Editor

newspaper.sport@inquiremedia.org

Omar Ahmed 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

UAE Expo covers up human rights abuses, says Human Rights Watch By Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh News Writer

he United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the 2020 Dubai Expo, which was set to have taken place the year before but was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The UAE Crown Prince and de facto leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has proudly described the Expo as 'a meeting point for different cultures and a place of tolerance,' (with 192 nations represented at the event). However, it has been alleged that the expo is being used as a cover-up for countless violations of human rights laws in the UAE. Human Rights Watch (HRW), an established organisation that is dedicated to keeping civil liberties in check, has alleged that the UAE is responsible for 'torture, abuse, murder, and discrimination of countless lawyers, journalists, poets, artists, and students, ultimately shutting down any organisations giving room to dissent.' The group are not alone in their accusations. In 2018, the UN raised concern over human rights in the UAE, with a report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlighting 'the torture of prisoners, violence against women, and treatment of migrant

workers, particularly those with an undocumented status.' In this report, the UN highlighted the UAE’s failure to establish a national human rights institution in accordance with international standards. The report also criticised the UAE’s judicial system, which allegedly favours UAE nationals over migrant workers and stateless persons, and thus impedes their chances for seeking justice for various grievances. The UN and HRW argued that human rights activists allegedly face discrimination and abuse in prisons, highlighting the case of Emirati human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor, who is allegedly being held in solitary confinement for over 3 years without access to a lawyer or calls to his family. According to HRW, this is one of "Hundreds of activists, academics, and lawyers are serving lengthy sentences in UAE prisons, in many cases following unfair trials on vague and broad charges that violate their rights to free expression and association." The international organisation has also criticised the government’s continued denial of access to UN experts and human rights researchers. The UN goes as far as to claim that they have not been allowed

into the country since a 2014 visit by a rounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN special rapporteur, who criticised the Expo, which is meant to run for 182 days, lack of judicial independence in the UAE is not demanding proof of vaccines or in a report. The OHCHR also said that the tests for entrance. In Dubai, face masks “news media is possibly being surveyed are still enforced in public places with by the government, hence eliminating no exemptions allowed, with other citfreedom of speech.” ies like Abu Dhabi showing stricter rules In recent developments (October 2021), concerning lockdown and travel. Sheikh the High Court found Dubai's ruler, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has yet Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, responto respond to accusations of violations. of sible for hacking the phones of his wife human rights laws. and a member of her legal team. The hack The 13-page report highlights many othwas allegedly carried out using surveiler alleged issues and is available on lance equipment only available to nation the UN website. states. According to Sky News, the Sheikh denies all allegations. Photo by Palladium Photodesign Although the UAE i n i t i a l l y Oliver Schuh + Barbara Burg showed strict laws sur-

Corrections

Enquiries

We will report any inaccurate information published as soon as the error is discovered. Editorial corrections, including factual errors, missing photo credits etc., will be printed on this page. For more information, contact Tarini Tiwari at editor@ inquiremedia.org

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

1. Photo credits were missing for photos in the first and second issue for InQuire's Head of Photography & Design, Ainy Shiyam. 2. The previous issue listed the Newspaper Features Editor as vacant. As of 17.2, the Newspaper Features Editor is Priya Hawes. 3. An article in the previous issue stated that oil was one of Afghanistan's top exports. Less than 1% of their exports are oil.

www.facebook.com/inquiremedia www.twitter.com/inquiremedia_ www.instagram.com/inquirekent

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

News

Police and home secretary feel the fallout in the wake of the Sarah Everard Verdict

atcl iffe

is J R Chr o by

he police are facing a PR issue. While Wayne Couzens was sentenced to a historic wholelife term last week - the first of its kind given to a police officer - the Sarah Everard case is continuing to send ripples through society and government. Specific questions have been raised concerning a culture of casual misogyny within the police as well as the efficiency of vetting practices, however these lead into wider conversations on the state of women’s safety and the role of police in the UK. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced an investigation into the 'systematic failures' that allowed Couzens, previously linked to multiple counts of indecent exposure dating back to 2015, to transfer from the Kent Police to the Met. Kent Police received claims from a member of the public that Couzens’ was driving ‘naked from the waist down’ in Dover, six years before kidnapping, raping and murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021. At the time Couzens was serving as an armed officer for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) in Dungeness. While working for the CNC, Couzens lived in Deal, before transferring to the Met in 2018. Kent Police now face an investigation from the Independent Office for Police Conduct into whether they properly dealt with these claims. Speaking outside the Old Bailey on Monday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick acknowledged the Met 'still undoubtedly' has incidents of sexism but that it has ‘dramatically changed’ since her joining 40 years ago. These comments come on the same day another officer, David Carrick, appeared in court charged with rape. Carrick worked for the Met, on the same team as Couzens, guarding high-profile diplomats and government officials, allegedly including the Prime Minister. There have not been any

comments regarding a general culture of misogyny within the Met - rather a tendency to condemn specific, more public instances. In a rather bizarre turn of events, the official advice if you feel unsafe as a woman while being arrested is to get on a bus or call the police to intervene. These comments have gone viral online for their seeming insensitivity, with Diane Abbott labelling them as ‘grotesque.’ Policing in the UK is consent-based, relying on an open channel of communication and respect between police and the public. This relationship has been weakened significantly by police responses to protests, such as those at the vigil for Everard and Black Lives Matter demonstrations that have taken place across the country in recent months. Und e r Cressida Dick, stop a n d search measures h a v e also been increased, deployed disproportionately against

Pho t

By Hestia Linford-Allen News Writer

Black and Asian individuals. Trust in the police, in London especially, has fallen to just a third. Labour MP Harriet Harman wrote an open letter to Dick calling for her resignation, stating that ‘women need to be able to trust the police, not to fear them.’ However, as calls for the Commissioner to resign continue to pile up, this seems unlikely to happen, as Patel publicly showed support for Dame Cressida Dick last month, renewing her position for another two years. Her tenure was previously due to end in April 2022. A report by the Inspectorate of the Constabularyan independent office that assesses the professionalism and ethics of policing, found last month that ‘inconsistencies’ at ‘individual, force, local and national’ levels affect the ways in which police respond to cases of violence against women and girls. These include the standards of care and sensitivity provided by officers and call-handlers, as well as variations in application of the protective orders at their disposal across different police forces. A m o n g these powers is the use of non-molestation orders, for Photo by Bruce Adams/Daily Mail victims of stalking

and domestic violence. Mark Groves, CEO of the National Center for Domestic Violence (NCDV) has said that police forces across the country have ‘declined offer[s] of free training on the process and benefits of non-molestation protection orders.’ The NCDV is the only resource for this kind of training as the College of Policing does not currently provide any information during three years of required training to become an officer. The refusal to accept free information on one of the most vital protective orders available to victims seems to support claims that the police are not taking violence against women seriously enough. Just this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruled out introducing a new counter-misogyny bill, stating that there was already 'abundant' legislation to tackle crimes against women. He told the BBC that 'increasing the scope' of what you ask the police to do would worsen the problem by overloading the justice system. Several police forces have started to record misogyny as a hate crime, most notably in Nottinghamshire, which was the first to do so in 2016. University researchers have found that attitudes towards crimes such as domestic violence and sexual harassment in the streets have shifted as a result of these changes. After calling violence against women 'the number one issue in policing,' the Prime Minister further added that instead of recasting misogyny as a hate crime, we should be asking the police to focus on 'the very real crimes.' He has received criticism for these comments from women’s rights campaigners and academics, as well as a number of Labour MPs. Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy said: 'The Tories have cut the justice system to the bone and left the victims of crime in limbo for years as a result. 'Women don’t have confidence in our justice system because our PM is treating victims of violence and sexual offences as an afterthought.'

New anti-viral pill can halve risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19

By Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

new Covid antiviral pill can, according to research, cut the risk of hospitalisation by 50%. Manufactured by Merck, a US drug-maker, it was declared to be so successful that the trial could have ended early. This will be the first oral treatment for Covid-19. Through an analysis of 775 patients, 7.3% of those given the pill, named molnupiravir, were hospitalised. This is compared to 14.4% hospitalised from the group given the placebo. 8 patients given the placebo later died of Covid-19, but none of the patients in the molnupiravir group died. Most Covid-19 vaccines target the spike proteins on the outside of the virus. Molnupiravir, however, targets an enzyme used by the virus to make copies of itself. Merck believes it will be equally effective against new variants of the virus. Professor Peter Horby, an expert in infectious diseases at University of Oxford, said: 'A safe, affordable, and effective oral antiviral would be a huge advance in the fight against Covid.' However, there have been warnings of the dangers around how the antiviral pill works and the effects it can end up having. It causes a huge number of mutations to the virus as it reproduces, effectively killing it. There are concerns that, were this to happen to cells, it could cause birth defects or

lead to cancer. Porges, the analyst, went on to say that he expects the Still, Merck remains confident. A spokesperpill to be limited in who it can be adminisson for the company stated 'The totalitered to, rather than a 'pandemic panty of the data from these studies acea that would sit in everyone’s indicates that molnupiravir is medicine cabinet.' The most not mutagenic or genotoxlikely group to be excluded ic in in-vivo mammalian from receiving the tablet: systems.' The initial expregnant women, at least citement around moluntil Merck can satisfy nupiravir was clear panic around potential through the stock birth defects. market on Friday, The effects of the October 1st. Merck’s treatment haven’t been shares jumped 8.4% the only scandal to while Moderna’s fell surround its launch. It by 11.4%. Regeneron has been revealed that Pharmaceuticals and Vir Merck has entered into a Biotechnology (in partcontract with the US govnership with GlaxoSmithPhoto by Merck Pharmaceuticals ernment where they will Kline) developed antibodies supply 1.7 million courses (5 for Covid-19, and their shares days per course) at $700 per fell by 5.7% and 21.1% respectively. An course. However, a joint analysis analyst for SVB Leerink, a leading investment by the Harvard School of Public Health bank focused on healthcare, called the stock marand King’s College Hospital, London of drug ket’s reaction to the pill 'wishful thinking'. Dr Geoffrey pricing put the manufacturing cost at $17.74 per

course. This means that Merck is charging 40 times what it costs them to manufacture the tablet. This is in addition to a $29 million grant from the US government to Emory University, where the research was taking place.Luis Gil Abinader, senior researcher at NGO Knowledge Ecology International, believes 'What they want to do, apparently, is to shape the narrative about who paid for the development of this drug in order to avoid demands from the public to make it available at reasonable prices'. This was in response to Merck buying the exclusive rights to sell and manufacture the drug after no further funding was provided. Merck has said it will 'implement a tiered pricing approach based on World Bank data that recognises countries’ relative ability to finance their health response to the pandemic.' Professor Penny Ward from King’s College London, said 'It is greatly hoped that the antiviral task force has, like the vaccines task force, pre-ordered courses of this medication. [This is] so that the UK can, at last, properly manage this condition by treating vaccine breakthrough disease, and relieve pressure on the NHS during the forthcoming winter.'

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

News Svetlana Krivonogikh rivonogivh grew up in a working-class area of Leningrad, and was a cleaner until the late 1990s. At this time, she became inexplicably rich. Just before his ascension to presdient, Putin is alleged to have had a relationship with Krivonogikh, and to have been the father of her daughter. The Pandora Papers reveal that Krivonogikh is the owner of an offshore company that bought a $4 million Monaco apartment in the autumn of 2003, the year Krivonogikh gave birth to the daughter reportedly fathered by Putin. It adds to her already expansive European property portfolio.

Gennady Timchenko ennady Timchenko is a Russian billionaire and oil magnate who is known for his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Forbes calls Timchenko “one of the most powerful people in Russia". In 2010, Timchenko’s investment fund, Volga Resources, became one of the largest shareholders in Novatek, one of Russia’s primary natural gas firms, extending Timchenko’s considerable grip on Russia’s oil and gas industry. The Pandora Papers reveal a series of massive loans in 2007 and 2008 between anonymous offshore shell companies and a Timchenko firm registered in Cyprus. The Moscow Times reported that the firm, called White Seal Holdings, played a role in Timchenko’s Novatek investment.

President Vladimir Putin's inner circle number of revelations have emerged about a number of indivudals in Russian civil society close with President Putin, including his close personal friend and billionaire oil magnate Gennady Timchenko, unofficial 'chief of propaganda' Konstantin Ernst and socialite Svetlana Krivonogikh.

6. Konstantin Ernst EO of Channel One, the most popular TV network in Russia, Ernst has been a consistent and crucial ally to President Putin since the turn of the 21st century. The Pandora Papers reveal that Ernst obtained a secret 23% stake in a billion-dollar deal, which he acquired with a loan from a Cypriot bank partly owned by the Kremlin-linked VTB Bank. Ernst used this to buy up property around Moscow, including dozens of Soviet-era cinemas around the country. Questions have been raised about Ernst's use of his proximity to Putin for self-enrichment.

Jonathan Aitken

ormer Conservative MP and minister Jonathan Aitken, who was famously jailed in 1999 for perjury, has been revealed in the Pandora Papers as having been paid over £150,000 9. by organisations close to the Government of Kazakhstan to write a praiseful biography of the long-serving former president of the country in 2009. The money was routed via Hong Kong and the Virgin Islands and discreetly sent to the ex-MP’s company, Aitken Consultancy & Research Services.

The Pandora Papers Leak of millions of files exposes mass corruption among global elites.

early 12 million leaked files – including emails, memos, reports and account records – were published at the beginning of the month to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in Washington. They reveal some of the secret assets and tax-evading techniques used by the super-rich and powerful across the world, including 28 current or former heads of state, 16 heads of government and 18 ministers. Hundreds of politicians, bankers, and businesspeople are also named, as well as corporations like Apple and Nike. As the ICIJ has said of their largest ever investigation, ‘The Pandora Papers reveal the inner workings of a shadow economy that benefits the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of everyone else’. Unlike previous leaks like the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, data has been taken from more than one place in the world. Leaks have come from a wide range of offshore providers, ranging from Central America through Switzerland and into the South China Sea. They were sifted through by a massive team of over 600 journalists from 150 publications – including The Guardian, BBC and Le Monde – and have implications for almost every country in the world. As well as exposing the scale and importance of tax havens to the ultra wealthy, the Pandora Papers are likely to have political and social ramifications for years to come.

8. King Abdullah II of Jordan

he Pandora Papers expose that the Arab world’s longest-serving current monarch has spent decades accruing an international luxury property empire worth well in excess of £74m, with property stretching from Malibu to Washington DC and on to Central London’s most affluent areas. The multimillion pound properties were acquired as US economic and military aid to Jordan quadrupled and Jordanian citizens were subjected to austerity as part of an IMF bailout for the resource-poor country.

Ben Eliot & Ben Goldsmith

Tony & Cherie Blair

onservative Party co-chairman - and nephew of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - was revealed by the Pandora Papers to secret be the joint owner of an offshore film financing company that has benefited from hundreds of thousands of pounds of UK tax credits. The other owner is Ben Goldsmith, the brother of Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith, who is also Minister for Pacific and the Environment. The pair used a government tax-relief scheme used to incentivise UK-based film-making to fund their 2010 Fires of Babylon. Despite the scheme being designed for UK-registered production companies, their company was majority-owned by a firm registered to the British Virgin Islands: a tax haven. Prem Sikka, emeritus professor at Essex Business School and a Labour peer, told the Guardian in regard to the film's production structure: “With tax havens, there are two advantages: opacity and tax avoidance. There’s nothing else to it.” 2. 3.

Photos courtesy of: 1. Facundo Arrizabalaga/ EURACTIV 2. Getty Images 3. Dave Benett / Getty Images 4. Evgenia Novozhenina/ Reuters 5. Proekt Media 6. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg 7. Anatolii Trofimov/Shutterstock 8. Frederic Sierakowski/ Isopix/Rex/Shutterstock 9. David M Benett/Getty Images

ormer UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife saved around £300,000 on stamp duty through a tax loophole on the purchase of their London office. Instead of buying the property outright, they bought the company which owned the property: Romanstone International. This company had been a subsidiary of a real estate firm owned by the family of Zayed bin Rashid alZayani, a Bahrainian minister since 2014. Though the Blairs' leaked activity is not strictly illegal, it highlights the ways in which wealthy indivudals can evade taxes while many of the poorest in Europe are squeezed. While Cherie Blair has denied her husband's involvement in the Romanstone deal, it raises difficult questions for the former head of government's relationship with tax evasion, an area he had once p r o m i s e d action on as Labour Party leader.

InQuire Monday 18 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

B Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

lack History Month ought to be a time of reflection, especially in a place like Britain where there is such a deep history of not just slavery but institutionalised, systemic racism. The UK celebrates Abolition and how it led the charge in making slavery illegal, but rarely acknowledges how it sat at the forefront of the transatlantic slave trade. Britain’s colonisation of African and Caribbean nations, exploiting their resources, labour and rights for its own personal gain, is wiped from curricula, only ever mentioned in the context of what Britain did for the colonies. The United Kingdom continues

Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

hen you look at the way the university is run, do you ever wonder who it’s run for? We, the students, pay anywhere between thousands of pounds to tens of thousands of pounds to study here, yet we have almost no power to make decisions on the things that affect us the most. Our University Council, ‘the supreme governing body’ of the institution, is less than thirty percent elected by students and staff. This body makes almost all the decisions about the university, including the appointment of the vice-chancellor and other high-profile staff. Nearly two-thirds of this Council

F Jake Yates-Hart Website Editor

or many students, including myself, budgeting has become the bane of our existence. After all, isn’t university supposed to be about being young and free, and maybe going to class if you feel up to it? I’m currently typing this having just withdrawn even more money from my savings (because occasionally when I’m stressed, I like to buy nice things), so this article is coming from a very real place filled with anxiety and a hatred for capitalism. Seriously, budgeting can be a daunting and sometimes depressing task. The last thing any student wants to worry about on top of their assignments is applying for jobs

Editorial

to employ Home Secretaries like Priti Patel who are put in these positions in order to create a sense of diversity while denying refugees from North and West African countries entry to the country. The Windrush Scandal made clear how little the Conservatives value black migrants in this country and the massive impact they have had on the economy, on healthcare, on culture, on diversity. Black History Month isn’t just about performative activism. It isn’t about posting colourful infographics on your Instagram story and then going back to your old ways. It’s about real self-reflection and change. Black

History Month is a time to realise the micro-aggressions, subconscious biases and racist acts of everyday life. Here at Kent, we owe it to our black counterparts to respect their place at the university. To respect their names, their histories, their cultures, their intelligence, their cuisine. One cannot, in the 21st century, claim there’s no work to be done when we continue to say we “don’t see colour” or we aren’t required to learn how to correctly pronounce people’s names. As the past year has finally shown, it isn’t enough to not be racist. We have to be anti-racist.

is made of people completely external to the university: these people have no investment in Kent’s students, academic rigour, or institutional integrity. Why are they here? Academics, administrative assistants, cleaning staff – these are the people who make our university tick, and they have next to no say in the running of the organisation? Likewise, students are paying customers and the beating heart of the university, yet we are routinely and systematically cut out of the decision-making process. Is it perhaps time for students and staff to come togeth-

er, demanding a little bit more from our university? In the last year of rent strikes, pay cuts and mismanagement, why is it fair that our vice-chancellor is absolutely unaccountable, unphased by the limited scrutiny students and staff can apply? Perhaps we should try something a little different. If students and staff come together, support each other’s movements for change and make joint calls for concessions, maybe we’ll start to wrest back just a crumb of the power we’re entitled to over Kent. This is where we learn, work, and relate to one another – it is only right that we have the power to make decisions.

in order to afford to, y’know, live. I suppose the argument is that university is training us for the ‘real world’ in which budgeting is vital to our survival, but the thing is, young people already know enough about the world to realise we’re all pretty much screwed financially once we graduate. With that said, we have nothing to lose! As long as we’re somewhat responsible with our money - e.g., disciplining ourselves enough to know where the cut off is in our budget - we can still find ways to enjoy university. As one of the biggest issues that us students are facing is finding a part-time job that fits into our timetable,

there are options the university offers to perhaps relieve the guilt of whether we really should be clubbing with bills due. For example, students can apply for an Access to Learning Fund, usually un-repayable, to help alleviate financial hardship, which helps students dodge the catch-22 of those dastardly loans. After all, finding time between essays and revision to party, play videogames, or just have fun in general is the difference between surviving university and truly experience it and being in the moment.

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Opinion

In 2021, Black History Month is just as important as ever By Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

/U ns pl as

M ill

yB P

Ph ot

“

By Elise Sauvary Opinion Writer

lack History Month originated in the United States in 1915, where it originally lasted only a week, before moving to become a month-long celebration by the 1960s. In the UK, it celebrates the huge contributions made by black people to British society. For too long, the curriculum taught in British schools has suffered a Eurocentric bias, highlighting little history for black people outside of slavery. This refusal to appreciate the contribu- Photo by Bex Walton/Flickr tions of a huge ethnic group is damaging for racist abuse after missing penalties in the all students. For black students, it can final. Highlighting black history can help give a greater sense of not belonging, and to reduce racism in the UK and teaching for white students it can be dangerous it in schools can only be a good thing. not to be taught the broad picture of the Restoring black people to their rightful country that they live in. Indeed, what is place in the historical narrative of Britain taught in schools must change in order may help to educate many individuals to educate less of a whitewashed history, whose historical ignorance might lead to and instead should appreciate the condangerous habits later in their lives. Edutributions made by all ethnic groups. cating children as early as possible of the Sadly, racism in the UK and across the importance of people from all cultures globe is still extremely prevalent, and esand backgrounds can help to reduce caspecially so in the past few years. In 2020, es of racism and hatred. Schooling young the murder of George Floyd in Minneappeople of a more diverse past will teach olis and subsequent Black Lives Matter them that black history is the same as movement ignited the global charge for British history and will help show how it social equality, as did is intertwined with the 2021 Euros where For too long, the their own personal three Black British curriculum taught in experiences. footballers received British schools has One important suffered a Eurocentric event in black hisbias tory is the ship HMT Empire Windrush bringing a large group of Caribbean immigrants to the UK in 1948 after viewing an advertisement in a Jamaican newspaper offering cheap transportation to anyone who wanted to come and work. At the time, the UK was discovering many shortages in the labour market following the Second World War and was therefore encouraging mass immigration to help fill these shortages. This happened to be the same year that British Rail and the NHS were established, which

Panic buying fuel is making the situation worse for everyone

both relied extensively on the labour of black individuals during their inception. Still today, the NHS would not be able to function without its black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) staff. The NHS is currently the biggest employer of people from a BAME background in Europe, with over 20% of all employees being from non-white heritage. The UK seems to be on the right track to eradicating systemic racism. It is hoped that 2020 has acted as a catalyst to enacting quicker change, and demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd have placed this topic at the forefront of the news, not just in America, but across the world. Footballers in the Premier League have taken the knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrations. This action was first taken by NFL player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 during the US National Anthem before matches to protest systemic racism and police brutality. The high-profile demonstrations and large support from both politicians and the general public give signs that the UK is slowly edging closer to reducing racism. There is still a lot of work to do, but treating cases of racism with more severity is important. This includes ensuring that social media is regulated so that individuals are held responsible for any racist language used on these platforms, an issue that was raised following this year's Euro final. While black history should not just be relegated to one month, it is hoped that the British school curriculum will change in to incorporate the contributions of people of colour on world history, as they have been ignored for far too long. In this sense, Black History Month is more of a campaign and peaceful protest against the schooling system with the aims of changing what is educated at a structural level. It is without question that this is necessary: it should not be the case that people have to go out of their way in order to learn about black history.

e have all seen it recently: roads completely blocked, petrol stations forced to close and mentions of difficulty filling up all over social media. Petrol and diesel are essential to the economy, and without them many services would simply fail. Supply of goods would be brought to a standstill, travel would become impossible and the emergency services would cripple: the UK would completely shut down. One of the causes of this crisis is the lack of HGV drivers. But why? This is not a new phenomenon: even before the pandemic and Brexit the UK was lacking around 76,000 drivers according to Logistics UK. This deficit has since risen much higher with many returning to their place of birth, as well as many British drivers retiring from this aging industry due to Covid-19. Since Brexit many foreign drivers are preferring to seek work elsewhere due to the endless paperwork that now has to be filled in order to be granted a work visa. So due to a mixture of Covid and Brexit we have lost many drivers both domestically and abroad. But this is not the whole story. Another reason for the lack of drivers is because haulers aren’t rushing to take up these much needed jobs as working conditions in the industry are extremely poor. Facilities such as safe and secure locations to rest are minimal, drivers work unsociable hours for weak salary rates, and the drivers we do have either stopped working as transporters or transferred to countries with better working conditions. The government has shortened the process for individuals to gain their HGV license, as well as writing letters to anyone that still holds one asking them to re-join the industry. Companies have also been offering incentives, with Tesco offering a £1,000 signing-on fee for drivers, and Poundland is offering to pay the costs for drivers to upgrade to HGV 1 licences, which would authorise them to drive articulated lorries instead of just rigid body units.

Social media also has a massive part in the panic buying with people broadcasting when they see a delivery at a station, causing people to rush to fill up, causing them to run out of fuel in matter of hours Many people have even been filling up as many jerry cans as possible, maximising their own personal supply but reducing the amount for people that desperately need fuel, worsening the situation. Some stations have been reducing this by only letting people who are less than a half a tank to fill up, asking for their reason for needing it and not allowing external cans to be filled. Although it is easy for people to lie, it helps the station reduce the amount of fuel taken in excess, allowing the emergency services, and those who desperately need it more of a chance to get hold of some. Drivers have been ignoring Boris Johnson’s pleas to stop panic buying, as the chaos at petrol stations continues. With social media making the issue look worse than it is, consumer behaviour needs to change, and people need to be prioritised. If it is not calmed even with more drivers the system would take a very long time to get back into balance, as people will still be buying out the supply hours after it arrives. Emergency services need to be prioritised, even better if stations could keep reserves of fuel specifically for them which is closed off from the public. This would reduce further negative effects on wider society. Even though all of the above have a contributing factor to the crisis, one of the biggest underlying factors is the lack of confidence the public have in the government’s ability to fix the economy’s problems, leading them to take it into their own hands. This is likely related to the poor handling of Covid-19, worsening the trust between the government and public. There is a lot going on in the economy at the moment, and the government are making efforts to fix them, even though it will not be simple and there is still a long way to go. To prevent further chaos, we must only buy what we need: panic buying will only worsen the problem.

Photo by John K Thorne/Flickr

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Opinion

Women belong to no one: leave us alone!

By Amber Lennox Opinion Writer

endy Morse. Elsie Smith. Zahida Bi. Katie Walker. Zobaidah Salangy. Nicoleta Zdun. Karolina Zinkeviciene. Sarah Everard. Sabina Nessa. Did you even know what linked these names before you read the last two? You get the odd case that makes major headlines, but otherwise most women who die at the hands of gender-based violence remain unnamed, and unnoticed. And there are too many of them to count. Even when a case does ‘make it big’ the pattern remains the same: shock and horror, an appropriate mourning period, forget about it. Then repeat for the next victim. And there will be a next victim, because repeatedly we are failing to learn from the last. We cannot just talk about the big cases anymore because all they do is highlight the grim results of a bigger issue. I went out with friends the other week and we stopped off at ‘Spoons’ – we were just students on a night out. I handed over my ID to the security guard and, instead of checking it over and handing it back to me, he held onto it whilst he looked me up and down three times. I counted. He then licked his lips and said, ‘can you give me a smile’. I’ll admit, I was stumped. I’m not smiling in my ID and last I checked, smiling

isn’t a requirement for getting into clubs and pubs; I offered a small, hesitant, up-turn of my lips, snatched my ID back from him, and went into Spoons feeling like I needed a shower more than a pint. He also asked my three female friends to smile, yet for some reason our two male friends made it through without him asking to see their jubilant faces. This is every-day sexism and misogyny at its finest. I’ll confess, I’m mad at myself, first and foremost. I am a sworn feminist and have always said that if ever I found myself in a position to call someone out on their sexism, then I would. Except I didn’t. This man, for all his leering, was in a position of power (the irony is not lost on me that his position is supposed to protect me from people like him), and I genuinely felt as though I had no choice but to smile, else he wouldn’t let me in. This is a microaggression, and it’s where it all starts. It’s not, however, where it ends. In this instance where I walked away, women like Sarah Everard are not so lucky. The security guard at Spoons used his power to leer at me a bit and then move onto the next woman. Wayne Couzens used his power to falsely arrest, rape, and murder Sarah Everard. The fact is that there’s an ingrained culture which sees the behaviour that I experienced accepted as standard. It’s a mindset, and it starts

simply with not viewing women as equal to our male counterparts. This internalized misogyny exists in women as well: it’s like we’ve been conditioned to guilt ourselves; what were we wearing, how did we act, what did we say, how could we have avoided it? We have to let this toxic mindset go. It is never our fault. Men are the ones with the fists and the words doing the harm. Men are the ones abusing their power and exploiting women. So long as the system keeps blaming women, and women believe it, we will continue to see stats like the fact that less than 40% of women who experience violence seek any kind of help, and only a tiny fraction seek assistance from the police. It was the poet Jasmin Kaur who said that we must ‘scream so that one day another sister will not have to dry her tears wondering where in history she lost her voice’. So this is my scream. One of many, I’m sure. I’ll scream for Wendy, and Elsie, and Zobaidah, and for myself, and for all the others. Perhaps I’ll have the empowerment to one day scream in the moment as well, but for now, this is where I’ll start: one scream at a time. This is a call to action for all other women to scream with me. Scream from the rooftops! Take up as much space as you can, and then take up some more for good measure! But this is also a demand. A demand for men to check

themselves and each other; stop with the everyday sexism and misogyny so that the microaggressions of today don’t turn into the murders of tomorrow. And don’t check yourself because 'what if it were my sister, mother, daughter?' Check yourself because no matter who she is, she’s a person in her own right, and that should be enough to view and treat her the same as you would any man. And to the security guard at Spoons: I do not owe you my smile. I also do not owe you my time, my body, my mind, or anything else for that matter. I am not your baby, or your sweetheart, or whatever other pet names you want to shout at us from

Photo by Tinus Marte/Unsplash

across the street, or whisper in our ears when we’re just trying to have a nice time out with friends. I am not your anything. Do your job and leave me be.

Reshuffling the deck – a global power shift Sophia Lueneburg Opinion Writer

n recent history, ascribing a sense of belonging for states was relatively easy, categorizing as East vs. West or developed vs. developing. Now, not only labels for countries and regions have changed, but nations have too. It is fair to say that the world we know today faces an identity crisis. Recently, the global world order has been subjected to a wide array of disruptions. China has become harder and harder to ignore for other global players. The pandemic has exposed the protectionism of the Global North and their unwillingness for true global partnership. Deteriorating supply chains

have brought Britain to its knees (or rather on its feet and out of fuel-less cars). Whether or not temporary measures will help long term to fix the supply problem remains open. America has dropped the ball on global leadership with their drastically failed withdrawal from Afghanistan. Cracks have appeared within the ideas of the European Union: Britain’s withdrawal, America’s war on terror or the Euro-American dream to stay on top of global economics. The leaders of world politics slowly but surely lose their grip on the mountain of global order. New players have better equipment, the faster routes, or simply less scruples than the old ones. Not that the US or Europe were exclusively fair players, but recently more Photo by Li Jijun/Flickr

and more countries have relinquished their masks when it comes to upholding formerly professed international values and laws. International power politics work similar to energy: It never disappears, it just shifts. Power is being redistributed. And with European countries remaining stuck in a pandemic state of caution and the US in free fall on the global power scale, the shift is already visible. The Economist wrote to the question if “China is already the world’s most dominant economy” a simple “yes”. But the tilt is not only within the realm of economics. Human rights crises around China, like Hong Kong or the Uighurs, territorial disputes such as that over Taiwan, have mostly disappeared from public attention. This has also something to do with different crises being much closer to people outside of China, e.g. the pandemic or climate change. Nevertheless, new governments also make an entrance that are far from the idea of democracy. The takeover of the Taliban, the military coup in Myanmar, the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse, and the suspension of parliament in Tunisia to name a few. It appears that not only do the former superpowers become less and less important, but so too does democracy. The most alarming aspect though is that the international community did not see the signs of what was coming. They have also been powerless in their reaction. And while one can say Myanmar or Af-

ghanistan are far from home, the same cannot be said about Russia. Ukraine and Russia are still engaged in an active dispute over Crimea. Recent calls for a stop on the second gas-pipeline from Russia to Germany due to Russia’s defensive behavior have not been met. Gas is supposed to stream through it within the first weeks of October. The Chinese new Silk Road has reached Germany. In Sri Lanka China has seized the port of Hambanthota which they financed on the island for 99 years after debts could not be paid. Montenegro is facing the same fate. The way alliances work has changed. Now either disturbingly one-sided manipulations and intimidation or general audacity has become a popular way to control resources or infrastructure. Also, smaller countries have shown an increased disrespect for the common international code of conduct and a surprising amount of nerve. The regime of Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, has been anything but shy in silencing political opposition. In May a Ryanair flight was forced to land in the country on its way from Greece to Lithuania due to a doubtful bomb threat, to arrest a Belarusian journalist and dissident together with his girlfriend. During the 2021 Olympics a Belarusian athlete was forced to seek asylum after criticizing not her government but her coach. In Poland a member of Belarusian civil society was found dead in a park. It has not been concluded if it was a suicide or

murder. Belarus is a direct neighbor of EU-countries Lithuania and Latvia. But while Russia has made it clear on which side they stand, the EU has done little to seriously counteract Lukashenko’s behaviour. Having countries in such proximity to major global players acting fearlessly of international condemnation speaks for itself in regard to their power. Leaders have realized by now that democracy and their place in the world is threatened. On her speech on the occasion of the German Day of Unity, October 1st, soon to leave Chancellor Merkel admitted that democracy is under attack. In February President Biden said the same for ‘American values’ but admitted that “American people are going to emerge from this […] better equipped to unite the world in fighting to defend democracy”. It is doubtful he would repeat this statement now. Whether it is Germany, the US or Britain, leaders should accept the power drift in the international order. Now might be the time for them to return to the drawing board and figure out what the former winners of the global game really want to portray to the outside world, and whether they themselves live up to the standards they attempt to set for others. If governments continue to scramble for geopolitical power during a fading age, instead of repositioning themselves, they might end up completely empty handed.

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Lifestyle

Mental Health

Recognising the Warning Signs of jjjjAbusive Behaviour

Trigger Warning: topics surrounding domestic abuse and emotional trauma

Photo by Kelly Sikkema

The first thing I wish I had picked up on was how X acted towards my family. To some, this may seem incredibly obvious, but for me this is something I wish I had questioned. I didn’t understand why X had such a dislike to my grandmother, why he badmouthed her to me and expected me to be okay with him insulting her. I didn’t understand why those two never got along and why the living room was so frosty when X visited my home after school. However, hindsight is 20/20,

Anothe r thing to pay attent i o n to is how you feel around your significant other when they are frustrated, irritated or angry. While any advice on abusive partners usually focuses on how your significant other shows negative emotions, I find it important to also register how you,

yourself, are feeling in these momwents. Whenever X was angry, it was never loud, he was always quiet and, in some ways, I found that worse. I didn’t know what he was thinking during his moments of anger and there was always an unknown threat in the air. He’s so much bigger than me, what if he hurts me? Where do I run to? He won’t, but what if he does? What do I do? Dread and panic like a damoclean sword ready to fall on my head at any given time.

Where to Find Help: If you need help in any way, there is always help available. If you are in immediate danger, contact the emergency services – you can set up a text relay with the police by registering your phone number at: https://www.emergencysms.net/ This allows contact with police without the need to speak. On campus, we have Student Support and Wellbeing who will make sure you get the help you need; they can be reached online through the university website: https:// reportandsupport.kent.ac.uk/ The community action group 'Respect The No' can offer advice and support regarding the reporting process. Respect The No can be reached on Instagram, @ ukcrespecttheno, someone will always answer your message. Off-campus resources are available if you would feel more comfortable reaching out to them; charities such as Women’s Aid, Refuge, ManKind, the Men’s Advice Line are all available online 24/7. If you are affected by the issues raised in this article and are looking for support you can contact Student Support and Wellbeing https://www.kent.ac.uk/student-support . Incidents can be reported to the University via Report & Support https://reportandsupport.kent.ac.uk/ , in an emergency always dial 999. Campus security can also respond to on campus emergencies (01227 82) 3333 The Beech House offers support for those that have been the victim of domestic and sexual abuse, they work specifically in the Kent and Medway area and can be reached online at www.beechhousesarc.org/ - you can also reach out to your GP or to any sexual health clinic, they will make sure you are safe.

ot C r

ain

and I now realise it’s because she would not let his questionable acts towards me go unnoticed – when she would stop him from 'jokingly' calling me names, it was her way of saying she noticed, that he was not as unseen as he thought. Out of the pair, she had the most control over me, as my guardian, and he despised her for that. I believe his negative attitude towards my grandmother was the beginning of my isolation. She was not good for me he said, she was cruel, and she didn’t understand me, not like he did. That only pushed me closer towards him and pulled me away from the people I loved most. If your significant other doesn’t like your mum and it doesn’t make sense, ask yourself: what’s the reason? If they try to turn you against your family or pull you away from your support network, you are at risk. That is abusive behaviour, and it is not healthy.

ecognising abusive behaviours in any relationship, be it familial, platonic, or romantic, has always been difficult. Discussions regarding these behaviours have always been collectively resisted in society because of a social stigma in place since the late 19th century. This stigma has prevented so many abuse victims seeking help for fear they will be shamed for 'accepting' the abuse, for feeling embarrassed that they 'allowed' this to happen. However, this past decade has seen the confrontation of the outdated idea of abusive relationships being a taboo subject. Representation in popular media, like nightly soaps, has had a crucial impact on the conversation around abuse and domestic violence. There have been many portrayals of relationship abuse in soap operas over the past decade, one of the most influential stories, however, was Tyrone Dobbs’ abuse storyline in Coronation Street in 2012-2013. This story went against the 'norm' of the time, with relationship abuse and domestic violence being seen as a female-centred subject. The story showed the character Tyrone being abused by his partner Kirsty, who would lash out, emotionally and physically hurting Tyrone whenever she was angry– this portrayal led to a spike of calls received by male domestic abuse charities during the period in which Tyrone’s story was active. Male domestic abuse charity ManKind stated that their call volumed tripled over a 30-day period from the introduction of Tyrone’s abuse storyline in March 2012 – a trend that is seen in both male and female abuse support charities, whenever there is a large-scale portrayal of abuse and domestic violence represented on television in the UK. Social media has furthered the conversation online, with pages on Instagram, Twitter and Reddit dedicated to offering advice and support to relationship abuse survivors, encouraging those effected to speak up and giving advice on which behaviours are red flags in a relationship. These representations aid in further chipping away at an ingrained social stigma. However, it is the unfortunate truth that many people don’t know they are being abused or have experienced abusive behaviours until after the fact. I was one of these people. From the ages of 1518, I was in an abusive relationship with a man we will call X. At first, everything felt normal, there was no screaming or hitting, X was my best friend. Then, my only friend. Then the only thing I could think about, and suddenly I wasn’t having fun anymore. I wanted my mum to help, I wanted to tell my grandmother something was wrong but I didn’t know what, and I had no idea why I was so scared and depressed all the time. Looking back now in my twenties, I realise I was in an abusive relationship and knowing what I know now, I’m going to tell you the behaviours I wished I had questioned at the time, as these were indicators of abuse.

By 'M' Anonymous

X never went for me in his quiet moments, he only ever hit the walls, but the feeling and the threat was always present. What if one day, I’m there instead of the wall? These moments made me hate silence of any kind and, even to this day, I need to hear something, or that familiar feeling of dread will return and sit heavy in my chest. If the thought of making your significant other angry or frustrated scares you or makes you worry in any way, register that feeling and ask yourself is this okay? Is that normal? From my experience, it isn’t. Lastly, one behaviour to look out for is how your significant other reacts to being joked about or challenged. This one may seem strange; however, this is something I found myself noticing time and time again in my previous relationship. X always took himself seriously, you couldn’t joke about him or

make him feel foolish, he didn’t like it. At the start of our relationship, he’d roll his eyes or pointedly ignore any jokes I made about him. As time progressed, however, his responses became crueller with him insulting me in response, no humour or light in his tone like there was mine. He’d always laugh whenever my smile dropped, then told me to stop being so serious. That way, I was always the problem, I could never take a joke. In the end, it was a poor choice to challenge him. I once made a joke and referenced Lord of the Rings, 'you have no power here.' Instead of laughing, he sent me a text ten minutes later with every intimate picture and video I had ever sent him, and a picture of my mother’s contact details. He threatened to blackmail me over a harmless reference. When I let X know how angry and upset I was, he only mocked me and said next time watch what you say. That is when I knew something was wrong, for the first time in 3 years I acknowledged that this wasn’t right and that is when I told my best friend. Being overly controlling and dominating to the point of harm is not harmless fun, it can turn nasty quickly. If your significant other seems to go 'too far' all the time, start to consider the possibility they are trying to break you down or show that they will always be in control. This is abusive behaviour. While there are so many more behaviours I could list, from my experience, these are things that I wished I had registered sooner as it could’ve prevented me from going through 3 years of abuse. I wasn’t the one to end the relationship, X was. I only got out because he decided that he didn’t want to be with me anymore, and at first I was angry and upset – it was like my entire world had been ripped away. But when I started to think about it a huge sense of relief washed over me. I didn’t understand why I felt relief, it was only in the coming months having discussed it with my best friend and later my grandmother, that I realised the behaviours I experienced were not normal and that the relief I felt came from the knowledge that I would no longer be under his control, that I wouldn’t have to stop everything I was doing to answer his texts, to tell him what I was wearing while I was in the middle of a lesson. These feelings have left a lasting impact upon me and how I view myself, how I respond to anger and any change of tone in conversation and that is something I still need help with. Something to remember: you can always talk to your friends and family about what you have experienced. They’ll want to help you and make sure you’re okay, it may feel embarrassing to do so but having this support network will make processing what has happened less of a challenge. I hope that if you need this, it helps. There is always support available, that is something I wish I had realised at the time; you don’t have to go through this by yourself.

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Lifestyle

Halloween

The Best Horror Movies for this Halloween

By Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor/Media & Events

orror movies are slightly ‘marmite’; people either love or hate them. You experience a rush of adrenaline when watching horror movies; intense fear coursing through your veins. Below are a list of recommended movies for those in search of a fright this Halloween. Paranormal: The best horror movies leave us with fears of things we didn’t even know we should be afraid of and even the small turning your bedroom light out becomes an act of bravery afterwards. Something even more terrifying…is something or someone you can’t see. When someone dies it’s easy to wonder if their spirit lingers to watch over their loved ones - but if this is true then what about the more malignant spirits? The ones who devote themselves to causing havoc against one particular house or family. Here are a list of Paranormal Movies: Paranormal Activity 1,2,3,4&5, Hereditary, The Blair Witch Project, The Omen, The Gallows, The Conjuring; The Devil made me do it, The Invisible Man, The Babadook, It Follows, Insidious, The Ring . Slasher: What do you think of when you hear ‘Slasher’? Killer in a mask?

Young teenagers in the middle of nowhere making the most of their summer break with booze and romance? And of course gallons and gallons of red syrup. But Slasher movies are an

Photo by Daniel Linexploration of physical and violent intimacy fighting for survival. The thing you should know about Slasher movies is the villains are never done and usually rack up a few early kills before making their big move on the main characters. Thats why there are

so many sequels, the killers just never die! Here are a list of potential Slasher Movies: Scream 1,2&3, Wrong Turn1,2,3&4, House of Wax, Fear Street 1&2, The Strangers, Halloween, The Town that Dreaded Sundown, Childs Play, Candyman, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Psycho Thriller: Thriller is such a wide sub-genre in the horror franchise; from Zombie Apocalypse movies to Alien Invasion - anything that encumbers intensity for survival is usually a thriller. The fear of being helpless to a much greater force or being can spark fear within us. Nobody wants to be vulnerable and the greatest fear of all is survival of the fittest. None of us can outrun death. Here are a list of Thriller Movies: The Gift, Us, The Conjuring, Annabelle, A Quiet Place, The Boy, Poughkeepsie Tapes (Warning Terrifying) , It, Jaws, Oprhan, Don’t Breathe, Sinister 1&2, REC, Final Destination, The Purge, The Day after Tomorrow, 2012. Cult/Religious: Although religion can be a sanctuary to many people wishing to believe in a benevolent God, its safe to say that there are many aspects to religious worship that can be unsettling. The presence of evil and villainy within the world, along with biblical faith in Hell and purgatory

wherein one absolves their sins in life. have as much CGI or realistic frights, Groups of orchestrated religion are old movies hold some sort of comfort. often depicted as cult-like within the Here are a list of Old Movies: horror genre, portraying the devil’s inHalloween, Friday 13th, Carrie, Beeterference with the innocent. However tlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Hocus somehow that one family in horror Pocus, Children of the Corn, Dracula, movies always seem to ignore the Frankenstein, Amityville Horror, The random 666 and upside down cross Birds, The Thing, The Haunting. in their home? I can safely say I’d be Psychological: Psychological horror running for the hills! movies are not only supposed Here are a list of to terrify their audience Religious/Cult but also to play around Movies: Midwith their minds and sommer, Evil have them questioning Dead, The everything by the Exorcist, end. This horrific The Nun, sub-genre focuses Deliver us upon the mental, the Devil, emotional and The Exorpsychological states cism of Emiof the human being Phot ly Rose, The creating a sense of o by Łuka Possession, unease. Although sz Ni eścio ruk The Conjuring bucket loads of fake blood 1&2, As Above So Below, and gore can be scary, the The Devil made me do it, The Last journey through the mind can Exorcism. appear more threatening. Old Movies: Growing up I always Here are some Psychological Horror begged my parents to let me watch a Movies: The Shining, Get Out, Antescary movie with my big sister who bellum, The Perfection, Split, Mother, was allowed. So old horror movies The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Creep remind me of my childhood - when 1&2, Gerald’s Game, The Sixth Sense, me and my friends would secretly stay American Psycho, Session 9, Shutter up late and binge watch Children of Island. the Corn at sleepovers without our parents knowing. Although they don’t

Halloween Cocktail Recipes! By Grace Bishop Lifestyle Editor/Media & Events

ith Halloween just around the corner, a cocktail night is the perfect pre-game before heading out to celebrate with an array of blood covered students. Having chosen your halloween costume and snapping some Insta photos to post the following day, it’s time to grab a bottle and get creative. Although everyone loves the classic frozen Daiquiri or mojito, these cocktails offer a festive feel with some spooky twists. Halloween Punch: Punch is an essential for a house party, where everything and anything is mindlessly thrown into a bucket and mixed together. For this recipe you’ll need 2L of cherry juice, the peels of 3 oranges, half a small chilli, 3 cinnamon sticks and 300ml of Vodka. Once you’ve mixed these ingredients you can garnish with some halloween edible sweets - Wilkinson’s have a wide range of edible fangs which would be a perfect addition to the drink. With the blood red colour, this dramatic and tasty cocktail is easy and quick to make. For those who don’t drink then

substitute the vodka for lemonade to add a fizz. Grasshopper: Fancy a ghoulish green treat? If so, we have just the thing; a Grasshopper. For this cocktail you will need 25ml mint liquor, 25ml créme de cacao and 25ml of single cream. Shake this all together with some ice and garnish with a mint leaf for that fresh and delicious creamy drink. This is perfect for those with a sweet tooth or those who don’t love the taste of alcohol as it tastes just like mint ice cream. Vampires Kiss: Calling all my pink gin ladies with a sweet tooth! All you need for this recipe is a bottle of Prosecco, l ie by Dan 25ml of Photo th vodka and 20ml of Horva raspber- ry liquor. For the garnish coat the martini glass in sugar around the rim of the glass (if you coat it in lemon

first the sugar has something to stick to) and then some frozen raspberries to add to the bloody theme with a classy elegance. Perfect for those Insta boomerangs and it’ll definitely have you on the floor by the end of the night. Bloody Mary: Although Bloody Mary’s are not my personal favourite - the name and vibe of this drink is perfect for a halloween party. You’ll need 100ml of vodka, 400ml of tomato juice, 1tbsp of lemon, a few drops of Worcestershire and tabasco Photo by NeONBRAND and a pinch of celery salt. Shake this over some ice and add serve with a lemon slice. Glasses: I remain partial to a classic martini glass, however halloween

cocktails need something a little more eerie. In either Wilkinson’s or Amazon they offer a selection of sinister goblets in a range of colours with skeleton hands wrapped around. They’re a cheap

and easy addition to the decor and Halloween vibe of your house party. Also, fear not if nobody owns a cocktail shaker - two cups wedged together will

work perfectly (just have a sink nearby for any spillages) Ways to save money with cocktail nights: By making the cocktails at home you will all save so much money. If you pick out cocktails with the same alcohol then you save money on each booze and by splitting this with your housemates; it usually works out cheaper than one cocktail in a bar. I’m sure as students you’re all well aware of the prices of Aldi or Lidl - by purchasing your booze from here you’ll be saving so much money than opting for branded alcohol. Aldi’s Prosecco is my fave! Now all you need are some spooky decorations and a variety of unique costumes and you are set for a night of Halloween fun!

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Lifestyle

Fashion & Food

A Review of Tiny Tim's Tearoom

Photo by Sara Cervera

Fendace: A Fusion of Italian Fashion Houses

Photo by Mojeh By Ainy Shiyam Head of Photography & Design

he finale of Milan Fashion Week 2021 will go down in history as the moment two luxury Italian fashion houses joined forces to form an experience of sheer creative intimacy. Donatella Versace designed twenty-five looks for Fendi and Kim Jones, and Silivia Venturini-Fendi reciprocated this with twenty-five styles for Versace. This was not a collaboration, but rather la celebration of Italian fashion; a disruption of the established order of things,' according to renowned brands. The show was opened by veteran model Kristen McMenamy (known for her memorable gender-neutral appearance during the 90s) styling a cut-out slinky black gown finished with oversized gold safety pins, which paid tribute to Elizabeth Hurley’s gown which was worn to The Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994. But on closer inspection, it became clear that this wasn’t simply a Versace affair, and the Fendi monogram made several appearances — on gold chokers, on bracelets, on shoe and dress straps, on belts that say 'Fendace,' and on handbags spliced with Versace’s acclaimed logo. This collec-

tion was inspired by the mid- to late-’90s era of the Italian house under Gianni Versace. Kate Moss and Amber Valletta closed the first half of the show together, and the Medusas overlooking the runway rotated to reveal the double-F Fendi logo designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Along with the logos, the evenings energy suddenly switched into a celebratory reception for the Fendi collection, designed by Donatella, who adopted a 'punk-rock approach ... with rebellious notes.'. Models including Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski strutted in silk mini dresses and separates printed with aa array of Fendi’s double-F and Versace’s signature Baroque prints. The handbags were finished with golden Medusas, and models wore platinum blonde Donatella wigs to continue the theme. An iconic moment for fashion history; however the model line-up was possibly even more legendary. A combination of old and new faces returned to the runway in what felt like the best way to end the Milan Fashion Week. With 90’s super models including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Amber Valletta, and Kristin McMenamy joining hands with the models of today such as Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Paloma Elsesser; the line-up added undeniable

glamour and buzz to the event. Despite rumours of a potential partnership between Versace and Fendi, the mashup still came as a complete shock to many fashion critics. The invitations by Donatella Versace gave no hint on what to expect at the show, reading only 'Please join me for an intimate creative experience.' It wasn’t until the end of the show that the audience fully comprehended what they had just witnessed. While 'Fendace' marks the first occasion that two major fashion houses owned by different conglomerates have swapped roles, they are by no means the first luxury designer pairing. In February 2020, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simmons of Calvin and Klein became co-creative heads of the Italian luxury brand Prada. Then in April of 2021, Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga 'hacked' (meaning both the parties worked together) one another for the Italian brand’s 100th anniversary. Fendace brought glitz and glamour of both Italian fashion houses to close the Milan fashion week and even thought there were instances of hacking in the fashion world, the creative experience bought by both Donatella Versace and Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini-Fendi will go down in history as an iconic experience. Photos by Mojeh

ituated in the heart of Canterbury lies Tiny Tim’s Tearoom. Located along St Margaret’s Street, this traditional English tearoom is home to what is in my opinion some of the best cake in town! Boasting over 30 variants of coffee and tea there is something there for every café lover. Serving breakfast and lunch alongside a plethora of sweet options, this café should definitely be high on your list to visit. Yet depending on your choice, it isn’t exactly tailored to the average student budget, so maybe add it to the list of places you’d like to see when your parents pop down for a visit. Housed in a 17th century building, Tiny Tim’s fits in neatly with Canterbury’s aesthetic of cobbled side streets and physical reminders of the past. It is eye-catching as you walk away from the high street, not only for the frontage but the lines of baked goods that adorn the window display, enticing any passer-by to take a closer look. The tearoom also offers a wonderful afternoon tea, making a trip here a great birthday present or simply a reason to dress up! However, this Tearoom is not the sweet old looking establishment it may seem on first glance. For despite its cosy appearance, it has a dark secret: this building is claimed to be the most haunted in Canterbury! As you wander the winding staircase in search of the female toilets, you will begin to see what I mean. If you dare to venture further upwards, you will also come to the Ghost Room on the third floor, which is said to be the home of three child ghosts. The story claims that as restorations took place years ago, workmen found children’s teeth and ringlets of hair inside the wall. They also discovered the name, dates of birth and death for the children on a panel in the wall. I must admit I have not had the nerve to venture quite as far as the third floor during my couple of visits to the tearoom (the information about ghosts in the ladies was enough to put me off!) I have never experienced the feeling of any kind of presence before, but maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, as the staff have some very different stories to tell. With tales of moving objects, taps turning themselves on, feet running up the stairs and children laughing when the building is supposed to be empty, who knows what to believe! Open during the week between 9:30am-5:00pm, on Saturdays 9:30am-5;30pm and Sundays 10:30am-4:30pm, this tearoom is a must see during your time here in Canterbury. Whether you’re a coffee lover or a ghost hunter Tiny Tim’s has something for you. If you check out this unique tearoom, get in touch via our social media to let us know what you think!

By Elle Summers Website Culture Editor

Photo by

Photo by Nathan Dumlao

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Feature

In the wake of recent events, have we learned nothing?

Trigger Warning: topics surrounding sexual violence and emotional trauma

By Rosie Saruhan, Writer

arah Everard and Sabina Nessa, famous women of our time, and for what? For being victims of male sexual depravity and violence. The simple act of walking from one place to another, ended in extreme brutality and death for these two young women. Sarah Everard was walking alone along the A205 Poynders Road towards Tulse Hill, south of Brixton. The journey would only have taken 14 minutes. She was last seen wearing a green rain jacket, navy blue trousers with a white diamond pattern, and turquoise and orange trainers, and a white beanie hat. The lack of communication between herself and her family in the days commencing her walk home, sparked extreme worry and she subsequently became a missing person. A few days later the police arrested Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer for the Metropolitan Police, who had snatched Ms Everard in a 'false arrest', by 'handcuffing her and showing his warrant card', the court heard on Wednesday 29 September. At the beginning of his two day sentencing at the Old Bailey in London, the court heard how Ms Everard was the victim of 'deception, kidnap, rape, strangulation, fire.' Wayne Couzens went to great lengths in this premedicated attack, to conceal her body, dispose it of and to hide her mobile phone, throwing her away like his dirty little secret. A lifetime of anguish and pain; of harrowing imagination for poor Sarah’s family of how her final moments played out. Another victim, Sabina Nessa, was walking to the Depot Bar in Kidbrooke Village to meet an old friend but she never arrived, and her friend thought she had stood them up. Unbeknownst to her friend, Sabina was attacked by someone unknown to her in an unprovoked attack. Koci Selamaj used a 2ft long weapon to repeatedly strike Sabina 28, in the head. He then dragged her unconscious body to Cator Park, Kidbrooke, covered her in leaves and left her there like she was an unwanted piece of damaged trash. She died alone, cold and confused, her last moments of life are harrowing to think about. How she would have felt scared and shocked before she suffered blunt force trauma to the head. Does violence need a reason? However we answer that there was no reason given for this brutal murder of a woman who was just walking to meet a friend. The police have said at the time of her murder, that it was not the middle of the night, people would have been in and around the park. As women we are told, in order to keep ourselves safe we should not walk alone during the dead of night, so how are we meant to navigate a future where there is no safe time for us to walk outside from place to place? So many questions surface: where do we look to blame? Have we learned anything from any of this? I close my laptop after reading statistics and switch on the television to a plethora of entertainment at my fingertips. Reading some of the descriptions of the movies and series I can access on my subscription to a popular streaming service, I am horrified to see that many of these hold violence against women, sexual assault, domestic abuse, stalking and misogyny... the list goes on. There is clearly a demand for this kind of entertainment, as increasingly it is being commissioned by the CEOs of the many subscription services, we all have at our disposal. So are we, the viewing public to blame for normalising this type of entertainment, keeping it current in our media? I am intrigued, do we genuinely enjoy seeing a young, vulnerable woman being terrorised by an unknown, usually male, intruder, whose strength she cannot match? We sigh with relief and take the cushion away from our faces as she uses her wit and resources around her to escape, but do we re-

ally think about how this kind of entertainment fuels this idea that women who choose to live alone, walk alone, are asking for it? That they are inviting male predators, opportunists to enact these degrading fantasies that we see on our screens? Let’s not be naïve enough to believe that since the invention of films and television, women have been objectified and judged as ‘easy’ by the way they dress. In 18th Century England, if a woman dressed

en in my life from the age of eighteen up until the age of eighty, and all have an arsenal of tips and tricks up their sleeves, passed on by older sisters, mother’s and concerned aunts, to name but a few. ‘Always remember to carry your keys sticking out of your hand to use as a weapon’ ‘pretend to be on the phone to your boyfriend, or pretend boyfriend.’ One I always remember my mother telling me was ‘Pretend that you are going to vomit and natural-

Photo by news.sky.com provocatively in the eyes of a man, she ly the man will let go of you.’ I am was fair game, and consent of course sure any female reading this knows was loosely based on a woman’s status in societhese same tricks of the trade and even have some of ty; if she was seen as a prostitute, it was a man’s their own to pass on to other females that they love. right to take her for himself. So it is not a new pheI remember a time at school when one of our P.E nomenon, but lessons was what we need is If you are affected by the issues raised in this dedicated to change, a world article and are looking for support you can self defence where a woman for women contact Student Support and Wellbeing: can dance freely (being an all in a nightclub girls school) in without the https://www.kent.ac.uk/student-support order to equip unwanted presthe girls of the ence of a man school with Incidents can be reported to the University the techniques leering over her, even touchfor our weaker via Report & Support: ing her; his reastature to be son being ‘she able to fight off https://reportandsupport.kent.ac.uk/ male predawas dressed in a short skirt’, tors. Is this re‘I could see ally something or in an emergency always dial 999. her cleavage’, that should or ‘she was be included in Campus security can also respond to on dancing proour daughter’s vocatively.’ education? campus emergencies: (01227 82) 3333 S o Instead of again, have we learned anything? educating our girls on how to protect themselves I think that one thing we can take away from the horor escape the clutches of an abductor or rapist, we rific murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa is need to educate our sons, our teenage boys and bethat we need to educate men, the males in our society. yond on how they can make our streets feel safer for This is not to suggest that all men are sexual deviour girls. Teaching them not to objectify women, to ants waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting, innounderstand that friendliness and flirtation does not cent woman walking home, however, it is the role equal consent. To choose entertainment that does these genuine and caring males play in making the not normalise the male intruder whose objective is streets feel safe for females. Many men have voiced to terrorise and endanger the vulnerable girl/womtheir concern for the safety of women in vulnerable an alone. To put themselves in the shoes of girls situations, and how they can alleviate that stress and women, understanding the way they can affect for a woman who is perhaps just walking home. a female’s walk home by the choices they make. Firstly, understanding the vulnerability a woman What about the small percentage of male predafeels when walking alone, or if a man is walking tors that are a real and genuine threat to our girls closely behind her. A man can take the initiative to and women on the street I hear you ask? Because cross the street if it is possible, or to not walk so let’s face it, Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa were closely behind her. I have spoken to many womnot victims of just a feeling of being uncomfortable

around men. They were attacked in a premeditated, unprovoked abuse of power, in one form or another. So where do these depravities stem from? Are they just an innate perversion inside some people or are they nurtured through the observation of violent and degrading pornography? We need to look to the pornography industry and how that has impacted the way that men view women. Pornography is veering ever more towards the violent and depraved and it is all too easily accessible. ‘Extreme content is the new norm’ according to a Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force. In a 2010 journal entitled ‘Violence Against Women’ by Professor Dines it states that physical aggression was seen in 88.4% of the leading scenes found in pornography, with 94.4% of the aggression directed towards women in these scenes. Exposure to this type of pornographic material puts individuals at an increased risk of committing sexual offences in real life. The glorification of violence and rape can lead the viewer to believe that women actually have a secret enjoyment of rape as shown in this type of pornography. This behaviour can often translate into sexual aggression within sexual relationships and encounters. Yet, it is not only in the world of pornography that we are presented with sexual violence and control ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ by E.L James, became the most popular book in 2011. Essentially this is mainstream fiction that glorifies sexual abuse. Amy Bonomi, a professor at Michigan State University conducted a thorough study of the book in 2013 and found “emotional and sexual abuse pervasive in the novel.” Christian Grey, the male protagonist stalks and controls the female character Anastasia Steele, he even texts her saying “No place to run. I would find you. I can track your cell phone – remember?” We see Anastasia, a seemingly naïve individual coerced into BDSM and abusive forms of sex. So why was it one of the most popular and successful books of 2011? The book and subsequent movie adaptation were marketed as romantic fiction, just in time for Valentine’s Day, with most fans being women. ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ masquerades as a love story about a handsome billionaire who helps the poor young virginal woman transform into a confident and sophisticated, sexually awakened woman. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? We are ten years on from the release of this book and perhaps now is the time for change, change in society, in our education system and in the tactics, we adopt in our parenting to make the world a more equal place for women, and one where they can walk freely and safely from one place to another. Perhaps this may seem unrealistic but our future women are relying on the changes we make now together. We cannot change what has been before, we cannot bring back the poor innocent women who have needlessly lost their lives to sexual violence, but we can allow their deaths to not be in vain. We can make the changes that we wish to see if we educate on all the issues raised today. Schools can adopt it into their curriculum, challenging the way society may have previously allowed women to be viewed, portrayed and represented. We can teach our sons and our daughters the importance of consent, about what is acceptable in relationships, about what we consider entertainment is on our screens. We can hope for a future where the famous women we are reading about in our newspapers are those who achieve greatness, not for being victims of brutal rapes and murders. We will never forget Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, two out of too many victims caused by poor education and inferiority complexes.

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Feature

"It's great to be Angry, b

For Black History Month, InQuire sits down with Bash

By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

o celebrate Black History Month – and sixty years since the publication of Wretched of the Earth – InQuire’s Newspaper Editor sat down with Bashir Abu-Manneh to talk about Frantz Fanon, one of the 20th century’s foremost black radical scholars. Bashir is head of Kent’s School of English and a contributing editor for Jacobin, including their academic journal Catalyst. In Catalyst’s Spring issue, Bashir wrote the piece ‘Who Owns Frantz Fanon’s Legacy’, in which he defends Fanon’s place as one of the 20th century’s most important anticolonial intellectuals. Fanon’s writings have been immensely influential to antiracist and anti-imperialist activists and scholars. Director of Kent’s Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies Dr. Matthew Whittle explained what Fanon means to him: “Frantz Fanon is the most influential anti-colonial thinker of the twentieth century. He knew that freedom from invading colonial forces was not the end of the struggle but merely its first tentative steps: independence in post-colonial regions must be followed by a revolutionary reordering of society that goes beyond forms of nationalism led by the bourgeoisie to establish an equitable alternative to the brutalities of capitalist-imperialism. Fanon’s hereditary links to African slavery in his home country of Martinique, his active role in armed struggle against French colonialism in Algeria, and his close ties to anti-colonial resistance movements in Ghana, Portuguese Guinea (present-day Guinea-Bissau), and Cape Verde, all helped to foster his lifelong commitment to a politics of international socialism, a politics antithetical to the delimiting and exclusionary borders of any one nation-state. In our contemporary world, Fanon’s thought has only become more pertinent. His

writing reminds us again and again that to follow a ‘postcolonial’ critique of politics and culture, or to ‘decolonise’ public spaces and academic canons, is to commit ethically and intellectually to nothing less than an anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, and anti-racist worldview” With this positioning of Fanon’s importance in mind, we asked Bashir to discuss his reading of Wretched, Fanon’s continuing vitality, and what his work has to say to modern progressives and antiracists.

"To read Fanon is to enter a world of colonial division, national conflict and emancipatory yearning" Alex: So, to start out, your piece was so good. It really clarified my reading of Fanon. I suppose the big claim you make – or one of them – is that Wretched is Fanon’s most important work. Can we delve into that? Why is Wretched Fanon's most important work? Bashir: Because I think it encapsulates all the main strands of his thinking. It brings in his political work, his political analysis, his writings on psychology and his psychiatric training. It also engages the question: what does one do with black identity? How does one tackle questions of racism and questions of disenfranchisement, and discrimination, and racial alienation? So, it brings together all those strands into Wretched, which marks a maturation for Fanon as a political being and a New Left intellectual: an intellectual who was very critical of the advanced capitalist countries, but at the same time does not accept the authoritarian Stalinist conception. He still wants to be a socialist, and he's still anti-capitalist. That's what brings in this notion of emancipation and liberation to the core, that the end product of this is ultimately the liberation of the individual. And that, in a nutshell, is enlightenment thought, right? This idea that you need to transform society in such a way that ultimately empowers individuals to change their own lives, and to liberate and emancipate themselves. So Wretched captures a whole wave of decolonization thought and captures the essence of the values that were politically current, and links those values to both the national and individual level, drilling down to the core to encourage human blossoming. Alex: This is where the humanism comes in, and what sets him apart from a bureaucratic, Soviet-style socialism, right?

Photo by Toscana Novecento

Bashir: Absolutely. So, at the end of the day, it is individual emancipation. And at

the end of the day, it is the end of individual alienation. And that is the terminus of this project. What’s distinctive about Fanon is the mechanism that he articulates in order to get there, which is a democratic popular mechanism and a new humanist project. Fanon's argument is not to throw humanism out of the window, and to say humanism as a result is itself racist - is to say, no, we need to have a new kind of humanism, which accounts for and allows for global political transformations.

Bashir: Of course, and Homi Bhabha, who just absolutely distorts Fanon. Said is more silent about Fanon's socialism, it probably is

Alex: So, it's an update of enlightenment thinking? Bashir: It's a deepening of enlightenment thinking. And it's remaining faithful to these core enlightenment values, a commitment to the autonomous, free, self-emancipating individual. The terrain of the fight for these beliefs was, in part, initially the terrain of race, but then he also recognised that race as a category is not something that the left should defend or be committed to. It is something for for progressives to transcend, to get beyond. Photos by Library of Congress People across different cultures and societies and nationalities must come together in a silence, because, I mean, Fanon is to contexcommon project, rejecting the idea there are tualise it, like Martin Luther King, you can't ontological differences. So, the conclusion, make sense of what he's saying, without unand also the first chapter of Wretched, is very derstanding that he's a socialist, that what much about that. he ultimately believes in, even though he's fighting on certain things, which don't seem Alex: Is it that radical message which means initially socialist, like race, etc. But that motihis socialism must be underplayed when peo- vates his writing – what motivates his values, ple talk about Wretched, is it because it's rad- what informs him, there's this idea that peoical? Or is there another reason why people ple are fundamentally equal, and we share in tend to? Because it seems to me it's its core this category called human being, and every– socialism is core to what's going on. And body belongs in that category. therefore, the lack of discussion of socialism to deal with this work is strange to me. Alex: So, I suppose then, Fanon's impatience with race as a category is more to do with the Bashir: So, I think the lack of discussion of fact he knows it's something which has to be socialism in Fanon's work is a result of the superseded. It's a useful analytical tool, but force of nationalist movements and national- it's real only as far as capitalism makes it real ist movements of an elite nature. – is that fair? Alex: Edward Said I think you mention.

Bashir: So, for him, race is something which is mobilised in order to intensify and en-

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Feature

but anger is not enough"

hir Abu-Manneh to discuss Frantz Fanon's radical legacy. trench discrimination and inequality. Race is a kind of justification for equality, in and of itself, as it were ontologically as a creature

settler colonies, whether we're talking about Algeria, or the US, or Palestine, there's something about settler colonialism that breeds that kind of violent response from the colonised, exactly because of the impositions of colonialism. Alex: So I guess this is a very general question, also quite an obvious question, I suppose: what can Fanon give to global South movements for emancipation?

Bashir: I don't think you can go back to Fanon and just take it as read; I don't think you should use Fanon as a straightforward map for the contemporary. I think the challenge with all of these thinkers is you have to have a critical distance, you have to interpret them in their own context and historical moment, in the sense that you have to do you have to replicate what, for your period, he did for history. So, you have to be able to present that kind of class analysis, that kind of critique of capitalism, that kind of commitment to socialism, but in the current moment. This means that you have to develop an analysis of the social composition of revolt; an analysis of the distinctive features of capitalist exploitation and oppression. Today, we know the framing of the situation is rather different. What this generation, I think, has to understand about Fanon is this crucial fact: there's no way of understanding Fanon's Cover by Penguin Books worldview, his thinking, his mode of analysis, without unof being, it doesn't exist, it means nothing to derstanding the fact that he was a committed say white logic, black logic, it means nothing socialist, which means that he was anti-capanalytically, it's an empty word, right? And italist, and that he mobilised class in the inFanon understood that. terpretation of capitalism and emancipation. Alex: So 'On Violence', and on his relationship with violence in the text, as you rightly point out, it is overplayed the extent to which it is about violence and his, you know, his passion for violence as some would have it. How would you characterise his view on violence as a tactic; as a necessity; as something which is going to happen, and which already happens in systems of colonisation. Bashir: So, violence for Fanon comes out of the equation of the nature of colonialism itself. It is not something that the colonised choose, it is something on some level which is imposed on them by the colonial system. Decolonization involves violent struggle. This is not something that Fanon imposed – in

Alex: Which leads into also what he's got to say to those in the Global North. Things like Black Lives Matter have sort of fizzled out – is this because they did not commit enough to an anti-capitalist critique, or a socialist project of emancipation for the Global South as well? Bashir: Yes. If there's a warning in Fanon, it is the notion that there is an overplaying, overemphasising on identarian questions, which he critiqued about the négritude movement. So that's the warning for this contemporary generation: if you want structures of inequality to be transformed, you need to deal with the structures themselves. You cannot deal with other aspects that do not ultimately

transform those structures. What this generation has to do is provide a similar kind of strategy and not allow itself to be appropriated by identity politics in the contemporary context. Identity politics do not deal with neoliberal capitalism, do not deal with questions of redistribution, right? Do not ignore all those questions, and then turn this whole question of racism, just into a kind of a symbolic discussion about recognition. Fanon was a materialist. He understood that categories, psychologies, feelings – those things contemporary progressives are so

mind, Fanon’s ability to chase revolutionary sparks and revolutionary potentials. There will always be the potential for mass resistance. For you, theoretically and politically, to discount that potential, is for you to fortify the system of oppression. Fanon understood that very well. When I read Wretched, I was absolutely floored by it. I read Wretched, now, over twenty years ago. And there’s an energy about the writing, this very viscerally moral view, this visceral sense of outrage at oppression, and this ability to organise your anger and channel it, that’s key, right? How do you channel this anger we all have at various forms of oppression, how to channel it into a political project? This step I saw in Fanon was absolutely important: to be angry is not enough - it’s great to be angry, I’m all for anger in politics, I’m not going to discount anger in politics, it’s motivating, it gives you clarity and focus. But anger is not enough. You need to be able to forge a political project around it. Fanon could see the potentials of that in socialism. I also think for this generation, what Fanon presents very powerfully is this notion that there are alternatives. You don’t have to be cynical or accept that this is the end of the road or the best it can get. It’s absolutely transformable - it requires a lot of commitment, a lot of work, a lot of discipline and organisation, but it is possible. And if we don’t do it - there’s a Chomskian lesson here - the situation will get worse. I think Fanon represents that struggle for justice, which every generation has to generate and think anew. There’s comfort in the idea that you might not win in your generation, but you belong to a much longer lineage and tradition of struggle and fighting oppression. It does mean… I think it’s very easy to be cynical. I think it’s much more difficult to believe in political good and justice. I think Fanon is the example of the belief of the necessity of the political act, a message that resonates across generations - that’s what I take from Fanon.

"Fanon represents the struggle for justice, which every generation has to generate and think anew" concerned with – are fundamentally rooted in social, economic structures and emanate from them. So even when you look at his psycho-psychiatric writings, even in Wretched, right, which is a very good example of his writings on how individuals are devastated by historical suffering by depression, he constantly emphasises the social and political conditions of oppression. This is not just about the individual propensities, and how the individual feels in this situation. This is about the fact that you have a war. It's a colonial War, it’s traumatising, and people collapse under those big conditions. So even its analysis of psychology is materialist. So, there's no way around materialism and materialist analysis for the left if we want to understand capitalism and what needs to be done in order to overcome characters. You need a left that is able to end oppression by transforming the social structures, you don’t a left trying to extract symbolic victories. Alex: So I suppose the final question to top off is, what would you say Fanon's legacy is and what does Fanon mean to you? Bashir: I think the legacy of Wretched is this notion that you had a moment in global history which presented all around universal emancipation for the whole globe. I think that's very important if you think about the 60s: before the Vietnam movement, before the anti-colonial movement caught people's imagination in the West, before the ‘68 mobilisations of the working class. What Fanon understood was that the era of revolutions being possible hasn't ended, and that contemporary capitalist conditions create openings and possibilities that should be utilised by political movements. He could see the revolutionary potential of the exact same class, which other intellectuals could not. This gives you a sense of the fibre, the intellectual vigour of this man's

Photo by Academics for Palestine

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Science and Technology

Bake Off’s back! How the baker’s apron is a laboratory coat in disguise... By Holly McPhillips, Writer

t is that time of year where Tuesday evenings show us inspiring One classic Bake Off week which Mandal had captured Paul’s attwists on teatime favourites and classic desserts, the all-too-relattention was during pastry week where he had made samosas using able highs and lows of baking under pressure, and how unexpecta family recipe. Personally, pastry has always intrigued me due to edly creative you can be with bread and pastries with no time to spare. The Great British Bake Off is a reality competition show where twelve amateur bakers battle it out for the infamous Paul Hollywood handshake, Dame Prue Leith’s approval and a spot on the Bake Off Wall of Fame with a prestigious cake stand. Each week focuses on a different style like the infamous cake week, intricate patisserie week, and indulgent chocolate week, as comedic presenters Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding try their hardest to reassure the contestants. Inevitably, we get caught up in the fascinating technical challenges and even try these at home to impress family, friends and even work colleagues. However, what fascinates me the most about baking is how much science plays a role. The kitchen is our very own experimental laboratory as baking Photos from Unsplash, design by Johnathan Guy incorporates all aspects of natural sciences. Mixing different ingredients in specific ratios creates a consistent the varieties that batter or dough – chemistry. Addition of yeast yields carbon dioxide exist depending which makes bread rise – biology. on the ratio of Air bubbles trapped inside batter expand which gives rise to cake flour, fat and wa– physics. Moreover, like a laboratory experiment, there is a lot of ter used, making designing, planning and preparation involved to control the quality it a great candidate and appearance of bakes to guarantee your showstopper captivates to study further the the Bake Off tent. importance of science Photo by the BBC In fact, 2018 Bake Off winner and science research associate, Rain baking. For pastry, the rise hul Mandal, used his scientific knowledge and thinking processes comes from steam generated from to bring us unique takes on tasks. For example, during one techniwater and fat during oven baking. The more steam created, the more the flour layers push apart, and this can have

lamination, and this creates defined thin sheets as the steam released from cooking pushes the dough layers far apart. Contrast this with choux pastry which is used to make classy desserts like filled eclairs and profiteroles. The dough is prepared differently but more importantly, there is almost double the volume of water compared to flour used which achieves the hollow cavity that makes space for the filling, due to gas expansion. It is not only ratios that can be changed to give different textures to bakes. There also exists a wide range of raising agents used in many cake recipes. A staple item for most dedicated cake bakers is baking powder. It is a combination of acid and base, which when added to cake batter, causes a reaction to evolve carbon dioxide bubbles throughout the mixture. This helps to achieve rise in the cake and a light, fluffy texture. Lastly, I cannot end the article without discussing the fascinating phenomenon of edible glass. Frequently used in films and plays to portray real glass, this sugar candy captured viewers’ attention in Bake Off’s 2019 semi-final. Contestants were challenged to contain their bakes in a sugar glass box which had to retain its shape when lifted – and this involved some clever science to make these uniform sturdy glass sheets. The recipe is very similar to making jam, but glucose or corn syrup is in this case also added to prevent the melted granulated sugar from recrystallising – which if it were allowed to, would produce something comparable to hard boiled sweets or rock candy. Addition of glucose distances the sugar molecules and keeps the mixture as a syrup that can be poured into a cold mould to create the

“It is a combination of acid and base, which when added to cake batter, causes a reaction to evolve carbon dioxide bubbles throughout the mixture.”

“What fascinates me the most about baking is how much science plays a role. The kitchen is our very own experimental laboratory ”

cal challenge, Mandal was challenged to make Wagon Wheels – my guilty pleasure! Mandal did not know what these biscuits were but after reading the limited description provided, he broke the task down into smaller sections, like miniature chemical reactions that all produce individual components needed for the final reaction step. Drawing on previous knowledge and not becoming overwhelmed by the last step, Mandal was successful in his interpretation of Wagon Wheels, and even received a few firm handshakes from Paul.

desired shape. Undoubtedly, baking is a scientific art. It pulls together creativity, precision and hard work under pressure, as evident in the Bake Off tent. Nonetheless, with some careful planning, preparation and patience, it is possible to bake something incredibly tasty and worthy of that most venerated Paul Hollywood handshake. The Great British Bake Off airs every Tuesday from 8PM on Channel 4 and the latest series started on the 21st of September and is available on catch up.

Photo by Channel 4

Photo by the BBC

noticeable changes in the pastry texture. Consider puff pastry, which is used to make croissants and Danish pastries. Layers or slabs of cold butter are folded between layers of dough, a procedure called

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Science and Technology

The Final Frontier: Captain Kirk blasts off as the oldest person to ever go to space By Johnathan Guy, Newspaper Science & Tech Editor

t was announced via TMZ that William Shatner, a Canadian actor best known for playing Captain James Tiberius Kirk on the original series of Star Trek (and seven subsequent films) would be - more than 50 years since he first took the role of Kirk - taking a trip to space (past the internationally recognised Kármán Line boundary) in real life on the 12th of October as part of a planned flight being carried out by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. Shatner himself has since confirmed this via Twitter, saying ‘Yes, it’s true, I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’’. The announcement comes over a year after Shatner posted a tweet shortly after SpaceX (owned by Elon Musk) had returned humans to orbit for the first time in nine years following the retirement of the NASA space shuttle, with a photoshopped image of himself in a spacesuit and a caption of ‘BTW @NASA – just in case; the suit does fit!’. Notably, this makes Shatner, at 90 years of age, the oldest

person to ever go to space – a record that had only been held previously by Wally Funk (82) for just over 3 months when she flew on the same Blue Origin rocket on the New Shepard’s first human flight in July, which carried herself, Jeff Bezos, and Oliver Daemen (the youngest person ever in space at 18). According to Blue Origin, Shatner was joined by Audrey Powers (Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations) in a New Shepard reusable rocket

(named after the late astronaut – and first American in space – Alan Shepard), and was in space for around 10 minutes before coming back to earth. It allowed Shatner to experience weightlessness f o r that time and view the Earth and space through windows that are, according to Blue Origin, nearly three times as tall as those on a Boeing 747. Blue Origin are one of several major companies that are working to make commercial, civilian spaceflight

feasible and profitable alongside projects relating to satellite services and exploration projects funded by governments, which are reported to be worth over $300bn a year. It wasn’t quite warp speed, but it was certainly fast – during a 2019 sub-orbital flight, the same kind of single-stage rocket reached a maximum ascent velocity of 3,568 km/h (or 2,217 mph) and had a maximum thrust of 490 kN. For reference, the engines used on Apollo 11 produced a combined 33.4 million Newtons, making the thrust of this rocket just over 1% that of Apollo 11, which gives an idea of how far rocket technology has come in terms of weight and fuel efficiency. As of writing, the launch happened at 3:30pm GMT on 12th October and you can watch the space flight via recorded videos on Youtube and Blue Origin’s site, where coverage started 90 minutes before lift-off.

Photo by Blue Origin

Photo from cygnus-x1.net

Mars may be a dead planet now... but was it ever alive? By Johnathan Guy, Newspaper Science & Tech Editor

ver the years, there has been much speculation from scientists and the media about whether Mars might once have sustained life – in an early form or otherwise – and over time evidence has been gathered via various missions which suggests that this was quite likely, such as the discovery of manganese oxide in rocks by the Curiosity Rover (which was lost in 2018 during a dust storm). It should be noted that to date, no direct evidence (such as fossils) of life on Mars has been discovered, however relatively recently, researchers have identified clear evidence of rivers, lakes, and perhaps even oceans that once existed on the now desiccated, dusty surface, and rather surprisingly, have found that water is still evaporating from the planet into space. Much faster than we thought. The history of the solar system, and particularly the planets themselves, is still mostly a mystery to us (though we can make educated guesses). However,

according to many scientists, the best theory for how Mars ended up the way it did is that it started in much the same way as Earth, but was too small to sustain a protective magnetic barrier from solar radiation like Earth has – resulting in the Sun gradually stripping away the atmosphere to almost nothing and

far higher in Mars’ atmosphere than previously thought, meaning eventually the water is broken down into its constituent parts of oxygen and hydrogen, which themselves float into space, and what little atmosphere remains is, therefore, even now, being stripped away. According to the data gathered, it is estimated that over the last billion years or so, Mars has likely lost enough water to cover the entire planet in a layer of water two feet deep, and this is just a fraction of the total amount it has lost since its formation. It is expected that the same will occur to Earth via much the same process, albeit at a much slower rate, and it will likely be accelerated by the gradual expansion of the sun in a few billion years. It is hoped that one day, once we overcome the huge challenge of radiation on the surface, explorers will be able to search for and identify solid evidence that life once existed on the now barren and desolate Red Planet.

“Mars was once a wet planet, but it has lost most of its water through reactions that produce hydrogen, which escapes from the upper atmosphere into space” dangerously irradiating the surface (to a background level around 700 times higher than Earth) around 4 billion years ago. Reconstructing this history of Mars has been the main task of the MAVEN satellite which has orbited Mars since 2014, and this satellite has recently found (as published in a study in 2020) that water is floating

Photo by NASA

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Culture

Canterbury Festival is back in town By Elle Summers, Website Culture Editor

unning from Saturday 16 October until Saturday 30 October, Canterbury Festival 2021 is bringing a full packed programme to town this Autumn! Across these dates there are many different events happening across town that celebrate both our city and the arts sector. Whilst I mention a variety of the different events happening in this article, you can always go online to canterburyfestival.co.uk to check out all they have to offer. Running from Saturday 16 October until Saturday 30 October, Canterbury Festival 2021 is bringing a full packed programme to town this Autumn! Across these dates there are many different events happening across town that celebrate both our city and the arts sector. Whilst I mention a variety of the different events happening in this article, you can always go online to canterburyfestival.co.uk to check out all they have to offer. Every year, the festival offers a wide variety of events for you to enjoy, with this year’s edition spanning music, theatre, dance, comedy, science and even walks and talks. There is something for everyone to get involved with. As campus is now bustling with life with the new term well under way,

A brief history of Graphic from cpl.org By Connor Haywood, Newspaper Sport Editor

Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi for Unsplash

very October, in the UK, we celebrate and commemorate Black History Month just as other countries do in the English-speaking world. Black and British history are intertwined in a way that took far too long to acknowledge and, even now, the true purpose and priority of this event is not widely understood. People from African and Caribbean backgrounds have contributed and continue to contribute incalculable amounts to this country. The importance of this month, that is sometimes one of commiseration, feels particularly poignant with the movements of Black Lives Matter and the ongoing resistance to the Windrush Scandal. An aim of campaigners in the United Kingdom is to add to the curriculum of schools, which regimentally focus on traditional events and the achievements of white figures. There has even been some cultural backsliding on this matter of late, with primary school history focussed on simply learning about the Kings and Queens of England after Michael Gove’s spell as Education Secretary. This closed-minded, basic and white-centric view of history is damaging to future generations, stunting the progress that has been made thus far. Even the history that is taught regarding the actions of the former Empire is inaccurate - in further education, it is taught that the United Kingdom was the first to publish the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807. Yet, it is often and seemingly deliberately overlooked that the first country to end this trade was Haiti. The Haitian Revolution, as it was coined, took place between 1791 and 1804. It was the only successful slave rebellion in world history, and it became the pinnacle of resistance for enslaved

why not head into town and enjoy the festival too? For its 11th year, the Canterbury Festival is being supported by its partner and principal sponsor, CCCU. They are working closely with different departments in order to engage staff and students directly into Festival events. But don’t let this put you off! There is still plenty for us UKC students to get involved with. So, here’s a little taste of what events are being hosted this October: ● Running over the course of the festival period, free online talks are being hosted by the Centre for Kent History and Heritage at CCCU, ● For the sportier of you, you could kick the festival week off with a 5K running tour of town, costing £10.50 to join, ● On Saturday 16 October and Thursday 28 October, a ‘Women of Canterbury’ tour will teach you all about famous and forgotten local women, from Queen Bertha to Catherine Williamson, ● Canterbury Cathedral will be playing host to the Supersize Polyphony on Saturday 16, with ticket prices varying, ● Timeless Classics will be performed on the 20 October from 8pm at the Great Hall in Kent College, with student ticket prices at £16.50 Africans in the Caribbean. It marked the turning point in the fight for abolishment. For Black culture to be properly conveyed, history is crucial. To allow it to have the place it should have in our society, this is the sort of history that should be taught in schools. It would also be better, in my opinion, for it to be done far sooner than further education, when prejudices are often already formed. Let's focus on Black History Month in particular. How did this get started and gain the momentum needed to be the force for change that it is? Carter G. Woodson, often cited as the 'Father of Black History', brought to fruition the first Black History Week in the United States, in 1926. He was the master of an impressive number of qualifications, including a PhD in History from Harvard University and he spent his life tirelessly promoting black history. The event was subsequently expanded in 1970 to fit the whole month of February and since 1976, it has been officially recognised by every US President. The United Kingdom followed in 1987 a significant year, as it marked the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation. On this side of the pond, the creation of a month dedicated to Black History was made possible by the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo who served as a co-ordinator for Greater London Council. Canada followed suit in 1995, and finally Ireland in 2010. This month is, most of all, a time for celebration for all the people who have contributed and contribute today to this shared history. It is also a time to reflection, self-educate and think of the way in which we must rise above our own misconceptions to discover or learn more about this expansive black history. If I could recommend but one avenue to go down in this education, it’s that of David Lammy’s documentary Unremembered - Britain’s Forgotten War Heroes from November 2019. It reveals how Africans who died in their own continent serving Britain during World War One were denied the honour of an individual grave. The documentary inspired an investigation by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which revealed 54,000 casualties of ethnic groups did not receive the same remembrance as white soldiers. This watershed moment led to an official UK Government apology in April 2021 - showing that the exploration and promotion of Black History can indeed make a difference. Photo by utsc.utoronto.ca

● The 21 October brings the opportunity to head out to the National Nature Reserve for a walk round Stodmarsh at 2pm ● The Kingdom Choir are performing on 23 October at the Canterbury Cathedral Nave ● For the history students (or the history enthusiasts), there is ‘A Thousand Years of Drinking’, a walk- Photo from Canterbury Festival Archives ing tour on the 24 October ● OperaMANIA! will be performing in Westgate at 8, Orange Street, CT1 2JA, open from Monday Hall on 26 October at 8pm, with student tickets to Friday from 11am to 4pm. Here, you can book only costing £8.50 into the events you would like to get involved with! ● In the Anselm Studio there will be a dance per- However, not all events need to be booked, and formance titled ‘Dance@Canterbury: RE-MIX’ on some are even free to attend. So, make sure you 29 October at 1pm check out further details online in order to not be disappointed. But how do you get involved? Well, you can conIf you check out any of the events happening over tact the Box Office either by phone (01227 457568) the course of the Festival, be sure to get in touch with or by visiting in person us via our socials to tell us about your experiences!

Photos from Canterbury Festival Archives

In conversation with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof's

Sam Alexander Photo from eamonnbedford.co.uk By Katie Daly, Website Lifestyle Editor

ith the highly anticipated return of live theatre comes the fantastic opportunity to speak to actors about their time on stage. I was lucky enough to speak to Sam Alexander last week who is playing Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which showed in The Marlowe Theatre this month. I was interested to hear how Sam felt about being cast in a show by such an iconic playwright. Tennessee Williams is 'remarkable' Sam says, 'he writes in a way that you can feel what he has gone through'. The depths of raw emotion that Williams traverses in his plays is something which Sam has been privileged to explore in rehearsals for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Sam attributes this privilege to the show’s director, Anthony Almeida, who has allowed Sam a certain amount of creative control in developing the character of Gooper. Sam told me about the 'private Gooper time' that this telling of the story explores, allowing the audience an insight into the deeper psychological workings of the character and how this influences his place in the narrative. I asked Sam what it has been like playing Gooper. Sam enlightened me to the thrilling experience of delving deeper into a character who isn’t one of the four principal roles in the play, but allows for the complex portrayal of the sometimes dysfunctional underpinnings of family dynamics. Sam told me how he has enjoyed examining the 'palpably obvious [fact] that Gooper is loved less' and how this impacts the ways in which the character views himself and his sibling.

Photo by Marc Brenner I was excited to hear about Almeida’s version of the play and how this reimagining of Williams’ seminal piece of drama from the 50s is kept relevant and engaging for a modern audience. Sam explained to me how their version focuses on the 'spirit' of the work. The set is kept to a minimum and actors wear modern dress. The simplicity of the staging evidently reaps rewards as Sam reflected on the 'still listening quality [of the audience]' which remains invested in every word uttered throughout the play, something which Sam himself finds 'very satisfying' as an actor. After a devastating 20 months for drama fans, the opening of theatre doors has triggered a sigh of relief and a jump for joy. But it cannot be underestimated the gravity of this reopening for the actors and backstage teams of our theatre industry. I was delighted to hear Sam revelling in the return of live theatre, which he describes as feeling like 'an incredible electric charge' surging through the audience. The energy in the viewing public paired with the quality of the drama makes for an unforgettable evening. Sam praises the 'swirling chaos' in the way Williams writes which endows Sam and his fellow cast members with the opportunity to think about their personal portrayal of what Sam calls the 'visceral quality of pain and tension' in Williams’ work in their respective roles. I wanted to know why people should come and see this play and Sam’s answer was simple: 'this is a show about families – a timeless subject. You will almost certainly come away from this play thinking a little deeper about being a part of a family and ultimately, being human'.

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Culture Pho

to f

Photo from mangermediteraneen.fr

rom

kbs

(GHT), located in Manchester, to create the outreach project "In Equal Parts". After the touring of First Time had to be put on hold by the pandemic, Nathaniel and Chris Hoyle, his friend and co-creator of Dibby Theatre, wondered, 'What could we do to continue the impact of the show?' The

what happens beyond the show", as Nathaniel puts it. We also talked about the importance of gay representation in media. Nathaniel told us that, growing up in the nineties, there were very few gay figures to identify with. The eighties were "an edgier time than the nineties, more progressive, especially in terms of music", with bands like Queen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. All in all, at the time it was still quite taboo and seeing queer representation onscreen, not as characters dying of AIDS or villains, was virtually non-existent. Some plays, like Kushner's "Angels in America", still had an impact on the creative process of First Time. There is now, thankfully, a lot more representation for LGBTQ+ communities in the media. Russell T. Davies, one of Nathaniel's "absolute icons", whom he met with to discuss First Time and activism, has been very important in this process in the UK. It's a Sin, Davies's drama miniseries in which Nate plays Donald Basset, is pivotal in the sense that it gives queer people the opportunity to portray queer characters. Nate's character, Donald, is a gay man with HIV being portrayed in a positive light, which is desperately important nowadays. Finally, when asked about other upcoming projects, Nate stated that, "for the foreseeable future my life is still First Time". However, his company and him have many upcoming projects. Hallway of Dreams, a new show still in production, will be premiering next summer, and Nathaniel will "embark on a new project called Toxic looking at the impact of internalised homophobia and toxic masculinity on gay male relationships". He also raised the possibility of a film or book to continue to ride on First Time's success and to have the story appreciated by as many people as possible. All in all, a one-hander performance's success relies on the performer's charisma and ability to have the audience connect to what is being said. Nathaniel, with his humour, dynamism and cheekiness, pulls one right in from the beginning. You can't help but laugh, or cry, and feel your heart tighten at times. The show hits all the right notes, going from very autobiographical bits to wider anti-HIV activism. However, despite the show's theme, it is far from dramatic, it's moving, it's funny and it's very theatrical. Nathaniel told us that many people come out saying, "Oh I didn't realise I would be so entertained by it" or "HIV, this is going to be heavy", but it is not all the way through. I left the performance glad to have been able to catch the performance, having learned a thing or two and also feeling incredibly touched by his life and his genuine candour. First Time still has a lot of time ahead, as the company is touring until the end of February. If you have the chance to catch First Time, I recommend you do! .u

he remnants of last night's party lay on the floor as a man rushes in, decisively unready to perform a show, apologising for the state of the stage. Nathaniel J. Hall, from the very beginning of the show, violently pulls us into his world. It's a life of parties, drugs, alcohol and sex. The show takes us back to the beginning of the story, and lets it unfold from there. Nate is 16, and he's waiting to collect his cream tuxedo from the cleaner before heading to prom with his school's Head Girl – he has not yet come out as gay. He's sitting on a bench in Stockport, headphones in, when he is approached by an older man, mid-twenties. This man will become his first boyfriend and, later on, his first time. He will also be the one who gives him HIV. First Time is an autobiographical account of Nathaniel J. Hall's life: of contracting HIV at 16, and living without telling his family about it for 15 subsequent years. But it is also about the ups and downs of his life more generally, and about his work as an activist. InQuire attended his show at the beginning of October at the Gulbenkian, and met with Nathaniel beforehand to discuss his life, his projects and his activism. The show is, at its core, a collection of different moments from Nathaniel’s life and different methods of recounting them. The prom scene includes a member of the audience as Nathaniel’s date; a vigil with lit candles happens at around the halfway mark, there is confetti and silly string and music… 'The show is all about first love, finding yourself, finding your sexuality. It's full of noise, bangers, very theatrical.' There are also darker, more dramatic moments depending on what Nathaniel is going through, and overall, the second part of the show delves more into the psychological impact of living in secrecy and the psychosocial impact of HIV. Indeed, one of the first things we talked about in the interview is the theme of shame, which is very central in the show. Nathaniel graduated from school in 2003, the year when Section 28, 'the legislation that stopped school from talking about homosexuality' was repealed. This means that, during his schooling, there was no mention of HIV, apart from the fact that it concerned only gay men and led to their deaths. There was a 'culture of silence, of shame, of not being able being to talk about homosexuality or even just sexuality in school', especially in Stockport, where he grew up, where, despite being close to Manchester, there was absolutely no gay scene. This culture meant that, despite knowing that his family would wholly support him, he still struggled to come out as gay at first, struggling with notions of 'internalised homophobia' and shame. When he learned he had contracted HIV, this same shame prevented him from telling his family. “There was a very prevalent idea, at the time, that HIV was exclusive to gay men, so people

show had such a great impact in Edinburgh and on tour, we applied for some money, got some together and joined partnership with GHT – an organisation which means means quite a lot to me – to do "In Equal Parts"." This outreach project contains different strands, the principal one being the work done with HIV-positive people, giving them the opportunity to tell their own stories through different media. Nate explained that, as an artist, he doesn't want to take the voices of the people away from them and perform their stories for them. Instead, he wants to give them the opportunity to use their own words. 'There are people who are not artists, by their own admission, not writers, not performers. They've created these beautiful films called "HIV and Me", they've written the scripts, sat in front of the camera and learnt that skill of performing. The main aim of this outreach is to diversify the stories we hear about HIV. Because my story, a white gay man's, I sometimes go like, "Yawn", we've heard it. Everyone knows that story in terms of HIV but, in the UK, gay men make up only about 50% of HIV cases. A lot of people don't realise that, and there is a lot of other challenges with the other communities. These preconceptions that people have about how people with HIV are like are quite confounding. The aim is to highlight that people are not the only ones affected'. In Equal Parts also has a wider reach, organising school outreach to talk to children and parties where testing is promoted and encouraged. To make an impact and significantly change things, what matters "is all the other stuff outside of

s.c o

By Juliette Moisan, Newspaper Culture Editor

used to be like "Oh, that's what gays get, that's what you deserve".' This prevented him from coming out to his family for roughly fifteen years. However, after looking at himself in a mirror at a house party, 'still awake two days later' and realising that he was 'leaning on drugs and alcohol a lot in order to cope and get through the week', he realised that 'shame had seeped into other parts of [his] life and was impacting it'. The realisation that this was not the life he had envisioned for himself made him decide to set out to create First Time and come out as a HIV-positive man as loudly as possible. Another aspect of the show that stands out is the amount of prevention and activism that is done, either explicitly by quizzing audience members on different questions or scenarios or implicitly throughout Nathaniel's life. The quiz questions help you reframe how you consider HIV and the risks of contracting it, and it reinforces the importance of getting tested and using protection. Some aspects of HIV treatment are often known only by people who are affected, and talking about the importance of PrEP/PEP (pre-exposure/post-exposure prophylaxis) and U=U (the fact that undetectable means untransmittable) is hugely important in shifting the way in which people with HIV are perceived in our daily lives. This also enables HIV-positive people to back their arguments with factual, inarguable science, because 'if there's pushback, it can be like, 'Hm, got the receipt, it's right there'. HIV-positive people, when treated, are not dangerous at all. Nathaniel also partnered with the Georges House Trust

l'O

o.u

um ba llo

.uk bay.co from e

ro of

ot.c

le g

Photo

review: First time, by nathaniel j. hall

dep

HIV at the Gate Clinic (CT1 3NG), or you can order a home test online on kent.gov.uk or sh.uk

HIV: a virus that attacks the immune system, present in bodily fluids and transmitted through sexual intercourse, blood to blood or pregnancy AIDS: a group of illnesses caused by the collapse of the immune system as a result of untreated HIV Viral Load: the amount of HIV in a HIV-positive person's blood U=U: undetectable = untransmittable - means that an HIV positive person on ART with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV even if they do not use condoms. PrEP/PEP: pre-exposure/post-exposure prophylaxis - medication to prevent HIV infection

In Canterbury, you can get tested for

fr o

Photo from www.nathanieljhall.co.uk

You can find the entire

interview with Nathaniel

J. Hall on InQuire website

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Entertainment

SummerTime Streaming & Sounds Members of the InQuire team select a piece of entertainment that has got them through the summer Tarini - Editor in Chief: The Sims 4

Alex - Newspaper Editor: Solar Power by Lorde

f I had to pick one piece of entertainment that’s gotten me through the summer, it would have to be The Sims 4. I grew up on The Sims 3, and when its successor went on sale last year I couldn’t resist the nostalgia I knew it would trigger. The Sims 4 is, I would say, Sims Lite. It doesn’t have the same level of detail and customisation that The Sims 3 had. It has no colour wheel to create custom swatches of any Build Mode item or article of clothing, no open world and fewer career options. However, Build Mode allows for faster, better-looking builds and I find the packs to be much better tailored to modern tastes. It’s also much easier to customise skin tones and make selections such as “Can this Sim pee standing up?” Or “Can this Sim get pregnant?” which allows for better representation of trans or non-binary Sims. I find the game to be so calming, because you can either spend hours building your dream home or even torture your enemies through psychotic ways (feeding your arch-rival to a Cowplant, anyone?)

’ve been a Lorde teen since Royals came out - distressingly, this means eight years have passed, and I can’t pass as a teen anymore. Less distressingly, she’s released three albums in the interim, including this summer’s Solar Power. Lorde fans have been gagging for new content since about 2017, so when the long-awaited announcement of new music came, many of us hit the roof. The first single, for which the album was named, was a sleepy beach-bum reset for the usually melancholic singer-songwriter, but was catchy (and intriguingly synth-y) enough to whet fans’ appetites. When the album finally dropped a few weeks later, it was with a whimper. A few curios aside - Mood Ring is fun and rompy, while Stoned at the Nail Salin serves some much needed Melodrama energy - the album just doesn’t explode in the way her last two did. A collage of Gen Z angst and breakage has given way to IDGAF vibemongering. But maybe that just means she’s happier now: it’s 2021, I hope so.

Ainy - Head of Photography & Design: Only

Jake - Website Editor: UNHhhh

Murders in the Building

h, honey! Let’s talk about UNHhhh, the show that is singlehandedly responsible for destroying most of my brain cells - but in the best way. The YouTube comedy series, starring Drag Race legends Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, is now in it’s sixth season, with over 160 episodes to choose from. Each week, Trixie and Katya humorously discuss a topic in front of a green screen. What follows is a whole slew of hilarious visual gags, amazing dad-jokes, and occasionally some surprising words of wisdom. However, their friendship - which first blossomed during their appearance on Drag Race - remains at the heart of the show. Trixie enjoys reading Katya to filth, but they’re both equals that share particular points of view that are still relatable. Each episode is at least 10 minutes long, a perfect amount of time to watch two best friends talk shit on your study break.

Ed - Newspaper Entertainment Edi-

*6 *5

t definitely takes two comedic geniuses to tango. The new talk of the town, Only Murders in the Building is the new comedic mystery murder series. The show features Oliver Putnam (played by Martin Short), who is an indefatigable showman, whose loud theatricality barely *3 disguises the pain he bears for the colossal flop that wrecked his career, and thus his life. Floundering in more than motivation, he craves a jump-start. The same goes for his neighbour, Charles-Haden Savage (played by Steve Martin), an actor who expects pretty much everyone he meets to recognize him from his ’90s TV cop hit Brazzos, is navigating his own slump. He and Oliver both get the jump-start they need when they team up with their young neighbour Mabel (Selena Gomez) to solve a murder inside their building on New York’s Upper West Side. The show features well known figures such as Nathan Lane, Tina Fey, Jackie Hoffman as well as Sting. New episodes air weekly on Disney plus and the series has been renewed to come back for a second season. There are 3 more episodes left and I definitely can’t wait for the finale.

tor: All of Me by Masayoshi Takanaka

his summer, after testing positive for COVID-19, I was desperately navigating YouTube trying to search for uplifting music to fill the void in my room after realising it would be my one and only domain for ten long arduous days. Then on my home page, I was instantly struck by the cover of Masayoshi Takanaka’s All of Me. It featured the Japanese City Pop Jazz Fusion guitarist skydiving over a pacific island; his miraculous concrete hair gel fixing his perfectly sculpted quiff against the cascading air resistance. Most importantly as Bella from Twilight remarked, it was his smile, his damned smile. I instantly listened and was greeted with stupendous levels of pure positivity. Immaculate phrasing and riffs accompanied with syncopated grooving basslines, textured synths and laidback bongos. For what essentially sounds like the soundtrack to Wii Sports Resort composed by the God of Jazz, it evoked the feeling of driving in a convertible on a sunny topical island. Floating without a single gram of responsibility weighing you down. After spending my isolation period being infatuated with the sheer audacity of his floral shirts, sunglasses and guitars made of surfboards which project lasers (no really), I’ve been cruising along the ecstatic hyperreal highway.

Dan - Website Opinion Editor: United Red Army

here aren’t many films available outside Japan which cover its history of extremism, but Koji Wakamatsu’s three-hour epic on the eponymous militant group is one of the few, and well worth a watch. The film seamlessly splices narrated, archived footage of the protests of the 1960s-70s radical Japanese leftist movement with well-acted, dramatized portrayals of the interpersonal and political drama which often lies at the heart of small radical organisations. While the opening hour of ‘politburo’ meetings in smoke-filled, occupied university classrooms may seem almost quaint, the latter two-thirds are unrelentingly dark and serious. The film chronicles in punishing detail the journey of the URA into the mountains and their training for a supposedly-soon revolutionary war, including their murderous internal purges under the guise of ‘revolutionary self-criticism’. It certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you’re interested in the high drama, political and psychological workings of extremism, it may be for you.

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Entertainment

Sam - Newspaper Opinion Editor: lately I feel EVERYTHING by

Julliette - Newspaper Culture Editor: Måneskin

Willow

hen you come from a hugely multi-talented and high-profile family like the Smiths, there are always going to be expectations to become just as successful. This pressure does seemingly not get to Willow Smith, whose most recent album, lately I feel EVERYTHING, fits into the pop-punk scene, after a run of three (equally brilliant) R&B albums. While Willow is clearly writing music for no one but herself and refuses to be put in a particular box, the music she is producing is just as exceptional, albeit a huge contrast to her debut single Whip Your Hair. Her fourth solo album is also her first with more notable collaborators, including Tierra Whack, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and queen of pop-punk Avril Lavigne. While Willow’s move away from what she knew *8 as a conscious R&B singer was a risk, it has certainly paid off: it impossible for her to make bad music.

Harvey - Newspaper Satire Editor: Blue Heron Suite by Sarah Jarosz

hroughout the summer, very different genres and artists were associated to very specific moments. However, a couple of bands were omnipresent, among which Måneskin. They got internationally famous rapidly after winning Eurovision, and so their music was everywhere this summer and was the perfect backdrop. Zitti e Buoni woke me up in the morning when I was late to work in July, and sang along to I Wanna Be Your Slave at many parties in August. I love the fact that, even if they've produced a lot of music in English recently, they still sing in Italian as well, as listening to songs in Italian helped me connect to my roots. Måneskin truly has a song *7 for every moods, from staring out of a bus window pretending to be in a movie to screaming at the top of your lungs in a club. If you've somehow managed not to hear any of their songs over the summer, you definitely need to check them out!

Tahmid - Website Satire Editor: Fargo (Television Series)

ack in 2017 Jarosz was awarded a commission to perform a set of new material at a small folk festival. This album, a studio recording of those songs, was released this May. Jarosz, playing an octave mandolin on most of the tracks, is joined by a bassist and a *10 guitarist. The album is so rich and has such depth that you are forced to re-listen and dedicate your attention to each of the accomplished musicians one at a time. ‘Morning’ is the highlight of the album for me, opened by the brooding sound of the upright bass and concluded by a twangy country guitar solo that serves the song perfectly. In between there are the beautiful vocal harmonies and catchy mandolin phrases that Jarosz is synonymous with. All of Sarah Jarosz’s albums are worth listening to, but her habit of constantly improving makes Blue Heron Suite her best yet.

veryone likes nostalgia but can TV do it right? In the case of Noah Hawley’s Fargo, then the answer is generally yes. Fargo is set in the same universe of the Coen Brother’s classic film of the same name, yet it does so much more. An intriguingly hilarious *9 dramedy, Fargo delves into the incompetence of two-bit hucksters propelled into their unwitting demise in a curiously clever way. Fargo manages to shock you and make you laugh in the space of one scene with twists ripped straight from the pages of the great classics. It being an anthology also means you get experience a wide variety characters and stories set against the rustic American Midwest as well. Overall, Fargo is quite fun. If you have time then give it a watch.

No Time to Die: Craig era ends without catharsis By Ed Streatfield, Newspaper Entertainment Editor

aniel Craig’s curtain call is a genre bending balancing act between two forms of Bond film: the charmingly nostalgic camp macho fantasy of 20th century Bond, and the cold technological threat of the 21st. While by no means a perfect film, No Time to Die is an unashamedly fun homage to the Craig era. But in being so, it also captures the decades-old spirit of Bond which was pushed aside for the gritty Borne-inspired reality that defined the Craig saga. This tonal shift in 2006 with Casino Royale was necessary for regaining suspense in the audience, after the unengaging threatless absurdity of invisible cars in Die Another Day. However, after the snooze

fest of Spectre, No Time to Die reinserts the heart and cinematic fantasy needed after 15 years of nihilistic cyber warfare. Craig who has been praised across his era for the PTSD inflicted performances gives a refreshingly humanistic vulnerability to the character. As an aging silver fox who is desperately trying to remain retired, the spirits of his past haunt him as he tries to cling on to what he never could possess as an agent: love and family. But with international crime cloaking itself deeper into the shadows, can he even trust those who are closest to him? Plunging himself back into the contemporary world of espionage, he encounters his replacement, new agent Naomi (Lashana Lynch) who has taken the mantle of 007 in his absence. What’s refreshing is her role does not serve the development of male characters but coin*11 cides

with Bond in a mission and film which is entirely shared. Her sleek stainless-steel demeanour cleaves the pre-existing ‘Bond Girl’ role as her character is entirely unapplicable to this label. Instead, she paves the way for a story and franchise entirely of her own. While the film has been criticised for the longest run time of any bond film at 163 minutes, this is largely in part to a choreographically dynamic and incredibly fun action sequence with Ana de Armas –Craig’s Knives Out co-star. While this scene could be comprehensively cut from the film, the deep blue with tangerine orange highlights the highly stylised cinematography and reinvigorates a traditional aspect of Bond recently only reserved for the opening sequence. The mass appeal of the Bond franchise within the later 20th century was in part due to the lavish scenery and destinations unseeable to most Western audiences in the pre-Internet age. No Time to Die features the lush Caribbean islands of Jamacia and Cuba, with the tranquil forests of Norway and the pictographic coastal towns of Italy. While the scenery can be accessed via Google Images, the exclusive bourgeois parties and glamor became a window into the fantasies of

escaping scarcity; a desire omnipresent in cinema, notably Golden Era Hollywood films like Casablanca. Unfortunately, the film suffers from a bond villain entirely chiselled out of crystalline cliché. Written around the tired trope of “Mr Bond, you and I are one in the same, we just have different methods”, all Rami Malek can bring to the role is a cold stone-faced psycho-

pathic stare and a muffled stereotypically ‘foreign’ accent. To complete the Photos set of cliché bingo he even hasbya ABBA facial deformity, a trope too crass even for Austin Powers. Compared to the likes of Mads Mikkelsen in Casino Royale, and Javier Bardem in Skyfall, the clear brilliance which separates those films from No Time to Die is the unhinged fear their clear human motivations provoke. The scope and malice of the threat can only be sustained via the performance of the antagonist. So despite the refreshingly developed protagonists and rejuvenation of the essence of Bond, the film collapses under its own absurdity to provide an even more threatening apocalyptic threat than the last. No Time to Die is available in Cinemas now

*12

Photos courtesy of: 1. Electronic Arts 2. Universal Music 3. Billboard 4. Hulu 5. The Japan Times 6. Wakamatsu Productions 7. Qobuz 8. MSFTS, Roc Nation, Polydor 9. FX 10. Texas Standard 11 & 12. Universal Pictures 13. Headshots by Ainy Shiyam

Monday 18 October 2021 InQuire

Gulbenkian What’s on... Comedy: Austentatious: The Improved Jane Austen Novel is saddling the horses for a Grand Tour of the United Kingdom! Austentatious is an improvised comedy play starring a cast of the country’s quickest comic performers. Dates are Thu 28th and Fri 29th of October.

Photos by The Gulbenkian

It's Spooky Season! Gulbenkian planning to screen old favourites and new releases for halloween Candyman part of weekly 2ForTuesday deal where Students and Under 25s can get 2-for-1 tickets Fang-tastic 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.

Gulbenkian's Funny Rabbit Comedy Club is back this autumn– radical and exciting, but also warm and snuggly as a bunny rabbit. Dates include Thu 28 Sep, Fri 8 Oct, Fri 5 Nov and Fri 10 Dec.

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.

Live shows: The Suppliant Women, seen at major festivals around the world to huge acclaim now comes to the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, the start of an epic journey. Written 2,500 years ago, this is one of the world’s oldest plays. Fifty women leave everything behind to board a boat in north Africa and flee across the Mediterranean. Escaping forced marriage, they hope for protection and seek asylum in Greece. At its heart, a powerful chorus of young women drawn from Kent, arguing for their lives, speak to us with startling contemporary resonance. Dates include Thu 11th through to Sun 14th Nov. Ahead of the Glyndebourne Tour production of The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky at the Marlowe Theatre later that evening, players from the Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra & Pit Perfect talent development scheme bring an informal programme of instrumental music. Tickets are free, suggested donation £3. Showing Wed 3rd Nov.

Films: No Time To Die, Fri 22nd – Thu 4th November 2021 The Alpinist, Sat 30th October 2021 The Addams Family, Sun 7th – Sun 14th November 2021 Please book tickets using our website: thegulbenkian.co.uk

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

BOND WEEK AT THE GULBENKIAN ARTS CENTRE

n No Time To Die, James Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is shortlived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Starring Daniel Craig in his last outing as the eponymous 007, No Time To Die promises to be a rip-roaring, global romp. Directed by

t h e

Emmy-award winning Cary Joji Fukunaga and co-written by Fleabag’s hilariously dry Phoebe WallerBridge, the film is brimming with talent, making it a much

Photo by Universal/Sony Pictures

watch for Bond mega-fans and cinema buffs alike. No Time To Die will be playing at the Gulbenkian every day from Friday 22 October to Thursday 28 at 7pm each night. Please check the Gulbenkian website for information about captioned screenings and socially-distanced viewings of the film. On Tuesday 26 October, the film will play in the Gulbenkian as part of the Two for Tuesday deal – students and under 25's get two tickets for the price of one on selected Tuesday screenings. Valid Student ID required. Read our Entertainment Editor’s review of No Time To Die in the Entertainment section on page 19.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE WALK! T he University’s Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (iCCi) is excited to be hosting The Walk on 21 October, one of the biggest international community arts projects ever produced. The Walk is a travelling outdoor performance consisting of a giant puppet of a Syrian refugee girl named Amal, created by Handspring Puppet Company, walking from Turkey to the UK via Greece, Italy, France and other countries. Amal is a 9-year-old girl who wants to find her mother, travelling across Europe and meeting people along the way to highlight the plight of refugees. Colleagues in our Migration

and Movement Signature Research Theme will join iCCi in hosting a series of events to accompany her arrival. Kent is the only university in the UK to host little Amal. We will be welcoming her to the University with a procession, walking from the Cathedral to the Canterbury campus, starting at midday on Thursday 21 October. We will be joined by 350 local school-children and a marching band. She will also be welcomed by a giant red fox (see sketch below), a puppet that Kent Drama students will operate under the supervision of Kent alumnus, Peter Morton, of Half a String and Sam Westbury,

our Drama Workshop Manager. David Sefton, Director of Culture and Creative Projects for iCCi: ‘I am delighted that The Walk is the first major community event to be produced by the University’s Institute of Cultural & Creative Industries. The fact that this is such a significant public art event nationally and internationally based around a crucially important theme, and that it is able to incorporate the activities of multiple university departments as well as our own outreach initiative, makes The Walk the perfect demonstration of what iCCi is uniquely setup to deliver for the University and the whole of Kent.’

Photo by University of Kent

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Satire

Karen COX: I WANT TRIFLE and i want it now IBy Harvey Blazquez, Newspaper Satire Editor

T Photo by University of Kent

a Stewart

Photo by David Todd McCarty/Unsplash

be in the process of securing the remaining ingredients. A speculative and salacious news source reported rumours that Cox was behind a break-in at a local fruit wholesaler, but these reports have been found to be entirely baseless. Despite this, two local custard factories have placed themselves on high alert, and are advertising jobs for additional security staff. Many are questioning how the trifle will be funded, and the rumoured suggestions from Cox’s camp have only added to the incredulity of onlookers. It is alleged that the favoured plan is to sell off parts of the recently built £4 million tennis facility. The idea is to sell the spaces between the courts, whilst maintaining ownership of the space within the baselines and sidelines of the courts. Prospective investors would be able to construct commercial and residential spaces between the courts, with the spaces between the baselines and walls being the most attractive pieces of real estate. It is hoped that the removal of space behind the baseline will force Kent students to play on the front foot and develop a uniquely Kentish skillset. Excitement is mounting on campus with many Image courtesy of Marth

he university leadership are reportedly at war over Vice-Chancellor Karen Cox’s alleged plan to build a ‘mega trifle’ on university premises. Cox, who has made significant academic contributions in the healthcare field, has experienced criticism in her time as Vice-Chancellor at Kent. In the last few weeks she has apparently infuriated the executive group by putting in motion a plan to construct the world’s biggest ever trifle outside the Templeman Library. Cox supposedly believes that her impressive trifle will fire Kent back up the league table rankings, after presiding over the university’s worrying slip into rankings mediocrity. It is rumoured that tensions exploded last week after Cox allegedly purchased 2.3 million litres of whipping

cream without the backing of the executive group, the university’s decision-making body. The executive group had reportedly rejected Cox’s plan, and believed that the matter was settled. However, Cox allegedly went ahead with the purchase of the cream and Bill Oddie, her de-facto lieutenant, has asserted that ‘there’s no way back now’. Apparently Richard Reece, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, is refusing to back the ‘mega trifle’ and insists that the unwanted cream should be put to good use. Reece is reportedly arguing that the whipping cream should be used to reimburse students for lost learning over the pandemic. A strong majority in the executive group allegedly support this idea, but are evenly split on whether to whip the cream before giving it to students or not. This split has immobilised the executive group, with each side citing conflicting research on the prevalence of whisks in student houses. It is believed that the trifle will involve cream, custard, sponge, summer fruits and jam. With the executive group rumoured to be arguing over the whipped-ness of the cream, Cox is said to

theorising that the trifle will be completed in the same week that E.L. James makes her triumphant return to the university. James, Kent alumna and writer of the Fifty Shades books, will debut her new theatrical production at the Gulbenkian theatre in November. The play follows intimate love stories between University of Kent buildings, including a controversial incestuous relationship between the Rutherford and Eliot College structures. Jamie Dornan is in line to play a surprise role after he was recently found washed-up on the Whitstable coast. The play in an early example of the emerging ‘infrastructural romance’ genre. The next few months truly are exciting times for the University of Kent. Students can be hopeful of a return to the ‘not a Russell group uni but basically a Russell group uni’ status that Kent boasted a few years ago. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that nobody could see the real reasons that Kent was dragged down the leaderboards. Sometimes it takes a visionary to turn things around and steer the ship in the right direction. Go easy on the trifle though, soon we’ll be eating caviar again. Views expressed in InQuire's satire articles are those only of the writer and InQuire does not endorse any of these opinions, this section is dedicated to entertainment purposes only. We use fictitious characters in our stories, except in regards to public figures being satirised directly.

InQuire Monday 18 October 2021

Sport

LoSS & LOSS IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Barcelona in a Messi

Gillingham Drowning by the Gills

By Ron Hacon, Sports Writer

By Connor Haywood, Newspaper Sport Editor

loser to home a more light-hearted tragedy stikes as the only team to represent Kent on any national level finds themselves on tenterhooks - Gillingham FC faced a loss from Ipswich Town FC in Football League One on Tuesday 5th October or if you choose to

Photo by Fikri Rasyid

as Papa John's Trophy, Gillingham FC finds arcelona FC faced another loss on h i m themselves 18 out of 24. There is a sense of doSaturday 2nd October in a 2-0 de- s e l f mestic tragedy that not only does Kent's best feat to Atletico Madrid. Many see one team find themselves in a tournament destined common theme in this recent series of loses to be an advertising vessel for an international for the world-renowned team - the loss of pizza chain but within this league contribut- Lionel Messi in his transfer to Paris Saint Germain in August 2021. Since the transfer that shocked the football community over the summer, Barcelona FC, once considered an unstoppable force in the UEFA Championships have faced a series of defeats. The most painful defeat was against the other dynamo on the world stage - FC Bayern Munich resulting in a 3-0 defeat for the Spanish team at only the group stages on 14th September. The club is trying it's upmost to hide the knock-on consequences of losing their arguably and universally agreed upon best player. Yet, if this string of lose remains taught the club may take years to recover to it's former foot ing. If ever, s o m e s a y.

Photo by Silas Baisch

embrace the corporate future of the sport - 'Papa John's Trophy'. If victory had been obtained by The Gills, it would have seen the Kent team qualify for the knock-out stages of the tournament which kicked off to a fighting start with an early victory against Cochester United FC. The team has long since had a monopoly as the top team this county has to offer but despite this crowning glory, locally speaking, the club has oft found itself placed at the bottom of league boards on the national level. At present in England's Football League otherwise known

ing only a mediocre outing at the best of times. The question could be raised and is certainly sought after by other towns in the country that perhaps it's now time for another Kent team to rise up and take on the mantle - eyes could turn to Folkestone Invicta that are at present giving a strong display in the South-East regional Isthmian League Premier Divison; which is also notable for not being named after a Pizza company as of writing. Although no one can deny, it takes a lot to step out of regional football and onto the national stage.

Puzzles

Solution for last issue's Crossword Across: 1 Knew, 3 Berth (New birth), 8 Adore, 9 Deliver, 10 Take away, 11 Army, 13 Pardon, 15 Honest, 17 Last, 18 Sprinter, 22 Anagram, 23 Image, 24 Extra, 25 Knot. Down: 1 Knock, 2 Elevator, 3 Bali, 4 Reverse, 5 Hurry, 6 Laptop, 7 Idea, 12 Position, 14 Restart, 16 Target, 17 Lease, 19 Puma, 20 Toast, 21 Area.

Across 1 Aircraft (5) 4 Bloom (6) 7 Second-hand (4) 8 Engine valve (8) 9 Occupation (6) 10 Take no notice of (6) 11 Adhesive paper for decorating (7,4) 14 Rank (6) 1

Solution for last issue's sudoku 2 7 5 9 3 1 6 8 4

1 4 8 7 6 5 2 9 3

3 9 6 2 8 4 7 5 1

8 1 7 4 9 3 5 2 6

4 6 2 8 5 7 3 1 9

5 3 9 6 1 2 4 7 8

6 2 1 5 4 8 9 3 7

7 8 4 3 2 9 1 6 5

9 5 3 1 7 6 8 4 2

Photo by Fikri Rasyid

Photo by Gillingham FC Website

ended up playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. Meanwhile, Messi himself is promising a tell all story about his 'hellish' summer and emotional exit from the club he has called home since the days of his youth career in 2000 - joining the senior team proper in 2004. The Comfootball world awaits the reveal of p a r i the events as they transpired behind sons have the closed doors of Barcelona FC; who been drawn themselves can await more defeats in the to David Becknear future unless their luck and stragedy ham's departure from Real Madrid in changes soon. If nothing changes, one thing 2007 who albeit not directly but eventually is for sure - Barcelona's glory days are over.

Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 12 13 15 16 17

16 18 19 20 21 2

Italian dish (5) Speech (7) Go in (5) Agriculture (7) Frequently (5) Make bigger (7) Greenhouse gas (7) Immediate (7) Put in order (7) Topic (5) Accommodate (3,2) Male bee (5)

2 7 6 8 9 8 1 1 7 4 5

1 5

8 1

1 7 2 6 8 1 9 2 5 2 6

6 2

Show off (6) Participate (4,4) Midday (4) Loss (6) Fragment (5) 3

3 7 9

Puzzles compiled by Matthew Sapsed 14

Pick up InQuire 17.4 in two weeks for answers!

Sport

www.inquiremedia.co.uk/sport

InQ Quire

TRANS INCLUSION IN SPORT

Mixed reaction to new guidelines from Sports Council By Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

n the 30th September, UK Sport, the council handling sports in the United Kingdom, released new guidance for the inclusion of transgender people in sports. This guidance essentially states that, since transgender women retain certain advantages when competing in female sports, regardless of their level of testosterone, this has to be taken into account. Currently, international guidelines on the inclusion of transgender women in sport states that; as long as testosterone levels are kept below 10nmol per blood litre, they are allowed to compete in female sports, regardless of any other criteria.

Photo by Women in Sport

UK Sport wants to set a different norm for its national athletes when competing in the UK, on the basis that transgender women are advantaged in regards to their physique, their stamina and their strength. The report was published after acknowledging that sports require more individual practial advice and support. The council, recognising that they cannot provide any 'magical solutions' to balance transgender inclusion with fairness and safety in sport, has left it at the discretion of each sports council in the country to choose which one that they will priortise. Sports councils are encouraged to come up with 'innovative and creative ways to ensure nobody is left out' The document has received mixed reviews. It was widely welcomed by numerous organisations, both national and sport-specific. British Triathlon stated that the organisation 'welcomes the new guidance', praising the extensivity of the research, gather 'data collected from over 300 respondents representing 175 organisations'. Wom-

Photo by Milosz Sakowski en in Sport, despite recognising the inherent difficulties laying ahead, agreed on the importance of the guidance; stating that the implications of trans inclusion in sport have not been 'properly considered' and that there is evidence that testorerone levels alone do not account for the 'full breadth of biological differences between people who have gone through male versus female puberty'. However, many voices also rose against the guidance. Attempting to police how to mitigate the diffrences between cis-gender and trans-gender women by excluding trans women would be a step in the wrong path. Pride Sports expressed their disappointment in the guidance, stating that it didn't look in the right direction: 'Finding ways to improve this situation should be the priority for new trans guidance and we are deeply disappointed that the review does not do this'. They believe that it would be closing doors instead of encouraging fairer practice. Stonewall and Mermaids, a trans charity, have also stated their opposition to the guidance, highlighting it's shortcomings and dangerous potential outcomes. The British Kickboxing Council has reminded that the guidance is not mandatory and that it is up to the councils of each sports to make a decision. In a statement, the BKC said that 'trans people have every right to parcipate in sport at all levels without discrimination" and that they have therefore chosen to continue to follow their current policy and keep a fair approach. Athletes have also been critical of the guidance, stating that increased checks to see what genders aspiring athletes were assgned at birth is very likely to result in growing reluctance in transgender people to take part in sport. In history, women, both cis-gender and transgender, have been excluded from sports, generally without factual or scientific reasons. In this instance, Pride Sports urges UK Sports to look beyond the extensive data they have used. Indeed, trans women have been participating in sports for a long time 'without any evidence that they are disproportionately succeeding in competitive sport or posing safety risk'. Instead of writing exclusionary guidances, Women in Sports believe that UK Sport should be listening 'to voices of both natal and transgender women' to 'map out a path, based on science, that better appreciates the complexities involved.'

Photo by Maksym Tymchyk