InQuire 17.9

InQuire www.inquiremedia.org

The University of Kent’s student publication

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Monday 7 March 2022 17.9

Is the Banksy exhibition in London worth visiting?

Culture: Page 17

Nobel prize-winning professor Gurnah returns to kent Tarini Tiwari, Editor-in-Chief

Alex Charilaou, Newspaper Editor

O

n the 24th February, Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah – who is Emeritus Professor of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent – spoke at

Photo by the University of Kent

the Gulbenkian Arts Centre about his life, his body of work, and the colonial injustices that anchor his literature.

Members of InQuire were privileged to attend the discussion event.

Professor Gurnah was announced as the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature in October last year. Anders Ollson, Chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee, praised Gurnah “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism”.

Gurnah was in discussion with the Head and Deputy Head of the School of English, Bashir Abu-Manneh and Amy Sackville respectively, in an event co-ordinated by the University of Kent, the British Council and Arts Council England. Gurnah was asked about his arrival into the UK as a refugee, and took questions on his

experiences and how they affected his writing.

He reflected on the separation between his creative and academic work, saying he often needed days between teaching and getting into the headspace to write.

Gurnah also spoke on how his novels have reflected the political situation at the time of writing, where he essentially said it’s unavoidable to write literature that didn’t exist in the political context of its setting. An audience question about whether Britain has a moral obligation to welcome refugees was met with Gurnah responding, “We have a human obligation.”

He posited that there has to be a limit on the number of people let into a country and he does not expect an open channel, but that developed nations such as Britain can and should create paths for refugees that do not put them in more danger than the situation they’re fleeing. UCU Kent leafleted the

Gulbenkian lobby before the discussion took place. Members of UCU handed out leaflets claiming that Karen Cox was responsible for, in 2020, trying “to sack 50% of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s English department” and she needed to be “defeat[ed] again”. Just before the event started, Branch President Claire Hurley handed one of these leaflets to Vice-Chancellor Cox. Hurley had the following to say about the action: “Given that it is ultimately Karen Cox’s decision to threaten jobs, Kent UCU feel it is essential that she is personally held accountable and confronted. The idea that senior management value the arts & humanities at Kent is a joke.

You can’t celebrate our Nobel Prize in literature one day, then threaten to sack staff the next. Karen Cox must be held personally accountable for the attack on arts & humanities at Kent.”

UCU marking boycott goes ahead at Kent Kent UCU President: "Students are right to be angry... but that anger should be levelled straight at Karen Cox and senior management."

By Amber Lennox Local Affairs Correspondant

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he last few weeks have seen a series of staff strikes in the name of pay, pensions, and working conditions. Before the current strikes, we also had strikes in the Autumn Term which were also regarding pensions and pay, as well as unmanageable workloads and inequalities within the higher education sector. Before then there were also strikes in Autumn of 2019 and Spring of 2020.

However, although the final day of the most recent strikes was on the 2nd of

March, it was announced on the 24th of February that the UCU have now voted in favour of a “Marking and Assessment boycott”. This was planned to start on the 3rd of March, and it was explained would end either when the “dispute is resolved or at the end of this academic year, whichever comes first.”

Action forums were scheduled to take place on the 28th of February and the 1st of March, and students are being encouraged to make use of the Academic Experience Reporting Tool which it’s said will help to inform Kent Union Parliament's decision on what stance the Students Union should take

on the new action.

As reported by InQuire in December, Kent Union Parliament voted in support of the Autumn Strikes in November. They also voted in support of the February-March strikes that have just ended. However, at an emergency meeting on Wednesday 2nd March, Kent Union Parliament voted not to support the marking boycott. Kent Union President Aisha Dosanjh had the following to say.

"An emergency meeting of Kent Union Parliament was held to vote on Kent Union's stance on the marking and assessment boycott. Network

delegates noted that this boycott will impact some students more than others, including international students and postgraduate taught students.

Parliament members noted that they are acutely aware of the ways in which postgraduate students who teach are particularly impacted and that we must continue to lobby the University for better working conditions, and that being both students and staff means that we must be careful to not let these vulnerable students fall through the gaps. There is a diversity of views across the student Continued on page 3.

Kent Union's Democratic Deficit News Page 2 Opinion: Entertainment: Page 8 Pages 18-19

Web 3.0: The future of the internet?

Science & Tech: Science & Tech: Page X Page 15 Entertainment: Page 21

Poltergeist continues to haunt at 40 Sport page 24 Winter Olympics Roundup: Another Average performance for Team GB

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Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Editorial

Meet the team Committee

Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

editor@inquiremedia.org

Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor

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Jake Yates-Hart Website Editor

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

Grace Bishop Head of Media & Events

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Johnathan Guy Head of Technology

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Editorial Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

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Gharam Al-Zubi Website News Editor

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Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

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Dan Esson Website Opinion Editor

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Priya Hawes Newspaper Features Editor features@inquiremedia.org

Rashida Hassan Website Features Editor

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Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor

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Katie Daly Website Lifestyle Editor

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Jake Yates-Hart Newspaper Entertainment Editor

A joint statement by InQuire's editorial executive.

W

e wanted to use this joint editorial as an opportunity for us, on behalf of InQuire, to share our solidarity with the Ukrainian people at one of the darkest times in their country’s history.

Vladimir Putin’s actions are cruel, cynical, and illegal. On Tuesday morning (March 1st), the UN Commissioner for Human Rights had recorded 136 civilian deaths in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, including 13 children. They said that they believed the true death toll to be even higher.

The number injured is believed to have been over 400. Clusterbombs and thermobaric weapons have been photographed in Ukraine: it is believed that Russia have been using them in civilian areas, including near preschools and hospitals. Human rights lawyer Philippe Sands has said that what we’re currently witnessing in Ukraine are “serial criminalities” on the part of Russia, and after 37 UN member states referred Russia to the ICC, (the most to refer in history), there is due to be an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes.

On Wednesday, President Zelenskiy of Ukraine illustrated to the world the horror of what is being attempted: “they all have orders to erase our history, erase our country, erase us all”. So calamitous has this war been that 141 countries voted to denounce it at the UN General Assembly. We must make no mistake: Vladimir Putin is an imperialist, and his ultra-nationalism has spelled disaster for Ukraine, and could cause yet more devastation for the rest of Eastern Europe.

It has been unfortunate that certain quarters – including increasingly large swathes of the British media –

have used the Ukrainian crisis as an opportunity to virtue signal, and to rally around a nationalistic, pro-war narrative. War must be avoided at all costs. Russia is a nuclear power, and Putin’s failures in achieving his aims in Ukraine makes escalation all the more likely as he scrambles to save face.

Imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as President Zelenskiy has suggested, would be a catastrophic move by NATO. While they have been effective in certain situations in the past, it would be disastrous against an increasingly trigger-happy Putin.

While nuclear weaponry is a horror of modern-day warfare, social media has developed increasingly terrifying powers in manipulating the masses through the spread of misinformation. Thankfully, large social media platforms have been taking the necessary steps to limit Russia’s reach to people. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, refused to remove warnings on state-affiliated social media posts or demonetise state-affiliated advertising accounts, resulting in Russia limiting its citizens’ access. Twitter has temporarily banned all adverts in Russia and Ukraine so as not to detract from critical public safety information, and has also focused on detecting and proactively reviewing tweets that contain misinformation intended to manipulate or mislead.

While this is all well and good, the negative consequences of social media go beyond targeted misinformation.

Social media can often create a barrier to the horrors of war, generating a sort of apathy online. When it comes to tragedies that we are not personally affected by, it feels as though suddenly everyone is queueing up to see who

the best stand-up comedian can be, presenting insensitive jokes about the invasion as a ‘coping mechanism’.

All this does is detract from the main issue and makes it harder for accurate information to be found for those in need of it. Those fighting the Russians or fleeing their country for safety are using their platform for good: posting and sharing important information to create awareness of Russia’s invasion.

So, yes, while the world is in ruins, and we must all look for some type of reprieve, rather than tweet some dumb, insulting joke about a tragedy for a few likes, we should focus on sharing reliable information from reputable sources. This topic will be the focus of much discourse for a while, so we should contribute productively to it and, more than anything, show our support for the people of Ukraine.

It is also important, at this time of international chaos, not to lose sight of our commitment to democracy and diversity of thought. The reaction by some to any criticism of NATO as though the criticisers are “Putin stooges” is wrongminded and reactionary. NATO has been responsible for the some of the worst war crimes of the 20th and 21st centuries, including in conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. A critical position on NATO cannot be equivocated with support for Putin: in this moment, Putin is doing far more harm. This does not mean that criticisms of NATO are invalid, and the suspension of democratic and civil norms at a time of escalating conflict has been a recipe for historical catastrophe.

A similar phenomenon might be observed in relation to the refugee discussion. The UN has advised

that up to 4 million people might flee Ukraine for Europe, yet many European governments are failing to commit to taking in sufficient number of refugees. These people don’t want to flee their homes, their families, their communities. They have no choice.

We must welcome them now, in their time of need – it is the human thing to do. This is as true now has it has been forever: in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Europe in the 20th century. We equally have a moral responsibility to aid the most vulnerable communities in Ukraine right now: people of colour, LGBTQ+ communities, disabled people and children. We must show sanctuary to the dispossessed.

We call on people in the UK and across the world to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, applauding their ceaseless bravery and resolve, and using every avenue available to us to aid them in their struggle. We call on European governments to accept Ukrainian refugees quickly and without question – safety is more important than paperwork. Above all, we call for Putin’s forces to immediately withdraw from Ukraine, ending the needless bloodshed and brutality, and for NATO and the West to push for a diplomatic solution based on sovereignty, peace, and human rights. This is the only way forward.

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

Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

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Eleanor Summers Website Culture Editor

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

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

Samuel Leah Newspaper Sport Editor

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Omar Ahmed Website Sports Editor

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Harvey Blazquez Newspaper Satire Editor

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Tahmid Morshed Website Satire Editor

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Jake Yates-Hart, Website Editor

Tarini Tiwari, Editor-in-Chief

Alex Charilaou, Newspaper Editor

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.

To our knowledge, there are no corrections that need to be issued for 17.8 Please refer to our letters page on page 4.

If you have spotted a mistake in an issue, please contact us at editor@inquiremedia.org so that a correction can be issued online.

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InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Continued from front page. ...body, but Parliament members felt that supporting the marking and assessment boycott would not add enough value to the industrial action to negate the amount of disruption the student body will see. Members respect the aims of UCU members, and there is particular concern for how we can represent and support students who teach, but Parliament felt they could not support the methods used to achieve those aims. Kent Union Parliament members voted not in support of the marking and assessment boycott, with 17 votes not in support and 3 abstentions."

InQuire reached out to Kent UCU President Claire Hurley, who commented the following.

"Students are right to be angry and upset about the marking and assessment boycott happening at Kent, but that anger should be levelled straight at Karen Cox and senior management. It is Karen Cox and the rest of the executive group who want to spend £70 million of student tuition fees on new buildings, rather than keep academic staff in jobs.

If Kent UCU members did not undertake

News this marking boycott then next year students would see modules cancelled and staff sacked. We sincerely hope that Karen Cox will listen to reason - all she has to do to end the marking boycott is give staff the reassurance that she won’t sack them in 2022. Students marks and degrees are firmly in her hands."

On the same day that the Marking and Assessment boycott was announced, the University also reached out to students to explain what the boycott would mean, and to offer an assurance that they were doing all they could to come to an agreement with the UCU to avoid the additional action of the boycott taking place.

What this Marking and Assessment boycott could mean for students is that, from the 3rd of March, any assessments submitted will not be marked, or at the very least, the marks will not be released until the demands of the UCU are met.

If the boycott is still ongoing by the time that exam boards need to happen then this might also affect students’ exams being marked also. Not all students will be affected, and it is worth students contacting their lecturers to ask if they are participating in the marking boycott.

As included in the announcement,

C Ukraine Protest Held in Canterbury City Centre

By Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief

ries of “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes!” and “Putin is a dickhead!” rang out from a crowd with signs painted blue and yellow.

On March 1, a static protest was held in the Canterbury city centre to show solidarity with Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion into the country.

Organised by students, Kent Union offered up the Venue to be used in the morning before the protest began for poster making.

At the protest, Ukrainian music played over a bluetooth speaker as leaflets were handed out, telling attendees legitimate places to donate

this boycott will end at the end of the academic year, should the issues not be resolved beforehand. Depending on certain factors, including types of contracts, this could mean that even if the boycott has ended, assessments and marks still might not be released once lecturers are on holidays, potentially leaving students waiting until the beginning of the next academic year for their results.

The University of Kent gave InQuire the following statement on mitigations: "We regret the decision by UCU to initiate a marking and assessment boycott but it remains a point of principle for us that no student should be disadvantaged as a consequence of industrial action. We know how important it is that the huge effort students put in is appropriately recognised. Whilst we continue regular discussions with UCU, we are also introducing mitigation plans to minimise disruption to our students, ensuring that learning can continue to be supported and that students can attain all of their appropriate learning outcomes. This could

Photo by Tarini Tiwari

include providing make-up sessions and looking at alternative forms of assessment where appropriate."

In the shadow of the strikes, there was a group set up outside of Café Nero on the 25th of February, promoting a Student Strike planned to take place on Wednesday the 2nd of March. The group were asking people to sign a petition which would allow them to fund a bus to take any students interested to London, in support of a nationwide

student boycott, in a demand for free education.

Throughout the various strikes, it has been made plain that student solidarity and support is important, however, for some students this boycott feels like a step too far, making it hard for them to feel anything other than angry at the situation, as though they’re being punished for something that they have no control over.

Photo by Kent UCU

both money and resources.

InQuire spoke to one of the organisers, who said “it’s very important to have a protest like this to raise awareness so then people can get directly involved, donate, raise the issue. Also, [people should] email their representatives and tell them to support Ukraine, so that

different governments in the West or anywhere take action too, which is incredibly important.”

When asked how students can help Ukrainians, they said “definitely check information, share the correct information, donate, try to see if there are any points in the UK where people are sending off donations to Ukraine.

A lot of them are in London right now, and unfortunately there’s nothing in Canterbury—if anyone can organise anything in Canterbury please let us know as well, we’ll join, repost it and let everyone know to donate stuff—but yeah, talk to your parents, talk to your government, just let people know!

UK Companies Testing A Four-Day Work Week

By Mary Adeniyi News Writer

in Boston College, Cambridge University, Oxford University, as well as think tank Autonomy. Yo Telecom hirty UK companies have and Canon’s UK arm, are said to be announced that they are taking part, but the full list has not yet participating in a six month been announced by the 4 Day Week trial of a four- day work week. campaign.

The trial is set to begin in June 2022, The trial comes after a growing and will be in an effort to measure interest to the potential benefits whether it will boost employees to workers productivity in the productivity in the workplace. workplace, as well providing a better The companies testing the fourwork-life balance. The researchers day work week will reduce their will measure any changes to employee employees work times from five eightwellbeing and productivity, as well hour shifts, to four ten-hour shifts as on the impact on gender equality a week, for six months. Employees and on the environment. The aim of will also be paid their full wage. The a four-day work week is to improve concept is known as the ‘100:80:100’ employees quality of life. By working model, where employees will receive fewer hours and adding an extra day 100% of their wages for 80% of the to their weekend, more time can be time, whilst agreeing to give 100% of spent on priorities, such as spending their productivity. time with family.

The UK trial is being run by 4 Day A study conducted by a New Zealand Week Global, a non-profit that based company Perpetual Guardian, advocates for the shorter work of a four day work week found week, with support from researchers employees showed improvements in teamwork, company loyalty, work-life balance and job satisfaction. 78% of their employees could more effectively balance their home and work life, Image from 4 Day Week Campaign

T

compared to just 54% prior to the experiment. Further studies have also suggested that moving to a four-day work week boosts workers wellbeing and productivity.

Iceland recently concluded a five-year trial, and was hailed as an ‘overwhelming success’, while researchers concluded that a pilot study conducted at Microsoft in Japan, productivity went up

Image by Rory Bathgate

by 40%. Similar trials led by the 4 Day Week Campaign Global, will also be launching this year, in countries such as the US, Australia and Ireland.

Spanish and Scottish governments launched pilot schemes last month.

UK companies such as Blink, Common Knowledge and Elektra Lightning have already made the move of adopting a four-day week. In an announcement made on the 7 February, software group WANdisco has become one of the first UK-listed companies to switch to a fourday week for its employees.

Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week UK campaign, said the trial’s organisers were contemplating on increasing the number of business participants from 30 to 50, in response to the strong interest to the launch of the

trial. Hundreds of business’ have said to have signed up to information sessions, implying that they are considering testing the move.

‘The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from mainly measuring how long people are ‘at work’, to a sharper focus on the output being produced’, Joe O-Connor, Pilot Programme manager for the 4 Day Week Global said.

He stated that 2022, “will be the year that heralds in this bold new future of work.”

“More and more business’ are moving to productivity focused strategies to enable them to reduce worker hours without reducing pay. We are excited by the growing momentum and interest in our pilot programme and in the four-day week more broadly.”

Belgium has also recently announced that workers will also be adopting a four-day work week. Workers there will also have the right to ignore workrelated messages, without fear of reprisal. The UAE was the first country to adopt a four-and-a-half-day work week in 2022. The nation also moved from a Friday-Saturday weekend, to a Saturday-Sunday weekend.

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Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Letters

At InQuire Media, we offer rights to reply where individuals and organisations are named in articles. The aim is to provide all sides with a chance to offer their perspective. If you feel an article published in the InQuire newspaper or on inquiremedia.org paints you or an organisation you’re involved in in an unduly negative light, you can write to us at editor@inquiremedia.org and request a right to reply to be published on your behalf. This is important to us as part of free and fair journalism, and we thank the authors of the following letters for their efforts to ensure our content is balanced.

By Lee Fellows Deputy Director of Student Services and Head of Student Support and Wellbeing headofssw@kent.ac.uk

I

wanted to reach out to InQuire following the article in Monday 14th February's paper titled ‘Problems with Kent Student Support’. Firstly, I appreciate that the point made in the article, that the intention was not to talk badly about the support services, but to highlight real life experience faced by service users.

I am sorry to hear that those students interviewed have found issues in accessing our services or have experienced difficulties/ delays with getting appointments. In Student Support and Wellbeing we are committed to listening to the student voice and to continually improving our service. I would like to outline and make clear a commitment to following up on the issues presented and I am reaching out via the reporter to the students they spoke to, with the offer for our team to investigate their experience. If mistakes were made, we can apologise and ensure that these mistakes or delays are not experienced by others. I appreciate that some students may not wish to

engage or wish to remain anonymous so the offer to remain anonymous will be respected.

Student Support and Wellbeing helps students across several key services including Counselling, Mental Health, Disability Services (including SpLD and Neurodiversity). Our aim is to provide professional support and guidance in supporting students on their academic journey to ensure they are empowered safe in the knowledge they have professional support services that can be easily accessed. We also liaise with external NHS primary and secondary services and other professional bodies; this ensures appropriate care and support is provided. I want to reassure all that our services remain open and accessible. We have a clear triage process across all our services and closely monitor waiting and appointment lists for the services we provide. Where waiting times might be higher at key times within the academic year (start and end of terms, exam periods) we have external provisions available to students to help us manage these times and ensure students in need of support are receiving it. My message to all students would be to contact us if you are struggling or need advice and guidance relating to your personal

wellbeing. You can also contact me if you feel our service is not meeting your needs so I can address concerns in a timely manner.

By an official representative Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences

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he School of Computing was disappointed with the tone and the headline of the article about our teaching published in the 14 February issue of InQuire. The request for a response was sent from a personal email rather than a Kent or InQuire one, resulting in it being sent to a spam folder. The article was not checked by the School of Computing until after the article was published. It is regrettable that this miscommunication left the School unable to reply. Particularly so, given that the article went on to strongly criticise the School.

The truth, however, and in contrast to the portrayal in the article, is that the School cares very much about our teaching quality and the educational experience of our students. We actively seek student feedback and address the issues raised, through a process of logging, staff liaison and specific action.

In relation to the issues mentioned in the article we added extra classes, provided specific additional marking support, repeated learning and support events and extended deadlines.

We note that some of the reported

issues are from the previous academic year, 2020/2021 where mitigations were put in place and steps were successfully taken to prevent them from reoccurring in 2021/2022. As such, it is disappointing that the article made no distinction about this and seemed to be suggesting the reported issues were all happening now, when the truth is that many of them had already been addressed.

We understand that some students have been unfortunate in the number of issues they have encountered and that the above actions may not be enough on their own. Following our usual Exam Board practice we will look at any disadvantage these students may have suffered and mitigate accordingly.

The School of Computing is committed to continue to improve student experience. We appreciate that the past couple of years have been difficult as staff and students have navigated the effects of the pandemic and new ways of teaching and learning together. We are grateful for the resilience and patience that everyone in the School has shown and we continue to encourage students to contact us with their issues and concerns. We take these seriously and act on them.

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InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

News

Influencers weigh in on French Presidential Election

By Léa Aurine News Writer

T

wo weeks ago, in France, France's most famous influencers’ and TV stars’ manager of the country, Magali Berdah, decided to launch her brand new Youtube program about politics.

Indeed, as the French Presidential Election will take place in April 2022, she decided to broadcast her personal interviews of the different candidates, and this initiative was brought to centre stage by French media. However, as she has always used to claim being not interested in politics at all, such an announcement spawned controversy in France, about the weight of influencers and reality TV stars in politics.

As a business woman at the head of French top influence agency Shauna Events, Magali Berdah has advocated for the recognition of influencer as a legal profession. As she was questioned by the French radio ‘Europe 1’ about her new political YouTube program, she shed light on the long-standing disdain against reality TV figures, mainly regarded as being part of a bottom-end subculture. Indeed, she expressed her feeling of being seen as illegitimate to talk about politics, by the French intellectual community: “When you want to run a country, you have to run it entirely, you can’t

only lead intellectuals”. Her idea of posting videos with candidates had the expressed aim of making politics accessible for all - especially for people like herself who are experiencing depoliticisation. She also emphasized her wish to remain unbiased, and speak to candidates “with simple words so as to obtain simple answers”.

The question has arises amongst the French media about whether influencers and reality TV stars are biased when tackling politics.

Magali Berdah began her political journey by being part of French live television talk show ‘Touche Pas A mon Poste’ (TPMP), literally ‘Don’t Touch My TV Set’. However, the French National Centre for Scientific Research published a report in Janurary, which raised awareness about how the show had become a popular platform giving momentum to extreme right-wing ideas. This study was conducted by Claire Sécail between September and December 2021, with the results then shared by the French newspaper ‘L’Humanité’. According to them, 53% of TPMP’s viewer-time is dedicated to extreme right wing ideas, among which 44,7% to Eric Zemmour, the populist and extreme right candidate

to the French Presidential Election.

Such numbers sound the alarm about the banalization of extreme right and nationalist speeches in French media, especially by influencers regularly invited on the talk show, so as to make audience hit a record high. As specified by the research, extreme and nationalist

Ottawa. The unprecedented move came after more than two weeks of so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests

by Canadian truckers and their allies, who are demanding an end to all Covid-19 restrictions.

The protests, organised by farright activists started as a response to vaccine requirements imposed on cross-border travel by the government.

Protesters set up border blockades in Parliament Hill, Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario and other major border crossings - acts which have caused enormous disruption.

The movement has since gained a lot of traction , and there have been reports that some participants have harassed and threatened residents within the capital. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated on Monday that eleven protesters have been arrested and detained, at the time of writing.

Thirteen long guns, multiple sets of body armour, handguns, a “large quantity” of high-capacity

magazines and ammunition have also been seized. The Alberta premier, Jason Kenney, said the seizure of firearms and arrests “underscores the severity” of the on-going situation.

The city of Ottawa and the province of Ontario have both declared states of emergency. The Emergencies Act, which came into force in 1988, allows the federal government to take “special temporary, measures to ensure safety and security during national emergencies.”

It is a 30-day measure that comes into effect immediately when invoked.

A high bar has to be met, specifically an ”urgent and critical situation” that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians.” All measures sanctioned through the Act must comply with the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

If the Act is approved within the seven day timeframe by the Canadian Parliament, then it could grant the government additional powers, some of which include; temporarily freezing the bank accounts of suspects -

il

ach Med Jam

Photo by Latr

i d e a s are framing public debate, encroaching upon other voices, and especially those from the left side of the political spectrum. At the same time, the first candidate interviewed by Magali Berdah was Eric Zemmour, and the video collected more than 500,000 views. In the opinion of French newspaper ‘Télérama’, Magali Berdah’s programme is totally undermining the real public debate, that should be shaped by ideas, instead of focusing on politicians’ communicative strategy and personal image.

Indeed, on one side, the growing

weight of influencers and reality TV show figures among young people fuels the interest of politicians, eager to target new publics. But on the other side, some candidates like Zemmour, whose claims always spawn outcries among public opinion, are very likely to attract larger audience, on the benefit of the ones who interview them. Some have wondered if common good is the real purpose of this association, between politics and influencers.

Last May, two of the most famous French youtubers, McFly and Carlito, have broadcasted a video with French President Macron.

As the two content creators had previously promoted government’s guidelines about Covid-19, the French President agreed to play games on their Youtube channel. Seen more than 16 million times, the video put into question the role of influencers in political life. The French newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ gave a sound analysis of this communication strategy, where influencers offer platforms for political power. Indeed, it is not the first time that a French president use numerical tool to entice citizens. In 1975, former President

Valery Giscard d’Estaing decided to go dinner to random French citizens home, broadcasting it on French television. Regarding McFly and Carlito’s video, some critics shed light on the individualization of politics, where politicians compete with their image and not their ideas. As stated by R.Pigenel, a political communication teacher at Sciences Po, using such advertising videos as platforms aims at targeting young people that are not interested in traditional media, so as to build trust relationship again, between youth and politicians.

As Magali Berdah had already been invited by French government’s spokesperson Gabriel Attal, so as to speak of the growing link between influencers and politics in 2021, there is no denying that the political field has clearly understand the power of influencers, as tools to fuel a political message. In the USA, Trump used to be a TV star, as a businessman in the show ‘The Apprentice’. According to Steve Schmidt, a political consultant, TV shows are ‘launching pads for politicians’, mainly because of the large popular audience they attract, which can then be exposed to political influence and information. Reality TV is a ‘game changer in public discourse’, and TV shows, such as ‘Dancing with the stars’ in the US, seem to be a great way for politicians to burnish their image.

without a court order, and having the authority to prevent public assemblies.

Justin Trudeau stated, “It is no longer a lawful protest at a disagreement over government policy... it is now an illegal occupation. It’s time for people to go home”, in a statement at a news conference on Monday.

He further stated the measures will be “reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address”, and they will be “geographically targeted.”“This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions.”

In more recent developments, Canada’s Parliament cancelled the debate over the Act on Friday, due to safety concerns. They were told on Thursday night that due to

“exceptional circumstances” of police reigning in on protesters, the police created a ‘no-go’ zone around Parliament and urged MP’s to avoid the area for their own safety.

Government House Leader Mark Holland, later confirmed the debate is to resume on Saturday.

The use of the Emergencies Act would be the most forceful use of government power thus far in combatting the blockades.

Trudeau is set to face fierce opposition in Parliament over his stance on the Act.

Canadian Government Invokes Emergency Powers To Quell Trucker Protests

By Mary Adeniyi News Writer

T

he Canadian government has invoked the ‘Emergencies Act’ for the first time in Canada’s history. This is in response to weeks of antigovernment protests a g a i n s t pandemic restrictions in the Canadian capital,

Photo by Sean Kilpatrick

Photo by David Zalubowski

6

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

News

Kent Model UN Conference Interview

By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

A

few weeks before their annual conference, InQuire sat down with two of Kent Model United Nations’ key organisers – Diane Sion and Gabin Berthouloux. The students were part of the team which delivered the conference between 4th-6th February.

The conversation dove straight into talking about the crisis committee one which was based around a Star Wars scenario. Diane spoke up on the real world application of this.

“It’s the same as any other MUN role play activity. The power dynamics are still there. It is less academic than the other two conferences, with a degree of acting being involved since everyone is playing a different character”. Indeed, participants could pick at playing characters from Yoda Head of Republic Cabinet, to General Grievous - Head of the Droid Army.

They could even represent Naboo as highly esteemed politician, Jar Jar Binks.“We are excited about this one” said Gabin with a smile, “more of a fun part of what MUN is overall.”

InQuire was handed a piece of paper outlining what was going down in a galaxy far, far away. “Following the Seperatist Crisis, the Confederacy of Independent Systems are taken by surprise by a Galactic Republic invasion at Geonosis, by the newly reformed Grand Army of the

Republic; its ranks now made up of clone troopers “, read the committee brief. “Despite being significantly outnumbered, the element of surprise and rapid attack sees the Republic claim a minor victory in the first engagement of the war. The Separatists now forced into retreat, mostly into the outer rim, begin deploying their countless numbers of battle droids to start invading and securing strategic and resource rich planets along the hyperspace lanes of the galaxy. The Republic, still heavily outnumbered, spreads its forces thin in order to maintain control over areas it deems most important, whilst having to abandon others to their fate, being unable to intervene or defend its members. Picking up the story right after the first Battle of Geonosis (End of Attack of the Clones), this crisis will give the opportunity to delegates to rewrite the three year galaxy wide inferno that is the Clone Wars”.

Diane spoke up on the real world application of this. “It’s the same as any other MUN role play activity.

The power dynamics are still there.

It is less academic than the other two conferences, with a degree of acting being involved since everyone is playing a different character”. Indeed, participants could pick at playing characters from Yoda - Head of Republic Cabinet, to General Grievous - Head of the Droid Army. They could even represent Naboo as highly esteemed politician, Jar Jar Binks.

“Star wars committee aims to take the edge off of the simulation of international relations” said Diane.

She told us of how this is less formal, yet still had the formalities of calling for motions still being present in the exercise. “It is a great way for people to enter MUN, as its less formal, easier and more intuitive. But at the same time, it is good for people more experienced in MUN to give them to have a chance to have some fun under the less tense pretences. Crisis is not so common in MUN conferences”.

The conversation then moved on to how delegates in the real UN often have to espouse positions that their national government advocate for, while the individual delegate may feel something completely different in private. The duo told of how Model UN reflects this reality, as delegates may be representing countries that their views don’t necessarily align with. Diane put this in the context of the woman’s committee. “Of course, if someone is a delegate for a country that is not very accepting or very progressive, then they can say something that is completely against what they believe, which is always very interesting – especially when it is a feminist advocating for a national position that goes against woman’s rights”.

Diane talked of a very international feeling, with the interconnections between the various MUNs. “In our first year, we intended to go to the

MUN organised by Harvard, in Tokyo.

Another massive MUN with hundreds, if not thousands of delegates from all over the world - where everyone is really engaged and taking the conference seriously. Unfortunately this was cancelled because of covid.”

Gabin was also supposed to go to one in New York, which is hosted inside the official United Nations building – with the opening and closing ceremonies occurring in the general assembly.

The society also organises trips to various other university MUNs. This year, they have already been to Warwick, with plans to attend the mega-conference somewhere between the end of February and the beginning of March in London - organised by Kings College and LSE. This one would be around 800 delegate strong MUN, with people from all around the world attending The pair told us of how there is a massive social aspect to MUN too. Diane recollected of a bigger conference she attended where they rented out a hall for a party, and at one point they “opened the side door to surprise chocolate fountains!”. “In the Tokyo conference we were meant to attend, there were socials organised for every night. One of them was in the Hello Kitty theme park!” Diane said with an air of longing.

They concluded by telling of Kent MUN’s weekly Monday meeting at 6pm, where they debate different topics, which changes once every week

Image from Kent MUN or every two weeks. “Each person choses a country to represent in sort of mini-conference and they debate from their chosen perspective” said Gabin.

“I feel like I’ve gained a lot from MUN – from meeting people, but also for public speaking” said Daine. ”I am naturally very shy, so learning how to talk in front of a lecture theatre of people was so empowering for me.

Around 10-15 people on average turning up per meeting. And you can give each other advise, tips and tricks on the go - it’s very wholesome!”

For more information, visit the Kent Union societies page and look for the Model United Nations Society.

Report

By Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh News Writer

T

he room is warm when I walk in. KentMUN has started off with chatter and a welcoming ceremony, introducing the topics for the day: UN women and refugees.

Philip and Soham are introduced to chair the conference, and explain the MUN and its aims, and how the process works. The initiation ceremony allowed participants and others to have an idea of how Kent MUN functioned. The structure of the

Photo by Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh Ghezelayagh

programme was well thought out and took into account Covid-19 precautions of the time, as well as bearing in mind cultural sensitivity.

Women and Children Templeman Seminar room is crowded with chattering students hard at work. The debates are so interesting with the students mingling with one another. The timer stops every few minutes, then starts again, commanding the attention of the students. Hearing the debates as a law student intrigues me – people from all walks of life and experiences are holding their ground and

talking about their claimed position.

The committee discussed various topics, including but not limited to gender-based violence, equal access to political power, and refugees.

What I particularly enjoyed was how representatives of countries would colloquially ‘call out’ others – I particularly enjoyed seeing how China’s representative was forced to answer their treatment towards refugees.

Star Wars The nerd in me was overjoyed.

Star Wars was definitely a creative option, with two cabinets presenting: Galactic Republic (for non-fans, this is Yoda and Obi-Wan, seem familiar?), and the Separatist Confederacy. An interesting scenario was given, along with a timeline, with a focus on military and battle. It was enjoyable to see candidates cracking smiles mid-debates, which showed the less serious tone of this committee. Star Wars was my favourite of the MUN committees no doubt, particularly because of the sheer creativity and fun of the topic. As a literature major, I also feel obligated to briefly mention the socio-political undertones of Star Wars and

its relevance on modern pop culture, particularly amongst millennials and Gen-Z. Refugees As someone passionate in the topic of asylum and refuge (particularly in 2022, with a rise in Afghan and Ukrainian refugees), the discussions around this topic were prominent and powerful. Two main topics were involved: providing adequate shelter for climate refugees, and protection for LGBTQ+ refugees. The room is warm again and discussion is loud, as I step over trying to listen in. In one humorous moment, China and Russia are cornered and jokingly told to explain themselves, as both countries are notorious for their treatment of refugees and their refusal to answer to the UNHCR. It was interesting to see the ‘countries’ with histories of oppression or discrimination

being forced to defend themselves against accusations.

Closing ceremony Although the days are over, the hype is still vibrant on Sunday afternoon.

As a casual observer, it was definitely an experience (I almost wish I was participating myself), not to mention the awareness raised for the topics discussed, along with the use of Star Wars as a way to engage pop culture and politics. Overall, Kent MUN 2022 proved to be a success and has allowed students to have a taste of a career that involves politics and debate.

Photo from University of Kent

InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

7

Satire

8

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Opinion

Sustainability 3.0 Photo by John Englart/Flickr

Kent Union’s democratic deficit Photo by Sam Webb

By Tahmid Morshed Website Satire Editor

T

ick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Hear that? That’s the sound of time running out.

With numerous crises here and there, the sustainability of the world’s current state of affairs is questionable. Climate change, food crises, wars, poverty, inequality, and the lot. At the same time, the global economic situation is variable and looking mixed. Large corporations report record profits while GDP growth is in the gutter for many countries. Granted, Covid-19 threw a massive gear-wrecking spanner in the works a few years ago. That certainly hasn’t helped. But were things really looking so good beforehand?

Before the pandemic and recessions of today, a number of things happened in the post-war period that set us on the path to where we are now. Energy crises, stagflation, unwinnable wars, and revolutions across the globe. These factors forced economists and ideologues to come up with new economic policies. The days of trading gold and spices were over. Fickle relationships couldn’t be allowed to stand anymore. Something more sustainable had to be introduced. Something that increased the welfare of most people. Until it didn’t.

It’s a tricky situation. On one hand, globalism has allowed millions – if not billions – of people to be lifted out of absolute poverty and appalling living conditions. But on the other hand, they’ve been deposited into a globalist machine that rinses 99% of them for maximum efficiency. This shouldn’t be a problem, except it seems to have coincided with other worrying developments. Stories of worker exploitation and untenable living conditions pour out of every corner of the globe. Unsafe living conditions, poor wages, and soul-crushing prospects. It doesn’t seem all too well.

The globalist project was implemented as a way to stop tragedies like World

War II from ever happening again. If the world’s nations were interdependent economically, socially, and even culturally then why would anyone take up arms?

Surely it would hurt both you and your neighbour?

Not quite. The way that this project was achieved has been interesting. The prioritisation of efficiency and trade has been a good idea. What hasn’t been good is how livelihoods have been shattered due to brutally cut costs. Admittedly, it makes ‘sense’ why this has happened. The world of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s is not the same world of today. Services and technology now comprise large portions of the biggest economies. Manufacturing and resource extraction have moved off to countries with the lowest running costs.

It becomes a no-brainer when machines have helped to optimise the process even further.

However, the results of this are detrimental for everyone. Parts of the world are facing instability from societies and economies being remodelled with poorer alternatives. Other regions are facing the threat of climate change along with poor living and working conditions from this ‘efficient’ exploitation. No matter how you view society today, for most people it is a reality of living in a lose-lose environment. As such, the sustainability project increasingly looks like a bogus deal.

On a more positive note, the possibilities for reform are endless. As the old guard winds down, new people with newer ideas begin to take hold. Change is never instant, however. No one ever built something foundationally solid in a day. Although with technological developments, and with time, someone could. Action will take place. But whether this action ends up being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ hinges on the rest of society. Make a good decision, the future of the planet depends on it.

Photo by Solidarity Center/Flickr

By Hyunseok Ryu Opinion Writer

B

y many, voting is interpreted as a civic duty: elections are your chance to steer the course of an institution, whether that be a students’ union or a national state.

The Kent Union sabbatical officer elections tend to have an abysmal level of turnout, consistently less than 20%.

On the surface, this isn’t healthy for our university’s democracy. After all, if Kent Union is supposed to represent students, what is it for without their participation? To solve this lack of engagement, something more fundamental must be fixed.

A problem that plagues all democratic institutions is thus: candidates can run on lies or impossible objectives.

The previous Union President ran on a platform that was simply infeasible.

This problem applies to a lot of elections, not just those at Kent Union, but when a candidate runs on issues they can’t actually solve it raises a jaded scepticism towards the institution.

This definitely doesn’t help to improve the attention of students towards the election and issues at hand.

Another problem is this: nobody really understands what the officers do.

By looking at KU’s Instagram, we can see various posts about engagement, events, and activities undertaken

by the Union, but little meaningful change that would make anyone truly care enough to vote. That’s not to say that the positions up for grabs are insignificant, but rather we need to understand that voters only see the usual marketing about outreach and events. If it’s a position where we infrequently see much tangible benefit, then why would anyone be convinced?

Without trying to describe the union as pointless, this may help explain why participation could be so low.

And finally, even if the roles have a genuine purpose, it still isn’t going to arouse any widespread participation or attention. There isn’t any substance to these positions, and most of our lives at university will not change significantly due to the results of one election. This isn’t to blame Kent Union for having limited powers, but one also cannot blame the average student for not having any interest. There may not be any official data on how students feel towards the Union, but it’s safe to say that most abstentions are not protest votes, but instead a lack of attention and care.

The reason why low turnout and participation is so concerning is that it undermines Kent Union’s legitimacy.

When turnout is so low, they represent such a minimal faction of students that every action they take is never with the confidence of most of the student

body. For example, when they voted to support the recent strikes, how can we be confident that this consideration represents the views of a majority of students?

The problem goes deeper, to the very fundamentals of Kent Union. To boost turnout or attention, the options are to increase marketing and appeal, or to strengthen the powers of the sabbatical officers. But neither are clear on whether they’d work or are even worth trying. If the actual powers of the president are communicated and are common knowledge, it could have the opposite effect with people not deeming it worth it to vote. At the moment, it’s impossible to say what strengthening the Union and its presidents would even entail, and it raises the question of whether this democratisation is even worth it, especially when the Union is powerless against the comparable power of the university.

That is the main problem Kent Union currently has. An institution that relies on votes, but can’t get any.

An organisation that has purpose, but a purpose that little are aware of. And a Union that claims to speak for its students, even while it represents less than a fifth of its electorate.

9

InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Opinion

Boris Johnson cannot be trusted: it’s time he goes Sue Gray Sue Gray, please make him pay, rules broke every day, bring back Theresa May?

By Nathan Collins-Cope Newspaper News Editor

I

f you haven’t heard of these parties by now, you must be wearing noise cancelling headphones. The Prime Minister and many of his staff are under investigation by the police, in an unprecedented situation of unproper leadership whilst under lockdown.

Objectionable emails advertising illegal parties were sent around by Boris’ private secretary while family and friends of people outside of the halls of power were left to die alone. Even the Queen followed the rules, attending the funeral of her late husband a day after two parties were reportedly held in Downing Street. How can you not conclude this to be stomach churningly unforgiveable?

The majority of Conservative MPs clearly disagree. The party of preserving morality seems to have turned a blind eye to its leader’s unprincipled flaunting of the rules that he created. He is too much of an asset to them– he won Brexit, as well as their first effective majority since the 1990s. There is no denying that he has a high level of charisma. The type of fellow you would like to have a pint with, as they say. It is no wonder why he turned out to be a Prime Minister who put fun over fundamentally protecting those in his care.

What’s worse is that he seems to be getting away with it. Boris now has the bogeyman of Putin to point at as the larger evil, with the cloud of implied whataboutism now shielding his scandal from view. The invasion of Ukraine has allowed him to portray himself as some sort of wartime leader, with most seeming to forget his myriad of failures in the Foreign Office. The Churchill comparison simply does not hold.

He has become like a hound backed into the corner, pawing and grasping at any opportunity to cling to power in what has been dubbed ‘Operation Save Big Dog’. This bid to deflect blame from himself has seen countless staffers fall on their sword, with more to follow if this hellhound gets his way.

This shameless charlatan has gone as far as to bark about the terrible deeds of Jimmy Savile, trivialising a historic child sexual abuse case for the sake of rebutting a few harsh words from Keir Starmer.

Maybe it would have seemed a modicum more acceptable if the Labour leader and former Director of Public Prosecutions was able to prevent Savile’s escapes from justice – but the idea that he could have done is no more than a petty lie to please and throw a bone to the far-right.

A lie that the Prime Minister has refused to apologise for multiple times.

Not every Tory lacks the backbone to call out Johnson’s actions.

Munira Mirza, head of the Number 10 Policy Unit, has resigned in disgust over the Prime Minister’s ‘inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse’. A small minority of Conservative MPs are also speaking out against the Prime Minister, saying that it is time for him and the party to move on. Yet Boris still seems to think it is somehow plausible for him to remain in his position, ignoring the damaging precedents he is setting.

The British public seem to know more

Photo by Loco Steve/Flickr about these parties than their actual attendees! It’s amazing that the people who are making some of the most important decisions for the country are unable to tell the difference between a party and a meeting. It seems only right that the Tories change their official name to the Conservative and Unionist Work Event, so as no one inadvertently brings a bottle to the next national conference.

And the icing on this entire clusterfuck is that both Johnson and Downing Street staff, under police investigation,

are allowed to see the notes that Sue Gray kept on them before they fill out their police-authored questionnaires.

Since Gray essentially did most of the investigative work before passing it over to the authorities, this means that the accused can see the information that the police have on them, further boosting their already heightened advantage in being found not guilty. Abuse of power?

Blatant corruption? These things have been so commonplace under Johnson’s premiership that it is difficult to not become desensitised from it

all. Remember the illegal prorogation of Parliament? He is relying on the idea that your memory is as short as his morality. Do not let this man take you for a fool when the time comes to express your democratic right. He is not your loyal, scruffy companion. His character is closer to the slyness of a certain bin-diving, opportunistic orange creature found roaming cities at night.

Kent Union nominees: hold them to a high standard now to avoid being disappointed next year

By Amber Lennox Local Affairs Correspondent With Kent Union Elections just around the corner, campaigns are now underway. A large field of nominees will try convincing you to vote for them come election day, the all-important 10th of March.

What are we voting on? Well, the President and four Vice-Presidents.

More importantly though, what standards will we be voting on? Whilst the Union President isn’t exactly Prime Minister, what criteria should we be holding our student union nominees up to?

Though this may be a bold claim, I believe that those running for Kent Union should be held to the same

standard as any other politician. I don’t believe that someone can nominate themselves for a position of authority and expect they won’t be scrutinised.

They’re paid roles – £20,000 a year – and important ones at that.

There will always be another job considered ‘more important’: that does not take away from the fact that our nominees are putting themselves forward for a paid position where they will be representing us. If nothing else, holding nominees to a high level should help reassure us that those running are doing so for the right reasons, and will take the position seriously. This is especially true in the current academic climate, dealing with how our student lives may proceed ‘post-Covid’ and helping us to navigate difficulties like

strikes. We deserve to have elected officers who are genuine in their reasons for being in the position, and who are going to do all they can to help us as students. This is especially pertinent when considering that Kent Union’s Instagram have advertised nominating oneself as an opportunity to ‘be the change’. This is change which will likely require genuine and committed officers to step up and advocate for it, on our behalf.

If we do look to the sort of higher standards that other politicians are held to, we can see that there is, apparently, a strict code of conduct which, as of 2018, included standards such as: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership, and respect.

It’s also stated that there is a certain standard of behaviour expected from MPs in their private and public lives.

Considering certain scandals that often occur with politicians, such as that with Matt Hancock, or the Downing Street parties, it is not unreasonable to have these standards in place. In fact, I’d argue that these tenets such as integrity, or respect, ought to be the absolute minimum. And in light of recent events, imagine what politicians would get up to if these standards weren’t in place!

If we don’t hold Kent Union nominees to these standards, then what’s the alternative? If they can’t even demonstrate fundamental values like honesty or objectivity, then I personally won’t be voting for them. Nobody should be in any kind of position of

power or responsibility – making decisions that are going to directly affect me – if they cannot demonstrate that they have the appropriate attitude and core values required.

To not hold Kent Union nominees to the high standard we would with other politicians would be to cheat ourselves out of a fair and just representation in our student’s union. These standards ensure that the people running to represent you actually represent you.

The views expressed in each article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InQuire Media. To publish a response, contact newspaper.opinion@inquiremedia.org

10

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Lifestyle

Unboxed Kent: A New Rising-star Independent shop in canterbury

By Emily Erskine-Grout Writer

W

ant to help create a cleaner, better Earth? Why not try UnBoxed Kent.

Found in Canterbury town centre on St Peter’s Street, just next to Zizzi’s and Paper Chase, UnBoxed is a plastic-free store for all your household products.

Only opened last year UnBoxed is adding to the growing number of independent shops in town. Their aim is to live a waste free life and so everything in the shop is packaging free, recyclable or biodegradable. Making sure nothing gets sent to landfill. What can you buy?

All the essentials without the waste; fruit, veg, cupboard basics, teas and coffees, cleaning products, dried foods, oils, and spices. Found in a historic Tudor building, UnBoxed has its walls lined with dispensable containers filled to the brim with everything from pasta to chocolate drops to couscous.

While all your 5 a day fruits and vegs are promised to be fresh, organic, and locally sourced. A variety of natural cleaning products are available, from personal hygiene like shampoos, or to household cleaners and fabric softener.

UnBoxed has a unique quality to the shopping process, you can now bring your own containers to fill with products, helping assist with the aim for

eco-friendly habits. Simply bring your containers, or grab a paper bag, weigh your items on the scale, print out a label and pay at the till. If you don’t have any of your own eco-friendly options, reusable containers, bottles, and canvas bags can be bought in store as well.

No fridge foods are sold currently, but you can still stock most of your kitchen easily and cheaply.

If there is a product you want that they don’t have?

Just make a request, the staff are always open to new ideas or products. For us students UnBoxed could be the way forward.

Not only are we helping the planet, but the pricing to weight system allows for you to buy exactly how much you want (whether it be one

orange to three pounds of chocolate chips) at fair and student friendly prices. It also can be a saviour for bulk buys at cheap prices to keep you stocked all year, which wouldn’t be afforded at the major supermarkets.

UnBoxed is perfect for those wanting to save some money on the day to day while also conscious of the help our Photo by Unboxed Kent planet needs.

Bottomless Brunch at the Penny Theatre

By Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor

O Photo by Meetup

n Saturday me and my housemates decided to embark on a bottomless brunch at the Penny Theatre.

We all paid £20 which got us a meal from their selection (I’d recommend the fry up) and endless drinks… and we do mean endless. Our receipt was longer

than anything I’ve ever seen before. Although you only have 2 hours, it was a great way to get out of the house and enjoy a breakfast with a twist.

The Penny Theatre (somewhere I’ve never been before) was a cosy little pub with an upbeat and younger atmosphere. Classic screens showing the rugby along with long benches and a modern feel to it. This is the perfect destination for a bar crawl and is cheaper than expected.

When we arrived; our game plan was to make our way through the cocktail menu and try everything.

After several Aperol Spritz, glasses of Prosecco and something called a ‘Rasberry Cooler’, we were less than sober.

With a vague memory of someone throwing ice down my top, I can safely say we were tricky

customers whom they probably wanted to be rid of as soon as possible!

We could not praise the bar staff highly enough considering we were seconds away from dancing on the table at midday - I’m sure they were probably sick of us. When the bill came we each paid what we owed and they didn’t even charge us for the coffee which was a little win for our table!

This was a great activity for you and a group of friends; with delicious food and great drinks! If you decide to embark on this adventure, be prepared to be asleep by 9pm like me and my housemates were.

(The best part is not waking up with a hangover).

Happy drinking!

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InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Lifestyle

All Bodies Are Bikini Bodies!

By Rashida Hassan Website Features Editor

F

rom a very young age I remember feeling an acute sense that my body was not my own – it belonged to everyone else and I needed to perfect it to align with the standards the world had set on how a girl’s body should look like. We are bombarded from every angle; turn on your TV and you will see an advertisement for a slim tea or a new diet that claims to help you lose 10kg in just one week (which by the way is completely absurd and unhealthy).

Growing up and hitting puberty especially as a woman, I heard comments on what I could and could not wear as a ‘girl’ which eventually led into aunties and uncles making crude statements about how I had gained weight since they last saw me. How am I supposed to love myself when the world is telling me my very existence, the skin I’m in, is something that needs to be tweaked, perfected and fixed?

When I finally reached a point in my life where I was confident to wear a bikini, and not a one piece (*gasp*), I finally felt empowered but even then the comments persisted. I vividly remember posting a picture of myself on Twitter because I knew I looked good and being berated by men telling me that I needed to go to the gym and work on my ‘tummy’ but why did these strangers online feel the need to tell me how to alter my body to suit

their tastes? The comments reeked of entitlement, as if my body was made for their gaze and their approval and they could therefore tell me what to do with it. As women, we are consistently told that there is something wrong with us, we are either

exists. A lot of influencers who are purported to have the ‘ideal’ body enhance and retouch their photos, most of them are heavy filtered and are edited to perfection. No one looks perfect 24/7 and that is absolutely okay, we are not meant to, we are human. a Kraft

by Tar Photo Beauty

You deserve to look how you want to look, not how society tells you to look. You deserve to love yourself, to wear whatever you want, to go to a beach and to have fun. too skinny or too fat leaving us in a perpetual state of unhappiness striving for a body that will never please anyone whether we are a size 6 or 14.

So, what is a bikini body and what version of our bodies have we been manipulated into desiring?

According to them it’s actually quite simple. You must have a thin waist, round butt, full-but-nottoo-large breasts, and long legs. There should be no cellulite, no body hair, no stretch marks, no blemishes. It’s obviously a bit insane to expect every single woman to fit in a preconceived mould based on extremely narrow Western beauty standards. There are a myriad of reasons to reject these ideals and I will be so kind as to tell you a few.

Firstly, social media is not real – and Photoshop

standards and the w o r l d ’ s perceived image of an ideal body is a social construction and these change from decade to decade. This has changed from extremely curvy and voluptuous to thin to slim-thick.

What’s the point of striving to change your body to fit the world’s standards when the world will never decide on what those standards a r e ?

There is no such thing as a perfect body because perfect is a made-up concept.

Finally, I would like to contend that your body is your own. You deserve to look how you want to look, not how society tells you to look. You deserve to love yourself, to wear whatever you want, to go to a beach and to have fun. You define your standards

for yourself. No one owns your body but you, so why should they have a say in how it should look?

We have seen some admirable progress with the body positivity movement. From me as a black woman never seeing a person that looked like me in bikini company photos and magazine covers to far more inclusive brands w i t h women and men of all sh ap es, colours, sizes and abilities. For a long time the idea of a perfect body did not include anyone who looked remotely similar to me.

Brands like Fenty are blazing the trail and we are absolutely here for it – Brandy Melville could never. Representation matters because seeing someone who looked like me in an ad told me that it was okay to look like me and I did not need to attempt to look any different.

A Perfect Mushroom and Red Onion Risotto Recipe

By Holly McPhillips Science Correspondent Ingredients: • 1 medium size red onion, diced.

• 1 tinned mushrooms, keep the liquid.

• 3 garlic cloves, diced.

• 160 g arborio or carnaroli rice.

• 1 vegetable stock cube.

• 20 ml red wine vinegar • 700 ml of hot water.

• Knob of butter for frying.

• Mixed herbs and table salt

A

Photo by Lucas Lobak Neves/Unsplash

s soon as I moved out, I wanted to challenge myself to eat food I did not like. One of these were mushrooms, which to me, were never appetising to look at. However, at 18 I discovered how versatile they can be, and you don’t even have to really like their appearance if they’re hidden away in a hearty spag bol or creamy stroganoff. Mushrooms are also a source of vitamin D, which can be hard to come by in rainy England, and they are an excellent substitute for meat to bulk up your dinner. One meal I make regularly where I find mushrooms to be the star of the dish is in a red onion risotto. This meal is also extremely student-friendly for many reasons: it can be scaled up to serve 4 people by doubling the ingredients; chicken compliments the dish too so this can be added if you are a meat lover; once cooked, it can

be frozen and kept for up to 1 month; fresher items like red onion, garlic and mushrooms (latter must be defrosted before use to make up part of the stock, see recipe) can be purchased already diced in the supermarket freezer section, making it that excellent back up dinner if you have forgotten to do a food shop recently. Therefore, for a hearty, flavoursome touch of Italy, a mushroom and red onion risotto is the way to go – just don’t forget a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and some garlic bread!

Instructions (30 to 40 minutes – serves 2.)

1. Drain the tinned mushrooms using a sieve or small colander over a 500 ml glass jug, keeping the liquid. Meanwhile, prepare the red onion and garlic, and boil the kettle.

2. Over medium heat, add butter to a large nonstick, wide-based pan. Once hot, add the diced red onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, not browned.

3. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, almost frying. Do not brown the garlic.

4. Add the rice and mix evenly with the vegetables which allows flavour to infuse the rice.

Remove from the heat to prepare the liquid stock.

5. In the glass jug containing the mushroominfused water, add the vegetable stock cube and

red wine vinegar. Using the hot water from the kettle, make the liquid up to the 400 ml line on the jug and stir thoroughly to dissolve as much stock as possible.

6. Put the vegetable rice mixture back on to the heat and bring it to the highest heat setting.

Continue to stir the mixture until it is persistently crackling. Add approximately 100 ml of the newly made stock to the pan and continue to mix until all the liquid has evaporated. Repeat this step one more time.

7. Add the remaining 200 ml of stock and turn the pan down to medium heat. Add 300 ml of hot water from the kettle to the pan and stir. If the liquid does not cover the vegetables and rice fully, then add more water in increments smaller than 50 ml.

8. Bring the mixture to simmer and cover the pan with kitchen foil. Leave for 20 minutes. Do not stir the mixture during this time but check on it every so often to ensure the liquid is being evaporated.

9. After 20 minutes, only a little bit of liquid should be left. Turn the heat up and stir the mixture until the liquid disappears. Switch off the heat and add approximately one tablespoon of mixed herbs.

10. Let the risotto sit for 5 minutes before serving!

12

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

News

ELECTIONS 2022: MEET THE CANDIDATES students' union president Zaid Mahmood Zaid Mahmood is currently undertaking a Year in Data Analytics, having completed a BA in Business and management. He is running on a platform to promote inclusivity and diversity, while claiming his objective is to “represent the entire student body”. In tandem with this platform, he’s been pushing forward his record as a student of the entire university, having studied at both the Canterbury and Medway campuses. He has extensive experience in politics at the university, having been a student rep for two years, is the incumbent vice president of Respect the No, is the chair of the Activities Networks, and acts as a student trustee. He has mentioned diversity being reflected in the curriculum, improving BAME representation across all levels of the Union and University, and decolonising the curriculum to reclaim marginalised knowledge. He’s also pushed forward an agenda of furthering integration between the Canterbury and Medway campuses, and for improving support for individual mental health and student wellbeing.

Though not specific about how to bring these to fruition, he has been specific about his aims. In order to help his agenda be supported, he may look to use his networks with the record he has working with both Kent Union and the University.

Ismail Abdi Ismail Abdi is standing for the role of Kent Union President. He is a Marketing student who has a history of leadership roles, with his management portfolio ranging from acting as Diversity Officer at Kent Business School to being project manager of the documentary “Project Home”. He claimed that while his roles, he contributed to research which resulted in greater ethnic diversity of authors in the school’s reading lists, so as to ensure minority communities are better represented in their respective curriculums. He explained he contributed the creation of the documentary, which included raising £8000 for a homeless charity.

He “likes to be a voice of dissent” and can deliver his points in a poignant manner. “University is an experience that should be affordable, safe and enjoyable to all, not merely a select few”.

He states that his reasons for running are to ensure people from under privileged backgrounds have a “fantastic experience” at university whilst keeping it affordable. He aims to bring fairer accommodation prices, as well as providing discounts for university equipment to aid those in financial need. He wants to create an all-inclusive package for campus food and laundry, to help students with spending efficiency and support them in a time of rapidly increasing living costs. He also wants to ensure there are quality events at The Venue, relying on his experience to guide him. He aims to make sure that nights out on campus and in Canterbury are safe, free from drink spiking.

Favour Salami Favour Salami is running for the role of Kent Union President, following on from a year of being the VP for Welfare and Community. Her reasons for running last year centred mainly around safety on and off campus, as well as an increased focus on building connections between faith groups. She cites her current wins as the “installation of CCTV cameras on Eliot Footpath”, as well as having “secured overnight room bookings for societies”.

She mentions in her reasons for standing the current student priorities she’s working on, namely student safety and mental health and wellbeing. This includes actions such as having “challenged Kent County Council on the lack of visibility at night time”, which she says resulted in the installation of lighting at the bottom of Eliot Footpath”, and having “challenged popular student bars and clubs to comply with Drink Spiking protocols”. With the latter, she’s collaboratively working on the University Mental Health Charter and has conducted work to ensure better integration of wellbeing into faculty and departmental structures.

Favour says her “experience of lobbying the university for student safety wins are easily transferable to ensure transparency on how your tuition fees are used by the university”, and that her “probing skills would also be used to push for the lower end accommodation prices to be fixed whilst lobbying for the upper end prices to be reviewed, as well as lobby for wider scope of hardship funds for both home and international students”.

Nibin Kuzhikkamthadam Roy Nibin, an Actuarial Science Masters student, is running for the role of Kent Union President. He believes that the relationship between lecturers and students has fractured, and is passionate about ending the oncoming climate disaster, promoting the idea of “protecting nature”. He held leadership roles at school, and even claimed to have gone as far as to establish a student parliament at his secondary school.

Nibin wants to promote socialisation between students in the post-Covid era, by establishing a number of new events such as an Annual Youth Festival and Annual Sports Event among others. He aims for Kent Union to conduct mock interviews in order to help students prepare for employment. Nibin would also like the Union to conduct a job seeking event for those leaving university, as well as promoting the idea of self-employment through building their own businesses. He says he will do this through a three stage competition that he summarises as ‘IDEA-PROTOTYPE-MATURE’.

He wants to ensure that the Union stays transparent, making sure that students have somewhere to bring their woes, as well as publishing all financial and other activities. He also hopes to keep students’ input on how to make improve the university’s facilities. He told us that he is somebody who likes to be disagreeable and stand up for what he holds to be right, even in the face of adversity.

vp welfare and community Sheleena Jasmine Sheleena is standing as a candidate for Vice-President for Welfare and Community. She is a third year History and Politics student who has been extremely involved in the student community, holding the notable roles including being President of Kent Mauritian Society, Treasurer/Advocacy Officer of British Red Cross, Student Rep, KU foodbank volunteer, and a member of the Kent Union Parliament, among other responsibilities. She is an active member of nine societies. She “stands for the people and their voices, because they’re the people who run this university and they’re the people who deserve to get what they’re looking for.” Sheleena has said to be passionate in tackling mental health, accessibility across campus, student safety, housing, sexual misconduct within the student population, sustainability, and financial support. She is someone who plays an active role in mental health support in Canterbury, and stands firmly for equality, diversity and inclusivity.

When talking about why to vote for her, she says she aims to raise awareness for services on campus (such as Nightline, KU food banks and Spectrum life etc) & advocate for international days. She also wants to work with the university on financial support, sustainability and involving student groups to a greater extent. She has stressed that she is someone who always wants to be there for students - whether its support on a certain issue or just to sit down for a chat, to provide personal support.

Thomas Freeston Thomas Freeston is a BSc Psychology graduate and current MSc Management student. He is making a second attempt at running for Vice-President for Welfare and Community after being the runner-up last year. Thomas says that the moment that he was announced last year’s runner up for the position that he knew he wanted to run again. He says his “passion for student advocacy, liberation, well-being and equality, diversity and inclusivity remain unchanged”. He also said that his passion, along with being on the University of Kent Council, gives him unique experiences and understanding of what it means to be a trustee at Kent Union, which allow him to more effectively make decisions which will significantly improve the lives of students.

His list of experiences in his reasons for standing document includes, but is not limited to, being an LGBTQ+ Network Team Member, Member of the Independent Police Advisory Group (Canterbury), Former President of Psychology Society and being a Well-Being Officer for Respect The No. He lists a number of issues he’s passionate about, including the “cost of living crisis, sexual misconduct in higher education, insignificant eating disorder awareness and support, racism on campus and longstanding accessibility issues”. He hopes to further connections with stakeholders he’s worked with in the past.

Sabah Alam Sabah Alam is a second-year international law student from Canada, running for VP for Welfare and Community. She claims to be a part of over 70 societies, and recently created her own society, Kent Virtual, where she creates accessible opportunities for remote students. She cites instances where she’s enacted change, including how “in high school, [she] founded and directed a healthy-eating committee, Cafeteria Revolution, [which] developed healthy food options for the school and facilitated the amendment of a provincial food policy”.

She continues in her reasons for standing document that she believes that if she can make a beneficial change somewhere, that she must do so. She hopes to foster a comforting and fun environment for Kent students where they feel supported and actually listened to. She says that “I am a strong advocate for hearing student voices, but this can only be done if there are accessible systems in place to do so”. She concludes by saying that “rather than telling you to vote for me just because I said so, I ask you to look at the evidence! I have a proven track record of being involved in my community with societies, creating positive environments and solutions, and exercising leadership skills to support concerns”.

InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

13

News

vp student engagement Tommy Pargeter-Grey Tommy Pargeter-Grey is a third-year Computer Science student running for the role of VP for Student Engagement. They say in their reasons for standing that they feel university is where “we learn about ourselves and shape our futures” and that “a lot of that learning happens outside the classroom”. Speaking to Tommy, they feel that running for the role was the “natural progression from the work I did with the Kent Union Networks” and that they “found friends through societies, found sports I enjoyed and discovered new talents I had never even considered”. They say that “this story is one of many that happen across all students, and I want to be a voice and advocate for these kind of experiences by supporting students and student groups”.

Tommy’s reasons for standing document list their various engagements with student groups and networks, including with archery, dodgeball, stand up, KTV, being a CEMS Student Representative and Academic Peer Mentor, and being in the Team Kent Network, Academic Network and Activities Network. They have also been an “occasional voting delegate to the Kent Union Parliament”.

Tommy says that they hope to “support all our societies and interest groups so that everyone feels included, is accepted for who they are, and is able to express themselves - whether they’re freshers or returning students”.

Carolina van Eldik Carolina is re-running for a second term as VP Student Engagement in order to expand on her work for a second year. She is half-Dutch, half-Hungarian, and prior to being a sabbatical officer studied International Business. However, she articulates that the range of sport clubs and societies on campus played a large role in giving her an enjoyable experience. This is undoubtedly why she feels most attached to the role of Student Engagement. Carolina also ran for the same role in 2020, placing third, before winning last year.

In her “reason for running” document, she lists her key skills as holding initiative, promoting equality and diversity within activities through Kent Union, and leadership, taking responsibility for running large campaigns and events. Over the past year, she says that she has delivered on student priorities, supported student groups with their day-to-day running, organised a large variety of events, and led on important campaigns. She cites some of her biggest successes as launching the Rainbow Laces campaign for LGBTQ+ history month, as well as creating and implementing internships in Kent Union. Carolina emphasises that her work ethic, enthusiasm, and interest into all student groups make her fully equipped to continue in the role for a second year, while looking to represent the student body further.

Sayo Ogunbekun Sayo Ogunbekun is running for Vice President of Student Engagement. Set to graduate this year with a degree in Digital Art, she is looking to pursue a career in design. She says that her leadership and student experience include being a team leader of a media team, as well as being a member of KTV. As the President of Believers’ Love World, she has said to have “had the opportunity of understanding the importance of getting involved within the student community”.

She believes that interacting with students from different backgrounds has helped her to build and foster long-lasting friendships as well as developing her social skills and ability to represent the student voice. She hopes to ensure that every student has equal opportunities to pursue their interests by shifting the focus away from sports societies to make sure that all societies are well funded by the union. Sayo would like to increase awareness of Jobshop to help students develop their vocational skills and earn money before graduating. She says that “working with Jobshop has helped to understand the big benefits of working whilst studying and developing my skills before graduating. It's about time we revisit job roles on campus - extra cash is nice and would help to ensure those graduating have an inkling into the working world”.

Todd Gray Todd Gray has been running on three main objectives that are as follows: sport/extracurriculars, inclusivity, and employability. He states his experience in all aspects of his campaign alongside his opinion on every objective. Todd wishes for sport to be “taken to a different level”, citing how Kent has a massive base of sportspeople that he believes isn’t given adequate attention, at least when compared to other universities. He extends this to other non-sport and academic societies. Creating excitement and improving the experience of extracurriculars is therefore what he’s advocating.

Todd has uniquely used the word “family” to describe the type of environment he wishes to create, and references how he founded an organisation to include both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. Involvement of students in these kind of activities is seemingly the objective. He believes that Kent Union could do a better job at representation, agreeing with the need of focusing on minority groups.

Citing personal experience, Todd wishes to cultivate confidence and skills for students hunting for jobs, likewise providing opportunities in life after university. Though without specifying on how to do this, he has stated how he’s gone job hunting and explained that this experience has led him to want to help others with preparation for employability. Gray has cited the cost of student life as a notable issue, which he also believes should be challenged.

Diya Kotecha Diya Kotecha is a final year Law student running for VP of Student Engagement. She currently heads the Hindu Society as President, organising events such as the Diwali Ball and the upcoming Holi festival. She believes that this role has helped her “to display and enhance [her] organisation, communication, and listening skills”. Due to her friendly nature, she believes that she is a great candidate for the role, as she would be able to create bonds between different aspects of the university’s engagement with students. Diya believes that this is important, as students should have the full support to not only be involved in extra-curricular activities, but also increase career prospects and wellbeing.

She hopes to diversify the student groups on campus, giving a larger voice to smaller societies that may have big ideas for the union. Following the recent incidents of spiking around Canterbury, she wants to encourage increased collaboration between the Union and Student Support and Wellbeing to ensure that students feel safe. This includes giving them clear guidance on what to do if they witness an incident of spiking, and how to care for friends if in danger. In a post-Covid era, Diya hopes to support societies by creating workshops and meetings between student groups, as well as internally, so each member can feel part of a team.

vp academic experience Lupe Sellei Incumbent Lupe Sellei is re-running for a second term for VP Academic Experience. Lupe was formerly an Argentinian international student from who studied Sport Management at the Medway campus. The top skills she claims to hold for the role are being a great listener and communicator, looking to champion equality and diversity, as well as having high standards for everything she does. Lupe says that if re-elected, her priority would be continuing to put the experience and needs of students at the forefront, even whilst in such a difficult period, pushing for fairer workloads, diverse assessments, and ensuring that there is a consistency of good support.

In her “reason for running” document, she highlights her successes in the past year in the role. These include pushing the University for appropriate mitigation and compensation for disrupted teaching, as well as supporting the delivery of improvements at the Medway campus, though she does not say what these specific improvements were. Lupe emphasises the creation of the academic experience reporting tool, and her “how to get a 95 in your dissertation” talk as the achievements that she is proudest of in the past year, and hopes that she can continue to benefit both the Union and University for a consecutive term.

Luis Howell Luis, a third-year biochemistry student, is standing for VP of Academic Experience. Luis has taken on many roles in the Kent student community, including being an undergraduate representative for the Kent Senate, a member of Kent Union Parliament, is a Student Ambassador, and a member of the Rutherford committee. Luis is the chairman of both the Academic Network and Mature and Part-Time Network, volunteers in the Buddy Scheme, and is President and former Treasurer of the British Sign Language Society. He is also a member of several other societies, which include Dodgeball, Chemistry, Biology, as well as CSR, the student radio station.

He is running for this officer role with the aim to ensure that students “have healthier deadlines, better feedback for assessments and a better feedback loop so we have more transparency about the feedback provided”. He says that he stands for communication, feedback and engagement. Luis has talked passionately about using more modern forms of communication between staff and students, as he says that emails are now outdated, with instant messengers being the modern way forward. Specifically, Luis wants to overhaul the module evaluation system, as he prefers a system of more direct feedback to lecturers. He wants to encourage staff discussions between each another, so that they can network ideas on how to improve student experience.

At time of writing, there are no candidates for VP Postgraduate Experience.

14

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Science and Technology

University to train forensics students using crime scene cars

A

s the university of Kent reopened for in person teaching after disruptions caused by the pandemic, many new risk assessments for room occupancy and COVID-19 exposure were put in place. This meant practical training for

proudly ranked 7th overall

By Holly McPhillips, traffic accidents were reported in the Guardian’s University Science Correspondent in 2020, with 195 of these Guide for 2022, offering involving people under the age unique courses in digital forensics – looking into of 25, according to Crash Map. facial reconstruction, image restoration techniques In the same year, between Canterbury and

samples of hair, saliva and even make-up stains to build a character profile of this driver as well as have additional DNA samples to process to support or strengthen fingerprint evidence. Consider another situation where two vehicles have collided,

Photo from NASA

Photo by University of Kent large numbers of students in small spaces were not viable, which led to teachers needing to come up with creative ways to safely train students in realistic settings.

One course that was affected by the new regulations was forensic science, which now trains students in both their original crime scene house and recently acquired scrapped cars. The latter means that larger groups of students can be trained safely outdoors and still learn the essential skills of handling a crime scene.

Forensic science combines both science and law to investigate criminal behaviour and related activities to understand what happened and how available evidence can be used to support cases in a court of law.

Therefore, training involves both developing skills in evidence recovery and analysis, which is done at the crime scene and in the laboratory, delivering witness testimonies and understanding dynamics in a court setting.

and legislation related to Medway, 60 serious accidents computer misuse and including five fatal ones were privacy – and evolution reported. of DNA profiling Various factors – from collecting heighten the risk of an and processing accident, including a sample to but not limited to analysing and driving beyond the interpreting it. speed limit, driving Students can under the influence of also participate alcohol and drugs and in a mock trial using mobile phones and experience the whilst driving. procedures needed To investigate reasons to preserve and behind the accident, analyse crime scenes, forensic scientists are preparing them for a employed to preserve and Photo byCharlotte Byford career in forensic science. analyse the vehicles and area The addition of cars to student involved. training is a significant modern twist A lot of information can be gained from a on the course which will enhance a student’s crime scene involving vehicles, even if the driver experience when or one vehicle applying for jobs is not present. in the field.

Consider a According situation where to the World two vehicles H e a l t h have collided, Organisation, and the driver W H O , responsible has approximately left the scene on 1.3 million foot.

Forensic people die each scientists year due to road can identify traffic accidents. this driver More than by collecting half of all road fingerprints and traffic deaths confirming who are among owns the vehicle pedestrians, using the Driver cyclists, and and Vehicle motorcyclists. This often results in the vehicles and Licensing Agency (DVLA), database. surrounding area becoming a crime scene.

Investigators will also look thoroughly at In the Kent area alone, 1900 serious road possessions in the vehicle to collect additional

“Forensic science combines both science and law to investigate criminal behaviour and related activities to understand what happened” These skills are also transferable across other industries like archaeology and pharmacology.

Forensic science at the university of Kent is

Photo by University of Kent but one vehicle leaves the scene.

The remaining vehicle will be investigated for external damage and any paint, glass or metal chips on the ground that can be associated with it will be taken away for analysis.

From these samples, it is possible to identify the make of the car, even if it has been resprayed with a new paint colour different to its original, using spectroscopic techniques. This information can then be used to search for vehicles on the DVLA database as owner history and modifications are also recorded there.

In addition to training forensic science students in the university’s crime scene house - introducing them to burglary, domestic assault, and suspicious deaths - the newly acquired scrapped cars will offer a unique training experience within a smaller, intricate space.

Despite the university’s COVID-19 regulations accelerating the need to change practical settings, the cars will bring new challenges to

“In the Kent area alone, 1900 serious road traffic accidents were reported in 2020, with 195 of these involving people under the age of 25” prepare students for the future. The cars will be incorporated permanently into the forensic science curriculum from this September.

15

InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Science and Technology

Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine planned to be released patent-free

By Rory Bathgate, Senior Designer

M

ore than a year after the first covid vaccines entered general use, and worldwide media coverage celebrated the leaps in science that heralded a significant step towards alleviating the effects of the pandemic, the struggle for vaccine development has given way to a struggle for vaccine equity. At time of writing, although 62.78% of the world has received at least one dose of a covid vaccine, this figure drops to just 12.6% in low income countries. Health leaders worldwide have been clear in their warnings; until the entire world is vaccinated, variants of concern will continue to appear. Amidst this global crisis, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine have introduced a vaccine candidate that could prove key to solving the issue of vaccine inequality.

Another boon of Corbevax is its perceived nature as a ‘more traditional’ form of vaccine. Throughout the pandemic, vaccine-hesitant people have pointed to the mRNA platform vaccines such as those manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna as too new to be trustworthy. Despite the wealth of scientific evidence to prove the extreme safety of all approved vaccines, there is an argument to be made for providing a range of vaccines that might be taken by those who would otherwise go unvaccinated.

This can be seen in the recent approval of the Novavax vaccine by Germany and Australia, with both countries taking receipt of many hundreds of thousands of Novavax doses in the hope that overall coverage might slightly increase. Cor

bevax is a protein subunit vaccine, meaning a vaccine through which harmless proteins from a virus are introduced to subjects to provoke an immune response.

In Corbevax, these proteins are produced in yeast and combined with an adjuvant to increase immune response.

Speaking on the relative simplicity of the design, the co-designer Dr. Peter Hotez stated “It’s actually similar to the production of beer.

Instead of releasing alcohol, in this case, the yeast is releasing the recombinant protein.”

In this regard, it is also similar to other highly effective and well-tolerated vaccines such as Cuba’s ‘Abdala’, which has proved essential in the country’s highly successful first-dose vaccination figure of 93.73%.

It also uses the same technology as existing vaccines, such as the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, which will go further to calm potential fears. Efficacy information remains to be seen in any great detail: the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has

Photos by CDC/Daniel Schludi only stated that in a superiority trial, the vaccine outperformed Covishield, the version of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine made by Serum Institute of India (SII). More detailed analysis of the vaccine’s efficacy will come with time,

especially with its introduction to countries with currently low vaccination rates. It was deemed safe for use and immunogenic in the same trial.What makes the vaccine especially ground-breaking is the refusal of its lead designers, Drs. Maria Elena Bottazzi and Peter Hotez, to enforce a patent on it.

With no strings attached and an open offer to share the formula with any suitably advanced vaccine factory to manufacture their own doses of Corbevax, it is no exaggeration to say that the move could mark the end of covid vaccine inequality as we know it.

Indeed, the pair have already been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by their local representative.

The first major partner to take up the offer was Indian pharmaceutical giant

Biological E, from whom the Indian government reserved 300 million doses last August. Last month, the company announced that they have already 150 million doses of the vaccine, with the capacity to produce up to 100 million per month going forward. Plans are already being drawn up to use these doses domestically, with the recent approval of Corbevax for the 12-17 year olds.

Since January 3, over 90% of 15-18 year olds in India have received a first dose, with the only vaccine approved for use in under-18s being Covaxin (produced by Bharat Biotech). There have been numerous production issues with Covaxin to date, so the introduction of Corbevax will likely allow for even faster vaccination of the 12-15 year old group than older adolescents. Crucially, the speedy deployment of Corbevax in India will lead to international benefits; the rapid lack of domestic demand for the vaccine allows for Biological E to export increasingly larger amounts of the vaccine overseas.

The Indian government have reportedly paid the equivalent of £1.44 per dose, much cheaper than Pfizer (which costs the EU the equivalent of £16.26 per dose) and even AstraZeneca’s cheap £1.62 per dose offering.

With the combined output of Biological E and other potential manufacturers, Corbevax could soon be rolled out to developing nations en-masse, and help bring about the accelerated end of the pandemic as we know it.

Web 3.0: the future of the internet?

By Johnathan Guy, Newspaper Science & Tech Editor Nowadays, especially if you are under 30, it can feel like the internet has been here forever. In fact, though, it hasn’t.

What we might consider the ‘internet’ on the basis of HTML/HTTP and URIs has only really existed since 1989, and it wasn’t until the mid-late 90s that it really took off and became popular.

Initially, at launch and until around 1999, most websites were just a static HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page, with some simplistic styles embedded into them. Some readers may remember these sites as having ‘guestbooks’ rather than today’s comment sections.

Then in 1999 Darci DiNucci coined the terms ‘Web 1.0’ and ‘Web 2.0’, with the latter of these being the term many now use to describe the current internet. The major difference between the two is that modern sites have the capability to allow visitors to contribute

to the content displayed on the site, and you can retrieve data from outside of the website’s core files (e.g. from databases) – social media websites like Facebook and Reddit would have been unthinkable in Web 1.0!

In recent years, especially in light of the emergence of blockchain technology, there has been an idea floating around on the internet for a new ‘version’ of the web – one based on blockchain.

Currently, when you visit sites, you are likely now are shown a prompt asking about cookies.

These cookies store data about your device, your browsing habits, and in many cases, they track your activity even after you leave the website from which they originated.

There have been concerns raised in recent years that given (as of

Photo of Ethereum logo by Nenad Novaković

2019), 43% of total internet traffic flows through Google, Amazon, Meta, Netflix, Microsoft and Apple, we are increasingly giving a small handful of corporations (6), intimate knowledge of our browsing habits. This occurs in part due to companies like Amazon controlling the infrastructure on which much of the internet is based.

Some people that are concerned about this have raised the idea of utilising the decentralised nature of blockchain to put the control over these systems in the hands of everyone, rather than corporations.

Some suggested benefits of this are, for example, rather than having multiple logins for various sites, your cryptocurrency wallet would act as a ‘Single Sign On’ method, allowing one method of authentication for every site.

Another is that wallets would be anonymous, so although all transactions on the blockchain would be public (and so everyone can see the assets and data assigned to a specific wallet), nobody can see who owns that wallet (unless the owner chooses to display that data).

It would potentially also allow the users of, say, a forum site, to vote on the rules of a site, and those rules can then be executed via methods such as smart contracts. The websites themselves would likely take the form of dApps (Decentralised Apps) on the blockchain itself.

Many questions remain, however, such as whether this could achieve widespread enough adoption to be worthwhile, whether it would require technical expertise to use, and especially in light of the climate crisis – would it be sustainable?

It is clear that the web is certainly undergoing transformation, but it remains to be seen if it will go in the direction of Web 3.0.

16

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Puzzles

Puzzles

Solution for last issue's Crossword Across: 1 Pan, 3 Toe, 5 Mime (Pantomime), 9 Piper, 10 Present, 11 Cash register, 14 Sleigh, 16 Poncho, 18 Indisputable, 21 Ice rink, 22 Latin, 24 Gate, 25 Yew, 26 Paw.

Across 1 4 8 9 10 11 13

Down: 1 Pupa, 2 Nap, 3 Torch, 4 Espied, 6 Identical, 7 Exterior, 8 Mexico, 12 Amendment, 13 Aspiring, 15 Gossip, 17 Turkey, 19 Allow, 20 Snow, 23 Tip.

Solution for last issue's sudoku

New (5) Begin (5) Very happy (colloquial) (4-1-4) Acquire (3) Showy plant (4) Disloyalty (8) Healthy pulse (6)

14 17 19 21 22 23 24

1

Down

Truthful (6) Order (8) Just (4) Organ of sight (3) Company of musicians (9) Milky coffee (5) Vacant (5)

2

3

4

5

7 8

6 5 1 3 9 4 7 8 2

8 9 7 6 2 1 3 4 5

2 4 3 5 8 7 6 9 1

9 2 4 8 6 5 1 7 3

1 6 5 7 4 3 9 2 8

7 3 8 9 1 2 4 5 6

5 8 9 4 3 6 2 1 7

3 7 2 1 5 9 8 6 4

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InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Culture

The Art of Banksy: Unauthorized private collection review of A thorough journey of irony Why you shouldn’t visit the renowned graffiti artist’s exhibition at the heart of London

By Elaine Ko Writer

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ho is Banksy? Nobody knows the real identity of the graffiti artist, but it is believed that the artist’s works began to mark the walls around Bristol since the early 1990s.

Graffiti art is often negatively connotated with acts of vandalism or being the lowest form of art, yet Banksy is famously outspoken for questioning the illegality of vandalising a wall or the ownership of graffiti in public space, declaring graffiti as one of the most accessible and honest artform.

Banksy’s artwork engages on the human condition: critiquing consumerism, greed, conflict, corruption, politics, wars. The subjects are often publicly recognisable and ironically presented, such as a Grim Reaper with a smiley face, the image of the tank man holding a ‘golf sale’ banner, Churchill with a green Mohican, or protester throwing flowers instead of a Molotov cocktail. Banksy’s work is eerily stirring and sarcastically meaningful, almost as if you were witnessing a graffiti artwork version of Ricky Gervais’ comedy. Under the bold colours and iconic stencil images, they consistently succeed in prompting viewers to reflect on a broader scale of ethical concerns, presence of sufferings and absurd practices in our world as you interpret each element in his works.

The exhibition features over 90 authenticated Banksy pieces.

Among them, you get to see some of his famous satirical works on capitalism such as ‘Trolleys’, where three primitive individuals are holding spears to hunt down supermarket trolleys in the distance. This serves as a mockery on modern man’s incapability to be self-sufficient. In ‘Christ with shopping bags’, where Jesus is being hung on the cross but he also holds in his crucified hands a couple of shopping bags, Banksy denounces the celebration of Christmas as a capitalistic encouragement of consumption.

Ironically, this Art of Banksy exhibition goes against the core values of Banksy in every way possible. A standard entrance ticket costs 20 pounds and the exhibition ends with visitors exiting through a giftshop, crowded with a variety of merchandises of Banksy’s work. These elements all weirdly resemble another work by Banksy, featured in this exhibition. Entitled ‘Moron’, it depicts an auction scene at Christie’s with texts indicating “I can’t believe you morons have bought this shit”.

The artwork ridicules collectors willing to pay huge sum of money for an artwork just so they can resell it at an even higher price, reducing art to a commodity. Are the visitors paying a costly ticket for a Banksy exhibition morons, then? Maybe, maybe not. While Banksy critiques consumerism, the artist is also subjected to the irony, although partly self-created, of his being part of the art market.

Everybody knows the shredded ‘Girl with Balloon’ painting, a destructive stunt carried by the artist right as the artwork got sold at an auction in 2018. The artwork, later rebaptised ‘Love is in the Bin’, recently recorded a record-breaking bidding price of £18.5 million, an 18-times growth compared to its original £1.1 million bid pre-shredding stunt. Choosing to pay for this exhibition makes you, inescapably, one of Banksy’s ‘morons’.

The irony doesn’t stop here. The entrance text introduces why this exhibition was curated: according to the private collectors who contributed their work, Banksy’s artworks “deserve to be seen by the public”. Might as well charge an All photos courtesy of artofbanksy.co.uk

entrance fee, the public will be all the more motivated to see it. Another reason for hosting this exhibition is due to this being “a rare opportunity” to see all of Banksy’s authentic prints gathered in one place. The concept is partly accurate, whether you are a Banksy fan or just happened to attend because Banksy’s fam drew you in. Regardless, you will get a general concept of the artist’s journey. The exhibition is arranged in chronological order, introducing highlights in Banksy’s career. It includes key moments in his life, such as his beginnings as a graffiti artist in Bristol back in the 90s as part of the Dry BreadZ Crew, when he set up his signature stencil style; in 2000s when Banksy hosted gallery exhibitions including ‘Turf War’, ‘Crude Oil’ and participated in the gallery infiltration stunts of placing the ‘Peckham Rock’ amongst authentic exhibits ; in 2010s featuring the opening of his Dismaland, and the famous ‘Girl with Balloon’ painting shredding stunt. The exhibition expects viewers to have prior knowledge on the meaning behind each work: indeed, there are no supplement descriptions for any artwork that could serve as an explanation. The works are only sometimes described, and, even then, all that is said is that they were ‘subversive stunts’ or a part of his ‘cultural collaborations’.

The exhibition space is well organised, with various versions of the prints (stored in frames) placed alongside one another hanging on black exhibition walls illuminated with spotlights, allowing you to see every version of the same subject at once. In Banksy’s biography Wall and Piece, the graffiti artist talked about how walls are “the best place to display your art”. It may also be the best way to tap into the heart of the public as “nobody is put off by the price of admission”. This goes back to the reason behind this exhibition in the first place. Maybe the notion of hosting an exhibition to properly enjoy Banksy’s work was a flaw from the start. Graffiti art is meant to be on the streets, and not trapped, ‘in captivity’ inside frames.

It is doubtful whether the exhibition will grant viewers a better understanding of the ideas Banksy tries to convey in his work, as it merely focuses on the display of art pieces and description of the artist’s focus during various time periods. The quotes by Banksy scattered throughout the exhibition walls may be more thought-provoking than the exhibition itself. Maybe the main take-away is the participatory reflective experience on art and consumerism you get after paying to attend this exhibition.

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Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Culture

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An Interview with Priya Hawes the two of you meet?

By Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

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ith a rapid rise in popularity, podcasts have become more and more present in our daily lives. Whether it be when you're making dinner, walking across campus or unwinding in the library, chances are you have listened to a podcast before. They cover increasingly diverse topics, ranging from history courses to sports bulletins. One of the most popular forms of podcasts, though, are conversations, much like you'd listen to a radio debate. Two students at Kent Uni, Luisa and Priya, have started their very own podcast, WLOAFR. On their podcast, they deal with a number of topics, with episodes called For the Love of Cheese or Ed Sheeran once said… to name a couple. Created in 2021, the two obviously reflect on the pandemic and the effect it has had on both of their lives, but the main take-away from the episodes is how important spontaneity is, and ho living in the moment to enjoy everything life has to offer is the best (and only?) way to approach it.

To talk about the podcast, its creation and its

PH - We were both living on campus then, and she was living in the flat opposite mine. The two flats kind of merged into one with lockdown and stuff. The first time I met her, I think we were in her kitchen, and she only realised that I spoke German when I said "Fick dich", in German.

IQ - Which means…

PH - Which means "Fuck you", basically [laughs].

And she realised that my accent was good so she went like, "Oh my god, you speak German!". So from there, it just blossomed into a great friendship! So, walk us through the process of creating a podcast.

IQ - What's the story there, how did you come up with the idea and the name for it?

PH - So, we were actually walking back from the SMC [the Student Media Center], because Luisa is a photographer and I am part of the newspaper as well. Luisa has always wanted to start a podcast and she just didn't know with who yet, or about what, or whatever. We were talking and she said that she likes how I respond to her statements, so she just said, "Do you know what? We might as well start a podcast, there's no point in not starting it." The only thing that could happen is no one listening it. We came up with the name because, last year, we had just finished exams, we just wanted to do something fun. So in the beginning we used to say like, "Money comes back", which was very bad for us financially. At some point, I was having some problems, so Luisa started telling me that, "Priya, it doesn't matter because we live on a floating rock anyways." And yes, actually, that's kind of been our thing since then.

IQ - All of the episodes are quite long, so between 45 minutes and an hour each. Do you start recording with just a rough idea of what you're going to talk about or do you plan everything ahead?

challenges, InQuire sat down with Priya to get her first interview as a podcast host and producer.

InQuire - First of all, a podcast is largely about the people behind the mic. Can you quickly introduce both you and Luisa to people who've not (yet!) listened to your podcast?

Priya Hawes - So, there's me, Priya, who's an English Literature student at Kent Uni. The other person behind the mic is Luisa, she's a Film student at the same uni and we're both housemates. We just… we get along very well and we have a lot of similar interests so we though it'd be interesting to start a podcast because we have quite a lot of weird, interesting stories to tell sometimes.

IQ - So tell us one of these stories. How did

PH - Basically, we try to be a bit more organised but it hasn't really worked. We usually have certain topics written down and we don't really structure it very much because we want it to still feel natural. We kind of start talking and see where we go but we do have a few bullet points that we try to stick to in order to keep it structured a little bit.

IQ - Yeah, we feel a sense of a natural discussion when we listen to it. Speaking of which, spontaneity is something that ties a lot of the topics you deal with together. Is that something that is also a big part in your day to day life?

PH - No, it is definitely a big part of our lives because we've realised that we are the only ones to have control of our lives now that we've both moved out and that we have been living alone for three years now. It's great to be at uni and great to work

hard and to have a structure to your life, but also it's boring if you never say yes to anything. So we try to find things that we really like, and we don't really care about anyone else, and just, do it for us.

IQ - Are there any topics that are off-limits?

PH - No, I don't think so. We were talking about this with Luisa the other day, about how we wanted to topics a little bit more controversial to the podcast. However, there are some topics that we think, like for example race or the LGBTQ+ community, we don't think that we should put our opinion out there. We might say something wrong and we don't want to. Our opinions on the matters… there's no reasons for us to say anything and also it doesn't really fit into the theme of the podcast anyways. We want to keep it very unpolitical, shall we say.

It's just two people having a conversation, two friends who respect each other in conversation and also realising that life is not always as serious as it seems.

IQ - Do you listen to any podcasts in your daily life? If yes, is there one that has your heart in particular at the moment?

IQ - You talk a lot about personal experiences and issues that, I suppose, are close to your heart. Is it sometimes hard to move past the knowledge that people are going to listen to you and to your conversations? I feel like it'd take a lot of courage to dive so publicly into your life.

PH - I actually do listen to a couple but I struggle to find ones that I actually want to listen to all the time. So there's none that grabs me in particular.

PH - Well, first, thanks [laughs]. In the beginning, it was difficult, but now, I've kind of made peace with all of my decisions, and if people are listening and they have criticisms, that's okay, because at the end of the day it's my choice to do that and my choice to be that. I think now I've kind of gone over the fact that people are listening and I'm just talking into a microphone like there's no one else there.

IQ - You said in an episode that your New Year's resolution is to invest more time in the podcast. Do you have any exciting new projects to come to tease to InQuire readers?

IQ - Luisa and you are both in relatively creative fields. Do you feel like that helps you with the podcast and in the discussions that you have, with the creativity that you bring to it?

PH - Yes, definitely. I think Luisa and I work very well creatively. She has a lot of skills with, obviously, film and stuff like that, and in music as well, and I bring the more literary, philosophical side of things a lot of the time. It just works! She inspires me to do a lot of things and I hope that I inspire her to do quite a lot as well.

IQ - You took a break for Christmas when you both went back home for the break. Do you think that the summer term, and having both of you doing your own thing separately will put a stop to the podcast?

PH - Hmmm, I'm not sure yet. I think maybe we might just be too busy having fun, we won't have the time to do it, but yeah, I don't know we'll have to see then!

IQ - Is there anything in particular that you hope this podcast will achieve?

PH - I could say that I'd want thousands of people listening but I think that the main objective for me is to lift people's moods when they hear it.

IQ - … Except WLOAFR, right?

PH - Of course, yes, except that one! [laughs].

PH - So we've just finished the first season of the podcast, I guess, and we're talking a little break to kind of reevaluate and see what direction we want to go in for the second season and see what topics we want to cover. Other than that, it's just going to be weekly uploads and see where it goes from there!

IQ - Cool! We're moving towards the end now, so can you tell me which has been, so far, your favourite WLOAFR episode to record?

PH - I think probably the relationship one, I think it's called Priya is sapiosexual. I think that one was the best one for me because it was the one I had the most personal views on it… No, yeah I really liked this one!

IQ - The one were you laughed the most?

PH - Probably the one where we had our friend Bianca on, she gave a completely different vibe to the whole podcast so it was very interesting.

IQ - The hardest one to record?

PH - The hardest one… Oh. Probably the first one, honestly, just because we were so new to it and we had no idea how to talk, what to say, what kind of tone we wanted…

IQ - Any last words?

PH - Well, thanks for this interview and thanks for putting in the newspaper, first… And now, we'll see where it goes from there!

All graphics courtesy of WLOAFR's Instagram unless otherwise specified. Background courtesy of wallhere.com

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InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Culture

Celebrating Diversity on Campus with Worldfest!

By Anonymous Writer

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art of the many different events taking place on campus, Worldfest, happening during the week of 14th to 18th March, celebrates cultural diversity. All the cultural societies come together to celebrate the global community that we have on campus through a wide scope of different activities and events. A prime example is the International Showcase where societies perform a piece and display their cultural through art. To discuss this event, there is no one better than Anthony Manning, the Dean for Global and L i f e l o n g Learning at

the University of Kent. Through events like the GOLD Programme as well as global hangouts, Anthony has taught me a lot about global citizenship, intercultural awareness, and the responsibility of community that we have as students on campus. I caught up with Anthony to talk about the importance of cultural acceptance, but also to learn more on Worldfest and how to get involved.

Anthony first described his role on campus, stating that he is “responsible for running a number of departments, associated with the delivery of courses that focus on global and international perspectives and intercultural awareness as well as access programmes to the university”. He then went on to explain that in the lifelong learning area, he is “responsible for degree apprenticeships, PTD Activity and professional practice degrees”, which he believes is “a growing area of importance of the university and those two areas come together in a way because they are both about bringing people to the university for learning opportunities in creative and alternative ways.” No matter what kind of student you are, it is about a vast range of idea about “responding to students’ needs in different ways”. Anthony himself has always left a

big place to international experiences in his life, living in France, Germany, Japan and China before he came back to England to pursue his Masters.

His personal interests led him to the GOLD Programme, one of the many the University introduced to respond to students need for internationalisation, a really important area to focus on in Higher Education. Outside the pandemic, around 7% of Kent students experience a year abroad, and around 25% of Kent students are international. There remains a large percentage of students needing to get an international experience, which is where Internationalisation at Home comes in. It unlocks the rich diversity of our community and shares that with all students, not just international ones. This makes Worldfest the perfect time to celebrate diversity and community.

In a few words, Anthony described Worldfest as a ‘rich tapestry of international events and activities which allow our home and international students to really celebrate the diversity of our community, and to kind of showcase some of the activities that students can get included beyond the week itself because although it is important to have Worldfest as a week of event, it is even more important that’s just a showcase for the broader activities that are happening yearlong’.

When asked about events happening on campus during this week, he mentioned that the International Showcase is always a great event, giving an opportunity to students from different societies around the university to showcase their culture at a joint big event. It displays the arts and cultures of so many of the different nationalities, which is a fantastic dimension.

During the rest of the week, there are also opportunities to learn a new language. There is also lots of food on campus, conveying tastes of the world. In sum, expect art, food, music, and celebration.

For Anthony, Worldfest is a way to bring attention to the wide range of activities offered on campus bringing together different communities and celebrating both intercultural diversity and global citizenship. It is particularly

powerful in offering people new opportunities and communities that they can then take advantage of beyond the week, as it reveals all the communities that students didn’t necessarily know existed.

The GOLD Programme, which organises the event and is always keen to celebrate diversity, also encourages students to get involved. There is a general intake at the beginning of the year, but workshops are also designed to allow students who wish to to come along without taking part in the entire Programme.

Lastly, Anthony’s principal hope for this event is that students will get to discover all the ways of accessing the breadth of activity that the University offers. It can very busy to be a student, but it is always worth checking out all the opportunities we have at our disposal. You might not have the time during the rest of the year, so Worldfest is there for this very reason. Its exciting week provides a great opportunity for that, so that students can find new ways to participate, network with people from other communities and make important connections.

The main goal is to remind everyone how beneficial is can be to mix with different cultures and learn from different cultures.

InQuire thanks Anthony Manning for taking the time to sit with us and talk about this event.

See you at Worldfest, during the week of 14th18th March!

All photos courtesy of the Universiy of Kent via Flickr

REVIEW The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe comes to the Marlowe Photo from Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

By Katie Daly Website Lifestyle Editor

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trip to the Marlowe Theatre has got us taking a trip down memory lane as C.S. Lewis’ children’s classic ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ comes to Canterbury.

With an array of inventive costumes, impressive sets and original music, the show takes the audience on a truly immersive journey.

The show follows closely the original story, following the lives of the Pevensies siblings, Peter (Ammar Duffus), Susan (Robyn Sinclair), Edmund (Shaka Kalokoh) and Lucy (Karise Yansen).

Evacuated from their London home during WWII, they move to the Scottish countryside to live in a professor’s house where they find that stepping into a wardrobe can unleash a world of war and wonder.

The children help Aslan, the ancient lion guardian, defend Narnia against the tyrannical White Witch who has cast an eternal winter over the land.

The show is a real spectacle, with many small but rich details having been thought of. It is underpinned by a series of neat transitions between scenes through impressive dance routines. The

opening evacuation scene is cleverly played out with suitcases with lit up squares cut out carried overhead by ensemble cast members made to look like train carriages. The White Witch, played by Samantha Womack, was believably played, adorned in a series of intricately embellished costumes and carried in on a formidable carriage by a mob of animalistic henchmen. These same characters later wear skull masks and unnervingly travel across stage crouched on two legs with wheels on their hands as the Pevensies children fight for their place as kings and queens of Narnia.

The story also makes clever use of a secondary stage at a height from the main stage which is utilised predominantly for the playing of lilting live music over the action below. The score played live by ensemble characters dressed up as various roles, such as London dwellers and Narnian animal folk, add a folkloric feel and creates an atmosphere of the ancient.

The show uses an incredibly life-like puppet, certainly set to rival the likes of ‘War Horse’, as well as a fur-clad actor (Chris Jared) to represent Aslan. The puppet is led by three actors replicating the swift feline movements of the big cat whilst also maintaining his authoritative presence.

New life has been breathed in this version of the family favourite. As a show which pushes the

boundaries of theatrical imagination, the show’s director Michael Fentiman manages to take a story with boundless possibilities as far as set and costume and creates a piece which is both timeless and fresh for modern audiences.

The show ticks all the boxes as far as production value (even as far as characters being lifted into mid-air), whilst maintaining the warmth and familiarity of the original narrative. Every character is compelling and Womack’s portrayal of the White Which was particularly chilling. I wholeheartedly agree with it being described as ‘pure theatrical magic’. ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ is showing at The Marlowe until the 19 February before taking the rest of the UK by icy storm.

Photo from Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Photo from the Marlowe Theatre

20

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Entertainment

Lennon's Imagine remains relevant

By Amun Bains Writer John Lennon’s album “Imagine” turns 51 years old this year, but the message has stayed relevant after all these years. Produced by Phil Spector a year and a few months after the Beatles break up, it was his second solo album in his short solo career and, in my opinion, his best. He contrasts hope with despair, country music with rock and ballads, love and hate all in 40 minutes of musical genius.

The title track is one of the most well-known songs of all time; Imagine. Even people who are not fans of the Beatles or Lennon know this song.

The first time I heard it I was mesmerised. The piano work by Lennon is perfection; simple but effective. The chord progression coupled with the simple melody and violins makes it almost dreamlike to listen, like you are floating. He was never an instrumental prodigy and his life and musical style changed dramatically but his ability to create beautiful melodies was never lost in his short life.

The lyrics are what make the song so renowned however and drew me to the song. They also attract the ire of people who choose not to understand the message unfortunately. The key word is ‘imagine’, he is not advocating for anything to happen, it’s a utopian ideal. It speaks more to the hatred and cynicism in humanity than it does for Lennon that it attracts so much ridicule 40 years after his death when one considers the lyrics. For myself, the first time I heard it I felt like I finally found a kindred spirit, someone I relate to and understand. I was bemused that anyone could have an issue with it.

Fundamentally, it is anti-war and pro peace, which is only controversial to those who desire conflict.

More specifically, I don’t believe in religion nor nationalism either and fundamentally I believe we have common humanity which he refers to explicitly “imagine there’s no countries…nothing to kill or die for and no religion too”. The lyrics concerning no possessions are more controversial because it towed dangerously close to communist ideology for some people and Lennon himself had quite a few possessions.

However, he openly decried violent revolution in 1968 on Revolution 1, so it’s a disingenuous allegation. In any sense I always interpreted them as meaning Lennon noting how ridiculous our consumerist culture, when as humans we don’t need much to survive, which is true. The antireligion message also attracts anger, and it wasn’t the first time. In 1966 when he flippantly said the Beatles are bigger than Jesus, hardcore American Christians burnt Beatles records. A year earlier, on Plastic Ono Band, he has a song called ‘God’ in which he lists all the ideologies, famous people, religions which he does not subscribe to. In his words “I just believe in me, Yoko and me”. The man who murdered John Lennon in New York in 1980 said he partly did it because of his words about religion on ‘God’, if such a man is to be believed about anything. For a man born in 1940 in Liverpool without much education, he was remarkably

Photo by Joost Evers

‘progressive’ and open-minded and truly well ahead of his time. Christianity has indeed fallen out of favour in the USA since 1966 for example.

Yet things he understood in 1971 we do not even now; we still cling onto religion, nationalism, racism, war. Criticised for being utopian, it is not. As he says himself “you may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one”, I agree because I am with him in his message and dream, and I always will be. Hopefully, in another 51 years we can see John’s dream realised.

After this anthemic opening, he then dives into a far darker track in classic Lennon style. The same man who could write with such hope and beauty would also write terribly upsetting lyrics which were often inspired by his mental state, which was never really resolved until his death in 1980. Lennon started the trend of using emotions to write his songs, as opposed to meaningless/ pithy lyrics used just for melodic purposes, in 1963 with “Help!”- which is quite literally a cry for help if one analyses the lyrics. One can chart his changing mental states through his music, he truly gave the world all of himself. Just as “Help!”, “crippled inside” is paradoxically fun to listen too.

Essentially, it’s chirpy country music. Lennon puts on a mock Southern accent accompanied by piano that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Western saloon. The lyrics, always Lennon’s strong point, are fantastically raw and honest. Essentially, he is saying people can put on all the pretences they like but they can never get away from their own mind.

In his words “if there’s one thing you can’t hide, it's when you’re crippled inside”. Whether he is talking about himself or mocking the facades of ‘crippled’ people is unclear, although I like to think of it as both. This is a universal truth; you can make as much money, look as good as you want but you can never hide/run from your own mental state.

Jealous Guy is introspective. In the early 70s, immediately post an ugly Beatles break up, Lennon went through great changes. He began primal scream therapy, became serious with Yoko and changed his outlook. For a man only just touching into his 30s, he talked about his past as if it was decades ago. Truly, the Beatles lived well beyond their ages in the 1960s and lived faster and did more than most people do in their whole lives as young men in their 20s in a single decade. For a man who achieved so much and changed so much in his first 40 years, it is a terrible mystery about what else he would have done if he had another 40 years, and his evil killer did not come along. On Jealous Guy, the lyrics are appropriately ambiguous so that no one knows their exact meaning. I always assumed it was him coming to terms with his guilt about how he treated Cynthia Lennon, his first wife, and how he was a jealous lover and hurt the women he was with because of it. Paul McCartney seemed to believe it was about him. That is the beauty of lyrics; we all interpret them differently.

These first three songs are so strong they deserve deep analysis. The next two songs are less strong musically and lyrically in my opinion but still noteworthy. “It’s so hard” is a bluesy number that is another cry for help from Lennon bemoaning the almost crippling pressures of life. It is unsurprising that Lennon would include an exclusively blues song because that is what inspired him in the first place; he said himself black music from the USA imported onto the Mersey docks turned him on to music and all the Beatles expressed their reverence for the African American pioneers of blues/rock and roll throughout their career. “I don’t wanna be a

soldier mama” is again a rock and roll piece, with then the next I hear is a visceral a more upbeat tempo than “it’s so hard”. I always thought of it as Lennon admitting his helplessness and his disillusionment with the societal ideals of masculinity through the lens of a conscripted soldier forced to go to war and die. It can be explained by context. In 1971 popular musicians began to engage in defiant protest against the Vietnam war which sent primarily young men to war to die for essentially a pointless reason. It is likely Lennon is imagining a conversation between a Vietnam soldier with his attack on mother decrying his situation. Lennon was his friend. vulnerable at heart as he expressed many One must times (Help! being one example) and he is consider that crying out in those terms I believe. Talking this was John, to his mother is no coincidence, Julia he was not mentally Photo by Lisa Lennon died in a car crash in John’s youth, stable even at his best and to be and this always haunted him. His father was absent fair Paul was not innocent. Paul too, so he was raised by only women, his deceased started the diss track back and forth on his mother and his Aunt Mimi. The other explanation, first solo album ‘RAM’ with subtle digs on songs or perhaps dual explanation is that The Beatles, like ‘Too Many People’. John’s lyrics are not the Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones were born subtle whatsoever by contrast and are very openly in the 1940s (many of them are alive now, which resentful of Paul and frankly speak for themselves. puts into context how recent WW2 truly was) so In later years, John would explain he never hated had parents who fought in World War Two. They Paul he was just writing a song, so this gives some were only generation removed from being potential comfort, but it obviously hurt Paul because he conscripts. So, Lennon could be imagining how referenced it as recently as last year. Musically, his father’s generation felt. It makes sense for that it is superb-a proper rock song which is probably generation to be so haunted by war and pro-peace, the best musically apart from ‘Imagine’. George perhaps explaining Lennon’s consistent anti-war Harrison offers his slide guitar to great effect; we messages in this era. A lesson which we have still know which side he was on in ‘71! The drums are have not heeded in 2022. simple but so crisp with every single hi-hat and The B side starts very strongly with “Gimme Some bass drum kick heard clearly and the violins, which Truth”. This track explodes into life from the start, should have no business on a rock song, somehow with no real introduction. Lennon angrily hisses work. A truly genius piece of musical production that he is “sick and tired of hearing things from that would not be out of place on a Beatles album. uptight short-sighted narrow-minded hypocrites” Whether it is because of Harrison and Lennon almost immediately. It struck me as deeply relevant working together or Phil Spector working magic, it to today, perhaps even more so in our era of ‘fake is superb. news’ and ‘post truth’. Again, I relate to Lennon From angry Lennon to sad Lennon, yet again here. He criticises “neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed on “How?” It is a heavy listen lyrically, essentially politicians”, which we can surely all understand in John is bemoaning that he never had love so does 2022. As he says, all I want is the truth, just gimme not know how to show it. The theme of confusion some truth. overrides all; “how we can go forward into “Oh My Love” is a love song to his wife, Yoko. This something we’re not sure of?” he ends. Spector uses is another John Lennon solo song motif along with his wall of sound production again, though it doesn’t the hopeful songs and emotionally dark songs. He really work. The violins overpower Lennon’s piano lovingly opines about how Yoko opened his eyes work. Spector more than makes up for this on the to the world and now he is happier and at peace last track. with her after years of rollercoaster living as a “Oh Yoko!” is Lennon’s most underrated song Beatle marked with tragedies and deaths. It is a in my opinion. After a heavy album of politics, soft song, played and sang beautifully on piano and depressing introspection and anger we end with accompanied only now and then by acoustic guitar a fun bubbly danceable love song to Yoko. Just and bells. It was a criticism of his last ever album like Oh My Love, it is unapologetically all about ‘Double Fantasy’ that essentially half the songs Yoko. There are no universal truths to hold onto or were about his love for Yoko so weren’t particularly relatable messages. You can’t say he didn’t love her! universal or interesting. Unlike the other songs, I Unlike Oh My Love, the rest of us can hold onto a could not relate to it. However, the beauty of the beautiful piano melody coupled with bass guitar singing and piano and the overarching feeling and drums we can click our fingers too. Just like of clarity John got from Yoko’s love makes it a How Do You Sleep, the drums are elevated so we wonderful listen. can hear the bass drum clearly. This was Spector’s Yet again we see John’s intensely diametric magic at work; most songs do not centre the drums lyricism on ‘How Do You Sleep?’. It is incredible in production and leave them in the background, that he wrote this on the same album as ‘Imagine’ but it works amazingly well here. The whole song but that is classic John; a wonderful contradiction you hear the rhythmic thumps of the bass drum that trying his best but quite obviously flawed. It is even provide a backbeat to hang onto. It fundamentally more bizarre in that it comes after ‘Oh My Love’. works though due to, again, Lennon’s ability to After singing so softly and lovingly, he now hisses write simple but effective piano melodies. The song in hatred. John Lennon was undoubtedly a genius perfectly rounds of the album. After this came his in this regard; his range was utterly astounding for ‘long weekend’ of drugs and alcohol, and by 1975 one man. It is not ‘peace and love’ whatsoever and his hiatus. By his brutal murder in 1980, by all is a quite nasty track aimed at Paul McCartney. It accounts he was happy and truly a good man who was an early example of a diss track so to speak! spent his life giving the world fantastic art, tried to In 1971, John and Paul were not on good terms spread love, embraced his past mistakes, apologised after the Beatles break up. Quite exactly what for them all and looked to move on and be better. happened and why is up for so much debate people On “Oh Yoko!”, after all the politics, sadness and have written books about it. When I first heard it, I anger on “Imagine”, he comes to back to love as his was disappointed because I listened to the Beatles central message and gives us what he always loved and the members’ solo albums chronologically. the most to hear himself-a fun, rocking rock/pop I heard John go from flawed man to a man open song. Truly, that sums up John Lennon’s life and and apologetic for his past to a pariah of peace/ that is how I think he should be remembered after love (think All you Need is Love, The End etc.) and all these years.

21

InQuire Monday 7 March 2022

Entertainment

The Year of Wet Leg

By Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

Photo by Domino

In June 2021, Wet Leg exploded onto the indie music scene with their debut single Chaise Longue, a tongue-incheek, catchy, post-punk song which has the kind of rhythm that gets stuck in your head for hours on end. The difference with Chaise Longue, however, is that it is not a bad kind of catchiness: consisting of a great bass line, detached vocal style, and a unique hook, it is the kind of song that you can quite happily listen to on repeat without getting bored.

It is without a doubt that Wet Leg’s first single is one of the greatest debut singles for a long time.

Consisting of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, who first met at Isle of Wight College, the band was only formed recently, after ten years of friendship. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength, and even though they’ve only released four singles, they are one of the most anticipated bands of 2022. They were recently awarded second place in the BBC Sound of 2022 poll, an annual list compiled by music critics with the aim of showcasing the most exciting rising stars in the music industry. The duo was beaten only by PinkPantheress, a

former Canterbury resident and university student whose sultry bedroom-pop went viral after being posted to TikTok. Other previous winners of this award include 50 Cent, Adele, and Years and Years.

But even though Wet Leg were not awarded the award outright, this does not mean that they should ignored. As of the time of writing, the music video for Chaise Longue has over 2.5 million views on YouTube alone, and they have way over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. They are clearly not content with just the success of their debut single, and in doing so have released three more: Wet Dream, Too Late Now, and Oh No. These songs are equally as brilliant and catchy as their initial release, and indicate the band has no desire to slow down. It is rare that a band’s first few releases are equally as great as each other, and especially with the increased anticipation and spotlight now put upon them.

Their debut self-titled album is scheduled to be released on the 8th of April, and so far, all the signs are pointing to it being another huge success. They have already embarked on a world tour, the tickets of which sold out within seconds, and they have supported acts such as IDLES and Declan McKenna on their respective UK tours. All extremely impressive for a band with a very limited catalogue. Not only this, but the band can count musical heavyweights such as Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Iggy Pop, and Florence Welch among the ranks of their quickly growing fandom. They have already performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, a YouTube show normally reserved for already established artists, playing all four songs, and have also featured on Later… With Jools Holland.

One reason Wet Leg might be in it for the long run is that they clearly enjoy their music, and don’t take themselves too seriously. Wet Dream is a song about an ex of Rhian’s who used to tell her about how they used to have explicit dreams about her – a fact which they are probably now regretting.

Their music is so catchy that you may find yourself accidentally singing out loud about touching

yourself in public. The music video for the same song is explained by Rhian as being quite sexy.

However, she goes on to say that ‘being straight-up sexy is not me, so I had to get the claws involved – sexy but also a lobster’, referring to how lobster claws are worn by both her and Hester. The theme of sex and innuendos is not one that the duo have hidden away from- ‘Mommy, daddy, look at me / I went to school and I got a degree / All my friends call it ‘the big D’ / I went to school and I got the big D’. A dick joke in the first 20 seconds of a band’s first ever song is definitely a bold way to introduce yourself to the world.

In short, Wet Leg show no intention of slowing down. 2022 will inevitably lead to them blowing up even further, and they will undoubtedly be booked for a multitude of festivals and concerts in the summer. The anticipation surrounding the band does not appear to be hindering their work – they remain true to themselves, writing music that they enjoy, and the chemistry between Hester and Rhian onstage is undeniable, as is the interesting introvert-extrovert relationship between the two. A ticket to a Wet Leg concert is extremely hard to get hold of – and it remains to be seen for how long the trajectory of their rise can continue. Indeed, the rise of the oddball, Island duo is only beginning.

Wet Leg’s self-titled debut album is out on April 8th.

Poltergeist continues to haunt at 40

By Rory Bathgate Senior Designer Poltergeist is not an easy film to define. The classic horror from 1982 follows a family as they navigate increasing supernatural activity in their new-build home, but rejects much of the guff and meaningless viscera with which the 'haunting' genre is associated. The trouble in classifying its place in cinema was felt by the Motion Picture Association of America too, which originally gave the film an R rating, but was persuaded to reduce this to a PG at the behest of writer-producer Steven Spielberg.

The fact that Poltergeist could be either R or PG (and that it directly led the MPAA to establish the middle-ground PG-13 rating) speaks to the spellbinding quality and ahead of its time thinking of the film itself. The premise of the film is timeless, and typifies the best of its genre: from objects moving around the house, to malevolent forces manifested through the bedroom of the children, the situation becomes increasingly desperate as youngest daughter Carol Anne vanishes to a plane unseen. The Freelings are about to become hauntingly acquainted with the sound of white noise, and what lies within it: the "TV people" are here, and they won't be leaving by choice.

For modern horror fans, Poltergeist offers a refreshing break from the now all-too-mechanical

'haunting' genre. Not a second of screentime is wasted in turning the spookiness up: the garishly 70s domestic setting of the film is presented from the first moments as disturbed. When Diane bears witness to supernatural events she gets right to work reproducing the effects for her husband, Steve, Who wastes no screen time subjecting her to the kind of excruciating gaslighting with which subsequent scream-queens have spent the first two thirds of their films struggling. It is perhaps because of the film's ties with television and a changing media landscape that this is the case. Opening on the strobing static and warbling anthem of TV network sign-off (back before 24/7 broadcasts), the filmmakers show off their understanding of the audience they're serving. Carol Ann, like every other child of the 80s, is growing up bathed in the light of the TV, in a nation of rapidly reducing attention spans and tothe-point coverage, and Poltergeist knows just how to play up to that mark.

That is not to say that

this is a "TV-film" or remotely reminiscent of that beleaguered form: instead, it is empathetic cinema, responding to and reflecting the media demands of the 80s with a malign glint in its eye.

Accounts of the film's production vary, with director Tobe Hooper allegedly being sidelined by Spielberg. This is refuted by the accounts of the cast, who freely admit that while Spielberg was on set for almost every day of production, Hooper called the shots. Whether you believe the rumours or not, there is every indication that Spielberg took a heavy hand to this film in his role as producer.

From the suburban setting to the emotional focus of a troubled family unit, Spielberg-isms abound. All of this, however, is merely trivia for cinephiles: whoever gets the directorial credit, the final product is precisely as full of fear, wonder and empathy as some of Spielberg's best works.

Industrial Light and Magic, as with all their work, provide stunning visual effects that are at once charmingly analogue and eminently believable. In particular, the light show towards the end of the film possesses the same terrifying qualities as those in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Carol Anne's line (and tagline of the film) "they're here!" even echoes the gleeful reaction of Barry to Close Encounter's extraterrestrial visitors;

Photos by Warner Bros.

the frantic scenes of childish joy contrasted by parental terror are replicated here through a more supernatural lens. Where the film diverges is the extent to which this is taken, with some truly disturbing imagery at points. However, rather than becoming bogged down in gore or scares, terror or tropes, Spielberg crafted a narrative that never loses its focus, primarily the connection between Diane and Carol Anne. A beautiful scene in the latter stages of the film sees Diane weep with joy upon feeling the energy of her daughter move through her, and prompts one of the most genuine line deliveries in all of horror: "she went through my soul." Even when you think you know where the narrative is going, it cleanly avoids cliche; without spoiling the narrative too much, there's a particularly popular element of North American ghost folklore that Spielberg avoids here, much to the benefit of the film's longevity and scope. The same deft misdirectoon applies to the twisting narrative: if you can, watch the film without once checking how much time is left, and see just how wrong you are at accurately guessing.

Overall, Poltergeist represents the very best of the haunting genre: an outlier even after decades of follow-ups, spiritual successors and would-be competitors, it stands out for its singular cinematic effectiveness, fearsomeness and strange kindness.

WorldFest

Monday 7 March 2022 InQuire

Photos by The Gulbenkian

WORLDFEST 2022: sharing OUR CULTURES

By Jireh Akandwanaho, Writer Worldfest is returning to the University of Kent! Annually, we celebrate our university’s cultural diversity and take a week off to highlight the vibrancy of the University’s global community both in our Canterbury and Medway campuses. This year, Worldfest will run from 14th – 20th March 2022.

With a fun-packed events calendar, Worldfest commemorates cultural events such as Holi and Nowrouz and also presents fascinating events such as the international Food Fair, an International Showcase, and a World Quiz among others, as we enjoy and learn about the different aspects of cultures from all around the world.

From dance, to music, to films, to food and fashion, there is simply no limit to what Worldfest brings to the table.

Organised by the Internationalisation Department and supported by the student body of Global Officers, it is an event that emulates and creates a temporary environment of ‘home away from home’ for the university’ large body of international students whilst also exposing and educating noninternational students about different cultures, their backgrounds, and their different facets. Among the many events in the works for this year’s Worldfest, I highlight a few key ones that you need to note down in your calendars because they are going to be amazing events that you just can’t miss out on;

unresolved questions and answers between them. Two years later, Kafuku, still grieving the loss of his wife, receives an offer to direct a play at a theatre

festival in Hiroshima and drives there from Tokyo. He is assigned a driver there, Misaki (Toko Miura), who is he is not totally sure of at first and who is

reticent with him from the outset. With time, Kafuku confronts the mystery of his wife that quietly haunts him partly on his own and partly through talking

16 March (13:10 – 14:00) – Worldfest Lunchtime Concert As part of this year’s WorldFest celebrations at the university, one of our Kent music Scholars, third-year student and Indian classical singer, Ridima Sur will be performing with British sitarist and composer, Jonathan Mayer and tabla-player, Denis Kucherov who are travelling down from London for the event. The event will be held in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall as well as livestreamed on the Music department’s YouTube channel for online audiences as well. Book your free place at the Worldfest events’ webpage.

18 March (11:00 – 15:00) – Celebrating Nowrouz.

Nowrouz or Newroz is the Iranian, Kurdish or Persian New Year and is celebrated by thousands of people around the world. It begins on the spring equinox and marks the first day of Farvadin, the Iranian solar calendar. Our Nowrouz table has all the traditional elements and provides an opportunity for you to come and learn a little bit more about the Iranian New Year celebrations, as well as the chance to paint your very own Nowrouz egg!

The table will be in the Plaza, in front of Co-op.

9 March – Talking Cultures Workshop: Enhancing cultural awareness to avoid ethnocentrism and Cultural Bias.

This workshop provides an overview of cultural bias, stereotyping and ethnocentrism, applied intentionally or unintentionally and the issues surrounding these. Further discussions will focus on further enhancing cultural intelligence (or cultural quotient - CQ) to interact and communicate effectively across cultures. Students can sign up via Kent Vision – EWLA3370 14-18 March - International Food Fayre: Our ever-popular International Food Fair returns for Worldfest 2022 with food trucks set up all week in the Plaza in front Co-op. You are bound to be spoilt for choice with the Spanish Paella, ROK Kitchen, Ile Afrik, Egyptian falafels, Hide and Greek, Taste of Thailand, and Street Kitchen all at your disposal. Get ready to eat your way around the world!

16 March - Film screening: Drive My Car: It is a story of love, loss, longing and driving and is the first Japanese film to be Oscar Nominated for Best Picture.

Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a stage actor and director who is happily married to Oto (Reika Kirishima), a screenwriter. There are secrets and deceptions between them, but even so they carry on as a couple. When Oto suddenly dies, she leaves behind many

on the road. Together, Kafuku and Misaki navigate towards the future, as the film twists and turns from Southern Japan to Northern Japan in a beloved Saab 900 – with some dialogue on cassette tapes and some Samuel Beckett and Chekhov performances along the way. This is a free screening as part of University of Kent’s Worldfest (open to all) in the Gulbenkian Cinema.

Photos by University of Kent

18 March (19:00–22:00) – International Showcase.

The International Showcase is a visual spectacle of song, dance, and colour from around the world. The cultural societies go head-to-head to showcase the music and dance from their own countries in a bid to win the ultimate prize. Book your free ticket from the Gulbenkian website before spaces run out and join us in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall for a night of dazzling cultural entertainment.

20 March (19:30–22:00) - Global Hangout: World Quiz How much do you really know about the world? Come and test your knowledge at our World Quiz Global Hangout!

The World Quiz is a fun, chilled out environment for a Sunday games night where you can go head ot head against other students for the chance to win some prizes, including Amazon vouchers! Head over to the Worldfest events webpage to register your team or get assigned to one to participate in this fun night at Woody’s.

This is a sponsored post by our friends at University of Kent Worldfest.

Sport www.inquiremedia.org/sport

InQ Quire

WINTER OLYMPICS ROUNDUP

Another average showing for Team GB

Photos by CNN

Photo by 90min

T

he Winter Olympics wrapped up a few weeks ago in China, with our Team GB athletes walking away with just two medals after the 19 day competition came to a close; a women’s curling gold and a men's curling silver which placed us 19th in the table. Up to that point it appeared as if we would be walking away from Beijing medalless - something that hadn’t happened since the 1992 Games. The two medals won represent our worst showing at a Games since 2010, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise, given both our past history at the winter variant of the games, as well as the small number of athletes we send to each event.

Therefore, our eye-catching curling domination served as the only takeaway from our time at the Games, as well as the main event we found ourselves paying attention to. The women’s team thrashed second place Japan by a score of 10-3, while the men's team suffered an agonising 5-4 loss to Sweden in the final, settling for silver.

There were other close calls throughout the games - the men's 4 man bobsleigh squad finished 6th overall, and in the women’s snowboard cross Charlotte Bankes was one of the podium favourites, but was beaten in the quarter-finals, and also took 6th place.

In the skeleton, it was an agonising watch, as Great Britain failed to pick up a medal for the first time since the sport was reintroduced to the games in 2002. Matt Weston was the best of a bad bunch, who finished 15th in the men’s, while Laura Deas and Brogan Crowley couldn’t replicate Lizzie Yarnold’s back to back golds in the event, finishing 19th and 22nd respectively.

There were positives in the figure skating; a sport where Team GB have won the most medals thanks to the glory period

of Torville and Dean in the 80s. Ice dance pair Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson showed promise by finishing in a respectable 10th, which they can hopefully build on in 2026.

Though, when it came to the ice, there was one name that dominated the headlines.

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva made the news after an incredible quadruple spin move (the first in history) was soured by news of a failed drugs test. The 15 year old was shoved into the spotlight of the overall games for all the wrong reasons, and was the subject of constant media coverage during her time in Beijing.

Valieva’s final performance was painful to watch, as she made several mistakes in her routine, falling to the ice several times, and slipped down the rankings to finish fourth overall. Watching the final myself, I could see she was visibly upset, perhaps even speeding up her routine just so she could get the whole thing over with. The amount of pressure and anxieties that must have been placed on her, despite the result of the test, is something nobody wants to see.

Regardless of drama, it was once again a truly historic and hair-raising watch from start to finish. Beijing 2022 had some stand out moments - Chinese athlete, 18 year old Eileen Gu, was the first to win 3 medals in 3 different events at a single Winter Olympics, with gold in the big air and halfpipe, and a silver in the slopestyle. Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Bo was the most successful athlete to compete at the games, winning 4 gold medals and one bronze.

It also proved to be a record breaking games - lots of work has been done to improve gender equality, for example the Beijing 2022 games featured a record-high number of women’s events, partly due to the altering of some disciplines to include a women’s as well as a men’s variant.

Despite the historic nature of the games, though, it seemed like the games were unable to grab the larger population. The games had their lowest recorded viewership numbers in both the UK and US, and it seems that, with the Winter Olympics

following in the Summer Games’ footsteps in moving a majority of the coverage onto the paid subscription service, Peacock, viewership numbers would undoubtedly suffer. For America, US television service NBC reported its lowest ever view count for the Winter Games since their records began, while the UK’s reduced coverage dropped by half compared to the previous 2018 Winter Games in PyongChang.

Ongoing negatives that come with COVID undoubtedly casted a shadow over the games as a whole, but there were also questions asked about China’s human rights record in the leadup, with brands and sponsors choosing to not be associated whatsoever.

There’s no avoiding that viewership numbers and attention shown towards the Olympics is dwindling, speaking personally to some friends, when I asked them if they had been watching any coverage of the games, not just these Winter Games but also the summer games last year, the reply was a resounding no - some even met the question with laughter. There are a menagerie of reasons as to why people have lost interest in the Olympics, and after the situation with Valieva among others, I wouldn’t be surprised if TV viewership continued to dwindle. Although, it should be noted that digital viewership grew during the games, for example there were rising numbers of engagements on Twitter and Youtube, as well as the official Olympic App. Either way, the games were capped with undeniably spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, and the baton has now been passed to Milan and Cortina D’Campezzo in Italy for the 2026 games. The tune of Auld Lang Syne filled the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony, as IOC president Thomas Bach stressed the importance of the games ‘unifying us’, perhaps a nod to the current disunity and the situation in Russia and Ukraine. Though, sticking in Beijing, the Winter Paralympics are still to come, with potentially more medal opportunities for the British Paralympic team.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

By Samuel Leah Newspaper Sport Editor

MEDAL TABLE 1st - Norway: 16 gold, 8 silver, 13 bronze (37 total) 2nd - Germany: 12 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze (27 total) 3rd - China: 9 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze (15 total) 4th -United States: 8 gold, 10 silver, 7 bronze (25 total) 5th - Sweden: 8 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze (18 total) 19th - Great Britain: 1 gold, 1 silver (2 total) 23 different countries won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, which is a new record.

A majority of medals were won by younger athletes, with just over 40% of total medals being won by 2529 year olds.

Norway won 16 gold medals in Beijing, the most won at any Winter Games.

Host country China had their most successful games, finishing third with 9 golds.

Canada, who normally perform well at the Winter Games, finished outside the top 10 with only four gold medals won.

The Russian Olympic Committee had the second most medals at the games (32), but finished in 9th after only 6 golds won.