InQuire 18.4

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women

NHS in freefall

By Ben van Broeckhuijsen News Writer

Following a prolonged period of issues with the functioning of the NHS, ambulance workers and nurses will go on strike for several days in January, citing a need for pay rises. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has demanded a 19% pay rise, whereas the ambulance workers’ strike comes after 14 health unions backed out of the NHS Pay Review Body which was set up to determine pay for next year.

At the same time, the British Medical Association, which represents doctors, demanded full pay restoration in line with inflation for its junior members.

Since 2008, salaries for junior doctors are estimated to have fallen by 26.1% when adjusted for inflation.

Figures from the General Medical Council show that in 2022, nearly 10,000 doctors left the UK medical workforce. However, the issue is not limited to doctors, as the NHS reported a job vacancy rate of 11.8% (132,139 jobs) as recently as September. The Welsh Labour government sought to end the NHS strikes by offering a one-off payment of around £1000 to all health service staff. The political reaction in England has been somewhat different, with Business Secretary Grant Shapps bringing an ‘anti-strike bill’ which would enforce minimum service levels for key services during strike action.

Firefighters, ambulance staff and rail workers would be among the groups affected by the bill, which stipulates that

a ‘work notice’ could be issued, making it mandatory for certain employees to work on strike days. Ignoring this notice could lead to workers being sacked, with little to no protection for unfair dismissal. Paul Nowak, head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called the bill ‘undemocratic, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal’ and Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary argued the bill is ‘an attack on human rights and civil liberties’.

While the current planned strike action is mainly focused on improving working conditions, the NHS has been struggling to meet its demand since before Covid-19, pointing to a more endemic crisis. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s New Year’s speech was mainly focused on increasing hospital bed capacity and the amount of people cared for at home, while also improving social care. Sunak’s plan is to increase bed capacity by 7,000 in 2023. In comparison to other European countries, the UK is severely underequipped, with only Sweden having fewer hospital beds per head. In line with Sunak’s reasoning, Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), has also cited a lack of social care as a major reason for the misfunctioning of the NHS. At present, 12,000 to 13,000 (10-12% of all beds) of NHS beds are taken by patients that no longer need care but cannot leave the hospital because they have nowhere to go afterwards. Simultaneously, there are reportedly 165,000 vacancies in the social care sector, which has a knock-on

effect within the NHS, according to Mike Padgham, who is affiliated with the Independent Care Group. The real ity is that these are not the only issues the UK is facing in terms of the health of its population.

The UK’s ageing population is put ting an undeniable strain on the NHS, as it attempts to adjust its sys tem in order to meet current needs. Despite an increase of 34,100 doc tors and 44,800 nurses since 2010, an increasingly older population puts a disproportionate burden on the healthcare system. As per the BBC’s research, half of over-65s have two or more health conditions, and this group is responsible for two-thirds of all hospital admissions. If the NHS is to tackle its inability to resolve the backlog it is experiencing post-Covid-19 while also struggling with being understaffed, experts say it must change the ethos of its system entirely. In the weeks up until Christmas, 7% of the 100,000 general and acute beds in England were taken up by individuals in treatment for either Covid-19 or flu. During what has been labelled a ‘twindemic’, a lack of funding for the NHS has become painfully obvious. In their report on health and social care funding projections, The Health Foundation presents a scenario where the NHS resolves its backlog as a result of Covid-19, meets its four-hour A&E waiting time goals, and improves social care. This scenario would require a minimum funding increase of 3.2% annually, and an increase of up to £70 billion by 2030/31. While many on the

left of politics in the UK argue for closer ties to the EU, this situation could leave even the staunchest Brexiteers wondering where the weekly £350 million saved as a result of Brexit, supposedly intended for the NHS, has gone.

A once internationally revered healthcare system has seemingly collapsed under the stress of the pandemic, after having been underfunded for years. The average response time for a ‘category one’ 999-call (life-threatening emergencies) in December of last year was 10 minutes and 57 seconds, making it the worst month since recordings begun. In that same month, one in three ambulances had to wait for over an hour outside of hospitals to hand over patients. Expressed in clearer numbers: the RCEM estimates that as of January this year, 300 to 500 people are dying every week because of severe delays in

emergency care response times. While the government will be freeing up bed space for those who need critical care and ensuring service levels stay at operational levels, it is evident that the NHS requires more substantial upheaval. As such, Labour leader Keir Starmer is arguing for a system in which patients can ‘self-refer’ themselves to specialised services within the NHS, such as a physio for backpain. Anita Charlesworth, director of research at the Health Foundation, argues for a bigger overlap between hospital care and care at home, citing the Danish or Dutch healthcare model as a more effective way of dealing with an archaic system. This year has potential to be a turning point for the NHS as a whole, and whatever happens, Sunak’s Tory government’s choices in terms of pay, capacity and system changes will be decisive.

18 further strike days between February and March announced

By Rashida Hassan and Sam Webb Editor-in-Chief and Newspaper Editor

The University and College Union (UCU) have announced that over 70,000 staff at 150 universities will undergo further industrial action in disputes over pay, conditions, and attacks on pensions. Kent Union has

indicated that this action is inevitable to be present at the University of Kent. This strike action will likely include a marking and assessment boycott beginning in April, unless the disputes are settled. This would cover all marking and assessment processes including coursework and examination marking, assessment of fieldwork, exhibits,

practical work, scientific experiments, presentations, posters etc. It also covers assessment-related work such as exam invigilation, processing of marks, distributing scripts, and papers to be marked.

The first of these dates will be Wednesday 1st February, and will coincide with the Trades Union Congress’

(TUC) ‘protect the right to strike day’, where five other workers’ unions have also confirmed they will be joining the day of action against the Conservative government’s plans to introduce strict anti-strike measures. This will include train workers, schoolteachers, and civil servants.

The UCU general secretary Jo Grady

said ‘the clock is now ticking for the sector to produce a deal or be hit with widespread disruption.

Image courtesy of British Medical Association

should rethink the next time they refer to

as ‘females’

Meet the team

News Committee

Rashida Hassan

Editor-in-Chief editor@inquiremedia.org

Sam Webb Newspaper Editor newspaper@inquiremedia.org

Gharam Al-Zubi Website Editor website@inquiremedia.org

Ainy Shiyam Head of Marketing & Media media.events@inquiremedia.org

Tom Cooper Head of Technology technology@inquiremedia.org

Emyr Ben Youssef Director of Photography photography@inquiremedia.org

Shopitha Sivanathan Director of Design design@inquiremedia.org

Editorial

Nathan Collins-Cope News Editor news@inquiremedia.org

Hestia Linford-Allen Opinion Editor opinion@inquiremedia.org

Priya Hawes Features Editor features@inquiremedia.org

Laurice Janielle Lifestyle Editor lifestyle@inquiremedia.org

Rhona Longergan Entertainment Editor entertainment@inquiremedia.org

Molly Field Culture Editor culture@inquiremedia.org

Elma Maka Science & Tech Editor science@inquiremedia.org

Kieran Webb Satire Editor satire@inquiremedia.org

Joe Crossley Sport Editor sport@inquiremedia.org

To get involved with InQuire, email the relevant section editor with an article idea, or come to one of our team meetings. We hold weekly meetings above The Venue every Monday from 7pm to discuss, pitch and debate article ideas. Follow us on Instagram for updates!

Conservatives attempt to remove thousands of UK laws

By Nathan Collins-Cope News Editor

Given the political consensus between Labour and the Tories that we must now make the most of Brexit, the debate has moved onto the level of retention of EU laws. This discourse has been effected by the newly Retained EU Law (Revoke and Reform) Bill 2022-23 currently going through Parliament, which proposes that we the UK should do away with all EU laws (along with the UK law which supports it) by the end of 2023. The bill, sponsored by the hard right and arch-Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg, has been criticised by some as moving at a ‘brutal’ speed in addressing the sheer number of laws, such as those on worker’s rights, environmental regulations on clean air, food standards and aviation safety. It is worried by some that this will bring about greater uncertainty to an economy that is still reeling from a Covid and Brexit aftershock, along with the damage the Ukrainian war continues to do.

The bill would place a ‘sunset’ clause on any remaining EU law, meaning that all EU law would expire by the end of 2023. The acceleration in aims to revoke and reform such laws, seems to come from the Jacob Rees-Mogg and the European Research Group (a hardline Brexiteer group within the Conservative party), who wish to set the post-Brexit norm before the next general election –one which the polls show the Conservatives would lose. ‘We need to settle this by the 2023 deadline otherwise Labour will use this at the next general election and create all sort of stories about how we intend to scrap workplace rights and environmental regulations’ Rees-Mogg told the Financial Times at the close of last year.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told the House of Commons Liaison committee last month that he wanted a review of EU the around 4000 pieces of legislation ‘as quickly as possible’– an

acceleration which the Guardian has reportedly cost Whitehall tens of millions of pounds.

Catherine Barnard, who is a professor of EU law and Employment Law at Cambridge, told the committee reviewing the bill in parliament that the lack of clarity from the government is causing problems. She proposes that the government should release which laws were subject to sunset clauses so those affected in various industries can prepare for what is to come. ‘These laws cover things as fundamental such as gas safety equipment, food safety, what goes in food. The idea that (these laws) are simply turned off (and) manufacturers will simply keep respecting the law, even if no longer required to, is (…) for the birds. Because of course all businesses need to cut costs, and they will not necessarily comply with high standards in the absence of legislation telling them to do so.’

The Trade Union, lawyers and environmentalists are calling for Sunak to scrap the bill. The Trade Union Congress, the RSPB, the Civil Society Alliance and the Wildlife Trusts talked in a joint statement of their concern that

‘if passed into law, it could cause significant confusion and disruption for businesses, working people and those seeking to protect the natural environment.

They said the bill would 'automatically sweep away thousands of pieces of legislation, upend decades’ worth of case law, and risk putting the UK in breach of the trade and co-operation agreement with the EU

‘Ministers have yet to explain which laws they intend to retain, to amend or allow to expire. Nor have they explained how government and parliament will cope with the vast amounts of legislation this will involve being rushed through before the end of the year’

Former government lawyer Elenor Duhs, who helped design the initial concept of retention of EU law, said that the plans were completely at odds with the vision of removing EU law with ‘full scrutiny and proper debate.’

Another aim of the bill is to give ministers the power to repeal and replace pre-existing EU law as they ‘consider appropriate’. The argument for this made by those in the Conservative party is based on the idea that the usual method of leaving the between 3000 to 4000 laws for parliament to scrutinise in the established channels (including debates and committee reviews, voting on amendments as well as the bill overall) is relentlessly arduous. The sheer volume of the laws that were passed in the 47 years the UK was part of the EU is portrayed as impractical. Detractors from this view have made the point that this approach is undemocratic and allows the ministers to make arbitrary judgements on the vast swathes of laws.

Corrections

Enquiries

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Image courtesy of UK Parliament

Further industrial action to be taken in February and March

‘University staff dedicate their lives to education and they want to get back to work, but that will only happen if university vice-chancellors use the vast wealth of the sector to address over a decade of falling pay, rampant insecure employment practices and devastating pension cuts. The choice is theirs.’

Most recently, lecturers at Kent walked out on the 24th, 25th, and 30th November 2022 for the same reasons. Strikes at the university have become regular occurrences since 2018, and little progress appears to have been made.

This includes a marking and assessment boycott in 2022, which began on March 3rd, and lasted until April 5th. During this time, lecturers refused to mark or share the results of any assessments were scheduled during this time. Kent Union Parliament voted not to support this form of industrial action.

With a further 18 days of strikes announced to be held imminently, concern is evident among the student population. InQuire spoke to a second year Law student, who asked to remain anonymous. ‘We as students are not

being adequately compensated for the strain this is having on our education–last year my friends and I were given ‘complimentary good-will hot drinks’ even though we had 5+ lectures can-

celled. It’s a slap in the face really.’

When there was the previous marking and assessment boycott, the University used ‘Senate reserve powers’ to minimise the impact students felt by this

action. This meant that students could still advance with their studies and graduate with a high-quality degree. Schoolteachers have also announced intentions to strike on March 15th and

16th in what will be the largest shutdown of schools since 2016, affecting 23,400 schools. In England, a majority of 90% of those voting in the ballot for the National Education Union was met.

Prince Harry promotes the use of psychodelic drugs in mental health exploration

By Sophie Ware News Writer

In his new memoir, Prince Harry revealed using mushrooms and ayahuasca to combat his ongoing trauma.

Released on the 10th January of this year, ‘Spare’ has revealed many of the Prince’s affairs, such as the interesting story of him losing his virginity in a field behind a pub to an older woman, and his previous use of psychedelics.

The 30-year-old Duke said the book was penned in an attempt to take control of the narrative around his departure from the Royal family, with the book discussing the difficulties he found existing within an institution, his time in the army, his marriage, and the effect these had on his familial relations. He claimed that psychedelic experiences aided him in processing his trauma that he has faced over the past decades.

After a diagnosis of PTSD, Harry began to periodically use psychedelics such as Psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca for medicinal purposes.

Recent studies show that a compound found in mushrooms may help overcome fears, subsequently breaking the cycle of trauma. Ayahuasca has also been showed to have profound effects on people with clinical depression and

chronic anxiety, under the appropriate supervision. Despite this research, psychedelic therapy is still illegal in the UK. Co-Presidents Nicolette Wilson and Sam Healey and members of the University of Kent Psychedelic Society commented on how Prince Harry speaking about these issues ‘opens up an interesting discussion’. They told InQuire that they ‘hope that Prince Harry being vocal about his experiences will continue to promote serious discussion about the therapeutic use of psychedelics and break the stigma by bringing this into the public eye’. They were clear to mention that they do not advocate the use of drugs, but rather ‘promote discussion’ on psychedelic trauma therapy that is based on data and research.

The Psychedelic Society praised Harry's openness and hope it will ‘break the stigma’ by bringing psychedelic therapy to the public eye.

However, not everyone has reacted positively to Harry's admission of using psychedelics. Retired physician and researcher specialising in the study of alternative drugs, Edzard Ernst told the Daily Mail that this kind of therapy was 'wishful thinking' on the part of the prince. He further argues that Harry is 'trying to justify' his use of drugs. Studies in recent years have shed light on the link between socioeconomic sta-

tus and drug use. The days of sticking the stigma of drug abuse on the lower classes seem to be coming to a close, with a study from the United States finding that upper-middle-class young adults were two to three times more prone to being diagnosed with an addiction to drugs. From a sample of young adults in the US, 38.5% from the top income percentile had admitted to taking drugs compared to only 20.2% from the bottom quartile. Harry has been maligned as an over-privileged indi vidual with a drug problem by some in the right-wing press. The candid mem oir brings to light Harry's battles with mental illness, expressing openly the trauma from the sudden death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry expressed that during his late 20s, he was ‘willing to drink, willing to take drugs’ in an attempt to drown-out the trauma of his mother's death.

Ayahuasca, a plant-based psyche delic has been used as a traditional medicine in many of South American regions. However, the drug is now stir ring debates across the rest of the world regarding its health benefits. Observa tional studies have recorded that the DMT found within ayahuasca may have anxiety reducing properties. Unlike many psychedelics, ayahuasca does

not impair neuropsychological function. A clinical trial found that participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) felt calming benefits. The drug is able to activate areas of the brain which access episodic memory. A 2015 study showed that prolonged use of the drug

Image courtesy of Lev Radin

Image courtesy of Kent Union

By James Bonthron Climate Correspondent

The council’s new plan to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion by 2045 has been lambasted by some.

The council’s plan, which would see Canterbury divided into five different ‘neighbourhoods’ has been touted by Canterbury City Council to divert traffic from the city centre, improving the lives of residents and visitors. The suggested system will lead to no vehi-

cle access between zones next to each other except for buses and essential vehicles. The outer ring road will provide the only possible travel between most zones. Each zone under this plan will have a main approach road which will allow access in and out of a zone.

It claims that plans are based on circulation planning principles that have been successful in other authority areas and other European cities.

The plan is designed to improve the quality of life for visitors and residents in the neighbourhoods and urban cen-

Canterbury Council's controversial plan to reduce city traffic

tres. It has been designed to reduce unnecessary journeys by car which, it is hoped, will reduce air pollution as well as carbon dioxide levels.

It also plans to improve accessibility for cyclists, pedestrians, and buses, as well as those who require vehicular access to a centre and neighbourhood destination. It is expected that the outer ring road will allow motor vehicles to use it and the existing current ring road to be downgraded, creating the space for buses and bicycles. It is predicted that this will improve journey times and congestion in local neighbourhoods as well as improving local air quality.

Despite this, the plan has received considerable backlash from residents, with Kent Online reporting that residents have deemed it ‘an absolute joke’. he plan has also courted national attention in the form of a Spectator opinion piece from Ron Liddle who branded the plan as ‘a kind of fascistic restriction’ on Canterbury residents. The piece was defended by Ben-Fitter Harding, leader of Canterbury City Council, despite fierce backlash from Canterbury residents. Kent Online reported that he said: ‘I think we can safely say that not only is Mr Liddle's article inaccurate and irrelevant but that it also offers

nothing to the people of Canterbury district or the wider debate of how we plan for the future of our cities, towns and villages across the country.’

This comes at a time when the UK government has announced that England will meet the World Health Organization’s 2005 particle pollution targets by 2040. This comes after a new health study found that those living in an area worse than the 2040 target has a 20% increase in having multiple long-term illnesses.

An estimated 4.2 million people a year die globally from air pollution, and reduces life expectancy, as well as increasing the global burden diseases. Research carried out in Canterbury used monitors placed near level crossings in St Dunstans and St Stephens in order to measure background levels of air pollution and levels of air noise. It was found that air pollution exceeded the national and

Medway's 'green lung' threatened

By James Bonthron Climate Correspondent

An important greenspace in the Medway area is yet again being threatened by development proposals.

Capstone Farm Country Park is over 114 hectares of former farmland. It is situated on the North Downs and is home to a variety of important habitats such as ancient woodland and old orchards. Its loss, therefore, would impact Medway greatly. The site is also important for recreational activities such as cycling and walking. Despite this, the last five years has seen repeated attempts to build on what is dubbed Medway’s ‘green lung’.

The newest developers looking to build on the important land is Taylor Wimpey. As one of the UK’s largest building companies, it is no surprise that it is interested in such an undeveloped area. With the current housing crisis leading to both major English political parties in to build more houses, it is likely that the area will continue to have plans for development proposed by many house-building companies. In an increasingly urbanised population,

less than 15% of the UK is classified as urban. Some would suggest, therefore, that there are fewer houses than there is space for them.

This is not the first attempt at infraction upon the area. In 2017, FD Attwood and partners contacted the council to see if an environmental impact assessment was needed before applying to build on Darland Farm (in Gillingham). It planned to build 500 homes, but by August 2017 the council had received 18 objection letters. Nearby, plans have already been approved for 450 houses to be built on the area A petition to prevent the development on Darland Farm gained 3000 signatures and the appeal by the Attwood family for plans to go ahead was upheld in October 2016 by a planning inquiry. Again, in 2021, the Attwood farming family proposed plans to build 450 homes. This was rejected by Medway council planning committee; despite being approved by both Kent County Council and Maidstone Borough Council. One of the reasons was that it would impact ancient woodland as well as impact bats living near Lordswood, as the connecting area would need to be always lit for safety reasons. The development received

over 1700 letters over the initial approvals and included objections from MPs Rehman Chisthi and Tracey Crouch. This comes at a time when the national government has had to backtrack from prescriptive local housing targets, with the Prime Minister and his government facing tense backlash from Conservative backbenchers.

As well as being the newest company to propose plans, Taylor Wimpey has seen objections to its proposals in other areas. In Scotland there has been considerable uproar over plans to build on some of the last farmland on the northern side of the A71 (Brotherton Farm). As it stands, the company has lodged an appeal to its initial rejection and is currently waiting to hear back.

Nearer to Kent, Taylor Wimpey has had difficulty in getting approval over plans to build over 1700 homes in Wisley. This is partly due to the Government’s recent announcement that it would be dropping its top-down housing targets.

This time, the protest has celebrity backing. Ingrid Tarrant has joined in with the Wisley Action Group to campaign against the planning proposal. So far, it has gathered over 1200 objections

from a variety of groups such as Gatwick Airport and Surrey Wildlife Trust.

This development could destroy over 150 acres of prime agricultural land and could endanger rare bird species and other protected species. The development plans have been made possible by the fact that the former Wisely Airfield site had its Greenbelt status removed in an emergency council meeting in 2019 (which would have prevented development and would have meant it was recognised as being important to preserve), just a week before the Conservatives lost power in the local elections.

Previously, a Cayman Islandbased developer had plans to build on the site rejected after the planning inspector found it failed on 14 grounds and wouldn’t provide adequate infrastructure.

Campaigners claim that the new proposals still fail on 13 of those grounds, including the damage to local wildlife and heathland.

EU recommended limits on most monitored days, which represented a significant risk to people. Between 20 and 30% of the time, it was found that noise levels were above comfort levels.

What will become of the Congo?

By Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh News Writer

Ever since 1998 and the beginning of the second Congo war, The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen increasing violence and conflict. Ongoing battles between rebel forces and the government have led to fights over territory, especially in the resource rich eastern region.

peace agreement, which met on the 23rd March 2009. The founders, mainly ex-members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People- a fractured political militia; believed the government would not fully implement the peace agreement, believing the poor conditions they faced were an indicator of this.

The United Nations Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the

Congo (MONUC) into the Democratic Republic of the Congo was founded in 1999 to monitor the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement that was signed at the end of the Second Congo War. At the time, this was the largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission in the world. In July 2010, MONUC was upgraded to MONUSCO, with the authority to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate: ensure the pro-

tection of civilians and sup port the DRC government in sta bilization and peace consolidation.

Under MONUSCO the Intervention Brigade was formed, a United Nations force created for the neutralization and disarmament of the various armed groups fighting in the DRC.

Calls for the United Nations peacekeeping forces to withdraw have been increasing in recent years, with criticisms about how ineffective the mission has been, as well as the latest spikes in violence causing protests across the country, but particularly in the regions of north and south Kivu.

With the latest massacre in Kishishein December 2022 allegedly being carried out by the M23 and the overall rates of violence between rebel forces and the government increasing, a United Nations withdrawal could potentially be a very poor choice for the region. The DRC’s military is much too weak on its own to suppress the violent rebel uprising, and there is a planned implementation of a multiregional peacekeeping force to be formed to fill the void left by

the withdrawal, created by the East African Community (EAC).

However, the EAC’s peacekeeping force has been criticised for not recognising the differences between the member states (policies of social, economic and security standing), but also for the fact that they are a freshly generated fighting force that are not yet strong or experienced enough to assist in ending the violence within the DRC, to which there does not seem to be an imminent in sight to the violence. Some researchers have also suggested that the east African force could even elevate the risk of human rights violations in the area, as it is unclear as to the extent that it will prioritise civilian-harm mitigation in its planning and operations.

Rare Elizabethan ship remains discovered

By Sophie Ware News Writer

Last year, a baffling discovery was made by CEMEX quarry workers when they stumbled across

cal interest, and called in the help of experts from Wessex Archaeology to investigate the find further.

The centuries-old ship caught the eye of the BBC programme 'Digging for Britain'. Presenter and Archaeologist

Andrea Hamel states, 'disassembling a centuries-old ship in this condition

lish-built boats survive, making this pensable discovery, ing an

insight into the fascinating Elizabethan shipbuilding and trade businesses. The boat has shed insight into the new techniques of the period. The boat was constructed using a ‘carvel’ design, which is where the timbers are fixed together on a pre-constructed frame.

The ship may be found 300 metres away from the sea today, however experts believe that the now quarry would have once formed part of the coastline. It is unknown how the boat came about its current location. It may have been wrecked during its travels or abandoned once the ship has outlived its purpose. Despite this unknown, the ship further helps to enlighten our understanding of the natural changes occurring in Kent over the last few cen turies.

Casper Johnson, a senior archaeol ogist, from the Kent Council Herit age Conservation team identified the remains by construction method to be of a boat dating to the 16th or 17th Cen tury. Dendrochronology, the technique of dating objects using tree ring pat terns, seems to support this claim. It revealed that the timber, made from Kent English Oak, dates between 1558 and 1580.

The ship, when it was complete, is estimated by the Wessex Archaeological team to be more than 25 metres long and weighing over 150 tonnes.

Archaeologists found interesting techniques as they meticulously took apart the hull remains. By dismantling the structure, archaeologists could begin to understand the interesting and unique craft techniques to ensure its integrity. Wooden nails were found,

capture minute details, such as tool marks created by the craftsman during the 16th Century, bringing to life the creation of this once magnificent ship. It is unknown how the ship may have looked like in its full glory, but the remains of the famous Mary Rose, also a Tudor boat shed some light onto the construction. Once the digital reconstruction has been completed, the ship will be returned to the

Image courtesy of Wessex Archaeology

Image courtesy of Royal Museums Greenwich

Image courtesy of Dai Kurokawa/dpa

Rashida Hassan Editor-in-Chief

And with that the 2022 season comes to an end, and what a season it was. Time really does fly when you are having fun. InQuire made some astonishing progress in 2022, with an incredible team of dedicated committee members, section editors and writers I believe our first three editions last year have had some of the best spreads InQuire has ever seen. Let’s have a little recap, shall we? In 2022 we decided to ramp up our social media presence in order to engage our UKC audience more than we have previously. We inaugurated a new Media and Marketing (M&M) team, including a Head of M&M, a Director of Photography and a Direc-

Have something you want to say? Write a letter to newspaper@inquiremedia.org and be featured in the next InQuire newspaper

tor of Design. We gave 3+ societies free advertisement and allowed them to increase their membership and engagement. Some more projects we worked on last year included amplifying the voices of the UKC community by publicising groups/campaigns that were of importance to our community, including the Plant Based Society, the People of Colour Arts Society and who can forget Scrutiny Panels? With 2023 on the horizon there’s a lot more in store for your favourite newspaper provider. A shiny brand new website launching soon and an exciting end of year project that hopes to further amplify the voices of the UKC community. It’s been just over a year since

I moved to the UK for university, leaving my family, my friends and a country that I am ever proud to call home. Moving away from home is a painful, heart-wrenching task; it’s hard leaving the people and places you love the most into unchartered waters, not knowing how you will come out on the other side and not knowing if there will be a place for you. Whenever I flip through the pages of each edition, I now know that I have a home within these pages. I wish I could tell myself a year ago that I had nothing to worry about because as long as I’m doing what I love, with the people I love, I will always find my way home.

Webb Newspaper Editor

Doesn’t time go by so quickly?! Now that we are in 2023- and in a few months I will be graduating and will (hopefully) have a proper job. After spending the previous four years at Kent studying for a degree studying Politics and International Relations, before undertaking a Year in Journalism, I am here wondering where all the time has gone. My time here has been heavily disrupted in a number of different ways due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the strikes, and a marking boycott last year. There are indications that further strikes will happen in February and March, and that a second marking boycott in two years will occur later in

the year. Unfortunately, this is the reality of a modern university experience, but as students, we should ensure that we support our lecturers. No employee in any sector should feel as though their work is undervalued, but unfortunately, due to the current economic climate and the unwillingness of the Conservative government to engage with unions to provide satisfactory pay scales and working conditions, these workers feel as though there is no option but to undertake industrial action. Rather than participating in positive negotiations, the response of the government has instead been to threaten trade union’s rights to strike. The biggest disruption will occur

on February 1st as several trade unions across the country will go on strike on the same to demonstrate anger over government plans to bring in minimum service levels across key public sectors. Despite this, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, I would argue that the fact that these strikes are even happening and causing anger from all people in society will hopefully mean that the impact of several crises at once will ensure people do not allow their labour to be exploited, and refuse to be forced to work under poor conditions.

Coming back to university after -nearly- a threeweek break feels very different to many of us. Some of us are excited to be back on campus, some are excited to be done with a year of education, and some are completely indifferent. I fall into the second category, being back to university is the start of a load of readings and assignments. I am already expecting a deadline in the next 2 weeks, and I am not necessarily looking for-

ward to the stress it carries with it. I am hoping for this semester that I am able to meet all of my deadlines and responsibilities, and be up to date with my readings.

If you are reading this, I am writing this to encourage you to write a detailed plan and follow it as much as you can, because this is what I will be doing especially since I am juggling a lot of things at the same time. Determination and time-management is honestly the two main

things you need to finish this year efficiently and with the best possible outcomes. If you are in student societies as well – good for you - I encourage you to always keep up to date with everything they’re doing, because at the end of the day your degree fills a gap in your resume, but your experiences get you hired!

Al-Zubi Website Editor

Sam

Gharam

Sunak’s ‘maths to 18’ plan doesn’t add up: calculate the real problems

By Sam Webb Newspaper Editor

Rishi Sunak, former hedge fund manager, investment banker, and the richest Prime Minister in British history, recently announced his plans for all pupils in England to study maths until the age of 18. Emerging from reclusion for his first speech of 2023, he said he wanted young people to have the skills ‘to feel confident’ with finances, but gave little indication as to how this aspiration will come to fruition.

The government does not envisage making maths A-levels compulsory, and there are currently no plans for any new qualifications to be created around this topic. The government has also acknowledged that any such aspiration will not be possible during the current parliament, and so any ‘maths to 18’ plan would not happen until 2024 at the earliest. A 2017 Department for Education (DfE) review estimated that it would take 10 years to enable compulsory maths for 16-18 year olds.

In a speech which the Prime Minister opened by vowing ‘no ambiguity’ to his policies in order to give the British people ‘peace of mind’,

he failed to set out clear timeframes, or details of how these plans will be achieved; yet another example of his failure to remain in touch with the concerns of ordinary people.

In a period of numerous crises: ongoing strikes across multiple sectors; a cost-of-living crisis and a failing economy, Sunak fell back on something he could always rely on, and that couldn’t let him down. Maths doesn’t cross the English Channel in dinghies, nor does it die because it didn’t get an ambulance, send bullying texts, or go on strike. It doesn’t even appear on I’m a Celebrity during a Parliamentary sitting!

Seeking to divert attention away from an imploding Tory government, Sunak instead promoted the future, and the betterment of children’s education (after all, how could you argue with that?). Well, as it turns out, he has just opened yet another can of worms in the form of a shortageof-maths-teachers crisis. Official statistics show that the government has missed its targets for teacher recruitment in seven of the past eight years. Because of this, a recent study found that almost half of secondary schools are using non-specialist teachers for maths lessons. What are the reasons for these

numbers? Unsurprisingly, poor pay and working conditions. Along with the majority of public sector workers, real income has been falling year on year, with its impacts exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. Inevitably, this has led to industrial action, where workers demand better pay, and better working conditions. Teachers across the UK in several unions have recently balloted on whether to strike, with members of some unions in Scotland already walking out on January 10th and 11th. The largest education union in the UK, the National Education Union (NEU) recently voted to strike in February and March, which will mean the largest shutdown of schools since 2016.

The government has leaned hard on the Thatcherite playbook of blaming union barons and greedy workers for the disruption, and has failed to engage in productive negotiations with union leaders. However, despite the efforts of right-wing newspapers, the state of Britain is very much the Tories’ own doing, and the public know this. Public support for striking workers has therefore not fallen as much as the government would have liked. Rail workers are still supported by almost half of the country, whereas nurses and ambulance staff have the backing of around two thirds of the UK.

Alongside this, Sunak’s silence has been unbearable. Like his Tory predecessors in Johnson and Truss,

when called on to make important decisions and engage in real issues, his response has been to hide from the spotlight. He has not played a role in any of the meetings with unions, or the Government’s emergency planning relating to strikes, despite the leader of Unite offering to meet Mr Sunak on Christmas Day if necessary, in a bid to resolve disputes. On the eve of the first nationwide ambulance strike, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet discussed plans for the King’s Coronation in May.

Forcing maths on the population has been described by some as being ‘straight out of China’s playbook’, with these lessons being more likely to humiliate and discourage chil-

dren from using maths in their later life. I for one hated studying A level Maths, and I fail to understand how using binomial distribution or those dreaded logarithms are likely to help me in the future.

Sunak may try and portray himself as a man that aims to focus on the ‘people’s priorities’, but the entire country is now seeing the Conservative government as they really are: a washed-up group of out-of-touch elites who have run out of ideas, who hide from the serious issues affecting the United Kingdom, and instead keep trying to push their own agenda without any clear comprehension of how they will meet their targets.

Why men should rethink the next time they refer to women as ‘females’

By Laurice Janielle Lifestyle Editor

Iwas in 10th grade when I first felt the ick of someone using the word ‘female’. We were walking down the stairs, and an older student referred to his ‘female’ friends. I can’t recall the exact context of the conversation, but I do remember the slight tone of contempt when he spoke and the displeasure I felt. With debates circulating our TikTok algorithm, I think back to my own encounters and ask myself, is it really a big deal? Why do some agree and why do others disagree? What are the historical narratives behind its pejorative meaning?

A few months back, my flatmates and I were in a dispute about

this very topic. I couldn’t fully explain why the word just didn’t feel right. I knew it sounded dehumanising, but what does one say when they return with ‘you are a female though’?

Biologically, yes sure, one can be defined as such. But here’s the catch. Female refers to the biological sex of an organism- any organism- while women and girls are both distinguished words made available for us to use respectfully when describing a female human.

Otherwise, at times, albeit given context and tone, it can feel dehumanizing to refer to one as such. It’s also important to note that not all women are biologically female. Continuing to use the word ‘female’ to refer to women can contribute to the exclusion of gender-nonconforming people and members of the trans community.

A little later, post-argument, I came across a TikTok where the user reads out a passage from the book ‘Females’ by Andrea Long Chu: ‘In the United States, the man known as the father of gynecology, J. Marion Sims, built the field in the Antebellum South, operating on enslaved women in his backyard often without

anesthesia- or of course consent. As C. Riley Snorton has recently documented, the distinction between biological females and women as a social category, far from a neutral scientific observation, developed precisely in order for the captive black woman to be recognized as female, making Sims’ research applicable to his women patients in polite white society without being granted the status of social and legal personhood. Sex was produced, in other words, precisely at the juncture where gender was denied. In the sense, a female has always been less than a person.’

At first, I couldn’t wrap my head around what it actually meant. So, I had a friend help me understand it better. Now, let's break it down together: 1. J. Marion Sims, aka ‘father of Gynecology’ operated on enslaved women without anaesthesia or consent.

2. He used ‘female’ to label enslaved black women and reserved ‘women’ for their white counterparts, segregating the two.

3. ‘In the sense, a female has always been less than a person.’

Sometimes, when men use ‘female’, their tone or even purpose, implies inferiority. Of course, there are some men that don’t have malicious intent and give them the benefit of the doubt, it’s probably an outcome of hearing

other men in their circles also use ‘female’. However, there are instances where gender is irrelevant to the context and when ‘female’ is used as an adjective, it can suggest subtle sexism. A female doctor is just a doctor, and a female police officer is just a police officer. Other times, the use of female can be grammatically incorrect. ‘I need a female to drive me back’, a female what?

After my research for this article, I want to highlight again that context matters.

I’ve read articles written by women, where ‘female’ is used generously throughout their work. Take for example, a Rappler article by Eliza Tagle on sexist language in gaming, she- like the senior boy I previ ously mentioned, also referred to her girl friends as her ‘female friends’, though this didn’t stick out to me the way it did before. In speech, tone is very tell ing, whereas in the written word, your indicators are limited, so in the end, it’s up to

your judgment. Some women don’t find this an issue. Some do. Some of this can be seen as petty or too little of an issue, but when there comes a time that a woman does express their discomfort with the term, do you a: Listen to her reason and respect her request or b: Dismiss and

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Photo depicts J Marion Sims, who operated on enslaved black women during the 19th cen

tury. Simms has been since described as 'a prime example of progress in the medical profession made at the expense of a vulnera

ble population.'

"Maths doesn’t cross the English Channel in dinghies, nor does it die because it didn’t get an ambulance, send bullying texts, or go on strike."

Photos by Wikimedia

Photos by Wikimedia

De-extinction: the exciting new pariah of conservation

By James Bonthron Climate Correspondent

Forgotten and dusty, the remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) gathered dust in a drawer for 85 years.

Tucked away in an Australian museum lay an important body until December 2022. The rediscovery of the marsupial prompted a flurry of questions from the scientific community about conservation, ethics, and genetic modification. Why did the Tasmanian tiger die? Could it come back? Should it? Should any species? Just how could an extinct species come back?

The death of the Thylacinus has been lamented since being declared extinct in 1936. Its eventual demise came about after a concerted government effort to eradicate them. Between 1888 and 1909, the Tasmanian government offered bounties of £1 for adult tigers, and ten shillings for the heads of each pup. They were seen as dangerous to farming livestock, and so were a thorn in the side of sheep farmers. It is estimated that at least 3,500 thylacines were killed through human hunting

between 1830 and the 1920s. Between 1888 and 1909, 2184 Tasmanian tigers bounties were claimed by relentless hunters and pastoral farmers. In the intervening decades however, there have been numerous sightings of Thylacinus in the wilder parts of Tasmania. In fact, 1200 sightings and evidence were reported from 1910 until 2019.

Aside from popular lurid descriptions of bringing back the once-dead (thank you Jurassic Park), de-extinction is a frighteningly boring method of doing something potentially revolutionary. Rather than recreating species, it tends to be manipulating genes until the DNA of the creature looks similar to the dead species, instead of being an exact copy.

Globally, biodiversity is declining and while responses (such as creating and updating National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans) have improved, the anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity are only increasing. Newly revived species have the chance to restore the natural world and biodiversity. Arguably, this is the main ethical reason suggested for de-extinction. There are three main ways to bring something back- clone it, use genetic engineering (which involves DNA editing) or by selective breeding.

Ultimately, de-extinction is about resurrecting extinct species using genetic methods. Genetic engineering is the main method.

Some species which have been long dead do not have complete

strands of DNA which can be used for cloning. Fragments of DNA can be used in their place. The cell of the living creature is cut and the DNA from the extinct species is joined with the DNA of the living species. This leads to an animal with traits from the extinct species. There are a series of questions that need to be answered before bringing a species back. One, for example, is why did the species become extinct in the first place. Another question is whether there is a large enough area of suitable habitat available, now and in the future. Success can be dependent on the reaction to and support by the human communities near the release site (eco-tourism could explode if a species was brought back, helping local economies). The greater prairie chicken is one example. The greater prairie chicken is endangered and would benefit from the de-extinction of the heath hen (a sub-species of prairie chicken) because the heath hen existed in smaller numbers than the prairie chicken is able to. This currently causes major problems, and populations need to be constantly managed to avoid extinction. The ‘resurrected’ heath hen may have a genetic disposition which allowed it to survive in Martha’s Vineyard and the sequence could be used to save the prairie chicken. Furthermore, the de-extinction of the heath hen may provide more game for sport and subsistence, improving the livelihood of the local population. However, the resurrected species may have lost cultural ties with communities, due to the length of time passed since extinction and so communities may not have any experience with resurrected species. That’s partly why grey wolves won’t be reintroduced into the

UK, despite the fact that they would help control superabundant deer popu lations. De-extinction may be necessary for extinct subspecies of living species. Moreover, species which have become long extinct have a smaller chance of detailed research on their natural hab itats and their ecological role is less likely to be known.

At the moment, it’s mainly private companies (as well as, bizarrely, the CIA) investing in de-extinction. One company of note is Revive and Restore.

On its board of directors is Beth Shap iro, author of 2015’s ‘How To Clone A Mammoth’, which describes the pro cesses and issues of de-extinction. The company has a plethora of projects that it’s working on- including passenger pigeons. It has the extremely ambitious goal of releasing the first test flocks between 2030 and 2040. It then hopes to eventually reach a self-sustaining population of 10,000 birds. Revive and Restore then estimates that it could take less than 20 years for the population to be self-sustaining after establishing a wild population. They also have pro jects on Heath Hens and Woolly Mam moths. Colossal Biosciences, however, is working on Tasmanian tigers.

We are a long way off from de-extinc tion being scientific fact. Though, the research which goes into de-extinc tion is benefitting conservation efforts. What won’t be possible, however, is the complete resurrection of the species, because cloned animals will have their genes edited into the DNA of living ani mals. It’s also probable that the behav iour of extinct species will not be able to be fully replicated as the natural behav iour wasn’t recorded. For example, how did mammoths behave? We simply

By Hestia Linford-Allen Opinion Editor

After a tense few years under the leadership of former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, the arts sector seems to be gaining ground in the fight against Tory austerity and pandemic-induced financial floundering. Rishi Sunak’s pick, MP Michelle Donelan has formally ditched the plan to privatise Channel 4 in yet another conservative U-turn to start off 2023.

Privatisation of the channel has been on the policy radar for the Tory party since the late 90s, but Dorries jumped on the bandwagon and stole the reins with it when appointed Culture Secretary under Boris Johnson. In May, she seemed steadfast in her position: ‘It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee: Channel 4 is being sold, subject to a vote. I did spend my entire Easter recess reassuring myself that we are in a position where this will happen. And it is very much a case that it is being sold.’

During her year-long tenure as culture secretary she made some amazingly bad headlines. For a woman that seems to know little of online safety, what rugby union is, or that sharing your Netflix password is actually against the terms of the streaming service, the post of Secretary of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was an interesting choice, but when it comes to Boris Johnson, any expectation of good leadership is liter-

TV channel is safe 4 now...

ally non-existent.

In her role, Dorries demonstrated little understanding of how Channel 4 was financed and organised, claiming that it was a state broadcaster, with debts that ‘stand against the government’s balance sheet’. In actuality, Channel 4 has been funded by advertising since its inception in 1982. It is a public service channel, independently operated by the state-owned Channel 4 Television Corporation (C4C), which is sponsored by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This basically means that Channel 4 is publicly owned, like the BBC, but instead of gaining revenue through TV licence fees and government grants, the channel uses on-air advertising, programme sponsorship and the sale of TV and mer chandising rights.

Channel 4 differs from con ventional TV channels in another major way. Instead of producing its own con tent, Channel 4 com missions, or outright purchases television and film content, which then allows the channel to own the rights to their output. This makes Channel 4 a publisher/broad-

caster, rather than a content producer broadcasting channel. As a result of this direct interaction with independent production companies, Channel 4 has played a vital role in the growth and innovation of the British film and television industry over the last 40 years. Programmes like Black Mirror, It’s a Sin, Shameless, Skins, Gogglebox, Feel Good, Ackley Bridge, have all grown to be popular, risk-taking, and culturally important shows that have made us laugh, brought us together and given underrepresented stories and voices a space to explore the complexities of everyday living through television. I watched I May Destroy You by Michaela

Coel over the Christmas break, and was reminded of bingeing Chewing Gum with my sister on All4 in lockdown. Since Chewing Gum- which premiered on Channel 4 in 2015, Coel has earned herself six BAFTAs, an EMMY award and recently admitted to rejecting a million-dollar deal from Netflix in a public blow to the mega-streaming service. From a small spot on Channel 4, one of the finest contemporary screenwriters has flourished. Channel 4 has raised the profile of so many unknowns, which are now household names, in not just acting, but videography, creative direction, sound design and all the other vital jobs that take place behind the camera (and all without a fee to the taxpayer!).

Most of all, they’ve created some amazing TV! I treasure memories of watching Friday Night Dinner and The Inbetweeners with my family, cringing at the teen boy grossness of it all. But it’s now quite cute to see kids walking home from school shouting ‘bus wanker’ at their friends as they stare out the back windows. Ah, some things

never change!

Good TV is something we need right now. Something to watch under three blankets, curtains closed, and distract us from the fact that the heating’s off and the black mould is spreading across our bathroom wall. This winter season can be so bleak, and some of my happiest moments this year have come from cuddling in front of the TV with my housemates.

It's certainly reassuring to hear that the privatisation of Channel 4 has been scrapped, and it’s funny to watch Dorries go off on Twitter that all her plans have been foiled by that pesky Donelan, but I don’t trust Donelan, or Sunak, or the Tories, to safeguard our cultural sector. This is the same Sunak that told people working in the arts to find a ‘new and fresh opportunity’ in a different job. Plus, the renewed safe status of Channel 4 is not set in stone. Donelan has proposed a relaxing of the Channel’s publisher/broadcaster status, that will allow Channel 4 to make programmes in-house, rather than scouting cutting-edge, original content from exterior production companies. While Channel 4 will still broadcast independent programmes, this relaxation of status threatens the future of many of our artists who so desperately need opportunities that Channel 4 has historically provided.

Images courtesy of KylaBorg; Kadumago/Wikimedia

The peculiar relationship between Japan and South Korea

By Henry Ryu Opinion Writer

Search up Japan-South Korea relations and you’ll immediately get the picture that the two countries are on frosty terms, and by all means, they are. There’s an ongoing trade war; the Japanese government’s nationalism has led to disputes over Japanese denial of war crimes; and the Korean government’s confusing approach to both mending and straining ties means the two can never truly be on the best of terms. Despite this, both countries thoroughly enjoy each other’s cultures and tourism is high between the two. People from both nations enjoy each other’s food, music, media, and culture. This has made it difficult to interpret how the two countries genuinely feel about each other, whether on the level of the state or the people.

The history of Japan-South Korea relations has always been a difficult one, even before Japan colonised the peninsula. Military conflicts between the two have been regular throughout historys (see the Korean navy combatting Japanese pirates, Japanese residents rioting in Busan, or the cruel invasions by Japan between 15921598). Ultimately, the colonisation of Korea by Japan between 1910-1945 would be the main reason behind lasting Korean discontent towards the Japanese. Koreans who opposed the rule would be captured and tortured, and Koreans were regularly discriminated against in society. The nation was plundered of artefacts, and its culture was dismantled in Japanese efforts for assimilation. During WW2, Korean

women were also forced into sexual slavery to serve as ‘comfort women’, and this would soon become the main sticking point regarding the diplomacy and perceptions between the two nations.

In the modern era, relations are still negative. Seemingly, anything that can be remotely disputed between the two becomes the subject of intense disagreement. There are many ongoing disputes: is itthe East Sea or the Sea of Japan? To whom do the Liancourt Rocks belong? And how should the repercussions of forced labour during the colonial era, and, as aforementioned, the forced sexual slavery of Korean women be solved? Historical disputes are regular but they have intensified due to how each country’s government has dealt with said issues. Japan has apologised on both official and unofficial levels, in different decades, from different Prime Ministers, while Korea has received reparations, and certain presidents have made attempts to mend ties through official visits.

Conversely, the education Koreans receive on colonial atrocities is rightfully raw, and the Japanese government is heavily influenced by nationalist sentiments, meaning the acknowledgement and education of Japan’s role in atrocities is a touchy subject (at the least). A lot of Koreans and Japanese have nationalist fervour simply over their hatred of each other. Even if it’s a vocal minority, nationalists on both sides have used racial slurs, taken discontent to extreme levels, and unreasonably spread hatred.

Determining who is right and wrong is difficult to determine empirically and the rabbit hole of infinite debate is one that can turn troublesome with no resolution. However, the international perception of the two countries’ disputes has made it seem as if the relations are mainly in conflict. As true as this is in many ways, relations are likewise as harmonious as much as they are acrimonious. The average Korean or Japanese person is not subscribed to intense nationalist fervour, nor are they interested in espousing racial hatred regardless of how negatively they might perceive the other. Both enjoy each other’s cuisines, cultures, and tourism. It’s safe to say most Koreans aren’t eager to smash a Japanese car, and most Japanese people don’t care about Hallyu ‘colonising’ their culture.

There is great benefit to be gained from economic and cultural exchange between the two countries. It is never a good thing when neighbours are hostile, and when there is a common enemy with China on economic, cultural, and strategic grounds, it’s even more important that the two countries cooperate. Reconciliation is what’s important and ignoring the irrational sides of both nations is necessary. The Japanese must not deny their heinous past, it will not mean they cannot be proud of their nation. Korea must also be more measured when confronting diplomatic issues- even if it’s a minority of Koreans who fanatically react, there must be a more active initiative to reduce tensions appropriately, and combat racist sentiment.

Relations between Korea and Japan, and their people are both full of rage and calm, seemingly like the sea that divides the two nations. Both sides have represented these two sentiments, and the deep-rooted history of hostility and acrimony has meant that such feelings are impossible to be completely rid of. Nonetheless, people have shown as much love as they do hostility, meaning there is still room for moving on into a better era for this peculiar relationship.

Moments, memes & mishaps of 2022

Tiered by Nina Nathan, Samuel Thorpe, Anna Bruce & Hestia Linford-Allen UKC students

In God tier, we have:

• Bing chilling

• Zoolander red carpet

• The lettuce outliving Liz Truss as PM

• The Paul Breach map

• The 2nd Zoolander 'i'm not your brah'

In Slay tier, we have:

• Euphoria s2 memes

• Julia Fox (not her white girl feminism tho)

• Everyone wearing suits to watch Minions 2

• 'We all have the same 24 hours'

• Have you done the wordle?

• Co-op raising the price of a meal deal

In LOL tier, we have:

• Bottom G/dancing Andrew T*te

• Emotional damage

• The strike reimbursement package

• North West and Kim on TikTok

• Liz Truss opening pork markets

• All the anti-Cox memes

In Eh tier:

• Better Call Saul theme memes

• Kanye (pls seek help)

• The Tinder swindler

• The Chris Rock slap

And finally, the Trash memes of 2022:

• Rizz (everything about it is bad)

• 'Shes a ten but...'

This template is available online, let us know what you think on Instagram @inquirekent or Twitter @inquiremedia_

Images courtesy of Twitter/Wikimedia/kentuni_memes

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Graph from phoenix7777/Wikimedia

Scientific breakthroughs hit historic lows

By Lumière O’Keefe Science and Tech Writer

The number of ‘breakthrough’ scientific and technological papers has dropped in the last six decades, despite the number of papers being published skyrocketing.

A study published in Nature by Michael Park, Erin Leahey and Russell Funk compiled data from 45 million papers and 3.9 million patents dating from between 1945 and 2010 and found that as time went on, the number of papers which rendered previous papers obsolete, or ‘disruptive’ papers, steadily declined. This trend persists even as the number of papers published yearly has increased by almost a million in the same timeframe. This decline is consistent across multiple different fields of science, including social sciences, physical sciences, technology, and medical research.

In order to quantify the ‘disruptiveness’ levels of submitted papers over time, scientists utilised a ‘CD index’. Scientists reason that if a study is highly disruptive, subsequent research is less likely to cite the studies’ references and more likely to cite the study itself. By comparing how much a study is cited versus how much its references are cited, that study can then be given a number ranging from 1 to -1, with 1 being most disruptive and -1 being least disruptive. By using this method and adjusting for factors such as changes in citation practices over the years, the scientists at Nature discovered

The study also analysed the use of language in the papers and patents. Studies that are disruptive are more likely to introduce new words or combinations of words, as it becomes necessary to describe new findings or give names to previously unknown things.

Scientists found a drop of approximately 75% to 85% in the number of unique words and word combinations in research papers between 1945 and 2010. This, coupled with further data demonstrating papers have less unique titles and are less likely to use a unique combination of citations, further reinforces the theory that papers are becoming less disruptive.

“Scientists at Nature discovered that the average CD index for research papers fell by more than 90% between 1945 and 2010, and the CD index for patents fell by more than 78% between 1980 and 2010, with overall less disruptive papers.”

that the average CD index for research papers fell by more than 90% between 1945 and 2010, and the CD index for patents fell by more than 78% between 1980 and 2010, with overall less disruptive papers.

Dashun Wang, a social scientist at Northwestern University in Illinois, said ‘it’s great to see this [phenomenon] documented in such a meticulous manner’.

Wang utilised the CD index in 2019 to determine that larger research teams are less likely to produce disruptive papers than smaller teams. However, Wang also stated that disruptiveness is not inherently good, and was echoed by John Walsh, a science and technol-

ogy policy specialist at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Replication and reproduction are key to ensuring the validity of disruptive findings, Walsh stated, and a healthy mix of incremental and disruptive research is needed to further humanity’s knowledge.

The reasons why disruptiveness is declining are still highly debated. Tyler Cowen, economist and columnist at

This correlates with Wang’s study showing that smaller teams produce more disruptive research, as they require less funding and are more willing to take risks. However, the scientists at Nature also discovered that research that uses a narrower body of work to be produced is also

George Mason University, argues a ‘low-hanging fruit’ theory in which all the scientific and technological breakthroughs that were easy to achieve have been accomplished, and that only more difficult and time-consuming breakthroughs are left. However, the writers of the Nature paper argue that their data disproves this theory, as if this were true, newer fields, such as computing, would not be experiencing such a similar rate of decline to older fields, such as physics.

Another theory points to the increasing pressure to secure funding as the reason for the decline in disruptiveness. As the number of researchers has increased and teams have grown larger, lead scientists are focusing on building off previous works to secure funding, rather than taking a risk working towards a breakthrough discovery and bankrupting the entire team.

less likely to be disruptive. This means that rather than disruptiveness being limited by large teams building on previous work, they focus on too small a slice of the previous work to publish research more rapidly and secure funding. This raises questions about the efficiency of the modern model of research, where a ‘publish or perish’ mentality has led to researchers sacrificing time and broadness in favour of quick funding in order to make sure their team stays afloat.

Even as arguments over the causes for the decline in disruption continue to rage on, disruption itself is declining less rapidly. When looking at disruption after the year 2000, the CD index remains more consistent year on year. There are even less theories as to why this has occurred. Walsh states that ‘whatever explanation you have for disruptiveness dropping off, you need to also make sense of it levelling off’. This issue is further compounded by a lack of data after 2010, as a minimum number of years is needed after a paper is published to ensure there is enough citation data to create an accurate CD index.

This study has shown something which has been in the realm of anecdotal evidence for decades; science is getting less revolutionary. Whether this is a natural progression or a failure of our own making has to be thoroughly examined if we wish to keep progressing as a species.

If what is reported by the study is accurate, measures must be taken to encourage forays into novel scientific environments, while also continuing to follow promising leads in existing research subjects. In addition, it is of upmost importance to address issues with the environment that force scientists to “publish or perish”, and instead find methods to enable them to pursue groundbreaking discoveries with adequate financial funding.

“

This raises questions about the efficiency of the modern model of research, where a “publish or perish” mentality has led to researchers sacrificing time and broadness in favour of quick funding in order to make sure their team stays afloat.”

Graph A, indiciating the drop in CD index over time in scientific papers, alongside Graph B, indicating a similar decreasing CD Index pattern in regards to patent production , image courtesy of Nature

“A ‘low-hanging fruit’ theory in which all the scientific and technological breakthroughs that were easy to achieve have been accomplished”

Kent scientists develop protein-based armour that withstands supersonic impacts

By Elma Maka Science and Tech Editor

AKent team of scientists, headed by Professors Ben Goult and Jen Hiscock have created a protein armour material that can stop bullets travelling at the speed of sound, which will have huge implications in the space equipment and protective body armour industries.

While current bulletproof body armour can prevent bullets and shrapnel from piercing the body of the person wearing it, they often cannot prevent the wearer from being injured by the impact of the projectiles as it doesn’t absorb their kinetic energy. As well as this, most modern body armour is heavy and can only be used once, with the ability to take just one hit

before the structural integrity of the fibre-reinforced composite becomes irreversibly compromised.

However, researchers have developed a novel gel material using a resilient protein found in human cells called ‘talin’, which can absorb the impact of projectiles, including those travelling faster than the speed of sound. This novel family of protein-based materials, named TSAM (Talin Shock Absorbing Materials) represent the first example of a synthetic biological material capable of absorbing impacts from supersonic projectiles. Researchers hope it can pave the way for the applications of biosynthesis in a broader environment, such

as the investigation of hypervelocity impacts in space using TSAM as projectile capture materials.

Professor Benjamin Goult, a Biochemist and Professor at the University of Kent, explained that within the body, talin acts as a ‘natural shock absorber… with a series of switch domains which open under tension and refold once tension drops… protecting our cells from the effects of large force changes. When we polymerised talin into TSAM,

we found the shock absorbing properties of talin monomers imparted the material with incredible properties.’

Through their testing, it was found that TSAM is not only capable of absorbing the impacts and protecting against projectiles, but it could even preserve materials such as shrapnel post-impact, unlike more traditional body armour. This material preservation may not seem relevant or applicable in most areas of defence, but in regards the aerospace sector,

this can facilitate the collection of space debris for further scientific study through its ability to preserve supersonic travelling particles, or can be impactful in improving the longevity of aerospace equipment and in astronaut safety. Here TSAMs could provide an alternative to industry standard aerogels, which function, in part, by converting

the projectile’s kinetic energy into heat. However, this often melts the aerogel itself, rendering it useless for the next impact or re-use.

As TSAM does not experience heating to this level, a talinbased outer layer on spacecraft instead of an aerogel, could potentially remain intact even after multiple strikes from space debris or meteorite particles, providing more secure spacecraft structural integrity for astronauts.

“

TSAM (Talin Shock Absorbing Materials) represent the first example of a synthetic biological material capable of absorbing impacts from supersonic projectiles.”

“It can even be impactful in improving the longevity of aerospace equipment and in astronaut safety.”

Image of a supersonic bullet breaking the sound barrier, courtesy of NASA

Scientists create first ever nuclear fusion reaction that generates more energy than it consumes

By Lumière O’Keefe Science and Tech Writer

Scientists at the US Nuclear Ignition Facility (NIF) have created the first ever nuclear fusion reaction that reaches ‘ignition’, creating more energy than it consumes.

By using 192 lasers that focus over 2 million joules of energy, scientists were able to get a pea-sized capsule of gold containing hydrogen isotopes to release 3 million joules of energy, more than double the previous record of 1.3 million joules.

The experiment has been multiple decades in the making. Fusion research itself began in the 1950s, and the NIF promised ignition within three years after its opening in 2009. After being criticised for delays and overrunning costs, the NIF announced that they had achieved ignition in 2021. Despite this, they were unable to replicate their results, and thus had to rethink their entire experiment.

Finally, after over 11 years of struggles, the NIF were able to create a reaction that generated over 50% more energy than was put into it.

There are two main methods to achieving nuclear fusion: either energy is released over a long period of time in low-density plasma, or a tremendous burst of energy is created in high density plasma. The NIF experiment utilised the second method to accomplish their long-awaited results.

As well as this, the NIF scientists

had to make multiple adjustments to their original experiments so that they could recreate their initial success of nuclear fusion with energy gain that they achieved the year prior. To create a fusion reaction, the lasers had to fire enough energy to cause the hydrogen isotopes within the pencil-eraser sized gold capsule to fuse. To reach this energy level, the scientists removed imperfections from the gold, increased the lasers’ power by 8%, and ensured the lasers were more evenly distributed across the golden capsule. Alongside this, laser efficiency was maximised by continually “pulsing” the laser, turning it on and off again to conserve energy.

These pulses hit the gold capsule at intervals within a fraction of a millionth of a second, heating the capsules to over 100 million degrees centigrade, hotter than the surface of the Sun. To present perspective, the temperature of the Sun’s surface reaches approximately 6 million degrees centigrade, meaning that the temperature’s achieved by the NIF’s experiment were roughly 17 times hotter than this.

Mark Herrmann, deputy programme director for the facility which houses the NIF, stated that ‘little changes can

make a big difference’, and hailed the accomplishment as ‘incredible’.

Nuclear fusion energy has multiple benefits over conventional fossil-fuel based or even nuclear fission-based methods of energy generation. Scientists at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have calculated that an equal mass of atoms used in nuclear fusion could generate four million times the amount of energy that a mass of coal, oil, or gas could generate. Not only this, but fusion reactions generate zero greenhouse gas emissions, which would aid in the fight against global warming. Fusion reactions also do not generate long-lived nuclear waste as nuclear fission does, with waste produced by nuclear fusion being recyclable within 100 years.

However, nuclear fusion energy is still far from commercial availability. To create the 2 million joules necessary for ignition, over 300 million joules had to be pumped into the lasers. Not only this, but the experiment was never designed to be efficient, with Herrmann stating ‘it was designed to be the biggest laser we could possibly build’. In addition, Riccardo Betti, a physicist from the University of Rochester, predicts that 10 gold capsules a second would have

to be burned if the NIF were to be able to cover their own energy costs. This is not currently possible both due to the price of creating a capsule and the fact the capsules contain Tritium, a shortlived isotope of hydrogen that would have to be made on-site due to its fast rate of decay. However, this fact has not stopped other research institutions aimed at creating commercial nuclear fusion energy from taking note of the NIF’s experiments. Scientists at ITER also use Deuterium and Tritium, the same hydrogen isotopes that the NIF use, and the success of the NIF has spurred similar efforts. ITER hopes to achieve commercial nuclear fusion by 2035, a target less than 15 years away.

While this experiment has broken a long-standing benchmark to achieving commercial nuclear fusion energy, it is important to note that the NIF facility is a longstanding supporter of nuclear weapon maintenance and is centred around understanding the thermodynamic reactions of nuclear weapons. Although this may have promising impacts commercially, Herrmann has admitted that such experiments could help scientists to improve the accuracy of computer model simulations which make predicting weapon detonation more accurate, which may have larger implications in the current

climate.

As well as this, Herrman expresses hopes that further research in the department will help develop more efficient methods of nuclear fusion, and in turn, more efficient nuclear weapon production. Despite the fact this research is marketed towards commercial energy progress, it is irrevocably politically entangled with the US’s Department of Defence.

political

“Scientists at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have calculated that an equal mass of atoms used in nuclear fusion could generate four million times the amount of energy that a mass of coal, oil, or gas could generate”

“ITER hopes to achieve commercial nuclear fusion by 2035, a target less than 15 years away.”

NIF Laser, image courtesy of Flickr

Diagram indicating the nuclear fusion laser function, Image courtesy of NIF

Across: 1 Winter, 4 Ground, 8 Buttercup, 10 Cue, 11 And so on, 12 Needs, 13 Bus, 15 Theft, 17 Rod, 18 Truce, 20 Airship, 22 Owl, 23 Physician, 25 Stroll, 26 Result.

Down: 1 Web, 2 Noted, 3 Even out, 5 Ripen, 6 Unclear, 7 Dressed up, 9 Centenary, 11 Ambitious, 14 Squalor, 16 Termite, 19 Expel, 21 Haiku, 24 Net.

The environmental ouroboros: has green progress been a lie since 1866?

By James Bonthron Climate Correspondent

In an age of ecological crisis, opinions differ on how we, as a society, need to help the issue. Looking back at the past, and what different solutions have been offered may help us to choose the right path. Doing this, though, reveals a stark truth- while the issue at the forefront may have changed, the ideas have stayed cyclical. From the beginnings of ecological awareness to the present day, much thought has been devoted to saving the environment and political movements have abounded. However, the roots of environmentalism are, once again, beginning to gain prominence. Green-minded institutions and movements may have to reckon with a re-emerging set of problematic, buried ideas. On the dawn of the new ‘environmentally-aware’ age, the spectre of extremism becomes ever bolder. To examine the spectrum of environmental ideas, it may be pertinent to look through three different, but equally interesting, lenses; those of ecofascism, eco-Marxism (and, by extension, eco-socialism), and green capitalism.

Image courtesy of Mike Newbury/Unsplash

Ecofascism: national needs before global

Ecofascism is not an ideological movement. There is some theory behind it, but there has been little scholarly research due to its violent nature associations with terroristic activity. Ecofascist tendency spans the entirety of nature conservation, and it was (in effect) the predominant thought in the early period. The pressures of climate change have led to a resurgence in nationalism and, to an extent, ecofascism.

Ecology, as a definition, was coined by Ernest Haeckel in 1866. The original definition’s description of nature (such as who and what belongs where, and for whom it should be protected) was a significant point of focus for fascist thinkers in the 20th Century, and this has remained the same into the 21st. Even the ‘heroes’ of environmental yesteryear have a complicated legacy. Madison Grant, an early proponent of Californian redwood and American buffalo conservation, also put a kidnapped member of the Congolese Mbuti tribe (Ota Benga) in a display with apes in 1906 at the Bronx Zoo. The same ‘conservationist’ wrote ‘The Racial Basis of European History’ in 1916, which warned that the ‘Nordic’ was declining. Theodore Roosevelt- the same American president who created the first modern national park in 1872, a man that championed the natural world in a time where such thought was ahead of its time- praised the book and wrote Grant a letter to that end, which was used in later editions of the book.

a recruitment opportunity. Climate change is simply a tool to further nationalistic projects, to heighten jingoistic fervour. Climate change, they think, supports the idea of a natural hierarchy. After all, it’s not the Global North that is affected the most. To an ecofascist, climate change is good.

The issue is that exclusionary policies can go hand-in-hand with environmental policy. It could be argued, for example, that environmental concerns are important because ecofascists think that there is an ideological connection between themselves and other groups of white people. Worryingly, while democratic systems on a local scale are better at reducing carbon dioxide emissions, communist countries like China demonstrate the fact that authoritarianism can also develop alongside environmental concerns.

So what is an ecofascist?

A further constraint on the planet– the explosion of the human population in the last 200 yearshas led to issues with the environment as resources have become ever scarcer. The argument that overpopulation must be reduced in order to stop climate change can be viewed as ecofascist, as it places a disproportionate amount of the blame on the Global South. The solution to overpopulation, therefore, can quickly become ethnically problematic.

places, despite it being a consequence of migratorily Western policy. In response to increased climate migrants, European politics has shown to further exclude people through anti-immigration laws.

Unlike main political positions, ecofascism can be a deadly ideology which tangibly caused the deaths of 76 people in 2019 alone. It cannot be, therefore, simply discussed by academics as a valid political alternative. The Christchurch mass shooter in March 2019, who murdered 51 people, claimed himself to be an ecofascist. In July of the same year, three other people were murdered by a self-proclaimed fundamental environmentalist, at California’s Gilroy Garlic Festival. In August in 2019, 22 people were murdered by a gunman in El Paso, Texas. In his manifesto, environmental concerns are mentioned. To treat ecofascism as simply another form of political doctrine would be incorrect, and it must be challenged at every turn.

Eco-Marxism: nothing less than revolution will do

thought is unfinished and is challenged and developed to meet the needs of a globalising capitalism and future social changes. This type of new Marxism is open to include radical feminism, ecology, and indigenous thought. Democracy is king to this new type of Marxism. This new Green Marxism criticises productivist Marxism as it sees such a system as too focused on socialist modernisation and industrialisation. The climate crisis, according to Marxists, is a global, social and ecological crisis which requires systemic change to global political and economic systems.

One prominent Marxist theorist in the 1980s was James O’Connor. His theory of Marxism attempted to marry ecology and Marxism by centring ecology at the heart of capitalist social relations. He suggested that capitalism had several contradictions within its own logic. O’Connor posits that the external physical conditions needed to produce capital are invisible to the market as they are given freely by nature. Therefore, nature’s devastation is outside of capitalistic production because it had no market value.

So, what is an ecofascist? Over the last five years, ecofascism has evolved to come to describe people who use the physical and symbolic qualities of the environment to further nationalist and authoritarian objectives. An ecofascist sees climate change as

The political right is struggling to generate effective policies around the climate. Unlike past environmental issues, climate change issues can’t be solved with the type of focused and tangible policy that the right-wing politicians have used in the past. Recently, there has been an increase in popularity over anti-immigration policies. Such policies are favoured by ecofascists. This is because climate change will inevitably cause more refugees (due to issues such as sea levels rising), and will mean that certain populations will have to live in increasingly unsuitable

The ideas of Karl Marx have been revolutionary and popular ever since they were recorded. A 19th century thinker, Marx’s ideas have been interpreted and re-interpreted by a horde of scholars and revolutionaries in the last three centuries. More contemporary thought has put the environment forthright in visions for a post-capitalist society. Moreover, it would be incorrect to suggest that Marxism is anything but an umbrella term, with different thinkers having different angles.

The Marxist-Lenist approach used in the 20th century, with its focus on industrialisation and growth, was disastrous to the environment. With this in mind, a new kind of Marxism is being touted; one which is characterised by grassroot parties and radical intellectuals. One which suggests that Marxism as a body of social

Eco-Marxism has been heavily criticised, partly because the environmental reforms of the 1970s (when eco-Marxist zeal was high) only served to increase inequality and further entrench the wealthy. Overhauling production and creating a decentralised, more democratic society is needed in a post-capitalistic era. A cultural revolution will also need to occur, creating an economy based on a ‘moral’ system and not relying on currency. Additionally, the commons need to be repaired and extended, with exploitation of nature being minimised by ensuring that work and production ceases when production quotas/needs are met. This will allow citizens to have more time to participate in democracy. Karl Polanyi coined the concept of ‘countermovement’. This refers to the phenomenon when society responds to a severe crisis. Inevitable, according to Robert Wade,

the elites fight back with a counter-countermovement, which he terms ‘the art of paradigm maintenance’. Elites will steer the conversation by co-opting prominent intellectuals and activists; they then will draw groups into meaningless ‘participatory democracy’ exercises and concede minor reforms in order to retain economic control overall.

The fact that most scholarly articles, and much of environmental justice movements, venerate eco-Marxist ideas are a testament to its validity. While traditional Marxist thinkers (perhaps includ ing Karl Marx himself) were short-sighted on environmental issues, contemporary Marxists have embraced environmental thought into the doctrine. Move ments which embrace freedom and further democratic openness are positive movements by nature, and while Marxism may fall short in practice, the theory behind it (such as community management of assets) has certainly furthered the environmen tal cause in a way which no other cohesive ideology has.

Green capitalism: change by rounding the edges

Green capitalism needs lit tle introduction because is the norm in the 21st century. Its core tenets are the climate change can be helped via con stant technological innovation. Elon Musk, for example, is a prime example of a green capi talist. In the lieu of real philan thropy, investment in greener technology is championed by the mega-rich.

Green capitalism can be defined as a set of responses to environmental issues (in particular, climate change) which are reliant on utilising capital investment, innovation, and individualism. A sustainable future, it is suggested by green capitalist, can be created using private investment and technological innovation. Fur-

thermore, green capitalism champions market-based mechanisms such as carbon credits and pollution permits, which have been used in recent decades. Indeed, a green capitalist solution to this could be improved packaging, source materials and communication strategies.

There are advantages to promoting green capitalism. It is true, for example, that the marketing of natural resources could establish more sustainable societies and should be used to do so. This suggestion by Prothero and

tural thought. Moreover, the role of capitalism sociologically and culturally is a huge blind spot in Marxist theory. In fact, capitalism is socially dynamic, it was even used in Soviet-style communism. Green capitalism, as the green face of neoliberalism, has been part of the dominant political system in Europe, having been championed since the 1980s.

It could be argued that revolutionary movements are destined to incorporate sections of capitalist thinking. If the notion that commodification is bad is rejected,

change. It posits that investment will lead to entrepreneurs divesting from damaging technologies and into more sustainable methods. Greed and exclusive property rights are championed in this system. The promotion of biofuels is an example of technological solutions championed by green capitalists. While offering a solution, it invites entrepreneurs to, once again, exploit the resource and profit. Aside from the inequality such a technology could increase, there are issues of land-use and biodiversity which are unaccounted for by this green capitalist solution to fossil fuels.

Green capitalism is the dominant ideology in most countries. This may be because it appears to be the most effective, and its use has been bolstered by the fall of the Soviet Union. As a way to promote green investment, it is the most effective as it does not mean that anything particularly radical needs to occur. In the 21st century, most global institutions and the top 1% of wealth owners choose to donate considerably to green capitalist causes. It is a testament to green capitalism’s effectiveness that many companies have committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Green capitalism provides an incentive to ‘go green’- namely the increasing return on capital investment.

Conclusion

argued, now dominates. To deny this is futile. Instead, capitalism can be used to exploit commodity culture to create a society more in harmony with nature. This would mean that the ideas around ‘commodity’ would need to be challenged.

A green capitalist would argue that capitalism is, in fact, not just an economic system as it influences ethical, societal, and cul-

already existing society. The fact that communist countries, along with the Soviet Union have since accepted free-market capitalism could be a sign that ideological revolutions (supposedly communist or green) may in reality offer little actual change.

However, green capitalism is not a perfect system. For example, it relies on private investment and the free market to solve climate

While political ideologies wax and wane in popularity, there is a clear through-line between the beginning of environmental protection and the 21st century. What started as exclusionary, racist policies gradually became more liberal. Now, with climate change, history seems to be repeating itself. With policies such as protecting 30% of the world by 2030 being supported by many Global North countries, with ‘Fortress Europe’, and an increasing amount of people murdered by self-proclaimed ecofascists, are we returning to an age of rightwing environmentalism? Has any meaningful progress actually been made since 1872?

ImagecourtesyofMarkusSpiske/Unsplash

2022

2022Fashion Trends Wrapped

By Sabah Quraishi Lifestyle Writer

Acrazy and awesome rollercoaster of a year. We’ve had the whole Will Smith slap debacle, Elon Musk buying Twitter, Depp vs Heard, Wordle, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting married (finally), Davide and Ekin-Su winning Love Island, we went through three PM’s and Kanye was… well, Kanye. Despite all the crazy, fashion continues to prevail. Self expression through style has continued to flourish, with hundreds of microtrends under the umbrella of the mainstream ones. The influence

of social media has especially contributed to this. Not only with influencers showcasing the trends, but also the increase in promotions and the creation of shopping platforms on both Instagram and TikTok. There’s something for everyone, along with accessible and affordable ways to achieve your desired style. We’ve had multiple trends make a comeback this year, along with some new ones! So let’s walk you through the trends that were most influential.

Streetwear

A trend that’s been around since the 90s. Today it’s influenced primarily by hip-hop and the skate scene. It’s arguably one of the most common and popular trends that surrounds a variety of aspects in pop culture. Worldwide and in the UK, the interest in streetwear has remained the most consistent of all the trends throughout this year. The ‘#streetwear’ even has 16.3 billion views on TikTok, just proving how wearable and stylish this trend really is. From hip-hop to K-pop, you’ll find a variety of pop culture followers rocking this style.

Goth

The gothic trend has been around so long, not only is it just a trend, but a part of history, with the fashion style dating back to the 70s. 42 years later, it’s still one of the most relevant trends and continues to break down the constrictions of gender norms in fashion. With dark outfits, plaid skirts, leather jackets, platforms and so much more, it’s truly iconic. The way this trend has grown through the year and will probably continue into 23 just proves that. Not to mention the influence of one of the most popular Netflix shows, Wednesday, giving the style’s popularity an end of year resurgence. We even saw Jenna Ortega show up to the premiere in an elegant Versace gothic dress.

Y2K

Let's be real. Low rise pants, baby tees, velour, mini skirts, the list goes on. The noughties made a comeback this year, just proving the cyclical nature of fashion. Harper's Bazaar described the trend as ‘playful’ and named the original influences such as Britney and Tom Ford. Even Kim Kardashian jumped in on the comeback when she dropped the Skims Velour Tracksuit which she modelled with Paris Hilton. The look today is slightly more modern than what we saw in the 2000s with pastels and black-and-white showcasing more prominently in the comeback of this style.

Oversized Outfits

A baggy top with baggy joggers, cargos, trousers, jeans and a pair of sneakers. There’s no way to go wrong with this one. Although this trend has existed for a while, it was repopularised in 2019 with Billie Eilish, being her staple look at the time. This year, the trend has continued and broken away from her influence, feeding into elements of streetwear and gothic trends. Not only that, but we’ve seen how oversized doesn’t have to be casual. Oversized formal wear has also come into fashion with Kendrick Lamar and Robert Pattinson being two of many to wear this look.

Mesh/Sheer Tops

Interestingly, despite it emerging in the summer, this trend seemed to peak as we headed into the chilly autumn season. The sheer clothing trend saw women owning their bodies. Mesh and net pieces can serve either as a statement piece or a means of layering to create a cute look. In Maire Claire it was stated how the sheer trend was one of the ‘most dominant of the season’. We saw these looks by Maryam Nassir Zadeh, which really showcased this trend.

Corsets

Everyone knows the hype with corsets. They’ve taken the stage and been added to the list of the most versatile tops a girl can wear. Pair it with a skirt, jeans, trousers, cargos or leather pants, or you can put one over a dress or shirt. Vogue even reported how we’ve reclaimed corsets and made them an expression of modern feminism. They can be worn by anyone regardless of femininity. They’re great for a night out, a date, a day out with friends. We saw Billie Eilish and Lenny Kravitz showcase these iconic corset looks at the 2022 Met Gala.

Manifestations, Aims, and Excitement

The InQuire team looks forward to 2023

By Sam Webb Newspaper Editor

2022 is now over and a new year brings opportunities, excitement, and challenges for all of us. At InQuire we are no different, and as a group of proactive and ambi tious individuals, we have collected manifestations and aims for the year from a handful of our team. Some are career-focused, and some touch on furthering per sonal growth, but all of them look to 2023 with the potential for another great year.

Rashida Hassan Editor-in-Chief

Looking back on the year now, although I was never cognizant of this at the time, I would say 2022 was probably one of the best years of my life. I’ve had the opportunity to grow in my career and to continue fostering relationships in my community: with family, friends, and even my UKC community as a whole. What a weird, crazy journey it was. I find it particularly hard to share my plans for the future as I’ve always believed in the power of evil eyes; I think it’s easier to manifest in private. Without divulging too much, what then do I want my 2023 to look like? I want to keep doing what I love, with the people I love, in places near and dear to my heart. I hope to keep going down this magical journey of self-progression, growth, and discov- ery. But most importantly, I just want to have the best time humanely possible, whether this means my nose is buried in a book, at a club dancing with my friends, or laying on a beautiful beach somewhere without a care in the world.

Sam Webb Newspaper Editor

Now in my final term of my final, fourth year of my undergraduate course, life is now becoming very real. Being set to graduate in the summer, I now need to task myself with finding a job in the real world. I know I am in a privileged position. I already know what classification I will graduate with after finishing my degree in Politics and IR last year, before going on to take a Year in Journalism. I, therefore, don’t have to stress about finishing a dissertation, or calculate the percentage I will need to achieve the grade I want in a particular module: I have already gone through all of that. Instead, I want to focus more on enjoying life, spending time with those whose company I enjoy, and give time for myself to rest and recuperate when needed- working hard to achieve the best I can take its toll. Those that know me closely know that I have extremely high standards for myself, and must keep busy so I don’t fall into a rut, so achieving this while searching for grad uate employment may be difficult to accomplish, but is certainly doable.

Emyr BenYoussef Head of Photography

I think for many of us, 2022 was a strange year, full of ups and downs. At times I found myself running around in circles, aimlessly drifting with the current. For me, 2023 is a fresh start, a new beginning where I aim to self-improve and achieve milestones that are fulfilling. My new year’s reso lution is to consistently challenge myself and venture into new avenues in life, mainly in the creative field, such as writing an article and creating Tik Tok content for InQuire. Being my final term at UKC I want to graduate with a first-class, win varsity with my Swim team, and write and produce my first article for InQuire. Lastly, regarding my photography, I want to be booked and busy, doing more studio photo shoots and exploring new creative styles. After graduation in the summer, contrary to the norm, I intend to take a year out, spending six months working on building my portfolio and the other half of the year travelling around the world and experiencing different cultures. Hopefully, after building my portfolio, aim to be a part of a creative team in the fashion industry, preferably a fashion house.

Kieran Webb Satire Editor

What I am most looking forward to in 2023 is one day in particular- July 23. Why is this? You might instantly recognise that as the birthday of Ernest Hemingway, but in actuality, July 23 2023 will change cinematic history as we know it. That’s right - both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer films will debut on the same day. The two highly anticipated releases will force me and audiences everywhere to make a choice: do we watch a film about one of history’s most important figures, or do we watch a Christopher Nolan movie? I’ll definitely be making the most of this monu mental day by watching them both, but that raises the question of which one to watch first? It's a tough choice, but it makes sense to sit through Oppen heimer first before Barbie, so you start with a darker subject before living it up in Barbieland. I haven’t felt the dual ity of man as clearly as this since the release of both Doom: Eter nal and Animal Cross ing.

Laurice Janielle Lifestyle Editor

After a painful heartbreak mid-2022, your girl cried and she journaled and cried a bit more but, in the end, it was so worth it. I had to learn how to be alone, to truly enjoy my own company, and have her be enough. I’m forever thankful for the self-confidence and trust I built during this time. So, for this year, I’m speaking it into the universe that I’m going to continue to take care of myself first, focus on my well-being and unlearn the not-so-healthy grind mentality. I’m going to keep looking at life lovingly, with more compassion for myself, my family, and my friends. I also want to learn more outside my degree and know more about the world, I’ll be welcoming new experiences and expanding the media I consume. Crea-

Barbiecore

Pink was IN this year- as it should be. Not just the pastels, but bright, vibrant, hot pink, along with some sparkle. In all honesty, we’re predicting this trend is unlikely to fade away, and especially with Margot Robbie starring in the upcoming Barbie movie, pink will bleed into 2023 for sure! As noted in Glamour, society is obsessed with nostalgia right now. Inspo from the 90s and 2000s are prominent in Y2K styles, streetwear, upcycling and more. So what more to be nostalgic about than the classic Barbie doll.

Tech Wear

With inspiration from cyberpunk and science fiction, we’ve seen techwear rising this year. Although it’s still upcoming, it had an influence nonetheless. We mainly see technical clothing, GORE-TEX jackets, cargos, work boots, which all maintain a sleek black/ grey colour aesthetic. The main uprise has been seen with mainstream brands coming out with high quality, durable lines, such as Nike ACG and Adidas Terrex. Not to mention the brands already in the game, such as North Face, Arc’teryx and Patagonia.

It’s safe to say, we have a lot to look forward to in 2023. Where will these trends go? Will we continue down the nostalgic route or make something new from those inspirations? Maybe we’ll indulge ourselves further into the gothic subgenres or streetwear will begin to draw from even more sources. Stay tuned this year, since we’re all about to find out.

Crochet & Upcycling

The era of sustainability is growing and we can see this translating into fashion. The rise in upcycling and more people taking on crochet, brings a uniqueness to this trend, with people truly creating a style that is their own. You can crochet pretty much anything, from cardigans to hats, bags or even little toys. Same goes for upcycling. A trend that is a major contributor to sustainability and the increase in thrifting. Whether it be your own old clothes or thrifted, you can turn an old pair of jeans into a hat, skirt or cute cropped jacket.

Study Snacks That Will Help Your Brain Stay Focused

Try These Four Easy and Delicious Recipes!

By Shumaya Begum Lifestyle Writer

Now that the winter holidays are over and the second term has already begun, it’s time for us to put our leftover Christmas energy into studying! Energy is essential in supporting students through long hours of staring at screens and retaining difficult information. The best way to gain this energy is through, of course, food! The trick to effective study snacks is ensuring that there is a balance between having healthy ingredients– nutrients to support productivity and continuous brain activity– and sugar– enough to get you through long hours of revision, but not too much that you’ll crash drastically like a speeding train in a thriller movie. These recipes take no more than 10 minutes to make, so you don’t have to worry about precious study time being stolen away!

1. Chocolate Fruit Bowl

Ingredients

Mixed Berries, Chocolate Bar or Spread (Melted)

There is nothing nicer than eating a bowl of fresh, juicy fruit while your brain is struggling to remember what you have learnt in the past few months.

Add some melted chocolate and you’ve got yourself a sweet and refreshing study snack to cool down the battling gears in your head.

2. Salmon Deluxe Bagel

Ingredients

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Half an Avocado (chopped), 1 Tomato (chopped), A Pinch of Salt and Pepper, Lemon Juice (optional)

This study snack is ideal for students who get hungry easily and prefer to eat savoury foods over something sweet. Students often find it difficult to decide what they should eat, more so if they don’t know how to cook. The Salmon Deluxe Bagel can be considered either a heavy snack or even a light lunch, ultimately a flawless recipe for students on a small timeframe and tight budget. All you need to do to make this scrumptious snack is slightly toast the bagel, spread on the cream cheese (the more, the better), add the avocado, chopped tomato and some salt and pepper to bring the flavours out. A squeeze of lemon juice also adds a tangy kick to wake up our sleepy brains.

The love you instantly feel when you wake up: your pet is cuddled up next to you and happy to see you awake, the weight off your shoulders knowing there’s always going to be something in the fridge to eat, home cooked meals you didn’t have to YouTube search for because your family’s been making this dish since you were little. The security in knowing you’ll see your siblings in the living room whenever you’re bored, meeting up with friends that knew you at your lowest but will always support you, and your hometown becomes the shore you land on after swimming through the ocean.

With most of us spending our time back home with family and friends, you might find yourself dreading going back to uni and feeling homesick. You’re not alone. I’ve been feeling the same way for the past few weeks and it's somewhat foreign to me, mainly because I’ve already done the back and forth before, so why am I experiencing this now?

Homesickness feels like a long hangover and I’m drunk on the past. As we grow up, most of us realize how everything starts changing, it's scary and it's bittersweet. Adulting is hard. Growing up is hard. Sure, independence is liberating and great for character building, but I think we can allow ourselves to miss the comfort of familiarity.

3. Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

1 Sweet Potato (boil for 20 to 25 minutes), 2 Large Carrots (chopped), Leafy vegetable (e.g., kale, cabbage, lettuce), Beetroot, Sweetcorn, Seeds (e.g., chia, flax, sunflower), French dressing (1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 6 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper)

This recipe is perfect for those who are trying to be more health conscious when snacking, especially for the New Year. Not only are sweet potatoes low in calories, but they are also high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals– all great things for your mind and body! You can eat your sweet potatoes with any of your favourite vegetables. A great rule for a great salad is to include purple vegetables and seeds because of their high levels of nutrition.

4. Peanut Butter and Banana Crumpet

Ingredients

Peanut Butter (as much as you like), 1 Banana (chopped), 2 Crumpets (toasted), Honey (optional)

For those who like soft foods and don’t mind a bit of mess, this recipe is for you! The nutty flavours of peanut butter mixed with the creaminess of banana is the perfect combination to put on a fluffy crumpet. All you need to do is spread peanut butter onto the crumpet, add the chopped banana pieces on top and you’re done! For a little extra sweetener you can drizzle honey on as well.

Ultimately, every one of these amazing snacks are perfect for a busy university student. Not to mention, there is little to clean up after making these recipes as you only need a chopping board and knife to cut up all your required ingredients. You can easily pack them in Tupperware or tin foil (in the case of the Salmon Deluxe Bagel) and bring them to eat on campus or to a library study session. The best part is that there are no strong smells coming from these snacks, so don’t worry about getting any questionable stares towards your direction!

back in 2016. We vacationed in the Philippines for about a month and I remember crying in bed when we got back. I had so much fun spending time with my cousins. It was the closest I felt to them at the time. Feeling homesick I’ve discovered, is just proof that you have a place to call home.

Being a daughter of overseas workers and being one of the first in our family to study abroad, there’s a tinge of guilt that comes with the package too. Part of me hesitates because wanting to go back home might suggest ungratefulness. Or would worry family about my well being. And I wasn’t close to family growing up and we don’t always see eye to eye but having experienced what it’s like being alone in a new environment, you start to appreciate stability and the knowing they’ll be there for you any time you choose to reach out. So, let yourself feel it. It’s okay to miss the past now. Don’t be mad at yourself for missing home and dealing with it the way you do. Slump or not, as long as you’re not hurting yourself in the process by coping unhealthily, then allow yourself to cry, to be in bed and rot on TikTok.

On Being Homesick

I grew up in one place my whole life. Moving from the Philippines to the UAE at age 4, I’ve only moved neighborhoods a couple of times. Even then, the apartments we moved from weren’t so far apart from each other. It was odd in the beginning, to not miss the only place I’ve ever been in. The last time I felt deeply homesick was

Some of us are fortunate enough to go back to a welcoming home where we can destress and loosen up following the stress of deadline season. Sometimes, we get so caught up with the future; studying for a degree that apparently dictates the course of our life, working to keep up with the costs of living, it gets hard to prioritize our rela- tionships. Whether you’re an intro- vert or an extrovert, humans are social creatures by nature, we thrive on meaningful connectionws. I can literally go from an existential crisis to hanging out with my besties the next day and suddenly, life feels worth living again. But maybe that’s the extroversion talking. Either way, I hope that one way or another, we all have the shared experience of a fulfilling connection, albeit looking different for everyone.

When you’re ready, remember to pick yourself up. Don’t be afraid to tell your family and friends that you miss them, even if you haven’t talked in a while or left their last text unread. At times, I felt shy and awkward because we’re in different situations, it felt like they wouldn’t get it, that I was making a big deal out of something that’s become habitual. I realized that it’s normal if they can’t entirely relate to how you’re feeling and they might not show it, but rest assured that your presence is missed.

Once you’ve found your people wherever you may be, things definitely get easier. This feeling will pass with time, soon you’ll look back and smile at the thought that you can love and be loved no matter where you are in the world.

By Laurice Janielle Lifestyle Editor

Images Courtesy of Shumaya Begum

Pride, and Brides, and Prejudice, and Zombies

By Natasha Mather Culture Correspondent

The ultimate enemies-to-lovers, slowburn romance or a misogynistic, problematic product of its time? Whether you swoon over Mr Darcy or despise him, you can’t deny Pride and Prejudice’s popularity, or the hold it has had on audiences for over two centuries. For those who just can’t get enough of Austen’s iconic romance, we’ve rounded up a few of its many, many on-screen adaptations (some of which are more faithful to the original than others!) to let you know which are most worth your while.

Pride and Prejudice (1995 BBC Series):

Regarded by many as the definitive on-screen version of the novel, the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice miniseries perfectly encapsulates the charm, wit and romance of Austen’s original. It’s no secret that Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr Darcy stole audience’s hearts from the moment he stepped on to the screen, but Jennifer Ehle’s quiet smiles, knowing eyerolls, and dignified confidence make her the perfect Elizabeth Bennett, too. As their mutual hatred dissolves into reluctant acquaintance and an inevitable happy-ever-after, the chemistry between the two has us giggling along and shouting at the screen as much as any modern rom-com would. We can’t recommend it enough as the perfect place to start for those unfamiliar with the story, or a cosy and familiar retelling for lovers of the novel.

Pride and Prejudice (2005 Film Adaptation):

Or, ‘the one with Kiera Knightley in it’. This

Working Title film is absolutely stunning, from the moment the crisp morning sun rises on the opening titles to the movie’s tear-jerking, heartwarming finish. While I’d argue the on-screen chemistry between the characters isn’t quite as compelling as other adaptations, what this version lacks in romantic intrigue it more than makes up for in visual delight and aesthetic. Special mention to Brenda Blethyn and Tom Hollander, who’s hilarious portrayals of their respective characters Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins still never fail to make me laugh, and are, I’m sure, exactly what Austen would have wanted.

Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001 Film):

Because we loved Colin Firth as Mr Darcy too much to let him only play it once. Not that he’s the main event in this particular rom-com classic, loosely based on Austen’s original novel (but mainly based on the 1996 novel of the same name)– Renée Zellweger is everything we want in a romantic heroine, in all her embar rassing, cringeworthy, unapologetically awk ward glory. We’ve all been Bridget weeping into a tub of Ben and Jerry’s alone on a Friday night, and it’s that universal experience that makes this film so validating, and so well-loved. While it loses points for lack of faith to the original plot, narrations from Bridget’s diary obsessing over interactions with Mark Darcy or, (retch), Daniel Cleaver, are the perfect modern-day and accessible equivalent to Lizzie Bennet’s endearingly anxious inner monologue running throughout Pride and Prejudice.

Bride and Prejudice (2004):

The Bollywood musical retelling of the novel, Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha reinvents Austen’s classic story, setting it in Amritsar, India. Mrs Bennet’s character fits surprisingly well into the stereotype of the overbearing mother from a traditional Indian family, and the Bollywood jams and colourful choreo make this film a whole lot of fun. Not to mention the stellar cast; fans of Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries and more will all see a familiar face or two while dancing and singing along.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016):

‘It is a truth universally recognized that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.’ It’s not subtle, under

horror all at once. While at times this leads to the film feeling a little messy, with too much going on all at once, we recommend watching with a not-too-critical eye, sitting back and letting the whole thing wash over you.

While we of course recommend the original book above all else, those who want to enjoy Austen’s classic story have no shortage of options with which to do so. Fans of action and romance, TV show lovers and film buffs alike can all experience the joys and sorrows of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s iconic romance, and (in my completely unbiased opinion) absolutely should.

New Books For a New Year, New You

By Molly Field Culture Editor

As the last days of the year flicker, fatigued, against the dark December skies, and the new year descends, I will drink more water. I will renew my subscription to that website I tried last year, and the year before that, to improve my French, peut être, and I will stop cancelling on people at the last minute. I’ll learn to shuffle cards well, because I think it makes one look mysterious, and I shall try to stop caring about how people perceive me. My cooking will be more exciting, as will my love life, and I’ll join the yoga society with the new mat I got for Christmas. I will try harder at university, visit the cinema regularly, try to save money, and read more. I will consume lots of books that all, kind of, resemble Normal People or Fleabag, and will recommend the best ones to my friends (who didn’t ask). New books for a new year, and a new me- and here’s some for you.

Dry Heart and The Road to the City by prolific Italian author Natalia Ginzburg are both quick, engaging reads to begin the year with- especially if you have found yourself in a reading slump come the end of a very long December. Both coming in at around 100 pages, the novels intricately explore issues of gender, love, and sensuality, against beautifully-described Italian

settings, both natural and metropolitan. Ginzburg handles the simple aspects of life with love and care, conveying them as pleasures, a technique that- on both reads- has led to a greater appreciation on my end for the everyday occurrences of my life, a mindset I will try to cling onto going into the new year. Materialistically, the two paperbacks look beautiful as a pair, and fit easily in a little bag to take on your travels (because one of your resolutions is to travel more, right?).

I found Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados to be a book inclined to push the reader towards hedonism. Involving two young women, Isa and Gala as they move to New York for the summer (with no money to their name), the novel follows the misadventures of the pair in the bustling city, soaking up the delight to be found in the exciting people, places and culture. Grasping onto any social capital they can acquire, the girls live beyond their means, and have fun with it. Reading this novel at the turn of a new year will, arguably, result in an ambitious wistfulness for a life of pleasure-seeking, something I know I will be inclined to act upon: yes let’s book those concert tickets, yes let’s scour the city for the best happy hour, yes let’s treat ourselves to

a whole carrot cake and bottle of wine after an hour of studying… A book for a fun kickstart to your year of reading.

One of my dearest friends, Sophia, is similar to me in the sense that she likes to give unprompted book recommendations, but dissimilar in the sense that as an English Literature student she can better articulate why said books come so highly recommended. Speaking on her new year book recommendations, Sophia suggests The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: ‘it’s about a boy embarking on a spiritual journey through Egypt after a series of recurring dreams. The novel is all about finding one’s purpose in life, sourcing fulfilment, and recognising it when you have it- ideas we often all try to incorporate into our new year’. Furthermore, Sophia goes on to recommend Natasha Brown’s Assembly, a book I also read at around this time last year. Of the work, Sophia says ‘it's a short novella, meaning it's helpful in getting us back into the swing of reading’. The story follows a ‘black woman living in the UK preparing to join her boyfriend at his family’s lavish estate. Commenting on the British colonial legacy that still exists today, the protagonist considers the carefully assembled pieces of herself, making it a short but powerful

and very important read’.

Laurie Petrou’s Stargazer was one of my favourite books from the past year- a story exploring the intimate intensity of female friendship and the intricacies of class relations. A perfect read for fans of dark academia, the novel follows two best friends who move to an elite college in the American wilderness to study art and literature. Classy and hedonistic, their ‘perfect’ university lives begin to quickly unravel into clashes of envy and obsession. An enthralling read, Stargazer is the perfect pageturner to begin the year with, as well as helping to ease the transition back into studying through its cosy romanticisation of academia (think: long nights in the library with fresh coffee, long walks to class through frosty fields…).

While also drinking my water, and cooking my meals, and reading my books, I will be striving to be a little more mindful in my everyday life, including in my literature consumption habits.

I recommend reaching for platforms like World of Books, a second-hand online book retailer, rather than putting your money into Bezos’ pockets. Furthermore, Canterbury has multiple second-hand bookstores such as the Oxfam or Catching Lives shops.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Image Courtesy of Everett

Image Courtesy of Jay Maidment/ Lionsgate

Not Thinking Straight:

By Molly Field Culture Editor

It’s not quite Soho, and it’s not exactly Brighton, but unassumingly nestled upon the east coast, twinkling against the pebble-strewn beaches, is a budding queer community– an alternative Margate. With 2022’s pride celebrations attracting thousands of visitors, queer-friendly establishments opening at an increasing rate across the town, and community groups fostering community and creativity, the original holiday-destination town is morphing into the ‘Shoreditch of Kent’; trendy, modern,

ling queer community space and bar CAMP, sitting pretty and pink on Northdown Road. Opening in 2022, the du Preez’s revealed how CAMP was born, partially out of a drunken night of musing, but mainly a want for a permanent space that was ‘silly, fun, queer-lead, and playing pop-music’–meaning, a place tending to play ‘Stars are Blind’ by Paris Hilton. In creating a disco ball-donned bar where the Margate community could ‘feel safe, be [them]selves, and hang out with queer friends,’

semi-regular drag cabarets, queer mak er’s markets, Drag Race screenings, and a book club. Hall believes that Margate is, really, becoming the best place for these kinds of gatherings and groups, with Mar gate Pride having facilitated the town’s growing queer com munity. While still in its early days, she says that ‘with Margate Pride and the amazing work they have done, people feel safe to move here and say they are queer’. Currently raising a toddler with her partner, Hall reflects on how she can’t think of anywhere else where a queer family could exist so happily and comfortably: ‘we walked [at pride] this year with my son– it brings a tear to my eye to talk about it– because it’s amazing to know he’s growing up in a town where he can be so proud that we are his parents’. The trio's sole wish for their place within the town’s emerging queer community involves an extension on their licence; a licence that currently only allows CAMP to stay open until 11pm. Granted only one late licence ever, CAMP hosted an incredible late-night event for Pride 2022; a night of old-school pop songs, roaring laughter, glitter, and community. With Mr du Preez describing CAMP as a ‘community-led life-

line’, it is clear that it is more than just a barCAMP is a safe space for a community often at risk. As such, the team argues the queer safe spaces of Margate should be specially regarded when concerning licensing, especially when certain other establishments remain open later on the very same road, to support the emerging LGBTQIA+ community. With wide open windows radiating queer joy , CAMP has become a safe and warm beacon on Northdown Road for the LGBTQIA+ community of Margate, and a regular hotspot for local queer historian and artist, Dan Chilcott.

Inviting InQuire into his beautiful home– all dried flowers, rows of vinyl, stacks of books, and a new cat– Inquire meets with Chilcott, who played an imperative role in the formation of the current iteration of Margate Pride. Arguing for the existence of queer people in Margate since ‘the dawn of time’, Chilcott explains to us exactly how and why he began researching the queer history of the town, as well as the best tales he has uncovered through his

work. ‘I began my research, really, out of nosiness’, he admits. Having moved to a new town, Chilcott felt the need to ground himself in the history of his community, a community in an even more primitive form at the time of his relocation. ‘It’s an incredible town with an incredibly rich history of pop culture– living in a queer community, with queer friends, we would talk about these stories, sort of like gossip’. Collating this gossip, Chilcott conducted a lecture at the Tom Thumb Theatre titled ‘The Queer History of Margate and Thanet from the Dawn of Time to 1968’ where a favourite story of Chilcott’s included that of wartime poet Siegfried Sassoon and artist Gabriel Atkin. During a ‘heady weekend in a Margate hotel’, and after countless deferred meetings, Sassoon (aged thirty at the time) lost his virginity to Atkin. In a letter to a friend, Atkin wrote that he had been ‘in the North, South, East, and West with Siegfried Sassoon’ (meaning, essentially, he had been in every direction with him). Chilcott is drawn to the pair because of their ‘Margate moment’, admiring how this historical meeting happened in their little seaside town.

A (Non-Exhaustive) 2023 Kent Cultural Calendar:

23rd January: Chinese New Year Gala at The Gulbenkian.

24th January - 29th January: ‘Bugsy Malone’ musical at The Marlowe.

26th January: Life Drawing Evening at Bramley’s Bar.

27th January: Happy Skate Roller Jam at The Wedge, Folkestone.

4th February: Cockles and Muscles

‘Queer Circus’ Party at the Margate Arts Club.

5th February: Canterbury Vintage Kilo Sale at Westgate Hall.

9th February: Life Drawing Evening at Bramley’s Bar.

10th February: Canterbury Vintage Kilo Sale at The University of Kent.

10th February: ‘Funny Rabbit’

stand-up comedy show at The Gulbenkian.

15th February: Dara Ó Briain’s ‘So, Where Were We?’ comedy show at The Marlowe.

17th February: ‘Love is a Drag’ dragnight and themed performance evening at the Margate Arts Club.

18th February: ‘Comedy Mash’

stand-up comedy show at the Eleto Cafe.

18th February - 26th February: Faversham Literary Festival at locations across Faversham.

23rd February: Life Drawing Evening at Bramley’s Bar.

2nd March: Sophie Duker’s ‘Hag’ comedy show at The Marlowe.

Image Courtesy of Stavrealina Gontzou/Unsplash

Image Courtesy of CAMP Margate

Image Courtesy of Margate Pride

Alternative Mar

These queer, alternative histories are not easy to uncover– Chilcott admits how while Google ‘is your friend’, it ultimately takes ‘a focus on a place to discover and tease out those stories’, purely because these stories often originate from people who lived in ways to deliberately hide their behaviour. Alongside an ongoing new initiative by Screen Archive East which aims to collate an archive of queer footage from the Kent area, Chilcott’s research can be viewed as the beginning of an emerging community’s desire to learn about itself and its roots, moving towards an active championing of some of the Margate stories that have been either hushed away or forgotten about. An uncovering of a rich, queer history in Margate can only further deepen the ties felt by the community to the town– ties having only been aided until now by the active creation of spaces like the Margate Arts Club.

We meet finally with the well dressed and gently spoken Luke Vandenberg of the Margate Arts Club, a ‘social space focusing and centring femmes, femme bodies, and the LGBTQIA+ community’, with a heavy focus on remaining ‘anti-racist, intersectional, safe, and welcoming’. Events hosted at the club, also located on Northdown Road include dance nights, life drawing clubs, clothes swaps, and an annual queer prom. Vandenberg’s pre occupation with cham pioning safety for the community in Margate comes from their expe riences in the town upon first relocating there in 2014. ‘Margate wasn’t a safe space; I would have abuse walking down the street- not something you would expect from an idyllic seaside town’. In this hostile environ

ment, Vandenberg felt a need to mask, or change their physical appear ance, stifling con ditions not entirely foreign within the contemporary political climate.

However, Vanden berg acknowledges a drastic change of attitude within Margate, something achieved partially through the opening of spaces like CAMP and his own club, but also through the aforementioned Margate Pride, which they describe as ‘an amazing catalyst for change within the community’, stressing how the ‘power of pride in a smaller town’ should never be underestimated.

In fact, to underestimate Margate Pride’s power in this seaside town and its emerging queer community, would be a small feat. Last year’s celebrations involved thousands swarming the winding roads and seafront of the town; bathing the beach in a vivid, twinkling, rippling rainbow- and the organisation endeavours not to end their influence there. Throughout the year, the volunteer-lead group remains undeniably visible, hosting intimate events such as queer film screenings, exhibitions, and DIY workshops. CAMP’s Hall argues that Margate Pride’s celebrations (specifically their visibility throughout the year) is an intrinsically grassroot group, and through its artsled and community-driven

approach, avoids becoming over ly-commercialised (and avoids ‘sticking Ariana Grande on stage so you are surrounded by eleven-year old girls’). As such, it remains acces sible enough for a queer community still finding its feet on the rocky

Evidently, the sea-salted, can dy-coloured, beach town of Margate is a hopeful reminder for the wider community that queer joy can mani fest anywhere. Even in Kent, an area often unregarded for its queerness, with active participation and collaboration, queer histories can be uncovered, and safe, welcoming communities can be forged. With trailblazers like Chilcott, as well as spaces like CAMP and Margate Arts Club, it’s easy to imagine alternative realities for small towns across the country outside of metropol itan areas; realities of alternative communi ties existing comfortably and hap pily. When one doesn’t think straight, one can uncover hidden tales of ‘heady weekends’, expose the trysts of poets and artists, dance fiercely under disco balls, and forge a queer family wherever one finds themself, even on the chalky beaches of seaside towns like Margate.

4th March: ‘Total Taylor Swift’

Bottomless Brunch at Tokyo Tearooms.

4th March: CluedUpp’s ‘The Smurfs Great Escape’ immersive, outdoor mystery game across Canterbury.

9th March: Life Drawing Evening at Bramley’s Bar.

9th March - 15th March: Power of

Women (POW!) Culture and Arts

Festival at locations across Thanet.

17th March: ‘Funny Rabbit’ stand-up comedy show at The Gulbenkian.

18th March: ‘Comedy Mash’ stand-up comedy show at the Eleto Cafe.

25th March: ‘BORN TO EXIST: the

woman I know’ hip-hop dance theatre production at The Gulbenkian.

31st March - 2nd April: Medway Food and Drink Festival at Rochester Castle.

7th April: Cliftonville Arts & Craft Night Market at The Oval Bandstand, Margate.

15th April: ‘Mamma Mia!’ Bottom-

less Brunch at Tokyo Tearooms.

22nd April: CluedUpp’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ immersive, outdoor mystery game across Canterbury.

24th May - 3rd June: ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ musical at The Marlowe.

25th - 27th May: ‘Sap’ contemporary thriller play at The Marlowe.

Image Courtesy of Ollie Harrop/ Refinery29

Image Courtesy of Margate Pride

Image Courtesy of CAMP Margate

Disney+: Do stories really matter?

By James Lapping Entertainment Writer

Over Christmas, you may have watched classics such as Home Alone, Die Hard, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. All of which are currently accessible on Disney+. After you exhausted all these festive picks, maybe you watched other family films that are perfect for the winter holiday. Well, this is what I did anyway, and the first was the animated Disney classic

Peter Pan

I was instantly met with a warning sign that was so brief, I didn’t even get the chance to take it in. After refreshing a couple of times (it lasts for 12 seconds and can’t be skipped or paused) this is what I read:

using racist language, and producing highly inaccurate retellings of historical accounts, Disney+ has a long way to go with contemplating its more than uncomfortable past.

Despite the Stories Matter campaign stating they have the responsibility to ‘uplift and inspire’, they allow children over seven to witness the ‘Indians’ in Peter Pan to be mocked, depicted as savage child snatchers, oversexualised, and except from Chief, totally void of language. Characters repeatedly refer to the indigenous characters by a racist slur, a misogynistic slur, and John Darling, acting as an ‘anthropologist’, refers to them as ‘savages’.

Shockingly, Pocahontas doesn’t include a content warning, and though Disney claims to be ‘committed to doing

what really happened to Pocahontas, I suggest you read Vincent Schilling’s article titled ‘The True Story of Pocahontas: Historical Myths v Sad Reality’ on the Indian Country Today website. Alongside maintaining racist sections of their back catalogue on Disney+, and making them accessible to children over seven, Disney also practices double standards with other streaming content. Their advisory warning states that they won’t remove harmful content, hoping to spark conversation through it. Yet, this is not the case for several Disney products, such as Songs of the South, the racist caricatures deleted from Fantasia, and even the episode of The Simpsons featuring Michael Jackson. All are nowhere to be seen on Disney+. This deliberate

perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery’. Though re-released occasionally over the years, since the 1970s there have been limited to no releases, with Disney instead hiding their shame. In 2017, at the Disney exposition D23, Whoopi Goldberg received a Disney Legends Award. In a later interview, Goldberg discussed Disney’s erasure of Songs of the South by saying: ‘I’m trying to find a way to get people to start having conversations about bringing Songs of the South back, so we can talk about what it was and where it came from and why it came out’. Since this interview and the launch of Disney+, the corporation says that they have no intention of releasing Songs of the South to the public, even with the new advisory label on their content.

refresh the page repeatedly to read the advisory, so make it more prominent and less redundant, it would be useful if it could be paused, or remain on the screen for a readable length of time.

In very recent history, Disney has also produced wonderful indigenous-led content, such as Moana, ReservationsDogs, and the most recent Predator film, Prey, being the first ever feature available with Comanche subtitles and dubbed audio. Disney will also be revising the Peter Pan franchise with the release of Peter Pan & Wendy, later in 2023. 70 years since the original animated production, I hope Disney will take this as an opportunity to respectfully portray indigenous culture and imagery.

It is commendable that Disney is becoming self-aware about its own content, and the impact this has on our culture on a whole. However, after further digging, this action can be likened to placing a small plaster on a gashing wound. With viewable content still depicting racist stereotypes,

the best we can to represent communities authentically,’ Pocahontas may be one of the most perverse retellings of ‘history’ in their entire back catalogue. To keep it brief, the true story is a tragic tale of the kidnap, rape, and murder of a young girl at the hands of white settlers. If you want to know more about

exclusion contradicts everything they attempt to achieve with their newfound sense of social responsibility.

Songs of the South is a particularly interesting case. When it was released in 1946, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) announced that the film ‘helps

This is not to say that Disney isn’t trying to make things better. The Stories Matter campaign is a step towards addressing historic wrongdoings by the company. I even agree with their stance on not removing content from the streaming service. Covering up uncomfortable parts of history would be an act of denial, erasure; a continuation of the problems exacerbated by Disney’s racist historical content. How ever, they need to take further steps to address this appropriately. For one, they should listen to Whoopi Goldberg. Secondly, they need to have appropriate age ratings for their content. In the UK, any film with the n-word is rated by the BBFC as a 12, and with Peter Pan and other content on Disney+ using the r-word, these ratings need to be consistent. Most people won’t

This year, Disney turns 100 years old. On an occasion perfect for reflection, it is evident that the company is already beginning to reconcile with the damages it has historically made. Minor progress can be seen so far via Stories Matter, but it is crucial that Disney takes further actions towards authentic and honest representations if they want to truly make a positive impact, as they continue to convey a strong influence on a culture that continues to be dominated by Disney

InQuire’s big entertainment guide to 2023

By Rhona Lonergan Entertainment Editor

2022 was a year jam packed with some amazing entertainment as several Covid-delayed projects were released on top of the regular slate, resulting in a constant barrage of new content. And yet somehow, 2023 is ramping up to be even bigger with a seemingly endless plethora of new material on its way in the coming months. But don’t be overwhelmed!

InQuire is here to be your entertainment guru and provide you with a simple chronological preview of the year of entertainment that we have in store.

Disclaimer: Due to the fact that I am a huge Marvel fan and there are a million Marvel movies and TV shows coming out in the next year (starting with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – 17th of February and Secret Invasion – date TBA), I am going to completely leave Marvel off the list in order to highlight some of the other interesting properties on our silver, and small, screens this year (but do not doubt that I wait with baited breath for each one).

Film:

So, to start, whether they win big or crash and burn, here are the 10 movies I am most looking forward to seeing (mostly) in cinemas this year.

Knock at the Cabin – 3rd February

I don’t know about you, but I was not expecting the first movie of interest this year (post printing of this paper) to be a horror movie, but here we are. I know what you’re thinking, but Knock at the Cabin is in no way related to Cabin in the Woods (sadly). Instead, it is M. Night Shyamalan’s newest contribution to film, starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff and Rupert Grint (I didn’t know he was still acting, but good to see him back!) It looks like a very interesting take on the ‘intruder(s) at the house’ trope where it seems like the bad guys are only trying to hurt this family to save the world? As usual for Shyamalan, expect plenty of self-doubt, moral grey areas and twists and turns in this potential thriller.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie –31st of March

Like everyone else, I was not expecting much when I first heard that this movie was coming, but the recent trailers have left me with a nice amount of hopeful

anticipation. Hopefully, it will be a fun, self-aware, self-deprecating romp that makes good use of its great voice cast of Jack Black, Anna Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key and Seth Rogen. Most importantly, hopefully Chris Pratt’s Mario won’t be as bad as everyone predicts.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Release 7th of April

I am tentatively optimistic for this first attempt at capturing some of the elusive magic found in a good DnD session. As a DnD nerd, I automatically feel a little protective about this one and I feel like it will either be terrible or amazing and I’m excited to see which way it goes. Another star-studded cast as Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant embark upon an adventure in the Forgotten

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - 2nd of June 2023 brings with it the sequel to one of my all-time favourite Spider-Man: Into the Spi. This instalment will feature the return of all of our favourite characters like Miles and Gwen, while introducing some new voices along the way.

Elemental – 16th of June

Elemental will be the next Pixar movie. Based in a city where people made out of each of the four elements live side by side, it looks like a romance focussed plot may be in store. To be honest I hadn’t really heard about it prior to writing this article, but after watching the trailer I became immediately hyped to see it. The visuals look stunning, and if the creative ways that the elemental residents interact and affect each other in the trailer are anything to go by, this has some great potential for fantasy fans who enjoy interesting worlds.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – 30th of June

The fifth and final (although I thought they said that last time?) Indiana Jones movie is upon us. Harrison Ford once

more takes up the bullwhip in a movie no one asked for but which we can’t help but hope will be the glorious goodbye that Indie deserves. Will the insipidly named Dial of Destiny reclaim the glory of the original trilogy or the disappointment of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?

Oppenheimer – 21st of July

Perhaps the most abstract entry on this list, I have to admit I know very little about Christopher Nolan’s latest movie. However, the combination of a fantastic cast (Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh) and the subject of the movie (J. Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father of the atomic bomb’) creates a space where some painfully complex emotions and moral questions could be explored, and some interesting questions asked.

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Image courtesy of Universal Picures

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Independent artists to support in 2023

By Louie Goddard Music Correspondent

Last year, twenty-five albums reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Among them, 22 were released through either Sony Music, Universal Music Group, or Warner Music Group, with the other three being released under smaller labels. While I’d be lying if I denied my love for Taylor Swift’s Midnights, a number of unsigned musicians remain criminally underrated. InQuire has had the opportunity to chat with some of them about their plans for 2023.

Elena Sidiro is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Montreal, Canada. She views her songs as letters; they vividly depict her experiences of fizzled friendships, toxic romances, and sometimes simply offer a window into her imagination. To Sidiro, music is everything. Music is her therapy, and her raw lyricism proves this.

Elena Sidiro’s TikTok profile, which boasts 150,000 followers, is largely to thank for her streaming suc cess. In June 2022, Sidiro released her breakthrough single, ‘jokes on you’, which has been streamed over 300,000 times on Spotify. This was followed by her debut EP, wildflower, a month later. Sidiro ended year with the release of two

Barbie – 21st of July

What a contrast between movies coming out on the 21st of July. From atomic bombs to atomic blondes, stick with me on this one!

Between award winning director Greta Gerwig and a cast of Mar got Robbie, Emma Mackey, Ryan Gos ling, Helen Mirren and many other big names.

I hope that this movie is more than skin deep and surprises us, or it’ll be ter rible and we can watch it bomb in style.

The Exorcist – 13th of October

Continuing his trend of rebooting classic horror franchises into a trilogy starring the same actress as the original movie, David Gordon Green moves on from the Halloween franchise and takes on the OG horror classic, The Exorcist. There’s sure to be much head spinning and vomiting, but whether it’s on the screen or in the audience remains to be seen.

tracks, ‘the good years’ and ‘by the lake’ within the last few weeks of December, setting the precedent for a steady stream of releases throughout the New Year.

'Being an independent artist is always very unpredictable. Of course there are things I would love to do but time will only tell if I can. I just hope to release more music, grow my audience, and get more content out there.'

parable to the likes of Ethel Cain and Phoebe Bridgers.

'Behind the scenes I’ve been working away on a new EP. My latest single ‘crazy gf’ is a window into what my new project will sound like. This new musical venture will take me out of my indiepop comfort zone.'

We should prepare for her international takeover, as Marianne Leigh will move to London this month.

'A dream of mine for years has been to explore the London music scene. The city is brimming with talent and opportunity, and in January 2023 I am finally travelling to the UK to involve myself in their music industry! I’m going to be studying at a music school in London, while songwriting and collaborating with artists and producers.'

is a singer-songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand. The 19-year-old has released nine tracks over the course of three years, the first being ‘Best of Me’ which she wrote at the age of just 10 before self-producing it in 2019. Her most recent is ‘crazy gf’, which offers an exciting movement from her indie discography to a newer pop-rock vibe, which Leigh intends to further explore in 2023. The new track offers a Joni Mitchell-like instrumental backing, accompanied with vocals com-

Rachel Burnett is a classically trained singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Liverpool. She has been shortlisted for the BBC Young Composer twice and came third in the recent Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge after winning their 24-hour Songwriting Challenge in 2020. Burnett has performed solos at many notable locations, including the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

She released three tracks in 2022: the first two being original songs titled ‘Apocalips’ and ‘Lover’, and the latter being a cover of Mitski’s ‘A Pearl’. She transforms the indie track, adding a jazzy saxophone instrumental and her signature melodramatic vocal. Burnett has garnered a following of over 35,000

A franchise, once finished, lives again! The prequel to the Huntrilogy is on its way. Once again based on a book by Suzanne Collins, the story will follow the 10th iteration of the Hunger Games featuring Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage. Will this movie beat the prequel curse and manage to make us care about the story and the characters, despite the fact that we’ve seen the future? Only time will

Honourable mentions: Creed III - 3rd of March

Dune: Part Two - 3rd of November Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom –25th of December

Television:

A brief overview of the spread of shows to discuss around the watercooler or lose ourselves in this year.

Break Point – Drive to Survive but tennis – 13th of January

The Last of Us – An adaptation of the popular games starring Pedro Pascal - 16th of January

Poker Face – A detective show, created by Rian Johnson – 26th of January

Wolf Pack – A Teen Wolf spin off, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar – 27th of January Mandalorian season 3 – New adventures from Din Djarin and Grogu - 1st of March

American Born Chinese - All three stars of Everything Everywhere All at Once and creator Kelvin Yu (Bob’s Burgers) and directors Destin Daniel Cretton (ShangChi) and Lucy Liu – Spring 2023

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel season 5 –

The final season of this witty comedy will be released in 2023

Never Have I Ever season 4 – More romantic teenage drama is on the horizon Gen V – A The Boys spin off centred on a school of super powered teens Futurama – All of the original voice cast are back for more wacky space adventures

on TikTok, where she posts fanciful covers of pop songs by an array of artists, from Billie Eilish to Tim Minchin. It seems Rachel Burnett will only continue to expand her impressive portfolio in 2023: 'I’m currently in the studio working on a new single, and I’m per-

electronic music’. His sound is reminiscent of Saturna, and Yarni, with whom he collaborated on the track ‘Let It Ride’. His work, along with that of other emotional electronic artists, has given a much-needed regeneration to the wider genre of electronic music, adding soul and narrative to tracks which may otherwise be somewhat mediocre. This movement, of which Leone is a leading force, will revolutionise electronic music as we know it.

In September, Nau Leone released ‘No1 Cambio’, the lead single of his upcoming album, CAMBIO. Leone describes the album as "a deep and thoughtful work … Life is constant change. I would like to talk about it, about time, about change. Change only comes when one is ready for it, even if you don’t know it yet."

forming live in Liverpool on the 14th of January, as well as taking part in the University of Manchester’s opera, Mrs President, in February. You can keep up to date with any announcements by following my TikTok and Instagram profiles.'

Nau Leone is an artist, producer, composer, and DJ from Madrid. When Leone started releas ing music, he felt that there was no particular record label which would be suitable for him. He found that his music was too mainstream to interest underground labels, but too underground for the mainstream music scene. It was upon this realisa tion that Leone created his own inde pendent label, Be Your Own Studio, producing self-proclaimed ‘emotional

Games:

Whether we play together or exploring new worlds alone on a cosy night in, here are some of the games coming out in 2023.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom – 12th of May

Resident Evil 4 remake – 24th of March

Star wars Jedi: Survivor – 17th of March

Marvel’s Spider-man 2 – Fall 2023

Hollow Knight: Silksong – 12th of June

Diablo IV – 6th of June

Street Fighter 6 – 2nd of June

Forspoken – 24th of January

Wild Hearts – 16th of February

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – 26th of May

Honourable mention: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora –Looks fun and beautiful but may not come out this year.

Leone has big plans for 2023: 'I’m planning to start playing live more. I’m planning to visit Canada, the UK, Germany, and different cities in

All of the featured artists' music can be found on Spotify, Apple music, YouTube and all major music streaming services

Music:

Here are some of the albums we can look forward to getting stuck in our heads in the coming months.

Maneskin - Rush!

Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That

There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

Gabriels - Angels & Queens part two

Paramore - This Is Why

Sam Smith - Gloria

Metallica - 72 Seasons

Gorillaz - Cracker Island

Lewis Capaldi - Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent

Depeche Mode - Memento Mori

The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – 17th of November

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Image courtesy of HBO

Image courtesy of Tommaso Ottomano/ Entertainment Weekly

Image courtesy of Nintendo

Image courtesy of Marvel

Image courtesy of Cassia Walton

Image courtesy of Elena Sidiro

Image courtesy of Rachel Burnett

Image courtesy of Mariam Cuesta

From hot tea to hospital sets: My experience being a film extra in Sam Mendes' new film, Empire of Light

By Gareth Griffiths Deputy Entertainment Editor

May 4th is known to many as International Star Wars day ('May the 4th be with you'). I could never have imagined that I would be spending Star Wars day reading an article about The Empire Strikes Back in a 1980s-hospital ward. On May 4th 2022, I lay in a hospital bed with an intravenous drip taped to my arm reading an original magazine from the film's release year in 1980. Before you wonder whether I had stumbled into some sort of Tardis, I was in fact on a film set, which to me is quite possibly the next best thing to time-travel. Everything from the 1980s style Cadbury's Roses box on my bedside table, to the doctor and patient costumes worn by my fellow extras, the film-makers had considered every detail in setting of the scene.

The film was James Bond director Sam Mendes' Empire of Light, a romantic story drawing on the director’s childhood experiences of cinema and starring Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward. I was called in at the crack of dawn for the hospital scene, but cameras didn’t roll until around 2 pm. I kept myself occupied by reading books, catching up with uni work, and chatting to fellow extras. It was a rewarding way to meet people who share an interest in film, and make contacts for potential future projects. Hanging out with like-

minded people for long periods waiting for a call to the set forges friendships surprisingly quickly. Sitting around in 1980s attire with 21st century iPhones and overcoats provided a curious juxtaposition of different eras. The large team of extras were well looked after. I was pleasantly surprised by the food served by the on-set catering team too. The menu differed each day, and provided a variety of different dishes along with a plethora of beverages, desserts and cheese and biscuits (on my filming day I went for spinach and feta cheese quesadillas which were delicious). I also found myself drinking excessive amounts of tea; whether it was to maintain the caffeine boost from the early starts or simply pass the time - not even I could be sure.

The hospital scene was filmed on a set built at Ramsgate airport, but there was

a couple of other scenes I was called for, that were filmed in Margate. The first was in a cinema on the seafront built to capture the 80s aesthetic. It was classic art deco, with impressive Grecian pillars and marbled stairways, and the red curtains that were typical of theatres of the day. Many of us extras were paired up as couples going on a date night to the cinema, others were grouped into friends, and there were some older extras who sat alone.

The props team even handed us the classic popcorn buckets, which were refilled with Sainsbury's popcorn after every take. The scene we watched was a scene from the 1980 comedy film Stir Crazy starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. By the time we wrapped, we all knew every detail of that scene start to finish. Needless to say, watching a film in a cinema as an extra for a film was probably one

of the most meta things I've ever done. The other scene was shot right in the heart of Margate's Dreamland; a reopened fairground with rides, arcades, and a roller disco. This was the most enjoyable scene I participated in. The scene they were filming was a living, breathing fairground. There were extras on rides, running fairground stalls, and real ice cream and candy floss stalls. It was a busy scene with a lot of extras present; from groups of intimidating skinheads smoking to families and school children on a day out. (At my extra ‘interview’ I was asked if I would be willing to have my head shaved and smoke – I politely declined both!) Despite the large scale of the set, it was the closest I'd been to the main actors. One scene even involved Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward going around a spinning ride, which made me think acting must be one of the best jobs ever. I was assigned to run a coconut shy in the background of one scene; with an army of 80s school kids ruthlessly smash ing coconuts in between takes. At one point one of the youngest extras got upset because he didn't win a prize on a stall as it wasn't real: the wonderful

Olivia Colman stepped and picked out a prize for him herself. There was such a positive energy on set that day. The sun was shining, the rides were rolling, and I don't think I'll get through so much candy floss in one day ever again.

Being an extra on such a major movie was a unique and exciting experience. If the opportunity arises, I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in filmmaking or films in general. The job requires a lot of patience, as you spend long days waiting around to be called, or even wondering if you'll be called at all. Regardless of whether your scene is in the final cut, being able to observe the film-making process first hand is a valuable and rewarding experience, and one that has only expanded my passion for cinema. It has forever changed my perspective on the process of movie production, and I would certainly be up for getting paid for lying in a fake hospital bed again reading a Star Wars

Cosy games to keep you company through the long cold nights

By Isobel Logie Women’s Issues Correspondent

Being at university is a full-on and hectic experience and many of us try to find escapism through games. A lot of people in the game community see the phrase ‘cosy games’ and instantly lose interest as it may seem childish or boring. But honestly, sometimes what’s needed is a break from the fast pace of studies and a softer and lighthearted activity. This short list has some of the best cosy games out there, whether you like action, storytelling or music, hopefully this will help inspire your next night in.

Hades (Playstation, Xbox, Switch and PC)

Hades was justifiably made game of the year in 2020. Based on Greek mythology, in this indie game, you try to escape the underworld as the son of

Hades, fighting souls with the aid of other Greek gods. While this doesn’t sound typically cosy, Hades is way more than just a fighting game. Not only does it have a really interesting storyline, but there’s also fishing, romance and even a decorating system included. The world design, and super cool (and attractive) looking character designs, combined with the amazing soundtrack, make this a perfect game for escapism if you like a challenge.

game is surprisingly difficult unless you have a good sense of rhythm. It can take a while to get used to the controls but once you do, you can fully enjoy the amazing original soundtrack and fun levels.

Potion Permit (Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC)

what’s better than starting a whole new life?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC)

Melatonin (Switch, PC)

Melatonin is a pastel rhythm game released in 2022 combining dreams and lofi beats. This is another indie game that’s great for killing time. Each night has different dreams about areas of life ranging from dating to food and a corresponding music game. Much like other rhythm games, each level has multiple difficulties to add even more gameplay and challenge. While the visuals are pretty and cutesy, this

Potion Permit is Stardew Valley with a potion-making twist. In this 2022 game, you play as an alchemist who has travelled from the big city to a small town to help the villagers with their illnesses and much more. As you play through the game you get to know the villagers and become a part of the community by curing illnesses, taking on part-time jobs and working on village projects. Much like other RPGs, you can design your character, house and start romances. If escapism is something you need, then

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is another game that absolutely deserved to win Game of the Year (2015) and if you’ve watched the Netflix series Witcher may feel familiar. You play as Geralt trying to find the child of prophecy and fighting monsters along the way.

Much like Hades, this may not sound like a cosy game due to the fighting (and gore) in the gameplay, but this open world is definitely suited to a relaxing night in.

Witcher 3 has no time deadlines, you can go through the game at your own pace. Whether you want to spend time collecting plants for potions, complete mini-quests for villagers or simply exploring the beautiful landscapes, the game offers so much for a calming experience.

The final game on the list is One Night Stand, released in 2016. In this charming indie game, you play as a man who wakes up after a one-night stand with memory loss, trying to piece together

Life is and similar games, this is mainly a point-and-click with a choice of responses to say to the woman you have woken up with. There are multiple endings that can be reached based on the decisions you make, and a photograph is taken after each one is reached. Since this game requires little action and has soft visuals it’s a peaceful play-through and a change of pace.

One night stand 2016 (PC, Switch, Playstation, Xbox)

Image courtesy of Gareth Griffiths

Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Image courtesy of CD Projekt RED

Image courtesy of Supergiant Games

Image courtesy of Half Asleep Games

Image courtesy of MassHive Media

Image courtesy of Ratalaika Games

Gulbenkian

What's On...

Film:

Avatar: The Way of Water

Fri 20 - Tue 24 January 2023

Corsage

Mon 23 - Wed 25 January 2023

NT Live: The Crucible

Thu 26 January 2023

A Man Called Otto

Fri 27 January - Wed 1 February 2023

Relaxed Screening: Strange World

Sat 28 January 2023

I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Sat 28 January - Thu 2 February 2023

2FT: Matilda The Musical Singalong

Sat 28 January - Thu 2 February 2023

An evening of silent cinema with live piano by Stephen Horne

Sat 4 February 2023

ROH: The Barber of Seville (Live)

Wed 15 February 2023

NT Live: Othello

Thu 23 February 2023

Live Events:

Chinese New Year Gala

Mon 23 January 2023

TICK, TICK... BOOM!

Sun 29 - Mon 30 January 2023

Hamlet Wed 1 - Thu 2 February 2023

Russell Howard and Friends

Fri 3 - Sat 4 February 2023

Rhymes LIVE! Sun 5 February 2023

Kenan Malik - The Story of Race: White Supremacy to Identity Politics

Tue 7 February 2023

The Marian Consort: Singing in Secret

Fri 10 February 2023

Funny Rabbit Comedy Club: Neil McFarlane & Dave Bailey

Fri 10 February 2023

Fairport Convention

Sat 11 February 2023

Riopy + Adam Naas

Sat 11 February 2023

The Mithras Trio

Sun 19 February 2023

Egyptians Wed 22 - Sat 25 February 2023

EGYPTIANS

David Greig, after Aeschylus

In Argos, a city destroyed by war, the victorious Egyptians demand their prize, the pretext for their invasion: the hands of the fifty refugee daughters of Danaos who have once before escaped their grip. As the mass wedding draws near strange omens, a grieving widow and a mysterious priestess prove bleak portents for what is to come. Who will finally prevail?

Featuring a magnetic community chorus of young men and set to a haunting original score, this is an epic drama, performed for the first time in two and half thousand years…

The creative team behind the acclaimed production of Aeschylus’ The Suppliant Women reunite with sequel Egyptians, performing at Gulbenkian Arts Centre for its UK premiere.

The production is a vibrant and dramatic reconstruction of this lost tragedy, brought to life through painstaking archaeological research, academic expertise, and a unique creative process. The show has been developed through a series of workshops, exploring and developing the text, movement and music of the play, approximating the process of Aeschylus and his contemporaries in ancient Athens. In the UK, this archaeologically-engaged production has been provided a home by Gulbenkian Arts Centre, whilst research and development has been international in scope, including a development trip to Egypt last year which saw the creative team working with El Warsha Theatre Company in Cairo and the Centre for Stick Arts in Mallawi.

Wild Yak & The Foreign Office

“A timeless, fantastical production of colour, song, and movement”

The best ways to keep yourself warm and cosy this winter

By Harriet Scarfe Women's Issues Correspondent

Have you been freezing through December and forgot that winter continues and stays cold till February? Has the crippling despair of not being able to afford heating affected your mental state? This handy listicle should help! Next time you feel the icy hand run down your spine why not pick one to try- you’ll feel 120% better <3

Open a heated oven and take turns huddling

This is a sure way to stay toasty. Take turns with your housemates huddling round the oven like scouts. Why not bring snacks and share campfire stories?

Keep your laptop or console of choice on your pillow (BEWARE FIRE RISK)

This one has been tried and tested with a 100% success rate to keep your face warm and give you a great night's sleep.

Sit in the dryer and get someone to press start

A fun and practical way to keep yourself snug. You could even bring in a blanket that needs drying and it will be a twoin-one.

Make a blanket out of dryer lint to reduce waste and keep cosy

Do you ever feel bad for binning all that dryer lint? Well if you know how to crochet this will no longer be an issue. Simply gather a large amount of lint and create an eco-friendly blanket. Be careful not to spill anything on it however as it may disintegrate.

Put a guinea pig on each hand for some organic hand warmers

Much like the third suggestion on the list, this will also require consent from all involved or there may be issues.

For a vegan option simply microwave your favourite lettuce and to make some cute green mittens

You can even use a mixture of lettuces to add a patchwork effect!

Just don’t be cold?

Be better.

*Disclaimer* InQuire does not condone stealing ;)

Dread Poets Society: The return of Ben Hefner

By Reed Brooks Never left Templeman

Some students spend so much time studying for exams they don't even have time to relax and enjoy life. One such student was so desperate to get into their dream university that they glued their eyes open while studying so that they wouldn't miss a single fact in their textbook.

Other students have been known to try extreme tactics in order to get ahead, such as forming study groups with imaginary friends or drinking can after can of energy drinks to help them stay focused and energised. Some students even go as far as developing sleeping disorders to make sure they don't miss a single study session.

Classroom environments have also become intensely competitive, with some students seeing their peers more as competitors than classmates. They go out of their way to one-up each other in every little thing. It's gotten to the point that some students go so far as to keep score, tallying up points for every academic achievement.

But Ben Hefner was different. He cared little for studying or being an academic weapon, but he was fiercely competitive. Wherever there was a chance to prove his greatness, he would demonstrate it with ease. So Ben did what he knew best and staged a fierce rivalry between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. Their battles included everything from prank wars to sabotaging lectures.

Use a cat as a scarf

Both parties will have to consent for this one but providing the cat likes you it should be a win-win scenario.

Steal from your neighbour

In this economy, we can’t afford knitwear?! Each time you visit your neighbour ‘borrow’ a few items of warm clothing and eventually you’ll have a whole outfit.

A Resolution for the New Year

By Meryl Cheep Holding me hostage until

published

What I’m most excited about doing in 2023 is finally catching and destroying that bird that keeps following me on campus. Their species must remain anonymous - not that I fear the possibility of being sued, but simply because I don't know what it is.

You might think your dog at home is barking at nothing. You may think your cat runs into the sliding glass door

because he’s a little dumb. What you don’t know is that birds, the scourge of the skies, are taunting your pets. They’re taunting us all. They think they’re so cool with their wings and so called ‘gift’ of flight? No way, not on my watch. That’s their story, and they’re sticking to it.

Birds are evil creatures. I'm adamantly sure that if there existed human versions of them, they would be the kind that fill you with horror and dread.

I’ve been chasing this one bird near the Gulbenkian for a while now after it

flew down and landed upon my shoulder, then swiftly began carving its beak into my neck. Since then, I've had a vendetta against it to make sure I can give it a piece of my mind, but it always finds a way to escape me. Too convenient if you ask me. There’s always a secret and I’m getting to the bottom of it; no way is a bird going to ruin 2023.

University of Kent does not condone acts of vengeance of any kind, winged predator or not.

The two universities declared war in an epic clash that would be settled in a duel of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Little did they know that Ben Hefner was considered one of the greatest players that the sport had ever known. His name was a name that went down in history.

But Ben Hefner is a man of honour above all else. He felt it too unfair to settle the great rivalry he had ignited with a fight that he would surely win. He decided the battle should be fought with giant foam hands, ensuring no sneaky tactics could be employed and that everyone in sight would be able to witness the greatest clash of humanity since The Calamity.

When the dust settled, both sides came out victorious and declared a draw - with each side emerging with a new-found respect for their opponents.

The students all went their separate ways having learned that although competition can be fierce, it's important to remember that ultimately, everyone is working towards the same goal and should support each other in the process. Through the experience of friendly rivalry, they also gained a deeper appreciation for hard work and the importance of having a good attitude when striving for success.

Ah yes, but what happened to Ben Hefner - the student who started it all? His legacy didn't end there. After the final RockPaper-Scissors battle, he was banned from both universities for his part in instigating the rivalry in the first place.

Ben Hefner eventually became a YMCA worker, now telling the story of his experience to students as a reminder to never give up and to never be afraid to take risks in pursuit of their dreams.

Nan courtesy of Haddenham

BE PREPARED: THE FOG IS COMING

researcher into the fog, had frustrations about his research forecasting the threatening and enigmatic weather anomaly.

He said: “I find it so funny when athletes sign these long contracts. Oh, you’ll be playing for the Yankees in 2031? Buddy the fog is gonna consume us all in 2027. The fog is coming. The fog is coming.”

According to Boyle’s research group, known as Weather Report, the origin point of the fog will be 26.395348193316°N -114.778567450876°W – just off the Western coast of Mexico. This includes an expansion rate of 15x10^8 metres per second, which is five times the speed of light.

Boyle added: “Earth’s governing body will soon be a sentient cloud.”

point for the fog to emerge.

Thomas Adachi, of Kent Police, has urged locals to keep calm amidst growing concerns that government officials are not addressing the fog issue with enough severity.

Adachi said: “At the first sight of fog, or if you hear a loud siren, please stay inside and make sure all doors and windows are closed and fastened tightly. If you continue to see any kind of fog-like apparitions or shadowy creatures, then contact the Fog Enforcement Squad immediately for extraction.”

The fog walker is now among us, and within their wake lies our salvation. Such is the time of the Great Harvest.

We as a species has lived for so long that we’ve run out of things to do, and things to create. Everything has been done before, and it will be done again in the future, for better or for worse.

But tell me, do you think there’s a possibility that somebody has lived, is living, or will live, your exact life? Or worse, have they lived that life better than you ever could?

By Foggy Nelson Seeker of truth

To InQuire readers new and old, the Satire section wishes you

the happiest of New Year greetings. 2023 will definitely be the year that Kent Sport start accepting direct debits. Possibly.

Nevertheless, the advent of a new

year signifies the fast-approaching deadline in which the fog will arrive. That’s right – the fog is coming.

Meteorologist Jack Boyle, an early

There is currently no understanding of the cause of the fog, or it’s source. However, some conspiracy theorists believe radiation from television screens could be a prime source and entry

SATIRE SHORTIES

By Kieran Webb Satire Editor

Time is a wheel and we are but specks in it’s wake. You can be one with the fog. Just embrace the fog. It is your last resort. Turn to the fog.

The fog is coming

The Satire Shorties segment returns this issue, showcasing some short, satirical, and outright bizarre stories that should give you a laugh or two. Enjoy!

RIP PELE: THE BRAZILIAN KING OF FOOTBALL DIES AT THE AGE OF 82

and win the tournament.

Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world, current and former players, managers, pundits, corporations, and more. Many both in and outside of football spoke about Pele’s kindness and generosity, including presidents and world leaders who all expressing fond memories; former US president Barack Obama, for example, met with the player several times and regarded him as ‘one of the most recognisable athletes in the world’ who ‘understood the power of sport’.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola paid his respects, reinforcing the idea that Pele truly revolutionised the way we look at football, adding: ‘Before him (the) number 10 was just a number, after him everyone wants to be a number 10.’

Neymar, who drew level on goals with Pele during the World Cup, expanded on this in his heartfelt tribute, adding that before Pele football was ‘just a sport’, but has since received increased visibility and is now a form of ‘art and entertainment’ which gives ‘voice to the poor’. Meanwhile, in-form Norwegian striker Erling Haaland offered an effective quote and suggested that, of every great moment performed by any player, ‘Pele did it first’.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was under continued scrutiny during the World Cup, was present at Pele’s state funeral and additionally made headlines following a unique reaction to the news, which has split opinions. In honour of the players legacy, he asked for every country to name one of their stadiums after Pele, with a handful of stadiums having agreed so far. Perhaps as a concrete way for future generations to become aware of the player, who FIFA have consistently labelled ‘the greatest ever’.

Regardless of anyone's knowledge of football or sport, the name ‘Pele’ will hopefully be familiar in some capacity. The Brazilian was seen as a global figure as a player as well as after his retirement and crossed paths with many world leaders, presidents and more; the likes of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and the late Queen Elizabeth. We hear often of footballing ‘legends’, but in my opinion no player is really deserving of that title more than the ‘King of Football’ himself, Pele.

MIGHTY MICHAEL WINS PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

By Reuben Flewitt Sports Writer

England’s Michael Smith defeated Dutch three-time champion Michael Van Gerwen to win his

Despite being the underdog to the perennial Van Gerwen who last lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy in 2019, Smith became world champion for the first time in his career, hitting a fantastic ninedart finish in the process.

The 32-year-old from St Helens is now the number one ranked player in the world as a result of his victory which he said would ‘never be topped’ in his career. ‘Even if I win a second, it will never top the way I’ve just felt then.’

Van Gerwen came into the final with 14 straight wins, having coasted through the quarter and semi-finals without losing a set. When he took the opener of the final, it looked as if Smith was in for an extremely tough night.

In possibly the greatest leg of darts played, the third leg of the second set opened with a 180 and 177 from Van Gerwen with Smith replying with two maximums. Van Gerwen then hit two treble 20s, but missed the double 12 to win the leg.

By Sam Leah Sport Writer

Over the holiday break we were hit with the sombre news that legendary Brazilian footballer Pele had passed away at the age of 82 after a battle with illness. He remains, at time of writing, Brazil’s joint leading goal scoring and world record-holding goal scorer, with 1,279 goals from 1,363 games. Stats aside, he was truly a revolutionary player, with his playing style visibly present in some of the game’s current top players, emphasising the standard he set in world football.

His death has surely been felt within the English game, something which Pele has no doubt influenced. A week of fixtures were preceded by a minute’s silence, and players wore black armbands in respect. Several Brazilian players now playing in the English Premier League were sure to pay their own personal respects: during the minute's silence for their games, Manchester United winger Antony wore a shirt that read ‘Rest in peace, Pele’ in Portuguese while Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães wore a signed

His influence was shown among several English league managers, too, for example Sir Alex Ferguson, who Pele himself regarded as his ‘coaching idol’. Sir Alex remained full of support for him, regularly calling Pele ‘the best player of all time’.

Pele has produced a bursting archive of footballing talent, made the game look truly easy, and all throughout remained sportsmanlike and respectable on the pitch, always inspiring those around him. His playing style would coin the idea of ‘the beautiful game’ and has made the sport desirable and enjoyable to an entirely new audience.

He achieved his fair share of glory across his career as well, most notably his three World Cup titles. The story goes that a nine-yearold Pele ran into his living room, his father in tears at the result of Brazil’s loss to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final. This was the first time he had seen anyone cry at a football match. Pele, there and then, promised his father he would bring the World Cup to his native Brazil, and eight years later, a 17-yearold Pele did just that, becoming at the time the youngest player to participate in, score in,

Smith stepped up to the oche and nailed a 141 checkout, hitting only the second ever nine-dart finish in a World Championship final, and causing pundit Wayne Mardle to be forced away from the microphone after losing his voice in a passionate commentary.

Smith said: ‘I was hitting 180, 180 in practice and missing so I thought I would give the crowd what they deserve. I got a magical nine and it was good.’

Smith took the seventh, eighth and ninth sets to go up 6-3, needing just one more for victory. Despite Van Gerwen taking the tenth, Smith held on and won the championship in the eleventh.

Van Gerwen said: ‘He played really well. Of course I had my chances, I was playing not too well in the last few sets, but you can only blame yourself for that.’

In a match that saw a nine-dart finish, 37 180s, averages of over 100 for both men, and a new champion, fans and pundits alike are saying the 30th World Championship final was the greatest yet.

Pele jersey.

first World Professional Darts Championship, in the 7-4 win at Alexandra Palace.

Image courtesy of Sven Simon

Image courtesy of Birmingham Mail

Image courtesy of ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX

Image courtesy of AFP

ENGLAND DEFEAT PAKISTAN IN T20 TRIUMPH DOWN UNDER

ODI World Cup win on home soil, some feared England would enter another period of tournament anguish after Morgan’s retirement. They feared the return of timid white ball play with no hope.

However, the appointment of wicket keeper Jos Buttler to captain, and former Kent captain Robert Key as managing director has been a revelation.

So, does English white ball greatness beckon? Key certainly believes it’s possible.

Key told Sky Sports: ‘if they keep winning trophies then they could be one of the best we've seen- certainly one of the best cricket teams and one of England's better sporting teams’.

White ball coach Matthew Mott echoed Key’s ambitions to capture more trophies when interviewed by Nasser Hussein.

‘That's what we're about at the moment. World Cups are what you play for.

‘In terms of aspiring to be great, that's definitely the journey that we want to go on.’

What is undeniable is that this England side has already put their name in the hat for greatest white ball side by being the first to hold both World Cups as the same time.

The other teams that are generally accepted as the greatest are the West Indies team who won the first two ODI World Cups in the 1970s, and the Australians who won three consecutive tournaments between 1999 and 2007. All these were before the introduction of the T20 World Cup, however.

By Reuben Flewitt Sport Writer

England beat Pakistan in the final of the T20 World Cup on the 13th of November to become the first team to hold the 50-over and T20 World Cups simultaneously.

In a relatively low-scoring final, England chased down Pakistan’s score of 137/8 in 19 overs.

With excellent bowling figures like Sam Curran’s 3/12 and Ben Stokes’ formidable maiden T20 fifty, England won the competition for the second time, first lifting the trophy in 2010.

But how did they get there?

England found themselves in Group 1 with Afghanistan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, with their opener coming against Afghanistan.

In a run chase that they left later than they should have, England escaped Perth with an unconvincing win for a team that had been tipped as favour-

ites to win it all.

They lost their second match in a shortened affair against Ireland. The game was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (DLS) which handed Ireland the win. In similar unfortunate fashion in the most exciting game of the group, England vs hosts Australia, was rained off.

England needed a statement win after a rocky start and that’s exactly what they produced against the Kiwis, winning by 20 runs. In their final match versus Sri Lanka, England chased down 141 to finish second in the group behind New Zealand. Even though both teams had seven points, the Kiwis took top spot with a better net run rate.

The T20 World Cup is a relatively exclusive tournament with only 12 teams competing. The top two from each group advance to the two semi-finals before the final.

India and Pakistan finished first and second in Group 2, meaning England would face the Indians

in the semi-final, whilst New Zealand and Pakistan would fight it out for the other place in the final.

In probably the most impressive batting performance of the tournament, England knocked off India’s impressive 168 without losing a wicket in just 16 overs in the second semi-final, reaffirming their label as tournament favourites.

In yet another run chase, England won the final by five wickets denying Pakistan, who had defeated New Zealand previously, their first tournament win since 2009. England had four players in the team of the tournament, the most of any nation, and now have the joint most tournament wins with the West Indies.

Sam Curran’s 3/12 in the final earned player of the final and tournament honours.

But what comes next for extraordinary England’s white ball team?

After the major overhaul undertaken by Captain Eoin Morgan that culminated in England’s 2019

With defences of both titles coming up in the next two years, Butler’s men will have the chance to further their credentials for the best ever. With the structure constructed by the ECB, England certainly have the depth of talent and resources to challenge for at least next five years.

However, tournament cricket can be unpredictable. Despite having the largest pool of talent in the cricketing world, India have not won an ICC tournament since 2011. Where England fall behind in the talent pool, they more than make that up in investment and resources dedicated to cricket development.

But the changes over the last eight years in the way England play white ball cricket is enough to give fans hope that the team has a credible chance to forge a limited overs dynasty alongside the revolution the test side is bringing to that format of the game.

LAS VEGAS THE NEW HOME OF F1 IN THE USA

By William Jenkins Sport Writer

The famous Star-Spangled Banner has begun waving over Formula One. The revealing of a Grand Prix in Las Vegas has left drivers like Daniel Ricciardo with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon. From the tried and tested Circuit of the Americas in Texas to the new party-loving city of Miami, Formula 1 has continued to make its mark in the USA despite fierce motorsport competition which saw organizers having to battle to enter the US market since the early 1960’s. But more than sixty years of expeditions into the US have finally borne fruit. Moving into 2023, three races will be held in the US, now including the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas.

From the birth of F1, when middle-aged men risked their lives in cars that rode on ice-skates, to the modern turbo-hybrid era, the sport has always dipped its toes into the American motorsport world. Institutions such as NASCAR and IndyCar had the country wrapped around their fingers. With the marketing of American men driving American cars around American tracks perfected, it left Formula 1 stuck in the mud.

From Phoenix to Detroit, and even an early attempt at a race in Vegas during the early 1980’s, F1 has tried to break into the US market. Yet, the races did not bring in big enough crowds to justify the cost of hosting a Grand Prix. Success

was found briefly in Long Beach, California from 1976-1983in what became the ‘Monaco Grand Prix of the United States’. Legends such as Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet took victory here. Nevertheless, Chris Pook, the race organizer for the event, decided that the American IndyCar would better use his money, pulling the plug on F1’s short stint in the sun.

F1 tried again in the early 2000’s when Bernie Ecclestone, former CEO of the F1 Group, tried to feed the Indy Car-loving fans in Indianapolis with a new brand of motor sport. Fans may remember the track due to the 2005 tyre controversy, where only six cars entered the race due to safety concerns over Michelin runners. But the first race drew a massive crowd of around 200,000 people, proving the venture a worthy risk. But yet again, F1 failed to make the Indianapolis GP a permanent fixture of the F1 calendar, ending the Grand Prix in 2007 due to the cost of hosting the race. Whilst short-lived, Indianapolis did have a lasting impact on the US fans.

F1 finally cemented its presence in the States with the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), which has now been the home of American Grand Prix racing for 10 years. The American fan has now created a bond with the magnificent racing often on display. 2022 attendance of 440,000 surpassed the previous year's attendance mark of 400,000, highlighting the expeditious growth of F1 in the states. COTA’s executive chairman,

2022 also saw the first ever Miami Grand Prix. Surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium, the venue included a trackside swimming pool and a fake marina filled with million-dollar yachts. Celebrities flocked like sheep to be a part of the show, as did the quarter of a million people, who hoped to get their hands on one of only 80,000 tickets available. With tickets having been re-sold for a princely sum of $2000, the Miami Grand Prix became a prestigious event and a ‘must see’ for any motor sport fan. Formula 1 had begun soaring over the home of the Bald Eagle. They had finally got the eyes of the American spectators. However, this wasn’t the main introduction for many in the US The dramatized blockbuster Netflix documentaries, Drive to Survive, which merged Formula 1 and reality TV together, followed the drivers and teams throughout the racing season. Now on its fourth season, it has become a flagship series for the sport. According to a Morning Consult survey, people in the states who considered themselves fans of the sport rose 33% in the years after DTS was released. Following the first season of the Netflix series, average viewers rose to almost 1 million on channels such as ESPN; 39% higher than in the previous season. Across five different motor sports, including F1 and IndyCar, NASCAR had the smallest percent

growth rate in the first two years of DTS being released. F1 has Netflix to thank for helping the sport crack America.

Looking to the future, the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023 is expected to be one of the biggest and best events in world sport. With certain hotels creating weekend packages worth $5million, it is likely to be an unforgettable Grand Prix. The track will extend down the famous Vegas strip as the cars glisten in the bright lights. The move for more venues in the US is supported especially by the new F1 American owners Liberty Media. In fact, there are now more American venues than any other country next year. Las Vegas and F1 will need to make sure they mix a great weekend with fantastic racing, as that is what makes the perfect cocktail for an F1 fan.

It may have taken F1 many years to finally enter the American motor sport world, however, when it did, they took every available opportunity. Not only does F1 now hold a firm position in the USA, but vice versa. America’s position within the sport seems to be the strongest. The venues are the most attractive and likely to receive the most money. Celebrities and influencers won’t go to Monza, they’ll go to Miami. The shift in culture today and modernization is being mirrored in Formula 1’s progression into America. It may be the most important step forward for the sport in a long time.

Bobby Epstein, explained how Austin won’t ‘have the celebrity or the glitz and glamour’, but will ‘keep the focus on the fans and the sport’.

Image courtesy of Sky Sports

WALKING IN A WONDERFUL WINTER WORLD CUP

By Joe Crossley Sports Editor

The words of Sam Matterface as England as Harry Kane’s penalty soared over the crossbar as France stopped the “It’s Coming Home” parade. England were out of yet another World Cup semi-final despite the heroic effort and fight of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions. Yet the fact England were out, football fans' eyes were still glued to the screens, and it was clear to see why.

Qatar 2022 was a spectacular sporting event. A melody of marvellous football that didn't stop producing moments of magnificence throughout its month-long run.

The Brazil vs. Croatia game summed up what this World Cup was all about. With the weight of 214 million Brazilian prayers on his shoulders, the veteran Paris Saint-Germain and Brazilian centre back Marquinhos struck the ball true in the penalty shootout. But it was Croatian dreams of back-toback World Cup semi-finals that had been realised, as the ball ricocheted against the frame of the net. Brazil were out.

But it was not only the Brazilians who fell victim

to the David vs Goliath narrative. Qatar 2022 was a World Cup full of upsets, from eventual victors Argentina losing their opening game to Saudi Arabia, to Japan defeating the European heavyweights of both Spain and Germany. Morocco's run to the semi-final was simply a joy to watch for the neutral spectator, a team whose hard work and talent overcame Spain and Portugal before being defeated by runners-up France.

Whilst the heroics of the so called ‘lesser’ footballing nations took our hearts, it was the traditional powerhouses of World football that took centre stage for the grand finale of holders France and now three-time champions Argentina. This was the final of so many stories and narratives.

There was Lionel Messi’s redemption arc from the 2014 final loss to Germany, and his cementing as the greatest player of all time. The little magician was easily the stand-out player of the tournament, earning himself the Golden Ball award.

Then there was the Messi vs Kylian Mbappe story arc. Was this Mbappe’s chance to take the torch from Messi and take football forward into 2023 as the best player on the planet?

Unfortunately for him, he was let down by two of his teammates’ penalty misses, and the heroics of Argentina sh*thouser Emiliano Martínez. And yet Mbappe’s hat-trick, which included two penalties and an outrageous volley was only the second hat-

trick to be scored in a World Cup final after Geoff Hurst’s in 1966, told the footballing world that he was the talent who would take over from his PSG teammate Messi.

Qatar 2022 took the footballing world by storm, despite the decade of condemnation and questions that had been posed to not only FIFA for voting for the Arab nation to host the World Cup, but to the nation itself. These have been widely discussed by almost every media organisation in the world: the human rights issues, the armbands, the fan experience, and whether it was right for Qatar to be the hosts despite the lack of footballing infrastructure in the small country. And still, as soon as the matches kicked off, the football spoke for itself. The allegations of human rights violations will not go away, neither will the finger pointing by western pundits, wrongly or rightly. But what can be said, despite everything, Qatar 2022, from a footballing standpoint clearly delivered entertainment to millions of football fans across the world that will go down in footballing folklore.

By Sam Leah Sports Writer

The final of the Qatar World Cup might go down as the best game of football ever seen. It had so many positives; true end-to-end

competitiveness and pure talent on display. Both teams had equal amounts of talent headed by their own star players, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe respectively, you truly never knew which way the game would turn next. It was the fairy-tale ending for Argentina and Messi, who can finally tick off the World Cup on his ever-growing list of silverware. Despite being on the losing side, Mbappe has reminded us why he is one of the brightest talents in world football right now, as part of a France team who showed their quality in depth despite entering the tournament with several key injuries.

My Netherlands prediction wasn’t too far off, as they would eventually bow out to the champions Argentina in the quarter finals. The game between the two iconic footballing nations ended up being one of the highlights of the tournament; a late equaliser in the form of a clever free kick routine by Wout Weghorst to give the Dutch a sliver of hope, only to be narrowly bested in a penalty shootout. Outside of that game they had an otherwise pristine record, an unbeaten group stage and a comfortable victory against the USA in the Round of 16. Overall, Argentina capped off a perfect 2022 with a Copa America victory and the nation’s first World Cup in almost 40 years, and while controversy surrounding the host nation will always shroud the 2022 World Cup, the football on display was nothing short of tremendous.

“It’s Kane

“And it’s blasted over the bar “It’s heartbreak for the England Captain”

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