Transitions Magazine by InQuire Media

Transition Between Academia and Industry • Holly McPhillips The Blonde Myth • Elle Summers River Medway Speaks with InQuire • Jake Yates-Hart Coming

InQuire

Magazine

A Transgender Experience at University at Kent • Nathan Collins-Cope Deadly Standoff: Russia and the USA Compete for Power • Various Authors Poetic

Transitions • Various Authors Kent Union Election Night 2022 • Alex Charilaou Art in Transition • Juliette Moisan The

Down Canterbury: a Pointless Existence • Greasy Jim Porkins Sport stands together in support of Ukraine • Sam Leah

Why I’m a Socialist: Interview with Eric Segal Tarini Tiwari

Drag Race’s River Medway speaks to InQuire Jake Yates-Hart

A Transgender Experience at Kent Nathan Collins-Cope

The MCU: a small-screen success? Rhona Lonergan

“Dear Men...” Amber Lennox

Coming Down in Canterbury Greasy Jim Porkins, Restauranteur

A Sacred Space Nathan Collins-Cope

Nadine Dorries’ A Girl Called Elinora Review Juniper Jaffercake, First Lady of McVitty

Deadly Standoff Maren Sass & Sophia Lüneburg

Newcastle’s Rebirth & Sports for Ukraine Samuel Leah

Analysing US Gun Laws Sam Webb

Puzzles

A Flight to Catch Hannah Rose

Poetic Transitions Various Authors

Persian Poetics Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh

The Benefits of a Plant Based Diet Grace Bishop

Travelling to Dubai Laurice Janielle

The Blonde Myth Elle Summers

Protecting your Skin Against the Sun Katie Daly

Kent Union Election Night Alex Charilaou

From One Second to the Next Johnathan Guy

The Transition From Academia to Industry Holly McPhillips

Art in Transition Juliette Moisan

A Beginner’s Guide to African Literature Rashida Hassan

A Candle in the Wind Clara Dayan

his has been a busy year to make a newspaper. Lurching from pandemic to strikes to a cost of living crisis - alongside the constant hum of climate crisis and a resurgent, creeping authoritarianism - has made the 2020s a pretty newsworthy couple of years. There’s always been something to write about; a fact that’s proved at some times useful, and at others daunting. The theme of transitions for this year’s magazine came out of a recognition (or hope, perhaps) that what we’re living through is a state of change, a transitionary period, going into something better. Juliette, our stupendously talented Magazine Designer, has done a wonderful job on our Transitions front page. We wanted to evoke the rich history of InQuire, a newspaper that’s had a fair few of its own transitions (and inKredibly, some not for the better). A few acknowledgements: this year’s papers wouldn’t have been possible without the wonderful InQuire team. My Editor-in-Chief and best friend Tarini, who has always been on hand and without whose support (logistically, editorially, emotionally) InQuire wouldn’t get made. Our Senior Designer and my predecessor, Rory, whose patience and support has been indispensible from day one. Our Newspaper Team, who have gone from strength to strength this year in their individual sections, and who I’ve been able to rely on to do their jobs with perseverance and good humour, even when it’s been tough. Our Website Editor, Jake, who’s steered the website through crisis and finally renewal calmly and astutely. Our Head of Photography & Design Ainy, who has always come to the rescue at the last minute, and Grace, who has rocked her various roles. And finally, Johnny: our Head of Technology, Science & Technology Editor and Deputy Newspaper Editor (more titles than a Slavic king). I cannot overstate how invaluable Johnny has been to me, and to the society. From building our website to making our front pages, he’s given his all. More than that, he’s been my rock, and I’ll always be grateful for his support. This year has been a blast, and I’m so thankful to all of you reading along. InQuire thrives on change, and I can’t wait to see what the next lot gets up to. Alex Charilaou, Newspaper Editor

Why I’m a Socialist: Interview with Eric Segal By Tarini Tiwari Editor-in-Chief arlier this year, I sat down with Eric Segal, secretary of the South East branch of the Trade Unions Council and Unite representative. A lifelong Kent resident, his story is deeply linked with that of the university, of the refugee movement into Dover, and socialist movements in the 20th and 21st centuries. Right now, with P&O having cut hundreds of jobs in Kent this March, the trade union movement could not be more important. “So, you became a union member at quite a young age, while you were a metal worker. Could you tell me around what time that was?” I asked. Eric laughed. “No, it was a long, long time ago, and, and my boss said, you know,

voice in the Labour Party. And I suppose you could say that things came to a head in the late 70s, early 80s. With the potential that the economy was going through a really bad time. People were moving into unions, there was a lot of strikes and so on, and the voice of the of the unions and of ordinary working people inside the Labour Party was becoming stronger and the potential for a Labour government was increasing. And my view is, and lot of people on the left’s view is, because of that, the employers or the bosses and ruling class were fearful of a Labour government. So, they began to try to exclude people from membership of the Labour Party, they tried to cut the working classes, the socialist voice within the Labour Party. And people like myself began to be expelled. You had the trade unions. The trade

ordinary people said now, ‘We’ve had enough. We’re not standing for it.’ Trade unions got involved. It was difficult. It was difficult because there was this issue of refusing to pay, which was breaking the law. But some unions, in particular Unison, they were campaigning to support people who couldn’t pay and so on. So, it became a generalised struggle.” Eric went on to talk about the anti-poll tax unions and meetings that took place nationwide. “In Kent it went right across, from Ramsgate to Tunbridge Wells. Tunbridge Wells was one of the biggest demonstrations in Kent and you never believe it because it’s like the posh part of the country. We organised these anti-poll tax meetings that were democratically set up, elected, you know, minuted and financed and everything else,

out of prison and lost my job. I was sacked. They said it was because of something else, but it was obviously because I’d been a prisoner and stuff. So, I went to the University of Kent, did my degree in Law. And then I worked in criminal law for about 10 years. And then I went on to the Refugee Legal Centre, which was a Home Office project, initially. There were problems with the refugees from Kosovo. And they decided to set up an office in Dover. There was a battle in Dover, one of the reasons that the Home Office set up the project was because there was a battle in Dover between some of the young working-class kids, you know, really poorly paid, and having a terrible time, and the refugees. There’d been some quite nasty fights between them. And I’d actually represented some of the Dover kids who’d been

if someone knocked on the door and said, I’m a union person, I’d like to talk to the people who work there, he would slam the door in their face and, and say ‘if anyone joins, I’ll send them out,’ and I was an apprentice, so I obviously had a mind of my own and I joined the union, but I don’t remember the exact time it was. Maybe 40, 45 years ago, something like that. And an apprenticeship is a very strong contract between the employer and the employee - if the firm goes bust, then the apprentices are the last to lose their job. But anyone can join a union. I mean, it doesn’t matter if it’s a unionised workplace or not. And that’s an important point.” Something I was very curious about was something Eric had said in the information he’d sent over to me before the interview, about the Labour Party. “At the time of you joining the union, you say that Labour Party policies really inspired young people to unionise and work with them. However, by the time you were arrested for refusing to pay poll tax, you were actually expelled from the Labour Party. So, what changed between those two periods?” “Well, the trade unions are a movement that grows and shrinks over time, and it was linked to the Labour Party, was an integral part of the Labour Party, had a very strong

unions lost their voice, and their weight within the Party. And there was a move to have a more rightwing leadership in the Labour Party, which was Tony Blair. So, I’d say that’s how it all changed.” Eric spoke before of being arrested when refusing to pay poll tax. I wanted to learn more about this moment in his life, but also asked him to explain for context what the poll tax dispute was. “The poll tax was a wealth transfusion from the poor to the rich. Initially, there was a means of collecting local taxes based on the size of your house, right. And the poll tax was a change, they wanted to tax the number of people in the house. So, you’d find that someone like Lord Clark, who’s got a castle up the road for me, right here, him and his wife, the amount that they were taxed would dramatically decrease by 1000s of pounds, right? Whereas friends of mine who’ve got to live in a council house, and maybe they got four or five kids, their tax would dramatically increase. So, the poll tax was a means, as I said, of transferring wealth from the poor to the rich... you’ve got to remember that this was right after the miners’ strike. And people were saying, ‘it’s a good idea but we’re going against Margaret Thatcher, you know, she went against the Argentinians, she beat the miners’ strike.’ But,

it was all democratically overseen. And the only thing that we specified was that if you were to take on a leadership role, then you had to be prepared not to pay and that meant that you had to go to prison. And I was one of those that said that I refuse to pay. I went to court and went to prison for 30 days. I think they took me all around Kent because they didn’t really want to put me in Canterbury Prison, which is actually now part of Christ Church University. And that was an experience as well, there was a demonstration outside the prison to get me out. And there were people inside that were supporting me. Even the prison officers, some of them were very good. Because they’re a part of a trade union as well, you see the Prison Officers Association. So, when I was released, I didn’t have to pay. I’ve never paid the poll tax.” “I want to talk a little bit about the refugee Legal Centre,” I asked, “because I think it’s, unfortunately, still a very relevant topic, the acceptance of refugees in the UK. And in Kent, obviously, more than any other county, it’s so relevant. Could you talk a little bit about your work there, but also what needs to be changing currently, in terms of the common mentalities around refugees?” “So, to bring it up to date, I got

arrested because of fights with refugees, and they came off worse, actually. I mean, why would you attack someone who had the guts and strength to travel all the way away from their country, cross the Channel and then come here, you know, I mean, these are people who aren’t to be reckoned with, aren’t they? They got courage. So anyway, I’ve got the job in the Refugee Legal Centre, I worked there for about 10 years, it was wonderful, it’s one of the most wonderful jobs there is. I’ve never been at a job where the staff or the workers would queue up, like half an hour before the place opened to start work. It was just brilliant. We prepared the statements and the forms, and interviewed people within a short space of time of them arriving in the in the UK. So for many of them, if everything was very sharp, in their memory, you know, the memory of what had happened to them, was very focused in their mind. So it was quite traumatic, not just for them, but also for us, you know.

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ransitions are a huge part of our existence. Life is full of them. They are more than just the period in between two states. The define us, shape us, point us in the right direction. University is a transition most readers face – a period in which many of us discover things we never knew about ourselves, uncover the prism of personality we view the world through. This was no different with Faye, a third year Biochemistry student who was nice enough to give me an hour of her time to get to know her, and her experience of transition. Faye intends to do a MSc at Kent in Reproductive Biology, and is currently working on a dissertation that involves “messing with the chromosomes”

I could dress however I wanted, and no one would have to see me. So, I was experimenting with clothes and makeup for ages, without ever leaving the house. And then realising I was trans, I slowly left the house presenting as a woman. It was really slow – it took over a month for me to leave the house, and that was just to the post box and back, with one of my friends helping me. It was terrifying! I was convinced everyone was going to stare daggers at me. I was so nervous” But Faye pushed on to become herself, against the feeling of a world pushing against her. Having an obvious sense of poetry, Faye changed her name on her 20th birthday. “People were messaging and writing to me on my birthday with well-

happy now?’ and I said with a smile ‘yes, thank you’. You get through it.” “In the support group, we were saying ‘at the end of the day, if they love you enough – they can adapt’. And then it’s about knowing who not to contact so much if they can’t accept the change, so as to keep yourself safe. If someone’s being really bad about it, you know to step away for a while, while they

on mice. “They found a way to make x-x mice (chromosomes which are associated with the female sex) with male genitals and x-y mice (usually male sex) with female”. She expressed her interest came in part from “being trans and all – because I have x-y but I want to be female”. We discussed the potential implications for humans, and the exciting future it could mean for trans people. Faye acknowledged with a laugh that mice are very different from humans, but that it was “a fun little project”. I asked her what being trans meant to her. “It’s not being the gender that you were assigned on your birth certificate. You can get a new birth certificate eventually, when all the paperwork is said and done after however many years” she told me. She refutes the idea that changing the gender on one’s birth certificate is ‘changing history’. “My birth certificate says I’m what, a couple kilograms – well, a lot’s changed since then!” I can’t help but laugh at this point. “It’s an update, isn’t it!” she said with a smile. “All the other things to do with bring trans are just extensions of that aspect.” She told me how living away from home at university helped her to realise she was transgender, especially during the lockdown period. “I found the long period of quarantine really useful, because I was able to experiment with clothes and stuff… no one was really ever going anywhere. As long as I had someone to open the door for post,

wishes, and I would reply ‘Thank you – it’s Faye now’. People were saying ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t write that in your birthday card’ but I told them ‘No it’s ok, I obviously didn’t tell you before’”. She expressed how supportive and accepting her friends had been, though said it hadn’t been straightforward with relatives. “The family weren’t so impressed. Everyone had written me a birthday card with my old name.” The name change seemed to be a contentious issue with Faye’s parents especially. “They had a lot of attachment to my old name, so there was a time when it was quite awkward. They would say stuff on a family group chat, like ‘I got your middle name from when your dad took us to this wrestling, and I really liked it and I cried’ – and I was like ok but it’s not my name anymore” she said with a roll of her eyes. She leant on a trans support group hosted out of a local church in Canterbury. “We were talking in the group while this was happening – because at the time it was pretty distressing going through all this – my parents and wider family dealing with my new name – was all quite stressful at the time. Obviously, I can look back and see ‘oh yeah it was just them dealing with the change in name, because it was a change for them as well” she said acquiescently. “Little things, like my grandad made it a bit of a thing to change my name on the contacts of his phone. And then when he finally did it, he was like ‘are you

deal with themselves – because it’s not your problem, it’s theirs. They are struggling to change, not you”. At the time when her ‘egg was cracking’, she was in constant contact with the Student

Photo by Faye

Wellbeing a n d Support services at Kent. F a y e told of how she was afraid to even get on a bus during the early stages, fearing the driver would turn her down. She praised the welfare officers for their reassurance, as they reminded her it wouldn’t happen, and if it did, it would be them in the wrong, not her. She was generally very happy with how much support she received from the university, whether through the welfare officer, her academic advisor (who didn’t recognise her on first meeting her post-coming out, but was incredibly supportive in helping her feel more confident in lectures, when she initially felt embarrassed and dysphoric about her voice), or the LGBTQ+ Society and Network. Although she is not active in the society, she appreciated their lobbying of Kent Union and the university for greater support, especially in

been

quite

lucky, a n d acknowledged that the world is still transitioning. “We’re getting there! It takes time, I guess. It’s only been a decade since marriage equality – who knows where we’ll be in another decade” The conversation moved on to the idea of gendered toilets, and how transgender women are often presented in a negative light when attempting to use female toilets. “Records show that ‘those’ types of men who sneak into the women’s toilets do so without dressing as women – it’s not a ‘creepy trans person’ sneaking into women’s toilets. Why are trans

supporting them” she said defiantly. This was in stark contrast to what the Canterbury MP, Rosie Duffield, had to say on the issue: ‘I also have feminist and gender critical beliefs which mean that whilst I’ve always fully supported the rights of all trans people to live

appointment with the place that is meant to be treating you. And that’s why it’s dangerous to say ‘maybe we should only let people who have a gender recognition certificate use the right facilities’ – well I could be transitioned for 5 years, l o o k

freely as they choose, I do not accept self-ID as a passport for male-bodied biological men to enter protected spaces for biological women’. Faye

nothing like a guy, and still be told to use the guys’ toilet, because I don’t have this certificate.

described the tweet as rough and

The devil’s in the detail.”

Newspaper News Editor

said that she’s always “suspicious” of gender critical groups like the LGB Alliance. “Anything that actively excludes trans people where they would otherwise be included is brow-raising. How can you be critical of something that people have no control over – there’s no ‘gay critical movement’ because it doesn’t work.” We reflected on how there was previously more of a movement against gay and lesbian people in the past, but they have since been widely accepted. We pointed out that it now seems to be the trans community taking the brunt of the abuse. The bathroom issue was not the only transgender problem that came up. It’s no secret that the NHS is bucking from the pressures of the pandemic, but the backlog trans people face trying to transition has gone on longer than that. She told me of how she has to wait a whole 5 years just to get an initial appointment with one of the seven associated clinics, then another 18 months for the second appointment. The clinic she is on the waiting list for serves the whole of the South East. She also must live for two years as a woman before getting the recognition on her birth certificate changed. “You could have lived 2 years in your gender without even getting a single

By Nathan Collins-Cope

people only allowed in the toilet they are assigned at birth… if we do assign toilets at birth”. We laugh. “As you do, on the birth certificate”, I say. Faye adds “yeah you can put it under the weight, as another thing that needs to be sure!”. A comparison was drawn by Faye with the US, and how people were dragging their feet on desegregated bathrooms during the Civil Rights Era. She noted that people were afraid of ‘creepy people’ of a different race sharing their toilets, and how people were horrified by that. “The same arguments are being made. Before they were worried about race, now they are worried about some trans person being bad”. Faye later acknowledged that BAME transgender people face even greater challenges. “LGBTQ+ people of colour face discrimination in more ways than white folk. That’s why I think the progress pride flag is so cool. It has a black and a brown stripe to represent (this)”. We agreed that it all seems to stem from stigmatisation, and an issue within people’s thought processes. “If you see a trans person using the toilet and you think ‘predator’, that’s transphobia isn’t it. You can’t not want trans people in the toilet of their gender and then say you support them. By saying that, you a r e not

o fr

A Transgender Experience at University of Kent

the recent election debates. She stressed the importance of taking that first step to reach out for help, which followed with expedience. Unfortunately, Faye has also experienced some negative aspects in relation to her transition. “It’s the little things that get you. The ones where you don’t think they would ruin another person’s day, but they do”. She told me of a time she was browsing a charity shop, when a store clerk asked politely asked her to use hand sanitiser. At this point, another store clerk said to the first ‘no, the guy already (used some)’. “Being misgendered really hits hard” she said with a sigh. “It throws you into self-doubt. If someone calls you a he when you use she/her, you suddenly think the rest of the day ‘well why did they get that impression?’ You put it on yourself, and you think ‘well maybe it’s coz I’m not passing or maybe it’s coz they heard me speak’”. She went on to tell of another incident, where after coming back from dinner with a friend, she crossed paths with an older man. He scowled at Faye (wearing a dress) and shouted, ‘what is that’ – “that was like ouch”. But Faye showed her characteristic resilience at this point. “Who knows, maybe they were talking about the massive hat I was wearing”. “You just have to deflect those types of comments, but on the day, it ruined me. I was in a nice dress and thought I looked all pretty, and then I had that bad experience”. Beyond that, she said she’d

“By treating this as something you have to go to a niche clinic for, it’s almost like you are treating it as a little-known disease”. She compared going to the GP for low mood - how they can instantly dispense medication or refer you on to be seen by a specialist within the next few weeks. Whereas if you need to be hormones, the referral gets thrown into the void. “And it’s getting worse”. One clinic she looked at saw 2 people in a year, with the referrals into the 1000s. The clinic she went to was dealing with referrals all the way back in 2017. “They’re dealing with ancient history at this point. You have to see a specialist and go through all these steps, just so they can make sure that you’re trans.” We concluded on the hopeful note that society is moving in the right direction, with signs like having a transgender option on the census. “Society is progressing, and each time we move forward, there is this new panic and bogyman, that we then realise is nothing wrong with - eventually there will be no more dragons left to fight!”. She made the point that there is no point in trans people assimilating into society, as some cis people claim they ‘don’t care’ if she wears makeup to work, yet they still refer to her with the wrong pronouns. “They care so little. It’s maybe less about assimilation and more about liberation.”

Egg Cracked by Melani Sosa Female Sign from PNGFind Egg by Jasmin Egger Male Sign by Pinclipart

Dear Men, we set our own standards and exist for ourselves, not you. Sincerely, Women. By Amber Lennox Local Affairs Correspondent he double standards that men and women are held to in society is not news. It won’t make any new headlines, nor is it going to sell as some big ‘scoop’, but it is this very acceptance that’s the problem. The complacency around gender double standards has a detrimental effect on everybody, men and women alike. It starts small. I imagine that any woman reading this can probably relate to smiling politely when a man says something that feels a bit off, or laughing to diffuse a situation, or brushing off behaviour that – when we think about it – is inappropriate. We do this to try and

men when I only have to look to what society teaches our children. Girls are taught shame from the earliest possible age: to close their legs, to dress appropriately, to be more ladylike. It’s almost as if being female is a crime. It’s normalised that ‘girls mature faster than boys’, which make allowances. These allowances start by ignoring when they pull our hair in the playground, but where do they end? Is it before or after the male friend I trusted to walk me home tries to cop a feel (or worse)? Meanwhile, I never hear the suggestion that boys should look at the girls ‘maturing’ at a faster rate. Setting aside the fact that this maturity is imposed

cool contemporary-pop dance, as opposed to the women of the past, who were often shown just with a closeup of their face sensually biting into the ice cream. (In reality, let’s be honest, noone ever eats ice-cream like that anyway! You eat the chocolate first, then the ice-cream and, in the middle of summer sweating like crazy, it is possibly the least erotic moment that I can think of in dayto-day life!) The important thing is that she is there for the male gaze, appearing ‘up for it’, but not too up for it, right? The narrative of women not taking up too much space unless it’s for the male gaze is everywhere

challenge their male counterparts. We should ask questions like, ‘what do you mean by that?’ when someone says something that we know isn’t right. We must hold people accountable for their actions and teach young girls that being uncomfortable and laughing it off is not a gender precondition. In the same vein, we must also do more to change male standards. As it stands, if a man treats women with equality, such as cooking in the home or taking care of children, then he’s seen as a ‘nice guy’. But the fact is that this is just normal! Otherwise, we take ‘bad guys’ as standard. Changing gender standards will benefit everyone. Men should be able to be vulnerable and quiet

‘keep the peace’, because we’ve been brainwashed to believe that that’s ourjob. In truth, if we’re in a scenario that is making us uncomfortable, by politely ‘laughing it off’ and going along with it, we allow ourselves to take the brunt of the discomfort. Instead, the creep at the bar should be made to feel uncomfortable for his words and actions. This silence which society has taught us to keep only perpetuates women’s subjugation. And that’s what it is: subjugation. At the bar it may only be an uncomfortable moment, but then you find yourself dismissing when a male friend lingers a little too long during a hug, or when a guy in the club is dancing just a little too close. We are conditioned to acquiesce each little inch that men take, out of fear of escalating the situation. I shouldn’t have to wait for a protest march to feel safe on the streets, or for a women’s movement to feel as though I can actively have sex without shame. On a side note, that is what rape and sexual assault are about: violence. I once read a wonderfully accurate quote that said that ‘rape is about violence and power, not sex; you wouldn’t hit someone over the head with a spade and call it gardening’. It’s ironic that I sit and puzzle over why it is that women are held to such different standards than

upon young girls anyway, we’d never tell boys to look to the girls as an example, because it’s shameful to be female, right? The phrase ‘you throw like a girl’ is never intended as a compliment. It seems that the standards held by society are that men can do what they want, while women must be seen and not heard beyond what is comfortable for society. We make excuses for men and punish women. This propaganda is everywhere. Does anyone remember the song ‘Blurred Lines’? I was 12 years old when that song came out, and it was everywhere. I had no idea what I was singing along to, but I now realise it is what can only be described as ‘rape propaganda’. When it came out, my friends and I unwittingly drank that in. This means that the first time that we got catcalled, at 12 years old, we just laughed it off. Many years later I am watching the new Magnum ice cream advert and it has two men being used instead of the usual female models. However, these men were fully clothed and were doing this

and I am so, so sick of it! O n Twitter, a woman describes the time that she was 19 in a club, and a man grabbed her breast, so she slapped him across the face. Everyone gasped when she slapped him but showed no shock that she’d been assaulted. So, in a club full of witnesses, this woman was still the bad guy. If women aren’t quiet and polite, living up to the standards set by others, then they’re villainised, made out to either be hysterical, or liars. Society’s culture of disbelief means that ten voices of women will be ignored in favour of one man’s. We live in a world where I can be almost certain that a sexual assaulter will likely get away with attacking me. So, if I don’t put up a fight, and smile and laugh, then I might just be lucky enough to get out with only a few gropes, as opposed to potentially far worse. Instead of teaching girls these ‘tips and tricks’ to not upset men and, serving it with a large side dish of mainstream media that reinforces this rape culture, we should be teaching girls to stand up and

without being seen as weak, and women should be able to be loud and assertive without being seen as bossy. A lot of people seem to operate under the notion of ‘that’s life’. But why? Why do we have to just assume that this is just how it is? I’ve written about this so many times now, and nothing I’ve said is revelatory, but the very fact that these issues continue to be perpetuated by society is why I will write about it as many times as I have to. Ladies! Every single day is a battle to be seen. Speak up at every opportunity, but also take all the opportunities that aren’t given! Move around your world with your worth and boundaries etched into your very being, and the next time that you are in a situation where a male has crossed a line, don’t laugh, don’t smile, and don’t apologise. You don’t even have to say anything. See what the very absence of your politeness does. There was a phrase I heard a lot when I was younger, and that was: ‘sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of’. Well, I’m a grown woman now, and I’d rather be made up of careers, cleverness, cuss words, and courage. And if you’ve got other ideas about who I should be, keep them to yourself and get out of my way!

By Nathan Collins-Cope

Cathedral Ceiling by Mark Evans

Newspaper News Editor

Sacred Space Interview and Insights

very Wednesday evening at 7pm, in the Crypt of

these transitions as a thoughtful, educational experiences.

What does it feel like what does it mean to you, what’s the things that

no sense of ‘we are the regular community’, once you come to

Canterbury Cathedral, a gathering happens. A place where students and young people, not necessarily attached to the Christian faith, come for a meeting of minds. “It’s a space we hold for people. Some people come every week. Some people come once in their lives” said Max Kramer, priest key organiser of the weekly meetup. “Some people come 2 or 3 times, or they come every few weeks. But it’s always there for people, that’s the idea. Faithfulness, to people”. Each session is different. One session I took part in centred around a candle lit tour through the cathedral, where the group leader discussed the monuments that were displayed along the walls of the cathedral. They didn’t shy away from problematic histories, going into depth about how some monuments, from the time of the British Empire, were commemorating particularly questionable people and groups of people. This was put in the context of the recent movement against controversial statues, with the group leader - another priest by the name of Tim.. As someone who is not affiliated with the Christianity (or indeed any religion), I was impressed with how open they were to confess the sins of those associated with the Cathedral; their willingness to correct their mistakes, and the fact that they then used

“We’ve had some really interesting visitors as well” Max told me, when I sat down with him in his beautiful 17th century home, a stone’s throw away from the Cathedral. “Two years ago, just before lockdown, we got someone called Sharnelle McLean, a soul singer who came to talk about her work. This term we have visitors like Bishop Rose, who is the Bishop of Dover (the first black woman to become a Church of England Bishop), who served as the previous Chaplin to the Speaker of the House of Commons (20102019). She was there in the House of Commons for all the stuff around Brexit and all that time. She is going to come and talk to us about politics and the spirituality of politics. Good politics and bad politics. I’m longing to hear about that one from someone who was right there in the middle of it”. I told him that this politics student will not be missing that one. “In the last one of term, I am going to bring along two friends of mine… a Rabbi and an Imam. They, with me, are going to talk about our final theme for the term, which is faith – how do I feel about faith, how do they feel about faith and how does faith change their lives” I was impressed about how they were reaching across faith lines. “I want to know what it feels like to have spent your life in that faith.

really jump out, what’s the most important thing” As you can probably tell, Sacred Space offers a huge degree of variety – each week is a bit different. Max tried to sum it up here. “(Sacred Space is an) interesting opportunity for reflection, inputs, discussion and meditation. And equally importantly, an opportunity to share food together.” That’s right, they will also feed you free pizza and pasta, provided at Max’s house after the session. It’s a lovely opportunity to get to know some of the community and talk in a less formal, more friendly way. “Sacred Space has evolved and developed over the years, and one of the things I have found that is really nice about it is: a lot of it now is not led directly by me. It allows people to have an opportunity to develop their own leadership skills and take on responsibility. Some of the most powerful moments for me in Sacred Space were when a student who came for the first Sacred Space themselves, or take on some responsibility, do some art work, do the food. It’s a community.” “We are really open to welcoming new members to the community, and we recognise that somebody who has never been before might have more to teach us than we do to teach them. “When people drop in, there’s

sacred space, you are on absolutely equal ground.” I asked Max about his past, and how it led him to formulate Sacred Space. He told me of how he is somebody who has a history of working with students and young people, lecturing and spearheading outreach for people from nontraditional backgrounds to study Classics, while he worked at Cambridge University. Once he had established himself as a priest in Canterbury in 2018, he wanted to do something for younger people. “Because I realised we didn’t really offer much for students and young adults in the Cathedral at that time, other than the main services” Along with colleagues from CCCU, they set up Sacred Space, “as an opportunity to bring together the students and young adults of Canterbury, for them to experience something of spirituality, in an open and inclusive way. You don’t wear this outfit without knowing where my spirituality comes from!” [indicates his priestly outfit, which invokes a laugh from me]. “But that doesn’t mean I want to force that spirituality on to others. I hope people can come to Sacred Space and get something out of it, whatever their faith or lack of faith, spirituality or lack of spirituality.

Rosary by Pixabay

“So we try and explore that spiritual side of life – partly making the most of the treasure we have that is the building – which speaks so richly of spirituality” I remark that it is incredible just being in that crypt that night. “And it’s something you don’t usually get to

receiving his sight back, converted to Christianity and found a new way to relate to his ancient faith. “We use a different language for it in Church, but if Paul had went to his GP today, I think he would have been told he had a breakdown. That essentially what had worked for him before – his Crypt from Sacred Space values and his life, his sense of what at university, and soon felt the had been important – had all been calling to be a priest. “To which taken away” I don’t mean I heard a voice from “Without trying to compare heaven It was more of a sense of myself to St Paul, I resonated with that is how I fitted into the world, that experience” “(Academia) what I had to offer”. needed to be taken away to discover Soon before being ordained, he what life actually meant – what life decided to pursue a PhD to top is actually about. For me, it’s not

which people could explore in a non-judgemental way questions around spirituality. Also quite simply I wanted to serve Canterbury’s community of students and young adults. The mental health challenges that people face today are on a different scale from even when I was a student, which is a very short space of time (in 2003). One of the things I feel we can help with is loneliness. Loneliness isn’t really about being alone, it’s the fact of feeling on your own. You can be in a hall of residence with 3000 students, and that doesn’t mean you’re not lonely. I wanted to serve that need – even if it’s through simple things like a bit of food and chance to chat to somebody, or a chance to explore something together”. In the context of loneliness, he

do, so there’s a specialness about that. And (we also have) music – a wide range of sorts: classical, contemporary; sacred music to do with worship sometimes, but also secular music sometimes – I love soul music and that so often speaks to these deep spiritual truths.” In his younger days, he had an acclaimed history in academia, studying Classics at Oxford. He was not a Christian growing up, and only found religion when he started singing in his chapel choir. “It was standard way of singing there” he said “I joined not wanting church - just wanting to sing. They were happy for me to join, and at least 50% of the choir weren’t Christian – it was just a fun thing to do”. “One of the big things that was really important to me was that I grew up believing Christians were puritanical and humourless and telling what you can’t do all the time – and I had and have no interest in that. What I discovered there is that you could be a Christian and have a sense of humour. You could be a Christian and you could live a humane, open inclusive and welcoming kind of lifestyle. You didn’t have to be some sort of Victorian martinet!” He was baptised and confirmed while

off his academic achievements. A term and a half in, he experienced a breakdown. “It was crushing, because it felt like everything I had worked so hard at from (a young age); from the first sense that I could do academic stuff, that I could do well at school and then at university. I had given my life to that in lots of ways – I just suddenly couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t making me happy. And everything that mattered to me was taken away” He said that lots of Christians talk about a conversion experience; the road to Damascus. “For me it was the other way round – I was so deep into Christianity that I was almost at the stage of getting ordained and then this dramatic experience happened in my life. It was something that was obviously very painful, very traumatising – but it probably, of all my experiences in my whole life, the most formational for who I am.” He briefly reminded me of the story of the road of Damascus – of how Paul, persecutor of Christians, was on the way to the city to continue persecuting them. When he was blinded by a light and fell to the ground . Jesus had come to him, and showed him the error of his ways. Paul, after

then went on to address social media. “People think of it as social. But with social media you control the conversation, you consume it. You decide whether to read or flick past. A real relationship is something you are not completely in control of. And that’s what makes a real relationship refreshing – someone else brings something else “The idea that ‘I can control my whole life’ – well you can’t, and we have to come to terms with the fact that we can’t. Which is what was going on when I had a breakdown. I had always been able to control my academic stuff. I had always been able to succeed by doing the right amount of work, by having the right constellation of neurons in my brain to do things in a particular way. I had always felt in control – but in the end of the day, I had to learn that some things are out of my control, and be able to be vulnerable to that. You have to be able to s u r v i v e not being in control. That’s hard. I hope most people get to learn it in a more gentle way than I did.”

about ‘I must do this’ – life is a free gift, which we called to flourish, to grow, we don’t have to be anything. I think that sense of liberation is profoundly disturbing, when you are young especially, because you want to know what to do. All the choices in the world is terrifying. I can remember powerfully how disturbing that was, how much that shook me off my rails, because I had thought this is where I belong – but then I discovered ‘maybe there is something wrong here, it’s not working anymore’ – but that has led me to a lot more freedom” He moved on to some of the thought processes behind setting up Sacred Space. “It came from the desire to create a space in

“The other spiritual problem I see today is the illusion and pursuit of constant happiness. No human life is constant happiness, that is an unachievable, unrealisable goal. And the attempt to turn life into constant happiness brings with it serious misery. What we need to learn is that life is about both happiness and unhappiness. On different days, different ones of those will be predominant, we need to learn to accept that. Obviously, we try to make decisions that maximise the amount of happiness – it would be mad not to. We try finding a job that we want to do, we meet friends that make us happy. But the idea that we can eliminate unhappiness from our life is a non-starter. And yet – so much contemporary culture is about that illusion. ‘You can be happy all the time’ – that is one thing that makes people miserable”. In the context of loneliness, he then went on to address social media. “People think of it as social. But with social media you control the conversation, you consume it. You decide whether to read or flick past. A real relationship is something you are not completely in control of. And that’s what makes a real relationship refreshing – someone else brings something else “The idea that ‘I can control my whole life’ – well you can’t, and we have to come to terms with the fact that we can’t. Which is what was going on when I had a breakdown. I had always been able to control my academic stuff. I had always been able to succeed by doing the right amount of work, by having the right constellation of neurons in my brain to do things in a particular way. I had always felt in control – but in the end of the day, I had to learn that some things are out of my control, and be able to be vulnerable to that. You have to be able to survive not being in control. That’s hard. I hope most people get to learn it in a more gentle way than I did.” “The other spiritual problem I see

today is the illusion and pursuit of constant happiness. No human life is constant happiness, that is an unachievable, unrealisable goal. And the attempt to turn life into constant happiness brings with it serious misery. What we need to learn is that life is about both happiness and unhappiness. On different days, different ones of those will be predominant, we need to learn to accept that. Obviously, we try to make decisions that maximise the amount of happiness – it would be mad not to. We try finding a job that we want to do, we meet friends that make us happy. But the idea that we can eliminate unhappiness from our life is a non-starter. And yet – so much contemporary culture is about that illusion.

cross. On it… is the image of a man being tortured to death. What that is doing is putting at the centre of everything – a problem. It’s not hiding from the problem of suffering – rather we plaster the problem everywhere. We put it on the roof, hang it from the ceiling, build cathedrals in its shape and we say, ‘look at this problem’. We’re not saying ‘here is the answer to this problem’ – at least not in some simplistic way. But we are putting at the focus of meditation not something that makes us feel good about ourselves or a piece of candy floss” he said, shaking his head “Faith is about grapple, in the light of God, with reality, rather than live in the delusions that help us to get by in life without asking He went on to reference

Stained Glass by Umberto Luparelli

‘You can be happy all the time’ – that is one thing that makes people miserable”. He then moved onto challenging the idea that faith is no more than a coping mechanism. “People often say that faith is about the denial of reality, a form of escapism. ‘Life is shit, so you deal with that by running away from it and believing in fairies and that everything is ok really’. I have never felt that about Christianity, it certainly never makes me feel like I have escaped from reality. I think rather that faith and spirituality are about focusing more deeply on reality. The best example of this from the Christian perspective is the

a past session of Sacred Space, another I attended, where we meditated on plants that one of the community had brought in for us. Max told me how the one he was looking at was a little spindly, delicate, obscure, dead plant. Yet he still found beauty in it, and this experience changed how he thought of beauty. “We can find beauty in what we would commonly think of as ugliness”. He then went on to talk about how our idea of beauty is warped and deluded by the commercial sense of the word. He told me of certain canonical Greek statues that were created in the ancient era, which represent the mathematical

dimensions of an ‘ideal man’. He went on to say these statues have been looked at by physiologist, who found it to be impossible to have some of the muscles that the statues have. “The ideal male body, but not an actually achievable on a human being – because on marble you can carve these muscles that you can’t actually get” I interject “the original Photoshop”. Smiling, Max continues “Isn’t that interesting, that for centuries, our idea of beauty is often something that is so unreal? If we engage in our spirituality, we can find in something as unpromising as that little plant actually what beauty is.” Max then asked about my past, and I tell him that I was brought up a catholic but that I am currently unsure about the idea of God, even though I am somewhat spiritual. “The big thing that has always struck me” he replied “one big thing that society teaches... is that there are people who believe in God and there are people who don’t believe in God. And I think the reality is that probably almost all of us sort of believe in God. My old college Chaplain, who used to have a good sense of humour, would say when people asked him how strong is his faith, he would say ‘It goes up and down with my blood sugar’, to which I laughed ‘It’s true!’ The idea that someone like me doesn’t question just factually isn’t true”. He ended by quoting Catholic Cardinal Martini, someone who was once in the running for Pope: “I don’t divide the world into theists and atheists, I divide the world into thinking people and non-thinking people”. Max added to this “I don’t like the idea of dividing the world at all, but if it has to be done, I think I align myself with that. Who’s interested in having a conversation about these things and who’s not willing to think about them at all”. Sacred Space starts again in May and all students and young adults are welcome to attend whenever they like. For see

information

www.canterbury-

cathedral.org/sacredspace

Gargoyle by Mike Bosch

Deadly Stand-off: Russia and the USA Compete for Power Putin’s invasion of Ukraine caught many off guard. While some experts had been warning of this for weeks and even months, others found themselves scrambling to re-assess their views of Russia, and its role in the world. While the situation is still fluid, and emotions are running high, there can be no clear answer. Amidst the cacophony of propaganda, nationalist rhetoric, doomsday prophets and bite-sized Tweets, we have attempted to untangle two prominent narratives, and link them to the bigger picture. A dialogue.

By Maren Sass Politics Correspondent

fter assuming office in early 2021, Joe Biden famously announced that “America is back”. Under him, the US would resume its global leadership position as the vanguard of liberal democracy and human rights. In allusion to America’s historical portrayal as the political (and moral) victor of the Cold War, he laid out that the US would lead “not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example”. But in the year that has passed since Biden’s triumphant announcement, the US seems to have fallen quite short of fulfilling its

role as the paragon for democratic values. In June 2021, Biden oversaw the US’s hasty withdrawal out of

unarmed civilians, the US didn’t even go so far as to issue sanctions. Taken together, these responses

option that remains is for one party to dominate the other. Harkening back to any corporate management

Afghanistan which abandoned the government to the Taliban, and flung the economy into collapse. In eastern Europe, the US looked on as Belarusian strongman Lukashenko brutally cracked down on protesters demanding free and fair elections. And as Lukashenko proceeded to push thousands of Middle Eastern refugees towards Europe’s border, the USA took little notice. These are hardly trademarks of a global hegemon that has dedicated itself to the defence of democracy and human rights. The disjoint between word and deed becomes even more visible considering Biden’s eagerness to break with his predecessor’s diplomatic style of self-absorption and cosying up to established autocrats. “The days of rolling over (to Russian aggression) are over”, he had proclaimed, and “we will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia”. Even when Putin had Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny detained and exiled to a remote penal colony on what appeared to be trumped-up charges, the US hardly moved past meaty words and a few choice sanctions. And when Kazakhstan enlisted Russian troops to quash protesters and issued shootto-kill orders against

can be crystallized into two core observations. One, it would appear that Washington values democracy and human rights most when they come at a low enough cost. Two, it seems that Washington’s diplomacy tool belt is quite thin – between stern warnings and economic sanctions, there does not seem to be much space to manoeuvre, barring the threat of full-out war. Putin has understood both these messages loud and clear, and despite recent speculations concerning his mental health, has been taking deliberate advantage of them for years. Across Eastern Europe, in Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Crimea and even in Russia itself, he has been testing the waters to see how far the US will go to defend the human rights and democracy it has claimed to champion. The answer is: not very far at all. Whether this is a case of lazy foreign policy or the active typecasting of disagreeable leaders as dull and unreasonable is a matter of idle speculation. Either way, the result is that it restricts global opponents to two very unappealing options: concede to American demands or suffer the consequences. When room for any kind of rapprochement, persuasion, de-escalation, integration, or negotiation is precluded, the only

training ever, this is hardly considered effective leadership. Things weren’t always like this. And despite how inevitable some say the current disaster in Ukraine may be, things didn’t have to end up like this, either. In 1994, Russian and American leaders demonstrated a much higher ability to cooperate when they came together with Ukrainian and British leaders to hammer out the Budapest Memorandum. The agreement was supposed to assure Ukraine’s territorial integrity – vaguely backed with Western military assurances – in exchange for the nuclear stockpile it had inherited from the Soviet Union. When Russia broke with the Budapest Memorandum in 2014 by annexing Crimea, the US fulfilled its security assurances by sending weapons to Ukraine – along with training on how to use them. In a country that was being torn apart by separatist strife and an uneasy neighbour fearful of the military capabilities at its doorstep, the US decided that more weapons, not less, would be the quickest way to resolve the conflict. While Ukraine’s military capabilities pale in comparison to Russia, the Kremlin had long stated its distrust towards an eastward encroachment of Western armed forces in the form of the NATO

Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Photo by StarFlames/Pixabay

The USA: A Hollow Promise

alliance. In 2007, Russia had complained that NATO expansion “reduces the level of mutual trust.” Putin also criticized the “hyper-use of (…) military force in international relations”, expressing that “no one feels safe”. Contemporaries lambasted Putin for his aggressive statements, but there was some truth in what he said. Military might cannot suffice to shape foreign policy. Conflicts do not become safer by delivering more weapons, but by initiating dialogue, no matter how arduous the process. That notwithstanding, one can almost detect a calculated cynicism behind Putin’s choice of words. Looking back, Russia detained Navalny on corruption charges – an accusation normally levelled at

justified denouncing outraged protesters as “terrorists” attempting a coup. And the recent attack on Ukraine was thinly veiled either as a peacekeeping operation to protect the Donetsk and Luhansk populations, as a humanitarian intervention to prevent a genocide against Russian minorities, or a democratic mission to de-Nazify Kyiv. None of these flowery excuses can justify the violation of sovereign territory – under international legal norm, armed force would need to be sanctioned by the UN Security Council to be considered legitimate intervention. But they are reminiscent of similar arguments brought forth by the US before it proceeded to tear apart Iraq, or Afghanistan.

the same hollow ringing disjoint between word and deed makes a caricature of American realpolitik and rhetoric. Therein lies the aggression. It stands beyond reasoning that the Ukrainian people have a sovereign right to decide for themselves whether they choose to become a member of the NATO alliance or not – neither Russia nor the US should be able to influence that decision. But if the eastern NATO expansion were truly such a vital priority, why did the US not take extra trust-building steps to facilitate the process? Instead, they have met hostile rhetoric in kind. Now, in hindsight, observers are coming to the realization that “the government has not been as active or as visible

With Biden facing stiff resistance to cash in on any of his campaign promises in terms of rebuilding American infrastructure, he will need all the support he can muster to weather the upcoming midterms. On the other hand, the coronavirus pandemic has placed an enormous strain on an American economy that was already reeling from multiple crashes over the years and may soon be facing another. What better way to inject money into the market than with defence spending in the face of an emergency? To be clear, this is in no way meant to justify Putin’s attack on Ukraine. While the Russian government is singlehandedly responsible for the devastation they have unleashed upon Ukraine, the US has not only failed to nurture opportunities

Russia’s most wealthy. A Russian incursion in Kazakhstan was

Turning these arguments against their proponents, while mirroring

(in the initial Ukraine crisis) as it could have been”, and that “the relationship with Russia had been badly mismanaged”. In an unsettling way, this predicament might just be what hawks on Capitol Hill were hoping for. While an actual confrontation with Russia would be too costly, the threat of one is perhaps beneficial to the US. On the one hand, invoking a looming common enemy is a tried-and-true method of rallying base support.

for peaceful alternatives, but it has also been fanning the flames in a diplomatic game of chicken gone tragically wrong. From this perspective, Ukraine’s sovereignty, or the rights and lives of those caught in the war are not much more than collateral damage – not only to Putin, but also to the US. By refusing to earnestly engage with Russia over Eastern Europe, and instead relying on cheap armchair diplomacy, the US has left Ukrainians to pay the price for their democracy and human rights themselves.

Russia: Waking The Giants By Sophia Lüneburg Politics Correspondent

f one thing became clear in Russian foreign politics at the beginning of 2022, it’s that it is still impossible to foresee what the future holds. While some warned about an imminent attack of Ukraine from Russia, others called the rising number of troops at the Ukrainian border a bluff, declaring war as too costly. What we can learn from this debate and from Russia’s actions is that it is important to not just look forward, but to consider the past. How did we get here?

The Cold War began in 1945. The Soviet Union and the US competed for power and influence in the world, spreading their diverging political ideals while building up a considerable militaries aimed at each other. In 1962, during the Cuban Missile crisis, the Eastern and Western blocs came close to a nuclear war, but the situation was defused and weapons stationed close to Moscow and Washington were removed. During this time, the Soviet Union included 15 states, and both superpowers had a large outreach on all continents. But in the late 80s, the Soviet Union

started to collapse with several revolutions in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The Cold War officially ended in 1991. However, half a century of imminent threat and political, military and ideological competition still echo today. And Ukraine has always been at the centre of these tensions. Ukraine was a significant part of the Soviet Union from the very beginning, and was vital for the process of ending the Cold War and establishing security for the two sides. In 1994, Photo by Kremlin.ru

the war in Ukraine, they also highlight the caution with which Putin operates. A country’s foreign policy is decided by a small number of people and is not as much of a concern in elections as domestic policies. While Putin may appear mad, scrambling like a revanchist for territorial power, Russia’s recent military involvement is calculated. In Georgia, Russia could

have fought for longer than a couple of days, which could have stopped Georgia from gradually aligning with the EU. In Armenia, Putin could have refused to facilitate talks, and during the 2014 period of negotiations in Ukraine, Russia could have pushed its allies to continue fighting, as the rebels were on the winning side. But all of Russia’s actions abroad (and at home) have one overarching theme: under no circumstances can Putin lose control over the situation. Today, the US spends the most on the military, while Russia spends the fourth highest. The EU remains focused on the West, but obtains around 40% of its natural gas from

be a legitimate claim, there is no indication as to whether Ukraine would become part of NATO anytime soon, as the organisation knows the consequences of letting them join: it is doubtful that a security agency would want to create such an unstable and volatile situation. This reintroduces the old Cold War narrative coated in a modern Russian-US/NATO relationship where cyber-attacks replace spies and double-agents. Both Putin and Biden are under domestic pressure from their opposition, their own elites, and the population. Both have little room for mistakes if they want to remain in power,

US, and conflicts keep flaring up across the globe which keep defence and foreign policy departments occupied. Worldwide, states are increasing their individual defences after a brief period of unchallenged liberalism and the hope that the UN would secure world peace. Last year, the Institute for Economics and Peace predicted that a conflict between military superpowers was increasingly likely. Rising tensions, breakaway countries, and governmental changes have gotten under the skin of both Russia and the US. Russia fears losing its influence and weakened control, and as more countries adopt Western ideas, this influence is diminishing. In 2022, Belarus appears to be Russia’s sole remaining ally in Eastern Europe, while the rest of Europe firmly opposes Russia, and China remains neutral, showing signs of discontent with Putin’s choices. Even Switzerland has broken an over 500-year long period of neutrality, and its not in Russia’s favour. Going back to polite smiles at international functions will now be difficult. The Cold War feeling has returned to the US and Europe. It might seem sudden, but it has been a brewing in the background, with this confrontation building up over the past two decades. A very important realisation for many might be that Russia does not hold a monopoly on conflict, as there have been many, much deadlier wars since the 1990s. Ukraine might feel closer to

appreciation of history. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, granted Kazakhstan military support against pro-democratic protests in 2021, and has supported Syria’s autocratic rule since 2015, among other aggressive examples. While these can be seen to foreshadow

Russia. In this respect, Russia holds good cards, but can also lose a lot. Internally, Russia is unstable after Navalny rallied the opposition, and its citizens have taken to the streets to protest over the Ukraine invasion. But Russia can use its veto in the UN Security Council to

both would look weak if they withdrew from the situation, and both need to keep their allies close. The US and Russia are no longer the undisputed superpowers, as China and other rising economies threaten their monopoly. Europe is dependent on both Russia and the

many Europeans and Americans, but while paying attention to Russia is vital, it is also important to remember that Putin is not the sole warmaker. The world is not peaceful, and Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine has brought this painful reality back to Europe.

influence the longevity of global conflicts, while its state apparatus is skilled at limiting the power of its citizens. Putin periodically takes turn smiling and snarling at other world leaders, depending on what he can gain. Russia portrays itself as a victim with legitimate security concerns if Ukraine were to become part of NATO or the EU. While this may

Photo by President of Ukraine/Flickr

Photo by Kyiv City State Administraton

Why Stringent US Gun Laws are Unlikely to Ever be Implemented By Sam Webb Newspaper Opinion Editor

ut of the number of American norms that we as outsiders cannot wrap our head around, near the top of the list will always be the resistance to strong gun laws. This is especially true in a global environment where the United States seek to portray themselves as the prime example of a modern society. For example, the UK effectively banned all guns following the 1996 Dunblane Massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in British history where 18 people were killed, and 15 injured. In response to this event, two new Firearms Acts were swiftly passed, which outlawed the private ownership of most handguns. These laws were extremely strict, so much that even British Olympic shooters were not exempt from the law, meaning they either had to train in Northern Ireland (which was exempt), or abroad. Meanwhile, across the Pacific, mass shooting events, and school shootings are now treated as relatively normal, with little being done to enforce any meaningful change. American children are given extensive training and preparation as to how to react in the event of an intruder, almost treating occurrences of shootings as inevitable accidents which cannot be stopped. Is this situation of fear and paranoia really something that Americans are happy to live in, and ensure that their children are educated on from a young age? Surely, in order to tackle the issue, the focus should be on removing the guns themselves from people’s hands, rather than just minimising casualties. T h e

Photo by Mil.ru Photo by Daniel Sullivan/Flickr

numbers speak for themselves: in 2019, there were over 38,000 deaths involving guns in the US, with 14,000 of those being homicides. It is shocking how prevalent guns are in the states, with them being much more common than humans: there are currently 120.5 guns per 100 people. This is one reason that guns are unlikely to be removed from private ownership: they are simply too common to ensure that they are sufficiently removed from society. For many Americans, guns are seen as a symbol of freedom and liberty, their inalienable rights, as articulated in the US Constitution. Therefore, by cracking down on weapons, many citizens may

For example, people in wheelchairs are especially vulnerable to becoming victims of a mugging, and by opening their coat and showing their holster, this can be enough to urge attackers to back off. In this example, even when guns are not used, its mere presence can still act as a powerful deterrent to discourage violent action. Of course, this still relies heavily on the assumption that all gun holders are rational individuals who would only fire it as a last resort; an assumption that is evidently untrue.

interpret this as an initial action of an oppressive governmental force before removing other rights that make them American. Ironically, the same people that are so outspoken against strong gun laws tend to also be those that vehemently oppose issues such as abortion. Why do these advocates of personal liberty pick and choose, opposing other forms of the same philosophy? A common discourse in the US is that ‘guns don’t kill people – people do’. However, this assumes that individual citizens are rational enough to choose not to use weapons, even when in many cases it might be easier to do so. The fact that the numbers of deaths involving guns are so high would seem to suggest that this is not the case. Many US citizens believe that guns are the answer to defend themselves, and in 2018, President Trump endorsed arming teachers in order to stop school shootings. By increasing the proliferation of harmful weapons, many say that this could be used as a deterrent and actually reduce their use, almost acting as a security dilemma, albeit on a smaller scale. To be fair, in some cases, the sight of a gun can be enough to dissuade any violence towards an individual.

Even if some politicians came to power that were staunch in opposition to gun use, it would be unlikely that any laws on the issue would come to fruition. To pass as a nationwide law, it would require a Constitutional Amendment. This would require for the proposed amendment to have the support of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Congress. This would produce a ‘pending’ amendment, and would only be ratified with the support of three-quarters of the individual state legislatures. Unfortunately, there are too many hurdles in place for this to happen. Most Republican politicians support gun rights, due to them being the party of tradition, while also looking to capitalise on Democratic support for tougher laws. In fact, many feel that if they opposed gun rights, then they would not end up being elected. In an increasingly polarised US society, any potential bipartisanship, especially on this issue, is unlikely to transpire. Currently, 50% of US states have elected Republican senators. This number is so split down the middle that the amendment would be unlikely to pass the Senate, let alone the state ratification process. Along with this, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the

most powerful lobby groups in the US, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress. By having deep pockets, this can help ensure that gun laws are unlikely to become stricter any time soon. If the government issued an order that all guns were to be confiscated from public hands, they would be extremely unlikely to get hold of a large proportion of the total weapons. No matter which way they decided to do so, using either voluntary surrender or by using confiscation laws, a large number of weapons would not be seized. Worryingly, those that would go to lengths to conceal their weapons from authorities would most likely be the same people that would be prepared to use them, either for better or worse. These individuals may start an uprising, taking the matter into their own hands to defend their unalienable right. No government will want to have an armed revolution opposing any new laws. The US is extremely backward and outdated in a number of ways, the lack of strong gun laws being only one key indication. Sadly, there are a myriad of reasons as to why that, from an American perspective, that guns are important for highlighting their civil liberties. Even if support for banning guns was heavily supported, the American political system means that the enforcement of such a significant nationwide law would be highly unlikely to ever be implemented.

Photo by United States Senate: Office of Dan Sullivan

Ukraine gave up its considerable stock of nuclear weapons. In exchange for this, Ukraine was promised protection against aggression by the UK and US, but, ironically, also Russia. Since then, all parties have had different agendas for Ukraine. Post-Soviet Russia has shown little regard for Ukrainian sovereignty, trying to prevent them joining the EU or NATO. Ukraine is one of the largest European countries and has considerable resources and agricultural potential. In 2013, a deal began to form between the EU and Ukraine, which included Ukraine further into the economic sphere of the EU. Russia however, never stopped seeing Ukraine as part of its postSoviet influence realm. In early 2014, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych called for talks with the EU, which led to violent protests and governmental change, where pro-European politicians were put in power. In February 2014, Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula and has since supported secessionists in the Donbas and Luhansk regions, but have also participated in unsuccessful diplomatic negotiations to end the conflict. Russia claims it has the responsibility to ensure security for these Eastern Ukraine regions, as most of their population are ethnically Russian. Russia has never acknowledged the present Ukraine government. To understand Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we must have an

A Flight to Catch By Hannah Rose Writer elicity always wanted to travel but never had the means. She fantasised about it frequently, she didn’t want to be one of those people that saw the world through the tourist lens, she wanted the real view, the local view. The thought of her being in a unfamiliar setting though , terrified her. She would pour over books about far-off lands, the glossy pages and idealistic views, she would make plans, write down itineraries and even start savings accounts, but nothing ever came to fruition. It had been seven years since she had left university, with a degree that had neither fulfilled her nor educated her in a way she had expected. Overall, the journey she

and sketched, painted, written and fantasised about foreign lands. She had travelled to dream states and now she wanted to see a different world and she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to document it. Felicity wanted to keep those memories in tangible form with her for the rest of her natural life. The following weekend Felicity boarded the 007 National Express coach from South Street heading towards London Victoria. There she would stay for the night before another coach would take her to the airport to catch her first flight and begin her journey. What’s the saying? Fate is cruel? the perfect opportunity life had presented Felicity with, soon turned into a perfectly carved out hellscape. Its hard not to feel like what was about to happen to

“Would you like that removed? I need to get the Doctor” With nothing but the ability to stare, she hoped she was conveying at least some of the sentiment of helplessness and anger she was feeling. All that arrived was a wash of exhaustion and she closed her eyes again. Over the course of several days her body was unpinned from the medical equipment that held her in place, each removal felt like a weight being lifted and she dreamt that her body would float to the ceiling. Her hands felt unnatural, and the air felt thick around her, each time she closed her eyes it seemed to be a different day and night. Darkness bled into light again and

had made in education had been positive, but she always had this overwhelming sense that something was missing. Felicity was now 34, late to further education and late to the idea of packing up life for a year of travel. Why could she not shake the feeling that it was something she needed to do? Maybe it was because she had recently lost her dog of 14 years, her relationship of 10 and was living in a house she had no emotional attachment to. Maybe, it was because if she was ever going to do it, now was the only realistic opportunity. Life handing you the right opportunity at the right place and the right time? How could that be ignored? Felicity made good on the plans she had faked the last four years and booked flights and hotels and frantically packed and unpacked suitcase after suitcase, eventually settling on one large backpack and a smaller duffel bag. Her luggage was filled with as many essentials she could think of and as little clothing as possible. The plan? to purchase new items as she travelled. Amongst the belongings she considered essential were her diary, her sketchbook and her camera. Out of all the things she wanted to do on her travels, to document them was her main aim. All her life Felicity had drawn

Felicity wasn’t some sort of sick joke, a personal attack on someone who already been kicked by life recently. It’s hard not to look at these moments in life and think is someone ‘up there’ just having a good laugh. As Felicity stepped into the busy street her body alive with energy, a giddy feeling bubbled up inside her. But it was there, that she was ploughed down by the very coach that she had thought would deliver her to them. A haze of blood red, echoes and flashing blue are the only memories that remain of that day. Sometime later in a fog of sedation, Felicity awoke into a sterile nightmare. Trying to pinpoint where exactly she was, Felicity attempted to move her head, a minimum movement that took maximum effort. The entire room span around her, and it wasn’t long before she realised, she wasn’t able to speak. Once someone noticed her conscious state their face came into focus as they drew near to Felicity’s line of sight. She gestured weakly by dragging her limp hand across her body and as close to her mouth as possible, indicating to the tube in her throat. A nurse smiled; a professional smile that made Felicity feel a strange burst of rage inside of her.

again. N o

sense of time, still no ability to speak or move beyond the constraints of her cotted hospital cell, Felicity felt as if she was breaching the space between reality and imagination. Felicity blinked. Darkness fell upon her, when she looked around all she could see were white sands. When she stood and turned, trees began to grow at a rapid pace encompassing her in a jungle of green. Felicity looked at her feet as grass shot up between her toes, a sweet melody surrounded her. She felt light but her legs would not move, her feet were so firmly planted to the ground as if she was rooted. Holding her hands in front

of her, she tried to focus on their familiarity but every time she tried to hold them still her vision blurred. White droplets of dust burst into the atmosphere; her name echoed in the distance as someone called for her out of sight. The earth beneath her shifted suddenly, the grass blackened, and she was pulled under.

Something scratched at Felicity’s leg, she tried to look down but the dirt around her held tight, it had become cold and suffocating. Weight had pressed so hard on her chest as she tried to take a breath that when she blinked to try and see her surroundings her eyes wouldn’t open. The next time she was able to shift her heavy eyelids she was

staring into the blazing white sunlight, her body heavy again and contained. A face came into her vision, someone familiar. “We are reducing your sedation; do you know where you are?” Not even a whisper could escape as she opened and closed her mouth like a hungry goldfish and closed her eyes again desperate to return to her ethereal travels. Darkness returned. Searching in the black, her feet still firmly planted but now upright a g a i n , Felicity tried to find

her voice… nothing. She tried to feel around her, but her arms and hands swung into open space. The smell of coffee and the slight scent of eucalyptus hung in the air as a warm orange light began to unfold around her. Felicity noticed a small round window, she appeared to be moving closer to it. The movement felt automatic, one that didn’t require the use of her

legs and when she looked down, she could see the metal slices of escalated steps. The sounds of busy travellers gradually increased around her, but she couldn’t look up. She couldn’t get her eyes to take in what surrounded her. She began to panic that she would reach the end of the escalator and fall. The sensation dissipated as the movement slowed and then halted. The noises around her became closer, a heavy thudding, rhythmic and deep it pounded the atmosphere as she again tried to force her head upwards. From behind her someone grabbed the top of her head and pulled her backwards restraining her. She fought back. She was blindfolded as a flood of tiredness floored her. The air was cold again now and wind whipped up around her as she began to shiver violently as she

focus and from the clouds above her appeared the image of her mother. “Hey darling, I’m here now” Felicity couldn’t pinpoint the distance of things, her legs seemed miles beneath her and her arms were stretched around a blanketed mass. She was now aware of the smell of rubber and her nose twitched making her retch. She wanted to cough but she was scared that if she did, she would break apart. “I have to go now, the nurses are taking really good care of you, everyone sends their love” The rain began to fall in heavy droplets, first it landed from above and then it began to stream down her face. A small pool gathered near her neck, and she desperately wanted to wipe it away. Felicity willed her body to move so she could find shelter but there was a pull in her stomach and night fell instantly. Felicity woke the next morning

making her feel sick. She wanted it gone. She wanted to ask questions. The effort of trying to stay lucid was heavy and she resigned to the wash of sleep. Repetitions of this day seemed to go on and on, falling in and out of sleep. Felicity heard mentions of her name, her body was shifted, someone pulled at her, she dreamt of greens and oranges and that her mind was moving independently from her body. Vines tangled her arms and fingers until one day they started to drop away. When she garnered the strength to open her eyes, this time it was her friend Callie staring back at her. “Finally decided to look at me, huh?” It occurred to Felicity at that moment that many people that knew her and cared about her had probably seen her motionless on that bed, sprawled out, vulnerable and lost in a realm of fantasy. It was then she knew what had happened

was dragged away by t h e

and lifted her arm to wipe the tiredness from her eyes. It fell quickly back to her side. It took a few beats for her to realise what she had just done, and she tried to make herself aware of her surroundings. A large open room, it was bright but foggy and she was centre stage. Machines were lined up around her and all she could smell was putrid rubber and medicinal alcohol. “How are you today, Felicity?” It was the nurse from before. Flashes of reality began to fire at her, a panic rose in her stomach as a realisation came upon her that she had no idea where she was. “W..here…” Felicity gagged at the dry whisper that left her mouth. Her lips felt like they may crack. Then, as if her thoughts were somehow accessible, the nurse hurried off and quickly returned with a mouth sponge and some water, gently bathed Felicity’s lips and inside of her mouth and then smiled. “Talking maybe difficult for a while but I’m glad to see you trying” Reaching up to her nose she wanted to find the source of the revolting smell, a thin tube was placed in her left nostril. She kept waiting to experience pain. She kept waiting for someone to tell her what was going on, but all her focus was pulled by the uncomfortable tube that was taped to her nose and

and the fear kicked in, making her feel like she may drown. Another indecipherable period passed, and more reality seeped into the mirage of dreams. The two worlds began to collide, and Felicity was no longer able to retreat into herself to escape her situation. She was going to have to return home and leave the dream world behind. With the moon high in the sky, moths visited her that night, they fluttered in her chest. She tried to breath deeply but as she opened her mouth she couldn’t draw in any relief. Felicity gasped and the moths rushed into the open space. Dust from their wings felt like trying to inhale heavy smoke and she could feel her entire body convulse trying to battle for oxygen. She had to cough, she had to expel them, but the fear of the force breaking her was so great. She didn’t want to let the pain in, to start to feel the reality, she wanted to continue with her journey through colours and sensations. She let the winged death sentence settle; a strange calm blanketed her body. Alarms began to ring as she let go, and a stampede of feet hammered towards her. She didn’t want to give up her travels. She had a flight to catch.

unseen f o r c e . L a y i n g where she was dropped, she waited for silence again before trying to reach out for her surroundings. “Please try to stay still for a little bit longer Felicity while we take these images” The sudden clarity of the voice startled her, and she froze in place. Her vision fragmented she could see a cylindrical ceiling above, it spread to her sides encasing her, she was so tired of fighting. Felicity lay there trusting the voice, whatever that may have meant for her safety. A gentle hand brushed Felicity’s cheek and when she opened her eyes a raindrop fell on her forehead. She blinked a few times trying to

Poetic Transitions My want

Organ

By Daisy Fieldhouse-Still

We stare at the face that launched a thousand ships- the beauty of Greece. Part goddess, part swan. I wish to be loved like Helen of Troy. Standing in a stance of thirst and promiscuity, I wish to clutch men’s affection between my teeth. Born with cardinal sin, I need to be loved like a classical painting. Rim me with gold frames, glaze me like black pots kissed with white, You wish to encase me in a glass cabinet? I am art that craves touch,

By Rosie Tufnail

I carry you inside my body, you live there without me trying. Beating in my ears and mind, sometimes I’d welcome dying. Chastise and tease, bloody hurt, this world is run by you. I cut off supply to stop it working, bleed out until you’re blue.

Mold me, shape me,

For warmth and for fire To trigger ten-year wars with a touch To captivate the attentions of men and hold Paris in my grasp. I am no ‘Helen of Troy’, But here I stand in admiration. I gaze at each stroke that created the hand that moved the Trojan Horse, Wishing to be as cherished as the aging frames before me.

Chasing faces By Alexander Barrett

I wonder if you feel it Travelers saying goodbye A voyage potentially without a destination Nervous smiles and hopeful eyes You trust in life once you turn your back Then you are tested I could see our rock, a place where you once gazed as an innocent fish imprinted on your beauty He waits for you, he waits for you there now His destination reached, he waits alone… 16

By Priya Hawes

Light flows through the strings that hold us together Keeping up with ourselves, our favourite passed time The leaves S

ince 2018, Persian Poetics (@Persianpoetics on Instagram) has been dedicated to translating the works of famous Persian poets all over the world, with the religious and cultural context that was missing in former translations. InQuire interviewed the translator, Muhammad Ali, on who he is, what the page is about, and what keeps him going to spread knowledge. I sit in front of my phone screen. It is 10pm in Tehran for me and nearly 2pm in Detroit for my interviewee. He answers my call. Shaghayegh: Hi, how are you? Thank you for agreeing to do this. Muhammad Ali: It’s my pleasure. Thank you for featuring me. Shaghayegh: [Checks her notes] Could you give me a brief introduction of yourself? Muhammad Ali: Of course. My name is Muhammad Ali, and I’m the owner of Persian Poetics, an Instagram

Leaves

like pottery and decorate me to your desires. I lust, I greed

Persian Poetics

and crumble beneath Many hearts lay bare with no shelter. A natural film forms Instinct to the rawest degree Protection Then love Like the leaves, the film falls ever so delicately Bit by bit Until your heart crumbles again

had spent years of his life in Iran. He was like us – ye pash invar ye pash oonvar [one leg in Iran and one leg outside Iran]. I was introduced to Omar Khayyam, the famous poet, and began a journey of learning Persian more seriously. Shaghayegh: It’s interesting how international Khayyam is. Due to the nature of his poetry, he is famous amongst Russian households and the Spaniards as well. [Muhammad nods in agreement].

“It’s called Persian Poetics because it extends beyond Iran. If I wanted to just translate Iranian poetry I would have done so. But Persian poetry doesn’t begin nor end in Iran – it’s transnational.”

Shaghayegh: If you’re American, how come the interest in Persian poetry? Muhammad Ali: When I was younger, I lived in Tehran with my grandparents. They made it a point to teach me Persian, and the best way to learn, as you may know, is through poetry. They really wanted me to be connected to my roots and my culture, and I really credit them for being the first influence I had.

Shaghayegh: How was your university experience? And what inspired you to get into poetry? Muhammad Ali: I think there are a few things to mention. I was a Persian-English translator in university, which was something that just happened by chance – a professor needed someone, and I volunteered. Then I met Dr Camron [he pronounces it as Kam-ran, an Iranian name] Amin, a professor of history, who himself was an Iranian American who

Shaghayegh: Is your main aim decolonisation in a sense? A decolonisation of formerly-incorrectly translated poetry? Muhammad Ali: I have many aims, but decolonisation is the top one. I want to remove the Oriental influence that is hanging over Persian poetry, and I want to show how vital Persian literature is in the Eastern world. For example, the other day I posted an Arabic poem on my page, and I had lots of confused comments. I had to explain the poem was indeed written by a Persian poet, but in Arabic! The famous Sa’adi spoke fluent Arabic as he had studied in one of the best universities in Baghdad, and it is so strange to see divide between our nations, as if we weren’t all united once. Shaghayegh: The divide you mention – I see it in

page that I first started back in 2018 showcasing contextual translations of Persian poetry. I am an Iranian American – as in, my parents are from Iran, but I was born in America.

Shaghayegh: [smiles] That’s beautiful. Did you end up studying literature or Persian in University? Muhammad Ali: [laughs] Nope. I studied Economics in the University of Michigan. [he laughs harder when he sees the shock on my face] I know! I didn’t originally have much interest in going to university, but my parents obviously wanted me to have higher education, so I picked economics as a major because I really enjoyed studying it in Iran. Then I spent one year in Jordan learning Arabic on a scholarship, which is where I know Arabic from, and I always liked the language. Many Persian poets have written in Arabic too, so it was important I learn to read their works as well.

expanding onto other social media sites like Twitter and Patreon and offering classes on Persian poetry. I also started a sort of campaign on how Rumi is a Muslim, with contextual proof from his poetry and what we know about his life. [he shrugs] I’m trying to set the record straight.

Muhammad Ali: Exactly, hence what I mean when I say Persian poetry is transnational. In university, I started having many Pakistani, Arab, Indian, and Turkish friends come to me asking about Persian poetry. I was obviously surprised – they were mentioning names I thought were only common in Iran. So it started with me just translating poems here and there for them, but only when I started reverse translating – that is, finding the Persian versions of translated poems, did I realise a problem that existed in the field of translation. I was introduced to Coleman Barks, who had butchered Moulana (or famously known as Rumi)’s poetry. Barks’ translation in his famous book, The Essential Rumi, had removed important Islamic and Persian context from most of Rumi’s poems, to render them more appealing to the Western eye. I mean, most people don’t even know that Rumi was a Persian Muslim! Shaghayegh: This discovery led you to realise how important integrity is in translation. Muhammad Ali: [nods] Absolutely. Persian Poetics was growing at this time, and I had started living in Jordan. The page grew more and more, and I started

the UK a lot. Most people assume West and South Asians are worlds apart when they really aren’t. Muhammad Ali: [nods] Exactly! A lot of people ask me why I post Arabic poetry, even if it was written by a Persian poet. I think people get the notion of Persian as an ethnicity and former empire and the modern Iranian nationality confused. Many Persian poets ever lived in modern-day Iran. Iranians are a nationality and can be from any ethnicity. Persians are an ethnic group that is spread all over the world. In Lahore or Dehli you can hear people reciting Persian poetry. In the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, native people speak Persian. In India, descendants of Persians are still practicing Zoroastrianism, a millennia-old religion that once flourished in the Persian Empire. Despite all that's happened in the past centuries, our poetry and language continue to live and breathe. It’s called Persian Poetics because it extends beyond Iran. If I wanted to just translate Iranian poetry I would have done so. But Persian poetry doesn’t begin nor end in Iran – it’s transnational. And this is just the start. I thank Muhammad Ali for his call. In the Zoroastrian religion, they say fire is what keeps a human alive. For Muhammad and many others, this fire is keeping the Persian culture intact and passing it down to future generations. By Shaghayegh Ghezelayagh Writer

The Benefits of a Plant Based Diet Recently the plant based diet has erupted. This new lifestyle has been coined as the healthiest approach to eating whilst aiding weight loss, however how much of this is true and how much of this is a myth. Hopefully this article will provide some insight into the benefits of becoming plant based.

By Grace Bishop Newspaper Lifestyle Editor

here seems to be a misrepresentation

If the world went Vegan, it could save 8 million lives by 2050 and avoid climate damages of £1.5 trillion

on the complexities surrounding this lifestyle, however altering your eating

habits may not be as complicating as you may imagine. Fear not, there is no need to start religiously counting macronutrients and research your meal before you consume it, it just requires a brief understanding behind the logistics of this diet. Plant based diets have several interpretations which include a vegetarian diet (they may eat cheese, eggs and milk but they shy away from

finding vitamins B12 and Iron into their diet.

overweight adults lost 9.25 pounds on average

chicken, pork and beef etc), the vegan diet

Health Benefits: Plant based diets have been

(choosing to forgo animal products all together

proven to reduce blood pressure which in turn

Did you know that plant based diets could

while exclusively eating plants), the Raw Vegan

reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes

also play a part in lengthening your lifespan?

as well as strokes. In April

The Journal of the American Heart Association

2014

Internal

found that this lowers your risk of mortality by

Medicine engaged in 39

25% whilst extending the protection layer by

studies

another 5%.

“Fear not, there is no need to start religiously counting macronutrients and research your meal before you consume it, it just requires a brief understanding behind the logistics of this diet.”

JAMA and

recorded

following a plant based diet.

that those who follow a

High cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits in

vegetarian diet had lower

the blood; restricting blood flow and increasing

blood pressure on average.

your risks of heart attacks and strokes. However

Following

this

new

lifestyle can also offer you

moving away from animal products can lower LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol by 10-15%.

a healthier heart as meat

Although this isn’t solely about limiting your

contains a large amount

meat consumption, this also means stocking up

of saturated fats which

on whole grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables and

diet (eating only raw plant based foods) and the

contribute to heart issues later in life. The Journal

healthy fats such as olive oil whilst limiting your

Flexitarian diet (flexible diet by simply cutting

of the American Heart Association published in

exposure to refined and processed sugars.

down their meat consumption).

2019 found that eating a plant based diet reduced

Maya Feller, a dietitian based in New York, and the author of The Southern Comfort

the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 16% and dying of this condition by 31%.

Food Diabetes Cookbook, claims it’s popular

The risk of obesity decreases massively once

considering it can reduce the environmental

abandoning meat allowing you to drop the

impact on humanity through the reduction in

pounds.

greenhouse

gases

along

with agricultural sources. Feller argues that “whether you are an animal lover, an environmental or

want

advocate, live

your

healthiest life, being plant based is the one underlying thread that seems to be

Weight

“The idea is to nourish the body and cells to improve health outcomes, but weight loss may be a by product of replacing and reducing certain foods.”

compelling so many of us”.

factor

your health considering fatty

tissue

makes cells resistant to insulin. F e l l e r

that the Flexitarian diet offers a more balanced

cells to improve health outcomes, but weight loss

approach

may be a by-product of replacing and reducing

people

find

eradicating meat from their diet to be stressful and unfulfilling, leaving them challenged when

iktok placed Dubai at second place after New York City - as part of the top 10 trending destinations in the world. You’ve probably seen Dubai around your FYP (for you page) and household names like the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab, and the Dubai mall are familiar. But have you ever wondered what else does this city offer? Alas, we’ve curated a list of 10 places that are bucketlist-worthy. Ain Dubai and Blue Waters Recently opened back in October of last year, the record-breaking Ain Dubai (translates from Arabic to Dubai Eye) at 250m high tops both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer. A roster of instagrammable restaurants and food stalls from cuisine all over the world can be found below at the pavements of Blue Waters. This new development also houses the first franchise of Madame Tussauds in the Middle East, featuring famous figures from the region like Nancy Arjam and Ahmed Fahmy.

Dubai Mall is home to over 1200 stores, a recordbreaking aquarium, Olympic sized ice skating rink, and the soughta f t e r fountain show. Find any cuisine you fancy and dine front-row seat to watch the waterworks against the tall Burj Khalifa. Now for the adrenaline seekers, visit the Hysteria haunted house or explore the savvy VR park. Legendary Burj Khalifa’s At the Top access can be found

Best time to visit: Sunset and clear visibility, avoid sandstorms and foggy days Kite Beach The iconic Burj Al Arab skyline, white sand, sunny weather, and clear skies will make you want to capture every moment underneath the balmy sun. If you’re with friends, you can enjoy a fun match on the volleyball court. Or try something new with the kite surfing rentals. If you want to take yourself out and immerse yourself in a great book, you can find plenty available at the beach library. Refreshments and food are in abundance so you’d never go famished! Best time to visit: September January (it’s English summer weather but more stable) Dubai Mall The infamous

linked inside the mall too. Make sure you check out bookings and don’t miss the view - 456 meters above the city! Best time to visit: June - August (scorching hot but you’re indoors, airconditioned, and avoiding the peak season) IMG Adventures Relive your childhood with friends and family at this exclusive indoors themed amusement p a r k . Only in Dubai, engage with

TikTok placed Dubai at second place - after New York - as part of the top 10 trending destinations in the world! characters from Adventure Time, Lazy Town, the Powerpuff girls, and more. For Marvel fans, ride with your favourite superheroes. Face your fears and challenge yourself on dinosaur-themed rollercoasters! The restaurants inside are all a vibe. Best time to visit: During your summer vacation - a great escape from the summer heat Ski Dubai Located inside the Mall of the Emirates, this ski resort is the one and only in the entire Middle East. Experience -4 degree weather and meet real penguins. Try snowboarding, ride down the slopes or watch an aerial view of the park from the chairlift. It has indoor restaurants and retail stores for any souvenirs you want to bring back home. And just outside the entrance are more options for you to dine in. Best time to visit: A great break from your summer vacation heat Alserkal Avenue Are you a lover of the arts and culture? Discover local artists, dine in hip and artisic cafes and check out small businesses retailing. Exhibitions and galleries that feature work from Middle Eastern, European and othe international artists are rotated by the season, so there’s always something new and exciting on display! Best time to visit: To enjoy walking outside the buildings, preferably winter months.

states that “the idea is to nourish the body and

most

By Laurice Janielle Writer

a major risk

Registered dietician Krista Linares exclaims considering

Travelling to Dubai: A Bucket List for Millennials and Gen-Z

certain foods”. Adding to this, in 2017 Nutrition and Diabetes concluded that 65

Sources https://www.everydayhealth.com/ diet-nutrition/scientific-benefitsfollowing-plant-based-diet/ https://www.pcrm.org/news/ blog/5-ways-vegan-diet-helpsplanet https://www.nuzest.com/blog/topplant-based-food-swaps-an-easyguide/

Photo by ZQ Lee/Unsplash

Photo by Josh Miller/Unsplash

spin on the backlash. According to the article blondes are known for having more fun as ‘studies prove even bottle blondes immediately feel more glamorous and sexier once they ditched their natural hair colour.’ This newfound confidence is likely to encourage women to go out and chase adventure! Yet some parts of this article can be considered somewhat untasteful, especially the premise that ‘gentlemen (and random hotties at your college bar) prefer blondes. Sure, the brunettes might marry Photo by Shari Sirotnak/Unsplash them, but we get the upper hand now and we can still see elements of this trope today. that’s what matters.’ Are we sure this is quite the Even with the hit series Euphoria, audiences message we want to be displaying? Blondes can can see the ‘dumb-blonde’ trope through that have fun in the moment but not necessarily in character of Cassie. Whilst Cassie is considered the long run? the beautiful sister painted as blonde and highly This topic was thoroughly debated on Loose sexually attractive, her sister Lexi hides in her Women in 2018, with Stacey Solomon exploring how hairstyles can make you feel sexier, yet in her opinion the colour of her hair doesn’t change who she is! During this episode the panel adorned different wigs to change their appearance. Of the four women, only Christine Lampard was rocking a blonde look. Whilst initially the hosts were complimenting Lampard’s look. Janet Street-Porter chimed in with

The Blonde Myth By Elle Summers Website Culture Editor

ver the years it is safe to say there have been many stereotypes about blondes, from having more fun to being dumb to your typical bimbo it always seems to be blondes that get branded with slander. Couple this with hailing from Essex and that opens up a whole other can of worms, mainly consisting of teeth, tan and tits! Yet where do these negative stereotypes come from? Is there any truth to blondes having a better time? I’ve been many a different hair colour in my 22 years. I’m currently rocking some kind

“Over the years it is safe to say there have

Protecting your Skin against the Sun As spring/summer approaches potentially the last thing on your list of things to look forward to as the nights get lighter and the prospect of sipping Pimms in the sunshine gets closer, is what SPF you should be buying. As far as skincare, SPF is probably the least exciting product to browse on Cult Beauty. However, SPF is super important in protecting all skin tones against the sun’s damaging rays and preventing signs of early aging (we’ve got dissertations for that!) The NHS states that we should be buying sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) with ‘at least 30 to protect against UBV’ and should be applied 30 minutes before going out. The NHS also recommends that you look out for a star rating on your sun cream, stating ‘SPFs are rated on a scale of 2 to 50+ based on the level of protection they offer, with 50+ offering the strongest form of UVB protection. The star rating measures the amount of ultraviolet A radiation (UVA) protection. You should see a star rating of up to 5 stars on UK sunscreen. The higher the star rating, the better.’

Sun Cream for your Body

How to Apply under Makeup

We often think of SPF as that horrible sticky cream that leaves a white cast over our arms and legs for hours to follow. There are sun creams which are less egregious in this way and smell lovely too! Using sun creams which come in an oil spray consistency soak in quickly and are moisturising whilst offering UV protection. The Nivea Sun protect Dry Touch Sunscreen Spray is great for this and it comes in higher sun factors so is great if you are naturally fair or burn easily. It also comes in a waterproof formula if you plan on taking a dip in the pool or a splash in the sea on your summer holiday.

It is a myth that SPF has to be so thick and viscous that applying makeup over it is a complete impossibility. Not only are facial SPFs developing in a way that keeps them lightweight and buildable, you can also apply your makeup in a way that prevents smearing. Firstly, allow your SPF to fully sink into the skin before you go in with makeup to prevent patchiness. Opt for base products that are thin in consistency like a BB cream, ideally one that contains SPF.

If an oil isn’t your thing, we are fans of the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Protective Sun Lotion in particular which retails for £7.00 in Boots and comes in UV factors 15 and 30. It also comes in a handy 180ml bottle that can easily fit in your handbag or beach bag. At such an affordable price, it makes neglecting your SPF inexcusable.

Sun Cream for your Skin

been many stereotypes about blondes, from having more fun to being dumb to your

typical bimbo it always seems to be blondes that get branded with slander; Is there any truth to blondes having a better time?”

of marshmallow pink, but a little while before that I was as bleached blonde as you can imagine. I went through stage of never being light enough, until it got to the point where I literally radiated in the flash of a camera – I’m sure you can all imagine how lovely that looked! Blonde hair is said to have been around for over 10,000 years, originating as a genetic mutation. Before being sexualised in the male gaze of the patriarchal society, blonde hair acted as a means for the scalp to absorb a greater percentage of sunlight, thus allowing for a higher vitamin D intake. Like all rare things, this hair type soon became desirable. As most desired traits in women in our society usually are, blonde hair was sexualised via popular media and television. In 1953, Marilyn Monroe stared in Gentleman Prefer Blondes epitomising the trope of a ‘dumbblonde’ character. But unfortunately, this was not a phase that stayed in the 50s, and instead 20

shadow, the smart but undesirable younger sister. The fact that the ‘dumb-blonde’ trope remains in our day-and-age, reflects how this stereotype has been having negative impacts on women in the real world too. Refinery29’s Production Manager, Liz Kyneur recounts, “It drives me mad whenever I’m labelled as a ‘dumb blonde’. I worked in a company with a lot of men and my blonde hair was always the go-to joke they made whenever I would question the rationale behind anything or suggest a different approach to a project.” The sad truth is that this trope is impacting how real women are being treated, especially in the workplace, with their skills under-appreciated and overlooked! Yet, from these negative assumptions has grown a space for blondes to bite back. Elite Daily have explored this further endeavouring to put a somewhat motivational

‘you look like a ditz’. This repetitive trope of the blonde woman being the ditz does not aid women’s self esteem in any shape or form! Even the fact that Lampard was only wearing a wig and is still termed so negatively surely has to make us stop and question – how can this be okay? It seems to me that these stereotypes are yet another medium through which society, and in turn the media have control over women’s identity and self-esteem. Why is it so important to categorise women differently simply based on a hair colour and thus brand them with such negative traits? Being completely honest, it is totally heart breaking that we have reached 2022 and women still feel the need to overcome such ridiculous boundaries to show their worth! Having had multiple hair colours myself (even though they are out of a bottle) I think it is safe to say that I’m the same Elle Summers I’ve always been, and nothing about my hair will ever change that!

Whilst it is important to wear sun cream on our bodies, we often neglect our faces despite the skin being the most delicate in this area. Sun damage can leave your skin with freckles and dark spots and in more severe cases can lead to skin cancer, so it is crucial that you layer your makeup with SPF, even if it looks cloudy outside. Facial SPF can be more an investment product pricewise, but it is worth every penny spent. We love The Inkey List’s SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen as it sits well under makeup and does make your base products shift around or go cakey. This can be found it Boots for £14.99. Keep an eye out on ASOS as often they will sell The Inkey List and a student discount can be applied here! If you are happy to splash the cash and are looking for a high-end product, La Roche Posay’s Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid is SPF50 and suitable for sensitive skin. This SPF markets itself as being non-eye-stinging, non-greasy and sweat, sand and water resistant making it the cream that ticks all the boxes for your summer escape.

Lip Balms with SPF

When applying SPF to your face, don’t forget your lips! Your lips can get dry as it is in the summer with the humidity of the warmer months and unprotected sun exposure will only worsen the impact of this. None of us want cracked lips. They can get very sore and it is neigh on impossible to layer your favourite lip products over flaky skin! Lip balms containing SPF can be bought on a budget at your high street beauty store or chemist. We find ourselves reaching for the Nivea Sun. Lip Balm with SPF 30 time and time again. Not only does it protect against sun damage, but the beeswax in it keeps the hydration sealed in for hours after application. This lip balm is also great as it doesn’t make lipsticks or lip oils separate if applied on top. For only £4.00 you can’t go wrong.

Apply using a damp beauty sponge using a patting motion so as not to disrupt the SPF underneath. Cream products tend to sit well over sun creams so go for a cream or liquid bronzer and blush using the same damp sponge to apply. If you find yourself looking oily, use another side of the sponge and apply a loose translucent powder where needed.

How Else can you Protect Yourself? Even once you’ve lathered on the sun cream and you’re ready to hit the beach, there are other ways to protect your skin. Budgeting for a new sun hat is a cheap and easy way to protect your face and neck from the sun that can be rocked with style. H&M and Primark always sell great straw hats which can be tacked onto your beach bag or donned with a pair of sunglasses to shield your eyes whilst also looking chic. Wearing sunglasses also stops you from squinting which over time can leave you with fine lines around the eye area. A kaftan can also be worn when you’re not in the pool if you’re sitting in direct sunlight and want an extra layer of protection. By Katie Daly Website Lifestyle Editor

Sources Used:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthybody/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/ Let us know your favourite summer products via Instagram - @inquirekent

Photo by Malhar Garud/Unsplash

Kent Meet y

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By Alex Charilaou Newspaper Editor For once, InQuire’s exit poll called it correctly! At 7pm, we announced the four likely winners: Thomas, Lupe, Carolina and Zaid.

Thom VP Welf as Freeston are & C ommun ities

Sellei ience Lupe xper mic E e d a c A

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It was an emotional night for winners, runners-up and audience alike. All of our winners won by a fair margin over their nearest competitor - the exception to this was the President race, which Zaid won by just 56 votes over Ismail. Well done to everybody who put themselves forward in this year’s election, and a massive congratulations to our new leadership team. Zaid, Carolina, Lupe, and Tom, we look forward to seeing you in action! Congratulations also to Ainy, our Head of Photography and Design, who took all of our election night photos this year. For her work on the night, as well as through the year, we’re delighted to announce Ainy has been shortlisted for a Student Publication Award (Best Student Photographer). We couldn’t be happier for her - she’s a credit to the team, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

ood Mahm sident d i a Z n Pre Unio t n e K

Caro VP Stu lina van Eld ik dent E ngage ment Photos by Ainy Shiyam Head of Photgraphy and Design

From One Second... to the Next By Johnathan Guy, Head of Technology Have you ever looked at a clock, looked away quickly and looked back, and it felt like the second lasted longer when you weren’t looking, almost as if time had been ‘paused’ briefly? It’s a feeling familiar to most, and is an exemplary showcase of how our perception does not reflect the true nature of time. That said, the example given is also a good example of the idea that time is in fact relative to the observer, as counterintuitive as it may seem. It is theorised that an observer watching an astronaut with a clock on their back and a watch on their wrist float ever closer to a black hole would gradually see the clock on their back slow to a stop, while for the astronaut, time would continue as normal. This effect is known as time dilation, and is also present on Earth. For most people, your feet are slightly younger than your head, due to gravity – though don’t worry, the effect is very tiny. We know this thanks to Einstein and his theory of General Relativity, which predicted that bodies with mass would have an impact on spacetime, effectively ‘warping’ it. In recent years, more accurate atomic clocks have come to replace the use of analogue or digital clocks, (at least for experiments relating to time dilation), such as the one pictured to the right, held at the National Physical Laboratory. These clocks have existed since 1955, when physicists at NPL created the first, capable of keeping accurate time to within 0.0001 seconds per day. Current atomic clocks, though, usually depend on ions of caesium or strontium, with the one NPL was using until 2011 being so accurate that had it been going since the end of the dinosaurs, approximately 65 million years ago, it would have lost only half a second in terms of accuracy. Newer atomic clocks are so precise that they wouldn’t be out of sync by even a second, even if they had run for the entire age of the universe. Improved accuracy in these clocks will hopefully allow scientists to more rigorously test Einstein’s theory, and may be a tool that helps produce large leaps in our wider scientific knowledge, too. 24

Science Placements The Transition Between Academia and Industry

By Holly McPhillips Science Correspondent

SK, Johnson Mattey, P&G, BAE Systems: these are just some of the companies that hire students during their undergraduate studies for a professional placement or year in industry. The University of Kent gives science students the opportunity to pursue a placement of this kind between the second and final years of their undergraduate degree. It is a chance to take on a year-long independent research project within an academic institution or industry where students can use the skills they have learned at university in real-life settings – and even develop new ones that they can use when they return for the last year of their degree. By taking on a year-long independent research project, students can transition from the university’s well-structured “everything will work within the 3-hour laboratory session” teaching setting into an industry’s creative, criticalthinking goal-driven setting. Placements are also an excellent way to gain relevant life experience, like preparing a job application and handling an interview, which will be useful skills when applying for graduate schemes or further study after graduation.One of the biggest factors in deciding whether you should do a professional placement is chatting to someone who has done

one. Discussing the opportunity with someone who has been through the process, whether successful or not, often inspires people to apply for these opportunities. This is because the placement project can vary hugely between organisations and knowing what is out there can help you decide which kind of project and interests suit you. Unfortunately, the pandemic has hindered discussions like these between prospective and experienced students. To help bridge this gap, a two case studies of thoughts on a professional placement year - including my own - are presented here. Additionally, there is some useful advice sprinkled throughout to help those interested in a professional placement to prepare for the process – including comments from academics and the Careers Service. With that being said, good luck and make use of the services available to you at the university!

Holly McPhillips, Neutron and Muon Instrumentation Development at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Oxfordshire.

Why did you decide to do a professional placement? I wanted to use what I had learned so far in my degree in a creative, dynamic work setting. I also wanted to pick up new skills that I would not have gained unless I did a specialised Masters project. I also knew I wanted to work at a largescale facility like the neutron source after being inspired by a lecture on synchrotron sources and after speaking to academics who regularly used these facilities.

What was your professional placement project about? I was part of a team that were improving an experimental set-up for one of the neutron scattering spectrometers that utilised quartz vessels containing spin-polarised 3He gas. Spin-polarised gas has a limited lifetime which can be extended by treating the glass surface. My project focused on studying the surface of the glass vessels used to contain the gas to understand how we could increase its lifetime to carry out specific neutron scattering experiments. This involved understanding the composition and topography of the glass

How has this year shaped your experiences moving forward? I now appreciate the realistic time frame for research and that the first solution to the problem is never always correct. I also enjoyed interacting with different research and industry groups around the world and the on-the-spot problem solving. The unique thing about a placement like this was to sit between academia and industry, and I realise that this blended

Amanda Monteiro, Senior Careers Adviser

knowledge they have gained during

A placement is a good way of gaining work experience alongside your degree. It provides insights into the real world, and a chance to use your skills and to develop them further. It gives you a chance to see if you would enjoy a particular job or type of company before committing yourself. Even if you decide that the type of work you did on the placement isn’t for you, you will have gained skills and experience and know more about applying for jobs - often your placement employer will be willing to act as a referee. Paid placements also help financially, and placements with big companies often pay very well. By applying for placements and going for interviews, you greatly improve your application and interview skills, giving you a distinct advantage in your final year. An added advantage is that placement students often get a better final degree grade, perhaps because of the

their year out, or because they have improved their time management and interpersonal skills during the placement. It’s competitive, but if you work hard during the application process it really can pay off.

surface. I presented my project at a few meetings, including the 7th European Conference on Neutron Scattering (ECNS 2019) in St Petersburg, Russia which was my most proud moment.

For support from the Careers and Employability Service, scan the QR Code.

Dr Silvia Ramos, Head of School for Physics and Astronomy

Dr Chris Shepherd, Director of Studies for Chemistry and Forensic Science, Reader and Programme Lead for Forensic Science

Why did you decide to do a professional placement? Extended experience in industry is great for professional development but also making your CV stand out when applying for graduate jobs. I was studying Chemistry, but I’d always liked the idea of programming and I enjoyed a coding module in my second year, so I chanced an application for an IT role in an Analytical R&D department of a global pharmaceutical company. I found this role by going to local networking events, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and attending the industry talks put on by the university.

Placement is an opportunity to gain real life experience of the type of work a scientist does without a long-term commitment. Thereby making it an excellent way to assess what you may like or dislike in a future role. One could say they are a “taster” for a specific professional career. The process of getting a placement is just as valuable as doing one, because it is an opportunity to work on the CV, presentation and communication skills, etc. - all the soft skills that are so important after graduation.

What’s your advice? My advice for students would be to start preparing for the with some time, seek advice from employability advisors about how to apply and how to highlight your skills in the CV and presentation letters. Also, be bold and apply for positions that will widen your horizons and add to your experience that will make you stand out.

Photo by University of Kent

Professional placements are a fantastic way to increase students’ personal confidence in their scientific knowledge and ability and prove to themselves that they can belong and thrive within a range of scientific and technical disciplines. When I see students come back from their placements, they are always more confident, organised and motivated thanks to the structure within which they have been working while on placement.

What’s your advice? Future planning is key. Make sure that you attend the relevant briefings during your Stage 1 so that you are as informed as possible when you apply for these placements during Stage 2. Spend the summer updating or writing your CV to ensure that you are selling yourself effectively and have this checked by the employability teams. Also, regularly engage with your Academic Adviser so they really get to know you to write a personalised reference for you.

How did the year shape your experiences moving forward? I went into the placement as a chemistry student with an interest in programming; I thought I might make a couple of intranet webpages and automate some Excel spreadsheets for people. I ended up learning how to develop software, create enterprise databases and design interactive dashboards. At the end of the placement, the software I developed was very well received by the team and 6 months later they asked me to apply for a new full-time role they were creating to have a permanent Digital Scientist in the team. I was offered the job and have now been in my new role for nearly 18 months. Since starting the role, I’ve also started an MSc Degree Apprenticeship in Digital and Technology Solutions, alongside my job.

career path is what I would like moving forward. As a result, I am now pursuing a postgraduate research degree in functional materials. What’s your advice? It is very easy to be overwhelmed at the number of job listings available for a placement year. It is a good idea to identify which areas you are generally interested in before making formal applications, like medicinal chemistry or functional materials. You will be amazed at how many varied roles there are in these broad areas, and how transferable the skills you have learned so far are! Josh Pearce, IT Applications Undergraduate, Pfizer UK What was your professional placement project about? In a group of analytical chemists, I was asked to develop an interactive dashboard that the team could use to manage their workload and allocate testing to different analysts in the team. This would help them to report the status of testing to other teams involved in the supply chain of the materials being tested. What’s your advice? Make use of the services offered by the Careers & Employability Service, I was able to book a mock interview with them which really helped me to prepare ahead of my assessment centre. It’s also a good idea to become a student member of your degree subject’s professional body and see what events and careers services they offer - for me it was the Royal Society of Chemistry. Maybe also consider looking and applying for roles outside of your subject, if you think you’d enjoy it and bring a valuable perspective to the role. Even if you don’t manage to get an offer, the experience of applying could help when you come to filling out applications after you graduate. 27

focusing mostly on the virtual due to the pandemic. While some people criticised the

rt, and all the media that it can entail, has long been the preferred m o d e

of rait Port is E. Chr as Varg

of expression for a large number of persons. Whether through ink, paint, textile, movement…, it grants artists the ability to have their voices be heard and seen, as well as to vocalise topics outside of the limits of words. It can also serve as a means of raising awareness on difficult or taboo topics, and ultimately contribute to sparking new discussions.

contributions to art in particular have been erased from records or destroyed in an attempt to silence them. Digging into the past of trans artistic history, therefore, is vastly harder than it is learning about any other forms of art which has been dutifully and carefully conserved through the years. However, more and more initiatives are created in order to right these wrongs and

broadly on the experience of the trans community by having them shape the exhibition, thus making it simultaneously deeply personal and internationally relatable. As Sneeuwloper put it, this process fit within a larger frame. “It’s something about recognition. It’s something about acknowledgement. It’s the

physical status has been branded by Vargas as “forever under construction”, thus allowing for an incredibly free and unique experience, with the project taking an infinite variety of forms such as exhibitions, poster graphics, performances, and virtual artist residency programs.

Art is particularly important for marginalised people, who can often find their community and their voice through modes of self-expression. With this magazine issue focusing on the topic of Transitions, it seemed more than fitting to focus on trans artists, and to how, each in their own way, they change the way we envision art and culture. By trans artists, we obviously refer to people who have undergone gender reattributing transition, but also any and all persons who do not fall within the umbrella term of cis-gender or on the binary spectrum of heteronormativity. For the larger part of history, trans people in general and their

to finally give back to trans artists their platform and their ability to communicate with others through their art. A number of museum curators, for instance, are fighting to give to the trans experience the visibility it deserves in order to break the still omnipresent stigma. Mirjam Sneeuwloper, from the Amsterdam Museum, formerly the Amsterdam Historical Museum, worked in a collaboration with local transgender communities to create an exhibition titled Transmission. Shifting away from the traditional approach, namely giving a platform to one person of exception, the museum decided to focus more

stories who are not yet part of the dominant narrative. And as we all know, the one who’s telling the story has got the power to shape the way we think, the way we act, and the way we feel. And as we are working in a museum, we’ve got so much power. We’re not neutral.” Nowadays, more and more museums and curatorial teams are taking and using this power for societal issues, playing a vital part in normalising unique experiences. In the United States, the MOTHA, the Museum Of Trans Hirstory & Art, founded by artist Chris E. Vargas, asks its audience to think critically about what a visual history of transgender life could and should look like. MOTHA’s

The reflexion that Chris E. Vargas’s brings about it incredibly important, as it also explores the importance of language in the understanding of personal experiences of others. Indeed, as visual artist Archie Barry simply puts it, “How do you make a picture of something you can’t see?” Indeed, even if everyone’s experience tends to feel relatable and universal, its intangibility can make it harder to share it with others, and therefore most trans artists develop a strong reflexion on their approach to their topics. Vargas’s project’s first aim, for instance, is to explore the debatable possibility of compiling a comprehensive history of an identity

category’s artistic production when the language it uses is relatively new and sometimes contested, as well as evolving extremely rapidly. These two approaches are part of a broader framework of collectives, artists, and curators working hand in hand to give a more central place to these conservations. The process of focusing the discussion on trans artists is, however, far from exclusively driven by museums and curators. The first steps come from the artists themselves who are carving for themselves the space they have been deprived of for so long. Collectives of artists are the leading forces in such developments. By assembling different artists who each have a unique experience of their life as a trans person, collectives are able to closely represent the multitude of realities. In London, for example, following a partnership with the Koppel Project which aims to create spaces for artists to experiment and exchange ideas, We Exist launched an experimental cross-disciplinary education programme at the Old Central St Martins Campus in Holborn. Running from 2020 to the end of 2021, Koppel defines the project as “a place where practicing artists, creatives, and makers could explore, share and deepen their practices whilst taking advantage of vast communal spaces (including a theatre, lecture theatre, and rooftop) and the network that came with it”, imagining a world that would be more flexible, more creative, more generous. Gathering 30 trans and non-binary artists, many exhibitions, projects and talks happened through lockdown,

project for excluding artists on the basis of their gender (no cis artists was invited in the residency), those who

took part in the project explained the process in a lengthy interview with Dazed. When asked to express how they perceived the project, dancer and performer Iro explained that, for them, “providing space for trans people to create safely, without requiring them to adhere to cis-het culture or environments, allows for so much authentic creativity than would otherwise occur”. Another member of the residency, Luca, explained that the safe space the residency created allowed all of the persons in the group to be much more sincere, creative and productive than they likely would have been in any other setting. The creation of safe spaces is incredibly important, in art and in general, as it allows all to move past the restrictions and the constraints that feeling unsafe and othered can create. Finally, despite the appearances and the repeated attempts of some museums and art committees to obscure them, it is also incredibly important to remember all of the trans artists, performers and cultural figures who have come before and who have seen their life’s works and their voices confined to the margins, when not outrightly silenced. Figures such as Sylvia Rivera, Lili Elbe or Ethyl Eichelberger, to name a few, are people who, through history, have fought for their rights and their lives while producing art, making them invaluable figures in understanding the evolution of trans arts through history. All in all, there is now more and more attempts to open up conversations regarding trans artists and to break this taboo in the art world, which remains extremely conservative and traditional. Steps from artists, museums and curators are incredibly important in accelerating the course of history and in giving back a voice to all those who have been deprived of one for too long.

by Juliette Moisan Newspaper Culture Editor

Photo credits Portrait of Chris E. Vargas sfmoma.us Photo of the Koppel Project Campus boyleperks.com Portraits of trans icons anothermag.com 29

Photo credit - Rosemary Pierce

by Rashida Hassan, Literature Correspondent

he story of the African continent is tumultuous at best; the experiences and history of African peoples are often told from the point of view of when the colonisers first begun to thunder their boots on our shores. We are not told about our great kings, prosperous empires and flourishing interconnected communities that preceded the era of colonisation. That is why African literature is so important to decolonise your mind: not

A CandletheinUrsthe Wind Fischer phenomenon by Clara Dayan, Writer

only is it useful for Africans to study their own culture and the history and struggles of their people, it is also useful to interrogate the lens in which Africa is portrayed by the West. The study and reading of African literary texts is paramount for other races and ethnicities to deconstruct the often biased way in which Africa is projected, allowing us to challenge the stereotypes built around African people. African literature is an examination and portrayal of our history, told by the people who lived through it and who shared these experiences. Its emergence began a turning of the tide as Africans begun to tell their own stories. More importantly, African literature explores colonialism and the longstanding and detrimental effects it has had on African peoples and our societies.

Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi

aa Gyasi is an insanely gifted writer and Transcendent Kingdom, a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief, is a beautiful example of her literary prowess. This is a novel about faith, science, religion, and love. Gifty, our protagonist, battles the conflicts of her religious upbringing

in Alabama and her occupation in the sciences – the readers are given a front row seat to the lives of this family, and we observe Gyasi intricately dissecting all the layers of what it means to grow up as a Black woman in a religious yet racist environment. Transcendent Kingdom is an interesting portrayal of grief, trauma and the hardships of living as an immigrant in a not-so-diverse area as the characters struggle to adjust, assimilate and be a part of their new society. Gifty’s constant battle with religion resonated with me as I have often struggled with what I believe. Do not be fooled, Transcendent Kingdom is not an easy read but it will challenge you, hurt you and force you to grow.

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If I’ve thought of my mother as callous, and many times I have, then it is important to remember what a callus is: the hardened tissue that forms over a wound.

Petals of Blood Ngugi wa Thiong’o

etals of Blood is a stark reflection of its author’s talent and impact on African literature. The novel explores the puzzling murder of three African directors of a foreign-owned brewery in independent Kenya, recreating many of the tensions in Kenya at that specific time. Although the book is centred on the assassination of three high-ranking

Kenyan officials, it is mostly a broad examination of the tensions tearing Kenyan society apart: a misplaced quest for wealth, modernity, and power; the continued stranglehold of Western imperialism on Kenyan society; questions of the state’s responsibility to the community and the individual within the community; and the tensions between the rise of modernity and an aching for traditional values. The novel is told through the eyes of Munira, Karega, Abdulla, and Wanja, as they are questioned about the triple murder, while it also flashes back twelve years, to when the four characters first came to the village of Ilmorog. Ngugi was incarcerated for this novel, signaling what a revelation it was in the socio-political zeitgeist of Kenya at the time.

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Tell me … would we need pity, charity, generosity, kindness if there were no poor and miserable to pity and be kind to?”

Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

hings Fall Apart (TFA) is by far one of the most iconic and influential literary pieces of the 20th century. It was written in response to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, in which Conrad portrayed Africans as barbaric and primitive: all the African characters are portrayed unidimensionally. Achebe sought to rectify this portrayal of Africans with his novel. TFA centres around the fictional Nigerian village of Umuofia and its harrowing protagonist, Okonkwo, his life, family and community. Examining the pre-colonial era before and during the arrival of the white colonial masters, it shows our protagonist’s attempt to navigate his complicated relationship with his surroundings and his struggle to maintain his culture in his community when it appears that the white man has all too well succeeded to undo their centuries’ old customs and traditions. This novel is careful with the depictions of ‘the white man’ and delineates the effect the arrival of colonisers had on the breakdown of the community. Achebe masterfully crafts and portrays the complex and advanced social institutions, laws, customs and artistic traditions of the Igbo culture. Although TFA portrays the vivacious nature of African culture, it also succeeds in conveying the often toxic nature of masculinity in African cultures.

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bout a year ago, statues by Urs Fischer appeared in the Rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, France. At first glance, they seemed carved in marble, following the tradition of ancient Greco-Roman sculpture. The impressive statues were actually made of wax and petroleum candles, designed to be burnt down and fade away slowly over the course of six months. For visitors, this created a striking image about humanity’s obsession of the passing of time and mortality. Installations and sculptures of Swiss artist Urs Fischer have been exposed in many international biennales and collectives’ exhibitions. In the Bourse de Commerce exhibition held from May to December 2021, the principal work displayed was an extremely convincing full-scale wax replica of a famous Renaissance statue, Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women. Giambologna’s masterpiece of Mannerist culture dates back to 1580 and stands in a famous glassdomed public square in Florence, the Plaza della Signoria

On the passing of time and the inescapable affront of death More than 400 years later, Urs Fischer’s gigantic wax replica gives a large space to one of the principal materials of this sculpture, time. The sculpture is purposefully designed to metamorphose over the course of the exhibition: at the beginning, it was perfect, precise and hyper realistic. When the wicks were

The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one.”

lit, the work slowly began to flow and melt, until at the end there was nothing left but a mass of wax without any real form, born out of sheer chance. This makes time a powerful component of the piece, with Urs Fischer inviting us to go beyond a sensation of space to move to a sensation of time. Every morning, the wicks of the wax statue were lit anew before the opening of the exhibition and extinguished at the end of the day. Visitors could observe wax running in rivulets from the glowing hair of the Sabines. As time goes by, indeed, Urs Fischer’s work gradually melted away.

Denouncing the ephemeral This work also possesses very strong symbolism. The Rape of the Sabine Women is originally a popular theme in Renaissance art, as it represents the archetypal Renaissance masterpiece. This depiction of a scene from Roman mythology historically allowed the artists to demonstrate their skills in carving nude female and male figures in extreme poses. Between legend and history, this episode of the construction of Rome is related by Roman historian Livy and later on by Plutarch. The “rape” is here is meant more as a rapt, a synonym of kidnapping, as opposed to a sexual assault. The story tells us that, as Rome was growing quickly, Romulus decided to kidnap Sabine women to marry them to Roman men and thus maintain the city’s strength. This important theme in Renaissance painting brings out important ideas of the epoch such as courage, boldness, and intense and passionate struggle. Here, by intending to destroy the supreme evidence of one’s talent as an artist, Urs Fischer obliquely denounces the violence and chaos of today’s world, in which everything needs to be fast paced, timed and counted down to an end. Fischer exposes time’s fatal arrow as inevitably apocalyptic and destructive. This echoes Joseph

Schumpeter’s idea of creative destruction, and also resonates with issues of global warming and the overexploitation of the Earth’s resources. This true art phenomenon invites the viewer to question the purpose of art; whether it aims to prove an artist’s creative skills or rather carry a transcending message. In Urs Fischer’s artwork, artistic creation becomes as much the realisation of the sculpture as its inevitable destruction. The essence of the work lies in its transitional state between the embodiment of the greatness of lasting patrimonial art, in particular sculpture, and the search for meaning in one’s life. The artist’s message denounces the attachment to marble as a noble long lasting material which renders sculpture eternal. Here the artist goes beyond this quest for immortality: Urs Fischer’s sculpture is a true monument denouncing over-consumption and stressing the impermanence, the movement and dynamics of life unfolding. Situated in the centre of the Rotunda, this replication of The Rape of the Sabine Women also aims to celebrate those who pass away.

As time melts away... Urs Fischer’s use of wax melting away to represent time passing resonates with other famous artworks. In The Persistence of Memory, Surrealist painter Salvador Dali represented watches, symbolising time passing, as inexplicably limp. This confusion discredits our perception of the world of reality as hard objects are gradually reduced to a pool of molten material which ends up seeming grotesquely organic. More recently, Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo has also chosen this melting effect approach to represent the passing of time. Her army of Melting Men, also entitled Minimum Monument, is an

installation composed of hundreds or thousands of hand-cut tiny ice figures. These ice men melting in the sun have been placed on the steps of monuments in the world’s most beautiful cities. The installation was presented in Brasilia, Tokyo, Belfast and Florence in 2008. Depending on local conditions, the whole installation usually melted within half an hour. Again, the contrast between the eternity of official classical art represented in the monuments on the steps of which the sculptures were placed and the ephemeral aspect of contemporary art is striking. Just like in Urs Fischer’s work, Néle Azevedo’s installation can be interpreted in many ways, including as a denunciation of global warming or as a memento mori. Urs Fischer’s work is part of this line of questioning on both the role of art and the passing of time. Today, this 48-year-old artist is known worldwide because the message conveyed by his works has a universal dimension. More than a vanity, Urs Fischer’s Rape of the Sabine Women is a melancholic evocation of creative destruction and the fact that nothing can be frozen or stopped. The sculpture does not destroy itself but is consumed and transformed as It passes from one state to another. It is as if all the values of this artwork were reversed by time and flames, to produce something else born of chance, and the hazards of life.

photo credit - unurth.com

photo credit - sysyphoto.wordpress.com

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO AFRICAN LIT

Drag Race UK Legend River By Jake Yates-Hart, Website Editor & Newspaper Entertainment Editor

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK returned to our screens last year for series three, with a whole new cast of drag superstars, including Kent’s very own River Medway. Thanks to her charisma, vulnerability and iconic runway look inspired by her namesake town, River has cemented her status as a fan favourite in the ever growing Drag Race roster. InQuire was lucky enough to sit down with River to discuss her time on and off Drag Race, her thoughts on her shocking elimination, and why Medway is such an important part of her drag. How did your journey with drag begin? I’ve been doing drag for a long time. When I was younger, I always loved stuff like wigs and dresses and makeup. But I always thought that I was never allowed to enjoy it. I thought I really had to hide that part of me. But I was probably 14 years old when I first began drag. It would be onstage, in front of an audience. I used to go to youth theatre and play female characters in productions and everyone would love it when I dressed up. As I got older, I thought: ‘Oh, I really enjoy this,’ and then I would go out in drag when I was 18. By the time I was 21, I got booked for my first ever gig.

Drag Race UK and was to be on one of the biggest TV shows in the world. How did you feel when you got the call to be on Drag Race? It was a very strange feeling because a few weeks before, I had a phone call that changed my life. And then I had another phone call that changed my life again, but for a very different reason. It was so weird how many emotions can feel the same for very different things. It was very overwhelming. And to be honest, I don’t think my mind really clicked what happened until probably after we finished filming the show.

What inspires your particular type of drag? I love Lady Gaga so much, and she’s always been a really big inspiration just for everything in my life. There’s a lot of Lady Gaga in my act, but I use Hannah Montana as a way of telling my personal story. The thing I love about Hannah Montana is that in the daytime, you’re one thing, and at night, you’re someone c o m p l e t e l y different. During season three, River

F r o m

the

day

got that

panel, River made waves with the audience with her outfits, including her campfire couture mini dress (that took less than a day to create!), a gorgeous red and gold gown inspired by her East Asian heritage, and of course, her iconic Thomas Waghorn runway, complete with a traffic-cone-wig. What were some favourite runways?

your

I was excited to show off my Waghorn-hometown look. It wasn’t the most amazing outfit, but I was really excited for people in Medway and Kent to see it because I knew that it was going to get a good reaction. But the amount of people that reached was ridiculous. In my head, I wasn’t trying to be funny with how I presented the runway. I thought: ‘I’m dressed up as a statue. It makes sense to be a statue on stage, and like, shuffle.’ And Ru actually started laughing at it, and I was excited for people to see that. The red and gold dress, as well. The reaction for that was crazy because I literally bought that dress for £200 on AliExpress. Since RuPaul exclaimed, “I don’t want to see any fucking H&M!” on DRUK season two, there’s been a growing concern about the financial burden of competing on Drag Race, especially for queens

opened up in an emotional confessional about losing her mother, who caught COVID and died nine days later in hospital; soon after, River got the call that she

phone call, the weeks of preparing, and then actually going to film it, it was such a blur. I don’t think my brain was stable for at least a year. Despite not always getting the

that come from a less affluent background. Unlike other iterations of Drag Race, the UK version sees competitors rewarded with ‘RuPeter’ badges instead of money. River

had passed the audition for

best reactions from the judges’

is a queen who is proud of her

Medway Speaks With InQuire

All photos by BBC and World of Wonder

working-class background but understands the limitations that comes with it for runways. Do you think there is a class issue on Drag Race? I think, with anything where you have to provide for yourself, there will always be an imbalance, especially when it comes to resources. Like I’ve always been very working class. Right now, is probably the first time ever that I don’t have to worry so much about money, which I’m really grateful for, which is sometimes the argument; that, we’re going to make that money back after the show. I don’t think that should be the point. We all know what the tea

was creating my verse, I didn’t want to write lyrics that could have been for anyone. Like, my drag is all about me. I wanted to make sure I conveyed that with the girl group challenge. Originally, I wrote those lyrics, and then scrapped it, and made them really generic. Because for a moment, I felt actually maybe this is too deep. It was just crap. Then, just before we went in to record our verses, I told a producer that I needed to change my lyrics back to what they were before. And thank God I did, because it’s a really good verse, and I love it. So, to be honest, it wasn’t a shock that we

is. Do you have any advice for working class queens who want to go on the show?

won.

Which challenge were you Keep it simple if you have to. I most dreading coming up? don’t want to say you have to have loads of money to go on Drag Race Snatch Game. Always, always, because if you trust yourself, then always. Because I’m not very funny you’ll be able to do well no matter in a situation like that. Maybe it’s what your resources are. And because I’m not being myself. And I’d like to think that I’m I think that happens a lot on good proof of that. Snatch Game. There are Because I really people on the show did not spend a that are completely I really did lot on the show themselves and so not spend at all. I didn’t funny, and then they a lot on the know designers. don’t do great in the show at all So, be resourceful, challenge. I felt like I be smart. If you was drowning. As soon have to, keep it simple, as I sat down, I knew I was because simple can still be going home. I just hated it so effective. Don’t think you have to much. have these crazy outfits. Because unfortunately, if you can’t afford In a shocking twist that to have it made, and you make a angered viewers, River and shabby version yourself, you might fellow fan favourite Choriza have to lip-sync to Shout by Lulu May were double eliminated and get eliminated. for their Snatch Game performances. RuPaul’s How did it feel to win the girl decision to remove both of group challenge? them from the competition seriously hindered the show’s Really, really good. I’ve always said enjoyment and had fans that if I get on Drag Race, I have to questioning whether the series make it to the girl group challenge, was becoming overproduced. and then I have to win it. When I

“

”

How did you feel about the

the first ten minutes, including our entrances… and I hated it. I was in the worst mood of my life, and I didn’t want to watch the show when it came out. But everybody loved me, and it was amazing. Everything worked out. I was proud that I showcased who I am as a person. double elimination with My most talked-about runway Choriza May? was inspired by my hometown. When Ru eliminated both of us, it Medway is the place that made me. just really hit me that this is Everything about me is what a game show. It’s reality Medway is. As soon as TV. I wasn’t mad I got on to the show, or upset. I knew I knew I had to tell As soon as I got it didn’t need to my Mum’s story. on to the show, I happen, one of us To be honest, even knew I had to tell could’ve stayed. I if I didn’t lose her, I my Mum’s story. knew I hadn’t been still would’ve talked eliminated because I about her because she was a bad drag queen; is also a huge part of my

“

I was eliminated because it’s a gag to have a double elimination. Everyone was sad to see us go, but a double elimination was great publicity, and you have to leave everyone wanting more. Were the any challenges you thought you should’ve won?

”

life. I’m really glad people got to know me because, if I’m honest, I’ve wanted to be famous my whole entire life. That’s all I ever wanted for myself. Would you consider returning for All Stars?

I would have to come back if I knew I think I did really good during I was going to win. If I’m honest, I the ‘Dragoton’ challenge, but I knew I wasn’t going to win season was just happy to be safe three. It’s such a mental considering the week thing. I don’t think I’m before I was in the there yet, and that’s Medway is the bottom. I was completely fine. place that made also happy to be Drag Race is really me. Everything about me is what safe in the design hard to do, and I Medway is challenge because would just want to I made a new outfit be the absolute best the morning of the version of myself. So, runway. But when I look maybe one day, but not back, I think I did really good that anytime soon. episode, so it would’ve been nice to be in the top. I probably should’ve With All Stars off the table (for won the advertising challenge in now), what’s next for River episode five. Medway? Well, she and the

“

”

What was it like to see your journey on screen? I was very nervous for the show to come out because I thought I had done terribly. From a drag perspective, I thought I hadn’t done well. We had a press launch for the show about a week before the premiere, and we got to watch

rest of her girl group Pick ‘N’ Mix - starring frontrunner Ella Vaday, delightful Choriza May and lip-sync assassin Vanity Milan - have just taken the UK by storm with their tour throughout March. River will also be returning to the main stage in Kent at Canterbury Pride on 11 June. The future is bright for this Kent queen!

THE MCU IN 2021

All photos by Marvel Studios and Disney+

A YEAR OF

MARVEL TV DOMINATION By Rhona Lonergan, Film & TV Correspondent

2020 was devoid of Marvel content. After years of unrelenting releases, three movies a year and the box office smashing success of Endgame, suddenly there was nothing. Some have called it a necessary break to alleviate Marvel fatigue, but it was still with much anticipation that we looked forward to the normality of regular Marvel releases in 2021. It never rains, however, only pours: we didn’t just get four MCU movies this past year. January 2021 marked the release of Disney’s first MCU TV show, WandaVision, which was then followed by Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, What If...? and Hawkeye, giving us more than 30 hours of TV content in just one year. Talk about overcompensation!

Here, we take a brief look back at the ups and downs of each of the shows, and ultimately judge if Marvel’s transition to the small screen has been successful! WandaVision

While its bonkers premise and slow start were a turn-off for some, and the finale suffered from Marvel ‘connectivitis’ (trying to set up multiple future properties, taking away from the one we’re currently watching), WandaVision was an incredibly strong start. A meta way for Marvel to showcase their TVmaking chops as (almost) every episode was an homage to sitcoms from different decades, along with breadcrumbs to the answer of what on earth was happening in this little

suburban town that Wanda and Vision had settled into WandaVision was exactly the distraction people needed at the beginning of 2021. It’s central and peripheral mysteries provided fruit ripe for theorising. In this way, it acted as a great argument for week-to-week TV releases as the theorising time between each episode definitely heightened the hype around the show. WandaVision explored family, loss and grief in beautiful and devastatingly sad ways, and created one of my favourite and most helpful quotes of all time: ‘What is grief, if not love, persevering?’.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Marvel’s second outing was a much more grounded fare, dealing with real world issues like race, ignored history and compassion for migrants and displaced people in a more directly relatable manner. It was a partially successful risk to take; some people disliked the loss of escapism the MCU is known for; but for others, it was powerful and emotional to watch our heroes experience realworld

as themselves, whether that was struggling with mental health or tackling racism. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier focussed on characters who have been featured in the MCU for years, but only as supporting characters to the original Avengers and gave us a chance to spend some quality time with them as they grapple with their pasts and their future. The series has many memorable moments but an extremely compressed run time, coupled with an overabundance of under-developed villains and wasted potential, has made it the least enjoyable Marvel 2021 show.

Loki Marvel’s next foray into the TV world was their most successful show to date, Loki. After more than two

years, we finally got the follow up on our favourite Marvel anti-hero and his miraculous resurrection. As if Endgame hadn’t confused everyone enough with their mildly inconsistent time travel rules, Marvel decided to lean into the confusion with the introduction of the Time Variance Authority and the concept of a sacred timeline. An incredibly strong cast of almost entirely new characters support Tom Hiddleston as he somehow manages to find new depths of the very familiar character, wrapped up in Natalie Holt’s stunning

soundtrack, plus there’s an alligator! Truly something for everyone. Theorising was also an important part of Loki’s popularity but where WandaVision’s mystery reveal felt lacklustre, many people found Loki’s finale to be far more satisfying. Loki shows that it is possible to get the balance right between serving the story in front of you and laying the foundations for future archs.

thought. What first appeared to be completely separate musings with no throughline turned out to have a cohesive storyline and consequences that are likely to affect the main MCU if the new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer is anything to go by.

Hawkeye

What If...

What If… was the biggest surprise out of this group, quite literally, as many people don’t seem to know it exists, or if they do, they are in no hurry to go watch it and I can understand why. What If… is an animated series (automatically a hard sell for some), of alternate reality scenarios. “What if…” different decisions had been made at key points throughout the MCU’s history. Initial promotion seemed to suggest that this would be an anthology, with storylines having no real impact or connection to the main MCU and with so much Marvel content around in 2021, it was understandable that this would be the one people might skip. But What If… is turning out to be m u c h m o r e relevant to the wider M C U t h a n originally

Last on the 2021 slate came Hawkeye. Once again, Marvel made a concerted effort to give its show a distinct style. In this case, it leant into its November release date and become a fun but poignant Christmas-action adventure. Hawkeye had the lowest expectations of the four series, but the writers worked this to their advantage, creating a pleasant seasonal surprise. Hawkeye had the least week-toweek theorising, which some people preferred as it meant they could just sit back and soak in the adventure. Hawkeye did a huge amount of forward building for the MCU with the reintroduction of old characters and the introduction of several new ones, including deaf antagonist Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox), whose solo spin-off show is already in development. Marvel closed out its first year of TV well with Hawkeye people

and

has

suitably excited for what they will bring us next.

Verdict Although not without their flaws, it is undeniable that Marvel have very successfully established their presence in television. They have branched out, tried different genres, and taken advantage of the flexibility of TV by utilising creative formats that simply would not be possible within film. Marvel’s succesful transition to TV can be credited to long time MCU casting director Sarah Finn. She has been with the MCU since the very beginning and somehow managed to cast the perfect ensemble for these shows, ten years before they even aired. Sebastian Stan, Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are standouts, who are not only capable of just what their character initially required, but how they would develop in the future, and proved capable of leading their own shows. All of the shows benefited from the rich history we have with these characters. They didn’t have to work hard to get us invested. Thus far, Marvel has done a good job of getting us equally invested in the new characters introduced, but will this hold true as more series enter production consisting of entirely new casts? After all, the shows were not without their problems. Marvel’s third act problem c a r r i e s over onto the small screen as almost all of their shows had an overstuffed weak finale, so focussed on throwing forward to future properties that it didn’t have

enough time and space to give us a fully satisfactory ending to the story in front of us now. Almost all of them could have benefitted from another episode to breathe. Marvel’s inconsistency with villains has also unfortunately piggy backed on their transition to TV with great villains in shows like WandaVision, but a number of weaker villains in Hawkeye. I also have concerns about Marvel fatigue. There was a real feeling that people were getting sick of Marvel a few years ago. Although 2020 acted as a palate cleanser, with four movies and five TV shows being released in 2021 and Marvel showing no signs of slowing down, I wonder if it may become a serious issue in the future. It’s impressive that a company known for releasing blockbusters, which are a completely different beast, has produced so many high-quality, well received shows in such a short period of time.

What’s next for Marvel? We won’t have to wait long before we see our superheroes and villains return, whether in future movies or second seasons of their shows. Marvel is not slowing down one bit with many new characters and shows on the way in 2022, including Ms. Marvel (Summer 2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (6 May) and at least eight more shows in development. Marvel have successfully made the transition to the small screen with an incredibly strong year, but will they be able to maintain this high standard in the long run? Only time will tell.

obstacles 35

Coming down in Canterbury: A pointless existence W

as it the glossy cover that made you pick up this magazine? Or maybe it was the tales of the infamous InQuire poisoning of 2022, in which the society secured thousands of pounds in funding by manufacturing a false security threat? Even with its smooth feel and reflective surfaces, there is something hugely disappointing about this magazine. After a trek across the mud encased hills of Canterbury, this glossy booklet is no good for

scrunching up and drying out shoes like the usual newspaper. Maybe your overwhelming feeling is positive, as you flick through the pages and admire the attractive and varied designs of each piece. That would just make you a fool, slurping up propaganda like one sips from a carton of orange juice, with bits. Everything in these pages has been approved by Kent Union. Everything not in these pages was not approved by Kent Union.

The impressively designed giga pamphlet in front of you is nothing more than a propaganda piece, indirectly funded by the university itself, with the hard work outsourced to InQuire. Ultimately you are reading this magazine because the university wants you to. Soon enough you’ll lose control of your ability to think and start spouting the university approved narrative: “Online learning during the pandemic was of the same standard as in-person

Clicking on a moodle quiz and letting it sit in the background as you fall asleep, leaves you warm and comforted as you close your eyes. There’s no falling sensation as your consciousness fades and you lie in a heap, only the warm reassurance of a moodle quiz nearby, a moodle quiz tells no lies. The laptop whirrs as it exudes the heat of a task that makes no man weep, a dozen questions and no threat of the lecturer’s glaring eyes.

teaching,” and, “It is one of our guiding principles that no student will be disadvantaged by industrial action,” and, “The historical example of Pinochet’s leadership of Chile shows that centralised authority and economic liberalisation are central to the success of a state.” Do yourself a favour, stop reading this and throw it in the bin, and read something worthwhile, like Roger Scruton’s Our Church: A Personal History of the Church of England.

But if they could see you they would look up and sigh, as with each question you open the core reading and smile. Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F, Control+F. There’s no need to complete even a smidgen of reading for this kind of task, and yet you gain full marks for five percent of the module, no questions asked. Within this moodle quiz there is both beauty and despair, pretty sadness abound. Marks gained and learning lost, the relief that the assessment is completed, is weighed down by the strong conviction that if you went back fifty years and found, a student to take the quiz, they would say that the point of education has been defeated. That warmth is familiar and comforting, but in your mind guilt swirls around and around, maybe you won’t sleep so well tonight, as the moodle quiz sits in the background.

Image by Tahmid Morshed

ules wakes up at about 4am every Tuesday, and sits on a bench in Canterbury, offering a valuable service to people from across the country. He opens his mouth, revealing 74 teeth and 3 chewed-on Mentos packets, before a sound leaves his mouth, “Have you ever listened to the 1993 recording of Dvorak in Prague: A Celebration, with Yo-Yo Ma and Seiji Ozawa?” As I attempt to reply I realise that my mouth is glued shut, I push my chin down and pout my lips but to no avail. Some day I’ll thank myself for sitting here next to Jules, maybe I’ll be able to open my mouth and tell others how formative the experience was.

Satire

Jules smiles at me and pulls out a large stereo CD player from the under the bench, with his hands working fluidly in one motion to insert a copy of Dvorak in Prague into the stereo. After a momentary delay, the Carnival Overture begins playing as we stare out at the river, with Jules now frustratedly attempting to insert a Jammie Dodger through my pursed lips. Jules continues as I attempt to explain non-verbally that I cannot physically open my mouth. As Jules apologises to me for his behaviour, and I wave it away with a mouthy gesture, we relax to the ethereal soundscape of the 8 Humoresques. As much as I despise

the experience, I’ve paid good money to sit here next to Jules, so I resolve to make the most of it. As the seventh Humoresque lifts us like a wind and takes us soaring upwards, we are again grounded by the perpetual motion of the river in front of us. As we sit still and only imagine ourselves being moved, the river moves on, with no apparent purpose and no questioning of its lack of purpose. We acquiesce in this state for some time, as Jules strokes my hair sensually. The Slavonic Dances stir us from this peculiar condition, with the shrill optimism and triumphant dillydallying seeming to improve Jules’ mood somewhat. As the CD

comes to its end, I expect the session to soon be over. Jules’ looks at his watch, and then to my disappointed face, and begins to recite extracts from Cicero’s Catiline Orations. I could not help but wonder whether Jules understood the Latin flowing from his mouth, but the recitation at least left me with a positive impression of an otherwise disappointing character. As we come to the end of our scheduled time together, Jules shakes my hand and wishes me well, “You’re ready to go out into the world now,” he says as he turns off the stereo and places it back under the bench, with another customer walking his way.

Image by Tahmid Morshed

he contrast between acts of great cruelty and genuine acts of altruism leaves us to ponder whether mankind is cursed by a dual nature. The simple notion of good and evil is attractive, as it divorces the irreconcilably opposing features of man’s psychology by separating them into two forces. This contrast, or duality, seems to be visible in the material world as we fix our eyes on sorry institutions such as the University of Kent, which confuses the human brain with its complex mediocrity. Reach deep inside yourself and you will see what you truly are – a god. Of course, you are not

the God, but there is a feeling lurking just under the surface, a power that is begging to be released into the world. Forget about the real world obligations that only set deadlines for your unawakening, and free yourself by bathing in your own greatness. There is also duality in our relationships with each other. Like porcupines we huddle for warmth, and then recoil at the feeling of each other’s pointy quills, scattering the huddle as we find each other to be detestable. A student’s relationship with the University of Kent is much the same. Drawn in the by the leafy surroundings and shiny TEF Gold, even shinier

buildings and enough Hills to make Lauryn proud. And then pushed back away by the military junta leadership, dwindling reputation and unbelievably precarious financial running of the university. Sleep is for the weak, so test yourself and go three days without any rest. Never sit still, walk around constantly until the soles of your feet feel as though they are hollowed out, even if you have nowhere to walk and are only going up and down the stairs in your house. As the last dregs of psychic imprisonment wear off, you’ll realise that you really are a god. How else did you conjure up that five-page poem and heart

wrenching song? It must surely be some divine power that’s kept you awake for these three days. After all of that effort you might come to your senses and find that your five-page poem, in the few places where it is legible, makes no sense at all.

Satire

A Girl Called Eilinora by Nadine Dorries Revisiting Critical Debate

n a gripping forty-page short story, Nadine Dorries displays her literary prowess with a haunting tale of revenge. Set in County Mayo in 1846, Ireland’s tragic human loss during the Great Famine is a sobering backdrop for the Culture Secretary’s twisting narrative. At the centre of the story is Lord Owen FitzDeane, who is sent by the British government to see the effects of the famine first-hand and write a report for Parliament. Staying in the luxury of his castle in Ballyford,

FitzDeane surveys the devastation with the company of his land agent, Shevlin. During a journey around Ballyford the two discover a neardead young girl collapsed on the road, with the rest of her family having succumbed to starvation in a nearby cottage. FitzDeane is entranced by the woman, named Eilinora, and decides against the advice of Devlin to take her back to the castle. On the way back FitzDeane recognises a local man, and

e was drunk. He was in heaven. He was asleep. He tried to roll her over, to own and order and possess her, but she gently pushed him back as in one flawless movement, her limbs slipped over and astride him. As he tried to enter her, she bent forward and whispered into his ear, “She’s trouble that one.” He opened his eyes, startled, but she forced him back and pulled herself up and away and pushing his chest with her hands, she pinned him against the bed as she moved across his body and down again. She buried her face into the nape of his neck. She bit the inside of his thighs and his senses conflicted and screamed out in confusion. It was too much. She was everywhere. She was nowhere. He breathed deeply and vacillated between awareness and sleep, between dreaming and a conscious readiness for what must surely come next.

throws him a parcel of food from horseback, only to see his fellow townspeople brutally beat the man and fight over the few pieces of food in the bag. Eilinora is tended to by the castle’s cook and servants, who are disturbed by her presence, and FitzDeane develops an attraction towards the young woman as she recovers. It is as Lord FitzDeane escorts Eilinora to a poorhouse in Galway that Eilinora’s sinister nature is revealed to FitzDeane in a troubling dream. From this

moment the narrative is shaken by the supernatural, as Eilinora is revealed to be a witch driven to exact revenge on the FitzDeane family. Dorries ends the tale masterfully with an abrupt yet beautifully crafted sequence that is carried by a wave of anger at the historic political injustice underlying the tale.

orries’ revenge sequence at the end of the book is not merely fiction, but a declaration of her intent to take control of the Tory party and remould it to her liking. These plans for revenge are hinted at by Eilinora’s killing of Lord and Lady FitzDeane. Eilinora wipes out the FitzDeane family, except for the child she is carrying, symbolising Dorries’ intentions to clear out the party establishment and make herself the only candidate for Tory leadership. However, it is not clear what Dorries’ intentions are once she assumes the leadership, with the abrupt ending ensuring that the author does not give away too much.

“What in God’s name is wrong with this train,” said Owen as the train lunged once more but he never heard Lydia’s reply, only the screams of the staff in the next carriage as the train once again lurched to the side. At first the brakes screeched so loud that they drowned out all other noise and then there was silence as the train, having left the tracks, slowly fell to its resting place, hundreds of feet below the viaduct. The last thing Owen saw before he met his maker, was the face of the girl with flaming red hair and the green eyes, smiling down at him.

Bitter Internal Conflict

Self-Loathing F

or the last six years scholars have wrestled with the complications of this passage, which sits uncomfortably with the notion that FitzDeane is a polished projection of Dorries herself. The scene is initially described as a dream that FitzDeane experiences after parting with Eilinora, but it is later revealed that Eilinora became pregnant as a result of this encounter. The image of FitzDeane ‘dominating’ a young woman who still bears the signs of starvation is clearly difficult to reconcile with the idea that Dorries wrote FitzDeane as a projection of herself. With the perspective of Dorries’ internal conflict, it becomes clear that FitzDeane does represent some of Dorries’ best traits, despite the passage. The passage marks a sudden shift of protagonist, with FitzDean deposed and Eilinora stepping into the role of a title character. Dorries becomes more disgusted by her own identity as she grapples with the horrific context

of the story. The process of writing the novel is clearly emotionally exhausting for the author, as she realises that she has become estranged from her heritage. From her position as a member of Parliament, she despairs at the injustice wrought on the homeland of her ancestors by the same office that she has become cosy with. In order to cope with this deep hatred of herself, Dorries becomes Eilinora in the last few pages of the book. This process of depersonalisation is also apparent in the overtly sexual content of the passage. Dorries, who has in the past advocated for compulsory sexual abstinence lessons in school, loses herself as she grapples internally, leading to a passage that would have disgusted Dorries as she wrote the beginning of the b o o k .

Image by Chris McAndrew

Assuming that Eilinora is a vehicle for a broken Dorries, it is plausible that Eilinora’s unbounded witch powers represent Dorries’ unrestrained ambition. Eilinora’s true powers only become apparent towards the end of the book, as the author rejects their old identity and ponders limitless power. Just as Eilinora seeks to punish FitzDeane for the death of her mother and sister, Dorries seeks to wreak havoc on the political party that has alienated her from her own identity. The revenge is violent, jolting and cathartic for the title character, a product of the imagination of an author who is determined to exact revenge on her tormentors.

Image by Meckiffe

Madeline

arwick (2016) notes that Lord Owen FitzDeane is a projection of Dorries’ selfperception. He notes that FitzDeane is portrayed as markedly more caring than those around

than a job opening to him. Devlin sees the worst in man, and after witnessing a brutal beating insists that the castle must be defended by soldiers, lest the townspeople rise up and launch an assault on his

him, who protest against FitzDeane taking the starving girl into the castle. FitzDeane is also presented as a personable and unpretentious character, despite his lofty title and the numerous estates to his name. This is constantly reinforced by Dorries’ reference to him as simply ‘Owen’; in fact, he is only referred to with the formal use of his title or surname three times in the novel. Delightfully integrated backstory only deepens this portrayal, “Owen, had an unusual relationship with his staff. Not for him the falseness either of subservience or adoration.” FitzDeane is described as having an unshakeable moral compass, having pled for the repeal of the Corn Laws before Parliament, only to be rejected by the profiteering majority and shunned by his social circle. Warwick’s argument is convincing but neglects the subtle undertones of the relationship between FitzDeane and his trusty land agent, Devlin. On closer reading, it is clear that FitzDeane and Devlin represent Dorries’ internal battle between her working-class upbringing and her later found Tory sensibilities. Devlin is made land agent after the previous agent flees to America to escape the rampant typhus epidemic. At heart he is a chancer, seeing the misfortune around him as an opportunity to manage the estate, the ongoing crisis is no more

lordship. He has no concern for the beaten man, chastising FitzDeane for trying to go back to save the man. Dorries’s internal conflict is most apparent in the clashes between FitzDeane and Devlin, with FitzDeane representing humanity and empathy, and Devlin the fearful voice reminding his master of the consequences of helping the common people. “I’m leaving. You can stay here with her if you wish, but I will have no truck with the fever and nor should you. When did you last see someone like this, eh? You don’t know what you’re doing.” Shevlin’s face was shrouded with fear. It ran through his voice and was picked up by his own horse who began to strain against the reins, impatient to ride on down the road. It seems that the biting political context of the story leads Dorries to a vulnerable, introspective mood as she crafts touching dialogue, her bitter internal strife bubbling to the surface. There is no doubt which side was prevailing as Nadine wrote these passages, with FitzDeane largely triumphing over Devlin and his warnings. The novel is not therefore a product of Dorries simply challenging her Conservative identity, but taking a stance against it through her reclamation of her Irish heritage.

Newcastle’s Rebirth A change of manager, new Saudi owners and a plethora of exciting new signings - Newcastle United have been lifted from their ruins and look to become a dominant force in football once again.

remier League teams undergo ‘transitions’ fairly regularly. The top division of English football is a competitive and no-nonsense environment, managers and players can easily come and go, especially the former, who in recent years are quickly dismissed if things start to turn negative for the club. When I think about the team who have undergone the largest transition and transformation this season, the one name that stands out is Newcastle United. This season they have switched owners, managers, signed half a dozen new players, and are now looking like a proper force in the Premier League once again. The club were in need of dire change, and had been for a while. Many fans had been irritated with the careless leadership of former club owner Mike Ashley, who was at the helm from 2007 until 2021. In the last few years of his ownership Ashley was criticised for his careless nature towards the club, as he prioritised his work with Frasers Group and his other business ventures, putting the club and it’s interests on the backburner. This was combined with a lack of proper investment which led to mostly average signings, none of which seemed to turn results around for the team. Moreover, their former head coach, Steve Bruce, did his absolute best, but suffered from the same issues that previous Newcastle managers had - a squad of players that were demoralised and demotivated. In October of last year Ashley sold the club to a consortium of owners for a reported £305 million. Included in the consortium is the

Arabia, with a net worth of £320 was completed, Bruce left his billion, making Newcastle the new role by mutual consent, recieving richest club in the Premier League. a hefty payout of £8 million for Also part of the consortium is his troubles. He wished the new British entrepreneur Amanda ownership well and departed the Staverley, who took a 10% club after 3 years. ownership. She serves on the With the new owners and the Newcastle board of governors and cash to attract a new set of players, is the active ownership presence in the choice of manager had the Newcastle. freedom to choose players that While looking into Newcastle’s fit into their particular tactical quick transition I decided to speak strategies, and the role therefore to one of my childhood friends, became a desirable one for the list Liam, who is a lifelong Newcastle of potential candidates. supporter and football fan. He Unai Emery and Frank Lampard seemed mostly excited about the looked like strong examples, initial takeover of the club: Emery almost taking the job before A lot of the Premier League declining at the last second. There clubs and owners have were even shouts for Rafa Benitez described Newcastles’ takeover to make a return to Merseyside, as ‘sportswashing’ - where an after his 3 year spell there. investment group will attempt to Though, in the end, Eddie Howe improve their image or reputation signed on as Newcastle’s first new through sports. manager under “Beforehand I thought In this case many the new owners. we could have gotten believed the Saudis T h e a manager better than invested in the announcement Howe, but maybe I club in order to try of Eddie Howe was dreaming. His and dodge claims as the club’s tactical insight has about their history new manager revolutionised the club” surprised with human rights. me Staverley dismissed these claims, reminding clubs that the Public Investment Fund does not share the same views as the country of Saudi Arabia. Either way, Newcastle were placed in a very exciting position, and with newfound billions worth of funding to play with, they could make smart changes to the club. The first port of call was a new managerial appointment. Of course, Newcastle still had Bruce at the helm, who had the difficult task of trying to steer the current Newcastle squad out of a relegation battle. He had limited success, and

at first. He was most famously the head coach of Bournemouth for 8 years, during which he kept the Cherries in the Premier League for a long period of time, before their relegation and his sacking in 2020. In the last few years of his time on the coast he seemed to have lost his magic touch, losing more games than he was winning and eventually failing to keep Bournemouth in the Premier League. As Liam told me, there were arguably ‘better’ choices available, managers with silverware under their belts and equally strong experience. But Howe shouldn’t

At 44, Howe is still relatively young in managerial terms, yet has Premier League experience in spades, and in his year out of management received offers from several historic clubs, including Arsenal. In his short time at Newcastle he has fit in instantly, and seems to have stuck an instant friendship with the club’s staff and fans. In January the transfer window re-opened, and with support from the owners it gave the opportunity for Howe to begin scouting new transfers for his team. The prospect of joining a new and exciting project as well as a solid chance of breaking into the first team is a desirable outcome for new players, and there were several names that the club wanted in order for Howe’s tactical layout to function properly. It seemed the priority for Howe was strengthening the defence, as that was the weakness of the team under Steve Bruce; conceding goals seemed to be a major issue and had led to the club’s fall down the table and into the relegation positions. Howe’s first signing was a major one and undoubtedly set the precedent for the club’s future under Howe and the new owners. Kieran Tripper signed as the club’s new right-back and Howe’s first official signing, joing Newcastle after his time at Atletico Madrid in Spain. Personally it was a move that surprised me a lot, it was a decision that I wasn’t expecting the player to make but it showed testament to the pull power that Eddie Howe has manifested, and it also showed the trust players have in Howe’s ideas for the club. Howe made further

Public Investment Fund of Saudi

only 2 weeks after the takeover

be written off.

reinforcements in defence, signing

both Matt Targett and Dan Burn to fill in his new-look defence. Combined with Newcastle mainstays Fabian Schar and Dubravka in goal, Newcastle have crafted a competent and robust back line that should hopefully improve their defensive issues going forward. Elsewhere in attack, Newcastle have several high quality players, and Howe has strengthened his lineup further with the signing of Chris Wood from Burnley. The player fits perfectly into Howe’s footballing styles, and he has already cemented himself into the team, acting as a focal point for the Magpie’s attack. Though, the most surprising signing of the window was the acquisition of Bruno Guimarães from Lyon. Guimarães was a target for several big name clubs and to see him choose Newcastle out of a star studded lineup was incredible. Guimarães is similar to Tripper in the sense of ‘star players’, something that Newcastle can build around and use to attract more exciting signings. Overall, Newcastle signed 5 players in the window. They were pushing for more signings that were unsuccessful, for example the promising Dutch defender Sven Botman, a player who I think will eventually push a successful move through to Newcastle. Usually, I’m apprehensive when a club brings in several players that all make their way into the first team. The case with mass

players will need time to fit into more of an attacking midfield the clubs cultures and history, role, something that has proven they need time to form bonds effective in the team. with their teammates. There’s When I spoke to Liam he was also no guarantee a player will undoubtedly pleased that the instantly settle at a new club and darker periods the club had may struggle with form for a while. experienced under the ownership With Newcaslte however, this of Bruce was fully behind them, hasn’t been the case at all. The first and he seemed really happy with few games may have been slow, but the state the club were in at the the club and players have quickly moment: bought into the new system and At time of writing Newcastle have welcomed the new signings are on an impressive unbeaten expertly. International signings streak and look certain to continue like Guimarães have been given their strong run of form. In such time to bed into the Premier a small period of time Howe has League and the competitiveness been able to assemble a strong that it brings, and will undoubtedly and capable Newcastle side, and make an impact in the future. create such a stark contrast to the Most of all, it shows hard work Newcastle United we saw at the by Howe, his backroom staff, and very beginning of the season. the owners, to quickly make a Howe has proven himself to be change at the club and raise spirits the correct choice for Newcastle once again. Success in the Premier and it seems like his magic touch League is built off of team spirit as has returned, continuing to well as close relationships within surprise teams with the energy the team, and Howe has made an that he has injected into this impressive impact in such a short Newcastle team, and he should be amount of time. applauded for This is partly this. “We’re now a long due to the drastic With an term project with high formation change upcoming aspirations. Just looking as well as assigning s u m m e r at social media will show players into new transfer you how positive the roles in the team. w i n d o w dressing room is now, The club have ahead and when beforehand it would transitioned from a potentially have turned players dull defensive 5 at millions of away” the back formation pounds worth into a more attacking 4-3-3, of investment available to Howe, expertly making use of attacking we could see Newcastle storming midfielders and fast wing players. up the table at the start of next Howe has also made some player season, perhaps even seeing the

rebuilds is that clubs may not hit the ground running smoothly;

switches, for example moving Brazilian striker Joelinton into

Kieran Trippier Defender

Tripper swapped the sun of Madrid for the relegation scrapping Magpies - and prior to picking up a long term injury was given the captains armband, showing Howe’s trust in the right-back.

club battle with the big six clubs for a spot in a European competition.

Matt Targett

Dan Burn

Targett has bundles of Premier League experience and has already cemented his place as the club’s first choice left-back, partnering well with his fellow countryman Trippier.

Burn was born and raised just outside of Newcastle, so will be delighted with the oppurtunity to play for his local club. At 6”7, he will offer the Magpies a strong aerial threat.

Defender

It’s been fascinating to watch Newcastle this season. The club has a rich history and is a fascinating project to observe. This is mainly due to the fact that they have suffered greatly these past few seasons and have bounced in and out of form. The fans don’t deserve years of mediocrity under an owner that clearly lost his passion for the club, seeking only to find ways to profit off of it. So far the new ownership have been incredibly respectful of the club and seem content to listen to the fans and supporters regarding moving the club upwards, and I’ve been impressed by the decisions they’ve made so far. For example, Newcastle for years had Ashley’s ‘Sports Direct’ branding plastered all over their stadium for years, leading to many running jokes over the branding and Ashley’s influence on the club. Seeing that branding being removed with the changing of ownership was something I enjoyed watching. It restored the ground to its former glory and more closely highlighted the grandness of their ground and stadium. I hope Newcastle continue on this path and I’m intrigued to see how they transition further as they seek to return to the club’s glory days once again.

Defender

Bruno Guimarães Midfielder

Brazillian midfielder Guimarães has immense potential in terms of creativity and ability, and cost the club only £30 million. His first goal for the club came against Southhampton, scoring with a stunning backheel.

Chris Wood Striker

Wood had a long and successful stint at Burnley before being snapped up by Howe. He has been placed straight into the team and looks to be the striker Howe wants to lead his attacking line.

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Cup conference he snapped at a particular reporter after endless questions on the topic, stating: “I feel bad speaking about it because I am very privileged. I sit here in peace. And I do the best I can, you need to stop asking me these questions…I have no answers for you”. Many Ukrainian athletes are currently under a lot of pressure, but have been supported by their teammates. As of recently the Premier League have started a minute’s applause before kickoff, with all players stood together in support. Many sporting organisations have changed their branding or introduced merchandise incorporating the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. Players like Vitaliy Mykolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko were offered the captains armband, the latter breaking down in tears after seeing the image of a stadium filled with his country’s flag, every player displaying the Ukraine flag and the words ‘NO WAR’ dotted all around the stadium. These small acts carried out by the clubs and competitions around the world may appear to just be simplistic, but they send a powerful message. It’s an ongoing reminder that unity is key in sport, and these messages will no doubt continue to be displayed. The bravery of Ukranian athletes should also be commended. Most recently, Ukrainian athletes at the Winter Paralympics have made an amazing start, topping the table at the start of the Games and continuing to pick up medals for their country. In a historic period such as this, we need to be made aware of what is right and what is wrong, and I’m glad that sport is playing a vital part in spreading the message of peace.

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as normal throughout this period of darkness, it would send the wrong message. Sporting events and organizations showing the same stance in regards to the war sends a powerful message to Russia, and demonstrates how unnecessary the whole conflict is. Many Russian athletes do resent the idea of war and are not in support of Putin and his regime. Former Russian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky has come out on record that the majority of Russian athletes in the sport are not showing support for Putin or his decisions. Meanwhile, current player, Russian world No.7 Andrey Rublev, admitted that he had received hate on social media simply because he is of Russian nationality. He set the record straight and campaigned for peace between Russia and Ukraine, stating that “If I want to have peace, I need to be like it doesn’t matter. Even if they throw rocks to me, I need to show I’m for the peace”. Sports fans need to understand that there is reasoning behind these cancellations, but they also need to remain respectful of these Russian athletes throughout the period of conflict. From athletes to owners, Premier League and current UCL champions Chelsea have had to part ways with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich after almost 20 years of ownership. The Russian was reported to have close ties with President Putin and therefore made the decision to pass on ownership of the club, and eventually put it up for sale. In a statement made to the club, Abramovich pledged that no loans would be repaid, and would instead go towards aid in Ukraine. He also described the decision as ‘an incredibly difficult one’ adding that ‘it pains me to part with the Club in this way’

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Sporting events and the sporting calendar in general have been altered greatly as a result of this ongoing conflict. These unprecedented times have led to several cancellations and punishments shown towards Russia and their sporting teams. Understandably, brands, companies, and corporations alike are attempting to distance themselves as much as possible. The list of sanctions is lengthy but inevitably warranted. The majority of Russian sporting teams and clubs have been blocked off from participating in international competitions. Russian football teams such as Spartak Moscow, who were due to participate in the Europa League, have now been excluded from the competition. The final of the Champions League, set to take place in St.Petersburg, has now been moved. Russian F1 driver Nikita Mazepin was kicked from the Haas driving team with immediate effect, and the decision was made to block the Russian Olympic Committee and Russian athletes from participating in the Winter Paralympics, and this may well continue indefinitely. Elsewhere, the video game FIFA have removed the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from it’s games as a result of the conflict. Even Putin himself has had his black belt in Judo taken away and has subsequently been dropped by the international Judo Federation. The list goes on and on and is being regularly added to, in order to ensure that sports events involving Russia or Russian athletes are blocked. But the main question is, is all of this fair? Should these Russian clubs and athletes be blocked from competitions and sporting events that they had worked so hard for, on the basis

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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has remained mostly calm through the whole ordeal, as the mood at Chelsea has most likely been unusual during this time. The German has been regularly bombarded with questions regarding the situation, something that as he rightly said, he has no control over. In an FA

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of ongoing political reasons? Many of these Russian athletes do not support Putin and his political regimes, and stress the fact that they are against the idea of war, yet they are still isolated from vital competitions. It is absolutely disappointing, but if these clubs and athletes were allowed to continue on

he world finds itself in a dark and intimidating time. As of writing the Russo-Ukranian conflict is ongoing and shows no signs of slowing down. I shouldn’t have to go into detail about the severity of the situation, as we all continue to witness it on a daily basis whether we like it or not.

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‘Sport stands together’ in support of Ukraine

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Batman Villain Wordsearch - Print a Word Search

Batman Villain Wordsearch Find all the words hidden in the across, down, and diagonally, with backwards.

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