December 2018
Issue 2
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Providing Spotty News at Goldsmiths
Art or Engineering? Meet Forensic Architecture The Goldsmiths-based Turner Prize nominees were praised for “highly innovative methods” of documenting human rights abuse
Digital Illiteracy in Lewisham Sophie R Taylor Libraries are much more than book-lending services; in fact, according to a 2015 Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) study only 27% of library users come for the books. As Victor Chapman, community services officer in Lewisham Council, puts it: “Not everyone who walks through that door is there to use the library, but all are potential users who want to access information in all its forms”. Praise for the internet has come in part from its image as an Alexandrian compilation of human knowledge, surely something libraries should embrace. That makes it a problem, then, that according to Lewisham Council, around 70,000 Lewisham residents do not have access to the internet at home. This makes up about 20% of people who live permanently in the borough. Therefore, it is not surprising that so many people suffer from digital illiteracy, especially older people. When I asked Adrienne Tayler of the Deptford Lounge Community Engagement Team how so many could be left out of the internet, she mentioned that many are simply of an age where this
Read Department Research page 10
has passed them by. Photo: Forensic Architecture, 2018
Why International Students have stopped trusting Goldsmiths
I met Elizabeth, who uses the ‘Learn My Way’ programme at the Deptford Lounge to become internet-savvy. When I first asked her for her name, she told me: “The Queen”. She’s not slow-witted. She says that her lack of skill with the internet comes partially from her lack of formal education. “At six months my Mum came over from Jamaica and left me, so I did not go to school as I should have. Most of my childhood [was spent] out of school”. She says she “can get around” with English. But she has friends who cannot read at all.
Continued on page 4
Full Investigation page 7
December 2018
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Editorial
Art and Theatre review the first Goldsmiths Arts Festival Page 15
Film and Literature meet Deptford’s new Poetry Translation Centre Page 20
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Editors-in-Chief [leopard@goldsmithssu.org]
Editorial
Dana Broadbent Shreya Ukil Will Herbert
A letter from the Editors Hello, and thank you for picking up our second issue of the Leopard Student Newspaper. After the positive response we had from our last issue, the team here at the Leopard have been hard at work creating a second issue that’s just as strong, if not better than, the first. This issue contains some hard news articles, a few comment pieces, some news related to our regular sections, and for the first time we’ll be debuting our horoscope section. We of course invite anyone interested in assisting the news team in any way to come to our weekly meetings (every Wednesday at 4pm, Library room 102) when they resume after Christmas in the New Year. This term has been fairly busy news wise, and we invite you to sit down, relax (perhaps with a cup of tea or coffee), and learn about what is happening on campus and in the local community. After this issue, the Leopard will be taking a brief hiatus - there will be new designer for the paper, giving the Leopard an exciting, newly polished and refined look for our next issue - due to be released in February 2019. In the meantime however, our dedication to reporting the news will not wane, and our team will be busy creating an issue that’s bigger and better than anything we’ve released before. We are particularly proud of all the first-time contributors that have joined us for this issue, and hope to have many more in February. It is wonderful to have so many new bylines. Look out for us during Welcome Back week in January: it will be a great time to join us for an all new design, more training, assignments and platforms (yes we will soon be coming to a website near you)! Whatever your experience, you can have a spot on Team Leopard. Please - enjoy this issue and make sure to follow our social medias on Youtube, Twitter and Facebook so that you keep up to date and don’t miss out on anything interesting we put out there. And also keep a look out for us during Welcome Back Week in January. Will, Dana and Shreya
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Film/Lit
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Will Herbert Charlotte Kennedy Shreya Ukil Dana Broadbent
Josh Lamb Mieke Kristine Fæste Grace Higgins Maria Juaniz
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Dept Research
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Laura Moyies
Claudia Schroeder
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Sports
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December 2018
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News Continued from front page Elizabeth’s life contrasts so much with many later generations, including her descendants. Her grandchildren study music whilst her youngest daughter recently graduated with
Windrush victims and David Lammy MP speak at BAME Forum event
a first class degree in health and social work. Unfortunately, another died recently. It seems to have taken a toll. “I think that makes me forgetful” she says. This affects her ability to ask for help: “I’m embarrassed, they keep showing me the same thing and I’m forgetting”. This reminded me of a story of my own granddad’s, about visiting the Apple store genius bar three times with the same question about his iPhone. Due to proposed cuts in Lewisham Council’s revenue budget, there may be a risk that Deptford Lounge will become a self-service library. This would make it similar to check-out systems in supermarkets, only without a human to bypass the machines when they decide you’ve not placed the crisps in the bagging area. Government forms, too, including for benefits, have become things you have to download from an online website, fill out and return or print out and send off instead of visiting a human with its more familiar interface. That help from another person counts. Elizabeth says of her daughter: “If she was alive I would be ok. She would be willing to help me.” In talking to Elizabeth, I was reminded of something I’ve never forgot my Granny murmur as my sister helped her with an iPad: “This technology world is not for me”. In building something new and exciting, pioneers of the internet forgot about accessibility, in both able and fiscal tendencies. For example, it’s harder to access if you cannot see well, harder still if you also cannot hear well. It’s also not easy to keep up to date with if you don’t have the means to update devices. It tends to be connected to unique machines, and its rules of functioning seem obscure if you cannot access information to learn how to use this tool for finding information. (Who has not felt this irony whilst googling ‘internet not working’ on their phone?) This all arguably keeps people who are disenfranchised enough from the system further away from mainstream society. If you think that’s dramatic, remember: 20% of Lewisham residents do not have the internet at home . Whilst the advances of technology are certainly exciting, they leave me wondering how some potential users would be able to access facilities such as libraries, information in all its forms, when they are excluded so severely from the world of technology.
Liam Shrivastava
Photo: Lewisham Deptford BAME Forum
“I arrived here in 1956 as a ‘British subject’. I was in the
Bernard Smith, born in Jamaica 5 years before it became
British army for 12 years, but they took away my citizenship
independent from British rule explained: “I was born in 1957
when Guyana became independent,” said Patrick Daniels,
and a British flag was flying. They’re telling me I can’t get
who came to England from Guyana as a young boy.
citizenship. So who am I? Where am I coming from?”
Daniels spoke to a packed room of Lewisham locals who
Scores of people who settled in Britain from Commonwealth
gathered at the Pepys Estate community centre on Thursday
countries prior to 1973 have been wrongly detained, denied
night at an event organised by the Lewisham Deptford BAME
legal rights and threatened with deportation as part of the
(Black, Asian and minority ethnic) Forum. The event, billed
government’s now notorious ‘hostile environment’ immigra-
as ‘An evening with David Lammy’ began with the stories of
tion policy.
those from the area. Human Rights and Migration lawyer, Jacqueline McKenzie Mr. Daniels’ story is typical of many Windrush victims who
explained how there was a lack of clarity on citizens’ legal
came to Britain as commonwealth citizens, many serving in
status: “We are seeing dreadful scenarios where people from
the armed forces and public sector. Paul Nicholls, a veter-
former British colonies are not clear on their status. The law
an of 9 years, was told by the Home Office: “there was no
says one thing and it says another.”
record of [him] at all”, preventing him from accessing Student Finance. “It was embarrassing. It was frustrating. It was
Co-hosting the event, local MP Vicky Foxcroft paid tribute to
humiliating.”
Lammy, who on 16 April 2018 challenged then Home Secretary Amber Rudd to provide figures on the number of people
Speaking to some 200 residents, David Lammy, MP for
affected by the scandal and to formally apologise for the
Tottenham, condemned the government’s inert response to
threats of deportation, declaring it “a day of national shame.”
the crisis: “It is nine months later and no one has received compensation for this scandal. It has shaken my faith in
Named GQ’s Politician of the Year, the MP for Tottenham
this country. So little has been done to support these British
closed his speech saying: “We want Britain to be honest about
nationals. It is institutionalised racism that has led us to this
the story of empire and colonialism. It is about time we face
point.”
up to our history.”
December 2018
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News Warden’s replacement still a mystery Will Herbert @billiamherbert
to the idea of an open day but was largely disappointed
Last month, Goldsmiths’ students were sent an email
“a professionalised vision for the next Warden” of someone
inviting them to apply to join a series of focus groups taking place across the campus. These emails came from a sub-committee in Goldsmiths’ governing council, who wanted to poll around 150 student, staff, and union repre-
because as he sees it, the Council’s Search Committee has who “has experience in such overpaid managerial roles”. Democratise and the UCU now appear to have changed tactics and are trying to influences staff and student opinion
sentatives in December.
on the issue this month, while the focus groups and other
On message-boards across campus (particularly in the Stu-
point to a perceived “disconnect between teaching, aca-
dents’ Union) the Goldsmiths Branch of the University and College Union (UCU) and the campaign group “Democratise Goldsmiths” have been putting up posters with the heading: “WANTED: New Warden” and have spent this
opinion polls are being carried out. The “Wanted” posters demic and academic-related staff ” and demand a warden who favours “community-based insourcing, participatory governance and democratic change.”
week petitioning students to support their cause.
However, the group have made it clear that their long-term
The search for new Warden, the person who will be essen-
same position in European universities to varying degrees.
tially running Goldsmiths everyday (usually referred to as a “Vice-Chancellor”), has progressed since the current Warden, Patrick Loughrey, announced he is leaving the College, back in September. Since the College council want to be able to announce Pat’s replacement in a relatively short amount of time, the end of February to be exact, those with an interest in how the College is run have had to organise themselves quickly. In early October, members of the UCU gave Pat a grilling at his first monthly open-meeting. Some wanted to know if he will be coming out against the “marketisation of education”,
goal still is to convert the warden into an elected job, like the
Most campaigners do not expect to be able to elect the next warden but hope that staff and students will be able to elect future ones. Elina Flyrin, who you may have seen running Democratise’s stall at the Welcome Fair in September, told us: “We are still pushing for an elected warden since this is something that we believe should be standard”. Jake also said: “In the short term, we want a warden who will work towards that goal”. At the time this article was written, Goldsmiths had released no further plans to gather feedback on the appointing of a
as the Council searches for his replacement.
new warden, however they did promise to release a “summa-
Many of these UCU members where then present at the
groups and an earlier web-survey, which polled around 250
first “Staff and Student Assembly” the next day, organised by Democratise Goldsmiths: a Goldsmiths-based campaign group and student society, who fight against, what they see as, the market-forces affecting student housing, wellbeing,
ry report” of the feedback collected from this month’s focus staff, students, and alumni on the issue. The College also said that Dinah hopes to attend some of the focus groups herself. When asked if Pat would too, they
and the governance of the College.
replied that he would not.
Later that month, a student wrote a letter to Dinah Caine,
Dinah also sits on the Search Committee (a full list of whom
the head of the College Council, requesting a more “democratic” recruitment process, including “a candidate open-day”, questions from staff and students, and an “open hustings” around campus. This letter was then distributed by Democratise, the UCU, and the SU and signed by over
can be found on Goldsmiths’ website) along with SU President JT, two members of academic staff, and three trustees the Search Committee appear to have come to nothing. If they still want to announce the new warden by the end of February, the committee should have a pretty clear idea of
As reported in last month’s Leopard, Dinah rejected the idea
opinion will affect that remains to be seen.
open day and questions “synthesised from staff and student feedback”. When asked about this response, Jake Roberts of Democratise said he was glad that Dinah remained open
Will Herbert @billiamherbert A man was knocked down in a traffic accident metres from Loring Hall in the early hours of Wednesday morning (12th December), which led to the half closure of the road and a heavy police presence in the area. The man reportedly was crossing the road around 12.30am from the bus stop by the Rose pub and kitchen when he was struck by a vehicle travelling west. Ambulance teams were quickly at the scene and took the man who was struck in the direction of Lewisham Hospital. For about 90 minutes, police blocked-off vehicles going in one direction on the road between the Rose and Marquis of Granby and were directing traffic at both ends. The vehicle involved in the collision, a silver estate car, had come to a stop in the parking bay outside the Rose and had a sustained damage to its windshield. Unfortunately, road traffic accidents involving pedestrians are common in New Cross. 10 serious or fatal accidents occured last year on the small stretch of road between the Marquis and the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses [Transport for London]; a problem police officers blame on the number of pubs and bars on New Cross road along with reckless drivers. Though almost all pubs and bars had been closed for over an hour before this most recent incident. Normal traffic resumed an hour later. The pedestrian, who was not a student, is believed to have sustained no serious injuries.
from the public and private sector. Rumours of expanding
200 staff and students.
of open hustings but said the Council would consider an
Pedestrian involved in traffic accident outside Loring
who they want by the end of January. How staff and student
Goldsmiths has yet to announce when it will be interviewing representatives of UNISON, the SU, and UCU but has said that intends to invite six from each.
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December 2018
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News “Ultimately there was no help” Many International Students from East Asia are not getting the kind of mental wellbeing support they need Mehroz Shaikh
families; putting extra pressure on them to do their best at
Before starting a degree program at Goldsmiths, most
University. They then travel far away from home to a differ-
international students who haven’t had an English language education, have to pass English proficiency tests, like the International English Language Test System (IELTS). They test whether the prospective students can comprehend passages and speech, as well as speak and explain in the language, well enough to attend the College. Once they arrive, students can improve their language skills by doing a foundation year before the actual degree. They can also take pre-sessional courses based on their language proficiency level and/or during the degree they can attend weekly
ent continent that is wholly different in every way to theirs. As soon as they enter they are overwhelmed by the distance, people and most of all the language. Their abilities are tested from the moment they enter the country. According to Minho, every sign, every interaction, from “buying a bottle of water” to reading posters “reminds them that they don’t belong”. Lectures, Minho said, are bad. The students, though IELTS qualified, find it very difficult to keep up with the pace of
in-sessional English classes outside of their degree modules.
the lecturer, the questions raised and answered, the sense of
Wellbeing Support Services are there to help all students
hands to get doubts cleared. They find it hard to engage with
(Home, EU and International) with issues such as anxiety, loss and bereavement, depression, low self-esteem, sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, trauma and more. These are offered, during weekdays, a 15-20 minute session on a first-come first-served basis. After this session the student is guided to a College counselor who will be booked, after filling out a questionnaire, after usually over two to three weeks. Thereafter the student would be guided, if necessary, to professional clinics, which may cost money. There are nightlines (6-8 pm everyday), campus support officers (6 pm -6 am everyday), mediators, anonymous report-
humor, the size of the class. They are terrified of raising their the complicated academic language that is used throughout.
Some students can have paid fees of £20 000 per year, which puts more pressure on them to perform at University Seminars can be worse. Students are expected to engage in discussions taking place and are put front-and-center. Minho explained that the idea of raising their hands or voices is
The College has these amenities for all students regardless of
by articulating an idea, which can be very hard for even
so many from East Asian countries like Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea ultimately don’t trust the institution’s help?
petrifying due to the prospect of being not only humiliated those whose first language has always been English, in the “wrong” linguistic syntax, but also “being misunderstood” and misconstrued. Minho said that all this builds up to impact their self-esteem in a critically. These students then also need to assimilate to make the most of their extremely
Fundamental Differences
high fees.
Minho Kim, the International Students’ part-time officer
Minho asked: “Who is responsible to close the cultural
for the Student Union, who is in his third year, has been highly engaged with international students his whole time at Goldsmiths. He explained why international students from East Asian countries feel the way they do, and how big the
gap?” “Them!” he replied with excitedly, referring to the east Asian students like himself. He questioned how the students, dispirited in so many ways by the “walls” the English language and the way it is used has built, supposed to articulate
problem actually is.
their ideas, feelings, emotions, issues, complains, clear mis-
These students pay disproportionately high fees compared
their cultural outlook in seminars and lectures to narrow the
to home and EU students. The fees, which can be as high as over £20 000 per annum for undergraduate studies, according to Minho, strains not only the students but also their
The students under these circumstances understandably face many of the issues with which the College promises to help, including: anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, trauma, alcohol and/or drug use to name a few. The English Language (and those that use it without any consideration for them in classrooms and outside) is the cause of their concerns and is paradoxically the language through which they could be met by the College, as pointed out by Minho. Dr. Casper Addyman, a lecturer in psychology at Goldsmiths, said initially that the issues concerning these students might be very similar to those faced by someone, for example, “from South London”, who may be underprivileged and the “first in his family to attend University.” He also said that students from the EU face similar problems. But as Minho explained, the differences are spectacular between an EU and, a Chinese student, for example. Europe has evolved with an extremely different historical context - with Christianity, the Renaissance, Greek philosophy from East Asia, which itself is markedly different from its
ing services about sexual violence, and disability services.
their cultural, linguistic, ethnic backgrounds. Then why do
The Paradox
understandings, explain their cultural concerns, introduce cultural gap? This is “too much!” Minho exclaimed. “So they give up.” He continued, “they have no choice” but to give up and hang out with those of a similar background as theirs.
neighboring Indian Subcontinent, both of which are within Asia. There are structural differences, as admitted by a Campus support officer, in not only language and geography but thinking, understanding, sense of humor; basically the mind-set. When asked about this, Dr. Addyman conceded that this context “intensifies” and makes “urgent” the situation of East Asian students. He said that if they are coming for a Masters, which is usually only a year long, it would be a disaster, since all the pressures are concentrated into a short period of time, while those of them that are coming here for an undergraduate degree might fare well eventually after a year or two of adjusting. “It takes time, it should get better,” he concluded.
But does it get better? A third year student from Korea (who like almost every other student interviewed wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of how they might be treated by the College) agreed that the English language is a core issue and went on to explain his experience with the wellbeing services. He said that he couldn’t get help with his issues within the 15-20 minute bracket of the wellbeing sessions. (Minho explained
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News What is a student supposed to do if, say, they were raped, an experience that can be traumatising and humiliating for anyone? They would need professional guidance and support. But how could they turn to people they find so hard to trust? These students’ mental wellbeing issues are, as said by Dr. Addyman, “urgent.” The recent death of a Korean student, who is believed to have killed themselves, has made the issue of student mental health much more urgent generally. Dr. Addyman said that there “was a missed opportunity” to prevent this person’s death and a failure to reach them earlier. In light of these issues faced by these students, when asked, the Warden’s Office and the Student Centre sent us links to some of the helplines and wellbeing drop-ins checked-out above, along with some other contacts, such as GPs and student services like Dedicated Listeners.
The Student Centre conduct their “wellbeing drop-in” 2.30 to 3.30 pm Monday to Thursday and at 9.30 to 10.30am on Fridays that most of the time would be spent trying to fetch
simply couldn’t discuss enough in the limited time that was
right English terms to articulate emotions, which perhaps
given.
evade the student even in their native language.) He also felt very uncomfortable being huddled up in the corner of the
An East Asian student who graduated last year, who prefers
office with all the other students who came seeking help. The
to be anonymous due to how personal the experience is
student continued that, after trying the wellbeing drop-in
to her, said that in first year she was struggling a lot with
sessions, counseling and outside clinical help, he decided
English when writing an essay. She had made a plan and
that “ultimately there was no help”. He felt that the College
showed it to her tutor. “During the tutorial I wanted to cry
didn’t care about him or his cohort and just cared about
because I couldn’t understand what the tutor was suggesting
their money. He had given up hope on the College soon after
(criticizing about). I ended up crying in front of him, which
his experience.
was embarrassing.”
Although these students, like the one above, tend to have
Not much that can be done
friends that speak their language, they can’t necessarily engage in deeply personal, emotional, psychological issues
The Campus Support officers admitted to a student that they
with them. This is where wellbeing services ought to come
can only sit and listen to them wishing they could do more.
in to help. Heeone Park, another third year student who
They in fact encouraged the student to demand that the Col-
helped interview some students for this article, said: “In my
lege do something about this situation by getting a counselor
second year (2015), I realized that I needed serious help, but
that can speak their language.
it was something that I couldn’t discuss with my friends; I was so desperate that I went to a counselor at Goldsmiths.
The Nightline which is to be called between 6 and 8 pm
I did appreciate that I had someone professional to talk to
failed to pick up the phone 4 times when called we called
about my mental health issues.
them for questions. A Samaritan over the phone over the phone explained that they also can only listen to a student
“I wanted to see her more often but I couldn’t. She gave me
but not provide any professional help; asked if they can be
the names of the charities that I could get help from, but I
there for the students only in English they replied “yes” and
didn’t feel safe as they weren’t private.” Heeone explained
apologized that they couldn’t do more.
that she needed to see the counselor more because she
Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Casper Addyman describes these students’ well-being issues as “urgent” There are a lot of listeners but essentially no one professional to understand and provide adequate help to these students. These students pay the highest fees and the language that bogs down is the means of the help, a paradox una knowledged by the College as proven by the statement. A Korean student in her final year told us that she came across a girl that she thought could’ve been Korean, crying in the corner in the refractory one night. She said that it broke her heart and that she so wished she could help her. She said that it reminded her of the time when in second year she was having a tutorial with her personal tutor. When he asked her how she was doing, she “burst into tears” because it immediately occurred to her she could not remember the last time someone had asked her that question.
Got an opinion or question about one of our articles? Write to us at leopard@goldsmithssu.org to have your letter published in the next issue!
December 2018
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Comment What political boundaries can friendships cross? Laura Moyies A common scene outside the library is the socialist paper being handed out to students. Loud shouts of insults towards the Conservative Government, some factual, many very much an opinion. It is completely fine to do this, even
parliament, in Government, most of them went into the job
Whenever I want to test out my opinions I will go to my
to serve the public. Yes it’s a good wage, but a lot of them
trusted friends who will honestly pick my opinions apart.
could get better pay in another job. It is long hours and you
Some people would stop being friends with people who
have to quickly build a thick skin. Somehow people think
did that. For me this is one of the reasons that they are my
Conservative politicians go into the job to ruin people’s lives.
closest friends. We are brutally honest to each other and that helps us be strong in convictions. We have created a
though those who voted Conservative might feel ostracised.
friendship where we do not judge each other, but we will
They are being blamed for the poor having no money and
very much judge each others opinions. At least when it
the rich having too much money.
comes to politics.
Goldsmiths produces an atmosphere where it is hard to
Most of my friends have different ideas of how to create a
come out as a Conservative, or even could you imagine, a
fair and equal society. We disagree on tax rates, on immi-
Brexiteer. However, I would not ask for the socialist paper
gration policy and foreign policy but we have similar goals
to stop being distributed on campus. What I do question
for society, just a different path of how to get there. I guess
however is what would Goldsmiths do if the tables were
that is why we get on so well. There are people with political
turned? I would love to see a Conservative media dis-
views that I could not be friends with, precisely because of
tributed at the front of the library. I am not so sure the
their political views. If someone were to be outright racist or
reaction to a Conservative Press would be as welcoming.
sexist I would not be able to be friends with them.
I very much doubt those with minority political views at Goldsmiths would be treated with such civility. Goldsmiths certainly does not produce a safe space for all views to be aired with equal standing. At Goldsmiths, certain words such as “Women” are “concerning”. Embedded in the Safe Space policy is the doctrine that no one should offend anyone, even if it was an accident. This leaves students having to be brave if they want to express any opinion. Bravery for engagement in discussion and debate should not be a requirement on a University campus. Silencing those who have not even spoken is a worrying world. With such hostility towards those with certain views, I wonder how many people are friends with those with differing views? Are you friends with anyone who voted leave, or anyone who voted Conservative? Maybe you are, and they just have not felt they could talk about their political views openly with you? Or perhaps you are a decent human being, judging political opinions but not ostracising someone because they have different priorities, or a different way of thinking than you do. John McDonnell has made me think about where we draw the line on being friends with those of opposing political views. On Newsnight, John McDonnell said that he could not “forgive them”, the Conservatives, for the “human suffering” in his constituency. McDonnell said he could not be friends with a Conservative, but he could “engage in conversation”. Well I certainly hope he could engage in conversation with those with differing views, it is kind of his job description. What I do ask is that if one cannot forgive, can one really work constructively with the opposition? Those in
For other people, it is not so much their views themselves, John McDonnell said that he could not be friends with a
rather how they communicate them. I could not be friends
Conservative in a BBC Newsnight Interview. Image: Getty.
with those whose argument consists of “check your privi-
It is important to understand that often people with different
opinion matters more than yours” and possibly worst of all
political views may have the same goals as you. They can
the Soviet Union wasn’t proper Communism, “if I were a
believe that they are doing the right thing, and just because
dictator I’d do it completely differently.” What I would be
you might disagree, it does not make them a bad person.
able to do is have a discussion with them (if they were will-
On campus I have seen a club night advertised as ‘Burn Tory
ing). Personally I find people with views I don’t understand
Burn’, I have heard people say Tories hate poor people and
fascinating. I would like to pick their brains to find out why
other slurs. However, my point still stands, this is a main-
they think the way they do.
lege”, “as a ‘insert identity characteristic in here’ person my
stream party and I often hear people criticising those who voted for the Conservatives. We should perhaps be feeling
This all questions whether there is a line between the person
sorry for those who see posters which attack them all over
and the political belief? Can you be friends with someone
campus.
when their political view is different to yours? Just because someone thinks lower taxes are the way forward does not
This name calling is also the same with Brexit. 52% of the
mean they are greedy, just because someone believes in com-
population have been labelled uneducated racists. Some of
munism does not mean that they are lazy. It is usually down
them are, as are some Tories, as are some Labour supporters;
to the person as to whether you can be friends with them
crucially it is some, not all of them. There are many differ-
or not. If you think they are a good person then you should
ent, legitimate reasons for voting leave, so stop calling half
realise that what they vote for is what they think is good.
the population uneducated. Especially the people who are
Political opinions should not be the reason to not associate
trying to fight the elite. You do realise how elitist you sound
with someone. However, personality drives politics. We
calling people uneducated? All I can say is if that is your
may have different opinions but those you think are good
comeback to those who voted to leave the European Union,
before you know their political opinions are still good after
you are clearly the uneducated.
you know. It is the reasoning behind our political views which are where we can lay our judgement.
I have friends from across the political spectrum. It makes for a much more interesting conversation. When you avoid
Importantly, just because you cannot be friends with some-
someone because they think differently it is problemat-
one of a certain political persuasion, this does not justify
ic. The echo chamber of Facebook becomes ones real life.
shutting them down. Engage and discuss. Without honest
Shielded from any criticism, stopping the progress of ideas
and open discussion our society will just divide further and
on all sides of the political spectrum.
further into a world of which none of us will wish to live in.
December 2018
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Department Research Goldsmiths-based ‘architectural detective agency’ nominated for 2018 Turner Prize Last September, Forensic Architecture worked with Yazidi men and women to compile and reconstruct the ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Islamic State, creating a installation of the visual evidence which was displayed at London’s Design Biennale at Somerset House. More recently, the collective has been mapping the Grenfell Tower tragedy using citizens’ phone footage to create one unified 3D model of the fire. Founder Eyal Weizman emphasises that the group are shocked by their nomination as they don’t primarily see themselves as artists. “Exhibitions are important forums for making public crucial evidence of human rights violations and their production is an opportunity to support cases and Forensic Archicture was established in 2010 by Israeli archi-
Claudia Schroeder
tect Eyal Weizman. The agency focuses on analysing past
Forensic Architecture, an independent research collective of 15 investigators including activists, computer scientists, architects and journalists, has been nominated for one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art prizes for their participation in documenta14, as well as their solo shows ‘Counter Investigations’ at the ICA and ‘Towards an Investigative Aesthetic’ at MUAC, Mexico and MACBA, Barcelona. Their work uses 3D modelling, animations and maps to reconstruct incidents of political violence and human rights
events by reconstructing a physical space in order to piece the incident back together, tracing the trajectories of bullets, civilians and bomb blasts to make sense of a tragedy. The agency increased its visibility in 2016 when it used eyewitness accounts from prisoners to construct an interactive
International and Human Rights Watch in order to provide evidence for high-profile cases. The group do not consider themselves to be artists but use gallery exhibitions and a distinct visual aesthetic as a tool to encourage the public to engage with the evidence. The Turner Prize nomination was secured on the basis of their path-breaking approach to investigation. “The jury praised Forensic Architecture for developing highly innovative methods for sourcing and visualising evidence relating to human rights abuses around the world, used in courts of law as well as exhibitions of art and architecture,” announced Tate Britain, home of the award. Photos: Forensic Architecture, 2018
and those most affected by the human rights issues therein.”
Prodger, was announced at a live awards ceremony on BBC
nominated include a variety of recent investigations, looking
deaths in the Mediterannean Sea.
previously worked with organisations such as Amnesty
to use these opportunities to best serve our investigations
The exhibitions for which Forensic Architecture has been
The collective lists its purpose as undertaking “advanced
environmental justice groups”. Forensic Architecture has
portant cultural institution … it is also a great responsibility
The shortlist for the prize this year has a strong focus on
into cases including the murder of a man by a Neo-Nazi
prosecutors, human rights organisations and political and
“While it is an honour to have been chosen by such an im-
model of an infamous Syrian prison.
abuse, often countering state-sponsored narratives.
architectural and media research on behalf of international
causes’, Weizman told Wallpaper.
group in Kassel, Germany, and an examination of migrant
political and humanitarian issues. The winner, Charlotte TV this month. The winning entry was a film shot on the artist’s iPhone about her experiences of coming out in rural Scotland and received £25,000 with the other shortlisted entries receiving £5,000 each.
December 2018
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Department Research Fighting for Global Justice Gabriele Sidlauskaite
their reflections? They might be very different from mine.
ple see that you do have an emotional commitment and it’s
I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr Kiran Grewal
I understand the abstract idea of that, but I can’t really im-
a real relationship. That’s when they give you a bit of credit.
from the Unit for Global Justice at Goldsmiths. Dr Grewal
agine it in practice.
Even if you can’t be there all the time, they know that you do actually care.
is currently a Reader in Human Rights in the Department of Sociology and a convenor of the MA in Human Rights,
Could you tell more about it?
Culture and Social Justice. Dr Grewal is also a qualified
KG: So, for example, in Sri Lanka, you have your dominant
Does it ever feel burdensome to be exposed to the suffer-
lawyer and has worked on projects centered around refugee
institutions. It’s the end of the war, people are pushing for
ings of the world like that all the time?
law, torture prevention, policing and gender based violence
trials through courts, people are pushing for better demo-
KG: Yes, which is actually another reason why I shifted my
in Australia, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
cratic institutions, elections, better government functions,
interest to working with communities and how they resist. I
all of those sorts of things which are important. But change
was getting really exhausted and burnt out by the miseries of
doesn’t happen only through institutions.
the world and the constant failures of institutions. Where-
What’s the difference between being an activist and work-
as, when I’m in communities, I see how people in terrible
ing with institutions? Kiran Grewal: So, I started my career working within insti-
I have some friends, one of which is a ritual priest and a
circumstances are creative and fight, and laugh, and cry, and
tutions. Even when I would have thought of myself as an ac-
number of them are community theatre activists. I started
do things together. That gives me a little bit of energy back.
tivist, I still thought of myself within the role of a lawyer. For
hanging out with them and I’ve been to rituals, and temples,
I’m really feeling it now with all the stuff that is happening
lawyers, even our activism is directed through institutions.
and all-night performances of folk theatre. In those spaces,
in Brazil, the election of this scary new guy, I really look for-
people are also talking politics. They’re also thinking about
ward to that time when I’ll be back in the community with
Even those of us who think that we are committed to the
what happened in the past, they’re also critiquing what’s
those people because the energy they give off gives me a bit
disempowered people and this egalitarian idea of human
happening now, and they’re also trying to articulate what the
of positivity. That’s why I don’t want to work with institu-
rights, if we’re only focused on the institutions, we actually
future should look like. They’re just not using the same kind
tions right now, I want to work at community level.
always reinforce a particular power structure. Those of us
of language or spaces that we’re used to. They’re not using
who are more educated and who have access to the institu-
law or politics; they’re using ritual, and folk art, and other
When I was twenty, I wanted to save the world and thought
tions will always be the ones who do all the speaking.
things. So, that conversation is already happening in those
that the solution was at the high levels, the big picture stuff.
spaces. But we never listen to that; to us, that’s not where
Whereas, as I’m getting older, I’m less and less interested in
change happens.
‘Can we reform the UN?’ or ‘Will there be an international
That’s why, now, in my more recent work in Sri Lanka, I am
court that will prosecute all war criminals?’ Other people
interested in creating communities where I don’t speak anymore. Instead of me being the person who does the speaking
So my interest is in those communities that don’t have access
can care about that, what I care about is a lot more micro.
on behalf of other people, how do we shift at looking at what
to these dominant institutions, but they’re still engaged in
What I care about is how people in specific spaces manage
communities are doing for themselves and support them? I
the political conversation, we just need to go to their spaces
to fight what is happening around them and make little
think the dominant institutions will always have space for
to hear it.
changes. For example, I know a woman who has become a dear friend of mine, whose husband had disappeared. She
people like me and if we’re actually committed to empowerYou live in London now, how does it work out, you having
was this little housewife in a village who never had to engage
a project in Sri Lanka?
with the public world and over the course of time, trying to
When you say ‘spaces to speak’, are you talking about
KG: Whenever I have time, I’m in Sri Lanka. Whatsapp and
find her husband, launching a campaign to look for him, she
education?
Facebook help in terms of keeping in touch with people.
has transformed herself and her community.
KG: Yes, it is education, but not in a traditional sense. In the
And that’s another really big challenge. When I think about
field of Human Rights, there is lots of stuff about going to
the people with whom I’ve built relationships with, and who
She’s now been to Geneva. I asked her what it was like and
disadvantaged communities and teaching them about their
trust me, and who treat me as an ally in their struggle, the
she said ‘Wonderful chocolate; I wanted to see the place, but
rights. But often even that adopts a particular model where I
fact is that I still come back here. I still walk away and have
I was too busy with my meetings.’ Now she rides a scooter,
am the educated one and I teach people about their rights.
this life. Many of them are stuck in that reality all the time.
she is confident, she’s a role model in her community. So, in
It makes me feel a bit guilty, but it can also be a bit of an
the face of such tragic circumstances, she has been such a
So, what I am interested in is creating spaces where peo-
obstacle in our relationships. Which is why I have to give
pillar of strength. Every time that I see her, she would tell me
ple have a space to do critical reflection on their lives. The
up any free time I actually have and go to Sri Lanka to show
all the bad things that are happening, and then she would
advantage I have as an academic is that I have the luxury of
that I am committed.
tell me ‘But don’t worry, we haven’t given up’ and tell me
ment, we have to look beyond the regular institutions.
what she’s planning to do next. Those kinds of people are
having lots of time to think. In theory. So I will always be the person who’s thinking, and writing, and theorizing.
After I had my baby, she was four months old, I took her to
what I want to focus on now.
Sri Lanka and introduced her to everybody. And that was a There are other people who don’t have that luxury. Particu-
huge shift in my relationships with people because they real-
The Unit of Global Justice will be running a monthly series
larly, the marginalized people. What would it look like if we
ized then that I was actually genuine and that I wasn’t just a
of discussions on global justice and events focusing on the
actually tried to create spaces where they could do the crit-
researcher coming to do research and then leaving again.
nature of doing research in the field. Details on these events
ical reflection themselves? What are we going to learn from
My child has spent half her life in Sri Lanka so far. So, peo-
can be found on the @SociologyGold twitter page.
Sunday 16th December Rachel Cohen at Good Evening Royal Albert 2100 - 2300 Free
Thursday 13th December Evening Jazz Concert Richard Hoggart Building Room 16 Free
Saturday 15th December TEDxGUL Deptford Town Hall Council Chambers 1000 - 1400 Free
Highlights for the month
December 2018
Monday 17th December Stoneflies / Nerves / Kissing Booth / Lung King New Cross Inn 1900 - 2300 £3 Adv £5 OTD
Thursday 13th December Sh*tfaced Shakespeare: Rumeo and Ginet Amersham Arms 2030 - 2300 £5 Non-members £3 Drama Soc Members
Saturday 15th December Near Mint Record Fair Pop Brixton 1200 - 1800 Free
Wednesday 19th December Live Jazz Jam Grow Hackney 1900 - 2300 Free
Friday 14th December Listening Hour Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studios 1600 - 1700 Free
Sunday 16th December Christmas Jazzmatazz down Birdies (Num Nums) 1900 - 2300 Free
Thursday 20th December Worldwide FM x Choose Love Christmas Party Corsica Studios 2200 - 0400 £6 - 10 Proceeds to Refugees
Friday 14th December 5.18 Pussyliquor 7inch Launch Party The Five Bells 1900 £3 OTD
Issue 2
December 2018
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Music and Entertainment Simon Says An open-mic night like no other Kate Walker Simon Says (named in honour of Simon Deacon, director of Popular Music Performance at Goldsmiths) is a monthly live music showcase curated by the department of music and its students. Taking place in the SU Venue by the SU bar, the night gives students currently studying popular music the opportunity to perform outside of a classroom setting, get their name out there, and test out any new material they may be working on in a relaxed setting. For everyone else, it’s a great way to familiarise yourself with the current music scene at the uni and to discover new acts. Generally beginning with more chilled, sombre sounds, the night gradually gets more lively, ending with louder bands and DJs playing into the wee hours. From acoustic acts to funk bands, singer-songwriters to jazz combos, the line-up is different every month, and really shows off the diversity and vitality of the musical life here at Goldsmiths. Whether you fancy some live music after a long day in the library, need an excuse to have a boogie on a Monday night, or have your eyes peeled for the next big name before they blow up, Simon Says is a fun (and FREE) night of live music, right on our doorstep. What more could you want? If you fancy checking out the January edition of Simon Says, keep an eye out for posters and online events - it usually happens the first or second Monday of the month, in the Venue.
The “West Coast” is back to show Soundcloud what it’s lost Review of Earl Sweatshirt’s ‘Some Rap Songs’ Jack Daniel Caine In keeping with Earl’s West Coast origin, the 90s sonic 808 base - teamed with captivating keyboard and strings - hook the listener onto the seemingly effortless lyricism that the LA rapper has built up a reputation for. Likewise, with previous projects that were met with universal acclaim, Kgositsile’s proven ability to produce transfixing, substance influenced beats clearly allows him to provide unique smoothness in rapping, often going over the barline to wrap up contemplative confessions and attestations, a rarity in the modern rap zeitgeist. The constant “old-skool” vibe arguably provides a rebuttal to the current state of the genre, as the hard-hitting snares Earl Sweatshirt; Some Rap Songs Cover
and sometimes low fi bass of previous album I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside is somewhat lost.
Despite having 50% more songs than his previous project, I’m constantly aggravated by the short run time of each track...switches of flow are still there, but the yearning for a beat flip and continuation of Earl’s monologue on each topic is left wanting on almost every piece of music. Sweatshirt’s minimalism is a further change from previous projects, although this is clearly well thought-out, as both Navy Blue and Standing on the Corner aid Earl’s search for “oversimplification” of an album that meets the needs of a rap fan base crying out for an album with true brevity that rap wordsmiths of the past pioneered. Some Rap Songs is a well needed divergence from the lyrically vacant aggression heard in the past few years. Bringing back the OG facets that the quality of a rap album historically was judged on, which have been thrown aside, as image and bravado before technical music and lyrical ability are now usually at the forefront of the genre.
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Music and Entertainment BBC Music Introducing LIVE 2018 inspires the next generation ...by letting them know the secret to ‘making it’ Kate Walker Over 15,000 aspiring musicians and industry professionals flocked to this year’s BBC Music Introducing LIVE event to soak up some knowledge from some of the biggest names in the business, as well as to do a spot of networking, and perhaps stumble across their favourite acts doing a pop-up performance along the way. For three days the Tobacco Dock near Wapping Overground Station, a huge Victorian tobacco store turned events venue, was host to talks, panel Q&As and performances with over 700 speakers from all corners of the music industries taking part. The BBC Music Introducing scheme is all about opening doors to the next generation; since its launch in 2007 they have been working to support ‘unsigned, undiscovered and under-the-radar’ music from across the UK. With huge names such as Florence and the Machine, George Ezra and Slaves rising up through the ranks, there’s no doubt that the springboard it provides can propel talented artists far. But this event was about more than giving airtime to aspiring
Photo: Mafalda Costa
acts.
played on the radio, and exactly what’s in a recording con-
number of influential women speakers as their men counter-
From panels literally called ‘How to get a job in the music
tract, the event did an impressive job at covering all bases
parts, proving that the glass ceiling isn’t entirely impossible
business’, ‘Jobs in Live Music’, and ‘WTF is Music Publish-
and scheduling something for everyone no matter what
to smash.
ing?’, to more focussed discussions about well-being and
their interests. And as Kelly Stone - Recruitment Manager at
mental health in electronic music, how to get your music
Warner Music - advised during her appearance on a panel:
Although generally a well-managed and smoothly run event,
“it doesn’t do you any harm to be clued up about ALL areas
several panels reached capacity very quickly, with dozens of
of the music world. Anyone hoping to forge a career in the
disappointed ticket-holders having to be turned away from
fast-paced music sector today, more than ever, really needs
certain sessions. After stressing the importance of net-
to be able to speak the language of jargon and acronyms that
working as a way to ‘get noticed’, many panel speakers were
comprises these industries.”
swarmed as they tried to make their way offstage, USBs and business cards being frantically thrust in their direction.
As well as demystifying music industry vernaculars, BBC Music Introducing LIVE scheduled brain-picking sessions
With just SO MANY aspiring professionals striving for these
with the most powerful companies and individuals in the
jobs, it is tricky to not become a little downtrodden and
industries. Appearances from Jonathan Dickins (Adele’s
overwhelmed at the sight of this apparently very crowded
manager), Nile Rodgers (of CHIC and Get Lucky fame),
market. It’s clear that an element of luck is definitely also
Emily Eavis (Glastonbury’s own) and Ferdy Unger-Hamilton
involved in ‘making it’ in music.
(president of Columbia Music UK who signed huge artists such as James Blake and Take That) drew massive crowds.
But the sheer diversity of the events on offer over these three
Putting faces to these names and their intimidating titles
days highlights the multi-faceted nature of the music world
was both inspiring and humanising.
today. There is no set path to follow - your career is really what you make it, and with the platform and opportunities
Photo: Mafalda Costa
The message to take away was that if these very ‘normal’
the internet presents, there really is no excuse. The key, as
seeming people made their own success, what’s stopping
stressed by multiple speakers on different panels, seems to
anyone who’s willing to put in the hours? Importantly,
be to do just that: make it. Start a label, run a magazine,
panel discussions across the whole event featured an equal
write a blog...and hope for the best!
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Arts and Theatre A constructive insight into the first ever Goldsmiths, University of London Festival of Arts Ana Kozlova @aakoz8 The chilling prospect of leaving the soft and comforting cushion that is Goldsmiths and entering the workforce is a daunting one for many students. While Goldsmiths offers many opportunities to make moving forward into what adults love to call ‘the real world’ an easier transition, some MA students simply wouldn’t agree. Lauren Davies and Cheyenne Trott are MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship students at Goldsmiths who have organised the first Goldsmiths Festival of the Arts, a collaborative platform for the exhibiting and networking experience that they believe many students are missing. “I saw the main need for an arts festival when I realised how tough it was to regularly exhibit and produce my own work after I graduated BA Design,” says Lauren. “It was a whole new side of being an artist that I wasn’t prepared for without the resources university has provided me with. Having noticed the event only a week before it was happening, I thought I had fallen out of the art loop, but I was wrong. In the short span of a week, Lauren and Cheyenne had managed to create and launch a beautiful marketing campaign across Facebook. It looked sleek and promising and with 400 people ‘Interested’ in the event, I found myself scheduling it in instantly. Photo: Ana Kozlova “While climbing up to the 3rd floor of the Professor Stuart Hall building, I found myself convinced that I had the wrong building - the advertising had looked so promising and the hype/demand was there, so surely the venue couldn’t be this small. Or could it? “What I found was a large classroom with a projector and a few tables arranged in a ‘C’-shape with the most elaborate and prominent statue positioned right in the centre. A metal-rod statue with a dismembered mannequin attached to it; a play on perspective, the only problem was … there would be no perspective to really explore since the well-constructed piece simply didn’t have the type of space it needed to make the full impact, and the same could be said for the rest of the artwork neatly laid out on the tables. “As I continued to walk around all the tables, a cacophony of technical issues with the speakers shook the room. The whole event was slightly underwhelming but the bigger issue with it was the evident short timeframe and low budget that the event was running on. The focus had been on the pro-
cess not the product. Nevertheless, despite the poor set-out
starter campaign being set up to raise real funding for the
and the faulty equipment, the room was alive with people
next event in the early months on the coming year, they are
eagerly discussing and viewing. It became apparent quite
thinking bigger and better. “We hope to find a space that,
quickly that this was something Goldsmiths could use.
unlike the first event, will provide students with the necessary equipment to exhibit,” says Lauren. “Some things we’d
An event that was wanted by not only the students but the
love to see with future events, once the funding is estab-
audience and that something like it did deserve a separate
lished, are inviting industry speakers to the events, printed
space. A space which could be curated and organised by the
catalogues and private viewings/exhibitions.”
talented artists at Goldsmiths without having to go out of their way to organise it themselves.
Like with any launch, it’s a learning curve and putting large scale events to practice comes with its faults. Despite this
“In our opinions, with the resources we had it was definitely
however, Lauren and Cheyenne managed to host an event
a success. We’ve had such a positive response from every-
that already shows it’s potential. Whatever is in store next,
one,” says Cheyenne. “We really didn’t expect so many peo-
we’re looking forward to it.
ple to be interested in the event, nevermind actually showing up.” It is true. Their disadvantage wasn’t their ability to host
Currently, Goldsmiths Festival of the Arts have a Facebook
an event, or raise the hype, it wasn’t even the idea. What was
page (@GoldsmithsFA) and they are looking to grow their
missing were the extra-hands and a real budget.
online presence. If you are interested in getting involved, get in touch. In the coming weeks there will also be a Kickstart-
While the event is still so fresh in everyone’s mind, Lauren and Cheyenne are planning their next steps. With a Kick-
er campaign circulating their socials.
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Arts and Theatre Dramaturgs in British Theatre A recap of the Performance Research Forum Anne-Louise Fortune @anne_I_fortune After a mid-term break, the Performance Research Forum (‘PRF’) made its return to the George Wood Theatre on Tuesday 20th November. Dr Fiona Graham and Dr Katja Hilevaara both made presentations regarding their personal areas of research and practice. Disappointingly, Dr Deirdre Osborne was unable to present as had been advertised. Fiona Graham began by talking about her work as a Dramaturg. This is a role title which is often somewhat contentious within the world of British Theatre. Perhaps this is because of the problems of collaborative working which were mentioned during the ‘History, Culture and Politics’ PRF on 23rd October, where criticism was levelled at British Theatre practitioners and their general unwillingness to work within an egalitarian repertory system? Whatever the reason, the Dramaturg has often failed to find a role within British theatre, although they have been both welcomed and encouraged in other countries, especially Germany, where Bertolt Brecht worked with Dramaturgs throughout his theatre-making career, as well as in New Zealand, where Dr Graham spent eleven years at Auckland University whilst also working as a freelance dramaturg. At Goldsmiths, Fiona is Convenor for the MA in Writing for
Performance and Dramaturgy.
entire artistic process is a series of creative experiments, and
Her talk at this PRF concerned an examination of what
page or screen. Dr Hilevaara has developed the technique
Dramaturgy is - a contentious subject itself, and also encompassed reflections on projects she has been involved with. Fiona’s definition of dramaturgy is that the role is to shape and form a performance event - the role does not merely apply to theatre, but to a wider umbrella of performing and performance arts, and can even be extended to the curation
that the outputs might be more than words or images on a of ‘memory response’, focused on the provocation that a performance’s only life is in the present, and that memories create false remembrances. Kaja presented the gathered audience with a suggestion for a gateway to working with this ‘memory response’: first,
and display of art, and even to town-planning.
remember a performance moment that delights you; second,
Dramaturgy is practised by all performance-makers, even
consider other tangible and intangible aspects of the perfor-
though they themselves may not be aware of acting as such. Fiona regards the process of dramaturgy as one of ‘unsettling, settling and resettling’, and further stated that the Dramaturg’s role is to develop the work of others. This was a fascinating talk, which illustrated the many problems inherent in trying to build a practice as a dramaturg, the objections to the role, the benefits of embracing the opinions of a dramaturg, and the profound effect on our lives of how we construct narratives. The second presentation of the evening was from Dr Kaja Hilevaara, who talked about her work ‘The Archangel Gabriel’s Flight Training, or notes on a dramaturgy of remembering’. The take-away from her talk was that the
linger with that moment - consider how it made you feel, mance; third, make a short performance act in response to this moment using only your own personal experiences and everyday objects; fourth and finally, and most important to this process - document this whole process, including the performance art you have made. This sounds like an amazing idea for a personal response to a piece of art you have seen, and could allow whole new works to emerge inspired by, but very different from, the original provoking art. Once again, this was a highly interesting insight into the research being undertaken by the staff based within the Theatre and Performance Department. It’s fascinating to get an insight into the areas which interest staff, and how they relate to, or are distant from, the modules which they teach within Goldsmiths.
The Pressure of Growing up to be Everything and More Review of ‘All We Ever Wanted Was Everything’ Ana Kozlova @aakoz8 ‘All We Ever Wanted Was Everything’ is a performance by MiddleChild Theatre productions, told by Luke Barnes narrating through an electrifying poetic improvisation exploring the whirlwind that success and failure dance around. The performance was held at Bush Theatre at the end of November. Brought to you from the stages of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is a glimpse back to the nostalgic experiences of owning Nokia 5110’s and eating baked smileys for dinner, as well as the all too familiar memory of growing up warped in a relentless cycle for the true meaning of life. In the intimate setting of an untraditional centre-placed stage with absolutely no walls between the audience and performers, the DJ station is set up and the actors are
hidden amongst the audience. The room was filled with an eager and curious people, some confused by the setout and others excited for the performance. The lights go out, and the room goes still and Luke Barnes jumps onto the stage and confidently strolls across towards the centre. The performance is set off in an ebullient monologue setting the scene for the characters of Chris and Leah as played by James Stanyer and Bryony Davies. Both introduced as eager children raised on ‘Harry Potter’, Chris’ and Leah’s lives unfold in a sequence of intersecting narratives told across three decades; their lives similar in more ways than not, bound by the same idea of growing up to become a ‘special’ as their parents promised. From ‘1997’s Cool Britannia to today’s Brexit Britain’, the story follows their lives, seemingly to discover that no matter who raises us, where we are raised and what we expect of ourselves - there is one fundamental fear that plagues most of us - the fear of never being enough.
Photo: Ana Kozlova
December 2018
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Arts and Theatre The show left the audiences still as if time had stopped, and
told it all: it was the tension we all held onto throughout the
below the settling background smoke stood the narrator, his
day, throughout our lives, and here in that moment everyone
dimly-lit silhouette still panting from the pacing. A per-
could take a deeper breath out and feel the expectations that
Exploring the exuberant whirlwind that success and failure
formance so moving and powerful it left the room lifeless,
they were placing on themselves fall to the ground, knowing
dance in, the performance was in a way, comforting and
tears slipping down the faces of the audience as the narrator
that every seat filled within the room that Wednesday after-
eye-opening; the type of experience anyone could walk out
yelled out his last words; words which somehow felt louder
noon could relate to a character in the play on some level
of and feel understood, because truly as Luke Barnes tells
than the yelling which seemed to have shaken every wall in
subjective to themselves - deeper than words could convey.
- “after class and age falls away what makes you different
the small theatre: “Just live your f*cking life!”.
ing with happiness but more so accomplishment.
from the person next to you”? To have heard the things It was the kind of tense silence that felt comforting to stay in
people tend to avoid hearing on a daily basis was a valuable
The frenetic performance was over and the room was tense.
for forever, however as the tension settled, the room broke
experience and well-worth the £15 ticket cost - we definitely
It was tense with emotion, but less so for the narrators,
out into a loud and cheerful clap and as the lights flooded
recommend going to see this show at the Bush centre if it
because the deafening silence that ensued for a solid minute
the room, they exposed the panting, sweating artists, gleam-
returns, especially as a student.
A Visual Inheritance Through the stories of the first BA Textile graduate, Liz Holliday Anne-Louise Fortune Despite being such a compact campus, Goldsmiths still holds some gems concealed, this includes the location of the newest exhibition by the New Embroidery Group: Textile Collection. The Constance Howard Gallery is located in the basement of the Deptford Town Hall building and is currently hosting an exhibition of work by members of the New Embroidery Group, many of whom were part of the first cohort to graduate from Goldsmiths with a BA Textiles back in 1968. The gallery consists of two sections: the main and the accompanying mini-history of The New Embroidery Group which is set out in the Kingsway Corridor in the RHB. However, the main event had been the talk given by Liz Holliday, discussing her work within the embroidery project called ‘A Visual Inheritance’. After being inspired by the BBC programme, ‘Who Do You
Photo: Anne-Louise Fortune
Think You Are’, Liz set out to produce a series of 12 samplers over a 12 month period, all embroidered, setting out
seen as merely a ‘female hobby’ and not an art-form to be
We would highly recommend taking a short break out of
elements of her family’s history. Over the course of an hour,
taken seriously, Constance Howard, after whom the gallery
your day, and popping into the gallery in Deptford Town
Liz talked us through the thematic inspiration for her sam-
was named, took on the challenge of teaching the BA Tex-
Hall, which is displaying almost seventy works, of varying
plers, discussed the techniques she had used, and generously
tiles course for the first time all inspired by the passion and
size and theme, to celebrate 50 years since that first cohort
opened up about her personal family memories which had
commitment which the initial group of 14 students showed
graduated. The work is stunning, and to single out a piece of
ultimately led to this work being made.
when they were hand-picked for the course.
work for praise would be to try to compare art which is united only by its basic form - which is not reflected in either the
Liz related to us the embroidery techniques she had em-
Many of the initial group of students are still practising their
ployed, and the historic sampler styles she had paid homage
art some 50 years later and the course together with the
to in this work. These twelve small works of art were all
vision of Constance helped to pioneer the introduction of
‘The New Embroidery Group - 50 years on!’ is in The Con-
stunning in their attention to detail, and clever interpre-
degree courses in many subjects which had never previously
stance Howard Gallery in the basement of Deptford Town
tation of the theme for each month. The level of skill was
been considered ‘art’. It was clear that for Liz, it was an im-
Hall until the 13th December. Opening hours are Monday to
self-evident in the samplers themselves, which are now on
portant step forward: finally shifting the old-fashioned and
Friday, 11am to 5pm. ‘Threading our way: A retrospective’
display in the Constance Howard Gallery. Liz also men-
outdated perception of the intricate art form to something
continues in the Kingsway Corridor until 23rd December,
tioned her time at Goldsmiths, and the beginnings of the
that is taken more seriously.
and is accessible at all times when the RHB is open. Both
textiles department. During a time when embroidery was
delicacy or boldness of the art displayed.
exhibits are free.
December 2018
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Arts and Theatre Grounding in Black: a short review of ‘Black Arts Gold’ Anne-Louise Fortune @anne_I_fortune Presented in association with the Goldsmiths branch of English PEN, ‘Black Arts Gold’ performance consisted of four performances featuring current Theatre and Performance students, followed by a discussion panel featuring the performers alongside renowned Professor Osita Okagbue, Gaib Babb and Professor Lynn Obath. D’bi Young Anitafrika, DeAira Hermani, Abu Ansari and Chinasa Vivian Ezugha presented performance pieces of greatly varying form, all of which were attempting to give an insight into their lived experiences. The discussion in the second part of the evening touched on many concerns about how black artists are able to access performance spaces, and questioned how we pass on performance knowledge from generation to generation. The evening was very well attended, and it is to be hoped that these practitioners will bring more work to an obviously enthusiastic and engaged audience, and that the Black Arts Gold project will continue in future academic years in attempt to diversify not only the stage but the conversation within theatre.
Photo by: Goldsmiths English PEN Society, 2018
How CEN8 is bridging the gap between experience and art Anne-Louise Fortune @anne_I_fortune On Wednesday 28th November, CEN8 held a bake-sale in
hoped return for 2019). Given the ever-dwin-
oral histories are as important and valid as formally written
dling provision of art classes within many
records. This also ties into Goldsmiths’ general attempt to
schools, the clubs provide a valuable oppor-
decolonise its own activities and to encourage decolonisa-
tunity to flourish their creativity through
tion within the wider community.
collaboration and an open and welcoming environment for young adults to explore their creative
The work of this project is ongoing, but an initial sharing of
streak.
work in development should be ready for presentation to members of the academic and wider communities towards
the library lobby. But who are CEN8, and what do they do?
Though that isn’t all, their largest engagement comes from
the end of the spring term. All of the work is supported
their programme called ‘Heritage Matters’. A programme for
through blogs, their newsletter, social media postings as well
In one of the many tiny rooms squashed above 314 New
community elders, intended to open up more conversation
as, their recent bake sale.
Cross Road, Gill Jarman and Ken Breinburg lead a Community Interest Company which aims to engage the New Cross and Lewisham community through arts, theatre and herit-
between the elders and the youth, collecting and recording stories they tell for future generations.
CEN8 is always keen to work with more student volunteers, and with so many opportunities to join in, there will be
For the current academic year, Ken is leading a major
an ideal role for you. Volunteering with CEN8 counts as a
Goldsmiths students.
project to collect and publish the lived experiences of three
HEAR-able activity, and contributes towards the 40 hours of
Lewisham residents. These histories will be recorded in a
co-curricular activity which forms part of the Gold Award.
In a nutshell, CEN8 hosts plenty of arts events for all ages.
number of creative outcomes, including theatre and mu-
To volunteer, visit their website here http://cen8creatives.
sic. This approach recognises the importance of recording
wixsite.com/cen8/copy-of-about
age activities, assisted by a significant cohort of volunteering
Their regularly run activities include a children’s art club and a young adults’ theatre club (currently on a hiatus pending a
history in a wide-range of formats, and acknowledging that
December 2018
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Film and Literature Bohemian Rhapsody Dir. Bryan Singer 20th Century Fox Grace Higgins Everyone, everywhere has heard of the rock band Queen. But what do you actually know about them? Bohemian Rhapsody released this month with a huge reception. Award winning actor Rami Malek plays the famous Freddie Mercury perfectly, showing us a side of him we’ve never seen. Bryan Singer opens up Mercury’s life to show us a young muslim boy who changes his name and relinquishes the responsibilities his father puts upon him to follow his dream. A dream that will leave a lasting impression on the world. From a small stage after getting abandoned by their lead singer to one of the biggest concerts remembered, Live Aid, Queen shows a family bond not often seen in bands thats on the level that you can’t compare to (trust me, I tried).
This movie was both a emotional and exciting roller coaster,
Rhapsody was recorded in a barn? And that emotional end-
detailing not only the bands lives, but how their most
ing that brought everyone to tears- I’m not crying, you are!
famous songs were put together - did you know Bohemian
Bohemian Rhapsody will definitely rock you.
Widows
The Goldsmiths Prize 2018
Dir. Steve McQueen 20th Century Fox
A Synopsis
Josh Lamb
The Goldsmiths Prize is a literary award for fiction that
Goldsmiths’ own award winning director Steve McQueen once again hits high form in his latest, classy, politically and socially charged thriller Widows. Widows revolves around a heist gone wrong, shown in the explosive opening minutes, which leaves the widows of four career criminals to clean up their deceased husband’s mess. Widows is as much about crime as it’s about contrast. It delivers the twists and turns of a high stakes thriller, but also offers a subtle and poignant commentary on social division, racial inequality and political corruption. One scene highlights this vision incredibly, shot from the bonnet of a car, as slummy neighbourhoods descend into finely polished, upper class suburbs. McQueen gathers an ensemble cast to die for, including Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell and Daniel Kaluuya, but it’s the film’s strong female leads, fronted by Viola Davis, who stands out, giving a vulnerable, haunted yet controlled and fierce performance. Widows is methodical and confident, a fair reflection upon the director’s skill, but at times hops between smart social analysis, and pulpy thriller, particularly when certain detrimental plot twists are revealed. However, it always manages to maintain a stylish and arresting intrigue, which will immortalise it as more than just an average thriller.
Gabriele Sidlauskaite ‘opens up new possibilities for the novel form’, founded in 2013 with a remuneration of £10 000. Last year’s winner, Nicola Barker’s novel H(a)ppy was succeeded this year by Robin Robertson’s The Long Take. Robertson is a Scotsman living in London who has previously published five poetry collections that received critical acclaim. The author describes The Long Take as a film noir narrative poem rather than a novel. The Long Take is about a D-Day veteran Walker who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Hoping to get his life back in order, Walker sets off on a trip from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco. According to Robertson, a major theme in the book is exploration of the city. His interest in the urban is based on his own experience - a boy from Aberdeen coming to London and investigating a metropolis. Big cities are glamorous, yet terrifying, they swallow you up. Walker feels guilty and traumatized, he cannot settle, yet is desperate for a community. Robertson emphasized that the cinema of the time was a big influence on his writing, especially film noir. He says he
fell in love with the jazz and culture of postwar America through these films. Robertson talks of how he recreates the map of Los Angeles that has been completely bulldozed over in the years after WW2 to make his work as vivid as possible. The main question that rang in my head when I listened to him speak was why a 21st century Scotsman decided to write a novel about a veteran in postwar America? My own answer would be - because he can. Isn’t that the point of the Goldsmiths Prize? His answer was that, firstly, he was in love with the culture of the time, and, second, there is something very universal and contemporary in Walker’s story.
December 2018
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Film and Literature Poetry Translation Centre comes to Deptford Josh Lamb Poetry is a medium that has always been open to interpretation, but the Poetry Translation Centre (PTC), which has just moved to The Albany in Deptford, is somewhere that literally interprets poetry, translating it from a variety of other languages, including Somalian and Indonesian, into English. The PTC are an organisation funded by the Arts Council, who run workshops every other Tuesday, open to anyone, regardless of skill or knowledge. They take a poem in another language, and translate it into English, combining a variety of practical skills. In a recent interview with Communications Manager Bern Roche Farrelly (pictured), he said that the Centre aims to “make poetry accessible for everyone”, and they actually look
for people who have a wide range of experiences. Farrelly only speaks English, but through the translation workshops, he’s been able to experience the process of interpreting a poem from another language and culture, and the creativity and responsibility that comes with it. “It’s thrilling, who would have thought that I’d have intelligent thoughts about how to translate an Indonesian poem”. Translating poetry is not just the aim of the PTC. Farrelly said: “It’s very much about translating poets as a gift for the audience. There are many communities across the UK who have little access to the arts, so we’ll bring poets over from abroad, and translate their poems as a way of celebrating their culture”. One of the things the PTC are also aiming for is to expand their programme, targeting the younger generation and students. “In the process of translation, meaty political issues will be thrown up, and so to capture those moments of political insight, we want to work with students to find practical, hands on things they can do to tackle these issues”.
Photo: Josh Lamb English Pen Society here at Goldsmiths in January, where they will be taking ideas from students on how to tackle
If you want to help the PTC translate, and decolonise polit-
these issues, and further the accessibility of poetry.
ical issues around poetry, the PTC will be working with the
Where to go: open-mic literary nights this winter Mieke Kristine Fæste Whether you possess a secret talent in poetry and want
Jawdance
a breakthrough, are the type who can’t resist having the
Takes place monthly at Rich Mix in Shoreditch
chance to have an audience or simply prefer to sit in the
Free with no booking required
audience and admire the creative works of others, this is for you. A definite must; one night to show you a little bit of everything that the diverse, multicultural population of
With the slogan: ‘It’s always fun, always varied, always supportive’, it’s no surprise that even the shyer, more reserved
London has to offer.
audience members seem to jump at the last chance to have
Rhymes with Orange
full list of names scribbled down to all perform; but don’t
their go on stage. In fact, there is barely even time for the
Takes place regularly at Farr’s School of Dancing
worry! You will have your chance next month. With an
in Dalston; £5 ticket with booking required.
audience of plenty of regulars, don’t be surprised if you
The joke being that ‘orange’ has just one single perfect rhyme in the English language, being sporange, get ready to be stunned at how the people signed-up for the crowd-pleasing ‘Limerick Challenge’ can find a rhyme for any word, in a split second. With a clapping, cheering and roaring audience, the atmosphere is truly something special. Also being equally open to newbies and regulars, you can here too feel inspired in the last minute and volunteer yourself to take the stage. So go on and book your ticket for the next event, December 13th, on the event website!
make one or two friends during the night, as this crowd seem to all know each other and are not afraid to befriend and greet you with a casual high-five as soon as you take the seat next to them.Also featuring exciting, up-andcoming musicians, actors and speakers, you are sure to experience a little bit of everything. Be excited to discover Jawdance! If your appetite for open-mic poetry has grown after these events (or, who knows, maybe it was already there!), you can already begin to look forward to the European Poetry Festival that is coming to London in April of 2019. Photo: Mieke Kristine Fæste
December 2018
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News New campaign tries to give victims of sexual assault the confidence to speak out Lucie Middleton London Bridge-based British Transport Police have launched a campaign to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on the London Underground by encouraging people to speak out should they be sexually assaulted. The newest campaign by British Transport Police focuses on the story of Katie and Kaylin who are both from London. Both women were victims of the same sexual offender who the police were able to arrest after both women reported what had happened. The assaults happened in the space of a week. Sexual assault against both women and men is becoming increasingly common on the tube. In the four months since the ‘Every Report Builds a Picture’ campaign was introduced at the end of April this year, 1002 sexual offences were recorded on trains running in London. This is a rise of approximately 29 per cent on the months December to March which saw 777 sexual offences recorded. British Transport police believe that the increase in those reporting sexual assault is due to increased nationwide campaigning against sexual assault that is giving victims to courage to come forward. Head of Crime and Public Protection at British Transport Police, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Furnell, said: “We expected to see a rise in the number of offences when the campaign was rolled out and we are encouraged that victims are turning to us, safe in the knowledge they will be
underestimate the severity of what had happened - they un-
Another victim of sexual assault on the tube is Justine Weir,
derstood. I reported it because it felt like the right thing to
47, who said: “This has happened to me a couple of times.
do, but if I’m honest I didn’t expect anything to come of it.”
Always at peak time, when you can’t find a seat.
Katie said: “It gave me a sense of closure to see my offender
“I would have faced outwards, towards a window or a door
in court and allowed me to close that book. Talking about it
and generally not paid too much attention as to what’s going
now will hopefully mean that someone else in the same po-
on behind me. In the first instance I just thought it was very
sition will report it and support the investigation. BTP were
busy and the chap behind me had accidentally bumped into
behind me 100 per cent. They were amazing. I couldn’t have
me and was struggling to find room to back off.
asked for better support throughout this whole ordeal.”
“It was only when I checked the reflection in the glass that I realised that the chap had plenty of space and was getting
DCS Paul Furnell, added: “We really applaud Katie and Kay-
a cheap thrill. I deliberately stepped backwards, I may have
lin for talking about what happened to them and encour-
even trodden on his foot, turned around and told him to
aging other victims to come forward. It is this bravery that
his face to get off me. I didn’t report it. It felt impossible to
supported our investigation and allowed us to bring their
prove.”
offender to justice. However, it is not just women that can be victims of sexual “Once a report has been made we will assign an officer to
assault. In August this year a man was banned from using
support you through the process from beginning to end
the tube after being found guilty of sexual assault against
just like we did with Katie and Kaylin. We use your report
men. Fernando Enclada, 37, admitted to Blackfriars crown
to make sure our officers are in the right place at the right
court that he performed a sex act and made sexual com-
time to catch the offender and to help prevent it happening
ments to his two male sleeping victims. Both men reported
to someone else. This is one of a number of tactics we use to
the incident to the police.
combat sexual offences – with your report we can establish patterns of offences and utilise plain clothes and uniformed
British Transport Police are encouraging any member of
police officers. By collating sexual offences on the railway, we
the public to report even the slightest incident of unwanted
can use these to piece together the identity of the offender
sexual behaviour. Reports of any unwanted sexual behav-
and bring them to justice.”
iour should be made as soon as possible by texting 61016, or calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency always call 999.
taken seriously. “The more reports we receive the more intelligence we have about where these offences are occurring and how we can best deploy our resources to catch offenders and bring them to justice. However, more still needs to be done and we believe many offences go unreported. That’s why we’ll continue to raise awareness around this issue, while also sending a clear message to perpetrators of sex crimes that we won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour.”
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Every Wednesday
Library Room 102 4.30pm - 7.00pm and every Friday
Campaigns made by British Transport Police such as every ‘Report Builds a Picture campaign’ demonstrate how effective reporting incidents of sexual assault really is. Multiple reports help the British transport police to “build a picture” which makes it easier to arrest the perpetrator. Kaylin from London said: “It takes strength to speak out and report it but it’s worth it. It’s so important that these people are brought to justice. British Transport Police were wonderful – they didn’t
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December 2018
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Health and Support Focus on the positives, even on Mount Kilimanjaro mination that I had prior to the climb. Despite not reaching Uhuru Peak, I got an official certificate of recognition for reaching Stella Point. As well as this, I made some great friends, saw some of the most spectacular views, overcame my fear of falling and fundraised for a good cause. My disappointment on Mt Kilimanjaro will not deter me from taking on mammoth challenges in the future. Taking on the largest freestanding mountain in the world as my first mountain was a big risk, but it was a risk I am glad I took. I had a summer full of new experiences, and I implore others to go out of their comfort zone sometimes too. Next year, I aim to fundraise and raise awareness for mental health charities due to the challenge. The biggest piece of advice I would give to those wishing to embark on climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is to try your best, but to also know your limits. Reaching the peak is the goal of many intrepid trekkers, but the journey behind the climb is far more important, and climbers should never lose sight of all of the courage and training behind their journey.
Crossing Boarders; Photos: Danielle Desouza
Danielle Desouza Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro was the toughest mental and physical challenge of my life. 32 university students, including myself, from the Universities of Keele, Royal Holloway, Westminster and Goldsmiths, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro this summer for the charity, Dig Deep. They are a relatively small charity who offer university students the chance to raise funds for their projects in Kenya via overseas challenges in Africa. In terms of preparation for the climb, I took part in a range of different exercises. I went to spin classes, cardio intensive and weight training sessions. Fundraising was the second biggest aspect of the challenge. I fundraised ÂŁ1,500 in total with the help of donations, and through a series of fundraising events such as sponsored runs, a movie night and cake sale. Even though fundraising was arduous at times, it was substantially simpler than the climb. Our group completed the climb via the 6-day Machame route, which took a toll on everyone. This particular route requires climbers to get to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in four days and descend in two. The first two days on the mountain were difficult, but bearable. Day three was considerably harder, with the effects of altitude leading to vomiting and shortage of breath amongst the group. The fourth day began
at 12pm, where we all walked “pole pole (slowly slowly)� with head torches to reach Stella Point before sunrise. After eight hours of walking, the beautiful sunrise shone on us. However, it was not enough to mask the effects of hardly any sleep, food and oxygen from the altitude. Upon reaching Stella Point, Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, was in sight. However, I was instructed by my porters and guide to descend after Stella Point due to being on the verge of delirium. The climb also affected my mental health very badly, resulting in me crying constantly and losing the deter-
December 2018
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Health and Support Health Heroes: Adam Desouza’s miraculous journey to Squash success
Can Sport Improve Mental Health?
Danielle Desouza
Radhika Das Danielle Desouza
In a very special interview, Leopard reporter, Danielle
The benefits of sports to mental health have long been tout-
Desouza interviews her brother, Adam Desouza. Adam
ed, but what does this mean for Goldsmiths Students? We
went from battling with a medical condition, foot drop, to
talked to Mahnoor Ali, Goldsmiths’ Sports Officer, to find
gaining numerous accolades in Squash.
out.
Danielle Desouza: Adam, you won the Tim Davis Sports
Mahnoor argues that sports can definitely improve mental
Scholarship for Squash in April 2015. With the £1,000 prize
health, as it reduces stress and anxiety and diverts people’s
money you took Squash lessons, and have since then
brains from any struggles that they may be facing. She also
gone onto win awards at a variety of tournaments. As well
emphasizes the key role endorphins play in the process,
as this, you are the newest and youngest ever member of
which she refers to as “natural mood lifters.”
Westway’s Squash Club Second Team. Plus, you manage to balance this alongside your studies- Adam is a first year
Sports has played an important part in Mahnoor’s life. She
Accounting and Finance student at Newcastle’ London
cites it as keeping her stresses at bay and providing a “strong
campus. Would you say you have always had a passion for
supportive community.” She would not be able to find an
sports?
alternative that would provide her with the same level of
Adam Desouza: Yes, I have always loved sports, playing
relaxation and joy. Studies have backed up Mahnoor’s
Hockey in secondary school and dabbling in Badminton and Running.
Photo: Danielle Desouza
DD: That is incredible, you seem like you have a real flair
me!” They were in shock, as well as doctors, who wanted to
for sports. Shifting your attention slightly, when you were
write a case study on the whole episode.
playing hockey one day, something tragic happened. Could you please explain what that was and how it affect-
DD: That is remarkable, but your story did not stop there.
ed you?
You took up Squash, what was it that drew you to that
AD: Sure. I noticed that my foot was limp one day after a
sport in particular?
hockey session. I was not able to lift it, and thought I was
AD: After not playing sports for a long time, the desire to
just tired and it would be fine in the morning. After a few
get involved just grows. In my local gym, they had a youth
days, I was still not able to lift my leg, so my mum took me
Squash team. I had never played before, but was always pret-
to my local GP and I was told I had foot drop (a condition
ty good at racket sports so gave it a go. The rest is history.
where you cannot lift your foot off the ground), which they found bizarre. It commonly affects old or drunk people, and
DD: Did you think you would triumph in a sport to the
I was only 12 at the time.
degree you have, especially after getting foot drop? AD: I did not play Squash with the intention of taking part
DD: That is awful. What impact did it have on your studies,
in tournaments. It was a way of staying fit and doing what I
and your Hockey playing?
enjoy. My enjoyment led to me playing more, getting better
AD: I was not able to play hockey after that. However, what
and eventually having the confidence to take part in tourna-
was more detrimental was the impact the condition had
ments.
on my studies. I had to attend hospital appointments at St. Mary’s hospital (in Paddington) twice a week and so I
DD: It is a truly incredible story. What are your future plans
missed lessons frequently. I needed to recover as it was hard
in Squash?
enough adjusting to a new environment, without the extra
AD: To play for as long as I can, and hopefully improve and
stress of having to battle with a condition.
win some more trophies.
DD: Your recovery was almost as bizarre as you getting the
DD: Lastly, any advice you would give to people who have
condition. How did you walk properly again?
suffered in a similar way to you?
AD: One morning, I got out of the bath and realised I was
AD: Just to stay positive, keep fighting and do what you love.
Mahnoor Ali; Photo: Eva Crossan Jory
viewpoint. Healthline, a privately owned provider of health information, have discovered that regular physical exercise keeps people’s mental health strong even as they age. A combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises are of particular significance, and should be carried out 3-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. When asked why she took such an interest in the field of mental health, she discussed a British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) inclusion event at Aston University. She
walking normally. I rushed downstairs to show my parents, who thought I was joking. My dad even said, “don’t lie to
continued on page 24
December 2018
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News continued from page 23 was given a crash course on mental health in sport, where she learnt that by the age of 24, 75% of people experience mental health difficulties. The Mental Health Foundation have estimated that 1 in 6 people have been inflicted with mental health ailments. The number shows no sign of reducing, since mental health problems can affect anyone and are not always easy to diagnose. The event encouraged Mahnoor to carry on trying to change these haunting statistics, via initiating a mental health and sports campaign, which is
threefold: to ensure that students are aware of local health
ment- to give their members the best possible experience.
services, create a standardised university wellbeing policy
The SU also provides a grant and scholarships. However, she
and make sports clubs more inclusive and progressive.
questioned: “What really is enough?” This is a question that
It is also important to note that every sport has different
no organisation is able to provide a direct answer to.
responses to mental health. As quoted by Clarke Carlisle, a
Reducing the amount of mental health cases in the UK is
footballer and MIND (a mental health charity) ambassador,
a mammoth task, but is something that should be tackled
“there is a great appetite to address health issues within sport
through small steps. In the meantime, Mahnoor’s main
and things are improving, but the support for athletes is no-
message to readers is to help any family or friends who may
where near adequate… football can lead the way.” Mahnoor
be facing mental health problems, through speaking with
stated that different sports clubs have different financial
them regularly and looking for signs such as feeling low and
requirements- to cover coaching, transportation and equip-
abnormal behaviour.
Mental Health and Masculinity in Lewisham Sophie R Taylor Despite the sound of traffic on the main road invading Lewisham Library every time the front doors opened, there was plenty of discussion during Marzena Zoladz’ talk into the mental healthcare of adult men on Tuesday 27th November. People were listening closely. Zoladz was presenting the results of an inquiry performed by Healthwatch (the ‘voice for Lewisham’ who carry out inquiries into the health and social care needs of residents; bodies such as NHS England use the results to cater to communities) on the ways masculinity can affect mental health, and the steps we can take to ensure the health of our loved ones. The choice to look at how masculinity in Lewisham affects mental health is an interesting and poignant one. 19.8% of the borough suffers from common mental health problems such as depression, insomnia, and anxiety, which is above both the London and national average, which hovers ‘around 17%’ according to Zoladz. It is well reported that the biggest killer of young men in the UK is suicide; in fact, three quarters of suicides are those of men. For Zoladz, “community responsibility” is the answer. But the issues which Lewisham faces as a borough could potentially add an insightful layer to how we can deal with the issue of men’s mental health. Yet the conversation we had was a general one of how typically masculine attributes such as strength and resilience hold men back when it comes to discussing mental health. There was less talk about the way that this applies to Lewisham’s residents in particular. When I asked why Lewisham has a worse rate of mental health, Zoladz said that she didn’t know. A lack of trust in healthcare cropped up in conversation. Senior mental health practitioner Derek Robin related that through a few bad experiences, spread by word
Photo: Sophie R Taylor of mouth, many people fear being sectioned, losing jobs or
BAME backgrounds, carry a culture of silence which may
having children taken away. “Trust fear. That sums it up,” he
reason why more men in Lewisham have worse mental
says.
health. “Keep it in the family” was a phrase repeated in the evening.
Most of the time, this is not the case. But underlying issues in health infrastructure can mean there is not a solid base for
To Derek, interestingly, “Education, training and employ-
recovery. Issues include “staff recruitment and retention…I
ment opportunities, [and] belonging in the community”
imagine there’s a low percentage of full-time, permanent
come in the same sentence. After all, a sense of worth comes
staff,” Derek tells me. He sites factors such as borough-wide
from having a job and something to do. The issue of men’s
poverty and funding cuts for this.
mental health appears to intersect with that of social circumstance, and headway into the health of Lewisham’s popula-
Furthermore, various identities which make up the Lewisham community, over half of which come from different
tion will be hard to make without confronting this as well.
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News Nursery in Need of Funding Laura Moyies The Goldsmiths Nursery is located in a narrow building just to the left of RHB. The building was originally allocated when it was a nursery for seven children. Now there are 25 places, only 4 of which are taken by student parents. The Student Union either needs to ask whether the financial risk of running the Nursery is worth it for only 4 students, or improve and expand the services to better benefit student parents. Quaid Combstock, one of the elected Student Trustee’s who sits on the Students’ Union Board says: “The Student Union is keen to find more cost-effective ways to help students make greater use of the Nursery. This is a matter that is often discussed and we will be campaigning for further funding in the near future. The Union is committed to providing an enjoyable and supportive experience while students study”. The board is made up of the sabbatical officers as well as external and internal trustees. Joe Leam, Campaigns and Activities Officer, noted in his monthly report, dated 18th October, that: “price of the Nursery stands at around £74 a day, which is completely unaffordable for students. I will lobby the university to subsidise for student parents”. The Nursery is open from 8.30am to 5.oopm each day; Photos: Laura Moyies The College subsidising costs for student parents seems like the most logical way forward. Other parents that use the service could possibly pay more in order to subsidise the student parents. However, Karen Roe, the Manager of the Nursery said: “We are unable to subsidise student parents by charging staff and community parents higher fees as we will become completely unaffordable to most parents.” There are several ways that the Student Union could improve the Nursery services, specifically for student parents. A few options were discussed with Karen, the current Nursery Manager. One option, would be for the College to help with the costs of providing the Government free childcare. Karen explains: “An issue at the moment is that parents, with children over 3 years old, who want to claim the 30 hours free childcare cannot claim more than 15 hours with us, this is common in many nurseries unfortunately. This is because the Government gives the nursery £5 per child per hour, for nursery provision, yet our costs are £8.22 per hour, the Nursery are required to make up the shortfall, which is a cost to the nursery of many thousands of pounds per year, just with 15 hours free provision alone.” Another idea has been to expand the Nursery. Karen added: “If the Nursery was able to expand to accommodate 40 plac-
es then the Nursery could possibly reserve up to 12 places
However the current building could be used for offices and
for student parents, this would only need an extra three staff
seminar rooms so there may be a possibility to find a space
members.” This would require the Nursery to relocate. Karen
which is currently part of the Goldsmiths Estates.
said that: “‘Relocating would enable us to be fully accessible. Unfortunately our current building doesn’t have any accessi-
The Students’ Union exists to benefit the students of Gold-
bility to accommodate for any child, parent or staff member
smiths. Therefore the priority of the Student Union with
with a physical disability.” Therefore the Nursery would like
regards to the nursery needs to be the student parents. The
a change of location due to these reasons.
Union have said they will be campaigning for more funding
Acquiring a building will be a large undertaking whether
from the College in order to help student parents with child
it be a building already part of Goldsmiths estates or not.
care costs.
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‘Snuck passed the editors’ Crossword
20 January - 18 February
19 February - 20 March
The right words are waiting for you to find them. Perhaps in a book or on the tip of your tongue. The moon this month will neither drain nor energize you: this search is something you must embark on alone. But once you find what you are looking for, you will be in better company.
It would be a lie to tell you that everything will turn out okay. You need to make it okay. The strength needed to do this may be found in your kindness and ability to forgive: but use these abilities on yourself for a change. Learn the true effects of their meaning.
21 March - 19 April
20 April - 20 May
There will always be something you wish you hadn’t done or said This month might bring to you the right resolution. As long as you allow it.
The tectonic plates are constantly shifting. You are in a state of flux. If ideas, plans or relationships seem to be changing, don’t lose heart. As long as you are standing on solid ground, you have a distinct advantage. Unless there is an earthquake.
Answers for last week
Sudoku
21 June - 22 July
21 May - 20 June
The world has grown a garden for you. Some days it might be difficult to go outside. Go anyway. There might be some weeds that need your attention. If you see a choking flower, help it to breathe. Then breathe yourself.
Time waits for no one, they say. But it waits for you now. History has taken a breath, giving you a chance to get reacquainted with your past selves. Let them catch up to you. Continue, not in fragments, but in knowledge. And know that you can press pause whenever you want.
23 July - 22 August
23 August - 22 September
An old conversation returns to you. It will come in a dream or in the dead of night. do not be afraid to build upon it, or to usher it into the light.
I could tell you the moon has a hold over you, and that your states of being change as the clouds darken with uncertainty. But you are not so uncertain. You are your own person. I think you already know the path you must travel.
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‘Snuck passed the editors’ Letters to the Editors
23 September - 22 October
23 October - 21 November
The articulation of your own existence, your experience, told in your own words is the most important and wonderful thing you can bring to any conversation.
If you are seeking a place which will harbour less anxiety, hollow out your heart of old fear, clear some space for yourself, within yourself. When things feel out of control, know that you can return to this cubhole. But be sure to burrow in safer places.
22 November - 21 December Don’t let thoughts of what ‘should be’ cloud your judgment. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Especially not me.
22 December - 19 January There was once a creature invented specifically to invoke fear, told within a tale of supposed beauty. Question the seeds of fiction - grow your trees out of truth.
Contribute to this space! s to d n i m e reativ c s page d s e i e h t n r n e p to Your pa entertainmen me spark so Cartoons, joke s, puzzles...
[cartoon strip]
Bring us your ideas Em ail us at leopard@goldsmithssu.org
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News Meet the Officers: Catriona Morton Max Sturz With holidays around the corner, the Leopard thought it best that we catch up with one of Goldsmith’s new Student Officers - Catriona Morton, whom has taken the position of Disabled Students’ Officer. We had an interview at the Goldsmith’s library, as students around us busied themselves with studying.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Catriona Morton: My name is Catriona, I am a Masters student. I am doing Gender, Media and Culture which is in the Sociology Department. I did my undergrad in Philosophy at Kings. I am a writer and I also run a support website for survivors of trauma. And now I am the Disabled Students’ Officer in the SU.
Do you feel that knowledge from your degree has helped you with the position as Student Officer? CM: Definitely. I think for a long time I had a lot of internalized ableism. Because I have a long term mental health illness, and that is my disability. And I think during my undergraduate studies (which was at another university), I never considered myself as disabled. But then over the past year or so I’ve gotten more involved with disability activism, disability rights and theory. So yeah, it’s had an impact.
How has being a Student Officer at Goldsmiths been? What has your experiences been so far? Do you feel like you have settled in? CM: Yeah, it’s been good. I think here’s quite a good support community and obviously there are quite a few officers. So, I think that helps cause there’s a lot of you who are in the same position. I think it’s interesting going in as a post-graduate student, because a lot of the officers are undergraduates. I think there’s only one or two other post-graduates who are officers. So that’s quite interesting. And the Student’s Union (SU) is really lovely and really well run. The thing that’s the problem is, as I’m sure you might have heard before, is to do with funding and stuff from the actual University. And getting things to actually happen on campus, is quite difficult. It’s really easy to get things done in the SU and that’s all working fine. Bridging the gap to is the main thing.
How do you feel about the reception you’ve got from students and staff? CM: Everything has been good so far. I’ve met a few people and they’ve been very supportive and very open and very kind. I think the nature of a Disability Students’ Officer, I guess, luckily you have a lot of people who are going to be quite nice, do you know what I mean? Like people are quite accommodating to you, because if they’re not then... (we
have a brief pause and both laugh), I’m not going to swear, but it makes them bit of a Silly Billy, haha. So, I think that’s good. Also, luckily my personal tutor, on my course, is a disability theorist. She’s one of the leading people in the country on it. So that also helps.
What are the policies that you want to introduce into Goldsmiths as a whole? CM: There are a couple of shorter-term ones that I’m putting through motions for at the student assembly next week; e.g. when people are advertising events, in the SU, it necessary that that they have accessibility information on it. Also, getting little stickers or notices on disabled toilets, reminding people that not all disabilities are visible. But then the longer-term goals I have for this year is making approaches and language towards people with mental health conditions and long-term disabilities, more person centered, and less accusatory. I don’t know if you’ve gotten any sort of warn-
There was one a few days ago. That was run by the lecturer I just talked about and the Music Department. The theme of this Disability History Month’s is Disability in Music. We really have made the events based around that. So, we have had two showings of a film about a violinist called Itzhak Perlman who had polio when he was a child. He still has the effects from polio and must use crutches and scooters to get around but he’s still a violin prodigy. Then on the 11th Dec we are doing a disability social in the SU from 5 till 8.
Students question the accesability of their libraries Charlotte Kennedy
ing from the University about attendance or something,
On the 14th November, the Open Warden’s meeting saw a
but just the language and the way people are treated. Even
student complain about the Library’s (or Rutherford Build-
just the basics, the thing with staff, faculty and like students
ing’s) inaccessibility as the lifts were out of service on three
alike; people just don’t know some of the basics, such as how
different occasions in one month. One instance had both
language and the way you talk to people has a huge impact.
lifts in the library out of service for 6 hours, which excluded
So, I think introducing workshops on the way to approach
disabled students from accessing anything other than the
people with disabilities and a way to make them feel more
ground floor.
empowered is important. The warden, Patrick Loughery, apologised about this acces-
Do you have things you want to achieve in 2019?
sibility dysfunction and stated that the Senior Management
CM: There are some exciting plans to do with quiet spaces
Team (SMT) have previously spent “a good deal of money
on campus. The SU has got some beds, we are working out
for higher levels of accessibility.” Highlighting the on-going
the logistics. There are going to be two or three proper beds
accessibility issues with Goldsmiths’ Victorian and pre-Vic-
that they’re going to set up in a quiet space, so people who
torian establishment, the warden stated that the SMT are “as
have chronic fatigue or chronic pain can rest. We want to
committed to it now as we were at the beginning”.
make sure that students know of its existence. There needs to be more information sharing about accessibility, and facili-
The Library told the Leopard of a “preventative maintenance
ties that are available on campus for people with disabilities.
plan”, where the lifts in the Rutherford Building are serviced three times a year. A spokesperson for the library sincerely
Do you feel like you’ve been able to make some changes over the last few months?
apologised for the frequency of the breaks during this time
CM: If I’m honest no, just because it’s been very fast paced
Estates and a specialist lift maintenance company to investi-
and very new. I think the biggest task I’ve had is setting up
gate the disfunction and how to prevent this in the future.
Disability History Month and getting that in motion, and
“If a lift being out of order prevents any person from
there will be more changes after the student assembly next
accessing what they need we would advise speaking to a
week.
member of Library staff and we will work with them to find
period. They are currently working with colleagues in
a solution that enables access to the book or service that they
Could you tell me more about Disability History Month? What events do you have running?
require at that time.”
CM: So, Disability History Month runs from the 22nd of
Students are asked to report any maintenance issues of both
November to the 22nd of December. Which is a little bit
the library or the university to the SMT or library staff and
unfortunate, because it is a very busy month. With essays
security.
and the holidays and everything. We have four events.
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Sport A Neutral’s Guide to Ultimate Frisbee (And how you can become a fan) Simon Throssell @throssfilms Hi Goldsmiths Ultimate Lions. What’s the name of your game? Goldsmiths Ultimate Lions: Ultimate Frisbee! The aim is to get more points than the other team. You score by successfully passing the frisbee disc to your teammate who is standing in the opposition’s end zone. How did you get on last season? GUL: Last year wasn’t a great year - we lost all of our LUSL (London University Sports League) matches. But our socials were a good highlight! We enjoyed trips to paintballing and trampolining as well as casual pub get-togethers. What’s this year looking like so far? GUL: Our pre-season campaign was great: we got a new kit which looks phenomenal; we came fifth out of eighteen teams in the Skyde Park Beginners Ultimate Frisbee The Ultimate Lions Squad; Photos: Ultimate Lions
Tournament (hosted by Imperial College Ultimate Frisbee Club) and we also won our first LUSL match against Queen Mary Leopards fifteen points to eight. This was a particularly excellent result, especially compared to last year’s campaign. It finally feels like the hard work is paying off! We’re now deep into the early stages of the season and we have been met with tough competition. We lost our most recent game against Royal Holloway with a devastating score of 10 points to 9. Due to a smaller turnout than usual we crumbled as we did not have enough subs and the harsh wind and rain didn’t help. But overall the game was incredibly close throughout and it was inspiring to see how, on the back of a few difficult games, everyone is improving and friendships are blossoming within the team.
Who are the players to watch on the team?
Sideline support is also a big part of our games - we surely
GUL: Sam Webb and Liat Berkowitz are both notable begin-
make a point of being the loudest team on the sideline, you
ners to the Ultimate Lions this year, as are Anna Dempsey
know, to show off our roar!
and Thomas Vancooten. The four of them have shown great passion for the sport and have all been a spectacle to watch.
Finally, what is one quote that inspires the captain?
Their throwing and catching skills and their spatial aware-
GUL: A quote that our captain lives by is that “Hard work
ness on the field are developing so fast and their progress is
pays off ”. Whether it’s a quote or just a common saying, as a
clear in our games, improving more and more each chance
team we truly believe that dedication and commitment are
they get to show it. Sam, Liat, Anna and Thomas are defi-
key ingredients to success, and that is what we try to imple-
nitely ones to look out for!
ment into every one of our training sessions.
What do you aim to have achieved by the end of the sporting year? GUL: We expect to redeem our track record and show the other London teams that we are a team to look out for. We also want to bring about more awareness of this amazing sport, which is often unknown around university campuses - we want to show people how fun it can really be! How can I become a fan of the team? GUL: You can become a fan by joining us as a player or cheering us on from the sidelines. We are a mixed team open to all, regardless of your level of experience - most people on the team hadn’t played before coming to university. The sport is self officiated meaning that we prioritise ‘good spirit’. This means it is inherently a friendly and inclusive sport, a great and fun way to keep fit and make friends both on and off the pitch.
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Sports Equality Rules as Goals Aloud Shield Off Goldsmiths 2 Women’s Football host 5-a-side tournamant with Renaissance FC Terrelle Iziren @terrelle_iziren Goals Aloud won the Equality Shield during a cold afternoon goal-fest at Deptford Green School. Goldsmiths Women’s Football team collaborated with non-profit side Renaissance FC for a memorable five-a-side tournament, with 60 players competing. The winners overcame Goldsmiths 2, 4-2 in a thrilling finale. Goldsmiths entered the game ahead of a winter break from a BUCS league campaign where they picked up one point from two matches, leaving them bottom of the table. In the Equality Shield’s first game, Goldsmiths Women 1 beat Legends 1 3-0, the latter mainly featuring former Goldsmiths Women FC players. Pepe Bingham-Hall scored a hat-trick, and that set the tone for an entertaining tournament. Many of the five-a-side players on the day were mixed from both teams, although that did not appear to disrupt the playing style. Renaissance FC, who support refugees’ integration into society through football, certainly felt the warmth and unity offered by their hosts. “It has been a really great
Players in action during the Equality Shield; Photos: Michelle O’Higgins
event and really good to see the boys integrating with the girls teams. It is important for refugees to feel accepted by
of Goldsmiths’ Men’s football team. “It’s amazing, the best
After hosting a successful Equality Shield, Goldsmiths
people,” Renaissance’s manager Daniel explained.
thing is getting as many women playing sport as possible. It
Women’s team will end 2018 positively while looking for-
says lots about Goldsmiths too. In my first year, sport was
ward to 2019 when their season resumes. On Jan 23rd they
In total, there were 14 matches played across two pitches,
nowhere near as big as this and it has helped me,” said Wom-
return to league action in South Eastern 3B against table
with plenty of support from players’ friends and members
en’s Football Team President Beth Lowe.
toppers, Imperial College London at home.
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Sports This Girl Can at Goldsmiths: Leopard Sports speaks to the leaders of November’s Womxn’s sports events ‘This Girl Can’ campaign encourages women from all ages, races and backgrounds to participate in sport, not only because of its physical benefits but also its effect on mental well-being. It empowers womxn to fit exercise into their lives in whatever way they find works for them. Womxn, especially at Goldsmiths, don’t feel like they have this opportunity as we’re deemed an “Arts University” where taking part in sports just seems out of the question. The whole point of the campaign breaks down this view and we all, at the Goldsmiths Netball team, fully support it.
Jamine Stanford, Yoga Society Treasurer and Darvina Plante @darvinaplanteyoga Hi Goldsmiths Yoga Society. How did your ‘This Girl Can’ event go? Jasmine Stanford: The event went really well! We did a Dynamic Flow with our Yoga instructor, Darvina Plante. It was certainly challenging but everyone came out afterwards feeling refreshed and like they had worked hard. There were Photo: Goldsmiths Cheerleading Team
Simon Throssell @throssfilms
Isobel Turner, Cheerleading Captain Hi Goldsmiths Cheerleading Team. How did your ‘This Girl Can’ event go? Isobel Turner: Our event went excellently! Following the
ten people on the yoga mats in total, which meant that it was a great intimate class where the teacher was able to give attention to every student so that they could improve the final details of their technique.
Mahnoor Ali, Netball President and Students’ Union Sports Officer
Hi Darvina. How did the Yoga event go? Darvina Plante: It was a pleasure to guide the Goldsmiths students through their Yoga practice. In our session we worked on grounding and balancing as well as strengthening - the overall aim was to marry our breathing with our
Women’s Basketball game, we performed a short cheerlead-
Hi Goldsmiths Netball. How did your ‘This Girl Can’ event go?
movements.
ing routine in front of the decent sized audience. We always
Mahnoor Ali: It was fun! We held an open training session
love to do showcases because not a lot of people really know
for womxn at Goldsmiths to come and try out netball. Lots
What do you think makes yoga so good?
what Cheer is about. To be able to show our skills is a really
of people have grown up playing netball at school and we
fun experience, and people enjoy watching and learning
wanted to show them that they can do it at university too, as
about our sport. Our routine at the game was also to show
well as meet a community of diverse and interesting women.
how much our team has developed since September, when
Despite the intense training and profuse sweating, the 20 or
we had around 20 beginners join the club.
so womxn who turned up had a great time and were very enthusiastic when taking part!
As a team, what do you think makes the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign so important?
Why is the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign important?
IT: We think it’s super important for the representation in
MA: ‘This Girl Can’ is a really important nationwide cam-
sport as it helps to give more exposure to womxn. As a team,
paign and it is great that Goldsmiths takes part in it every
we love that the campaign gives us the chance to support our
year. There is a whole stigma around womxn who play sport,
fellow womxn athletes - another reason why we chose to do
putting those who do play sports into a certain category of
our showcase in support of the basketball team. This year
looks, behaviour and even sexuality and this isn’t true. The
Goldsmiths have done a really good job with their events!
DP: Yoga can create a safe environment that helps students strengthen and better understand the mind, the body and the connection with the soul. Ultimately, yoga helps us to be more rooted in the present and be the best version of ourselves, especially when we are bombarded with the pressures of studying and deadlines.
How important do you think the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign is? JS: The ‘This Girl Can’ campaign is very important as it highlights how vital sport is for your mental and physical well being. I think it is really important to take time for yourself. Yoga helps you to appreciate and realise how much your body does for you every day, and how strong you are.
December 2018
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Sport
Women’s Football Equality Shield and interviews from the SU’s This Girl Can
Womxn: Cheerleading, Netball and Yoga Equality Shield Photos by Michelle O’Higgins
Haul of Medals for Taekwondo Team Captain Jankhana Oedra speaks to the Leopard’s Simon Throssell about the team’s success
is down to the fact that they have been training harder than ever. Some of the fights were extremely close. But with the
Jankhana Oedra: Yes we did! On Saturday 18th November, we
whole team supporting and cheering each competitor on,
attended the Taekwondo Autumn Championship as well as the
we saw many making it into the finals. One competitor in
LUSL BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sports) Taek-
particular that performed terrifically was our very own pres-
wondo Competition.
ident Njabulo Mkhize, who competed in his first ever pattern competition and won one bronze and two Gold medals from
How did it go?
both his sparring fights.
JO: The competition went exceptionally well. We had entered seven competitors from the Goldsmiths Taekwondo team and
What’s next for the Taekwondo team?
everyone medalled. We won a total of 12 medals in both the
JO: One quote that I like at the moment is, “It never gets
sparring, with points being won for valid punches and kicks, judged on their performances of patterns of taekwondo techniques.
JO: We noticed a great improvement by many of the members of the team compared to previous competitions. I think this
Hi Goldsmiths Taekwondo. I heard you had a successful competition last month?
and the one patterns’ competitions, where competitors are
What made this year’s competition different from previous encounters?
easier, you just get better.” Until our next competition in early Twelve medals and counting; Photo: Goldsmiths
2019, we will keep training hard so we can get better! We are
Taekwondo Team
also encouraging our new members to give the competitions a go.
