ZOOM magazine - a dummy magazine made by UoP students to practise making their first spreads

ZOOM

magazine

19

ISSUE 01:

Z O O M magazine

9

things to do in Southsea during lockdown BY

Elli e D o ub l e

A

1

Check out the graffiti. Southsea has a vibrant art scene thanks to some worldrenowned street artists making their mark around the city. My Dog Sighs is behind the striking eye paintings and has been recognised as one of the best UK artists. Fark is another famous Southsea Street artist and is locally known as ‘the man that paints the birds’, as Fark’s seagulls have become somewhat of a Southsea icon.

2

Get a coffee. Despite the continuing restrictions, most coffee shops have remained open throughout the lockdown. Southsea has a very cosmopolitan feel to it with the high number of independent coffee shops. Taking time to go for a coffee is the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and a chance to support local businesses.

B

3

Visit Canoe Lake. This lake is known as a ‘swan’s nursery’ as it is an extremely

popular site for mute swans. At times, up to 60 swans can congregate here for comfort and security during the winter. However, if you do visit this lake, do not be tempted to feed the swans bread as it can be harmful for the birds as it is difficult to digest.

A .

B. c .

Go for a walk along the beach. One thing that makes the seaside city of Portsmouth so special is its beaches.

There are 5 beaches to choose from, each with unique charm.

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C

C

Ar t by My D o g Sighs Sothsea Beach Southsea Beach Cafe

There’s a suprising amount to do in Southsea, you just need to know where to look

5

Jog around the common. Exercise is an excellent way to maintain physical and mental health and the Southsea Common provides an outstanding back drop for any runner.

Whether you are an e xperienced or a novice jogger, the seaside views and green open space will be a joyful route for all.

6

Take a walk around the Southsea Rose Garden . When in bloom, the garden is stunning and an absolute must see. It is said to have up to forty varieties of roses on display. However, even in winter the tranquil area, situated a stone throws distance away from the beach, is a beautiful area to walk around.

7

View Southsea Castle . Portsmouth is rich in history and Southsea Castle is just one of the many cultural spots in Southsea. The castle was built by Henry VIII as an artillery fort in 1544. Though currently closed, it is still an impressive site for any onlooker.

to both mental and physical wellbeing by improving mood and reducing stress.

So, be sure to make time to check out the green spaces around Southsea.

9

Watch the sunset .The views of the setting sun from Old Portsmouth are spectacular. Form above the Hot Walls, you can view ships go in and out of the bay as the sun sets in the South West of the Solent. This is a must see spectacle l for anyone staying in the costal city.

8

Visit green spaces. Despite being a very densely populated city, Southsea is home to many green spaces and parks. There is lots of evidence to suggest that time in nature is beneficial A . Cono e L ake B. Southsea Common C .. Southsea Rose Garden D. Sothsea Cas tle E. Sunset in O ld Por t smouth

A

C

B

D

E

BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

6 black-owned beauty brands to support

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Pholk Beauty

Dehiya Beauty Named after a North African warrior, Dehiya Beauty is inspired by tales of this warrior’s universal beauty. The skincare brand wants to take us back to a simpler time when beauty was not so defined or complicated, using ethically sourced botanical ingredients from across the globe to mix traditional African and modern beauty practices.

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While the beauty world is difficult to navigate, this becomes even trickier when you are a woman of colour, as Pholk founder Niambi Cacchioli has found throughout life.

This is where Pholk comes in as an affordable vegan brand, welcoming women

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Beneath Your Mask

After Dana Jackson was diagnosed with a severe form of Lupus, the only products she could find to repair the damage done to her skin and hair were toxic, synthetic and irritating. Beneath Your Mask was born, producing 100% natural body and hair products that aid in repairing harm from environmental exposures, health issues and stress.

5

Briogeo

The homemade hair care recipes of founder Nancy Twine’s grandmother are behind Briogeo’s success. The brand fills the gap in the beauty market for natural hair products that are effective and recognise that we are diverse in our hair care needs. Every product uses a blend of vitamins and antioxidants to help mend 24

PS MAGAZINE

20.10.17

4

Essentials

by Temi

Working within beauty retail and researching the ingredients used in our favourite skincare products made it clear to Témi Shobowale that not enough products focus on quality ingredients. She decided to change this with Essentials by Temi, which aims to teach us how to find balance through our skincare regimes.

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Lauren Napier Beauty

Makeup artist Lauren Napier started her brand after recognising the need for makeup remover that thoroughly cleanses skin but does not irritate or dehydrate it, like most products out there do. Her wipes are perfect for on the go and with a blend of natural ingredients they cater to all skin types.

5 Classic books to read during the pandemic

1

3

Fahrenheit

451

Written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953 Fahrenheit 451 tells of story of Guy Montag, who is a firefighter burning books, in a world where books are forbidden.

Ray Bradbury’s novel often compared to Orwell’s 1984 depicts a world which depends on the media and conformity.

To kill a MOCKINGBIRD

Harper Lee’s amazing novel To Kill a Mockingbird published in 1960 examines the human behaviour and the collective conscience of The Deep South during the beginning of the 20th century. In a humorous way the novel examines the delicate aspects of love, hatred, prejudice and innocence creating one of the best novels ever written.

2

The GREAT GATSBY

This amazing novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1926 pictures the decadence of the Jazz Age, and the experience of a man in a world where even those with the most indulgent lives struggles to earn love.

5

Frankenstein Mary Shelley’s 1818 book Frankenstein is a combination of a romance novel, gothic thriller and cautionary tale.

This great novel invites reader to ask themselves questions such as: How far the science can push the boundaries of nature?

What makes us human?

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4

Of MICE and MEN

Of Mice and Men published in 1937 and written by John Steinbeck tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, in California. The book traces the ups and downs of their friendship, teaching lessons about loyalty and understanding.

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QUARTERLY

MEDIUM RARE The music fan’s online go-to, Pitchfork.com launched a quarterly magazine—because there are some stories that just have to be told on paper BY

B RY N M O OT H

When was t he l as t t ime you hear d of a pr int publi c at i on t hat s pun out of a web f r anc hi s e?

Can’ t t hink of one? Neit her c an we . I f i t ’ s no t a l o ne , t he n T he Pi t c hf o r k Rev i ew i s i n r a r e company. In 2013, t he cr eat ive t eam behind Pit chf or k . com, o ne o f t he mo s t i nf l u e nt i a l d e s t i na t i o ns f o r mu s i c f a ns , d e c i d e d t o d o t he unt hi nk a b l e : l aunc h a p r i nt ma g a z i ne .

This af t er a 17-year his t or y as t he r es our ce f or independent mu s i c , a n o nl i ne c o mp e n d i um o f e x hau s t i v e new -mu s i c reviews , ar t is t prof iles and indus t r y news , Pitchf ork is a s ite t hat dr aws accolades (and a not able par ody on Por t landia) .

The landscape is littered with shuttered music mags, from historical brands like Creem, to the design-influential Ray Gun, to the modern-day Blender, Spin and Paste. Rolling Stone endured a well-earned black eye with faulty reporting in 2014. In an era when single downloads outsell full albums and fans’ point of purchase is iTunes or Amazon and not record stores, print magazines seem anachronistic.

In fact, the web is the ideal medium for so much music-related coverage: Tour schedules, album release updates, video of Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl tumbling off stage during a show.

Pitchfork .com built its reputation on deepdive album reviews, and in 17 years the site became a veritable encyclopedia of music’s recent history—comprehensive, searchable, referenceable.

But, as the editor ’s note in the inaugural issue

of The Pitchfork Review obser ves , so much of our enjoyment of music happens live and in person. The magazine’s goal? To make reading about music as experiential as going to a concert. “ We love the speed and community of the internet ,” the staf f writes , “ but there’s so much noise (and far too few filters) that impor tant stories can get lost. “ We wanted an oppor tunit y to give some pieces a second life, one that won’ t be lost to Google searches and Twit ter archives .”

If Pitchfork .com is about music, then The Pitchfork Review is about music culture. (Both were acquired by Condé Nast in October of 2015.) “ People still want good music publications, and there aren’ t very many of them anymore,” says Creative Director Michael Renaud.

We’ ve got ten a good response [to The Pitchfork Review] because it ’s not tied to news and reviews—things you get immediately online. It ’s for the love of music and celebrating ever y thing about it, so when people spend time with it for the first time, I think they ’re of ten pleasantly surprised.”

Root ed in Pr int Art Director Molly But terfoss says the small design team all hail from print backgrounds , so launching an ink-on-paper magazine was a welcome return to their roots. Indeed, the website’s feature stories have a decidedly editorial look and format, with big headlines, wide-screen photography and design elements (pull quotes, bylines) that reference magazine ZOOM magazine | 14

“We weren’t going to just do a few issues and cross our fingers that it worked. We want to make something that is going to stick around and get better, rather than becoming more and more reductive just to save itself.” pages.

The Pitchfork Review feels almost gallery-like, a collection of feature stories that are individual works of visual and verbal art. It ’s a counterpoint to Pitchfork.com, where articles and shor ter form content are contained within the navigational structure and hierarchy of the site as a whole. On the website, we usually tr y to make the experience of each stor y feel like you’re still on the website,” says But terfoss who, like the other designers, works on both plat forms. “ In print, each article can function as a stand-alone. We want our print readers to get really immersed in a stor y, and to get a sense that it ’s a discrete thing.”

A simple two-column grid ties each page of The Pitchfork Review together, but beyond that it ’s a visual free-for-all. Vintage concert photos pair with Hattie Stewart ’s cartoon spot illustrations in a profile of punkglam diva, Grace Jones. Hand-drawn headlines and pen-and-ink portraits mix it up alongside comic-book panels and old album art.

Color and materials play a major role in The Pitchfork Review’s aesthetic. Butterfoss says they browsed countless magazines and explored hundreds of paper choices before launch, aiming to find a stock that physically complemented the quar terly ’s editorial goals .

A plush sof t-mat te cover adds a tactile quality, while a changing mix of gloss and uncoated stock makes each issue feel like a keepsake; Mohawk ’s Superfine tex t in a toothy eggshell finish plays a starring role. The designers drop in tinted backdrops and colored borders to distinguish one story from another. Paper was a huge part of the conversation from the start,” But ter foss says . “ We wanted it to feel really nice and special, to feel like an experience.”

Telling Signif icant Stor ies The print format allows the creative staf f to present content in a way that feels both novel and familiar. Af ter all, you can scan your Facebook feed to find friends’ concer t photos, but to see rock photographer Nabil Elderkin’s frenetic images from the Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris , printed full-bleed, is to find yourself thoroughly immersed in the haz y, roaring, spotlit scene.

The more leisurely lead time of a quarterly publication— ZOOM magazine | 15

vs. the get-it-written-get-it-posted nature of the web— allows contributing photographers and writers to dig deeper into a subject and explore historical material that would feel out of contex t and out of date online.

But ter foss points to an ar ticle on Swedish recording ar tist Robyn in the magazine’s summer 2015 issue: it focuses not on her latest album, but on the daylong tech workshop she hosted for teen girls. The print format allowed the team to step away from covering Robyn’s music and instead spotlight her passion project. “ On the website,” But ter foss says, “ we have to think about, ‘ what did we run last week , why is this relevant now, when is the album coming out, how timely is it?’ In print, the articles explore different aspects of music culture.”

Renaud says that when the creative team envisioned a print publication and built a business case to support it, they aimed for a k ind of stor y telling that complements what they can do online. It ’s not just about presenting content that ’s longer or less time-constricted. It ’s about presenting content that ’s enduring, that warrants the intimate page-turning experience of print.

[These are] stories that carry heavier weight and topics that would almost feel irreverent sit ting amongst the clut ter of the web,” Renaud says. “ Stories presented as photo galleries and comics; stories that existed online first but can benefit from annotations, sidebars, and additional ephemera more suited for print; stories we only want shared in the form of one friend handing it to another; stories that are timeless; stories that demand your undivided attention; stories that are NSFW; stories that are short and sweet but wouldn’ t wear clickbait well.”

These are stories that you’ll want to pick up and read again five years from now, af ter the internet eats itself.”

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ONE MAN...

MANY LIVES Indian cinema has been churning out national personal biopics, but has anyone witnessed a biopic on Bollywood’s mega star Sanjay Dutt?

BY SamxSal

What can I s ay ot her t han, BI NDA AS per f or mance! Fr om s ex , dr ugs and t er r or is m, ‘ Sanju’ is t he epit ome of dr ama. Rajk umar Hir ani has dir ec t ed t he biopic of Bolly wood ac t or, Sanjay Dut t , t o per f ec t ion. Alt hough s ome cr ucial s egment s of Sanjay ’ s his t or y ar e mis s ing f r om t he f ilm, s uch as his pr evious mar r iages and his f ir s t daught er Tr is ha. Hir ani has pulled out all t he s t ops t o cr eat e t he wor ld and vis ion int o Sanjay ’ s lif e. He has clos e t ies wit h Sanjay Dut t as t he ac t or s t ar r ed in his f r anchis e f ilm Munna Bhai . The f ilm t ak es it s viewer s on a jour ney and t he dir ec t or depic t s each cr ucial moment int o an emot ional r oller coas t er f ull of humour, lif e’ s ups and downs and power f ul r elat ions hips . Let me t ell you I cr ied lik e a baby, I even got of f er ed t is s ues f or my f lowing s t r eam of t ear s .

One man, many lives is the best way to describe Sanjay’s life, as he takes us through his first shoot for his debut film Rocky in 1981. To his disgusting

drug addiction and heart-breaking death of his beloved mother and Bollywood’s golden queen, Nargis (played tremendously by Manisha Koirala). And battling the court with his trials and tribulations in the Arms Acts case and the 1993 Mumbai Blasts. All of this with the mixture of strong friendships and a touching father-son bond.

Ranbir Kapoor has out done himself by taking on board such a diff icult role. But he manages to morph into Sanjay Dutt ’s character, that the audience don’ t even question if its Ranbir. This film is not about the luxurious life of a superstar but a young fragile son and his loving father, Sunil Dutt (played meticulously by Paresh Rawal, who had me in tears). He helps build his son into an independent young man who carves his own path in life.

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GIRLS ON FILM Are you stuck in a cinematic rut?

Take a dive deep into the unique and captivating world of Sofia Coppola and watch as she pioneers the pathway for female filmmaking.

BY

CIAR A SUM N ER

Sof ia Coppola came int o t his wor ld wit h cinema cour s ing t hr ough her veins . The daught er of t wo f amous f ilmmak er s Eleanor and Fr ancis For d Coppola, Sof ia was s eemingly bapt is ed int o t he wor ld of f ilm (bot h met aphor ically and phys ically) when s he debut ed in her f at her ’ s s mas h hit The Godf at her (1 972) .

After a brief spell of acting, Coppola quickly discovered that her talent for film belonged behind the camera and not in front of it. This move gave way to a two decade long (and counting) directorial career, blessing us with moving stories such as the likes of The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Lost in Translation (2003).

So, why is Sofia Coppola important? I know what you’re thinking – there are thousands of directors out there, what makes Sofia Coppola so special? Well, I think it ’s first important to note that Coppola doesn’ t make films, she tells stories. “ I don’ t want my movies to feel like movies, I want them to feel like life.”

Coppola draws on real-life inspirations for much of her work . From the obvious influence of historical figures in her beautiful retelling of Marie Antoinette (2006) to the far less obvious influence of her relationship with her father as explored in Somewhere (2010). It seems that every shot in a Coppola film is drenched in personal detail.

Despite being born into cinematic royalty, Sofia Coppola didn’ t follow the trend, instead, she chose to carve her own unique pathway.

The distinct opposite of her fathers ‘epics’, Sofia chose to focus her films on humble, fleeting moments of life. Her films showcase lifelike characters, caught in transitional periods of their lives and her focus on femininity is a trademark of her work . It ’s this unique ability of Sofia Coppola, to capture authentic glimmers of everyday life and turn them into intimate, moving dreamscapes that I believe she is one of the most important filmmakers of our generation.

As an auteur with her own established sense of style, you can normally tell pret ty quickly when you are watching a Sofia Coppola film.

Her filmography reads like a book as each film is stamped with her own unique trademarks, which include but are not limited to…

Many of Coppola’s films focus on the same thing, a young female protagonist, caught in a transitional period of life. Coppola herself noted that the women in her films represent “ parts of me at dif ferent stages of my life”.

The Virgin Suicides (1999) interestingly explores the lives (and deaths) of the Lisbon sisters, from the perspective of a group of young boys. At key turning points in their lives, the sisters remain mysterious and misunderstood to the boys, existing only by stolen glances and keepsakes. However, Coppola gives us as an audience a unique insight into the painful lives of the girls as they struggle to be understood by the world around them.

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19

ISSUE 01:

T h e D i s c u s s i o n i s t magazine

4

shows you really should watch if you haven’t yet A

1

BY

J O N H O O PER

Wandavision - The debutant of Marvel’s highly anticipated Phase 4 of its interconnecting and highly grossing

franchise. The series focuses on Wanda Maximoff following the events of Avengers Endgame and her seemingly new life with Vision. But all is not what it seems in Westview, as certain things start to become apparent that Wanda may not be in a sane state of mind and foul play may be taking large. The series is streaming on Disney Plus, with six of the nine episodes ready to watch now.

2

Cobra Kai - Season 3 of the long-awaited martial arts series, following directly on

C

from the events of the cult-classic Karate

Kid franchise from the 80’s released last month.

Season 2 left us on a cliff-hanger surrounding Miguel and the narrative only gains traction and viewability to further you delve into it. Featuring a whole host of returning characters from the original films, but with the addition of the current cast, it makes from an enthralling watch.

The series is streaming on Netflix, with all three seasons waiting to be consumed.

3

14 seasons worth of content to consume. The

4

narrative focuses on five complex individuals –

ways to live your life. The series delves into

known as the “The Gang” - who run the fictional

three fundamentals aspects of modern-day

bar “Paddy’s Pub” in Philadelphia. Each character

life: food, water and energy. With each episode,

has their own views on society, and all have their

you learn about a different culture and way of

own unique characteristics and overall story-

living, which to many, is a new phenomenon

telling arcs. Last year, it became the longest-

and the viewability is worthwhile from the

running live-action-comedy series in American

offset. A well-shot, educational and perhaps

television history, with it set to span 18 seasons,

vital documentary series on our ever-changing

after a renewal deal with FX was announced in

world around us. The series can be streamed on

December 2020 and can be streamed on Netflix.

Netflix, with all 8 episodes ready to be binged.

B

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The sitcom that discusses real world topics in a methodical and satirical sense, boasts

Down to Earth with Zac Efron - Zac Efron travels around the globe with wellness expert Darin Olien in a show

that bids to explore healthy and sustainable

D

A . Wandavision B. Cobra K ai C . It ’s Always Sunny in Phildelphia D. D own to Earh with Z ac Ef ron

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TOP BOYS ARE BACK Haven’t watched the latest season of Top Boy yet? Take a look into some of the most violent, exciting and tearjerking moments .

BY J UST I N SI MON

It was 2014 when Channel 4 announced it had decided t o cancel Top Boy af t er jus t t wo s eas ons . However, 5 year s lat er, wit h help f r om Canadian Rapper Dr ak e, s eas on 3 is now available t o s t r eam exclus ively on Net f lix .

The new season boasts 10 episodes, 4 more than the previously offered and viewers will not be disappointed. For those who have followed the series from the beginning need fear not as director Yann Demange, along with the producers and actors have all done a wonderful job in representing the very real and harsh aspects of British society as they did so perfectly in series 1 and 2, whilst also introducing new and explosive characters such as Modie played by British Rapper, Dave.

For newer viewers however, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this is just another programme about drugs, gangs and violence.

Truthfully whilst season 3 incorporates all of these things, Top Boy is so much more and at many times the drug pushing narrative whilst always present, takes a back seat whilst other social issues, such as racism, immigration and single parenting become the main focus.

The main praise for the new season is how Top Boy manages to accurately represent the criminal underworld whilst being careful not to glamorise it. The action scenes are hair-raising with all the guns, knives and even acid attacks, but the show really shines as the new season unfolds and the viewers have to uncomfortably

come to terms with just how awful life outside the safety of our homes can be. Top Boy is both wonderful yet heartbreaking, and the most intense scenes perfectly depict the struggles that many normal people of all ages face, issues that the viewers too may be familiar with. The season ends with many twists that some keener viewers may have expected, that would lead perfectly into a new season.

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DAREDEVIL DISCUSSION The Netflix-Marvel colloborative show that is argubaly the MCU’s greatest overlooked production—spoiler-free review of cult-classic superhero BY

JON HOOPER

Avenger s Endgame was t he highes t-gros s ing f ilm in t he Mar vel Cinemat ic Univer s e, yet t he over r iding s ucces s has only increas ed t he demand f or more cont ent . There is cur rent ly no Mar vel f ilm due to be releas ed unt il May 2021 – wit h Black Widow – due to ongoing pandemic . I decided it was t ime to watch one of t he eight s t andalone live -ac t ion t elevis ion/ Net f lix s hows .

Daredevil focuses on a blind attorney turned crimefighter, who rids to cleanse the city of Hell’s Kitchen from crime syndicates which lie within.

The vigilantes alter ego, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) works alongside childhood friend Foggy Nelson (Eldon Henson) for their co-shared firm – “ Nelson and Murdock ”. The series showcases what day-to-day life is like for Murdock and delves deep into the crimefighter’s roots and the narrative only gains strength and viewability the further into the three seasons you get.

No superhero themed production wouldn’ t be complete without at least one foe for the protagonist to encounter. Wilson Fisk or Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrid), the main antagonist, is a businessman by trade, but inevitably Fisk is much more than that. Within the Marvel comics themselves, Kingpin is a notorious crime boss, who seeks to be the overruling lynchpin of the criminal world within New York City. To the

production teams’ credit, they have managed to adapt the hard-hitting mob boss to the big screen with relative ease and have resembled his likenesses perfectly.

Overall, Daredevil is a captivating watch, with plenty of drama, action and mysteries for the viewer to enjoy – and is an outstanding addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless if you’re a comic fan or not, Daredevil is certainly worth the watch, with three seasons of entertainment ready to binge.

Although the Netflix-Marvel collaborative deal has expired, all eight shows are still presently available on the streaming site. The rights have reverted back to Marvel and this means the characters can all feature in any future projects, with Daredevil potentially sharing the screen in the future with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Ryan Reynolds Deadpool or anyone else in the starstudded franchise. Rumours are rife with potential avenues for Charlie Cox’s character to feature in Phase 4 and beyond, although there has been no off icial word from Marvel themselves to these rumours.

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COVID STOLE MY STYLE Pyjama bottoms, chunky jumpers and fluffy M&S slippers.

Am I spending my 20s dressed like I live in a retirement home?

BY

LI LY M AE PACE Y

Ever s inc e I was a young gir l , I woul d wat c h three pairs of pyjama bottoms and numerous my Dad s hower my Mum w i t h gor ge ous gi f t s jumpers. It feels like groundhog day, only I am at Chr i s t mas t ime . B ox e s upon box e s of her stuck in the M&S pyjama section ... S.O.S! f avour i t e per f ume, s par k ling j ewe ll er y, b e l t s , It seems I’m not the only one succumbing to bags and s o muc h mor e . ’indoor glamour’, as M&S sold 20% more women’s Now, I do not know whether this is a blessing pyjamas during the 13 weeks to 26 December. or a curse, but this taste for ‘nice things’ sure did Talk about a Christmas miracle! rub off on me.

I am one of the many University students locked However, since starting university in 2018 I down in their family homes, with the majority of found that quantity override quality. my belongings trapped in my empty University Asos became my bible, my holy grail, my room. sanctuary and as much as I do not want to It seems slightly crazy, but I of ten find myself mention the word *cough* addiction but if I must piecing together items from my clothes rail, ... ‘hello everybody, my name is Lily Mae Pacey dreaming of the day I can wear these outfits once and I am a shopaholic’. again.

Whether it was somebody’s birthday or a And I continue to question, is this some form of Friday night out, an Asos parcel would arrive at an identity crisis? my University front door at least twice a week .

I dream of the day where I can piece an outfit My habit got so bad that it is now a running joke together, slap a red lip on, and curl my hair as if between my housemate and I. it was the 80s whilst the voices of Chaka Khan, And then along came Covid-19.

Whitney and Luther Vandross fill the air.

Raise your hand if you have dedicated a pair of I long for the compliments, ‘gosh, love your top pyjamas to be ‘work appropriate’? babe!’ and ‘ I need those shoes, where are they I found myself penniless and struggling to find from?’ an excuse to buy that skimpy yet fabulous cocktail “ Perhaps it is vanity thing, my inner self longing dress. to be gushed over and to blush in return.

Living room bar crawl, anyone? Somebody?

For now I have swapped my Rara skirts and red Please ... lip for loungewear.

The UK is now faced with its third National Coronavirus, you have sucked the fashion soul Lockdown and my fashion mojo has quite frankly out of me. I beg of you, please give it back! disappeared.

Day in, day out, I wake up and rotate the same ZOOM magazine | 44

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ORGANIC ROMANCE With the restrictions in place, the days of bumping into an interesting acquaintance seem almost impossible.

Yet, the pursuit of love continues. Is it time to fully digitalise dating?

BY

ELLI E D O U B LE

T he c or onav ir us pandemi c has r eape d havoc w i t h our heal t h and e c onomy over t he l as t year, s o i t s houl d c ome as no s ur pr i s e t hat our l ove li ve s ar e t ak ing a bl ow t oo.

Wi t h ever y ex t r a we ek of wor k ing f r om home f oll owe d by ye t anot her dull we ek end on t he s of a , r omanc e i s s l ow l y and unavoi dabl y d y ing r i ght b eneat h our nos e s . Or at l eas t t he or gani c k ind i s .

Gone are the days of an of fice crush or a bar- side flirt.

With almost half of Brits now working from home and with bars and restaurants across the country closed, the opportunity for this organic magic to flow has completely ceased. Or has it?

Could there be a solution to lockdown love? The answer is yes: TINDER. While many fantasize about finding ‘ the one’ by locking eyes with a good-looking stranger across a room, I say this is outdated.

There was a reason the only way our parents met suiters would be at the town hall on a Saturday night, it ’s because the dating apps did not exist.

There seems to be some sort of shame surrounding apps such as Tinder, with many deeming them to be very superficial.

However, we are already a nation of scrollers, it’s about time we lose the stigma surrounding these apps. Given that we have digitalised almost every other aspect of our life it makes sense to utilise digital tools for the power of love.

Many Brits are indeed now taking advantage of the online platforms available and the popularity

of dating sites has exploded in the last year.

Charlotte Given, a 21-year-old student at Edinburgh University, used to be very sceptical about online dating sites. However, she is beginning to recognise their merits.

She said: ‘ ’ I’ ve never been one to want to use a dating app, I’ ve always wanted to meet someone organically, but it ’s going to be a lot harder to do that now.

Most of my friends are single and to be honest the only time we’ ve said we’ ve ever considered trying an app is when we’ ve been really bored in lockdown.

But I think it is going to change how people interact with each other in a romantic sense. I think people have a natural aversion to strangers now.

Even when social distancing goes away, I think people will be cautious about get ting close to strangers.

I was supposed to be on my university year abroad in Europe this year and I wanted to find my French husband.

Tinder might be good, but I’m not sure it will find me Monsieur Right.’ ’ So, if it ’s a little human interaction you desire, perhaps the apps will hit the spot.

Yes, you may encounter a few pandemic players along the way, but if you have the patience to sif t through what ’s on of fer online, maybe, just maybe, when lockdown lif ts there will be love.

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SUSTAINABLE FASHTIVISM Generation Z are saying bye to fast fashion and hello to clothes that benefit the planet. Are their efforts forcing brands to catch on?

BY

R EB ECC A H I TCH O N

Gener at ion Z, t he yout h of today, are offer. Generation Z are not just making a stand in t ak ing a s t and. They are us ing t heir s t rong terms of where their clothes come from; they are belief s , s hared and amplif ied t hrough online making a stand in terms of what they represent. communit ies , to s ave t he planet .

As the most diverse generation in history, Gen Fast fashion is losing relevance, with nine in Z consumers do not want to look like the clones ten Generation Z consumers believing companies that fast fashion makes them into. 75% of them have a responsibility to address environmental are even ‘swishing’ or swapping clothes with and social issues. Loyalty to a brand’s image those they know, instead of buying new pieces. is diminishing. This generation looks out for In the eyes of generation Z, fast fashion is authenticity and is not afraid to turn its back on a unfashionable. brand if they are not transparent in what they do.

Brands have had no choice but to take notice.

Aware of the huge proportion of their consumer Schemes have been rolled out by big retailers base that could be lost, retailers are attempting like H&M. Products in its Conscious line contain to become ‘woke’ by aligning themselves with at least 50% sustainable materials and its environmental activism, but is it enough?

Garment Collecting Programme has been hugely The real struggle for brands is the increasingly successful. In 2019 the company collected competitive environment created by Gen Z’s 29,000 tonnes of used clothing from customers, thrif ty shopping habits. With a less lavish take on for recycling and reuse. Although halted by spending, young people are either opting for more the pandemic, this creation of brand trust and expensive clothes that are of a better quality, or incentive to return is a successful way for fast cheaper clothes that fit their environmentally fashion retailers to appeal to the environmentally conscious attitudes, such as second-hand and aware Gen Z consumer. rented clothing.

There is even more impetus for brands to In fact, research shows Generation Z to be most change because of Covid-19. The disruption of likely to use rental services. 54% of British Gen the pandemic has caused luxury labels like Gucci, Z consumers have rented clothes or would be “Michael Kors and Saint Laurent to go seasonless, interested in doing so, compared to an average abandoning the constant, unsustainable of 33% of the population. Traditional practices manufacturing of collections. of fast fashion outlets cannot compete with the Generation Z’s anti-fast fashion mindsets are environmental benefits of thrif t stores, fashion forcing the fast fashion industry to adjust to a new rental and more recently, apps like Depop. consumer climate – one in which clothes mean It is also impossible to compete with the much more than a cheaply produced garment individuality that these stores and platforms made to be worn once.

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SITTING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC With all chaos in the world.

Lock-down has created an impact on the self.

More than you can know BY

BRYNA MOOTH

The pandemic hit hard. I remember the first announcement of the first official lockdown. I thought to myself, what should I do? It took a while to adjust to the restriction, with nowhere to go and no one to meet, the highlight of some of my weeks, would be the spontaneous trips to Tesco.

For some this would be an opportunity to become closer with family create memories at home. This was not so much the case for me. For the first 7 months of lockdown, it was just me and my dad, as my mum and grandma became trapped with heat of India as lockdown commenced.

While being stuck at home to myself and my thoughts, it motivated me to pursue fitness, in hopes to come out of lockdown to look and feel like a better version of myself. As motivated as I was, it was hard to commit to. With all that free time in hand and nothing to, it resulted in almost a constant desire for food due to boredom. This was probably the hardest challenge to overcome, fixating my diet trying to limit to a certain amount of food per day. Of course, this wasn’t consistent I had my days where I would give in to the comfort of comfort food leading to multiple food deliveries.

It took time to adjust to eating healthier and exercising with it.

The fitness aspect did not come easy. In an ideal reality, I would be hitting the gym to best of my physical ability. With all gyms closed, I had to think creatively in order create the same muscle stimuli at home. However, with companies taking

the advantage of this, gym equipment became high in demand and higher in price, making it even harder to find ways to boost my strength at home. I remember while exercising I would fill up weekend away bags with anything heavy that I could find and fill it up, as a variation of weight training. In the first lockdown I managed to lose almost 10kg. It was a fulfilling achievement, to do something with myself in a time where not much could be done.

As much communication we have with each other in this modern era of technology, it still doesn’ t feel the same as living in the moment with the people we love. Lockdown, I feel had made more time to spend with myself, creating somewhat of a long period of time to pamper and find out more about myself. I remember throughout lockdown, I dove into the deep roots of nostalgia, watching almost all my favourite shows and movies growing up, reliving my childhood memories. There were also days where I would spontaneously get ready and do my make-up just to take pictures while be stuck in the house, following on the new social norms of posting ‘cute cosy’ pictures while lounging around at home.

I also felt that lockdown as a whole brought more attention for time to think and dwell on insecurities. As lockdown became longer, it allowed more time for me personally to start picking on my insecurities as I spent more of my time scrolling through social media. As I started to gain back the weight I lost, the insecurities

“Hopefully, one day when I look back to the lockdown experience, it will be something that I’m proud to have overcome.” would build, hence loosing myself in endless posts on social platforms. Personally, I feel that lockdown in general created mental stresses for majority of people, creating emotional roller-coaster for everyone, as they have more time in hand to fall into the trap of forming insecurities due to what’s being shown on social media.

With that being said, all the lockdowns that have occurred and the one we are currently in, I believe it has brought something different to the table for everyone, whether it’s bad or good, its created new memories with families, an opportunity for self-discovery. It’s something that we are all fighting to push through, for a happy ending. Hopefully, one day when I look back to the lockdown experience, it will be something that I’m proud of to have overcome.

Social Distanced Exercise 4 benefits of running & putting on those trainers “Run, FORREST Run”

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ENDURANCE

For any beginner, the aspect of running may otherworldly, maybe daunting. It’s a challenge for even the most experienced, calling on endurance, motivation and correct technique.

Over the past month I have set myself the task of running nearly every day. My background in fitness is mixed, I had been dancing for fourteen years which demanded good cardio, core and quad strength. Starting University meant that accessibility to a gym which switched my fitness focus more toward weight training.

As an amateur in the world of running, I wanted to get it right, to strengthen my mentality and to push my aerobic fitness like never before. After becoming accustomed to squatting, dead lifting and bench press I wanted to switch-up my activity level and sweat some more!

1

2

AEROBIC

This will improve during every run, and it is something that can help you track the success of your running. Aerobic fitness also reflects in your recovery rate, the quicker that becomes, the fitter you are getting. When I run my main obstacle is my aerobic fitness, when you notice your breath falling out of a regular pattern remember to bring it back to a slow, long movement. If you have a fitness or running tracker, this can also chart your aerobic improvement, and while this improves you will find that you can run further or faster following every following run...

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STAMINA

Do not be afraid to take a path that has both inclines and declines. Challenge yourself! Run the same route a minimum of four times and track your speed, this will be the best way to visualise your fitness development.

Having stamina will enable you to run further, climb higher and feel extremely accomplished! This is one of the main aspects that needs to be brought into your running which will enable you to spur forward and to lengthen those strides.

“If it doesn’t

challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Endurance is all about your mental game, and is one of the main factors in determining how long you can maintain running. In minimising the amount of times you stop running to recover you not only improve your running time but improve on physical strength too. A way to tack this is to use any declines or even flats as a time to recover, shortening your stride and lengthening your breath. This will not only quicken your running time but it will also become a technique in developing your fitness..

4

MIDSET

Seeing progress takes time, and it isn’t always consistent. Within a week I shortened my running time by six minutes, but that isn’t a figure that can be maintained. Across a 30-day period take photos, keep track of your time and feel the benefit of the aching muscles the following day! Progress is an individual thing, if you plato, focus on either time or distance, not both! Having a rest day is a good thing, it means that you will be fully energised for the next run.

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AN ESSENTIAL STUDENT DURING A PANDEMIC A student’s perspective on studying at university while possessing an ‘essential’ role during the pandemic BY

R H YS HAR D I N G

As a s t udent and par t-t ime wor k er dur ing t he COVI D-1 9 pandemic, I am ex haus t ed . My 2020 began as ot her people’ s ended, wit h t he t hr eat of r edundancy. Bef or e t he cor onavir us was able t o wr eak havoc acr os s t he U. K . , my par t-t ime s uper mar k et job was put int o jeopar dy as t he s t or e was s et t o clos e due t o lack of pr of it s .

Then t he f ir s t lock down s t r uck , which init ially t hr ew me and my colleagues a lif eline.

As the supermarket was considered essential service, head office decided to move the closing day from June to September. For a few months, our jobs had been saved whilst the country collapsed around us. I was fortunate enough to transfer stores, working nightshifts at the secondmost local branch to where I live.

As lockdown restrictions eased, I was able to enjoy the last half of the summer: spending time with friends, visiting London and enjoying the nice weather. However, all was to change during the Winter of 2020. After a second national lockdown in November, a new variant of COVID-19 had emerged in South East England.

Days before Christmas, a one-day festive family gathering turned into the all too familiar ‘stay at home’ order.

At this point I began to feel what every other student was talking about. I was working anywhere between 25-50 hours of nightshift per week and university work began to pile up as I moped around at home during these dismal months. My feelings towards this current period of my life have been the same since Christmas

now. I’m stuck between phases of wanting to care about university but having absolutely no motivation to do so. I can currently work eight hours a night on premium rate at a supermarket, with my colleagues, who I consider to be my friends all whilst, of course, leaving the house.

What is the incentive to continue with university? I am still paying an extortionate £9, 250 per year, to sit at home watching prerecorded lecture slides, then ‘participating’ in an online call for an hour.

How am I supposed to motivate myself to do this work? Usually I’d promise myself a trip to the pub, or to play football, but ONLY if I had completed a certain amount of work. Now I can’ t.

I’m not getting paid to complete it. I can’ t even promise myself graduation because even that still hangs in the air as more virus varients disrupt the vaccine’s rollout.

I’m behind on everything. Whilst I lay on my bed, pondering the summer and the hope that I will have finished university, I genuinely can’ t promise myself that it will be a good ending to my student life.

I’m not a quitter. I might moan, but I won’ t give up on something just because it ’s too tough or there’s an obstacle in my way. However, this is a really testing time. I am worried that not even the thought of being £30,000+ in debt is going to spur me on to complete the work on time.

This world is so unpredicatble, who knows what the future holds.

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LOCKDOWN LONDON Lockdown has failed to stop COVID in London. Changes need to be made to protect the people. How many cases are in the capital now?

By JAKE BRIDGES BURNS

Lock down has over all pr oven t o be an ef f ec t ive def ence agains t t he cor onavir us in England, wit h t he Of f ice f or Nat ional St at is t ics pr oviding inf or mat ion t hat s hows a decr eas e in people t es t ing pos it ive dur ing r ecent week s .

This information applies to England; however, certain areas are not following this trend. The percentage of people testing positive in London has started to increase, following a drop at the end of November.

With shocking data showing nearly 32,000 cases recorded within one week , London has taken a turn for the worse.

It is estimated that the real figure is much higher than 32,000, with one in three people assumed to have the disease asymptomatically.

New data from Public Health England shows that the infection rate in the capital stands at 298. 8 per 100,000 — the highest in the country.

Professor Kevin Fenton, the London Director

for Public Health England, said: “ This is now a pivotal moment for London and the wider south east region. We know that a rapid escalation in cases will lead to a greater number of hospitalisations and, inevitably, deaths.”

Matt Hancock has announced that London will now enter Tier 3, in an attempt to slow down the fast rise in cases.

This means that despite already not being allowed to meet with other households indoors, residents can no longer meet in private gardens or at most outdoor venues.

However, rules have also been put into place to prevent a ruined festive season as “ Christmas Bubbles” have been introduced, allowing up to three households to celebrate together from December 23 to December 27.

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LOCKDOWN BLUES Being stuck inside is making me go crazy. Let me know if my experience is similiar to yours.

BY

T h e Emma Aluko

Lock down f uck ing s uck s .

A rant f rom a depres s ed s tudent S o . Wh a t h a s t h e p a n d e m i c s t o l e n f r o m m e?

L u c k i l y , I s t i l l h a v e my l i f e s o a t l e a s t I c a n b r a g a b o u t t h a t . Ho w e v e r, my f r i e n d s a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e o u t o f my r e a c h .

and have no motivation. I keep forget ting to leave my f lat . It ’s so cold. How can I force myself to leave my f lat if being outside, my f ingers f reeze of f and face crack le with dr ynes s? Beyond ravenous hunger, which can easily be f ixed with Uber Eats and Deliveroo, what incentive do I have for going out into the outside world?

Any way, f uck this pandemic .

Let ’s s tar t from the beginning. I was on a placement which was simultaneously taught me and made me regret life. I really enjoyed work ing but it also made me fear a real job.

At leas t I k now that I can’ t work somewhere I don’ t enjoy. So at leas t that is a cer taint y.

Af ter moving home, which was also a s truggle in and of itself, it made me appreciate my abilit y to live by myself. Don’ t get me wrong, I love my family. But moving home with jus t a suitcase and no idea what the future would hold, made met take the time to revaluate ever y thing.

My job was ruined, my friends scat tered all over England. I was s tuck sleeping on the floor for 3 months . I had one suitcase and my s tuf f was s till in my half empt y flat . I also los t almos t £ 2k because I ’d already paid of f my rent for the year. “ However, being lockdown with my family, I enjoyed and being able to spend more than a month with them at a time. They made me laugh, cr y and scream out of frus tration. My siblings also managed to leech of f the lit tle money I managed to save.

And now being back at uni. I ’m broke, tired

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SEA SICK Fed up of going to the beach every day in lockdown? The same grey horizon?

If you step off the beaten track there are some surprising works of art hidden about this island city BY

EM M A B E AT T Y

I mus t go down t o t he s eas again. Lik e a newlys pawned s almon, my br ain s eems har d-wir ed t o lead me t o t he s ea. May be it ’ s s ome ancient mus cle memor y, or jus t gr avit y, lik e a r iver, nat ur ally f lowing t o t he lowes t elevat ion, but my daily walk s always lead me t o t he s eaf r ont .

Go left or right on that promenade and fairly soon I come to a dead-end – either Eastney’s unlovely toilet block or the indomitable grey stone of Henry VIII’s Round Tower. Sometimes I feel like Patrick McGoohan in that 60s tv show – The Prisoner – where escape from the ‘village’ is impossible.

And I’m not alone, on a Sunday lunchtime, half the city seems compelled to trudge the promenade with its liver-coloured tarmac and S-shaped pattern of yellow slabs.

So, here’s my Culture Vulture suggestion for a slight detour for your daily exercise - explore the quieter hinterlands of Old Portsmouth, sniffing out its sculptures and works of art.

Art galleries are closed but you can still peer in their windows. Jack House Gallery on Portsmouth High Street had the very splendid Advent Calendar in its window over Christmas, revealing a new artwork each day. As we went to press, the gallery was showing new work in its window by wonderful local painter Charlotte Brisland.

Her enigmatic empty landscapes with raking diagonals remind me a bit of Edward Hopper but with modern acid yellows and pomegranate pinks.

En route, you can ponder the gold bust of the

ill-fated Charles I, high up on the north wall of the Square Tower. The 1635 lead gilt original was destroyed in the Civil War but a copy was replaced on the wall of the Square Tower in 1660. The one you see is a fibreglass copy of this second version; the original being in the City Museum. The inscription below it marks Charles’s travels in France and Spain.

To your lef t, is the 1951 statue of Nelson by Frederick Brook Hitch which used to stand further down in Pembroke Gardens so that he looked towards that part of Southsea Beach where it is believed that he embarked for HMS Victory in September 1805. The rather jaunty bronze figure was moved to this more prominent site in 2005.

Further down Broad Street is the slightly kitsch 2001 sculpture by Neil Hadlock showing a family group of “ pioneers” frozen in action, a lit tle boy playing with a giant spik y crab.

I’ ve always wondered what it ’s doing there as there’s only a tiny cryptic plaque, so I googled it. Apparently, it was given to the city by the Mormon “ Pioneer Heritage Foundation”, originally known as the Sea Trek Foundation, formed by a Salt Lake venture capitalist William Sadleir to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the migration of its members from Europe to the United States. No names have yet been inscribed on the Portsmouth memorial seemingly because funds dried up. Identical statues are in Liverpool and Hull This leads us directly to the windows of the ZOOM magazine | 24

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SKETCH A DAY The community app which keeps me from going insane during the lockdown BY

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Dani B asina

Pleas e t ell me t hat it ’ s over. Thos e wer e t he t hought s going t hr ough my mind dur ing what ever yone hoped t o be t he f ir s t lock down.

My mind had no purpose. Uni was over. No course works, no tasks, no point, no goal… Only jogging every once in a while.

Every morning with my family is a blessing but let’s be honest, we all want more freedom.

When unis were given a go again in late September it was better. ‘Eat out to help out’ was a night out goal. But then the expected happened and they introduced another lockdown.

This app has been keeping me busy since October last See, because I thought assessment were not enough to keep year. It excites me on uploading drawing every day and me busy, I introduced myself to an amazing app called ‘Sketch seeing what other people have created. a Day’.

It also has a section of learning, where you can access The app is entirely built on people’s art. It’s unspeakably short tutorials on how to draw with different techniques. colourful and inspiring. What it does is, it just keeps you busy This got me into acrylic and watercolour drawing. in the most artistic way.

During times like these I am happy to have a place where Creating a profile, you agree that the sketches are totally my mind goes every day and moreover, creating something personal not plagiarised paintings. What you find afterwards beautiful and artistic. is this amazing community of artists, supporting one another, Even though I have a lot of uni work to pau attention to, giving professional advice, commenting and expressing there are these 30 minutes a day I spend for sketching a critique. beautiful artwork . I have a lovely sketchbook where, for Every day there is a prompt of just one word, for example now, I have sketches from around the 12 December last year ‘moon’, ‘route’, ‘angel’ and ‘ try’. until today and haven’t missed a day. Some of the prompts Every time you upload a sketch it keeps you a day streak . have inspired me to even work on a canvas, so now I have I personally have 61 days streak so far with a total of 98 around six artworks on canvases half of which I have given sketches and 5K likes. It also rewards you unlocking classic as beautiful presents. piece of art on progress such as gathering 50 likes on one SketchaDay is an amazing app for everyone who wishes sketch. “ to work on their art skills. The community is very friendly and helpful. Everyone gives advice and helps with whatever they can.

I am very happy to be a part of this community and have a chance to talk to brilliant artists and have their opinion on my work so I can move forward to a more professional field.

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VACCINE HOPE 2020 has been a hard year for us all but the COVID-19 vaccine may be the positive start to 2021 everyone needs.

BY

EL SA WAT ER FI ELD

As we ent er t he mont h of December and positive results it has given her something to look appr oach t he f ir s t anniver s ar y of t he forward to in the new year. “Af ter hearing the cor onavir us pandemic, t he ar r ival of a Covid-1 9 news of the new vaccine, I felt a weight lif ted off vaccine wit h a s ucces s r at e of near ly 9 5% has my shoulders. It has given me hope for my final pr ovided a s par k of hope in an ot her wis e bleak year and I’m feeling optimistic that my studies year. Having been aut hor is ed by UK r egulat or s , may have an element of normality returned to t he Gover nment has pr e -or der ed enough dos es them,” she said. f or 18 million people and given t he UK public a Despite widespread enthusiasm for the r eas on t o look f or war d t o a mor e pos it ive 2021 newly developed vaccine, it has been met wit h t he pr os pec t of immunis at ion. apprehensively in some quarters. Fears have As the first country in the world to have been raised over the extraordinary speed with approved the vaccine, UK hospitals have started which the vaccine has been developed and administering doses, with 90-year-old Margaret tested by creators Pfizer and BioNTech. Yet much Keenan becoming the first person in the world to of this scepticism is fuelled by misinformation receive it. Health care workers, care home staff through social media allowing unsupported and residents and people aged 80 and above claims surrounding the vaccine’s safety and are expected to be among the first to receive the effectiveness to spread and drive anxiety online. vaccine.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth Whilst this is good news, the UK’s Chief Medical accused social media platforms of “exploiting Officers warn that the vaccine’s deployment will “people’s fears, their mistrust of institutions and have a “marginal impact” on reducing cases in governments and spreading poison and harm” the coming months as increased mixing around as Labour called the Government to introduce the Christmas period will put additional pressure emergency laws to “stamp out dangerous” antion hospitals. Ellie Armstrong, a university student vaccine fake news from spreading. who has previously suffered with the virus, said that even though the vaccine may be slow to offer ZOOM magazine | 42

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COMMON CONTAINMENT With the nation in a lockdown everyone is going stir crazy, but what about those whose lives haven’t changed?

BY

B e thany D ean

I s u f f e r w i t h c h r o n i c p a i n a n d l o c k d ow n i s my n o r ma l . I ’ m a 2 0 y e a r o l d u n i v e r s i t y s t u d e nt a n d I

So what does this have to do with lockdown being

a m i n p a i n 2 4 h o u r s a d ay 7 d ay s a w e e k , 36 5 d ay s

my normal? Well It means that even before COVID-19

a y e a r, i t d o e s n ’ t t a k e a h o l i d ay b u t o b v i o u s l y s o m e

times (if we can remember such a time) I couldn’ t leave

d ay s a r e b e t t e r t h a n o t h e r s . I g e t i t , I l o o k h e a l t hy !

the house much and I had to be ver y pick y about who

I ’ m m e d i c a l l y a h e a l t hy w e i g h t , I d o n ’ t u s e c r u t c h e s

I spent time with. Most of the time going out to do

o f t e n a n d I ’ m n o t i n a w h e e l c h a i r s o h ow c a n I b e i n

the week ly shop would wipe me out for the day and it

p a i n? We l l , I w a s b o r n w i t h i t a n d i t c a n ’ t b e c u r e d

would take me a day or 2 to recover from my weekend

s o t h i s i s t h e o n l y b o d y a n d l i f e t h a t I k n ow.

job. I ’d ver y rarely see my friends , I couldn’ t make it

The realit y of chronic pain is not how it ’s por trayed,

out to clubs and if I did I ’d be gone within the hour and

I don’ t lay in a per fectly made bed with my hair neatly

tucked up in bed watching a documentar y because the

tied up in a bun whilst being propped up on some

pain was too much to handle and there’s no way I ’m

pillows relaxing and watching T V while friends and

mixing my paink illers with alcohol. So lockdown really

family wait on my ever y need. I ’m in clothes that I

is my normal, yes I would occasionally make it to the

haven’ t changed in 4 days, in a messy, unkempt bed

pub or to a par t y but it really was a rarit y or I would

because the mere thought of cleaning on a bad day is

really regret it af ter wards .

too much to handle. my hair has not been washed or brushed in days and I ’m beginning to look a mess .

It seems pret t y boring to say that my life hasn’ t changed because of lockdown but overall it ’s the truth,

But ever y day is dif ferent, yesterday I was able

however I have tried to star t new hobbies and put my

to clean the house and even pull out the fridge and

health f irst but I seem to be lack ing a key ingredient…

freezer to clean behind them, I was on my feet all day

motivation. Like most people I seemed to thrive in the

and absolutely fine but an hour later I ’m curled up in a

f irst lockdown, it was sunny I could sit in the garden

ball with my back , hips and k nees on fire and feeling

and top up my vitamin c and I was really focusing on

practically unable to move. This could go on for days,

myself. The second lockdown didn’ t really af fect me

yes the pain will ease of f but it ’s still there and just

but did protect me from the aw fully cold and miserable

because one day I ’m able to walk 5 miles it does not

outdoors . However, this third lockdown has completely

mean that I will be able to do this the nex t day or even

wiped me of any k ind of motivation and energy leaving

a week later, ever y thing I plan has to planned around

me back to square one and my normal ever yday life.

how my body is that day. This can apply to sit ting,

So yes , lockdown really is my normal.

walk ing, think ing, concentrating, being sociable (because brain fog is an aw ful thing) and so on; it applies to ever y thing. That ’s what chronic pain does to you. It af fects ever y thing.

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OUR NEGLECTED NEIGHBOURS How has your social life changed during lockdown? Do you now have an at-home pub or have found yourself messaging mates you haven’t talked to in a decade...

BY

CL AUD IA W I N G R OV E

Al t hough we may b e s ocial di s t ancing , put t ing a paus e on gr abbing a pint , or i f you ’ r e f anc y, a G&T, dow n t he l oc al pub w i t h our mat e s , i t has n’ t t r ul y s t oppe d us f r om b eing s ocial but t er f li e s .

For some of you, you may be seeing less people on the regular, and for those of us who are more introverted, maybe nothing has really changed.

What I have noticed during my daily walks or runs (abiding to the ‘one trip a day out ’ rule), is that during these six weeks of isolation we have endured so far, dog walkers, single-walking wanderers or a family group that have been constantly waving and smiling at one another, with the minimum of the ‘ two metre distance’ rule applied of course.

A fairly noticeable trait Englishmen have while going on a walk , or more broadly speaking, when being out in public, is the slight panic at hearing a “ hello”, or the riskiness of making eye contact. We don’ t like to communicate . . . unless it is to automatically apologise for the smallest of things that may not even have any thing to do with us. We speak the “oh, sorry” language, and then swif tly carry on with our own business. For those that are using the ‘one trip outside a day’ rule, you may have come across individuals you have never seen before, even if they have been living three doors down from you for the past five years. Maybe you have begun to recognise them from your walks, like you do in a gym or supermarket, when your schedule ends up syncing with someone else’s and you just end up awk wardly indirectly knowing them.

The whole English culture has been flipped onto its head. We like the idea of being in a

community, regardless of not wanting to say “ hi” to someone unless we really have to . . . but in this instance, I’ ve yet to see two people walking the opposite way to one another not saying “ hi”. I’ ve been doing it myself, especially on my runs while avoiding people as if it was a live game of Crossy Road.

The irony stands that this sense of ‘community’ that we all like to be a part of so much is now working in the conventional way, we’re now talking to one another! I heard a small conversation happening outside my window, and as the nosey person I am, and with not a lot else going on, I peered out and saw a young mother talking to an elderly gentleman across the road, asking if he was well. In all my twenty years that type of interaction has rarely occurred. It happened about two weeks ago and has still stuck with me.

There’s also that sense of gratification when you say “ hi” or even smile, as before it was very much “ move out of the way” and “don’ t look at me, don’ t look!”. This is probably the case for many of us and the idea of optionally choosing to greet someone, even though we would still probably have chosen to avoid them and mind our own business, has been taken away from “us. The irony again, is that it feels nice to ask , “ how are you? ”. As we begin to spend more time communicating online, or maybe we are just more aware of how of ten we pick up our phones, we begin to value the small social interactions with our fellow neighbours, and when the pandemic ends, maybe this won’ t be such a bad change af ter all. . .

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A POST-COVID WORLD Is it time to ditch the commute in favour of working from home?

BY

ELE AN O R L AUN CH BURY

Although the Corona virus has had terrible consequences for our country, it has also forced us to evaluate how we function. Many people find themselves working at their kitchen tables instead of a shared desk in an of fice. We can sleep in later without having to worry about the commute or wondering about what we’re going to wear for the day. Neighbours have started speaking to each other when they used to pass like strangers in the street.

In May 2020, Forbes reported on a Californian based survey that showed a 47% productivity increase in people working from home. Perhaps it is down to the home comforts that you just can’ t replicate in an of fice environment. A pet snuggling up to your side when you’re filling out a spreadsheet is sure to be a boost to an otherwise boring morning. Being able to choose your favourite radio station to play in the background is another perk . Of course these could be considered distractions, but the workplace can never be distraction-free. How of ten do we pop to the water cooler for a chat with a colleague? Whilst we’re working on a task , management might happen to walk past and send us on an errand. At home, we can work through jobs at our own pace, as long as it ’s done by clocking-of f time.

It may have divided the nation, but working from home is beneficial and deserves further exploration. Not everyone feels like they get as much done when they’re not physically at work , but companies should at least give employees

the choice. Some people are visual learners whilst others are kinesthetic learners, preferring to do rather than see. Similarly, some people need a professional environment to flourish, whereas others like to work on their own.

Everyone is dif ferent in how they like to complete tasks and it has taken the virus to show that in practice.

Our daily lives have been consumed by technology and work for so long. Modern society has seen a dramatic change in recent decades and people have forgot ten what really mat ters.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating ef fect, but it has also opened our eyes. Sit ting down to read a book gives you a few moments of peace and fulfilment. Baking a cake can force you to slow down and breathe. Asking your friends and neighbours ‘are you okay? ’ could make all the dif ference to their day.

Life will pick up pace again soon enough.

It ’s just important that we remember what we have learnt through this pandemic. It ’s time to reconsider our priorities and appreciate the simpler things in life. Looking to the future, we should strive to connect with nature again, take time for ourselves and look out for one another. __

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GET TO KNOW ‘GIBBY’ Dedicated to the bass, an innovative DJ named Gibby is stirring up a thunderous storm of sweet-toned sounds and lighting up the DNB rave scene BY

AISHA W I LLIA MS

Af t er jus t t wo year s of mix ing, Jack Gibs on Bar t on is mak ing uns t oppable waves in t he DnB r ave ar ena and has been r ight f ully dubbed as a ‘ nat ur al ’ by f ellow DJs f r om t heir gr oup ‘ KGB ’ (Gibby, Kon Man, Godf r ey and Black har r y) . St ar t ing t his year by s t ir r ing up a s cene, Gibby had t he pleas ur e of headlining a Bas s .W8 event in Es s ex , he pr oclaimed “ I was headlining f or t he f ir s t t ime s o t hat was ins ane, ” magnif y ing “ This per f or mance was one of t he bet t er ones and has r eally boos t ed my conf idence which is pus hing me t o do mor e. ” The 20-year-old self-made artist devotes a vast amount of free time into mixing, so far ‘Gibby’ has performed at a selection of events and venues across the UK, namely The purple turtle (Reading), Gunfingers (Bournemouth) and Bass heavy (outskirts of Bristol). Jack also mentioned performing at ‘Drum In The Sun’ and added “ I take every event as a learning curve.”

A smouldering spark for DnB ignited after Jack dove head-on into his first rave, he divulged “ I had heard DnB before but I was there listening to it at a live event,” illustrating “ Being able to really feel the music and the strong bass from the speakers just made me think this is so sick, imagine actually DJing here!”

The gritty rave culture also played a role in this origin story of musical avidity, Jack confessed “ I love the vibe, the culture, the fashion and energy of the rave; everyone is so friendly.” Amplifying “ You get a few jammy and dodgy people but that happens with most music events and subcultures to be fair,” he continued “ Having respect

for the culture is essential and it’s a good idea to ask for help, you’ve got to be chatty and outgoing as with this music scene it’s more about who you know.”

Within a month of learning how to mix a range of sub-genres such as ‘roller/s’ and ‘jump-up,’ Jack started playing events and donned the DJ name ‘Gibby.’ Winning a Next hype Competition in 2019 was an impactful moment which gave Jack the opportunity to perform for a hosted event at Fire and LightBox alongside heavy names like Traumatik, Azza and Grima, DJ hype etc.

Surrendering to his elation, he illuminated “ It was the first time I had ever felt that feeling, it was kind of like goosebumps, I just thought wow this is sick .” Extenuating “ The time that I put into perfecting the mix is controlling the party and everyones going crazy” he underlined “ It’s just an extraordinary feeling.”

Moving forward, the innovative underdog has plans to experiment with genres such as UK Bass and Bassline, the results of which will be eagerly anticipated by his growing following of fans. For the foreseeable future Jack is focused on breaking into the festival arena, with ambitions to establish himself by entering a competition to land a spot at Nass Festival this year. Gibby voiced “ The more technically challenging sets are even more rewarding and the satisfaction of pulling off a clean mix is indescribable.” he closed by saying “ I love festival gigs as it’s more of an experience and it’s the best because of the beautiful weather, the sun shining down and being with all of my friends makes performing that much better.”

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LIGHTS UP REVIEW Styles show us a different and completely new side of him with new song BY

M I R IA M M EN D E S

Af t er a year s ince his las t per f or mance and t wo s ince r eleas ing his debut album, Har r y St y les made a come back wit h ‘ Light s Up’ , t he s uppos edly lead s ingle of his upcoming s econd album.

Styles debuted his solo career with an almost 6 minutes long rock ballad, ‘Sign of the Times’, who made it number one in multiple countries so it’s no surprise to everyone that his latest single followed the same course. Leaving behind the 70s rock inspired sound that his debut album brought us, ‘Lights Up’ has a more soulful sound to it, a bit of a psychedelic vibe in the pre-chorus but during the whole song it’s still very present the piano, guitar based and chorus sounds that we grew used to when listening to an Harry Styles record.

Although ‘Lights Up’ sounds like the type of song you listen to when you’re out at night with your friends having a good time, the song’s lyrics

hint a different meaning. Styles sings about finding his own identity and that he’s never going back to who he was. Lyrics like “ lights up and they know who you are/ do you know who you are?” could also hint to all the fame and him discovering himself.

Alongside the song, a music video was also released and in it Styles goes from being surrounded by half naked male and female models, to being on his own in a room looking lost and to riding the back of a motorcycle underneath the night sky. All these phases could possibly hint to the exploration of his own sexuality, the being afraid and lost phase and then finally realising who he is and feeling free.

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MELODIC MUSIC Want to listen to a song that could transport you into a deep state of relaxation?

Explore Tash Sultana’s latest soulful single ‘Greed’.

BY

K ALT R I NA K HAN

The lat es t gr oov y s ingle “ Gr eed ” r eleas ed by awar d winning Aus t r alian ar t is t Tas h Sult ana, is a pr ime ex ample of s oulf ul mus ic t hat car r ies a mes s age not only t hr ough it s ly r ics , but t hr ough t he s y nchr onis at ion of melodic s ounds t hat t r ans por t s t he lis t ener int o a deep s t at e of r elax at ion.

Introducing the track is a crisp and clean jazzy guitar, infused with a strong and punchy bass line. The drum centres on evenly timed rim shots.

The combination of the jazz rif fs with Sultana’s soft, indie vocals without a doubt glimmers with traces of Mac DeMarco’s unique style and energy.

The chorus carries an infectious energy as she delivers her story through light, soulful, instantly captivating vocals that truly express her vulnerability to the situation. The guitar rif f – a soothing, melodic stream of notes, glided over atmospheric pop beats, makes this song, at its core, deeply relatable.

This song speaks to the listener with the lyric “ They only give a shit when you make it big” which is the key hook of the track . It explores

the concept of “ how people change around you change when you achieve some sort of success”, which is meaningful to anyone who has experienced a person who previously wanted nothing to do with them, climbing back the second they spot a bit of success.

What I love about this song, is whilst the subject mat ter is pret ty dark , there’s this uplif ting essence to the production which creates this dynamic jux taposition demonstrating the joy of this success as well as the downside of it all.

The infusion of jazz, funk and indie genres in one track is like eating food which creates a sudden outburst of dif ferent flavours in your mouth. And that my friends, is what I call, highly addictive. So, listen to “ Greed” by Tash Sultana today, and follow her on social media to stay updated on all upcoming projects.

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FOOD FOR EARS New to the scene five-piece indie band Easy Life feed their audience with a genre breaking, easy listening feast on new mixtape Junk Food BY

L AU R EN ELO ISE

Leices t er band Eas y Lif e have been t r y ing t o br eak int o t he mus ic indus t r y s ince 2017 and, pr ops t o t hem, t hey ’ ve made it pr et t y f ar in t he t hr ee year s t hey ’ ve been t oget her. In July t hey managed t o debut as Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac ’ s ‘ Hot t es t Recor d ’ wit h t heir newes t s ingle, Ear t h, and bagged a place on Sunday at las t year ’ s Coachella.

Since then, the 5 -piece have dropped their newest EP, Junk Food. The mix tape seems to play around with the boundaries of genres, of fering a jazzy-alternative-RnB-modern pop vibe. Led by vocalist Murray Matravers, Easy Life’s somewhat somber lyrics over a groovy, upbeat tune appears to resemble the works of artists like Rex Orange County and Jamie T. Each of the seven tracks of fers a new listening experience. You have the hard-hitting Dead Celebrities, a record about the ups and downs of LA which the band experienced while in the city. It describes how ex tra the lifestyle can be“ Riding with models in the back of a cop car ”as well as the comedown from fame Matravers appears to be afraid of- “ One day I could be a distant memory”.

Or you could opt for the chilled vibes of Nice Guys,which you can’ t help but bop your head to. The bouncy accompaniment and wit ty lyrics, such as “ I bleed gold when I fall in love”, are what makes the song such an interesting listen.

It has all the aspects of a chart worthy hit.

And if you’re af ter easy listening, Sangria of fers a sultry duet with Arlo Parks where two try to make sense of their but terfly feelings. The song shows how easily love can become a weakness, and expresses a level of vulnerability to the listener. The contrast between Parks’ dreamy vocals and Matravers signature grit ty style is just the cherry on top.

It ’s definitely something that demonstrates the bands potential, and I’m excited for the breath of fresh air Easy Life could bring to the music industry.

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RAP GAME FOR FAME Looking for a new series during lockdown. If you’re into music why not watch the Rap Game UK on BBC? Find out what goes behind the process of becoming a rap sensation BY

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N icco l e W ils o n

Six hopefuls, three celebrity judges, and one record deal up for grabs — ‘ The Rap Game UK’ has recently come to an end in its second series.

Six unsigned artists go head to head each week to be in with a chance to win a record deal with Krept and Konan’s label ‘ Play Dirty’.

Hip hop duo, Krept and Konan, host and judge the contestants, along with BBC 1X TRA presenter DJ Target.

During the competition the contestants stay in a penthouse in Birmingham — g etting a taste of what could be if they secure a deal.

One of the most interesting weeks was when viewers were able to see how each contestant would create their own music video to the same beat.

Watch part of each contestants music video Contestant ‘ Dlive’ mixed his Barbadian roots into his rap, showing his versatility, while ‘Zones’ flowed perfectly on the track , whilst looking suave.

Being filmed during the coronavirus outbreak , it also demonstrated how productions would have to change during a pandemic.

Scottish-born ‘ Shogun’ broke lockdown rules during a home visit, so he missed part of the competition, making him the rebel of the group.

One of my favourite contestants ‘Zones’ was the complete opposite; an introvert she kept to herself. She was not a show off like many of the others, but in no way was she shy when it came to spitting quality bars.

Other than the pandemic there were barely any differences or surprise twists, which could have created a new element of creativity instead it was a repetitive show; the contestants did what they could to bring the show alive in the circumstances.

The only new appearances were a change of special guests.

Award winning guests consisted of individuals like ‘JME’ and ‘Aitch’, who gave feedback on the contestants, and advice sourced from their own experiences.

It was not all laughs however, as arguments broke out over the rankings they were given by the judges.

Artists also have to go head to head in rap clashes, where they get paired up to write offensive bars for the other.

Contestant ‘Graf t ’ described ‘ Lesia’ as football star ‘ Paul Pogba’ due to their similar hairstyles, and even went to the effort of

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A TRIP TO PVRIS The wait is over. PVRIS are back with their third studio album, ‘Use Me’.

Packed with passion, pain and pop...

You have never seen Lynn Gunn quite like this.

BY

H I N NA A A M AN I

‘ Wide awak e/ Jus t cut t he head of f a s nak e. ’ St ill s pec t r al yet s t ill s incer e. In les s t han a decade PVRI S have t ak en t he alt er nat ive r ock s cene by s t or m, t our ing wit h bands lik e Pier ce The Veil, Sleeping Wit h Sir ens and even ver y r ecent ly, pop s inger Hals ey.

PVRIS have always been open to genre exploration, playing with synth pop and new wave/post punk sounds throughout their career, though one underlying theme encapsulated within every album is their dark raw lyrics.

Frontwoman and creative behind the band, Lynn Gunn, has now taken the lead and accepted the spotlight which is evident in this particular body of work.

The album begins with something new and almost refreshing: it’s not really rock ... Track one: ‘Gimmie a Minute’ starts slow but forms itself into an upbeat electronic synth song with steady drums accompanied by mental health orientated lyrics. PVRIS utilize the classic marriage of happy sound but heavy lyrics which, in a way, reminds me of Van Halens classic synth rock track ‘Jump’.

‘Good To Be Alive’ whilst positively upbeat and featuring more heavy drums and strong guitar, focuses on Gunn’s very personal, self-inflicted fights. ‘Is this body even mine?/ Feels good to be alive but I hate my life’. The contradicting lyrics may be polarizing for some listeners One particular part that stood out was the nod to the last two albums in the form of references to human anatomy. ‘ Veins are lit and the blood’s on fire’. It’s undeniably PVRIS.

Whilst this album isn’ t as rock and roll as the previous two, it brings the same anger and tempo that previous songs like ‘ Fire’ and ‘ Let Them In’ have done which can be seen on ‘ Dead Weight ’. ‘ Look what you started/ You’re turning me heartless.’ This track emphasizes the importance in recognizing self-worth despite how it may come across. ‘ Dead weight hanging off of my shoulder/ Nothing changes, I’m getting colder.

These gritty lyrics fall on a heavy drum beat and set a new tone for Lynn Gunn. ‘ Loveless’ slows down the tempo of the album and injects it with sincerity, followed by an equally earnest ‘January rain’. Both the tracks are almost a continuation of the heartbreak showcased in earlier songs ‘ Holy’ and ‘ Eyelids’.However, and Use Me definitely ups the ante, exposing more of Gunn’s real emotions and anxieties. ‘ Use Me’ itself, as a track , is a glimpse into a new Lynn Gunn. One that isn’ t afraid to step into the limelight with full confidence.

The final track ‘ Wish You Well’ is a fusion of further raw emotion but is most definitely a closure song. ‘ I know one day you’ll learn to face the things /That turned your heart to stone’. The music mirrors the mood, a graceful dance track with a strong yet optimistic baseline. ‘ Use Me’ is very much a mix of the previous two albums ‘ White Noise’ and ‘All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell’. Not just in genre but in the mix of intense sincerity and sad rage.

PVRIS have a unique talent in making every song so different in style yet so noticeably PVRIS, and ZOOM magazine | 40

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Heavyweight HELM The heavyweight summit is crowded with talent, but Carlos Takam believes he has the key to unlock the pugilist treasure.

BY

BEN DAVIES

Car l os Tak am (39 -5 -1 , 2 8 KOs) has r eveal e d t hat he i s r ead y t o ge t bac k t o t he t op of t he heav y we i ght di v i s i on and b e li eve s t hat he c an c hall enge Ty s on Fur y s oon and b e c ome wor l d c hampi on .

The Frenchman, born in Cameroon, was delighted with his victory and began talking about his plans for the future and his desire to return to the very top after suffering a near miss back in 2017, when he challenged Anthony Joshua (23-1-0, 21 KOs) for the unified WBA, IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles.

The 39-year-old dispatched Forrest at the MGM Grand in their 10-round bout in Vegas with the judges’ score cards at 96-94, 98-92 and 97-93 in Takam’s favour, which took place as the main event on the Top Rank card behind closed doors. The fight was taken by the former IBF Inter-Continental titlist at short notice after the withdrawal of Jarrell Miller due to another failed pre-fight drug test.

The 45-fight veteran, who resides in Nevada, spoke exclusively to Global Boxing News of his delight with the way the fight went with such a limited amount of preparation, and of his desire to move on to bigger and better things after an experienced and composed performance in Vegas.

He said: “ I’d give myself a C+. It was difficult to get the proper training with COVID, but we were already training for a fight, but the opponent

dropped out, so we were pretty much ready to fight anyway. “ I did not study Forrest very much, but I never had any problems with southpaws in the past. It was not easy knowing that I lost my father, but the night before the fight I had a dream that I was with my father in our city and he was talking to people to come and support me and from that I knew what my father wanted me to do.”

From early roots, Takam showed he had supreme power and talent fighting out of Cameroon, representing his country at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, and followed this success by making his professional debut in France on 10 December 2005, posting a record of 17-0 by the end of 2008.

With plans of a return to the top the clear focus beyond this fight, Takam revealed his feelings towards a potential contest with heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, af ter eagerly stating his confidence at gaining victory in a future title fight against the Briton. “ Yes, I believe I can beat Tyson Fury. In the heavyweight division anything is possible. I have fought at the top of the division before, and I am capable of getting back there again. I want a shot at a heavyweight title, and Tyson Fury is the man holding them.

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TOMORI: the verdict The Italians are in love with pizza, pasta and wine. But how have their taste buds got on with the arrival of England’s Fikayo Tomori?

BY

M AT T H E W D EB O N O

Fik ayo Tomor i has made a blis t er ing s t ar t t o lif e on loan at AC Milan f ollowing his move t o It aly in Januar y.

The 23-year-old joined the Rossoneri on a six-month loan deal with an option to make his stay permanent in the summer if Milan wanted to activate the £25 million plus £5 million in add-ons clause.

Tomori has featured three times for the Italian side already and has made quite the impression, especially after turning up to training despite the players being given the day off.

AC Milan director Ricky Massara is ‘in love’ with the defender, and there is a growing possibility that they will activate his buy-out clause.

We spoke to Oliver Fisher from SempreMilan to get the AC Milan verdict on Tomori: What was t he init ial r eac t ion t o AC Milan s igning Fik ayo Tomor i in Januar y ?

The initial reaction was definitely a mixture of excitement and relief. Excitement because we had seen from the media and Chelsea supporters on social media that Tomori evidently had talent and room to grow, and that they were sad to see such a promising homegrown player leave.

Then also relief because we had been after a centre-back all January and had fallen short in the pursuit of other targets like Mohamed Simakan, so for Maldini to finally get a deal over the line and for it to mean such a

promising player was arriving - with an option to buy - caused quite a positive outpouring.

Tomor i ’ s made t hr ee appear ances f or t he Ros s oner i s o f ar, what have you made of his s t ar t at Milan?

For a player who arrived and was so quickly thrust into the fray, he has been very impressive. He looks like a different centreback to anything we’ve had for a long time; he is not frightened to break the line and be aggressive, to challenge the centre-forward and cut out the supply, and he has the recovery speed in case it doesn’ t quite happen. here have been small hiccups but that is par for the course after just two starts. We can all see the ability and he will only get more settled and comfortable.

How lik ely do you t hink it is t hat AC Milan will opt t o buy Fik ayo Tomor i on a per manent bas is in t he s ummer ?

At the moment, it feels like more probable than improbable. The fact we negotiated so stringently to get the option suggests we intend to strongly consider it, and I don’ t personally believe the €28 million is too much either, considering we were willing to spend €18-20 million on Simakan in January and should have even more liquidity in the summer.

If he doesn’ t join permanently, it will only be because of a drop-off in performance or because we have another opportunity that we simply cannot miss.

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ISSUE 01:

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Anthony Joshua’s top four career victories BY

BEN DAVIES

A

Anthony Joshua is just one fight away from securing a showdown with fellow British world-class heavyweight Tyson Fury in 2021, but must take on one more test before he propels himself into stardom and a shot at becoming undisputed heavyweight king of the world.

We take a look at four contests in chronological order that propelled Anthony Joshua into his status as world heavyweight champion:

1

Vs Dillian Whyte: Anthony Joshua faced fellow British heavyweight prospect

B

Dillian Whyte at the 02 Arena in one of

the most fiery British boxing contests in recent years with a very big atmosphere and the British, Commonwealth and WBC international heavyweight titles at stake.

2

Vs Charles Martin: Promised to be a huge task for Joshua, The British fighter took on American heavyweight king Charles Martin

at the 02 Arena in London where he continued his journey towards world glory.

3

Vs Wladimir Klitschko: In arguably one of the greatest and most entertaining heavyweight contests of the modern era,

Anthony Joshua defeated heavyweight great Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley infront of a record 90,000 crowd.

4

Vs Aexander Povetkin: After losing his 100% kncokout ratio in a tough unanimous decision victory over

Joseph Parker, Joshua would take on seasoned heavyweight Alexander Povetkin at the Principality Stadium in Wales.

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SMASHING LOCKDOWN My first experience with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and how it became my favourite game during quarantine BY

ALE X DALE

Lock down has caus ed many people t o be ver y bor ed t he las t year. But I have been play ing a game t hat has k ept me ent er t ained wit h my hous emat es .

My first impression of Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate (SSBU) was memorable. Toward the end of my first year at university, I entered my halls of residence common room one day and noticed an enormous group of people surrounding a T V in the corner.

I saw all my friends and many other people I hadn’ t seen before shouting and laughing at something and I didn’ t know what. Upon closer inspection and a few questions later, I was told they were all playing some kind of Nintendo fighting game called “ Smash”.

This was something I’d never heard of before and was unlike any game I’d ever seen. The rules were dif ferent. “ You gotta hit your opponent until they’re at a high enough percentage for you to hit ‘em into the blast zone”, my mate told me. He’d just used what the others called “ neutral B” to hit his opponent back with a cannonball. “ What?”

My confusion made my interest dissipate, but then that same mate shoved his controller into my hands. He told me to pick a character and have a go. I didn’ t even know what the controls were.

The character selection screen showed that I could play as over 70 characters, including Mario, Bowser, Sonic, Zelda, Pikachu, even Villager from Animal Crossing. I decided to go with Wii Fit Trainer because I thought it was hilarious that they had her in the game.

I faced of f against someone I didn’ t know.

They were playing R.O.B, a robot that I thought was from WALL-E. The game was far more complicated than anticipated; my opponent took all my lives within seconds, receiving only 30-something percent damage in return.

A couple years later I am still playing the game and enjoying it in lockdown, spending hours every day bat tling my friends and learning the complexity of thr game.

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MY PERSONAL TOP

6 characters in Smash WHY I USE these PARTICULAR fighters

3

KING K. Rool

As a heavy, he is hard to kill and delivers big blows.

Despite being slow, he has good range attacks and can combo easily.

I have ranked my top 8 favourite characters in Smash Bros.

Ultimate and why I choose them to FIGHT!

1 2

MARIO

Great all-rounder and capable of some of the most fun combos if performed correctly. Once landed a 10-hit combo! His spike is also one of the best in the game, albeit difficult to do.

LUCINA

Favouring Lucina over Marth, she is really fun to edge guard with. Incredibly simple yet enjoyable character. Her dair and nair are great combo starters.

ISABELLE The complete opposite of Donkey Kong, she is quick, nimble and works well with range attacks. Easy to combo and edge guard with.

Her neutral B is great against projectile characters.

5

NEW CONTENT: Bad Dream Games confirmed a new update for One Hand Clapping on Stadia, with Maestro Mountain Part 2 now available on the platform. The game is still in early access.

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20.10.17

4

DONKEY KONG

Spikes! Down B, down air, side B and forward air - the easiest character to land a spike with and feels good when it hits. My numer 1.

6

As a fan of sword characters, Cloud has very good combo options and his limit ability can be very powerful if used right. Most sword characters do not have projectiles which makes Cloud particularly dangerous.

CLOUD

LOOK AHEAD: With 100 games set to arrive on Stadia in

2021, it’s going to be rare to see a full week go by without a new game, yet that’s exactly what happened this week.

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