EDITORIAL indigo@palatinate.org.uk
To club or not to club, that is the question Indigo Editor Honor Douglas reflects on the return of the club to university life
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s we move further from Freshers’ Week and the memories of lockdown after lockdown, it is clear that clubbing has finally regained its place in university culture. There is a fun, constant chatter about who is going where, a slight fear of missing out, and of course the large swarm of people waiting for their Paddy’s. Clubbing is a new part of the student social life to grapple with. For some freshers who celebrated 18th birthdays mid-lockdown, getting into the swing of university life has certainly got more exciting, but more complicated. Some still refrain from the smelly, packed room of drunk twenty-somethings boogying to – once put like that, I wonder why! There is a pressure to go out, a pressure to spend, and a pressure to be on good form. On top of university work, extra-curricular activities and cooking on a budget, these are additional stresses that need to be managed. Now that Freshers’ Week is over, the academic term has begun and friendships are forming and re-forming after such a strange year, the pressure to go clubbing is diminishing. It is simply wonderful that clubs are open again, life is getting back to normal and the university lifestyle that most sign up for is finally being fulfilled. Fortunately, now for us students going clubbing is a choice. It is not the be all and end all. We have a place to let loose, dance our worries away and have a sobering walk home at the end of the night. Like some clubbing nights in Durham these days, Indigo does not have a theme this edition. Our contributors go from debating the positives and negatives of NFTs in Visual Arts on page 3, to a detailed explanation of why butternut squash should be the next staple on your shopping list in Food and Drink on page 4. Just in time for Halloween, Food and Drink also offer readers some helpful advice on what to cook to celebrate the holiday on page 4 – the ‘Very Bloody Mary’ sounds ‘scarily’ good. As we move to page 6 Stage explores the changes
to student theatre with the return of in-person auditions, while Books’ contributors on page 7 review this year’s shortlist for the Gordon Burns Prize. After Style use pages 8 and 9 to show readers exactly what the fashion is for the new Durham academic year, Film and TV put readers in the seasonal mood exploring how different films portray autumn. Three contributors in Creative Writing on page 11 use their skills to explore male influence in their lives, while Features on page 12 argue that Durham’s culture should be more appreciated. Just in time for the ABBA night in Players, Music on page 13 give us the lowdown on ABBA’s return, while Travel uses the next two pages to offer some humorous nightmare travel stories. To finish the edition is an incredibly important Interview on page 16 with an anonymous disabled student about their struggles as Durham returns to ‘normal’. We hope that you enjoy this edition. It might even, hopeful I know, make you want to skip the occasional night at Players and write an article for us instead!
Artwork of the week by Adeline Zhao
CONTENT
TEAM
CONTACT
Visual Arts (page 3), Food and Drink (pages 4 and 5), Stage (page 6), Books (page 7), Style (pages 8 and 9), Film and TV (page 10), Creative Writing (page 11), Features (page 12), Music (page 13), Travel (pages 14 and 15), Interview (page 16).
Cerys Edwards, Honor Douglas, Adeline Zhao, Nicole Wu, Christian Bland, Nia Kile, Josie Lockwood, Emerson Shams, Ben Smart, Jodie Sale, Imi Marchant, Samuel Lopes, Grace Jessop, Anna Johns, Charlotte Grimwade, Grace Marshall, Millie Stott, Ella Al-Khalil Coyle, Isobel Tighe, Miriam Mitchell, Katya Davisson, Annabelle Bulag, Gracie Linthwaite, Holly Downes, Stephanie Ormond and Abigail Brierley
www.palatinate.org.uk
Indigo logo: Adeline Zhao Cover image: Suzannah Gilbert
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Tuesday, 28 September 2021
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Image credits (from left): Adeline Zhao; Sophie Draper
VISUAL ARTS visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk
Debate: can NFTs revolutionise an elitist market? Hyeonji Kim and Emerson Shams debate the ramifications of the crypto art surge FOR: NFTs are challenging a rigid industry By Hyeonji Kim
AGAINST: NFTs facilitate money laundering By Emerson Shams
he traditionally conservative world of art auctioning has suddenly found itself the centre of an NFT craze. Just last month, Sotheby’s sold ‘The Bored Ape Yacht Club’, a collection of pop avatars, for $24 million, while Beeple’s ‘The First 5000 Days’ went for a whopping $69 million earlier this year at Christie’s. These jaw-dropping valuations have attracted critics, who claim NFTs merely represent yet another volatile financial asset for investors to play around with. In reality, collection for investment purposes is nothing new and expensive purchases at auction are very common. Indeed, this is hardly the first time the art industry has faced questions about valuation. Contemporary artworks which appear to have been made with little effort have proved so controversial that the art market has even been accused of money laundering. Perhaps ironically, the high valuations placed on NFTs could even be perceived as a form of performative art in themselves. For example, Damien Hirst’s new project ‘The Currency’ enables buyers to participate in his exploration of art becoming currency and vice versa. In this sense, NFTs help us reimagine the way we interact with the medium.
he ‘Bored Ape Yacht Club’ is a fun collection of pop avatars and very appealing from an artistic perspective. Yet a $24 million sale represents the dark side of the art world: the creation of arbitrary elitism as a mask to cover up money funnelling and tax evasion. The wealthy are notorious for spending exorbitant amounts on artwork from auction houses like Sotheby’s as a stratagem to write money off of the books and lower their taxable income. Now the art world has figured out how to move these sales online, tax-dodging has become even easier, because at least before you actually had to find a place to store what you bought.
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NFTs have opened the art market to outsiders More importantly, growing NFT sales have helped the art industry and auction houses rebound from the impact of the pandemic by empowering artists. Firstly, the blockchain technology can track every transaction and assert the indisputable ownership and authenticity of the artist’s work, distinguishing it from replicas. Secondly, many NFT platforms allow producers to receive instant payments and royalties on subsequent sales without having to go through agencies, financially empowering the artist. Moreover, NFTs have opened the art market to outsiders by providing an accessible online platform for self-taught artists and new collectors, decentralising an elitist industry. In this respect, NFTs may well represent the opening of a new era of modern art – justifying their blossoming place in the global market.
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A $24 million sale represents the dark side of the art world The ‘Yacht Club’ avatars are just another mask for this system. These funky apes went for a ‘fair’ price (according to their website) at $290/ape. Certainly, artists deserve to be paid well for their hard work, and many are still underpaid, so the steep charge is fair enough. But when we look at the collection that just sold at Sotheby’s, it was 101 apes for $24.4 million, so the numbers simply don’t stack up.
What really appeals is the fancy receipt that allows investors to liquify their assets Now the ‘Yacht Club’ apes have become an investment commodity, so the price has risen to $149,000, at a minimum. The reason? Probably not the dope looking ape, free access to a graffiti board on their website or the associated merchandise. What really appeals is the fancy receipt that allows investors to liquify their assets. Indeed, with the resale rate getting higher, collectors can write more and more off of their tax records. This ‘Yacht Club’ then, is just an extension of a long-lasting game created by the elite, for the elite, designed so they keep more money and appear cultured. NFTs, then, are just the latest tool for collectors to trap artists in these financial follies.
What exactly is an NFT? Standing for Non-Fungible Token, an NFT is a unique certificate of ownership, built on blockchain technology. Rather than receiving a physical copy of what they’re buying, a purchaser would receive proofs of authenticity conferring their rights to certain digital content. This identification enables the art to be collected and traded as a rare and valuable asset.
Image credit: Adeline Zhao
Thursday, 14 October 2021
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FOOD AND DRINK food@palatinate.org.uk
Ode to butternut squash Caity Wood explains why butternut squash will save your culinary life this autumn
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eturning to Durham for the autumn term, my first purchase is always a butternut squash (usually less than £2 from Tesco). I stroll home watching leaves fall and scarves billowing behind those escaping freshers’ flu (which quickly develops into the serious condition, first term flu). The walk is easy and my shopping bag light; no matter which miscellaneous food-stuffs have survived the summer, my old reliable will keep me warm on nights when rushing back to town isn’t an option. These recipes can all be achieved with one squash and are freezable, saving you from cooking whilst trying to remember how to write a coherent sentence after a four month holiday. Also, I cannot stand eating the same meal in different shapes (pasta lovers will understand!) so I’ve varied the flavours so you can avoid an endless butternut cycle!
Vegan butternut chilli
1. Finely dice some squash, onion, pepper and garlic. Put in a wok with 1 tbsp oil and cook until soft. 2. Season with cumin and paprika. 3. Add a tin of tomatoes (or two if you want to make the chilli go further). 4. Add a pinch of chilli flakes or a finely diced small chilli. 5. Weird tip, but trust me: add a square or two of dark chocolate. It deepens the earthy flavour and balances the sweet acidity of the tomatoes. 6. When the chilli is boiling, add in a tin of kidney beans, upping the protein in this vegan dish whilst making it go further. I tend to use beans that come in chilli sauce just to add a little extra flavour. 7. If you want the chilli to go on forever, add a cube of veg stock and 200ml of boiling water and make a chilli-soup. Personally, I tend to leave it as I prefer a thicker chilli. 8.Serve with rice, pasta or a jacket potato and freeze any leftovers (there’ll be
Butternut bolognese
Roasted vegetables
1. Dice some squash into large chunks (skin on) and put in a roasting tray with: • Bell pepper • Parsnip • Carrot • Onion • Courgette (As long as you have two or more veg, you’re golden!) 2. Add enough oil to cover the veg and season with rosemary, thyme and a pinch of salt. 3. Roast for 30-50 minutes at 190°/170°Fan/Gas Mark 5. 4. Remove from the oven when the vegetables are slightly charred at the edges but soft in the middle – I use a butter knife to check. 5. Sprinkle with feta and then serve with pasta or couscous. Leftovers can be frozen – they’re amazing in a wrap with salad and sweet chilli sauce.
1. Remove the neck of the squash so you have just the round base, then slice in half lengthways. 2. Scoop out the seeds so you are left with two bowls, one of which can be put in the fridge for another day. 3. Score and coat in 1 tbsp oil. Season with rosemary and thyme. 4. Roast for 30-50 minutes at 190°/170°Fan/Gas Mark 5. 5. While it’s roasting, make some bolognese using any recipe you like (even shop-bought will do). 6. Remove when fully roasted (see roasted vegetable recipe for details). 7. Use the squash as a bowl for the bolognese, sprinkle with cheese and serve with a salad for a hearty winter meal.
Curried butternut and chickpea soup
1. Dice some squash into medium cubes and season with garam masala, ginger, paprika and cumin. 2. Coat with oil and roast for 30 minutes at 190°/170°Fan/Gas Mark 5. 3. Once roasted, place in a wok with onion, garlic, chilli and cook until the onions are soft. 4. Add a vegetable stock cube, 200ml boiling water and blend in a soup maker or with a handheld blender. 5. Whilst blending add 1tbsp of crème fraîche (or leave out to keep it vegan). 6. Add a tin of drained chickpeas and serve with naan bread, a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt and mint if you’re feeling fancy.
And there you have it! Four squash recipes that are perfect autumnal comfort food. However, if you really cannot stand more squash, substitute for carrot, sweet potato or even pumpkin. So concludes my love letter to butternut squash - with a little spice and all things nice, I believe it will save your (culinary) life this term!
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Thursday, 14 October 2021
Illustrations: Verity Laycock
FOOD AND DRINK food@palatinate.org.uk
Tantalising treats to haunt your Halloween Fellow students come together to offer their revered recipes for the spooky season Poison apple cocktail
By Pawan Gunesh This amazingly-deadly drink is ALL about glitter! This addictive cocktail finds its undead origins in the hands of the Evil Stepmother from Snow White. Okay… that’s only true if the Evil Stepmother came in the form of a (surprisingly) easy-tofind website called Delish. This drink only takes five minutes to make, so whip out your alcohol (and venom) and your cocktail shakers for this lethal, tastebud tempting drink.
Fruit punch
By Josie Lockwood My go to drink is always something sweet and moreish. My recipe for a Halloween inspired punch is quick, easy and will have you going back for ladle after ladle. First, find the biggest pitcher or drink-holding vessel that you own. Then, fill up with 2 parts of unflavoured vodka, to 1 part of raspberry liqueur. Top up the rest of the pitcher with champagne or prosecco, and garnish with crushed ice and a handful of frozen raspberries. If you want to make this into a mocktail, you can substitute the vodka for pear juice, the liqueur for cranberry juice and the champagne for tonic water or seltzer. For an extra burst of flavour, you could add cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods scored lengthways. Sugar dyed red with food colouring can also be used to garnish the rim of the pitcher. For an elaborate finish, fill two (non-powdered) rubber gloves with water, tie the base and freeze them. When solid, you can untie the knot and ease out two ice ‘hands’ which can be put in the punch before serving. They’ll appear to ‘reach’ out through the blood red concoction, adding a flourish of nightmarish flare.
You will need: • 1/3 cup apple juice • 1/3 cup cranberry juice • 2 ounces of fireball • 1 ounce of grenadine • 1/4 tablespoon of edible gold glitter • Ice (to your liking)
‘Finger’ food
To make this scrumptious cocktail, place all your ingredients in a cocktail mixer. Shake until the contents are fully mixed and the container is cold. Pour it into your funkiest glass, add some extra poison (I am not liable if you actually add poison) and enjoy with an iridescent metal straw – trust me, it’s definitely more instagrammable this way! Pro tip: if you want a swirly, whirlpool effect with the gold, instead of adding your ingredients to a cocktail shaker, mix it in a blender.
By Emerson Shams A spooky but simple and easy aperitif to make for your party, regardless of whether it’s a small soirée or large shindig. A play on pigs in blankets that’ll be sure to leave your party guests feeling like it is a night of haunting. Ingredients: • Hot dogs or sausages, cut in half • Ketchup • Egg wash (egg beaten with water) • Almond slices • Puff pastry (cut into rectangles large enough to cover the hot dog) Method: 1. Wrap and bind the sausages, leaving the cut side open 2. Make incisions to resemble knuckle wrinkles 3. Place an almond sliver on a rounded tip (to resemble a fingernail) 4. Brush an egg wash over the top to brown 5. Cook at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes and check. Cook until dough is browned 6. Dip the open end in ketchup and put some in a bowl in the middle to enjoy your bloody finger snacks
Very Bloody Mary
By Christian Bland Indulgence with a twist is epitomised by this bona fide classic with a delightfully pronounced sting in its tail. Because Halloween is all about sweet flavour profiles, I like to swap horseradish and Worcestershire sauce for raspberries and lemongrass. These give it a deeper red colour and make the smoky hints of Tabasco all the more unexpected. They look best poured on the rocks right in front of your guests, hopefully accompanied by some slightly garish decorations, or served in massive pitchers. This cocktail is famously filling, so should probably be paired with simpler drinks and not too much food. No matter how you try to pull them off, Bloody Marys are bound to make an impression.
Illustrations: Adeline Zhao Thursday, 14 October 2021
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STAGE stage@palatinate.org.uk
Face to face: an auditionee’s perspective As auditions return to the flesh, Olivia Jones takes us into the audition room with her
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walk into Elvet Riverside ready for my first audition at university. I have heard some older students say that “freshers never get cast”. However, equipped with several supporting roles in school musicals, I am determined to prove them wrong. I join the queue of eager auditionees waiting outside the room, overlooked by a sullen producer who is typing loudly on a laptop. I collect an audition extract and try to avoid eye contact with someone in the queue with whom I think I made out during Freshers Week. The corridor is filled with a hushed ambience that is unique to corridors outside audition rooms: people reading through their monologues, people warming up their voices, and a few afflicted with the dreaded freshers’ flu who are coughing heavily further down the corridor.
The producer wordlessly beckons me into the room, signalling that my preparation time has drawn to a close. As I enter the audition room, I am met with a theatre director straight out of a stock photograph, complete with beret , thin scarf, and moustache. The assistant director is eating a meal deal next to him. I begin with my song, which I had spent hours choosing. Two minutes is not a long time in the musical theatre world I thought when I saw the time limit on the audition event, especially since most songs last over four and tell a significant story. But the song I found and learned is perfect: it is only just over the time limit, has a similar style to the show’s soundtrack, and it also showcases my range and acting capabilities, especially in the second verse. The panel stops me after the first chorus.
I try to avoid eye contact with someone in the queue with whom I think I made out with The audition extract I have been given has its pros and cons. The character seems to be displaying several emotions and no emotion at all, all at once. The summary of the show on Wikipedia does not shed light on the context of the speech. It is as if it were designed to slightly confuse actors. I am no theatre critic, but there may be a reason why this show was described as “forgotten and underappreciated” on the audition event. How do I make my audition stand
The panel looks unimpressed; I shall hear from them tomorrow out? Should I play it safe? Or should I try and make some bold acting choices with the material I have been given? 6 Tuesday 14th October, 2021
We move onto acting. The show is set in New York, so I put on my finest attempt at an American accent. The stage directions simply read “drunkenly”. I have been drunk exactly three times in my life, all within the last week and a half, but nevertheless I think I have a good amount of experience to convincingly act drunk. As I finish reading, the expressions on the panel’s faces are unreadable. After a moment, the director tells me to read the extract once again, but while sitting down. I sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor. “On a chair, I meant,” the director says. I realise that around the room are several empty chairs – this is a seminar room by day, after all. Oh well. I have made my bed; I shall now sit in it. Bold choices, after all. The panel looks unimpressed. I shall hear from them tomorrow. I thank them for their time.
I have been drunk exactly three times in my life but I think I have a good amount of experience to convincingly act drunk Leaving the room, I give my contact details to the stony-faced producer and hand the audition extract to an aspiring actor waiting in the queue. They look as hopeful and enamoured with the audition process as I am sure I did less than ten minutes ago. I sigh and walk down the corridor to my next audition. Maybe second time’s the charm. Image credit: Verity Laycock
BOOKS books@palatinate.org.uk
The Gordon Burns prize shortlist Some of our best contributors review the 2021 Gordon Burns Prize shortlist 1. A Ghost In The Throat is a cap-
tivating prose debut from Doireann Ní Ghríofa. It details her love story with a poem by an Irish woman in history, hoping to bring her voice to life in the present day. History is woven with lived experience to create a poignant tale of grief, desire and motherhood. In a triumphant blend of autofiction, biography and memoir, Ní Ghríofa draws strength from struggle and emotional conflict to lift the voice of another. There is something haunting about the voices lost to history that linger in the throats of readers, beautifully illustrated by Ní Ghríofa. By Sarah Henderson
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. Strange and unnerving, Jenny Fagan’s Luckenbooth has everything a scary story needs. Set in Scotland using Scots language, the novel connects with the country’s folklore and— much like Fagan’s previous works— accompanied by anger and humour. The characters are diverse in their stories and identities, all under the shadow of socio-economic depravity. Elements of the horror genre combine with outcast characters navigating their complex lives; the novel proves itself to be a both an ode to the modern day and the historical horror folkloric genre. By Aoifke Madeleine
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. Salena Godden’s debut novel Mrs Death Misses Death smacks of experimentation. It takes a shapeshifting grim reaper as its protagonist, and shares stories gathered in a lifetime spent among the unseen and the unheard. It is somehow miraculously lighthearted, despite its dizzying allegorical, topical and generic range.. Her poetic background is evident - only a poet’s eye could create a work comprised of sidelong nods to our surroundings. No subject is left untouched and nothing is sacred - but it is beautiful, heartbreaking and brave. By Imogen Marchant 7
14th October 2021
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4. Come Join Our Disease is a
novel that condemns society’s need for improvement. We follow the journey of Maya, a woman who has been homeless for over a year and is given the chance to re-enter society through a restoration programme. When the program fails to live up to her dreams, she joins forces with her outspoken friend, Zelma, to escape from society’s unattainable ideals. Beginning to embody everything capitalism rejects, the discussion of taboo topics and beckoning to ‘come join our disease’ is alarming yet admiring. It is a heart-breaking, dark and powerful read. By Holly Downes
5. Tabitha
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Lasley’s Sea State documents the lives of oil rig workers in the North Sea, seeking to discover “what men are like when no women are around”. Documenting illicit affairs, drug and alcohol abuse, and the damage caused by large oil companies, Sea State creates a vulnerable and honest depiction of the lives of those who work offshore and the physical and emotional damage that comes with the job. Lasley effortlessly shifts exploring issues of social class, mental health and the conflict between desire and morality in an engaging and powerful manner that certainly does justice to the stories it tells. By Georgia Hall
6. “There is no church like the
church of unchained arms being thrown in every di-rection in the silence of a sleeping home.” The equally jubilant and mournful nature of this image, in many ways, sets the tone for A Little Devil in America, Hanif Abdurraqib’s collection of essays which explore how Black performance is significant to modern American culture. The overriding discussion is centred upon how Black culture has influenced white America, with comparatively little influence on everyday racism. It’s a timely message communicated in chatty and lyrical prose, often punctured by anecdote. By Cerys Edwards
Images (from left): Windmill Books, Tramp Press, Canongate Books, Cornerstone (Penguin), Allen Lane (Penguin), 4th Estate
STYLE style@palatinate.org.uk
Back to school: Durham street style Style Editors Anna Johns and Grace Jessop take to the streets...
Juliet, 3rd year, Castle
Josh, 1st year, Aidan’s
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his week Style Editors Anna Johns and Grace Jessop took to the streets of Durham to see how Durham street style is manifesting in our first week of in-person teaching since 2020. Although we saw our fair share of Schoffels and flares, here are some of our favourite stand-out looks from statement maxi skirts to vintage coats!
Tadashi, 3rd year, Hild Bede
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Image credit: Anna Johns and Grace Jessop
Will, 2nd year, Stephenson
STYLE style@palatinate.org.uk
Rose, 3rd year, Cuth’s
Angelica, 3rd year, Collingwood
Alessia, 2nd year, Hatfield Ariadne, 1st year, Castle Image Credit: Anna Johns and Grace Jessop Thursday, 14th October 2021
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FILM AND TV film@palatinate.org.uk
Autumn on the big screen Freya Williams explores how different films capture the autumnal spirit
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n terms of representation of the seasons within film, it is winter and summer that are often noted as having a particularly secure aesthetic and generic purpose. Winter rom-coms à la Love Actually and Bridget Jones allow us to kid ourselves that we’ll all fall in love against a background of snowcovered, West London townhouses, whilst the coming-of-age summer classics such as Grease and Mamma Mia do the same but with a hotter beachside backdrop. Where, then, does autumn fit in?
The relevance of autumn within the rom-com genre is far more nuanced and purposeful than other seasons
autumn term. When Jenny references the possibility of their relationship ending after the ‘holiday’ of university ends, Oliver proposes.
Autumn is both protective and provocative In this instance, the seasonal setting of the film acts to represent its overarching conflict: between the idealism of youth and the reality of adulthood. Autumn is both protective and provocative, a crucible for the narrative’s development. The liminality of autumn is also often displayed by filmmakers through their use of colour palettes. Wes Anderson is ultimately iconic for his strong, Van Goghian palettes seen in Fantastic Mr. Fox, where he uses rich orange and yellow tones to generate an autumnal feel that appears to simulate the flush of a sunset. This likeness of being caught in ‘golden hour’ asserts a sense of comfort and surrealism, reinforcing the story as one ground in a fleeting and precious reality – childlike imagination. The nostalgic aspect of autumnal films is further exaggerated in their soundtracks. Regardless of genre, jazz standards are a popular choice, offering familiarity to their audiences and romantic undertones. In When Harry Met Sally, as the two titular characters stroll through New York discussing recurring sex dreams, a version of ‘Autumn in New York’ can be heard. Though an on-the-nose choice, it causes the inelegance of the conversation topic and the
awkwardness of their delivery to be propelled to imperfect charm. Real life, the music asserts, is lived in autumn – it is quirky but memorable in the best of senses. More mundane elements – such as clothing – in autumnal films also serve specific purposes. Knitwear holds a special place in the wardrobe departments’ hearts as an indicator of cooler weather and as clothing often symbolic of sentimentality based on its frequently hand-made origin. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out manipulates these associations when the killer wears a cream cable knit jumper for the majority of the film. Here, the soft, harmlessness of autumn is used to elevate the shock of the revelation.
The use of autumn within film should command as much of a following as its winter and summer counterparts Regardless of genre, the use of autumn within film should command as much of a following as its winter and summer counterparts. As an intermediary season, it serves as a setting that fosters characters’ challenges and development. Aesthetically and auditorily, it imbues a film with nostalgia, and offers a space for play upon the audience’s emotions and expectations. It is, in many ways, the perfect setting for films which seek to depict the reality of the aspects that make us human: complexity, contradiction and connection.
On closer inspection, the relevance of autumn within the rom-com genre is far more nuanced and purposeful than other seasons. Autumn acts as a transitional time period, in which characters who appear simultaneously formed and flawed are encouraged to forge new connections before the restrictions of winter set in. In Love Story, for example, there is a scene where Oliver and Jenny discuss their future on a walk through the Harvard campus during 10
Thursday, 14 October 2021
Image credit (from left): Anna Kuptsova and Victoria Cheng
CREATIVE WRITING creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk
The He Who Lives In Our Stories Creative Writing Editor Ella Al-khalil Coyle, Victoria Rusk and Laura Gibbs each grapple withe the men who live within their narratives Summer 2015, Hervines
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reen light of my forgiveness unlooked for, beaming – or not you speed.
whirling unchallenged from us stalking prey concealed in pleasure. the next one i hope, will be what could she be to escape a cross borne weighed under suffering for sins never mind. mine strawberry mints gym shorts unbought razors photographed in the sleep i lose – Medusa did she have flashbacks too monster, reared her story forgotten lost on men’s tongues and men’s pages as the villains write our stories into histories and I am expected to forgive.
Laura Gibbs
It’s these months that I think most of you...the world seems full of new beginnings
A Slice of His Apple
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he most beautiful thing you can see is a lean boy in the morning light of summer sunrise in the orchard, under a tree. He is offering a slice of his apple, but you say no, “I want you to eat it” you tell him because you love him, more than you might think. He puts the apple in his shirt pocket because he knows you’ll want it later, and it’s a secret agreement. He’ll want you, and you will take what he can offer you, which at this moment in time, is a bite of an apple. You’ll still give him the rest of the fruit if he wanted it.
Victoria Rusk the dark fall to light.
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’ve often thought that this time of year deserves its own special brand of romanticism. That it must only be captured in golden light, with a breeze and crisp crunch of a leaf. It’s these months that I think most of you, paths seem to wind and my mind begins to spin and in spite of everything around me dying, the world seems full of new beginnings. There are pockets of possibility, of promise and potential. For the time being I am self-assured. I trust the path I’m walking and I wish you well on yours. In those brief few hours, before the suns early set, the world is warm, and I am safe in its amber tones. But this is no ordinary time. Once the sun sets and the gold fades, the night draws in, obsessively, closer with each passing day. Dropping temperatures, starless skies. I start to wonder if you ever wish my stars away as I do of yours…if you wish for me at all. Then the once inviting warm haze becomes sharp, each of its beams cutting like glass, burning through me, pushed by the sting of the swirling breeze. The search to find trust in the fall becomes desperate, my desperation fueling my failure. I never thought of what you took from the season, I never thought much of you, not out of wanting. My self-assurance set with the sun and I see the wicked side of Autumn. A wickedness that has lived with me for three years. It’s not about the stories, or the memories; it is visceral emotion that haunts me most. Yet I feel addicted to it, dependent upon it, and unaware of which is worse. Then, I see the sunrise. I bathe in the tones, the red and gold lights trickle down my cheeks, the beams pass through my hair. I remember softness and fall into its embrace. I’m reminded once more of the romantic daylight. That there is sanctity from the drowning nights, but it is not for me to live in, for now I also see the darkness which fuels it. Perhaps that is why I so often thought this time of year deserved its own special brand of romanticism. For it needs one which embraces the fear. That encompasses the darkness. I will never be spared from the pain nor the night, but I can remember this season, and all its early sunsets and starless skies, in a warm hue of burning, amber light.
Ella Al-Khalil Coyle Image Credits: Victoria Cheung and Alicija Sek
Thursday, 14 October 2021
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FEATURES features@palatinate.org.uk
The perfect fit: why Durham should be the next UK city of culture Features Editor Isobel Tighe offers a student perspective on Durham’s cultural value
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rowing up in a small, self-contained town, it almost seemed like a rite of passage to flee the restraints of your tiny domain in exchange for the hustle and bustle of a big city for university. Whilst most of my peers swapped our monotonous fields for concrete jungles, I chose to relocate to a city more like a home away from home. This was especially comforting when my first year became a cycle of lockdowns, restrictions and two-week isolation periods.
student, I longed for the day its doors would reopen, and I could finally visit the wonders concealed inside. Further along I passed the Castle, envying the resident students lucky enough to be within its walls every day. Looking back on how much history I consumed on a mere hour-long walk, it’s not hard to understand why Durham deserves the title of UK City of Culture. Even without such historical buildings, Durham’s intertwined partnership between the urban and the rural make it the perfect candidate for UK City of Culture. A walk along the riverside invites you into a pastoral paradise filled with an abundance of greenery and wildlife.
It is incredible that a city so small can host such a wide range of people
In the absence of a typical fresher’s experience, I got to appreciate Durham in a way that I otherwise would not have. Late nights spent dancing in Jimmy’s were replaced with early morning walks around the city, hunting for the green space that reminded me of home. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t hard to find.
Durham’s landscape so picturesque, it feels like a postcard The Cathedral’s powerful presence transitioned more and more into a friendly face with each daily walk. Its neighbour, Palace Green Library, seemed to whisper a welcoming ‘hello’ with each passing step. As an English
The walk between Prebends and Framwellgate Bridges is home to some of my favourite characters. There’s the heron who spends most of his mornings perched on the little waterfall, hunting for his breakfast. You can find the otters who splash and frolic, peering up at you from their own personal playground. A safe distance away is the lone swan who finally found a mate last spring. Either side of the river the trees bloom up and hug you in, sheltering you from the rain. It’s a landscape so picturesque, it feels like a postcard. Climbing up Saddler Street, the urban landscape comes out to play, containing thousands of years of history. At eye level (and sometimes above) the high street is lined with copious amount of cafes, restaurants and bars. There’s cuisine to fit almost anyone’s tastebuds, although, as a typical pasta lover, Spags is a personal favourite of mine. As for coffee, you’d never be without it here. Instead of a college bar crawl, I think my next mission will be to tackle Durham’s Tour de Café across an all-day study session. Behind their doors, these eateries contain one of the most important aspects of Durham’s culture: its people. If Durham is a hive for culture, each of us is a worker bee, trying desperately 12
hard to contribute something meaningful in the time we have here. Inside the hive, you have locals, those who are Durham bornand-bred; students from far larger cities than Durham; students from the tiny, rural corners of the country; students and staff from over 130 countries across the world. When you think about it, it’s incredible that a city so small can host such a wide range of people, all with different lived experiences, nationalities, even accents. Despite the vast disparities between us all, I would like to think that nearly every single one of us can give at least one reason why Durham will always hold a special place in our hearts. Durham is spreading itself increasingly thin, giving more and more to a greater number of people each time a September rolls around. With the title of UK City of Culture under its belt, Durham would be able to strengthen its cultural prevalence, with increased opportunities to host national events and celebrations. And, of course, it would do wonders for tourism revenue, boosting Durham’s position on both national and international levels. It’s time something was given back to the city that already gives so much to everyone else.
Thursday, 14 October 2021 Image credits (from left): James Tillotson and Amana Moore
MUSIC music@palatinate.org.uk
Here they go again: the return of ABBA With the news of ABBA’s ‘Voyage’, Emerson Shams reflects on the band’s significance
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021 came with big news. Most exciting of which was that the world famous band, ABBA, was going to go on tour again after 42 years. Their last tour happened in the 1980s in Japan, but the comeback is going to be right here in London. That’s correct, not only starting here, it is here. The new concert tour Voyage is, in fact, a new type of concert experience that will be housed in a purpose-built arena only 50 miles from where ABBA won the Eurovision song contest. So as this tour got released, I too, decided to go down a trip down memory lane and recall how I fell in love with ABBA and why they mean the world to me.
I was so lucky to find that ABBA is a staple of the Durham University clubbing scene
that the word “concert” will truly encompass the ABBA Voyage. It is an experience. How could it not be? A purpose-built arena is being created for it and it is hosting an event like no other. They are using the magical technology of the modern age to turn back the clock and transport viewers back to the height of ABBA. They are taking us on a journey, a Voyage, if you will. It would be an experience like no other. Unfortunately, some ‘Money, Money, Money’ is desperately needed to get a ticket. The cheapest ticket I could find was nearly £200. But I do think it would be the best-spent £200 of my life. Tickets are on sale through the ABBA Voyage Website, and concerts begin May 2022.
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To the tune of ‘Our Last Summer’ I can still recall the summer of the first time I ever listened to ABBA. It was 2008, I was 8, and my mom and aunt took me to the movie theatre to see ‘Mamma Mia’. This is also known as one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. Beyond the plot, the music is what dragged me in and I left the theatre wishing I was Sophie just so I could have Skye singing ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ to me (yes, he was my sexual awakening). The musical was racy and humorous and I never wanted the experience to end. And, lo and behold, it didn’t. Because it was after we
went back to my aunt’s that she told me that all that music had been made by a wonderful band called ABBA who had even more songs than that. I do feel sorry for my mom though, because before I left my aunt’s, she decided to give me her ABBA’s Greatest Hits album, and I listened to them in the car for a month straight after that. ABBA never left me. Much like Lars from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, they became a comfort I could count on for whatever musical vibes I needed. They’ve brought me through the roughest waters in life, such as my melodramatic phase at 14 where I watched ‘Mamma Mia’ every day for 3 months as it was the only thing that cheered me up. See: me not liking happy birthday so making everyone at my 17th sing “Dancing Queen” in its stead. They’ve also been there on some of the best nights when my friends and I scream and sing the lyrics to ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’. And I was so lucky to find that ABBA is a staple of the Durham University clubbing scene. Nothing gets me in a club faster than the guarantee of ABBA being played. All in all, ABBA is always gonna get me in a good mood. My favourite thing about ABBA is how they are so special for people across generations. My parents and I both hold the band in our hearts, and I find the same is so true for many people. ABBA has this ability to bring people together across cultures and generations and that’s why it’s so exciting that they are releasing this new album and concert tour. However, I don’t agree
‘Mahler’s Symphony No. 7’ by Bavarian State Orchestra
‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ by James Blake
Conducted by Kirill Petrenko, this recording of ‘Mahler 7’ demonstrates immense technical capability. Petrenko hears deeply into the music and conveys the work’s nu-
This is perhaps Blake’s most traditional and stylistically most straightforward album. His lyrics are unusually direct and the breezy quality makes for some wonderfully easy listening.
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Illustration and Images (left to right): Michelle Highway via Flickr, Emerson Shams, Manuel Nageli via Unsplash
TRAVEL travel@palatinate.org.uk
Travel nightmares Holly Downes, Caitlin Ball and Florence Singer share their worst experiences on holiday Holly Downes
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t was the summer of 2011. My family has organised a last-minute trip to Malaga, Spain, for ten whole days to escape Britain’s rather underwhelming summer. Flying out of the grey clouds and landing in thirtydegree heat was just the escape we needed. And with my Auntie owning a property over there, this holiday looked like a promising one. However, appearances are sometimes deceiving. The first couple of days consisted of your typical holiday itinerary. Routines of complaining about putting on sunscreen, playing games in the pool for hours and crying about the seawater getting in our eyes. Just the usual. However, little did we know, this would not be your ‘typical’ family holiday. Let me set the scene. We had been on the beach for a couple of hours. My mother was sunbathing, my dad was reading his book and my brother and I were on a mission to make as many sandcastles as possible. Yet, after seeing someone slurping on a mint chocolate chip ice cream in the distance, we all wanted one, as any rational human would. So, we got one. Leaving our sandcastles and my mother to sunbathe, we both took our father’s hand and eagerly headed to the ice cream shop. Yet, as we strolled back to our spot and devoured our ice creams, my mother realised the rucksack was no-where to be seen. The rucksack containing the apartment keys, my father’s wedding ring passed down from two generations, the rental car keys, his wallet, and a bunch of Euros. Gone. And it gets worse. When my parents went to check if the rental car was still there, it had also been stolen. The blame was passed from one another, frantic cries were shared, urgent calls to our insurance company were made. What we thought would be a relaxing beach day turned into a colossal nightmare, which was only exacerbated by the fact we were in a foreign country. My dad had spent the entire day at the Spanish police station, many of whom did not speak good English. Perhaps we should not have given into our craving for ice cream.
What we thought would be a relaxing beach day turned into a colossal nightmare 14
Thursday, 14 October 2021
And the nightmare only continues. Days after we had partially recovered, my dad gave into my brother and I’s incessant begging to go to the local funfair. Our thoughts were occupied by eating too much cotton candy and going on every ride as physically possible. A child’s idea of heaven.
clambered out of our capsule and sprinted to the next ride. Yet, as my mum went to grab the camera out of her bag for another quick picture, it was not there. The famous Canon family camera. A rather useless thing in the 21st century, but one of our most prized possessions on past family holidays. Every picture of us laughing on the beach and every video of my dad throwing us into the pool – every memory captured, gone. This happened on our last night, a nice ending to a nightmare of a holiday. Safe to say, it was the last time we went to Spain.
Safe to say it was the last time we went to spain Caitlin Ball
I distinctly remember the Ferris Wheel ride, but not for a good reason. As young children, to be lifted a mere ten meters from the ground was an exciting concept to us, one which caused us to scream and point once we were at the top. The panoramic views it provided were outstanding - the shimmering of city lights, the calming waves of the ocean, the distant screams of people on rides. My mum took a quick picture of us, my dad pinpointed historical buildings in the distance - everything seemed fine. We slowly made our way back to the ground,
Despite being many years ago, the memory of this incident is still as vivid as ever. It was spring 2008, and five-year-old me is stood in the lobby of our hotel in South Africa’s capital city, Johannesburg. Having flown over for my uncle’s wedding, we were all high spirited and eager to reconnect with family we hadn’t seen in years. Clenched in mine and my brother’s fists are bags of Hula-Hoops, which we munched down on contentedly. Of course, we did not know that our innocent childhood snacks would soon become bait. Although Johannesburg is famously known as ‘the murder capital of the world’, we were set to encounter a danger not so much from our fellow humans, but from our much more evolutionarily primitive relatives. Within moments, security guards in camel-coloured uniforms flooded into the lobby entrance, making hurried movements, and shouting sharp instructions towards those inside. Before I fully realised what was happening, my brother and I were being hurried by our mother through a door and into a toilet stall. She quickly bolted the lock closed – we could do nothing but wait in troubled anticipation. Just on the other side of the wall, a wild baboon had broken in through the front doors and was being detained by animal control staff.
It felt like I had survived a near-death experience Image credit (from left): Holly Downes
TRAVEL travel@palatinate.org.uk
A wild babboon had broken in through the front doors Two small children with edible goods equals light work for one of the largest species of monkey in the world. Baboons have a reputation for their insatiable appetites and highly opportunistic behaviour, often breaking into homes and cars in order to steal food. Although humans generally don’t set their mouths watering, baboons can and will attack if they detect that a person is carrying something else they can eat.
slept on buses, planes, boats and a couple of benches. However, such is life that the occasional disaster inevitably comes along to scupper any self-aggrandising ideas we might cook up from being able to suss out the local metro plan or breeze through the bus station. For me, one of these holiday nightmares occurred on a poorly planned and ill-fated jaunt to Valencia during an Interrailing trip in 2018.
since it took hours to walk there, and it was already 2am, we decided to just settle in for a few hours sleep. We all felt downcast, and my fantastic win at Cheat against those Colombian priests was but a distant memory. This is what happens when you don’t plan.
The occssional disaster inevitably comes along to scuppter any self-aggrandising ideas I hate planning. I don’t think it’s wrong to say that it drains the life out of a trip. However, some vague idea of where you’re going, or even just where you’re sleeping, can go a long way. We found this out the hard way on the last train of the night from Madrid to Valencia at 11:30pm. A sensible person would have jumped online and booked a hostel room, and looked up a map of the city. However, life rarely goes this smoothly and we ended up starting a conversation with two itinerant priests from Colombia, becoming embroiled in a lengthy card game across the aisle, and totally forgetting that we had no idea where we were going When these same Colombian priests (that
Even in metropolitan Africa the boundary between the natural world and the civilised world is tenuous at best. Fortunately, it appears that dealing with mischievous baboons is high atop a South African wildlife worker’s skill set. As the panic eases and the security staff signal that it is once again safe to re-enter the lobby, we creep tentatively out of the toilets and back out into the open. Still clutching our crisps, my brother and I switch from scared to exhilarated as everything becomes clear. At the time it felt like I had survived a neardeath experience, but having since grown up listening to my parents’ stories about their many interactions with uncontainable and unpredictable African wildlife, I know that my brother and I were in good hands. Florence Singer I like to think of myself as a savvy traveller. I own a passport case, a Revolut card – I’ve bought my own sun cream rather than draining the dregs out of a bottle my parents gave me from their trip to Mallorca in 2001. I’ve slept on buses,
Despite sleeping on my rucksack and keeping valuables inside my sleeping bag, I woke up to a man trying to steal one of my bags of clothes. In an attempt to disarm the perpetrator, I piped up in broken Spanish: ‘Hola! Como te llamas?’ Obviously, this didn’t stop him from running off with my bag, but it always pays to be friendly. Alberto, hope you’re doing well.
have never been to Valencia) suggested ‘but why don’t you just sleep on the beach?’ as a cheap alternative, it sounded like a great idea. Without even looking it up, we set off for a sandy night’s sleep free of charge. Needless to say, this was a bad idea. On arrival we found the busiest, most builtup, sun lounger-laden hell known to man. Yet
Image credit (from left): Arne Verbist via Unsplash, Florence Singer, Gracie Linthwaite
In an attempt to disarm the perpetrator, I piped up in broken Spanish: ‘Hola! Como te llamas?’ Having spent the morning trudging back into town to replace my stolen clothes from Valencia’s H&M and shaking the sand out of my hair, I reflected that it might just have been better to play it safe. Thursday, 14 October 2021
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INTERVIEW indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk
Leaving lockdown - a disabled student’s view
Gabriel Ferrante speaks to Alex* about the easing of Covid restrictions on campus
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he end of lockdown has brought great relief for many, but the pandemic is still not over for students with disabilities. Instead, the so-called end was the beginning of a whole new wave of distress. Speaking with a disabled student Alex*, they told Indigo that the easing of restrictions had made them feel “extremely anxious” as they had “never felt comfortable around lots of people,” with lockdown having “amplified those feelings.” Concerns of getting Covid-19 and being forced into isolation despite being fully vaccinated have persisted. In turn, leaving them feeling worried about the effect on their mental health. According to a survey by the Office for National Statistics conducted back in February, this view is sadly not an exception but the rule. Disabled people have been significantly more affected by the pandemic. 78% of disabled people felt concerned about the effect the Covid-19 has had on their lives compared to 69% of non-disabled people. Additionally, 46% of disabled people compared to 29% of non-disabled people specified that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health significantly worse than before the pandemic. Correspondingly, the well-being ratings of disabled people scored worse than those of non-disabled people across the following four measures: life satisfaction, happiness, feeling as if things they have done in life have been worthwhile, and anxiety. Having spoken with Sarah Rixon, a support worker from the Wirral-based charity Autism Together, this comes as no surprise to the organisation. During an interview with Sarah, she said that even in normal times, “Autism and disabilities as a whole often go hand in hand with social isolation and anxiety...”. She revealed that after the start of the pandemic in 2020, many support services dedicated to helping disabled people with these issues struggled to help them. The impact of lockdown restrictions heavily interfered with their ability to provide adequate support services. Resulting in a “double whammy
of increased demand and reduced support.” Even when services managed to adapt to online communication platforms, numerous individuals were still unable to access their allocated support. Plus, the frequent changes in guidance from the government and the lack of clarity did not help to improve matters. In some circumstances, they exacerbated the problems. However, at Durham University, the experience of many disabled students has been relatively positive. When asked about the provisions made to support their disability during the pandemic, Alex* found the University readily approachable. They said that they have felt able to speak with the student support and disability services to ensure they could attend academic commitments and that these were sufficiently accessible. Furthermore, their college helped them communicate with
the disabilities services so their academic department could acknowledge their Disability Support Notice (DSN) regarding the effect of restrictions and the recent liftings. On the non-academic side of things, Alex* believed that the virtual Freshers’ Fair hosted on the University Sharepoint was a step forward in “improving access to [a] wider student experience.” An immense difference compared to their experience at one a couple of years ago where they found it not to be particularly accessible. Despite the Sharepoint site helping to resolve some accessibility issues, Alex* believes that there is still much improvement to be made concerning plans to increase access for disabled students at Durham University. As we move further away from the lockdowns and begin to resume daily life, it is worth considering that Covid-19 presents a very different reality for disabled students, their families, and their friends. In May and June this year, a survey commissioned by the Disabled Students’ Commission (DSC) showed overwhelmingly positive comments from respondents about the provisions made for remote learning at their universities and support for the continuation of blended-learning. However, outside of academic needs, 45.5% of students reported that they were not offered an opportunity to familiarise themselves with their campuses to check if the facilities themselves were accessible before they arrived. The release from lockdown will determine whether we see more consistent support for disabled students as the new academic year begins. After all, those with roles involving safeguarding and leadership in both University-wide and collegiate circles should need more than a global pandemic as a motivation to increase accessibility.
Resulting in a “double whammy of increased demand and reduced support
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*Alex is a pseudonym used as the student did not wish to be identified in the article. Image credit: Emerson Shams