Palatinate 840

Palatinate Officially the UK and Ireland’s Best Student Publication, 2021

Thursday 10th June 2021 | No. 840

Profile exclusively interview Durham’s retiring Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Corbridge

www.palatinate.org.uk | FREE

Once you have picked up this copy, please avoid passing it to others

Fashion explore rainbow capitalism and the commodification of Pride

Students “helpless” in negotiating “overly complex” University complaints procedure Katie Tobin and Toby DoneganCross Investigations Editor and Editor-in-Chief Students who have complained about sexual assault and domestic abuse at Durham University have reported to Palatinate feeling “helpless” in trying to negotiate the University’s complaints procedure.

They have been left “disappointed” with the outcome and with the sense that they

VC first to increase post-Covid salary

“shouldn’t bother trying to report anything else because... it’s not worth bringing back all that trauma for.”

The complaints procedure itself entails the completion of an online form, in which students are asked to describe their experiences of assault and/or abuse.

Complainants are also asked what action they would like the University to take against the individual they are complaining about.

Students suggested that the

question about the punishment for the individual they were complaining about made them lose confidence in the system.

One commented “all I wanted was a sense of fairness and justice. I had assumed that the University would have a procedure for giving the appropriate punishment.”

One student also described how their request for action against the accused individual was not acted upon, and as a result, they felt a sense of injustice and lack of agency in the complaints process.

Another told Palatinate that this

question had taken them a week to answer.

Having submitted the complaint form, students described the ensuing investigation process as “traumatic.”

According to complainants, one of the main issues related to the extensive time frame taken to complete disciplinary procedures.

One student reported that, having first submitted their complaint in September 2020, it was not investigated until January, and

not resolved until March, 2021.

As a result, this left them “in limbo” for over six months.

Once investigations begin, cases are investigated by specialists from the University.

A number of students spoke positively of their investigators, and all agreed that it was good that two were assigned rather than one.

However, others described how they felt “judged” by their investigators on the basis of how much they may have drunk or Continued on page 7

Martha McHardy News Editor Durham University ViceChancellor, Professor Stuart Corbridge, was the first ViceChancellor in the UK to have their salary bumped up to its pre-Covid-19 level, according to information obtained in a Freedom of Information request

by The Times.

Professor Corbridge took a 10% pay cut during the early stages of the pandemic. In July 2020, the Vice-Chancellor’s salary was boosted from £245,700 back to its pre-pandemic amount of £273,000.

Data obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Palatinate showed that at this time, 884 staff at Durham University were on furlough.

Durham University was followed by Newcastle University and the Royal College of Art, where the Vice-Chancellors’ salaries were returned to normal in August 2020.

The University of Cambridge is the most recent university to have Continued on page 6

▲ In recent weeks, students and locals alike have been enjoying the glorious sunshine in which Durham has been bathed (James Tillotson)

£1m cash payments “an open invitation to money launderers” Luke Payne Investigations Editor Durham University accepted over a million pounds in cash for tuition and accommodation fees over the past 10 years.

The cash payments expose the University to the risk of being

used as part of money laundering schemes.

Following an investigation by The Times, Palatinate made Freedom of Information requests about the amount of cash payments made by students to Durham University over the past decade.

During that period, Durham

accepted £805,164 in cash payments for tuition fees and £216,831 for accommodation fees.

In February, The Times described the acceptance of payment using banknotes from overseas students as “an open invitation to money launderers.”

In an editorial, The Times said that “unlike accountancy and financial firms, universities are not automatically subject to money laundering regulations requiring enhanced due diligence”.

A breakdown of the data by Continued on page 4

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

2

Editorial

Inside 840 Satire page 3 News pages 3-7 Comment pages 8-10 Profile pages 11-13 SciTech pages 14-16 Politics pages 17-19 Puzzles page 20 PalatiDates page 20 Sport pages 21-24

indigo

(Adeline Zhao)

The end of the road

T

hese, alas, are the last words I will write for Palatinate, a reality which you, reader, have no doubt read with a nighoverpowering sense of dismay.

Yet here we are, my three years in Durham are almost through.

It is a cliché to say that all good things must come to an end, but this nevertheless rings true. Over the past few peculiar terms, this sentiment has driven me forth to make the very best of the time I have left in this city.

And what a glorious city it is.

I have only recently – thanks to extensive lockdown coffee walks – come to fully appreciate the wondrous beauty of these grey towers, this half church of God, this half castle ‘gainst the Scot.

Legendary former Palatinate Editor-in-Chief Harold Evans, in an article for this paper’s 800th edition, summarised this place with far greater eloquence than I could ever dream of possessing.

“This amazing, historic peninsula awakens dormant senses. Who could not be thrilled, and changed, by the learning, the music, the debates, the architecture, the companionship, the contiguity of town and gown.”

Who could not? Certainly not I. The buildings I have been surrounded by, the friends I have made, the things I have learned, the ways I have grown, the memories I will keep. This place has left its imprint deep inside me, indelibly cast in darkest ink.

Frankly, it has been the privilege of my life to attend this university.

A state school-educated North

Yorkshire lad who missed the grade requirements of his offer, that’s me.

At times, I have struggled, like many others who go up to Durham from similar backgrounds, with a sense of inferiority. When surrounded by a crescendo of casually confident and conspicuously cultured peers, it is difficult not to.

Over time, however, those feelings have steadily dissipated.

It does not matter, at the end of the day, that I do not fully enunciate my speech, offer frightfully boring insights into art and literature, or style my hair like peak-90s David Beckham.

I have proven I deserve to be here, not in spite of who I am, but because of it. For that, and so much more, I owe an unquantifiable debt of gratitude to this paper.

In a way, Palatinate has defined my time in Durham. I first joined as a naïve and fairly shy first-year two weeks after freshers’ week, becoming Deputy Sport Editor.

Beyond writing articles, I didn’t particularly get involved in the paper until the following year, when I moved up to edit Sport alongside Tomas Hill LopezMenchero, an experienced hand if ever there was one.

Alongside our deputies Alana Ker Mercer, Hector Pearce and Matt Styles (yes, the Matt Styles), we had a blast. Long, rainy afternoons spent in the office on painfully slow Macs didn’t matter.

We were producing the sports coverage which we wanted to read and having a laugh at every

step along the way.

That experience was pivotal in being offered a year abroad with the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Sadly, a certain global pandemic had different plans.

But things always work out if one perseveres with faith: in spite of it all, the last year has been outstanding.

I’ve worked with genuinely brilliant people – Imogen, Tash, Toby, Max, Harrison, Hugo and Millie – to lead the production of these pages, always in awe of their unrelenting work ethics.

We’ve grafted in our attempts to create a sustainable future for this paper, always endeavouring to ensure that the unbelievable opportunities which it has given to us will also be there for the generations of Durham students to come.

That fight is not yet over, and I have no doubt that Toby and my successor will drive boldly forwards, ever searching for those golden, sunlit uplands which lay just out of reach. Go well, team. I’m right behind you.

To the Editorial Board, thank you. Your passion and creativity has wowed me every single day.

There are too many individuals to name, but special mentions must go to this year’s Investigations, Comment and Sport teams.

Quality chat, quality work. Thank you for it all.

Being able to spend time with the team in person, after so long on Zoom, has been an absolute pleasure, and something I will always be grateful for.

Editorial page 2 Fashion page 3 Features pages 4-5 Food & Drink page 6 Film & TV page 7 Books pages 8-9 Interview page 10 Visual Arts page 11 Music pages 12-13 Stage page 14 Creative Writing page 15 Travel page 16

A note from the Subs

It’s been a great joy to be a part of the Palatinate team for this year and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing team, Tim and Toby. Being part of the team has been incredibly rewarding for us, personally and professionally and we wish all future Chief Sub-Editors the best of luck.

— Ishita and Naomi

I still feel immense sympathy for last year’s finalists, who had their final term in Durham ripped away from them and thus were not able to properly say goodbye to this wonderful city.

My friends and family, too, deserve credit. Again, they will know who they are – both old and new, from home or at Durham – and what they have provided.

Here’s to keeping it together as we hurtle towards graduate life.

Ultimately, being recognised as the UK and Ireland’s best student newspaper in May’s Student Publication Association Awards was just the icing on the cake. The memories mean so much more.

So here we are: the end of the road. I hope you enjoy reading this edition as much as I have enjoyed contributing during these three wonderful years.

Tim Sigsworth Editor-in-Chief

Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham University. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk

Palatinate Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Tim Sigsworth & Toby Donegan-Cross editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Max Kendix & Harrison Newsham deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Martha McHardy, Patrick Stephens & Theo Burman news@palatinate.org.uk News Reporters Kiara Davies, Keziah Smith, Poppy Askham, Orlando Bell, Isabel C. Davis, Josh Hurn, Jess Jones, Abigail Brierley & Cristina Coellen Investigations Editors Luke Payne, Heather Rydings & Katie Tobin investigations@palatinate.org.uk Satire Editors Ben Lycett, Hannah Williams & Adeline Zhao satire@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Cerys Edwards & Honor Douglas comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Ellie Fitzgerald-Tesh & George Simms Profile Editors Isabella Green & Izzy Harris profile@palatinate.org.uk Science & Technology Editors Ewan Jones, Faye Saulsbury & Elise Garcon scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Sophie Farmer & Aisha Sembhi politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editors Anna Shepherd & Lilith Foster-Collins Puzzles Editors Harry Jenkins & Thomas Simpson puzzles@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editors Matt Styles & Luke Power sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ben Fleming & James Reid Indigo Editors Hugo Millard & Millicent Machell indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editors Elle Woods-Marshall, Immy Higgins & Aadira Parakkat features@palatinate.org.uk Creative Writing Editors Millie Stott & Ella Al-Khalil Coyle creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editors Charlie Barnett & Issy Flower stage@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editors Emma Tucker & Carys Stallard visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Sol Noya & Millie Vickerstaff books@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editors Emily Potts & Erin Waks fashion@palatinate.org.uk Food & Drink Editors Meghna Amin & Constance Lam food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editors Gracie Linthwaite & Emma Johnson travel@palatinate.org.uk Film & TV Editors Grace Marshall & Charlotte Grimwade film@palatinate.org.uk Music Editors Katherine Pittalis, Katya Davisson & Annabelle Bulag music@palatinate.org.uk Interview Editors Claudia Jacob & Aimee Dickinson indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub Editors Ishita Srivastava & Naomi RescorlaBrown chief.sub@palatinate.org.uk Sub Editors Chloe Waugh, Isobel Tighe, Mikey Canty, Rj Batkhuu & Susie Bradley Photography Editor Mark Norton photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors James Tillotson & Adeline Zhao Illustration Editors Amber Conway, Verity Laycock & Samantha Fulton illustration@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officers Zoe Antonova & Nicole Wu social.media@palatinate.org.uk Finance Officer Sophie Garnett finance@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officers Alex Cowan, Amana Moore & Kate Pesenti

3

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

Satire & News

Palatinate Satire University curbs increase Fresher returns from in firsts using undercover expedition to discover actors to distract students rumoured college

Satire Editors: Benjamin Lycett, Hannah Williams & Adeline Zhao For more satire, visit www.palatinate.org.uk/category/satire

Have you got a friend that is always encouraging you to drink just before a deadline, who is always up for a laugh and never seems to do any work? Well, they could be one of the many undercover actors Durham University employs to distract you just enough to rob you of a First.

The proportion of students now receiving first-class honours has now risen so much that “practically every student gets one”, we’re told by an angry man in the pub. To address this, the University has invested

millions in training method actors to divert the attention of students away from studies and on to unimportant activities like drinking or JCR positions no one cares about.

How can you spot one? The distraction tactics the actors employ include talking so much in tutorials that you lose interest entirely, tagging you in Tindurs that don’t even match your initials, and sometimes sneaking up on people working in the library to shout ‘boo’.

When we asked a University representative whether investing in lowering academic

performances was an appropriate use of funds, he shouted “Woah, look at that behind you”, then escaped out the window while our backs were turned.

A Palatinate investigation found that around 65% of the undergraduate intake are now actors, meaning real students are almost certainly living with one currently. We suggest confronting all your housemates with excessive aggression, just in case.

Equally, if you’re one of those undercover, it’s also very possible your housemates are too, in which case feel free to drop the act.

This trend has continued, with the fall in dropouts mostly accounted for by a fall in dropouts among first-year students, only 45 of whom dropped out in the first term. That is compared to an average of 80 for the previous four years.

The data for Epiphany term returned to the levels of previous years with 40 undergraduates dropping out in the second term of this academic year. That is only slightly below the average for the previous four years of 55.

Michaelmas term saw Covid-19 outbreaks in some colleges as well as a national lockdown, while Epiphany was taught entirely online because of government restrictions.

The gender ratio of dropouts was almost exactly equal between men and women for this academic year, with 50 female and 45 male (rounded to the nearest five). To the nearest five, there were no students listed as “Other” gender who dropped out this year. The proportion of dropouts among White and BME students is roughly equal at both postgraduate and undergraduate level.

However, while dropouts are down this year, suspensions have significantly risen. Suspensions here are not disciplinary but rather students who have gained concessions to take time out of their studies.

As of the start of Easter term this year, 320 undergraduates had suspended their studies, with 245 of them repeating a year.

That is the highest figure in the last five years, despite it covering only two of the three academic terms.

The previous highest figure was 305 for 2018-19.

From the start of the 2016-17 academic year to the end of this year’s Epiphany term, the sum of the number of students (rounded to the nearest five) who dropped out was 1,170.

All data given here is rounded to the nearest five. Averages and totals are calculated based on this rounded data.

A fresher who embarked on a DU Exploration Society-funded expedition to discover the location of the rumoured ‘Ushaw College’ has safely returned.

The fresher revealed to Palatinate that “it was a difficult two weeks with limited access to supplies, but the Trangia stove, head torch and spork provided by generous sponsors ensured that I was fully equipped for the dangerous adventure.”

The fresher has since been awarded the coveted LinkedIn ‘resilience, perseverance and initiative’ prize for their discovery and in an exclusive interview revealed that “if it wasn’t for my remote Bright Network internship, my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and cadet training, none of this would have been possible.”

We at Palatinate congratulate them on their achievement.

Satire complains it hasn’t got room for third article or headli-

Michaelmas dropouts fell Jewish groups criticise 45% while suspensions rose DSU boycott of Israel Patrick Stephens News Editor Only 55 undergraduate students dropped out in the first term of this academic year, which is almost half the average over the previous four years.

For each of the last five years, the number of first-year students dropping out has been significantly higher than among those in later years of their degree.

(Maddie Flisher)

(Maddie Flisher)

Max Kendix Deputy Editor

The national Union of Jewish Students has accused Durham students in Durham Students’ Union’s (DSU) Assembly of “shutting down dialogue” after the body voted to lobby the University to boycott and divest from organisations that fund or support the Israeli government “as it commits acts of terror against the Palestinian people”.

The motion to “stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine”, presented by the Durham People of Colour Association (DPOCA), passed DSU’s Assembly last Thursday by a comfortable margin.

Dan Takyi, President of DPOCA, said the motion was “standing on the shoulders” of the movement to boycott apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, saying that “they made a difference, and we hope that we can also”.

The motion also condemns the UK government “in its complicity in funding and supporting such acts of terror and grossly disproportionate violence”, arguing that DSU “has a duty to fight for the fundamental rights of the people of Palestine”.

Jewish student groups have expressed concern over the support of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement in the motion. In a joint statement to Palatinate, the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Miriam Makin, President of Durham’s Jewish Society (JSoc), said: “The result of adopting BDS is fundamentally

the shutting down of dialogue and the creation of division and divisive environments. In the past we have seen antisemitic rhetoric used within the BDS movement, and this is inexcusable.

Universities and Students’ Unions must be a place of respectful debate and discussion and BDS only creates hostility and negativity on campus, leading to division as opposed to cohesion.

“UJS and Durham JSoc are committed to seeing and supporting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

We support and welcome all students to have brave and tough conversations, in what should be a safe and open space, rather than an experience of exclusion, singling out, and turning it into a combative and negative environment on campus.”

“BDS only creates hostility and negativity on campus”

Yash Raju, Vice-President of DPOCA, told Palatinate that this was not the intention: “This motion was a stance of solidarity with an oppressed people against a government with a grossly disproportionate amount of power which has continued to butcher innocent civilians. This is not a motion on antisemitism, the legitimacy of the Israeli state or the erasure of the suffering of the Israeli people, what this motions Law) serves toADELINE be is a ZHOUtrice condemnation of a powerful government and its complicity in continued atrocities against comparatively powerless civilians.”

Adeline Zhou(Olivia Inspires)

4

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

News

One-third of students rate counselling service as “adequate” or “poor” Heather Rydings Investigations Editor CW: Eating disorders A Palatinate investigation into student satisfaction with Durham University’s mental health support services has revealed concerns surrounding the quality of the support offered, the ease of access to support, and worries about the lack of out-of-term support.

Palatinate, in collaboration with Durham Polling, conducted a survey of over 100 students, of whom only 14.1% felt that their counsellor was ‘very good’ at listening and understanding.

At 51.5%, the majority of students described their counsellor as ‘good’ at listening and understanding, whereas 34.4% of those surveyed described their counsellor as ‘adequate’ or ‘poor’.

The student said they were given “an ultimatum”

When asked if they felt supported by their counsellor, 76.6% of respondents agreed and a further 81.3% said that they felt that counselling had improved their overall university experience.

Despite this, one student described what they felt to be a complete lack of support from the University’s mental health support services: “They should be renamed Mental Health NonSupport; they don’t offer support; they certainly haven’t offered me any”.

This student informed Palatinate that they were contacted by the University’s mental health team after being

hospitalised for their mental health.

Following this, the student said they were given “an ultimatum” to decide whether they should suspend their studies temporarily, which would include the termination of their scholarship on the grounds that they were “unfit to study”.

“They should be renamed Mental Health NonSupport; they don’t offer support; they certainly haven’t offered me any”

“I was put on the spot and asked to describe my mental health issues,” the student informed Palatinate, “they kept repeating that they needed information on the nature of my conditions, my triggers […] this in itself is triggering […] and I’d been instructed by the NHS mental health professionals not to talk about it, as trauma is approached in a specific way. Nonetheless, the mental health representative kept asking me.

“I was also kept largely in the dark about what the processes were, no idea whether I was going to be suspended […] if I admitted this process was affecting me, I could be pronounced unfit to study.”

Another student expressed similar concerns about the lack of appropriate support for their own eating disorder-specific mental health issues: “You can’t always see what the backgrounds of different counsellors are before choosing your first appointment because some counsellors don’t really have an online presence”.

“I needed eating disorder-specific advice and understanding, and without that it meant I was

explaining really common traits and habits in eating disorder circles to my counsellor, which was frustrating.”

The student added that more in-depth profiles of each counsellor would also have been beneficial to them as a woman of colour and a Muslim: “It would’ve meant that complex issues, particularly during Ramadan, weren’t met with confusion […]

I felt I couldn’t really get what I wanted in terms of support because of that”.

Issues around the speed of accessing support and the lack of out-of-term support were other areas of concern raised by students during Palatinate’s investigation.

Palatinate’s survey found that 39.1% of students were waiting between five to 10 days from their initial referral to their first appointment and a further 21.9% were waiting over 10 working days.

“I reached out and filled out all the forms and eventually got to the booking screen. There were loads of slots but only one or two weren’t already taken.

“I was lucky in that I could make one of the slots available, but I don’t really know what I would’ve done if I couldn’t have made that slot […] it was the near the end of term, so it would’ve involved waiting four weeks to finally get some support.

“I was also kept largely in the dark about what the processes were”

“I know the service is busy, especially with the pandemic, but it does worry me. Like what if I hadn’t been so lucky getting a slot?

“I’ve also found the break

really hard to cope with,” the student continued. “I wish there was some kind of support I could access outside of term time […] having no support during the holidays kind of made me feel like I was back at square one when I came back to counselling after the break”.

Another student echoed these worries: “Sessions aren’t run over the holidays and since you’re advised that you can’t have two different forms of counselling at once, you’re just stranded for four to five weeks with minimal support.”

“Like what if I hadn’t been so lucky getting a slot?”

In response to the findings, Jeremy Cook OBE, Durham University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience) said: “The health, safety and wellbeing our students, staff and the wider community is always our first priority.

“Students have access to a range of pastoral support through their colleges and central services such as our counselling team, by accessing Covid-secure face-toface or online services.

“Our advisers are also trained to signpost to telephone or digital services including those used by the NHS.” The University added that demand for counselling services has increased as a result of Covid-19 and that, as a consequence, they have added additional staffing resources.

A spokesperson informed Palatinate that it is currently able to meet the level of demand but will “continue to keep the situation under active review and take necessary action if this changes”.

“Durham is proud to be a global University” Continued from front country revealed that cash was paid by students from 38 countries in total.

The top three biggest sources of cash payments were China, Turkey and Pakistan. Students from China were by far the largest source, representing about half of all cash payments over the period.

A 2019 report by the National Crime Agency revealed that Chinese students in the UK were at risk of being targeted by money launderers.

In response to the findings, Professor Claire O’Malley, ProVice-Chancellor (Global) at

Durham University, said: “Our international students form a vital part of the Durham University community and are integral to our position as a globally networked university.

The top three biggest sources of cash payments were China, Turkey and Pakistan

“Each year a small number of students do opt to pay their fees in cash.

“Our procedures regarding the acceptance of cash are in keeping with the UK Money Laundering

Regulations, which require that we keep a record of all single transactions in cash of £2,000 or more.

“Our procedures regarding the acceptance of cash are in keeping with the UK Money Laundering Regulations”

“As per the regulations, a form is also completed to detail the cash received.

“Durham is proud to be a global University and we are committed to welcoming students from all countries to benefit from, and contribute to, our world-leading teaching and research”.

(Milly Wang)

Seun Twins Durham Students’ Union President Hi everyone, First, a massive congratulations on getting through your exams and summative works. It has been a tough year for us all so this achievement cannot be celebrated enough.

The Riverside Cafe is now open from midday until late until 2nd July as an additional space for students to socialise together in Durham.

Ewan (Welfare and Liberation) led the DSU “Durham Demands Better” campaign in response to student feelings of disappointment towards both the way the government has treated students, and an inadequate response from the Universities Minister to the SU’s letter asking for comprehensive financial support for students paying for empty accommodation.

Sarah (Postgraduate Academic) has recently been working to draw up a draft Postgraduate Access and Participation Plan, which was taken to Assembly last week.

Nailah (Undergraduate Academic) has made a significant step forward in the ongoing work by the SU and the University to decolonise the curriculum.

The recruitment of Faculty and Department Interns will provide paid opportunities for students to work with academic staff on this.

Anna (Opportunities Officer) has recently made her second presentation of the year to the University Executive Committee (UEC) on sustainability. It’s important for the University to acknowledge where it could go further and do more.

Lastly, we have completed the second and final stage of research for the Culture Commission.

The commissioners’ individual research will feed into the report, which I will write over the summer. Since my re-election for President, we have decided to extend the writing process.

In the new timeline, the final report for the Culture Commission will be published in October 2021. We believe it is important to set a new tone for the postpandemic world; October is also culturally significant as it will be Black History Month, and it would be a year’s anniversary for the Commission itself.

Take care everyone, continue to stay safe, and drop be afraid to drop me an email at su.president@durham.ac.uk Seun Twins, President

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

5

News

21-22 sees 108% increase in Durham deferrals Theo Burman and Martha McHardy News Editors Durham University saw a drastic increase in undergraduate and postgraduate students deferring their applications to study at the University for the 202122 academic year, according to data obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Palatinate.

280 undergraduate students and 725 postgraduates deferred their applications to study at Durham for the 2020-21 academic year, compared to 485 undergraduates and 1,615 postgraduates for 2021-22.

The data includes all undergraduate and postgraduate applicants who deferred their year of entry, regardless of what stage their application was at.

Therefore the data includes applicants who had not received a decision on their application, as well as offer holders and applicants who had been accepted following their results.

The University told Palatinate that “the level of deferrals recorded is a direct result of the impacts of the global pandemic”.

“Last year was, in many respects, a remarkable year but there was also much about it that was the same or similar”

A number of measures have been put in place to allow applicants to progress to Durham despite Covid-19.

In August 2020, the University announced a ‘deferral bursary’ for undergraduate offer holders who met their Durham offer after they were awarded increased grades through the Centre Assessed Grades process last summer. The bursary came in the form of discounts on college accommodation fees up to the value of £1,500, based on a student’s household income.

Recipients of the bursary with an annual household income below £25,000 will receive the maximum discount of £1,500, while those between £25,000 and £42,500 will receive £1,000 off their accommodation fees.

Students with a household income above £42,500 will receive the minimum £500 discount. This bursary discount or ‘”Transition Support” fund will be offered in addition to the Durham Grant.

For undergraduates, UCAS changed its admissions process to allow applicants to take up Autumn resits. This allowed applicants until January 2021 – the standard deadline would

(Beatrice Law)

have been 31st August 2020 – to meet the terms of their offer, with a deferred place at their firm and insurance universities held until those results were published.

“Wherever possible, we take account of circumstances and do our very best to adapt to fit the needs of individuals” UCAS also allowed students to make an additional 2021 entry application and have two live applications for two different cycles open simultaneously until January 2021. This offered applicants the opportunity to make informed choices in exceptional circumstances, and was a move supported by universities.

Of those applicants who were granted a deferred entry as part of these arrangements, some remain active whilst others have opted for alternative arrangements of their own choosing.

The University disclosed a list of “legitimate reasons for not being able to meet the requirements”, which include the inability to sit examinations due to ill health related to Covid-19 or self-isolation requirements, severe financial hardship caused by furloughing or redundancies, and the late awarding of qualifications.

“For undergraduates, we have a policy of accepting deferred applications up to and not exceeding 15% of the places available overall or in individual departments for the following year so the most recent cohort of applicants (applying in the following cycle) are not disadvantaged.

“We have never come close to meeting or exceeding that threshold, including last cycle.

That is to say that the requests to defer from 2020 to 2021 for UG applicants did not meet or exceed our 15% threshold. As a result, all such requests could be comfortably accommodated.

“For postgraduates, our policy is generally not to defer offers but to defer applications. This ensures that all applicants who request a deferral and all those applying afresh in the following cycle are considered together and in competition, providing equal access to offers for all regardless of year of application.

“Last year was, in many respects, a remarkable year but there was also much about it that was the same or similar to any other admissions cycle.

They continued, “Wherever possible, we take account of individual circumstances and do our very best to adapt to fit the needs of individuals where it is appropriate to do so.

“We do practice contextual admissions, which means we

do try to identify any barriers to participation wherever they exist and to mitigate for these. In that sense, the last cycle was no different to any other.

“The global pandemic is just one example of a barrier that required an agile admissions process to facilitate progression to Durham. There have been many others over the years but perhaps what was unique about this one was it was global, rather than individual or regional, in nature.

“We were therefore able to take a proactive approach to supporting and facilitating our applicants.”

“Amongst the measures we instigated was a willingness to encourage requests for deferral where it was not possible for applicants to meet the required entry criteria.”

The financial incentive offered by Durham University to defer from 2020-21 to 2021-22 was only offered to undergraduate offer holders who were awarded increased grades through the Centre Assessed Grades process last summer that meant they then met their Durham offer.

90 applicants in this situation deferred their entry to 2021-22, although it is impossible to identify those that did this as a result

of the financial incentive against those that chose to defer their offer for alternative reasons.

Due to applicants holding multiple offers across the world, many of these numbers will not manifest in students next year.

Students may decide to accept offers from other universities and this is especially true for international students, who are not picked up by the UCAS records.

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Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

News

Largest ever private student residences planned at Mount Oswald site Luke Payne Investigations Editor Durham’s largest ever private student residence is planned for the field adjacent to John Snow and South Colleges on Mount Oswald. The development will provide an additional 850 beds across eleven buildings up to four stories tall.

The site is planned by The Banks Group, the company responsible for the construction of the new South and John Snow college buildings. The proposed development sits between the colleges and a residential housing estate to the west of the Mount Oswald site.

Outline planning permission for the site was originally granted in 2018 but since then The Banks Group have struggled to identify a strategic partner to take the project forward. They therefore reapplied for planning permission at the end of 2020 to find time to progress the development.

At capacity, the development would almost double the number of students on the Mount Oswald site. Concerns over the size of the student cohort have led to residents of the Mount Oswald housing estate submitting objections to the development.

Many residents have voiced concerns about noise and poor student behaviour. One resident claimed that the development

would have “considerable negative impact on our community and family life.”

Another concern was in relation to increased traffic from students bringing their cars to Durham. Many residents claimed that students from John Snow and South were parking in the housing estate and using up visitor spaces.

Many believe these will get worse if the development goes ahead.

Residents also believe, even without the planned development, that there are insufficient facilities to support the existing residents of the area.

Several said there was a lack of retail and green space offering.

As a result, some suggested that the site should instead be used to support existing residents.

Durham University submitted a statement supporting the original application in 2017, claiming “there is a clear demand for greater choice of good quality accommodation” and that the site “relates well to land within the Durham University Estate”.

When approached for comment, Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “The Mount Oswald development was designed by Banks in support of the County Council’s vision of Durham City acting as a driver of economic growth in the county and it is continuing to evolve into the type of high-quality community that we’d originally

(Luke Payne)

envisaged.

“Including first class, purposebuilt student accommodation has been central to the Mount Oswald development’s design right from the outset, with the need for it being clearly identified in both the Durham Local Plan and Durham University’s long-term development strategy.

“The planning application was

previously consented in 2017 after going through the required planning approval process, which included a detailed examination of every aspect of our proposals.

“Other than the addition of updated survey information, nothing has changed within the proposals since then and it remains wholly fit for purpose, but with construction having been delayed by the pandemic, a renewal of the planning approval is now required.

“We will continue to engage with all parties through the renewal process and hope to be

able to make further progress on this project in the near future.

“Work on the substantial green infrastructure at Mount Oswald is continuing, with several footpaths and cycleways now being opened up to the public and enhancements being made to the 18 acres of public open space within the site.

“As a long-established Durhambased family firm, we are proud to be driving forward an excellent scheme which will have longterm positive impacts on many levels for the city, the University and the wider region.”

to reduce their salaries from August 2020 as part of the scheme. It is unclear whether the Vice-Chancellor’s salary was reduced again after July 2020.

Predicting a significant reduction in international student recruitment due to Covid-19 restrictions and the prospect of online education, the University also reduced non-staffing costs and instated a freeze on hiring non-essential staff to protect against income loss.

However, the Vice-Chancellor assured Palatinate that the University is “in a better financial position now than we thought we might have been a year ago”.

According to The Times, about 1,900 staff have been made redundant via voluntary and compulsory redundancies, and the ending of fixed term contracts, since March last year at the universities that reinstated Vice-Chancellor pay.

Joanne Race, the University’s

Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development, said: “Durham University has remained open, although operating differently, throughout the pandemic. The health and safety of our community is our priority and we have carefully considered how best to protect our staff and the University.

“Like many other HEIs and following consultation with the Trade Unions, we decided to engage with the Government’s Temporary Job Retention Scheme, in accordance with Government guidance. This decision was not taken lightly.

“The University worked within the rules and the spirit of the Job Retention Scheme, which was designed to protect roles. All staff who were furloughed continued to receive full pay and all have now returned to work.

“As the majority of services remained open for business we used the Scheme in a

proportionate and limited manner. This included accessing the Scheme only where there was no possibility of temporarily redeploying colleagues to work elsewhere in the University.”

Durham UCU said: “The Vice Chancellor lives on another planet compared to most workers at the University.

“His salary is worth over five times the salary of most lecturers – for many estates and professional services staff, his salary is 10 times higher.

“The fact that the University management increased his salary whilst many were on furlough and worried for their jobs speaks volumes about their attitude towards staff. UCU advocates a policy of a 10:1 maximum pay differential, meaning that the highest paid in the university would earn no more than 10 times as much as the lowest. For Durham, that would equate a salary of £164,200.”

It would almost double the number of students on the Mount Oswald site

“These inflated salaries come at a time when jobs for the rank-and-file are being slashed and removed” Continued from front

boosted the salary of their ViceChancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, to its pre-pandemic level in April 2021.

Commenting on the ViceChancellor’s remuneration, a Durham University spokesperson clarified that “Durham’s ViceChancellor pay is determined and published by the Remuneration Committee, whose members are independent of the University Executive. It is also published as part of the annual Financial Statements.”

In an exclusive interview with Palatinate, when asked if he believes that executives at universities are overpaid, the Vice-Chancellor said: “I think it’s for the University to decide where the pay levels are set, and for others to commentate on whether we’re paid at an appropriate level.”

Commenting on the Vice-

Chancellor’s salary, the Durham branch of the University and College Union (DUCU) said: “DUCU condemns the systemic inequalities that inflated salaries for senior managers of universities introduces.

“These inflated salaries, coming at a time when jobs for the rank and file are being slashed and removed, when our workloads are ever increasing, are a slap in the face to the people who truly make the University function, and are yet another symptom of the increasing marketisation of education.”

The University introduced voluntary measures for staff in a bid to recover £10 million worth of pandemic-related financial losses. These included a five to 20% pay cut for a minimum of three months, a minimum 10% reduction in hours, voluntary severance, and early retirement.

All members of the University Executive Committee volunteered

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

7

News

“I had assumed that the University would have a procedure for giving the appropriate punishment” Continued from front the possibility that complainants were “encouraging” the abuse.

Jeremy Cook, Pro-ViceChancellor (Colleges and Student Experience) at Durham University, said: “Durham University is a safe place to live, work and study, and we are working tirelessly, including with our students and student leaders, to make it even more so.

“There is no place here for individuals who are found to have committed acts of sexual misconduct or violence. When students disclose or report instances of sexual misconduct or violence to us, we are committed to providing comprehensive support, investigating promptly and taking decisive action.

“Our approach has seen an increase in cases reported to us, but we see this as our community growing in confidence that we will act appropriately in response to such reports.

“We are deeply saddened to hear the experiences of the students interviewed by Palatinate and would welcome the opportunity to understand their concerns more fully, so that we can enhance our procedures and service in future.”

When asked what measures the University puts in place to protect victims of sexual assault during complaint investigations, a spokesperson responded: “The University recognises the many barriers that victimsurvivors face in disclosing sexual misconduct and violence and that all processes from disclosure through to discipline need to be conducted in ways that do not retraumatise victim-survivors.

“We start by allowing victimsurvivors to have autonomy in choosing to make a report to the University and/or Police. If a report is made, the University protects victim-survivors during investigations in the following ways: “Through student support: Staff receive training on how to respond to disclosures of sexual misconduct and violence and support students during investigations.” the spokesperson continued. “Reporting Parties are assigned a member of staff in their College who is available to offer them support during the investigation process.

“Reporting Parties also have the option to engage with specialist counselling delivered at the University by the Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre.

For the Reporting Parties who wish to make a report to the Police, they also have access to

an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor through the North East SARC Support Service.

“Through precautionary measures: The University conducts a risk assessment when a report is made to the University or to the Police regarding an incident of sexual misconduct and violence. Based on the risk assessment, the University will put in place precautionary measures to mitigate any risk of future harm to the Reporting Party or other community members.

“Precautionary measures may include a No Contact Arrangement, partial suspension or full suspension from the University whilst university or criminal investigations are underway. Responding Parties are informed they cannot make any direct or indirect contact with the Reporting Party and told that retaliation is not tolerated at the University.

“Through trauma-informed investigations: The University only uses investigators who have been trained in traumainformed investigating for sexual misconduct, specifically.

In previous years, the investigations have been conducted by trained volunteer investigators from the University. Specifically we now have appointed two fulltime professional investigators who conduct trauma-informed investigations too.

These investigations are now completed within 90 days of a report being received by the University in most cases.”

Once the investigation is concluded, a report is sent to the complainant which includes the accounts of both themselves and the alleged perpetrator. Alongside these are the investigator’s assessment of their veracity.

In the case of alleged abuse, a student told Palatinate that having to read the account of their abuser “blurred their sense of reality” when their abuser had suggested that they were “obsessed with [them]”. This led them to wonder if they were overreacting, and, they reflected, “played into the whole culture of victim-blaming in Durham.”

This made them feel that the complaints process was not sufficiently geared towards protecting victims.

Despite the outcome of one disciplinary process concluding that an individual was guilty of harassment, they retained their JCR position and were able to continue being part of the college parenting scheme.

Excluding expulsion, when asked what measures are in place

to ensure that the outcomes of University complaints procedures guarantee a safe environment for victims in their colleges, a spokesperson responded: “The Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy covers a range of different forms of sexual misconduct. If, based on a balance of probabilities, it is found that a Responding Party has breached the Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy, a number of factors are considered to determine the appropriate and proportionate sanction to remedy the harm caused and/ or to prevent future harm from occurring. These factors include what the Reporting Party has requested in their report and any further impact statement they may have submitted during a disciplinary process.

“The University also considers if the breach is a Category 1 or Category 2 offence and any mitigating and/or aggravating factors that may be relevant. A range of sanctions can be used, including, but not limited to, a No Contact Order, change of College membership, bans from specific parts of the University, a one-year exclusion from the University, or permanent expulsion.

“If, based on a balance of probabilities, it is not found that the Responding Party breached the policy, then often a No Contact Arrangement can be offered to both parties and the option of moving College membership can be discussed with any one party who may wish to move.

“Finally, the University believes that part of ensuring a safe environment for Reporting Parties includes sharing the outcome of an investigation and discipline process, including sanctions where relevant, with both the Reporting and Responding Parties. Knowing the outcome of the investigation and discipline process can help Reporting Parties feel safer at the University.”

Complaints are all handled centrally by the University, however a number of students reported that they contacted the JCR first with their complaint.

One student described how a JCR welfare officer, who was friends with the individual they accused of abuse, had spread their confidential conversation.

The same student was told by other members of the college that, in submitting a complaint, they “could ruin [their] life” and, as a result, felt actively encouraged not to complain.

Another member of their college staff allegedly remarked, upon hearing the account of abuse, “oh,

what a shame. [They] seem like a lovely [person]”.

In one instance, when a complaint was resolved and the accused student was forbidden from entering their college for the remainder of the academic year, the student could remain a member of the JCR, including holding a senior position on the executive. This is because the outcome of the complaints procedure, bar expulsion, does not necessarily bind colleges.

Although close-knit communities are one of the perks of the collegiate experience, for victims of abuse and assault, it was reported that they also felt they were subject to judgement from their peers. For complainants, this involved cliqueness, gossiping, and students “taking sides” with either the alleged perpetrator or the victim.

It was reported that students were also not clearly signposted how to complain, and that breaching the issue first with JCR Welfare Officers could risk creating a “court of public opinion”, particularly with allegations against active JCR members. This was also reported to lead to potential biases in some cases and the bypassing of proper structures of complaint.

Having to read the account of their abuser “blurred their sense of reality”

Additionally, JCR Welfare Officers may not have undertaken the necessary training to deal with serious cases. Abuse cases are also often delegated to JCR officers who are likely to lack the training and impartiality required to provide adequate support to victims of abuse.

However, it was also reported that some students were subject to their accounts being misreported by senior college staff who misadvertently changed the substance of accounts, thereby diminishing the credibility of the original complaint.

These accounts are far from isolated incidents. An earlier Palatinate investigation found that there were 99 incidents of rape disclosed to Durham University from 2014 to 2019.

These figures appeared in a paper submitted to the University Executive Committee last December.

The paper also showed that there were 262 anonymous disclosures of abuse recorded between the 2014-15 and 201819 academic years. A total of 290 incidents were disclosed, around two-thirds of which concerned

rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

Despite the severe mental health impacts that complainants reported (stemming both from the initial incidents of abuse and the nature of the current student disciplinary procedures), University counselling has been described as “inadequate” to help them process their incidents.

One student confided that they had been assigned three different counsellors from the University, none of whom were helpful, and one of whom reversed the dynamic so that they felt that they had to counsel their counsellor.

These alleged failures related to the incoherency of the collegiateUniversity relationship. One student reported that, having been referred by their college welfare to go to the University, they were then redirected by the University back to their College.

Durham University’s counselling service experienced a 39% increase in the number of appointments attended in 2019-20, according to statistics published by the University.

In 2019-20, 9,400 counselling service appointments were attended by Durham students, compared to 6,754 the previous year.

The University added “additional staffing resources as a consequence” of the increased demand.

One Durham student who filed a report for abusive, threatening, and harassing behaviour had her complaint categorised as “sexual assault and/or harrassment”. She explained that she didn’t feel that the categorisation was suitable for the nature of her experience, and that her perpetrator’s requirement to re-do consent training felt “pointless” as a result.

Currently, UK universities function within national and international legal frameworks.

However, there are no specific legislative duties on UK universities in terms of data collection, prevention, and response akin to those under US law, such as; Title IX 1972; the Clery Act 1990/1998; VAWA Act 1994/2013; and Campus SaVE Act 2013. Action taken against perpetrators is thus at the discretion of each institution.

Durham’s Professor Nicole Westmarland, Director of the Durham Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse, said: “Universities have focused on sexual violence and forgotten or sidelined domestic violence by adhering to stereotypes about who experiences domestic violence and abuse and who is even in a serious relationship.”

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Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Comment

Online university: 24-hour exams in review Emma King When the University administration announced that this year’s exams would take place online once again, the overwhelming reaction from the student body was one of relief.

After an unprecedented year of academic disruption, returning to intense weeks of revision leading up to three hours in a pressurised exam hall was understandably unappealing. However, the reality of the 24-hour take-home exam has been more mentally and physically exhausting, and more guilty of encouraging a toxic work ethic, than any of us could have predicted.

For the second year running, Durham, like universities worldwide, had to find a way to replace traditional in-person exams with an online format. The theory behind the 24-hour exam was to emulate traditional exams as closely as possible. Whilst they were to be treated as open-book, we were told to spend the allotted time (two or three hours) on each exam within the 24-hour period.

The open-book nature of these assessments undoubtedly eased the pressure in the run-up to exam season. Learn-and-churn revision became unnecessary with unlimited access to lecture notes, textbooks and seminar readings in the duration of the exam itself.

The validity of factual recall as a test of intelligence is constantly (and very fairly) disputed.

Perhaps take-home exams would provide a more accurate picture of students’ engagement with and understanding of their subject, beyond the time-constraints of traditional memory tests?

In reality, they became a test of sheer endurance and stamina.

In an exam hall, everyone has the same time to prove their academic abilities. But this year, it became a contest as to who could sustain the longest hours at their desk, stay up the latest and take the fewest breaks. These assessments unintentionally encouraged students to sacrifice their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as precious hours of sleep, to produce higher quality answers. The reward of these sacrifices was one many thought worth taking.

This outcome was of course unintentional. But the University should have predicted it. Durham is one of the UK’s top universities,

attracting highly intelligent students with even higher expectations of themselves.

They gave us just 24 hours to demonstrate a year’s worth of knowledge and understanding.

Any student who restricted themselves to the allocated two to three hours would be doing themselves a disservice, since their work will inevitably be contrasted with peers who spent three to four times longer on the same exam. It was blind-sighted to believe the time-pressured

for the extensive hours spent, thereby undermining the expectations set out in their initial exam instructions. Otherwise, they risk the same criticism of a lack of grade spread as last year (when there was a 28.5% increase in first-class degree classifications between the 2019 and 2020 graduating classes.)

There has also been substantial evidence that some departments adjusted the rubric and difficulty of exams to compensate for the apparently ‘easier’ online

formats (and yet they were still told to do so in the same threehour time period as before.)

Having survived each 24-hour assessment period, the aftereffects of the sustained levels of stress were even more acute than those after regular exams.

The definitive relief at physically handing a paper in and walking out the exam hall was replaced by a low-burn sense of anxiety at the point of submission, that more work could be done, another proof read undertaken,

environment of an exam hall could be emulated at home at all.

Even with ample preparation, it would have been impossible to artificially self-impose the strict time limitations of an exam hall.

The messaging from the University around the expectations of the 24-hour exam was paradoxical. Departments stated that exam responses would be marked as if they had been written in exam conditions.

But by the very nature of openbook exams, the quality of written responses will automatically be much higher than what could be reasonably produced under exam conditions. The University will have to adjust their marking criteria retroactively to account

format. In STEM subjects, where a significant part of the paper would normally be short-answer questions of straight-forward factual recall, they were now dominated by complex problem questions. Whilst it would have been futile to ask students to transfer information straight from their textbook onto their transcript, these more complex, long-form questions inevitably took longer to complete than in normal time-constrained exams.

In other subjects, students were tested on incredibly niche parts of their lecture courses, far beyond the scope of past years’ papers. Other departments asked to produce double the number of essays as in the pre-pandemic

another hour of work on that one unresolved problem. Without that tangible point of relief (at least not until 9:30am the next morning), students struggled to switch off or even sleep, leaving many physically and mentally depleted with little time to recover properly before the next exam.

Perhaps the relatively relaxed revision period leading up to exam season offset the pressure of the 24-hour exams themselves.

(Although the number of summative assignments many of us were churning out up until the eleventh hour of the exam season might refute this.) Either way, the University should have been clearer, and much less naïve, as

to the expectations of this year’s exams.

So what about next year? In all likelihood, it will be possible to have in-person exams again.

But after two consecutive years of online assessment (and online teaching), the university should consider whether it is fair to revert back so suddenly. Next year’s finalists will have had no experience of sitting university exams in traditional timeconstrained settings; the grade spread will surely suffer then

(Verity Laycock) if we are forced back into exam halls for the first time in three years.

The last two years of enforced review of end-of-year assessment can be used as a learning experience. The benefits of a format which prioritises conceptual understanding over factual recall should be carried forward. But a system which rewards compromising health and wellbeing (even for a very short, intense period) should be left firmly in the past.

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PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

Comment

President vs. PM: patriotism across the pond Harrison Newsham To be the “leader of the free world” is quite a title, at any stretch. The role of US President, at least since 1945 or so, maintains a strange quasi-God-like presence in the global psyche: venerated and respected – feared – by people everywhere. That’s what you get when power is so concentrated in the hands of one person, in the country which holds most of the world’s power and capital.

Many Americans themselves play their part in maintaining this admiration. Star-spangled portraits of the president are a more common mantelpiece placement in US households than, say, Boris Johnson’s face in all its unkempt glory placed on a tea-stained side table in this green and pleasant land. The Prime Minister just doesn’t have the same market appeal to the masses as the President does – it’s a more human role, and (although begrudgingly it may not seem so effective right now) one more vulnerable to pub-talk scrutiny.

There’s a very simple reason for this distinction: the monarch is our divine archetype, not the Prime Minister. Queen Elizabeth is the figure in the UK that receives the veneration that the US President does, and it would be nonsense for this to be shared with the PM. But why should the President get the same treatment as the Queen? The President does

not have the history that the Queen rides upon the coattails of; it is also a role knee-deep in the everyday politics that the monarch is considered above.

Moreover, Presidents do not serve until they die - eight years is a pittance in comparison with the near 70-year rule Elizabeth II has enjoyed.

It comes down to the way we organise power in our two countries. We all recognise that in both the US and the UK there are three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judiciary.

However, there’s another, a fourth ‘symbolic’ branch, that maintains the narrative that the President and the monarch are the heaven-onearth figureheads they are seen to be. This branch the British monarch has alone maintained since Walpole, whilst the President blends it with the role of executive.

It makes sense that the US has carved their President to fit this role. For centuries, going back to the Egyptians, human society has always been organised into hierarchies (or so the school books say) with a figurehead representing God on Earth at the top. It’s as if after generations of this tradition, the Founding Fathers couldn’t help but recreate their own God-in-political-flesh after breaking away from the British monarch.

America has constructed a narrative for themselves whereby each new President must shape themselves into a monarch-like mould for a number of years, a narrative that is upheld by rituals such as the

First Family, the grandiosity of the inauguration ceremony, and the neoclassical architectural design of the White House and other D.C. landmarks. Their First Family finds congruence with our Royal Family; their inauguration ceremony, our coronations; and the architecture naturally shares the imposing nature of Buckingham Palace, but also the style we unconsciously associate with ancient Roman emperors.

So perhaps this means that it is not an individual human President who becomes the symbolic branch of government, rather the role of President.

This means the symbolic, divine power that courses through the blood of the British monarchy is democratically transferred every term. However, the American system does maintain some

close similarities with the British monarchy that suggests that when unlimited power is grasped by a President, it is hard for these individuals to let go.

This is clear when we consider how the US has developed its own dynastical families, members of whom often reach positions of power: Adams, Harrison, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, and (if Michelle’s running for the Presidency is really on the cards) Obama. Of course, these mock-dynasties are not as pervasive as the Royal Family, but it’s food for thought, nonetheless.

Further, that Presidents are referred to as ‘Mr President’ even after their term(s) in office has ended is also a structure which contributes towards this mythbuilding. It’s a strange tradition reminiscent of the ‘Royal

Highness’ address we Brits award our First Family throughout their lives.

That the role of the US President has garnered monarchical significance is not necessarily part of some big, elaborate conspiracy to keep power in the hands of the few.

Perhaps it is human nature to raise a select few within a hair’s breadth of God. Or, perhaps, we’ve been socialised to believe monarch-like power is the best way to organise society.

Either way, it’s interesting to observe that this phenomenon has happened, both materially and symbolically, and that whilst the monarch remains the symbolic power of the UK, the PM will never ascend to the primacy of the President in our political consciousnesses.

(Adeline Zhao)

‘Sharking’: harmless custom or feeding frenzy?

Sophie Harding Each year Durham University students pass down a torch of traditions to the next year’s ‘fresher’ cohort. You will be all too familiar with the whispers of fresher’s week: college rivalries, college parents and whether or not you’ll be ‘sharked’ on your first proper university night out.

But what exactly does being ‘sharked’ entail? It certainly sounds insidious. At its core, it refers to an older student pursuing a younger student.

But there do seem to be further connotations attached to ‘sharking’ that give it its predatory namesake. Some would argue that sharking is much more than a harmless university custom or

‘rite of passage’.

There are concerns that it trivialises unacceptable predatory behaviour such as harassment, coercion and even sexual assault. This is due to the way in which it could blur the lines between being pursued in a consensual and reciprocated manner and being coerced into an unwanted sexual act – all in the name of ‘being sharked’.

‘Sharking’ highlights a nasty side to university culture This is not a culture unique to Durham. Most universities in the UK are familiar with ‘sharking’: memes joking about the matter flood the unofficial Facebook pages of universities of all corners of UK. This nationwide-accepted tradition not only compares younger students to ‘shark’ prey

but, some would argue, attempts to excuse the exploitation of power for sexual purposes and social capital. The power in this context? Being (often only a year) older than those being ‘sharked’.

Of course, not every example of ‘sharking’ is a horror story of club night harassment and predatory behaviour. A broad term, ‘sharking’ may refer to a second year who enters into a fully consensual and loving relationship with a person who merely happens to be born three months prior to them.

Perhaps the issue with ‘sharking’ is this broad nature: when does the pursuit of a person younger than you start being an abuse of power?

Clearly, the issue with ‘sharking’ lies not with dating someone younger than you, but rather with the culture that surrounds it. When an action becomes an unofficial university ‘tradition’

or ‘custom’, the culture around it changes. Suddenly, dating someone a year younger than you gives you social capital, placing a social pressure on students to take part in this ‘tradition’.

Combining this pressure with alcohol, sex, and dating has inevitably ugly implications.

‘Sharking’ is not the only example of a university ‘tradition’ resulting in peer pressure and abuse. It highlights a nasty side to university culture, also seen in sport initiations. In this context, freshers once again are put at the mercy of older year groups, made to partake in sometimes traumatising and often disgusting activities – this time because they decided to join fourth team Water Polo. A long accepted unsaid university custom, initiations are another example of a university tradition gone bad.

But how are we expected

to tackle this issue? The student body alone cannot be expected to reverse years of an embedded toxic culture in one swift movement. Yet, University faculties cannot begin to understand the complexities of a culture that is both ever-changing and only seen through student eyes. Furthermore, any attempt University staff make to tackle this culture is often resented by the student body, who perceive it as being treated like children.

The solution is not quick neither simple. As students, we each have a responsibility to look out for each other and to ensure that we are not participating in a culture that normalises bullying and harassment. There are ways for students to partake in university traditions without contributing to this culture; the first step is calling out the abuse when we see it.

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Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Comment

Pandemic journalism is a recipe for disaster Holly Downes

My phone buzzes after yet another news update.

I have accumulated six news notifications within the space of two hours, all of which are bound to be an agglomeration of negativity. I try to refrain from reading them, yet my eyes cannot resist. I catch a glance of the first title that reads, ‘Lifting curbs on 21st June risks U-turn’ – the infamous date we are set to be free. My heart momentarily drops, and I instantly regret reading the notifications. This is my daily routine – a cycle of restraint, surrender and regret.

The news used to inspire me - it induced pleasure and was enjoyable - but the pandemic has jeopardised this experience.

Instead, every article is like the toss of a coin. The heads bear the good news, tails bear the bad. Yet this coin is defective and keeps landing on the tails, only occasionally landing on the heads. This is how news outlets operate. Mood-lifting articles are rare, and even when they surface, they are instantly demolished by the following six negative articles.

Before the pandemic, articles rarely ruined your morning, but this is no longer a rarity – it is the usual.

Many have taken a pledge to not read the news, a pledge that is completely understandable.

Receiving daily notifications of how many people have tragically died in a day is enough to put

you in a bad mood. People would rather live in their own bubble of happiness, disconnected from the calamity the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, than be oversaturated with negativity. Dobelli uses the analogy that ‘news is to the mind what sugar is to the body’, showing that in the same way sugar deteriorates the body, the stress caused from constant news updates obliterates the limbic system, an obliteration that the coronavirus news has sped up.

The public do not like being confused

The public do not like being confused. As it is merely human nature to seek clarity, with news outlets failing to give them that, the public took it upon themselves to search for answers regardless of their validity. The public are the root cause of the coronavirus infodemic. Facebook accounts began to release nonsensical theories on how the coronavirus pandemic started, many of which people believed in. From rumours that 5G phone masts spread coronavirus to a video claiming that the vaccines contain tracking microchips being shared 27,100 times on Facebook,

people seek coherence no matter how ridiculous. However, these theories are dangerous. Antimaskers began to unite. Groups who believed that coronavirus was a hoax were being established. It became harder to distinguish the harsh facts from false narratives, meaning people were not following the government’s guidelines which rapidly increased infection and death rates. Ironically, by seeking clarity, they rather created more uncertainty.

But should we blame journalists for the spread of the infodemic? Despite publishing

alarming articles that offer no clarity, they simply report what the government has authorised them to publish. Hence, the articles rather reflect the inherent contradiction in the government’s advice. Take their advice on travelling. Although they urged the public to not travel to amberlisted countries, people could still travel for ‘special circumstances’ – with many counting a holiday as a ‘special circumstance’. It is the journalist’s responsibility to remove this ambiguity, to provide clarification – a responsibility they have failed to fulfil.

(Nicole Wu)

When coronavirus was tacitly spreading across the world, journalists seemed incapable of deciphering the scale of the pandemic. It became easier to distract the public with the latest Netflix lockdown series and mindfulness minutes than reporting the number of deaths that were drastically increasing behind closed doors. News outlets simply did not want to induce panic, yet they did exactly that. Suddenly newspaper front covers were plastered with fearinducing headlines, with The Sun referring to coronavirus as the ‘deadly disease’, a comparison that increased fears rather than mitigating them. They activated the alarm bells. Supermarkets were raided, pasta and toilet roll became gold dust, streets became desolate; this is the power journalists hold. Yet, their power was used erroneously. Their job is to calm the public, yet in such a time of confusion, journalists simply fuelled this confusion.

Racism protests: impactful or performative?

Barney Bolton Over a year has passed since the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The officer fatally knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds.

The killing of an unarmed African American is not new.

Racism from police against minority groups has always caused justified uproar and protest. However, the killing of George Floyd was something of a wake-up call.

Protests against racial inequality were held in the aftermath of the incident with millions attending, sending shock waves globally. Protests took place in the UK, calling for equal treatment of all races.

The perception is that the United Kingdom is separate from the US in terms of racial injustice, watching riots from afar in a happily multicultural society.

While racism in the UK is likely less prevalent than in America, it most certainly is present in our society. Consequently, protests were necessary in raising awareness of the fact that racism is not an American issue - it is a worldwide issue.

The question following the protests is whether or not they made enough of a difference in the UK. Many would have hoped that racism in all its forms would have been eradicated by protests which raised awareness of the issue. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case.

Reports from the House of Commons library show that from 2019 to 2020 the number of reported hate crimes rose by

6%. The number of hate crimes in 2020 is reportedly 131% higher than in 2013. The rise of social media means that hate crimes can be committed more frequently and against anyone.

Manchester United player Marcus Rashford recently commented that following his performance in the Europa league final he received “at least 70 racial slurs”.

Rashford’s experiences are unfortunately common for those in the limelight and show that racism is far from being removed from society.

Less obvious forms of racism also exist in the UK. The black community has consistently had the highest rate of unemployment, with white Britons having the lowest. This may be due to perceptions of individuals dictated by racial differences.

The European Social Survey conducted an investigation

asking participants if “some races or ethnic groups are born harder working than others”, to which 44% of participants said yes.

Racism still exists, just as it always has This attitude was also the focus of a 2018 Guardian survey in which advertisements were published across the UK. One set of advertisements included the name ‘David’ while the other half were published under the name ‘Muhammad.’ The adverts including the name Muhammad received only eight positive responses for every ten that the David adverts did.

As a consequence of persistent racism, a survey conducted by YouGov reports that 84% of BAME Britons believe that racism does still exist in the UK to some extent.

Additionally, the ‘Community Life Survey’ shows that only 75% of the black community feel as if they belong in Britain, compared to 85% of the white community.

Awareness of racial inequality is not at the level it should be.

Protests undeniably made people think about these issues within British society, but for the white community it seems that the denial of issues of racism is more prevalent than the correction of those issues.

Protests do work, but simply looking online shows that some still act in a racist manner, in spite of this increased awareness.

Racism still exists, just as it always has.

Issues of racial inequality are not reserved for those in the minority, and until the majority embrace protests against racism, it is unlikely to be completely dispelled from society.

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

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Profile

Nocebo effect: “the placebo effect’s evil twin” Profile speaks to Dr. Rebecca Webster about her research into Covid-19 health behaviours and the UK’s pandemic response

Isabella Green Profile Editor Dr. Rebecca Webster, Durham University graduate and lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sheffield, has been recently recognised by Forbes 30 under 30 Science and Healthcare list for her research into the ‘nocebo’ effect and its relevance to health behaviours during the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Webster found out that she had made the 30 under 30 list, she was in disbelief. “Of course, I am hugely honoured. I could not have done it without the support of my colleagues and supervisors who enabled this research to happen, so this achievement is a definite reflection of their hard work too.”

“We led research into the psychological impacts of quarantine”

She explains how she came to be noticed by Forbes. “After the research I did at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, my husband nominated me – although he didn’t tell me at the time – since he thought I would be a strong candidate.”

Webster met her husband, David, during her time at Durham, affirming the rumoured statistic that 70% of Durham graduates go on to marry a fellow alum. “I met him whilst I was on the Durham Divas Cheerleading Squad. He was a Durham Saints American footballer, and I a cheerleader – cliché I know!”

Before delving into the complexities of her research, Webster reminisces warmly about her days at Durham, from which she graduated in 2013.

“I had a fantastic three years at Durham and always look back on my time with fond memories.

In particular the formals, sunny days by the river, and competing with the Durham Divas, where I was Vice-Captain in my final year.

“It is such a picturesque place to study in, and kept me very fit having to walk up Cardiac Hill every week to lectures.”

“He was an American footballer, and I a cheerleader – cliché I know!”

It wasn’t until Webster’s third year at Durham that she

Dr. Webster’s research into the ‘nocebo’ effect and other aspects of health psychology saw her work used by SAGE (Nathan Clarke Photography) discovered an interest in health from the clinical trial data. It research were communicated her first lectureship position at psychology. She credits this to was thought that the negative in meetings with the Scientific the University of Sheffield and is the breadth of the psychology media coverage of Tamiflu was Advisory Group for Emergencies continuing her ongoing work on course at the university: “It gives contributing to this.” and the Scientific Pandemic the nocebo effect. She says, “In you exposure to so many parts Now, the word ‘pandemic’ has Insights Group on Behaviours. particular I plan to investigate of psychology and really allowed inescapable connotations with “This informed the how the nocebo effect could me to find out what I was most Covid-19. Webster’s research government on strategies to contribute to the spread of passionate about.” has been invaluable to the reduce psychological impacts and information about side-effects In pursuit of this newfound UK government in informing how to encourage adherence to to vaccinations via the media, as passion, Webster went on to their pandemic response over the measures. This work received well as racial or ethnic disparities complete an MSc in Health the last year and a half. “My extensive international press in health outcomes. I have also Psychology at King’s College colleagues and I led research coverage and was included as become interested in infectious London. “I had a fantastic year into the psychological impacts essential references in the WHO’s illness presenteeism – going to learning about all the research of quarantine and how to 2019 novel Coronavirus Research work while sick with a cold or going on in the department, and improve adherence to quarantine Roadmap.” flu – something which has gained in the field from guest lecturers, Now, moving into the future, increased attention as a result of measures which the government as well as running my own were starting to bring into force Webster is confident that her Covid-19.” research project. It was at this research will be vital if the world to stop Covid-19 transmission.” point that I decided to pursue a ever faces a similar public health career in academia. I went on to crisis again. “At the time when “This will all help to inform “I plan to investigate how complete my PhD at KCL too.” we did the research we were public health strategies and the nocebo effect could just at the start of the pandemic, minimise the impact of any The core of Webster’s research is the ‘nocebo’ effect – which contribute to the spread so no studies had been carried future pandemics” she terms “the placebo effect’s in relation to quarantine and of information about side- out evil twin”. She further explains, Covid-19. effects to vaccinations” Finally, Webster sets out her “I research how negative “As such we used a systematic expectations can contribute to the review method, drawing on personal plan for the future.

“Although mainly researching studies that had been carried “Aside from building up my experience of medication sidewithin the area of nocebo effects, out in previous pandemics, academic profile at Sheffield, on effects and explore strategies to at the start of the pandemic I epidemics, or infectious disease a more personal note, my wider reduce nocebo effects whilst still was working in the NIHR Health outbreaks in order to inform the goals include making the most of upholding informed consent.”

Protection Unit in Emergency current situation,” she continued. being back up north and closer “I have been working in the Preparedness and Response. area of nocebo effects for seven “Of course, now there have to family after having lived in As a team we have expertise in been many studies conducted London for seven years.” years now, since I started my conducting research to minimise which build on our findings Covid-19 has, for the moment, PhD in 2014. This work actually the impact of emergencies.” came about as a result of the and apply them to the Covid-19 made this endeavour difficult, Almost two years on, pandemic. This will all help to but hopefully Webster’s research last pandemic (Swine flu), when Webster reflects on the extent inform public health strategies will continue to aid the UK people were reporting more sideof her achievements during and minimise the impact of any government’s pandemic response effects to Tamiflu, the prophylaxis the pandemic.

“Summaries future pandemics.” and help us to move towards a – a treatment taken to prevent and published papers from my a disease – than was expected Webster has recently started safer future for all.

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Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Profile

Inclusion has “fundamentally improved” during my tenure – Corbridge Our Editors-in-Chief exclusively speak with Durham University’s retiring Vice Chancellor and Warden about Covid-19, strikes, expansion, pay and plans for the future in anticipation of his departure this July

Tim Sigsworth and Toby Donegan-Cross Editors-in-Chief Durham University’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Stuart Corbridge, has claimed that inclusion and accessibility have “fundamentally improved” at the University during his six-year tenure.

In an exclusive interview with Palatinate ahead of his retirement this summer, Prof.

Corbridge reflected on his time as Vice-Chancellor, a position he took up in September 2015.

In the interview, he discussed a variety of topics, from the Covid-19 pandemic and strike action, to inclusion and accessibility and the future of the University.

Accessibility

Prof.

Corbridge’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor has seen the University face sustained criticism for racial and social inclusion. In October 2020, Durham was ranked the second worst university in the UK for social inclusion by The Sunday Times, a ranking which was based on the proportion of students who previously went to state schools or come from deprived areas.

In addition, Palatinate revealed in July last year that

Black applicants to Durham were half as likely to accept an offer to study at the University, while Durham’s own Respect Commission said that it “must do better” to combat disrespectful behaviours among staff and students.

The Vice-Chancellor is resolute, however, that the University is making progress.

“So state schools are one way of looking at it. But what we particularly work with is the ratio of POLAR quintile five to quintile one: students in quintile five being the most affluent neighbourhoods and quintile one the least.

“In 2016”, he continued, the ratio “was 13.2:1 [quintile five: quintile one]. Last year, the intake of students was 6.1:1. So, I’d say there’s a lot of progress. Now we’ve got to get to 3:1 by 2024.

“So I’d say that’s a lot of change, but I think we can do a lot more.

“I think we can do a lot more specifically around Black students. If we look at BME students, we’ve gone from 26.3% to 30.7%. If we look at faculty, BME faculty from 13.1% to 18.0%, and women faculty from 37.7% to 40.6%. So I think we are starting to change the distribution of people, of University personnel.

“It takes time, there’s more that we can do, like I said, but I think we have made change. I don’t take credit for that. I think it has been something that the

community is really leading, and is wanting to do. So I think we’re making progress.”

Accomplishments and Regrets

The interview came just after the University was announced as 82nd in the QS Top 100 World University Rankings, an improvement of four places on 2020.

“We are a top 100 global university. If you think that they’ve ranked 1,300 – and you’ve seen a tremendous rise of universities, particularly in East Asia – it’s a great performance and it reflects incredibly well on the University.”

“It’sgoingtosoundcliché,but it is about the achievements of others. So you know, it’s the achievements in research”

When asked what his proudest accomplishment during his tenure has been, Prof. Corbridge, however, was keen to disassociate himself from personal pride.

“It is going to sound cliché, but it is about the achievements of others. So you know, it’s the achievements in research.

“Or some of the educational innovations I particularly love,” he said. “The wider student

experience: I go to Wildcats games, and I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve got a women’s football team that is city, region and University. And it is the participation in that which has given me the most pleasure.

“It is the sense that, you know, you’ve got a moment of stewardship, where you’re working with lots of colleagues, staff and students, this fabulous institution, trying to make sure that it broadly moves forward in the right direction.”

Leading a University with over 20,000 students also presents difficulties, the most significant of which he was unequivocal about.

“The worst part clearly is the human tragedies. Each year, sadly, there’ll be something, there’ll be a suicide, for example, or there’ll be an accident. Those are really difficult things to work through.”

Strike Action

The Vice-Chancellor’s tenure has seen an exceptional amount of strike action by UCU-affiliated academics in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Whilst the disputes originally centred largely around slashes to staff pensions, in the strikes of 2019, other subjects also came to the fore, such as the ‘casualisation’ of work, the marketisation of the university sector, and BME and gender inequality.

“It’s very difficult to see

colleagues on strike”, Prof.

Corbridge reflected, “mainly because we know that that’s a very difficult place for colleagues to be.

“It’s very difficult to see colleagues on strike, mainly because we know that that’s a very difficult place for colleagues to be”

“I mean, I’ve been down obviously to talk to colleagues on strike and know that it means that it’s an issue of enormous resonance, particularly around pensions.

“At the same time, of course, you understand that it has enormous implications for students, particularly where they’re affected by strike action.

I mean, that’s why of course, we desperately hope that we can reach a resolution of this over the summer.

“We desperately hope that we can reach a resolution of this over the summer”

“Any responsible employer – and Durham is one – absolutely is going to want to provide very high standards of remuneration for all of its staff: that’s going to be pay, it’s going to be pensions, it’s going to be other benefits.”

Strikes affected 65 universities nationally, caused by a pension disputes which would see staff paying on average £40,000 more and getting £200,000 less in retirement (Tim Packer)

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EDITORIAL Thursday, 10th June 2021

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www.palatinate.org.uk/category/indigo/

FASHION 3 For Sale: Pride - Price? Pride.

FEATURES 4&5 Student entrepreneurs: founding Fygo and The lost colleges of Durham University FOOD AND DRINK 6 Indoor dining: Business as usual?

FILM & TV 7 Cinema: the beauty of the big screen BOOKS 8&9 The defining books of my time at university

INTERVIEW

10 Imposter syndrome: Self-doubt, social media, and success

VISUAL ARTS

11 A summer of culture MUSIC 12&13 Gospel and pop music STAGE 14 Medea: A classic with relevance CREATIVE WRITING 15 Pride Poems TRAVEL 16 Spending summer on British shores www.facebook.com/palindigo Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @indigo_palatinate Have a question, comment, or an idea for a story you’d like to write?

Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk Logo: Chloe Wong, edited by Adeline Zhao Cathedral Artwork: Anna Gibbs Front Cover: Lily Langford

This print edition is sadly our last as indigo Editors and therefore this will be our last editorial. We’ve had so much fun running indigo and it has been an amazing year for the magazine. We are immensely proud of all the editors and contributors we’ve had the pleasure to work with and all the wonderful content we’ve produced together.

It seems fitting that the final print edition of our time as indigo editors falls during Pride month. As we are both part of the LGBTQ+ community, it has been hugely important to us that over the last year we have tried to use this magazine as a platform for underrepresented voices and perspectives in the media; we hope that indigo remains committed to this in the future. As queer people we are so often made to feel ashamed for being ‘too loud’ in our self-expression and taking up space in a world built upon heteronormativity. However, as Marsha P. Johnson proved, the way to rebel against this is to unapologetically take up that space and fight for your voice, and the voices of others who can’t fight for themselves, to be heard. This is the philosophy that Pride is built upon. The experiences and opportunities we’ve taken from indigo will become a stepping stone for our future ambitions to represent queer voices in journalism and raise awareness around LGBT topics.

The best way to enjoy Pride this year is with an infamous Long Island Iced Tea. All you need is equal parts vodka, gin, tequila, rum, triple sec and lime juice. Pour into a tall glass and top up with cola and ice. For a non-alcoholic version, try squeezing half a lime into a glass of cola and top with ice.

In this edition, Fashion tackles rainbow capitalism, Interview explores impostor syndrome and Film and TV think about reopening cinemas. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we have enjoyed making it and all the others before it.

Happy Pride!

Hugo Millard and Millicent Machell

INDIGO EDITORS Hugo Millard Millicent Machell FEATURES EDITORS Aadira Parakkat Elle Woods-Marshall Immy Higgins

CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR Millie Stott

STAGE EDITORS Charlie Barnett Issy Flower VISUAL ARTS EDITORS Carys Stallard Emma Tucker BOOKS EDITORS Millie Vickerstaff Sol Noya FASHION EDITORS Emily Potts Erin Waks FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Constance Lam Meghna Amin TRAVEL EDITORS Emma Johnson Gracie Linthwaite FILM & TV EDITORS Grace Marshall Charlotte Grimwade MUSIC EDITORS Annabelle Bulag Katya Davisson INTERVIEW EDITORS Aimee Dickinson Claudia Jacob

FASHION Thursday, 10th June 2021

For Sale: Pride - Price? Pride.

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Sarah Garner discusses the commodification of Pride and its links with capitalism Sarah Garner fashion@palatinate.org.uk

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ong gone are the days when Pride was reserved for the LGBTQ+ community. June used to be the month where sexuality was celebrated and those who did not have this luxury were remembered. Today, however, hundreds of companies dine out on this notion of pride and exploit its meaning for their own benefit. This now means that pride is a trend, it is fashionable, and it is losing its true meaning due to commercialisation, and so alienates the very people it is there to celebrate.

“rainbow capitalism [...] is used to describe the practice of companies exploiting Pride” This manipulation of Pride is so commonplace that it has its own label, being referred to as ‘rainbow capitalism’. Rainbow capitalism describes the practice of companies exploiting Pride, whereby queer people are targeted through the addition of a rainbow on any product they sell, due to the purchasing power of the LGBTQ+ community, all for their own financial gain, rather than that of the community. For example, it was found in 2019 that ‘The LGBTQ+ Community has $3.7 Trillion in Purchasing Power’ and businesses have certainly realised this and done everything they can to try and take this for themselves.

Thankfully, it is usually pretty obvious which companies’ ‘Pride ranges’ are genuine, and which are superficial. For example, have you ever noticed when

clothings suddenly add a temporary profile picture on Facebook? Suddenly everything they sell has a rainbow on it. Their Twitter page is now cluttered with empty messages of support? All rainbow capitalism and the commercialisation of Pride.

Don’t get me wrong, if someone wants to wear a Pride flag as a dress for a month, amazing. But some products that are now sold are so unbelievably ridiculous, it’s hard to understand how they manage to make a profit. Many fast fashion companies, for example, as well as being incredibly unethical, have either slapped a rainbow onto everything or overly sexualised Pride, which seems to me like a huge misunderstanding of what Pride actually means.

F u r t h e rmore, at prices as low as these, it is clear that the products are not going to have been made locally, ethically, or sustainably, meaning that this Pride range is doing more harm than good. This completely undermines the meaning of Pride month, whose message consists of inclusivity and fairness.

On the other hand, some companies have got the perfect balance between celebrating Pride with respect, and clever marketing. For example, Michael Kors is selling a Pride-inspired, limited edition T-shirt and all profits are being donated to OutRight International, which is an inspiring organisation that fights against human rights viin the LGBTQ+ community.

“Pride should never have become a commodity” The $68 price tag on this T-shirtes to around £48 and althogoes to a good cause, some people’s bu simp Alternatively, the more affordable Levi’s are donating 100% of its profits from the Pride collection to LGBTQ+ charities. I find Levi’s’ Pride range particularly impressive also due to its inclusion of the trans and non-binary communities through its messaging regarding pronouns. Trans people are often forced to take a back seat during Pride month, so it is nice to see Levi’s truly understanding what Pride stands for.

Pride should never have become a commodity; people have died in the fight for equality and now companies are disrespecting them by attempting to maximise profit. However, there is obviously a market for Pride merchandise and clothing, which is understandable as the community want to (literally) wear their sexuality and gender identity with pride, and allies want to publicly show their support.

There is certainly a fine line between fulfilling consumer needs and abusing this for their own benefit. This June, either support your local queer businesses or shop with companies that are supportive of LGBTQ+ rights all year round, not just during Pride Month.

Happy Pride!

Photo by Karl Bewick via Unsplash

FEATURES 4

Thursday, 10th June, 2021

Student entrepreneurs: founding Fygo Features interviews co-founder Toby Lowenstein about the process behind the Fygo app Immy Higgins, Elle Woods-Marshall, Aadira Parakkat Features Editors features@palatinate.org.uk

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ow did the idea for Fygo come about?

Whilst studying at the University of St Andrews, my brother, Jonah, and I created a discount card for St Andrews students to help better connect businesses with the student population. Students purchased a physical card, which would then give them discounts around town all year long.

Whilst this was very successful – we partnered with several household brands, such as Domino’s and Mountain Warehouse – a common feedback theme was that students were fed up of having to remember to say ‘scan’ or show something at checkout in order to receive their rewards, and there was no way to get rewarded for spending with friends.

In today’s world, students expect seamless, social experiences. In short, our solution was far too clunky and isolating for our liking. We were determined to build a social app that would automatically reward students for spending at their favourite businesses. We teamed up with our third Co-Founder, Ben (also from St Andrews), and began building the ultimate update to our initial project: Fygo.

“local businesses have long been neglected by traditional loyalty and discount solutions”

Why did you choose the name Fygo?

When naming the business, we wanted to create a catchy, twosyllable, madeup word. Whilst ‘Fygo’ originates from the words ‘finance’ and ‘go’, we really enjoy the fact that that isn’t immediately obvious, which means that people can interpret the name however they choose.

Did you have any doubts about quitting university/balancing university alongside degree? How was starting a company during COVID-19?

At the start of the first lockdown, we made the decision to work full-time on Fygo in order to give the company the best chance of succeeding. There were no doubts - we were confident that we were making the right decision, especially given the changes to university caused by the pandemic. We applied for, and were granted, leave of absences for the past academic year, and have been working full-time since March 2020. Funnily, the lockdowns proved to be the perfect makeshift incubators for the business, as they removed any potential distractions and made it simpler for us to throw ourselves 100% into building Fygo!

How does Fygo support businesses?

Local businesses have long been neglected by traditional loyalty and discount solutions. In our post-COVID-19 society, Fygo is here to help retailers and directto-consumer brands acquire new customers and retain them at a low cost. Although Gen Z customers are the highest LTV customers of all time, they are also the most difficult to keep loyal.

“there’s nothing more liberating than being responsible for your own success” Do you have any advice for students looking to develop start-ups after university?

There’s nothing more liberating than being responsible for your own success. If the thought of doing your own thing feels uncomfortable, that’s perfectly natural!

Embrace any insecurities you might feel and use them to propel your ambitions!

Image credits: Fygo

FEATURES Thursday, 10th June, 2021

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The lost colleges of Durham University Luke Payne delves into the history of Durham’s colleges Luke Payne features@palatinate.org.uk

T

his academic year saw the opening of South College; bringing the total number of Durham University colleges to 17. However, South is far from Durham’s 17th college.

In its near 200 year history Durham has had over 25 colleges. Some of these colleges are no longer with us today for a variety of reasons. Some have merged together, others have split in two, a few declared independence and some have simply closed.

You would probably recognise Durham’s fourth college. Its building still stands proudly on Palace Green. After serving as accommodation of University College under the name ‘University House’; Bishop Cosin’s Hall opened as a college in its own right in 1851. The college was named after John Cosin, Bishop of Durham 1660–72. In 1864 Bishop Cosin’s Hall was merged back into University College due to falling student numbers at the time.

The School of Medicine and Surgery at Newcastle became absorbed into Durham University in 1852. In 1871, the College of Physical Science also became part of the University and was renamed Armstrong College in 1904. 33 years later, the Newcastle campus came together under the name Kings College. A vote to rename Durham University “The University of Durham and Newcastle” to better reflect its two campus locations, was defeated in 1952 by 135 votes to 129. This eventually

led to the independence of the Kings College in 1963 with the formation of The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The entrance to the Armstrong Building still contains an engraving commemorating the creation of Armstrong College.

“over the years Durham has lost at least a third of its colleges” Perhaps the most well known former colleges were The College of the Venerable Bede and St Hild’s College.

These two colleges were recognised (independent) colleges like St Chad’s and St John’s from their inception in 1838 and 1858 respectively. However, they merged in 1979, becoming the College of St Hild and St Bede that exists today.

Neville’s Cross College opened in 1921 and from 1924 it became a licensed hall of the University. It admitted students to read for both undergraduate courses and postgraduate degrees. After a merger with Durham Technical College in 1977 (forming New College Durham) it ceased association with the University. In a bizarre twist of fate, the original Neville’s Cross College building is now occupied by Ustinov College.

Sunderland Technical college was affiliated to Durham University via the Faculty of Applied Science at the Newcastle Campus from 1930 to 1963 (although some students also studied for degrees at the University of London). When the Newcastle campus became independent, the technical college merged with other schools

to form Sunderland Polytechnic, now known as The University of Sunderland.

West of Durham, between the villages of Langley Park and Ushaw Moor, sits Ushaw College. The Catholic seminary opened in 1808 and became affiliated with Durham University in 1968 but retained its role as a seminary. The complex holds some beautiful rooms including a theatre, dining hall and a ridiculous number of chapels. Due to declining numbers, it closed as a seminary in 2011. It’s now a tourist attraction and hopes that its impressive library will attract theological scholars from around the world.

It’s well known that former Queen’s Campus buddies John Snow and Stephenson aren’t as close as they used to be. John Snow is in a new relationship with a much younger college, and Stephenson has hooked-up with the young college of yesteryear. Few know however, that these two colleges used to be the singular Joint University College on Teesside (hilariously abbreviated as JUCOT). This was a joint venture established in 1992 between Durham and Teesside Universities.

In 1994 the college operated under the name University College Stockton, but in 2001, the college was split into two, forming George Stephenson (later shortened to Stephenson) and John Snow Colleges.

Between 2017 and 2019, the colleges were moved out of Stockton to Durham city.

The history of Durham shows that colleges are not eternal institutions. Over the years Durham has lost at least a third of its colleges. The University has planned the creation of several new colleges by 2027 but the loss of existing colleges are less planned, and more sudden victims of the circumstances of the time.

Image credits: Luke Payne

FOOD & DRINK 6

Thursday, 10th June 2021

Indoor dining: Business as usual?

Food & Drink Editors dish on Durham’s dining-in scene after May 17th Meghna Amin and Constance Lam Food & Drink Editors food@palatinate.org.uk

A

h, the sun is out shining, restaurant doors are opening, and rooftop terraces are booming… things are almost back to where they should be. The world of food and drink is slowly restoring itself, as eateries in Durham city centre are popping back open, refurbished and ready to go.

It’s been a while since any of us have felt that sense of normality, and with exams being over and summer finally feeling like it’s in reaching distance, the normality of indoor dining is refreshing. Watching the queues forming outside the Food Pit, with a new Mediterranean bar having opened just next door and the Cosy Club’s terrace being a hot-spot over the river, the Riverwalk is competing with the North Bailey as the go-to dinner spot.

UberEats.

Perhaps you could start your day with the iconic pancakes at Riverview Kitchen.

For regular customers before the pandemic, returning to their indoor seating may feel like a déjà vu. Those lucky enough to bag a window seat can glance out onto the famed river view, watching as people amble leisurely down the river. After a long hiatus of collection-only, Riverview Kitchen seems to be bouncing back and thriving again.

Though long, the queue outside the restaurant moved quickly and efficiently even for walk-ins, and the indoors was not congested. And the best part is, several of the uniquely Riverview touches remain

“indoor seating may feel like a déjà vu” Stuff yourself to your heart’s content with The Golden Dame Burger, which features a decadent Mac & Cheese patty and succulent fried chicken in a thick brioche bun. And their espresso martini is arguably one of the best in Durham - chocolatey and with a potent espresso flavour.

And let’s not forget the burger diners opening up soon too – adding to Fat Hippo and Tango’s love-list are two new hotspots on either side of the river: The Burger Pit, opening alongside Turtle Bay on the Riverwalk, and a new spot we’re waiting to hear more about, that’s replacing the beloved Esquires, directly opposite what will be set as another firm favourite at the edge of Framwellgate Bridge, Rib n Reef – a steak and seafood spot opening up by the owner’s of Akarsu Turkish Grill.

“it finally feels as if Durham is returning to normal” So with burgers, seafood, all-time favourite bottomless brunches and the new gin tasting spots dotted around town, it finally feels as if Durham is returning to normal, coming back to life after a hibernation pulled through by Deliveroo and

intact: from the warm and friendly service, to my personal favourite — the free Daim candy with a hot drink. And after celebrating the end of exams, why not visit Cosy Club with your friends and loved ones?

Their food menu is fairly extensive (albeit slightly pricey), including vegetarian and gluten free options, but the very generous portions are worth the price for special occasions.

Especially in the heat of summer and post-exams bliss, the re-opening of indoor dining is an exciting (and mouth-watering) prospect for us. That being said, indoor dining is contingent on the Covid-19 cases in Durham and safety measures like contact tracing, the rule of six, and masks indoors. So while tucking into delicious meals and sipping away at drinks in the sun, let’s be mindful of the restaurants who are working hard to stay safe against Covid-19.

Photography by Meghna Amin and Constance Lam

FILM & TV 7

Thursday, 10th June 2021

Cinema: the beauty of the big screen Erin Waks reflects on the magic of cinema and filmmaking

By Erin Waks film@palatinate.org.uk

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ith the end of lockdown in sight, many of us are very excited for things to start re-opening. Bars, cafes, restaurants and museums amongst them. But one thing, in my opinion, has gone rather underappreciated. The re-opening of cinemas.

It’s a little ironic, I appreciate.We’ve spent the last year ploughing through many a Netflix series, or binge-watching old films.

With little else to do, it seems as though many of us have had enough of films and television. We may want to go outside, have drinks in bars with our friends, even perhaps go to, dare I say it, a nightclub.

The beauty of cinema, though, is the way in which it takes a remarkably ordinary event – watching a movie – and allows it to become so much more than that. For me, at least, going to the cinema represents a dedication to my love of visual art. It’s also, I guess, a form of socialising, during which you share an experience, albeit with far less chatting than usual. Cinema can be whatever you want it to be. And no, it’s not the same as watching a movie at home.

I think one element of film-making is often overlooked, nay, ignored, when we watch movies at home. Directors, and the rest of the crew, are making their film for the big screen. Whilst they are not naïve and know their films will be streamed continually through platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, visual art is, always has been and, in my opinion, will always continue to be, initially screened in huge cinema halls around the world. The industry, the artistic elements of it especially, depend upon the encapsulation of their audience. I

just don’t believe you can have that same, all-encompassing experience at home.

Take the ‘James Bond’ franchise, for example, a firm favourite of mine and an undisputed British classic. Of course, we can re-watch the films time and time again from the comfort of our own homes.

But nothing beats the drama, the adrenaline, the excitement of witnessing one of the iconic chase scenes play out from the comfort of your seat, popcorn in hand, everyone in the room engrossed.

“Film festivals and cinemas allow you to access worlds and cultures that you have never considered” There’s a reason the cinema industry, despite increasingly having to compete with new technologies, is yet to die out. The reemergence of drive-through cinemas in the last year has been an amazing flashback to the 1950s, and one I know my friends and I are hoping sticks around. In London, but even more so in other European cities such as Paris, the art cinema scene is still going strong. Independent cinemas often screen a combination of classics and

brand-new films, creating an ambience of intellectual visual stimulation, an appreciation of historical film culture and a fabulous place to share a love of cinema.

The other thing that cinema allows which is perhaps less present in homescreening, is the diversity of the industry.

Whilst many online platforms offer international films, it can often be difficult to locate a less well-known but incredible film. Film festivals and cinemas, especially international or independent ones, allow you to access worlds and cultures that you may never have even considered. This year, for example, I enjoyed an online Moroccan film festival, the Prix des Dionysien·ne·s, and watched films I would never have even considered. The festival, albeit online, reminded me of the power cinema has to transport you to a different time and place, and I can’t wait to compound that rush with an experience in a real cinema hall.

Personally, I can’t wait to get back to cinemas. I have a list of films I’d like to see as long as my arm, and am particularly excited for some of the international film festivals slowly making a non-virtual comeback after the pandemic. Some highlights this summer include the British Arabic Institute’s SAFAR Film Festival, the reopening of the Institut Francais’ cinema, live cinema screenings of Shakespeare at The Globe, and Film4 Summer at Somerset House. Most of these will take place partially in real life and partially online, allowing a gentle reintegration into the magnetic world of cinema.

Whatever kind of films you like, there is no denying that the cinema offers something for everyone. This year has really shown us the value of our cultural institutions. I hope we can all make the most of cinemas this summer, and truly appreciate the beauty of the big screen.

Image Credits: Coca_Lemon via Flikr and OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixaby

BOOKS 8

Thursday, 10th June 2021

The defining books of my time at university As their time at univeristy comes to an end, five finalists explore the books that shaped it Books contributors books@palatinate.org.uk

Flèche – Mary Jean Chan

By Constance Lam A few months ago, I picked up a copy of Flèche while browsing the shelves of the Billy B, taking a lengthy break from my exam revision. I sat down, flicked through the pages, finished the collection in one sitting, and ardently recommended it to all my friends. Evoking both the French word for arrow and the English homophone of ‘flesh’, the title of Mary Jean Chan’s debut full-length poetry collection is richly suggestive of dualities and paradoxes. Her poetry is poised between the tensions that arise when reconciling intergenerational, gendered expectations, as well as Chinese culture and Western education.

Chan’s nuanced treatment of language choice is perhaps my favourite aspect of Flèche. In an interview, she expresses her aim to include Chinese in her poetry that “isn’t tokenistic or arbitrary”. Raised in Hong Kong but educated in the U.S. and the U.K., Chan incorporates Mandarin, Cantonese, and English into her poetry. ‘Written in A Historically White Space (1)’ seamlessly code-switches between English and Chinese, challenging the reader’s subliminal expectation for Chan to write in Chinese, and probing into the legacies of colonisation and the implications on language choice.

In retrospect, I am also drawn to Flèche because of Chan’s formal experimentation. Her poem ‘The Calligrapher’ evokes two adjacent scrolls of Chinese calligraphy through stacking short, neat lines of verse.

Chan inventively illustrates the physicality of the laborious writing process: ‘Once/ more the fingers dip, slide, lift/I am not a dancer, but this is a dance.’ Through bold formal and cross-linguistic experimentation, Chan unflinchingly explores the intersecting threads of identity and language, and the entanglements of family and sexuality. Despite coming across Flèche towards the end of university, sharing Chan’s po-

etry with my friends and seeing their enjoyment has been, without a doubt, one of the main highlights of my time at Durham.

“I’ve learnt that I can be critical of stories without losing everything I love about them” The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

By Imogen Usherwood The Bell Jar has, quite literally, bookended my undergraduate years. I first read it shortly before my A-Level results: I’d longed to read it for years, but had an annoying, faux-reading habit, whereby I wanted to get through as many books as possible and didn’t take much time to reflect on them. I was taken in by Plath’s fascinating imagery and frank narrative voice, not to mention the protagonist, an English Literature student with a crippling fear of failure. It struck a chord with me, and seemed to stand for something specific and deeply personal, in the same way that it has for thousands of young women since 1963.

In my final year at Durham, The Bell Jar was a set text: that Waterstones copy from three years ago is now a battered paperback full of annotations. I read reviews, essays and assessments of the novel, which describe it as a raw, hardly-edited, haphazard text – it was actually rejected by Plath’s initial publisher for being ‘disappointing, juvenile, and over-wrought’. In a way (and probably to the horror of my

eighteen-year-old self), I agree: The Bell Jar is full of flaws, but the fact that I can reconcile these with my sustained fondness for the novel feels like a gesture towards some sort of maturity. In three years I’ve learnt that I can be critical of stories without losing everything I love about them – I suppose the same thing goes for people, places, and things, something I probably didn’t understand at eighteen.

I’ve also reached the age of Esther Greenwood in the novel, and at twenty-one can share in her experiences, anxieties and sentiments so much more. Any comingof-age story grows with its readers, and The Bell Jar has left its own highlights, annotations and criticisms on me in the same way I’ve marked its dog-eared pages.

“three books... years...exam seasons” His Dark Materials – Phillip Pullman

By Hugo Millard I’ll be the first to admit that I jumped on the His Dark Materials train a lot later than most, having only read it for the first time at the end of Year 11. However, needless to say, when I got round to picking it up I was blown away and utterly enchanted, as I think everyone who has the pleasure to read Philip Pullman’s writing always is.

So, when the first year exam period hit and I was desperately looking for something easy, comforting, and distracting to unwind with in the evenings, it’s no surprise that a copy of Northern Lights happened to fall into my hands during a procrastination-Oxfam browse. And so started a bit of a uni ritual where I aimed to have slowly reread the trilogy by the time I graduated: three books, three years, three increasingly

BOOKS 9

Thursday, 10th June 2021

stressful, weird, and intense exam seasons.

Rereading the trilogy over my past three years at Durham has shown His Dark Materials to be a series that only reveals more and more with each reread the older you get, exposing the books as little more than, essentially, adult novels dressed up with all the trappings of a children’s book. Across the trilogy, Pullman tackles complex philosophical and theoretical theories yet presents them, through fiction, in a way that is extremely accessible without dumbing down their complexity or difficulty. The ‘adultness’ of these books has never ceased to amaze and intrigue me in the past three years, from difficult topics of death and abandonment to casual references to sex and murder, all the time written in such a way that the nuances and intricacies weren’t lost but rather explored and explained. Though for me, as for many, elements of the final book seemed forced or a bit out-of-place (hot take, but the Will and Lyra relationship was so unnecessary and it just didn’t make any sense) the trilogy provided me with the escapist comfort I was seeking, while constantly surprising me with how much the content remained relevant or new. Revisiting a book a year has firmly marked the series’ significance throughout my time at Durham, and I can promise the reading experience is only enhanced by the cobblestones, Cathedral, and river which I was lucky enough to read next to.

“university, for me, has been characterised by change” Normal People – Sally Rooney

By Sol Noya Carreno In every home I’ve had during my degree, there has been a copy of Normal People.

I remember starting to read it from my first-year roommate’s copy, and one of my second-year housemates excitedly recommending it to me. But it wasn’t until the lockdown in the spring of 2020 that

I got my own copy and read it all the way through, in one sunlit afternoon. I don’t think there’s much I could say about Rooney’s flowing, atmospheric prose that hasn’t been said already – but one of the reasons that Normal People immediately says “university” to me is the way it transports you to the campus setting and takes you through Marianne and Connell’s university years until they’re on the cusp of graduating.

It’s not mainly the campus aspect of Normal People that reminds me of being a student at Durham, though. It’s the nuanced exploration of human connection and its flip side, isolation – two experiences that characterise moving away to study at university and the beginning of adulthood. While the novel focuses primarily on Connell and Marianne’s relationship to each other, it also provides glimpses at their failures and successes in building relationships – romantic, familial, platonic – with the people around them.

Normal People speaks to the truth, both heart-breaking and heart-warming, that even the people who are not in our lives forever can still deeply mark them. University, for me, has been characterised by change (even more with the addition of a global pandemic): new home, new friends, new interests. Normal People shows how the people who stand by us through these changes and help you make your way through them can provide a home and a guiding light when everything seems to be spiralling out of your control. This is a lesson that has certainly resonated with me through my friends in university. As I get ready to move on, they are the pieces of Durham that I will carry with me.

The Yellow Wallpaper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman

By Lizzie Wilmot I remember it as if these past three years never happened: I was walking towards Palace Green, awed by the beauty of Durham Cathedral, admiring the sun glistening and reaching each step and corner.

You know the view I’m talking about. I was making my way to a charity book sale, ready to find some new additions to the very limited collection I’d managed to squeeze into my suitcase a few days before. Within only half an hour, my arms were laden and I left feeling triumphant, but also blissful-

ly unaware that among my purchases was a novel that would come to mean more to me than I ever could have expected.

The Yellow Wallpaper depicts the story of a woman entrapped by her monotonous life, a result of being prescribed a resting cure to treat her ‘hysterical tendencies’.

In reading, we are immediately exposed to the limited Victorian comprehension of psychology and the misunderstood minds of women. Isolated and lacking distraction, the woman starts to develop a sustained interest in the room’s wallpaper, studying and dissecting its original pattern. The wallpaper soon becomes her only mental stimulation, allowing her to uncover more secrets along the way. I’ve often been asked why I keep all the books I read, something I’ve done since I was young. It’s books like The Yellow Wallpaper which stand behind my reason. I finished it only a few days after that Palace Green book sale, but its unique meaning only deepened for me during this past year.

University life has been full of incredible experiences, but discussing the difficult days is not always my first instinct.

For me, The Yellow Wallpaper seemed to encapsulate the journey that studying is, alongside trying to maintain stability in an environment that is often misunderstood.

Illustration: Anna Kuptsova

INTERVIEW 10

Thursday, 10th June 2021

Imposter syndrome: Self-doubt, social media, and success In conversation with Dr Anna Parkman Claudia Jacob Interview Editor indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk

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r Anna Parkman is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at The Ohio State University, specialising in the research of Imposter Syndrome. Her research looks at the way that Imposter Syndrome is manifested in a variety of demographics, primarily in higher education and in the workplace. Interview Editor, Claudia Jacob, speaks to Dr Parkman about the triggers of Imposter Syndrome, the implications of social media and trends of toxic productivity during the pandemic.

First and foremost, Dr Parkman defines someone suffering from Imposter Syndrome as “somebody who isn’t able to internalise their successes”, meaning that “they believe that accolades and achievements that others recognise are being bestowed upon them falsely”. The individual “feels like they’re a fake and they think other people are misjudging them” and so “they think they are successful purely because of luck”. Imposter Syndrome, then, is not a reflection of one’s academic capacity, but the way in which we distort this ability to succeed.

But each and every one of us will most likely experience mild elements of Imposter Syndrome at some point in our lives. As Dr Parkman puts it, “we all know feelings of self-doubt where we know the stakes are a little bit higher and that’s completely normal”. The crucial difference with Imposter Syndrome is that this feeling is not fleeting. It’s a “nagging, long term, chronic selfdoubt that other people don’t see” but that a sufferer has internalised to the extent that they perform “inaccurate evaluations” of their abilities. But Dr Parkman stresses that “you can’t have Imposter Syndrome unless you’re successful”. Hence, it’s the misjudgement of these suc-

cesses that characterises the phenomenon. Ultimately, Dr Parkman clarifies that “just because we feel something, it doesn’t mean it’s true”.

Imposter Syndrome can affect any demographic, but Dr Parkman believes it to be accentuated in higher education “because of the arbitrary measurements” used to rank students. That is to say that the subjective nature of feedback at university means that negative comments can quickly overshadow positive ones, in the same way that measuring intellectual capacity in itself is “very subjective”.

For those in minority groups, Imposter Syndrome tends to manifest itself more acutely because of the sense that the individual “doesn’t belong”.

Dr Parkman explains that there is research to suggest that symptoms of Imposter Syndrome can be alleviated over time. She says that “one of the best things we can learn is how to self-assess, but that’s not easy”, adding that “awareness and recognition can normalise the fact that Imposter Syndrome is very common”. Recognising the triggers of Imposter Syndrome can also be an effective way to understand the patterns of self-doubt. Dr Parkman explains that

“triggers are dependent on the root cause of having these feelings in the first place” and that a common trigger is when an individual “outperforms their family roots”, leading to the sense that their achievements are earned more through luck than through genuine intellectual capacity.

Dr Parkman broaches the subject of social media in the context of Imposter Syndrome. She explains that the image of the “perfect self” looks at success in a very “cleansed and whitewashed” way, and “rarely gives us an idea of what it took to achieve this success because it doesn’t show our humanity or our imperfections”. Dr Parkman adds that the way that we only show a highlights reel of our successes on social media has created a very “narrow picture” of what success can be, and this trend has only been amplified during the pandemic. She emphasises that the trend of toxic productivity during the pandemic has meant that now, more than ever, “we define ourselves relative to productivity and that’s not healthy”.

Considering how reliant we have all become on the internet during the pandemic, Dr Parkman explains that we must not see success as one-dimensional. Ultimately, social media often omits the trajectory undertaken in order to be successful and this is likely to accentuate symptoms of Imposter Syndrome, creating an artificial environment in which failure is rarely discussed. Hence why awareness is so crucial: after all, everyone experiences failure at some point in their lives – we just tend not to talk about it.

Illustration by Anna Kuptsova

VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 10th June 2021

A summer of culture

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The indigo Guide to Durham’s visual arts scene Visual Arts Editors visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

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ith the easing of coronavirus restrictions and the end of exam period, the time has never been better to engage with Durham’s extensive Visual Arts scene. Below is a guide to just some of the arts venues, events, and activities that are at your disposal this summer.

and mining industries that define the North East, and which were falling increasingly under threat in the late nineteen-nineties when the sculpture was designed and constructed. Additionally, the sculpture’s hill-top setting was selected on the grounds that it resembles a megalithic mound – al-

“a true tribute to the creativity of the North East” Durham Galleries Durham is home to a small handful of understated art galleries. Amongst them is North Road’s Outstanding Art, which exists as a haven for art lovers and socialites, displaying the works of local as well as world-class artists while doubling as a cocktail bar and café.

Just around the corner from Outstanding Art is South Street’s Crushed Chilli Gallery. The small little hut showcases the work of local artist Janet Rogers, an award-winning creator of stained glass pieces.

Alongside Rogers’ glass pieces can be seen a selection of artworks by other local artists, making the Crushed Chilli the perfect venue to engage with Durham’s local artistic output.

The Angel of the North Antony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’ stretches its steel wings just over twelve miles away from Durham’s city centre – making it the first port of call for any road trip, or the ideal day-trip setting.

Gormley’s twenty-meter ‘Angel’ has stood as a symbol of the North for more than twenty years and constitutes the world’s largest angelic structure as well as Britain’s biggest sculpture.

Materially, the Angel alludes to the ship

lowing Gormley’s ‘Angel’ to symbolise the North’s past, present, and future.

‘Challenging Convention’ at the Laing Newcastle’s Laing gallery is currently celebrating the works of the some of the twentieth-century’s female artistic icons – Vanessa Bell, Laura Knight, Gwen John, and Dod Procter. ‘Challenging Convention’ celebrates the ways in which these artists worked creatively and collaboratively to challenge the cultural prejudices of a patriarchal society, documenting the shifts, set-backs, and social changes that defined the careers of each creative. For Lizzie Jacklin, Keeper of Art at the Laing, the exhibition’s main function is to highlight how a generation of British-born

female artists began to make strides in a male-dominated artistic industry. While the exhibition can be toured virtually, the Laing’s celebration of female art can also be viewed in person until late August.

The BALTIC Since its opening in 2002, Newcastle’s BALTIC has dominated the visual arts scene of the North East.

While numerous virtual tours and exhibitions have been available over lockdown, a number of exhibitions are now available to view in person. Of special note is the ‘Open Submission’ space, which exhibits the works of over 150 local and regionallybased artists, setting the works of artistic amateurs alongside professional pieces. The result is a multimedia and multi-tonal cacophony of creative sound, as an expansive range of artistic styles, preoccupations, and techniques are made to sit alongside. A true tribute to the creativity of the North East.

“the University’s Botanic Garden is an absolute must” Art in the Durham Botanic Garden Before the end of your time at Durham, a trip to the University’s Botanic Garden is an absolute must. It is not primarily regarded for its art, however, the Prince Bishops’ Garden is an incredible creative accolade to North Eastern culture.

Image Credits: Carys Stallard, Irina Raquel via Creative Commons and Alexandre Lion via Unsplash

MUSIC 12

Thursday, 10th June 2021

Gospel and pop music Tomos Wyn discusses his thoughts on the integration of gospel into pop music Tomos Wyn music@palatinate.org.uk

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ospel music as we know it today is the product of integrating the message and content of African American Spirituals and the jazz harmonies of the early 20th century. Thomas Dorsey is often credited with the melding of these two seemingly oppositional music styles, but thanks to his ‘Gospel Blues’, we now have some of the most enjoyable music to sing along with.

Whilst there are many different styles of Gospel, from the quartet style to the contemporary praise and worship, this article will list and discuss Gospel covers of pop songs and pop-inspired Gospel songs. The former refers to stylistic changes in the songs covered, whilst the latter refers to songs where the Gospel is shared through a more widely palatable, contemporary sound. Having been a member of the Durham University Gospel Choir since October 2019 and currently holding the Co-Musical Director position has given me insight into the wonderfully complex meshing of Pop and Gospel. Hopefully, my experience and insight into the style will give you, the reader, an easy introduction to the wonderful world of Gospel music.

Jealous

I was recently introduced to Nick Jonas’ Gospel cover of his song ‘Jealous’ by my Co-MD, Dan, when he taught it in one of our online Zoom rehearsals. Since then, it has become a staple in our set for our June gigs. Released in November 2014, the cover is a fantastic blend of Pop music and Gospel vocals, where Jonas stands alongside a large Gospel choir and Organist to sing a radically different arrangement of this iconic track. The most striking difference, apart from the single instrument accompaniment, is the consistent triadic harmony. There are only a handful of moments where the vocal line is sung in unison, but this in no way impacts the flow of

the song. Triadic harmonies often sound out of place in pop songs, but the arranger masterfully worked the harmony in such a way that these harmonies belong fully to the song. The vocal strength of the choir certainly helped with this transition. Despite their presence as a choir, I like how Jonas allowed some choir members to showcase their talents with short solos, which were filled with riffs and runs; seeing the group’s energy in the music video definitely made me ‘jealous’ of their fun and reminisce of the similar experiences I’ve had when performing with my own Gospel choir, which has understandably been taken away due to COVID-19 regulations over the past year. However, the easing of lockdown restrictions means that not only can we rehearse together in person again, we can also perform! Live music almost always trumps recorded audio, so what better way to listen to the Gospel cover of ‘Jealous’ than by popping down to a DU Gospel gig, where you’ll get to hear these wonderful harmonies in person!

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loists do not confine themselves to the original melody and phrase structure and instead follow the drive of the backing vocals. This is what I love about this cover and HGC in general. They can take something good on its own and take it to a whole new level, simply by having highly skilled vocalists make up their choir. I also love how, in contrast to the original, members of HGC speak words of affirmation and uplift the listener before the melody kicks in. Their album RE//CHOIRED is a clear demonstration of their talents and is a fantastic introduction to the Gospel vocal style for anyone who has a background in electronic and house music. The group is arguably a revolutionary force in the Gospel scene, which I certainly tried to emulate in my song-choice, arranging, and teaching for DU Gospel over the 20/21 academic year.

Most Precious Love

Originally released in 2006 under Blaze and Barbara Tucker, ‘Most Precious Love’ is an upbeat EDM track with an easy melody line and a distinct recurring backing vocal phrase. However, House Gospel Choir (HGC) took this hidden gem and amped up the vocal prowess. I first found the group through their song ‘Gabriel’, which is a beautiful blend of soft phrase with powerful vocals, and following the release of their album RE//CHOIRED, I have been obsessed - and their cover of ‘Most Precious Love’ is probably my favourite! The distinct recurring phrase in Tucker’s original version now becomes the centrepiece, with each vocal part belting their harmony, giving the phrase a much fuller sound.

Furthermore, the so-

Your Spirit

Turning now to a pop-inspired Gospel song, I present ‘Your Spirit’ by Tasha Cobbs feat. Kierra Sheard, which, if you’re familiar with the works of Tori Kelly, Kirk Franklin, or Hillsong, will be right up your alley. Differently from the last two recommendations, this song would likely be a better introduction to Gospel music

for those from a Christian background, as the content of the lyrics is rather explicitly Christian. I want to share this song as I believe its inspiration from contemporary musical stylings through a catchy, singable melody and a verse-chorus structure, will be the most comfortable for a Christian who is familiar with pop to be introduced to some key Gospel stylings. The song’s stylistic features are similar to that of Hillsong’s music, but with arguably far stronger vocals by the soloists and choir. Cobbs’ music is of the contemporary worship style, but the strength of the vocals and triadic harmony is what gives her songs a Gospel flair. For those from a Christian background and familiar with worship music, Cobbs is arguably the best gateway to other Gospel music of all varieties.

With that, this list comes to an end. I hope that, in presenting covers and original music with different inspirations, I have provided an introduction to Gospel music for people of many different backgrounds and potentially piqued your interest in attending a DU Gospel performance in June!

Gospel Love.

Illustration by Verity Laycock Images courtesy of DU Gospel Choir

STAGE 14

Thursday, 10th June 2021

Medea: A Classic with Relevance Jodie Sale discusses what Phoenix Theatre’s production of Medea can tell us today Jodie Sale stage@palatinate.org.uk

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hy bother watching a play that was written thousands of years ago with a very different audience in mind? A ‘crazy’ woman at its centre—a witch capable of magic, a descendent from the God of the Sun, a mother who decides to kill her own children—it all seems far removed from our very ‘civilised’ 21st century society.

However, Medea doesn’t just transport us back in time; it raises questions we should take with us into the future.

For a start, the patriarchal forces that render Medea helpless and desperate within her marriage remind us of the limitations of our own gendered society; inequality in the workplace is still pervasive and sexual harassment rife.

Stereotypical portrayals of maternity that limit definitions of womanhood are powerfully derailed in this play. Medea loves her children but it does not limit her potential for vengeance; she refuses to fit the mould stating, ‘I am not like other women; I am of some other kind’.

Audiences are presented with a flawed, contradictory woman both vulnerable and strong, both in control and out of it. She breaks gendered stereotypes that limit women’s potential to be multifaceted in films and media. One of the earliest ‘anti-heroes’—she is not entirely villain or victim.

Medea’s position as a foreigner, an outsider in Corinth, also prompts relevant discussions. Phoenix Theatre Company’s Medea is set in a modern-day living room that has been packed up. Cardboard boxes and dust sheets do everything to suggest that Medea is unwanted in a world that does not accept the presence of an immigrant. She is rootless, precariously positioned, and yet she makes of it her territory of manipulation.

ing the pandemic, Asian hate has also intensified. It is particularly relevant to our Durham student community, where a lack of diversity is evident and where a lack of resources to tackle these problems are given to families from minority backgrounds. In light of these concerns, some of the profits of Medea are being donated to STAR, Student Action for Refugees; their talks, campaigns and the discussions that they enable are essential to the progression of education around diversity issues.

“Medea doesn’t just transport us back...it raises questions we should take with us into the future” Medea is a woman who suffers from intersectional discrimination; she is caught up both in the vicious forces of patriarchy and xenophobic intent. Her experiences uneasily strike a chord with the rise in religious and racially aggravated hate crimes in the West. The EU referendum was followed by a 15-25% increase in hate crimes in England and Wales and, dur-

The silencing of the female voice in the face of male cruelty is also central to the plot of Medea. A celebration of the female voice and its potential for impact is critical in a climate where sexual harassment often leaves victims feeling silenced and isolated. The all-female chorus, the female support network of the Nurse, the Tutor and King Aegeus (the latter two have been gender bended) are given the space to tell their stories of oppression. The Chorus envision a world where ‘the old songs will have to change’.

They imagine that ‘if they had that voice, what songs [they’d] sing of men’s failings, and their blame’. It is a particularly important message for our own student community. A worryingly high level of students are subjected to sexual harassment, with ‘Our Streets Now Higher Education Survey’ reporting that 84% of students are subjected to some form of harassment, and that 72% feel that they are unsure about where to report or seek support.

Phoenix Theatre Company’s Medea prompts an important discussion, raises awareness of key issues we should all be thinking about, whilst also being an incredibly powerful, poetic and poignant piece of theatre. Get yourself a ticket— you don’t want to miss it.

Image Credit: Egisto Sani via CreativeCommons

CREATIVE WRITING 15

Thursday, 10th June 2021

PRIDE Satin, stardust and streetlights: these poems remind us that pride month is all about self-expression creative.writing@palatinate.ac.uk PRIDE - Tommy Haemaelainen It is a Monday night and it is a night for dancing. In his room, he is singing ‘she’s a queen’ – Bowie knows that. He sings this and sings that to a mirror, by way of which he means that it is his satin, street and strutting, his rococo legs stamping sweetly each step, stardust songs swinging where hanging from spiral streetlights come the friends of friends, howling him adoration oh! how Divine! more than quite! – how fantastic! -

here he is beauty (I am sinuous like a kiss at the corner of the night) before it is heard, the sound of styptic muscle shackle bang on glance on no! clash cracking A man gets his swear asks, what he is doing looks up down stymie eye expel expelling his satin in response shut off crawling laid down music a while – for a bit -

here! kicking on the powder-pink pavement, he spits up a roar, here! a pearl which bears no burden; therefore it greets these friends with gratitude -

I swear, I could do better than that –

here he is love (I am a purple, a sidereal shade, with intention)

He’s not ashamed but he is considering, again, not singing songs in bright blue jeans.

He’s not ashamed. With the right people, with the right timing -

Scattered Hearts - Yasmine Dean My heart belongs to not just one the girl who smiled at the bus driver at the bus stop your smile stays with me wherever I travel the boy at Klute dancing out of time with the music ignoring its drums because you have your own rhythm that never leaves me alone I fall in love constantly I wish I could have held the hand of the person in the castle and tell them how their red hair lights the fire in my eyes I was infatuated by the laughter shared between two friends and stopped running to listen to their harmony that replays in my head time has passed but I do not forget them The boy next door who feeds the birds your gentleness embraces me every morning The girl paddling along the river with no way of knowing the glow of your skin in the sun is the light on my dark days you have stolen pieces of my heart unintentionally if only I could see how my heart has scattered across the world

Illustration by Verity Laycock

TRAVEL 16

Thursday 10th June

Spending summer on British shores Gracie Linthwaite takes us on a nostaglic tour of her favourite coastal landscapes around the UK Gracie Linthwaite Travel Editor travel@palatinate.org.uk

W

ith journeys to the world’s tropical beaches and Mediterranean sands still on hold, our summer holidays this year are going to look a little different. However, all is not lost - for there is fun and escape to be had on shores closer to home.

According to the Ordnance Survey, mainland Britain has around 11,000 miles of coast, despite the country only being just over 600 miles long: this is because the coastline ‘wiggles’ a lot, a phenomenon know to mathematicians as the Hausdorff dimension. Many of these niches on the UK coast don’t get the attention they deserve, but as the pandemic unfortunately continues on, their salty call beckons those looking for an escape.

roam across the islands like an Enid Blyton character. In fact, hopping between the islands is perhaps one of the most enjoyable things to do on the Scillies; they are close together and intimately connected, and you can usually see the other islands no matter where you are, meaning the boat journeys between each one are short and hassle-free.

My favourite island is Tresco; for here you will find the Abbey Gardens, one of the most spectacular gardens in the whole country. The Gulf Stream is so close that mild, frost-free winters allow sub-tropical plants to bloom, meaning the place is ablaze with exotic flowering succulents in all colours of the rainbow, as well as towering palm trees from the climes of Brazil, New Zealand and South Africa. On the Scillies, you certainly won’t feel that you’ve missed out on international travel

“the beaches’ salty call beckons to those looking for an escape” Some of my first memories as a child are of the Isles of Scilly, a small archipelago off the Cornish coast, renowned for beaches that look too tropical to be in Britain and wild headlands. To reach the islands, you have to take a tiny plane from Land’s End airport, and after only 10 minutes in the air, you will spot Caribbean-like blue waters glistening below. When you touch down from the mainland, it almost feels like you’ve journeyed back in time; the crime rate there is so low that no one really locks their doors, and I remember being free to

and subtle muted colours never leave your memory. I was lucky enough to grow up in a small village near Cromer, and regularly spent days out in the nature reserves of Titchwell and Cley, which were only a short car journey away. The north Norfolk coast is a centre of British wildlife conservation, and bird watchers flock to these reserves to spot avocet, terns, and rare species in winter. As a child, I was mesmerised by the vastness, whiling away the hours roaming on dunes and exploring deserted pillboxes from the Second World War. Having now moved away to the luxuriant green hills of North Yorkshire, I still find myself longing for Norfolk’s muted colours - the browns, pewters, and khakis, as well as the long summer evenings, watching the sun set into the sea while horizon stays light almost till daybreak.

Yet for all Norfolk’s beauty, each summer holiday we would trade the flat landscape for the rugged mountains of Scotland. The Isle of Arran is a fantastic place to escape to, often being called Scotland in miniature: an hour’s drive from Glasgow and a short ferry journey from the mainland, it offers Scotland’s attractive scenery, as well as activities for the more adventurous, adrenaline seeking traveller.

The whole island can be explored by car in one day without even encountering a single set of traffic lights, but stopping off to explore the ruins of Castle Lochranza or Brodick Castle is a must. Looming behind Brodick is the tallest hill on the island, Goatfell Pike, offering views all the way across to Ireland from the summit. The island’s beaches also provide peaceful spots to rest from the touring.

From the pounding Cornish Atlantic and the gin-clearwaters of the Scillies, my home county of Norfolk can seem a little underwhelming: there is rarely a magnificent collision between the waves and the rocks, for the brown-grey sea rather seeps into the impenetrable salt marshes. Yet this landscape seeps into you too, and its vast open space

Thus while we will be staying in Britain this summer,that needn’t mean busy holiday resorts or boredom, for the UK’s shores offer seclusion and intrigue in equal measure.

Image: Gracie Linthwaite

13

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

Profile numbers increase from 17,500 to 21,500 (35% of whom would be international, up from 22%), and six new colleges built, as well as update and rebuild several existing buildings, such as Maiden Castle and Elvet Riverside.

The unprecedented scale of the expansion has led to apprehension among students and locals alike about the sustainability of further growth in student numbers.

“People are not going to work in the same way, clearly, as they’ve worked in the past”

Professor Corbridge talking to striking staff on a picket line during the 2019 UCU strikes (Tim Packer) spite of the likelihood of reduced students should be able to get to Covid-19 restrictions.

Durham.”

“My feeling is that staff have “I think the student voice is Following the onset of worked incredibly hard with going to be quite critical here”, the Covid-19 pandemic, the students to deliver really good Prof. Corbridge added. However University’s draft strategy outcomes. “it’s now for the community, I “Unbound Education”, which “The default will be that we’ll won’t be here.” proposed the introduction work off zero social distance, As well as negotiating of online-only degrees, was but it probably will be the case the University’s day-to-day withdrawn following intense that not every student can get to operations during the pandemic, criticism from staff and students Durham. So we are committed to the Vice-Chancellor also alike. making sure that those students suggested Durham has proved that want to have an education at durable in the face of financial Durham will be able to access it challenge, with the Institute of “The University’s finances online.

Fiscal Studies estimating that are solid.” the pandemic could cost the university sector £11 billion.

“The default will With Covid-19 having “Just to be clear, the University‘s led to the implementation be that we’ll finances are solid. I would say of online teaching work off zero there’s a lot of volatility going methods, the Viceabout pensions [and] social distance” forward Chancellor anticipates future funding. But clearly, we’re “some sort of middle in a better financial position now “ H o w e v e r, ground” between than we thought we might have our working online and in-person been a year ago.” assumption is that teaching continuing into the vast majority of the next academic year in Pay Professor Stuart Corbridge (Durham University)

The position of Vice-Chancellor is well remunerated. For Durham’s, the salary is currently set at £273,000 per year.

Asked whether ViceChancellors were paid fairly, Prof.

Corbridge’s response was well rehearsed: “The pay is set by the Remuneration Committee, my details are publicly available, as they are for all Vice-Chancellors so you can see what we get paid and in what form.

“I think it’s for the University to decide where the pay levels are set, and for others to commentate on whether we’re paid at an appropriate level.”

Much of this growth, the ViceChancellor sought to stress, has already taken place: “If you look at the student numbers this year, we were over 20,200 so most of the expansion of numbers has already happened.

“A lot of that’s been accommodated, of course, with the development of the new colleges, John Snow and South, to the south of the city.

“Plus a lot of the work around the IT infrastructure, which people don’t see closely.” All in, buildings, IT investment and staff expansion is “worth about £330 million.”

Prof. Corbridge also stressed the dynamic and changeable nature of the strategy: “When we get to the end of 2021, that’s five years of the strategy, so it needs to be looked at [again] anyway.

“You’ve got an incoming ViceChancellor, and we’re going to have to work through the consequences of the pandemic.

“People are not going to work in the same way, clearly, as they’ve worked in the past, and we’re trying to offer maximum flexibility for colleagues and professional services. So this will be the time under Karen [O’Brien, the incoming Vice-Chancellor].”

Earlier this year, a Palatinate

investigation revealed that the expansion at Mount Oswald was financed by a consortium in which the University held only a 15% stake, with the rest being owned by private firms.

When asked whether this model was likely to be used again in the future, the Vice-Chancellor strove to defend it: “We can either choose to use our own money, or we can borrow money, or we can work in combination with a private provider.

“The Mount Oswald model was the latter. And that’s an option for the University going forward. It’s a standard option in the sector... [but] it will be decided on a case by case basis.”

Retirement

With just two months left in the role, Prof. Corbridge looks tentatively into the future: “strange word retirement, isn’t it?”

Yet it is clear he’s given it at least some thought: “Jen and I are setting up in Hexham. One thing that we discovered is how much we love the North East. We’re both huge outdoor lovers.

“My big interest is animal welfare.”

“So a lot of time walking, trekking, we’re both gonna have a bash at golf – probably will be just a bash – cycling, stuff like that: anything that keeps us outdoors.”

“I’m a lapsed academic. I’ll probably go back to research and writing and then the other thing will be volunteering [...] my big interest is animal welfare.

“I’m currently attached to Stray Aid down at Coxhoe which is just an amazing charity that takes dogs that have been abandoned, some cats as well, and stops them being euthanised. I don’t know.

Hopefully those things together will keep me reasonably busy.”

Expansion

The Vice-Chancellor was also instrumental in driving forward the University’s ambitious ‘2017-2027 masterplan’, which, among other targets, plans to see student

The Mount Oswald site, which includes South and John Snow colleges, is part of the University Strategy 2017-27 (Durham University)

14

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Science & Technology

Durham astronomers join forces with cancer researchers after £1m grant Faye Saulsbury Science & Technology Editor

decide which treatment to use.

Astronomers from Durham University are applying statistical

methods traditionally used to model the evolution of the universe to trace the causes of

In what may seem like an unlikely pairing, academics in Durham’s astronomy department have joined forced with NHS providers to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.

Their work focuses on people with cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Researchers are using "astrostatistics" to trace the causes of cancer This means that the cancer has spread throughout the patient’s body, but that doctors can’t trace where the original tumour started. Without this information, it is difficult to

(Verity Laycock)

CUP. DNA tissue and blood test results from cancer patients at seven NHS centres is being used in the study.

The Durham researchers on the project are James Nightingale and Richard Massey. Nightingale has spent much of his career studying the dark matter that allows galaxies to form and grow.

An advocate for crossdisciplinary research, he and his team are now using “astrostatistics” to show how different therapies affect different cancers.

Patients with CUP currently have a poor prognosis. Every day, approximately 26 people die from CUP in the UK. There are no approved immunotherapies and limited targeted therapies for CUP. The ‘unknown’

element makes a CUP diagnosis particularly frightening for patients.

The results of the research will therefore be crucial to helping doctors decide which treatment to give individual patients.

The work focuses on cancer of unknown primary (CUP) The project follows the award of a government grant worth £1 million. Also involved are biotech company Concr and healthcare giant Roche.

Kelly Warrington, a research lead on the project, says “The biggest breakthroughs in science often happen with different organisations come together to remove the barriers which stifle progress. This partnership is a perfect example of that.”

Physics PhD uses big data to inform humanitarian aid Faye Saulsbury Science & Technology Editor Academics in Durham’s particle physics department are using big data to fight the spread of Covid-19 in the world’s largest refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar.

In collaboration with UN agencies, Durham scientists are analysing satellite images and demographic data to inform humanitarian action. They are modelling the movement of people within the refugee camp, in order to understand where and how people interact.

Refugee camps are often overcrowded and lack sanitation facilities. They are also highly dynamic places, making it difficult to monitor demographic patterns and trends. For these reasons, refugee camps are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19.

The model provides a bird's eye view of the refugee camp In order to overcome this challenge, the team used open source census datasets to create a digital agent-based model of

Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, which incorporates demographic and locational data.

The model provides a bird’s eye view of where people move from and to on a regular basis.

The likelihood of a person with Covid-19 infecting others depends on the type of location they go to, how infectious they are, the length of time they spend at that location. For example, men are more likely than women to travel to distribution centres to collect food parcels.

The model has been designed with a high degree of flexibility, allowing new information to be

added as it becomes available. It is hoped that such an adaptive algorithm can provide more accurate analysis of public health in refugee camps, allowing teams on the ground to direct resources where they are needed most.

The model is also being used to determine the effectiveness of different measures, such as mask-wearing or closing down a community centre, against Covid-19.

The Cox's Bazar settlement is located in Bangladesh. A majority of the people in the settlement are Rohingya Muslims who have continuously fled targeted

violence and discrimination in Myanmar.

Adaptive algorithms can provide more accurate analysis of public health Durham’s role in the modelling was led by Joseph Aylett-Bullock, a researcher at the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology and member of the Institute for Data Science, a multidisciplinary research group at Durham University.

15

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

SciTech

Durham churches aim to reach net-zero by 2030 Elise Garcon Science & Technology Editor Durham University has announced their plans to support the Church of England in achieving net-zero carbon by 2030, 20 years ahead of the UK. To succeed in this, the Durham Energy Institute (DEI) is focusing on reducing heat waste from buildings.

The Church's 40,000 buildings are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Many are heritage sites, meaning they cannot be fitted with energy saving technology such as insulation. An example is Durham Cathedral. Such buildings have large community and cultural significance, so their maintenance presents a challenge under their new net-zero goal.

The Director of Cathedral and Church Buildings, Becky Clark,

stressed the importance of the partnership with the DEI, saying “it will allow us to fully assess the carbon emissions”. The DEI and the Church plan to work together to develop a realistic plan to reach this net-zero target, by sharing research.

The Church's 40,000 buildings are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions The plan comes ahead of the UK’s own net-zero target, which is aimed for 2050, a goal which has been suggested to come too late to make a real impact on climate change. The Church also plans to use its land for negative emissions, by repurposing this for carbon capture. The commitment of the Church to climate action was described by

Clark as “trailblazing”.

Durham-led research into Decarbonising Heating will be used in this scheme. The team from Durham University is lead by Professor Andrew Smallbone from the department of Engineering.

They plan to provide a technology roadmap for the church, by identifying state-ofthe-art equipment and its likely advancement, applying these to heritage buildings. The DEI team will work with Durham Cathedral and three parish churches in the Durham area.

By producing an energy audit of the Church sites, developing and modelling different pathways to reach zero-carbon, and quantifying when each stage in the transition will need to take place, the DEI hope to reach this net-zero target in the next nine years.

The team's leader, Prof.

Smallbone, is also a fellow in the DEI. The DEI was launched in 2009 to undertake multi-disciplinary research into energy technology and society.

Research areas range from the Humber Offshore Wind Cluster to the development of green hydrogen. Its world-

events is vitally important in understanding how the climate will respond to the melting of ice sheets today.

This is particularly important now as the Greenland ice sheet is currently rapidly melting, a major cause of the current period of sea-level rise that started around the beginning of the twentieth century following over 2,000 years of stable seas. This massive discharge of cold freshwater into the North Atlantic is a symptom of climate breakdown and is disrupting ocean circulation.

The Atlantic Ocean circulation that underpins the Gulf Stream is already at its weakest for a millennium, and further weakening could lead to more extreme weather across Europe.

Extreme weather isn’t the only

consequence. A large proportion of the global population currently live in areas vulnerable to sea level rise, meaning many millions of people may be forced to migrate over the coming decades.

Projections suggest that by the end of the century 630 million people could live on land lower than the annual flood levels .

leading research is aiding in decarbonisation at local, regional, national and international scales; supporting the Church of England in its ambitious decarbonisation plan is just one way in which Durham researchers are helping the UK transition to a net-zero economy.

(Sophie Draper)

Geographers find source of historic sea-level rise

Cameron McAllister Research led by the Durham's Department of Geography has settled the dispute over the source of a major surge in sea level at the end of the last ice age. The 500year event known as Meltwater Pulse 1A (MWP-1A) resulted in a sea level rise of 18 metres.

Understanding the triggers of past sea level changes are critical to informing projections of future sea levels.

Between the end of the last glacial period 20,000 years ago and a period of stability 2,500 years ago the Earth’s sea-level gradually rose by more than 125 metres. This period was punctuated by a series of rapid rises called meltwater pulses,

which were caused by the climate change induced disintegrations of ice sheets.

Scientists are divided over the source of the 18m sea level rise The largest of these was the Meltwater Pulse 1A which began around 14,600 years ago. During MWP-1A sea-levels rose by 40 to 60 mm per year, much faster than the current rate of 3 to 5 mm per year. The melting of land-based ice is, along with the thermal expansion of sea water due to increasing temperatures, one of the major causes of contemporary sea-level changes. Understanding the ice-ocean-climate interactions of these historic meltwater pulse

Understanding MWP-1A will inform projections of future sea levels Scientists have been divided over the source of the meltwater that caused MWP1A. Some researchers pointed to evidence that indicated the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets in North America and Scandinavia, whereas others believed the massive Antarctic ice sheet to be the main culprit.

This disagreement was fuelled by limitations in the sea-level fingerprinting technique, which aims to match ice sheet melting with sea-level change records from multiple geographically distributed sites. The primary problem is the lack of sea-level records for the period during MWP-1A. Commonly, just three sites are used – coral reef data from Tahiti and Barbados, and sedimentary indicators from Sunda Shelf in Southeast Asia.

By using these three sites it is impossible to determine whether meltwater arrived from the Antarctic or Scandinavian ice shelves.

The new study used an additional three sites, including data from Northeast Scotland, to solve this problem and clarify the North American ice sheet as the

source of most of the meltwater.

The research also indicates that a significant portion of the sea-level rise during this meltwater pulse came from the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. The Scottish data also allowed researchers to firmly refute the Antarctic ice shelf being the main source of the meltwater, with only a scenario dominated by the melting of the North American Ice Sheet explaining the sea-level rises in the six sites.

Researchers now need to determine what triggered the North American ice sheet to melt so suddenly – and why the Antarctic ice sheet didn’t join in. This will allow better models of how the last two remaining ice sheets – the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets – will respond to climate change. While MWP-1A was massive, roughly equivalent to melting an ice sheet twice the size of Greenland in just 500 years, the Antarctic ice shelf could cause a sea-level rise over three times greater.

Data refuted the Antarctic ice shelf as a main source of the meltwater The most pessimistic future sea-level predictions rely on large amounts of melting in Antarctica, over which there is a lot of uncertainty. Therefore, understanding why the Antarctic ice sheet didn’t contribute significantly to the MWP-1A is extremely important in predicting whether we are headed towards a worst-case scenario, or whether we will be lucky enough to avoid the worst wrath of the oceans.

(Cassie Matias via Unsplash)

16

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

SciTech

Optimising admissions in the age of algorithms

thin.

The historical data pulled by algorithms has previously always been in the hands of humans, being guided by their own personal biases. And of course university admissions, particularly at Durham, have faced criticism in the past for favouring private school or white students.

This means that a machine learning algorithm may unintendedly pick up these biases and continue making unfair assumptions about applicants.

It’s unrealistic at the moment to expect machine learning to adhere to an impossible standard of fairness. Instead we need to acknowledge where an algorithm might make mistakes so that we can have independent systems to moderate discissions.

Rachel Diamond The university admissions process in the UK is under intense review. Currently offers are made based of predicted grades but recently the UK government has announced plans to move away from this system. Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, said the current arrangement sometimes “breeds low aspiration and unfairness”; students from low income families are more likely to have grades under-predicted, putting them at a disadvantage when applying to competitive courses.

The current arrangement sometimes “breeds low aspiration and unfairness” There has also been an increase in the use of widespread ‘conditional unconditional’ offers which are only unconditional if a student makes the offer their firm choice. There are concerns that these types of offers pressure students into making a particular decision, and often prey on the insecurities of strong candidates. One suggestion is the introduction of post-qualification university admissions, but could a different solution be found in machine learning?

Universities can use machine learning to forecast the number of successful applicants Our modern world is relying more and more upon computers to do tasks that humans had previously done.

Machine learning is a type of artificial

University admissions have faced criticism in the past for favouring private school or white students

(Verity Laycock)

intelligence which relies on algorithms and pattern spotting to “learn” from data. We are surrounded by its applications: from search engines and music streaming to self-driving cars and chess machines (in 1997 a chessplaying computer called Deep Blue famously defeated Garry Kasparov, world champion chess player, marking a new algorithmic age).

Predicting which students will be successful once enrolled at a university is

just one more application of machine learning. By training a computer using historical data on different students and their outcomes, intelligent course recommendations could be made to students struggling to pick a degree which suited them. With the help of machine learning student success can be optimised.

More generally, universities may want to use machine learning to forecast the number of successful applicants, such that over- or under- enrolment

is avoided. Both are problematic and can negatively affect student experience.

We are surrounded by machine learning For example, under-enrolment reduces the pool of alumni who might donate in the future, and in extreme cases courses may be discontinued if there are not enough students signed up. Overenrolment on the other hand stretches resources and funding

From the Editor: a final message

We’re finally at the last Palatinate edition of 2020-2021. This is a big one for all of us on the SciTech team; it’s my last edition after three years as SciTech Editor, Faye’s last after her two years at Palatinate, and the end of Elise’s first year on the SciTech team (hopefully not her last)!

These days, unbiased, simple, and engaging science reporting is more important than ever, and we believe that our efforts this academic year have reflected that. Covid-19 especially has illuminated just how crucial a role science communication plays in our daily lives. The UK is now on track to beat the pandemic through its successful vaccination

program, but it didn’t always look like we’d reach this point – before vaccination began, fake news and science denial were rampant, and may have impeded our recovery without the clear, simple explanations of science communicators.

At SciTech, we aimed to cover both the pure science of Covid-19 and the broader impact of the pandemic on Durham, with articles such as ‘SciTech’s vaccine rundown’ providing an in-depth and well-researched look at the different vaccines being provided around the world, and our double-page investigation "60% drop in STEM student satisfaction" shining a light on the

academic and personal impacts of the pandemic on Durham students.

However, science reporting isn’t all doom-and-gloom, so we also made the effort to cover fun and inspiring stories, such as Europe’s most diverse astronaut recruitments.

Tripling our number of pages in the print edition of Palatinate allowed us to bring articles like these and more to the students of Durham, and hopefully succeeded in cementing the importance of science journalism to all of our readers, no matter their subject.

Where possible, we have interviewed the scientists we report on. The personal angle of

an interview results in engaging pieces which grant an insight into the people behind the research.

Through speaking directly to Durham professors, we were also able to gain insight into the personal lives of scientists at our University, often with interesting and surprising findings (such as one interview with Gillian Campling, a Biology lecturer who almost ended up an astronaut!).

To celebrate the top scientific community here at Durham, this edition of Palatinate focuses on the world-class scientific research coming out of Durham University – a fitting choice for our final print edition.

Finally, we couldn’t have been

We also have to remember that a computer cannot reason its choices. Once an answer pops out we often don’t know why or how an algorithm has made a decision. For these reasons it may be wiser to use machine learning as a guide, and allow humans to still form a conscious part of the process. While neither human or machine are perfect, together they can work together to create a future where their combined net effect is positive.

GOT AN IDEA FOR AN ARTICLE? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Send your thoughts to scitech@palatinate.org.uk

been highly commended at the Student Publication Association awards without our contributors, so thank you to everyone who wrote a piece for us this year they were all amazing. Hopefully some of you will run for SciTech Editor next year, and keep SciTech the best section in Palatinate.

Anyone looking to contribute: we want to hear from you! Join our Facebook group ‘Palatinate SciTech Contributors’ or drop us a line at scitech@palatinate.org. uk any time. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!

Ewan Jones Science & Technology Editor 2018-2021

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

17

Politics

Science and politics under a pandemic Freya Taylor In a global pandemic, the government has taken responsibility for protecting the nation. Unfortunately, a global pandemic is not a matter where the government are the best people to decide how best to achieve this task. Because of this the government must, to quote Boris himself, “follow the science’” And yet science is not all that must be juggled; economic issues and trade, and personal popularity complicate just who is making the decisions in Downing Street. Especially in a time where we are verging on the widening of our freedoms – and the wide spread of a new threatening variant – what is going to happen on the 21st June is becoming increasingly complex.

The emphasis of ‘science’ leading the government – whatever that might actually mean – has been enthusiastically showcased throughout the pandemic. Anyone in the UK will remember the presence of figures such as Chris Whitty in the Covid-19 updates, talking us

through complicated graphs and data, backing up Boris’ speeches.

The government’s attitude at first glance seemed to follow Matt Damon in The Martian: they were going to “science the shit” out of the pandemic. The virus was something that we could beat if we threw every technology, every bit of scientific advice, and all advanced research at it.

At least, this was the attitude the government tried to portray.

Deeper, the relationship between scientific advisors and the government is a tense mixture of different goals and priorities.

Early in the pandemic, as recent reports claim, the government’s stance was one of inaction; “let the bodies pile high” said Boris allegedly, as he disregarded the true danger of the pandemic.

A tense mixture of different goals and priorities Indeed, this response was not one of scientific life-saving, rather of politics. It was a response of not wanting to be blamed for a lockdown where it wasn’t needed, and wanting to maintain a strong

economy. In the face of scientific advice to lock down – not just in the UK, but continentally – the government therefore hesitated.

This was, tragically, to enormous and devastating cost.

Fundamentally, the government is largely comprised not of scientific experts, but political people-pleasers.

Indeed, that is the nature of a democratically elected government: keeping people on side is essential to keep votes and power. Although certainly the two go hand in hand, following the science and keeping political popularity are not necessarily the same thing. Lockdowns are difficult and unpopular, even when we acknowledge their necessity.

This rather uncomfortable tension leaves us in a difficult position in the days before 21st June. Once again we have a battle of scientific advice and other interests: the rise of a new variant spreading quickly has led to calls by some scientific advisors to halt the reopening. Simultaneously, large proportions of the nation are waiting with bated breath for the bars, clubs, and holidays to

begin again. This is not to paint a dichotomy where there isn’t one: some Brits would prefer another lockdown, and some scientists equally think one is not needed.

However, there is certainly a tension between what many people want and what will save lives.

Scientific ignorance does not seem to be damning their popularity To add even more intricacies to the debate, the recent Conservative local election results show not a popular turn away from the government in light of questionably scientific moves, but increased support.

The question of the relevancy of scientific advisors is thus thrown even more into uncertainty; the scientific ignorance of the government does not, at least at the moment, seem to be damning their popularity.

In this difficulty of conflicting interests, the scientific advisors calculate the risk, but it is the government who must take that chance.

From the Editors

Sophie Farmer Politics Editor

In the last Politics spread of this academic year, the Politics team and contributing writers have gone with the zeitgeist of the current political climate to bring you several global perspectives.

Read about the relationship between scientific advisors and the UK government throughout the pandemic, or Stoneley’s article on Australia and Hong Kong’s high levels of vaccine hesitancy.

China is interrogated further with regard to the ‘two-child’ policy and an article on the CCP’s strong hold on the country’s democracy.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is then scrutinised

by Moran-Birch and Mowbray for both his political and personal agendas. Is the Prime Minister being held to account efficiently? Is he directly responsible for his political decisions, or are there other members in play here?

Have ‘zero-covid’ policies caused vaccine hesitancy?

Ben Stoneley Across the Asian Pacific, countries that so far have dealt well with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are struggling to meet much-needed levels of vaccine-driven herd immunity. Notably Hong Kong and Australia, both places whose governments have adopted ‘zero-covid’ policies seeking to eradicate all local transmission, have seen high levels of vaccine hesitancy that will undermine future efforts to open up.

Australia and Hong Kong currently have some of the strictest quarantine regulations in the world. Both require lengthy two to three-week stays in stateapproved hotels. This, combined with their governments’ liberal use of lockdowns in times of local outbreak, has largely meant that cases originating from within their borders have been minimal.

This has meant life in both places has largely returned to normal. However, it has also brought with it a complacency towards vaccination amongst their populations who no longer perceive the virus as a threat to their daily life.

Vaccine hesitancy, as the UK Office for National Statistics

describes, refers to persons who either “have been offered the vaccine and decided not to be vaccinated” or would be unlikely to have the jab if offered.

Levels of vaccine hesitancy in Hong Kong have never been higher, with YouGov revealing that just 37% of the population intend

to receive a full set of doses from one of the two vaccine-makers on offer: BioNTech and Sinovac.

Even today, only a mere 2.1 million residents have taken both doses despite the government

already holding enough jabs to vaccinate their entire population.

Understanding why take-up there has been so sluggish can largely be explained by three factors. The first highlights the lingering mistrust o f

vaccines, with misinformation and disinformation about possible side-effects rife across social media. As a result, many have opted to take a ‘wait and see’

approach. The second factor is largely political. Hong Kong, since anti-government protests began in 2019, has seen record low levels of government approval.

Hong Kong Free Press has stressed this deep mistrust of the government in contributing to slow vaccine uptake, with some reported as saying “whatever the government asks me to do, I’ll just do the opposite.”

The final reason why Hong Kongers have not come in droves to community vaccination centres is that their life has largely returned to normal. Large amounts of the population do not see a real need to get vaccinated as existing zero-covid strategies have already proved successful.

This is the same case with Australia, with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers reporting that “almost one-third of the public does not intend to get vaccinated.”

The poll points out that two of the largest factors in Australians’ rationale can be attributed to existing low case numbers and a lack of international travel. Quite simply put, Australians do not see the need to be vaccinated.

Though both places have seen success with their ‘zero-covid’

policies, the Australian Medical Association has expressed concerns with low vaccination rates. Such high levels of vaccine hesitancy, the Association states, make such countries sitting ducks in the event of large outbreaks and clusters. This has occurred in Taiwan, which has maintained some of the lowest cases numbers in the world until an outbreak exploded in mid-May. The island, with similarly high rates of vaccine hesitancy, saw cases rise to an unprecedented peak of over 1,000 on 23rd May. To reach herd immunity, scientists suggest that 75 to 80 per cent of a population should be vaccinated. Governments of countries with high levels of vaccine hesitancy must do more to win over the trust of their citizens in their drives. In both Australia and Hong Kong, this has largely been lacklustre. As poorer nations across the globe struggle to secure their own doses of Covid-19 vaccines, those that can afford them cannot squander the opportunities they represent.

(Trinity Care Foundation, Creative Commons)

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Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

18

Politics

Fatalism on Chinese hegemony is misplaced Rj Batkhuu Google ‘China’ and the headlines being run concern the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) iron grip and expansive influence.

Pick up any paper and see how China’s barnstorming growth compares to our own measly progress. The commentariat in Britain seem resigned to the fact that China will dominate the world order this century. But is such fatalism misplaced? Here, I consider the wider picture, trends and structures that belie such pessimism.

As the world’s second biggest economy, a leading investor in AI, biotech and space exploration, with a mighty military to match, China is undoubtedly a rising superpower.

China is undoubtedly a rising superpower Their power has been compared to the state of the West these last few years, which has seen itself engulfed by Covid-19, democratic decline, racial strife and economic stagnation. Most acutely, China’s initially successful handling of Covid-19, as the virus ripped through Europe and North America seemed to vindicate the autocratic method of societal organisation.

This media frenzy reached a new stage as insurrectionists stormed the United States

Capitol on 6th January. For many outlets the image of ascendent, orderly China and the American conspiracy theorists who managed to storm the Capitol seemed to encapsulate the decline of democratic hegemony.

But is the West in such a state?

Further, is China’s power really that inevitable? Do not assume so just yet.

China’s growth has rightly been dubbed a ‘miracle’ The CCP’s relationship with its people is based on a simple bargain: lots of growth in exchange for political compliance.

So far the deal has been held up on both ends, China’s growth these last thirty years has rightly been dubbed a ‘miracle’ and the CCP’s grip on everyday Chinese lives is all-encompassing.

As a result of this substantial growth, a vast, new middle class has emerged. These relatively affluent Chinese purchase consumer goods and are more literate and educated than their parents’ generation could have ever thought possible.

For now, content with endless growth, these middle-class Chinese support the CCP. But what happens when the party comes to an end, as it surely must do? A sizable middle class, many of them educated at foreign universities, will form controversial opinions and ask difficult questions. If Xi Jinping cannot continue to deliver

economic prosperity, this group in Chinese society will be more than a headache for the CCP, they will prove to be an existential threat.

By comparison, democratic electorates have the ability to kick leaders out of office when they do not perform. Middle classes in democratic societies feel they have the ability to influence outcomes, so even when times are hard they feel not only a societal stake, but most significantly the ability to influence policy. This provides unique stability and a strong social glue. Autocratic regimes are not so lucky.

Another headache for Xi is China’s demographic problem.

The historical ‘one-child’ policy has created a situation where fertility rates are low and a huge imbalance exists between the

number of men and women. As the Chinese population ages and growth slows, questions will arise on how to pay for state pensions, care for the elderly and provide enough workers for the future Even though China’s political system is autocratic, it still rests on a perverse form of consent. If old Chinese feel Mr Xi has failed them, a new and dangerous constituency will arise out of this.

Repressing young democracy activists in liberal Hong Kong is one thing, repressing old, disgruntled Chinese in the provinces is another.

Finally, consider the question of ‘ideological’ victory. China’s economy is avowedly marketorientated but this places party leaders in the awkward position of feeling obliged to pay lip service to Mao while at the same time, their economy is unquestionably

liberal and capitalist.

A cognitive dissonance that began in the 1980s under Deng Xiaoping has reached new heights as China exports globally and its citizens trade freely. As such, China never had the ideological appeal the USSR carried, such as during the 60s when American officials were paranoid of losing the argument over ideas. No such threat exists today, the ideological debate in favour of economic freedom has been squarely won.

Democracies have had a torrid two decades Democracies have had a torrid two decades: the financial crisis, disillusionment with the status quo and weakening of social bonds everywhere have given China, and other autocrats, the illusion that the West is irrevocably in decline.

But what democracies have is their inherent dynamism.

New ideas, freely formed, have seen Western political systems produce energetic and lively solutions to today’s problems.

Ancient injustices such as racism and inequality have seen democratic political parties try to solve them – if not too well, but the intention is there, nonetheless.

In contrast, Xi can only sit on his paranoia and hope that China’s growth-party never comes to an end.

(Paul Kagame, Creative Commons)

Boris Johnson: the untouchable politician Grace Moran-Birch Boris Johnson’s life and career, prior to being elected as the Prime Minister, was notoriously smothered in scandal. Despite his explicitly racist comments as a journalist and the denial of his ‘illegitimate’ children’s existence, he was elected in 2019 with an overwhelming majority of 80. Johnson’s air of immorality has never seemed to faze the electorate and the recent scandals come as no surprise. Eliciting no anger from the electorate, it would appear as though Johnson is immune from criticism and consequences.

Johnson’s allegations have been met with apathy Following his special advisor Dominic Cummings’ exit, Johnson is now facing a myriad of allegations.

Comments made regarding

a second lockdown, the initial payment of the Downing Street flat renovations, inconspicuous WhatsApp messages and a Caribbean holiday have all come under the spotlight.

This is just the latest case of an MP taking advantage of their position. The allegations echo the infamous 2007 cash-for-honours scandal and the 2009 expenses scandal. suggesting that scandals of this kind are set t o

become a regular feature of our political system. The 2007 and 2009 scandals were met with fury from an electorate which felt deceived and defrauded.

However, Johnson’s allegations have been met with apathy. The political exhaustion as a result of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have evoked little response to a scandal which normally would disrupt the Conservative Party.

Johnson may have to face the consequences of his (Surreynews via Creative Commons) actions A formal investigation by the Electoral Commission ensues, suggesting that Johnson may finally have to face the consequences of his actions.

But the recent elections suggest the opposite. Despite Labour’s best attempts to discredit the Conservatives, they made remarkable gains all around the country in the local council and mayoral elections. There is a

feeling that no matter what Boris Johnson does and no matter how unscrupulously he acts, he will always come out on top.

No matter how unscrupulously he acts, he will always come out on top This is in part due to the way he handles confrontation against allegations. Johnson is an expert in avoiding questions he doesn’t want to answer.

His rhetoric against Starmer’s attempted cross-examinations has been to deflect, arguing that the electorate don’t care about his home renovations.

Johnson continuously suggests his opposition ask him about the important issues facing the country – the pandemic. Johnson has used this technique before when distracting Corbyn’s questions with Brexit rhetoric.

This double-edge sword allows Johnson to both avoid answering awkward questions and to undermine his opposition with

(Bradford Timeline, Creative Commons)

one smooth jab.

Johnson’s Day of Judgement is pending. If the electorate commission decides that he has breached the ministerial code and broken rules regarding financial donations, then Johnson may be forced to face the consequences he has so long avoided. Even so, it is unlikely that the shameless Johnson will be subject to any real repercussions.

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

19

Politics

China’s two-child policy expands Maddy Burt On 31st May, the Chinese government announced a shift in policy, allowing families to have up to three children, following the revelation in May’s census that the fertility rate had fallen to 1.3 children per woman. This rate is even lower than the fertility rate in Japan, which is facing a rapidly ageing population, and the lowest seen in China since a severe famine in the 1960s.

Coming soon after the decision to expand the 1979 one-child policy to two children in 2015, the CCP is struggling both with the ageing population and the need to alter its own narrative after decades of proclaiming the benefits of having only one child.

The decision from the Government to not entirely scrap the controls over reproduction, which both domestic experts and the People’s Bank of China have called for, is telling of its reluctance to admit the flaws present in the one-child policy.

In addition to this, local family planning officials remain in place across the country.

For many families in China, the prospect of having more than one child, let alone three, is not appealing when faced with the

challenges of expenses in rent, childcare and education. Women continue to face discrimination in the workplace over having children, with employers keen to avoid paying maternity leave, or quick to pressure women against having children.

This may not be the way for the government to solve the perceived problem Further, the long-professed discourse that having one child is the best way for families to focus their attention has remained convincing.

In a poll conducted by the Chinese media outlet Xinhua, only five per cent of people would consider having three children, and the majority ruled the prospect as ‘out of the question’.

The poll was quickly removed followed the negative reception to the policy.

The fact that the fertility rate has dropped despite the introduction of the two-child policy suggests that this may not be the way for the government to solve the perceived problem of an ageing population – or it must be accompanied by measures to support the family and children.

Following the introduction of the one-child policy in 1979 came years of trauma as women’s bodies were, at times violently, controlled by the state.

Women who had more than one baby but couldn’t afford the fine often faced little choice but to seek an abortion, even if they longed for the child. At the time officials forced women who could not pay the fine into having an abortion very late into the pregnancy. Following this, forced sterilisation frequently occurred.

Female infanticide was common as families prioritised having a boy over having a girl.

Other families faced the challenge of hiding additional children from state officials. The human impact of the policy, and loss due to the policy, cannot be underestimated or neglected amongst the decision to expand the number of children a family can have.

life change – the possibility of an additional child and sibling for those who wish for bigger families. Amnesty declared that the policy move to allowing three children per family remains a violation of human rights as the state continues to hold a grasp

over reproductive rights.

The dangers of restricting families in the making of such a personal and intimate decision remains, as does the problem of how best to support the ageing population. (kafka4prez, Wikimedia Commons)

The human impact of the policy cannot be underestimated Whilst it appears that the majority of families will decide against having more children despite the relaxation of rules, for some families it will offer a radical

Where personal relationships and politics collide Sophie Mowbray While Prime Ministers’ spouses have always been of public interest, few have had an accused bigger impact on political choices than Boris Johnson’s new wife, Carrie Symonds. Johnson may have attempted to keep his personal life and relationships private, however the effects his personal relationships have had on his term in office have been anything but that.

Few have had a bigger impact on political choices than Carrie Symonds On Saturday 29th May Johnson wed Symonds, the mother to his youngest child in a small ceremony at Westminster. While Symonds has made few public appearances, her impact inside Downing Street has been far less reserved. Criticism arose through reporting’s that the couple had exceeded the usual £30,000 allowance to redecorate their private flat above No. 11 with some reports speculating that the couple spent up to £200,000 refurbishing the flat.

Former chief advisor, Dominic

Cummings, claimed donors paid for the difference in the refurbishment costs which he said was “unethical, foolish” and “possibly illegal”.

While many critics have accosted Symonds for her role in the excessive spending on their flat renovation, others have labelled attacks sexist. Either way, one thing is for certain, Symonds influence within Downing street extends far further than interior decorating.

Symonds appears to be the route of many fallouts within Downing Street, most publicly the resignation of former chief advisor, Cummings. Cummings belittled and attacked Symonds in his recent select committee hearing referring to her as the “Prime Minister’s girlfriend” blaming her “crackers” rection to a newspaper story about her dog Dilyn for slowing the Prime Minister’s response to the pandemic.

Moreover, Cummings’ claims that Symonds was “definitely connected” to his resignation as she wanted to dish out jobs in No. 10 to her friends. While Cummings’ accusations appear absurd and portray him as a jealous and bitter ex-friend wanting the Prime Minister

to choose between him and his girlfriend, it is obvious that personal relationships intercepted both his and the Prime Ministers political decision making process.

Relationships should not get in the way of decisions The public attacks thrown at the Prime Minister’s now wife reveal more about how Johnson mixes personal relationships with political decisions and the ultimately doomed failure this encores than Symonds herself.

Cummings may have forgot, but it was not that long ago his old friend Johnson was defending his unbelievable actions during the early stages of the pandemic.

Johnson’s defence of Cummings travelling across the country while knowingly having Covid-19 raised questions around the priorities of the Prime Minister and exposed the loyalties he had to certain staff members such as Cummings.

The Prime Minister’s defence of Cummings was dependent on their close, personal relationship.

However, Cummings’ accusations against the Prime Minister since his resignation

demonstrate why personal relationships should not get in the way of political decisions.

It is no secret that Johnson epitomises the adjective ‘indecisive’ and his easily influenced way of governing has allowed personal relationships to infiltrate his political decision

making.

Whether that be keeping his wife happy or maintaining loyalty to certain staff members, the influence of personal relationships has been felt throughout Johnson’s term in office.

(UK Prime Minister, Creative Commons)

20

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Puzzles

Puzzle Editors Harry Jenkins and Thomas Simpson For online versions, answers and more puzzles, head to

www.palatinate.org.uk/category/puzzles

Cryptic Crossword No. 3, set by Phlox 1

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Across 1 In love with wild demeanour (9) 6 Girl living in Salem, Massachusetts (4) 9 Ignore the new, choose one with great beginning (7) 10 Bag made with snake, starting at roughly a pound (7) 12 Patron deities order with direction, people having no control over events (14) 14 Love done the wrong way can be painful (4) 16 Place to hide wealth, so I’ve heard (5) 17 Affiliate has no right to rank (3) 18 Every seventh person starts with sixth sense (3) 19 Begun with an end (5) 20 Wild animal comes up in grass (4) 22 Assist tagged engineer with glasses and energy for best possible outcome (2, 4, 2, 2, 4) 26 Company zones for people who like to hide (7) 28 A storm brews on a railway dot (7) 29 Dampens uprising in a state of anxiety (4) 30 Long periods in strange liminal state (9)

Down 1 There’s no right to make noise while sleeping on back for ages! (4) 2 Rage at threat, not Democrat (5) 3 Drove round about to exaggerate (6) 4 Without introduction, notes down traditions (5) 5 Little bit of fish (3) 7 Clairvoyants take time on hill to be a quiet thinker (9) 8 No new women sense sex appeal somehow, or excellence (11) 11 Kind of rental inhabited by backward, negative German (7) 12 Jobs for announcers? (11) 13 Fat cats: snooty, cold, spoilt (7) 15 Intelligence on a ring seeping out (9) 16 Rascal holding uncooked, dead crustacean (7) 21 In the past the beginnings of rigorous academic exploration were in marketplaces (6) 23 Knowledge of support lacking top (5) 24 Exercise machine (5) 25 One plus one with nothing makes something very little (4) 27 Must have no time to turn around calculation (3)

and complete these maths mazes Maths Mazes Try as quickly as possible

5

cube it

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PalatiDates: “He's a huge Disney fan... that was really cool” Both from Stephenson, Sarah and Thomas – who study Earth Sciences and Physics, and Maths – meet for a blind date on Zoom

Sarah on Thomas

What were your first impressions of your date?

He was very chatty. Also very punctual because when I came on right on the dot at 8:00, he was already there.

What did you talk about?

Lots! We laughed about various things Stevo-related, societies and STEM degrees.

If you were on the admissions team, which college would you place them in and why?

Grey. He seems very put together, relatively academic, and down to Earth.

How would they describe you?

Probably chatty and loud, mostly because there were slight WiFi issues. I think I accidentally talked over him a few times. I also went into the Zoom call straight after a block of stressful revision so hopefully that didn’t rub off on the date!

How would you describe them?

Friendly and good at keeping the conversation going.

What was the most surprising thing about them?

He’s a huge Disney fan, that’s not something you come across very often so I thought that was really cool.

Any awkward moments?

Not really, except for when the WiFi would be a tad laggy and we would accidentally speak over each other.

What were your final impressions of them?

Solid, down to earth guy.

Would you meet up in person?

He's a fun guy to talk to but we don't really have that much in common so I don't think I'll meet up with him in person.

Marks out of 10?

(Emma Jespersen) 7

Thomas on Sarah

What were your first impressions of your date?

She seemed really nice, and I noticed her American accent which was a nice surprise!

What did you talk about?

We talked about her experiences in the US and travelling across there as well as settling into Durham life, and what it’s been like for me as a fresher in Covid-19 times If you were on the admissions team, which college would you place them in and why?

They got it right the first time with Stevo! Because she’s one to enjoy a party or two.

How do you think they would describe you?

A little awkward but also friendly I hope.

How would you describe them?

Really sweet and kind with plenty of interesting stories!

What was the most surprising thing about them?

She plays in an orchestra.

Any awkward moments?

Yes, all caused by me.

What were your final impressions of them?

She was someone great to talk to and get to know.

Would you meet up in person?

I've added her on Instagram but I'm not sure we'll end up meeting up.

Marks out of 10?

6

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

21

Sport

Floorball: Durham’s sporting newcomer James Reid Deputy Sport Editor “It’s a fun, indoor version of ice hockey”, says Anton Tavitian, president of Durham University Floorball Club, the newest addition to Durham’s sporting scene.

Hockey is one of Durham’s most popular sports, ranging from those competing at international players to numerous college sport sides, but until now it has only been the field version.

But that is set to change with the creation of Durham University Floorball Club, which will debut in Durham’s sporting scene this summer; this is hockey as you’ve never seen it before.

Most popular in Scandinavia, but also played in central and eastern Europe – and increasingly across the world – floorball is a fast-paced indoor sport similar to hockey that has its own professional leagues and World Championship.

Teams are six-a-side, including a goalkeeper, using a hollow ball and sticks reminiscent of the plastic ones you might have used in PE on an indoor pitch about the size of a basketball court.

Tavitian, a third-year at Hatfield, picked up the sport in Brussels thanks to Swedish friends and played frequently before moving to Durham for university, including representing Team USA at the Under-19 World Championships.

Having been thinking about setting up a club since his first year, after missing the sport dearly while in the North East of England, it was during the pandemic that he finally decided

Floorball is most popular in Scandinavia and central Europe, where there are a number of professional leagues (Anssi Koskinen)

to try and set up a club, “There was nothing better to do so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

The club’s first training sessions will take place during June with the aim of organising a game against another university by the end of term, with universities such as York already having floorball teams.

“It’s extremely fun, especially if you get the right vibe and attitude” While there are some leagues in the UK, including a small university league, the club is in no rush to get ahead of themselves and is simply looking to get a

good number of members with Tavitian emphasising that the club is very much for everyone, no matter their prior experience of floorball or any other hockeystyle game.

“It’s the kind of sport where you improve quickly, especially if you have prior hockey skills,” says Tavitian, who is also keen to encourage complete beginners too. “It’s extremely fun, especially if you get the right vibe and attitude where the game is played in a fun spirit.”

Indeed, for now the emphasis is on getting as many people involved as possible, especially as people return to team sports after the pandemic.

“If quarantine has got you

bored and lazy, this will be an effortless way to get fit and have fun,” says Tavitian when asked to sum up why people should try floorball.

“It’s not dangerous, you don’t get hurt and it’s much faster than field hockey with lots of short sprints so it’s great for cardio.”

Training sessions will be free with all equipment provided in a further attempt to grow the sport in Durham. Such efforts mirror those across the world, particularly in the USA where there is a conscious effort to grow the sport as an alternative to ice hockey.

It made its debut at the World Games in 2017, and while the likes of Sweden and Finland, where

Euros fever hits Palatinate James Reid Deputy Sport Editor It has been three years since the lives of all England fans peaked.

As Kieran Trippier’s free kick rippled the net in Moscow, England fans dared to dream.

Alas it was not to be as Mario Mandžukić broke English hearts.

It has been five since Wales’ incredible run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Though neither came home with any silverware, what was more important was that it reinvigorated a belief and a faith in international football.

International football is much maligned, even by a large amount of football fans themselves.

That is, in many ways, understandable; there is often little to stir the senses about

England rolling over the likes of San Marino.

But they are a necessary evil to qualify for the tournaments we all love. Moreover, while England fans often see qualifying as a mere procession, it is important to recognise how important such games are for smaller nations for whom qualifying is not a bare minimum.

Just look, for example, at the euphoric scenes as Scotland qualified for this summer’s European Championships – their first since 1998 – and argue that qualifying doesn’t matter.

And for the tournaments themselves, the exploits of home nations in recent years have reminded fans – England fans in particular – just how enjoyable they can be.

For years, tournaments have

often been met with trepidation and a sense of resignation to the seemingly inevitable valiant and heroic defeat that would ensue.

Yet 2018 showed us that it does not have to be that way. The valiant defeat was there again, but there was no sense of resignation or inevitability about it.

Nor was there the same negativity that so often shrouds the England team fans waiting to decry the team as boring.

The runs to the semi-finals of Wales and England in consecutive tournaments was a refreshing reminder of just how good international tournaments can be.

Football nearly every day, often with the benefit of good summer weather, bringing a country together behind one cause.

We have been forced to

wait an extra year for another international tournament, meaning its return is even more welcome than before.

The reality, too, is that whether England, Wales, or Scotland win the tournament is not really that important. Of course, good results will create a much better experience, but the real value of international tournaments lie in them being festivals of football, creating iconic moments and moments of national jubilation.

Whether you like football or not, this summer’s Euros are simply too enticing not to get involved with.

Palatinate will be covering Euro 2020 throughout the tournament through online articles and our new podcast series, which has already previewed all of the groups.

matches are often televised with capacity crowds, still dominate, it has been increasing in popularity across the globe, with the new club in Durham hopefully a small part of that.

“It's the kind of sport where you improve quickly” The club have already had around 20 to 30 sign-ups but Tavitian says they are looking for even more, hoping that people will be looking to try something new after exams.

So if you’re at a loose end, looking to meet new people, try something new and get fit, then floorball could be the sport for you.

Editors’ Note When the four of us took over in August, it was not clear there would even be any sport for us to cover. However, what has transpired has been a year rich in sporting stories both on and off the pitch.

Our team of dedicated contributors have consistently produced engaging pieces throughout the year; we are greatly indebted to them for all their hard work.

We have worked hard to expand our coverage, particularly through Durham Women FC. Thanks to all of those at the club for being so welcoming.

As sport returns to normal next year, we hope that we have left the section in a good place to cover Durham’s terrific sporting scene.

Matt, Luke, Ben and James

22

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

Sport Sport

“This sport is stuck with me for a while yet” Sport talks to two-time wheelchair fencing Paralympian and Durham alumna Gemma Collis-McCann about Tokyo 2020 ambitions, lockdown training sacrifices, and future career aspirations

Ben Fleming Deputy Sport Editor “I just love fencing. The adrenaline rush. The competition. I’d be lost without it.”

These are some of Gemma’s last words as we conclude our interview, but they are perhaps the most poignant. Her passion and love for her sport is unwavering. She speaks to me following a “manic” few days at work and before she heads off to practise in a “dingy fencing hall” – her words, not mine.

But I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have it any other way.

That, in large part, is what has made the last 16 months so weird for Gemma Collis-McCann. The two-time Paralympic wheelchair fencer has not stopped ever since she picked up the sport in 2011 whilst at Durham University. But for the first time in nine years, she has not competed in nearly 16 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Looking back now, it was just absolutely crazy. I remember the last competition in Hungary in February, Covid-19 was just starting to spread and some of the countries were starting to be badly affected but it hadn’t really touched us in the UK too badly at that point.

“At the time it was a case of the organisers putting out some hand gels with a sign of a bug emoji that said ‘virus killer’ on the front of it.

To go from that to six weeks later being locked in was just crazy.”

Yet, only a week into the first national lockdown, it would get much worse, on a personal note, as the IOC announced that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be postponed until 2021.

“I am planning on going until at least the 2032 Games if my body can hold on that long” “Obviously, you are disappointed as an athlete because you have worked really hard over the last four years, but I felt like it was the right decision at the time. It didn’t feel right to even be trying to host a major Games with athletes from all over the world with everyone in the situation we were all in.”

With nothing but a target in her Manchester home and unable to see her parents, whose house she lives at when she trains in London, the first lockdown was an unusually quiet period for Gemma. A rare moment of

buzz was seeing her local team Wycombe Wanderers secure promotion to the Championship for the first time.

By October however, the situation had eased sufficiently to allow her to train under an elite exemption. “My get out of jail free card,” as she explained to me.

“I could get out and do something I loved which almost no one could do.

“The first session seemed to go quite well and then I remember the second one I was like ‘I can’t hit a barn door with a banjo, what on earth is going on?’ It’s been a slow process to get back up to the standards I am happy with.”

“I just love fencing. The adrenaline rush. I’d be lost without it” But even the ability to train again came with new sacrifices.

Elite fencing training takes place in London, meaning she has had to live with her parents since October and without her partner.

“My husband hasn’t been down here, so I have seen him only three times outdoors since October. It has been a weird and tough period, to be honest.”

Despite the return to training, there has still been no opportunity to compete since February 2020.

And, in March, the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation announced the qualification window for the Tokyo Games would close due to the ongoing uncertainty caused

by Covid-19.

This means it is just a waiting game for Gemma to find out if she will qualify for the Games based on her performances before the pandemic.

“Hopefully, I’ve done enough.

I am sat around whereabouts I think I need to be for a qualification spot, but I really would have liked to have absolutely guaranteed it.

I’m certainly trying not to dwell on it too much as it would give you too many sleepless nights.”

There are tentative plans for a World Cup event in Poland in early July, but should that not go ahead, and Gemma secures qualification, the Olympics will be her first event in 19 months, a rather daunting prospect.

“Knowing that you could go into a major Games that you’ve been working five years for without any competition since February 2020 is just crazy to me. In this country, we don’t necessarily have the same depth, particularly on the women’s side, so some of the other countries will be better prepared as they have several

top 10 fencers within their own countries with which they can train together.”

Despite all these obstacles to overcome, Gemma still enters the summer in positive spirits and with high ambitions, but also some much-needed perspective, should she get to compete in Tokyo.

“Obviously, I’d love to do better than my eighth-place finish last time. In the lead up to Rio 2016, I had won World Cup medals but now I have won a World Cup, I have beaten the world number one so I know, given my best day, I can medal in Tokyo.

“On the one hand that would be a huge aim of mine but equally I try to be realistic and know that there is no point putting too much pressure on these games under the circumstances.

“I have beaten the world number one so I know, given my best day, I can medal in Tokyo” “The most important thing is to enjoy it. I fence much better if I fence happy. If you see me singing along to the music and cracking jokes and having fun when I’m warming up, those are the days I fence best. If I’m tightly wound and a ball of stress, I just don’t fence well. I think my dad can spot it a mile off!”

Whilst this summer, in some ways, represents a free hit for Gemma, it should not detract from the progress she has made over the last five years.

Outside of the sport, she has become the Vice-Chair of the International Wheelchair Fencing Athletes Council and, more recently, was chosen to form part of the new International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation Wheelchair Fencing Gender Equality Commission.

And in competition, her gold and bronze at the 2018 Montreal World Cup, in the Epee and Foil respectively, shows she can compete with the very best, all the more impressive when you realise she hasn’t received any GB funding since 2012.

“It’s been a long, hard slog and I’ve relied on the goodwill and help of so many people. Without them, my family, the people in my Durham fencing club, I would not have gotten to the place I am now.

“I would be hopeful that within the next cycle I could secure some level of funding. But to be honest I’ll keep going regardless.

As my dad says, once you’re pot committed and you’ve reached a certain level, you make it work

Gemma with her 2018 Montreal World Cup Gold (Gemma Collis-McCann)

come hell or high water.”

To end the interview, I rewind the clock back to her years at Durham University, where she first picked up the sport of wheelchair fencing. It is clear as Gemma recounts memories, that the enormity of those formative years is not lost on her.

“The most important thing is to enjoy it” “It’s hard to really put into words but it’s funny how the choices you make have such a big impact. It wasn’t originally a university I wanted to go to because it was too far away from my parents. But I ended up choosing Durham and I could not have made a better choice for my life.

“I remember Laszlo Jakab, the fencing coach at Maiden Castle, came up to me and asked if I wanted to give fencing a try. I thought ‘who is this weird old man’ – it just seemed so random.

Now, he is like a third grandad to me, he was witness at my wedding. He and his wife are so special to me and always will be.

They are family to me.”

With all these years, memories, and achievements in the sport, you’d be forgiven for thinking Gemma might be near the end of her career. In her mind, she is only just getting started.

“I am planning on going until at least the 2032 Games if my body can hold on that long. And I could always be persuaded to go on longer.

“I think this sport is stuck with me for a long while yet.”

23

PALATINATE | Thursday 10th June 2021

Sport

Captains rejoice as college sport returns Matt Styles Sport Editor For the first two terms of this academic year students were starved of sporting action, but for over a month now college sport has returned in all its glory as the various mini-leagues draw to a close.

Despite no student spectators the halcyon days have returned for outdoors sports, made sweeter by some unfamiliar sunny conditions, with the admission to Maiden Castle now requiring a bi-weekly assault on one’s tonsils with a plastic stick. Speaking to captains of rugby, mixed lacrosse, football and hockey, a sense of relief was evident following its long-awaited return.

Women’s Rugby Caitlin Bonpun, captain of Cuth’s A Women’s Rugby, reflects on how fundamental it is to the wider student experience. She told Palatinate, “college sport to me IS the Durham collegiate experience, it’s an easy and fun access to a large variety of people and activities, and fosters the strong sense of community felt within Durham. Particularly in such an alienating time as a global pandemic, college sport’s loss was sorely felt, as that sense of family and team spirit is so essential; some lively rugby is a fantastic way of blowing off exam season steam!”

Her side won one and drew two in the condensed Division 1 season to top the group, though were limited to touch rugby due to Covid-19, with 10-a-side teams playing three 10 minute thirds and a tackle policy of twotouches. Despite yearning for a return to contact Bonpun looked on the bright side, believing that “the team and coaches have been great at adapting to this new style of play” and that this revised format makes for an easier introduction to rugby for those who have never played.

Teams are, by and large, happy to adapt and compromise given their love for college sport and the incredible social side that comes with it, so much so that more than 20 first years showed up to the early training sessions in the pouring rain. Beyond the sport, as Bonpun points out, it is crucial to a wider college spirit and meeting new people that can define your university experience.

“After so long without playing, it’s easy to forget the strong sense of community and family you get through college sports, even more so from a small tight-knit team like women’s rugby.

Grey’s Hockey A Team Captain Theo Phillips is one of many college sport captains thrilled by the return of college sport (GCHC)

“Although I can’t speak on behalf of everyone, my favourite part of being back has been meeting the freshers and getting back in touch with a wider range of Cuth’s years-wide. It has been very rewarding seeing the Cuth’s spirit revived and passed on to the next team.”

Men’s Hockey Grey A co-captain Theo Phillips echoed a similar sentiment about the level of first-year engagement this term, and the lively social presence that has been fostered.

“I’ve been struck by how keen freshers, in particular, are to get stuck in to not only training and matches, but the pub afterwards which has made for a really good atmosphere both on and off the field.” He pays particular gratitude to the Amstel tap at Whitechurch, which “has been so crucial for maintaining team morale.”

Despite a loss to Hatfield in the opening fixture of their five-game mini-league, they responded strongly with a hard-fought win over Hild Bede, which came before a 7-1 dismantling of league favourites Collingwood A. On a dramatic final day last weekend they defeated Van Mildert A 4-1, as Collingwood beat title rivals Hatfield, to seal the Premiership crown.

Speaking after their success, Phillips praised the competitiveness of the minileague format. “The sport itself has been great. Taking the five generally strongest college hockey teams has made for a really competitive mini-league

and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, and the benefit of being a smaller college sport is a cup competition in the final weeks of term.”

“CollegesportIStheDurham collegiate experience” Since joining Durham in 2017 Phillips has been an active participant in college sport and will miss it dearly when he graduates. He reflected, “College sport has been the best way of meeting people throughout my time at Durham and offers an almost unique opportunity to be involved in sport no matter how good, bad, or average you are. It has, without doubt, created the majority of my defining memories of my time here.”

Men’s Football Sam Cavey captains Van Mildert A, who have stormed to two victories from two against 2020 Floodlit finalists Aidan’s A, and 2019 Premiership winners Collingwood B. This weekend they face up against perennial title challengers Collingwood A, in what will be a thrilling decider.

“We’re really enjoying the league even in this format,” says Cavey. “It is definitely the best possible format which the University could have used to provide everyone with football, which is what we really care about.”

After a tedious year of “lone running, home workouts and only communicating to each other through Strava”, he and his team are delighted to be back playing college sport. “Being able to get

out and do something different has been really refreshing and makes us more motivated to keep the fitness up. Team sport and playing together has been a nice change and made exercise much more enjoyable.”

Cavey, a third-year, is also sentimental about college sport as he nears the end of his Durham journey. “I’ve made some of my best mates at university through the team. It’s a great way for different years to integrate and get to know each other which would otherwise be difficult during this isolating year. Football always provides a good stress release and getaway from everything else, so it has been great to have it during the pandemic and exams especially.”

He and his team shall be looking to crown their university experience with some silverware in the Floodlit Cup, which got underway last weekend.

Mixed Lacrosse In a limiting and tantalising year for finalists in particular, it is important that captains engage new students and lay down strong foundations for the future.

Grey A captain Seraphina Monson has done just that.

She has guided her mixed lacrosse side to glory in their three-game Premiership mini-league, having beaten Collingwood, Castle and Mary’s.

Beaming with pride over her team’s success, she praised the University’s handling of college sport’s return and has enjoyed the unorthodox format.

“I feel that in the circumstances,

with just one rather than two terms in which to play, a minileague is a good solution to getting competitive match-play time with a decisive winner at the end, unlike the season which was cut short due to the first lockdown last year.”

It is not only the on-field success that is important for Monson, but the wider health of the club. It has been alive and kicking this year with strong turnouts and a positive social atmosphere, so much so that there was enough interest to form a C team this year. Despite a considerable gap from the first taster session in October and first matches in May, she believes that “Grey’s enthusiasm for lacrosse is undaunted!”

Besides the regular exercise, sunny weather and playing the sport she loves, the social aspect has been the most refreshing. “Being able to see my teammates again as well as to meet some new recruits while enjoying playing lacrosse has been a highlight of the lifting of restrictions. Since sport is such a mood-booster, it’s been great to intersperse the physical, mental and social benefits of training and college matches with the stress of summatives after a long lockdown.

“I think college sport is one of the best things about being at Durham, because the college system itself is a great way to meet people, including in different years. I’ve really enjoyed both college and Uni sport throughout my time at Durham, with socials being a particular bonus.”

Viva la college sport!

Thursday 10th June 2021 | PALATINATE

24

Sport

“It’s a fun, indoor version of ice hockey”

James Reid speaks to Durham’s newest sport, floorball (page 21)

“I just love fencing - I’d be lost without it”

Ben Fleming interviews Paralympic fencer Gemma Collis-McCann (page 22)

Durham Regatta returns for 2021 Luke Power Sport Editor

The Durham Regatta returns for its 188th edition this weekend with hundreds set to compete (@DurhamRegatta)

Four DU students make Team GB hockey squads James Reid Deputy Sport Editor Four former and current members of Durham University Hockey Club (DUHC) will represent their nations at this summer’s EuroHockey Championships.

Trio Jack Waller, Ollie Payne and Fiona Crackles will represent England while current goalkeeper Jack Tranter will be playing for Wales.

It continues a long pattern of success for DUHC, who have produced a number of internationals in recent years such as Tess Howard – who misses out this summer due to injury – and Rhys Smith.

Palatinate spoke to current second-year Fiona Crackles in February after being called up to the GB senior squad full-time at the start of the year, and she was full of praise for DUHC. “The coaching and extra support staff is phenomenal

and certainly had me in the best condition to join the central senior programme.”

Castle student Crackles made her GB debut against the Netherlands towards the end of 2020 and has now racked up eight international caps, with her latest inclusion a sure sign that there will be many more to come in the colours of both England and Great Britain.

Payne, who graduated in 2020, now has six caps at international level after first being called up to the GB men’s senior squad in July 2020 after making numerous appearances at youth level.

Both Payne and Crackles are in line to make their England debuts at this summer’s championships.

By contrast, 24 year-old Waller boasts more experience with 50 international caps, including playing at the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 EuroHockey Championships. He was also part of the squad that won the 2018 BUCS Championship.

Wales ‘keeper Tranter has accumulated 20 caps since debuting in 2018 and is currently Durham’s number one as they compete in the Premier Division for the first time.

Indeed, the promotion of the Men’s 1s to the Premier Division last year is but another sign of DUHC’s ever-increasing strength as one of the country’s finest university hockey programmes.

All four players will compete in the EuroHockey Championships that will take place over the course of the first two weeks in June and kicked off on Friday 4th June in the Netherlands.

All games will be shown live on BT Sport with England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland all in action England men kicked off their campaign with a 5-0 victory over Russia, with both Payne and Waller in the starting XI, though a much tougher test will be against Belgium on Sunday.

The women will kick off

their campaign against Italy on Sunday before going up against Germany and Belgium.

Meanwhile Wales men kicked off with an 8-1 defeat to Germany, and will face against France and the Netherlands.

Games will come thick and fast, with the semi-finals being played on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th June, and the finals over the weekend with the men on Saturday and women on Sunday.

England women won the EuroHockey championships in 1991 and 2015, 2019 were beaten 8-0 by the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

For the men, their only victory came in 2009, failed to progress from the pool in 2019 but avoided relegation.

This year’s EuroHockey will have an extra edge, with fierce competition for places for the upcoming Olympics. GB women will be looking to retain their gold medal from Rio in 2016.

The historic Durham Regatta returns for its 188th instalment this Saturday and Sunday as teams from Durham and across the country prepare for one of the marquee events of the city’s calendar.

This is the second-oldest rowing regatta in England, and until last year, when it was cancelled due to Covid-19, it had been held every June since 1834. Some consider it the northern equivalent of the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.

However, this year, it will be a thoroughly different regatta to the one spectators and participants have grown used to in recent times. The 10,000 admirers that the phenomenon commonly attracts will largely be absent.

Spectators are “strongly discouraged”, and the cultural garnish on the bankside is to be lost, meaning we shouldn’t hold out hope for the music, classic car show, circus performances, games, and, perhaps most upsettingly, the sea of burger and ice cream vans that grace the Racecourse in most years.

Palatinate understands that over 630 entries were received for the regatta within just one day of the entry window opening in late May. At the time of writing, the number of competitors and the schedule are unconfirmed, but the committee have previously estimated that the number of teams allowed to compete will be reduced by 30 to 50%.

Most of the races take the short course, beginning at Pelaw Wood and blasting towards their conclusion just beyond Bath’s Bridge in the space of two or three minutes. The 700m course will be shortened by 50m on Saturday due to river restrictions taking part on New Elvet Bridge.

The Long Course is more fatiguing and demands that rowers compete over a 1,800m stretch, pacing themselves from Pelaw Wood to finish near Prebends Bridge.