TAG 2023

“Was

MEET THE TEAM

MEET THE TEAM

GETTING YOUR FIRST JOB

CANNABLISS OR CANNABIN OUT OF THE BLUE GANGSTER’S PARADISE

COST OF LIVING

JUST KEEP BREATHIN’ TOUCH GRASS

STICKS AND STONES

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

HOW WE ROLL

STREETWEAR

YOUR FAVOURITE RAPPER’S FAVOURITE RAPPER!

BRAND

ANTICIPATED ALBUMS & LIVE LOUNGE

LIFE’S A BEACH

SUPERHERO FATIGUE

FAST, FURIOUS AND FEELGOOD

ARE WE IN A DARK AGE FOR GAMING?

WHY ARE INDIE HORROR GAMES TARGETING CHILDREN? FROM DOLLY TO DOJA

FOUNDRY

“I

IT’S

“Some things cannot be fixed with sparkled tongues and politics.”

Tag would like to thank the UAL Level 3 and Foundation Art and Design courses at East Sussex College, Eastbourne. We were really impressed with all of your front cover submissions!

Designers: Caroline Kolodziej and Oscar Cardno

WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO BE SEEN BY 20K + TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS?

CONTACT US ABOUT ADVERTISING saffron.swansborough@escg.ac.uk COVER

PRINTED LOCALLY USING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY VEGETABLE-BASED INKS BY CLIFFE ENTERPRISE Ltd.

ED BARLOW

Project Manager

it worth the stress?”

FRANK GROVER

Journalist & Designer

didn’t want to do this.”

CAROLINE KOLODZEIJ Journalist & Designer “I’m just vibing man.”

TOM GUPPY Journalist & Designer “Getting Taggy with it!”

REBECCA WALTERS Head of Photography “Everyone say cheese!”

OSCAR CARDNO Head of Design “All the pages blur into one.”

ROBERT CALLAGHAN Journalist

“This magazine would be nothing without me.”

LAUREN PERRY Head of Editorial “I still haven’t signed my photo release form.”

BO BONNET Sales & Journalist

Getting your first job

Part-time contracts allow you to work anything up to 37.5 hours a week, so if you are still studying, this can fit around your school/college hours. A zero-hours contract is a flexible working contract meaning you can work any hours you are available each week.

Tag spoke to Rob Terrel from the Hastings-based ASL Recruitment Ltd. about zero-hour contracts. He says “The company doesn’t have to offer you a certain number of hours, equally, if they do have shifts available, you don’t have to work them.”

Retail Average pay: £9.86 p/h (unqualified, over 18)

Best part: you make a lot of friends as many people are around your age

Worst part: it can be tedious and repetitive

Common responsibilities: stacking shelves, advising customers, running checkouts

One of the most important steps to getting your first job is writing a CV. This is a short document listing all your skills, experience and achievements, which an employer can look over when considering you for a job role. Here is everything you need to know when creating a CV:

The first thing to do is write out all the main details about yourself i.e. name, home address and contact information. You can then start writing your ‘Profile’, which a short paragraph summing up who you are and your goals for the future. You should include good qualities about yourself, your education and any hobbies or interests.

Then produce a list of your qualifications categorised by the school and/or college you gained these at. Underneath, record any work experience you have; this can be previous jobs, volunteering, favours for family friends like babysitting, or even extra responsibilities you have been given at school or clubs. Briefly discuss responsibilities for the role underneath each one.

member. You can find examples online.

When deciding what to wear, consider the context of the interview. Is it online? (are they only going to see your top half?) Have you been given a dress code in an email? What kind of company is it? Is it working indoors or outdoors? For example: you are not going to wear the same thing to a sports instructor interview as you are to an interview for a job in IT. If you are unsure, business casual is often a good way to go.

During the interview, try to answer the questions as honestly as you can and think about how you can use the answers to sell yourself for the job. Tag spoke to Rachel Lucas, an Editorial Assistant for a charity

8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. You are required to have a break of at least 30 minutes if you are working for longer than 4.5 hours.

In terms of working rights for all ages, Rob Terrel tells Tag, “From your first day onwards you have the right to a minimum notice period, written terms which outline your job and responsibilities, national minimum wage, paid holiday, payslips and of course, the right not to be discriminated against. After two years of continuous service, you have the right to redundancy pay and can claim unfair dismissal.”

When you first start your job, there are plenty of unspoken rules, for example, most jobs want you to arrive five minutes early so that you are ready to work at the time your shift starts. They don’t tell you this when you get the job! Rachel Lucas says “Unspoken rules are everywhere and it’s really annoying. They are usually just about treating people right. Just use common sense and you’ll be fine.”

Stepping into the working world can be intimidating. There are so many expectations and so little information that it’s difficult to know where to start. With so many teenagers seeking employment, it’s important to understand the processes involved as well as your employment rights.

Vacancies

The first hurdle of getting yourself a job is finding vacancies. Be sure to keep an eye out for notices in shop windows saying “Vacancies” or “Staff needed”. Many companies will also use job listing sites such as indeed.com to advertise positions, which you can use to search by industry and by location. Another option for seeking jobs is using recruitment agencies, who can match you with a job based on your preferences. These agencies will also act as your Human Resources department (employee rights and wellbeing). A few popular industries available for teenagers to work in include retail, hospitality and leisure.

In terms of working hours and fitting work around your study hours, there are two contracts you are likely to come across: part-time and zero hours.

Job example: cashier, customer service, delivery driver (requires a driving licence)

Hospitality

Average pay: £10.09 p/h (unqualified, over 18)

Best part: working in a small team, getting tips

Worst part: dealing with rude and awkward customers

Common responsibilities: customer service, cleaning

Job examples: bars, restaurants, hotels

Leisure

Average pay: £9.69 p/h (unqualified, over 18)

Best part: enjoyable work and co-workers your age

Worst part: doesn’t pay as well

Common responsibilities: supervising customers, giving safety briefs, setting and clearing up

Job examples: trampoline parks, activity centres, sports instructing

The minimum wage for workers between the ages of 16 and 18 is £4.81 and for 18-20 year olds it’s £6.83. Under 16s are not entitled to minimum wage.

Rob Terrel says “My best advice for CV writing is to try not to be too fancy. Hiring managers tend to only look at a CV for 10 seconds before deciding whether to progress or reject that candidate. I advise candidates to keep the layout fairly basic but, make up for it in the text. Start by writing EVERYTHING that would make you attractive to an employer and then slowly refine it over and over again.”

Once you have a CV, you can start to apply for jobs. Some companies have application forms on their website and others you may have to email. If you end up applying via email, make sure that you keep it formal and to the point. An employer is not going to waste time reading through a long email if they have loads of other applications.

When filling out an application form, make sure you read the questions carefully and answer them in sentences, unless it is a yes/ no question. Try not to repeat yourself - if the questions are similar, try to think of a different way to answer.

If you are called in for an interview, well done! An interview is used by the employer to determine if you are the right person for the job. The interview may be face-to-face or online, using software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Something important thing to remember is that an employer is not looking to catch you out; they want you to be the right person just as much as you want the job. If you are nervous about the interview, go through some common questions with a friend or family

in Eastbourne, about her experience. We asked if she had any advice for interviews, and she said “Always have a question for the interviewer. You look interested, and you get to see if you’ll like your new team. I always ask, ‘Why is this role in your team empty?’ You can also use the answer to boost yourself in the process.”

You’ve got the job? Congratulations! Starting a new job is always exciting but can be nerve-wracking too. The first thing you need to understand is your employment rights. If you are under the age of 18, these rights are more restrictive for you and your employer. For example, as a young worker, you are not allowed to be asked to work more than

Tag’s Interview Tips

- Seem confident and smile.

If you find that you aren’t enjoying your job, it may seem counterintuitive, but try to stick it out for a while if you can. The first few months of any job may feel awful, because you don’t know what you’re doing and it all seems very unfamiliar. Around the 4-5 month mark is when you can begin to tell if the job is right for you. It also looks better on a CV if you stick with a job for more than 6 months!

Do read your contract of employment. This outlines what is expected of you and of your employer. Reading this will tell you your rights within the company and you will be able to tell if they have been broken. Rob says, “If you think your rights have been breached, I

would first do some research on the subject to ensure that it is a legitimate claim. If found to be true, there are many employment law firms who specialise in things like this, who would be willing to give you some advice to determine if they are in fact in the wrong.”

Taking the step from school into the world of work can be daunting, but it’s a step that we all have to take at some point. If you are

- Don’t speak negatively about yourself, think of a way to put a positive spin on any negatives.

- Be on time.

- Do your research on the company.

- Don’t be afraid to ask for support for the interview if you need it (ie. an interpreter).

- Be enthusiastic and open minded. An employer is looking for someone who seems as though they will enjoy the work and be reliable.

Journalist: Lauren Perry

Designer: Tom Guppy

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

“My best advice for CV writing is to try and not to be too fancy.”

Cannabliss or cannabin?

Is it time for the government to legalise cannabis, or does the law protect our health?

The war on drugs began with President Richard Nixon in the late 1960s. After the United States of America increased restrictions and prison time for the possession of weed, many other countries including the UK followed suit. However in the US, dope is now legal in over half its states with President Joe Biden pardoning thousands of prisoners who were convicted of marijuana possession. In contrast, the UK government seems to be moving the other way with calls from Conservative police and crime commissioners to make cannabis a Class A drug with enhanced sentences. According to tabloid sources, Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, supports the further criminalisation of pot and still believes studies that say cannabis can cause serious harm (which are arguably discredited). Some suggest the way forward is to legalise recreational cannabis use in the form of a recreational market. This could take the form of cannabis dispensaries like California or in the form of Dutch coffee shops like we see in Amsterdam.

One argument for the legalisation of ‘Mary Jane’ is that it may have anti-cancer effects. Research is limited but according to the

American Cancer Society (ACS), THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD oils slow the growth of and in some cases even kill - cancer cells in lab dishes. Some studies in animals show that medicines using THC and CBD can aid the treatment of cancer in a real body. Another pro is its ability to relieve chronic pain or nausea. The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine supports the evidence of the effectiveness of this practice. Marijuana products also appear to be effective in calming muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis and easing nausea and vomiting with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The National Academies also determined that cannabis, or cannabis-derived products (edibles, oils), can help patients who struggle with sleep apnea or insomnia.

However, a con for legalisation is that it proves to be harmful to adolescents’ brains. Studies show that regular use of marijuana by teens may have harmful and long lasting effects on our brains, this includes things like short term memory loss and cognitive function like problem solving, attention span and speed of processing. It can also lead to the

Out of the blue

Photography, film and music are a big part of all our lives – and there is a group in Bexhill who are making sure these are a top priority.

The Blueprint Collective is a group of 16-22 year olds who meet at the De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) on the second and fourth Sunday of every month.

Their aims are to connect with others their own age, make a contribution to the cultural experience at the DLWP, and encourage other teens and young adults to get involved at the arts and music venue.

Tag spoke to Robin Fox (17) of Bexhill College who is a Blueprint member:

Tag: What kinds of activities do you do?

Robin: We do all kinds of activities, from putting on exhibitions and performances, to just creating our own things to take home! We work with all sorts of mediums and often have guests come in to teach us different activites, such as architectural drawing or willow sculpture!

Tag: What’s the best thing for you about

addiction of marijauna. You must also be wary of CHS (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome) which causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, cyclical nausea and vomiting. A study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2019 says that over 18% of participants that inhaled marijuana ended up in hospital while almost 8.5% of participants who ingested it via an edible product faced the same predicament. Another risk of smoking pot is anxiety. A study in 2017 by the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal found that a very low dose of THC the compound in pot that gets you high - helped people calm their nerves before a public speaking task. But it may not be that simple, that dosage was equivalent to a few puffs of a spliff said the study’s authors, any higher dosage, anything to produce a mild high, would actually increase levels of anxiety in the patients. Whitey, anyone?

When discussing the use of recreational and medicinal marijuana, it’s important to understand how it may affect you. Weed is shown to be helpful in many scenarios, yet this also been contradicted in other situations.

Gangster’s paradise

In many ways, the world is turning into a safer place. Diseases are becoming treatable due to huge advances in medical research... until the pandemic came. Suddenly illnesses became harder to treat due to overcrowded hospitals and fear of contracting COVID-19. While many of us don’t think about the virus too much any more, the ripples of its effect remain. One of the worst affected age groups is our own. The teenage life has never been easy, being too young to be taken seriously and too old to be irresponsible, and Covid definitely exacerbated everything. Aside from all the regular issues social distancing gave us, like an increase in depression and loneliness, everything being closed limited what we could do and there were only so many things we could turn to. Unfortunately, even though the problem has been lifted, habits have been formed and once you’ve crossed the line once, it’s easy to justify doing it again.

Alcohol

Getting a little tipsy before the legal age is far from uncommon and can be harmless, it’s important to remember that the age limit is there for a reason. Although getting a little tipsy at a party will probably just end in you being embarrassed, getting drunk on the streets can be a lot more harmful. Not just for yourself but also for others. Almost half of violent crimes are the result of alcohol. While you probably know that booze can be dangerous, if all your friends are having a drink, it can be hard to resist joining in.

Peer Pressure

being a part of the Blueprint Collective?

Robin: I love the community! Everyone is so friendly and accomodating, and its really nice to interact with people my own age who have similar interests whilst all doing something that we enjoy together.

Tag: What made you join in the first place?

Robin: There were lots of posters at college about it, and I initially wanted to join to boost my personal statement for uni. However, I am so glad that I did as I have had so much fun and made many great friends.

Tag: Is it just for artsy people?

Robin: I think that anyone who has an interest in art and creativity is artsy! But you don’t need to have any experience in art or think that you are ‘good’ at it to come we always have things that everyone can enjoy, whether you are interested in film, photography, writing, music, painting or drawing, making, or any other form of creativity!

Tag: Do you need any skills and/or interests to join?

Robin: I think that the only thing that you need is an interest in being creative, in any form! Often, we do workshops that introduce

a skill that is new to everyone, so by no means do you have to have any creative experience to come along.

Tag: What difference do you think the collective is making to Bexhill?

Robin: For many of our projects we work alongside the community to create things that the public can enjoy, not just the collective. The collective also gives an opportunity for young people in the area to use art resources they may not have access to, and to express themselves as part of a community, without the pressure that might come from doing a creative subject as part of education.

We have it in good conscience that you know what those two words mean. The trappings of peer pressure have been explained to death by our parents, teachers and any other adult working with us. Despite this, we are still terrible at dealing with it. While people of any age can fall victim to peer pressure, teenagers are most at risk. Not only because we will be pressured into more harmful activities but also due to the fact that we’re at an age where we will stop looking to parents for guidance and friends often fill that void. Add the fact that, according to the Mental Health Foundation, one in six teenagers experience some form of anxiety, it makes sense why we can fall into peer pressure so easily.

Crime and Self Defence

Depending on where you live varies how consciously you avoid this kind of danger. While some can look over this point, others might have this as their biggest concern. A common crime is mugging. If someone approaches you with a weapon, often the best thing you can do is give into their demands. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee your safety, and you want to keep your possessions, but losing your phone is better than getting stabbed. Unless you have training in self

defence of some kind, fighting usually will just escalate the situation. Of course if you are in a relatively populated area calling for help is often helpful as even if members of the public don’t do anything, witnesses being present can scare attackers off. Even if they don’t, having a witness in court never hurts, if it escalates to that. Less common is thugs just starting a fight without the motive of greed and the advice mostly stays the same. Remain in relatively populated areas so you have someone nearby, don’t escalate the situation and try to stay with friends.

Advice

Tag asked a group of Eastbourne teenagers what advice they had for staying safe. One said, “Start saying no to smaller things so when something actually dangerous comes up, you’ve built up the confidence to say no.” Another said “When drinking for the first time, the effects of alcohol don’t appear for a bit so drink slowly so you don’t get more drunk than you think you are.” Further advice given to Tag was “Stay in threes at least when walking at night.” Our favourite tip was the excuse, “I don’t want a drink because I want to remember you

Journalist: Frank Grover

Designer: Frank Grover

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

“The danger which is least expected soonest comes to us.”

Journalist: Tom Guppy Designer: Tom Guppy

Journalist: Rober Callaghan Photographer: Blueprint Collective

Cost of living

Thecost-of-living crisis is affecting pretty much everyone at the moment. One of the causes of this is high inflation (the RPI has been going up by 10%), however energy prices have been rising even before the crisis. One of the major problems that has resulted in this was the pandemic in 2020/21, which cost a fortune in furlough, and the UK economy still hasn’t quite recovered. Another drawback is the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine because we get much of our power and food supplies from both countries. And another problem is all the ramifications and consequences that came from Brexit a few years before.

The government is helping by currently providing financial support for amongst others people with disability, childcare and/ or housing needs.

According to the NUS (National Union of Students) a third of UK students have £50 or less to live on per month after paying rent and bills. Despite inflation currently reaching double digits, the value of maintenance loans for students in England has only increased by just over 2%.

A survey of more than 4.5K UK university students, carried out by the NUS, found that 96% are making cutbacks, with over half spending less on food, another half heating their homes less regularly and one in ten cutting back on sanitary products. Three quarters also report socialising less to save money.

The NUS Vice President of Higher Education, Chloe Field, said:

“We urgently need the government to provide inflation-proof student loans and maintenance loans, bring in legislation to control student rent to avoid a homelessness crisis, and provide additional funding to education providers to bolster hardship funds. In addition to specific support, the government must also ensure that students are no longer excluded from general interventions intended to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis such as energy grants and one-off payments to households.”

Nick Hillman, the Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), said:

“The evidence is so overwhelming that the most urgent and pressing issue for students [...] is not actually fees, it is day-to-day living costs. Sadly, to date, the Government at Westminster has largely ignored students when it comes to tackling the cost-ofliving crisis, with – for example – English maintenance loans going up by just over 2%

whilst inflation surges past 10%.”

Tag interviewed some students about their finances:

First we spoke to Bo Bonnet, 21, from Hastings, studying Creative Media Production in Eastbourne.

Tag: What are your outgoings?

Bo: I have many outgoings, overall they come out to be around £450 [per month].

Tag: Tell us about your living situation. Where were you living? Where are you living now? And what do you have to pay for it?

Bo: I am currently living back at my parents’ house. I had to move out because of rent increases. I now pay around £200 a month in rent.

Tag: How much do the basics cost e.g. rent, food, travel, bills?

Tag: How much do the basics cost you e.g. mobile, food (snacks, takeaways), bus?

George: My rent is around £140 per week, a food shop is around £100 a month, travel isn’t that expensive, because of being a University of Salford student, we get a free bus which goes directly to campus.

Tag: How much do you earn at the moment from your part-time job?

George: Currently up in Manchester I am unemployed but when I go home during the holidays, I am able to pick up a few shifts and over the Christmas holidays for working about eight days I earned about £500.

It’s clear that many factors have impacted the current cost-of-living crisis. Its effects have

been felt across all age ranges and are not predicted to stop any time soon. However, despite government intervention in the form of financial support for households, no one ‘normal’ again.

Tag: How much do you currently earn

of living is going to affect us in the next year?

Bo: I believe that next year the prices will rise too quickly that there will be another economic breakdown like in

This is what 19 year old George Walker from Eastbourne, studying film at Salford University, had to say:

Tag: What do you have to spend money on every month?

George: All my bills are included within my rent, and this is roughly £2000 every 3 months.

Tag: Who do you live with, and do you have to pay any contributions to the household?

George: Before moving to uni I was living with my parents but now I’m living up in Salford with eight other people in a flat that go to the same university.

Journalist: Robert Callaghan Designer: Ed Barlow Photographer: Rebecca Walters

Just keep breathin’ Tag’s guide to wellbeing

Do you struggle with feeling down or not having the motivation to do anything? Tag has some top tips to help you out.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It affects our thoughts, feelings and actions. It helps us decide how to deal with stress and make healthy choices.

It is natural to feel a wide range of emotions. When we are happy, we know what to do, but when we feel down it can feel harder to cope. Feeling low or worried is normal. If you begin to struggle with everyday activities, like getting out of bed, this is the point you should seek advice from your friends and family. Sometimes, you may want to get a professional opinion. During changes like starting college, depression and anxiety symptoms can surface. We spoke to Hannah Chalkley from ESCG Wellbeing: “Most people will feel low, anxious or irritable at some point in their lives.” At times like these, reach out to somebody. Hannah says, “The most

Being Chronically Online

Touch grass

Useful information

If you are looking for some help you can find it here:

- ChildLine - 0800 1111

- The Samaritans - 116 723

- E-motion - www.e-motion.org.uk

- Mind - www.mind.org.uk

- NHS - www.nhs.uk

- i-Rock -www.sussexpartnership. nhs.uk/irock

Breathing Exercises:

This is called Box Breathing: Exhale to a count of four.

Hold your lungs empty for a four- count. Inhale to a count of four. Hold the air in your lungs for a count of four. Exhale and begin the pattern again.

This one is called the 4-7-8 breathing exercise, also called the relaxing breath. At first, it is best to perform the exercise seated with your back straight. Place and keep the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth for the duration of this exercise. Completely exhale through your mouth, making a “Whoosh” sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to count of eight.

Where to get help

Manyof us spend a lot of time on the internet but some may be considered ‘chronically online’. Do you wonder if you’ve ever been labelled as this? We’ll be talking about what this term means, and why it has become so popular. We’ll also talk to someone about their experiences when it comes to social media and the internet.

The phrase ‘chronically online’, defined by Urban Dictionary, means: “Someone who is so absorbed into online life and discourse that they become unfamiliar with things off the internet.” When it comes to the online usage of the term, it has only gained traction towards the end of 2022, but that doesn’t mean that the concept hasn’t always been around. The most obvious characteristic of someone who is ‘chronically online’ is having a skewed sense of reality, calling out the behaviour of another person online that they might think is offensive, but isn’t really. A well known case of this is when a TikTok user posted the comment: “Why is it so normalised to stop drinking when pregnant? Isn’t not wanting your baby to have disabilities kinda ableist?” Many thought this was an example of someone being disconnected from reality!

Tag spoke to 15 year old Olivia Cunningham about the topic. Talking about the term itself, she comments, “All the weird stuff online kinda just infects their brain ... they assume you’re a bigot if you’re not 100% for your cause.” When asked if she thinks she’s ever been chronically online, she said: “I don’t think I’ve done or said anything [debatable]. If I have said anything though, that would be so, so, so embarrassing.”

Now that this kind of behaviour has turned out to be somewhat infamous, it seems that we are becoming self-aware about what we say online. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the act of being chronically online will be wiped out forever. Social media adverts and algorithms will still be encouraging it, but the act of calling people out on their behaviour will hopefully do something about the situation.

Amy Middleton’s Story

Tag spooke to an ESCG student, Amy Middleton (not her real name). She felt overwhelmed by her situation and told us a little about her story. She spoke to us about her stresses, namely family. Her dad suffers from drug addiction, and this started to affect her, “[I was paranoid that] someone who he owes money to will find me.”.

She sought help from the ESCG Wellbeing team to move forward. Amy also decided to get help from a therapist and her friends. You, as Amy has, should seek advice from those around you. It is common to feel like a burden, but those who care for you will want you to feel better and move forward.

Reaching out is the best way to make a change. It is normal to feel down, but if you want help take it! Your GP is used to teenagers coming to them for help, so that’s a good option. Talking to charities or helplines is another path to start feeling better. ChildLine and the Samaritans are known for being good outlets. We have included information for many different organisations on this page for all our readers.

Journalist: Rebecca Walters

Designer: Oscar Cardno

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

“Most people will feel low, anxious or irritable at some point in their lives.”

Journalist and Designer: Caroline Kolodziej Photographer: Rebecca Walters

Sticks and stones

If you are made to feel hurt or intimidated - whether you are at home, school, college or online - this can significantly affect your mental health. In fact, bullying can still affect us years after it has happened, for example, with depression and anxiety. The National Bullying Helpline remind us that what happened is not your fault.

Tag has been investigating what bullying is and what you can do about it.

What is bullying?

If you feel that someone has intended to be hostile to you through physical assault, threatening behaviour or name calling - this constitutes bullying. It is often repeated behaviour which is intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically. In fact, over four in 10 of students who reported being bullied at school said it was repetitive. It can also be aimed at us because of our sexuality, race, religion, if we have a disability, or based on our gender, but it is not limited to those.

The main advice Tag would give is that you should talk to someone if you feel like you are being bullied. Opening up to your teachers and parents can help you figure out how to tackle the problem.

Tag interviewed a current college student who experienced bullying during the beginning of secondary school:

This is Alice Hunter (not her real name), a 16 year old college student from Eastbourne:

Tag: When and where did you start experiencing bullying?

Alice: Bullying for me started at the very beginning of secondary school.

Tag: How did bullying affect you, emotionally and physically?

Alice: Bullying affected me pretty bad. Emotionally I started to spiral in a deep depression and physically I just wanted to stay in my room and not do anything because I had no one to do stuff with.

Tag: How did you cope?

Alice: I didn’t for a long time. I sat contemplating day after day to resolve this issue. The teachers weren’t much help but with confidence from loved ones I managed to confront the bully and say what needed to be said and to stop.

You’re not alone!

I has been shown that one in 10 students identify as gender diverse, yet much of society still refuses to acknowledge that more exists than the typical male and female sexes. Did you know for example that there are at least 70 genders? Controversial viewpoints about gender diversity have reportedly led to a decline in some teenagers’ mental health. As a society, it’s time to start accepting us for how we identify and to stop invalidating those of us who choose other pronouns.

Gender identity experiences

Tag has been speaking to two 16 year olds - Asher Raven Cousins (he/they) and Jamie James (he/they) who do not identify as their birth gender.

Asher stated that “It wasn’t difficult coming out to my friends, but to anyone who didn’t know me, it was harder because I didn’t know how they would react”.

Coming out can be stressful. According to stonewall.org only 46% of the LGBTQIA+ community feel able to speak openly about their gender identity or sexual orientation with their family. It’s up to you who you tell, and it’s okay to keep it to yourself if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it yet.

Tag: What did you do to try and stop the bullying?

Alice: Confronting them face to face, maybe levelling with them would stop the bullying.

Tag: So, what do you do if you are being bullied?

Alice: Well, if you feel like you are being bullied then we suggest that you go straight to a teacher at your school, college, or a parent/carer at home. It is always best to tell someone whom you trust and show them evidence or screenshots of any messages of you being cyberbullied. You never have to deal with bullying alone, talking to someone and finding a way to stop it is the best way of handling bullying.

Tag: What would you say to other people who may be experiencing bullying?

Alice: Using your voice is the most powerful weapon you have. Don’t sit in silence. Your voice is there to be heard. So, if you have a problem let people know.

We asked Asher and Jamie whether access to more information on this would have made it easier for them to realise their gender identity. Asher responded, “It would have made it easier, yes. Little information was given to me while I was in secondary school which was the time I began to question my identity.” Jamie agreed, “As much as I knew that I was different, I didn’t know how or why.” He also commented “By teaching children and young people the importance of gender identity, we can build a more inclusive generation”.

What should you do?

Feeling “different” or isolated is normal for anyone questioning their identity or sexuality, but it’s important to know that there are millions of people who are or have been in the same situation. It is important to educate yourself, along with others, to better understand yourself and help your friends and family to understand you too. There are many resources available to you that can help you with this which you can find online, in books, or simply by talking to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

People often believe that they should fit perfectly within the criteria of a certain

identity. The truth is, no label will ever describe you perfectly, so it’s okay to choose one that fits you best, or not use one at all. While it can be scary and difficult to work out how you identify, it can also bring you peace of mind, allowing you to begin to feel comfortable with yourself and your identity.

“If you gave me half a chance, We just might have been friends” “39%

children aged 11 to 17 have experienced bullying.”

Journalist: Keisha Lawrence

Designer: Lauren Perry

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

Gender diverse is a way to describe people who do not conform to male and female social constructs

“Only 48% of the LGBTQIA+ community feels able to speak openly about their gender identity of sexual orientation with their family.”

How we roll

Inline skating: that’s

so what happened to inline skating?

During the late 1980s and 90s, inline skating became one of the fastest growing sports for many generations. Inline skating was, and still is, an activity that doesn’t require anything but a good sense of balance and motivation to practice. However, what could have been the start of an exciting form of sport became nothing but a fad. Inline skating forced itself into a corner where only serious professionals and daredevils, looking for a rush, would even bother picking up a pair of blades.

Inline skates first originated in Paris in 1819 but were overlooked as their more popular counterpart, quad roller skates, which seemed to be easier to ride and control, dominated. It wasn’t until Rollerblade Inc. made an appearance that inline skates gained traction. Rollerblade was founded by Scott and Brennan Olson in 1982. These brothers were both ice hockey players who were looking for a way to practise their sport off season. While ice hockey was more of a winter sport, this meant that very few ice rinks were open for use. It was because of this that the Olsen brothers fitted their hockey boots with wheels in a line. Around this time, shops and stores were selling inline skates but with extremely low sales and they stayed like this until the Olsons arrived. They soon started selling their skates and even offered a 5-day money back return for customers who may just be looking to try them out. With their effective entrepreneurial tactics, they soon had their town filled with hockey players wearing inline skates.

Then a new form of blading was introduced called aggressive skating. It was first invented in 1988 by Rollerblade. Their Lightning TRS were the first aggressive skates to be developed. These were designed with the intention of doing tricks. They look more like boots and have a large flat under-surface called a soulplate. This lets users grind and slide on obstacles such as rails and ledges. This is what many kids and teens of the 1990s adopted. Mini daredevils. The rush of jumping a flight of stairs, landing and catching it on camera became the epitome of the late 80s and 90s skate craze. Kids also began to create home movies filled with the best tips, tricks and fails. This again spiked the popularity of inline skating.

In 1995, ESPN released the new X Games. This TV show took extreme sports to the next level. It was something that encouraged deathdefying feats which left audiences hooked for every episode. It wasn’t just aggressive skating however, but also skateboarding, bungee jumping, mountain biking, sky surfing and street luging. It was a way to weed out the best of the best and stick them on the big screen. For inline skating though, it just brought more attention to the sport. For the next few years, aggressive skating dominated the X Games with more events than skateboard or bicycle competitions, and it hit its peak amongst the youth at the time in 1988 when tournaments consisted of four categories: vert, vert triplets, street and downhill.

While being one of the only reliable inline skate stores, Rollerblade was now looking at a bit of competition from Nike when they attempted to hop on the inline trend. In 1994 they acquired the world’s best hockey equipment supplier, Bauer, with intentions to take hockey off the ice and onto the streets. During this time, Rollerblade fell into the hands of Nordica, an Italian-based technica group, where it still remains today.

Crossing into the very early 2000s seemed to be the end for inline skating. As millennials got older and never fully recovered from their skate injuries, many decided it was time to stop. It also seemed that the new generation of kids and teens developed different tastes in sports, predominantly football and basketball slowly roller sports and extreme sports almost died out. X Games also ditched inline skating in 2005 due to a lack of sales and sponsors they were receiving each time they hosted an inline tournament. At this point, Nike also sold Bauer where Nike suffered a staggering £164 million loss from its first purchase in 1994. Inline skating was overtaken by skateboarding and even snowboarding as both extreme sports had made it into the Olympic Games. Participants hit extreme tricks and grinds, while inline went down the route of speed skating, which wasn’t the reason inline skating became popular in the first place.

In 2014, another new form of inline skating was created. The invention of the wizard frames allowed for users to perform new movement possibilities while looking flashy. They were created similarly in terms of ice skates with their ability to carve and cut turns. These wizard frames had unique wheel placement, which were designed to enhance the manoeuvrability of the skates. There are three types of frames:

1) Natural rocker the rocker is where the wheels are positioned in the frame. This uses four larger wheels which allows for speed preservation and better shock absorption compared to using smaller ones.

2) Progressive rocker this frame uses five smaller wheels which allow the user to have more balance over the skates and an increased turning radius compared to bigger wheels.

3) Advanced frames - this is designed with larger outer wheels (progressive rocker) and smaller inner wheels (natural rocker). These frames provide very good balance for toe and heel tricks and the three smaller wheels help maintain your centre of gravity and essentially better control of the skates.

In recent years, the 2020 pandemic caused a huge increase of new and returning inline skaters. This was because it was something people could go out and do on their own. This event caused an already ‘regrowing’

surge in the market and the demand for inline skates was the highest ever since 1990, and now, according to the Sports and Fitness Association, the revival of the sport is really gathering pace.

Journalist: Oscar Cardno

Designer Oscar Cardno

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

something you don’t see everyday. Skateboards, scooters and bikes are everywhere,

“Daredevils who love the rush of adrenaline”

“Inline skating ranks in the top 3 activities that improve or maintain physical fitness and general wellbeing”

Streetwear

Streetwear first originated and evolved from bustling 90s New York, the surf-skate culture of Los Angeles and California, as well as the thriving nightlife of Japan. So what is streetwear and how did it become one of the most expensive styles of casual clothing?

Streetwear got big because it let people express themselves in their own unique way. It also allows people to dress fashionably but casually. Some say that streetwear could’ve first originated from the rise of punk in the 1970s but many others, and the most likely answer, believe that it was due to the ever increasing block parties hence the name streetwear. These were usually big outdoor events with DJs being at the heart of the parties which was very popular within the hiphop community. The fashion-concious began to hop into the hip-hop style consisting of shirts, jeans and other graphic/branded items of clothing.

However, it wasn’t until a small surfboard company in the 1980s really boosted the streetwear style to where it is today. The company, Stüssy, began printing t-shirts with their logo in

with

Los Angeles where the creator of the company, Shawn Stüssy, took his brand and hit the road, wanting to take his style to many respected stores. Jumping forward to the present day, Stüssy is still one of the most popular streetwear brands in the world with the company being worth around £20M.

hit open brands

Supreme was also another big brand that heavily influenced streetwear., which was first founded by James Jebbia in New York in 1994. Originally from England, Jebbia moved to New York when he turned 18. He got a job which he soon left to open Store Union. This would be around the same time that Stüssy would start appearing in shops and stores around the United States, which was where Union helped the brand pick up in popularity. As Jebbia liked the skate community, he decided to open up his own skate shop with very minimalistic decorations, very similar to the Supreme logo design which is, again, one of the most popular streetwear brands to date. These shops had very little stock

which was the reason it was so popular and is now very expensive. These limited drops had customers flooding into stores to get their hands on these limited items. In very few cases, releases have been stopped by the police because of the sheer amount of people in one public location.

Streetwear shouldn’t be looked at as a trend though and rather as a movement created by those who had their own idea on what fashion meant for them. The graphic t-shirts, loose fitted jeans and sneakers were all created for the sole purpose for the target audience at the time: the rapper, the skater and the rebel. Even today, those three groups are still the biggest consumers of the clothing style. Streetwear can be looked at as an experimental clothing genre that is always trying to come up with new designs and dipping back into older design ideas. But most importantly, it’s a genre that listens to their customers which is why it ranks as one of the most idolised styles of fashion to date.

Journalist: Oscar Cardno

Designer: Oscar Cardno

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

“THE MASSIVE SUCCESS HAS BEEN A PERFECT COMBINATION OF TIME AND PLACE, LUCK AND HARD WORK.”

“LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE WEARING BORING CLOTHES”

Your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper!

MF DOOM is perhaps one of the most innovative and influential rappers to grace all of hip-hop - Tag explores how it all began

Born in Hounslow, London in 1971 to a Trinidadian mother and Zimbabwean father, Daniel Dumile was the eldest of five children; although later raised in Long Beach, New York, he was born in London as his mother was visiting family. Later on when Daniel and his brother Dimbaze were teenagers they formed a graffiti group called KMD (Kausing Much Damage) and later on in 1988, they formed a rap group under the same name with Onyx the Birthstone Kid. The two brothers went under the aliases DJ Subroc (Dimbaze) and Zev Love X (DOOM). The trio got their first big break when Zev Love X featured on a 3rd Bass record ‘The Gas Face’. After hearing the verse, 3rd Bass decided to take the group on tour with them as an opener where they were scouted and signed by Elektra Records in 1991. Elektra Records were a prestigious label with past signings of Queen, AC/DC and Metallica. With this signing they released their first studio album ‘Mr Hood’ which was a major success and gained the trio a lot of respect in the underground rap community. However, this success was short-lived as in 1993 they were creating their second studio album when DJ Subroc (Daniel’s brother) was killed in a car accident. The now duo decided to complete the album as they decided it’s what Subroc would have wanted. Unfortunately, when Zev Love and Onyx brought the album to Elektra they rejected it as they claimed the album was too dark citing the graphic cover art of a figure being lynched. Following this Daniel was “near homeless” for weeks.

Birth of MF DOOM

Daniel then took a two-year hiatus; a time in which many believe the supervillain of rap was born. Daniel then returned with a new persona, MF DOOM (metal face when rapping and metal fingers when producing), the supervillain of rap, he began releasing singles on vinyl to drum up hype for his next project, Operation: Doomsday. This project is an assemblance of personal interest, tragedy and madcap creativity. It contains chalky cartoon samples and DOOM’s predilection for anonymity. This album also doubles as a blueprint for aspiring independent artists in the following ways. First and foremost, establishing a clear identity. For DOOM it was his 1960s cartoons. From the onset of the album, DOOM drew an obvious line between comic book culture and rap music. This connection grows stronger throughout

the album containing skits without any rap in them and simply the sample cartoon. Along with instrumentals and eccentric lyrics about the tragic beginnings of his homonymous counterpart Doctor Doom in skits like ‘Hands of Doom’ and ‘Back in the Days’. These samples are used as a direct link to DOOM’s emotional and physical trauma which started a trend with rappers like Kanye West, Tyler the Creator and Joey Bada$$ in using their samples as a voice to project their thoughts and feelings. The next is an ear-catching rhyme scheme. DOOM’s rhymes are what makes the artist so legendary with songs like ‘Meat Grinder’, ‘Gas Drawls’ and ‘Kon Queso’ this type of unorthodox rhyming style caught on and again inspired many underground rappers we see today like MIKE, Denzel Curry, Billy Woods and even Lil B the BasedGod releasing a single named MF Based, many finding out DOOM’s style is a lot harder than it looks.

Madvillainy and MM Food

After this awe-inspiring album, Dumile did not record another solo album until 2003, however, he did release some singles and an EP with MF Grimm in this two-year break. He then returned with a new persona King Geedorah, a three-headed serpent using mind control to brainwash the planet through DOOM; the album was called ‘King Geedorah: Take Me to Your Leader.’ This is still regarded as one of the artist’s greatest projects, despite the abstract character at the forefront of the album. In that same year DOOM further expanded his universe with the release of ‘Vaudeville Villain’ by Viktor Vaughn who represents a younger side of Dumille who wanted to follow what younger crowds were doing. In the song ‘Doom on Vik’ he states “Vik is more cutting edge, whatever the new stuff is or these new MCs are doing. But he still appreciates the oldschool art of rhyming. So there’s still a level of sincerity to Viktor’s stuff, but it’s still younger and newer, you know what I’m saying? And he rhymes over whatever beat, it don’t matter.”

Superfan approval

Tag spoke with music student and MF DOOM uberfan Iona Luecker. Here’s what she had to say.

You say you’re one of DOOM’s biggest fans, so we have to ask what’s your

favourite album of his?

My favourite album is probably MM..Food because it has so many iconic tracks that have almost turned into the soundtrack of my life in some way. I think my number one on that project is probably Rap Snitch Knishes just because it’s so iconic.

How has DOOM’s music affected your life? DOOM for me opened the door to underground rap and music as a whole. When you take a look back at the amount of rappers he’s inspired over the years, it truly is incredible.

How did you come across DOOM and his music in the first place?

I first came across MF DOOM scrolling through YouTube one time and saw this man staring at me through the thumbnail with this incredible mask and a blank face. I was just so intrigued, I clicked on the video and watched the entirety of it and after I listened to his music alone for about a month because I was so obsessed.

What’s your favourite of DOOM’s alteregos?

I think my favourite of the alter-egos has got to be Viktor Vaughn [...] some of the tracks he’s featured on and that first Viktor Vaughn album is probably one of my favourite DOOM projects of all time.

What is it about him that makes him so likeable?

I think what makes DOOM so likeable is the image that he puts across [,] his elusiveness, which makes him stick out from other rappers. I also believe it’s his lyricism and rhythm that’s so different from the rest.

MF DOOM’s Death

On New Year’s Eve 2020 into ‘21 fans around the world heard that MF DOOM had passed away. Some may have met the news with scepticism as it felt exactly like the type of prank Hip Hop’s supervillain would pull off. He allegedly died earlier on Halloween, the holiday that celebrates fear, masks and mischief, and his family waited until NYE to break the news. But then the news was confirmed, and after the loss sunk in, fans could be humbled knowing this would be exactly how DOOM would have wanted the news to break about his passing, giving one last villainous jeer on his way out.

REMEMBER ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN’S NAME”

“JUST

Journalist, Designer, Photographer: Tom Guppy

Music is the life blood of us, the Tag team and you, our readers. It is therefore with great pride and pleasure that we can introduce you to artists who are smashing it in 2023. Skerryvore, Flawes and Cat Clyde have taken time out of their busy schedules, promoting their new material, to talk exclusively to Tag about their influences, songwriting processes and the buzz they get from playing live.

Their music is mastered by Nirvana and U2’s studio engineer and they are firm favourites on BBC Radio 2’s playlist. Skerryvore are an exciting Scottish alt-pop, stadium-folk, rock and dance band, who have recently released their new album, Tempus. The guys caught up with Tag to tell us more.

What made you come up with the album title Tempus and what can we expect from it?

Fraser: We felt each track represented either a period in time, time in our life or a place in time that meant something to us. Essentially the whole album represented time in some shape or form. We decided that TEMPUS, the Latin word for time, had a bit of a cooler sound to it than the English word.

What do you think your most overrated and underrated songs are?

Alec: I’m not sure I’d say we have a specific song that’s overrated because I think it’s important that certain songs mean something to each individual. When you’re creating music you have to write and produce what you believe is great and if it resonates with others then it’s humbling that it also means something to them. On a personal level I think perhaps some of the songs on our World of Chances album were overlooked but could be in part due to how we treated the arrangement at the time and would maybe do differently now.

What are some of your inspirations for your work?

Alec: Inspiration can come from anything

Brand new talent

really and it’s probably different for each piece of music or the individual involved in writing it. I think most of our material has been inspired by our upbringing, the people around us and the places we’re lucky enough to travel to.

How well do you feel like you represent your Scottish roots?

Martin: The traditional instruments we have in the band certainly represent our Scottish roots. With us touring abroad frequently we are also promoting and showcasing Scotland.

What are some of your favourite unconventional instruments to use in songs?

Alec: In some ways you could argue that including bagpipes in music which is sometimes pop/rock oriented is somewhat unconventional. It’s integral to our sound but it’s maybe not what you’d have as the norm generally!

Who in Skerryvore do you think does the most work?

Daniel I think in terms of live touring, we all work very hard to make that commitment to our music and development. We are largely self-managed within the group so we have lots of guys juggling multiple roles such as Alec songwriting and producing, Craig being our graphic designer as well as playing fiddle, Scott working his magic in the studio on top of playing whistles and bagpipes, Martin dealing with all accounting, finance and merchandise and I have the more mundane tasks of booking flights, hotels and hire cars!

A fellow musician said to us recently that many people don’t realise that being in a full-time band actually only equates to about 10% of your time being on stage performing and the other 90% is where all the hard work. Have to say agreed with that!

Cat Clyde hit things off so well with Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney’s producer, Tony Berg, that they completed her new track in just six days. It’s called Everywhere I Go, and it’s a big year for the Canadian indiie-folk singer as her album, Down Rounder, is also enjoying success. Clyde has been chatting exclusively to Tag:

Tag: How would you describe your music?

Grounded, flowing, moving. Country Blues, soul, jazz.

Tag: What is the symbolism of totems in your recent album “Papa Took My Totems”?

The meaning is always shifting its shape. I was chewing on my feelings about the human experience and the weight of society. It also feels like it rings of the destruction of the natural world and things sacred. I like the listener to feel they can draw their own symbolism or meanings to the songs.

Tag: You’ve said in the past you don’t want to join a band. Could you elaborate on that?

I’m not sure when or where I said that - but I really enjoy playing with others and love to work with musicians that inspire and move me.

Tag: How has colonialism impacted your life?

I feel it’s impacted everything. The whole world really. To me, colonialis feels like a great washing away of truth in exchange for control.

Tag: What is your advice to a teenager reading this who is hoping to break into the creative industries? Find what moves you and follow it, study it, and deepen into it.

Flawes are already big favourites on Apple Music’s New in Alternative and BBC Introducing – and now they are about to hit the big time again with their new album scheduled for release in June 2023. It’s called One Step Back, Two Steps Forward. The band caught up with Tag mag while promoting their single, Satellite.

Tag: What messages do you hope and think your new material is communicating?

JC: The three of us are very optimistic guys and I think that shows in both the music and in the title of the album. We want people to embrace the idea that your flaws are what make you unique and that a step back is often necessary before real growth can happen. The production style feels like it’s really progressed and we hope people like the music as much as we do!

Tag: What are the key issues you face when putting together an album?

Freddie: It’s a great problem to have, but one of the biggest issues was trying to decide which songs would make the album! We wrote a lot of tracks this time around and we love them all. Agreeing on visuals can sometimes cause disagreement too!

Tag: Who are your inspirations?

Huss: We all have very different musical backgrounds and tastes but think that has worked in our favour for creating music as we draw inspiration from so many angles when we’re in the studio. Personally grew up listening to everything from Prince to Fall Out Boy, Freddie loves everything from Springsteen to Machine Gun Kelly and JC’s taste spans from Coldplay to Radiohead to Billie Eilish.

Tag: JC, Huss and Freddie, which of you 3 is responsible for music production or arrangement? Who focuses on songwriting?

Freddie: We don’t really like to put rules in

place when writing. Sometimes JC will come to us with a fully fleshed out idea that we then develop and other times it might be a beat that inspires something. I’ve been adding quite a lot of the production elements to songs lately, although we like to collaborate with other producers too!

Tag: Which aspect of touring do you find the hardest?

JC: We absolutely LOVE being out on the road. It’s why we do this, so it’s hard to find a reason not to love every second. But if I had to pick one thing, it’s lack of sleep. Sleep is so important for us all, and touring schedules tend to be quite relentless. That’s something we’ve definitely prioritized recently. It also helps us be able to perform 100% night after night.

Tag: What do each of you 3 do to chill out when you’re not touring?

Freddie: The three of us are all pretty active: Huss and I like to run and lift weights and JC loves his racket sports. We find that exercise is a great way to switch off!

Tag: Which, for you, is the most exciting element of being in a band? And which is the most challenging?

Huss: Honestly, playing live is the most exciting feeling. It differs night on night and the release you feel after living with these songs for months whilst crafting them, to being able to perform them and see people’s reactions or what that song means to them never fails to amaze me and validate some of the hard times. I think the most challenging aspect is keeping up with the social media of today. The world we live in is changing and the way we receive music is constantly evolving. But that’s why I’m grateful to be in a band with 2 very special chaps and have such a great team around us. We share the workload and we support each other through every decision we have to make. For that, I’m extremely grateful.

3 incredible music acts talk EXCLUSIVELY to Tag

“When you are creating music you have to write and produce what you believe.”

Journalist: Frank Grover & Robert Callaghan.

Designer: Jason Hollis. Photographer: Dedikated PR

Life’s a beach Anticipated albums of 2023

Easy Life, a band formed in Leicester, England, has grown to capture the hearts of many of us in recent years. Forming and debuting their first single ‘Pockets’ in 2017, Easy Life has grown appreciably and has continued to grow ever since.

After placing second in the 2020 edition of ‘BBC Sound Of…’ – an annual music poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising of upcoming music talent – their audience and popularity skyrocketed. Their debut album, ‘Life’s a Beach’ (2021) reached the number two spot on the UK Albums Chart. Their second album, ‘Maybe in Another Life…’ (2022) also reached the number two spot on this chart, just like their first album. Since then, they have gained many fans from across the country — and possibly around the world.

Gig at the De La Warr Pavilion

different colours and patterns which changed and fluctuated between each song, a personal favourite being the whirlpool patterns that moved across the ceiling. They also had a lot of interaction with the audience, for example, the lead guitarist - and very talented trombone player Sam Hewitt, made frequent crowd appearances, by weaving his way through the audience whilst playing the guitar. Impressive, to say the least.

Overall, we had a wonderful night and we thoroughly enjoyed the gig and the performance, including the opening act, Sad Night Dynamite. It exceeded our expectations by far and it will definitely be a night we will not forget, especially being crushed in the moshpit!

2023

has some of the most anticipated album releases that the music industry has seen for years, for example ‘This is Why’ by Paramore. This is their first album since 2017’s ‘After Laughter’. Their main single, which is also the name of their album, has reached #3 on the US Rock Billboards and #15 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative charts. Fans have been looking forward to the release of their new album, after waiting nearly six years! Their new album ‘This is Why’ was released on February 10th, 2023.

Waterparks have recently been promoting their fifth studio album ‘Intellectual Property’. This is one of the most exciting and looked-forward-to of their releases. After their successful fourth title, ‘Greatest Hits’, we have more of a mix of genres to look forward to in the coming months. Their singles ‘SELF-SABOTAGE’, ‘Funeral Grey’ and ‘F*** About it’ have given fans a look at what the new release has to offer. ‘Intellectual Property’ comes out in the Spring of 2023.

Live Lounge

ESCG Live Lounge is a platform supporting local artists, showcasing their talent on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. Live Lounge uses industry-standard recording studios and is filmed using professional camera equipment. At Live Lounge, we record live performances of artists’ songs, producing a high-quality live performance video at the end of a session. They can then use this footage for their portfolio or the uploaded video to show their friends, family or potential label representatives.

Live Lounge is an experience open to both ESCG students and outside talent.

Journalist: Bo Bonnet

Designer: Ed Barlow

Our team of industry-trained professionals work hard to provide an amazing experience and final piece for singers and musicians. Not only does the artist or act get a highquality video of their performance but our videographers and editors get to show off their filming and editing skills to future employers.

If you are a musician or artist local to Eastbourne, we can provide you with the opportunity of a professional recording studio experience, along with a high quality mix and master of your performance, along with a video of your live performance.

‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte’, is Sparks’ 16th studio album. After Edgar Wright’s film ‘The Sparks Brothers’, the duo have reached a whole new younger audience with their music. Sparks’ most popular song ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us’ reached #2 In the UK charts in 1974!

When first arriving at the venue, we were briefly welcomed by the sound of the band practising inside. Hearing a somewhat gentle bass guitar from the outside, we already had a feeling of what to expect. Whilst standing outside, we observed other fans and attendees that arrived in the queue after us. Most were young people (16-19) or young adults (20-25). There were few younger fans attending with parental figures, and those that we saw were already seated above the standing area. The atmosphere was unsurprisingly friendly from those who we talked to (as we had made brief interactions throughout the night) and we even made a friend!

When entering the venue, we were quickly plagued by a swarm of young people in patterned sweaters and bucket hats, and we realised, wearing all black, that we inevitably stuck out amongst the crowd. Almost all of the fans, the band included, wore a lot of brightly coloured statement clothing, primarily green, pink, yellow, and blue. We also hilariously discovered a group of gig attendees playing a game of chess in the crowd behind us before the show began, which made us laugh pre-performance.

During this particular tour, the band were promoting their most recent album ‘Maybe in Another Life…’. They performed a plethora of songs from this, including ‘GROWING PAINS’, ‘CROCODILE TEARS’, and ‘SILVER LININGS’, however, they also performed a heavy amount of songs from their previous album ‘Life’s a Beach’ including ‘ocean view’, ‘nightmares’, ‘daydreams’, and ‘skeletons’ — a fan favourite, as shown by the love from the audience. The sound quality during the performance was rich, as there was not one audio fault throughout the night. The music and the beat was clear, and all of the lyrics were intelligible. The light show was also incredible; it featured many

Instagram: @escg_livelounge

YouTube: ESCGLiveLounge

Journalists: Charli Toner, Kathryn Leaver Designer: Jude Moore Photographer: @saralouisebowrey

Visit our Live Lounge YouTube here by scanning our QR code

Is the saga of Marvel Studios running its defining genre into the ground?

Superhero Fatigue

You’vegrown up with Marvel in fact, you’ve never known a time when the Marvel universe didn’t exist. If you’re a fan of, or at least aware of, superhero films, you know how much they have dominated our entertainment schedules. Marvel Studios has been pumping out movies like no one’s business, and while these releases have been making millions at the box office, are we - the moviegoers - getting tired of the genre?

Although the studio’s most recent titles have been doing tremendously better than other releases in theatres, they haven’t been generating as much profit as previous works. Thor: Love and Thunder obviously did very well ticket-wise at first, but sales dropped a drastic 68% by its second weekend.

Tag spoke to Paul Nunney, General Manager of the Hailsham Pavilion, about funding for movies: “Due to the sheer volume of this type of content being produced and the relative costs of creating these films and marketing them compared to ‘smaller’ movies, they can only have an adverse effect on the budgets for other types of film.”

So far you might’ve noticed that we’re discussing Marvel but not DC, and that’s because DC arguably isn’t really as much of the culprit as Marvel is. From research conducted by the Fandom website, 81% of Marvel fans watch all releases, whereas only 67% of DC fans do the same. This could mean that, because DC fans aren’t as compelled as Marvel fans to watch new releases, they aren’t as tired of the format. A survey carried out by Morning Consult between 2021 and 2022 tells us that 26% of adults don’t enjoy superhero movies, while 23% do but admit they’re getting bored with them. Morning Consult also carried out the same survey in 2018 where the results were much lower.

Paul Nunney commented on whether or not the genre sells well, “Superhero movies do not form a significant part of our programming and do not sell well for us.

However, they do appear in part to sell well at larger multiplex circuits with larger screens and 3D projection.”

Fans and critics say that the plots for these movies have become too predictable and therefore repetitive. Another survey taken by Morning Consult shows that 53% of Gen Z fans of July 2022 enjoy superhero movies and are willing to watch them in theatres and this statistic increased from 47% in November 2021. On another note, Paul Nunney had some other statistics to share with Tag: “It’s hard to say if we are experiencing audiences tiring of this particular genre as cinema attendance in general is still struggling to regain its footing, post-COVID. The UK statistics for cinema attendance in 2022 show that audiences are still only at 70% of pre-COVID rates. This sluggish return to preCOVID business levels could be attributed in part to superhero fatigue but is more likely due to consumer relationships with home streaming platforms and the ‘cost of living crisis’ we are currently living through.”

The president of Marvel Studios himself, Kevin Feige, compares the concept of superhero fatigue to the idea of people getting tired of movies adapted from novels, ”to me it was akin to saying after Gone With The Wind, ‘Well how many more movies can be made off of novels?’ there is an inherent understanding amongst most people that a book can be anything ‘here are 80 years of the most interesting, emotional, groundbreaking stories that have been told in the Marvel comics and it is our great privilege to be able to take what we have and adapt them.”

With this in mind, is it safe to say that this issue is simply a trendy opinion to have at the moment? Or is it a genuine issue affecting the industry? Grab your popcorn as we wait to see what the second half of 2023 film releases show us.

“SALES DROPPED DOWN DRASTICALLY, 68% BY THE NEXT WEEKEND.”

Journalist: Caroline Kolodziej Designer: Caroline Kolodziej Photographer: Bo Bonnet

Fast, furious and feelgood

Tag previews the biggest releases for Summer - Autumn 2023

After 3 years of pandemic-based nonsense, it seems as though things are now getting back to normal. There are plenty of exciting things coming up in the next few months in both the music and movie scenes.

The weather’s warming up and you are ready to be entertained! Film-wise, there are some major titles on the way. Marvel and DC are adding more entries to their respective universes like The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and part 1 of SpiderMan: Across the Spider-Verse. Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones after a 15-year wait since the Dial of Destiny. Margot Robbie stars as many young girl’s dream toy, Barbie. Tom Cruise, after a successful return in Top Gun: Maverick, returns as Ethan Hunt in the first part of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning. We’ve the long-awaited sequel to the Aardman film classic Chicken Run called Dawn of the Nugget. The Color Purple gets a reboot based on the musical version of the 1985 classic starring Halle Bailey and Taraji P Henson. Jigsaw, one of the most notorious

killers in the world, returns in the 10th Saw film. Meanwhile with music, there are a couple of big albums to watch out for like Tom Grennan (What Ifs and Maybes) and Ed Sheeran.

The Transformers return with a sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee entitled Rise of the Beasts with Peter Cullen back as Optimus Prime. And finally, we’ve the origin stories of Willy Wonka (Wonka, starring Timothee Chaloment and Rowan Atkinson) and President Snow from the Hunger Games in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Tag asked some Eastbourne students what they’re looking forward to.

Caroline Kolodziej told us: “I’ve been anticipating the release of the biopic Oppenheimer this year, as well as Barbie. Music-wise, Avenged Sevenfold is supposed to be making a comeback this year with a new album, so I’m looking forward to that as well.”

Oscar Cardno said: “I am most looking forward to seeing the new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which releases June 2nd and the new Transformers: Rise of Beasts which releases June 9th. I am also looking forward to seeing Blink-182’s album release at some point as well as Sum 41 and Snoop Dog’s new album as well.”

Thomas Guppy told us: “On the music side of things, I’m for Tyler, The Creator’s next album which hopefully comes out this year, granted he sticks to his bi-annual schedule as before, I’m also looking forward to JPEGMAFIA and Danny

Brown’s collaborative album dropping sometime this year and fingers crossed, Playboi Carti finally drops his much awaited fourth album.”

Ed Barlow revealed, “Scream VI I’m looking forward to [a] good new horror to watch after seeing the previous one in the cinema. [Also] Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. I’m most looking forward to this, as this is one of my favourite Marvel movies!”

Frank Grover told Tag: “I don’t have any albums I’m specifically looking forward to although the soundtrack to RWBY Volume 9 could be released soon after the Volume finishes so I do look forward to that. In terms of movies, I’m cautiously optimistic for the Mario movie.”

As Stan Lee cried: “Excelsior!” and as SpiderMan said: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

All in all, it’s set to be yet another blockbuster season for film and music enthusiasts. Enjoy those new tunes and see you at the cinema.

Journalist: Robert Callaghan

Designer: Oscar Cardno

Photographers: Marcus Quigmire, Levi Manchak

(Wiki Commons)

Video games are a fun pastime that have been enjoyed by many since their creation in 1958. The industry came a long way over the next 60 or so years. What used to be considered a toy to entertain kids is now enjoyed by all ages. According to Statista, 63% of men and 56% of women engage in video games, compared to 10 years ago when 46% of men and 38% of women played. The sector has clearly grown in popularity but a rapidly growing audience arguably brings lazy production. Video game creation has become much more profitable. While some good games are still being made, it has seemingly become increasingly common for big studios to pump out glitchy games with no other purpose than to make money through microtransactions and unfinished Downloadable content (DLC). It poses the question: are we entering a dark age for gaming?

Common Flaws

Games being glitchy is something that has been too widely accepted. We’ve had entertainment such as Cyberpunk 2077 where objects appear and disappear out of existence, Sonic Colours Ultimate with its stuttering cutscenes and the player being randomly killed (despite being a remake of a Wii game); and some might say anything Bethesda a video game company - can get their hands on. These games often have glitches which get patched later on but it is often like putting tape on a crumbling building.

As bad as bugs are, they aren’t nearly as annoying as how microtransactions and DLC have become. Inherently, these are not a problem. DLC can be fun side content when added to an already finished game. Microtransactions are fine, so long as they are optional. Unfortunately, DLC can often be thought about during a game’s development, making the base game feel hollow, and microtransactions can often seem like the only way to progress in others.

Other Thoughts

This isn’t just our opinion though, we asked gamers Teddy Bamforth (17) and Gil Libatter (18) from Eastbourne, what they thought about the current state of the gaming industry. Probably the biggest difference between the two is Gil prefers online games as human movement is more interesting than an AI. Teddy thought the opposite as “Offline games don’t force progress and normally have a better story.” When asked what they thought their favourite generation of consoles were, Teddy responded with 3rd generation (Wii/Xbox/PS1) while Gil thought the last generation was best (PS4/Switch/Xbox One). This isn’t surprising as modern consoles have focused more on online play. The difference between their generation preferences fits with their views on microtransactions and DLC. Teddy was on side for DLC “as it adds more content” (such as an extra character to play as, or new area to explore) while microtransactions are near unanimously bad as “They add no more to the game’s story.” Gil was a bit more lenient saying “As long as they aren’t constantly pushed onto the player and required for base

Why are indie horror games targeting children?

I f you’ve paid any attention to children’s stuffed toys, you may recognise the character Huggy Wuggy. He’s a multi-coloured, usually blue, fluffy and slightly disturbing creature with long arms. Children have become obsessed with the character which is odd considering his source material is far from child-friendly. Poppy’s Playtime is a game about a worker returning to their old job at a toy factory and learning that the toys have come alive and are trying to kill them. While chapter 1 is essentially a tech demo, chapter 2 is a lot more graphic with scenes like the death of Mommy Long Legs where she gets her leg stuck in an industrial grinder and is crushed while screaming bloody murder. This may seem weird to an outsider, but if you’ve been following indie horror this wouldn’t surprise you. Since 2014 with the introduction of Five Nights at Freddy’s, indie horror games have started targeting a younger demographic. Hello Neighbour, Bendy and the Ink Machine and Baldi’s Basics are all games with horror elements that intentionally or otherwise have gained a fan base of young kids. Like Poppy’s Playtime, all of these games have elements that most parents wouldn’t let anywhere near their children like serial killers, kidnappings and dead children. From the outside looking in, Tag wonders, how did indie horror become as grisly as this?

Children’s Horror

Children being interested in horror is nothing new. In 1996 Cartoon Network released Courage the Cowardly Dog. Arguably, this show determined to give children as many nightmares as it could. It was very popular and became the highest rated premier on Cartoon Network, ran for four seasons and is looked back on with fondness for most of its audience. Going back a few more years, Goosebumps came out in 1992 and in between then and 1997, R.L.Stein wrote 62 books and the franchise continues with movies, TV shows and reprints.

control their darker feelings — a good coping mechanism. It’s a chance for them to experience a really potent fantasy and almost live it, without any of the consequences.”

game enjoyment, they’re fine.” When asked which company they liked the least, one said “Due to all the allegations, Blizzard” but in terms of gameplay they both agreed on EA Sports which wasn’t too surprising given their view on microtransactions. If you’re curious about the allegations discussed, Blizzard got sued for sexual harassment charges. The company had to give $18 million due to it being a recurring issue for the company.

What’s Next?

Although this all sounds bad, it’s important to remember that there is a reason almost 60% of us like gaming. While there are a lot of micro

transactions and glitches made purely for cash grabs, there are still games being developed by big companies that are met with praise by many players. Last year’s God of War: Ragnarok is almost unanimously adored, evidenced by its 94/100 score on Metacritic. Everyone loved the violent gameplay and how it mixed with the rich story and gave a satisfying conclusion. For more casual players, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a simple fun game that serves as the first three dimensional Kirby that feels the same as other mainline titles. It has a slightly less impressive 85/100 on Metacritic. Point being, even though bad games exist, we have a choice as to whether to play them or not. As implied, companies only make cash grabs if they grab cash! As buyers, if we avoid microtransactions and halffinished games, then we can shift the market and make the industry better for players if we support the games that deserve it. The dark age of gaming is a possible future, but not an unavoidable one.

Journalist: Frank Grover

Designer: Oscar Cardno

Photographer Rebecca Walters

The horror genre is no stranger to kids. Brothers Grimm, anyone? Red Riding Hood and Rumplestitskin for starters? Plus, many nursery rhymes have a disturbing origin, like Ring a Ring o’Roses and Humpty Dumpty. Children liking horror is nothing new, so why the trend now among indie developers? One theory is the social element. If you are into the creepy stuff you are deemed as more mature and cooler. This is especially true with things like Bendy and Poppy’s Playtime as they take common childish things like cartoons and toys and turn them into horrific monsters, essentially subverting those comforting elements. If you need more evidence of this, look at Minecraft horror maps. Everyone knows Minecraft. It was immensely popular when it came out but dipped in popularity when its fanbase thought it was childish, then we started playing again. However, during the dip in popularity, there was a phase where people used Minecraft to make stories meant to disturb the player. Most of them were created by kids using the game they liked and then using it as an outlet; in a similar way to tween girls butchering their Barbie dolls to show they’re ‘over it’.

Lindsay Knight, Head of Children’s Books for Random House Australia, speculated another reason being “Scary stories play an important role in children’s emotional education, allowing them to identify and

The idea is that young children don’t have much too worry about. Their grades are irrelevant, they are rarely badly injured and have all their meals made for them. Life is easy back then, right?? This comfort makes them unfamiliar with fear so when they go online and find a YouTuber screaming while getting chased by a lanky blue monster, they have a new exciting feeling. After that kids want more of it. What separates horror games from real life fear is if it ever gets too much they can put it down and think about something else. This presumably makes scary media actually good for kids since it allows them to learn about fear in a safe environment.

So, children have been into horror for as long as they’ve been allowed to consume Hansel and Gretal, Rapunzel and indie games are just the most recent form. Essentially many indie games are just copying the success of others, mostly Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). It should be noted that most of these games don’t delve into anything children wouldn’t be able to handle. While there is typically blood over the walls, children are often desensitised to that kind of stuff. FNAF has dark lore involving a child-murdering serial killer, however very little of it is explicit and children are more likely to be scared of the animatronics themselves and not why they exist. This is often met with disappointment rather than praise. In the recent FNAF security breach, people were disappointed or a lot of reasons, including the depiction of the new killer Vanny. In the advertisement campaign, Vanny was a young woman, dealing with the previous killer manipulating her, bringing

out a split personality. In the game her appearance was greatly nullified, causing her to lose her edge, making her more child friendly, seen most obviously in the poster where she is holding a kitchen knife; but in game she just wanders around skipping like a little girl. This has led people to say making the horror child friendly ruined the game for them.

Indie horror games are targeting kids now whether we like it or not. The question is, who is the real winner?

“The dark age of gaming is a possible future, but not an unavoidable one”

Journalist: Frank Grover

Designer: Frank Grover

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

“Scary stories play an important role in children’s emotional education”

From Dolly to Doja

50 years of makeup

Have you ever wondered where all these makeup trends are showing up from? Not all of them are entirely original, most of them have come back from the past. Right here you’ll find out exactly when. From the 1970s up to the present day, we’ll take a look at what was popular then and now.

The 70s

50 years ago, disco was all the rage. Styles were bold, with blue eyeshadow, chunky eyelashes and thick feathered hair all incredibly popular. The bold mascara look came from the Twiggy trend in the 1960s. Twiggy, AKA Dame Lesley Lawson, is a model who was extremely popular in the 60s and influenced some of the makeup looks at the time. Punk was the 70s’ backlash against disco and gave us the thick kohl eyeliner look that we still love today.

The 80s

The 1980s took the 70s style and cranked it up to 100. Blush and eyeshadow could not get any more eye-catching and contouring was also pretty popular. Everything had to be excessive, including neons and big pastel palettes, and it definitely matched the pop fashions at the time. The 80s were a defining decade for cosmetic style and its legacy can be seen today.

The 90s

This decade is known as the age of grunge and ‘heroin chic’; Nirvana exploded into the mainstream among other punk-metal and Britpop bands, which all influenced the makeup. Smokey eyes, dark lipstick and tattoos were all the rage. Gen-Z are still enraptured by the 90s look to this day.

The 2000s

The new millenium brought some particularly interesting trends; super thin eyebrows, zigzag/funky hair partings, ‘all-over’ bronzer and white eyeshadow to name just a few. Cutesy hair accessories were in too, like butterfly clips, scrunchies and headbands, now embraced by celebrities like Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus.

“From the 70s right up to the present day”

The 2010’s

The arrival and domination of social media in the early 2010s meant that makeup trends could be easily shared with anyone and everyone over the Internet. Those of us who grew up in the 2000s became tired stick-thin eyebrows and decided to pull a 180° and responded with natural bushy ones; Cara Delevingne was the poster girl of this trend. Wavy ombre hair was in style and Kylie Jenner swooped in with her overlined lips another 90s throwback! - which are still pretty popular today.

Overthe past few years, The Beacon has been expanding its attractions including Cineworld, The Boom Battle Bar, multiple restaurants and so much more. Adding to the collection is Foundry. Foundry allows anyone to rent out a space for as long as they need. This can be for a day or indefinitely. By October 2022, just 3 months after its start, 70% of offices were taken. But that’s not all. If you’re not looking for an office there is still plenty for you to enjoy.

What’s Available?

Foundry teams up with small businesses local to Eastbourne, allowing them to rent a space to sell their products or services in. There’s so much to discover in these spaces. With so many different businesses, you never know if you might find some new ethical skincare products, sports merchandise for your favourite sports team, a delicious hot beverage, or you could even get a brand new

trim!

Award-winning Barbers at Teddy Edwards have teamed up with the local barristers at Slowpoke Coffee to create a new business where customers can have freshly brewed drinks while waiting for their haircut.

Foundry goals: Foundry aims to provide spaces for small businesses to thrive while providing

new, innovative products and services for customers which they wouldn’t find elsewhere. Adam Walker, Co-founder of Foundry, says; “Foundry is a space to work, sell, meet and eat. It’s a place to find endless inspiration and collaboration and a platform for community representation.” They aim to create an “Ecosystem of brands and entrepreneurs”, co-working alongside each other, allowing them to thrive and providing top-quality products for their customers.

Journalist & Designer: Caroline Kolodziej Photographer: Monstera & Alexander Krivitskiy (Pexels), Isi Parente (Unsplash)

Whether you are looking for an office, personal space or just to see what the businesses they’re supporting have to offer. Foundry is offering plenty of facilities for all ages. What are you waiting for? Head down to find your new favourite shop or

Journalist: Frank Grover Designer: Ed Barlow

So when you are experimenting with your new look, it’s highly likely that it’s new only to you, and may have been tried out by two generations before you!

Human: nature

At one with the wilderness, escaping civilisation

Wild camping can be a series of trials and tribulations when you’re not ready for what’s to come. Wild camping is a challenge that many of us want to try, but can be severely underprepared for!

What is wild camping?

It is pretty much as you would imagine. Essentially, that means setting up a tent anywhere that isn’t a designated campsite. The idea is that you stripping life down to basics and in some cases even living off the land. Usually people like to set up camp far away from any kind of man-made structure.

There are a lot of grey areas when it comes to the rules for wild camping. The only country in the UK where it is fully legal to wild camp is Scotland. Everywhere else in the UK, you will need to ask the land owner’s permission. Some places are more lenient and will tolerate wild

campers so long as they are responsible and don’t leave a mess behind them, but it’s always best to check with the landowner as it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Setting up

When you are looking for somewhere to put up your tent, you should arrive during the day so that you can look at the land while it is light. It is also easier to see what you are doing! You should look for any signs of animal dens and avoid pitching too close to these.

Try to stay clear of rivers and other water sources as they can create boggy ground. Try to find an area that is relatively flat and clear of tree roots or rocks.

You should also bring food and cooking equipment. This should NOT be food that needs to be kept cold unless you have some sort of coolbox. Bring plenty of water as you can’t guarantee that you will find a water source that is clean or safe to drink from. Make sure that you bring a first aid kit with you just in case. You should also bring toiletries as well as toilet roll and wet wipeswild camping is often very far from any kind of public toilet - and think about how you will dispose of your rubbish responsibly.

Dos and don’ts:

Do! Make sure you’re not disturbing any wildlife when camping ie. don’t camp near a badger’s nest or a fox’s lair.

Don’t! Pitch under a tree. Although it may look pretty for social media, it’s actually highly unsafe, as one harsh wind and you may just find a tree through your tent.

Do! Plan for all weathers. Nothing is worse than waking up in a tent hearing rain drumming on the roof and all you’ve packed are shorts and t-shirts.

What should you bring?

When you go wild camping, the most important thing to bring is obviously a tent (unless you want to rely on setting up camp using leaves and logs). You should bring a sleeping bag, or at the very least a blanket.

Don’t! Leave your litter and food waste when you leave, the amount of wildlife in England is depleting every year, it doesn’t need you leaving plastic waste and rotting food around their homes.

“Being at peace with nature allows me to be at peace with myself.”

Journalist: Tom Guppy Designer: Tom Guppy Photographer: Moritz Jäger (Unsplash)

It is easy being green

Fresh ways you can save the planet

As teenagers in the 21st century, we feel a lot of responsibility to improve the state of the planet. We have been left with a world that is crumbling at our fingertips and it’s easy to feel as though we have not been given the tools to fix it. We understand that there is a lot of pressure for you to do your part to help save the environment, but not much information as to how you can do it. The truth is, there are many easy things that we can do as teens, some of which will also save us money and make our lives easier. Rather than throwing paint over buildings in Westminster, Tag has compiled a list of the biggest problems and easy ways you can combat these issues.

Deforestation

According to Earth.org, around 10 million hectares of our world’s forests are chopped down each year to make room for agricultural or architectural expansion. Some of the wood is then used for materials like paper or firewood. To tackle this, two things need to happen: preventing further deforestation and planting more trees.

To protect the Earth’s lungs, we can begin by changing our diet. This doesn’t have to be drastic. It can be as simple as trying to buy local produce ie. from a farm shop or cutting down on the amount of meat you consume. If enough of us do this, it will put less demand on the market, meaning that international agricultural companies will not have to expand as quickly, and deforestation will begin to slow. There are a few of these farm shops around Eastbourne, including Sharnfold at Stone Cross and Chilley Farm near Hailsham. You should also try to avoid palm oil if you can, as it is a major driver of deforestation in our most biodiverse rainforests.

Planting trees is a relatively easy thing to do in small numbers, but it may not feel as though it is doing much. There are some ways in which you can plant more for free, and very easily. Ecosia is a search engine which plants a tree for every 50 searches on its platform. It has over 20 million active users and has planted more than 160 million trees since its launch in 2009. You can easily set this up to be your default search engine and fund planting trees with every search, without having to think about it. Another way of doing this is using Tree App which allows you to plant one tree a day, funded by a company sponsor. These sponsors will also sometimes give you discount codes for their products, so it’s worth checking this one out!

Plastic packaging

Every year, between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans, and according to earthday. org, we are on track to have more plastic in our seas than we do fish by 2050 (by weight). Thankfully, many companies are seeking to combat this excessive use and dumping of plastic, so buy products using less plastic.

Using your local zero waste shop allows you to take in your own containers to put anything you buy in. They also sell reusable casing if you do not have your own. The products are cheaper without their packaging. You will have to buy a container to carry and store these products, but these are reusable and will save you money in the long run. Some businesess make alternatives to plastic products such as Jude’s beeswax wrap, which is an alternative to cling film. Making the change from liquid soap to bar soap is another way to limit plastic waste, since you are not using plastic containers, there is no plastic waste. It is also cheaper and more efficient. Make sure to look at what is in the bar first, as some use animal fat which is counterproductive as may fund deforestation.

Carbon emissions

Human activities are responsible for pretty much all of the increase in carbon emissions in the last 150 years. Our complete reliance on fossil fuels to get anywhere or do anything has caused the increase. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce this effect.

Sharing lifts and trying to use public transport is a good way to reduce your carbon footprint. If you have a petrol car, it is also cheaper for you to take a bus. And splitting fuel money while sharing rides can save you just as much, if not more than, public transport. It is also better to walk or cycle if your destination is local. It is also great since it is completely free!

Another thing you can do easily which will also save you money is to use E-cards or emails rather than physical cards and letters. It will save you money (and waste) if you often send real cards. Unsubscribing from junk emails will reduce your emissions as well, as sending these emails uses unnecessary server power.

Overconsumption and food waste

By definition, overconsumption is the act of using up a resource to excess. Most of us would benefit from having less “stuff” around, but the act of buying useless clutter is fuelled by sneaky marketing strategies and pressure from others around us. On average globally, we throw out more than 60 tonnes of household waste per second! Making a conscious effort to buy fewer new products, and recycling or disposing of food waste correctly, will greatly reduce the amount of unnecessary waste that we each produce.

Buying second-hand or longer-lasting products will help to reduce the number of new items stocked in shops and, in turn, the amount produced. It may seem to only have a small effect, but one less Ikea chair ordered could be the difference between using one delivery van or two! It will also save you money to buy longer-lasting or used products. Charity shops are great for finding cheap furniture or clothes and you never know if you might find something you really like. Using reusable cups will help reduce single-use plastic waste and save you money in most coffee shops too, as they often give discounts to anyone who brings their own vessel.

In the UK, we throw away around 9.52 million tonnes of food every year. But there are many ways now to prevent as many meals from being thrown out.

To preserve food in your own house, transferring edibles that are nearing their sell-by date to a freezer will preserve the food in the condition that it is currently in. You can do this with perishables as soon as you buy them, meaning food will last longer. All you have to do is defrost it before eating in a microwave or by leaving it on a surface for a few hours. Foods such as bread will freeze and defrost nicely and many fruits will do the same. In fact, you may find some fruits taste nicer frozen too! If you do have nibbles which are past their use-by date, or you have fruit or vegetable peelings or teabags, the best way to dispose of these are through composting; that way, the food goes back into the ground and feeds plants, leaving no waste. East Sussex County Council website has information about composting and wormeries.

To help you save food wastage outside your home and save a bit of money, apps such as ‘Too good to go’ will show you deals for local restaurants and food shops selling food for cheaper which they would otherwise have to throw out the next day. This will save you money and save unnecessary food waste. Other projects such as community fridges allow you to leave food that you know you won’t use for someone else who might need it or to take food that someone else has left instead of buying food yourself.

Misinformation

Many mainstream news corporations invest in large energy companies such as Shell and BP. This means that it is in their best interest to downplay the climate crisis as they continue to earn money for as long as people keep purchasing from these companies. This is one of the main reasons why there is so little information about climate change broadcasted or published to the public within the media industry. Some companies also “Greenwash” meaning that they pretend they are doing more for the environment than they actually are to attract more customers and earn more money.

@earthlyeducation

@eavsyecotips

Toogoodtogo.co.uk

So what can you do about this?

Although there is very little you can do to change how the media distributes their information, there are still things you can do. The best thing you can do to combat misinformation is to educate yourself and others about what’s really going on and what you can do to help the environment. By reading this article, you’ve already taken a step in the right direction. Social media can be a really good source of information about this as it is unfiltered, unlike mainstream media. But you should be aware that there is misinformation on social media too, and you shouldn’t trust everything you read.

There are numerous ways we can do our bit for the environment. We must understand our role in protecting the planet and taking responsibility for our actions. Remember, every small action counts and by working together, we can create a sustainable future for generations to come.

theclimatecoalition.org

Journalist: Lauren Perry

Designer: Ed Barlow

Photographer: Noah Buscher (Unsplash)

“We are on track to have more plastic in the ocean than we do fish, by 2050”

College life

We have always been students! From nursery to secondary school, education and studying has been a constant. Many things can change, like friends and family, and now many of you are facing a big change: starting college. Further Education (FE) can be different to school in many ways, and Tag is here to help you begin.

So what are some of the BIG changes? At school, you follow a strict timetable. It’s very rigid in that way. You wear a uniform, study all day, and many subjects are compulsory, because that’s the rules. In college, you have more flexibility and choice over what you can study. If you’re working hands-on, you’ll wear a uniform for practical sessions, otherwise, there is no strict uniform policy at an FE college. In fact, on many courses, you can essentially wear anything you want! Lessons are spread throughout the week, so you get plenty of time for part-time work, your own interests and social time. There are many positive aspects of college and you should be excited!

Asking Around

We asked some ESCG students about their experience of starting college.

“One of the best things about leaving school and going to college was that I got the chance to focus on one subject I liked. I was excited to have some freedom from the strict timetable. At college, I could go down to the photography studio to take some photos instead of being in the computer room for the whole session. Another great thing is that the tutors are very relaxed and not strict, which made me feel calmer and more relaxed. I love that we don’t get given loads of homework to do, which helps with my anxiety. I work slower than other students, but I’m able to work at my own pace, which is really helpful.”

MEDIA: EASTBOURNE

We offer a wide range of media-related courses at East Susssex College Eastbourne from Levels 1 to 3.

The UAL Media Content Creation Extended Diploma is a full-time course providing the equivalent of three full A-levels. It has the same UCAS tariff points as A Levels and offer progression to Higher Education, Higher Apprenticeships and employment.

“The best part about leaving school and coming to college was that I got the chance to study a subject I enjoyed. I also get so much more freedom; I don’t have to stay for hours every day and I have days off. I found it harder to meet people who I could work well with. It was also a big schedule change. From sticking to the same hours at school for five years to then only coming in for a few hours and a completely new environment, it was hard at the beginning but got easier as I adjusted.”

“I’ve found that having more free time in-between lessons and leniency, in general, has benefitted me during my time at the college. I’ve had more time outside of college to focus on coursework and things like family and hobbies. At first, I had some difficulty finding my way around the college but I learned how to navigate. The best thing about moving to college from school is the freedom it gives you; the days [can be] shorter, and more relaxed in general.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO: animation, documentaries, editing, film making, image manipulation, journalism, live broadcast, media theory, motion graphics, music videos, photography, podcasts, print, radio, script writing, standard software, television shows, typography, web design

If you found this article interesting and you’d like more information about courses at ESCG head to the website at www.escg.ac.uk.

“For me, the best thing about coming to college is the chance to learn and progress forward. I had a rough time at school, and I was kicked out of mainstream school due to being bullied. I was placed in a special needs school, so transitioning from a SEN school to mainstream education was extremely difficult for me. When I first attended college, I started to enjoy it. The best part of college is being given the opportunity to meet new people, as well as develop professional skills that I need for the work environment.”

Journalist: Robert Callaghan

Designer: Oscar Cardno

Photographer: Rebecca Walters

Course codes: Level 1: 60097, Level 2: 60096, Level 3: 60098y1

How I’m feeling

An 18 year old Ukrainian student writes for Tag

Journalist: Daryna Khmeliar

Photographer: Tetiana Khmeliar Desinger: Jason Hollis

J

ust a year ago, I was different, I had grandiose plans and lived a peaceful life at home, but unfortunately, a war started in my country and I had to move to a safe place. England is a beautiful country, but when you are forced to take a step for your safety and future, it feels different. It is not easy to adapt to new rules and laws, to open up to new people, to be flexible, to focus on the positives. Also, to enter a new educational institution in a different language, to discipline myself every day, but this is what made me stronger, different, new Daryna.

Student life in England is different from Ukraine. I like how children become independent from their parents at an earlier age here. In Ukraine, most children are financially dependent on their parents until the age of 20. At first, it was difficult for me to accept the fact that I would work as a waitress, because I was afraid of such a job. But it was my discipline and desire to achieve goals that was higher than my ego. I work at a cosy little café where I can communicate with British people, learn something new from them; these interactions really help to improve my English.

I am grateful to my host family who gave us the opportunity to live with them, they surround us with love and care. If a year ago we were strangers, now they are my family, to which I will visit in the future, that my children will meet, and they will visit me.

I love the nature here. Parks in England are amazing, very clean and peaceful. Life hurts, nature heals. I believe the war in Ukraine will end soon.

You are more than welcome to visit and discover our amazing country.

What the war taught me

• Focus on the moment

• Listen to nature

• Be grateful for everything

• Appreciate your family, because you don’t know what might happen tomorrow

• Love yourself and surround yourself with beautiful people

• Trust the universe, because God has his own plan for everyone.

“A war started in my country and I had to move to a safe place.”