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ISSUE 43
Lifestyle Magazine by Young People, for Young People
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9 ENTERTAINMENT
Music, movies & more
17 GAMING
Virtual Reality
19 ART
Poems & book reviews
Editor’s WORD Hello!
27 FASHION
Welcome to issue 43 of My Life!
31 BEAUTY
We hope you’ve been able to make the most of the ease in restrictions and you’ve been able to get out and about in the sun.
Fashion Influences
Self-love and Spring Trends
35 TRAVEL
Post-pandemic life
39 MY PLANET Local emergency 41 SEXUAL HEALTH
Advice and awareness
43 MENTAL HEALTH Self Care
52 COVID AWARENESS COVID-19 Vaccine
56 FOOD
Review
60 MY LIFE
Your thoughts
64 MY MONEY Student Finance
In this issue, we feature a number of reviews - from albums to films to food, there’s something for all. If you’re interested in writing a review or heading out to ‘mystery shop’ in a local food outlet or shop (or the like), then get in touch! We love to hear about your recommendations (or not as the case may be!). Let your peers know what’s about for them to enjoy by writing up your experience. Enjoy this issue!
Best wishes,
Rachel Director of Editorial
Contact us 01473 353512 07943 605468* rachel@studentlife.org.uk www.studentlife.org.uk
Search us on social @studentlifeorg *NOT CHECKED 24/7
Meet our Co-Editors
Our magazine wouldn’t be possible without our Co-ed’s but we are always on the look-out for more! ENTERTAINMENT CO-EDITOR FRAN MULVEY
Hey, I’m Fran your Entertainment co-editor! I decided to get involved as it allows me to expand my creativity. Studying English at the University of Suffolk, and an aspiring author, I’d love a career in publishing.
ART CO-EDITOR KAY SABERTON
Hello – I’m Kay, your Art Co-Editor! I am returning to study at the University of Suffolk as an MA student. My interests include: the arts, graphic novels, literature, and film. I am a firm believer that reading and creativity are vital to us as, ‘To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it’ – Kurt Vonnegut.
MENTAL HEALTH CO-EDITOR GLORIA DARGATZ Hi I’m Gloria! I am a student from Germany and I have been visiting a British school for a year. In my freetime I do competitive swimming, dance ballet and work with aid organisations. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunities Student Life gives me and I’m looking forward to talking to you and reading your articles.
BEAUTY & MY PLANET CO-EDITOR LIBBY DAWSON I’m Libby, an English Literature and Media Communications graduate, working with Student Life to gain experience in Marketing, Business Development, Social Media Management and now, work in Editorial! It is a great platform to be involved in.
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CO-EDITOR RACHEL MITCHELL
BEAUTY & TRAVEL CO-EDITOR ELISE DIXON
Hi I’m Rachel and I am the current co-editor for Sexual Health, My Life, Tech and Careers! However, I would love to find some students who are interested in being a co-editor and taking on some of these areas! Let me know
My name is Elise Dixon and I’m one of the co-editors for the Beauty and Travel Sections. With a passion for makeup, I love learning about new products as well as exploring the world around me, and look forward to bringing you new and exciting products and places
GAMING CO-EDITOR LOUISA SADLER Hi, my name is Louisa. I’m the gaming and physical health coeditor and also currently an English Student at the University of Suffolk. I love reading and writing and looking forward to pursuing a career in publishing whether as an author or as someone who helps publish new
MENTAL HEALTH CO-EDITOR MIA PATIENCE Hello! My name is Mia. I’m currently studying Musical Theatre at college and hope to become a fulltime actor eventually! I enjoy writing and one day would love to release a book of my own. I feel strongly about mental health as people close to me have suffered and I believe it isn’t spoken and taught about enough and I’d like to change that!
FOOD CO-EDITOR AARON BEAVIS Hi, I’m Aaron, your co-editor for food. I’m a budding writer who aspires to be a media and film journalist. I take English Literature, Language and Film Studies and additionally have been posting on my blog since February 2019.
ART CO-EDITOR CHLOE SHAWCROSS Hiya! I’m Chloe And I’m An Art CoEditor! I Enjoy Reading, Writing And Painting! I’m Currently In Year 11 And Have Hopes Of Moving On To Med School Later In Life! I’m Also A Huge Animal Lover With Two Furry Rabbit Babies Of My Own!
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MY MONEY CO-EDITOR ADRIANNA GNIFKA Hi! I’m Adrianna, I currently study English Literature, History and Politics. I am looking forward to studying English at University next year and then further pursuing a career in academia or politics. I enjoy dance, learning about different languages and cultures, writing poetry and being a spectator of the arts.
FILM CO-EDITOR CAMERON LUSTY I have recently graduated from the University of Suffolk where I achieved a 2:1 in Screenwriting. My passion for film and writing about film is what led me to Student Life magazine.
Co-Editor Vacancies Roles available across:
SUFFOLK
NORFOLK
KENT
Get in touch with Rachel at rachel@studentlife.org.uk to find out how to get involved!
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Calling all Photographers and Writers
See your photos or articles in print! If you have an interest in writing or photography then we need you! No experience required Have your say and share your stories Looks great on CVs and applications Receive a writing and photo credit
Take that first step today and email: rachel@studentlife.org.uk 6 • I SSUE 43 • S TUDENT LIFE
NEWS from HQ! SAMARITANS
We are co-producing a piece of work with Samaritans nationally, which centres around a journal for students to record their lives and that offers tips and hints on emotional wellbeing. To get involved in the project, please email info@studentlife.org.uk
BRAIN SCIENCE
We are working with a charity called Jamma International on designing a training session which looks at the correlation between our brain and our emotions. This will be piloted in 6 schools later this term. To get involved, please email richard@studentlife.org.uk
FILMING
We are working on 2 new films; a remake of our original mental health film ‘Out of the Dark, Into the Light’ and a film commissioned by Public Health looking at the continued control of the spread of Covid19. We also have 2 more films planned later this year. To get involved in front of the camera as actors and/or to get involved behind the camera as crew, please email media@studentlife.org.uk
MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING & MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADORS We continue to work hard putting together training for all of our young people and for our volunteer Ambassadors. More news will follow, but to get involved in our mental health work now, you can join our WhatsApp group. Simply send your number to richard@studentlife.org.uk and we will add you to the chat straight away
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COVID-19
awareness project
We are so proud to have been selected and funded by Public Health Suffolk to expand our exisiting project work through the COMF initiative. The Contain Outbreak Management Fund provides funding to local authorities in England to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and support peer-to-peer content in print and online around covid awareness amongst young people and produce a documentary film for countrywide distribution, using our in-house film production company ‘Unity Films’. We will also be expanding our Mental Health Ambassador programme to include Covid Ambassadors and this work will continue to expand into alternative provision settings.
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ENTERTAINMENT CO-EDITOR FRAN MULVEY & CAMERON LUSTY
Tyrone Album Review BY RAHUL ANEESH
I talk about Slowthai’s sophomore album “Tyron”, and express my overall thoughts track by track:
45 SMOKE:
the kicks that occur halfway through.
MAZZA:
This has a menacing instrumental and an aggressive flow and discusses Slowthai’s rich lifestyle as well as his toxic past. The best part for me is the intimidating outro, which brings the hardest head-bops out of me.
This song features an instrumental which I can’t help but do that Pop Smoke dance to. Slowthai talks about depression, suicide, and drug addiction but Asap Rocky’s verse is a bit more upbeat and drops a lot of references to his hometown. Overall, one of the most entertaining collabs this year.
CANCELLED:
VEX:
In the chorus Skepta explains that he can’t be cancelled because of his achievements. In his verse he confronts people trying to “cancel” him. In Slowthai’s verse he talks about how he doesn’t need the approval of award shows. I like the smooth woodwinds and
This song features an instrumental like something off a horror movie. Slowthai talks about his anger towards certain people and killing off that negativity. I also like the aggressive and confident delivery. I also enjoy the chilling melodic
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rap bridge. This track is short at just 48 seconds, but it still has a very energetic instrumental. I love Slowthai’s charisma, I just wish it was extended into a full-length track.
DEAD: The chorus is catchy and fits the
bouncy instrumental. Slowthai raps that his life can be taken away, but his spirit still thrives. There’s also a lot of hard-hitting and witty lines. In the second verse he wonders what the world will be like once he’s gone.
PLAYING WITH FIRE: This is a tamer
track, which features an instrumental which gives me the vision of active fireplaces, this song discusses Slowthai’s poor mental state and suicidal thoughts. Then the outro contains helpful advice especially the line, “If you love the world for its flaws, you will never be disappointed”.
I TRIED: The intro sets the sombre
tone of this track. Then over a heavenly instrumental Slowthai provides meaningful imagery of poverty and you can fell the frustration. In the outro we get to hear Slowthai attempt to sing where he sounds helpless.
FOCUS: In the first verse he talks about
ignoring the negativity, then in the second verse he talks about avoiding jail. I like the light-hearted instrumental; in the second half of each verse the trap instrumental reveals a soothing boom bap instrumental and I enjoyed Slowthai’s smooth delivery on here.
TERMS: Dominic Fike has a moving chorus about coping with the struggles of fame. Slowthai has an exhilarating flow talking about the hate and depression received. I like the gloomy instrumental which provides the atmosphere of a depressed mind. I would have preferred if Denzel
Curry contributed more, but Dominic and Slowthai still made this track shine.
PUSH: I really like the angelic vocals
from Deb Never. Also there’s powerful imagery of “pushing” through hard times. The acoustic guitars remind me of cloudy days on the beach and I also love how the instrumental builds up as the track progresses.
NHS: I really enjoyed the thought-
provoking metaphors, and the track matches the album cover. This song talks about being grateful for a service like NHS and these metaphors make us really think where we would be. Also the last 3 lines of the second verse really answer why we need a service like NHS.
FEEL AWAY: It talks about being
sympathetic to pregnant women. I enjoy the pianos and the lush trap drums that enter the chorus, then James Blake comes in with graceful vocals and his verse contains lyrics about the future with a baby. Overall this is a very passionate meaningful personal track.
ADHD: In the first and second verse he
sounds weak as he is crying for help. Then there is a skit where I assume it’s Slowthai calling his friend in prison. Then in the third verse it sounds as if he’s having a meltdown of being trapped in this depressed void. Personally I would have preferred it if this track and Feel Away swapped places but it does the album justice.
“Tyron” offers the best of both tough turn up songs and emotionally personal cuts. It’s a fantastic trip in the mind of Slowthai.
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BY CAMERON LUSTY
RATING: 15 RUN TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINS GENRE: DRAMA, MYSTERY, SCI-FY I wrote about 4 films for my dissertation. I’ve already written about Coherence and today’s is about the late 90s, low budget, Canadian horror-psychological thriller-sciencefiction film Cube (1997). It was an independent film, produced by the Canadian Film Centre and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Best Canadian First Feature Film. It was written and directed by Vincenzo Natali (André Bijelic and Graeme Manson also have writer credit). As expected with an independent film, the cast isn’t star studded, with the two most notable actors being science-fiction TV show alums: Nicole De Boer from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; and David Hewlett from Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis (shoutout to any Stargate fans; if I was to ever do a TV Show of the Month those shows would definitely be on the list). Regardless of the
FILM OF THE MONTH
Cube (1997)
actors’ clear inexperience, none of them are bad, and they all play their characters, which are all written very varied and with built in conflict, to the best of their abilities. A group of individuals, frightened and with no memory of how they got there, find themselves in a room, one of many that make up an ominous maze-like cubic structure. They must travel from room to room, but some contain traps. They figure out how to decipher whether they are dangerous or not. And to make matters worse: the rooms shift and swap places. So, when they think they are finally understanding the cube they are once again thrown into deep confusion. This film is all about questions. Both you, the viewer, and the characters, will be plagued by existential questions. Who created the Cube? Why? How? And: who are these people and why have they been put in this tortuous game?
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Each character is distinctly defined. Notably, each character is named after a prison, definitely a nod to the cube, very much a prison like structure that also functions as a prison for the main characters. You have the authoritarian leader (Quentin McNeil), amiable at first but becomes hostile when his leadership is challenged; the young, naïve, Mathematics genius (Joan Leaven); the cynical engineer who knows more than he lets on (David Worth); the matriarchal figure (Dr. Helen Holloway), who’s filled with grief from a deep loss: the jaded mentor figure who reluctantly helps the group (Rennes); and a vulnerable, mentally handicapped man (Kazan), who is pigeon-holed and overlooked. Each character finds their psyches eroded by the cube and as tensions form, the group begins to split. With nowhere to go, you as the viewer experience every awkward, scary, tense, and dramatic moment alongside the characters. You will find it hard not to put yourself in the characters’ position. I want to touch on the antagonist briefly. It’s pretty obvious the main antagonist is the maze they’re stuck in, the cube, and that’s what sets this film apart from the crowd. Not many films use a location as their main antagonist, specifically a fake location,
which the director/writer consulted mathematicians on to figure out the correct dimensions of the structure. The effects of the cube on the characters provide the same conflict as an antagonist. The fact the cube swaps its interior, meaning it changes over the course of the film, gives the impression of a character arc. I won’t spoil whether the characters get out or not but let’s just say, it feels like the cube is the one who makes the choice. You will have to watch it to find out what I mean. In conclusion, there are some flaws but considering the context of the film – a low-budget film from a firsttime director – then the mistakes are understandable. It also makes the execution of the story even more impressive. The premise itself is original. The cube is meticulously designed. The film is visually captivating. And the story poses questions you will be dying to find an answer to. This is one of my favourite independent films and hopefully you will like it too. We won’t talk about the sequels; if you like Cube, then please don’t watch them.
SEND YOUR THOUGHTS AND ARTICLE IDEAS TO: CAMERON@STUDENT-LIFE.CO
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Do SCREENWRITERS get enough credit? BY CAMERON LUSTY To give a short answer… no. However, that alone would not make an interesting article, so I’ll say more. Since I’m being forced to use more words, I’ll talk about why I think screenwriters don’t get enough credit and how it can be improved by you, the viewer. I’m sure we can all agree when a film is very successful it’s usually the actors or directors that get the plaudits. When you think about the most successful films ever, I’m certain the first person you’ll think of connected to that film will be either one of the actors, or the director. But almost never the writer. (If you are one of those people then this is not the article for you. I suggest you do something more worthwhile with your time, you Lovely Human Being.) Take The Fast and Furious franchise. While not critically good films it has a massive audience, yet I never hear any fans of these films say they like it because of the writing. In fact, I’ve never even heard anyone mention who the writer even is (I had to check it wasn’t Vin Diesel). Harry Potter is another classic example of a hugely successful franchise where I never hear the writers praised but, almost
exclusively, I hear the actors get praised. But the actors didn’t write it; without the writer the actors would have nothing to say at all. JK Rowling gets praise for the books, not the films. And the less said about her screenwriting abilities the better. My dislike for those franchises could be a whole article on its own but clearly people like them. But do any of them like it because of the screenwriter or are they robbed of the praise that those films could potentially receive (which I don’t see but Film is subjective at the end of the day; but also, at the end of the day I need something to write about).
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I concede that some very great screenwriters are celebrated but I posit that most of those are also directors of the films they write. And people will usually consider them a director first and writer second (and in some cases may not even realise they’re a writer). Such contemporary examples would be James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver). Both are talented screenwriters but is it their directing or writing people like? Or, like usual, do the actors get the praise. Everyone who likes Guardians of the Galaxy knows it starred Chris Pratt but how many know who wrote it? So even when I can highlight a screenwriter who actually does receive praise, it’s rarely for their writing, and even then, they are overshadowed by the people who are saying the things they wrote. Even the big names – Tarantino, Sorkin, Christopher Nolan – would be considered directors before writers. That isn’t to say screenwriters don’t ever get any credit, it’s just the credit they do get is from people who do, genuinely, appreciate the craft and the
work that it requires. Whereas when a casual film viewer likes a film, they are more likely to stick to the surface of appreciation and, as a result, believe the actor is responsible for why they liked it and not realise it’s the screenwriter. Now, I have heard casual film goers say they like the way a film is written but, unlike when they like a specific actor, they won’t find out the writer’s name. And that’s what I think needs to change. I want to see people treating writers the way they treat actors. They might not be as conventionally attractive but most of them are pretty smart and they’re certainly responsible (in most cases) for larger portions of why you like a film than the actor - who just showed up and got paid to read lines (clearly not all, but too many). I don’t want to take away praise from the actors but share it among the other people responsible for a film – and give the screenwriters what they’re long overdue.
BUT THAT’S ONE, TOTALLY OBJECTIVE, DEFINITELY UNBIASED SCREENWRITER’S OPINION.
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Local young creative one step closer to dream ambition This week, local cinematographer Joshua Freemantle received welcomed news he has been hoping for, as his dream to create a community production company has moved onestep closer to fruition, after pitching his business plan to regional charity Access Community Trust. After deciding further education was not for him, Joshua, 18 from Lowestoft, has spent over five years building his knowledge and understanding of the creative industry and produced a portfolio of video assets for local authorities and digital advertisements for Google and Channel 4. Joshua’s love of film, his hometown and for the diverse communities surrounding it was highlighted last year, following the successful cinematic release of a feature length film entitled ‘Life of Lowestoft’, which has been viewed by over 10,000 people around the world. The powerful thought provoking local
documentary took over two years to film and edit and has since gone on to win a number of awards from online film festivals. Earlier this year Joshua begun to capture a number of voices from local ambassadors, that are part of the Towns Fund for a community podcast series, which included an interview with regional charity CEO Emma Ratzer MBE of Access Community Trust. It was after this meeting that Joshua spoke at length of his ultimate vision to create a social enterprise production company in Lowestoft, operated by young people for young people, who want to learn about the creative industry and develop hands on industry standard skills. Impressed by his passion and enthusiasm, Emma encouraged Joshua to create a long-term business plan for ‘Sunrise Studios’ and this week presented this to a panel of judges (in a Dragon’s Den styled pitch) from the charity for further feedback and advice.
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After being grilled by the panel, Joshua finally received an offer he had hoped for from the charity’s CEO Emma Ratzer, of full time employment, which would give him the opportunity to build Sunrise Studios within the Trust’s growing social enterprise network. Following the successful pitch Joshua remarked, “I’M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED! LOWESTOFT HAS A PROMISING FUTURE AND SUNRISE STUDIOS IS SET TO SUPPORT AND CAPTURE THIS BY BUILDING BRIGHTER HORIZONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY ARE SOCIALLY ISOLATED. THERE ARE MANY EXCITING PLANS TO DEVELOP OVER THE COMING MONTHS NOW I HAVE AN ELEMENT OF SECURITY FOR MY FUTURE. I AM ALREADY SPEAKING WITH THE LOCAL AUTHORITY AND ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY GROUPS ON HOW THE STUDIOS CAN ASSIST WITH MAJOR REGENERATION PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE CULTURAL QUARTER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THIS WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY VERY SOON.”
Emma Ratzer MBE, who has led Access Community Trust for over a decade commented, “AT ACCESS, WE POSITIVELY SUPPORT COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS EVERY YEAR ACROSS SUFFOLK AND NORFOLK. SADLY, AT TIMES, THE VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OFTEN MISSED WITHIN SOCIETY AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE DETERMINED TO CHANGE. WE OPERATE MANY INITIATIVES FOR PEOPLE UNDER 25 TO ENGAGE WITH, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION, APPRENTICESHIPS, YOUTH AND MENTAL HEALTH FORUMS AND GROUP ACTIVITIES. BY WELCOMING JOSHUA AND SUNRISE STUDIOS TO ACCESS, IT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL PLATFORMS FOR LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE LISTENED TO AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY. AFTER ALL, THIS GENERATION IS OUR FUTURE.”
For more information on Sunrise Studios visit: www.sunriselowestoft.com
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GAMING CO-EDITOR LOUISA SADLER
Virtual Reality & PS5 Gaming BY TEEGAN ARICIOGLU Gaming and electronic items are becoming extremely popular, especially in our 21st century. I feel moving forward introducing Virtual Reality as a new way of learning would be very beneficial for the learners as well as being beneficial to the tutors. My reasons being is that individuals with additional needs can find it difficult to maintain concentration during learning time and some can even struggle with the whole classroom setting. It just simply doesn’t work for them and this is why I believe introducing virtual reality as a new way of learning for those struggling with additional needs or anxiety would be an amazing step towards our future learning programme. When using virtual reality, you can be present in your own thoughts which really does help when blocking out challenging noises or distractions in your environment. I feel this style of learning can really give these individuals a great chance to thrive in learning.
For our gaming content we will be comparing the old PlayStation consoles starting from the PS2, to the PS5. We will be reviewing the gaming graphics and features so we can look at how the gaming experience of PlayStation has grown through time. I feel reflection on the growth of the consoles would be of great importance to see where we came from in gaming to where we are going to in the gaming world. I’d also like to remind everyone of the PS2 best game releases ... which for myself is Crash Bandicoot, we would be very interested in hearing what our gamers favourite games are and what console is their favourite. The new PS5 qualities that the previous consoles don’t contain are… backwards compatability – this means you can play PS4 games on the PS5 console you can access around 4000 PS4 games on the PS5. The PS5 loads games faster than any console before. It’s quick moving and fast connecting, the new dual sense controller is also a game changer.
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Animal Crossing: One Year On BY LOUISA SADLER It’s just been over a year since the muchanticipated Animal Crossing game came out and is still one of the most popular games on the Switch to date. So, what has contributed to the success of Animal Crossing New Horizons and why do us gamers still love to play it over a year after its initial release?
COMFORT One of the reasons as to why Animal Crossing New Horizons became such a popular game was its ability to bring us comfort and a form of distraction. New Horizons was released shortly before the UK went into the first national lockdown back in March 2020, a time where we couldn’t go out, see our friends and just generally socialise with one another. However, with New Horizons, we could escape our reality for just a couple of hours and create a deserted island that was our own. With the online feature, we could invite our friends over to our islands and interact with one another that way. New Horizons also allowed us to get lost in the creating of our island. We could spend hours building DIY recipes, catching balloons, planting trees and fruit, planting flowers, catching bugs, fishing. There is so much for us to do that we forget just how much time we’ve been playing New Horizons.
UPDATES New Horizons is also a game that continues to get updates every so often. In the summer of 2020, we got the swimming update where we could explore the sea surrounding our islands and catch sea creatures. There’s also always something to collect for different events happening around the world, like Easter, Winter, and international events. Nintendo is continually adding content to New Horizons so there’s always something new and different to explore so if you play all the time or play every now and then, you will always find something new to do.
OVERALL It is easy to see why Animal Crossing New Horizons is still popular well over a year after its initial release back in 2020. It has allowed us to escape our reality of the lockdowns we’ve been through, allowed us to connect with friends when we otherwise couldn’t in person, and allowed us to explore our creatives sides in developing our islands. Animal Crossing New Horizons I believe will be one of those games that will carry on being popular years after its release and one we will always go back to no matter how much time has passed.
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ART
CO-EDITORS KAY SABERTON & CHLOE SHAWCROSS
Small Steps
BY CHLOE SHAWCROSS It’s the small steps The silent steps
The ones no one sees you take That mean the most It’s all the little things That add up The things that make you go from Why today why To you know what, I can’t wait for tomorrow Sometimes it’s eating in a public place again Sometimes it’s letting someone physically near you Sometimes it’s you know what I have to be here so I can see who wins this show It’s looking in the mirror and not glaring or tearing at your reflection It’s answering a question in class that you know instead of being silent It’s looking up and seeing a beautiful world saying I can’t wait to see the flowers bloom It’s saying I can’t control what happened or how I was born But saying I deserve happiness no matter what anyone says It’s saying it’s OK to not be OK Saying that steps are steps no matter their size 19 • A R T • S TUDENT LIFE
Ways to Diversify Your Reading BY ROSIE WEDGE
One of my main goals for 2020 was to diversify my reading. Instead of just reading high fantasy after high fantasy after high fantasy (you get the picture), I wanted to try other genres. Not only this, but I made a conscious effort to diversify my books based on their representation, their authors, and their format. As you will see, I have really branched out, and I think it’s important for other people to as well. So, here are five ways you can diversify your reading, and a few of my favourite recommendations to get you started!
1. READ BOOKS BY AUTHORS OF COLOUR AND/OR WITH BAME REPRESENTATION Now more than ever, we should be striving to educate ourselves on racial equality. In turn, this helps us understand what we can do to make change. Some of my favourite reads, particularly YA books, feature people of colour as the leading protagonists. These types of own-voices novels allow me to read some fantastic stories whilst also learning a lot and reforming the way I think. White authors are also increasingly more privileged than authors of colour in the publishing industry in terms of their pay and marketing amongst other things, so if we can strive to support authors of colour by reading their books and sharing them on our social medias, we can start pushing towards equality in the publishing industry.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Clap When You Land, A Song Below Water, You Should See Me in A Crown, A River of Royal Blood.
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2. READ BOOKS WITH LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION
4. READ NON-FICTION AND OWN-VOICES BOOKS
In previous articles, I have often spoken about books that include LGBTQ+ representation, and the importance of showing stories other than those of cis white heterosexual characters. These stories do not have to be romance either; any book that strives to normalise and include queer representation is a fantastic one to read and support. It’s important that we try to allow everyone to see themselves and their experiences represented in literature, and again, to educate others on how to be more supportive and understanding, which goes a long way to help normalise a natural, normal thing.
As well as reading books with BAME and LGBTQ+ representation, one of my favourite ways to educate myself on the problems the world still faces is by reading biographies and informational books. Whether they have focused on gender equality, racism, immigration, or other issues, I have read a lot of books this year that really changed my perspective of the world, and opened my eyes to so many injustices that deserve attention but just don’t get the appropriate action they deserve.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RECOMMENDATIONS: In the Country We Love, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Not That Bad.
The Priory of the Orange Tree, Girl, Serpent Thorn, All Boys Aren’t Blue, The Black Flamingo, Felix Ever After.
3. READ TRANSLATED WORK I feel like one of the most overlooked areas of reading diversely is reading translated works. It’s so easy to forget that there are thousands of other stories being told out there that are very likely inspired by unique and interesting cultures, that we don’t think to touch upon. I gave myself a goal of reading at least one translated work a month, and so far, I’ve been surpassing it. One of them was the first four instalments of The Witcher, a Polish high fantasy series, that is 100% going to end up as my new favourite series if it carries on as fantastically as it has been so far!
RECOMMENDATIONS: The Witcher, Les Miserables, The Vegetarian, The Count of Monte Cristo.
5. READ GRAPHIC NOVELS, COMICS AND MANGA Instead of just changing the content of the stories you digest, why not try to change the format you consume them in? Graphic novels and manga have overtaken my reading this year, and I am yet to read one I didn’t like. These are especially great if you want to try and read more, but struggle to focus on lots of heavily-worded stories; the beautiful artwork really takes the strain off!
RECOMMENDATIONS: Tokyo Ghoul, Heartstopper, Through the Woods, Saga, Fence, Nimona, Voices in the Dark.
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Mexican Gothic BY JAMES WILLIAMS Mexican Gothic is a gothic horror novel that follows Noemí Taboada. After she receives a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin, Catalina, filled with talk of ghostly visions and claims that her husband is poisoning her, Noemí goes to investigate and heads for High Place; a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside which soon invades Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom, and as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. Even though Mexican Gothic is only 301 pages long, do not be fooled into thinking this is just a quick, somewhat light read you can breeze through. The story is saturated in a dark and creepy atmosphere that keeps tension throughout. I’m not one that gets scared by books often, but this one got me to the point I avoided reading it at night with how freaked out some of the scenes had me. For some other readers, I know they’ve not found it as horrific since they focused more on the classic horror tropes that appear (e.g. gore, violence, ghosts etc.) but the prevalence that racism and eugenics have within this story are what elevates the level of horror within this novel for me with how unsettling it was to read about especially with my perspective of someone who is of mixed race. However, Silvia has done a great job at using that within this story and genre to make a wider commentary on the racist treatment the Latinx community has had to endure. If you want a horror that follows a badass Latina that wields her intelligence and
femininity as weapons, kicks down the doors on gender expectations, and embraces her culture with pride in the face of racism, then you will no doubt love Noemí! When I first started the book, I was wondering whether Noemí would be someone I’d love or hate; at the start it felt as if she could have gone either way for me, but fortunately she soon proved me wrong in doubting her likability. Despite the confidence she shows to the world you get the insight of seeing how shaken she becomes at times and the toll her time at High Place has come to affect her mentally, yet she still faces things head on. Her resilience was amazing throughout and every step of the way you’re rooting for her. In horror films and tv shows you can have those moments where reality and fantasy start to meld into one another and leave you disorientated, not knowing what’s real and what isn’t. This isn’t a feature I’ve seen that many times in books I’ve read, let alone successfully, however, Silvia’s writing manages to do it brilliantly! I never knew where things stood, what happened and what didn’t, who to trust and who not to trust. The confusion not only had me sat clutching my head muttering ‘what the heck?!?’ repeatedly as I tried to get my head around things, but left me in awe of how well Silvia had managed to blur the lines between what was meant to be real and what wasn’t. Not only did she manage to do that on a scene level, Silvia managed to blur those lines of realism and supernatural with the entire story.
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Review It may sound confusing with the way I’m describing it, and although it may be at first, things level out again and become clearer as the story goes on. Overall, I ended up loving this even more than I expected to! If you’re a lover of the Gothic/horror genre, love beautifully crafted writing, and a more diverse take on a well-loved genre and a story that also has its own unique spin on things, this is definitely one I would highly recommend you pick up!
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR MEXICAN GOTHIC: Anxiety, Alcohol, Violence, Depictions of Blood/gore, Being buried alive, Colonialism, Cannibalism, Mention of crib deaths, Mentioned death of a parent, Domestic abuse, Drowning, Drug use, Drug overdose, On page death, Death by fire, Mention of divorce, Mention of epilepsy, Eugenics, Gaslighting, Forced Marriages, Incest, Murder, Mass murder, Mass shooting, Mental abuse, Miscarriages, Misogyny, Mental illness, Nightmares, Objectification, Poverty, Implied physical abuse (parental), Paedophilia, Racism, Mention of rape and attempted rape, Suicide and attempted suicide, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, On page seizure, Self-harm, Suffocation, Mention of stillbirth.
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Interview with SNAP WINNER: Bradley Garnham
‘The Student New Angle Prize is a competition partnered with the New Angle Prize for Literature, a national book award for published authors. SNAP is an annual event and offers all students of the University of Suffolk the chance to enter by submitting 500 words of original writing as prose or poetry. Like the New Angle Prize, all entries must either be set in or clearly influenced by our East Anglian region. The SNAP competition offers a chance to hear new voices in the region and encourages students to add to the literary representations of the region which continue to make East Anglia such an important place for art and literature and poetry. Every year a different judge is invited to join the panel. For this year the judge was honorary graduate, novelist and actress Esther Freud.’
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK’S WEBSITE 24 • I SSUE 43 • S TUDENT LIFE
1. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE WINNER OF THE 2021 SNAP AWARD? I think I would best describe the feeling as satisfying. Not necessarily because I was fortunate enough to win, but more regarding the progression of my SNAP entries, given that I was shortlisted my first year, runner up my second, and the winner in my final year at university. It’s a nice little progression.
2. WAS THERE A PARTICULAR LOCATION OR MEMORY THAT INSPIRED YOUR STORY? I chose to focus on the town of Dunwich, just north of Sizewell, that was progressively washed into the sea, with the ghost story surrounding it saying that you can sometimes hear the bells of the ruined churches. While I certainly dramatized it a bit, the story itself was entirely true – I did hear the bells at Dunwich many years ago, when I was walking with my Grandma along the shore.
3. WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE? (DO YOU PLAN YOUR STORIES OR JUST WRITE FREELY?) It depends entirely on what I’m writing. Short stories like this are best done freely, and ironed out once you’ve hit a reasonable ending. Longer work or anything with a substantial plot is much easier to build upon when you know where it has to go, so I always plan that ahead of time. That is, when I’m not procrastinating like I am right now (I’ll get one of my novels finished eventually).
INTERVIEW 4. ARE YOU INSPIRED BY ANYONE IN PARTICULAR IN YOUR WRITING? (WRITER OR OTHERWISE) No. I wish I could give you a more substantial answer than that but… no, I am not. I write simply because I enjoy it. Being good at it is just a happy coincidence.
5. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE ENTRANTS OF SNAP? Listen to music that suits the tone of your piece as you write it. If I could have a certain track play in people’s heads as they read, I absolutely would. Seeing as I can’t, writing it with the music in the background is the next best thing.
INTERVIEWED BY ROSE GANT, ENGLISH UNDERGRADUATE AND LIFE AT SUFFOLK STUDENT BLOGGER. HTTPS://WWW.UOS.AC.UK/ CONTENT/STUDENT-NEWANGLE-PRIZE
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BY BRADLEY GARNHAM
THE SINGING TIDES My grandmother once led me along a winding coastal path, one windy winter’s morning many years ago. There was a cold and quiet mist about us as we trudged along the beach, accompanied by a biting wind which nipped our necks and hands. I watched in quiet envy as her dog bounced across the surf and shore, oblivious to the chill which had me burrowed in my coat. Perhaps through spite or boredom, as we shuffled on our way, I occasionally grabbed a rock or stone and tossed it to the water, listening as it splashed into the frigid sea. I was unaware of what this broken coast had lost already. Unaware that murky waters sometimes throw things back. I didn’t notice it at first, in fact I hardly noticed it at all. A soft and subtle song that rose up from the depths, sailing inwards with the waves and onwards past the hills, before it faded gently into the marshy fields beyond. The tune was faint and distant, like the memory of a memory. Some dark and ancient sound that had long since been forgot. A chorus of discordant bells, unlike anything I’d heard before, who sang with many voices, some who whispered, some who roared. It froze me in an instant and forced my gaze towards the water, staring out into the haze to find its unseen source. The mists began to thicken as their ghostly chiming grew. Bong… tolled the bells, rising quickly from the sea. Bong… they came again,
growing louder than before. Bong… those voices cried, from their graves beneath the shore. I felt the world grow cold and dim, as shadows smothered light, guided by the music to some dark and wretched place. A torrent thundered from above as the waves began to roil, jagged bolts of lightning giving form to the figures in the gloom. Suddenly there stood a town, where nothing stood before, laid bare beneath the rolling storm and helpless in its wake. The bells were screaming through the night, as people fled their homes, only to be caught and dragged into the raging sea. I watched as houses splintered and as mighty buildings fell, as towers built to honour god were taken in his wrath. This is what they sang of, this calamity that came. Of the greed and hunger of this beast that swallowed everything it found; their memories of all they’d lost, and would never see again. I felt my grandma tug my hand, and I snapped back to her side, awoken from a trance I never noticed I was in. I never spoke of what I heard, or thought I had that day. Even now it frightens me to wonder what it was. Because, I know that I heard something, on that quiet, forlorn shore. Some sad, forgotten music, made by sad, forgotten things. The distant chime of ancient bells, that called out from the depths. A mournful dirge for those long past, who’ll ring them nevermore.
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FASHION Crushing
CO-EDITOR ELISE DIXON
Gendered Clothes BY LAUREN
We really need to stop the notion that clothes belong to certain genders. It’s mind blowing when we realise how many items and activities are placed on genders such as ‘girls dance, and boys play football’. I think we have reached a point in society to understand that people shouldn’t be placed in boxes due to their gender. Not all boys have to like playing sports or wanting to be confrontational. Likewise, not all girls have to be ‘soft and angelic’, girls have every right to be just as assertive as boys are allowed to be, without being told they are bossy and being called some offensive terminology beginning with ‘b’ if you get the drift… So, when loads of people are moving away from this narrative, so why can’t we do the same with clothing and fashion. Clothes are just fabric used to cover our bodies… Clothing and fashion is for artistic expression and to show personality… why do some pieces of clothing ‘have’ to be exclusive for one gender. Why not all genders? Whether you identify as a boy or girl or anything in between, you should be
able to just wear whatever you wish. Fashion is self-expression, and it’s for you. Not anyone else’s self-expression. Boys can wear dresses, skirts, and heels. Especially when heels in the 17th century used to be exclusively for men… Dresses used to be unisex for children as they were easier for parents to remove to clean their children and get them dressed. So why has it become so controversial? Now to the girls… wear what you want! Do it shamelessly and without fear of judgement. I hate hearing how girls have been shamed into not wearing what makes them confident. Girls are not dolls to be dressed up and to please or make others comfortable for just existing as their gender. Girls are not objects, and sadly some people still need to hear this. Boys can be just as feminine as girls if they wish and wear whatever they want because it makes them confident. All and every gender should feel confident. Regardless of what you identify as, wear what you want without shame and fear!
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Expression Of The Soul BY LAUREN
Fashion is everywhere we look. Some people care about fashion and others aren’t bothered. But regardless of what side you are on… you can still tell a lot about a person. For the people who tend to dress down tend to be practicable and need clothes to suit their calm and easy outlook on life. You also get people who dress down due to wanting to be comfortable but needing to be comfortable in order to fully concentrate on having loads of work. When you start to get to know someone and learning about their personality and lives, you see how the outside reflects the inside. For the people who dress up and wear expensive clothing, tend to like attention for their expression and like to be open about themselves. Though on the other hand this way of dressing is also a way of seeming confident when in reality it’s a mask for their body to conceal how they really feel. But the only way to fit the reflections to the person… is to learn the person. When you understand the person, you understand why the clothing has been chosen.
We also see how some people’s creativity has been suppressed through work and other areas which require someone to look ‘natural’. Which for some people, they understand, though from personal opinion… I don’t think how an individual dresses shows how good or how bad a person is at a job. Even more so, if they are competent for the job just because of alternative fashion styles, tattoos, or piercings. I believe when people are discriminated against just for how they express themselves (as long as it is not offensive and does not harm others), we place importance on the appearance rather than whether a person is qualified and has shown experience within their area of expertise. Which is wrong. Another area to discuss… uniforms in schools! There have been reasons for this such as to prevent bullying and to prevent people knowing what social class you are in (which in turn is another attempt to prevent bullying). However, in 2021, social class is not really spoken about anymore, as well as realising the fact that bullying
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will happen regardless of having uniform or not. Even if schools want to protect children from less wealthy backgrounds, some schools make their uniform very expensive (especially blazers), just for children to grow out of them very quickly. Overall, it suppresses creative expression. Clothing is art we wear and tends to be a beginning of how we all express ourselves. When we look at old photos of childhood and seeing some questionable outfit choices… it’s the start of expressing ourselves in a way that does not require words and conversations. I think when we start to take a deeper look into how fashion is truly everywhere around us and how much we actually use it for selfexpression, it’s more common than we think. Here’s the question I ask my readers… why is expressing yourself through clothing important to you? For me, it is a way to communicate without saying a word. I love to dress up, I love my clothes but tend to forget about the shoes. For many people that is seen as the absolute no-no,
however for me… I need and love the practicality of some dirty old trainers! Whilst dressing up really nicely. Some would say this ruins an outfit, I say this adds character and shows people the different sides of me all in one outfit. For many people I know, they love to wear loungewear and ultimately live in it. They tend to be the friends that are laid back and easy going with a down to earth nature. Then for the friends who dress up, very fashion orientated and want to make a statement are very confident, with a secret soft side that tends to be overshadowed! But of course, I know these people, I have known some for many years, and how I interpret their fashion styles is only because I have gotten to know these people as individuals and the reasons behind their choices. So, how can we be more authentic about ourselves and how to match our personalities and inside, to the outside… there’s really not a lot to it! Wear what makes you feel confident and most importantly happy! It is as easy as that! If you aren’t happy in what you wear then why wear it!
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FASHION ONLINE BY LAUREN I think being able to buy clothes online has been a blessing throughout the pandemic. From a self- identified shopaholic, buying clothing online is very much necessary for when there’s lockdowns as we are not being allowed on shopping sprees! Not to mention that the shops were closed… anyway! Buying clothes online can be a bit of a hit and miss sometimes. Not all companies will be honest about the quality of their clothes and accessories. Though this is not surprising. Or just having strange fitting sizes… which sometimes makes no sense. Though it’s the risk we take. I have bought some items which have been extremely poor quality from feeling thinner than paper that would literally rip if I wore it. But you always learn after to read the reviews of other people to get a better idea as well as seeing photos of customers wearing the items, as models always show the best side of the garment and never the flaws… With shopping online, you can’t try clothes and sometimes it really proves that you should try clothes on before you buy them.
Secondly, some gems can be bought online. Some of my favourite clothing items have been bought online and fit amazingly. Not to mention, you discover some amazing brands that are new and fresh. Another bonus to online shopping is applying discount codes! I believe it’s easier to save money online as we can find so many discount codes as well. These codes can’t be applied in real life (bit of an obvious statement), and there’s not really an easy way to save money when shopping in person. Unless you start shopping religiously in the sale section of stores. Even though we can apply discount codes online, online shopping also makes it easier to buy more and more items. Even if we weren’t looking to buy a lot. In conclusion, shopping online and online fashion can be both a blessing and a curse in disguise. Sometimes we get lucky and other times… not so much. But personally, I will continue taking the gamble when buying clothes online.
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BEAUTY
SUPPORTED BY
CO-EDITOR LIBBY DAWSON
The Beauty in You What is beauty? Am I beautiful? Questions that a lot of people ask themselves on a daily basis, questions that affect a lot of members of society. But what does beauty mean, what is beautiful? Beauty standards vary all around the world. When for example chin tattoos in New Zealand often define beauty, in different cultures in Africa, stretched earlobes with big earrings embrace grace. If you compare these standards of beauty with the western world or other parts of the globe, you’ll find a lot of other ideas of beauty. But not only are beauty standards different all around the world, they also change throughout time. Especially, when it comes to the “perfect” body shape of a woman. For instance, during the Renaissance, a woman reflected the status of her husband, if she was thin, her husband was considered poor. But this changed with the time when up to recently, women should be skinny with no visible fat. And this again changed to that beauty now seems to mean, having curves, with large breasts, wide hips, and a larger rear. But then, women are also expected to have a small waist and long legs with a thigh gap.
BY GLORIA DARGATZ
These beauty standards are not only unrealistic, they often impact the wellbeing of the people affected. Trying to look the way society tells you is right, frequently takes confidence and damages the mental health of especially young women and girls. Especially during puberty girls believe, that what they see in the media, the glamorous looks with full makeup and pictures taken from the perfect angles, are a reality, that these snapshots are the way, they should look, and that you are only beautiful when you reach these really specific and unrealistic beauty standards. All in all: Beauty standards really affect everyone in society, some more some less. But it all comes down to this: No matter, what society tries to tell you, what society defines as beauty, no matter, if you fit these so often unrealistic standards or not, you are beautiful and this is a fact. Because beauty comes in so many ways, and we should start celebrating uniqueness in a person rather than limiting our beliefs, our definitions of beauty on beauty standards.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE!
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BY TEEGAN ARICIOGLU
21st Century Beauty Beauty is a topic that interests me and I believe needs talking about, as I feel it’s a topic that many people, especially in the 21st century, feel insecure about. In today’s world, I feel that there are a lot of stereotypes around beauty and makeup, especially linking to social media pages regarding how a girl should look! As well as the implications this causes for how people show the world natural beauty and the realism behind who somebody is! Something I feel passionate about, is loudly sharing the message of NATURAL BEAUTY to the world…it should come prior to makeup beauty. I want to take the chance to compare natural looks to makeup looks, we need to do this often so we can see where the real beauty lies… as in my opinion the real beauty lies underneath the makeup products that the media encourages women to use. Alongside this, I’d like us all to take a look at the prices of these products, the price that many females are willing to pay. I feel that makeup
itself is a stereotype that goes unseen. I feel that to a degree, these expensive brands are out to prey on people who want to look good… people are not as accepting of their own natural beauties as they used to be, so they’re happier and more willing to pay into this. Instead of promoting more affordable brands which provide products that do the exact same job, we are exposed to the most expensive brands. This not only provides a downgrading feeling to any product that isn’t that, but it also makes us spend more money on things we don’t need. Not only that, in my opinion this can lead on to bullying within schools and outside schools, if we don’t use the right products, we don’t fit in. I feel that makeup companies have a way of persuading customers to feel that they should be buying the most expensive products. I want you to know that this is not true. You do not need it, and this is a form of manipulation that goes unseen. We need to be more accepting of natural beauty and encourage people to feel comfortable in their own skin!
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SPRING BEAUTY TRENDS BY LIBBY DAWSON
2021
We are well and truly on our way into Spring, and the best thing about a new season is a whole new look! It’s been very difficult for new trends to emerge, as well as get on board with them whilst being in lockdown. However, now that we are (hopefully) post pandemic, and allowed to explore the real world again, it’s really necessary for us to know what’s what! This Spring, make up trends are all about colour; vibrant lipstick, shimmery shadows and a pink blush too! In general, this is a good time to ditch the warm, muted tones and go for something a little more colourful, it is Spring after all. When else can you match a neon pink eyeshadow with a bold matte pink lip? A fuchsia or red lip is great for adding a touch of Spring into your normal make up look. My favourite is the K.I.S.S.I.N.G Velvet Underground Lipstick by Charlotte Tilbury. Now more than ever, the glowy skin is in, and what’s great, is that you don’t need a tonne of products to look this
way. If anything, you don’t need any! Most importantly, SPF is essential with the warmer months coming, so get yourself an SPF infused tinted moisturiser or cream. This not only gives you the coverage you need, but also prevents against sun damage. My favourite is the Bare Minerals Complete Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream with an SPF 30. A neutral eyeliner is definitely coming back and I am here for it. I’ve been adding a little wing to my make up looks recently, and not only does it make me look more awake, but it also completes a classic look. As well as this, remember to mix up your colours! Adding a beige, white, cream or brown liner is really going to open up your eyes and add an element of brightness to your Spring look; experiment with your upper lash line too. My favourite eyeliners are by NYX Cosmetics, especially the Faux White Eye Brightener. Let’s talk hair! Fringes and bangs made a comeback recently, and it seems that they’re here to stay this Spring. Supersized fringes and even the soft
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wispy take on the trend, are a great way to give your hair a fresh look without needing to style it too much. By using a round brush, hair volumiser and a hairdryer, you have a new look in less than 30 seconds. And if you didn’t want to commit to the chop, you can simply achieve the same look by switching up your parting. I picked up a round brush from Primark for £2 and some volumiser from SuperDrug! A trend I’ve definitely been getting on board with this Spring, is adding colour to my nails. Like with everything, our nails are also embracing the colour this Spring with pastels right at the top. My current favourite and colour for the season is definitely lilac; the Barry M Cosmetics Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint to be specific. I love a natural gel nail, so I am very excited that these are on trend; and I am more than happy to trade my usual white or nude, for a pop of colour. Something else I’ve been loving is a classic French manicure but with a coloured tip! It’s simple but so so effective, and it’s a great way to add that touch of colour!
Last but not least I cannot but mention my favourite product, a lipgloss. I will never leave my house without one and it completes every look! You cannot go wrong with a hydrated lip so alongside a gloss I have to carry a good balm too. My favourites are the Kiko 3D Hydra Lipgloss in the shades Chestnut or Clear, and the Fenty Beauty Pro Kiss Lip Balm in every shade, (I’m obsessed)! If you’ve been hopping on any trends or want to get involved with scoping out the upcoming trends for summer, please email me at: libby@student-life. co to be featured!
Another product that comes back around at this time of year, is face mists, and this year is no different. There are so many out there to choose from, and they’re a great way to enhance your glowy skin, add hydration, and relieve the tiredness. My favourite for a long time has been the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cumber and Green Tea, it’s so refreshing.
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TRAVEL CO-EDITOR ELISE DIXON
To Over Pack or to Under Pack? BY LAUREN
To overpack or to under-pack that is the question… Not quite Shakespeare though and I’m sure he never thought about this question. But here I am to show you the advantages and disadvantages of each. Firstly, overpacking can be so useful sometimes. Only when you pack the right things. When you overpack you are ensured to have all the items you need in case of any emergency! Such as having loads of clothes in case of weather or accidents with food or generally anything that could ruin your clothing. But when you overpack, coming back home with that bag or suitcase is a nightmare! Especially if you have bought things whilst being on holiday/ being away that needs space in that overpacked suitcase… It’s not going to be easy. As well as this lack of space for new things, it is always harder putting everything back in the suitcase the second time around than before when you were packing to go away. Always harder when you are
packing to go home… or maybe it’s a sign you should stay on holiday! Secondly underpacking can be a nightmare, as when people tend to under-pack it means they have left important things at home and have a mad rush to find shops with items they needed but never bought with them in the first place. However, on the other hand, buying new items and clothing won’t be a problem when packing at the end of the holiday. Personal opinion, I am an overpacker as I hate the thought of not having enough clothing options and underwear and toiletries, just everything you can possibly think of, I’m worried I might need it. I have always struggled with getting everything back into the suitcase the night before going home, the panic to find space for newly bought items, the stress this causes in general. I would love to be an underpacker, but that will probably never be the case! What kind of packer are you?
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How soon will you travel abroad after the Pandemic? BY LAUREN
Seems like everything we do now is always met with considerations for how it’ll affect our health and the pandemic overall in our everyday lives. Want to go out shopping? How will you travel? Take the bus, even though it increases your risk of catching COVID19? Go by car or even more so.. just stay at home and do online shopping. However, travelling within your own country during a pandemic and travelling abroad is a whole different level of taking safety into consideration. From countries having different lockdown rules, and different countries dealing better or worse with the pandemic… it’s quite hard to plan if you want to travel across Europe for example. Personally, I will not be travelling or even begin to think and plan travelling yet, as to end the pandemic we need to work together as a global and worldwide society to overcome this. We see in the news how some influencers have been irresponsible when travelling abroad when it’s been unnecessary to travel. I think for quite a few people they believe that if they have COVID19 it only affects themselves
and their closest group and family. But having COVID19 has ripple effects. We potentially put other people in danger (though with the vaccine being given to more people, it’s becoming safer, but never guaranteed to be fully one-hundred percent immune), it potentially placing more stress on the NHS and every area of life. We aren’t being asked a lot to just stay at home or limit the people we have contact with. As many of the people who break the rules, tend to be the ones complaining about lockdowns and not being allowed to travel abroad yet. But, for me, I don’t feel comfortable travelling, as it’s not just the stress we place on our own country if we go abroad and bring more COVID19 back into the country… its placing stress on countries which may be less fortunate than ours due to economic reasons as well as not having vaccinated as many citizens as we have. The pandemic will not stop, if we have many people travelling around the globe again, as it promotes new strands and variants to thrive and spread even
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more. Another factor to take into account when deciding whether or not to travel is to protect our own family members from harm. This seems like an obvious factor, but I feel that many people overlook this a lot because we have never lived through a pandemic before (duh!). As well as our own family members, what about our friends’ families or partner’s family? It will also affect them, even if we have no contact with them directly. When people meet in big groups, those friends can take COVID19 back into their home and potentially if they have to help out with elderly family members, you are putting their lives in danger. Personally, I can’t in good conscience affect my family in this way by travelling abroad, and affecting other people’s families like strangers’ families due to public transport etc. At the end of the day, it just puts fuel in the fire, that make the pandemic more dangerous and worse, let alone the fact it’s not needed for most people to travel. In conclusion, I really don’t
feel it’s necessary to travel. It doesn’t just affect our own health. It affects our families’ health, our friends’, and partner’s family and to foreign families that live abroad. May be a quite controversial opinion, but I think it’s selfish if you travel abroad at this time, if it’s for a holiday. We need to solve this pandemic as a globe and take care of each other like a true global society. When isolating, look after your mental health, this is your friendly reminder! Whilst we are taking care of the physical health of our loved ones, we need to be able to take after ourselves too. When we look after ourselves we can take care of our loved ones and the country and the world. Soon, activities and businesses will reopen to be able to socialise and be amazing for our mental health. But for when you need to isolate or if you are shielding, we can get through this together!
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HOW TO DEAL WITH BEING HOMESICK WHEN ABROAD BY LAUREN
Being homesick abroad is tough sometimes, but there’s ways to overcome it as it can ruin the experience of being away if you let it get out of hand (speaking from personal experience). One of the best things I can recommend is staying in frequent contact with your loved ones. As they can remind you that the experience/ holiday or whatever the situation is, that it’s amazing you have this opportunity. You can discuss what you did in the day and have updates from home or school. It can make you feel as if you have the best of both worlds, by both appreciating the experience
and holiday as well as making it feel like you are at home. Another piece of advice I can give is staying busy. The most cliché advice ever, however it’s a cliché for a reason… because a lot of the time it works! By being immersed in activities and visiting places, you force yourself to focus on learning or just enjoying yourself because of the new surroundings. As well as this, it gives you way more to talk about with your family and loved ones! Video calls rather than messaging! This feels like an obvious but there’s no better way to help with being homesick than by feeling you are actually with your loved ones. Whilst messaging is instant and can happen 24/7, video calls are so much better as you feel like you are talking properly to your family and friends. Never forgetting to video call to see any pets you have for a little bit of happiness! Though, if you do decide to video call, check any bills you may pay, and have time zone consideration! When I’ve previously been away, I tend to forget to message my family or used to barely video call them but as I’ve travelled more and have suffered with being homesick badly before. I understand what works best for me and how to combat any negative feelings. So, just try out what works best for you!
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MY PLANET CO-EDITOR LIBBY DAWSON
Post Lockdown Planet Goals
BY LIBBY DAWSON
Now more than ever, it’s important for us to be preaching sustainability wherever possible. I have always tried to do my bit, especially in the more recent years; however, at the beginning of 2021, I decided that is going to be the year that I try to be the most sustainable that I possibly can. A global pandemic forced everybody to change their lifestyles, and whilst it was a struggle at times (most of the time, for some more than others), there was a period of time given to our planet, allowing it to breathe and start recovery. Cleaner air, cleaner water, the reduction of seismic noise, the return of wildlife and lots more, nature was able to hit the rest button globally. Now that we’re coming out of lockdown, it’s super important that we remind ourselves not only how far we’ve come, but also how important our planet is, we cannot go back to the way we were! I’m going to share some of my goals for the rest of the year, some ways that we can
all easily keep our planet clean and help to change behaviours towards environmentalism.
1. KEEP SHOPPING LOCALLY AND SUSTAINABLY This was my New Year’s resolution and
thankfully, it’s going well! Shopping local is not only more accessible to us and helps us support the community, but it also reduces your food miles, something that a lot of people forget about. Not only that, by buying local produce, you have access to fresher products whilst also protecting wildlife. It’s a no brainer! As well as that, throwaway culture is killing the planet and our generation is the worst for it! Whether it be food waste, clothes waste, packaging waste... the list goes on... and we can all do better! So, take your reusable bags to the farmers’ market, eat your leftovers, up cycle old pots, wear that dress twice, three times, or pass it down; be clever, be creative and shop sustainably.
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2. MAINTAIN A VEGAN DIET This is a personal goal but is also an easy one for you to get involved with. I’ve been on and off with a vegan diet for a few years now, however 2021 is the year that I am fully committing. In January, I made a promise to myself that I’d drop the chocolate and carrot cake (foods I can still eat as a vegan) and consume a full plant based diet. So far, it’s been great and it’s definitely something that I pledge to continue. Especially as there are more and more options available, it’s a lot easier now than it’s ever been before, Whether you’re a vegetarian, pescatarian, flexetarian, plant based, one day a weeketarian, every little helps; changing up one meal might not seem like a big change, but it really is!
3. GET OUTSIDE AND WALK MORE We may have been in lockdown for months on end, but the one thing we’ve all been forced to do more of, is walk. The planet has benefited massively from the huge reduction in travel, and whilst we’re all excited to get on that airplane to somewhere sunny, it’s important to remember
the emissions that are emitted by frequent travel. We need to remember that we don’t need to hop in our car to pop to the shop to get some essentials and we don’t need to drive miles to go for a dog walk on a Sunday. There are other and more accessible means of transport and for many, we’ve been shown that we can appreciate our local areas and the benefits of going for a walk or cycle. The weather is getting better and it’s important to appreciate our natural surroundings, so I for one am definitely going to try to keep this up!
4. EDUCATE YOURSELF Coming out of lockdown is exciting for everyone and of course there are so many positives to come from this, so it is really important to stay educated about the ways we can make a positive change. If you’re able to, vote in local elections, read environmental campaigns, watch the documentaries and most importantly, get involved in making these changes.
There are going to be many long lasting positive environmental changes after the pandemic, but these are only going to continue depending on how we move on
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SEXUAL HEALTH
CO-EDITOR RACHEL MITCHELL
YOUNGANDFREE.ORG.UK: ONLINE CHLAMYDIA SCREENING SERVICE FOR UNDER 25s
AS SOME SERVICES REMAIN RESTRICTED WE AT TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST THOUGHT IT A GOOD TIME TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT UNDER 25s CAN ORDER A FREE CHLAMYDIA TEST SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOOR. ORDERING A KIT IS SIMPLE WITH OUR NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE! HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: THE MOST COMMON STI: 1 in 10 sexually active young people in the UK have chlamydia. Recent reports by Public Health England revealed that just under half of all STIs diagnosed were chlamydia with 15-24 year olds being the age group at highest risk.
WHO NEEDS TO TEST? The NHS recommends that people test for chlamydia once every year or on every change of sexual partner. Chlamydia is often symptomless! 50% of men and 70% of women have no symptoms for chlamydia so routine testing is important.
A QUICK AND EASY TEST: The test kits arrive in confidential packaging and simply involve urinating in a pot or a quick and easy vaginal swab. Results are received directly to your phone by text, phone call or email.
DISPELLING THE MYTHS MYTH: Chlamydia is just a problem for women.
FACT: Chlamydia can infect people of any gender.
MYTH:
Chlamydia isn’t a problem as it is often symptomless.
FACT: If left untreated or caught repeatedly chlamydia can cause a number of long term medical conditions. These include conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease in the female reproductive system (which can potentially lead to infertility) and epididymitis in the male reproductive system (swollen and painful testicles) as well as reactive arthritis.
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MYTH:
Chlamydia is difficult to treat.
FACT:
Chlamydia can be completely cured with just a short course of antibiotics prescribed by a medical practitioner.
MYTH: Chlamydia cannot be prevented.
FACT:
Safer sex practices reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia. Using external or internal condoms creates a protective barrier from infection.
AND GONORRHOEA TOO! Diagnosis rates for gonorrhoea have increased more than any other STI according to recent reports. All kits ordered from youngandfree.org.uk test for gonorrhoea as well.
DON’T FORGET CONDOMS AND SEXUAL HEALTH INFORMATION! youngandfree.org.uk is the official website for C-Card in Suffolk and contains an easy to use interactive map showing where under 25s can access free condoms. During the lockdown period we have also set up a condoms by post service for all people aged 16-24 which is easily accessible through the website.
ON TOP OF THIS, THE SITE IS FULL OF INFORMATION ON SEXUAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIPS AND INCLUDES VIDEOS ON TOPICS SUCH AS CONSENT.
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MENTAL HEALTH CO-EDITOR MIA PATIENCE AND GLORIA DARGATZ
Taking it slow as restrictions ease As the restrictions start to ease on this roadmap out of a country-wide lockdown, our immediate thought may be to submerge ourselves into every activity, visit every bar and shop and see as many of our friends as we can.
While of course many of us are longing to get back to the life we knew before, it’s important to be mindful that throwing ourselves at a taste of normality might not be what we actually want or what our mind needs. We must remember that we’ve spent so long living within government restrictions and actually, whether we’re aware of it or not, we may feel overwhelmed once we’re out. We might find that our priorities have changed or that our circles are now much smaller. Or we might find
BY RACHEL MITCHELL
that there are so many people now to catch up with, that the issue now becomes lack of time to fit everyone in. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, whether you’re reaction is as expected or not, make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Our ‘self-care’ doesn’t end simply now that we’re not stuck at home. You’d hope that the last year has taught us to listen to our bodies and minds, noticing what we need to do in order to relax and de-stress and also take note of areas we need to pay more attention to. It’s not easy, we don’t always have the ‘time’ to give to ourselves, but bear it in mind when you’re booked up every weekend for the next few months and you’re perhaps starting to burn out.
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THE DREADED SCHOOL STRESS…
and how to cope with it BY GABRIELLE STONES I think it’s fair to say we’ve all gone through our fair share of stress. But, when dealing with the dreaded school stress, even though it’s something that we’ve all gone through and experience at different intensities and at different points of our school lives, we can all relate one way or another. And actually, as I type this now, I have my own fair share of university stress towering over me, weaved together with all of the other stresses in life. Being my last month of my final year of university, it’s definitely no casual walk in the park and stress levels are rocketing. Whilst I’m no expert by all means, but as somebody who has juggled their fair share of education stress, here’s my tips on how to hopefully relieve that school stress we all feel and help you appreciate those school days we all have to endure. The one tip I highly recommend you live by through your years of education is to understand that the stress you’re experiencing is normal. As soon as you’ve mastered this understanding, you’ve already eliminated a good amount of your school stress. When deadlines are looming, tasks are piling
up and you’re struggling to manage; this stress overload is a normal feeling for everyone. The list of tasks to complete may seem never-ending, but don’t let the stress make your brain explode. My lecturer recently told me that our brains are muscles, which undeniably need a good workout to stay healthy. She told me that my brain would be undoubtedly toned from all of my work I’ve been storing in my brain, and that kind of compliment filled me with all sorts of happiness. To know your hard work is paying off, almost makes the stress worthwhile. But, she taught me that just like your muscles after a workout, do NOT overwork it. Next thing you know, you’re tired, noticeably irritable and experiencing what I call ‘a mental burn out’. I can tell you that nothing is worth a mental burn out, and it’s not healthy for any part of your body. So, this idea of understanding your stress and realising there are a lot of people in the same boat, almost eases stress off you already and prevents this dreaded brain burn out. The familiarity of school stress helps us not only conquer it ourselves and within our own minds, but also helps us
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
to help each other. This then backs onto the next tip of speaking to your peers. By being open with people you spend time with may be a huge relief, as the familiarity and relatability of the stress from your nearest and dearest, may help you to understand that stress can happen to anybody and can happen a lot closer to home than you think. You’re never alone in your stress. On the topic of managing tasks, a good way of easing this dreaded school stress is to keep organised of everything you’re tackling. I found that once everything was in an accessible and neat place for me to grab when needed, it made me feel so much more at ease. An organised set of resources makes an organised mind, and an organised mind is the best resource you’ll ever have. So, divide your folder into sections, get your coloured pens out and organise in a way that keeps your mind muddle free! Whatever works for you. Personally, I found that labelling everything into categories to keep things in some kind of order helps
me to not only organise my files, but my thoughts. Whilst being the most important muscle, your brain is also your own personal library and office space. All of your knowledge is stored in one place, and only you have access to it, and only you have to understand the scheme of how things are organised and stored. As soon as you have an organised brain, the stress will start to stop overwhelming you. My tips are only pointers to help you tackle the school stress, and show you what worked for me. But, what works for one person, may not work for the next. But, the one tip we all need to remember is; understand that stress is natural. Whilst in the moment of stress, we feel unhelped, almost drowning in deadlines and work, we need to open our minds and take a step back. Take a moment to breathe. Don’t stress over stress.
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MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS WEEK 10 - 16 MAY 2021 THEME: NATURE SEND US YOUR SELF CARE TIPS TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE! EMAIL: MIA@STUDENT-LIFE.CO GLORIA@STUDENT-LIFE.CO
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
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Our exciting RSHE project... BY PIPPA POGSON
Hi! I am Pippa. I grew up in Winchester, Hampshire, but moved to Ipswich 2 years ago. Since being here, I have had various roles caring for people with Special Educational Needs or mental health difficulties. I’m a student at University College London (UCL) studying a part time Masters in Clinical Mental Health Sciences. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, a lot of it has been online, but I hope to travel to London a bit next year for some in-person teaching. I am really passionate about spreading awareness around mental health and particularly interested in a holistic view of mental health – so many things that we might not think about, such as food, can affect our mental health. I came into contact with Student Life when they were advertising for a job in 2019. Though I didn’t get the job I stayed in contact with Student Life and have now been volunteering here for about 6 months, working on an exciting new project. I’ve recently been employed by Student Life as Mental Health Project Co-ordinator and will be largely responsible for this project. I am very pleased to be a member of the team and looking forward to
seeing what the future holds. The project we’ve been working on is a mental health course to be delivered as part of the RSHE curriculum in schools. It’s an exciting step forward that Student Life will be contributing to the curriculum, not just extracurricular and it’s a very important, unique project to be delivered to young people. Tommy, who is 22, will be delivering the course, which means it is going to be a peer-delivered course. So far, we have created four sessions about mental health which cover what mental health is, the mental health continuum, depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and the support we can get around these. Our ideas have largely come from our own experiences of mental health as well as Mental Health First Aid and resources such as the NHS and Anna Freud. Moving forward, we are going to create two more sessions: a Covid-19 awareness session and a session about the relationship between brain chemistry and emotional wellbeing.
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
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IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
Support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse
07765 052282
survivorsintransition.co.uk
Arts in mental health and wellbeing
insideout community.com
For confidential suicide prevention advice contact
0800 068 4141 papyrus-uk.org
Advice, guidance and practical support
01473 252607 4yp.org.uk
The mental health charity offering support and guidance
0300 111 6000 mind.org.uk
depressionuk.org Run by people with experience of living with anxiety and stress
03444 775 774 anxietyuk.org.uk
We’ve got lots of advice about looking after yourself
0800 1111
childline.org.uk
Improving teenage mental health by stemming commonly occurring MH issues at an early stage
www.stem4.org.uk Whether you’re stressed, anxious, low or depressed, we can help
0300 123 1503
wellbeingnands.co.uk Advice for those affected by low mood, depression and suicidal thinking.
studentsagainst depression.org Support people over 18 who have been bereaved by suicide
0300 111 5065 uksobs.org
NATIONAL NATIONAL NATIONAL
A national self-help organisation helping people cope with their depression.
NATIONAL
NATIONAL
turning-point.co.uk
NATIONAL
lighthousewa.org.uk
Providing a wide range of health and wellbeing services
NATIONAL
01473 228270
giveusashout.org
NOR/SUFFOLK
Supporting women who have suffered or are at risk of domestic abuse
Text 85258
NATIONAL
thecalmzone.net
In a Crisis? Anxious? Worried? Stressed? Shout for 24/7 help
NATIONAL
0800 58 58 58
NATIONAL
Campaign against living miserably
SUFFOLK
samaritans.org
SUFFOLK
116 123
SUFFOLK
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year.
NATIONAL
www.familyfirst-uk.org
SUFFOLK
0300 772 7715
NATIONAL
Supporting families through change
NATIONAL
IN AN EMERGENCY PHONE 999 FOR NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROBLEMS CALL NHS 111
COVID-19 AWARENESS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC HEALTH SUFFOLK
Having the COVID-19 vaccine is the best way of developing immunity from the virus. Students and young people have had a really tough time during the pandemic with all the disruption to their school and tertiary education so it’s vital that nothing stops normal life from resuming.
SAY YES! TO YOUR COVID VACCINE. If you receive an invitation to attend a vaccination appointment, please do act on it as soon as possible so that you can join the millions of people around the world who are helping to protect themselves and others. As many people as possible need to get themselves vaccinated to reduce the chances of the virus circulating and mutating. Virus mutations present a potentially huge problem to us all and could put us back into further lockdowns. Take-up of the vaccine in England has been exceptionally strong; five out of six people in the first nine priority groups have already chosen to take up the offer and this has contributed to the dramatic falls in infections, hospitalisations and deaths from the virus that we’re now seeing. There’s lots of choice in terms of where you have the vaccine (including visiting your GP practice, local pharmacy or large vaccination centre) – it’s really convenient
Say YES! to your COVID vaccine
and the staff and volunteers will ensure you get the support you need. The sooner we are all protected from this virus, the faster we can get back to normality. Please don’t be frightened of receiving the vaccination. There is nothing to it and it only takes a few minutes. Before you have it, a trained clinician will talk you through what will happen, will ask you some very basic questions about your health, and will answer any questions you have. You can also find a comprehensive list of FAQs on our local website: https:// sneevaccine.org.uk/ and further information on the government coronavirus website: www.gov. uk/coronavirus. Beware of all the misinformation circulating on social media. You should only trust the information provided by reputable sources who are in a position to know the facts. The NHS will contact you when it is time for your vaccine; please don’t contact the NHS to ask when you will receive it. It’s important you attend your booked appointment at exactly the time you’re asked to. Make sure you come back for your second dose as this helps to give you immunity for longer. Even when you’ve had your vaccine, please continue to follow all the guidance in place to control the virus and save lives.
REMEMBER – HANDS, FACE, SPACE & FRESH AIR.
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Rules from 12 April 2021 Stage two of the easing of lockdown
You can meet outdoors (including in private gardens) at a distance of 2m: • In groups of up to six (this means one person can meet up to five others from different households) • Or any number of people from no more than two households. (Your household is the people you live with). • What is now open to visit alone or with my household? • All shops, hairdressers, beauty salons and gyms • Zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres • Outdoor sports facilities • Children will be able to attend any indoor children's activity, including sport What else can I do? • Restaurants, cafes and pubs can provide table service to customers sitting outdoors • Members of the same household can take a holiday in England in self-contained accommodation e.g. holiday cottages • Weddings or wakes can be attended by up to 15 people in permitted premises Can I travel? • The ‘Stay at Home’ requirement is no longer in place, however, you should continue to work from home if you can and minimise the number of journeys you make. • Where possible, stay local and avoid travelling at the busiest times and routes. Can I access testing if I don’t have any symptoms? 1 in 3 people with the coronavirus do not show any symptoms. Through testing we can stop the spread of the virus to other people. Go online to book a test or a home test kit at www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronaviruscovid-19/getting-a-test/ or call 0333 772 6144 (interpreters are available). Whether you have had a vaccination or not, you can catch and pass Covid-19 onto other people, so still remember ‘Hands. Face. Space’: Hands – wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds Face – wear a face covering over nose and mouth in indoor settings Space – stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible If you are worried about your bills, your job or your home, call the Suffolk Advice and Support Service free on 0800 068 3131 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. If you are self-isolating, call the Home, But Not Alone helpline for support free on 0800 876 6926 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
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12/04/ 2021
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FOOD
CO-EDITOR AARON BEAVIS
Review
Isaacs on the Quay
BY AARON BEAVIS
At time of writing, bars and pubs with large beer gardens / outside areas have been allowed to re-open and that includes Isaacs On The Quay which is effectively one very large beer garden. The location is very impactful even if you’re simply walking past like I have countless times before. However, stepping inside reveals that it’s even better than it looks.
OUTSIDE
The courtyard is extremely spacious and holds many tables and that’s not including the multiple balconies and tables out front that I hope to experience on future visits. For those interested in sports, there are 4 large screens suspended in the middle of the main area so that most seats have a great view and their lighting system, which includes countless strings of fairy lights and flame lights at the entrance, creates a beautiful atmosphere once the
sun sets. It’s also wheelchair accessible which includes their toilets and those also happen to be very well kept for any germaphobes reading.
DINING EXPERIENCE
I can not attest to how the dining experience has changed at this bar in the last year but there has clearly been a lot of effort put into making it safe and easy. At the door, you’re greeted by a staff member who helps you check in either using the NHS app or a browser and they’re very calm about it which is great if you’re not very savvy with anything that involves a screen. I can not confirm or deny if I’m referring to myself. Additionally, masks must be worn when you leave your table and, like most food places at the moment, have a new online ordering system which only accepts card although you can use a card machine if you don’t want to pay online. As they
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aren’t a chain, they have their own independent website which you will also be directed to by the staff member at the door and it runs incredibly smoothly. It does time out if you’re on the menu for too long without ordering but once you go back onto the menu, anything previously in your basket will still be there so it’s just a minor inconvenience as opposed to a glaring problem.
MENU
As I had not eaten very much that day, I decided to use the opportunity to try a few different things from their menu. Initially, me and my companion ordered some fries as a starter and they were very nice. They still had the skin on them, which I learned from my friend can be a real deal-breaker for some, so be warned those who aren’t a fan of that. What these simple potato pieces made clear though was the incredibly
fast and friendly service. They arrived within a couple minutes and meals we ordered later were estimated to arrive in 10 minutes but actually ended up on our table in half that time even though business had picked up by that point. As a vegetarian, I still get dread opening a menu. I have nightmares of ‘veggie burger’ appearing with no other description and making my night out a game of chance. I was very happy to see that every category of food had a vegan option so I had a lot of choice plus they all had descriptions. I ended up going with the Mexican Halloumi Burger. I love halloumi and it’s very popular in the UK however I was excited to see what the Mexican twist would be. The burger comprised of a large halloumi patty, Mexican salsa, and nachos. The tortilla chips turned out to be really great in a burger and the mix of saltiness and spice tasted delicious. The burger came with more fries and a salad which had a dressing I wasn’t that fond of however that can be easily removed with the ‘Notes’ feature on their ordering system where you can ask for your food to be tweaked to suit your tastes and allergies. Finally, I tried a Vegan Cheese & Chorizo w/ Onion Chutney Panini which I would definitely recommend for a lunchtime order and they come with tortilla chips as opposed to fries and salad once again. I wasn’t bothered about the fries’ absence as I had eaten more than enough at this point.
OVERALL, I HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE. THE FOOD DID INITIALLY SEEM QUITE EXPENSIVE HOWEVER I THINK THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD, AMAZING LOCATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ALL WARRANT THE PRICE TAG. IF I HAD TO REVIEW IT IN 10 WORDS: IT IS SO GOOD, I FORGOT TO TAKE ANY PICTURES.
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UNDERATED INGREDIENTS BY AARON BEAVIS Turning up the heat in the kitchen can be difficult. Sometimes the little twisty thing on the radiator gets stuck and you have to do that thing where you use a tea towel so it doesn’t hurt your hand trying to twist it for several minutes. It can also be hard to make cooking interesting. How do you strike the balance between utilizing what you know you can make well with trying something new whilst also not wanting to risk making something you don’t like and resorting to takeaway? My best advice is to try adding a new ingredient or two to a dish you feel comfortable with already. The next problem that arises is picking an ingredient. I endeavour to suggest a few that you may not have considered.
BEETROOT Now, beetroot is not a particularly strong flavour and you can add it to a dish in a pretty significant quantity without changing the flavour profile much. The reason it’s on the list is
because it allowed me to make a purple pasta dish and even if it doesn’t taste that different, it’s hard to not be impressed when you’re eating purple pasta. The dish was effectively pasta in a rich spicy tomato sauce and the beetroot really didn’t change the taste that much but if you want a brand-new aesthetic without risking the flavour,
beetroot is a great option.
JACKFRUIT This is an extremely interesting and versatile foodstuff. It’s becoming more and more popular in the UK as a meat substitute but it has always been a great culinary asset in Asia. For anyone who is looking for something other than fake meat or more popular alternatives like halloumi, jackfruit is a must-try. With the right seasoning,
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it can taste almost scarily similar to pulled pork so it’s great as the star of the show or as an accoutrement on something like a burger. It can be tricky to get right when using it in cooking for the first time as I learned when I tried a jackfruit curry which turned out to be more similar to a rubber substitute however, with practice, it can be a wonderful discovery.
GRAPES Let’s change things up and think about sweeter delicacies. Grapes are not generally underrated, the Greeks lounging on their chaise longues knew what they were doing but I discovered they can also be amazing when baked. My significant other once made these little pastries (amuse-bouche if you will) with various different toppings and fillings but the most impressive by far were the ones that he had part cooked, topped with grapes (some white, some red) and then cooked in the oven a little bit more. They had this amazing sweetness and were actually very refreshing – I would definitely recommend implementing grapes in Summer bakes.
MIXED PEPPERS Red peppers are wonderful. I eat them on pizzas. I eat them in fajitas. I eat them in salads. Sadly, their yellow and green brethren don’t get as much of the spotlight which they fully deserve. Mixed peppers have it all. They brighten up a dish for both the tastebuds and the eyes and give meals a great freshness whether they
be in a stir fry or a burrito. They’re probably not as underrated as the other candidates on this list but I think the use of all of them in tandem with each other is not as common as one might think.
CINNAMON Okay, we all know cinnamon. It’s a Christmas favourite and cinnamon rolls are popular enough to warrant entire restaurant chains based around them, at least in the US. What people might not know about it is that it is excellent as a subtle ingredient. I love it when cinnamon is the centrepiece but something I do with anything I bake is just add a little bit of cinnamon to give it some warmth and it’s a subtle difference. Sometimes you don’t want to reinvent the wheel and adding a bit of cinnamon is more like just painting the wheel a snazzy new colour. Obviously, there are way more ingredients that you could try. Another tip I have is to go into a shop and try and find a fruit, vegetable, spice etc. you’ve never heard of before and buy it. They won’t all be winners but you might find something like a banana blossom, which is a flower that is used as a substitute for fish. I swear I’m not making that up, there’s one sitting in my cupboard that I’m going to try and batter any day now. In cooking, no matter how big the step is, a step is a step and that’s the best mentality you can have in the kitchen.
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MY LIFE CO-EDITOR RACHEL MITCHELL
Google Search data reveals the top 10 GCSE concerns in the UK BY JUSTIN FOX 1. CAN EMPLOYERS CHECK GCSE RESULTS FROM 20 YEARS AGO? Looking to advance your career? If you’ve got your eyes set on a big promotion, one thing may be holding you back. While it might have been many years since you took your GCSEs exams, poor grades could be standing in the way of your career progression. Luckily, there is a solution. Every year, adults across the country take the leap to retake their GCSEs. If you’re ready to take the next steps in your education, you’re certain to have some burning questions. Let’s take a look at the top 10 concerns (and answer them).
With a massive 450 searches a month, many Brits are desperate to know the answer to this question. The short answer is yes. HR managers and employers can verify your GCSE results from 20 years ago. They may do so by contacting your former college. There are also companies that specialise in performing background checks on applicants. Needless to say, you should never lie on your CV or mislead a potential employer. While it is quite unlikely that employers will look this information up, you should keep in mind that they can do so. As with all things in life, honesty is the best policy here.
2. HOW TO SIT GCSE EXAMS PRIVATELY Are you considering sitting your GCSE exams privately? If so, you’re not alone. This question gets 200 search results per month, meaning many Brits are looking into it. If you’re hoping to take these exams as a private candidate, doing so could be easier
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than you think. The first step is to figure out which exam board each GCSE falls under. Most boards offer an in-depth guide to sitting exams as a private candidate. You should book your exam directly with the exam board, such as AQA or Edexcel. GCSE exams usually take place in May or June. When you have booked your spot, it’s time to start prepping. You can buy books on your chosen topic online and start revising.
3. HOW TO GET GCSE CERTIFICATES Have you lost your GCSE certificates? You can contact your exam board to request a replacement certificate. If the exam board is not able to give you a replacement, it will issue you a ‘certified statement of results’. Note: You will need to prove your identity and may have to pay a fee for the replacement documents.
4. WHAT ARE THE NEW GCSE GRADES? Back in 2018, the government announced a reformed grading system for GCSEs. Rather than the former A* to G system, the new GCSE grades go from a nine (the highest grade) down to a one (the lowest grade). In both cases, failed GCSEs are marked as U grades.
5. HOW TO TAKE GCSE EXAMS AT HOME Taking your GCSE exams at home is an option for any learner. Ahead of taking this step, you should make sure that you are up to speed on the curriculum. Next, as we have discussed above, you will need to book your exams as a private candidate.
6. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MISS A GCSE EXAM DUE TO ILLNESS? Should you fall ill the day of your exam and miss it, you may be given ‘special consideration’ by the exam board. Students who have been disadvantaged due to illness or ‘unavoidable circumstances beyond their control’ are eligible for this consideration. Put simply, it means that you will still get your GCSE result. A small percentage will be added to your existing grade—from your coursework—to make up your overall grade.
7. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FAIL YOUR GCSE? Worried about failing your GCSE exam? Should you get less than a grade 4 in GCSE English or maths, you will have to retake the exam according to government guidelines. On the other hand, if you fail other GCSE exams, such as art, drama, history, or PE, you will not have to retake the exams. If you need passing grades to enter an A Level course, though, you can book a resit exam with the exam body and try again.
8. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND GCSE Functional Skills are the equivalent to GCSE qualifications. These exams were brought in back in 2007 to boost the United Kingdom’s literacy and numeracy skills. Anyone can take these exams, which are available in English, maths and ICT. While they are not identical to GCSE exams, Level 2 Functional Skills are equivalent to GCSE grades 4-9 (C-A*).
9. HOW LONG DO GCSE REMARKS TAKE? You can request a remark of your GCSE exam through the examining board. Keep in mind that this process could take up to 20 days to complete after your request. Should you opt for priority remarking, you may find that the process takes as little as 15 days.
10. HOW MANY UCAS POINTS IS A GCSE? Contrary to popular belief, GCSE grades are not worth any UCAS points. If you are hoping to apply to university, you will need to undertake some form of further education. For example, you may choose to take a course of A Levels at a local college or 6th Form.
This article was contributed by the team at CoursesOnline. Contact them to find out more about what GCSE courses are available for mature students.
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It be like that sometimes BY GLORIA DARGATZ Do you sometimes wake up in the morning and feel like there is no real purpose to get started into your day? You don’t understand, why you should get out of bed, go to school, go to work or meet that friend because you just don’t feel like doing anything? Do you sometimes get frustrated and sad, because of “no” obvious reason? Do you sometimes feel like the world does not want you to be happy and does not give you any motivation to keep going during a certain time?
I am so grateful for what I have been given, I feel down on some days, too. It is totally normal to wake up with no motivation and lack of happiness. It is totally normal to feel down on certain days or even for a certain period of time. We all go through times, where life does not seem to make any sense, where life seems to pull us down and does not want to understand us. We’ve all been there, some of us more, some of us less often.
DO YOU?
It is okay to feel this kind of way, it is normal.
Because I am here to tell you, that I do too. Sometimes, I wake up and I feel like life is pulling me down. Although
But because we all feel that way at some point(s) of our life, it is so important that we are there for those
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who feel down and sad right now. That we are supporting others, listening to them and starting to treat others the way we want to be treated.
treat others the way you want to be treated on the days you feel down because you never know how their day is going.
We often don’t show that we are frustrated and do not feel the best when we do. We often do not tell others around us about our feelings. But because of that, that we don’t always demonstrate our inner self, it is so important that you are always there for others, no matter if they seem to be sad and not feeling their best. Because sometimes the people with the brightest smiles feel the saddest and loneliest.
If you feel lonely and sad, look out for people you can talk to, search for advice and for people you can trust, go for a walk, take time for yourself and try to find something, that makes you happy.
Sometimes you are one of them. So
If you feel like you feel down for a longer period of time you might consider looking out for professional help, that can support you.
YOU ARE NEVER ALONE, REMEMBER THAT.
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MY MONEY CO-EDITOR ADRIANNA GNIFKA
What You Should Know About Student Bank Accounts BY ADRIANNA GNIFKA If you’re starting university this year and you’ve already applied for student finance, the next logical step is to start looking into student bank accounts and working out which one is best for you. Each bank usually offers different perks that come with a student account which is why it’s important to do your research. Once you decide where you would like to open up a student account, you will usually need to apply using some form of confirmation that you will be studying at your chosen university – this could be a UCAS letter or a letter from the university which confirms your place. As well as this, you will need some form of proof of address and identity which can include a passport, birth certificate or a driving license. Some of the perks of the student bank
accounts are overdrafts with no interest rates, free railcards or memberships for things like Amazon Prime, but these all depend on what each bank offers. When it comes to overdrafts, a key detail is whether the overdraft is ‘guaranteed’ or ‘up to’ - if it is guaranteed it means it is available as soon as you are accepted for the student bank account, whilst if it is an ‘up to’ overdraft this will depend on your credit score. A credit score is a number between 300 and 850 which indicates how likely you are to pay back loans to lenders, so those with higher credit scores would be eligible for the ‘up to’ overdrafts. One of the most popular student bank accounts offered by Nationwide is the ‘FlexStudent’ account which offers a guaranteed overdraft with 0% interest that increases every year (£1000 in year one, £2000 in year two and £3000 in year 3). Another popular student bank account offered by Santander is the ‘Santander 123’account that comes with a free fouryear railcard. The guaranteed overdraft for this account is £1500 for three years. You can find other up to date student bank accounts compared in a handy table on the Money Saving Expert website, and as well as this the Save The Student website provides extra guidance when it comes to looking for and setting up student bank accounts. Whilst this article provides the basic information, it is important for you to do your own research and find an account that is right for you.
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