February 2016
laTITUdE
lookout
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editorial Welcome back to another issue of Lookout, the penultimate one for this academic year in fact! It’s been a strong start back after the holiday period with lots of important news to share. Flick through the paper to find out about the Erasmus+ scheme you can get involved in, the Fairtrade Fortnight that’s coming up and be sure to read up about the various DJ stations you can tune in to over at Latitude Radio. Callum Sharp Editor-in-Chief
There’s lots going on in terms of entertainment right now too, and our writers are on hand to provide you with the run down. Head over to the music and film portion to find synopsises of ‘Batman vs. Superman’ and ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’, as well as the most anticipated music releases in 2016 and a killer book review of ‘Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances’, written by our creative submissions editor. The Latitude community is forever growing in size, and we couldn’t be more pleased. With socials in the works and another issue yet to be written, we’re always on the lookout (pun intended) for new writers, and our door is forever open. If you’re interested in writing in the next edition of Latitude Lookout, drop an email to sc366@greenwich.ac.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks for reading.
find us online UoGMagazine latitudelookout www.latitudemedia.net
contents 4. your su news 6. The 2016 beauty forecast 6. success:what it is? 7. university: the expectation vs reality 8. 2016 Art Calendar 9. excuse you 10. 8 TYPES OF STUDENTS YOU’LL FIND AT UNIVERSITY 11. fairtrade, Are You Doing Enough? 12. meet the latitude radio djs 13. Do heroes really die? 14. A Guide To The Erasmus+ Scheme 15. Down Under Indie Emerges From The Underground 16. Star Wars the force awakens 17. movie mayhem 18. 2016’s Most Anticipated Music 19. An Interview giants
with they might be
20. Trigger Warning 21. WRITER’S SHOWCASE 23. what the faq?
VISIT YOUR SU E-SHOP
www.suug.co.uk/shop
your su news Students aren’t Selfish
elections 2016
The most recent of examples of this is our Calais Donations Campaign, which has seen an unprecedented level of support from Students all-over Greenwich Uni. From the students dashing around their flats to donate spare items during door knocking, to those shipping-in bags-full from home, to the student groups who have been coordinating large-scale donations from their members. It is by this attitude that we demonstrate that no matter how individualistically orientated the message is that we are being fed, our nature to collectively support other human beings will set us apart from the media manipulated values by which we are measured.
There are two conflicting perceptions of thought on how messages and services should be pitched to students, focus on the individual benefits or the collective benefits. Both of these define the type of language that is used and the manner in which opportunities are portrayed. The former communication style suggests that students core values are extrinsic; selfishness, individualism, personal benefits, self-orientated motivations for engaging in student activities outside of academic necessities. The latter orientated around intrinsic values; selflessness, collective benefit for the community, environment ,and society that getting involved in these activities will have. It is no fault of yours, nor mine, the contemporary student’s, that we focus on our employability and demand an experience from our University and Union that maximises the longitudinal benefits it will have for us, rather than the hedonism that was the main-stay motivation of generations past. Is it therefore not surprising that in reaction to mass media’s constant barrage of negative expectations for our generation and incessant marketisation of our education, that we should look for the best value of money from our fee’s, our financial investment. However, the realisation that no matter how often we are told that we should be considering ourselves primarily and being sold engagement on a basis of ‘its good for your CV’, that’s not our nature!
It’s come around again, its already filling up your social media feeds and you will soon be faced with the desperate look of candidates asking ‘have you got a minute’ while you try to dash between lecture theatres, coffee shops or into the library.
Students’ aren’t selfish and no matter what way extracurricular opportunities are pitched to us, we wont get involved in the Ultimate Frisbee team because it will be good for our CV’s, we wont commit freetime to help coordinating a PR Fraternity event because it will help distinguish ourselves from our employment competitors, we wont be getting involved in local community volunteering because it’ll look good on our Linkedin profiles, we do it because we care. We do it because it gives us a sense of community because there is more to helping others than just self-gratification. It is by these values that your Union should be pathing the way through the moral quagmire we are faced by modern society. A Union that has your interests at heart and your wishes at its foundation should be coordinating its opportunities around those factors that you cant do anything about; time, money, access, rather than bringing into question your motivation for engagement in the first place. This moral imbued rant hasn’t been leading to nothing however. We are currently in the process of creating the next SUUG Strategic Plan, one which will guide the organisation for the next three years. It is within this that I intend to imbed these values and motivations as the core element behind what we do as an organisation and how we do it.
However, this year it means something different to me. It’s the first in 3 years that I’m not running (mostly due to some pesky 1994 Government Education Act), and although my personal investment may not be to the same extent, my professional one is more so than ever. Its been a major lesson over the last few months that there are multiple ways of doing this job, each with their own merits, but each demonstrate the values and principles that give the individual the motivation. I have no right to suggest what you should look for in the next student executive, nor what you should demand from the Full-Time Officers who lead your Union, however I do implore you to take a glance into what these candidates offer and look beyond the smiling photo’s or the social hype. Ask questions of them, take a moment to read into their promises, compare and contrast with what you think are the priorities and make your own decision on who you should vote for. The first opportunity to do so being the upcoming Question Times!
Although, it is not up to me to state nor dictate what your values are, nor what you should care about, which is why running alongside this Years elections, we will be asking you to vote to tell us very simply what it is you care about! This simple output will help us ensure that our services and our campaigns are orientated around what you truly care about, your opportunity to definitively state what motivates you. Harry Hodges President 2015-16
your sabbatical officers Each year, students have the opportunity to vote for your four Full Time Sabbatical Officers. These Officers are students just like you, whom you elect to serve for a one year term. They represent you in all official ways and don’t forget – YOUR voice is what matters, so don’t wait for Elections to make yourself heard! www.suug.co.uk/studentvoice 4 FOUR - WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA
Harry Hodges
Roisin Dunne
Scarlett Dempsey
Tony Whitehead
President
VP Education
VP Welfare
VP Student Activities
president@gre.ac.uk
vp.education@gre.ac.uk
vp.welfare@gre.ac.uk
vp.activities@gre.ac.uk
@PresGreenwich bit.ly/GreenwichPres
@VPEGreenwich bit.ly/GreenwichVPE
@VPWGreenwich bit.ly/GreenwichVPW
@VPSAGreenwich bit.ly/GreenwichVPSA
Placements & Internships For You
Student-Led Teaching Awards
2016 will see the introduction of the Student-Led Teaching Awards to Greenwich for the first time. The awards will run in parallel to the University’s Excellence Awards to recognise the hard work that happens in the faculties to improve the student experience. Your VP Education will be looking for nominations soon so keep an eye out online!
Your VP Education has been working with the University to help students in 1st and 2nd year undertake placements and summer internships. On Wednesday 2nd March ECS is hosting a Summer Internship Fair for ACH and Business students in QM Undercroft from 11am-4pm where you can meet employers such as NHS and PwC and broker your first summer internship!
Women’s History Month
March is not all about elections it is Womens History Month and we are hosting a range of events and campaign roadshows to celebrate the achievement of women over the years, women’ students at Greenwich and the fight for equality that is still going on. Lead by our Womens Officer and joint with the work of the Feminism Society the month has something for everyone. Come along to at least one event, you may be surprised at what you find out!
More Free Sanitary Products
Timetables Review The Students’ Union engaged in a timetabling review with the University and an external consultant to see the introduction of a student-led timetable. By the new academic year you should see a new approach to your timetables that are more student friendly!
Rainbow Laces
On Wednesday 3rd February to help with the launch of LGBT+ history month our sports clubs got involved with a social media ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign, taking pictures of them wearing rainbow laces to show support for the LGBT+ Out in Sport campaign. Towards the end of the months we will be doing something similar but we have ordered more laces to get more teams involved and a wider spread of awareness for the campaign! Keep an eye out and share the pictures if you see them
get active
The ‘Get Active Greenwich’ team have put on some really good judo and fencing sessions linking with Blackheath Fencing Club to open up opportunity for students to participate in a wider variety of sports! There are always keen to try new things to so if there is a sport we don’t have that you would like to try please email activities@gre. ac.uk and for more info on sessions please visit www.suug.co.uk/giag/active
This years biggest win by far has been free sanitary products for students and we are hosting a whole week of roadshows on all 3 campuses to make sure you get you all get your essentials. Come and see us on our Period Roadshows running from the 22nd-26th February and grab some free tampons!
On Campus Accommodation
Varsity 2016
We have our 4th annual Varsity against Greenwich and Kent Unions Together on Wednesday 6th April. A variety of different sports being played, would be great to see a lot of support for our teams! It’s in Medway this year, there will be transport for players and supporters and an after party in Coopers Bar, with late night travel back. Get involved, let’s go Team Greenwich!
We’ve been working hard recently to get you the best on campus accommodation possible, from getting some rent reimbursements for the power cuts in Daniel Defoe to ensuring more students have somewhere to live over the summer in Avery Hill, the accommodation campaign is going strong! Keep an eye out for news are our housing fair due to take place soon, come along meet some ARLA accredited agencies, find a flatmate and most importantly get all the information you need to get your foot in the door. WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA - FIVE 5
The 2016 Beauty Forecast I think we can all agree that the unhealthy beauty trends of 2015 need to be left behind. We don’t need any more Youtube videos demonstrating how to draw white triangles under our eye, and how to “bake” ones face. That was a year of extremes - now let’s move on. by Shakela Begum
This spring/summer is about going in bright and bold, and celebrating your individuality through makeup. This season pairs beautiful, radiant skin with colourful eyes. You can achieve this just by adding a pop of colour onto your eye lids.
with a kohl pencil and smudge it out with a cotton bud or your finger, then apply some mascara on your lashes. Simple yet effective. From eyes, we move onto the lips. The 90s nude, brown lips are big this season. This draws the attention away from the face and emphasizes other parts of your look. On the other hand, you can direct all the attention to your lips with some apple-red lipstick, or perhaps bring a piece of autumn into the summer by vamping it up in dark, plum shades?
Alternatively, you can be even more on-trend by using the colour blue. Be it eye shadow, eye liner, or mascara, if you keep the rest of your face neutral then you’ll successfully draw attention to those pretty peepers. Look number two consists of using pastel pigments to create a sunset on the eye lids. It’s a lovely way to wear a light wash of colour or even make a bold
statement. Another fun and vibrant way to liven up the eyes is by sparkling it up with glitter. Another style making a comeback is the 90s liner look: rim your eyes
There is a lot of room to experiment with colour this season. The forecast is looking bright for 2016.
Success:What is it? by Rob Henderson associated with money and capitalistic gain when it’s arguable that these things don’t satisfy our most desired needs. Surely a true definition of success is happiness and self-fulfillment, things that truly equate to ultimate ‘success’. Perhaps it suits those who control our ‘success’ for our moral compasses to be angled in their direction? Food for thought.
Success is a tricky subject; it relies so heavily on perspective, relativity and usually, a financial motive. My question is this; why has the discourse surrounding success, in other words our common and shared understanding of success, been almost solely
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Regardless, I believe success to be an idiosyncratic feature of human nature, I just don’t agree with the fact that it’s label is often used to manipulate and disguise are own instincts. You should strive for the success that brings you the most happiness, whether that be the pursuit of love, finance or something entirely unique, don’t conform.
with, uncontrollable desires only anchored and directed by the more surfaced ego and superego, whose contents are influenced by external environmental factors. This is relatable because, you can visualise success as the id, it’s within you and although it seems out of reach, only you can access it via what the world throws at you.
I think our obsession with fame and celebrity status further deepens the general public’s disconnection with success, but those that we look up to, the successful, simply applied their superego and ego with the right combination to unlock the grandest of padlocks. Success. This isn’t a fairytale-land only accessible to the elite and fortunate, it’s open to you; if you’re willing to accept it. Perspective is key, the biggest picture Freud talks of the conscious being broken into three possible is inarguable, we’re all human, death will parts; the ego, superego and id. The latter is our decide everything for all of us. With that in mind, don’t biological instinct, the codes of our mind that we’re born pedestal the rest of society, it’s your world too.
University:
The Expectation vs Reality by Samia Djilli believe the amount of student finance they give us caters to our every need, they are of course, wrong. From my food shopping to my phone bill there are things, no matter how mundane, that need to be paid for that student finance can’t cover. So being shouted at by ignorant customers for £6.70 an hour isn’t as much of a waste of time as you might think. For myself, I see my internship as a vital part of my time whilst at Uni. Although it may not be a necessity, I see it as career building. I think most Uni students’ biggest fear is to graduate without any prospects, and everyone I speak to insistently tells me how much they wished they would have utilised their time at Uni better by getting more work experience. Although it can be entirely stressful and at times slightly pointless within the tasks I get made to do, (I really do not care about Peter from the second floor only wanting one sugar in his tea), I do view it as an investment of my time. If I can graduate having successfully fed my CV, with a phone full of contacts, I will be able to say it was time well spent, and that is essentially the main goal in doing it.
Part 1: Expectation. Picture this, a student spending early mornings in lectures bright eyed and chirpy, afternoons spent in the library eating kale salad and getting your first class essays done, three hours before the deadline; evenings to enjoy a healthy social life; weekends lying in and the sprinkles on top of the cake and the cherry? Student finance covering all your financial needs.
Part 2: Reality.
Sleeping through your eighth alarm only to miss your morning lecture, spending the afternoon stalking celebrities Instagram’s only to have a panic attack about the essay due in next Friday (which you haven’t started); rushing to the library at 4:37 in the afternoon, having only eaten some crisps and half a packet of M&M’s all day. Spending your evenings having multiple break downs over the amount of work you’ve still got to get through. Weekends spent working a crappy minimum wage job because student finance leaves you with £1 to live off per week, and to top it all off, any bit of spare time is enjoyed in a completely unrelated internship, pouring coffee for people who can’t even remember your name.
Procrastinating through social media is surely not justifiable… is what you’re thinking, but actually it is! Of course spending your days on Instagram keeping up with what wig Kylie Jenner has fashioned onto her head this week isn’t a good use of time, but when you’ve spent all day working and can do nothing but crash onto your bed when you get in, it can be therapeutic to catch up with your friend’s snapchats and watch a couple of YouTube videos. It’s the kind of media that requires a limited attention span, which is exactly what you need when your head feels like it’s about to explode after a 16-hour day. Uni, to put it simply, boils down to good old fashioned time management. The reason I balance all of these things together is in the hope that it will get me somewhere in the end. Of course it will be hectic and at times I feel like giving it all up, taking my student finance, and running off to Hawaii, but having a proper structure to my days makes it a lot easier. Reality may not be as glamorous as expectation in this case, but if you’re doing things that are catering to your current lifestyle and your future, it makes all the late night hours spent in the library slaving over a hot laptop more than worth it. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
Yep… I don’t know many people who expected Uni to be so easy but I also don’t know many people who expected it to be so hard. I’ve personally found that it is not so much the work required for my degree, rather, all the things I have to spend time doing on top of Uni that make it so difficult to handle. Balancing a degree with a part time job, an internship, a healthy social life, time with family and most importantly sleep, is not an easy thing to do. And the main question I get asked is “Why the f*** do you do it?” Why do I spend so much of my time dedicated to things that aren’t actively contributing to my degree? A part time job is pretty simple. I can’t name a student I know that doesn’t have or need one, and the answer is… money. As much as the government would love to
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2016 Art Calendar
Must-See Art Exhibitions Coming to Town by Nilsu Ozturk
Champagne Life
Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse
Saatchi Gallery 13 January - 9 March 2016
Saatchi Gallery celebrates its 30th anniversary in London with an allfemale exhibition. Although today’s female artists stand on a more equal platform to their male counterparts, inequality is hardly new and the issue of underrepresentation is widely discussed for the past couple of years. For the exhibition work of 14 emerging international artists is brought together to redress the disparity in gender. These artists might not have much in common in terms of style, material or/and media yet the common ground is found in gender. One could designate a single-gender exhibition as another a separating line in between artists however, Champagne Life is also an opportunity for visitors to enjoy artwork that perhaps would not be curated together in another context, but provides nuance on this special occasion. Free admission
Electronic Superhighway
(2016-1966)
Whitechapel Gallery 2 February - 15 May 2016
For those who enjoyed Big Bang Data in Somerset House… Big Bang Data displays the plethora of data produced today; selfies, Google searches and even dating profiles whereas Electronic Superhighway casts a light on how new technology and the Internet impact on the artist. Exhibited in reverse chronological order, it is a route that takes the visitor back in time and provides an extensive history of the subject. In Electronic Superhighway you can explore the digital culture that we live in today together with multimedia works, sculpture, painting, photography, drawing and film by over 70 artists. Admission £13.50 (including Gift Aid donation) £11.95 (without Gift Aid).
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Royal Academy of Arts 30 January — 20 April 2016
Escape winter or stress over up-coming deadlines and find solace in the depiction of “Garden” while waiting for the spring to come. For an exhibition that brings together Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Manet, Sargent, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matisse, Klimt and Klee, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see people cluster around each painting. Therefore you might consider planning a visit during the week to spend as much time as you want in the company of the Agapanthus Triptych (Monet’s Water Lilies) that is reunited for this exhibition, a compelling viewing. Admission £10.00 for students
The Museum of Innocence Somerset House 27 January – 3 April 2016
Perhaps it’s a little more niche compared to other exhibitions in the article. However, if you are familiar with the work of Orhan Pamuk, a noble-prize winning author, the Museum of Innocence is not to be missed. Either way it is not a requirement to read the book, the exhibition is more like a taster of the original museum located in Istanbul and a good starting point to delve into nostalgia. Free admission
Matt’s Rant
Excuse you. I’ll wear as much makeup as I like, thank you very much by Matthew Rooke
So, long story short, I was browsing a certain unmentionable ‘dating’ app the other day, and a distinctly average-looking gentleman greeted me by saying: ‘You shouldn’t use makeup, you’re perfect.’ Now, as a general rule, I tend to keep the heavier makeup photos from such people, in order to avoid the ensuing argument that I sort-of couldn’t stop myself starting, but nonetheless, one creeped in and this charming chap took it upon himself to comment on it. And the thing that gets me most about this is that I’m supposed to take it as a compliment. The only socially acceptable way to respond is something along the lines of: ‘Thank you, that’s so kind, I’ll stop wearing make-up immediately thanks to your advice!’ And you can be damn sure that isn’t going to happen… In fact, I’m more likely to respond: ‘I know I look good without make-up, thank you very much.’ Because what you’re actually telling me is that you don’t think I should wear make-up, deciding to mention that I’m attractive at the same time, as if that offsets an otherwise arrogant comment. Newsflash: the two aren’t mutually exclusive. I get accused of being bad at taking compliments at the best of times (can’t I
just say ‘I know?’), but honestly, I think I’m reasonably justified on this score. Yet, this aside, it’s still glossing over a basic flaw of logic. You’re assuming that, if I am indeed attractive, then the make-up is effectively useless. The more likely scenario is, if I’m attractive without the make-up, then I’ll probably be even more attractive with it – and we all benefit from that really, don’t we? Setting aside my mild grievances with a random guy on the internet, there are far more worrying implications to this kind of attitude than the assault on my patience. The idea that certain people feel they have any jurisdiction over the way anybody else chooses to pretend themselves strikes me as a bit regressive. For women, it’s a lose-lose situation – not wearing make-up risks being seen as unprofessional, uptight or even lazy in her appearance, but wearing it can lead to accusations of spending ‘too much’ time on her appearance – then she’s vain, shallow or a slut.
Admittedly the demographic of men wearing make-up is significantly smaller – but I can definitely attest that we exist. Wearing eyeliner on a regular basis gets me a fair few reactions – predominantly confusion if I’m honest, but that’s neither here nor there. The thing that gets me most about it is the horrific term pop culture has come up with, ‘guyliner’, which along with its ugly cousin ‘the man-bun’ comes across as fairly desperate in its attempt to emasculate these things. Let’s be clear, the eyeliner I use is the same as everyone else - there’s no separate brand made for men because, shockingly, men’s eyes are the same as women. It’s just an annoying and frankly patronising reminder that a man can’t look or act vaguely feminine without loudly reminding the world just how manly he is. The expectation of masculinity is all too prevalent, and frankly unnecessary. As somebody who quite enjoys wearing make-up, it frustrates me that there’s so much stigma attached to whatever choice you make. The reality is, people wear make-up because it looks good, it’s really that simple. And if we could just respect each other’s choices, without feeling the need to comment on it, then, really, we’d all just get along a whole lot better.
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TYPES OF STUDENTS YOU’LL FIND AT UNIVERSITY University is a wild course in our life where we learn a wealth of information, in the most stressful of scenarios for example submitting coursework twenty seconds from the deadline or organising a pub crawl and ending up lost and drunk in the city, or even trying to do group work with disorganised and lazy co-students. But universities mostly harbour certain types of students that rise from the crowd. Most of us will be a mixture of these, whereas a few unique individuals will retail a crystalline personality that will be vivid from the university crowd. Without further ado, here are the eight most common types of student you will find at University: by Edward P. Jemes
The Absentee
This student will never be seen in classes or tutorial. This rare type will only be spotted during exams but only for a short while. After the exams, they usually vanish into thin air, missing our post exam depression or last exam happiness.
The OCD
This organized geometric student has everything sorted in many agendas, which are then organized all inside a big agenda. They synchronise all their calendars to their many devices and seem to be ahead of anybody on coursework matter, handing in work three months before the deadline and starting exam revision during the first week of term.
The Social Network Junkie
This student will be on all social sites that you ever think of (even Pinterest) and all that they seem to be doing is pleasing their heard of followers with selfies of themselves or photos of what they get at Starbucks whilst getting average grades.
The Glued Lovers
Whatever material binds these two beings; it is a mystery. They seem perennially attached and will do all their activities together. Their friends will become friends of the other (and who knows if another pair of glued lovers will be found?) If these two beings do de-attach for sentimental reasons, sometimes a gargantuan drama unfolds, sweeping their friends, lecturers and classes’ arrangements into total hell.
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The Joker
This being will never be seen in tears and seem to be having a permanent grin on their face. They seem to have a pun ready for any situation (even an earthquake perhaps) and will always be loud. During exams they’re easy to spot. They are secret crowd pleasers and desire to get as much attention as possible.
The No-Work-Straight-First Student
These annoying beings are everywhere and try to pass as people that don’t work at all while getting straight firsts in assessments and exams. They will brag about how much they have not done even by showing you that they were out on the weekend of the deadline, only then to get a first in your face.
The Absolute Brain
You struggling to get a first? What a laugh for this student! This being will have already have assimilated all the course material when it was first thought up by the lecturer and are the only beings that, in class, will always pose questions that puzzle everyone, even the senior lecturers.
The Nerve Cracker
As coursework deadlines or exams approach, these people seem to proportionally consume an increasing amount of coffee and have a decreasing amount of sleep. They get very good grades usually but they complain that they could have achieved better if they respected their body more…go figure.
Fairtrade,
Are You Doing Enough? By Jazmine Linklater and Jade Burnett
But certain countries are reliant on their growing garment trades. As consumers, it’s not the answer to boycott certain brands because of their lack of humane infrastructure, but to pressure them towards positive change.
As students we’re all living on a budget, and with the government’s plans to increase our debts retrospectively (and exponentially) we’re all worried for our financial futures. Luckily there are some cheap bargains out there – but how much does cheap stuff really cost? Ethical buying might sometimes seem inflated with media hype or even a totally grey area, but what we buy can have enormous influence. “Let’s say a garment factory produces and sells a piece of clothing for $5, which is then packaged and shipped to New York. This $5 includes not only the production, packaging, shipment, profit and management but also indirectly covers the share that goes to the cotton farmers, yarn mills, and the cost of dying and weaving.” This, from Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, was penned in the aftermath of the disaster that struck Bangladesh on April 24th 2013. When the commercial Rana Plaza building on the outskirts of Dhaka collapsed, the media was filled with images of inconsolable tragedy. Over weeks of horrific searching, the number of deaths grew to over a thousand; almost three times that amount were left injured – all for the sake of our cheap t-shirts. This image should not exist. Just one day earlier, the eight-story building had been evacuated following an inspection that discovered large cracks and structural risks. Although the bank branch and shops on the
lower floors of the building had closed immediately – and remained closed – the sweatshops above had reopened the following day. With threats of withholding pay or dismissal, management forced employees into the factories. It was barely an hour before the building began to fall. The collapse, sadly, was one more incident in a long line of appalling and devastating disasters that have struck the garment industry over recent years. Finally, the veil slipped, and for many western consumers it was time to cast away the old dictum, ‘out of sight out of mind’. The reason being is that this was not an accident. This was gross, bureaucratic and capitalistically driven negligence on the part of some of our own high street retailers: Primark, Matalan, Mango and Benetton, to name a few.
In 2013 there were no provisions for workers’ rights or unions in the Bangladeshi garment industry; the monthly minimum wage was 3,000 takas - just under £27. The tragedy of Rana Plaza incited real change. That year saw a 77% minimum wage increase, as well as the creation and signing of The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. This legally binding agreement between brands, retailers and trade unions ensures that a safe, healthy industry is a priority. Today, it bears the signatures of over 200 global brands and works extensively with staff to provide training on their rights, their health and safety and the power in their voices. The minimum wage isn’t even close to a living wage still – but it is a move in the right direction. None of those changes would have happened without the agreement of the brands and, more importantly, our own voices as consumers. We do have choices and we can make an impact: Look into the brands you buy from, research their stance on ethics; buy fair trade or ethically certified products. By signing petitions, joining peaceful protests and writing to companies, we can instil positive change for workers’ rights around the world, and demand that it becomes impossible for hugely profitable corporations to deny human rights to the people that are their business. Never again should there be death for the sake of cheap clothes.
Open Call for Creative Submissions This year’s Ethical & Fairtrade Fortnight will take place February 29th – March 13th. At The Sustainable Development Unit we’re busy planning loads of fun stuff to get us all engaging a bit more critically with what we buy, what we wear, what we eat and what we do. There’ll be some fun workshops in our Edible Garden, a D.I.Y cosmetics workshop from the Women’s Environmental Network, we’ve got a talk lined up from the charity Global Justice Now and even some Fairtrade cheese and wine coming to Bar Latitude! Keep your eyes peeled for more information and events: blogs.ac.uk/greengreenwich @Sust_Greenwich
As part of Ethical & Fairtrade Fortnight we want to showcase your creative work! Be it visual or literary, moving or static, we want to know: what does Fairtrade mean to you? All styles and mediums are accepted. Deadline: Feb 29th. Creative exhibition will take place at The Heritage Gallery, Greenwich on March 4th – find out more at blogs.ac.uk/ greengreenwich or contact Jazmine via j.linklater@gre.ac.uk
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Do heroes really die? by Hanne Marie Nord
Have you ever really looked up to someone famous, in a way that was more than just admiring their work? So much that you know they’ve influenced your life?
for. The fact that someone disagrees is their issue, let them deal with it. It’s natural that people mourn someone like Bowie; his music and his message have been tremendously important for several generations of fans. The amount of news coverage and social media storms he generated both in life and with his death, are proof of that. Even now, even when he no longer walks amongst us, he lives on through the marks he made on us all. The music he made, interviews he did, films he starred in, will still be out there. And they will always be remembered.
It might have been their creative work; a novel, a film or an album, inspiring you to a different outlook. It’s like they know you and your inner feelings, even though you’ve never met them, and perhaps never will. Maybe it’s that you feel they’ve played an important part in forming your view of the world, and you’ll be forever grateful for it. That’s how I, and a lot of other people around the world, feel about the late and truly great David Bowie. Just days after he released his incredible new album, Blackstar, David Bowie passed away. I couldn’t believe it, and didn’t want to believe it, I felt physically drained for days after his death. Suddenly his lyrics had a new meaning, and his last album stood like a carefully planned goodbye to us all. The importance of what he’s done for music, and for all the outcasts and weirdoes out there, dawned on us clearer than ever before. A creative genius, and for someone like me, the closest thing we’ve ever had to a god, died. God is not supposed to die. Suddenly every screen showed films Bowie starred in, and every club played old classics. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media feeds filled with pictures, quotes and videos. People who knew and had worked with Bowie, as well as fans all over the world, shared memories and grief online. And then a few days later, Alan Rickman passed too, and
everyone belonging to the Harry Potter generation lost a little part of their persona. The amount of social media posts that came with these deaths, sadly also came with negative and hateful comments. Apparently some people feel the need to belittle and ridicule others for feeling sad because someone has died. I saw many comments like ‘he was just an actor’ and ‘you didn’t even know him’. It doesn’t matter if you knew them or not. You knew their work and it meant something to you, and that’s ok, that’s brilliant, embrace it.
Musicians like Bowie go down in history, and in a way live forever. The only real change, for those who didn’t know him personally, is that the expectations of new music, or the feeble hopes of going to a concert, are no longer there. We will continue to listen to his music, take his lyrics to heart, and be encouraged by his way of living. With Blackstar, Bowie added his last creative contribution to this world. He will, however, continue to influence musicians, artists, writers, and people, until the end of time. Bowie, and whoever else who has left a mark on your world, will always be there for you. Always.
“No matter what or who you’ve been No matter when or where you’ve seen All the knives seem to lacerate your brain I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain It’s certainly ok to be sad when someone who’s made You’re not alone Just turn on with me and you’re not alone” melodies that caress your ears, delivered lines that sent chills down your spine, or wrote lyrics that spoke to your soul, dies. It’s ok to grieve when your hero can no longer create new things for you to live and love
(Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide – David Bowie)
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A Guide To The
Erasmus+ Scheme by Greta Bielkova
There are countless reasons to undertake the Erasmus+ programme during your degree, not only will it open up more doors for you professionally, but you’ll also learn an unfathomable amount of new things about yourself just by living overseas. Here are three notable reasons why Erasmus+ might be the ideal choice for you: 1. Intercultural Experience – Whether you are crazy about travelling, or haven’t had the chance to go abroad as much as you would like to, Erasmus+ is the perfect opportunity for you to experience academic life in another country. Let’s face it, when you graduate, you’ll be focused on trying to jumpstart your career; by taking part in the Erasmus+ scheme, it may be one of the last chances for you to experience the life of an overseas student. 2. Skills – Undertaking Erasmus+ is extremely beneficial. Firstly, your level of independence and confidence will grow exponentially. It is undoubtedly difficult to live abroad, however, the most valuable lessons come from challenging situations, not from those Friday night Netflix sessions (we’ve all been there). When you enter the job market and begin to attend interviews, being able to drop the Erasmus+ bomb will boost your chances massively! 3. Language – Learning new languages is crucial. You don’t have to become an official interpreter and you don’t need to have the vocabulary of Google Translate either. Many Erasmus+ courses are taught in English, so having to learn economic theories in French is something you needn’t worry about. We often take for granted the benefits of our English tongue, but one of the most rewarding challenges is developing the ability to speak to people in their native language, which is usually appreciated.
We interviewed second-year business student Dannielle Wright – who is currently living in Zaragoza on Erasmus – about what it’s really like to live Why did you choose to go to Zaragoza? Admittedly, Zaragoza was not my first option. I wanted to go to Seville but there were limited places and it filled quickly. Although it wasn’t my first choice, I’m really happy I applied and went through with Erasmus, this experience is like no other at university. I’ve been to Spain before and I really liked the country. As for Zaragoza, it’s a great city and is well-connected to other parts of Spain such as Barcelona and Madrid, which means, I can get away for weekend trips. Also, Zaragoza is a very traditional area so I get to experience the Spanish culture at its best. Why did you choose to undertake Erasmus+? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you don’t go now, you’ll more than likely never go at all. I wanted to be more cultured and have the chance to study abroad, and I knew I would never have the chance to go to another country to live and study again. I wanted to experience the most out of my time at university. What is the most valuable thing you’ve experienced so far? This may sound a little bit strange but the best thing I’ve experienced is being a foreign person in a different country. I’ve never experienced that in my life. You never really understand it when you just travel, you have to live somewhere to know what it means. It’s a real experience trying to live and learn in a new culture. For instance, when I went
shopping, I once bought a moisturiser instead of a toothpaste because I couldn’t understand the label, silly! But it’s through these small mistakes that you learn and grow as a person. What is the difference between life in Spain and in the UK? The lifestyle itself is fairly different. The people in general are relaxed, at least more so than the hustling Londoners. Also, family and friends are very important. Everyone at my university is welcoming and there are other Erasmus+ students here too, meaning I get to make lots of international connections! What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about going on Erasmus? Don’t choose a place just because you like the sound of it, you need to research the culture, the lifestyle and the academic programme you want to study. Although Zaragoza wasn’t my first choice, I applied early enough to make sure that the decision I made was right for me. I don’t think people tell you this enough but the fact is, you need to make sure that you get fully immersed in the culture and the course. For me, it worked because I went into it with an open mind, making it easy to make international friends, most of whom I’ll be visiting in the future! Make sure the area you choose is the right one for you.
You can find more information about the Erasmus+ scheme at the University of Greenwich website, by visiting the Global Mobility team in Queen Mary 063 or speaking with your Faculty Erasmus+ Coordinator. 14 FOURTEEN - WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA
Down Under Indie Emerges From The Underground Australian music has, in general, always been questionable. Despite the greats like AC/DC, Crowded House and Jet, Australian rock and roll has never been constantly prolific. Yes, the Bee Gee’s were era defining but Australian music always relied on one giant to carry its progressive sound for almost entire decades, until now. by Rob Henderson Pioneered by the simply flawless Tame Impala, Australian indie is at an all time high with bands like Jagwar Ma, Beach House and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizzard (yes, you read that correctly) fuelling the drive in electronic based indie, and boy its good. Tame Impala are the kings of smooth, reinventing the electronic sound of early Australian pop like the Bee Gees but incorporating a completely unique vein of fuzzed guitar, accompanied by the swooning vocals of lead singer Kevin Parker, not to mention he’s one of the best bassists this century has seen. Jagwar Ma are a usual support act for Tame Impala
and sport a darker sound, one that oozes with contemporary edge and captures the frantic nature of the ever-moving indie genre as the category slides closer to pop music. This is a great thing, indie needs recharging and Australia is the port.
Hot Wax is one of the underrated tunes of 2015; a thumping baseline carries the track as lead singer Ambrose Kenny Smith warbles compelling vocals.
Australian indie is the most exciting genre as we enter 2016. Kevin Parker set out to put Perth on the map Beach House define atmospheric; they glisten with with Tame Impala, but he’s achieved far more than tinkling guitar riffs, hollow vocals and deft lyrics, great that. Following in the footsteps of Aussie greats like for a chill out or pre-party. King Gizzard and the Lizzard AC/DC and The Bee Gees, he’s inspired a whole new Wizzard win the award for most creative name and generation of rock and roll from down under and I they have a sound to match. Incorporating tones of can’t wait to see what they do next. Thin Lizzy and even AC/DC the group’s lead single
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Star Wars
the force awakens “When 38 years old, you reach… Look as good, you will not.” -Yoda on Episode IV: A New Hope by Jake Thomas
Death of an icon Put me in a room of a hundred people and I could probably out-nerd them all when it comes to Star Wars, and so come December last year I was apprehensive to see The Force Awakens. This was not without reason, Disney legally white-washed all the video games, books and comics that myself and others care for, and in the current trend of franchise reboots and remakes there was lots that could’ve gone wrong, but still I clung to the hope that, despite the film being incredibly mass-marketed, it would stay true to the style of the original trilogy and would be able to offer a little something for hardcore fans such as myself.
There are things that have been said that I simply cannot agree with. BBC’s Mark Kermode said that Daisy Ridley (Rey) is a “likable newcomer… channelling Carrie Fisher’s Leia”. Leia is an upherself princess with few tangible skills, Rey is a humble desert scavenger who can fly, fight and feel the force. Despite the implication of most critics, there’s a largely negative public reaction to TFA, just check Metacritic.com and click on user reviews. The statistics will tell you that those who gave it positive reviews tended to give it scores of 9 or 10 and that those who gave it mostly negative reviews tended to be less hyperbolic with scores of 4 or 5.
And so in 2016, I am disappointed to the point of despairing for the future of humanity. Star Wars has been spiritually ripped out of the hearts of those who love it and placed in the numerically superior laps of those who like it. I shouldn’t claim Star Wars for myself, it’s always been populist and I don’t have £2.5bn lying around, but Disney has shown disrespect to fans and to the authors that rely on the sales of now discredited works, all for the sake of big-bucked power. Corporatism is nothing new but the group-think-esque critical response to this film reflects the more serious issue of an undiscerning public, a situation Hollywood is all too ready to exploit.
Some critics have railed against it. The Times cited its need to “please instead of surprise” because “When you’ve been charged with reviving one of the most obsessively beloved franchises in modern movies, is it better to defy expectations or to meet them?” Disney plays it safe not only in terms of repeating expected plot points but in the visual style of the film itself, it doesn’t trust the public’s intelligence. We can see the moment an important character is killed a mile-off thanks to a pantomime of pathetic fallacy, ‘Oh, the sunlight got eclipsed and the music dipped? I guess something bad is going to happen.’ The plot “can be seen coming around the corner, the colossal battles and colourful catastrophes feel anticlimactic.”
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Director Abrams’ visual language is expressive to the extent of hyperbole, there is no ambiguity nor freedom of interpretation and although the originals are hardly subtle their environments and performances seem natural to the fictional world they inhabit. For example, let’s compare the Empire to the “First Order” (First Order of what I ask?). The Empire has immense though limited resources, there is an implied bureaucracy, an elitist officerclass as portrayed by Peter Cushing et al. Their leaders are both undying and poised, they motivate through fear and strength. Compare this to TFA, “the character who needs to substitute Emperor Palpatine as the incarnation of supreme evil represents the most serious defect of the film”. Why is the First Order’s leadership so pathetic? An angsty teenager? Another Andy Serkis CGI’m-acting? Star Wars is a coming-of-age story, but a coming-of-age against the Freudian father figure and symbols of authority as expressed by the patriarchal Empire, no similar depth of theme nor subtlety is found in TFA. In the First Order we have General Hux played by Domhnall Gleeson (who is typically cast as a nerd of some sort) arguing boyishly with his counterpart Kylo Ren. If Ren wants to become a true Sith perhaps he should ask himself, what would Vader do? Vader would find his lack of faith disturbing and choke that SOB. Ultimately Abrams’ creativity is unoriginal, instead focused on how to update and refresh the Star Wars symbology whilst not adding much to it.
movies
Movie Mayhem Sponsored by Greenwich Picturehouse, who offer £15 student memberships.
The Divergent Series: Allegiant by Diana Lupica In hope that the sequel will live up to the original, the third installment of the Divergent series is uninspiringly split into two: Allegiant and Ascendant, like many other movie franchises (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Twilight Saga). Resembling ‘The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ a bit too much – considering both of them are based on the idea of venturing “beyond the wall” and bumping into the unexpected – Robert Schwentke’s Allegiant is just not that hyped as you would have thought. However, the undeniable chemistry between Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) is what keeps the occasionally stale plot alive. Ignoring the let-down of Insurgent, the adaptation of Veronica Roth’s teenage novel might as well be unpredictably exciting, if we think about the characters that leave the only city and family they’ve known and seeing both Tris and Four as children. The film dives into a story where the factions have disintegrated and the romance is more heated than ever, so give this one a chance and decide for yourself. In cinemas March 11th 2016.
Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice
by Gus Orozco The world awaits the debut of Ben Affleck’s Batman as he goes against Henry Cavill’s Superman this March 25th in DC Comics’ blockbuster film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film follows 2013’s Man of Steel, starring Cavill, and will be the second film in a long line of movies in the DC Universe, similar to Marvel’s Avengers. The film is directed by Zack Snyder, known for 300, Watchmen, and Man of Steel. Gal Gadot – a Fast and Furious alum – plays Superwoman, who also makes her debut in the new DC Universe. Amy Adams reprises her role as Superman’s love interest Lois Lane and Jesse Eisenberg, famous for portraying Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, stars as supervillain Lex Luthor. Even with an all-star cast, all eyes are on Academy Award winning actor Ben Affleck as he debuts the titular Batman. As superhero movie fans do, the announcement of the casting received backlash, with many claiming Affleck was the wrong decision. However, it’s fair to point out that Heath Ledger also received similar reactions upon being cast in The Dark Knight, and his performance is now considered one of the greatest performances in superhero film history. Time will soon tell if Ben Affleck’s performance will hit or miss. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25th.
Zootopia (Zootropolis) by Georgi Bonev Perhaps one of the most anticipated animated movies of 2016 is Disney’s newest gem Zootopia. Co-directors Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) introduce us to a fascinating world where humans never existed and the only inhabitants are animals who paradoxically behave and dress like humans. Yet another paradox is revealed as our main characters in this animal utopian society are Judy Hopps, a rookie bunny cop and Nick Wilde, a fugitive con artist fox, sworn enemies in the animal kingdom. Hopps and Wilde will have to put all their differences aside and work together in order to uncover a conspiracy, which starts with a case of a missing otter. This adventure, action-comedy will be starring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin as Officer Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde. Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Shakira and Alan Tudyk are amongst the notable names voicing our extraordinary characters. It’s rather interesting to see whether a tale of so many contradictions will become a massive commercial success like Frozen and Big Hero 6, which came from the same team behind Zootopia. The movie will be released in Europe under the name Zootropolis on March 25th. WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA - SEVENTEEN 17
music
2016’s
Most Anticipated Music Every year, music fans are hungry for new material, especially from their beloved bands. I gathered some of the most anticipated music of 2016, some of which has already been released at the beginning of January. I strongly recommend you listen and keep an ear out for these remarkable creations. by Ruya Yonak
M83
Massive Attack
Its been 5 years since M83 released Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, their latest studio album. However a follow-up album is on the way along with a North American tour starting this April as announced by producer J. Meldal-Johnsen. M83 frontman Anthony Gonzales described the new album as “epic” and “quite different” from their previous work, stating that the lyrics were inspired by 70s and 80s television. Some interesting material seems to be on its way and we can hardly wait.
Starting with trip-hop legends Massive Attack, who just released their 4-piece EP Ritual Spirit, collaborating with Azekel, Young Fathers, Tricky(!) and Roots Manuva, we get to taste substantial original content as well as some good old Mezzaninesque sounds. Tricky’s return is brilliant, however East Londoner Azekel’s vocals are a refresher that fit perfectly with MA’s sound. The EP’s a mustlisten, teasing Massive Attack fans and diminishing our patience for a new album, rumoured to be released later this year. The band tour throughout February. The EP is already on iTunes and Spotify, so have a listen!
Radiohead Gorillaz
Moving on to another follow-up album, Gorillaz are set to release an album this year. Artist Jamie Hewlett very confidently said that 2016 is going to be Gorillaz’ all year. After devastating news about the band’s fall out in 2012, fans were excited about the possibility of a new album, which is now confirmed to be released later on this year. Damon Albarn dropped a hint about the new album, saying that “it’s got quite a lot of energy”. 18 EIGHTEEN - WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA
Another huge comeback is from Radiohead. The band formed their own company; they’d done so before releasing their previous studio albums. While this is a spark of hope for fans, it is confirmed that they are playing Primavera Sound in Spain, Secret Solstice Festival in Iceland, OpenAir St. Gallen in Switzerland, NOS Alive in Portugal and Summer Sonic in Japan. Hopefully, UK dates will follow. Meanwhile, you can check out Spectre, the theme song intended for the latest James Bond movie. Though there is no information if the new album will include Spectre, I certainly sense profound lyrics and melancholic melodies.
music
An Interview with they might be giants Although they’re not well known in the UK, having only had a few hits such as ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’ and ‘Boss of Me’ reaching the charts, They Might Be Giants have been making big steps on their UK tour, ending in London early February. I had the pleasure to chat with John Flansburgh, the co-founder of the band. by James Rehman
To those who are new to your music, what’s your band like? We’re a rock band that’s been around since the mideighties, with a pretty singular point-of-view. There’s a lot of melody in our songs, and there’s an element of humour in what we do that’s pretty deadpan…but there’s enough there that would drive some serious people insane. That’s what I tell taxi drivers when they ask what kind of music we create. Last year your band worked on an ambitious project known as ‘Dial-a-Song’. We posted a new song every week for 52 weeks, so there was a lot of work to be done. I think when you hear somebody talk about a project with that kind of scope, you assume that the songs themselves will be sketchy or that they’d be demos, but the actual production was top quality and consisted of full arrangements.
What was the objective of ‘Dial-a-Song’? It was just a way to introduce ourselves to the contemporary socialmedia world. Doing something like posting a new song every week gets you a different relationship with the world than a band that just puts out an album every couple of years. I think the album era is behind us, people tend to check out new songs on a very individual basis. It gave people the ability to experience this project in an ongoing way with us, and it was a lot of fun to just be a part of this challenge.
a horn line. News music has very strange traditions, it’s kind of poppy but not quite. The music package for the Jon Stewart era was very specific, they wanted a piece of music that was like a John Williams orchestral cue with a timpani roll and a trumpet playing in a heraldic way. Up until this year, all the orchestral cues on ‘The Daily Show’ were from TMBG. So it was a very big assignment, there was more than one thing going on. What inspires the band? Writing songs is a compulsion. Once you write a song, you get a fever for it. It’s a very weird thing, I can remember distinctly taking out a couple of ideas for songs and it blew my mind as somebody who grew up with the radio and pop music. I thought the idea of writing an original pop song seemed almost superhuman, something beyond me. But once I started doing it, it was tremendously fun.
Could you tell us a bit more about the UK tour you’re currently undertaking? It’s our regular guys, we’re a five-piece band and it’s incredibly loud. It’s a pretty long show, about two hours. We do a lot of talking because the songs are kind of 11 years ago, there was the TMBG podcast, a short, so if we’re feeling super chatty it could actually collection of oddities, rarities and demo tracks. What add a lot of time to the show. I’ll probably do like 25 was it like working on that? It was like doing a radio show where all the material was songs in the show but the songs are only two minutes by TMBG. We’ve been doing this for so long and there’s long, but if we’re talking between each song, all of a sudden the show can explode into a much longer thing. a lot of material we’ve done for television, movies, side It’s good though, I know it sounds immodest to say but projects, and radio shows. There were a lot of different I have to admit I’ve seen a lot of shows and they’re shit. things people weren’t aware of, and this was a way to pull folks who were already into TMBG a little bit closer We put a lot of energy and thought into our shows, it’s worth seeing and if you haven’t seen it…you don’t know into what we’re doing. what you’re missing. You made a very catchy and memorable theme song for ‘The Daily Show’, how did that go? Glean is the latest album from They Might Be Giants, I have to point out that ‘The Daily Show’ theme (Dog comprising of a selection of songs from the 2015 DialOn Fire) was actually written by Bob Mould, the guy a-Song project. from Hüsker Dü. We did a re-record as they wanted something that sounded more ‘newsy’, so we took his guitar-driven composition and turned the guitar line into
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book
Trigger Warning:
Short Fictions and Disturbances by Hannah Davis
commuting who still wants to get a literary fix but dislikes the disjointed ‘only one chapter at a time’ feeling that reading a novel on a train ride gives you. These short stories from Gaiman are in digestible, commutable chunks; I’d gotten through most of them in the past week just by reading them on the way to work.
Short story collections seem to be making waves in the industry at the moment, particularly in young adult fiction which has seen its fair share of collaborative novels released in the last year or so (My True Love Gave To Me and Slasher Girls and Monster Boys spring immediately to mind). Gaiman released Trigger Warning early in 2015 so this review is little late to the party, but it seems fitting given that the thirst for short story anthologies doesn’t seem to be letting up among readers. As a whole, short stories can be a more concise mode of storytelling. They are often theme and character heavy. There is merit to be found in every medium of literature but it takes a certain amount to skill to be able to tell a complete story in so few words and to deliver the same kind of message a novel takes ten times the amount of words to do. As Gaiman puts it ‘not a word wasted, in the best of them’. And, if you’ll allow me to be slightly boring and practical for a second, short stories are perfect for anyone
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Trigger Warning is not his first anthology (he released a collection of supernatural short stories for teens called Unnatural Creatures in 2013, Fragile Things in 2006, and Smoke and Mirrors in 2008) and it shows in how carefully this collection has been put together. The themes provide a coherence across the collection, not to mention that Gaiman’s tell-tale narrative ties it altogether. There’s a decent amount of background commentary on publishing, literature and what it means to be a writer also, which appealed to me greatly. And as always, Gaiman relies heavily on the use of mythological or supernatural elements to get his points across. I personally love to see different takes on fairy tales or old mythology, so that was an aspect I loved. The choice of the title Trigger Warning is a concept that intrigues me. It’s something that Gaiman explains in his introduction - ‘are fictions safe spaces?’ he asks, ‘should they be safe places?’. As an English student, the idea of censoring literature is certainly problematic for me. A quick internet search of the phrase ‘trigger warning’ will give you some indication of how much commentary there is on the subject right now. The question is does Gaiman add merit to the argument or is Trigger Warning just a pretty collection of short stories riding the bandwagon. I’d argue it’s a little of both – he attempts to counsel us against being over the top with censorship. However, his stance on ‘embrace what frightens you in order to learn from it’ through the medium of fantasy stories dances a little too close to making a gimmick out of a term which is in place to genuinely help those unable to cope with serious issues.
As with any collection, even one that features work only by one author, there will be stories that the reader dislikes as well as loves. I’m a lover of Gaiman’s work, but I really struggled to enjoy his poetry. ‘Making A Chair’ – a poem about how the words don’t come some days for writers - just didn’t work for me, even if its simplicity did echo that sense of writer’s block. As an opening to the collection, I felt it was kind of a weak start. Thankfully the stories that followed made up for it. I loved his tribute to science fiction giant Bradbury in ‘The Man That Forgot Ray Bradbury’ and I loved the format of ‘Orange’ – which was told through answers to interview questions. I was over the moon to read the short story ‘Black Dog’ which features the main character of American Gods, certainly one of my favourite novels by Gaiman. Revisiting that character felt like coming home; it’s indulgent and satisfying. I’ve read reviews of this that complain of the lengthy introduction to the book in which he offers a commentary for each of the short stories he has written – I didn’t mind it myself, and I love to read writer commentaries. That being said, it was difficult to distinguish whether or not it was an actual introduction or rather another kind of short story in itself. That’s the mastery of Gaiman’s technique; he’s constructed a very public image of himself of an author, that has an almost fantastical quality to it so even when he attempts to be honest and authentic with his audience, it just seems like another story, more smoke and mirrors to discern. Whether this is by design or a happy accident, I’m not sure and I doubt he’d ever let on either way.
info Title: Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances Author: Neil Gaiman Published: Feb 3rd 2015 Publisher: Headline Rating: 4/5
writer’s
showcase
Hey everyone! It was really tough to choose out of the bunch of entries that were sent in for this issue, but I think this issue’s selection really reflects the time of year. I always think of the first few months of the year as ‘limbo season’ – where we’re waiting for the world to come alive again after the holiday period. I really enjoy reading every entry that has been sent in and don’t worry if you sent me something and don’t see it featured here – I’ll either feature it in the next issue or online. If you want to be considered for the next issue, email your work to llcreativesubmissions@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy these submissions as much as I do, and keep writing! hannah davies
Muted Arguments on a Snowy Television by Charlie Carine
He loved scrambling up and down the stairs, each step was like Everest for someone that small. He scrambled with arms and legs that seemed to move on their own, like two different voices were fighting for control inside his soft little head. We knew it was dangerous to leave him like that but it made our parenting a whole lot easier. It was the adverts. We’d muted the cries from the greying television screen but we didn’t talk. It was inevitable that one day, after repeating this template of silence and what is frankly a combined ignorance of our child, that the thuds would shatter this passive-aggressive calm like a stone dropped through ice. So the shock that gripped me, then, when the thuds rang through the house was the shock of knowing something will come, but not being prepared when it finally does. There were seven or eight of the thuds in quick succession; then silence. The silence of the ice before it cracks and breaks. Silence that lasted for ages. Silence that lasted too long but I still didn’t move, didn’t react until she was already up and out of the room. She reached him before I did, he was in a little pile at the bottom of the stairs; still - only for his rushed, panicked breathing. A patch of red had already matted into his golden hair; a gold shared by neither his mother nor myself. I stood
back. She didn’t make eye contact, didn’t say a word to me. But she was already running with him, out of the front door, bare foot in the snow, down the drive and down the street; our son a wailing bundle that stained her white shirt red. She didn’t once turn her head to me. I fumbled with the laces to my trainers, forced one on and before I managed to wrestle on the other she had taken a turn and was banging on his door. She always went to him for help and, as always, he answered the door immediately. His blonde hair was a halo in the bright and cold winter sun as she crumpled into his chest and he put his arm around her and pulled her inside. His eyes met mine across the road and slowly but deliberately he closed the door to his house with a head movement that I couldn’t completely make out. It looked like a nod. I was left darkening my own door, one shoe on, one shoe in hand, staring at his front door. I stepped over the red stain at the foot of the stairs and sat down on the sofa. Our television show had started again, two characters were shouting at each other on screen. A man and a woman. Behind them a young boy ran and back and forth. I left the television muted. I didn’t want them to say a word to each other.
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My Midas by Magdalena Kolodziej
He’s made of gold, purified, Frozen still like a photograph. He’s golden moments instilled, captured, redeemed. He’s made of gold, purified, A perfect reflection of sunlight Perhaps once impure, lustreless, now shines bright. And in breathlessness, Time stood still, and watched With awe what purity stands for, Time stood still and cherished the moment, Savoured the perfection. He’s made of gold, and for him, Time stood still.
The Last Valentine Filippa Bahrke Honey, do not bore me with another horizon boasting blood for our applause. Impale me with silver from the Ritz. See it as a Valentine’s gift. Choke me with chocolate, poison the oyster on the ice, hide the ring in champagne that is dim, let the teddy bear strangle me down. Turn me into road kill in your rose petalled Bentley. Slit my wrists with diamonds from Tiffany. Darling can’t you see my eyes white as flags on this fourteenth.
Happy Spring Bank Holiday by Laurence Schaack Spring Bank Holiday in the springlike drops on the empty pavements. Reflecting like a mirror for this soulwhere once the inscrutable fog of emotions has left nothing; for nothing trumps solitude. One of the seldom days where the city within the metropolis becomes deserted; a square within Prypjat. Female human. Approaching. Prior city rule: circumventing eye contact with strangers. Green eyes meet blue eyes. No there’s no disdain in her look for this infringement. A smile- lonely. A silent grasp. An unfinished drawing of watercolours in the window portrays another loner: perched on his kinetic energy, Engulfing his third fructose corn syrup vessel. Second infringement. Brown eyes meet blue eyes. A silent grasp. Spring Bank Holiday: family and friends withdrawing behind the curtains. From excitement to hope, from love to loss, from freedom to excitement. Hope, love- loss. Hope, lo-love. Loss. Mistrust, hope, loss. Mistrust. Loss. Loss. Happy Spring Bank Holiday!
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Frequently Asked Questions answered by your own Students’ Union Advice Service From the sublime to what you may think is the ridiculous, your Students’ Union advisers are here to help you deal whatever student life throws at you. And this month, we’re helping you celebrate Valentine’s Day / Week / Month on a budget. Make that loving feeling last longer when it’s not costing you so much!
stewards. And you can always speak in confidence to the advice service if you’ve been the victim of harassment or an assault. We may be able to help point you in the right direction for more specialist support, or for further information, go to http://www. nhs.uk/Livewell/Sexualhealth/Pages/Sexualassault. aspx Legally, it couldn’t be clearer that sex without consent is rape. Get it wrong, and you risk 5 years or more imprisonment and a lifetime on the Sex Offenders Register. Any questions of your own? Come and speak to a Students’ Union Adviser. We’re here for any University of Greenwich student, whatever the problem, whether it’s big or small. Even if it’s just needing someone to talk through your situation with, we will listen and we won’t judge you. Our service is free, independent and confidential. If you want free condoms and you live, work or study in the Borough of Greenwich (that means all of you, including students at the University of Greenwich in Medway), get registered with Greenwich Sexual Health (www.greenwichsexualhealth.org) . If you’re under 21 and living in the Borough, you can get a C-card to pick up free condoms from sexual health outlets including Boots. If you’re a little too old, or if you live outside the Borough, the condoms can be posted to you in discrete packaging. There is a lot of information on the GSH website on sexual health and avoiding sexually transmitted infections as well as contraception. Use the information and hopefully you won’t need the free STI home testing kits – again, you can order these through the GSH website. The website will also give you details of local sexual health services in the Borough.
If you’re looking for information and services in the Medway area, try http://www.abettermedway.co.uk/ sexualhealth/services/medwaysexualhealthclinics. aspx And if you’re wanting information on services elsewhere, go to www.sxt.org.uk While we’re on the subject, we’d like a little word (consent!) Only 2 syllables, very easy to say, and not half as difficult to understand as some might think. Have a look at this short, and funny, video: http:// www.consentiseverything.com/ If you’re on a night out at the SU and you’re getting unwanted attention, report it to bar staff or the
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