The Badger 11th Edition (29/03/21)

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29th March 2021

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Official free fortnightly newspaper by and for Sussex students · Printed on recycled paper

Kill the Bill protest tension builds as crowds gather at Brighton Police Station

Miranda Dunne Staff Writer

Hundreds of protesters marched on Brighton police station on Saturday evening in a second local protest defying the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The demonstration was laced with anti-police sentiments a day after footage of a Sussex police officer “manhandling” a student on Falmer campus circulated on social media.

The demonstration was one of many protesting the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, including “violent” exchanges between protesters and police in Bristol, and another Brighton-based protest which took place on the 20 March, which is also covered

by The Badger in this article.

The latest protest began at the Level at 5pm before a march of hundreds of people began around 5.30pm. Protesters tracked down towards Valley Gardens before turning up Edward Street to finally descend on Brighton Police Station. Police Officers took a largely hands-off approach towards protesters, instead opting eventually to form a barrier outside of the station as protesters booed at their presence. Police were seen dragging one person into the station just after 7pm.

Chants alluding to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill such as ‘protest: it is our right’ were heard, but anti-police sentiments were also rife with chants such as ‘all cops are bastards’ and ‘who do you protect’ heard to the timing of drums and shakers. One protester standing on the railing outside the station was seen repeatedly f lipping the bird to two police officers as she told them to quit their jobs, and later on another woman and a police officer were seen entering into a peaceful but heated exchange.

The event followed a social media post circulated encouraging people to attend, instructions including for protesters to ‘refrain from being rude or confrontational.’

The Badger contacted Sussex Police for a statement on Saturday’s events: “A protest involving a gathering of around 1,800 people gathered at The Level in Brighton on Saturday (27 March) from around 4.30pm.

“At approximately 5pm the crowd began marching towards the city centre and a significant number of protesters congregated outside Brighton Police Station in John Street in front of a police cordon. A smaller group of pro-

News

Referenda reactions & BBQ bans

3

Comment

Foodstagram & Alcohol in lockdown 9

Features

Number 10 Miranda Dunne testers moved around the city, causing some minor travel disruption, until dispersing at around 9.30pm.”

“Detective Superintendent Juliet Parker, leading the operation, said: “This was initially a large gathering and the vast majority of people acted responsibly and engaged in peaceful demonstration. A smaller group of protesters remained in the city for several hours, congregating at times outside Brighton Police Station, and causing some traffic disruption.

“All of the officers policing the incident were specially trained and the event concluded without incident. We appreciate there was some disruption in the city and thank

the local community for their patience and understanding.””

Tensions rise: Kill the Bill 20 March On Saturday 20 March, approximately 1000 people attended a protest in Brighton against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Protesters gathered on The Level park and listened to speakers before commencing a march which concluded at Hove Lawns after 6pm. The peaceful protest was one of many national demonstrations against the large and controversial new piece of legislation proposing major changes to crime and justice in England and Wales.

Continued on page 3...

The gift of ageing & Receiving a vaccine 13

Arts

Lana Del Rey & Literary adaptations 17

Travel & Culture Banana fritters & 1950s Bollywood boom 26

Science & Tech

Fiction thoughts & Pangolin COVID transmission 29

Sports

Hollie Dewick 22-23

Sussex cricket & British Judo bullying 31

Editor-in-Chief Josh Talbot badger@sussexstudent.com Print Production Editor Ellie Doughty Online Production Editor Georgia-May Keetch Print Production Sub-Editor Gurpreet Raulia Online Production Sub-Editor Margaret Arabambi Marketing Managers Alex Norman Sarah Wong The News Team Oliver Mizzi Ewan Vellinga Grace Curtis Jake Nordland Aiala Suso badger-news@sussexstudent. com The Comment Team Issy Anthony Will Day Libby Mills Joel Renouf-Cooke Rosie Cook badger-opinion@sussexstudent. com The Features Team Alana Harris Olly Williams Teddy Parkin Maisie Thorman badgerfeatureseditor@gmail. com The Arts Team Jessica Hake Robyn Cowie badger-arts@sussexstudent.com The Books Team Eric Barrell Molly Openshaw thebadger.bookseditor@gmail. com The Music Team Alice Barradale Dylan Bryant thebadger.musiceditor@gmail. com The Film & Television Team Yazz James Rob Salusbury thebadger.film@gmail.com The Theatre Team Elijah Arief thebadger-theatre@gmail.com The Artist Focus Team Luisa De La Concha Montes thebadger.street@gmail.com The Travel & Culture Team Hal Keelin Bryony Rule Katya Pristiyani badger.travelculture@gmail.com The Sports Team Charlie Batten Max Killham thebadger.sport@gmail.com The Science & Technology Team Eleanor Deane Rob Barrie thebadger.science@gmail.com Events and Publicity Jess Dingle Grace Ochieng Proof Readers Yasmine Yaguer Jake Nordland

Editorial Josh Talbot Editor in Chief

Georgia Keetch Online Production Editor

Hello hello! Thanks for reading- we really do appreciate you having a flick through the edition. You’re in for a treat this week, too. As we approach the end of term, this edition is packed with content to take you through the Easter break.

Starting off with a news section that looks at politics near and far, we are reminded every two weeks of just how much can happen in that time; the Kill the Bill protest in Brighton, news of the changing view the EU have on the Coronavirus vaccine- the list goes on.

This editorial has been a platform for me to ramble on about time and how fast it’s passing- I’ve done it so consistently that anyone would think that I don’t have much else to talk about. In reality, however, I am genuinely sat here in disbelief that this edition looks to be the penultimate of the year. It’s quite easy to get lost in the motion of how things are at the moment; coming in and out of lockdown, every day the same altered and prescribed routine.

We passed the year marker though- it’s been like this for one year and I can still remember the point where we were plunged into it all, so vividly. Vivid remembrances of feeling so displaced but compensating for the loss of the ‘uni-experience’ with excessive amounts of Wii. What feels like a month in some ways but a life time in others has actually been a year and I hope very much that it has been bearble for you.

I also hope you enjoy this issue as much as we all enjoyed putting it together. It’s great fun and if you are studying at Sussex next year, and you fancy getting involved with the team, there are opportunities at all levels of the team for you to get involved! Do consider applying if you are at all interested- some applications are open now!

Bye for now; have a nice read.

Welcome to the 11th edition of this academic year. It’s really hard to believe that we have done so many incredible editions and I’m in complete awe of our team that constantly raises the bar. Thank youyes you!- for your continued support of this year’s team of writers and editors- the work these students put in is truly unrivalled.

As always, this edition is jam packed with articles that has something for everyone.

Our Front page covers the various ‘#killthebill’ protests that have been going on in Brighton. In the Comment section we have an amazing article about the Oscar nominations this year that have been hailed as the most diverse ever. Moving over to Travel & Culture there is a really optimistic article about what people are looking forward to now that the end is in sight with these lockdowns.

In Features there is an article about someone’s experience at receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. This informative yet honest account is well worth reading if you have any nerves about our age group eventually getting the jab. Whilst on the topic of vaccines, in Science & Tech they discuss the whether the reporting of the AstraZeneca vaccine has increased scepticism. In the world of Sport we have got you covered from F1 to judo and a little bit of cricket as well.

As always- if you have any article ideas that you want to see in the badger we are only a DM away on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you would prefer to email then it is badger@sussexstudent. com and our writers meeting is every Wednesday at 12- we would love to hear from you!

Enjoy this edition; it’s a good one.

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The Badger 29th March 2021

News ... continued from front It has reached its second stage in parliament. The legislation addresses many areas of crime and justice in England and Wales but the area addressing protests is specifically causing controversy.

Under the proposals, police would be able to impose start and finishing times on protests, set noise limits, in rules that would apply to a demonstration of just one person. Refusing police directions could result in a fine of up to £2,500. One measure states that damage to memorials could result in up to 10 years in prison. Another proposal includes making “intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance” an offence.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has defended the legislation, telling the House of Commons on the 15 March: “This bill will give police the powers to take a more proactive approach in tackling dangerous and disruptive protest.”

“The right to protest peacefully is a cornerstone of democracy and one this Government will always defend. But there is a balance to be struck between the rights of the protester and the rights of individuals to go about their daily lives.”

“Last year we saw XR (Extinction Rebellion) block the passage of an ambulance on emergency calls, gluing themselves to trains

3 during rush hour, blocking airport runways, preventing hundreds of hard-working people from going to work.”

The Badger followed the demonstration against the legislation on 20 March, which continued over four hours from 2pm. This demonstration came a week after Sussex Police were seen actively dispersing attendees of a vigil at Valley Gardens for Sarah Everard, whose disappearance recently sparked national outcry. The vigil ended in 1 arrest and 8 fixed charged penalty notices were handed out after police began asking people to leave, filming attendees and dispersing crowds after approximately 40 minutes. Police were not seen taking similar approaches at the 20 March protest and have not confirmed that any arrests or penalty charges took place.

One protester at the Level said: “I was at a second [Sarah everard vigil following that of the 13 March]. The police were a lot less intense at the second one. I think because of the amount of shit that they got the first time around they kind of cut down a bit.”

“I disagree with the fact that protests could be made illegal.

We very much need them in our country, in every country. The fact that this bill says that statues are worth more than women’s lives after sexual assault.

I just find it all very dystopian - it’s almost like we’re in a film.

I get it - because covid - but that’s about it.”

At around 2.40 pm, the crowd began a march in the direction of the seafront and headed past Valley Gardens where some people were seen visiting the memorial for Sarah Everard There, The Badger spoke to a protester who said: ‘I think what the police have been doing to women - and everyone really - but right now women is what we’re really focusing on. It’s just horrible. And we need the right to protest.’

The head of the crowd reached Churchill Square where The Badger spoke to a young woman holding a sign saying ‘facism is not a vintage trend.

Leave it in the 40s.’ She said: ‘I came here to protest because giving more power to the police is always the first step to a fascist government.’

As the filed on past shut down retail stores, protesters chanted ‘Priti Patel is a fascist’ as people looked down from their balconies. One man explained his decision to protest “The Tories have taken all of our unionisation power, now they’re trying to criminalise protesting which is one of the few democratic rights in this bloody country. It really is important that we protect our rights because at the end of the day the state will just take them

if they feel like they’re too much of a nuisance.”

Amidst cries of ‘Kill the Bill’, The Badger spoke to one attendee at Hove Lawns: “I was part of the team that organised [the Sarah Everard vigil]*, which was a good turnout, but Sussex police were not anywhere near as lenient as they are today and that’s interesting to note, I think. Sussex police were so heavy handed then, and they’re literally standing doing nothing here.

Asked why she thought that was, she responded, ‘I think it’s because it was a group of organised women that came to protest for something, personally, and I think we represented something that they were very sensitive about.’

“Under this new bill someone could get 10 years for protesting, and those kinds of legislation don’t get handed out for the really bad shit that happens.”

“This is the bill to stand up for, really, this fucking really scary what’s happening.”

Police did not appear to intervene with attendees, and police intervention has not been reported by local newspapers, or Sussex Police itself. This is despite facing local criticism for actions taken against attendees of a vigil for Sarah Everard a week earlier on the 13 March, citing COVID-19 regulations.

This coincided with national level criticism towards policing

approaches at a larger vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham, London, with ministers, MPs and social media users expressing their disturbance.

The Badger contacted Sussex police for a statement on the events of 20 March: “Police officers attended a protest at The Level, Brighton, on Saturday (20 March) and us [sic] the 4Es approach to engage with those present in relation to the government’s coronavirus regulations.

“When the protest moved into a march, officers continued to engage throughout while ensuring the safety of those present and keeping disruption to the city centre to a minimum. Those attending dispersed after it finished at Hove Lawns.”

“Chief Superintendent Howard Hodges said: “We had limited information about the protest beforehand and no prior engagement with the organisers. However we maintained a presence throughout the protest and continued to engage with those present to mitigate any risks posed to public health.”

“We still remain in a global pandemic and there are rules and regulations in place to protect our communities and help prevent the spread of the virus.” * the original organisers of the Sarah Everard vigil officially cancelled the event, but people opted to attend the event despite this.

Brighton cinemas set to reopen Proposed beach BBQ ban and ketchup crackdown Ewan Vellinga

News Online Sub Editor Three cinemas in Brighton are set to reopen from 17 May, with the easing of national lockdown restrictions expected to go ahead.

The venues include the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, said to be Britain’s oldest operational cinema, Dukes at Komedia in the North Laines, and Cineworld at Brighton Marina.

Measures will likely be put in place to ensure customer safety, including socially distanced seating and staggered film times, with Cineworld telling The Argus they would open “as long as guidelines allow for it.”

All three are owned by Cineworld Group PLC, the world’s second largest cinema operator, who announced their plans to reopen cinemas in the UK and the US, as well as an exclusive deal with Warner Bros studio, on 24 March.

This includes 127 cinemas in the UK, which will open in May, and 536 Regal theatres in the US, some of which will open with the release of Godzilla vs Kong on 2 April, and the rest on 16 April with Mortal Kombat.

They have also signed a deal with Warner Bros studio that

will allow them to show new releases exclusively before they are released for streaming.

Beginning next year, this would run for 45 days in the US and 31 days in the UK, although this could also increase to 45 days in the UK for films that reach an agreed box office threshold.

Chief executive Mooky Greidinger said “we are very happy for the agreement” and that “this agreement shows the studio’s commitment to the theatrical business and we see this agreement as an important milestone in our 100-year relationship with Warner Bros.”

This comes as good news for Cineworld, who have been shut since last October and like most cinemas have struggled financially, unlike streaming platforms like Netflix.

The company secured financial lifelines worth $750m (£560m) last November to help them get through the year, yet said they would only be able to do so as long as cinemas were allowed to reopen this may.

As such, although other chains are yet to announce plans to reopen, it is likely that most will be hoping to reopen as government restrictions are relaxed.

Grace Raines Measures proposed by Brighton and Hove City Council on 18 March could outlaw single-use BBQs and ketchup sachets in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and pollution rates.

Single-use BBQs could be banned in public places such as parks and beaches as councillors attempt to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. Not only do they use charcoal as opposed to cleaner energies, such as gas and electric, but they are often coated in plastic, another big polluter.

Additionally, research conducted by the University of Manchester found that BBQs on average emit more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than an 80-mile journey in a car, when cooking for four people.

A ban on single-use ketchup sachets has also been suggested

by Green councillor Jamie Lloyd to reduce the amount of foodrelated litter left in and around the city.

The impact of banning these items could be huge. One day’s worth of litter totalled over 11 tonnes last summer on a Brighton beach, as tourists and residents alike descended on the

Wordridden coastal city to enjoy the summer sun.

Following the announcement of the proposed measures, residents took to social media to share their views, both positive and negative.

‘This might just be the last straw’, one Sun reader states regarding the future of the Green Party in Brighton, with others poking fun at the possibility of ‘the BBQ police’, preventing their use on beaches and within public parks.

Others, however, have expressed support for the ban, stating it will prevent individuals from ‘ponking up our beach and air’, encouraging their peers to question whether it is ‘the end of the world’ to not be allowed to barbecue food in public spaces.

As national climate change policies have been introduced

and climate assemblies formed around the globe, Brighton and Hove Council was among one the first councils in the UK to declare a climate emergency, subsequently setting a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, committing to cutting carbon emissions by several hundred thousand tonnes.

Although these controversial proposals are subject to review, and may not even pass as law, it is clear that the measures are an attempt by Brighton and Hove City Council to fulfil its commitment to implementing effective measures to reduce carbon emissions whilst increasing recycling rates and promoting more sustainable lifestyle choices in the city and surrounding areas.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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Cummings criticises Department of Health Covid response, calls for inquiry Jake Nordland News Sub Editor Dominic Cummings called the Department of Health a “smoking ruin” on 17 March over its handling of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and called for an investigation into “what went wrong and why”, in a speech to MPs. Mr Cummings, former chief advisor to the Prime Minister before his tumultuous exit from Downing Street in November last year, was giving evidence to MPs in the Science and Technology Committee about the creation of a new government agency, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

But Cummings also told the committee that a “very, very hard look” was needed at what went wrong during the pandemic. He criticized the Health Department’s procurement of PPE and blamed “horrific Whitehall bureaucracy” for the problems.

It was this inefficiency, he revealed, that led him and chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallence to lobby the Prime Minister to take the vaccine rollout out of the hands of the Health Department.

“Patrick Vallance, the cabinet secretary, me and some others said: ‘Obviously we should take this out of the Department of Health, obviously we should

Number 10 create a separate taskforce and obviously we have to empower that taskforce directly with the authority of the prime minister’”, he told the committee.

“It’s not coincidental that the vaccine programme worked the way it did. It’s not coincidental that to do that we had to take it out of the Department of Health,” he continued.

In response to Cumming’s speech, Health Secretary Matt Hancock played down the accusations, describing the vaccine rollout as “a huge team effort” and that the government, the vaccine taskforce and the NHS were all involved in its success.

Explaining the origin of the idea for ARIA to the committee, Mr Cummings said that Boris Johnson asked him to take up

his position a week before he started, asking if he could “come in to Downing Street to try and help sort out the huge Brexit nightmare?”.

Cummings said he agreed on the condition that the PM was serious about Brexit, that Science funding would be doubled and an ARIA-like agency created, and that he would support changes to the “disaster zone” of Whitehall and the Cabinet Office.

Dominic Cummings, a previously influential but now outspoken former Advisor-in-Chief to Boris Johnson, was fired after a power struggle last November in a media spectacle that saw him walk out of No.10 with a cardboard box in hand.

Sussex’s Model United Nations Conference Wraps Up for This Year Sam Kimbley Staff Writer With the ceremonial hit of a lamp on a desk (instead of the usual gavel), this year’s Sussex Model UN conference came to a close on March.

Model UN is an activity in which students take on the role of diplomats and simulate how the UN functions. These conferences allow students to discuss relevant and essential topics in a structured debating format, much like the real UN. Sussex’s conference was online this year, following the trend of other conferences due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was a clear change from last year’s inperson conference, which had to be cancelled due to Covid-19.

Students from universities across the world gathered to discuss a range of issues centring around the conference’s theme of “redesigning global responsibility.” The discussion spanned from a UN Security council simulation discussing the Myanmar military coup to the disarmament committee debating space’s possible militarisation.

The opening ceremony started the conference with the lead organiser, Júlia Barbosa Moreira Bastos, who talked about how the conference is a great opportunity to “learn from others” as she highlighted the positive ex-

periences she gained from years of Model UN. George Mullens, a former Sussex Model UN conference organiser from years past, also joined as a guest speaker. Mullens spoke of the issues that face our world, such as increased flooding from climate change.

He also discussed the solutions to these problems that the young people of the world will help provide.

The conference featured more than debating. In replacement of the usual formal ball that most in-person Model UN’s feature, Sussex hosted an online social evening; the online social hosted on zoom featured a game of werewolf, an activity similar to the popular video game Among Us. The closing ceremony finished with the deputy lead organiser Santiago Rodriguez Peña giving a speech about his appreciation of the Model UN community, praising the welcoming environment at Sussex.

During the closing ceremony, awards were given out to the delegates who stood out within the debate.

Peña told the Badger: “for Model UN you ought be brave, you ought to be smart, but above all you ought to be cool.”

He added that he hoped those who took part “walked away having gained these skills.”

Campus reacts to SU referenda results Diane Naimeh Staff Writer

From March 15 to March 19, four referenda took place at Sussex University. These various referendums were organized by different societies at Sussex including the Food Waste Cafe, Sussex Under the Sheets, International Students Forum, Bame Society, Undoing Borders, and No Beef Sussex.

These campaigns included: the awarding gap campaign, which aims for equality between home students and internationals students; the sexual safety campaign, which addresses sexual safety on campus; the community kitchen campaign, which is involved in improving the students and staffs physical and mental health by cooking nutritious meals together with other communities; and the no lamb or beef campaign, which advocates banning lamb and beef on campus to reduce carbon consumption in order to fight the climate crisis.

The final results and statistics for the referenda came out on Friday 19 March. There were 1661

Morten Watkins unique voters, 4472 total votes cast, and a 7.8 percent turnout.

The Yes vote for all four of the campaigns succeeded. Here are the various results related to all four referendums : In the first referendum, the SU asked: “Should the Student’s Union reaffirm its commitment to improve sexual safety at Sussex?”. 1501 students took part, breaking down as 1142 Yes votes and 59 No votes.The Student union will therefore continue to reaffirm its commitment and continue to lobby for sexual safety at Sussex .

The SU’s second referendum read: “Should the Students’ Un-

ion continue to lobby the University and investigate and address the international student awarding gap?”. Of 1095 total votes, 968 students voted in favor of the proposal, with 127 against. The Student Union will thus have a policy to lobby the university to investigate and address the awarding gap.

In the third referendum, the SU posed the question: “Should the Students’ Union initiate a no beef and lamb on-campus initiative and lobby the university to do so as well, to fight against the climate crisis?”. With the highest turnout of the four referenda, 779 students voted Yes in favour

of the measure and 434 voted No for a total tally of 1213 votes.The Student union will subsequently initiate a no beef and no lamb on campus in order to fight against the climate crisis .

In the final referendum, the SU asked: “Should the Students’ Union lobby the university to establish a community kitchen on campus?”. 963 students took part in the fourth campaign, with a total 812 Yes votes and 151 No votes. The Student Union will therefore setup a policy to establish a community kitchen on campus.

Leila Grossman lead the campaign for the no beef and lamb policy told The Badger: “We’re so overwhelmed and grateful for all the support we received this term and last, but most importantly that this term we have successfully passed the referendum - we could not be happier.

Since last term’s vote, we have been working with the SU and speaking to the people who run the food outlets on campus to create a plan to slowly phase out beef. This work will continue with renewed effort since the referendum has officially

passed” .

Ellie Doughty lead the campaign for Sussex under the sheets stated that: “Everyone at Under the Sheets was thrilled to see how successfully our campaign went, 1442 votes is many more than we expected!

“It’s amazing that more students voted in this referendum than in any over the past eight years, and we’re so happy to see Sussex students banding together to show a collective message to the administration.

Hopefully this is the beginning of some concrete change.”

Haruna lead the campaign for the food waste cafe stated that : “With a community kitchen we are hoping to tackle food insecurity and to enhance a sustainable campus for the food waste cafe”.

“The awarding gap campaign aims to create equality between home students and international students and this will make a huge difference for all the students at Sussex University.”

The voter turnout during the last few years was very high for the Student’s Union compared to at least eight years.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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Vaccination tensions slow down as EU sees the light Luke Thomson After a meeting held by the EU commission on 25 March, key EU leaders have stopped short from banning vaccine exports to both the UK and other nations, at least for the moment.

Indeed, the EU commissioner announced on 28 March that the EU will be bringing in blockages if Astrazeneca fails to bring in the necessary doses by the end of their second quarter.

So far, the company has only given out 30% of the 70 million doses they promised to ship out to the EU. The more moderate conclusion likely comes from several countries, such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and Sweden pushing back against a full-on ban.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte believes that such a move should only ever come in at the very last minute, and there is clearly not enough reason to do so now.

In contrast, the vocal European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen believed that it was a necessary evil to temporarily ban exports to other

nations.

French President Macron echoed Mrs von der Leyen’s views, pointing to the fact the EU had clearly done enough to ship jabs to other countries, exporting 77 million doses to 33 different countries.

There were, and still are fears that the banning of exports by the EU to the UK would delay the latter’s vaccination programme by an entire two months.

Analytics company Airfinity’s report showed the ban would only give the EU’s programme a one-week boost; a small gain at a big cost for the UK. The UK government has come out in strong opposition to this.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace declared on 21 March that the move would be “counterproductive”, and that “the vaccine production and manufacture is and should be collaborative”.

Interestingly, former head of the EU commission, JeanClaude Juncker also believes the EU needs to avoid going into a “stupid vaccine war” with the UK. Juncker said that to have export bans would further damage the EU-UK relationship, and add

to the bad reputation the EU has with many global states.

It is believed that French and German leaders even spoke about the possibility of activating article 122 of the EU treaty – a move last made in the 1970s that allowed the EU to have total control of the movement of goods in the area.

The talks have come in reaction to the fact that EU states, on average, have administered just 10.4 doses per 100 people, whereas the UK has hit a total of 42.7.

It is believed that the core reason the EU numbers have been so low is due to problems with the AstraZeneca supply plant in India, causing delays of vaccine shipments by at least two weeks.

The reason the UK has not suffered such issues is because they get priority over supply, as they ordered the vaccines in mass 3 months before the EU did.

However, in a conference held on 20 March, health secretary Matt Hancock admitted that the AstraZeneca shortage in India meant that the vaccine programme will likely be delayed an

entire week in the UK. Despite this, he once again assured that all over 50s will be able to get their first injection by 15 April. He concluded by saying the overall Vaccine programme is “lumpy, but still on track”.

The EU’s ultimate goal is to fully vaccinate, with both jabs, 75% of their population by the end of August, a target that they are still on track to complete, despite the delays.

Before Thursday’s meeting, it is believed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson called several EU leaders one-on-one to try and ease tensions.

Regardless of EU issues, countries have begun once more to roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine, after the results of the US trials regarding the vaccine were published on 22 March and showed the jab was both safe and effective.

Tested on over 32,000 participants, the vaccine was proved to be 100% effective at preventing serious illnesses developing from Covid and not a single issue linked to blood clots was found either.

This, combined with a declaration from the European

Health Commission of Safety, assures that most EU countries will now resume their usage of the vaccine.

Finally, on 20 March, the UK set it’s record for the most vaccinations given out in a single day, coming in at a grand 844,285.

Over 30 million people have now had at least one jab in the whole of the UK and over 3 million have received both. This includes Prime Minister Boris Johnson, receiving his first jab on 19 March.

The UK is far ahead of any other European nation, their total numbers being double the next closest country, Turkey, who have given out around 14 million jabs so far.

Although their doses per hundred people are less than the UK, the United States have lately seen a big boost of vaccination numbers too. Over 130 million people in the States have had at least one jab, around 27% of the country.

Israel remains the world’s best at vaccines. 112 doses have been given out per 100 people and over half the country has now been fully vaccinated.

UK comes under fire for its overhaul of the asylum system Aiala Suso News Sub Editor On 24 March, Priti Patel announced a New Immigration Plan aimed at stopping unregulated entries in the UK. Under this plan, asylum claims would be assessed primarily on how immigrants arrive in the country. The UN warns it breaches Britain’s international obligations under the Refugee Convention.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has presented in Parliament what she has called a “fair but firm” overhaul of the asylum system. Under this plan, the way an immigrant enters the UK would be the main factor when assessing asylum claims. In this way, as The Telegraph has explained, a person could be granted asylum but could be denied the right to settle if their arrival in the UK was via “illegal routes”.

Patel said it is a necessary step to stop people “dying at sea, in lorries and in shipping containers” after putting their lives “in the hands of criminal gangs” that smuggle them into the UK. She also said the UK will provide refuge to those in need who arrive through “safe and legal routes”, but has not specified yet what those legal routes are.

According to the BBC, Labour said the plans lack “compas-

Policy Exchange sion and competence” and that would do “next to nothing to stop people making dangerous crossings.”

Researcher on migration at Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, Peter Walsh, said: “There are no ways of claiming asylum in the UK legally because to do that you have to reach the UK first. There is no asylum visa, so you must either arrive clandestinely or come to the UK for another purpose –with a student visa or as a tourist– and then claim asylum when you arrive; and that will imply deception to the authorities, and that’s technically also illegal, so what are the legal routes to which Priti Patel refers to?”

Secretary-general at the Eu-

ropean Council on Refugees and Exiles, Catherine Woollard, said that seeking asylum is “a human right and the nature of forced displacement”, and that this new plan “appears to contravene the Refugee Convention, as the UN has highlighted.”

Under this convention, signatory states can’t impose penalties on refugees on accounts of illegal entry or presence when they come “directly” from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened.

According to the BBC, “official sources say Ms Patel’s restrictions would be legally possible because asylum seekers are not allowed to go “shopping” for the best destination.” Patel said to Sky News that if people ar-

rive via unregulated routes from a safe country -e.g. France-, that safe country has the “moral duty” to process that claim.

Priti Patel also stated that the UK has resettled more international refugees than any other EU country since 2015, and that the asylum system is “collapsing”, “becoming overwhelmed” and “has skyrocketed in cost”.

In contrast, Peter Walsh said: “Asylum seeker numbers in the UK are a third of what they were 20 years ago. Other EU countries like Italy, Spain, France, and especially Germany, have taken tens of thousands more refugees.”

According to Catherine Woollard: “The UK’s approach is based on so many myths. [...] 80 million people are forcibly displaced and 90% of them are in developing countries. We have to shift the narrative and explain the reality of this displacement and who is actually supporting people.”

Patel said the UK would consider “third country removals and bilateral agreements” to send asylum seekers back to their first country of arrival. However, as The Guardian pointed out, Priti Patel has not secured deals with any European countries over these returns.

John Campbell, Emeritus Reader of Anthropology and

Law at SOAS University of London, explained: “Once Brexit went into effect [...] the UK is no longer able to use the returns directive of the EU or the Dublin transfers to return refugees, so they are unable to deal with failed asylum seekers;[...] and following the australian position of offshoring refugees would be extremely expensive.”

According to The Guardian, the Government is considering shipping asylum seekers to destinations like the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Scottish islands.

The UN Refugee Agency is “extremely concerned by these reports” and has warned that this plan “risks eroding international protection for refugees.”

The Founder and Director of The Hummingbird Refugee Project, Elaine Ortiz, told the Badger: “This government has removed the only two legal routes for child refugees stuck in Europe”, and that “hands power and control over to traffickers and smugglers, who sell solutions to be reunited with family, through exploitation and abuse.”

Chief Executive at Refugee Radio, Stephen Silverwood, told The Badger: “The Home Secretary is not pulling up the drawbridge; she is scrambling her way to Number 10 on the bodies of dead refugees”.

The Badger 29th March 2021

News

6 US relations with Russia worsen

Harry Smith Russian diplomats have gone on the offensive this week following Joe Biden’s “killer” accusation made against Vladimir Putin. The 46th U.S President called Putin a killer amid claims that Moscow would pay the price for their involvement in last year’s US election. The Russian President shrugged off the remark, saying: “takes one to know one”, as US relations with Russia continue to decline in the post-Trump era.

US intelligence agencies, who are currently investigating the role Moscow played in the November US election, claim that Russia had attempted to meddle with the polls in an effort to keep former President Donald Trump in office for a second term.

The report made by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that the Moscow Kremlin had been responsible for spreading misleading and false information about Biden via Russian proxies that were later fed to Trump’s personal lawyer. This involvement would work to condemn the Democratic Party and its leader, while

Gage Skidmore inciting Trump’s false claim that he had won last year’s election and had been wrongfully ousted from the White House.

In 2016, US intelligence declared that Russia was behind efforts to undermine Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign against Trump.

Entering into Biden’s first term in office, the relationship between the two counties appeared to be at breaking point.

Before his election last year, Biden had referred to Putin as a “KGB thug”, alluding to this past involvement in the Soviet secret service. The US is still seeking

to determine the damages done by a cyber-attack on federal bodies, carried out last year by hackers from Russia’s military spy agency GRU. As well as this, the US are yet to reveal countermeasures in response to the poisoning of Alexei Navalny last year, seemingly authorised by the Russian State.

Although, last year Putin said that he would work with any US administration in order to improve relations between both countries - a remark that many political editors later viewed as dubious after concurring that Putin’s comments were made

simply as a reaction to Trump’s looming electoral loss.

However, the ongoing exchange between two of the world’s most influential leaders is now adding fuel to an already fragile and increasingly hostile relationship.

President Putin continued to turn the tables on Biden, speaking in direct reply to his American counterpart in an interview that marked the anniversary of yet another area of disagreement between both nations Russia’s annexation of Crimea: “We always see our own traits in other people and think they are like how we really are.” The back-and-forth continued with Putin requesting that virtual talks with Biden take place later this week. Biden has since refused Putin’s invitation to hold talks.

As the situation remains ongoing, both leaders have shown signs of aggravation - the Moscow Kremlin recalled its Russian ambassador to Washington for the first time in two decades on Wednesday. The Russian embassy released a statement suggesting that: “the conclusions of the report… are confirmed

solely by the confidence of the intelligence services of their self-righteousness”. Konstantin Kosachev, the deputy chair of the Russian Parliament’s upper house and spokesperson, added to that, saying further measures would be taken unless: “the American side does not offer an explanation or apology”.

While Biden has continued to throw accusations at Russia, despite the US government report confirming that no foreign government had altered the voting process or ultimately compromised the outcome, it is expected that the US will work to impose sanctions on Russia as soon as the final report is released later next week.

Whether Putin is in fact a killer has yet to be conclusively confirmed. In 2016, a judge in the UK cited that the Russian president may have approved the assassination of the former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.

Nonetheless, the ongoing Biden-Putin tussle is causing further anger, resentment, and hostility between the two nations.

Ethiopia Accuse Eritrea of Human Rights Violation Max Kilham

Sports Online Editor The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission have alleged that Eritrean forces killed over 100 civilians in Aksum, Tigray, during a two-day massacre last November.

The alleged killings, which took place on the 28 and 29 November, have sparked fears that the short peace between the two nations will be dismissed.

The two East-African countries have a long history of conflict, dating back to 1961, when Eritrea’s war of independence began.

Eritrea have yet to voice their opinion on the report. However, when Amnesty International released their report on the 26 February, which alleged that their actions ‘may amount to a crime against humanity’, the alleged crimes were disregarded

by Eritrean as “fabricated.”

However, this new report from Ethiopia sheds light on a conflict that ceases to settle.

The ECHR report describes images of parents being killed in front of their children. The report describes multiple sources highlighting the specific targeting of men.

The Amnesty International report described horrific scenes of ‘deliberate targeting of civilians.’ One witness from

Rod Waddington the report described what they saw: “I saw a lot of people dead on the street. Even my uncle’s family. Six of his family members were killed.

“So many people were killed … This was in the middle of the city, not at the entrance or in surrounding villages.”

Despite the death toll, some were able to survive the alleged two-day massacre. The EHRC report recounts one survivor’s ordeal: “On November 28, I decided to leave Aksum city and join my family in a nearby rural town.

“I had just gone past Saint Michael Church when I came upon Eritrean soldiers who were hiding inside the cemetery of the Church.

“They shot at me and hit me

on the right leg and the left thigh. Another bullet hit my left arm. People who found me bleeding carried me home.

“It is only three weeks later that I decided to seek medical help in Aksum Referral Hospital.”

The Ethiopian report comes a day after the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, admitted that Eritrean soldiers had entered the northern region of Tigray since the fracture of relations last November. He had stated to MP’s that fear of the TPLF was the main reason for the invasion. The previous months had seen denial of invasion from both sides.

Previous Nobel Peace Prize winner Ahmed, had stated on November 30 that “not a single civilian was killed.”

Tensions first erupted back on November 4, when the Ti-

gray People’s Liberation Front successfully took charge of military bases in the region. This resulted in a military push from the central government to seize back control of the region.

The two sides had fallen out over the future role of the TPLF in government, as well as plans for the countries’ ethnic-based federal structure.

Tensions between the two countries began in 1961, with the start of Eritrea’s fight for independence from Ethiopia. The civil war lasted until 1991, with Eritrean independence officially being achieved in 1993.

However, conflict broke out once again. In 1998 tensions erupted once again, with the International Crisis Group estimating that 70,000 to 100,000 were killed during the war.

A peace treaty was signed between the two nations in 2000, but not officially implemented until 2018.

Deprose Muchena, who is Amnesty International’s director for East and Southern Africa, conveyed her dismay at the alleged latest event along a long timeline of violent conflict between the two nations: “The evidence is compelling and points to a chilling conclusion. Ethiopian and Eritrean troops carried out multiple war crimes in their offensive to take control of Axum.

“Above and beyond that, Eri-

trean troops went on a rampage and systematically killed hundreds of civilians in cold blood, which appears to constitute crimes against humanity.

“This atrocity ranks among the worst documented so far in this conflict.

“

Tensions between the two countries began in 1961, with the start of Eritrea’s fight for independence from Ethiopia.

The civil war lasted until 1991, with Eritrean independence officially being achieved in 1993.

“Besides the soaring death toll, Axum’s residents were plunged into days of collective trauma amid violence, mourning and mass burials.”

The peace between the two nations has been short-lived.

On top of this, the tensions between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF look set to add further complications to the mix.

It has since been reported by the United Nations that two refugee camps within the region of Tigray have been decimated.

The perpetrators are currently unknown.

Ahmed has since claimed that Eritrea will remove its troops from the Tigray region. There has yet to be any confirmation from the Eritrean government on this matter.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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Saudi Arabia proposes Yemen peace plan amidst Houthi offensive However, the Houthi’s rejected the proposal, stating that the offer fell short of completely lifting the air and sea blockade on the country. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam stated that “Saudi Arabia must declare an end to the aggression and lift the blockade completely but putting forward ideas that have been discussed for over a year is nothing new”.

The blockade has contributed to a disastrous humanitarian situation, with the UN estimating that 80% of Yemen’s population needed humanitarian aid and assistance. The UN has also warned of an imminent famine, with Al-Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays saying that a UN appeal for $3.85bn in aid has only received half of the needed amount. The appeal is “a matter of urgency, otherwise, people are going to starve”.

A US proposal for a ceasefire was also rejected earlier in the month, with the Houthi’s claim-

Oliver Mizzi News Editor Last week, Saudi Arabia put forward a peace plan aimed at ending the Yemeni Civil War. This proposal comes around the 6th anniversary of the entrance of the Saudi led coalition in the conflict. The peace plan comes at a time of intense fighting in the country, with Houthi forces waging an offensive to take the northern city of Marib and launching ballistic missiles against Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi plan includes restarting political negotiations between the internationally recognised Hadi-led Government and the Houthis with the support of the United Nations. The plan would also see the Saudi’s allowing food and fuel to be imported into Yemen through the port of Hodeiah and Sanaa airport. Both have been blockaded by the Saudi coalition since its entry into the war in 2015.

Israel Election stalemate Olly Williams Features Sub-Editor Paths to victory remain unclear as Israel’s election results produce a deadlock. No party succeeded in obtaining the 61 seats necessary to form a governing majority in Israel’s system of proportional representation.

Current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party, fell short of a decisive majority, leaving Israel looking at the possibility of another coalition government. His main opposition, Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party, holds 13.9% of the vote and the power to challenge Netanyahu’s hold through forming his own coalition.

The current coalition government between Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Benny Gantz, collapsed after just 8 months, bringing about the 4th election in just 2 years.

Mansour Abbas, head of the Arab Ra’am party, has been described by election commentators as a “kingmaker” for his potential to provide a majority through coalition. Abbas had previously stated that he would “work with anyone”, although no plans for such an agreement have been confirmed. Despite its 20% Arabic population, Israel is yet to have an Arabic party sit in government. Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the Religious Zionism Party, indicated on Thursday that the Prime Minister could not rely on its support if he made a deal with Ra’am.

Speaking via Twitter, Smotrich stated:

“A right-wing government will not be formed based on Mansour Abbas’s [party]. Period,”.

Netanyahu remains a controversial figure as his trial for corruption, bribery and fraud awaits its evidential stage. Seven Israelis’ were arrested on Saturday night at protests against the current Prime Minister that took place across Israel. Demonstrations against Netanyahu have been occurring since June of last year and gained momentum over the past 38 weeks. At 71, Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, re elected six times despite his criminal indictment in 2019.

“

The current coalition government between Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Benny Gantz, collapsed after just 8 months, bringing about the 4th election in just 2 years.

The Prime Minister took to the stage Tuesday night at the Likud party headquarters to declare the vote “a great achievement”.

He appeared jovial, but election fatigue among Israelis’ is apparent: just 67% of the voting population turned out for this election, the lowest turnout since 2009.

If a coalition agreement is not reached, then Israel will be facing its 5th election in 2 years. Likewise, the prospect of another fragmented coalition government has parties carefully assessing their options.

ing the proposal didn’t include lifting the siege or enacting a ceasefire. The US proposal comes after President Joe Biden withdrew US support for the Saudi-led coalition.

The ceasefire comes at a time of heavy fighting across Yemen, with Houthi forces launching a major offensive last month to take the northern city of Marib, which is still under the control of the Hadi Government. The city is the last city in the north that is held by the government and is home to internally displaced persons camps that house around 800,000 people.

The offensive prompted UN mediator Martin Griffiths to state that the war is “back in full force”. Whilst the Houthi offensive saw early gains, the government, with the help of the Saudi Air Force, have managed to prevent a takeover of the city. One military source quoted by Reuters news agency stated that the battle is “a blood bath”.

The Hadi government also sought to relieve pressure from the city by opening other fronts.

In the south, the city of Taiz, which has been on the frontlines of the war since 2015 saw renewed clashes as government forces assaulted Houthi positions around the periphery of the city. The city is close to siege, with Houthi forces controlling the major avenues in and out of the city.

Clashes were also reported around the city of Hodeiah, another major city which has been caught in the middle of the war, and the only major port held by Houthi forces. The city was the scene of a government offensive in 2018, which sought to capture the city. Due to a potentially disastrous humanitarian outcome, the offensive prompted negotiations for a ceasefire, which was officially declared in December 2018.

With clashes ongoing across the country, the Houthis re-

newed their efforts to damage Saudi infrastructure, firing ballistic missiles and launching drones against the country.

The attacks which occurred on Thursday targeted the King Abdulaziz military base in Dammam, as well as military sites in Najran and Asir. The group also targeted the oil company Aramco, targeting facilities in Ras Tanura, Rabigh, Yanbi and Jizan.

The Yemeni Civil War is currently in its 7th year. According to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), 112,000 people have been killed since the conflict started. This includes 12,600 civilians which have been killed in targeted attacks. According to the Yemen Data Project, air raids alone have resulted in the 18,569 civilian casualties. The UN, and other aid agencies, have described the conflict as world’s largest humanitarian crisis at the moment.

Blaze tears through swathes of Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp, Bangladesh Laurence Mckenzie A large fire has broken out in Balukhali camp on Monday afternoon claiming the lives of 15 with that number likely to rise in the coming days. An estimated 400 people remain missing in the aftermath whilst the UNHCR says that nearly 50000 are likely to have been displaced once again.

In what is often said to be the largest refugee camp in the world, fires are not all uncommon, but the size and ferocity of the blaze is unprecedented.

Sk Rasel, an ex-employee of the RRRC who manage areas of the camp, who worked in the nearby Ukhiya area told The Badger that the “houses are commonly built with bamboo” leaving them susceptible to fire damage.

“

The fire is reported to have damaged important infrastructure in addition to homes, amongst them three major hospitals. This dramatically reduces the capability to cope with the UNHCRs initial estimates of 550 injured.

He adds that “now we are in the fire season”, strong winds and high temperatures in Bangladesh this time of year mean that fires are commonplace.

Members of the Rohingya community have been trained in working with the FSCCD (a

Mohammad Tauheed Bangladeshi emergency response team) to put out fires and bring the camp’s residents to safety.

UNICEF estimates that around half of the camp’s residents are children and particularly vulnerable to these fires. It is yet unknown how many children have been separated from their families in the chaos that ensued, though three children are confirmed to be amongst those who lost their lives.

The fire is reported to have damaged important infrastructure in addition to homes, amongst them three major hospitals. This dramatically reduces the capability to cope with the UNHCRs initial estimates of 550 injured.

The area of the camp affected by the blaze is said to house around 124,000 refugees. Some media outlets have reported the use of barbed wire around the

camp as a contributing factor to the chaos created by the fire.

Shah Rezwan Hayat, the Bangladesh refugee commissioner assured Aljazeera that the fences haven’t “hampered rescue efforts” and that free access to roads in and out of the camp enabled rescue vehicles to enter with ease.

“

In what is often said to be the largest refugee camp in the world, fires are not all uncommon, but the size and ferocity of the blaze is unprecedented.

Fleeing a military crackdown on the Muslim minority group, Monday’s fire marks a new chapter of suffering for Rohingya refugees, thousands of whom have found themselves once again displaced.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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News Where You’re Not

Grace Curtis, News Sub-Editor, reviews some of the big stories from across the country

Shetland, Scotland - Electric cars able to be fully powered by the sea

Shetland

In a first for the UK, electric cars in Shetland can now be fuelled only by the power of the sea. Tidal turbines, provided by the company Nova Innovation, have been powering the local area for more than five years. The company has now created an electric vehicle charge point where drivers can fill up their cars using tidal energy. The CEO of Nova Innovation, Simon Forrest, said that this innovation could change the way power is used in the UK in the future. He said: “we now have the reality of tidal-powered cars, which demonstrates the huge steps forward we are making in tackling the climate emergency and achieving net zero by working in harmony with our natural environment”.

Suffolk – Ed Sheeran painting raises £51,000 for charity A colourful painting created by 30-year-old musician Ed Sheeran has raised more than £51,000 as part of a fundraiser for the Cancer Campaign in Suffolk (CCiS) charity. The abstract artwork, called Splash Planet, was won

by American Claire Faynor, who paid £20 for a raffle ticket. Ms Faynor said she “genuinely didn’t believe it” when she found out that she won the prize. In a video message provided by the singer, Sheeran said: “The painting is one of mine, one of the big splashy ones that you saw in the Afterglow cover.”

Hartlepool – Museum aims to obtain ‘definitive’ sword collection A historic collection of 300 weapons, including Admiral Lord Nelson’s sword, could be brought to the Hartlepool region if a bid to purchase it is successful.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy wants to display the collection should a sale be agreed upon. According to the BBC, this has been described as a “once in a generation” chance to secure the “definitive collection” of hand-to-hand naval combat weaponry. The collection, which dates back to the 17th to the mid-19th Century, includes swords, axes and other weapons historically used to board and capture ships. Lord Nelson’s sword would be one of the “stars” of the exhibition. Dominic Tweddle, director-general of the museum, said that: “Nelson carried it in every battle that you see him depicted in - it’s always the sword that he’s got.”

Pembrokeshire - Walrus spotted “chilling” on Welsh cliff

Penbrokeshire

A walrus – who are only usually seen wild in the Arctic - made headlines this week when it was spotted at the bottom of a Welsh cliff. It is assumed to be the same animal seen just days earlier off the coast of Ireland. The walrus was spotted near Broad Haven South beach, Pembrokeshire, on 19 March.

Cleopatra Browne, of Welsh Marine Life Rescue, rushed to the scene where the walrus was “sat there, chilling”. She said: “It was about the size of a cow”. “It was a whopper. I’ve seen them on telly and the news but it was huge.”

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London – Nightclubs fear bouncer shortage could delay reopening Some London venues, including popular bars and nightclubs, have warned that they may not be able to open as planned after the lift of all restrictions in June if they cannot hire enough bouncers. The UK Door Security Association (UKDSA) has said that many security staff have moved into other work since nightlife was first shut down last March. Additionally, many staff who are not UK nationals may have returned to their home countries following Brexit and the pandemic.

Suffolk Stuart Glen, who runs The Cause, a nightclub in north London, said: “I imagine it’s going to be more pressured when we London reopen”. “When we go back on 21 June every operator in our field, every festival, nightclub, bar, restaurant, theatre, every event has been gagging to get back on track and suddenly everyone is going to say we need security staff.”

Want to find your inner journalist?

Come to our Zoom Writers’ Meeting!

Wednesdays 12pm - details on social media.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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9 Alcohol in the age of lockdown

Emma Norris For me, lockdown one and two were defined by zoom calls with friends and a few too many gin and tonics. I have been on furlough on and off for a year now and so, with the responsibility of having to get up for work and university essentially being abolished, I seized the opportunity of a summer filled with cider and cheap wine.

As I am sure is the case for many students, our social life is somewhat defined by alcohol - you would not catch me dead at an event after 7pm that didn’t involve a drink of some kind prepandemic. This is not to say that my drinking was ever a problem, merely just the effect of being a young student in a buzzing city full of clubs and bars.

In lockdown three however, my attitude began to shift. After a friend recommended it to me a year prior, I read ‘the unexpected joy of being sober’ and this forced me to reconsider my relationship with alcohol. Of course, I am not trying to demonise alcohol – I am far from

sober and I think that there is nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks, I still do!

For me though, after Christmas I began to see alcohol as a tool to numb the bore of lockdown, something to liven up the drag of January and the stress of online university. I know that this is not just an attitude that I have; in pandemic times most people I have spoken to would agree that a little drink works as the perfect way to motivate and bring some kind of fun into the lockdown days.

As a Guardian article sums up, ‘During lockdown, drinking has become a worryingly easy way

to punctuate the day’. It had become increasingly clear to me that alcohol was perhaps not the healthiest way to blur the drag of lockdown and was beginning to impair my ability to have good and meaningful interactions with my housemates.

I began to fear that a lot of my social life was artificial, simply a booze fuelled pretence that I would inevitably forget about the following day. Whilst I certainly wasn’t dependant on alcohol, I began to feel that I may find more joy in drinking less.

So how exactly has it been, cutting down on alcohol in our third national lockdown? Cer-

tainly a mixed bag in my case.

Physically, I feel great; gone are the days waking up with a horrible hangover and a messy house to clean up.

In a similar sense, I am getting myself into far fewer embarrassing situations – no more oversharing, attempting a strange party trick that will inevitably go wrong or deciding to go live on Instagram at 1am. In this sense, cutting down has been great; I have more energy, am finding myself far more productive and importantly, having far fewer moments that I go on to regret the next morning.

It is not easy though; I suffer chronically with FOMO and let me tell you, there have been moments in the past month that this has been at an all-time high.

The feeling when my housemates are laughing downstairs and I have had to take myself to bed at 11pm is something that I am training myself to get used to; part of cutting down your alcohol intake is inevitably accepting that you are going to miss out on things and that is okay.

My attitude towards alcohol is always reinforced for me when I wake up the next day feeling great and next to me, my girlfriend has a throbbing headache. My flatmates and I still have so much fun together, I just skip the drinking bits.

My intention with this article is not to preach to you that alcohol is the devil, to be avoided at all costs. If you feel like your relationship with alcohol is healthy and there is no need to change it then that’s great, no judgement here.

However if, like me, you find yourself beginning to question whether alcohol is really the one for you or if drunk you is not the version of yourself that you want to be, I would really urge you to take a step back and reconsider your relationship with it.

This doesn’t mean giving up entirely, even just adopting a few designated sober days every week can have a meaningful impact on your physical and mental health. For me, I still enjoy a drink every so often, but I am no longer letting it define my social life.

Why we should ban fast fashion Stevie Palmer The reasons why the fast fashion industry should be banned are endless. In short, there is far more wrong with it than there is right. Blatant disregard for people and the environment in order to maximise profit is how the industry runs, as such, it can never be changed. Here are the fundamental reasons why I believe it should be banned.

Studies have found that the fast fashion industry is the biggest polluter of water, with some brands disposing of their returned and un-bought items by dumping them into the ocean.

The plastic microfibres that makeup our clothing are released into the oceans upon submerging and are one of the largest plastic pollutants of the ocean.

We’re constantly reminded of the harmful effects of plastic in the ocean from killing aquatic life to the implacable effect it has on marine ecosystems. If we were to ban fast fashion, we would remove one of the largest plastic polluters from the ocean making a large impact on the preservation of our world natural beauties.

If killing the oceans wasn’t enough, the fast fashion indus-

PIXNIO try is also the second biggest industry for water usage, with one pair of jeans requiring an average of 7600 litres of water.

Recent statistics show that 844 million people globally don’t have access to clean water, with a human requiring 3-4 litres of water a day.

The clean water used to manufacture of a pair of jeans is equivocal to 211 people’s daily drinking water, thus, with the banning of fast fashion and the redistribution of the water that fast fashion uses, enormous steps to increasing access to clean water for everyone could be achieved.

Not only does the industry show no regard for the environment, it also shows none for the

workers within their factories.

Less than 2% of workers in the fast fashion industry earn a basic living wage. Some workers earn as little as $95 per month, for a 60-70-hour week. For comparison, the average teacher earns around £2,500 a month for 47 hours of work a week.

With 97% of outsourcing by the industry going to the developing world, the accessibility for exploitation is far greater, due to selection of regions with greater impoverished citizens, as the industry claims they are ‘helping’ such citizens by giving them work – this is not the case.

Aside from extremely low and inadequate pay, working conditions are extremely poor. This is exemplified by the fire at a fast

fashion warehouse in Cairo, in March this year, killing 22 people and injuring 24.

Other examples of poor infrastructural conditions leading to fires can be seen in Bangladesh in 2013 and Tazreen in 2012 which led to over 1,0000 cumulative deaths. It is not only poor infrastructural conditions which have led to death, but inadequate working conditions and equipment has led to life threatening health conditions and death for thousands of workers.

Fast fashions enthusiasts will argue that despite these past events, the industry is moving towards becoming more sustainable with the introduction of ‘conscious lines’ in retailers such as ASOS. However, due to the nature of fast fashion, and the desire for mass production and overconsumption for profit, it can never be sustainable.

The ploy of the ‘semi-sustainable’ clothing is a façade that the industry projects in order to appease its more environmentally friendly consumers, and, overall, continue to increase their profit off the back of exploitative labour.

Some may argue that we need fast fashion in our society as it’s cheaper than buying sustainable

clothing and makes us feel good.

My response to this is twofold.

Firstly, due to the built-in policy of planned obsolescence, fast fashion items are not durable in the long run, the poorquality materials meaning they break quickly. Whilst at face value sustainable clothes are more expensive, they will last longer due to the better-quality materials. Furthermore, sustainable doesn’t always mean expensive, buying second-hand clothes and up-cycling can be even cheaper than fast fashion.

Secondly, if getting new clothes makes people feel empowered and good about themselves, then let us try and empower the people who make the clothes and buy from sustainable fashion. We live in a consumer driven society, where material possessions equal happiness. Fast fashion is one of the biggest fuelers of such consumption habits. If fast fashion was banned it may steer people to find happiness and empowerment elsewhere.

In light of these arguments, I struggle to see why anyone could not want to ban fast fashion. If you care about the environment, people and basic human rights then you’ll agree that fast fashion needs to go!

The Badger 29th March 2021

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97 and me Jess Hake Arts Co-Editor [TW: This article contains reference to sexual violence] Pulling off my muddied shoots and making a cup of tea before falling into bed, having just gotten back from the Brighton protest against the policing bill, is where you can currently imagine me. A little tired but quite satisfied with my attempt to protect our right to protest, something that 2020 and these past few weeks have reiterated the desperate need for.

For those of you whose social media algorithm hasn’t informed them of the #reclaimthesestreets movement initiated after International Women’s’ day and release of the 97%, I’ll hit you with the keynotes. A UN Women UK survey found that 97% of women in the UK aged 18 – 24 had been sexually harassed and 80% of women of all ages had experienced sexual harassment in a public space. As such, catalysing the executive director of UN Women UK to call a “human rights crisis” in the UK regarding sexual harassment and male violence. You would assume on the hearing of those statistics that there would be an outpouring of empathy and shock from all persons, right? No.

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When you pair male violence and rape culture together, you see a cyclic nature where rape culture normalises male violence and male perceived ownership of women’s bodies. As a result, legitimizing sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

On the release of the information surrounding normalisation of rape culture and widespread male violence the hashtag that went viral was #notallmen. And shock? No. 97% is an accurate statistic; no women was truly shocked by that. Much like the death of Sarah Everard, there was grief and sadness - but no shock. ‘We are all Sarah Everard, but we made it home’ is probably the best way to sum it up – we accept the reality of Everard’s death every time we walk home alone. It’s a numbers game.

There seems to be confusion around the movement towards the end of male violence and rape culture and, for the most part, the resistance is seeming to come from men. “98.5% of rapists [are] identified as men” and in 2019 “about 85% of peo-

Flickr

ple [sentenced for violent crime] were men” – the issue of male violence affects all genders, including men. There is awareness that men experience sexual assault as well as other genders; however, when it’s 1.4 million women to 87,000 men who have experienced rape or assaulted rape according to the ONS in the year ending March 2020, there is going to be a focus on male violence towards women.

ity of rape culture – 20% of men changed their answer when rape was explicitly mentioned because they perceived rape to be wrong, yet the actions of rape (when not defined as rape) were acceptable to them, even normal. No, it isn’t all men; however, it’s a lot of you. Like Daniel Sloss said, if 9 out of 10 men do noth-

ing that 1.4 million women have been raped in contrast to the 87, 000 of men though does highlight the need to focus on male sexual violence towards women.

Coupled with this, “Men get raped too” implies that women talking on this subject are uneducated on the reality of rape and are under an illusion. What this

ing when they see sexual assault and harassment then they may as well not be there.

does is reinforce the infantilization and patronisation of women, suggesting they’re uneducated and invalid on the subject they’re talking about. This contributes to male perception of women that plays a huge part in the normalisation and acceptance of rape culture.

“Not all men”

All men, unless active in challenging the ideology, perpetuate and benefit the reality of rape culture. No, not all men rape but when 97% of women experience sexual harassment and 1.4 million of you have been raped, there is no way for us to differentiate between you too.

Therefore, as a safety mechanism we presume it could be any of you (because it could) and act accordingly. Not all men?

According to a study of male students attending the University of North Dakota, 1 in 3 men would rape a woman if they knew they could get away with it. Interestingly the researchers determined this through asking “[would you] force a woman into sexual intercourse if [you] knew you wouldn’t get caught and there wouldn’t be any consequences?”. The interestingness comes later, when we find out that only 13% of participants said they would rape if they could get away with it – the explicit use of “rape” reduced the number quite drastically (though 13% is still awfully worryingly high). This semantic difference highlights the real-

“Men get raped too”

Men do get raped and male rape is just as traumatic as rape on other genders. The bonding factor with rape is that over 80% of all rapists are men. So, the argument “men get raped too” doesn’t actually help – it just furthers rape culture, ends the discussion, creates conflict, all the while male violence remains normal. Male violence is a threat to all genders, including men.

The aforementioned fact show-

“Boys will be boys”

This phrase removes any responsibility that men may have for their actions. It suggests that men and women are inherently different in regard to behaviour and actions, which in reality is not true. Through a gendered

society (binary) that creates separate spheres for men and women (due to the colonial institution of the gender binary), we (society) perceive men and women to be inherently different and justify unjustifiable actions due to their assigned sex at birth. The female equivalent of this phrase is “bitches be crazy” – an incredibly sexist phrase that reinforces infantilization and hyper-emotional nature of women. The notion “boys will be boys” reinforces rape culture through the acceptance and normalisation of sexist behaviour directed towards women.

Manifestation of this can be seen with the Everyday Sexism research that suggested only 1 in 5 of the 52% of women who experienced sexual harassment at work had reported it. Even worse, out of that ‘1 in 5’, three quarters said nothing changed and 16% said they faced negative repercussions, being treated worse as a result.

The pyramid of sexual violence was proposed by the University of Alabama and is a great way to visualise and understand how sexist attitudes lead to physical expressions of violence. Slut shaming, strict gender roles, bragging, objectification and ‘locker room banter’ leads to a normalization of violence. This violence being manifested through catcalling, following and non-consensual photo sharing. This then establishes a foundation where groping, stalking and sexual coercion are acceptable. With the established we then see manifestation of these sexist beliefs through physical expressions of violence. Sexual assault, sexual assault and covert condom removal enables the second set of violence (gang rape, murder and femicide).

When you pair male violence and rape culture together, you see a cyclic nature where rape culture normalises male violence and male perceived ownership of women’s bodies. As a result, legitimizing sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

Now, with all that said I’ll leave you to think on it and start having those awkward conversations with friends and family as you start to notice problematic behaviour that promotes rape culture. Although this is a heavy topic with real-life consequences – this is all fixable! And with that hopeful thought I think it’s time for me to say goodnight (protesting really does take it out of you).

The Badger 29th March 2021

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The highs and lows of ‘Foodstagram’ How much responsibility do we as content consumers have in navigating the online food Charlotte Pringle I assume that most people are aware of what ‘foodstagram’ is – the side of Instagram that is full of pictures and reels of avocado toast and Gigi Hadid’s penne a la vodka recipe. And whilst there is a general consensus that Instagram as a whole seems to do more bad than good for mental health – including eating disorders – there has recently been an interesting dialogue within the ‘foodstagram’ community in regards to content that could be potentially triggering to people who struggle with disordered eating.

I started my food Instagram page about 6 months ago in lockdown when I was going through a particularly rough patch in regard to my eating disorder. This particular struggle was with orthorexia, where I lost 10 pounds in under three weeks and was only eating vegetables and proteins, even fruit I deemed to be too sugary and ‘unhealthy’. My Instagram page motivated me to pull myself away from this strict and unhealthy diet, because I began to really enjoy actually cooking for the first time ever.

I was excited to try new foods and recipes in order to create varied content for my followers who were commenting and praising how yummy my meals looked – and my page was growing quickly! By Christmas I had over 1000 followers and offers from small brands to sponsor me and restaurants wanting to give me free food in exchange for a review. I used this growing platform as my personal motivation to eat, so that when I made my meal, I could share a picture or a reel of it and that was my content for the day – two birds with one stone!

The recent controversy that was widely discussed on ‘foodstagram’ was in regards to ‘What I Eat In A Day’ (WIEIAD) reels and videos. I was shocked by this initially – these videos were probably the content from other creators that I enjoyed watching the most, and they definitely encouraged me to eat more than anything else. Watching what someone else ate for the day was truly therapeutic to me.

They would stop me from feeling guilty for what I ate during that day, stop me from limiting my portions and skipping meals and made me realise that when I ate three meals and three snacks in a day – that was actually NORMAL and I shouldn’t feel shame

Marco Verch or guilt. Eventually I started to make a few of these WIEIAD videos myself, hoping that they would help others as they helped me. These videos were motivating for me personally, so I didn’t initially understand the sudden demonisation of them after a post blew up and was being reposted a fair amount within the food Instagram subcommunity.

The post in question was originally posted by @talkintofu and featured a pie chart showing

consume the responsibility of an influencer, and how much responsibility does the individual viewer/viewer have?

My main confusion surrounding triggering content was that triggers are completely subjective. It is essentially impossible to post anything that mentions or shows food without there being the possibility of someone finding it triggering and harmful to their mental health. The notion that WIEIAD videos were

Toronto Eaters ‘When To Post a “What I Eat In a Day”’ with the sections of the chart being labelled ‘never’, ‘still never’ and ‘just don’t’. Where it went on to say “As a content creator you have a responsibility to your followers…. What you put out there influences people.

Hence the title, ‘influencer’.” But to what extent is content we

suddenly ‘wrong’ to post, yet posting any other type of food content was acceptable and people who did post them were being criticised for being ‘irresponsible’ didn’t make sense to me. At my worst even a picture of food could have triggered me.

For example, seeing someone eat pasta with courgetti, whilst I

was eating regular pasta - all of a sudden I would feel ‘unhealthy’. I had to make the decision to unfollow accounts who accidentally posted content which could trigger me and I also occasionally took week long breaks from the food community when I was feeling my lowest. I felt it was unfair that people were being demonised for posting content that helped with their individual recovery – it’s a double edged sword.

Now, it goes without saying that I believe that Instagram can be triggering – and I think most would agree. However, the main focus of this article is to portray that there are also occasions where Instagram and the communities within can in fact benefit people. There are of course examples of people jumping on the bandwagon when it comes to positive content and making these things toxic. Such as WIEIAD videos which included individuals showing off their flat stomachs – where a mostly safe and useful type of content can become the opposite. In my opinion, these videos were tone deaf and the creators were irresponsible in sharing such content with their followers. But on the other hand, we all play a part in who we follow and the content that we consume. We can’t force a creator to post things that cater to our own personal wants and needs, although creators should be mindful, how achievable is this in reality?

With this in mind, during the height of the discussion online

I did a poll asking what my followers thought of WIEIAD videos. The results showed that 23% of people agreed that WIEIAD videos should no longer be posted, whilst the 77% majority disagreed. After this I made a post expressing my stance to my followers in regards to the situation, allowing them to decide whether or not to continue following me. Interestingly I actually gained followers over this period rather than losing them, as I had initially expected. My personal stance was - and remains - that WIEIAD videos are good content as long as they show a healthy, balanced diet.

With the videos essentially being the same as posting pictures of what you eat in the day (the whole purpose of ‘foodstagram’).

Both could be equally triggering to someone, which is why I would encourage anyone who finds them even the smallest bit triggering to unfollow accounts such as myself. However, in light of this I did refrain from posting WIEIAD videos as often and shifted to posting more recipes instead!

“

The recent controversy that was widely discussed on ‘foodstagram’ was in regards to ‘What I Eat In A Day’ (WIEIAD) reels and videos. I was shocked by this initially – these videos were probably the content from other creators that I enjoyed watching the most, and they definitely encouraged me to eat more than anything else.

I encourage all content creators whether it be food, fashion, lifestyle etc to be as mindful and responsible as possible. But ultimately, we as content consumers must recognise that we are the only people who can stop ourselves from viewing triggering content, by unfollowing accounts and not involving ourselves in certain communities online. It is also important to remind ourselves that triggers are in fact subjective, and what one person may find triggering and upsetting may be motivating and encouraging for another. To ban or cancel certain ‘foodstagram’ content would be a to deny people vital recovery tools. What works for one will not work for another, but a better understanding of this will help build a healthier more mindful online ‘foodstagram’ community.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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How companies market gambling to children Michael Bernardi Since the popularisation of mobile games, the practice of gambling has permeated through to the gaming industry, presenting many ethical dilemmas that need to be resolved. Primarily, the largest debate surrounding the implementation of gambling within video games is that of “loot boxes”, which can be defined as ‘features in video games which may be accessed through gameplay, or purchased with in-game items, virtual currencies, or directly with real-world money.

Currently, only four countries have outlawed and regulated the use of gambling strategies within video games being Belgium, Japan, China, and the Netherlands – I argue that Britain ought to be next.

Although gambling is an adult activity, gambling strategies in video games can only be classified as predatory, to which the primary example I will use is Electronic Art’s (EA) FIFA. To give context, the loot box equivalent within FIFA is “Ultimate Team Packs”, a system that allows the player to use in-game

or real-world currency in exchange for the opportunity to receive a random set of players for in-game use. The general trend is that the better the player, the lower the odds you have of attaining them.

The reason why I argue this is objectively bad is because FIFA as a game is rated PEGI 3, meaning that theoretically a child who is just three years old can be exposed to gambling practices which can a) potentially contribute to the development of a gambling addiction as they grow older and b) easily spiral out of control, for the child has no understanding of the value of money. Zoe Kleinman of the BBC reported a case of a child who spent over £3000 in FIFA packs

unbeknownst to their parents, clearly highlighting how easy it is for a child to make online purchases.

Within the 2018 Environment and Communications References Committee, Dr Marcus Carter highlights that it is possible for loot boxes to be ‘configured with variable odds’, which are directly related to how much money is spent on a specific player’s account. Not only does this contribute to the “Gambler’s Fallacy”, that is, ‘the expectation that the probability of winning increases with the length of an ongoing run of loses’, but loot boxes specifically are especially dangerous because there exist no real-world barriers to access.

Moreover, the Victorian Re-

sponsible Gambling Federation (VRGF) has identified that loot boxes share the following similarities with poker machines: Both use random rewards to reinforce player interaction.

Both are associated with chasing losses.

Both have high levels of accessibility and availability; and Both are accompanied by audio and visual stimulation.

Despite how clearly loot boxes appear to be a form of gambling, there are a few key reasons as to why they are not. Primarily, the reason why they are not considered to be gambling is because loot boxes cannot be cashed out or exchanged for real-world money. However, just because the loot boxes themselves are non-transferable, that does not mean the content within them is of the same nature. In other words, EA is currently undergoing allegations of employees illegally selling individual player cards for up to £1200. This highlights how virtual products are coveted by consumers, to which the video game industry has not hesitated to capitalise on this shift; the law however does not perceive virtual products to

hold any worthwhile monetary value, meaning that the practice of loot boxes is unlikely to be classified as a gambling activity.

In light of this, there are some things that can be done on an individual level that can protect any children you know that may be exposed to gambling practices in video games. Firstly, you can password protect or simply remove any bank account details that may exist on the child’s console, phone, or computer.

Although the child will still be able to buy loot boxes with ingame currency, removing any card details will prevent any over expenditures. If, however, you are more concerned with the long-term psychological impact loot boxes can have on the child, it may be worth considering removing the game altogether. Although there is not sufficient evidence to prove that the exposure to loot boxes to children increases their odds at becoming addicted to gambling in general, it is clear that loot boxes do not exist for the benefit of the consumer, but rather act as constant feeds of capital – EA alone made almost £3 billion from loot boxes alone in 2020.

Oscar nominations 2021: Most diverse yet Roxanna Wright The Oscar nominations for 2021 are out and they have broken records in terms of its diversity, finally! This year’s Academy Awards is a massive breakthrough for minority groups, including people of certain religions, women, and ethnic minority groups such as Asians and black people. But how come this year there has been such a big and brilliant change in the Academy Awards nominations? Is this from the announcement of the new diversity requirements?

The events of 2020? Or was the last year just a particularly astounding year in terms of films or lead roles for minority groups in Hollywood?

The Oscars 2021 nominations are the most diverse yet with nine of the twenty acting nominees from ethnic minority backgrounds. Six black actors and actresses are nominated, which equals the record set back in 2017. Furthermore, for the best picture award, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ is a nominee which is the first film nominated ever with an allblack line-up of producers. As well as this, Yuh-Jung Youn is the first South Korean actress

Marco Verch REUTERS to get an Oscar nomination and Riz Ahmed is the first actor of Pakistani descent to get a nomination. On top of more diversity in terms of ethnicity, Riz Ahmed is also the first-ever Muslim to be nominated for the ‘Best Actor’ award. Women are also being represented more in this year’s awards as two women have been nominated for ‘Best Director’ which is the first time more than one women has been nominated in the entirety of the Oscar’s history. It really is an astonishing line-up of nominations which will hopefully be

the start of a chain reaction of a more progressive and equal world, not just in film and television but in our Western society as a whole.

The Oscars have been labelled as racist for decades. One of the first times the Oscars was called out for its lack of representation of black people was

by Eddie Murphy in 1988 at the Oscars ceremony. In his speech he re-enacted a conversation he had with his manager after he received his invitation, stating “‘I’m not going [to the Oscars] because they haven’t rec-

ognized black people in motion pictures.’ After announcing that he initially declined the Oscar’s invitation because of its lack of representation of black people, he said, “I’ll probably never win an Oscar for saying this but, hey, what the hey, I gotta say it. Actually, I might not be in any trouble because the way it’s been going, every 20 years we get one, so we ain’t due [till] about 2004 — so by then, this will have all blown over.”. But wider conversations about this issue sprung in 2015, from the trending hashtag on Twitter, ‘#OscarsSoWhite’. #OscarsSoWhite, a hashtag first written by April Reign, was created due to the 2015 Oscars awarding all 20 acting nominations to white actors, for the second year in a row.

This sparked a massive reaction and since then, nominations have been more diverse, including awarding films like ‘Get Out’, ‘Coco’, ‘Black Panther’, and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. However, one fact that still stands is that only 24 black men have been nominated out of a total of 465 men for the best actor award.

2020 was a year for the Black lives Matter movement, which followed after the death of George Floyd, and this did lead

to many changes, especially in the media industry. The Oscars, following the Black lives Matter movement, created a new ‘diversity requirement’ which the nominations will have to abide by. The Academy established four broad representation categories: on-screen; among the crew; at the studio; and in opportunities for training and advancement in other aspects of the film’s development and release. To be considered for best picture, films will have to meet two of the four new standards.

However, these requirements were not supposed to take place until the 96th Academy Awards, held in 2024. So how come in 2021, so many records were being broken?

This leads me to believe that the Academy has finally recognised that they needed diversity and needed to give credit to people who are in minority groups, even if they are a few decades late to the party of equality. Or this could just be an anomaly of a year, and the 2022 awards will be back to the same white-dominated, misogynistic award ceremony which we have all witnessed for nearly a century.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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Remembering a revolution: Syria 10 years on News Editor Oliver Mizzi looks back on the Syrian revolution, highlighting the attempts of Syrians to attain dignity, freedom and democracy. *Content Warning: this article contains themes of physical violence and tourture*

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o think about Syria is to think about conf lict, refugees, and death. At least that is what has been ingrained into Western perceptions of the now 10-year war. But there’s another side to Syria. It’s not just a war that turned 10, it’s a revolution that turned 10.

Whilst war has become a reality in the country, it existed and unfortunately intertwined itself with a revolution that came before it. Remembering Syria isn’t just about remembering conf lict, refugees, and death, but it is also about remembering the attempt of Syrians to attain dignity, freedom, and a better kind of life. Forgetting such things undermines the sense of tragedy that revolves around the country today.

“

Remembering Syria isn’t just about remembering conflict, refugees, and death, but it is also about remembering the attempt of Syrians to attain dignity, freedom, and a better kind of life.

The revolution emerged at a time of regional revolt in the Middle East and North Africa. Many Syrians like Nour Ahmad (pseudonym) watched how Egyptians toppled long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak, a phenomenon that followed from Tunisia’s toppling of Ben Ali. For her: “when Egyptians started protesting I started paying attention, their revolution opened my eyes to the possibilities of something similar in Syria”.

Something similar did in fact start to emerge in Syria. There was growing anti-regime sentiment, and in the southern city of Darra, the regime had arrested a group of schoolboys for spray-painting anti-regime slogans. One such slogan said, ‘It’s your turn, doctor’. The doctor in question was Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, a trained ophthalmologist. Torture followed their arrest, and for many Syrians, torture was an all too real prospect that fed into a wall of fear that had stopped protests emerging earlier.

Kholoud Helmi, grew up on such stories. An old blind lady she once knew had lost her eyesight from weeping so much. Her son had been taken by the regime whilst collecting his university graduation papers, only being released after 23 years; 2 years after his mother had died. People knew of the consequences of protesting. To say the words ‘the people demand the fall

syriana2011

“

of the regime’ “before 2011 was like a suicide” says Mazen Hassoun. Yet the events in Darra ensured the slogan would be adopted.

The incident in Darra provoked a crisis. The torture of schoolkids, and the regime’s dismissive response towards their parents, provoked a protest on March 18. The regime fired on protestors leading to the first martyrs of the revolution. Many people, including Bassam Barabandi, “hoped Assad will listen to the people and act in a different way than Yemen and Libya[n] leaders did at that time… but we were dreaming and did not think we’ll face a nightmare”.

In a speech to parliament on March 30, Assad blamed foreign enemies that worked to undermine Syria’s stability, and stated “The Holy Qur’an says, ‘sedition is worse than killing’, so all those involved intentionally or unintentionally in it contribute to destroying their country”.

Not only did this set the tone for the regime’s response to protests, it expanded the crisis in Darra nationally.

For Mazen, who was 15 years old and living in Raqqa at the time, watching protestors chanting for dignity and freedom, only to be fired upon, ensured he joined protests too: “There is no motive stronger than that to make you do something. So, I went out to [the] streets and started organizing protests with some friends”.

Kholoud felt the same: “To hear people protesting in the streets for the first time in your life calling for freedom, democracy and supporting other Syrians in other cities raided by the regime was remarkable”.

Yet for Nour, the dangers were too real: “as a minor my father actively discouraged me from doing as little as liking pro revolution Facebook pages let alone participate in an actual protest that would get me arrested in Assad’s torture dungeons in which my

fate would be similar to Hamza”.

To hear people protesting in the streets for the first time in your life calling for freedom, democracy and supporting other Syrians in other cities raided by the regime was remarkable.

Hamza Ali al-Khatib was a 13-year old schoolboy from Darra. Tortured by the regime, his body was delivered to his family bruised, with markings of cigarette burns, gun shot wounds and genital mutilation. At the time of his detention in late April, Darra was under siege by the regime, and his death was one of hundreds.

Even though repression increased, so did civil activism. Across Syria protestors sang songs in defiance of the regime, and in solidarity with other cities. Songs such as “Come on, leave Bashar”, or “Oh Homs, we are with you till death”, and “The Ba’athists went crazy when we asked for freedom” were all sung in various protests.

“

Even though repression increased, so did civil activism. Across Syria protestors sang songs in defiance of the regime, and in solidarity with other cities Witty songs were just the tip of the iceberg. A strong civil society began to emerge from the revolution. Muzna Dureid – still at school in southern Damascus – was amongst those that participated in the revolutionary councils and organised protests. Two of her uncles, and three of her cousins had been arrested by the regime during the early protests. They too had been beaten whilst detained.

The town of Darayya, located just outside Damascus, gained infamy for its grassroots activity. Not only had the town offered roses to the Syrian army

that were deployed during early protests, it was infamous for its grassroots services such as schools, hospitals, soup kitchens and an underground library. Even the armed opposition were under the control of the revolutionary council – something that was unique in opposition-held Syria. Kholoud was a member of the revolutionary council, and co-founder of the local newspaper Enab Baladi.

Darayya would be the victim of a regime massacre in August 2012, and was besieged that November, witnessing heavy shelling, airstrikes and barrel bombs. The regime recaptured the town in August 2016. Kholoud’s brother has been detained by the regime since May 2012, and brother in law since September 2013. Since being displaced from Darayya, Kholoud still participates in revolutionary activity, campaigning for human rights, and continuing to publish Enab Baladi.

Regime brutality forced many to f lee. Muzna f led after one of her uncles was killed during a protest. Her brother was detained twice for helping injured protestors. One of those was at the airport before taking a f light out of Syria. In exile, Muzna co-founded the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, and from her residency in Canada, is a Liaison Officer for The White Helmets.

Nour f led Syria because her family supported the revolution and as a result, had been hounded by the regime.

Bassam was working at the Syrian embassy in Washington DC when the revolution occurred. He left in 2013 and founded People Demand Change Inc. He lost everything he had in Syria.

Mazen was from the first regional capital to be liberated from the regime – it had been taken by Syrian rebels in March 2013. He continued to participate in revolutionary activity, and one day, after painting democratic slogans on Raqqa’s walls, was injured in a Regime airstrike. He f led Raqqa after the city was captured by ISIS in January 2014. ISIS was known for targeting Syrian revolutionaries. He is now a Journalist based in Germany.

Although the revolution is on the backfoot, many believe there’s no other option. For Bassam “the revolution is like [an] historical auto correction”.

For Nour it restored her sense of national pride; for Mazen, his desire for dignity and freedom. For Muzna, it allowed her to reclaim her rights as a young woman. For Kholoud, it was “a re-birth”. “Once I read a novel for Khaled Al Husseini entitled: The Kite Runner and in it, the co-hero says once: ‘For you, a thousand times over’ and I can fully say, for this call for dignity and freedom, a thousand times over”.

The Badger 29th March 2021

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It’s A Sin: 700K people died from aids in 2019 Writer Madeline McGrath discusses why what we saw in It’s A Sin, remains painfully relevant in 2021.

W

hile we watch the world crying, and praising It’s a Sin we need to note that this is not a fictional story but the lives of real people, and some are still living that cruel life even in 2021. It’s A Sin, is no doubt a notable piece that is thought-provoking, but why did the UK take so long to acknowledge the HIV and AIDS pandemic. It’s a Sin is not a fictional, nor a complete story. It follows the characters through the cruelties of the AIDS pandemic in ‘80s London as they live through issues still faced in 2021. It’s a Sin is often described as emotional and thought-provoking. Why did it take the UK so long to acknowledge the HIV & AIDS pandemic? Why are people of marginalised races, sexualities, and genders invisibilised? What has still not changed in the forty years since the story’s starting point?

Dr Simon Watney, who lived through the pandemic in the ‘80s provided this commentary: “It’s A Sin is having such an impact not because it’s any good but simply because it’s the first public acknowledgement in this country that the epidemic ever happened in the first place. I suspect that any 5-hour fictional narrative would have triggered those same long pent-up memories of grief and loss and anger.”

It’s a sin that HIV education isn’t available to everyone Characters present different symptoms because HIV and AIDS does not directly kill you, it suppresses your immune system until you are unable to fight even common infections.

HIV enters your white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting germs such as Coronavirus. The virus gets inside the cell and becomes a part of it preventing it from fighting infections. AIDS is diagnosed when your CD4 count (a specific white blood cell) is extremely low.

It’s a sin that HIV/AIDS continue to be thought of as a “gay disease” It’s a Sin follows the sexual exploits of everyone but Jill, the only female main character. We have to wonder why the female character, the black - female - character was sexually repressed in favour of a caretaker role.

This is considering that some of the male characters identify as bisexual and thus have sex with women, but there is no mention of the impact on women. This is a chronic and harmful issue not only is it stigmatizing the disease as only a gay problem for the gay community but it stops women from understanding their risk.

By not understanding their risk, women are more at risk for late diagnosis which means increased health risk, early death and more transmission.

Late diagnosis means your white blood cell count is dangerously low.

On average a person lives for three to five years undiagnosed. People living

with HIV are the most infectious in the first few months after being infected.

It’s common to have no symptoms immediately after infection.

People of colour and immigrants are the most at risk for late detection.

Heterosexual men are also at high risk.

The fear of being associated with the gay disease killed people and continues to kill people of all genders and sexual orientations.

SPOILER It’s again interesting the series chose to exclude the people of colour from the martyr character, considering that the majority of people dying from AIDS are people of colour in lower-income countries. The show continues the idea that only white gay men die from AIDS which has always been far from the truth.

It’s a sin that AIDS is 100% preventable but people are still dying AIDS is the syndrome resulting from HIV. By treating HIV we can prevent AIDS. Antiretroviral treatment (ART) protects white blood cells from the virus, preventing sickness and transmission. Despite the success of this treatment, the cost of the drug continues to rise as pharmaceutical companies profit. Individuals and governments have no choice but to pay unethical and ridiculous prices. 12.6 million people are still waiting for treatment, dying in horrible and painful ways just like the characters on It’s a Sin.

you can get tested and there are even opportunities to use take-home tests.

While many countries have adopted free testing and treatment for citizens, they often leave out important sectors of migrants and the disadvantaged causing an increased risk for everyone. In the UK undocumented migrants have difficulties registering with a GP and understanding NHS entitlement rules. Globally 7.1 million people still need access to HIV testing.

It’s a sin that not everyone had access to preventative medication PrEP is a tablet taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting HIV. Taking PrEP blocks HIV from entering your cells even if exposed. Studies have shown no transmission when PrEP is taken correctly. Studies by the WHO shows the effectiveness of PrEP in reducing HIV transmission among heterosexual couples, men who have sex with men, transgender women, highrisk heterosexual couples, and people who inject drugs.

It’s a Sin celebrates the joy of a sex life, but it’s missing one important element. A joyful sex life needs the proper conditions to be healthy.

Post Exposure - PEP- NOT the HIV Emergency Option PEP is a combination of HIV drugs that can stop the virus from entering white blood cells. It is meant for emer-

SPOILER: In It’s a Sin, we witnessed what happens when someone is afraid and out of options. Richie avoids treatment, and then he continued to have unprotected sex despite his status, killing multiple people.

Like characters in It’s a Sin, shame keeps people from believing they deserve treatment, love and affection.

The lack of access to care compounds these feelings and it gives strength to the disease. The sex you love doesn’t have to kill you, it’s not a sin and everyone deserves the love and compassion to believe that.

Pre Exposure - PrEP, condoms and testing - It’s a sin that we have inadequate testing The UK has many free clinics where

gency use when PrEP and/or condom use fails. PEP must be taken within 72 hours, and ideally should be taken within 24 hours. PEP is not guaranteed protection.

The Terrance Higgins Trust provides resources to find free condoms, education, and sites for receiving PrEP and PEP. It’s a Sin that we do not have enough clean needle programs: A survey from Public Health England in 2016 found less than half 54% of people in the UK do not have adequate needles. Sharing used needles allows for the transmission of HIV. Some pharmacies issue basic needle packs and accept used products. Contact your pharmacy or the NHS helpline

for free confidential service (call 111.)

Very Well Mind provides resources for a variety of countries.

It’s a sin that we could eliminate HIV & AIDS but we don’t HIV is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age.

Gender inequalities, inaccessible services, and sexual violence increase women’s vulnerability. 15% of mothers are still unable to receive treatment to prevent transmission. Children account for 1.8 million people living with HIV. 95,000 children died from AIDSrelated deaths in 2019. Most of these people are living in lower-income countries with few resources.

It’s a sin that we allow 700,000 people to die from AIDS in 2019 Testing and treatment are so effective we could eliminate the virus, but instead we allow 700,000 people to die of a painful and horrible disease. It’s a Sin. Though the media is quick to clap for change we must wonder if anything has really happened or if this is just keyboard activism. From Simon “Dr Joseph Sonnabend [recently] died here in England …. Nobody on the planet played a more central role in the invention and promotion of Safer Sex, yet for all the supposedly earnest concern suddenly appearing out of nowhere in the British mass media after decades of indifference, and triggered

by It’s A Sin, Joe’s death went entirely unnoticed in the British national media, unlike the USA where there were long obituaries in many papers including the New York Times. So much for the real interest in AIDS on the part of British journalists beyond the gay press.”

He continues: “There has been far less change in this country than most people prefer to imagine, as even a cursory glance at the front pages of the newspapers on sale in any newsagent in the land on any day of the week will alas regularly confirm.”

This is supported by figures that show that one in five people diagnosed reported being excluded from family events because of their HIV status in the UK. The greed of corporations keeps medication from those who need it, and the shame keeps us from demanding change. Just like in the 80s the world is ok with who is dying, in the 80s it was gay men, now it is people of colour in low-income countries. Many are afraid of standing up and demanding change because of stigmas and shame. Shame continues to surround the disease and it’s allowing HIV to continue to kill.

Shame is killing our women. Shame is killing our children. Shame is killing our people. It’s a sin and it can be stopped the moment we start caring enough to demand it.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Features

15

The Gift of Aging

Comment Online Sub-Editor, Libby Mills, discusses why aging is a thing we should embrace

Libby Mills Comment Online Sub-Editor

M

y friends and I recently received a bombardment of images from one of our friends of all our faces completely altered.

We were in hysterics at the amusement provided in the form of ‘FaceApp’ (this is not an #ad - I swear). However it was the aging filter that intrigued me the most. Suddenly, my 23 year old face was transformed into me as a 5 year old, a face I hadn’t seen in a while but one I certainly recognized.

Then came the options of ‘old’ or ‘cool old’. I couldn’t help but ease myself into a f lash-forward by first choosing ‘cool old’ - secretly hoping that’s what I will look like, because obviously I’m planning on being a ‘cool old’ person. A rather glam but older face looked back at me. ‘Me without kids?’ I thought to myself.

Then came the option of ‘old’, just plain ‘old’. This time looking back at me was something I found strangely comforting, a face that resembled parts of me now but also a face that reminded me so much of my mum’s.

“

After my dad passed away in 2012 from Multiple Sclerosis, I’ve had thoughts about how in our minds he’s visually frozen aged 49.

Over the few days that followed I sent my mum pictures of herself, my brother and I, as I was still finding it both amusing and intriguing. Then I realised I hadn’t aged my dad’s face.

Finding a photo I had on my phone I selected ‘old’ - and there it was. A face I knew I wouldn’t ever be able to see in real time. I hesitated sending it to my mum, but I knew she would want to see it. Before she even replied I knew what she was going to say.

After my dad passed away in 2012 from Multiple Sclerosis, I’ve had thoughts about how in our minds he’s visually frozen aged 49. I’ve even joked with my mum about how when she’s 80, she’ll be looking back at a rather young, handsome looking man - ‘you know that’ll make you a bit of a cougar mum?’ I’ve said to her.

So a picture of my dad looking older than any age we knew we would ever see him as, was more than just that. It was a reminder of the privilege in seeing yourself that old, seeing anyone that old.

The more I looked at my older face, the more I wanted to see it look like that and the more I became intrigued into why signs of aging are so intrinsically feared by our society.

Our youth-obsessed culture isn’t anything new.

Historically, the fascination and desire to appear youthful has been just as present as it is today. However, as uncovered by researchers Helle Rexbye and Jørgen Povlsen, what is new is that

Pexels ‘consumer culture has placed the ageing body in a dilemma of representation’.

Just as is the case with many marginalised groups within society, there is also an undeniable lack of representation of older bodies.

Within the world of beauty a young, white, cis-woman with eurocentric features has been narrated as the sole definition of beauty for decades, if not centuries.

However, this youthful ideal now continues to be further perpetuated with the age of social media. In 2019, the beauty industry was said to be worth $532 billion and by 2025 the Medical Aesthetics Market is estimated to be worth $22.2 billion.

Whilst makeup and beauty are by no means exclusively used by people to appear younger, there is undoubtedly usage in relation to wanting to appear ‘brighter’, to ‘glow’ and to be ‘radiant’ all connotations that exude the yearn-

still ‘young’. In 2018, Glamour explored the normalcy of cosmetic surgery, sharing statistics collected by global market researchers Mintel that “28% of 18-to 24-year-olds and 31% of 25to 34-year-olds have had some form of cosmetic treatment”.

In fact plastic surgeon Kambiz Golchin suggests the prime age to begin Botox is 25, since that’s when we start to lose collagen. Within the article Samantha Wilson, a blogger and Harley Street Skin advocate, shared how it had been her being a sunbed ‘tanoholic’ and its effects of premature skin ageing that first led her to seek Botox. Whilst Samantha’s experience resulted in ‘a frozen face and one eyebrow up in the air’, complications with specifically Botox are very rare and on the whole it is seen as a safe procedure.

However, there appears to be a clear priority when it comes to ageing signs of physical ageing seem to clear-

“

Piqsels

ing for youthfulness.

The fear of those first signs of aging has seen a new generation of people starting to engage with anti-aging products whilst they themselves are

glect ourselves as a whole.

To discuss how beauty and cosmetic procedures can be used to hide or prevent aging and not engage with the patriarchal inf luence within these ideals, would be merely impossible. In a time where choice feminism is both championed and questioned, host of podcast ‘Adulting’, writer and comedian Oenone Forbat has discussed her own considerations of Botox and fillers. On a post regarding choice feminism she wrote, “if any woman wanted to do pretty much anything - irrespective of whether or not it adhered to or opposed patriarchal structures - my response would basically be ‘as long as it’s your own informed decision, that’s a feminist act’.

But it’s not really, is it? … I’m just wondering it we should stop framing these as ‘feminist acts’ purely because we understand the context and choose to do it anyway.”

In other words, to simply embrace ageing is to not acknowledge the reasons why it is so feared to begin with.

However, the male gaze is not the only factor inf luencing our fear of age. Ageing is in direct conjunction with arguably our most existential fear - death.

However, the stark reality is we’re always getting closer to that moment regardless of how old someone is, as our lives all come to an end at different points.

ly outweigh the unseen internal ageing of our bodies. Problem? In a consumer culture so obsessed with youthfulness, we can become so fixated on avoiding any signs of physical aging that we ne-

Could it be that our desire to preserve the season where we blossom, is to subconsciously ease our fears of what comes with getting older?

Within his book ‘Denial of Death’ anthropologist Ernest Becker explored humanity’s anxieties surrounding death. He claimed that whilst selfawareness is a gift, it also harbours our fears of death. Existential psychiatrist Irvin Yalom also wrote “our existence is forever shadowed by the knowledge that we will grow, blossom and inevitability diminish and die” (Yalom 2008).

Not to get too morbid - but could it be that our desire to preserve the season where we blossom, is to subconsciously ease our fears of what comes with getting older? Perhaps. Yet as cliché as it sounds the very signs of ageing we try to prevent are the very signs that we have lived.

Some things in life are inevitable, and getting older is one of them. But for some people their ‘older’ is still young. I’m sure our cultural avoidance of death will always be present within us, particularly with our stiff upper lip - being British and the Botox - but the getting older ‘thing’ we try to diminish and deny, just might be the greatest privilege of them all.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Features

16

COVID Vaccine - A First Hand Account Lucy Evans Staff Writer

Staff Writer, Lucy Evans, discusses their experience of receiving the COVID vaccine

T

hroughout the past year, one thing almost everyone has wanted, and been waiting for, is a way out of this pandemic.

The vaccines were developed, tested, and rolled out within 10 months, and as of the time of writing, 24 million adults in the UK have received their vaccine. On Mother’s Day, I became one of those 24 million.

Being a biomedical science student, I’ve followed vaccine development closely. During Sixth Form I was lucky enough to go to events hosted by the Jenner Institute- the same group that developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, which I recieved. The UK was the first country to approve vaccinations, starting the rollout on the 8th December 2020, with Margaret Keenan receiving the first vaccine, at a Coventry Hospital.

Many people may feel as though the vaccine was rushed. It is true- this is a medical marvel of nothing to injections in less than a year. But it was possible due to the intense collaboration and need to end this pandemic.

Most vaccines have to go through intense bureaucratic processes.

Waiting for funding, finding trial participants, booking lab space. Due to the need for this vaccine, all hands have been on deck to produce them.

Labs globally are focusing on it, money is being pumped in, and members of the public are ready and willing to volunteer.

“

The whole experience felt relatively streamlined.

Being from near Oxford, I tried to volunteer for the AstraZeneca trial, however my services were not required. So I waited my turn and sat as my elderly grandparents received their vaccines in December, and my mother only 3 days before me.

Accessing the vaccine wasn’t the easiest thing. Calling up my new GP to make sure they knew about my underlying conditions so I could access it when needed. Receiving a text to book the vaccine… in Brighton, 120 miles away from where I currently am. Checking my NHS number on the booking site, for it to deny me day after day.

That is, until the Saturday before Mother’s Day. I immediately booked for the following day, at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, a mere 5 mile drive from where the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was developed.

The whole experience felt relatively streamlined. We were ushered to a parking spot, and I was directed to a queue of people, while my mother stayed in the car. I felt distinctly young- I have underlying health conditions so was able to access the vaccine early, at the same time as those

WikimediaComms in their 50s and 60s (like my mother).

Someone asked me if I had had a f lu jab that week, or had any covid symptoms, and asked me for proof that I was eligible- something that left a sour taste in my mouth, as surely if I were able to book, I was eligible.

I was ushered inside and directed to a bottle of hand sanitiser, then booked in. Up a staircase I went, and was again registered, then told to sit in chair number 15. I waited for a while, before being told I could queue up inside the vaccination room. A large room filled with numbered cubicles on the left, and first aid on the right. After more waiting (about 20 minutes in total), I was directed to a cubicle.

Here they asked you basic questionsname, NHS number, date of birth, any allergies etc. I joked with the vaccinator about my degree, and how I enjoy immunology.

They then got my arm prepped and gave me the vaccine.

empty sharps bin. Nothing super unusual for young me, but I hadn’t had this bad of a reaction to a vaccine in many years. The lovely nurses and doctor made sure I was okay (it was simply my body going into shock as it had done many times at needles, nothing to do with the vaccine itself), gave me some chewing gum, and kept an eye on me for a while. I then went back, found my mother, and went home.

“

The side effects weren’t amazing, but were nothing compared to what I’ve heard about experiencing covid itself. I had hot and cold chills, which made me sleep quite badly, then woke up the next day with a headache like I’d drunk a whole bottle of vodka the night before.

The side effects weren’t amazing, but were nothing compared to what I’ve heard about experiencing covid

WikimediaComms For reference, I have a history of poor reactions to vaccines, so for me this did not end well. I ended up passing out for about 30 seconds, before coming to and chucking my guts up into an

itself. I had hot and cold chills, which made me sleep quite badly, then woke up the next day with a headache like I’d drunk a whole bottle of vodka the night before.

Over the day my fever started to spike, so I took some painkillers and a very long shower- the only place I felt somewhat normal. I can definitely say that if you are able to, get your vaccine the day before a day which you don’t have much on.

Side effects can definitely vary, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I was still able to do a quick food shop, and 3 hours of uni work, but it was a push and I definitely wanted to stay in bed. It’s been well documented that younger people experience more side effects, as a result of our immune systems being more active, and in the sample size of two (that is myself and my mother), this was definitely true. The next day I was totally fine barring the slight arm tenderness that often goes along with vaccines. As my friend said- the side effects are definitely worth it as a tradeoff for not getting Covid.

“

There’s a lot of fear and trepidation about the vaccine, especially AstraZeneca.

I told a few friends I’d received the vaccine and was met with a lot of jealousy- I’m aware I’ve been very lucky, all things considered.

My second dose is in early June, meaning that by the provisional date of the 21st June for reopening, I’ll be fully vaccinated.

There’s a lot of fear and trepidation about the vaccine, especially AstraZeneca. Misinformation has been spread on social media, giving conspiracy theorists a field day.

However the day I received my jab, news broke of blood clots as a side effect of it. EU countries stopped giving the jab, from Norway, to the Netherlands, and many in between.

I can’t say I wasn’t worried,given my young age, and the fact I take a pill every day that has a non insignificant risk of clotting anyway (hello contraceptive pill).

The UK has not stopped the usage of the vaccine- in the UK, more than 11 million people have already received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and there has been no sign of excess deaths or blood clots occurring.

At the time of writing, 13 countries have stopped the use of it, while the WHO are asking countries to continue using it, after dismissing the increased risk.

One thing I can say I’ve taken from this process is some faith. Faith in the NHS, and that they are able to do all this incredible work. Faith in the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Faith in science- in the field I’m working so hard to get into. It’s very easy to get bogged down right now, but in getting my vaccine, I’ve regained a sense of promise in the future.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Arts • Books

17

2021 Literary Adaptation to Look Out For Molly Openshaw & Robyn Cowie Books & Arts Co-Editor Here is a taste of the book to film/television adaptations we can expect to see through the rest of 2021. Many are hotly anticipated due to their stellar casts, the devotions of the books fans and the anticipation to see how these texts have been altered, as well as the fact they have been postponed for obvious reasons and shall finally be gracing our screens.

Conversations with Friends

by Sally Rooney:

Lenny Abrahamson, who also directed Normal People, which has led to fans of the previous venture excited for another successful adaptation.

tery starring Daisy Edgar-Jones.

The story follows two timelines that slowly intertwine. The first timeline describes the life and adventures of a young girl named Kya as she grows up isolated in the marsh of North Carolina from 1952–1969. The second timeline follows a murder investigation of Chase Andrews, a local celebrity of Barkley Cove, a fictional coastal town of North Carolina.

The book has been dominating the New York Times best-selling fiction list since its release in 2019.

Dune by Frank Herbert:

The 1965 Sci-Fi novel and one of the best-selling sci-fi novels in the history of the genre. The adaptation stars Zendeya, Oscar Isaac and Timothee Chalamet.

Dune is set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs.

It tells the story of young Paul

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness:

This 12 part series, shall be on the BBC and is expected to continue the critical success of Normal People, by the author Sally Rooney which was adapted last year by Hulu and the BBC and was the most streamed programme on iPlayer. Conversation with Friends shall star; Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane, Jemima Kirke and newcomer Alison Oliver.

The book is set in Dublin and follows two university students and close friends, Frances and Bobbi, and the strange, unexpected connection they find with a married couple, Melissa and Nick. The series shall be directed by the Oscar-nominated

Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis.The film is going to portray the first half of the novel, with a subsequent sequel to follow. This adaptation stands out due to the emphasis not on the role of technology in the future, but rather the future politics of humanity. The release for the film is now 1/10/2021, and it is expected to be a hit at the box office.

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens: Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing is a murder mys-

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie: Agatha Christie’s 1937 murder mystery Death on the Nile is anticipated to release in Spetember 2021. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Gal Gadot, this film is a follow up to 2017 film adaptation of Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

This film follows a detective investigating the murder of an heiress on a cruise ship on the Nile. With themes of travel, murder, love and jealosuy, this film is expected to be a successful book adaptation for murder mystery lovers.

This hit young adult trilogy is being adapted into Chaos Walking and is incorporating the three books from the series.

Starring Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland, this film is expected to be a favorite on streaming services.

This film is set in a dystopian universe where there are no women and you are able to hear people’s thoughts. Todd, played

by Tom Holland, helps Viola, played by Daisy Risley, escape after landing on the planet. Expected to release on streaming services in April 2021, this film is highly anticipated for fans of the young adult dystopian trilogy.

Boys in Zinc by Svetlana Alexievich Oliver Mizzi News Editor When we think about Afghanistan we think of America’s long war – the forever war. We don’t think about the early days of the Afghan tragedy. We don’t think about the Soviet Union’s Vietnam. This is what Svetlana Alexievich’s book Boys in Zinc covers.

A work of documentary literature, the book weaves the testimonies of those affected by the war, to reveal the disturbing reality of an endeavour that rotted Soviet society. Importantly, it bypasses the narrative of the Soviet leadership that spoke of “our international duty, about defending our southern borders”; a Soviet leadership that sent their youth to die performing their “internationalist duty”.

I don’t think any of the interviewees believe that after going through the war. When asked by a boy if the Union should be in Afghanistan, a nurse recounts “I was indignant. ‘If we weren’t there, the Americans would be’…

As if I could prove that somehow”.

Often at times the reality of the war is hard to reconcile. A Major says: “They’ve already

United Nations written about the war as ‘a political error’ and called it ‘Brezhnev’s reckless gamble’”. How can a soldier come to terms with fighting for a “political error”? A Senior Lieutenant can’t: “I don’t want to hear about a ‘political error’! I don’t want to know! If it was a mistake then give me back my legs…”.

There is terror in the testimony. It’s like a living nightmare, and it reaches out to you from the pages. It’s the nightmare of the soldiers, mothers, wives, medical staff and civilian employees who are now damaged physically or psychologically, or both. At whose hands?

A private whose wife left him blames “the mummies in the Kremlin… Those cursed mummies!”. A mother weeps at the military commissar who refused to stop her son going to Afghan-

istan: “you’re soaked in my son’s blood! You’re soaked in my son’s blood!”. Nobody blames the Afghans, the “spirits”.

Whilst the zinc coffins fly back from Afghanistan to distraught mothers, Soviet society is “living and acting as if we didn’t exist out there. As if there wasn’t any war” recounts a military advisor. All the while Afghan Sheepskin coats and Japanese cassette players are entering the Soviet Union along with ‘Load 200’, the zinc coffins. “There is a joke going around that people in the Union only learned about the war in the commission sales shops”. This the picture of late Soviet society, as painted by the accounts in the book.

The book doesn’t just focus on depicting the rot of Soviet society. Naturally, a book based on the testimonies of a war is going to dive into the subject, and in doing so the book does justice to those lived experiences. They say war is hell, but not necessarily because of the enemy. “If the Afghan ‘spirits’ don’t kill you, your own side will”.

You soon realise that the Soviet soldier has “boiled buckwheat for breakfast, lunch and supper”, and it comes as no surprise that to help survive the insanity of

war, there’s vodka from the Union and hashish from Afghanistan.

But it’s not just the time in the military base that is recalled, soldiers have to venture out into combat too. “In a battle you go numb, stop feeling. Cold reasons and calculation. My automatic is my life”. To sur vive unscathed is one thing, but over 50,000 Soviet soldiers were physically wounded: “Someone said: ‘The major’s lost his legs, I feel so sorry for him.’

The moment I hear him… I got this pain right through all my body… It was so terrible that I started howling”.

The medical staff who treated the wounded and civilian employees fared no better, everyone stands face to face with death. “They brought in a wounded man… He opened his eyes and looked at me. ‘That’s it then,’ he said. And he died”. Many assumed civilian employees to be “prostitutes or check grubbers” to get more out of the war.

But they’re damaged too.

One recounts how she isn’t the person she used to be: “And I cry all the time. I cry for that bookish little Moscow girl”.

Boys in Zinc doesn’t shy away from the war, nor the pain left in

its aftermath. It speaks truth to power, and this is evident in the trials Alexievich was embroiled in after the book’s initial publication during the instability that embroiled the former Soviet Union.

As much as it was a shock for post-Soviet society then, it’s still a shock to read those same accounts today. Many of those who’ve read it know of its importance. There’s a song about the war titled ‘Hello Sister (Don’t Tell Mum I’m in Afghan)’. If you want to understand the title and the truth behind the song, then read Boys in Zinc.

PenguinBooks

The Badger 29th March 2021

Arts • Film & Television

18 What’s on

Let’s talk about the Oscars Jess Hake Arts co-Editor

Zack Snyder’s Justice League dir. Zack Snyder (2021)

Read about The Badger team’s opinions on this year’s Oscar nominations.

The bombastic, love-himor-hate-him director Zack Snyder sweeps in to mop up the mess with his epic 4 hour re-cut of the superhero ensemble piece. With a greater focus on worldbuilding and a metric ton of new footage, the director’s original vision shines through and brings something to the table that was sorely lacking from the original: emotion.

Progress for Disabled Representation - by Georgia Shakeshaft

On the day the nominations for this year’s Oscars were announced, you couldn’t be a disabled person on the internet without seeing widespread celebration for the nomination of Crip Camp for Best Documentary Feature. The Netflix film released last year, directed by Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht, chronicles the life of disabled teens at a New York summer camp in the 1970s doing what most young people in the 1970s were doing – making music, having sex and doing drugs. We see the teenagers realise their political power, the film culminating in a retelling of the activism that forever connected them long after they stopped attending Camp Jened.

The nomination was so monumental for disabled communities not only because it’s an exceptional film worthy of celebration but because it’s a story told from the inside.

It’s not often that stories about disabled people are created by and feature disabled people themselves, and those that are usually aren’t Oscar-nominated.

According to disabled actor and filmmaker John Lawson, in 93 years of the Oscars, there have been 61 nominations for actors portraying disability. Of the 27 actors who won, only 2 were people with disabilities.

All recent examples were abled actors who wore disability as a costume, including Eddie Redmayne in 2015 and Jamie Foxx in 2005.

The issue with telling stories about us, without us, is that often the actors and filmmakers rely on the tropes of disability that they’re familiar with – the inspiration, the object of pity, the vengeful villain, to name a few. What makes Crip Camp spectacular is that it’s not an uplifting story about overcoming hardships but a real story of awkward teenage years, of friendship, discovery and power. What Camp Jened provided for the young people who went there was a space to navigate growing up without the weight of an abled society, with all its flaws and stereotypes.

What’s more, Crip Camp documents an often forgotten history. We see a month-long protest against the Nixon administration led by a young Judith Huemann, now a disabled icon. We watch the power of changemakers in wheelchairs

Stream on Now TV Walt Disney Television or with crutches fight for what eventually resulted in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and join forces with The Black Panthers, Gay Men’s Butterfly Brigade, United Farm Workers and other organisations. Crip Camp will make you laugh and make you angry at how often disabled people are left behind. As a community, we can only hope that the nomination will lead to more people engaging with disability activism and promote more authentic disabled stories.

Overlooking Female Talent - by Emily Hyatt

When people think of The Oscars, they think of yet another awards ceremony that is plagued with gender diversity issues. Over the years, actors have spoken up about the lack of female directors being nominated, with only one woman winning the Best Director award (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2009) since the ceremony first began in 1929.

This year marks a special occasion as two women have been nominated for Best Director in the same year: Chloe Zhao for Nomadland and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman. Even though they only represent ⅕ of the category, it’s unfortunate that it’s taken the Academy Awards this long to get this far. There were so many outstanding female directors that deserved to be nominated for Best Director this year, such as Regina King (One Night in Miami), Alice Wu (The Half of It), Tayarisha Poe (Selah and the Spades), Autumn de Wilde (Emma) and Beyoncé (Black is King).

Female directors work tirelessly, just to get annually snubbed by the Academy Awards. The Best Director category is still heavily maledominated, leaving female directors with barely the chance of a look-in.

Unfortunately, for women to

ever get a fair opportunity, there has to be the introduction of a Best Female Director category.

But even if such a category were to be introduced, it would still be highly problematic because white women are more likely to win over women of colour. This year women of colour represented ⅕ of leading and supporting actress roles, whereas men of colour represented ⅕ of the nominees for leading and supporting roles.

This is a success for men of colour as they’ve taken over their white counterparts, but it highlights how far The Oscars still need to go to close the gap for women of colour.

If the Academy doesn’t wake up and realise that all women need to be recognised and rewarded for their work, then the Oscars should be scrapped.

The lack of female director wins spreads the message that women, especially women of colour, have to work ten times harder than men to get recognised, let alone rewarded.

This shouldn’t be the case.

Horror is Snubbed Again Emma Frith

Without a doubt, some of the most thought provoking and well-made films in recent memory have come from the horror genre. In the last few years alone, we have seen audiences petrified by Jordan Peele’s Us, Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar, and Luca Guadagnino’s chilling Suspiria remake. Given the acclaim these movies received, it is astonishing that none of them, nor the people who created them, were recognised for their brilliant work at the Academy Awards.

Historically, horror has always struggled to squeeze its foot in the door at the Oscars. In the 93 years the awards have existed, only 6 horror films (The Exorcist, Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, Get Out) have been nominated for best picture, and

it is debatable as to whether some of these are even really horror (Silence of the Lambs and Jaws are both arguably more thriller than horror). That being said, Get Out was nominated in four categories at the 2018 Oscars, and won Best Original Screenplay.

Does this mean times are changing and horror is finally starting to get the awards recognition it deserves?

Last year, only one horror film was nominated across all categories (The Lighthouse for Cinematography).

This year was worse still, with no horror nominated in any category. Regardless, 2020 saw some incredible horror releases despite the pandemic: most notably Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor and Rose Glass’ Saint Maud.

The former follows an assassin who takes over the bodies of others, using them as flesh weapons to carry out her kills.

It is highly stylised, with lots of deliciously disturbing imagery and creative use of colour draped over dark existential and psychological themes.

The latter is a British horror which centres around themes of religion, loneliness and how the two can intertwine. Morfydd Clark was astonishing as the lead, doing a wonderful job at creating an unbelievably tense and sinister atmosphere.

Both films brought something new to the table. They were beautifully made and had stellar performances, yet neither got any recognition in this year’s nominations.

Although this could be interpreted as offering a bleak future for horror’s mainstream recognition, horror films have only gotten increasingly better and more interesting as the years go on.

Hopefully it’s only a matter of time until we see the likes of brilliant horror films such as Possessor and Saint Maud written in gold on the nominee cards.

Ammonite dir. Francis Lee (2020) Judging by the poster and online chatter about Lee’s latest, you may be expecting a heart-wrenching story of forbidden romance. But it’s fair to say this is far from your typical love story. Kate Winslet is on top form as paleontologist Mary Anning, quietly exposing her cold demeanour and inner fragility, while Saoirse Ronan plays the lonely newcomer Charlotte, who tries to open up Mary’s world.

Rent on Amazon Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time dir. Lili Horvát (2020) This Hungarian drama may look like a straightforward romance on the surface, but as the tricksy title suggests, this is anything but straightforward. The film follows neurosurgeon Márta as she travels home to meet a fellow doctor, who’d made a promise to meet her back in Hungary in a month’s time.

The problem is, when Márta finds him, he has no memory of ever meeting her.

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on

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Stray dir. Elizabeth Lo (2021) One for the dog lovers, Lo’s documentary follows three dogs (Zeytin, Nazar, and Kartal) as they traverse the streets of Istanbul. What gradually becomes clear is that this is not just a tale of animal life but a portrait of humanity and the kindness and darkness that lies within our societies. As the dogs wander the streets, we are left to wonder who the real “stray” is.

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The Badger 29th March 2021

Arts • Theatre

19

BlackStage UK: Fighting Microaggressions, Assumptions and Institutional Racism in Theatre Elijah Arief Theatre Editor

Whats on at the Theatre this Summer in Brighton Robyn Cowie Arts Co-Editor

BlackStage UK is a platform which seeks to support Black artists and creators within the theatre sphere, created by Gabrielle Brooks the platform exists to tackle racism and anti-Blackness within the white dominated industry whilst uplifting and supporting Black voices.

The theatre company has released a documentary series on their YouTube page to share the experiences of racism and bias that Black artists have faced, from dealing with the never ending microaggressions to how Black people have coped during the Summer Lockdown of 2020. The channel provides an exploration of just how impactful and hurtful microaggressions and assumptions can be to Black people working within the Arts, and how saddening this can be as theatre is meant to be a safe space for all.

The documentary series focuses on the lived experiences of Black people and is a must watch for anyone working in the theatre industry and wants to understand how to work on their own racism, biases, and assumptions.

A survey conducted by The Stage concluded that 92% of top theatre bosses are white, with 8% of bosses being people of colour. This study included major venues such

@Blackstahe UK

as the National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Young Vic, and Sheffield Theatres.

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The channel provides an exploration of just how impactful and hurtful microaggressions and assumptions can be to Black people working within the Arts, and how saddening this can be as theatre is meant to be a safe space for all.

The BlackStage UK website is essential to anybody working within the Arts sector, as it contains resources and links to anti-racist education and unconscious bias training with an extensive list of articles, books, podcasts and links to donate to help support anti-

racist work. BlackStage UK also have a blog link on their website which has articles and blog posts about allyship, colourism in the Arts, and UK Representation.

The Arts Industry needs to start listening to voices of Black people and people of colour. White supremacy still exists within every facet of our society, and the feelings and experiences of ethnic minorities are often side-lined to prioritise a white art agenda.

It is key that those who work within the Arts listen and learn from resources such as BlackStage UK and that we give them support and recognition.

Diversity, representation, and inclusion are fundamental building blocks to helping combat racism, and it starts with education.

With optimism that theatre’s shall be reopening their doors to crowds, albeit with social distancing and one the day testing, all across the UK venues are announcing their new performances in the hope of drawing in crowds this summer season, and in Brighton this is not different. Here are some of the leading shows which shall reopen the world of theatre to our great, artistic city.

Heathers: The Theatre Royal 25/05-29/05:

Musical, Brighton,

Based on the 1980’s classic film, this musical took the West end by storm and is not starting its first national tour.

Brighton Fringe, Across the City, 28/05-27/06:

As the largest open-access arts festival in England, Brighton Fringe embraces every art and supports both new and established performers in pushing the boundaries of their self expression.

Six: The Musical, Theatre Royal Brighton, 03/0807/08:

Following successful runs on both Broadway and the West End, Six is the medieval retelling of the wives of Henry VIII, with a bit of girl power thrown into the mix.

This is Going to Hurt (Secret Diaries of A Junior Doctor), Theatre Royal Brighton, 31/07.

Adam Kay takes his bestselling highly emotive and eye opening best selling novel and shares entries from his diaries from when he was a junior doctor. Expect a night of humour and heart ache, with this in depth exploration of what it really means to be part of the NHS.

The Brighton Festival, at home & across the city, 01/05-23/05.

The Brighton Festival will be returning with a celebration of art and culture throughout the month of May in the city.

Although the festivities shall begin virtually, the shall be moving to in person with measures in place, following the easing of restrictions.

The festival shall provide a combination of visual art and installation, classical to contemporary music, theatre and comedy, film and literature.

One thing to note is the variety of performances, especially the revivals of not only infamous plays but also beloved actors, is showing how important it is to get involved in this industry which has been hit so hard by the inability for live performances over the last twelve months.

The Reopening of Theatres: My Thoughts Elijah Arief Theatre Editor My relationship with theatre has always been a very subtle presence throughout my life.

When I was in primary school, I was determined to become an actor and discovered a very nerdy love for Shakespeare and playwriting. I’m not from an arty background, I grew up in a very low-income household and though my family would have loved to put me through Drama school, it was never an option financially.

My love for acting and theatre drifted into my teens, I felt alienated and scared by white middle class spaces and felt like I had to have formal training to be able to enter the theatre world. I casted a once very healthy outlet for me into the back of my mind, and I attended plays, productions, and concerts as a passive participant only.

It wasn’t until I saw Les Misérables at the West End back in 2017 that I managed to find my sense of emotion for the theatre

world come back to me. It must be stated here that I am not a Musical person by any means, but something about that show inspired me and I came out of it sobbing my eyes out.

I think it was then that I truly understood the impact that theatre can have on people. A year later I would be making my way up the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time to work at a venue, completely naïve about the world I was stepping into. I have to make it clear here that if you’ve done any kind of work for the Fringe you know much of the chaos realm it truly is, but it’s definitely some of the most rewarding work you’ll ever do in your entire life.

Whilst most days I was running on very little sleep, I was constantly feeling inspired by the people around me and the shows I was able to see. Magic lies in the dark, in a small room with a small light casted onto an actor’s face as they weave you into their story.

It then hits you right after showing just how much work,

@NiamhBarker_Art

Flickr: Stu Rapley time and effort went into that piece and I usually feel so inspired and motivated to write after witnessing an amazing piece. I’m grateful for all the work that the Fringe has given me over the past few years as it’s really helped me to see just how much work goes on behind the scenes to make theatre happen.

From the directors and producers, to the actors, to the technicians and front of house staff, this is an industry that gives millions of people so much joy and fulfilment, and often this a labour of love.

When theatres reopen this year, I will walk into each venue feeling appreciative

of everybody that is around me. To say that life has been hard for artists within the last year is an understatement.

The government has been infuriatingly vague since the beginning of the pandemic of how much help they were willing to give those within the theatre industry, and many have lost their livelihoods and creative outlets.

I believe that it is imperative that when the arts industries reopen that we dedicate as much time as we possibly can to supporting our favourite sectors, and making sure artists, technicians, directors and producers know just much we appreciate all of the hard work they put in to make sure us lots are entertained.

I’m really hoping that the government has thought through their plans for when the arts sectors will be open again, and that hasty or rushed decisions haven’t been made without much planning. I guess only time will tell, but I continue to be optimistic.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Arts • Music

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Kings of Leon breaking the mould with NFT Music Editor Dylan Bryant explains why the new Kings of Leon album is facing backlash Dylan Bryant Music Editor The Followills are back with yet another album that falls under their unwritten five-syllable album title rule and although rich with the bands classic rock sound and Caleb’s stand out vocals, there’s one big difference with the band’s latest release. The Nashville rockers have become the first band ever to release an album as a non-fungible token. But what exactly does this mean?

NFTs are part of the growing cryptocurrency industry and means instead of holding money, fans who invest will be able to hold assets such as art, tickets and of course; music. NFTs function on a blockchain which is a publicly visible network – which means anyone can see the details of any NFT transaction. The band have launched three types of tokens which fall under the series titled ‘NFT Yourself’.

They each offer different perks ranging from a basic digital album package, to exclusive front row seats for life, as well as limited-edition artwork. Each of the tokens have been developed by Yel-

Flickr: @julioenriquez lowHeart, a company that aims to use cryptocurrency in order to bring value back to music. In this case, the value of the assets becomes subjective and will therefore fluctuate over time, much like stocks and shares.

‘When You See Yourself’ has been released via all the usual formats – streaming services, CDs and vinyl etc and the NFT version was only made available via YellowHeart.

The token which was originally priced at $50 includes enhanced features such as alternative artwork, a digital download and a limited-edition vinyl. The band also released

18 ‘golden tickets’; 6 of which were auctioned. Each of these transpires to an actual concert ticket which includes front-row seats for life, a bespoke VIP service that includes a personal driver, a meet and greet with the band and an exclusive experience.

This also marks the first time a music event ticket has been officially sold as an NFT. Contrary to the band endorsing futuristic movements in the music industry, they return with a set of tracks that stays true to their crisp and regressive rock sound.

‘When You See Yourself’

starts with an opening track that builds momentum, delighting fans around the world with their trademark sound.

The band have delivered an album that seems to use the same reliable recipe of their past albums which has seen them become one of the most respected rock bands of the 21st century.

However, this album does have moments of experimentation, for example on ‘100,000 People’. The track offers a dreamy late-night atmosphere with the use of synths and a rhythmic drumbeat.

A similar effect can be felt on one of the hidden gems on this album; ‘A Wave’. This track is reminiscent of the bands reflective sound on ‘Come Around

Sundown’ and ‘Mechanical Bull’.

Whilst ‘When You See Yourself’ serves up a more melodic and nonchalant tone, there are moments of energy that fit in with the bands ‘Youth and Young Manhood’ era.

‘Echoing’ serves as the standout track with a chorus that fits in with the band’s other hits.

Finally, the leading single ‘The Bandit’ is the most representative of Kings of Leon’s classic sound and offers the same energy as their major hits, such as Use Somebody and Sex on Fire.

Caleb’s iconic vocals are matched with screaming guitar riffs, a recurring drumbeat and a bass that carries its big sound that will hopefully be filling major arenas and festival stages again this summer.

Flickr: @fromthenorth

Chemtrails Over The Country Club: Reviewed Laila Rumbold-Kazzuz Staff Writer In the nine years since sultry melancholy-pop-ballad Video Games became a cult classic with the aid of its Hollywoodcentric archival Americana music video, Lana Del Rey has been through careerdefining transformations. Her seminal album Born to Die established Del Rey as Queen of Hollywood Boulevard and California trailer parks alike.

Lana has never been afraid to fuse dichotomous versions of the American dream together.

As her Twitter bio nod to Whitman suggests: “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself; I am large - I contain multitudes”.

Her most recent release, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, lives up to the claim.

The Lana-verse is one which harbours a version of reality that is centred on dizzying capitalist fame, as in 2012 track Radio,“Baby love me ‘cause I’m playin’ on the radio”. But in the

same breath as “Pick me up and take me like a vitamin” comes provocatively Nabokovian suburban trashiness, as in Lolita– “Kiss me in the P.A.R.K park tonight”. Lana, after all, is most in her element whilst swanning between The Chateau Marmont and Skid Row. But whether she’s inhabiting a Sunset Boulevard hotel or falling asleep on an American flag in Downtown L.A., it’s a sure bet she’ll be wearing diamonds.

There are even two versions of Hollywood Boulevard; the one where she’s in the pool, and the one where she’s on the street corner in stilettos, seducing through car windows.

In the decade between her debut and her newest album Chemtrails, Lana has become less bubblegum (“Sugar, sugar, how now?”) and more concerned with playing out personal fantasies of maternal and spousal love. Where she breathily pines “Let me love you like a woman/ Let me hold you like a baby”, she turns the tables on the more juvenile Lou Reed/

Jim Morrison glamourization of Ultraviolence, favouring the language of a woman setting the terms of her relationships and aesthetic experiences: “Talk to me in poems and songs/ Don’t make me be bittersweet”.

In 2021, Lana gets to direct not only the mise en scene of her universe, but the very form other peoples’ language takes within it. Preferably all her peripheral characters will spare her their boring everyday speech.

When, in White Dress, she croons for her waitressing days “down at the Men in Music Business Conference”, she does it with the newfound safety of a femme fatale who’s found her feet. In the post-Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass era, when Lana expresses her more base compulsions and her desire to be admired, we know she’s nostalgically daydreaming amongst the cypress trees of one of her L.A. mansions.

She employs the slide guitar and reverb of NFR! to carry off a dreamy retrospective of

Flickr: @jaguarcarsmena Flickr: @jaguarcarsmena herself. She’s stopped asking us to believe she’s Marilyn Monroe reincarnated, instead “washing my hair/ doing the laundry”– imagery we can vibe with in the heightened domestic sphere of lockdown. The fact is, almost a decade in, there now exists a history of LDR. Instead of pure Golden Era and Sixties fetishization, Lana can get away with pining about listening to Kings of Leon before her career took off, and it’s welcome now as a form of post-modern LDR

mythology. Chemtrails retains all that’s seductive about her American dream obsessiveness, while letting her listeners grow up too. We can be adults and fantasize about a hyper-artdeco America.

Only now it’s implicit in references to Tulsa, a city with art deco architectural heritage, instead of as overt as “You’re so art deco”. Chemtrails is Lana at her most nuanced and multifaceted.

The Badger 29th March 2020

Arts • Editors’ Choice

21 Editors’ Choice

Editors’ choice is a column in which the Arts Editors have both the platform and opportunity to share what we are engaging with from the world of the arts. We wanted to create this section so that we are not only being the Arts Editors this year but also have the chance to write as well. We hope you shall discover some up and coming events, ideas, artists, productions, musicians and texts which may peak your interest, as we share what has caught our eye as well as getting us thinking about the events, new releases and ongoings from within the arts. For our first article we wanted to share some of our all time favourite texts; movies, books, podcasts, artists, albums, magazines, social media accounts and our cultural highlights, as a way to establish this new column and also share the types of artistic media we consume and enjoy.

Robyn Cowie Arts Co-Editor

thing deeply individual, which means I would treasure it even more.

Whether it is; Oxfam, Marie Curie, Cancer Research, British Red Cross, Mary’s Living & Giving, Age UK, Shelter, Martlets or The British Heart Foundation, I am quite literally counting down the days until I can go for an exploratory look around the local charity shops of Brighton.

One big part of the last year which I have seemed to become far more conscious of is my relationship with shopping, consumerism and fast fashion. Now, I have always loved to see what treasures could be unearthed at any local charity shop growing up. I had all my favourite spots down to a fine art, Hampstead High Street, Kings Cross or Primrose Hill as they are always a good shout if you are ever in North London and looking to find some high end pieces in the donation piles, or try the likes of Finsbury Park, Dalston, Marylebone and Camden, for some more unusual garms and one off pieces.

There are enough clothes in this world for us all to appreciate, with fast fashion quickly becoming a leading contributor to global warming and the environmental crisis, attempting to move away from it is a powerful thing to do. And to be honest I am simply bored of it, the facade of its green washing, where brands create a small collection which does in fact seem environmentally friendly, but that failed to counter the lasting damage the rest of its company is doing to the planet. And instead am attempting to be far more conscious in my consumption, and to engage more in slow fashion, where by the fashion you do by, you do so knowing you shall fully appreciate an item of clothing, be it new or second hand.

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My teen years were spent travelling across the capital on a monthly basis seeking out within my favourite spots, never sure what I was going to find, but once I did and if it fitten like a glove, then it had to be mine. And for a long time this worked well, and then coming to uni, the lures of the high street and online fast fashion, things I had never been that fussed about previously seemed to be the place lots of my peers shopped and so I followed suit. And for several years I was content with that, all until with shops being shut again, I if anything became disillusioned with online shopping and am subsequently longing for trips to the local highstreet to enter the quaint setting of the humble charity shop, not sure what I was looking for and to be able to support a good cause whilst also buying some-

I had all my favourite spots down to a fine art, Hampstead High Street, Kings Cross or Primrose Hill as they are always a good shout if you are ever in North London and looking to find some high end pieces in the donation piles Quite frankly the most environmental way to engage in fashion consumption is to love what you already have but if you are going to shop, your local high street charity shop may be the best place to start. Our charity shops need us now more than ever, even though the first lockdown feels like a lifetime ago, but cast your mind back and ask yourself, did you in a way fill time declutter both your house and wardrobe, dropping out bags of items now deemed as unnecessary?

Well those cast offs have not gone away.

If anything charity shops are more items that they know what to do with! And as the old prose goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure…

Jessica Hake Arts Co-Editor “A slip dress? Maybe an empire waistline?

Possibly a halter neck? I could do sequins but I’m not sure on the texture, a shiny fabric could work just as well don’t you think? But yes, no yes, definitely a mini dress.”

With the 21st of June fast approaching and having an invite to a gold theme party a few days after that optimistic deadline, conversation of fashion has entered the domain. With it being over a year since I got dressed for social occasions, 2020 and 2021 so far has revolved around me dressing for me and wearing what I want. Before the pandemic hit, I remember prepping for parties with one train of thought being “what will I look best in?”, with that “best” being defined by the male gaze and masculine affirmation. “Will they like

me?” and “what makes my ‘assets’ look the best” were two other thoughts that would bounce around my brain like a pinball machine. Yet, as lockdown entered an extended reality, I stopped caring. It was the “oh, no one’s watching me” mindset that entered into my head as I was locking down in a small village in the middle of nowhere (Lincolnshire).

With this in mind, deciding what I wanted to wear for the ‘gold’ party was interesting not just because it was finally a social occasion, but also because my mindset had changed. Over lockdown, I started wearing clothes that I personally linked to art. This manifested in a much more casual, Parisian, French chic sort of vibe. Coupled with this, the start of lockdown coincided with the start of my affair with sewing. With my mum having

an old sewing machine and me having a history of sewing having studied textiles in school (A* GCSE not to brag). Initially it was facemasks, making tens upon tens of masks that I sent away to friends and family, then sewing scrubs at my local village hall. As a result, my sewing skills improved quite drastically and to the extent that for Christmas my parents got me a sewing machine.

With my ‘Singer Talent’ now set up constantly on my university desk, the want to now create my own outfit for the gold party is quite high. As a result, this edition of ‘Editor’s Choice’ is being used as my personal mood board to bounce ideas around. Now I enjoy a sharp LBD, though it isn’t as flowy as some, it’s sharper and lacks the calm, flow-y element, detailing and straight neckline is always welcome.

The draping of the Alice + Olivia dress adds a touch of femininity to the simplicity of a slip dress. Yet it’s R13 that captures my heart. The cut-outs on the side of the dress add an intriguing element to the outfit without hyper-sexualisation.

The detailing at the bottom of the dress is also a fun touch. Overall the dress seems to compile a range of interesting detailing without it stepping over the border of elegance and being deemed ‘too much’.

The obvious issue with all of these examples is the very obvious fact that they don’t stick with the gold theme.

I’m not 100% sure if I suit the very brassy gold colour; however, as Robyn (the editor who’s published right next to me) is in-charge of organising the soiree, I’m banking on the fact she may accept a light gold or rose gold garment.

If all else fails, I guess I’ll just have to cover myself from head-to-toe in gold body paint and come as the physical embodiment of an Oscar.

ARTIST T H E A RT I ST S

Artist Focus: Hollie Dewick Spring has arrived, the weather is getting warmer, and hopes are rising. Hopes of a summer, of gigs, and museums reopening. I recently came across Hollie Dewick’s work, and I realised how well it worked with our post-pandemic notion of fun. Her work, in a way, can be read as an overlap between bizarreness and tenderness; there’s humour within her artwork, but also a touch of nostalgia for simpler times. In this interview we discussed the physical aspects of her creative work, her recent exploration with animation, and the awkward overlaps between her artistic interests and developing a viable professional path.

Tell me a bit about your background. How did you decide to get into art?

I originally come from the suburbs in North London. Growing up, I was always told that the art scene was in South London, and that if you wanted to meet people and get into that environment, I had to live in South London. However, that just wasn’t feasible; I couldn’t afford it. That’s why Brighton was my main choice for University. Here,

you still get to experience that sort of arty vibe without having to deal with the price and commuting of London.

After finishing my GCSCs, I did a foundation course on art and design at college. Afterwards, I wasn’t really sure what direction to go, but I realised I was spending a lot of time just looking through magazines, so I started taking that imagery and making my own through collaging. Now that I’m studying Graphic Design at Brighton University, I have carried on with the collage stuff because I enjoy collecting imagery.

Where do you source your images from?

Being in Brighton helps a lot because we have Snoopers Paradise, which is a place in the Lanes which is kind of a house clearance shop, and you can get lots of really old and vintage magazines there, such as Playboy. Additionally, Brighton Library and St. Peter’s Church library have massive archives of magazines, which are really helpful. They got magazines from the 70s, like Ideal Home and things like that where you can get all these cool pictures of wallpapers, and kitchens, really strange things. And finally, charity shops. There you can get books for

Words by Luisa De la Concha Montes

Want your work featured?

FOCUS

The Badger 29th March 2021

O F B R I G H TO N

like a pound with amazing pictures of the Wonders of the World, and vintage imagery like that.

Is most of your work physical or do you also work on digital?

When I was in college and I was learning how to use Photoshop, I relied more on digital collaging. Nowadays my process always starts off physically because I enjoy the analogue process of cutting images.

Afterwards, I tend to scan the images into Photoshop where I do further editions, such as changing the cut marks, or cropping more.

However, the pandemic has affected this process. Now I tend to rely more on digital collage because it means I get to use one image several times. When it’s physical, as soon as you cut it out, that’s it, you can’t use it again, whereas with Photoshop you can reuse it a million times.

their subconscious and exploring their sexuality. Through that, I started getting into surrealist collages myself, and I got influenced by artists such as Max Ernst and Hannah Höch. I don’t exactly know where that interest stems from, I just think that the female body can be sexy, appealing, and arresting –which are aspects that I like to emphasise in my work. Female nudity has a shock appeal; if you’re flicking through a book and it has an image of nudity, it stops you.

You also mentioned that you have experimented with animation a little. How has that been?

You also explore the idea of sexuality within a lot of your pieces, why is that?

I always really liked stuff like Wallace and Gromit and Terry Gilliam, so I have started exploring stop-motion animation. I have also been mixing my own collaging within it, doing a bit of cut-out animation. I recently made an animation of a girl jumping into a cup with Oreos on her breasts, so I just enjoy exploring that notion of weird and unexpected things happening.

Head to our website to read the rest of the interview.

I really like the female form. I have done a lot of research around it, and about how the surrealists used it in collage as a way of freeing

To see more of Hollie’s work...

Instagram: @stickitbby

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The Badger 29th March 2021

Puzzles

24 Sudoku

Easy

Normal

Medium

Hard

The Badger 29th March 2021

Travel & Culture Drinking, holidays, and seeing loved ones

25

What things are people looking forward to now that lockdown is coming to an end?

Making plans

Megan Taylor Staff Writer The last year has been a difficult one, for all of us. Now that we have heard the fantastic news that lockdown is soon to be over, we can actually start planning all the various things we want to do to make up for lost time. If you are overwhelmed with the possibilities of things to do come June 21st, here are what other people said they’re excited for to inspire you...

Pubs, pints, and dinners

Unsurprisingly, this suggestion came from every single student I spoke to and was also one of the most suggested items on this list – speaks volumes about the kind of people who go to Sussex.

Everybody said they missed being able to sit with a cold pint in hand in the beer garden of their favourite pub surrounded by their favourite people. Also, perhaps slightly more surprisingly, many people also suggested that they missed the actual ordering of the pints at the bar. Being able to walk up to the bartender, proudly state your order, and lean on the sticky bar counter in front of you.

Seemingly students were not fans of the awkward table service offered in establishments last year.

Going out to fancy dinners is a fancier suggestion that I got quite a few times. This one may especially be the case for those of us who are coupled up. Putting on your nicest outfit and splurging what little cash you have to go for a really special meal with friends, or partners. It makes you feel so grown up and excited!

Megan Taylor

Seeing loved ones

This is of course such an important one for so many of us. A large number of students, myself included, haven’t been able to properly see their families for months. For those of us who used to visit their family home on a regular basis, this new independence and isolation has been a really tough pill to swallow.

3rd year student Emily said ‘I’m really looking forward to seeing my loved ones without the fear of potentially killing them.’ This rings true not only to those closest to you, but even those random 3rd tier characters in the story of your

Megan Taylor Hal Keelin

life who seem to pop up every now and then at house parties.

It’ll be really nice to be able to see those types again and honestly just to catch up with anybody and everybody without having to do the ‘awkward Covid dance’ (Alex, 2nd year). Being able to greet people with a hug really is a luxury we all took for granted.

If you’re wondering about activities to do over the summer, then maybe a little get together (provided you’ve made sure you’re all Covid free) with some people you haven’t seen in a while could be a really nice thing to do. I personally am hoping to go to Wednesdays at Casablanca’s where I always seem to run into people I don’t know very well. In a way I’m looking forward to the awkward small talk.

It’s not only the big celebrations as well, lots of people were excited for small nights in with even just 1 or 2 friends over. Sasha, 1st year said ‘I miss seeing my friends inside because it’s nice to have a chill night in a different environment from studying and sleeping that’s still cheap’. We all know how expensive Brighton can be on a Friday or Saturday night in places that don’t have student deals going on. Sometimes just sticking on a film you’ve watched a million times with some snacks and just chatting with each other is the perfect way to reconnect and catch up with some of your favourite people.

This one is somewhat of a vague choice, but I decided to categorise everybody’s small ideas into one big umbrella category: Whether it’s Reading festival, going to small gigs, weekend trips away, football matches, theatre trips, or full blown holidays, every single person I spoke to is looking forward to actually being able to make future plans without fear of them being ‘thwarted by Covid’ (Kyle, 1st year). The last year has been so inconsistent there was always a tiny fear in our minds when making plans that they’d either be cancelled or delayed by at least a year. The sinking disappointment when you got that email saying you wouldn’t be going on that holiday to Wales is not a good feeling.

Gig nights like the ones at Green Door Store or Concorde 2 are particularly ones that students are looking forward to. Joe, 3rd year said ‘I actually miss the feeling of being amongst sweaty strangers in sweaty mosh pits enjoying bands that you communally like.

It’s nice finding similar interests with randomers’. It’s always a good night when you spend half of it chatting to a random group of people about things you have

respondees looked forward to some more fancy evening plans.

Katy (non-student) said she was looking forward to doing ‘trips to London on the train and going to the London theatres and gallery openings’. The theatre especially is an activity that’s been sorely missed this last year. As a theatre kid myself, musical theatre TikTok has not been a good enough substitute for The Lion King. It’s always lovely to make a special evening of going up to London, whether it’s for a concert or otherwise.

FREEDOM

Not exactly a tangible thing to look forward to but by far the most suggested for this article.

Every single thing listed above comes second just to the mental feeling of ‘having a sense of freedom’ (Terry, non-student).

Not having to keep checks and tabs on current guidelines to make sure you aren’t breaking the rules and having to be super strict with where you go, what you do, and who with. Humans by nature are social creatures and it’s really tough being told to essentially stay inside for over a year, with (in a lot of cases) extremely minimal contact with the outside world.

Megan Taylor

in common. Getting excited when you realise you both went to the exact same concert night 5 years ago.

This can be taken further to dancing. All of us students miss the carefree attitude associated with club nights. Eve, 3rd year said ‘there is an intimacy with strangers you get when dancing that does not exist in lockdown’.

Being able to dance and not care about if anyone is watching you is such a good way to release energy and just have fun, definitely something to look forward to.

Some of my non-student

Of course, in the current circumstances being careful is necessary and we want to keep each other safe and healthy, however we definitely look forward to being able to safely be able to run wild again. Eve, 3rd year said ‘I miss being carefree, no inhibitions just being able to go outside rather than staying in the house doing nothing’. Once we’ve all been vaccinated and lockdown restrictions begin to ease, we can finally start to plan things to do, see our friends and family, and just generally start to properly live again.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Travel & Culture

26

The Colonial Dystopia of Tourism Olly De Herrera Features Sub-Editor In the corner of a city-sized island floating in the Western Pacific is a memorial plaque to a Polish man. Those with even a week’s experience in Anthropology will already know that I’m talking about the ineffable academic titan that is Bronisław Malinowski.

Malinowski is credited with salvaging Anthropology from the metaphorical dark ages with his writings and research conducted in the Trobriand Islands off the coast of Papa New Guinea.

Anthropology, among other disciplines, produced pseudoscientific ideas about racial inferiority that informed the American and British Eugenics movements, colonialism, and Western imperialism.

The popularisation of the notion that humanity could be divided into ‘races’ and ranked in order of superiority is a notion that has allowed groups and individuals to cause irreparable damage to the world.

One of the most poignant atrocities of this thinking is the eras of exploitation and enslavement of indigenous peoples by White Colonialists.

These centuries of exploitation contained not only the mainstream depictions of slavery taught on the curriculums, but also a violent fetishization and romanticisation of the NonWhite world.

Throughout the later 1800’s many European cities featured what are now referred to as “human zoos” who boasted to contain “genuine savages” kidnapped from Africa and other colonised regions.

Art that still constitutes much of the Western Canon relies on romanticised and fabricated depictions of the ‘savage’, ‘illicit’ and ‘mystical’ non-West.

Many people living in modern Europe would like to think they’d never have attended one of these human zoos - and certainly wouldn’t now. Whilst it seems so outrageously inhuman now, this was a practice that felt fully justified to the contemporary white Europeans. Because of the deeply embedded effects of colonialism, it can be hard to identify the deeper and ongoing principles of human cultural exploitation.

When Malinowski published Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An Account of Native Enterprise and Adventure in the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New Guinea in 1922, he brought forward a new era of Anthropology that emphasised the need to exist among people and understand their lives as human lives.

Whilst being problematic in many ways, Malinowski’s work is understood to have saved the academics’ consciousness and the discipline of Anthropology and set it on the path to become the progressive and worldly subject it is today. Yet within mainstream western culture there exists still a prevailing desire to gawk at the non-western world as entertainment spectacle.

Travel review websites have provided Tourists the ability to assign ratings, value for money and pass judgement on human communities.

Whilst the desire to interact with the societies of the world is not inherently a perverse one, the indignance shown by many holiday makers shows a continued demand for an experience which fits their romanticised expectations.

On the Trobriand Islands themselves, which provided Malinowski with his material, travel reviews reflected an entitlement to a certain kind of experience.

A UK user posting on a wellknown Travel Advice site wrote: “They advertise five port we went to three, one with people and the two others are uninhabited….

My problem is they take you to the uninhabited island and leave the inhabited ones”.

Expecting Native’s presence to fulfil a holiday experience is much akin to the attitudes and expectations of visiting a zoo.

This review was not an isolated theme, many other reviewers were disappointed, even aggressive that interactions with locals had not been how they wanted them to be.

Another UK user wrote: "A tropical paradise but being 'hounded' by the locals quite frustrating - sad to see..."

As with the Trobraind island ‘reviews’, there was a general sense of ironic indignance that the local people may be making any sort of money out of the constant influx of undoubtably intolerable tourists come to spectate on their lives.

A visitor from New York wrote: "The tribe gets money from the government for every vehicle that visits. The members are intimidated to perform and sell trinkets which could be found elsewhere".

getting to know that these people drink only fresh blood and fresh milk of the cows and eat cow’s meat".

Tourists are notoriously entitled: when it’s overparking spaces, it’s dismissible but in the context of demanding their vision of an indigenous community be upheld- it becomes wholly colonial.

“The Maasi Tribe” is a category within itself on this travel advice website, it seems so embedded in the public conscious that it is those of non-colonial living to be generalised and commodified.

I encourage one to imagine their own local community up for offhand rating on a website.

The Trobiand islands did not freeze in time, nor any of

Another wrote: "Was very disappointed with the presence of the locals."

This sentiment was again echoed in another review: "My only disappointment was that the villagers, who are very poor, are consistently asking for money".

After New Guinea statehood in 1975, the Trobriand Islands’ economy has been restructured to fit a tourist and export market. Since food has been traditionally distributed among the people based on their need, there has been little need for a currency-based economy. Most Trobrianders live on less than one dollar a day as of 2017.

The knowledge of how tourism has disrupted Trobriand life with the forceful introduction of an economy makes these reviews even more frustrating. Tourists’ demand for the local inhabitants to fulfil their expectations creates a vicious cycle of exploitation that commodifies the inhabitants within their own home.

These touristic themes aren’t at all limited to the Trobriand islands. Casually browsing travel destinations under the search term “cultural” on the same website reveals how galvanising these attitudes are.

An American user rates her visit to the Maasi Mara tribe of Kenya as “average”, commenting in a review: “Not much English spoken”.

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"It basically consists of a few native bamboo houses (six or seven?) with performers doing pretty shallow, boring demos for tourists".

Another holiday maker wrote:

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Another wrote: "I do not believe that the Masai Village is not a 'real' village. We preferred to observe the Masai along the roadsides as they herded their goats and cows".

It is certainly not the case that these comments are problematic upon analysis. Among the pages of reviews there was also plenty of outright racism and cultural insensitivity.

A holiday maker leaving a 1-star review wrote: "I couldn’t stand the smell and fog of fire and these people live and sleep there. We got really disgusted

the communities that colonial representation embedded into the western conscience and imagination.

It is not harmless. Tourism shapes the lives of those in many regions, promoting interference from state leaders and international for-profit organisations looking to capitalize on western intrigue.

Beyond all this, it perpetuates a colonial desire to create a spectacle of the non-white world.

A spectacle that is snubbed, discarded and condensed into a star rating on a holiday website for people with more wealth than 90% of the world and the power to influence the fate of many fading communities.

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The 1950s Golden Age of Bollywood Sarika Gandhi Staff Writer The 1950s for Bollywood was the time when some of the best directors, writers and actors came together to create seminal films that are now considered classics. These films influenced Bollywood today and the army of actors that pledge allegiance to the film industry; Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Aishwarya Rai and of course, Amitabh Bachchan who recently celebrated his 50 years in Bollywood.

There was a huge emergence of parallel cinema; a film movement in Indian cinema originating in West Bengal as an alternative to Indian cinema. The parallel cinema combined realism and naturalism into the themes of working-class, urban life, whilst rejecting the musical numbers often associated with Bollywood.

Part of the Bollywood success story of the 1950s was the genuine depictions of poverty and social inequality seen in the likes of Mother India (1957) and Pather Panchali (1955).

India in the 1950s… India was independent from the ties of British colonial rule and redefining her perceptions on the global stage. Most importantly, 1950s India paved the way for the Golden Age of Bollywood, and the critically acclaimed status that came with it. Today, Bollywood is the largest producer of feature films (producing 1,500 to 2,000 movies a year, across 20 languages) and the largest centre for film production in the world.

Firstly, it is essential to understand the context of 1950s India. As mentioned, India was post-Independence with Britain leaving in 1947. India was rebuilding its nation in the aftermath of the social, cultural and political

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upheaval of the Partition. In short, this is why Bollywood was so successful in the 1950s; it offered a place of hope, dreams and escapism from the harsh social realities India faced. The global success of Bollywood in the 1950s stems from the honest depictions of life: before Bollywood was clouded with glamour, glitter and spontaneous dance scenes, seen in Masala Films (mixes together comedy, action, romance with musical dance numbers) such as Bend it like Beckham and Slumdog Millionaire.

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India in the 1950s… India was independent from the ties of British colonial rule and redefining her perceptions on the global stage.

Mother India (1957), directed by Mehboob Khan is a three-hour saga about an Indian widow (Radha), exploring her struggle and sacrifices in life. Mother India shows a fearless woman, filled with courage and bravery when her husband abandons her whilst she is pregnant. Needless to say, the film touched the sentiments of

every sensitive human being, with uncontrollable floods of tears falling. The title of the film was a conscious decision to counter American author, Katherine Mayo’s book Mother India which vilified Indian culture, depicted India as backward and attacks Indian religion. The film Mother India is more than a film, it is a metaphoric representation of India as a nation in the aftermath of Independence, alluding to strong nationalism and nationbuilding. Mother India is symbolic of Britain leaving India (like Radha’s husband abandons her when pregnant) and Radha rises from the ashes to become the most respected person in her village (India dominating the film scene globally). However, it draws on wider criticism of creating an ‘ideal’ image and expectations of Indian women and motherswomen should always be ready to sacrifice themselves for their family. Beyond feminist interpretations of gender stereotypes and expectations, Mother India was nominated for the ‘Academy Award for Best International Feature Film’; becoming the first Indian film ever to be nominated. To this day, Mother India still ranks among the all-time highest Indian box office hits.

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In short, this is why Bollywood was so successful in the 1950s; it offered a place of hope, dreams and escapism from the harsh social realities India faced.

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A personal favourite of mine which reminds me of my childhood was Pather Panchali. I can vividly remember my grandparents sitting down with me to watch this incredibly powerful film with chai bubbling away on the stove and a collection of Indian snacks placed at the heart of the room.

Pather Panchali (1955), directed

by Satyajit Ray is a prime example of parallel cinema, it uses the vernacular of Bengali and was produced by the Government of West Bengal. Pather Panchali is part of the Apu Trilogy, based around the young boy, Apu and his childhood hardship of village life in a poor family. The film is set in 1910s Bengal, showing the simplicity of life, familial love and small pleasures are the keys to happiness- a message in a world full of growing technology and social media acts as a wonderful reminder to take in the little joys of life. A 1958 New York Time review of Pather Panchali illustrates how ‘poverty does not always nullify love’ and how even very poor people can enjoy the little pleasures of their world.

cemented global alliances. The Soviet Union and Bollywood’s coalition emerging in the 1950s symbolised India’s growing dominance on the global scale and popularity of the classic films of Bollywood. This uncanny relationship started from the incredible cinematic masterpiece that is Awaara in 1954 which was an instant hit in the Soviet Union.

Consequently, eight hundred prints each of Dev Anand's Rahi and Awaara were released in all the languages of the 15 Soviet republics. More interestingly, this love for Bollywood became more than entertainment, the political importance should not be ignored.

Just after India's independence in 1947, after much deliberation, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to side with the

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One of the most beautifully construction cinematic scenes in Bollywood history sees Apu and his sister dancing and playing in the rain, laughing and carefree. It is important to note how Satyajit Ray was heavily criticised for the romanticisation of poverty and glamourising the hardship faced by those in rural poverty. Pather Panchali is not representative of all Indians in poverty and was created for the international audience, rather than the Indian or Bengali one. With this being said, Pather Panchali was one of the first films made in Independent India which received vast critical acclaim and attention, placing India on the global cinema stage.

Surprisingly, the Golden Age of Bollywood created relationships in the form of countries and

U.S.S.R, Bollywood movies began to be either dubbed for a Soviet audience or subtitled.

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Bollywood is an integral part of Indian society; it has become an unstoppable force which unifies and inspires.

Bollywood has and always will be more than films, actors or big dance numbers. Bollywood is an integral part of Indian society; it has become an unstoppable force which unifies and inspires.

The powerful Bollywood dream reaches the children of India, often knowing Bollywood songs before becoming literate and gaining access to education. This ‘Bollywood Dream’ which is felt by Indian society was born out of the Golden Age of Bollywood in the 1950s.

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Greener grass for all: Inequality in access to the great outdoors

Cultural Bite Banana Fritters

Bryony Rule T&C Online Sub-Editor

Katya Pristiyanti Travel&Culture Print Sub-Editor

Britain is famous for rolling green hills, an abundance of national parks and patchworks of farmland. Even within our cities, concrete and brick is regularly punctuated with parks, ponds, and woodlands. However, despite the seemingly copious amount of green space in the UK, there are stark disparities dictating who is able to access it.

The benefits of spending time outdoors in nature are well-documented. Green spaces support physical health by encouraging activity, improving air quality in the surrounding area, and helping to create a harmonious environment, subsequently slowing the impacts of climate change. There are also myriad mental health benefits to be gained from spending time in green space. Countless studies emphasise the stress reducing properties of time spent in nature, and how green space can help in managing mental health disorders such as anxiety, low moods and dementia. Green space also has benefits for the collective too, promoting social cohesion and offering the chance for communities to engage with one another. These wide-reaching benefits translate into a reduced strain on the NHS, who save £100 million annually in GP visits and prescriptions due to the health-enhancing effects of green spaces.

Lamentably, these virtues do not fall evenly. In a study conducted by the Ramblers, only 57% of adults questioned lived a five-minute walk away from a green space, such as a park, canal path or local field. For those from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, this figure stood at just 39%. Alongside this racial inequality, the survey revealed an income gradient in access to green space. Only 46% of people with a household income of £15,000 were within five minutes from a green space, in comparison to 63% of those whose household income was over £35,000, increasing again to 70% for those earning over £70,000.

Friends of the Earth’s mapping feature further illuminates these disparities, showing that 9.6 million people in England, approximately 20% of the population, live in areas characterised by less than nine square metres of green space per person, a minimum of 75% of residents living further than a five-minute walk to their local

The increase in travel bans due to Covid-19 has halted International travels everywhere. A highlight of travelling that I and thousands of others would agree with is tasting new and unique cuisines. Street food is an experience that allows us to try a variety of the region’s notable snacks, foods and desserts. Indonesia is known for its large array of street food, which covers all sorts of satay, rendang and fried snacks. Banana fritters or pisang goreng is a staple in food stalls and Indonesian households as a symbol of hospitality during any gathering. This is an easy recipe that is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet and savoury taste buds as the sweetness of the banana contrasts with the crispy and slightly salty batter.

flickr green space, and a lack of private gardens. Even many neighbourhoods here in Brighton and Hove, a city largely regarded as greener than most, fall into the category of most deprived of green space.

40% of Black and People of Colour live in these areas deemed most deprived of green space, compared to 14% of white people.

These inequalities have become crystallised by the pandemic. During lockdown, access to a garden or nearby park for some fresh air and the government allotted daily exercise became a lifeline for many of us. And yet, those who already lacked access to green space faced further barriers, as many public parks, outdoor gyms and playgrounds were closed by councils in efforts to limit social contact and the spread of coronavirus, bringing the inequalities in access to green space into sharp focus.

These closures compounded the already disproportionate burden borne by these communities as a result of the pandemic, related to employment circumstances and living arrangements, for example.

The huge influx of visitors from coastal and rural areas in the summer following the easing of lockdown restrictions highlighted the innate draw people have to spending time in nature, and the value placed upon the benefits of green space.

Discrepancies in access to green space are not just an urban phenomenon. Access to the UK countryside has a long and complex history, predicated on inequal structures of wealth. Despite the first bill proposing the right to roam being presented to parliament in 1884, ordinary citizens in England and Wales did not secure the legal right to walk across wild, open countryside (including mountains, moorlands and commons) until the year 2000. Prior to this, the countryside was privatised by a chain of Enclosures Acts, with gates to millions of acres firmly locked to the masses to create estates owned by aristocracy, and the subsequent robbing of countless rural livelihoods. The

lengthy struggle for the right to roam drew on human right arguments, that the open countryside should be fundamentally accessible to all. The victory in 2000 represented a win for ordinary citizens, the heralding of a new age of equality and collective access.

And yet, statistics suggest that for many communities, the countryside still feels inaccessible. Of the millions of visitors who flock to the UK’s national parks each year, only 3% are from ethnic minorities. There is palpable white privilege in outdoor spaces and representations, from a lack of diversity both on hiking trails and in media, sponsorship and industry, as well as significant threats to the safety of Black and People of Colour who simply want to enjoy green space. These structures create feelings of alienation from outdoor spaces, making people feel unwelcome in space that is rightfully theirs to also enjoy. Mohammed Dhalech, chair of Mosaic Outdoors, an initiative to facilitate the engagement of Black, Asian and ethnic minorities with the outdoors, recalls taking a group of minority ethnic professionals on a hike and hearing somebody nearby say: “What are they doing here? They should be in London.”

A number of schemes have emerged endeavouring to close the gaps in access to green space.

Among these are Boots and Beards, a hiking group set up by second-generation Pakistani migrants for Asian Glaswegians. Project One Climbing runs climbing activities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, whilst Black2Nature organises camps for young Black and People of Colour.

Many of these projects highlight material intersectional disadvantages faced by Black and People of Colour, such as problems accessing outdoor equipment or a car to travel to and around the countryside. These initiatives are central in the crucial movement towards making the great outdoors, great for all.

What you will need: 5 bananas 110g flour 50g rice flour 1 tsp baking powder A pinch of salt 250ml water 1 egg, beaten Vegetable oil

Method Mix the dry ingredients (flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt) thoroughly Whisk the egg and water together Add the dry ingredient mixture with the egg and water. Mix until everything is well incorporated Cut the bananas length-wise and then dip them in the batter. Make sure each side is covered well Leave the bananas for 10-15 minutes Heat the vegetable oil in the pan and carefully lower the bananas Fry until the batter is golden brown and crispy Serve as soon as you are done frying all of them!

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Banana fritters are an arsenal in Indonesian households as a snack to serve guests. It is also easily customised to your taste with melted chocolate chips, peanut butter or even cheddar cheese. With the simplicity of the ingredients and the short time it takes, it can be an easy snack to bring to your friends for a picnic or just when you want something to snack on during a zoom class!

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The pangolin and Covid-19 The role of the pangolin in Covid-19 transmission Sam Ashby New research suggests pangolin coronaviruses, Pangolin-CoVs, are more closely related to the Covid-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2, than the RaTG13 coronavirus of bats and the illegal trade of pangolins may have accelerated transmission.

The origin of the Covid-19 virus (SARS-Cov-2) is still unclear, despite comprehensive research. Upon the earliest reports of Covid-19 cases in humans in late-2019, the finger was promptly pointed towards the consumption of bats. Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) are known to transmit a subgenus of sarbecoviruses, to which SARSCoV-2 belongs. The SARSCoV-2 genome is thought to show a 96% concordance with its closest relative, RaTG13 betacoronavirus, which infects the intermediate horseshoe bat (R. affinis). An article published in 2020, however, argued that RaTG13 had a markedly low affinity for human cell receptors. It is likely, therefore, that an intermediate vector species enabled the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans. Enter the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica).

Sangha Pangolin Project Though the Malayan, or Sunda, pangolin can be located throughout Southeast Asia, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognises it as a Critically Endangered species. Due to a controversial belief that this species holds medicinal value in Eastern Asia, the Malayan pangolin is one of the most harvested mammals, globally, and faces probable extinction. The keratin-rich, plated armour of pangolins supposedly alleviates multiple minor ailments and disabilities, such as arthritis or nausea. Despite a conspicuous absence of evidence supporting the medicinal use of pangolin scales, and increasing legal enforcement against trading, the future of pangolins remains doubtful.

Approximately 29 tonnes of

pangolin scales are imported to China each year, and it is plausible that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans originated in pangolin products.

In their 2021 paper published in Nature Communications, Antoni Wrobel et al. claim the ability to bind to ACE2 (Angiotensin-converting enzymes located on human cell membranes), plus the structure of virus S proteins, enable Pangolin coronavirus (PangolinCoV) transmission to humans.

Wrobel et al. found pangolinCoV was much more likely to bind to human ACE2s than the RaTG13 bat coronavirus.

Furthermore, the S proteins of pangolin-CoV were more compatible with human ACE2s than RaTG13 S proteins. The results of this research imply the transmission of SARS-

CoV-2 and the emergence of Covid-19 were made possible through close contact with intermediary species, such as pangolins. RaTG13 viruses are much less adapted to human transmission than pangolin-CoVs. Early accusations towards Rhinolophus bats as the sole source of novel Covid-19, therefore, may be inaccurate. The similarity between pangolin ACE2s and those of human cells likely enabled successful transmission. Covid-19 can be attributed to the consumption of RaTG13-infected horseshoe bats and pangolin products, but it is highly possible that there were multiple, unidentified species, alongside the Malayan pangolin, transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to humans.

Future research may identify several host species involved in the emergence of Covid-19, which might outline the risks associated with harvesting exotic animal products.

Fortunately, Chinese authorities have recognised the hygienic concerns associated with livestock markets and wildlife trafficking. Several ‘wet markets’, where live animals are slaughtered upon purchase, were shut down in February 2021 and the trade of several exotic species, in-

cluding pangolins, banned.

The legitimacy of these actions, however, is weakened given the failure of previous legislation.

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Due to a controversial belief that this species holds medicinal value in Eastern Asia, the Malayan pangolin is one of the most harvested mammals, globally, and faces probable extinction.

A 2016 agreement put forward by CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species), of which China has been a member for over thirty years, banned the international trade of pangolins and associated products.

After the importation of pangolin scales continued, the Chinese government implemented a ban on all medicinal products of pangolin origin in 2019. Whether the latest legislations ensure legitimate protection against pangolin harvesting remains to be seen. Currently, at over 118 million cases and 2.61 million deaths worldwide (as of 12th March 2021), the Covid-19 pandemic could, and should, motivate a decline in illegal pangolin trade and arbitrary medicinal practices.

ARIA: new funding for experimental science Becky Sainty With funding for research more and more competitive, there is an urgent need for new sources and increased diversity. There is often concern raised around the lack of options for more experimental science and technology research that does not yet have a clear payback.

Many cases demonstrate the importance of wideranging research, such as the discovery of CRISPR, which has revolutionised the field of genetics since arising from the study of bacterial immune systems and whose inventors won the Nobel Prize last year.

As a step in addressing this problem, the UK government has recently announced the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA), a new scientific research agency that

will focus on funding highrisk, high-reward projects.

ARIA will be based on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, previously ARPA), which is credited with the invention of the internet, as well as funding research into mRNA vaccines before the COVID-19 pandemic. Like its US equivalent, ARIA will have the capacity to start and stop projects according to their success, with a high tolerance for failure.

The move is part of the R&D Roadmap published last year, which included the need for more experimental research, as well as increasing diversity and research integrity. The plan is to make the UK a global leader in science and innovation, and for this, the R&D budget is being increased to £14.6 billion in 2021-2022, with plans to continue increasing it further. ARIA will receive

a small proportion of this budget, £800 million to spend over the next few years and is planned to be fully operational by 2022. This is a fraction of the funding that US DARPA receives, so it is unclear if it will be enough to make the intended impact. ARIA will be led by world-leading scientists, and recruitment for an interim Chief Executive and Chair has begun. They will decide what the vision, direction and priorities will be.

Possible focuses include disease outbreaks and climate change, where experimental, cross-disciplinary research may be able to make a large impact.

ARIA will function separately from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) but is intended to complement it. The UKRI was created in 2017 to bring many areas of science under one roof, allowing it

to address cross-disciplinary challenges. It was intended at the time to reduce bureaucracy, and with the intention to change the UK science system, which is similar to what is now being said about ARIA, raising questions about how it will be different. The creation of the agency was part of the Conservative Party’s latest manifesto and has been credited to a push from Dominic Cummings, who criticized the existing UKRI for its bureaucracy.

However, the announcement has attracted a lot of criticism, including around the lack of clarity in the plans, including what funding model it will use. A key selling point for ARIA is the decreased regulation it will be under, allowing it to streamline the funding process and focus on more experimental projects.

This has also raised concerns

around whether the normal standard of peer and ethical reviews will be upheld, and whether it will lead to similar problems as the government faced last year, where allegedly appointments were made for personal relationships.

There have also been rumours that the new organisation could be exempt from Freedom of Information requests, although the US DARPA are not.

Time will tell how ARIA is set up and whether it will be able to achieve its goals and help the UK become a global leader for research. However, it is important that the UK government is making space for this experimental research, as it has the potential to lead to large breakthroughs that may not be possible under current funding options.

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The portrayal of vaccines

Has reporting of the AstraZeneca vaccine increased scepticism?

Rosie Burgess Recent articles claiming that The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is linked to blood clots is just one example of how one could interpret the media as having a negative effect on people’s attitudes to vaccinations.

The AstraZeneca vaccine had been approved for use within the European Union.

Developed in partnership with Oxford University, this vaccine has an efficacy of 63.09 per cent in preventing COVID-19. But when Denmark received accounts of blood clots in people who had received a dose of the particular vaccine as well as one person who died after having multiple clots 10 days after the dose. They saw fit to suspend rollout of this vaccine.

The European medicines Agency (EMA) and SAGE (Strategic advisory group of experts of immunization) immediately stepped in and investigated this claim but concluded that there was no link between the vaccine and blood clots. Several European

countries including France and Germany still halted their rollouts of the vaccine when more than 30 recipients were diagnosed with a condition known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or CVST. The majority of people affected were women under the age of 55. Independent researchers in Norway and Germany concluded that vaccines had the ability to trigger an autoimmune reaction which could have been a cause of blood clots in the brain and could be an explanation for incidents across Europe. However, this issue affected a very small amount of the population and the EMA emphasised that the benefits outweighed the potential risks of the vaccine and recommended vaccinations resume.

In Germany, only 13 cases of CVST were found amongst the 1.6 million people who received the vaccine. Twelve patients were women and three of them died. The researchers concluded in a statement that mostly all patients will show symptoms around four days after vaccination which pre-

sent as headaches, dizziness or impaired vision and therefore could be diagnosed and treated effectively.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) appealed to the EU for countries not to pause any vaccination efforts and highlighted the importance that this was a routine investigation and proved that effective controls for vaccinations were in fact in place.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan who is WHO’s chief scientist explained that there have been 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine injected all around the world and there has been no documented death linked to any of them. She explained that the rates at which blood clots have occurred in people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine are less than the average number expected in the population at this time.

AstraZeneca has also stated that they received data of over 17 million people vaccinated and this has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. But, regardless of the results of this – How damaging has this been to vaccination efforts?

A recent report by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) stated that around 7.8 million people have joined anti-vax campaigns since 2019. The authors have emphasised that decisions by media companies including news outlets to continue reporting misinformation and exaggerated headlines have produced many opportunities for people to undermine the effectiveness and importance of vaccination. The numbers continue to rise. Facebook has also recently reported that 31 million people follow anti-vaccination groups and similarly, 17 million subscribers to anti-vaccination YouTube accounts.

It is clear that sensationalist headlines that entice readers tend to generate more user engagement and therefore more revenue. The consequences of this are that people are repeatedly exposed to misinformation and negative thought patterns about vaccination.

The AstraZeneca Blood clot controversy is just one example of how the media have immediately demonised vac-

cinations when in reality, it is true that every single drug has risks and benefits.

Some people took to Twitter to explain that the AstraZeneca vaccination risk for blood clots is similar to that of the Oral Contraceptive pill that many people find beneficial and are happy to take but are quick to criticise the vaccine.

Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, countless conspiracy theories have surfaced as well as false claims that the vaccine is a method of mind control, altering DNA or even genocide. A recent survey released by the CCDH found that around one in six British people were unlikely to agree to being vaccinated against COVID-19 and similarly. One in six had not made up their mind yet. It is unclear whether current reporting of the AstraZeneca vaccine has affected this number.

The WHO continues to warn about the aggrandizement of COVID-19 vaccination issues and that it could continue to have serious consequences for public safety.

Your brain on fiction – how we become what we see Nikoletta Skwarek The intense moments of deep immersion are caused by something more complex than empathy. Brain imaging shows our brains are tricked into ‘becoming’ a character for our own benefit.

We all had moments when we got a bit too much into a film or book, cheering on fictional characters as if they were our actual friends fighting to survive. Perhaps, you were so immersed in the world painted before you that suddenly all the joys and atrocities of your favourite character felt like your own.

In February 2021, researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Oregon presented what happens in our brains when we live vicariously through the eyes of fictional characters. Using the combined powers of the Game of Thrones TV series and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Broom, Chavez and Wagner set out to

Wikimedia commons find previously uncertain explanations for psychological phenomena known as parasocial relationships and identification.

Many of us grew up thinking we were superheroes. As Twitter and Instagram will show you, characters and those who portray them leave an imprint on us; we often grieve their loss as if they were close to us. Psychologists describe this as parasocial relationships, where we form one-sided attachments towards celebrities or fictional characters. It seems like imaginary friends in childhood days were not for nothing – the imagined inter-

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actions such as these often feel like real ongoing friendships and alleviate loneliness.

Another phenomenon called ‘identification’ is like a transportation into a first-person perspective of a specific character, where we brief ly adopt a different identity. When we engage in this ‘make-belief’, seeing the world through other’s eyes is a chance to learn about ourselves, pointing towards directions of growth and expanding our own perspective.

There was some speculation over how that occurs, but scientists were largely baff led.

To solve this, Broom and colleagues recruited nineteen Game of Thrones fans, known for their attachments to the show’s characters and the inevitable heart-break that follows their brutal on-screen deaths. The fans then rated twenty-five characters on scales related to how close they felt to them, alikeness and whether they felt friendship with the characters, in-

cluding feelings of emotional attachment.

When we engage in this ‘make-belief ’, seeing the world through other’s eyes is a chance to learn about ourselves, pointing towards directions of growth and expanding our own perspective.

They predicted a region situated right before the frontal portion of our brains – the vMPFC (ventral area of the medial prefrontal cortex) - will activate to names and traits of fictional characters in similar patterns as it activates in response to tasks that recall self-knowledge.

By showing names of fictional GoT characters (including Jon Snow, Bronn and Jaime Lannister), Broom and colleagues found that the higher someone’s ability to transpose into a first-person perspective of characters, the more they processed the characters’ experience as their own. This

included exact neural activation in the vMPFC, which was previously seen to be activated for self-knowledge recall as well as in response to seeing individuals similar to ourselves. Parasocial relationships were also found to originate from this area, as activation after seeing GoT names was partially overlapping with activation following names of friends.

This incredible experience of immersion happens when we neurologically become characters towards which we form emotional attachments, even if they are not similar to ourselves. We merge our identities with others’, and Broom with his team showed what incredible neural activity underlies that. The next time I feel cooped in, I will reach for fiction knowing that my brain believes I’m the one chasing dragons through unknown lands. It may just make lockdown a touch more bearable.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Sport

31 Haas Investigated for Anti-Doping Rule Breach

Lucy Evans The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has looked into the Formula 1 livery revealed by Haas for 2021 amid questions over its compliance with a ban against Russian athletes.

Haas revealed the VF-21, their 6th car since launching in 2016, on Friday 5th March. The car was notable for featuring the red, white and blue stripes of the Russian flag, added to the livery due to their new title sponsor Uralkali, a company partially owned by Dmitri Mazepin, the father of one of their drivers, the rookie Nikita Mazepin.

WADA’s restrictions, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), forbid any Russian athletes in global competitions from displaying the Russian flag or related symbols on their equipment for two years, a restriction which many on social media have claimed that the Haas livery breaks.

In article 4.(e).(v). of the CAS ruling, the body clearly states that Russian athletes “shall not display publicly the flag of the Russian Federation...on their clothes, equipment, or other personal items in a publicly

Jake Archibald visible manner at any official venues or other areas controlled by the signatory or its appointed event organiser”.

The FIA is a signatory to WADA, and as such all its championships are subject to that organisation’s code, which in turn applies to the CAS ruling.

A spokesman for WADA previously stated “WADA is aware of this matter and is looking into it with the relevant authorities”, however later WADA stated that they would not be taking any further action at this time against the livery, meaning Haas are able to use it for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, and likely for the rest of the 2021 season.

Haas boss Guenther Steiner

denied that the livery was made to circumvent the ban, stating it was designed before the WADA ban, and affirming that the team is still ‘an American team’. The FIA (Formula 1’s governing body) approved the livery, stating that “the team has clarified the livery with the FIA” and “the CAS decision does not prohibit the use of the colours of the Russian flag.”

The ban is in response to the state sponsored doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics, hosted in Sochi, which is stated to include tampering of laboratory information regarding the athletes.

Uralkali have also produced a new ‘F1-specific logo’, which utilises red and blue, rather

than their usual green and red, seen by some on social media as a move to try to ‘legitimise’ the livery as sponsor colours, rather than the Russian flag.

Mazepin’s new teammate is the German fellow rookie Mick Schumacher, son of 7-time world champion Michael, who debuted the car at preseason testing (with the controversial livery) in Bahrain on the 12th March, ahead of the first race at the same track on the 28th March.

Schumacher stated that he “thinks it’s the team colours”, and thinks it looks “beasty” and “fesity”, which is “how we’re going to approach the season too”. The team have decided they are not going to be developing the car any further during the season, instead focusing on the new regulations coming next year.

Despite the livery causing a stir, the car itself failed to, showing poor speed at preseason testing, beating only those struck with mechanical problems, such as Valtteri Bottas’s Mercedes on Day One, and the Aston Martins of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll on the final day.

Fans online have stated their

dismay with the car, with some creating alternative liveries utilising the German flag in homage to Schumacher, the American flag in honour of the team’s American base, and others utilising the familiar grey, red, and white Haas had previously.

Haas has been no stranger to controversy over the winter break. After being signed last December, Mazepin was pictured in a video groping a woman’s breast, which he shared to his Instagram story. Haas released a statement rebuking his actions and terming the video ‘abhorrent’, however the #WeSayNoToMazepin hashtag has been repeatedly shared on social media, especially Twitter, in response to a alleged lack of action on the part of the team.

This is also not the first time they have had a controversial livery. In 2019, they took on title sponsors Rich Energy, and created a black and gold livery around their design. However after a string of poor results, and online disputes about the legitimacy of Rich Energy, they parted ways mid-way through the season.

British Judo Face Bullying Allegations Max Kilham and Charlie Batten With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games only 4 months away, yet another British sports organisation has faced allegations of bullying.

As per the BBC, British Judo has joined the long list UK Olympic sports teams facing reports of bullying in what is becoming an increasingly worrying trend.

It is unclear as to who the bullying allegations are directed to but British Judo have said they are “completing an investigation into allegations that have been raised” and that they would not comment further “due to it being an ongoing process”.

This all follows UK Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger statement last year that they would “identify, confront and eradicate” all bullying and abuse in British sport after it was found 10% of British Olympic and Paralympic athletes had witnessed or received “unacceptable behaviour. The survey also found that less than half of athletes felt there were consequences for behaving badly.

UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday also spoke on the issue by saying “my experience leads

Per Nikolaus me to believe that the vast majority of people in high-performance sport are doing the right thing,” “But it seems that there are some people who are not, so let me be clear and state this categorically.

“For anyone that doesn’t want to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and integrity my message is clear - you are not welcome in Olympic and Paralympic sport.”

The Olympic games are on the horizon and these claims have added to the variety of bullying accusations within UK sport in recent years.

In a 2017 report, British cycling was found to have ‘lacked good governance’ as a result of the reports investigation into claims of bullying.

Other sports, such as Canoeing and bobsleigh, have also faced bullying allegations.

This is not the first time that British Judo have come under fire in recent memory. As per the BBC, the organisation was on the end of a cutting review from UK Sport in 2016. A contentious sponsorship dispute with the European Judo Union resulted in the stripping of British Judo’s right to host the 2015 European Judo Championships,

which were due to be held in Glasgow.

These recent allegations will be a concern for UK Sport, with the consistent accusations over recent years disturbing.

In September 2020, the Guardian reported that UK Sport had opened an investigation into new bullying and racism claims within UK Bobsleigh.

This came after a Guardian report in 2017, which found that the then head coach of British Bobsleigh, Lee Johnston, had stated in 2013 that: ‘black drivers do not make good bobsleigh drivers.’

The allegations put to British Judo is the latest example of apparent misconduct within professional British sporting organisations.

In terms of Tokyo funding figures, judo sits on £7.35m, as per UK Sport. Whilst this is one of the more poorly funded sports ahead of the Olympics, it still beats out other sports such as archery and badminton.

UK Sport’s Munday has threatened funding cuts if behaviour does not improve within elite sport in the UK. However, Munday highlighted that cuts could pose dramatic effects on

individual athletes. As per the Guardian, Grainger had this to say: “We do have the ultimate power of taking money away.

“We won’t shy away if we feel that is the requirement. The important thing is how we can help sports to learn and improve.

“What we have to be really conscious of, if we take money away from the sport, is that ultimately potentially we are directly impacting on the athletes themselves.”

Judo has been relatively successful during it’s time in the Olympics. As per the BBC, Judo was first introduced to the games in 1964. Since then Judo athletes have won 18 Olympic medals. This has included Neil Adams, who won silver medals at both the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, and Karina Bryant, who won bronze at the London 2012 Olympics.

It remains to be seen as to whether the investigation by British Judo will find these claims to be true. The allegations are disturbing nonetheless and continues the worrisome trend of bullying accusations within professional British sport.

The Badger 29th March 2021

Sport

32 A Layman and Cricket An in-depth look into life within the Sussex County Cricket Club

Jessica Hake Arts Editor There are very few things I enjoy more than drinking in the sun with friends during summer.

With the countryside being the stage for my formative drinking years, cricket inevitably wormed its way in there.

I’m not ashamed to say that I don’t understand the sport, the rules, the idiosyncrasies and why they seem to constantly rub the ball on their crotch. To me, cricket has always been the backdrop for some of my best summer drinking days. The start of the match means that day drinking becomes acceptable and the end (of a T20, not Test) match signals a move from Pimm’s, Budweiser or gin and lemonade to more stronger drinks, like tequila or vodka.

With this in mind, it’s surprising that it was not through drinking and socialising in the sun past times that I stumbled across Sussex Cricket. Rather, an impromptu Zoom quiz where “What is the oldest of 18 firstclass county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales?” was asked, with Sussex County Cricket Club being the answer. I was surprised, “Sussex has a cricket club?” I asked myself. This confusion paired with my desire to be a competent journalist writing for all sections, led to me suddenly being incredibly excited and passionate about writing about cricket, using Sussex County Club as my focus.

If you’re a tad confused at this rigorous zeal, I was showing towards cricket don’t worry, you’re not alone. Considering my sporting prowess lies in athletics that was dropped after I left school and my last involvement in team sports being the forced GCSE netball squad that was more brutal than it was given credit for – quite a few people weren’t 100% convinced I knew what I was doing. Aside from attending cricket for the ambience, the only other live sport events I have attended is one football game where my dad won the tickets. The only time I’ve watched sport is when my mum had the Olympics on whilst she was ironing and my friend dragged me along to a televised rugby match last year, where both of us had ulterior motives.

So, when Sussex County Cricket Club appeared on my

you ever heard of something more quintessentially British than a tea break in professional sport? I thought not. Although I was told that the professionality of sport was seeping into the game rituals, with nutrition and dietetics being strongly considered, I was also assured that the traditionality of the game had not been entirely lost. Test cricket is what I would count as traditional cricket and is potentially dying out. Aside from the nice white sporting uniforms they were I wasn’t sure why there was such an outcry from fans and sportsman alike for it to continue. However, after hearing how roast dinners are served at lunchtime with tea and cakes being served in the 20-minute break, I now empathise with their struggle.

With Sussex being considered to be the birthplace of cricket, along with Kent, it would be easy and understandable for them to lean into a prestigious and slightly up-themselves mindset.

However, they remain humble and approachable (evidenced by the fact they welcomed a 19-year-old student writer onto

very patient tour guide Sam, I was fed numerous snippets of information about cricket, the game, the culture and the history. Something that did surprise me was one key component of the game.

“

Jessica Hake radar there was some shock, nonetheless by me. With this in mind, after emailing the club asking if they would be interested in me doing a few pieces for them (to which they kindly agreed) I went for a tour of the club in order to get a feel for the place.

First and foremost, they’re all lovely. Granted I didn’t actually meet any of the players that day because it was their day of, but the grounds crew, tour guide and everyone we came into contact with carried a sense of openness, calm and just general decency about them.

My limited experience of team sports includes the stereotypes of ‘rugby boys’, ‘football lads’ and ‘lacrosse players’, along with their relevant entourage. Having never really heard of the ‘cricket crew’ stereotype I understand now why – so far, they all seem quite genuine and lovely. Now, I’m sure that is subject to change as I meet the players and more members of the cricket team; however, first impressions were very good.

“

Although the club was on a grander scale than that of my countryside equivalent, it was the marrying of modern infrastructure like staggered plastic seating and floodlights, held in contrast to the traditional pavilion and benched grounds that brought a sense of nostalgia.

As I walked around the club I was shocked by the juxtaposition of professional sport and village mentality. With Sussex being a member’s club, as it has been since its inception in 1839, it fosters a community ethos that is manifested

through the club. Although the club was on a grander scale than that of my countryside equivalent, it was the marrying of modern infrastructure like staggered plastic seating and floodlights, held in contrast to the traditional pavilion and benched grounds that brought a sense of nostalgia. No matter how big or small a cricket club is, the chances are they have a pavilion. The Long room is a

“Sussex has a cricket club?” I asked myself. This confusion paired with my desire to be a competent journalist writing for all sections, led to me suddenly being incredibly excited and passionate about writing about cricket, using Sussex County Club as my focus.

Did you know that balls are one of the costliest expenditures a club has to make for cricket? With a professional cricket ball apparently costing upwards of £80, it made the several unrecovered balls that laid strewn across the top of the pavilion roof an attractive steal to a university student.

Considering that the ball gets hit (quite forcefully) and bowled at incredulous speeds, the need for a sturdy punching bag is quite important. The standard cricket ball is made from layers of twine that have been wound around a cork core, encased in a leather shell.

“

Have you ever heard of something more quintessentially British than a tea break in professional sport? I thought not.

Jessica Hake staple in clubs up and down the country, a relicof the Victorian-esque etiquette that was not only attached yet intertwined with the game.

Another factor that highlight the evidence of this are the breaks.

From my understanding (thanks to my very patient tour guide Sam) there are two breaks that occur within Test cricket, sandwiched in-between the three two-hour sessions of a standard day. Those consist of 40 minutes for lunch and then 20 minutes for tea. Tea. Have

their grounds). Now, this may have not occurred due to the lack of money that cricket seems to have, in contrast with its affluent competitors like football or even rugby. Yet, I would take a kinder approach. The village mentality fostered may have been contributed to due to the financial state of the game; however, the sportsmanship of cricket, team ethos and being a member led club, are arguably stronger factors to be taken into consideration.

Throughout the short tour with the aforementioned

Towards the end of the tour we saw a ground of groundsmen dash out and pop a cover over a small area of the pitch (the name of which I shall eventually learn).

I found out that it was because they wanted to ensure it stayed dry for the imminent rain. I’m sure I’ll write another article about cricket’s obsession with rain and the quite odd pieces of machinery they have to rectify the pitch if water falls. I was quite amused when I heard of an alleged radar in the ground keepers hut, to alert them to any potential rainfall.

Still having not watched a match, it’s hard to say whether I prefer cricket to other sports.

However, from what I’ve learnt so far, I think I will. The community ethos, traditional rituals and numerous idiosyncrasies of the sport, all combine to construct quite a unique and mysterious (yet not for long) sport.