The Badger 8th Edition

THE

BADGER

Sussex University’s Official Student Newspaper The Valentine’s Day Special, Featuring ‘The Big Collaboration’

Front cover image taken by Rob Barrie The Team Editor-In-Chief Georgia Keetch News Print Editor Ritika Srivatsan News Sub-Editor Jasmine Crowhurst News Online Editor Maisie Levitt Features Print Editor Olly DeHerrera Features Sub-Editor Rhys Mathers Features Sub-Editor Sellah Penteliuk Features Online Editor Grace Dawes Travel & Culture Print Editor Aishwarya Johnson Jogul Travel & Culture Online Editor Mia Stuckey Travel & Culture Food Editor Justine Codery Arts Print Editor Molly Openshaw Arts Online Editor Alice Stevens Music Editor Dylan Bryant Film and TV Editor Emma Norris Issy Anthony Theatre Editor Ali Arief Books Editor Saskia May Artist Focus Editor Éloïse Armary Comment Print Editor Sophie McMahon Comment Online Editor Simon Edwards Science and Technology Editor Rob Barrie Sport Print Editor Charlie Batten Sport Online Editor Ava Steed Sports Sub-Editor Will Vo

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Society Spotlight

ost of us want to make a difference in our careers and lives. We see suffering, cruelty and death, and we are moved to do something about it. But what should we do?

Effective altruism is a research field that tries to answer this question by using evidence and reason to work out how we can help others as much as possible. It’s also a community of people taking these ideas seriously.

Selecting the right cause One of the most important factors to consider is which problem to work on, since some are more pressing than others. Researchers have found three factors to help identify promising causes: Scale: does the problem affect many lives by a large amount?

Neglectedness: are few resources already going towards addressing the problem?

Tractability or solvability: will additional resources do a lot to solve the issue?

Using this framework, three of the main cause areas that we focus on are improving global health, reducing animal suffering and improving the long-term future.

Improving global health is important because millions die each year from diseases including malaria and parasitic worms, but there is solid evidence that many interventions, including antimalarial bed nets or even cash transfers, save and improve lives.

At the same time, billions of animals are

used and killed by humans each year, the vast majority of them suffering awful conditions and deaths in factory farms.

Despite this, only a small percentage of philanthropic funding goes towards animal welfare and, of that only around 1% goes towards farmed animals.

Finally, improving the long-term future is important because we expect far more people to live in the future than are alive today. The lives of future generations are threatened by risks including climate change, pandemics, nuclear war and advanced artificial intelligence. Existential risks posed by new technologies are massively neglected, with very few people working on them.

These are only a few causes effective altruism currently focuses on and there are others that could also have a high impact. Researching new causes that might have a major impact is also important, known as ‘global priorities research’.

Choosing the right career You will spend around 80,000 hours in your career, so choosing the right career is perhaps the most important ethical decision of your life. Working on the world’s most pressing problems, in the most effective ways, can increase your impact by a huge amount.

If this sounds interesting to you, Effective Altruism Sussex will be running a number of events this term and our introduction fellowship. Our events and

membership are free, you can find more details on our Instagram or Facebook pages or you can email us if you have any questions.

Alternatively, if you want to talk about how these ideas may apply to you and your career plans, as the Society’s President, I am more than happy to meet to talk about effective altruism ideas and paths to an impactful career Words by Joe Hardie, President of the Effective Altrusim society

You can find the Effective Altruism Society on Instagram or Facebook @easussex

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

Investigation Launched After 23-year-old Black Woman Found Dead After Bumble Date

Cameron Trencher Staff Writer Trigger warnings for drug use and death.

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auren Smith-Fields, a 23-year-old Black woman, was found dead by a man she had met through internet dating site Bumble on December 12th.

A physical therapy student from Bridgeport, Connecticut, the woman was found with a combination of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol in her system.

Smith-Fields’ Bumble date, a Caucasian man of 37 years of age named Matthew LaFountain, has neither been charged nor taken for questioning by police.

Certain events retold by LaFountain contradict the story implied by evidence found at the scene, leading to suspicion from the family of the deceased. According to LaFountain, the two met days before through Bumble and spent the night in Smith-Fields’ apartment drinking tequila.

After Smith-Fields vomited in her bathroom, she fell asleep

and was carried upstairs by her date, who slept next to her. At 6:30 a.m. he found her unconscious and bleeding from the nose. LaFountain alerted paramedics, who pronounced her dead at the scene. The deceased’s family’s lawyer, Darnell Crosland, noted the scene held a used condom, an unidentified pill, and a blood stain on Smith-Fields’ bed, though LaFountain insists the pair did not have sex.

These items were not taken as evidence by law enforcement.

The alcohol found in SmithFields’ system was a result of the tequila the pair were drinking,

and Smith-Fields was known to be taking promethazine and hydroxyzine as antihistamines.

No explanation has been offered for the lethal quantities of fentanyl Smith-Fields had ingested, a drug which constituted 80% of overdoses across the state of Connecticut in 2021. Despite Smith-Fields having no noted history with illegal drugs, the death was ruled accidental by the case’s medical examiner. Whilst it is unknown how the fentanyl got into her body, her brother Lakeem Jetter noted that police never tested the alcohol found at the scene, and the pill found by the

@Hartford Courant family remains unidentified.

Jetter said police described LaFountain as a ‘nice guy’, and that this could explain why he was not taken for questioning in relation to the drugs.

It took more than a day for Smith-Fields’ family to find out about her passing on the evening of December 13th.

Her mother was not notified by a police officer, but by Smith-Fields’ landlord, and only after pressing learned from a detective the nature of her daughter’s death. The reason for these delays is entirely unclear, but they have prompted protests from the

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family, who held a rally outside the mayor’s office on January 24th. This led to the Bridgeport Police Department finally opening a criminal investigation into the case a month and a half after Smith-Fields died.

Smith-Fields’ family vocalised mistreatment they faced from the law enforcement.

Bridgeport mayor Joe Ganim announced the suspension of two detectives, branding the handling of the case ‘unacceptable’. With the family planning to sue Bridgeport City Police Department, Crosland asserted, “It wouldn’t be the case if this was a white 23-year-old girl who died in her home with a Black almost 40-year-old male”.

Lauren Smith-Fields’ case reflects the disproportionate number of women of colour who are marginalised when it comes to police action. Crosland’s words highlight a symptom of ‘missing white woman syndrome’, a phenomenon where cases are seen to be given more care and media attention when the victim is white.

Editor’s Note: information correct at the time of writing

Neil Young’s Music Removed From Spotify in a Row Against Covid Misinformation

Melis Trimmer Staff Writer

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n an open letter to Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service provider, Canadian-American musician, Neil Young, demanded for his music to be removed from the platform.

He claims that, “Spotify is spreading life threatening Covid misinformation.”

As a survivor of polio, Young’s frustrations are personal.

His letter is a reaction to Spotify’s top podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), in which Rogan has been known to discuss, often controversially, the coronavirus vaccine with guests. In his letter, Young clarifies “they [Spotify] can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” The letter was removed shortly after its publication, however Spotify responded by removing Young’s music from the platform, keeping JRE, the podcast that it acquired exclusive streaming rights to in 2020, in a deal reportedly worth more than $100m.

This recent controversy comes after an episode of

JRE in which Rogan hosted Dr. Robert Malone (#1757), an American virologist and immunologist who was suspended from Twitter from spreading misinformation on COVID-19. On the podcast he said that Americans have been “hypnotised” into getting vaccinated, with this information reaching Rogan’s estimated 11 million listeners per podcast and driving a coalition of scientists and researchers to

write an open letter to Spotify, urging them to “establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation.” Joni Mitchell, a Canadian singer-songwriter, has joined Young’s Spotify boycott, arguing that “Malone’s interview has reached many tens of millions of listeners vulnerable to predatory medical misinformation.”

This is not the first time that Joe Rogan has been widely criticised for sharing

@Flickr

his scepticism in regards to the vaccination as in October 2021.

The White House blasted Rogan for his views on the vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, American physicianscientist and immunologist and Chief Medical Advisor to the President, said that “I’m not sure taking scientific and medical advice from Joe Rogan is perhaps the most productive way for people to get their information”. These comments came after an episode of JRE featured Rogan stating (in regards to the COVID-19 vaccination): “If you’re a healthy person and you’re exercising all the time and you’re young and you’re eating well, I don’t think you need to worry about this.”

While Spotify is being slammed for allowing a podcast which is spreading medical misinformation on its platform, Sunny Hostin, an American lawyer, journalist and television host argues, “I’m not saying that Joe Rogan should be removed from Spotify. He’s got 11 million listeners, he’s got a $100 million contract, as of 2020, but I do think, as the podcast platform, you have to have some sort

of guidelines. How about a disclaimer on his podcast, that says “This is misinformation””.

Spotify has censored Rogan in the past, removing 42 episodes of JRE in April 2021, for reasons that it has not stated.

However, the question remains whether it is the duty, or moral obligation of Spotify to censor conversations when they could have damaging effects for those that are listening, given that they do not follow up with their own research.

Since the controversy has arisen a number of artists have spoken in support of Young.

Along with Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren is to remove his music from Spotify. James Blunt has tweeted “If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform,”. In response to the controversy his podcast has received, Rogan took to Instagram in a ten-minute video, pledging to “try harder to get people with differing opinions on” the show.

Editor's note: information correct at time of writing

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

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Omicron and Inflation Will Impact World Growth in 2022, Says IMF Billy Stack Staff Writer

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n January 22nd, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), published a quarterly review of its global growth forecasts for the next two financial years.

The review focused on the potential impact of the omicron variant of COVID-19 and inflation driven by rising energy prices on economic recovery from the pandemic.

The IMF now predicts a headline global growth figure of 4.4% for 2022, down from 5.9% in 2021, and its own previous prediction of 4.9% for the coming year, which had been published in the October 2021 iteration of this report. This is explained by the emergence of the omicron variant across much of Europe throughout the winter, and the tightening of restrictions this has entailed in the world’s richest countries, with the US economy predicted to grow by 4% in the coming year, down from 5.6% in 2021.

Despite omicron, the IMF does believe the global recovery from the 2020 recession will continue into 2023, with projected growth rates for that year now set at 3.8%, up from 3.5% in the October report.

This optimistic change in long-term expectations suggest that the IMF also foresees a solution to the current spike in energy prices, which has seen the U.K. 's inflation rates hit their highest level since 1991. The continued reliance of many of the world’s superpowers on oil imported from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the cartel’s only significant market rival Russia, has allowed suppliers to raise

prices without seeing a fall in revenue, meaning prices are likely to remain volatile until new suppliers of oil enter the market, or renewable sources of energy become more widespread. The IMF report advises governments to use expansionary fiscal policy in the face of this crisis, such as the winter fuel allowance that the U.K. government provides to those of state pension age each year.

The continued diplomatic

tensions between Russia and the EU, over the Russian government’s attempts to influence Ukrainian politics however, may encourage firms such as Gazprom to maintain their current high prices.

As well as adjusting its global forecasts, the IMF report also made projections for individual countries and continents for the next two years. These showed that the U.K. economy is predicted to grow faster than that of any other G7

@Human Rights Watch

member, and of the Euro area as a whole, albeit by only 0.2 percentage points. While in South America, growth is expected to fall to 2.4% in 2022, and be only marginally higher the following year. Both figures are lower than their equivalent for any other continent.

While economic growth, in the form of consistently rising levels of GDP, is often presented as desirable, it is important to note that high levels of consumption and especially of fossil fuel usage will likely have a negative environmental impact. In 2019 outspoken climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the obsession with “eternal economic growth”, saying that she believes it has encouraged the pursuit of unsustainable methods of production. While environmental scientists have long been advocating for the expansion of the energy sector to be confined to the growth of renewable resources, meaning any future fall in growth rates may not necessarily have the negative global impact the IMF suggests it will.

Editors Note: Information Correct at the Time of Writing

‘Bee Bricks’ Become Mandatory in Brighton Buildings Under New Law Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor

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his week, Brighton and Hove council mandated the use of Bee Bricks in an update to a planning law which necessitates them in new buildings of five metres or above. It has come as a victory for councillor, Robert Nemeth, who has been campaigning for this addition since 2019, and follows similar policies adopted in Cornwall and Dorset. It is hoped that this new initiative will help aid biodiversity and increase the dwindling population of solitary bees within the city.

Bee Bricks, first designed and made by Green & Blue in 2014, are the same size as standard bricks but innovatively contain cavities that allow solitary bees to enter and lay eggs, that eventually go on to hatch in spring. They are considered to be environmentally friendly as they are made from cast concrete, using 75% waste materials from the Cornish China Clay industry.

Solitary bees, as the name suggests, tend to live alone and unlike honeybees do not have a queen, nor produce honey.

Despite this, they play a crucial role in natural ecosystems, acting as pollinators who, alongside others, are responsible for a third of world food production.

The incorporation of the Bee Brick into new buildings encourages natural pollination through provision of nesting and hibernation sites in urban spaces which previously, with closed bricks, would be extremely sparse. After years of habitat loss, disease, and chemical use which has rendered 13 species extinct since 1900 and another 35 considered to be under threat, the change in law has been an important step towards the conservation of these bees.

The buzz surrounding this introduction, however, has led to debates arising within the scientific community over their effectiveness.

The councillor and professional beekeeper behind the scheme, Robert Nemeth, wrote on Twitter: “A Bee Brick - now

compulsory in Brighton & Hove on new buildings after I raised the issue at Council. Big victory.” However, not everybody shared this excitement.

Dave Goulson, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex, told The Guardian that after tests, the perforations in the bricks seemed too shallow to be ideal homes for bees. He continued: “Bee bricks seem like a displacement activity to me. We are kidding ourselves if we think having one of these in every house is going to make any real difference for biodiversity. Far more substantial action is needed, and these bricks could easily be used as ‘greenwash’ by developers.”

The City of Brighton and Hove is being considered a testbed for the initiative and will provide a good opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of the Bee Brick before it is potentially rolled out countrywide within the next decade.

At Queen Mary University, professor in Sensory and Behavioural Ecology, Lars Chittka, said of the mandate: “It might

well be that the Brighton project provides an opportunity to study the risks and benefits on a reasonably wide scale, and over an extended period – say

five years. But I would certainly recommend not copying this project across the country before the long-term benefits and risks are explored.”

@Green&Blue

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

Ukraine – Russia Tensions Increase as Troops Amass on Border

Connor Drescher Staff Writer

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oris Johnson is considering whether to double the number of troops the UK deploys to Eastern Europe in the hopes of stabilising the region, amid ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. Russia has continued to amass troops and military equipment on its border with Ukraine in recent weeks, with some estimates putting the number of soldiers deployed at around 100,000.

Russian tanks, missiles and other military vehicles are also being brought in leading the international community to believe that an invasion may be imminent.

Russia has seized territory belonging to Ukraine in the past, when it annexed Crimea following the overthrow of the pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014. Since then, Russian-backed separatists have been fighting with the Ukrainian military on and off in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives to date.

Ukraine is a former Soviet state with strong cultural ties to Russia, and the Russian

@Flickr language is widely spoken there. President Putin has long resisted attempts by Ukraine to strengthen its European ties and potentially join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) – the defence organisation which Russia considers dangerous.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO and considers the eastward expansion of NATO since 1997 a threat to its national security, wishing for a return to the pre-1997 members of the NATO alliance. Although the East and West are currently negotiating and in contact with

one another at time of writing, what Russia wants is clearly not going to happen – that is, their demands are highly unlikely to be met - which is why the West, (the UK and US in particular), believe Russia will move to invade Ukraine soon.

Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden have both condemned the Russian movements, with Johnson saying: “If President Putin chooses a path of bloodshed and destruction, it will be a tragedy for Europe.

Ukraine must be free to choose its own future…I have ordered our armed forces to prepare

to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air."

While both the UK and the US have made it clear that they do not intend to send combat troops into Ukraine itself, both have also sent advisors, weapons and support to the region in an effort to bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against any potential Russian incursion. Other NATO members including Germany and the Netherlands have also sent aid in the form of equipment, medical supplies

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and weapons. This coupled with tough economic and strategic sanctions on Russia is hoped to dissuade President Putin from engaging in further military action against Ukraine.

However, Ben Wallace, the UK Defence Secretary, who has been travelling to member states around Europe to gather support for further sanctions, has been quoted as saying he is ‘not optimistic’ that a Russian invasion can be stopped, despite ongoing talks aimed at de-escalating the situation.

The foreign secretary Liz Truss has also said that any Russian invasion of Ukraine would be ‘terrible for Europe’ but that there is a ‘real threat’. She also reiterated that it was ‘very unlikely’ that British combat troops would be deployed in Ukraine, but has confirmed that the UK is still considering ‘further deployments’ in the region to bolster an effort that includes ‘unprecedented sanctions’ being imposed, should Russia take further military action.

Editors Note: Information Correct at the Time of Writing

Study Finds English Teachers in UK Want to Further Diversify Syllabus Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor

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new Teacher Tapp survey has revealed that drastic reforms are still needed to diversify the English syllabus, as primary and secondary school teachers continue to call for changes. This comes over a year on from the publication of findings by Penguin that showed only 0.7% of students study texts by a Black or minority ethnic writer.

The survey of 2,270 teachers was conducted on behalf of publisher Pearson, and studied what changes could be made to the English syllabus to help students. Its findings showed, 80% of secondary school and 69% of primary school teachers said they wanted more representation in the exam board set texts.

With 34.4% of children in classrooms being of Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, it is hoped the introduction of more texts will better reflect modern society and to help inspire

a new generation of pupils.

In Teach First’s ‘Missing Pages’ report from 2020, Suhayla Omar of Welling School said: ‘I thought it was unjust that the kids weren’t having any interaction with any forms of multicultural representation in my subject’.

As a mandatory subject at GCSE, English Literature requires pupils to identify with other individuals’ emotions, so accessing this representation is evermore important.

The implementation of changes to bring about this increase in diversity is not single layered. The Government’s set national curriculum for Key Stage 4 (GCSE) currently requires the study of at least one Shakespearean play, a post-1914 fiction or drama from the British Isles, a 19th Century novel and a selection of poetry published since 1789.

From here, exam boards offer a range of texts that comply with these Government guidelines. For example, the biggest exam board for English Literature, AQA, offers Jane

Eyre, Frankenstein, and Pride and Prejudice as options in the 19th Century novel category.

Each school then decides which exam board to use, and which of the set texts they wish to study.

Most of the set texts that exam boards opt for could be diversified to allow for schools to have the flexibility to represent BAME people, both as writers and as characters.

The curriculum does require the study of canonical texts, which are those that are deemed particularly important and influential, like Dickens and Bronte. Lit in Colour, a campaign by Penguin and The Runnymede Trust which aims to support schools with inclusive learning, has encouraged these texts to be taught in a way which engages with the socio-historical context.

Some exam boards have already expanded their offerings since the findings from the 2020 reports. From September 2022, OCR will provide 28% of texts for both GCSE and A-Level by writers of colour, a rise from 13%. They have added Booker

prize-winning novel Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, as well as Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. These selections were based on the valued opinions of English teachers and a panel of teaching and academic experts.

Jill Duffy, OCR Chief

Executive, said: “The quality of these diverse works will not only support students to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of English Literature, but provide an opportunity to engage with work that is more relevant to their lives and to the lives of fellow students.”

@Wikimedia Commons

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

“Virginity Repair” Surgery to be Banned in Britain Under New Legislation

Maisie Levitt News Online Editor

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n amendment to the Health and Care Bill will make hymenoplasty illegal throughout the UK, the British government announced on the 24th. Also known as “virginity repair” surgery, the procedure performed to reconstruct the hymen will be criminalised, regardless of consent.

The legislation would also criminalise “aiding and abetting” anyone carrying out a hymenoplasty, which could result in five years in prison. Taking a woman or girl overseas for the procedure will also become illegal.

With a growing rate of women and girls having the surgery, dozens of clinics, pharmacies and private hospitals offer it as a method to ‘restore virginity’.

Commonly performed through coercion, the surgery’s aim is to make the person bleed when they next have intercourse.

However this is not guaranteed, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated: ”the appearance of a hymen is not a reliable indication of intercourse”.

Additionally, Dianna Nammi,

@Pixabay the executive director at the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation, said that "Hymenoplasty causes trauma and, in around half of cases, it fails to make the woman or girl bleed the next time she has intercourse, leaving her highly vulnerable to ‘honour’-based abuse or even ‘honour’ killing”.

Both virginity tests and virginity repair surgeries are considered gendered violence.

Gillian Keegan, the Minister for Care and Mental Health, said that the government was “committed to safeguarding vulnerable women

and girls in this country”.

According to the WHO, virginity testing is still practiced in at least 20 countries, via an intrusive vaginal examination.

In July 2021, the government pledged to criminalise virginity testing, calling it “indefensible”, leading campaigners, including doctors and midwives, to put pressure on the government to ban the hymenoplasty surgery as well.

The government decision has come after consulting with an independent panel of experts.

Dr Edward Morris, president of Royal College of Obstetricians

and Gynaecologists, said that a hymenoplasty can never be excused on the grounds of health. He stated that both the tests and the surgeries are linked forms of violence against women and girls, meaning that “neither practice has any place in the medical world”.

In some conservative cultures, the hymen is linked to virginity. Due to placing high value on a woman’s virginity, hymenoplasty is commonly used to attempt to fulfil the expectation of a virgin bleeding on her wedding night, after having sex for the first time.

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While many survivors have said that the criminalisation will save many women and girls from the practice, there is anecdotal evidence that reveals the existence of the surgery being performed at home.

According to Indira Varma, who works for the charity Karma Nirvana, it is “an underground but thriving industry” that “deepened the cycle of abuse for victims” due to lowering the risk of victims being able to ask for help if done inside the home.

However, there are some who view the ban as increasing the dangers women may experience due to being driven further underground. Dr Dheeraj Bhar, a cosmetic surgeon, believes in regulating the practice rather than criminalising it. He stated, ”I think the bigger issue here is if you don't know these procedures are being done you can't then monitor the complications and follow ups.”

Gillian Keegan, Minister for Care and Mental Health has stated that the government will continue to work with local communities in order “to tackle the taboos and damaging preconceptions associated with virginity and a woman's worth".

Sussex’s New Student Centre Nears Completion Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

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new student centre is currently being built on campus as part of an initiative to transform the student experience at the University of Sussex.

The new student centre will open in Spring 2022 and aims to become the heart of the student life at Sussex.

Construction company Balfour Beatty will work on the final fit out of the centre in the last week of January 2022.

The centre is located at the bottom of East Slope and will be a focal point for Sussex students on campus.

The centre is designed to be a welcoming, inclusive, and comfortable space for students to meet, learn and relax.

The landmark new Student Centre is a significant building project and aims to be the goto place for students to access face-to-face information, advice, guidance and services when it opens in Spring

2022 in the second part of the 2021-22 academic year.

The student centre is in a primary location for students, as the centre is situated at the heart of the student residential area in East Slope making it a prime social and working space for students across the Sussex Campus.

An unlicensed café will form part of the development, as well as five new retail units near the front entrance. Housed in the distinctive arches to the left of the building's entrance, these spaces will facilitate new shops on campus for students to access.

As well as offices for staff, the centre's facilities will include multi-purpose learning spaces for individual and group study, a double-height performance and event space, rooms for confidential meetings, and access to an outdoor courtyard.

The outside courtyard area will feature a covered area to allow for year-round use and a range of different seating. The area will also have an ambient

atmosphere and water feature, with sympathetic planting.

The multipurpose spaces will feature state of the art flexible workshop, exhibition and meeting spaces designed to hold a capacity of up to 150 people. Spaces will be temperature controlled, AV and IT equipped and include relaxed waiting areas.

The centre will incorporate a blended office space where connectors can work alongside staff, aiming to promote collaboration and cocreation. There will also be 36

confidential rooms designed to reflect the local surroundings.

There is a strong focus on wellbeing, so sustainable materials were considered in the design. This can be seen in details such as using upcycled and vintage furniture in key areas and ensuring the building has eco credentials.

The space is being designed to be flexible so that it can be used in different ways at different times across the academic year. The project is part of the university's focus to develop in the future and

@University of Sussex improve the student experience for those studying at Sussex.

Information about the new student centre including building plans and artistic impressions of what the completed project will look like has been displayed in the library and around campus. The university is encouraging students to give feedback on the building's design and its proposed uses.

Editors Note: Information Correct at the Time of Writing

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

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Sussex Research Finds More Evidence is Needed to Establish 5G As a Green Tech Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

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esearch by Sussex academics and the University of Sussex Business School has found that the widespread expectations that 5G will be a green technology are not currently backed up by strong evidence.

The research warns that existing studies in academia and in industries that explore the energy use implications of 5G fail to provide a comprehensive overview of overall energy use impacts on 5G. The studies also overlook some potentially significant issues that wider research in communication technology and the impacts of their energy use suggests could be important to consider.

Sussex Energy Group academics said that the widespread adoption of unlimited data subscriptions for 5G users and the facilitation of advanced and data-intensive mobile services and more sophisticated mobile gaming could encourage energy-intensive user practises and contribute to growing data traffic. These factors could counteract the

energy-saving potential of 5G efficiency improvements.

Details in the newly published study in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews explain how the demand for large-scale infrastructure to accommodate new generation mobile networks - and the shorter lifespan of smartphones leave a significant environmental impact that needs to be combatted through legislation and network design.

The research paper warns that current studies into 5G energy use fail to properly account for: The impact of the embodied energy associated with network infrastructure and user devices Direct rebound effects associated with 5G-driven changes in mobile device user behaviour Wider indirect energy use effects, including the scope for 5G to enable energy savings in other areas of economic and social life The study was funded by the Centre for Research on Energy Demand Solutions. The Centre recommends that the service raise awareness among users and make information about energy uses and practises more transparent.

Benjamin Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, said: “There has been insufficient ‘user-centric’ work focusing on the relationship between 5G energy use and user behaviour leaving unanswered questions about how and under what conditions 5G might become energy intensive.”

Tim Foxon, Professor of Sustainability Transitions in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, talked about how the energy required to manufacture and install network equipment and make phones is an important aspect often

overlooked in 5G assessments.

“There are encouraging signs that the industry is starting to take this issue of embodied energy more seriously, and we would hope to see this continue as the industry starts to look toward standardisation processes for 6G.” This could involve prolonging the lifespans of infrastructure and devices, making equipment easily upgraded and improving reuse and recyclability.

Academics from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex Business School carried out a literature review to examine the operational energy use implications of 5G, indirect

energy use effects associated with 5G-driven changes in user behaviour, consumption, and production in other sectors of the economy.

Dr Laurence Williams, Research Fellow in Environmental Politics in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, said: “We have identified a number of potentially significant shortcomings of the evidence based on the energy use implications of 5G. In the context of challenging net zero targets that demand emissions reductions across all sectors of the economy, this is a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed”.

@Pixabay

The European Union Launches WTO Action as Lithuania-China Row Escalates

Ritika Srivatsan News Print Editor

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ncreased trade tensions between Lithuania and China have led to the European Union (EU) staunchly backing Lithuania, its smallest member state, by officially filing a case with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The dispute began in May 2021 when Lithuania withdrew from China’s 17+1 platform, a bloc meant to act as China’s “gateway to the world” comprising Central and Eastern European nations.

Lithuania then announced that Taiwan, officially recognised as the Republic of China, would soon be allowed to open a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in Lithuania’s capital city of Vilnius. The move angered China which does not view Taiwan as an independent state and believes the self-ruled democratic island territory to be a part of mainland China.

Other Taiwanese diplomatic outposts in Europe utilise the

term “Taipei” for Taiwan to avoid incensing China and therefore, Lithuania’s nomenclature quickly agitated Beijing.

According to a letter sent

by EU Representative João Aguiar Machado to the WTO and his Chinese counterpart Li Chenggang, Beijing imposed an import and export ban along with a restriction of services against Lithuanian entities. The letter stated: "These measures predominantly concern goods or services from or destined for Lithuania or linked in

various ways to Lithuania, but also have an effect on supply chains throughout the EU”.

A recent example of the trade altercation includes China turning away 20,400 bottles of Lithuanian rum. Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp then bought the rum and the Taiwanese government shared tips with the public on how to utilise the alcohol efficiently.

The Chinese government has denied allegations and instead claims that their disfavour for Lithuanian goods is purely

@DW

based on business preferences.

“The issue between China and Lithuania is a political one, not an economic one,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian after Beijing remained critical of the allegations and cited them to be “groundless and inconsistent”.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Trade Commissioner stated that “the EU is respecting the One-China policy and our assessment is that steps taken by Lithuania do not step out of the OneChina policy framework”. The EU aimed to find an “amicable solution and for the time being, we have not found a negotiated solution. That's why we are now exercising our WTO rights,” Dombrovskis added.

A "request for consultations", is the first part of WTO settlement procedures wherein the EU would formally ask China for more information.

If the matter is not settled within 60 days, the EU has the ability to request a panel to rule on the dispute.

The European Commission, the independent executive arm of the EU, has separately proposed a new trade sanctions policy which would aid quicker responses to instances of “economic coercion”.

Viking Bohman, an analyst at the Swedish National China Centre, believes that stricter sanctions would not work and said, "Beijing seems uncompromising on issues relating to its so-called core interests of which Taiwan is one of the most important.

Even if the EU summoned up strong counter-measures, it's unclear if China would change its behaviour".

Noah Barkin, a managing editor at Rhodium Group contends that EU countries, especially significant trade partners such as Germany and France, should actively engage more to support Lithuania or else “Beijing will have won and the lesson it will draw from this is that it can pressure European countries to tow its red lines”.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

News

8

News Where You’re Not

Georgia Keetch, Editor-in-Chief, reviews some of the most interesting stories from across the country Bristol Norwich

A city rental property has been likened to a ‘garden shed’ - and even though it’s small it still costs a staggering £1,050 per month. The hut appears to be made of wood and is located behind another property with other flats inside, and while it’s described as premium others think it’s just a shed. It does come with a fitted kitchen and integrated appliances, but it is very small - and it’s not exactly cheap, even if the price does include all bills. People have said the property, in Bristol, is a good example of how ‘bonkers’ the housing market is in the city now - but others have said the owner is ‘greedy’.

A teenager, 19, named after the furniture store Ikea changed her name after bullies kept calling her ‘flat pack’. Jasmine Dagless’s mum was inspired after seeing a TV advert for the Swedish company while pregnant.

But her daughter – who has only visited Ikea once as a toddler – was tormented when she started school.

‘It’s only legally that I get called Jasmine. My family still call me Ikea, or “Kea” for short.’ She added: ‘When I was younger my mum got a letter from Ikea that basically said we could get furniture and toys free of charge. I got a few toys and my mum got a sofa.’ The Norwich local has stayed faithful to her namesake by furnishing her flat with a branded sixdrawer commode.

Cambridgeshire Police were called out to what looked like a dead body rolled up on a carpet on the motorway. The person who called police was naturally concerned when they saw a pair of feet in black trainers and socks dangling over the front headrest of another car while driving on the M11 on Saturday afternoon. But when officers responded, they found that they actually belonged to a model of Prince Charming on his way to a themed birthday party. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: ‘When we received a call on Saturday lunchtime to reports a vehicle was travelling along the M11 with a pair of feet poking out the end of a rolled up piece of carpet, alarm bells were naturally ringing for the informant and our control room. ‘We managed to track the vehicle down in Angel Drove, Ely where our officers discovered there were indeed a pair of feet… belonging to a mannequin dressed as Prince Charming who was on his way to a themed birthday!

Cambridgeshire Norwich

Portsmouth

Bristol

A dog in Hampshire has been rescued from rising tides with a sausage attached to a drone.

The Jack Russell terrier, called Millie, went missing after coming loose from her lead in Havant, The Guardian reported. She was found stranded on mudflats near Portsmouth, with rising tides threatening to sweep her out to sea, prompting a rescue effort to swing into action. Police, firefighters, and coastguards tried tirelessly for four days to rescue her but were left scratching their heads when even kayaking to her wouldn’t work. The chances of Millie being reunited with her owner seemed increasingly unlikely when a rescuer had the idea of attaching a sausage to a drone with the hope of tempting her to safety. The chair of the Denmead Drone and Rescue team, Chris Taylor, told The Guardian “it was a crazy idea, it was something we had never tried before- the sausages were the last resort” Portsmouth

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Interview of the Edition

9

An Interview with the cast of Brighton (2019) Arts Editor, Molly Openshaw, interviews Phoebe Jones and Hana Stewart following their roles in the 2019 film ‘Brighton’.

Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor

H

ana Stewart is well known for her role as both Catherine Parr and Jane Seymour in the hit West End musical Six. Hana played a young Dinah in the 2019 film directed by Stephen Cookson.

Phoebe Jones has been seen in ‘Paperboy’ on the Camden Fringe in 2021 as well as Jonathan Creek. Phoebe plays a young Lesley Sharp in the role of Doreen in Brighton alongside Larry Lamb.

Brighton follows two couples, seeing them in the present day as older, settled couples and as their younger selves in the 1960’s flashbacks.

Brighton offers a nostalgic lens into seaside holidays and the feeling of revising your past.

Hana discusses her long term aspirations to become an actress from a young age: “I also loved to be dramatic as a child and often gave my parents a heart attack by dropping to the floor after eating an imaginary 'poisoned apple' from Snow White - the poor things haha! I remember going to watch Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End when I was about 10 and

being so excited that I could barely breathe. I think this was quite a pivotal moment for me and it solidified that this was what I had to do as a career.”

Phoebe also explains her experience of acting from a young age with the influence of her family: “I come from a very artistic family, but that being said, none of my family has gone on to pursue acting as a career- I’m the first! The moment I knew I wanted to act as a career was definitely when I completed my intake course in 2015 with the National Youth Theatre.

Being a member of the NYT has been the most supportive, inclusive and collaborative experience. I suggest anyone who wants to expand their network or meet some fantastic young creatives who you could collaborate with for your whole career to apply to the NYT!”

“

I wish I could bottle up that process and come back to it with every project in the future.

In terms of their roles in

the 2019 film ‘Brighton’, an adaptation of Steven Berkoff’s 1994 play ‘Brighton Beach Scumbags’, Hanna and Phoebe both describe the experience as ‘so much fun”. When discussing the nature of being on set Hana was honest about her challenge: “The biggest challenge for me was probably the amount of improvisation that was encouraged from us when filming. Our director, Stephen Cookson, encouraged our natural instincts, especially when it came to scenes as the group of four of us. I loved it, though, and think it really helped to make our relationships feel authentic.”

When discussing the interaction with other cast mates and the experience on set, Phoebe explained the fun had while filming. "It was such a great experience, everyone commented on how the cast and crew just worked so well together- it was the best group of people I could ask for to introduce me to the world of feature films. The only challenge was after a week of 1960s hairstyling- brushing out my matted beehive after our final day shooting."

When asked about their experience as women in the acting industry, both Hana and Phoebe expressed their opinions of equality and their attitudes towards gender differences. Phoebe described her experience following the MeToo movement which started in 2017: “I would say that gender has an impact on everyone in the industry, although one can always play a character that isn’t perhaps written for their gender, we need more female-identifying and non-binary writers and directors to create the content to promote equality in this industry. We’ve got such a long way to go in terms of inclusion and equity, but I certainly feel safer and more respected as a female-identifying actor in the industry post MeToo.”

“

I had so much to get my teeth into.

@Instagram

The process of filming a movie is very different from the previous work in theatre and television, Phoebe explains her experience on set and her character Doreen. “The rest

@Instagram of the cast were so generous with their time, it felt more like being cast in a play with all of our invested time exploring the character backgrounds and relationships..”

With this film release taking place initially at the Barnes Film Festival in 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival took place online. When asked about the process of releasing a film in isolation, Phoebe expresses her experience of being in the creative industries at the moment: “Although I can’t speak for everyone in the creative industries, I know many people who have been hit very hard this year. I suppose the irony is, whilst everyone is sitting indoors consuming all of the TV series and catching up on the films they didn’t get around to watching pre-Covid, the creators of these pieces are struggling to keep afloat. We

must remember where every award-winning person in this industry started out. Much of the time it involves all of the youth theatres who rely on local theatres who, in turn, rely on charity. It’s easy to get seriously heartbroken by the number of people who, because of the financial hardship of this year, can’t see their dreams as viable paths or careers any longer.

The government has shown how much they appreciate the arts. Please do your research and support your local artists!”

With the University of Sussex being located on the doorstep of Brighton, the setting for this brilliant nostalgic film, it is the perfect film to relive Brighton summers as the weather remains dreary. Both Hana and Phoebe offer an insightful depiction of the experience of young, female actors creating work in the pandemic.

Features

The Badger 7th of February 2022

What a Time to Be Alone

10

Editor-In-Chief, Georgia Keetch, discusses the works of author and activist Chidera Eggerue and why being single is not synonymous with unhappy.

Georgia Keetch Editor-In-Chief

I

t has long been documented by poets and philosophers alike; the greatest love you will ever have in this life is with yourself.

Like many these words always went over my head until I had a breakup and had to adapt to the newfound time and space I was able to have. People chuck all kinds of phrases at you to boost your confidence after it’s been knocked by a failed relationship, but this one stuck with me the most after a few weeks of being alone.

You never notice it until you have been single for a while but society does tend to go out of its way to reinforce the importance of romantic love; when it should be teaching us young adults and teenagers just how formidable it is to be unaccompanied. Looking back at my younger self, I can tell that she desperately wanted someone to complete her life, to rely on and to feel loved. That version of me no longer exists and would be in total shock at the key truth of my life currently; being alone is the most fulfilling and empowering choice I have ever made.

It was almost written in the stars that I found Chidera’s books. As one does in Brighton, I found myself aimlessly walking through town and saw her book “What a Time to be Alone” on a shelf. It’s the kind of book you read and wish that you could hit your 15-year-old self in the head with before even entertaining the idea of romantic relationships. Books like this either go straight over your head or resonate with your soul so much that you write an article about it; you can guess what camp I’m in.

“

Life doesn’t get better- You do.

As soon as you start reading, you realise a very simple truth; Chidera is a powerhouse of a woman and is doing us all a favour by physically giving us her wisdom. Known more commonly as ‘The Slumflower’, Chidera has over 300,000 followers on Instagram to which her insight and guidance is at the forefront of her content. Whilst reading “What

a Time to Be Alone”, I found this new respect for myself and the decision I had made to choose myself. I discovered her work at just the right time, and with Valentine’s Day approaching it’s a great reminder to all of us single folk that being single should not be synonymous with being lonely.

“

Choosing yourself can be a metaphorical mountain that can be incredibly daunting; but I promise you that the peak of it is the most beautiful experience in this life.

It’s one of those holidays that are extremely hard to navigate if you are the type of person that craves a partner constantly. All the social media posts and telly adverts can really make you feel emotionally drained and physically offcolour. Buying into the idea that we need another person to be happy is something that I myself tumbled into, but there is a liberating choice to make the most couples-based day of the year about yourself. As Chidera puts it “save some love for yourself-you deserve it” The page that resonated with me the most was ‘Tasting your own magic’ which describes various acts that one can indulge in this Valentine’s Day. The quote ‘we need to learn to stop feeling so guilty for being kind to ourselves’ hit the hardest, along with advice such as ‘stop waiting for someone to give you that unconditional fairy-tale love and give it to yourself’. Being single has meant that the amount of time I used to put into a relationship I can invest into more fulfilling and tangible events. Being around an incredible group of friends more, indulging in pastimes long forgotten and occasionally doing university work has meant that being on my own has promoted my mental space into one that I can only describe as peaceful. Choosing yourself can be a metaphorical mountain that can be incredibly daunting; but I promise you that the peak of it is the most beautiful experience in this life. Change isn’t meant to be comfortable; why do we as young people

@Waterstones spend ages with partners who we know are a waste of time or not good enough for us? Because it’s the easier thing to do. Chidera writes about this symbolic journey when she says “The scariest part of the process is starting.

Starting is scary because its new. And anything new comes with a set of possibilities’.

This is why books like “What a Time to Be Alone’ are so vital to read and take the time to soak in. As young people at university it’s not ridiculous to assume each of us have a horror story about dating or a relationship we have had during our time at Sussex; I could actually write my own book about mine.

Flicking through those pages enabled me and the people who have borrowed my copy to figure out why we get into those situations and why us humans are natural people pleasers.

Reading this book teaches you all the hard-won wisdom that

you incur after a break-up; but without all the bullsh*t and hassle of dealing with your ex.

There are some hard truths you realise when you start again after a break-up, some of them ruthless but most of them noble. Break-ups enable you to really get to know yourself as an individual. You look at yourself differently and you really take time to see just how blessed you are.

“

It’s the kind of book you read and wish that you could hit your 15-yearold self in the head with before even entertaining the idea of romantic relationships

If I think about the period of when I had a break-up, ironically all I can think about is how treasured I felt through my friends and loved ones, which in turn gave me a revived sense of self-love and confidence. It’s hard to even write how much happier and fulfilled I am by myself, and the 14th of February isn’t going to make me feel otherwise.

So dear reader, with Valentine’s Day being around the corner, do you want to know what I will be doing as a single person? I will be partaking in things that set my soul on fire and give me joy. I will see my beautiful group of friends, go for a walk around our lovely city, go home and listen to my flatmates laugh.

It’s an unbelievably cringey statement, but if I could talk of the version of me upset from my break-up all I would say is this: Life doesn’t get better- you do.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Features

11

In revered memory of Tȟašúŋke Witkó Features Editor, Olly DeHerrera, reflects on the legacy of a Native American hero Olly DeHerrera Features Editor

T

he image of the proud Native warrior, adorned in a cascade of feathers and decorated with materials drawn from the landscape, symbolises the popular Indiegous contribution to the ‘Americana’. It is no coincidence that the popular impression of the Native American draws upon the image of those who are Naitve to the Great Plains region.

Whilst many forms of resistance, including the simple act of surviving, have been undertaken by Native American people against European colonialism, the military wars with the ‘Sioux’ people of the Great Plains are perhaps the most visible recollection of Indigous resistance.

The name Sioux is actually an abbreviation of Nadouessioux (“Adders”; i.e., enemies), a name originally applied to them by the O jibwa Tribe.

Infact, The Great Sioux Nation is actually made up of 18 separate tribes (or bands in the US) and 12 in Canada. These are divided into three divisions: the Lakota, Dakota, and the Nakota people. These people fought in 7 major wars with the European settlers, the Lakota people were also victims of the Wounded Knee Massacre which killed approximately 300 Lakota people- one of the worst massacres in US history. The

resistance and persecution of the Sioux people is symbolically felt across collective Native American culture. The Great Plains war bonnet has become a symbol revered dearly to us and recognizable around the globe.

One of the most famous people to wear the War Bonnet is the American legend, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, Chief Crazy Horse. Chief of the Lakota Oglala band (meaning “to scatter their own”), Crazy Horse was the son of a father of the same name, he became War Chief of the Oglalas in 1868 at the age of 24, decorating himself with yellow lightningbolt war paint, as he was instructed to in a vision. Crazy Horse secured famous military victories over european settler encroachment on Lakota land, perhaps the most notable being the Battle of Little Big Horn where he joined Sitting Bull to defend the land from General Custer and gold prospectors who had swarmed the land in violation of the Laramie Treaty.

Despite resisting being photographed, Crazy Horse's supposed likeness has been used in various efforts to mark Native American history; in 1982 he was honoured by the U.S. Postal Service in 1982 with a 13¢ Great Americans series postage stamp.

One particular movement has seen Crazy Horses names and image reach headlines again in 2019, 142 years after he was killed, reportedly for attempting

@Wikimedia Commons to leave the reservation without ‘permission’. In 1939, a Lakota elder named Henry Standing Bear wrote to a Polish-Irish American sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, at the start of what would become a new decisive chapter in Crazy Horse’s legacy.

Ziolkowski had worked briefly on Mt Rushmore, a monument of great controversy among Native Amercians. The carving of Mt Rushmore presents a specific narrative of American History and wordlessly symbolizes the construction of the story of the United States of America.

“The source from which so much strange Americana flows is Mt. Rushmore, which, with the stately columns and the Avenue of Flags leading up to it, seems to leave the historical mess behind” - writes Brook Jarvis for the New Yorker.

“

Whilst many forms of resistance, including the simple act of surviving, have been undertaken by Native American people against European colonialism, the military wars with the ‘Sioux’ people of the Great Plains are perhaps the most visible recollection of Indigous resistance.

@Lakota

Mt Rushmore stands within the Black Hills and is named Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, or Six Grandfathers Mountain, by the Lakota, the original human inhabitants of the land.

Tunkasila Sakpe Paha and the Black Hills are a sacred site to the Lakota, as Donovin Sprague, academic and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member told the National Geographic: “it's the center of the universe for our people”. The Black Hills are known, in the Lakota language, as He Sapa or Paha Sapa—names that are sometimes translated as “the heart of everything that is.” Henry Standing Bear proposed to Ziolkowski the idea of a sculpture of Chief Crazy Horse to be carved into the Black Hills, writing “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man had great heroes too.” Ziolkowski liked the idea and began working on a plan for the carving.

According to Ziolkowski, “Standing Bear grew very angry when he spoke of the broken treaty of 1868. That was the one I’d read about in which the President promised the Black Hills would belong to the Indians forever. I remember how his old eyes flashed out of that dark mahogany face, then he would shake his head and fall silent for a long while.” Henry Standing Bear’s lifetime spanned an era of extreme change for his people, living through the times of the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Wounded Knee Massacre and the Indian recognition act. Dennis Compos, Henry Standing Bear’s grandson said, “It was his dream. After they put Mount Rushmore there in the Black Hills, the Black Hills being our sacred land, my grandfather got the idea.”

Ziolkowski died in 1982 only having partly finished the sculpture, his daughter, Ruth

Ziolkowski then oversaw the project until its completion in 1998. The monument now attracts millions of visitors a year, and has an attached museum dedicated to the Lakota tribe. Crazy Horses carving in stone remains perhaps as controversial as the Chief was in life. In 2003, Seth Big Crow, then a spokesperson for Crazy Horse’s living relatives, told the Voice of America the sculpture’s commission had possibly given the Ziolkowskis a “free hand to try to take over the name and make money off it as long as they’re alive.” Many also indicate the Chief's alleged adversity to the capturing of his image. For some Lakota, however, the sculpture inspires pride: “It’s the one large carving that they can’t tear down,” Amber Two Bulls, a twentysix-year-old Lakota woman, told a New Yorker reporter.

Crazy Horse's spirit and character continues to play a unique role in the minds of many. To Natives, he helped shape the way in which our culture is imagined and reimagined, demonstrating resistance and courage against those to whom our existence is an inconvenience. For the rest of the world, Crazy Horse was one of the men who brought forward an image of the Native Amercians that transcended his life, band and tribe.

“Although he was killed, even the Army admitted he was never captured. His dislike of the oncoming civilization was prophetic. Unlike many people all over the world, when he met white men he was not diminished by the encounter”.

— Ian Frazier, Great Plains.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Features

12

“Antifreeze Wine”: The Scandal That Destroyed an Industry

Features Sub-Editor, Rhys Mather, explores how a toxic solvent ended up as a key ingredient in some Austrian wines

Rhys Mather Features Sub-Editor

A

ustria is commonly associated with classical music or The Alps, but you may not know the country has a thriving wine industry.

Small, artisan vintners produce relatively low quantities of wine when compared to their European neighbours – but this allows them to focus on quality, earning Austrian wine world renown. Wine critic, Jane MacQuitty, writing for The Times, describes: “The vibrant, aromatic, terroirinfluenced white wines from this small, landlocked country are increasingly sought-after by adventurous wine drinkers, and to judge from the thousand bottles on show it’s easy to see why” However, this wasn’t always the case. In the early 20th century Austria was the 3rd largest wine producer in the world – but in 1985 a scandal rocked the industry that almost destroyed it overnight; millions of gallons of Austrian wine were poisoned.

In order to understand how this happened you need a quick lesson in, (stick with me here), how Austrian wine is rated.

Austrian wine is graded by sweetness, with the sweeter wines fetching the highest prices – in 1985 the cream of the crop was ‘prädikatswein’ or ‘superior quality wine’. Grapes were left on the vines until the end of harvest in order to ripen and turn into incredibly sweet, full-bodied white wines. These wines were extraordinarily popular, and equally profitable.

In order to be labelled as prädikat there must be no external sources of sugar added to the wine, thus the late harvest of the grapes is a necessity. So, alarms were raised when Austrian vintners began producing inordinate amounts of prädikat that far outstretched their growing capabilities.

Following an arduous investigative process – warrants were obtained for a vineyard after a winemaker was found purchasing large amounts of a chemical called diethylene glycol and attempting to write it off on his tax return as fuel for his tractor. The vintner’s wine was confiscated and analysed – the results confirmed investigator’s suspicions,

@Wikimedia Commons the wine contained large amounts of diethylene glycol.

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a colourless, odourless compound with a sweet taste that mixes perfectly with water and alcohol – it was also little understood and essentially undetectable by common chemical tests in 1985.

When DEG enters the body, it causes necrosis of the liver and damages neurons, making them unable to adequately carry electrical signals.

“

Many wineries declared bankruptcy within months of the scandal breaking.

DEG poisoning commonly results in death or paralysis, like in 2006 where DEG tainted cough syrup killed 216 people in Panama. It’s commonly used as a solvent in antifreeze and paintstripper.

Austrian vintners were adding DEG to lower quality wines in order to make them sweeter and more fullbodied, while avoiding chemical tests for sugar – allowing them to mimic and label the product as prädikatswein.

After this revelation millions of litres of Austrian wine were confiscated, and entirely new methods of diethylene glycol testing were invented. Thanks to these tests the horrifying scope of the contamination was revealed – vineyard after vineyard, producing both high and low-quality wine were implicated and millions more litres of wine were taken to be destroyed. Many wineries declared bankruptcy within

months of the scandal breaking.

Some Austrian winemakers attempted to destroy their tainted wine by pouring it into sewers, which had the opposite effect of alerting authorities to their activities – as the wine contained so much DEG it killed the bacterial colonies involved in sewage treatment.

The resulting raw sewage flowing into rivers devastated local animal life. In 1985 the New York Times reported: “Anton Schmied, from Mitterstockstall, whom the police picked up for dumping 4,000 gallons of laced red wine down the town sewer.

The poison in his wine reportedly wiped out the microorganisms that clear the town's sewage so that it spewed untreated into nearby streams, poisoning the trout.”

At the same time doctors were linking illnesses with the consumption of Austrian wine.

While there are no confirmed fatalities from DEG poisoned wine, press at the time report cases of liver failure, paralysis and severe abdominal pain after drinking Austrian prädikatswein. Some bottles were found to contain nearly 500 times what is considered a harmful dose. The only reason more people weren’t harmed was the ethanol in the wine inhibited the effect of DEG. When all was said and done, approximately 270 million litres of wine were found to be mixed with DEG. Subsequently, several dozen wine makers and dealers were arrested, including a chemist named Otto Nadrasky.

Nadrasky was the chemist who first suggested the idea of using DEG to illegally sweeten

wine, and it quickly took root as common practice in the industry for at least a decade.

Over 30 producers were sentenced, with many receiving sentences of ten years.

In the aftermath of the scandal the Austrian authorities were left with nearly 300 million litres of the poisoned wine and there were no obvious methods of disposal. However, a few unlikely solutions were found. An electrical power plant in Carinthia found a way to burn the contaminated wine to produce electricity, similarly, a cement factory modified their ovens to use the wine as coolant.

Austrian authorities also mixed the wine with salt and used it to melt ice during the winter, which was found to be more effective than using salt alone.

Within a few years the tainted wine reserves were depleted.

Austrian economist, Karl Aiginger, famously remarked on the incident “In a year. Its all

forgotten.”. His prediction was almost comically inaccurate as in the years following Austrian wine exports were down to less than 5% of what they were in 1984. Austrian wine imports were banned by dozens of countries – and comically the Japanese government also placed a ban on Australian wine due to a mistranslation. Many wineries that didn’t participate in DEG poisoning were forced to close as the market vanished overnight.

The Austrian government quickly passed stringent new laws on wine production which required every bottle to undergo chemical and quality control, they would then be sealed with a stamp that displays the date of testing. Wine makers also shifted their focus now that the reputation of sweet wine was in tatters, and they began cultivating grapes for the dryer white wines that Austria is known for today.

It took 16 years before the export market recovered from the poisoning, but it now enjoys prosperity with Austrian wine being universally touted for its quality which is ensured by the world’s strictest wine laws. While the scandal of 1985 nearly destroyed the industry, without it Austrian wine would be very different, and the change it brought is positive. People stopped buying wine from supermarkets out of caution and bought direct from local winemakers, and the collapse of several large vineyards allowed dozens of smaller vintners to fill the void.

It’s a comfort to know that even poison won’t stop people enjoying good wine forever.

@Wikimedia Commons

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Features

13

Introducing Palestine

Writer, Dana Amawi, discusses Palestine beyond the headlines Dana Amawi Staff Writer

2 be

022, for Palestine, could described in the words of Charles Dickens: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

One neighborhood’s protesting against their dispossession erupted into support and unity which put Palestine in the center of world news. Even celebrities on social media, such as Emma Watson, expressed their support. Years and years of accusations of settler colonialism triggered epiphanies all around the world. For a second there, Palestinians spoke and the world listened. As a Palestinian in diaspora, it is an innate duty to educate people about Palestine; not just about the conflict, but to celebrate its beautiful culture.

One of the most fundamental aspects to Palestinian culture is literature. Aspects such as poetry symbolize Palestinian steadfastness. While all nations use literature to express cultural identity, this translates to Palestinians as expressions of rationalized anti-occupation and anti-apartheid sentiment.

Poets realized the obliga-

tion to legitimate the Palestinian cause; to counterbalance the occupation. Poets such as Samih Al Qasim and Ibrahim Touqan wrote in order to articulate their identity out of the occupation.

“

Palestinian culture is the glue that keeps us together, and while it is very important to discuss the oppression that Palestinians face, it is still important to remember that Palestine is still a beautiful country with rich culture, despite the headlines.

Their poems come as a retaliation to their deprival, they discuss concepts of nationalism and history. While Palestinian poets are shaped by their milieu, they write to reconstruct their history and reclaim their homeland. Palestinian literature represents the dignity and resilience of its people. Essentially, these poems are so important to Palestinians that they are incorporated into everyday life, for example, Ibrahim Touqan’s revolutionary poem “Mawtini” (O, My Homeland) became Palestine’s national anthem in 1996. This national anthem, unlike most others, is about the right to return. These po-

ems are taught in schools at a young age, they are buried deep beyond just literature, they represent values that Palestinians live and die by.

Another powerful feature of Palestinian culture is clothing. Women’s clothing includes the thobe – a long sleeved, loose dress which is embroidered, this design is called the tatreez; which is known for its cross-stitch and couching stitch techniques.

Every individual city in Palestine has its own thobe. Essentially, it is important to note that a lot of women’s livelihood depends on thobes, as they embroider and sell them.

is a recognizable, very specific, Palestinian uniform, it is an emblem of Palestinian perseverance and resilience.

My teta (Palestinian for grandmother) still wears a new thobe every day, her favorite being that of Lifta, the village in Al-Quds/Jerusalem where she is from.

Palestinian culture is the glue that keeps us together,

and while it is very important to discuss the oppression that Palestinians face, it is still important to remember that Palestine is still a beautiful country with rich culture, despite the headlines.

Talking about the Palestinian culture reminds people that Palestinians will never give up seeking their freedom.

“

Earlier last month, Palestinian women created an online movement: #ShowYourThobe, which was able to raise awareness on the cultural, political, and national identity of Palestinians.

Earlier last month, Palestinian women created an online movement: #ShowYourThobe, which was able to raise awareness on the cultural, political, and national identity of Palestinians, which is just as effective as the movements done using the Palestinian flag. Tatreez

@WikimediaComms

Worth the Follow: Alice Aedy

Writer, Megan Whitehead, shares their recommendation for an inspirational ‘influencer’ Megan Whitehead Staff Writer

I

n the age of Instagram influencers and all the negative connotations that come with them, it is important to remember how much positive inspiration can be found in these spaces.

Alice Aedy is 27-year-old documentary photographer, filmmaker and campaigner, who focuses her work on social justice issues such as forced displacement, climate justice, and women’s stories.

Graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a degree in History and Politics in 2015, gaining notable achievements along the way.

Her photojournalism work began when she volunteered for several months at the Calais refugee camp in France, and her personal relationships with the people living in the coined ‘jungle’ allowed her

photography to stand out, portraying these people as they are: human and experiencing joy in times of uncertainty, not just victims to pity.

This work, especially, made her a recognised name and made the cover of The Guardian and her work was respected for viewing the migrant crisis

in a different light to many other journalists at the time.

From 2015-19, Alice documented the frontlines of the refugee crisis across Europe and the Middle East.

Since then she has travelled to the frontlines of climate change to document the human cost of the climate crisis.

She went on to study for a MA in Documentary Film-Making at University College London and her debut film, ‘Disconnected’, was screened at film festivals globally. The film includes voicemails left anonymously on feelings of loneliness amongst young people, and is a really evocative watch.

“

The platform is also informed by Indigenous populations and their solutions and knowledge for tackling the climate emergency as people who have sustained the natural world for generations.

@Green Ideas Book Club

Alongside Jack Harries, Aedy is the co-founder of the organisation ‘Earthrise’, a media platform that communicates the climate crisis in a different way to other sources. The infographic-style Instagram page frames not only climate but also social justice issues using a pragmatic and accessible

tone, providing constructive solutions with ways for everyone to be involved.

Earthrise is a muchappreciated page by those who feel overwhelmed by the global issues faced today and provide ways for you to ‘do your bit’.

The platform is also informed

by Indigenous populations and their solutions and knowledge for tackling the climate emergency as people who have sustained the natural world for generations - often neglected in the conversation of how to counteract climate change.

In the age of influencers, it's important to follow people who inspire and motivate you to be a better version of yourself and encourage you to learn more about the world around you.

When scrolling through your newsfeed on a daily basis, having people who you can genuinely see as role models is such a positive way to harness this technology and use it in a way that helps you grow.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Horoscopes

14

February Horoscopes for where and how you want to live and spend some time planning a house move or maybe even a room swap.

You are being asked to take the reins of your household and start to implement changes for the greater good.

Ali Arief Theatre Editor

A

s Venus and Mercury start to station direct after weeks of being in retrograde, we can breathe a sigh of relief as our communication, technology and relationship issues seem to smoothen themselves out. We start the month of February off with the Lunar New Year, the Aquarius New Moon greeting us with a chaotic, revolutionary shakeup. The New Moon will set the tone for the month to follow, only easing out when the Moon turns full in Leo on February 16th. Towards the end of the month, we see the Sun move into dreamy Pisces on February 18th, and life starts to get a bit more sensitive and mystical. To read your horoscope check your Sun (Star) sign, and your Moon and Rising signs should you know them.

Aries The New Moon and the Full Moon will be illuminating to you how to navigate your communities and how you’re letting loose and enjoying yourself.

Perhaps you’re realising how much certain groups energise you and how much others deplete you.

Maybe you want to try out a new club, join an Arts group or look towards learning a new hobby to meet new friends, or maybe you’re finding new connections and newfound friendships over pre-existing hobbies that already exist. Now is the time to cultivate them and keep the enthusiasm going, as this will carry you throughout February.

Taurus February asks you to push the boundaries of your comfort zone and take a leadership role within your workplace or community environment. You may be delegated more responsibility, or you’ll naturally take up the role that’s been offered to you. You may feel insecure or anxious about the job role offered, and you could shy away in fear of taking on a heavier workload. The financial aspect of this role looks promising, so it advised that you take up the job role and use the money to splurge on redecorating your home environment, your family or on moving house.

Gemini Your mind may be busy with all sorts of plans to travel and get away from home for a while, perhaps even taking a sibling or another family

Sagittarius Communication and wanting to express how you’re feeling is on the forefront of your mind, especially when it comes to learning a new subject or interest. You may be feeling an urge to write about this area of interest or speak about it publicly to an audience. It is advised that you start to write down or capture your ideas, thoughts, and feelings into a journal, or seek a counsellor to express any pent-up emotion you may be experiencing.

Capricorn The material world is becoming extremely important to you as the New Moon and Full Moon unfold during February. Your money as well as other peoples are being called into question, as you assess your financial situation and the debts you owe. This month would be an excellent time to pay back any loans you have borrowed and start saving up your resources for future use. Your values as well as the values others put upon you as also being called to your attention, remember that there’s nothing wrong with having strong moral principles. member. If you’re not travelling physically, perhaps you’re being called to learn a new subject or study a new interest that may take you on a philosophical or spiritual journey.

Cancer Your emotions are becoming incredibly intense, and you may be feeling at a loss of how to communicate the feelings you’re experiencing.

The New Moon and Full Moon will be asking you to see yourself in another light, and to value yourself as someone who is multifaceted. There is no shame in understand the darker nature of your personality and spending some time with your shadow self could be the key to understanding the intensity of the emotions you are currently experiencing.

Leo This Full Moon and New Moon is showing you independence free from the codependency you may have been experiencing during the past

year. You could have ended a toxic relationship or friendship, and now are feeling free to redefine yourself on your own terms. You may be starting to feel the urge to retreat inwards rather than spend time with lots of people, and it is encouraged that you take as much time as you need to discover who you are when you are alone. This Full Moon will be the driving energy behind your newfound confidence in yourself.

Virgo You may be experiencing dissatisfaction with your work environment, or you could be contemplating developing new skills to get the career you desire. These feelings could be resurfacing a lot of old emotional issues from the past about how worthy you are to pursue the job you want. The Full Moon and New Moon will be showing you your insecurities around work, and how you can get to grips with sorting out these past problems and

wounds that have prevented you from going forward in the past.

It’s time to believe in yourself.

Libra It’s okay to let loose and enjoy the finer things in life.

Your friendship group may be pulling you out of your home and into the outside world to party and celebrate, and the New Moon and Full Moon will help energise your sociable and gregarious nature. You’ve been working extremely hard for a while now, and if you want to let your hair down and spend your evenings laughing and enjoying the company of those who love you, February is the time to break free from the confines of your home and into love.

Scorpio Your home environment will be undergoing fundamental changes within the month of February, with plenty of opportunity to see what is working in your home and what is failing. You may have to take some responsibility

Aquarius You’re spending a lot of time analysing how you interact in partnerships and friendships, and these Moon transits will be showing you romance and love, and how you can keep your independence whilst also co-operating within another relationship.

Issues around romance may be weighing on your mind, and you may hurry into a new partnership or end an existing one suddenly.

Pisces There is a lot of work to be done, but the urge to rest and heal is taking over the need to be extra productive. Do not criticise yourself for being lazy, as the emotional processing and healing that needs to be done during this period needs to overcome any work that needs to be completed physically.

Old wounds, traumas and feelings buried within your subconscious are coming to light, and it is vital that you are extra gentle on yourself as these emotions show themselves.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Comment • The Big Collaboration

THE BIG COLLABORATION

15

What is Love?

In this edition, The Big Debate has been replaced by The Big Collaboration; a collection of editors opinions on what love is.

Georgia-May Keetch Editor-In-Chief Platonic The way that you look at me is paralyzing I drown in my thoughts when you are around Are you looking at my outfit?

Or tracing the shape of my body with your eyes?

Were you too drunk to function?

Or did you intentionally slide your hand down my inner thigh?

Do I mean more to you than the others?

Or do we have a friendship That i’m looking too far into?

Lust It’s as if every atom of my body gravitates towards you. I want to see your scars, memorize the shape of your tongue, and climb the curve of your lower back. I want to chart the topography of your anatomy and be fluent in your body language. I want you; painfully so.

What else is out there?

The stars and the moon live in harmony In ways such as you and i Its as if you are my moon Each night i look towards the sky Focusing on you and you only Telling the moon about my day The moon’s my comfort The only one i can confide in And tell my hopes and dreams See i’m just a small star Desperately in love with the image of the moon You can hardly see me So tiny and far too distant You’re looking beyond me Up into the vast sky Wondering what else is out there If only you knew Emma Norris Film and TV Editor I am, at my core, terrible at romance, so when I told my partner that I love the concept of love, we both laughed at the cringe-worthy irony in my statement.

It is true though - I love the feeling of love. It spans far beyond the romantic sense, beyond the commercialised love of valentines day. I love overpriced coffee, finding a really good book, when my favourite song comes on in a bar, the laughter of my housemates. I love the sound of the sea, stroking cute dogs,

drinking cider on hot summer evenings, and freshly washed sheets. The world opens up when you realise that you can find love beyond the cliche, that even the most mundane days can contain beauty.

Olly DeHerrera Features Print Editor Sometimes, when it’s dark outside, I look to the sky and wonder if you’re looking back. You never knew us on this earth, but so strangely we know you, even more strangely we are you. You have a son, he is a strong man with thick black hair and a kind heart. Two grandchildren too, one with eyes like the earth and other with eyes like the sky. We think of you so often, each in our own ways. I put a feather in my hair and walk into places I know they tried to keep us out of; but I still feel like you made me the richest person on earth. And then, sometimes, when it feels dark inside, I look in the mirror and see you looking back.

Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor Love is not pretty It does not come wrapped in a bow Or cushioned by red rose petals.

There is a reason Cupid carries a bow and arrow Weaponising love in its omnipotent form.

It is love that causes the greatest pleasure And the greatest pain.

For his love, Orpheus took to the underworld Dying for a life lived without his love.

Love is imbued with death and pain Yet we continue.

We often see love as maddening This overpowering feeling Like an unitchable scratch Constant, annoying almost.

Yet we continue Finding little moments of love in these people we meet In novels, in songs, in faces Little relics of emotion that we grasp onto and never let go Each one of you, I carry like a priceless trinket Collecting, in case I need you, in case you need me Love is not pretty, but we need it.

Rob Barrie Science and Technology Editor Why “and”?

Paris and Helen. King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. Romeo and Juliet. Why “and”? History has taught us of the binary nature of human love. Literature has conditioned us to the requirement of a paired-entity entry-ticket. Love and the

objective case have become a relationship by their very own attachment. It is sad that the reflexive treads carefully on the outskirts – never knowing whether it will step into the red light. Always him, her, them. Why not himself, herself, themselves or, indeed, myself? The biopsychology of love is complex. Much research has gone into our affectionate view of others – yet very little is understood about that same view of ourselves.

Indeed, the latter arguably does not even fit the commonly accepted definition of ‘human love’. Perhaps, then, on one occasion you might dare to look inwards, dear reader. You may just find it surprising, rewarding and loving. Being alone, after all, is not always being lonely.

Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor It makes the days warmer, where coffee tastes infinitely good and food even better. Where strangers make you smile and the clouds in the sky make you giggle like you did when you were a small child. It fills colourless spaces with hues of colour, ousting the bleakness and makes the monotony admirable. It has a way of growing, merely a seed you don’t even know is there, or even a small sapling, that blooms into a flower that tangles itself into the days and tangible moments. It has the great ability to capture us completely and shape our ways of thinking and viewing the world.

It is a feeling we receive with open arms, we seek it, crave it, demand it, like clean air to fill our lungs. A feeling that we are so happy to have and so afraid to lose. and they call it, Love.

Stevie Palmer Staff Writer When asked what I think about love, the word that immediately strikes me is connection. Love is the feeling of flow stemming from internal tranquillity and the attachment to the oneness that transcends our physicality. Love is the connection that binds us all. It’s the feeling of unity, it’s being someone who is part of a wider energy and trusting that where you put that energy it will be received and reciprocated. It is the purest form of human emotion, that sits at our very core; the sense of Euphoria and the fear of vulnerability all wrapped up into one.

Ritika Srivatsan News Sub-Editor One late summer evening, I was driving back home listening to John Mayer’s ‘Edge of Desire’ on repeat. I found solace in his song which described intense yearning and before I knew it, a steady stream of tears trickled down my cheeks

forcing me to pull over as my eyesight got blurry. The dull ache in my heart quickly turned into searing pain and it was then that I learnt heartbreak was obliterating.

At the time, I had just bid someone I loved goodbye and all I did was reminisce in despair. Someone wiser than I told me however, that my sorrow stemmed from love, for only if I loved and shared something beautiful would losing it hurt. In no form is love facile but at its purest, loving another and being loved is a privilege. It energises us and despite setbacks, love is a drug we cannot get enough of.

Charlie Batten Sports Print Editor “Bunch of old w***” - Daisy Steiner Grace Dawes Features Online Editor Searching or Falling?

I don’t want that kind of love.

When you can’t decide if you’re in love or in lust, when you don’t want love, you just want to be loved.

That isn’t the love that Shakespeare spent 154 sonnets talking about, nor is it the love that Austen bestowed to Marianne in her love-sickness.

When there is no mystery, and you have been looking for that flame for so long you scrape the rocks together, hoping to ignite a spark or two.

I don’t want that kind of love, I want it when the flame burns long after the night ends.

Love that you’re not seeking, that catches you in manacles that you never see locking.

When absence beckons you to grow fonder, but fonder just turns into torture when you’re apart.

Where love is certain, so irrevocable, it hurts to return to yourself, and now a part of you that belongs to someone else.

Now you finally understand what Louis de Bernières meant by love as a temporary madness.

Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor Romantic love isn’t about flowers, valentines, or a constant feeling of ecstasy.

Love is the coffee to my early starts; the liquor that sustains my day.

It is the slow burn of a candle, continuingly flickering, at times brighter than others.

It is the buzz of a pub on a Friday night, but simultaneously the quiet of a café with my favourite book.

It paints the surface of the Earth in warm yellow sunshine, and whether romantic or platonic, it certainly is all around.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Comment

16

Reflections On Turning 21 A reflection of the most influential lessons I’ve learnt in the last 21 years, that have helped shaped me and my adulthood Stevie Palmer Staff Writer

A

s the 4th of February gets ever closer, people are increasingly talking about the big 2 1 and how I’m about to become a real adult, and it’s left me reflecting on my young adulthood thus far. The journeys I’ve been on, and the person I’ve become, as well as the person I’ve left behind.

It’s taken me a lot to come to terms with my own evolution, leaving behind the shell of my childhood, and flourishing into the new butterfly of my everexpanding adulthood.

I know lots of us feel this at times, especially when making life transitions, be that going to university, going abroad or simply getting older. I wanted to share some things that I’ve learnt in the last 21 years, some as a result of my best moments, and some my worst, in the hope my words can find anyone who needs them (or anyone who is just generally interested).

Peace, love and happy reading.

1- Nothing has to be for-

ever. Some things in your life are supposed to be permanent, and others aren’t. As hard as it may be to come to terms with this, and accept it, the earlier you do, the easier everything will become (well for me anyway!). No amount of wishing, beating yourself up or hanging on is going to make something that was never meant to be in your life forever, stay. Once you accept the fluidity of life, the more you’ll feel yourself flowing with its rhythm. Clasping onto threads in the hope you can reignite a lost spark, is only ever going to cause you pain. What’s meant for you won’t pass you, once something is done, it’s done. See the beauty in what was, let go, and be happy.

“

Some things in your life are supposed to be permanent, and others aren’t

2- People show you their true colour ... and please don’t ignore

it when they do. I myself have been in one too many situations where someone has shown me who they really are, and I’d put it down to something else. I put a rosy tint on the situation.

However, after one too many repeat offences I realised that people really do show you who they are, and if you choose not to listen, you will get hurt. When someone does something that doesn’t vibe with you, try not to tint it, sit with it and think maybe this is who they are.

3- Sometimes it be what it is, and it is what it be 4- Find your flow. Whether that be yoga, running, drawing or rock skimming, find what allows your mind to be free and your channels to flow.

Find that, hold on to that, and use it as a tool you can turn to when life inevitably gets tough.

5- Only put your energy where it’s received. This one is pretty simple, if you’re putting energy into something, whatever it may be, and you’re not getting the same level of good every back then - control, alt, delete - it out of your life.

Trust me, it makes so much of a difference to your wellbeing, when you stop letting your energy be drained by things that bring you no happiness and put that now spare energy into the things that bring you joy.

“

Only put your energy where it’s received.

6- Make time for you. If you can’t do that, you need to learn to do that; it’s one of the best things you’ll ever do. It’s the ultimate manifestation of hap-

piness, to be so comfortable in yourself and with who you are, that you can sit and enjoy the pleasure of your own company.

You’re the only person who goes through the entire journey of life with you, from start to end, so get to know yourself, be comfortable within yourself and with all the things that make you so unbelievably divine.

7- You are beautiful, in every sense of the word – and if you can’t see it, dig a little deeper. When you do, you’ll realise, it was sitting there inside you the whole time.

@ThisAmericanGirl

Why There Is More To University Than 2-For-1 Shots Megan Whitehead Staff Writer

T

he university lifestyle, it seems, has always been synonymous with heavy drinking and non-stop partying. Every time I go home people joke and ask about how much I’ve been going out, assuming that every student’s life revolves around this one particular pastime.

Don’t get me wrong, many of my best and funniest memories from university have been under the hazy influence, but I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that drinking is not the only way to feel like you’re living your best student life.

Drinking culture is something I’ve struggled with ever since I can remember.

When I was younger, it was just the norm that once you hit sixteen your weekends should be spent forcing down cheap vodka with the aim of being as drunk as possible. University has been no exception. First year, and freshers especially, has centred around parties and throwing back any drink you can get your hands on in hope of a night that lives up

to expectations. Parties need to be loud, busy, and chaotic to be seen as adequate enough to stay. For me, despite being surrounded by so many people, it all just felt a bit empty.

The nights seemed aimed at getting so drunk that you wake up with a case of memory loss or feeling like you’ve been smacked in the head. Parties full of people I don’t know, being crammed into a corner trying to hold a conversation over (usually) bad music started to take its toll, and I realised this wasn’t how I wanted to be spending my time.

“

Nights out and partying isn’t the set structure

As people, I think connection is something we crave and value so much, but how we go about finding it seems to be all wrong. Of course, there are so many good times that can be had whilst drinking, but for me personally, I have the most fun in those situations with people I already know.

It just doesn’t make sense that in a time where everyone is meeting for the first time

that alcohol should be the main ingredient for bonding and getting to know each other.

Many people are not the same sober as they are a few drinks in, so it just casts a blurry lens onto your perception of other people, and by the time the sun comes up it can be quite a hollowing feeling when you realise the people you invest your nights into either turn out to be only ‘good time’ friends or people you just don’t really have anything in common with.

Some of my favourite and most cherished memories from university have been the nights where I’ve cooked dinner with my friends, had games nights, watched movies, baked, created – these are all the moments where I’ve learnt so much about my friends, the things that would be forgotten about in the morning if we had the same conversation in a club toilet at 2am.

I just think there is such a huge pressure on students to get the ‘university experience’ which is painted as being heavy drinking, endless clubbing, and late nights you can barely remember. I think we undersell ourselves when we put so much emphasis on having to

go ‘out-out’ in order to have a good time, when many of the best experiences you have at university are sober.

“

Doesnt make sense that... alcohol should be the main ingredient for bonding

Making breakfast with your housemates, going for coffee or dinner, having card game nights, and getting into latenight discussions, all these things are what I’m going to treasure from my time here and will outweigh the nights

where I’ve been dragged to a bad, sweaty nightclub surrounded by strangers.

This isn’t to dismiss the fun that you can have whilst drinking because it is a big part of our culture and university.

But I think it’s important to realise that nights out and partying isn’t the set structure of what it means to have fun and make the most of your time here, and that not participating in drinking culture means you’re doing something wrong.

There is so much enjoyment to be found in the everyday moments with your friends that are played off as every day when in the end they’re the moments you’ll miss the most.

@MeganWhitehead

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Comment

17

Trending Tragedies Navigating current issues in the digital era T Bliss Staff Writer

A

cultural paradigm has emerged where social and environmental issues become ‘trending’ on social media and across the internet but disregarded and forgotten when a new trend or issue hits our screens.

We have become so accustomed to receiving and expecting to receive all our news of global issues through our screens and social media. The rise in the Trump era of ‘fake news’ introduced an element of mistrust, exploiting our gullibility as this form of news spreads far faster than fact checking. But even when the facts are there, and stories inhabit our feeds for days or weeks they still seem to just disappear into thin air.

“

Social injustice isn’t solved by a like and a share Do we also run the risk of missing significant matters

Amirali Zia Staff Writer

F

or so many years, the nationalisation of railways has been one of the most controversial topics in UK politics. During the pandemic, a death blow hit the train operating companies (TOC’s) and the franchising privatisation model of the railway industry implemented in the UK since the 1990s.

This finally ended the debate for many politicians and experts by proving that a privatised railway model would simply not work.

It created the perfect opportunity for the railway industry in Britain to be nationalised.

In March 2020, the Transport Secretary stated that all franchisees would shift to a concession model, with the government paying all costs and management fees equal to no more than 2% of the company’s costs in the year leading up to the pandemic as a provisional, temporary recovery measure.

Twelve billion pounds were spent supporting rail during the pandemic, including the formation of Great British

and events when they don’t appear en masse on our devices?

Have we fallen into a trap of assuming that if it’s important or worth knowing it would just automatically come into view?

Whilst yet another minor celebrity’s past mistakes are brought to light and the usual apology videos pour into social media with cries to end ‘cancel culture’, how many atrocities or big wins go unheard of?

“

There is just too much inconsistency to rely on algorithms There is just too much inconsistency to rely on algorithms to deliver the big stories to us, leaving us ignorant in the dark.

Don’t get me wrong, there are enormous benefits to the wide ranging and vast audiences that are reached and brought to the attention of social injustices and environmental catastrophes.

Awareness is one of the most powerful items in a campaign’s toolbox, and the momentum created by the ease of sharing and viewing stories is beyond

impressive. As we’ve seen from the powerful BLM movement in 2020, the awareness of atrocities shared across social media facilitated huge protests and education campaigns which are so important for social justice.

“

Stories inhabit our feeds for days or weeks they still seem to just disappear into thin air

But is there a risk of losing that momentum and forgetting the need to keep going to protect this change, before the next big trend takes over our screens?

Social injustice isn’t solved by a like and a share, it doesn’t end after a million views. So why have we taken to this routine of picking up an issue, running with it, only to leave it behind.

Are we conditioned to just stop caring when the next big thing grabs hold of our attention, or do we really believe subconsciously everything is resolved after a spout of social media attention?

@StrikeSocial Social media provides a platform for millions to be reached and connected over issues we rightly feel passionate about.

It creates an opportunity for us to become aware of not just matters we weren’t aware of, but also how important and complex issues we had already heard of are.

I think it is important that we look at this outlet of news as a chance to become aware

of pressing topics around the globe, but to use this as a starting point to educate ourselves and others and persevere to drive change.

Furthermore, we shouldn’t be complacent and assume everything we need or might want to know will be delivered to us every time we swipe through our phones, and be mindful that equally important matters can be found when we look for them.

Boris Missed A Great Opportunity Railways in September 2020.

Many would argue that this announcement was an act of re-nationalisation – the government denies this. They view GBR as empowering a dynamic privatised system, alleviating the private TOC’s financial risks related to uncertain revenues, and unleashing the private sector’s modernising potential.

The Great British Railways main tasks are to: 1. Act as a coordinator, issuing management concession contracts to TOC’s with incentives to improve punctuality and passenger numbers.

2.

Introduce passenger service contracts (PSCs) designed to deliver high quality, passenger-friendly services with fixed fees and bonuses for performance to TOC’s.

3. Emulate London’s contactless pay-as-you-go scheme, provide new flexible season tickets and bring additional services that don’t need an advanced booking, available to venerable customers.

5. Renew train interiors to enhance comfort, flexibility and greater passenger capacity.

6. Implement green initia-

tives set by the government.

These tasks, while seemingly positive, represent an unsatisfactory middle-ground between privatisation and renationalisation. The reform discourages investment into rail infrastructure, allowing the TOC’s to create a new paper economy within GBR. This in turn results in unanticipated fair rises and greater imbalance between the cost to the user of rail vs. car in the future.

As the economy slowly recovers from the pandemic recession and life returns to normality, a nationalised railway could have brought centralisation, organisation and public satisfaction.

Nationalisation efforts would help unemployment and other socioeconomic issues while costing less in the long term, all while bringing back a sense of pride for the railway workers.

Long-term investment in a fully nationalised rail service increases the productive, allocative and dynamic efficiency of rail. As profits would flow directly to the taxpayer, the state could reinvest profits directly into infrastructure, expanding the sector and strengthening its

fiscal independence, eventually turning the railway into a reliable financial asset for the state.

Therefore, it seems evident that Keir Starmer’s Labour must make renationalisation a manifesto plank at the next general election. It could serve as a bridge policy between the disparate Corbynist and Blairite factions within the party.

He could even form a strong consensus by revising their 2020 GB rail plan, promoting free market principles in specific sectors. A clear stance on this topic would help rectify the vagueness of Labour platforms which has harmed

them in previous elections.

The previous success of Labour campaigns which enshrined railway nationalisation in their manifesto, along with consistent diverse public support of the policy in opinion polls for the past ten years united across age and demographic backgrounds which diverge on most other contentious issues - strongly evidence my contention. As the Conservatives missed this great opportunity to nationalise the UK rail industry they created a great opportunity for Labour to ride the rails to 10 Downing Street after the next general election.

@WikimediaCommons

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Arts • Music

In conversation with Kojey Radical: Music, Identity, Fashion & Creativity

18

Music Editor, Dylan Bryant, dives deep in an interview with UK rapper and creative powerhouse Kojey Radical ahead of the release of his debut album.

DylaniBryant Music Editor

B

eing given the opportunity to speak with such a respected and talented artist was a privilege and as I engaged in conversation with Kojey Radical, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in the presence of someone special.

Some people just ooze that ‘star quality’ and as Kojey spoke his words of wisdom, his confidence, self-belief and honesty were undeniable.

Kojey is the epitome of an artistic muse. He radiates creativity and speaks with a passion saying: “I’ve always loved art; I’ve loved art since I was a kid. I couldn’t be without art.”

Kojey first grabbed my attention with the release of ‘Cashmere Tears’ in 2019. The project is a sensational body of work that champions both his musical and lyrical ability. Kojey’s lyricism is something that sets him apart from many other artists. Speaking on the topic of honesty within his music; he said; “It’s Everything. See how to this day people still love Bob Marley. It’s because that’s honest music. So, no matter who you are, how old you are, where you are, or what’s going on in your life; you can listen to that music and connect with it. It feels like you’re just sat down in a restaurant having a conversation with it. That’s the feeling I want to put in my music.”

Kojey spoke in a calm and self-assured manner as he answered my questions, and this transcends to his views on the pressures of social media and using his platform to speak up on important subjects: “Life is pressure… Are you going to be scared of life? That’s pointless. We’re born in this world to exist and to make a difference and to contribute. In the process of that, you’re going to meet some opposition. But that’s part of it. A movie would be so boring if there was no stakes or resistance. You need resistance, it’s part of the game.”

“

Confidence. The only thing that draws a line or creates a difference between any of my projects is intention.

Kojey is an artist who dips and dives into a broad pool of musical genres and when I asked him about his influences, replied: “Everyone and anyone.

I’m influenced by new and old, different genres. It’s hard to pick. Exploring different genres as a kid is the first sort of musical rebellion that I remember. Going from Q-Tip and Mos Def to Jamie T and Bloc Party and then listening to Jazzanova and Nujabes. You learn to define who you are at the most intricate parts of

@Instagram

your development and growth.

That’s what happened to me.

I went from one genre to the next in my headphones, listening to different worlds.

When I put those headphones on, I get transported. So, depending on how I feel, or what I want to do; I allow everything to influence me.”

Kojey is an artist who believes in the importance of experimentation and he supports his ‘no boundaries’ artistic approach by saying “I think we get one life. Filling it with as many experiences as possible is the best way to live it. Experiencing new music and new vibes is one of the simplest ways to do it. I’ve got friends to this day that I’ve met at the most random gigs that I shouldn’t have been at. I remember going to punk shows at the Old Blue Last. Finding love in the middle of a mosh pit somewhere. It’s beautiful.”

Besides music, Kojey’s interest in fashion is well documented.

He was previously an illustrator at the London College of Fashion and speaking on the topic of how fashion contributes to his individual identity and artistic image said: - “Fashion, art, music – it’s the trisector. They all influence each other and go together. It’s how anybody expresses themselves. The great thing is that we have options. I’m not going to wear my ice green jacket and jeans with a pair of Jordan 1s to a punk show. I’m going to get my Dr Martens out, lace them real tight, put a helmet on and go in headfirst. That’s part of fashion and that can translate to moods. If I wake up one day and I feel like this or that; then I’m going to dress for that occasion. How I feel listening to ‘War Outside’ is very different to how I feel listening to ‘Payback (feat. Knucks)’. For ‘Payback (feat. Knucks)’ I have to look sharp because that’s the energy it brings in my head.”

Kojey is set to release his debut album ‘Reason To Smile’ on 4th March. Despite releasing previous projects, it is only now that Kojey has named a project an album and he explains his reason as "When I got into music, I was learning on the job.

People got to see me figure it out in front of them. I didn’t know what I was going to be, how I was going to do it or why I was

@Instagram doing it. But I’m in it now and I’m here. But I didn’t know if I had built up enough confidence in my own sound in order to leave with one of my previous projects as an album. You have to remember that people put a mental expiry date on people's lives. Everything had to align for it to be an album. Mentally, spiritually and sonically I’m at another level and it’s time to cement it as what it is.”

In a society that is surrounded by so much negativity, the title of Kojeys upcoming album feels extremely relevant and he describes his inspirations for the title by expressing - “I think if ‘Cashmere Tears’ is about asking questions then ‘Reason To Smile’ is about the journey to the answers. With ‘Cashmere Tears’ I was exploring a lot of topics to do with mental health and depression and the idea of using your feelings as something to be proud of and as a luxury.

But at the end of that, what do we do next? We have to go on a journey to find positive constants and pillars of strength and use them to motivate us.

The journey in itself is about finding reasons to smile. But it’s deeper than that. We’re always going to be asking ourselves questions and enjoying

that journey is paramount.”

It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Kojey and he finished by telling me what he hopes people can take away from his upcoming album “I want anybody that’s been following my journey, that sees themselves within it, that feels inspired by it in any way, no matter what they do; to know that there is a win at the end of the long road. If you graft, if you put your head down, if you really want it, if you focus and walk towards it then you’re going to get there.”

Listen to a collection of Kojey’s best tracks by scanning the QR code.

‘Reason To Smile’ OUT 4TH MARCH

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Arts • Film and Television

What Girls taught me about my OCD

19

An examination of how television has the power to heal the scars of mental illness

Issy Anthony Film & TV Print Editor

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was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder when I was 14. I’d actually had OCD for many years, without knowing what was going on.

My uncontrollable urge to touch objects an even number of times, and that incessant nagging in my head that something awful would happen if I didn’t, finally made sense. I wasn’t crazy. I was ill. And help was available. I still struggle with OCD today, but it's no longer a fight in the dark.

Aside from the awful anxiety that OCD causes me, one painful part of it is the utter lack of understanding. When people found out I had OCD, they’d ask if I would wash my hands all the time, or if my room was super tidy. In fact, my frazzled mind meant my tidiness and hygiene took a backseat while I allowed the ‘what if?’ to take control.

Not fitting into the stereotypes made me think that maybe I was crazy. No one could understand my thoughts, or relate to them, and I truly felt alone in the world. And then I found Girls.

Lena Dunham, Girls' writer and creator, plays Hannah Horvath, the protagonist of

@Vulture the show. Hannah and I share quite a few traits. We are both writers, we never know when to shut up, and most critically, we were both given the god-awful bad luck of OCD. One particular episode delves deep in Hannah’s OCD, as we see Hannah deny to her parents that she is experiencing a relapse. Every time mine rears its ugly head, I feel as if I am 10 again, sobbing in my room because I made a mistake counting and now have to start my hour long routine all over again. The desire to

deny that it’s happening is very real, and then Dunham takes it one step further.

While talking to a therapist, Hannah says that as a child she would ‘force herself to see things on a loop of eight, like sexual things, murderer things’. The highly disturbing intrusive thoughts that OCD forces upon you are probably the biggest shame of the illness.

They’re the thoughts that make you question if you are truly disturbed, if you are what your mind forces you to think about. If anyone with OCD is

reading this I want to remind you, right now, that you are not those things. They disturb you as much as they disturb any other normal person, but our brains like to remind us of this. Essentially, those of us with OCD torture ourselves continuously until the cycle breaks, either through help and therapy, or by finding an even more disturbing thought to haunt ourselves with.

By bringing disturbing intrusive thoughts into Hannah’s narrative, Dunham, who herself has suffered from OCD, broke a cycle of OCD’s presentation in the media as an obsession with order, rather than a mind that cannot ever rest.

When I first watched this episode, I had only experienced OCD where intrusive thoughts were dealt with via a routine, like counting. Hannah has this too, talking of having to move a toothbrush a certain amount of times until ‘suddenly it’s three in the morning, and you’re fucking exhausted, and you go to school the next day looking like a zombie’.

I remember this line making me want to collapse on the floor and cry tears of joy, because, finally, someone had encapsulated how tired I was, of OCD, of the thoughts, and of the late nights caused by

endless routines that will never fully satisfy an obsessive mind.

But in more recent years I have experienced ‘Pure O’, the OCD that causes Hannah’s intrusive thoughts, one that doesn’t require a physical routine, rather, the compulsion is the thought itself. They are both equally awful.

What Dunham does best, however, is not her diversity of OCD. It is the humour she manages to work into a very painful illness, but one that I myself have found to be, at times, rather funny.

At a restaurant, she bumps into a man, causing her to have to go back and bump into him seven more times, each bump more awkward than the last.

When he reacts angrily -'you just hit me like five times!'- she whips around, replying that 'it was eight times!'. For me, this is OCD shown honestly.

When you finally get some space from your illness, you see how peculiar it was that all the syllables in your book just had to be even, or why you convinced yourself that you definitely just exposed your breasts on zoom.

I’ll never get back the time that I’ve lost to OCD, but what it has given to me is a strong sense of empathy, and a good sense of humour about life, too. .

Remakes and Morality What Peter Dinklage teaches us about diversity and discrimination in contemporary film Emma Norris Film & TV Online Editor

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now White and the Seven Dwarfs was a childhood favourite of mine; I had a particular attachment to the dwarf Dopey, carrying a soft toy of him everywhere I went.

Of course, in the contemporary, we can reflect on the portrayal of the dwarfs, all named childishly after their dominating personality traits - Dopey, Sneezy, Happy, etc. - , as not fully people.

The characters are defined, named, only by their disability; the concept of dwarfism becoming a strange caricature, a synonym for this fantastical state of being, a stereotype that finds itself seeping into reallife perceptions of disability.

In response to the news that Disney is creating a live-action remake of the film, set to feature the same portrayal of dwarfism as the original film, actor Peter

Dinklage publicly expressed his distaste for the casting choices, deeming them as ‘f*cking backwards’. This isn’t the first time Dinklage has advocated for the proper representation and fair treatment of those with dwarfism, using his 2012 Golden Globe acceptance speech to pay tribute to a man with dwarfism in England who had been the victim of a violent assault, targeted because of his height.

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The lived experience of people with dwarfism is overlooked But the truth is, we shouldn’t be relying on people with dwarfism to advocate for fair and accurate representation; in the 21st century, characters shouldn’t be defined by their disabilities, and dwarfism shouldn’t repeatedly appear as a personality trait.

Responding to Dinklage’s claims, actress Kiruna Stamell

raises an important point; even when actors with dwarfism are comfortable being typecasted into a certain role, they pose the risk of unintentionally reinforcing stereotypes onto other individuals with dwarfism. Stamell recounts experiences with strangers calling her ‘mini-me’, singing ‘hi-ho, hi-ho’ to her, both being references to dwarfism in film.

Disabled voices are not listened to, the lived experience of people with dwarfism overlooked, allowing for the fostering of harmful and belittling stereotypes.

Disabled people fail to be represented in the media in ordinary ways; instead, more often than not, their disability becomes a personality trait, a comedic trope, a way for ablebodied people to belittle and stereotype those who do not fall into the category of ‘normal’.

Whilst Disney has responded to criticisms by promising to ‘avoid reinforcing stereotypes

from the original animated film’, it is abundantly clear that there is still a long way to go in terms of removing harmful stereotypes from the film industry.

For the remake to be successful in its representation of people with dwarfism, Stamell argues that people with the disability themselves need

to be consulted at every level of production; from casting to scripting to filming, people with dwarfism should have an input in the way their disability is represented on a global scale.

It is clear that, societally, we still have a long way to go in order to make the film industry an equal and fair environment.

@The Independant

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Arts • Theatre

20 The Stage, Witchcraft & Ritual

Theatre Editor, Ali Arief, discusses the role of witchcraft and ritual in theatre, focusing on Macbeth and Shakespeare’s depiction of the occult.

Ali Arief Theatre Editor

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itchcraft and the Occult are subjects of which I study earnestly. Throughout my years of studying these fascinating subjects, I have discovered incredible overlaps between the Occult world and the theatre world. After spending a fair bit of time in both spaces, learning how each overlap intertwines and relates to others, I truly believe that acting and stagecraft is a form of Occultism. Occultism is a term used for the study of Occult arts, those specific arts including tarot, astrology, witchcraft, and the practice of magic.

Within the Occult arts, a heavy emphasis is placed on ritualistic practice and ceremony.

A scene is set, candles will light the room, incense will fill the air and sacred words are spoken to an unseen entity, often in poetic tones. The stage follows the same protocol, with lighting, audience and actors honouring their script to deliver to their audience, who are largely unseen. I find this fascinating.

If you’ve ever been to the Globe, you’ll understand the sacred atmosphere of which I am referring to. The Globe it-

self is circular, which alludes to the magical circle one must cast before attempting a magical ritual. The ornate decorations above the stage show a zodiacal wheel, with mythical creatures upon it that look rather like the beasts that decorate the Wheel of Fortune card in the Tarot. The painted heavens are deliberate. It serves to create that magical atmosphere, and to prepare your consciousness for the art that’s about to be performed. In the days of the ancient Greeks, to perform a play was seen as a sacred religious act, with each play performed enacting as an offering to the Gods. It seems as if the Globe is calling back to that ancient past, honouring theatre’s ancestry as a space of worship. Churchlike, yet inherently pagan.

If you’re a Dr Who fan like I am, you are probably thinking of the episode ‘The Shakespeare Code’ written by Gareth Roberts when you picture the Globe in your mind. This episode is a fascinating look into the Occult in relation to the Theatre world, with the alien Witch species ‘Carrionites’ being the sole focus of the story’s arc. The episode shows the three Carrionites bewitching the Globes architect Peter Street to create

the Globe in a tetradecagonal design so that they can perform a ritual to release themselves from imprisonment. There is no historical evidence to suggest that the real-life Peter Street was involved in the Occult, however, the episode does suggest that the Globe could be used for occult purposes due to the tetradecagonal design and the emphasis on words having immense power, with the idea being that you could perform a play on this stage, and it would manifest into reality.

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There’s also the matter of the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm, and that the Stage is where we go to create a tiny example of the larger whole of which we live in. After all, we are enacting rituals in nearly everything we do.

Shakespeare himself was well acquainted with occult mythology, philosophy and knew a lot about Witchcraft. Macbeth is

@Pinterest

@Look and Learn the obvious play that comes to mind when thinking about plays that include the Occult, and incidentally, it is not only my favourite Shakespeare play, but all my time favourite play of all time. I cannot describe the chills, anticipation, and terror I feel when reading or seeing the opening scenes of Macbeth.

The play has many meanings and interpretations, but from an Occultist perspective, I truly see this play being about a man fighting with his own fate, and fate being victorious. The Three Witches or Three Weird Sisters have been the sole focus of my love for Macbeth. They are your classical archetype of a Witch, creepy, ugly, and allknowing. A lot of modern-day Witches find incredible empowerment in this archetype.

I see these three women as a warning against the patriarchy, it almost seems like these Witches were written in to provide a warning against male domination. Witchcraft is seen by many as a reclamation of power against a religious patriarchal society, and the stereotype of the ugly and creepy is becoming a comfort to many feminist occultists. I couldn’t argue that the Three Witches are presented in a negative light, rather the power that they hold over the fate of men is almost portrayed as a good thing, divine almost. When we are in-

troduced to them in Act 1, Scene 1, they prophesise the events of the play about to unfold. They oversee destiny. They could be inspired by the Three Fates in Greek mythology, who were in charge of the fate and destiny of the protagonists in the myths.

The Fates were always revered and seen as extremely important.

I believe it’s important to analyse the usage of witchcraft within plays, as it can demonstrate an understanding of spiritual power. Often, the use of magic is portrayed in a negative and villainous light, but Shakespeare seems to show a more morally grey side to the practice of witchcraft.

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It is neither a force for good nor evil. To Shakespeare, magic just is.

The chaotic, playful, and downright mischievous element of magical practice is always accepted and celebrated within his plays, which would have been seen as controversial in Elizabethan England. Nonetheless, it’s important to know that Queen Elizabeth had a court astrologer herself, by the name of John Dee. So perhaps occultism was celebrated to an extent in Shakespeare’s time.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Arts • Books

21

150 letters: Maternal Ambivalence and Imposter Syndrome: My Experience of Undergraduate and Archival Research Books Editor, Saskia May, discusses her experience of being a Junior Research Associate when researching Doris Lessing

Saskia May Books Editor

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unshine was flickering through the green beech trees as the bus dropped me at The Keep, University of Sussex. The carpark of the archival centre was empty, the building drenched in shade. It was one of those days that you wonder why you should be cooped up inside, hunched over boxes of old letters. This was to be the first day of my archival research, and hours later, whilst feeling somewhat depleted, I was excited to have begun my project.

In the summer of 2021, I undertook an undergraduate research project, as a Junior Research Associate. I researched maternal ambivalence in the letters of Doris Lessing, widely recognised as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Back in 1944, the then 24-year-old Lessing, who was unknown at the time, began to write what would become a collection of over 150 letters to her friend Leonard Smith. The letters are now archived at The Keep, and traverse decades but are particularly rich in the years 1944 - 1949, where Lessing was living in Southern Rhodesia, in a strained marriage with her second husband, Gottfried Lessing.

So what is maternal ambivalence exactly, and how does it

apply to Lessing’s letters? Maternal ambivalence is about the recognition of the breadth of emotions that a mother may feel towards her child, from adoration to vexation, from tenderness to despair. For Rozsika Parker, maternal ambivalence is ‘the complex and contradictory state of mind, shared variously by all mothers in which loving and hating feelings for children exist side by side.’ Lessing already had two children by her first husband, Frank Wisdom.

In the February of 1946, Lessing writes to Smithie, she has found herself unexpectedly pregnant, a ‘catastrophe’– her birth control method with second husband Gottfried, had failed, and let’s just say she was less than pleased about the situation.

Once her son Peter is born, Lessing details the extent of her maternal ambivalence, of how much she sacrifices for her son, how exhausted she feels, and how tired she is of cleaning, washing sheets, and cooking.

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I could find the ambivalence within motherhood so fascinating. I have learnt the skills of perseverance and some shy, but steady, self confidence

@NDLA

Lessing’s contention between maternity and writing is intriguing, for Peter’s need for her care and time disrupts her creative aspirations, diminishing her time to write. Lessing’s expression of her ambivalent feelings towards motherhood, can be viewed in light of the psychoanalytic theories of D.W Winnicott, who argued in 19149 that, ‘The mother…hates her infant from the word go’. Winnicott argues that the baby at first ‘must dominate… life must unfold at the baby’s rate’ and the infant is ‘an interference with [the mother’s] private life’.

Lessing does despise Peter at times! He drains her time, he creates mess, she can’t travel easily with him. Psychoanalysis has historically placed emphasis on what the mother needs to provide for her baby, but I am interested in how Lessing offers an account of her own maternal subjectivity. Expression of maternal ambivalence enables a mother to engage fully in her breadth of feelings, and to form a deeper, richer understanding of herself, and her infant.

In her letters, Lessing revolts against a presumed, female state of passive, masochistic suffering, instead candidly stating her feelings of frustration.

Lessing’s consideration of the interruption that mothers face is a vital point of thinking, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many mothers working from home, struggling with the demands of work-life and child care. Valuing an individualistic expression and experience of motherhood as opposed to the sentimentalised, maternal ideal, Lessing’s deliberation on motherhood in her letters is not only remarkably astute, but her writing enables her a kind of freedom, for she claims her maternal voice as opposed to silencing her conflicted feelings of love and hatred.

You may be thinking, could reading and researching in this much detail, about motherhood, (something I have no experience with), written over eighty years ago, really be that interesting? Reading through the letters at times felt like taking a guilty, but sneaky look inside a diary, something private and not meant for most eyes. I suppose a modern day comparison would be seeing some texts you know you shouldn’t be reading (but you read them anyway).

Lessing asked Smithie to burn the letters, far later in their correspondence, she didn’t anyone to read them. Perhaps Lessing would be cross that I went ahead, read the letters anyway,

@Instagram and turned them into a piece of research. I would like to think she would be annoyed but understand. The expression of ambivalent feelings of this kind, is vital.

After reading the letters, I began to research the more critical framework surrounding motherhood, such as the work of Jacqueline Rose and Adrienne Rich. At times it felt hard to structure my research, it was all new and overwhelming, and unlike my previous modules at university, I had no specific structure or reading list. My supervisors, Dr Pamela Thurschwell and Dr Hope Wolf were wonderful, suggesting work, critiquing my rudimentary writing and posing useful questions.

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I have always struggled with imposter syndrome, the feeling that I am undeserving of certain opportunities, that I am not up to the mark.

When I do well academically, it never quite feels like enough.

This research certainly drew those feelings out, and the longer I worked on my paper, the more confused and unsure I felt.

Out under the hot sun, amidst the sprawling vines of my garden, I began to question. Did I know at all what I was doing?

So much of this seemed beyond me and I wasn’t sure where to even start. How do academics write so well, I can’t, and will I

ever? I was fascinated by the topic of my research, but I felt my writing lacked clarity, that I was bumbling along, not really knowing what I was doing.

Towards the end of the project, one of my supervisors suggested that I submit my work to the Doris Lessing Society’s student essay contest. All the previous winners appeared to be PhD or MA students and I thought I may as well try, but it wouldn’t go anywhere. To my surprise, I won the 2021 essay contest and was invited to join the Doris Lessing Society, and send my paper in for consideration for publication. It would be wonderful to be published as an undergraduate, although I think that my imposter syndrome may always be an underlying annoyance.

So how would I summarise my experience of undergraduate, archival research? Well it has been challenging and expansive.

I didn’t think my brain could feel so pickled, or confused, and I didn’t think I could find the ambivalence within motherhood so fascinating. I have learnt the skills of perseverance and some shy, but steady, self confidence.

I have to remind myself that academic writing and research takes time to develop and improve, it really isn’t an overnight thing. Researching Doris Lessing’s letters has made me reflect on the importance of ambivalence, of acknowledging mixed feelings in life, and of confronting difficult emotions, something I will come back to think about, time and again.

Artist Focus: Soofiya

You say making art is therapeutic for you, do you have an aim for other people too?

The artist we will meet in this edition reflects our beloved queer and colourful Brighton. Soofiya is a visual artist and design educator. Their art has a punk 80’s/90’s style. Their latest book is a love letter to their cat, ‘Aloo I love you’, which was quickly followed by the release of clothes and stickers. Aloo is so important in Soofiya’s life and work that really, we can say the artist is Soof & Aloo. Let us meet them.

I like my work to provide spaces for self-reflection, for myself or for others. It could be something like when I’m running a workshop and introducing an idea, or when I’m putting a project out into the world. It’s a space for me to self-reflect and for other people to process questions for themselves. There’s one project I did, called ‘Soof in Private’. An organisation called Free Word in London did an exhibition.The theme was around privacy, in both public and private spheres, for example, surveillance culture. They got in touch with me, and at the time I was obsessed with my internet search history. There is such a narrative there. The words are all very decontextualised, and they’re so many of them. I took all my Google history search for a year and put it on the walls. Every time I looked at the board, I saw something different, a different word or a different thing, none of them really made sense. When they’re together, it changes the whole narrative of them. Part of that was giving a space for people to reflect and think about what things they are sharing with the search engine, what kind of private fears are they sharing.

When someone does something that inspires you and you want to do the same thing, it’s called modelling behaviour. I think, that’s some of the work we can do, we can model behaviour and model questions.

Do you have other mediums than zines?

I have a lot. I would say visual communication is the medium. Zines might be a format. They’re quick and easy, but sometimes it’s just an Instagram post, sometimes it’s visual identity. I use illustration, drawings, typography.

I tend to listen to my research, my process and it gives me answer if it’s best in a zine, or textile or fabric. Zines have a special place in my heart.

© Soofiya How does your identity factor in your art?

It’s something that I started doing in hindsight, as well as actively. I like to use my work as a space to figure something out, something I don’t understand, that I’m obsessed with, that is important to me, that makes me sad, whatever that is. Once my response to crying a lot was to make a zine about crying, and all the things that make me cry; serious things but also like toilet roll and having a really good shower. For me, it was a way of processing something that is happening. A lot of my work connects around bodies, race, gender not fitting in, and it has a therapeutic approach. When you think of identity, it’s something that we always process, it’s a sort of ongoing thing.

© Soofiya

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Tell me more about your book ‘Aloo I love you’.

As I said, I do things that I’m obsessed with. Right now, it’s mostly her. I’ve also really wanted to do a picture book. I wrote and drew it in a weekend.

Then it went to print. I’m trying to do a personal project that I sell once a year. In the past, I did a poetry zine, the one before was a zine about menstruation. This one was really amazing; it was the first time that I put something out in the world. I had submissions, I had some money through a Crowdfunder, it got lots of press, lots of attraction. I enjoy that energy, when you share something, you get lots of feedback. But I don’t want to do that every day because it’s very draining and it’s a lot of work. The last one I made was two years ago, so it felt time.

I noticed that on Instagram you share your days with Aloo. Do you think your love for Aloo and your life with her challenges the heteropatriarchal conceptions of love and who to live with?

I really believe in the power and connection we have with pets and animals, their presence in our families. I love the idea of challenging ways of living, whether that’s in what bodies like, or in how you can live a life. That can be part of that. I find that society in that capitalism structured itself makes it very hard for individuals, particularly marginalised individuals to have normative forms of stability. If you buy as a couple or a partnership, a lot more things are possible. I believe in challenging ways in living and assumed living, whether that’s having a family and the stability that comes from that. Having Aloo in my life, it made me think of what I want my family to look like, what do I want my home to look like.

I live in a housing co-op, it’s democratic, there is no landlord, we are all members of this co-operative. When I moved here, we spoke about having a cat as a house and we found her in a cat rescue centre. I feel very found and seen. That sort of routine that we have together, we wake up in the morning, I feed her, I brush my teeth, we play string, then I get on my work, she might join me, she might not. Our lives are finding a rhythm together. She taught me so much about myself. She is teaching me how to share, because she isn’t just my cat, she is the house’s cat, and that is definitely a learning curve because I love her a lot.

© Soofiya

Throughout the interview, Soofiya kept asking me back the questions I was asking them. Although I focused this article on their work, I would like to honour the spirit of the interview by inviting you to self-reflect on what Soof ’s art inspires you, in your own creation or in your own life. Soofiya is also making a series on Instagram to help you make your own zines.

Where to find Soofiya’s artwork:

Self-reflection box to make art: 1. What am I interested in

www.soofiya.com Instagram: @soofiya Words by Éloïse Armary

© Cottelatte

lately? What is on my mind?

11. What medium do I want to use for this piece?

111. What do I want to say with this artwork?

The illustration on the left is by Cotte Benites, a fellow student, on what Soofiya’s art and this interview inspired her.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Arts • In Review All About Love: bell hooks Arts Online Editor, Alice Stevens, discusses bell hooks’ life and works as Valentine’s day approaches.

Alice Stevens Arts Online Editor “Do not expect to receive the love from someone else you do not give to yourself…

The light of love is always in us, no matter how cold the flame. It is always present, waiting for the spark to ignite, waiting for the heart to awaken.” - bell hooks (2000) With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching us, what better way to celebrate than reading a book literally all about love! bell hooks who sadly passed away on the 15th of December 2021 was one of the worlds most phenomenal intersectional feminists, activists and scholars. Writing over 40 books in her lifetime, hooks possessed a razor-sharp intellect with a formidable ability to articulate meanings and emotions through her use of language.

As a cultural critic, hooks is known for her work surrounding intersectionality, race, gender and sexuality - challenging the beliefs, misconceptions and whitewashing of our social world, and All About Love is no exception. This book has risen to one of my favourite reads of all time as it is just so accessible. In essence, I could talk for hours about the lessons of love hooks provides, but alas, I must abide by the word limits.

Like the romantic princess movies most of us watched throughout our childhood, love seems to have one heteronormative narrative: girl meets boy (otherwise known as ‘the one’), girl falls in love with said boy, they live happily ever after - free from all conflict and pain - the end. As adults, not only does this leave us feeling robbed and disheartened, it is solely a false indoctrination of love itself. Internalising love in this manner only impacts how we connect with one another, ourselves and our spirituality. hooks defines love as “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” I absolutely adore this definition

because of the power it wields. For instance, we learn at an early age that love is either punitive or rewarding.

Love is given by parents when you do something right, or it is taken away when you do something wrong.

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The premise of this book is essentially a question: What is love and how can we better understand it? hooks asserted that our everlasting search for emotional connection paired with our societies failure to provide an efficient model for learning love only misguides us.

We find love difficult to conceptualise because our social world has constructed love through strict societal pressures and lies since childhood. Instead, we should teach children the importance of responsibility rather than punitive punishment. Punishment does not have to be punitive, i.e. if a child breaks a vase, instead of hitting the child, we should ask them to clean up the mess, and/or repair it, and try and replace it. This proactive method means that children begin to understand that they can make amends and restore things back to its natural order. Therefore, we can see a pattern -- learning how to make amends instead of punitive forms of punishment increases intimacy and forgiveness, thus reducing anger, isolation and fear.

As hooks quotes: “Parents who come from unloving homes have never learned how to love and cannot create loving home environments or see them as realistic when watching them on television. The reality they are most familiar with and trust is the one they knew intimately.”

Thus, my three main takeaways from this book are: 1. There can be no love without justice 2. Self-love cannot flourish in isolation 3. Abuse irreparably undermines bonds

@Instagram

As a society, we are driven by the quest to find love, and although we are fixated on love, we are tragically still loveless beings. Instead, hook believes that we must reclaim love by viewing it as an ethic and a verb, where “love is an action never simply a feeling.” Love requires work, a combination of daily attention, care and responsibility that will allow us to improve our relationships with others, and ultimately, our wider social world.

24

Rip Van Winkle- A feminist story?

Women are the unspoken heroes of Washington Irving’s 1819 short story, but is this a story of equality?

Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor Recently, I read Washington Irving’s 1819 short story and was very surprised by the portrayal of women. Irving displays women as unspoken heroes, demonstrating a refreshing portrayal of women in nineteenth-century literature.

Rip Van Winkle is the tale of a lazy husband going missing for twenty years, when he returns America has split from the British empire, his wife is dead and his surroundings have changed drastically. Throughout the story, Irving’s two female characters (the wife, Dame Van Winkle, and the daughter, Judith) are both silent throughout the story, yet remain the saviours of the story. The fact that women do not have a speaking role in this short story whilst also being fairly dominant and feared characters who end up becoming the heroines of the tale shows that women were simultaneously domestic and dominant whilst remaining voiceless. I think that Irving demonstrates a feminist attitude here, showing the power of women and their importance to society.

Despite the women initially being displayed as nuisances, they are also shown to be powerful, essential and dominant. Dame Van Winkle is only praised for her homemaking skills after Rip realises that his home has been demolished in her absence. As Rip returns from his twenty-year wander in the wilderness, he explains that “Dame Van Winkle has always kept [the house] in neat order”. This is the only positive description of his wife with him otherwise describing her as a “shrew”.

After the Dame’s death, Rip is homeless, heroically, his daughter Judith is happy to take in her father who abandoned her family. Again, Rip is only pleased to have a tidy house and to be able to avoid work and responsibilities, he is only interested in his own gain and there is no mention of any of his daughter’s characteristics or interests.

Here women are not characters with rich personalities or talents, only a method of giving men comfort and even then, they are scrutinized for nagging and demanding work from their idle husband or father.

Carolyn Karcher, a literary critic, supports this idea that Rip is immature and idle, refusing to take responsibility for anything or anyone. Judith, luckily for Rip, appears “ready to assume the care of his wayward, overgrown infant”.

This argument suggests that despite Rip being gone for twenty years, he has not matured and he is still not taking any responsibility for his actions or for his role in society. We can see here that women are playing a heroic role in the story of Rip Van Winkle because once again a woman enables Rip to maintain his laziness. The structure of the short story highlights this point further, suggesting that Rip’s grandchild is again avoiding responsibilities while the women are still presented as domestic, nagging and voiceless characters.

Not only are the female characters represented as heroic in this story, but they are also presented as dominant, tyrannical and fierce, all while being voiceless and marginalised. Rip is described to question “what courage can withstand the ever-during and allbesetting terrors of a woman’s tongue”.

Through this, the Dame is depicted as the more dominant character in their household, showing how women were presented as more powerful, despite this being presented as a negative trait for women to have. This may be a nuanced way of Irving presenting the changing attitudes in America during the revolution as the monarchy was no longer required.

It could also be seen as Irving’s attitudes towards women, critiquing society for being negative towards powerful women.

This representation of women in Rip Van Winkle is unusual for a representation of women in 19th-Century America. This is because at the time in which this is set in a household a man was required “to take forceful measures to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of his home”.

In the household, the man was usually the dominant character with the woman being responsible for being subservient and maintaining the house. The fact that the Dame was taking on both the domestic role and the dominant role in the household adds to this idea that Rip was superfluous, especially as the town he lived in went through a revolution in his absence. This may be a nuanced way of Irving presenting the changing attitudes in America during the revolution as the monarchy was no longer required.

With the portrayal of powerful women being seen as nuisances in this short story, countered with their key role played in the narrative, I think we can see this short story as feminist. Irving moulds these powerful women as instrumental to the story, showing how essential their work is to the survival and achievements of men. Despite women being portrayed as negative, as we are seeing the women through Rip’s eyes, it is apparent that we are meant to criticise Rip’s attitudes, thus seeing women as the unspoken heroes of Rip Van Winkle.

@StoryNory

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Travel and Culture • Food Evie Tosswell Staff Writer

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ick of Wagamamas and wanting to find a more authentic take on the classic Japanese ramen dish? I must admit Waga’s does offer a great ramen (specifically their new teriyaki vegan ‘chicken’) however, Brighton is the hub of independent restaurants and cafes so why wouldn’t you venture away from the chain’s and discover a new favourite?

One evening a few months back my boyfriend and I (who, I must add, are massive foodies) decided to have a date night out in Brighton and wanted to discover a new restaurant. We had a few ideas mapped out as ideas, most of which were located on Preston Street which is actually filled with a variety of independent restaurants with a multitude of different cuisines. Our first and decided choice ended up being Goemon Ramen Bar, a small mood-lit Japanese restaurant specialising in huge bowls of warming ramen. Whilst this is their main specialty they also offer interesting starters such as the classic gyoza.

Being pescatarian there weren’t massive amounts of options we could choose from as the majority contained meat

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Goemon Ramen Bar - Review

so we opted for two starters of vegetable gyoza and fried octopus. Which unfortunately is not shown on the main menu so it is difficult to remember the exact name. This was my first time having octopus and I have to say it did not disappoint! It’s texture was chewy but not so much that it became a workout to eat it and the gyoza came fried in a batter-like film which connected each gyoza to one another. Both of these dishes were sublime however I must say that the octopus did come out on top. As our main course we opted for the two vegetarian ramen (again, I am unsure of the exact name), one being a more milky consistency and sesame tasting topped with vegan mince and pak choi, whilst the other was more of a traditional salty ramen taste with added beansprouts, tofu, sweetcorn and nori. We shared both so we could fully experience the flavours of these delicious bowls. The milkier one was rich in flavour and was difficult to devour on my own, despite this, the dish delivered the refined flavours that consist within a ramen bowl and allowed me to fully experience the classic dish in the most authentic way I have ever experienced. I would possibly recommend the tofu ramen more

so as it was a lot lighter on the stomach and more palatable.

Our four dishes were shared and filled us perfectly, satisfying us as the combination of flavours from each ramen allowed us to discover and en-

joy different kinds of textures and qualities of food which I found extremely enjoyable.

As Valentine’s day is coming upon us, Goemon is a perfect date spot! Their dishes are affordable for students and they

provide huge portions which makes it even more worth your money! The overall vibe of the place is dark-walled and low warm lighting making it a perfect cosy and comfortable seating area to chat and eat.

@Evie Tosswell

Essentials For Your Weekly Shop

There are so many student recipes you can cook that are affordable, easy, tasty and healthy. But what should you buy?

Justine Cordery Staff Writer

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t is very understandable that at university it is hard to do a weekly food shop, let alone one that will be cost affective and will last you the right amount of time. These foods will help you shape the meals for your week, and it really doesn’t have to be too expensive.

The first part of shopping to tackle when you’re planning meals for your week is protein.

(Recommended: if you’re vegetarian or vegan you can ignore this whole paragraph!)

It’s very noticeable that meat is probably the most expensive part of your shop, so you need to learn how to make the most out of what you get. Chicken breast are, on the most part, cheap and they are very versatile, therefore they are a necessity for your shop. The next meat is sausages. Now you might not think sausages are very versatile, but they

can actually replace chicken in more recipes than you think.

Then when you start getting a bit bored of having the same meals over and over again it can be a very easy switch. However, they are also just lovely to have as their own meal, especially with mash potato! And finally another essential is some sort of fish. I normally go for salmon or cod as they are my favourite

but having one meal a week that is slightly lighter than the other refreshing a fish is the perfect meat for a meal like that.

Now, probably the part of food shopping that gets neglected the most by university students.

Vegetables. I personally have found a new love for different vegetables while being at university, although I agree, they can become very dull if

@Wikimedia Commons you don’t know how to make them more exciting. Firstly, it should be a rule that you should always have some frozen peas in your freezer. Therefore, if you ever run out of vegetables during the week you have something green to fall back on! Another essential for you to always have in the cupboard are onions. Red or white, it doesn’t matter but almost every recipe

will require you to use some sort of onion and it makes your cooking so much tastier.

With fresh vegetables, broccoli, carrots and green beans are my go-to for dinners. You can use them all together or have them all separately and I rarely get bored of what to do with them as you can spruce them up in their own ways. For more salad vegetables, peppers, cucumber and lettuce are amazing for lunches if you want a salad or just something to cut into a snack.

Lastly, the favourite of students, carbs! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you will need pasta and rice at university, that’s a bit of a given. However, there are some other carbohydrates that you might not think of though. For example, sweet potatoes are a great substitute for normal potatoes, and they are just as easy to cook and will give a sweet touch to your meal.

Another carb that you probably only think about in pot noodles, are noodles. They are so easy

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Travel and Culture

A Student Chinese New Year

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Mansi Tailor Staff Writer

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ith the oncoming of the lunar new year, my roommate Fan Kan, and our adopted roommates Yanling Xiao, Jialu Tian bring the full force of their culinary skills to the table. Celebrated this year on February 1st, begins the Year of the Tiger and marks the transition between zodiac signs, last year having been the Year of the Ox. It begins a calendar year whose months are moon cycles which change annually.

Celebrations last up to 16 days with “Little Year” from January 24th to January 31st when the preparations for the New Year begin, “Spring Festival” lasts from February 1st and goes on till February 11th, and the “Lantern Festival” whose preparations begin on the 12th and is celebrated on the 15th culminating the festivities.

However, for my dear friends it only signifies that they are a year older and will celebrate the day without their families and in an unfamiliar setting.

Preparations have begun a week before in our student accommodation as it would’ve been back home in China for Fan Kan who has in a week’s time cooked three Peking ducks and bought a bunch of fish from the local Open Market. Being confident enough in his flavors that his major concern is the looks of it, our fridge has been littered with ducks, massive lobsters, fishes, and special marinades from different regions of China.

Having spent these many months together we have learnt that while our cultures,

@Mansi Taylor Indian and Chinese, have been politically and historically pitted against each other, we are very similar when it comes to cultural practices and food.

The Hindu new year spans over many days just like the Chinese New Year and for younger generations, who aren’t necessarily overzealous when it comes to religion, it comes down to meeting family and getting some extra cash from the elders. The kitchen that Fan Kan and I, Chinese and Indian, share is filled with seasonings and spices, and more bottles of soy sauce than we know what to do with. We’ve both discovered familiar childhood flavors in each other’s native dishes and the “Asian-ness” of our shared household is striking.

I asked the three of them how the day would start, go on and what it would entail. Jialu Tian had a slightly different answer

@Mansi Taylor

as she belongs to Changchun which is in North China while Fan Kan and Yanling Xiao reside in Shenzhen in the South. The only difference being that in the North they would eat dumplings on New Year’s Eve and in the South, hotpot. Everything else on the menu is standard among the regions. Per my understanding, they wake up on the New Year, take a bath in citrus infused water which they believe will bring prosperity and safety, then and go to their neighbors’ houses to wish them prosperity and luck, they decorate their houses with poems about a fulfilling and happy year ahead. The parents cook, the children play with their cousins, and the ones involved in neither, drink and play poker or mahjong. The background score is provided by a show hosted by the Chinese government called Chunwan which consists of singing, dancing, magic and old school family fun. Alcohol is served with dinner which is a mammoth 10-14 course meal, excluding the soup, and at the end of the night tea is consumed as the day is spent welcoming prosperity with the family. The concept of family seems to be very important to the Chinese and especially this time of year.

In all my interviews for this article, there was a keen focus on the family being together.

In Yanling Xiao’s home, they gather in a big circle with a hotpot in the center from which everyone eats because “we are together because we are the family”. Each member of the family must eat shrimp balls with Chinese chives which they believe will give them “facia” and that the coming year will be prosperous, the same

goes with them eating fish to celebrate the expression of “niannianyouyu” which I understand as “surplus money”.

For her, cooking these familiar meals in England has become the only way to welcome the new year. Those celebrating usually end the day by drinking tea and lighting firecrackers.

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Having spent these many months together we have learnt that while our cultures, Indian and Chinese, have been politically and historically pitted against each other, we are very similar when it comes to cultural practices and food.

As someone not actively cooking and being the helper, Jialu Tian explained the role of the guests on the auspicious day.

In her home, the meal would start with dumplings, pork leg, fish, shrimp and other multiple dishes. The guests would snack on fruits and nuts while playing mahjong and sipping on Chinese white wine. They skip the traditional tea, and the children have their own cans of cola or fanta. The adults would sit on one table and the children on another receiving their red pockets with cash inside.

There doesn’t seem to be a religious symbol to their meals but a chance for the whole family to get together. This year, Jialu Tian spent hours in the kitchen rolling the dumpling dough and making tired faces at the

timelapse she took of her whole kitchen assembly line required to assemble the hundred plus dumplings they made in a day.

Fan Kan, on the other hand, took charge of this whole operation. He curated the menu with the help of Yanling Xiao, delegated people by telling them what to buy from where, keeping in mind everyone’s class schedule. In his hometown, his family raises their own ducks and chickens and are very proud to do so. For the new year feast, they will cut, dry the wood and make the fire themselves. Being influenced by Le Grande Maison Tokyo, a Japanese TV show, he believes that food is a medium of communication between the chef and the guest, that food can bring happiness especially after a tiring day. For him, New Years is all about meeting his cousins and eating the rich delicacies that his mother and aunties would make. They would watch Chunwan and even if no one is watching, the sound of it playing in the background will complete the festivities. It’s very important for his family that the environment is bustling with activity and that everyone is “making some noise”, as he puts it.

After a week of preparations and what seemed like hundreds of shopping sprees, their New Year’s meal has been a roaring success as they sit around the table with their friends and let me take photographs of their feast. The Chunwan is playing on a white screen through a projector, their glasses are full and in that huge kitchen of a decorated flat in Lullington, they feel like home.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Travel and Culture

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The Pitstop Guide to Driving in Brighton

If you are lucky enough to have a car at your disposal, here is a guide to the destinations you can visit in and around Brighton.

Molly Openshaw & Georgia Keetch Arts Print Editor & Editor-InChief Lewes: A sweet spot for a day trip or leisurely weekend break from London or Brighton, Lewes punches well above its weight when it comes to artistic and historic clout – and the bounty of local Sussex produce makes great fuel for exploring.

Situated to the East of Brighton, Lewes is a quaint little town twenty minutes drive away from the seafront. With easy and cheap car parking, you can pop out for a lovely little day trip away from the hustle and bustle of city living. The Harvey’s brewery is located here, meaning you are never

far away from a nice pint, especially with the charming independent pubs dotted around the town, it is a student’s dream.

If you are looking for more of a cultural trip, there are many churches and even a castle if that takes your fancy. With it being only £4 for a student pass to Lewes Castle and Museum, you can take a tour around the Norman Castle. With panoramic views of Sussex, this is a beautiful part of Lewes, as you explore the historic structure built soon after the Battle of Hastings. If you are interested in politics or journalism, there is also the Lewes Crown Court in the town centre. With charity shops galore, this is a lovely day trip if you want to get some shopping done without the business of Brighton town.

Shoreham: Sandwiched between the bright lights of Brighton and the leafy avenues of Worthing, Shoreham-by-Sea has a laidback and welcoming atmosphere that benefits from easy access to London and the South East.

Shoreham is the home of the Holmbush Centre, a mammoth shopping centre with free parking and a lot to offer. With a huge Tesco, you can expect an exciting adventure if you love late-night supermarket trips. Or if you are feeling a little bit fancy, there is a Marks and Spencers with a large food court, cafe and clothing department. Alongside this, there is a Next and a Paperchase, perfect if you need to buy some gifts or deserve a little treat.

If independent shops are more

your thing, Shoreham town is the home to some lovely little shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. With the River Adur flowing nearby, you can take a lovely little walk along the trail and see the lovely sights of West Sussex. As well as this, there is also the Widewater Lagoon, the home to some beautiful wildlife and nature.

Hove: Seafront Hove is Brighton’s quieter neighbour flanking a beautiful seafront promenade lined with colourful beach huts and the famous Hove Lawns, popular for events, picnics and family games. Hove has its own selection of magnificent Regency architecture, particularly around the breathtaking Brunswick Square and the town boasts top sporting venues

@Geographical

including the Sussex County Cricket Ground and the Coral Greyhound Stadium. A little bit closer to home, Hove is located just West of Brighton and has lots of parking options with the Norton Road Car Park and lots of on-street parking. Hove offers a huge amount of shopping options, with a multitude of independent boutiques and clothes shops, as well as charity and chain shops. If you are a fan of nice food, there are a lovely selection of restaurants along Church Road including Wild Flor, The Ginger Pig and Cin Cin. With a slower, quieter atmosphere, Hove is a lovely location to visit if you want to treat yourself.

Falmer: With the University of Sussex campus being situated in the town of Falmer, there are plenty of options for car trips near university life, if you need a short trip away. Falmer hosts a few little pubs and quaint cafes, but it really stands out because of its beautiful sights and walking routes. On the university, grounds is Stanmer Park and the woods surrounding it.

You could very easily park up on campus- where you can pay to park for up to three hoursand walk around the beautiful hilly surroundings of Falmer.

Devil’s Dyke: Situated on the South Downs, north of Brighton, the Devil’s Dyke is an area of outstanding natural beauty. It makes for a wonderful afternoon out with your flatmates with breath-taking views, extensive walks and an amazing pub!

At nearly a mile long, the Dyke valley is the longest, deepest and widest ‘dry valley’ in the UK. Legend has it that the Devil dug this chasm to drown the parishioners of the Weald. On the other hand, scientists believe it was formed naturally just over 10,000 years ago in the last ice age The South Downs are the perfect location to get away from busy student life, being a fifteen-minute drive from central Brighton, this is an easy way to escape without going too far!

This destination offers beautiful walking trails following the South Downs, on the National Trust website there are multiple trails of different lengths and difficulties if you fancy an adventure. With easy parking, this is the perfect day trip to catch some beautiful sights.

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The Badger 7th of February 2022

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The Badger 7th of February 2022

Science and Technology

Dr Stephen Wilkins Interview: Unravelling Mysteries of the Early Universe

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Rob Barrie, Science and Technology Editor, talks to Dr Wilkins about his upcoming research using the James Webb telescope Rob Barrie Science and Technology Editor

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r Stephen Wilkins and his team at the University of Sussex will be amongst the first scientists in the world to use the recently launched James Webb Telescope to help unravel the mysteries of the early universe.

In late January, Webb – dubbed the successor to Hubble – reached its final position 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, meaning work can soon start on the most advanced telescope scientists have built.

Dr Wilkins, who has been running simulation models of the universe at Sussex since Hubble’s efficacy has plateaued, is looking forward to switching focus back to the observational side of astronomy.

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We’re hoping to find lots of galaxies close to the early universe.

He and his team will be looking for the very first galaxies born in our universe, as he explains: “We know as we look out into the universe, we’re effectively looking back in time, because light takes a certain amount of time to reach us, and so if we can look far enough away, we can see the very first stars and galaxies to form in our universe. Our focus here in Sussex is exploiting the imaging [from Webb], to actually find these galaxies. We’re a part of seven different teams that have got time on the telescope, and so our job within several of those teams is to develop the software to find the very faintest galaxies, because we know that the galaxies that we’re interested in [are] going to be the ones that are very faint, they’re not nearby, they’re very far away, so we’re looking for the really tiny blurry dots. What we’re really caring about is developing software to find those galaxies and then once we’ve found [them], trying to figure out what we can learn from them. We’re very much on the discovery side here at Sussex, that’s what we care about, leaving other bits of the follow up to other members of the teams.”

Webb is the result of an international collaboration

@NASA/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez/Flickr between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, and is the latest in a long line of orbiting telescopes.

Dr Wilkins explains how technologically advanced Webb is compared to its predecessors: “Webb will be ten to hundred times better than its predecessors. It’s very modern so it’s got very sensitive instrumentation and it’s deep in space. All of these things are particularly important when you’re looking at very faint objects.

Obviously, you want to avoid any sources of extra light like the sun and the Earth [and] you obviously want as big a telescope as possible to collect as much light.

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The mirror actually

is coated in a fine layer of gold because that reflects infrared light better.

Probably the main thing that makes it different from other telescopes including Hubble, is the fact that it doesn’t look at the light that we can see with our own eyes […], it sees infrared light, and there’s lots of good scientific reasons why we want to do that. Although, one of the consequences of looking in the infrared light is - this is one of the reasons why we want

to move the telescope [to its final position] to keep it very cool - because any object will produce infrared light, so the cooler you are, the less infrared light you’re going to produce.

This also motivates the fact why the telescope looks gold, and that’s because the mirror actually is coated in a fine layer of gold because that reflects infrared light better than say aluminium or silver or steel.

But beyond that, Webb will capture beautiful images of the universe. They won’t be exactly what you would see with your own eyes because they’ll be infrared, but we’ll still be able to make visual representations of all those phenomena. Webb also goes a little bit further beyond that and allows us to do spectroscopy. So instead of just picking an image of the universe, we can break up the light from distant objects into their constituent wavelengths which allows us to do a whole load more science and that’s something that I think is really exciting and is probably the biggest difference between Webb and Hubble.”

As he discusses further, Dr Wilkins is hopeful that findings from Webb may change our current view of the early universe: “I’m not saying Webb will discover something as important [as dark matter and dark energy] because Webb is designed more to look at smaller things than the universe as a

whole. [Webb will] look through dust, which is really important to understand how stars form and evolve, because when stars are first born, they’re formed in these very dusty clouds, and so we’ll be able to understand that for the first time. In my area obviously we’re hoping to find lots of galaxies close to the early universe. I have no idea whether they’re going to agree with our models or not. If they’re very different then that means we’ve learnt something new about the universe and we’ve got to go change the models. But if they agree with the models then that’s also a success – it’s a win-win situation.”

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There is potential that Webb will discover a planet like the Earth.

Dr Wilkins adds that Webb will also carry out imaging within our own solar system, and though tentative about the time-frame, he explains that the potential findings could be immense: “I think possibly one of the things that will ultimately capture the public’s attention, though, is very ‘nearby’ science that Webb will do. In particular, Webb will look at the atmospheres of planets around other stars, and via spectroscopy it will tell us whether those atmospheres contain water, oxygen,

methane, carbon dioxide – all of those crucial molecules.

It will do this for planets like the Earth around other stars, […] so there is potential that Webb will discover a planet like the Earth, potentially even start telling us that that planet might be habitable, or might be inhabited – at least by some type of plant-analogous life on those planets. So that’s incredibly exciting, and that’s potentially civilisationchanging discoveries.

My strong suspicion is that Webb won’t quite make that discovery, but it’ll start allowing us to actually do that experiment and maybe we’ll have to wait a little longer until we do that. But if we [do] see life somewhere else in the universe, certainly somewhere relatively nearby, then that tells us a lot about our universe and a lot about our place in the universe.

Which, like I said, is potentially c i v i l i s a t i o n - c h a n g i n g .”

Astronomy has always attracted public interest, but in times where misinformation around science is widespread, Dr Wilkins affirms the necessity for public accessibility to findings from Webb, so this can enable scientific learning: “I think it’s important that scientists, certainly publiclyfunded scientists like most astronomers, I think it’s our responsibility to make our findings as publicly accessible as possible. I think we know that there is a strong appetite for anything to do with space – that hasn’t really changed in the last fifty or sixty years! I think there’s perhaps a bit more of an urgency over the last few years for that type of [scientific] literacy to improve, as we’re seeing so much misinformation around the pandemic. If we’re able to communicate what we found clearly and people believe us, and feel trust in us, hopefully that builds trust in science overall. I think we should enable them to learn more about the universe because certainly one of my favourite things is just learning stuff, and I think a lot of other people feel the same, even if they wouldn’t say they like science. I think everybody actually enjoys learning new things, be it how to dance or the fundamental origins of the universe. It’s something that should be as accessible as possible because it does bring people happiness.”

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Science and Technology

30

NFTs and Blockchains: The Internet’s New Buzzwords Explained

Maria Margot Kafka Staff Writer

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Nyan Cat GIF NFT was auctioned for $590,000.

Twitter’s former CEO sold his first tweet for $3 million.

As images, they are both free to download from the internet but worth millions as NFTs. So what are NFTs and how are they valuable?

NFT stands for non-fungible token. Non-fungible is an economic term for unique and non-replaceable items. There is one Mona Lisa painting made

by Da Vinci, but countless prints, making only the former non-fungible. Token refers to coin-like objects protected using blockchain technology.

NFTs are not the images themselves but a transaction receipt.The benefits for digital artists are unprecedented.

Creators retain their item’s copyrights and reproduction rights, allowing them to control scarcity and make changes even after the sale.

Some NFTs also have resale royalties, so creators earn a percentage every time the

NFT is exchanged. According to bidders’ interviews, part of the rationale of spending so much on early NFTs is to support a new market that works without a middle-man exploiting people’s work. Buyers can now financially support artists they like or own little parts of internet history with basic usage rights.

Such as the ability to legally repost the images online or set them as a profile picture. As for collectors, NFTs are speculative assets. A prime example is one of Beeple’s artworks. The NFT was originally bought for $67,000 when it depicted Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the nude. Its value soared after Beeple changed it into a picture of naked Trump covered in graffiti. The buyer then resold the NFT for $6.6 million with Beeple getting 10% securing him at least $727,000 in profit.

But how does NFT technology make this market feasible?

In one word: blockchains.

A blockchain is a network of computers, where each party (node) performs calculations on the same database of transaction histories.

Their purpose is to sum all transactions and compare them with all other parties to get a consensus. Effectively, it is a peer-to-peer process that validates the blockchain’s decentralised ledger.

The blocks consist of unique encrypted data chunks that include a hash. Hashes are transaction fingerprints with information about the seller, buyer, and transfer of ownership. Each block also contains the previous block’s hash to create a chain where new blocks can be added, but previous blocks can't be changed without breaking the

chain. If you wanted to alter one block’s hash to make yourself the buyer, you would have to change the hash on every downstream block, on every node. This should be done faster than the network can compare sums and flag the transaction as fraudulent in the absence of a consensus. This is what makes NFTs unstealable, in theory.

One downside to this technology is its enormous carbon footprint, since the energy required to run these calculations around the clock is provided by fossil fuels.

This led many individuals to start a market boycott until

blockchains can use renewable energy. In response, Ethereum, the main blockchain NFTs run on, promised a future change in the method of transaction validation that requires 99% less energy.

So why are NFTs worth millions? In simple terms rules, if something is scarce and collectible, we all agree it has value. But NFTs give us more than bragging rights.

Blockchain technology offers an alternative decentralised method of commerce with the power to change the field of economics. For better or for worse, they are here to stay.

@Pixabay

Pioneering Experiment Gives Promise to Blind Patients Brain implants and artificial vision: what would you do to see again?

Charlie Ellis Staff Writer

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f you were to go blind one day, what would you do to be able to ‘see’ again?

Unfortunately, this was a question that science-teacher Berna Gomez had to face due to an undiagnosed toxic optic neuropathy (TON).

TON occurs due to exposure to a neuro-poisonous toxic substance, which is often ingested within food/drink and/or particular prescribed medications. There are many examples of these substances, some of which include: methanol, or drugs such as isoniazid and disulfiram used for tuberculosis and chronic alcoholism respectively.

In TON, the ingested toxic substances lead to damage of the optic nerve, which is vital for visual processing. This is because the optic nerve is the main ‘connection’ between the retina and our visual cortex (brain region involved in integration of visual signals).

Therefore, due to the optic nerve damage TON patients

often present symptomatically with gradual visual decline (impaired vision), and then in rare cases — complete blindness.

In the case of Gomez, she experienced an aggressive case of TON, which led to her becoming functionally blind at the age of 42, prematurely ending her career as a science teacher. For many years, she continued to live as a blind woman in Elche, Spain. Until, in 2018, she bravely decided to volunteer to be a part of a medical trial, which involved complex neurosurgery and a small brain implant.This medical trial was led by Richard A. Normann, PhD, and attempted to create artificial vision using a prosthesis that was electrically wired into Gomez’s brain, which acted by bypassing the eye and optic nerve, instead activating the visual cortex neurons. The first step of this trial involved a Utah Electrode Array (UTA), a specialised set of very small electrodes, created by Normann, being implanted into Gomez’s visual cortex to stimulate and record the electrical activity of

certain visual cortex neurons.

Vitally, the implant caused no damage to surrounding neurons or any complications in surgery that other implants have caused in the past.

Throughout the trial, Gomez had to wear specially designed glasses which contained a miniature camera. The video collected by this camera was converted by specialised software into data the UTA could ‘understand’. Therefore, when the UTA received this converted data, it could stimulate certain visual cortex neurons, producing phosphenes, which Gomez could ‘see’ as white points of light, in turn, creating an image.

This set-up of the UTA and specialised glasses was dubbed the Moran|Cortivis Prosthesis.

After approximately two months of training, the Moran|Cortivis Prosthesis allowed Gomez to be able to identify lines, shapes and some simple letters (such as I, L, C and V) for the first time since she went completely blind.

This was due to the differences between artificial (evoked by

researchers directly to the UTA without the glasses) and ‘real’ (evoked by real images using the glasses) stimulation transmitted to particular visual cortex neurons creating an ‘image’. After six months of trialling this equipment, the implant was removed, which led to Gomez going blind again.

Speaking in a statement she said; “I know I am blind, that I will always be blind…but I felt like I could do something to help people in the future…” Due to her admirable dedication and work on the project, Gomez is listed as a co-author of the published research paper.

Admittedly, whilst we are a long way off developing implants that can reliably restore vision completely, this research is a huge step in the right direction as it demonstrates that these prostheses can be safe and effective, albeit for 6 months only in a single trial.

In the future, this team of researchers led by Normann hope to use more sophisticated equipment to produce even more complex visual images, with the eventual aim to effectively ‘cure’ blindness..

Informaion correct at the time of writing

@WikimediaCommons

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Sport Lorcan Barnett Staff Writer

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Tackling Stigmas in Football

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Navigating LGBTQ+ issues in a sport reluctant to change

n October of 2021, Josh Cavallo became the first openly gay professional footballer playing in a top flight league. His club Adelaide United posted a video where Josh explained his decision to become openly gay. Very quickly the video gained massive media attention with many high profile players supporting him and congratulating Josh for being so courageous. Overall the general reception was positive and it was clear that the footballing world was more than accepting. However, It was also apparent that the culture that surrounds the game was yet to evolve and progress. Not only on Josh’s video, but also in the much darker corners of social media, hate and mockery was brewing and the toxic culture surrounding homosexuality once again proved to be as obvious and blatant as ever.

The twenty-first century has proved to be a massive turning point for LGBTQ+ issues. In 2005 abuse against LGBTQ+ individuals became included in human rights practices and in 2013 gay marriage was legalised in the UK. Whilst changes have been made, there are still many barriers to break and issues to overcome for the community.

Football is still a section within society whereby attitudes are extremely backwards and delayed, with stigmas and tensions to difference being dangerously ignorant. There are no laws or legislation preventing football players from

expressing their sexuality and identifying differently however, a footballer breaking the stereotype is still far too rare.

In the English Premier League, there are five hundred and twenty four registered players with none of those players openly stating that they are part of the LGBTQ+ community. The office of national statistics shows that in 2019, 2.9% of men aged 16 or above identified as lesbian gay or bisexual. Statistically this means that roughly fifteen players within the premier league should be openly part of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Whilst changes have been made, there are still many barriers to break and issues to overcome for the community.

This still discounts all the members of society that haven’t come out. Fifteen players make up a whole starting eleven and even leaves room for four other players on the bench. This figure is staggering and poses all kinds of relevant and crucial questions. It is possible that many of those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community avoid careers in football altogether due to stigmas attached and that those who are of an alternative sexual orientation don’t feel enough support and protection to identify differently and come out.

It is important to view

the experiences of those in retrospect that have identified with a different sexuality within the football world and how their life was affected by their decisions made. Justin Fashanu was the first openly gay professional footballer. Fashanu made over 100 appearances for Norwich City FC and was also capped for England at youth level. Not only was Fashanu a homosexual man during a time that was far from generous, compassionate and loving but he was also competing in a sport where hatred for difference was ripe and homosexuality was mocked and taunted mercilessly.

Brian Clough, one of the most celebrated managers in English football, barred him from training after hearing allegations. Fashanu publicly came out as gay in 1990 after a decade of playing football professionally. The amount of bravery and courage Fashanu possessed to make the leap to reveal his true identity. After coming out Fashanu received endless taunts and malicious chants by players and fans.

In May of 1998, Fashanu hung himself and in his suicide note stated, ‘I do not want to give any more embarrassment to my friends and family.’ The story and life of Justin Fashanu is sickening and shocking and justifies the reasons as to why their are so few openly gay professional footballers. The treatment by his own fans and teammates really makes one question the reality of the ‘beautiful game’ and how behind the sport is in it’s acceptance of difference.

@Sky Sports

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It is important not only for establishments within football to enforce change but also communities and clubs around the world to support each other and allow football to become more inclusive and comfortable for everybody.

Why does English football culture have a complication with accepting differences?

Will progress ever be made and how will a change be made? Are higher bodies and establishments such as the FA responsible for enforcing progress?

Whilst current professional football players coming out and identifying by a different sexual orientation is crucial for change, there must be other strategies and plans to allow attitudes to shift and alter. Players and fans must make a point of standing against any injustices and promoting difference within the sport.

It is crucial for all of those fortunate enough to be involved in football to support each other and celebrate differences. It isn’t only stories like Fashanu’s that should take one’s attention but players should take their anecdotes and memories of the game to the world.

As a former player myself, I definitely have experienced some of the evils of the game but also moments that no other sport would provide. Granted I have never played professionally, I was able to be involved in

@The Guardian some really strong dressing rooms with many former professionals and experienced players. Whilst I can confirm that hyper masculinity within football is very apparent, union between players during tough and challenging times brings hope to the sport. Love between players and support for one another is very heartwarming and relationships between all those at a football club are as strong as anything.

The story of Josh Cavallo will be interesting to follow. It is saddening to hear that already been subjected to abuse by fans although it is mildly encouraging to hear that the Australian league could be imposing sanctions on the Melbourne Victory fans. Cavallo’s career and his own fight to oppose homophobia within football will be crucial to the progress of the LGBTQ+ community.

His ease and happiness with his own identity will hopefully encourage the current and next generation of players to express their true identity and even more importantly encourage those of a different sexual orientation to participate in the ‘beautiful game’ and open the sport up to a far more diverse group rather than limiting it to hyper masculine and heterosexual men. The culture within football must let go of it’s strict and limiting rules and become at ease with difference. It is important not only for establishments within football to enforce change but also communities and clubs around the world to support each other and allow football to become more inclusive and comfortable for everybody.

The Badger 7th of February 2022

Sport

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Francis Ngannou: A Bodyslam to the UFC?

Francis Ngannou retains his title and sets up a fascinating showdown with the organisation Will Vo Sports Sub-Editor

W

ith rumblings of a boxing match with Tyson Fury on the horizon and a tangible animosity between him and UFC president Dana White, it would have been easy to suggest that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s head was not in the right place ahead of his muchanticipated fight with former training partner Cyril Gane.

Couple that with the champion finding himself two rounds down going into the third, and struggling mightily with the outside point fighting style of Gane, and the writing seemed to be on the wall for his reign as the champion.However, if there is one lesson to be learned from the career of Francis Ngannou up to now, it is one of perseverance, and finding a way to win; and that is exactly what

he did. Realising that his usual path to victory - the knockout - was becoming more and more unlikely, Ngannou utilized a facet of his game that we were yet to see explored fully in his wrestling and ground game. The turning point, and the snapshot of this fight immortalised into GIFS that have spread around the community on social media, came in the third round, when a Cyril Gane front kick rolled over the shoulder of Ngannou, and the undisputed champion picked up his French adversary and slammed him onto the mat.

From then on, Ngannou leaned on this knowledge that his weight was enough to hold Gane down, and won the remaining rounds in that manner. So, why should I care about this fight? Well, MMA fans have long speculated about the almost mythical “champions clause”, and we will finally see it

put to the test now, as Ngannou threatens to walk away from the UFC due to issues with his pay. Essentially, the “champions clause” supposedly dictates that every time a champion retains their title, their contract is automatically extended by one fight. This means that a fighter can theoretically never see out their contract whilst holding the belt. This has long been argued about in various corners of the MMA community, with some lawyers saying that its impossible to enforce, and other managers saying that they have seen it in writing and that it exists.Francis Ngannou has the title, and also has teased his desire to walk away from the organisation as this fight was potentially the last of his contract unless the aforementioned clause is real and does come into play.

With all these rumblings occurring in the foreground

and the background, it is easy to neglect the skills of Francis Ngannou and Cyril Gane as fighters. Francis has now shown that he can catch the best wrestlers in the division with his signature power before they can implement their own gameplan, as was the case against Blaydes, and an albeit faded Cain Velasquez, whilst also wrestle against the best pure striker in the division, in Cyril Gane. Meanwhile, Gane has shown that he is the most technical striker in the land of the giants, neutralising Ngannou on the feet in a way that no one else has. In the words of Dana White, we will have to see how this all plays out, but it is an interesting position for the fans, a potentially powerful one for Francis Ngannou, and one of potential warning for the UFC.

Down To The Wire – Women’s Ashes 2022

Triumph and tragedy on a razor’s edge as England secure a hard-fought draw

Simon Edwards Comment Online Editor

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he finest Test match of this Ashes winter took place after most of the world’s cameras had stopped rolling.

Heather Knight’s England fought valiantly to keep their Ashes hopes alive against Meg Lanning’s dominant Australia in a nail-biting Test match where all four results were possible down to the last over. That this result seemed improbable after the first day, impossible after the second, and a mix of disappointing and relieving by the close of play, is testament to the endurance and ability of the players, and the unique power of Test cricket to deliver incredible sporting narratives.

Australia’s first innings set a familiar tone: a fast Canberra outfield and some easy catches dropped allowed Lanning and Rachael Haynes to build an imperious partnership of 169.

Subsequent half centuries by all-rounders Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner left Australia on a commanding 337 – a five-wicket haul by Katherine Brunt helped stem the flow of runs, but England was nonetheless in trouble.

Trouble turned to disaster on Day 2 when both England’s openers were dismissed early and wickets continued to fall rapidly as the day progressed, with Australia’s superstar Ellyse

Perry shrugging off her recent slump with a slew of wickets.

A humiliating defeat was prevented thanks to a masterful innings by Knight: her 168* England’s highest individual total of the winter - and her composure at the crease enabled others to contribute to an innings of 297, keeping England in the game. The momentum was England’s on the third day, with debutant spinner Charlie Dean stopping the dangerous Beth Mooney in her tracks, before later getting McGrath too. Australia’s fourth day declaration left England with 257 to win, and a miracle seemed to be brewing.

A team effort almost got England over the line – the top order scored 30 to 60 runs apiece, leaving the target easily within reach. However, inexperience with the format got the better of many of England’s players, and they began swinging for the fences as the overs ticked away. Australia claimed quick wickets until it was down to tailenders Sophie Ecclestone and Kate Cross to eke out a draw that could’ve just as easily been a spellbinding win, or a devastating loss.

In the midst of all this drama and celebration of Test cricket is the continuously bitter pill: there is only one women’s Test scheduled this year, anywhere in the world. In 2021, England’s men played 15 Tests: England Women

played one, Australia Women played one, India Women played two. New Zealand Women have not played a Test since 2004 – Sophie Devine, one of the finest cricketers of the modern era, may retire without a Test cap to her name. Even this Test, dramatic and thrilling as it was, is conspicuously shorter than the men’s: women’s Tests last four days, not five. Access and opportunities in cricket’s oldest (and finest) format are continuously denied to female players – pervasive sexist attitudes and lack of support for the game let down its players, its supporters and its future.

Matches like these do wonders for legitimising and popularising the women’s game globally, and yet players are still faced with tired wickets, slow outfields, and inevitable disappointing draws (as opposed to this game’s exciting draw, obviously). This Ashes Test trended number one in India, whose cricket board believe there is little to no interest in the women’s game. This assertion is clearly false. The talent is there. The will is there. The support is there. Matches like these are proof that women deserve to play Test cricket – it is up to the ICC to make it happen.

What’s on Liverpool v Leicester City Premier League Wednesday 9th February

Wales v Scotland Six Nations Saturday 12th February

France v Ireland Six Nations Saturday 12th February

Cincinnati Bengals v Los Angeles Rams NFL Super Bowl LVI Sunday 13th February

Italy v England Six Nations Sunday 13th February

UFC 271 Sunday 13th February

Manchester United v Brighton Premier League Tuesday 15th February

Brighton v Burnley Premier League Sunday 19th February @CODE Sports