9th Edition by The Badger

THE

BADGER

Sussex University’s Official Student Newspaper

Front cover image taken by Rob Barrie The Team Editor-In-Chief Georgia Keetch News Sub-Editor Jasmine Crowhurst News Print Editor Ritika Srivatsan 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 Cordery 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

Society Spotlight

ussex Writes is truly a family built out of upcoming writers and creative minds. As a new member, I’ve decided to show a sneak peak into our community starting with Amy Stanborough, a second-year undergraduate in English and is our Coblog editor. Amy has been with us since September 2021 and is a lifestyle writer. Amy, what has Sussex Writes given you and your career? Hopefully good things only! For me Sussex Writes has provided a platform to gain experience for my future career. I would love to work in the publishing and/or journalism industry. That is the great thing about Sussex Writes - there are plenty of ways to get involved and you can be a part of the programme in a way which suits you and your preferences. I love working on the blog because it allows to share my own personal thoughts and ideas, while also inspiring, informing, and entertaining the readers. A massive thank you to our Coblog editor and I’ll be sure to have a lookout for your work on our blog. Introducing another member of Sussex Writes is Alice Duncan who has been with us for a while. I joined Sussex Writes because, after

spending a few years aboard and in the UK as an ESL tutor, I thought it would be a really great way to expand my skillset. With years of experience as a teacher, Alice has become an integral part of our community with her frequent workshops helping not only students but our tutors. Our workshops are built to educate teachers and students as there are always tools that can be peer reviewed and improved. So, Alice how have you found being a teacher? Being a teacher, has really opened my eyes to how educating is a twoway street. You should be learning from your students as much as you are teaching them. It’s my favourite thing when one of my students says something that surprises me, certainly keeps me on my toes! I can imagine! It sounds very rewarding and something anyone can do as Sussex Writes provides training and an inclusive environment full of development. Another member who has been with us for quite some time is our recruitment lead, Saskia May. Saskia, how has Sussex Writes helped your mentoring? Sussex Writes has been a space for

creativity and community during hard times. Mentoring a student at the Red Balloon Centre, where students study outside of mainstream education really helped my confidence. My student was a pleasure to teach and seeing their writing improve and flourish over time, was a joy to experience. Together we crafted a murder mystery on a canal story, an abandoned aquarium, a haunted desert island, a step back through time, and a day where you woke up in a dystopian future. A massive thank you to our members Amy, Alice and Saskia for participating in this interview. Give our website a look to be a part of the collaboration and growth of our community, wander into our blog to hear from students’ perspectives on learning, writing and teaching within and beyond the pandemic. Or become a member of Sussex Writes! The skills that you can develop in this community are essential, from evolving your writing skills and enhancing your communication. Sussex Writes Blog: https://sussexwrites.wordpress. com/author/sussexwrites/ Sussex Writes: https://sussexwrites.org/

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

Plant Based Universities by 2023 Campaign to Soon Launch at Sussex

Alice Haskins & Jasmine Crowhurst Staff Writer and News CoEditor

new, bold campaign has begun gaining momentum in multiple universities across the UK. Originating at University College London, Plant-Based Universities (or PBU) is a student-led movement that strives for institutions to transition their catering towards being 100% sustainable and plant-based by the 2023-24 academic year. In a bid to tackle the climate crisis, students from over twenty universities across the UK are championing the PlantBased Universities movement. In addition to student support, it has also garnered patronage from the climate and animal justice group, Animal Rebellion, who are helping to amplify the movement and offer campaign training to those pushing for change. As a voter mobilisation campaign, advocates are simultaneously attempting to rally peer support and put forward an innovative motion

to student unions. According to information supplied on their Instagram and Linktr.ee, @ plantbasedunis, the movement is centred on universities due to the cultural capital they hold as the educators of the next generation. PBU proposes that by transitioning to 100% plantbased menus, universities will go on to influence wider society’s ethical views and sustainable practices. Aware of the polarising nature of this campaign, especially in relation to freedom of choice, the group are using science to justify the movement away from animal products. They stress that: “the science is clear, we are in a climate and ecological emergency and a transition to a plant-based food system is an urgent and inevitable solution to this crisis”. The presence and consequences of climate change are well established. The UN’s Environment Programme describes its effects - from hotter temperatures and ecological disasters, to the destruction of habitat and loss of human life. It asserts that “climate change is real and human

activities are the main cause”. As one of the founding universities in this campaign, students at the University of Sussex are set to launch a more active effort in the upcoming term. The university’s food outlets have a history of being targeted for their food choices. For example, 2020 saw the #NoBeef and the #NoLamb movement’s attempts to ban red meat from campus, however the success of these campaigns is unclear. Food products that contain beef and lamb are still available to purchase on campus. Agriculture plays a key role in this and PBU relies on this evidence. Studies say that “ impacts of the lowest-impact animal products typically exceed those of vegetable substitutes, providing new evidence for the importance of dietary changes”. With a pledge to reach net-zero by 2035, many on-campus establishments already offer vegetarian and vegan alternatives, including the exclusively meat-free Dhaba Café. However, if successfully proposed and approved, Plant-Based Universities’ motion will see the entirety of Sussex campus

becoming 100% plant-based. With both scientific and industry support for their campaign, Plant-Based Universities certainly appears to be gaining traction. However, a research team at Finder found that, whilst they are the demographic most likely to try and reduce their meat consumption (30%), approximately 75% of the student population continues to eat meat. Additionally, with CDP - a climate change research provider - finding

@Jasmine Crowhurst that 100 companies produce over 70% of the world’s carbon emissions, the movement’s plausibility on contemporary campuses is contested by some. The Badger has reached out to the Plant-Based Universities campaign liaison for the University of Sussex and hopes to bring more information on this campaign as it develops. For more information on the campaign visit the Animal Rebellion website page on Plant-Based Universities.

Brighton Based Football Teams Join International Campaign Andreas Lange Staff Writer

he focus on winning was put on the sidelines during a Sunday match between Montpelier Villa WFC and Woodingdean Wanderers WFC at Falmer Sports Complex on February 13th, as both teams took a stance against homophobia in football. From faces to laces, rainbow colours were everywhere, with rainbow flags draped across the fence and the vibrant match ball easy to spot on an overcast Sunday. “We’re just raising awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and making sure that football is a space for everybody”, team captain and manager for Montpelier Villa WFC, Charlotte Smyrk says. “I don’t think your sexual orientation or your gender identity should govern wether or not you feel in a safe space playing football, so I think it’s really important that regardless of who you are and your identity, you are able to compete and participate in football”. The annual campaign

Football V Homophobia Month of Action, urges those on and off the pitch to focus their efforts to challenge discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Smyrk says campaigns like this are “great” and thinks “more needs to be done” to challenge homophobia in football. “I think being more active with challenging stereotypes and if you hear comments on the sidelines, be that person to challenge them.” When discussing a report by Professional Footballers Association from 2021, which found that “homophobia is the most common of abuse in football”, Smyrk said that “it doesn’t surprise me, which is the sad thing”. “I think both in the men and the women’s game, its coming from slightly different angles, but equally the homophobic comments, they are not okay and there is no need for them. Your sexuality doesn’t dictate how good you are as a player”. She follows with “So the fact that homophobia still exists within the sport, I think, is outrageous. And I think it’s

everyone trying to put people in boxes and you know; ‘only this type of person can play football’, and actually those boxes need to be erased and allow everyone to play.” A 2017 Forza Football survey found that 80% of UK football fans were “comfortable with gay or bisexual players for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.” But in 2022 there is no openly gay male football player in the the UK top divisions. A contrast to the Englands’ national womens’ football team, that played the 2019 world cup with five openly gay players. Regarding differences in openly gay or bisexual players between the womens’ and mens’ football leagues, Charlotte believes “there is an intersection of sexuality and gender, so if you’re playing a ‘man's sport’, you ‘must be gay’ and ‘you can’t be heterosexual’ whereas with men playing; ‘it’s a masculine sport’ and therefore ‘they must be heterosexual’”. “In terms of what we are doing at Villa, we try to create an inclusive environment so regardless of gender identity or sexuality, whenever new

players come in we introduce our names and our pronouns”. “We just don’t make assumptions about anyone's identity and I think that by

giving everyone a space to be their authentic true self, it kind of starts to dispel the myths that only certain types of players can play football”.

@Andreas Lange

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

UK Households to Face Largest Fall in Living Standards Since the 1950’s In addition to the substantial humanitarian impacts, economists fear that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could cut British household’s real incomes by 3.1%. The biggest annual drop in over half a century. Alice Haskins Staff Writer

n Thursday, February 24th, Russian tanks crossed over the Ukrainian border, marking the start of a full-scale invasion as well as multiple socio-economic transformations across Europe. Despite having hit their highest levels in over three decades, economists are now warning that this conflict may trigger a further rise in inflation. An upsurge which, if present, is set to leave UK households suffering the

biggest decline in their living standards since the 1950s. This comes as a result of the UK’s market relationships with Russia and Ukraine, as well as changes to the global economy in light of their conflict. Fuel and gas, for example, are valuable resources in today’s global economy. And, with Russia being the second biggest exporter of crude oil and the world's largest natural gas exporter, the stakes are high. Russian gas accounts for approximately 40% of the EU’s energy supply. The Guardian reported that “European natural

gas prices surged by almost 70%” during the conflict’s first day. Despite just 5% of the UK’s total gas imports originating in Russia, this transformation is set to increase inflation, decrease real incomes and damage living standards in Britain. Notably, the UK’s inflation rates are already at a 30-year high (5.5%). They were expected to rise further, to a peak of more than 7%, as a result of Covid-19 and the upcoming 54% increase in household utility bills. However they were also projected to drop later this year. Nevertheless, should the recent

@Wikimedia Commons

surge in gas prices be sustained, The Bank of America has said that, by the end of the year, inflation may be 1.9 percentage points higher than previously thought- settling around 6%. The Russian-Ukrainian war is thought to be furthering this decrease in UK living standards through its bearing on numerous other market-based resources. The New York Times describes how the two countries supply “nearly a quarter of the world’s wheat”. Disruption to agriculture and trade routes, as a result of their conflict, will therefore impact the price and distribution of this vital crop and its by-products. The BBC reported that, “following the invasion on Thursday, oil prices surged past $100 (£74) a barrel to hit their highest level for more than seven years”. This increase filtered down to British consumers as, according to the RAC, the cost of unleaded rose to almost 150p per litre and diesel climbed to 153p for the first time in history. Despite becoming more stable the following day, the cost of crude oil and gas

remain at industry highs and the conflict continues to impact the distribution of wheat. Importantly, The Bank of America warns that a sustained rise within these markets could add further pressure to vulnerable families. In fact, with soaring utility bills, and workers’ income failing to maintain the same level of growth, the bank’s analysts fear that real household income could fall by 3.1% this year- “comfortably the largest calendar year fall since at least 1956”. This crash in living standards is expected to disproportionately affect poorer households as lower-income families spend a higher percentage of their income on essentials. Given the prevalence and turbulent nature of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it is unclear what the British government will do to tackle the nation’s worsening cost of living crisis. However, with interest rates rising, average pay shrinking and steep cuts in real income, the administration is under mounting pressure. Editor Note: Details are correct as of time of writing

Jamal Edwards MBE, Sussex Entrepreneur in Residence, Dies Age 31 Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

amal Edwards MBE, British entrepreneur, music video mogul and the University of Sussex’s first Entrepreneur in Residence has died at the age of 31. Edwards sadly passed away on Sunday 20th February after a sudden illness. His loss is felt strongly by those in the music industry and countless young people he inspired as a role model for cultural change. Edwards was the founder of SBTV - a project he realized at 15, when he was given a video camera and began filming friends rapping and performing, which became a fully fledged platform where underground music, talent and culture could thrive when it had no mainstream stage or spotlight. In 2014, Jamal was awarded an MBE at the age of 24 for his services to music. He served as an ambassador for the Prince of Wales’s charity, the Prince’s Trust. Ja-

mal also founded grassroots youth charity JE Delve, which runs youth clubs in London. SBTV launched in 2006 and has helped launch the careers of many artists including Ed Sheeran and Jessie J. He also filmed others such as Stormzy, Dave, Emeli Sandé, Rita Ora, Krept & Konan, Yungen, Nines, Tori Kelly, Bugzy Malone and Cadet. By 2019, the SBTV YouTube channel had more than one million subscribers. SBTV was featured in a Google Chrome advert in 2011. The ads popularity caused the SBTV site to crash and it became the second-most popular UK YouTube video that year. Last September, Edwards became the first Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Sussex. His appointment as an Entrepreneur in Residence was an exciting opportunity for Sussex students to receive support for their own ambitions to become entrepreneurs. At the time he said: “It’s an honour to be the first Entrepreneur in Residence at Sussex. I’m available to give stu-

dents advice about how to start their business and to remind them not to doubt themselves.” “I believe that everyone has the potential to be an entrepreneur. Business is all based around having great ideas, unlocking creativity and then having the tools to take them to the next level. I’m looking forward to hearing new ideas from the students, getting to know them better and helping them as much as I can.” “Some people don’t think they have the means or contacts to be able to make their ideas become reality, so it means a lot that I can help to share contacts, opportunities and advice as much as I can.” “I want the students to know that I’m here to help. No question is off limits.” Edwards met with students on campus in Autumn 2021 and generously gave his time and business expertise through guest talks, meeting with the student Entrepreneurship Society, acting as a mentor to both student and graduate entrepreneurs, and

connecting students and graduates to others in his network. During his time at the Business School and Careers and Entrepreneurship Centre, Jamal helped ensure equal participation in student entrepreneurship and business creation, encouraging students to be critical thinkers, entrepreneurs, commenta-

tors, citizens, and activists. The Entrepreneur in Residence programme is part of a wide-ranging approach set out in the Sussex 2025 Strategy. It aims to develop the skills and knowledge of students to result in “critical thinkers, entrepreneurs, commentators, citizens and activists.”

@The Vinyl Factory

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

Protests in Canada Over Vaccine Mandates Cause Major Disruption Dexter Clark Staff Writer

housands of people descended into the Canadian capital, Ottawa, on the 28th of January for protests sparked by the requirement that truckers passing through the US-Canadian border must be vaccinated against COVID-19. The protests followed a ‘Freedom Convoy’ where some truckers travelled over 5,000 kilometres in order to join the protests in the capital. As Sky news covered, The protest has now morphed into a movement against Canada’s COVID rules in general. The convoy was organised by a group called Canada Unity, who suggests that vaccine passports and mandates are against the Canadian Constitution. While most truckers are vaccinated, these protests wish to highlight the fact that this vaccine mandate could create supply issues in Canada. The convoy started in Western Canada and a coalition of truckers and Conservative groups have moved across the country, assembling in the capital on the 28th January. The founder of Canada Unity, James Bauder, has endorsed

the QAnon conspiracy theory, a conspiracy theory which suggests that the world is run by satan worshippers which Donald Trump was fighting a secret war against. They have also called for Justin Trudeau to be tried for treason, reports The Guardian. Bauder claims that a document that the protesters created, calling for the Canadian government to rescind all vaccine requirements or resign from their office, would cause an election to be triggered if enough signatures are obtained. The Canadian police stated

that around 5,000 people demonstrated in Ottawa, while thousands protested in other areas which include Toronto and Quebec City. On the 7th of February, Ambassador Bridge was blocked by truckers which accounts for 25% of all trade between Canada and the United States. The protests have shut down downtown Ottawa and insistent honking has been continued by truckers. Reports of windows being smashed and harassment against those wearing masks have been made

by Ottawa residents. On the 7th of February a Judge ruled that truckers are banned from honking due to widespread reports of harassment throughout Ottawa. Ottawa police have been criticised by these residents for not doing enough to end the blockade but Ottawa police chief, Peter Sloly, has stated that they are outnumbered by the protesters and lack the resources to end the protests. The ‘Freedom Convoy’ received much support on the fundraising platform

@Flickr

GoFundMe, raising 10.1 million Canadian dollars. However, the page was taken down on the 4th January by GoFundMe as they stated that it violated the site’s terms of service due to it being related to unlawful activity. On the 5th, GoFundMe stated that they would refund all donations automatically, which faced much criticism particularly from Tesla CEO Elon Musk who branded GoFundMe as “professional thieves”. It seems unlikely that Justin Trudeau will meet the protestors’ demands, especially considering most vaccine requirements are administered within the provincial level and not the federal level. He seems unable to remove the group by force as the police are outnumbered, and Trudeau has ruled out the use of the military. Ottawa’s mayor Jim Watson seems to suggest that the protesters should not be met by force and mediation should be the course of action. The group’s support is only growing from this protest with similar conveys planned in the United States, Europe and Australia. Editor’s note: information correct at time of writing

Plastic Summit Could be Most Important Green Deal Since Paris Accords, Says UN Cameron Trencher Staff Writer

summit between world leaders held in Nairobi, Kenya from 28th February to 2nd March was a ‘critical moment’ in humanity’s fight against plastic pollution, director of the UN Environment Programme Inger Andersen has said. More than 100 UN member states, including every nation of the European Union and the United States, will agree on a resolution to curb the environmental impact of single-use plastic by addressing the full lifecycle of the material, from manufacture to disposal. The bill aims to be the first major piece of global legislation to target plastic waste, and has the potential to be the most important treaty since the 2015 Paris Agreement which sought to mitigate climate change, according to Andersen. A draft of the bill titled "End plastic pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument" would see the

resolution enforced between states that ratify it rather than a voluntary target. Major plastic polluters like the United States and China have voiced in favour of general plastic legislation, and the talks will be rallied by strong public support. A draft of the treaty proposed by Rwanda and Peru aims to take a ‘circular economy’ approach to plastic, a process which will consider the environmental impact of plastic both before and after it reaches the consumer. This system would ensure plastic is reused and recycled continuously. Among the items on the first draft of the treaty are calls to promote sustainable design of plastic packaging, effectively banning single-use plastic. This move would mirror a ban on disposable plastic implemented in France at the start of the year but on a much larger scale, impacting all products rather than just specific fruits and vegetable packaging. An alternate resolution would focus on waste management and

marine pollution, and nations plan to merge aspects of both. By making it easier for plastic products to be recycled, less of the material will rot as waste. Almost 80% of plastic ever produced currently sits in landfills and the natural environment, with only around 9% being recycled. 8 million tonnes of plastic reach the oceans every year and oceanic plastic litter is expected to quadruple over the next three decades, necessitating legislation to restrict the amount of plastic that makes it into nature. Much of this waste is single-use plastics, which make up 40% of plastic production. These can only be used once before disposal, are rarely able to be recycled, and in the case of plastic bottles can take up to 450 years to decompose. The summit has faced opposition from the American Chemistry Council, a coalition of companies centred around oil and the production of plastic. According to leaks from one anonymous employee, the ACC

has been in contact with US government officials to discuss the benefits of plastic. The ACC notes that disposable plastic has a smaller initial carbon footprint when compared to glass for packaging as it is lighter and more cost-effective to transport, though this does not consider that glass is much easier to recycle compared to its oil-based counterpart. Big oil and chemical companies

are predicted to double their plastic output over the next 20 years, and the current draft of the bill would be a blow to an industry that relies on pollution. The UN plans to have the final treaty ready for ratification by 2024, and will form an intergovernmental committee to negotiate details. Editor’s note: information correct at time of writing

@Flickr

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

Leading Climate Research Publisher Revealed to Help Fuel Oil and Gas Drilling

Anurag Venugopal Staff Writer

lsevier, a leading Dutch publishing company which is behind many renowned peer-reviewed scientific journals, is under fire by scientists working under them as it has been revealed that the company works with the fossil fuel industry to help increase oil and gas drilling. The company, by commissioning authors and journal advisory board members who are employees at some of the major oil firms, has pushed for industry’s efforts to optimize oil and gas extraction. Elsevier, to help “increase the odds of exploration success”, markets its research portals and data collection services directly to oil and gas companies. Several employees have spoken out, internally and externally, in a bid to make Elsevier reconsider the relationship they have with the fuel companies. One such employee who preferred to remain anonymous spoke to The Guardian about the company’s tactics. They said “When I first started, I heard a lot about

the company’s climate commitments... Eventually I just realized it was all marketing, which is really upsetting because Elsevier has published all the research it needs to know exactly what to do if it wants to make a meaningful difference.” Elsevier’s relationship as one of the few companies that publishes peer-reviewed climate research, becomes formidable as their conflicting business interests start undermining the work of the scientists and academics who have worked or are closely working with the company. An important service of Elsevier’s is providing a tool called Geofacets, a combination of thousands of maps and studies, to their corporate clients which in turn makes it easier for them to find and access oil or gas reserves, in addition to the locations of wind farms and carbon storage facilities. Elsevier states the tool cuts research time by 50% and helps in locating “riskier, more remote areas that had previously been inaccessible.” While top climate scientists have strongly suggested against that as they claim that to limit warming to 1.5C or less, the

fossil fuel production needs to be cut down by leaving 80% of resources still in the ground. Julia Steinberger, a social ecologist and ecological economist from Université de Lausanne, who has published several articles through the company journals, expressed her astonishment at the company’s relationship with the fossil fuel companies. “Elsevier is the publisher of some of the most important journals in the environmental space,” she said. “They cannot claim ignorance of the facts of climate change and the urgent necessity to move away from fossil fuels.” She added: “Their business model seems to be to profit from publishing climate and energy science, while disregarding the most basic fact of climate action: the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels.” Amidst the controversy, Elsevier and its parent company, RELX, say they are committed to supporting the fossil fuel industry as they transition toward clean energy and further have stated that they are not inclined to draw a line between the transition away from fossil fuels and expansion of oil and

gas extraction, amidst concerns of publishers boycotting the gas and fuel firms. Founding global head of corporate responsibility, Márcia Balisciano, told The Guardian,

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a television address that Russia could not feel “safe, develop and exist” due to the alleged threat Ukraine posed. The dawn after the first attacks, Putin delivered a speech where he reinforced that Ukraine has historically been a part of Russia’s territory. He warned that any other country's attempt at interference will

be met with “consequences they have never seen”. He also stated that Russia’s aim was for the “demilitarisation and de-nazification of Ukraine”, a comment Ukraine’s Jewish President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to by asking “how could I be a Nazi?”. Ukraine’s chief rabbi and the Auschwitz Memorial disapproved of Putin's comments.

Countries part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) strongly condemned Russia’s full scale invasion. They staunchly supported Ukraine by providing aid and introducing harsh sanctions against Russia, sending the Russian economy into a collapse. “Freedom will always triumph over tyranny,” United States’ President Joe Biden said as he denounced Putin in his first State of the Union address and vowed to retaliate. David Maguire, Interim ViceChancellor at the University of Sussex published a message to show support for those affected by the events in Ukraine. His message reads. “Sussex is an institution which is proudly international. In our 60 years, our strength and our value have been created in the coming together of many nationalities. We recognise that the terrible events unfolding in Ukraine are extremely distressing for many in our community and I want to reassure you that we are fully supporting those who need our help. We stand

“We recognize that we are imperfect and we have to do more, but that shouldn’t negate all of the amazing work we have done over the past 15 years.”

@The Independant

Russia-Ukraine: Conflict Hits Home for Students

The News Editorial Team

n Friday the 25th of February, students from the University of Sussex took to the Library Square and rallied together to spark dialogue. Students held posters and took turns to share thoughts and stories about the current situation. Posters read “ Putin Hands off Ukraine”, “stop war” and “My Country, My Culture, My Freedom #standwithUkraine” . These demonstrations can be seen across the country, with fears and worry extending to all Ukraine and Russian students in the UK, and those across the country with family and ties to those in Eastern Europe. A day prior, on 24th February 2022, Russia launched a debilitating attack on Ukraine after months of a military build up along the Donbass. Attacks were carried out throughout the country via air, water and land, with the capital city of Kyiv and other large cities such as Kharkiv and Chemihiv being primary targets. Preceding the attacks,

@Jasmine Crowhurst

with the people of Ukraine as we stand in solidarity with all peoples whose lives are put at risk by unjustifiable violence. “Now is the time for our community to come together. This conflict has the potential to be upsetting and unsettling for our staff and students who have links to both nations involved in the conflict…. “From a broader perspective, universities such as Sussex have much to offer at times like this. Our research and support networks have highlighted the plight of victims of war and violence and have often informed government policies that can help to bring about peaceful resolutions. It remains our hope that a lasting, peaceful settlement can be found with the utmost urgency. “These are unsettling times. We have all been moved by the terrible suffering this conflict has already brought. You can show your support through donations to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Ukraine emergency appeal or the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.”

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

Weight Loss Drug to be Made Available on the NHS Melis Trimmer Staff Writer Trigger warnings for weight loss and drug use.

n February 8th 2022, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued a draft guidance recommending Semaglutide, also known as Wagovy - an anti-diabetic drug, as a medication to tackle weight loss. The drug will be available on the NHS for adults with either; at least one weight-related condition such as obstructive sleep apnoea, or heart disease, and a BMI of at least 35kg/m2, or, alternatively those with a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 to 34.9 kg/ m2 if they are referred to tier 3 services based on the criteria in NICE’s clinical guideline on obesity: identification, assessment and management. Semaglutide is a drug administered once weekly, in the form of an injection and works by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) which we release naturally after eating. The drug increases insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion and slows

gastric emptying. Patients will inject themselves with Semaglutide, which will work to trick the brain into thinking they have eaten, suppressing appetite and therefore losing weight. NICE have reported that patients already on the weekly injections have seen their weight fall by an average of 12% after one year. NICE’s independent appraisal committee recommended that Semaglutide can only be prescribed as part of a specialist weight management service for a maximum of two years, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Government estimates indicate that the current costs of obesity in the UK are £6.1 billion to the NHS. The 2019 Health Survey for England estimated that 28% of adults in England were obese and a further 36% were overweight. Given these figures, the drug has been stated by experts to be a “gamechanger” for tackling the obesity crisis in England, which has been addressed previously by the government. In 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the anti-obesity strategy which included a ban of TV and on-

@Cardiff Student Media line adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt before 9pm and ending deals such as buyone-get-one-free on unhealthy foods high in salt, sugar and fat. Helen Knight, programme director in the centre for health technology evaluation at NICE, said: “We know that management of overweight and obesity is one of the biggest challenges our health service is facing with nearly two thirds of adults either overweight or obese. It is

a lifelong condition that needs medical intervention, has psychological and physical effects, and can affect quality of life,” and added “but in recent years NICE has been able to recommend a new line of pharmaceutical treatments which have shown that those people using them, alongside changes to their diet and exercise, have been able to reduce their weight.” The list price of Semaglutide 2.4 mg and 1.7 mg is commer-

cial in confidence and cannot be reported here. The list price of Semaglutide 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg is £73.25 per pack (4 pre-filled pens; excluding VAT). The drug has been approved by the NHS but plans cannot be made to roll out Semaglutide until NICE’s final guidance is released. Editor’s note: information correct at time of writing

Students Stage Sit-In at Jubilee Lecture Hall Olly DeHerrera Features Editor

s staff and students enter the second week of strike action at the University of Sussex, a number of students have staged a sit-in at the Jubilee Lecture Hall, the university’s largest capacity lecture theatre. An organisation called Sussex Solidarity Network has claimed responsibility for the action via an Instagram page, @sussexsolidarity. According to a statement posted yesterday: “15 students have occupied the jubilee building on Sussex campus in solidarity with the University and Colleges Union (UCU) who are currently halfway through 10 days of strike action”. “We are also here because we’re dissatisfied with our university’s lack of meaningful commitment to liberating higher education. Our most recent, but certainly not exclusive, issue with management is their failure to provide proper support for staff to facilitate access to hybrid learning.” The University and Colleges Union (UCU) has called 10 days of strike action this term, effecting dates from the 14th of february to the 2nd of march

and active across 68 different universities in the UK. A statement from the UCU’s website states the strike’s main aims are to: “address the scandal of the gender, ethnic, and disability pay gap, end contract casualisation and job insecurity, tackle the rising workloads driving our members to breaking point, increase to all spine points on the national pay scale of £2,500”. It continues “UCU members want to be at work, not on strike, but the future of higher education is under threat. Growing inequality affects both students and staff - poor working conditions mean poor learning conditions.” In addressing the strike action on the university managed Sussex Student Hub, the university stated: “The strikes are related to pensions and pay and conditions and are not things we can solve here at Sussex.” SussexSolidarity’s Instagram reports that a letter to the group of students was pushed through the glass doors of the Jubilee East Foyer in the early afternoon, as well as several legal notices appearing taped onto the glass doors. In part, the letter stated, “we will give you an hour to vacate the premises, and would urge you to do this. If you

decide not to vacate the premises then we will be taking disciplinary action against everyone known to be involved”. The letter is signed in print “Jayne Aldridge, Head of Student Experience’’ but does not contain a university header or timestamp. The Badger made contact with an anonymous student inside the Jubilee lecture theatre who said of the letter, “It’s absolutely unsurprising and fits into pattern of university behaviour”, “they [The University of Sussex] are concerned with saving face and saving pennies, not concerned for student welfare or staff conditions”. The student continued “[the letter] was done very informally, not dated, no header, not properly delivered – it’s a classic lack of accountability”. The student informed The Badger that following receiving the letter, the students democratically decided to continue their action, “sticking to our initial demands.” SussexSolidarity’s demands for the University to “facilitate access to hybrid learning” follow a wave of criticism against the University’s apparent move to phase-out online options for accessing teaching. This has come with governmental re-

laxation in measures for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. This has seen the university return to in-person teaching as well as several other changes to COVID measures. On the 28th of January, the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students announced via email that “From the start of this Semester (24 January), the temporary changes to the EC [exceptional circumstances] process that were made in response to the pandemic will no longer apply.” In a social media post that attracted over 700 likes, Student disability-rights group, Access Sussex, raised concerns about the apparent phasing-out of hybrid learning earlier this month: “Restrictions are lifting which will make our campus less safe and even immunocompro-

mised students are being told they will not necessarily get access to online lessons anymore.” In an open letter to the university that has reached 360 signatures as of Feb 21st, Access Sussex stated “It is necessary that we remind people that the coronavirus pandemic has not ended and that many students with disabilities are still extremely vulnerable or unable to wear masks or get a vaccine due to their disability. Other students have been left suffering from Long Covid, a debilitating condition, while others are unable to return to in-person teaching due to their disabilities and cannot be expected to reintegrate back into university life without regard that the pandemic is still having an effect on them.”

@Sussex Solidarity

The Badger 10th of March 2022

News

News Where You’re Not

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

Pig Deal- County Durham Code Bread-Glasgow Tenacious bakery staff fought off a ‘crowbar’ thug with baguettes as he tried to break into their shop. Workers at a deli in Glasgow took no prisoners when the ‘idiot’ entered the premises in the early hours of January 20, the Mirror reports. A statement was released soon after by the bakery on social media, according to The Mirror. It read: “We really enjoyed watching an idiot carefully and quietly break open our door at 4am with a crowbar, only to sh*t his pants and run at the sight of bakers working in the bakery,” it read. “We also can see you on camera right now lurking around the building… we are armed with razor sharp baguettes.”

Glasgow

County Durham

An escaped pig seemingly fancied a drink in a working men’s club and wandered in at 10pm.Locals were surprised to see the farm animal at Easington Colliery club in County Durham shortly before closing time. The pig, believed to be called Roddy, ran around the bar hoping to get strokes from punters. But as pigs are not allowed into the venue, customers managed to lure him outside with cheese and onion crisps until someone arrived to claim him who spotted what happened on Facebook. The bar’s stewardess, Kayleigh Parkin, said: ‘I live on the premises so I was upstairs, and the bar staff phoned me and said “I’m sorry to disturb you but there’s a pig in the bar”. The pig is thought to have escaped from a nearby allotment.

Baewatch- Dorset A pensioner rushed to save a washed up woman on a beach only to discover she was, in fact, a headless sex doll. Chris Ford was looking for driftwood on Chesil Beach in Dorset on Sunday (6 February), but was given a fright when he spotted a mutilated body lying face down. To his relief though, he realised on closer inspection that the disfigured woman was in fact a sex doll. The 67-year-old recalled: “It was a human-like figure but was too clean and too pretty - and it did not have a head. Apart from its lack of a face it was very anatomically correct. So as soon as I got to her I knew it was a sex doll. “I am always out collecting driftwood after storms so I fully expected to see a human body one day but never this. It certainly made my day.”

Special DeliveryClapham Clapham

Royal Mail have launched an Dorset investigation into a video that showed postmen staggering in the street after ‘accidentally’ eating brownies laced with cannabis. The workers, said to have mistaken the edibles in a ‘Pablo Chocobar’ box for innocent treats, were filmed walking unsteadily and needing help on their rounds in Clapham, south London. A social media user — seemingly a colleague — wrote: ‘Today almost all the posties in Clapham accidentally ate hash brownies and I had to pick them up one-by-one because they were so high. Royal Mail did not see the funny side of the incident and is considering disciplinary action. A spokesperson said: ‘Royal Mail expects the highest standards of behaviour from our people at all times.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Features

How Coffee Influenced The Way Europe Thought

Features Online Editor, Grace Dawes, discusses the history of academia’s liquid gold Grace Dawes Features Online Editor

offee can be interpreted as one of the biggest contributors to the progression of academic thought within Europe. Although coffee helps us wake up for the day, focus better on our work, and has a unique taste that is craved world-wide, it also had a big impact upon the health and thinking of European academia, particularly in the 17thcentury. It was first discovered in around the 9th century in Ethiopia, and travelled through the middle east. The psychoactive ingredient of caffeine started to become addictive and word of this new type of beverage had reached Europe around the middle of the 17th-century. It is undeniable that this effect from coffee was not only experienced in Europe. It is very limited to claim that scholarly thought in the Middle East and Africa was not also heavily influenced and catalysed by the consumption of coffee. Academic and scholarly extension was not idiosyncratic to Europe during the 17th-century, but for the sake of demonstrating how coffee impacted scholarly thought, I will mainly discuss the reactions of coffee upon European critical thinking. When considering the state of academia in Europe before the 17th-century, it was mainly fuelled by a different beverage; alcohol. Water in Europe during this time was not consumed in such large quantities as it is today due to lack of sanitisation. Illnesses

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were easily transmitted through dirty water as it was hard to sterilise due to limited knowledge on hygiene. Therefore, it was extremely common to consume alcohol as the main form of hydration. Alcohol was reliably sterile due to the antiseptic properties of ethanol, and so, beer with breakfast was an ordinary practice in 17th-century Europe. With alcohol being a depressa

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As an antioxidant and a stimulating alternative to the dulling effects of alcohol, coffee started to become widely consumed and offered a whole new catapult to the progression of scholarly thought nt, and its intoxicating effects, it must be obvious that it limited the extent of academic theory and thought. This is not to say that everyone in Europe during this period was running around madly drunk, but it cannot have been complimentary to the critical thinking of the brain. Although there had already been many works of greatness by this time that arose during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, such as scientific discoveries, flawless works of art, and many astonishing philosophical theories, the everyday consumption of alcohol cannot have been commendatory. Therefore, it would seem

Olly DeHerrera Features Editor

@The Coffee Wave logical to assume that scholarly thought and conversations were very limited in their ability to transcend effectively, but it can be argued that coffee impacted this problem. As an antioxidant and a stimulating alternative to the dulling effects of alcohol, coffee started to become widely consumed and offered a whole new catapult to the progression of scholarly thought. The buzz of caffeine spread across Europe and triggered a rise of coffee houses. With the adrenaline from coffee surging through their bodies, swarms of people would gather at these coffee houses to converse on the popular politics, literature, art or science of the time. Scholarly conversations excelled and groups of people formed into coffee clubs to meet at these houses occasionally and extend their academic discussions. One example of these coffee clubs was the Oxford Coffee Club which is now better known as The Royal Society. Not long after this emergence

@The Coffee Wave

of coffee culture in Europe, the Enlightenment Period of the Long Eighteenth century arrived. This period was also known as the Age of Reason, which was a movement of literary and philosophical thought that dominated Europe. Works from this period tended to share emphasis on “art for art’s sake” and strongly advocated for the repositioning of traditional thoughts surrounding religious faith, individualism, the rise of empiricism, and, of course, the emergence of reason. It paved the way for the period of Romanticism in the 18thcentury that followed on from the Enlightenment. This ultimately led to countless literary and philosophical movements including Realism, Victorian, Modernist and Postmodernist, which leads into the critical thinking of today.

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With the adrenaline from coffee surging through their bodies, swarms of people would gather at these coffee houses to converse on the popular politics, literature, art or science of the time.

It is a given that coffee was not the only reason for the course of history taking this path of critical thinking. The spectrum of respective critical and scholarly journeys is far too broad to make such a universal claim, as there are countless reasons for the paths that history has taken. But, without a doubt, coffee has certainly helped in providing the energy for it.

“War”, from the Germanic werso, meaning “to perplex or confuse”, is perhaps a deeply important etymology for reasons beyond semantic. War not only perplexes and confuses those who it is inflicted upon, but also those who look on, and those who intellectualize, philosophize and theorize on it. Having felt the Nazi regime and lived to see the wake of its destruction, Theodore Adorno famously professed, “To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric”, suggesting that after such an appalling display of human capabilities- one could no longer overcome the ugliness of the world with the beauty of creative expression. This is, perhaps intentionally, an ironic proclamation; Adorno himself was a musician, and whilst his music has the strange quality of denial of musical convention, it is, nonetheless, music. Not only has art thrived after incomprehensible tragedy- but perhaps has become the greatest vessel for the legacy of war and genocide. War, and the loss associated, has made for some of the most profound works of painted, written, composed and filmic art: indeed, it is how many of us in Britain first come to be introduced to war. Whilst the stoic stones of memorials across the country cast a silent shadow of the past over our present, they remind us of the chasm of everyday loss of everyday lives. The everyday-ness of war comes ultimately to be its legacy. The division of Germany, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the resituating of political power fades into the relative obscurity of history and political discourses in the minds of the everyday peopleyet the stories of familial losses and sacrifices continue to be passed down through generations. This deep chasm between the curators of wars and the people in the fields is perhaps the space where art makes it stay. World War One veteran, Erich Remarque’s, whose famous novel, All Quiet On The Western Front, tells the story of German soldiers’ extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front. This crossing of the chasm between the politics of war and the consequences is often too much for those involved to bear, as seen again and again in soldiers returning from conflict. As a child, my parents would tell me that religion is the cause of war: but from my experience in the world I feel it’s never useful to make assertions about human nature; it is especially hazardous to condense war into the privilege of academia, philosophizing, and drawing political comparisons. It is instead through art which I try gain an understanding of the phenomena and how those affected attempt to transform their experience into meaning.

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawingdown of blinds - Wilfred Owen

Features

The Badger 10th of March 2022

A letter from a R*pe victim

Writer, Sasha Thompson-Wells, share thoughts on how loved ones and strangers alike can be better allys to victims of sexual violence. Sasha Thompson-Wells Staff Writer TW: R*pe and sexual assault

pening up Instagram, the first thing you see: your friends have shared a post about a woman who has mysteriously gone missing. The next day, you see that another woman has been spiked and assaulted in your favourite club. Every day, another attack is plastered across your social media. It’s relentless. In the UK, 20% of women aged 16 and over have experienced some form of sexual assault (statistics from Rapecrisis.org.uk). Women, day after day, are being attacked, harassed, assaulted and raped, and it is so important to keep the fight for women’s rights alive and growing. However, it can also be incredibly triggering. I myself was spiked and raped this past summer and have had to experience exactly how female victims are so often treated by society. First comes the undertone of blame: Were you drunk? Did you report him? Did you go straight to the police? Even being told that by not reporting your rap-

Dana Amwari Staff Writer

often joke that my sole – or most important – personality trait is being Jordanian-Palestinian. I am very proud to be Jordanian; which is understandable, because anyone that has ever been to Jordan will tell you that it is notorious for inherent generosity, exemplified in the Arabic greeting “ahlan w sahla” (I Welcome You), heard every step you take. However, the most fundamental asset of Jordan is its wonderful people. Having lived in Jordan my whole life, it is my utmost pleasure to write about Jordan, not just to educate others, but somehow to show off the country I was born and raised in; the best way to showcase how beautiful the culture is would be through discussing its hospitality and generosity. There are so many aspects of Jordanian culture that reflect the generosity of its people.

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ist this somehow makes you responsible for all future attacks.

Every victim will react differently, but most importantly, every victim’s reaction is completely valid and normal Then, having to experience recounting the event to family members and close friends. Having to watch the people you love most shatter in front of you, and feeling you are to blame for making them feel the way they now feel. And now, having to constantly see victims’ stories plastered across your social media. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s imperative to be spreading these stories and outing sexual predators publicly, but as someone who has experienced assault, it can be incredibly mentally draining. I want to shed light on this side of the women’s rights movement, a side that is often forgotten in the fight to keep the movement rallying. This is a call to anyone reading this: when a victim of assault, rape or harassment of any kind confides in you, don’t question them. Don’t ask

whether or not they’ve spoken to the police, and most importantly, don’t pressure them to. As someone who did not report my rapist to the police, I did this to protect myself from the possibility of this trauma continuing on in court for the next few years, and even more so, from the possibility (and likelihood) of not being believed. And that does not make me a bad person, or one to blame for any potential future attacks.

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ently, but most importantly, every victim’s reaction is completely valid and normal: there is no “normal” reaction, and to suggest that there is, only upholds the patriarchal stereotype that all victims should look the same. Finally, remember that every victim will experience their trauma in a different way. Some may go straight to the police and compartmentalise the whole incident; some may be bed-bound for a

month. Some may go straight to therapy, and some may never speak of it again. Whatever the reaction, a victim will carry this trauma with them for the rest of their lives, and the reaction of those closest to them can make an enormous impact on their healing. For suppot related to themes in this article, you can contact RapeCrisis England and Wales: 0808 802 9999

Don’t ask whether or not they’ve spoken to the police, and most importantly, don’t pressure them to Sadly, only 5.7% of reported rape cases in the UK end in a conviction (statistic from Rapecrisis.org.uk, 2021 report). Judging someone for not going to the police implies that they have a part to play in their attack and trying to convince someone to go to the police when they have already been victim to something that was completely out of their control only emphasises this feeling. Every victim will react differ-

@Tim Denll - Flickr

Introducing Jordan Among Bedouins (nomadic people of the desert), there is a prevalent proverb that translates to “when a guest is in your house, he is a prisoner, when he sits, he is a prince, but when he stands and leaves, he is a poet.” This is interpreted in the context that the guests will be surrounded by the hosts like a prisoner, so that the hosts can cater to their needs, but then the guests are treated like royalty; privileged and catered for, and when the guests leave, they will recite poetry of the generosity they have witnessed.

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Every aspect of the Jordanian culture represents one of its wonderful values.

This sense of generosity makes the guest feel like a provisional member of the house. Among these Bedouins, there is a ritual behind the cup of Arabic coffee that the guests and hosts share.

The first cup of coffee is known as al-heif, the unworthy cup, which is served to make sure that the coffee meets the liking of the guest. The second cup of coffee is known as aldeif, or the guest cup, where the guest expresses approval of the guest’s hospitality. The third cup is known as al-kayf, or the leisure cup, which is served for the guests to enjoy and to ensure their comfort.

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with street vendors clamoring to offer you their products for free, whether it’s food, juice, toys, you name it! It is also very common to see bakeries that offer to give out their bread to anyone that needs it even if they do not have enough money to pay for it, and not as a debt to be paidpayed back. This generosity is indispensable even to the Hashemite royalty, who

inherit this hospitability from the most generous Prophet Muhammad of Islam, to whom they are descendants of. Jordan is the land of benevolence and abundance, and I am extremely blessed to be a citizen of it. Every aspect of the Jordanian culture represents one of its wonderful values. If you were to visit Jordan, do not forget to eat Mansaf, you can thank me later.

The most fundamental asset of Jordan is its wonderful people.

The last cup of coffee served is al-sayf, the swords cup, which is essentially drunk to create a bond and conclude the connection formed by the host and guest. Generosity is a virtue that is cherished not only by Bedouins, but in urban areas too. For example, when walking through downtown Amman, the capital city, one will be met

@Travel.Earth

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Features

Phantom Islands: Places That Don’t Exist Features Sub-Editor, Rhys Mather, discusses Nakanotorishima, Tuanaki and the strange phenomena of ‘undiscovering’ Rhys Mather Features Sub-Editor

akanotorishima is the name of an island that never existed. Reported at coordinates 30°45′N 154°25′E and appearing on maps until 1932, the island was supposedly located in the Japanese archipelago. In 1933 a team of Japanese hydrographers were sent to conduct a search for Nakanotorishima as the location of the island had been called into question by airplane photography. Upon arrival they could find no island at all - and on June 27th, 1933, the island was officially declared missing. Japanese authorities would later determine the island had not disappeared but never existed in the first place. They had just ‘undiscovered’ a phantom island. This phenomenon was not exclusive to Nakanotorishima, world atlases prior to the advent of aerial photography are littered with hundreds of these “phantom islands” that were first reported during the age of exploration. Sailors would often misidentify optical illusions or geological phenomena as islands, which would be drawn onto maps. An example of this is Sandy Island - first “discovered” by Captain James Cook in 1774. This phantom island appeared on maps until, staggeringly, 2012 when an Australian research ship travelled through the reported location and found no trace of land. Sandy Island famously appeared as a cluster of black pixels on Google Earth, where satellite imagery had failed to reconcile the incorrect map data. Today its thought that Cook had observed a pumice raft – a mass of floating volcanic rock carried by ocean currents following undersea eruptions – which are often mistaken for land. Aside from misidentification, some phantom islands arose for more unscrupulous reasons. Most phantom islands were identified between the 15th and 19th century, during the “age of discovery”, where European nations scrambled to explore and violently colonise the rest of the world. This period of history saw the vast majority of wealth in Europe concentrated into the hands of super-rich aristocracy, as a result they were the only people capable of financing lengthy, seafaring voyages. Explorers

may have created fictitious islands in order to appease their financiers, and secure funding for further voyages. By the 18th century expanding European empires would often pay sailors for every island they could claim, which gave even greater incentive to record faux islands. Map makers would also create phantom islands in order to detect fraud. Before the 20th century, cartography required a skillset few people in the world possessed – so, copied maps could be identified by which phantom islands were drawn in. While the existence of most phantom islands can be definitively debunked, others remain more mysterious, and may have existed at one point in time. One such example is the lost isle of Tuanaki, which allegedly existed in the Cook Islands, near Rarotonga and Mangaia. Tuanaki is somewhat unique among Phantom Islands as it was purportedly home to an indigenous population and the Island was vouched for in the testimonies of numerous credible witnesses. Speaking to a Rarotongan man named Tamarua in 1897, British army officer William Gill writes: “We learnt from Tamarua that Tuanaki was supposed to lie south from Rarotonga, and that their ancestors used to visit the island. It took them two days and a ni

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Phantom islands are mystifying not just because of the compelling mysteries attached to them, but because they serve as an example of the past’s ability to influence our future ght to reach it. The late Judge J. A. Wilson told the writer that “a trading vessel from Auckland used, at one time in the forties, to visit an island, the exact position of which was kept secret. But on a subsequent visit it had disappeared”— probably this was Tuanaki.” Furthermore, a sailor named J.E. Haymet passed through the approximate position of Tuanaki in 1863 and reported an uncharted group of rocks. Submerged 8 feet beneath the surface and extending far into the depths, they were dubbed the “Haymet rocks”

@Wikimedia Commons and esteemed oceanographer Henry Stommel proposed they are the sunken remains of Tuanaki. This would match the timeline of the island’s disappearance, as a group of English missionaries sailed to the location of Tuanaki and were unable to locate it in 1844. It seems entirely possible that Tuanaki was a real island – only to be submerged by undersea earthquakes or volcanic activity. However compelling the accounts of Tuanaki may be, until further evidence is found it remains a phantom. Phantom Islands also present interesting geopolitical problems, as international law states that if a country owns an island, they also own the surrounding ocean, extending to a 200-mile radius as an “Exclusive Economic Zone” (EEZ). This is the precise reason the Mexican government is determined to locate the phantom island of Bermeja. First reported in 1539 by Spanish cartographer, Alonso de Santa Cruz, it would be northmost Mexican island in the Gulf of Mexico. This means if Bermeja is real, it would push Mexico’s EEZ hundreds of miles north, allowing them to access a wealth of oil and natural gas. Unfortunately for the Mexican

government extensive searches in the area have found no trace of the island. If it did exist, Bermja was supposedly a lowlying atoll meaning it could have been submerged by rising sea levels, but this seems unlikely given the search efforts. An alternative explanation comes from a conspiracy theory that states the CIA destroyed the island in an effort to block Mexican EEZ expansion, while outlandish it’s certainly more exciting than “it never existed”.

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This phantom island appeared on maps until, staggeringly, 2012 when an Australian research ship travelled through the reported location and found no trace of land.

Phantom islands have captured the imagination of artists, like Agnieszka Kurant, who created maps charting the locations of the phantoms. The London Science Gallery writes: “Much of Agnieszka Kurant’s work investigates ‘the economy of the invisible’ in which errors, rumours and myths exist as if real, and go on to influence

political and economic systems. For The Maps of Phantom Islands, Kurant researched non-existent islands that have appeared in maps throughout history. Some were the results of mirages or mapmaking errors; in others they were inventions, created by explorers to acquire funding for further expeditions. Many of these non-existent islands were sources of real financial transactions and in some instances nearly led to wars…. Kurant reminds us that theories can be modified or debunked, and no doubt some of the knowledge which we hold to be true today will transform into the phantoms of the future.” Phantom islands are mystifying not just because of the compelling mysteries attached to them, but because they serve as an example of the past’s ability to influence our future – a handful of misidentified geological phenomena hundreds of years ago led to governments conducting research voyages and centuries of debate over the fate of islands like Tuanaki. Whether they exist or not, phantom islands have left intrigue in their wake – and if nothing else, they at least conjure a few good mysteries.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Features

The Dangers of Over-Romanticization of Moving to a New Country and Starting a New Life Sellah Penteliuk Features Sub-Editor

hen given the opportunity to move to England and study law for three years, it was a definite answer. From living in Canada my entire life, and my eagerness to travel, it was the perfect plan. Especially when 2020 hit and the world shut down, it taught me that I must take every opportunity while I can. After studying at a Canadian university for two years, most of which was online, I had my doubts about the move in hopes of getting more of a normal university experience in Canada. Nonetheless, I went back to that mindset of COVID lockdowns and decided that there is no good time, and I can’t pass up this opportunity. When arriving in England, it felt like a different universe. I was used to mask mandates and capacity limits. I was shocked to see ‘normal life back’. The first humbling experience was setting up a bank account. Due to my lack of research, I wasn’t aware that you can’t just walk into the bank and leave with an account and debit card. It was going to take a couple of weeks to send through the post. By far the easiest transition about the move was definitely setting up a new phone plan. When all the logistical things got finished, the effects of moving set in. What I mean by this is that I was expecting the move to be how those Tik Toks are. With a Taylor Swift song playing in the background and all my new

incredible photos to be playing. I was so ready to be posting on all social media showcasing how exciting this new life is.. There was never a doubt in my mind that my life wasn’t going to be this picture-perfect moment, as naive as that sounds, that was my expectation.

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What doesn’t get shown is the time it takes to meet new friends, adjust to a new culture, and get through the mental hurdle that you can’t physically go visit your family at any moment I think it is important to note, I absolutely love it here and made the right choice. It is equally important to talk about the hardships that have come along with the move. I found myself in a country that I have only visited once previously, with no family, and experiencing a cultural shock. The simplest things like grocery shopping, attending lectures, and crossing the street were all different. The adjustment period was longer and harder than I thought. As someone who comes from a very close family (and a loving cat back home), it was so weird being away. Adjusting to the facetime calls that had to be planned due to the time difference was something I never thought about.

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@Sellah Penteliuk

It is such a rewarding feeling seeing yourself grow into someone and mature in a way you never thought you would. My friend perfectly summed up the emotion, ‘the empties’. It’s a feeling you get when it’s the end of the day and you just feel a little empty inside. Like something is missing, and

@Sellah Penteliuk

you can’t quite figure out what that is. Suddenly, your support system that you have lived with for 20 years is on a different continent. I am so lucky to have moved here with familiar faces from my previous university, but nothing compares to that feeling of going home for a weekend and having home-cooked food after a long, stressful week. Or when you catch a case of the freshers’ flu and wish you could go back to your childhood bedroom and hide out for a few days. Social media does a really good job at portraying everyone’s best moments in their life, and rightfully so. Not everyone wants to post the hard parts. It is a very dangerous slope when so many influential minds see online that if they move to a new country all of their problems will disappear. What doesn’t get shown is the time it takes to meet new friends, adjust to a new culture, and get through the mental hurdle that you can’t physically go visit your family at any moment. Social media is a highlight reel and provides an unrealistic way of living. Capturing the beautiful sunsets and going on picture-perfect hikes, when in reality you could be doing those things just to take a break from all of the changes. It goes without saying this isn’t applicable in everyone’s situation, but nonethe-

less, still valuable to talk about. I want to leave it at this point, I am enjoying my time so much here. I have met the most incredible, kindest people, travelled to different countries, and experienced new cultures.

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Social media does a really good job at portraying everyone’s best moments in their life, and rightfully so It is such a rewarding feeling seeing yourself grow into someone and mature in a way you never thought you would. I absolutely believe that everyone should have an experience that makes them step out of their comfort zone no matter how big or small that is. A key element to setting into reality is learning that social media is a place as a highlight reel for only the good. I hope that this article can provide more of the emotional side that goes along with packing up your entire life and moving it across the world. I am so grateful to be given the opportunity, and wouldn’t want to change it for the world. The reality of it all is that some days are harder than others, but letting yourself feel those emotions and riding the rollercoaster, makes it easier and worthwhile.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Horoscopes

Pisces Season Horoscopes for February & March time indulging in your creative side throughout Pisces season. Painting, drawing, or writing could be excellent outlets for you right now, let your imagination run wild.

Ali Arief Theatre Editor

he Sun entered Pisces on the 18th of February, marking the start of Pisces Season. Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, and its arrival marks the transition from Winter to Spring. Pisces is known as the dreamy, mystical, sensitive, and hyper-emotional fish sign of the zodiacal wheel. Throughout this period, we can expect to have the depths of our subconscious explored and brought to the surface. You may be feeling out of sorts as this watery season takes place, as Pisces is ruled by the planet Neptune your dreams may get more intense and your imagination may also be heightened. Although Pisces season is fantastic for exploring your imagination and for creativity, there is a darker side to this surreal season of the year. Be careful of delusions and getting so caught up in your emotions and sensitivities that you cannot perceive reality. Pisceans are also known for victimising themselves in situations of conflict, so make sure you take full responsibility for your actions and do not shirk your duties. This season is all about the artistic, the surreal and the fantastical. Play around with new ideas and get lost in the romance. Pisces season is starting with a bang. Aries: The depths of your subconscious may be on display for all the world to see, and that’s ok. You have a lot of emotional processing to do and getting the rest you need to look after your emotional nature is paramount. Be easy on yourself if you’re finding you’re a lot more sensitive than usual, and pay close attention to your dreams and your intuition. Taurus: The urge to be surrounded by your best friends will overcome you during Pisces season, and you’ll be feeling overcome

Sagittarius: Cosiness and relaxation is on the agenda throughout Pisces Season. Getting some good quality sleep and to rest is all you seem to want to do, and you should. Spending time nurturing your surroundings is also calling you, perhaps you’ve been wanting to redecorate, or spend time learning how to cook a new recipe. Indulge into your comforts throughout this season and nurture your soul.

with nostalgia for the way things were when you were younger. Make sure you let your friends know how much they are missed, and they will return the same feelings. This could lead to a reunion of old friendships, so take the opportunity if it’s presented to you. Gemini: Pisces season will be expanding your horizons when it comes to your career and your reputation. You’ve grown weary of the roles you’re occupying and desire a change. The New Moon on the 2nd of March will open up a new job opportunity for you but be careful that it doesn’t seem to good to be true, as deceit is afoot with all of the new contacts that you’ve built up through your networking. Cancer: Exploration is the key word for you during Pisces season. The call to adventure will be infectious and studying something or enrolling onto a course of study will open so many new possibilities for you that

didn’t even seem possible before. Make sure you’re paying attention to the fine details before you enrol in this new passion project, or if you travel somewhere new, as you could be wearing rose coloured glasses. However, it is imperative that you explore and have fun doing so during this season. Leo: During this season you have a prime opportunity to gain some more money and invest into a creative project that you’ve wanted for a very long time, however when this money arrives make sure you save it instead of quickly spending it. You may also investigate deep into your personal psychology and figuring out how your thought processes work. Virgo: If you’ve just entered a new relationship the spotlight will be on you to further deepen the connection that you share with this person. Romance is on the brain, and you may want the dreamy kind of love that is straight out of a film.

As you enter this dreamlike romance, make sure that you don’t lose yourself too much in the other person and keep yourself grounded. However, you can be sure that this partnership will sweep you away. Libra: Your health needs to be carefully assessed, and now is the time to go to your Doctor for a routine check-up. Perhaps you’ve been feeling under the weather or have fallen ill unexpectedly. In any rate, pay close attention to health matters and make sure you’re looking after your body properly. You may also find that the urge to work harder has fallen upon you, Scorpio: The urge to escape your day-to-day grind and let loose is becoming strong. Escapism through having fun can be an excellent way of unwinding, but mind you aren’t too excessive and end up ignoring your responsibilities. Your inner child is also wanting attention, so spend some

Capricorn: Use your voice this Pisces Season to communicate any emotions that are coming your way. Writing, singing or public speaking will be your greatest asset as you can enhance your speech to truly make an impact on those around you. The words you communicate will be extremely emotive, so use them wisely. Aquarius: Your values are being called into question this season, and the resources that you have available to you are growing. You have some new ideas about how to make some money, perhaps there’s a business you want to start, or a hobby that could potentially turn lucrative. You may also be saving some money up for a future purchase, so it is advisable to be thrifty with your spending. Pisces: The spotlight is well and truly on you as your season begins. You may feel a need to reinvent yourself or take a breath of fresh air and step into birthday season. Make sure your confidence is shining, and that you have the chance to put your feet firmly on the ground. It’s time to celebrate yourself and shine.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Comment • The Big Debate

THE BIG DEBATE

In The Big Debate this week, two writers debate whether parents should be posting their children online...

Yes Bonnie Price Staff Writer

pon immediate consideration it seems obvious that the dangers of posting children online exceed any benefits that may exist. Admittedly, we have all read and listened to stories of predatory people lurking online and gaining access to a plethora of information and images of children. Alongside this, the question of consent is another significant factor in this debate; it feels unfair and inappropriate to post children online without asking them first. Of course, this notion of consent is very dependent on age (i.e. a child may give consent to their parent but, at times will often be too young to be considered of appropriate age to actually give this consent). The lines between this argument become very blurred when different individuals consider what the appropriate age to give consent would be and whether babies and infants should be posted before they can even speak. Additionally, it is important to question a parent's intent behind posting their child. With the rise of online anonymity and access to content it perhaps feels more treacherous of a time than ever, so why would parents even contemplate posting their children online? Despite the evident risks of posting children via online spaces, I think that there are a range of reasons that we must explore before eliminating the idea entirely. Perhaps the conceivably most pressing reason relates to the notion of normativity. Throughout sociological history, the most common and supposedly stable family structure has been termed as ‘nuclear’, referring to a set of loving married parents and their two children.

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It feels unfair and inappropriate to post children online without asking them first. Data from the ONS in 2020 indicates that out of 15,700 families observed in England, the most dominant structure continues to be married couples with dependent children as opposed to civil partner families, lone-parent families and opposite and same-sex families with dependent children. Whilst this nuclear structure remains prevalent within contemporary society, it can become relatively easy to forget the families that exist outside of this sphere. The online world, however, often reminds us of these different family systems. A few names that spring to mind immediately include Rose and Rosie, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Jesse Sullivan and Yasmin Johal. Each

of these families are unconventional in one way or another for varying reasons. Jessica-Kellgren-Fozard, for example, posts YouTube videos on navigating family life from a disabled and queer perspective with her wife and newborn. On the other hand, content creator Yasmin Johal shows what it is like becoming pregnant during university and thus having to work out how to balance her studies alongside raising a family with her boyfriend.

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It is important to question a parent's intent behind posting their child. A final example of a current unique family structure online is Jesse Sullivan, a TikToker creator and trans man, who is raising their teenager in a lone-parent household. From the three examples of family structures discussed above, it is clear that there are a range of families who are not represented in the mainstream media and perhaps turn to social media to show that they do in fact exist. Although some may claim that it is inappropriate or even vain to showcase

No Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor

harenting has become the latest trend of the digital age to raise eyebrows concerning child safety. The portmanteau refers to parents who choose to share photos and videos of their children online, whether that be for family members and friends or for wider audiences on platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Parents are becoming the biggest violators of their children’s privacy, leaving them with harmful digital footprints before they even reach consenting age. With this being said, it is about time that stricter rules are enforced on social media platforms to limit or prevent the posting of children online. It may seem innocent enough to post a smiling or funny photo of your child online, but according to Common Sense Media by the age of five, children develop an awareness of themselves as individuals and begin to understand how the world around perceives them.

Should parents post their children online? family life online, it feels as though most of these alternative families online are far from sensationalising themselves for views. Rather, they are creating a space for different family forms to exist and be represented, inevitably normalising diversity. Needless to say, the internet is not the only place for us to recognise differing familial modes but it would be naive to say it is an insignificant one. As society grows more technological by the second, maybe posting developments of children and families in nonconformist systems encourages an open dialogue around parenting styles and furthermore a sense of community between individuals who share similar or unique family structures. Maybe now, you are asking yourself: but why do these people have to post their children alongside their content? In regards to this claim, I would argue that ultimately through seeing parents and their children we are able to normalise these structures to a greater extent as we can see the dynamics between the families play out in real-time (that is as much as they wish to share with us). The portrayal of children online is still a terrifyingly new and ever adapting notion that is difficult to come to terms with but, I do believe that when it is approached with a sense of vigilance and attentiveness, it can be a worthwhile and meaningful contribution to society.

Concerning is that on average, by this age, parents have already shared almost 1,500 images of their child. These photos might make them feel embarrassed or self-conscious, especially if they know they can be seen by other peers, which can severely damage their self-esteem. This was corroborated by a CBBC Newsround survey which revealed that a quarter of children whose parents have shared photos of them have been ‘embarrassed or worried by these actions’. Some parents, according to the ‘Growing up with the Internet’ report by the House of Lords, acknowledge that the information they share will embarrass their children, but they never consider their children’s interests before posting. Some parents claim that through online sharing they are able to obtain advice relating to emotional as well as practical support, in addition to maintaining connections with relatives and friends who may not be local. Increasingly, though, parents are oversharing details such as their child’s full name, childcare location and other identifying information which places their children at risk. In France and Germany, steps have already been taken to stress the importance of protecting children’s private lives, with warnings appearing on social media sites like Facebook. Family channels are one of the major branches of social media that

consistently worry audiences with claims of alleged child exploitation. A prime example of this breach in child safety is the ACE Family, who started their YouTube channel in 2016 and have subsequently amassed almost 19 million subscribers. The family consists of parents, Catherine Paiz and Austin McBroom as well as their three children, Elle, Alaia and Steel who are all under the age of five. The main attractions to this family are their children, shown by their spike in views whenever a new addition comes along. They are the breadwinners, and every aspect of their life is shown; from their birth (for Alaia this was watched by 32.5 million people), to their first day at school to even their first date (at the age of just two).

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Parents are becoming the biggest violators of their children’s privacy For these children, there is no separation between their family home and ‘work’ life, and they have no idea when their parents might bring out a camera and start recording. I have often, through my own personal consumption of this content (yes, we are all guilty), heard parents like this discuss how they will ask their children if they want to be in videos when they’re old enough. But isn’t this far too late? When they reach consenting age (whenever their parents deem that to be), an entire narrative of their childhood will have been documented across the internet potentially without their knowledge if they are that young. I think the argument against family channels shifts slightly when you consider YouTubers who were on the platform prior to having children. The prime example is Zoe Sugg, known more commonly by her pseudonym, Zoella. She welcomed her first child, a daughter named Ottilie, in August 2021 with her long-term partner, Alfie Deyes. Although it is obvious that her channel, which has solely been vlogs for the last three years, has shifted to baby and parent content, it seems to be more about her journey into motherhood than focusing heavily on her child thus far. Whilst she does share the occasional clip or Instagram snap of her baby, it is clear that she is making a conscious effort not to overshare. This is nowhere near as harmful as some of the larger family channels, but even just sporadic posts of her child expose her to potential online abuse from practically the moment she was born. To put this into some context, the first photo posted of Ottilie was two days after her birth and has amassed almost 1.7 million likes. If there is anything to take away from this article, be it if you are a parent or not, is that the internet is forever.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Comment

Access Sussex: University of Sussex’s All-In-Person Policy

Access Sussex

he university’s plan for teaching and learning in Semester Two has now changed to fully in-person and on campus unless you are immunocompromised or unable to travel due to restrictions. The university reports on their webpage: “In Semester 2 we will continue to provide teaching and learning in-person and on campus. We know from student feedback that this is the preferred teaching and learning method for the majority of our students. As a result, we expect students returning after the Winter vacation to be on campus for the start of teaching.” The university clarifies: “If you have declared an immunosuppressed condition as part of your initial registration you will be able to access teaching and learning online during Semester 2.” To little effect, the university continues to make statements such as these via internal emails and public statements on their webpage. However, in practice, there is little of this to be seen. Information gathered by Access Sussex, a student-led campaign that aims to make the University of Sussex accessible to everyone, shows that many are unable to access remote learning. It seems that the university has left tutors and lecturers to decide on their own accord whether or not to stick to hybrid learning, preventing a standardisation of the procedure. Thus, essentially leaving access to education to be decided at the tutor’s discretion.

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The university cannot claim to be an equal opportunity institution while continuing to allow for discriminatory policies such as the complete removal of hybrid learning. Students are encountering a mix of responses and are left with confusing timetables. Some tutors are willing to provide hybrid lessons, some are not. All the while, those struggling with their illnesses and symptoms, are left to do the

admin work which their School of study should be overseeing and hoping that they will not remain behind in their degree based solely on their disability. More than this, students who happen to have not registered their immunosuppressed condition at the beginning of term, will not even ‘benefit’ from the same futile exemption. It seems that taking care of equality issues for Sussex means just slapping on a narrow label on a very ableist policy. In reality, some students may get diagnosed mid-term, suffer from other high-risk conditions which may not necessarily class as immunosuppression; they may have caring responsibilities; or even yet, live with family members, or flatmates that are themselves immunosuppressed. It follows clearly that the university has not considered anything other than the most extreme cases.

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those struggling with their illnesses and symptoms, are left to do the admin work which their School of study should be overseeing and hoping that they will not remain behind in their degree based solely on their disability Even further, the ableist policy seems to live in its own reality. In practice, many people face problems in obtaining proper evidence from the doctor, many perhaps have been diagnosed in a different country and cannot provide their doctor’s note. This is not an unknown or simple mistake to make. Discussions have posed whether this is an inequality issue. The Equality Act 2010 dictates that public authorities, including education providers, must not discriminate. The basis for this includes the 9 protected characteristics within which sits disability as well as pregnancy and maternity, and those with caring responsibilities. One of the main excuses for not offering the option of hybrid learning is that it won’t have the same quality as in person learning. As stated

@Access Sussex by many communications between staff and students: “Any remote provision will not be a like for like experience to that which our in-person students have.” A week into the term, students are still grappling with missing lecture content, and their schools/teaching groups are struggling to put together what is necessary for a remote or hybrid class. That is, a zoom link, and much of the camera/ microphone equipment that has been used for the last two years of our education provision. Why should those who have some of the most serious health complications, and who pay the same £9,250 a year as any other students, not receive equal access to education? This is yet another legal obligation that the Equality Act provides: the duty to provide equal access to education. We may also think of possible reasons the university may have chosen this policy. Internal communications suggest that last term’s attendance had been a big factor in this choice, as student attendance

had dropped to a new low. Seemingly, it has been forgotten by management that attendance could have also dropped due to the world-shaking pandemic everyone has been grappling with for the past two years.

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We implore you to join our campaign in demanding equal access to education Family members becoming ill, new caring responsibilities, financial hardship, unemployment, fear, anxiety and so on. Many reasons could have contributed to low attendance, but the remote style of learning is most definitely NOT one of them. Ensuring student’s health and offering alternate methods of study will most definitely contribute to rates of student satisfaction, too. The university must remember that its forte stands in its reputation as an inclusive institution. What can new prospective students

take away from the University disadvantaging its own students in the face of on-going risk? To see the hypocrisy of this situation you must look no further than Instagram. The university is now proudly advertising their new “100% online” MA courses. Six new courses presented under a clear slogan of: “New ways to learn, new ways to make a change.” The university has proven capabilities to provide online and hybrid options but are choosing to pretend that this is impossible, and that it doesn’t fit the standard of ‘reasonable’ adjustments that disabled students are entitled to. We implore you to join our campaign in demanding equal access to education for all students as no one should have to risk their health, and sanity in order to learn. The university cannot claim to be an equal opportunity institution while continuing to allow for discriminatory policies such as the complete removal of hybrid learning.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Comment

What colour is this? What colour is that? Do you see in black & white? Rob Barrie, Science & Technology Editor, talks about his personal experience with colour blindness

Rob Barrie Science & Technology Editor

t is common knowledge that red and green are the definitive antagonistic colours to represent many aspects in our daily lives. Yet, this acceptance seems extraordinary when 1 in 12 men (and 1 in 200 women) have difficulty distinguishing between the two colours. I was born with deuteranomaly – the inability to see certain hues of green, due to the lack of certain coloursensitive cells (cones) in my retina. This also has the added consequence of my eye not being able to differentiate some shades of green from red – hence the collective name redgreen colour blindness. The much higher prevalence of colour blindness amongst men is purely down to genetic reasons and the condition is a model example of sex-chromosome linked inheritance (in men it can only be inherited from the mother). But this article will focus on my personal experience of living with colour blindness, rather than the science. The question of how being colour blind affects me in daily life is difficult to answer. My father is a doctor and, aware of male members in my mother’s side of the family being colour blind, tested me at a relatively young age. Thus, I have never known a time when I wasn’t colour blind. Nevertheless, there are incidences where

my lack of cone cells is evident. In university lectures, graphs plotted with red and green points to indicate two pools of data look identical. Cooking red meat is nigh impossible, because the colour of the meat hardly changes. When playing team-based video games, I often shoot players on my team by mistake as I cannot distinguish their green icon from the enemy red! Watching my football team Liverpool F.C., who wear red kits, is tricky. “Seeing” them against a green grass pitch is difficult to say the least. “Who are you passing to?!” is often exclaimed, only to be swiftly followed by an apology when I realise there is in fact a player at the far end of the pitch, perfectly camouflaged in his red jersey. Lastly, unless the words themselves are on the lock, I cannot tell if a toilet is engaged or vacant because the colours look the same – which makes pushing a cubicle door a daily lottery.

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I know I’m seeing a completely unique sunset to those around me – and there’s something rather magical about that. As you can tell, one can only find humour during such occasions in that they are harmless scenarios of colour merging. Video games incidentally have

@Rob Barrie colour blind settings, which I utilise. Obviously the same does not exist for live sporting fixtures, but one wonders if teams might adopt more extreme colours to aid colour blind spectators. It must be stated I am yet to encounter a situation of mistaking colours which either puts myself or others at harm. The green of a traffic light, for example, has added blue hues to make differentiation from red easier. Society therefore does have provisions in place, but, in truth, they are sparse. The London Underground map, for example, though beautiful, is possibly the least colour blind friendly item in existence. I have a suspicion that society’s disregard for colour blindness is in part due to lack of education at school (and, more generally, in wider life). It’s

rarely given its due platform – and if it is talked about in a biology classroom, it merely serves as a vehicle to explain genetic inheritance. The resulting hurdles that individuals with colour blindness face are ignored. The ignorance of this condition bears itself most evidently in social conversation. If and when the topic arises, the usual, monotonous questions are directed to me. What colour is this pencil? What colour is that folder? Can you see grass? Like a lab rat being asked to complete behavioural tasks, it quickly becomes tedious. I understood the interest amongst peers as a child, but it was bemusing, yet simultaneously insightful, that the condition is still so poorly understood in my adult life. I do not, it must be said, place blame on

my peers, but instead on poor scientific communication of the sociological consequences of it. Despite all of this, I wouldn’t change my vision. If corrective retinal surgery were to become available, I would decline it. I find it fascinating that I see the world in a different way to others and that, by having different eyes, my brain extracts and decodes wavelengths of light in its own special way. As a lover of wildlife photography, I assume my photographs are unique in their colour composition because I will naturally find different lighting angles to others. It’s why when I watch the sun slowly set over countryside fields on a warm summer evening, I know I’m seeing a completely unique sunset to those around me – and there’s something rather magical about that.

The Art of Helping Yourself Megan Whitehead Staff Writer

eople are a lot like plants. We feel our best with plenty of water, sunlight, and energy. But when these things are lacking, we dwindle and become less vibrant versions of ourselves. The only constant thing in your life is you, and your relationship with yourself should be a healthy one. It’s something that’s a lot easier said than done and there are so many obstacles in the way of creating a fulfilling relationship with yourself, but it is also the very best thing you could do for yourself. Something I’ve found to be a good starting point for looking after yourself is the concept of energy takers and givers. Think about the things that make you feel energised and motivated

versus things that make you feel drained and make a list. For example, things that give me energy are spending time in nature, doing the exercise I enjoy and having a good routine.

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When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. Things that drain my energy are spending too much time with people who don’t uplift me, overthinking and spending too much time on social media. Once you have a clear list of your energy givers and drainers, adjust your life accordingly. Prioritise the things that make

you feel whole and start to shift your time away from the things that leave you feeling empty. Another stepping stone on the path to wellbeing is forming healthy habits. They don’t have to be big commitments, but there are a lot of little things I’ve started doing which have transformed the way I feel about myself. The power of writing down all your thoughts and making sense of them on the page in front of you is underestimated. When things feel heavy and you are overwhelmed is when journaling is especially rewarding. But journaling doesn’t even have to be as deep as that. You can just use it to plan your days or weeks, reflect on the time you’re having and just have a physical copy of what’s inside your head. It’s also such a good way to see the progress

you’re making and see how far you’ve come from past versions of yourself. Start small, maybe just a sentence a day, until it becomes a habit. Write down what you’re grateful for too! It makes such a difference in your mindset and outlook when you focus on the good things happening in your life. Movement is medicine. Exercise isn’t everyone’s thing and that’s okay, but moving your body is a guaranteed way to lift your mood. Take a walk, do some yoga, run, go to the gym – move your body in any way that feels good to you. Getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine has the ability to change your mind set for the day, don’t underestimate it. It can be hard and sometimes I really have to force myself, but I’ve never regretted moving my body.

Getting out of a dark placementally is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but when you start implementing small changes in your life, they add up and slowly you start to feel like you’ll be okay. When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. It all starts within you.

@Flickr

Arts • Music

The Badger 10th of March 2022

The Badger X URF

URF’s Ones to Watch: An interview with Emily Nash DylaniBryant Music Editor

mily Nash is an up-andcoming DJ and producer from Worcestershire. In Summer 2021, Emily signed with the legendary Ministry of Sound, and her newest single, ‘Garden’, is being played by radio stations and DJs across the UK. Emily has over 360,000 monthly listeners on Spotify (and counting!) and is looking forward to seeing what 2022 has in store for her. Emily is a DJ after our own hearts, telling us that Brighton has a “nice vibe” and that she’d love to come back and visit here soon. URF caught up with Emily to ask her about her plans for the year ahead, her inspirations and journey so far. Thank you so much for having a chat with us today! We would really love to know how you got into DJing and producing – Has it always been a passion or something that you discovered later? “I got into music production after I left King Charles School. I didn’t get the GCSE maths grade that I needed to stay on at the Sixth Form, so I went to the local Kidderminster college instead. They asked me

what I was interested in and wanted to study, and I ended up on the music production course there. Whilst I was there, I uploaded some tracks to the BBC uploader, and I later got a notification that my track was being played on BBC Hereford and Worcester. From there, I was contacted by BBC Introducing...’s Jaguar who gave me my first play on Radio 1. It really opened a lot of doors for me.” ...and you’ve been super busy ever since! What was your highlight of 2021 and how is 2022 going for you so far? “Two of the biggest highlights of 2021 have got to be DJing at Leeds Festival and Creamfields. They were only like my second ever gigs so it was an amazing experience and I’m so thankful that I got to perform at them. In a couple of weeks, I’m going to DJing at Printworks and in March I’m going to be playing at The Warehouse Project with MK, which I’m super excited for.” You’re definitely booked and busy! You’re not only performing around the country but producing and releasing your own music too. What was it like signing for

@Instagram the Ministry of Sound? “So, I signed with the Ministry of Sound in Summer 2021, I remember them sending me an email and being like ‘there’s no way that they’re actually going to sign me’. But then I sent over a couple of demos, one of which is now my single ‘Garden,’ and their reaction was really positive. Pete Tong even gave it a listen and then I was signed!” Radio remains an important part of the industry and getting your music out there. You just mentioned your newest single ‘Garden,’ how does it feel to see your track getting so much love and plays? “The first week that it was out I got a notification through saying that ‘Garden’ had been added to the Capital Dance playlist and then it was being played on Radio 1 by Danny Howard and Sarah Story. I’m so grateful that people want to play my music and for the support that the single is getting.”

@Instagram

What are your major musical influences, and what would be your dream collaboration as a DJ and producer? “Three of my biggest musical influences are MK, Gorgan City and Duke Dumont. I’m also a big fan of Annie Mac, I remember seeing her DJing at Glastonbury and being like ‘wow, if she can do that, there’s

no reason why I couldn’t do it too’. I think that she opened a lot of doors for female DJs in the industry. I would absolutely love to collaborate with Becky Hill. She actually mentioned me in the Shuttle, my local newspaper, and sent me a DM on Instagram! I kept looking back at my phone like ‘no way’!” We’re manifesting that collaboration for you, that would be sick! You mentioned that you’re DJing at Printworks and The Warehouse Project, but is there a dream festival or venue that you would like to play? “Definitely Glastonbury. I went every year growing up and it played a big part in shaping my music tastes and I guess forming who I am as an artist too. Performing at Glastonbury is definitely a big dream of mine.” What would you say to anyone trying to start a career within the music industry? Do you have any advice for those who want to get their music out there and heard? “I’d say that if you’re into it and it’s what you want to do, definitely go for it. I’d also say to be patient, there’s a lot of waiting involved. You might be trying to get your music out there or be looking to get booked and you might not get any emails or messages back, but stick with it and keep trying.”

What’s your favorite track at the moment? “I’ve been listening to a lot of Gorgon City’s older albums and I really like their track ‘Imagination’. Especially at the moment when we’re looking towards summer and it really puts you in that summer mood. It’s a constant part of my Spotify playlists for sure.” What’s the last song that you listened to on Spotify? “‘Be Somebody’ by Becky Hill.” Emily Nash’s single ‘Garden’ is out now and available on Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music. Emily would like to thank everyone that has supported ‘Garden’ so far and that has listened to her music. URF would like to thank Renegade Music for giving us the opportunity to interview Emily.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Arts • Film and Television

Shows that deserved a second season

A look back on some of our favourite shows that were wrongfully stopped short

e all know the feeling. Finding a good show is hard, but when you finally find the one, it's like falling in love. But alas, soon comes the heartbreak as we hear our beloved series has been axed, destined to be a one-hitwonder. Here, we explore some of our favourite heartbreaks. Issy Anthony Film & TV Print Editor

Freaks and Geeks It feels best to start with the show that famously deserved another series. Ah, Freaks and Geeks, you defined my sixth form years. Set in 1980, I promptly became obsessed with all their end-of-the-era tastes: their music, their clothes, even their furniture. We’re thrown into high school life in Michigan, and the ordinariness of the everyday is what sets the perfect backdrop for the characters’ self exploration. Yes, it does unfortunately have James Franco, but it also has Jason Segel, Seth Rogen and Linda Cardellini, so I think we can forgive them for that. I have to warn you, though, upon reaching the end of the

@Hulu painfully short season, you will enter a state of mourning, so make sure you watch it when you have time to properly enjoy and cherish the show, and say goodbye to it. I know this sounds overly dramatic, and perhaps it was just me, but this show really made me reevaluate my life. Happy viewing! Mansi Tailor Staff Writer

High Fidelity Zoe Kravitz plays the role of Rob in Hulu’s High Fidelity; the ultimate music fan who owns a record shop and backgrounds her life with Prince, Bob Dylan

and Ann Peebles, among others. She knows everything that there is to know about music and by extension, about love. However, her personal relationships aren’t as successful as she, and the viewers, might want. Rob breaks the fourth wall as she relates her experiences to music, and to the audience. Her story is our story. She serves as a sad, lonely protagonist whom the viewer can root for. She has a salty love life, good friends who are around, the occasional good looking person to distract her and, most importantly, the eventual desire to turn her life around. She struggles through a smoking addiction throughout the season; the

old lady across her window, smoking and looking into her apartment serving as a crude look into the future. There is so much that the show could have, and should have, explored. Whilst Rob catching up with her top five heartbreaks begins as a satisfying thing to watch, this disintegrates into emotional turmoil, as is typical for the show. A potential second season could’ve given Rob the chance to be by herself, without the hold of a romantic partner, to explore and understand her own life as an individual. The show had the potential to show Kravitz’s versatility as an actor, and give her character the opportunity for deeper experiences. If nothing else, High Fidelity deserves a second series for its ability to broaden the audiciences' music taste alone! Emma Norris Film & TV Online Editor

The Bisexual Written and starring Desiree Akhavan, alongside Maxine Peake, The Bisexual is a beautiful, hilarious, drama-filled show

that follows protagonist Leila as she leaves her long-term, lesbian relationship to explore her own, repressed, bisexuality. What the show does best is its engagment with humour and irony to tackle contemporary stereotypes and prejudices held against the bisexual community, often by LGBT people themselves. Leila, a self-proclaimed ‘gold star lesbian’, in the haze of the London art and party scene, struggles to accept her experimentation with men and battles through internalised biphobia, in an attempt to tell her friends of her newly discovered identity. The show refuses to shy away from the taboo, instead approaching it full-force; Akhavan’s characters are often outspoken, problematic but above all, incredibly likeable, causing me to have an immediate attachment to the show. Whilst it's true that all good things must come to an end, the show's failure to be picked up for a second series is heartbreaking; the show's end after 6 episodes left so much room for further character development, making it hard to leave them behind.

Queer as Folk: A Groundbreaking Show

A reflection of Russel T Davies’ show, and what it meant for the LGBT community

Stephen Arkley Staff Writer

he year is 1999. Nearly half of the U.K population think that homosexual sex is “always or mostly wrong”. Section 28 is still in force and would remain so until 2003. The gay age of consent is 18. Five years before that, the age of consent was 21. It’s a bit of a myth to say that homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967. It was legalised. Which means to say it was decriminalised under specific conditions: above the age of 21, in complete privacy, between two people, with nobody else present in the house. Just a year before Queer as Folk aired, seven men in Bolton were convicted of homosexual offences, with two given jail time. Following the AIDS epidemic, the British press were severe in their reaction to anything LGBT related. When Byker Grove ran a gay storyline just a

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few years earlier, The Sun called for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked.

Gay life on Canal Street was shown as what it was: unrelenting. So when Queer as Folk first aired, just over 23 years ago, on the 23rd of February 1999, the climate very much ran against it. Channel 4 pushed the show back to a 10pm slot in fear of its reception. But the show was paradigm shifting. Not just for all the gobsmacked homophobes who watched it. But for the LGBT campaigners and HIV activists. The show made no mention of condoms or safe sex. HIV and AIDS were never spoken of. Friends of the characters in the show had died a few years ago but it was never given a name. A representative for Stonewall mentioned at a press event that the show was

a “missed opportunity”, that he had never met any gay men who were sexually promiscuous or who did drugs. Following the AIDS crisis, most gay representation of the time was sanitised. Gay men were sexless, in longterm, committed relationships with their boyfriends. Hetero relationships minus the weddings and kids. Queer as Folk changed all that. Gay life on Canal Street was shown as what it was: unrelenting. Life ran fast and hard. The characters in the show partied, shagged anything that moved, and did whatever drugs they could get their hands on. The intention wasn’t to sanitise the gay community, to tidy it up and brush away anything unseemly. The intention was to show the gay community as they actually were, based on Russell T Davies’ own experiences on Canal Street which included the wonderful and the shocking and horrific.

I think today’s LGBT representation is cheap in comparison. I will frequently wake up now to find a cascade of articles by the gay press on the tiniest crumb of representation from Disney or Netflix. I agree with Russell T Davies when he said that the bisexual representation in Loki was “a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told”. We should demand more than a background gay kiss that will just be airbrushed out when it comes to screening in other countries. Russell T Davies has devoted his entire career to telling these stories, of gay men who fall in love with women, of straight men who fall in love with men, of all the nuances and ambiguities that elude our boundaries and our categories. It’s perhaps cliché to say at this point, but Pride started with a protest. We shouldn’t be complacent with the crumbs of LGBT

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representation we get from corporations today, instead, we can and should demand more.

The intention wasn’t to sanitise the gay community

@IMDb

Arts • Theatre

The Badger 10th of March 2022

The Legacy of Aeschylus

Theatre Editor Ali Arief speaks on the legacy of the Greek Play ‘The Persians’. Ali Arief Theatre Editor

felt a certain kind of peace when I would enter my Classical Civilisation class. My teacher was an enigmatic man, who took immense pleasure in teaching ancient history, dramatically reading us The Odyssey and The Aeneid in a way that was akin to a performance. We, as his class, would hang onto his every word, absorbing and imagining what is like to be a part of those Greek and Roman mythologies, laughing and discussing animatedly on the misadventures of the Gods and their heroes. My passion for History shone its brightest when I was in those classes. After our AS year had finished and we had proceeded onto A2, we were no longer reading Homer and Virgil, but had instead moved onto the literal history of the Greeks, with a focus placed on the literary minds of the time. As the term was ending, our teacher announced that we would be studying The Persians by Aeschylus, a lively play that is based in historical fact, rather than a fictional work of heroes and Gods. We can see this play as a form of Greek propoganda, detailing the defeat that the Persians had suffered to the Greek

army at the battle of Salamis. This play has stuck with me ever since I first studied it. The structure of Greek plays is a thing of which I find fascinating, as the absence of a single narrator presents the play as an all-encompassing experience, involving audience and uniting them through the role of the Chorus who comment on the situations that the characters find themselves in which is reminiscent of the role of malcontent, however they are body of which the audience can emphasise with, being involved with the story but not taking up a central role. In The Persians, we see a heavy political commentary involving the debate around Greek democracy and absolute monarchy, a discourse which has lasted for centuries. This play shows us aftermath of the battle, showing us the desolation of which the Persians find themselves in. Aeschylus is quick to portray the Persian society in a negative light, using the word ‘barbaric’ to describe Persian society and culture, the Persians themselves referring to their own people with this word. What has stuck with me so fervently is this ancient example of xenophobia, promoting democracy as forward thinking and progressive, and the other society as

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regressive and backwards, a rhetoric which still used today.

The play could also serve as a warning against arrogance and hubris, a lesson to the Athenians that though they have been victorious, the Gods would punish hubris and cockiness if needed, and it wouldn’t be gentle. The play serves to champion Athenian democracy as sacrosanct, a clap on the back for the Greeks who have fought this war for dominance. He presents the Persians as opulent, over emotional, and slaves to their desires, attitudes of which would have been abhorrent to the platonic democratic Athenians at the time. From a religious standpoint, this play is also fascinating. Aeschylus was a member of the Athens major dramatic competition named the festival of Great Dionysia; a festival put on to honour the Greek God Dionysus. Every piece of theatre performed at this festival was an offering to the divine, the act of putting on a performance was seen as ritualistic religious act to gain the God’s favour,

with two others plays that was based in mythology, these plays being Phineas and Prometheus Pyrkaeus. In putting on The Persians, Aeschylus was offering this piece of propaganda to the divine, perhaps to gain the God’s favour so that the Athenians would win more battles and succeed in war. The Persian King Xerxes is a character who captured my attention with earnest. Xerxes, often known as the Mad King, is deep in grief. After losing the battle against the Athenians, he returns from war broken and losing his mind, with his kingdom at significant risk. Aeschylus is sympathetic in this portrayal, showing us the humanity and horrors in war. Though this piece is propaganda, it is a tragedy, and the play is deeply sad, showing not only the grief of the war but also the grief of losing a parent as the Persian King Darius becomes back from the dead to shock of the Queen Atossa. The Chorus is keen to emphasise this grief, with audible sobs in the background in the Persian court. As stated, the Chorus seem to be with the audience, being on the periphery of the play, involved but on the side-lines. Perhaps Aeschylus was inviting his audience to grieve with the Persians, wanting to emphasise that although

they had won a triumphant victory against the Persians, grieving with their loses would do well for the Athenians. The play could also serve as a warning against arrogance and hubris, a lesson to the Athenians that though they have been victorious, the Gods would punish hubris and cockiness if needed, and it wouldn’t be gentle.

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In putting on The Persians, Aeschylus was offering this piece of propaganda to the divine, perhaps to gain the God’s favour so that the Athenians would win more battles and succeed in war. It sets a humiliating scene, one that is sombre and quiet. The Athenian audience would have not been in celebration when this play would’ve been performed. It’s fascinating to see the legacy of this play. It serves as a very ancient example of democratic propoganda and xenophobia, whilst also critiquing war and grief. Every single theme in this play are subjects of which we are still facing in today’s world. This play serves a tragic work of art.

@Fictionphile

Arts • Books

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Top Five Books on Identity

Ancient and magical is the tradition and art of storytelling. Literature can offer us explanations for human behaviour, it can draw out our hidden feelings, and it can connect us. In times of uncertainty and darkness, many of us turn to the comfort and wisdom found in a book. Here I discuss my top picks for books that explore identity and lived experiences... Saskia May Books Editor The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers (1946) With frequent analepsis - a narrative technique where a past event is described in the present time - the linear narrative of this novel and an orderly sense of time is disrupted, creating a sense of the uncanny. A lanky, motherless twelveyear-old living in a sweltering Southern town, Frankie Addams finds herself at odds, for she ‘belonged to no club and was member of nothing in the world. Frankie had become an unjoined person’. Frankie’s brother is to be married and she yearns to join the wedding, to become a member of the party and escape from her hometown. For anyone that has ever felt the ennui of spending a Summer in a small, quiet place, this is a must read. McCullers masterfully captures Frankie’s sense of loneliness and alienation as she faces expectations of becoming a heterosexual adult. We are not informed of Frankie’s somatic bodily changes, so that a coherent tale of female puberty is withheld. McCullers masterfully depicts a woman whose body does not have to signify womanhood, or the supposed telos of human development; heterosexual reproduction. In this short yet unsettling read, McCullers portrays the pains of yearning and severs the notion of the dynamic, futurist adolescent.

The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath (1963) Haunting, poetic, and strange, The Bell Jar is a must read when it comes to identity. I read this book in the Spring of the first lock down, and it was an immersive and needed slip away from reality. It could seem like the pretentious book of choice by an English lit student, one that bears similarities to a Quentin Tarrantino film fanatic who will mansplain ‘Pulp Fiction’ to you at any given moment, but I promise that The Bell Jar offers far more. I will warn you though, that this is in many ways, a harrowing and gritty read. In 1953 Esther Greenwood spends her Summer in New York City as an intern at a magazine. Returning to her home of Massachusetts, Esther is rejected for a writing course taught by a famous author and with her self-esteem shaken, her future hopes disrupted, and her sense of alienation growing, she experiences a psychic break. I have often felt the fervent need for academic validation, a point of reference to define myself by, so this book resonated with me. Esther’s identity has been constructed around her academic achievements, and facing failure for the first time, she must consult what it truly means to exist without the validation of grades or scholarships. As a reader, you come to struggle with placing Esther’s sense of self-image just as she does, questioning what exactly constitutes reality.As her mental state worsens Esther is sent to hospital and

@Saskia May

captures the image of her depression; being trapped under a bell jar, unable to breathe. It is through electric shock therapy that Esther re-enters the world - reborn through death- the bell jar broken and lifted. Plath does not romanticise mental illness and whilst the book captures great pain, there is hope for recovery. The Bell Jar is a book that never loses its grip on you, uncanny, and beautiful. Geovanni’s Room, James Baldwin (1956) A classic Queer text, Geovanni’s Room is one of those magical, tragic books that you will never be able to forget. Baldwin captures a doomed love affair in Paris between American narrator, David, and Italian bartender, Geovanni. The novel strips away the American myth of fresh starts, depicting the shame that David has always felt due to his sexuality and has spent a lifetime trying to run from. For David, Geovanni is not only beautiful, but appears devoid of feelings of shame, bringing to him a joy and a freedom that he has never before encountered. Yet David can never break free of his self-loathing, leading to the demise of not only his own happiness, but Geovanni’s too. Featuring poetic descriptions of early morning Paris markets and heart wrenchingly painful moments of tenderness and despair, this is a book that captures a character struggling deeply with his identity. Finishing this book, I felt a little empty inside, as if I too, had lost something. Geovanni’s Room is Baldwin’s only book which features only white characters. Questioned on this choice, Baldwin, a queer Black man, claimed that he could not tackle both the evils of racism and ignore the agonies of homophobia; for him, they were insidiously intertwined. American identity, according to Baldwin, is a series of tales, a defence by which one shields and escapes, as David does, from horrific realities. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre Lorde (1982) A beautiful and memorable coming of age story, Audre Lorde’s Zami is rich in its exploration of the different constituents of identity, from race, and class, to sexuality, to body image. Consulting her experiences of life as a queer, Black woman in the 40s and 50s, Lorde’s work enables us to re-

@Saskia May flect on what it means to live and to love amidst a patriarchal, racist, and homophobic American society. Zami is an important read regarding intersectionality, the term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, who built on the idea of former black feminists. For Crenshaw, intersectionality is about how multiple identities – race, sex, gender, class, disability, sexual orientations, – overlap - in addition to the ways that these identities relate to systems of privilege and oppression. Zami works to celebrate different elements of identity and does not, as Crenshaw notes, ‘treat race and gender as mutually exclusive categories of experience and analysis’. From struggles of heartache, financial worries, and academic pressure, Lorde takes us into her grief, triumphs, and love affairs. ‘If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other peoples fantasies for me and eaten alive’, Lorde writes, capturing the urgent need for her to assert her identity. Lorde’s exploration of her sexuality and consideration of motherhood, of all female bonds, brings to mind the ‘Lesbian continuum’ which Adrienne Rich mentions in her essay ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality’. This was a special read for me and would be one

of my ‘desert island’ books. It is sensual, candid, and a wonderful take on the strength and magic of female relationships. Girl, Woman, Other, Bernadine Evaristo (2019) A modern classic, Girl, Woman, Other explores the interconnected lives of twelve predominantly black British women. Raising timeless and topical questions surrounding race, gender, and class, Evaristo chooses to forgo punctuation, instead creating a work that reads more like poetry than traditional prose. Whilst characters are united by the struggles of living under the patriarchy, Evaristo delves into the differences of their lived experiences, shining a light on colourism and class struggle. Witty and searingly honest, the characters consult complex mother-daughter relationships, sexuality, and what it means to be a black woman in the UK in the 21st century. From a lesbian playwright, to a non binary speaker, to a teacher, and a banker, Evaristo captures a breadth of realistic and realised identities. Each chapter awakens readers to a point of empathy where they come to understand and appreciate the differences of other characters. Evaristo’s work not only covers grief, loss, and heartache, but celebrates joy, friendship, creativity, and the beauty that comes in appreciating a wealth of unique identities.

Artist Focus: Louisa Kazig

Did you start with a digital medium right away?

Louisa Kazig is a visual artist born in Berlin and based in Brighton. She opens up about her journey as an artist and as a small business owner. She talks about her experience of starting a small business which is now expanding its horizons. Louisa has designed the university tote bag that we so frequently adorn and her roster of work is full of quirky products that can be used on the daily.

I did lots of different things before, drawings, paintings. I did not exactly know what my niche was, what I wanted to do, it took me quite a while to figure that out. I even did monoprinting! In 2020 I felt comfortable enough to go out in the open and make a career out of it. How is that working out? Yes, it’s good. I work as a graphic designer in a full-time job, which I really enjoy, and I have a small business on the side which gives me a nice balance. My graphic design has a serious structure, lots of rules to follow and in my side business I can be creative, and I can do what I want which is nice. It lets me explore a lot of other artistic areas as well. I can work a lot with different colours and look at things that are maybe trendier and work with that. You said you started during the first lockdown. Has your business changed or evolved during the lockdown(s)?

Yeah, during the beginning of the lockdown I just did prints, started selling prints, used that as the main outlet for my business, very minimalist wall décor, prints, and that evolved into student cards, stationary, homeware. From your starting point to today, do you think you’ve gained a sort of expertise? Yes, I would say so. I’ve made so many mistakes which is mainly what I learn from. Especially, during the lockdown. I didn’t know anyone else that did the same, you see some people on Instagram, but that’s about it. You must figure out everything yourself, do a lot of research, do courses, and watch a thousand YouTube videos. You just try and fail with many things, many failed projects and I just learned from that. I’m only at the beginning so I am still learning loads, which is great as well. I think my job, my full-time job, helps me there as well because through graphic design you do learn lots of things, like colour theory so that helps as well. When did you start painting? Professionally, I’ve been doing graphic design and illustrations since 2020, during the first lockdown. Art was also always my favourite subject at school. I’ve done enough drawing and painting courses even when I was working. I also studied fashion design, which also has a big art aspect to it.

Was it daunting to launch your small business? Yeah, absolutely.You don’t know if you should just go out and go big, make that big spend, and hope for the best, or if you should be a little cautious. I’m probably more risk-averse than other people. I wouldn’t just go out and buy massive stock and studio and whatever so I kind of did it bit by bit.

The Badger 7th of March 2022

Do you run your small business from your home, or do you have an office? I do it from home. I have a home office, kind of turned it around. It’s better than before, I fill all my stock there and made sure that it’s very separate from my whole living space as well so that I can kind of feel like I’m going home rather than sort of working all day in my living space. How has your relationship changed with your art as opposed to when it was your hobby and now that it has a commercial value? Definitely, I think before I kind of looked at things like you know even looking at these book covers (we are sitting at the Waterstones café). I would’ve just thought that it looks beautiful, Now when I look at the book covers, I think “I love these colours, I love the way they kind of work together’’, that’s something I can incorporate into a design. It’s still quite enjoyable, drawing without the aim of necessarily making money with it, just for fun. I have loads of sketches at home that I probably will never finish, a part of me is still there.

Do you plan on expanding your business into something else? Yeah, I think so. I think currently I’m in the early stages of working on a wholesale basis. I’m slowly getting my product into shops, some of the shops I have a direct relationship with, some through wholesale platforms. I think, especially after the pandemic, people love going into shops and love seeing things, touching things and that’s not something I can really provide other than markets which happen only a couple of times a year. There are so many shops in Brighton and around the area to help me with that kind of a thing. Just around the south coast, there are a few creative hubs. Louisa’s work is dominantly student centric and the colourful life of Brighton is clearly celebrated in her prints. Where to find Louisa’s artwork: www.louisakazig.co.uk Instagram: @louisakazig Words by Mansi Tailor

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Arts • In Review

The Era of Re-Mythologisation

Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month: Audre Lorde “Black, Lesbian, Mother, Warrior, Poet”

Alice Stevens Arts Online Editor

GBTQ+ History Month is an important time to celebrate, educate and reflect on the issues the community has and still faces. The main aim of the month is to recognise our community’s resilience, important milestones and its rich history to promote the well-needed movement toward an inclusive and equal world, especially for those who are still heavily excluded and marginalised. The theme for this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month is ‘Politics in Art’, referencing the rallying slogan of feminist activists from the 60s: ‘the personal is political’. This political argument encompasses how art is an important form of personal expression and activism that helps portray the experiences and barriers that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people face to this day, and ways to promote positive inclusive social change. To celebrate this past month, I would like to shine a spotlight on one of my LGBTQ+ icons, Audre Lorde. Audre Lorde (1934 –1992) was a selfdescribed “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” whose work has helped shape feminist academia and the fight against social injustices such as sexism, racism, classism and homophobia. Lorde published her first volume of poetry, First Cities, in 1968 and cofounded (alongside Beverley and Barbara Smith) ‘Kitchen Table: Women of Colour Press’ in 1980. Kitchen Table aimed to publish books that promoted work written by women of colour of all racial, ethnic, and sexual orientations, becoming the world’s first-ever publishing company run by women of colour. The organization helped to highlight the specific issues women of colour face, whilst also fighting the employment gender gap. Kitchen table and other independent feminist presses have played an important role in creating political change by forming inclusive platforms for all women of colour, making past virtually inaccessible literature, accessible to all. As an avid reader myself, Lorde’s

work (predominately Sister Outsider) has personally helped opened my eyes to the fundamental importance of intersectional feminism and speaking out even when we are afraid to do so… “and when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed but when we are silent we are still afraid So it is better to speak remembering we were never meant to survive” -Audre Lorde, The Black Unicorn: Poems Lourde highlighted that one’s silence will not protect us from being marginalised, an important concept we must consider when thinking about those who sadly do not have a voice in our social world. “Those of us who stand outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in the crucibles of difference -- those of us who are poor, who are lesbians, who are Black, who are older -- know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. And this fact is only threatening to those women who still define the master’s house as their only source of support.” — Audre Lorde, The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (1984) Audre Lorde is one of many revolutionary LGBTQ+ icons whose work has helped promote courage whilst simultaneously shaping today’s LGBTQ+ community. Although progress has begun since Lourde began her work, we still, unfortunately, have a lot of work left to do.

@Poetry Foundation

Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor

ver the past few years, there has been a surge in the number of mythological retellings in both literature, film and television. With these classic myths inspiring many authors, my bookshelf has definitely been hit by this recent popularisation of mythology. I am sure that many of you were also fans of the Percy Jackson book series as kids, a series that used the stories from Greek mythology in a modern setting, making these tales more accessible and frankly more relatable. Madeline Miller is an author who we can see as hugely successful as an author retelling the stories of Greek mythology with her 2011 novel “The Song of Achilles” and “Circe” in 2018. I recently read “The Song of Achilles” after being lent it by a friend and read it in one sitting. The writing was beautiful, balancing both the bluntness of Patroclus and the beauty of love but also a really lovely introduction to the story of Achilles that was not too complex or hard to follow. The popularity of “The Song of Achilles” has definitely sparked a resurgence of Greek mythology in literature. With the likes of Homer and Hesiod writing on these myths as early as 800 BC, these stories have a long history. Looking back at the literature of Greek mythology, these stories have been used by the likes of William Shakespeare, James Joyce and Robert Graves. Here are some recommendations for novels if you fancy reading a retelling of the classic myths: “Ariadne”- by Jennifer Saint:Winning Waterstones book of the month in January 2022, this novel tells the story of the minotaur, Ariadne and Theseus. Taking Ariadne’s perspective, this novel offers a retelling from a female perspective and has been praised for giving a voice to one of the most influential, yet forgotten women of Greek mythology. “Mythos” - by Stephen Fry: Taking a more educational stance,

Stephen Fry’s 2017 book gives a beginner’s retelling of the original stories in an accessible and informative manner. “A Touch of Darkness”- by Scarlet St. Clair: This modern retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades is less educational and more romantic, portraying Hades as a club owner in the mortal world. If you’re wanting something a bit more lighthearted and in a modern setting, then this might be for you! “The Silence of the Girls”- by Pat Barker Retelling the story of Homer’s epic poem “The Iliad”, Pat Barker tells the story of Briseis after the Trojan War, when her city is captured by the Greeks and she is given as a war prize to Achilles. This is an incredibly powerful novel demonstrating the significance of women in Greek mythology. Briseis’ story is also briefly told in Miller’s “The Song of Achilles”. Using these examples, it is evident how popular modern retellings of Greek Mythology are currently. I think that the fact these stories are being recycled and enjoyed all over again is playing into this constant cycle of retelling in literature. We can see the use of fairy tales in lots of popular novels such as “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas and “Cinder” by Merissa Meyer. Authors are constantly taking inspiration from preexisting stories, and we can see this history even in medieval literature with the Chivalric romances of King Arthur, Gawain, Lancelot and Galahad with Chrétien de Troyes and Thomas Malory writing novels on these characters, adding to the popularity of the stories and this idea of retelling stories. The novel as a form is founded on the idea of retelling stories, Walter Benjamin wrote on this idea of storytelling moving from the verbal recounting of stories to the written form, demonstrating this inherent humane need to tell stories over and over again- “For storytelling is always the art of repeated stories, and this art is lost when the stories are no longer retained”.

@Instagram

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Travel & Culture • Food

‘Giggling Squid’ – Restaurant Review This cosy restaurant has left me with the best impressions! Hospitable hosts, delicious dishes, beautiful presentation, wide selection of wine and wonderful desserts. Aisha Kabir Staff Writer

iggling Squid is a MUST on your places to visit. It’s the cutest little spot with amazing food. The Thai green curry is exquisite and the staff that served us were very hospitable. We will definitely be back again considering how welcomed they made us feel which provided us with an amazing experience overall. The ambiance is very welcoming and charming. Amazing wines, food and service. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and make great recommendations. ‘Giggling Squid’ is ever expanding with around 42 restaurants and 29 of them situated within the UK. The food originates from Thailand and was founded by the amazing Pranee Laurillard, who chose to open her first restaurant in Brighton! I have to say, I enjoyed every single bite of my 3-course meal, with a cocktail on the side. I started the night off right with the ever-so flavoursome salt and pepper squid as my

starter to then moving onto my main course with a delicately spiced Thai green curry. And to finish it off, I had the melting heart chocolate pudding as my dessert. Considering the quality, the price is reasonable. You know what they say, quality over quantity! Ideal for those who want a romantic night out. There was also plenty of room for bigger groups. When we think about

celebrations, ‘Giggling Squid’ is always our first option, and it never disappoints. From the starter to the dessert, the quality and tastes of everything was outstanding. My particular favourite dessert was the melting heart chocolate dessert because the inner richness and gooey texture and the flavours dancing on my tongue with every spoonful was sensational. The seating arrangement is of

vital importance when eating out, as it can affect your choice of where to go. I found the arrangement at this restaurant to be inviting and intimate. There was a total of three floors; ground floor, first floor and second floor. The first two floors consisted of the dining areas and the second floor had immaculate bathroom facilities. Not only was the seating impressive but also the lovely

@Aisha Kabir

artworks on the walls of beautiful flower designs. Pranee mentioned in an interview that her inspiration for creating and designing the restaurant was an “opportunity to be different”. She has also said that she wanted to “create a different Thai vibe, not like the rest of Thai restaurants full of carved wood like a temple. I wanted to set my own trend and not just follow what other people had done. I wanted to wow people”. Do yourself a favour and visit this lovely restaurant in Brighton. The service is unmatched. The staff truly cares about your experience. The food is absolutely amazing – everything we tasted melted in our mouths. I have recommended this place to friends and family and would highly recommend to anyone reading this! This is an absolute favourite restaurant of mine in Brighton. The food is always fantastic and no matter what I order I am always delighted with my meal! Servers are always friendly and efficient, happy and polite. Can’t wait to return and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend

‘The Little Loaf’ – Review

With the year we’ve all had, and continue to have, good bread and cakes isn’t something anyone should compromise on... Mansi Tailor Staff Writer

ll of us deserve good bread and sweet pastries in our lives. ‘The Little Loaf’ fulfills these needs. Located in the Open Market, just opposite The Level, lies a quaint little French patisserie run by the nicest and most loving family. While the Open Market caters to many tastes and experiences, this patisserie comes out on top in my opinion. If you enter through London Road, it’s the second shop on the left and as soon as you’re in the vicinity, your nose knows before your eyes do. Once you feast on their large and delectable array of cakes and filled baguettes behind the glass counter, you’re sure to pick up several pieces. Take a stroll inside the shop as well, as they have a second cabinet inside the store displaying their beautiful tarts and cheesecakes. Whether it’s your everyday bread needs, a lunch break, or a pick me up pastry, to a

hangover sugary treat, they’ve got it all. Their menu consists of traditional French pastries such as croissants, pain au chocolats, pain au raisins, and their cinnamon danish is arguably the most massive cinnamon pastry in town. Same goes for their chocolate (and chocolate and walnut) brownies as well. The list goes on with a variety of tarts such as strawberry/ raspberry, apricot, pear, pear and chocolate and seasonally red plum. They’ve got the English classic, Bakewell tart too. The cheesecake is a light feathery treat with a hint of lemon, which is how the place smells- lemon zest and sugar. Their carrot cake is unlike any other I’ve had and is probably my favorite thing to eat there. I could eat a whole portion of the icing alone. They sell almond croissants; almond chocolate croissants and the list seems endless. For people without a sweet tooth, they’ve got savory options as well. You can choose from sausage rolls, pasties,

and a whole selection of filled baguettes. If you want, they can heat up your treats too. My absolute favorite savory treat from the place is a chicken, bacon, avocado on white baguette. The patisserie also has a fresh selection of quiches every day, the salmon and leek quiche smells astounding! The patisserie is a vegan friendly place with vegan delicacies included in each of

their sections. You get vegan pastries such as their fruit oaties, which might I add are heavenly, there’s vegan cupcakes, tarts, and even pasties and the filled baguettes have vegan options. The place is supremely pocket friendly which is always an added bonus, especially for students. The whole vibe of the place is cute and quaint. The people are really nice, the bread is great,

the cakes are droolworthy, and the savories are filling. However, do go early in the day as they close at 4 p.m. and the treats are almost sold out by then. The raspberry danish pictured here are one of the first to go! With spring approaching, ‘The Little Loaf’ is the perfect place to fill up your picnic basket, saunter around stammer park and fulfill your cottagecore aspirations.

@Carmel Attia

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Travel and Culture 26 March on March! – A Calendar of March Festivities The coming of March reminds us of the vitality in celebration... Mia Stuckey Travel & Culture Online Editor

estivities arising in many regions, religions and cultures offer opportunities for the worldly community to collaborate in celebration . Whilst this year an onslaught of devastation has permeated March’s rejuvenation, festivities offer a means for our worldly community to unite. The celebrations of life within a time where honouring our worldly community is vital , reestablish March’s honouring and commemoration of the past, present and future. March delivers an array of jollities to look forward to . This calendar of merriment may book out your diary for the forthcoming weeks, so beware of the party prep and get your event planner calling culminated. March 1st Mahashivratri Known as “The Great Night of Shiva,” this day marks a very significant event in India’s spiritual calendar. Today is the fourteenth day of the lunar month, and marks the day prior to the new moon. Shivratri (the new moon) marks the rejuvenation each month. But of all the monthly

Shivratri, Mahashivratri, holds the most spiritual significance. The northern hemisphere is positioned in so there is a natural upsurge of energy, elevating the human and the spiritual energy around. This is a day when nature is pushing us towards a spiritual peak. The celebration lasts all night - to allow the natural upsurge of energy to find its way into our lives. During the festival you are expected to stay awake and preferably stand all night. Although the natural energy of this delightful celebration will hopefully come your way , you might want some help from our good ol’ friend caffeine. March 1st Shrove Tuesday This Christian celebration is often formed of confession and absolution alongside the making of delicious pancakes with all the toppings ( obviously) .Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent . Lenten time was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven”. Pancake Day apparently originated when , in 1445 a housewife was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until

@The Independant she heard the church bells ringing for the service. You can always rely on pancakes to deafen your responsibilities March 1st Mardi Gras French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a celebration of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual of fasting of the Lenten season. In most years, crowds celebrate from dusk to dawn eating . March 1st Carneval Celebrated for centuries throughout Italy this name is derived from the words carne & vale ‘farewell to meat’ which explains the function of the celebration , the fasting of the Lenten season. Fasching is a similar festivity, while the Carnival of Brazil is for the same purpose there too . March 1st St David’s Day St David, the Patron Saint of Wales is celebrated today. You may want to take a trip over to Wales , as Pope Calixtus II decreed that two pilgrimages to St David’s would equate to one pilgrimage to Rome. Of course , along with all the parties , merriment and booze ! March 2nd - Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is observed mainly by the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestants . It takes place as a preparation for the period of Lent . March 3rd Day of Silence (Nyepi Day) Bali. Once a year, the island of Bali completely shuts down to pray for the purification of humanity, earth and the universe. Everything is closed and time seems to stand still. The bustling streets therefore are reduced to complete peace. The lead-up to Nyepi includes the colourful Malesti parades and a parade of giant papier-mâché demons on the Eve of this celebration.

@IWD

March 8th International Women’s Day

The global day allows us to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women. This important day also marks a need for action and to accelerate women’s equality across the globe The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is ‘ break the bias’ , to elevate women of the stereotypes, and assigned values so often the globe finds itself caught up in . Further a theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, shrouds this year’s goal for international women’s day, highlighting the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all. March 14th or 3.14th Pi day Pi Day celebrates our favourite irrational constant 3.1415926 .. the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Guess we all love a good circle. March 17th St Patrick’s Day This holiday observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. But has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. Drinks are most definitely not on me, my overdraft just won’t allow it! March 17th - Purim on the Jewish calendar. This holiday begins with dressing up in costume (many people choose to dress as characters from the Purim story) but must include listening to the story of Purim chanted from Megillat Esther (“The Scroll of Esther”) It is customary to make a lot of noise with a noisemaker called a ra’ashan every time Haman’s name is mentioned, to fulfil the obligation of blotting out Haman’s name. A tradition within this holiday

includes the performance of a Purim spiel, a skit of the Purim story . Any comedians willing to give that one a go ? March 18th- Laylat al-Bara’ah On the fourteenth of Sha’ban, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar and two weeks before Ramadan commences, Muslims seek forgiveness for their sins. Many Muslims believe that it is on this night that a person’s destiny is fixed by Allah for the coming year, and the night is often spent in prayer, asking for forgiveness and God’s guidance. Some Muslims fast during the daytime in preparation for the night. In certain parts of the world Muslims visit the graves of relatives, and the giving of charity is also traditional. March 18-20th Holi Day! This Hindu Festival is also known as the “festival of colours”, signifying the triumph of good over evil. Holi celebrations start on the night before with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed. The joyous sights of colours spread and smeared everywhere is a sight to behold. Everyone joins to cover each other with coloured powder and drench each other with water. March 20th Persian New Year or Nowruz meaning a ‘New Day!’ This is one of humanity’s oldest holidays, and although it may be often called Persian New Year, it predates the Persian Empire and can be traced back 5,000 years to the Sumerian and the Babylonian civilizations. Nowruz begins on either 20 March or 21 March, on the spring equinox, when the days and nights are equal lengths, with days then becoming longer signifying the arrival of warmer weather.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Travel and Culture

The Seven Sisters Cliffs

Travel & Culture Print Editor, Aishwarya Johnson Jogul, discusses the history and charismatic nature of this famous landmark... Aishwarya Johnson Jogul Travel & Culture Print Editor

he Seven Sisters Cliffs are a famous part of southern English coastline where sparkling white cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea. This peaceful setting is ideal for anyone seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and immerse themselves in rural England. Between Seaford and Eastbourne are these stunning white cliffs, which make for a terrific trekking day. I finally made it there in the first week of February this year, hiking along the iconic English cliffs. The hike was difficult in sections, but the landscape was simply stunning. One can easily get to seven sisters park centre by taking 12, 12A or 12X bus. The bus stops at the park centre where there is a café and help booth. The region is popular with hikers (the South Downs Way passes through here on its way to Beachy Head), ornithologists, canoeists, cyclists, and families out for a stroll and a picnic. The Seven Sisters were formed when a series of parallel valleys were cut into the chalk by streams that flowed when melting glaciers released massive amounts of water at the

@Wikimedia Commons end of the last ice age. Under typical conditions, the amount of rain that falls is insufficient to keep the streams flowing, because the majority of the water percolates down into the soft chalk, leaving “dry valleys” behind. The valleys have been left as vertical indentations in the line of the cliffs as the cliffs have been eroded by the sea, resulting in the “sisters” standing out clearly between them. The term “Seven Sisters” is derived from Greek mythology, where they were the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. When they died, they were

transformed into the Pleiades star cluster, popularly known as the Seven Sisters. However, there is one minor flaw with the Sussex version: there are eight separate peaks! To be fair, there were originally seven sisters (called Haven Brow, Short Brow, Rough Brow, Brass Brow, Flat Brow, Baily’s Hill, and Went Hill), but cliff erosion has resulted in the appearance of an eighth sister, Flagstaff Brow. Except from out at sea, it is said that the best view of the Seven Sisters is from Seaford Head to the west, where the land sticks out into the sea and

provides a view all the way to the Belle Tout lighthouse (now used as a guesthouse, the lighthouse had to be moved back from the cliff edge in 1999 to prevent it from falling into the sea!). There is a path that runs across Seaford Head and down to the sea level, with the scenery changing along the route. The full height of the cliffs is best understood when viewed from the shore. The Seven Sisters will not be around forever. The Belle Tout lighthouse had to be relocated as the cliff edge became dangerously close, and another re-

location is not ruled out in the near future. It is predicted that the cliffs are receding at a rate of around 18 inches every year. Considering that the arid valleys slant downwards towards the cliff edge, the point where each valley meets the edge will gradually rise. When erosion has brought the cliffs back as far as the head of each valley, the cliffs will be the same height all the way along, implying that the Seven Sisters will have vanished entirely. Thankfully, that is extremely rare in the lifespan of everyone reading this article!

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Science and Technology

The Divide of Science Engagement Staff Writer, Gina Brennan, discusses the government’s neglect of the working class in science engagement Gina Brennan Staff Writer

ublic engagement in the sciences is vital on both a societal and individual level, to create support for new and important projects and to allow the public to trust the sciences and follow career paths in the science sector. The government plans to increase public engagement with the sciences, but risks creating a divide in the areas of the public it is engaging due to its failure to recognise obstructions to engagement faced by disadvantaged people. A divide emerges, and the dangers of this divide are made clear. The government must recognise the barriers faced by people from deprived backgrounds, and implement plans to negate them. A major success story of government policy creating trust in science through a twoway dialogue with the public and researchers is Sciencewise. Sciencewise is a government funded programme that holds public dialogue exercises in science and technology research to inform policy making. Dialogue from

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Sciencewise excels in finding people from diverse backgrounds. Sciencewise projects has directly influenced the development of policy around science techniques, helping the public to feel informed and involved. Additionally, Sciencewise excels in finding people from diverse backgrounds, with lower socioeconomic groups making up the majority of those involved and quotas for gender, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic grade, and working status designed. This is crucial, as it is established that people from more deprived backgrounds find engaging with sciences more difficult than their more privileged peers. In order to rectify this, effort must be made to include people from working class backgrounds in science public dialogue. However, divides begin to become clear even with Sciencewise projects. The location of engagement projects is important, with many missing out much of the north of England. With northern areas home to the

majority of deprived regions in the UK it seems an oversight for them not to be involved. The north is already alienated from the scientific sector of the UK; The research and development (R&D) sector in the south east of England receives more than twice the monetary investment of the north west, and over nine times the investment of the north east. Regional divides in sciences must be negated, not amplified, by governmentled engagement, and so it is paramount that public dialogue takes place in an accessible way to those in less scientific-intensive regions. The less affluent are less likely to think that public dialogue makes a difference to policy, perhaps discouraging a culture of engagement in disadvantaged people. This lack of engagement is apparent in the attitudes of public from more deprived backgrounds; it has been found that they have less trust in scientists and science regulation. Illustrating the dangerous effects this distrust can have, a survey found that people on lower incomes are less willing to take the coronavirus vaccine and that this gap has widened over the pandemic from October 2020 to February 2021. Further engagement with groups on lower incomes, including engagement that should have taken place during vaccine development, would have created more confidence. The doubt around science people from deprived backgrounds have is a product of the failings of current public engagement efforts. Rather than villainising the working class for their mistrust, as the media is prone to do, more efforts must be made to engage and reassure them.

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The must that the higher and are also science

government recognise barriers to education employment barriers to engagement.

However, there are currently many issues surrounding the accessibility of science to people with deprived backgrounds. Fundamental conceptions of science are skewed, being viewed as ‘narrow’ and ‘not for us’ by families from deprived backgrounds. It is paramount

@Pixabay these ideas are tackled quickly, but the government has not recognised this issue in any plans for increasing public engagement. Additionally, social media is now the most common avenue of dialogue between researchers and the public. While this may seem widely accessible, it is fact that internet access is far less available to those on lower incomes. The so-called ‘digital divide’ in science engagement can only have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as exercises normally held inperson have moved online. This creates yet another barrier to those on lower incomes engaging with the sciences. Despite its promises of furthering public engagement, the UK government’s negligence in providing internet access to disadvantaged people is complicit in excluding them from science engagement. The availability of careers in the science field would also increase engagement. However, discrepancies in science education culminate in students from non-privileged backgrounds being less likely to study at top universities that the science sector generally recruits from. Additionally, it is documented that students from more deprived backgrounds find it more difficult to gain experience through internships and placements, oftentimes necessary for careers in the science sector. Furthermore, ever increasing tuition and rent costs can discourage lower income

students from coming to university. If the field seems out of reach, it is obvious people will not bother to engage with science. The government must recognise that the barriers to higher education and employment are also barriers to science engagement. By failing to provide basic accessibility to education and experience the government is failing to encourage science engagement.

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Basic barriers to engagement have not been addressed. The government, while not specifically outlining how it will engage disadvantaged students with a science career, provides the case study of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Oxfordshire Advanced Skills Centre. The government plans to work with UKAEA to appeal to and support disadvantaged apprentices. While in theory this plan seems excellent, its transparency is very apparent. This centre is based in Culham in Oxfordshire, an area in the least deprived 10-20% of England for income and one of the most highly funded areas for R&D in the UK. If the government plans to use it to attract disadvantaged people into R&D apprenticeships and professions, it is evident that it should have acknowledged the regional inequalities in the UK and placed it in a more socioeconomically and scientifically deprived region, such as the north east. This

would have encouraged more people in a severely deprived area to engage with the sciences. Placed where it is, the centre will have minimal impact on socioeconomic inequality in science careers, and will subsequently not significantly encourage further engagement from disadvantaged people. While the government has made efforts to increase public engagement with the sciences, basic barriers to engagement have not been addressed. Despite the obvious and pressing need to further engage the publics from deprived backgrounds and lower incomes in science the government has not published a plan to achieve this, nor included it in other plans in any substantial way. In failing to recognise the need to engage the disadvantaged members of the public and implement a plan to achieve this, the government is implicit in the exclusion of the working class from the sciences. This has negative effects for both society as a whole and working class individuals, feeling barred from the sciences and as a result mistrustful. This is down to the government’s failure in engaging the working class; if the government afforded the working class the same opportunities and inclusion it does the more affluent, a very different story would emerge. The government must be held accountable, and disadvantaged people should not take blame for the government’s inadequacies.

The Badger 10th of March 2022

Science and Technology

The Science Behind Starling Murmurations Rob Barrie, Science & Technology Editor, discusses the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of Brighton’s most famous natural phenomenon Rob Barrie Science & Technology Editor

etween November and March every year, one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles occurs after dusk each day, without fail. During the winter months, flocks of starlings flee from across Europe to escape harsh seasonal conditions. Brighton is a favourite destination for many of these migrating birds and upon arriving, they join the permanent British starling residents. This can create groups as large as 40,000 and this is reflected in the sheer density of murmurations. In truth, scientists do not know all the reasons why starlings put on this magnificent display before settling down for the night. They are, however, at least confident on two purposes. First, it is thought the murmurations, which obtained its name from the sounds of the wings as the starlings change direction, functionally serves to deter predators, such as falcons, from attacking. ‘Safety in numbers’ is a defence tactic utilised by many species. The second purpose originates from the sociality of starlings.

During the day, starlings feed across the Sussex countryside, and upon returning to roost on the Brighton coast, the murmuration acts as a perfect vehicle in which to exchange important information – such as successful or unsuccessful food routes. This communication of ‘foraging information’ is seen in other species of the animal kingdom, too. Honeybees, upon returning to the hive, conduct the famous ‘waggle dance’ which describes the direction and distance of a food source. A murmuration itself is an example of swarm behaviour. The wonderful pulsatile waves one sees on Brighton beach is an emergent behaviour resulting from careful coordination between thousands of individual birds. The question of how starlings self-organise to orchestrate a display of perfectly aligned flight paths is one that has brought the fields of biology and mathematics together. Swarming behaviour can, at its core, be described by three properties: separation, alignment and cohesion. A swarm needs to avoid crowding but also stay in close proximity, whilst also simultaneously flying in aligned trajectories. It was only until recently

that scientific studies could accurately record bird flocking. Before, only simple computer model simulations were run. Whilst the three parameters listed above could be altered to produce a spectrum of flocking models, understanding was limited due to the inability to accurately obtain data from flocking in the real-world. New insight came after a 2008 study, led by Michele Ballerini at the Centre for Statistical Mechanics and Complexity in Rome, which recorded threedimensional data from reallife murmurations. The results from the study, after crossexamination with previous models, suggest that starlings only pay attention to the nearest six birds. Therefore, starlings do not constantly process information from the entire flock. One can think of the flock being divided into many sub-units that each have overlapping members. Aligning multiple sub-unit flights is easier than aligning an entire flock of thousands of birds. In this manner, murmurations occur through topological geometry as opposed to metric geometry; i.e., starlings do not pay attention to other starlings within a set radius but instead

@Rob Barrie pay attention to the closest starlings at any given time. This underlying principle explains why a murmuration can elongate, stretch and bend without loss of integrity. This also has the added advantage of being versatile to flock number. If a starling only has to match its closest six neighbours, then, theoretically, the upper-limit of murmuration size is infinite. Despite the public interest that surrounds large-scale murmurations, starling numbers in Britain are falling at an alarming rate. The

population is estimated to have decreased by around 80% percent – human activity, unsurprisingly, is to blame. If we are to continue to observe in awe and wonder at this seasonal phenomenon, we must actively campaign to aid starling population recovery. Most importantly though, we must do this for the starlings themselves. As described in this article, large murmurations are a key behaviour for the survival and continuation of this beautiful species.

How COVID-19 Affects The Brain

Not just a respiratory disease: recent studies highlight how COVID-19 can affect the brain Ruta Cakla Staff Writer

number of viruses such as the flu, Zika and rubella are known to affect the brain and thus lead to neurological symptoms that do not go away even after the patient has made a recovery from the viral infection. This prompts the question whether it is also the case for the virus that has been on our minds for a while. During the earlier stages of the covid-19 pandemic, scientists came out with such claims that coronavirus might cause brain haemorrhage, stroke, and memory problems. Now, two years later, enough time has passed to allow researchers to investigate this question in more detail. Indeed, as of recently, more neuroscientists are coming out with various findings linking the virus to potential neurological and mental health consequences. For instance, experts have estimated that around a quarter

of covid-19 patients experience depression within the early stages of being infected. As the illness progresses, it is likely to lead to brain fog, forgetfulness, or trouble concentrating in nearly half of the patients with long-term covid-19 symptoms, a survey done in the US reports. Another study analysing the medical records from more than 200 000 patients who had been infected, showed that approximately a third of the participants were diagnosed with a psychiatric or neurological condition within six months of recovery from the virus. Interestingly, the neurological symptoms of long covid have been found to be similar to those that people with myalgic encephalomyeli tis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) might experience of the daily, state Spudich and Nath in their paper published in Science earlier this year. This is consistent with data from a survey conducted online, where the most common long

covid symptoms six months after the infection were fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and post exertional malaise (the worsening of symptoms after minimal physical or mental exertion). Furthermore, Spudich and Nath also stress that research into how longterm covid affects the nervous system might actually help with better understanding ME/CFS as the information available about these conditions is rather sparse. There has also been some insight into why the coronavirus might cause such problems. Covid-19 seems to differ from other viruses such as HIV in a way that it does not directly damage the brain tissue. Rather, it has been suggested that the reason why covid-19 seems to have such significant effects on the nervous system, might be the virus's impact on blood vessels reports Jessica Hamzelou to the New Scientist. Autopsy studies have shown that covid-19 might cause the walls of blood vessels in the brain

to become thinner, possibly leading to protein leakage out of the vessels, which may trigger the immune response. This idea is supported by the fact that research investigating the contents of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in covid patients, found changes in the immune cells within the fluid, especially noting that a higher production of chemicals that can have toxic effects on brain cells was observed. Such findings have prompted researchers at Stanford University to compare the brain fog characteristic of long covid to neurological problems often seen in cancer patients, which are thought to be evoked due to the way

that the immune system responds to chemotherapy. However, everything might actually not be as bleak as it seems. Some neuroscientists have speculated that even though the impact of covid-19 to the nervous system can result in long-term aftereffects, there is no reason to believe that these cannot be reversible. Rather, according to the before mentioned researchers at Sandford, there is potential for developing effective treatments against the virus’s damage to the brain through research which can additionally help with further understanding of other conditions that affect the nervous and immune systems.

@PxHere

Sport

The Badger 10th of March 2022

A Layman’s guide to F1 Before you say anything, no it’s not just cars going round and round in a circle.

Charlie Batten Sports Print Editor

1 is one of those sports that you either get really invested in or you can’t stand it. For example, our own Editor-inChief Georgia Keetch couldn’t think of anything more boring than spending two hours watching cars go round a track whereas I can’t think of anything better to do with my Sunday afternoon. In fact, I will plan out my weekends so that I don’t miss either the qualifying or the race of a Grand Prix which has often lead to arguments with my friends who want to do something they deem as much more entertaining. But how does it all work? F1 consists of 20 different drivers for 10 different teams who race on tracks around the globe in the hopes of winning either the drivers world championship, which recognises drivers individually, or the constructors championship, which recognises a team’s performance. So to start off I need to explain the structure of an F1 Grand

Prix. It takes place from a Friday to a Sunday and consists of 3 practice sessions on Friday and Saturday morning, qualifying on Saturday afternoon and then the race on Sunday. The practice sessions are an hourlong window for both drivers and teams to one, familiarise themselves with the track as every weekend is a new track and two, to see where the car needs improving or changing to suit the track better. This is where the engineers come in who are responsible for how the car works and how it drives. They are as important to a driver’s success as the driver themself as without a good car, no driver can perform well. After this, the qualifying session takes place on the Saturday afternoon and is where every driver gets a chance to drive the fastest lap possible. The fastest driver gets pole position and starts first on the grid at the race and the rest of the drivers go in descending order depending on how fast they were. On Sunday we get the race.

Here we get to see which driver is the fastest as they battle each other on track as well as seeing who has the best strategy. Within the race each driver will have to pit stop at least once to change the cars tyres as the fresher the tyres the quicker the car is and the more control the driver has driving. Also, the team will sometimes decide when the driver pit stops in order to get

them in a better position on track for when they leave the pits. It is often these pit stops that make or break a drivers race which is why it’s important to have a speedy pit crew who can quickly change a driver’s tyres. At the end of the race, drivers who finish in the top 10 are awarded points depending on where they finish with the maximum points being 25

@F1 for the winner. These points go towards each team and driver’s season title which decides who the champions are at the end of the season. Hopefully this brief explanation of how F1 works will show there’s more to it than just cars going round in a circle and maybe you might even watch the Bahrain GP in a couple weeks.

“It’s Something I Want All The Time” – The Rise of Edouard Mendy The story of possibly the most unlikely world class keeper

Joe Roberts Staff Writer

douard Mendy is touted as the best goalkeeper in the world, at least according to FIFA and UEFA as Mendy picked up both the Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season and the FIFA Best Goalkeeper awards for last season. To many fans, Mendy was an unknown element between the sticks, until his signing for Chelsea in September 2020 for a reported £22 Million. Little was expected of the former Rennes man, he was just expected to be better than the out of favor Kepa Arrizabalaga – that he was. Mendy’s meteoric ascension to becoming a Champions League and AFCON champion, among numerous personal accolades, has its seeds set in very humble and difficult beginnings. The town of Montivilliers in northern France has the pleasure of being Mendy’s birthplace in 1992. From the age of 13, Mendy bounced between various barelyprofessional teams in northern France, struggling to get his foot, or rather gloves, in the doorway of regular play time. He was ultimately released by

Cherbourg in 2014, without a club or a job. “I did genuinely have my doubts about whether I would carry on,”, Mendy later noted. From here Mendy sought unemployment benefits and

questioned whether he had a future in football and began seeking jobs outside of football. “It was back to unemployment. I held on and I believed in myself. My route took a little longer

@Wikimedia Commons

but it allowed me to put a lot of things into perspective, notably in general life, and to come back down to earth”. Seemingly another of the countless ‘I could have gone pro’ stories. A strike of luck for Mendy saw him recommended by former teammate Ted Lavie as a fourth choice/reserve keeper for Ligue 1 Marseilles. “I was just coming out of unemployment”, Mendy notes, “I was hesitating between two 4th division clubs. But Marseille called me and I quickly jumped at that”. While he made no appearances for Marseilles first team, his quality did not go unnoticed as he later moved down a division to play for Reims in Ligue 2 for regular first team football and shine in the French second division. His talent there led him to a move back to Frances’ top division playing for Stade Rennais, where his nine clean sheets helped his team finish third and qualify for the champions league for the first time in the clubs’ history. It was at Rennes where Mendy’s quality became apparent to the footballing world; his sixfoot six stature embodies his physical dominance in the box. This coupled with his exceptional

shot stopping, reflexes, vocal command of his penalty box and ability to claim crosses put him on the radar of the elite European clubs – Chelsea came sniffing, and the rest is just the start of his elite football history. “I didn’t always want to be a goalkeeper, but I didn’t have much of a future further up the pitch. I was asked to go in goal, and everything happened naturally after that”.

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I did genuinely have my doubts about whether I would carry on Edouard Mendy is a grafter, a hard worker and a man who took opportunities and made the most out of them through his dedication and commitment. “I worked during that [COVID] year, I worked twice as hard as the others”. Mendy shows that it is never too late to make it to the top if you work hard enough for it. On his personal progression, Mendy notes that “it’s something I want all the time”; only the best after achieving the very highest achievements in football still want more.

Sport

The Badger 10th of March 2022

GB Women’s Curling at the Winter Olympics 2022 The Icy Blast that warmed our hearts

Ava Steed Sports Online Editor

n an otherwise near fruitless year yet again for Great Britain at a Winter Olympics, thank goodness for our Women’s Curling Team who scooped the gold medal at Beijing, delighting three quarters of a million homegrown insomniacs that have been glued to their TVs. Why is Great Britain across the board a perennially underwhelming force at every Winter Olympics? We are, after all, a predominantly cold climates country, and yet it seems that we are endowed with the wrong kind of snow; certainly not suited to winning anything involving skis. Or bobsleighs. Or toboggans. And sadly nowadays, nothing involving ice skates, even. This brings us to curling. The sport has had a curious on/off relationship with the International Olympic Committee down through the years. Curling made its first appearance at the Chamonix Games of 1924 where the GB men won gold. It was then taken

off the roster for decades, only returning as a regular Olympic event since Nagano in 1998. And what gloriously quaint spectacle the game is; harkening back to the 19th century and evoking imagery of devil-maycare Victorian gentlemen with fastidiously kept moustaches, wearing tweed coats with leather buttons and elbow patches, throwing their technical shapes on frozen lakes, passing a hipflask around, their clouds of breath hanging in the cold wintry air. Nowadays, for the night owl TV viewer, it’s an instantaneous joy to the eye. It requires a five-minute apprenticeship. It’s kind of bowls on the ice. The projectiles are not bowls, however. They’re stones. Flat bottomed, spherical in the body, with a handle on top like a flat iron. And the player sends a stone, sets it off in motion, across the ice towards the ‘house’ which is like an archery target etched on the ice at the opposite end of the rink. And when your stone is in motion your teammates are dexterously scrubbing the ice with brushes

just ahead of the stone to try and give it the optimum amount of puff to the centre of the house. It’s an uplifting sight, a quartet of teammates grafting for the cause. In 2002 at Salt Lake City, our ladies dubbed the Scottish Housewives, winning the gold medal. We Brits suddenly loved curling. And then it faded out of our lives – until now, in our generation. This team of 2022 has trumped that 2002 milestone. Eve Muirhead and her teammates Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds and Hailey Duff barely qualified for Beijing.

Then they got covid. They lost four matches in the round robin stages and crept into the semi-finals on the back of others’ results going their way. In that semi, they trailed Sweden 0-4 before mounting a huge fightback. Then in the final, they trounced Japan 10-3. The team that are in that very select sporting club; British Winter Olympic Gold Medallists. Here’s to them, and their defence in 2026 at Milan Cortina, although sadly for the night owls that’s almost the same time zone as here!

What’s on Liverpool v Inter Milan Champions League Tuesday 8th March

Real Madrid v PSG Champions League Wednesday 9th March

Brighton v Liverpool Premier League Saturday 12th March

@Tmj4

Score! Match – A Review: 5/5

Manchester United v Tottenham Premier League Saturday 12th March

The best mobile football game going

Esteban Ramirez Staff Writer

obile-phone games are considered by many as little apps on your phone you use while waiting for a bus or sitting on the toilet. In either case, they are not regarded as a serious gaming experience as that of a console or PC game would. Before discovering Score! Match, I would have probably agreed. It is difficult to devote lots of your free time to a relatively simple game with limited mechanics and storylines like most mobilephone games have. However, that all changed with this game. Score! Match is a football game, so to those uninterested in sports games this is probably not your scene. However, for those that are, I am guessing that throughout your gaming career you have encountered either FIFA or Football Manager, both of which being the most popular console/ PC football game respectively. As brilliant and engrossing as these games are, the same common complaints are heard year after year. Football Manager, the ultimate manager simulator, is an extremely complex game

requiring hours upon hours of one’s time attending to every possible aspect of a real football manager’s job. FIFA, on the other hand, is very arcade-y, providing users with very limited scope for tactical management. And this is where Score! Match finds its market niche. It is surprising enough on its own that a mobilephone game could compete with a console/PC game. As mentioned before, the limited game mechanics and gameplay depth often hinders these games’ potential. At first glance, Score! Match is no exception. Exclusively online, the user works their way up the leagues, gaining and upgrading player cards along the way. Each match is first to 2 goals, with a draw after 2 minutes leading to a penalty shootout (which is always thrilling). The gameplay mechanics, although impressive for a mobile-phone game, is still very basic compared to FIFA. In the match, users control the passing and shooting of their player when in attack, and when defending they only select which player to defend with. The user has no control over

his players’ movement, when they pass/shoot, or when his players tackle or go for headers. However, this is why the game is so brilliant. Each player on a user’s team is a different ‘type’ (e.g., poacher, commander, intruder, explorer, etc.) Each type of player has unique attributes and on-field behaviour. All of this means that, although you can control where players kick the ball, their behaviour on the pitch is down to them. As you get to know your players’ behaviour and abilities,

their position on the pitch and what formation you choose becomes crucial. This, along with your own passing/ shooting decisions, becomes the deciding factor for success. Score! Match thus gives you limited control of your players on the pitch, whilst forcing you to make extremely important tactical decisions. A simpler Football Manager with a much larger tactical sphere than FIFA, all in your pocket and with the thrill of online and knockout matches, this game deservedly earns a 5-star rating.

England v Ireland 6 nations Saturday 12th March

France v England 6 Nations Saturday 12th March

Milwaukee Bucks @ Golden State Warriors NBA Sunday 13th March

Bahrain Grand Prix Sunday 20th March

@IMDB