The Badger Sixth Edition

THE

BADGER

Sussex University’s Official Student Newspaper Featuring The Burrow: The Arts pull out surrounding Image & Identity

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

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Society Spotlight

itchcraft is becoming a popular form of alternative spirituality for many. With a focus on choosing your own spiritual path, and learning Occult subjects that have otherwise been hidden, many are rejecting religious dogma for a religious practice that revolved around nature and nature alone.

The University of Sussex has a diverse range of societies, if you’re interested in learning how to practice Witchcraft, or if you’re looking to gain more knowledge in Astrology. Herbalism and Tarot, this is the society that should help you get on that broomstick.

You don’t have to be a Witch to join however, the society is extremely welcoming to everyone of all backgrounds, whether you’re a practicing Witch, or even if you’re just curious to see what it’s all about.

The community that arises when a group of people with fringe interests come together is often extremely beautiful. Outside of online spaces, finding a community within Occultism is difficult. There’s a lot of fear that surrounds the Occult, which puts a lot of practitioners off from telling family and friends about their spiritual practices.

Having a community such as WitchSoc helps break the stigma that surrounds the Occult, and offers a welcoming, wholesome space where

members can talk about their Craft freely, without fear of judgement.

Many believe that the real-world practice of Witchcraft is all about Harry Potter-esque spells at best, and Devil worship at worst. This is the farthest from that truth, and everyone at the society is keen to destigmatise the myths that surround Witchcraft, and what it looks like in reality.

The society itself has run a variety of sessions since it started in September.

From Tarot talks, to Samhain bonfire celebrations and Astrology lectures, the society is extremely keen to talk about and discuss all forms of Witchcraft from all around the world.

As a Witch myself, having community spaces like this is vital. Whilst online spaces are incredibly important, a lot of misinformation about Witchcraft exists on social media sites and having in person spaces in which to combat this misinformation whilst also talking about the appropriate resources, is essential.

Since I’ve started coming to WitchSoc every week, I have felt a sense of homeliness and comfort. It is wonderful being around like-minded people who accept you for who you are, and don’t ask invasive questions, but instead want to help, grow, and support each other and our own knowledge.

Many are probably thinking that we gather on a Full Moon every

month (I wish!) or go to the woods and practice intricate rituals (again, sounds idyllic), but no. Instead, it’s just a community of people, meeting every Wednesday to talk about different areas of their spirituality.

If you’re feel called to the Witchy side of life, or if you’ve been practicing for a while, I highly recommend joining. You will find yourself in such a beautiful community, and you will learn so much from everybody there.

Words By Ali Arief, Theatre Editor

You can find the Witches on Instagram @WitchesofSussex

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 3 Fear of Home Office Bill Removing British Citizenship Without Notice ‘Would Repeat Windrush Mistakes’ Rebecca Chitolie News Editor

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he new amendment to the fully comprehensive immigration bill could allow the Home Office to strip individuals of their British citizenship without notice to appeal, if legislation debated in Parliament becomes law.

Proposed rule changes to the Nationality and Borders bill, Clause 9 – “Notice of decision to deprive a person of citizenship”, updated earlier this month, exempts the government from needing to give notice if it is not “reasonably practicable” to do so, or in the interests of national security, diplomatic relations or otherwise in the public interest.

However, campaigners have warned that the removal of British citizenship without notice ‘would repeat Windrush mistakes’.

Calling for the government to drop the bill, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: “Giving the Home Office powers to strip people of their British citizenship without so much as telling them shows this government’s total disregard for international law and their refusal to learn from past failures.”

“Just like the legislation that caused the Windrush Scandal, there’s nothing to stop this being used more widely. It puts naturalised citizens and the children of naturalised

citizens at risk, which is likely to disproportionately affect people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.”

The Runnymede Trust, a racial equality think tank, claimed the clause could have a dire impact for everyone, but “in particular for Black and ethnic minority Britons”.

“This will directly affect those who are under threat from hostile environment policies, including those who are not given the right to a fair trial and those vulnerable to deportation.”

Frances Webber, the vicechair of the Institute of Race Relations, said: “This amendment sends the message that certain citizens, despite being born and brought up in the UK and having no other home, remain migrants in this country. Their citizenship, and therefore all their rights, are precarious and contingent.”

“It builds on previous measures to strip Britishborn dual nationals of citizenship and to do it while they are abroad, measures used mainly against British Muslims. It unapologetically flouts international human rights obligations and basic norms of fairness.”

The proposed changes appear months after the UK Supreme Court ruled that Shamima Begum, the British-born 15 year-old who fled Britain to join the Islamic State in Syria, would not be allowed to return to the United Kingdom to

fight a legal case about the revocation of her citizenship.

The British government argued in the Begum case that cancelling her British citizenship would not leave her stateless as she could gain citizenship in Bangladesh, where she has relatives.

However, Begum has not been to Bangladesh and the country has refused to let her in.

These measures have been in headlines in recent years, after several Western governments revoked the citizenships of individuals who had allegedly joined Islamist terrorist groups.

Some of these people had complex citizenship situations or multiple passports, creating disagreement between countries over who should take responsibility.

Home Office powers to strip British nationals of their citizenship were introduced after the 2005 London bombings.

However, their use increased while Theresa May was home secretary from 2010 and were broadened in 2014, but were most notably used in the case of Shamima Begum.

In a statement responding to reports, a Home Office spokesperson said, “British citizenship is a privilege, not a right”.

The requirement to provide notice had already been weakened in 2018, allowing the Home Office to serve notice by putting a copy of it on a person’s file – but

only in cases where their whereabouts were unknown.

This new clause would remove the need for notification altogether in a range of circumstances. It also appears to be capable of being applied retrospectively to cases where an individual was stripped of citizenship without notice before the clause became law, raising questions about their ability to appeal.

Maya Foa, the director of Reprieve, which fights for victims of extreme human rights abuses, said: “This clause would give Priti Patel unprecedented power to remove your citizenship in secret, without even having to tell you, and effectively deny you an appeal.

This once again shows how little regard this government has for the rule of law.”

Other proposed rule changes in the bill have also attracted criticism.

This includes rendering claims from anyone arriving in the UK by an illegal route inadmissible, while criminalising them and anyone who attempts to save their lives, and giving Border Force staff immunity from prosecution if people die in the Channel during “pushback” operations.

Tory MP David Davis has tabled an amendment seeking to deny the government powers to “offshore” asylum seekers.

On his official Twitter account Davis said “It is clear that asylum offshoring would be both a moral and economic failure”.

@WikiMedia Commons

He outlined why he believed this system would be a failure through the comparison of the Australian offshoring system.

A similar system of offshore facilities currently in existence is run by the Australian government, which sends asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea or Nauru.

“Research from the University of New South Wales found the Australian system cost approximately £4.3 billion since July 2013”, said Davis.

“For the cost of £4.3 billion, the Refugee Council of Australia reports that 3,127 asylum seekers were offshored to Nauru or Papua New Guinea. Costing approximately £1.38 million for each person detained offshore.”

“In the UK, we currently spend £1.4bn annually on asylum costs, or £11,819 per person.”

He went on to explain, “On top of high costs, the cruelty of the Australian system is clear.

Of the 2,116 reports of assaults, sexual abuse, and self-harm attempts, over half involve children. However, children only made up about 18% of those in detention on Nauru.”

The UK’s new plans are thought to cost £100,00 per person – which The Times reported to be 10 times more than the cost of processing asylum seekers in the UK. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab did not deny talks were taking place, telling Times Radio the government was “looking at international partnerships” to reduce the “pull factor”.

The Home Office said: “Migrants making these dangerous crossings are putting their lives at risk and it is vital we do everything we can to prevent them and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting people.”

“People should claim asylum in the first safe country they arrive in, and as part of our response it is important we have a maritime deterrent in the channel and work with international partners to put an end to these dangerous journeys.”

The Nationality and Borders bill is currently in the Report stage, which will immediately be followed by debate on the bill's 3rd reading in the House of Commons.

Editor’s Note; details are correct at time of writing

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 4 The University of Sussex Has Launched a Pro Bono Legal Clinic For Performing Arts Charities

Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

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aw students will be offering free legal advice to performing arts charities from 12th November 2021. The participating students in the Performing Arts Law Clinic will work under the supervision of expert law academics from the University of Sussex.

They will also have support from lawyers from partnership company Covington & Burling LLP, an international Law firm based in the US. The clinic, the first of its kind in the UK, aims to help such charities deal with complex legal issues in light of the pandemic and Britain's exit from the European Union.

Universities across the nation have been upping their pro bono efforts in recent months to counteract gaps left by funding cuts to authorize help, following similar initiatives by the likes of other higher education institutions Metropolis Regulation College, King’s College London, Salford, Bolton and Hertfordshire.

Pro Bono work means the

offering of free work by a legal team for the public good.

Professor Amir Paz-Fuchs, director of clinical legal education and professor of law and social justice at the University of Sussex, said: "This clinic will be an invaluable experience for our students: offering them a real taste of life as an in-house lawyer for an organisation, giving them access to some of the best lawyers in the world, and providing a service that will be a lifeline to local performing arts charities hit hard by recent events.”

He also commented: "Charities generally face all the compliance and legal challenges of for-profit organisations but have little or no budget for lawyers. I am confident the Performing Arts Clinic will prove to be a great resource for its clients."

It will initially run as a pilot scheme for the 2021/2022 academic year, before joining the University's range of legal advice clinics officially.

The clinic's initial clients include Glyndebourne Productions Limited,

Orchestras for All and the Garsington Opera, with plans to shift focus to more local and smaller charities in the coming months.

One of the first law students to volunteer in the clinic, Fraser Argyle, said: "Many of my close friends are involved in the performing arts and as such, I see on a day-today basis just how rewarding, yet simultaneously fragile, pursuing a career in this sector can be. This vulnerability has been exponentially heightened throughout the pandemic.

"As a student legal adviser, I look forward to helping charities navigate the increasingly complex legal challenges that they face during this difficult period, to the benefit of the artists and staff dependent on the survival of those organisations."

Christopher Walter, former managing partner of Covington's office in London, approached the University about the idea and was keen to help local and national charities that have been struggling financially and have been faced with a myriad of legal complexities

@Wikimedia Commons and current changes.

“Christopher got in touch with us completely out of the blue with this extraordinary idea and offered to partner on a performing arts legal advice clinic,” commented professor Amir Paz-Fuchs, at the University of Sussex.

He added “Such clinics are

not uncommon in the US but, excitingly, ours will be the first to launch in the UK.” Covington and Burling LLP is a multinational law firm with Headquarters in Washington DC. The firm specializes in navigating issues at the intersection of law and policy around the world.

UK Wide Protests Shed Light on Maternity Staffing and Safety Crisis Maisie Levitt News Online Editor

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n Sunday the 21st of November, health workers, midwives and parents protested across the UK over an increasing staffing and safety crisis in maternity services. The March with Midwives “grassroots action for solidarity” protests took place in 50 towns and cities and were described as a “vigil for maternity crisis”.

Campaigners request politicians and health officials to “listen to staff and service users, fund emergency retention of staff and reduce demands” on midwives. Cardiff organiser Katie Falvey said “Maternity services are at a crisis point and we need to fight.”

Protest organisers also described the state of maternity services in the UK as being “critically unsafe” due to the staff shortages as well as lack of funding.

The protests have come as a result of a survey, done by the Royal College of Nursing, which found that more

than half of midwives were being “driven out” because of “understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women”. The midwifery body’s UK-wide poll revealed that 57% out of 1,273 midwives planned to leave the NHS within the next year. Chief executive Gill

Walton said “we are fighting a losing battle” due to inadequate numbers of staff and called for health officials to “urgently review” these staffing levels.

Katie Campion, an antenatal educator and the Leeds protest organiser, said that not only are the marches for the

@The Argus

wellbeing of maternity staff, but “it’s about the safety of the birthing women” as well.

A survey done in 2020 by the Royal College of Midwives also found that 8 out of 10 midwives (83%) did not believe that their NHS Trust or Board had enough staff to operate a safe service.

42% also reported that half of shifts were understaffed, with a third saying that there was a significant gap in most shifts. 7 out of 10 (71%) of these midwives were found to have considered leaving the profession due to these shortages leaving morale extremely low.

Due to understaffing, many midwives reported to have worked overtime. The same survey found that nearly twothirds (63%) of midwives continued to work beyond their contracted hours without any additional pay. As a result, only 2% said that they felt valued by the UK government.

Although the government has stated that the number of registered midwives in the UK is currently at an all-time high, “for every 30 in training, 29 leave the profession or just

never even make it”, said postnatal doula Grace Williams at the Torquay protest.

The Royal College of Midwives has called for more investment into the NHS. The Welsh government has said that it had commissioned a review into service demand, while the UK government has pledged £95m for recruitment.

The aim is to hire an additional 1,200 maternity ward staff.

The staffing and care crisis has been seen in maternity units throughout the country.

There is currently a review under way into Nottingham maternity services after a reported 46 babies suffered brain damage and 19 were stillborn in between 2010 and 2020. In 2020, inspectors described Nottingham City Hospital’s maternity units as “inadequate” and the Care Quality Commission raised concerns that included staffing.

The UK government has said that it is “committed to patient safety, eradicating avoidable harms” in order to make the NHS “the safest place in the world to give birth”.

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 5 Brighton and Hove City Council to Launch a Consultation on the Usage of Disposable Barbecues on the Brighton beach Ritika Srivatsan Staff Writer

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ebbled shores, picturesque views and a beautiful promenade make Brighton beach a perfect venue to host a barbecue.

However, disposable barbecues have recently drawn flak for negatively impacting the environment and being hazardous.

Therefore, the Brighton and Hove City Council have launched a consultation on whether people should be permitted to employ singleuse, throw-away barbecues on the beach or not.

In an incident from February earlier this year, smoke was seen rising from a garbage can in King's Esplanade, Hove, after a disposable barbecue caught fire because it had not cooled down fully.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze but it showcased the danger surrounding the object.

Arguing in favour of banning single-use barbecues, the deputy Chair of the Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Jamie Lloyd, said: “There are many reasons for stopping the use of singleuse disposable barbecues in

our public places. Disposable barbecues are hazardous to children and adults if left on the beach or not disposed of properly. It also creates a great deal of waste that is very difficult and expensive for the council, and therefore taxpayers, to collect.”

Lloyd is aware of the broad spectrum of opinions present and wants to consult people before the council takes a decision. He also urged supermarkets to stop selling unsafe disposable barbecues and added, ‘if there’s support for banning single use barbecues

from our beaches, parks, and open spaces we will begin putting extra pressure on.’

The argument put forward by the council states the following: 1. They (Single-use barbecues) pose a significant fire risk when in use and if not disposed of correctly - there have been many times when they have caused bins and the surrounding area to catch fire 2. They present a risk of injury to people and animals, particularly on the beach and

in open spaces 3. They can scorch and damage the environment around them if they are not set up correctly 4. The taxpayer has to pay for the tidy up when not disposed of This in turn leads to a significant increase in costs for the council whilst affecting fellow residents and the environment alike.

The council proposes the following: 1. The use of single-use, disposable barbecues

@Snappy Goat

should not be permitted in or on councilowned parks, open spaces, and the seafront 2.

Appropriate enforcement measures should be introduced It is suggested that Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) must be introduced to curb the usage of singleuse barbecues and maintain checks and balances. A PSPO aims to improve the quality of life for residents in specific neighbourhoods. Under the act, an officer may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice if any individual is found flouting the rule.

An online survey acting as a tool used by the council to receive feedback opened on 15th November 2021 and can be accessed on the Brighton and Hove City Council website. It remains open to all for eight weeks, until the 2nd of January 2022.

Apart from the hazardous disposable barbecues, residents and animal charities such as The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have also demanded action against sky lanterns and balloons, stating them to be lifethreatening. The second section of the proposal focuses on this.

Stop and Search Increases By 24% in One Year in England and Wales Billy Stack Staff Writer

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Home Office report published on Thursday November 18th revealed a 24% rise in the use of stop and search orders by the police between April 1st 2020 and March 31st 2021, compared to the previous year.

According to the official government website, a police officer has the power to stop and search an individual only if they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect the individual is carrying illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property, or “something which could be used to commit a crime” with an officer legally having to state what they expect to find before a search can take place. 69% of all stoppages during the year surveyed were related to the suspected possession of drugs, an increase of over a third on the previous year’s data.

Though existing in some form in the U.K. since 1824 (originally known as the sus law), debate over the efficacy and effectiveness of stop and search procedures has been at its most widespread since the publication of a report by the College of Policing in 2014. The report claimed that evidence of increased police power

correlated with lower crime rates was “inconsistent” and “weak.”

The disproportionate use of stop and search on ethnic minorities has long been raised by opponents of greater police power, never more so than in the wake of last year’s mass Black Lives Matter protests.

The data, covering England and Wales, showed that Black people were roughly 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched than their white counterparts, with 32% of stops and searches being conducted on “males aged 15-34 from a BAME background” despite this group only comprising 2.6% of the population of the area surveyed.

Another significant finding was the regularity with which stop and search was used on under 19s, with 208 searches being carried out per 1000 BAME males during the period examined (higher than for any other ethic, gender, or age group) and roughly 70 per 1000 white males.

However, the report is ambiguous as to whether this is predominantly due to the same individuals being searched multiple times rather than more individuals being stopped.

Many in policing have defended the increased use of stop and search, saying that it remains a vital tool in limiting the spread of knife crime, county lines drug

dealing and shoplifting, with the disproportionate number of young men from ethnic minorities being searched simply being a reflection of who is likely to be on the streets in high-crime areas.

In response to the report’s predominantly negative reception in the mainstream media, a Home Office spokesperson assured critics that the government firmly be-

lieved that “No one should be targeted for stop and search because of their race and there are extensive safeguards to prevent this.”

Despite the Home Office’s official position, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s chair Martin Hewitt, who first pledged to improve police relations with Black communities at a coronavirus news conference in March, spoke of a “deeply con-

cerning” “confidence gap of 10% to 20%” between ethnic minorities and the national average regarding interactions with the police.

The Home Office however shows no indication of changing laws surrounding how stop and search is conducted, and will publish a report on the use of other police powers such as breathalyzer tests on December 14th.

@The Argus

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 6 Men Convicted of Assassination of Malcom X Exonerated

The 1966 convictions of two men found guilty of the murder of civil rights leader Malcolm X were overturned on Thursday the 18th November, after over half a decade of maintaining their innocence...

Nya Furber Staff Writer

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alcolm X was due to speak at the Audubon Ballroom in New York on February 21st, 1965, when three men opened fire and killed the civil rights leader. It is one of the most notorious murders of the civil rights era and the resulting convictions of Muhammad A. Aziz and the late Khalil Islam have been disputed by historians and scholars for years.

New York County Supreme Court Judge Ellen Biben stated when overturning the convictions, “I regret that this court cannot fully undo the serious miscarriages of justice in this case and give you back the many years that were lost.”

Upon granting the motion to vacate the convictions, the courtroom burst into applause.

The exonerations of Aziz and Islam came after a 22-month review into the case. The review into the convictions of both men was prompted by the release of Netflix miniseries, ‘Who Killed Malcolm X?’. The investigation was undertaken by the Manhattan district attorney’s

office, the Innocence Project, and the lawyers of both men.

Their review found that exculpatory evidence had been withheld in the case, including conflicting eyewitness testimony and solid alibis for both Aziz and Islam. In the motion to vacate, both the NYPD and FBI were found to have purposely kept this information from reaching the trial. District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. made the following remarks on the withheld evidence: “...We have obtained dozens and dozens of reports, from the FBI and the NYPD’s Bureau of Special Services and Investigations.

These records include FBI reports of witnesses who failed to identify Mr. Islam and who implicated other suspects.

And, significantly, we now have reports revealing that, on orders from Director J. Edgar Hoover himself, the FBI ordered multiple witnesses not to tell police or prosecutors that they were, in fact, FBI informants...

Many of those documents were exculpatory. None of them were disclosed to the defense. Without these files, it is clear these men did not receive a fair trial, and their

convictions must be vacated.”

The conviction of a third man, Mujahdi Abdul Halim, remains in place.

Halim confessed to his involvement in the killing and has always maintained the innocence of Aziz and Islam. Halim signed two affidavits asserting this fact, neither of which resulted in a reopening of the case.

Aziz, now 83, addressed the court on Thursday, saying, “The events that brought us to court today should never have occurred. Those events were and are the result of a process that was corrupt to its core, one that is all too familiar to black people in 2021.”

Other suspects implicated in the killing are now deceased.

The Innocence Project have been involved in representing the two men and co-founder Barry Scheck criticised the wrongful conviction, stating “The damage done to them and their families… is immeasurable.” Scheck also added that he believed that if the exculpatory evidence had not been hidden, “it would have changed the civil rights movement in this country.”

These unjust convictions have taken 55 years to be corrected,

raising the question of how culpable law enforcement

agencies should be for gross oversights and negligence.

@Pixabay

UCU Votes for Nationwide University Strikes Connor Drescher Staff Writer

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CU, a major union for University workers rights, has held a ballot in which its members voted to take strike action and ASOS (action short of a strike) this December. The days affected have been confirmed as the 1st to the 3rd December.

At Sussex, this comes during the recently announced changeover of Vice-Chancellors from Adam Tickell to David Maguire (interim), while the search for a permanent holder of the role continues.

David Maguire recently sent out an email to all students, stating that ‘only a minority of staff at Sussex’ are members of the union, and suggesting that this may lead to little or no disruption. However, as those who were on campus two years ago may remember, disruption to teaching and learning as a result of the last strike was both significant and sustained. There are also

many members of staff across disciplines who are members of the union and may choose to take part in the strike action.

In an apparent effort to shift responsibility for any potential resolution, Maguire also stated that the causes of the strikes (namely pensions, equality, pay, and precarious contracts) ‘are not things we can solve here at Sussex’ and that Sussex only has ‘a small amount of influence’ over these matters.

As this round of strike action is only scheduled to last for 3 days, it is likely that disruption will be minimal, although if a resolution is not found there could be further disruption in the new year, with the student’s union stating: “The union said the three-day strike will just be the start of sustained disruption for the sector if employers fail to negotiate.

The union intends to escalate its disputes next term. If employers do not make improved offers, further industrial action is likely to continue into the spring, at

which point [other institutions’ UCU] branches that gain a mandate in their reballots will be able to join the action.”

Union members are taking the action as a result of a breakdown in negotiations between the union and governing bodies UUK and UCEA, which represent employers in higher education.

The main issues being raised are about the working conditions of higher education staff – including precarious contracts (known as ‘Casualisation’), workloads, cuts to pensions, decreasing pay (not in line with inflation) and pay gaps both racial, gendered, and disabilityrelated.

These problems have been ongoing for some

@Wikimedia Commons

time, however after the last round of strike action in 2019, employers did come back to the table and negotiations were somewhat successful, staving off pension cuts and foregoing the need for further action.

This time around UCU’s demands are significantly less extensive and indications are that the planned industrial action will be brief, with the hope that it will be enough to bring the concerned parties back to the table to work out a deal.

These developments come as a recent Times Higher Education study found that 70% of all higher education staff are ‘burned out and afraid to ask for help’ at work. The Sussex student’s union held a recent information event last Thursday 18th November, at the JMS building on campus, in which they answered questions from students concerned about the industrial action.

More information can be found on the Student Hub website and from the student’s union.

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 7 University of Sussex Prioritising Environmental Commitments in Light of COP26 Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

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he University of Sussex is in the first wave of organisations to make clear today their minimum climate expectations of those who manage their investments.

The United Nations Climate Summit, or COP26, officially concluded after two long weeks of gruelling negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland. Policymakers and scientists stressed that action on climate change is urgently needed, as the impacts of global warming have thrown entire countries into disarray.

Experiencing flooding and heatwaves in Europe, Central China and the US. In a time concluded as a ‘defining decade’, the deal resulted in some significant pledges.

Firstly, over one hundred countries have agreed to end deforestation by 2030.

Multiple countries would vow to cut 30% of their methane emissions by 2030 and lastly, countries agreed to ditch the use of coal, bringing the end of global coal power in sight.

Whilst the world tussles with their opinions on whether the results of COP26 will have done enough to counteract the climate problems the world faces, the summit has made clear to the public the need to build back greener from the Covid-19 pandemic on global, national and local scales to respond to the climate emergency.

The University was among the 24 founder signatories to the declaration for Net Zero asset management principles, launched at COP26. The University was joined by Friends Provident Foundation, WWF UK, Jesus College Cambridge, The Health Foundation, Newcastle University, Jesuits in Britain and Joseph Roundtree Charitable Trust.

Allan Spencer, Director of Finance at the University of Sussex, said: “By being among the founder signatories of this declaration we are calling on the asset management sector as a whole to grasp this moment of opportunity that COP26 has delivered and bring about powerful, longlasting and meaningful change in their operations to help bring about a better world.”

The University’s annual

@WikiMedia Commons sustainability report, published on the 11th November 2021, details the steps that Sussex is making to deliver on all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The University has outlined ambitious plans to become one of the world’s most sustainable universities, achieving a net zero carbon footprint of its entire operations within 15 years.

The strategy, coined “Sustainable Sussex”, details the University’s plans to overhaul its heating, transport and supply chains over the next decade to become one of the world’s most sustainable universities.

The strategy, published in July 2021, has been co-created by University’s students, staff, partners and stakeholders, and outlines how the University will meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It aims to 1.) reach net zero by 2035 2.) embed sustainability into all aspects of student learning and experience 3.) recycle 50% of waste by 2025 and reduce the waste produced per student by 10% by 2025 4.) create the UK’s most biodiverse campus and 5.) have more staff and students volunteering in their local community.

The University looks to build on existing sector-leading performance on key issues of sustainability including becoming the first UK university to introduce an aerobic digester for food waste. Future developments to replace fossil

fuel dependent infrastructure by 2026 could include building an additional on-campus solar farm, as Sussex hopes to have the largest on-campus solar farm of any UK university.

Other aspects of the wideranging strategy include ensuring university suppliers meet a high level of social, environmental, and economic sustainability under a Sustainable Procurement Principles Framework.

Currently more than 60% of Sussex’s emissions are from indirect goods and services.

The University says that they want to ensure that at least 80% of the fresh produce comes from local producers and weigh up the opportunity to end or reduce the sale of beef and lamb-based meals by 2023 if supported by students and staff. An expansion of biodiversity programmes could see the creation of therapeutic gardens, orchards, bee hotels and butterfly banks with areas of passive rewilding across campus. A look at creating a sustainable transport hub at Sussex would see upgrading electric vehicle, scooter and bike charging points across campus and the potential for an ultralow emission vehicle leasing scheme for university staff.

The University of Sussex has increased the proportion of waste it recycles by almost 40% in the 2019/2020 academic year compared to the 12 months before. Sussex has

collected almost 60 tonnes of food waste for conversion into compost in 2019/20 using an on-campus aerobic digester, the first to be installed at a UK university. The University’s solar array has helped the University to self-generate more than 13% of its total energy needs in 12 months with a 21% increase in production in 2019/20 compared to 2018/19.

The University of Sussex has also committed to eliminating avoidable single-use plastics from catering, stationery, laboratories, halls of residence, offices and events by 2025.

Where the use of plastics is unavoidable, the University has made a new pledge to encourage the use of recycled plastics when practicable, and to support manufacturers that make products from locally sourced waste plastics.

The University’s campus in Falmer is home to approximately 158 species of birds and 32 species of mammal, including three social groups of badgers and several bat colonies in line with Sustainable Development Goal 15 about life on its land within the National Park, meaning sustainable actions are pertinent to the protection of the University’s close environment.

Earlier this year, the University was named among the top ten in the UK, and top fifty in the world, in the Times Higher Education (THE) World Impact Rankings 2021 measuring for

effectiveness in delivering on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals ( or SDGs).

Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in December 2018 alongside an ambition for the city to be carbon neutral by 2030. The council's plan “ a fairer city- a more sustainable city'' sets the direction for action on climate change in Brighton and Hove.

It focuses on social justice and future generations alongside rapid decarbonisation.

The council has outlined key issues for future development in Brighton and Hove. These include 1.) Refining estimates of greenhouse gas emissions sources and sinks to help identify additional priority areas for action and track progress towards the carbon neutral target 2.)

Further engagement with major local businesses and organisations to elevate ambition and align climate action across the city 3.) A carbon offsetting framework to enable more local carbon cutting projects 4.)

Investigating alternative finance for climate action 5.) Developing the circular economy especially in the construction industry 6.)

Solutions for scaling up energy efficiency retrofits for private housing 7.) Understanding the carbon footprint of consumables such as food and clothing.

Editor’s Note; details are correct at time of writing

The Badger 29th November 2021

News 8

News Where You’re Not

Georgia Keetch, Editor-in-Chief, reviews some of the most interesting stories from across the country Daring Dog-Inverness A Yorkshire Terrier’s bizarre kerbside walking habit has left Facebook users baffled. dogs tend to develop habits that can confuse their humans, and this little Yorkie is no exception. Fluffy eight-month-old Odin, who lives in Inverness, Scotland has developed a confusing quirk of his own over the past few months.T he tiny pup has decided that he isn’t much of a fan when it comes to walking on the pavements while he’s out on walkies. Odin prefers to walk only on the kerb edge, with his tiny paws fitting perfectly. Choosing not to stray from what he clearly considers his very own personal yellow brick road, the Yorkie cuts an amusing figure walking through the night.

Odin’s owner was left perplexed by the unusual habit, something that the dog started doing at around four months old, sharing the footage on Facebook.

Chip Meister-Manchester

Inverness

What a Cock Up-North yorkshire 3 giants stone penises are stolen from shop. Three giant penis-shaped garden ornaments have been snatched from a shop which hit the headlines after the owner refused to remove one of the ‘obscene’ statues from his window display.

Jason Hadlow, 58, owner of Simply Dutch in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, was forced to look on as his beloved 4ft masonry manhood was seized in 2010 following complaints from the public. But the defiant businessman declined to pay the £80 fine to have the stone sculpture returned to him – and instead ordered 150 more from Indonesia. The incident led to him launching the ‘Free Willy’ campaign – with pictures of concrete penises appearing online in various locations.

North Yorkshire Police eventually bowed to pressure and released the statue to the shop. But now, 11 years later, the final three ornaments were stolen around 10pm on Monday night. The thieves also took five cast iron stags and five concrete dogs, said Jason, who lives in the town of Yarm.

Birthday Boy- Brighton On Friday the 3rd of December the Science & Technology Editor, Rob Barrie, turns 25. Here at The Badger we wish him the best of days that refelct what an amazing guy he really is. Happy Birthday Rob!

A man claims to be on a mission to collect one chip from every single one of the 925 Wetherspoons across the UK. Boris Bennett, 45, says he carries a folder of chips around with him – each in a clear pouch and perfectly labelled with the restaurant they were purchased from.His hilarious hobby came to light when he posted a picture of his ‘trading cards collection book’ on Facebook.It appeared on Wetherspoons paltry chip count – a group on the site where Wetherspoon fanatics discuss how many chips they got with their meal.

Boris, from Bury, says he’s thrilled with the response and would ‘love to shake the hand’ of Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin one day.He said: ‘I decided to do it because I thought it would be funny to other members of the group, and also because it gives me an excuse to travel the UK to all the pubs’

Yorkshire Manchester

Are you Flocking Joking?-New Forest A 70-year-old man has been taken to court by his neighbour due to the ‘unrelenting noise’ of his flock of 15 pigeons.

Alan Pidgley, who had a sign up by the coop saying ‘Mr Pidgley’s New Forest Brighton Pigeon Loft’, now faces having to get rid of the birds to comply with a council noise order. The pigeon problem has split opinion in his countryside cul de sac, with other neighbours backing him and even offering to pay his fine. Mr Pidgely converted a garden shed near his detached bungalow into an enclosure after seeing an advert for the birds two years ago.

But neighbour Rebecca Wells, who he had lived alongside for over a decade, was not so enamoured with the animals. She claimed the noise of the pigeons was so ‘distressing’ she and husband Paul have been forced to try to move from the New Forest village where they live.After she complained, the council went to investigate and observed that the sound of the pigeons ‘could be heard over ambient noise such as refuse collection and planes overhead’. It was found to be a ‘statutory nuisance’ and he was told to reduce the noise, for example by getting rid of some of the pigeons.After this didn’t happen, Mr Pidgely was taken to court and told to pay a fine of £500 and £450 in costs – a significant reduction from the £4,389.89 New Forest District Council sought – after he admitted failing to comply with their order.

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The Badger 29th November 2021

9

The Badger 29th November 2021

Features 10 The City of Darkness: Hong Kong’s anarchist society Features Sub-Editor Rhys Mather explores life in Kowloon Walled City Rhys Mather Features Sub-Editor

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rior to 1994, if you journeyed to the Kowloon City District of Hong Kong you could find a series of 300 interconnected towers, some reaching 14 stories high, crammed into the space of around 4 football pitches.

Narrow alleyways were overshadowed by make-shift drainage, meaning daylight could barely penetrate the lower levels, and the 33,000 residents took to using umbrellas for constantly dripping water from the decaying pipes.

New structures built on old created a labyrinthine network of stairs and alleys, once the most densely populated place on Earth; this was Kowloon Walled city - also dubbed Hak Nam, “the city of darkness”.

The city started its life as a military fort in the 19th century, near the border of British Hong Kong to defend China from further conflict as the first opium war ended in devastating loss for the Qing dynasty. The fort was occupied by British forces in 1899 and was left virtually abandoned until the Chinese civil war following World War 2, which lead to Mao Zedong formally declaring the People’s Republic of China - refugees fleeing the war went to Hong Kong with many settling in Kowloon walled city. Many thousands of settlers began the construction of what would eventually become Hak Nam, originally the city was mostly

rudimentary wooden huts but underwent huge development in the 1960’s where the city’s characteristic high-rises first appeared. Neither China nor Britain ever established effective governance within the city, and it became a stronghold for various triad gangs who operated dozens of illicit businesses within Hak Nam’s walls.

This is where Hak Nam is often misrepresented – the city is typically remembered as a lawless haven for crime and depravity, but its important to recognize the vibrant community of thousands who called the city of darkness their home.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) writes: “Despite a reputation for lawlessness, the walled city was a remarkably functional, self-governing society that embodied the political ideology of anarchy.”

Indeed, the walled city was governed by a collective of residents named the “Kowloon Walled City Kai Fong Association” – the association was formed to combat British eviction efforts and was responsible for authorizing all building work within the city, which became necessary as the idiosyncratic architecture would need to be managed in order to accommodate the booming population. Facilities and buildings within the walled city included: schools, temples, factories, even an old person’s home and a youth centre. The city had no way of generating electricity, but creatively siphoned power from outside.

@Ken Ohyama

@Ian Lambot Remarkably, Hak Nam only had one postman for the 33,000 residents, Lam Po-chun worked as the mailman for 12 years in a city with two elevators – one hell of a paper round.

Despite the work of the Kai Fon association, the city was still plagued by issues of improper sanitation and unregulated construction – rats were commonplace due to the lack of large-scale waste disposal and buildings often lacked windows or proper ventilation

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For all its flaws the walled city was an utterly unique political and architectural phenomenon – a city built and governed by its citizens, an anarchist experiment that could very well be the most extraordinary housing project in history.

There was an undeniable criminal element within Hak Nam – with triad gangs like the 14K running an extensive drug trade and operating illegal casinos and brothels; unlicensed dentists and doctors ran practices marked with neon signs. Triad presence was significantly reduced after a series of thousands of police raids between 1973 and 1974 but crime remained rife for Hak Nam’s entire history.

This being said, Hak Nam was host to various legal, albeit unregulated, businesses and the majority of residents were not involved in any criminal activity. The city had an impressive manufacturing industry, producing everything from noodles to rubber – one

factory purportedly produced 10,000 golf balls a day! The city of darkness had another curious export – fish balls. It sounds strange but according to the WSJ Hak Nam once supplied a staggering 80% of Hong Kong’s fish balls, which is especially impressive considering they’re one of the regions signature delicacies. The walled city also had a major sweet factory, The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group writes: “Located on 12 Sai Shing Road from the early 70s it produced a wide range of sweets which were sold locally to HK wholesalers and also sent to Macau. The sweets were also delivered to toy factories where they were put inside some of the toys. The factory was operated by Lee Yo Chan.

At its peak he employed ten full-time workers and twenty temporary sweet wrappers.

Many of the latter were children who worked after school for as little as half an hour.”

Photographers Ian lambot and Greg Girard spent 5 years exploring the walled city and meeting its people. Their work culminated in a book: “City of Darkness: life in Kowloon Walled City”. The Book paints a picture of the more subdued side of Hak Nam – they write of daily life within the city and what residents would do to pass time: “Every afternoon the alleys were alive with the clacking of mah-jong tiles. Up on the roof, in cages not much smaller than some of the city’s homes, cooed hundreds of racing pigeons. A part-time Chinese orchestra got together twice a week, and melancholic, sinuous

notes of the old instruments filtered up and down the alleys.”

While Hak Nam is certainly awe inspiring - it’s important not to romanticize a place where conditions were harsh, and life was difficult. Water contamination and sickness caused by poor air quality was common, sanitation became such an issue that many residents moved out. Whether it was concerns over health or if they just considered it an eyesore, the British and Chinese governments announced a joint plan to demolish Hak Nam on January 14th, 1987. The eviction process was arduous, despite the poor conditions, Hak Nam was home for thousands of people. The government distributed approximately HK$ 2.7 billion (US$ 350 million) as compensation to the 33,000 residents and by the end of 1991 there were less than 500 households remaining.

The residents who remained were forcibly evicted from their homes between 1991 and 1992 – its unclear if they were ever compensated. The city was demolished in 1994 and redeveloped into a park.

Hak Nam is remembered by many as a den of vice, a place where the law was absent, and crime ran amok – in reality Hak Nam was a community of disadvantaged people simply looking to survive. For all its flaws the walled city was an utterly unique political and architectural phenomenon – a city built and governed by its citizens, an anarchist experiment that could very well be the most extraordinary housing project in history.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Features 11

Movember and Men’s Mental Health Grace Dawes Features Online Editor TW - Depression, Anxiety and Suicide topics are discussed in this article.

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s November draws to an end, along with it ends the course of Movember.

Movember is an annual event, occurring throughout the month of November, involving the growing of moustaches over the course of the month to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.

The origin story of Movember took place in 2003 Melbourne, Australia between two mates in a bar and the conversation topic of the moustache. Being out of fashion, these two men wanted to see if they could bring back the moustache, and they found 30 other men up for the challenge. As the trend formalised and grew in popularity, they registered the company and the website was formed, coining the phrase ‘Movember’. They originally agreed on the support of men with prostate cancer as their formal cause. With the Movember Foundation created in 2006, the support for the organisation began to flourish and they started to call their participants ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sistas’. Fastforward to the present day, it has become the largest men’s health movement worldwide with 21 countries participating every year and more than 730 million AUD raised and forwarded to fund over 1,000 men’s health programs.

Despite the initial focus on men’s prostate cancer, they have broadened their dedication to four main key men’s health issues: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.

How can people get involved and what are the rules for Movember? The Movember organisation have formulated their own list of rules one must follow if they are to take part in Movember. “Rule one: Once registered at movember. com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean-shaven face. Rule two: For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must Grow and groom a moustache.

Rule Three: Don’t fake it. No beards, no goatees and no fake moustaches. Rule Four: Use

the power of the moustache to create conversation and raise funds for men’s health. Rule Five: Each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.”.

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Conversations about men’s health issues are not normalised enough yet

The importance of Movember is crucial to the modern day, with men’s mental health and physical health becoming a growing concern all over the world. On average, men die 5 years earlier than women for physical issues that are largely preventable. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst young men, and 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Although the physical health and well-being of men is a key component of the Movember movement, the stats on the mental health of men is a huge influence too. Suicide takes the life of a man every minute with males accounting for 69% of all suicides worldwide, and three times a many men dying from suicide than women in the UK alone. Common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress affected 1 in 8 men in 2014 in the UK. Despite the severity of these types of mental health disorders, it is

just as important to discuss the lesser common disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia amongst men, which are also very prevalent.

In an interview with Joel Peters, a fellow University of Sussex student who has been taking part in Movember, he shared the personal and sentimental inspirations for participating in the movement.

Joel stated that he decided to launch his own sponsorship for Movember as part of his employment that he is currently undertaking for his placement year. “I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t for my job. Seeing how my place of employment works in partnership with Movember, and the impact it is having on men’s lives and health was eye opening and the inspiration for me, as I’d never given it a second thought.”.

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Men’s health is a vital issue that should be discussed all year round.

Joel stresses the importance that partaking in Movember has had on his awareness of not only his own well-being, but also the well-being of the men around him; “I hope that more Mo Bros and Sisters help support this cause at it affects everyone

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in our lives, so remember to check in on a mate and really ensure that they are doing ok.”.

The increased support for Movember and more willingness to converse over men's health between friends, family and partners, the fight for men's health can only continue to grow stronger.

When asked if Movember and its awareness of men’s mental health is only really discussed in the month of November, Joel stated “Unfortunately, yes, men’s health is not spoken about enough…The month of November definitely helps men talk about their feelings… but this should really be done all year round, not just for one month.”. Joel also went on to discuss the stigmatisation that surrounds conversations of men's mental health; “Men discussing their health has always been a sensitive topic, with the stigma around men being tough and not sharing their feelings…As men, we are constantly told to ‘man up’ and be ‘tough’.”. As a response to this stigmatisation, Joel claimed that social media has helped conversations about men’s health become

@Movember more normalised; “…it has given men who need to share a platform to express themselves and seek help, both physically and mentally.”

So far Joel has managed to raise £725 individually in his participation of Movember, which will be donated towards the Movember Foundation.

Although it is important to create a sponsorship if you participate in Movember, the growth of moustaches in November itself is important in creating general awareness.

Conversations about men’s health issues are not normalised enough yet. It does not matter if you are male, female or trans, the Movember team encourages anyone who can grow a moustache to participate, the key point is to raise awareness for men’s health. With November as the dedicated month of men’s mental health awareness, it is important to stress this issue of men’s health, as well as physical well-being, now more than ever.

But it is not inextricably linked to just the month of November, men’s health is a vital issue that should be discussed all year round. With this destigmatisation, the increased support for Movember and more willingness to converse over men's health between friends, family and partners, the fight for men's health can only continue to grow stronger.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Features

“The Red Nation Shall Rise Again”

Olly DeHerrera Features Print Editor

12

Native American History Month- Celebrating the people of Turtle Island

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n 1492, Arawak, Taino, and Lucayan tribes of the Caribbean discovered Christopher Columbus on their shoreline. Columbus had been sponsored

by Spanish Catholic monarchs to investigate potential new routes to India, which has already been colonised

by European forces. Upon landing on Turtle Island (an Indigenous name for the American continent) Columbus was so adamant that he had traversed the world and landed in India that to his death he insisted upon the Native Americans being known as “Indians”.

It is impossible to offer any sort of summary for how Native American ways of life were shaken and torn by the arrival and subsequent settlement of Europeans. The years of conflict and genocide are still only at the beginning of reconciliationmany would argue they are still far from over. Since first contact, Native Americans have fought to protect our culture; for many centuries many followed the call to fight and die for their ways of life- now, our greatest fight is to live so that our cultures may too.

The Native American people’s ties to the land are forthright; whilst our relationship to nature is often romanticised and exoticized, it is becoming increasingly clear how valuable indigenous philosophy and land-knowledge is to combatting climate change. Much of the genocide against native American culture was conducted through attacks to the land and ways of living. Mt Rushmore, known in Lakota as Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe (Six Grandfathers) is a historic site of great importance to the Lakota people; Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe was transformed into a monument to the American settler’s ideology and the Lakota were forcefully removed from the territory following the discovery of gold within the land. There are many allegories for the treatment of all indigenous life -human, animal, water, land, and beyond- on the continent under colonial rule. The arc of the Bison provides a compelling insight into indigenous life, suffrage and resilience.

The Bison played a pivotal role in the lives of many tribes, one that Leroy Little Bear of the Blackfoot Tribe, a professor at the university of Lethbridge, calls an “Integrated relationship”. Many tribes of the Great Plains followed the migratory patterns of the Bison, erecting their tipis as they moved with the seasons.

The European settlers were aware of the power of this relationship and sought to weaponize it to end the native American way of life or their life itself. “Kill Every Buffalo You Can! Every Buffalo Dead Is an Indian Gone.” were the words of a U.S. Army colonel in 1867. Professor Little Bear leads a Bison restoration effort that aims to restore the Bison’s historic presence on tribal lands. “If you are Chris-

@Bear Paw Battlefield - Flickr tian and you don’t see any crosses out there, or you don’t have your corner church…there’s no external connection, no symbolic icon notion that strengthens and nurtures those beliefs” explains Little Bear, “so it goes with the buffalo” he told The Guardian in a 2018 interview on his work.

The Bison and the mountains were not the only forms of slaughter enacted against Turtle Island. In August of 2021, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order to repeal a 157-year-old order that sought to eliminate Indigenous people from the Colorado territory. The original orders were issued

by Territorial Governor John Evans in 1864 and forced Indigenous families into certain camps while calling for Coloradans to “kill and destroy” those

as the vanishing race, the vanishing people. And I think it starts with things like this,” House, a citizen of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe told NBC news. “It gives us a place that we were important and that our lives were important.”

Genocide against the Native American people took on distinct cultural forms as the Europeans attempted to force integration and the adoption of European economic and social ideals.

The 1887 Dawes Act was a symbol of European intolerance to Native American ways of life- The Dawes Act (sometimes called the Dawes Severalty Act or General Allotment Act), was passed under President Grover Cleveland and allowed the federal government to break up tribal lands.

The federal government aimed

@Megan Coughlin - Flickr deemed to be “hostile Indians” in exchange for money and stolen property.

This act enabled the Sand Creek massacre, described by NBC news as “one of Colorado’s darkest and most fraught historic moments”. The brutal assault left more than 200 of the Arapaho and Cheyenne nation dead, of which a large number were children and elders.

“I think there’s oftentimes the general community think of American Indians

to assimilate Native Americans into European economic models through partaking in agriculture and accumulating private property.

The notion of “owning” land is deeply embedded in capitalist and industrialist thinking, thus is a concept distasteful to many indigenous societies around the world. The Dawes Act divided tribal lands into individual plots, stating that only the Native Americans

who accepted the division of tribal lands could become US citizens. This ended in the government stripping over 90 million acres of tribal land from Native Americans and selling that land to non-Native US citizens. Further cultural clashes became apparent through the enforcement of the Dawes Act; a federal concern for Native names, particularly surnames, was directly connected with concerns for allotments, territory, and inheritance laws.

All such laws were based on European ideas of familial relationships and how private property should be passed down through notions of inheritance – thus Native Americans needed to adopted European familial structures. Native American societies did not have surnames in the western understanding, Native American names were often inspired by the persons interaction with nature and could change over their life. In 1890, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs ordered Native names on the reservations to be changed so that each “Indian” would be given an English Christian name and retain the surname. On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, the Indian agent reported that: “Now every family has a name.

Every father, mother; every husband and wife and children bears the last names of these people; now property goes to his descendant.”

This onslaught of cultural and human genocide transformed what it means to be Native American; and whilst many lives and tribes have been lost, the first people of Turtle Island continue to resist the loss of our ways of life. The white-‘assimilation’ attempts of the brutal residential school system, which saw many thousands of Native children die, were resisted as young people from far reaching tribes put aside previous conflict or differences to unite under the common identity of Native. A new age of pan-Indianism brought us together under a collective identity. The globally iconic war bonnet, once owned by the Plains Natives, is now a united symbol of our strength and spirit. The dream catcher, an invention of the O jibwe nation, now hangs in homes of Native people across the continent.

On August 3, 1990, President of the United States George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. For many, our long road to civil rights and equality is still far from its end- but we are now united in our fight.

“Upon suffering beyond suffering, the Red Nation shall rise again, and it shall be a blessing for a sick world.

A world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations. A world longing for light again”. – Chief Crazy Horse, Lakota (Sioux) Oglala band.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Features

13

Transgender Day of Rememberance 2021

Here follows the known names of 2021’s transgender, non-binary and gender diverse murder and suicide victims Sussex LGBTQ society A. Raza, Adriana Díaz, Adrianinha Paris, Adrieli, Aidelen Evans, Aitiana Valeria Ramírez (“”Lala””), Alejandra Benitez (“”La Power””), Alejandra Villa Salazar, Alejandra Zayas Lara (“”Ale””), Alessandra Drummond, Alessandra Ferrati, Alexander Blake VanDalsen,, Alexandra Monteiro (Alexandra Corrêa de Oliveira), Alexandria Winchester, Alexus Braxton (Kimmy Icon Braxton), Aline Sánchez, Àlissia Rodriguez, Aliya, Allex Noah, Amandha Fagundes (“”Mandhy””), Ambre Audrey Istier, Amélia Ada Louise Chavot, Ana Paula Lopes dos Santos, Anannyah Kumari Alex, Andrea González, Andrea Néstor Moreno Castillo, Andresa Santos, Andressa das Chaga, Andressa Pimentel (“”India””), Angel Haynes (“”Angel Unique””), Angelita Alves Correia, Angie Priscila Jeaniot Arévalo, Antonella, Antonella García Ramírez, Arsalan, Arvenly Madrijanon, Asia Jynaé Foster, Avril (“”Luna””),B., Badega, Bárbara Valencia (“”Barbie””), Barbie dos Santos, Bebê, Benjamin Bonin, Bianca Bankz (“”Muffin””), Bianca Pereira, Bobby, Bonaire Black (“”Bonni””), Brianna Kamila Espinosa Sanchez (“”Kami””), Brianna Ulmer/Brianna Hamilton, Bridget Flack, Brisa Rafaela Dávila Rojas, Brooklyn DeShauna Smith, Bru Waldorf, Bruna, Bruna,, Bruna Gomes Araújo (“”Bruna Tenório””), Bruna Marins de Oliveira, Bryan Gallan, Bubbli, Byun Hee-soo Camila, Camila Arcila, Camille Rocha, Carla Guaraca Dominguez (“”La Guaraca””), Cataleya Martínez Machado, Catalina Santos Arévalo, Cecy Caricia Ixpatá, Chae’Meshia Simms (“”ChaeChae””), Channu, China Rivera, Chyna Carrillo, Cielo de Lucca, Cindy Jones Torres, Claire Monserrat Jack-

son, Claudia Madonna Ramírez, CoCo Chanel Wortham, Collegai, Courtney “”Eshay”” Key, Crismilly Pérola (“Piu Piu”, “Bombom”), Cristina Hernández Castillo (“”La Bimbo””), Cristina Rodríguez, Daisy del Carmen, Dakshayani, Dandara Brum, Daniela (“”Sirenita Riascos””), Daniela Ramos, Daniele Silva, Danielle Boachie (“”Dani””)/ Mistress Velvet, Danizinha Fontiny (“”Dani””), Danny Benavides, Danny Henson, Darla, Dayana, Dayana Cervantez, Dayanna Scarlett, Débora Loven Stayne, Dee Dee Thomas, Devanny Cardiel, Diamond Kyree Sanders/Diamond Nicole, Diana Miranda/ Paola Ferrati, Dimitra Kalogiannis, Disaya Monaee Smith, Dodô Bezerra da Silva, Dolphin, Dominique Jackson, Dominique Lucious, Dr Patrícia Targino Dutra, Drika Rodrigues Sales, Duda, Duda dos Santos, Duda Laif, Dzhakonda, Ebeng Mayor, Eliana Castillo, Elizabeth Rondón, Ella, Emanuelly Castro, Emilia Herrera Obrecht (“”Bau””), Emy Yruma, Erick Deseano, Ericka, Erika Endrina, Erika Tatiana Martínez García, Ester Vogue, Eva Carvalho, F. de Assis Braga de Oliveira, F. Escalante, Fabiana da Silva Lucas, Fabiola, Pamela Ramírez, Fabiola Rivera, Fanny,, Fanny Argüello Jaqueline Sánchez Sampirolly, Fatima Belén Barrios, Felycya Harris, Fendi Mon’ezah Armstrong (“”Peaches””), Fernanda Alvarado, Fifty Bandz, Fonthoi Lima, Fray Mando Bautista Bobadilla, G. Rocha Silva, Gabriela Ramírez, Gala Ocampo Figueroa, Geovanna Ángulo Ramos, Gerusa Oliveira Reis, Gianna Lombardi, Gil Mendes (“”Gigi””), Gina Rodríguez Sinuiri, Giovanna Betancourth Vergara, Giselle Hartzog/Giselle Hilton, Giselle Sakai, Gloria Florencia Álvez Mariño, Grace Mahoro, Gretell Ceballos Ramírez, Guddu Zaman, H. J. Ramírez (“”La Tigra””), Haven A Bailey, Heloísa Ferreira (“”Lora””),

Hevelyn Montine, Ilás Gama Nunes Andrade, Iratxe Otero, Iris Santos Isabella Garzón Monsalve, Itu dos Santos, Ivanna Macedo Silva, Ivonne Tlahuetl, J. A. da Silva, J. F. Medina Hernández, J. S. Cardoso, Jahaira DeAlto Balenciaga, Jaheim Bella Pugh, Jaida Peterson, Jane McQueen, Jaqueline Saviery Silva, Jasmine Bright (“”Jazzy””), Jeffrey Bright (“”JJ””), Jenna Franks, Jennifer Zapata, Jessica Smith, Jesús Ochandio (“”La Ochandio””) Jhennyfer, Jhie Bangkiao, Joana Domingos (“”Joana D’Arc””), Johana Morena Mayor, Johanna Borbor (“”La Diabla””), Josefina Cruceño, Josselin Alejandra Hernández, Juana Criollo Cabascango, Juliana da Cruz Costa, Juliana Piropo, Juliana Santos, Julie Catamin, Kadir Murat Sözübir, Kalyndra Selva, Guedes Nogueira da Hora, Karen Cristina (“”Kareen Vitória””), Karencita Mejía Núñez, Karla Ariella, KC Wilson, Kelly Alves (“”Dandara””), Kendra González, Kendra Torres Galeana, Kendra Zambrano (“”La Kendra””/””La Barbie””), Keri Washington (“”Bobo””), Kerollyn Moroe Shampherllay, Keron Ravach, Kiér Laprí Kartier, Kim Ramirez, Kimberely Patricia Cope (“”Kim””), Kimberly Susan Fial, Kimberly Wirtz (“”Tova””), Krys Brandon Ruiz, L. E. Parama, La Gasparina, Lala Contreras, Larissa Dieckmann (“”Lara””), Laura, Laura Michelle, Leeze Lawrence, Lígia, Lola Santos, Lorena Muniz, Lourrany Lopes Leitão, Luana Katrina, Luana Menndes/Luana Pereira dos Santos, Luana Morais, Lucca Gomes Souto, Lucho Ávila, Lucíana Moscoso, Luciana Sandreli Alves, Luisa Revilla Urcia, Luna Abascal (Getsemaní Santos Luna), Lupita Moraes da Silva, Madalena Leite, Maha Moretto,, Malevola Lessa (“”Leticia””), Malu Mejías, Manuella Otto, Marcela Estella Vieira, Márcia Marcita, Marcinha Vaz

(“”Maquita””), Marcos, Maria, Maria Clara de Oliveira, Maria Eduarda, Maya Borg, Melibeth Yulitza Marchena, Mérida Irlanda, Mia, Mia Morais Mía Zabala Gutiérrez (“”Mía Colluchi””), Michel, Michele Almeida, Michell González Cortés (“”Pitufa””), Michelle Ramos Alarcón (“”Brenda””), Mickerlange François, Mikaely Campion, Mikelly Câmara, Milena Massafera, Milo Turner, Mimii Lessa (“”Yasmin””), Miraş Güneş, Monalisa Leide, Mumtaz, Muslimah Hasim, Myliah Monae Mullen, Naomi Alonso, Natali Sofía Martínez Grabados, Natalia Maldonado, Natalia Smüt Lopez, Nataly Lily, Natasha da Paz Gomes, Natasha Galvão, Natasha Kieanna, Natasha Liverman, Natasha Nascimento, Natasha Santos, Nathalia Leticia Barbosa da Fonseca (“”Bia””), Nathally Mendes Alves, Near (Byuu), Nelly García Rivera, Nicolas, Nicolas, Nicole Quilaneta, Nicolly Fernanda, Nicolly Xavier Azevedo, Niharika Narasimhamurthy, Nila Gupta, Nona Moselle Conner, Novaa Ru Watson (EJ Boykin), Nuray Nuriyev, Oliver Taylor (“”Ollie””), Oreinha, Pamela (“”Pam””), Pamela Lorrany, Paola Calderon, Paolla Bueno, Paquita Ferreira Brasil, Patricio Bolaños, Paula Brandão, Paula Migeon, Paulet, Pet Galea, Pietra Valentina, Piper Autumn Rivers (Tegan Toxik/Tegan Last), Poe Black/Oliver Jackson (“Legion”, “Tommi”), Pojuca Alves de Souza, Pompéia Ramos, Pooh Johnson (“”Titanizer Mua””), Prachi, Prof Fran Demétrio, R. Tamboong, Rafaela Bacchi, Rany Merces (“”Nynha””), Raquel, Raqueli, Ravel Oliver, Rayanna Pardo, Rayssa Eloá Menezes Lema (“”Rah””), Rayza Torriani, Rebeca Sampaio/Raiane, Santos de Matos, Remy Fennell, Reyna Fernandez Villanueva (“”Reira Saga””), Roba, Roberta Fernandes, Roberta Silva, RR Bondoc, Rubi Dominguez, Rubia Carvalho, S. Militante, S.

Saira Mamani, Sabrina Martins, Safire de Martinelly, Samantha Riaño Morales (“”Sammy””), Samir Seif Bouabadali, Samuel Boutry, Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, Samylla Marry Windson, Sandie Crisp (“”Goddess Bunny”), Sandy da Silva, Gomes, Sangeetha, Santiago Cancinos, Sapa Sara Blackwood, Sasha, Saulette, Selin Aynaci, Serenity Hollis, Shafiq, Shai Vanderpump, Sharlotte Escobar Ramos, Sheila de Oliveira da Silva, Shirley Mejía Sánchez, Shirley Scarleth Villarreal (“”Sherlyn””), Silvana Gómez Galeano, Skylar Heath, Sneha, Sofía Micaela Catán (“”Mica””), Soledad Rojas Paúcar (“”Shisha””), Sophie Gwen Williams, Sophie Vásquez, Stefany, Sudarshan Suryavanshi, Suelen Carey, Sumana Dhar, Surya, Susana Silvestre León, T. Hardin, T. Vijay Kumar, Tainá, Tati Quirós Dávila, Tatiana, Taya Ashton, Thaw Thaw, Thaynara Moraes, Tiara Banks, Tierramarie Lewis, Tiffany Thomas, Titi das Chagas, Tobias Palmer (“”Benji””), Tristan Frémont, Tyianna “”Davarea”” Alexander, Úrsula A. S. (“”Maravilhosa””), Valentina Gámez, Valentina Vera López (“”Kim””), Valeria Carrasco, Valery Pereira, Vanessa Zúniga, Verónica Solano, Vicenta de Loris (“”La Chenta””), Vicente González Lora, Victoria Nuñez (“”Vicky””), Vida Bruno, Viki Nieva, Viktoria Basakovskaya (“”Vika””), Violeta Ramírez Pérez, Wanda Soraya De La Fuente, Wanessa Sampaio, Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, Xingshun Zhou, Yaelin Maydana Olmedo, Yara Cumady/Yara Pereira dos Santos, Yeray Hurtado (“”Teresa””), Ygona Moura, Yulieth Balmaceda, Yunieski Carey Herrera (“”Yuni””), Yuri Arthur (“”Aquariano””), Zashy Zuely del Cid Velásquez, Zoella Rose Martinez (“”Zoey””), Artemis Islam.

This list was compiled by Transrespect.org

Chanukah: A Story Of Resistance

Writer, Amira Herz, shares the story of Chanukah and its continuing relevance Amira Herz Staff Writer

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rom Sunday 28th November, the Jewish community will begin to celebrate the festival of Chanukah from sundown. This festival takes place across an eight-day period, celebrating a festival of lights through menorah lighting, special prayers and fried food. Despite being considered one of the most commonly recognised Jewish festivals, the history of Chanukah is often unknown across the wider population.

Around 2000 years ago, the indigenous Jewish homeland (The Kingdom of Israel) was dominated by Syrian rulers across the Syrian-Greek Empire. At the time, Israel was being fought over for possession by the King of Syria (Antiochus III) and King Ptolemy of Egypt. The former was successful, and Israel was annexed into his Empire.

Despite being in favour of

the Jewish population at the beginning of his rule, Antiochus developed hatred and grief towards the community; once dead, his son further began to oppress the Jews, threatening the livelihood of the Jewish community once again.

From a wider perspective, the developing hatred towards Jews was not only coming from Antiochus, but also the growing influence

of the Greek Hellenists.

The Hellenists promoted and significantly accepted idol-worship – something exceedingly prohibited within the Jewish religion, this in turn raised tensions across the greater Syria area.

After the death of Antiochus’s III son, Antiochus IV began to reign over Syria. Historically labelled as a ‘madman’, Antiochus IV held a strong

@Pxfuel

aspiration to unify his kingdom, pursuing the notion of a common religion and culture.

In order to do this, the king began to suppress Jewish law, removing high ranking Jewish officials and replacing religious leaders. During this time, Antiochus was heavily engaged in war with Egypt and rumour spread about his death stemming from Jerusalem. This rumour was untrue and due to it originating from Jerusalem, the King held the Jews accountable.

Consequently, he ordered his army to attack the Jewish community, witnessing the death of over a thousand Jews. However, this was only the beginning of a long series of attacks upon the Jewish community.

Jewish worship, law and celebration were forbidden.

There were, however, those who actively sought to rebel,; notably the story of Mattiyahu and the theme of sacrifice remains fundamental to

the Chanukah celebration.

One such rebellion caused a community of Jews to flee to the hills of Judea; In this community, the Maccabees (translating to Who is like You, O G-d) were formed. This group was committed to waging warfare against Antiochus. An army of over 40,000 men began to invade Judea, despite being desperately outnumbered, the Maccabees won and returned to liberate Jerusalem.

Throughout this liberation, a key aim was to restore the Holy Temple. The Maccabees constructed a menorah, yet when wanting to light it, only a small amount of oil was available – so little to only last a day. Yet, as the story goes, by miracle it continued to burn for eight days. Jews have understood this to mean the protection of G-d of his people. To this day, Jews light the menorah for eight days to remember the destruction of the temple. and further Jewish community.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Agony Owl Matchmaking & Dealing With Conflict W

elcome to this terms last Agony Owl, and oh boy is it a hoot and a half this issue!

I need some advice regarding a shy friend. There is a particular lady friend of mine who fancies him and they get along like a house on fire. However, he’s just such a nice guy and I fear that he is too shy to make a move.

Have you got any advice on how to prompt him? Don’t want it to seem forced or make it obvious as also don’t want to make it awkward for the girl. All the best, Big fan and long-time reader” -BB This scenario seems to have some uncertainties that need ironing out before whipping out your Cupid’s bow. Firstly, it’s worth finding out whether your mate really sees your friend as anything potentially more than that. You say they get on like a house on fire which is a good start, but that fire does need to leave him a little hot and bothered if romance may blossom.

Make sure you don’t expose your other friend’s feelings accidentally in the process to avoid unnecessary awkwardness. Subtlety is key here, the last thing you want is a friendship group destroyed by a little lust. If there’s nothing more than friendship there, poof, like an Alzheimer’s patient with a concussion, forget it, nothing more to say or do.

There’s a lot at stake when it comes to secret crushes, so stay sensitive to that like a good friend should.

If on the other hand there is some potential there for matchmaking, you could encourage your friend through many ways. If you have permission, you can tell your friend those feelings are reciprocated. I doubt this permission would be granted though, given the threat of rejection looming like a fart in the air. Safer options include gentle encouragement to ask her out.

“

Subtlety is key here, the last thing you want is a friendship group destroyed by a little lust.

It can become slightly overkill trying to matchmake for other people, truly I think supporting your friend to aid his confidence is probably all that is necessary.

Millions of years of evolution priming us to shag and pass on our genes, should do the rest...

Focus on yourselves in the meantime, and don’t get too

invested in other people’s business. The friendships you all have may be worth more to you all than any romance might.

Sometimes even if two friends could see themselves together, the potential of romantic relationships is not always worth risking that friendship for.

Perhaps when you reach a point you may never see eachother again, the chance to express those feelings will be taken.

“Dear Agony Owl, I need advice, my friend has been doing and saying things which have been bothering me. It’s only a few comments but they are derogatory and I’m not a fan of it. We are good friends otherwise, so I don’t know if I’m just being oversensitive to their banter. I don’t really know how to react to it or what to say or do and I’m not good with conflict.

Any advice?”

-GH I’m sure this is an issue almost all of us deal with in some way. There’s always going to be people in life who, whether they know it or not, do things that bother us.

These situations and their solutions are like many, rooted in honesty, with yourself and others. If you’re hearing things in a conversation that trigger that gut feeling, unless

your milk’s off, something is obviously bothering you. Are you being too sensitive? It’s not impossible, but ‘too sensitive’ is relative and besides I have more faith in your judgement than that. One off comment could be shrugged off, but multiple incidents indicate a problem. Honestly accept how you’re feeling as a first step.

“

There’s always going to be people in life who, whether they know it or not, do things that bother us.

Maybe talk to someone about it to clarify your feelings, as well as to confirm what the problem is and give you the confidence that you’re not overreacting if you are really unsure.

I often envy those that can give and take light insults to establish boundaries, but the art of banter is not one I am wise in. Given that owls prey on mice I’m not exactly used to negotiating conflicts with equals. Sometimes insults can be fun and we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously but when banter isn’t actually funny, or is inconsiderately lacking sensitivity, intentional or not it’s just a poorly veiled insult.

Relationships tend to exist in the same patterns unless

something significant happens to change it. It’s time to put that honesty to good use and get to the hard bit...A conversation!

Now for the conflict averse I know the idea of critiquing someone else’s behaviour and disrupting the albeit painful pre-existing equilibrium can sound hellish, but the alternative is to continue a relationship that is ultimately producing negativity.

“

Relationships tend to exist in the same patterns unless something significant happens to change it.

Holding on to a hot coal only prolongs the pain it causes.

Be sure of why you want to address these issues, go in with at least 3 clear examples of the problem, so that your friend can’t reasonably excuse it away.

Safe in the knowledge the feelings they’ve created, intentional or not, are valid, your friend, like any reasonable person should seek to understand you and alleviate the issue. It’s likely going to be difficult, establishing new boundaries may be unfamiliar and it’s not a great feeling criticising others to their face but if the intent is ultimately good, and for the betterment of your relationship, the

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of your relationship, the outcome should almost definitely be positive.

There is of course the risk that your friend doesn’t accept they’ve done anything wrong, greater clarification may be needed, but if your feelings are disregarded, mocked or ignored, the friendship clearly is not equal or respectful enough to devote further energy to.

Such negotiations are a skill which takes practice to gain confidence in, but being brave enough to accept not ignoring your feelings and have honest conversations will do you and your relationships a world of good, now and in the future.

If you have anything going on in your life that you think The Badger’s resident Agony Owl can help you out with feel free to drop us a message on instagram or facebook!

Or, email anonymously to agonyowlsussex@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Birds cannot receive professional qualifications so do not

Travel & Culture Brighton Christmas Festival 2021

The Badger 29th November 2021

15

Travel & Culture Print Editor, Aishwarya Johnson Jogul, talks you through the best parts of the festive season in our beloved sea-side town...

Aishwarya Johnson Jogul Travel & Culture Print Editor

W

ith the drop in temperature and rise in the holiday spirit, several Christmas shops have cropped up over Brighton in the past week. The Christmas markets are a blend of Christmas delicacies and festive shenanigans which not only offer a delightful way to close the passing year but also to usher into the new year!

Follow the scent of hot Christmas food and your favourite cocktail, and do your Christmas shopping at these artisan markets. The charming Christmas Market tents strung with fairy lights and the merry music and a cocktail can put anyone in a festive mood. The city is decking up for a 5-week Christmas festivity from the 26th of November to 31st December.

The Old Steine Garden (the Valley Gardens) area will be a festive harbour with thrift shops, art & culture, fairy lite décor, pop-up shops and festive music. The Christmas Market stretches all the way

from Old Steine to St. Peter’s Church. The market will even have an entertainment section with lots of live performances and activities. London eye like Ferris wheel is back in town to aggregate the Christmas vibe and several fairground rides will also be making their way to Brighton as part of the fes-

tivities. This year the Brighton Christmas Festival will also have a community celebration square decked up with legit Christmas décor which will be a host to numerous Christmas Events. The Local schools, community groups, artists, and some of the city’s famous buskers will be per-

forming on the community stage as part of the celebrations. St Peter’s Square will have a large stage to host evenings of comedy and dancing.

Santa’s Grotto is the main attraction for kids starting from 20th November at the Valley Garden, Brighton. Children can meet Santa and his elves

Joy, Bramble, Holly, Cracker, Gimble and Ivy and spend time with them at Santa’s house and receive special gifts.

Wade off your home sickness by enjoying your Christmas at the Beautiful Brighton with your friends as the city has so much to offer to its International Students.

@Bnchristmasfest

The Badger 29th November 2021

Travel and Culture

16

The Badger’s Guide To The Best Pubs in Brighton Here at The Badger we have compiled a list of our favourite pubs that have been tried and tested throughout our time in Brighton The Badger Editorial Team The Constant Service: Robyn Cowie, Online Production Editor: Located on the top of Islingword Road, just below Queens Park, the Constant Service Pub is an intimate, local pub - worth the hike up the hill for. The Constant Service is a small pub with a lot of charm, whether it is its cosy interiors and well priced, fail safe options at the bar or its pleasant outside area. This pub is a great place for anyone who lives in the Hanover, Queens Park or Elm Grove, neck of the woods, who wants a chill time, in a lovely pub where you can relax, catch up with friends and enjoy its welcoming atmosphere.

The Gladstone - Georgia Keetch, Editor-In-Chief Ah, The Gladdy. 100% the best pub in Brighton without a doubt. This giant yellow building has been my local for the last 3 years of uni and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

With incredibly cheap drinks and a gorgeous garden you have to pay this place a visit.

The Hartington - Dylan Bryant, Music Editor Other than the fact that it’s my local ‘boozer’ and it’s in an extremely convenient location being just a 30 second stroll away from my house, this pub really is a great spot for an ice cold bevy. It’s fairy lights and homely aesthetic make for a warm and welcoming atmosphere. When visiting, Sports Editor Charlie Batten admitted “this reminds me of a warm wholesome English country pub”.

The Hartington is always busy with students and locals and with this, there’s always a nice buzz. Expect good pints, live music, darts and a pool table.

The Prince Albert - Simon Edwards, Comment Online Editor As a non-drinker, pubs in a practical sense are largely the same - loud music and overpriced soft drinks, but the weird zen of being a sober man among the plastered. When I think about the best pub in Brighton, I’m instead thinking of the pub that makes me feel most at home in the city, and that’s easily the Prince Albert.

Tucked under Brighton Station, this pub’s famous mural wall - with personal favourites

@UniFresher like Lemmy, Ronnie James Dio and Jimmy Hendrix adorning its walls - is something I walk past every time I return to Brighton if I’ve been away too long. It’s a Brighton institution, and one I cherish. I’m sure it’s nice inside too, if you like that sort of thing.

The Lewes Road Inn - Charlie Batten, Sports Print Editor What can I say, this truly is the Badger’s pub. Every Tuesday we trek down there for the Pub quiz and we absolutely bloody love it. It’s got a great atmosphere, £4 Pravah pints for students and a weird innuendo oriented waiter, expect weird jokes about sex

and food. If you do grace your presence on a Tuesday there you’ll get to meet the absolute legend Mark who is possibly the greatest quiz host I’ve ever witnessed with quotable catchphrases such as “a little hush” and [...]. It’s a wonderful pub and I always book my Tuesday’s off to spend an evening there.

The White Rabbit - Issy Anthony, Film & TV Editor Whenever I meet up with friends, someone always suggests the White Rabbit, and with good reason. Located on my favourite street in North Laine (Kensington Gardens), this Alice in Wonderland inspired pub is a

quintessential Brighton boozer, from its quirky/kitsch aesthetic to its great selection of craft beers. It’s also got a sheltered garden, delicious food, and very wholesome christmas vibes around this time of year.

The absolute winner for me is that they do mulled cider as well as mulled wine, for those of us who are not yet mature enough to handle red wine.

The Font - Rob Barrie, Science and Technology Editor This pub nestled away in the lanes rarely receives the attention it deserves. Despite its unassuming entrance, it is actually rather quite expansive

inside. The bar is reminiscent of a Victorian London Underground station, and a neon sign situated behind with the words “God is a DJ” is a quirky touch.

The pub layout itself resembles one of a converted theatre — with a beautiful gallery encircling above. The range of both food and drinks is nothing to write home about, but there’s something about the unique architecture of this pub that makes it a must visit.

The fact that The Font is also the home of the official Liverpool FC supporters club here in Brighton has not influenced my decision, I promise.

The Badger 29th of November 2021

Travel and Culture

17

A Guide to your First Student Christmas Dinner

Twas the month before Christmas, and all through the various student residences of Brighton the whispers of the notorious student christmas dinner are beginning to be heard...

Robyn Cowie & Claire Cunningham

T

he student Christmas dinner has often been a thing of only the most organised of flat/friend groups, but with our helpful tips anyone can host a student friendly festive meal. No matter the lack of skill, budget or equipment whether you are hosting or just attending. We hope these ten tips and tricks ease some of the anxiety and help to remind all those partake to enjoy this student right of passage, which for many is the first christmas meal they have made or first some outside of the family home.

In halls, houses or your shared accommodation, we have got you covered.

Don’t Overwhelm... delegate and team work - A christmas meal can be split into many parts (meat, potatoes, veg, gravy/sauces, desert, drinks) if you break it down and everyone just has one or a couple things whether big or small. It can really make the task a lot more manageable and fair ... you can just buy the wine if cooking is really outside of your wheelhouse.

Be resourceful in ingredients and dishes … Think smart and plan ahead, working out what you need, how much and where it is best (and cheapest) to buy it from. Not everything has to be from scratch, box of stuffing mix, gravy granules and perhaps some frozen veg can go a long way, whilst also cutting down cooking time.

Does not have to be too tra-

ditional - Sometimes the perfect student Christmas dinner is one which strays away from tradition … Perhaps roast chicken over turkey or a delicious nut roast shall suffice.

Cook what you and your house enjoys - making you all appreciate it more. One of the joys of a student Christmas dinner is you are in charge, so if you hate sprouts, don’t cook them.

Looking pretty is always a bonus - even the smallest things go a long way in adding to the ambiousn of the affair, clean the kitchen, set the table and decorate! Ask your friends to dress up and treat your student Christmas with the ceremony it deserves.

Work out timings and check equipment - May sound simple but it shall save you a lot of has-

@Flickr

sle when it is all stations go and you are in full christmas meal cooking mode. Taking a few minutes to sit down and work out (and preferably write down) what you are cooking, how you are cooking your items and how long each one shall need is the best way to avoid any unexpected hiccups. Cause no one likes cold roast potatoes or overcooked carrots. Moreover, making sure you have all the kitchen equipment you need, again, shall save you from pulling your hair out when you realise you need another pan or roasting tin last minute.

Is there enough? (the more the merrier) - Nothing is worse than not being able to have seconds or enough for all of your guests. A simple fix for this is to always cook more potatoes than you think, because let’s be honest ... they are the best bit.

Our last tip… don’t forget to have fun! Enjoy the chaos, if that is what it turns out to be.

Don’t take it too seriously, this along with a lot of uni is about trying new things and making memories. And if all else fails, a flat christmas takeaway...

Good Luck!

Collection of Christmas Cocktails

It’s no secret that Christmas is a time for lots of merriment, with most of that merriment being fuelled by alcohol! But if you’re like me and you’re not a big fan of the Christmas classics, mulled wine and eggnog, I have three perfect, easy recipes that you can do instead.

Justine Cordery Staff Writer

T

hese cocktails will make any Christmas dinner, Christmas party or any Christmas gathering in general that extra bit more fun, especially when you can take the credit for making these when everyone is complimenting them and asking for the recipe!

Recipe One: Poinsettia: Probably the easiest cocktail you could make as a student, and it looks gorgeous without you having to do any fancy decorative additions!

You will need: • a bottle of prosecco or any other fizzy wine, chilled • a carton of cranberry juice, chilled • You will need a large pitcher and you simply

mix the two to your liking. If you’re feeling more fizz then go crazy on the Prosecco but if it’s just going to be a nice little starter cocktail, focus on the cranberry juice.

Pour the mixture into wine glasses or champagne flutes…if that’s something that you have in your university housing...and enjoy!

Recipe Two: Sloe Gin Fizz: As an avid gin lover, this next cocktail suits me perfectly at Christmas time.

There are many different recipes for this festive cocktail, but I believe this recipe is the easiest and cheapest for a student.

You will need: • 50ml sloe gin • 25ml lemon juice • 2 tsp sugar syrup • Ice

Sparkling water One fresh or frozen blackberry Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker, (or pint glass that you can firmly fit your land around for a lid!) and fill the rest of it with ice. Shake with all that you’ve got, until the mixture is all nice and cold. Then strain the mix into a tall glass that has a little bit of ice in it and top the drink with sparkling water. Mix gently and then get creative with a little blackberry or two, and maybe even a lemon slice if you’re feeling extra festive!

Recipe Three: Mistletoe Martini Mocktail time! Having a great time at Christmas does not mean drinking your liver away, and Christmas mocktails need to become more common, so here is my favourite. : Probably the tastiest out of these three cocktails, but that’s probably because when you’re

drinking one of these you know you can have so many more!

You will need: • Equal parts of smooth orange juice and cranberry juice, chilled • 1 part sparkling elderflower • A few drops of lemon juice

You need to mix the orange juice and cranberry juice together, then add the lemon juice. Slowly add the elderflower so that it doesn’t fizz up too quickly. Simply serve in a martini glass, which you could rim with sugar to make it look extra elegant.

@Libby Gissing @ Raw Pixel

The Badger 29th November 2021

Arts • Music

JUDI JACKSON RELEASES ‘GRACE’ – ALBUM REVIEW

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Music Editor, Dylan Bryant, praises the exceptional talent of Jazz singer, Judy Jackson

Dylan Bryant Music Editor During reading week, I went home for a few days and in preparation for listening to Judi Jackson’s new album ‘Grace’ with my dad, I prepared him an ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail.

Dimmed lighting and a glass of whiskey is a good way to enjoy the sophisticated sound of great jazz music and subscribing to this ritual was definitely the way to listen to Judi’s incredible new album.

Judi Jackson is an artist who stunned the world of Jazz with her indubitable world-class talent that earned her the acclaim of Vocalist of the Year at the 2020 Jazz FM Awards.

Armed with this accolade and having released her incredible single ‘Crashing Down’ last year; the anticipation for her full-length album was real.

‘Grace’ is the magnum opus from Judi who has something that is truly special.

“

She is blessed with the versatility of a voice that is both delicately nonchalant, yet powerful and touching.

It’s something that touches all the emotions of life, including the happiness, the heartaches and the challenges and Judi

is effortlessly comfortable whether it’s hitting the piercing high notes, or falling into the sonorous lows.

In terms of genre, Judi is naturally timeless as her style crosses over between London’s modern jazz scene and neosoul and ‘Grace’ is the perfect representation of an artist who is more than capable of going all the way to the top.

If you’re new to Judi as an artist; the track ‘River’ is an exceptional introduction to her talent and ability as an artist. It is a song that serves as a poignant ballad that touches on the emotions of suffering, perseverance and harmony. Judi’s vocals express these feelings beautifully and the track ends with the stunning harmonising lyrics “flow like a river” which provide a resolution to a song that evokes such emotion both instrumentally and lyrically.

As an artist of such talent, Judi isn’t shy to collaborate with some of the music industry’s biggest successes. She co-wrote ‘River’ with Nicolas Littlemore of Empire of the Sun and also included string arrangements from the Grammy Award winner - Davide Rossi who has worked with the likes of Coldplay.

This album also demonstrates Judi’s refusal to be bottle-necked into one specific genre. Whilst tracks such as ‘Strawberry Lady’ surround the downtempo melodies of trip-hop, other

moments on the record such as ‘Two of us’ serve up a completely different sound with its upbeat and addictive guitar riff.

This upbeat feel is something that Judi translates into her live performance and I was lucky enough to attend the 2018 recording of her album ‘Live in London’ where she danced and embraced the music, whilst moving effortlessly around the stage barefooted, wearing a red gown. Amongst her band was drummer Will Cleasby who has recently accompanied Jamie Cullum in the studio to record some tracks for his Christmas album this year.

Another moment of versatility on this album is ‘Sunrise’ which features a surprise guest – Arthur Verocai. The cult Brazilian artist whose 1972 self-titled record is appreciated as a hidden classic.

“

This track offers a calming feel that is carried by a beautiful string arrangement and Judi’s soothing vocals.

All fifteen songs on this record were either written or co-written by Judi. Other notable collaborators include Tim Baxter (Muse, Jasmine Thompson), Reuben James (John Legend, Nile Rodgers) and Tom Excell, who is the leader of the Uk’s acclaimed afro-

@Instagram

@Instagram jazz collective Nubiyan Twist.

A personal favourite track of mine is ‘Crashing Down’. Whilst I already loved the single version, which was released last year, the album adaptation is something that is truly magnificent. Rarely with a song do you find that an artist’s vocals transcend such emotion that you truly believe this is how they are feeling right at that moment.

The track begins with the lyrics “Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down, but all of the time, all of the time, I’m happy you’re around”. These are accompanied by an emotive sequence of piano chords that elevate Judi’s words and I think lyrically this is Judi’s strongest track on the album.

Before the song finishes; Judi climbs down the vocal scale before launching back into the chorus. ‘Crashing Down’ is a song that in my opinion puts Judi’s voice right up there with some of the most acclaimed singers of our time and she is a serious world-class talent that you need to get on your radar.

Judi finishes the record with the title track ‘Grace’.

It’s dark feel is matched with Judi’s elegant delivery and it is an excellent conclusion to an album that showcases so much emotion and talent.

Whilst the album has been released on all major digital platforms; CD and vinyl formats will be available on January 28th, 2022. Seeing as it’s my Birthday a few days later, I’m hoping for an early birthday present, so Judi, if you’re reading this, please send me a vinyl copy!

Find Judi’s Album over on our Spotify via the QR code

‘Grace’ Tracklist: 1. Strawberry Lady 2. Crashing Down 3. Space Gyal (feat.

Blue Lab Beats) 4. Magic 5. Little Sunflower 6. Sunrise (feat.

Arthur Verocai) 7. River 8. Strangest 9. Engagement 10. Spring 11. Blue Baby 12. Soliloquy 13. Two of Us 14. In the Night 15. Over the Moon 16. Grace

The Badger 29th November 2021

Arts • Film and Television

7 Sci-Fi Worlds to Explore After Dune

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Staff writer Lottie Skala guides us through seven films to fill the Dune-sized hole in our heart...

Lottie Skala Staff Writer

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typically divisive genre, science-fiction movies tend to alienate wider audiences with their complicated worldbuilding rules, appealing more to those with a predetermined appetite for the surreal.

Amassing $330 million in box office sales worldwide, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune overcame the limitations of its genre, quickly becoming recognised by the repeated praise: “I don’t even like sci-fi, but I loved Dune”. Here are seven other films to watch if your thirst for spellbinding cinematic universes has since been awakened. (Blade Runner and Mad Max go without saying…)

Minority Report (2002) Dir Steven Spielberg In a delightfully futuristic set-up, three psychic humans are utilised by the police force for crime-prevention. Tom Cruise’s Chief of Police is on the run after appearing in a vision committing the brutal murder of a man he does not recognise.

@Allstar Despite the formidable combination of Phillip K. Dick’s source material and Spielberg’s direction, Minority Report remains an underrated classic.

District 9 (2009) Dir Neill Blomkamp Twenty years after an alien spaceship lands in Johannesburg, the political implications of living alongside

the human race are unveiled in this masterpiece of a film. Themes of nationalism, poverty, and political protest are all explored through an almost video-game-like lens for a viewing experience that’s hard to forget.

The Matrix Trilogy (19992003) Dir the Wachowski Sisters

If the tagline ‘welcome to the Real World’ doesn’t conjure up any of the multiple Matrix parodies in pop culture, then congratulations. You are hereby welcomed to enjoy the sci-fi world both closest and furthest from reality than any other. With as little information provided as possible. Don’t google a thing.

Annihilation (2018) Dir Alex Garland In a rare instance for the genre, a majority female cast heads into unknown territory following a meteorite crash-landing on Earth. The supernatural events that ensue are directed with as much visual splendour as Dune, and the final act is truly one of the most haunting sequences in all of science-fiction cinema.

Event Horizon (1997) Dir Paul W. S. Anderson As with most spaceexploration movies, the scariest discoveries tend to be the closest to home. Whilst undoubtedly derivative, this sci-fi horror is packed with moments of genuine suspense, terror,

and a number of hilariously committed performances. It’s no wonder that twenty years after its box office failure, it finally found a cult audience.

Hellboy (2004) & Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008) Dir Guillermo del Toro The comic book world of Hellboy is magnificently brought to life by Del Toro’s signature genre-bending style. Halfdemon-half-human, Hellboy is Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool if he too had been summoned from hell by Nazi occultists. If the Baron was your favourite character in Dune, look no further for equally grotesque and mesmeric creatures.

Under The Skin (2013) Dir Jonathan Glazer For fans of slow-burn arthouse (think Robert Eggers, Yorgos Lanthimos etc), this eerie tale of a lonely extraterrestrial being, targeting the unwitting men of Scotland, is as breathtaking as it is harrowing. The film’s array of haunting images will stay in your mind for days after viewing.

Review: The French Dispatch Daisy Holbrook Staff Writer

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es Anderson’s latest film, The French Dispatch, follows the story of the creation of the final edition of the eponymous publication.

Set in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé (Boring-on-Apathy) during the mid-century, the film incorporates a dazzling array of narratives. Told via an obituary for the magazine’s well-loved editor, a travel guide by the bicycle-enthusiast and journalist Sazerac and a trio of features from the publication to tell its story, resulting in an anthology of visually pleasing and well-written short films tied together by the inner workings of an eccentric magazine and the endearing, unusual characters who populate its offices.

The first story ‘’The Concrete Jungle’’ tells the bittersweet tale of a murderer convicted of brutal crimes and his prison guard muse as he becomes one of the most enigmatic and prolific artists in the world after a chance encounter with a notorious art dealer.

The second tale ‘’Revisions

to a Manifesto’’ follows a journalist struggling to maintain journalistic neutrality as she attempts to document a student revolution whilst her questionable relationship with the young de-facto leader of the protests becomes more complex and muddled.

Finally, the last story, ‘’The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner’’ sees a fantastical tale of a kidnapping, a daring magnificent rescue, and a very talented chef.

Despite the wildly differing plotlines in the three features, they find common ground in the way each writer loses

track of the intended subject matter of their story, instead discovering a new perspective that changes their lives in some way, as their Editor encourages them - tenderly stating ‘’just try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose’’.

Each story is as exciting and wonderfully ludicrous as the last, and yet, each has its own point to make, giving commentary on issues such as the complexities and criticisms of modern art, the trouble of harbouring revolutionary ideals, and the struggles of expatriates living away from their native countries.

Citation @Mubi

The narratives told are drenched in a sense of playful absurdity, depicting events that few viewers would have ever experienced, and yet, through warm colour palettes, childlike compositions and somewhat mundane characters, Anderson finds a way to steep it in nostalgia and relatability, drawing out the real and the human in the characters, utilising what it is that makes them mundane to reach out to the audience.

In its entirety, it is an utterly delightful, candy-hued loveletter to journalism, an ode to writing and arts-and-culture publications like the New Yorker, steeped in an abundance of precision and charm and paired perfectly with an ensemble of dazzling characters and an equally dreamy soundtrack.

It is complex, intricate, and full of quirk and comedy, fluttering seamlessly between black-and-white, colour, tableau vivant, live-action, animation, and various aspect ratios to tell its charming tales.

The French Dispatch makes the cinematography a central narrative device of its own, one that when combined with the elaborate multitude of narrative threads, functions

like a meticulously maintained machine rather than a movie, a complex contraption made up of hundreds of tiny parts that synergize together, operating with a relentless trajectory that denies the possibility of reflection .

“

It is an utterly delightful, candyhued love-letter to journalism It has Anderson’s typical aesthetic, colour palette, dollhouse production design, planimetric, constructed composition, fast pacing and compass point editing and, as such, is sure to polarise audiences with its typical precise and twee stylisation.

It is possibly Anderson in his purest form and existing fans of his work will find much to love within this joyful celebration of a generation of writers that broadened the possibilities and understanding of what journalism could, and should, be, capturing the joy of writing, storytelling, and the utter delight of losing yourself in a story.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Arts • Theatre

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‘Love & Infomation’

Theatre Editor, Ali Arief, Reviews and Interviews SUDS on their recent play ‘Love & Inforation’...

Ali Arief Theatre Editor

Relationships, friend-

ships, connections, and love. From adolescence to adulthood, we strive to understand love and affection and how it presents itself in all its forms.

Caryl Churchills ‘Love & Information’ was brought to life by Sussex Universities Drama Society (SUDS) last weekend.

Directed by Blessing Peters and Holly Bacon, the play performed the first live performance of the term, and it was astounding. Using a series of monologues and duologues, the play presented us with short scenarios of different couples facing different challenges and wins during their relationship with one another.

On a technical standpoint, this show shone with a minimalistic set, costume, and lighting design. However, this minimalism paid off extremely well as the lighting design was constructed to draw your attention solely on the actors and to create a space where you felt as if you were watching friends live out their life moments together. It was intimate, it was personal, and it was hard-hitting.

The selection of duologues chosen seemed intentional, each one relatable to many experiences that couples face together, but what I especially enjoyed that the cast was made up of exclusively Women and

Non-Binary individuals.

This bought a whole other dimension to the play, as often the stories of lesbian and bisexual Women are often not told on the stage, and it is even rarer to find theatre that depicts a non-Binary individual in a relationship. The choice to make this play inherently LGBT made me feel at home.

Due to the exceptional acting of each cast member, I felt as if I knew each character they were playing, as if I had walked in their footsteps, or as if they were my friend.

Each line was delivered with fervent emotion under careful direction, a lot of topics explored required this delicate handling and the Directors were able to artistically interpret dark themes such as domestic violence and Dementia with the utmost care. The actors themselves presented these themes maturely and sensitively, and where able to present a range of emotions within a short space of a couple of minutes, it was extremely impressive and ultimately heavily believable.

What I also found compelling about this piece was how relatable it was.

Most of the scenarios presented where something I had faced in a relationship or friendship before, and I found myself in a deep sense of familiarity and nostalgia thinking back to the intimate relationships that I have cherished throughout my life.

I was keen to interview both Blessing and Holly about the production of this play.

Why did you choose ‘Love & Information’ to open the term with?

Holly: ‘Love and Information’ is one of my favourite plays. The close inspection of a variety of relationships highly intrigued me from a directory standpoint as it excited me to work heavily on brief moments and to then move on to the next. The play also allows a lot of room for creative freedom from which stories you choose to show, the order of the scenes, how many people you have in the play and how you stage it. It allows for actors to adapt themselves with the play and not the other way around with me and Blessing choosing which scenes they where in dependant on their ability and the way they act. It also provided a good introduction to some of the actors’ first time acting and certainly for myself and Blessing as first time directors.

Blessing: So when Holly originally approached me with the play, she talked about it in a really enthusiastic and passionate way that I figured I had nothing to lose by reading it. Once I’d read it, I understood Holly’s passion - it was beautifully simplistic and Churchill’s craft was evident from the first page. We also really liked the idea of creating our own version of the play by choosing specific scenes and then stringing them together to tell a story.

What kind of atmosphere did you hope to achieve throughout this?

Holly: When directing this play with Blessing, we wanted to create an emotional and turbulent atmosphere throughout. The audience are given little time to dwell in the emotions of a scene whilst also experiencing the characters emotions very brutally and raw. These are very pivotal moments in these characters’ lives that are being shown and it demands the audience to pay attention and to quickly understand that this moment is going to change everything in the characters lives and relationships.

Having this process repeated over and over again is demanding of the audience but what I wanted to be caused by this is an appreciation of the audience members’ own relationships at how beautiful and complex they are.

Blessing: We wanted a sincere atmosphere - it’s why we were so set on having a naturalistic adaptation of the play. We wanted to give the dialogue a chance to shine on its own. The whole play’s about love, connection, relationship, the breakdown of relationships - and we wanted the atmosphere to create room for the audience to really feel those emotions. So a lot of the blocking and stage setup was designed with that in mind.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Arts • Books

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Book Review: Assembly by Natasha Brown Reflecting on the colonialist, classist structure of British society, Assembly is a remarkably powerful book which takes a poetic and poignant look at Black British identity Saskia May Books Editor

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ithin the slim one hundred pages of Assembly, gifted new writer Natasha Brown has crafted a debut tale that considers the psychic marks of racism and classism in modern-day Britain, consulting the legacy of British colonialism and the postThatcherite Business world.

The unnamed narrator, a young British Black woman, seemingly has it all, a well-paid and blossoming career in finance, a wealthy boyfriend and a flat in London. Having been invited by her upper-class boyfriend’s family to their sprawling country home for the weekend to celebrate their wedding anniversary, the narrator reflects on the insidious structures of class and race and how often, racism and classism are intertwined dialogues.

In between sparse vignettes, the narrator reveals that she has been diagnosed with cancer, her doctor urging her to put a hold on her work and seek chemotherapy.

Facing a choice between the fight for survival or acceptance, her successes appear hollow to her. Brown’s narrator comes to consider her desire for survival and what that means

for her, drawing us into her astute observations of the gritty, and business obsessed world around her, ‘any value my words have in this country is derived from my association with its institutions: universities, banks, governments’.

Pressing on the narrator constantly are the daily racist microaggressions that she faces from colleagues, her boyfriend’s parents, and strangers on the street. The constant pressure to ‘ascend’ carries a sense of guilt for her because ‘my parents and grandparents had no such opportunities; I could hardly waste mine’. Reflecting on how ‘the crumbling empire sent back for her colonial subjects’, Brown notes how ‘we came and built and mended and nursed; cooked and cleaned. We paid taxes, extortionate rent to the few landlords who would take us’. Those who came from the commonwealth faced hatred and violence, ‘The National Front chased, burnt, stabbed, eradicated…. New laws were drawn up; our rights revoked.’

In spite of the immense racism shown by Britain, some victims survived and the narrator tells us that ‘an ethic, a mindset, a drive was established then, that persists now. A relentless, uncompromising pursuit.’ This ‘survival’ has of course come at

a cost, as the narrator’s mental health is marked by a sense of ‘dread’, tied to her professional achievements, ‘Dread.

Everyday is an opportunity to fuck up. Every decision, every meeting, every report… there’s no success, only the temporary aversion of failure.’

David Smail, a clinical psychologist, published in 1993 his book ‘The Origins of Unhappiness: A New Understanding of Personal Distress’. Smail urges us to take a look at the external environments of an individual’s suffering, as opposed to placing emphasis primarily on their internal state. Brown’s narrator is not simply suffering distress due to personal trauma but is an embodied product of her environment. The social structures outside of the narrator, that of the patriarchy, of institutionalised racism, and classism are not moral or psychological structures inside her. Despite facing feelings of alienation and anxiety, such awareness of these structures enables her to understand that she should not blame herself for feeling unable to belong.

Under the pressure to conform and be obedient to a capitalist system, the narrator notes how she must give ‘inspirational’

talks to school children, pushing the hegemony that they too, must become ‘workers who were grateful and industrious and understood their role in society.’ Her wry comment, ‘who knew the limit to any ascent’, reminds us of the futile

sense of ‘change’ occurring in a society complicit with racism.

With minimalist, poetic prose, Assembly consults the impossible predicament of building a coherent sense of self amidst a plethora of

structural

oppressions.

@GoodReads

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid Lucy Atwood Staff Writer

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f you like reading in bed, late at night then I’m Thinking of Ending Things might not be the book for you. It’s a unique, unsettling, psychological horror that I couldn’t bear to put down until I’d devoured the whole thing in one sitting. And then I was too scared to sleep.

The premise is innocent enough – our unnamed narrator and her boyfriend Jake are on their way to visit his parents for the first time. Jake is intelligent, kind, and attractive, the perfect boy-next-door, but the narrator is thinking about ending things with him.

On the drive she contemplates how to break up with Jake, reminiscing about their relationship and how they met.

Small details along the way add to the growing sense of dread like a brand-new swing set outside a burnt-

down farmhouse and cryptic voicemails from the mysterious Caller. But it’s when they arrive at Jake’s parents’ house that things start to get weird. Jake’s parents look, speak and act almost normally but something about them is slightly wrong, slightly inhuman. The conversation is odd, Jake’s mother smiles too much, and one of her toenails is missing. The whole scene is like a dream where everything is mostly normal, but it doesn’t quite make sense. There’s no gruesome murder, no haunted house, no supernatural being… but there’s something. From the moment our couple arrive at the house, alarm bells started ringing in my head.

I wanted to scream at them to get the hell out of there, but I wasn’t entirely sure why.

There’s a moment of relief when the couple finally excuse themselves and begin the drive home but it’s shortlived. After a surprisingly eerie

pitstop at a Dairy Queen, they find themselves stuck in a snowstorm outside an empty high school where the horrifying conclusion takes place. The way the author builds suspense up to this point is subtle yet incredibly powerful.

Throughout the whole book there’s a disturbing, uneasy feeling that creeps up on you slowly and continues to grow until it’s almost unbearable.

This feeling is only emphasised by the conversation between two unnamed characters that interrupts the story every few chapters.

Their exchanges are vague but allude to a tragedy, perhaps a crime, that must be related to our couple although it’s unclear how until the final few pages.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things seems to be one of those books people either love or hate and I think that’s down to the final act. Arguably the scariest, most exciting part of the story but

also the most ambiguous. If you like an ending that spells everything out for you, tying up loose ends in a neat package, then you will be disappointed.

This book left me with more questions than answers and sent me down an internet rabbit hole, desperate for other readers’ theories and opinions.

On the final page, the author even suggests that the reader might benefit from reading the book again, although perhaps not in the same order that you read it the first time. And as someone who has read this book twice now, I’m inclined to agree.

So, the question is “what are you waiting for?”.

@Lucy Atwood

Artist Focus: Tamara Kramar For the last piece of the year, let’s bring it home and present an artist at our very own university of Sussex Tamara Kramar is a musician, singer-songwriter studying at our very own University of Sussex. She moved from Bratislava to Brighton to start her degree in Neuroscience, but because of Covid, she spent most of her student time in Slovakia. She is back in Brighton for this year now that teaching is again in person. After discovering her music style by doing open music at the Sussex Live Music Society on campus, she released her first single this summer, ‘So Sweet’.

When did you start playing music?

I was forced to play the piano by my parents when I was seven. I took music theory classes, but I hated it, I hated theory, I hated what I had to play.

I had to so I didn’t like it. It wasn’t until I was twelve when I realised that pop songs are often a lot easier than the classical music that I had to play.

Suddenly, I could play many pop songs from the radio on the piano, and I was suddenly cool! I thought ‘wow, I kind of like this’. Then I started singing

with it. I never took singing lessons, but I just liked the idea of performing.

We had a bunch of guitars at home, so I started that, it’s easier to carry around than the piano.

It wasn’t until I moved here two years ago that I started writing my own music and performing at every open mic that I could. That’s where I started to realise ‘wow, I kind of wanna do this’. It sucks for my degree!

How come you had the urge to play music when you came here? Did Brighton have an influence?

It was definitely Brighton and the music scene here. The live music society at the university; they put on an open mic every other week, so I performed at every single open mic. We all did. It didn’t matter if you were good or the best, anybody could play, it was really encouraging. Then I played around town, at different pubs.The community here is really strong; once you get into it, you sort of know everybody.

What did you start writing about?

Whatever I was going through! Storyteller personal stuff based on conversations I had with people, whatever was going on in the day. It was very basic at first, but I liked the idea of making up songs. I never thought I could until I tried.

Performing my own songs at open mics was the most stressful thing in the world. Getting up there and playing something that I actually wrote was a big deal to me, but I loved it!

It really helped hearing the positive feedback, then I would jam afterwards with my friends, in our dorm rooms.

I also love seeing the progress; on my first open mic, I had to ask my friend to play the guitar for me because I couldn’t play very well. Now I can obviously play it myself. Through the open mics, I improved so much!

That’s what I loved about it.

Back home in Slovakia this summer, we put together a four-piece band: a drummer, a bassist, a pianist, and me on the guitar and singing. We did so many shows it was so cool! I’m looking to put together a band here as well, and hopefully play somewhere.

How did your band get started?

I post videos on my social media. Last year when I was here in Brighton, I got an invitation to play at a jazz festival in Slovakia based on my videos on the Internet.

The Badger 29th November 2021

They asked me if I wanted to play a set with a band. I said ‘yes, but I don’t have a band!’ I just messaged the people that I knew in Slovakia and they helped me to put together a band. I went home thinking I had one gig planned, but based on that show I had other shows, and we played about sixteen gigs over the two months that I was at home!

You made a music video as well, tell me about that.

Yes! Back in Slovakia, I was working on releasing my own music, I worked with a producer there, I also want to start working with some people here. I put out my first single over the summer, and I thought having a video is a good idea, I just asked around and we found some people, we shot a video in two days.

A lot of people saw it which was surprising to me, considering that it wasn’t promoted very well. People liked it! It was an easy summer vibe.

The song is called ‘So Sweet’. It’s a nice song you can drive or cook to.The video was the same, it had nice colours, nice pictures, there was no story to it, it was quite simple.

When I wrote the song, it was right when Covid started, I was in isolation by myself. It’s quite a sad song lyrically because it’s about how things used to be so sweet. It was about Covid happening. I was remembering how sweet my life in Brighton was, and it no longer is because Covid happened, and I had to leave. The lemons were the bitterness of that. The yellow is a nice summer colour, but they are bitter.

Do you feel that Covid affected your music?

I will have to find out because I haven’t written much since Covid started.

Funny enough, I only got to record my own songs because of Covid. I had to leave Brighton, I went back home, that’s where I met my producer, that’s where I met my band, that’s where I met my musicians, that’s where it all happened. If it wasn’t for Covid, I would still be here doing open mics.

It had some positives for me, for sure.That’s what got me through it to be honest, It kept me busy with something.

What are your inspirations in your music?

I seem to get inspired the best by people to whom I can relate to the best. Now it’s people my age really.These new artists from London mostly, there are so many singers there; like Éloïse, Olivia Dean, Bruno Major, Arlo Parks. There are so many up-and-coming artists who I just listen to all the time, they inspire me.

In terms of genre, I love neo soul, jazz and blues. I tend to get inspired by that and incorporate that in my songs in a more pop-y way. I would like my songs to be more alternative, but I also don’t know what genres mean.

If pop means popular music, if it means that it can reach many people and many people like it, then yeah that’s what I want!

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I’m excited to live here and write about that. Living in Brighton is quite inspirational. The colours! The houses, the people, the hair. There are so many colours here. It’s so cool! Slovakia is pretty grey, everything looks the same, whereas in Brighton everything is different, and I love that.

Tamara is releasing her second single really soon, be sure to follow her on social media to see her latest release, and to pop over at her next open mic performance!

Where to see Tamara’s work: Youtube: Tamara Kramar Instagram: @tamarakramar Words by Éloïse Armary

The Badger 29th November 2021

Arts • In Review

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In Review is a column in which the Arts Editors have both the platform and opportunity to share what we are engaging with from the world of arts. We wanted to create this section so that we are not only being the Arts Editors this year but also have the chance to write as well. We hope you shall discover some up and coming events, ideas, artists, productions, musicians and texts which may peak your interest, as we share what has caught our eye as well as gotten us thinking about the events, new releases and ongoings from within the arts. Alice, the Arts Online Editor, has an ongoing colomn titled, The Contemporary Feminist, where she discusses literatre surrounding the intersectionality of her feminism, whereas Molly, the Arts Print Editor discusses her recent favroties in the arts world as well as showcasing some of her favorite etymologies!

World AIDS Day 2021: Their Story, Your Choice

Alice Stevens Arts Online Editor

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orld AIDS Day on the 1st of December is a poignant time of reflection and celebration, where millions around the world come together to show their solidarity by supporting those affected by HIV, commemorating those we have lost, and challenging the stigma.

On the 18th of November, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved the first long-acting injectable treatment for HIV. This additional treatment plan is incredible news for those living with HIV as they now have an alternative to daily tablets. So for those who are undetectable (as a result of medication the virus is at a low level and is thus undetectable in the blood) they will be able to opt for the longacting injectable medication which is administered every two months.

Although this new treatment option is a great step in the right direction, we know that a commitment to equitable access for testing is the key to ending HIV transmissions. This is especially poignant as we meet the 40th anniversary of the passing of Terry Higgins, one of the first people to die from AIDS-related illnesses in the UK. So if we want to end HIVtransmissions by 2030, we cannot forget the progress we still need to achieve. Although there has been a drop in new diagnoses, the estimates suggest in 2019 there were 105,200 people living with HIV in the UK, where over 6,000 were undiagnosed, meaning they are unaware they are HIV positive and thus cannot access treatment. (Tht.org.uk, 2019) So that’s why this year, Terrence Higgins Trust are focussing on Testing.

Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity

that supports those living with HIV through campaigning for cultural and legislative change, especially with regards to testing and ending HIV stigma. Some of their free services include counselling, their THT Direct helpline, grants for those struggling to get back on their feet after an HIV diagnosis, employment advice, and training. One of their new projects titled ‘Their Stories, your Choice’, is an interactive short film series that allows viewers to make choices for the characters as they navigate through the complexities of love, sex, families, and HIV. The main focus of the series is tackling HIV stigma within BAME communities by presenting the stories of real-life experiences of life with HIV. The short films is an excellent way to highlight and educate audiences on issues such as how the law works in relation to HIV, how to tell your partner about a HIV diagnosis, and the importance of testing.

As mentioned, some groups are disproportionately affected by HIV, such as men who have sex with men and black African people. THT has found that “of the 4,139 people diagnosed with HIV in the UK in 2019, 41% were gay or bisexual men.

Of the 1,559 heterosexual people diagnosed with HIV in 2019, 37% were black African men and women.”

This data helps reflect how stigma, racism, homophobia and poverty all impact chances of contracting the disease. This is why intersectionality is crucial as it allows us to acknowledge how the social locations of individuals make their lived experiences qualitatively different.

If you would like to watch the short film series or find out more information about HIV testing, check out the Terrance Higgins website.

An Ode to the Jazz Age

Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor

​​​​L

ast weekend, I was in Cardiff visiting my boyfriend, and we happened across this wonderful Jazz bar, The Bootlegger. Upon entering, the bar was dimly lit, embossed throughout with gold and silver, and very much reminiscent of a 1920’s speakeasy, imagined after a reading of The Great Gatsby. There was a live band consisting of an incredible saxophonist, a bassist, a pianist and a trumpeter. We danced to their lively music, drank a few too many Old Fashioneds and imagined we were being scandalously illegal in our escapades.

The 1920s has always been a bit of a fascination of mine, the glitz and the glam merging with this kind of aimlessness. I remember reading The Great Gatsby for my A levels and absolutely loving it; as your stereotypical English Literature student, it is still one of my favourite novels of all time.

There is something about Fitzgerald’s writing that just amazes me, his way of capturing emotion and feeling in this abstract kaleidoscopic

bizarreness. Knowing retrospectively that the great depression occurred soon after the publication of his novel, which inherently is about the futility of dreams, only furthers this acknowledgement that Fitzgerald was a genius. His work seems to portray both this inescapable feeling of happiness and the overwhelming sense that it is fleeting. Gertrude Stein, an American novelist, described the group of writers in 1920s America as being part of the Lost Generation.

This group, including that of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot and many others. Themes used throughout works made by the Lost Generation of writers include hopelessness, aimlessness, dreaming and unhappiness. It was thought that this feeling of hopelessness stemmed from the post-war sentiment of futility.

After many had died and suffered as a result of the First World War, ending in 1918, America seemed to be on hiatus despite the allies winning. Something about this hopelessness makes the 1920s a bit more beautiful.

My little trip to the jazz bar was a lovely little reminder of my love for the 1920s... and Old Fashioneds...

@Molly Openshaw

Etymology of the edition: Hope .

@Alice Stevens

A noun. Originally coming from the Old English hopian meaning ‘salvation’ or ‘mercy’, especially in religious contexts, relating to trusting God. there were also connotations with confidence and trust. There

are also links to the thirteenth century word for ‘wishing’ or ‘desire’. There is a focus on the role of the future in this idea of hope. In the thirteenth century it was seen as an expectation or desire.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Comment • The Big Debate

25

THE BIG DEBATE

In The Big Debate this week, two writers debate whether sports should be mandatory in schools...

Yes Roxanna Wright Staff Writer

B

ritain is becoming more and more of an obese nation. It has been found that we have the highest statistics of obesity in Western Europe, and these statistics are only increasing.

In the NHS 2020 Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet in England, it was found that 67% of male adults and 60% of female adults were considered overweight or obese. This does not only dampen people’s quality of life through a higher chance of developing health conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol which increases chances of strokes and coronary heart disease, but it also adds a massive strain on our NHS. One certain way of improving this statistic is by making it mandatory for children to participate in a weekly sports club, whether that is inside or outside of school.

Humans are well known as being creatures of habit; we stick within what we are comfortable with, and we love routines. If exercise is enforced into a child’s routine on a weekly basis from the age of 5 up until 16 years old, it would feel unnatural to not be a part of a sports club in their early adult life, and hopefully further into the future.

Not only would this technique prevent obesity in adult life, but also obesity in their childhood. The NHS statistics found that 20% of Year 6 children, children of ages 10 to 11 years old, were labelled obese. Furthermore, statistics revealed that only 47% of children and young people were meeting the current physical activity guidelines in the UK.

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Sports gives you the opportunity to socialise with like-minded people Not only does the idea of it being mandatory that a child joins a sports club reduce the chances of obesity, health conditions and meeting exercise standards, but it also does wonders in terms of mental health. Endorphins, dopamine and serotonin are all chemicals that are released in the brain during exercise. Endorphins are linked to the relief of stress and pain. Dopamine is linked to emotions of pleasure, but it also plays important roles in cognitive function and motivation.

Finally, serotonin is known as being the happy chemical; stabilizing our mood and sense of well-being. Who wouldn’t want to participate in something that makes us feel as good as exercise does?

As well as all those lovely chemicals, sports gives you the opportunity to

socialise with like-minded people.

Playing in a team or learning and competing alongside others can make you feel apart of a community. When you are in school, you can build closer friendships with your fellow peers. Then as you grow older and join adult classes, you are able to meet people from all over the country with a variation of backgrounds, values and hobbies which you may not have met otherwise.

However, in an interview with a primary school teacher in East Sussex, one issue arose from the idea of making sporting clubs mandatory. “Making it a mandatory thing can take the fun out of anything if you feel it becomes a chore or something you must do.

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Humans are well known as being creatures of habit Sports should be fun regardless at the standard you play, and that is key to why I feel sports is so good as that element of fun is something I didn’t get with other lessons when I was growing up. So, to make it compulsory could ruin that ethos, so as forementioned, I feel its place on the curriculum is enough.”

The issue that enforcing children to

No Charlie Batten Sport Print Editor

W

hen I was in school, I was one of those kids that loved PE. I was kind of an all-rounder at every sport and spent time competing for my school in various sports and competitions.

At one point I even had it where every day at school I either did PE or did an after-school club that was sports related because for me that was what I got the most enjoyment out of growing up. Some of my friends however did not share the same experience.

For my mates, PE was their most hated subject as they were forced to change clothes, stand in the cold, and have a teacher scream at them to run after a ball that they’re not entirely sure why they’re running after. Simply put, they did not enjoy sport and the idea that they would have to be forced to do even more would have been horrible.

For a lot of school children PE is just a subject in the same way English, maths and science are. If you force a kid to

Should joining a sports club in school be made mandatory? participate in sport clubs may create feelings of it being a chore, was one that I took into consideration when contemplating this idea. However, according to the Worlds Sports Encyclopaedia, there are 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games in the world, 200 of these sports being internationally recognised through an international governing body Unfortunately, Primary and Secondary schools will not have the facilities, money, resources or time to let pupils try out each of these sports in PE lessons. Therefore, the chances of finding a sport you feel truly passionate about through school is limited.

As a solution, by enforcing a rule that children should participate in a weekly sport, inside or outside of school, they are more likely to explore a multitude of types of sports, broadening their viewpoint of exercise even further than what schools can offer them. These sports can be anything from ultimate frisbee to synchronised swimming to horse riding to Tae Kwon Do. With the choice of hundreds of sports made available to children, it now seems fairly impossible for a single child to not have a particular interest or enjoyment of one of these sports. Concluding that not only will the child be positively impacted through this rule, but the NHS will be too.

spend more time doing maths then chances are they would begin to hate it and that is not what you want with sport.

A better alternative is to have schools increase the variety of sports that they base their PE curriculum under in order to allow kids the chance to find one that suits them in the hopes that they pick it up either after school or after they finish full-time education. It only takes one sport that piques a kid's interest for them to create a lifelong attachment to it.

To this I understand that there is the argument that not all sports are accessible to everyone due to a variety of costs and that is where the government needs to step up. Many times, I have heard them comment and complain about the child obesity rates in this country but have failed to make a lasting impact on preventing it.

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If you force a kid to spend more time doing maths then chances are they would begin to hate it To help out they need to provide the funding to both schools and sports clubs to buy or at least rent the equipment that will allow people to take part without the worry of

costs for the kids or their parents.

There is also the worry of the cost of travel which is why there should be more local sports clubs that offer a variety of sports for its local kids as well as adults.

They also need to take into account single parent households and work out a way to still allow these children to make it to sport events as they deserve the same opportunities as kids from double parent households. Of course, all of this will cost the government a fair bit of money but this would be money that will be saved from treating obesity related illnesses from both kids and adults.

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There is no use in forcing people to increase their participation in sport as it will only cause resentment from some people There is no use in forcing people to increase their participation in sport as it will only cause resentment from some people. What must be done instead is allowing people the opportunities to take part in sport and hope that for some of them it will cause them to increase their physical exercise and in turn increase their physical health.

Sport also isn’t the only way to help improve people’s health. Healthy eating can also have a massive impact on kids and teaching those good habits whilst their young could result in these habits staying with them through into their adult life. This would be an incredibly easy feat to achieve as it could be easily taught in either PE or science lessons and if it was taken seriously enough to be a regularly occurring theme in the curriculum that will increase the chances of it sticking in the kids minds.

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I think that forcing kids to join a sports club is not the right way to tackle child obesity or to get them interested in sport All in all, I think that forcing kids to join a sports club is not the right way to tackle child obesity or to get them interested and committed to sport. For one it will have a negative impact on some children’s mental health. It will feel like PE which many kids have never and will never enjoy. There are also other methods which I feel are more realistic in the attempt to combat these problems such as increasing government funding to sports clubs to allow for increased participation without it costing the participants. Also increasing the efforts to educate children on the importance of healthy eating and the positive effects it can have on their health will improve overall health.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Comment 26 Even after lockdown, I still need some me-time Artist Focus Editor, Eloise Armary, discusses her need for ‘me-time’ post-lockdown

Eloise Armary Artist Focus

A

fter a year and a half of online study and a severely cut down social life, coming back on campus and living in a new country is really exciting.

Suddenly, my life is fast paced, there are events every day, I meet new people all the time. I love what my days look like and I constantly feel in a rush. I write for the student’s paper, I play music, I write and share my poetry, I have started a society and a podcast. It really contrasts with the quiet days paced by my routine; though I didn’t dislike it.

In lockdown, I fully explored my introvert self. I read books, watched films, played music and wrote poetry. It felt like I had infinite time to do all the hobbies I wanted to do. All the time that wasn’t scheduled for other events, I had it for me. And I really enjoyed it.

This is a lesson that I want to remind myself of this year.

Me-time is as important as any scheduled event that I could go to. Schedules put by other people always seem more important than the schedule I put for myself, because it feels that I can always move it to another time; which ends up being never. When I have a

paper to hand in for a deadline, I bend myself in half to finish it on time. I can cancel social events, time with my partner and even buying food; because I deem my studies to be important. But when it comes to doing things for me, I never cancel on other activities I have planned. And it’s fine for a couple of weeks, but after a time of not being creative, not going on a walk, not doing silly things – just for me – I start going crazy.

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Every year I learn to know myself a bit more, and I recognise signs that tell me I need to slow down In my first year of study, where I balanced intense study work and social life, not taking a break in the week was what got me sick. Once I’m ill, I can cancel everything and focus on myself. My body tells me: enough, now rest. Every year I learn to know myself a bit more, and I recognise signs that tell me I need to slow down: waking up in the morning is harder, one coffee doesn’t feel enough, the idea of going out looks painful.

I read a lot about mental health and self-care, and every day I have to ask myself: are you doing

@EloiseArmary too much? Are you laying the path for a burn-out? I remind myself: have a bath, listen to music, light up a candle, read a book, cuddle with your cat.

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Me-time is as important as any scheduled event that I could go to But it’s not as simple as that.

Having had a whole year of

such low activity, I struggle to feel the barometer, I don’t know what is ‘a lot’ or ‘a little’ for me anymore. I sometimes think that I avoid uncomfortable events or activities for my mental health’s sake, but when I go I in fact enjoy myself and have a good time. If last year was a low activity year, this year could be a high activity one, and that could work fine – every year has a different pace and rhythm. However, I know there is a limit as to how much I

can handle in a week. Sadly, I am interested in three times more activities than I could fit in my schedule. How do I choose? I start activities, then more ideas come up. I want to do them, I say yes and I start them. But how do I know that I won’t stop everything in February, when winter is dragging and my energy level is at its lowest?

When do I say: enough? When do I say ‘no’? I think I still need a few more years to figure it out.

The Media And Anti-Immigration Sentiment Stevie Palmer Staff Writer

I

mmigration has been a hot topic of conversation for a while now: not only in terms of public policy, but also in the media.

The debate surrounding immigration in the media, raises the question to what extent does the media play a role in shaping our opinions of immigration, and subsequently public policy.

Migration can be broken down into multiple facets; economic migration; family migration; and forced migration to name a few. Since 1951, there has been an upsurge in legislation surrounding migration and the rights of asylum seekers in particular.

This comes in response to increasing numbers of refugees seeking asylum, with the rise of war and the increasing number of displaced peoples.

It may come of no surprise

to you that on average Western news media frames immigration in a negative way.

We need only look as far as the UK Press to see the plethora of nasty headlines surrounding ‘invaders’, ‘terrorists’ and the economic downfall that will come from this ‘wave of immigrants. A study by the Migrant Observatory at Oxford found that of 43 million words used to describe migrants in British newspapers from 20102012, the word most commonly associated with 'migrant' is 'illegal', with other most common words associated with security being ‘terrorist’ or ‘sham’.

But what does all this mean with regards to public opinion?

A Literary Review by Eberl et al. (2018) found that the media has a significant - perhaps even predominant - influence in shaping public opinion towards immigration. These beliefs may be economic, such as promoting fears that immigrants will come and ‘steal our jobs’, or

cultural, thanks to the media’s propagation of the ‘West versus the rest’ mentality. However, the biased opinions that the media perpetuate fail to mention the other sides to immigration.

In most cases, immigration can lead to diversity, cultural growth and economic advancement, something that is all but left out of the media's violent and threatening narrative of migration. The exclusion of this part of immigration has damaging

consequences for people’s views on immigrants, their subsequent voting behaviour and in turn, public policy.

Increased anti-immigration sentiment in the media has led to a subsequent rise in antiimmigration positions in public policy: this means it is becoming increasingly hard for people to migrate, especially for those who have no option but to escape unrest or persecution in their homelands. The impacts of rising nationalism, xenophobia

@Sfbayca

and Islamophobia in Britain and globally are keenly felt here as parties try to align their policies with public views, fulfilling the demands of their voters. This is exemplified in the positive correlation between rising anti-immigration sentiments and the rise of new radical right parties across Europe, who preach for nationalism and against immigration.

Moreover, the media having a monopoly over the narrative of migration means many people remain blind to many of the underlying reasons for such forced migration, and the role that countries such as the UK play in fuelling the refugee crisis.

As the UK helps to perpetuate the unrest which forces the people to leave, only to deny them entry to a ‘safer’ country.

I implore you, if nothing else, to think next time you see an anti-immigration stance in the media, to question the agenda behind it and the other side of the story they choose to omit.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Comment 27 Rose Ayling-Ellis: A Deaf Heroine Strictly Star, Rose Ayling-Ellis, has been hailed a hero for being the first Deaf contestant on the show Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor

W

atching Strictly Come Dancing has been a Saturday night staple for my grandparents and I for as long as I can remember.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, professional dancers are paired with some of the nations most loved celebrities in a bid to reach the final and win the Glitterball Trophy.

There have always been dances which have taken their place in the Strictly Hall of Fame, one of my personal favourites was Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani’s jive from 2015. But this year, one contestant has been the clear stand out throughout the series.

Rose Ayling-Ellis has been hailed a hero to the Deaf community for being the first profoundly Deaf contestant to appear on the show. Her pairing with professional dancer, Giovanni Pernice, has left viewers like me captivated by their ability to form such a formidable partnership, whilst tackling the obstacles of their deaf-hearing relationship.

When the season first began, many wondered how Rose would even be able to dance such elaborate routines if she couldn’t hear the music. She later explained that with her hearing-aids, she can hear the beat, as well as the vibrations of the music through the dancefloor in Elstree Studio.

She has often spoken candidly on her social media about the realities of her deafness, especially during times like in Week Four when her hearing aids broke which made it hard to rehearse. Bringing viewers into her world has always seemed to be her aim, and even if you don’t follow her online, you can see her impact on Saturday nights.

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towards an important cause.

More than just educating viewers, Rose has led to real changes for those involved within the show. The show’s producers have received training in deaf awareness, alongside learning some basics of British Sign Language. This has also been adopted by some of the show’s professional dancers. In early weeks, Gorka Marquez was seen signing applause to Rose which has now been adopted by all his co-stars. What makes this more special is that the signing isn’t done just for Rose, with many of her co-stars receiving the same sign following the completion of their dance.

It makes the show, which is already considered a pioneer of diversity, even more inclusive.

performance (scoring 39), it was incredibly powerful, reducing viewers like me to tears.

Elsewhere in the competition, the couple have used BSL within their performances. In Week Five, they performed a Viennese Waltz to Alicia Keys’ Fallin’ where they signed an argument in the beginning stages of the dance (see QR below).

Taking him by the hand, she guided him into her world, and they danced in silence.

Just last week, they danced a Quickstep to Love Is an Open Door from Frozen the Musical and once again they signed throughout the dance to one another. Speaking about these performances Lindsay Foster, Executive Director of Signature, a BSL awarding body said, ‘to see Rose signing during dancing but also to see her partner, Giovanni signing and learning alongside her and embracing the language and the culture is fantastic, it really does give us a boost’ (ITV) Following this performance in Week Six of the competition, Rose performed a Tango for Halloween week to Ed Sheeran’s Shivers (QR code below).

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Whilst training and during the live shows, an interpreter helps Rose to understand Giovanni, the Judges, and her co-stars. Resulting from her appearance on the show, the BBC through their iPlayer have given an option to watch with an interpreter onscreen where previously only subtitles were available. This new feature increases the accessibility for those who are reliant on a translator.

Rose’s impact has also been seen on the dancefloor. Two weeks ago, the pair performed a Couple’s Choice to Symphony

by Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson (see QR code below) . been isolated and not really

Rose has stepped onto the nation’s biggest stage and proved that deaf people really can do anything.

That impact was translated into statistics by British Sign Language (BSL), who revealed a 3000% increase in sign-ups to their free trial. BSL also reported a 488% surge in internet searches. Clearly, Ayling-Ellis’ visibility is affecting the nation, permeating through Strictly’s loyal fanbase and driving them

@ITV part of the society so the more people are understanding, the more diverse everyone will be. Everyone will be able to communicate with each other’ – Rose Ayling-Ellis (This Morning) What is lovely to see as a viewer, is that Giovanni is learning as much from Rose as she is learning from him. Week by week you can see his progression as a teacher, choreographer but perhaps most important of all, as a person. Having been

a professional dancer for over 20 years, he spoke of the difficulty of having to dance without music last week, even for just ten seconds. With his newfound understanding for what Rose has been doing for the last eight weeks, his admiration for her is obvious.

With one in six in the UK having some form of hearing loss, Rose has stepped onto the nation’s biggest stage and proved that deaf people really can do anything.

The performance scored a perfect 40 and was the earliest to do so in Strictly’s 17-year history.

She has given deaf people up and down the country a person to look up to, who has defied all obstacles in a society that is built for those that can hear.

Midway through the dance, Rose covered Giovanni’s ears and the music was cut. Taking him by the hand, she guided him into her world, and they danced in silence. More than just being an almost technically perfect

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The more people are understanding, the more diverse everyone will be ‘For so long, deaf people have

@Flickr @DailyStar

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The Badger 29th November 2021

28

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The Badger 29th November 2021

Science and Technology

29

New Science, Old Racisms Features Print Editor, Olly DeHerrera, explores the dangerous constraints of science on culture Olly DeHerrera Features Print Editor

T

he rise in popularity of home ‘DNA kits’ has shifted the way in which we understand ourselves, blurring the lines between science and identity within the concept of race and ethnicity.

A typical commercial DNA test kit can be used at home to obtain certain genetic information, most commonly the paternity of a child, the sex of an unborn baby, or the presence of certain genetic factors. Increasingly, DNA kits are being marketed as a way to obtain data on one’s own supposed ethnicity through genetic heritage.

Most of the popular onthe-market DNA kits look to autosomal chromosomes to collect their data. The average person is born with 23 pairs of chromosomes of two broad categories - autosomal and sex chromosomes. Sex chromosomes are made up of X and Y chromosomes and people typically have either a pair of X chromosomes or X and Y chromosomes. Autosomal chromosomes make up the other 22 pairs and mostly everyone has a complete set of these. An autosomal DNA test only looks at the DNA from these 22 chromosome pairs.

Ancestry – the UK’s most popular DNA testing service, explains their methods: “Scientists can use this information to look for large areas of shared DNA between you and other people in a database to find close relatives.

The more DNA shared between you and another person, the more closely you are related.

Scientists can also compare your DNA to DNA from people with deep roots in various parts of the world. For example, if part of your DNA is similar to the DNA of people from France, that part of your DNA is said to be from France.

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Commercialised DNA science is also helping reinvent old forms of racism, specially towards Indigenous groups

This is how we learn where your ancestors lived hundreds or even a thousand or more years ago”.

This new phenomenon of

@SheltieBoy - Flickr commercialised DNA science is also helping reinvent old forms of racism, specially towards Indigenous groups. The Tribal Advisory Committee for the National Institution of Health in North America (NIH) has expressed concerns regarding “the use of human genetic material in research and its implication for American Indian identity”, specifically referring to how DNA testing kits are “marketed and interpreted to characterize tribal identity”.

NIH Fellow, Hina Walajahi, found upon investigation that 25 of the most popular DNA testing services measure Native American ancestry as a distinct category; however, crucially, of those 25 sites only three explicitly distinguish between genetic ancestry and concepts of ethnicity and identity. This is significant as DNA is not used as a qualifying mark for any federally recognised tribe within the USA; instead, community engagement, lineage and traditions are more important aspects of claiming a Native American identity.

This commercialisation of identity through DNA testing kits is problematized in Walajahi’s research: “eight companies claimed their test would help customers discover who they were, using language such as “Reinvent the way you see yourself” and “Discover Yourself.” Two other companies advertised that their tests could confirm

culture and traditions”.

Such proposition erases the complex and historic ways in which individual tribes conceive of a Native identity, suggesting that someone may access Native American culture purely by a DNA result that they may not have even been expecting.

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The notion that ancestral percentage is at the core of Native American existence has previously - and continues to - cause significant damage

Such forms of testing also notably exclude Native American Tribe members of Black African descent- of which many came to exist during the period of Black enslavement in the US. What this reveals is the inevitable clash between science and culture that occurs when we try to applytry apply method and data to complex notions of identity.

The notion that ancestral percentage is at the core of Native American existence has previously - and continues to - cause significant damage and limitations to Native American people.

Native Americans are the only US ethnic group who’re required to show ‘proof’ of their supposed ‘blood’ status: putting us among horses and

dogs as the only 3 US groups for which such limits are applied.

The historic ‘Blood Quantum’ system was designed by the US government as a sort of ‘race science’ that attempted to quantify who could be Native American based on ‘blood’ percentage by parentage. Under such requirements it was supposed that Native Americans would eventually breed themselves out of existence and release the US government of treaty obligations to protect land or provide reparations. This is one of many genocidal methods the European settlers opposed on the Native Americans.

Because of historic and present racismracisms, many tribal leaders are sceptical about genetic research. In 2003, Carletta Tilousi, a member of northern Arizona’s tiny Havasupai Tribe, took part in a supposed doctoral research study on diabetes conducted, in part, with her DNA. However, when attending a presentation on the research Tilousi and other members of the Havasupai Nation learnt their DNA had been used for other studies, too. Some of the studies sought to challenge her tribe’s traditional stories by suggesting the Havasupai people did not originate in Arizona. That genetic analysis, tribe members worried, could potentially pose a threat to their claims to their traditional lands.

In 2003, the largest tribe in the

US, the Hopi (Navajo) Nation, banned genetic research into the tribe over similar concerns.

Furthermore, the accuracy of DNA kit testing in relation to ethnicity also comes into question. Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D, product scientist for the popular DNA testing company 23andme, writes “many of our customers expect to see evidence of Indigenous American ancestry in their DNA, but don’t. This is among the most common customer complaints we receive”. She explains a likely reason behind this as “a result of genetic recombination — the process through which DNA is randomly shuffled between generation[s]. This means that you can be directly descended from someone indigenous to the Americas without having any DNA evidence of that ancestry”.

What pervades is that falsely claiming a romanticized Native identity based only on DNA evidence can be deeply offensive and limiting to people whose identities, experiences, worldviews, and cultures are shaped by being Native American. Whilst such testing services offer an exciting opportunity to form new ideas about one’s identity- they do not provide insight into the suffrage associated with the Native American peoples.

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DNA testing erases the nuances and fought-for traditions by which a person embodies their Native American identity

Whilst there are very valid reasons someone may not know of their Native American ancestry (separation and forced adoption are commonly afflicted on tribes), such a service as DNA testing erases the nuances and foughtfor traditions by which a person embodies their Native American identity. Part of respecting the culture is understanding how scientific ideas have been politically weaponised against us.

Native Americans are a modern people, not just an ancestry; our existence has been fought for and transcends many European constructions of race, family and belonging.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Science and Technology

30

Neurological Conditions: A Class Issue?

Gina Brennan, Staff Writer, investigates the link between society and the brain Gina Brennan Staff Writer

T

he trauma and struggles faced by the working class in the UK are beginning to be more widely acknowledged, perhaps due to the increase in the number of families and individuals facing poverty under the Conservative government. Much of the UK population is starting to unlearn the neoliberal idea of poverty caused by individual fault rather than systemic failure, an idea cemented in the UK’s consciousness by Thatcher in the 1980s, and is beginning to wake up to class mobility being a near impossibility.

However, in addition to the unavoidable economic struggles, more awareness must be raised around the prevalence of biological struggles that are becoming increasingly apparent in socioeconomically deprived populations, namely the disproportionate number of deprived individuals facing neurological disorders such as ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder present from childhood. These neurological disorders are yet another obstacle out of an individual’s control that compounds the economic struggles faced by the working class to increase the inaccessibility of class mobility, as if there weren’t enough obstacles already.

Neurological disorders are a product of both nature and nurture, two aspects of life that are inseparably intertwined. A person’s DNA, their “nature”, undoubtedly can create risk factors for neurological disorders unaffected by the environment (“nurture”) a person is exposed to. However, neurological risk factors can also be caused by a person’s environment, especially in childhood, which is why it is paramount to neurological health that a person is raised in the best possible circumstances.

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These neurological disorders not only increase the struggles that the working class face, but also create struggles that are inherited down generations.

Here is where the problems begins to take shape; those raised in socioeconomic deprivation are at an immediate

@Pixabay disadvantage, and so are at far greater risk of developing disorders such as ADHD through no fault of their own. An investigation into the link between socioeconomic deprivation and ADHD by Hire et al. took place in 2015, discovering that there is a significant correlation between the quantity of ADHD diagnoses and the deprivation index of regions in the UK; in other words, more deprived areas had higher numbers of people with ADHD. The least deprived areas had the lowest numbers of ADHD cases, and the most deprived had the highest numbers. These results have been replicated, for example with Russell et al. presenting similar findings in 2014, proving their reliability.

Perhaps even more worrying is that there were large discrepancies in ADHD cases in regions geographically close together, showing that other environmental aspects (eg. schools) are unable to significantly counteract the impact of deprivation.

The link between ADHD cases and the environment of socioeconomic deprivation is clear.

In addition to the presentation of results showing the association between ADHD and socioeconomic deprivation, there are deeper scientific grounds for concern. Epigenetics is a relatively new field, describing the interaction between genetics and environment. It explains that your environment can physically alter

your DNA by adding epigenetic tags – in basic terms, these tags can switch genes on or off. In this way, the environment alters your genetic material by changing which of your genes are expressed. These changes appear to be able to be passed on to your children, especially in the context of ADHD (although it is unclear as of yet how this happens). Links between epigenetic tags, socioeconomic deprivation, and ADHD have been established, as well as the passing on of these tags to children. This is incredibly insidious; not only does your environment as a child affect your chances of developing neurological disorders, now the environments of your ancestors can too. In this way the struggles of poverty are passed on down generations, increasing your risk of developing disorders if your family is, or was, poor.

These neurological disorders not only increase the struggles that the working class face, but also create struggles that are inherited down generations. This is deeply insidious.

Neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD have very disruptive symptoms from childhood, disturbing people’s efforts in school and work environments. The increased risk of deprived people developing them creates yet another obstacle to them working to the standard of their privileged peers, and so constitutes an-

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other barrier to class mobility.

How can they work their way out of their DNA edited by the deprivation themselves and their ancestors faced?

The development of neurological disorders due to poverty helps to keep those people in poverty, and the way the epigenetics of neurological disorders can be passed on through generations compounds this. This again emphasises that poverty is not the fault of an individual.

Additionally, the failure of the government to even acknowledge this research, let alone act on it, can be seen as another way they are keeping the working class poor. These findings call for a restructure of support for neurological disorders across regions to provide help where it is most needed and lessen the impact of socioeconomic situations on neurological conditions. Action must be taken to exonerate children from being permanently affected by the circumstances and location of their birth. The government, in failing to implement this, proves their indifference to the struggles the working class face and their reluctance to help people facing socioeconomic deprivation.

Not only do people living in deprived circumstances have to work so much harder than their

more privileged peers due to the economic difficulties and time constraints caused by poverty, but they must also work through their increased risk of developing neurological disorders that, by definition, make it harder for them to accomplish this work. These discoveries represent perfectly the struggles faced by the working class in the UK, illustrate exactly how inaccessible mobility between classes is, and demonstrate how out of touch the upper class and the government are when suggesting the poor must simply work their way out of poverty. How can they work their way out of their DNA edited by the deprivation themselves and their ancestors faced?

With the establishment of associations between deprivation and neurological disorders such as ADHD, there is a pressing need to counteract this through support for both disorders and socioeconomically deprived people. Something must be done soon to lessen both levels of deprivation and its impact on neurological conditions. Without this, an unnecessary and high prevalence of ADHD will shortly, if not already, become pronounced, caused by the high levels of deprivation in the UK and around the world. This will have a huge impact on both society and the individuals. Support must be implemented to counteract this, starting now.

The Badger 29th November 2021

Sport 31 Non-League isn’t dead

Staff writer Lorcan Barnett went to Lewes FC to see why non-league football still matters to English football.

Lorcan Barnett Staff Writer

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on-league football has always and will always be very special for me. Before leaving for university I was lucky enough to play and be involved in some fantastic non-league teams where I was able to really explore what makes non-league football so unique. It’s easy to look way beyond what nonleague has to offer and view the type of football solely on what meets the eye: the muddy pitches, the rusty stands and the screaming and shouting from fans, coaches and players, but when you look behind the curtain we begin to understand how crucial it is for communities.

People’s lives are based on working for their local clubs, supporting them not only financially but also physically through hardships.

Whilst Premier League clubs are run by billionaire businessmen, grassroots football are braced solely by the people that live and breathe their communities and clubs.

On Saturday the 13th of November I decided to visit one of Sussex’s many non-league football teams: Lewes FC. In 2010, after being relegated from the conference south league, Lewes FC was bought by 6 fans aiming to turn the team into a community-based club. Lewes have been able to maintain a solid position within the non-league hierarchy which

greatly credits the work of the owners. Another extremely honourable action carried out by the club and its owners happened when they decided to pay the women’s team the same as the men’s and the club became the first professional or semi-professional club to do so. I arrived at Lewes’ ground, ‘The Dripping Pan’ (due to its pan-like look) around 2:30, 30 minutes before the usual 3pm kick off. The atmosphere was already relatively tense. I decided to try the local cuisine so I headed down to the food bar where I ordered a chicken and mushroom pie with peas, mash, and gravy. I then took my food to the top of the ‘Dripping Pan’ where I began watching

@Loran Barnett

@Loran Barnett the players warm up. Instantly the anticipation kicked in. I have no connection to Lewes FC whatsoever however I was desperate for Lewes to win that day. Balls began flying around the ground, children chanted at their favourite players and the crowd looked raring to go.

Lewes who are placed 6th in the league were up against Haringey Borough FC, a team in the lower half of the table meaning a win was definitely expected.

As the game began, the whispers travelled around the ground concerning Lewes’ 19-year-old winger Ollie Tanner.

Tanner began his career as an academy player at Arsenal before he spent time with Bromley FC. He has started the season incredibly strongly with several goals, assists and eye-catching performances.

Tanner is tall, athletic, powerful and most importantly has a tenacity that is rare for a player his age. As the game began, both teams looked fairly even before Haringey Borough opened the game with a goal.

However, Lewes very quickly asserted themselves within the game with a goal wonderfully set up by Ollie Tanner that was finished excellently by left-back Tom Carlse. Lewes quickly took control of the game with the midfield dominating possession of the ball. Around the 25th minute of the game, Lewes’ goalkeeper gained possession of the ball before accurately picking out the darting run of Tanner. As soon as Tanner picked up the ball, the outcome seemed inevitable.

He powerfully beat his first man before taking the ball around the centre-back where he then proceeded to chip the ball exquisitely over Haringey’s goal-

keeper. The crowd erupted as it became known to everybody that we were witnessing a special performance. Lewes spent the rest of the half rotating the ball in effortless fashion. Every player seemed far more in control than their opponent and as the half-time was called it seemed clear Lewes were dominating the game.

The second half started very similarly to the first with a wonderful finish by Lewes’ number 9 Joe Taylor.

However only 3 minutes later Haringey equalised through an unfortunate own goal. The atmosphere became tense as a contest seemed apparent.

Momentum on the other hand didn’t go in favour of Haringey as Lewes began a swift counterattack. The ball was worked to the right-hand side before falling just left of the penalty area to Lewes’ winger Ollie Tanner who looked in no doubt as he swept the ball into the net.

Tanner’s second of the game and an overall outstanding performance. Nerves eased around the ‘Dripping Pan’ as Lewes cruised towards the finish line. The game ended 4-2 in favour of Lewes FC who displayed class, efficiency and grit throughout the entirety of the game. As I left my seat to walk towards the exits, the whisperings of Ollie Tanner turned into calls, claps and cheers. The young winger was incredible as he capped the game off with 2 goals and an

assist. In an interview after the game on BBC Radio Sussex Sport manager Tony Russell praised Tanner as a ‘superstar’. Shortly after the game Tanner signed a contract extension until the end of next season which is fantastic news for Lewes FC. Alongside Tanner, Centre Back Will Salmon was also dominating in defence and showed great leadership especially within the nervy moments. Match sponsor Giancarlo Caldesi kindly invited both Will Salmon and Ollie Tanner to eat in his restaurant. Gestures like these are what makes this type of football so special. Although financial incentive may not be massive, kindness from communities is what allows grass-roots to continue to grow.

It is very easy to take the win of Lewes FC over Haringey borough as the value of what the game had to offer. Although the game did include incredible football, what happens behind the scenes is what we must commend most. From the kitmen, cooks and cleaners to the committee and the owners.

What makes non-league football so special is the hard work and passion that isn’t rewarded with money but with a sense of worth within your community.

It is easy to look at the match day and solely view the football that is being played, but the hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly every day to uplift their communities is what truly makes non-league football so beautiful.

@Loran Barnett

The Badger 29th November 2021

Sport 32 Simon Edwards Comment Online Editor

The Ashes 2021/22 Preview

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he upcoming Ashes series will mark the end of a complex year for English cricket. COVID bubble fatigue, a cancelled tour of Pakistan, injuries to key players, the success of The Hundred and the rapidly expanding exposure of institutional racism within the county system, beginning with Azeem Rafiq’s accusations against Yorkshire, mark a year replete with seismic events.

Through it all nonetheless, the Ashes were the ECB’s focus: as is often the case with the most storied and coveted prize in cricket (if you’re English or Australian), the upcoming series has loomed large over the years.

There was even hope that a win in the T20 World Cup in November would galvanise the team going into the First Test on December 8th: that Australia ended up

winning the tournament instead is, to put it mildly, a bad omen.

The Australian side, even without a World Cup under its belt less than a month prior, is a potent one: their batting line-up is a daunting prospect for opposing bowlers, with a middle order containing two of the world’s finest Test batsmen, the unorthodox but pugnacious Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. The retirement of fast bowler James Pattinson in October leaves a gap in the attack yet to be filled, but Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood provide plenty of firepower, especially on home turf with a Kookaburra ball where pace and accuracy are king. Experienced spinner Nathan Lyon is a stalwart of the side, the country’s finest spinner since Shane Warne with plenty of English scalps among his 400+ wickets. Despite losing to India at home in January and

the recent shock departure of captain Tim Paine, this Aussie side has plenty of tools in its arsenal, and is not to be underestimated.The England team relies, as it often does, on key anchor players to secure a fragile line-up. Joe Root as captain and chief run-scorer is in tremendous form this year: averaging 66 with six 100+ totals to his name, he sits a mere 333 runs behind Mohammad Yousuf’s all-time record for most runs scored in a single year by a test batsman – whether he chases that target or not, his good form is essential. Returning all-rounder Ben Stokes similarly has a lot riding on him, arguably too much for a player recently returned from injury and a break for mental health reasons.

A cool head under pressure, hero of both the 2019 World Cup final and the Headingly test which secured his spot in British sporting history, he is a

lynchpin of the team with both bat and ball, and his grounding presence in the line-up has been sorely missed. Stokes’ presence will hopefully alleviate some pressure on James Anderson, arguably England’s finest Test bowler but one whose swingbowling style is hampered by the Australian conditions. The series is a tough ask for this England side: shaky form and injury concerns abound, and many first-pick players lack experience of Australia’s blazing heat and hostile crowds. If opening pair Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed can weather the Australian storm; if Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes can adapt to the bowling conditions; if England can pull together around their core players and present a united team, they have a chance.

If they don’t, it’ll be a massacre.

Hamilton Versus Verstappen, The Old King Versus The Young Prince Charlie Batten Sports Print Editor

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eavy is the head that wears the crown, but Hamilton isn’t letting go of it without a fight.This year has been one of the best championship title fights in recent memory. For the past few years we’ve been subjected to Mercedes and Hamilton dominance with the last 7 titles being Mercedes’ and Hamilton winning all of those bar 1 which former teammate Nico Rosberg took from him.

The last 4 drivers’ championships have been decided with 2 races left, but this year Max Verstappen has put in a monumental effort to stake his claim for the crown.

You only have to look at how close the two are in the standings as they’re only separated by 8 points and if Hamilton were to win and get the fastest lap the penultimate race in Saudi Arabia whilst Max finishes 2nd, the two would be on equal points going into the last race of the season. It would be a fitting end to frankly the best season of F1 I’ve ever watched.

Both drivers have put in some fantastic drives over the year with possibly the best being Hamilton’s win in Brazil after a 25 place grid penalty which was simply phenomenal to watch.

There’s also been a couple scrapes and scratches this season with Hamilton taking

Verstappen out in Silverstone as well as the two coming together in Monza resulting in both of them failing to finish the race.

There are merits to either of them winning the title, for Hamilton it will silence any doubters of his status as the greatest racer of all time as he would be Michael Schumacher’s 7 world titles and for Max it would usher in the new era of Formula 1 and see a new top dog take control. It’s also especially important for either team to win as next year we’ll see the new regulations come in and all teams will have an equal chance at staking a claim for the title, so best they get wins whilst they have the superior cars.

Coming into the final 2 races,

it’s a toss up over who has the advantage. In terms of form you would have to go with Lewis as he’s won the last 2 races and did so with dominance and style. However, worryingly for Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren Mercedes engine had technical problems during the last race weekend which will worry the team over their own cars performance.

Writing off Max would be an incredibly naive mistake however.

You’ve got to remember he’s been leading this championship more than anyone else and still holds a 8 point lead over his British rival.

Red Bull knows that with Max they have the fastest car on track, all they need to do now is

keep him focused and make the right calls to allow him the best chance to win the last two races.

If I was pressed to answer who I think is going to win it all I think Hamilton will just pip Max to it. A mixture of experience and skill is what will be key for him as he’s been in a title fight in almost every season he’s been in the sport so he can handle the pressure of late season drama. Max is an amazing driver of course but he has always been the underdog and the fact he now is the frontrunner might prove a little too much for him. Regardless of all this it has been an incredible season and the last two races should be absolutely stunning.

What’s on

Everton V Liverpool 1st December

Southampton V Brighton 4th December

UFC 269 12 December

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 12 December

Jake Paul V Tommy Fury 18 December

Spurs V Liverpool 19 December

Brooklyn Nets V LA Lakers 26 December

Ashes 8-12 December 16-20 December 15-30 December @The Independant