The Badger Fifth Edition by The Badger

THE

BADGER

Sussex University’s Official Student Newspaper

Front cover image taken by Rob Barrie The Team Editor-In-Chief Georgia Keetch 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

Society Spotlight

ccess Sussex is a student led campaign group which works to make the University of Sussex accessible to everyone, including to students and staff with visible or invisible disabilities, long-term conditions and those who are neurodivergent. We push for structural changes within the university to ensure students have accessible education, housing, events, student services and campus. It is free to join, and we welcome both disabled students and allies who are interested in improving conditions for disabled students and staff!.

Sussex surrounding disability and what true accessibility looks like. The University has structural issues which disadvantage disabled students as well as students who don’t identify as disabled but who have physical or mental health issues, sensory or mobility differences, or who are neurodivergent. If you are passionate about equality and inclusivity at Sussex, join our campaign to make a difference at Sussex!

Please introudce yourself and Access Sussex Access Sussex is a student led campaign which works to make the University of Sussex accessible for everyone. I am one of the lead organisers in the campaign and I help to manage the campaign’s Instagram, coordinate with other volunteers, attend meetings and generally try to push to make changes wherever possible!)

Tell us more about the students who can get involved, such as events, socials and activities We have campaign meetings every Monday at 3pm on Zoom that are open to both disabled students and allies who want to support our campaign. We also run fortnightly coffee mornings every other Friday at 10 which are socials specifically for students with disabilities and we also have a discord server called the Disabled Students Forum exclusively for students with disabilities. The details of all of these are in our bio on Instagram.

Why should someone join the Craft Society? There are real misconceptions at

What are some big things to look out for from Craft Soc this year at Sussex? Disability History Month takes

place between the 18th of November and 20th of December each year, so we’ve got some great events planned for that! We will be releasing some in depth guides on our Instagram soon about navigating the different support services at Sussex and aside from our regular meetings and events, we also have a referenda item which will be voted on in the Spring so keep an eye out and please vote yes to improve housing accessibility for disabled students at Sussex!

Instagram @Access_Sussex

The Badger 15th Novemeber 2021

News 3 World leaders Agree to End Deforestation Maisie Levitt Online News Editor

n the COP26 climate summit’s first major deal, more than 100 world leaders have agreed to put an end to global deforestation by 2030. As part of a multibillion-dollar package, the agreement also promises to reverse current and past deforestation. The deal includes over £14 billion in private and public funds to be used to restore damaged land, support indigenous communities and mitigate wildfire damage. By signing this, prime ministers and presidents of countries that are major producers and consumers of deforestationlinked products will have committed to protect forest ecosystems. The governments of 28 countries pledged to remove deforestation from their country’s food and agricultural trades as well. The countries that have signed the pledge cover about 85% of the world’s forests. This is different to previous deforestation deals - such as a failed previous one in 2014 - as this time, countries such as Russia, Brazil and China are part of the signatories. Some of these countries in

the deal are key players, such as Brazil, where there has been huge losses of the Amazon rainforest. Indonesia is the largest exporter of palm oil a product increasing territory and forest destruction - while Russia’s forests have over 1/5th of the world’s trees. Over 30 of the world’s major financial companies, like Aviva and Axa, have also promised to stop investing in activities that are linked to deforestation. A $1.1 billion fund will be established to protect the world’s second largest

tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin. Indonesia will also receive £350 million. In a separate announcement, at least £1.25 billion of funding will be donated to indigenous groups and local communities by governments and philanthropists for their roles in protecting forests. While many welcome the deal, others are skeptical of how the funding will be used. Carlos Rittl, who works for the Rainforest Foundation Norway, has stated that “Big cheques won’t save the forests

if the money doesn’t go into the right hands”. Because of previously failed deals and climate change urgency, there is high importance to commit to the agreed goals. Professor Simon Lewis of University College London, told the BBC “It is good news to have a political commitment to end deforestation from so many countries, and significant funding to move forward on that journey.” However, he also said that the world “has been here before” with the 2014 deal “which failed

to slow deforestation at all”. Experts expect many to be disappointed with the 2030 goal even if the agreement itself is “a big deal”, according to Ecologist Dr Nigel Sizer. “We’re facing a climate emergency so giving ourselves another 10 years to address this problem doesn’t quite seem consistent with that”. Albeit this may be a popular sentiment, Sizer, a former president of the Rainforest Alliance, concludes “But maybe this is realistic and the best that they can achieve.”

@Flickr

Deadly Crush at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Show Leaves 8 Dead Maisie Levitt Online News Editor Trigger Warnings for Violence & Death.

huge crush at a Travis Scott concert on the 5th of November has left 8 people dead and dozens injured. Taking place at the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, which Scott founded in 2018, audience members were pushed forward towards the stage until a surge led to a deadly crush. Over 300 people were treated for injuries at a field hospital, while 25 people were taken to hospital 11 being in cardiac arrest. There were reportedly 50,000 attendee watching Scott’s concert, with the festival being sold out. The crush is thought to have started immediately due to a timer counting down to the beginning of Scott’s performance. When the concert began, there was a sudden surge towards the stage.

Survivors have said “As soon as he jumped out on the stage, it was like an energy took over and everything went haywire”. Survivors have also said that they witnessed audience members being pressed so hard against one another, that many struggled to breathe. According to the Houston fire chief Samuel Peña, the crowd’s movement led to panic and consequential injuries. When the surge began causing people to faint, panic only increased. The crush has been described as being triggered further by the unexpected presence of the rapper Drake coming on stage, leading fans to rush forward harder in excitement. According to the Houston Chronicle, attendees began to collapse at around 9:39pm. However, Scott’s performance only ended at 10:15pm, a whole 36 minutes after it became clear that there were incidents in the crowd. Various concertgoers made attempts to alert the crowd to the medical emergencies, but they were

continuously drowned out by the music or moved away by festival staff. Although Scott did not cancel the concert when many emergency vehicles cut through the crowd, the rapper did stop multiple times during his set to bring attention to fans in distress. After the concert ended, the rest of the festival was cancelled. The Houston police chief Troy Finner has reported that some attendees have reported suspicions of drug spiking by injection. He stated that a member of security felt a prick in his neck, fell unconscious and after needing to be revived with Narcan, medical staff noticed a small mark similar to that of an injection. Survivors have begun to sue various people and organisations involved. One lawsuit involves Scott, the concert organisers Live Nation and others, claiming that they were responsible. Another lawsuit is suing Live Nation and the venue due to the security staff, who were hired by Live

Nation, for ignoring multiple calls for help from audience members. It also addresses Scott and Drake, describing the former as having “incited mayhem and chaos at prior events” with the latter having “helped incite the crowd”. They have been described as continuing to perform even

though the “crowd became out of control” and the “crowd mayhem continued”. Although not all of the 8 victims have been identified, the age range is currently 14 to 27. Loved ones have described one victim as “beautiful”, “vibrant”, while others described another as “the sweetest person”.

@Wikimedia Commons

The Badger 15th November 2021

News 4 Revealed: 1/3 of Vital Flooding Defences in the Hands of Private Companies ‘Adapt or die’ was the warning issued by England’s environment agency preceding the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Stephen Arkley Staff Writer

reenpeace’s investigative arm ‘Unearthed’ has revealed that a third of England’s most vital flood defences were privately owned, with 1,000 of these either in a ‘poor’ state or at risk of “complete performance failure”. This came after it was reported that flooding had killed 200 people within Western Europe this summer. England's Environmental Agency has called for new flood defence systems across England and has said more needs to be done in “attracting private sector finance into investment in the natural environment”. Although the Environment Agency can carry out repairs on these defences in emergency circumstances, the government cannot force private owners to make these upgrades themselves. No public record is currently kept of which companies own or maintain these flood defences, with even local authorities often unaware. The Environment Agency

predicted that at least 5.2 million homes and businesses in England will be at risk of flooding and that around 700 properties will be vulnerable to coastal erosion over the next 20 years. Ater Storm Ciara in 2020, Kirklees Council, West Yorkshire revealed they did not know who owned the 23 private flood defences in the area that were rated as poor. Even in cases where local authorities are aware of the owners behind these flood defences, they are still unable to compel them to carry out repairs. In 2017, Sheffield City Centre experienced a sinkhole open in a Decathlon Store car park. The sinkhole was caused by the collapse of an underground pipe owned and managed by the retailer. More than four years later, data shows that the culvert was still classed as being in “very poor” condition by the Environment Agency, one of 36 inadequate privately owned defences within the city. Sheffield City Council Flood Manager James Mead commented that despite warning Decathlon before the sinkhole opened up, they

still refused to make repairs and said “all we can really do is ask nicely. We don’t have the power to make somebody actually fix something”.

Shadow Flooding Minister Olivia Blake said “The Government must act to ensure there are clear responsibilities and adequate measures

in place so that any flood defences which are critically important to the protection of the public are properly inspected and maintained”.

@Wikimedia Commons

Vote Taken to Replace Riding with Cycling in Olympic Pentathlon Maycee Rogers Staff Writer

ignificant changes are to be implemented to the modern pentathlon as horse riding is to be dropped and replaced with cycling, starting at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The change is set to occur due to the distressing scenes witnessed at the Tokyo 2020 games when Germany’s modern pentathlon coach Kim Raisner punched a horse. Baron Pierre de Coubertin invented the modern pentathlon to identify the ultimate sportsman. It has been a core Olympic event at every Olympics since 1912. The event tests athletes in fencing, swimming, show jumping, pistol shooting and cross-country running. However, the modern pentathlon’s governing body has confirmed that horse riding will be removed from the sport after the Paris

2024 games. It is understood that the modern pentathlon’s governing body has taken a vote to remove the riding element in which athletes are paired with an unfamiliar horse and to replace it with cycling. The decision taken by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne’s (UIPM) executive board comes as a result of the scenes that unfolded at the Tokyo Games in which German rider Annika Schleu’s horse Saint Boy was punched in the face by the German coach Kim Raisner after the horse refused to jump a fence. The UIPM is understood to have taken this action to preserve the sport’s status in the Olympics after it came under heavy criticism following the events in Tokyo. Speaking in an open letter addressed to pentathletes, the UIPM said “Life within the Olympic movement changes fast. While our sport is confirmed for Paris 2024 with

our exciting new format in place (including riding), Los Angeles 2028 is a different matter and we must be flexible and embrace change once again”. They ended the statement by saying, “Our sport continues to lag behind in development and growth due to a number of circumstances – and one of them is, very importantly, the horses. We have to finally take a decision on that matter – it is necessary to save modern pentathlon in the future.” Athletes in the sport have shared their views on the developments. Former British modern pentathlete Kate Allenby who won Bronze at the Sydney Games said, “any move to replace riding would be a disaster”. She also added that “this needs talking about because it is not a modern pentathlon if it hasn’t got riding in it.” The UIPM took disciplinary action against Kim Raisner following her actions and said

they would conduct a full review. In a statement given in August, the UIPM said, “Horse welfare and athlete safety will be at the centre of this process.” They added, “The UIPM 2021 congress in November will provide an opportunity for UIPM’s

national member federations to participate in a collective effort to secure the future of riding in modern pentathlon.” Britain’s Team GB won both the men’s and women’s modern pentathlon event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games courtesy of Joe Choong and Kate French.

@MaxPixel

The Badger 15th November 2021

News 5 Sussex to hold a series of climate events for the ESRC Beth Pratt News Print Editor

he University of Sussex will be hosting online events to “draw a wider awareness to the climate change debate” as part of The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of Social Science next month. This year, the longstanding national festival will take place simultaneously with COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. Therefore, the focus of the festival will be surrounding the environment. The annual celebration of the social sciences aims to promote awareness of UK social science research to new audiences. Several University of Sussex social scientists will be holding online and in-person events to discuss important environmental ideas. This comes after Sussex University outlined last summer plans to achieve a net zero carbon footprint within 15 years. The Sustainable Sussex strategy has been cocreated by students, staff and stakeholders to overhaul the university's heating transport and supply chains to become one of the world’s most sustainable universities. This year the festival will

be held from the 1st – 30th November 2021 and will cover topics such as carbon footprint, environmental activism, biological and cultural diversity as well as the social and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Two events will feature a number of prominent academics whose research is having tangible effects on environmental discourse, playing into key reports and policy decisions. Hosted by Dr Sonja AyebKarlsson and Professor Dominic Kniveton from the School of Global Studies, Beyond Finance – Climate (Im) Mobility and Wellbeing will aim to shift the focus away from the climate crisis as an economic crisis to explore the human-side of climate impacts. Looking at how research

shapes and informs international and national policy on climate change, the conversation will explore the intersection of climate change, wellbeing and health, and (im) mobility, displacement and migration from research with communities experiencing both slow onset and shock events. Towards a Fossil Fuel Treaty, hosted by Peter Newell, Professor of International Relations and Andrew Simms, author, activist and co-director of the New Weather Institute and co-founder of the Rapid Transition Alliance, will examine the continuing role of fossil fuels. It will use research and the experience of the hosts that has fed into national government policy and contributed to the basis of a letter signed by 100 Nobel Laureates – including the Dalai Lama.

@ESRC

The Carbon Footprint of What You Eat will take place from 6pm – 7:30pm on Monday 1st November. The online event will focus on the role of food in climate change and the actions that consumers can take to reduce their impact. It will aim to demystify the role of food and food production in climate change so that consumers are armed with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions when shopping for food. Another online event, Creating a Generation of Environmental Activists, will look at the role that psychology can play in helping to train the campaigners of tomorrow. The 90-minute talk, taking place on Wednesday 10th November between 4pm – 5:30pm, will look at how to encourage individual behaviour change, such as reducing flying and meat consumption; how groups can work together to create wider change in society and the place of humans in nature and the benefit of green spaces. Not all events are online. There will be a number of in-person events designed to engage the local population. Objects That Matter is an exhibition and creative workshop of ‘objects’ connecting children’s sustainability concerns

across Global South-North. Taking place on Saturday 6 November from 11am-12pm at Jubilee Library, it will ask parents and children to come and create their own objects, using different art materials, to show what things they believe are important in their local environments. The session will also include an exhibition of objects chosen and exchanged by children and young people in India (West Bengal), Ecuador (lowland Chocó) and the UK (Brighton). It will also include a short film about why these objects say something about their environments. Another event that can be accessed in person (and online) is Sacha Taki (Songs of the Forest). Taking place at O N C A Barge at Brighton Marina from 7 – 8pm on 11th November, the short documentary will focus on the irrevocable links between biological and cultural diversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The exhibition will underline the important part soundscapes play to the lives of those who call the Amazon rainforest home – a critical point of contact for communication between humans and all other beings in the forest.

Study shows that HPV vaccine has the potential to reduce cervical cancer rates by nearly 90% Ruta Cakla Staff Writer

ast week experienced exciting news in the medical research community as a new study funded by Cancer Research UK and published in The Lancet, showed that the HPV vaccine reduced cervical cancer rates by 87% in women who were vaccinated at ages 12 to 13 when compared to their unvaccinated peers. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which means that by getting vaccinated against the virus, there is the potential to prevent the development of cervical cancer in people with a cervix. Scientists analysed data from a total of 13.7 million patients: women now aged 20 to 29, who had received the HPV vaccine Cervarix when they were 12 to 18 years old. To investi-

gate whether the age at which a patient receives the vaccine is significant, the data was split into three groups of different age ranges. It was found that the cervical cancer rates were reduced by 34% in girls who received their vaccine when they were 16–18 year sold, by 62% in 14-16 year old group and, as mentioned above, by impressive 87% in 12-13 year olds when compared to the unvaccinated cohort. This information suggests that cervical cancer can not only be potentially prevented by getting the HPV vaccine, but also that the chance of developing cervical cancer can be further decreased by getting vaccinated at younger (12-13) rather than older (16 -18) ages. This incidence could be explained by the fact that the HPV vaccine is the most effective if received before the individual becomes sexually active. Furthermore, the research team

concluded that cervical cancer has successfully been almost eliminated in women born since 1st of September 1995. These findings reflect the importance of the HPV immunisation programme, which in the UK is provided for free by the NHS. The vaccination programme was first introduced in 2008 when it was offered to girls aged 12 to 13. Since 2019 the eligibility to the HPV vaccine has been extended to boys as men can also carry the Human papillomavirus. The first dose is routinely offered to schoolchildren in Year 8 (12-13 years old) with the second dose recommended to be taken 6 to 24 months after the first one. It is important to note that people who have missed the vaccine in school can still receive it free from charge through their GP until their 25th birthday. According to the Vaccine Knowledge Project, which is

led by researchers at the University of Oxford, approximately 64 000 cervical cancers will be prevented by year 2058 thanks to the vaccination programme. This data alongside with the recent study men-

tioned above provides a great argument for getting vaccinated and is good news for people with cervixes across the UK. Information correct at the time of writing

@Flickr

The Badger 15th November 2021

News 6 Concerns Over Government Corruption Mount

MPs have been calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to address allegations of government corruption, as he faces calls for multiple ethics inquiries. Rebecca Chitolie News Editor

revious events have gained fresh attention. Last month, Mr Johnson appeared to have broken parliamentary rules by failing to declare details of a luxury holiday in Spain and the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. The government has said both were within the rules, but this has not stopped criticism. The latest cause of concern was the accusation that the government attempted to use an inquiry into Tory MP, Owen Paterson, to sabotage the standards system carrying out the investigation. The Parliament's standards commissioner Kathryn Stone’s report found that Mr Paterson had repeatedly breached Commons rules banning "paid advocacy". The Commons Standards Committee recommended that Mr Paterson be suspended for 30 days. While MPs were asked to endorse his suspension, a group of Conservatives, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s support, blocked the recommended suspension by calling for an overhaul of

the MPs' standards system instead. Ministers changed their minds the next day, after political outcry. Paterson has since resigned, saying the last two years had been an “indescribable nightmare”, after the public investigation and the suicide of his wife Rose in 2020. His departure has triggered a byelection in the North Shropshire seat he has held since 1997. Environment Secretary George Eustice defended the government's position, saying it had been trying to give politicians under investigation the right to appeal to findings used against them. However, opposition parties as well as some Conservative MPs have criticised the government, such as former chief whip Mark Harper who urged Mr Johnson to apologise. Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "Instead of upholding standards, [the prime minister] ordered his MPs to protect his mate and rip up the whole system.” "That's corrupt and it's contemptible and it's not a one-off." Starmer suggested Johnson

intended to weaken the Commons standards because he was worried his own conduct would be criticised again. Meanwhile both Plaid Cymru and the SNP have called for a police investigation into the process of appointing Conservatives to the House of Lords. The Sunday Times reported

that 15 of the last 16 Conservative Party treasurers have been offered seats in the Lords, having each donated more than £3 million to the party. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan defended the appointments system, saying that a "rich mix" was desirable in the unelected chamber, and claimed that a

variety of people in the Lords helps “bring extraordinary skills” to Westminster. The Conservatives have denied any link between party donations and the nominations to sit in the Lords. Information correct at the time of writing

@Sky News

The Lewes Bonfire 2021 Will Potter Staff Writer

he UK’s largest bonfire night was reintroduced to the town of Lewes on Friday night as an estimated 30,000 people returned following a year’s break due to the pandemic. The Covid themed parade was organised by seven local bonfire societies and was attended by over twenty, some of which date back past the 19th century, who then hosted the large crowds for firework displays and bonfires. Many of the elements that made Lewes’ November 5th celebrations so renowned were back after last year’s cancellation, including the famous bonfire effigies that have become a modern staple of the historic event. This year, these included former Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a tribute to Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’, Dominic Cummings getting an eye test, a twenty foot chicken with the head of US President

Joe Biden, and a masked and vaccinated Guy Fawkes. Despite warnings from the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service cautioning people to “stay local” and stick to smaller

celebrations, attendance levels surpassed the last time the event was held in 2019. Police have said six arrests were made through the night and paramedics treated

around 50 people for injuries largely relating to the street procession, adding to the 896 injuries reported at the parade since 2010. One woman was also rescued after falling

into the River Ouse around the same time the parade began at 6pm, but she did not require any medical treatment. Information correct at the time of writing

@The Independant

The Badger 15th November 2021

News 7 Covid Vaccines to be compulsory for NHS staff in England from April According to reports, the government is set to announce mandatory covid vaccinations for nurses and other front line NHS staff in England. Jasmine Crowhurst News Sub-Editor

ovid-19 vaccinations are set to be made mandatory for 1.45 million NHS staff in England, despite criticism that forcing frontline workers to be jabbed will lead to staff quitting. The policy is understood to be introduced in April next year, to avoid extra staffing issues as the NHS faces a difficult winter this year. The new approach has already received concerns that the decision is too heavy-handed. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid is set to announce the plan soon, but has already said he was ‘leaning towards’ a vaccine mandate for NHS staff. The government has been warned that introducing such a policy could lead to a mass departure of staff from the healthcare industry. The government is yet to make a final decision. Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “It is vital for people who work in caring roles, in social care and the NHS, to get vaccinated. Our NHS staff have been the heartbeat of the nation throughout the pandemic,” he wrote in the Telegraph. “For those who work in car-

ing roles, protection of patients is a moral duty and given the proven safety and effectiveness of vaccines in saving lives, vaccination is a moral duty, too” he continued. To those who argue against mandatory vaccination, the MP said compulsory jabs are historical, going back to the 1850s doctors were made to get protected against Hepatitis B. The Chief executive of NHS providers Chris Hopson said that mandatory vaccinations should be looked at with “careful thought” and could potentially be a “prompt” to further conver-

sations with those who are hesitant about getting the vaccine. He also highlighted that the potential loss of staff in a service that has been and continues to be under such pressure will be a huge risk and focusing on supporting efforts to maximise voluntary take up of the vaccine should come first. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, last week urged a delay to consider the legal, ethical and practical implications of pressing ahead with a policy that could result in the reduction in healthcare workers, and have detrimental

@Cardiff Student Media effects to the running and quality of patient services in the UK. The latest NHS figures show that 90% of NHS personnel in England – 1,303,605 out of 1,452,256 – have had two doses of vaccine. However, as recently as September the figure was as low as 78% in some NHS trusts. It is understood that a vaccine mandate would affect about 100,000 NHS workers who are not fully vaccinated. However it remains unclear whether this includes staff such as cleaners and administrative employees. Javid has already made vaccination mandatory for care

home staff in England. From Thursday 11 November, anyone working in a care home will have to prove they have been double-jabbed unless they have a medical exemption. The most recent data suggests about 90% of the sector’s 600,000 personnel have been fully vaccinated, leaving around 60,000 who have not. Dr Peter English, retired Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, Former Editor of Vaccines in Practice, Immediate past Chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said: “Healthcare workers are more likely to be exposed to infectious patients. They are also more likely to be in contact with vulnerable susceptible patients. For the sake of their patients, healthcare workers have a duty to ensure they have taken all necessary steps to minimise their risk of infecting their patients – including, where appropriate, vaccination. Most healthcare workers already choose to be vaccinated. Whether creating additional legal requirements will help is another matter.” Information correct at the time of writing

COP26: The Climate Change Conference So Far Megan Whitehead Staff Writer

he 26th annual Conference for Parties on climate change was held at Scottish Events Campus in Glasgow. The two-week conference, spanning from the 31st of October to Friday the 12th of November, brings together 196 countries, heads of state, climate experts and campaigners for coordinated action on cutting emissions and keeping the world on track for cutting emissions and keeping below 1.5C of warming. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) published the main goals for this year's COP. The first is securing a global net zero by 2050 and keeping in line with 1.5C by phasing out coal, reducing deforestation and investing in renewables. The second is to protect communities and natural habitats by protecting

ecosystems and building defences and warning systems for vulnerable communities. The third goal is to mobilise at least $100 billion for climate finance - a promise made at Paris COP15. The final goal for

this conference is to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society. The first two days allowed world leaders to have their

@Flickr

say on the climate crisis and lay out their plans for accelerating decarbonisation. Several leaders signed the ‘Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forest and Land Use’ to end deforestation, in particular Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro who has famously lacked interest in conserving the Amazon. The ‘Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda’ is a commitment to join forces and accelerate development in sustainable technologies such as clean energy and electric vehicles, which large emitters such as UK, China, the USA, and India signed. 28 countries also joined the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’, a group dedicated to phasing out coal. A ‘Global Methane Pledge’ also was headed by Biden to cut global methane emissions by 30% by the year 2030 and was signed by over 100 countries. Over 20 countries and institutions, such as Denmark

and the European Investment Bank, committed to spending $8 billion a year on green energy. But Bolivia’s chief negotiator Diego Pacheo Balanza said that there has been a systematic attempt by developed countries to remove the discussion about climate finance from negotiations. Staying within the 1.5C framework would require carbon emissions to fall by 45% this decade and October 2021 being the third warmest in recorded history is not promising, but the fossil fuel industry having the largest delegation at the conference is. The UK announced its drafted ‘Sustainability and Climate Change’ strategy to consider youth priorities in COP and help provide young people with the skills needed to drive climate action. The event still has a long way to go, so hopes are on a more effective outcome than the forgotten promises of Paris 2015.

The Badger 15th 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 South Wales- Dirty Protest The boss of a Welsh DIY firm spat out his coffee after he watched a woman poo in the staff car park, before she casually strolled off.Vaughan Colley, managing director of Building Plastics Wales was left appalled when he checked the company’s CCTV and made the grim discovery. The video footage shows the woman running into the car park with a man and then crouching down behind a hedge at around midnight on Monday, May 17 on Penmaen Industrial Estate in Pontllanfraith, south Wales. After handing her bag to the man, the woman appears to pull her trousers down to relieve herself while the man stands waiting. Once she’s done, the pair casually walk off together. Mr Colley said he cleared the faeces away with bleach and water, but he fears this won’t be the last time this happens.

Middlesbrough- Pottymouth Parrot Scooby the lippy African Grey loves nothing better than telling his owner Lorraine Gregory to ‘f*** off’. He even does it when she gets home from her gruelling shifts at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. She said: ‘He’s like a human. As soon as I put my coat on to go out, he says, “Bye Lorraine.” ‘He came to us six months ago after his previous owner died. ‘He is foulmouthed but he’s also really intelligent. He’s an amazing boy and we love him very much despite the fact he tells us to “f*** off” so often.’

Yorkshire-Bad Sportsmanship A disgruntled golfer banned from his local club was caught on CCTV poisoning one of the greens with weed killer. Glen Newton, 55, was furious at losing his membership at Woolley Park Golf Club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, last year after several run-ins with the owners over his behaviour towards staff. He took revenge by donning a balaclava and sneaking on to the course with a watering can full of liquid glyphosate. Leeds Crown Court heard the former miner poured it all over the pristine green on the third hole under cover of darkness on April 19 this year causing nearly £16,000 worth of damage. Charlotte Noddings, prosecuting, told the court Newton had ‘issues’ with the club owners and no other members wished to play golf with him. Woolley Park Golf Club owner Philip Rowbottom, 61, said Newton ‘was very annoyed with us after we didn’t let him renew his membership’.

Middlesbrough

Yorkshire

South Wales

South LondonEgg-cellent! A LUCKY diner filmed the moment his breakfast became a statistical miracle after cracking seven double-yolk eggs in the same box. The odds of finding a double-yolker are a 1,000/1 but Tan Doan, from Crystal Palace, South London, was amazed as he opened one after another. In total, seven of his box of a dozen eggs had two yolks - the odds of which are around 84 TRILLION-TO-ONE. Tan, 40, bought the box of organic eggs from his local Aldi before shouting his girlfriend Ola and setting the camera rolling as his Saturday morning breakfast took an extraordinary turn. He said: “I cracked the first, and then the second, before I shouted ‘check this out’ and told Ola to come through. “The next couple I cracked were normal and we thought that was it but then it was just one after the next. “In the end we thought this was something quite incredible and I managed to get the camera running to film the last three. “It wasn’t until I researched that I realised quite how unlikely it was. I’m definitely thinking about getting a lottery ticket this weekend.”

Sussex- Pigs, Sharks & Goldfish...?

Sussex Police Inspector Darren Taylor tweeted about the discovery in Haywards Heath on Friday after being called to a ground floor apartment, gaining plenty of media interest. He said: ‘Just when you think you have heard it all! Team South London attended a premises over the weekend, only to discover a 8ft swimming pool in the front room. Sussex ‘In the swimming pool (apart from water) were small sharks swimming around and an artificial Christmas tree in the middle! I kid you not!’ The force said: ‘Officers were called to a neighbour dispute and not a disturbance as has been reported. ‘Several types of goldfish/fish commonly kept as pets, were found in a children’s paddling pool fitted with pumps and filters, not a

The Badger 15th November 2021

Features 10 Adderall and Ritalin: The Steroids of ESports

Features Sub-Editor, Rhys Mather, discusses the rise of doping in the electronic-sporting world

Rhys Mather Features Sub-Editor

thletes have been doping for as long as competitive sports have existed, and a staggering number of them do it. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reported that 44% of the athletes who competed in the 2011 world athletics championships had used banned performance enhancers at some point in their careers. The conversation around doping entered public consciousness in 2012 when professional cyclist Lance Armstrong was found to be guilty of using performanceenhancing drugs, and again in 2015 when Russia’s statesponsored doping programme was uncovered. Both cases characterise the most common form of doping – athletes taking performance enhancers (usually anabolic steroids) to bolster their physical abilities - but as the popularity of competitive gaming continues to grow, and our definition of what “sports” are is changing; should our understanding of doping change with it? E-sports are huge. CNBC (Consumer News and Business Channel) reports that the market was worth $1 billion in 2019 and is projected to be worth $4.27 billion by 2027, this year the annual ‘Dota 2’ international boasted a prize pool of over 40 million US

dollars. So, while the appeal of e-sports can be elusive for many, the continued growth and popularity of the scene is undeniable. Winning a major e-sports tournament could make you a millionaire with hordes of adoring fans – someone, inevitably, was going to cheat. Cheating in E-sports is mainly done in two ways one is the use of software to create an unfair advantage, the other is doping. In ‘traditional’ sports performance enhancers are most commonly steroids, but e-sports players have no use for them, instead turning to ADHD medication such as Adderall and Ritalin.

“

It seems pillpopping will be a mainstay of minor league esports. The players utilize these stimulants in order to decrease in-game reaction times and remain focused, speaking to the Washington Post – a former semipro esports player had this to say: “Typically I would be exhausted, tired and lose motivation after only a couple hours,” …. “With Adderall, I am able to play better than I ever have for up to 12 hours.” The shocking prevalence of stimulant abuse in e-sports

appears to be something of an open secret, even among the highest levels of play, the Washington post spoke to retired ‘Call of Duty’ player Adam Sloss: “ “Nobody talks about it because everyone is on it,” former Call of Duty World Champion, Adam “KiLLa” Sloss said. When asked if Adderall abuse at events was something he had ever witnessed personally, Sloss replied, “Witnessed? Yeah, very frequently and a lot to be honest. It’s a major problem.” After an eight-year career, Sloss stepped away from professional play in early 2019. Sloss said a big reason he has stopped competing was due to the rampant drug abuse. “The Adderall abuse was too much to keep up with,” Sloss said. One of the major problems in combating esports doping is the cost of testing, the Washington post reports that ESL (electronic sports league), a major esports organizer and production company, spends over 40 thousand US dollars annually on drug testing. A 40k bill isn’t a problem for large companies like ESL but smaller leagues and organisers simply can’t afford testing on this scale so many tournaments forego drug testing entirely. The COVID-19 pandemic also moved many esports competitions online, presenting further challenges to effective drug testing. However, the positive effects

@Piqsels

@Pxfuel of stimulants, specifically Adderall, on gaming ability have been disputed. There is no evidence that Adderall makes you better at video games, taking a stimulant like Adderall will make you feel alert and awake but may provide no actual benefit for someone without ADHD. Speaking to PC gamer Dr William W. Dodson, a psychiatrist who specializes in adult ADHD, compares the effects of a neurotypical adult taking Adderall to having a few cups of coffee.

“

“With Adderall, I am able to play better than I ever have for up to 12 hours.” Also speaking to PC Gamer, Dr Ari Tuckman says: "It's also important to keep in mind that you may feel more focused and like you are performing better, but objectively you may not be. It's like how when you're drunk you think you're much more hilarious than your sober friends think you are." Not everyone agrees, however, Adderall is considered a performance enhancer by WADA - and many professional players have voiced concerns over stimulant abuse both in terms of competition and the long term of effects of a neurotypical person taking ADHD medication. The side effects of prescription stimulants include: loss of appetite, anxiety, headaches, elevated heart rate and blood pressure – more concerning is addiction. The

American Addiction Center (AAC) highlights the relatively low risk for people with ADHD taking this medication: “Regarding individuals who do have ADHD, a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) research study found that taking Adderall or Ritalin did not increase their risk of addiction to these drugs or other drugs.”. Those at greatest risk of developing an addiction are neurotypical people taking unprescibed doses regularly, which is a common occurrence in the world of esports. Prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are taken by an extraordinary number of people, especially in the US. The readily available nature of these drugs makes it easy for young gamers looking for a competitive advantage to get their hands on them, regardless of whether or not they work any better than caffeine for gaming ability. There have been recent legal attempts to combat cheating in esports. In Poland the legal definition of sport has been changed to any competition based on intellectual activity, holding players to the same legal standards as athletes. There also seems to be a general consensus among esports organisations to crack down on doping, with major competitions often having standardised drug testing – but for smaller tournaments with less money it seems pillpopping will be a mainstay of minor league esports.

Features

The Badger15th November 2021

‘Entertainment Value’

What does the Twitch data leak reveal about our relationship with our favourite content creators? Ben Phillips Alumni Writer

hat financial value would you put on your weekly entertainment? Valuing that entertainment is easier when you pay a Netflix subscription, but what about YouTubers, or streamers you enjoy? Last month, a hacker leaked documents from Twitch, an internet streaming platform mostly used for gaming, which has prompted discussion around financial compensation for internet creators. These leaks, according to VideoGamesChronicle.com, spanned from “the entirety of Twitch’s source code” back to its earliest stages (source code is the human-readable basic lines of coding that set out the commands and variables in the background of a website), to information regarding “an unreleased Steam competitor, codenamed Vapor, from Amazon Game Studios”. The information, however, that drew the most attention was data leaked relating to income since 2019 from Twitch’s top streamers, such as streaming celebrity Ninja and self-identifying leftwing political commentator Hasanabi. At the top of the list was channel ‘Critical Role’, who earned over $9 million in the two year period, and xQcOW (a famous Overwatch streamer), who made over $8.4 million. Additional leaks revealed the September 2021 earnings, which were topped by xQcOW who made $752,467, with some streamers lower down the list earning between $100,000 and $10,000 that month.

“

When people complain about how much creators earn, it is likely that they have failed to contextualise this information against other sources of entertainment . Much of the attention on Twitter was negative, with user @GoldenTrawick responding, “imagine working 40hrs a week and donating to a millionaire streamer…”, and user @DK_ Unbroken tweeting “if you read [the leaks] and still feel the need to donate to someone who makes 1m a month, you have an issue”. When people complain about how much creators earn, it is likely that they have failed to contextualise this information against other sources of entertainment. For example, a season ticket for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Team costs around £650 through their website, and the Amex stadium can seat about 30,000 people. If half of their maximum capacity bought annual tickets, that would be roughly £9.75 million per season. That is more than the most lucrative streamer made in two years on Twitch, according to the leaks. When you purchase that ticket, the money is used for a variety of things relating to club costs and fees. The same happens when subscribing to an internet content creator: they can pay

@WikimediaCommons bills, purchase and maintain equipment and contribute to increasing the quality of the content they can put out. Regardless of which you chose, you receive entertainment that people form a community around, likewise with a cinema or museum ticket. The problem is that many people seem to have an issue when an internet creator makes money from their content, based on a perceived lowliness of content creation in general society. When Plan Toys released a children’s ‘vlogger kit’ (a wooden set of toys containing a wooden camera, mic pack, ring light and camera stand), a similar disdain was garnered on Twitter. User @dylanviner uploaded a picture of the kit with the caption “this is depressing on many levels”, and derogatory comments soon followed; user @DustinGeneraux commented that “by the time these young kids will be adults the social media bubble will have popped and plummeted […] It’s not a viable long term sustainable career”. Other replies rightfully pointed out that this company also sold sets to girls promoting cooking and motherhood; others said that the disap-

pointment was outdated, with user @tokonelly comparing the tweet to “julius ceaser complaining about kids spending too much time reading books”. This outrage stems, both financially and culturally, from a derision towards the Arts. This derision has been cultivated by continuous cuts to the arts by government funding since the Thatcher era, which has in turn reduced the value of a career in the arts, reducing the funding schools put towards the subjects, even pre-GCSE level. Many readers will remember cuts to their drama and art departments as a result of ongoing Department of Education policy to funnel people towards the STEM sector, and many will remember the uproar over the cybersecurity ad which resurfaced last year, suggesting a ballerina should retrain in “cyber”, as part of the government’s “Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.” campaign from 2019. The campaign was designed to combat weaknesses in the labour markets around the time of recessions, which tend to hit the Arts sector most heavily, and circumvent a rise in unemployment by suggest-

@Dennis Yang - Flickr

ing those in the Arts seek out alternative careers. The government cutting funding and calling the Arts “not strategic priorities” in its education policy leads to a lack of appreciation for the hard work of art creators. This advertisement was especially crass because it resurfaced at the end of a year of reliance on streaming services, podcasts and video games to keep us mentally stimulated during lockdowns. Leonardo DeCaprio made at least $50 million from box office takings for his role in Inception, alongside home video and television sales - according to Business Insider. Inception filmed for roughly six months, but there appears to be little complaint about how much DeCaprio was paid for his role. The difference between DeCaprio and internet creators is the parasocial relationship that some viewers form with a streamer. They watch hours of this person’s content, they subscribe to them and banter back and forth with them in the comments of their videos, so when it is revealed that thousands of other people also support ‘their friend’, that their relationship wasn’t as unique with a streamer as they felt it was, they get indignant. This streamer that they thought was just like them isn’t just like them, so they become angry for the success that they supported, because they may never see it as more than a hobby. For many streamers, this is their job: most have worked very hard to become successful. It is not their fault that their viewers might see them as a friend rather than a content creator, the same way they might see DeCaprio. When supporting a content creator, the money supports someone who goes out of their way to pursue their passion, the same way we pay for coffee at an independent coffee shop or buy a book from a small bookstore. The audience is not entitled to this person’s time or passion, they choose to watch them for an hour instead of Netflix or Strictly Come Dancing. When a company places an explicit value on things - £15 for a month’s access to Netflix, or £5.99 for a DVD - it is much easier to understand the value. When we are asked to value these things ourselves, it is incredibly hard: how much did Sex Education season three take to produce, should I pay that to watch it? Of course not; countless numbers of people share that cost, and we should celebrate that all these people enjoy the same things we do, because it means that we can all continue to enjoy them. Whether you think that internet creators are paid too much, or shouldn’t be paid at all, think about the value you place on other areas of your life and how much it costs to allow your entertainment to continue to be made.

The Badger15th November 2021

Features Chalking Back with @catcallsofsussex Andreas Lange Staff Writer

Staff Writer, Andreas Lange, interviews the woman fighting street harassment with chalk

“A

s a woman obviously, -I say ‘obviously’, because it’s so common -, I’ve faced street harassment since I was ten or eleven years old.” Kelli tells me as we gaze upon the colour fueled words scattered across the ground along Brighton seafront during the sunny midday hours of Saturday 25th of September 2021. ‘We should feel safe’, ‘you are not alone’, ‘97 is too f**ing much’, are just some of the messages that shine back at us from the ground, and I’m speaking to someone who aims to shine a light on the many traumatic experiences shared by many women and nonbinary members of society. “We’ve been collecting messages for a couple of weeks now, lots of people have put in submission on things they want to say.” 23 year old Kelli Snow says, as she finishes up one of the messages. She is currently doing a degree in Children and Youth studies at the University of Sussex, but has made this Saturday into another day of education aspirations, however, today she is the convenor of information. “It’s not been as much reach as we would like, I think people are a bit nervous to get involved with things like this.” She gets up and puts one of the chalking pieces back in the tray on the ground. “I’ve always been a passionate feminist, my mom’s brought me up that way, I’ve always been extremely political.” Kelli explains that “We are hosting an event to raise awareness and to raise money for women in crisis as a part of the Checkback organisation”. The Chalkback organisation, according to their website statement, aims “to give people a place to share their stories of harassment, use it to raise public awareness and ultimately denormalize catcalling.” A series of Instagram accounts stretching across

this is a normal way of flirting’ (73.1%).” The study also found that “men who reported having engaged in catcalling demonstrated higher levels of hostile sexism, self-ascribed masculinity, social dominance orientation, and tolerance of sexual harassment.” The latter indicating the perceived ‘normality’ of such behaviour, the study’s findings supports Kelli’s argument that the use of catcalling/sexual harassment is rooted in structural social problems. Asking Kelli what she thought could change this structural issues, the message was clear

@Andreas Lange six continents, 49 countries and 150 cities, binding together the phrase ‘Catcalls of’ and the name of geographical locations, receive stories of experienced catcalls in the area. Each individual catcall account has their own local manager who oversees the chalking of these catcall remarks, Kelli who is managing @catcallsofusessex is one of these managers. Today, catcall accounts from around the world are chalking messages in support of women experiencing harassment and sexual violence in wars and conflict zones. With Kelli at the frontline in Brighton, urging passers-by on the Brighton seafront to chalk messages of support and donate to the organization Women for Women which “helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives.” The Charity stated earlier this year, that: “79,5 million people who have been forced into displacement, over half are women and girls.” However, the most recent report from UNHCR sees an increase from 79,5 mil-

@Andreas Lange

lion, in 2019, to 82,4 million in 2020. And with “At least 1 in 5 refugee or displaced women experience sexual violence…” According to this report by the UN security council in 2019. Prior to today’s worldwide event, many catcall accounts around the world urged their followers to contribute their messages in advance of the event, should people not have the opportunity to come out and chalk themselves. Kelli tells me that her account didn’t get the largest amount of messages in advance of todays local event in Brighton. On why this is, Kelli says that “I think, lack of education and awareness around the issue, people don’t wanna speak on issues that they are not hundred percent educated on, which is part of the reason we wanna start the conversation, it’s better to say something and get it wrong, than to say nothing.” In Britain, 2021 has shown that it’s not only women in conflict zones around the world who are in danger of violence and sexual assault, the issue goes far deeper. A much talked about YouGov poll from March showed that 97% of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment. When asking Kelli on her thoughts about why so many women were sexually harassed she pointed at structural issues within our society and that one of the solutions would lay in the area of Education. “Education, accessible education, I think it’s really important that from when you’re this big, [signaling her hands the shape of a human baby], you need to be aware of structural privilege and structural oppression, racism, sexism, all of that. If you learn about that from a young age, you can consistently every day make changes to stop that from happening.” A Canadian study conducted in 2020, involving 258 participants, showed the most popular reason for catcalling was ‘to show that I like the woman’ (85.4%) followed by ‘to show my sexual interest in the woman’ (82.9%) and ‘because

“Talk to your male friends, start the conversation with your male friends, the work shouldn’t be just on women, last night at the vigil for Sabina Nessa, there was a lot of talk about the emotional labour of being a woman, just leaving, a 5min walk home, you’re physically fearing for your life you know. Men don’t have to deal with that, so we shouldn’t be the ones who have to go out and educate, we shouldn’t be the ones who have to stand up for ourselves you know, if men want to make a difference they should be standing up and they should be the ones using the energy they have to fight the fight.” On the future of such chalk events Kelli says that ,“Hopefully we can have a few more local events, raise some more awareness, this is the first time I’ve actually run something for charity so maybe we can find some more local charities, I know there are some great local charities that support women victims of domestic abuse and things like that, so hopefully we can some things to support women locally and across the world. It’s really frustrating to be a woman and to be a part of a structure that isn’t built for you, so to be able to do something, i mean, it’s not going to fix everything the chalkback campaign, but it’s gonna start a conversation.” I see five teenagers chalking on the ground next to us, I point this out to Kelly who turns around and bursts out “That’s fantastic, the youth is gonna change the world!” Kelli might be one of emerging community engagers for women to share their stories of street harassment, whether it’s in conflict zones around the world or from the streets of our own neighborhoods, and by the looks of todays’ event and the engagement from the younger generation, Kelli is certainly not going to be the last. However, if women are going to stop experienceing sexual harassment, violence and catcalling in the future,that is another story, but it’s a story that for now is going to be shaped by people like Kelli and other campaigners for womens rights, and like Kelli says: “talk to your male friends.... …. the work shouldn’t be just on women....”

Features

The Badger15th November 2021

To Kill A Legacy

How Harper Lee undermined a classroom classic to address the legacy of representing Black Amercia Olly DeHerrera Features Print Editor

didn’t like Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. As an amateur literature fanatic, I had to find myself avoiding mention of the book in literary conversation and wondering if my disdain for the Pulitzer Prize globally revered novel was a consequence of my own ignorance. In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one “every adult should read before they die”. It was not the prose nor the themes that caused my dislike, and I don’t even particularly feel it has ‘aged badly’ as much as other white-written midcentury stories on Black America have. It wasn’t until Harper Lee published again that I began to understand not only the text but an aspect of my own interaction with literature.

“

It wasn’t until Harper Lee published again that I began to understand not only the text but an aspect of my own interaction with literature. To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in Alabama during the Great Depression, and is narrated by the main character, a little girl named Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer with high moral standards. Atticus decides to take on a case involving a Black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of sexually assaulting a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell, a member of the notorious Ewell family, who local people refer to as “trash.” The Finch family faces harsh criticism in the heavily racist town because of Atticus’s decision to defend Tom, but Atticus insists on going through with the case because his conscience could not let him do otherwise. He knows Tom is innocent, and also that he has almost no chance at being acquitted, because the white jury will never believe a Black man over a white woman. Atticus wants to reveal the truth to his fellow townspeople and encourage them to imagine the possibility of racial equality. Despite all this, Tom is still found guilty, and though the verdict is unfortunate Atticus feels some satisfaction that the jury took so long deciding. Despite all this, Tom is later shot to death trying to escape court. Meanwhile, Mr. Ewell threatens Atticus and attempts to attack Scout, but she is saved by a neighbour whom they had previously taunted for his reclusiveness. The story of Tom, along with that of the neighbour provide a moral tale of non-judgement and ‘doing right’ which is relayed to the children by Atticus. Atticus and his teachings set him as the hero of the book and despite dealing with the serious issues of assault and racial inequality, the novel is re-

@Hobvias Sudoneighm - Flickr nowned for its warmth and humour. 55 years later in 2015, two years before her death, Harper Lee published Go set a Watchman. The book is a somewhat sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird but is understood to be a first draft/alternate edit of the classroom staple. Those who queued all night for the 2015 release of the book had polarising opinions of it. In The Spectator, Philip Hensher called Go Set a Watchman “an interesting document and a pretty bad novel”, as well as a “piece of confused juvenilia”; author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote “Harper Lee was a good writer…, for all its faults and omissions [Go Set A Watchman], asks some of the hard questions To Kill A Mockingbird evades”. The book was certainly a

Citizens’ Council meeting where Atticus introduces a man who delivers a racist speech. Scout watches in secret from the balcony and is horrified. Her uncle lectures her on the complexity of history, race, and politics in the South, in an attempt to get Jean Louise to come to a conclusion, which she struggles to grasp. She is confused and devastated by her father’s positions as they are contrary to everything he has ever taught her. She returns to the family home furious and packs her things. Her uncle encourages her to process what she has learnt over the past few days in the context of the world and of herself as an individual, not as a citizen of a world created by centering her father as a hero. Before she leaves, she goes

@David Geitgey Sierralupe - Flickr shocking recontextualization of To Kill A Mockingbird and it was in unpacking that shock that divided critics and readers so harshly. For me, the book illuminated the very reasons I found To Kill A Mockingbird so difficult to love. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, from the previous novel, returns to her hometown for her annual visit to her father Atticus. She finds a pamphlet titled “The Black Plague” among her father’s papers. She follows him to a

to tell her father that she loves him, as she follows him to the car, she silently welcomes him to the human race relegated from the hero he once was to her. The shock to be had in this novel is not that Atticus is a racist of any upstanding position as many seem to interpret it, but rather that he is like many white people were within the era. He was not a hero, nor a champion of Black civil rights, just a dogmatic lawyer and a man scared of change to sad selfish

consequences. It was this revelation that brought such deep discomfort to so many of the readers who themselves had grown up with Atticus Finch as a hero. To me, however, it was a revelation of why To Kill A Mockingbird never resonated with me: it was because it was only the surface half of a story. Go Set A Watchman came out in 2015, which makes this review admittedly a little late. However, events of 2020 helped me understand my own position in the world and provide vocabulary to describe my previous and current views on Lee’s work. I am not Black, that is very important to state here, but I am a part of a racial minority who have a history of long exploitation within the US. The courageous Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has had immeasurably positive impacts in arming racially oppressed groups with the words, dignity, and confidence to resist our oppression. It is through this that I came to realise truly why I couldn’t find the captivating magic within To Kill A Mockingbird that so many people did: it was because my position in the world and the realities of Black lives in America, past and present, was too much to be pushed aside for the sake of a good story.

“

The realities of Black lives in America, past and present, was too much to be pushed aside for the sake of a good story. I am not the first to call this out, even before the publication of Go Set A Watchman the book was heavily criticised for its ‘white saviorism’ in how it relies on a fictional white man to be the hero of a very real racist affair. What Go Set A Watchman did however was provide a real answer for this in a way that feels both like justice and brilliant dynamic storytelling. Undermining such a treasured character in this way has changed the way in which To Kill A Mockingbird will be remembered forever more, giving the story a context and integrity fitting for its place in the hall of literary fame. When I revisit To Kill A Mockingbird now, I can enjoy it for many of the same reasons those growing up with it did: the childlike mischief, the wholesome family and the lessons of suspending judgement that the story ultimately calls for. What Go Set A Watchman did is shine a light on the darker parts of To Kill A Mockingbird so that we may go on the same journey as Scout Finch in reassessing the adoration of Atticus and become mature keepers of our own lessons and philosophies in a way fit for the real world.

Agony Owl W

elcome to this week’s Agony Owl, and oh boy is it a hoot and a half this issue! “Dear Agony Owl, I am struggling to get to grips with my course, I feel like everything is piling up and I am scared I won’t be able to catch up. I don’t even know if my course is right for me!” This is not an uncommon situation and a situation many at Uni have experienced and hope to avoid. When September rolls around and University kicks off again it really can feel like a jump-or push in the deep end from the warmth of a seemingly endless Summer to cold, immediate academic reality. By the time week 4 has rolled round it’s not unusual to find yourself behind already. Particularly if you’re in first year as the odds you know what the heck’s going on is somewhat slim. You’re probably only just recovering from Fresher’s or the corresponding flu. Rough stuff. I had a bit of a frog in my throat myself...but I just met him on a night out.

“

How do you eat an elephant? they say, one bit at a time they reply, or is it a whale? The first thing you’ve got to do is figure out what the hell’s going on. If you haven’t already, make sure you’re aware of your assessments and deadlines. Quizzes can sneak up on some so make sure you’re on it. Sussex Direct is supposed to have the most up-to-date info on deadlines so I advise finding out and writing it down so that you’re somewhat aware of the impending dates. They can change though. Keep the dates around so you’re reminded of how behind you may or may not be. Fear is probably the best motivator at Uni, it’s not ideal but better to not be taken by surprise anyway. How do you eat an elephant? they say, one bit at a time they reply, or is it a whale? I’m not sure I could handle an elephant let alone a whale, unless I’m peckish, which owls often are. Maybe a baby whale for pudding. Anyway, the point is you can’t manage something too big all at once, ask the frog! With all the different modules going on you need to sort out what’s a priority (use your deadlines to help). It helps often to write things down so you can see what you’ve got to do and then you can decide what small part you want to bite into first; tail…trunk…blowhole..

The Badger 15th November 2021

Ghosting and Course Woes Often it will take hard work but there’s a momentum to these things. Get out the house if you struggle to be productive there. Get to the library or somewhere you feel focused. Context helps a lot so if you know you need to study, put yourself in the environment which facilitates that. Your habits make you so once you start heading to the library every day you’ll feel inclined to return and perhaps even miss it when you’re out. Maybe you’ll even decide on a habitual spot to sit in and then resent the person who unwittingly steals your spot.

“

somewhat impolite act. In an ideal world people would be honest with us and tell us straight, how they feel. But then again is that a world we want? A straight one? Sometimes the truth hurts and if someone isn’t interested, they may feel not replying is saving you the pain. I would argue that this drags situation and often the pain for some at times but we aren’t all perfect and have our individual struggles so let’s not be too harsh on ghosters.

“

Things aren’t always clear in the moment so best to Get out the house not do anything rash if you struggle to There are contexts where be productive there someone may not have seen Unfortunately we may have to treat University like our jobs to get through it, longhours, commutes apathetic management. It’ll all be worth it in the end though right? If you are keen to change your course, it’s good to speak to people at the Uni. Emailing Academic Advisors or contacting the Student Life Centre are good places to start. If you are considering changing or dropping out it’s useful to consider where you are going instead of the current path you’re on. There’s pros and cons to many things and if you make an informed choice to change or keep at it, you’ve gotta make the decision that you feel is truly best for you. For some changing course to pursue a different interest will be the best move they make, others may tough out a rough patch on their course and find it wasn’t so bad all along. It’s all dependent on why you’re here, what you want for yourself and from your degree when all’s said and done. “Dear Agony Owl I am being ghosted, I met up with a romantic interest and thought we got along pretty well, but since I’ve not been able to make any contact and I feel pretty bummed about it. Not sure what to think or whether to keep trying.” Just in time for Halloween! Ghosting, quite the modern problem isn’t it. Although do you think there were 17th century romances where the love interest just stopped sending letters. Perhaps a carrier pigeon got eaten on delivery. Makes you wonder… We ignore people online in ways which just wouldn’t be normal in person, it would be too awkward. That’s politeness really, and we could say that ghosting is

a message or is trying to see if you’re interested enough to work a bit harder, however, if you’ve tried twice or more to initiate conversation fairly directly, and get ignored, it’s probably best to value your dignity and your time and move on from that person.

“

Perhaps a carrier pigeon got eaten on delivery. Makes you wonder… There may have been things you could’ve done better but ghosting certainly doesn’t allow you to know if there were and that’s unfortunate. Reflection can be valuable in such a case and perhaps you’ll realise in future why the situation went like it did. Things aren’t always clear in the moment so best to not do anything rash. The best move is to dust yourself off and get back to working on yourself, make what may feel like a loss into a win. 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 treat Agony Owl’s advice as such.

Travel and Culture The Meal Deal Dilemma

The Badger 15th November 2021

An age old question: what is the best meal deal? Well, here at The Badger we give to you a selection of our Editors putting their favourite combination into the mix... The Badger Editorial Team Charlie Batten, Sport Print Editor The ultimate meal deal for me has to be a BLT, a pack of Skips and the Energise Innocent smoothie from Sainsburys. It single-handedly gets me through 15 hour shifts as a bartender and for £3.50 it’s a steal. To go through each piece of this delicious jigsaw, let’s start with a BLT. It is a beautiful mix of smokey bacon with crunchy lettuce and cool refreshing bit of tomato that not only fills the hole in your stomach but delights the taste-buds. To move onto the Skips, these foamy, zingy prawn cocktail crisps are just delightful and take me back to my childhood. The last piece of puzzle is the innocent smoothie. The key to the best meal deal is to get a drink that costs at least two quid just cause then you’re just being economically intelligent. It also means I get all the vitamins and nutrients I need so I can spend the rest of the day eating fast food and not feel bad about it. Ali Arief, Theatre Editor Nothing comes closer to Heaven than a Chicken & Bacon sandwich, a packet of cheesy Quavers and a bottle of full sugared Sprite (I’ll have none of that aspartame nonsense thank you). Tesco will usually have your back when it comes to this combination, however you can also find this at the Coop, Sainsbury’s and any other right-minded supermarket. I need to emphasize to everyone

reading that a Chicken and Bacon sandwich is the ultimate hangover cure. The chicken to start with is full of protein and aminos to give you energy, and the Bacon provides salty deliciousness to satisfy the amount of salt you lost the night before. The Sprite may seem a controversial choice, however as a child I was not allowed sugary drinks and now that I’m an adult with full fledged freedom, I reserve the right to indulge myself in the crisp, refreshing lemony elixir that only a full sugared Sprite would provide. Now, let me talk about Quavers. Cheesy, crunchy and especially filling, I cannot stress how this is the superior crisp choice, especially combined with the salt of the bacon from the sandwich. This is a meal deal of the Gods. Emma Norris, Film & TV CoEditor The only meal deal that matters is a Boots meal deal. For some, this may sound a more bougie option, but it’s £3.39 price tag puts it on par with most other supermarkets and, for this price, you can get an absolute, top tier lunch. In true Brighton fashion, my main meal typically consists of a vegan sandwich or wrap my favourites being the hoisin ‘duck’ wrap or the ‘chicken’ salad sandwich. If I am feeling really crazy, the higgidy vegan quiche is gorgeous and a nice alternative to a typical sandwich. To go with this, I will normally pick an oat milk iced

latte because obviously, you have to pick a more expensive drink option to get your money’s worth. If I’m feeling healthy, I’ll get fruit or a cereal bar as my snack, but most of the time a grab bag of skips is what I lean towards, creating a truly beautiful meal deal. Dylan Bryant, Music Editor I’m going to start off by saying that if you choose anything other than an innocent smoothie or one of those posh, fancy juices then you’re silly – purely on an economic basis. The key to any good meal deal is to save money, so this really is a no brainer! With this said, my drink of choice is a strawberry & banana Innocent smoothie. Sweet, tasty, healthy and great value for money – can’t go wrong! At least a £1 saving straight off the bat. Whilst Innocent smoothies are sold in most respectable supermarkets, I usually go for a meal deal from Sainsburys. This is where my meal deal gets rather controversial… For my main meal I choose Sainsbury’s spicy chicken pasta. Sorry sandwich lovers, but I don’t like the soggy white bread you tend to get with most sandwiches. That being said, forgetting a fork is a detrimental mistake and yes; I have done this on many occasions – you got me there. and finally, for my snack of choice I’m going for a classic Snickers because you’re not you when you’re hungry and all this meal deal talk has got me starving (sorry).

@The Independant

Molly Openshaw, Arts Print Editor Firstly, let’s picture the scene: it’s the middle of summer, you’re about to join your mates in the park and you fancy a cheeky little meal deal. I, personally, believe that the best opinion is the hoisin duck wrap, it’s exotic, a hefty size and tantalizing on the taste buds. To go along with this brilliant main, you need a bit of a crunch. Now, this is a difficult decision, and I will be honest, it depends on the day. It is either between some Walkers Prawn Cocktail crisps, a classic, or Thai Sweet Chicken McCoys. To wash down that incredible, delightful ensemble of taste, I am going to choose the king of drinks. That is the Oasis. Named after that sweet refreshing watering hole in the horizon, this drink is sure to quench your thirst. Georgia Keetch, Editor-InChief Wow, thinking about meal deals just makes me unbelievably hungry. The possibilities are endless alongside the combinations. The thing is with meal deals is that it can show you a lot about the person who is picking it and I have often got the ick over people’s meal deal choice. Now; cutting to the chase. You pick the drink firstwhich must be either a fanta fruit twist or a dr pepper. Then, you barge your way past the other hungry gremlins in the aisle and make a b-line for the tomato and feta pasta. Finally, to reward yourself for regressing back to a hunter-gatherer you pick up god’s gift to humanitya twix. Sit down, relax, and crack into the combination of food that will make you feel like you have finally girlbossed too close to the sun. Robyn Cowie, Online Production Editor The thought of a meal offers me a warm sense of nostalgia for my days at sixth form, finally being allowed out for lunch and in need of a quick, easy decision of what to get - this particular meal deal quite literally powered me through my gruelling A-Levels. Now, a meal deal is a very personal and even more controversial thing… This being said, if there was ever any doubt for seventeen/eighteen year old me, the £3 Tesco meal deal was where it was at.

First and foremost, gotta be a wrap and a Chicken Fajita Wrap. A fail safe and slightly more interesting than your humble sandwich. A consistently reliable choice. Now for a drink, tried, tested and true - it has to be a Ribena. Last but not least, gotta be some sort of chocolate bar - in which - any cadbury’s shall do. Whether it is a Wispa, Twirl or a Dairy Milk of various sorts. As someone who quite frankly despises crisps (a controversial opinion I know), there is no better way to end. Isaac Hallé, Agony Owl When I find myself at Lewes road petrol station filling my tank, my stomach often gets a fill too. Now this isn’t just a meal deal, this is an M&S meal deal. It may be a little more pricey but such is the cost of true class. Having deciphered the confusing signage I pick up an egg, tomato and salad cream sandwich - a delicious god tier sandwich which doesn’t cost the life of any of my animal pals. Some cheese and onion crisps, smooth strawberry flavoured water and I’m revved up and ready to go. Rob Barrie, Science and Technology Editor If I received a penny every time I was asked this, I still wouldn’t be able to afford a Sainsbury’s meal deal. Which is why, for my lunch (which is usually about an hour after I wake up), Tesco’s is my port of call - like a lighthouse welcoming weary ships in from the storm. Centre stage is occupied beautifully by a hoisin duck wrap. I’m not a big fan of wraps that decide to start occluding your breathing apparatus halfway through swallowing. This wrap is not one of them, being paired majestically with hoisin sauce, results in a fresh and moist combination. Prawn cocktail crisps (anything other than the dreaded ‘ready salted’ wins my vote) and a galaxy chocolate bar (so divine that I’m convinced it was created by the Greek Gods themselves) complete the meal. For a drink to wash the meal down with (needed more for the drier sandwiches in truth – ham and cheese I’m looking at you), I go with Pepsi Max. Yes, Pepsi tastes different to Coca Cola. And yes, it tastes better. Regardless, that’s my meal deal and the formula for an enjoyable but affordable lunch. Enjoy!

The Badger 15th November 2021

Travel and Culture

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – The Impacts of Tourism Ritika Srivatsan Staff Writer

ravel for recreation and relaxation was historically enjoyed only by the elite. By the upper classes and royalty who had the means to visit distant sights for leisure. Pilgrims would undertake treacherous journeys to visit holy sites, northern Europeans in the mid-sixteenth century travelled to the south for education, and wealthy Englishmen in the 18th century would embark on a ‘grand tour’ to acquire knowledge from around the world, learning medicine to fencing to European vernacular for example. Despite the idea of tourism existing for decades by then, it was only in 1758 that Richard Cox founded the first known travel agency when he became the official travel agent of the British Royal Armed Forces. Almost 100 years later, in June 1841, Thomas Cook opened their travel agency, designed to help common Britons enrich their lives by travelling the globe. Since then, the tourism industry has exploded and grown tenfold. The accessibility of automobile, rail, and air services to vast swathes of the population made travelling affordable and easier, thereby promoting tourism and in turn affecting the economy, environment, culture, and the diaspora of cities and countries. Rags to riches – how tourism can transform While the discovery of oil in

the 1960s overturned the poor fortunes of a dying economy previously dependent on pearl diving and fishing, the former ruler of the Emirate of Dubai (1958-1990), Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum quickly realised that the oil reserves would run out one day. “My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel,” the Sheikh once stated. Therefore, he began investing in Dubai’s infrastructure and diversified economies, thus igniting Dubai’s development and dreams of a self-reliant futuristic city. The cosmopolitan emirate is a picture-perfect depiction of the miracles tourism can inspire. In 2019, a staggering record of 16.7 million tourists visited - a 5.1% increase from the previous year. Tourism contributed to their skyrocketing gross domestic product (GDP) as it made for 11.5% of the emirate’s GDP, in turn creating thousands of jobs, boosting revenue, improving existing infrastructure, and acting as a melting pot of cultures. An international hub, Dubai’s diaspora has changed immensely to encompass millions of expatriates, who make up more than 90% of residents. While the city is said to run out of its oil reserves by 2029, it is predicted to continue flourishing due to a varied economy largely relying on tourism, information technology (IT) companies, and the

@PixaBay

@PixaBay production of petrochemicals. Tourism and hospitality have the power to change a city’s destiny. However, there are many negatives to tourism and a sole dependency on the industry for revenue has hazardous consequences. Over-tourism and environmental concerns Over-tourism has been a growing worry for many cities and localities. While Venice, Amsterdam, and Barcelona make the headlines often, Svalbard is only recently gaining recognition. A Norwegian archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the north pole, Svalbard has risen as a popular tourist spot for those looking to enjoy the Arctic wildlife, Northern Lights and polar nights, amongst others. Originally, in an attempt to grow their tourist economy, the Norwegian government made the archipelago a visa-free zone where anyone could live and work indefinitely, regardless of their nationality. In the past five years however, Svalbard and its largest town of Longyearbyen have been battling over-tourism. With a population slightly greater than 2000, Longyearbyen is the northernmost settlement in the world. Its attractive location is unfortunately highly ecologically susceptible to and strained by climate change. Registered tourist ship landings increased from 29,600 in 1996 to 124,000 in 2019. To protect the arctic wildlife, the government has made numerous proposals including allowing tourists to land in only 42 designated locations, an increased ban on polar bear scouting, and a ban on the use

of submarines, amongst others. The tourism and hospitality industry face their share of downsides and adversities, none comparable to large scale collapses such as the Great Recession of 2008 or the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus and postpandemic tourism According to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report published on 30th June, the crash in international tourism due to the pandemic could potentially cause a loss of more than $4 trillion to the global GDP. The figures have been estimated after taking into account direct losses and indirect losses due to the domino effect which affected closely linked industries. The report gauged that the decline in tourism would cause a 5.5% rise in unemployment of unskilled labour, varying between 0% to 15% based on the prominence of tourism in the economy. Sandwiched between Panama and Nicaragua lies Costa Rica, a country carpeted with lush green rainforests and coastlines on both sides, leading to the Pacific and Caribbean. High on a traveller’s bucket list, the tiny nation reliant on tourism has faced severe hardship after international travel ceased in light of the virus. In 2019, they welcomed 3.1 million tourists, making it accountable for 8.2% of their GDP. With livelihoods and economic growth dependent on tourism, the country has sought to return to a post-pandemic world as soon as possible. Segura Sancho, Costa Rica’s newly appointed Minister for

Tourism stated that “the biggest challenge is rebuilding our country’s tourism sector in a manner that alleviates the financial burden on the tourism sector and promotes economic recovery while prioritizing health management. It is my goal to balance the short-term emotional, physical and financial needs of stakeholders in the tourism industry without losing sight of the long-term task of ensuring that Costa Rica remains a key player in international tourism.” Tourism revival is determined by inoculation programmes. The faster the vaccine rollout, the more likely tourism soars. While countries remain on an uneven playing field, with developed nations jabbing residents faster, Costa Rica remains a role model for those looking to kickstart the tourism industry. To do so, Costa Rica began promoting local tourism through its “Vamos a Turistear” [“Let’s go touring”] advertising campaign. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute also designed a set of 16 protocols, outlining guidelines and safety procedures that align with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines so the hospitality industry could resume its operations at the earliest. The country plans to further improve its state-of-the-art infrastructure to make it both a safe and enjoyable tourist destination. A post-pandemic world will need the hospitality industry to make new adaptations. With quicker inoculation, use of advanced technology, and adherence to health guidelines – tourism will bounce back and skyrocket once again.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Travel and Culture

Cosy Chicken and Pepper Tomato Sauce One of my favourite go-to recipes at university has been a pasta sauce that my dad came up with a few years ago. Although over the past year, during lockdown, I’m more inclined to call it my recipe than his due to the excessive amounts of time that I have made it. Justine Cordery Staff Writer

t is so simple and very adaptable to your taste buds depending on what you like. For my recipe you only need: 2-3 chicken breasts, two bell peppers, one white onion, one large courgette, one stock cube, one tinned can of chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. I do include garlic, salt, pepper, a blend of Italian herbs and paprika, sometimes smoked paprika if I’m feeling fancy but these are definitely not necessities to the recipe… just things that make it taste even better! Firstly, you chop the chicken and pepper into the same sizes, (for me that’s cutting the chicken and peppers into cubes) and then cutting the onion into fine slices. Then add the onion to a heated saucepan and cook until it is slightly browned, (if you are adding garlic, this is when you add the finely minced garlic). After that, add the chicken and cook until you know the chicken is cooked, for me that is until all the chicken pieces are white/very slightly browned (be careful not to over cook them, although equally

make sure that you cook them enough!). After this, or just at the end of this stage, add the stock cube and make sure that all the chicken and onion have been mixed in with it before moving on to the next step. The next step is probably the most satisfying. You add the whole can of chopped tomatoes, washing the last remainders of the tin out, filling half the can with water and adding that also to the sauce. At this point you’ll notice the sizzling of the pan go right down and, at least for me, it feels a lot less stressful than the first half of the cooking stage! Mix well until all the ingredients are covered in tomato sauce and then mix in a tablespoon and a half of tomato purée (although to be honest I just squeeze it from the tube until it looks like enough!). At this stage you will want to start boiling your pasta, or rice, so that they’re ready at about the same time, although, no matter how many times I make this recipe, I can never get the timings just right! Finally, you need to add the chopped-up peppers to the sauce and make sure they’re all mixed into the sauce. Then

about, five minutes before either your pasta or rice is ready, add the sliced courgette to the sauce. At this stage, I also add my salt, pepper, paprika and blend of Italian herbs to the sauce. Leave all of this to cook

while your pasta or rice is finishing, making sure to keep on stirring frequently so that the sauce doesn’t stick to the pan. If this does happen, I tend to add a bit of the pasta water to the sauce just to keep it going!

Once the pasta/rice is ready, serve it up either beside it or mixing it in and it is such a healthy but delicious way to change up the usual uni pasta sauces or to make your rice a bit more exciting!

@Justine Cordery

Sloe Gin: The Ultimate Winter Warmer It’s November, the clocks have gone back, there’s a biting chill in the air. Autumn is full of tradition and rituals which bring us comfort as winter sets in. This year, why not add another tradition to that list? Megan De Meo Staff Writers

pend an afternoon picking sloe berries, which can be found in hedgerows across the country, to make sloe gin. It’s November, the clocks have gone back, there’s a biting chill in the air. Autumn is full of tradition and rituals which bring us comfort as winter sets in. This year, why not add another tradition to that list? Spend an afternoon picking sloe berries, which can be found in hedgerows across the country, to make sloe gin. Once you have your berries you will need to mix them with gin and sugar, either plain or caster. You will need 400g-500g of each -depending on how bountiful your foraging efforts have been- for a 70cl bottle of gin. Part of the joy of sloe gin is that it’s different every time you make it.

When I first made gin four years ago, I was told to pick my berries after the first frost. Since then the frost has come later and later in the year. Last year it felt as though the frost barely came at all. If the frost has

not arrived by early November, leave your sloes in the freezer overnight. This replicates the frost, which signals to the fruit to start breaking downproducing the sugars that make up that unmistakable flavour.

@Country Living Magazine

The next step is the most time consuming: pricking the sloes. Using a needle or a paring knife, prick a small hole in each berry. This rupturing of the fruit encourages the sloes to start breaking down. Some recipes will instruct you to either freeze or prick your sloes, and you could get away with just doing one or another. However, taking the time to do both will lead to maximum flavour in your gin. To store the mixture you will need a large soft drink bottle, something like a two litre lemonade bottle. This has the advantage of being able to hold the volume you need and is unlikely to leak. Pour in the sugar and gin with a funnel, followed by your newly pricked sloes. Once the lid is screwed on tight, turn the bottle over several times so that the ingredients are equally distributed throughout.

Your sloe gin should be stored on its side in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. Rather than store this away in a cupboard, I like to keep it on a shelf. Somewhere I can see it everyday- part of the fun is the slow anticipation of the festive season. For similar reasons I opt to turn the bottle over every day. In reality, this frequency is only necessary for the first week or so. After which time, the bottle needs turning once or twice a week. The gin needs to be left for a minimum of six weeks. The longer you leave the mixture the richer it will become so it’s a good idea to make an extra bottle to enjoy in the new year. The final step is to decant and enjoy your sloe gin. If you have it, you can strain the mixture through a muslin cloth. I have always passed it through a sieve twice, the residual bits of berry don’t bother me.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Arts • Music

Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate – An album that made me question my own feelings about music Dylan Bryant Music Editor

n the past, I’ve always thought of music as something that each listener, composer or artist, can attach personal meaning to. Perhaps not as a clear symbolisation of a particular experience; nonetheless; a piece of art that each individual can have their own interpretation of. Then I sat in my bedroom and listened to Michael Kiwanuka’s magnum opus ‘Love & Hate’ for the first time. From the very first track, I experienced emotions that I had never felt

before. It’s unique to feel such a strong sense of engagement exclusively towards a piece of music itself. This album doesn’t necessarily have a particular meaning to me, but each time I hear the crackle of my record player as the needle runs along the vinyl disc or I press play on my phone screen; it’s a new and unique experience.

“

@Dena Flows

This album serves as a canvas for my thoughts and feelings. It has the ability to make me reflect and think.

‘Cold Little Heart’ is nothing short of the perfect opener. Emotive, soulful and captivating. “Did you ever notice? I’ve been ashamed all my life.” Sings Kiwanuka as he criticises himself for a lack of selfworth. A theme throughout, Kiwanuka questions his feelings and confronts his personal insecurities and anxieties. The song presents as a perfect hallmark for ‘Love & Hate’ as a whole. Its cinematic sound creates an atmosphere that sets the scene for the rest of the album, and he uses the second track ‘Black Man In A White

Citation

@Dirk VE World’ to reflect on his feelings of being one of a few black children growing up in Muswell Hill. The assertive tone and his wistful vocals are representative of his experiences of disobeying the negative connotations and labels that he experienced when growing up. ‘One More Night’ is similarly upbeat and soulful with a rhythm that blends Kiwanuka’s vocal expression with tremendous success. However, it’s the collection of more desolate tracks that really make ‘Love & Hate’ special to me. Michael Kiwanuka’s aching

vocals over such rhythmic and soulful music make for an album like no other. The track, ‘Rule The World’ has a sparse feel that gains momentum with psychedelic guitars and a voice that rasps Kiwanuka’s feelings around the concept of self-doubt and anxiety. A theme that is reminiscent of the lyrics in ‘Father’s child’; “all these doubts been troubling me, there’s so much more that I can be.” ‘Rule The World’ concludes with imploring backing vocals and a triumphant close that is engrossing and boldly eminent. It seems unjust to single out one track from an album that is so full in its entirety. That being said, the title track ‘Love & Hate’ has all the qualities of this talented artist. I’ve been lucky enough to see Michael Kiwanuka live and each time I hear this song played, I get a sense of euphoria. It’s so powerful and unflinching in its delivery. Based around a single backing vocal that flows throughout the 7-minute duration; it represents perfectly how elegantly these ten songs are composed. The last song on the album ‘The Final Frame’ survives

these qualities with Kiwanuka’s elegant voice and a screaming guitar solo that is rounded off stunningly by a mesmerising piece of piano. The perfect end to an album that I’m extremely passionate about.

Love & Hate tracklist: 1. Cold Little Heart 2. Black Man In A White World 3. Falling 4. Place I Belong 5. Love & Hate 6. One More Night 7. I’ll Never Love 8. Rule The World 9. Father’s Child 10. The Final Frame Find ‘Love & Hate’ over on our Spotify via the QR code.

Taylor Swift & the Red Re-Record

Examining the measures that one of the World’s Biggest Artists shall go to own the rights to her own music. Robyn Cowie Online Editor

aylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version) on Friday 12th of November, her latest re-record venture in her long standing catalogue of music. Swift released the updated version of her critically acclaimed fourth album, Red, which was originally released in 2012. This re-release is a follow on from her first rerecorded album, Fearless (Taylor's Version), which was released in April 2021. Red, the first time round, took Swift to the heights of stardom to which she has become known and also began her journey from a country starlet to a leading figure in the global pop industry. The original Red contained hit tracks for the singer such as ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ and ‘22’. Red (Taylor’s Version) was

announced over the summer, with the tracklist being unveiled on August 6, 2021. In which Taylor Swift confirmed collaborations with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Ed Sheeran. Swift also confirmed the "From the Vault" tracks, which were songs that were originally written for Red but did not make the final cut. The controversy regarding Swift’s master records is one which has been ongoing for several years, when Swift’s first six studio albums were acquired by American talent manager Scooter Braun, when he attained Big Machine Records, Swift had parted from the label in 2018. In a social media post, Swift stated that she had been trying to buy the masters to her first six albums, but that those offers had not been successful. In response to her music master’s controversy, Swift announced she would re-record her first six studio albums to create new masters, with

those being ‘Taylor’s Version’, giving her complete ownership of her back catalogue. Taylor Swift is not the first artist to go to such extreme lengths in order to gain her music masters. Whether it is Prince changing his name in 1993, to the infamous unpronounceable, which led to him becoming known as 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' in order to gain control over his masters and subsequently releasing once he finally has gained those masters rights, named Emancipation. Or The Rolling Stones, who when informed by their Record company they had to record a final single in their contract, so they created a song so offensive it could not be put out. The track, Schoolboy Blues, which due to the sexually explicit nature of the lyrics was never commercially released in the UK. Or Frank Ocean, who due to the credible success of Channel Orange, allowed

Ocean to sack his management, legal team publicists, and used his new wealth to purchase all of his master recordings and buy himself out of his contract. Artists going to extreme measures to own their own craft is not something new and sadly an issue which shall never go away. However, apart from fans of Swift getting both updated versions of their favourite songs

as well as previously unreleased material, she has prompted a greater discussion about intellectual property rights and the ethics of the modern music industry. This discourse is only set to grow as Swift continues to re-release her past works and perhaps inspire other leading artists to also challenge the industry status quo.

@Wikipedia Commons

The Badger 15th November 2021

Arts • Film and Television

The Many Faces of Mark Strong Issy Anthony Film and TV Editor

ark Strong is an English actor and producer. He has appeared in films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kingsman, Kickass and Grimsby, and television series such as Our Friends In The North, Deep State and Low Winter Sun. In 2015 he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in his performance in A View From The Bridge. He is currently starring in the second season of Temple, which he also executive produced. Upon finding out that I would be interviewing Mark Strong, I was very nervous. I needn’t have been. As soon as Strong entered our Zoom call, it was clear that this would be a very enjoyable conversation. With a deep voice and a face that is often cast as the villain, one might imagine him to be rather gruff, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We began with him asking what living in Brighton is like, talking of his own memories of being by the sea, it’s magnitude making him feel that everything is going to be alright. He later tells that all he wants to achieve is contentment, and I agree. I ask Strong about his upbringing, which is rather different to the oxbridge educated actors that he is now viewed alongside. Raised by a single mother who had emigrated from Austria, he was sent to a state boarding school aged six. When he was eleven his mother moved away, leaving him with no family in England. “The lack of family structure meant I had no blueprint for understanding how I should behave or what I should do. I always felt like an outsider because I felt like I was observing. I think actually that served me well as an actor, because if you’re playing characters, you need to understand people”.

“

I’m old fashioned in the sense that I think actors should sort of preserve their mystery a bit.

Aged fourteen, Strong was inspired by a spread he saw in Sounds magazine that said ‘Here’s three chords, now go and start a band’. And so he did. He doesn’t recall them being that good, but making a lot

of noise, which seems to have been the point. Which is what makes it all the more interesting that aged 18, he did a complete u-turn, moving to Munich, where his mother was living at the time, to study Law. I ask why he went from having a penchant from going against the rules to seemingly following them. “When the band folded, I was still in school, so it was very difficult to continue my revolution, because I didn’t have the means to do it”. His exams then started, and explains that the only way to appease his teachers about not applying to Cambridge, was to go to Munich. ‘So it was partly following the rules, and partly getting everybody off my back’.

“

I always felt like an outsider

Having had a rather unusual childhood, I ask if acting is a sort of therapy for him. “Drama is like therapy for the soul”, Strong replies. “You can play other people and you can exercise certain things within yourself through the characters that you play. I’ve played a lot of villains, so maybe that’s important as a way of channelling something that you can’t use in everyday life”. He also notes that being an actor involves constantly moving around, becoming close and then moving onto a ‘new family’, and the similarities this had with his childhood, as while at school his mum would often move around a lot. I remark that it is almost like he was raised to be an actor, which he agrees with, acknowledging that he took to acting easily. What has always intrigued me about Strong was his knack for playing the ‘bad guy’, despite him being such a quintessential ‘good guy’ in real life. Strong laughs at this compliment, further evidence of my assessment, saying, “For me, acting was always about transformation, it was about playing what you’re not. I never really wanted to play myself, or play a nice guy, or be their hero. Often the villains have the best lines and the most fun”. For Strong, acting seems to be about two things: his desire to have fun, but more importantly, to work, and to do good work. He thanks growing up in a working class household for this strong work ethic. What he didn’t get into acting for was the fame, which he has made a conscious effort to

stay away from throughout his career. “I quickly realised that there are some actors who become actors in order to get famous. The fire of fame, without getting too poetic about it, burns most people. There is nothing about fame that recommends it”. “I want to be able to live a normal life and go out and buy a pint of milk without people feeling they need to take selfies with me’. Interestingly enough, Strong has had many run-ins with fans while at the shops, but it seems his attempt to not be famous has sort of worked. He recounts numerous times that people have recognised him, but they’re not sure where from, and he has ended up having to list his work to them. He also recalls an occasion where a stranger approached him, saying, ‘you’re the spitting image of Mark Strong’, to which he replied, ‘yeah, I get that a lot’. We talk about Strong’s fondness for the alternative, be that his start in a punk band, or his musical taste for songs that are different from the original, like David Bowie singing Heroes in German. I ask if this transcends into the characters and scripts he chooses, and whether a character needs to be different to

anything he has seen before for him to be interested. “That’s the holy grail really, because good writing will never be obvious, and will hopefully never just regurgitate normal tropes, you want good writing to be original. What I am always looking for is the kind of originality I can find in characters”. Strong admits that this is not always easy, as stories are often morality tales that involve the good guy overcoming the bad guy. What he is really looking for within these scripts is what is refers to as ‘anomalies’. In Temple, he plays a well-off surgeon with a family—a good guy. What makes him intriguing to Strong, and indeed to the audience, is, in his words, ‘when shit hits the fan, he very easily and quite casually crosses the moral rubicon and ends up in a very dark place’. To promote Temple, Strong was ‘dragged kicking and screaming’ onto Instagram, which he admits to me he does not fully understand, having only realised on the day I interviewed him was direct messaging was. We discuss the rise of social media leading to the growth of the obsession with celebrity, and how so many celebrities not only have social

“

media, but broadcast a lot of their life to their adoring fans.

the villains have the best lines and the most fun

“I’m old fashioned in the sense that I think actors should sort of preserve their mystery a bit. How do you believe people’s characters if you know what they’re having for dinner every night?’. I ask if he likes his character in Temple, and whether it even matter if he does. He pauses, eventually saying, ‘you have to find a way, if not to like them, then to at least understand them.’ I comment that the characters we, as an audience, seem most drawn to are the ones we love to hate, and the ones we hate to love. Strong’s own desire for complex characters, and his ability to understand their motives, is what makes him such a captivating actor, and one we will hopefully see on our screens for many years to come. Season 2 of Temple is available to stream now on Sky Max and NOW TV

@Collider

The Badger 15th November 2021

Arts • Theatre

Diana the Musical: Keeping it Camp, not Classy

Ali Arief Theatre Editor

If I’m perfectly honest I think

this was the most bizarre musical I have ever watched. Readers may recall my scathing judgement explicitly targeted at this absolute train wreck of a production a few editions back, and I stand by what I say after watching Netflix’s Diana: The Musical with attentive eyes, so don’t say I didn’t give it a chance. I really did. Like many, I’m a fan of The Crown and I think it’s important to keep up with modern history and the pop culture that surrounds it. I’m eagerly anticipating the release of Kristen Stewart as Diana in Spencer, and I do believe that when portrayed tastefully and correctly, you can make decent entertainment out of serious subject matter such as the case of Princess Diana. The taste and class of which The Crown and supposedly Spencer possesses, Diana the Musical simply doesn’t. And by taste and class, I’m talking about remembering the fact that what happened to Diana was a tragedy, and that this was a real-life human woman. The production itself aired on Netflix on October 1st, after cancelling their live shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The music was written by David Bryan, pianist of Bon Jovi and book writer Jon DiPietro, and tells the story of the people’s princess Diana Spencer, a nineteen-year-old romanticist who dreams of marrying Prince Charles, and eventually does, much to her eventual distress. It’s a story most of us in the UK are familiar with and it refuses to hold back on exposing the sordid details of Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowls, a relationship that I absolutely was not ready to see romanticised I can assure you.

“

“I should’ve known that I shouldn’t date a Scorpio”, really?!

Whilst productions such as The Crown presents the delicate and tumultuous nature of Charles, Diana’s and Camilla’s entanglement and pays due respect to the nuances of everyone’s situation, Diana: The Musical is just a camp re-enactment of the populist gossip and loose history and theory surrounding their situations. Because this musical was performed on Broadway, the audience that will be primarily watching will be American, which causes such a tone shift throughout

the performance. Not only are they romanticising this very sad moment in history, but they are also using accentuated ‘Englishisms’ to draw in and please the anglophiles, phrases such as “Better than a Guinness, better than a w*nk” and the overuse of the word ‘sod’ and ‘feck’ come to mind. Not to mention Queen Elizabeth is portrayed drinking tea in almost each scene she’s in.

“

I just felt a strange combination of moral outrage and intense amusement

What truly perplexed me throughout this musical was whether it was trying to be satirical, or if it was trying to be serious. The clumsy writing, followed by the appearance of romance novelist Barbara Cartland with racy scenes between Diana and James Hewitt leads the audience to believe that perhaps this is all just a bit of silly fun, an opportunity to take a laugh at British Monarchy and History. Of course, there is absolutely a time and place for such things, but a Broadway musical telling the story of a real person who suffered intensely at the hands of such an institution, is not one of them. The actual costuming and production of the show is decent enough. As a vintage fashion lover, I particularly enjoyed the eighties wardrobe choices, and Diana’s wardrobe needed to be spectacular to legitimise her character. The choreography was also similarly seamless, if predictable and typical of the musical theatre genre. I wasn’t impressed by the song writing and thought it clumsy and tasteless (“I should’ve known that I shouldn’t date a Scorpio”, really?!). Whilst I agree that Diana as a cultural icon is dripping in camp, I must wonder how much of this is appropriate considering the tragic way the story ended. The musical finishes with the report of Diana’s car crash, with her walking off into a paparazzi filled haze and off stage. There is no reaction from either Charles or The Queen, instead the reprise of ‘If’ plays as the audience is hit with the reminder of the tragic event that took place in history just over twenty years ago. I must sit and think about whether I hated this musical, or whether not I loved to hate this musical. I think it is most likely the first, however you do have to sit and admire the sheer audacity of this piece being performed. I can’t imagine that it would’ve taken off well in the UK, but I can understand the appeal to people in the States due to its brazen and bold portrayal of the Royal

Family. The songs where catchy if clumsy, and as terrible things often do, it has gained somewhat of a cult status due to its absurdity and overt campness. What I’m trying to say is that this show lacks substance and originality. We learn nothing of Diana’s lived life, nothing of her charity work (except a very rushed scene involving her AID’s work) or her intense life as a royal and a mother. Instead, the production focuses on retelling and rehashing every possible known trope about her.

Feminist icon? Check. Fashion lover? Check. Victim? Check. Martyr? Check. No nuance, no expansion, no development and finally no originality. It’s almost as if they retold the same pop-culture mythology about Diana that the Tabloids did, and that in way is inexcusable. My moral outrage aside, this was just another run of the mill Broadway piece. Great costuming and choreography with rocky and lively showtunes combined with a penchant for camp and tacky glamour

combined with mediocre acting. I just felt a strange combination of moral outrage and intense amusement whilst watching this piece. It’s not hard to see just how much of an internet sensation its become, much like the film adaption of the musical Cats. If I’m completely honest, it’s worth seeing just so you can make your mind up on how tasteless it actually is. Was it “better than a Guinness, better than a w*nk” though? Absolutely not.

Citation

@NY Times

The Badger 15th November 2021

Arts • Books

Book review: 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

Paige Braithwaite Staff Writer

*Trigger Warning: Sexual assault and abuse* ‘10 minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World’(2019), by British-Turkish author Elif Shafak is an absorbing and poignant novel which delves into the troubles of family and the importance of friendship, alongside a look into the world of sex work in Istanbul. The novel begins with a sex worker by the name of Tequila Leila who is found murdered and left in a rubbish bin on the outskirts of Istanbul. In her final moments, – “a fighter till the end” - Leila reflects on her life and takes the reader chapter by chapter through all the moments which led to her final one. Shafak’s writing is evocative in style, conjuring vivid colours, smells, sights, and atmospheres that make you feel as if you are on the streets of Istanbul yourself. The reader becomes immersed in all that Istanbul has to offer, from the mix of the people in the city, to food, culture, and political strife. Shafak shows how there are “multiple Istanbuls – struggling, competing,

clashing…” so that “in the end, only one could survive”. Leila’s first memory is of being born in the province of Van and from the moment she enters the world, she faces brutality and violence. Leila’s life starts on a complicated trajectory which will only continue, for her father, who has two wives,

forces Leila’s mother (his second wife) to give Leila to his first wife and conceal the identity of Leila’s biological mother. The path Leila continues on is not an easy one, with further abuse and loss in her life after she moves to Istanbul and moves into a brothel. But alongside the sufferings in her life, Leila

forges five key friendships that the reader is told about throughout the story and these relationships remain the most important part of Leila’s life. A large part of the narrative revolves around Leila’s experience as a sex worker in the brothels of Istanbul. The reader learns about her experience here as a sex worker, as well as the other aspects of Leila’s life, giving humanity to people so often vilified and dehumanised. Shafak – not one to shy away from hard-hitting and important topics – touches on themes of sexual abuse and violence in this book. The power of her writing in this novel and others, becomes even plainer when considering the Turkish government’s investigations of Shafak in 2019 due to her explorations of child abuse and sexual violence in her writing. Of course, to many, this is considered as a serious threat to free speech and Shafak herself has spoken numerous times on cultural censorship and the need for art to be a means of resistance. After Leila’s death, due to her life as a sex worker, the authorities deem it only

appropriate for her to be buried in the “Cemetery of the Companionless”, despite – ironically – the protestations of her closest friends. Following this, the five friends go against the odds to retrieve Leila’s body and give it the send off she deserves. Leila’s five friends are all outcasts and find solace, companionship, and family in each other. They act as Leila’s anchor as her soul becomes gradually untethered to the world. Despite the tragic place where this story begins, Shafak crafts a heart-warming and life-affirming tale.

“

@Instagram

An unflinching look at a broken social system inflicted by the patriarchy, where both women’s bodies and minds are left traumatised

Shafak does not shy away from brutal violence and grief in her novel. This is a story about the power of friendship and the legacy of holding space in people’s hearts, even when others attempt to erase you.

Privilege, racism, and social satire in Kiley Reid’s Such A Fun Age Saskia May Books Editor

iley Reid’s debut novel, Such a Fun Age (2019) is an observant, entertaining, and current examination of privilege and racism in the US. Reid begins the novel by capturing an evening in Emira’s life, a twenty five year old black college graduate struggling to make ends meet in Philadelphia and working part time as a typist, part time as a babysitter for the Chamberlain family. On a night out with her friends, Emira is called out of the blue and far past her arranged working hours by her white and wealthy employer Alix Chamberlain, who asks her to take her toddler Briar to the store. In need of money, Emira agrees to abandon her plans and to babysit Briar, whom Emira adores, with one of her favourite pastimes,

smelling bags of tea at the supermarket. Yet what starts as a simple grocery store visit has dangerous undertones, for Market Depot is an unsafe space for a young woman of colour such as Emira. The store’s clients are wealthy, privileged, and predominantly white customers, one of whom goes on to accuse Emira of kidnapping Briar, reporting her to a security guard. The standoff that follows between Emira and the security guard is tense, frightening, and humiliating for Emira. Whilst a bystander begins to film the rapidly escalating situation on his phone, the security guard threatens to call the police on Emira. Calling Mr Chamberlain to prove that she is in fact Briar’s babysitter, Emira is left to consider not only the insidious racism she has encountered but also how the Chamberlains will tackle her ordeal. Emira’s worries about money, career ambitions and a sense

of aim in her life will strike a chord with fellow young adult readers of the novel. Coming from a family of makers, who have all found their way in craftsmanship work, Emira herself has struggled to find her own passion and is constantly and anxiously comparing herself to her seemingly more successful group of friends. Whilst Emira loves taking care of the eccentric and sweet Briar, Reid highlights the uncomfortable dynamic of Black women’s domestic labour and care at the service of white, wealthy families like the Chamberlains. As Reid places Alix’s focalisation in flux with Emira’s, she captures the depths of their differences in terms of class and race. Reid carefully contrasts Emira’s concerns with that of Alix Chamberlain, an upper middle class, so called social media feminist influencer, who has moved from New York and her affluent, “yummy mummy”

friends, to Philadelphia. Whilst Alix has never previously made any effort to get to know her sitter, it is only after the Market Depot incident that she makes an effort to forge a connection with Emira, invasive attempts which involve snooping through her text messages. Alix’s white saviourism and increasingly obsessive attempts to get to know Emira are only so that Alix can ease her own guilt and appear progressive, fuelled further by a racially charged incident in Alix’s past that comes to light as the novel progresses. Realism dominates Reid’s prose yet it is not overly stylistic or self-conscious. With sharply observed, nuanced characters, and dialogue that is both hilarious, shrewd and damning, Reid sets her scenes with lucid clarity. A particularly awkward and charged Thanksgiving dinner where the characters are placed together in less than desirable circumstances will have you

on the edge of your seat. Witty, astute and current, Kiley Reid has written a social satire of white, liberal ‘wokeness’ that promises to be a modern classic.

@Good Reads

Artist Focus: Lydia Reeves Last month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it’s never too late to talk about boobies! Lydia Reeves is a female body casting artist based in Brighton. She started her work by casting vulvas for a project called ‘my vulva and I’, for which she created an exhibition, a book, a podcast and a documentary - only that! For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she cast breasts and launched an exhibition called ‘Feelin’ yourself ’, in partnership with CoppaFeel, a breast cancer charity. She aims to celebrate the diversity of bodies and emphasizes on being inclusive of everyone’s body shape, race and gender identity. For The Badger, Lydia gave an insight on her path as an artist and on her ‘Feelin’ Yourself ’ exhibition that happened in mid-October. What made you want to study Fine Arts in the first place? Art has always been my passion since I was a kid. I’ve explored and vented a lot of my angst through art so I’ve always had a close and intense relationship with it. So studying it at University felt like a natural progression for me.

How did you come to cast people’s body parts? I had a lesson on my Foundation course about how to cast hands. That’s the first time I learnt about body casting. I went home and using the skills I’d learnt I obviously tried to cast my own vulva! I dabbled with casting throughout my degree but only really got into it properly 2.5 years ago when I thought it could be something that could really help people start to celebrate themselves.

How do you technically cast the body parts - vulva or breasts? Vulva casting is the easier one of the two. You apply a goop-like material that picks up all the skin texture, and that will give you an impression of the vulva. From here I pour a very durable plaster into the mould, to reveal the positive vulva cast. I’ve made it sound very straightforward here, there are a lot of tips n’ tricks which allow for a successful vulva cast!

What kind of feedback do the participants give you before and after being cast? How does it change their relationship to their body? I’ve had such positive feedback, which is all I ever dreamed of with it. A lot of people have said that owning their cast had really improved their relationship with their vulva or their boobs. Having the cast as a beautiful piece of artwork in their homes, which they look at every day, detached from the body, I think can really help people get used to seeing their body and embracing it just as it is.

What is your relationship with your body? Does your art change your relationship with your body in any way? My relationship with my body is probably the best it’s ever been. I’ve had a very turbulent relationship with it since I was pre-teens, but finally it feels a lot calmer. Art helps with everything I think! For me, my own work has helped me see my body differently, as surrounding my everyday life with other’s art and how they interpret a similar journey with bodies (their own or other people’s) really helps me assess my own thoughts and feelings.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Do you consider yourself an activist? What do you think is the potential of art for social change? Hmm, an activist. I’ve never thought of myself as one really, but I suppose maybe I am? I really try to challenge people’s ways of thinking, for the better. And open people’s eyes a lot more. Art has its own power because it can get people talking a lot more about really important topics, without those people even really knowing they’re adding their voices to an important conversation - Because they’re just looking and talking about a piece of art. Whereas in fact, it is so much more than that. I believe that great art makes you feel something. And if enough people get touched by a piece of artwork - that can definitely be a part of social change. Tell me about an artist who inspires you. A Latvian artist called Jana Brike - her work doesn’t particularly correlate with mine but I’m so in love with it I must take some inspiration from her paintings! Her work is beautiful, I find myself getting lost in her paintings. But yet there’s something about them that makes you think a lot deeper than what you see from a quick glance of the surface. As I said before, to me, great art makes you feel something - and all of her work certainly does that for me. What did you expect from the exhibition? What are you looking forward to in the future? The exhibition was everything I hoped for and more. There were so many people talking about how different our boobs are, and about the importance of checking your boobs - I just loved it. I feel like this is just the beginning and I really hope I can continue to get people talking about these important topics!

It is so important in October to be aware of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was your exhibition taking place a conscious effort? Of course. Ever since my mum got breast cancer 9 years ago I’ve tried to be as active as possible by raising money for charities and raising awareness of checking your boobs, and breast cancer in general. For a while now I’ve wanted to do something big to raise lots of awareness - and I really hope my exhibition did that.

Although the exhibition is over, Lydia sells casts for donations to CoppaFeel. She also keeps casting body parts so don’t hesitate to get involved! And be sure to watch and listen to the free ‘My Vulva and I’ documentary and podcast. Lydia’s art has a range of flavours to suit any palette. Where to see Lydia’s work: https://www.lydiareeves.com My Vulva and I book, documentary and podcast Instagram : @lydiareeves_artist Words by Éloïse Armary

Arts • In Review

The Badger 15th November 2021

Arts In Review:

In Review is a column in which the Arts Editors have both the platform and opportunity to share what art has garnered their interest of late, whether that be cultural, societal or just life itself!

Book Review: What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali Alice Stevens Arts Online Editor *Trigger warning: rape* Rape is a choice. Rapists choose to rape… We just don’t want to think about the uncomfortable truth that a rapist is just a guy, any guy, who rapes...it’s difficult to muster up the wholesale abhorrence of all abusers. They are so aggravatingly human”. Whilst researching literature for my PhD research proposal, I stumbled across a devastatingly heart wrenching and informative book: What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali. I’m not really sure what this book can be defined as, but as quoted by Abdulali: “Essays? Not really. Sociology? Not learned or academic enough. Psychology? No, too opinionated. Research? Not comprehensive enough. Memoir? I hope not.” Regardless of what it is, it’s incredible. The book is heavy, so if you feel that it might be triggering, maybe leave this until you are ready. Abdulali provides a pragmatic conceptualisation about the problem with our perceptions and how we talk about rape. At only 200 pages long, Abdulali makes this topic accessible to those who struggle with longer academic literature - where instead, this is a conversational piece. Although the book was published in 2018, the year in which India was ranked the most dangerous nation for women, it is still a very timely piece - covering topics such as the #MeToo movement and Donald Trump’s ‘grab ‘em by the p**sy’ scandal. The book covers issues surrounding victim-shaming, BDSM, and what it teaches us about consent, attitudes to intimacy, language issues, and how institutions are failing survivors. All of this precise information is established by someone who is both a survivor and an academic of rape. In 1980 at the age of 17, Abdulali was gang-raped in Mumbai. Through years of activism work and writ-

“

ing, Sohaila Abdulali has fiercely advocated deconstructing perceptions of rape, from everything we do and don’t talk about. A particular horrendous fact that made me put the book down for a 20-minute cuppa break was that rape is still legal in 38 countries if you’re married to the rapist. Although this book was published over three years ago, marital rape is still a huge issue word-wide. Secondly, Abdulali emphasises the importance of gender inclusivity- especially with regards to transcending the intersectional coalitions of identities, such as gender, class, ethnicity and the ‘ideal’ victim. For instance, the book was published around the time of the #MeToo movement in America. Abdulali encompasses that “Defining moments shine a light on this or that group, this or that country, this or that event. The problem with spotlights is the surrounding darkness… The rest of us aren’t even conscious of the millions of people who don’t share our language, media access and privilege, who won’t read this book, and who won’t wear pussy hats and march to have rights over their own bodies.” Abdulali’s conceptualisation of the stigma attached to BDSM is also poignant. She notes that: “before getting down to the business of pleasure, check with your partner. Agree on what you’re doing, how to signal that you want to stop, and how to pick up that signal.” This connects the idea that BDSM can be completely safe and enjoyable for those who want to partake in such sexual activities, addressing the stigma associated with BDSM and the importance of consent. In essence, ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape’ is a gutwrenchingly vital book that I believe everyone should read to understand the realities of rape across the world. “Rape doesn’t have to define you, that it doesn’t have to reflect on your family, that it is terrible but survivable, that you can go on to have a joyous life.”

The White Picket Purgatory of the Dream Suburbia Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor

recently finished watching season three of You on Netflix. For those of you living under a rock, this series follows Joe Goldberg through his obsessions, murders and tumultuous family matters. The third season picks up with Joe and his new wife, Love, moving to the suburbs with their newborn. Coming after their slightly unconventional time, to put it lightly, in Los Angeles, it is finally time for them to, seemingly, settle down. We can see a huge shift in this series with the move from New York in series one and then Los Angeles in series two, to a “soulless wealthy suburb outside of San Francisco” called Madre Linda in this recent series. At the outset of the first episode, Joe describes this move to the suburbs as a “white picket purgatory’. As soon as I heard this description, I thought it was a fascinating way to describe this notion of perfection portrayed in the media, especially in a domestic setting. Being both incessantly depressing and honest, Joe’s categorization of his living situation highlights how the depiction of perfection usually has a more horrific backstory. Picket fences are often seen as a symbol of the American dream and the achievement of ideal domestic living. The accomplishment of this seems false and quite ironic due to the circumstances that have landed the family here, and the events that occur in this house. For the act of avoiding spoilers, let’s just say that if you have watched anything of this series so far, you can assume that it is not all domestic happiness. Throughout the series this white picket fence stationed around the Quinn-Goldberg’s house act as a shielding layer to the psychotic behaviour occurring in the household. As we cross boundaries, the law and moral obligations, these fences remain standing. Whilst on the outside Joe and Love look like the idealised young, happy, newlyweds, they are hold

ing hostages, hiding bodies and stalking. Sera Gamble, a showrunner for You, has described the matrimony of Joe and Love as a “mostly heteronormative American fantasy of the privileged suburban nuclear family”. Here we can see how the image of the picket fence is an amalgamation of the American dream in the media. However, in You, this image is used in more of an ironic way to show how this materialistic possession as a representation of idealism and achievement is a facade. We can apply this role of materialism in achievement to other parts of the show. The character Sherry is used to display mummy bloggers and this overt media presence. As a character, Sherry is unlikable and a caricature of the social media user. There are discrepancies between the person in reality and their portrayal of their outward self. Here we can see how You, as a series, displays the dream of suburbia and how this is unrealistic. People’s ideal futures are varying and ever-changing, and this show is just another example of this.

@Instagram

Etymology of the Edition: Suburbia

@Gary Knight

A noun. Coming from the noun suburb. This word comes from the Old French, subburbe, which originates from the Latin suburbium. This comes from the two morphemes sub, meaning under, and urbs, meaning ‘city’. The first recorded usage of this word in English was in 1380 by John Wycliffe. Wycliffe is well known for being a professor at the University of Oxford and a philosopher, as

well as for the advocation for the translation of the bible into vernacular, now known as the Wycliffe Bible. This is interesting as the first usage of this word because it came atfter the peasants’ revolt in the fourteenth century. This revolt is in direct contrast to the idea of a suberbia, due to the fast that the peasnts were revolting tax on houses.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Comment • The Big Debate

THE BIG DEBATE

In The Big Debate this week, two writers talk about whether or not bouncers should be given greater powers to search clubgoers or not...

Yes Georgia Radley Staff Writer

fter a year and a half of being stuck indoors with last year’s freshers never getting the year they expected, students cannot wait to get back to the 10pm pres, the 5 JägerBombs for £5 and the regrettable vomit in (hopefully) the toilet at 4am. As a third-year student myself whom technically only got one full term as a proper student, this is the time when I want to be regretting going out three nights in a row when I should be submitting my dissertation proposal (I’m hoping none of my tutors will read this). But in a week when we should be planning our pres, I’ve had too many conversations with people questioning whether they should go out or not. Whether it is worth the risk. Spiking has exploded in the student-focused news, but it always has done. So, we covered our drinks and we never ever left our drinks unattended. Sure, even with all this a disgusting perpetrator could and did still easily slip a pill into our drinks, but we knew our actions at least reduced the risk and we felt safer because of it. But needles? Injections? How are we supposed to feel safe now? Going out is terrifying. Needles can be easily hidden, and unlike drinks where you could at least try to always keep them covered, all it takes now is a slight bump into somebody and, oh god, you’ve been injected. Remember, we’re talking about nightclubs here; the whole point of nightclubs is to be constantly bumping into others.

“

But needles? Injections? How are we supposed to feel safe now? Multiple potential solutions (temporary or not) have floated about on social media and newspapers, but one certainly has caused a stir. Should bouncers be given more power? Should bouncers be allowed to pat down everyone who walks into the club, search through all our bags and pockets and potentially use metal detectors on everyone? I say yes! Yes, they should! What really is the harm? Over Halloween, I went to Revenge twice. Both times they patted down every guy and thoroughly searched all bags, even taking my phone out of my phone case. Was it violating? Yes. I am sure for ten seconds every guy felt violated by being so thoroughly ‘touched up’ by security. But then they got the all-clear, headed up the stairs,

bought a shot on the way in and forgot all about the invasive search. We were violated for ten seconds upon entry, but my god did I feel a strong sense of gratitude because of this (weird, right?). After all the stress, knowing security was being so strict really reassured both me and the people I was with. Honestly, who cares about an invasive search upon entry if it means no one gets injected, drugged and forced into one of the worst nights of their lives?

“

I want to be able to go out and I want to feel safe when I do so.

When it comes to security and safety versus rights of privacy, we must question whether the cost of the loss of some privacy rights is worth the benefit of the security. I say with this issue, it most certainly is! No question about it. I mean, surely? I know, this isn’t a permanent solution, but it isn’t meant to be. We should not have to cover our drinks. We should not have to go through an invasive pat down

No Stevie Palmer Staff Writer

n light of the recent proliferation of predominantly young girls but also boys -being spiked on nights out, it has been proposed that there should be increased searching of people entering nightclubs, in order to keep more people from falling victim to this spiking epidemic.. This increased searching has been proposed via increasing the power given to bouncers in nightclubs. The proposing side arguesthat this will help to reduce the number of spikings, as increased searching will lead to more potential spikers getting caught,help women to ‘feel safer’ and deter the spikers through fear of being caught. I simply cannot see how it will play out in such a way. It is known that minority groups and marginalised peoples are already the primary victims of arbitrary bouncer force. Whether it be through heavier searching than necessary, or the increased likelihood of entry

Should bouncers be given greater power to search club-goers? just to then feel ‘safe’. We should not have to change our ways, behaviours or attitudes because the education system, mental health system, social environments, family structures or whatever social and biological reasons have failed and resulted in disgusting, vile predators taking advantage of us. Steps should be made by the government to radically change and improve the education system around consent and mental health services should be extremely well funded to be able to detect predatory behaviours in people before they abuse others. This is a necessity. But this is a long-term goal, as horrible as it is to say this (I honestly wish it wasn’t so), this is something we will not see for a very long time. People will abuse others. They’re evil, but they will continue to do so. As much as we want to refuse to put ourselves through stricter, tighter measures to ensure our safety because of a disgusting few, refusing to cover our drinks and denying bouncers extra power to thoroughly search every person that walks into the club is just a denial of the reality. I want to be able to go out and I want to feel safe when I do so. If this means bouncers get extra powers that only really directly affect me as I enter the club, then so be it. I think everyone would choose a ten second pat down over the potential alternative, right?

being denied/removal from the club once in there. Time and time again it has been proven that when increased power is given to those in a position of authority, it has led to the increase in discrimination against those of marginalised backgrounds. As such, I find it hard to fathom how this time will be any different. When looking at the idea that increased power will lead to reduction in spiking due to the success rate of bouncers finding the means of spiking and removing it; I ask you, as university students, to think of a time that you tried to get an illicit object, substance or beverage into a nightclub, and have succeeded. I further implore you to think of those times you tried and got caught, and whether you decided, at any other point in time, to try again (be it at the same or different club) - the vast majority of the time, the answer is that it didn’t have that much of an impact.

“

instead of increased power, it is better to suggest increased and improved education.

Hence I cannot see how, when your prerogative is something as heinous as

spiking, this will have the desired impact. Furthermore, it is already known that spiking happens in nightclubs: this is not a new phenomenon. Bouncers are aware and supposedly watching out for it, hence I struggle to see what increased power, without increased education and training, will do. As such, instead of increased power, it is better to suggest increased and improved education. Multiple women have stated that upon telling a bouncer or nightclub worker they have been spiked, they have been dismissed as being ‘drunk’ and subsequently ‘thrown out’ of the night club, alone, confused and vulnerable to attack. This simply cannot go on. Mandatory education on the signs and symptoms of spiking must be provided for all nightclub workers, alongside the implementation of a protocol to follow once someone has reported a spiking. No longer can the disbelief of young women lead to violence. Aside from the spiking itself, I think it is important to put the repeated spiking of predominantly women in the larger context of gender relations. The spiking can and should be viewed as a symptom of this much larger issue surrounding female inequality and the position of women in society. As with all symptoms, unless you deal with the underlying cause at its root, the issue will never go away. So many times, the male-dominated, patriarchal driven society has overlooked and underplayed the severity of such underlying issues by selling improvement programmes for the symptoms of such a deep-rooted issue.

“

unless you deal with the underlying cause at its root, the issue will never go away.

We have seen in recently with calls for more streetlights to make women feel safer walking alone at night, in the aftermath of increased public sexual harassment, and the tragic death of many women. This is no different. By simply increasing the power bouncers have to ‘make women feel safer’ in nightclubs, the larger issues of why women feel unsafe in the first place, and why women are repeated targets of such malicious male actions is overlooked. It is my genuine belief that until gender equality for all genders is addressed, and irreversible de jure and de facto changes are implemented, then simply giving bouncers more rights to search people entering clubs, will not stop the targeted persecution of women. As such, despite arguments for the benefits of increasing the powers given to bouncers, it is hard to fathom how, without first increasing education and training, alongside the tackling of deeprooted gender inequalities which defines our society, violence against women (of which spiking is one example), will stop.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Comment 26 Plants, Mental Health and Me My dependency on flora to get me through lockdown

Sophie McMahon Comment Print Editor

eing stuck inside for the last year and a half has seen a lot of us become plant parents, including myself. When I got my first houseplant last summer, just after the first UK lockdown restrictions had eased, I didn’t know that a year later I would end up with an indoor garden. Nor that I would rely on them so much during what universally has probably been the toughest period of most of our lives. Indoor gardening can be dated back to the Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks, when terracotta or marble pots were used to display roses and violets throughout large estates. Whilst for a lot of history, they have been symbols of wealth, the advent of heated homes with more natural light during the Industrial Revolution meant that houseplants became accessible to the middle class. After World War Two, with the development of modern offices, houseplants became more mainstream, being used to decorate large open sterile spaces. Today, with the Instagram and Tik Tok trend ‘cottagecore’ appearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the

indoor plant market has seen a major boom. This aesthetic romanticises cosiness and is all about celebrating a slow and simple lifestyle, which most of us experienced during the lockdowns. As most garden centres and DIY stores remained open amid other restrictions, it was easy for people to follow this trend and adopt some greenery into their homes. Beyond their aesthetic benefit, I have found that caring for my plants and watching them grow this summer and last, was a reminder that I was achieving something every day- even if this was just keeping them alive. There have been some deaths, some questionable plant choices and some unsuccessful propagations but tending to my green friends has become a hobby that really helps me relax.

psychological and physiological stress levels were significantly reduced, just by placing a small indoor plant on their desk. Further research published in the Urban Forestry & Urban Greening journal found that 74% of the 4,000 participants in their survey mentioned vegetation in their home as

boosting their emotional wellbeing during the pandemic. As we return to ‘normal’ life and the hustle and bustle of our new everyday life, I sometimes crave the slow and mundane evenings that lockdown brought. I miss watching my plants intensely for new leaves or overwatering in a desperate

attempt to make them grow faster. Without their wanted distraction, I think the stress of online lessons and the loneliness of the pandemic may have become overwhelming. Whilst my plants keep growing, it is a reminder that I need to keep going.

“

Whilst my plants keep growing, it is a reminder that I need to keep going. In fact, research carried out byby the American Society for Horticultural Science has shown that greening up our spaces can help to lower anxiety. In their study, office workers’

@ Sophie McMahon

Two’s a Crowd

The importance of not relying on others for happiness T Bliss Staff Writer

ith the return to uni life and the flood of students back to Brighton after such a long period isolated and online, I find myself completely surrounded by other young people whenever I am on campus. Yet I have never experienced such an overwhelming feeling of imposter syndrome than I do now; every time I find myself on campus, I just cannot shake the feeling that I do not belong, no matter how much I push myself to get involved and meet new people. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed finally meeting my classmates and reuniting with familiar faces, but the pang of estrangement is just inescapable. However, this by no means is a terrible thing, for recently, I have come to learn the importance and gratification of thriving on my own.

I never used to enjoy my own company, in fact I would often willingly miss out on activities or events I wanted to do or see simply because none of my friends wanted to. Looking back, it seems insane, but at the time going alone never felt like an option - I always needed the company of others, someone to share the experience with. It was only this summer when I began going for little adventures and hikes around the South Downs on my own

when friends were working or away that I discovered the peace and joy that came with independence. Going alone may sound isolating but on the contrary, it can be so freeing and offers a chance for you to find the perspective you may have been searching for. Once you have found comfort in not relying on others to be happy you discover a calm and a different kind of contentment. It is so rewarding to be able to find joy in others as well as

@T Bliss

yourself, and it can do wonders for your own wellbeing especially in stressful times around assessment periods and deadlines at uni when it can be difficult to find the time to meet up with friends.

“

You can do anything without needing anyone. Just be brave.

I think there is often the feeling that it is more important to make the effort to meet up and do things with others, which certainly is incredibly important to get that social interaction and develop your support network. But it is equally vital that you take the time to learn how to spend time alone in ways that benefit you. Whether that be the freedom to go to the restaurant you’ve wanted to try but your friends don’t like, or to find peace from

independence to gather your thoughts and focus on yourself. Now I am not saying you should aim to always be alone and live independently: I love my friends more than anything in the world and I adore spending time with them. But I definitely believe it is so important and rewarding to push yourself to try it and find how you can truly enjoy your own company, be braver to go out alone and do the things you’ve wanted to do even when others can’t or don’t want to do it with you. I think we so easily associate being on your own with loneliness, when the people who do go out alone and live freely by themselves are most at peace with their own company and feel lonely a lot less than the rest of us. So, I really encourage you to take that step, stop worrying about the others around you and go out and do what you want to do, knowing that you can do anything without needing anyone. Just be brave.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Comment 27 How It Feels Finding Out A Creator You Love Is A Piece Of S*** Simon Edwards Comment Online Editor TW Sexual Assault, Violence

t’s an odd time to be a fan of content creators. The ubiquity of access to their private lives makes it all the easier to form tighter and tighter emotional bonds with them – Instagram, TikTok and Twitter blur the social barriers so effectively that we, simple meat creatures responding to stimuli, can’t help but forget that these people aren’t as close to us as they seem. That closeness of connection isn’t all bad, and fan culture is hardly new - trust me, I’ve seen my mum watching Sparks and Barry Manilow, stans have nothing on her. But the closeness we feel with celebrities these days has very damaging emotional consequences, especially when content creators let you down. It might just be a badly worded statement warranting an apology, or a deep-seated belief that you grimace at but ultimately push through because hey, opinions are opinions. But in a post-MeToo world that is increasingly resolute in supporting victims

and exposing abusers to the harsh light of the public eye, there is the ultimate betrayal of discovering that someone whose work you love has perpetrated truly repulsive acts. It’s an emotional gut-punch with which I am increasingly familiar. It’s an odd but fundamentally true statement that I would not be writing this article today if it wasn’t for the British independent wrestling scene. If I hadn’t started watching WWE during college, fallen in love with the pomp, theatrics and hard knocks of its beautifully weird art and subsequently discovered a vibrant, underground wrestling scene hidden across the UK, I would not be the man I am today.

“

The final lesson it taught me, I suppose, is how to let things go.

Through wrestling I travelled the length of the country and beyond, met incredible people, bought eye-wateringly ugly merch that I wore without irony, found my confidence and grew from a sheltered

teenager into something akin to a man. The camaraderie and joy of wrestling and the friends who I made through it gave me a new lease on life which I cherished more than anything. You can appreciate therefore how much it hurt, and hurts, when it all fell apart. The Speaking Out movement, as it came to be known, was wrestling’s MeToo moment, and it excoriated the entire scene without mercy. Beginning with one of independent wrestling’s biggest names, testimony from countless brave women and men highlighted a deeprooted culture of sexual abuse and assault that implicated wrestlers and promoters from WWE all the way down to Riptide, the local Brighton promotion which I had been a fan of from its very first show. The scale of the implications was staggering, and as the number of perpetrators swelled, and a great many talents who were believed to be ‘the good ones’ were implicated, the bitter pill became increasingly hard to swallow. Speaking Out happened during COVID, when independent wrestling promotions were already struggling to maintain interest

@PixaBay

and solvency until lockdowns ended – the two in tandem were blows too great for many to bear, and the scene just about collapsed. Fans demanded change, promoters tried to salvage what they could or, like Riptide, closed their doors indefinitely in disgust or horror at what had been happening behind-the-scenes, and which they had failed to prevent. Promises of improvements and welfare advances were made, even Parliament got involved, but for many it was too late. I was quite fortunate in a way that Speaking Out fell during a period when, thanks to my year abroad, I was quite detached from British wrestling already: my interest had waned with the distance and other than missing my friends (and Riptide), I was essentially disconnected from the scene, and COVID didn’t help matters either. In spite of this distance, Speaking Out was one of the most painful, numbing periods of my life. Many of my friends were among the brave ones who pointed fingers at their abusers, and others silently added to the affirming masses. Finding out that a wrestler whose hand you’ve shaken, merch you’ve bought and triumphs you’ve cheered has raped one of your friends is, to put it mildly, a hammer blow; finding out more than once doesn’t make it any easier. It’s hard to talk about the feelings that these events generated because frankly, my feelings aren’t what matter in the grand scheme – it’s about the victims, not the bystanders. With that said, it was a horrendous series of revelations that continue to affect me deeply, and maybe by talking about them it will help others who have to go through similar events. The closeness of niche communities and scenes are among the most emotionally confusing to unpack. They are hotbeds of micro-power dynamics and hierarchies that mean nothing outside a few thousand people, but everything to those few. The wrestlers who I supported weren’t as distant as movie stars or musicians I love, they were right there, shaking hands and having beers after the show with fans. I cared about their careers and hoped they achieved great things, forming emotional bonds that bordered on the personal. That’s the

world we live in now – creators can feel close enough to us that we form parasocial bonds, and it hurts badly when they break.

“

I am grateful and proud of the people who came forward and broke the cycle

I feel tremendous guilt for not helping friends who suffered, as if I could’ve somehow stopped events I had no knowledge of, by talking to wrestlers who had no idea who I was as if I were talking down a close personal friend. I am disgusted with myself for supporting financially scores of performers who abused their positions of power in a community packed with vulnerable people for their own perverse pleasures. I am, ultimately, bereft of a space and a pastime that helped mould the person I am today, but which I have essentially burnt from my memories like a Soviet editor with a cigarette lighter. I am grateful and proud of the people who came forward and broke the cycle, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the ignorant bliss – that might be the most shameful part of the whole thing.

“

It’s hard to talk about the feelings that these events generated

And sadly, it continues. In the last month two content creators who I drew on heavily to get through the pandemic were outed as sex tourists with rape convictions or emotionally neglectful scumbag boyfriends. Means of comfort and safety are constantly scraped away, and it gets that much harder to trust as my skin grows a little thicker. I hope that your favourite creators don’t have dark sides, especially the ones you feel close to, but I think at this point it is somewhat inevitable that at least one will let you down. When they do, acknowledge the hurt you feel, it’s to be expected, but please don’t let the pain fuel denial. British wrestling carries on, incidentally, but I will never go back. The final lesson it taught me, I suppose, is how to let things go.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Science and Technology

Organ transplantation — are pigs the future? Charlie Ellis Staff Writer

s of Thursday 21st Octo ber, within the UK there are 6125 people waiting for an often life-saving transplant. This number is even larger in countries such as America who have approximately 107,000 people requiring a life-altering transplant according to the American Transplant Foundation. These statistics, as morbid as they may be, show the dire need for more organs that are available for transplantation. As we currently cannot magic up a perfect human organ ready for transplant, there are a few potential alternatives that are currently being researched for their viability. The most promising of which comes from an animal that you would not expect — pigs. This is possible as pig organs are relatively similar to us in their anatomy/physiology, which means they are perfect candidates for transplantation to humans, if we can get over the issue of rejection.

@PxHere Last month, for the first time ever, a clinical trial demonstrated that it was possible to transplant an organ from a pig directly to a human. Vitally, this was done without the human’s immune system rejecting the organ immediately, as has happened in earlier trials. This surgical intervention was completed at NYU Langone Health by a team lead by Dr. Robert Montgomery, in which a pig kidney was transplanted (with familial consent) to a brain-

dead patient that had signs of kidney dysfunction, before she was due to be removed from life-support. This kidney was attached to the human’s blood vessels and was kept outside of the body so that it could be better accessed. The results of this trial showed that kidney function improved in line with what a ‘normal’ transplanted kidney would. This was seen as the abnormal creatinine level of the patient (a marker of kidney dysfunction) returned to a normal

level again. Alongside this, there was production of the normal amount of urine, with no signs of rejection suggesting that the kidney had functioned normally and overall had worked well. Genetically, to produce this transplantable kidney, a certain gene was removed (i.e. knocked out) in pigs via intentional-genetic engineering. This, in turn prevents the alpha-gal sugar molecule from forming on the surface of the pigs cells. These genetically altered animals are

known as GalSafe pigs, which were produced by the United Therapeutics Corp’s Revivicor. Importantly, it was thought that this carbohydrate (alphagal) was the driving force behind rejection of pig organs within humans. This trial suggests that, at least briefly, that removing the functionality of a certain gene reduces the chance of human rejection of a transplanted pig-kidney. Whilst the production of these organs can have the potential to save the lives of countless people requiring organ transplants, an ethical question mark still remains on whether it is correct to rear an animal just to harvest their organs. In America, this is being addressed by a researcher (Karen Machke), who will attempt to develop ethical/policy recommendations for any clinical trials of this type. Finally, the use of GalSafe pigs in transplantation has not been limited to just kidneys; there are suggestions that alongside further kidney clinical trials, there will also be trials focusing on transplantation of heart valves and skin.

Meta: Facebook’s Swift Rebrand Maria Margot Kafka Staff Writer

n October the 28th, a mere 6 days after media outlets published the Facebook Papers, Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta: the name of the new social technology company under which all his apps and technologies would come together. . This company rebrand introduces Zuckeberd’s new vision for the company, to bring the ‘metaverse’ to life. The metaverse is a concept of a future iteration of the internet that exists in a shared threedimensional virtual reality universe. People would use augmented reality technologies to immerse into virtual spaces and communicate instead of using 2D screens. Zuckerberg wants Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to be a company that “helps people connect, find communities and grow businesses''. Going to a concert, shopping, working in an office, meeting friends could all be done in a simulated world, from the comfort of your own home. ‘Metaverse’ was coined by Neal Stephenson for his 1992 dystopian novel, Snow Crash. It is a portmanteau of

"meta-" and "universe" with meta being a Greek prefix that means ‘after’ or ‘beyond’ in the sense of "transcending." In Hebrew however, meta means “dead” bringing another layer of comedy to the “Facebook is dead” viral meme. The hashtag #FacebookDead even trended on Twitter. Besides this neologism’s interesting etymology, and the joke found in translation, copyright claiming the prefix ‘meta’ can bring about issues. Meta has been used in short for many words including metaphysical, metacognition etc. Consequently, it is a highly sought after term to trademark. This was the case with MetaPC— an Arizona based company that

sells technology equipment. The goods they wanted to sell under the name Meta include computers, their respective components and accessories, and software. If they own the ‘Meta’ trademark, Zuckeberg would not be able to use it in the US. The trademark application was filed in August, and it is still up for review. However, MetaPC owners stated their willingness to sell the trademark for $20 million. Nonetheless, any information (or criticism) about the metaverse concept, which is inherently dystopian, is now buried beyond page 1 of a Google search that is flooded by Facebook news. So, it might as well have been deleted from our collective consciousness.

According to Meta’s press release, following their presentation at Connect 2021, changing the corporation was essential to encompass all that the company is working on, transcending beyond its existing social media platforms. The name change will not affect their apps such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Therefore, the issues raised by Frances Hughes’s release of the Facebook Papers will not be tackled by the rebrand. These include Instagram’s harmful effects on teenagers’ mental health, an algorithm change that increased divisive content on Facebook and the fact that any monitoring

@TrustedReviews

on these apps focuses on English content which does not reflect most of their users. Changing the name, logo, and marketing strategy of the corporation as an attempt to distract from these controversies is further problematic. The developments and new technologies the ‘metaverse’ would require are in their infancy and may not come into fruition for decades as Zuckerberg admitted. Meta only provides abstract frameworks for its future products with little tangible evidence. Uncomfortable Oculus headsets and questionable graphics from Horizon Workspace make the Sims 4 look like a hyper realistic painting. Consumers are becoming increasingly informed. People living in this information abundance era expect transparency and demand companies to be on the inside what they portray on the outside. In short, Meta got rebranded based on flimsy promises and future possibilities that arguably do not reflect the main focus and revenues of the current company, thus likely creating further disappointment and distrust from its users.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Science and Technology

A Scientific Ode to Ants Science and Technology Editor, Rob Barrie, discusses his summer research placement Rob Barrie Science & Technology Editor

ince childhood I have always been fascinated by insects, but after a summer of researching ants in a secluded wood in East Sussex, that fascination turned to pure amazement. A 2009 study by researchers at Arizona State University and Princeton University revealed a remarkable finding – ants perform tasks with more rationality than humans. Obviously, this is not a case of intelligence quotient (IQ). The origin of ant rationale can be found in their sociality. They innately aggregate into colonies and are one of the model organisms for eusociality – the most sophisticated level of sociality. Though they possess a queen, colonies do not possess any hierarchical divisions. Her sole role is in reproduction – she carries no colony organisational responsibilities. And yet, despite no chain of command existing, ants divide labour amongst themselves perfectly. The resulting behaviour, which has a near optimum efficacy, arises from the collective

actions of individuals. It is here where the rationale is generated. Collective decision making, especially where individuals have less options, leads to more accurate outcomes. Such decisions could be choosing a nest site – studies have proven that ants can make sophisticated choices based on various qualities of nest sites that include ambient temperature and nest material availability. When aggregated too, decision errors by a single ant simply become drowned out by the overwhelming amount of correct choices by the rest of the colony. Thus, despite their simple brains, this adaptive behaviour is what makes ants so rational.

“

We still have much to learn from our tiny six-legged friends I was privileged enough to be accepted onto the Junior Research Scheme (JRA) at the University of Sussex last summer. I was thrilled to be investigating cooperative behaviour in wood ants – Formica rufa – and pursue our understanding of them.

My research question centred around ant to ant interactions: “Is precise cooperation amongst ants needed for effective collaborative movement?” was my question, and my hypothesis was that it is needed. I used the principle of ants collaborating to move an item as a framework to test my hypothesis. A wooden disc was placed on their nest blocking an entrance, encouraging them to move it. Each ant that joined the disc was tracked and analysed. After approximately sixty trials, helpful behaviours were observed the most – indicating that ants do prefer to join an item near an existing ‘pulling’ ant. There was not, however, a statistical link between this and movement of the disc which indicates a level of imprecision. Ants also had a preference of joining position on the disc itself, preferring to join on the side opposite to that of nest entrance, thus indicating possible preemptive ‘knowledge’ of wanting to move the item away to stop occlusion of the entrance. My results were not what I expected. Though many of the interactions were imprecise

in nature, an adaptive consequence of movement still arose, and the disc was no longer covering the entrance. The ants did show a preference for useful joining positions, which indicates the potential existence of underlying biases that provide the framework for cooperation in large colonies.

I thoroughly enjoyed my research on ants. I found their collaboration arising from imprecise interactions captivating. As humans, we often associate imprecision with undesirable results. This study, therefore, is but just a small example of how we still have much to learn from our tiny six-legged friends.

@Rob Barrie

Life Changing Technology: Freestyle Libre The Freestyle Libre and its dramatic impact on the lifestyles of diabetics Molly Openshaw Arts Print Editor

he Freestyle Libre (FL) is a flash monitoring glucose system to measure glucose levels throughout the day. It works by attaching a small sensor onto your arm which can be kept on the skin for fourteen days. You are able to use a phone or a scanner to read the sensor and get your glucose ratings at any time of the day. I spoke to my father, Simon Openshaw, about his experience with diabetes and using FL. “It’s very important for me, as a person with Type 1 diabetes, to maintain as near to normal blood sugar levels. Failure to control correct levels can result in the possibility of collapsing and, if not acted upon, the chance of going into a diabetic coma. Long term effects include cardiovascular problems and blindness. Type 1 diabetes is when your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone

that helps blood sugar enter the cells in your body where it can be used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can't get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream. Before I used the Freestyle Libre, I had to test my blood sugar levels by pricking my finger 3 or 4 times each day which was often impractical and sometimes painful. The result was that I often went for extended periods without testing.” Created by Abbott Diabetes Care, this release was revolutionary after years of the traditional fingerstick glucose meters and test strips. The development of this technology has made glucose testing more accessible as well as enabling people to see their longer term glucose levels to compare and see patterns in their behaviour. “The Freestyle Libre enables me to test my blood sugar as many times as I wish each day and doesn’t involve pricking my fingers. I wear a small sensor on my upper arm which I scan with my smartphone. This

gives me an instant reading of my current blood sugar levels and also provides my average level over a given period.” According to the World health organisation, around 422 million people in the world have diabetes. However, it is only recently that diabetic people have been able to get FL on prescription, and you have to meet certain criteria on how much your sugar levels are varying and how much this affects your everyday life. “2 years ago I became eligible to get FL on prescription, previously it was costing me £100 each month. The effect nationally is that more people are able to test effectively resulting in fewer short and long term complications.” According to Mahmood Kazemi (Chief Officer for Abbott), “it has really a significant clinical impact in terms of the care of people living with diabetes and we're very excited that we have this particular finding. We really already have seen that the

technology is very user friendly and it's the type of thing that people really do want to continue to use… so, truly lifechanging from that perspective”. For my father, using this technology has drastically helped the management of his diabetes, as well as allowing him to participate in the things he loves, such as cycling, without having to worry about the effects of his diabetes. “The result of having used FS over the past 4 years is that my HBA1C levels (blood sugar levels measured over a 3-month period) have greatly reduced and are nearer to non-diabetic levels. It has also meant that I have had far fewer low sugar events. This has helped significantly, especially when taking part in sports. I love cycling and being better monitored has enabled me to go out cycling all day safe in the knowledge that I can check that my blood sugar levels are correct.” This highlights the significance of technology in

health care. If we can continue to create and develop these life changing technologies, every person should be able to continue the activities they love no matter what.

@Simon Openshaw

The Badger 15th November 2021

Sport 31 Sussex Racing has got that electric feel How Sussex Racing is going green in search for gold this year Charlie Batten Sports Print Editor

s one of the lesser-known teams on campus you’d be forgiven for not knowing who Sussex Racing are but believe me when I say they’ve been fighting hard to prove that Sussex can race as well as any other uni. I was lucky enough to sit down with Faaris Sheikh, Laurie Corbel, Stacey Clark, Jake Choules and Joshua Louis who make up the key team and talk to them all about this year’s electric car and their chances at victory. So, for starters, what is Sussex Racing? The team is a masters project for engineering students at Sussex which allows them to hone in their skills that they learnt in their degree in a more practical environment. The project runs incredibly similar to an F1 team as they have to design the car, construct it, and even find sponsorships to provide funding for the team.

At the end of the year the team compete at Silverstone in the Formula Student competition where they go head-to-head with other universities from all over Europe and even America in challenges and trials in order to find out who’s made the best car. Last year the team finished at a university best 15th out of seventy-seven teams and describe it similar to Racing Point’s success last year in Formula 1. This year the team hope to break into the top ten and in order to do so they have made a big change by focusing solely on its electric car. Normally the team has split its focus between two cars, one with an internal combustion engine and the other with an electric engine. By now focusing on an electric car, they feel that they can improve it substantially as well as be able to devote much more time and energy on making sure it’s one of the best on the grid.

The team wanted to do this to also follow the growing trend of green cars that provide a better alternative to cars previously that relied on fossil fuels. It also means that all those involved have firsthand experience with electric cars which provides invaluable experience when moving into the engineering industry.

The team however, cannot do this alone. If you’re someone that has always wanted to be in motorsport garage or has wanted to help build a car from scratch then Sussex Racing want you. You don’t have to be an engineering student, just someone that’s enthusiastic and wants the help the team as much as you can. Not only will it

allow you to help build a race car but you’ll be able to meet new people within the team and get the chance to go to Silverstone and compete against other cars. For all those interested in joining the team you can email gek22@sussex.ac.uk if you are a 3rd year plus student and ha417@sussex.ac.uk if you are a first or second year student.

@Sussex Racing

Two Punch Combo: UFC 267 and 268 Recap A recap of two consecutive numbered cards from the face of the fight game

Will Vo Sports Sub-Editor

ike a martial artist, biding their time before unleashing their most potent offence, the UFC struck with a powerful one-two, as numbered events 267 and 268 more than made up for the weak succession of fight nights that came before it. Such is the nature of the fight game, the events combined drama straight out of a Yuri Boyker script with displays of technicality that could be likened to a game of chess between two grandmasters; and then mixed in the sort of gritty toughness and heart that sets the sport apart from anything else in the world.

The Stories: In 2018, when a 38-year-old Glover Teixera had lost 3 of his last 5 fights, it would have taken a very brave human with access to a crystal ball to have bet on him 3 years later becoming the champion of the world. But alas, following a 5 fight win streak, the fan favourite Brazilian took former champion Jan Blachowicz down, and locked in a rearnaked choke to fulfill his lifelong dream, and cement himself as the best light heavyweight in the world. For now. Part of the beauty of the journey for Glover was that every fight seemed like a microcosm of his career at the time, being dropped and

@ESPN

hurt badly by Santos, Roberson, and Cutelaba, the “Brazilian Pitbull” showed no quit and instead went to his grappling, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. A week later, Usman showed that striking power has benefits beyond the immediate knockout, as he turned the high output Colby Covington into a low output fighter for 3 of the 5 rounds, which was enough for him to retain his world welterweight title. The Technicalities: When Cory Sandhagen was announced as Petr Yan’s opponent, there was simply no way in the minds of the fans that this fight would cease to deliver. The length and unorthodoxy of the flashy Sandhagen would pose the sort of challenge that the pressure and ability to adjust of Petr Yan had yet to see in the Octagon thus far. The fight lived up to all expectations, as Petr Yan calibrated to the hand fighting and stance switching that saw Sandhagen win the first round, and utilized his kicking game and combination boxing to pull away as the fight wore on, with his spinning back kick and back fist into left hand the icing on the proverbial cake. The very next week, Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas went 5 rounds, and we saw “Thug Rose” put on

@UFC a masterclass in neutralising the right low kick, as she hopped in and out of range. Both women scrambled at a furious pace when the fight hit the mat, and showed just how technical the division can be. The Ones to Watch: A firstround submission is always impressive, particularly when done in the first true test of one’s UFC career. At UFC 267, this happened twice, as Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev finished Dan Hooker and Li Jingliang respectively. Both grapplers had previously shown immense promise, but it is safe to move them both, particularly Makhachev, out of

the prospect class and into title contention. Both fighters made their opponents pay the ultimate price for strategic missteps in the first round, as Hooker’s inside low kick was ill-advised in an open stance matchup, whilst Jingliang threw a squared up one-two against a fast starting wrestler, leaving him open to a quick level change. 7 days later, they would be joined by a very different type of prospect in the light-heavyweight division by the name of Alex Periera, aka the last man to knockout Israel Adesanya, back in their kickboxing days. He won via flying knee, stepping up through the guard of his opponent.

The Badger 15th November 2021

Sport 32

Sport Big Debate: Should managers be given time or be sacked soon after mistakes? Darius Ostovar & Joe Roberts Staff Writers Against Sackings: Darius Ostovar

he notion of a ‘bad appointment’ is crucial in judging the performance of a manager. The case of Nuno Espirito Santo epitomises this. A man who created a Wolves squad from the ground up with players that were cultivated to play his style of football yet is expected to take a fragmented Spurs side to the summit of the English game. A feat that even Mourinho didn’t come close to achieve with Spurs. This argument can be applied to the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjær as manager of Manchester United. With very little experience behind him, the Norwegian was given the gargantuan task of implementing a sense of cohesion within a starstudded United squad including the likes of Ronaldo, Pogba and Bruno Fernandes. Yet, even the most respected football commentators like former United legend, Gary Neville, have argued that the appointment of hiring decorated managers like Mourinho and Van Gaal have simply not worked and therefore a new approach is required. This was after Liverpool’s 5-0 capitulation of United at Old Trafford. With criticism coming from every angle, the task of changing the system of a given squad will be heavily scrutinised. When looking at managers in recent history who have utilised the time given to them effectively, Jürgen Klopp is the embodiment of this. Klopp, who

inherited a depleted Liverpool squad with the likes of Moreno, Lucas, Sakho and Benteke, only mustered an 8th place finish in his first season (2015/16). It wasn’t until his 4th season that the club were able to challenge for the title, achieving 97 points with Klopp’s ‘heavy metal’ style of football. In that season, the perseverance paid off with the club winning the UEFA Champions League and the League title the season after for the first time in 30 years. Going further back, former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, revolutionised the work ethic of footballers in the English game. The Frenchman implemented incredibly intense training sessions as well as a strict diet for the players, who were outwardly against his methods at first (including captain Tony Adams). However, the results eventually paid off and after two years in the job, Wenger was able to guide the club to the league title in 1997/98. Given the influence of players in the modern day, it’s not difficult to see how Wenger’s approach may have cost him his job early into his premiership. Huge financial investment into star players has led to clubs having to prioritise the accommodation of players over managers. A problem that has begun to manifest within the past few seasons. The constant criticism given to managers to instantly produce results would arguably have led to the early dismissal of legends like Sir Alex Ferguson. Therefore, clubs should properly evaluate the appointment of managers or be prepared for periods of uncertainty for their approach

to become effective. The lack of sentiment has become a part of the beautiful game. But this has created a lack of job security for managers who will, therefore, not only be incapable to enforce their methods, but also will be less incentivised to take risks. Therefore, leading to an inevitable sacking. A narrative that has become all too common in Europe’s top leagues. In Favour of Sackings: Joe Roberts

ootball management is one of the most high-risk and unstable employments possible. Managers can get sacked just a few games into their tenure if results aren’t going their way, if the fans are unhappy or if the players are unhappy. Many fans and pundits see this short termism as unjust; ‘it doesn’t feel right’ says Jamie Carragher following Nuno Espirito Santo’s recent sacking from Spurs. However, he goes on to say that he ‘doesn’t feel like it was a bad sacking, I feel like it was a bad appointment’. This begs the question – if it becomes obvious very quickly that a manager just does not fit a club then should they not be sacked? One of Premier League history’s most recent and pitiful managerial stints was that of Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace in 2017. After a shocking and dreadful 3-0 defeat in the opening day of the season against newly promoted Huddersfield, things looked bleak in South London. The following three games saw no goals and no points and no hope for Palace, resulting in de Boer’s inevitable sacking. The style of

@ Ben Sutherland

play that de Boer attempted to implement at Selhurst Park was in hindsight far too ambitious, attempting to ‘play offensive […] and dominating football’ de Boer states in an early interview at Palace. Attempting to play tiki-taka Dutch Cruyff-ball with the likes of Scott Dann and Joel Ward seems to oppose the ‘naivety’ de Boer tried to reject. De Boer also noted after his sacking that ‘when you go from kick and rush to another style of football it takes time. You don’t go from A-Z overnight. You will have some setbacks’. While he’s not wrong, this seemed like too much of a gamble for Palace to take at the time. Most pundits had Palace favourites for relegation, and more than likely Palace would have faced the drop if their board, chiefly Chairman Steve Parish didn’t act fast. ‘Results weren’t good’ notes Parish after his sacking of the former Dutch and Barcelona star. ‘We could have gone on longer, but if that produced the outcomes I thought it was going to then that makes me negligent’. De Boer reportedly earned a £2 million pay off from Palace and continued his managerial career (albeit with limited success) with the likes of Atlanta in the MLS and the Dutch national team. Most at the time were sympathetic to de Boer with many thinking Palace had acted too quickly and too rashly in their sacking. The Eagles however very much turned things around that season with the appointment of disgraced ex England manager Roy Hodgson who finished the season in a very respectable 11th position with 44 points; Parish’s decision seemingly very well justified in hindsight. ‘I though they were relegated’ notes Paul Merson at the end of the 2017/18 season, ‘you have to praise Roy Hodgson’. Palace seemingly made the right call at the right time. Frank de Boer at Palace very much fits Carragher’s sentiment– not a bad sacking just a bad appointment. If a club makes an error in judgement on a manager, then they have to act in the best interests of the club. There can be very little room for sentiment in football sometimes, which while unfortunate has to be necessary sometimes for a club’s stability and safety. Information Correct at The Time of Wrting

What’s on

San Marino V England 15th November

Golden State Warriors V Brooklyn Nets 16th November

Liverpool V Arsenal 20th November

England V South Africa (Rugby Union) 20th November

Manchester United Women V Arsenal Women 21st November

Qatar Grand Prix 21st November

Manchester City V PSG 24th November

Brighton V Leeds 27th November