The Badger 8th Edition (17th February 2020)

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17th February 2020

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Mass deportations go ahead, despite last minute legal challenge

A Court of Appeals judge ordered the Home Office to stop the deportations amid fears the foreign nationals had no access to legal advice Joshua Talbot Travel & Culture Editor Ministers in the House of Commons on Wednesday 5 February called for the Prime Minister to stop the deportation of the Caribbean nationals in what would be the second flight of its kind since the Windrush scandal.

In 2018 this was a hiatus that exposed the government’s wrongful segregation of Commonwealth citizens who had been granted the right to settle up until 1973.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome urged for the flight to be postponed until the report commissioned in light of the scandal had been released.

Speaking in the House of Commons, she asked: “Will the Prime Minister immediately suspend the flight until the ‘lessons learned’ review is published, and the recommendations implemented?”

The plea was dismissed, with Boris Johnson stating that the people of Great Britain will think it right to ‘send back’ foreign national offend-

ers. However, as later speakers highlighted, the severity of the crimes committed is unclear.

The Windrush scandal saw people who were described

by Home Secretary at the time Amber Rudd as ‘British in all but legal status’ stripped of their rights as British Citizens.

Those who sought to return to the UK after a trip away were suddenly denied entry and those who were still resident were prevented from using public amenities such as the NHS. This was because of an error wherein people who settled in the UK during the ‘Windrush’ era of 1948-1970, were not given the right paperwork.

Sajid Javid, who stepped in as home secretary after Amber Rudd resigned because of the scandal, commissioned the ‘lessons learned’ review to assess the mistakes made and produce recommendations to avoid them happening again.

The report was originally meant to be published at the end of March last year, a deadline which was extended to a time suitable after it was to

News

LGBTQ+ Month Events & Iowa Caucus 4

Comment

Dating Apps & President of Azad Kashmir 10

Features

Hidden Autism & Palestine Soc Interview 14 be submitted to Sajid Javid in September.

Further delayed, the report which was leaked to Labour MP and minister at the forefront of exposing the scandal, David Lammy, calls for the government to review their policy of deporting foreign national offenders in cases where the individual moved to the UK as a child.

It recommends that deportation should only be used in the most severe of cases and, for some of the passengers set to be leaving on February 11,

it is thought that this criteria would not be met.

MP Dawn Butler cited a case of one of her constituents whose husband is due to be deported after being convicted under the joint enterprise law, which has since been rendered unlawful by the Supreme Court.

Due to the historic misinterpretation of this ruling, the court found that individuals had been falsely convicted of a crime which, in actuality, they were only present for.

Continuted on Page 3...

Arts

Oscars Snubs, & Oscar Wilde 18

Travel & Culture Batch Cooking & Friends 25

Science & Tech Coronavirus & Organoids

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Sports

29

Saracens Salary Scandal & Carabao Cup 31

Editor-in-Chief Chris Ahjem badger@sussexstudent.com Print Production Editor Billie-Jean Johnson Online Production Editor Rory Hinshelwood Print Production Sub-Editors Isabelle Marsh Belén Mateos Gutiérrez Marketing Manager Alex Valeri The News Team Becca Bashford Joel Renouf Georgia-May Keetch Venice Hancock badger-news@sussexstudent. com The Comment Team Rebecca Spencer Louis Johnson Issy Anthony Joseph Pearce badger-opinion@sussexstudent. com The Features Team Arianna Lee Sonaili Vasta Olly Williams badgerfeatureseditor@gmail. com The Arts Team Lucy Peters Jude Whiley Morton badger-arts@sussexstudent.com The Books Team Jasmine Smith thebadger.bookseditor@gmail. com The Music Team Léo de Riedmatten Kajal Dave thebadger.musiceditor@gmail. com The Film & Television Team Michael Humphreys Jack Parker thebadger.film@gmail.com The Theatre Team Jessica Hake thebadger-theatre@gmail.com The Artist Focus Team Grace Sowerby Alexander Evangelou thebadger.street@gmail.com The Travel & Culture Team Joshua Talbot Mehek Shahzad Vanessa Hung badger.travelculture@gmail.com The Sports Team Jonny Garwood thebadger.sport@gmail.com The Science & Technology Team Ayaah Eldakal Sereena Kang thebadger.science@gmail.com Events and Publicity Elisei Sergevnin Proof Readers Elizabeth Strange Joe Kleinschmidt

Editorial

Chris Ahjem Editor-in-Chief

Here at The Badger we’re very aware of the tumultuous world that we all live in thus we hope to provide an insight on these topics and how to deal with them as well as articles allowing our readers to escape this bleakness.

In this edition, we’ve got a multitude of informative articles covering serious subjects from the deportation of Caribbean nationals (see Front Page) to concerns regarding the Coronavirus including the University’s advice (Page 4) and a scientific breakdown of this virus (Page 30).

Our News Section continue to expertly cover local, national and global goings on. This edition covers the journalist boycott of No 10 Downing Street at the beginning of February (Page 5), the chaotic Iowa Caucus in the US (Page 6) and the events on here at Sussex for LGBTQ+ History Month (Page 7).

On the flip side, our Comment Section covers a variety of opinions from our brilliant student writers. The Big Debate questions ‘Is the opt-out organ donation policy ethical?’ on Page 10. Whilst, the section also comments on Dating Apps (Page 12) and the President of Azad Kashmir’s Politics Society talk on campus (Page 11).

Meanwhile our Features Section has a double page spread on Autism (Pages 1617), a Palestine Soc interview (Page 15) and a piece on LGBTQ+ History Month (Page 14).

Our Arts Section once again covers all artistic fronts.

Film & TV reacts to the 92nd Academy Awards on Page 19 with an article on Oscars snubs and Staff Writer Yazz James’ opinions on what the speeches tell us about film culture. Music sees yet another brilliant collab with URF as well as an interview with Harker on Page 20.

Books covers the debate about Books vs Films (Page

18), Theatre talks about Oscar Wilde as a part of LGBTQ+ History Month (Page 21) and Artist Focus showcases the photographic talents of Sussex students (Pages 2223).

Our Travel & Culture Section provides students with brilliant recipes for batch cooking (Page 28) as well as information on the Brighton Festival (Page 27).

Our Science & Technology Section explains organoids on Page 29 on top of the Coronavirus break down on Page 30.

And finally, our Sports Section covers the Saracens Salary Scandal (Page 32) and the Australian Open 2020 Recap (Page 31).

I’ve mentioned it a few times this editorial but if you didn’t know already it is LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK this February. So, I felt it pertinent to includee a quick story of some iconic LGBTQ+ women who are connected to the heart of Brighton.

The story of philanthropist and ‘richest heiress in England’ Angela Burdett-Coutts (18141906) who considered both Charles Dickens and the Duke of Wellington as close friends of hers.

Angela was known for spending a segment of her year at the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton with her companion Hannah Brown.

The two of them are said to have been devoted to each other, socially recognised as a pair and sent Christmas cards as a couple.

When Hannah died in 1878, Angela wrote to a friend that she was devasted by the loss of “my poor darling, the companion and sunshine of my life for 52 years”.

Angela did go onto propose to the Duke of Wellington so it’s unknown where she’d fall in the LGBTQ+ spectrum but ultimately labels are irrelevant and instead we should focus on celebrating the community as a whole this LGBTQ+ History Month.

Shantay you’re gay!

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Pick up a ‘Stand With Wuhan’ flyer from the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of Sussex University for information on the Coronavirus and how they’re fundraising for medical supplies for hospitals in Wuhan.

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Contact us at badgermarketing. sussex@gmail.com for prices, advert sizes and more info

The Badger 17th February 2020

Editorial 3 Our brand new website!

Rory Hinshelwood Online Production Editor I am very pleased to announce, although you may have already seen, that on the 2nd of February, The Badger released its new website. The original had been in place for almost ten years and although perfect at the time, came to the end of its service. One of the things I was most keen on when applying for the role of Online Production Editor was a refurbishment of the website. Talking to Chris Ahjem, Editor-in-chief, earlier on in the academic year we decided to make it one of our goals and push for funding.

The process started by approaching web design agencies in Brighton, to get quotes and an idea of what changes we could make to the website. This route, although useful, met a swift end as quotes came back as high as £10,000!

Instead, we opted to use a topof-the-class Computer Science student Sumedh Nimkar from The University of Sussex’s deep well of talent. Together the three of us reimagined the website, cutting out the many superfluous and never-ending

pages.

Creating something aesthetically minimalistic and functionally simplistic.

We settled for a home page with hand-picked Top Stories paying homage to an old Vogue website design, with a two-tonal template and gridded articles.

We added a header where the different sections could be easily accessed. Each section had its own page where articles, by the help of excerpts, could be selected quickly.

One of the parts that I am most proud of is our new ability to host advertisements online.

We have ad space available on all pages, including the home page and article pages. This will help The Badger for years to come, allowing us to be less dependent on the University for funding and giving us greater control over our spending. As an end product, I am very contented with the site, the social media launch we did in conjunction got us 2,000 hits and 400 likes, in two days, on the website and Facebook respectively.

Check out the website at thebadgeronline.com and if you are interested in advertising with us email badgermarketing. sussex@gmail.com!

Essential resources to stay safe at Sussex

The world has recently been a more worrying place than ever so The Badger team thought it best to republish this brilliantly informative piece by our News Editor Becca Bashford from our Freshers Edition that provides information and contact details that can help you feel safe.

YMCA Safe Space If you’re feeling vulnerable because of alcohol or drugs use, if you’ve lost your friends or you’re unable to get home, even if you just need a phone charger or some water - YMCA Safe Space is there to help.

Where?

St Paul’s Church, West Street, Brighton.

When?

Friday and Saturday 11:30pm 4am, all ages.

Call: 07590 229897 The Rainbow Hub The Hub is a LGBTQIA+ focused network that can provide emergency help and information to those in need, as well as also being a third-party report site.

Where?

93 St James’ Street, Brighton.

When?

Tuesday - Friday 12pm - 8pm, Monday and Saturday 12pm 6pm, Sunday closed.

Call: 01273 675445 Switchboard Trans Survivors Drop-In The Trans Survivors Drop-In provides a safe space for trans and non-binary people who have experienced violence, crime and/or abuse. It is run by trans and non-binary peer facilitators.

Where?

Rainbow Hub, St James’ Street, Brighton, BN2 1TP. When?

7pm - 9pm, last Wednesday of the month.

Survivors Network 01273 720110 (Wednesdays 7pm - 9pm) Rape and sexual assault crisis centre which offers a variety of

Keep up with The Badger...

Find us online at thebadgeronline.com

services, including but not limited to: counselling, drop ins, confidential helplines, ISVA Services, and support for male survivors.

Where?

6A Pavilion Buildings, Brighton.

Good Night Owls Call Student Taxis on 01273 204060 and quote ‘Good Night Sussex’.

The SU have teamed up with Brighton & Hove Radio Cabs to provide a service which means you can get home safely ‘from City to Sleep’ without any money, as long as you have your Sussex student card or can provide other relevant information showing you are a Sussex Student.

Brighton SHAC (Sexual Health and Contraception Services) A free, confidential service

@thebadgersussex

offering access to emergency contraception and PEP (postexposure prophylaxis), as well as contraception, STI screenings and LGBTQ+ specific resources.

Where?

Brighton SHAC have three different sites across the city that offer ‘walk in and wait services’, you can find them on Morley Street, at the Claude Nicol Centre, and at Wish Park Surgery.

Racial Harassment Forum If you have felt targeted or harassed racially on campus or in Brighton, the SU have provided these contact details for you to email and phone: Manal Ahmed: adocacyrhf@gmail.com +447888999114

@thebadgernews

Emergency contact numbers Rape Crisis: 0808 802 9999 Daily, 12pm to 2.30pm and 7pm to 9.30pm Mind: 0300 123 3393 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm CALM: 0800 58 58 58 Daily, 5pm to midnight *male specific Cruse Bereavement Care: 0844 477 9400 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Switchboard: 01273 204050 Wednesday and Thursdays, 7pm to 9.30pm

@thebadgerpaper

The Badger 17th February 2020

News

4

New “Rewards and Recognition” scheme launched

Joshua McLaughlin Staff Writer

A new ‘Rewards & Recognition Scheme’ has now been implemented by the University of Sussex Students’ Union in order to acknowledge continued efforts and development from student-led groups at the university.

Societies and sports clubs recognised by the Students’ Union, after meeting specified criteria, can now reap the benefits of the scheme through its multi-layered rewards tiers; ‘bronze,’ ‘silver’ and ‘gold’ replacing the preexisting ‘Leaf Scheme’.

Operating on a £1,000 budget, this system will work on a firstcome basis where studentled groups will be encouraged to reach specific goals in development, inclusivity, welfare-based training, collaboration and sustainability that will aim at having a lasting impact on the student community.

In recognition of surpassing these goals, any of the 300+ societies and sports clubs at Sussex can submit evidence of their engagement and, once approved by the Societies, Student Media Administrator or Sports Assistant, will be granted either £30 for reaching the silver

tier and/or £40 for gaining the gold tier, respectively.

To get groups started, examples of requirements in achieving the first tier, ‘bronze,’ include evidencing; hosting 5 events or socials (with one needing to be alcohol-free in an alcohol-free space), tagging the Students’ Union social media in a story or post, meeting the group’s elected sport or society rep, ensuring that the group’s Welfare rep has completed their training, collaborating with another student-led group (either another group at Sussex, a student-led organisation at the University of Brighton, a local charity or a community group) and fundraising over £50 for the group or a selected charity.

According to the Students’ Union, “groups may use their status on publicity and marketing materials to show students they are taking proactive steps to include members, act sustainably, contribute to the community and/or develop as a society or sports club.”

Additionally, it has been promoted that participation in this new scheme may enhance the chances of clubs or societies in being nominated for an award at the annual ‘Student Awards,’ or in successfully receiving funding from the

Deportations go ahead Joshua Talbot Travel & Culture Editor Continued from Front Page...

The ruling in 2016 called for ‘foresight’ in criminal cases to be used only as evidence for juries to make a judgement of intent from, and not as objective evidence that comembers of a gang, for example, are objectively guilty of manslaughter/ murder.

Convicted unlawfully, the North London MP explained: “His wife feels that this stress is going to kill her husband because he has a heart problem.”

The minister called for Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to take the matter seriously and to be truthful about those people who are on the flight, halting it until the true facts of the situation are clear.

In another case exposed by BBC Newsnight, Carline Angus, whose son was convicted for being in possession of class A drugs with intent to supply as a teenager, said that he should

be given a chance, adding: “At the age of 17 or 18 you are classed as an adult but at the end of the day a lot of people that age don’t know what they are doing.” Appearing on Newsnight, MP David Lammy argued that for offenders who have served their time, this is a ‘double penalty’, explaining that, for some, the severity of the crimes committed is enough to warrant deportation but, with no transparency surrounding the flight, it is clear that there are those being unjustly penalised.

In a surprise ruling on Monday 10 February, a Court of Appeals judge ordered the Home Office to stop the deportations, amid concerns that some individuals set to be deported were not given access to legal advice. However, the charter flight departed on Tuesday 11, in defiance of the court order. Seventeen of the twenty five foreign nationals have therefore been deported – a decision which has been met with extreme criticism from the general public.

Sports Reps Fund or Societies Fund following an application, as the scheme encourages proactivity and continual commitment from a society’s or club’s committee towards their members and Sussex’s wider student community, as well as demonstrates continued development.

With the scheme aiming to be symbolic of a group’s achievements over the academic year, it has been scheduled to run until May 31, 2020; by which point it may be potentially renewed.

For more information on the ‘Reward & Recognition Scheme,’ visit the Students’ Union website at www.sussexstudent.com, Contact them at: societies@sussexstudent.com or sport@sussexstudent.com.

Coronavirus: University issues advice to students Joel Renouf-Cooke News Print Sub-Editor Posters urging students who have been to the Chinese city of Wuhan within the last two weeks, to “stay indoors and avoid contact with others”, have appeared around campus.

The posters, which are printed in both English and Chinese, have popped up in the Library, the Arts buildings, as well as other public buildings on campus, including residential properties. According to the posters, those who fear they may have been infected should: Not go to work, school or public areas, avoid visitors at home, and avoid using public transport Those worried are also advised to lookout for the “flulike” symptoms of the virus which include: • Cough • Runny nose • Sore throat • Fever • Difficulty breathing The virus, which appeared last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan – a city with a larger population than London, has continued to spread with many countries including the US, Japan and Australia imposing near-total travel bans to the region – The UK has also imposed similar restrictions as authorities deal with the first

confirmed cases of the virus in Britain – a student at the University of York and a visiting relative. A third case has also been confirmed as an individual who received medical treatment for the virus in Brighton and has now been transferred to a hospital in London for specialist treatment.

The University has confirmed that the patient discovered in Brighton was not a member of the Uni faculty, nor a student and reiterated their message that there is “no cause for concern” stating that everything is “running as usual” with Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell stressing the importance of showing “kindness and compassion” to students from China.

In an email from the University to students, the University also stated that “Some of our students choose to wear face masks for cultural, social and personal reasons. The wearing of a face mask is not necessarily a sign that the wearer is ill with a cold, flu or any other virus”, and further urged students to continue to “be inclusive and welcoming to fellow students during this time.”

You can email HealthSafety@sussex.ac.uk for more information and advice.

Off-peak Brighton to Victoria trains cancelled Gemma Laws Staff Writer Southern Rail is cancelling their direct off-peak services between Brighton and London Victoria, generating a backlash from commuters and politicians.

Last week, Southern Rail announced to commuters that they will stop running their direct off-peak services between Brighton and London Victoria.

This timetable change, which will be implemented on 17 May 2020, is due to upgrade works at Gatwick Airport station.

As a result, passengers wishing to travel direct from Brighton to London during off-peak hours will need to use either the Gatwick Express services to London Victoria or the Thameslink services to London Bridge. Otherwise, passengers will need to change at stations such as East Croydon, Haywards Heath or Preston Park. The Thameslink and Gatwick Express services are expected to remain largely the same.

The timetable change is expected to last from May 2020 to May 2022, during which

intensive platform work will take place at Gatwick Airport station. This is part of a £150 million plan by Network Rail to upgrade the station. Angie Doll, Managing Director of Southern and Gatwick Express, explains the upgrade is vital to ‘address overcrowding’ and ‘improve accessibility’ with increasing numbers of passengers using the station every year.

The announcement has been controversial for commuters, with those still wishing to travel directly to London Victoria after May 17 having to pay around a third more by using the Gatwick Express. Several Brighton politicians have voiced their opposition. For instance, Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, called the move ‘unacceptable’.

Similarly, Lloyd Russel-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton and Kemptown, called it a ‘setback’ that would ‘improve the lives of almost no commuter’. He suggested disabled passengers will suffer the most in having to either pay more or deal with the challenge of changing trains. Russel-Moyle went on

to state his plans to meet and discuss public concerns with Govia Thameslink Railway which operates the Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services.

The planned two years of adjusted timetables will likely impact the many students and lecturers who commute from London to university or travel through London to go home, who may have to choose between a more expensive journey and a more complicated journey.

The full altered timetable is expected to be available on journey planner websites from late February.

Peter Glyn

The Badger 17th February 2020

News

5

Impeachment, trial, acquittal: What happens next?

Tom Chesley Staff Writer President Trump was accused of breaking the law by pressuring Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to dig up damaging information on his political rival, Joe Biden.

In July 2019, President Trump allegedly urged Mr Zelensky to investigate one of the Democratic frontrunners to take him on in the 2020 presidential election.

This mattered, opposition Democrats said, because it is illegal to ask foreign entities for help in winning a US election and thus, is considered an abuse of power. Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing. After Mr Trump was impeached in December, a trial took place that could have led to the president being removed from office. However, he was acquitted last week.

Whilst the Democratic-run house of representatives voted to impeach the President, the Republican dominated senate voted to acquit him after it voted to not hear any more testimony from witnesses. However, there was one dissenting Republican

voice, Senator Mitt Romney, who voted to convict Mr Trump.

Mr Romney spoke on the Senate floor ahead of his vote on Wednesday to say, “the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,” and that what he “did was wrong, grievously wrong”. He spoke of his Mormon faith and “oath before God” that demanded that he vote for conviction.

This antagonism is the latest in a string of attacks on the president by Mr Romney.

Back in early 2019, Romney launched a scathing critique on the president stating that Trump had not ‘risen to the mantle’ of the US presidency.

Furthermore, in November 2018 Mr Romney also took issue with Mr Trump labelling the press the “enemy of the people” as well as condemning the President’s response to a violent far-right rally in Charlottesville in 2017. Clearly, the two men have a fractious relationship and with this history in mind it is hardly surprising that Romney has criticised Mr Trump again for perceived misconduct.

The impeachment trial has

highlighted the problems within the US political system with both the prosecution and defence run on party lines as opposed to finding any evidence of wrongdoing. This seems to be aggravated by the senate’s refusal to call upon new witnesses, such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton, that could shed new light upon the situation.

“

...the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust

According to the New York Times, Mr Bolton writes in his forthcoming book that the president directly instructed him to withhold military aid from Ukraine in exchange for dirt on a Democratic political rival, Joe Biden. Testimony from Mr Bolton about his involvement in the Ukraine affair threatened to significantly undermine the case made by the president’s lawyers during his trial.

This has driven Jonathan Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University,

to comment on the most striking aspect of the trial. He states that, “it really did not matter what people actually said whether it was witnesses or the accused or even the Framers (the people who drafted the US Constitution).

It was the first entirely dubbed trial where advocates simply supplied the words that fit with their case rather than reality.”

This impeachment trial seems to reflect our ‘post-truth’ times.

Where revealing the facts is of secondary importance to portraying narratives each diametrically opposed to the other. It is an indictment of US political practices.

Ultimately, Mr Trump has been cleared of any wrongdoings by the Republican held senate. However, there seems to be one last sting in the tail as the President has dismissed two senior officials who testified against him at his impeachment trial. Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement: “This is shameful of course.

But this is also what we should

now expect from an impeached president whose party has decided he is above the law and accountable to no one.” Mr Engel emphasised the point that the Republican majority in the senate has given Mr Trump a mandate to act as he pleases.

Where does this leave the President and US politics in general? With the 2020 general election nine months away, according to polls, the nation is split pretty much as it was before the impeachment.

The US is separated pretty evenly between Republicans and Democrats. Being divided on these fiercely partisan lines further exacerbates the loggerheads that the House of Representatives and the Senate finds themselves at.

The impeachment, then, is not idiosyncratic of a unique political process but is rather a symptom of wider partisan US politics.

According to the BBC, the President’s approval ratings hover in the low to mid-40s, roughly where they’ve been the entirety of his term in office. This makes his re-election chances uncertain but far from unlikely.

Journalists boycott No.10 briefing and stage mass walk-out Eric Barrell Staff Writer On February 3, a group of Journalists walked out of 10 Downing Street en-masse, after the Prime Minister’s director of communications tried to restrict certain media outlets from attending a briefing on Brexit plans regarding a free trade agreement with the EU. Lee Cain, the communications director, attempted to exclude reporters from PoliticsHome, the Independent, the Mirror and HuffPost among others. In response, the journalists who were allowed to attend the briefing decided to boycott it in protest at this silencing of the press. Among those who walked out were big names such as Laura Kuenssberg from the BBC, Robert Peston from ITV,

and political journalists from other big publications such as the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, Sky News, the Guardian and the Financial Times, in what has been described as a rare moment of solidarity for the British press. The walkout meant the briefing did not go ahead.

MPs in the House of Commons debated the events the next day.

Cabinet Minister Chloe Smith defended the briefing as a regular method of a select number of journalists being informed about specialist subjects, alongside routine briefings inclusive of all the political press to be held twice daily. Her statement that “this government is committed to being open in its dealings with the press” and that “the events of yesterday were a good example of this” was met with

Leonard Bentley

peals of laughter from across the room. Other Conservative MPs such as Sir Peter Bottomley and Bim Afolami were critical of this response, believing more dialogue needed to take place between the Commons and all members of the media parliamentary lobby.

In recent years, and especially in the last election, we’ve seen social media take over from traditional outlets as a key form of political circulation. Both Mr Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have been accused of avoiding print and broadcast journalists in favour of social media outlets in which they have more control over their portrayal.

In the leadup to the December election, Mr Johnson refused to take part in Channel 4’s climate debate, avoided an interview with Andrew Neil which all other political party leaders took part in, and excluded a left-leaning newspaper reporter from travelling on his campaign bus.

Similarly, Donald Trump often refuses interviews with media outlets he dislikes and often tries to restrict their access to government affairs and campaign events. He has not held a press briefing over upcoming US governmental

plans in months. On the same day that Mr Johnson’s communications director removed journalists from Downing Street, a Bloomberg reporter was removed from a Trump campaign event and CNN anchors were excluding from a White House press briefing ahead of the State of the Union Address; an event that traditionally has a press briefing inclusive of many media outlets.

Looking at the situation in the United States, it is easy to see why British Journalists have been raising alarm about many of Boris Johnson’s media policies. Many are feeling that this is one example among many of UK politics mirroring those of America, with Mr Johnson’s eagerness to promote good relations with the US in a postBrexit economy influencing his decisions to adopt Trump-style media policies. After the walkout, Sky News political anchor Adam Boulton congratulated his media colleagues in a tweet for “standing firm against Number 10’s Baby Trumpism.”

Despite this, a senior Downing Street source has said that what happened at the briefing on Monday has been misrepresented. According to

them, there had been a regular press briefing with all of the political journalists after the prime minister’s speech, and the briefing where the walkout occurred was a “smaller, selected briefing for specialist senior journalists”. According to this source, “a number of uninvited journalists barged into No 10 and demanded to be a part of it” but were told they could not attend.

Many are not buying this response, arguing that if these journalists were so uninvited, how were they able to get past Downing Street’s security scanners, show their parliamentary passes and knock on the door of No.10 to gain entry?

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy. Concerns being raised from MPs across the house suggest that many are worried about the future of journalism over the course of this government. Journalists will have to continue to fight against censorship and work in solidarity, despite political bias and competition, in order to make it clear that freedom of speech and press coverage from a variety of outlets is vital to the democratic process.

The Badger 17th February 2020

News

6

Political chaos at this years Iowa caucus Venice Hancock News Sub-Editor The Iowa Caucus is one of the most highly anticipated events of the democratic primaries in any U.S. presidential election. It has been this way for decades and the multiple caucuses around the country have become a key aspect of election cycles. The caucuses matter because they represent the first opportunity to assess how much support candidates actually have from voters.

Iowa’s caucuses are particularly important because it is the first.

The past successes of George McGovern, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush in Iowa and the media storm that goes along with this specific caucus have elevated the event to an unmissable political moment in the election. In recent years, the results of the Iowa caucus have predicted the subsequent democratic nominee, we saw in 2008 when Barack Obama came first, and again

when Hillary Clinton took the majority of votes in 2016.

Considering the importance of the event, how did 3 February’s caucus end up in an unprecedented disastrous night for Iowa’s Democratic Party?

It all started when the full announcement of the results were oddly delayed. After a lot of waiting and crowds in all teams growing increasingly concerned, the party made an announcement. They had determined late that Monday night there had been a “technical problem” with the way the results were being reported.

Their back-up telephonic system also somehow failed to report results.

This meant that they could not accurately deliver any results.

The party has contended that this was not the result of a hack but that there had actually been a problem with how an app was bringing in data from individual precincts to the main party. The party has confirmed that while this was a big issue,

the data itself was not at risk.

This bug in the system ultimately left candidates, campaigns and voters without a clear result to an important step in the buildup to the democratic nomination. So that night, all of the candidates got up on stage and gave a confident speech, showing that the lack of results would not affect their campaign in the slightest or hurt their chances. One candidate, Pete Buttigieg even declared himself victorious that very night.

Troy Price, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party said Tuesday afternoon during a press conference that “the reporting of the results and circumstances surrounding the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses was unacceptable”. He reassured voters that there had been no sort of conspiracy or rigging involved, a rumour perpetrated by many people, including sitting President Donald J. Trump, and contended that “the underlying data, the raw data, is secure. It’s always been secure.”

He also added that he would be conducting an independent review and that the party had been working hard to ensure that the results are accurate.

“

An unprecedented, disastrous night for Iowa’s Democratic Party

After Monday night’s whole debacle, preliminary and indicative results started coming in throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. The final alignment results, indicating the result of votes for any particular candidate that has made it above 15%, would indicate that Bernie Sanders would be in the lead, followed closely by Pete Buttigieg. Whereas the delegate equivalent, which pulls from this result to determine the amount of delegates for the state national convention that will take place this summer, places Mayor Buttigieg ahead of Senator Sanders by three votes or 0.22%. While these

results may be indicative they are in no way official.

While this messy caucus in Iowa has left campaigns and supporters angry, it has raised questions as to the systems in place that are supposed to guarantee that democracy can be executed correctly.

Many have argued that the flaws in reporting systems should have been addressed way ahead of the caucus and that a glitch in the system should not completely alienate a political event as important as the Iowa caucus.

Since then, candidates have moved onto the next phase of the Primary in New Hampshire where Bernie Sanders came in first. Campaigns are now headed to Nevada for the next caucus.

The Iowa caucus is only the first step in the long road to this summer’s Democratic National Convention that will ultimately determine who will face off against Donald Trump during the run up to the Presidency in early November.

Third times the charm?

Marine Le Pen announces candidacy for 2022 French Presidential Election Venice Hancock News Sub-Editor On January 16, politician Marine Le Pen, President of the Rassemblement National, France’s right wing populist and nationalist party, announced her candidacy for the next presidential election. In two years time.

In a statement to the press she expressed that the motivation behind this decision stems from her will to “unite” the French people and to “get the country back on its feet”.

She did also recognise that

it was still up to the party’s congress to deliberate and pick a candidate to represent them in this presidential race, however, the chances of them not rallying behind their President is extremely unlikely.

This is the third time in her political career that she will be participating in the race for the Presidency. Le Pen ran for the first time back in 2012, coming in third in the first round of voting, having won 17.90% of popular votes. She ran again in 2017, this time making it to the second round

Remi Noyon

of voting, losing out to current French President Emmanuel Macron by 32.2% of votes.

It is the announcement of this candidacy two years and three months ahead of time that has come as a surprise to the French people. The Rassemblement National has rationalised this decision by accusing sitting President Macron of “constantly campaigning” anyways.

Furthermore, it seems that Le Pen hopes to capitalise on the growing social unrest in France, taking advantage of recent major strike actions and the Gilets Jaunes movement who have expressed discontent with the current government.

She thus hopes that by presenting herself as the candidate in diametric opposition to Macron’s presidency, she can rally more and more supporters. This year also kicks off a set of local elections throughout France, starting with the Municipales, in which Marine Le Pen hopes to make advancements for her party and win further support for the presidential election.

While Le Pen is known for her strict anti-EU and antiimmigration stances, amongst others, since 2018 she has been trying to rebrand her

party previously known as the “National Front”. Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen who cofounded the party in 1972 was known for his extreme racist and antisemitic views and Marine has attempted to distance herself from him in an effort to make the Rassemblement National more appealing to a wider demographic.

This move is also a strategy to legitimise the party in the public eye and Le Pen hopes this will shift public perception of the Rassemblement National and its values as a potential governing force rather than a protest movement.

Marine Le Pen is known for advocating protectionist economic policies, being against globalisation and has an apathy for transnational organisations.

She is in favour of France leaving the European Union, has pledged to remove France’s NATO membership and advocates for the abolition of the International Monetary Fund and the replacement of the World Trade organisation.

She favours a privileged relationship with Russia.

She is also a vocal critic of multiculturalism in France, especially when it comes to Muslim women and

their right to wear Islamic dress in public spaces.

She believes in what she calls the “de-Islamisation” of French society. Le Pen is famous in France for her anti-immigration ideas.

In the context of the current refugee crisis facing Europe, Le Pen’s answer is for France to withdraw from the Schengen area and for the country to reinstate hard borders.

On social issues, Le Pen supports the legality of abortion, however, she is opposed to euthanasia and has declared she would abolish same-sex marriage if she is elected to the office of President.

Safe to say, France would look radically different under a Le Pen presidency.

While we are still far away from the 2022 election, Le Pen’s growing popularity amongst the French people makes her one of the major actors to keep an eye on in the run up to the election.

With France’s two traditionally dominant political parties, the Parti Socialiste and Les Républicains losing popular support at an increasing rate, this election could prove to be even tighter and radical than the last one.

The Badger 17th February 2020

News

7

LGBTQ+ History Month: What’s on?

Angel Woo Staff Writer LGBTQ+ History month runs every February in the UK to celebrate the history and pride of the LGBT+ community.

Brighton, our beautiful town with it’s liberal and vibrant vibe, is a hub of celebration throughout the month. Here are the most interesting, notto-be-missed events that have taken place or are yet to come, on campus and around the city.

“NQotB: This is Who I Am” was held in the Marlborough Pub

and Theatre. It is a harrowing spoken-word event following LGBTQIA+ experiences of the UK asylum process. One couple, who were separated at the border, said: “They say we don’t have any civil evidence that we are a couple. And we’re like “how can we show you any civil evidence if homosexuality is forbidden in my country?

Would you want us to go back, get married and be killed?”

We all have struggles during our childhood and puberty, right? Or perhaps some of us are also struggling now as

well. How to define ourselves?

How could I construct my own identity? There are many forms of living in the world, but the main problem is, how to find our own way? You might fall into the abyss of identity crisis, trying to figure out ‘who am I’ is never an easy question, yet, a mustask question in our lives. This is the struggle of the protagonist in Moonlight. The film follows the story of an AfricanAmerican man who struggles with his identity and sexuality during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The film won Best Picture in Oscar and had received International. Rugby Women screened the film on the 11 February, and all entry fees were donated to Stonewalll.

A Queer Night at the Museum will be held on the 21 February in the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. A variety of events will be held there, allowing visitors a chance to better develop their knowledge of the queer identity through different

performances and events: Thick and Tight, the awardwinning dance duo based in the UK, will give a performance with a mix of dance, mime, theatre and drag. They say they are influenced by historical, political, literary and artistic subjects. They have invited Bird LaBird, a performer and comedian who “puts the camp back in communism and the fun back in feminism”.

A Pushcart Prize-winning poet will also hold a community open mic, and if you are interested in performing, you can email infor@queerinbrighton.co.uk to book your very own slot. There is also a live crafts evening with Brighton queer nightlife legend Boogaloo St, and Lasana Shabazz will be giving a provocative performance a b o u t “ # b l a c k l i v e s b e t t e r ”.

At Sussex, “SMuTS Karaoke: Songs of Gays” will be held on the 23 February in Northfield bar. Whether you are a music lover, or just want to express

your feelings through music – don’t hesitate to join in!

There is one rule, thought only gay anthems are allowed!

For those who are more interested in the activism side of LGBT+ history month, and want to use your voice for the better, – the “Sussex Pride 2020”, being held on the 26 February, is the perfect choice. You can also help with banner and sign making for the event on 25 February.

After the Pride parade, there will be an after-party in Room 76 where students will surprise you with their amazing performances. No matter if you are a student or staff member, everyone is welcome to join, so please come and support the LGBTQ+ Sussex community!

It is the perfect opportunity to fill the campus with love.

There are many more interesting events waiting for you to join, so be sure to check out the LGBT+ History month event on sussexstudent.com.

And remember, LOVE IS LOVE!

Anger at West Slope accommodation plans Joel Renouf-Cooke News Print Sub-Editor The University has received a backlash from students and faculty opposing the proposed plans to build new residential, recreation and retail buildings on the western landscape of the campus.

The University’s plans include 24 new residential blocks, as well as a supermarket and a new Library, provisionally referred to as “Pavilion Library”.

Tim Westlake, the University’s Chief Operating Officer, announced the news saying: “We want to ensure we continue to develop our housing stock to provide high-quality, modern

homes for our students.

“Redeveloping the West Slope will provide up to 1,900 bedrooms - an increase of about 1000 extra rooms .”

However, the development has drawn criticism from a number of students and staff, with many upset by the rumored high cost of rent in the new accommodation as well as the proposed site of the development which will see the whole of Park Village, York House, Lancaster House and the Health Centre demolished to make way for the almost 2000 new rooms. The communal student gardening society Roots will also be forced

Aerial view of proposed West Slope development

to relocate for the second time in as many years, due to the building work.

One student referred only to as “M” complained that the new homes were “not affordable to many”, arguing that “the uni [sic] talks a lot about ‘widening participation’ but obviously does not act on it.” Another student complained about the design of the new buildings: “We get the brutalism thing but seriously?

Rectangular blocks are just so ugly and uncreative.”

Jess Evans a postgraduate student at Sussex praised the build but also criticised the cost, telling The Badger: “The plans are exciting and will definitely be a welcome addition to the campus, but having said that, whoever’s in charge needs to think about whether it’s actually feasible to charge students upwards of £160 a week for supposedly ‘affordable’ housing.

It would be unacceptable to see poorer students priced out of the university.”

An ex-Sussex post-grad student who now works as a tutor within the university, and who wishes to remain anonymous told The Badger that the project “disproportionately favours first-year students at the expense of other undergrad and mature students.”

The “West Slope” project

Park Village is due for demolition to make way for West Slope renovations follows a similar development in 2016 which saw the antiquated East Slope accommodation which included a bar, a café and housed over 600 students, demolished to make way for 2,100 new residences. The East Slope project also drew criticism from students who felt disenfranchised by the cost of rent which rose from £88.56 per week to its current price of £156.55 to £167.50 for nonen-suite rooms and en-suite rooms respectively, a number of students protested the East Slope development, ableit unsuccessfully.

Responding to growing speculation about rent affordability, the University told The Badger that although

its too early to give exact numbers, it does “recognise the need to provide a range of accommodation at various price points to ensure affordability for all students”, going on to say that: “rent will be in line with other recently built accommodation.

“Maintaining a range of rents is something we will seek to retain.”

Asked how long the project will take, the University told The Badger: “if the planning application is approved and there is no delay, we aim to start building the new accommodation in phases from autumn 2020, and to have the first phase ready for around 2022/23. We are aiming for full completion by 2025.”

The Badger 17th February 2020

News

The News Where You Aren’t

8

The News Team review some of the big stories from across the country this week Suffolk - Time to Egg-cersize, perhaps.

Aberdeen - Scottish Skeleton

An owl that was saved from a ditch in Suffolk originally thought to be injured, turned out to be classed as ‘simply extremely obese’. Suffolk Owl Sanctuary says the bird was too heavy to get herself into the air. Tipping the scales at 245g, she was a third heavier than she is supposed to be.

The sanctuary concluded that “natural obesity” was to blame, and the place where the overindulgent owl was found was “crawling with field mice and voles” thanks to the mild December weather.

After embarking on a “strict diet”, the owl was deemed healthy enough to head into the wild once again.

A gigantic ‘skeleton’ was found washed up on the shores of Aberdeen following Storm Ciara.

The carcass made up of bones and rotting flesh lays around 100ft in size and locals speculated it could be the remains of the notorious Loch Ness monster, despite the loch being about 120 miles away.

Likelier guesses were made regarding the skeleton’s origin, some claimed it was a whale or orca.

The carcass reportedly may have been around since December, but the mystery origins of the skeleton remains..

Aberdeen

Westminster - ‘Guy Fox’ causes havoc in Parliament

Liverpool - Campaigners beef over “ladies” steak A restaurant in Liverpool has faced criticism after a screenshot of its menu was shared online, revealing an option for a “ladies” fillet steak. Manhattan Bar and Grill’s “ladies” steak is considerably smaller in size than their other steaks.

The 8oz steak costs £18.95 and is described as “one for the ladies! A beautiful 80 cut, because we can...” Some women on social media weren’t very impressed with the fact that they were being offered a smaller steak while others welcomed the move as an opportunity for greater options for those with smaller appetites than their male counterparts.

Nottinghamshire - Fed by feds A McDonald’s takeaway was delivered to a customer by the police after the courier’s car was seized. Officers pulled over the vehicle in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday night and discovered the driver did not have the correct level of insurance cover.

“It’s safe to say that the customer still received their Big Mac and fries in time thanks to our officers who safely dropped off their Maccies to the door - and they were simply “McLovin’ it” the Police said. The driver is now facing a hefty fine after the car was seized, as well as six points on his licence.

He will have to pay an additional recovery fee to reclaim his car, or risk it being crushed. The delivery company that employs the courier was not disclosed by the police.

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Liverpool

Nottinghamshire

Birmingham

A fox caused havoc in Parliament after outfoxing staff and breaking into the building, evading capture and then pooing everywhere. It was spotted by staff in Portcullis House, having snuck past police and making its way to the fourth floor.

The SNP MP Alison Thewliss said: “If the fox is willing to eat the mice and rats in Parliament that might actually be a useful development.” Footage later on showed the fox being removed from a building in a blue box, before being released onto the pavement next to the River Thames.

Birmingham - Ring found by Hound

A police dog sniffed out a lost wedding ring after its owner threw it away following a row with his wife. PD Odin, a sixyear-old German shepherd, came to the rescue after PC Carol Woodall spotted a man and his friend acting Westminster suspiciously with a torch Suffolk on a road in Harbourne, Birmingham, at 2am on Saturday.

The officer pulled over to find out what the men were doing, and they told him about the lost ring. In less than two minutes of sniffing Odin found the ring, much to the relief of the husband. “Odin got a pat and thanks all round. “It’s nice to be nice and I was back on patrol in less than five minutes.” PC Woodall said.

Want to find your inner journalist? Come to one of our Writers’ Meetings!

Fridays 12 pm, Falmer House Common Room.

MASTERS O P E N D AY Saturday 7 March 2020 1pm-5pm University of Sussex Campus Discuss courses. Meet faculty. Continue your studies at Sussex.

Our Masters Open Day provides an excellent opportunity to find out which of our 200 plus Masters courses is right for you. Are you looking to challenge yourself, deepen your knowledge, enhance your career prospects or take a new direction in life? Make your future with a Masters at Sussex.

With generous scholarships and Government loans, Masters study could be more affordable than you think.

B O O K YO U R P L A C E T O D AY

sussex.ac.uk/masters-day

Comment

The Badger 17th February 2020

THE BIG DEBATE

10

The Big Debate is a regular Badger feature which brings the spirit of competitive debating to the printed page. Two writers tackle a contentious topic, representing polarised views. They might not agree with what they write - on this page, they represent a viewpoint, not an individual. This week, they discuss if the state should be able to impose organ donation on all those who do not ‘opt-out’?

Yes Cloe Grampa From Spring 2020 the law regarding organ donation will be changing, meaning that all adults in England will be considered organ donors unless they opt-out.

One of the reasons why the state should be able to impose organ donation on all those who do not opt-out, is to save more lives. According to the Organ Donation website run by the NHS, there are 6,185 people waiting for a transplant in the UK, and only 3,300 transplants have been carried out since April 2019.

According to a BBC report, last year more than 400 people died waiting for a transplant. The government has claimed their new ‘opt-out’ system could potentially save up to 700 lives a year. Once a person has died, it is in the main interest of the state to be able to offer support to those who are still fighting to survive.

In a sense the state should be allowed to do everything it can to help those who still have a second chance at living, therefore the ‘opt-out’ system is good to serve this purpose. Furthermore, the compulsory donation of organs, unless the person opts-out, increases the chances of families having this very important conversation. According to the new law, families would still be able to withdraw consent if they believe that the deceased person would not have wanted to donate their organs. However, starting with the assumption that a person would donate unless they opted out, increases the chances of families saying yes to the donation.

In the current ‘opt-in’ system, those who want to donate have to record their decision on the donor list, meaning that all those who could be potential donors but never registered will not be counted as donors. Currently there are many bodies being buried or cremated that contain valuable organs for someone whose life is at stake. The change in the law aims to provide more hope for those who are still waiting for a transplant.

Furthermore, organ donation can be considered an act of giving to the community. Whether the organs are used for a transplant or for medical research, donating becomes a service to others and to science. If you or a member of your family had a long-term organ disease and was in need of a transplant, you wouldn’t want to wait months or even years to receive the organ needed. As mentioned above, it is in the best interest of the state and the national health service to increase the likelihood of survival of those who still have a chance at life.

Many people feel like the state should

not be able to do so because they are scared that if they are automatically registered as organ donors, hospital staff will not try to save their life as hard as they would if they were not donors.

However, this is a myth that needs to be debunked because if a person is found in a life threatening situation, medical staff are going to do all that is possible to save that life without thinking of how their organs are going to save someone else’s life.

There is in no way a list of ‘worthiness’ when it comes to life-saving.

It is also important to notice that the state, when the law is implemented in March, will not be able to go against the will of the family of the person that died.

In this sense, the state does not have full power in deciding what to do with someone’s body the moment they die.

If a family decides that the person that died should be not be used as an organ and tissue donor, even though they did not opt-out, the state does not have the power to overrule that decision.

Although death is a very delicate moment for grieving families, the state should not have to ask for consent to use

No Rosanna Weber When I go through my wallet, I usually find an endless amount of old receipts and loyalty cards for coffee shops I cannot even remember having been to.

Something else you can be sure to find is a laminated pink card with a heart in the middle of it.

It says, “NHS Organ Donor Card”. I got it about two years ago through the NHS online website. All you needed to do is print out the card and sign it at the back, stating that you are willing to donate your organs, in case of death.

I decided to become an organ donor for no particular reason, mainly because I do not see any need for my organs to rot six feet under or to be burnt to ash.

If they are in good condition and there is even the slightest chance for someone else to receive them, I think this choice is worth-while.

Though I do believe organ donation to be crucial and important, I also believe

Is the opt-out organ donation policy ethical? the organs to save other people’s life.

If you are wondering how someone’s death and the subsequent donation of their organs can help a grieving family, the best example is the case of Max and Keira. Keira was a 9 year old girl who died in a tragic car accident in July 2017, and following her death her father decided to donate her organs. The donation of her heart ended up saving Max’s life.

Keira’s dad stated, “Meeting Max and his family bought us some comfort and it was really helpful to see how powerful organ donation is. Keira lives on in Max and the other people she helped and we are super proud of her.” This is a powerful example of someone who has lost their precious child but found solace knowing that the donation of her organs has saved the life of another.

However traumatic and tragic someone’s death is, their body is going to be either buried or cremated, destroying important organs. It is understandable that the idea of having your loved one cut open and their organs and tissue taken away is upsetting, however, knowing that your dear one is helping someone else to stay alive can even help the grieving process. The opt-out system will both prevent deaths and help us to preserve the legacy of lost loved ones.

that the UK’s new law around organ donation to be undemocratic and unethical for several reasons. This new law is to become an ‘opt-out’ system by March 2020.

Organ donation is an emotional topic, as lives depend on it. Less than 70 years ago, the first successful kidney transplantation was performed. Nowadays, modern medicine enables thousands of transplants to be performed a year; nothing short of awe-inspiring.

But there are still 6,185 people who are waiting for a transplant in the UK. Because the need for organs has always been higher than the number of donated organs, the opt-out system seems like a great way to solve this problem.

As a supporter of organ donation myself, this seems like a fair deal: everyone is a donor and with that, the figures of after death organ donation will hopefully be increasing. Everyone can still decide against it and opt out, if they wish to do so.

What is problematic about this new law is the question of autonomy. After all, automatically being a donor by the power of legislation from the age of 18 and onwards is not the same as willingly agreeing to donating organs and signing a pink card, like I did. It is not consent;

it is presumed consent. There is a difference.

The right to decide over your own body in life and after death is a form of freedom that should not be played around with by government legislation. It is an interference with your right to self-determination. Many people have spiritual or religious beliefs, and forced organ donation compromises the sanctity of this.

Yes, you can opt out at any time. But, the right to autonomy over your own body is a fundamental right because it is something you are born with; you do not have to earn or do anything for it, except to exist. Such legislation can feel invasive of one’s own being and human rights.

This is taken away from you by making you opt out of something you really should have had to opt in for. Your right to physical integrity should not be given to you by the act of filling out a form saying you want out.

You should be entitled to it from the very moment you are born.

After all, a donation, which comes from the Latin word donatio, means a voluntary gift. It is not a donation if not done by your own choice and free will. In a system where this is merely a presumption, it is no longer a voluntary gift.

Opt-out culture is a phenomenon that isn’t occurring for the first time. Signing up for Facebook and Google comes with a gift basket filled with an endless amount of privacy concerns. How does Google know I’m planning a trip to Tuscany? Why is there an ad for the exact same pair of shoes I’ve been looking at yesterday?

Unless you want to receive personalised advertisement for the price of nothing less than your most intimate secrets, you must opt out of a process that you never voluntarily agreed to in the first place. Any kind of trend towards an optout culture is another small slice of our autonomy being taken from us and is a further step away from freedom and liberty.

I still carry my Organ Donor card with me, somewhere between the old receipts and loyalty cards I never use. In the end, this is what consent means. An informed choice that you make. Not presumed consent, which is really no consent at all.

Only then can we ensure that these life-saving donations are voluntary and not enforced on us by legislation. We shouldn’t undermine one of the most valued aspects of life in the modern world: the freedom to decide over our own body.

To anyone who has further questions about organ donation:https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-todecide/about-organ-donation/

Comment

The Badger 17th February 2020

Kashmir’s plea for help

11

Comment Editor Rebecca Spencer discusses the recent talk made by President Masood Khan at the University of Sussex on the Kashmir dispute and the persecution of minorities.

On 5 February I was presented with the unique opportunity of meeting President Masood Khan of Azad Kashmir at a talk organised by the Politics Society. Having studied the Kashmir dispute and the anthropology of Islam, I saw this as a chance to investigate first-hand Pakistani diplomacy and attitudes towards Kashmir, India and China.

The room was tense with anticipation as we waited on the grand entrance of President Khan; a small man with a groomed moustache who was constantly flanked by his military secretary. I wondered how we, the enthusiastic students of Sussex, could be privileged with the presence of such an esteemed speaker on what was in fact Kashmir Solidarity Day. I thought he might perhaps show his solidarity for Kashmir in the place he so dearly loves rather than in our lecture theatre.

Nevertheless, his devotion to the Kashmiri cause was later amplified by his deflection of questions regarding Uyghur Muslim persecution in Xinjiang and persecution of Hindus, Christians and Sikhs in Pakistan. The President seemed to take offence, that we inquisitive students dare ask about anything that did not directly relate to the suffering of Kashmiri people at the hands of India. I was perplexed by his attitude, considering he had exclaimed the talk to be an ‘open conversation’.

“

The President compared the kidnap of 13,000 Islamic Kashmiri men who have been forced into ‘de-radicalisation’ camps to ‘the recreation of Auschwitz’.

Although many felt his introductory speech had been very informative, the President’s deflection of these questions left a sour aftertaste in some of the conversations of audience members afterwards. Some felt patronised by the dismissal of their questions and many felt he did not actually answer any questions at all. Umer Khawaja, a student audience member, commented that ‘he did not want us to ask any questions which might prove a contradiction to what he had educated us about’. Another anonymous source stated that

Ilias Bartolini

University of Sussex Politics Society what was ‘missing from the talk was his stance about what Pakistan should or should not do for the people of Kashmir’.

Like a true politician he always managed to link the ‘discussion’ back to his preferred narrative – condemnation of Hindutva India.

Before I proceed perhaps some background on the Kashmir dispute is necessary.

Bear with me whilst I try to provide a synopsis of what has been the most disputed country in history.

When British rule of India was dissolved in 1947, the partition between Pakistan and India as self-governing countries was drawn up. Their divide was organised by establishing where a Muslim majority and a Hindu majority were located.

Pakistan became an Islamic state and India a Hindu state, gradually the minorities of each were pushed towards migrating to wherever their majority lie.

Whereas during the time of British rule many religions lived along-side each other in peace as one country.

The ruling monarch of Kashmir (situated between Pakistan, India and China) was Hindu but ruled over a Muslim majority, so he decided to stay neutral and not join Pakistan or India. Instead a vote was supposed to be held amongst the Kashmiri people to decide who would govern their homeland. But just two months after India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain they went to war over Kashmir. This

war finally came to a ceasefire in 1949 and a Line of Control was established by the United Nations, giving Pakistan control of the western half of Kashmir and India control of the eastern half of Kashmir. However, since 1947 Pakistan and India have been continuously locked in conflict, using the land of Kashmir as their battlefield - leaving millions dead and refusing the right of citizens to vote on their governance.

President Khan of Azad Kashmir has recently been visiting a series of universities and parliaments to draw attention to the crimes being committed against the Kashmiri people in the Indian occupied territory. He describes these atrocities as ‘blindings, killings, rape of women, use of sexual violence as an instrument of war, enforced disappearances, staged encounters, detentions and torture, the worst kind of torture’.

The President went on to describe how these horrors are ‘being driven by a philosophy called Hindutva – Hindutva is a puritanical doctrine; it says that India will be impure if there are people other than Hindus living there’. Later comparing the kidnap of 13,000 Islamic Kashmiri men who have been forced into ‘de-radicalisation’ camps as ‘the recreation of Auschwitz’.

He implored us students to mobilise towards the cause of the Kashmiri people, just as he has done with parliamentarians because he believes that

‘universities like these are the nurseries for future leaders’ and that Sussex ‘represents and projects a culture of tolerance’.

His introductory speech was passionate, engaging and communicated a clear picture of the violence being inflicted upon the Kashmiri people.

My heart was, as I’m sure was everyone else’s, beating fast and heavily as he described this unthinkable situation.

However, President Khan of Azad Kashmir (since 2016) was also employed at the foreign service of Pakistan in 1980, served as Spokesperson for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2005) and as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China (2008-2012) and to the United Nations (2012-2015).

Thus, many of the audience members had prepared questions that were related to his views of international affairs as a

Pakistani diplomat, not only regarding the Kashmir dispute directly.

In reaction to questions regarding Uyghur Muslim persecution in Xinjiang and persecution of Hindus, Christians and Sikhs in Pakistan, the President claimed that the audience were ‘deadcatfishing’ him. He went on to explain, ‘whenever I go around the world talking about Kashmir somebody puts a dead cat on the table, whether it’s the persecution of other minorities because they want to change the subject’. This gave the impression that he thought the audience did not care enough about the Kashmiri struggle because some (not all) questions were related to other minorities.

His annoyance continued, ‘don’t deadcatfish me anymore, Uyghurs, Christians’ he even joked ‘in the next round women too’.

Although his deflection of questions and somewhat condescending tone was a bitter pill to swallow for many audience members, his gratitude for the University and the inquisitive nature of the students shone through. He ended his talk an hour early for unclarified reasons, and although the event felt a little rushed and many questions were left unanswered The President’s key message rang strong; ‘we need your support and your empathy and your understanding and your solidarity’.

It is an honour to host such an esteemed speaker at our University and we have heard his message loud and clear.

I hope to see the study body mobilise towards supporting the Kashmiri cause in whatever way we can.

Planemad

The Badger 17th February 2020

Comment Women in Colombia: reclaiming the fight

Laura Rodríguez Peña Staff Writer

Since the FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) was formed, in 1964, Colombia has been embroiled in conflict.

A long peace process has since sought to de-escalate tensions between the Colombian government and the revolutionary movement.

In 2012, an agreement was signed, yet the conflict continued. In 2016, a ‘final agreement’ between the two groups was shot down again, failing to achieve ratification as a referendum rejected the deal.

Violence remains Colombia’s main problem, especially against women. During war, violence against women has often passed unnoticed, but it is now becoming more visible. Colombian women have started to raise their voices about the state’s inefficiency to address this violence.

In 2019 (according to official data), 239 femicides took place in Colombia. Every 30 minutes a woman is subjected to physical aggression, one dying every three days. Young Colombian

Jessica Hake Theatre Editor It’s 2020 and there is an app for everything. Want a late night Tiramisu? Get on Uber eats. Want to find out when and where the next bus is? Click on B & H buses. Want a relationship? Get Bumble. Want a shag? Swipe right on Tinder.

In my group of peers (yes mum I have friends), all of them have dating apps of some sorts.

That is aside from those who are in committed relationships, and don’t need an app for affirmation and clarification that they are not repulsive.

I seem to be somewhat the anomaly, refusing to download Tinder, Bumble or Hinge. Partially because I have no desire to deal with the admin these apps entail, and also because I’m still hopeful that I can sell myself to someone better than an app ever could. I have used Tinder before but it was only for random sampling on a school project - a dating app seemed a smart way to gather data, although my teacher wasn’t that supportive at the time.

There is logic to downloading these dating apps. You have a higher footfall, more people know who you are and can de-

girls are also victims of this tragedy and 55 are raped every day.

Between January of 2018 and February of 2019, the government received 136,703 allegations of violence against women.

Yet, according to UN women, one of every three women in Colombia have been beaten by their current or ex-partner at one point of their lives. This means that the number of victims might be even higher.

In addition to that, the wage gap between men and women in Colombia is 30%, meaning, if the government maintains its current policies, the gap won’t be closed until at least 2073. In other words, women will remain confined by the glass ceiling, working more hours at home, and receiving a bad salary for at least another 53 years.

Nonetheless, Colombia is different to other countries in South America where abortion is still illegal, abortion has been lawful since 2006. Given this, one may assume that women in Colombia have choice regarding their bodies, but this is not the case. Abortion is only legal for women who were raped, or when there is fetus malforma-

tion.

This means that if a woman in Colombia wants to have and abortion for different reasons she needs to do it in a clandestine way. This way, the abortion will often not be made by doctors, putting their safety at risk because of Colombia’s strict laws. Moreover, if a woman has an abortion outside the law, she can be prosecuted by the authorities. As a matter of fact, between 2005 and 2017, 2,209 women were criminalized in Colombia for their abortions.

The World health organization reported that every year 22 million abortions are made clandestinely. Even though, in the case of Colombia, abortion is permitted under the special circumstances described before, it is still judged negatively in their society. This is especially due to its rejection by the Church. Colombia has a very strong Christian tradition and the faith’s opinion is still important for many people in the country, therefore women who want to interrupt their pregnancy are not seen with good eyes by Colombian society.

This demonstrates that au-

tonomy over their bodies is still a goal Colombian women haven’t reached. Along with this there are still many women’s rights to fight for in Colombia, for these reasons every November 25 women go to the streets to demonstrate their nonconformism regarding stigma and violence. Last year, it was even more special because thousands of Afro-Colombian women, indigenous women, lesbians, trans women, and women in general, took to the streets to join the national strikes against the Colombian government; but also to complain about the inefficiency of law enforcement which keeps most of the women violence crimes in impunity.

Besides that, on December 2 of 2019, hundreds of women in different cities of Colombia (Bogotá, Medellin, Cali) decided to make the Chilean performance “un violador en tu Camino” (a rapist on your path). The lyrics of this viral song describe how usually the victim is blamed for the clothes she wears but how the real one to blame is the rapist and the state for its incompetence.

Currently, different feminist

Dumping dating apps

cide whether to interact or not.

There also seems to be a level of fun with the mere establishing of a profile - I know someone who got the bus to Brighton with the sole purpose of getting profile pictures on the beach during sunset for Bumble.

So why do I resist? Shockingly no part of it is due to fear of being catfished, those online safety videos from school lessons clearly didn’t hit hard enough. I reason that now I’m 18 and I have escaped all the paedophiles, I am not that attractive a prospect for an online creep.

Part of the problem is objectification. We grow up being told not to judge a book by its cover yet these apps focus on the superficiality of humans. Apparently the ‘swipe left’ and ‘swipe right’ options work if you know your type. The issue is, I don’t.

History dictates that the only people I’m attracted to are those I have no chance with and for some unbeknownst reason don’t want to be with me, so how am I meant to judge on face value?

(Timothée Chalamet if you’re reading this I am talking to you) The other problem is that I hate texting. If the other person is charismatic, smart, genuinely funny and appreciates a good meme, then it’s fine. Yet I’ve

struggled to not drown in the mundanity of those first initial messages. I also hate admin and have discovered I really battle with replying to messages succinctly. I don’t think I should ever be a personal assistant- if I can’t handle instagram DMs, I probably shouldn’t be let anywhere near a critical schedule.

From my basic knowledge, charismatic, smart, genuinely funny men who appreciate a good meme don’t seem to dominate the dating app world.

Hence why I doubt whether or not I would find much success on the aforementioned apps.

I am also sporadically lazy. I go out to spend time with people when I know they’re funny, I’ll have a good time and I really want to. This is why I think my friends need to start stepping up and bringing potential partners to our catch ups. My friends know me, they know what I like, they know what I hate and I think they’re probably the best suited to finding me someone.

I’ve heard people slate blind dates and setups with the same vigour students slate the Tories, yet for some reason I haven’t been discouraged by this. The idea of a blind date, established by a trusted and informed

friend, seems to be a viable option. However, I’m not that much a fan of official dates and much prefer being with mates in a casual capacity with the option of intensifying it later.

‘Friends with benefits’, ‘No strings attached’ and past experience tells me that the causal relationship I’m leaning towards categorically does not work.

Yet, I’ve never had an experience that suggests that starting a relationship with the intent of romance is better and healthier than establishing a foundation with a known peer and working from there instead.

When I ended my relationship with my only ever ‘official boyfriend’ (who I never really liked and only dated out of feeling the need to establish a precedent of having a boyfriend), my father made the shrewd observation that I never wanted a relationship. He suggested that I only ever dated this boy because I wanted to understand what the fuss was all about. Arguably, I feel the same now.

When I think back to positive romantic experiences, it has been when everything has been quite calm, built on shared love of Tarantino or some other focal point, and there is no pressure. The best moments have

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groups are fighting and marching for their rights in Colombia, but the support of all society is needed.

Violence against women needs to be addressed and prevented with education at an early age. It should be the state’s duty to enhance strategies to change the violent mindset of many men and even some women in Colombia, and of course, detain all the violent aggressors.

Meanwhile, women in Colombia have to live with constant harassment, fearing violence and subjected to judgments, as if being born a woman was more like punishment. Very few women in Colombia are used to ignoring comments on the streets, looks and sometimes even more aggressive encounters, but this has been normalised and has not been addressed as the problem it is. Women should be able to live without fear in Colombia or any country.

To raise awareness and to commemorate women’s day Latin American society of the University of Sussex is performing “a rapist on your path”, opening discussions and hosting other activities next March.

been when there was no hidden agenda, it was just a carefree moment of fun that goes down in history as a sweet moment in time, nothing more.

Like Daniel Sloss says in his stand-up specials on Netflix, the discourse surrounding relationships is that if you’re single you’re weird because people are meant to be in twos. Apparently, people are meant to live inside this bubble of being a ‘couple’ and if you deviate from that norm then society has a tendency to reject you.

On my winter break I quickly became sick of the question ‘Are you still single?’. Maybe that’s why people in couples seem so smug and have that expression on their face that makes you want to slap it right off? They can answer that question honestly and not receive a patronising tilt of the head and a pat on the shoulder as you’re ‘reassured’ that ‘it will get better’ by some distant family friend called Karen.

Overall, I think it’s best if I don’t download Tinder, Bumble or Hinge. Instead, I will probably go and apply for Channel 4’s ‘Blind dates’ because although I may not be actively wanting or be ready for a relationship, I do love food.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Comment Racialised injustice: The Calais issue Charlotte Brill Seeking asylum is an internationally recognised legal right according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, allowing displaced people to apply for refugee status in countries which have signed it. This UN convention recognises a refugee as a “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted’’ (Article 1A).

This looks amiable and protective on paper, but it certainly does not guarantee everyone an equal right to asylum. Whether a devious migrant smuggler or a vulnerable displaced child, almost all asylum-seekers travelling through Europe are generally lumped together as illegal, when they don’t deserve to be.

There is no fully legal way to travel to the UK to claim asylum, but as they are only able to present their claim on British soil, they are forced to go through irregular channels. These desperate asylum-seekers, many of whom were violently displaced from their home and have suffered a myriad of perils on their exhausting journey, face borders upon borders preventing them from ever reaching safety and security in Britain.

Calais, being almost the pitstop to the UK, is one of the most rigid borders fortifying the British territory. Britain’s combination of physical isolation as an island, and the presence of juxtaposed border controls, mean that checks are carried out before leaving France, rather than after arriving in the UK. According to the Le Tourquet agreement, this makes Britain’s border almost impermeable, at least for asylum seekers deemed ‘unworthy’ of free movement.

In fact, according to the Refugee Council, the UK is only home to approximately 1% of the 25.9 million forcibly displaced refugees across the world. So why, if the UK proudly claims inclusivity and multiculturalism, does such racial discrimination and injustices at our border happen so heinously? Are we really that obtuse?

The border at Calais’ role in the European Refugee Crisis has been significant, though rarely positive with it being a locus of state cruelty and brutal practices of segregation. This is epitomised by the harrowing demolition of The Jungle camp in 2014, where around 6000 migrants made makeshift homes.

Despite the border’s heavy securitisation, thousands of refugees continue to be drawn to

the region. Many migrants simply seek to escape persecution and danger at home, among reuniting with their families, too.

Britain is a position of safety cited for having a good human rights record, as well as desirable social support networks.

Yet, as Britain finally leaves the EU, the right of reunification for refugee children remains ambiguous. Currently, the government promises to protect the rights of refugee children in a subsequent immigration bill, avoiding negotiating it into the official EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, but this is yet to be seen. Limiting legal means for children to be reunified with family in the UK will mean an increase in child refugees who will have little choice but to turn to illegal and dangerous means of travel. It makes me wonder whether the image of drowned three-year-old Alan Kurdi, which shook the world and inspired increased international humanitarianism, lost its resonance as time progressed and new images fill the mediascape.

Britain’s immigration rigidity means that the inflow of migrants considerably exceeds the outflow, contributing greatly to the continually problematic and unlivable situation at the Calais border. Trapped in Calais and forced to reside in makeshift camps, on the streets or in the forests, the administration and deportation of copious amounts of asylum-seekers become predominantly the responsibility of the French state, leaving Britain comparatively unscathed.

Aware of this unequal division of labour in the Calais borderland’s co-management, President Emmanuel Macron exerted that France could not continue being Britain’s ‘’coast guard’’ by doing its ‘’dirty work’’.

Not only does it put infrastructural strain on French authoritative bodies it also causes immense emotional and moral stress for many individuals working at the border. Britain responded, in the all too common way with political dispute, over a monetary sum of £44.5 million in compensation according to the 2018 Sandhurst

Ilias Bartolini Agreement; a considerable amount of money fed directly into the discriminatory segregation and callous treatment of refugees at this heavily policed border. I can’t help but imagine the difference this money (or at least some of) could have for refugees, particularly the vulnerable children, if it was put towards providing legal routes to reunification.

“

People say we are powerless, but we wield more power than we realise

Instead it is used to protect xenophobic sentiment, echoed by the pervasiveness of Brexiteer rhetoric, disguised as an endeavour to preserve the fallacy of national integrity. Populism is undoubtedly on the rise with the securitisation of national borders intensifying, insofar, that racialised violence and discriminatory injustices are naturalised as everyday occurrences.

The issue is that, although European refugee flow is portrayed and widely accepted as a humanitarian emergency, it is also perceived as a crisis of sovereignty which is only exacerbated by our current turbulent political climate. Asylum-seekers are perceived as a threat to the national imaginary which depicts a bounded territory and a common identity, glued together by shared cultural symbols. By irregularly breaching the fortified border they under-

mine the state’s power in terms of security and boundedness of the nation-state, revealing uncertainty and vulnerability.

The British government particularly wants to conceal such qualities during this historically sensitive and volatile time. Asylum-seekers, refugees, or often simply ‘others’, who do not fit comfortably into this inflexible understanding of a ‘harmonious’ nation are criminalised. Considering all the heart-wrenching images of squalor, malnutrition and capsized boats, it seems a bit ridiculous that these people are automatically and unquestionably considered illegal threats. Can we really blame them, after all the horrors they have faced, for ‘illegally’ travelling to Britain in search of sanctuary?

Intolerance and criminalisation of asylum is not only rooted in British immigration policy, but it is also integral to everyday public discourse. The negative representation of refugees is routinely internalised, legitimising the repressive securitisation of national borders. How often have you heard a version of the phrase ‘they are stealing our jobs’? I suspect a few times at least, even if not from someone you know personally.

Such phrases are used so banally nowadays that many don’t think twice when they hear them or even use them comically. Xenophobic sentiments at the foundations of these phrases are rooted in an insecurity of the loss of identity, both individually and of a collective national identity which unites these insecure people.

There is so much pressure put on the territorialisation of identity and belonging, whereby place equals identity, consistently leading to mass alienation and discrimination of ‘others’, as seen by the treatment of refugees at the Calais border. When

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it comes to consumerism, we grab at the chance to be global citizens to maximise our profitability and the availability of resources, but when identity is brought into the mix the anxious individual reverts to the traditional notion of bounded and territorial belonging.

These nationalistic insecurities exacerbate refugees’ challenging and unjust experiences by how they become normalised as part of the everyday practices of segregation, both at the border and within the nation-state.

Daily acts of racialised discrimination and violence, including profiling, harassment and disregard, are normalised manifestations of the deep-rooted xenophobia which many people do not even realise is present in our everyday lives.

Largely falling out of the media, the European Refugee Crisis is still a great humanitarian emergency with millions of people being forcibly displaced due to political conflict and war tearing their homes apart. As the UK leaves the EU, it leaves the child refugee reunification policy up in the air. Also, as warfare continues fervently, increasing the amount of desperate asylum seekers, the future seems bleakly troublesome.

There is little that the average individual can do about dissonant politics or for the suffering refugee in France. We can, however, be more open-minded and aware of our beliefs towards refugees, and of those around us. People say they are powerless, but we wield more power than we realise. We have the power to change the rhetoric which will be passed down to the next generation. By being aware of your own beliefs, and of those around you, by questioning and adapting them, we can hopefully increase acceptance, inclusivity, and multiculturalism in the long run.

Michael Belka

Features

The Badger 17th February 2020

We’re Here, We’re Queer

14

The Badger Features Editor Arianna Lee sums up all the important LGBTQ+ events since last LGBTQ+ history month

T

he first signs of spring are here; the flowers are flowering and the weather is starting to look brighter.

The start of February brings with it the promise of a luscious spring and the start of LGBTQ+ history month! LGBTQ+ history month creates awareness for the community and to promote equality and diversity. It was founded in 2005, and is a separate event to Pride Month.

What can we celebrate this month?

In the last 12 months, the world has made strides forward regarding equality, and one such example was the decriminalisation of gay sex in Botswana, last June. Before it was overturned, gay sex was punishable by up to seven years in prison. Gay relationships are still criminalised in over 60 countries, but every country that decriminalises it is another step towards equality.

Before this, in April 2019, Taiwan also legalised homosexuality, and in May, they legalised gay marriage, becoming the first Asian country to do so. This was a massive step, as gay marriage is opposed in China due to religion, but they share this with Taiwan, and therefore this may be a step towards gay marriage becoming legal in China. It has given hope not only to the Taiwanese LGBTQ+ community, but also the entire Asian LGBTQ+ community.

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“I firmly believe that the idea that there are people in our society who need treatment because of their gender identity or whom they love is not only absurd, it is harmful to so many children and young adults who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.” -Ricardo Rosselló

In June, Ecuador also legalised gay marriage in a landmark ruling. Lawyer Christian Paula who represents 10 same-sex couples seeking to marry said: “It means that Ecuador is more egalitarian, it is more just than yes-

terday, that it recognizes that human rights must be for all people without discrimination.”

A beautiful lesbian couple have made history as the first to get married in Northern Ireland, where gay marriage was not legal until last year. They have expressed their joy at being able to be on equal footing with their straight peers, and are humbled at being able to make history. The now-wives, Robyn Peoples and Sharni Edwards added that they “didn’t set out to make history we just fell in love”.

Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, banned mental health professionals from offering conversion therapy for homosexuality to minors last March. He had this to say: “I firmly believe that the idea that there are people in our society who need treatment because of their gender identity or whom they love is not only absurd, it is harmful to so many children and young adults who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.” This may be one of the most eloquent ways anyone has ever put it, and I can only applaud his efforts to help the LGBTQ+ community.

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court voted to criminalise transphobia and homophobia at a similar level to racism. Brazil was the world leader in transgender killings, with 171 transgender people killed in 2017, so this is a very important ruling that will hopefully increase the safety of the LGBTQ+ community in Brazil.

Finally, of course, influential TV presenter Philip Schofield has come out as gay! Being in the spotlight as much as he is, his coming out will increase the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, and may inspire other LGBTQ+ individuals to come out and live as their true selves.

isn’t! in order to get the surgery, she had to pretend that she was intersex, as reassignment surgery wasn’t legal then.

In 1961, homosexuality was decriminalised in Britain, under certain constraints; it was decriminalised for men over 21, and did not extend to anywhere further than England and Wales.

The 1969 Stonewall Riots happened in the US but had such a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community worldwide so it is always worth a mention. The riot itself occurred after police attempted to raid Stonewall Inn, and a transgender black woman initiated the entire riot, so we can thank Marsha P Johnson for triggering the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement globally.

In 1972, the first gay pride march was held in London. It was attended by over 2000 people, and today it attracts over a million. Professor Brian Heaphy, summed up the magic of Pride: “At Pride, gay people felt they could be seen in public and show their faces.

It was about being seen as gay, being proud and not needing to hide.”

“

Now onto notable British LGBTQ+ history, which is what we’re celebrating!

In 1951, Roberta Cowell was the first British trans woman to undergo reassignment surgery that we’re aware of.

So, when people tell you that being transgender is a ‘new thing’ it clearly

Finally, in 2013, same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK. Marriage in the UK is a big deal; it is a ceremony of commitment, love, and responsibility, and finally same-sex couples could share their love with their friends and family, legally.

In 1982, the Terrence Higgins Trust was set up. It was the first AIDS charity in the UK, and was founded by friends of Terrence Higgins, one of the first gay men to die of AIDS in the UK. Today the Trust is still the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, and works to keep everyone in the UK sexually healthy, and is not restricted to gay patients. Recently, the Trust has seen the results of its decades-long campaign to have relationships and sex education in schools in the UK, as a law was passed in 2017 to make it compulsory.

1988 was the year that Sir Ian McKellen came out as gay on BBC radio, and in 2018 said: “I’ve never met a gay person who regretted coming out – including myself. Life at last begins to make sense, when you are open and honest.” Sir McKellen still is extremely vocal about being gay and says he does so that young people can be themselves without fear. He remains an activist and a fantastic human being.

In 1996, a transgender woman named only as P in court documents, informed her job that she was going to be undergoing gender reassignment. She was dismissed after this, and took her employers to court. The court ruled in P’s favour, that she had been unfairly dismissed, and she received compensation from her employers, and also made history as the first transgender person in

the whole world to be protected from discrimination by law. This landmark case was the first to recognise the economic and moral significance of transgender protections.

This was followed by the Equality Act of 2010, which protects LGBTQ+ people from all types of discrimination, along with people with other ‘protected characteristics’. It also gives people the chance to challenge violators of the Act in court.

This Act is important as it protects the approximately 4 million LGBTQ+ Brits from discrimination, and gives them an opportunity to be their unique selves without fear of financial or other repercussions.

Civil partnership was legalised in 2004 in Britain, giving same-sex couples the right to be ‘married’ on the same level as their straight peers. The same year, the Gender Recognition act was passed, which gives transgender people the right to legal recognition of their appropriate gender. This improves the lives of transgender people as they can legally be their authentic selves, in the eyes of the law. However, this act is in need of reform, as it does not include non-binary options, and medical ‘evidence’ can be necessary in order for transpeople to get a new birth certificate with their appropriate gender.

Finally, in 2013, same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK. Marriage in the UK is a big deal; it is a ceremony of commitment, love, and responsibility, and finally same-sex couples could share their love with their friends and family, legally. It meant that same-sex couples in civil partnerships would now be recognised as married, and if a spouse chooses to change their legal gender when married, the marriage will not cease.

It’s time to get out there and go to one of many events to celebrate LGBTQ+ history and the amazing individuals who have fought and sometimes died for LGBTQ+ rights! Some day we will achieve full equality, but until then we can celebrate every step we take closer to that time.

The Badger 17th Febraury 2020

Features

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From the South Downs to the Gaza Strip

Features sub-editor Olly Williams interviews the Friends of Palestine Society on the rarely discussed impact of university investing.

W

hen we hand our £9250 to the university, many of us don’t think about where our money may end-up.

We may look around us at the new campus developments and assume that the university’s earning and spending is a self-containing and sustaining bubble.

Many of us will only be somewhat aware of the global web mechanism which is the international investment market. An even smaller amount of us are aware of exactly how university income can make its way from the edge of the leafy South Downs to the front line of the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

Why do Universities invest? In short investments are made to generate income.

By investing money the university provides means for the company to operate.

In doing so it is also a moral endorsement in the company and its ethos even if that is not the primary motive of the investment choice. It allows the company to operate and further its business.

Most large institutions will not select their investments directly but will use the services of a Private equity firm or trust to make their investments for them.

The University of Sussex uses Liontrust fund management company. Liontrust has been criticised for investing in companies such as HP hardware company and BAE systems, both of which provide weapons and technology to Israel.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) collected information from the University of Sussex through freedom of information request. Whilst their website states that the University does have an ethical investment policy, it also found that the University of Sussex has £99,261 invested directly in AXA. The PSC website states: “French insurance giant AXA is investing over $91 million in Israels five largest banks and Israels largest private arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, all companies directly involved in Israels war crimes against the Palestinian people”.

This web of globalised investing is a prolific practice. Most of us will somewhat remember the leaking of the 2016 Paradise/Panama.

13 million confidential documents relating to the offshore (non-domestic) investments of individuals and estates ranging from the likes of President Vladimir Putin, to Buckingham Palace.

There is nothing illegal about offshore investing, however it was the leaking of these papers that brought the moral debate of investment politics into the household setting.

One revelation of the leak was how the Dutchy of Lancaster, the Queen’s private estate, had invested in a fund in the Cayman Islands.

Some of this money funded a retail company that has faced large scale accusations of exploiting poor and vulnerable people.

Another leak showed how a Londonlisted multinational company had secured

mining rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a practice that is widely criticised by Humanitarians as exploitative and colonial-esque.

The investment plans of the University of Sussex cannot be described as offshore as Liontrust is a British registered company. Whilst these criticised investments are never direct, there is a sense of integrity to be questioned.

The power that institutions like Universities have through their capita is formidable.

“

The University of Sussex- among 100 other UK universities- have invested £454m in companies complicit in “Israeli violations of international law” An increasing number of students are becoming actively critical in how the University invests money gained in part from their tuition fees.

In 2014 a student-lead campaign formed to lobby the universities investment in Fossil Fuel, in 2018 the university official ceased all its investments in fossil fuel.

An investigation by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) found that The University of Sussex- among 100 other UK universities- have invested £454m in companies complicit in “Israeli violations of international law” through various equity management trusts.

This sparked a national response from students, drawing petitions to urge their universities to reconsider their investments and condemn human rights violations in the region.

I spoke to one of the campaign leaders within Sussex University to learn more about their petition and growing presence of their message on campus. They wished to remain anonymous and not be represented in photographs for fear of violent repercussions.

The PSC study references, “Israeli violations of international law”. Can you explain what this means?

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, was indicted last week on charges around corruption, it was all over the news. I’m not sure exactly what the technical terms they used were. One of the biggest crimes not in the arrest[that was not in the charges] is Gaza: which has been turned- basically- into an open-air prison at the moment.

They’ve built a wall all around it, they control who goes in and out. A lot of people can’t get treatment, there’s a lot of cancer patients within Gaza that can’t get treatment, they’re not allowed to leave, and doctors aren’t allowed to go in.

Any type of foreign food or water aid is rejected, it’s a no-fly zone as well.

So, they’re completely on their own and completely isolated.

70% of the water is completely undrinkable, they don’t have proper housing infrastructure. It’s a human rights violation.

[Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was charged on the 28 January this year with 3 separate accounts of Fraud, corruption and breach of trust, pertaining largely to his interactions with Israeli aristocracy. These charges were made domestically].

Why is this happening?

versities to stop such investments?

100%. There’s nothing that’s impossible if you have strong enough support.

There’s a bunch of companies you could invest in, even if you aren’t specifically pro Palestine, funding war crimes and killing is a humanitarian issue. I think it’s difficult, but I think it’s reasonable.

I saw your protest in library square last Tuesday, was that linked to the petition?

They keep occupying more and more land and pushing people into zones like Gaza. They think Hamas is there, they think that’s where Hamas Headquarters are. They also have side operations like

That was mainly an emergency retaliation to the ‘Deal of the century’, but it’s all interlinked, it’s another layer in why we should divest.

That’s why the petition is there and al-

the settlements [occupation], which is part of the crimes. They give a 30 second warning and then they bomb a house, they build on land that isn’t theirs, land that was in the peace plan they agreed with the UN.

ways there. Whatever moves happen in that region, we’re still paying money towards injustice and killing, it’ll always be a part of it.

“

“I think of myself as complicit”

What particular ways does the University of Sussex implicate itself?

Every uni has an investment company to manage their investments. That investment companies sends money to companies like HP which fund these sort of war crimes by providing technology and weapons to Israel. You’be seen the website [friends of Palestine], right?

Does that implicate all students here at the university, in your opinion?

I think it’s hard to put that label on everyone. There’s a large amount of people who have no clue what’s going on, there’s also people who don’t have my views and think they’re putting their money towards something good. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I have to acknowledge it. Personally, I think of myself as complicit, because I’m paying. Having awareness is one way to be less complicit.

Do you think it’s reasonable to ask uni-

[The ‘Deal of the century’ is Donald Trump’s name for his plan to end the Israeli-Palestine conflict through the codifying to land ownership. The plan has been rejected and criticised globally by organisations like the UN, the EU and the Arab league. Amnesty International asserted that the plan would only cause furthering suffering to the region].

Can investing ever be entirely a-political? Of course not. It is this culture of careless capitalism in which economic prosperity trumps the integrity of investment that is the criticism of the petitionbackers and glocal citizens alike. In our increasingly interconnected world it is possible to do a lot of damage from a distance, conversely it also possible to do a lot of good.

The University were contacted for a comment on the issues but have not yet responded.

If you would like more information on things discussed in this article, you can contact Sussex Friends of Palestine: friendsofpalestine@societies.sussex.ac.uk

The Badger 17th February 2020

Features

Hidden Autism: A Woman’s Journey

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Bethan Grimshaw, a student at the University of Sussex, shares her journey with autism

W

hy “hidden”? Why did it take so long? Why did I have to go through so many years of doctor appointments, hospital appointments, and therapy without anyone thinking autism could be a possibility? Why did I have to go through so much difficulty without knowing how best to help myself? And WHY do I receive references to Rainman when I tell people?

The truth is there is a massive gender bias when it comes to people’s understanding of autism. The standard tests used to screen for autism are based on symptoms stereotypically presented in males, meaning women seeking a diagnosis frequently don’t meet the thresholds for further assessment and therefore slip through the net. No, I am not a maths genius.

No, I am not obsessed with trains. No, I don’t behave like Sheldon Cooper.

Yes, I have spent the majority of my life meticulously observing the behaviour of others so I can mimic them in an attempt to mask my social shortcomings.

Yes, my sensory overloads have presented as me withdrawing, rather than acting out in tantrums. Yes, my difficulties have repeatedly been misdiagnosed as various mental health problems (which were confusing and never fully explained what I was experiencing).

Added to this are common myths, such as autistic people are devoid of empathy or humour, which is simply not true. In fact, many autistic people have a rich sense of humour and feel (often overly intense) empathy.

So you see, despite the difficulties I went through, I am a lucky one. I have only had to wait 19 years for this discovery, when the majority of autistic women wait half their lifetimes, not being diagnosed or entitled to support until middle age.

“

Autism - A poem I was a relatively quiet child.

I mainly played by myself, and didn’t seek the company of others.

I observed rather than joined in.

I had some intense, slightly unusual, interests, but not in trains.

I was happy in my own little world.

Then came secondary school.

I spent yr 7 in utter confusion and fear at this new world of social rules and chaos.

I spent yr 8 completely masking and pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

By yr 9 I reached burnout.

I stopped eating.

I stopped talking.

I thought I was going mad.

I was diagnosed with an eating disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety.

I received specialist one-to-one therapy.

It didn’t work.

I did my best. I pushed through.

I got my GCSEs and left secondary school.

I spent the summer panicking about college.

I barely talked to anyone in my classes for the 2 years.

I did my best. I pushed through.

I got my A Levels.

I spent the summer panicking about uni.

I enjoyed my course.

I had frequent meltdowns.

By February of my first year my family were scared for my health.

I tried my best. I pushed through.

By April, my mum had spoken to an acquaintance whose daughter had just been diagnosed as autistic.

The woman could have been describing me.

My mum phoned me...

“I wonder whether you might be autistic....”

Those words. My world shifted. Could

this be an answer?

The word did not scare me or feel alien.

I googled.

I read.

I cried.

As I read account after account of girls just like me.

The same quirks.

The traits and behaviours I couldn’t explain about myself, were being presented to me in a different light.

I wasn’t anorexic, starving myself in pursuit of skinniness, I just couldn’t tolerate the sensory experience of eating because all the other sensory stimuli were overwhelming.

I wasn’t socially anxious from being paranoid of what others thought of me, I just didn’t understand the social interactions that other people seemed to be born knowing.

I wasn’t having panic attacks, I was having autism meltdowns because of sensory overload.

I wasn’t mad.

I was autistic...maybe.

By June I had a preliminary assessment by a private professional specially trained in how autism presents in females.

Maybe she’ll say I’m not autistic at all and am just in denial about mental health problems.

By the end of our 2 hour session she said it seemed likely.

Breathe.

But still the doubt.

By August I had the full assessment.

By September 6th, a week after my 19 birthday, I received my results.

It was official.

I can breathe.

The final jigsaw piece is found.

I know where I stand, which means I know how to go forward.

I am home.

But first, some disclaimers: In the following paragraphs I will be using the term ASD (autism spectrum disorder), in accordance with the current DSM-5 (diagnostic and statistical manual).

Personally, I believe “autism spectrum condition” to be a better phrasing, as it removes any suggestion of maladaptive or negative behaviour.

Alternative valuing terms are “neurodivergent” or “neurodiverse”, which removes all implications of a diagnostic label and instead puts focus on differences in neurological wiring/skills. (“Asperger’s” has been removed from the DSM, but people previously diagnosed with this vocabulary may still identify as such).

“

The truth is there is a massive gender bias when it comes to people’s understanding of autism

I was also able to get a diagnosis within a year of first thinking autism might be a possibility, because my family was able to afford a private assessment by a professional specially trained in how autism presents in females. I have therefore been able to access support that will hopefully make my final year and a half of university a little easier, and I feel more confident going forward in my life.

It doesn’t have to be this hard. It shouldn’t be. And it can easily be changed, with your help. Please look at some of the following resources.

Help to educate yourself and others, in order to bring more understanding to autism and destroy the myths. On the

behalf of all the hidden autistic girls, thank you.

Disclaimer: it is vital to understand that though my experience is not uncommon, it is not exclusive. All autistic individuals are still individuals and are unique.

If things are to change, there must be better understanding within the general population and among health professionals of the true signs of autism, not the cliched stereotypes seen in the media.

Lea-Kim

My difficulties have repeatedly been misdiagnosed as various mental health problems (which were confusing and never fully explained what I was experiencing)

I shall also be using the phrasing “autistic people” rather than “people with autism”. I believe this is an important differentiation to make, as people “have a cold”, the insinuation being that they will “recover”. Whereas if someone is “a 9 year old”, it is an intrinsic part of them and cannot be changed, like with autism. There is of course debate around this wording, and some autistic people prefer the alternative phrasing.

Some ASD literature refers to “highfunctioning” and “low functioning” autism, mainly based on whether someone is non-verbal and/or has learning difficulties. I personally find these terms utterly useless and rather offensive.

I may be termed by some to be “high functioning” because I am in higher education, but believe me I have my fair share of challenges! So, I won’t be using this terminology. Literature also refers to “symptoms” of autism.

I have decided to use this terminology, however this is not because I in any way see ASD as a “disease”. I therefore interchange it with “traits” of autism, to reflect it is an intrinsic part of someone.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Features When reading the following traits, please bear in mind that ASD is a spectrum, but it is not a linear spectrum. What I mean by this is that someone is not “low” or “high” on the spectrum, and we’re not “all a little bit autistic”. A more accurate way of visualising it is as a wheel. For each trait in the wheel, people have different intensities. Some people may be extremely hypersensitive to noise, while others will happily sit in a loud café, but may struggle more with social interaction.

A second crucial thing is that these symptoms are COMMON among autistic people. Not all autistic people will have all of them. But equally, if you find yourself identifying with a couple, this does not necessarily mean you are autistic. Diagnosis is about the intensity and COMBINATION of symptoms, and to what extent it impacts your daily life. Equally, if you do find yourself identifying with several symptoms, please have a look at some of the resources below, and talk to someone you trust.

“

“When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning! I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And - given the right circumstances- being different is a superpower.#aspiepower.” @GretaThunberg

Common symptoms: 1. Slower processing speed, e.g. it takes you longer to understand what is being said to you and you often need to ask for clarification, or need longer to respond.

2. Intense attention to detail.

Strong verbal skills, which may mask difficulties with processing speed or other social difficulties, e.g. the person may instead come across as very thoughtful or earnest.

3. Difficulties in self organising and prioritising of tasks, e.g. you are running late for a lecture but still carry out ritualistic tasks, such as cutting up a kiwi for breakfast, rather than prioritising getting to the lecture.

This trait is often due to common comorbidity between Attention Deficit Disorder and ASD. 4. Motor coordination difficulties are common. There are several categories in regards to this: difficulty with fine motor skills (e.g. messy handwriting), gross motor skills (e.g. struggle to catch a ball), sense of the body in space (e.g. constantly bumping into things), and/or low muscle tone (e.g. constantly dropping things for no clear reason).

5. A strong preference for routines and rules, as these give a sense of predictability in a world that rarely

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makes sense. E.g. always having kiwi with breakfast, and carrying out tasks at the exact same time each day.

6. Extreme anxiety when these routines are changed, e.g. a cancelled lecture, and/or difficulties with coping with change, e.g. what was meant to be a fun surprise of seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the theatre when I was 7 merely caused me to burst into tears and say “I don’t want to go”.

7.

Intense “special” interest in one or several topics (these may be transient and constantly changing, but is the INTENSITY of interest that is important). E.g. from the age of 4 I’ve loved learning about Victorian history, and completed a 10,000 word essay on it at college (though I was not studying history). This interest has been continuous, but I’ve also had “special interests” in Elton John, The Beatles, species of monkey, biology and (funnily enough) autism (hence this article).

8. Low “social imagination”. This refers to a person’s ability to read nonverbal cues and integrate information to decipher someone’s thoughts/ intentions/motivations.

Though autistic people are often still empathetic, they can find this difficult, due to a tendency to see things in black and white and take things literally/ at face value. This is therefore an area to be wary of, as it lends the person to being vulnerable to exploitation/ manipulation.

It can also make it hard for the person to navigate friendships and/ or romantic relationships, especially because dating relies so heavily on nuances of word meaning, e.g. “would you like to come around for a drink” apparently may not mean that they are inviting me for a cup of tea and chat.

9. Sensory sensitivities, shown as strong preference/avoidance of certain smells, sounds, tastes, textures. E.g. I find all sound extra

loud compared to others, and really struggle to eat due to being sensitive to taste and texture (rice cakes are my best friend).

10.

Intense “special” interest in one or several topics (these may be transient and constantly changing, but is the INTENSITY of interest that is important). E.g. from the age of 4 I’ve loved learning about Victorian history, and completed a 10,000 word essay on it at college (though I was not studying history). This interest has been continuous, but I’ve also had “special interests” in Elton John, The Beatles, species of monkey, biology and (funnily enough) autism (hence this article).

This list is not exhaustive. Ultimately, an autism diagnosis focuses on a triad of impairments in relation to communication, social interaction/ imagination, and repetitive patterns of behaviour/ intense circumscribed interests, which must have been present from early development, although they may not fully manifest until later life, when the social demands become more intense and exceed a person’s capabilities.

For example, like many autistic females, I was relatively ok socially as a child (helped by the fact most of my friends were boys, who tended to be more straightforward in their communication).

It was when I entered adolescence and social interactions suddenly became more complicated and nuanced that I found myself constantly confused and left behind in social situations.

As previously established it would be easy to think being autistic is all doom and gloom. But I am incredibly proud to be autistic and have found that for every trait that causes challenges, there is another that can be extremely beneficial and I consider to be my finest attributes/strengths.

For example, I am extremely sensitive to sound. Being in a café or supermarket without my earplugs

is enough to make my ears ache and head spin (imagine everything constantly sounds like it’s coming through a loud speaker. I’d also like to reach out to any aspiring engineers to PLEASE invent silent hand dryers).

This makes daily life very tiring, and food shopping a nightmare. BUT, I have strong systemising skills and a great eye for detail, meaning my work is always exact and to-the-point of what is being asked of me.

I am also able to “hyper-focus” for hours at a time if a piece of work interests me. This has the drawback of meaning I frequently lose all concept of time and haven’t moved from my desk for 3 hours (at time of writing I have just realised I’ve been bursting for the loo for about 10 minutes but had barely noticed because I am so engrossed in writing. I also need to get dinner….), but it also means I was able to write the bulk of this article in about an hour. In short, I do not understand the meaning of procrastination, a trait I am sure many would be grateful to have.

And there are so many inspirational role models, past and present, who prove that ASD is not something to be ashamed of; Hans Christian Anderson (children’s author), Temple Grandin (prominent animal scientist), and Emily Dickinson (poet), to name a few.

For example, Jane Austen is thought to have been autistic, and it was her intense interest in social observation that enabled her to write with such depth and entertain so many people.

A personal favourite of mine is Greta Thunberg. Like me, she stopped talking and eating at secondary school, and has many struggles in her personal life. Though she acknowledges her diagnosis has limited her in the past, she maintains that being different is a “superpower”.

“

Like many autistic females, I was relatively ok socially as a child... It was when I entered adolescence and social interactions suddenly became more complicated and nuanced that I found myself constantly confused and left behind

It is her ability to speak directly and with honesty, and her strong sense of social justice (all traits common among autistic people) that makes her such a good climate activist. She also attributes her “special interest” in climate change and the environment with helping her to overcome the mental health difficulties she was having, because it gave her a focus. In one of her tweets she says, “When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning! I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And - given the right circumstances- being different is a superpower.#aspiepower.”

I couldn’t agree more.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Arts • Books

Books vs. Film: The Age Old Debate

Jasmine Smith Books Editor It’s an age-old debate, what’s better, the book or the film? I don’t think it’s presumptuous to say most favour the novel over its digital adaption. The immersive abilities of the written word triumphs over the glitz and glamour of visual entertainment almost every time.

Despite this, there’s an increasing demand for bookto-movie adaptations. In a digital age, where everything is provided to us in an instant, are readers becoming lazy and favouring the ease of cinematic

pleasure over the written word?

Sinking into the sofa, a bowl of popcorn in hand and two hours to spare undoubtedly takes a lot less time and energy than hours spent thumbing through an old paperback. When it’s the same story being told, it almost seems more productive to watch the film.

Perhaps this would be true if it weren’t for the undeniable wonders of the written word.

Like most things in life, you get out what you put in; and reading a novel forces us to put a lot in. From the time it takes, to the personal attributes and experiences we bring; no one reads a novel the same way.

This is what makes indulging in literature such an informative and pleasurable experience.

It makes us question, why is there such a high demand for the written word to be brought to the screen, and what impact is this having on publishing industries?

Film adaptations gross a whopping 44% more at the UK box office than any other genre, according to statistics released by the Publishers associations and produced through Frontier Economy.

In 2019 we witnessed the wildly successful adaptations of Little Women and Jojo Rabbit, which were praised by critics and the general public alike.

With more and more adaptations hitting our screens every month, the success of these films is undeniable. Often these modern-day adaptations bring a whole new meaning to their classical texts. Whether it’s the blind casting in Dicken’s David Copperfield, or the ever-increasing momentum of female empowerment in Alcott’s Little Women, modernday transformations often enrich outdated themes and ideas, making them more relatable to our modern sociopolitical climate.

Rather than deterring readers, these successful adaptations

are actually boosting book sales.

The 2017 adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale, saw book sales rocketing as the story was thrust into the public eye through a critically acclaimed Hulu series.

Even once immersed in the visual world the literary origin of these stories remains a key characteristic and selling point. This suggests it is not a disregard for literature that is fueling these adaptations, rather an admiration and obsession with the powers of storytelling.

Undeniably, film and television adaptations are increasing profitability and popularity of the novel, but there are

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exceptions.

The immense popularity of television show Game of Thrones and the Harry Potter film franchise has practically eclipsed their written equivalents. Despite this, a film or television adaptation is often career-defining for an author, and helps aid investment in the publishing industry.

The individual successes of both mediums suggest the timely debate of film versus book has become rather outdated.

Instead, the two exist as cultural allies; working together to provide contrasting cultural experiences through the art of storytelling.

Sisters, Murder, and Magic: Practical Magic Elizabeth Strnge I recently read the novel Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman after seeing the cult classic adaptation of it. The book and movie are extremely different.

You need to put all thoughts of the film aside if you read this book.

The book is about two sisters called Sally and Gillian Owens who are raised by their eccentric witch aunts after their parents die.

The two sisters grow up to be very different. Gillian becomes a very beautiful woman who

has to barely lift a finger for a man to fall in love with her. Sally marries the first man she falls in love with but her marriage is cut short as her husband dies after being knocked over by a car, but this is no accident.

There is a curse in their family where any man who falls in love with an Owen’s woman will die.

Sally soon leaves her aunts, taking her two daughters with her in attempt to live a normal life. However, when her daughters are teenagers Gillian turns up on Sally’s porch in trouble. She has killed her abusive boyfriend and needs

THE

BADGER

needs you!

Sally’s help to cover it up. They bury his body in Sally’s garden.

Although, it isn’t long until their problems start to dig themselves up.

Can the two sisters stop this?

The magic in the book is fairly dull as it mostly consists of love spells and one of Sally’s daughters being able to see people’s auras and ghosts.

The magic in the film is far more exciting. In the film, the two sisters actually seem like witches, in contrast to the book which has a distinct lack of magical elements.

The romance in the book is a

redeeming element. I particularly liked Sally’s developing relationship with her new love interest, Gary. Although, I found the film massively overplayed his importance.

Unfortunately, the characters themselves were a bit boring. In particular, Sally, as she is fairly passive and always seemed to wait around for something to happen. Gillian in contrast is much more interesting.

If you like a fun light read then this is the book for you, but if you like in depth magical elements I’d recommend trying something else.

Want to find your inner journalist? Come to one of our Writers’ Meetings!

Fridays 12 pm, Falmer House Common Room.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Arts • Film & Television

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What acceptance speeches really say

Arts Editor Lucy Peters and writer Yazz James interrogate Oscars speeches & industry culture Lucy Peters Arts Print Editor Joaquin Phoenix has been very vocal in his acceptance speeches this year about Hollywood’s exclusion of minorities as well as drawing attention to sustainability. Do you feel like he’s an appropriate advocate for these issues?

I have some complicated feelings towards Joaquin’s speeches. I think it’s great that he’s willing to get on stage and recognise Hollywood’s diversity problem and acknowledge that he, himself, is a part of the problem, but looking at his filmography makes me worry whether it might be for show.

Phoenix has been acting for decades and, if I’m not mistaken, has only starred in one film directed by a woman (Lynne Ramsay) and been directed by one person of colour (M. Night Shyamalan).

For him to suddenly appear aware of issues that have been prevalent (and publicly discussed) for years and be praised so much for simply recognising them angers me a little. People of colour and

women often discuss these topics in their speeches, interviews, Q&As and it can be seen as the norm. Why is it that when a white man talks of these issues, his words are given so much more value? Part of me wonders whether I should just be happy with the fact that he recognises the problem, but in a deeper sense I do think that we as minorities deserve more.

In terms of him highlighting the current climate crisis, sustainability and animal rights, then I am more positive and believe him to be an appropriate advocate. His history of being vegan, campaigning for animal rights groups and promoting more sustainable life choices prove him to be dedicated.

Some felt uncomfortable at Phoenix discussing LGBTQ+ rights/racism alongside animal rights in his Oscars speech, as if comparing dairy-consumption to transphobia, but I personally, didn’t view it this way.

There is a tendency for women within the industry to express discontent with Hollywood’s systematic exclusion of female narratives, and I found myself disappointed by the lack of that

in Renee Zellweger’s acceptance speech for Best Actress. But is this a reasonable expectation we should have? Or should women be allowed to enjoy the same liberties of an apolitical speech as their male counterparts without being criticised for doing so?

Obviously, there is an immense amount of pressure on any award winner to say the right thing, but I’ll agree with you in saying I, too, was disappointed with Zellweger’s speech. It seemed almost empty in a way.

I respect her need to thank as many people as she could, but to be on stage at the Oscars is such a privilege and so public, it almost seems wasted when not used to its full potential. I know it wouldn’t have the same effect if every single winner dedicated their speech to a greater cause, but when there is so much to raise awareness of, I don’t understand how anyone could just stick with the same old “thank you X, Y, Z”.

I don’t think my feelings of disappointment should solely lie with Zellweger either though – there wouldn’t be this pressure or expectation (on

women and minorities) to make a comment on Hollywood if the industry truly supported diverse filmmakers. We’ve had speeches about Hollywood’s diversity issues for years; I want to see action, not just hear about it!

There’s an interview with Barry Jenkins where he says, “when you climb the ladder, you send it back down” and that’s something I’d like to live by and hope other people do too. It’s about truly appreciating the opportunities you are given and using the power you gain to give the next person a chance to succeed – a speech can only do so much.

What was your favourite speech this year?

One of my favourite moments would have to be the entire Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen presenting the award for ‘Best Live Action Short Film’. According to Alma Har’el (director of Honey Boy) Shia had only agreed to present if Gottsagen could do it with him. Disability is usually left out of the conversations surrounding diversity and I thought Shia’s support of Zack and involvement in The Peanut Butter Falcon was lovely.

I really liked what Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver said in their winning speech for Hair Love and the need for representation in children cartoons and animation. Then, of course, I was also happy to see Taika Waititi and Bong JoonHo – two filmmakers I admire celebrated for their work.

It’s 2021, the 93rd Academy Awards, and you’ve just won Best Director for your debut feature film. Who are the first five people you thank?

I guess it’s cliché and cringey, but my mum is first. The rest… I guess it’s dependent on my cast and crew, but if I get to choose them, I thank my lead actor Taylor Russell – I recently saw ‘Waves’ and loved her! And my DP, either Hoyte van Hoytema or James Laxton. I shoutout the writers and filmmakers who inspire me, Barry Jenkins, Jenny Slate, Hayao Miyazaki, Jacques Demy, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (these count as one if I say them in one breath). Then I give a shoutout to Jeremy, my screenwriting tutor – I’m picturing myself as a writerdirector in this universe and he really inspired me last year…

Oscars 2020: Sandler’s snub and other uncut gems

Lucy Peters Arts Print Editor Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde, Greta Gerwig, Alma Har’el – these are the names of the women who directed some of this year’s most heartfelt and original cinema, yet names that only appeared at the Academy Awards on the hem on Natalie Portman’s cape (which we can only stan).

Sure, Wang’s The Farewell and Har’el’s Honeyboy might not be as polished as 1917 and Parasite, but its arguably well within the interest of the Academy to spotlight a variety of films showcasing the diversity of cinema with a wider variety of award titles. The decision to exclude Greta Gerwig from the Best Director category for her masterful Little Women has already provoked a lot of backlash towards the Academy, and it’s a shame that despite six nominations the film only went home with Best Costume Design. There were plenty of comments throughout the night aimed towards Hollywood’s exclusion of female talent, yet the voting body still declined to give those women recognition and a platform to speak from.

Wilde’s Booksmart won her Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards - its awards like this which spotlight

the nerve, originality and fresh perspective of lower budget indie films, against the tide of the hyper-financed magnum opi from Hollywood staples like Tarantino, Scorsese and Mendes who dominated the nominations this year.

It’s unlikely that the Oscars will ever include a Best First Feature category, simply because it would tend to promote independent production companies which have no capability to financially back the ceremony like the conglomerate giants Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures can.

However, in an ideal world we would see companies like indie darling A24 sweep up trophies and acclaim for their work.

This year they were responsible for some of cinema’s most dynamic and expressive films – Robert Egger’s The Lighthouse, Ari Aster’s Midsommar, Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, and The Safdie Brother’s Uncut Gems. The Lighthouse did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, but the intense and visceral performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson truly deserved nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. The hierarchal nature of the Oscars acting awards

also tends to complicate who actually gets nominated. A film with a very classic character structure such as Marriage Story – where Laura Dern is clearly the supporting actress to Scarlett Johansson’s lead, are much easier to categorise into these brackets than something like The Lighthouse, which features the duality of two male actors. In this way, the Oscars could also be critiqued for being relatively heteronormative by excluding possibilities of alternative narratives from a LGBTQ+ perspective and using gender as a primary division.

In terms of acting, Little Women’s Florence Pugh who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress blew audiences away this year with her emotionally commanding performance in Midsommar. A personal highlight of the ceremony for me was Janelle Monae’s opening performance where the singer donned the iconic flower cape and crown from the film, yet ironically Midsommar hadn’t been nominated for any of categories - not even Costume Design. Alongside the denial of an acting nomination for Pugh, the film was visually incredible, and completely deserving of Best Cinematography.

The follow up to Ari Aster’s

traumatizing feature debut Hereditary further proved his sophistication and nerve as one of America’s best upcoming directors. Uncut Gems was another a hallmark for American talent – the renaissance of Adam Sandler as a dramatic actor is maybe my favourite thing to happen in 2020, and if you still have doubts about the Happy Gilmore (1996) star his uncompromising Uncut Gems performance will completely win you over. His collaboration with Noah Baumbach on 2017’s The Meyerowitz Stories demonstrated his gift for dramatic sensitivity alongside outrageously funny slapstick, and is also well worth a dive into.

There wasn’t a lot on offer musically this year, especially compared to the legendary win

by Lady Gaga for Best Original Song win last year. Elton John took home this year’s prize for his work on Rocketman, which as his first Oscar felt well deserved and overdue. One artist I would of loved to see nominated is Radiohead’s Thom Yorke – his song ‘Daily Battles’ was unfortunately lost in the messy direction of Ed Norton’s neonoir passion project Motherless Brooklyn. Yorke’s collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson for ANIMA (a 15-minute music video

for his latest album), completely blew me away when I saw it.

Anderson’s stylistic exploration of the capitalist workforce is the perfect accompaniment to Yorke’s beautiful arrangements and the whole result is a finely tuned work that doesn’t need any introduction or overhype – the artistry speaks for itself.

It feels obvious to point out that the Academy Awards aren’t necessarily concerned with artistry and are far more invested in maintaining the commercial and public interest towards the Hollywood machine.

But for indie film fans and supporters of creative and exciting cinema, it would be nice to see some mainstream acclaim for the diverse and incredible talent we saw this year. International Film Festivals and voting bodies like the Independent Spirit Awards and the DGA do a fantastic job of recognising this, and the Academy should take influence from their examples. Parasite changed Oscar’s history this year with Bong Joon Ho taking home four awards including Best Picture – the first nonEnglish language film ever to do so - we can only hope this trend towards supporting authentic and diverse cinema continues.

Arts • Music The Big Moon : Live Review Luke Edison Saturday February 1st, The Brighton Centre opened its doors and maxed its capacity to welcome Bombay Bicycle Club, and their opening act The Big Moon.

At 7pm, 4,500 gig enthusiasts piled into the venue to be first to grab their drinks, locate their seats or wander off into the Brighton Centre’s vast standing area. Most people had purchased tickets for a nostalgic fix from headliners Bombay Bicycle Club’s reunion tour, following their much acclaimed new album, Everything Else Has Gone Wrong (2020). However, concertgoers were pleasantly surprised by the lesser known opening act.

The Big Moon are no strangers to the limelight, having previously toured internationally as well as opening for Pixies on their tour. The 4-piece indie-rock band originating from London released their new album, Walking Like We Do (2020) in January this year and took the opportunity to showcase their euphonious songs to a bubbling Brighton audience. As they emerged on stage, the bustling crowd cheered them on, eager to have their ears pleased.

Amidst smoke and glimmering

The Misadventures of the URF Mobile Lily Kovacs New year, new me. We’ve all heard the oft-quoted phrase, whether that be on a new Instagram selfie, in line to buy a gym membership, or when convincing ourselves not to spend our entire overdraft at Falmer Bar. But for us here at URF, along with an exciting and diverse catalogue of new shows, the first month of the decade really has brought along a change in our circumstances.

This has come in the form of the discovery of our very own branded mode of transportation,

lights, Juliette Jackson’s (lead) guitar twanged throughout the venue as they launched into their opener. Some personal favourites from their new album such as ‘Your Light’ and ‘Don’t Think’ were unquestionably done justice in their live renditions. The somewhat selfdeprecating humour evoked in the lyrics of their songs was complemented by their nonchalant stage presence.

With this, the artists demonstrated chemistry and comfort in each other’s company, highlighted by Jackson and Soph Nathan (guitar) riffing together during instrumentals. What Jackson describes as ‘soothing and cleansing music’ was reinforced by concertgoers bobbing heads and swaying arms. Undoubtedly, the eerie sounding synths and backing vocals provided a soothing sentiment as intended.

As far as being an opening act, The Big Moon produced a stellar performance, giving Bombay Bicycle Club a run for their money. It was a formidable teaser for what was to follow in the headline act. While indierock has seen many artists spring to the scene, the band are distinctive in their use of humbling lyrics while creating a purifying ambience. All in all, they’re to be seen again.

the URF Mobile. An innovative and futuristic scooter powered by an electric battery, we have grandiose plans for its future.

We’re talking speakers, lasers, flashing fairy lights, a smoke machine, velvet cup holders and much, much more.

The only blip in our scooterassisted ride off into the Falmer sunset? It will not turn on.

Sadly not only is the charging cable broken, but there appears to be a key-shaped hole in the side of our mobile which we have no way to fill. We have tried contacting the issuing company, but they appear to have gone bankrupt a number of years back. Perhaps one day its time will come.

The Badger 17th February 2020

In Conversation with Harker

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Ryan Bridgewater Hi Mark, for those who don’t know Harker yet, who does what in the band and what do you sound like?

Hey ho, there’s four of us in total. I play guitar and vocals, Phoebe is bass and vocals, Tony on lead guitar and Matt on drums.

We’re a Punk Rock band, but with a lot of shoegaze/indie-pop/ Dischord records influence. We often joke that we’re EMOGAZE or SHOEGAZI (nod to one of our favourite bands, Fugazi).

Are you pleased with the reception of your album No Discordance (2018) and what can we expect from the follow up?

For sure, we were pretty surprised how well received the album was and are eternally grateful to those that have listened and supported us.

Through the positive reception and word of mouth we’ve had the opportunity to be part of some great stuff in the past two years, and played a lot of great shows!

The next album will be a departure, pulling more from hardcore roots. Lots of loud guitars, a lot more noise. No Discordance (2018) was the pop influenced baby - the next one

isn’t going to be as clean. I have a lot to get off my chest lyrically too, as our current political climate has a lot to answer for.

What has been the highlight of your journey with the band so far?

We played Japan last year - easily the biggest highlight for me. We’ve been fortunate to tour the EU several times in our existence, but traveling over to the other side of the world to play to rooms of people that know your music was a life changing experience.

And the bands we got to play with were all phenomenal. It’s

What’s Happening on URF? Matt Pritchard After the committee elections, we have a whole load of new faces and some familiar, who are primed and ready to continue the great work done by the URF. We also aired a 24 Hour Broadcast for the Anthony Nolan Charity, in partnership with Brighton and Sussex Marrow, raising over £1,000.

Matt: social.media@urfonline. com Lily: journalism@urfonline.com

got me working harder, and has rooted some deep friendships.

In your opinion, is the current UK punk scene in good health?

Does it have a strong identity?

There are pockets darted all about the UK, filled with some great bands. My personal favourites right now are Petrol Girls, Lower Slaughter, Ducking Punches… I could list a load more but it would turn into a hardback edition. Identity is a lot stronger now, as a lot of the bands you see on line ups are more diverse in sound - the consciousness is also slowly shifting from just 4 piece white dude bands to groups that contain members of different backgrounds. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it feels like it’s bringing a breath of fresh air to the identity of UK punk.

How did your upcoming tour with Burnt Tapes come about?

And what can fans expect?

Us and Burnt Tapes have been about for around the same time, and we’re on the same roster over at Wiretap Records, our US-based label. We’d been shooting for dates for ages, so when we finally settled on this February it was like ‘Yep, it’s the right time. Let’s do this’.

We’ll be playing a lot of new songs, we’ll be heading to record our second album in June so it’s a good chance to road test songs.

Any final words?

Tickets available for our Brighton show at Latest Music Bar on the 18th Feb! Come down and say hi!

Listen to our stuff: http://hrkr.co.uk

The Badger 17th February 2020

Arts • Theatre

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A parliamentary production Jessica Hake Theatre Editor Last week I attended the Politic Society’s quiz night in Falmer Bar, which led to me being coerced by a friend to buy a ticket for the tour of parliament occurring at the end of the week. Having had such a fun time at the quiz, despite not remotely winning, I did so and looked forward to the event with much excitement. It was only when I walked past the dent in the door to House of Commons, due to the Black Rod and subsequent reenactments, that I was hit with my own knowledge of the history of parliament.

Specif ically, my A-level knowledge of Charles I and his run in with parliament, that ended with his head being chopped off.

Charles I has gone down in history as a range of things; however, his love for theatre and the arts is one of them.

A lover of masked balls, his adoration of theatrics of all kinds established him as a f lamboyant king, with a large bill to prove it. Coupled with his extravagance as a host, his life also provided

Jessica Hake Theatre Editor

enough drama off stage.

The aforementioned ‘Black Rod’ incident occurred in 1629 when Charles I sent the Black Rod to the Palace of Westminster to prorogue parliament. The Black Rod went to enter the House of Commons but the door was shut in his face, something that had never happened before. Holles f inished reading Elliot’s three resolutions as other MPs held the speaker down to prevent the speaker at the time following out the evident orders of the King.

This is reenacted in the modern day to symbolise the Commons’ independence of the Sovereign.

It could be argued that the King remained a lover of theatrics to the very end. The man who was never meant to be king, the man who stuttered, the man who failed to unite England, Charles I ended up embodying his idea of what a king should be. His strict adherence to divine right and refusal to be pragmatic in regard to religion in Parliament, favouring Henrietta Maria’s devotion to catholicism, was all done

in an attempt to remain in control of his country. On the walk to his execution he even asked if he could wear two shirts because he did not want the public to see him shiver. He remained this character, delivering a prepared monologue before his beheading, until his death.

It was then under Oliver Cromwell that theatre was banned, advocating a Puritan way of life. The end of Charles’ extravagance was evident and despite Cromwell only being Head of the Commonwealth for f ive years until 1658, that was more than enough time to convince the public to reinstate the new king *cue Charles II horrible history song *.

Throughout the tour I had the Horrible history song about the Kings and Queens of England running through my head, providing a nice backing track to the day. The Politics Society is putting on even more tours later on in the term. Like their Facebook page ‘University of Sussex Politics Society’ and follow them @sussexpolsoc for the latest news!

and Tom Chester. The cast is, if I do say so myself, looking absolutely fantastic. To my knowledge rehearsals are going swimmingly, the only issues being when members of the play burst into bouts of laughter due to the sheer hilarity of the script and acting, as well as each other.

The cast is as follows: Stranger - William Greene Loman - Tom O’Reilly Stella - Rachel Nielsen Lady Bracknell - Liz Scott Eugene - Josh Talbot (The Badger’s very own Travel and Culture editor) Hedda - Jess Hake Yes, that last name is surprisingly correct. I have

managed to get myself cast into a SUDS production and although the line learning is far from easy, I am enjoying every moment.

For those of you who just cannot wait to see the play, follow us at @tpwpf and come to the pub quiz in Room 76 on Tuesday 18th of February. All members of the cast will be in character for the duration of the quiz, so I suggest coming along if you fancy a good time. The play promises laughs galore and I am going to stop the article here before I give away any spoilers! I look forward to seeing you all at the pub quiz and in the audience.

Badgers centre stage

It is with great excitement I can announce that a range of new plays are coming your way! In later editions of The Badger I will be mentioning all upcoming productions, including a play SUDS are taking to Brighton Fringe later this year; however, in this article there is only one I shall be focusing on.

The Poorly-Written Play Festival will be available for you all to come and watch from the 6-8 March in the Debating Chamber, Falmer House. The first show on the 6 March will be relaxed, with calmer lighting as well as performance, all with the hope of promoting inclusivity so that everybody feels welcome to come and watch, regardless of disability.

Given the production is hitting the stage in the midst of the four week strikes, you have no excuse to miss out on this hilarious play.

The play is being put on by fantastic director Immie Burt and produced by the equally lovely Catherine Kerr

LGBTQ+ History: Wilde about you Jessica Hake Theatre Editor This edition marks the start of LGBTQ+ month. Usually, the theatre page is curated with humorous articles, light hearted reviews and the odd interview. However, I thought that for this edition I would use my powers as theatre editor for good, shining a light on an incredible playwright and member of the LGBT community.

Oscar Wilde was a prominent writer in the Victorian era, dying prematurely of meningitis at 43 years old in 1900. He is known for his work in poetry, playwriting and of course, the well known novel The Picture of Dorian Gray’ He strived to exasperate Victorian society with his dress, actions and mind - his aforementioned novel critiquing society in a defined voice.

Wilde’s initial venture into theatre was not met with a lot of success, Vera; or, The Nihilist and The Duchess of Padua receiving less than incredible reviews. However, while in Paris he focused on the biblical icon Salome. As such, with Wilde being unable to to take his mind off Salome, after an evening debating his depiction throughout history, he was utterly inspired - writing the tragedy Salome in one evening, in French.

After this success, it was no surprise that Wilde flourished in the theatre world, moving on to writing comedies of society, in which he critiqued the world around him. Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance and An Ideal Husband marked his success in this world. The first two plays, although met with a wave of conservative criticism, established him as a comedic genius. His writing of illegitimate births and mistaken identities resulted in him being commissioned to write even more plays, including An Ideal Husband.

Wilde’s final play was titled The Importance of Being Earnest, which is widely thought to be his most successful play and crystallised his status as an impressive artist. His success was mirrored in the anger of his professional enemy Queensberry, who planned to throw a bouquet of rotting vegetables onto the stage at the end of the play in protest.

However, Queensberry was

banned from the theatre due to his plan being leaked prematurely. The Importance of Being Earnest solidified Wilde as an artist of high regard, yet only 15 weeks later he was imprisoned for his sexuality.

On the 25 May 1895, he was convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years of hard labour. The Judge used the maximum punishment and even stated that he wished that there was more to give, due to his intense hatred of Wilde and the crimes he had committed.

Homosexuality.

Initially fuelled by Queensberry’s public calling card that labelled Wilde a ‘sodomite’, that initiated a private prosecution of libel, Oscar Wilde was convicted to prison due to his sexuality. During his two years of hard labour he was transferred to another prison, during the transfer it is said that members of the public spat on him. This event is referenced in some of Wilde’s text.

In response to being asked in court what is the ‘love that dare not speak his name’ (referencing Wilde’s texts) Wilde responded eloquently, stating that the love ‘is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of affection’.

His statement only reinforced the homosexual charges in the courts eyes, yet Wilde chose to remain true to himself - acting as a gay icon throughout the theatre world. Whilst in prison, although initially refused pen and paper, he continued to publish his written works. However, he published under the pseudonym ‘C33’, his cell number.

It is said that Wilde aestheticised his suffering and turned it into art. Having read some of his very last works, I would struggle to argue against this statement. The comedic and lighthearted voice that penned The Importance of Being Earnest was gone by 1900.

Yet even though Wilde was imprisoned and punished for a crime that today is thought to be a depiction of love and is protected under UK legislation, the voice that wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray never left him. He died penniless and alone in France, rejected by British society.

I urge all of you to go and pick up a copy of his work, read and appreciate him. He deserves more than gcse and A-level student contempt.

Layla Andrews is an expressionist and abstract portrait artist. Who, at the age of 15, painted a large scale expressionist portrait of Nelson Mandela, which the South African Embassy acquired. Since then, Anyone can be a photographer. Anyone canhad be an she has many exhibitions and continues to produce work and artist. So, instead of focussing on one particular artcommissions artists, companies charities worldwide.

Layla Andrewsfor is an expressionist andand abstract portrait artist. Who, ist this week, we are choosing to focus on the artists at the age of 15, painted a large scale expressionist portrait of Nelson all around us. Our fellow students and anyoneartists with adothe Which youSouth draw African inspiration from?acquired. Since then, Mandela, which Embassy camera of any sort, shooting on anyshe format whether I take inspiration from events, ideas, socialtoinjustices political has had many exhibitions and continues produce or work and that be digital or film. Enjoy! headaches, rather than other artist’s works.

My favourite artist commissions for artists, companies and charities worldwide. has to be Ralph Steadman though; his expressionist and violent brushwork combined with political andfrom? social critiques is just wickedWhich artists dovery you smart draw inspiration he is a genius.

I take inspiration from events, ideas, social injustices or political headaches, rather than other artist’s works. My favourite artist has to important is colour your work? beHow Ralph Steadman though;tohis expressionist and violent brushwork Colour and violent, expressive brush integral to my pieces; combined with very smart political andstrokes social are critiques is just wickedhe is a genius.

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I do not create art as a backdrop. For me, a painting is a statement and thereby bold expressionist techniques, and rich colour is imperative in ensuring my work has some form of loud impact. change the feel of I Does do nothumour create art as a backdrop.

Foryour me,pieces? a painting is a statement and Arguably, industries like politics and artrich cancolour be seen as elitist and thereby bold expressionist techniques, and is imperative in exclusive, something I have always desperately tried to avoid.

Humour ensuring my work has some form of loud impact. is subjective but still universal to some extent, so I feel it enables a workshumour accessibility.

I hope it provides people with some intrigue and Does change the feel of your pieces? connection to a piece.

I am lucky that I have very matesand who Arguably, industries like politics and art can behumorous seen as elitist provide my work with much inspiration. exclusive, something I have always desperately tried to avoid. Humour is subjective but still universal to some extent, so I feel it enables a Whataccessibility. animals areIyou drawn to and people why? with some intrigue and works hope it provides Animals are super important to me generally, so I do often connection to a piece. I am lucky that I have very humorous matesinclude who them in my work.

I have worked with animals for conservation in the provide my work with much inspiration.

What animals are you drawn to and why?

How important is colour to your work?

Animals are super important to me generally, so I do often include Colour and violent, expressive brush strokes are integral to my pieces; them in my work. I have worked with animals for conservation in the

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US for years, so that is an aspect of my life which is always imperative.

I recently had an exhibition at the WWF headquarters; if there is an opportunity for me to combine my artistic passion with my love for animals, then I am on that. In the past two years I have created a colUS for years, so that is an aspect my life which always imperative. lection of abstract Crocodiles, theof‘Havana Club’, iswhich were inspired Ibyrecently had an exhibition at the WWF headquarters; if therebeis my an a trip to Cuba. These have been really popular and might opportunity for me to combine my artistic passion with my love for favourite body of work. animals, then I am on that. In the past two years I have created a collection abstract Is your of work ever Crocodiles, political? the ‘Havana Club’, which were inspired by a trip to Cuba.

These been really and might be my A vast majority of my workhave is political.

I ampopular managing a history degree favourite body of work. as well as an art career, which was a difficult decision for me. I thought it would be impractical to try to accomplish both; but as so many of Is your work ever political? my pieces are political, the degree helps by fuelling ideas, which in turn A vast majority my work is political.

I amI managing a history degree make me createofsome interesting pieces. think choosing a subject as well as an art career, which was a difficult decision for me.

I thought which enables your work depth and understanding can only be a it would be impractical to try to accomplish both; but as so many of my pieces are political, the degree helps by fuelling ideas, which in turn make me create some interesting pieces. I think choosing a subject which enables your work depth and understanding can only be a

TheBadger Badger5th 5thFebruary March 2018 The 2018

The Badger 17th February 2020

TheBadger Badger5th 5thFebruary March 2018 The 2018

positive addition to your art. We live in a world whereby, the internet has enabled further awareness and accessibility to globalised problems, which is fantastic yet, it can be frustrating not to feel you have a platform to air your views or try to contribute positively. Art has enabled me positive addition to your art.ItWe in a world that platform of expression. haslive allowed me to whereby, combine the my internet love for has enabled further awareness and accessibility to globalised problems, political study with my love for creating art. which is fantastic yet, it can be frustrating not to feel you have a platform to air does youritviews orbe tryselected to contribute positively.

Art competition? has enabled me How feel to for Liberty London’s that platform of expression.

It has allowed me to combine my2018 love has for Being selected as a finalist for Liberty Open Call design talent political study with my love for creating art. been so great! My work selected was a painting of a lobster smoking a ciggie, which I painted years ago; people seem to get it, which is cool.

How does feel toshop, be selected for the Liberty London’stocompetition?

Liberty is ait great so having opportunity work for/with Being selected as a finalist for Liberty Open Call design talent 2018 has them would be dreamy. been so great! My work selected was a painting of a lobster smoking a ciggie, which to get it, which is cool.

Words: EmmaI painted Phillipsyears ago; people seem www.laylaandrews.com Liberty is a great shop, so having the opportunity to work for/with them would be dreamy.

Words: Emma Phillips

Contact us at: thebadger.street@gmail.com Contact us at: thebadger.street@gmail.com

www.laylaandrews.com

First Row (left to right): Hannah O, Bea B, Alex E Second Row (left to right): Dan A, Hannah O, Alex H, Dan A Third Row (left to right): Alex H, Alex H, Dan A

Puzzles

The Badger 17th February 2020

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Want to be part of The Badger’s 2019/20 Team? c 2006

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Birthday 2006

c 2006

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Come along to our weekly Writers’ Meetings every Friday at 12pm in the Falmer House Common Room Join us even if you don’t write!

We are looking for photographers, graphic designers, proof readers and much more!

Birthday 2006

The Badger 17th February 2020

Travel & Culture 25 Friends cast reunion... ... on Instagram. Travel and Culture writer Charlotte Brill documents this cultural milestone

Charlotte Brill OH…MY…GOD! The time has finally come where all six of the beloved Friends cast are on Instagram. I feel a little sad being so excited about a celebrity media presence but seeing the cast interacting and reminiscing together on the social network platform, over two decades after the show premiered, is exciting! Friends was, and still is, one of the most pervasive and generation transcending shows to ever grace our screens.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is undeniable that this show is a massive global hit.

Set in New York City, the show follows the lives of six ‘ordinary’ friends though their successes, hardships, and other extremely relatable life events. It makes you laugh, cry and often quite frustrated, investing you deeply in the characters’ lives. It is a character driven show that grips you with its relatability and relative ordinariness.

The primary fan base of devoted and nostalgic fans, who followed the show as it aired, are not the only ones contributing to the show’s enduring popularity. It is also down to the binge-watching Generation Zers, including many of us Sussex students and our younger siblings. I was shocked when I found out my thirteen-year-old sister was watching and loving the show just like I had done eight years prior. It is fascinat-

Geoffrey Policy Exchange Chandler ing that even those born so long after the show started, and ended, can still relate to the characters and situations, despite all the dated references.

Netflix’s acquisition of the streaming rights to Friends in 2015, in a $100 million deal, certainly helped secure the show’s continual prosperity. However, after a price war with HBO Max, Netflix has lost the streaming rights to Friends, which will be moving to HBO Max this year. It will be interesting to see if this impacts the show’s popularity among the British youth, as the HBO streaming platform is currently unavailable in the UK. With DVDs being less popular and often considered a somewhat ‘vintage’ relic among the younger portion of Generation Z, I suspect less people will watch the show, at least legally.

The show is not going to lose its favourability overnight, and with the hype over the debut of the final Friends star, Mathew

Perry, on Instagram there is a new surge of devotion.

Mathew ‘Matty’ Perry, with much anticipation, followed co-star Jennifer Aniston, whose glitchy debut broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest time an Instagram account to reach 1 million followers. It’s globally known that Aniston is one of the most well-loved A-list celebrities, constantly surprising everyone with her age-defying looks, but to reach 1 million followers in just over five hours is an astounding feat.

Unlike his fellow stars, Mathew Perry’s experience on the show involved stints in rehab after hitting rock-bottom and accepting he needed help with his drug addiction. Having featured in very little after Friends ended in 2004, and having a comparatively quieter media presence, it is unsurprising that Matty was the last of the six actors to come on to Instagram. It is unclear whether his presence will last,

with his first post being seemingly sarcastic about his excitement for his commencing Instagram journey. At least for now, we can stop #ing and start @ing the adored actors.

Perry’s Instagram premier was not without a warm welcome from his fans and fellow Friends Co-stars, much like Aniston got when she joined at the end of 2019, posting a group selfie of the cast, confirming their friendships outside of the sitcom. As friends and as Friends they are there for each other, as promised by The Rembrandts’ hit song ‘I’ll be there for you’, in the sitcom’s classic opening credits. No word yet from David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc and a simple common from Courtney Cox, but Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston’s responses were among the best. Both Lisa and Jennifer posted a welcome on their profiles, comically referring to iconic lines from their own characters (Phoebe and Rachel). Kudrow posting ‘’Finally!!!

Yay!! Can’t believe my eyes MY EYES’’ and Aniston posting ‘’I’m shocked Matty is the last to join Instagram, considering he was a uh, umm…oh crap. Oh! A computer processing TRANSPONSTER’’, both give their fans the nostalgic Friends content they want. The fact that Perry reached around 2 million followers before he even made his first post epitomises the committed and timeless love of the Friends fan base.

Is a reunion on the cards? I

promised myself I would not get prematurely excited about this again after the countless times I have been duped and disappointed. Finally, sixteen years after the emotional finale, ‘’The Last One’’, a reunion episode is closer than ever.

With the launch of HBO Max nearing, which will host the original ten seasons, the cast are expected to return to screens for a one-off, hour-long reunion special. Reports suggest that the stars can expect to receive over $2 million for the reunion, which will likely be used to help launch HBO Max. Nothing has been confirmed for the unscripted reunion, and it’s still possible that it will not actually happen, but could I BE any more excited? That being said, there has always been good reasons to not have a reunion, to preserve the show’s original magic and satisfying end. To all the Friends fans, I hope that if the reunion does go ahead that it will avoid ruining your day, your week, your month or even your year and that it will not taint the extraordinary Friends legacy.

Policy Exchange

Flow Psychology: why you need to try it

Craft Society invite you to join them in their creative sessions, explaining why you should Bethan Grimshaw It’s the new year. A time for self-reflection on what changes we want to make that will improve our lives. For many people, this might mean starting a new hobby, or trying a new skill.

Research has found that spending a couple of hours a week on a focused hobby can have numerous benefits to our mental health and wellbeing.

This has been attributed to it inducing a state of “flow”, a term coined by physiologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe a state of hyperfocus in which the individual is “fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity”.

Marco Verch Some of the positive effects experienced by people who enter “flow” are: - Feelings of inner clarity and serenity - Enhanced concentration - Improved productivity - Increased feelings of moti-

vation - A sense of trust in one’s ability to complete a task - Decreased anxiety - Increased self-esteem - Improved perseverance when presented with challenges

Some theorise that these benefits may be caused by a combination of increased activity in the brain’s dopamine reward system, and a slowingdown of the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for higher cognitive function, resulting in feelings of time distortion, loss of selfconsciousness, and loss of our “inner-critic”.

Research has shown a strong correlation between Flow and creative activities, such as craft, and studies indicate Flow is most beneficial when done as part of a group.

So the good news is that all you need to do to experience these benefits for yourself is to come along to our weekly 2 hour sessions!

It is so important to take care of our mental health, and craft

is a great mindful activity to help with this. We also provide a friendly, inclusive space to meet like-minded people and make friends.

We alternate between meeting 2-4 in Meeting Room 4, and 3-5 in Room 76 (café at Falmer House) every Wednesday. Some of our past crafts have included weaving, cross-stitching, pom-pom making, and designing coasters.

This term will feature crafts such as macrame, paper flower making, mini dream catcher making, decoupage, and much more.

Follow us on our Facebook page @sussexcraftsociety to stay up-to-date with our events. We hope to see you soon.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Travel & Culture 26 Learning patience abroad Studying abroad in Uppsala, Sweden: this descriptive account from a Sussex student offers some insight

Hal Keelin Study abroad student, Hal Keelin gives us an insightful tour of his time in Uppsala, Sweden. From Viking burial mounds to historically rich and picturesque towns he explains how his journey so far has altered his outlook on uni life - read on find out more!

First week of September 2019: Gamla Uppsala

It’s still warm-ish, every night this week has been full, we wear t-shirts in the day, something inconceivable in the coming winter months.

We are warned about winter, and the game of thrones reference has got slightly old. No one’s very busy with studying. We’ve come here in the evening, on our bikes; we are trying to catch glimpses of the northern lights. The gravel path crunches, whispers of excited voices behind.

I’d heard others had plans to try from the Castle. My group laughed at this - “in the City!”

Seb said astonished, “you are basically guaranteed to not see anything there. Too much pollution!” We avoid the site that is alleged to have been the pit where sacrifices to pagan gods took place a thousand years ago and lie down. Here, lie the roots and very foundations of the entire Swedish kingdom: burial mounds of Viking rulers. In the daytime, this place is mounds of dirt that swing around like great humps of a sea monster buried under a nearby field. Stars gradually reveal themselves in blank space. We don’t see any dance of the aurora though.

My new friend asks in the dark staring up at the sky: “does anyone else feel really, really small?” Silence. It is not a new thought. We all nod.

Saturday, Centrum.

October,

Bright sunny days this far north give the impression that it is perpetually early evening or late afternoon.

Going through my photos taken of a walk through the city recently, the light is weak and the sky, pale, hazy blue.

The sun hovers low on the skyline, but it is not about to set. In fact, it is at its highest point. These brisk yet sunny days have always been some of my favourite back home, but in Uppsala they are even more special. Days when the cathedral stands rock still, its

Hal Hal Keelin Keelin red brick glinting by the gently flowing rapids beneath it and the cool blue above it. Riverside cafes teem with people, sharing fika and pricy coffee.

The queues spill out onto the fallen yellow leaves in the cycle lanes. Opposite these restaurants are situated some of the prettiest and oldest of the nation’s buildings, Vastgota, Norland’s, Gastrike-halsinge.

A nation is a club or community of members with a long history of choir singing and formal balls. A thought that often enters my head whenever I am in one of these establishments is “I am standing in a place where thousands of people, thousands of students across centuries have stood, with similar aims, thoughts and motivations before me”. I try to imagine these bodies, try to conceive of the doorway to a nation and the years rolling back in a kind of reverse time-lapse.

At first, like any new surroundings, Uppsala felt unfamiliar and an energy took over that was all the curiosity, excitement and trepidation that being in a new place inspires. Within some weeks or months this energy inevitably transpires if it is not renewed, for what at first seems unfamiliar gradually unveils itself.

An almost dangerous feeling that you have exhausted the limits of the city takes over and a pressing need to go out and travel extensively can be tempting. A quest for ‘the perfect moment’ sets in. Come October, get used to loud (usually American, Canadian or Australian) voices in your Basic Language class announcing their trips to distant European cultural havens, Krakow, Geneva, London, Paris, Milan etc.

And who can blame them if it’s their first time in Europe. For Europeans, the getaways are a bit more local, or at least within the confines of Scandinavia and the Baltic. I for one have

had some great trips away to the Norwegian border, to a frozen waterfall in a pristine, snow filled national park. We went to Helsinki, Finland on the infamous booze cruise offered by Viking Line. We spent six hungover hours there (the boat docks at 10 am only to leave at 4pm on the same day) and so in the frantic rush to experience a European capital in half a day we enthusiastically sampled the delights and horrors of a Finnish staple pastime, the sauna and ice plunge pool. What Cobwebs!?

I asked in a stupor afterwards.

Refreshing is an understate-

one. It reminded me of what a friend, also on his year abroad had realised.

“I’ve come to see that there is so much going on in any town. There are so many nooks and crannies…”. Facebook events is most definitely your friend. Within five minutes you have access to the entire area and it is quite incredible to see what goes on, right under your nose. This last weekend, the offer in a town that I often hear described as small was: swing dancing, yoga, Oscar film screening night, indie club nights, forest walk with fika (coffee and a sweet pastry), guest lectures on the environment, a football match, ice hockey, ice skating, bouldering or a waste food workshop.

What I’ve come to value in my time spent away from my home university is the unravelling of a new perspective on life being borne out.

It grants both the space and time to fully appreciate what being a student is all about. It is learning to appreciate how life can so often work for and with you if you have a positive and curious mindset. The vast,

Hal Keelin ment.

Beware, however, that to assume you’ve exhausted the town you are calling home for the year or a term is a false assessment. Al Humphreys, a self-titled “adventurer” in his brilliant new podcast series entitled “living adventurously” has found this. To paraphrase the wisdom of a recent episode – I cycled all the way around the world desperate to escape the confines of my small Yorkshire town, only to find I can have similar if not better experiences in my own county”. There is no denying that Uppsala, especially for one of Sweden’s largest towns, is small by European standards. This doesn’t mean that it therefore becomes known more easily. Out on my bike in early January, cycling for ten minutes to a new course which I’d enrolled on, I found an entirely new area of park, forest, and campus all in

unknowable territory of the future becomes a little more accessible and comprehensible in my own experience.

I came to Uppsala with one future certainty, and that was all: that I would graduate from Sussex with a degree. I had no real inkling of what was going to come after, and I purposefully abandoned any real probing because it was quite frankly a little unsettling. Now, just over half- way through my time away I’ve come not to have a certain idea, but a little more than what I had before.

Just with this idea, with just this tiny ounce of grounding, I feel far more prepared for what lies around the corner after graduation and far more at ease because of it. Life has become much more about allowing it to work for me and embrace challenges as opportunities than trying to fix or fight at something. A good

friend, from last term revealed recently he thought he’d changed a little too, and we agreed that although it might be discarded as empty cliché we truly felt that we had come to know at least a little bit more about ourselves, about what grounded us as individuals, and bit more life’s philosophy.

The past half a year has confirmed to me that life is about creating value, not in a materialistic sense but in a pure sensory, “living life in the moment”, one in the vein of Thoreau. When we take time to appreciate a moment for ourselves and experience it with others, it brings contentment.

This life-affirming sense was most definitely encouraged by the ridiculous ease at which you can get out of the urban city and into nature in Sweden, combined with the luxury of having an incredibly relaxed study schedule, which I took full advantage of.

Too much solitary wandering can induce feelings of loneliness however, and this is especially true for me, with a girlfriend the other side of the world, and the effect of the sun beginning a swift descent in its arc by 2 pm in winter in central Sweden. It is advisable to stay a bit like Jim Carrey in Yes Man during the time away, meaning, you must stay open, to seek out events and stay both positive and patient.

Once on top of Kung Bjorn’s Hog (king Bjorn’s hill, just south of the city) I had walked out of Uppsala suburbia through pretty light to truly comprehend what Neil Ansell meant when he stated how alone in nature, deeply profound thoughts surfaced that wouldn’t have flowered in the confines of an urban daily routine. Looking out on the ochre valley with its fill of weak winter sun I recalled Ansell’s words, “you see a tree as pure form, without the impressions of a lifetime”. All I saw then was the valley in pure brilliant form, and for a moment it was the stillest, most content place on earth. I felt an urge to come again as I caught the bus back – hell – to come every other day and leave my phone behind next time. If I did this, so went the thinking, then the moment would have been even more profound. And there I was again searching for something “more”, something “better”. I laughed at myself and went home.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Travel & Culture 27 Imagine Nation: What’s on at Brighton Festival

Billie-Jean Johnson Print Production Editor

Brighton’s annual bonanza of the arts is approaching fast. The Brighton Festival and Fringe are on their way and things are set to begin on May 2, 2020. This year’s theme is Imagine Nation, and will feature over 120 events taking place in 27 venues across Brighton and the surrounding region.

The unfortunate reality for students is that the festival sits directly over exam time, but its key to take some time to enjoy the weird and wonderful this

city has to offer (after all, that’s why plenty of us came to Sussex!) With the release of the programme for 2020, we’re here to give you our picks for the best events to make time in your schedule for.

One event running throughout the festival will be Lemn Sissay’s Adopt a Nation. It will be a one-on-one conversation and discussion about family, adoption, and personal experience, with this year’s festival guest director, author, broadcaster, poet and speaker. As Lemn says, “there is no such thing as virtual reality anymore. Only real-

ity.” This event is free, but you should book your slot in advance. Its going to be a popular one!

Now, the next event I think everyone should go to is the Children’s Parade. Hear me out. Even if you’re not a child, there’s no way you can miss out on the wonders of this event.

With giant puppets, vibrant colours, and true playfulness, the city really comes alive with the Children’s Parade. The practical advantages, too, are plenty: its free, its easy to reach, and you can go for as long or as little as you’d like. No worrying about spending too long away from the library.

Music lovers rejoice! There’s so much choice for you that you may as well commit yourselves to a month-long party. That being said, if you’re looking to pick one or two, then you may have a tough time narrowing down.

Mulatu Astatke, aka the father of Ethio-Jazz will be appearing at the Dome; I Fagiolini will be performing a nature inspired set; the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be joining force

with the Brighton Festival Chorus; and Laura Marling will be at the Brighton Dome in what is bound to be a wonderful concert. So much choice, so little time...

If the theatre is the place you want to be on your break, then there’s plenty of choice too. Traditional theatre-goers beware though - this is the time for the avante-garde. Sollievo, an immersive experience in a disused warehouse, will be having its UK premiere throughout the Festival. Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths are back again this year, after their huge success with last year’s Backbone. This year they are showcasing Out of Chaos, showcasing their incredible acrobatics.

In Worthing you can catch a playful reimagining of The War of the Worlds, adapted for the new age of fake news and the internet. Travis Alabanza will be presenting their show Burgerz, about trans bodies and reclaiming acts of violence.

There’s plenty of comedy to sink your teeth into, with Sofie Hagen’s The Bumswing, her new

show after her smash hit Happy Fat. Live at the Brighton Dome will be returning, with another brilliant line up of comedians including Jam Tarts Choir, Rosie Jones, and more TBA. Finally, if literature is more your cup of tea then there’s loads of great experiences lined up, including Ali Smith and Jacqueline Wilson talking about their works.

With so much lined up, it seems impossible to go the whole study season without a little break for this huge festival.

Whatever you decide to take in, its undoubtedly going to be a wonderful and weird experience, just like the city itself.

So what are you waiting for?

Go get your tickets!

Brighton highstreet decline?

It may seem perfectly normal as you venture into town to do some shopping but is the Brighton retail scene doomed?

Amy Holden

Walking down Brighton streets, you could be forgiven for thinking that its high street was safe, given that it has one of the largest selections of independent shops in the south coast, at around 300. These are one of the crucial elements of Brighton’s character, with the shops creating an eclectic choice for shoppers, alongside the general chains. However, a report from November 2019 showed the opposite, with a -75% growth rate, making Brighton the 12th worse in the UK for the decline of its high street.

The state of the UK’s high street is something that features on the news sporadically, but to those in these sectors, it’s a constant fight, with over 140 000 retail jobs in the UK being lost in 2019. Why these jobs are being lost is due to a variety of reasons. One of the biggest is the increase in online shopping that has occurred.

While physical shops are still preferred to online shopping for groceries (with over 50% preferring

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not to shop online), digital businesses focusing on clothes have seen a great increase, with ‘PrettyLittleThing’ seeing a 107% revenue increase 2019-2020.

Furthermore, the focus on public transport in Brighton can be seen as a cause accelerating the decline, as the need for tickets only adds to the preference of many to drive to places such as outof-town malls, where there are likely to be more shops in a smaller distance.

Given Brighton is home to many students, including both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton, the disposable income of many visitors may be lower than oth-

er demographics, and Brighton’s arguably seasonal tourist sectors only emphasise this.

Reports show that 20082018 the UK had the weakest growth of all G7 countries after the Financial Crisis, due to shoppers adopting more austere shopping practices.

This partnered with the National Living Wage (currently £9.30/hour) means making ends meet is proving to be difficult for many. One of the stark reminders of this issue is the approximately 600 empty business units that litter the streets, which in itself knocks onto wider society. Brighton and Hove City Council said they expect to lose £2.9 mil-

lion income up to March 2020, with the Local Government Association saying the business rates were important income sources.

Many also blame these rates for said closures, highlighting the potential conflicts that can arise as a result. The increased costs have been highlighted, along with decreased central government funding, as reasons for the expected £15 million ‘budget gap’ that the council will supposedly face in the 2020/2021 financial year.

One of the central shops of the Lanes, ‘Choccywoccydoodah’ shut down in 2019, with one of the reasons cited being financial. With rents of almost £50 000 a year, the shops in Brighton rely on customers spending. It was also suggested that, despite often having queues, people moreso took photos and looked at the shop, which doesn’t help pay the rent. Brighton MP Caroline Lucas has urged the Government to protect independent shops, but as more shut, the image of Brighton and its high street is likely to continue evolving.

However, contrary to the

statistics regarding their decline, in 2018 Brighton was ranked the 7th healthiest high street in the UK, with points added for services such as leisure centres, coffee shops and bars to name a few; points were deducted for services such as empty shops, betting shops and fast food.

This report reemphasises the importance of the high street for wider society, as opposed to solely those directly in the sector; highlighting the importance of helping to save it, especially in areas such as Brighton, where the high street of independent shops is central to its character.

While there is no denying that as students our budgets are not endless, and online shopping is sometimes more convenient however, given the impacts it is clear that something should be done.

While chain stores also have services to offer on high streets, the eclectic image given by independent stores, and the ability to have unique items is something Brighton is known for and, unless something is done so (by both individuals and governments), it could be a thing of the past.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Travel & Culture 28 Seven meals in one: the joys of batch cooking One recipe, seven dishes: If you are looking for an entry-level, one-size-fits-all dish to get you on the right track, look no further

Rosie Joyce Staff Writer

Chilli: Additional ingredients for the chilli:

Now that we’re well on our way into the depths of the Spring term and deadlines are looming at the back of your mind, you want to be feeding yourself tasty and nutritious food, cheaply and with as little effort as possible so that you can focus on the more important stuff.

I like to credit my survival of the past 3 years at university with this trusty and adaptable vegetarian (or vegan) recipe. It’s a dish that can be made largely with the ingredients lurking at the back of your cupboard or veg drawer, but when cooked in a large quantity, can be transformed into several different and delicious meals. The best thing about this recipe is that it can be brought into university in a Tupperware and heated up in one of the many microwaves around campus.

I’ve adapted it from a Jamie Oliver recipe I found years ago upon first giving up meat, I missed Bolognese but couldn’t bear the meat replacements just yet. This recipe really hit the spot and I’ve made it almost weekly since. So, make this base Bolognese and adapt it into several different meals to keep your meals both exciting and delicious.

Ingredients for the base bolognese:

(Applicable to 4 portions of bolognese – scale ingredients up or down dependent on how much bolognese you want!): 1 carrot 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 stick of celery (optional – buying a whole bunch of celery to use 1 stick can be annoying) Olive oil 1 tablespoon of dried mixed herbs A small punnet of mushrooms 100 g dried lentils 2 tablespoons tomato purée 400 ml vegetable stock 1 x 400 g tin of tomatoes The optional bits that I always add for that depth and richness of flavour: 1 generous teaspoon of marmite (if you’re a marmite hater, don’t worry, you can’t taste it) A generous splash of balsamic vinegar or a teaspoon of sugar if you haven’t got it.

A generous splash of soy sauce.

A generous splash of (vegetarian) Worcestershire sauce.

A squirt of tomato ketchup (don’t tell nonna).

A good amount of black pepper and salt.

Nicole

(Applicable to 4 portions of chilli – scale ingredients up or down dependent on how much chilli you want!): 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder A tin of kidney beans

Kelly Garbato

Method:

Finely chop the peeled carrot, onion, garlic and celery – or to save the effort, blitz it in a food processor if you or your housemate have one.

Heat a good splash of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped veg mixture and dried mixed herbs and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Blitz or finely chop the mushrooms and add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the lentils, tomato purée and stock, and chuck in the tinned tomatoes.

Season with those special things I was on about, or just salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and pop a lid on. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the sauce is rich and tasty. Add more seasoning if it needs it.

Spaghetti Bolognese:

Boil up a portion of spaghetti, or linguini, or penne, or whatever you’ve got in.

Drain, stir through some olive oil and salt and pepper on the hob on a low heat and add a portion of the Bolognese.

Grate over some cheese or sprinkle on some nutritional yeast and serve it with a bit of green stuff.

Lasagne: Additional ingredients for the lasagne: Bechemel sauce Lasagne pasta sheets Cheese (vegan if you want)

Make our easy bechamel sauce from last week (see The Badger website for it!), layer it up with the Bolognese and lasagne sheets, sprinkle on a little cheese, vegan or not, and bake it at 180°c or gas mark 4 until it’s bubbling at the edges.

cyclonebill

Now, man cannot live off spaghetti Bolognese alone.

Spice things up a bit and turn a portion of the lentil and mushroom sauce into a banging meat free chilli.

Heat up the Bolognese in a saucepan, add the spices and kidney beans and allow it to absorb the flavours and for the kidney beans to soften. Add more water if it begins to turn too dry. This will probably take around 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice or on a jacket potato, on top of nachos or, my personal favourite, in a…

Quesadilla: Additional ingredients for the quesadilla:

Two tortilla wraps 2 tablespoons of salsa A handful of grated cheese/vegan cheese ½ a pepper ½ a red onion 1 teaspoon of ground cumin or cumin seeds (I prefer the seeds!).

Salt and pepper Cut the pepper and onion into thin strips and sauté in the seasoning until they begin to soften – but you still want a little bit of crunch!

Place a tortilla wrap on a surface, sprinkle over a layer of cheese, dollop on the salsa in a few spots, place the peppers and onions and then a layer of the chilli and place the other tortilla on top. Now, be careful not to overload the quesadilla or the fillings will all fall out when you try to move it and flip it in the pan!

Heat a frying pan, big enough for the wrap, on a medium heat. Place the quesadilla in the hot pan carefully, flipping it when the underside is brown.

Ensure both sides are crisp, and the cheese is melted and cut it into triangles. Serve with guacamole and/ or more salsa.

So, there you have it, 7 meal ideas using the same base. With every dinner or lunch of your week sorted, you can focus on studying knowing that you will be eating nutritious and delicious food every day.

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The Badger 17th February 2020

Science & Technology

Organoids: Growing baby brains

Laura Bassett I am sure that you have all heard about the ‘brain in a jar’ philosophical scenario which has caused many existential crises’.

What if I told you that this was slowly becoming a possibility! Indeed, thanks to a collaboration by the bigbrain scientists from UCSD and Harvard, they have grown ‘minibrains’ in petri-dishes.

These pea sized Organoids are grown from embryonic stem cells transformed from mature cells, called iPSCs, and then cultured in a 3D medium.

“

These minibrains are still not quite identical to human brains: both scaled down and simplified, they don’t have other brain regions to attach to.

Incredibly, these organoids highly mimic a human fetal brain in its developmental trajectory, but as far as we can tell, they aren’t conscious or thinking.

Indeed, as early as two months, these minibrains displayed highly synchronous and stereotypical network activity in sporadic bursts.

By four months old, the bursts morphed into rhythmic activity. By six months old, they showed an electrical signature that usually suggests functional communications in neural networks.

Indeed, a team in Japan found signs that minibrain neurons can sync up their activity in a manner similar to how our neurons learn: ‘fire together, wire together’.

The correlation was so strong that an algorithm trained to predict neonatal age using EEG could predict the minibrains’ developmental timeline!

By nine weeks the organoids were shown to have grown features similar to a developing brain, including a cerebral cortex, the outermost sheet of neural tissue that plays a key role in memory, perception and consciousness, and the dorsal cortex, which is a part of the brain involved in cognition

GerryShaw

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and motor control.

However, these minibrains are still not quite identical to human brains: both scaled down and simplified, they don’t have other brain regions to attach to. Moreover, they were starved of a protein MECP2 protein - that is needed for the normal function of neurons.

While a fully developed human brain has 80-90bn neurons, the organoid has a couple of million, placing it somewhere between a cockroach and a zebrafish in terms of volume of grey matter. However, some are pressing to continue to mature the brains further and see if they further develop. But some are scared of accidentally creating consciousness in a petri dish - a brain in a jar.

“

Overall, this represents a huge breakthrough in modern neuroscience and biology!

Indeed Madeline Lancaster, a researcher from Cambridge, has taken this research to another level; developed ‘mini-brains on the move’.

Where they grow the minibrain in a petri dish with a spinal cord and muscles attached in the drive to study conditions like motor neuron disease.

When the organoid was cut using a vibrating blade into half millimetre-thick slices and placed on a membrane, floating on a nutrient-rich liquid; this allowed plenty of access to oxygen. Placed next to the mini-brain was a 1mm-long spinal cord (from a mouse embryo) and the surrounding back muscle.

The brain cells spontaneously send out

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Collin Edington tendril-like connections to link up with the spinal cord and muscle tissue; sent out electrical impulses, causing the muscles to twitch.

Overall, this represents a huge breakthrough in modern neuroscience and biology!

Growing human-derived tissues ex vivo has opened a multitude of possibilities.

It opens a window into human development, being able to model human disease directly from individual patients and test therapeutic compounds in a personalised medicine approach.

An even more significant possibility is the growth and transplantation of solid organs such as the liver, lung and pancreas, thus replacing the need for organ donations.

Indeed, clinical trials have used mini brains in the potential treatment of Glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is the most common and most deadly type of malignant tumour in adults - with a survival rate of only ~15 months!

These tumours are notoriously hard to treat

because the tumours contain so many different types of cells. The solution: baby brains!

“

An even more significant possibility is the growth and transplantation of solid organs such as the liver, lung and pancreas

Doctors take stem cells from a patient’s tumor and develop them into a tumored mini-brain. These organoids can then be inserted into the brains of mice, and then it can be tested how they respond to different treatments.

They can try things like different combinations of drugs, or a relatively new type of treatment called CAR T-cell therapy, in which a patient’s immune system cells are changed so they attack the cancer cells.

They can see which treatment is most effective for particular tumors, and then apply those treatments to the patient.

How far could researchers go with this? We will have to sit tight and wait and see...

Want to find your inner journalist? Come to one of our Writers’ Meetings!

Fridays 12 pm, Falmer House Common Room.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Science & Technology

A Breakdown of the Infamous Coronavirus

Ayah El-Dakal Science & Tech Editor Following the recent events in Wuhan, China, the novel Coronavirus has been causing quite an international conundrum. It is impossible to say at this point just how potent the virus actually is but when looking at the evidence there is no doubt that it has caused serious disturbances.

Almost 1400 deaths have been reported, and following Wednesday night, the amount of people infected have reached a 60,000 confirmed cases. Recent statistics have also shown that the number of deaths have risen exponentially and are predicted to continue to rise. This is unless, a well-defined treatment or vaccine is developed.

It is important to first of all acknowledge all the people who have died and the families which have suffered at the hands of COVID-19 (the temporary name of the new strain). There are no words to explain the overwhelming burden this disease has weighed upon the Chinese population and the fear which has manifested globally.

And just to add to the unpleasant turn of events, bigotry toward those of Eastern Asian heritage has been recognised as being inexcusably a result of the virus origin.

However, at the moment more than 20 countries have confirmed cases of the disease and nine cases have so far been identified in the UK. While many people from the public have been keeping up to date with the health affairs associated with the Coronavirus, very few actually understand the mechanisms of the disease.

How does the virus infect?

When searched on google, the virus appears as an SOS alert but why?

The virus is spread primarily through large droplets in the air but has also been shown to transmit through infected secretions such as blood and faeces.

Therefore, a cough or sneeze can be enough to propagate the disease. At the moment those most at risk are healthcare workers, because they are currently the ones in close proximity.

The NHS have advised that those who suspect they are infected should not enter a hospital or general practice, and definitely not be out in public.

The term ‘super-spreader’ describes those who have the potential to spread the virus more rapidly than the average person, infecting on average 6 people at a time.

Such persons can potentially put others at risk especially those with weakened immune systems. The sensible thing to do, is to call 111 and remain isolated as a means to prevent further infection.

The postulated reason currently for a low risk in the UK, is due to the measures which have been taken, including quarantine, that are preventing an epidemic.

While the virus is able to infect just about anyone, healthy or not, it does not imply that all of those infected will develop a serious illness. Multiple variables need to be considered when assessing the mortality rate within a particular country.

While not everyone who has died of COVID-19 in China had weakened immune systems, there is still the element of the overstretch of medical resources.

The frequency of infected individuals per day, has definitely taken a toll on the stressful environment for doctors and nurses. This can be considered as influencing the quality of care provided, and thus the success of patients’ recovery.

What are the symptoms?

The common initial symptoms of the coronavirus family include a fever and a cough, which to be frank resemble the signs of several other mild to severe illnesses. At present one way people have been diagnosed in the UK is by assessing when they have travelled from China (within the last 14 days) and whether they have returned to the UK with sudden flu-like symptoms.

It is essential that without ‘fear-mongering’ the public are aware of the potential toxicity of the virus. Having said this, the present strain of the Coronavirus has been shown to progress onto an acute respiratory tract infection, proceeding to pneumonia which in itself expresses its own consequences.

This manifestation of the disease has been the leading cause of death with complications involving the flooding of the lungs with fluids and extreme muscular fatigue.

At this degree of the disease, sadly very little can be done to

combat the illness and many people have passed at this stage.

Again, it is important to note that this expresses mainly in individuals with weakened immune systems as a result of long-term conditions such as Diabetes, Asthma, Cancer and HIV. The propensity of an increased morbidity risk in the UK, will only accompany an epidemic of more and more people becoming infected. Until that stage, it is difficult to tell just how dangerous this virus is in the UK. In China on the other hand, it has been specified as ‘extremely dangerous’ and ‘high risk’ with countries such as Japan and Singapore following closely.

Replication of the virus It is interesting that when SARS is mentioned, many fail to mention that this is just the abbreviation of the word Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Many, in an attempt to downplay the potency of the coronavirus may refer to the current incidents as less serious than SARS (separating the two components). When actually researched, SARS is caused by the family: Coronavirus.

In the two only and most contagious life-threatening outbreaks, in 2002 and 2004, the Coronavirus was responsible.

An article published by Knoops et al, in PubMed, NCBI and PLOS biology, cited over 100 times, in 2013 talks about the requirement of the ‘Reticulovesicular’ modified network of endoplasmic reticulum in the replication of the SARS-Cov virus.

They explain that the positivestrand RNA virus induces the reorganisation of host cell membranes into a suitable network to allow the viral replication.

of COVID-19, but what we do know is that researchers are currently working on trying to learn more.

The Department of Health and Human Services in the US have donated a $136 million investment to combat the outbreak.

Vaccine development The public have been wondering why there hasn’t been a vaccine yet, and while this is something to ponder, it is not out of the ordinary for a newly discovered strain. Let’s not forget that the Ebola vaccine took 4 years to develop. Though, Ebola was predominately confined to a single region.

One would have anticipated large pharmaceutical companies rushing to create a vaccine, and exploiting billions out of this epidemic.

But in reality, in the UK this is not the case, as big profits are not guaranteed. According to, Dr Ellen ‘t Hoen, director at medicines law and policy at University Medical Center Groningen in Amsterdam “none of the four top vaccine

“

The length of the illness is comparatively long, so we are now seeing the “end of life moments” of those who were diagnosed weeks ago.

Their data documents that the virus is able to conceal the replicating RNA from antiviral defence mechanisms. Ultimately suggesting that the virus’ capacity to evade the immune system, is one of the virulent factors which allows it to progress from the early stages of infection to disease.

Not much is understood regarding the current strain

Pete Linforth

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companies has shown significant interest”. This is despite the fact that the virus has claimed over 1300 lives.

There is also no appropriate vaccine developed for SARS-Cov. So while the incentive is there, it isn’t really understood why the financial investment is not directed towards combatting this.

Enjuanes et al, published an article in 2016 regarding the vaccine development for coronavirus. They reviewed advances in the development of a vaccine for this family of viruses, and the use of attenuated virus vaccines.

This was based on the identification virulence proteins that interfere with the innate and adaptive immune response.

However, they have shown potentially deleterious side effects following vaccination.

Hopefully, if not vaccination then professionals will develop improved therapies to treat the returning Coronaviruses and analogous pneumonia associated diseases

Should we worry?

There is no clear-cut answer as to how dangerous this virus really is. If it’s one thing to gain from this piece, it’s is that not much is known. The potency of the virus cannot be completely defined, as the mortality rate is fluctuating, and factors are not clearly characterised.

When the WHO was asked why the death rate is increasing at a larger rate than the rate of infection in an update published by the BBC, it was stated that this is ‘because the length of the illness is comparatively long, so we are now seeing the “end of life moments” of those who were diagnosed weeks ago’.

Currently, in the UK there are only 9 cases, and the first case in London was found on Wednesday. In the grand scheme of things, this is a very low rate in comparison to the general population.

In fact, according to the NHS, though the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate, the risk to individuals remains minimal.

Our condolences go out to those families who have been affected by these recent events and wish them health and prosperity. We hope that the virus is contained soon, and no further infection takes place.

Further information and advice can be found on the NHS website.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Sport 31 Australian Open 2020: A Recap Max Kilham Tennis is back, and the first major competition of the year certainly did not disappoint. The Australian Open, a competition blessed with a rich history, provided tennis fans across the globe with another heart-stopping two weeks of action.

There were shocks and spills, with new and old faces cropping up at the end of the tournament.

In the singles, Novak Djokovic took home a record 8th Australian Open crown whilst 14th seed Sofia Kenin shocked many when she defeated Garbine Muguruza to take home the Women’s Singles title. There were also crowning moments for De Groot and Van Koot in the Women’s Wheelchair doubles as well as Rajeev Ram and Briton, Joe Salisbury, who took home his first Grand Slam championship.

Early shocks were commonplace this year, with recent ATP World Tour Finals winner Stefanos Tsitsipas, and former US Open champion Marin Cilic both losing to the resurgent Milos Raonic, who made an impressive run to the quarter-finals. On the women’s side, Serena Williams was again left searching for a potential 24th singles Grand

Slam, as she was dismantled by an inspired Wang Qiang.

There was a deeper issue surrounding the tournament this year. There are often wildfires in Australia at this time of year, due to the soaring temperatures of the winter period. However, this year seems to have been particularly bad. Despite its success, these devastating bush fires engulfing the Australian landscape created a justifiably sombre feel.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev pledged to donate all his prize money from the tournament towards the fight against the wildfires, in a move that drew justifiably wide praise from fans and commentators.

Despite the heart-breaking news being relayed, the tournament continued. The men’s and women’s singles, as usual drew the most attention during the tournament.

On the men’s side, the usual faces were sweeping their way through the draw. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer made it through to the semi-finals, despite Federer being given a scare by Australian John Millman, who previously knocked out Federer at the US Open in 2018.

On the women’s side, Grand Slam champions Ashleigh Barty

and Simona Halep provided a dose of familiar faces, whilst American 14th seed Sofia Kenin and unseeded two-time grand slam champion Garbine Muguruza made up the other contenders. The first semi-final pitted Halep against Muguruza.

This matchup saw a clash between grand slam champions with both two slams each to their names. Muguruza ultimately prevailed in a close encounter 7-6 (8) 7-5, landing a first Australian Open final for the Spanish-Venezuelan competitor.

Then came finals day. Kenin versus Muguruza. The two-time grand slam champion versus the grand slam final debutant. All signs pointed towards Muguruza. It seemed clear that she would triumph against the relatively inexperienced American.

However, the unpredictability of tennis reared its head.

Kenin emphatically defeated Muguruza 4-6 6-2 6-2 to claim her first grand slam crown. Will this become a common theme for Kenin? Only time will tell.

Moving to the men’s side of the draw, most of the big hitters ended up in the last four, with the only slight shock coming when Dominic Thiem ousted world no. 1 Rafael Nadal in four

Six Nations: All the Action so far

Jack Parker The world of Rugby was set a light last year with the world cup in Japan. England in particular were thrust into the spotlight, reaching the World Cup Final. So Surely Eddie Jones’ selection of players have returned from the land of the rising sun, to demolish the oppositions in the six nations, Surely?

There have been many changes with the teams, with both players and coaches leaving and being brought in, in particular with Ireland losing their Head Coash and their captain.

It is not an understatement that the tournament is wide open. It has never before happened that a team has won the six nation with two grand slams back to back, is this the year that Wales can complete the seemingly possible?

But what about the Week 1 fixtures? England came into their match against France as the definitive favourites, with debutants such as George Furbank on their side it was always in the back of the English fan’s mind that the victory they expected may not be so obvious, Big Billy Vunipola being injured being one of such issues.

However, we were not prepared for the sheer onslaught that the French brought, it completely threw England off of their game, resulting in a full-time score of 24-17. England were sent home with their tails between their legs in a shocking twist of fate.

Next up was Wales’ game against Italy. As expected, it was one-sided, with Wales enacting a crushing wave after wave, scoring an equal amount of points in both halves. Adams scoring a hattrick, and Tompkins and North also crossing the white line for points. Italy put up a hearty defence but ultimately it was to no avail. Ending in 42-0.

Ireland v Scotland was perhaps yhe most entertaining of the three games, as it was ultimately decided by the slip of a hand. Stuart Hogg dropped the ball over the line, and this spelt disaster for Scotland.

There was give and take from both sides ultimately that missed opportunity from Hogg was the difference between the two. CJ Stander as usual had an exceptional game, dominating the ruck area, the combination of the two ended with a satisfying victory for Ireland 19-12,

a great result under new Head Coach Andy Farrell, who is having a better time than his son, Owen, England Captain.

In week two’s fixtures, Ireland faced Wales, and in this CJ Stander masterclass, the two nations butted heads. In keeping with tradition after a hardfought game, Ireland came out on top, with four tries showing a much-improved side from their win over Scotland, with a much more clinical and precise attack.

Wales rallied in places, particularly behind Tomos Williams scoring Wales first try.

With Wyn Jones constantly leading from the front it was hard to not root for the plucky welsh side, but ultimately this was to no avail. Even with a CJ Stander sin bin, Wales couldn’t overcome the deficit, leaving the final score at 24-14, Ireland continue on with their potential Grand Slam performance.

Wales’ double grand slam hopes are crushed.

Following on from this clash, England faced Scotland in a very boring game, hampered with the adverse weather conditions.

Ironically this resulted in a kicking for territory ridden game.

Billy Connolly once said, “there

sets, winning three tiebreak sets in the process. Alexander Zverev made his first slam semifinal, beating former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka in four sets. Unfortunately for Zverev, he fell to Thiem in four sets also, sending the Austrian to the final.

The other side of the draw resulted in a mouth-watering clash at the semi-final stage, after Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic beat Tennys Sandgren and Milos Raonic respectively to set up the clash of the tournament.

However, the clash was somewhat of a disappointment, with the Serbian sweeping aside Federer in straight sets 7-6 (1) 6-4 6-3. The Swiss admitted he was suffering with a groin issue, which likely contributed to the nature of the loss.

However, the pinnacle was

to come. Djokovic was looking to win a record-setting eighth Australian Open crown, whilst Thiem was looking to finally secure his first grand slam title, after failing at the final hurdle on two previous occasions.

Djokovic took the early lead, winning a tight first set 6-4, before Thiem levelled things up, winning the second set 6-4 also.

Thiem went on to dominate the third set, winning it 6-2, raising the hopes of his fans in the stadium and across the globe.

However, a seemingly tiring Thiem was there for the taking, and Djokovic capitalised, winning the final two sets 6-3 6-4, making history.

With Kenin and Djokovic creating differing, but astounding moments of history, the tournament can be crowned a roaring success for 2020.

Phil Whitehouse are two seasons in Scotland, June and Winter” and it was by no means June on this pitch.

Whether it was a combination of the conditions or the grinding gainline success of each side the game was extraordinarily slow, and eminently unentertaining.

The first half ended 3-0 to England, with some rarely missed penalties from Farrell, with the only score of the game coming from the front row substitution of Ellis Genge powering over in typical Genge-esque style leaving the score at 13-6. Genge gave a refreshing post-match interview, highlighting what we need more of in the game today, honesty, transparency and passion. England’s bid for the six nations championship is back on track.

The score line in France’s game against Italy is certainly not to be dismissed, and neither were Italy with a late come back within the second half, by no means a dull affair. France have managed to keep the flame lit on the dream of their Grand Slam victory, but this time it appears their performance is that of a World Cup France side, riddled with inconsistencies.

The Italian side came back in the second half, their scrum being a positive, a foothold keeping them in the game, it was not at

all an easy watch for the French supporters in the second half.

Even with literally a last minute score in the 79th minute by Bellini Italy left with their pride intact, but once more a loss.

France ended the game with an unconvincing win at 35-22.

Looking forward to the next lot of fixtures, in which England will play Ireland, who are undefeated so far and are looking inform, this will be a very tough game for England, and it will test some of Jones’ selections, in particular the move of Ben Curry to no. 8. Italy will be playing Scotland, and if Italy can continue with their spirited performance against France, this will be a very entertaining game to watch.

Wales are set to play France, France may come unstuck against Wyn Jones’ welsh side if they play like they did against Italy, this too is set to be a hardfought match.

With all teams having a week out of the competition it is sure to be a time to reassess for some countries, and for others it may be difficult to maintain their drive and their focus. This is the point that the coaches will earn their keep. The tournament may have some surprises yet, this year’s six nations story is far from over.

The Badger 17th February 2020

Sport 32 City Slickers? Carabao Cup Preview Charlie Batten It’s been a rocky season for both Manchester City and Aston Villa with City arguably losing the title race by Christmas and Aston Villa struggling in 17th place.

However, both have found themselves in the EFl cup final and both will be desperate to get their hands on the cup.

For Pep Guardiola’s team, this season has so far been a huge disappointment. After last year’s stunning title race, this year they’ve seemed tired and frankly, a class below Liverpool.

They already have 6 losses in the league, compared to 4 last season, and injuries to Laporte and Aguero have certainly held them back.

Regardless of all that they have still managed to make their way to the EFL cup final for the fourth time in 5 years after beating Manchester United over two legs. The first semi-final saw City playing at their best by slotting 3 past United in the first half with the pick of the bunch being Bernardo Silva’s curler from outside of the box. They were still caught out though by a well worked counter-attack finished by Marcus Rashford

that shows City still have their problems which Villa could exploit.

When it came to the second leg at the Etihad the result seemed almost certain and after City’s positive start you would have thought they would score three in the first half again. Surprisingly, City failed to take their chances and in the 35th minute Matic punished them with a well-timed half-volley. City were shaky for a bit but still managed to not concede any more goals, which was helped by a Matic red card meaning they’re in the final once again.

Pep will be thinking a lot about his team selection for the game and whether to go all out and play his best players or maybe play a few young players. He does have the bonus of Laporte and Aguero being fit again which strengthens the team massively, but will he play them for the final with fixtures against United in the league and Real Madrid in the Champions League looming. This could also provide a nice opportunity for the departing David Silva to win a piece of silverware as captain before he leaves in the summer. Young players such as Phil Foden and

Eric Garcia could also feature in City’s attempt to finally play good quality youth players.

Aston Villa defied many odds by making it past Leicester to get to the final. Leicester seemed like the likely winners of this semi-final after their successful season, but their recent loss of form can be partly to blame for their loss to Villa. Villa are in a difficult position this season with some good performances, often led by captain Jack Grealish, yet still find themselves 17th in the League and many predict them to go down after Watford’s recent resurgence.

This means that a cup win could turn their fortunes around and send a message to the rest of the league that they’re not going down easy.

They certainly showed a fighting spirit in their semi-final clashes with Leicester. The first leg began with Leicester on top and they could have been 2 goals up after Jamie Vardy had 2 chances saved by Ørjan Nyland.

Then on the 28th minute, rightback Frédéric Guilbert found himself on the end of a cross and put Villa 1-0 up. Leicester took back control but didn’t do anything with it until the 74th

Saracens Salary Scandal: What Next?

Jed Sexton

In the last five seasons Saracens RFC have won four domestic league titles, three European cups and one domestic cup. This level of dominance in club rugby is unprecedented with many viewing the team that coach Mark McCall has assembled as the greatest in history. But how did they do it given the wage constraints placed on them?

How did they manage to outclass every other English sides consistently? How could they compete with the French ‘super clubs’ with their array of southern hemisphere signings?

Under Gallagher Premiership laws, clubs cannot spend over £7,000,000 per year on players’ salaries as of 2017. This was put in place to encourage competition in the league and stop more financially strong gaining an advantage. This seemed to make Saracens period of dominance all the more impressive, especially considering that the salary cap for French domestic squads is around 40% greater than in England. Although naturally this led to many sceptics to question the legitimacy of their success with the 2019/20 campaign proving to be the falling of the great empire.

On the 5 February 2019 Saracens RFC confirmed that Elliot Daly would be joining the club for the start of the 2019/20 season from London Wasps. This acquisition raised many questions as he would become the 14th Saracen at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 8th in the club to represent the British and Irish Lions in 2017, far exceeding any other club in the league.

The first official allegations against Saracens breach of the salary cap came a month later in March from an article in the Daily Mail. They claimed that chairman Nigel Wray had exploited loopholes in order to keep their official club contracts below the threshold such as going into business with some of the players. Wray responded to these allegations saying, “investment is not salary” and that Saracens are “open and transparent’ in relation to the salary cap.

However, on the 5 November 2019, just 3 days after England lost the World Cup final to South Africa, the Premiership officially docked Saracens 35 points and fined them £5.36million for breaching the salary cap for the three previous seasons.

It was reported that Saracens were around £2million over the threshold in the 2018/19 season

which is roughly a staggering 30% of the total allowance. Saracens stood at the bottom of the Premiership table on -26 points, a tough blow but arguably recoverable for a side of Saracens’ calibre.

Although there were initially plans from Wray to appeal the sanctions, these plans were dropped less than two weeks later with Wray subsequently stepping down from his role.

The new chairman Ed Griffiths admitted that players must be offloaded in order to fall under the £7million cap for the 2019/20 season; failure to do this could potentially result in further sanctions.

Saracens responded to this saying they were “devastated” by the “heavy handed” sanction.

However, others believed that Saracens had not been punished hard enough notably the owner of rivals the Exeter Chiefs Tony Rowe. He had been a notorious critic of the Saracens regime for a number of years and had regularly accused Saracens of breaking the rules; Rowe came out the next day calling for Saracens to be relegated from the Gallagher Premiership as he felt that his club had been cheated out of a number of titles.

This was indeed the case and

minute where Villa were exposed after lazy passing and Kelechi Iheanacho levelled the game up.

The second leg saw Villa strike early with Matt Targett putting Dean Smith’s team 1-0 up in the 12th minute. Nyland made vital saves again with the best being a fingertip save pushing the ball onto the crossbar from a Youri Tielemans shot.

Leicester dominated the ball for much of the game which led to Iheanacho scoring another equaliser in the 72nd minute after an impressive attacking move. With extra-time and penalties looming, an amazing Ahmed Elmohamady cross put Trézéguet in for a dramatic stoppage time winner which secured Villa’s place at Wembley.

The biggest decision for Dean Smith is deciding which goalkeeper to play for the final. Nyland has proven himself to be a reliable keeper with two vital performances in the last round, but the incoming Pepe Reina could take his sport. Reina offers an experienced keeper who has already won the EFL cup with Liverpool back in 2012 and isn’t a bad keeper either.

Smith could choose to use many of the players who featured in their play-off win back in May as they’ve already won a

big final at Wembley. Villa will also have to rely on new striker Mbwana Samatta who may not have adapted to English football by the time the final comes around. He could however repeat Manolo Gabbiadini’s 2 goals in the 2017 final for Southampton on only his third appearance for the club and become an Aston Villa legend after being at the club for just over a month.

Overall, I can’t see City losing the final. They’re one of the best sides in Europe and playing teams like Aston Villa should be easy victories.

With Villa’s defensive frailty City should be able control the game and score at least 3 especially with the likes of De Bruyne, Aguero and Sterling.

However, one of their biggest problems this season is killing off teams which has led to them dropping points so if they don’t kill them game off quick, they could allow Villa to come back into it.

With that said, I think it would be foolish to not to say that City are favourites to win with the fact they are a level above Villa and that they’ve won 3 of the last 4 EFL cup finals. But Villa could still cause a huge upset by exploiting the arrogant City and continuing the spirit of their play-off win against Derby.

on the 19 January when Saracens were officially relegated from the Premiership after being deducted a further 70 points.

One major concern from this is for the international players at Saracens who make up the core of the England national team.

Playing in the division below will mean they will not be competing at the highest level, which will probably mean their progression will slow and perhaps damage future England performances.

Since the majority of other clubs are already at their maximum salary caps and the RFU’s overseas rules means England players must be playing in England, this means it will be very difficult for these players to find

new clubs.

The question is now, who was really at fault? Were the governing bodies too slow to deal with the issue which had been rumoured for years before?

An investigation was launched in 2015 but with no findings of breaches. Was it the arrogance of Saracens to continue to break the rules despite apparent knowledge of their wrongdoings? Are the players at fault for blindly walking into a club that appeared to acquiring players well out of their capabilities?

These are questions that must be answered in order to avoid another situation like this happening again in the future which has been very damaging for the sport.

KBaucherel