The Boar - Volume 47 Issue 3

theboar

3x Paper of the Year

Warwick Catholics slam University’s eleventh-hour chaplaincy appointment

» Image: Alicianna Fadrilan

Luke Chapman, he/him

Editor-In-Chief

Anna Bickerton, she/her Head of Digital Media

Warwick’s new Catholic Chaplain is set to be appointed in early December, just in time for the University’s ecumenical carol service, The Boar can reveal.

It follows a series of ‘huge delays’ and ‘inadequate communication’ between the University and Warwick’s Catholic students, according to Warwick Catholic Society (CathSoc).

After Reverend David Palmer retired in July, the University has gone an entire term without a

Catholic chaplain, which has seen the end of on-campus Mass.

“Communication from the University has been incredibly poor”

—

Eleanor Milburn, President of Warwick Catholic Society

Amid growing uncertainty, The Boar understands that the University’s new Catholic Chaplain will be Reverend Simon Baker, who also serves as Parish Priest at St Joseph the Worker and St Thomas More.

Eleanor Milburn, President of

Warwick CathSoc, is ‘outraged’ by the ‘shocking lack of communication’ from the University throughout the appointment process. She told The Boar:

“I genuinely think if CathSoc and the Chaplaincy team hadn’t been chasing this for so long, nothing would be getting done.

“Communication from the University has been incredibly poor, and the chaplaincy team have also been in the dark about what’s happening. It seems the chaplaincy has no autonomy at all.”

She added: “The University’s chaplaincy team have been fantastic throughout all of this, but they’ve had no control over the process and are also confused as to why it’s taken so long.”

Having gone weeks without a Chaplain, it was not until 17 November, the Sunday of Week 7, that a mass specifically for Warwick students was held. This was at a nearby church in Canley—St Joseph the Worker.

Eleanor later stressed that it was only “whenever The Boar came chasing for answers” that the appointment process progressed.

“Whenever CathSoc and the Chaplaincy team tried to do the same, nothing really happened,” she added.

Solomon Lever, a first-year Philosophy and Politics student, stressed the impact of these delays on pastoral care:

Happy Holidays from The Boar

Includes puzzles! FREE Tuesday 3rd December 2024

Starpower marks arrival of Christmas on campus

"The

one thing that I’ve always wanted to do was

switch on Christmas lights"

Nikolai Morton speaks to Richie Anderson Read Online Now

Guenther Steiner speaks to The Boar

"I couldn't be Toto, and Toto couldn't be me. Who wants to be Toto? He worries a lot."

Sport | 29

“We celebrate Christmas five times, each with even more people”

Family, feasting and festivities: celebrating Christmas across two cultures

Lifestyle | 16

The Boar Music’s Albums of the Year

From the team

Luke Chapman, he/him and Archie Clarke, he/him

Co-Editors-in-Chief

AsTerm 1 comes to a close, the Christmas season is well and truly here! Following last week’s Christmas lights switchon, this edition is full to the brim with pieces that will get you into the festive spirit.

From news-features on the cost-of-living to interviews with high-profile F1 personalities, The Boar’s team have gone all-out to see the year out in style.

On page 19 you’ll find The Boar’s albums of the year, and on page 21

there’s The Boar’s favourite Christmas films. Whether you’re looking to improve your Spotify Wrapped next year, or you’ve set an astronomically high LetterBoxd to-watch list, this issue has you covered. For legal reasons, other music streaming and film cataloguing services are available. (We’re not getting sued today!)

As always, a huge shout out goes to all of our editors, deputies, sub-editors, and writers. Special thanks to our newest members of the team, who have made this print edition so much easier to put together.

The NoticeBOARd

Senior Team

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief: Luke Chapman (he/him) editor@theboar.org

Editor-in-Chief: Archie Clarke (he/him) editor@theboar.org

Deputy Editors-in-Chief

Head of Communications: Yusra Babar (she/her) communications@theboar.org

Head of Physical Media: Jesse Hitt (she/her) physicalmedia@theboar.org

Head of Digital Media: Anna Bickerton (she/her) website@theboar.org

Chief Sub-Editor

Chief Sub-Editor: Katie Bevan (she/her) subeditor@theboar.org

Business Team

Head of Business & Sales: Sebastian Smith (he/him) business@theboar.org

Head of Social Media: Abbie Fox (she/her) @warwickboar

Head of Events: Freya Bennewith (she/her) events@theboar.org

Physical Media Team

pages 6 to 7

page 8 to 9 Finance pages 10 to 11 Culture Arts, Books, Travel, Lifestyle pages 12 to 17 Media Music, TV, Film, Podcasts, Games pages 18 to 23 Science

SciTech pages 26 to 27

pages 29 to 32

From everybody here at The Boar, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! theboar is the University of Warwick’s editorially independent student newspaper produced entirely by and for students.

Head of Physical Media: Jesse Hitt (she/her) physicalmedia@theboar.org

Assistant Head of Physical Media: Zak O'Brien (he/him)

Physical Media Deputy: João Ruy Faustino (he/him)

Physical Media Deputy: Sophia Walters (she/her)

Sub-Editing Team

Chief Sub-Editor: Katie Bevan (she/her) subeditor@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Ben Tanguy (he/him)

Sub-Editor: Ella Davey (she/her)

“The lack of a spiritual teacher or support on campus this term has meant many students, including myself, have sought this support back home or in other places of Catholic worship.

“It’s definitely led to a lessthan-smooth transition as not only are we a small religious group on campus, but we also haven’t had a member of the church to help us through the transition or keep up with our development as Catholics regardless.”

Neither the University, Chaplaincy, or Archdiocese of Birmingham could confirm to The Boar when students will be next able to attend an on-campus Mass, if it all.

Avril, a fellow first-year student, spoke of her troubles in finding the new Mass at St Joseph the Worker. She told The Boar:

“Last Sunday, I thankfully, by chance, happened to be on the same bus as Henry (CathSoc’s Wellbeing Officer). But I had no idea where I was going.

“It’s been upsetting because more people who are on the fence would come [to Mass] if it’s been on campus.

Students have stressed that an on-campus Chaplain offers ‘more than just a Mass’. Eleanor, who had her Confirmation at Warwick last year, stressed the “integral” role Catholic Chaplains have played in previous years:

“Deacon David used to send out a newspaper and people ex-

ternally would approach him, with retreats, job opportunities, internships in Catholic schools and Catholic communities.

“We’ve all been squeezing into the 11am Mass at St Joseph’s, and it’s become very cramped.”

- Eleanor Milburn, President of Warwick Catholic Society

“A lot of new Catholic students had trouble finding us, and a local place to have mass, which is very

upsetting.

“We’ve all been squeezing into the 11am Mass at St Joseph’s, and it’s become very cramped.”

Warwick’s Catholic Society say they are ‘committed’ to supporting Warwick’s Catholic community, and ‘strongly encourage’ students to reach out to them, the Chaplaincy, or alternative Wellbeing services.

Andy Smith, Director of Wellbeing and Safeguarding, told The Boar: “Father Simon has a provisional start date of 5 December (subject to final HR onboarding, which all appear to be on course).

This will be in time for the annual carol service at the chaplaincy, which will be a lovely event to welcome him into the team.”

Continued from front page

@theboarnews

Articles you can find online at Anna B & Abigail M

Editor: Martin Day (he/him) news@theboar.org

Deputy editors: Tom Ryan (he/him) Mairi Humphreys (she/her)

Three-quarters of Leam students missing lectures due to bus delays theboar.org

Caleb Tye Warwick ‘hardest university’ to get into in West Midlands

Sub-Editor: Katie Bevan (she/her)

Kara Evans

Female Oxbridge students disadvantaged by end-ofyear exams, report shows

Nikolai Morton (he/him) Kara Evans (she/her)

Rafael Duque

Three-quarters of British universities running deficits by 2025, OfS warns

Data shows Christmas season getting earlier and earlier

Tilly Dickinson, she/her Writer

Does it feel like Christmas comes earlier each year?

According to data analyzed by The Guardian, this might actually be the case.

Statistics from the UK Top 40 charts, major supermarkets, and news outlets have confirmed the long-held suspicion of holiday grinches: Christmas merchandise, songs, and decorations are appearing increasingly far in advance of the big day.

The week of the year when a Christmas song reaches the UK Top 40 charts has been experiencing a sharp downward trend since the 1990s. Since 2015, a Christmas-related single has made the Top 40 by week 48, compared to a previous average of week 50.

In 2023, two songs broke into the charts in the week beginning 10 November, the first time two Christmas tracks have entered popular listening that early into

Smack saved

Council intervenes to rescue beloved student nightclub

Elmira Aliieva, she/her Deputy News Editor

Plans to demolish Warwick students’ go-to nightclub Smack on Tavistock Street and turn it into student accommodation were rejected by councillors on Tuesday 5 November.

The Warwick District Council (WDC) planning committee’s final decision cited concerns about heritage preservation and potential overdevelopment of the area.

The proposal aimed to replace the two-storey, 600-capacity nightclub with a five-storey building of 10 student apartments and a total of 48 ensuite bedrooms.

“The developer argued that the nightclub’s building was “at the end of its life””

The developer argued that the nightclub’s building was “at the end of its life”.

They proposed a design that would “provide a memory of the building to be demolished alongside historical recording”.

The application described the new structure as “a high-quality masonry building” intended to “conserve and enhance the character of Tavistock Street”.

Despite these assurances, WDC’s planning and conservation officers recommended that councillors reject the plan.

Officers expressed concern that the demolition would cause “substantial harm” to the neighbouring Grade II listed former coach house. They noted that removing the existing curtilage-listed structure necessary for the new development was “not considered acceptable in principle.”

Other objections included worries about the loss of a public entertainment venue, and the lack of necessity for further student accommodation in Leamington Spa.

“It would be a shame to lose Smack, [...] there are already not many clubs to choose from on a night out”

— Sara, third-year student

Sara, a third-year biology student, said: “It would be a shame to lose Smack, considering that there are already not many clubs to choose from on a night out.”

Supporters of the proposal pointed out potential benefits such as reduced noise and enhanced community safety.

Elliott, a second-year law student, commented: “Living quite close to Smack has affected my sleep on the days the club is open. I wasn’t thrilled that the proposal to demolish it was rejected.”

Further concerns were raised by Ben, a second-year student, who stated: “Warwick District Council should rethink its decision to preserve ‘heritage assets’ whilst the local economy flatlines and the housing crisis rages.”

the festive season.

A similar trend has been observed among major retailers. This year, the average launch date at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons for a six-pack of Mr. Kipling mince pies was 7 September. This is down from 9 September in 2023, and 28 September in 2020. Christmas markets have also been setting up earlier and earlier. One of the biggest in the country, the Birmingham Christmas market, is a prime example. Stalls

have been open for business since 1 November, compared to a 16 November opening date in 2017.

Warwick University does seem to have resisted the Christmas creep. Despite the early 7 December final term date, the University Christ mas market only opens on 5 December, with the Christmas lights switchon in the piazza sched uled for 27 November.

This festive season,

some Christmas event organizers appear to be steering clear of the backlash from scrooges against the early spread of holiday spirit. In 2021, indignation against online retailer Very for launching its Christmas advertising campaign on 1 October proved that, for many, Christmas can indeed come too early.

Costs of social life causing festive misery

Tom Ryan, he/him

Deputy News Editor

‘Hidden costs’ of socialising on campus have left students shunning societies and sports clubs over budgeting fears, an investigation by The Boar has found.

Despite the Students’ Union (SU) reducing joining fees for societies and sports clubs this year, the ‘hidden costs’ of socialising at university mean that many students still feel left out, as they struggle to balance maintaining a social life with not breaking the bank.

The Boar found that 87% of students feel having an active social life at Warwick can be too expensive, with over two-thirds (67%) of students previously deciding against joining a society or sports Full story on Page 5

Stagecoach expansion boosts buses

Nikolai Morton, he/him Deputy News Editor

Warwick students will soon benefit from a major £140m project modernising Coventry’s bus fleet.

The scheme will see 64 new Stagecoach buses roll out onto the city’s roads next year, forming part of Coventry City Council’s target to have the UK’s first fully electric bus fleet by 2025. This initiative means that over 200 buses, 80% of those operating in and around the city, will now be electric-powered, placing Coventry at the forefront of UK trans-

port sustainability. As a result, emissions equivalent to 14,000 cars will be removed from the city’s roads. By pushing for zero emissions on its services, which link Coventry to the wider Warwickshire region, councillors say that a ‘key pillar’ in the drive to reduce air pollution and provide greener transport for the West Midlands will be met.

Funding for the project came from Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which received £50

million from the Department for Transport. A further £70m of investment from bus operators and £20m from TfWM and Warwickshire County Council was later secured for the trailblazing initiative.

British manufacturer Alexander Dennis has constructed 31 double-decker buses, while Pelican Yutong will contribute 33 single-deckers. Buses will be fitted with modern amenities, such as USB charging points and free WiFi, and will offer more room for wheelchairs and buggies.

The newly electrified fleet is Continued on Page 4

Haleeqa Hashmi (she/her) Elmira Aliieva (she/her)

» Image: Pexels / cottonbro studios

» Snow-vember Workers on Library Rd brave the extreme weather, as a cold snap brought surprise early snow to campus | Image: Martin Day / TheBoar

Rise in university fees leaves students fatalistic

Rafael Duque, he/him Writer

University tuition fees in England are set to rise for the first time since 2017, prompting an attitude of resignation among students.

The planned 3.1% increase may seem modest, but marks only the second rise since tuition fees were controversially tripled in 2010 under David Cameron’s coalition government.

In the subsequent 14 years, tuition fees have remained relatively static, increasing only slightly in 2017 to keep pace with inflation.

In real terms, however, the value of fees has been outstripped by inflation and the rising cost of debt. Coupled with declining international student numbers, many institutions now struggle to balance their budgets.

Currently, about 40% of universities operate at a deficit, while modelling by the Office for Students (OfS) suggests nearly 3/4s of higher education providers could be losing money by 2025–26.

“[Increasing] tuition fees is not something a new Government wants to do, but it was something that had to be done.”

— Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington

The challenge is worsened by the broader economic climate: UK debt repayments now consume

» Compared to previous protests [pictured], many students now seem resigned to the prospect of increased fees. | Image: Flickr / Antony Bennison

more government spending than the annual education budget. Such an environment has effectively made government intervention in the sector impossible, leaving a fee increase inevitable.

Perhaps predictably, the fee rise was met with dismay from students. Ed, a second-year PAIS student, told The Boar he worried the decision would further discourage working class students from university. He noted “the need for some sort of payment to keep universities afloat” but espoused his own view that: “I fundamentally believe that education, as the greatest tool for progress, should be free at all levels.”

Xander, a first-year student studying History and Politics, was more fatalistic, arguing that

the state of the economy was preventing government action. He observed: “Universities are being put under enormous pressure.”

He added: “Tuition fees are the fairest way to pay for university education. It should be thought of as more akin to a graduate tax rather than a debt as so many call it. It is measured off of the benefits you get from studying at university.”

and Leamington and the former Shadow Universities Minister.

Speaking from his experience in the role, Western argued: “It was long clear that universities were facing a dire financial situation unless something changed.”

Defending his party’s decision, he said: “A £285 increase in tuition fees is not something a new Government wants to do, but it was something that had to be done.

“It was a decision that had been shirked for too long and with fees frozen, universities were feeling the impact as the fees’ real-term value fell to just £6,000.”

The new tuition fee increase will be balanced by a corresponding increase in student loan support for low-income backgrounds, helping to prevent immediate financial strain for students. Mr Western hailed this increase as “welcome”, whilst attacking what he deemed as “paltry” increases in student support by the last government.

The Boar further spoke to Matt Western, Labour MP for Warwick

» Leamington MP Matt Western defended the government's decision. | Image: Flickr / UK Parliament

“I’ve had many conversations with students who struggle to make ends meet. I hope this increase will provide much needed support for many students.”

Speaking directly to The Boar’s readers, he noted: “This was a bold decision and one that I know will disappoint some of you, but the consequence of further inaction would have meant several universities facing financial collapse. That is not something I would be willing to accept.”

Additional reporting by Martin Day

Warwick's sweet 60th marked by year of events

Noah Williams, he/him Writer

The University of Warwick will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025, marking six decades of growth into a leading educational institution.

Reflecting on the milestone, Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor of Warwick, remarked: “As we prepare to mark the University’s prestigious 60th anniversary [...] it is the ideal moment to reflect on our legacy.”

He emphasised the anniversary as a time both to honour past

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Stagecoach expands bus fleet expected to be in service from next year after bus depots have been fitted with charging facilities, Coventry City Council confirmed.

Cllr George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said: “We’re delighted to be another step closer to being the first major city or town in the country to boast a fully electric bus fleet.

“Once the project is complete, Coventry residents will benefit from much cleaner air, with the obvious benefits of better health for young and old alike, while the

achievements and to renew a commitment to “a further 60 years of innovation and collaboration”.

Throughout its anniversary year, the University will host a series of events celebrating its legacy and vision for the future.

The Festival of Innovation and Grassroots Growth Summit, taking place at the Warwick Arts Centre on 27 January , will explore and celebrate work in sustainable technology.

The Poetry Trail, billed as a “science-art collision," will showcase poems inspired by the research

city will be served by some of the most modern buses in the UK.”

“This investment demonstrates Stagecoach’s confidence in the region”

— Mark Whitelocks, Stagecoach Midlands Managing Director

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, praised the “combined in-

of female scientists from Gibbet Hill, written by poet-in-residence Sujatha Menon.

Each poem will be accompanied by a prologue, sharing the scientific insights behind it. The trail is set to open in May 2025.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is a virtual reality experience which will transport attendees straight into the heart of the Coventry and West Midlands rave scene, aiming to reignite the excitement that surrounded the Acid House movement. It is set to visit Warwick Arts Centre in Autumn

Elsewhere at Warwick

Joy at Kebab Van's return

Anondescript, white box hovering at the furthest edges of the piazza at night marked the triumphant return to campus of Adam’s Kebab Van, known affectionately in the Boar offices as “bossman”. Students were overjoyed to reunite with culinary masters Adam and Yusef, whose absence had been sorely felt on many a Wednesday night out.

Pricey, soggy, and occasionally hairy, the outlet nonetheless occupies a crucial role in the student ecosystem for those staggering out of Pop! long after the last few SU outlets have put up their shutters.

The reason behind such a prolonged absence, The Boar can reveal, was a malfunction with the eponymous van itself, which left the outlet benched in its Leamington garage for six weeks. Elsewhere can empathise, having had a similar reaction the last time its author dared to try food from a kebab van.

Chancellor to America

Political pundits have for weeks been engaged in their favourite pastime: frenzied speculation, this time over the candidate most likely to become Britain’s next ambassador to America after the current top diplomat’s job expires next year. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that among the final four names being reported is a certain Baroness Ashton of Upholland, aka Cathy Ashton, Warwick’s current Chancellor.

Speaking to The Boar back in 2017, Ashton praised the international outlook of the current generation, and the need to focus on student mental health: presumably she will get on fantastically with incoming President Trump, who has championed a staunch America-first agenda, and suggested bringing back the use of mental asylums.

2025.

The Global Illuminations Light Festival will illuminate buildings across campus with a dynamic light display, showcasing eco-friendly projection mapping, a student curated global soundtrack, and an International Light Procession. It aims to celebrate the university’s diverse international community, featuring over 147 countries. This event is set for November 2025, with specific dates and times to be announced soon. Additional events and activities will be announced.

vestment by Stagecoach and the public sector”, which he expects will “make a huge difference to people’s journeys in and around Coventry”.

Mark Whitelocks, Stagecoach Midlands Managing Director, added: “This investment [in electric-powered buses and supporting infrastructure] demonstrates Stagecoach’s confidence in the region and is evidence of us delivering our ambitions to transform bus services for the communities we serve.”

» Image: Martin Day / The Boar

Ashton's main rival for the post, Peter Mandelson, is a similarly colourful political figure, being both loved and despised for his propensity to plot and scheme. Old habits die hard, clearly, given Mandelson has now come under fire for simultaneously seeking the post of Oxford Chancellor. Perhaps he could ask Ashton for tips.

Boarchive of their own

For a society whose membership is over 2/3rds humanities students, it should be no surprise that The Boar values its history. The paper is proud, in fact, to boast an extensive digital record – the “Boarchive” – of its editions online in partnership with the University’s Modern Records Centre. Stretching back even to some preBoar publications, readers can browse scans of the paper running from 1965 to 1994 (more recent editions are available on publishing platform Issuu).

Clearly the success of this initiative has inspired the MRC, who are now trialling access to the digital archives of two slightly larger publications. Digitised copies of The Mirror running from December 2000 all the way back to November 1903, as well as a smaller collection of Mail On Sunday editions from 1982 to 2011, can currently be accessed with a Warwick login. Such an innovation is welcomed by Elsewhere as champions of the free press, but also because The Boar and The Mirror’s papers are printed at the same location, giving us a sibling-like bond. Naturally, they’ll never be us.

Something for everyone – if you can afford it

Tom Ryan, he/him Deputy News Editor

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

club because they could not afford it. Even for those who have joined, over half (57%) said they were unhappy at the cost of memberships.

Joining an on-campus sports club at Warwick currently costs £101.50, despite a 25% reduction in the Sports Federation fee this year. £71.50 of that cost is made up of purchasing the Warwick Sports Club Pass, which gives access to training facilities and personalised support for development. Societies vary in cost, but all students wishing to join a society must pay a one-off fee of £16 for a Societies Federation membership.

61% of respondents [...] found the Societies Federation fee too high, whilst 83% said the same about the Sports Federation fee

For many students, the price of joining societies is too high, despite the cut in fees. One student said that “the expense is quite unjustifiable”, while another said the cost is “not worth it”. 61% of respondents to The Boar’s survey said that they found the Societies Federation fee too high, whilst 83% said the same about the Sports Federation fee (£24).

Membership fees are only the first financial barrier for some when it comes to socialising at university. From circles before POP! to international tours, students are faced with a slew of events to choose from in every society and sports club. These activities aim to bring society members together and forge lifelong friendships, but for many people who are already financially excluded from clubs, they make them feel even more like an outsider as they struggle to afford the extra costs.

One student in The Boar’s survey said that they feel society events “make working-class students feel excluded from properly getting involved in societies”. A 2020 study by Sheffield Hallam University found that poorer students are less likely to take part in sports at university, with only a third (34%) of students from the lowest socio-economic group being a member of a sports club, compared to 63% from more affluent backgrounds. When asked to name the most expensive aspect of participating in societies, an overwhelming number of respondents simply said ‘anything involving alcohol’.

'Hidden costs' of societies and sports clubs have left social life at Warwick a festive fantasy, Tom Ryan writes.

The cost of alcohol can make events such as circling and bar crawls quickly add up in price. 65% of respondents said that they find drinks prices at SU outlets too high, with the average person spending £21 at a circle. Some respondents even admitted to spending as much as £40 at the SU on a Wednesday night. For some however, the cost of drinks is simply too much, with one student telling The Boar: “Even when at socials, I often drink very little or don’t eat, so I can still socialise without going broke.”

“The SU barely assists the societies in their activities and are really stingy with funding. Where does all our money go?”

— Surveyed student

Though less frequent than drinking socials, balls and tours were also mentioned by some as expensive aspects of participating in societies. From a selection listed on the SU website, The Boar found that the average ticket price for a ball is £69. As one second-year student put it: “That is literally about two weeks of groceries for three hours of mediocre dance

for Societies, stressed that Federation fees go back into supporting students, through projects like the Advice Centre and the Free Breakfast Club, as well as running events such as the Societies Fair. He added that: “Other fees, such as membership fees and ticketing for society events, goes solely to the societies who can spend this money on their activities.”

Despite this, The Boar has spoken to some societies who have said that the financial support they receive from the SU does not go far enough. One club, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “there is only so much we can do with the funds provided to us”, while another added that “we struggle to get members to attend competitions, as we cannot subsidise entry and transport costs due to a lack of funding.”

range of support for students in order to reduce barriers to taking part in sports clubs. The Sports Officer Bursary, which is run in collaboration with Louis Gosling, SU Vice President for Sports, removes the cost of joining a sports club for over 50 students, with a record number of applications received for the bursary this year. Other initiatives like Rock Up and Play and support for Warwick Scholars also aim to broaden access to university sport and sports clubs.

and music, with possibly mediocre food”.

The festive season also increases the strain on some students’ wallets, with events in the second half of Term 1 – including trips to Birmingham’s Christmas market and Christmas meals – often more frequent and more expensive. One student said that they had chosen to miss events organised by Warwick Snow due to the expense, with the club’s annual Christmas tour costing £439.

When approached, the club told The Boar that they aim to make society events accessible for all, despite the high costs.

They noted: “We lose money on all the skiing events we run by fully subsiding any transport costs and partially subsiding ticket costs. Unfortunately, skiing abroad is expensive, [but] we carefully choose our location and tour provider to make sure it is as cheap as possible for all those going.”

While societies receive grants from the SU each year based on membership numbers, some students have raised concern about a lack of clarity as to how their Federation fees are spent. One said that: “From what I’ve gathered, the SU barely assists the societies in their activities and are really stingy with funding. Where does all our money go?”

When contacted about this, Joe Stanley, SU Vice President

“We would like to remove the Societies Federation fee completely in the future, if it is financially viable”

— Joe Stanley, Vice President for Societies, Warwick SU

Joe Stanley told The Boar that: “The SU is aware that many students continue to struggle with the cost of living, and we do our best to keep the cost of joining societies as low as possible”. As such, some societies including cultural societies are exempt from the Federation fee, which is something Stanley wants to see extended to other clubs, where possible.

SU officers have also stressed their desire to eventually abolish Federation fees for all clubs.

Former Societies VP Max Pike told The Boar in August that the Societies Federation fee has “existed for far too long and I’m glad we’re going in the right direction to hopefully eliminate it someday.”

His successor Stanley echoed this, adding that: “We would like to remove the Societies Federation fee completely in the future, if it is financially viable.”

Warwick Sport, who provide facilities for sports clubs and operate the Sports and Wellness Hub, told The Boar that they also provide a

The University has also taken steps this year, in collaboration with Warwick Sport, to assess participation and inclusion in university sport, with a new Active Wellness and Sport strategy being adopted to “engage as many students as possible in active wellness, enhancing wellbeing, belonging and engagement”. A spokesperson for Warwick Sport said: “Warwick recognise the challenges that some students face in finding the cost of joining a sports club or gym."

They added: “We continue to work closely with University and SU colleagues to identify students for whom the cost of being active is a barrier whilst also remaining proud of the breadth of opportunities there are to be active for free at the University. Warwick Sport do not make a profit, so whilst we do generate some revenue our overall operation runs at an annual deficit of £1.9 million.”

However, the 93% Club, a society representing state-educated students at Warwick, criticised the University for not going far enough to address “significant affordability problem for lower-income students”. They told The Boar: “Financial barriers often extend beyond tuition and living expenses, limiting students’ ability to join societies, participate in sports, and engage in the broader social life at Warwick. This creates an environment where some students feel excluded from the full range of opportunities available to their peers.”

The general sentiment was summed up by one fresher: “The cost of societies is frankly extortionate and not at all realistic for a university student to afford.”

» Image:WarwickSU

» Many students focused criticism on the high cost of sports clubs | Image: Warwick Media Library

Editor: Gabrielle Welch (she/her) features@theboar.org

@theboarfeatures

Articles you can find online...

Komal Chauhan

How is the UK helping women and girls in Afghanistan? theboar.org

Viviane Pizem, she/her Writer

TheThe impact of incels on young women: A cultural divide FEATURES

term “incel” was first coined in 1997 by Alana, a 20-year-old Canadian woman who created a website for single people struggling to find meaningful relationships. Alana aimed to create a platform where singles could exchange dating advice and share personal experiences. Originally, “incels” stood for involuntary celibates of all genders, but its meaning has evolved into something more sinister. Incels now refer to online communities of angry and resentful men who blame women for their inability to have sex.

There now exist dozens of incel forums and websites, some recording more than 40,000 members and hundreds of thousands of visits. On these forums, incels express their frustration and anger towards women, believed to be the root cause of their misfortune. Incels also blame “Chads”, the attractive male group minority, for hoarding all of the foids, female humanoids (women), who hold the power in sexual relations and willingly withhold sex from unattractive men. In recent years, incel discourse has become increasingly violent and anti-women, correlated with a rise in the proportion of offenders adhering to incel ideology and committing crimes against women.

It is striking that, despite being a clear feminist issue, there is a failure to adequately address the needs of the women it affects.

Incels rely on the generalisation and dehumanisation of women to vent their frustration, often expressed through the development of their own vocabulary. The term “rapecels” refers to men that advocate for rape as the solution to their loneliness and lack of sexual relations. “Rapecels” believe rape is the tool by which they can return to the “top of the food chain”. Research on incels primarily focuses on the men that make up the movement and the potential responses society should implement. There is a significant gap, however, in research regarding the impact of the incel community on young women. Few authors seek to understand how incels affect young women or consider the incels’ perspective from a woman’s point of view.

Given the violent rhetoric of incels, it’s understandable that women would feel unsafe in response to this discourse. Nevertheless, the presence of such hostile hate speech against women is bound to

Jakob Reid

Sub-Editor: Odette Dyer (she/her)

Deputy editors: Anna Casey (she/her) Aaheli Roy (she/her) Candela Pons Humet (she/her)

Delving into the souls of our cities: An introduction to psychogeography

Sofia Drake-Perello

Silent epidemic: Syphilis cases soar in West Midlands amid gaps in sexual health education

Luke Chapman

How can Warwick make the best of student suicide ‘tragedies’?

have broader consequences, such that it could negatively impact young women by exposing them to violent hate speech. It is striking that, despite being a clear feminist issue, there is a failure to adequately address the needs of the women it affects.

Some argue that incels are deeply troubled men who require society’s assistance and that their current “demonisation” is counterproductive. Catrin Newman’s study for Swansea University concludes that the best response to incels would be to help them, rather than condemn them. He argues that condemning incels could further ostracise them from society, reinforce negative beliefs, and potentially worsen their mental health. However, the prescribed approach could potentially alleviate responsibility from incels, and the negative impact of what they write and promote online.

The current demonisation of incels is not unfounded. Incels promote a violent ideology, which can lead to the radicalisation of some of their members. It is estimated that incels have killed 59 people worldwide. That said, assessing their threat level solely based on the number of incel-related murders is misleading. 55% of femicides are committed within relationships: the victim often knows the perpetrator. The threat incels represent lies more in their influence on online social discourse rather than their crime rate in the real world.

For young women – of whom 50% reported being online “almost constantly” – violent, anti-women

incel discourse cannot be without consequence. Young women’s view of men has changed for the worse, especially for radicalised incels who committed gender-based crimes, receiving acclaim within the incel community.

The media often shies away from linking the act of the individual to the online community, even when there exists extensive proof of their ties, such as violent posts and active participation on incel forums. Depicting incel-led crimes, media news outlets tend to use the same technique; portraying criminals as lone unstable killers, with few acknowledging how their involvement in incel forums sheds light on the gender-based nature of their violence. This tendency may stem from the contested concept of “stochastic terrorism” – the use of dehumanising rhetoric or hate speech that indirectly incites supporters to commit acts of violence. Social media exacerbates this phenomenon by creating echo chambers that reinforce and amplify users’ extremist beliefs.

The radicalising potential of incel forums is often underestimated

Stochastic terrorism can lead to “lone wolves”, individuals not officially associated with terrorist organisations but who commit acts of violence. This narrative of the “lone wolf” is similar to that of the “lone rapist”. As Laura Bates, an English feminist writer, argues, the media conveys the “lone rapist” by depict-

ing rapes as individual acts, seldom addressing rapes as systemic acts of violence against women. In 2022, police in England and Wales reported the highest number of rapes in 20 years. The threat was such that the MET chief issued a public statement earlier this year, demanding that violence against women to be treated as terrorism, to properly tackle the rising number of gender-based crimes. The radicalising potential of incel forums is often underestimated, leading media outlets to fall short in portraying the broader context of crimes committed by incel-affiliated individuals.

In the summer of 2024, a debate on social media revealed young women’s views on men’s capacity for violence against women. The man vs bear debate, started by a TikTok video that now has approximately 16.7 million views, asks people whether they would rather be stuck in the woods with a man or a bear. The response on social media was overwhelming, with the majority of women preferring the bear. Justifications vary, but most answers centred on gender-based violence, with responses such as: “You know what to expect from a bear”, “at least people would believe I got attacked by a bear”, and “humans are so much worse than bears”. Some may argue this debate is unfounded as bears are unpredictable wild predators, whereas humans are civilised and incapable of the same physical violence as bears.

Yet, the overwhelming response hints that the debate is not so much about the bear, but more

about the danger of men, and the lack of attention paid to gender-based violence. In this case, women do not (literally) mean they prefer the bear, instead they have a strong distrust of men. Women categorically expressed their distrust of men, sparking outrage on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), as users argued that the debate was misandrist. Journalist Hazel Guieb argues that such responses miss the point of the debate: women who are victims of sexual violence often risk not being believed, which is the primary fear preventing them from reporting it to official authorities.

How do incels play into this debate? Incels openly express violent views, advocating for sexual violence against women as a means of retribution and control. The recent man vs bear debate highlights young women’s distrust of men, who are believed to be untrustworthy and overly prone to violence. Women’s level of distrust of the opposite sex is in many ways comparable to that expressed by incels online. Both cases employ a generalised view, revealing a troubling divide in online culture, where each sex increasingly generalises and distrusts the other. Furthering this issue, online spaces that facilitate meaningful interaction between men and women are rapidly diminishing. The shrinking of shared spaces may further exacerbate the growing divide in how each gender perceives the other, rupturing online culture.

» Image: Wikipedia / W. Carter

LOST 2024: My adventure for the Samaritans

Noah Williams, he/him Writer

Imagineboarding a blacked-out coach early in the morning, departing campus, and setting off to a destination unknown.

You’re joined by a friend and two strangers, soon to become your teammates, bound together by a single challenge – find your way back to the University of Warwick campus from an undisclosed city up to 200 miles away. The catch? You have no money and only 24 hours to make it back.

This year, 182 students – the largest group on record – voluntarily signed up for Lost, one of Warwick RAG (Raising and Giving) society’s most popular annual events, which has been running for over 20 years.

Since 1964, the Coventry Samaritans have been a lifeline in the local community.

Beyond the thrill of the challenge, we had a meaningful purpose driving us forward: raising awareness and funds for Coventry Samaritans. The Samaritans’ mission is to provide a compassionate, non-judgmental presence for those facing mental health issues, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. Their 24/7 helpline, email support, and other resources offer a confidential and non-judgemental space where people can find a listening ear. Since 1964, the Coventry Samaritans have been a lifeline in the local community. With a team of 90 dedicated volunteers, the branch was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2015, the highest award that can be given to a local volunteer group

in the UK.

Upon arrival, we were informed that our mystery location was Cardiff, Wales, a place I had never been before. We were briefed and handed a list of 37 challenges, each one worth a certain number of points. Challenges ranged from light-hearted, like hugging a member of the RAG exec, to daring, like getting a permanent tattoo.

I soon bonded with my new teammates, Connor and Ollie, who were randomly paired with myself and friend Daniel. Connor was a Challenge Officer at RAG, who came dressed in an inflatable cow costume, an outfit that would prove surprisingly useful throughout the day.

Our team started looking for challenges immediately. Starting off easy, we hugged a RAG exec member and took pictures of a stranger wearing our Samaritans hat. With our initial challenges completed, we wanted to go bigger.

Swimming in Cardiff Bay provided a greater challenge, and as a member of Warwick Swimming and Water Polo Club, I was the key target. We stumbled across Seren Dwr, a paddle sports club based in Cardiff’s international white-water centre. Expecting rejection, as this was a paid-only experience, we explained our mission and hoped. To our surprise, they loved the idea.

A staff member named Gareth kindly gave me a towel and a wetsuit, protecting me from hypothermia. As luck would have it, Gareth was bald, allowing us to tick off another challenge, taking a selfie with a bald man. After changing, I plunged into the cold Cardiff Bay. Once refreshed, I was kindly given access to the centre’s changing rooms and warm showers. It was full of Welsh lads singing to Rihanna – quite the experience I

must say.

Motivated by our positive encounter, we headed to Morrisons to complete another challenge. Our supermarket conga line came as a delight to the staff, who even joined in. The charm of Connor’s cow costume scored us free food in Morrisons Cafe, which ticked off another challenge. We soon realised we needed to leave the area we were in, as other LOST teams were swiftly moving away from the drop-off point.

With a mix of blind confidence, persuasion, and cow costume charm – [we] managed to score four free tickets to Cardiff City vs Norwich City.

Another challenge was to get a free boat ride around Cardiff Bay. After a few rejections, we found a kind couple who were willing to help, having just given another LOST team a ride. Cardiff was alive with Warwick students doing silly challenges for charity and accidental overlap with other teams became a theme throughout the day. We wandered around the bay, ticking off more challenges: taking a picture with a Welsh flag, a selfie with a bossman from a corner shop, and another with a local busker, the local celebrity of the day.

Hitting our stride, we wanted to take it up a notch. Managing to grab a free taxi ride to the Cardiff City Stadium, we set our sights on getting into the match for free. We walked into the ticket office and –with a mix of blind confidence, persuasion, and cow costume charm – managed

to score four free tickets to Cardiff City vs Norwich City. What a game it was, Cardiff scoring two goals in the 89th and 93rd minute to win the game 2-1. The script couldn’t have been written any better.

Now 6pm and dark, we didn’t fancy being stranded in Cardiff overnight. Upon hearing that there were coaches leaving Cardiff for Bristol very shortly, we ran to the coach station and a kind driver let us on. We were cutting it fine, the last train out of Bristol was at 8pm and we were scheduled to arrive at Bristol bus station at 7:45pm, stacked up against a 25-minute walk. To make matters worse, we didn’t even have a train ticket.

We ran across hilly Bristol city centre to Temple Meads Railway station, in the hopes of catching a free train. The first ticket desk declined immediately. Desperate not to be stranded overnight, we hurried to the other desk. We knew it was our last chance. Pleading our case, the cow costume worked its magic again. A kind ticket clerk gave us four free train tickets towards Coventry, a true miracle.

After just making our train and changing at Oxford, we found ourselves in familiar Leamington Spa. Landing a final free bus ride to campus from Parade, we arrived back at 11:15pm, greeted by the RAG team. We finished LOST in exactly 12 hours, having completed a wide range of challenges. Reflecting on the day, our team walked away with a massive confidence boost. We realised that stepping out of your comfort zone can be hugely beneficial. Having spoken to hundreds of strangers over the course of the day, we learned to brush off each rejection and keep trying. LOST also served as a reminder of how generous strangers can be. It was amazing to experience how willing strangers were to help out – whether giving us a free ride, sharing a laugh, or cheering us on.

Reflecting on LOST, William Passfield, the Co-Coordinator of LOST 2024, shared his thoughts: “Warwick RAG’s LOST is an invaluable experience because it pro-

»

Image: Noah Williams

"LOST helps build the confidence to walk into the unknown and tackle whatever one may find through their own social skills."

- William Passfield, Co-Coordinator of

LOST

vides an opportunity to experiment with one’s charismatic potential. It provides participants the opportunity to see: What if I just tried? By experimenting with their confidence, charisma, and courage it leads participants to explore their social capacity. LOST helps build the confidence to walk into the unknown and tackle whatever one may find through their own social skills. LOST is an essential rite of passage for any Warwick University student and has been central to defining university memory for generations of students. Having heard the experiences of nearly every LOST 2024 participant, I am honoured to have helped facilitate their unforgettable adventures. I would like to personally thank everyone who took part for in their immense record-breaking fundraising efforts – your hard work will help save lives.”

It was an unforgettable experience, and knowing it contributed to Samaritan’s mission made every moment more worthwhile. In total, Warwick RAG’s LOST event fundraised an amazing £18,727 for Coventry Samaritans.

If you would like to get more involved with Samaritans, there are many ways to, such as volunteering, which you can find out about by checking their website: https:// www.samaritans.org/

If this year’s event is anything to go by, I’d urge anyone reading this to sign up next year to be part of something truly special. Step out of your comfort zone. You will be surprised how far it takes you.

» Image: Noah Williams

OPINION

@theboaropinion

Articles you can find online...

Joakim Birk-Petersen

Where Harris failed: Reflections on the US election theboar.org

Editor: Ruby Deakin (she/her) opinion@theboar.org

Deputy editors: Annalise Smith (she/her)

Matthew Titterington

Where is the best place to study on campus? The answer may (or may not) shock

Sub-Editor: Ananya Singh (she/her)

Aliyah Jaulim (she/her) Clea Le Borgne (she/her)

Ben Tanguy

The media's public confidence crisis has been decades in the making: Is it too late to solve now?

Rafael Duque

A right to defend itself: Do all nations have it equally?

The year of Brat: Messy girl feminism or genius marketing ploy?

Malaika Uddin, she/her Writer

Let’stalk about Brat. No, not the spoilt, tantrum-throwing variety, I mean Brat –the rebellious, carefree movement of 2024, launched by Charli XCX. With Collins Dictionary crowning "Brat" the word of the year, this movement has made significant cultural waves. Yet, a key question remains: is “Brat” an empowering expression of messy-girl feminism, or just the latest trend to be capitalised on by corporations?

Collins Dictionary defines “brat” as embodying “a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude,” or a period in life defined by such a vibe. Charli XCX has a slightly different take: a “brat” is “a girl who is a little messy, likes to

down but parties through it.”

With neon hues and an untamed approach to style, the chaotic Brat movement stands as the antithesis of the “clean girl aesthetic” that dominated the early 2020s.

THE BRAT REBELLION AGAINST THE 'CLEAN GIRL' CULT

The “clean girl” aesthetic is one that I, along with numerous others, have never been able to relate to. It gained traction with its sleek, polished, and ultimately unattainable ideals, leaving most feeling more inadequate than empowered. It wasn’t just a style; it was a standard. With demands for perfectly matched

skincare routine, the “clean girl” look set a high bar for femininity. This aesthetic was largely driven by wealthy, white celebrities, such as Hailey Bieber and Sophia Richie, creating a sense of exclusivity and homogeneity. It implicitly suggested that perfection was the goal, and for anyone who didn’t fit into this narrow definition of beauty, it felt like a door was being shut.

At its core, Brat was supposed to be empowering, embracing selfexpression and imperfection

In contrast, the Brat movement was an invitation to all, including working class and LGBTQ+ individuals whose lives didn’t align with the flawless expectations of the “clean girl” aesthetic. Charli XCX’s vision of Brat, described as “a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter, and a strappy white top with no bra,” resonated with real people, rejecting elitist standards.

Brat embraced what some might label as “trashy,” a term Charli redefined as a source of pride and belonging for young, working-class people, and the LGBTQ+ community. The Brat movement wasn’t about striving to meet an ideal – it was about breaking free from one and embracing the mess of everyday life. The movement invited everyone to appreciate their imperfections and to celebrate authenticity. This rebellion against the polished, hyper-curated “clean girl” standard resonated deeply with people who felt disillusioned by limited, mainstream definitions of femininity. By celebrating imperfections, Brat championed an inclusive vision of beauty that recognised authenticity

over aspiration, self-expression over self-curation, and individuality over idealisation.

BRAT SUMMER OR BRAT SELLOUT?

At its core, Brat was supposed to be empowering, embracing self-expression and imperfection. But as the Brat wave grew, so did its commodification. Bright green shades of “Brat Green” have cropped up on designer handbags, matcha lattes, and even the Democratic National Convention. From Flannels sending out “Brat green” fashion edits to makeup brands posting “be so Julia” guides inspired by Charli’s lyrics, “Brat” became the latest marketing strategy – and a successful one at that.

This commercialisation transformed the movement. As much as Brat was about rejecting polished perfection, many argue that it has now become another ideal marketed for profit. In a capitalist paradox, what began as a defiant stance against “clean girl” conformity is being sold as the new style standard, with brands eagerly churning out neon greens and brat-inspired looks. Rebellion, once again, is repackaged into a consumable asset, another product to buy and another aesthetic to achieve.

This transformation from a grassroot feminist movement to a mainstream commercial trend makes one wonder whether Brat has lost its edge.

Brat still represents a break from the polished ideals that dominate both social media and traditional norms of femininity

Despite its mainstream adoption, I do not think that Brat has necessarily been stripped of its empowering core. Yes, the Brat movement has undeniably shifted from its grassroots foundation, but to dismiss it as a lost cause is too simplistic. Even in a commercial form, Brat still represents a break from the polished ideals that dominate both social media and traditional norms of femininity. Brat’s crossover into mainstream channels demonstrates an acceptance of imperfection that, even in its corporate branding, doesn’t neutralise

» Image: The Green Party / Wikimedia Commons

its empowering ethos. In fact, the widespread appeal can be seen as proof that feminism today can be messy, unfiltered, and still carry meaningful impact. I believe that this a testament to its relevance and power rather than a sign of dilution.

The movement’s core message will likely outlive its commercialised shell

BRAT FOR THE SEASON OR BRAT FOR THE AGES?

As Brat continues to evolve, its future remains uncertain. It may come to be a liberating cultural moment that fades with time, or it may solidify into a long-term shift in how we think about self-expression. Either way, its empowerment remains intact even if its grass-roots authenticity is weakened. Movements evolve, and if Brat’s influence has spread to both grassroots communities and commercial sectors, then perhaps that duality is its greatest success.

Brat has challenged us to rethink femininity and reject societal perfectionism. For now, if people continue to embrace the Brat attitude in their own lives, prioritising personal choice over societal expectations, its empowering message will endure. Ultimately, even if the last “Brat Green” handbag sells out, the movement's core message will likely outlive its commercialised shell.

» Image: Charlie XCX - Anna Hanks /

Is the use of AI chatbots dangerous?

Beth Meachem, she/her Writer

On28 February 2024, 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III used his phone to message an AI chatbot. He told the chatbot that he loved it and wanted to come home to it, which the character encouraged, replying: “Please do, my sweet king.” Shortly after, he picked up his father’s gun and took his own life.

Character.AI is a website where users can create and interact with AI chatbot models that respond in a text-based interface. Many of these characters are modelled on celebrities or fictional figures, created using a description of a personality and a greeting message. The site was established in 2021 and has since grown to reach 3.5 million daily visitors by early 2024.

One such chatbot is based on the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen. Setzer began speaking to chatbots months before his death, fixating on this character and quickly developing what he believed to be a loving relationship. He would message the bot to share details about his life, engaging in long role-playing conversations that often turned romantic or sexual. This obsession soon consumed his life, leading him to withdraw from friends and family. He wrote in his journal: “I like staying in my room so much

because I start to detach from this ‘reality,’ and I also feel more at peace, more connected with Dany and much more in love with her, and just happier.” As his main confidante, he also told the chatbot about his suicidal thoughts. When the bot asked him if he had a plan to end his life, and he said that he wouldn’t know how to commit suicide painlessly, it told him: “That’s not a good reason to go through with it.”

It is possible and concerningly easy for someone to spend many hours talking with these bots

Setzer’s mother has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, saying the website targeted her son with “anthropomorphic, hypersexualized, and frighteningly realistic experiences.” She has described the app as having “abused and preyed on my son, manipulating him into taking his own life.” Character.AI responded to this on October 22 with an update to the site’s safety features, adding “a pop-up resource that is triggered when the user inputs certain phrases related to selfharm or suicide and directs the user to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline”. They have also implemented stronger regulations on sexual content for users under

18, as well as a disclaimer that the chatbots are not real people and a notification when a user has spent an hour talking to one. But this is not the only controversy the website has faced recently. In late October, user-created chatbots were discovered featuring Molly Russell, who took her own life after viewing pro-suicide content online in 2017, and Brianna Ghey, who was murdered by two teenagers in 2023. These chatbots evaded safety filters by using slight misspellings of the girls’ names while displaying unaltered images of their faces. The website removed these chatbots when alerted, but the damage was already done. Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, called this a “sickening action,” while Esther Ghey, Brianna Ghey’s moth-

er, highlighted this as evidence of how “manipulative and dangerous” the online world can be. Richard Collard, head of the NSPCC’s online child safety division, condemned the creation of these bots as “appalling,” pointing to a “clear failure by Character.AI to have basic moderation in place.”

It is difficult to describe the effects of these conversations as anything but dangerous Tragedies such as these, wherein vulnerable young people have been harmed or exploited by AI chatbots, have raised concerns about the safety of young people using such websites. Even with new safety measures, it remains alarm-

How affordable is campus living?

Noah Williams, he/him Writer

Atthe University of Warwick, all undergraduates are guaranteed on-campus accommodation in their first year. However, with rising university costs and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, just how affordable is campus living at Warwick?

Warwick offers a broad range of accommodation options across campus, with a total of 13 residences. Yet only four of these cost under £190 a week: Rootes, Tocil, Claycroft, and Cryfield Standard, with the latter being the cheapest at £121 per week.

Recently announced plans to demolish Whitefields (Warwick’s previously most affordable accommodation at £91 per week), along with the recent loss of shared bathroom options in Westwood, are indicative of the upward shift

in living costs, which may come as a shock to many.

Other student expenses are also increasing. The Government recently announced a rise in tuition fees from £9,250 to £9,535 per year starting in September 2025. This increase will coincide with a rise in the maximum maintenance loan, which will go from £10,227 to £10,544 per year. According to the Government, these changes are intended to align with inflation and to support universities.

cation Policy Institute (HEPI). Notably, these figures deliberately exclude Edinburgh and London, to provide a more ‘equal’ view of standard rent prices. HEPI has cautioned that maintenance loans in England often fall short of covering rent, leaving many students unable to make ends meet without family support or part-time work. Beyond rent, students also face essential expenses for items like food and transportation. To manage these costs, over half of students have taken on part-time jobs, according to HEPI.

lack of lower-cost choices, which particularly impacts students from lower-income backgrounds. Students expressed frustration over annual price hikes for many accommodation options. One student remarked: “Prices have risen by huge percentages, sometimes over 20% in just four years. That’s unacceptable and shows the university profiting off the cost-ofliving crisis to an unreasonable extent.”

ingly easy for someone to spend countless hours interacting with these bots, forming relationships and forgetting they are not real. A recent addition to the website, in which users can physically speak with certain bots using a phone call-like interface, only perpetuates this misconception that they are real and can generate feelings of friendship or even love towards users. It is difficult to describe the effects of these conversations as anything but dangerous: while developing attachments to fictional characters or celebrities is not unusual, the illusion of a personal, one-on-one connection creates the risk of these attachments becoming obsessive.

Chatbot websites like Character. AI should acknowledge their responsibility in the creation of these dangerous and harmful situations. They must recognise the dangers their AI bots pose, particularly for young users still learning how to form relationships. Most importantly, they need to take more extensive measures than a simple pop-up in the app to prevent users from forming unsafe fixations on the characters and introduce tighter restrictions on user-created chatbots to stop inappropriate and disrespectful images and descriptions being used. As artificial intelligence becomes a more prominent part of online life, its creators must learn to regulate and control it –otherwise, further tragedies seem inevitable.

Inflation has also driven up the average student rent in the UK, which rose from £6,520 in 202122 to £7,475 in 2023-24, according to research by the Higher Edu-

In a recent survey conducted by The Boar, Warwick students were asked whether they felt their campus accommodation provided good value for money. Responses came from students across 11 different university accommodations, with 57% expressing dissatisfaction, and many criticising the high prices and limited affordable options. Students also noted that the quality of facilities, especially in shared spaces like kitchens, did not justify the high costs. These results highlight the financial strain that campus living places on students, particularly those on tight budgets.

The survey also questioned whether the University of Warwick offers a good range of affordable accommodation options, with 75% of respondents saying it does not. Students' concerns were consistent: on-campus accommodation was perceived as too expensive compared to off-campus options and the rates at other universities. There was also a noted

Additionally, there were concerns over the high cost of en-suite options. Many students who prefer an en-suite are now required to pay a minimum of £191 per week, with Heronbank being the least expensive en-suite option.

The affordability and value-for-money of these accommodations remains a growing concern

Finally, students were asked whether they had experienced any financial difficulty in meeting campus accommodation costs. 29% of respondents said yes, while 71% said no. Several students voiced concerns about how student loans often fall short in covering accommodation costs. One student shared that: “My maintenance loan just fully wasn’t enough to cover the cost of accommodation. I was spending my entire student loan on accommodation and that wasn't even remotely enough. It is not sustainable at all.”

Another student shared a simi-

lar experience, noting they had to supplement accommodation costs from their own funds because student finance payments did not fully cover rent. In these cases, students often must cut back on essentials like food, social activities, and other living expenses.

Concerns about the high prices in campus shops were also raised, with one student stating: “All shops on campus are unnecessarily overpriced,” adding that “campus seems set up to drain your money rather than help you save.”

The rising cost of campus accommodation continues to place a heavy financial burden on many students. While Warwick University offers a variety of options, the affordability and value-for-money of these accommodations remains a growing concern among many, particularly for those from lower-income backgrounds.

As costs continue to rise, there may be a growing need for Warwick to explore more affordable housing solutions. A closer examination of how the university can better support its student population in this regard might be necessary.

» Images: Rootes - The JR James Archive / Flickr (Left); Bluebell - Rwendland / Wikimedia Commons (Top)

Students voiced concerns about how student loans often fall short in covering accommodation costs

» Image: Colin / Wikimedia Commons

FINANCE

@boarfinance

Articles you can find online... Niska Cumming-Bruce Gilt trip: UK borrowing costs climb sharply theboar.org

Editor: Abhay Venkitaraman (he/him)

finance@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Ziad Wazir (he/him)

Deputy editors: Lex Gillard (he/him) Oscar Marret (he/him)

Evan Morris

Beyond the boom: China's struggle to balance growth and consumption

Big Tech goes nuclear

in the context of the world’s focus on clean energy and the transition towards a more sustainable future.

Amazonand Google have both hopped on the nuclear power bandwagon, striking deals with companies to supply new AI data centres with energy. In the first half of 2024, newly announced AI data centres amounted to nearly 24 gigawatts of capacity – more than triple that of the same period last year.

The recent spike in demand for nuclear energy by big corporations has come unexpectedly – especially

This sudden demand begs the question of why these large companies are so dead set on nuclear energy, rather than other low emission sources. There are obvious concerns surrounding nuclear power – it is a challenge to mass produce and volatile in its nature. Accidents such as Chernobyl, in 1986, making the area uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years, as well as Fukushima in 2011, are still fresh in

people’s minds. These events will have no doubt crossed the minds of tech giants when deciding to invest in nuclear power. There must hence be ulterior motives other than to facilitate the additional power demand.

Some reactor companies have claimed that renewables and batteries are not cost-effective, and are too ‘conditional’ to provide stable energy. This makes sense when analysing the requirements for renewable energy production: solar power requires constant sunlight thus cannot operate during the night, wind power requires constant wind thus cannot operate constantly, and biofuels are not efficient enough. Therefore, nuclear has been chosen to due to its incredible production capacity. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a chicken-egg sized amount of uranium produces as much energy as 88 tonnes of coal. As fossil fuels are due to deplete around 2050-2060, the world must move away from them, and chose more reliable, flexible, and low emissions options. Nuclear is this

Parth Malik

Boeing: An aerospace juggernaut caught in turbulent times

option apparently.

Amazon and Google have opted to invest in small modular reactors – which can be factory assembled before transportation, driving down costs – as opposed to large conventional reactors. However, concerns have arisen in the past about the rate of production of these smaller reactors. Despite the industry receiving billions of dollars from the US government, the deployment of these reactors is likely to be delayed and incur greater operational costs than first predicted.

The inevitable transition to renewable, carbon-free energy is not without trials and tribulations. Similar to how solar panels and wind turbines were seen as the future of energy once in the past, and are now established, experimenting with fresh nuclear technology is tanta lising but riskier.

The race to commence production of small reactors is still pend ing. 80% of the announced capacity is yet to enter the developmental phase, concerning Google, Microsoft, and Amazons’ 5.8GW power purchases from AES – a global renewable energy developer.

Oscar M and Lex G OBR Chair addresses students at the University of Warwick

Besides the standard safety issues, as expected when dealing with nuclear power, the implementation of these small modular reactors may have some geopolitical side effects. Both Russia and China have deployed a handful of small reactors; the US channelling billions of dollars of investment into them may spark competition as to who can cement themselves as the global leader.

As AI becomes more integrated in the world and comes to assist millions of people daily, tech giants have recognised its transformative potential for change, and are willing to do whatever it takes to accelerate development. Embracing nuclear power is a difficult decision to make given its history. However, its efficiency and carbon neutrality make it the only suitable form of energy to facilitate this expansion. Companies as well as governments must be prepared to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and the added financial obligations nuclear power comes with. It will nonetheless be interesting to witness how this plays out in the coming years.

Britain's barriers to social mobility

Joseph Brennan, he/him Writer

Successive

governments have promised to address the UK’s barriers to social mobility – to “level up” and turn the country into the “world’s greatest meritocracy”. But the problem remains difficult to solve and is arguably getting worse. Recent research by the Co-operative Group and think tank Demos estimates that a lack of social mobility costs the UK economy up to £19bn a year.

This growing wealth divide ... worsened social mobility

Moreover, previous research on social mobility has ranked the UK behind countries like France, Germany, and Denmark. The pandemic worsened the issue, widening school attainment gaps to levels higher than in the early 2010s and disproportionately impacting poverty and employment levels in the North of England.

How do we define social mobility? The UK’s Social Mobility Commission defines it as: “The link between a person’s occupation or income and the occupation or

income of their parents.” Economists typically measure social mobility using a measure called the intergenerational elasticity of income (IGE). A higher IGE implies lower social mobility and a higher persistence of income across generations. Many studies show the UK to have one of the highest levels of IGE in the developed world.

There is no consensus on the causes of the UK’s social mobility problem. Some research suggests that, following the 2008 Great Recession, low interest rates and quantitative easing fuelled asset market inflation, increasing the wealth gap alongside reducing real wages and access to the housing market. This growing wealth divide, as opposed to the income divide alone, worsened social mobility. Last year, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that growing inheritances stemming from this

wealth divide will further reduce social mobility.

The UK also has large geographical inequalities, with investment and skilled job creation being concentrated in the South East and London. Public policy surrounding issues like housing has strengthened dependence on the 'bank of mum and dad' for economic success.

Broadening

access to education is also important

Finally, there are also differences in social mobility by ethnicity. For example, relative mobility, the strength of the link between a child’s occupation and their parents, is more “rigid” among white Britons than ethnic minorities. The issue is therefore extremely complex.

Whilst we may know a lot about social mobility, we know significantly less about how to promote it. While the political conversation surrounding the issue focuses on equity, high social mobility has sizeable economic benefits. It improves labour market matching, improving workers’ productivity. With the UK having experienced

over a decade of stagnant labour productivity, this is an exciting prospect. Most research advocates for tackling geographical inequality through targeted public investment. Broadening access to education is also important. With university education reserved for students with the best A-level grades, investment in apprenticeships schemes and retraining programmes offer another way to increase opportunity. More radical proposals have included raising Inheritance Tax and randomising

allocation for university places, beyond a certain grade threshold, to tackle the rise in private A-level tuition. The aforementioned Co-operative Group report also discusses the role of the business world in improving social mobility, through strategies such as creating” inclusive and equitable” recruitment processes. Overall, however, improvements will not happen overnight. With barriers to social mobility being tied to so many other economic problems, a long, long road lies ahead.

Callum Morar, he/him Games Sub-Editor

» Images: Rawpixel (top left); Wikimedia Commons/Huzaifa abedeen (top centre); Wikimedia Commons/Amazon.com,inc. (to right); Flickr/Number 10 (bottom left); Pexels/Pixabay (bottom right)

Is financial insecurity killing the family dream?

As

birth rates in the

United Kingdom

fall to their lowest level since records began, Grace

Goodwin (she/her)

Are you aware that birth rates are declining in the UK?

Theidea of the nuclear family is often engrained in us from a young age. If not from our families, we see it throughout popular culture, history lessons, and even nursery rhymes. In junior school, I can recall hearing: “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage,” which, beyond sounding presumptuous, was just a silly song at the time. Now, it is more than a playground melody – it is something that many of us may one day aspire to. But, as many young adults are discovering, a family may not be something we can even have at all.

The UK’s birth rate is declining. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that the UK’s birth rate, also called the ‘total fertility rate’, is the lowest since records started in 1938 . Since the 1970s, in England and Wales, women have consistently had fewer than two children on average –below the ‘replacement rate’ of 2.1 children per woman that is generally needed to prevent a population from declining. The birth rate has steadily declined in recent years, falling from 1.55 children per woman in 2021 to 1.44 in 2023 . Naturally, this has sparked angst, with The Observer’s Sonia Sodha calling the subject “a disaster so costly no politician dares think about it”.

Older generations may suffer knowing that their family tree may snag, but the root of their suffering is not without cause

But, given the stark implications for public services, they must.

The OBR suggests that falling birth rates will reduce tax receipts that allow governments to pay for vital services. In an unhappy irony, children will be adversely impacted by an unhealthy decline in tax receipts. As schools will be unable to meet typical classroom numbers, many can be expected to close as they may no longer be “financially viable” . This will impact many students who will no longer be able to go to school in their local area.

investigates this trend from an economic perspective

Do you think the cost-ofliving crisis has impacted your generation's willingness to have children?

Certainly - 57.6%

Probably - 32.2%

Unsure - 3.4%

Probably Not - 6.8%

Certainly Not - 0.0%

It will also affect educators, with a smaller pool of job opportunities, particularly in primary schools. It is anticipated that primary school teachers could face redundancy because of such a drastic depletion of young pupils.

Somerset Councillor David Fothergill suggests that other sectors will be hit hard. In a Local Government Association report, he commented: “With fewer births, the proportion of older adults in the population increases, placing pressure on social services, healthcare, and pensions, as there are fewer working-age individuals.”

But it’s not just public services that may be impacted, we may be losing traditional aspects of our culture to the declining birth rate too.

Not only are we veering away from having children, but marriage is also becoming less popular across the UK. In England and Wales, the percentage of people aged 16 and above who were in a civil partnership or marriage recently fell below 50% for the first

Do you think you will be financially capable of having children within the next decade, assuming you want to have them?

Certainly - 3.9%

Probably - 39.2%

Unsure - 31.4%

Probably Not - 19.6%

Certainly Not - 5.9%

time. Like the birth rate, there is a trend of gradual decline, with the figure dropping from 49.7% in 2021 to 49.4% in 2022. Though the reduction is less steep and economically damning than that of birth rates, it is another signal of the UK population’s anxieties surrounding financial insecurity.

Figures reveal that despite fewer legal marriages taking place, the number of couples living together but not in a marriage or civil partnership has increased to more than a 1/5. Couples have cited financial struggles as a key factor.

An article in The Independent jokes that we’re “Going to the Chapel and we’re... not gonna get married.” But in serious terms, couples are having to make sacrifices to actualise a future they had envisaged for themselves. Partners who are choosing to get married have had to challenge the ideal of elaborate weddings in recent years to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

Research conducted by the wedding industry reveals that high inflation and “economic uncertainty”

have impacted wedding budgets, with these effects extending across the globe. Although the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is unlikely to eradicate the UK’s multi-billion-pound wedding industry, the statistics reflect a caution brought on by economic doubt.

Unlike wedding planning, couples can’t pay deposits on having children. Research shows that when couples feel they can’t anticipate a future where they can adequately provide for prospective children, the birth rate declines.

This could be seen during the 1970s ‘stagflation’ and the Great Recession . Following downturns, it’s difficult to predict when people will feel the economy has improved enough to have more children.

Many are concerned that younger generations may never experience conventional family life. Older generations are watching on with a sense of “grief” at the death of their family legacies.

When childless people were asked about their intentions on having children, the results showed "a lot of uncertainty in the answers"

Lydia Birk, interviewed by The New York Times this November, has no grandchildren, as her children do not wish to have children of their own. She talks of dreaming of the generations she would get to witness grow, being “surrounded by grandchildren as she ages, passing on to them her family recipes and love of rock ‘n’ roll.” She admits that whilst grandparents aren’t “owe[d]” grandchildren, not

having them causes “a real kind of grief, that our culture tends not to recognize, and that people don’t know how to talk about.” Older generations may suffer knowing that their family tree may snag, but the root of their suffering is not without cause – their children aren’t oblivious to this issue.

With the views of younger people in mind, The Boar has taken to our student readers to gauge their opinions on having children, focusing on the financial and social limitations they may face. We polled around 60 Warwick students. Though this is a small sample, many of the responses reflect trends in larger datasets.

We began our survey by asking how many people were aware of the declining birth rate in the UK, to which 67.8% confirmed they were. It has been largely publicised that birth rates in countries like South Korea and Japan are dropping, but students may not even be aware that outside of campus’s ivory tower, the West Midlands houses some of the most deprived areas in the country. Understandably, birth rates have declined here too.

When asked why UK birth rates are falling, students overwhelmingly cited financial factors and the cost-of-living crisis – 89.8% believed the latter has impacted young people’s willingness to have children. Other proposed explanations included climate change, reduced religiosity amongst young people, and women being more career focused.

Delving deeper, we asked if students thought they would be financially capable of having children within the next decade. Amongst those who wished to have children, only 43.1% believed they ‘certainly’ or ‘probably’ would be financially capable. Roughly 1/3 were unsure – this is reflective of findings from the UK Generations and Gender Survey, which highlighted that when childless people were asked about their intentions on having children, the results showed “a lot of uncertainty in the answers.”

In response to young people’s changing attitudes, figures, particularly on the political right, have advocated for ‘pronatalism’: a term used to describe policies and people that "[encourage] an increased birthrate". When asked whether “UK politicians and policymakers should advocate for pronatalism”, our survey respondents were broadly opposed: 23.7% responded in the affirmative, 42.3% were opposed, and 33.9% were unsure.

We cannot know if the economic landscape will improve sufficiently for birth rates to increase, nor if a recovered economy will be enough for those who wish to have children. Only the coming years will show how costly today’s financial climate has been for younger generations – both economically and personally.

CULTURE

@theboarculture

The Boar presents the Culture section, featuring Lifestyle, Arts, Travel, and Books.

Lifestyle Editor: Odette Dyer (she/her) lifestyle@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Laura Van Diesen (she/her)

Deputy editors: Hannah Keane (she/her) Zahra Jazmina (she/her)

Arts Editor: Abigail Mableson (she/her) arts@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Sanjana Iyer (she/her)

Deputy editors:

Emilia Sullivan (she/her) Harriet Curry (she/her)

Travel Editor: James Watson (he/him) travel@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Hannah Colechin (she/her)

Deputy editors:

Ayse Oltan (she/her)

Francisca Nunes-Tome (she/her)

Books Editor: Estella Neumayr (she/her) books@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Anna Barnard (she/her)

Deputy editors:

Tamara Mulaki (she/her)

Naomi Pandey (she/they)

Articles you can find online... Aanya Sisodia, Arts At autumn's call, leaves fall: Autumn in the arts theboar.org

Freya Draper, Lifestyle Mindful moments: Staying calm during house hunting season

ARTS

Martin Day, Books How could this happen? Three books to make sense of the US election

Michael Demetriou, Travel Under the radar cities

Hannah Keane, Lifestyle Is matcha the new coffee?

The Boar Arts official theatre rundown of 2024

Abigail Mableson, she/her

Arts Editor

The2024 theatre world has showcased remarkable creativity and serious talent, blending revivals of much-loved classics and adaptations of our favourite stories. From Sigourney Weaver’s powerful portrayal of Prospero in The Tempest to Nicole Scherzinger’s captivating performance in Sunset Boulevard, this year has been flooded with rich theatrical talent. This year has also introduced dazzling new works, including Elton John’s fresh new take on The Devil Wears Prada, arriving in the West End this winter.

The Boar Arts has celebrated this incredible year by appreciating productions locally in the West Midlands and on London’s iconic West End. As we reflect on our favourite theatre moments of 2024, we eagerly anticipate the exciting prospects 2025 promises to bring to the stage (and yes, we are talking about Paul Mescal’s return to A Streetcar Named Desire!)

Tom Francis takes Sunset Boulevard to the Strand

Abigail Mableson

Whether you’re an avid theatre follower, or just a musical apprecia tor, everyone has been talking about Tom Francis, and more excitingly, his singing of the classic ‘Sunset Boulevard’ whilst walking down London's famous hub of musical theatre, The Strand. At age 25, Francis shows the musicality of a pro in his field, not only being able to pull off the testing vocals as Joe Gills in Sunset Boulevard, but also the ability to walk down one of London’s most bustling streets whilst belting out the lyrics. For a period of time, I could not escape the TikTok videos showing this daily ritual performance, but I am forever in awe of Francis’ incredible talent, and I wish I could have witnessed this stellar moment of musical theatre in person. The jury is out on how long Francis’s walking and singing fusion will last on Broadway, but I hope it stands the test of time. Guys & Dolls brings a dynamic revival to the Bridge Theatre Lucy Gibbons

York in the 1920s, with stands selling hot dogs and pretzels. Although Guys & Dolls first took to the stage on Broadway in 1950, the production felt as fresh as ever. The unusual layout of the theatre, with the stage in the middle and the seats all around it, created an immersive experience. This experience was also encouraged by the live band being seated within the stalls. Wherever you looked, there was something to see. It was not only the fantastic performance from theatre veterans Marisha Wallace and Daniel Mays that made the musical, but also the incredible moving stage, which added a different and dynamic element to the show. The London revival of Guys & Dolls is a must-see for any musical fans!

Shakespeare's Othello captivates audiences at the RSC Imaan Aziz

My favourite theatre moment of 2024 was when I got to watch Shakespeare’s Othello at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-uponAvon. “Men should be what they seem,” an ironic slogan for a play about deadly deception and jealousy. In his debut performance, John Thompson gave a compelling, emotional depiction of Othello. The actor truly captured the realms of deceit and devastation the character encounters, delivering his lines with such a captivating presence. I also enjoyed Juliet Rylance’s depiction of Desdemona. She portrayed the character’s paradoxical wit and naivety with grace, and did so in such beautiful Elizabethan attire. Throughout the entirety of the play no props were present on stage, which intrigued me, and I found that the bareness of the platform aligned itself with the theme of exposing one's true intentions that is weaved throughout the plot. Overall, the play was an accurate adaptation of Othello with engaging actors and an interesting production st yle.

Max Webster's Macbeth and The Porter's hilarious surprise Emma St-John

hanging over the side of an upstairs tier of seating. He starts his monologue, loudly and drunkenly, and then leaves the audience and tries to get to the stage, out of sight but still speaking through the headphones. He finally re-enters and falls onto the stage where he finishes his speech. The content of what he says has been different both times I went. This time included some hilariously rude jabs at Trump, fitting considering my show was on the days following the American election. It was a joy to experience.

The bittersweet success story of Merrily We Roll Along Harriet Curry

2024 marks my personal discovery and the rise to success (finally) of my favourite musical to date, Merrily We Roll Along Hadestown has had a lot of lyric changes over the years, but Merrily has been in the works for over four decades after its failure on Broadway in 1981. The journey from flop to four Tony wins has been an uphill battle, though the hard-won victory is bittersweet since its creator, Stephen Sondheim, never got to see the production flourish in the way it deserves. Though I’m still waiting for an opportunity to see it, I will carry on listening to the soundtrack(s) on repeat, rewatching the extremely pixelated recording of the original production on YouTube (for which I am eternally grateful), waiting for the promised pro-shot, and, of course, talking about the musical and its history to anyone who will listen. Thank you Mum for letting me play my musical soundtracks in the car, or I probably would never have gotten around to actually listening to this incredible musical.

A criminal theatre trip seeing Witness for the Prosecution Rachel Gore

Stepping into The Bridge Theatre back in February, I immediately knew that the audience was in for a spectacular performance. The foyer for the performance of Guys & Dolls was set out to take us back to the streets of New

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Max Webster's Macbeth twice, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. However, when The Porter starts to do his monologue, I have never laughed more. His voice suddenly bellows into the audience's headphones, and yet he is nowhere to be found on stage. Heads start to turn before landing on a man

My favourite theatrical experience of 2024 was Witness for the Prosecution. This play stands out above all as a unique and exceptional performance. The show takes place at London County Hall which is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames. The setting of the former home of London’s local government immerses the audience: the stalls are where council members would have sat, and the circle is the galleries which were assigned to the public and press. Additionally, audience members form the jury, playing a role in the play itself. Throughout the play, actors move through the stalls, absorbing the audience in what is an already gripping story. The play is unlike anything else I’ve seen, the fact that it is on its seventh year is evidence of how riveting it is.

» Images: Vlah Dumitru / Unsplash (left), Jonah Persson / RSC Press (right)

Christmas traditions and their artistic depictions

Abbie Fox, she/her Head of Social Media

Often the celebration of Christmas holds a strong overlap with the world of the arts, as is highlighted by the way in which the arts industry flourishes at Christmas, whether this be in terms of paintings, German nutcrackers, decorative advent calendars, or more. However, although Christmas is typically viewed as a time of joy and celebration, this is not always exemplified through its presentation within artwork, and we can see this through the darker depictions of the festive period in the artistic world.

Owing to the religious roots of Christmas, much of the artwork focusing on this period, particularly paintings, centres on Christianity and the figures of Mary and Jesus especially. For example, the nativity is one of the most common examples of Christmas art, demonstrating the intrinsic link between art and this holiday.

Christmas artwork is not always as cheerful as we might think

Claude Monet painted his ‘Snow Scene at Argenteuil’ in 1875, and it is now on display in The National Gallery in London. This painting is a true embodiment of the festive season: the snowy landscape strikes the perfect balance between the cool tones necessary to recall winter and the warmth which enables this painting to still retain the cheerful atmos-

Along with decorative advent calendars, nutcrackers are examples of Christmas traditions which have been depicted within artwork, but which are also arguably forms of art- work themselves. Although nutcrackers were originally just a symbol of good luck in German households, they eventually became a common emblem of Christmas, an image which they maintain today. Following the creation of the fairytale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Pyotr Il- yich Tchaikovsky released his ballet The Nutcracker Suite in 1892, resulting in the tradition of nutcrackers becoming internationally known.

phere which is generally associ- ated with Christmastime.

However, it is intriguing to see how, despite the stereotypical view of Christmas as a cheerful and overwhelmingly joyful season, the artistic style of individual artists can still be seen in the work. A key element of art is that artists knowingly, or perhaps even subconsciously, reflect their own views and feelings within their work, and Christmas art is no exception, regardless of whether these align with the common perception of Christmas or not. For example, Caspar David Friedrich’s ‘Winter Landscape’, which he painted in 1811, always strikes me as a Christmas painting which depicts a much more dreary and desolate landscape in comparison to many artistic representations of this period. Thus, it is evident that Friedrich’s own artistic style, heavily influenced by his background as a painter of landscapes during the Romantic movement, had a strong and obvious impact on his work, which can be seen clearly in his ‘Winter Landscape’.

Indeed, Christmas artwork is not always as cheerful as we might think. There are also

Hope and heartbreak: The art that defined the 2024 US Election

Helen Trappelides, she/her Deputy Film Editor

TheUS election dominated our screens, social media, and newspapers for months this year, and the artistic pieces, as well as the photographs, produced during the campaigns spring to mind when looking back at 2024.

One

of the most significant works produced during the US election campaign was a Kamala Harris mural

I am certain that every person with access to social media would have seen that harrowing, martyr-like image of Donald Trump fist-pumping the air after his narrow escape with death. I was on holiday in Italy, sat in a group with a few Americans my friends and I met when the news broke out of Trump’s assassination attempt. It was fascinating to see the flabbergasted, almost awestruck reactions to this photo, from people whose politics seemed to align more with the Left, and those who

did not really care about US politics at all. “That’s the hardest photo I’ve ever seen,” one remarked. Yes, this photo definitely aided Trump’s presidential campaign success and, from an objective view, it is an action-film-like image.

However, I found that one of the most significant works produced during the US election campaign was the Kamala Harris mural painted in Atlanta, Georgia in the historic West End, designed by Chris Clark. Upon seeing a photo of the mural, I was struck by the beaming smile of Harris, with her portrait surrounded by a multitude of pink roses against a light blue background, imposing but not intimidating. Kamala’s gaze appears hopeful and confident, and her eyes look out towards the side, staring at all who pass this mural, encouraging them to entrust her with their futures. The pink roses lead Kamala to appear gentle, elegant and symbolise flourishment and the hope that a new Harris era will bloom and thrive in the USA. Furthermore, these flowers link to her femininity. Kamala Harris has already demonstrated to women, and more specifically women of African and Asian descent, that it is possible to become one of the most influential figures in US politics, a field dominated by white men. She is the first female African American and Asian American Vice President, as well as the first Black and Asian woman to

darker undertones to some Christmas traditions within artwork.

Artwork is a key factor in the presentation of Christmas traditions

For example, Krampus is a demonic Christmas creature who punishes misbehaving children in central European, and particularly German, legend. Christmas postcards depicting Krampus were a com-

there has been somewhat of an increase in this in recent years, highlighting the extent to which popular Christmas imagery is not always centred on the more light-hearted images that it is commonly associated with.

Therefore, it is clear that artwork is a key factor in the presentation of Christmas traditions, but this artwork does not always reflect what people perceive as the stereotypical view of Christmas. However, the more cheerful image of Christmas, as depicted through the majority of Christmas traditions, is what has remained

be nominated for President of the United States. Ultimately, Kamala represented important progress for many diverse communities and her accomplishments are phenomenal, which is why the creation of this mural would have inspired all the women who saw it.

These photos will last forever and serve as a reminder that people should never stop fighting

After learning about the historical and cultural significance of the neighbourhood where it was painted, I was saddened to discover that it had been painted over, just days after Trump became President. The West End area of Atlanta was an important crossroads in the 1860s, where real estate speculators purchased much as there was strong belief that the area would prosper and endure significant future growth, hence the renaming of the community from ‘White Hall’ to ‘West End’, which was, and remains, a cultural hub of theatre in London. Notably, the Civil Rights Movement of the

descent, and to all Americans in general to not “ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” which Harris stated in her concession speech. I will reiterate again – she is the first woman of African and Asian descent to be Vice President and nominated for President, which is why I strongly believe that her mural should have been permanent. I feel that the photos of the Kamala Harris supporters, following her defeat to Donald Trump on November 5 2024, was very defining of 2024 as the photos conveyed how US politics will continue to endure challenges. Furthermore, the photographs encapsulated the sincere emotions of people who viewed her as both a symbolic and historic figure. The idiom of ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ could not be truer here. An elec-

creased fears of stricter abortion laws in a country where 17 states have already outlawed nearly all abortions as of August this year. Despite these melancholic images, we can see masses of people gathered, and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, which emphasises how Kamala Harris has aided progress in US politics by gaining so much diverse support through this turbulent election period.

Unlike the ephemeral nature of the mural, these photos will last forever and serve as a reminder that people should never stop fighting for what they believe in –a message which I believe is very defining for 2024.

» Image: Karolina Grabowska / Unsplash

» Image: Isabela Kronemberger / Unsplash

Christmas Classics and why they still matter

These books ... posses an enduring quality that invites us experience the warmth ... we know and love

Emily Harris, she/her Writer

EveryChristmas, many of us find ourselves embracing the comfort of a familiar time, often with traditions and activities that offer us a break from the demands of the rest of the year. The Christmas season is a period full of traditions, marked by customs that families and friends come together to celebrate, creating a sense of stability and warmth. Year after year, the practices endure, giving us a sense of belonging and continuity that helps define our experience of the holiday. For example, many of us have personal traditions, like watching the same film every Christmas Eve or hearing a grandparent tell the same funny story year after year. Christmas, then, becomes a time not just for celebration but for revis iting the things that make us feel grounded and loved.

Reflecting the kindness and connection we feel so strongly during this time of year

Just as we return to certain holiday movies and songs, we also often find ourselves drawn to familiar books each year. I’m sure when I mention Christmas classics we all have a few titles that come to mind straight away like A Christmas Carol, Little Women, Harry Potter, and The Snowman; all classics that seem to emerge in the later months of the year. These books, read by all ages, possess an enduring quality that invites us to experience the warmth of the season through stories we know and love. Interestingly, many Christmas classics don't centre entirely on Christmas itself. Little Women, for instance, is a story about family, resilience, and kindness, with the sharing of their Christmas feast playing a significant role in highlighting the warmth and love between the characters. Similarly, in Harry Potter, the Christmas scenes show Harry and Ron’s friendship, small acts of kindness, and the joy of simple gifts, reminding readers of the happiness that comes from the season’s simple gestures. These stories don’t rely on Christmas as their sole narrative. Instead, they use it to reinforce themes of generosity and compassion, reflecting the kindness and connection we feel so strongly during this time of year.

So why are these books still so important, and why do they hold such a special place in so many of our hearts? Part of it is the pleasure of reading a well-loved, familiar story, but the connection runs deeper. These classics are part of our childhoods, bringing us back to memories of family gatherings, cosy evenings, and quiet moments shared with loved ones. The act of reading these books each Christmas connects us to these memories, creating a bridge between past and present. Similarly, having so many timeless classics can offer us a shared tradition: a way to become closer with loved ones, allowing us to bond over books and stories that ignite these rich feelings of connection and comfort. Furthermore, I believe that Christmas classics offer us kindness, a core value of the A Christmas Carol, perhaps the most famous holiday story, teaches the importance of giving and generosity, portraying Scrooge’s journey from selfishness to kindness in a way that has resonated for generations. Each of these characters’ stories manage to showcase the traditional festive values of generosity and gratitude, values that should remain relevant and important to us. Sometimes, these stories serve as reminders, encouraging us to pause, reflect, and appreciate what truly matters – generosity, connection, and love.

Returning to these stories each year offers a unique oppertunity to reflect on the values they embody

Returning to these stories each year offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the values they embody. These classics remind us of how we might add a little more kindness in our own lives and give us a sense of grounding as we head into a new year. In reading, whether we choose to race through a short tale or immerse ourselves in Little Women, we find a quiet escape from the rush and stress of the season, a way to slow down and engage with timeless lessons. These Christmas classics offer warmth and insight, reminding us of the values that help make the holidays truly meaningful.

Unsure what to get your reader loved ones?... A reader's guide to bookish gifts

Mairi Humphreys, she/her Writer

WithChristmas fast approaching, we are beginning to start the process that happens every winter: buying presents, wrapping them, sending them to loved ones, or perhaps placing them under the tree. First order of business: deciding what to buy. If you are a reader and want to spread that joy, or are buying for someone obsessed with books, then this is a short guide on the best bookish gifts to give for Christmas.

If you are looking for ... a suprise then mystery books are often a good idea

The first one may perhaps seem a little too obvious but books are always a good shout for readers! However, this must be approached with caution. Unless you feel confident in your knowledge of the recipient’s bookshelf, then it may be difficult to pick out specific books. You may end up getting them something they’ve read before. I quite often ask a friend for their ‘books to buy’ list (if they keep one) and choose from that range. If you are looking for something that’s more of a surprise then mystery books are often a good idea. Some book shops have started selling these or you can get them online. You can pick the genre and a wrapped book will arrive, often with some other accompanying goodies. If neither of these options appeal to you, then a voucher for a book shop such as

Waterstones can be a safe bet! For readers, like me, who are always losing their page, bookmarks can be a great gift. These are particularly great as stocking stuffers as they tend to be relatively inexpensive. There is also plenty of variety! You can get bookmarks made of materials such as resin, plastic, wood, or card, and with a huge range of designs. If you are particularly creative then you could always try making your own as a handmade gift.

We all know that reader who is obsessed with that one book or series. And if you are buying with certain books in mind, then specific bookish merch may be the best gift. On sites such as Etsy, you can get a whole range of gifts that may have favourite quotes or book titles on. Items range from stickers, to jumpers, to notebooks, and water bottles. You may have to search, but these can be great for when you have specific books in mind.

Reading is about so much more than picking up a book and looking at the words on the page

Reading is about so much more than picking up a book and looking at the words on the page. It’s about immersing yourself in a story that the author has crafted word by word. And sometimes to fully appreciate this, reading accessories are in order. A lot of this is up to individual preference. If the person you are giving this gift

to loves annotating their books or book journaling, then supplies for their hobby could be a great idea. Sticky tabs and highlighters are always winners for annotators. Stationery also rarely comes in wrong for a book journaller: notebooks, pens, or stickers could be helpful and thoughtful. Another super cute reading accessory is a personalised book stamp or embosser. Just so everyone knows who the book belongs to!

One of my favourite gifts has to be a DIY bookend. You spend time putting each part together and the completed bookend sits on your bookshelf. Whilst these do require a little patience and some time, the attention to detail is amazing and they can be brilliant decor to add to your home library. You can get a variety of designs, depending on what sort of vibe you are looking for. Some even light up!

Hopefully this article has given you a few ideas for what you could gift to your favourite readers this Christmas.

Article Teaser: The Significance of Ottessa Moshfegh and Claire-Louise

Bennett's writing of feminine identity

Charlotte

Hastie, she/her Writer

Overthe centuries, women’s true selves have been trivialised and suppressed. Only when female bodies fulfil the male gaze of film and literature, can it be discussed or presented to us. Evident in the danger of the New Woman within the late 19th century, where Stoker’s overtly sexual Vampire Brides are voraciously evil. Or within didactic novels, where the heroine in Rousseau’s Emile must be an ‘Angel in the house’: a quiet wife and mother, in order to survive. Female readers have been taught by the literary canon that to express their womanhood separate from men, is to be deviant. This is why contemporary stories written by women, following introspective heroines, who are admittedly flawed, are so important. We need a raw depiction of the woman, shattering the rose-tinted glass of the male gaze and repositioning femininity as existent in its own right. Two authors that

I believe accurately pursue this detachment are Ottessa Moshfegh and Claire-Louise Bennett.

heroines are flawed and unlikable ... obsessive

Beginning with Moshfegh, I’m sure you have heard of My Year of rest and relaxation. And like me, you may have devoured in one sitting the story of her unnamed female narrator’s misanthropic, yearlong sleep to escape reality. This undeniably popular text does not even touch the tip of what Moshfegh is capable of. She subverts the preferred amiable heroine who follows a didactic trajectory; remains quiet, and flourishes into the angel in the house. Moshfegh’s heroines are flawed and unlikable, sometimes obsessive, and bask in the disgusting capabilities of their bodies. Within Eileen, the eponymous character fantasises within explicit monologues of her unrequited lust for a prison guard, detailing the

base lengths she would go to for satisfaction with him. She expresses disillusionment with her circumstances living with an antagonistic father and working an office job. Moshfegh topples the female protagonist trope in the literary canon. She writes of a neurotic heroine, one that will never fulfil the role of the perfect wife, but also won’t be boxed in as the dangerous sexual creature or ruined woman of scandal. Mental illness of women, additionally, is not fetishized by Moshfegh’s prose, rather, it is scathingly shameless. No moral lessons are taught because her female characters do not need to be malleable for societal values.

Continue reading this article online

» Images: Sophia Kunkel/Unsplash(left centre), Sarah Vombrack/ Unsplash ( top right), Grace Wang/ Unsplash (middle right)

Winter break: Cities beyond the obvious

Michael Demetriou , he/him Writer

WhenWinter comes many of us look for a snowy holiday in Scandanavia, like Finland for Lapland, or some of us may look for milder weather in Spain or Greece. However, there are so many other places around Europe that we can visit during Christmas that are a bit off the beaten track, but can offer us a great, affordable Christmas break.

If you enjoy a cold Christmas, Estonia is for you. With December temperatures having an average high of 0 degrees and an average low of –4 degrees and having an average of 14 days of December snow, Estonia offers a great chance of that magical white Christmas. And, with less than 700,000 tourists visiting Tallinn every year, Estonia’s capital may be the place to go.

Tallinn offers an affordable Christmas break, with lots of hotels charging under £50 a night

Tallinn offers an affordable Christmas break, with lots of hotels charging under £50 a night and direct return flights under £250, even during the Christmas Season.

Whilst in the capital, you must visit the Christmas market. The Market was named the best Christmas Market in Europe in 2019. This market is held in the Old Square of Tallinn, where the first ever Christmas Tree in Europe was displayed in 1441. Expect Christmas decorations, merry-go-rounds, gingerbread, and hot drinks. You will even be able to try traditional Estonian Christmas food like blood sausages and sauerkraut. Walk past the plethora of wooden market stalls selling a range of goods from sweaters to Christmas ornaments. You will definitely find a souvenir here you can take back home with you.

Apart from the market, Tallinn also offers a Christmas jazz festival, with international artists, like Lady Blackbird from the United States, performing throughout the event. If music is not your thing, then Gingerbread Mania may be for you. This is a time-honoured exhibition dedicated to displays made entirely of gingerbread, with a different theme each year. In 2022, the theme was architecture, where you could have seen famous landmarks like The Eiffel Tower, made entirely out of gingerbread. With over 300kg of gingerbread

The call of the north: Exhilarating adventures in the freezing cold

Martin Day, he/him News Editor

Britainused during 2022 alone, this event highlights the dedication of Estonian artists and the perfection of the art that is gingerbread making.

For those wishing to visit the sites of Tallinn, winter offers a great time to do so. Visit the 20 medieval defensive towers and 2 km of walls that surround the city, which have a good chance of being snow-covered in December. You can also visit some of the many churches in the city, such as St Olaf’s, where you can climb up the spire and have a 360-degree view of the city, or the Aleksander Nevski Katedraali, a Russian-style church. For those interested in history, visit the KGB Museum, which contains artefacts from the Soviet age. So, if you are looking for a white Christmas in a city a bit off the beaten path, Tallinn is for you!

For a milder weathered Christmas break, try Porto in Portugal. Like most places in Europe, Porto has a stunning Christmas market. Stalls line the streets filled with Portuguese crafts and ceramics. The markets also contain Porto’s culinary delicacies. Try a ‘Francesinha’ (a sandwich containing ham, sausage, steak, cheese and a tomato and beer sauce) or ‘Bolo Rei’ (a traditional Christmas cake containing fruits and nuts). The market is scattered across the city, so whilst you explore Porto, you can wander into different sections of the market.

A must do when visiting Porto is to visit the port cellars. A short walk from Porto’s center, these cellars offer port enthusiasts the chance to try Portugal’s national drink and learn a bit more about the fortified wine. If drinking is not your thing, then a river cruise may be for you. Being built around six bridges, Porto has many waterways. The river cruises allow you to see Porto from a different perspective and with many river cruises also offering lunch, it is a great way to spend a day. For those that enjoy nature, a visit to The Douro Valley is a must. This World Heritage Site offers views of a stunning landscape and contains many picturesque villages that remain untouched. So, whatever your interests, Porto has something for you. If you are looking for a Christmas holiday and want to go somewhere a bit off the beaten path in Europe, then for a snowy holiday, look to Tallinn, or if you want a milder trip, how about Porto? Both these places offer unique experiences and a variety of activities for you to take part in. But wherever you choose to go over the Christmas break enjoy and have fun!

in winter is an exceptionally dull place. Too mild for snow, too wet for frost. Just mud and rain and grey: empty vistas for as far as your bleary, apathetic gaze could care to look. Is there any wonder that the overwhelming urge is to shun travel entirely? To simply curl up by the fire, swaddled in blankets like a gift-wrapped newborn, reading books and dozing?

And yet, the outdoors remains, regardless of our interest. For those who care to listen, the boundless winter calls, promising exhilarating adventures to stave off hibernation, at the most far-flung corners of the world. Activities at this time of year go far beyond Christmas markets, skiing, or watching the Northern Lights: in fact, there is a wellspring of unusual travel activities for deep midwinter.

Take, for instance, ice canoeing on the St Lawrence River, in Quebec, Canada. This is a pastime with deep roots in the local history, when those hoping to cross the river had to do so when the water was filled with ice but not enough to create an ice bridge. Instead, the crews of canoes would simply get out of their boats whenever they encountered an ice floe, and skid the vessel along the surface of the ice sheet, sort of like a bobsled. The advent of steam-powered vessels capable of smashing through the ice ended the need for such a novel way of travel, but the pastime now lives on as a uniquely Canadian sport – and nowhere more so than in Quebec.

Annually, there are major ice canoeing tournaments, in which professional teams of five athletes brave the freezing rivers to scramble over jagged ice floes in brightly coloured canoes. Clearly, unless you’ve had a frankly odd amount of prior experience for a student, you won’t be able to compete in these, but opportunities for recreational ice canoeing are abundant in any Canadian city near a body of water: Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City stand out, and are all brilliant tourist destinations in their own right.

If sub-zero water sports don’t exactly sound like your thing, perhaps you would prefer something more to do with animals. The obvious suggestion, then, is dogsledding, and where better to try this than Norway, home to some of the world’s largest sledding competitions? Again, it probably isn’t realistic to suggest entering into these competitions (where are you supposed to find the team of dogs…?), but Norway has developed a huge tourist industry taking adventurers to live out their Snow Buddies fantaies.

Unless you consider strapping yourself to a 30-meter rope attached to a giant sail to be mundane

The most famous dogsledding destinations in the world are Finnmark and Svalbard, located deep into the Arctic Circle. Naturally, those are extremely remote destinations, so much closer and easier-to-reach sledding hotspots include Tromsø (similarly northern, but much more populated), the Hallingdal valley, and Telemark. Anyone who fancies the idea of being pulled at breathtaking speed through the Scandinavian mountains, but isn’t good with dogs, need not fear: whilst piloting your own sled is quite accessible (and by all accounts extremely fun), many dogsled operators also offer passenger experiences. As a bonus to all this, you can pet the dogs as well!

Having spent 500 words chas-

tising the idea of any holiday as bourgeoise as skiing, it would be odd to turn around now and recommend exactly that as a final destination idea. But this kind of skiing is anything but ordinary: unless you consider strapping yourself to a 30-meter rope attached to a giant sail to be mundane. Snowkiting, either on skis or a snowboard, is to regular skiing what motor racing must be to a pedal-kart user. There are several European hotspots for this terrifyingly fun pastime, notably Switzerland or the south of France. As with everything on this list, it’s not something you can just pick up as you go along: most sites recommend at least a couple days of training, but beyond that the slopes are your oyster.

That concept is a lot more truthful than you might think: uniquely, snowkiting allows adventurers to travel uphill, propelled by massive kites that function in the same way as for kitesurfers. Increasingly, snowkiters have begun to embrace the air as its own domain, too, with the kites potentially allowing a huge amount of time suspended in the air between jumps. And if Switzerland is far too bougie a travel destination for you, that doesn’t have to be the end of your wind-propelled dreams: in recent years, a fledgling snowkiting industry has actually developed in the English Pennines.

Clearly, there is no excuse to remain sedentary this winter. Across the globe, from the frozen rivers of Canada to the mountains of Norway and Switzerland, dizzying adventures are calling. The call of the north: can you hear it yet?

Destination of the month: London

The first Christmas card for commercial use was printed in London in 1843.

Trafalgar Square's annual Christmas tree is gifted by Norway each year.

'Frost Fairs' used to be held on the river Thames when it would freeze over.

LIFESTYLE AND TRAVEL

Family, feasting, and

festivities:

Celebrating Christmas across two cultures

Sofia Drake-Perello, she/her Writer

Whileit’s my favourite time of the year, this Christmas will be different as my year abroad in Madrid will be the first time I spend Christmas away from home. My mum is from Bilbao, so Spanish Christmas traditions have been a big part of my upbringing and have formed my love for the season. For me, Christmas revolves around family: extended uncles, aunties, cousins, grandparents, neighbours, and pets. Whoever you name will probably be turning up for the holiday season. My home in central London has been the Drake-Perello hotspot for Christmas celebrations. A four-bedroom home can accommodate at least ten people if you’re willing to fill the floor, sofa, and beds with cousins. Even at age 20, I’ll most likely give up my bed to a proper ‘adult’ and curl up on the floor. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in 20 years’ time, I end up sleeping on the floor when visiting my parents for Christmas. Despite the years of backache and shivering, I would not change it for the world, and it is why my cousins remain my closest friends: shared trauma.

My dad would take to the kitchen and have his time to shine, for I have yet to have a roast dinner that beats his

Spanish Christmas celebrations begin on Christmas Eve and last until 6 January or the Epiphany. On Christmas Eve, we spend the day cooking and preparing for evening celebrations. This is my favourite part of Christmas. I would be designated duties by my auntie, singing and dancing to our favourite Christmas tunes amidst the chaos that is the kitchen, guessing which of dad’s classic stories he’ll be telling over dinner for the seventeenth time, all while trying to roll my mum’s infamous croquetas into the perfect oval shape. Once dinner is ready, we all get glammed up and sit together to eat and sing carols with plenty of laughter. The dinner is always a banquet of deliciousness, including an array of seafood, meats, vegetables, gazpacho, and plenty of sweet treats like turrón, polvorones, fruit, an enormous doughnut-shaped cake called Roscón de Reyes, and another of my mum’s specialities, tarta de manzana.

Christmas Day is much

laxed after a night of feasting. We will open our presents in the morning, attend Mass, and sit down for another Christmas dinner. This dinner is like the ones you are probably used to. My dad would take to the kitchen and have his time to shine, for I have yet to have a roast dinner that beats his. The period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve is a chance to recover from the previous festivities. We would head to central London to catch a West End show and visit the markets and stunning decorations. This relaxation is brief because New Year’s Eve and Day are jam-packed with more fun and family. My uncle’s annual New Year’s Eve party usually hosts up to 75 distant family members squeezed into his home in West London. My auntie is Filipino, so we celebrate together in an extravagant mixture of cultures. The celebration features a wide array of Filipino and Spanish dishes, tinikling (a traditional dance), hilarious games by my cousins, and the classic midnight munching of twelve grapes (my uncle is banned from organising this because of one fateful year when he accidental ly bought seeded grapes – it was a disaster). We also have a Mario Kart marathon where we all pile up on the sofa to battle for the champion title. I love my family dearly, but those Mario Kart championships are a matter of life and death. I will most likely be crammed between someone’s legs and have someone’s armpit hovering above me. Sometimes, I lose my voice the next day from hurling abuse at my poor six-year-old cousin who pushed me off the Rainbow Road for the fourth time –it’s always the younger ones you need to keep an eye on. Their tiny fingers are chubby but fast.

On the twelfth

drink

of Christmas: The festive recipes you need

Zoe Mudd, she/her Music Sub-Editor

Whenthe season of pub gardens, summer spritzers, and lager in the sun feels like a distant memory, there are plenty of gloriously festive beverages that can warm you up this winter. The Christmas season boasts a variety of delightfully seasonal cocktails, mocktails, and more to keep you and your friends and family perfectly merry throughout the holiday season.

Buck’s fizz

house. We borrow foldable tables from the local church and, thanks to my open-plan living room, lay them out for another enormous meal. Anyone deemed an irresponsible adult (including my older brother, who is engaged and moved out four years ago) is placed at the end of the table with the rest of the children on whichever chair or wobbly stall we’ve found in the shed. A final tradition for New Year’s Day is an enormous cake prepared lovingly by my mum, which varies in flavour and decoration but is always delicious. As the last guest leaves just after midnight, with at least two boxes of the previously mentioned famous croquetas, we end the night with a game of Uno or simply sitting and sharing stories.

We celebrate Christmas five times, each with even more people, laughter and food

Traditionally, New Year’s Day is celebrated back at my

On 5 January, we place our slippers in the living room and set out three glasses of wine along with snacks for the Three Wise Men to enjoy, hoping for small gifts and treats in return. By then, the extended family has returned home, so celebrating the Epiphany is much more relaxed but just as wonderful. Technically, we celebrate Christmas five times, each with even more people, laughter and food. I truly adore Christmas time and will miss our usual preparations and decorating this year. However, I am excited to explore what Madrid offers. From parades to music festivals, I am certain I will find different and wonderful ways to celebrate Christmas and create new memories and traditions.

to any Christmas party. Sparkling, refreshing, and colourful, this bitter treat is the perfect way to usher your friends and family into a sociable, festive mood before you sit down for dinner. The ingredients for a pitcher are: 350ml of Aperol, 350ml of cranberry juice, juice of one orange, a bottle of prosecco, and ice.

A Christmas morning classic, there’s no better way to add some sparkle to a festive brunch than with a Buck’s fizz. Still technically packed with all the nutrients you need to work through a stack of roast potatoes later in the day, this simple cocktail is the perfect way to start a gloriously hedonistic holiday. All you need to create this drink is two parts of sparkling wine, and one part of orange juice. Replace the wine with lemonade or soda water to start your morning with some non-alcoholic festive joy.

Sparkling, refreshing, and colourful, this bitter treat is the perfect way to usher your friends and family into a sociable, festive mood

Bailey’s hot chocolate

If the blast of the oven isn’t enough to warm you up this Christmas, then a Bailey’s hot chocolate is exactly the festive beverage you need. Taking hot chocolate, a childhood winter classic, to the next level, this easy recipe is all the indulgence you could wish for in one mug.

To make this comforting drink, you just need is a cup of hot chocolate, 50ml Bailey’s Original Irish Cream, and any desired toppings. To take this seasonal delight even further, add whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and marshmallows.

Mulled wine

A necessity for any Christmas market visit, this spiced wine is the perfect treat to warm your hands and steam up your glasses this winter. Mulled wine is a festive essential for anyone looking for a drink that’ll satisfy your sweet cravings this holiday season, as well as being the perfect crowd-pleasing party accompaniment. To make six servings, all you need is a bottle of red wine, two cinnamon sticks, twostar anise, four cloves, two strips of lemon zest, and 4 tbsp caster sugar. To make a non-alcoholic version, swap the red wine for zero alcohol percentage red wine.

Cranberry Aperol spritz

Whilst there’s no semblance of any Italian sunshine here, this unconventional festive take on a summer classic will bring a bubbly twist and some Mediterranean joviality

Christmas in a cup; eggnog is the sweet, thick, and incredibly rich treat that’ll give your whole household some much-needed warmth this winter

Hot

toddy

A less sweet but still thoroughly warming alternative to mulled wine, the hot toddy originated from India and was quickly adopted as a seasonal favourite across the world. Ideal as a post-dinner drink or to cap off a festive party, this delicious and hydrating slow-sipper treat is incredibly easy to make. A go-to recipe is: one cup of hot water, 50ml whiskey, 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp lemon juice, one lemon round, and one cinnamon stick.

Eggnog

Christmas in a cup; eggnog is the sweet, thick, and incredibly rich treat that’ll give your whole household some much-needed warmth this winter. Originating in Medieval Britain and incredibly easy to make, this shareable nutmeg-spiced drink is the perfect solution to making any festive party all the merrier. For eight servings you need: three cups of milk, 130g caster sugar, four egg yolks, one vanilla bean pod, 1tsp nutmeg, three cinnamon sticks, and 175ml dark rum (optional).

Milk and cookies shots

Maybe not a drink that your grandma might have made for you, but certainly one any Christmas party guests will quickly grow nostalgic for. This recipe substitutes a shot glass for cookie dough and is perfectly easy to create. Line a muffin tin with the chocolate-dotted mixture, either made from scratch or shop-bought, before baking. Finish with some milk and Baileys, if you’re seeking a festive buzz. To make this new winter-warming seasonal classic, all you need is cookie dough, 70ml milk, and 3 tbsp Baileys Original Irish Cream (optional).

» Image: Victoria Shes / Unsplash

A fashion lover’s Christmas gift guide

Izabella Goodall, she/her Lifestyle Columnist

WithChristmas fast approaching, many people are starting to get their Christmas gift shopping organised. And, of course, with that, comes the age-old question of what to buy. The pressure is certainly on and perhaps even more so when shopping for the fashion-lover in your life. You may be wondering what the latest trends are, what gifts are unique and what can you get the fashion-lover who seemingly has it all. As a lover of fashion myself, I am going to share a gift guide to give you inspiration when buying gifts. Keep reading to find out what the perfect gifts are for your fashion-minded friends and family this Christmas from small stocking fillers to timeless pieces.

Small gifts/stocking fillers

Whether you are looking for a low-budget gift or looking for smaller gifts to fill a stocking for the recipient, there are plenty to

choose from. Mini beauty sets are always well-received and can easily be found at most shops. I would recommend visiting Boots as they have a wide selection of beauty sets that include both makeup and skincare. I also love the table books about each designer, for example, the Little Book of Chanel, by Emma Baxter-Wright. These are a great decoration piece but also an enjoyable read. They are available on Amazon for a great price. These can be a great idea for the recipient to start a collection. What I love about these smaller gifts is that they are great by themselves, or you can really make them into

We may have complained when we were younger about getting socks and underwear for Christmas, but the truth is we could not be more grateful for these as a gift now

your own unique gift. I would recommend adding some tissue paper to a stocking or Christmas box to make a kind of hamper.

Latest trends

What better way to find the best gift for a fashion lover than to ensure you are up to date with trends? It is no surprise that ribbons and bows are in. In a review for Vogue, Nicole Phelps wrote: “Bows have been the subject of much online discourse of late … a way to hold onto youth and reject adult responsibility.” Whether it’s a bow hairband or a dress covered with bows to wear on Christmas day, you cannot go wrong. Alternatively, maybe you know an influencer that the recipient follows, and can take inspiration from there. This ensures that you are getting something they definitely want.

Classics

What is gift giving without a Christmas classic? We may have complained when we were younger about getting socks and underwear for Christmas, but the truth is we could not be more grateful for

these as a gift now that we are older. The best thing is that you can purchase these from many shops. Another great classic for this Christmas is py jamas. Pyjamas from Primark are a great option, or if you are looking for a luxurious and time less pair, then I would recommend Chelsea Peers. Chelsea Peers create luxury pyjamas with gorgeous patterns: the most perfect gift for fashion lovers.

For the crafty gift-givers out there, you could try making your own scarf or even jumper to gift

Jewellery and accessories

A scarf, a hat, and a pair of gloves are something everybody needs

this winter – and for your fashion-minded friends, you can find very fashionable winter accessories easily. Another great option is jewellery. From bracelets to earrings, it will be something that the recipient can treasure forever. The store Oliver Bonas has a lovely jewellery gift range, and you are sure to find something for everyone.

Unique – making a scarf or jumper

For the crafty gift-givers out there, you could try making your own scarf or even jumper to gift! This is unique, shows thoughtfulness, and will become a great addition to the recipient’s wardrobe.

From stocking fillers to making your own gifts, there is something that everyone can gift fashion lovers. Knowing what the recipient likes and keeping up with the latest trends certainly helps the process of gift buying.

Festive attire: The essentials for feeling festive this holiday season

Mia Harper, she/her Writer

Asour favourite festive season approaches, so does the pressure of choosing the perfect outfit for the special holiday event. Whether it’s a wholesome Christmas meal or a formal festive party, we want our holiday spirit to radiate through our wardrobe. It truly is the time of year when the student attire of hoodies and joggers just doesn’t cut it. Instead, we are embracing the festive attire and elevating our wardrobe for the upcoming season. So, if you are looking for the wardrobe essentials for a classy Christmas, then keep on reading.

Navy blue is another festive favourite, so why not take a risk with a sapphire or cobalt blue for your Christmas party

Colour

Everyone is aware of the conventional clothing colours associated with Christmas: red, green, and gold. There are ways to experiment with your wardrobe’s colour palette for a classier look. Take the classic Christmas red. This colour can be quite overpowering some

times, given that it is so bright. However, exchanging bright red for a maroon, burgundy, or any darker red with more muted undertones, can immediately spruce up your festive outfit. The same goes for green. Selecting a deeper emerald green can add more depth and quality to your ensemble.

Recent fashion trends favour a more subtle use of colour for a sophisticated and minimalistic look. So much so, that the simplicity of wearing an all-black or all-white outfit is also a viable option for the holiday season. I personally love a monochromatic style, as not only is it visually powerful, but it is also affordable, especially for students on a budget. Most students will have black garments in their wardrobe that can be combined to produce a strong, monochromatic look. If you are looking for something more unique for your festive party, may I suggest exploring the colour blue. Navy blue is another festive favourite, so why not take a risk with a sapphire or cobalt blue for your Christmas party? While everyone is sporting the classic reds and greens, you can make a statement

in a powerful blue, brightening up the sombre winter months.

Velvet is a popular fabric around this season as its density and softness makes garments so comfortable

Prints and patterns

A single festive colour is effective, but incorporating a print or pattern into your winter wardrobe can make you look even more stylish. One print that is known to be especially festive is the red plaid print. Not only is this print used for clothing, but it is also used for Christmas dinner cloths, ribbons, and other festive decorations. This print embodies the traditionalism of Christmas and is a definite symbol of the festive season. A red plaid dress is a popular choice, and this can be paired with black boots and tights for a cosy party outfit. Another popular festive pattern is the Scandinavian knitting pattern used for many Christmas jumpers. Originally marketed as ‘fashionable ski attire’, the Norwegian pattern has become a classic Christ-

jumper design. Having one of these in your wardrobe to pair with denim jeans and boots is essential for the festive season.

Materials and textiles

While knitwear is a popular material for the holiday season, especially since it is getting much colder, there are other materials that can be worn during this time to glamourise your wardrobe. For a formal evening event, I would suggest embracing the glitz of the festive season through sequin fabric. Whether it be a sequin top or a sequin dress, the sparkle of this fabric encapsulates the magic of Christmas. Under the blinding lights of the Christmas party, you will be sure to glisten. To enhance this look further, you can search for sequin garments with fur (faux, of course) lining. My personal favourite outfit that combines these two

materials would be a sequin dress with fur-lined sleeves and a fur neckline. However, if you find the shimmer to be too much, and prefer something more toned down, we can strip it back to a cosier, but still chic, material. Velvet is a popular fabric around this season as its density and softness makes garments so comfortable. Yet, it still displays a sense of sophistication, especially when dressing it up with heels. It is the perfect outfit for a classy Christmas party. These are just some of my suggestions on how to spruce up your wardrobe as we start the countdown to Christmas. As our first term comes to an end, it feels only right to treat yourself to a new outfit, dressing to impress at a festive event. This is your sign to spend a little extra on yourself this holiday season, building up your wardrobe for the festive feels.

mas

» Images: suziesparkle / Flickr (top left), Lore Schodts / Unsplash (top right), Thirdman / Pexels (bottom right)

» Images: Katrin Bolovtsova / Pexels (bottom left), Inga Seliverstova / Pexels (bottom right)

MEDIA

TheBoarpresents the Media section, featuring Music, Podcasts, Film, TV and Games.

Music Editor: Lucy Gibbons (she/her) music@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Zoe Mudd (she/her)

Deputy editors: Ruby McDowell (she/her) Meera Nair (she/her)

Podcasts Editor: Matthew Randell (he/him) podcasts@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Amira Neminathan (they/them)

Deputy editors:

Millie Hatfield-Grossova (she/her) Hasan Islam (he/him)

Film Editor: Parijat Bhattacherjee (she/her) film@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Kaitlyn Luckie (she/her)

Deputy editors:

Gemma Rice (she/her)

Helen Trappelides (she/her)

TV Editor: Hayden Waller (he/him) tv@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Anya Mittal (she/her)

Deputy editors: Matthew Titterington (he/him)

Games Editor: Gabriela Jozefowicz (she/her) games@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Callum Morar (he/him)

Deputy editors:

Ethan Delcroix (he/they/she)

Sunehar Aneja (she/her)

Articles you can find online...

Yusra Babar, Games Dragons, wisps, and enemy guilds: Dungeon Inn, a game review

Izabella Goodall, Podcasts Parasocial relationships in podcasting: Problem or privilege?

Jack Thompson, Music 2025 Grammy Nominations theboar.org

Aanya Sisodia, Film We Live in Time: A Film of Masterful Performances

MUSIC

Hannah Colechin, TV Unravelling Lost: The show that changed TV forever

HEadliners – Latitude Festival’s streak of male-dominated headliners continues into 2025

Latitudefestival, with its kitsch pink sheep and family-friendly reputation, takes place annually in Henham Park, Suffolk, attracting around 45,000 festivalgoers each year. A diverse line-up is always offered, spanning from live music to comedy. The first names to be announced however, and therefore the ones that garner the most publicity and attention, are always the three headliners. The names for 2025 were announced at the end of October, with Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol, and Sting taking these top spots. These three acts are the latest additions to a disappointing trend that has emerged at Latitude over the past few years: once again, the three headliners are all male.

Back in 2019, The British Festi-

Out of all of the Latitude headliners since 2019... a shocking three out of eighteen were female or contained a female member

val Report found Latitude to be “the most gender-equal” festival in the country. 40% per cent of the 2019 line-up identified as female, and 60% were male. However, upon assessing the headliners of recent years, a very different image emerges. Out of all

of the Latitude headliners since 2019 (the year the report was published), up to and including the recently announced names for 2025 (excluding the cancelled festival in 2020), a shocking three out of eighteen were female or contained a female member.

This is not to say that the headliner gender imbalance is a Latitude exclusive problem. Take Reading and Leeds Festival for example: out of their six headliners in 2024, only one – Lana Del Rey – was female. However, Glastonbury did notably offer up SZA and Dua Lipa as two out of their three leading acts in 2024, showing that, at least on the Pyramid stage, female artists are welcome in these top spots. Why then are female headliners such a rarity in recent years elsewhere on the British festival circuit?

It is somewhat difficult to find detailed, concrete information on precisely how headliners are decided and allocated. Published interviews with Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic (the company that runs some major UK festivals including Latitude, Reading & Leeds, and Download), often reference ‘discussions’ that lead to ‘bookings’, a rather vague chain of events that fails to go into finer detail about the selection process and the reasons why certain artists are considered and contacted. Artist availability is, of course, also a factor. The dates of the festival must work with a chosen artist’s other commitments, such as a tour. The three acts that secure the headline spots then, are likely the result of a combination of factors: discussions over who the festival’s audience will enjoy most, artist availability, and efforts to craft a unique, curated programme of events to suit the desired atmosphere of each festival.

My suggestion is not that there should be a 50/50 gender split across all acts at Latitude, nor that the roles should now entirely reverse, and we receive three female headliners (although one must question why that feels like an unrealistic prospect given recent years), which perhaps runs the risk of being seen as little more than a tokenistic gesture. It is also not simply a ‘dig’ at the three chosen names, who are each renowned artists in their own right. Plus, the reason the festival is so enjoyable overall for many, speaking from experience, actually has very little to do with who the headliners are. There is plenty of variety on offer across the various stages, including a plethora of immensely talented

emerging artists, and this aspect of the festival should not be downplayed or disregarded by solely focusing on these three acts.

However, especially from the perspective of a female attendee, things are beginning to feel stagnant, and a quick scroll through the Instagram comments on the 2025 announcement post confirms that this is a shared feeling among a number of attendees. Snow Patrol, for example, headlined the festival a mere two years ago in 2022. How can Latitude insist in their charter that they are “not passive about the work that needs to be done” regarding gender equality at the festival when the same all-male band have secured a headline spot multiple times in recent years? This is essentially the very definition of a passive choice.

Fans will be left waiting for the arrival of this ‘new brigade’, as the 2025 offerings once again fail to deliver

The music scene is so incredibly diverse, and it seems like a huge shortcoming for such a popular festival to continuously choose to showcase such a narrow demographic of artists in the most lucrative slots. Rather uninspiring, to say the least, and something that unavoidably raises questions on the overarching image Latitude wishes to portray as a festival and a platform for artists.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone on the relaunch of Festival Republic’s 'ReBalance' initiative (intended to support female musicians as they break into the industry), Benn insisted that “a new brigade of festival headliners are set to arrive very soon”, hinting heavily at efforts to increase inclusion of female and non-binary acts. However, it seems that, at least in the case of Latitude, fans will be left waiting for the arrival of this ‘new brigade’, as the 2025 offerings once again fail to deliver on this particular promise.

Ruby McDowell, she/her Music Deputy Editor

ETERNAL SUNSHINE

Martin

Day,

he/him News Editor

OLDER – LIZZY MCALPINE

This is How Tomorrow Moves (TiHTM) is a testament to Beabadoobee’s growth as an artist and individual, with her songwriting transcending the realms of indie pop to provide a fresh, new sound. Utilising elements of alternative rock and folk-pop, TiHTM has undeniably allowed her to carve out her place as a musician and, crucially, a storyteller. The production of this album allows an intimate relationship to be created between her and the listener, with stripped-back acoustic pieces leaving only her vocals as the main medium for her poignant storytelling. Indeed, her songwriting is the main credit of this album, with her vulnerability allowing her to explore the nostalgia of lost love and the relief of closure. Her maturity as an artist is evident through this album and is reflected in her acceptance that although tomorrow must always come, we need not be afraid but, instead, accept and move with it.

Zahra Jazmina, she/her

Writer

The beginning of 2024 brought GoldFord’s soul-infused album Orange Blossoms. His sound bridges acoustic elements and raspy, heartfelt vocals with a twinge of modern soul. This harmony between the raw, soulful, and emotive storytelling of heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery crafts a relaxing foundation for his lyrical honesty. The title track, ‘Orange Blossoms’, captures a sense of nostalgia and hope that contrasts with a funk and soul-infused lightness that feels timeless and reflective. This album fills intimate dinners with a low rumble of light percussion and soulful vocal arrangements or infuses sunset strolls with a mellow atmosphere. His artistry is reminiscent of the folk-inspired sound of Ray LaMontagne’s soul and Aloe Blacc’s style of merging the pop appeal into soul.

Olivia Rodrigo’s gloriously bitter sophomore album GUTS is even messier in the extended version: GUTS (spilled), which features five new tracks.

From obsession with a partner’s ex to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, Rodrigo continues to chart the crazed emotions of young adulthood. Edgier and more self-aware than ever, her ironic lyricism spills ego and insecurities over a mix of upbeat, playful tunes, and mournful ballads.

Unlike the original, which concludes with the demoralised ‘teenage dream’ (“I fear that they already got all the best parts of me”), GUTS (spilled)’s final track, ‘so american’, is a homage to joy. The frenetic beat and energised vocals cry out the unashamedly hopeful “I might just be in love”, reminding the listener that it’s never too late to give love and life another chance.

Ariana Grande’s most vulnerable and coherent album to date, eternal sunshine delves deeply into themes of lost love and new beginnings. Opening with the question, ‘how can I tell if I‘m in the right relationship?’ and closing with heartfelt wisdom from her Nonna, Grande’s mesmerising harmonies and raw, expressive lyrics convey a narrative unlike any of her previous albums. The album moves from the bittersweetness of leaving a toxic relationship in ‘don’t wanna break up again’, to the blossoming of love in ‘supernatural’, to the frustration of public and media scrutiny in ‘we can’t be friends’, to the gut-wrenching honesty of ‘i wish i hated you’. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, creating an album that captivates from beginning to end, making the skip button futile.

And then there was one. GLOOM DIVISION is Dallon Weekes’ first solo project, having progressed from lead for The Brobecks, a bassist for Panic! At the Disco, and a double act with Brobecks drummer Ryan Seaman under the iDKHOW monicker. Seaman’s departure from the project in September 2023 came as a shock to fans, yet thankfully Weekes seems all the stronger for it. His new album is a deeply personal romp that loses none of the ‘razzmatazz’ swagger that defined iDKHOW’s first release. Added to the mix is a sleek, mature quality throughout that, if mishandled, could well have killed the project’s originality so beloved by fans. Instead, it only propels Weekes’ production to intoxicating new heights: GLOOM DIVISION is a triumph that dispels fears that iDKHOW was a mere flash in the pan while setting the stage for surely greater pursuits to follow.

With her third album Older, Lizzy McAlpine goes back to her folk roots and shares her experience of growing through truly fascinating lyrics. This album focuses on the themes of love, loss, and soul-searching. It is not only the raw and gut-wrenching lyrics that make this album hauntingly beautiful, but also the painstakingly crafted production and the selection of classic acoustic guitar and echoing piano. From the title track, ‘Older’, which highlights how McAlpine feels about her regrets and the agonising mistakes she made in the past, to the tragic ‘Like It Tends To Do’, which explores falling out of love, Older becomes a medium for McAlpine to reflect on her past.

PRELUDE TO ECSTASY –THE LAST DINNER PARTY

Unapologetically feminine and gloriously theatrical, indie rockers

The Last Dinner Party truly delivered on the hype — and then some — with their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy. It is a record that moves between grandiose anthems and intimate ballads, punctuated by haunting hymn-esque interludes like Albanian track ‘Gjuha’. Saturated with historical and religious references, the lyricism of ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’ elevates the album to a truly artistic level. The true magic, however, lies in the band’s musicality. Morris' ethereal vocals drive the album's emotional depth, whilst its thrilling unpredictability is balanced by an almost magical sonic cohesion perhaps best exemplified by the visceral melodrama of ‘The Feminine Urge’. With its dramatic flair to accompany electrifying performances, it seems Prelude to Ecstasy was always destined to make The Last Dinner Party the live music sensation they are.

Tom Ryan, he/him Deputy News Editor

Wunderhorse’s Midas signifies the return of guitar music. Opening with the eponymous ‘Midas’, an allusion to the King Midas of Greek Mythology, each of the 10 tracks weaves through a plethora of themes. The album also proves the band’s versatility, from the heavily layered ‘Rain’ and ‘Silver’ to the raw and more strippedback, ‘Superman’, which allows lead singer Jacob Slater’s vocals, and wailing, to take centre stage. It is not only Slater who is given a chance to shine throughout the album, Harry Tristan Fowler on guitar, Peter Woodin on bass, and Jamie Staples on drums are given a platform to express their talents. Ending the spectacular run of songs with the nearly nine-minute-long ‘Aeroplane’ illustrates that Wunderhorse are refusing to be placed in a box in terms of their sound. Although Midas is Wunderhorse’s first venture as a four-piece, it is clear that the band are the future of rock music.

“Don’t it seem like a good time for swimming before all the water disappears?” Adrianne Lenker sings on Bright Future, just one of the many painfully earnest sentiments she expresses throughout the album’s 12 track run. Lenker so expertly captures the desperation to experience a love free of constraints, and yet understands all of the devastating obstacles holding her back, specifically in reference to her relationship with her own mother. With the intuitive, empathetic production bouncing between brittle distress and the quietness of everyday heartbreak, Lenker’s faultless lyricism shines through front and centre where it rightly belongs. Is there a better album to encompass 2024 than one which encourages us to move forward, despite everything, with some cautious optimism?

Following on from her success for Italy at this year’s Eurovision, Angelina Mango delivered again this summer with her outstanding debut album poké melodrama. Encapsulating her breadth of capabilities, the album takes listeners on a journey from genre to genre, moving from the passionate vocals of the opening ‘giolleli di familia’ to the more earthy, contemporary sound of ‘crush’ whilst never moving away from the distinctive urban-pop sound that she stamped on ‘la noia’, her Eurovision entry.

Mango may only be young, but she is already solidifying her place in the music scene, following in the footsteps of her father, who is seen as a pioneer of Italian music. The titular ‘melodrama’ is a standout song for me, showcasing Mango’s talents in a slick production which celebrates and highlights her capabilities, putting her alongside the likes of Rosalía and fellow countrywoman Annalisa. The album stands among the musical highlights of 2024 for me, and I am excited to see what more she can deliver in the future.

Ruby McDowell,

Short N’ Sweet satisfies a craving for fun, flirty pop instantly. It must be a welcome taste too, with all 12 tracks landing in Billboard’s Hot 100’s top 50 after their release back in August. Yet it would be short-sighted to suggest that this is all listeners are offered. The album treads a fine line between not taking itself too seriously (many tracks are rife with innuendo and suggestive lyrics, but this is executed in a way that never feels seedy or forced), whilst remaining honest, self-aware, and raw elsewhere.

Short N’ Sweet marks Carpenter’s sixth studio album, so for fans of her earlier work, her skyrocket to stardom off the back of this release has been a long time coming. With infectiously catchy lyrics, Carpenter has officially cemented herself as a star who will only continue to grow (although likely not literally: her short stature is essentially part of her persona). Empowering, refreshing, carefree pop, through and through.

Lucy Gibbons, she/her Music Editor

Meera Nair, she/her Deputy Music Editor

she/her Deputy Music Editor

SHORT N' SWEETSABRINA CARPENTER

Anna Bickerton, she/her Head of Digital Media

Charlotte Cunliffe, she/her Writer

Hannah Guthrie, she/her Writer

Nehir Orhon, she/her Writer

POKÉ MELODRAMAANGELINA MANGO

Ellen Bray Koss, she/her Writer

BRIGHT FUTURE –ADRIA NNA L ENKER

What's Behind The K-Drama Craze?

There's more to

Aram Akbari Madovi, she/her

Writer

Withseason two of the international hit Squid Game coming out on 26 December, you might be curious as to the global success of the Korean entertainment industry. Why is there such a demand for East Asian television and how did the country become one of the biggest competitors in the industry?

Following the original Korean wave (coined the ‘Hallyu wave’ by native speakers) the distribution of the broadcast licenses for K-dramas has only increased along with demand for and consumption of Korean popular culture in the last decade.

If your first foray into the genre was the aforementioned Squid Game, you might be at a bit of a loss as to this sudden interest. Why do we have a sudden awareness of Korean barbeque and a need to try

Korean Television than Just Squid Game

the fermented cabbage side dish that accompanies it?

The most prominent factor is the female-centred economic boom, associated with the hundreds of romantic television programmes produced out of the country. There is no doubt about the level of power female fandom holds in any major television following.

A brilliant example is the online adoration for the heartwarming romcoms that act as a foundation of the industry. Shows like Descendants of the Sun, Boys over Flowers, and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo have become staples of the genre and are cited as cult classics. These shows follow a similar format: a run time of 16 hourlong episodes that takes us on the quest for ‘one true love’, featuring handsome protagonists, various shenanigans, and an angsty thirdact conflict around episode 14. Whilst this may seem tedious on paper, the level of focus given

to character development, writing and the aesthetics of these shows, however clichéd, offers a perfect escape from the normative and tired tropes of regional Western TV. Furthermore, the demands of a majority-female audience are rejecting traditional ideals of masculinity and producing media that portrays more appealing, romantic and reserved male leads.

Prolonged tension is the secret to good romance

On that point, a lack of overt physical expressions of intimacy as a stand-in for romantic affection is another notable feature of these romances. In the typical love story Western romances have accustomed us to, Character A notices Character B, falls in love/lust, and pursues a romantic relationship to consummate and legitimise said feeling.

'One for the Road'

Emotional Farewell for Top Gear Trio

Joshua Keeble, he/him Writer

It’sbeen almost three months since Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May brought down the curtains on their 22-year professional career together. The emotional ‘One for the Road’, the final ever episode of The Grand Tour, aired on Amazon Prime. While their careers, particularly that of Clarkson, have had their ups and down, the three of them have had an undeniable impact on millions of lives across the world, including mine.

The episode itself stands up as some of their greatest ever work. The trio traverse the length of Zimbabwe, a country they have always wanted to visit, in three cars they have always wanted to own.

At the climax of the episode, the presenters recreate old memories on Kubu Island in Botswana, a site they visited almost two decades prior. If the objective of any art form –be that paintings, music, film, television, or theatre – is to provoke an emotional response from the beholder, then the last 25 minutes of ‘One for the Road’ is a masterpiece. In the trio’s final minutes, May makes perhaps the greatest understatement ever, remarking “I hope we have brought you a little bit of happiness”. Clarkson and May later stumble upon the Lancia Beta Coupé Superleggera

The last 25 minutes of 'One for the Road' is a masterpiece

and the Mercedes 230E they had used in the Top Gear 'Botswana Special' filmed in 2007 (the producers likely arranged the reunion following the discovery of the cars a few years ago). As the presenters approach Kubu Island on foot, old footage from the 'Botswana Special' is intercut with the film, Hammond placing his palm upon the very same baobab tree he did 17 years earlier.

The episode’s score is as tight as ever, with Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ and George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ (both featured in the final act) being the two highlights. The soundtrack has always been an integral yet often overlooked aspect of Top Gear and The Grand Tour. The pieces of music chosen by the presenters or producers to accompany a scene have a neat way of completing them. The show has introduced me to some of my now all-time favourite songs through its often-humorous placement of them: Eddie and the Hot Rods’ ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’; David Bowie’s ‘Ashes to Ashes’; and Wang Chung’s ‘Dance Hall Days’ stand out.

The show was never really about the cars. Of course, the core audience present in 2002 tuned in expecting typical motoring journalism, but it was the friendship between the presenters and the antics which followed that made Top Gear a global phenomenon. What made the show special was how we the viewer felt we were accompanying the trio on their travels across six different continents. I am confident I could recall as much about their careers as they could themselves, having spent al-

In contrast, whilst working around the strict broadcast censorship for general production, K-dramas are forced to omit such narrative focus and in doing so develop a slow burn intimacy that naturally forgoes what audiences are coining ‘Adult-Scene Fatigue’. Instead, Character A is thrown into proximity with Character B and comes to understand them as a person for 10 episodes whilst making loving eye contact. They face several trials until finally sharing a kiss in episode 16. As the success of the second season of Bridgerton made clear, prolonged tension is the secret to good romance.

That’s not to say that romantic escapades are all the Korean television landscape has to offer. The specialised programmes that are exported out of the country also act as a site of cultural exchange with viewers. The term Sageuk refers to any drama that is either based on historical figures, uses a historical backdrop or incorporates any historical events. These typically have a longer run time than the dramas mentioned above, and often indulge in more formal ancient dialogue and classical costumes to immerse the viewers.

most my entire life watching them. With the end of The Grand Tour, I feel like I have lost three mates. Except I haven’t. The rewatchability of their adventures means I can relive them as many times as I want to.

The trio have helped me navigate some challenging times

Of course, it would be partisan of me not to address any shortcomings of the episode. If anything, ‘One for the Road’ suffers from the same fate as many Grand Tour specials to date: too much money. Clarkson’s Lancia Montecarlo and May’s Triumph Stag (which cost £17,950 and £26,500 respectively) work almost too well, undermining what made their epic ventures so memorable. At its best, the show was about three crocks bought for a pittance some how overcom ing distances exceeding a thousand miles. It was my father who introduced me to Gear, something which I will always be grateful for. The trio have helped me navigate some challenging times, including his passing.

This brings me to my two personal favourite K-dramas: D.P. and Move to Heaven, both of which came out in 2021.

Since 1957, military conscription has been compulsory for male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35. The show D.P. (which stands for Deserter Pursuit) follows a young private An Jun-Ho, assigned to capture army deserters. An anthology series, each new episode introduces new characters and reveals the painful realities endured by enlistees during their compulsory calls of duty. We follow downtrodden characters experiencing hierarchal seniority harassment and follow this action-packed series as it delves into the almost psychological horrors

The use of lighting and sound in this show is incredible. Although it is a heavy watch (I could only get through one episode before taking a break to resume) the claustrophobic realities and devastation you feel for these characters is lightened slightly with a trueto-life dry Korean humour that is particularly suited to British taste yet that does not cheapen the show's serious subject.

For another tearjerker look no further than my second pick; Move to Heaven. Based on the real-life profession of trauma-cleaning, this show follows a young man with Asperger’s syndrome and his uncle, as they clear out the possessions of the recently deceased. Once again following an anthology format, the show sees the two uncover the stories the deceased left behind and relate them to their loved ones.

We can only watch as our hearts break

From the very beginning this tale about grief and found family only emphasises the importance of living life to its fullest potential. Personally, the most affecting episode is number five, in which we come across the death of a young doctor who, despite being accomplished in every sense, has apparently fallen short of his parents’ unrealistic expectations. We can only watch as our hearts break, alongside that of protagonist Geuru, for all the unrealised possibilities for each of our episodic characters.

From formulaic and attention-driven romances, to intricate analyses of an unfamiliar culture both past and present, K-dramas are developing at an unparalleled level. I hope I have given you the push you needed to delve into the vast library of brilliant television coming out of Korea, and to see why so many people, including me,

If one publication is to herald the end of the Clarkson, Hammond, and May era, then that publication is The Guardian. In fact, one recent article penned by Stuart Heritage ambitiously claimed that

Image Credits:

trio”, oblivious to their retire ment in fact coming on their own terms. This is a seldom seen feat in what is an age of mass televisual cancelations. Unlike many shows, The Grand Tour’s ending isn’t the result of lacklustre viewership failing to recoup disgustingly inflated

The world doesn’t really need more journalists (ironic given my own career aspirations). It doesn’t necessarily need more academics. Or politicians. It simply needs more people who make others happy. And these three blokes from BBC Two did that for millions all over the world.

Somewhere in my memory: Why Home Alone still holds a special place in families’ hearts

Nikolai Morton, he/him Writer

Thetime of year is nigh when we snuggle into the sofa, hot chocolate or mulled wine in hand, the Christmas tree lights twinkling nearby. The only thing missing from that cosy equation is, of course, a festive film. We all have our unique Yuletide staples, but one particular series has had families’ hearts for several decades, with an effortlessly charming protagonist and a quotable screenplay for the ages. There is a reason why Home Alone (at least before the diminishing return of the latter sequels) remains the pinnacle of Christmas cinema. Granted, the enduring power of It’s a Wonderful Life cannot be overstated, but Macaulay Culkin’s Home Alone films have a joyous, nostalgic sentiment that may never be replicated.

Home Alone's magic can defrost the most 'humbug' of hearts

Hearing the first notes of John Williams’ ‘Somewhere in My Memory’ always makes me well up. There was a time, as kids, when we too would be restless on Christmas Eve, waiting for the stockings to fill up, for the mince pie and brandy by the fireplace to vanish, for the off-chance that a blanket of snow would be waiting outside. And then we grew up. With the slipping-away of innocence, that true holiday magic seems to reside “somewhere in [our] memory” now, forgotten with youth. This is why revisiting the memories made watching films like Home Alone become an annual yearning

Love Actually

Hannah Guthrie

Only the best Christmas romcom of all time could make you sit through awkward porn with your family, hate Alan Rickman, laugh at the wonderfully terrible ‘Christmas is All Around’, cry over Liam Neeson’s widowing and Sarah’s care for her brother, love Colin Firth’s broken Portuguese proposal (and realise she learned English for him too), watch your mum really cry over Emma Thompson’s iconic Joni Mitchell moment, question why all Prime Ministers can’t be peak Hugh Grant, and enjoy telling everyone you know that Kiera Knightley was only 17 during filming (just four years older than Thomas Brodie-Sangster).

for many. Unlike ourselves, the escapades of Kevin McAllister will never change, and the warmth of those adventures will never be too far away. In short, Home Alone’s magic can defrost the most ‘humbug’ of hearts, faster than Mariah Carey could defrost.

Kevin McAllister is an apt case study for this type of holiday goodwill.

Directed by Chris Columbus, who would later helm the first two Harry Potter films, 1990’s Home Alone and its 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, encapsulate two different visions of Christmas. There is the glitzy,

It's a Wonderful Life

Haleeqa Hashmi

Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is the supreme story of faith and friendship with George Bailey, played by the icon James Stewart, being the heart of the film. He falls in love and then into despair, as the sacrifices he bears for his community slowly weigh heavier on his shoulders.

Nevertheless, Bailey’s turn to God in his time of need is answered in the form of an Angel eager to show him the impact of his life on others. What makes the film great is the way it weaves Christian themes into the narrative. The spirit of Christmas is not evoked in this film through Santa Claus but rather through the depiction of an ordinary man whose extraordinary deeds save his community and make life worth living again.

consumerist ideal of the season (a cameo from young real estate mogul Donald Trump exemplifies this) but also the loving family-oriented Christmas, which matters more.

Kevin’s character arc from frustration with his clan (“I made my family disappear!”, he is thrilled to learn) to wishing for their return is a beautiful one, which reveals the true meaning of Christmas. Andy Williams was right when he sang, “hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near”. Kevin asks an impatient Santa impersonator to relay his message to the real deal, saying that “instead of presents this year, I just want my family back.” This simple desire tugs at the heartstrings so much that rehashing it for a Manhattan-set sequel, with an almost-identical

Nativity!

Tom Ryan

story, works wonders yet again. As much as Kevin’s older siblings seem to resent his mere presence (his brother Jeff charmingly says, “Kevin, you’re such a disease”), having a full house is all Kev wants for Christmas.

As our university term nears its end, many of us will return to such home comforts for the festive period (unless, to reference a 2023 film title, you’ll be a ‘holdover’ here at Warwick this year). Home Alone’s subtler effect, consequently, is to make us dwell on those without company at this special time of year, especially the elderly and the homeless, and the little ways we can help make them smile during a period marketed as “the most wonderful time of the year”.

Kevin McAllister is an apt case study for this type of holiday

Undeniably a little cheesy, yet full of nostalgia. There’s no other way to describe Nativity!. On paper, a film about two rival primary schools staging school nativities with a despondent, heartbroken teacher (played by Martin Freeman) aiming to outdo his childhood rival (Jason Watkins) should never work. Yet, the marriage of joy, festivity, and feel-good music makes Nativity! the perfect family Christmas film. I have no shame in saying that I still love watching it every year, and, of course, no Warwick student should go through their degree without recreating the film’s iconic scenes at Coventry Cathedral. Who wouldn’t want to belt out ‘Sparkle and Shine’, while channelling their inner Bob or Crystal?

goodwill. Living alone at home and in ‘the big apple’, makes him more world-weary of the less fortunate.

Home Alone will forever be Yuletide nostalgia at best.

Whilst Lost in New York, he befriends the lonely vagabond, the Pigeon Lady (who looks scarily similar to Piers Morgan) and gives her a turtle dove to remember their friendship. Similarly, Old Man Marley, in the 1990 original, is estranged from his adult son and is the subject of false scare-stories in the neighbourhood. The beautiful church scene set to ‘O Holy Night’ is the series’ most powerful moment, as young and old share their regrets, resolving to reconnect with family.

Home Alone is clearly a comedy. Seeing the bumbling fools Harry and Marv, alias ‘the wet bandits’, succumb to a child’s inventively torturous traps is always delightful. As Kevin says, “you can mess with a lot of things, but you can’t mess with kids on Christmas”. ‘Gangster Johnny’ from fake noir film ‘Angels with Filthy Souls’ is also brilliant; his excessive tommy gun usage and satisfied delivery of “keep the change, ya filthy animal” is iconic.

Even so, there remains a quietly moving core to these films. When Kevin reunites with his mother beneath the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree, a ‘fairytale of New York’ truly is fulfilled. Home Alone will forever be Yuletide nostalgia at its best. It may be true that the real joy of Christmas now lives ‘somewhere in [our] memory’ – but, watching these films, we feel submerged in childlike joy again.

Groundhog Day

Martin Day

Christmas in… February?

1993’s Groundhog Day may not seem like a Christmas film given the date of its titular holiday, but why not?

An arrogant yet loveable Bill Murray is forced to repeat the same excruciating day forever until he can finally learn to treat those around him with kindness and charity, seize every opportunity, and see beauty in the mundanity of everyday life. What could be more in the Christmas spirit than that?

Give it a watch, and before you know it, you too will be carving ice sculptures with chainsaws and giving your life savings to insurance salesmen.

Klaus

Archie DouglasHamilton

Klaus is definitely an underrated favourite of mine. Set on a remote island at the top of the globe where everyone hates everyone, it follows a spoiled postman who, with the help of a reclusive lumberjack, starts a gift delivery system for the local children. It is essentially a Santa Claus origin story, armed with an all-star voice cast, creative animation, great comedy, and a refreshingly unique take on a classic Christmas story. It also never fails to make me sob by the end. I couldn't recommend it enough.

» Image: Sky Editorial Assest Centre

Auditory Evolution: Why news organisations are moving to podcasts

Hasan Islam, he/him Deputy Podcasts Editor

Twostories: one from a courtroom in Baltimore, another from a newsroom in London. Different continents, different decades, but connected by a revolutionary medium that's transforming how we uncover truth: the investigative podcast. From The News Agents explosive media exposés to Serial's impact on jury behaviour, audio journalism isn't just changing the news – it's changing outcomes.

These podcasts bring a vitality to journalism that previous mediums have failed to capture

Dubbed 'The Serial Effect', named after the wildly popular podcast that followed the murder trial of Adnan Syed, the recent phenomenon of investigative podcasts has proven to be remarkably successful, with Serial alone attracting over 40 million listeners. This success raises the question: why have such podcasts garnered such popularity? Kat Albrecht, Assistant Professor of Criminology

at Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, claims to have the answer. "These podcasts say they are giving you a look behind the curtain at what happens in courts. So, by being heralded as investigatory journalism, they can actually influence cultural perceptions of criminal cases," she explains. By providing real-life audio accounts of events, whether through subject interviews or court recordings, these podcasts bring a vitality to journalism that previous mediums have failed to capture.

Television news, in particular, has struggled to maintain its audience. With around 70 per cent of adults now viewing their news online, media platforms have increasingly shifted their focus to the digital space. However, the appetite for long-form storytelling hasn't diminished – instead, many viewers have turned to podcasts as their preferred medium for indepth reporting.

The flexible nature of podcasting has proved particularly beneficial for news organisations

Speaking to LBC, journalist Lewis Goodall declared that podcasts were "the future of news". He stated that "the possibility for podcasts to do that kind of really serious, nuanced, on-the-ground reporting is limitless, actually, and I think you'll probably see other big news organisations turn to that, at least as a way of trying to interest younger audiences". The flexible nature of podcasting has proved particularly beneficial for news organisations. The ability to record with a small microphone, rather than lugging around heavy camera equipment, has enabled more diverse and intimate content that would have been impractical for mainstream television. Marianne Sprigg demonstrated this perfectly in her work for the BBC, travelling across the country to record different individuals' perspectives on conspiracy theories for her series Marianne in Conspiracyland. This evolution in journalism hasn't come without its challenges. As Professor Albrecht notes: "The lines of true crime are getting increasingly blurry. Is it entertainment? Or is it factual knowledge being delivered to the audience?"

This question becomes particularly pertinent as podcasts continue to influence real-world outcomes, from jury decisions to policy changes.

The intimacy of audio, combined with the flexibility of digital distribution, has created a powerful new tool for truth-telling

The commercial viability of podcasting has also sparked debate within traditional media circles. When challenged about reading advertisements on The News Agents, Goodall pragmatically responded, "How do you think this is getting paid for?" and compares the podcast to bookshops – "Waterstones is just a big paywall!". This highlights the shifting attitudes towards funding quality journalism.

KillList: Investigating murder for hire

Millie Hatfield-Grossova, she/her Deputy Podcasts Editor

CarlMiller asks you to imagine the following scenario: you're sat in your home when you receive a call from an investigative journalist. He reveals to you the reason for the call: you are on a ‘kill list’. Someone has paid thousands of dollars in bitcoin equivalent to have you killed, kidnapped or tortured. Throughout his podcast Kill List, Miller investigates the murky network of murder-for-hire websites on the dark web. On these sites perpetrators, using pseudonyms, pay vast sums of money to hitmen to target people.

It should seem like an accident

Miller’s involvement in this investigation began in 2020, when his associate hacked and managed to gain access to this murder-forhire website. This site contained a spreadsheet with over 100 names, contact details, addresses, and plans for their intended murder. Messages from the perpetrators concerning the murders included the

following: “It should seem like an accident”, “hit with a car and ensure fatality.’’

This particular site was a scam –the owner was pocketing the money without actually conducting any hits – but the risk was very real, as Miller tells us at the beginning of the podcast. For one intended target, Amy Allwine, it was too late by this point. Her body was discovered by police in November 2016 and her death was initially ruled as a suicide. However, the truth quickly became clear: her husband, Stephen Allwine, had paid for a hitman to kill her on a murder-forhire site, and when this hitman had not materialised, Stephen Allwine had murdered her himself.

His series of cold calls are met with scepticism at best and complete disbelief at worst

Upon gaining access to this site, Miller immediately reported it to the Metropolitan Police, who passed the investigation to Interpol, but police involvement quickly dried up. What followed was a journalistic ethical nightmare: Miller had to decide whether – and how – to warn hundreds of people

with very real death threats against them.

One man has asked for his wife to be kidnapped, tortured, and injected with heroin

Thrillingly, the podcast takes us step-by-step through Miller’s attempts to warn the victims whilst navigating the absurdity of the situation within which he finds himself. His series of cold calls are met with scepti cism at best and complete disbelief at worst. Mill er’s obvious nerves, and clear attempts to conduct the investi gation empathetically, make him an endearing narrator. The brillian cy of this podcast is its willingness to draw us so close to the inves tigation. Miller al ternates between the disappoint ment of when he cannot proper ly warn victims, and the

joyous moments when cases are finally taken seriously by the police. When Miller finally manages, via a freelance journalist, to approach Elena, a victim living in Switzerland, the listener is shocked to hear that she is unsurprised about the hit taken out on her. She has an immediate suspect in mind: her ex-husband. The Kill List does not shy away from the reality of violence against women; most perpetrators on the murder-tohire site are either current or ex-male partners, paying vast amounts of money to kill their current or previous female partners. Some of the orders are not simply murder. One man has asked for his estranged wife, Jennifer, to be kidnapped, tortured, and injected with heroin. This man had been periodically attempting to drug her with seda-

Looking ahead, the trajectory seems clear. Major news organisations are increasingly investing in podcast journalism, recognising its unique ability to engage younger audiences while maintaining the depth and rigour required for serious investigative reporting. The intimacy of audio, combined with the flexibility of digital distribution, has created a powerful new tool for truth-telling.

As we witness the continued decline of traditional television news and the rise of digital-first journalism, podcasting stands out not just as an alternative platform, but as the natural evolution of investigative reporting. In Goodall's words, this is "prestige stuff" that represents "the future of news" –a future that's already changing how stories are told and justice is served.

tives and introduce another woman into their marriage. The psychological torture he asked the hitman to enact was intended to render her completely pliable. In this case, the FBI were able to trace the payments, capture the perpetrator, and charge him with attempted kidnapping.

Ultimately, the podcast leaves the listener with a mix of hope and despair. On the one hand, Miller has potentially saved countless lives. He has disclosed 175 names to the police, who in turn have secured 28 convictions. Yet, the podcast reveals the lengths that people will go to violently rid themselves of people in their lives, and in turn reveals a danger within human nature that is much greater than the dark web.

» Image: CogSciLibrarian (top) Thomas Hawk/Flickr (middle)

» Image: Benjamin Lehman (left) Team Louish/Flickr (right)

Festive Fun: Three DIY board game ideas for Christmas

Gabrielle

Parkhill, she/her Writer

Theholiday season is a time filled with fun, friends, family, and lots of chaos. So, if you need an escape from the festive frenzy, why not take a break and try crafting some of your own seasonal games? DIY games can make a personal and memorable addition to any holiday celebration and provide the perfect chance to relax and unwind with family. Plus, with the holiday season being so expensive already, homemade crafts are a budget-friendly way to inject some fun into the celebrations. Here are three simple craft ideas that everyone can try:

DIY Christmas Coasters

Based on the popular Christ mas table game Mince Spies our first craft can be a lively addition to a holiday dinner. This classic game involves handing out different coasters to each guest at the table. Each coaster features a different ‘mission’ or challenge. Some examples from the game are ‘steal

some food from the plate of at least two people around the table’ and ‘integrate Christmas carol lyrics (at least one line) into all your conversations,’ with the challenge of completing your mission without the other guests guessing what it is.

This game is super easy to recreate as a DIY. You can craft the coasters using simple materials like cardboard, marker pens, and some holiday-themed stickers. Creating personalised missions for each other can be a unique touch to your holiday and is also a great conversation-starter for the evening or at the dinner table.

Holiday Themed Taboo

If you’re familiar with the , then you already know how much fun it can be to play in a group setting. It’s a fast-paced, chaotic game that requires smart thinking and inevitably lots of shouting. Players must try to guess the word written on a card based on the clues

and prompts their teammate gives them. However, you must not use the given ‘taboo’ words, which makes describing it a lot more challenging. For example, for the word ‘Christmas Tree,’ the taboo words on the card may be ‘pine,’ ‘decorations,’ and ‘presents.’ The aim is to help your teammate guess the word without using any ‘taboo’ terms.

Creating DIY, holiday-themed cards will only take a few minutes. Using some index cards, write down some holiday-themed words and list a few taboo words below. This game is perfect for large families and an excellent way to create a personalised holiday tradition that can be entertaining for all ages. It also doesn’t require a lot of preparation time.

An excellent way to create a personalised holiday tradition

Crafting Board Games from Leftover Packaging

After all the presents have been opened, there’s often a pile of wrapping paper, cardboard, and

plastic packaging left. Instead of simply throwing it away, you could always recycle it into a creative board game. This craft idea allows you to repurpose leftover materials to create something unique and interactive.

For example, you could turn a large piece of cardboard into a chessboard or a Scrabble board, or other versions of classic games that are easy to replicate. For chess, you can draw the grid on cardboard and make small chess pieces with leftover packaging. You can then decorate the board and pieces with paint, markers, or stickers. Likewise, for Scrabble, you can make the letter tiles out of any spare paper or card. Any leftover wrapping paper can add an extra decorative touch.

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you could even create a 3D Snakes and Ladders game. You can build a game board with ladders, snakes, and obstacles as 3D figures, or create intricate mechanisms that make the snakes and ladders move and interact with each other. The game can be made as simple or as elaborate as you want. DIY holiday games are fantastic for bringing the family together and creating new memories. They’re an inexpensive and creative way to add a personal touch to your celebrations. No matter what you create, these games can be a fun activity to get everyone involved with holiday crafts and show some teamwork.

Retro games for the holidays!

Matthew Titterington, he/him Writer

Whatis a retro Christmas game? In terms of being retro, is it a game from as early as the 16-bit glory days of Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers in 1985 or can it be as late as the 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 era? For me, I’d argue it’s both. Admittedly neither are necessarily Christmas themed, however there is something to be said about the nostalgic memories people across the world receive when remembering the times when they opened their presents under the tree on Christmas Day and discovering these games (often alongside a brand-new NES or Xbox 360 respectively) from as early as the 1980s to as late as the 2010s (the latter including me). Retro games are intergenerational. ‘Retro’ in many ways resembles the feeling of nostalgia but can also be a nostalgia that can be shared among generations. My

family, for example, are not necessarily active in video games but that does not stop my dad from sharing memories of the Sega Mega Drive with me and his experiences of playing Sonic the Hedgehog. I, in turn, have shared with my younger cousins my memories of playing Super Mario Galaxy on the Nintendo Wii during the Christmas of 2012. I also shared my memories of playing the toys-to-life games of Disney Infinity and Skylanders while sitting back and relaxing on Boxing Day from the early to mid-2010s.

Today, thanks to modern technology and special edition collections, it is easier than ever to access a range of video games from times gone past. From the Nintendo NES and SNES collections on the Switch, to the hordes of 2000s and 2010s collections on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, I thought it might be worth recommending which games you should consider this holiday season!

Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

One of the best 3D platformers out there, Super Mario Galaxy is a magical game with an epic soundtrack, fun bosses, and amazing visuals for a game released in 2007. This is a game which takes me back to those

Christmas mornings in the early 2010s and was a game I loved to share with the family. Now with the release of collections such as 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars and its availability on the Switch, I would highly recommend giving this game a revisit.

A game which brings back memories of childhood and good times with family

Mario Kart Wii (2008)

One more Nintendo game but this one is a classic. Mario Kart Wii is an iconic game while also being one of the most fun/ rage-inducing games I have ever played. This game brings back memories of playing along with family, hoping the RNG is on your side, before inevitably losing but being able to have a good laugh about it. Now with the introduction of the classic Mario Kart Wii tracks onto Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, it may be time to call over the family once again this holiday season and have a few more races for old times' sake.

Star Wars Battlefront II (2005)

This might be a peculiar inclusion but is an incredibly fun game. Often considered within the fandom to be better than its 2017 EA remake, Star Wars Battlefront II is a classic third-person shooter which takes you across the iconic Star Wars locations from the movies while having easy to understand mechanics, fun game modes, and offering numerous strategies to win. What cements my recommendation, however, is the classic 2005 graphics as well as the prequel trilogy aesthetics which reawaken the 2000s nostalgia.

Balloon Fight (1984)

Now available on the Nintendo Switch as part of its NES collec tion which comes with the paid Nintendo online mem bership, Balloon Fight is a highly engaging game where the aim is to pop the balloons of the enemies before they pop yours, while also trying not to fall into the water. A smaller game such as Balloon Fight is nonethe less a great game to pop onto the Switch and play with family late on a Christmas day.

Those are some of my suggestions (more in the online article!) of games for this holiday season. For me, a nostalgic Christmas game is not necessarily one that explicitly features Christmas iconography but rather a game which brings back memories of childhood and good times with family. They are games which (even if they are the most rage-inducing games you have ever played) you can look back on with a smile. These games have certain qualities, whether it be the imperfect graphics, jerky camera movements, or just how seemingly easy these games are to play compared to their modern counterparts, that make them a joy to revisit. So, if you’re looking for a great game or two to play this holiday season, then you can’t go wrong with some of the

» Image: (Left) Flickr, BarricadeCaptures (Bottom Right) Flickr, Bryan Ochalla

» Image: (Left) Pexels, RDNE Stock Project/ (Middle) Pickpik/ (Right) Pexels, Pavel Danilyuk

Crossword

Sudoku

Across

5 Husk - pod - rind (5)

6 Puzzling question (6)

10 Refrain from voting (7)

11 State of quiet (5)

12 Wrinkled - eldin (anagram) (5)

14 Moneyed (7)

16 Disappoint (3,4)

18 Soil (5)

19 Traitor (5)

21 Brighten (up) (7)

23 Place of bliss (informal) (6)

24 Knits (anagram) - without money (British slang) (5)

Down

1 Old joke (informal) (8)

2 Earnest request (4)

3 Lose (8)

4 Notion - concept - thought (4)

7 The whole lot (10)

8 Expression of relief (10)

9 Owns (anagram) - niveous substance (4)

13 Pessimist - or modest? (anagram) (8)

15 Lively and profitable (8)

17 Yuletide (4)

20 Haul with effort (4)

22 Land-surrounded area of water (4)

BoarPAD:

The Bubble

Check us out on social media!

Poll of the Month:

What is your favourite CHRISTMAS song?

‘All I Want for Christmas’ by Mariah Carey

‘Last Christmas’ by WHAM!

‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ by Band

‘Jingle Bell Rock’ by The Vamps

Not

Head of Social Media: Abbie Fox (she/her) @warwickboar

On Christmas Day in Japan, fried chicken is the most commonly eaten food, making it the busiest time for restaurants like KFC.

The world’s tallest Christmas tree was 221ft high in a Washington shopping mall in 1950. The amount of wrapping paper used in the UK alone each Christmas is enough to cover the island of Guernsey!

Having to think about housing for next year (why is it stressful??)so

Making a homemade Christmas dinner with your flatmates!

Getting your least favourite flatmate for secret santa! Hot Not

Hot or Not: Do you agree with The Boar's HOT WINTER takes?

SCIENCE

TheBoarpresents the Science section, featuring Climate and SciTech.

Articles you can find online...

Sofia Drake-Perello, Climate Indigenous communities and the climate crisis theboar.org

Climate Editor: Nikita Bavisha (she/her) climate@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Sanskriti Thakur (she/her)

Deputy editors: Bella Litewska (she/her) Elena Aiello (she/her)

Martin Day, SciTech Will microwaving food in plastic give you cancer?

SciTech Editor: Vacant scitech@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Odette Dyer (she/her)

Deputy editors: Vacant

Casie Osborne, Climate Border meltdown between Switzerland and Italy as climate change shrinks glaciers

Lighting up the sky, polluting the planet

What are the environmental impacts of fireworks?

Gabrielle Welch, she/her Features Editor

Ahallmark of major celebrations around the world, such as Diwali, New Year, Bonfire Night, and the Fourth of July, fireworks are a booming industry, with the revenue of consumer fireworks increasing beyond 232% over the past two decades. However, as society’s fascination with fireworks grows, it’s important to recognize the environmental issues that lie beneath their spectacle.

Through combustion, fireworks open a pandora’s box of contaminants: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter, all negatively affecting air quality and contributing to climate change.

During Diwali in India, “about 50,000 tons, or 100 million pounds, of fireworks explode, causing a toxic haze to cover cities.” Toxic hazes are a common occurrence after firework displays, caused by the spread of particulate matter into the surrounding area. Particulate matter is “a combination of minuscule solid and liquid substances found in the air”, considered to be the “most hazardous air

pollutant” for its adverse effects on human health and environmental damage.

In addition to the production of air-borne particulate matter, fireworks increase levels of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide, gases that are toxic when inhaled. For example, the Fourth of July displays account for an average of “42% more pollutants found in the air on July 4 and 5 than on a typical day”.

Lasers and other lighting effects can provide the same level of spectacle, without risk of wildfires

Ecosystems are intricately interconnected; no element exists in isolation. Damage to the atmosphere, soil, and water manifests in local and distant environments.

For instance, particulate matter, nitric oxide, and sulfur dioxide combine with oxygen, water, and oth er chemicals, and are carried by wind to form acid rain. This phenomenon is

hugely damaging to ecosystems, especially to aquatic and forested environments. Altering the nutrients in the soil, and the natural pH of water bodies, acid rain has “severe consequences on ecosystems.”

As well as this, to produce the oxygen for the explosion, fireworks use oxidisers or perchlorates. Perchlorates dissolve in water to pollute habitats and drinking water, as well as harm the development of fish larvae.

Caleb Tye, SciTech AI dependence leading to less accuate cancer diagnosis

Besides chemical debris, fireworks produce microplastics that further degrade ecosystems.

Fireworks are demonstrative of our choice to favour a fleeting spectacle over enduring destruction

The Thames experienced a significant increase in microplastics after the 2019 New Year’s Eve firework display, with “over a 1000% increase” from the sample taken just before and after the fireworks. This stress is most apparent within animals and what remains unseen is the suffering they endure.

Unlike humans, animals are more sensitive to high-frequency noise produced by fireworks. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) states that the loud noises emitted from fireworks “are unpredictable and out of an animal’s control”, often driving animals to abandon their young and

How to reduce waste over the Christmas holidays

Hannah Guthrie, she/her Writer

Thefestive season can often unfortunately be synonymous with overconsumption and excessive waste; the modern era of gift-giving is far from the single tangerines or lump of coal in the 'good old days'. To help you live out that eco-conscious Christmas without breaking the bank, here are a few easy strategies.

Wrapping paper is the bane of an eco-friendly Christmas. Recycling advisors suggest that the amount of wrapping paper thrown away across the UK at Christmas could reach the moon! However, there is some good news in that there are numerous greener options available to help us reduce our impact.

First up, make sure you use (and re-use) what you’ve already bought, even if it’s not recyclable. Secondly, make use of alternative materials already at your disposal, such as newspapers, magazines, or spare fabrics like old scarves. If you

do want to buy new, then shops like Etsy sell fabrics that you can re-use for years to come.

It might be time to re-evaluate what’s inside. Mass-produced plastic doesn’t have to be beneath every tree

Opening gifts with care can allow you to re-use paper next year, although this might not work for anyone who enjoys ripping the paper (so it may be better to go with newspaper for their presents). If you must buy paper new, choose recyclable paper, which means nothing shiny or glittery. Online brands such as Re-wrapped offer biodegradable, compostable paper made with vegetable inks, but at £15+ for 9 sheets of gift wrap, it’s unaffordable for those on a student budget. The cheaper (and more eco-friendly) option is to therefore simply re-use what you already have.

Ditching sellotape will also save money and make it easier to re-use or recycle paper afterward. Ribbons and strings can be collected from other parcels and packages, and tying without double-knotting means they can be easily removed and re-used. Stick-on gift labels, though convenient, also make re-using paper more difficult. Cutting up old Christmas cards can create festive, eco-friendly labels. Once you’ve got the hang of the wrapping, it might be time to re-evaluate what’s inside. Mass-produced plastic doesn’t have to be beneath every tree. Something handmade is always well-received, especially by parents and grandparents. When it comes to a Secret Santa, gifting an ‘experience’ rather than something material is a great option: perhaps paintballing, a horse-riding lesson, or tickets to the cinema – let them know you’ve recognised their hobbies. Gifts of toys, books, or clothes can be switched out for their second-hand counterparts, which are much cheaper for you and much

better for the environment. Christmas cards are a little trickier. The most eco-friendly option is to use e-cards, although these services sometimes have costly subscriptions. Specialist environmental card brands (such as ecoLiving and 1 Tree Cards) offer eco-friendly alternatives. Both brands plant one tree for every card sold and come with flower seeds that can be sowed. But at £13-15 per pack of 10 cards, they too are certainly at the higher end of a holiday budget.

Looking for cards that can be recycled (i.e. having no glitter or adornments such as ribbons) is the easiest and cheapest choice in being more environmentally aware during the holiday period. Upcycling the cards you receive into decorations, gift tags, or homemade cards for the next Christmas is the easiest way to prevent waste and reduce your impact the following year. Christmas dinner is often the most excessive meal of the year. Recipes for how best to use leftovers help prevent food waste, but

disrupting breeding and feeding behaviours.

Reports describe seabirds abandoning their nests and “frighten[ing] nesting shorebirds to death”. Other animals, in a blind panic, flee onto motorways, causing deer, foxes, and other animals to be hit by oncoming traffic.

As well as the disorienting noise and light, firework debris is toxic if ingested and they also increase the risk of wildfires, consequently harming wildlife and their habitats.

Many opt for greener alternatives. Tokyo’s Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Olympics offered an impressive drone show. Lasers and other lighting effects can provide the same level of spectacle, without risk of wildfires or the spread of harmful pollution. The Italian town Collecchio has implemented silent fireworks to protect local wildlife. Without the deafening bang of traditional fireworks, the alternative maintains a light and colourful display with less environmental harm.

Fireworks are demonstrative of our choice to favour a fleeting spectacle over enduring destruction. In the face of climate change, surely fireworks are an unnecessary evil?

The best thing to do this Christmas is question if you'll use it next Christmas

other waste can accumulate. For example, disposable Christmas napkins could be switched out for cloth napkins, and a re-usable tablecloth picked over a throwaway one. Christmas crackers also contain the most wasteful of all the gifts you receive, so choosing recyclable options that cut down on the plastic is much more eco-friendly option.

The best thing to do this Christmas is question if you’ll use it next Christmas. If it’s single-use and can’t be upcycled, it’s probably not the best choice. If it’s mass-produced, like those little glittery baubles they sell in Primark and Sainsbury’s, check out your local charity shops for last years’ first. Reduce the amount you’re buying from new, re-use what you’ve already got or received, recycle everything else, and you’ll be dreaming of a green Christmas all season long.

From Rudolph’s red nose to mince pie happiness: The science of Christmas explained

Tom Ryan, he/him Deputy News Editor

Whenyou think of things associated with Christmas, science may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, science is playing as much of a role as the North Pole elves in the festive season. It can offer many answers to age-old Yuletide questions like ‘Who is the real Santa?’ and ‘Can you really start celebrating Christmas in November?’.

The relationship between Christmas and science stretches back centuries, with Victorians in England fascinated by the ever-progressing advancements offered by the world of science. Scientific presents for children were all the rage, Christmas essays celebrated new discoveries, and even pantomimes were taken over by science. Perhaps the special relationship between Christmas and science started back in 1642, when Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day – though that is seemingly only a coincidence.

Nowadays, the obsession with science at Christmas has somewhat waned with scientific festivities often limited to ‘Christmas lectures’, like those at the Royal Institution or, a little closer to home, at the Warwick Arts Centre. Nevertheless, festive scientific discoveries are not a thing of the past – they are very much still merry and bright.

Take Santa Claus, for example – does he have a distinctive face?

According to children running up to see him in his grotto, yes. Surprisingly, according to scientists, also yes. Research conducted by Dr Thomas Wright and his colleagues found that Santa’s face is distin-

guishable from “other adult and elderly bearded men”. Using ID software similar to that found on smartphones, the scientists found that Father Christmas does indeed have distinct facial features, from his “twinkled eyes” to a “beard as white as snow”, which means he can be easily identified in a line-up. It also means that those wanting to impersonate the jolly old man in order to steal presents this Christmas should watch out.

Reindeer travel around 50,000 miles on the big nightthe equivalent of flying from London to New York over 14 times back-to-back

Whilst the research may at first seem trivial, and perhaps not exactly groundbreaking, the researchers said that the findings raise important questions about the use of

facial phenotyping in clinical settings. Facial phenotyping is used to analyse a person’s features to detect traits which may indicate a genetic disease. These developments may allow for wider use of automated facial assessments in clinical diagnoses in the future – a real Christmas gift indeed.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, they certainly wouldn’t be delivered to all the children in the world without the help of Santa’s reindeer. Scientists have estimated that the reindeer travel around 50,000 miles on the big night – the equivalent of flying from London to New York over 14 times backto-back. All that travel puts them way above other animals in terms of extreme migration, with the Arctic Tern – a very well-travelled bird – clocking up only 60,000 miles a year. Still, the reindeer don’t always have the clearest path on Christmas night. Dr Jason Chapman has found that trillions of insects migrate – somewhat incognito – across southern Eng-

land every year, with a combined biomass of over 20,000 reindeer. Perhaps the insects are helping the reindeer with the present delivery, after all.

It seems as though Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and friends are actually female

Regardless of who are helping the reindeer on Christmas night, it seems as though Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and friends are actually female. Male reindeer shed their antlers during winter, so it only seems to make sense that Santa’s hard-working animal friends are all female. Female reindeer also enter winter with around 50% body fat, compared to males who carry only 5%, meaning they can stay warmer for longer on cold December nights.

Oh, and Rudolph’s red nose? It’s probably real. Compared to humans, reindeer have a 25% higher concentration of blood vessels in their noses which can sometimes make their noses look red. A study at the University of Brighton also found that Rudolph may have an adaptive trait of bioluminescence, a quality usually seen in fireflies and deep-sea organisms in order to catch prey.

Even if some grinches tell you otherwise... decorating early for Christmas can bring extra joy to the winter months

It's all well and good considering the science of Santa and his

reindeer, but all of that would be pointless if people were left without a good dose of festive cheer. For those who love to blast out Mariah Carey on the first stroke of midnight in November, there is good news, even if some Grinches tell you otherwise. Researchers have found that decorating early for Christmas can bring extra joy to the winter months. Psychologist Deborah Serani confirmed that Christmas can indeed come early, saying: “Christmas decorating will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone. It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness”. The bright, colourful lights boost energy levels and happiness through chromotherapy, whilst the ambience that decorations can bring to the environments around us can put a smile on our face.

Christmas lights aren’t the only thing to bring festive cheer either. A study by the University of Denmark found that images of mince pies can activate a network of brain regions, which control a person’s emotions. As Christmas-loving participants in the study often related these Christmassy images to positive experiences of the festive period, the neural activation brought them ‘Christmas cheer’, with the brain almost tricking the person to think that the image of the mince pie was, in itself, a sign of joy and celebration.

So, whilst Christmas and science may not seem like a match made under the mistletoe, it’s obvious that scientists have always been hard at work solving the conundrums of Christmas past, present, and future. Perhaps this year scientists will find the answer to the magnum opus of Christmas – who really does eat all the Bounties in a box of Celebrations?

How to set your Christmas pudding on fire

If you’re hoping to create your own flaming dessert this Christmas, here’s exactly how you do it.

For as long as the first pagan revellers huddled around a winter bonfire, there has been one thing synonymous with the holiday season: not presents or family, but fire. Whether that’s fireworks, candles, or roaring fireplaces, there is nothing more festive than flames.

Perhaps this is why the tradition of setting Christmas puddings alight began. Yes, technically we know why: the burning plums embody the Passion of Christ and the Holy Spirit, etcetera, etcetera. But is it a stretch to suggest it was the love of fire that kept the tradition going? That in the depths of bleak midwinter, we turn to the awesome power of dessert-based arson to reignite our frigid senses?

More alcohol means more fuel for the chemical reaction, so go as strong as you can

The traditional method of pudding-burning has always been through brandy: the Christmas pudding is absolutely doused in it, giving it the flammability needed to ignite. But it can’t just be any old spirit you found lurking at the back of the festive larder: you’ll need something above 40% alcohol content at a minimum, and even then, you might only create a piddly little flame that’d have Smokey Bear scoffing. More alcohol means more fuel for the chemical reaction, so go as strong as you can.

It's crucial that your spirit is hot when poured over the pudding

Next, it’s crucial that your spirit is hot when poured over the pudding. This is down to the fine detail that when you set the pudding alight, it isn’t actually the dessert that burns, nor your alcoholic beverage, but instead the vapour being

given off by the spirit. As this vapour burns, it generates heat that causes more vapour to be created, causing a chain reaction that burns off the alcohol. But if the drink you serve starts off cold, there’s going to be very little vapour to get the reaction off the ground. Heat your spirit over a stove – do NOT use a microwave, unless you’re hoping for a much more explosive fire than a simple flaming pudding.

Not a fan of alcohol? No worries! The reaction should burn off the entire substance

Finally, to ensure your festive flames are actually visible, make sure to mix in a helping of sugar with your spirit, or else choose a brandy with a high sugar content. A pure alcoholic flame burns blue – in chemical terms this is the perfect reaction, but it’ll be pretty underwhelming for a Christmas pudding on account of being invisible. Mix in a bit of sugar, and the reac-

tion will be polluted: some carbon particles won’t properly oxidise, instead turning to soot. When ignited, these will give off a yellow light, basking your burning dessert in a warm, festive glow.

Not a fan of alcohol? No worries! The reaction should burn off the entire substance, leaving behind only your delicious Christmas pudding, and the vaguely delirious thrill of arson. Happy holidays!

Martin Day, he/him News Editor

» Image: Mateusz Feliksik / Pexels

» Image: Jacqueline / Flickr

'Who wants to be Toto?' Guenther Steiner speaks to The Boar

INTERVIEW

Megan Green, she/her

Deputy Sports Editor

Archie Clarke, he/him Editor-in-Chief

Former F1 Team Principal

Guenther Steiner visited Warwick Arts Centre on the 14 November for his new show

An Evening with Guenther Steiner. We were fortunate enough to speak with Guenther before the show to discuss his career and newly published book Unfiltered

"When I started motorsport ... you didn't need a special education"

Guenther joined the world of Formula One in 2001 as Managing Director of Jaguar Racing before moving to Red Bull Racing for the 2005 season, where he was appointed as Technical Operations Director. After a brief stint in NASCAR until 2008, he returned to Formula One in 2014 as creator and Team Principal of the new Haas F1 Team.

We mentioned to Guenther the enthusiasm on campus for Formula One and asked how the pathway into the motorsport industry has changed since he first joined almost two decades ago.

“I think the pathway has changed. When I started motorsport, I wouldn’t say anybody could

make a difference by being smarter, working harder, and being enthusiastic.”

As a result of the rapidly changing nature of the industry, the world of Formula One is completely unrecognisable compared to the previous two decades. Guenther agreed that it would be more difficult now for a team such as Haas to enter this world: “Everything got so much harder over the years. The stakes are so much higher.”

We then spoke to Guenther about Netflix’s hit wF1 series Drive To Survive and the way in which he was portrayed as part of this. During the show, Guenther played a significant role and was a popular topic of conversation in the media as a result. In his response, he explained how he had become accustomed to the media attention, “I don’t live by the comments on social media about me, because if I do that, I don’t live anymore.”

“Do I miss the racing? Actually, not too much.”

He maintained the importance of respect in the media: “I obviously speak my mind, and I fully agree that not everybody needs to be of my opinion… as long as we respect each other’s opinion, it’s fine.”

He also voiced his annoyance at the media for inaccurately quoting him to make a misleading headline. However, when asked how this makes him feel, he revealed: “Does it annoy me? To be honest, I don’t care.”

"I couldn't be Toto, and Toto couldn't be me. Who wants to be Toto? He worries a lot."

The foreword to Unfiltered was written by Mercedes Team Principal, and close friend of Guenther’s, Toto Wolff. He described Steiner’s management style as “unique”, and one which seems fitting for the son of a butcher. When asked if in hindsight he would alter his approach to leadership, he said “I wouldn’t change it. It’s a style.”

“Toto and I get on very well, even if we are completely different. I couldn’t be Toto, and Toto couldn’t be me. Who wants to be Toto? He worries a lot.”

By comparison, Guenther sees himself as far more relaxed. “I’m pretty chilled as a person. I cannot say I sleep well 100% of the time, but I sleep well 99.9% of the time. Because whatever happens in life… I’m chill.”

The balance between work and personal life is a topic frequently mentioned in Unfiltered. When asked how he managed to maintain this, he said: “It’s very difficult to maintain. I have an advantage, when I got married 30 years ago, I already had a very similar lifestyle, so my wife doesn’t know anything different. If this came in the middle of a marriage after 10 years, I think you would struggle.”

Guenther also pointed out that he did not have a life outside of Formula One. “When I’m at home, I’m at home. I have no hobby, I’ve no friends in general and I’m a lonely man so I stay at home.”

"If you come to my house you will see very little memorabilia of racing"

Unfiltered also discusses how Steiner managed to maintain the separation between Formula One and his personal life despite the demanding nature of his job as Haas Team Principal. “I try to divide it off. It comes in often, but it’s not the main topic in my house.”

“If you come to my house, you will see very little memorabilia of racing, you would not really think that I work in motorsport. It’s not like other people who have a trophy room and all that bullshit, I try to keep it out of my house.”

Throughout his decade at Haas, after having built the team from the ground up, Guenther faced many ups and downs, particularly during the tumultuous 2020 and 2021 seasons. When asked what he believed to be the biggest single challenge faced during his career, he identified the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to “make the team survive” during such a difficult period.

On a lighter note, when asked what he considered to be the highlight of his career, Steiner identified this as being the first time he watched the cars go racing: “It’s a cool moment”. He equally ac-

knowledged the significance of hindsight, and the way in which this has altered the perspective of his career: “If I think back to how little we started with, it’s quite amazing that the team is still around.”

Finally, to conclude our interview with Guenther, we decided to ask him for his guidance for those looking to enter the field of F1, to which he responded: “I always give the same advice”. Above all, he explained, was the importance of learning: “First of all, you need to study, try to study motorsports.” However, it is also important to “try to do something practical on the side… try to help people out, a small team which needs any help, even if you are not paid. I call it building up your CV.”

As a result, these candidates become more attractive to employers; Guenther describes “the good feeling” when taking on someone who is clearly a “team player”. “It's much better to have a nine student, who works with everybody, than a 10 student, who is working for themself”.

We would like to once again thank Guenther for agreeing to sit down with us and providing The Boar with this exclusive interview.

» Images left to right: Wikimedia Commons Jen Ross, Wikimedia Commons Steve from Austin, TX, USA

23/24 BUCS student survey: What do students think about university sport?

Megan Green, she/her Deputy Sports Editor

Theresults of the BUCS 23/24 Student Survey were released last month and revealed a largely positive student reaction to sports at a university level. 1,502 students responded from 120 institutions regarding 51 BUCS level sports, allowing the organisation to understand and, in turn, enhance the student experience of competing in BUCS competitions.

The survey aimed to investigate students’ overall experience of BUCS sports, as well as look into how this has impacted their higher education experience, by identifying any enhancing or weakening factors. Additionally, the survey considered the role of club committee members and their engagement with the organisation.

Will Roberts, CEO of BUCS, explains that the survey “captures vital insights that help ensure we are focused on what matters” by providing a sporting experience that helps to “inspire, develop, and unite”. He equally recognises the “essential role that sport continues to play” in students’ higher education experiences, and the “significant social, emotional, and cultural value” that it holds.

88.5% of students claimed BUCS had a positive impact on their overall university experience

Generally speaking, students rated their BUCS experience positively, with 78.2% deeming it "Excellent" or "Good", and 88.5% claiming that it had a positive impact on their overall university experience. This is an increase from previous years with 45.6% of students considering their experience this year to be better or much better than the 22/23 academic year. The reasons behind this positive reaction include the support offered for students’ mental wellbeing, as well as the pride associated with representing their institution and the sense of belonging to a team (93.5% identified this as a benefit).

Another positive note was the role of club committee members and the critical part they play in the BUCS experience. 65.2% of students identified these committee members as enhancing their sporting experience as a result of the passion and dedication demonstrated by the immense time commitment that they are required to make. This was deemed the most significant enhancer of student experience above other factors such as quality of training and matches (56.3%) and quality of coaching (49.3%).

Whilst the general consensus was positive, the most significant detracting factor identified was the BUCS Play app, with 40.3% of students rating their experience as either "Poor" or "Very Poor". The app is considered slow and difficult to navigate, particularly in relation to its events section (arguably one of the most important features).

Other than this, detracting factors include the way that member institutions recognised teams’ successes, with 23.6% of students stating this had a negative impact on their experience; as well as the "standard of officiating" which 22.7% of students considered of poor quality, due to its inconsistent nature.

The survey has identified that there is still progression to be made

The release of these findings has since allowed BUCS to identify areas of improvement and consider how they will act in order to ensure that the student experience remains as positive as possible.

In terms of the BUCS executive, areas such as the timing of engagement with students, as well as the time allowed for institutions to promote the survey, have been identified for improvement. Equally, factors such as the functionality of the app and an increased focus on diversity and inclusivity are listed as recommendations for the future.

For member institutions, these recommendations include factors such as understanding whether students feel supported in their sport, as well as whether they feel that their successes are celebrated appropriately. It is equally necessary for these institutions to review their committee member training, and maintain strong relationships with their club committee members, given the positive impact they have on student experience.

As a collective, it is important that BUCS and its member institutions remain in agreement with regard to leaving Wednesday afternoons without classes and designated for sporting events. Ultimately, whilst the overall reaction from students was very positive, it is important that the survey has identified that there is still progression to be made in order to ensure that all students view BUCS sport in a positive manner and as something which enhances their overall experience at university.

Warwick Futsal eye BUCS success

Seba Bayliss, he/him Writer

The goal was going to be survival

Recruitment was the mantra for Warwick Futsal heading into the new year, a good fresher intake was imperative after losing 2/3 of the team to graduation. The recent successes of promotion and National Trophy win seemed a distant memory going into preseason with the focus being on preparing for a long and gruelling season ahead.

After losing both President Henry Gallagher and 1st team captain Alvaro Torres, the goal was going to be survival, staying in BUCS Prem - the pinnacle of university sport. Instead, after four games played Warwick find themselves top, with 4 wins and an impressive 23-goal difference.

The hardest challenge for freshers is adapting to the many complex rotations and patterns of play

Dylan Patel is a standout performer, currently top of the BUCS Futsal goal and assist tally with 22 and 13 respectively. Henry Sehgal is second with 11 goals himself, looking to improve on last season which saw him break the record with 46 goals in a single season. Fears of relegation have long since dissipated and the University of Warwick team is a genuine title contender.

On November 3, Warwick 1s played against Derby 1s in a highly anticipated match. Derby may

have lost to Nottingham Trent, but they were coming off the back of an impressive 4-4 draw against Loughborough.

As it so often is on our notoriously small court at the Sports and Wellness Hub, it was a tight, physical, and cagey affair with Warwick not being able to build up a considerable lead until just after halftime.

Some set-piece magic, masterminded by new coach Davood, and a Dylan Patel wonder strike from the halfway line saw Warwick begin to pull away. Derby mustered some attempts at a comeback, pulling it back to 11-9, but it was not enough. Warwick saw out the game with a degree less comfort than they would have wanted, given their position in the second half.

Warwick's four victories have all come on our home court

Henryk Sehgal, First Team Captain, puts the form down to the fresher intake within the club.

For many, futsal, which is similar to football but has many key tactical and technical differences, is a new sport and the hardest challenge is adapting to the many complex rotations and patterns of play that are thrown at you.

Three freshers this year have made the step up into the first team - Zaki, Dan Melnikov, and Oji. Speaking to Dan about the difficulty in going from being a footballer to a futsal player saw him admit that initially the tactical side was a lot harder than expected. but as the term progresses he is finding this transition easier.

Warwick’s four victories have all come on our home court and the key now will now be about

replicating the results away from home. In away fixtures on bigger courts, defensive and attacking transitions will be key, and it is in the next five away games that we will see the making, or breaking, of Warwick’s season.

Warwick’s form has also offered the opportunity for new possibilities: qualification for the European Universities Championships can be achieved by finishing in the top two of BUCS Premier League. On their chances of qualifying for Europe, Dylan Patel told The Boar: “The belief is definitely there; we think we can beat everyone we come across.” He relishes the chances of being able to compete in Europe and play against some of the best university futsal players in the world.

Europe would undoubtedly be a stellar end to the season

Europe would undoubtably be a stellar end to the season for futsal but the focus for now remains on the league and the upcoming cup.

» Images from top to bottom: Ethan Hunt, María José Garabito Rivera / Sports Media Warwick

Two festive football matches that changed the course of history

Lucy Gibbons, she/her Music Editor

Theextensive football schedule during the period between Christmas and New Year’s Day has become a staple in every football fan’s calendar. Nowadays, each Premier League football team are expected to play two matches in the final week of the year. However, this busy football schedule is not necessarily a new phenomenon.

Indeed, in the Victorian era, football, a traditionally working-class sport, was played on Christmas day as conventionally public working-class events took place on days off for workers. This continued into the Edwardian era, when, in 1913, Liverpool played three games in just three days.

The primary reason for this tradition is simply that football clubs took advantage of bank holidays as they offered the possibility of mass attendance. While many standout matches occurred during this period, there are two that changed the course of history, coincidentally both taking place during the First World War: The Dick, Kerr’s Ladies match and the Christmas

Truce.

Football charity matches organised by ammunition factories were one of the central methods for those on the home front to support the wounded, as they donated all the funds raised by the match to those who had been injured by ammunition. One of the most successful ammunition factories in doing this was the Dick, Kerr factory.

Football was used as a time for people to come together during the festive period

The Dick, Kerr factory in Preston was originally a tramway rolling stock and electrical works, although, due to the demand for ammunition, it began to manufacture shells. In order to boost morale amongst its workers during wartime, the Dick, Kerr factory followed suit in creating both a male and female football team. After showcasing their talents by beating the male factory workers in a friendly match, the female Dick,

Kerr football team began to play against the other women’s factory teams in the local area, leading up to the crucial match against Arundel Coulthard Factory on Christmas Day 1917.

This pivotal match conjured an audience of 10,000 and rendered the Dick, Kerr female team a force to be reckoned with in the football world. Led by team captain Alice Kell, the team won a victory of 4-0 against the neighbouring Arundel Coulthard Factory at Deepdale, the home ground of Preston North End. Not only did this match cement the status of the Dick, Kerr Ladies, but it also raised £600 for the wounded soldiers at The Matron of the Moor Military Hospital. Significantly, the women maintained their day jobs making munitions but took to the pitch in each spare moment, with each penny raised going directly to charity to help wounded soldiers.

Although now often forgotten, the Dick, Kerr Ladies were trailblazers in women’s football and the match on Christmas Day 1917 was only the beginning. Even after the FA banned women from playing on Football League grounds in 1921, the team continued playing

up until 1965.

Another historical football match that took place during the festive period was the match between the British and German troops in No Man’s Land on 24 December 1914. The Christmas Truce has become an integral part of the story of World War One. While there is no confirmation that the football matches between German and British soldiers actually happened, that has not stopped the story from being shared through generations.

On Christmas Eve, 1914, soldiers laid down their weapons and emerged from their trenches to congregate in No Man’s Land. What followed was a truce that was never to be seen again during the war.

In the BBC podcast Witness History, soldiers who were present during the truce tell their side of

An 'extra-mini Olympics': What does a slimmed-down Commonwealth Games mean?

Tom Ryan, he/him Deputy News Editor

Afterthe Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the future of the event was plunged into doubt and questions were raised over whether the Games would ever be staged again.

That was until Glasgow, who previously hosted the Games ten years ago, threw their hat back into the ring. This time, however, the competition will look very different to the last Glaswegian Games in 2014, which were widely hailed as a success and raked in over £740 million for the Scottish economy.

With concerns that the Games are “all cost and no benefit” (in the words of Victoria’s State Premier), Commonwealth bosses are scrambling to find a way to prove that the event can be kept on its feet whilst still engaging athletes and fans. The fact that the Games have been saved from the immediate threat of extinction will be a cause for celebration for some, but worries are still in the air over how the next Games will look, as bosses are

set to cull sports to keep the event going strong.

A dozen sports will be dropped from the Games’ schedule, with rugby sevens, hockey, and diving among those on the chopping board. World Rugby have slammed the decision, calling it “a significant loss for players, fans, and the Games themselves,” though organisers of the Games have claimed that the decision is needed to preserve its future, with the shrinking size allowing for fewer venues and an overall cheaper Games.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, simply said that: “The Games had got out of hand – it was too big and trying to be a ‘mini-Olympics’.” It now seems, however, that the 2026 Games will not only be a ‘mini-Olympics’ but an ‘extra-mini-Olympics’ with only ten sports set to be included – the fewest since 1994.

This decision will, undoubtedly, raise fears for athletes with many using the competition to launch their careers in the past. Student sports prodigies often see the

What has sport at Warwick looked like this term?

An insight from the University's sport scene from VP Sports Louis Gosling

Commonwealth Games as the first step on their path to success, with over 200 BUCS students and alumni taking part in the 2022 Games in Birmingham.

However, despite widespread criticism, Commonwealth organisers have promised that the

smash last year’s membership figures – growing 8% to over 4,700 members. We’ve been working to ensure that sport remains as ac- cessible as possible. The Sports Officer Bursary saw a record number of bursaries awarded. With the cost of sport also falling for the first time ever, we’re pleased to be able to support

new-look Games will make the event more inclusive and “create a sustainable model that can go around the Commonwealth”. Para-sports, for example, will again be fully integrated within the Games, giving them an equal platform beyond what they receive in the Paralympics – in some countries, the Paralympics are given ten times less coverage than the Olympics.

Whilst increased inclusivity may be a boost to the sports, there’s no denying that the plans will only provide a temporary plaster to the bigger problems at hand for the Commonwealth Games. The tensport Games are “definitely not a precedent”, according to Sadleir, yet with no cities currently placing bids to host the 2030 Games, the number of sports may drop even further – to zero.

Critics of the games may argue that this is a good thing, viewing the Games as anachronistic and a lasting symbol of Britain’s colonial legacy. Whilst the Games “aim to unite the Commonwealth family through a glorious festival of sport”, the very foundations of the Games are rooted in “increasing

so many students in this way, though we always strive to do more.

The Active side has also been busy with the One World Cup seeing over 100 students compete in a 5-a-side tournament. It has also been a successful term for our BUCS teams. Standout performers this term include the Men’s Futsal 1st

the story. Col Johannes Niemann, a second lieutenant during WWI, explains that the football match was very much impromptu and began amongst the German and British soldiers sharing photos and singing Christmas carols. He even reports one of the results: 3-2 to Germany.

The Christmas armistice has been immortalised in history, even becoming a part of popular culture, used in 2014 by Sainsbury’s in their Christmas advert.

These two examples demonstrate that football was used as a moment of peace and as a time for people to come together during the festive period. It is unknown whether we will experience a football match as momentous as these two this Christmas. However, it is clear that this tradition of football during the festive period will live on.

goodwill and understanding of the British Empire”. To this day, the UK remains at the centre of the Games, with four of the last seven tournaments held in either England or Scotland – hardly a sign of ‘unity’ or sharing the joy of sport around the Commonwealth.

The future of the Games is uncertain

The remaining sports for 2026 are also strongholds for British teams with the likes of boxing and lawn bowls making the cut. Other countries have not been so lucky with the sports facing the chop. It could be a mere coincidence that nearly half of the 210 Indian athletes who competed in Birmingham participated in sports that will not be staged in Glasgow, yet eyebrows have inevitably been raised that “it feels like a conspiracy to sideline India’s rising sporting potential”.

Like them or not, the Games will be hitting Glasgow in 2026, albeit with fewer sports to watch and cheer along with. The future of the Games after that, though, are up in the air – will the Games find increased interest in the future, or is the Commonwealth death knell sounding?

» Image: Wikimedia Commons / Arconning

team who are currently sat in 2nd in the Northern Prem. Mixed Netball, meanwhile, saw a second successive gold at the BUCS Men’s Netball Championships earlier this month. Also, away from BUCS, Canoe Polo successfully secured gold in Southampton and Trampolining won 7 medals at the first SUTL event.

» Image: Flickr / Kiwicanary

begin the term, our fantastic

SPORT

@theboarsport

Articles you can find online...

Rachel G & Frida P

Warwick Wolves take the win at Touchdown theboar.org

Editor: Rachel Gore (she/her) sport@theboar.org

Deputy editors: Jack Kingston (he/him Frida Protheroe (she/her)

Jacob O & Joakim MR Coventry Blaze take on Cardiff Devils in a top-of-thetable clash

From interest to exit:

A look into the relationship

between female students and sport at Warwick

Frida

Protheroe, she/her

Deputy Sport Editor

Whengoing to university there is an opportunity to pick up an old sport, continue with one you are familiar with, or try something new. The Boar Sport conducted an investigation into how welcome female students at the University of Warwick feel in the world of university sport.

43% of girls disengage with sport after primary school, from there on only taking part in compulsory PE. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, postschool drop out of sports happens to girls for multiple reasons; lack of access, safety and transport issues, social stigma, decreased quality of experience, cost and lack of role models being some of the many.

As part of our investigation, we launched a poll and asked respondents of all gender identities about their experiences with sport from their childhoods until present.

Going to secondary school, it wasn’t ‘good’ for girls to play or try hard at sports unless they were really athletic or played an ‘acceptable’ sport (like netball)

Respondent to The Boar Sport survey

96% of respondents played sport as children and when asked why they stopped participating in these activities, the idea that being a girl in a male dominated sporting environment was established by many. One female student said: “When I was younger (maybe up to age 12) I loved rugby. But going to secondary school, it wasn’t ‘good’ for girls to play or try hard at sports unless they were either really athletic or played an ‘acceptable’ sport (like netball)”.

Another respondent spoke about the lack of attention given to girls’ sport in school saying that “boys sport was prioritised in high school”. She added: “The girl’s rugby team won often and were nev-

er praised in the same way [as the boys’ team], same with rounders and football. The girls’ basketball team ran for one year”. Essentially, girls teams were given less opportunities and their successes were not lauded in the same way as those of their male peers.

When asked why they are not part of a sports society, one female respondent said she felt that they seemed like an “intimidating environment”

When asked if they were part of a sports society 59% said they were, however, when looking at those who are not it can be seen that 90% of these respondents’ identity as female. Interestingly, almost all of them still partake in regular exercise though.

When asked why they are not part of a sports society, one female respondent said she felt like sports societies seemed like an “intimidating environment”. Others spoke about the “expensive” nature of university sport. One other female respondent commented on not having “the time and also skill to dedicate” herself to a sport. Women in sport reported in 2022 that 35% of girls believe they are expected to be good at sport, compared to just 4% of boys.

To combat these barriers for women on campus it seems like it may be necessary to do more introductory and casual sessions to make commitment both financially and timely lesser.

It can be noted that Rock Up and Play sessions are available for lots of sports at Warwick. These sessions were commented on by three female respondents when asked the question: “Would you change anything about sport at Warwick?”. One said they wanted more “beginner friendly sessions (rock up and play for more sports)” and another said they wanted “more free taster sessions throughout the year to make it easier to join a sport midway through the year”. Furthermore, the final comment focused on the booking of Rock Up and Play, it read: “Even

though there are rock up and play sessions, they aren’t really advertised much and the whole booking process is a bit tricky”. This added difficulty when trying to attend what are advertised as accessible sessions is unhelpful in promoting casual sport. Although, Warwick Sport has launched a new app at the start of this academic year in an aim to improve booking.

The women’s sport and fitness foundation released their findings on barriers to girls in sport. Here they outlined personal factors that influence participation such as body image, clothing and equipment, lack of self-confidence, and parental and adult influence.

A female respondent added her own experience to our survey supporting this, she explained how “girls drop out of sport around the age of puberty because of issues with confidence”. She added: “This is definitely something I noticed happen in high school. Girls are put in sets, the ones in lower sets don’t think they’re good enough to try and then don’t. Also, sports don’t have enough variation throughout education, therefore girls who don’t find ‘their sport(s)’ also take themselves out of the running and quit”.

In the month of November the University ran a ‘This Girl Can’ week which entailed girls only classes in a variety of sports

One way to combat sexual harassment and clothing and confidence issues is the implementation of women’s only sections in gyms.

Pure Gym in Leamington Spa has a ‘Women’s Workout Space’ which is popular with female students who live off campus. Warwick University’s Sport and Wellness Hub Gym does not have a Women’s only section, the addition of this could make female students feel more comfortable when using the facilities. The swimming pool has dedicated times for women, although the gym does not currently offer women’s only booking slots. In the recent £1 million gym

Sub-Editor: Eirlys Tse (she/her)

Thomas Lloyd (he/him) Megan Green (she/her)

Cedric Amamoo BUCS to fund football initiatives to increase diversity across university sport

renovation a women’s section was evidently left off of the list, with consideration for women’s only slots also not being prioritised.

However, in the month of November the University did run a ‘This Girl Can’ week which entailed girls only classes in sports such as tennis, yoga, and cycling, as well as climbing, gym, and pool sessions. According to Warwick Sport, this was part of a “national campaign celebrating women being active” with the aim of “challenging the conventional idea of what exercise looks like and reaching out to women of all backgrounds and ethnicities who feel left behind by traditional exercise”. The sessions were available to book via the Warwick Sport app or online for free. They also included a discounted 1-day Gym Pass for £5 on Monday 25 November only. This event was an impressive step in the right direction for increasing female participation in sports classes and aided financial barriers to the university facilities.

I was one of about 6 female runners (compared to about 60 male runners) and I felt isolated and excluded

Respondent to The Boar Sport survey

When asked in our survey, “Do you think the process of joining a sports society at Warwick is accessible?”, respondents commented on the fact that the cost was very high and off-putting, but also called out a “lack of diversity in the sports societies”. Two people com-

Hannah Guthrie Coventry City sack long-serving manager Mark Robins

mented on the competitive side of sports clubs saying “I think competitive team selections put people off as freshers” and that “the sports fair was very accessible, although when it comes to the more professional side of sport (e.g. in terms of BUCS level of competition) it is significantly less accessible”.

One female respondent also spoke of her experience in a male dominant sports society she said: “I was one of about 6 female runners (compared to about 60 male runners) and I felt isolated and excluded from a lot of the social aspects of a running club (which I had always enjoyed for my home club). I have since decided to do my own training”.

Although, lots of respondents believed otherwise. One said that “everyone is very accepting of newcomers” in sports societies and that on campus clubs are “welcoming communities” with a “lot of different options to suit everyone”. Another comment highlighted how there is “good female representation” in Executive roles of the societies.

Warwick Sport, Warwick Students’ Union, and Team Warwick Sport have been contacted for comment regarding the measures put into place to increase female student participation in university sport. At the time of print, no comments have been received.

This investigation has shown that barriers to participation have impacted many women at Warwick, before and during university. While options are available for beginners and there are women’s only and mixed societies, Warwick students evidently want more provision for girls in sport as accessibility still proves to be an issue.

» Image: Rachel Gore / The Boar