Volume 45 Issue 6 - Tuesday 5th March

Can a girl walk home alone at night?

Investigating student safety in Leamington

Rachel Gore (she/her)

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Since students have returned to Warwick for Spring Term of this academic year, there have been two incidents of rape reported in Leamington Spa.

At the beginning of January, Warwickshire Police called for witnesses following a rape that occurred in Ford Fields in Leamington, only a couple of weeks before another rape occurred. One man was arrested following the first incident, and two men were arrested in association with the second.

These two incidents, which happened in the same month, have sparked a conversation about women’s and student safety in Leamington Spa. The town has a population of approximately 95,000, many of whom are Warwick students.

While it is a popular location for students to live in, visit during the day, and go to for nights

Rethinking an 'i-Koan'

Jack Stevenson (he/him)

The ‘Koan’ is a public artwork at the Univer sity of Warwick that remains one of the foremost works displayed at the Uni versity and has gained some what of a cult status. Unfor tunately, the Koan is awful. It is such a comprehensive failure as a work of art you almost feel you are owed compensation merely for being forced to look at it. It is kitsch, and vulgar, and deeply offensive. I have frenzied visions of

out, a poll conducted by The Boar News shows that many have had negative experiences in the town: just over 80% of respondents said they have previously felt unsafe there.

According to CrimeRate, in 2022, Leamington Spa’s crime rate was 31% higher than that of Warwickshire as a whole. The most common crimes committed in the town are violent and sexual offences.

In 2021, a news report by Warwickshire World asked about the experiences of women who live in Leamington Spa. One person said: “I now live somewhere else as I could never feel safe in Leamington.” Another noted: “More needs to be done to protect everyone.”

This consensus that action was needed has since been acknowledged; in 2022, two new safety call points, operated by the Warwick District Council CCTV operation, were installed in Leamington as part of the Safer Streets campaign. If in danger,

the button on the call point can be pressed, and the Warwick District Council CCTV operation will answer – they will remain on the phone while they send the police to your location. These new call points work in the same way as the fourteen existing ‘emergency contact points’ in Leamington.

Last year, the Council launched a further initiative. On 13 November 2023, a Safe Space opened for “those feeling vulnerable or in need of support during a night out in Leamington Spa”. This hub is run by the Council’s Community Safety Team, and it is operated in partnership with numerous organisations including the University of Warwick.

The Safe Space is a place for anyone in need of assistance, but it particularly focuses on women and girls. This falls in line with the Council’s commitment to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Enaya Nihal, the Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Vice Presi-

dent for Welfare and Campaigns, worked with the Council on the launch of this Safe Space. When speaking to The Boar, she said that her position gives her the “ability to talk to so many different stakeholders”. She praised the Council for having “taken [the SU’s] suggestions on board”.

These implementations are part of a broader effort by Warwick District Council to keep women safe. However, statistics taken from the poll conducted by The Boar News suggest that Warwick students are unaware of the measures in place and therefore make little use of them.

32% said that they do not feel safe in Leamington Spa at night, 35% said they only feel safe in a group, and 25% said they only feel safe if this group includes at least one male.

Over 70% were unaware of the Safe Space, and 90% did not know about the ‘emergency contact points’. A very small percentage of respondents confidently knew what these are, where they are, and what they do.

A spokesperson for the University of Warwick told The Boar: “We work in close partnership with our local councils and the police to keep our students safe and supported, along with raising awareness of the tools available to help people stay safe, both on and off campus.”

An Oppenheimer sweep? Predictions for the 2024 Oscars

hordes of undergraduates rolling it into a ditch. It is the imperfect summation of all the mundanities of the 20th century. But I write this article not to air some bizarre phobia, or provide an outlet for impotent whining, but as a direct call to action. I don’t care how, but the Koan must be removed from campus. For those of you, who on instinctive aesthetic grounds, are not already convinced, I use this article as part of an offensive to try and push past the dripping sentimentality that sees us cling to this relic.

»

‘You’re free to be yourself, not a version of yourself people are trying to commercialise’

The Snuts’ Callum Wilson talks Parlophone exit, creative freedom, and Millennials

Editors' Picks

by Tra My Insua-Luu

(she/her)

NewsCLIMATE | 36

about the climate is often negative, full of despair for the future of our environment, but Tra My has created a slice of positivity. Her ‘Climate Wins’ series provides a brilliant summary of the month with stories to keep you smiling. I want to congratulate Tra My and the rest of her Climate Team for boosting morale and revolutionising their section of The Boar.

Ellie Mitchell (she/her) Co-Editor-in-Chief

The need for positive climate news coverage theboar Editorial & Business Team 2023/24

Co-Editors-in-Chief editor@theboar.org

Deputy Editors-in-Chief communications@theboar.org physicalmedia@theboar.org

Chief Sub-Editor subeditor@theboar.org

Head of Business& Sales business@theboar.org

Head of Events & Social Media events@theboar.org

Head of Photography multimedia@theboar.org

NEWS news@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Abhay Venkitaraman (he/him)

FEATURES features@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Alyssa Tingle (she/her)

COMMENT comment@theboar.org

Bad Gays, good podcast Home is where the student lives

by Matthew Randell (he/him)

PODCASTS | 38

Ithoroughly enjoyed the wit and depth of Matthew’s article this month. By drawing attention to the “ëvil and complicated queers of history”, it provides important context for decisions made in the past and insightfully provides clarity for events in mainstream historical studies. Matthew’s tone and conversationalist style of writing is also compelling.

Eden Fall-Bailey (she/her) Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ellie Mitchell (she/her) Eden Fall-Bailey (she/her)

Emily Neville (she/her) Monika Hartmann (she/her)

Abhay Venkitaraman (he/him)

Parijat Bhattacherjee (she/her)

Amyra Varma (she/her)

Emilia Growney (she/her)

James Watson (he/him)

Maya Sgaravato-Grant (she/her)

Finn Chadwick (he/him)

Luke Chapman (he/him)

Archie Clarke (he/him)

Grace Goodwin (she/her)

Rachel Gore (she/her)

Lauren Hadeed (she/her)

Juliette Hatton (she/her)

Alexandra Luca (she/her)

Thu An Vo (she/her)

Eleni Roka (she/her)

Sanjana Iyer (she/her)

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Sub-Editor: Srinithi Murugeshan (she/her)

LIFESTYLE lifestyle@theboar.org

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

FINANCE finance@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Snow E. (she/her)

by Maddie Scrimshaw (she/her)

COMMENT | 9

Maddie’s perspective of being a commuter is enlightening. As somebody who has sometimes questioned my decision to move away from home, this perspective has shined a light on the alternative. As I look towards my plans of further study or finding a job, Maddie’s article allowed me to reflect on where I might be living and if I will be fending for myself or back with my parents next year.

Emily Neville (she/her) Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Communications

SCIENCE & TECH science@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Zoé Barret (she/her)

FILM film@theboar.org

theboar Senior Team's highlights

Margaret Hamilton: the woman who sent us to the moon

by Andrew Miltiadou (he/him)

SCIENCE & TECH | 24

Beforereading Andrew’s insightful article, I had not made the connection between the Eagle's not-so-smooth landing and Margaret Hamilton’s groundbreaking work. This piece interweaves a scenic retelling of the moon landing with fascinating background information on the code that made it possible and the considerations that went into creating it. A fun and topical read, not just for space aficionados!

Monika Hartmann (she/her) Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Physical Media

George Smith (he/him)

Rodrigo Castro Fernandes (he/him)

Sujaya Shrestha (he/him)

Kavin Kannan (he/him)

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Sub-Editor: Sanjana Iyer (she/her)

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CLIMATE climate@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Amy Adshead (they/she)

GAMES games@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Rebecca Meldon (she/her)

MUSIC music@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Lara Tokar (she/her)

TV tv@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Tania Karmokar (she/her)

TRAVEL travel@theboar.org

Veeraja Kamthe (she/her)

Gunisha Aggarwal (she/her)

Sofia Drake-Perello (she/her)

Odette Dyer (she/her)

Tanvi Jain (she/her)

Sanskriti Thakur (she/her)

Ollie Hotchin (he/him)

Atomic habits: how our morning routine shapes our day

by Ayse Oltan (she/her)

LIFESTYLE | 11

Ispend way too many of my mornings scrolling on social media, and one of the reasons for that is that I lack a clearly structured routine. Ayse’s article has motivated me to take the leap and start my days on a healthier note – so that, just maybe, I can put the phone away and do some yoga instead.

Abhay Venkitaraman (he/him) Chief Sub-Editor

Rhea Kapoor (she/her)

Mateus Guarda (he/him)

Zoé Barret (she/her)

Anna Ilchenko (she/her)

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Ruqaiyah Jarviton (she/her)

Jenin Chaaban (she/her)

Tra My Insua-Luu (she/her)

Austin Lawrence (he/him)

Saud Juffa (he/him)

Gabriela Josefowicz (she/her)

Sophie Flint Vázquez (she/her)

Alex Bird (she/her)

Lucy Gibbons (she/her)

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Hayden Waller (he/him)

Alice Evans (she/her)

Ben Ockrim (he/him)

Erin Wallace (she/her)

Sub-Editor: Mahak Chowdhury (she/her)

SPORT sport@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Ollie Hotchin (he/him)

PODCASTS podcasts@theboar.org

Sub-Editor: Tauseef Parkar (he/him)

Ayse Oltan (she/her)

James Taylor (he/him)

Jack Kingston (he/him)

Camille Charlot-Vickers (she/him)

Muadh Ansari (he/him)

Matthew Randell (he/him)

Gemma Short (she/her)

Aura Mackintosh Bamber (she/her)

News

Can a girl walk home alone at night?

Editor: Luke Chapman (he/him) news@theboar.org

Investigating student safety in Leamington Spa

Sincestudents have returned to Warwick for Spring Term of this academic year, there have been two incidents of rape reported in Leamington Spa.

At the beginning of January, Warwickshire Police called for witnesses following a rape that occurred in Ford Fields in Leamington, only a couple of weeks before another rape occurred. One man was arrested following the first incident, and two men were arrested in association with the second.

Leamington Spa’s crime rate was 31% higher than that of Warwickshire as a whole

These two incidents, which happened in the same month, have sparked a conversation about women’s and student safety in Leamington Spa. The town has a population of approximately 95,000, many of whom are Warwick students.

While it is a popular location for students to live in, visit during the day, and go to for nights out, a poll conducted by The Boar News shows that many have had negative experiences in the town: just over 80% of respondents said they have previously felt unsafe there.

According to CrimeRate, in 2022, Leamington Spa’s crime rate was 31% higher than that of Warwickshire as a whole. The most common crimes committed in the town are violent and sexual offences.

In 2021, a news report by Warwickshire World asked about the experiences of women who live in Leamington Spa. One person said: “I now live somewhere else as I could never feel safe in Leamington.” Another noted: “More needs to be done to protect everyone.”

This consensus that action was needed has since been acknowledged; in 2022, two new safety call points, operated by the Warwick District Council CCTV operation, were installed in Leamington as part of the Safer Streets campaign. If in danger, the button on the call point can be pressed, and the Warwick District Council CCTV operation will answer – they will remain on the phone while they send the police to your location.

These new call points work in the same way as the fourteen existing ‘emergency contact points’ in Leamington.

Last year, the Council launched a further initiative. On 13 November 2023, a Safe Space opened for “those feeling vulnerable or in need of support during a night out in Leamington Spa”. This hub is run by the Council’s Community Safety Team, and it is operated in partnership with numerous organisations including the University of Warwick.

The Safe Space is a place for anyone in need of assistance, but it particularly focuses on women and girls. This falls in line with the Council’s commitment to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Enaya Nihal, the Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Vice President for Welfare and Campaigns, worked with the Council on the launch of this Safe Space. When speaking to The Boar, she said that her position gives her the “ability to talk to so many different stakeholders”. She praised the Council for having “taken [the SU’s] suggestions on board”.

Over 70% were unaware of the Safe Space, and 90% did not know about the ‘emergency contact points’

These implementations are part of a broader effort by Warwick District Council to keep women safe. However, statistics taken from the poll conducted by The Boar News suggest that Warwick students are unaware of the measures in place and therefore make little use of them.

32% said that they do not feel safe in Leamington Spa at night, 35% said they only feel safe in a group, and 25% said they only feel safe if this group includes at least one male.

Over 70% were unaware of the Safe Space, and 90% did not know about the ‘emergency contact points’. A very small percentage of respondents confidently knew what these are, where they are, and what they do.

A spokesperson for the University of Warwick told The Boar: “We work in close partnership with our local councils and the police to keep our students safe

and supported, along with raising awareness of the tools available to help people stay safe, both on and off campus.”

They added: “We will continue to raise awareness of [the Safe Space] as a place where everyone, especially those who might feel vulnerable, can feel safe, no matter what the time of day.”

Poll respondents discussed experiences surrounding “aggressive men”, being catcalled, and being “touched in clubs like Smack and Neon”.

“A man followed me muttering what he wanted to do to me sexually under his breath”

- Respondent to The Boar News survey

While a lot of responses indicated a general fear amongst Warwick students, one said that she has never felt “too threatened” as her experiences of being catcalled have been during the day. 80% of respondents said they felt safe in Leamington during the day. However, only 7% said with confidence that they feel safe at night.

The structure of one of the responses was particularly telling. A female student described an experience where a man drove slowly behind her before pulling over and getting out of his car. Before sharing her story, she wrote: “I decided to walk back on a Thursday night by myself after a party. It was around 2am, so I probably shouldn’t have.”

Some incidents were more extreme than others. One respondent spoke of “a group of men blocking” the entry to their home, and another wrote: “A man followed me muttering what he wanted to do to me sexually under his breath.”

Safety is still

a worry that sits at the forefront of many students’ minds, particularly for women

In 2021, following the disappearance of Sarah Everard, the site ‘Everyone’s Invited’ gained traction as school and university students began to share their stories

of sexual harassment. It aimed to highlight that rape culture is present everywhere and that it is a cultural and universal issue.

There is a list on their website which names every school and university that the perpetrators that victims have reported attended. This list, which was last updated in 2022, includes the University of Warwick.

In 2021, the University of Warwick made national news after the group Protect Warwick Women held an 11-week-long sit-in in the Piazza to protest the University’s failure to respond to and prevent sexual misconduct. This ended after an agreement was reached with the group and the University.

We are now three years on from Sarah Everard’s case, the sit-in at Warwick, and the intense attention devoted towards misogyny in the press. Even then, safety is still a worry that sits at the forefront of many students’ minds, particularly for women.

In the poll, only 1/3 of men said that they have felt unsafe in Leamington Spa, while 85% of women and non-binary people said that they have felt unsafe.

“Unless the problem is facing people, they don’t particularly see it”

- Enaya Nihal, Vice President for Welfare and Campaigns

When asked for examples of when respondents have felt unsafe, many said that dimly lit or unlit areas make them feel daunted. Nihal recently worked to fix lamp posts on campus; as part of this,

For those affected by the contents of this article, please find available resources below:

On campus, phone:

024765 22222 (External)

22222 (Internal)

she took key individuals to the affected areas. She said: “Unless the problem is facing people, they don’t particularly see it.”

Nihal also spoke on her plans to implement further measures and raise awareness for support that already exists. One measure discussed was ‘Strut Safe’, which is a UK-wide phone line with calls answered by volunteers who will stay on the phone until callers arrive home. Strut Safe was only launched in 2021.

“We do not tolerate any inappropriate behaviour from our community”

- University of Warwick spokesperson

Street safety is a concern across the UK, and while discussions about gender violence are growing more frequent, it seems as though the crimes themselves are rising too. Statistics from CrimeRate show that the number of sexual and violent offences in 2022 in Leamington Spa was greater than the number in 2021.

The results of our poll show that most students, in particular female students, have concerns about their safety when in Leamington Spa and that the new implementations have not done enough to reassure them.

In a further comment to The Boar, a spokesperson for the University said: “We do not tolerate any inappropriate behaviour from our community.” They added that sanctions will be faced by individuals who are found to have broken the University’s values and that these could include “expulsion or withdrawal from the University”.

Off-campus:

Coventry Haven Women’s Aid:

0800 111 4998

Warwick District Council: 01926 456713

For non-emergencies, call 101

For emergencies, call 999

Rachel Gore (she/her)

» Image: Flickr / Phudd23

Skyrocketing rents leave Warwick students facing greater housing difficulties than national average

Luke Chapman (he/him)

Students across the country are facing greater housing difficulties than in previous years, a recent survey by Save the Student has found. According to the website’s 2024 National Student Accommodation Survey, 64% of UK university students struggle with the cost of rent, and 2/5 students have considered dropping out of university altogether because of soaring accommodation costs. The data follows recent below-inflation increases in maintenance loans, which have aggravated the financial burden on students studying during the current cost-of-living crisis.

In September 2023, the start of this academic year, The Boar reported that Warwick’s on-campus accommodation costs increased by an average of 6%. The maximum maintenance loan threshold at the time had increased by 2.8%, leaving many Warwick students financially worse off. In January this year, the government announced that maintenance loans for the 2024/25 academic year will increase by 2.5%, in line with inflation forecasts. Considering last year’s figures, Save the Student says this year’s increase is “simply maintaining, if not widening, the real-terms gap created by previous forecasting errors.”

The cost-of-living crisis has led

to several calls for UK universities to alleviate the financial burden on students. Recently, Martin Blakey, former Chief Executive of student housing charity Unipol, sent a proposal for UK universities to build smaller, more affordable accommodation, which could reduce rent by up to 30%. However, the University of Warwick seems to be going in the other direction, as The Boar understands that in the next few years, the University intends to demolish Whitefields and build more expensive en-suite accommodation blocks in its place.

“I’m priced out of nicer accommodation, so I’m living in Rootes, which is very loud and claustrophobic”

- First-year Warwick student

In light of recent figures, surveys, and proposals to UK universities, The Boar obtained data from Warwick students to see how their accommodation situations align with the national average.

Save the Student’s survey says students pay an average of £550 per month. However, in a poll conducted by The Boar, less than 1/2 of Warwick students pay within £100 of this figure. Over 80% of respondents said they pay an amount larger than or equal to

this figure, disproportionately the case for first-year students living on campus.

Over 70% of respondents said their mental health suffers because of rent and bills. One first-year student told The Boar that they feel compelled to live in a louder, busier accommodation block due to the high prices of quieter accommodation on campus. Another student similarly told The Boar: “I’m priced out of nicer accommodation, so I’m living in Rootes, which is very loud and claustrophobic.”

Respondents also spoke of how their studies were affected by accommodation issues. The most common issues students face are dampness, mould, and a lack of water and heating. Issues with dampness were particularly pertinent to those living in and around Canley.

Less than 1/3 of Warwick students said their maintenance loans covered the costs of rent

A first-year student spoke of the “unattainable” nature of accommodation for Warwick students. They said that whilst, on the one hand, on-campus accommodation is “incredibly overpriced”, when visiting properties in Canley in a bid to cut

down on costs, they encountered houses that looked “genuinely unsafe to live in” due to severe mould and damp issues.

Less than 1/3 of Warwick students said their maintenance loans covered the costs of rent, over 10% lower than the national average, and over 80% turn to their parents to cover the remaining costs.

“I feel it’s a case of the onus being put on the student to deal with it”

- Warwick student

In short, Warwick students are paying more than the av erage student for their rent. However, they generally lack the financial security from the UK govern ment to fully cover it. Issues with pests, unclear water, and disruptive building work were also rife among The Boar’s respondents, one of whom told The Boar News team personally:

“These issues seem to be becoming the norm for Warwick students. I have friends living in Leamington

facing similar issues, and I feel it’s a case of the onus being put on the student to deal with it.”

Following these findings, a spokesperson for the University of Warwick told The Boar:

“Unfortunately, we had to take the difficult decision to increase our accommodation prices as a result of rising costs.

“In the 2022/2023 academic year, we introduced a package of measures to help our students, which included bursary increases of 10% for those from lowest-income households.

“We would urge anyone who may be struggling financially to contact us, so we can look at how we can help them.”

Voting is open for Warwick Students’ Union Spring Elections 2024

Emily Neville (she/her)

Polling for Warwick Students’ Union elections opens this week, and votes will be tallied when the polls close at 4pm on Friday 8 March 2024.

The positions up for grabs by those who nominated themselves earlier in the term include the Full Time Officer (FTO) positions, Part Time Officer (PTO) positions, and National Union of Students (NUS) Conference Delegate roles.

By voting, students will be able to choose between the candidates as well as ‘Re-open Nominations’ (R.O.N).

The elections are run using a single transferable vote (STV) system which means that voters can rank candidates from least to most preferred. If a set quota is not reached, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes will be redistributed. The process continues until a sufficient number of candidates has reached the quota.

This year sees 41 candidates listed across 15 various posts. Some of

these posts see joint-ballot candidates, meaning that two individuals are running to hold a position as a pair. There are also a total of eight places available for the NUS Conference Delegates position.

This is the first year that NUS Conference Delegates have been elected for in this window.

Prior to the previous Spring Elections in 2023, the student body had elected to disaffiliate from the NUS in the Spring 2023 All Student Vote (ASV). However, the decision was reversed after a motion proposing NUS reaffiliation passed in the Autumn 2023 ASV.

The SU is offering a range of incentives to students who vote

The seven elected FTOs will be expected to take a year out of study if they are not graduating at the end of this year and will be paid an annual wage of over £27,000.

PTOs will study alongside their positions, and most of the candi-

dates have had to self-identify as a specific category to be eligible for the role they are running for.

The 41 candidates listed is a significant decrease from the 68 candidates who ran for a total of 14 positions last year. Many candidates are running unopposed this year, but in those contests voters still have the option of voting R.O.N.

Lack of participation in SU-led student voice is a matter which has previously received significant criticism, but is something they are consistently attempting to rectify.

The SU is offering a range of incentives to those students who cast their votes. If you vote at one of their booths located across cam-

pus, you will be given two packets of Mentos. You can also receive a free, large hot drink from Curiositea – an SU outlet on campus – if you show your proof of voting between 9am on 4 March and 3pm on 8 March. The offer includes their variety of coffees, teas, and hot chocolates. The SU will also have their Election Hub based here for the duration of the week.

Finally, all students who vote on time will be automatically entered into a draw for a chance to win one of six Amazon vouchers worth £50 each.

Candidates will still be found campaigning across campus all throughout this week

To decide on the right candidate for them, voters can find manifestos on the SU website or view recordings of the Question Time events which took place with participating candidates from Wednesday 28 February to Friday

1 March last week.

Sophie Clark, current SU Vice President for Democracy and Development, stated: “The university where we live shapes both our lives and the lives of many we will never see or meet around the world. With escalating global conflict and the climate and ecological breakdown, how we choose to relate to the University, and therefore these elections, are a reflection of how we intervene in this unfolding future.

“Asking you to vote is not a call to let someone else solve the problems we all face but a first step in encouraging all of us to work together to leverage the power we have to build a free society!”

Unlike previous years, the SU has banned the campaigning of candidates within halls on campus. But candidates will still be found campaigning across campus all throughout this week.

Results of the elections will be available live from around 5pm on Friday 8 March, presented by Radio at Warwick (RAW).

Nightclubs closing across the country amid changing student lifestyles

James Watson (he/him)

recent years, the number of students clubbing and drinking has been in decline. A rise in options for today’s students in search of a night out has led to a corresponding fall in the number of students attending clubs across the UK.

The cost-of-living crisis has similarly made it less affordable for students to go clubbing on a regular basis, causing clubs to shut down as students tighten their purse strings.

“The cost of living is singularly the biggest issue that we face”

- Peter Marks, Chief Executive at Rekom

Peter Marks is the Chief Executive of Rekom, which owns Pryzm and Atik, two of the largest night club chains in the UK. He has attributed the closure of 17 Rekom-owned venues to a lack of consumer demand.

Marks attested that the costof-living crisis is “singularly the biggest issue that we face”. He claimed the strain on students was putting the clubbing industry more broadly under greater threat.

“They’re arriving in our doors later and they’re spending less. For

every £100 pounds we take, we are spending between £30 and £40 on wages,” he said.

“Between full-time study and part-time work, many students can’t socialise at all”

- Chloe Field, Vice President for Higher Education, National Union of Students

However, experts have been less quick to pin a decline in nightclub outings solely on the cost of living. A total of 400 clubs have closed between March 2020 and December 2023 according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Chloe Field, the Vice President for Higher Education at the National Union for Students (NUS), stated: “The behaviour of young people has also changed since the pandemic, with those who turned 18 in lockdown not getting into the habit of going out clubbing.”

Field also suggested that the fall in numbers is due to students working more: “Between fulltime study and part-time work, many students can’t socialise at all.”

A rise in teetotalism amongst today’s students has led more and more staple clubs in the industry to shut their doors. The

Drinkaware Trust, an alcohol education charity, stated that today, 26% of 16–24-year-olds do not drink any alcohol at all.

The figures for this age bracket were significantly lower than for 55–64-year-olds, with a total of 31% drinking 14 units of alcohol per week: the weekly recommended limit. Marks admitted that in the UK, “the nighttime economy is going through a tough time” and “it does need some help”.

Due to both the rising cost of living and shifting student lifestyles in recent years, the trend away from big nights out at UK clubs seems to be one that will not fade soon.

Overseas student applications to UK universities rise again

Caleb Tye (he/him)

For the second year in a row, the number of international students applying to study at the undergraduate level in the United Kingdom has risen. This year’s number of 115,730 marks an increase from last year’s 114,910 and is a step closer to the all-time high of 116,110, recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic led to travel restrictions.

International students in the 2021/2022 academic year alone contributed £41.9 billion to the UK economy

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), said the rise in international student applications “should not be a cause

for concern for domestic students” as domestic applications were also on the rise, with 479,210 applications from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The rise comes despite the new rules put in place by the government from 1 January 2024, which aimed to reduce the number of international students migrating to the UK. This change, criticised by those in the higher education sector, denied international students the right to bring their dependant partner or children to the UK unless they were studying for a PhD or postgraduate research programme.

Nick Hilman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), suggested the government’s changes would lead to the UK’s education sector becoming less competitive.

Similar concerns were echoed by Vivienne Stern, CEO of Universities UK (UUK), who said a fall in overseas students would be “seriously bad for universities because

UK academics collaborate on drone research with Iranian university

Martin Day (he/him)

Academics

at three Western universities collaborated with an Iranian university linked to the country’s military to develop drone technology, an investigation has revealed.

Researchers from the UK’s University of Southampton, Australia’s University of New South Wales, and the US’s University of Houston worked alongside the Sharif University of Technology, an institution subject to financial sanctions from Britain and the EU.

“It is not a good idea for any university to engage in these projects”

- Prof. Robert Czulda, Associate Professor at University of Łódź

The university, based in Tehran, has been closely linked with Iran’s military drone program according to the Washington Institute, an American think tank that specialises in Middle East-related topics.

In a research paper uncovered by the United Against Nuclear Iran organisation (UANI), the project studied the use of drones, known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in wireless networks and their viability as communications hubs.

... they need international students to fund domestic education.” Previous data collected by UUK showed that international students in the 2021/2022 academic year alone contributed £41.9 billion to the UK economy.

Security experts have claimed this research has “direct impli cations” for military use, notably for re-establishing communications to circumvent the use of jamming technology.

This rise isn’t expected to be repeated in future years. A report from the British Council has suggested that the growth in migration is merely part of a post-Covid boom, and growing political pressure against migration, as well as the increased cost of living is likely to reduce international student applications in the future.

This is not the first time a British institution has come under fire for cooperation with Iran.

In an incident in June 2023, scientists at 11 UK universities were accused of working with Iran on research to enhance the altitude, range, and speed of UAVs.

“We will not accept collaborations that compromise our national security”

- Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister

It led to the opening of a government inquiry into potential breaches of the export controls that the UK has imposed on Iran.

At the time, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We will not accept collaborations that compromise our national security.”

Governments have warned that Iran has sought international academic collaboration as a means of furthering its military UAV program.

UANI Research Director, Daniel Roth, cautioned: “Iranian universities don’t operate under the same principles of academic independence that we understand. They’re ultimately directed by the regime when it comes to specific areas of research.”

In recent years, Iranian suicide drones have become synonymous with modern war, seeing extensive use by Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine and by the Houthis in recent attacks on Red Sea shipping.

Prof. Robert Czulda, an Associ ate Professor in International and Political Studies at the University of Łódź, told the Guardian that the project was potentially “very dangerous”.

He said: “It is not a good idea for any university to engage in these projects. Any system relating to communications or repeating signals could easily have military application.”

In January, an Iranian-made drone was used to attack a US airbase in Jordan, killing three American servicepeople and severely escalating tensions in the region.

In a statement, the University of Southampton said it had “stopped all formal and informal research collaborations with Iran” since the research’s publication.

A report from the British Council has suggested that the growth in migration is merely part of a post-Covid boom

» Images: Flickr/ Sadegh Dalvandi (top), Flickr / Masoud (bottom)

» Image: Flickr / stevekeiretsu

Features

Editor: Alexandra Luca (she/her) features@theboar.org

Living through the war in Sudan My family's harrowing story

Onthe morning of 15 April 2023, I was greeted with distressing news: my homeland, the place of my birth and adolescence years, was under attack. Videos depicting the bombardment and destruction of Khartoum, the capital city, flooded my screen. In the chaos, it was revealed that the orchestrators of this violence were none other than two generals: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who oversees the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Their clash, stemming from opposing stances on the Framework Agreement, an agreement which states that the country should be ruled under a civilian-led government, plunged the na tion into the grim reality of conflict.

it off, assuming they were simply playing one of their usual pranks on me. "This isn't funny, stop", I urged, but their laughter gave way to a chilling realization – the danger was real, with bombs detonating dangerously close to them. One of my cousins, unable to mask her fear any longer, whispered in a trembling voice: "Iba, if anything happens, I love you", leaving me grappling with the sobering possibility of never seeing my family again.

Around 19 million children are unable to access education due to the destruction and displacement

Heart-wrenching accounts flooded my social media feed – images of frightened children, women subjected to brutality, and tales of unspeakable horrors inflicted by the armed forces.

Initially, disbelief shrouded our perceptions as we hoped for a swift resolution, unwilling to grasp the full extent of the leaders' thirst for power. However, as weeks passed, the harsh truth of war settled upon us, forcing acceptance of a protracted struggle ahead. Despite attempts to shield myself from the grim reality, the omnipresence of war on news outlets and social media platforms shattered any illusions of escapism.

I recall speaking to my cousins and hearing the echoes of explosions in the background. I brushed

UNICEF has reported that around 19 million children are unable to access education due to the destruction and displacement. According to the International Organization for Mi gration over nine million people were internally dis placed, making Sudan the larg est internal displacement crisis globally. In addition to that, more

than 3.5 million people had fled the country as refugees temporarily settling in refugee camps across East Africa. Furthermore, many of those 3.5 million who fled did not survive in the process, most having been trapped in the crossfire between the RSF and SAF. Accessing food, water, and medication proved exceedingly challenging throughout these journeys. Tragically, many individuals, both young and old, succumbed due to the extended duration of travel and the substandard quality of provisions available to them. Survivors were deemed fortunate despite enduring pervasive racism, ongoing instability, and looming financial hardship. For countless individuals, remaining in Khartoum was their only option as they lacked the means to depart, compounded by the predicament of inaccessible assets amidst rampant bank lootings.

Kordofan, located in the centre of Sudan. Days passed by while they prayed for their safety, and nights were consumed by ceaseless worry and sleeplessness. Then, one fateful morning, a jarring phone call shattered the fragile peace – my mother received the devastating news that her cousin had been fatally shot. He had ventured out in response to the sounds of commotion and gunfire, only to fall victim to the crossfire between the RSF and SAF, like so many others. The torment experienced by those beyond the conflict zone only intensified from that moment on.

to a halt, intentionally missing calls and so on.

As my family contemplated escape, my grandfather's reluctance, steeped in cultural notions of masculinity and pride, added another layer of complexity to our ordeal. Their arduous journey to safety, fraught with danger and uncertainty, weighed heavily on my conscience, juxtaposed against the triviality of my own 'first world' concerns.

Fearing for their safety, my mother’s siblings made the difficult decision to relocate from Khartoum to a town in the state of

Shortly after, the anguish of those trapped within the conflict zone became worse, as violence spread beyond Khartoum into smaller regions. The journey from Kordofan to Khartoum, an exhausting eight-hour drive, followed by another twelve-hour stretch from Khartoum to Port Sudan, marked a desperate bid for safety for my family. I recall this day so clearly as I had an exam and the single thing I could focus on was the fact that I may never speak to them or see them again. Communication hurdles only amplified the anxiety, with certain regions devoid of service and internet. After navigating through numerous RSF/SAF checkpoints, they finally arrived in Port Sudan, a gateway to safety. A day later, they found refuge in Saudi Arabia. Despite their triumph over adversity, I couldn’t help but feel guilty – here I was, preoccupied with trivial concerns, while my family teetered on the brink of peril.

Months passed, each marked by the grim toll of lives lost, numbing me to the ever-present spectre of death. Distancing myself from loved ones became a coping mechanism, an attempt to shield my emotions from the relentless onslaught of despair. I brought most communication with them

The grim statistics spoke volumes: at least 13,000–15,000 people killed, 33,000 others injured, and a nation plunged into darkness

By February 2024, the grim statistics spoke volumes: at least 13,000–15,000 people killed, 33,000 others injured, and a nation plunged into darkness amidst an internet and communication blackout. The gravity of the situation hit home when I received a call from my aunt and four-yearold cousin. I joked with her, asking: “How it is to have a big summer holiday?” The toddler replied: “How can we learn anything if the RSF are present at every road with their guns?” her innocent response about learning amidst the omnipresent threat of armed forces serving as a pitiful reminder of the innocence lost amidst conflict.

The traditional song 'Baladn Hi Lina' captures a sentiment that deeply resonates with me: the profound connection to our homeland. It eloquently expresses that when our country sheds tears, we share its sorrow; when it is in distress, so are we. I hope for an end to the war so that I may return home, create cherished memories with my loved ones, and contribute to the process of rebuilding and healing. Since the onset of political unrest in 2018, we have embraced a powerful mantra: "The country is ours, and we will establish a civilian-led government." I fervently await the fulfillment of this vision, eager to witness the restoration of our nation's democratic principles. Hanabniho!

» Images: Marc Mongenet / Wikimedia Commons (top), UNMISS/ Flickr (bottom centre), Qwant Maps (left)

My mother received the devastating news that her cousin had been fatally shot

Iba Ismail (she/her)

Alexei Navalny: Russia’s sardonic voice of reason

“YourHonour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to ‘warm up’ my personal account, because I am running out of money”, taunts Alexei Navalny with a smile as he is seen on screen, standing (literally) behind bars in a black correctional facility uniform at what would be his final court hearing on 15 February. Within the next 24 hours, the man long dubbed “Russia’s most vociferous Putin critic” was dead, after what the Polar Wolf Detention Colony’s prison service described as him “feeling unwell” during a walk earlier that day.

Throughout his political career, Navalny championed accountability in Russian politics and the end of authoritarian rule

Alexei Navalny’s demise is the most recent in a string of suspicious deaths that has long followed the enemies and critics of the Russian Federation’s President, Vladimir Putin, leaving the global community shocked and angered but not entirely surprised. His death comes almost exactly three years after his re-incarceration upon his return to Russia from Germany, where he was being treated after an attempt on his life which was confirmed to have been carried out by agents of the Russian state.

Throughout his political career, Navalny championed accountability in Russian politics and the end of authoritarian rule, devoting a large portion of his life since the late 2000s to exposing corruption within Russia’s elite governmental circles. He was largely regarded as the most serious threat to Putin’s rule since entering office in 1999, garnering wide support in Russia and abroad – a threat which Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, vowed to keep alive in an emotional but determined address to the world at the Munich Security Conference several days later.

Born and raised in Obinsk, a small city roughly 100 kilometres southwest of Moscow, but of Ukrainian descent on his father’s side, Navalny kept his heritage alive and spent enough time there visiting his grandmother to learn the language. He remained in the Moscow Oblast throughout his formative years, eventually moving to the capital itself and obtaining a law degree at the People’s Friend-

ship University of Russia in 1998. He went on to obtain a second de gree in economics from the Finan cial University under the Govern ment of the Russian Federation. During his period, he started get ting involved in politics, joining the liberal social-democratic party, Yabloko, in 2000. Over the next couple years, he worked as a lawyer for various firms in the Moscow area while also remaining politically active and steadily ascending through Yabloko’s ranks, eventually becoming deputy head of the Moscow chapter.

It was not until 2007 that Navalny truly made his activist debut, in true noughties fashion, with a Youtube address. After being expelled from Yabloko due to his “growing nationalistic tendencies” and representing his newly formed movement, Narod, he released videos advocating for gun rights as well as further right-wing rhet oric concerning the deportation of migrants, the justification for which was, counterintuitively, the prevention of fascism. The controversy of his early involvement with nationalism and participation in far-right rallies would later prove an effective tool in the Kremlin’s attempts to damage his image –particularly abroad, where this narrative sparked a mixed and divided attitude amongst many otherwise would-be supporters.

In 2008, Navalny’s most prominent work began, when he began investigating corruption in stateowned companies. He de facto infiltrated them by buying minority shares and then asking awkward questions on financial inconsistencies, thoroughly interrogating corporate officials and otherwise being the proverbial thorn in the side of the well-oiled, well-established corruption machine that was (and continues to be) the Russian state. The culmination of what we can now call this “initial” effort was the creation of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in 2011.

Another of Navalny's flagship investigations was not on Russian corruption, but on himself

However, another of Navalny’s flagship investigations was not on Russian corruption, but on himself and the attempt on his life.

In late August 2020, Navalny collapsed, screaming in agony aboard

of the poison to the Signal Institute in Moscow – on the surface

city in the Siberian region, after having filmed a video for his blog in what he called “an almost offensively calm environment” (referring to the lack of police and general disruptive activities perpetrated against him on a regular basis).

“If this was the plot of a movie, it would have been called over the top”

Participant in Navalny assassination attempt

After an emergency landing in a neighbouring town, he was eventually airlifted to Germany to receive treatment after suspicions of poisoning were categorically denied by the local medical staff. In the following weeks, it was confirmed that he had been the target of an assassination attempt by means of the notorious Soviet-era nerve agent, Novichok, which, despite the Kremlin’s vehement denial of any connection to the attack, left relatively little to the imagination when it came to speculations of who was behind it.

Once he was functional enough, Navalny devoted the rest of his recovery period to figuring out exactly how – and who – had tried to kill him. The ensuing investigation was very thorough and quite complex, tracing first the origin

er of sports ergy drinks, but somewhat ostentatiously employing a dozen sci entists with chemical weapons research backgrounds. The team then obtained the phone records of the head of the Signal Institute, progressively linking bank transfers and phone calls made to individuals prior to the poisoning of Navalny and tracing them to flight manifestos in and out of the town of Tomsk prior to and after the poisoning.

The pièce de résistance of the whole project came to fruition as Navalny obtained a recording of a phone conversation between himself (impersonating a pushy supervisor) and a member of the chemical engineering team involved in the production and delivery of the Novichok agent, in which the engineer describes, in considerable detail, why “he thought that the attack had not gone according to plan”. An incredulous member of the team who was present during the interview was quoted saying: “If this was the plot of a movie, it would have been called over the top.” The whole tangled intrigue is tackled, from bank records to phone interviews and tense moments to family TikToks, in a clear and entertaining fashion in the BBC’s Oscar-winning documentary, Navalny, released two years ago, in which, percolated by Navalny’s commentary in his signature dry humour, the investigation is explained in detail – I highly recommend it.

The legacy Navalny leaves behind is one of action and fearlessness in the face of a formidable adversary. Despite starting out

amidst controversy, he is remembered as the energetic and vocal advocate of a free and democratic Russia – a goal which he set out to achieve through a combination of meaningful exposition of government corruption; political campaigning; and criticising many facets of Russia’s elite – from the “bloodthirsty obsession with Ukraine” to the downright “repulsive opulence of Putin’s personal lifestyle, indicating signs of megalomania”. His gripe with Putin has been described as becoming “personal” over his years of investigation, a sentiment supported, for example, by the release of the online documentary exposing Putin’s “Secret Palace” only two days after his re-incarceration on 17 September 2021 in what can be considered a clear one-finger salute to his jailor.

The death of Alexei Navalny has struck a deep blow to the morale of the anticorruption movement

It is undeniable that the untimely death of Alexei Navalny has struck a deep blow to the morale of the anti-corruption movement and supporters of a democratic Russia. But the impact that he had on Russian politics survives him, and while many of those opposed to or persecuted by Putin’s regime may see this as another win for the Russian dictator, it remains yet to be seen whether the very real threat that Navalny posed to the regime will die with him. As the Russian presidential elections draw ever closer, it is impossible not to acknowledge the global scrutiny that Vladimir Putin faces as he once again strives to maintain his iron grip on Russia.

“Never give up, for if they kill me, then you will know, in that moment, that we stand immeasurably strong”

- Alexei Navalny

In one of his final interviews, when questioned as to what he would say to the world in the event of him finally succumbing to the efforts to take his life, Navalny left us with a very simple message: “Never give up, for if they kill me, then you will know, in that moment, that we stand immeasurably strong.”

Alexandre Martin (he/him)

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» Image: Flickr/Michał Siergiejevicz

Comment

Rethinking an 'i-Koan'

Jack Stevenson (he/him)

The ‘Koan’ is a public artwork at the University of Warwick that remains one of the foremost works displayed at the University and has gained somewhat of a cult status. Unfortunately, the Koan is awful. It is such a comprehensive failure as a work of art you almost feel you are owed compensation merely for being forced to look at it. It is kitsch, and vulgar, and deeply offensive. I have frenzied visions of hordes of undergraduates rolling it into a ditch. It is the imperfect summation of all the mundanities of the 20th century. But I write this article not to air some bizarre phobia, or provide an outlet for impotent whining, but as a direct call to action. I don’t care how, but the Koan must be removed from campus. For those of you, who, on instinctive aesthetic grounds, are not already convinced, I use this article as part of an offensive to try and push past the dripping sentimentality that sees us cling to this relic. I lay out this case by first looking at what the Koan supposedly represents and then proceeding to outline its history at the University and why it no longer belongs here, finally considering broader aesthetic concerns and what a suitable replacement might entail.

When considering a work of art, especially in the modern context, it is vital to first allow it to speak for itself; assess it against what it strives to be. A quick foray onto the University website provides a statement: “The title of this sculpture is a pun on its shape and the Zen Buddhist concept of a koan – a question without an answer.” The phrase ‘question without an answer’ speaks for it self, doesn’t it? “It has that great quality of modern art!”, the half- educated reassure themselves. It really makes you think, doesn’t it? About what? Errmm, well, on that I’m not quite sure, but good ness, does it make you think! The questions it poses!

These lame puns are more or less what this sculpture amounts to, and belong to the category of wordplay that only gets less clever each time you think about it. The two main allusions in the piece are to Eastern religion and technology (it lights up and spins at night. Impressive, right?). Both these, however, feel rather 20th century. The allusions to Buddhism feel tokenistic and shallow, a pathetic attempt to appear more worldly than one truly is, to create ‘international’ art by artists seemingly picking stories and symbols as they please. There is no genuine understanding or affection displayed here; it is merely a reference, and while it probably made a handful of boomers feel terribly cosmopolitan when it was installed in the '70s, in a 21st-century-world where ‘cultural appropriation’ as an explanatory mechanism carries so much weight, it falls decidedly flat.

The implementation of technology here feels like innovation for innovations sake, thrown in under the guise of ‘originality’, and while it may have been impressive for

the time, the novelty of such ‘innovations’ soon wears off. This aspect of the work is also bizarrely tied to gender, as the opening paragraph in Ms Lijn’s (the artist’s) Wikipedia page proudly declares she is “in all likeli- hood the first woman artist to have exhibited a work incorporat ing an electric motor.” I mean, talk about feminist milestones! It should be noted here that I’m sure Ms Lijn is a perfect ly lovely woman, but art is made to be criticised (is it not?), and we cannot condescend to ignoring that which begs to be attacked.

Where I believe contemporary attitudes towards the Koan range from a general indifference to outright aversion, it wasn’t always this way. Someone, somewhere must have once made the decision to purchase this, and indeed, it is not difficult to imagine some fruit-juice-drinking, sandalwearing professor feigning enjoyment of it when it was initially installed in the early '70s. Even as late as the 1990s clearly there remained warm curiosity towards it, reflected in the fact there existed a comic strip at the time dedicated to the Koan by an ex-student called Steve Shipway, and even a jokey society dedicated to the sculpture, which minimal research reveals is still referenced in Mr Shipway’s LinkedIn profile! The ability to squeeze this much joy and community out of so lifeless an artwork is truly admirable, but it nonetheless feels distinctly postmodern in nature – it is ironic and self-aware, not hiding from the absurdity of the sculpture. It does, however, all feel a bit … '90s. A bit Blair. The sort of hi-jinx the El Dude brothers would fondly recall having participated in at university. It will never be the '90s again. Young people are more cynical now, more apathetic, taking themselves more seriously. Trying to recre-

ate something like that in the 2020s would be nothing less than a grotesque perversion of the otherwise healthy British tradition of self-deprecating humour. The joke just isn’t funny anymore.

Not only is the Koan uninteresting and dated when taken in isolation, but it does not belong at Warwick either. Backing this criticism is the (I would suggest) rather uncontroversial idea that public art at a university should represent something about the university itself, being a method through which it projects its identity to the nation at large.

However, the Koan is totally antithetical to the merits of Warwick. Where Warwick presents itself in comparison to older universities as refreshingly austere and modest, the Koan feels pretentious and pseudo-intellectual. Where Warwick is unashamed of a certain desire for academic excellence, the Koan just looks mediocre. Where Warwick, forged in the late autumn of modernity, presents itself as a university embracing of change, the Koan is ‘of its time’ in the worst possible sense of the phrase. It doesn’t even go far enough as does, say, the humanoid rat-thing stood by the bus interchange, as to merit passing it off as some elaborate sketch of absurdist comedy. The Koan may have looked faintly impressive when its architectural competitor was the towering might of Senate House, but next to the gleaming facades of the Oculus and the FAB, it begins to look less like a cone and more like a pin.

The fact we have gotten this far into the article, and I haven’t felt the need to highlight its demonstrative ugliness, speaks for itself. It looks cheap, disposable, throwaway – hardly congruent with the dedicated push for ‘sustainability’ by the University. The harsh white metal it is constructed of does not age with the grace of carved stone. Even the heaving brutalist buildings on campus like the Library and Physics block, that seem to sigh under the weight of their own severity, manage to age with a kind of endearing melancholy, as they become ever more wearied and weathered. The Koan, in contrast, will just look ever cheaper, dirtier.

It is beyond the remit of this article to suggest a replacement – I remain unsure

as to whether one if even required – but whatever it is should not shy away from the nature of the University of Warwick. It must relate to modern beauties. The beauty of speed, of mass, of scale. The morbid beauty of One Canada Square. In representing us, it should be more corporate, more vital, more vicious: more modern. But not in relation to the tired spasms and intellectualism of post-modernity, but to the optimism and ENERGY that character ised so much early modernist work. The artwork should look UPWARDS, not inwards. We only remain a university in the technical sense of the word, we are – in spirit – a business, and our art should reflect that.

It has been resigned to the worst fate – irrelevance

The Koan is not an ‘icon’. The only people who still think so are probably those, incidentally, who read Boar articles (you know who you are) and take a genuine interest in the University’s identity. The student body at large has moved past it, and this is validated most completely in how little attention is paid to it. How many people even know its name?

The long 20th century is finally over, and the shadow it cast is finally receding. A cold sunlight has been thrust upon us, and in this cold sunlight, these 20th-century-mundanities can hide no longer. The 21st century is finally here. If anybody actually cared about the Koan, this article might provoke an article in retaliation. I would like it to. But it won’t. Because it has been resigned to the worst fate that can befall an artwork – irrelevance. It simply gets in the way and must be swept aside. Student action can achieve this. Warwick students of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your koans.

The Koan does not belong at Warwick

In times of war, the United Nations has its hands tied

Benjamin Orchard (he/him)

International affairs have always been characterised by chaos. Claims are steeped in Western-centric narratives about which chaos, where, matters. The globe does not stop at the Mediterranean Sea nor the Eurasian Steppe, and those times heralded as eras of global stability tended to be anything but; the Cold War burned hot in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Angola, and so on.

Nonetheless, it is true that the world is experiencing generational turmoil. For the first time since World War II, a territorial war of conquest is underway in Europe, and while the fighting in Gaza, to paraphrase UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has not come from a vacuum, the scale and extent of the Israeli response has rocked the Middle East more deeply than anything since the Lebanon wars in the 1980s. Massive invasions conducted and backed by the West, alongside catastrophic pretences for regime changes, have shattered Middle Eastern countries such as Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan, and shattered nations are unstable. They can be desperate and swing to vicious ideologies which are perversions of the peace after which they name themselves. Not least from the perspective of energy security, a regional war here would shape the rest of the century.

Where is the UN in this? Well, the institution has seen dizzying successes and crushing failures. Its aid programmes have freed millions from poverty and educated millions more. It has been on the wrong side of history in Rwanda and Darfur. But when

it comes to the hard problems of international relations, those of war and peace, it is an institution of contradiction. Israel's war on Gaza is the most fashionable example of the geopolitics which gums up the UN system, but it is the norm, not the exception.

The

issue lies in the construction of the United Nations Security Council

The issue lies in the construc tion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The only one capable of passing legally binding resolutions and legitimis ing the exercise of hard power, bombs, and bul lets, it is the most pow erful organ of the UN. Not even sanctions can be implemented without the assent of the UNSC.

It is also the most dys functional. For a resolu tion to pass, nine of the 10 members must vote for it, including the five permanent members –the P5. These are China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US. These P5 states all possess a veto which they may exercise without justification. If a single veto is cast, the resolution crumbles. This pattern has char acterised the majority of the UNSC's history. Rather than operating as an impartial and co operative institution, it

is beholden to the petty competing geostrategic interests of the P5.

It makes sense to talk about Israel here, as nearly 1/2 of all US vetoes deployed since 1945 have been to protect the country from resolutions critical of its occupation of Palestinian land and its barbarous treatment of the Palestinian people. On the back of the recent ICJ (International Court of Justice) ruling, earlier this week Algeria drafted a UNSC resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (although it does not technically have any legal jurisdiction over the terrorist group). This will be vetoed by the US, if the Algerians even bother bringing it to the Council. But equally, the UNSC has failed to call out China's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other Turkic communities in Xinjiang. In the event of a future Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the UNSC would remain mute. It never issued a resolution condemning Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine nor its pro-Assad intervention in the 2015 Syrian Civil War.

The structure of the UNSC condemns it to impotence. The resolutions of the General Assembly, or the rulings of the ICJ, have no teeth. They cannot be enforced without the UNSC's ap-

Home is where the student lives

Maddie Scrimshaw (she/her)

Making the decision to live at home for university was a daunting one, but being a commuting student didn’t ruin my university experience.

I have lived in the same house in the same city for my entire life, a house that is exactly 14 minutes, or 8.2 miles, from the University of Warwick. It would be untruthful to say I have always dreamed of attending Warwick. In fact, during my A-levels I even said that the University was just too close to home. Now, two years later, attending Warwick University and living at home, it is not as different as you might think from the life of an ‘average student’.

proval.

But this does not mean that they do not matter. The United Nations remains a unique and uniquely powerful institution. It houses the world's highest court. It has coordinated international cooperation inconceivable in the early-20th or -19th centuries. And the diplomatic pressure it enables small powers to exert may yet bear fruit.

Patience for Joe Biden's unqualified support for Israel is wearing thin. He is being put under huge pressure to acknowledge what seems clear to those for whom Israel does not constitute the fulcrum of Middle East policy – not least Algeria and South Africa – as well as those from home. The rulings of the ICJ and resolutions of the General Assembly have galvanised citizens to demand better from their leaders. Similarly, in the UK we have seen Muslim support for the Labour Party collapse because of Keir Starmer's handling of the crisis. Foreign policy is coming home, and the sheer stature of the United Nations as an embodiment of the belief that things should and can be better has played a huge role in that.

We should, and can, expect better from the democracies

Even if the US and its allies defer, it is hard to imagine a similar popular groundswell forcing the more authoritarian members of the P5 to compromise. But we should, and can, expect better from the democracies. I will not be surprised if the dysfunctionality built into its DNA means that the United Nations' reputation is forever shattered. But this is one attempt at civilisation that I do not wish to see buried by the Middle Eastern sands.

The decision to live at home for university was undoubtedly a financial one. As a daughter of a single mother and the first

in my family to attend university, living at home seemed like the best practical option. I am extremely grateful to live near a respected academic institution like Warwick and have a great relationship with my mum, so living at home personally works for me, although I am aware that not everybody has that luxury. I am also lucky enough to be able to drive to campus this year after commuting via the ever-reliable Coventry transport service last year. Having survived both, driving is extremely helpful but not an absolute pre-requisite. I’ve accepted that my life is different to other students, and although it is unfair that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are often priced out of leaving home to attend university, I decided to make the most of it.

Living at home for uni versity does not result in a lack of a social life: I’ve made lasting friendships, experienced the highs

and lows of Kasbah, spent many Wednesday nights braving circling and POP!, and managed to save a lot of money, no different to the average Warwick University student. Well, maybe only sharing similarities with the first two.

Practicality and fun are not mutually exclusive

Friendships and social life haven’t been an issue in my personal experience; I have a great circle of friends who are always willing to provide a place to stay after a night out. I have also managed to find two girls crazy enough to brave the commuting lifestyle studying the same course. Romantic relationships also seem to be a top concern once people learn I’m a commut-

ing student, and unfortunately, I haven’t been spared experiences of the dreaded ‘situationship’ and romantic encounters I’d rather forget either.

Although I haven’t and will never experience the joys of living in halls for first year, or the fight for the Leamington buses, my life didn’t end. I’ve dealt with lots of opinions, hearing voices from students and nonstudents alike telling me that becoming a commuting student would be a decision that I would later regret, and that practicality shouldn’t reside over fun, to which I say: practicality and fun are not mutually exclusive, and I don’t regret it … yet, to say the least.

» Images: Vecteezy (car), The Boar/Maddie Scrimshaw (cartoon)

The issue lies in the construction of the Security Council

» Images: Wikimedia Commons/John Samuel (top background), Unsplash/ Daryan Shamkhali (centre)

The decision to live at home for university was a financial one

» Image: Wikimedia Commons/Colohisto

Lifestyle

Madi Scott (she/her)

Therecent TikTokification of fashion has led to a faster-than-ever trend cycle. The mass popularisation of aesthetics has taken over not only the ‘FashionTok’ hashtag but also transformed street style. Last year, the clean girl aesthetic, focusing on natural makeup, slicked-back hair, and a minimal colour palette, took the Internet by storm. Celebrity it-girls such as Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner were frontrunners in this trend. However, a new year brings along a new attitude, with the darker and more brooding Mob Wife aesthetic set to take over.

[It is] the ultimate mix of femme fatale and girl boss

What exactly is the Mob Wife aesthetic? (Sicilian husband not included). The Mob Wife aesthetic builds on the recent popularisation of hyper-femininity, with Barbiecore's youthful hot pink tennis skirts and the Coquette trend's in nocent trailing bows giving way to a fusion of classic elegance and bold statement pieces. The ultimate mix of femme fatale and girl boss, the Mob Wife's sexy but sleek allure adds a certain glamour to the fetishisation of the criminal underworld.

Editor: Gunisha Aggarwal (she/her) lifestyle@theboar.org

is the new black: the Mob Wife aesthetic

Leopard print is the new black. Quiet luxury gives way to excess. The diamonds are enormous, and the necklines are low. Slinky sunglasses are being replaced with '70s-big frames. Floral sundresses and ballerina buns are being set aside for slinky, barely-there slip dresses and unrepentantly big hair ("That’s why her hair is so big. It’s full of secrets.").

Why has the popularised aesthetic of the year changed from the minimalistic allure of 2023 to maximalist trends in 2024? Historically, fashion trends have always been used to signify wealth. In 17th-century France, men wore high heels to show political privilege and their laissez-faire attitude towards manual work. In Elizabethan England, yellow teeth were popularised as they showed that you could afford expensive sugary products. Today, this show of wealth continues with the trends showcased by the top (and most expensive) fashion houses suited to distinguish their wealthy clientele from those who can't afford to follow them. The trends showcased on Paris and London runways represent the economy of the time, with a two-to-three year delay for the runway collections to be replicated by mass production. Nowadays, it takes a further one-to-two years for the fast-fashion brands to recreate and mass-produce runway trends. The trends of today represent the economy of three-to-four years prior.

Cast your mind back to three years ago: the world was

Lifestyle x Finance

Mateus Guarda (he/him)

Farfetch, the luxury e-commerce fashion brand, has crashed and even revealed its need to go private after postponing filing its annual financial reports in 2023. The Financial Times reported that the company's shares lost 97% of their value. If this was not bad enough, a South Korean e-commerce brand, Coupang, purchased Farfetch in December for $500 million to save the company from going bankrupt.

As of January 2024, the company is valued at less than $100 million

What does Farfetch's crash mean for the future of e-commerce fashion? To better comprehend what has transpired, it is helpful to learn more about Farfetch. It is an e-commerce firm that specialises in luxury apparel and cosmetic items. It was founded and developed in 2017 by Portuguese businessman Jose Neves. Its competitive advantage came from being accessible in more than 50 countries and selling goods from over 1,400 brands (including Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Dior). It was backed by some of the biggest names in fashion. Francois Pinault, chairman of Kering (the house behind Gucci and Alexander McQueen),

emerging from an economically devastating pandemic (Covid-19 – have you heard of it?), with the world as a whole heading into a recession. Thus, the Mob Wife trend, characterised by opulence (I can afford a mink coat and spend hours on my makeup because I'm so rich that I don't have to work) was born.

The hallmark of the Mob Wife aesthetic is extravagant excess

The hallmark of the Mob Wife aesthetic is extravagant excess, with fashion powerhouses such as Saint Laurent and Christian Dior recently showcasing darker and sexier silhouettes. Fur coats, leopard print accessories, and Halston-like draped gowns scream opulence, with last year's trend of girlhood giving way to womanhood. Hardened by life, the Mob Wife sits sipping martinis, using a $100 note as a coaster, as the rest of us search for loose change in order to pay the gas bill. Her recently manicured nails tap rhythmically on the table as she takes a drag of her cigarette, leaving red lipstick stains on the tip. 'Bella Ciao' fills the room as she waltzes in her razor-cut stilettos, her heels tapping on her kitchen's marble flooring matching the beat as she wipes the blood off her newly painted kitchen cabinets. The Mob Wife is not just a fashion trend – it's an attitude.

How do you get the look?

1. Tailored silhouettes

Think Tom-Fordera Gucci, with figure-hugging pencil skirts, waist-sinching gold belts, and barely-there miniskirts. You've got it, so make sure to flaunt it!

2. Animal prints

Leopard print is now a neutral, with snakeskin and crocodile-textured faux leather no longer reserved for nights out. It's time to go big or go home.

3. Killer heels

The higher the heel, the higher the status. The Mob Wife doesn't need a spare pair of flats for the subway, so neither do you.

4. Over-the-top glam

Throw away your tinted moisturiser and fluffy brows and replace them with heavy, sharp eye makeup and bold lipstick. Put away the hair gel. Instead, opt to backcomb to the high heavens. Nothing is too much (even for a trip to Tesco).

5. Extravagant jewellery

The bigger, the better. The more, the better, and it's real gold, of course (wink wink).

From boom to bust: Farfetch's fall and the future of e-commerce fashion

bankrolled $50 million through his family's investment company Artemis, and Alibaba invested $250 million in 2020. Farfetch's extensive investments and worldwide recognition allowed the company to be publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2018.

Natalie Massenet, (founder and former chairwoman of Net-A-Porter) joined the company in 2017 and told the Financial Times it was "an undisputedly pow erful fashion platform" that be gan where Amazon ended. It got even more financial backing and exclusive partners when Ferragamo, the Italian luxury fashion house, announced its partnership with Farfetch. By all means, the compa ny was being touted as the future of the luxury digital fashion world. It was a massive shock to the fashion world when the New York Stock Ex change suspended Farfetch's shares.

Since its listing on the New York Stock Ex change, Farfetch has managed to burn through more than $1 billion in cash, leading to concerns among in vestors. Farfetch's main

source of revenue came from giving extensive discounts on brands. The pandemic fueled a frenzy of purchasing behaviour, resulting in a boom for Farfetch. In 2021, it made an annual profit for the first time in its history. This financial success resulted in the company being valued at $6.2 billion. As of January 2024, the company is valued at less than $100 million.

[The] downfall of Farfetch continues even after its acquisition

In October 2023, Farfetch was trying to acquire its competitor, Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP). In November 2023, Neves an nounced his desire to make the com pany private. Investors like Micheal Ragan accused the company of pro ducing "materially false and mis leading statements" regarding its busi ness, operating model, and future financial prospects. Along with these accusations, the company faced a consistent decline in prices over the year. In an ironic twist of events, Farfetch's acquisition of YNAP failed, and it was purchased by Coupang, a South Korean e-commerce company. Farfetch's purchase by Coupang resulted in Farfetch functioning as a private compa ny. The deal wiped out the stakes of retail investors who have filed a lawsuit against the acquisition.

Yet, Farfetch, as a subsidiary of Coupang, is not necessarily bad news for the company as this will allow the brand to remerge in the competitive e-commerce division. Coupang, although listed on the New York Stock Exchange, mainly operates throughout Asia, while Farfetch is headquartered in London. This acquisition will allow Coupang to broaden its customer base and increase its presence in the Western world. Coupang is known for offering same-day delivery on its products and has a grocery store alongside a video streaming service, leading it to be dubbed the "Amazon of Asia". The acquisition initially made me think that this powerful combination of brands would lead to Farfetch's

The saga of the fall and further downfall of Farfetch continues even after its acquisition. Most recently, Neves has been ousted from the management of Farfetch, and Coupang has taken complete control in the interim. The downfall of Farfetch, once hailed as the crown jewel of luxury digital fashion, has led to concerns about the viability of luxury e-commerce brands in this

» Images: Unsplash

» Images: Flickr (heels), PixaHive (handbag), PickPik (leopard print)

Atomic habits: how our morning routine shapes our day

Ayse Oltan (she/her)

Tosay I’m not a morning person is an understatement. I’ve always valued getting a bit more shut-eye over a morning routine. This meant a rushed morning, waking up with only enough time to get ready, a quick bite to eat, and a few sips of my coffee that won’t even have cooled down enough before I need to leave. I started finding myself feeling drained and burnt out, unable to focus in my dreaded 8am classes, fighting to keep my eyes open, and wanting nothing more but to sleep. I realised I needed a change and made myself a morning routine: small things that I knew I would be able to do every day. It hasn’t been long, but I can already see a difference.

Whilst it can take around 66 days to form a habit, it only takes one to break it

The biggest issue for me when I woke up was always social media. A quick re-

sponse to one message slowly turned into checking social media and falling into the endless scrolling through Instagram reels –not everyone’s cup of tea, I know! What is meant to be one minute quickly turns into two, then three, and before I know it, half an hour has passed. This left me with no time to comfortably get ready and eat – instead, my mornings were always rushed and had me feeling more drained than ever. I decided to start avoiding using my phone until I was out of bed and ready for the day. This small change has become an atomic habit in my life and made such a difference to my mornings. I find myself with more time to relax as I start my day, and even finish off my coffee! With all this newfound, luxurious time that I was revelling in, it was time for a new habit to be formed. Now, my mornings start off with yoga and a morning stretch! I decided to start following a 30-day yoga challenge for 10 minutes each morning. Not only does this mean I’m using my time more productively, but I also have a more calming start to the morning rather than

a 40-minute scroll on Instagram before I rush to get ready. It’s also been great to start my mornings with something physical (although after the first week I could feel my legs aching!) and to build a habit that would not only be good for me mentally, but also physically. There, of course, have been days where I’ve wanted nothing more than to stay in the warmth of my bed and sleep, but I know that whilst it can take around 66 days to form a habit, it only takes one to break it.

Finally, this is something obvious that we’re taught from a young age is vital to starting the day off right – breakfast! Breakfast has always been my favourite meal of the day, but in the hopes of getting some extra sleep I would sometimes only wake up with just enough time to get ready, leaving no time to eat. First-year me, living on campus with only a five-minute walk to classes, would often wake up 15 minutes before a class, get ready, and make it on time, sacrificing any prospect of undertaking my new-

found morning ritual and having something to eat in doing so.

It's the small changes we make that slowly become habits

I don’t think I realised how much these atomic habits that had made their way into my mornings had benefited me until I stopped. I remember having a morning where I found myself distracted by my phone, leaving me no time to have the relaxing morning I had grown accustomed to. I ended up rushing my morning routine and leaving late to my class, starting my day off feeling stressed rather than experiencing the calmness I was used to. This made me realise how great these changes have been. They may be small, but it’s the small changes we make that slowly become habits, and then a part of our daily routines. I still wouldn’t say I’m a morning person, but I’m definitely enjoying them much more than before!

» Image: Wikimedia Commons

If I could meet mini-me...

Gemma Short (she/her)

IfI were to meet any past version of myself, it would have to be 17-year-old me. Though only three years have passed, that version of myself feels so distant despite being crucial to my journey to where I am today. My 17-year-old self felt hopeless: she was tasked with making crucial decisions about what and where she wanted to study. She had health problems that she didn't understand, and she was feeling burnt out from trying to tackle online learning with undiagnosed ADHD. Out of all previous iterations of myself, she would be most likely to listen. My advice may not be the most helpful to her. However, she would appreciate someone trying, and it would help her to know that she'll be okay no matter what.

Trust your gut instincts, but be prepared for the doubts accompanying them

If you're carrying the weight of your instincts telling you that your body or mind is making it more difficult for you to move through the world, you are being told to do something about it. Even if you get dismissed by doctors, teachers, or anyone who is meant to support you, you should not just keep quiet. Unfor tunately, they will continue to dismiss your concerns. Howev er, there really are people out there who are willing to listen to you and take you seriously. It may just take time to find them. There may be times when you even doubt the validity of your concerns. That takes some time to process – I'm still trying to navigate that. A friend once told me – and will tell you –that if there were truly nothing wrong, then you would not be so anxious and conflicted. I remind myself of that now whenever I have those doubts.

University will remain daunting, but it will work wonders for you

The thought of going to university is often terrifying, particularly when you are trying to decide on the right university for you at a time when you are not allowed to visit the university. However, that is temporary. You will get to see Warwick before September, which will reassure you. University will continue to be daunting, but I implore you not to let that stop you from pursuing whatever you wish.

There will be instances throughout the three years where you question your choices. This feeling is normal. Don't let that stop you from enjoying your time there. You may also feel the pressure to get involved in anything and everything. However, that is futile. There is absolutely no harm in taking things slow. You may discover some of the best things for you much later on in your degree. Better late than never.

Try to keep it simple regarding food

No matter how independent you think you are, adjusting to living away from home isn't easy. Regardless, there is no need to worry about getting it right straight away. If your shopping consists of ingredients for a few different and simple meals, that's perfectly fine. Sometimes, simplicity is the best way to take care of yourself. With everything else that you have to worry about when living away from home and while trying to improve your relationship with food (which is really important), the last thing you need to stress about is trying to obtain an over-ambitious repertoire whilst cooking.

Prioritise focusing on your steps forward, not your steps back Navigating early adulthood is stressful, and you won't get everything right. Dwelling on the mishaps is inevitable but unhelpful. I ask that you hold on to your triumphs, because there will be a lot for you to celebrate, and it would be a shame to have them marred by any upset you experience. When you're going through a stressful time, this can be incredibly difficult to do. However, I promise you it is worth holding on to your successes, no matter their magnitude. These successes will be your driving force for moving forward and progressing.

Finance

Editor: Tanvi Jain (she/her)

Iconic restaurant that inspired Ratatouille loses £1.3m-worth of wine

Tala Ahmadi (she/her)

Thebeloved Disney Pixar film Ratatouille transported audiences into a captivating world, inspiring a desire to experience the culinary wonders of Parisian dining. However, the real-life restaurant, La Tour d’Argent, that inspired this cinematic masterpiece finds itself confronting a significant setback. Recent reports reveal that the iconic establishment has incurred a substantial loss of more than €1.5 million (£1.28 million) worth of wine.

The loss was discovered during a routine inventory check of the wine cellar, which boasts a collection of approximately 300,000 offerings

The loss was discovered during a routine inventory check of La Tour d’Argent’s wine cellar, which boasts a collection of approximately 300,000 offerings, including rare

selections dating back to pre-revolutionary France. An estimated 83 bottles are believed to be missing, as per the last inventory conducted in 2020. Following the discovery, the restaurant promptly filed a complaint with the authorities, although no signs of forced entry into the cellar were reported, suggesting a more intricate scenario surrounding the disappearance.

This renowned restaurant has welcomed heads of state, A-list celebrities, and royalty, including the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II

Among the missing bottles are prized wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), a renowned Burgundy estate known for producing some of the world's most coveted and expensive vintages. Notable examples include a 1945 Romanée-Conti that sold for €482,000 (£410,905) in 2018, setting a record for the most expensive bottle at the time. Such wines often command

five-figure prices, as evidenced by estimates placing a 1999 DRC Grand Cru at around €28,000 (£24,000).

The 442-year-old institution underwent a major renovation in 2022 and reopened late last summer. As part of its reo pening, the restaurant compiled a comprehensive ‘wine bible’ cat aloguing its cellar contents, weighing approximately 8kg and presented to diners on a trolley. However, with the loss of these prized bottles, the catalogue now weighs significantly less.

Over the years, this renowned restaurant has welcomed heads of state, A-list celeb rities, and royalty, including the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II who dined at the restaurant in 1948 and received a gift of Cognac dating back to circa 1830. Notable patrons have included Theodore and Frank lin Roosevelt, Charlie Chaplin, Salvador Dalí, John Travolta, Steven Spielberg, Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie.

Looking ahead, questions arise about the future of La Tour d’Argent's wine cellar and how the establishment plans to address this loss. Will the restaurant be able to replenish

its collection of fine wines, and what measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future?

From pandemics to hurricanes: hedge funds find gold in disaster

Hurricane

Ian rocked the United States in 2022. Mass flooding, tempestuous winds, and far-reaching property and infrastructure destruction hit the states of Florida and North Carolina. These set of events reinforced the obvious point that climate change could pose clear and present risks to communities and economies.

Overnight, households found themselves missing walls

Overnight, households found themselves missing walls, and office buildings were deep underwater. Estimated costs after the storm hovered at around $112.9 billion. One sector that paid attention to this disaster was finance. Where traditionally financial markets and in-

stitutions had jumped up and down to finance the next big oil project, they had now woken up to the double-edged sword of risk and opportunity represented by climate change.

Only 60% of the losses linked to Hurricane Ian were insured: after the hurricane the value of residential insurance surged from 8% to 20%

Climate change for hedge funds and investment bankers was no longer just about disappointment over an oil spill creating a little bit too much oil and not enough salmon in their pan-fried salmon. Now it was about the physical costs of climate change, which might make the same bankers feel horror at the mysterious disappearance of their Florida vacation homes.

Insurance companies have started to take the brunt of the results of climate change, with a growing demand for property and natural disaster insurance by both households and companies.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian and other natural disasters, only 60% of the losses linked to Hurricane Ian were insured: after the hurricane the value of residential insurance surged from 8% to 20%. Both the insurance and finance sector at large have no-

ticed, and this has boosted the growth of CAT bonds, a once obscure area of bonds, and I’m not talking about our furry friends here. CAT bonds are a quickly growing asset class getting big attention from insurance companies and hedge funds, which have raked in large returns on this investment class.

So what are CAT bonds, where did they come from, and what can they tell us about broader trends?

Catastrophe (or CAT) bonds were created in the '90s as a solution to the risk of natural disasters. They were issued by insurance companies like AIG to cover the costs of payments after the fallout of a disaster. Insurance and reinsurance companies issue bonds to investors, and if a disaster takes place, obligations are automatically triggered, making bondholders pay the costs of a proportion of the damage. While these bonds are not triggered, the bond issuer pays comparably high interest rates to compensate for the high level of risk.

Uncertain economic conditions and the lingering threat of climate change have made the CAT bond market grow from $2 billion in 2002 to around $45 billion in 2024

Uncertain economic conditions and the lingering threat of climate change resulting in wide-scale natural disasters have made the CAT bond market grow from $2 billion in 2002 to around $45 billion in 2024. Catastrophe bonds are becoming an important avenue for financing by insurance companies as individuals and businesses around the world want to protect against disasters.

Persistent inflation has increased reconstruction and raw material costs, and as insurance companies feel the pressure, CAT bonds

are their solution to the problem. 2023 saw a record value of over $15 billion of new CAT bonds issued. This demand by the insurance industry has been corroborated by hedge funds incorporating CAT bonds into their overall investment strategies. An age of high-interest rates and a laser focus by investors on what central bankers are about to do makes CAT bonds an important fixed income to diversify a portfolio. Separation from general economic trends and market conditions is a key attraction of CAT bonds, as their growth and value are marked by natural disasters and are not influenced by other market dynamics.

Both hedge funds and insurance companies alike are set to continue to utilise CAT bonds in 2024 and beyond

Alongside the benefit of diversification, catastrophe bonds have provided exceptional opportunities for high returns for hedge fund investors. While the average yearly return on corporate fixed incomes stood at 5% in 2023, by contrast, CAT returns by the London hedge fund Tenax were 18%. Outsized returns are not just restricted to one fortunate hedge fund, as the consultancy Preqin found that hedge fund strategies that focus on disaster-related bonds returned 14% in 2023. Although, in theory, disaster bonds pose high risks as some or all of the capital of an investor can be lost if a bond is triggered, the complex models and forecasts used by hedge funds and other institutional investors have so far provided investors with a strong chance of winning big and having very little to lose.

Invigorated by high returns and a steady stream of finance, both hedge funds and insurance companies alike are set to continue to utilise CAT bonds in 2024 and beyond.

Ilya Vencjuns (he/him)

Games

Editor: Saud Juffa (he/him)

Rise in union membership of video game workers following redundancies

Thomas Bartley (he/him)

Unionsrepresenting workers in the video game industry have experienced a huge upsurge in membership, reports from the Observer have suggested.

A recent series of redundancies at Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, saw a 12% increase in the Game Workers branch of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union alone.

The union, one of several to emerge in recent years to represent game workers, has seen its membership double overall in the last year.

Workers’ representation in the game industry has been somewhat limited since it emerged as one of the foremost employers.

Whilst attempts at unionisation are not new, with Atari workers attempting to organise in the United States as far back as 1984, it is only in recent years in which the picture has begun to change.

But there are signs on both sides of the Atlantic that unionisation is growing. Last year, Microsoft recognised its first union in the United States.

Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing actors in the nation, also recently moved to pursue strike action against major video game companies in representation of its members.

[Over] 10,000 workers are believed to have lost their jobs in the last year, with official figures being uncertain due to unreported redundancies

And Britain looks set to keep pace, as many companies move to lay off workers and cut costs amid a decline in the rate of growth and wider economic pressures.

A poll published in January suggested that of 3,000 workers in the industry, 35% said that they or a colleague had been affected by cuts.

In excess of 10,000 workers are believed to have lost their jobs in the last year, with official figures being uncertain due to unreported redundancies from some companies.

have engaged in cuts, including Electronic Arts (EA), Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard.

The UK-based games recruitment specialist One Player Mission has also recently announced that it will cease operations.

The chair of the IWGB’s game industry branch, Austin Kel more, told the Observer that there has been a ‘deluge of redundancies’ in recent months which has directly contributed to an upturn in membership.

“With this wave, I’ve seen people saying ‘we need to join unions’. Our membership went through the roof. We had the largest growth of new members in any month in our five-year history at the end of last year,” Kelmore explained.

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and UNISON, the UK’s two largest trade unions.

It achieved notable successes in a dispute over the conditions of outsourced cleaners at the University of London and has subsequently extended its work to Deliveroo and Uber.

Although the last year and a half has seen a wave of industrial action in the UK, from transportation to healthcare, this has not contributed to an overall rise in membership.

According to the latest figures from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a conglomerate body representing around 5.5 million workers, the 2022 calendar year saw only a 0.15% rise.

The Screen Actors Guild-American

Many of the most high-profile companies

Hideo Kojima: enlightened creator or tone-deaf developer?

Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The IWGB, which specialises in the representation of precarious workers, was formed in 2013 in a breakaway from Unite

The other ‘confused’ part comes from the whacky and often strange storyline and characters. The best way I can portray the atmosphere of Metal Gear to someone who has not played any of the games is by simply retelling the opening of the final of the series

The Phantom Pain

The story begins with you waking up in a hospital in Cyprus which is subsequently attacked by a shadowy organisation who go through it, killing all inside. The tension for what essentially is a tutorial level is incredible and really puts across the serious aspects of the series.

Although more than 1/2 the TUC’s affiliated unions noted an increase, around a 1/4 experienced a decline, whilst five identified no change in numbers.

With a career spanning nearly 40 years of game design, Hideo Kojima is one of the most experienced developers in the industry. His games have proved divisive in the gaming world. Some praise him for his incredible contributions to the stealth genre whilst others are pushed away by his complex and surreal plotlines.

Kojima is most well-known for the Metal Gear, a series of stealth action games first created in 1987. The series is genre-defining and was the first to place stealth and subterfuge over the guns-blazing approach like so many other games of the era.

As the series grew to 11 main games and several spinoffs, the gameplay and graphics advanced with the times, starting as a 2D top-down with Metal Gear and finishing with the open world third-person Metal

And apart from a brief foray into hack and slash with Metal Gear Rising: Revengance they have stayed true to their stealth roots. Whilst most were released before I got my first console, I have gone back to play many of the classics such as Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid alongside the more modern titles.

I have never finished a Metal Gear game without feeling two things: confused and thoroughly entertained. The gameplay is undeniably exciting and unique, and whilst older titles get more dated the further you go back, it's remarkable how they still provide a thrill nearly two decades later.

This gameplay is one of two main reasons why the series has proved to be so popular. It provides rewarding and difficult stealth gameplay that has become synonymous with Metal Gear. The gameplay is also where ‘my thoroughly entertained’ feeling comes from.

This is then followed with a helicopter being eaten by a giant flaming whale summoned by a floating child in a gas mask and a chase sequence where the character is pursued by a man who is perpetually onilarly alight pe gasus. All this whilst being rescued by a character who wasemy in theous game.

The games will make you sweat and panic ... but also laugh with their occasional childlike humour

These two contrasting parts of the same tutorial level show the two sides of both Metal Gear and Kojima himself. Gruesome realism goes hand in hand with bizarre surrealism in his games and is what makes him so unique.

The lore of Metal Gear that Kojima has

constructed portrays this. It deals with mature themes of war, peace, human knowledge, race, and power. It also features a side character whose main trait is having irritable bowel syndrome and accidentally soiling himself.

Characters like these, alongside the fact that there are six separate characters who are called Snake, lead to many seeing Kojima as a developer who makes good games but has completely lost the plot with the plot.

As such the words ‘tone deaf’ have been thrown around Kojima and his games frequently. I can certainly see where these complaints are coming from. I was initially turned away when I first started playing his games by the complex plot and ‘silly’ parts of the game. But after I had another go, I came to fall in love with the serious, yet unserious nature of the series and Kojima.

The games will make you sweat and panic with their gameplay but also laugh with their occasional childlike humour. I will admit that anything Kojima touches requires a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief to take seriously, but once you have done this the more serious parts of the game really take hold and complement the gameplay well.

Likewise, the less serious parts enable stranger gameplay mechanics, such as using cardboard cutouts of attractive women to distract guards or parachuting a horse into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan.

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I truly believe no other developer has achieved what Hideo Kojima has with Metal Gear. He has created a series that holds your attention by exploring themes of war and government control whilst making fart noises with its hand in its armpit.

Archie Clarke (he/him)

TV

Afterdelivering what I consider to be the single greatest season of TV ever produced, True Detective has always had a special place in my heart. And given that the first groundbreaking season has served as both the benchmark and inspiration of Issa López’s Night Country, I feel compelled to draw much-needed comparisons, even if it is to the chagrin of López and her apologists like those at Rolling Stone who claimed the finale, which aired on 18 February, was the series’ best one ever. Make no mistake, it most certainly was not. This review will contain spoilers.

Reis

a powerful, dominant presence on screen

This is the first season of True Detective without Nic Pizzolatto, the original creator of the show. Instead, Season 4 is the brainchild of Issa López, who serves as writer, director, and showrunner. López is no slouch. The Mexican producer has 11 features and several literary awards to her name. In her attempt at the crime anthology se

with Season 1, citing not only season 1’s Carcosa, but also the likes of The Shining, The Thing, and Alien as inspiration (see the AV Club’s interview). She also seemed intent on taking the feminist angle, telling Vanity Fair: “Where True Detective is male and it's sweaty, Night Country is cold and it's dark and it's female."

The female-centred narrative was definitely a refreshing pivot for the largely male-dominated series. And despite the season’s shortfalls, I still hold the opinion it was done elegantly. The mystery of Anne Kowtok’s murder was a piercing rendering of violence against women – something that aches in the background of the entire season, and neatly so. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as cop-duo chief Danvers and trooper Navarro, respectively, give splendid performances, and though Foster flexes the theatrical muscle 10 times, Reis is a powerful, dominant presence on screen that felt more than just a piss-everyone-off, she-boss personality that we’ve seen wasted on so many performers.

I had simply too many 'Oh, come on!' moments to consider it a well-written conclusion

But that’s about where my commendations stop. Before the first episode, excited though I was, I was most concerned with would be able to balance the gritty realism with the supernatural undertones – a task Season 1 executed perfectly. And before writing this, to avoid remaining blinded by my gleeful nostalgia, I went and rewatched a

Editor: Sebastian Smith (he/him) tv@theboar.org

Cheap, not ambiguous True Detective: Night Country finale falls through the ice

substantial section of Season 1’s highlights. As it turns out, my concerns were warranted.

On a first watch, the first season felt so believably real with its level of gritty realism that I was frequently and thoroughly uncomfortable with just how unsavoury the characters and situations were. Combining this with hints of the supernatural gave the central mystery just enough fuel to teeter into uncharted territory without completely detaching the viewer from reality. Night Country, by comparison, feels kitschier. It just does. This, I suppose, came down to a markedly oversaturated supernatural aspect and poorer all-round cast performances. One can only bear witness to the lone character in the dark room listening to spooky whispers from the ether before it becomes trite, not to mention Anne’s cringe phone-recorded death or Raymond proceeding to violently convulse before whispering: “She’s awake.” You see what I mean?

I'm sorry, but this is not an ambiguous ending. It's a cheaply written one

So, come what was an immensely disappointing finale, it seemed to me López couldn’t quite decide on what she actually wanted to achieve. I don’t feel the satisfaction of a mystery concluded, and I think that’s partly because I was unsure what was being emphasised. I lack the column space to intricately detail my gripes with the final episode, but I had simply too many “Oh, come on!” moments to consider it a well-written conclusion. Despite so much

weight falling on the supernatural plotline, I feel nothing came of it. The scientists, a presumably meek and reclusive bunch, murdered Anne (not believable, but fine), and the cleaning staff murdered the scientists by driving them out at gunpoint into a blizzard completely naked. They claim the spirit, if it wished, would have let them live. As you might guess, they froze to death. Shocker. Oh, and Danvers and Navarro figure all this out by getting Raymond, the scientist, and the cleaners to tell them everything. I’m sorry, but this is not an ambiguous ending. It’s a cheaply written one.

Of no help to this unfocused screenplay are the searingly obvious pacing issues. I haven’t seen others critique pacing, but I felt far too much was saved for the final act, including important moments for Navarro and Danvers’ backstory – neither of which seemed to be particularly interesting, by the way. And upon the subject of writing, the characters of Kayla and Leah are completely unlikeable, and not even in a Marty Hart kind of way. They’re just f*cking annoying. And unreasonably petty. But maybe that’s just me.

Time may be a flat circle, but Night Country shows not all repetitions of history can match the calibre of their original rendition. In fact, I think few shows ever will. A bar set too high? Perhaps. I reckon I’ve become a little spoiled for a good detective mystery in that regard. But by no means does that soften the landing for Night Country. It had all the right ingredients, and despite a refreshing direction, it seems Season 4 might have fallen through the ice.

The Traitors Series Two: a masterclass in reality television

Theshow The Traitors is a fresh, exciting take on reality TV, with viewership surpassing stale formats like I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. A record 8 million people tuned in to watch Harry be crowned the winner of The Traitors. I was initially apprehensive that The Traitors would fail to live up to the success of the first series, but it has surpassed it.

The Traitors is the British version of the hit Dutch show De Verraders, sharing similarities with the party games Mafia and Werewolf. The contestants arrive at a castle in the Scottish Highlands, hoping to win up to £120,000. Most of the contestants are “the faithfuls”, who must work together to banish the traitors. The traitors are a small group who must avoid banishment and murder the faithfuls to take all the money for themselves.

It can be agonizing to watch how close the faithful can get to the truth

What makes The Traitors so entertaining

is the cast. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a diverse range of contestants from across the UK, rather than the wannabe Love Island influencers. This series included a disability model, a clairvoyant, and an army engineer. As the series progresses, we learn more about each contestant’s motivations for the money, and their stories. Mollie has raised awareness about wearing a stoma, and Andrew had to re-learn to walk after a horrific car crash. As viewers, we become emotionally invested in each person's journey. The Traitors is so unique because it features regular people from all walks of life whom the viewers can relate to.

This series has given us plenty of iconic moments, from Ross’ wink to the camera, Paul’s takedown by Harry, and Jaz’s incredibly ac curate theories, with fans calling him “Jazatha Christie”. Some times, I find myself rooting for the traitors; other times, I am desperate for the faithful to figure out who the traitors are. It can be agonizing to watch how close the faithful can get to the truth. We can watch organic friendships grow across the series

while also witnessing brutal betrayals.

If anyone can dethrone Ant and Dec ... this year, it's Claudia

Claudia Winkleman is fantastic in her role as presenter, and she is really invested in the game. From reprimanding one faithful for banishing fellow faithfuls to accusing the traitors of being misogynistic, Claudia is truly the mouthpiece of the audience.

Claudia was initially reluctant to return to the series because Season 1 was so incredible, but I am so glad she came back for round two. If anyone can dethrone Ant and Dec at the National Television Awards this year, it's Claudia. Often, the challenges of building the prize pot can be dull and unnecessary, as they break the tension. Though, I do feel that the introduction of the ability to win a shield in each mission this year did raise the stakes. Harry was able to play an abso-

lute blinder when he managed to secure a shield and conceal it from the others, which ultimately secured his overall victory. One challenge in particular, Diane’s funeral, will go down in television history. It was so unsettling to watch Ross stand over his mother’s coffin as she whispered goodbye in their parting exchange. I can’t think of any other show that would be able to pull off such a genius moment.

The finale did not disappoint and was an incredible way to finish what had been a five-star series. I kept guessing until the last moment who would come out on top. Jaz came agonizingly close to succeeding in his takedown of Harry when Mollie wrote Harry’s name on the board to banish. Tragically, Mollie changed her mind at the last moment, deciding to banish Jaz instead. It was heartbreaking to watch Mollie’s reaction to the fact that her best friend was actually a traitor. Ultimately, The Traitors is a game of deceit and betrayal, which Molly learned the hard way, as you cannot trust anyone.

The BBC has proven there is still an appetite for engaging reality shows on terrestrial television when produced well. I am gutted that the second series of The Traitors has now concluded. In November, the BBC announced plans for a third series, and I know I’ll definitely be watching.

Sebastian Smith (he/him)

is

» Images: BBC/David Emery(bottom), © 2023 Home Box Office, Inc. (left)

Odette Dyer (she/her)

Music

MUSIC

x CLIMATE

From a ‘Love Story’ to ‘Bad Blood’: it is time Taylor Swift is held accountable

Tom Lowe (he/him)

Allow me to preface this with a subtle disclaimer. I am a big fan of Taylor Swift’s music. From the comingof-age fusion of country and pop music in Speak Now to the effortlessly iconic 1989 and the masterfully introspective folklore, Swift has provided the soundtrack to some of the most important moments in my life, and I will always be thankful to her for that.

Taylor Swift has often found herself the target of people online (I mean, she did write the entire Reputation album about it), but the criticism seems to have ramped up in recent weeks. A significant amount of the hate that Swift receives, I believe, is deeply rooted in misogynistic views. For example, her highly publicised relationship with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs has led to baseless and sexist accusations that the NFL is somehow ‘rigged’ to allow the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.

More than that, there has been a large amount of online hate for broadcasters talking about and publicising Swift’s attendance at the Chiefs' games. And when Swift was seen chest-bumping her friends after Kelce scored a touchdown against the Chicago Bears, she was subjected to a litany of hate and abuse online.

However, Swift isn’t the only one using a private jet, yet she seems to receive the most criticism. I think there is a growing consensus that it is ‘fashionable’ to criticise Swift due to her fame and popularity, and whilst I genuinely believe that she should be held accountable, I would like to see the same energy towards celebrities such as Kylie Jenner (who once took a 12-minute flight on her jet that would have taken her 39 minutes by road), Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Drake, and Floyd Mayweather, who all also emerge near the top of the biggest celebrity emitters.

For her sake and ours, Swift needs to be doing more

While I genuinely believe that Swift should be held accountable, I would like to see the same energy towards celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Drake, and Floyd Mayweather, who all also appear near the top of the list of biggest celebrity emitters. It is crucial that celebrities are not viewed as golden and untouchable, and as such, we should not be complacent in our critique of Swift and others.

“AreEditor: Sophie Flint Vázquez (she/her) music@theboar.org

We follow the classic archetypes of songwriting

ons and experiences were exposed, and the songwriting began.

Whilst a lot of the criticism that Swift receives is pointless and misogynistic, this should not excuse her from accountability. Recent scrutiny has been focused on the excessive carbon emissions that come from the use of her two private jets, which fulfil the obligations of her Eras Tour and allow her to see Kelce play in the NFL. Swift was the highest polluting celebrity of 2022 (emitting 8,293 tonnes of CO₂, over 1,180 times the average person’s annual emissions) and much evidence suggests that she is near the top of the 2023 list as well.

Now, Swift has not publicly addressed her emissions or jet usage, but it was recently revealed that she has sold one of her jets to curb her carbon footprint. A spokesperson has also revealed that Swift purchases carbon credits in a bid to neutralise her emissions. However, the sale of her jet was marred by the fact that she has taken legal action against a college student who tracks her jet usage and publishes the flight records. Moreover, the efficacy of carbon credits in offsetting emissions has long been debated, with recent findings revealing that 78% of projects that use these credits could be “largely categorised as junk” Swift is one of the most influential celebrities in the world, with unprecedented visibility, and whatever you may think of her music, it is undeniable that she can enact real change. If Swift were to publicly address her emissions and pledge her genuine support for carbon-reduction programmes, it would be a safe bet to assume that many Swifties would work to reduce their carbon emissions as well.

Swift’s influence is so great that her inaction on a variety of issues is perceived as action. Her silence on issues such as her emissions and the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza is louder than any jet engine. She may see a dip in her profits if she were to stop using private jets to travel to shows, or were to call out the Israeli regime, but, in the context of her estimated $1.1 billion net worth, surely this is worth it in the long run?

The reason people are drawn to Swift is because of her undeniable talent as a songwriter. Holding her accountable for her silence will not impede her ability to write and produce songs. It is surely not too much for us to expect a singer with a well-renowned reputation for being a feminist and social progressive to take action that benefits both the planet and some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

Her profits may take a hit. But you can’t take your money with you. It is your legacy as a good person that matters. So, for her sake and ours, Swift needs to be doing more.

»

you nervous?” reads a poster that has appeared around the Warwick campus over the last couple of weeks. The line is taken from ‘Oh My Lover’, a song I wrote and released with my band, Beltane Dew, from 21.08.23, our new EP. We formed our band in 2021 in London, starting our music career by covering songs and playing local gigs and events. The heavy sounds of Nirvana dominated our set lists, making grunge central to our music. Once we began writing original music, we combined the deep tones of grunge with a more melodic sound, inspired by Lana Del Rey and Angel Olsen, to create the music of Beltane Dew. However, unlike most bands, we now live far away from each other. We are originally from London, but university has split us up. I, Lola Terek, play the bass and study at Warwick; Daisy Carbin, the singer and rhythm guitarist, is studying in Exeter; Pari Ahuja, the lead guitarist and singer, is at UCL; and Finlay Calvey, the drummer, is in Liverpool. When we do write together in London, we follow the classic archetypes of songwriting: we sit in a room, we mess around with riffs, and jam, and we feed into each other’s ideas. But the distance between us has shaped the way our music is made.

It’s been difficult being apart from each other as we are best friends. It is strange not to have my bandmates at arm’s length. But the separate experiences and emotions we live through while apart allow us to form a unique dynamic with our songwriting as a band when we are together.

I finished my first year in 2023. Like many, I had bittersweet experiences. That prompted me to write any words or phrases that felt natural to me. Just like me, my three band members also lived their lives and had their experiences. Despite calls and texts, we never truly understood what was happening in each other’s lives. We knew the surface of each story. But once we were in the studio, where we could talk and play music together, our emoti-

On 21.08.23, we released two songs, ‘Playground’ and ‘Oh My Lover’. ‘Oh My Lover’ is a perfect instance of how we collaborate as a band to create a song that belongs equally to all of us. Even before any lyrics were written for this song, the main riff was first played in December 2022. To set the scene, we were in Calvey’s studio; Carbin played these three notes on repeat, Ahuja added a lighter and dynamic layer on top of this with her Telecaster, Calvey messed around with a drum lick, and I added a simple bass line. At this stage, this jam was an experiment with a sound we all connected with.

Distance allows us to live through these moments

After another two terms of university, distance, and experience, we returned to each other, and ‘Oh My Lover’ became our primary form of expression. We felt a deep connection to the riff. Initially untitled, Carbin experimented with the melody and improvised lyrics on the spot. When I looked over my writings from the previous year, I was able to arrange my thoughts and convert them into lyrics. Carbin’s melody and my lyrics worked together perfectly.

We spent almost every day with each other. Just like the insane recording practices of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, we were locked in Calvey’s studio with numerous crisp packets and sushi. Once we finished our demos, we spent three days working with Liverpool-based producer Noah Roche, producer of Crawlers and The Sukis, in his Somerset studio. In these three days, our two songs came to life.

If I could spend every day writing with my band – I would. I am not trying to say distance is needed to create songs, but I think for us this distance is inevitable. Distance allows us to live through these moments and then retell them through our songwriting. I love my band members, and I love that I have members who want to hear my thoughts as much as I want to hear theirs.

Beltane Dew has more coming out very soon. I am confident that next year and the distance between us will contribute to our songwriting when we are together again over the holidays in a cramped studio.

Lola Terek (she/her)

The Snuts’ Callum Wilson talks Parlophone exit, creative freedom, and Millennials

Anna Bickerton (she/her)

September 2022, The Snuts’ sophomore album release, Burn the Empire, was marked by the social media campaign #ReleaseTheRecord. Pushback from Parlophone, a record label owned by Warner Music Group, on the band’s desire to bring forward the release date was just one sign of months of mounting frustration at the limited creative freedom the label offered. Despite the success of the album (earning them a second top 3), it was this saga that cemented the quartet’s resolution to exit their deal with the major record label.

And they followed through. 17 months later, West Lothian’s newly independent indie rockers have returned with Millennials from their own aptly-named ‘Happy Artist Records’. Set in motion by a speech from socialist firebrand Tony Benn, ‘Burn the Empire’ featured scathing criticisms of corruption in government and big businesses alike. Now, frontman, Jack Cochrane; bassist, Callum Wilson; guitarist, Joe McGillveray; and drummer, Jordan Mackay; alongside producer and apparent “wizard”, Scott Anderson, are set to offer a decisive departure.

“I think you can hear the displacement of us on the record”

- Callum Wilson, The Snuts

“Do you just keep banging the drums and saying ‘everything’s still sh*te by the way’?” Wilson posits in response to the new shift towards “emotional commentary”. “That was a conscious decision”, he suggests, “to focus on the moments of joy … that everybody feels.” The Snuts’ newest music is by no means a sign of fading cynicism but a recognition of the country’s persisting weariness with politics. “Not that it feels any better”, adds Wilson, before articulating the objectives of the record. “If somebody is not feeling too great, they can hopefully listen to the record and leave feeling a little bit bet ter.”

With few frills or fancy metaphors, the album is about “making a direct con nection quicker”. “Jack’s [Cochrane] entire ethos with this record was to … present an idea to people in a way that they could just digest it.” In Wilson’s words, Millenni als is an “anti-Dylan” album, one that, despite Bob Dylan’s status as frontman Jack Cochrane’s favourite artist, shies away from complex lyricism and seeks to en ergise listeners in just 30 minutes.

On the album title itself, Wilson clarifies: “We didn’t see it as our selves.” Instead, Millennials repre sents “a stamp in time” for the band: “Whatever era fits you – we have very, very similar emotional experi ences.”

Put together from what was “ef fectively an Airbnb” in northern Scotland to Portland and Japanese recording studios, Millennials is a remarkably sonically cohesive collec tion of songs for an album recorded on the fly. The universality of music is an aspect of being in a band that Wilson expresses particular awe with: “You can record a song in the Highlands of Scot land, and somebody in Tokyo will love it.”

What’s more, this new-found creative

freedom has made for “an invigorating [production] process”. “There was nobody leaning over your shoulder telling you how you should think or what you should create,” Wilson notes, as the absence of rigid label deadlines did initially stagnate production somewhat. “We lived with the songs for a bit”, he goes on to explain. Therefore, when recording did finally take place, The Snuts’ drive for independent success was palpable. To Wilson, Millennials is “the urgency [they] felt in their lives at that moment on record”. “I think you can hear the displacement of us on the record,” he adds.

Regardless, it was an experience that ultimately proved rewarding for the band. “You were seeing songs transform in real time,” as Wilson puts it. Without the continuous back-and-forth feedback that signing to a major label accompanies, the group’s creative freedom would serve to further energise the making of Millennials.

Their new-found independence has not only given the Scottish quartet greater creative control, but has also been similarly personally liberating. Wilson articulates: “You’re free to be yourself, not a version of yourself people are trying to commercialise or turn into a commodity.” As such a huge change in one’s life would, the freedom of recording Millennials has not only naturally bled into the subject matter of the record, but also touring and promotion. “I find it quite ironic that when we were with a major label, we were constantly trying to find a press angle … and in leaving a major label we’ve ended up with a story that works,” Wilson muses.

“We don’t want people struggling to make rent one month because they bought the super-mega bundle or 300 CDs.”

Furthermore, it seems the drama of the last album release was only smoke in the fire of the band’s tainted experiences with Parlophone. “When you’re with a major label, you almost get told to feel a certain way.”

The emphasis placed on maximising sales by huge record label companies didn’t sit well with The Snuts. Hailing from workingclass backgrounds from the town of Whitburn, the Scottish quartet know the value of making music beyond the potential for monetary gain. “They just wanted to sell it

Despite the optimism of Millennials, The Snuts’ secession from Parlophone wasn’t painless. “You want to tell a tale to encourage other artists, but at the end of the day, nothing worth doing is easy,” Wilson explains. Their exit from what seemed like an entrapping record deal was, in Wilson’s eyes, more “a lesson in being true to yourself” than a story of constant victories. “If a system is detrimental to your health … to your creativity, then you maybe need to go through a period of uncertainty to reach the next chapter,” he emphasises.

“We shouldn’t be competing against each other for tiny revenues and streams"

The decision to move away from “social commentary” certainly has not made the band any less vocal on individualistic moral bankruptcy in government and big businesses. In fact, a disdain for the prioritisation of profits over cultural enrichment is a theme that appears to run deep into the band’s ethos. Wilson says, in simple terms: “It’s a clusterf*ck.”

Evidently a topic the band has devoted a lot of thought to, Wilson goes on to assert “the [government] needs to take a step back and understand where we can fit in in the world, and in my opinion, that is culturally”. “To turn your back … to chase money in the wrong places. I think it’s a disgrace and the government should hang their heads in shame,” he concludes.

Moreover, the challenge of fully embracing music without the privilege of record label support is something the band are plainly far from naive to, informed by their backgrounds in construction. “It’s f*cking impossible to be nine-to-five and pursue your passion to your full potential,” Wilson admits. Nonetheless, the bassist’s optimism and evident affection for the UK’s music scene shine through. “What we’re not lacking in is creativity – we could be a cultural

Album Reviews

The Last Dinner Party Prelude to Ecstasy



There are no dull moments on Prelude to Ecstasy. With the hype that has surrounded the band during their meteoric rise to fame, their spectacular live performances, and now armed with an impeccable debut album, The Last Dinner Party is going to be the name on everyone’s lips for years to come.

Sophie Flint Vázquez (she/her)

IDLES

TANGK



If I had to sum up this album’s theme it would be the framework and journey of love, resolution, reminiscence, and loss. But after all that, a feeling of being uplifted. It’s an album that provides a light at the end of the tunnel for those troubled times, but it’s certainly grounded, and provides a tangible portrait of the human condition.

Crawlers

Taylor Green (he/him)



The Mess We Seem To Make

“We shouldn’t be competing against each other for tiny revenues and streams … we should be working for a common goal – and thats fair payment for artists,” he highlights. Wilson’s (along with the rest of the band’s) genuine passion for the cause is unmistakable. “There’s a thousand other ways to get it that signing five albums away, to someone who does not care about you,” he urges. Whilst options can seem limited, Wilson advises younger artists to “never feel backed into a corner”. Aside from “murmurs” of a potential chart battle with Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, The Snuts are a band looking forward to their third album release later this month, without the drama the last entailed. Armed with a dedicated fanbase and renewed enjoyment of what it means to make music, The Snuts stand to prove the limitations of record labels and offer hope to a future of greater creativity.

PR (bottom)

Lucy Gibbons (she/her)

PET NEEDS Intermittent Fast Living

The honesty in their songwriting is where Crawlers shine the most. Despite a slightly disappointing beginning to the album, the Liverpool band claw it back. The difference between the sounds of the tracks from the middle of the record serves to take the listener on a journey of emotions, as well as exposing the band’s lyricism at its best. Crawlers have cemented themselves as ones to watch within the music industry. Intermittent Fast Living is the kind of album that can only come about from the experience of touring. Drawing from real experiences and feelings, PET NEEDS manage to outdo themselves, in terms of production quality and lyricism, while exhibiting a sense of comfort within their genre. It performs well as a third outing for the band, sonically mimicking the rollercoaster of the music scene they exist within.



Alex Bird (she/her)

Fancy reading the full-length, uncensored, uncut album reviews? Music online: theboar.org/music

» Images: WikiCommons (top), Gary Williamson via MBC

The Bubble

Tweets of the Month

beth @bethtv_

"i'm scared of warwick uni"

"no uni will ever top how warwick made me feel. its such a lovely campus and the vibes are so good n the ppl dress so well urgh every other uni is so dull"

ON THIS DAY IN MARCH

6 MARCH 1937

Valentina Tereshkova is born!

Known as the first and youngest woman in space, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova flew a solo mission in 1963, orbiting the Earth 48 times and spending three days in space.

15 March 44 BC

Julius Caesar is assassinated

Warned to 'beware the Ides of March' Roman dictator Julius Caesar was murdered by 40 senators.

19 March 1855

Mary

At the height of the Crimean War in 1855, British-Jamacian nurse Mary Seacole arrived in Balaklava in the Crimean Peninsula. A short while later, she established the 'British Hotel' nearby to help look after wounded soldiers.

Let's take a look at some impactful and incredible days in March throughout history!

13 MARCH 1996

The Dunblane Massacre occurs

On the morning of 13 March 1996, 16 pupils and one teacher at Dunblane Primary School were killed, leading to significant gun regulations in the UK.

26 March 2020

The UK goes into its first lockdown

On this day in 2020, the first lockdown measures legally came into force in the UK, with Boris Johnson ordering people to stay at home.

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

Editor: Emilia Growney (she/her) @WarwickBoar

NOT

People campaigning for the SU elections. We get it, you want a snazzy CV, but please stop harassing us all with your new Instagram accounts, DMs, and posters!

Leaving The Boar! As our elections approach, many of us will be leaving our much-loved newspaper.

HOT

The RAW offices! Someone wisely put the air con onto heating mode instead of cooling ... and we at The Boar have locked them inside to suffer! Lawsuit pending...

St.Patrick's Day! Putting my Irish heritage to good use by splitting the 'G' on a few pints of Guinness, wearing novelty hats, and belting out some U2 in the pub - it really is a holiday for the people!

HOT

HOT HOT MOTHER'S DAY!

Remember to send your mum at least a cheeky card, and show her the appreciation she deserves.

Check out our Boar Springtime playlist! Whilst you cry over your dissertation!

The end of Term 2 is on the horizon!

Although I, like most, will be spending my halfterm locked inside, finishing my dissertation.

HOT

WOMEN! WOMEN! WOMEN! Find your favourite woman and show her some love on International Women's Day!

Check us out on social media: @WarwickBoar

Poll of the Month: What is the best national holiday in MARCH?

What's up, Warwick?

As we are nearing the end of Term 2 let's take a look at all that is happening on and around campus!!!

Election Special!

Check out our candidates!

Full-Time Officers

Full-Time Officers are students who are elected to work in a paid position at Warwick SU for an academic year. It is their job is to represent Warwick students on the issues that matter to them and they work to make sure that students are getting the best possible experience from their time at University.

Joe Stanley Louis Gosling

Ben Tweedle

Naomi Carter Rong Fu

VP Sports

VP Societies

VP Welfare & Campaigns

Sasha King-Smith

Muneeba Amjad

Kartik Kumar

Siddhant Surve

Oscar Renton

VP Education

VP Democracy & Development

VP Postgraduate

Hamza Ahmad Haotian Ma Enaya Nihal

Molly Palmer Marie Vengerov

President

Part-Time Officers

Part-Time Officers are students that work alongside our Full-Time Officers and their work is crucial to the future development of Warwick SU. They make sure the groups they represent that face barriers to participation at University are heard and receive the support and services they require to learn and thrive.

Disabled Students’ Officer Environment & Ethics Officer

Ethnic Minorities Officer

LGBTQUA+ Officer

Women’s Officer

Isra Rai and Dorian Valentine

Mathew Stephenson and Aden Wood

Vasisht Sukesh

Afrin. Gursimar Kaur

Widening Participation Officer

Trans’ Officer

Songjia Cao

Summer and Amber

Mads Wainman and Nye Steele

Izman Choudhury

Raj Hacker Lewis Wakeford

NUS Conference Delegates

Our NUS Conference Delegates represent the interests of Warwick SU on a national scale and contribute to policies over the coming year. They attend annual NUS conferences where they can vote on WSU’s behalf and take part in discussions.

Candidates for NUS Conference Delegates

Malakai Hammond

Nick Lewis

Grace Lewis

James Martin

Otto Oldridge

Isra Rai

Hamza Rehman

Dorian Valentine

James Varney

Mads Wainman

Afrin.

Sophie Clark

William De Save

Daksh Gaba

Raj Hacker

P uzzle Page

Crossword

Across 4/7 Rug - mat (6)

6 Concur (with) (5)

7 See 4

9 Make reference to (7)

10 Slack - free (5)

11/13 Hut of the Swiss Alps (6)

12/15 Legitimate (5,5)

13 See 11

14 Cushion (3)

15 See 12

17 Angry (3)

19 Budge - move (5)

20 Italian rice dish (7)

22/24 Part of a shoe (6)

23 Bid (5)

24 See 22

Down

1 Cab (4)

2 Quickly (informal) - on port (anagram) (6)

3 Educated - literate (4-4)

4 Hilarious (5)

5 Ordinary people - frank denial (anagram) (4,3,4)

7 Difficult (11)

8 Chirp (5)

12 Dream (8)

14 Advance (a theory, say) (5)

16 Off course - at sea (6)

18 Sag (5)

21 Certain (4)

Webb

Image: Pixabay

Last Issue’s solutions:

Across: 4/4D Backbone, 5/6 Assignation, 7 Entry fee, 10 Idiot-proof, 13 Swing shift, 15/16 Heat ray, 17 Obstacle.

Down: 1 Scorpion, 2 Ascertains, 3/9 Violate, 8 Fair-spoken, 11 Ritually, 12/18 Sweepstakes, 14/19 Flip-flop.

Science&Tech Margaret Hamilton: the woman who sent us to the moon

Editor: George Smith (he/him) science@theboar.org

Rosalind

Franklin solved the structure of DNA, Marie Curie pioneered research on radioactivity, and Lise Meitner was a key player in the discovery of nuclear fission. If like me, you were a STEMinite and took science A-levels, you were exposed to the groundbreaking accomplishments these women made – and when you consider the extent of social biases at the time, you realise these pioneers acted as so much more than scientists: they broke a chain of social norms that defined their role in science as nothing but invasive.

Praise readily falls on these women nowadays, and many hail them as the perfect role models, not restricted to young women seeking to make a career in STEM. However, not all women in science were lucky. Countless stories are told of breakthroughs overseen because of gender – even Dr Franklin, the most famous female biologist to date, was robbed of a Nobel Prize with Crick and Watson.

One particularly disregarded story is that of Margaret Hamilton, a software engineering frontrunner that enabled the famous landing of Apollo 11 on 20 July 1969.

“There was no choice but to be pioneers”

- Margaret Hamilton

Everything was working perfectly. Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were circulating over 200,000 miles away from the Earth in the Eagle –Apollo 11’s lunar module – and could nearly taste the cheese of the moon’s surface. Potential first comments were being shared, and hope filled the air as the three men set themselves on a path to be eternally remembered. However, just as complacency began to diffuse through the air, critical computer messages took over their vicinity, followed by deafening sirens obscuring any possibility of verbal communication between the trio. The onboard computer software was telling the crew that there was a hardware problem; the rendezvous radar was wrong, and they were desperately running out of fuel. Margaret Hamilton, born in 1936 in Indiana, was a maths lover from an early age. Following her departure from college, she took a job at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working as a software developer for a weather prediction device. A year later, she began programming systems to locate enemy planes in the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) program. In the 1960s, in lieu of the alleged Soviet’s heightened efforts to reach the moon, MIT announced they wanted programmers to help with the lunar US mission, and Margaret Hamilton, later in an interview with the Smithsonian Magazine, said she thought: “Wow, I’ve got to go there.” Instead of attending graduate school at Brandeis University, where she would have studied abstract mathematics, she moved to the US space program to become head of the MIT instrumentation laboratory – a team dedicated to developing software for Apollo 11’s two computers – and was the first programmer hired for any Apollo project.

When asked about her decision to pursue this mission rather than a doctorate, she claimed “there was no choice but to be pioneers”. A bold mentality for a woman to have in an industry that tried its best to label her as an outsider.

Margaret Hamilton had built a software – with a computer containing a million times less processing power than our current mobile phones – to recognise er-

ror messages and ignore low-priority tasks, thus making other softwares more reliable and less prone to shutting down due to minor malfunctions. A concise summary of her work ethic and method of thinking comes from an anecdote of her bringing her daughter to work whenever she had extra morning and night shifts. One day, her daughter pressed a simulator button that caused a whole system shut down. Margaret, obviously, therefore wanted to install protection like this on the aircraft, but was told that astronauts “are trained not to make mistakes” – which was interesting advice, considering Jim Lovell did the exact same thing on Apollo 8’s failed mission – so much for listening to the scientists. This piece of thinking I believe clearly displays Margaret’s way of thinking: she viewed all missions as a system, stating “part is realized as software, part is peopleware, and part is hardware”.

Mission control faced a go/ no-go decision, with Margaret Hamilton at the forefront of the astronauts’ fate

With all systems blazing with errors both on board the vessel and back on Earth, mission control faced a ‘go/nogo’ decision, with Margaret Hamilton at the forefront of the astronauts’ fate. With little hesita tion, Margaret told the crew to ignore the messages and proceed with the mission as planned. She trusted that everything wouldn’t shut down and that her system would allow a safe and comfortable landing. With tense anticipation, mission con trol received a message from Neil Armstrong claiming “the Eagle has landed” – with 30 seconds of fuel left, because of an error on the astronauts’ checklist telling them to set the rendezvous radar switch incorrectly.

Hamilton is hailed by many, including Air and Space Museum curator Teasel Muir-Harmony who recently, in an interview with the Smithsonian Magazine, praised Margaret for being “really expansive as a programmer, coming up with solutions for problems, very innovative, very outsidethe-box thinking”. Yet very few, outside of astrophysics, know her name. Those who landed on the moon are greatly recognised worldwide, yet the crux of their achievement was entirely in the hands of those who developed the software that got them there in the first place.

Margaret thought differently. She backed her creation and, in some way, gambled with life

The innovative work of Margaret

It’s interesting. So much was on the line for the three men. A wrong call and the chances of a return were close to impossible. You’d think in this situation you’d be exceedingly cautious, you’d think of lives, of reputation, of peopleware over hardware. Margaret thought differently. She backed her creation, and, in some way, gambled with life. Was this reckless? Was it adrenaline taking over rational thought, replacing logic with a fervent desire for completion? I guess we don’t know. Maybe this stress encourages concentration, maybe she did think of the rationale. Maybe if you zone in deep enough these thoughts don’t pass your head and you take refuge in your strongest instincts, bypassing all methods of conscious thought. But even Margaret Hamilton seemed taken aback when she concluded the mission. Whether this reflects surprise at the result, or her own quickfire ingenuity, she reportedly claimed: “My God. Look what happened. We did it. It worked.”

Andrew Miltiadou (he/him)

» Image: Margaret Hamilton with program listings from the Apollo 11 computer. Image from Wikimedia Commons/Adam Cuerden

» Image: Margaret Hamilton threading copper ‘code’ into the Apollo 11 capsule. Image from Wikimedia Commons/NASA

» Image: Flickr / manhhai

Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real World Problems

A book review

hilarious yet astounding facts I came across.

Hannah Colechin (she/her)

Haveyou ever wondered how to build a lava moat? How about mailing a package from space or predicting the weather by yourself? Ever wondered how to make an emergency landing or charge your phone without a power outlet? Neither have I, but this book, full of highly impractical advice, has all the answers you need.

How to Play Tag

Theoretically, a game of tag (or ‘it’ if you’re from the south of England), should eventually reach a natural equilibrium. Eventually, the slowest player will become ‘it’, will be unable to tag anyone else, and remain ‘it’ forever.

This very entertaining and useless selfhelp guide was written by American cartoonist, author, and engineer Randall Munroe and was published in 2019. The blurb was the main reason I was attracted to this book. “For any task you might want to do, there’s a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally bad that no one would ever try it. ‘How To’ is a guide to the third kind of approach.” I was sucked in im-

Randall Munroe suggests that some people are fast over short distances while others can maintain a pace over a long time. Taking Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest short-distance sprinter, and Hicham El Guerrouj, who holds the world record for the mile-long run, Munroe cleverly explains how a game of tag would work between these two athletes.

Randall claims that put up against a long-distance runner, Usain Bolt would crumble. Therefore, in a game of tag against Hicham El Guerrouj, he would at first be able to tag him and sprint away but would end up getting exhausted after about 30 seconds, and allow El Guerrouj to catch up and tag him. So, Munroe concludes that Usain Bolt would be doomed to be ‘it’ forever and

How to Catch a Drone

TikTok and your time's gone!

Whilstbeing famously popular amongst the younger generations, the social media app TikTok caters to all, showcasing dance routines, food recipes, fashion tips, educational videos and more. The algorithm of TikTok creates a personalised experience for each user, customising a ‘For you page’ based on previous interactions in the forms of likes, comments, and shares.

My own younger sibling is not able to hold a conversation with me without scrolling

But recently, I have been noticing how Tik Tok has been affecting not only me, but those around me. Friends aren’t capable of watching a movie without a ‘casual scroll’, others find that they lose track of time and end up going to bed balefully late, and even my own younger sibling is not able to hold a conversation with me without scrolling.

It makes psychological sense that these short videos create a brief burst of entertainment leading to continuous scrolling. If you combine reinforced gratification via the dopamine reward system with the feeling that you are ‘in control’ of your procrastination, you get a ‘carrot and stick’ conundrum; quick dopamine hits with no endpoint, which makes pulling yourself away nearly impossible.

A study of Chinese TikTok us- ers ... found increased fatigue during the day but higher cognitive

A 2021 study of Chinese TikTok users, published by the College of Communication and International Culture within Zhejiang University, found increased fatigue throughout the day but higher cognitive arousal before bed, completely disorganising sleeping patterns. This could be due to several reasons, such as information and stimulation overload, as well as stress from procrastination on other tasks. This loop feeds forward where users procrastinate on TikTok, pro-

small size and lack of precision. An arrow would endanger the neighbours, a basketball would be too heavy to throw high, and a boomerang, if missing the target, could fly straight back at you.

Reaching out to Serena Williams, Munroe tested if a tennis pro’s accuracy could knock a drone out of the air. His tentative prediction was that a champion player would have an accuracy ratio around 50 when serving and take 5–7 tries to hit a drone from 40 feet. Serena Williams’ third serve scored a direct hit on one of the propellers and sent the drone crashing to the ground. Munroe’s prediction was in fact wrong.

How to Tell if You're a '50s Kid

Check your teeth, is the advice that Munro gives to this … I’ll explain. After the invention of nuclear weapons in 1945, tests and experiments have shown radioactive debris released by these explosions to spread throughout the atmosphere and potentially cause cancer in humans. A contaminant released was stron-

Library/Ring of Power/Jumanji situation, where should you put it?

Like radioactive waste, Munroe suggests that we put it somewhere where it won’t bother us. The West Isolation Pilot Plant, an underground waste disposal site 2000 feet below the New Mexico desert, would be a good starting point; these tunnels are dug through an ancient layer of rock salt 1/2 a kilometre thick. If you don’t fancy doing this, Munroe also suggests shooting the book directly into the sun.

“Sometimes you just have to try [ideas] and see what happens (but you might want to stand at a safe distance)”

- Randall Munroe

This book was fun; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Munroe’s closing statement was just great: “There’s a giant, weird world out there. Ideas that sound good can have terrible consequences, and ideas that sound ridiculous can turn out to be revolutionary.

How to Dispose of This Book

long bedtime – making them more tired and stressed the next day – and subsequently procrastinate again.

Another study, published in 2022 by Hasanuddin's Psychology Department, focused on teenagers and young adults who were active TikTok users during the Covid-19 pandemic and found a positive correlation between high levels of TikTok use and stress levels, affecting concentration and irritability as well as sleep quality. While there is still a lot of research being undertaken, such as an investigation into the affects of adolescent anxiety by the Charles Sturt University, we are slowly starting to recognise the effects that entertainment platforms such as TikTok might have, especially on our younger users who are particularly vulnerable to any influences on their rapidly developing brain.

A balance needs to be created where we can actively recognise significant effects on our daily lives

However, there have been studies which

have shone a positive limelight on TikTok. For some users it provides help with mental health, promoting music and dance during the pandemic. Others describe its potential uses in education, expanding the creativity of teachers and as a result improving learning and enjoyment of their students.

While the long-term implications of such social media usage are still unknown, we are starting to be more conscious of the effects that it is having on the people around us and ourselves. TikTok can be used for great things, such as spreading awareness, education, and good mental health; however, time spent on the app requires management, especially for younger people. A balance needs to be created where we can actively recognise significant effects on our daily lives.

So, did you manage to focus for the past couple of minutes, or was the drive for a quick scroll tempting you to take a quick break?

Harriet Sharp (she/her)

arousal before bed

» Images: Pixabay (background), Wikimedia Commons/Relsqui (right)

» Image: How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems

» Image: Unsplash

The blurb was the main reason I was attracted to this book

Travel

Editor: Ben Ockrim (he/him)

The 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition

Ben Ockrim (he/him)

We launched the 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition last October to showcase the amazing photos taken by talented Warwick students and to spice up the Travel Instagram page. We weren’t expecting much engagement, in part because we couldn’t think of a catchy acronym for the competition, but mainly because the Travel section is one of The Boar’s smaller, lesser-known sections. We were

therefore surprised and delighted when the competition’s announcement became our most viewed Instagram post, and messages from Warwick students started to fill up our DMs. By the time entries closed at the end of December, we had received over 100 submissions.

Overall, 21 Warwick students submitted a total of 115 photos to the 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition. The photos themselves were extremely varied, covering 24 different countries and spanning all continents except

Antarctica, with an almost even split of rural and urban images. The most photographed countries were Italy and Thailand (15 photos each), the most photographed rural area was the Dolomites (six photos), and the most photographed cities were Rome and New York (four photos each). The Boar Travel Instagram page is now bursting with vibrancy and colour!

Before we reveal the highly commended photos, the editors' choices, the runner-up, and the overall winner, I must extend a

huge thanks to my fellow judges: Ethan Dougall, Ayse Oltan, Erin Wallace, and my mum and dad for helping me differentiate between the many impressive images and choose the winners. I must also thank The Boar Editorial Board for letting me run this competition, and of course, the biggest thank you goes to all the students who sent in submissions. Without your enthusiasm, the 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition would have never got off the ground. You are all winners in my eyes!

Highly Commended Rural Highly Commended Urban

Keage Rail Couple by

Mirrored Zebras by Francisca Tome

Photographer’s Comments

I took this photo in Amboseli National Park in Kenya last August whilst staying in a safari lodge located in the Park. One afternoon, we drove past a small herd of zebras in a flooded grassy area, and I loved the reflective effect the water gave and the zebras' attention to the camera. I also found the mostly barren and dry landscape in the background an interesting contrast to capture, including the several other animals dotted in the distance.

Judge’s Comments

This photo fills me with intrigue. The two zebras, are they glaring at the camera? Or are they posing?

Gabrielle Goutet

Photographer’s Comments

I took this photo whilst on my year abroad in Kyoto, Japan. During a walk with a friend around the Philosopher’s Path, we stumbled upon a rail track that was surrounded by cherry trees. I noticed this couple and framed the composition around them and the guiding lines of the rail tracks. I snapped the picture very quickly as the subjects were moving around. Tourists usually take photos of women in kimonos, but rarely do we get to see couples. I thought it would be interesting to shine the light on them as well.

Judge’s Comments

Alongside its skilled framing and beautiful balance of colour, this photo is fascinating due to is unique mood creation, telling a thought-provoking story through its human subjects.

Holy Trinity Church by Hannah Colechin

Photographer’s Comments

In this photo, you see the Holy Trinity Church, located in Stratford Upon Avon. I decided to take this picture on the banks of the River Avon, as I felt that the distance gave the Church an impressive beauty: being positioned within the trees made it look grand yet hidden. The effect I was going for was one of presenting the Church as a magnificent piece of architecture whilst also appreciating its surrounding nature.

Judge’s Comments

A fantastically framed image that perfectly captures the elegance of nature and man’s striving attempt to match it.

La Mercè by Abi McDonnell

Photographer’s Comments

La Mercè is a four-day long festival and one of the largest in Barcelona. Originally intended to celebrate the ‘Lady of Mercy’, the festival includes parades, human towers, and ‘Correfoc’ (fire runs), as pictured. These fire runs are especially chaotic, with people running in all directions to avoid a sparkler to the face. Therefore, in taking this photo, I aimed to capture this sense of chaos, but also the fun that the festival represented. I am very proud of the photo and the memories that I managed to frame.

Judge’s Comments

This photo fizzes with excitement. Abi expertly captures the moment sparks fly, creating a great sense of vibrancy and making the viewer feel part of the parade.

Burano’s Colourful Houses by Hannah Colechin

Photographer’s Comments

This photo was taken on the island of Burano in Venice, Italy. Legend says that the fishermen painted their houses in bright colours so they could be spotted during the thick fog that often covers the island during winter. I was particularly drawn to how the houses popped with colour - I really wanted to capture the fairytale vibes that the island emanated. The effect I was going for was that of a rainbow: I honestly think that everyone should paint their houses outrageous colours.

Judge’s Comments:

The vibrant colours are portrayed really well in this shot. The calmness of the water contrasts nicely with the popping paint of the houses, generating a fun atmosphere.

16:02 by Angel Sun

Photographer’s Comments

I took this photo near the Clifton Observatory in Bristol. Last November, I visited Bristol with my cousin, who is doing her year abroad in the UK, and I had not seen her in person since 2022! I took the photo because we got to the Observatory right before the sky turned dark, and the sunset was just gorgeous. I took it with my Samsung phone without any special effects.

Judge’s Comments

A vibrant photo depicting the overpowering beauty of the natural world and man's impositions on it: a well-timed shot with impressive scale and depth.

Editors' Choice

Katsiki Beach by Abi McDonnell

Ayse's Pick

Photographer’s Comments

Taken on a family holiday in Lefkada, Greece, this photo aims to capture the essence of a Mediterranean summer. Clear blue waters and lush greens highlight the island’s natural beauty, while simple pastimes, such as sunbathing and swimming, represent the slowing down of daily life. The use of an analogue camera helps give the photo its desired nostalgic feel.

Ayse's Comments

The colours of this image create a feeling of serenity and a sense of nostalgia as I’m transported to a Greek summer along the coast! I love the angle of the image which allows us to see the liveliness of the beach.

Marsaxlokk Fishing Village by Matthew Randell

Photographer’s Comments

Whilst volunteering in Tanzania for nine weeks, climbing Eagle Rock to catch the sunrise became an important ritual of mine. Not only was it my favourite place to appreciate the beauty of Musoma, Tanzania, but it was also the perfect spot to reflect before the day began. I worked for a charity called ‘GoMAD’ (Go Make a Difference), and it was often difficult to process how poverty-stricken the local area was. These morning reflections became crucial to fully understand the charity’s work and the importance of helping others less fortunate than ourselves.

'With its majestic backdrop of clouds and rolling mountains, the giant hand of mythological beauty, radiant with reflected sunlight, reaching to the heavens, and the colourful excitement of each individual on the bridge, this photo captures a moment both intensely grand and touchingly intimate.''

'This image is so dramatic because of how the hand emerges from the bottom of the photo and into the clouds. The use of natural lighting is very effective, from the way it enters from the left frame and illuminates the landmark from the left.'

Erin's Pick

Photographer’s Comments

I took this photo in Marsaxlokk, a fishing village in the south of Malta. Every Sunday, Marsaxlokk hosts a huge market, with nearly the entire waterfront covered with stalls, tables, and tents. I feel like photos of the sea usually show a broad horizon, but that's not how it feels during the Marsaxlokk market. The ocean is part of the market, visible only through gaps in the market stalls!

Erin's Comments

I love how the angles of the canvases frame the boats and the rest of the harbour; it's almost like the boats are peeping out from the harbour. The light hits the background perfectly, creating a lovely contrast between the boats and the buildings.

Eagle Rock Sunrise by Abi McDonnell

Runner-Up Winner

The Golden Bridge

by Tra My Insua-Luu

Judges' Comments

'The use of the natural lighting of the sun creates a dramatic contrast between the darkened hills and the trees. Looking at this picture makes me feel calm: there's a certain stillness and warmth to it that is captured by the deep colours and dark silhouettes.'

'The beautiful colours of the sun contrast elegantly with the dark shadow of the land. An atmospheric sunrise that reminds me of tranquil moments.'

'A perfectly executed image of sunrise, evoking both a sense of awe and calmness, there was no doubt in the judges’ minds that Abi's Eagle Rock Sunrise deserved the runner-up spot.'

Photographer’s Comments

'This image captures such a unique landmark! It looks like the bridge is really being held up in the clouds amongst the mountains by this enormous hand.'

'A terrifying contrast between the peeling hand of man’s industrial endeavour and nature’s giant sky.'

'One of the rare images that reveals something new at every glance, The Golden Bridge is an outstanding photo and a worthy winner of the 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition. Congratulations Tra My.'

I took this photo during my summer holiday back home in Vietnam last year. The image shows the iconic Golden Bridge in Da Nang which is designed to look like it is held up by giant marble hands. In this photo, I framed the marble hand in the middle because it was the most impressive feature of the bridge, and you can also spot the spectacular landscape in the back showing how high up we were in the mountains - we had to get a cable car to the top! The photo was taken in the late afternoon which was good timing because most people had gone home, and the soft, gentle sunlight hit the shiny gold on the bridge. It was the most serene moment of our trip. Da Nang is wonderful: anyone visiting Vietnam should definitely add it to their list of destinations!

Books

Enemies-to-lovers: An in-depth exploration of

Sarah Smith (she/her)

Ah,enemies-to-lovers. It’s perhaps the most contentious romance trope of all, but that’s what makes it so enthralling. Although a mainstay of romance novels, it has also made its way into other genres: fantasy, classics, and historical fiction to name a few. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with the inevitable drama it provides, and it allows for some satisfying character growth. If you think that it’s just a vacuous craze born out of BookTok, however, that’s where you’re wrong.

Some say that enemies-tolovers is an unrealistic trope, but I believe that, if done well, it can be convincing

and intelligence. Eventually, Elizabeth discovers Darcy’s true character and falls in love with him. This storyline is gripping not only for its sassy and witty banter, but also for its character growth (it takes quite a bit of character growth to try to change your opinion about someone you despise).

Editor: Erin Lewis (they/them) books@theboar.org

Although enemies-to-lovers may seem like a recent phenomenon, this trope has entertained readers for centuries. A classic example is Pride and Prejudice, an 1813 romance novel that focuses on witty Elizabeth Bennet and the mysterious Mr Darcy. Elizabeth’s hatred for Darcy begins when she overhears him talking to Mr Bingley about her: “She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.” As events unfold in the novel, Elizabeth grows to despise Darcy more and more, while Darcy finds himself increasingly attracted to Elizabeth’s charm

Some say that enemies-to-lovers is an unrealistic trope, but I believe that, if done well, it can be convincing. The best way that writers do this is by creating a midpoint friendship. It can feel rather jarring for two characters to go from hate to love in a matter of chapters. A period of friendship helps to build a foundation for their relationship. My favourite example of the midpoint friendship in enemies-to-lovers is Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series. After years of being sworn enemies with Gilbert because he called her “carrots”, Anne finally agrees to be friends with Gilbert when he gives up the Avonlea School so she can stay close to her guardian, Marilla. A few years later, Anne falls in love with him, musing: “Perhaps love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.”

Another thing I love about enemies-to-lovers stories is when the lovers-to-be are forced into spending time together. This is key to relationship development in Red, White & Royal Blue. After photos of a confrontation between First Son Alex Claremont-Di-

a popular trope

az and Prince Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor threaten American-British relations, the plan for damage control is to stage a fake friendship between the two, much to their disgust and secret delight.

A classic addition to the enemies-to-lovers novel is having a third person in the picture. Nothing brings suppressed romantic feelings to the surface like jealousy – when the person you ‘hate’ gets together with somebody else, it makes for some tantalising tension and a tangled mess of confused feelings to sort through.

For enemies-to-lovers to work, there must be something to hate – whether it’s an irksome quirk or a pompous personality

Inevitably, enemies-to-lovers has become a favourite for fanfiction lovers, with dozens of stories on Wattpad dedicated to fanfiction romances. Popular ships include Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger (reinforced by the fact that Emma Watson, the actress for Hermione, had a crush on Tom Felton, the actor for Draco) and stories inspired by ‘Reylo’ (The Love Hypothesis, for example, is inspired by Kylo Ren and Rey).

However, some people don’t like this trope because of its potential to portray toxic behaviour as not too serious. Can we

really expect a healthy relationship to form after bullying and revenge? Can we expect Hermione to fall for Draco after he called her a “Mudblood”? Nevertheless, I feel like most readers can discern the difference between salty burns and verbal abuse, so I just avoid the books that sound toxic and go for those which are lighter and more enjoyable to read. There is also the common criticism that this trope creates unrealistic hope for readers, and while this may be true to some extent, most readers are drawn to this trope because it is unlikely in real life – that’s what makes it so interesting. Literature is often a joyous escape from the monotony of everyday life, so enemies-to-lovers fits seamlessly into this escapist hobby.

My favourite thing about the enemies-to-lovers trope is how it makes a writer create intriguing and imperfect characters. For enemies-to-lovers to work, there must be something to hate – whether it’s an irksome quirk or a pompous personality – and this makes for an interesting novel as there is room for character growth (and also, annoying characters can be entertaining).

Is translating a book an act of betrayal?

Inés Robledo (she/her)

Dowe consider translation an act of betrayal or an act of transnational bridging? Imagine if none of the works written in other languages were ever translated – how different our cultural history would be. Without the art of translation, the French Enlightenment philosophers would not have influenced the rest of the world through their work, or the Greek tragedies would have never become an archetype for modern theatre. You wouldn’t be able, perhaps, to understand a word of your favourite foreign novels, and that is a real shame.

No translation could emulate exactly the meaning and emotion of every single word in a poem while remaining faithful to its poetic form

For those of us who speak several languages, when we read a translated piece of work side by side with its original, we tend to think that it has lost some of its essence. We think that the translation sounds fake or weird, or that whatever the translator has chosen is not what the author meant in the first place. I personally avoid reading texts in translation if I can read the original versions. But obviously, this is not always possible as no one speaks every single language in the world. Each language is made up of its own melody and rhythm, and certain words sim-

ply cannot be transposed because there is no equivalent. This is especially present in poetry. No translation could emulate exactly the meaning and emotion of every single word in a poem while remaining faithful to its poetic form, rhyme, and meter. In my personal experience as a language student, the most difficult thing to translate is probably cultural references and ideas. For example, the word ‘sobremesa’ in Spanish, has no equivalent in English. This word refers to the act of remaining seated at the table after finishing lunch or dinner to chat with others, but as this is a very culturally specific practice in Spanish-speaking countries that is not common elsewhere, there is no easy way to translate this concept. The same dilemma arises every time: how do I explain this to a foreign reader while still sounding natural and fluent? Is there a cultural equivalent in the target language?

However, the act of translating a text is a crucial job in order to share knowledge and culture around the world. Translation builds a bridge between different cultural groups: it is a means of giving a global audience access to texts that would not have other-

wise been read outside of a reduced group of people. For many authors, having their work translated is a form of recognition and success. “Translated into more than 30 languages” – does this tagline sound familiar? You probably recognise it from reading it on many covers in the international literature section at your local bookshop. This is why languages are such a powerful tool when it comes to sharing information. In some cases, the act of translating something (or not translating something) can even be used as a political tool of social inclusion or exclusion, as we see in certain countries with the refusal to officialise regional languages, and how this can exclude certain social groups and their access to resources when they are not provided with translations into their native tongues. Not only this, but translators add their own personal touch to the texts they translate through interpreting words and concepts in a certain way. This creates a beautifully rich conversation between creators, which usually becomes intercultural as translators have a particular understanding of cultures as well as languages. No two translations can ever be exactly the same, because, just like each read-

er will reach their own individual interpretation, every translator will have a different way of portraying what they think the author is trying to say. In the words of Nabaneeta Dev Sen: “Every translation is an interpretation, after all, as well as a newborn text.”

They are, frankly, lost in translation. But of course, this is much better than not being able to read these texts at all

This is why, when reading texts in translation, we should be aware of what they are. We should bear in mind that certain parts might be slightly different from the original, or that some things cannot be transferred into other languages for a lack of words. They are, frankly, lost in translation. But, of course, this is much better than not being able to read these texts at all, and a lot can be gained from the different interpretations that translators provide. Overall, we should credit translators for giving us access to knowledge and ideas from all around the world, for opening the doors to cross-cultural exchange and communication, and for giving authors a platform to share their work beyond frontiers.

Whether you love watching a never-ending game of one-upmanship (Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman from The Hating Game) or exchanges filled with sassy insults (Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma from Bridgerton), there is always something to love about the enemies-to-lovers trope. »

Better to live to write than write to live: A review of New Grub Street

Arya Wadivkar (he/him)

Foranyone who has ever even entertained the idea of a career in the world of letters, to any extent, such a book makes for arduous reading. Within the pages, we follow a host of characters, all associated with the literary world in some way. None are truly happy or fulfilled.

First, we have Edwin Reardon: the novelist who has had some small success yet now finds himself unable to capitalise upon it and has begun a slow but agonisingly sure descent into poverty. Then there is Jasper Milvain: a grasping and ambitious young man determined to make his way in the world before him, who finds success but at the price of despising his audience and producing what he considers little more than frivolous bilge. Finally, we have Alfred Yule: a deeply embittered man well past his prime, who every day finds himself further and further away from the spotlight he so ardently desires.

The characters themselves often strike one as rather too extreme

Gissing starts out by presenting a world where there is a stark choice between abject penury with some small sense of fulfilment and superiority, or attainment of vast riches from works of little artistic merit.

The characters themselves often strike one as rather too extreme. For example, the conversations between Reardon and Milvain lack the semblance of authenticity as they are essentially little more than mouthpieces for differing philosophies. The ideas come barrelling into each other with the result of the people underneath retreating away. Reardon is one of the most insufferable types to walk this earth: those whose confidence in themselves is so pitiful that they reject even well-intended offers of as-

sistance and content themselves with an acceptance of their limitations and a bemoaning of their fate – yet should anyone dare to turn their backs on them, they resort to pitiful whining and whimpering to restore their place in the latter’s sympathies. Gissing even makes a direct appeal to the reader for a more generous treatment of Reardon, but to little avail. This also highlights a deeper theme.

It is the women of the novel who suffer most from the failings of these literary men

Invariably, it is the women of the novel who suffer most from the failings of these literary men. Amy, Reardon’s wife, must contend with the trauma of their slow descent into poverty while watching her feckless husband refuse to properly exert himself and even have the gall to blame her and his infant son for his lot. Marian Yule is little more than an indentured servant to her father’s thwarted ambitions, an automaton he feels he can wind up and set off to do his drudge work whenever he desires. When her attention turns to Milvain, who has a frank interest in her, he succumbs quickly to jealousy and storms and rages. Far worse is his treatment of his long-suffering wife, who has for decades been subjected to the brunt of his volcanic temperament and whose treatment he justifies because she lacks his education.

The idea of taking on a simple job to make ends meet ... is vehemently reviled

Despite his assiduous care for his sisters, the early death of Jasper Milvain’s mother was precipitated by how his largely aimless loafing for years had been a constant drag on her already straitened finances. Had he been more active, his sisters would perhaps not have found it necessary to move to London to eke out a meagre existence as they are eventually forced to do. By the end of the novel, both find themselves married – though by no means especially elated with their new lives.

with scandalised whispers. This is arguably one of the most dangerously seductive aspects of the life of any artist. Even when one crashes against the rocks of commercial failure, or is languishing in the shadow of obscurity, they can still retain the identity of the artist: they can still take pride in not having sullied themselves with a job that reduces them to a mere cog in a machine. They can cleave to the semblance of independence such a world offers.

In terms of poverty, Giss ing sees fit not so much to reveal the horrors to us subtly as to beat us over the head with them, repeat edly using the actual word in his fulminations. In Gissing’s view, all of society’s ills can be simplified down to the existence of poverty, and anyone who lives comfortably has not a care in the world. Needless to say, this highly reduc tionist view of the world has little substance. The fact is that success relies on connections and worldly advantages in any sphere of life – literature is merely the rule rather than the exception. As Amy puts it early on: “This is the Age of Trade.” Moreover, Gissing fails to adequately address the innate competitive spirit that suffuses our world. 'Rich', after all, is a relative term. Escape from poverty is a laudable achievement and worthy of celebration. But almost the second we find ourself in a new strata, we tend to focus on what those in the one above us have which we do not. So, striving is now directed towards a new end.

The odd thing is that despite being well aware of the dangers of a literary life, when turning others onto any sort of career, no one bothers to entertain anything other than some new literary venture. The idea of taking on a simple job to make ends meet while writing on the side is vehemently reviled. After Reardon takes on an old job as a clerk, he is greeted

one called Chit Chat where each article is to consume no more than two inches of space and to deal with insipid and frivolous issues that are designed to do little more than occupy one’s mind during trips on public transport. They even go so far as to declare that it will be expressly aimed at the “quarter educated” – a horrifically supercilious phrase to say the least.

Far more intriguing than Gissing’s repeated admonitions on the dire state of poverty or the necessity of a cynical temperament and insufficient scruples to attain worldly success, is to ponder the question of writing for one’s own time or for posterity. What separates the two?

In some sense they need not be – no one is rushing to ensure Dickens stays out of print because of his riches. In the novel the question is only glancingly alluded to, but worth pondering

One can find much to say for the sheer breadth of careers available now to anyone with a literary bent

To be sure, there are patches of light in the shadowy gloom, little morsels of delight that Gissing has strewn across the path which provide incentive to keep ploughing forward: the description of a character that lingers in your mind, the turns of phrase that are a delight to imbibe, and the mastery of dialogue that switches from philosophic to conversational in a moment. Moreover, seen from a modern lens one can find much to say for the sheer breadth of careers available now to anyone with a literary bent. Reardon is woefully unfit for the life of a hard-charging novelist. But his clear love, solitary study, could easily find release in some academy or set of archives. Still, plenty of rotten and mouldy twigs have also sprouted from the tree of literary endeavours.

It is Gissing’s own cynicism that has won him his place in posterity

In one of the most startlingly prescient passages of the novel, a character named Whelpdale spawns the idea of revitalising a periodical, hitherto named Chat, into

Harold Biffen, a satire upon the devotedly realist novelist (and so upon Gissing himself), professes to make no claim upon fame or fortune. But he too ardently desires Amy Reardon, and the love of such a woman more generally, despite being convinced that a wife like her could never be attained without money. With characteristic frankness, Milvain declares that nothing he writes will survive his lifetime. For him, literary work is a mere means to an end. But this rings somewhat hollow. If money is indeed one’s chief objective, why turn to the literary world in the first place? Ironically enough, it is Gissing’s own cynicism that has won him his place in posterity. Had it been a heavenly portrait of noble strivers and an artistically inclined public he had supplied, he would have been forgotten instantly – though he might have sold a few more books too.

As is the way of the world, one’s connections and influence make all the difference

And yet there is no denying the picture Gissing paints holds merit even to this day. When one’s art becomes one’s trade, little pleasure can be drawn from it amidst the pressure of meeting deadlines and the expectations of the baying crowd. Quality often has naught to do with success. As is the way of the world, one’s connections and influence make all the difference. The blunt fact is that the only way to ensure that a book sells well and gains some notoriety is to already be rich and famous. Gissing himself could write with such insight because he had himself suffered much of the indignities visited upon various characters. His castigation of poverty, for all its repetitions, never loses the sting of a man who knows of its soul-crushing horror. So perhaps Gissing’s message, in his life as much as his work, is thus: better to live to write than to write to live.

» Images: Flickr (top right), Unsplash (bottom left)

Arts

Editor:

London Art Fair: a glimpse into the ever-changing landscape of modern art

Vanessa Folkes (she/her) & Emily Parsons (she/her)

On16 January 2024, the annual London Art Fair, located in Islington’s Business Design Centre, began. This event was established in 1989, exhibiting contemporary and modern works from over 100 leading galleries. The Boar was given access to the preview of this event and thus an opportunity to be among the first to experience the chosen works.

Humour is the central factor to the print, showing the influences from Robert Crumb to the New Yorker cartoons

The Fair introduced a new section this year named ‘Print and Editions’. This collection exhibited a range of artistic styles and materials, but our main focus is going to surround edition works, as those of Valda Bailey, Joe Berger, and Anouk Jouanne particularly sparked our interest.

Valda Bailey was one of the many artists on display in the Prints wing of the London Art Fair. Having a background in painting, she switched to photography primarily, as shown in her extensive portfolio, but her previous work relating to painting styles and techniques greatly influenced her photography work as evidenced by her use of “blur detail and abstract shapes in the landscape.” Her influences come from the “worlds of Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism”, where she feels the possibilities are limitless.

One series in her collection was particularly eye-catching due to its distinctive show of colour, contrast, and shape. The four separate images are named ‘Eternal Flame (Koi Carp Blossom)’, ‘Eternal Flame III’, ‘Honesty’, and ‘Truth’, and are all made using differing gold leaf sheets, museum glass, and a variety of skills that really encapsulate the development of ‘printed’ art over the decades.

When we spoke to a gallery representative, she was able to describe Bailey’s production process. By controlling the opacity of certain objects or parts of her photographs in the digital editing stage, when it then came to printing, she was able to impress this effect onto the glass panels. Her decision to use museum glass panels allows her work to be that much more specific and clearer as it involves a clarity, reflection-controlled glass. This means the final image is not affected by light or any other exterior factors when on display.

He enjoys 'taking words from different situations and replacing words with others that have some other resonance'

After that, she hand-gilds the areas which are partly opaque post-printing with gold leaf. Using gold leaf in art has been a long-standing technique that became especially popular during the Renaissance for all

types of art, including frescos, paintings, and sculpture. This technique needs an alcohol to help secure the sheets of gold to the object. Bailey uses gin specifically to do this, and with the variety of colours used on the panels it creates this really beautiful shimmering perception of a three-dimensional image. As you move around the pan els you can see the different coloured layers of gold leaf exposed, whilst not being able to see the original carved im print, which only adds to the 3D effect.

This “inventive” technique, as the gallery representative called it, is the perfect combination of using modern technology and traditional techniques to create an eye-catching, interesting piece.

Another artist whose art particularly caught our attention within the new Prints section of the London Art Fair was Joe Berger. Berger produces simplistic but stylish and entertaining screenprints and giclée prints. In a lot of his work that combines cartoons and graphic art, humour is the central factor as he uses literature and stylistic texts, showing his influences from Robert Crumb to the New Yorker cartoons. Having appeared in several distinguished exhibitions, illustrated over 30 titles, and produced numerous solo prints, his work is hugely recognisable and clearly entertains audiences of all ages.

Her photography aims to capture movement and performance in their rawest forms

Whilst Berger is unsure whether the perfect visual joke “even exists”, it is clear for anyone to see that his well-thought-out visual text is both effective in connecting to his audience and distinctive. As he explained, he enjoys “taking words from different situations and replacing words with others that have some other resonance”, making it a personal print for every single individual who looks and appreciates the image.

However, when looking at his large collection on display, the three-part series of Fernet, Campari, and Chartreuse bottles takes centre stage. Purely based on drinks that he enjoys; the three bottles are delightful digital drawings that enjoy not being related to any exterior literature or thought.

Starting out as original drawings, Berger is able to scan them, and, using Photoshop, add colour and composite, creating the limited edition giclée prints available to buy. New to his art portfolio, they are just as eye-catching and require just as much thought with regards to digital colouring and the printed end result. “Fascinated with the interplay of words”, the variations of styles of text and integration bright colours all com bine into these final per fect decorative prints. The final artist we dis covered during the pre view was Anouk Jouanne, a dancer who allows one artistic aspect of her life to influence another. Her photography aims to cap ture movement and per formance in their raw est forms, a point clearly exemplified in her first print, 'Still Changes'. This photograph was created during a dress rehearsal of a performance that Jouanne had never seen before, conferring a raw spontaneity upon the artwork. By as sessing the lighting in the limited time during the perfor mance, the viewer can understand the performance through the artist's eyes, em phasising the im permanent nature of the moment. Shot on 35mm film, the piece was later produced us ing a C-print, a process Jouanne undertakes herself. Her personal hand in the produc tion offers a deeper understanding of her style, which is further

» Images: Vanessa Folkes / The Boar

demonstrated through the natural printed edge of the photograph, a stylistic remnant of a series of video images. This aesthetic choice underscores the dynamic nature of the subject, enhanced by the use of long exposure to capture the emotion the performers aim to convey.

While this piece employs the same materials and printing process as 'Still Changes', the subject matter offers a unique and intriguing perspective for the viewer

Another piece by Jouanne that we found particularly captivating was her print 'Murmurations'. While this piece employs the same materials and printing process as 'Still Changes', the subject matter offers a unique and intriguing perspective for the viewer. This image captures a performance that Jouanne was familiar with, having seen it multiple times prior to taking the photograph. She was particularly fond of the exact pose between the two models, which she beautifully captured. The setting within this photograph mirrors the natural elements of the print’s edges, fostering harmony between the art piece and its setting.

The Prints and Editions section at the London Art Fair offered a celebration of the individual artists' unique artistic journey and their ability to connect with audiences on such personal levels, from Bailey's abstract photograph impressions to Berger's comic-inspired prints and Jouanne's dynamic captures of motion. Thus, it provides viewers with a promising future in the ever-changing landscape of modern and contemporary art.

Boar Revoir

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

WhenPHYSICAL MEDIA

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR

Eden slid into my DMs over a year ago enquiring about the possibility of rejoining The Boar, I could never have predicted this turn of events. Winning elections came as a surprise (although Eden will tell you otherwise), and I cannot thank her enough for the push to just ‘go for it’. As cheesy as it may sound, joining The Boar is like joining a family. Bonded over the undeniable trauma of InDesign and archaic office computers, the team is a community of wonderful people with a collective vision. All my friends will tell you that The Boar dominates about 90% of my existence, and they’re probably not wrong, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This year has been all about bringing The Boar back into conversation. With membership and readership thriving, I would like to give a massive thanks to all the editors, deputies, subs, and everyone else involved in making that happen. Some of my fondest memories at university have been in The Boar offices, listening to Monika’s insane playlists, laughing with Emily over our shared despair on InDesign, facilitating the SPAG perfection of Abhay, and chatting away with Eden over mindless nonsense. So, despite the high levels of stress and subsequent frown lines I have most definitely gained, being CoEIC has been the opportunity of a lifetime.

IjoinedThe Boar in my first week as a fresher and slowly moved my way up to Co-Editor-in-Chief in my final year, because I was adamant on getting involved in a Warwick institution. The opportunities afforded to me because of The Boar have been endless and unforgettable: from speaking on BBC Newsnight to interviewing our Vice-Chancellor and meeting some of my best friends, I cannot thank the society enough. Messaging Ellie to get back into the society on our year abroad was possibly one of the best hungover decisions I’ve made. The people attracted to The Boar are some of the most eclectic and passionate people I’ve met on campus, and I couldn’t be prouder to have been part of this year’s exec team. I’d like to thank all the editors and especially the Senior Team for their hard work this year and for putting up with my terrible InDesign skills!!! To Ellie, Monika, Emily, and Abhay, you have given me some of my best memories this year in the office, where I could spend an infinite number of hours just gossiping whilst avoiding my actual responsibilities. I’m going to find it hard to let the office go but knowing me I’ll just sneak in anyways!

Whilstmy time at The Boar has been occasionally (or sometimes very) stressful, and I have often been asked how much I am getting paid in my role (unfortunately nothing), I would not trade the skills and sense of responsibility that my position has given me for any amount of money (under the London Living Wage). The friends that I have made within this society, on the exec, and amongst our writers, have been phenomenal. From those who have already graduated to those who will be at Warwick long after I am gone, the camaraderie around this paper that has felt central to my university experience has built bonds I will never forget. The opportunities to build upon my capacity to communicate, manage, and problem-solve have been non-stop. Do I sound like I am writing a cover letter? Oop, that is final year for you! I would like to thank Cam and Ben, the dynamic duo who ran the News team and let me into their boys’ club when they hired me as a Deputy News Editor in my first year. I had no experience in ever writing for The Boar (see, we aren’t that exclusive!), and I could never have imagined the heights I would reach within student journalism. It feels like I have blinked and an array of fantastic events, like attending my first The 1975 concert, covering protests and elections, or meeting so many of our incredible alumni whom I will be honoured to be considered amongst, have shot past me in an instant.

Who would have thought, when I wrote my first article for The Boar in January 2021, that I would be laying up the front page for my final edition as Deputy Editor-in-Chief three years later? Perhaps my grandma (one of The Boar’s most loyal readers), but certainly not me. It’s been a blast and one of the best bits of my time at Warwick.

From all the work and love that went into the stunning ‘70s-themed anniversary edition (shoutout to Seb for his help with the design concept!) to the redesigned front cover, I am incredibly proud of the print editions we’ve produced with this team. How surreal that there’ll come a time when spreadsheets and InDesign will no longer dominate my waking hours and populate my dreams – nor will the lovely people I met through this paper and the sense of belonging that coloured my university experience in bright Boar hues. I’ll miss the spirit of camaraderie that permeates the offices during layup, and I’ll miss subjecting my partners in crime – Ellie, Eden, Emily, and Abhay – to Italo disco during Senior Team layup and suffering and laughing together. Thank you to Abhay for his invaluable feedback on my writing, and to Boar legend Reece for helping out during Senior Team layup.

I look forward to having more time to write (and finally completing the whole hog challenge – only two more sections to go!), and to seeing what the next exec comes up with. It’s not really goodbye, more of a Boar Revoir.

Being Chief Sub-Editor has been a long and winding journey, intense at times but also rewarding. I feel relieved knowing that I won’t have to spend hours upon hours in the office for Senior Team layup anymore, but I know I’m going to miss this role, because on the whole it’s been so much fun. More than anything, I feel grateful. Grateful to Eden, Ellie, Emily, and Monika – who’ve all been incredibly welcoming and supportive members of our Senior Team. Grateful to Luke and the News deps, who’ve made my life as News sub easy and under whose watchful eye the section has flourished. Grateful to the many exec members who’ve made The Boar a source of warm and wholesome community. And grateful, above all, to our sub-editors for all their hard work in making every one of our articles as refined as they can possibly be. My predecessor in this role, Charis, described the subbing team as this paper’s “unsung heroes”, and that is something with which I wholeheartedly concur.

Heading into my final year at Warwick, I’ll almost certainly be continuing with The Boar in some capacity. So, see you all later! Don’t forget your Oxford commas, and if you dare use hyphens and dashes interchangeably, I’ll have my eye on you.

Ellie Mitchell (she/her)

Eden Fall-Bailey (she/her)

Emily Neville (she/her)

Abhay Venkitaraman (he/him)

Monika Hartmann (she/her)

Ithas been an absolute pleasure being this year’s News Editor in what was a rather spur-of-the-moment set of events. I was thrilled to take over the role at the start of the academic year, and it has proven to be an incredibly rewarding one.

From breaking news stories to in-depth investigations, the News team covered lots of bases this year. It’s something I’ll look back on in years to come as a pivotal moment for my career as a journalist and life outside of it. Above everything, my time at The Boar has taught me that journalism is what you make it, as it goes with life more broadly. So put yourself out there, get stuck in, and you’ll reap the rewards at the end of it.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to my wonderful team of deputies who have put in a tremendous amount of effort this year. The same goes for this year’s magnificent Senior Team. Thank you, Abhay, for being the world’s best sub-editor, as well as Eden, Ellie, Emily, and Monika for having so much faith in me.

There’s still another year in me yet, and regardless of what happens in our upcoming elections, I’ll forever be grateful for the invaluable opportunities The Boar has presented to me. Here’s to fond memories, an incredible exec, and the stories yet untold!

Ithas been such an honour to be Comment Editor, especially as we celebrated 50 years of The Boar this year. I have loved seeing the section’s evolution from ‘Letters’ back in the ‘70s to now fully fledged op-ed articles on everything from inaccessibility at the University to global elections to the effects of LinkedIn. It’s incredible to be a part of a section where you can write about literally almost anything, championing the perspectives of such an amazing group of student writers. I guess this leads me nicely into my thank yous, where of course I have to start with you, our readers and writers, without whom we would not have this newspaper. The quality of opinions and arguments I have seen made in the Comment section has been unreal, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future. A massive thank you to everyone on the exec; meeting and working with all of you has been one of the best parts of my university experience. And, of course, to my deps, Maddie and Veeraja, and our sub-editor, Sri: you guys were the best Comment team I could have asked for!

Sanjana Iyer (she/her)

» Images: The Boar’s very own Finn Chadwick

LIFESTYLE

It’sbeen an absolute pleasure and privilege to have been the Lifestyle Editor this past academic year! I have not only honed my editing and design skills but also had the opportunity to make new friends, experiment with different styles of content, and step out of my comfort zone. This year, the Lifestyle section has expanded its coverage and reach by including more pieces on fashion and food, featuring regular columns, collaborating with various other sections, and even launching a TikTok channel. We have published articles on all things lifestyle, from girl math and dressing up for internships to destigmatising loneliness.

I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of my fantastic deputy editors – Sofia and Odette – and Laura, Lifestyle’s amazing sub-editor. It takes a lot of courage to write about your experiences and submit articles, so I give a big thank you to all the Lifestyle writers who have entrusted me with their work this year. I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone on the Boar exec team –I truly appreciate all your advice and guidance, especially during the chaos of layup :)

Till next time,

Gunisha

FEATURES

WhenI ran for Features Editor last year, I couldn’t have even imagined that everything that I wanted to achieve this year (and more!) would eventually happen. I have made strides to change gears in Features towards more student-focused investigations, interviews, and features that have a wide reach on campus and beyond. Our section website has showcased our outstanding writers’ group’s work throughout the year, whether it be deep dives into national and international news, memorable personal essays, or high-profile interviews. I thank my deputy editors, Thuie and Elena, for making sure all our writers feel heard and receive feedback before being published on the website. Our print sections have been brimming with colour and shape, for which I am forever thankful for Monika’s benevolence and patience. Thank you to Abhay and Alyssa for making sure everything is subbed on time and Emily for always informing us of the best opportunities. Finally, thanks to Eden and Ellie for never getting annoyed at the amount of questions I throw at them (all the time). I wholeheartedly wish to see Features grow next year into more of a force to be reckoned with around campus!

Alexandra Luca (she/her)

FINANCE

Ithas been a long and busy year with The Boar as its Finance Editor. When I first stepped into the position, I was simply hoping to polish my passion and interest in writing and finance, but I have come out with a lot more. I have experienced and learnt so much more about how student journalism works from so many wonderful people and the society itself. Although it has been tough at times, looking back, I realise how much I have learnt, whether it comes to tackling InDesign (I still run into problems regularly), having the opportunity to cover events as a journalist, managing my own small team, or getting inspired to write even better articles. The arcane computers in the Boar offices have taught me the value of patience, yet some of my best memories have been tackling layup together there. Covering the Warwick Economics Summit was also a highly memorable experience, and I look forward to writing more articles for the paper in the next year!

Tanvi Jain (she/her)

SCIENCE & TECH

Being

the SciTech Editor of The Boar has allowed me to keep up to date with all the contours of science and has completely changed the way I think about science both as a profession and an interest. Doing a science degree (especially on Gibbet Hill) makes you so feel disconnected from wider events, but having read articles every week from other scientists and non-scientists, I am constantly astounded by the part science has to play in everyone’s lives; this has no doubt been the most enlightening role in the most informative year of my life, so thank you all for reading and writing – it has been a brilliant experience. However, there is no way I can leave without thanking my deputy editors; Andrew, Rodrigo, and Sujaya have been incredibly helpful in pitching, editing, and designing articles, and my job would have been much more difficult without them. Zoé, SciTech’s sub-editor, has also been absolutely phenomenal, sub-editing articles to the highest quality with unmatched turnaround time when I have inevitably missed all the deadlines. SciTech would have been considerably worse without you four. Anyways, thank you everyone for keeping up to date with SciTech. I hope you’ve all enjoyed it, and I’m sure SciTech will continue to prosper!

Luke Chapman (he/him)

Gunisha Aggarwal (she/her)

George Smith (he/him)

Ifthere’s one word that sums up my experience as Film Editor at The Boar – it’s rejection. My requests to interview actors from Natalie Portman to Jodie Comer have been rejected. As have several of my pitches from writers for the Film section. But that’s provided me with one of the best lessons I’ve learned from The Boar – the virtue of perseverance. Running a section is tough work but worth it. It has been great to read the outstanding pieces of work sent by other lovers of film and get the opportunity to promote them to a wider audience. Thank you to Eden and Ellie for making sweeping and successful reforms to The Boar and to Chief Sub-Editor Abhay for being the most knowledgeable man on semicolons in the world. Thankfully, I can part ways with my less-than-flattering headshot. On the plus side, through my rejections, Hollywood has likely been exposed to the mighty Boar!

COMMENT

AsI was making the handover pack for the next editor, I was having flashbacks to around a year ago when I received one from the previous editor in preparation for my role. I remember feeling unsure of what I was doing or what I had signed myself up for. But honestly, it has been a very fun ride. I’ve loved being able to connect and dialogue with writers who are just as interested in the environment as I am, but also challenge myself and the team to curate a section that is most likely the biggest supplier of gloomy news in the paper by trying to make it more engaging and fun, and hopefully, we’ve somewhat managed! I do hope the Climate section will get more engagement as it deserves – I don’t think it is just about global warming or species extinction; it can also be about people’s favourite animals, favourite plants, the wonders of nature they’ve visited recently, or just the small selfless things they’re doing to help the planet and others around them.

And with that, I leave it up to the next editor. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the section!

Tra My Insua-Luu (she/her)

ARTS

IfI had to sum up The Boar in one word, it would be networking. Thanks to The Boar, I was able to attend private art sales showcasing works by artists such as Damien Hirst, Mr. Brainwash, and Pure Evil. This position also provided me with free admission to the London Art Fair and several shows around the United Kingdom. It enabled me to interview intriguing people in the art industry, including Cheyenne Westphal (Chairwoman of Phillips Auction House), Charles Uzzell-Edwards (Pure Evil), and Thomas Ellmer (Curator of the Warwick Arts Centre). Hearing about their experiences and journeys through the art profession was stunning, and it provided me with a better understanding of the many occupations and opportunities available in this field. I’d also like to applaud the wonderful people I’ve met – like Ellie and Eden – and the articles, short stories, and poems I’ve read through pitches and independent ideas from writers, which have broadened my understanding of the arts, theatre, and students’ creativity. Finally, I want to thank my deputy, Zoé Barret, whose imaginative poems, pitches, and excellent articles have greatly enriched the appeal of the Arts section. Good luck to the next Arts Editor; I’m interested to see where The Boar Arts will go, and I hope you enjoy this job as much as I did.

GAMES

Asmy tenure as Games Editor is about to end, I can only reflect fondly upon the last two years I’ve spent at The Boar. I began as a humble deputy editor for the Games Section, alongside a lovely team spearheaded by the iconic Reece Goodall. I initially found the role a steep learning curve as I had no knowledge or skills in journalism. Fortunately, my team made the transition smooth as I learnt how to enjoy the dreaded office lay-ups and social media marketing. In a way, I guess that’s the beauty of being a part of a student newspaper: everyone’s incredibly helpful and shares similar experiences. The Boar has graced me with many opportunities to discover, most notably how far The Boar’s name can influence outreach opportunities. My favourite moments as Games Editor have definitely been handling press duties in this position, from reaching out to companies for PR packages, providing press reviews (and free games) for writers, and attending industry events as a member of the press. These experiences have equipped me with essential skills but also created memorable moments, especially during our Xmas dinner and The Boar Awards. I can’t wait to see what this publication has in store for the future, and there’s no doubt the Games section will continue to thrive under capable hands.

Saud Juffa (he/him)

BOOKS

BeingBooks Editor, especially during the 50th year of The Boar, has been such a huge honour. I have loved being able to read everyone’s amazing articles throughout my time as editor. I want to thank my deputy editors, Ruqaiyah and Jenin, for their help running the section, and our amazing sub-editor, Anna, for being both incredible at her job but also a really cool writer and an even cooler person. Also, thank you to all the other editors, particularly Sophie, who was key in me finding my place within The Boar and my voice as a writer in a way I didn’t know I was able to, for all being so talented and intelligent and committed to making The Boar as brilliant as it is. Finally, I want to thank anyone who read an article for Books, wrote one, or engaged with the section in any way. Without all your talent the section would just be me writing bad articles constantly, and no one would want that. Thank you again, and I hope that next year’s Books section is even better than what has come before.

Erin Lewis (they/them)

MUSIC

I’vebeen involved in running the Music section for two and a half years, so to finally have to say goodbye properly feels a bit surreal and very bittersweet. The Boar has given me opportunities I never thought I’d have. From interviewing The Wombats to listening to albums well before their release date (and then not shutting up about them) to reviewing more bands than I can count, being Music Editor has been an incredible experience. I, of course, must thank my amazing deps, Lucy and The Bird, who have made layup, distribution, and thinking so much about The Beatles so often that much more fun. And of course, thanks to Lara for dealing with all our last-minute subbing requests. You guys have been the best team I could’ve asked for. And finally, a special shoutout, of course, goes to my favourite suburban dad: David Bowie.

I’d also like to acknowledge everyone else on The Boar exec. We’ve been a fantastic team, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved over the last year. It wouldn’t have been the same without you, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

So, although I’m sad my time at The Boar is coming to an end, I will cherish these memories forever. I don’t know who will be Music Editor next, but I’m certain the section will be in safe hands.

Kavin Kannan (he/him)

Mateus Guarda (he/him)

Sophie Flint Vázquez (she/her)

TRAVEL

Iappliedto be Travel Editor last March because I liked writing, and I was going on a year abroad. I had no editorial experience, no big plans, and when Monika (last year’s Travel Editor) sat me down for the handover, I felt hopelessly out of my depth. However, as I gained familiarity with the role, I fell in love with travel writing. I genuinely believe that travel writing is the best type of journalism. It encompasses all genres, from news to culture. It supports all styles. It draws from the past and looks to the future. It ranges from comedy to tragedy. It is inspiring.

I am immensely proud of all the travel articles we published this year. I am delighted with how the 2023 Boar Travel Photo Competition turned out, and hope that my successor continues the competition next year. I have been super lucky to be part of an amazing Editorial Board and work with a great editorial team. To everyone who has involved themselves with the Travel section this past year, thank you so, so much! Keep travelling. Keep writing!

TV

Coming to university with seemingly no choice other than to follow my predetermined finance bro career path, I never would have expected to end up as the TV Editor of the student newspaper. But at the beginning of my first year, I enjoyed my little hobby of review writing, and their exec elections were just around the corner. Why not, I thought. After borderline strolling into the role (being the only person who actually ran for it), I have been, to say the absolute least, happily surprised with the array of characters, personalities, and opportunities The Boar has presented me over one the best years of my life. Let’s be honest: we’re a strange lot. But I love it. I’m going to miss it all quite a bit next year.

And not to toot my own horn, but the TV section has done fantastically well this year, and I couldn’t be prouder. I’ve also had a blast discussing TV with my writers, experimenting with my graphic design work (especially with our 50th anniversary print!), and even continuing to develop my own writing and journalistic skills.

I want to say a massive thank you to all my fellow editors, and an even bigger thank you to Senior Team for being such a great bunch to work with. Though, I reckon there’s a chance I’ll be back after my stint in Barcelona, so keep an eye out. Ciao!

PODCASTS

WhenI arrived at Warwick as a tired, tired postgrad, all I wanted to do was write about podcasts (and do my PhD, but mostly the first thing). I am forever grateful to the people who, when I couldn’t find a space for that, allowed me to create it. The Podcasts section has, in many ways, been more successful than I could have hoped. In just its first year of existence, it has published a truly diverse array of content: podcast reviews, spotlights on specific podcasters, coverage of live events, interviews, commentaries on the industry, retrospectives, horizon-scanning articles looking to the future of podcasts, and collaborations with News, Features, Comment, TV, Lifestyle, and Sport. I could not be prouder of all we have accomplished. Thank you to the deputy editors: Gemma Short for her realism and hard work and Aura Mackintosh Bamber for her constant out-of-the-box thinking and never-ending supply of ideas, and to the Podcasts Sub-Editor, Tauseef Parkar, for simply being a consummate professional. I hope that together we have convinced everybody that a podcasts section deserves to exist, and I am excited to see how it evolves under a new editorial team.

SPORT

Following two years of working with The Boar Sport, it is time for me to pass on the role. I have worked with some great people during my time as the section’s deputy editor last year and then as editor this year. I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me, both deputies and amongst Senior Team – I am aware that teaching someone to use InDesign can be painful. There have been lots of good memories, and I am especially proud of the print editions we have produced. The retro anniversary print edition was my personal favourite. In terms of articles, there have been too many good pieces for me to choose, but I am proud of how varied the website has been over my previous two years at The Boar. The role has been demanding at times, but seeing the results has been one of the most rewarding experiences during my time at the University. I wish my successor the best for the position moving forwards, and I am excited to see what changes they make to the section moving forwards.

PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Goodbye’

is a lousy word, far too sad and final. I might not be privileged to fully articulate my departure, but I know enough to see that ‘farewell’ suits this situation, in all its amicable softness, far better.

I’ve not been with this paper or team for very long, and in my short time alongside these beautiful people I can speak truth to kindness, acceptance and camaraderie, beyond the sense of community and of a common goal; each individual person involved in the process of creating the paper, in print and online, has been truly lovely.

Through my role in taking photographs of campus, the team, and everything else, I can see there is so much worthy of missing, and so much more worthy of remembering; the last five decades has seen momentous change, yet amongst such an evolution The Boar has moved parallel, an ever present conduit of student voice, and what a wonderful thing to have been a part of. Anyone who has worked with the paper, or even just been Boar-adjacent, knows what a first-rate organisation this is. Thank you to everyone at The Boar, and (with a smile) farewell.

EVENTS & SOCIAL MEDIA

Mytime with The Boar has been an amazing whirlwind. Having been TV Editor, Co-EIC, and current Head of Events and Social Media, I’ve developed a multitude of skills which I will carry with me after graduating. Some of my favourite memories of being with The Boar will be, of course, securing interviews for my TV writers with people from Sex Education and The Apprentice, but also seeing the first ‘Boar Ball’ and awards come together last May which showcased our incredible members’ commitment and writing. The Boar has always been a great place for anyone to showcase their writing desires and interests, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the new Boar exec will transform the newspaper and society next year. Helping plan our 50th Anniversary Party, which saw so many of our fab alumni return and celebrate, highlighted the great community The Boar has developed over its 50 years, and fingers crossed we all will return for the 100th anniversary celebrations in 2073! Aside from the socials and events – the work of our writers, who are the core of our society, has really shone these past years with many winning well-deserved recognition and awards, and I cannot wait to see how we do in the SPANC24 awards before I say goodbye to Warwick!

Emilia Growney (she/her)

Ben Ockrim (he/him)

Sebastian Smith (he/him)

James Taylor (he/him)

Matthew Randell (he/him)

Finn Chadwick (he/him)

Film

Tom Lowe (he/him)

We’renearing the end of another awards season, and that means that it is almost time for the most prestigious awards in Hollywood to be handed out. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on 10 March at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, recognising and awarding the very best films of the past year. The nominations were announced on 23 January, with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer topping the list with 13, whilst Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things come in a close second with 11. Here, I will set out my predictions for who I believe will win in each of the major categories, whilst also putting forward arguments for the films that I believe should win.

Did she kill him? Does it even matter? What is ‘truth’ in the face of bias?

Best Picture

W inner: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Anatomy of a Fall Oppenheimer is undeniably a fantastic film, and it is long overdue for one of Nolan’s films to win Best Picture. For these reasons, I believe that the story of the atomic bomb’s creation will win the headline award of the evening, and whilst it is certainly deserved, I can’t help but believe that Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall deserves the win. Oppenheimer certainly made me feel very tense, but Triet’s unique take on the courtroom drama genre left me reconsidering what I had just seen. Did she kill him? Does it even mat ter? What is ‘truth’ in the face of bias? It is a superb film and just deserves the win a bit more than Oppenheimer

Best Actor

W inner: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer

Should Win: Paul Giamatti (The Holdo vers)

There is broad consensus that the Leading Actor award is a shoo-in for Cillian Mur phy for his excellent portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Murphy damn near perfect ed Oppenheimer’s uniquely soft voice and mannerisms, and his delivery of the final line in the film will never cease to send goosebumps up my arm. That is how good I believe Paul Giamatti was in The Holdo vers. His portrayal of the curmudgeonly boarding schoolteacher Paul Hunham was astounding, bringing a level of depth and emotion to the character that just outstrips Murphy in this case. Murphy may be the bookies’ favourite, but I wouldn’t count Gi amatti out just yet.

Best Actress

W inner: Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Should Win: Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)

This was the most difficult choice for me to make. Lily Gladstone is a phenomenal-

Editor: Kavin Kannan (he/him) film@theboar.org

An Oppenheimer sweep? Predictions for the 2024 Oscars

ly talented glass-ceiling-shattering actress who undeniably stole the show in Killers of the Flower Moon, which is an even more impressive feat when you’re working alongside acting legends like Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Honestly, I would be more than happy to see either Gladstone or Sandra Hüller win the Oscar here, but I just believe that Hüller’s performance as the accused, Sandra Voyter, is the best of the year, in any category. Her monologue has been stuck in my head for months after watching the film, and she gives nothing away regarding her innocence throughout.

In a career that includes playing Tony Stark and Charlie Chaplin, this is his best performance yet

Best Supporting Actor

W inner: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Should Win: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

There’s nothing I can say about RDJ’s performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer that has not been said already. In a career that includes playing Tony Stark and Charlie Chaplin, this is his best performance yet. RDJ brought out an almost villainous side to his acting that I did not expect at all, actively making audiences root against Strauss’ scapegoating campaign. There is no true contest in this category. Whilst I loved the hilarity of Ryan Gosling in Barbie and Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things, these performances do not hold a candle to RDJ in this regard.

Should Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Another easy pick for me. Having already won a Golden Globe for her bittersweet performance of grieving mother Mary Lamb in The Holdovers, Randolph is the only logical choice in an otherwise slightly disappointing list of nominees. There is a tenderness and grounded nature to her character that makes her stand out from the cantankerous personalities of the other two main characters in the film. The level of humanity she brings to Mary’s life is incredible, and I will be extremely shocked if she does not win.

Best Director

W inner: Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)

Should Win: Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

As I believe Anatomy of a Fall sadly will not (but should) win Best Picture, I believe that the category of Best Director will be the Academy’s way of recognising the film’s excellence. Nevertheless, the way that Killers of the Flower Moon is shot and pieces the story of the Osage murders together is nothing short of perfection. Of course, we should expect nothing less from a director as legendary as Scorsese, but even then, Killers is a step beyond anything he’s released in recent years. The direction of the film is just mind-bogglingly good. Scorsese deserves the win here. A quick side note – Celine Song was snubbed here: Past Lives deserved so much more recognition from the Academy.

Best Original Screenplay

W inner: Anatomy of a Fall

Should Win: The Holdovers

My answer – I don’t truly know. There was just something so human about the script, and the way we see these three characters interact with, challenge, and change each other evoked so many emotions. It may not have the critical appeal of Anatomy of a Fall, but The Holdovers is the real winner of this category.

Just give Christopher Nolan his Oscar already

Best Adapted Screenplay

W inner: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Oppenheimer

There isn’t much for me to say here. Just give Christopher Nolan his Oscar already.

Best Original Score

W inner: Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)

Should Win: Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)

This score changed lives and elevated Oppenheimer to dizzying heights. For goodness’ sake, ‘Can You Hear the Music’ has been called unplayable by Göransson himself due to the 21 tempo changes in the piece. The score of Oppenheimer is one of the best film scores in years and wholly deserves this award.

Best Original Song

W inner: ‘What Was I Made For?’ – Billie Eilish (Barbie)

Should Win: ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ – Osage Tribal Singers (Killers of the Flower Moon)

What Was I Made For?’ recently won Song of the Year at the GRAMMYs, and it is clear to see why. It succinctly sums up the human experience and is one of my favourite needle drops in film history. If Barbie is going to win any category, it will be this one. Nevertheless, when ‘Wahzhazhe’ Killers, it is haunting. The message that would be sent to Hollywood if this song were to win Best Original Song would be incredible, and that’s why it is my pick.

Sky Cinema (top) and Sky UK (bottom)

The need for positive climate news coverage

Tra My Insua-Luu (she/her)

As people become more conscious of the environment’s degradation, climate change awareness has given rise to collateral effects such as ‘eco-paralysis’ or ‘eco-anxiety’. The Boar Climate has attempted to explore these feelings often understood as forms of fear, grief, guilt, or worry surrounding the current course of the planet and the urgency of its circumstances. Fed by sensationalist news headlines (albeit very much real) alongside disaster films and TV shows (a bit less real), our relationship with the environment is being poisoned by a sense of hopelessness. Thus, it curates a mindset that stunts pro-environmental behaviour because, well, what’s the point of caring if we’re going to die anyway? It is undoubtedly hard to deal with news that doesn’t really get better by the day. It gives us the impression that the environment is deteriorating at a linear rate. If you imagine this as a straight line on a graph perpetually going downwards, it will eventually hit the x-axis – when it does, in climate change terms, who knows what will happen to the world. But climate change and global heat-

ing are complex phenomena that can’t be represented by a straight line. Floods will happen, and the next day, a species can be saved from extinction. Scientists and engineers are tirelessly working across the globe to mitigate the effects of climate change, whether it be through conservation, reversing biodiversity loss, rehabilitating animals and plants, or building urban infrastructure and planning with the aim of strengthening city resilience and sustainability. National courts have passed landmark decisions regarding the rights of humans to enjoy a clean and safe environment, and constitutions have granted rivers and forests legal standing to protect them from exploitation.

2023 CLIMATE WINS

NOV 2023

The Boar Climate has been trying to acknowledge the gloomy nature of climate news and combat this by highlighting what deserves to be celebrated. While it is important to understand the urgency of climate change, it is also equally as important to know that the right steps are being made and to be reminded that there is a purpose for which we are fighting. We would therefore like to present to you some positive climate news from the past few months in the hopes of boosting morale.

“Floods will happen, and the next day, a species can be saved”

Loss and Damage Fund launched

At COP28 in Dubai this year, world leaders finally agreed to launch the loss and damage fund, created in aid of countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

SEP 2023

High Seas Treaty signed

The UN High Seas Treaty was signed in September, aiming to reach the target of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, compared to the current 1%.

AUG 2023

Deforestation rates in the Amazon Rainforest slow

Deforestation rates in Brazil have dropped by 66.1% in August 2023 compared to rates in August 2022.

FEB 2023

Australian researchers celebrate saving 26 species on the brink of extinction

In Australia, scientists have managed to contribute to the recovery of 15 mammals, eight birds, four frogs, one reptile, and one fish, which also include the humpback whale, driven to near extinction by mass whaling in the 1980s.

APR 2023

Scientists discover fungus that can help break down plastics

Two types of backyard mould were discovered, Aspergillus terreus and Engyodontium album, that can break down plastics in 140 days, giving a potential solution to the plastic degradation crisis.

» Images: Cristina Gottardi/Unsplash (above) Clockwise, top to bottom: Christopher Pike, COP28/Flickr, Thomas Vimare/Unsplash, Kyle Cleveland/Unsplash, Jas Min/Unsplash, Todd Cravens/Unsplash

Coventrya net–zero leader in Britain?

Callum Morar (he/him)

The UK continues to fall down climate change rankings year on year, dropping a total of nine places from 11 to 20 between 2023 and 2024. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rolled back several pieces of climate legislation and instead approved projects such as the construction of a new coal mine in Cumbria to boost domestic coal production. The backtracking on climate policy has affected the UK’s credibility as a previous COP-hosting nation and fails to be in line with the government’s aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68% to stay below the proposed 1.5°C global warming target.

Coventry has demonstrated its ability to excel in climate rankings

The UK as a whole may not be on target, however, when zooming in, we can notice one city in particular that exceeds expectations. Coventry has demonstrated its ability to excel in climate rankings, achieving a climate index rating of 91.52 out of 100. This is higher than those of described ‘climate friendly’ UK cities such as Cambridge and Belfast. Councillor Jim O’Boyle (Labour) states: “I’m very proud that Coventry is well on its way to being a net-zero city in the very near future.”

So how has Coventry soared to the top of the climate rankings? And what is the proposed plan for the future?

Coventry, a city located in the West Midlands with a population of 345,000, is a climate superpower showing extraordinary results subject to its climate strategy proposed in 2009. The projected target was to save

7,121 tonnes of carbon over the subsequent years. Coventry City Council's carbon dioxide emissions were at the highest point they had ever been, reaching values of over 28,000 tonnes. 2009 was an imperative year for Coventry’s climate strategy, not only in its establishment but also in the breadth of projects it aimed to cover. This included the ‘School for Future project’ which entailed the projected investment of £330 million in reconstructing secondary school learning facilities to tailor them to modern standards, favouring sustainability with majority glass walls, increased ventilation, and other provisions. Other projects included solar panel implementation and lighting upgrades for offices.

The ability the Council had to revamp climate policy was evident

2013 saw the implementation of ‘Heatline’, a waste-to-energy facility network that was projected to save 650 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. This no doubt helped emis sions decrease by 5000 tonnes from 2012. The amalgamation of Coventry’s climate policy reform has led to in-council emissions in 2019 peaking at just over 10,000 tonnes, over two times lower than that of 2009. Furthermore, overall citywide emissions steadily declined to 1.25 kilotons in 2019 down from 2.1 kilotons in 2005. The ability the Council had to revamp climate policy was evident, with results exceeding the carbon footprint deadline by six years. Coventry City Council winning an Energy Management Award in 2023 for their work in making the city

library more carbon efficient proves their efforts are not being overlooked. Work such as draught-proofing windows, upgrading to solar PV lighting, and installing a new battery storage system was recognised by the Energy Matter Association who are the convenors of the award.

[Coventry] is already a leader, being declared the fourthmost-prepared UK city

However, they have not stopped there. The Council and the Climate Change Board recruited Professor Andy Gouldson to assess the climate plan and develop a net-zero target. He is a well- established environmental economist who has created climate plans for sustainability front running cities in the UK such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Belfast, Swansea, and Cambridge. The urgency Coventry City Council has shown to establish a clear climate plan is testament to its success in reducing carbon emissions. Working with people such as Professor Gouldson will ensure Coventry thrives in the future role model for cities across the UK. It is already a leader, being declared the fourthmost-prepared UK city to meet the 2030 zero-emissions plan. From here on, the priority for the Council should be to seek joint venture partners for investment, which can be used for larger-scale green projects, as well as to maintain the current ones already in place.

Climate resilience – an unprepared London?

London,

along with other cities in the UK, is “underprepared” for the impacts of climate change such as the increasing severity of weather events like flooding, storms, and extreme heat and drought, according to an interim report released in January.

The London Climate Resilience Review was commissioned by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to assess how the capital can prepare for the effects of climate change. Twenty “urgent recommendations” were outlined to be implemented including for the national government to devolve to local governments more power over spending and funding to allow them to better fund climate change objectives.

Recent years have been marked by a series of extreme climate events. 3,271 heat-related deaths were recorded in 2022 in the wake of a record heatwave which saw temperatures rise above 40°C. Flooding has been occurring with increasing severity – London was hit by two severe flash floods in 2021, causing more than £100 million in damage. In January of 2024, hundreds of homes across England were evacuated due to torrential rainfall. Flood defences upstream of the Thames Barrier will need to be replaced by 2050 according to the Environment Agency, 15 years earlier than expected due

to the effect of rising sea levels. “We need to recognise that Londoners now face lethal risks, and a step change is needed” said Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the London Climate Resilience Review. “It’s time for the UK, led by its cities and regions, to take action and prioritise adaptation.”

Significant funding will be needed on a local level

Local government finance emerged as a major issue from the report, as significant funding will be needed on a local level to make the necessary climate adaptations. “In the absence of national leadership, regional government has a more significant role to play”, stated Boyd. However, the report has been released in the context of an ongoing crisis in local government finance. According to the Local Government Association, nearly 1/5 English councils are at risk of bankruptcy. As councils are forced to sell assets to fund essential services, there is concern over the availability of funding for longer-term investment in climate resilience.

This is an issue affecting not just councils in London but across the UK. Last year, Birmingham Council was forced to effectively declare bankruptcy. More locally, both Cov-

entry and Warwickshire councils will need to make tens of millions of pounds in cuts to avoid insolvency for their annual budgets, which are set to be released imminently in February.

A government spokesperson commenting on the report’s release stated that the government has “set out a clear five-year adaptation plan to increase the country’s resilience to the effects of climate change and protect people, homes, and businesses against climate change risks such as flooding, drought, and heatwaves.”

The Environment Agency has been unable to meet its targets on flood defences

However, a recently released report by the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee revealed that the Environment Agency had been unable to meet its targets on flood defences due to a lack of government funding. Due to the deteriorating condition of the UK’s flood defences, 203,000 houses are at increased risk.

The government has been further criticised recently for backtracking on its environmental policies. Conservative MP, Chris Skidmore, resigned over them government’s decision to greenlight new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. The Labour Party

also recently dropped its £28 billion green investment pledge.

The government has been further criticised recently for backtracking on its environmental

policies

Responding to the Climate Review’s release, Sadiq Khan said: “I welcome these recommendations and have proposed in my latest Budget an additional £3 million to accelerate climate adaptation work in London … I can also confirm today that the London Resilience Partnership will carry out an exercise later this year to test London’s preparedness for a severe heat episode and that my green finance programme will begin work to consider how adaptation finance, including nature-based solutions, can be accelerated in early 2024.”

Now that the interim report has been released, feedback will be collected. The full report and findings will be released by the end of 2024.

Rory Gallagher (he/him)

» Images: Georgi Kyurpano/Unsplash (top left, background), Sam Clarke/ Unsplash (top left, center), Jr Harris/Un- splash (middle), Ugur Akdemir/Unsplash (bottom)

Podcasts Bad Gays, good podcast

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

The Bad Gays podcast is hosted by Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller, who discuss "evil and complicated queers in history". Each episode is about a particular individual and seems to be structured as a pre-prepared biography followed by more general discussion. Podcasts like this and Do Go On, and really any podcast that is trying to explore a topic people may not know about, invariably faces the issue that I’m probably just not that interested. I haven’t heard of Ronnie Kray. I haven’t heard of Andrew Sullivan. I haven’t heard of Ernst Röhm. They’re probably fascinating. I want to want to know about them. But can I actually bring myself to download and listen to an hour-long conversation about their lives? Absolutely not. So, I chose an episode about a name that was vaguely familiar – Jeffrey Dahmer.

Once they started talking more freely, I found both hosts incredibly insightful and eloquent

I’m not a big true crime fan. I could pretend it’s some moral objection to its existence as a genre of entertainment, but really, it’s just not that interesting to me. Dahmer has very much been in the public zeitgeist over the past few years, in no small part due to the 2022 Ryan Murphy dramatisation, so at least now I can hold my own in those conversations without actually having to sit through that.

I wasn’t initially impressed with the way

the podcast was produced. The biography is an important section to provide context for the following discussion, but it was very obviously being read aloud from a pre-prepared document. This is a totally valid form of delivering factual information, but I personally hate listening to people just read. It’s what put me off the Ungeniused podcast as well. Reading aloud without sounding like you’re reading aloud is a very underrated skill, and I wish these hosts would invest in it.

That said, once they started talking more freely, my opinion dramatically shifted. I found both hosts incredibly insightful and eloquent. They note how, especially at the time, Dahmer was viewed alongside AIDS as the natural consequence of living a homosexual life. There was a pervasive and homophobic idea that the gays get what was coming to them, one way or another.

They are critical of Dahmer's fame and status in modern pop culture, and the problematic nature of true crime as a genre at all

They talk about how reports of his cannibalism have been overstated. They are critical of Dahmer’s fame and status in modern pop culture, and the problematic nature of true crime as a genre at all. To quote the episode, they say “the real true crime is that the guy who got Jeffrey Dahmer arrested is in jail, and the police officer who delivered one of his victims back to him was promoted to president of the Milwaukee Police Association”. They talk more broadly about how most documentaries seem to underrepre-

sent police incompetence, how none of his victims were big news stories because they were socially undesirable (with being gay and all), and even make bold postulations about how the consumption and propagation of this sort of true crime story inadvertently reinforces the systems and structures that facilitated this atrocity in the first place.

We’re obsessed with maintaining that knowledge so as not to let history repeat itself

Consuming queer content (that is, made by queers, not necessarily about queers) is so refreshing in terms of having that shared understanding and subculture. One quote from the podcast really exemplified this for me. It’s during the biography section, where they’re describing Dahmer’s early life, and they say “he had begun at this point to experiment sexually with a couple of boys in the woods, sort of normal teenage stuff”. Most queer listeners probably related immediately, but I don’t know that straight podcasters, filmmakers, reporters, or historians would describe that as normal teenage stuff, because I don’t know that it is normal straight teenage stuff.

Even though I enjoyed that particular episode way more than I expected I would, I can’t see myself listening to many more. I think I would be more inclined to engage with a podcast celebrating LGBTQIA+ people from history who have done good things. There are so few of us, and my historical knowledge is so bad that I don’t think I could even name 10 queer people

from history famous for what they create rather than destroy. Part of this is, I think, because famous queer people’s sexuality is only really talked about when they do something bad. Even homophobic people may be content to overlook it if they’re a fan of the work. I also think it’s just easier to be publicly recognised for atrocity than it is to generate enough good things in life so as to be historically notable. In my head, most famous people from the 18th century and before are pretty despicable. We’re obsessed with maintaining that knowledge so as not to let history repeat itself, but good celebrity tends to die with the person. That said, Bad Gays is hosted by two queer men and is clearly done with good intentions. They at no point try to claim queer people have any predisposition towards poor moral character, and in fact even allude to the opposite - that much of the tragedy these people caused would not have happened if not for the homophobic culture of the time.

The queer insight into some of these individuals and events is lacking in mainstream history resources

While I didn’t subscribe myself, I would still recommend this podcast, especially to straight people. This is a highly well-researched show with extensive reference lists for each episode, and the queer insight into some of these individuals and events is lacking in mainstream history resources despite often being highly relevant.

» Image: rawpixel.com

The Anthropocene Reviewed reviewed

Manypeople know of John Green as a prolific author and YouTuber, but he has also had a wildly successful career as a podcaster. His biggest podcast, Dear Hank and John, is a respectable advice-giving show hosted by John and his brother, who has an equally impressive resume. The Anthropocene Reviewed is more of a solo venture.

He manages to make inaneseeming topics vaguely entertaining

The Anthropocene is the semi-official name for the current geologic age, on which humans have a huge impact. This is what John Green is reviewing in this podcastan aspect of history which humans have impacted, out of five stars, two per episode, starting with ‘Canada Geese and Diet Dr

Pepper’. The episode was pretty interesting, and I certainly know a lot more about both of these phenomena than I did when I started. Who knew that Canada Geese have bounced back from near extinction in the 1960s to be considered a pest in some parts of the USA today, or that Dr Pepper is the only soft drink not based on a pre-existing flavour?

While not truly John Green’s goal, I have long loved the idea of rating every single thing. On an episode of The Unmade Podcast, Brady Haran and Tim Hein do a similar task one episode, rating things and compiling a list from best to worst. A single list ranking the country of Australia in the same competition as vitamin D supplements or the stickers you get at a polling booth is hilarious, at least to me, but this humour doesn’t detract from the fact that I’m actually very interested by how closely these completely unrelated things are ranked. Single-person podcasts are a rarity, and this is probably for good reason, but I don’t

hate them. I am not a great podcaster by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I would be an especially poor solo podcaster. The types of people who actually commit to making this kind of content however, at least those successful enough that I hear of them, are obviously pretty good at it. The Blindboy Podcast and So... Alright are the only other shows like this I’ve experienced, although they are both much more personal and less educational than this show. John Green speaks in the third person, but with such confidence and humour that he manages to make inane-seeming topics (I don’t even like geese or Dr Pepper) vaguely entertaining, at least for 20 minutes or so.

many for four years of podcasting by such an accomplished professional. It was popular but too good an idea, so John Green decided to turn the idea into a book instead. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centred Planet came out in 2021. It is John Green’s first non-fiction book and is now very near the top of my Want to Read list. Apparently, the book is more personal than the podcast, with first-person narration (due to John Green’s wife pointing out he does not exist outside the Anthropocene) and some tales from his own life. If the podcast was hundreds of episodes long, I think I would jump ship and skip to the book, but as there are so few (and they’re all nice and short), I think I’ll stick with it. Limited series podcasts are far more commonplace than they used to be, so I would happily recommend this show and I suspect the fact that it ended two years ago would not bother the majority of modern podcast listeners.

This podcast ran for 36 episodes - not

Matthew Randell (he/him)

The anthropocene geological layer, rich with human impact.

Matthew Randell (he/him)

Sport

Editor: James Taylor (he/him) sport@theboar.org

What made this year's Super Bowl so special?

Thisyear’s Super Bowl saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime with a score of 2522.

Every year, the game attracts an enormous audience with approximately 1/3 people in the United States tuning in to watch the match.

The 2024 Super Bowl was no exception. It saw the highest number of viewers to date. The game, played on 11 February, was watched by an average of 123.4 million people in the US, making it the most-watched broadcast since the Moon landing in 1969.

Since Swift was first seen at a Kansas City game, sales of Kelce’s replica jersey have risen by 400%

Part of this high spectatorship was due to Taylor Swift. Swift was seen regularly attending Kansas City games throughout the autumn. In December, she confirmed her relationship with their player, Travis Kelce. She flew from Japan, where she was performing in her ‘Eras’ tour, to support her boyfriend in this year’s Super Bowl.

A poll from Seton Hall Univer sity in New Jersey discovered that 41% of 18-34-year-olds who planned on watching the 2024 Super Bowl said Swift’s presence influenced their decision to watch or the decision of someone that they live with.

The singer not only brought fans to the Super Bowl, but also fans to the National Football League (NFL). Her impact, which has been coined as the ‘Swift effect’, has supposedly boosted the brand value of the NFL and Chiefs by $331 million (£260 million).

Many appreciate how [Swift] has brought a new demographic to the game, but others see her as a distraction from the sport itself

In addition to this, since Swift was first seen at a Kansas City game, sales of Kelce’s replica jersey have risen by 400%.

Swift’s attendance at the Super Bowl attracted a significant amount of media attention. She was filmed arriving at the Allegiant Stadium and was repeatedly shown during the match as she watched from the stands, sitting next to actress Blake Lively.

When the Chiefs won, the camera panned to Swift. Following Kelce’s interview, where he clutched the Vince Lombardi trophy, Swift was pictured embracing him – this clip too was shown around the world on numerous media platforms.

Before the match, Kelce was asked about

Swift’s success at the GRAMMYs. He said that her becoming the first artist to win Album of the Year four times had inspired him.

The impact of Swift on the NFL is con troversial; many appreciate how she has brought a new demographic to the game, but others see her as a distraction from the sport itself.

It can be argued that Swift’s presence has detracted attention from the stars on the field, including Christian McCaffrey, who was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. A conspiracy theory even gained traction; the MAGA-verse theory was that the Democrats and the NFL were somehow linked and would use Swift to rig the game to help Joe Biden get re-elected.

several times, bringing his team back into the game and forcing overtime. It was in overtime that the Chiefs secured their victory.

While some say that the Super Bowl should focus on the American football played on the pitch, it has always been about more than that.

The half-time show has seen some of the world’s biggest stars perform, including, but not limited to, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, and Paul McCartney. This year’s game saw Usher perform a 15-minute-long half-time show that featured Alicia Keys.

The adverts that play in between the Super Bowl also feature big celebrities. It reportedly costs companies $7 million for a 30-second advertising slot during the break.

In total, Americans spend $17.3 billion on food, drinks, merchandise, and decorations

Although the Super Bowl is always extremely popular worldwide, Swift has simply amplified its presence.

This year’s game was initially dominated by the defensive players, and it was not until the fourth quarter that fans saw Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, perform to his full potential. Kelce linked up with Patrick Mahomes

Furthermore, it is not only companies that splash out on the Super Bowl. In total, Americans spend $17.3 billion on food, drinks, merchandise, and decorations to prepare for the game. Approximately 1.4 billion chicken wings are said to be consumed, and 2 billion pints of beer are drunk.

The Super Bowl exemplifies how modern-day sporting events are not only about the sport being played. For many fans it’s the experience of game day: the food, the atmosphere, the entertainment provided, and, in the Super Bowl’s case, the celebrities that are in the stadium watching.

» Images: Wikimedia Commons/Cornfield948 (Background), Wikimedia Commons/iHeartRadioCA

Europe's elite return in first week of Champions League knockouts

Theo Bird (he/him)

TheChampions League has returned, with matches involving Real Madrid, Manchester City, PSG, and Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid win away at the Red Bull Arena

A special strike from Brahim Díaz gave Real Madrid a crucial away win against RB Leipzig on the evening of 13 February.

Coming into the game, RB Leipzig had only one win in their last five games, whilst Real Madrid sat top of La Liga.

With less than two minutes on the clock, Xaver Schlager’s effort was headed in by Benjamin Šeško who thought he had given Leipzig an early lead. However, the goal was ruled out for an apparent push on Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Real Madrid opened the scoring just after the break with Díaz curling an effort perfectly into the top corner.

Following this, Leipzig looked to respond instantly, as Dani Olmo and Šeško forced a double save from Lunin.

Olmo continued to be a bright spark for the hosts, as his long-range effort was well saved by Lunin.

From the subsequent counter-attack, Vinícius Júnior hit the post for Real Madrid.

A good, albeit undeserved, win for Real Madrid leaves them in a good position to progress to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Leipzig will feel unlucky to come away with nothing after an excellent performance.

Manchester City win in Copenhagen

Manchester City put themselves in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals with a deserved 3-1 victory away at Copenhagen.

It took just 10 minutes for the holders to score, as Phil Foden found Kevin De Bruyne in the box who finished low into the far cor-

ner from a tight angle.

Despite dominating, Manchester City were pegged back as the ball fell to Magnus Mattsson, who confidently finished into the corner following a mistake from Ederson.

Manchester City then led once again just before the break as Bernardo Silva cutely finished past Kamil Grabara from the corner of the six-yard box.

In additional time, Phil Foden sealed the victory and possibly the tie. It was a wellworked goal to round off a good evening for the defending champions.

Lazio defeat Bayern Munich in Rome

Lazio earned a surprise 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich in the Champions League thanks to Ciro Immobile’s penalty.

Bayern Munich started the better side, with Harry Kane firing over following Thomas Muller’s cross.

Bayern came close to opening the scoring as Leroy Sané’s effort whistled wide following a clever free kick routine.

Bayern continued to dominate, as Jamal Musiala put a good chance over the bar with five minutes left of the first half.

After the break, it was the hosts who had a great chance to take the lead. Luis Alberto played Gustav Isaksen through one-on-one. The 22-year-old saw his effort saved well by Manuel Neuer.

The game’s decisive moment came in the 67th minute, as Dayot Upamecano’s chal-

lenge on Isaksen resulted in a red card and a penalty kick. Immobile scored confidently, sending Manuel Neuer the wrong way.

All this means Lazio take a lead to Munich for the second leg. Meanwhile, the pressure continues to be ramped up on Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel.

PSG take control at the Parc des Princes

In Wednesday’s other match, PSG got the better of Real Sociedad.

The hosts started better, as Kylian Mbappé forced a good save from Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro.

Real Sociedad had their moments, and almost took the lead as Mikel Merino’s longrange effort clipped the top of the crossbar.

In the second half, Ousmane Dembélé’s corner was headed on by Marquinhos and tapped in at the back post by Mbappé.

Less than five minutes later, Mbappé clipped the top of the crossbar from outside the box.

With 20 minutes left, PSG doubled their lead as Bradley Barcola skipped past Hamari Traoré, before poking the ball through the legs of Remiro for his first goal in the Champions League.

PSG put themselves in a good position to quality for the quarter-finals, leaving Real Sociedad with a lot of work to do in the second leg if they want to stay in the competition.

(Left), Wikimedia Commons/All-Pro Reels (Right)

Rachel Gore (she/her)