The Founder March 2022 by The Founder

THE FOUNDER March 2022

DAN PEPIN | CONTENT WRITER

t is no secret that student loans cause palpable misery to students all across Britain. They are a constant, creeping reminder of the fivefigure cost of one’s education, always following in one’s shadow. This is why the Augar Review for Higher Education 2019 stood to be such a beacon of hope for the student community, with its recommendations to reduce tuition fees from the current £9,250 to £7,500. This, alongside the promise of returning maintenance grants for disadvantaged students, came as a shining light in the dark; however, this was where the joy stopped.

Index

UK Educational Inequality Continues to Rise

Some of the other highlights of the review included increasing the loan repayment plan by a decade, reducing the required salary for loan repayment by £3000, and a minimum GCSE grade required to qualify for a student loan. It does not take an expert to explain why these plans would be a gross injustice to the future student community. This is why it was such a violent shock to learn that these recommendations are due to be implemented in the government’s new plan which will affect students starting in the 2023 academic year. Not all of the recommendations have made it into the plans, notably the two saving graces of reduced tuition fees and maintenance

grants are absent from the list.

Instead, the government has revealed itself to be the indomitable, classist machine that many have always feared it to be. A machine that does not care for its component parts as it executes plans that will destroy the hopes of many aspiring students. The extension of loan repayment plans will have an immeasurable psychological effect on earners as they subject themselves to an additional decade of debt which is something that

News....................................................................................2 Features................................................................................5 Opinion And Debate............................................................7 Lifestyle.............................................................................10 Arts: Arts and Culture........................................................13 Arts: Literary Reviews.......................................................14 Arts: Film...........................................................................16 Arts: Music.........................................................................20 Sports..................................................................................23

Source: Wikimedia Commons

carries a taboo in the working world – often it is a sign of financial instability that causes shame to those trapped by it. The government wishes to see this malpractice expanded under the guise of reducing interest rates,

a measure far from an earner’s top priorities. No, they will be more concerned about the longevity of repayment coupled with the income level for repayment being slashed by £3,000 that will mean they start paying sooner than earlier

Narcissistic Men and Their Invasion of Global Politics P. 9

generations. These middle earners will be fixed on these facts that will dictate their lives. Unsurprisingly, the highest bracket of earners stands to gain the most through the plans as they can expect to pay 26% less than they do now, according to the BBC.

The Lost Daughter: Was it a Lost Opportunity? P. 19

Continued on p.9 Club Case Studies: 4) Toulouse P. 24

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

The Forgotten Refugees HARRIET WHITAKER | NEWS EDITOR

n the midst of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict, the UK has been criticised for the nation’s lack of humanity in relation to the refugee crisis. The Guardian has reported that the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel urging the British government to set up ‘a proper consular service’ in Calais. In his letter, he wrote that Patel and Britain’s response was ‘completely unsuitable’, showing little care and a huge ‘lack of humanity’ toward refugees who were often ‘in distress’, going even further to deem that these people are in danger and are being shown little compassion. Recently, Eurostar decreed that all Ukrainian refugees are able to travel to the UK for free. However, this does not include any other refugees. The contrast between Ukrainian refugees and all others is stark; they seem to have been forgotten. Many endanger their lives everyday attempting to cross the Channel in small boats, at large risk of drowning.

Despite this, refugees in Calais are being largely forgotten. The Brexit referendum saw limitations to the number of refugees allowed to enter the UK and begin a life here. However, with the ongoing crisis, the British Home Office has been receiving thousands of visa applications, that it has had to increase its weekly visa processing appointments from 500 to 6,000 a week. This is an incentive to speed up applications from refugees that have relatives living in Britain hoping to join them here. As well as this, the amount of time people are permitted to remain in Britain has been raised from one year to three years.

The Founder Board 2021 - 2022 Editor in Chief Abra Heritage editor@thefounder.co.uk

Managing Editor Robert Matthews managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk

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Many of the Ukrainian refugees that have been turned away from UK borders are now alighting in Calais. British authorities have reportedly turned away Ukrainian refugees at the border after failing to show visas. An Instagram page called @ care4calais posts information about the situation, as well as organising protests. An upcoming protest on March 19th is being advertised, promoting the hashtag #AllRefugeesWelcome and donning the slogan ‘World Against Racism and Fascism’, alongside supporting the Stand Up to Racism campaign, Black Lives Matter.

News Editor Harriet Whitaker

Illustrator Tabitha Turner

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Features Editor Sela Musa

Arts Editor Isabel West

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Opinon and Debate Editor George Woods

Literary Review Editor

Liam Anthony Elvish

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literaryreview@thefounder.co.uk

Lifestyle Editor Cyann Fielding

Music Editor Finn Murphy

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music@thefounder.co.uk

Sports Editor Oli Gent

Film Editor Tilley Bennett

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The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. This means we are not affiliated to the student union or the college. We pride ourselves on our investigative journalism and aim to keep our readers up to date with news on and off campus. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor, particularly of opinion and debate pieces. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of its stories. To book ad space in The Founder, contact our managing editor at managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk. THE FOUNDER is printed in Cambridge by Iliffe Print

NEWS 3

THE FOUNDER March 2022

Misogyny in The Met: Police Commissioner Resigns ANNA ARMELIN | CONTENT WRITER

Source: Wikimedia Commons

ollowing a string of recent controversies in the London Metropolitan Police force, Cressida Dick announced her resignation in February. In the recent months, Britain’s largest police force have faced a series of appalling accusations alluding to discrimination and racism. Mayor Sadiq Kahn stated he was not ‘satisfied’ with Dick’s response to the need for change following recent scandals including the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer in a case that shocked the nation. The Independent Officer for Police Conduct (IOPC) are now examining this incident, debating whether chances were missed to identify Wayne Couzens as a potential threat to women before he attacked Everard. This was seen by many as not an aberration, but a clear-cut example of attitudes polluting the police force and the treatment women receive.

The departure of Dick and the recent scandals surrounding the force have brought to light wider systematic issues that have become problematic for the institution. A damage to confidence in police service is detrimental to the regulation of society and democracy.

Further reports of the IOPC show that recent cases highlight problems in other areas as well as the Met Police. There have been multiple cases of officers jailed for inappropriate relationships with women, abuse of position for sexual purpose, as well as A report made by the IOPC, the misconduct. police watchdog, condemned With Cressida Dick’s misogyny, bullying, resignation, there demands a discrimination and sexual change for the Metropolitan harassment among a dozen Police force, starting at the officers. According to the core of the institution itself and report, officers have been seen its values. As cases like these inappropriately joking about continue to rise, the credibility rape, as well as using other of Britain’s law enforcement is offensive language in messages at risk. on social media. The police watchdog cited that these behaviours are part of a wider culture in the force, rather than isolated incidents.

The Russia-Ukraine War and Its Irreversible Consequences KASHMYN HOOGHAN | CONTENT WRITER

ince Russia’s invasion of Ukraine commenced on Thursday 24th February, there has been a multitude of consequences which have left the entire world not only stunned, but divided. Russian military have committed war crimes as they continue to carry out Putin’s vision to erase Ukrainian history, despite many pleas form humanity against this.

Russian air strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets suggest that Putin’s failure to secure a hasty win has left him more ruthless than ever. Although initially and primarily focusing on targeting military bases, Russian armed forces have now shifted to bombing city centers, schools, and hospitals. It is evident that the safety of the country has been compromised, but what does this mean for Ukrainian civilians?

With Russian forces bombing city centers and rockets raining over residential areas, a total of 1.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine as estimated by the United Nations, and those that choose to stay are fearing for their lives. The UN goes on to confirm that at least 331 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 675 wounded since the beginning of the invasion.

It has also been reported that a total of 2,870 Ukrainian troops have been killed, roughly 3,700 injured, and just under 600 captured. In contrast to this, the Russian Defense Ministry has recently announced that 498 Russian soldiers have died and a further 1,597 have been injured.

Aside from the casualties that Putin’s invasion has produced, there have been a number of changes that have occurred in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, including the downfall of the Russian economy. A significant retaliation of the invasion, the ruble has plunged in value to a record low of less than 1 U.S. cent after Russia has been disconnected from the global bank remittance system. The Russian currency has dropped by a staggering 26% as Britain imposes sanctions against financial institutions and freezes Russian bank assets causing Russian civilians to flee to the bank and rescue their savings.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

Britain is not the only country to implement aggressive sanctions against Russia. Countries including Canada, Taiwan, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia have also contributed to sanctioning Russia’s financial sector causing a Russian economic crisis. As Russian air strikes augment, so do Ukrainian pleas for NATO to intercede and succor. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has made a direct appeal to Russian soldiers, telling them to ‘lay down your arms’ although as the war rages on it is clear that there is no intention to do so. No dictator dares admit weakness and it is evident that Putin is not an exception here.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Fastest European Migration in Decades Following Russian Invasion of Ukraine ROBYN SPINK | CONTENT WRITER

ithin five days after Russia’s invasion, an estimated 660,000 people were forced to migrate out of Ukraine, with predictions suggesting it could reach up to 4 million within the coming months. This influx of migration comes as Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February over Putin’s concerns that modern Ukraine was not enabling Russia to feel ‘safe, develop and exist’. Many Ukrainians, predominantly women and children as Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are not permitted to leave, have been forced to flee their homes after Russian shelling and missiles. 548,000 have migrated to Poland, 133,000 to Hungary and 98,000 to Moldova. This sudden migration has caused waits of up to 24 hours at border checkpoints with neighbouring countries, some even waiting up to 60 hours to cross the Polish border. Refugees that have been able to reach safety in other countries have been staying in makeshift camps, schools, and private apartments.

The EU is enabling Ukrainian refugees the right to live and work in EU countries for up to three years without claiming asylum. However, this will not be extended to nonUkrainian nationals, meaning students and temporary workers will be excluded.

The UK has been criticised for its lack of action in accepting Ukrainian refugees, with France’s Interior Minister suggesting the UK government has shown a ‘lack of humanity’ after 150 migrants were turned away after not having valid visas. However, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab argued that the popular support for Ukraine could be undermined if refugees were allowed without visas. He also predicted that 200,000 Ukrainians could migrate to the UK through the family dependents route, clarifying ‘the humanitarian route, that is uncapped’.

Despite European countries opening their borders to refugees, there have been reports of racial discrimination, with students from Africa and the Middle East reporting being pushed back when attempting to cross the borders to safety. This article was submitted on 7.03.22. Numbers may since have changed.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

Summer Thoughts SELA MUSA | FEATURES EDITOR

s the days roll over into March at the hasty end of February, the sun is starting to set noticeably later, and I find myself waking up to daylight everyday now. The promise of spring is pending with pink blossom on pavements and tulips sold in stores, and the skinny long twigs on trees look particularly gorgeous in the feathery blue sky. In particular, I am waiting for the sunglasses and sundresses, and to ditch these large, knitted jumpers that make me feel childish when I stuff them under my coat. I am eager to end what is left of the months of worrying about my disappointing form in a baggy jumper over baggy jeans, as I walk alongside the main road very conscious of my exposure through the car windows. Floral dresses, and folds and frills that distract from the completely unflattering – what a daydream.

MOLLY AINLEY | CONTENT WRITER

Source: Sela Musa

Others may see it differently, agonizing about the weather’s obligatory demands to show more skin and shape and be done with the layers, and I can understand this too. There are plenty of things that come with the summertime and a certain self-conscious vulnerability may very well be at the top of that list. I suppose this piece is just in recognition of that and to tell you, if it does apply, that no matter how deep you feel in the mirror-lined abyss of appearance and superficiality, you are completely and unbelievably not alone. This suffering and self-hate is recognised, and I truly hope that it is something that leans down on you a little less this year.

Whilst this is something that needs desperate discussion and elaboration, despite those that scowl at the superficiality of it all, the topic is left rather vague here for fear of understating something that weighs so heavily on so many people in the few words left of this article. I personally cannot wait for the time where I do not have the desire to sleep earlier to surpass the feeling of bloat after a particularly heavy meal, and when my shape of the day is not something that determines an outfit choice. There is acne on my shoulders that is waiting for me to let it out with the sunlight so it can also get a taste of the salty seaside air. I know that everybody has something, and I hope that with each day we all get a little closer to just existing.

Can Art Really Change the World?

he Tate modern exhibitions always intrigue me, for why is it they are always so socially relevant in one form? I wander around and become empowered by the art and sculptures and posters and colours. There is art by the Guerilla Girls, a feminist group advocating for equality in the art world, which illustrates the way in which art is exclusive of women, unless of course the women are naked. I have always loved the way in which art is completely up to you, for what I may think about for days you could only glance at for a second. It will always invite us in, but it is our choice to linger in the halls. Linger in the walls. And talk.

It is the action of talking which gives art its power. We must tell our friends about how a piece left us questioning, we must whisper in the halls about how a poem left us crying, we must scream in the streets about how a play left us spiralling. We have to actively engage, otherwise it will simply stay still, and we shall stay still with it. A piece in the Tate which has inspired change would be ‘The Ice Watch’, created by Olafur Eliasson.

Highlighting climate change by facing us with ice that is melting, we are able to see the reflection of the ice caps, leaving us to question, in a ruthless way, our impact on the world. The ice was taken to multiple locations for society to be exposed to. Although non-conventional in what is defined as art, this project allows awareness to be spread in an engaging manner. Many spectators touched and felt the coldness, and with this touch, were forced to engage with the reality of global warming. I believe this is art that can change the world, as you have no choice but to look at it and think about why it exists.

Art has been changing the world previous to the 19th century, for art work done by Leonardo da Vinci ‘challenged moral and artistic convention’ (Alis Brennan). His work on the anatomy of the body, and his drawing of a foetus were radical at the time but changed the way in which scientists and artists studied the body.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

He created exceptionally realistic drawings which forced the way the body was drawn to become more accurate, eventually focusing on internal organs and becoming as true to form as possible. He was able to use art and drawings to educate and inspire.

The world can be changed by art, whether it be political, historically, socially, individually or just creating new forms of art itself. We must allow art to change the world, and as much as we question it, we must also embrace it with open arms. Change is exceptionally scary, but I think in this generation it is mandatory. And, when the news becomes too scary, and the TV is too loud, and the generations above us become out of date, turning to art to understand the world is not the worst thing one can do. Source: Olafur Eliasson

KENZA GARMZI | CONTENT WRITER

Selective Empathy Global Crises

ebruary 24, 2022, the day history will remember as ‘the largest conventional military attack in Europe since World War II’. At least a million Ukrainians have been displaced with hands being pointed at Russia’s brutal leader, President Putin, for committing atrocities against humanity leaving thousands of civilians dead and injured. The west has reacted by imposing sanctions on Russia including, but not limited to, excluding Russian banks from Swift (the world’s largest bank messaging system), freezing assets of Putin-backed oligarchs with businesses and property in the west, and businesses such as Facebook and Nike limiting Russian access to their

All this comes as a preventative measure so that the western world won’t have to directly engage with Russia in war, however many foreign-born citizens are facing a different kind of war: one from the country being invaded, the perpetrators of war, and the western media. The bitter reality is that racism exists in any realm, even during crisis. It is only two months ago that I addressed the issue of attitudes towards immigration to the UK in an article for this very paper. Of course, this isn’t only an issue at home, but also in plenty of European nations, particularly when these immigrants happen to be a different colour to the hegemonic group.

Many of those left stranded in Ukraine were students of Black, south Asian, and Mediterranean descent, looking to find the opportunity to study for a cheaper price than at home, where many of them can’t afford to. They were left with limited public transport due to fear of attack on these routes, so they had to find alternate routes, including walking for hours just to reach the border. As Nigerian medical student Jessica Orakpo told the BBC, even as they reached the border they were told ‘Ukrainians only’ and that if they were black, they should walk. Further refugees reported being physically assaulted at the border and facing segregated queues of Ukrainian and non-whites. These claims were

in even dismissed as misinformation until recently when the UN accepted that there was racism towards non-white refugees at the border of Ukraine. This however provokes a wider issue that was once silent and is now a glaringly obvious problem, that is the attitudes and selective empathy of the west during the conflict in Europe/US vs the global south. This is shown in the acceptance of refugees in Poland, Austria, and other Ukrainian neighbours where once these nations adopted hostile attitudes towards Middle Eastern and African refugees, are now welcoming white Ukrainian refugees with open arms. Further evidence of this apparent racism appears in the news coverage of the Ukrainian invasion.

THE FOUNDER March 2022 A few examples include CBS News correspondent Charlie D’Agata describing Ukraine as a ‘relatively civilised, relatively European’ unlike other nations like ‘Iraq and Afghanistan’ where conflict like this is to be expected. Multiple other news networks including the BBC, ITV, and Al Jazeera shared similar sentiments, how could this happen to blond-haired blue-eyed people? Conflict in the Middle East and Africa has become so normalised that when wars have been raging for decades, they go largely unaided and ignored as those suffering do not look like a majority of those in the west. They do not have white skin and therefore do not deserve basic empathy, at home or at the border.

OPINION AND DEBATE 7

At War Against the Natural World

This article was submitted on 4.03.22. Numbers may since have changed. JOEL DAVIES | CONTENT WRITER

hile the beginning of 2021 almost saw the collapse of American democracy, in 2022 it was Kyiv that fell under attack. Despite this constant stream of distressing news, we must not lose sight of the impact these events have on the issue of this century: the environment. With Europe exiting a remarkably long era of peace, we are forced to confront the humanitarian horrors of wars of conquest yet again, and this time we also have an obligation to also consider the harm to the Earth. The interconnection of conflict and environmental destruction has a ruinous history. The ‘Dust Bowl’ of 1930s America was rooted in the violent conquest of Native American tribes, recent conflicts in Iraq have drained the Tigris-Euphrates river system, and European military and economic conquest kick-started deforestation on every continent.

Source: REUTERS/Maksim Levin

The current man-made water shortages in Crimea, Ukraine are just one example of how in the theatre of war, water, food, and fire can be used as weapons as painful as bombs and artillery.

Steps taken in the name of conflict prevention and preparation can be more catastrophic than war itself. The US Army, the world’s largest army by far, is one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, producing almost twice the amount of emissions annually as the oil-rich nation of Norway. With increasing competition worldwide and isolationist attitudes on the rise, the US Army is failing to convince many that 59 million tonnes of annual emissions are really worth it for the ‘world policeman’ role it aims to play.

Tensions surrounding global conflict often explode into environmental disaster too. Tensions brewing between Ethiopia and Egypt have created a contentious situation over the Nile River. Contrasting the cooperation programs formed in West Africa, geopolitical tensions over water supplies have led upstream Ethiopia to rapidly fill its Great Renaissance Dam, threatening to deprive the nations of Sudan and Egypt of excruciating amounts of water. The narratives and the attitudes of conflict led to this decision and prevented compromise, and the land and people of North Africa will suffer from it. War itself is a humanitarian disaster first and foremost, but it also carries considerable environmental consequences. Scorched-earth tactics are a relic of a bygone age of genocidal warfare, involving burning all agriculture and vegetation, but are still utilised in many conflicts today, as recently as 2020 in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The prevention and de-escalation of war should be regarded as essential goal by environmental activists. Wars of conquest, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are ultimately fruitless anyway if we allow our planet to degrade. Once the dust has settled, world powers (especially NATO) will have a renewed vigour, and should take the opportunity to implement environmental safeguards in their reformed charters. Russia is being sanctioned for a ‘violation of the UN charter’ according to a joint statement from 51 countries delivered by Ambassador ThomasGreenfield. It is possible that in the future, deliberate environmental damage in wartime could also constitute such a violation, and that the nations of the world may be able to find peace in a joint commitment to save our common world.

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The Changing Tectonics of Our World GEORGE WOODS | OPINION AND DEBATE EDITOR

ussia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a watershed moment. Already, millions of people are expressing their horror at Russia’s aggression against a clearly innocent people. Even now, performative activism has taken a new meaning as people promote charities and support organisations from the comfort of their home. Indeed, the inter-generational response has been inspiring. However, the invasion of Ukraine has shown a dirty, eviller world coming into fruition. And yet this is home. Regardless, it cannot be denied that the political, social, economic, and cultural tectonics of our civilisation are changing. The 90s to 00s were an arguable golden age for the West. Europe was free from the direct consequences of wars which the rest of the world suffered. The 08 crash did have devastating impacts on western economies, but the fear of missiles and homes being destroyed was something that appeared far from home. Technology was booming and the rise of corporatism ushered in new forms of exchange that had good and bad impacts which we are still experiencing. Nonetheless, it can be safely deduced that those in the West enjoyed a much-needed holiday from history. It seems that this vacation, at least, is over.

Source: Shutterstock

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a watershed moment, and one which will have supersized geopolitical impacts on the world stage. Firstly, the indestructability of Europe has been blown of the worlds guarantees. Rather than continental warfare being a thing stuck in our WWIIcentric history, the West has instead been confronted with a new reality. Moreover, even with the advent of social media, a tool which ensures communities across the world are bought together as one, invasions of fellow nation states is still a political weapon which great powers do not fear from. Russia’s invasion can be paralleled to that of 9/11 in its significance. The world is a much scarier place.

But this is only one change. The prosperity of the world is shifting from West to East leaving communities affected by globalisation vulnerable to the radicalisation of the far right. The rise of India, China and other Asian states has brought new and unpredictable players into the global arena. How they respond to Russia’s invasion has been a cause of key interest for those in London and Washington. What is our response to our changing world? It is difficult to identify. While Boris blusters and America still contends with the legacy of Trump, little can be done to provide a response in our communities. Anxiety of our population will only aid the far right, and that must be counted. Whether any of the major political powers of the world have a response which will end Putin’s invasion and thereby prevent a precedent is yet to be seen. All that we know is that the world is changing.

THE FOUNDER March 2022

OPINION AND DEBATE 9

THE FOUNDER March 2022

Narcissistic Men and Their Invasion of Global Politics ALI KRAUSOVA | PUBLISHING AND CREATIVE DESIGNER

Continued from front page:

e all know the tropes. Seeking to make an image of power and strength, boastful, overconfident. Their true self? Insecure, with faux inflated self-worth. It is alluring at first before you realise they only have five stories to tell and those they repeat mindlessly. Everything is on their own terms; they will respond when they feel like it and they will break a promise if they do not. There is a fascinating element to these qualities, if not deeply threatening when in positions of power. The biggest problem is that more than anyone else, these men attract each other. What starts as a battle the global majority would find near impossible to justify becomes an invasion by the most power-hungry in politics. Kanye praising Trump and Trump praising Putin, who ultimately wishes he could be Stalin. It does not stop there. Even Johnson’s The Churchill Factor is another example of having a ‘role model’. Somehow in this biography, Johnson fails at writing about Churchill’s life and ends up writing about Boris Johnson’s. But being power-hungry and self-centred seems to be working out well in politics as Johnson becomes a Prime Minister himself five years after publishing this book. Who is going to follow next? Beware the charming, they all are, but are they trustworthy? Putin claims to be fighting against fascism when his own actions are its example.

Source: FreeIMG

This is supported by the fact his own people and the people of Russia do not stand with him. The president is a oneman institution, starting a fight just for the sake of challenging his own power. But it is hard to stop people like him when they have ideas such as changing the constitution to assure, they can rule forever up their sleeve. It is a simple one with narcissism – they always feel like they are the worst, so they cover this with an act that they are the best. What gives men such thirst for power? The powerful admire the powerful, but the weak do too. Power can equal success. The sad thing when you are narcissistic is that even when you finally achieve your goal, you get bored too soon again.

What do you do then? Pick another extreme scenario because nothing less than that interests you enough.

It is important to consider that Putin has idolised a part of history he has not even lived through properly. But even if our history is taught from several perspectives, certain people always naturally choose to go the opposite direction. One thing with our generation is for sure, when this madness finally stops, Putin will not only not be a hero but in fact, will become a meme and will be ‘cancelled’. What we need to focus on now is how we can recognise these people amongst other politicians and how can we stop them other than by suspending their Twitter accounts.

Another despicable facet of the proposition is the introduction of the GCSE English and Maths requirement, and at least two A-Levels at grade E. This proposal deliberately seeks to alienate and prohibit disadvantaged pupils from accessing the same financial aid as others who have the grade requirements. The government is maliciously exempting certain pupils from attending university: young carers who cannot focus all their time or energy on education will be forgotten; immigrants who have to learn the English language alongside their GCSE’s will be marginalised simply because they do not fit in the government’s neat idea of higher education. These plans simply cannot go ahead, they are nothing but unscrupulous attempts at saving money at the expense of the people. They will cause low and middle-income earners to struggle, disadvantaged students to be discarded, and in the long run they may cause potential students to abandon the hope of university, robbed of the education they deserve but cannot have.

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Living in London After Leaving Holloway: What Have RHUL Students CYANN FIELDING | LIFESTYLE EDITOR

hen asked, ‘have you/do you intend to move to London after graduating?’, 71% of surveyed Royal Holloway students replied ‘yes’. London being so close to Royal Holloway’s campus offers the perfect opportunity to get to know the area, and even the city, for three years before making the jump to potentially move there. With such a high percentage of students from the university wanting to move to London, it needed to be determined why. When asked ‘would this be for further education or working?’, 71.2% said they would be moving into a job, whilst 28.8% said they would be continuing into further education. With both questions having a large split between answers, and the evident desire of Royal Holloway students to move their lives to the big city once graduation arrives, this article will be suggesting some tips for moving to London post-graduation.

London Living

Trying to find a job in London can be a daunting process. Depending on which area you wish to go, there will be significantly varying job opportunities. Sometimes the typical jobs sites like Indeed are not enough, and you need to get your hands dirty by spending time researching who the CEOs, managers, and even employers are. By emailing these people directly with a tailored approach you will most likely impress them with your proactiveness – an attribute many employers look for. The statement ‘it’s not your experience but the contacts you have’ may be an extremely annoying one, but in a lot of cases it is true. Use those people around you and reach out to those you know in the sector you’re applying to and you may be surprised with what can emerge.

However, there are some massive advantages to living in London. London is such a vibrant and buzzing city, meaning there is always something to do. The social life, whilst admittedly expensive most of the time, does not have to be. Applause Store give away free tickets to TV show filming’s at the Television Centre, many museums and galleries are free, and there are several green spaces to explore. London for most industries remains their central hub.

Work

London living is not the dream for everyone, and there are some massive cons, which surveyed students made clear, commenting that they did not want to live in the capital ‘due to high rent costs’, it being ‘incredibly expensive and not necessary in order to achieve further education/career’, preferring to live ‘somewhere quieter with more green space’, loving being a tourist in London and not wanting ‘to move there and grow to hate it’, ‘crime rates’, ‘want[ing] to explore more of the world’, having already grown up in London, wanting to ‘live somewhere by the beach’ and it being very ‘corporate’. These disadvantages of London are certainly big for some people and worrying for those who do plan to move to London. Rent is undoubtedly high in London, and for graduate entry level jobs, often you are left with little disposable income. It is also obvious London lacks the natural beauty experienced in other parts of the UK.

Further Education

London hosts many educational centres, ranging from universities to more specialist institutions to get certain qualifications in a subject. Whilst there are places outside of London for further education, London

Source: Flickr

offers a unique opportunity where working and studying alongside each other is made more accessible. Other Areas of the UK

Other areas of the UK do also offer the above, but it may be slightly harder to discover opportunities, especially if what you are wanting to study/work in is niche. So, yes or no?

London is undoubtedly exciting, and a vibrant, busy, cosmopolitan city. The opportunities are often huge, and the opportunity to immerse yourself in different cultures in one city is a rare one. But having said this, there are some other amazing places in the UK which offer equally as good opportunities. It all comes down to personal preference, what you are looking to do, and who you are looking to live with. If you are struggling to discover your answer to where you want to be, consider these questions: Do you mind busy places?

Do you prefer the countryside/beach or cities?

Do you mind commuting on public transport?

Does the career you have in mind have better opportunities in one place than another? What would your expensive be in each place? Do you mind living far from home?

Have a brainstorm, and the answer will come.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

Why You Should Keep a Journal REBECCA DE SÁ | CONTENT WRITER

he mind of a student is incredibly crowded. Thoughts about looming deadlines, exams, internships, and even the prospect of summer around the corner are enough to get anyone’s brain muddled and overwhelmed. This is where journaling comes in. Writing expressively for just 15-20 minutes per day is guaranteed to release some of the built-up stress that a person may be facing. Keep on reading to discover more about the different benefits of journaling and some tips on getting started. From a sense of self-discovery to promoting better memory and sleep, journaling is a proven tool in coping with some of the ins and outs of daily life. Here is a very brief list of some of the most central ones: Reduced stress. It has been proven that journaling is an effective stress managing tool. Expressive writing can also help people to manage stressful experiences healthily. Boosted mood. An amazing benefit of journaling is that it can make you feel more uplifted and give you a greater sense of overall emotional well-being and happiness. Sharpened memory. Recounting experiences or events can boost memory and comprehension and increase working memory capacity.

The absolute best thing about keeping a journal is that it is unique and completely personal to the individual writing it. The way people write in their journals may differ. Some may prefer to start with ‘Dear Diary’ and then talk about everything that has happened over the day, whilst others might use prompts to help them to talk about specific things or events in their lives.

Source: Flickr

The beauty is that there are no set rules for journaling. The important thing is to try and write honestly. At the end of the day, a journal can always be burned once it has been finished. But having the opportunity to let everything out at least once is extremely valuable. If you’re feeling a little confused on where to start, use these prompts:

Revision Tips for Upcoming Exams

1. If you did not have to worry about money or people’s opinions, what would you do with your life?

2. List the top five people you admire, and why?

3. Describe a place where you felt the happiest It is vital to remember that journaling is not meant to be a torturous experience. If the above prompts (or any others found on the internet) are causing a person to feel distressed and/or uncomfortable, then it is okay to stop. Journaling is a good way to sieve through all the muddled thoughts a person might have, but it should never cause unnecessary rumination. There is no harm in trying it out. A person should remember to be true to themselves throughout their writing and they will surely reap the benefits of it.

ANNA MORENO | CONTENT WRITER

he end of March marks that time of the year when students will start thinking about their exam preparation. No matter your degree course, it is helpful to enter exam season with a revision plan. Knowing what your goals are and how you are going to approach revision can reduce some of the stress regarding exams, and the earlier you start, the better. Here are some tips to get you started when thinking about your revision. Organise yourself beforehand

Before jumping into the actual revision process, it can be helpful to develop a revision plan. This could be anything

that helps you know what you are going to revise and when. First, note down the days of your exams, and prioritise the ones that occur first or the one which you believe you will struggle with the most. Then, decide what days or what hours of the day you are going to study a particular subject. Collect appropriate materials such as flashcards, pens, textbooks, and make sure they are all ready before you start studying. You will waste less time stressing whether you have the right materials when you begin your revision. Tidying your space before you revise can reduce stress and allow for more effective studying.

12 LIFESTYLE Active recall

Staring at a revision book and reading it for an hour may not necessarily be a productive way to revise. Active recall is key to remembering learnt information through studying. One example of active recall could be to write down everything you remember from a particular chapter you read of a textbook, and then check your information afterwards and proceed to fill in the gaps. You could also try and draw up a spider diagram of what you just covered, as it allows you to visualise how points and ideas may link together. It also forces you to condense the information and try to put it in your own words. Try the pomodoro method

The pomodoro method is a popular revision method which particularly benefits those who prefer to take breaks more frequently and struggle to focus for extended periods of time. When you use the pomodoro method, you start by working for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break to reset. This can give your eyes a break too, as staring at revision notes and not moving from your chair for a while can make your body feel quite sluggish. This is referred to as one pomodoro. Once you have completed four pomodoros, you can take a longer break of 30 minutes. This is believed to increase productivity while giving you more frequent breaks. Therefore, this method can be helpful for those who get burnt out easily from studying for lengthy periods of time. You can set timers for your pomodoro on your phone or alarm clock. There are also several YouTube videos that allow you to follow along with the set times as you study.

Hide your distractions in another room

‘Putting away distractions’ is a common revision tip which is easier said than done. Often students turn off their phone notifications so they are less tempted to check their phone for messages. However, simply having your phone in the room can lead to one slowly reaching across the table or standing up to start scrolling endlessly through social media. Force yourself to put any distractions in another room before you start revising, and you may find that getting up and going all the way into that room to reach for your phone is simply not worth the effort. Tutor your friends

Sometimes, it can be helpful to talk about what you have learned with a study buddy. If you have friends who study the same subject, or friends who are willing to be your teaching guinea pig, it can be helpful to recall what you have revised verbally as you try to teach them the information you learned. It acts as another form of active recall and allows you to think about how you phrase the information in a way that another person can understand.

Source: Flickr

THE FOUNDER March 2022

A Critical Review of the ‘That Girl’ TikTok Trend Rest

MAHEEN SHARIFF | CONTENT WRITER

ne of the most popular trends circulating Tik Tok at the moment is the ‘that girl’ trend, that young women all around the world attempting to aspire towards. Who is ‘that girl’, one may ask? According to social media, she is everything every girl wishes she could be. She is a female in her early twenties who wakes up at 6am and gets a Starbucks iced coffee before heading to the gym for her yoga class. She comes home to her minimalistic monochrome decorated apartment she magically owns, makes a colourful, seemingly healthy breakfast of avocado, sourdough bread, and scrambled eggs. She takes her dog for a walk and then somehow, with ample amount of time, makes it to her 9am lecture. She ticks everything off her to do list. She never gets burnt out. She never feels tired. Her diet consists of salads and matcha tea, and she is in bed before 10pm to do it all over again the next day. She sounds incredible, right? But, the most important thing that must be noted about this girl, is that she does not exist. Here is the reality. Sourdough bread and avocado is not cheap for a young student in their early twenties. A Starbucks coffee at 7am every single day is not realistic. Gym memberships and classes are not accessible to everybody. There is no time in that daily routine for relaxing,

for social events, family, or for anything other than productivity, and it is the lack of realism within this ideologic trend that makes it so toxic. So, here is some advice on how to be that productive, healthy and happy person without the unrealistic social media expectations. Walking Over Lifting

One of the easiest ways to feel physically healthier is by walking everywhere as opposed to taking the bus or driving. This is especially easy as a student, make walking a priority to do every single day. A really simple way of doing this is buying your groceries less frequently, meaning you need to walk to Tesco more often which is a really good way of encouraging more consistent body movement without having to pay for the gym membership. Bag up your veggies

Buying vegetables and then freezing them in bags is a fantastic way to incorporate more nutrients into your diet, without spending the entire student loan on protein powders and supplements. You can add them to pasta sauces (which of course is every student’s favourite low effort meal) as well as simply boiling them and having them on the side. With the right seasonings, the possibilities are endless.

This one cannot be emphasised enough. Yes, it is important as a student to be productive. Yes, falling behind can be frustrating as it means more time than needed spent on notes and lecture slides. However, the biggest downfall of any student (especially the further into the degree we go), is burn out. Where everything feels stressful and overwhelming because there feels like there is no time to relax. This is false. There is no such thing as no time. We must make time for things that are important and taking rest evenings will in turn boost productivity and will mean all work will be of better quality. Having said that, it is important to appreciate that the trend actually has a very positive intention. It inspires young women to feel empowered every day by being productive and healthy. But the doubleedged sword is that it is this very narrative that can become so toxic so fast because it implies that the only way to be successful is to have a rigid routine, which is untrue. Balance is everything. Make time for your friends and family the way time is made for studying. Make time to cook as often as possible, it is not only money saving but it gives our brains the opportunity to temporarily focus shift. And most importantly, as long as you are happy and satisfied with yourself, there is nothing to worry about.

THE FOUNDER March 2022

ARTS & CULTURE 13

Life of Pi at the West End ISABEL WEST | ARTS EDITOR

ransforming a novel as narratively rich as Life of Pi into film is by no means an easy task, but transforming it into a play is infinitely more impressive. Under Max Webster’s expert direction, Lolita Chakrabarti’s script is brought to life through simple staging and expert puppetry. The play was first performed in 2019 in Sheffield to five-star reviews that continue 3 years later at Wyndam’s Theatre next to Leicester square. Much of the play is staged on the boat with Richard Parker the tiger, or in the hospital with only a hospital bed and table on stage. The sides of the boat rise up out of the floor and Piscine ‘Pi’ Patel’s hospital bed becomes the raised end of the boat. Although the set appears simple at times, the play has you in its grips the whole way through, aided by the compelling visual effects that mimic the ocean, trees, and the night sky. The more complex staging occurs in the flashbacks set in India, as the stage becomes the zoo Pi grew up in, the Indian market where he engages every available religion, and the ship he and his family board to escape the increasingly repressive government. Alongside Hiran Abeysekera’s sensational performance as Pi, the puppeteers’ incredible skill is what makes the show so gripping. Performing as the many zoo animals, (hyenas, orangutans, and zebras amongst others) the puppeteers are able to bring to life these animals, portraying their fear

Source: Simon Friend Entertainment

and emotions so brilliantly that the sinking of the ship with all the animals onboard becomes intensely unsettling. The star of the show Richard Parker, who appears alongside Pi for much of the play, is controlled by three puppeteers; Fred Davis as the head, Daisy Franks as the hind, and Romina Hytten as the Tiger Heart. All three melt into the tiger as the audience forgets they’re there for much of the play; a true testament to their talents. It wasn’t until the end when I stayed for a talk by one of the head puppeteers on how they created Richard that I truly appreciated their skill and talent. The talk also revealed how physically demanding their jobs are. They spend hours in rehearsals studying their animals, their movements, expressions, and emotions. Although the animals’ movements are loosely choreographed, they improvise much of it which gives the audience a real sense that the animals are alive.

The staging of Pi’s survival on the boat is contrasted with his dull hospital room as they cut back and forth between the two. A few of the visuals felt similar to the film, such as Pi and Richard Parker’s interaction with the luminescent fish in the sea. Onstage it was just as charming as the film, as all the other cast members came onstage with fish that appeared to glow and dance. Throughout the play the visuals, achieved through set, visual effects, and the puppets, were captivating and stunning, and left me completely enchanted and enthralled by the intricate world they were able to create.

Source: Simon Friend Entertainment

14 LITERARY REVIEW

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

The collection was composed almost entirely of stories that Moore has used in her Master’s thesis. This was Moore’s debut publication. Titled Self-Help and published in 1985, the collection garnered critical acclaim and marked the beginning of Moore’s ongoing, successful literary career. Self-Help is a collection of nine short stories that are all deeply rooted in the female experience. Several of the stories centre around a character being something to someone else: a mother, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a wife, and even a mistress. The characters that Moore writes of are complex, flawed, and interesting above all else.

LIAM ANTHONY ELVISH | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

he concept of the campus novel is something that has traditionally remained, if not exactly obscure, then relatively niche as a genre. Perhaps the ever-increasing demographic of a university-educated populace has widened interest in this field substantially since 1954, when Kingsley Amis’s first novel, Lucky Jim, was published. Amis, an Oxford scholar with a penchant for haughtiness, could not possibly have predicted the extent of such a changing social climate here in the 2020s, in which admission to higher education institutions and the obtainment of a degree has now become the ‘norm’ amongst young people in this country. It is in this light that Lucky Jim can be read as a work of historical fiction; a novel containing a progressive edge with one foot faced towards the future, yet not entirely removed from the world of ivory towers, lawn tea-parties, and punting, so oft-associated with the likes of Brideshead Revisited.

Amis, through his protagonist, is at the forefront of the ‘angry young man’ culture that would go on to dominate the arts in Britain in the early 1960s. James (‘Jim’) Dixon, a young Medieval History scholar, whose behaviour fluctuates between embarrassing obsequiousness when in the presence of his senior dons, and misjudged calculation as he attempts the woo his crush Christine, is the archetypal antihero; clumsy, insecure, and, in spite of his intellect, possessing that remarkably unworldly quality which is one of the more endearing aspects of a ‘coming -of-age’ story.

THE FOUNDER March 2022

Moore pulls seemingly ordinary stories from ordinary life and makes them rich and identifiable. She writes of situations that appear in the lives of others: divorce, loss, illness. In doing this Moore proves the importance of the everyday in literature. SelfHelp emphasises the idea that every story can be significant, that what is interesting in fiction is not always fantastical but can come from the mundane. Source: Ronald Searle

Combining a wonderfully dry wit, fiercely biting at times, with a viscerally descriptive quality, Amis crams in some quintessentially English stiffupper lip characterisations. Jim’s reluctant courtship with Margaret, an unwelcome presence at the entirety of times, provides for much hilarity as Amis’ viciously brilliant putdowns provoke the reader to feel both extreme delight and pity in not-so equal measure.

Amis’s gift for written humour never fails to defy expectation and his first major work is testament to true comedic genius, paving the way for the likes of authors such as Sue Townsend and Will Self, but whose reputation has yet to be significantly surpassed within the contemporary literary scene, for all the strong contention. Despite his death in 1995, Amis is a writer who still stands tall as every reason to Shifting from the monotonously learn the English language and absurd to the downright learn it well (or risk missing farcical, the reader is blessed some of its best bits entirely). with a quirky delicatessen of Britishness, the ‘old-school tie’, aloof academic elites, and pompous social mannerisms being the targets of mockery from the author, who is merciless in his analysis. Amis swerves us confidently to the CHLOE BOULTON | CONTENT WRITER finale, as Jim prepares for his first major spoken assessment pon graduating from Cornell as a junior scholar, providing University, Lorrie Moore was a talk on the history of ‘Merrie encouraged by one of her teachers to England’, unfortunately contact Melanie Jackson, an agent shunning sobriety in the who sold Moore’s collection to process with some highly Knopf in 1983. amusing results.

Self-Help by Lorrie Moore

Moore wastes no page space with unnecessary, long-winded descriptions or convoluted metaphors. It is not challenging to read SelfHelp, so a reader can enjoy it immediately without fighting through layers of inaccessible prose. Moore uses the imperative in several of the stories in this collection, and she is one of a handful of authors who can write this way both well and convincingly. At times though, it feels slightly overdone. Partially this is because she uses the imperative so frequently, but it also creates a distance between the reader and the stories themselves. There is an assumption with this style of writing, rightly or wrongly, that Moore makes, that ‘you’ would do the things the characters do. The most memorable story in Moore’s collection is ‘How to Become a Writer’. It is the ninth and final story in the collection and seems to mock all the preceding ones, as well as Moore herself. The protagonist (‘you’, or Moore, or anyone), is a writer who fills her stories with tales drawn from real life, and titles them with bad puns. The other characters in the story are the protagonist’s fellow students; they are unimpressed by her workshop submissions and critique them with questions such as ‘Have you earned this cliché?’. Moore is self-aware, and accepting of her writing habits, good and bad. Her stories are filled with cliches, are titled with bad puns, and do draw from real life, but she is unchanging despite the criticism, and it is this that makes her so good at what she does.

THE FOUNDER March 2022

Stoner by John Williams

LITERARY REVIEW 15

VIKTORIA PRACZKO | CONTENT WRITER

‘

Lust and learning,’ Katherine once said. ‘That’s really all there is, isn’t it?’ (John Williams, Stoner) American writer John Williams’ 1965 campus novel, Stoner, traces the steps of young William Stoner as he abruptly switches from studying agronomy to literature after attending a lecture on Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 73’.

Williams’ academic novel presents a blossoming love affair between a young scholar and the subject of the love of language. Stoner is the type of rarity that holds such brilliance that its easily flowing lines put you in a trance-like state hungry for more. Williams’ depiction of the fountain of knowledge and literary escapism both inspire and bless the reader with an aura of creativity. Stoner’s almost romantic relationship with the humanities is the prime example of man being saturated with artistic passion. His character’s extensive struggle to obtain and then maintain his position within the university faculty reiterates the beauty of lust for the ‘aesthetic’ life. Stoner’s unshakable engagement within the school politics only adds to the reader’s ponderings of lifestyle choices. His immersive contemplation further reflects the determination of human nature, unarguably assisting one towards their long-sought answers for what ifs.

Stoner is humanely honest and grounded in the present. Whilst it is an admirable collection of academically trying times and unwavering devotion, it is also overshadowed by a continuous sense of melancholy. Stoner effectively paints the real-life challenges of adulthood and displays them through the lens of the everyday man. Williams’ realistic dialogue enables the reader to both witness and relive Stoner’s pain from his marital struggles and often Source: Unsplash, Tim Alex pessimistic surroundings. Stoner also offers an insight into the political disputes and the tensions they brought to the academic world. Through Stoner’s diminishing friendships and often tragic view of daily anxieties, Williams concurrently paints the futility of life and the fragmentation of society after World War One, the Great Depression, and the Spanish Civil War.

Stoner is the book that stays with you and the one that you choose to inscribe in for someone special for their birthday. It is a novel that at times makes you grin from joy or cry out of frustration. Despite the emotional rollercoaster that it takes you on, the novel highlights the strength of your connection with literature and reinforces your necessity both in the normal and the literary world. ‘You must remember what you are and what you have chosen to become, and the significance of what you are doing.’ (John Williams, Stoner)

Pam and Tommy: Exploitation Déjà HANNAH ARMOUR | CONTENT WRITER

am and Tommy (2022) is a biographical drama miniseries following the illegal release of Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee’s (Sebastian Stan) honeymoon sex tape. The sex tape, stolen from a safe by a disgruntled carpenter, goes as viral as it can in the early stages of the internet. The series release replicates the sex tape in question: it was distributed without Pamela Anderson’s permission and against her wishes. To get around this, the show bought the rights to the 2014 Rolling Stone article by Amanda Chicago Lewis, ‘Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Sex Tape’. Given the emphasis on consent in the show, it seems ridiculous to have negotiate around it for the shows very creation. It highlights one key fact about Hollywood: consent is only essential

Within the show, Pamela Anderson is two-dimensional at most. Though there are attempts to humanise her, starting with her monologue on Jane Fonda, and her meek attempts to get more lines in ‘Baywatch’, these fail in providing any depth to her character. Instead, the show capitalises, as ‘Baywatch’ once did, on her body and the continued view that it is a piece of public property (just with slightly more feminist references).

16 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER March 2022

Source: IMDb

Though both Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were depicted participating in the same act (sex), the show acknowledges the sexist response to it. While Pamela is slutshamed for it and ostracised from her job (as shown in a particularly heartbreaking scene in which the camera crew watches the tape on set in front of her), Tommy Lee is praised for it, becoming a pseudosex god. All the while, the couple deal with the after-effects of their whirlwind marriage as they get to know each other not only as people, but as husband and wife. The show also follows their efforts to conceive but so far has conveniently left out the spousal abuse inflicted by Tommy later in their marriage.

In contrast, Tommy Lee is portrayed as only having one working braincell at a time, as evidenced through his 'deep' conversation with his penis (who talks back, voiced by Jason Mantzoukas). The show depicts him as having an inability to express himself beyond a primary school level of emotional depth: ‘I am sad’. However, the real Tommy Lee has approved of his portrayal… maybe he’s just like that.

Credit given where credit is due, the actors transformations are mesmerizing from Lily James’ forehead and breast prosthetics to Sebastian Stan’s extensive fake tattoos. Likewise, James’ acting is exemplar: she captures Pamela’s complexity (Canadian small-town innocence coupled with objectification-based fame), even if the show doesn’t. However, the show’s exploitation of an exploitation brings an eerie sense of Dejavu by introducing an entirely new generation to the initial exploit: the sex tape.

Daddy Issues in Space: Ad Astra Review JETHRO ROBATHAN | CONTENT WRITER

here to start? Ad Astra is James Gray’s attempt to create ‘the most realistic depiction of space travel that’s been put in a movie’. The word ‘attempt’ is used intentionally because while this film certainly has its strengths, they are upstaged by a clunky, overexpository script. The visual effects are admittedly stunning, albeit gratuitous. For example, the nightmare fuel baboon scene, courtesy of Weta Digital, was simultaneously terrifying and narratively unnecessary. ‘Most realistic depiction of space travel’ indeed. It also felt a little derivative of Espinosa’s Life (2017) – a much better scifi film for those wondering.

In this absolutely riveting, 124-minute tale of interplanetary daddy issues, Brad Pitt assumes the role of Rory McBride who is tasked with, in no particular order: saving Earth (naturally), his relationship with his father (predictably) and the integrity of this film (improbably). To Pitt’s credit, he manages to breathe life into what would otherwise be your cardboard cutout stoic-savior archetype. A nod also to Tommy Lee Jones’ part as Daddy McBride, whose actual name evades me. Jones sprinkles a much needed nuanced, emotionally sensitive performance into the cauldron. Doubly impressive is he does so in a comparatively short amount of time, only appearing on-screen towards the climax.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022 The strained relationship between McBride and his offscreen wife, insert narrative yawn here, pops up throughout the film but it is hard to muster much care. McBride’s impassiveness to things in general quickly becomes grating, although this is no fault of Pitt. Lifeless screenplays can only be injected with so much oxygen before they pop. McBride’s apathy also undermines the entire sequence of events; he literally agrees to be sent across the solar system, confronting second-rate space pirates, escaping military confinement, and murdering his crewmates, just to save his father. If that doesn’t count as daddy issues, I’m not sure what does. On second thought we can remove the homicidal tendencies charge – it was in self-defense and, to be frank, they had it coming. Ad Astra arguably falls victim to the bane of sci-fi; emphasis is placed on perfecting the CGI lunar landscapes, so much so that the core of any cinematic experience, the story, is left to the wayside. It’s doubly sad for this picture. The raw potential sowed by both visual worldbuilding, and acting prowess is left unharvested by a thoroughly underwhelming denouement. If James Gray had decided to cut the final half hour then this film would be far more tolerable. Maybe even good? The aforementioned space pirates could also do with some consideration; moon bandits and their go-karts somehow lording it over a militaryfunded (ie: bottomless), top-secret operation doesn’t seem fitting for the ‘realistic depiction’ Gray was going for. Perhaps I misinterpreted the film entirely. The Latinate title, meaning ‘to the stars’, could in all fairness be a tribute to Hollywood’s modus operandi of relying on household names and recycled tropes. Maybe.

Rebooting Horror Source: IMDb

MATILDE GUNCAVDI GUIMARAES | CONTENT WRITER

n this past year we have seen a multitude of reboots flooding every streaming platform, cinemas and TV programming. The ensured audiences for these are what make film and television producers decide to reboot everything they could possibly think of from iCarly (2021) to Gossip Girl (2021). The horror genre is definitely not immune to this creating more reboots than one could possibly even watch. Just this year so far, Scream (2022), a reboot of the 1996 film of the same name, managed to earn over $130k at box office and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), also a reboot of the 1974 film of the same name, managed to hit the coveted #1 spot on Netflix. Regardless of their large viewership both films have received backlash from critics with many calling for the franchises to be retired.

The main issue in both Scream (2022) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) arose from the films’ inability to adapt to present day. The Scream franchises have always been self-aware, often having characters refer to the unspoken rules of horror films and utilising these to their advantage. However, in the latest addition to the franchise, this becomes almost unbearable, constantly taking the audience out of the story and even in instances spoiling revelations throughout the film.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s (2022) approach to modernising the franchise was even worse. The film was packed with references to social issues in an attempt to be able to relate to a younger audience, however more often than not the issues lack development and are dealt in a very ignorant manner at times. The scene in the film where Leatherface walks into a bus covered in blood with a running chainsaw just to be met with a dozen millennials taking out their phones and livestreaming with one even saying ‘try anything and you’re cancelled, bro’ is essentially the perfect example of the film’s lack of understanding of the modern world. The question here would be, is there room for originality within franchises and reboots? There is an argument that there is. There have been plenty of adaptations that have managed to capture the original essence of their source material whilst updating it to new audiences.

18 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER March 2022

The Death of the Superhero Origin Story

DEVESH SOOD | CONTENT WRITER

While different directors may bring their own style or passion to demonstrating these events, the audience will already know what exactly they are watching, and for many, see it as wasting time that could be used in pushing the actual narrative forward. Alternatively, for lesser known characters, more work needs to be done in order to convince the audience that one character is essentially equal to the other, which is why Marvel seemingly tried to show this by showing the bitterness between Dr Strange and Iron Man in Infinity War. No matter the case, as long as storytellers are able to tell these stories in unique and refreshing ways, as The Batman looks to be doing, then maybe the loss wouldn’t be too grave. Source: IMDb

ith the release of The Batman, Robert Pattinson became the 7th actor to don the cowl with Matt Reeves at the helm. In all the excitement for the film, it is easy to forget that this would essentially be another reboot, another attempt for the studio to tell the same story as they have done in the past, but with a fresh coat of paint. Why do audiences ignore this? Is it the talent involved, the gorgeous cinematography, the haunting music or even the remarkable trailers? Over the coming weeks, I found the answer: The Batman is another comic book film that tells the beginnings of the dark knight, without actually showing the origin. No Crime Alley, No Mask of Zorro, No Pearls and certainly, No Murder. This has strangely been a trend in comic book movies and has fascinated me. When exactly did audiences get sick of ‘the origin story’, and how have storytellers adapted their narratives to keep audiences on board?

Shazam was the last movie in which a true, narrativebased origin story was told. Beginning with an orphan kid, gaining the powers of a hero after doing something heroic, using those powers irresponsibly, getting beaten by the villain, before learning what he stands for and where his priorities need to be. A solid tale, one that received much critical praise, though maybe not the greatest commercially. Prior to that would be Wonder Woman in 2017 & Dr Strange in 2016 (arguments can be made for Spider-Verse or Venom too). The sole purpose of these films was to show the origin story in the sequential order as the character experiences them. However, in the case of Dr Strange, the film received some criticisms as it felt ‘formulaic’, in many ways, a clone of the original IronMan. Hence, the MCU, specifically, have seemingly tried to avoid these criticisms.

Their first Spider-Man film avoided the spider bite and the uncle’s death, a direct response to fans who had gone through two reboots. This trend continued with their later origin tales, with films like Black Panther and Black Widow mostly avoiding the origins in favour of continuing their stories from previous films. Both Captain Marvel and Eternals were films about the characters learning about themselves, and Shang-Chi was already a master of his craft. The audience is then drip-fed the rest of the details of his past. And in many ways, DC films have followed work in these categories too, with Aquaman continuing the universe and The Suicide Squad essentially telling the origin in the first few minutes. Hence, the main reason that origins stories are far more irregular than they once was primarily comes down to comic book properties being bigger than ever. For the most recognisable characters, their story is known whether shown or not.

The Duke and Its Quintessential British Charm TILLEY BENNETT | FILM EDITOR

he Duke, which is now Roger Michell’s final feature after his death last September, is a touching tribute to the underdog. Spearheaded by Jim Broadbent the film follows Kempton Burton and his trial after stealing a famous Goya painting. Based on a true story, Kempton strives to ‘free tv for OAP’s’ positioning himself as a Newcastle’s answer to Robin Hood. It is a touching story of a working-class man striving for the extraordinary in a life that is defined by the ordinary. The film begins outside a courthouse with Burton pleading not guilty in trial, setting the tone of Burton’s rebellious and spunky

character. Broadbent is convincing in his depiction of a man full of heart and charm, it is rare to warm to a character as quickly as many have with Burton. Viewers follow his life in 1960’s Newcastle discovering the many facets of his personality from impressive book knowledge to unwavering loyalty and love for his family. Michell manages to create a protagonist that feels familiar, admirable, and honest. The Duke is a stark reminder of how impactful an honest and kind lead can be, especially in a society that is increasingly enticed by shock, drama and the superficial. Regardless of anything else, The Duke enforces that humanity can be kind, tender, and comical. This message feels particularly poignant given the political climate of the world.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022 At the core of The Duke is Burton’s family, Dame Helen Mirren plays his enduring and witty wife Dorothy. Their relationship translates more so than most on-screen marriages as they portray a marriage that is far from blissful yet full of mutual love and understanding. Mirren brings humour into her otherwise cynical character, allowing viewers to gain insight into the chaos that Burton brings into their household. Burton, in real life, was either viewed as a working-class hero and man of the people, or as a lunatic. The dynamic between Dorothy and Burton echoes this dynamic, she is constantly reining in his ambitious whims, often bringing him back down to earth.

One of the most touching scenes is his trial. Everything about this crime feels utterly ridiculous and surreal but perhaps that is what enticed Michell to tell this story. Often reality can be more bizarre than fiction. One of the most fascinating elements of Burtons story, and indeed this film, is that viewers never perceive Burton as a criminal, a lunatic, or delusional, but rather as a man wanting to leave a legacy and challenge the rigid establishment. As a viewer you are constantly wanting him to win. It is almost as if you have been recruited on his crusade mirroring the sentiments of his friends and family. The trial is testament to the charm of Burton as even the judge struggles to maintain rigidity, laughing at Burton’s candour.

All in all, this film is simply lovely. It is unassuming and honest. Perhaps at times overly sentimentalm but is that not human nature? The film has true-crime twists, northern grit, and a lot of heart. Broadbent has perfected his comic timing and is triumphant in portraying a man of the people with strong morals. The film is quintessentially British and a moving tribute to Roger Michell. Michell is a creative that has proven his range and technical ability as director.

Source: IMDb

The Lost Daughter: Was it a Lost Opportunity? ZAHRAA AHMAR | CONTENT WRITER

his startling debut by Maggie Gyllenhaal is one of promise and talent for her future films. The Lost Daughter, based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, follows a middle-aged woman, Leda played by the amazing Olivia Colman whose obsession with a young mother, Dakota Johnson, and her daughter on vacation forces her to reflect on her days of young mothering.

The cinematography is something to be marveled at. The cool toned tint and blues soundtrack with the thoughtful wardrobe choices for Leda creates a dreamlike atmosphere, complementing the hazy flashbacks throughout the film. It is truly a picture you cannot keep your eyes off.

One aspect of the movie that seems to have been ignored or perhaps missed was the importance of consciously acknowledging that Leda is an unreliable narrator. That was the purpose of the movie. It guides the audience into a line of questioning. Should we trust Leda? Is she at fault or is she a victim of some kind? The questions continue to pile up, directing the viewer to question our own perceptions and memories and imagination. Thus, this movie is an enjoyable and albeit slightly frustrating watch due to the constant need to question whether what is happening is exaggerated or a figment of Leda’s imagination.

The symbolic use of snakes to represent Leda’s paranoia and traumatic memories is visually striking. It offers the viewer a sense of the chaos that occurs in her mind, almost materializing them and allowing them to exist in the real world, even though the viewer does not know what actually transpired and what is an invention of her imagination. Gyllenhaal did an incredible job with the consistency of the symbolism and the cyclical structure, creating an overall balanced and intriguing movie.

Source: IMDb

Olivia Colman, as always, did a phenomenal job. Her ability to make the viewer sympathize and simultaneously remain wary of her as Leda’s past mistakes are revealed to the viewer is particularly striking. Part of the credit must go to Jessie Buckley who played young Leda. Her performance was engaging and seemed highly natural. Dakota Johnson’s powerful performance was somewhat of a surprise. This serious role showed off her acting abilities and it would not be surprising

if she was to be offered more roles with this much depth. This movie deals with the reality of motherhood as well as the pressures of women to be natural carers. Dealing with this topic is so uncommon it almost becomes subversive. The sometimes unappealing, mentally/physically draining, and complicated emotions that come with being a mother are boldly portrayed. There have not been many, if any, movies that showcase motherhood without the glamorization. To a certain extent, I believe that some of the confusion and negative reviews are partly due to the painful truth that The Lost Daughter exposes. It is an opportunity well used and a poignant watch for mothers, soon to be mothers, and women.

20 ARTS: MUSIC

FINN MURPHY | MUSIC EDITOR

THE FOUNDER March 2022

How to Curate the Perfect Playlist

6. Keep it up to date

aking a playlist can sometimes feel like a real chore, especially when you aren’t sure where to start, but with these handy tips, creating playlists will become your new favourite hobby.

New songs are released every day so make sure you keep adding songs to your playlist. One of the best ways to do this is use premade new release playlists. Sometimes these are already tailored to your listening habits, but even the general ones can be useful.

1. Choose a genre

There is nothing worse than making a playlist and just throwing any song you like listening to in there. It will be a horrible mismatch of music and a slow ballad could immediately jump into screamo rock music. This doesn’t mean that your playlist has to stick to one genre, sometimes genres can overlap, but they need to have a similar sound.

Review BE, BTS KATHERINE MCGLADDERY | CONTENT WRITER

2. Choose a mood

Ensure that you know why you’re making the playlist and when you will be listening to it. If you want a playlist that is going to get you pumped and ready for the day in the morning, then you should mostly include upbeat songs. If you want a playlist to listen to when you’re not feeling too great and need to let your feelings out, then choose slower ballads. The more specific you are with the mood, the better the music will work together. 3. One song per artist

This tip can be very restricting sometimes, especially if you really like a certain artist’s sound, but you may as well be listening to an album if you only include one or two artists. If you can, then limit yourself to one song per artist. This also allows you to have more variety in your playlists. Whilst I have advised on sticking to a couple of genres and a singular mood, the more artists you include, the more likely you are to have a variety of sounds.

Source: Tabitha Turner

4. Use recommendations

Spotify and other apps will sometimes give you recommendations of songs that have a similar sound to the ones you have already added. These songs might not always be a perfect fit, but it is worth giving them a try if you are on the lookout for new tracks that you might not have heard before. I discovered some of my favourite artists using these features and I always check them out when I’m making a playlist.

5. Aim for 30-50 songs

The more songs you add, the more variety you will get with each listen. If a playlist only has 12-15 songs, then each time you listen to it, you will hear the same songs over and over and eventually get bored of them. If a playlist has 30-50 songs, then each listen will be different and you’re less likely to get bored of them. And if you don’t have enough songs, then the playlist might end before you want it to, then you’ll have to listen to the same songs again.

ust nine months after Map of the Soul: 7, BTS released their fifth Korean-language album, BE, on 20th November 2020, making them the fastest group to earn five number one albums in the United States since the Beatles. At twentyeight minutes and thirty-five seconds, it is one of BTS’ shorter releases, but the quality of the music doesn’t suffer as a result. If anything, each song is given more room to shine with unique themes and sounds. As BE is a direct response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the BTS members had the opportunity to contribute to the album-making process in ways they hadn’t before, with new ways of production, concept development, and visual design. The outcome is a raw, intimate album which bursts with creativity and authenticity, delivered in BTS’ unsurpassable style.

MUSIC 21

THE FOUNDER March 2022 BE showcases BTS’ mastery of a wide range of genres including pop, hip-hop, funk, and R&B as they explore lyrical themes of loneliness, anxiety, frustration, hope, and joy. Each song tells a distinct story from a different members’ perspective as they learn to navigate life throughout the pandemic. Life Goes On, sets a mellow laid-back tone as the members ruminate over the challenges set by the pandemic, in particular the disorienting feeling of having surplus free time. There is an underlying message of hope as they look forward to brighter days, emphasised by sweet melodies and lyrics: ‘Like an echo in the forest, the day will come back around again as if nothing happened’. The song was also the lead single of the album, successfully debuting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming BTS’s third consecutive number one single in the United States. The tone becomes more upbeat with Fly to My Room, an R&B inspired track with gospel and funk elements. Featuring four members of BTS, the lyrics explore escaping into makebelieve worlds to avoid the monotony of pandemic life. Jimin and V shine with falsettos and impressive ad-libs as they shake off their blues and feel ‘brand new’ in the imaginary space they have created.

Blue & Grey shows BTS at their best, as the band are well known for their moving pop ballads. Utilising sweeping strings and soft piano, the BTS members confess relatable feelings of depression, loneliness and burn-out reflected in the shades of blue and grey. The vocals are once again a standout here, with breathy harmonies and falsettos performed tenderly by the four vocalists. Particularly noticeable is the contrast between V’s deep baritone and Jimin’s airy countertenor, creating some truly special moments with poignant lyrics like ‘Oh, this ground feels so much heavier, I am singing by myself, if I laugh in the future far away, I’ll tell you that I did.’

The mood once again shifts with Telepathy and Dis-ease; the disco-funk and hip-hop inspired tracks showcase the talents of the rap line. J-Hope particularly stands out in Disease with his energetic flow and pointed delivery. The lyrics are full of puns on different forms of illnesses which highlight BTS’s addiction to work and their frustration at not being able to tour: ‘I’m the job itself, the friend called ‘rest,’ oh, I never liked him, how much do you have to earn to be happy?’. Stay, performed by Jungkook, Jin, and RM is a dance-pop and EDM inspired song. Using heavy bass and an instrumental chorus, Stay reflects how BTS use technology to stay connected to their loyal fan base and how, despite the limitations of the pandemic, they can never really be separated. The album closer, Dynamite, was BTS’s first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and leaves the listener with a sense of optimism for the future. Through 1970s inspired soul beats and a fun disco theme, BTS celebrate the little things in life which bring them joy. Almost a year and a half since its release, BE stands out as a mature and sincere addition to BTS’ discography.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Sydney-originated band’s newest album Angel in Realtime is an introspective piece that centres around lead singer Dave Le’aupepe’s life and relationship with his late father and all the untold truths about their family. Le’aupepe alongside Jung Kim (guitar/ keys), Donnie Borzestowski (drums), Tom Hobden (violin), and Max Dunn (bass) have now expanded their reach to the UK market with the help of Warner Brothers Music.

Throughout their career the band has never shied away from expressing their sensitivity through heartfelt and honest lyrics. This album takes the personal to a whole new level by intertwining Le’aupepe’s Maori heritage with ideas of love, grief, and faith, all wrapped in a lyrically dissonant and string section led sound. Although the band tries to lean away from it, they’ll never forget their Christian roots, with hints of worship

Review: angel in realtime., Gang of Youths ARIEL TANDIARAK | CONTENT WRITER

ussie rock has rarely been in the spotlight of mainstream music charts, but has Gang of Youths influenced a change?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

music that motivate and drive their sound.

The album opens optimistically with a wistful build-up of piano and strings with you in everything. Maori chanting and a grand instrumental section blend into an anthemic concoction that’s similarly replicated throughout the album.

22 MUSIC The second and third tracks, in the wake of your leave and the angel of 8th ave., keep the happy momentum up by also debuting Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo’s musical career. Tend the garden stands out as one of the songs in their album which aesthetically differs in sound with its funky, indie groove. Le’aupepe seems to reflect on his father’s life by lyrically embodying him, specifically with ‘I was young, it was the ‘60’s, you see’ which later interludes into a discussion about Le’aupepe’s father. Lyrically, the album tries to explore the motivations of Le’aupepe’s father’s suppressed life that was hidden and only posthumously examined, bringing about grief and regret for the vocalist.

Track nine, brothers, allows the audience a breather from the high-strung energy and offers a slower, more playful, and simple sound that features Dave alone with a piano. His declarative lyrics dive deeper into the story of how his father grew up and details how he never knew of his other siblings. Like a prayer, the final two adjoining tracks, hand of god and goal of the century, resolve the album by chanting the hymnal ‘Ah, Amen’ and ‘Halle, Hallelujah, Hallelujah’, accompanied by the final stringed instrumental section. Angel in Realtime’s lyrically dissonant sound explores the awkward relationship that fathers have with their sons and the consequences of losing a family member. Despite each song having a lack of musical independence, they all present to listeners a story of love and loss, which shines through the personality of each song.

Review: The Dream, Alt-J

THE FOUNDER March 2022 The second track of the album, U&ME, was released ahead of the full album in The Actor single. The most streamed track in the album, U&ME is proving to be a fan favourite. In interview with guitar. com, the band’s guitarist, Joe Newman, explained how Covid-19 restrictions changed his relationship with his instrument: ‘I think in lockdown, I revaluated my relationship with my instrument. And I went crazy, and I just started buying all these guitars...I’ve spent years playing the guitar, but I’ve not really delved into writing on the guitar...this album sees me doing more of that’. Newman’s newfound confidence is clear in U&ME, with his solo sitting at the climax of the track. Happier When You’re Gone displays the band’s ability to control multiple moods and genres in a single album, all while feeling at home. Breakup focused lyrics accompanied by slow harmonic movement make for a heart-wrenching listen, yet the song’s rhythmic centre and choral backing invites listeners to dance along. This is poetic, art-rock writing at its finest.

ABRA HERITAGE | EDITOR IN CHIEF

‘

Mild-mannered goody-goodies’ is how modern indie rock band, Alt-J, define themselves. Winners of the British Mercury Prize (2012), Album of the Year (Ivor Novellos, 2013), and positioned at number one on the UK charts (2014), Alt-J are at the top of the class in the indie rock scene. Their unique, art-rock sound is what makes the band so distinct. A miscellany of rock, pop, and folk, with orchestral and operatic influences, The Dream is their latest album, released in February 2022. Coming five years after their last release, the twelve tracks are a much-welcomed gift to Alt-J’s 8,000,000+ Spotify audience.

The album opens with Bane, arguably the strongest track out of the collection, and perhaps the most distinctly Alt-J sounding. A cracked open can of Coke and a hypnotic, circling guitar phrase with slightly undistinguishable vocals on top: Alt-J is back in town. The choral, psalm like backing to this track brings a particularly distinct sound. A repeated vocal line ‘my lord, why hast thou forsaken me?’, against the rhythmic honing of the instrumentation goes against typical vocal expectations in indie rock, opening the album with a fresh feel. Bane is an excellent track for introducing an unknowing friend to the sound of Alt-J, with potential to match the legacy of tracks such as Breezeblocks and Tessellate from An Awesome Wave (2012).

Source: @unrealaltj

The album closes with the laughter of a recording studio session. It’s hard to listen and not feel in the room too. Powders follows the slow, nostalgic feel of Happier When You’re Gone, yet there is still so much room given to fun in the track. Wave samples, sliding guitar lines, and gentle hums: this is what Alt-J mean in their selfappraisal of ‘mild-mannered’ and ‘goodygoodies’ rock. The Dream is an absolute delight. Alt-J have returned with everything that fans love about their sound, with a distinct new confidence in their music-making. The album is surely headed for praise equal to that of An Awesome Wave.

SPORTS 23

THE FOUNDER March 2022

What Will Be the Impact of Formula 1 Parting Ways with Russia?

CYANN FIELDING | LIFESTYLE EDITOR

s war becomes prominent once again, the world has been made to question: have we really learned nothing from history? The conflict often labelled as ‘World War III’ has affected millions of civilians and the world that surrounded them before Russia invaded. The conflict also expands further than just Ukraine and Russia; other countries have got involved, stayed quiet, offered refuge and aid, with a universal feeling of sadness that war is once again being experienced in the 21st century. All our thoughts are with those affected. The impact of the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia has also rippled throughout the sports world. One part of that being Formula One.

At the beginning of March, Haas decided to terminate their contract prematurely with their Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin. After identifying that he was more than willing to agree to new conditions and continue racing for Haas, Mazepin claims that Haas ignored him in their deciding process and went ahead and axed the contract. In addition to this, Uralkali, a fertiliser company owned by Mazepin’s father and Haas’ main sponsor, was also dropped by the team, with both parties expressing their shock and upset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Other changes have been made too, with the Russian Grand Prix cancelled and the FIA agreeing that Russian and Belarusian drivers must race under a neutral flag.

It is certainly an interesting time for the sport and fans alike. Like many other sports, it has become the most topical current affair, causing controversy in not just the racing, but in the whole of the sporting world. It is hard to determine whether these sanctions on Russia and their athletes will remain in place for the unforeseen future, but one thing that is evident is that Russia is slowly being eased out from F1. Teams are not wanting to associate themselves and potentially damage their reputation, and consequently, the world is seeing innocent Russian civilians (innocent being that they do not support the invasion) penalised for something they are unable to control.

commitments’, whereby drivers must agree to in order to race.

So, what does the future hold for the relationship between Formula 1, as a sport, and Russia, as a country?

It would be best to establish what is official and what is likely before discussing what ought to happen. The Six Nations itself released a statement denying that there would be changes to participants in the ‘immediate future’. Whether 2025 counts as the immediate future is up to interpretation. What is clear is that Italy are a full member of the Six Nations organisation and can not simply be removed by the other members. They would have to leave consensually, PETER GEDDES | which is unlikely given leaving the CONTENT WRITER competition would cost Italian rugby a good deal of prestige and income just as n my preview of the Six Nations*, I was loath to they make some headway. What these entertain this question, but I gave a brief defence of facts do not rule out, is South Africa Italian rugby in the belief that they are making genuine joining to form an expanded seven or progress in the age group and domestic arenas. eight team tournament.

One thing that remains certain is that Formula One, the FIA, and teams are all condemning Russia for their inhumane invasion of Ukraine.

Only the future knows. For the upcoming season, the presence of Russian sponsors, competitors, and so on will be scarce. In addition, as the conflict evolves, F1 fans are undoubtedly going to witness new developments in the relationship the sport has with Russia. We are already witnessing rules being put in place for Russian and Belarusian drivers in the sport, with 10 agreements being set out by the FIA as ‘driver

The idea of a ‘drivers’ commitment’ is in principle a good concept; ensuring that drivers are resisting from making political comments, and obviously standing in solidarity with Ukraine. The idea ensures the sport is both understanding the conflict and Source: Wikimedia Commons showing its lack of support for the war. Something that with In recent weeks, the issue has been each day, more and more are revived in the public debate due to the expressing. apparent possibility of South Africa For the time being, we are to say joining in 2025. It was reported that goodbye to a Russian influence efforts were being made by CVC, a and presence in the sport, and it private equity firm injecting cash into is in the honest belief and effort the English Premiership, United Rugby to try and make a change to the Championship, and Six Nations, to bring conflict and push it to it end. the Springboks into the Six Nations thereby completing South African rugby's alignment with the European game. This provoked a huge reaction on social media with most coming out against it and some making the case that it would improve the quality of competition.

Italy or South Africa: Both or Neither? Where Should the Six Nations Go From Here? I

24 SPORTS Now that we have that out of the way, what direction should the Six Nations take? When it comes to Italy, there is real potential for them to justify their inclusion in the next five years or so. The group of players they have coming through is promising and the performances of Benetton and Zebre mirrors that of Glasgow and Edinburgh before the Scottish resurgence we've experienced in recent years. Given more time and astute management, they can be made a team ready to compete. To drop them now would be to discard Italian rugby just as it has begun to gain momentum and would make it clear that the powers that be care more about lining the pockets of the existing players more than genuinely expanding the game. Given that, promotion and relegation with the European Rugby Championship would help integrate the second-tier game. I would favour an annual or biennial play-off between the loser of the Six Nations and the winner of the second-tier competition, providing the secondary benefit of putting to bed suggestions of replacing Italy with Georgia. On the topic of South Africa, it is obvious why the stakeholders on both sides think this would be profitable. The Springboks are a huge brand and South Africa has a large commercial audience. With South African franchises now competing in Europe, an integration of domestic and international competition is understandable from a marketing and narrative perspective. What makes this a concerning concept is precisely the commercial weight of South Africa shifting away from a southern hemisphere which is haemorrhaging money more than the north.

THE FOUNDER March 2022

The shrinking of the Rugby Championship to Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia with the possible addition of Japan and/or Fiji is a much less commercially viable project and risks the isolation of these great rugby-playing nations to a periphery. Not to mention the discarding of countless decades of sporting tradition and rivalry in the name of an artificial conglomeration with which South Africa has never had an association.

It may be the case that watching the Springboks play France on a yearly basis would provide excellent sporting entertainment, but it seems to me a self-interested proposal thought up by moneymen Source: The Scotsman that have very little interest in maintaining the global game. It would enrich the North at the cost of the South and leave sporting tradition behind in the search for growing revenues for a minority. *You can read Peter’s preview and analysis of the Guinness Six Nations for free on The Founder’s website.

Club Case Studies: 4) Toulouse

OLI GENT | SPORTS EDITOR

brief historical insight

A phoenix club arisen from the prehistoric Toulouse FC, ‘Union Sportive Toulouse’ were admitted into the Ligue 2 in 1970 after three years of pain where their supporters had to suffer and watch as their club was ripped apart by Parisian outfit Red Star, who took Toulouse’s place the Ligue 1 and signed their entire squad. The start-again club, now officially known again as Toulouse FC from 1979, were finally promoted back to where they belonged in 1982, after 12 years slogging in the second tier for the justice they deserved.

Back in the big time, they’ve had a rocky ride, whilst bringing through some truly astounding talent along the way. Despite the incredible high of beating a Diego Maradona-led Napoli in the 198687 UEFA Cup, Toulouse resumed their bottom half mediocrity, and were eventually relegated in 1994, with the departure of Fabien Barthez a particularly poignant moment. Despite the impressiveness of their history, inconsistency was Les Violettes’ downfall. Persistent yo-yoing between Ligues 1 and 2 finally came to an end in 2001, when they fell to a new low, the third flight, as a result of sheer financial difficulty.

Yet, despite their struggles, they were finally able to settle in the top flight, returning after backto-back promotions in 2003, steadily securing themselves as a true, regular Ligue 1 outfit, before going on to record a history-breaking third-place finish in 2007, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.

Since then, it’s been more seasons of struggle for the Violets. The 2007-08 was particularly bad, with Toulouse only just avoiding relegation on the last day, beating Valenciennes 2-1. The 2016, 2017, and 2018 campaigns weren’t all that fruitful either,

with a peak finish of 13th, and two last-ditch avoidances by the skin of their teeth in 2016 and 2018.

In the 2008-09 season, however, a breakthrough year for top-scoring AndrePierre Gignac meant that Toulouse overachieved massively, climbing to fourth in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Europa League, where they didn’t get out of their group, falling to Shakhtar Donetsk and Club Brugge.

SPORTS 25

THE FOUNDER March 2022 As with Barthez and Gignac, Toulouse have brought through some stellar names into the world of European football, and has garnered a reputation for developing some of the continent’s best young talent, with the most notable academy graduates coming in the form of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko, centre-back Philippe Mexes, goalkeeper Alban Lafont, West Ham centrehalf Issa Diop and Jean-Clair Todibo at Schalke.

from Swedish shot-stopper Isak Pettersson. In front of him, there is much quality in the central defence, and Rasmus Nicolaisen and Bafode Diakite are the go-to partnership, but 20-year-olds Anthony Rouault and Logan Costa run them close and perhaps deserve to start more games. Rouault has begun to get more of a run in the side with the absence of both left-backs Issiaga Sylla and Moussa Diarra, with Diakite filling in as the makeshift fullWhilst bringing through neither back and Rouault slotting in Barthez nor Gignac from their alongside the Dane Nicolaisen. academy, Toulouse has always In midfield is where the quality been a reputable stepping-stone really steps up. Stijn Spierings club for those young players is the star at the base of the trio, looking to break through into with his composure and on-theEurope’s top five leagues, and as ball abilities too good for the with the goalkeeper and striker, French second division. The les Violettes have done exactly same can be said of shuttler the same thing with players like Branco van den Boomen, with Christopher Jullien, Wissam both’s Dutch football education Ben Yedder, Martin Braithwaite, at AZ and Ajax respectively Jeremy Mathieu, and Issa Diop. shining through in their overall How are they doing this season? games. Philippe Montanier’s side sit atop Ligue 2, where many would expect a club the size of Toulouse to be. After a narrow and bitterly disappointing defeat in last term’s Ligue 1 relegation play-off with Nantes coming away victors on away goals, les Violettes have done well to steady themselves and go again in 202122. Convincing wins over Nancy and Grenoble Foot 38 in the early stages of the season built the foundations for what proves to be a successful season as they seek to bounce back to the top tier of French football at the first attempt. Auxerre were beaten comprehensively 6-0 in October and Nimes were snuck past 2-1 just before the turn of the year, whilst a 2-2 draw with Paris proved to be pivot for what should be an enticing title race.

Former Nottingham Forest boss has varied between a 4-23-1 and 4-3-3 shape with his side this season, and it’s had its successes. Maxime Dupe is the club’s number one, although he’s got strong competition

Creative Belgian Brecht Dejaegere would be the preferred number 10 in most scenarios, but he has often been shifted to the left wing to cover for les Violettes’ lack of real quality on the flanks. As such, Australian Denis Genreau has filled in, but not too much avail.

Source: Silly Season

centre-back over the age of 25, meaning plenty of room for potential growth.

In the engine room, more competition could be given to van den Boomen, Spierings and Dejaegere, although youngsters Steve Mvoue, Naatan Skytta, and Kleri Serber could prove to be competent back-ups. It remains curious that towering 6’7” defensive midfielder Kalidou Sidibe was loaned out to Quevilly Rouen this season when he could have been the ideal foil to Spierings at the base of the midfield, and we should see the Malian intergrated back into the Toulouse fold at the start of the new season.

Rafa Ratao is probably the only forward worth keeping in the forward line should they continue their good form and go up this season, and money could be made on names like Healey and Onaiwu, Out wide, Brazilian Rafael funding better signings that would help consolidate Ratao usually comes in off them back in Ligue 1. the left, competing with Ado Onaiwu for a start, whilst Nathan Ngoumou and Junior Flemmings are decent options off the right. In the central striking role, the loss of Efthymis Koulouris has hit Toulouse hard. Rhys Healey, formerly of Cardiff City, has become their number nine, and TOM GIBBS | whilst a good finisher, it seems CONTENT WRITER unlikely that he can mix it with ep Guardiola is largely considered one of the greatest the best in Ligue 1. football managers the world has ever seen. His ultraHow can they improve? attacking, possession-based philosophy has served as Right-back, midfield depth and a blueprint for a large part of today’s tactical landscape, in the front three. winning 31 major honours as a manager, across three Mikkel Desler is decent on different clubs. Given he’s only been managing since 2007, the right of the back four, but this is quite the haul. Hence, it might seem strange to ever he needs competition. There consider Guardiola a failure, right? Maybe not. is plentiful quality in the rest of the defence, with no

Guardiola: A Failure Since Barça Departure?

26 SPORTS Firstly, it is important to define what success is, and consequently, what failure is. Contrary to the popular online narrative, success isn’t winning trophies, at least not solely. Nor is it just about winning football matches. Is Sean Dyche an unsuccessful manager because he hasn’t won any trophies with Burnley? What of his 35.2%-win ratio with the club? Evidently that is absurd. Anyone claiming Dyche has been anything but a raging success at Burnley is, plain and simple, out of their depth as a football pundit. He has operated on a shoestring budget and has over-achieved given the resources at his disposal. To prove the point further, is it more impressive that Chelsea won a double (the league and EFL Cup) in the 2014-15 season or that Leicester City won the Premier League title the year after? Anyone in their right mind would say Leicester’s feat was a greater achievement. Clearly, success and failure are more complicated than just an analysis of wins or silverware. Instead, a fair criterion for success would be a manager exceeding (or at least meeting) the expectations mandated to them. In the case of Burnley, the directive was to stay in the top-flight, a feat that has been repeatedly achieved. Claudio Ranieri had a similar obligation at Leicester and yet he went a great way further and won the title. These are examples of success. Examples of failure are harder to quantify; they usually involve repeatedly failing to meet one's mandate which cannot be summarised by one season’s performance. However, many would argue that Paris Saint Germain’s lack of competitiveness in the Champions League is a prime example of managers repeatedly failing to meet their mandate. There’s also the issue of how a club operates and how feasible a mandate is. The mandate is set by actions not just ambitions. Arsenal could

set Mikel Arteta a challenge to win the Champions League next season, but their actions aren’t in line with this, meaning it wouldn’t be fair to judge the Arsenal manager on this. With this all factored in, success at a minimum is fulfilling a reasonable, action-backed mandate. Anything less can conceivably be deemed relative failure, that is failure relative to what they have set out to achieve.

So given the highlighted criterion, has Pep Guardiola achieved this? Well, not really. Since leaving Barcelona in 2012, one crucial thing has evaded the Spanish manager: the European crown. This might not have been an issue if Guardiola had been in charge at different clubs. Unfortunately, the clubs that employed the Spaniard were clubs who very much had one ChampionsLeague-shaped goal in mind. Pep took over a Bayern Munich side that had just completed their first treble. The standards were markedly high, but so was the quality within the squad. Sustaining this success and making Bayern Munich a consistent European force was the mandate. Yet Guardiola failed to fulfil this in his three years at the club; spearheading a large degree of domestic success. The issue with this is that domestic success is all but a certainty for Bayern Munich in the modern era. Since the year 2000, Bayern Munich have won 16 of the available 22 Bundesliga titles (including nine straight titles starting in 2012-13). Winning the Bundesliga with Bayern has been done by countless managers and simply isn’t that impressive. In this case, the club was capable of competing in the Champions League and that was the aim, Guardiola failed to even make a final in his three-year stint at the club.

THE FOUNDER March 2022 Perhaps Pep’s Munich saga was a one-time affair; a conspiracy of unfortunate circumstances that derailed his success. Quite the contrary. Mid-way through Guardiola’s fifth season at Manchester City, he had again failed to win the Champions League, making only one final in that time. The mandate at Manchester City? Distinctly similar to that at Bayern Munich. City had garnered a taste of domestic success, but what their owners really wanted was to establish the club on the European stage. The brand value and PR win provided by a Champions League trophy would be priceless to Abu Dhabi. Hence, the hierarchy of the club have ruthlessly pursued this success: spending excessively with a football-based strategy more coherent than most sovereign constitutions. Guardiola was the final piece of the puzzle, their guarantee of success. The fruits of their labour? No Champions League, once again, only domestic success. In this instance, the domestic success is more novel than at Bayern Munich. However, when a club operates with the intent and resources to win a more competitive competition, a strong showing in domestic competition just doesn’t feel as impressive. It’s not even that English sides have been uncompetitive in Europe either: five of the last eight finalists have been English, with two winners in that time. What’s more is that Manchester City have systematically assembled quite possibly the greatest squad in the history of modern football. Whilst other starting XIs can rival City, in terms of depth there aren’t many teams that have ever come close to them. A stark example of this comes in the form of Riyad Mahrez, who finished tenth in the Ballon d’Or in 2019. For most clubs he would be the first name on the team sheet. Yet in the 2018/19 season, the Algerian played less minutes

across all competitions than Raheem Sterling, Bernardo and David Silva, Sergio Aguero, and Leroy Sane, making him City’s sixth most favoured attacking player in a season where the Manchester club were also without Kevin De Bruyne for 28 games due to injury. Compare this with that season’s Champions League winners, Liverpool, and the depth of City’s squad starts to set in. Liverpool’s front three that season played an average of 4019 minutes each: Mahrez only played 2551. For perspective, the former Leicester winger has only missed one game for City due to injury since his arrival, so this wasn’t a factor. The resources available to Guardiola are unparalleled: never has there existed a squad that is so well set up to compete across multiple competitions. Yet somehow, the Spanish manager has not been able to take them over the line in the Champions League. If this was his mandate and he has failed to complete it, how can Guardiola be considered a roaring success? Do managers get a pass if they dress well and play attractive football? Because when all is said and done, Pep Guardiola has not done what Manchester City hired him to do. In the name of balance, it is worth noting that Guardiola is still a fantastic manager. He gets a tune out of top players over the course of an entire season and plays breath-taking, champagne football. He was also the mastermind behind quite possibly the greatest club side in modern history: 2010 Barcelona. But perhaps that is where the fanfare should stop. Since leaving behind that iconic side, Pep hasn’t lived up to the expectations placed upon him. He has had success, but the success has been well short of what was feasible with the resources at his disposal. Has Guardiola been an absolute failure? No. But a relative one? Quite possibly.

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THE FOUNDER March 2022

How England are Building for the 2023 Rugby World Cup BRETT VAN ZOELEN | CONTENT WRITER

ighteen months out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, a lot has changed. Significant changes to club rugby competitions, driven largely by the coronavirus pandemic, have led to a restructuring of many unions. Now that we are in the middle of the current World Cup cycle, we are beginning to come out of a transitional phase for test rugby, seeing more clearly the direction different teams are taking in preparation for next year’s fight for the Webb Ellis Cup. England are currently one of the more interesting cases in terms of their current project. After the 2019 World Cup and the subsequent 2020 Six Nations, Eddie Jones’ side began blooding their next generation of talent, with the older generation starting to be phased out. While it started as a more gradual process, this year we have seen a complete squad overhaul from the Australian. This particularly shows in the current back line, with players such as Harlequins ace Marcus Smith, along with promising youngsters Harry Randall and Freddie Steward coming into the team. So far it seems as though they have given life to an ageing XV, and solved problems that England have had specifically at full-back and scrum half this cycle.

The introduction of these players so close to the World Cup does beg the question, are these players currently able to run a game at the highest level? Jones’ answer to this was evident in the Autumn Nations series. Owen Farrell, who has been England’s rock for many

years was slotted in at inside centre next to Marcus Smith, the idea behind this being that Farrell’s strong kicking game and experience as a fly half meant that he could seamlessly slot in at first receiver if needed. His experience also means that pressure can be taken off the younger players in the back line, giving them more room to do what they do best. Due to an injury blow to Farrell prior to this year’s Six Nations, Henry Slade has been the temporary replacement at inside centre with other options like Manu Tuilagi also sidelined. This is because out of the remaining centres, Slade is the player with the most complete kicking game and experience, while Farrell is clearly the better player. Slade, however, is the most fitted to cover until the England captain returns to the side.

Another problem England have struggled with in recent years is the absence of an out-andout eighth man in the pack, with Tom Curry stepping in to cover the position despite not being entirely comfortable in the role. This has changed with the addition of Sam Simmonds and Alex Dombrandt, who both offer different things in the role. Simmonds posing a more direct running threat with pace and power, and Dombrandt’s more traditional playstyle involving more carries. Another benefit of having more traditional number eights in the squad is that it has freed up Curry to move back to flanker, his preferred position. Phasing in experienced players like Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie to take over from the old guard in the front row has also secured a solid pack for the years to come.

Eddie Jones has a strategy of blooding as many young players as he can between World Cups, and this is so that he has capable replacements available to him when his first-choice players take knocks. While England’s performance so far in the 2022 Six Nations has fallen shy of expectations, it is important to remember that this is a young squad that needs to gain experience, and it is likely that by this time next year, they may be at their peak, whereas teams that are currently better may have evaporated by then. Overall, England’s situation is promising, but the project needs more time.