March 2021 by The Founder

The Founder

THE FOUNDER March 2021

VOL. XII, ISSUE VII | MARCH 2021 |

@RHULFOUNDER

The Deliberate Massacre of the Public Sector: Pandemic and the Tory Party ABRA HERITAGE | OPINION AND DEBATE EDITOR

nless you’re a Tory donor, a mate of Cummings, a private landlord, or an owner of a trilliondollar E-commerce site, it’s pretty likely that you’ll have felt the negative effects of the Coronavirus pandemic over the past year. The ultimate victim of this Tory massacre? The public sector. From the very beginning of our Covid infected Britain, the NHS was betrayed by the government. Healthcare staff were sent into work with inappropriate, often even nonexistent, PPE, a scandal that seems long-forgotten despite our continued sub-standard PPE in hospitals and other healthcare settings. A report undertaken by the House of Commons public accounts

Index

committee (dated 4.2.21) revealed that the Department of Health and Social Care provided NHS trusts with 1.9 billion items of PPE between March 2020 and July 2020, only providing the adult social care sector with 331 million items, 10% of estimated need. The government response to this neglect of healthcare workers was a minute of semi-enthused clapping once a week. Branding healthcare workers as ‘heroes’ and ‘soldiers’ further cemented Tory justification of their reckless abandonment of the NHS. Healthcare staff never signed up for sacrificing their lives and the lives of those around them, despite the names and labels government ministers like to place onto them. The latest Tory outrage upon NHS staff, offering a mere 1% pay rise to our keyworkers, has proved how the government views the public sector. To offer a nurse £3.50

News....................................................................................2 Opinion And Debate............................................................7 Features..............................................................................10 Lifestyle.............................................................................13 Arts: Arts and Culture........................................................15 Arts: Literary Reviews.......................................................16 Arts: Film...........................................................................20 Arts: Music.........................................................................22 Sports..................................................................................25

Facebook.com/HarbenLets Twitter.com/HarbenLets

Source: Flickr, Andrew Parsons extra a week after a year of life-changing and damaging work is nothing but offensive and tone-deaf.

an extended summer term further highlights their utter disregard for the mental health of educational staff. Ill-planned returns and government rejection of scientific advice in response to schools opening has left teachers continuously confused, overworked, and unsafe.

The education sector has been equally diminished and mistreated under Tory governance. Teachers have had a doubled workload, working remotely and in classes, setting virtual work

and preparing physical materials. Staff in schools have been continuously mislead in regard to schools opening and closing. Schools opening in the first week of January and then shutting one day after is all the evidence needed to prove the utter disrespect the Tories have for those working in education. Tories refusing to cement plans in regard to

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Quarantine Hotels P.3

International Women's Day P.11

Letter

Writing

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2 NEWS

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Conflict Sparks Over Border Lines as Ethiopia and Sudan Fail to Settle Territory Dispute Peacefully

The Founder Board 2020 - 2021 Editor in Chief Izzi Vaughan editor@thefounder.co.uk

Managing Editor Alex Whiteman managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk

Publishing & Creative Designer Laura Nietfeld designer@thefounder.co.uk

Source: Politico EU

Ethiopian refugees flee during the internal conflicts between the government and Tigray forces. HARRY MEAR

he ongoing violence between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces over an area of fertile land know as Al-Fashqa has resulted in military and civilian casualties on both sides. In December 2020, Sudan’s military claimed a cross-border attack by Ethiopian forces had killed and injured Sudanese soldiers. Although the number of casualties was unknown, attacks in the area by Ethiopian militiamen are frequent. They wreak destruction upon the civilian population. Al-Fashqa was originally settled by Ethiopian farmers. Now, it is on a vague border between the two countries which has been the subject of the dispute and sporadic

conflict for decades. Sudan claims the land lies within its territory as defined by border lines drawn up by colonialera treaties in 1902, 1907 and upon their Independence from the British Empire in 1956. However, Ethiopia has continually rejected this claim: they state the region was theirs before the rapid decolonisation of East Africa in the 1950s and 60s. The large population of Ethiopian settlers who have farmed under Ethiopian authority has become the main issue for border negotiations. In 1998, Ethiopia and Sudan revived talks to settle the boundaries of their 462mile border. The discussions quickly broke down when the ownership of Al-Fashqa came into question. A compromise was reached in 2008 when they agreed Ethiopia would recognise the legal frontier whilst Sudan allowed the

Ethiopian population in the region to remain there peacefully. Relations broke down when Ethiopia demanded a hard border which caused Sudan to push into the region last year to gain control. The victims of the altercations have been mainly civilian families and farmers in the region. They suffer regular casualties at the hands of militias and armies. This is partly caused by a spillover of the ongoing Tigray War fought between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front which began in November 2020. Many women and children have been killed- there is evidence of war crimes on both sides as the civil war in Ethiopia threatens to engulf Sudan.

News Editor Carlota Santos Movilla

Illustrator Rebecca Weigler

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Features Editor Sela Musa

Arts Editor Tessa Pinto

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arts@thefounder.co.uk

Opinon and Debate Editor Abra Heritage

Literary Review Editor

Mercedes-George Mayes

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literaryreview@thefounder.co.uk

Lifestyle Editor Katie Upton

Music Editor Amelia Morris

lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

music@thefounder.co.uk

Sports Editor Eliot K. Raman Jones

Film Editor Lewis White

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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 2021

A Suspected WW2 Bomb Found in Exeter JESSICA JOHNSTON

n the morning of Friday the 26th of February, thousands of students and residents were evacuated after an unexploded German World War Two bomb was found at a construction site in a residential area near the University of Exeter's Streatham campus. It was said to be a 1,000kg Hermann bomb used by the Nazis.

metres on Saturday the 27th of February at the request of the Royal Navy bomb disposal team. Before the detonation, more than 2600 homes and 12 university halls of residence were evacuated. They were temporarily relocated to hotels or with friends and family. Despite Covid-19 restrictions, social distancing was exempt in this circumstance.

The bomb was detonated on the Saturday 27th of Initially, a 100-metre February around 6pm. The cordon was set up around the explosion was seen and heard area; this was extended to 400 up to five miles away.

There were no reports of injuries. Police have reported structural damage to some properties nearby: broken windows and cracked walls.

Royal Navy bomb disposal experts and Army personnel from the Royal Logistic Corps used 400 tonnes of sand to build a box around the bomb to reduce the impact of the detonation. Safety assessments were conducted before residents within the 100-meter cordon

Source: BBC from the explosion were permitting to return home. Police said the explosion left a crater of the size of a double-

decker bus and debris was thrown at least 250 metres from the site.

Quarantine Hotels Introduced After Taking Advice From Australian Officials travelling from any country is required to quarantine in selected hotels for 10 days. In Ireland, Matt Hancock said there is ‘still work to be done’ to ensure people are not using loopholes to avoid these quarantine rules.

Source: Unsplash.com, Markus Winkler ELLIE MATTHEWS

ngland and Wales have approved the use of quarantine hotels for all visitors returning from countries on the UK’s ‘red

list’. These include Portugal, part of Africa and South America. However, if you are not a British national, travel from these countries is banned.

We now know that the Brazil variant could have been contained if these hotels had been introduced sooner. A Scottish resident did not complete the relevant track and trace information, meaning they may have had the ability to infect many more with this more worrying variant. This serves as a stark reminder that while we may be on the road to vaccinating and protecting our population, we should remain For anyone returning vigilant. from a country outside said list, a quarantine period For returning students who should be completed. There hold residents’ rights (including is a slight difference in students visas and holders of Scotland, where any person

the EU Settlement Scheme), a 10-day quarantine will take place, perhaps at St. Giles Heathrow. From there, you would be free to return to your accommodation and continue to take the bi-weekly lateral flow tests. If you are part of the group of people returning to the country from a non ‘red list’ country, a mandatory at home quarantine should be followed from the comfort of your accommodation.

Currently, the UK is set to remove most restrictive measures by the end of the summer and the vaccine rollout is gaining popularity. As a result, many students returning to the UK for term 3 for graduation or exams hope this could be the last time they may be required to isolate.

4 NEWS

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Appears in Front of Holyrood Committee CALLAN DUFFY

intention behind her actions despite being advised not to.

icola Sturgeon has appeared before a committee in Scottish parliament accused of violating the minister’s code regarding the investigation of her predecessor and former mentor, Alex Salmond. Salmond was accused of 13 sexual offences in 2018. In the criminal trial, he was acquitted of all charges. Salmond later claimed it was a conspiracy against him, which came to fruition last year when the Scottish government declared they were subjective and abused Source: The Scotsman the procedure. code. In pursuing charges Sturgeon and her close against Alex Salmond, allies were investigated for she was advised it would misleading parliament and fail in court. Nevertheless, breaching the ministerial she continued, costing

During the inquest, there were many heated momentscalls to resign and votes of no confidence. Ms Sturgeon was accused of ‘vividly remember[ing] the details she believes exonerate her, then forgets entirely anything that damages her’. She claims she first learnt of the accusations on April 2nd 2018, but her assistant is on record as handing her documents of the accusation before the meeting.

the taxpayer a combined £600,000. Since then, she has maintained she acted ‘properly and appropriately’ against ‘the age-old pattern of allowing a powerful man to

use his status and connections to get what he wants’. Her actions contributed to the suppression of her political rival. Therefore, many question the underlying

The committee is still considering the evidence and investigations are ongoing. Ms Sturgeon has apologised for the inconveniences and to the Scottish taxpayer.

Supreme Court Rules Shamima Begum Cannot Return to the UK GRACE ROLLISON

n the 26th of February, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled Shamima Begum would not be allowed to return to the UK to fight her citizenship case. Lord Reed, president of the Supreme Court, announced the requirements of national security must prevail. He stated Begum’s right to a fair hearing ‘did not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public’. In response to the ruling, Home Secretary Priti Patel stated ‘The government will always take the strongest possible

action to protect our national security’.

In February 2015, 15-yearold British-born Begum left the UK and travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State with two other schoolgirls from Bethnal Green. After marrying a Dutch recruit and living under IS rule for over three years, Begum was found nine months pregnant in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019. Speaking to a reporter from The Times, Begum asked the British government to help her return. Then Home Secretary Sajid

Javid stripped Begum of her citizenship on the grounds of national security. Though the government argued Begum would not be stateless, as her family had roots in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi government has since stated that Begum would not be eligible for citizenship. In July 2020, the Court of Appeals ruled the only way forward was to allow Begum back into the UK as she could not effectively appeal against the decision from the Syrian refugee camp. The Home Office appealed to the Supreme Court, stating that allowing Begum to return to the UK ‘would create

Source: BBC News

significant national security risks’ and expose the public to ‘an increased risk of terrorism’. The Supreme Court ruling does not prevent Begum from continuing her legal case against the government’s decision to

revoke her citizenship. However, Lord Reed stated that the appropriate resolution was not to force the British government to bring Begum back but to pause her legal fight over her appeal. Lord Reed acknowledged the solution was not perfect.

NEWS 5

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Increasing Number of EU Countries Turn to Russian and Chinese Vaccines

ANNA-MARIA LEST n the last week of February, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started its rolling review of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. If approved, the vaccine will soon become available for widespread use in the European Union. However, the vaccine has already been sent to some EU countries without the agency’s approval.

Both Hungary and the Czech Republic have started to vaccinate their citizens

with Sputnik V. Meanwhile, Slovakia is currently waiting to receive the first doses of the Russian vaccine. These three countries have all rushed to approve China’s Sinopharm vaccine, also yet to be approved by the EMA. As Russian and Chinese vaccines doses are administered before trials have finished or approvals are granted, the aforementioned EU countries have taken legal, health and political risks in bypassing the

EU system. However, the separate deals also mean that Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have access to far larger doses than other EU members. Source: European Pharmaceutical Review According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Hungary had received 18.3 vaccine doses per 100 people as of March 4th. In comparison, Denmark, which is the next best-supplied EU country, had received 12 doses per 100 people by the same date.

These developments are all the more worrying as Russia and China seem to be using vaccines to exert their global influence. Large numbers of the vaccine are going to areas of geopolitical interest; as opposed to places where the crisis is the largest.

The leader of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has recently publicly questioned Moscow’s actions. They have promised millions of vaccines globally while they have not yet vaccinated their citizens. In turn, Moscow has accused von der Leyen of trying to politicise the issue.

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THE FOUNDER March 2021

Sentencing to Prison: A First for a French Head of State ANTONIN LEFEBVRE

he former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to three years in prison, including two potentially suspended. This conviction, a first for a former French head of state, has been qualified to be ‘profoundly unfair’ by the accused.

Currently, the daily life of the former President is full of trials as he is implicated in the Pygmalion case, another case on Libyan payments and the so-called Eavesdropping case too. It is for the latter that the French President (20072012) was found guilty on March 2nd. He played a role in forging a corrupt agreement with a magistrate to obtain information on another case against him. In return, Nicolas Sarkozy would have

Source: Unsplash.com, Eddie Junior

promised to use his influence to secure a prestigious job for the judge. It is very unlikely the Expresident will spend time in prison, as his lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont, told reporters he would appeal the conviction. In an interview

given to TF1 as well as an interview published in Le Figaro, the President claims his innocence and denounces relentlessness against him. The message is simple: if Sarkozy wants to prove he sees himself as a litigant like any other person, he

also should demonstrate that he is precisely treated like everyone else. On the substance, he believes there is no substantial evidence in this case. Nicolas Sarkozy seems convinced, according to his confidences to Le Figaro, that the magistrate in charge of the case is against him.

10 Years for Statue Vandalism and a Crackdown on Protest: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

n Tuesday the 16th March the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill passed it’s second reading in the House of Commons by 359 votes for Aye and 263 votes for No. The bill includes increased powers for police to stop protests and prison sentences of up to 10 years for defacing statues. This comes after the removal last summer of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, as well as the defacing of various other racist historical figures, such as Winston Churchill. Our own MP here at Royal Holloway, the Conservative’s Ben Spencer, voted for the bill.

Labour MPs had previously been due to abstain from the vote, but after the events that took place at the Sarah Everard memorial, the party changed it’s stance in opposition to the bill over concerns of police overreach at similar public gatherings and protests. One stark objection from a series of Labour MP was that this bill would make it possible for someone to be more Source: iNews severely sentenced for the Currently, if the police seek defacing of a statue than for to put restrictions on a protest rape. Labour MP for Bristol they must show the event East commented ‘whether will cause serious damage, it’s Black Lives Matter or disorder or disruption to the Reclaim These Streets… you public or to property. They are now all collateral in this are also able to impose more government’s trumped-up specific measures, such as war on woke’ (The Guardian). the route of protest marches.

of the restrictions, rather than the current arrangement of police needing to prove that protesters knew that their activities were against the law. Specifically, this bill is designed to stop the occupation of public spaces or individual protests which are designed to make themselves be both seen and heard.

This bill will enable police to impose a start and finish time for protest, set noise limits, and apply these rules to a protest of just one person. It will also become a crime if a protestor fails to follow restrictions without previous instructions from an officer, even if they were unaware

Concerns have been raised over this bills affect on the right to protest, enshrined in the Human Rights Act, but this right is not absolute. Police do have the power to limit protests if it is determined that they have ‘good’ reason to impose restrictions for public safety or to prevent crime. Protests, however, have a long history of breaking the law.

THE FOUNDER March 2021

OPINION AND DEBATE 7

‘UK Supreme Court has failed Shamima Begum’ IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF Content Warning: Child loss. n the 26th February 2021 the UK Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeals decision to allow Shamima Begum, who fled the UK to join IS aged 15, to return to the UK to protest her revoked citizenship. Human Rights Watch has described the ruling as a ‘shocking blow to justice’, that the ‘UK Supreme Court has failed Shamima Begum’. In July 2020, the Court of Appeals ruled she ought to be permitted to return to the UK to fairly contest this decision. But despite acceptance that Begum would not receive a fair trial while detained in Syria, the Supreme Court has overturned their ruling.

The court ruled that her due process rights are indefinitely suspended until she is able to play ‘an effective part in her appeal without the public’s safety being compromised’. However, no indication was given of when that might be, leaving the decision ultimately in the hands of the government who revoked her citizenship. Begum remains in a detention camp in Northeast Syria ‘where thousands are held without any legal basis, in conditions so dire they amount to inhumane treatment or even torture’, according to Human Rights Watch. It is estimated than another 50 British women and children have been held in Al Hol and Roj detention camps without charge or trial, where conditions are so dire they may have caused the death of Begum’s new born son in 2019, and taken the lives of

Cancel Culture: The Toxicity media. Through shutting of Social Media down opposing opinions, it PHOEBE HUNT

ver the past few years, cancel culture has been a topic of intense debate. Some say it a way of speaking the truth, others claim it to be slander. However, upon exploring these debates deeper and considering the impacts that ‘being cancelled’ can have on people; it is clear that cancel culture represents the increasingly toxic nature of social media and being in the public eye. Open debate is something that needs to be valued within society. In that sense, cancel culture is not just limited to the grounds of social

is clear that cancel culture is not ‘activism’ or holding accountability, but rather curbing the concepts of open debate and free speech. In July 2020, 150 scholars and commentators signed an open letter in Harper’s magazine, the signatories including names such as Margaret Atwood and Gloria Steinem. This letter argues that open debate is under attack by the force of ideological conformity. Despite the critique of this open letter with some claiming that what is said sometimes needs to be called out, it is clear that the push for ideological conformity that cancel culture expresses is the real problem.

hundreds of other children (Human Rights Watch). The Supreme Court’s ruling has left Begum effectively stateless and prevented her from challenging the decision. In February of 2019 the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid the intention to strip Begum of her British citizenship. However, the UK government could not legally deprive her of British citizenship if such a decision would leave her stateless, so the government alleged that Begum would be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship (her parents were both Bangladeshi citizens). Begum, in fact, did not currently hold nor would be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship. Begum fled the UK age 15 to Syria, and 10 days after arriving she married Whilst mental health is moving to be increasingly at the forefront of social media and topic of discussion during these times, it is almost ironic how those who openly advocate mental health support on social media, also support the ostracisation of others. Youtuber Olivia Neill skyrocketed in popularity on social media, now with over 679000 subscribers on YouTube, she is now arguably one of the most influential Youtubers of our generation. However earlier this year she became the victim on cancel culture. Her case shows that cancel culture has no age limits. At just 19 she received thousands of hate comments on a variety of social media platforms, from YouTube to TikTok. This instance of

Dutch born Yago Riedijk, eight years her senior. A child bride, Begum went on to have three children, all of whom passed away at a young age. The youngest was born in a refugee camp in February 2019, and by March had died of a lung infection. Shortly after Begum fled the UK, the then Education Secretary Nicky Morgan wrote to her school to say ‘we hope and pray for the safe return of the pupils in question’. Now, it seems, their prayers have been outlived. The revoking of Begum’s citizenship demonstrates clearly the racism prevalent in Britain today, and the double standards People of Colour must meet to be considered worthy of being British. You will have already heard countless times that the decision to revoke her

Source: Brandcom cancel culture only goes to show that being ‘cancelled’ is synonymous with being bullied. We must also consider the question of what could be done to stop cancel culture,

citizenship is racist, a double standard of morality. But it’s more than that, it’s white supremacy. It sends a message to People of Colour across the country that their citizenship here is conditional. That unlike myself and other White people born and raised in the UK, they do not have the automatic right to citizenship in their own country. Of course, Begum’s actions are inexcusable. But she is a British citizen. She was born and raised here, she was radicalized here, and she has just as much of a right to citizenship as anyone else. What she did was despicable, illegal, and immoral. But that does not make her immune from empathy, equal treatment, and humanity. She has been through hell. She is human. And yes, she is British.

in order to preserve open debate? The answer is simple; to let one another speak and live as they please. Overall, it is clear that the rise of cancel culture is a mark of the deterioration of social media and free speech.

8 OPINION AND DEBATE

THE FOUNDER March 2021

The Outcome of Bulgaria’s Parliamentary Election is Going to be Vital for its Future.

The Country Needs a Fresh Start. ZAFIR ZAFIROV

n March 5, Bulgaria marked the beginning of the election campaign for the upcoming parliamentary election that is going to take place exactly a month from the time of writing this piece. Needless to say, this is going to be a different election. Why? You may ask. The obvious answer for that is the ongoing pandemic and how it is going to affect voters and the voting process. The not so obvious answer, however, is that this election is going to have great consequences for the future of the country.

the ones at the bottom. Shortterm solutions, fake populist rhetoric, and blaming some imaginary communists have been some of the tools that this government, and the regime that it has created, has frequently relied upon to stay in power for some more time. Now, however, building upon months of nationwide anti-government protests, and many new scandals, the political landscape looks more unstable for GERB than ever, with great distrust In their government, and various opposition parties looking to capitalize on the resentment and fragmentation, that could potentially help to outs GERB out of office once and for all.

Bulgaria, which has been now ruled by PM Boyko Borissov's GERB party for more than ten years—with just a short period of over a year in 2013-14, when the Bulgarian Socialist Party was in government—has faced during this long period numerous crises, both big and small, as well as a constant erosion of democratic values, principles, and the rule of law. During the years of GERB's rule, large-scale corruption, massive public scandals, ministerial resignations, and talks of a deep state became the norm. Needless to say, the Bulgarian people have been the ones that have suffered most from the ever-persisting incompetence of a government which has always prioritized the ones at the top whilst ignoring, or at best lying, to

Various parties, even newly emerged ones, are hoping to receive their fair share of votes in April, and it is starting to become clear that GERB is slowly, but steadily, losing large shares of the support that they once could have hoped for. The biggest opposition party in the country, the Bulgarian Socialist Party(BSP), looks consolidated and finally ready to make a comeback, returning to government, after it enjoyed good election results, both locally and nationally, in the previous 4 years. The Socialists, which are leading in this election the BSP for Bulgaria coalition, which consists of other, smaller, leftist parties and organizations, could not

manage to strike coalitions with some of the other big players, and considering that they are the party that has the biggest chance of winning over GERB, it is unfortunate that a big, centre-left, coalition had not been formed, as that would have increased the chances of beating Borissov's party and changing the model of government. Still, as we are in the midst of the campaign, it is relatively early to say what is going to happen for certain. And yet, everything that this country has gone through in the past 10 years, resulting in being at the bottom of every EU statistics, has led to this moment when we are in dire need of consolidation and change, for the sake of all Bulgarians.

Continued from the front page: Not everyone has been treated like this though. For those that aren’t public sector workers, and are close with the Tories, these unsafe and anxiety-ridden practices are far from pressing. James Frayne, owner of Public First, was given £1 million in contracts for strategic advice and opinion surveys. Conveniently, he is a close friend of Cummings, he worked for Gove, and his wife, by chance, was a co-writer of the Tories’ 2019 manifesto. For those working in the private sector, the Tories seem to have better plans. Sunak’s latest budget has allowed for the continuation of a reduced rate of stamp duty land tax up until September, which will give half a billion pounds to landlords and holiday lets. Where is this level of economic protection for our public sector workers? Simply put, the Tories are destroying the UKs public sector and blaming it on the pandemic, while at the same time protecting the private sector and their rich allies. The future of a state-funded and state-protected healthcare and education sector is appearing increasingly precarious.

Source: Novinite.com

THE FOUNDER March 2021

OPINION AND DEBATE 9

China’s New Social Credit System appeals to the Worst in Human Nature

AUGUSTUS BAMBRIDGE-SUTTON n 1859, John Stewart Mill wrote in On Liberty that, without proper controls, the democratic system could eventually lead to a situation in which ‘the will of the people . . . practically means, the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people . . . ‘the tyranny of the majority’ is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard.’ Despite the moral failings of the man who wrote them, the words themselves have resonated throughout the years since they were written.

nationalism to very current Twitter-based aggression from both the left and right, ‘the will of the people’ is a lie that has been used on innumerable occasions, in both democratic and non-democratic societies, to justify what is, in many cases, outright cruelty to those the public deems undesirable. China’s new social credit system appeals to these very same deeply unpleasant parts of human nature which uses mass opinion to justify shaming and repression.

The system has drawn comparisons with dystopian fiction such as Black Mirror and 1984, but these villainous caricatures oversimplify the From American rather more complicated McCarthyism to Indian Hindu reality. It in fact much more

While much has been written about China’s record of political repression, this is something very different. The system punishes not anti-government dissidents but simply people deemed unrespectable, people who have strayed outside the limits of certain ideas about what is socially acceptable. Despite the fact that the system is governmentcontrolled, it’s the fact that it so closely ties into the idea of respectability that marks out its resemblance to Mill’s fears. Respectability is, of course, defined by mass opinion, and often pertains to how one should be in a way that has nothing to do with morality. The system is essentially, in its intention, a vast network of public shaming punishments.

And shame is one of the most powerful incentives to conform that there is. According to the thought behind the system, if the masses think something is shameful, than the person doing it should be punished regardless of whether it actually harms anyone.

The Crown, the ever-popular Netflix drama, which does no favours to its subjects. The lack of emotional intelligence towards Diana demonstrated a darker side to the queen’s successor, her son Charles. Whether this is an example of dramatic license distorting facts or reflects the truth does not matter. Netflix has watered an already unfavourable public attitude towards Prince Charles. What this manifests into awaits to be The younger royals are seen. just as susceptible to these fundamental questions. Do Individually, the events people like Kate and William of the past year might not because they enjoy a supposed have broader implications. God-given right to occupy the But as a collective they throne, or do they like them show an uneasiness within because they are a young the monarchy. When the family? It must certainly be the unelected head of state is latter. This is in the context of said to be interfering with

legislative affairs not even the most ardent monarchist cannot provide democratic justification for its continuation. To make matters worse, troubled waters surely lie ahead with the future succession of Charles as king as the latest YouGov (14th December) poll suggests only 32% of his future subjects believe he will make a good king.

closely resembles Westernstyle credit checks than the Thought Police. But China’s system expands the idea behind credit checks, measuring someone’s reliability, into all aspects of life. ‘Caught jaywalking, don't pay a court bill, play your music too loud on the train — you could lose certain rights, such as booking a flight or train ticket’ wrote Wired Magazine about the system. While it works through multiple outlets, including local governments and private companies, it still quite clearly embodies the will of the CCP; the government document that outlined the system reads ‘…keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful’.

Of course, ideas about respectability permeate every society and, even in the world’s most liberal, tolerant countries, can shame people into acting in certain ways. But institutions such as governments should be blind to this kind of immensely subjective aspect of society, only punishing people for infractions that actually harm others. By institutionalising respectability and shame, China has created a system which appeals to the worst instincts in human nature.

A Post-Covid Republic? The End of Monarchy is Beginning to Look Possible GEORGE WOODS

he past year has undoubtedly been amongst the toughest for the monarchy. Alongside being the figureheads of a nation under siege from COVID-19, the world’s most famous family are being wrecked with drama; Prince Andrew has been associated with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family, and Prince Phillip was admitted to hospital in February. Rather than be the epitome of grace and family values, the royals seem to attract scandal and fragility at the birth of the 2020s. In essence, the family seem more human now than ever. They seem closer to the ordinary people; like us they have family fallings out and

ill husbands. Even the Queen, the stalwart of British cultural life, is being questioned with The Guardian breaking the news in February that the ageing monarch ‘dispatched private solicitor to secure exemption from transparency laws’ thus breaking the sacred division between day-to-day politics and the sovereign. While the Palace has denied this allegation, the monarchy is starting to show cracks.

The legitimacy that enabled one family to occupy the premier position within the United Kingdom is thus starting to seep out of palace gates. With Harry and Meghan leaving the family why can’t others? If royalty can be opted out of why can’t we opt in? These questions are being posed with every scandal.

This has, unsurprisingly, been recognised by other nations. In September 2020, the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley said ‘the time has come to leave our colonial past behind’ in an announcement declaring the end of the Queens role as head of state which is scheduled for November 2021. Rather than a reflection of the modern societies they reign over they are symbols of the colonial horrors of the past.

Regardless, constitutional reform looks unlikely in the short term. COVID19 will continue to dominate the public debate. In the aftermath, though, surely a question will arise: like COVID and facemasks perhaps the monarchy is something that should be left in the past, too?

10 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Meghan and Harry’s Interview with Oprah SELA MUSA | FEATURES EDITOR

eghan and Harry’s Oprah interview aired on March 7th on CBS News, one of America’s largest TV networks. In the deeply telling interview, Meghan exposed the bitter and tragic truths of elitist thought in the Royal Family, blatantly uncovering the deep-rooted, ingrained racism which has so often passed viewers by completely unnoticed, or simply uncared for.

of comparisons could follow but that would be an article within itself, resurfacing so many almost laughable attempts of the media to completely alienate Meghan, all the way to attacking how she cannot ‘keep her hands off her bump’ as opposed to Kate who ‘tenderly cradles her baby bump’, (Buzzfeed). Almost laughable to us at least, viewers that can devote a couple of minutes to the headlines and then probably never again, but definitely not almost laughable to the victim of this consistent, targeted abuse who has been pushed past the limit for the last three years.

Source: BBC News

and racism that she is forced to face is just sad. There is not really another way to view what she had to say. Whether the interview was an ‘eye-opener’ is hard to say – would a woman of a BME background standing up for herself (again) really open the eyes of those who have had racist thought ingrained into them so deeply? Meghan devastatingly admitting that she ‘didn’t want to be alive anymore’, honestly probably does not do much for those who are so intent on simply discriminating. In fact, it seems unlikely that there is

anything she could possibly say to stop a racist person from being racist, and that is just really sad.

It is not only fun, there is shop; the fun begins, and the an aesthetic behind it too. t is a Tuesday night, except rest is history, which repeats Living like a character from you have your own name itself several times a week. ‘Skins’ is a personality trait, for it. A student like you is no? Except your edginess I am not even there with is slightly more off because meant to be living on ready meals, desperate for a part- you and I get a snap too. The you come from a place of time job, counting days until shop lets everyone know it privilege. It is the experience the next loan comes through. is ‘active’ and nearby too you crave for when you leave Yet you still manage to give if anyone is interested in for university, and it shapes that vibe off because you point anything. I think of them you somehow well until it and prioritise your finances tracking us down whenever does not. The ones who have towards a different way. Why I am passing it on my way to seen it all will be the ones who feed your body when you can Tesco’s. Surely it is not the will not make it out of this feed your mind? Fill it with same business, it is just the because they use it to escape. new perspectives, memories, same name. But why would You had never had such and what disguises itself anyone ruin its reputation by strong friendships like these as a sense. It is three in the selling drugs? That is for me and the way everyone looks morning and you get a snap to wonder about and you to after each other is almost as from your favourite essential regularly spend £300 ‘there’. pure as the other thing you do

every weekend. In the end, it sparks from boredom, but it is those nights spent over bottles of wine getting exchanged for a cooked dream, which make me nostalgic for pub crawls when I watch my friends fall.

It is no news to anyone that Meghan’s treatment, before and after becoming Duchess of Sussex, has been completely Meghan bravely revealing distinct and unparalleled by any other member of the how deeply affected she is Royal Family. An endless list by the continued harassment

Tuesday’s ALI KRAUSOVA

The interview further exposed how this discrimination has weaved itself all the way to the ‘top’ – or perhaps ‘weaved’ is a misleading term; more likely it has always been there. Meghan uncovered this when she discussed how there had been many conversations about how dark her son’s skin would be when he was born. As the secretary of the New York Association of

Cooked

Black Journalists, Stephanie Guerilus, told BBC News: ‘you are othering this child while he is still in the womb’ and that is exactly it. Nevertheless, Meghan’s continued efforts to battle discrimination have not been in vain. She acts as a role model, a true inspiration, to every single person who has faced racism, sexism or any kind of discrimination. She has fought for her rights and, in doing so, paves the way for every single BME woman to do the same. No newspaper can take that away.

Dream

It is a danger and an adventure, and strange at the same time. It starts but does not end here, just like your social smoking. You thought it is your new hobby? Very well, it is your new habit! It loves you as much as it loves coming back and years later, you will eventually and randomly be approached by it again. You will not

suddenly say no because you had already said yes way too many times. Most probably, it will never harm you very much. It is just a poison that eats your soul right up and harms the ones around you a bit more. There is no need to be too worried until you are trying to say goodbye to it because it will not leave you just like that. It will keep arising constantly from the experience of dull lockdown days and now your future self is challenged by it. It is a Tuesday night, except you have your own name for it; it will stick but it will not stay in Tuesdays only.

FEATURES 11

THE FOUNDER March 2021

International Women’s Day 2021 SELA MUSA | FEATURES EDITOR

Ontario, Canada.

Taking place on the 13 of March, Ontario is celebrating International Women’s Day through its #IamRemarkable workshops, a Google initiative that aims to empower underrepresented women in all areas of life. The workshops are centred around advocating the selfpromotion of participants and inviting them to challenge the social perceptions that come with self-promotion. Today, Brisbane, Australia. #IamRemarkable has spread Amnesty International across over 150 countries. Chermside organised a Virtual, India. ‘Women’s Day Dinner’ which took place at Mu’ooz India is virtually Eritrean Restaurant, a social International enterprise that is committed celebrating Women’s Day through a to employing refugee women. All of the money raised from day-long women leadership the event went to the United convention titled “Invest in Nations High Commissioner Yourself Transform into an for Refugees (UNHCR), a Unstoppable Woman” which company that is committed to is due to take place on March th assisting displaced people in 14 . The event will be attended by many women executives the area. from various industries and will revolve around drawing nternational Women’s Day is a global holiday that celebrates the achievements of all women across the world. Falling on the 8th of March, this year during a global pandemic, the day still retained its beautifully important message and here is how the world celebrated (Internationalwomensday. com):

Source: #IamRemarkable

Source: Rebecca Weigler, Illustrator

attention to the collection of social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all over the world, and it also is aiming to draw Dubai, United Arab attention to gender bias and inequality that is so violently Emirates. pertinent today. Dubai has various art Johannesburg, South exhibitions running to Africa. celebrate the day. On March 21st, artists will showcase Johannesburg is artworks in support of the exploring the theme theme ‘Women’. The art to exhibition is hoping to bring #ChooseToChallenge inspiration from those that are changing the world today, and channelling that into the evolution of the participants.

celebrate International Women’s Day this year. A ninety-minute event will be hosted on March 17th which will encourage participants to challenge themselves: their behaviours, their thoughts, their conceptions etc. to identify all the gaps and issues that need to be handled to propel the empowerment of women across the world. With the pandemic, it is a completely different year for the celebration of International Women’s Day. On the day last year, protests of 120,000 people were occurring in the streets of Madrid and that seems like a very different world today. Nevertheless, the celebrations are different, but the message is the same, always the same: equal rights for women.

12 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER March 2021

As the East Rises, the West Falls EMILY HOWE

n one of the biggest political events of the year, the National People's Congress (NPC), China has unveiled to the world a heavily scripted insight into the nation. Providing a window into the state’s assessments of its previous achievements, priorities and future plans. As the world ground to a halt in 2020, economies globally began to enter a period of decline.

Uncertainties triggered the Chinese government, for the first time in years, to abandon its setting of an annual growth target. Despite this, the nation has managed to achieve a growth of 2.3% in 2020. Whilst the lowest in years, China, through successful and strict measures against the coronavirus, managed to quickly re-open its economy. Not only that, at the beginning of 2021, was able to announce to the world that it had

officially lifted 100 million people out of poverty. China’s success further emphasised by its largest economic competitors, the United States and the European Union, continuing to remain largely closed. It is no surprise then, that at the National People's Congress, the communist government felt confident enough to promise an economic growth of over 6% in the coming year. Whilst

Li Keqiang, China’s premier, announced this new annual target, he thanked the people of China. Owing the nation’s continued economic growth to their heroism, the people of China put up a united front in facing off the incredible difficulties from the previous year. In the last few months, President Xi Jinping has moved to consolidate and strengthen, not only China’s power on the international

stage but his own. As the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in July and Xi takes on his third presidential term in 2023, this triumphal and unitary narrative is clearly to continue. Yet, such a message bares consequences. Hong Kong, despite months of pro-democracy protests, is to lose its last hallmarks of democracy. Whilst the world remains occupied with mass-vaccinations against coronavirus and mending their own damaged economies, Beijing has moved to overhaul Hong Kong’s constitution. Beijing has ensured that from now on only those deemed patriots, unequivocal supporters of the Communist Party of China, are to be allowed to run for office. Thus, wholly barring any prodemocracy advocate from political office. With the rest of the world distracted, China is moving to grasp complete control over Hong Kong, far sooner than anyone thought. It is then clear that a postCovid world, in Chinas eyes, is a world led by them. With its continued economic rise and the last few rebellions against its control being crushed, it is to be a strong and unified China that the world will be working with. As Xi himself said, ‘the East is rising and the West is declining’.

Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China speaks at a United Nations Office at Geneva. 18 January 2017. Source: UN Photo, Jean-Marc Ferré

LIFESTYLE 13

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Is Letter Writing a Lost Art? RUBY EASTON

While I am never one to lecture about screen time or the worldwide obsession with mobile phones, most of us do not get particularly sentimental about receiving a text message or scrolling through our full inboxes. There is something special about post; there is something incredibly personal about the time and thought between When is the last time you pen and paper, hearing wrote a letter? Handwritten, somebody’s voice through folded, stuffed in an envelope. their handwriting. uman history is a map of exchanges. As a species we have an impulse to communicate, with each other, with Gods, and with future generations. In fact, it would seem that we spend an inordinate amount of time sending messages, whether by text, by email, or some of us, by post.

More and more websites are appearing for people to write to strangers overseas, or people in prisons. You may struggle with words alone, finding it difficult to know what to say, therefore, I have compiled a list of things to send, as well as topics that can help you with knowing what to say: 1. Stickers. Tell them about your day, list the mundane things you did, it is nice to read about a slice of someone’s life.

5. Newspaper cuttings. Talk about the news, give 2. Drawings. Ask them them your thoughts on where they want to travel, current events, or past events. then give them your answer, draw landmarks from the 6. Recipes. Ask about places you have yet to their favourite foods and tell discover. them yours, tell them what you loved as a child. 3. Tea bags. Ask what they do to calm down, tell 7. Perfume samples. them what you do to relax, Tell them what you like or make suggestions of your love about them. own. 8. Write out a playlist 4. Photos. Tell them the or send a scannable Spotify story behind a picture you’ve code. Tell them about a song sent, ask them to send one in that reminds you of them. return. 9. A bookmark. Tell them about the last book you read, or a book you think they would enjoy. 10. Pressed flowers. Tell them about a film you watched or give them a few recommendations. Let them see a movie and think about you. Letters do not have to be long; they do not have to be formal; they just demonstrate a bit of extra thought and care. All this said, think about somebody who means something to you. They may be near or far, you may send a letter overseas or slip a note under their door, but send them a letter, chances are they will appreciate it.

Source: Shutterstock

14 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Skincare Saviours! CHLOE STORER

f nothing else, Covid-19 has given me time to try out a number of skincare products and find a routine which finally seems to work! I have oily-combination skin and do not really suffer with acne just the odd spot here and there, however these products are nonskin type specific, and I cannot recommend them enough! Morning: - Start with micellar water to cleanse. – I use the ‘Garnier skin active’ one, however there are many other brands out there.

- I then follow this with eye cream – I use the soap and glory ‘puffy eye attack turbo boost hydrogel’. It works really well to hide dark circles and reduce fine lines, as a master student I am often stressed, and this cream hides it really well! - After this, I will either use the soap and glory ‘bright and pearly vitamin skin cocktail’ or my No7 early defence ‘Glow activating serum’. I differentiate between the two based on if I am going to put makeup on that day, I opt for the soap and glory one if I am not. In using these two products I noticed a significant

difference in skin appearance with it looking younger and softer.

- The final step is my No7 Early defence ‘day cream’. This is quite thick in consistency, but I find by putting my makeup on top of it my face lasts much longer and gets less spots as I think putting an extra layer between my pores and the makeup is very helpful! I really love the No7 early defence range as it is specifically targeted to age groups and has different ingredients depending on what each age requires – I cannot recommend it enough!

Evening: - If I have used makeup I will begin by using the micellar water again to cleanse, if not I will go straight in with the face wash. I use soap and glory ‘the fab pore purifying foam cleanser’. It foams up so is easy to apply and does not run all down your arms and cleanses really well. I always wash my face using a flannel, I got 12 for about £7 on eBay.

After this, I will apply the No7 ‘hydra luminous water concentrate’. I got this free with my other No7 products as I did a big order at once, I’m not sure what this actually does except for hydrate but it feels nice anyhow and has a pipette!

- After this, I will use the soap and glory ‘In the glowhow exfoliating tonic’. It has 5% glycolic acid in it and a nice citrus scent.

- I also have a witchhazel spot wand with both a day and night end which works particularly well.

- I will then finish with No7 early defence ‘night cream’ which is much lighter and very soothing to the skin.

I Don’t Eat Meat But Still Like the Taste! SELA MUSA | FEATURES EDITOR

became a vegetarian about eight years ago because I did not want to eat animals anymore. My sister became one for the same reason and her boyfriend cut out meat for a few months because it was cheaper to do so. Some people choose to not eat meat for health reasons, and some do not eat it for cultural and religious reasons. There are probably many vegetarians out there who stopped eating meat because they simply do not like the taste or do not trust themselves cooking it. There is an abundance of reasons why people choose to cut out meat or cut down on it, all of which are valid.

There are probably also many reasons why people choose to eat meat and they are also valid. It is arguably one of those things you really cannot force onto another person; we have grown up with the culture of eating meat for generations – even if my or your family did not grow up eating meat, we have forever known that people do. The almost ‘norm’ of that perhaps makes most people accepting of knowing that others eat meat, even if they themselves do not. Whilst some undoubtedly have stronger opinions on the topic than others, it is a personal choice, and I would struggle to accept an argument against that. Of course, the impacts of eating or not eating meat are not entirely personal but the environmental advantages

and disadvantages will not be discussed because the point of this article is not to act as propaganda and steer you either way. The point of this article is actually to explore the familiar argument that vegetarians and vegans should not eat meat substitutes. Many people believe this: that it is actually ‘hypocritical’ for non-meat eaters to eat ‘fake meat’. Some vegetarians and vegans take on this view and some meat-eaters do too, and I simply cannot understand it, particularly in the latter case. Meat-eaters eat meat because they like the taste of it (I would imagine, anyway) so I cannot understand why, when someone then chooses to cut out meat, they then get punished for having that same opinion of liking the taste

of meat. Surely, if someone stops eating meat despite the fact that they enjoy the taste, then this sacrifice should be praised? Personally, I admit that I loved the taste of meat and I would love it now if I were to have it again. If I chose to start regularly eating meat again, I am quite sure that not many would judge this choice of mine, yet apparently eating a meat substitute as a vegetarian is horrifyingly problematic? I suppose what baffles me is when someone that eats meat chooses to have this opinion. No one is saying anything about the dietary choices of meat-eaters and yet some think that they have any credibility in trying to make the decision to give up meat even harder for others. And

the really laughable thing is, whether a vegetarian enjoys or does not enjoy the taste of meat does not impact meateaters in any way. I came across someone asking the other day if people would argue the same thing about people drinking decaffeinated coffee if they were trying to cut out caffeine. As a consumer of caffeine, I can honestly tell you right now that I could not care less about someone drinking decaffeinated coffee. It literally sounds pathetic even writing that down. Obviously, no one cares about someone drinking decaffeinated coffee. So why do some meat-eaters still so kindly take it upon themselves to dissect the choice of a vegetarian for eating a Quorn sausage?

THE FOUNDER March 2021

ARTS & CULTURE 15

‘Going Live’ - What Online Theatre Does For Live Performance SEB GARDINER

e have lost live performance for the time being, forgetting its purpose is the danger. We value theatre for making us feel something new. The successful performances are the powerful ones that stick with us long after we have left the stage, returned to the familiar outside and gone back to our familiar homes. For a moment, we are in a new world, totally foreign from the one we take for granted every day. But when this process is temporarily moved online, how does this impact our ability to escape reality? Some people keep their tickets as mementos; there isn’t a better way to tell guests

in your home that you’re a fan of the stage than by decorating your house with the tokens that remind you of that experience. The ticket, the programme, the keyring; outside of the theatre, they serve no purpose but as reminders to us of how far we were immersed into the worlds of those characters. For the time being, theatre has been reduced to performances from our laptops and televisions. We are overwhelmed with the temptation to start doing something else at home – pause the show, get a drink, because we struggle to immerse ourselves in the same way as before.

Yet despite the emotional restrictions, this online form of theatre can reach a far greater potential audience

than live shows do. Actors can rehearse at any time of day, from anywhere, and perform from exactly the same place. Some professional streaming services have already gone beyond this; stages such as the Chichester Festival Theatre had live-streams of Sarah Kane’s Crave in the building, exactly as it would be, but without an audience to gasp and recoil at the dialogue. There are relatively new faces, such as National Theatre at Home, where audiences were able to experience anew (or relive) some of their most iconic now-archived shows, such as Amadeus, Angels in America, and Mosquitos. These were professionally filmed at the time of performance for online streaming before the current pandemic was even preventing them. We, as the audience, are spoilt for

Source: whatsonstage.com choice with quality theatre to enjoy, but we simply can’t expect it to live up to what we took for granted before. There’s no doubt that the arts have banded together to keep audiences entertained. It is so important, though, that we don’t forget the tickets and the programmes that we kept, because this is not the end of things, no

matter how long it might last. We can take this time to reflect on what we were lucky enough to experience before, and how grateful we’ll be when we are able to fully immerse ourselves again in the future. Instead of reflecting sadly on your memories of that feeling, make sure to find room for the programmes you will no doubt continue collecting in the future.

How We Live Now: Barbican Set to Open Exhibition Which Looks at Relationship Between Gender and Architecture TESSA PINTO | ARTS EDITOR

s the days get lighter and the end of lockdown draws ever closer, it’s exciting to look ahead and think about the kinds of experiences that are in store for us as galleries and art institutions prepare to open their doors once again. How We Live Now: Reimagining Spaces with the Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative is one of the Barbican’s most anticipated exhibitions of this coming year, and will take place both online and as a physical installation accompanied by a programme of talks, walking

tours and workshops. The by mainstream architecture exhibition is set to open in – places like nurseries and women’s centres. Matrix May. believed that women had The exhibition will focus different experiences and on the Matrix Feminist needs in relation to the built Design Co-operative, which environment than men did – was established in the late not because of some innate 1970s as the first architectural difference between genders, practice in Britain to take an but because of how women overtly feminist position in are treated within a patriarchal its work. The incorporation society. of the word ‘feminist’ in the One of Matrix’s major name was a deliberate and projects was the Jagonari controversial decision. Women’s Centre in Brick Matrix were particularly Lane, London, which was interested in how women designed for women from the experienced the built Bangladeshi community who environment, and the way experienced both sexism and that spaces primarily used by racism in their everyday lives. women had been neglected The building sought to reflect

the culture of the building users whilst offering them physical security. Matrix also sought to empower individual women and groups to take part in the creation of their own environments, and developed tools and strategies to facilitate this. The exhibition will show rare films, drawings, photos and models from the Matrix archive, and there will be an exhibition catalogue that combines these archival pieces with material from contemporary practitioners which has been inspired by, and works in the tradition of Matrix – for example, a

map which shows buildings designed by women in London by Part W, and an activity sheet designed by DisOrdinary Architecture which seeks to develop inclusive design processes in tandem with disabled artists. Having spent so long indoors during the last year, the question of who buildings and shared public spaces are designed for and how this affects us is an important one, and something which will no doubt interest many different kinds of people who aren’t taken into account when buildings and places are designed.

16 LITERARY REVIEW

THE FOUNDER March 2021

The Remains of the Day MERCEDES-GEORGIA MAYES | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

confess I had not read Kazuo Ishiguro’s heartwarming tale of the butler of Darlington Hall until a few weeks ago, when I found myself creeping downstairs at one am unable to sleep and, hoping to numb my brain, decided to read. So, I recognise I am late to the party, but it is too fine a party to miss entirely. There is no doubt of Ishiguro’s skill, I knew this going in; The Remains of the Day won the Booker Prize in 1989, and in 2017 Ishiguro was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. However, I had no inkling of what to expect from the bedraggled volume before I started, and I certainly did not expect to devour the book in a single sitting- an experience I have struggled to replicate since my youth. If any book were

capable of doing so, I ought to have expected Ishiguro’s could.

ascetic outlook is at times baffling- even appalling- but always worthy of respect.

Mr Stevens, the upright and dignified narrator of the story, has just been given leave of a few days by his new employer and, following the receipt of a letter from an old acquaintance, he sets out to the West Country in the hopes of arranging her return to Darlington Hall. On his way there, his subsequent interactions stir up a myriad of memories. Personal and professional experiences are blurred in his recollections and, as his meeting with Mrs Benn (previously Miss Kenton) draws ever closer, this blurring begins to expose the unreliability of his perspective. On the surface he is calm, cold, and collected, carrying himself with the “dignity” required of a butler of his standard. He is an almost stoic figure, whose

And yet, there is a silent tenderness that runs like a tightrope through these memories. Ishiguro subtly but surely weaves this tenderness through each of the stories that Stevens shares. It shines through in the way the butler idolises his father to the point of denying his declining health. It is there when Stevens remembers and misremembers his various conversations Source: Unsplash.com, Igor Flek with Miss Kenton, and her own admission, but rather oftentimes vexed reactions displayed through his actions, to his behaviour. And it is that stopped me from putting there in each and every care the book down. that Stevens takes to remind the reader of his former Indeed, the novel is employer’s decent nature, beautifully structured, thought despite the implications of provoking, and challenging his collusions with suspect without ever putting forward powers. It was this tenderness, blunt questions, but more never explicitly brought than anything, it is an escape. to light by the narrator’s Much like Stevens, we spend

so much time worrying and working that it can often feel like we have no time at all to spare for ourselves- worse still- that we never will. The Remains of the Day is a reminder that whatever our current position in life, we ought not to fear what to do with our remaining years, rather, we should live them to the full.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

CHLOE BOULTON eil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane was released in mid-2013 and was met with critical acclaim, reaching the top stop on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardback Fiction, and was named Book of the Year at the British National Book Awards in the same year. Since then, this novel has gone on to win multiple other awards and has been adapted to the stage by the National Theatre in London.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane begins with a funeral; the unnamed protagonist returns to his childhood

hometown and revisits the home in which he grew up. He recalls his seventh birthday party, which no one showed up to, and his parent’s lodger, an opal miner who kills his kitten, steals the family’s car, and then kills himself inside it. This event sets the story up and symbolises the realisation that is had in childhood that adults are not necessarily the all-knowing, strong or understanding figures we think they are as children. An interesting element of a lot of Neil Gaiman’s novels are children who in some way or another fend for themselves, giving the story

and the character dynamics an thrown into a world of danger, unusual but always intriguing and he is helped only when shape. he can get to the Hempstocks. His family are completely At the end of the lane oblivious to what he goes live Old Mrs Hempstock, through, which only increases Ginnie Hempstock and his terror. The epigraph sums Lettie Hempstock, who up the boy’s experiences are fascinating characters perfectly: "I remember my that give the protagonist own childhood vividly … I acceptance and a window into knew terrible things. But I their world, without ever truly knew I mustn't let adults know explaining to the boy what is I knew. It would scare them." going on. The Hempstocks farm, where they live, has a There has been plenty of duckpond which is actually an discussion about whether The ocean, and it is because of this Ocean at the End of the Lane ocean that the boy encounters is a novel for children or for something bizarre, dangerous adults. This novel, unlike a lot and powerful. The boy gets of stories for children, does not

preach; it makes no designs on the reader, and does not attempt to steer them one way or another. Gaiman writes a child’s story for adults, in a way that does not patronise the child, or look at the past through rose-tinted glasses, it is just the man’s story, through his eyes as a boy. This is a story that perfectly blends the mundane with the supernatural; it is a fairy-tale, equal parts fantastical and frightening. The Ocean at the End of the Lane carves a space for itself in the in-between, not quite of this world, but not quite of any other, either.

THE FOUNDER March 2021

LITERARY REVIEW 17

Mrs Dalloway Said She Would Buy the Flowers Herself...

GRACE FROST irginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, published in 1925 and set in 1923 postwar London, takes place in a single day focusing on Mrs Clarissa Dalloway as she runs errands in preparation for an evening party. Through indirect discourse, the thirdperson narration dives into the thoughts of Mrs

Dalloway and some of the other characters too, opening up their personal thoughts, opinions and remarks towards those they see, what they do and how they feel. The reader is drawn in to see the wonderful in everyday post-war London through the opening line ‘Mrs Dalloway said she would

Source: Unsplash.com, Alisa Anton

Bhanu Kapil’s How to Wash a Heart

AUGUSTUS-BAMBRIDGE SUTTON inning the 2020 T.S. Eliot Prize, Bhanu Kapil’s sixth book of poetry, How to Wash a Heart, is an interesting new addition to the corpus of the award (often called the Booker of poetry). Clocking at just 44 pages, with each of these pages containing a single verse made up of short, fragmentary lines that are themselves sometimes single words, the poem’s structure creates a fraught, tight atmosphere in which words suggest far more than their obvious meaning. ‘I wanted to write a book that someone in England

could read in the duration that it would take to make and drink a cup of tea’, Kapil says in an interview with The Guardian.

Kapil, an EnglishAmerican poet raised in London and until recently living in Colorado, is shaped by her experience as an immigrant. Yet the poem itself is inspired not by her own life but a story that she heard about of a California couple adopting an Asian refugee. The poem explores themes of hospitality towards immigrants, with its

buy the flowers herself’. The narrative travels through the city via Mrs Dalloway who interacts with people of various classes, and the day’s progress is marked by the chimes of Big Ben throughout the narrative, marking the shift between time, events and character perspectives. ‘The War was over’ and London and its people are beginning to rebuild themselves and take back a sense of normality. Woolf’s personal interest and delight in London comes across in this novel as Mrs Dalloway wonders through the city, the hustle and bustle of people going about their day and the friendly gestures of ‘Good morning to you, Clarissa!’ by folk she passes all culminate into a bright and welcoming image of the capital city of both then and now. The natural desire to be

protagonist living as a guest in someone else’s house and constantly put on edge by the unnerving power of her host. ‘In that moment,’ she says, ‘I understood you were a wolf / capable of devouring / my internal organs.’ Every act of kindness undertaken by the host becomes tinged with a promise of retribution should the protagonist set a foot wrong. While Kapil does have the poet’s habit of attaching innumerable meaning to everyday things in a sometimes-overzealous manner, she nevertheless deploys her phrases with enough care to prevent the poem from being overwritten. Throughout the poem, our protagonist thinks of her parents, their lives and actions given both flavour and

amongst people in the midst of a busy scene is striking for Mrs Dalloway as much as the reader. In Clarissa’s own words ‘I love walking in London. Really it’s better than walking in the country’. Through following her day, the reader witnesses the eccentricities, anxieties and expectations of a wealthy lady, wife and hostess in London’s aristocratic world.

The errand of purchasing flowers that opens the narrative not only embodies the duteous nature of Mrs Dalloway but also brings some joy and life into her character. They act as a responsibility and purpose and moreover demonstrate how a simple or small task can spark intrigue in others. It is through entering the city on this errand that the protagonist interacts with strangers and meaning by their daughter’s imaginings. After being given a gift by her mother, she becomes ‘a brilliant child who studied / the history of revolutions / in school. / Is a poet / an imperial dissident / or just an outline / of pale blue chalk?’ The book’s biggest strength, and in some ways biggest weakness, is that it tends to take on the heaviness of autobiographical fiction, its themes of parenthood and terror appearing to stem from personal experience. This, on the one hand, proves the author’s talent, but then again, this sort of writing often has a feeling of heavy earnestness that is usually reserved for the outpourings of real-life experiences rather than literary imaginings. It feels real to the point of being misleading.

old friends and sees London bustling with life. Woolf pushes the boundaries of form as she takes hold of the free indirect narrative perspective and the apparent simplicity of the content taking place over a single day. Woolf creates a novel that seems simple on the surface but when the reader allows themselves to be taken into this realistic post-war London setting, a whole new world of class and individualism is opened up and, despite the busy nature of the city, is grounded in the unique qualities and agencies of each of the characters that the reader interacts with. This novel is the perfect piece of escapism as the reader is plunged into the beautifully sublime world of Mrs Dalloway and welcomed to see the extraordinary things a single day can hold.

And yet, the book’s vivid, sharp style makes it easy to absorb. Poetry is often associated with elitism, but the book is as gripping as a good thriller; its narrative and style simple but engaging in a way which retains its elegance throughout. Despite this, it never lapses into the sort of cringeable pop-culture references and ‘relatability’ that modern poetry so often uses in an attempt to be ‘topical.’ Overall, while far from a masterpiece, Bhanu Kapil’s book is a vivid, absorbing read, managing, despite its occasional over-selfseriousness, to be both accessible and elegant in large quantities.

18 LITERARY REVIEW

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

ALI KRAUSOVA

dward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, first staged in 1962, has nothing to do with Virginia Woolf but everything to do with Woolf’s use of dreamy imagery. The main characters, Martha and George, are so hurt by not being able to conceive a child, they make up a fictional one. Playing the game of having a son in front of their guests, Nick and Honey, becomes the less important part of the plot as Martha and George expose their craziness in other ways too, which deserve to be carefully observed; with their emotions fluctuating throughout the whole play and their denial pushed to the brink.

The reader cannot help but compare themself to the guests in this situation, finding it hard to understand why they simply do not leave, since Martha’s and George’s insanity seems to incessantly test them. Eventually, however, the reader too cannot help but read on in order to find out what Martha and George will come up with next. They become as mesmerised by their act as Nick and Honey are. The couple’s constant bickering is both entertaining and traumatising. The idea of marriage is compromised at first, exposing itself as ridiculously binding with the spouses only able to rely on one another and yet their bond is somehow not

enough, creating a strange and bitter resentment. This idea repeatedly strikes Honey afresh; she spends the majority of the play being sick in reaction to the behaviour she witnesses. However, Martha and George eventually find a renewed sense of hope and a new beginning when they decide to put their disturbing charade to an end.

Source: Unsplash.com, Zoriana Stakhniv

lost their voice to the men around them. Gilman manages to present this perfectly; her writing allows readers to see how much women in the 1900s were controlled by the voices of men, through both the systems put in place to diagnose them and ‘care’ for them.

The story is short, yet effective, exploring the capacity of the mind to escape when forced into an uncomfortable situation for a long period. Although our narrator is not allowed to physically leave the room, she finds ways to break free from her entrapment through her mind. She begins to see a woman on all fours creeping behind the wallpaper, and her desire to free this woman increases drastically over time. Gilman focuses on this female figure as a metaphor for how women are stuck in time, and unable to progress due to the lack of women’s rights. In fact, this story is metaphorical in a sense. Although it explores the fragility of mind, it is more-so a message seeking to demonstrate that women need to have freedom and their own individuality without being held down by a

MICHELLE KENNEDY

Throughout the novel, we are taken through her mind and the way she perceives the wallpaper, from its colour to its smell. Gilman’s focus on the narrator’s perspective takes us on a journey through the mind of a woman controlled by a man. Our narrator is

Source: Unsplash.com, Bekky Bekks

diagnosed with ‘temporary nervous depression’ and made to stay inside; she is not allowed to work or leave. The story can be regarded as a feminist approach to mental health as many women of this time were falsely diagnosed with temporary nervous depression and subsequently

powerfully. The most important question that the play raises, however, is one that transcends its setting to reach out to modern readers: does one marry for the love one’s already got or for the love that can be born out of it?

The play becomes its own game, inviting the reader to attempt to distinguish reality from illusion. Comical as it is, it is also incredibly tragic, and invested as one becomes in Martha’s and George’s loneliness, one also ends up thinking about their own loneliness and the craziness which occasionally sparks from it. The play grasped me

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman he Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman is regarded as a piece of American feminist literature, depicting the issues of women and mental health in the 1900s. The story is a collection of short journals from our narrator about her entrapment in the house her and her husband rent.

intensely. For such quick read so much happens, making me forget about my own day-today struggles. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf succeeds as a book alone, though I prefer reading plays to watching them; the story idea and its display is executed

man. Gilman’s work matches the impact of Sylvia Plath’s, as both are able to explore women’s rights and how the mind can be impacted when women are oppressed directly by men and indirectly by the societal structures in place. The narrator’s mental illness is included in order to address the depiction of women as mentally weak and fragile, when in fact these exaggerated diagnoses were entirely man made and used to control female autonomy. The Yellow Wallpaper is an intense, impactful novel as we see a woman mentally freeing herself from her husband and changing under the influence of her own mind. Gilman’s work spoke masses amongst 20th century women by expressing the consequences of their societal and patriarchal oppression.

THE FOUNDER March 2021

LITERARY REVIEW 19

Escapism, an Unconventional Take: If We We’re Villains by M. L. Rio

KINZA AZIRA hen thinking of escapism, you might traditionally imagine fantastical forests, or beautiful beaches- anything that whisks you away from the mundanity of everyday life. Like many of us currently trapped in small dorms - I can concur. However, on reading If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio- I found something quite satisfying in seeing a world so similar to my own, yet not quite. Picture students such as yourself; staying up till the crack of dawn, reading, writing, drinking and of course, committing murder. It is all the same really.

As a graduate of Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London and Shakespeare’s Globe, Rio was insistent on bringing the

dramatic tragedies she loved into the lives of students much like herself. Closely (perhaps, too close) in the vein of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, If We Were Villains follows the lives of a group of students at Dellecher Classical Conservatoryan elite school of arts. By system of selection each year

students are eliminated from the school and by fourth year only the best few remainproducing a new generation of great actors, musicians, artists, and thinkers: of course, at a price. Protagonist and first-person narrator, Oliver, carefully reveals piece by piece the events which unfolded at Dellecher

Source: Unsplash.com, Kyle Head

in the group’s final year, after having spent ten years in prison for a crime we cannot be certain he committed. At the time, Oliver noticed his friends began to mimic their roles both onstage and off- villain, hero, tyrant and temptress. When conflicts arose, their budding rivalries came to a head, with the plays spilling dangerously into real life. As tensions bubbled and one of the cohort crossed an unforgivable line, ending up bashed and bobbing in the lake- dead- the others faced their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they were blameless. M. L. Rio is truly a literary artisan, and her debut novel is mesmerizingly beautiful with her haunting prose sure to leave readers desperate for more. The literary elegance of weaving advanced Shakespeare into an accessible and engaging

Revisiting Among Revision:

and resetting my creative Much like these recipes mind. What follows are some carry me into the future, I t is that time of year for a lot books that have helped me know a book is good if I lose of us, we are inundated with reset recently. track of time when reading. assessments, going to sleep If I am hooked by the story pondering poststructuralism One place you may not telling, elegant prose and and re-reading course texts expect to find distraction characters I want to listen to, for that second round of is in recipe books. For me, I can easily stay with them highlighting. I complained however, cooking has been a until I realise it has got dark, of this deadline doom to a comfort and constant recently or that I can no longer feel friend, and she asked what and I read recipes, post it my feet (reading on a park I was reading for pleasure, note the pages and plan to bench in January will do that what other books or poetry recreate them when I can to you). I inhaled fifty pages I was enjoying in order to have friends over for dinner: of Swing Time by Zadie Smith counteract this feeling. ‘I a kind of future therapy for in this way, and yes, I would simply do not have time’, brighter times ahead. I love recommend it. I told her, incredulous she the anecdotal and familial could ask such a ridiculous connections the authors and I am not normally a requestion. But she knows me chefs have to food and I reader, but I was tempted back well and knows I need to take dream about travelling to new to Saturday by Ian McEwan. time to enjoy reading, and how places and trying new dishes I remembered the shadow of important it is for wellbeing when lockdown lifts. the plot and the ‘incident’, GEORGIA BISBAS

(there is usually an incident in McEwan) but I had forgotten the delicate details and the effortless way he transports the reader into the life of a person so different from ourselves. The concerns of the characters overtook mine and I relished the respite from my own neuroses and to-do list. The novel is not without its moments of anguish, but McEwan is capable of stretching out the briefest of moments as if looking down the wrong end of a telescope whilst depicting a series of events that last only one day, in such a captivating way.

story of friendship, love and jealousy is quite remarkable. As the group of students reside in the Dellecher Castle and spend nights studying away in towers with roaring fires and annotated copies of their favourite plays lining the walls, it is impossible not to be perpetually jealous of their academic excellence. Above all, the novel is home to one of the most enchanting twist endings in modern literature and demands careful consideration- leaving readers in a state of ambiguous perplexity. As the characters relationships are strained, and Oliver explores a new realm of love: the novel boasts questions of self-acceptance and inspiring loyalty. Whilst perhaps not traditionally escapist, Rio’s novel sweeps you to an alternate reality of success, passion, debauchery, and intense love in the dark corners of an almost recognisable world- but undoubtedly more dramatic.

the bizarre urgency to ‘get stuff done’ before lockdown lifts pervades, I know there are books that allow me to easily escape, regardless of how much time I do or do not have. To re-acquaint with characters and let them re-tell their stories.

While much of life feels Source: Unsplash.com, Vidar like it is set to a timer now and Nordli-Mathisen

20 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER March 2021

‘It Was The Cultural Zeitgeist All Along’: WandaVision and the Changing Face of Television and the Audiences Interaction with the Screen LEWIS. J. WHITE | FILM EDITOR Spoilers for WandaVision

hat is criticism if not disappointment persevering? WandaVision is the first of Marvel Studios attempts of television drama, specifically made for Disney+, WandaVision has a lot to live up to. After the success of their cinematic universe for the last 10 years, the MCU came to a halt after the climactic Avengers: Endgame (2019) and then the palette cleanser Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). The next for Marvel’s plans were Black Widow however, due to the COVID pandemic

this did not happen, as a result no Marvel content was released last year. This makes WandaVision the beginning of ‘Phase Four’, the first Marvel content in over a year and also the first of this format. Can this show grapple with the expectations and the eventual theories? WandaVision is a story of Wanda Maximoff mourning the loss of her romantic interest The Vision, in her grief stricken state it appears she has created a town in which she controls every inch of the town and it’s inhabitants. She transforms the town at her will through every era of television sitcoms through history. Oh and Vision is alive

again. There was a lot going on that opened the door for the fans to theorize and look into the comics to find hints or cameos. Many theorized that the big bad would be iconic comic villain: Mephisto. Or that Mr Fantastic from the Fantastic Four would show up. The hype of the fanbase and the never-ending theories and climbing expectations lead this show to fall.

At its core, WandaVision is a beautiful and experimental story about grief and love. An education of television history but also in how people cope with traumatic experiences. Alas, what the fandom wanted was something unachievable and as a result they were lead to be disappointed at something

over the culture – everyone was watching, and everyone was waiting.

Source: screenrant.com that they had wanted. The show itself was fantastic, funny, heart-breaking, shocking and action packed. But what was more present throughout the eight weeks WandaVision was airing: the power a television show has. The phrase ‘cultural zeitgeist’ refers to the spirit of the culture today, WandaVision was turned into the cultures zeitgeist. From meme formats, to an iTunes no.1 with the antagonists song ‘It was Agatha all along’, took

The unanimous feeling of watching this show with the rest of the internet, week by week, was exhausting. Everyone would read into any scene, they would con firm their expectations or deny others. There was no escape. Marvel won. I don’t think Kevin Feige is disappointed with the fandoms response to the show, I believe he embraces it and if anything intends it. Don’t hate WandaVision. Hate yourself, for having expectations. WandaVision is streaming now on Disney+

TV Review: We Are Who We Are (Dir. Luca Guadagnino) LIAM ELVISH

BO’s We Are Who We Are has been a highlight of lockdown entertainment over the Winter, a drama that will remain embedded in memory and encourage repeat viewings with great gusto. Unconventional in both style and content, the series stands as a sign of the times as we enter the 2020s. Set in an American armed forces camp in mainland Venice, it tells the story of a group of teenagers attending college from within the base. The two main protagonists, Frasier (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Christine Seamon) steal every scene in which they appear. They are magnetic on-screen, offering us a raw, organic quality

which exhibits both the playful and darker sides of adolescence. From Caitlin’s exploration of gender identity to Fraser’s infatuation with a local army soldier under his mother’s command, the series acknowledges the abundance of definitions regarding sexuality and individual expression, as well as evoking all the angst-ridden intensities of self-discovery. That yearning desire for something more, ridden with confusion and doubt, is heightened by the production’s visual aesthetic; director Luca Guadagnino adopts many of the same qualities as his much-applauded Call Me By Your Name. The

attend their first music concert, liaising with strangers and making mutual realisations, reinforcing all the excitement and possibilities of youth as it heads towards the beautiful finale. Source: HBO Max

Funny, quirky, and moving, We Are Who We Are is an artistic triumph, not simply for its own intrinsic value, but for all that can stem from it creatively in the years to come.

series is stunningly filmed on location and is something of an extended David Hockney painting, the ocean and sky providing much potential for colour and depth. All the vivid hues of the Italian coastline, with its beach parties and latenight raves, contrast sharply with the darkened corridors from each of the character’s insecure domestic lives.

many messy escapades, are presented as gritty and compelling for the most part, it is the moments of happiness which resonate most of all. For, added to the mix is the minimalist mise en scene of a subversive, stylishly choreographed dance scene between the two leads, which is simply unforgettable.

Above all else it is disruptive; and therein lies its vitality.

Yet, if the vicissitudes of growing up, with all its

And it is the last episode that sees Caitlin and Frasier

(English subtitles)

We Are Who We Are is available on BBC iPlayer. and

Italian

ARTS: FILM 21

THE FOUNDER March 2021

‘La Haine’ is Still Relevant and Timeless TILLY BENNETT

n November of 1995 Matthieu Kassovitz released the real-time crime film La Haine covering police brutality in the Parisian banlieues. Kassovitz created a film so timelessly poignant that it is still studied, remembered and referred to do today. It was rereleased in 2020 after 25 years at a time when it was more necessary than ever. During the opening sequences Kassovitz dedicates the film to those who ‘died’ during its creation serving as stark reminder of the corruption the three protagonists live amongst. The film starts with a montage of real footage portraying riots, looting and police stand-offs. Kassovitz has viewers anxious from the very first sequence, there are numerous moments throughout this film that provoke a breathless feeling. Set during Jacques Chirac’s presidency viewers are given a unique and telling insight into just how difficult the banlieues are for the youth. We are introduced to three friends Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Kounde) all revelling in resentment and grief of the actions from the night before. The plot centres around a tragic police brutality which hospitalises their friend during a previous riot. Almost instantaneously viewers are made aware that none of these young men

Source: esquire.com experience the more you view it throughout your life, the more beautiful and painful the experience becomes as you become more awake to the world around you. The themes follow those often read about in the news; the ones people are still fighting against today. It would be an injustice to write about La Haine and not pay homage to Vincent Cassel There is constant reference who executed the character of to the famous story of the man Vinz, a human embodiment that falls from a great height, of a ticking time bomb, in a comically reassuring himself truly mesmerising way. Vinz by saying ‘so far, so good.’ character is unashamedly the Hubert uses this anecdote as I believe La Haine is a most dangerous of the trio, reference for his slightly less film which gets better with fuelled like the title suggests wish to be an antagonist but due to their environment and circumstances they are raised in an area fuelled by violence, racism and injustice. It is increasingly upsetting to realise that for many, if you live in the Banlieue and you die there as job prospects, good education and dreams are scarce.

inspired friends, stating, ‘it’s not about the fall, it’s about how you land.’ Consequently, Hubert is foreshadowing the harrowing ending that these boys face in their 24 hours together. The film provides time stamps throughout the day adding intensity to an already boiling pot. Another heart-breaking aspect of this quote is that throughout the film it is evident that Hubert acknowledges and longs for a greater life outside of the depressing banlieue.

by hate and a desire for power. La Haine is a response to crisis which is still devastatingly prevalent today. Combing harrowing true events with moments of surrealism such as the reappearing cow, Kassovitz executed a movingly honest film. The cohesion between the stylistic choices, a timeless soundtrack and fantastic casting has paved the way for this film to become a cult classic. A must watch for everyone, not only for pleasure but also for education.

22 ARTS: MUSIC

THE FOUNDER March 2021

What Does The World’s A Little Blurry say About Gen-Z Musicians?

AMELIA MORRIS | MUSIC EDITOR illie Eilish is often hailed as the voice of her generation. As one of the first Generation Z superstars, born in 2001, her rise to stardom began at age thirteen with her first single Ocean Eyes. Her 2019 hit Bad Guy made her the first artist born in the twenty-first century to have a number one hit on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Her music famously touches on themes of mental health, climate change, drugs and sobriety. As Billie says during part of an interview which is shown in The World’s A Little Blurry: ‘People are always like, ‘you know it’s so dark. Have happy music.’ But I’m, like, never feeling happy

so why would I write about things I don’t know about?’

The new documentary (available on Apple+) follows Eilish and her family from the writing and creating process of her 2019 album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Like with her prior music, her debut album was recorded with her brother, Finneas, in his bedroom at their parents’ house in Los Angeles and this is where the majority of the documentary takes place. This house and her family are central to Eilish’s life and music. At one point Billie’s mother, Maggie Baird, wonders aloud about how successful young musicians have ever ‘done it’ without an unconditionally supportive

parent figure which Billie so clearly has. Parallels are drawn between Eilish and her childhood idol and current mentor figure: Justin Bieber. Maggie despairs at Bieber’s youth in the spotlight, so often misspent and polarising.

Eilish’s creative control over her own music is obvious from the start. She laments at not being allowed to direct her music video for when the party’s over although the idea is hers and we are shown a clip with Eilish behind the camera telling the director exactly how she wants the shots to look: ‘don’t zoom’, she emphasises, ‘don’t do anything like those bozo f*cking filmmakers do’. When it comes to songwriting, however, the tale

Another Kind of K-Pop OLIVIA ANDERSON

t’s safe to say that K-pop has taken the world by storm. The pop music of South Korea has firmly settled into its seat in the centre of the world stage; one of the country’s leading lights - the boy band BTS - has racked up over 600 million streams on Spotify for one of their songs alone. But what of the nation’s upstairs neighbour? Of all the things for which North Korea is famous, its musical exports are not one. The juxtaposition between the two nations is remarkable and pronounced in many ways, not least of which being South Korea’s vibrant and far-reaching music industry, where North Korea falls silent.

Music in North Korea seems to be a vehicle for the regime’s ideology, called ‘juche’. This is a belief system based on the idea of selfreliance; the nationalist notion that North Korea should be isolated and set apart from the rest of the world under the leadership of its all-powerful Supreme Leader. The nation’s state-sponsored musical culture propounds these principles, demonstrating that music produces culture as much as culture produces music. It is obvious that living in one of the world’s most infamous totalitarian states has implications in popular culture. The Moranbong Band, one of the nation’s most well-known, exemplifies

what happens when statesponsored propaganda meets pop music. The original members of the girl group were chosen by Kim Jong-Un back in 2012. It is no surprise that their musical repertoire is a thinly-veiled affirmation of both the regime and the Supreme Leader himself see ‘My Country is the Best’ and ‘Advance of Socialism’. The group’s perfectly coordinated outfits, often with a militaristic tenor, provide visual representations of the pervasive culture of martial repression and ruthless collectivism in North Korea. The members seem to come and go, but the outward unity and semblance of perfect citizenship speaks volumes about what the North Korean establishment wants its

is a little different. In the documentary, Eilish makes no bones about how difficult she finds the process. At one point, her brother discusses trying to encourage her to write a hit for the record label to their mother: ‘I feel like I’ve been, like, told to write a hit but I’ve been told to not tell Billie that we have to write a hit’. While Eilish has since been documented as saying that she has rediscovered

her love for the song-writing process, she has made clear that this documentary captured some of her darkest, most self-doubting moments. Like many of her peers, Billie is critical of herself and her talents often to the point of self-sabotage but her reflective honesty and the support of those around her is what makes her the perfect titleholder of the first Gen-Z superstar.

Source: newsweek.com

citizens to model themselves on. The group is exactly what one would imagine a North Korean iteration of Little Mix, or the Spice Girls, or any other iconic Western girlgroup for that matter, to look like.

Music is one of the most obvious tools for propaganda, and if the only music North Koreans can listen to is that which is sanctioned by the state, the hegemony of the state’s ideology seems even more difficult to shift.

Where music often functions as a tool for social change and a way to challenge the status quo, the hegemony of this kind of music in North Korea hints at the impossibility of using these means to effect change. Where is North Korea’s Pussy Riot? The culture of repression and totalitarianism is so deeply instantiated in this nation that dissident voices are completely drowned out. Even the dearth of information about popular culture in North Korea bespeaks their philosophy of aggressive self-seclusion.

Music is a prism through which we can understand the state of a nation’s democracy. Stormzy’s famous line from Vossi Bop states ‘f**k the government and f**k Boris’ and he went on to headline Glastonbury. While the UK’s is not a perfect democracy by any means, this comparison to North Korea casts the regime’s policy of complete oppression into even sharper relief. If music holds up a mirror to the freedoms a nation has, North Korea’s state-ordained popular culture reveals the extent of its despotism in a fascinating way.

ARTS: MUSIC 23

THE FOUNDER March 2021

10 Songs Turning 10 Years Old in 2021 RENÉE LEWIS

What Makes You Beautiful Lego House – Ed Sheeran – One Direction (11th (11th November) September) Sheeran’s third single 1D’s debut single after from his debut studio album, placing 3rd on the 2010 +, peaked at #5 in the UK season of X Factor remained charts and was just the start at #1 for four weeks and was of his journey to becoming a domestic success. It’s safe a global icon. Just hearing to say that the reaction to the song’s opening bars this single foreshadowed the immediately reminds me of success which was in store Rupert Grint’s Ed Sheeranfor the five-piece who would obsessed performance in the become the biggest boyband music video. in the world.

t’s 2011. Prince William has married Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey. The final Harry Potter film is playing in the cinemas as well as Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Kung Fu Panda 2. The London Riots have been at the forefront of the news. Little Mix has been formed on X Factor and will go on to become the first girl group to win the competition and the UN has announced that the global population has reached seven billion. If you are still adjusting to the fact that that phrase ’10 years ago’ does not refer to the 1990s, just wait until you read of some of the songs that will be turning (or have already turned) ten years old this year…

Source: Wikipedia

Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO ft. Lauren (5 th April) Bennett (25th January)

Hearing ‘everyday I’m shuffling’ is enough to transport you back to 2011 and make you want to dance along. The uncle-nephew duo burst onto the scene with this electronic dance tun which Someone Like You – Adele reached #1 in 17 countries.

(24th January)

The powerful pop ballad hit #1 in 19 countries and was crowned the best-selling single of 2011. The year after, it won British Single of the Year as well as Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys, and the album it comes from, 21, won two Grammys.

Somebody That I Used to Paradise – Coldplay (12th Know – Gotye (December in Super Bass – Nicki Minaj September) the UK) Just hearing the opening of this song can set off a room of people as they prepare themselves to rap this song in its entirety. Since the release of Super Bass, Nicki Minaj has been regarded as one of the most prominent female rappers of the past decade.

Price Tag – Jessie J ft. Run the World (Girls) – Beyoncé (21st April) B.o.B (31st January) Reminding us that wealth does not guarantee happiness with the second single of her career, Jessie J made history as the first British female artist to have an album, Who You Are (2011), achieve six or more top 10 hits in the UK.

Beyoncé returned to the scene after a year-long hiatus with this female empowerment anthem from her fourth solo album. The shoulder dance at the start of the music video is still as iconic as ever.

This is such a timeless song that I could not believe almost ten years have passed since its release. The lush instrumental textures are to die for, and it is no wonder the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Duo/Group Performance.

Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen (20th September) Although we were never able to escape this song because it was playing everywhere, its catchiness made it even more impossible to not sing along. Jepsen’s international hit went onto win an array of awards and was labelled song of the year by MTV in 2012.

Belgian-Australian singer Gotye may have dropped one of the greatest songs of the decade and disappeared off the face of the earth after winning two Grammys, achieving 23 #1s and topping the Billboard Hot 100, but we most definitely will not forget this gem.

24 MUSIC

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Hayley Williams – Flowers for Vases / Descansos Review RENÉE LEWIS

ess than a year after the release of her solo debut, Petals for Armour, Hayley Williams has come out with another album and it is even more introspective and raw than the first. Flowers for Vases / Descansos contains 14 new tracks and was released on 5th February with the Paramore front-woman announcing its arrival only the day before. Williams has been writing her own songs for Paramore

since the band released their first album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, but Flowers is the first time she has recorded a whole album on her own; she wrote all the songs, recorded her vocals and played all the backing instruments herself in the comfort of her Nashville home. The second half of the album title, Descansos, means ‘breaks’ or ‘rests’ in Spanish, but are also small crosses at the side of the road that mark sites of fatal accidents. Poet Clarissa Pinkola Estés writes about these in her 1989 book Women

who Run with the Wolves in terms of marking the painful events in a woman’s life, and Williams appears to visit her own descansos in this album in continuing to bare her emotions and vulnerability in light of her divorce. What is especially striking about Flowers is that Williams swaps her characteristically pop punk sound and powerful vocals for a more folk and country feel, which are strongest on songs such as Good Grief and Find Me Here. Her minimalist

The Rise of Marika Hackman JENNIFER ROSE

ast March I went to my last pre-covid gig. As ever, Marika Hackman was on perfect form, with her witty comments and vibrant personality inspiring us to forget about the crumbling world outside the walls of the O2 Kentish Town Forum. A year on, I still think about one moment that particularly struck me: Hackman’s rendition of Eliot Smith’s Between the Bars. Playing solo on stage with a single vocal and guitar, she stilled the audience: the whole room held their breath for those two and a half sublime minutes. There are moments you never forget, and this was one of them. Her latest album, Covers, was released in November 2020, with Between the Bars as Track 7. Amongst the

Source: DIY Mag

songs on the album are Realiti by Grimes and All Night by Beyonce. Covers nods back to her pre-2017 sound whilst simultaneously encompassing the traits she is known for: dreamy layered vocals, and an eerie juxtaposition of soft synth keyboard and deliberately delicate drums. Her success, though she still largely has a cult presence, is based on her changeability: she has established her own style within which she can adapt. Her individualistic sound allows you to identify her compositions from a few bars thus establishing her as an indie favourite.

The real shift in her sound came in the two years between 2015’s We Slept At Last and 2017’s I’m Not Your Man. Hackman’s dark lyrics, often coupled with storytelling elements, regularly solidified her place in the indie-folk genre. The newfound rockinfluenced sound established on the 2017 release was extensively developed on 2019’s Any Human Friend.

approach to song-writing, with the wide use of simple acoustic guitar and piano instrumentation along with her much softer and soothing vocals adds an intimately personal touch to Flowers, providing the perfect mixture for capturing heartbreak so compellingly. ‘[The] truth is all I really want is somebody who wants me / Somebody I could count on, who won’t disappoint me’ Williams sings in Trigger, and in My Limb, she likens coming to the end of a relationship and attempting to forget this person to severing your own limb – its haunting chorus will have you humming along in no time. In an interview with Zane Lowe last month, Williams shared how Inordinary explores her move to Tennessee as her mother escaped an abusive

relationship, and it was here that she believed her life started, as she met her closest friends who eventually became her Paramore bandmates.

the shift in sound still provides a coherency for the album as a whole. Far from a concept album, the work does have an overarching theme: human intimacy and acceptance. In particular, her 2017 and 2019 releases tackled issues around being queer in the music industry, though the lyrics on her penultimate release are much harsher, much more direct. Few others could get away with writing a song about self-pleasure (‘Hand Solo’) in such a witty tone, whilst also opening up the conversation about queer relationships with society as a whole.

release. Track the changes yourself: Drown and Monday Afternoon from We Slept at Last perfectly encapsulate her earlier sound, whilst Boyfriend and My Lover Cindy from I’m Not Your Man show that microshift to her explorative stage. The first three songs on Any Human Friend are an experience: wanderlust, the one and all night flow into one another with ease, though hand solo is a power anthem. Her Between the Bars cover of Elliot Smith is one of the most beautiful renditions you will ever hear, likewise with her cover of The Shins’ Phantom Limb from Covers. Whatever the emotion, Marika Hackman has you covered. Despite only being 8 years into her career, she has already developed a devoted fan base and an explicitly individual sound. She is a musician of a new era, and has much more to say.

Whilst the chromatic melodies and airy harmonies on I’m Not Your Man nod to previous releases (Round We Go), tracks like Boyfriend Hackman’s success in her and Time’s Been Reckless releases ultimately comes propelled her into a new, alternative-rock inspired down to the understanding of coherency in a work. sound. Whenever she changes her Any Human Friend is the sound it is a subtle diversion definitive album of her career from a previous work, yet thus far. Written from the she keeps those integrally drum and bass line upwards, Hackman elements in every

Overall, Flowers is a very relaxing and comforting album to listen to, and her declaration of ‘no more music for the masses’ in the wonderful concluding song Just a Lover suggests that she wrote this album for herself and just happens to be sharing it with the rest of the world. The fact that it is completely different from anything she has ever released shows how she is fashioning herself into a solo artist (though assuring her fans that Paramore is still a band on her social media), and we are eagerly looking forward to all her future solo endeavours.

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THE FOUNDER March 2021

Can Joan Laporta Save FC Barcelona? Al-Sadd, it seems likely he will stay there until at least the World Cup in 2022. With the other obvious candidate, Mauricio Pochettino, now at PSG Koeman may well be safe for at least another year.

PETER GEDDES

wrote in October about the challenges facing Barcelona and new manager Ronald Koeman. Since then the situation has become a lot more unstable off the pitch with, now former, president Josep Bartomeu being censured by the club members, the socios, and then arrested as part of an investigation into corruption. On the pitch Koeman has stabilised Barca’s league form which was poor at the beginning of the season but also suffered a comprehensive 4-1 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. On Sunday, 7th March some order may have arrived in the form of Joan Laporta who won the presidential election with 58% of the vote. Laporta became Barcelona president for the first time in 2003 and oversaw a remarkably successful period which saw two Champions League wins and eleven other trophies alongside the appointment of Pep Guardiola who would see the club to further domestic and European success after Laporta’s departure in 2010. Whether the club is in worse shape than in 2003 is up for debate but what is beyond doubt is that the dual spectre of financial turmoil and the departure of Messi make the next six months a crucial period for the future of FC Barcelona.

Source: Getty Images

So, what is Laporta going to do and what does this mean for the team going forward? Throughout the election campaign he and his closest rival Victor Font emphasised the importance of keeping Messi and their personal relationship with him. It is thought that Laporta has a good relationship with both Lionel and his father Jorge. Currently Messi can receive personal offers from clubs as he is in the last six months of his contract, Manchester City and PSG are the front runners with mixed reports as to how far either have gotten in the race for his signature. Some are casting doubt on how keen City

actually are while PSG would have to rejig their finances to accommodate the huge wages of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi. Laporta now has three months to persuade the player who last summer announced his unequivocal intention to leave that it is worth staying at a club within excess of £1 billion of debt and a current playing squad that cannot compete for the Champions League. Laporta, unlike Font, didn’t stake his pitch on getting in a particular coach but a restructuring at the higher levels of management. It is understood that he’s looking to bring in Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany as sporting director and general manager respectively. In

theory these two would chart a long term recruitment plan for both players and staff. Both men have experience in their respective roles and of Spanish football in particular, it will be interesting to see if the Cruyff connection can reinstil the ‘Barcelona Way’ that all three of the presidential candidates emphasised in the campaign. Where this leaves Ronald Koeman appears to remain uncertain, there were rumours of attempts to entice Guardiola back to Catalonia but that doesn’t seem likely with his contract extending till 2023. Xavi, who was touted by Font as part of the solution, has refused Barca before and is in his second year in charge of Qatari side

The finances of the club mean that changes need to be made to the playing squad, I would not be surprised if high earning figures such as Busquets and Coutinho are moved on in some way. The huge debt which the club is saddled with make possible acquisitions hard to come by. Eric Garcia is en route from Manchester City and rumours of a move for Dutch duo Gigi Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, who are both out of contract, are consistent enough to be believable. Though not necessarily bad these aren’t exactly game changing signings. The road back to the top of European football will be a long one. As crazy as this sounds Messi leaving may free up enough room on the wage bill for a genuine rebuild. However, Laporta seems confident in keeping him, make no mistake if he pulls it off it is just the first step in what has to be a fundamental reformulation of the club. Laporta’s term lasts until 2026, whether Messi stays or goes this summer his presidency will be defined by how he manages the transition to life without the diminutive Argentine.

26 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER March 2021

From Heroes to Zeroes – What has Happened to Liverpool FC? options and to the dressing room atmosphere.

ELIOT K. RAMAN JONES | SPORTS EDITOR

iverpool’s already dire title defence continued to deteriorate this week, as a shock 1-0 loss at home to a Fulham side battling relegation condemned the Merseyside club to their sixth successive Premier League home defeat. The Reds have suffered this season with injuries and the lack of the Anfield crowd and their despair was evident in the most recent of a string of lacklustre performances that have left some fans calling for the resignation of club coach Jurgen Klopp, just a year on from the German delivering Liverpool their first league title in 30 years. While this is more of a vocal minority and appears to not reflect the opinion of the whole fanbase, Liverpool’s recent run of poor form the season after they dominated the league (winning the title by 18 points) is assuredly concerning. So just where has it all gone wrong for Klopp’s side?

The main problem Liverpool have had to contend with this year is injuries, and more specifically, defensive injuries. Liverpool have used over 20 different centre-back partnerships this season, a statistic that normally is reserved for praising teams’ versatility instead showing the damning extent of their defensive crisis. The injury to talismanic first-choice CB Virgil van Dijk in October’s Merseyside derby left a gaping hole in the defending champions’ back line. Potential replacements Joe Gomez and Joel Matip were also ruled out for the season early, which forced a period of intense improvisation for Klopp, and has seen midfielders Fabinho and James Milner have spells in the unfamiliar role. Club captain Jordan Henderson, deputising at centre-back in February’s derby with Everton, became another loss to both the limited defensive

The situation was so desperate that Liverpool made moves for new centrebacks in the January transfer window, and while most new Premier League recruits have to contend with some time spent on the bench before their debut, new signing Ozan Kabak found himself thrust into the Reds’ starting lineup far quicker than he would have expected. Kabak missed the game against Fulham with a knock, the severity of which is unclear, but it is highly likely that that news

l Clásico is perhaps the most coveted, eagerlyanticipated match between two teams in global football. Its growth in prominence since the turn of the century – simultaneous with both the increasing pedigree

of Barcelona’s La Masia graduates and the buzz around Real’s Galácticos – has turned El Clásico into a must-watch spectacle, charged with emotion and rivalry.

Likewise, when a team is deprived of key leaders at the back of a team, the front suffers as well. While they did score twice in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg against RB Leipzig in mid-February, in their last five games in the Premier League Liverpool have only scored three times. Such profligacy in front of goal

Source: Sky Sports

10 Years On – 4 El Clásicos in 17 Days BEN ROWE

has caused Jurgen Klopp a great deal of frustration. By rotating the squad so often, defensive partnerships cannot fully form, and inexperience reigns supreme – so defensive mistakes increase.

Barcelona were scheduled to face José Mourinho’s Real Madrid four times. This feast of Clásicos would prove to be vitriolic and gruelling. Both teams were enjoying recordbreaking seasons, and were led Between April 16 and by Lionel Messi and Cristiano May 3, 2011, Pep Guardiola’s Ronaldo at the peak of their

powers. The former scored 31 league goals and accrued 17 assists in 38 games, while the latter assisted 10 to add to his whopping tally of 40 goals. It is reported that Mourinho was initially a candidate for the Barcelona job in 2008, which eventually went to Guardiola. Mourinho was brought into Madrid in 2010 in an attempt to respond to Guardiola’s success with Barcelona – having won the La Liga in his first two

is a far cry from last season, where the front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah terrorised Premier League defences on their way to the title. Last season, Liverpool scored 85 goals in the Premier League. In order to match that total this season, they would need to score 38 goals in their remaining ten games – a feat which may as well be written off as a fantasy. Of course, poor form is part of the game, but this season Liverpool have been dealt some truly unfortunate cards. Those few who remain optimistic of Liverpool finishing the season with a good account of themselves maintain that were it not for the injury list, Liverpool would be right up at the top of the table, and that there should be no cause for concern regarding Klopp’s tenure. But football is a results-based game, and if this run of poor form continues, the higherups at Anfield may be forced to shuffle the deck.

seasons. The personal rivalry between the two coaches gave El Clásico a new dimension for the 2010/11 season. The first Clásico between the two managers took place on November 29 2010, with Real Madrid (32) one point ahead of Barcelona (31) after 12 games. In what was expected to be a close encounter, Barça humiliated Real Madrid, inflicting a 5-0 defeat – the biggest Clásico loss for 15 years.

SPORTS 27

THE FOUNDER March 2021 Mourinho had triumphed over Barcelona with Inter Milan in the Champions League owing to the ‘prison’ he set up around Messi. This tactic didn’t bear fruit, with one of prison walls coming crumbling down in the 61st minute with Pepe’s red-card, and the warden, Mourinho, being sent to the stands. This gave Messi the freedom to take over and he scored two goals in a 2-0 win. Barcelona would take a lead back to the Nou Camp, but the game, if not remembered for Messi’s breath-taking second goal, would be remembered for its poisonous, hostile nature, which resulted in both The first-leg was to be clubs being fined by UEFA. played at the Bernabéu, with The notorious sequence The next game, four days the focus on how Madrid later, was the Copa Del Rey planned to prevent Barcelona matches were capped off with final. With Real Madrid from scoring. Last season, a relatively drama-free second Come April 16, four straight Clásicos awaited. The first of which was a league game with high stakes. After 31 games, Barcelona (84) were 8 points ahead of Real Madrid (76) – anything less than a win for Madrid would end their title race. Both teams had been near unstoppable all season, but played out a scrappy 1-1 draw in which Messi and Ronaldo both scored penalties. The result suited Barcelona far more than Real, and they would go on to win La Liga for the third season in a row with 96 points – 4 clear of Real – and a goal difference of +74! Madrid themselves scored 102 goals in 38 games.

out of the title race, it was of paramount importance to Mourinho that he didn’t finish the season domestically trophyless. A niggly, defensive game played out which was ultimately won by a fantastic Ronaldo header in extra time. The game itself, excessively combative, was characterised by cheating and the haranguing of officials. All-out media warfare between Guardiola and Mourinho ensued in an attempt to be the ring-leaders of the media circus before their next two matches – the Champions League semifinals.

leg. Pedro put Barcelona 3-0 up on aggregate in the first half, rendering Marcelo’s equaliser on the night a mere consolation. Barcelona went on to win the Champions League after a 3-1 victory against Man United at Wembley in one of the most harmonious, dominant performances of recent Champions League history.

Source: The Week

Euro 2020: What to Expect This Summer DANIEL HORNER

ith under one hundred days left until the delayed European Championships kicks off on June 11th, the 60th anniversary of the tournament was confirmed by UEFA to go ahead as planned across twelve host cities. The governing body of football in Europe reaffirmed that ‘Since the tournament was announced, as to be staged across 12 countries, it has remained UEFA's intention to stage it in 12 countries’. The host venues for this summer’s tournament are: Amsterdam (Netherlands) Johan Cruyff Arena; Baku (Azerbaijan) Olympic Stadium; Bilbao (Spain) - San Mames; Bucharest (Romania) - Arena Nationala; Budapest (Hungary) - Puskas Arena; Copenhagen (Denmark) - Parken Stadium; Dublin (Republic of Ireland) - Aviva Stadium; Glasgow (Scotland) - Hampden Park; London (England) - Wembley Stadium;

Yet, with the Covid-19 pandemic still having varying degrees of infection and death rates across the continent, there is still a strong possibility that some of the venues will be unable to fulfil their duties and successfully host games while meeting the necessary UEFA requirements. Each host city has until April 7th to confirm the number of fans allowed in each stadium, before a final decision is made by UEFA.

games due to their proximity. However, closer to home, there are increasing concerns that Glasgow and Dublin will be cut from hosting. Due to international travel bans and the status of fans returning to venues up in the air, it is possible that England steps in and offers to take on four fixtures both Glasgow and Dublin each may not be able to fulfil. For Scottish fans in particular, after seeing their country qualify for their first tournament since the 1998 World Cup, the prospect of not seeing them play at Hampden Park would be a bittersweet predicament.

Ideally, UEFA would, in a best-case scenario, allow stadiums to have one third of their capacities full in order to make a profit. Anything less, and their status as a host city will be in jeopardy. It was plausible that cities such as Baku, St. Petersburg or Bucharest for instance could drop out of hosting any

Media speculation naturally intensified at the prospect of Wembley hosting more than its seven allocated games, which includes both semi finals and the final itself on July 11th. Rumours went as far to suggest that England could even host the tournament outright, due to the current success of the vaccination programme and

Munich (Germany) - Allianz Arena; Rome (Italy) - Stadio Olimpico; Saint Petersburg (Russia) - Krestovsky Stadium.

It is unlikely such an infamous string of matches will ever manifest itself again, and while ten years on Barcelona and Real Madrid are no longer the two most potent teams in world football, the next Clásico on April 11 will have a huge impact on the title race, as both clubs aim to catch Atlético Madrid at La Liga’s summit.

the high quality of stadia available. Nevertheless, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Football Association have offered England’s services, UEFA will plan for the tournament to prevail as smoothly and as ideally as originally planned as possible. Still, the homefield advantage England do have has propelled them to be considered joint or outright favourites. For the home nations, the chance to host another major football tournament took a step closer as a joint statement confirmed that ‘The football associations and government partners of the UK and Ireland are delighted that the UK Government has committed to support a prospective five-association bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup’. In terms of the actual football on the pitch this summer, the eagerly anticipated twentyfour nation showpiece should be one of the most openly

contested in recent memory. While the 2016 tournament received criticism for its format and arguably diluted quality of teams, with winners Portugal finishing third in their group, the defending champions now boast one of the strongest line ups on paper. World Champions France will naturally be many people’s favourites, but it would not be surprising to see one of Belgium, Spain, Germany, England, Croatia, Italy or the Netherlands lift the trophy. Seeing both Italy and the Netherlands return to a major tournament after failing to qualify for the World Cup feels nostalgic. Newcomers North Macedonia and Finland will be playing in their first ever tournament, while Scotland make a longawaited return after decades of disappointment. While stadiums will not be at full capacity, having any fans at all present is a welcome relief. It should be an open, exciting competition that, despite being delayed, will hopefully be worth the wait.

28 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER March 2021

The Premier League Relegation Battle - Who is Going Down?

OLI GENT

he Premier League remains the pinnacle of English football. It is the promised land, where every club in the 92-strong pyramid strives to get to the top of. When sides come up from the Championship, the main goal is to stay afloat; to survive and maintain their top-flight status.

names on paper: Oliver Burke arrived from West Brom, highly-rated starlet Rhian Brewster was brought in for a club-record £24 million, and Aaron Ramsdale assumed the number one jersey from returning loanee Dean Henderson. The squad looked strong, but something hasn’t clicked for the Blades

This season is very much the same: clubs down at the wrong end of the table fighting for their lives in a bid to keep their place amongst the very best.

their identity was, nor what seeming to be a shrewd their best 11 was. Since signing. then, Parker has managed to guide them to some seriously With Big Sam at the helm, impressive results: they the football might not be secured a shock 1-0 win at pretty, but if he is able to keep Anfield, drew at Tottenham the Baggies up against all the Hotspur, and beat Leicester odds, in arguably his most City at the King Power difficult job yet, then Albion Stadium, but results against West Brom were cast far fans will have no complaints. the teams around them have let away under the leadership of them down: they went down 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace and could only stumble to a draw with Sheffield United, so there is still work to do if the west Londoners to keep themselves alive. The 3-5-2 remains rigidly the go-to formation, and neither of the two strikers that play, be it David McGoldrick, Burke, Brewster or Oli McBurnie, seem confident enough in front of goal to fire the south Yorkshire side to safety.

But who are the teams in serious danger, and who is looking the most likely to pull of ‘The Great Escape’? Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham were cut adrift from the rest of the pack early on: with none of the three teams looking even capable of putting a winning run together, or even emerging victorious at all. Sheffield United were looking to build upon a quite incredible 9th placed finish on their return to the top division, with their 3-5-2 shape and the ‘overlapping centrebacks' Chris Basham and Jack O’Connell a particular highlight in a unique, and very effective, system. This season, Chris Wilder dipped into the transfer market to reinforce his squad depth, bringing in impressive

Source: Dailymail.com

this term. They look out of ideas, toothless in front of goal, and it seems as though their initially effective system has been found out. There is the argument that, with no supporters in the ground this season, this has hindered their home form, with Bramall Lane known in the last campaign as a fortress that really contributed to their tophalf position. There have been times where the Blades have been unfortunate – penalties and VAR decisions not going their way – but there is a clear lack of plan B from Wilder’s men.

Slaven Bilic, with the Croat not backed in the summer window, unlike Wilder and Scott Parker. Sam Allardyce, the survival specialist, has since come in and has been backed in January, and whilst there has been some visible improvement, there is still work to be done for Albion to be in with a chance of hauling themselves out of trouble. Mbaye Diagne has offered them potent goal threat, whilst Matheus Pereira and Conor Gallagher give them some impetus from the midfield, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles' capture on loan from Arsenal

Fulham are an interesting side at the best of times and have tried again to do what they did unsuccessfully in their last Premier League outing: throwing money at a successful Championship squad, bringing in eyecatching names from the continent in the hope of more than just a relegation dogfight. Names like Alphonse Areola, previously on loan at Real Madrid, Kenny Tete and Joachim Andersen from Lyon and Ademola Lookman to name but a few arrived, and initially, there was a beddingin phase where the Cottagers couldn’t quite work out what

Out of the three in the drop zone, Fulham look the most likely to get themselves out of trouble. They’ve got the experience within the squad, the ability, and the most confidence running through the side. Newcastle United are in perilous danger, especially considering their losses of the talismanic Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron to injury, and with the dire lack of goals and the unadventurous style of play, Steve Bruce’s Magpies could well replace Fulham in the bottom three if they’re not careful. Time will tell: if Newcastle are fortunate enough to get the Frenchman and the Paraguayan back and firing quickly, they’re in with a chance, and the dogfight will go to the wire. If they don’t, Fulham have enough about them to leapfrog them and haul them under. It will be a fascinating watch.

SPORTS 29

THE FOUNDER March 2021

Social Media Abuse in Football: Will There be Change? DANIEL HORNER

recent surge in social media abuse this year has been vocally called out by those who have suffered such horrific vilification. This is not simply an issue of racism, as death threats have also been made to players, referees and pundits. It is also not a football problem, rather, a societal one that seems to be endemic in British society. Tackling cyberbullying and abuse is something that urgently needs to be addressed by a coalition of the government, social media platforms and the Football Association. As of writing, Burnley defender Erik Pieters is the latest footballer to fall victim and share his online abuse. In the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Pieters had a red card for deliberate handball overturned by VAR and in another handball decision, was rather fortunate a penalty was not awarded. On his most recent Instagram post, threatening comments of harm were made against his wife and unborn baby. This abuse has not been subjected to just footballers

however. Premier League referee Mike Dean missed a gameweek because of horrific abuse aimed at not only himself but his family too. Death threats were made after Dean controversially sent off West Ham midfielder West Ham's Tomas Soucek and Southampton's Jan Bednarek in two separate games, both of which were rescinded. While the standard of refereeing has certainly been questionable this season, the unjustified and abhorrent abuse of officials – on and off the pitch – has been a consistently increasing trend, which no doubt is a significant factor in the low rate of qualified referees. A substantial amount of the social media abuse aimed at players has been racist remarks. This has existed for many years, but there seems to be a constant cycle of upsurges in these incidents, then followed by denunciation and reactionary measures, and then back to square one again when more abuse is brought to light. Two people have been arrested in connection with the online abuse aimed at West Brom’s

Source: cybersmile.org

Romaine Sawyers and pundit Ian Wright. Manchester United alone have seen Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe and Lauren James suffer from racist abuse. Chelsea’s Reece James (brother of Lauren) and Antonio Rudiger have spoken out over their own abuse, as well as Bristol Rovers’ Mark Little. With some football teams like Brentford, Millwall and Derby County opting to discontinue taking a knee, it is understandable why teams and players continue to do so. There has certainly been a strong reaction and show of support for those who have suffered abuse. The FA stated that ‘Social media companies need to step up and take accountability and action to ban abusers from their platforms, gather evidence that can lead to prosecution and support making their platforms free from this type of abhorrent abuse’. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has encouraged players to speak

out and press charges. The government has vowed to implement new laws on online abuse, while also initiating conversation with current and former players about tackling discrimination. Back in January, Kick It Out held talks between key football authorities, policing and social media companies on how to combat online abuse. Back in September of last year, Kick It Out reported that there ‘had been a 42% increase in reports of discrimination in English professional football the previous season.’ The Premier League last year launched its own online abuse reporting system. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have all released statements, but it has been difficult in the past for the media to properly get in touch with the social media giants. Instagram vows to remove accounts of those who have sent abusive messages and also find ways

to help reduce the abuse seen in direct messages. Social media companies do face difficulties with the amount of traffic of messages and ads from bot accounts, while there are many differing types of abuse and a struggle to identify perpetrators. Still, social media giants have been around long enough to know the issues it faces – some of which are of their own making (Cambridge Analytica, taxes). So, given the enormous influence they, governments, organisations and footballers have, now is the time to enact permanent change rather than continue a reactionary process that has soured their reputation globally. Change of course cannot happen overnight; society as a whole needs to step up.

THE FOUNDER March 2021

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