The Founder May 2021

The Founder

THE FOUNDER May 2021

VOL. XIII, ISSUE IX | MAY 2021 |

@RHULFOUNDER

Derek Chauvin Convicted What

Next

IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF n the 20th April expolice officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd after pleading not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin was convicted on all three counts and could be facing up to 40 years in prison after his sentencing on the 25th June. While the relief felt on conviction day is certainly worth celebrating, we cannot let Chauvin become a scapegoat for the institution of policing and it’s injustices.

for Black

Lives

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Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson is requesting a re-trial, alleging prosecutorial and jury misconduct. The request comes two weeks after the conviction of Chauvin. Nelson had previously requested a new trial due to media attention

Index

Source: Rebecca Weigler, Illustrator during the proceedings, and a hearing to impeach the verdict which Judge Peter Cahill denied. However, a 12 member jury unanimously found Chauvin guilty on all counts after three weeks of

News....................................................................................2 Features................................................................................6 Opinion And Debate............................................................8 Lifestyle.............................................................................12 Arts: Arts and Culture........................................................13 Arts: Literary Reviews.......................................................15 Arts: Film...........................................................................18 Arts: Music.........................................................................20 Sports..................................................................................24

Facebook.com/HarbenLets Twitter.com/HarbenLets

Matter?

On the 25th May 2020 Chauvin pushed his knee into the neck of George Floyd for over nine minutes while Chauvin and three fellow officers were arresting Floyd, who had been accused of using a fake $20 bill in a grocery store. The court was told by the head of Minneapolis police that Chauvin should have stopped applying ‘that level of force’ as soon as Floyd had stopped resisting arrest.

The now infamous video of the arrest went viral shortly after, provoking protest across the US and across the world, with George Floyd becoming the face of the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin’s conviction was met with widespread celebration and relief. But after the celebration, what happens to Black Lives Matter and the fight for racial justice?

testimony from 45 witnesses.

Such a rare conviction against a police officer was met with celebration across the United States and across the world, an important milestone in the Black Lives Matter movement

for racial justice. The three other officers present are expected to be tried together in August on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Continued on p.7

Editor's Note P.2

Eviction of Palestinians P.3

Super

League

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2 NEWS

THE FOUNDER May 2021

Editor’s Note IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

Editor in Chief Izzi Vaughan editor@thefounder.co.uk

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his academic year has faced trials for many at our university, and across the country. From an increased struggle for staff in the ongoing UCU battle, to a wide range of struggles for students, this year has certainly been unique. In term two we were unable to deliver our monthly edition in print, so we at The Founder are certainly excited to bring you a hard copy of our final edition for this academic year.

For this edition’s front page I have run my article on the Derek Chauvin conviction for the murder of George Floyd. Our first edition this year was dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement, with articles ranging from political issues to celebrating black creators.

Such a development over the course of this year’s editions is one worth celebrating. Yet we must also take this time to reflect, and remember those who have lost their lives. This is why I have included a list of names of unarmed black people killed by police in the US since the release of our September edition. In every edition we have tried our best to deliver powerful, moving and important stories in what has been a unique year for political struggles. I am certainly proud of the work we have done and the stories we have told. And above all I am proud of the excellent

The Founder Board 2020 - 2021 Managing Editor Alex Whiteman managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk

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

work put in by our team of Editors and Content Writers.

I would like to say thank you to our Editorial Team, who have worked hard throughout this trying year to provide high quality student journalism.

They have been reliable, persistent, and focused in exceptional circumstances. I would also like to say thank you to our team of Content Writers, who have each made important contributions to our paper this year. Each and every member of our team has contributed to a publication which I am proud to have been Editor of.

I have enjoyed every moment of this position, and it has been the privilige of my university experience.

Now, I am looking forward to seeing what the next Editor in Chief will do. I am sure next year’s team will continue the work of student’s like myself who have been publishing The Founder since 2006, and will be just as hard working and dedicated as this year’s team. If you would like to be a member of next year’s Editorial Team, details of positions and applications can be found on our social media pages.

Thank you again to our Editorial Team, Content Writers, and to our readers.

I look forward to seeing the future of The Founder here at Royal Holloway.

News Editor Carlota Santos Movilla

Illustrator Rebecca Weigler

news@thefounder.co.uk

illustrator@thefounder.co.uk

Features Editor Sela Musa

Arts Editor Tessa Pinto

features@thefounder.co.uk

arts@thefounder.co.uk

Opinon and Debate Editor Abra Heritage

Literary Review Editor

Mercedes-George Mayes

opinion@thefounder.co.uk

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

sportseditor@thefounder.co.uk

film@thefounder.co.uk

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

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THE FOUNDER May 2021

Violence Erupts in Fukushima: Jerusalem After Forced Eviction of Palestinians O HARRIET WHITAKER

IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

restrictions at Damascus Gate and the Old City, and the iolence began on the 7th threatened forced evictions of May in Jerusalem after Palestinians from the Sheikh thousands of worshippers Jarrah neighbourhood in East gathered at the al-Aqsa Jerusalem. mosque, the third holiest in Islam also revered by Jews, Sheikh Jarrah is home to for weekly prayers when they the descendants of Palestinian were met with violent police refugees from the 1948 war presence. Tensions grew in after their displacement. the region after the forced The war caused the exile of eviction of Palestinians hundreds of thousands of from their homes in Sheikh Palestinians. Israel occupied Jarrah. This is the latest in a the land in 1967 despite continuing pattern of forced international law stating they evictions for Palestinians, and had no legal authority over its the ethnic cleansing of the population. Historic tensions Palestinian people. erupted recently after the Jerusalem District Court th As of the 12 May 53 decided upon the eviction of Palestinians have been killed, six more Palestinian families including 14 children, and 320 in Sheikh Jarrah. injured since the outbreak of violence in Gaza (according to The UN has said the forced Medical Aid for Palestinians). evictions ‘are a potential war Airstrikes have been fired by crime’ by Israel and many Israel and Hamas militants. leaders and activists have On the 10th tensions escalated been speaking out against at the mosque, and over 300 the actions. The charity Palestinians were injured Medical Aid for Palestinians when Israeli police fired (map.org.uk) have released rubber bullets, stun grenades, an emergency appeal for and tear gas. This comes after donations in light of the recent protests at the start of the holy attacks. If you are able, you month of Ramadan over police can donate on their website.

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n 11 March 2011, an earthquake struck the east coast of Japan, causing a devastating tsunami. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Okuma was flooded and emergency generators were damaged. Though immense efforts were made to restore power, the damage was too severe due to several large chemical explosions.

The nuclear accident that followed, the worst since Chernobyl, released enormous amounts of radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean.

The clean-up of this disaster has been in progress for the last ten years. The Japanese government recently approved plans to

deposit over one million tonnes of contaminated water from the plant into the sea. This process should last for decades. This decision comes after years of compiling required safety policies and precautions, such as the dilution of the water to reduce its radioactivity level, which will require two years of work.

This recent decision has sparked outrage from environmental groups like Greenpeace spearheading the opposition. Greenpeace Japan highly discourages the decision to release the contaminated water into the ocean, claiming that it ignores the human rights of those in Fukushima, wider Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

Although the radiation did

Police Officer Charged with Murder for Sarah Everard’s Death

JESSICA JOHNSTON

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Source: Al Jazeera

Ten Years On

n 3rd March, 33-yearold Sarah Everard was reported missing after walking home at 9pm from a friend’s house in Clapham, South London. She was a marketing executive from London, England. She was last heard at 9.27 pm when she called her boyfriend, Josh Lowth.

not damage the health of the locals, the plan to release water that is still radioactive into the sea in 2022 could harm marine life and destroy the livelihoods of countless fishermen.

The nuclear disaster, though devastating, did bring about some positives. When the accident forced residents out of their homes, a local man, Muneo Kanno, aged 70, frequently returned to the deserted village to tend to his rice crops. In efforts to protect local nature, after a successful harvest, in 2019, Kanno sent his carefully grown rice away to be made into sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine. The label has the fitting word ‘Recovery’ written on it, symbolising his refreshing hope for his hometown. area near Ashford, Kent.

Wayne Couzens will be on trial in October.

The death of this young woman has prompted a national conversation about how safe women are walking on the streets. There has been a demand for safer streets after a survey found 97% of women aged 18-24 said they have experienced sexual Source: South West Londoner harassment. Thousands of people gathered for a vigil CCTV footage and local on Saturday 13th March on inquiries helped the police in Clapham Common in memory their search for Miss Everard. A of Sarah and protest around week after her disappearance, the broad issue of women’s Wayne Couzens, 48, a welfare. Police called the Metropolitan Police officer, vigil illegal under lockdown was charged with her murder rules and they arrested some and kidnapping. On Friday 12th citizens while the protest was March, Police confirmed they taking place. found her body in a woodland

4 NEWS

THE FOUNDER May 2021

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh He was a keen sportsman, He spent his 99 birthday (1921 -2021) active in polo, carriage racing, in 2020 in isolation at Windsor

Diplomatic Tensions Increase Between the United States and Turkey Over the Memory of the Armenian Genocide

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CARLOTA SANTOS MOVILLA | NEWS EDITOR

rince Philip was born in 1921, the son of European aristocracy, and was educated in France and Scotland.

Military service in World War II ensured a rigorous devotion to the armed forces.

Following his marriage to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, he studied at the Royal Naval College and was latterly based in Malta.

The Coronation of 1953 ensured Philip’s position as Prince Consort, although the title itself was never officially bestowed upon him. Courtiers often derided him for his interest in innovation for the Monarchy, something he was keen to instill in their children.

and cricket. He was also a landscape painter. A love of the natural world led him to become one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund in 1961, although he received ongoing criticism for his support of fox hunting. His longest-lasting achievement will be the establishment of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, a scheme aimed at encouraging and developing young people’s abilities in a range of essential life skills.

He disliked small talk in an amenable and productive way.

His dedication to charities ushered in a culture that we now associate as a given for all other members of the Royal household.

Worldwide Vaccine Rollout Begins CALLAN DUFFY he recent rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has been hailed a success by Boris Johnson, with over half the population receiving their first dose.

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However, take-up has been hampered by reports of blood clotting in recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine (AZ). The government has advised people below 39 that ‘it is preferable for people in this age group to have a vaccine other than AZ’.

Nevertheless, people aged 40 and over have been told ‘The benefits of vaccination in protecting you against the serious consequences of COVID-19 outweigh any risk of this extremely rare condition’.

The Government are reporting 1 in 100,000 in older people but 1 in 50,000 for people below 40. This is in contrast to the EU, which was one of the last medical agencies to approve the vaccine. When blood clots started to appear, 17

member countries suspended use. It was quickly identified that this worrying side effect is unique to AZ, leaving Pfizer and other vaccines to still be rolled out.

The rollout slowed after the EU struggled to procure and supplier struggled to keep up. Michel Barnier said in an interview with InterFrance that bureaucracy slowed the EU down.

Another issue they faced was a lack of trust in the vaccine, with French administers not being able to find willing people. Other countries that have had success rolling out the vaccines are the US and Israel, both having the money and adhocracy to give out the vaccine. Countries that are struggling are relatively unstable, such as the Congo or Syria.

Covax is an agreement to share vaccines with less able countries to firstly help them but also to lower the possibility of a resurgence in Covid.

with Her Majesty. It was here where, following several spells in hospital, he passed away on 9th April 2021, just eight weeks short of turning 100.

The Principal of Royal Holloway, Paul Layzell, paid tribute to His Royal Highness.

He recalled a visit made by the Queen and Prince Phillip in 2014. The college, of course, has its unique historic connection with the Duke as it was opened by his great grandmother Queen Victoria in 1886. His daughter Anne, Princess Royal, is also serving as Chancellor of the University of London.

Millions of Dollars Lost as a Result of the Suez C a n a l Blockade PAULINA MOTYL

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he Suez Canal was blocked between the 23rd and the 29th of March 2021. The 193km long canal was blocked when the ‘Ever Given’ container ship was caught diagonally on one of the world’s most important shipping canals.

The 400m-long container ship was operated by Evergreen Marine, weighed 200,000 tonnes and carried 18,300 containers.

Consequently, there was enormous traffic after the transatlantic incident

ANTONIN LEFEBVRE

n 24 April, 106 years after the start of the Armenian genocide, US President Joe Biden became the first US President to call the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 a ‘genocide’.

They had been killed systematically during the First World War by troops of the Ottoman Empire, then allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Turkey, which emerged from the dismantling of the empire in 1920, acknowledges the massacres but rejects the term genocide, referring to a civil war in Anatolia, coupled with famine, during which 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died.

Despite this, the Armenian genocide is recognised by

more than twenty countries and by many historians.

This step is significant and has led to a wave of responses and contestation from Turkish diplomacy. Mr Erdogan sent a clear message to his American counterpart: ‘Accusations of genocide are so sensitive that they cannot be used for political purposes’. Despite his criticism, Erdogan said he was ‘convinced’ that his planned June meeting with Biden on the side-lines of the NATO summit in Brussels would provide an opportunity to ease tension between the two countries. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador to protest against the North American position, the state news agency reported. Turkey has ‘no lessons to receive from anyone about its history’, Turkish diplomatic chief Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier. was due to a technical or human error. Initially, the primary cause was wind as it was 40 knots at the time.

The chairman of the SCA, Osama Rabie, stated that the canals profits were adversely affected by $14-15 million Source: iNews for each day of the blockage. and almost 400 vessels were Data from Lloyd’s List stuck behind the container indicated the container ship ship. Many ships rerouted, was setting back $9.6 billion so their journeys took an of trade: equivalent to $6.7m per minute. excessive amount of days.

Not only was the shipping Fortunately, the container ship was put to sea again after industry affected; various companies, an action involving tugboats. businesses, supermarkets, and Representatives from the manufacturers suffered too.

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) This incident gained a lot of stopped by to find a solution. interest worldwide: Twitter They started an investigation saw 145,200 interactions that would be required to using the #SuezBLOCKED discover whether the blockage hashtag.

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THE FOUNDER May 2021

Tigray Civil Humanitarian

HARRY MEAR

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ccording to UN figures, there are an estimated 4.5 million people deprived of food and essentials across the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia with over 600,000 displaced people in urgent need of aid. There have also been reports of ‘sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, widespread destruction and looting of public and private property’ according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet.

The High Commissioner also stated that 'Credible information

War in Ethiopia Escalates Into Crisis With Thousands Suffering

them and make them give up also continues to emerge the fight’ (BBC). about serious violations of international human rights Doctors and humanitarian law and humanitarian law’ officials are certain rape (UN OHCHR). is systematically used as a weapon of war by Ethiopian These violations include and Eritrean soldiers. evidence of over 500 cases There has been little to no of rape which have been protection for the victims reported in hospitals since nor consequences for the December 2020 in the east perpetrators. On March 23, of Tigray region including the Ethiopian Prime Minister Mekelle – Tigray’s capital city Mr Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel – and the towns of Ayder and Peace Prize Laureate, publicly Wukro. There are likely many acknowledged the evidence more unreported cases and stating on a Twitter post that according to Weyni Abraha of 'any soldier responsible for Yikono, the Tigray women's raping our women & looting rights group, 'This is being communities in the region done purposely to break the will be held accountable as morale of the people, threaten their mission is to protect’.

Since the civil war erupted in November last year, approximately over 50,000 people have died due to massacres and ethnic cleansing. The hostility has resulted in the mass displacement of the Tigray population heeding the creation of four key humanitarian camps for refugees.

According to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, the camps are ‘overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe .. they magnify risks of exploitation of children, and make it impossible for people to practice COVID-19 prevention measures’ (Source: UNICEF).

The UN and other humanitarian organisations have provided aid since the beginning but often find resistance due to difficult accessibility. This could be purposefully caused to force an involuntary surrender.

UNICEF has been providing ‘child protection case management for vulnerable children’. Children are among the most vulnerable in Tigray and require more supplies and medical care.

The crisis in Ethiopia will only continue to escalate as innocent Tigray civilians suffer under the most serious and depraved actions of war.

6 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER May 2021

A Year (and Some Months) after Lockdown: We Should Feel Proud of How Much We Have Overcome ANNA-MARIA LEST Trigger warning: depression n April 2020, I interviewed 10 young people from 8 different European countries to find out how the pandemic had affected them thus far. A lot of time has passed since then and the return to normalcy has been far more difficult than any of us expected.

Now, the vaccine roll-out is exceeding expectations and with May 17th just around the corner, coronavirus will hopefully become a thing of the past in the very near future. This is precisely why I wanted to take this moment to look back and reflect on just how much we have overcome and how much the start of the pandemic affected all of us.

What has been the most challenging aspect of lockdown?

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so not being able to go out for a run or a walk for weeks has been a disorienting experience. (Italy) Cláudia: I don’t even know where to start. In April, we lost my grandpa to coronavirus. Because of the restrictions, we were not able to say goodbye, much less hold a proper funeral.

Two other family members also caught the virus and not being able to leave my house to help them while they were sick, was heart-breaking.

(Portugal) How has your daily routine changed as compared to the days before coronavirus?

Veronika: There have been many changes, little things that I have always taken for granted. For example, I catch myself trying to shake people’s hands and then quickly retreating. The grocery stores are currently reserved for the elderly shoppers from 9-12 in the morning, which is difficult to keep in mind. I also really miss walking around Budapest and randomly venturing into bookstores. (Hungary)

resources that I can use for my work. (Hungary) Flavien: I moved in with a distant friend just before lockdown and I’ve learned a lot of new things about him as a person. He is usually quite private and reserved so I’m really happy that quarantine has actually allowed me to get to know him better. (France)

Source: smartertravel.com

Ignacio: Everything now happens within the same four walls: I have virtual meetings with my co-workers from my bedroom, beers with friends from my living room via Skype and I exercise in front of my TV. It’s not that my chores and hobbies have suddenly disappeared, but the mediums have changed.

(Spain)

Jan: Travelling back home.

I couldn’t leave the house for 14 days, so my elderly parents had to go out groceryshopping by themselves. I was constantly worried they might catch the virus. The police also checked up on me twice a day to make sure I was self-isolating. Overall, the whole situation made me Nicoleta: My days have feel extremely anxious even SELA MUSA | though I was keeping to the become one and the same. I FEATURES EDITOR could easily summarise my rules. (Poland) hen I was young, my day in 5 steps: sleeping in, mum would take me Anna: The distance from eating something light for with her into London and I loved ones. I was planning to breakfast/lunch, exercising, would scuttle beside her along visit my family abroad, but watching a film or reading a train platforms, my irregular all the flights got cancelled. book and then back to bed. I steps alongside the elegant It has been really challenging am currently trying to adjust clip-clop of her heels, and I staying at the house all by my sleeping schedule as I can would follow her down the myself. Plus, I have always tell this routine is becoming left side of escalators, through been a very active person, unhealthy for me. (Romania) ticket barriers (usually quite

Inès: I learned how important it is to be free. To be able to travel, to go wherever you want, with the people you want. This situation has really made me realise the important Is there something in things in life and what are particular that you have perhaps, much less important than I thought. (France) learned during this time?

Diána: One thing I was actually pleasantly surprised about is how much less paperwork was needed at my job all of a sudden. I hope this is the one thing that sticks after corona. Additionally, I keep discovering great online

Natasa: I learned that you can honestly get used to anything. Today marks my 40th day of self- isolation and I feel... surprisingly okay.

(Greece)

Some Underground Thoughts W

be able to just know that the Bakerloo line is the one for frantically for fear of getting when I want to get to Oxford awkwardly trapped) and over Street from Waterloo. the gaps we know to mind.

She would think out loud to And now I know that the me, maybe something like Bakerloo line is the one for just go straight to Holborn when I want to get to Oxford from Kings Cross whenever Street from Waterloo, and I you need to get onto the also know not to just hop onto Central line, and I would any train that goes through more privately think that I just Blackfriars because it is on want to be like you. I want to more than one line. And every

FEATURES 7

THE FOUNDER May 2021

time I look at a tube map or I wonder if people wonder instinctively know that this what I am thinking the same station is on that line, I feel way I wonder what other like her. people are thinking. I wonder how the person sitting in the Things are slowly changing seat opposite me on the blue, to being as close as they can to strangely patterned chair what they once were. There are would sum up the most salient again emerging opportunities aspects of their lives in a few to go underground and wait words, and I think about this on the eery platforms in a whilst simultaneously trying strange sort of anticipation, to avoid looking at them for as the roar of the tube echoes too long, even though when from a distance until its face I look away I always end up looms out of the tunnel in a staring at their shoes and then way in which I personally being uncomfortably aware find quite disturbing. And, that I have been staring at in the commotion of all their shoes. So many stories the commuters, there is in a single carriage and so opportunity to scan my ticket many different worlds, many at the barriers in a try-hard of which disappear at Oxford effortless sort of way in an Circus because it seems that attempt to desperately qualify everybody gets off at Oxford as a caught-in-the-motion Circus. casual Londoner who is just going about her day the same Few things match the way other people are. feeling of wearing a long

coat and holding a takeaway coffee cup on a train platform to me. What is perhaps one of the most mundane moments of the day for so many people

Continued from the front page:

This year’s first edition of Patrick Lynn Warren Sr. The Founder in September October 7, 1968 - January 10, 2021 Killeen, Texas was dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. In Shot: Killeen Police Officer, January 10, 2021 this year’s final edition, I have included a list of the available Vincent “Vinny” M. Belmonte names of those unarmed black September 14, 2001 - January 5, 2021 people killed by police in the Cleveland, Ohio US since our September issue Shot: Cleveland Police was released.

Officer, January 5, 20201

I could best describe Chauvin’s conviction as a sigh of relief shared by millions.

A moment where justice felt like it was on the side of the oppressed, the unjustly criminalised, the subjugated.

A moment of celebration where a centuries old battle for racial justice came to a long awaited pit-stop. But more than a celebration, the conviction allows us a moment of reflection, of how far we have come, and how far we have to go. We cannot let the conviction of Chauvin act as a scapegoat for the institution of policing.

One police officer was convicted following a mass global uprising. But he was convicted, largely, because of the testimony of fellow police officers on the side of

the prosecution, an incredibly rare occurrence. The trial focused all of the faults of policing on Chauvin, on his individual actions. In a way, the trial acted as a defence of the institution of policing.

Using Chauvin as the face of injustice, therefore solved by his conviction. So, real justice can only ever be institutional.

But, we must celebrate when we can. Take a moment of reflection wherever we can get it. We must take a breath when we can, in memory of all those who couldn’t. And then, we continue the fight.

In 2020 there were 1,021 fatal police shootings in the US. In the first four months of 2021 292 civilians were shot

by US police. Police who act as judge, jury and executioner whenever they see fit.

feels intimate and exciting, and having everyone dotted in their own spot on the same platform makes it even more intimate but also not intimate

at the same time. I wonder what is coming through your earphones and where you are going.

Source: Byte Travel, Youtube

The following names:

are

their

Angelo Quinto March 10, 1990 - December 26, 2020

Angelo “AJ” Crooms May 15, 2004 - November 13, 2020

Cocoa, Florida Shot: November 13, 2020, Brevard County Sheriff Deputies Sincere Pierce April 2, 2002 - November 13, 2020

Cocoa, Florida Shot: November 13, 2020, Brevard County Sheriff Deputies

Antioch, California Marcellis Stinnette Daunte Demetrius Wright Knee on neck/Asphyxiated: June 17, 2001 - October 20, 2020 December 23, 2020 October 27, 2000 - April 11, 2021 Waukegan, Illinois Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Shot: October 20, 2020, Andre Maurice Hill Shot: Brooklyn Center Police Waukegan Police Officer May 23, 1973 - December 22, 2020 Officer, April 11, 2021 Columbus, Ohio Jonathan Dwayne Price Shot: December 22, 2020, Marvin David Scott III November 3, 1988 - October 3, 2020 Columbus Police Officer 1995 - March 14, 2021 Wolfe City, Texas McKinney, Texas Tasered/Shot: October Peppered sprayed/Restrained Casey Christopher Goodson Jr. 3, 2020, Wolfe City Police with spit hood/Asphyxiated: 7 January 30, 1997 - December 4, 2020 Officer Columbus, Ohio Collin County Jail Detention Shot: December 4, 2020, Officers, March 14, 2021 Franklin County Sheriff Source: Renée Ater Deputy

8 OPINION AND DEBATE Empire and Royalty: Prince Phillip’s Lifetime of Colonial Racism IZZI VAUGHAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

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he death of HRH Prince Phillip on the 9th April was followed by a media frenzy in admiration of his lifetime of royal service, of his dedication to the Queen and service to charity. Defence of his racist and sexist remarks quickly followed, with outlets such as the BBC and Daily Mail praising the Prince’s ‘humour’ and ‘royal gaffes’, as though his remarks represented some kind of working class, down to earth humour from a man who would only ever ‘say it like it is’. Such a rhetoric constructed an image of a Prince who the ordinary person could relate to. However, the Prince’s remarks reflect not a relatable humour, but a representation of colonial era attitudes born and bred within the British Empire, of which Prince Phillip presided over for the best part of the 20th century.

Something his charity work doesn’t seem to atone for.

When talking to a Scottish driving instructor, Prince Phillip remarked ‘how do you keep the natives off the

Source: Beirut Today

booze long enough to pass the test?’ In 2002, he asked an Indigenous Australian Entrepreneur ‘do you still throw spears at each other?’

And in 1966 he remarked: ‘British women can’t cook’.

There was also the more recent remark to a group of working class east end women, where the Prince asked ‘who do you sponge off?’ These are only a few of his remarks to give example, but they are indicative of a wider pattern of behaviour which reflects the old colonial attitudes of sexism, birth rights, and of viewing native people as ‘savages’.

Such remarks within an appropriate context may seem to be harmless humour.

But when such remarks, and many others like these, come from a Prince who for a significant period of his reign presided over the world’s largest empire, there is a certain malice behind his words. For context, Elizabeth II became queen in 1953. The relinquishment of the British Empire’s powers began in 1945 with the independence of India, but many nations were still dominated by British powers well into the

late 20th century, and some smaller nations still remain under British control. Brunei, for example, didn’t gain independence until 1984, and the Bahamas in 1971.

Final relinquishment of British powers didn’t come to Australia until 1986, and Canada in 1982. Some British overseas territories still remain, such as the Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands and Gibraltar. The British Empire seems like a distant memory of a by-gone age for many.

But it’s legacy continues to this day, and cannot be ignored or excused.

The legacy of empire is that of poverty and conflict. Many modern conflicts take place in former British colonies where dependency and domination created long lasting social and political conflicts. Similarly, the colonial legacy created conditions of vast inequality and poverty across the world.

The Empire may have fallen, but the damage done by centuries of oppression and colonial exploitation cannot be belittled, especially by the last colonial Prince. Prince Phillip was the embodiment of the attitudes which permitted and excused colonialism until the late 20th century. His remarks are indicative of the old colonial attitudes which persist among us to this day.

Especially when coming from a Prince of his standing, they cannot be brushed off or camouflaged as ‘gaffes’.

They must be catalogued, studied and critiqued within the withstanding context of the British empire. Prince Philip’s attitudes are not humorous. They are pure, unadulterated, colonial racism.

THE FOUNDER May 2021

The Double Standards at the Heart of the Immigration Debate AUGUSTUS BAMBRIDGE-SUTTON

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mmigration is one of the most contentious and heatedly argued issues over the past twenty years. It seems that whenever you turn on the news, someone is either arguing that you can’t oppose open borders without being a racist, or that viewing those fleeing for their lives across the channel as anything other than the spiritual successor of the invading Germans in the Battle of Britain makes you a traitor. At least, this is the impression that the heightened opinion monsters of the media provide us with.

Anti-immigration sentiment essentially boils down to two main arguments: resources and values. The first of these is not my place to comment on: you’d need several PhDs to really understand how immigration affects jobs, housing, the economy, and the physical infrastructure (i.e. the objective reality) of the country.

The second argument, however, always strikes me as paradoxical. Many argue that immigration should be controlled because of the ‘different values’ immigrants have. Enoch Powell said that the ‘difference’ between immigrants and Brits may create hostility, which he seemed to believe was a

good thing. Douglas Murray, during a speech at the Oxford Union, stringently defended ‘British values’, arguing that while people once had a bedrock of shared values, because of our culture being diluted by immigration, values too had been diluted to the point where Britishness had to constitute ‘being nice to people’ to create common ground (Murray says, rather wryly, that no one would argue that their values were ‘being mean to people’.)

While arguments about niceness are indeed rather trite and condescending, the whole notion of collective British values – which Murray outlines as, for example, respect for the monarchy and the Church of England – is rather refuted by other statements he, and many others of his ilk, have made.

It’s in crusades against wokeness and the extreme corners of identity politics – which conveniently becomes a vast oppressive force rather than a soundly mocked minority when written about – where this paradox is most clear. Here, the arguments are all about the left trying to push a single blanket morality, not allowing dissent or differing opinion. They are, according to Murray, ‘not social milieus where any sort of dissenting opinion is encouraged or tolerated.’

Of course, the left, like the right, has adherents who

THE FOUNDER May 2021 can’t tolerate debate. But when these commentators are arguing against excluding people due to their opinions – their values – one has to wonder why this attitude isn’t extended to immigrants. Why should one only tolerate their intellectual opponents when their opinions originate from within our borders? Why should respect for the Royal Family decide whether you’re in or out, and not respect for activists who have just as much of a sense of duty to their country as the Queen, yet because of their situation express it differently? The debate about who ‘we’ are, as a collective – what values represent us – surely necessitates an essential exclusion of debate, an intolerance of divergence from a collective national morality.

The idea of individual values

OPINION AND DEBATE 9

being flattened by a notion of collective national identity is very much cut from the same cloth as the ‘intolerant leftism’ that Murray despises.

If there’s any opinions that shouldn’t be tolerated, it’s those that lack intellectual consistency. Arguing against the essential subjectivity of opinions and the value of debate when it suits you, then switching to a reverence of ‘British values’ which somehow need to shape and mould the values of individuals to create a cohesive society, is at best confused and inconsistent, and at worst presents a dangerous set of double standards which views some people’s opinions as inherently worth more than others. And if anything destroys debate, it’s this.

Source: Unsplash, Daniel Schludi

Sustainability and Femininity: Why is it Always Women Saving the World?

ABRA HERITAGE | OPINION AND DEBATE EDITOR new poll conducted on behalf of ‘No Meat May’, a 31-day vegetarian pledge, has revealed that one in ten British men would prefer to go to prison than eat a meat-free diet (OnePoll).

In a shocking contrast, a staggering 90% of sign-ups for the 2021 May campaign were women. This disparity goes Eco-Friendly booth at the Earth Day Festival hand in hand with the simple Source: Wikimedia Commons fact that most eco-conscious A disappointing answer to more unpaid domestic work consumer and lifestyle these questions is that almost than men (ONS analysis), it habits are targeted towards all household products are is no surprise that advertising women. Why is it, then, that targeted at women, and thus schemes disregard men as men feel so strongly against it makes sense, in a capitalist, their main customers for protecting their masculinity money-making framework, sustainable domestic choices rather than the planet? And for eco-friendly alternatives to in buying habits related to why are sustainable choices equally be advertised towards cleaning, clothes, and food. continuously directed towards women. With women carrying This idea perpetuates societal women? out an overall average of 60% expectations of women as

A

caregivers, translating this very notion to protecting the planet from environmental collapse.

So, when capitalist structures deem eco-friendly choices as feminine, society follows almost blindly. To uphold traditional masculine appearances, eco-conscious choices must be nowhere in sight. A study published by the ‘Sex Roles’ journal revealed that some men claimed to not use reusable bags out of fear of appearing gay, acting as harsh evidence for the wall of toxic masculinity prohibiting sustainable living choices. Of course, one can blame societal and capitalist structures for making it ‘harder’ for men to make sustainable choices, but this doesn’t stop the

eco gender gap. Change happens in men rejecting toxic masculine expectations.

Acknowledging where these influences stem from is the first step in dismantling them.

While our current capitalist framework largely prohibits accessible eco-conscious buying habits, those with the privilege of choice cannot disengage from the fight for a greener planet. Change starts with demand. Demand starts with collective action.

Collective action starts with individual action. Individual action starts with simple lifestyle changes. Men – we can’t save the planet alone.

The tote bag suits you, and you look kind of naff refusing the Linda McCartney sausage at the BBQ.

10 OPINION AND DEBATE

THE FOUNDER May 2021

The Study of History is Essential, So Why is it Under Attack?

GEORGE WOODS

I

n our current age, critical thinking is a skill that is dwindling. Rather than scrutinise sources of information, people willing share articles of dubious authenticity on social media.

‘Communists have infiltrated the NHS’ reads one, ‘Why immigrants are dominating this country’ reads another.

History, particularly, is at the centre of this fake news tsunami. The British empire is willingly presented as a bastion of liberty while American greatness is displayed as having been destined by God. In this climate of lies and deception surely we must ask: why are history degrees under attack?

Last month, London South Bank university outlined that they would be cutting history courses. This is by no means an isolated incident. In February 2020, the University of Sunderland announced the closure of its history department. A whole community of academics have been wiped out solely for the purposes of cost cutting.

Across the world Australia is going one step further and making history degrees actively more expensive compared to their STEM counterparts. Rather than embrace the long-established skills a history degree

Source: Getty Images, iStockphoto uniquely develops, societies with the right-wing press and are turning their backs. rise of politically motivated TV channels this critical This assault on the study of analysis has never been more our past will be devastating to important. our civic and political life. A history degree affords critical The monsters that come thinking to those who study from the lack of study it. Sources are challenged, of the past have already scrutinised, torn apart and begun to scream. In 2016, reassembled. The motivations Donald Trump successfully of the authors and the context established the fictious they lived in are valued just narrative that Americas as much as the information golden age was lost, and the source sheds light on. As he was the person to bring our national media becomes it back. Close scrutiny of increasingly more opinionated the past would reveal that

this is a false image. He had crafted a false paradise.

Britain is no exception. In the Brexit debate British exceptionalism was presented as having suffocated by the EU. The complex changes in geopolitics – the more accurate reasoning - was not seen as suitably inspiring.

Those with ill intent can turn the past, which has not been painted by historians, into a manifesto for their politics. How this ends are not something which we should want to find out.

History departments shutting will not cause a return to the 1930s, but it will disarm our defences. Knowledge of one’s past is knowledge of one’s mistakes, and a historian’s eye – whether it be those who are casually interest or serious academics – is able to easily distinguish fact from deception. Without these people, we will increasingly be at the mercy of those who spin history – our history – for their own demonic ends.

THE FOUNDER May 2021

OPINION AND DEBATE 11

Shirley Williams (1930 -2021) LIAM ELVISH

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pioneering female voice in British politics, seen by many as the greatest Prime Minister we never had …

Having been a member of three separate Westminster parties, it would be easy to deem Shirley Williams a political weathercock; yet the statistics should never detract from her integrity. For, if any figure in British political history is testament to the notion that you can remain loyal to your principles despite the shifting direction of organisations and changing circumstances, it is she.

Born in 1930, the daughter of the novelist and feminist campaigner Vera Britten, Shirley Williams was an avid book reader whose wide range of interests stood her in good stead for a future public career. As a child she was among a swathe of girls who auditioned for the lead in the film National Velvet (the role eventually went to a young Elizabeth Taylor) and seriously considered being a professional actress prior to deciding that politics was her true calling.

She was elected as a Labour MP in 1964 and served as a cabinet member in both Harold Wilson’s and James Callaghan’s governments, most notably as Secretary of State for

Education. She was hugely influential in the widening of the comprehensive school system and was a staunch opponent of further grammar schools. This was typical of her egalitarian credentials, from which she never wavered throughout her career.

Yet Labour’s defeat at the polls in 1979 was the first of several seismic events that prompted a change of tact.

Following the election of Michael Foot as Labour leader in 1980, Williams was among a group of MPs who feared that the party was lurching too far to the left. It was a move which led her, along with colleagues Roy Jenkins, David Owen and Bill Rogers (the ‘Gang of Four’) to leave Labour altogether and set up the ‘Campaign for Social Democracy’ in January 1981, which would become the Social Democratic Party less than two months later. Their aim was to ‘break the mould’ in British politics for good.

Unlikely to win an outright victory, the SDP formed an Alliance with the Liberal Party, then led by David Steel, an arrangement which could have seriously impacted Margaret Thatcher’s standing as Prime Minister had not victory in the Falklands War substantially increased the Conservative leader’s approval ratings. Williams was one of the early electoral triumphs for the newly formed party, winning a Parliamentary by-election 1982, but losing the seat in the

general election the following year. She never returned to the House of Commons, a fact which analysts of all persuasions have labelled a tragedy for the political world.

For Williams was liked and respected across the ideological spectrum, partly, and paradoxically, because she herself was so non-ideological. Though a woman of the centre-left, her condemnation of the extremist tendencies of socialism was just as hostile as her opposition to Thatcherism and all its ostentatious effects.

Government.

She also appeared on the BBC’s Question Time a record fiftyeight times.

As one of the very few women in Westminster in 1960s and 1970s, Shirley Williams was a formidable force. Whilst she never reached the top role in government, her influence upon Britain’s

Following the 1987 general election, she was instrumental in championing the full merger of the Liberals and SDP, which created the Liberal Democrats in 1988; the formation of this Centrist party signalled the strongest third force in British politics since the 1920s.

Williams was elevated to the House of Lords in 1993, where she sat for over twenty years, continuing to speak for causes about which she felt passionate, such as continued membership of the European Union, gender equality, and education policy, before retiring in 2016.

Among her other achievements, her academic career ensured a longevity of intellect; she moved to the United States and taught at Harvard University where she served as a professor in Kennedy’s School of

Source: The Herald

social landscape should never be underestimated.

As a politician unphased by spectacle, she was the inspiration for many people previously disillusioned with politics to become involved in both local decision-making and the national debate.

She died on 12th March 2021, aged 90.

12 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER May 2021

6 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

CHLOE STORER

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hilst we are in exam and dissertation hand in season it is all to easy to find yourself worrying your night away or staying up all night on TikTok meaning you get very little restful sleep.

Here are six tips for better sleep, tried and tested!

1. Get outside!

As insane as it may sound, studies have proven that two hours of bright light exposure during the day can increase the amount of sleep by two hours, and the efficiency by

80%! Getting out in the sun is preferable, but artificial light can work just as well, especially if you have severe sleep issues or insomnia.

2. Reduce phone use!

Easuer said than done of course, but electric devices emit something called blue light. Blue light tricks your body into thinking its still daytime which will keep you awake. There are several methods of doing this, wearing blue light glasses, downloading apps to block blue light or simply stop

watching tv or bright light undergraduates I hear, napping two hours before you go to can alter your sleep quality at bed. night and actually make you more tired afterwards. Try to 3. Don’t consume caffeine resist the urge to climb into late in the day! bed and simply try and get to An obvious one perhaps, sleep earlier at night, it will but caffeine stimulates your make all the difference. nervous system and if taken late in the day, may stop your 5. Optimize your bedroom! body from naturally relaxing Keep your room clean and at night. Caffeine stays in tidy with minimal light and your blood for 6-8 hours, noise. In doing this, you will therefore it is recommended find your sleep will improve. to stop drinking caffeine at Also, try not to work from around 3 or 4 pm. your bed, as easy as it is to climb in, particularly when 4. Stop napping! hungover! By working in Particularly difficult for bed your body becomes

used to being awake in this environment. The same goes for watching TV or scrolling on your phone, try to associate your bed only with sleeping.

Despite the honest origins of the movement, it is clear that it has become incredibly corrupted.

imperfections. If we look at ourselves through a neutral lens, we can remember that our appearance is just one aspect of who we are, an everchanging aspect at that, and we can devalue the importance we place on it. Where body positivity tells you to love yourself because you are beautiful (and therefore have value), body neutrality allows you to separate the way you feel about yourself from the way you look.

6. Relax!

Another one easier said than done, but before you sleep try to clear your mind.

Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques. Other options include taking a hot bath, meditating, deep breathing, visualisation or even reading a book!

I hope these tips prove useful, sweet dreams!

Why You Don’t Have to be Beautiful RUBY EASTON ou have likely heard of the body positivity movement. The premise of this group is difficult to disagree with on the surface, promoting an overwhelmingly positive view of our bodies, insisting that no matter what we look like we are all entirely beautiful and perfect.

However, in recent years there has been a shift to this perspective. While the message of the movement is undoubtedly optimistic, it is difficult not to see the toxically positive undertones that come along with it.

Y

It is incredibly difficult to see yourself as beautiful in a society where people profit from you fixating on your flaws, and despite the body positivity crowd being a force against the current of this leech-like advertising, it still puts an incredible amount of emphasis on beauty. We

Source: Dazed

are called upon to widen the margins of what we consider beautiful rather than freeing us from the fundamental need to be beautiful or find our bodies attractive.

In the name of this cause, body positivity has become twisted, used as a shield for otherwise blatant consumerism.

Diet and

exercise books are sold and marketed by symbols and influencers of the movement.

Make-up and beauty products, even suggestions of plastic surgery, are foisted onto us with the insistence that this is what empowerment is, this is what it means to have a positive mindset about our bodies.

Therefore, it was only a matter of time before a countermovement materialised.

Body neutrality removes the pressure of finding yourself beautiful. You do not have to love your body or focus in on each flaw until you have fully romanticised every single one. Neutrality is about making peace with the fact that you have a body, it serves a purpose, it gets you from place to place, but ultimately it is not something you need to overemphasise. You do not need to be beautiful or force yourself to find yourself beautiful, you just need to exist.

Telling people to fall in love with their flaws is unrealistic, especially as the message often appears alongside a product teaching them how to cover up the said

Like its predecessor, body neutrality may also be replaced by a new movement in the future with an entirely fresh perspective, but it is useful to hear that you can stop punishing yourself for not reaching an impossible beauty standard, one that is only consistent in its unreachability. And sometimes it is worth remembering, your body is the least interesting thing about you.

THE FOUNDER May 2021

ARTS & CULTURE 13

Queer as Folklore – A new look at Britain’s dark past TESSA PINTO | ARTS EDITOR

T

he first of May is best known to the British as a national Bank Holiday, and to those on the left as a commemoration of workers’ rights and the struggle to introduce an eight hour working day. But May Day has a more ancient and mythical history as the festival of Beltane, a pagan

celebration that heralds the start of summer.

It is apt then, that the first of May this year should also have been the opening day of a new exhibition at Gallery 46 in Whitechapel called Queer as Folklore, an eclectic collection of the work of LGBTQ+ artists whose multidisciplinary work explores - in the words of

the curators - ‘the dark and subversive depths of English pagan history… the lost world of rites, fantasy and folly.’

A queer connection with paganism might seem tangential at first, but the roots of this association go back to the 1960s, where a generation reacted to the restrictive and conformist culture of Fordist society by looking to history,

alternative belief systems and spiritualities to make sense of the world. They found joy, meaning and colour in a new counter-culture that celebrated diversity, individuality and alternative histories. Queer people in particular, excluded as they were by mainstream religions, found resonance with paganism and its connotations of divergence and non-conformity.

Sexual rites and rituals, witches and magic, nature and wilderness – all motifs are present and uninhibitedly explored in this exhibition which is sometimes beautiful, sometimes bizarre, sometimes disturbing, and always provocative.

Frolicking goats in human clothes adorn ceramic tiles, green man sculptures provide a quiet but unsettling presence, large canvases are emblazoned with vivid colours and depict surreal modern scenes of ancient rituals carried out against a backdrop of skyscrapers.

The work of artists such as James Dearlove, Ben Edge, Kit Boyd, Caroline Coon, Bishi Bhattacharya amongst many others are on display.

Painting, prints, ceramics, music, film and sculpture are all resplendently on show over two floors and several rooms. Taken together, they are a striking reminder of the way in which our pagan past endures into the present and continues to provide inspiration for queer artists and audiences, delighting and inspiring us in the most unlikely circumstances and times.

The exhibition is at Gallery 46 in Whitechapel, and runs from the 1st May until the 20th May.

A man in traditional ‘green man’ costume, a symbol of rebirth and spring.

Source: Pixabay

14 ARTS & CULTURE

THE FOUNDER May 2021

Belonging, Intensity, and Isolation with Mary Jean Chan SEB GARDINER

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ary Jean Chan’s debut poetry collection Flèche was published in 2019, and went on to win the Costa Book Award for poetry. In the same year, she was also named one of the 10 best BAME Writers in Britain by the poet Jackie Kay. Chan was born and raised in Hong Kong, and later attended Royal Holloway University to complete an MA and PhD in Creative Writing. She is now a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes University. Seb Gardiner spoke with Mary Jean Chan about her poetry collection Flèche.

SG: I want to start with the way you describe relationships, and really the term that encompasses Flèche, which is fencing.

What parts of writing poetry do feel most appropriately relate to the sport?

MJ: I think the precision is the first thing that comes to mind, as with poetry, you can mull over a single word for hours, a single punctuation, a single line break. Sometimes people can over-think the inspirational part of poetry, where an idea comes to you.

The graft really comes in when you are tinkering with the version of a poem that you think is done, but there is still more to be adjusted. I suppose also the relational aspect, as well; I get the most joy in hearing a poet read their work

Founder contributor Seb Gardiner and the poet Mary Jean Chan.

Photograph taken during their interview over Zoom.

aloud, that’s when a poem really comes alive for me. I believe it is an oral art, and for me that is the intimate part of poetry. Even though my work can be seen as confessional, as well, so much is left out, and this is no way the whole story. Writing can also have a balance between defense and offense, how much I withhold, how much I reveal, and that I relate to fencing as well.

SG: You’ve spoken about this briefly elsewhere, but I was wondering, broadly, ‘why poetry’ for the stories that you choose to share?

MJ: I was always drawn to poetry for the intensity of the medium. The compression, as well, the way in which you know you only have a limited space. You have to figure out how to say what you want to say in those constraints.

Sometimes what I want to say is so messy, that were it free verse, for example, it would spill over. I can’t

even imagine writing it as a novel. For some poems, I was so focused on rhyming the words that I could let the other bit of my brain relax, so I could say certain things without stepping over myself.

It became a fully-realised piece, but I couldn’t have done that if I had any more space. My poems are quite short, compared to some other contemporary poets, but I enjoy it that way. I feel like because of these limits, I’m able to anchor myself, and I can focus precisely on what I want to say.

SG: Another big idea within your work is belonging, and you refer a lot to the past. How often do you look back for inspiration from the past?

MJ: The poem, The Calligrapher, for example, captures a moment in time when I was in touch with Chinese poetry and my heritage growing up in Hong Kong. My mum is an artistic

person, and she insisted that I practised Chinese calligraphy.

I loved it, but found a conflict between a Westernised self, and the Chinese art that I was supposed to perfect. With calligraphy, it felt as though there was a lineage, like I owed something to it. With Shakespeare, though, and fencing, there was a freedom there, because I didn’t owe him anything, and I could reinvent myself without the weight of tradition. I started gravitating towards these things, especially as a teenager. Now, though, I'm finding my way back to Chinese poetry. I haven’t done calligraphy in a decade, but I feel an urge to go back to it. Belonging is especially important to me with these activities.

MJ: It’s easy to think that it would be easier to get ideas down, with all that time and space, but I found lockdown incredibly hard. My mind was too cluttered to focus. I tried to read a poem a day, and cling on to language somehow, but I felt disconnected from myself. Safe Space II opens with washing hands, I only realised later that it was a reflection on the 2003 SARS epidemic in Hong Kong, which I lived through. I was thirteen, and it left a huge imprint on me. It was very close to home. Emotionally, this past year has been tough, but aside from that, I think the voice of the poems has shifted.

The fear is to not be able to change, and I like to think that readers never experience the same feeling twice when reading one of my poems.

SG: Finally, I’m curious SG: Mary Jean, thank to know if you did any writing in lockdown, and you so much. what inspiration you MJ: Thank you. managed to find. I know that having all the time in the world might not be as simple as it first seems.

THE FOUNDER May 2021

LITERARY REVIEW 15

The Shore by Sara Taylor

GOERGIA BISBAS

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or this month’s theme I scoured my shelves for a book that encompassed both nature and new ventures, a theme that speaks to the transitional period so many of us are experiencing.

Personally, I have just finished my degree, recently had a birthday and experienced a bereavement, which all mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. These experiences have also been

punctuated by the giving or receiving of flowers, whilst around me the skies have cleared and clouded countless times. I have decided to keep sunglasses and umbrella on me in case I am caught out by the weather.

In light of all this, I remembered a book I read a few years ago that has stayed in the back of my mind ever since. The Shore by Sara Taylor is a novel told in

different stories, each chapter a different part of a broader legacy and family tree. The Shore is deeply connected to the power and pull of nature, both geographical and physical. Here new beginnings are just a pipe dream for the unfortunate and a life raft for the more industrious. The titular Shore is a collection of small islands off the coast of Virginia. They are hard to reach, and some parts seem so inhospitable it is as though the landscape were actively rejecting human intrusion.

The novel spans nearly 170 years and vividly depicts the turmoil each generation faces, battling with each other and with their surroundings.

19th century Native American women cultivate physic gardens from herbs and wildflowers, teaching each other about fertility, ‘healing

Unsplash.com, Josh Austin

summer droughts and the half magic that can’t when be called medicine but worked threaten their livelihoods and the power of folklore nonetheless.’ and resilience that is so In an astonishing feat reminiscent of Hurston. From for a debut novel, Taylor the oppressive heat and feral avoids the obvious pathetic animals to the unrelenting fallacies, but seasons change pitfalls of a small-town with temperaments and it is suffering economically, so descriptive each chapter you could assume the book feels like it has its own would be a wholly dismal microclimate. There is a read. However, the prose foreboding sense of what is vivid, and often hopeful can happen when humans and characters do manage abuse and neglect their to escape in search of new surroundings. One eccentric beginnings. Taylor beautifully character turns her ancestral mimics the pull of a tide or house into a greenhouse and roots of a plant to depict how botanical lab, she predicts tethered the citizens of the a reckoning of humanity islands are to them. and nature that hauntingly This book feels so well resembles the pandemic we suited to a transitional are still battling. moment in my own life, but There are beautiful the way Taylor visits different homages to Their Eyes Are historical settings, dialects Watching God in the members and perspectives makes this a of one family who have the truly timeless and remarkable power to summon storms read.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

GRACE FROST

C

lare Pooley’s 2020 debut novel, The Authenticity Project, is a story with honesty, friendships and real life at the centre. Julian Jessop, a seventy-nine-yearold artist, believes no one is completely honest; there’s always a secret or truth about life that is kept hidden. This idea spurs him to create The Authenticity Project, the title of the green notebook in which he reveals his own despair and loneliness since losing his wife. Julian leaves the notebook in Monica’s Café along with a note encouraging whoever finds it next to follow his lead and

record the truth about their life. He writes, ‘everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead?’

The narrative ties together the lives of a group of strangers: Monica, Julian, Hazard, Riley, Alice and Lizzie, as they come across the notebook, read the entries on the previous pages before adding their own and leaving the notebook for the next person to find. Each chapter of the novel is told from the point of view of a different character and as the narrative progresses the number of perspectives grows. The

narrative works in intricate ways to weave together the lives of the characters. As much as the reader witnesses this intertwining of the group of strangers, the separate accounts provide insight into their daily struggles and deepest desires. The challenges and uncertainties created by Pooley closely reflect reality and live up to the novel’s namesake in creating an authentic and emotive narrative with characters that any reader can identify with.

Each character has their own struggles. For Alice, a mother showcasing her fabulous and perfect mummy

lifestyle to her Instagram followers, it is coming to terms with the exhausting reality of attempting to keep up the façade. Pooley’s own experience of the falsehood of social media shines through Alice and she challenges her reader to question what is ‘real’, especially in regard to social media and the ‘perfect’ life.

In the deeply personal and cathartic action of writing in the notebook, the characters not only positively affect their own life but also the lives of those around them.

Humility and honesty act as a catalyst for the characters to

face their own unhappiness, deal with their anxieties and grow into the people they want to be. Julian’s idea that in telling your story you can ‘change your life, or the life of someone you’ve not yet met’, is the essence of the novel and brought to fruition by the openness of a group of strangers who were willing to put aside their differences to bring happiness into their lives. Pooley does not shy away from the anxieties and big dreams of life and creates a narrative that demonstrates the power of being open and honest, firstly with yourself and then with those around you.

16 LITERARY REVIEW

THE FOUNDER May 2021

Transience and (dis)connect in Yasunari Kawabata’s Snow Country MERCEDES-GEORGIA MAYES | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

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or a slither of a book, Snow Country leaves the reader with much to consider, and so it should as a Nobel Prize winner for author Yasunari Kawabata. Written in a rapid and, at times, jarring prose, the novel traverses several key interactions between the guarded Shimamura and the oftentimes naïve Komako. Their stuttering romance allows for the exploration of many themes, including loneliness, and transformation.

The character of Komako shifts each time that Shimamura returns to her, bringing a vitality to the quiet town in which all their encounters take place. Initially naïve and uncertain, she eventually

gains a certain confidence and directness which is both grating and endearing.

Meanwhile Shimamura is unsettlingly guarded, explaining away his emotions with a clinical reasoning until late into the novel. They are flawed characters, but all the more engaging for it.

Their relationship is equally flawed, filled with awkward embraces and sharp words that often take a turn for the theatrical. Indeed, though their relationship is difficult to relate to in some ways, given the Japanese setting and the uncertain social expectations that dictate their ability to connect, their exchanges are sweet and warming.

Kawabata writes intimacy with great consideration for the vulnerabilities of the characters. Their concerns and worries feel real even as

they navigate a highly unusual relationship.

The style certainly adds to the exploration of loneliness and transience that haunt the novel, but it can be difficult to get to grips with at times.

Kawabata often flits from one moment to the next without logical connections, simulating the way in which memories are recalled.

Certain moments are Unsplash.com, Aditya Vyas dragged out and others are a more relaxing and guided skipped entirely, cutting up experience it is not ideal. the text in a way that asks the reader what has been left If one can get past the out. While there is a definite disjointed and hasty prose, strength to this style, the layers however, the heart of the of confusion that it adds are novel reveals itself to be a sometimes more distracting tender journey through the than enriching. For readers emotional transformations who enjoy digging down of Komako and Shimamura. into the potential meanings The conclusion of their of a text it is perfect, but for fragmentary love affair leaves

Richard Powers’ The Overstory

AUGUSTUS-BAMBRIDGE SUTTON limate change is no doubt the greatest problem facing the world right now.

It is a deeply human problem because it threatens people from all backgrounds, from bank managers in Kent to fish sellers in Shanghai. Yet in Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory, the ecological disaster is largely ignored in its real, human and terrifying form. Instead, it is presented

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Unsplash, Stephen Leonardi

one to reflect on what their future could hold without giving any clarity. Despite the biting chill of the snow in the snowy landscape where they meet, hope springs as the novel draws to a close and the characters’ lives are put into perspective by a sudden tragedy.

as a problem more mystical and far less immanent: as one threatening trees. Trees, Powers seems to be saying, are the real victims, their loss a greater tragedy than anything else one can imagine.

capacity to learn in a very basic way from stimuli, but here, this is transformed into an ancient wisdom that elevates trees to the level of gods, appearing like the Angel Gabriel to the protagonists as creatures of light to send them Their age, wisdom and on missions. communal spirit is a running theme throughout the book: The novel centres on a because here Powers works group of people who have on the assumption that they had their lives transformed are sentient. Some science irreparably by trees. Among does suggests trees have the them are Patricia Westerford,

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a reclusive scientist who discovers the sentience of trees, and Nicholas Hoel, an artist whose photographs of trees illustrate a rich family history. It is Olivia Vandergrief, however, who illustrates the novel’s greatest flaws. A former party girl who, after an accident involving electricity, is transformed into a messiah for the trees, she is a character whose absolutist morality is unintentionally disturbing.

characters with her conviction and childlike optimism, she becomes the guiding light of our protagonists, the Christ to their apostles. She believes that the trees have sent her on a mission to save them, seeing them as infallible forces for Good who are threatened by an Evil, sinning humanity.

Olivia is clearly mentally unwell, with her childlike openness and quasi-religious fanaticism making her both out of touch with reality and ill-equipped to deal with Olivia is the book’s its problems. Yet the way lynchpin: inspiring the other the book treats her suggests

LITERARY REVIEW 17 otherwise. She is presented by the narrative as so charismatic and genuine that she inspires others to throw their families, their professions, and their very sense of self to the wind in service of trees.

On a literary level, it is far from a bad book. Powers’ prose is arresting, beautiful and eloquent. The book’s plot is similarly engaging, featuring police clashes with protestors, videogame designers with god complexes, and, briefly, the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Normal People

Unsplash.co, Priscilla Du Preez CHLOE BOULTON ally Rooney’s Normal People has all the elements required to make a novel spectacular: unlikely protagonists, niche literary references that carry heavy symbolism (YouTuber Jack Edwards has a fascinating two-part series delving into these), Marxist undertones, and an epic but ordinary love story.

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Normal People follows the lives of Connell and Marianne. The pair meet in school where Connell is popular, seemingly secure, and athletic. His apparent opposite is Marianne who is quiet and essentially seen by her peers as a social pariah. They are both incredibly intelligent, and this is something that binds

them together. Connell and Marianne begin a relationship but keep it a secret from their peers. When he does not invite her to the Debs at the end of their final school year, their relationship falls apart. Although the event may seem small, it is significant of Connell’s need to be liked and his shame around his and Marianne’s relationship.

There are even moments of genuine pathos: one character, an engineer named Mimi Ma, goes undercover as a therapist and, by looking into people’s eyes for an inordinate amount of time, is able to open up their souls and bring them greater levels of self-awareness.

Yet despite its colour and vibrancy, no amount of poeticism is enough to hide the fact that the book has an authoritarian heart. In its reverence for the all-knowing, serene and communal trees the book in turn vilifies

Marianne’s already low selfesteem takes an enormous hit.

To make matters perhaps even worse, Connell finds out that everyone already knew that he and Marianne had been together. He realises that the secret had not been important at all: ‘He and Marianne could have walked down the school corridors hand in hand, and with what consequence?

Nothing really. No one cared’.

On a trivial level, the slate is wiped clean when they go to university. They both attend Trinity College Dublin and their social positions flip: Marianne becomes something of a social butterfly and is held in an incredibly high regard by those around her.

Alternatively, Connell finds it difficult to fit in, isolated by his working-class background and his struggle to ‘click’ with people. The new beginning that he had hoped for at Trinity is worlds away from the one he gets. In between all of it though, he and Marianne reconnect again, and they fall in and out of their relationship during their time at university.

the human being, with its emotions, imperfections, and problematic sense of self.

In its slack-jawed praise of the unbreakable networks of forests, it seems to revere an ultra-collectivist absorption into the whole as the most perfect higher moral ideal.

In some ways, its morality mirrors that of the book of Genesis, viewing our ability to think at a level beyond children as inherently evil.

At its heart, the book is deeply anti-humanist, and no amount of cloaking in hokey mysticism can hide that.

The relationship they have after they leave school is one that evolves and takes on different forms as time goes on. When a friend of Connell’s from school commits suicide, it is Marianne’s friendship that gets him through the depression he experiences as a result, even though she is studying abroad at the time.

To say that they circle back to each other would not do justice to the intricacies of their relationship. When they get back together, things are not the same; they do not pick up where they left off.

This being said, they certainly do not start completely afresh. Though outwardly their positions in the social hierarchy change, ultimately Marianne and Connell are the same as they always were.

Sally Rooney creates something new and refreshing in this novel. She can get inside the character’s heads, create a sense of place that is utterly real, and she can make you, the reader, feel as though you are just as much a part of the story she is telling as any other character.

18 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER May 2021

Falcon and the Winter Soldier: How

Marvel Shouldn’t Write Political Thrillers LEWIS. J. WHITE | FILM EDITOR

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arvel has often been praised for the way it has treated its political content in the past. Look at examples like Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) or perhaps Black Panther (2018), both of these films handled the topic and subject matter exclusive to their own film and characters and created a well written and often poignant example of political themes and turmoil.

The Winter Soldier being an espionage thriller about neo-Nazism, Black Panther having an almost entirely black cast and of anticolonialist and racist themes.

So, when Disney+ and Marvel teamed up for the second of their small screen ventures many held their breath for the promised political thriller that would be Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), however, what we got was… well not that great.

Six episodes long and each episode having a runtime of an hour, what appears on the surface to be a six hour long Marvel superhero thriller was instead a bit of a snooze fest. Sam Wilson (Flacon) and Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) are left to pick up the pieces after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the absence of a Captain America. The American government imply that they wish Sam to be the new Captain America, but Sam refuses. A new Captain

America is choses, white US army soldier: John Walker.

What proceeds is a political journey through the corrupt nature of white men in power and the struggle of Sam coming to terms with the potential for a black Captain America.

There are times throughout the season in which the political elements shine, there are conversations involving Sam as he tries to find an identity as the face of America, an America that systemically murders the

people of his race. However, for every moment in which the racial politics shines the elements of geo-politics fail.

In this universe the people who were ‘snapped’ away from existence during the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) left their property behind, as a result there was a relocation scheme put in place in which many of the people who were left behind from the snap were rehomed and thus some problems of homelessness were solved.

When the Avengers brought everyone back there was

a population and housing crisis that resulted in the disenfranchisement of millions if not billions of people. There exists a group of people who opposed this who call themselves the ‘flag smashers’ anarchists who believe things were better when the population was halved. These political beliefs are relatively left-wing and are debatably sound, the writers of the show however, present these characters as antagonistic despite the visuals of the show presenting them as refugees and largely

sympathetic characters.

Instead the writers of the show would rather you sympathise with John Walker who, in one episode, murders someone and becomes unhinged – but still he is redeemed.

The political dissonance in Falcon and the Winter Soldier makes it, at times, hard to watch. We find it hard to root for any character in particular because it is not clear what moral position it seems they are in. Especially when we consider that one of the titular characters was brainwashed and used as a murdering puppet for neoNazis for over 70 years. Our leads are also largely riddled in toxic masculinity, with gags throughout that rely on the audience finding male intimacy and mental health a joke which, at least from my perspective, comes across as offensive.

Overall, Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a messy political thriller that asks the viewer many questions as to their particular political sitting however, it fails to actually make a decent conclusion for much of its six-hour run time. It fails in comparison to the much better WandaVision earlier this year and as a whole doesn’t seem worth watching.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier is out now to stream on Disney+ Source: indiewire.com

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THE FOUNDER May 2021

Stowaway: A Heart-Breaking Depiction of Human Nature

TILLY BENNETT oe Penna’s new science fiction, psychological thriller Stowaway has recently dropped on Netflix with a star-studded cast.

Science Fiction as a genre often follows the troupe of being high impact and fraught with tension. Stowaway is no stranger to this. However, Penna, rather subtly, manages to heighten the emotional tension from the offset due to the claustrophobic setting of the ship – set almost entirely on one vessel.

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The film commences with the prospect of hope as we are introduced to a small team embarking on a twoyear journey to Mars. There is excitement in the air as three masters of their fields board the ship: A doctor Zoe (Anna Kendrick), The Commander Marina (Toni Collette) and biologist David (Daniel Day Kim). Naturally, things are not always as they seem and during a routine check Commander Marina happens upon a fourth member, a stowaway. It is from this moment on that the tension begins to build as anxiety rises amongst the crew – who is the fourth member?

It emerges that the fourth member is Michael (Shamier Anderson), launch support engineer and rookie when it comes to space expedition. Michael, much like the rest of the team, finds himself stuck in the vessel due to complications and injury during the launch.

Source: otakukart.com Immediately, questions arise on how a situation like this managed to occur.

Interestingly, NASA confirmed that it is viable that an engineer could become a stowaway. To add increased pressure Marina is the only experienced space traveller both David and Zoe are seen more as assets for the Mars expedition. True to the chaos of science fiction cinema, the already stressful and unprecedented situation becomes a life-or-death situation as they discover that a machine integral to their production of oxygen has been irreparably damaged.

Leaving them with only enough oxygen for three people.

What is striking about Stowaway is how Penna managed to ensure the situation felt agonisingly real.

Whether it be Marina getting constant contact and aid from the ground team or David sacrificing his life’s work to potentially create enough oxygen for Michael. At times, one can feel that science fiction can be somewhat hard to follow take Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, a beautifully executed and emotional film however for a layman like myself slightly hard to follow upon first viewing. Penna, on the other hand, creates a story that is so true to life, at times it feels as though you are witnessing the situation unfold first-hand,

transported from viewer to team member seamlessly.

There are no aliens, meteor showers or futuristic planets but rather four human beings trying to preserve not only their own mortality but also that of their friends and potentially mankind; should they arrive at Mars.

Initially, as a viewer, it may feel as though you are waiting for something momentous to happen. An unexpected twist, a stowaway gone rogue perhaps. However, I feel as though what Penna was trying to convey is much more discreet - it is the battle between right and wrong. It is remembering your humanity in times of utter devastation.

It is acknowledging that sometimes one’s humanity, intelligence and determination can only get one so far.

Stowaway is a film fraught with devastation and true to most films within the genre it will remind you why space travel isn’t for you. Admittedly the ending feels a bit sudden, it is as though they looked to other successful space movies to finish their own however you will still be left feeling a little more existential than you did before. Penna has ultimately created an in-depth study into humanity in times of crisis and created a space expedition and vessel that feels authentic and plausible.

20 ARTS: MUSIC

THE FOUNDER May 2021

REVIEW: Moratorium (Broadcasts 35 Years of Graceland From The Interruption)

SAM PALMER OVID-19 led to a dramatic change in the creative arts industries; arguably, the creative industry hit hardest is the music industry. From lack of government funding, many business and venues have folded and countless more are struggling to stay afloat.

Gigs have gone online and songwriting processes have changed dramatically. This is not to say, however, that all the musical endeavours in this time have been negative.

Many unique albums have come out during this pandemic era, possibly exemplified by Enter Shikari’s Moratorium (Broadcasts from the Interruption).

While this album includes no original tracks, it includes new stylistic musings from

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the band, new types of fan interaction, and an insight into the creative process the band undertakes.

Moratorium is a collection of acoustic covers and tracks revisited, old and new alike. The majority of these covers took place during online gigs, such as for Five4Five Fest. That said, some tracks were revisited by popular request. After putting a poll out on social media, Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here was chosen to be rehashed by the band from the comfort of their own homes. Additionally, Rat Race was rerecorded and filmed at the same time. New, amateurish music videos in front of green screens harking straight from the 90s were

filmed which the band clearly had a lot of fun making.

This was a special moment of connection between the band and fans, a moment that would never have happened without this highly unusual context.

While the band haven’t shied away from acoustic covers of their own songs before, the ones on Moratorium feel like some of the most delicate and sensitive work they have ever put out. The cover of { The Dreamer’s Hotel } is a haunting rendition that acts as a beautiful introduction to what the album will be.

It is treated with such care, not overdone but including backing strings and vocals that make it feel busy without being too overwhelming.

The Resurgence of LUMP JENNIFER ROSE

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aura Marling has been hinting at a new release from LUMP, a collaborative work between Marling and Mike Lindsay of Tunng, on her Instagram account since August 2020. Nine months later, LUMP have dropped their latest single Animal ahead of the release of their next album.

In keeping with the elements of surrealism incorporated into their first, self-titled work released in June 2018, LUMP is the name given to the lovable creature at the face of the project, who is expected to turn from fluffy yeti into taffeta giant in this reincarnation. Through the

previous work he became increasingly animated as the music flowed from one track to the next. Perhaps one of the most surreal moments of all is seeing the fantastical monster take on his mundane chores, sweeping during the final track: LUMP is a product (credits), an unusual finale which intends to battle the lack of recognition creators face in the music industry.

The new single Animal mixes Marling’s lyricism with Lindsay’s experimental folktronica. The result is an exciting deviation from the usual alternative-folk products of Marling.

Synthesiser motifs, speech-like vocals, pockets of compound timing and fanatically rhythmical instrumentation highlight

the complex structure of the single. The seemingly nonsensical lyrics build on the previous album and, however abstract at times, can still find their roots in Marling’s ability to tell stories through her music. The collaborative work focuses more on the release of the music and accessing the unconscious than the creation of a definable work. This is furthered through Lindsay’s instrumentation, which teeters on the edge of discordance in a way which emulates the most philosophically sublime of experiences.

Working through a streamof-consciousness approach is made more effective through the exploration of Marling’s vocal range, and by the use of a single key through the 2018 album.

OLIVIA ANDERSON

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aul Simon’s careerdefining album, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, is not without controversy. Despite being for one of the most iconic monuments to American popular culture, the album cut its teeth in South Africa and is perhaps most famous for its distinctive, hybrid sound.

Released in the twilight years of South Africa’s apartheid policy, Simon transgressed the UN-imposed sanctions on South Africa by recording a number of songs from his album there. Given the ongoing humanitarian crisis that apartheid represented, this decision remains a contentious issue. Should Simon be praised for attempting ‘to make art that transcended politics’, in Animal hints as a more sophisticated use of experimentation on the forthcoming project, encompassing rhythm in a more complex way than LUMP’s previous work.

Nonetheless, whatever the title track of their latest release suggests, the collaboration has again confirmed Marling

Source: @thisislump, Instagram.

the words of Rolling Stone’s Jordan Runtagh, or did he undercut international efforts to condemn the racist system in place in South Africa?

Nevertheless, the result of Simon side-stepping the political ramifications and going to South Africa was ‘Graceland’, the album that would go on to become one of the defining records of the decade, and Simon’s own crowning glory.

The album marks a watershed moment musically, culturally, and politically; a perfectly executed merging of Simon’s own characteristic sound with the rhythms of the musicians he worked with in Johannesburg. Where Simon’s vision for Graceland was a kind of intercultural ‘collaboration’, to use his own words, his critics take issue

and Lindsay’s status not just as musicians, but as artists.

At 31 minutes long, LUMP’s self-titled debut is a must-listen. If you’re short on time, check out Curse of the Contemporary, and don’t forget to listen to Animal ahead of the album’s release on 30th July 2021.

THE FOUNDER May 2021

with the way he incorporates South African music so prominently into his sound.

The intertwining of these two musical cultures finds its most salient expression in Graceland, the song that also gives its name to the album. Simon blends the allAmerican sound of the Everly brothers with the likes of Ray Phiri and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who amongst the other famous musicians Simon collaborated with, lend the record its African tenor with their incorporation of the musical stylings of mbaqanqa and isicathamiya. The latter style of music, similar to a cappella, is featured at the start of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes. Simon both leads and blends, making an album whose only dissonance is to be found in the politics of its controversial creation.

Graceland won the coveted Album of the Year award at the 1987 Grammys, and in his acceptance speech, Simon spoke of his ‘deep admiration and love’ for the South African musicians he collaborated with, who live ‘under one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet today’ and yet ‘are able to produce music of great power and music and joy’; this sentiment encapsulates what the record does so well. It is an album that weaves together different, disparate strands of culture and experience.

Graceland merges Simon’s folksy, American sound with South African beats, it blends the joy of music with the pathos of oppression, it yokes together the personal and the political. As Graceland turns 35, it is fascinating to reflect on the way it is rooted in a particular moment in history, yet strangely timeless. It is for this reason that, even as it turns 35, the album still stands as a singular, exceptional piece of art.

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Taylor Swift: Pop Music’s ‘Mad Woman’

AMELIA MORRIS | MUSIC EDITOR

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y now a household name, Taylor Swift has been known over the years as many things: an American sweetheart; a serial dater; a man-eating heartbreaker; a liar and later a victim in the Kanye situation; and, most recently, a victim of the power-hungry sharks of the music industry. Her nine past albums are strikingly different from one another. From her country roots in her debut, Fearless and Speak Now to the more country-pop Red and the firmly pop centred 1989, Reputation and Lover and most recently the indie-folkpop Folklore and Evermore.

Taylor has proven herself to be a versatile artist and one of the most successful names of the 21st Century. So why have people always felt ashamed to enjoy her music?

lyrics such as ‘I go on too many dates/But I can't make 'em stay/At least that's what people say’ which directly address the allegations thrown at her by the media. It is exceptional, therefore, that Taylor Swift’s success has prevailed despite her being shamed for her actions or perceived inaction.

Taylor is, of course, not alone in her battle with the internalised misogyny of her target listenership. The majority of women in pop have been slut-shamed at one time or another: Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Halsey, Ariana Grande, and Miley Cyrus have all come under fire for serial dating or other perceived ‘offences’ to name just a few. Like Taylor Swift, many of these are privileged as middle class, straightpassing white women and yet this does not afford them much protection from the misogyny within the maledominated music industry or in the eyes of the public.

If they try to speak out, they are labelled as ‘mad women’ or told that they shouldn’t complain because others have it much worse. Of course the experiences of female artists from minority backgrounds is another conversation which must be opened up.

The experiences of women in the hands of the patriarchy cannot be seen to detract from each other but instead to add value to each other.

With the critical success of Folklore, public opinion of Taylor Swift has visibly shifted. She’s no longer seen as just another woman in pop but has instead been praised for her lyricism, her pared back instrumentation and her use of metaphor. While Folklore and Evermore are undoubtedly examples of Taylor’s best work to date, beautiful lyricism and clever song construction are not new to these albums. Previously, it seems, her personal life has overshadowed her musical achievements. Shake it Off is the clearest example of Taylor’s past attempts to When it comes to Taylor ‘shake off’ her notoriety with Swift, we are all guilty of

Source: Forbes.com her persecution in one sense or another. Even now, with the acclaim of Folklore and Evermore, it is likely that the critics are only listening to the lyrics because the media’s hounding has finally ceased.

Due to Taylor’s changing public image to one of a victim of powerful men with the situation with her masters, the tide has shifted in her favour. For those who are unaware, alongside making her two newest albums, Taylor has been re-recording her first six albums due to a dispute with her original record label about her contract which stipulated that she did not own the masters to her original recordings. As a result of this, and the masters later being sold to industry villain Scooter Braun, the rerecordings are the only way for Taylor to completely own her music. The first of these, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), was released on April 9th.

as a result she is no longer the so-called ‘mad woman’ in and out of public relationships that she was once seen as. In comparison to the men she has dated, Taylor’s music is pulled apart for clues about her personal life and this is what is reported. As a result, her music is rarely looked at outside of the context of the men in her life. (As a side note, the Taylor Swift lyric in Kanye’s Famous is not discussed nearly enough.)

It is perhaps not radical to say that women in pop should not have to be in long-term heteronormative relationships in order to be taken seriously by critics or that musicians should be able to own the masters to their own music but Taylor is not alone in this battle. The very public rerecording of her music provides Taylor Swift with the opportunity to draw attention to similar situations and, potentially, prevent hopeful young artists from Another element to this being brought into equally shift is Taylor’s four year constrictive contracts in the relationship with Joe Alwyn, future.

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THE FOUNDER May 2021

Interview with YUJI AOYAMA

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aware that it wasn’t really representative of the population, and there are an awful lot of issues just getting brushed under the carpet. Me and Mattie were talking about it a lot at uni, and feeling like there wasn’t really a space to talk about these issues; not just in classical music, but within the wider music industry.

hime Out UK is a collaborative music review site based in Scotland that explores issues in the music industry from an inclusive perspective. They post thought-provoking articles on topics such as diversity, gender and sexuality in the industry, considering whether classical music is still That actually leads us relevant in the 21st century onto our next question and the ethical implications how did you come together of music streaming. to work on this project and what are your main aims?

Back in April, we Marie: I think something interviewed the site’s cothat got us started was creators Marie (she/her) and definitely being on the same Mattie (they/them), and had music criticism course. We an intriguing conversation just became increasingly about their aims, some of the aware that there didn’t seem previous articles they have to be a comfortable space to written and the importance talk about music and politics, of platforming marginalised and again, the art of the music voices within the music itself all in the same way, industry. outside of academia. That was something we were really Tell us a bit about keen to try and change. yourselves! How do your lives inform your work?

Mattie: In terms of music Mattie: I guess I’m just the and politics only being kind of person that needs an academic, it also always had emotional outlet, and I’m also to be very serious - you can’t quite a workaholic, so both be on the journey of holding of those just sort of filter into yourself accountable, going expressing myself through through a learning process. writing - it lends itself quite I think it’s important to nicely to that. I think being show that we aren’t all just self-employed and running perfectly politically informed your own site gives you the human beings because that’s way to express yourself, and I not how life works, and it’s would say I’m better at being interesting to document how confrontational than going for we’re learning through our high levels of academia. relationship with music.

Marie: For me, same as Marie: In terms of aims, Mattie, I studied music at we’d love to try and make university. I loved studying these types of conversations classical music and opera, more accessible, to make but increasingly became

music more accessible, and try and be authentic about our journeys, as well.

Your website mentions ‘certain artists, genres and politics’ being repeatedly sidelined for the same mainstream conversations.

How can we help avoid excluding voices and retreading that ground, as both readers and writers?

Mattie: I think either as a reader or a writer, you have to start by searching for your unconscious biases. You could look through your Instagram or however else you consume your content, and if you look through your follower list and it’s only white people, only cis people, only straight people… you might have some unconscious bias, and that’s okay, but you can start addressing that. If you’re a writer, I think it’s also really important that you don’t try to speak for communities you’re not part of. You’re allowed to amplify voices, that’s really cool, but don’t try to overshadow those voices.

Marie: I think Mattie answered it pretty succinctly - just try to be proactive and help amplify marginalized voices.

You’ve mentioned on your website that classical music is losing its relevance in the current climate. What do you consider some of the main reasons why this is the case?

Marie: After you spend four years studying [classical music], you’re like, wow.

Chime Out UK logo: credits to Jack Magee (@MackJagee on instagram).

There’s a few different issues - for me, the main one is representation, not just in the people we see on stage but also in the narratives being performed and the composers and producers and directors.

Lack of diversity is rife in the scene, and obviously there have been some advances recently, but because it’s been so stoic and single-minded, the classical music world hasn’t evolved much. When they do, it feels a bit awkward, and it feels like they don’t know how to connect with audiences that maybe haven’t grown up with classical music.

It’s a real shame, I think, partially because the music is so beautiful and it can be really good for your mental health. The themes in classical music, about struggles of class and love and betrayal, are universal, so there’s no real reason why it shouldn’t be relevant. The way it’s being presented just doesn’t work, most of the time, though I am generalizing - occasionally you do get real fantastic gems of project, though they’re not in the majority.

Mattie: Piggybacking off what Marie said, it’s hard to be succinct about it, but in mainstream spaces like pop, obviously they’re not perfect but these conversations are allowed to happen. It should be the bare minimum, but I feel like in classical music those conversations have a big pushback against them.

It always seems like quite a defensive response, but really, when I say that ‘classical music is irrelevant’, I don’t say it as an insult, I say it as a problem to address. I don’t want it to go from irrelevant to no longer existing. The problem is trying to create a space to have these conversations.

In your recent article about IWD, you mention the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, its mentoring programme for young female composers, and how it stands at odds within an institution that tends to marginalise musicians on account of their race, gender, class, and sexuality.

How do you suggest we

THE FOUNDER May 2021

ARTS: MUSIC 23

Chime Out UK

hold these institutions to account?

Marie: Kind of going back to what Mattie was saying about your Insta feed, but more tangibly, you should think about what institutions you’re supporting when you’re going to a concert or buying a CD. I think it’s really important to be conscious as a consumer. I’m also a very big advocate for just calling people out - I even @ people on Twitter, even if we’re so small it doesn’t make much of a difference right now [laughs]. I mean, it’s old fashioned, but even writing letters - actually making the effort to contact these institutions, and you don’t need to be aggressive about it, you can do it in polite ways - I just think it’s important to try and make your voice heard, or at least, if you see something especially problematic, to try and help others’ voices be heard as well. Be conscious of your consumption and be vocal.

Mattie: Yeah, I think when you’re talking about these big institutions it can feel a bit debilitating because you’re just one tiny spec in a big sea of people. But I think if you start smaller by engaging in your own community, then the steps up feel a little bit less overwhelming and it’s a lot easier to see how you can start unpicking the threads of everything that leads to this complicated system of oppression. It can help [holding them to account] feel attainable and that it’s a realistic thing you can do.

Are there any music artists or even music writers you look up to as inspirations for your work?

Mattie: I was looking recently into queer Scottish musicians because I can’t name a single queer Scottish musician as a queer Scottish person. It makes me sad...

Lana Wild really inspires me because she has gotten so much backlash as a trans woman from supposed ‘feminist’ groups, but she continues to put out music and is rising above it. I personally find that really inspiring: finding power in a system that doesn’t want you to have it.

Marie: I would say that one of the artists I look up to the most is a Norwegian Sámi singer called Mari Boine. She was one of the first artists in Norway to start singing in Sámi and make it mainstream, and also used it as part of her political activism for [the recognition of the Sámi as an indigenous population]. [...]

They were doing things in the 1970s and ‘80s where they were getting lots of groups [together] to sing and protest, which is really cool because music has so many purposes and I love when it’s being used for a good cause. In terms of writers, there is a music academic called Kyle Devine.

He’s currently dedicating most of his research to the use of plastic in music and how we think of music as this intangible thing that doesn’t really have an environmental impact, but it does have a massive impact in every form that we consume it. At first when he was first talking

of the managerial roles, or in producer, director [roles].

For example, a few years ago when Adele won an award and her entire team of maybe 20 people behind her were all male, I was like… really? [laughs] I think it’s a shame, it would just be nice to see all How do you see kinds of diversity [...] It’s just yourselves represented in continuously frustrating when the music industry right you see it not happening. But, now? How would you like to that again, is why we’re trying see it changed? to have these conversations, Mattie: I mean, obviously or at least think about them.

I should acknowledge before going into rants about not When concerts can being represented in spaces happen safely again, which that I am a cis-presenting artists are you looking man, white, skinny… In ways forward to seeing perform I am fairly well-privileged, live? but for me I’ve particularly Mattie: Well, especially noticed it in terms of queer because we started [Chime spaces [that] classical music Out] in the pandemic, I’m is very jarring because it is just looking forward to being quite a queer-coded space in able to engage with the local general. If you’re in an opera music scene, even to see some space, there will be queer buskers [...] I would be so people there, but it’s not like a down, I’m absolutely game proud queer space. It’s almost for anything! as if these storylines have Marie: We went to to be hidden, and that sits weirdly with me. And then in university in Glasgow, and it terms of pop music, I’d say was great because you could it’s more tokenistic in that go into a pub any night of the when you do get queer voices, week and there would be live it’s always cis, white, male, music on. Something I miss skinny. I guess in terms of so much is just being able to where I want it to be, I want rock up somewhere, and at [to hear] intersectional queer lots of the pubs, you could voices, I don’t just want it to just take your own instrument have to be one token but the and come in and join in. Not that I did that, but the option whole community. was nice - I was never brave Marie: Yeah, the exact enough to do it! I would same, I need to recognise my also love to go to some big privilege, and again as white festivals, that would be just and cis, I’m very represented. a total dream, but I think But in terms of where I that’s probably one that’s would like to see a bit more gonna take a wee bit longer representation for women to happen, or at least happen in general would be in more safely. For the midterm, [I’m] about it, he wasn’t really accepted by the musicology cohort, but obviously now it’s extremely relevant - he’s been doing this research for a number of years and he’s definitely someone that I look up to.

definitely looking forward to some of those buskers and smaller gigs.

Finally, have you listened to anything good recently?

Any recommendations for us and our readers?

Marie: Well, I can tell you something, I’ve been listening obsessively to Dusgadh by the band Breabach, a Scot trad band, and [the song] is in Gaelic. They did this really cool virtual tour - it was going to all these venues [virtually], so you could buy a ticket and [the money] would go to that venue, so it was a way of supporting [them] all.

And there was this animated film that they had done the whole soundtrack to, so that’s something I’ve been really enjoying for the last few days.

Mattie: I think for me, I cringe when I say this answer but honestly [...] I have been one of those people who have been influenced by Tik Tok. I have written my ventings [in articles], but it really does produce catchy songs. I’ve been listening to Iamdoechii quite a lot, she’s really good.

I think she’s famous on Tik Tok for doing Yucky Blucky Fruitcake. I really enjoy it, it’s really good. It gets me in the mood for going out even though we’re not there yet, [but] at least I can just get myself in that mindset.

Be sure to check out Chime Out UK’s website chimeoutuk.com, where they post new articles every Tuesday. They can also be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ chimeoutuk.

24 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER May 2021

The Champions League Final: What can we Expect?

OLI GENT

I

n the third all-English Champions League final, Manchester City face Chelsea in Istanbul, as Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel lock horns yet again.

Both sides have battled hard to get to the most prestigious stage in club football, beating a number of the continent’s ‘big boys’ along the way: City have come through a promising and potentially dangerous Borussia Monchengladbach team, before dismantling Borussia Dortmund with a tad more discomfort in the quarter-finals. In the semis, they faced Paris SaintGermain – the two financial powerhouses of Europe – and, after an initial scare at the Parc des Princes, Guardiola’s men emerged victorious: Riyad Mahrez the hero over two legs.

The Blues overcame both Madrids – Atletico and Real – in the last 16 and semifinals, sandwiching a more straightforward quarter-final with FC Porto. Both sides have beaten the best from overseas to get here. But who will reign supreme?

We write this off the back of a shock Chelsea win at the Etihad – Marcos Alonso the matchwinner two minutes into stoppage time, Sergio Aguero – so often the hero himself – the pantomime villain, missing a Panenka penalty at 1-0 up, that could have sealed the Citizens’ title.

In that game, both managers adopted shapes with back threes. Not a surprise with Tuchel, but very much so with Pep, who often plumps for a 4-3-3 or 4-2-31. The reasoning for this can be split. Firstly, we know that the former Barcelona

manager has a history of adapting his style when faced by teams he respects. Think Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, Rudi Garcia’s Lyon.

Of course, the joke here is that Pep ‘overthinks’ the big games, instead of sticking to his guns and his foundational principles. But this might not be the case here, and it could well be an attempt to bait his German counterpart into thinking that he might ‘overthink’ the final, and completely change formation with a back three. As such, do not be surprised if the crafty Catalan reverts back to his standardised 4-3-3 come May 29.

Tuchel, on the other hand, stayed true to his guns with a 3-4-2-1 system at the Etihad, but he switched up his personnel cleverly.

Marcos Alonso came in for Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva

was rested, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta moving back into the defensive trio, Reece James taking his place in the right wing-back berth.

Billy Gilmour was deployed in the deep-lying playmaker role alongside N’Golo Kante, although expect Jorginho to partner the Frenchman come the final. Timo Werner continued as the number nine, flanked by Hakim Ziyech fresh from knocking City out of the FA Cup – and Christian Pulisic, whose goal in Madrid gave the Blues a monumental foundation to build on in the semi-final.

Guardiola did something similar with the players he selected. Coming in were names not often seen as regular starters this term: Benjamin Mendy, Nathan Ake, Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres and Aguero, with Sterling and Torres, both natural wingers, in more central, freer roles

as Joao Cancelo and Mendy maintained the width as wingbacks.

Tactically, we expect City to return to their 4-3-3. John Stones was rested completely in the Premier League clash, with Aymeric Laporte deputising, but the former Everton man will get the nod for the final, continuing his impressive partnership alongside Ruben Dias. Phil Foden, so often a big-game player for the Sky Blues this campaign, will likely play off the left, and it would be harsh not to start Mahrez after his heroics against Paris. Up front and the engine room remain the questionable areas, but from recent results, we’re predicting Kevin de Bruyne at false nine, with workhorse duo Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva flanking either Fernandinho or Rodri.

Created by the Poor, Stolen by the Rich – The European Super League DANIEL HORNER

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he European Super League had long been discussed as an idea dating back since the 1990s, but within 72 hours the new proposed breakaway competition had fallen apart amid furious backlash amongst fans, politicians, explayers, managers and various football organisations.

News broke on the 18 April that twelve founding clubs Real Madrid, th

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham - had indeed joined the new competition, withdrawing from the European Club Association the following day when UEFA were to discuss new Champions League proposals.

The future of European football was to be backed by JP Morgan and the €3.5 billion that would be granted to fund the new tournament. Bayern

Munich declined to join the league; German football’s 50+1 ownership model proving once again a shining example of how more football clubs should be ran. Paris Saint-Germain also rejected the league, but in reality, this is more likely due to politics surrounding their Qatari owner and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

It is widely understood that Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez, Juventus’ Andrea Ragnelli and the Americans in

charge of Manchester United (Joel Glazer), Liverpool (John Henry) and Arsenal (Stan Kroenke) were the driving forces behind the Super League. Perez – the first ESL Chairman – declared that the Super League was ‘saving football’ from UEFA and the loss of income from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neville was disgusted by what he described as a ‘criminal act’. Boris Johnson likened the league to a ‘cartel’ that went against ‘the basic principles of competition’ and Prince William wrote on twitter ‘Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and UEFA president Aleksander fairness at its core’.

Ceferin branded the ESL as ‘a spit in the face of football As of writing, nine of the lovers’, while Sky Sports original twelve teams have pundit and ex-player Gary announced their resignation

SPORTS 25

THE FOUNDER May 2021 Chelsea and from the European Super technically remain. UEFA Madrid, Manchester City from this League. Only Real Madrid, issued a range of threats, Barcelona and Juventus including removing Real season’s Champions League and potentially banning ESL players from participating at the 2022 World Cup. The intense backlash from politicians, governing bodies, domestic leagues and fans was apparently a surprise to the ESL clubs. The withdrawal of the English Clubs by the evening of the 20th April was the beginning of the end for the Super League.

The Super League is anything but super, instead a threat to the fabric of European and domestic football as we know it. The teams involved are hardly super themselves, especially given the poor performances of Arsenal

Source: Getty Images via bbc.com

and Tottenham this season.

Juventus and Liverpool’s title defences hardly engineered and they now face the prospect of Europa League football.

that teams can be invited to the Champions League based on previous history is a mockery of fair play and competition.

Fans may claim they still can enact change, but the sad While it is clear that the reality is that football has been Super League is a power grab a business for a long time now. by owners who prioritise money over football, the The Super League fiasco politics of the move was a could be a blessing in disguise ploy against UEFA and FIFA as a wake-up call to tackle to fore their hands. While it everything that is wrong with easy to condemn the ESL as a the game; extortionate ticket closed competition that closely prices and television rights, resembles American franchise corruption to the core of FIFA sport, many outspoken critics and UEFA, a world cup that of the ESL can not hold the should not be taking place in moral high ground. UEFA’s Qatar and unequal distribution proposed new champions of money to the lower leagues, league is simply an effort grassroots and women’s to increase revenue; more games, where we have seen fixtures go against the wish of clubs go out of business. players and managers. The fact

NBA 2021 Playoff Forecast

BEN ROWE

D

espite the 2020/21 NBA regular season’s differences – a lack of fans and a 72-game season – it has not been short of quality and entertainment; Steph Curry’s 62-point game, Clint Capela’s 10-block triple-double and Russell Westbrook surpassing the triple-double record. As we enter the playoffs however, one major change for the 20/21 season is beginning to come into play: the play-in tournament.

The play-in tournament yields that the top 10 teams from each conference get a shot in the playoffs. With the first 6 teams qualifying automatically, 7th and 8th seed face off, with the winner qualifying to play 2nd seed in the first round of the playoffs.

The loser gets another shot – playing the winner of 9th vs. 10th. The winner of that

final game will play the 1st seed in the playoffs. Not only does this add excitement, but expands the range of teams playing postseason basketball.

Taking this into consideration, it is unlikely that any team qualifying through the play-in method will pose any real threat to the NBA Championship, but we may certainly see a few shocks and, gladly, more basketball.

In the West, the LA Lakers – tipped for a second successive title – find themselves in 7th and facing a play-in tie against the Warriors. LeBron James openly slandered the play-in tournament; for many, the irony of the Lakers having to play in it will be sweet.

The Grizzlies and the Spurs, both coming off the back of average seasons, look set in 9th and 10th position, but will not go much further than the tournament.

At the top of the Western Conference lie Utah. Led

by Mitchell and Gobert, they have one of the deepest rosters in the league and are favourites to make it all the way to The Finals. Perhaps a more impressive season can be found in 2nd seed in the West, with the Phoenix Suns making the playoffs for the first time in 11 years off the back of Devin Booker averaging 25.6PPG and veteran Chris Paul proving he’s still got it.

the Conference Finals.

The East hasn’t been home to as much quality, and the spoils of Conference Champion could equally go to the Bucks, the Nets or the 76ers. While Philadelphia have had the best season of the three (Joel Embiid averaging 29.2PPG), Brooklyn are the favourites owing to the quality of their roster. They possess the latest trio that will go down in NBA history: Durant, Irving and Harden.

Seldom have all three played The West is stacked with together this season, but all more excellent teams: LA are unguardable at times and Clippers, Denver Nuggets, if fit could breeze the Nets Dallas Mavericks and through to the Finals.

Portland Trailblazers lie in It is worth noting both the 3rd – 6th positions. All four teams have real quality, the success of the New led by the likes of Kawhi York Knicks and the Atlanta Leonard, Nicola Jokic (who Hawks, who have been quietly looks set to win MVP), Luka going about their business Doncic and Damian Lillard this regular season and should respectively. It should not be both avoid having to feature in a surprise to see any one of the play-in tournament. Julius these teams make a push for Randle has led the Knicks in

points, rebounds and assists this season, with his team achieving their first positive record since 2013.

Four of Miami, Boston, Charlotte, Washington and Indiana will feature in the play-in tournament. This is not a position that last year’s finalists Miami or the Celtics would’ve pictured themselves in at the start of the season.

The Hornets have been powered by the performances of rookie LaMelo Ball and Washington more recently by the brilliance of Beal and Westbrook.

While too difficult to call, the prospect of a BrooklynUtah final seems equally likely and tantalising. But don’t be surprised to see anyone from the 1st-8th seed from the West in the final, and any of the top three from the East.

26 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER May 2021

Lions Squad Announcement arren Gatland certainly knows how to annoy and confuse rugby fans. For once the Scots are not among those most incensed by the New Zealander’s selections.

After a good performance in the Six Nations and some stand out individuals there was optimism that Scotland could improve on the two that were initially selected in 2017, when Gregor Townsend and Steve Tandy were announced as part of the backroom staff, as attack and defence coach respectively, that optimism grew into expectation. Eight Scots is probably more than most fans could have hoped for. However, that’s not to say there weren’t a good number of surprises.

To me the most curious is Jack Conan. He is an out and out 8, he’s big and a good ball carrier but his crucial attribute is speed. Simmonds is similar, good skills, strong but also quick. What Conan, Simmonds and Faletau have in common is their ability to play in wide channels, this may give a clue as to how Gatland is looking to approach the challenge of the Boks. Jonny Hill is also a big man who can play on the fringes. The final surprise I’ll cover today is Courtney Lawes, I suspect he was the 37th man due to his recent injury struggles.

His selection underlines how much Gatland values versatility and combativeness.

Lawes’ ability to play 6 may be crucial and will open up options elsewhere.

The centres will be the focus of a lot of the discussion with Bundee Aki coming from nowhere to get selected ahead of compatriot Gary Ringrose as well as Manu Tuilagi and Lions great Jonathan Davies.

Some will be surprised by the inclusion of Chris Harris, but once Tandy was announced, and George North was struck down with injury I became certain that he would be picked. His excellent performances over the Six Nations were capped off in Paris by one of the best defensive displays I have seen from a back. Aki provides a physical, ball carrying ability that Davies and Ringrose don’t, and he has played more rugby than Manu but it is still an odd pick and one which will be dissected over and

Gatland has a proven track record and no matter how much people try and poke holes in his selections he is the most qualified person on the planet to construct this squad. Overall, I like the look of this group, there’s a quality test team in there and competition across the park.

I do think centre looks a bit light in creativity but that is probably more by design than anything else. The leadership group is also good, perhaps not quite as strong as 2017.

Sexton will be missed in that respect, however a nucleus of Alun Wyn Jones, Hogg, Farrell, Itoje, Murray and Owens should keep the group pointing in the right direction.

Now we just have to see how they perform, bring on the 26th of June.

PETER GEDDES

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Source: INPHO, Dan Sheridan

over before the tour begins at the end of June. The biggest beneficiary of George North’s ACL injury could be said to be Elliot Daly who had a poor Six Nations in a poor England team. What has almost certainly got him selected is his ability to cover centre, wing, and full back. Daly’s selection is reminiscent of Jared Payne in 2017, a utility back who could cover 13 and 15.

the exclusion of Johnny Sexton who played himself back into contention during the Six Nations, personally I think he is a bit too fragile to front up against the Boks and his latest injury will not have helped matters, given the other talent available it is not a huge shock. One of the most uncertain positions before the announcement was scrumhalf. In the end Ali Price, Connor Murray and Gareth Davies get the nod. I Also in the backs there suspect Ben Youngs would will be questions asked about have gone ahead of Davies or

Price if he had made himself available for selection. A potential weakness when compared with the options available to the Springboks, the Lions can only hope that one of these can be a stand out come Test time.

The forwards also threw up a few surprises, Jonny Hill and Jack Conan being the stand outs; selected ahead of the likes of James Ryan, Jonny Gray, Scott Cummings, CJ Stander, Josh Navidi, Sam Underhill and Jamie Ritchie.

SPORTS 27

THE FOUNDER May 2021

From European Nights to the Second Division: What Happened to Schalke 04 ELIOT K. RAMAN JONES | SPORTS EDITOR even of the eleven players who played in the game that confirmed Schalke's relegation last week had previously played Champions League soccer for the club. These players know the heights the club used to regularly reach, and the promise of European competition was once based much more on reality. In the Champions League, in which Schalke participated from 2001 to 2019, the Ruhrpottler had a 55 percent win rate against Italian and Spanish teams, which is no small feat considering how strong the teams from those divisions have been over the past 20 years. Iconic royal blue players like Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who became Schalke's top scorer in the Champions League before his sensational return this season during the seven years he spent at the club from 2010 to 2017, contributed to Schalke's success.

S

Schalke has also been historically successful domestically. In their 117 years of existence, they have won seven championships, five DFB Cups, and have one of the largest fan bases in Germany, just behind Bayern Munich. When I worked as a social media manager for the club during my year abroad, I saw that they still have global appeal, and I ran their US account from Munich, and despite the fame of

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, many around the world still like Schalke 04.

However, Schalke's reputation and performance have deteriorated greatly, especially in the last two years.

Another major reason for Schalke's decline is the quality of player signings, and especially the quality of players the club has sold. The current squad is very young and lacks a suitable leader, and the last three captains were new arrivals or players who would soon leave the club. The current captain is Bosnian leftback Sead Kolasinac, who has experience with the club but is on loan from Arsenal and will return to London at the end of the season. Of course, this means that he is not as invested

Source: Bavarian Football Works

in the future of the club as a Schalke player who has been at the club for a long time. Even ignoring the lack of leadership in the squad, many of Schalke's best players tend to leave the club, and Schalke doesn't try hard enough to protect its best players. In the last two years alone, promising German goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, who many see as a long-term successor to current German number one (and former Schalke player) Manuel Neuer, has left for FC Bayern Munich.

Many of Schalke's best players have gone the same way to Munich, such as Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane, while others have gone to top European clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool and Juventus. The main consequence of this is that the team has not signed

players to replace these players, or has been too concerned with the distant future rather than the present.

Internal problems have also plagued Schalke in recent years, most notably finances.

The coronavirus pandemic has not helped Schalke's revenues. In April 2020, the club declared that it was nearly bankrupt and had to impose a cap on player salaries to try to recoup some lost revenue.

These financial problems were exacerbated by Schalke's declining performance in the Bundesliga, and without consistent Champions League qualifying money, the club spent too much money on player salaries, resulting in a squad that was paid more than it was worth. Last year in the

Bundesliga, mainly former Schalke players were signed on loan or on release, players who loved the club and were happy with less money. The return of Huntelaar, as well as defenders Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac would have looked very impressive at the peak of their abilities, but these players were too old or unimpressive for a return season in the Ruhr.

Schalke started out as a trophy winning, Champions League experienced club and now find themselves at the bottom of the Bundesliga and relegated to the 2nd division.

The team lacks leadership, their players lack ability and the managers lack skill. The club is in a dire financial situation and it will be a long road back for Schalke 04.

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