Issue 78 - October by The Magdalen

THE

MAGDALEN DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2019

THE MAGDALEN’S MAGDALEN’S MAP MAP TO TO THE THE NEW NEW SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE DUNDEE DUNDEE THE Find out out how how to to positively positively contribute contribute to to the the environment environment as as well well as as local local economy economy with with Find our map map to to sustainable sustainable lifestyle lifestyle in in Dundee. Dundee. our

STUDENT POLITICS: POLITICS: RAISE RAISE YOUR YOUR REPRESENTATION REPRESENTATION STUDENT A look look at at the the student student representative representative structures structures on on campus campus and and how how to to get get involved. involved. A

RISE

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF

MESSAGE FROM YOUR CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Hello and thank you for picking up our second copy!

Welcome to October’s Issue of The Magdalen! We hope you enjoyed September whether it be your first month at university or back to the norm with returning from the summer. Thanks to everyone who came and said hello to us at the fresher’s fair, we hope you enjoyed our first Magdalen of the year! Now that October is here it’s nearly time to get your best costume on and join us in the Union for a boogie!

I have particularly struggled with this Editor’s note, which upon reflection I realised was due to how much has happened since the last issue. The Magdalen team finally came together for the first time after nearly two issues which we had managed to put together remotely, and soon after that our busiest, most engaged with Freshers’ Fair to-date took place. I believe they’re all tired of me repeating the thanks, but I am genuinely so proud and honoured to be working with such a team this year. So thank you, and I hope we manage to keep it up! October comes with a lot to offer, which The Magdalen has tried to reflect with a Theme that emphasises the positive steps we as a society are trying to take in order to better ourselves. Black History Month, DUSA’s Mental Health Awareness week-long campaign being but a few ways to example the ever-increasing awareness. We can also only hope that you’ve all settled well into the new academic year, and Rise aims to represent the attitude our writers have tried to encourage within this issue. Be inspired to rise to your challenges with this month’s Pesto Recipe, rise from the dead this Halloween with tips in Fashion, and On Campus covers a range of sensitive, but crucial topics which need ever-rising courage to tackle. Last from me, at the time of writing, we have not yet been through our DUSA Media Week, but it feels appropriate to reflect already on the fact that the Media teams have been able to successfully go ahead with the second edition of a week dedicated to introducing our outlets and emphasising the cross-media collaboration which underlines our purpose. When this idea came about a year ago, we hoped to ensure its continuity and it’s a great honour to be able to play a part in achieving that. Enjoy our October issue, and I’d love for you to get in touch with any thoughts!

Barbara Mertlova

We recommend reading our Fashion article this month ‘Getting Hype for Halloween’ for some tips on making environmentally friendly Halloween costumes for the spooky season. We are also looking forward to our Graphic Design fundraising night RGB on the 8th of October, we invite everyone to take a night off from their studies to meet some new people and join us! We will be meeting in Hunter. S. Thomson in a white t-shirt with some sharpies, who needs a sketchbook when you can just draw on your friends? This month we are also starting to settle into our new living spaces as well as our new exciting projects for the year. We encourage everyone to try something new this month whether it be joining a new society you’ve never tried before or visiting a new place in Dundee!

Neil Connor Helena Lindsay

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EDITOR IN CHIEF Barbara Mertlová

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Alexander Ferrier

SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR Rebecca Carey

ON CAMPUS Rebecca Johnston

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Neil Connor Helena Lindsay DEPUTY EDITORS Mary Erin Kinch Erin Mckeown SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHIC DESIGNER Aylish Kelly EVENTS + PR MANAGERS Mariya Radeva Orla Barr PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGERS Domas Radzevičius Arjun Kalsi ILLUSTRATION MANAGER Nico McLaughlin SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Leah Cameron PRINTED BY www.magprint.co.uk WITH THANKS TO VPCC, Hannah Skye Adams

CREATIVE WRITING Lizzie Husum INTERVIEW Mariya Radeva COMMUNITY Rose Bache CURRENT AFFAIRS Abbey McGrath FASHION Jennifer Gillespie INTERNATIONAL Daniel Pukkila LIFESTYLE Billianna Allen-Mandeville OPINIONS Rose Kendall SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY James Dale COPY EDITORS Craig Robertson Erin Campbell Lauren White PUBLISHER Dundee University Students’ Association

CONTENTS FEATURE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ON CAMPUS

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

CREATIVE WRITING

COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW

COMICS

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FASHION

INTERNATIONAL

LIFESTYLE

OPINIONS

SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY

FEATURE

The Magdalenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Map to the New Sustainable Dundee

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

FEATURE

Over the summer, Dundee was put on the worldwide map as on of the ever-growing list of places that provide zero-waste shops. Here at the Magdalen, we’ve made a more local map for all your eco-needs. Despite ethical shopping being an option in the city for some time now, going completely plastic-free has been hindered by a lack of accessible vendors. Here at The Magdalen, we are delighted to share with you Dundee’s two new zero-waste shops and give you the details on all the businesses that have been flying the ethical flag. From the West End to the City Centre, from pasta to prescription glasses, Dundee’s got you covered.

For students, locals, visitors and everything inbetween, we’ve created a map for “going green” in our developing city. Dundee has seen massive changes over the past five years, it would be understandable if you’re finding it hard to keep track! The map can help keep you right as you explore our city, the city that we are so proud to see expand and reach new heights. More than that though, we are proud to see that an awareness of environmental responsibility and sustainability is not lost in all the noise. Well, what are you waiting for? Embrace the spirit of discovery and go green.

Words by Alexander Arnaudov, Rose Bache, Rebecca Carey, Jennifer Gillespie & Mary Erin Kinch

FEATURE

Every year, in Scotland, we waste 987.890 tonnes of food, according to Zero Waste Scotland. In other words, an inconceivable amount of food that we cannot afford to waste. It begs the question: how can we do better? Well, just let Dundee show you. Little Green Larder - 272 Perth Road @thelittlegreenlarder The Little Green Larder is a zero waste, eco friendly shop which sells mostly package-free items. They have everything from dry foods to fresh fruit and veg to vegan pick n mix, and eco-friendly cleaning products. On top of reducing the plastic in our packaging, there also have recycling stations for our toothbrushes, crisp packets and clothes! Nothing goes to waste either - with any unsellable but still perfectly edible food being donated to the West End Community Fridge. This welcome addition to Dundee’s trendy Perth Road aims to make us all that little bit more eco-conscious. The owner, Jillian Elizabeth, notes how “plastic [has become] too convenient for us and now it’s out of control”. She wants to give her customers a choice and to make it an easier one than ever before. The Little Green Larder is a sustainable haven for eco-friendly alternatives of the items we put in our shopping baskets every day. Jillian reminds us that “It’s time for a change” but it’s not going to happen all at once. We can all start by making small but manageable changes, “buy loose lentils, apples; stop using plastic straws” and “if everyone does something, that will make a big impact!” Birchwood Emporium - 28-32 Commercial Street @birchwoodemporium Birchwood Food Emporium and Cafe is an addition to Dundee’s city centre, rebranded and expanded from the former WholeFoods Dundee. In their Dundee and St Andrews two branches, the familyrun business offers a wide selection of organic wholefoods produced and sourced locally. They have “Dundee’s largest package-free shopping choices and refillery” to stock your cupboards with everything from “pulses, rice, grains [and] dried fruits”. Their cosy and atmospheric cafe offers a delicious menu catering to all dietary restrictions with a vast selection of Vegan and GF choices. It won’t have to wait until SAAS comes in either, since students get a 10% discount in the shop! Marwick’s Vegan Kitchen - 118 Nethergate @marwicksvegankitchen Marwick’s Vegan Kitchen wasn’t always 100% vegan. However, after thriving in “Veganuary” in 2017, they knew there was no going back. Lois Marwick - one half of Marwick’s Vegan Kitchen - agreed that it

was the next logical step in “our quest to be more ethical and sustainable.” Raising 4 children, they had become more mindful of their carbon footprint which soon extended to the cafe. From the offset, they introduced compostable packaging which is now part of their “Close the Loop” initiative. They now only stock loose leaf tea and soft drinks in cans or glasses in order to curb their plastic usage. They have also added an in-house zero-waste shop in addition to their cafe with everything from reusable coffee cups to bamboo toothbrushes and shampoo bars. What more could you want? Well, an exclusive student offer obviously! Their branded reusable cups are only £10 with hot drinks coming to only £1 for your first month, with 75p off your coffee thereafter! You’re welcome guys! Tayside ReUsers - 73-75 Douglas Street @taysidereusecentre Dundee has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability with social enterprises, and Tayside ReUsers is no exception. By trading for over 20 years, they have helped to raise awareness of environmental concerns with emphasis on the importance of recycling, all to support our local community. The next time you need a new toaster or desk chair, check this incredible warehouse out. Everything is fully tested and refurbished just in need of a new home. If you want to go that one step further, why not donate your unwanted items too? Be that more eco-conscious, give them a new home and save them from the skip!

FEATURE

LIFESTYLE

Spex Pistols - 4 Johnston’s Lane - @spexpistols

When we talk about “zero-waste” and reducing our plastic consumption, it’s safe to say that 90% of the time we are thinking about food and the packaging it comes in. We cannot stress enough that reducing the use of unnecessary plastic in our food packaging can make a considerable difference. However, leading a sustainable lifestyle can and should go beyond this. It affects every aspect of our life from the music we listen to, the clothes we wear - even the way we decorate our homes. Not sure where to start? The Magdalen has you covered with everywhere that will help you make those step-by-step manageable changes right here in our home city!

Spex Pistols is a unique creative gem, located just off the University campus. Not only is it “fully stocked with a wide variety of designer, vintage and classic frames”, catering for every pocket, personality and profile.” They’re doing their bit to be sustainable too. They offer a frame repair service described as “gold-dust” in today’s economy. Save yourself time, money and heartache and give this little shop a visit before splurging on Specsavers once again.

Le Freak Records - 159 Perth Road @le_ freak_records Le Freak Records is a record shop based in Dundee’s trendy West End. It was founded in 2017 by two brothers: Jack and Tom. Their blue and yellow shop is a staple to the sustainable Perth Road scene. They sell new and second hand records alongside intimate store gigs and DJ sets by the Le Freak and Friends DJ Set. Whilst being “a source of creativity and a musical hub for the city”, Le Freak Records wants to also be part of making creative solutions to the sustainability problem. They are huge believers “in recycling/up-cycling to give old products that would [have] been thrown away a new life in really interesting ways”. Their DJ booth is made entirely from upcycled pallets and off cuts and their walls are made of old obsolete computer circuit boards. By creating a sustainable atmosphere, they hope to encourage their customers to make eco-conscious choices too. They give lots of old vinyl a new home and by shopping with them, so can you. Groucho’s Record Store - 132 Nethergate www.grouchos.co.uk In Dundee, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to sustainable options for listening to music! Groucho’s is “one of the longest running and well renowned CD, DVD and record shops in Dundee”. It’s also won Dundee’s Independent Retailer of the Year four times. So, when you’re not streaming another boxset on Netflix, why not support a local and sustainable business that has been on our fixture of our high street for over 40 years?

Gate Church International - 158 Perth Road @gccarbonsavingproject By now, you will all have heard about Dundee’s West End Community Fridge which has “already redistributed over 3,500kg [of food] to more than 500 people”. However, where did it come from? Well, The Magdalen has all the answers for you! Gate Church International who are behind its set up want to become the “Greenest Church in Scotland” and it’s not holding back. Since they are funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, they are doing everything they can to help our local “community transition to a more sustainable way of life.” By reusing and recycling through their ‘Give Boxes’ network, with locations across Dundee, you can be a part of that change. Donate your reusable clothing, household goods, toys and electrical items. Not forgetting the conveniently located Community Fridge, just off campus! The problems created by a plastic fuelled world are already burning away our future. Do what you can, educate yourself about what you can’t and help each other help the world. You may think that one person can’t make much of a difference, that might be true. But there’s a lot of us, there will only be more and the world is getting smaller. Do your part to bring Dundee into the international community of people who want to make the world (sustainably) stronger.

FEATURE

ARTS + ENTS

DAVID LYNCH DAVID LYNCH DAVID LYNCH DAVID LYNCH: REVIEW:

MY HEAD IS DISCONNECTED

David Lynch is a name which conjures thoughts of the uncanny, the allAmerican, and the darkly spiritual. He is a legendary figure in the field of experimental filmmaking, and is widely known as the writer and director of seminal films such as Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. However, he originally trained as a painter and entered the world of filmmaking as a result of his desire to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;moving paintingsâ&#x20AC;?. As a creator, he does not acknowledge strict boundaries between artistic disciplines, and in his work they often overlap. Almost every piece in his

Design by Neil Connor / Photography by Domas Radzevicius

ARTS + ENTS

most recent exhibition, David Lynch: My Head is Disconnected, features text, which provides us with an insight into the narrative of each individual painting in the same disjointed Lynchian manner as the abstract forebodings present in the dialogue of his films. His works in the fields of fine art and cinema feed one another and are constantly mutating to create bold, innovative new art, much of which is included in the exhibition. Upon entering the ominously dark gallery, you are met with the imposing spectacle of Bob Finds Himself in a World for Which He Has No Understanding: a large multimedia work which incorporates disfigured dolls’ heads and dried branches, and appears to have been partially burned. The piece depicts a vulnerable faceless figure stranded in a desolate, desiccated landscape populated solely by dead trees and the malformed spirits of children. It is one of several works in the collection to explore mankind’s vulnerabilities and uncertainties in the context of bleak future environments. Many of the themes discussed in Lynch’s art are relevant to current issues, including climate change and pollution, gun violence, widespread apathy, and interpersonal and sociopolitical alienation. These works often depict figures, who appear to be distorted caricatures of average people, attempting to negotiate life in bleak worlds which may be considered reflective of our own flawed societies. The presentation of the gallery space itself is notable; it is the antithesis of the brightly lit, clinically white space we have come to expect from art exhibitions. The walls have been painted

a dark, oppressive shade of grey and the room is lit dimly, save for the artworks, which are selectively illuminated. The darkness of the space interacts with these spotlights, creating shadows which deepen every cavity and highlight every protrusion of Lynch’s highly textural works. The warm tone of the light compliments the jaundiced colour palette and glints off varnished husks of expanding foam, contributing to the grotesque, visceral appearance of the mucosal organs and effluent depicted. Presentations such as this are the reason why Lynch’s artwork is best experienced in person. Prints of his striking large-scale multimedia works tend to flatten the otherwise layered, tactile features and diminish the overwhelming scale of the originals. Neither do they accurately convey the illusion of movement, the sense of pain, or the discomfort that the works engender in onlookers. Lynch’s use of high-viscosity, flesh-coloured resins combined with frayed clumps of cotton wool imitates torn, puckered flesh, creating a sense of physical trauma and, although the figures are far from realist, their highly textural appearance renders them unsettlingly lifelike. Linger on a figure for too long and it may begin to move… The exhibition is segmented, and the works are divided thematically under the sub-titles, City on Fire, Nothing Here, Industrial Empire and Bedtime Stories. In the former, Lynch explores humanity’s self-destructive tendencies and brings a new meaning to the phrase “painting with light” through the incorporation of lighting fixtures into works such as Boy Lights Fire in order to represent embers. Nothing Here explores psychological discomfort and experiences of the psyche. Lynch uses darkly spiritual imagery, including representations of the soul and entities beyond our knowledge, to discuss ideas such as the unconscious, alienation, body

Words by Alice Millar Thompson

ARTS + ENTS dysmorphia, and past trauma in an ontological context. Heavy, erratic lines lend a panicked, kinetic feeling to the lithographs, and dense sections of either blackened or blank paper render the subjects either overwhelmed by darkness or exposed and vulnerable. On the other hand, Industrial Empire is seemingly more concerned with basic aesthetics than ideas and emotions. Instead it evidences Lynchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fixation on industrial environments, featuring multiple smudged lithographs depicting basic outlines of factories and machinery. Additionally, this section includes a collection of detailed sketches on matchbooks and a sizeable lighting installation comprised of various lamp-heads atop iron stems wrought into anthropomorphic figures. One of the few discernible flaws in the presentation is the location of this piece, which resides in the only area touched by natural light, detracting from the ambience of the dim, colourful light emanated by the piece. Bedtime Stories deals with the theme of corrupted innocence by depicting scenes of children discovering the hanged body of their friend suspended from a tree in Billy (and His Friends) Did Find Sally in the Tree, a boy tearing the lower jaw from a dog in Billy Sings the Tune for the Death Row Shuffle, and a heavily distorted representation of a picnic interrupted by an aircraft dropping bombs in Dialogue During a Picnic. This section uses the recurring characters of Billy, Sally and Ricky to subvert the notion of idyllic suburban life: a theme which Lynch has frequently drawn upon throughout his career. Too often Lynchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is written off as being completely impenetrable or, more commonly, superficially strange with no higher intent than to shock the viewer. However his absolute refusal to divulge his artistic intentions does not necessarily suggest that his work is devoid of meaning. For Lynch, art is a passion, rather than a commercial venture, and one of his most admirable qualities as both a painter and a director is his apparent disregard for both public and critical reception of his work. This self-assuredness lends a sense of authenticity to the ideas and feelings present in his visceral, tactile art pieces, and, regardless of whether or not you choose to derive any greater meaning from his work, it cannot be denied that it is expertly unnerving. The exhibition was located at HOME, Manchester and ran until 29/09/19 in conjunction with Manchester International Festival.

ARTS + ENTS

Review: Tidying Up with Marie Kondo One of Netflix’s most popular shows this year has been Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, a reality showabout, well, tidying up! A forty-five-minute episode opens with an introduction to the client and the mess they need help with. After Marie gets a tour of the house the tidying process begins, progressing through different categories of items. The clients work alone over weeks, with Marie checking in occasionally to offer further guidance. By the end, the transformation is present in the rooms and in the attitudes of the participants. Marie’s philosophy centres around whether an individual item ‘sparks joy’ for its owner or not. If it does it can be kept: stored neatly and treasured. If not, it’s time to ‘thank’ the item and discard it. Tidying up in this way becomes an act of reevaluating your life and deciding what you want to take into the future. Basic chores like organising drawers and folding clothes become a chance to unwind, and rooms are reclaimed once more as spaces to live in. Instead of focusing on banishing the negative, Marie instead brings about change by encouraging the positive -and I think that’s part of the reason why it feels like such an uplifting show. What also stands out in Tidying Up is the sense of accessibility. Each participant is an ordinary person and the show displays a range of problems, rather than extreme cases only. The tidying itself is a slow process performed by the clients over months. But they are able to work through it, and the result is a feeling that if they could, anyone else should be able to as well. It’s hard not to smile as they find joy working together to clear out, and begin to talk about their excitement for the future. By the end, the transformation feels well-earned, and more permanent than a flashy, fast change. It’s a simple show with a repetitive format, but perfect for relaxation after a long day. More than that, it nurtures an idea of mental well-being through looking after your space -and hey, it’s not every show that makes you want to go tidy! Most of all it tells us that it’s important to take the time to treasure what ‘sparks joy’ in our lives, and to let go of the things that hold us back. Beyond tidying methods, that is what the show offers, and it’s a beautiful message to keep in mind.

Design and Illustration by Cait Maxwell / Words By Mareth Burns

ARTS & ENTS

Review:

Blinded by the Light Say what you like about Bruce Springsteen’s music, you can’t deny the obvious passion he puts into his best songs. A passion which is easily carried over into this sunny, slightly scrappy, singalong from Gurinder Chadha inspired by the writings of Sarfraz Manzoor, who described growing up as a Muslim in Luton in the 1980s, having his life changed by Springsteen’s music,and how this helped him to reconcile his Muslim and British identity. Javed, the central character of the film, serves as a fictionalised stand-in for Manzoor, enabling Chadha to tweak elements of the story to better suit the narrative. Viveik Kalra, making his cinematic debut as Javed, instantly makes a strong impression with a warm and confident performance, effectively expressing Javed’s inner conflict as well as thrusting the audience straight into the heart of why Javed feels such adoration towards Springsteen. The relationship between Javed and his father, Malik, is the film’s heart, with Kulvinder Ghir conveying an understated sense of vulnerability in amongst his character’s strong headed bluster. Unfortunately, the strength of the scenes between Javed and Malik also highlight the weakness of some of the other narrative threads within the film, which include Javed’s romance with radical campaigner Eliza and friendships with Roops, who introduces him to Springsteen, and Matt, who he writes lyrics for. While his romance with Eliza comes as a result of his newfound confidence after Roops introduces him to Springsteen, his friendship with Matt never feels fully developed. This becomes frustratingly clear around the halfway point, where a moment of completely manufactured conflict is created by Matt’s father. It creates a narrative cul-de-sac which the film spends far too long attempting to navigate its way out of. Despite this, the other source of conflict throughout the film is magnificently portrayed, this being the tension that existed between the rising National Front and the Muslim community in Luton. The depiction of racism and how the central characters react to it is excellently realised, this culminating in an inspired use of Springsteen’s epic ‘Jungleland’ to accompany a National Front march. This scene is where the film really comes to life, which is interesting as it is one of the few times in the film where the focus is not on Springsteen’s lyrics but

Design and Illustration by Leah Cameron

instead on his melodies. This is a decision which pays off spectacularly as Clarence Clemons’ saxophone is allowed to deliver more of an emotional punch than lyrics ever could. The focus on Springsteen’s lyrics is both a blessing and a curse to the film. On the one hand it ties in nicely with Javed’s budding abilities as a writer of poetry (Manzoor being a journalist in real life). We watch as Javed develops his confidence in his writing and the inspiration he draws from Springsteen’s lyrics is powerful, particularly the use of ‘The Promised Land’ in the middle of a storm on a night of discovery. However, there are moments when the film’s focus on Springsteen’s lyrics weighs it down, with Javed constantly quoting Springsteen at the drop of a hat to anyone he’s speaking to. While it does work as a method of endearment in some scenes, in others it simply becomes awkward and makes Springsteen’s lyrics seem trite and uninteresting. This is particularly true of the romantic scenes between Javed and Eliza, where the audience really doesn’t need to hear Javed constantly quote ‘Prove It All Night’ to her. This constant quoting of Springsteen’s lyrics also illustrates a slight identity crisis for the film. In one scene we see Rob Brydon (playing a Del Boy-like market trader) crooning ‘Thunder Road’, which then evolves into a full song-and-dance number with everyone in the market joining in. The staging suddenly becomes that of a musical, something the film does not try to be at any other point, and rather than enhancing the film it only detracts from it. This, coupled with attempts to emphasise certain lyrics by having them appear on screen, gives the impression that there were slightly too many ideas in how to incorporate Springsteen’s music at play. Rather than settle on one, Chadha has opted to include several, which unfortunately leads to a slightly disjointed feeling to proceedings.

ARTS & ENTS

Nevertheless, when it shines Blinded by the Light really does glow. A later scene of Roops and Javed visiting Springsteen’s stomping ground of Asbury Park is joyous in all the right ways. The same goes for Javed’s accompanying of his sister to an ‘all dayer’, an opportunity for Asian teenagers to let their hair down and party without the restrictions of their parents. Scenes like these show the beating heart of Blinded by the Light is well and truly in the right place. While there are some stumbles in the execution, it is fair to say Chadha and Kalra were born to run.

Words by James Kirkpatrick

ARTS + ENTS

A Cultural Conundrum of Cockatoo Choreography 18

Design and Illustration by Aylish Kelly

ARTS + ENTS

Cockatoos are an expressive collection of creatures, well known for their naughty, if not outright rude, behaviour coupled with a love for screaming and mohawk- flaunting. I wish to send a little love letter to one of my favourite animals on Earth in the form of an overly- thought-out Hegelian/Žižekian piece… on why the hell a dancing cockatoo makes us reflect and restart

In July 2019, several press sources gave their piece on the resurgence of a 2007 internet star Snowball, a cockatoo that likes dancing to the Backstreet Boys. It might be worth noting that he was also hatched in 1996, same as yours truly. Often he is compared within reason to an actual human dancer, through a thorough enough understanding of choreography. I agree in how it is worth channeling our fascination for the sulphur- crested chap through academic writing, however I think the idea of ‘choreography’ for cockatoos is rather overdetermined - as it misses out on what could be said to be the hysteria of our reaction to Snowball. Let’s get hysterical about cockatoos, for it is what Snowball is and rightfully is for us. It is in a moment of hysteria that we all find ourselves faced with the truly novel. It is a hallmark for our bumpy reconciliation with a contradictory reality, where we are consciously forced by to begin again. To elaborate, does Snowball not make us want to smile or perhaps have a wee giggle? Humour, or being in a state of hysterics, is our special way of starting fresh our relationship to the world. Snowball has posited for us his repertoire of recognisable ‘dance moves’. What makes this a dance, however, is what we have come to know as dancing culturally. There is a way-of-knowing dance, a science of dancing so to speak. Human culture has these implicit rules for dance embedded in

culture, only made explicit through the scientific practice of choreography. So, Snowball is only dancing if our science of dance categorically says so. This is the job of choreographers. So far none of this sounds particularly funny, let alone hysterical. Granted, that is the entire point in this stage of the cockatoo dialectic. It does not suffice our experience of watching Snowball dance to merely say we are analysing his dance moves. No, this misses our immediate feeling of happiness when we see him headbang to ‘Backstreet’s Back’. Who gives a flying if its quantifiable by our constructed human standards, he is a bird and that makes me happy! The antithesis for the warmth we feel inside is over- determining it through our own cultural values and scientific ideals. This binary of minds towards Snowball is the contradictory truth we face in reality. What have we done? We just honestly tried to choreograph a dancing bird and realised how feckless it has been. The immediate reaction leaves us with just another funny YouTube video, so we alienate from it in order to try and return from the world of science a truth to our fascination. The first truth contradicts the second, as to scientifically alienate from our immediate reaction of Snowball is to negate him. A dancing bird is a cause for hysteria on the basis of this contradiction alone. This thesis of immediate experience and antithesis of choreographic logic marks for us that one can never reach the categorical truth of what it is we are really seeing. These are only experiences of Snowball for-us. What has been searched for in both is the truth of the cockatoo in-itself: in other words, the world and agency of Snowball independent of any human notion. We love Snowball and enjoy his performance not because it really resembles

anything for us truly, but because we find ourselves before a fantastic little dancer without knowing how it’s possible to reach that conclusion. The person called Snowball is the cockatoo-in-itself that we can only alienate from ourselves to try and fail to know. So don’t ask me why I love Snowball, I just do. There are many other reasons why we might hold Cockatoos to be person-like on our own human terms. Cockatoos can live to be over 80 years old, with lifelong partners that appear to have marital squabbles. This is seen in black palm cockatoos, native to Cape York and New Guinea. In addition, one of my favourite videos is of Gotcha, a salmon-crested cockatoo, in ‘*SUBTITLED* what the heck was that?!’ where Gotcha’s verbal confusion is enough to baffle as much as cause laughter.

Humour, or being in a state of hysterics, is our special way of starting fresh our relationship to the world. Nonetheless what I hope to have conveyed in this is what we should come to expect from reality and the movement, evolution and destruction of ideas corresponding to it… in addition to an aspiring philosopher’s obsession with cheeky parrots from Australia.

Words by Rory Brooke

ON CAMPUS

THE FIRST BRITISH UNIVERSITY TO PAY REPARATIONS FOR SLAVERY BUT TO WHOSE BENEFIT? A ZERO-SUM GAME FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

The University of Glasgow has announced a schedule to raise and spend £20 million in slavery reparations. Signed on the 31st July, the University of Glasgow will be the first British educational institution to pay reparations for their links to slave trading and benefits from slave owners. After a two-year investigation into the historical funding of the university, the institution has ‘boldly’ admitted to financial benefits and influence from successful transatlantic slave owners with one specific name being William Cunninghame. The 546-year-old university was a direct beneficiary from the slave trade, the establishment receiving funding off the sweat, blood and tears of exploited Black people between the 16th and the 19th centuries. The aforementioned £20 million is to be spent over a period of 20 years, averaging expenditure of £1 million per year. This again leaves troubling questions over the ethics, urgency and intention of Glasgow’s “programme of restorative justice”. Professor Kehinde Andrews noted: “I can’t help but feel that creating this centre is more to bolster the University’s liberal image than serve restorative justice”. Sir Geoff Palmer, titled as the first Black professor in Scotland in 2005, has commented that this event of enlightenment of British institutions’ links to slavery has posed him with ‘unanswered questions’, and rightly so. This action that the University of Glasgow is undertaking is one of its kind: one that forces others to follow, questions other universities on their moral and ethical position on topics of race, and reveals Scotland’s underlying dependence on slavery in order to be ‘great’. In light of this announcement, other universities have been placed in the spotlight for their questionable pasts. The universities of Bristol and Cambridge are but a couple. Cambridge, the most prestigious university in the UK, has released a quick statement regarding their commencement in investigating their own financial history.

Design by Neil Connor

ON CAMPUS

As a means to spend the 20 million pounds that would be generated by the university - by fundraising, research grants and donations rather than money from their own pockets - the University of Glasgow will be channelling that money back into the institution in the mask of the GlasgowCaribbean Centre for Development Research. The centre will be co-founded by the University of the West Indies for research. The vice-chancellor of UWI dubbed the act as a “bold, moral and historical step” for its activity in recognising their implications with slavery. Now as a Black British student studying in Scotland, fortunately not at Glasgow, many also have ‘unanswered questions’, such as: Is £20 million enough?

“THIS ACTION THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW IS UNDERTAKING IS ONE OF ITS KIND; ONE THAT FORCES OTHERS TO FOLLOW, QUESTIONS OTHER UNIVERSITIES ON THEIR MORAL AND ETHICAL POSITION ON TOPICS OF RACE, AND REVEALS SCOTLAND’S UNDERLYING DEPENDENCE ON SLAVERY” According to other newspaper articles and the university’s research admittance, the institution benefited directly from transatlantic slave owners by a staggering £200 million in today’s valuations, thus insinuating that restorative justice to such a world-leading educational establishment is a mere 10% cost. Why is the timeline relevant? The sum of £20 million is to be spent over a 20year span, which indicates that the University of Glasgow has not prioritised the effect that this scheme could have on the lives of Black descendants in the UK. The lump of money could reduce the stabs of institutional racism

and systematic obstacles of Black students on a daily basis in Scotland. The time insensitivity of reparation just doesn’t align with the urgency that universities should feel in their attempt to restore any form of justice. Who will benefit from the £20 million restorative justice scheme by the University of Glasgow? The university’s intention is to channel the money back into its own system. This may seem noble, researching a past already known and researched, however, the money could be used in methods of higher magnitude than that selected. In a country where 5.5 million people reside and only 0.8% are Black, Glasgow could have funnelled that money in more effective and deliberate ways that would’ve directly aided the lives of Black descendants in Glasgow or Scotland. Does the university’s acknowledgement of their exploitation of Black people in the past deserve such praise? The University of Glasgow is primarily acknowledging a societal pattern and the commonly-known fact that Britain’s infrastructure, healthcare service, education system and welfare system were all ultimately funded through colonial projects such as the slave trade. The university should be recognised as the first university to make that step, but not as the first to make an equitable measurement of their regret, as that will require decades to come to substantially demonstrate. Does Glasgow stand alone? This question will tickle my conscience for some while. As a University of Dundee student, this will question the moral stance of my beloved university. It poses a dilemma; does Dundee have any links? How ‘bold’ would Dundee be, if at all? Glasgow’s case is a step in the right direction, their deed may be honourable as a starting point and before its time (when compared to the snailpace of British society in unveiling systematic discrimination or uncovering hideous acts of racial oppression) – but equality and equity are not the same. And £20 million has been deemed by some as salt to injury.

Words by Sephora Mazodila

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Mental Health Is for Life … Not Just for Christmas Mental Health Awareness Day

With Mental Health Awareness Day just around the corner (October 10th to be exact), it’s the perfect opportunity for The Magdalen to catch up with the latest member of this year’s DUSA exec: Vice President of Student Welfare, Lauren MacGregor. To those of you who don’t know Lauren, you’re sorely missing out. She is responsible for everything from providing you with free contraceptives to giving out vital mental health support. When you meet her for the first time, she’s the kind of person that makes you feel like you have always known her, like she’s a friend that you’ve always had: qualities which couldn’t be better suited for someone who is responsible for the not-so-simple job of ensuring our welfare. It’s safe to say, The Magdalen was eager to see how our new VPSW would rise to the challenge. Hello! I guess it’s important to start at the beginning: what motivated you to run for DUSA Exec in the first place, especially for VPSW? Ever since my first year, I’ve looked up to the DUSA Exec team and the work they do for students. They played such an important role in my student experience that I really wanted to give back. It’s always been my aim to help people and I thought I could bring something unique to the role: using my own struggles at university to help people going through the same thing. It’s obviously a passion of yours but what specifically are you hoping to target this year? So many things! Our campus is full of unique students with a whole range of diverse issues that affect them. Last month, we had our Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships Week but then, next semester, I’m launching a two-week body positivity campaign. It’s something that is close to my heart and strongly believe that we should be talking about openly and positively - much like anything around our mental health. For instance, the theme for this year’s MHA day is Suicide - a

difficult topic that affects us all at one time or another. It’s also something we rarely speak openly about, especially amongst men. I want to bring that into particular focus this year. Completely, we are seeing it more in the news but the statistics are shocking According to the World Health Organisation, 800,000 people commit suicide every year with the vast majority being male. Why are men so disproportionately affected? It stems from everything that we are told growing up about the way boys and girls are supposed to behave and feel. Things like ‘boys shouldn’t cry or ask for help’. We just need to look at the ‘lad culture’ on campus to see that it’s a problem at university too. Having that conversation is the first step in dismantling the stigma - something I am trying to do this MHA day. Of course, what do you think about having one dedicated MHA day? Does it make a lasting impact or do you think the lessons are forgotten as soon as the day is done? I can understand the criticism towards it. However, if we use it to raise awareness and start a conversation then, slowly but surely, that’s what is going to happen It’s a platform to raise awareness about all the services the University offers. It’s just about making people aware that they aren’t alone and there’s always someone to talk to. I think the fact that we have gone further than one specific day just proves that. I’ve planned a month of events called Minds Matter which is dedicated to making it a normal part of our conversations. With that in mind, we are running an Alcohol Awareness week from the 7th of October: a danger we are all aware of but are nonetheless vulnerable to.

Designed and Illustrated by Nico McLaughlin

ON SECTION CAMPUS

I think we all need that reminder from time to time! That’s the idea! It’s not just for people with a clinical diagnosis. It’s something that affects us all at all times. We are running a ‘self-care week’ where we can all learn the signs of when we, or others, might need help. What a powerful message! If you had to narrow it down to 5 signs that would identify a need for selfcare, what would they be? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Lack of interest in hobbies Isolating yourself from family and friends Struggling to sleep Lack of concentration and focus Low self esteem

talk about one day a year but that it is something we can talk freely and openly about all year round. If you have been affected by anything you read here, the university offers support through its counselling service. You can arrange an appointment here: 01382384164. And there is no shortage of mental health helplines on offer: Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 Touched by Suicide Scotland: 0141 584 3211 Nightline Dundee: nightline@dundee.ac.uk 01382 381183

Now, armed with our checklists, we can all be more aware of our mental health and take care of it on a daily basis - the way we would with diet and exercise. It’s a welcome change to see that our mental health is no longer something we exclusively

Words by Rebecca Carey

ON CAMPUS

STUDENT POLITICS

Raise Your Representation In the wild, fast-moving world of Dundee campus, the representation system matters, and it does so more than you may realise. When a student arrives at Dundee, they’re greeted by three groups of people: the first being the Peer Connectors, who look out for the Freshers; the second group the SSAs who live alongside them in halls, acting as their ‘elder siblings’ while students adjust to life away from home. The third group, made up of immediately former and current students, are the arguably most visual face of the Dundee University Students’ Association, and student representation across the campus: the DUSA Executive. Comprising of six paid fulltime representatives and two unpaid volunteer positions (although the amount of work, effort and enthusiasm that these roles often bring out of their holders does bequeath those unfamiliar to the nature of the roles in sheer amazement). With each office holder responsible for a facet of student life in Dundee, ranging from representation to student welfare to academia, these eight people are the main, most outwardly visible of your reps. But under these people are hundreds of volunteer reps: class reps, school presidents & vice-presidents, directors, champions, minority reps, and others. Between ten schools and over 17,000 on-campus

Design by Emma Biggins

students, this ‘thin red line’ of students, who volunteer their time to represent you and your interests, are responsible for so much of what happens on campus and in your students’ association, all under the watchful eye of the DUSA Exec, school executive groups and the University. So how to make sense of all of it? At the most basic level, it starts in your school, where you will have class reps who are responsible for sharing and representing the views of the students in various modules and year groups at discipline or schoolwide students-staff liaison committees, chaired by school presidents. Also present here are your vice-presidents and directors, as well as certain members of staff. From here, the school presidents then often meet in the School Presidents Forum, sharing best practices and ideas. The group of big fish in this huge pond are the Students Representative Council, which comprises of the DUSA Exec, school presidents, and several other contestable representative positions, including but not limited to LGBTQ+, Learning & Teaching, Disabilities, Facilities, First Year, General, BME et al. This group of students have the power and responsibility to hold the University, students’ association and others to account, as

ON CAMPUS

well as shaping campus life and ensuring the voice of everyone is heard through bye-laws and semiannual elections. Within the SRC, there are several committees that report to the SRC and take direction from motions passed by the Council. These include welfare, disciplinary, and facilities amongst others. To give an idea of the influence of this group, the SRC in the last five years has removed payday lenders and loan sharks from campus, provided free sanitary products and condoms on campus, lobbied successfully for a free night-bus service every night of the week leaving from DUSA, started selling reusable coffee cups and water bottles from the Premier shops on campus, as well as many other different policies which have positively affected life for students. Now here is where you, the student, comes into this wild, organised chaos of representation. Every year, twice a year, the student body can nominate, stand, elect and be elected on manifestos and policies designed around the needs of those on all our campuses and institutions. In September, the SRC, barring school presidents and the Exec, are elected and sit for the year, passing new bye-laws and introducing motions and policies. In February/ March, the Executive and school presidents are elected through a Single Transferable Vote system.

Barring all criteria, any student can run for and be elected to these roles, allowing them to influence change. Now this is the important part. You can decide not to take part in the electoral process on campus, and not be interested in the keen ones who run for office. That is everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own choice, just like choosing what clothes to wear or what to have for dinner, so long as it is on the basis of an informed decision. If you are interested, though, you can take the golden opportunity that comes with election time: lecture shout-outs, constant leaflets pestering, tempting campus-passers with home baking and sweets, and the ever-present campaign videos and slogans (having done all of this as a candidate, I speak with authority on the issue). Rise up, and campaign on issues you care about and want to change. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exceptionally rewarding when a problem gets resolved and you as the student rep who has chosen to stand up and balance your own life with improving the student experience of others can be credited for that. Rise up, get involved, get engaged, and be the change you want to happen.

Words by Iain Savage

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

Illustration by Gosia Kepka

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

Photography by Kristian Kostov

CREATIVE WRITING

A very ordinary man wakes up and goes through the motions of preparing for the day ahead: listening to the water rushing through the shower head; carefully selecting the right shirt and tie; half-concentrating on his razor so that he nicks the skin and causes it to bleed. The man takes his son down to the kitchen and boils him an egg on the stove, not really paying attention as the toddler gabbles nonsense from his highchair. He absent-mindedly sips coffee and his son smears egg all over his face and highchair without managing to get any in his mouth. Methodically, he clears up the chaotic debris from breakfast and leaves his son, giggling away, whilst he goes to brush his teeth. Noticing the time, he dashes downstairs to find his wife feeding the new baby and talking to their son. He lightly kisses the top of her head, taking in the scent of her shampoo and familiarity. He strokes his daughter's baby-soft cheek and kisses his son before walking out the door. A very ordinary man makes his way along a coastal path. He has changed into more practical walking clothes. To any person watching him he would appear to be an experienced walker going for a stroll. The man knows what he is doing and expertly navigates the narrow, winding coastal trail. The air is fresh and cold as the wind strikes against his face (turning his cheeks and nose red) and the sound of it rises up from the torrent of waves and rain crashing against the mass of rocks below. The weather has kept most people indoors so there are very few others around: a woman walking her dog; a runner who overtook the man; and a lone surfer on the beach below. Everyone is absorbed in their own activity, oblivious to what is going on with those around them, and too preoccupied with their own problems. The man comes to a halt once the runner has moved on ahead and out of sight from the woman with her dog. He stands at the edge of the cliff and looks down to the vast expanse of the beach and jagged rocks below.

Design by Helena Lindsay

CREATIVE WRITING

A very ordinary man lies mishapenly on the damp sand at the bottom of a cliff. The rain falls on his lifeless body and seeps through his clothes. A surfer runs toward him, drops his board and listens for a heartbeat. Barking can be heard from the clifftop and the surfer glances up to see a woman waving at him and indicating that she is on the phone. The surfer waits with the man until his body is taken away and the woman watches from the cliff. Later that day a mother rushes to answer the front door so that the knocking doesn't wake her sleeping children. She doesn't expect to see a police officer but she invites him inside and very quickly wishes that she hadn't. Amidst silent, angry tears she repeats that she had no idea and wishes that her husband had talked to her. A desperate and dependant cry travels from upstairs. In that sound she hears all the pain and tears to come; the demands for attention that she will have to meet alone; the questions she will have to answer when her children ask where daddy is; the reactions to birthdays, graduations, weddings and grandchildren that their father will no longer be there for. A lump rises in her throat as she thinks of all that lies ahead of her.

In another life, an ordinary man thinks of his son making a mess in his highchair and laughing at nothing of consequence. He thinks about how soft his baby girl's cheek felt and the gurgling sounds of pleasure she made at the sight of him. He thinks about the smell of his wife's hair -shampoo and familiarity -when he lent in to kiss her. An ordinary man thinks of all these things and takes a step back. The man sits on a nearby rock, high above the crashing waves and jagged rocks below, and he watches the sun rise over a new day. He sits there long enough to nod to the runner as he retraces his route, he exchanges "good morning" with the woman walking her dog, and he smiles to himself when the surfer rides a perfect wave. The man goes home to his family and tells them how much he loves them. That night he shares everything that has been troubling him with is wife and, together, they decide that he will take time off work and seek help with his problems. It will take time before he feels whole, or unconditionally happy again, but he will find peace and his family will have their husband and father.

Words by Eilidh Henderson

CREATIVE WRITING

An Elegy for a

Fallen

Soldier

My monsters are still under my bed. They have been there for 11 years now. After 5, they spread to my cupboard; Behind the bookshelf; beneath the desk. Their eyes glow red Sometimes blink Electrified, They stare at me all night long Waiting For a singular toe to escape my sheets Which were lined with glowing fairies Protecting the fortress When you could not. They needed to be scared away by Strong arms, Uniformed in camouflage Which used to tuck me in so tight Assuring anxious lungs. 17 months ago you became distant Even more distant than you meant to be Southampton Alone Concealed messages of love Cause of death Unknown As you were To me.

Design by Helena Lindsay / Words by Jennifer Gillespie

CREATIVE WRITING

The first rays of light colour my face but the stretching trickle of inky splatter blackens my eyes overshadowed by the restless mind and the squirming achievers I forget how my own voice sounds. From me springs all the hatred a falsehood of pain and doubt. I birth struggle; for I choose what to see and what to feel, what is mine and what is not, there is no one else to blame. Fulfilling another’s wish his arms exchanged to mine, but these hands I shunned for so long still crave to hold a brush. Grains with my name written on them are resurfacing. I’ve lived estranged to myself looking at hanged stills that tell me who I am, forgot that it’s not carved on the bedrock, but a line drawn on the sand. By denying the other, I’ve cut myself in half as if both weren’t as important. But they’ve always been there, waiting. It’s all a reflection, a vanishing delineation. There is no good or evil light or dark there is only me; and all that is is the very same echo that left so long ago eventually finding its way back home.

Design by Stephen Christoforou / Words by Daniel Pukkila

COMMUNITY

I Know Exactly Where I Am Going The author’s experience of taking part in the Dundee Kiltwalk 2019 to raise funds for a charity close to her heart; Feeling Strong. My whole body feels heavy. There are aches in places I didn’t think was possible. Lifting my legs to take a step takes all of my will and energy in order to project myself forward. I am in the middle of Tentsmuir Forest, just across the Tay River opposite Dundee. The wind is whistling through the leaves and rain bursts through openings of the greenery metres above me. I am at mile 20 out of a 26 mile walk. Now, I am not lost, or escaping something. I know exactly what I am doing and where I am going. Walking this far is a decision I made in order to raise awareness and money for a charity based in our wee city called Feeling Strong. Feeling Strong’s aim is to challenge the stigma surrounding young people with mental health and wellbeing challenges in order to break down the barriers and margins facing and constraining them. We all know someone or have been affected ourselves by such challenges. There is still an ongoing battle for mental health to be recognised and treated as equal to physical ailments, to be taken seriously and to be provided with help and support. Sometimes the biggest relief to the mental pain occurs when someone who may not even be close to you says, ‘I get it, I understand what you are going through’. That is the beauty of Feeling Strong. It was created by and is made up of a mixture of staff and volunteers who have experience of mental illness. As a team they are aware that some days can be trickier than others or that sometimes all you need is someone to sit there and listen to you. Every single one of them recognises the struggle and every single one of them is even more dedicated to helping young people in the area because of it. The charity was initially created to improve the lives of young people by fostering skills, confidence and aspirations they need to flourish. Feeling

Design by Lisa Dyer

Strong has grown into an organisation that now creates campaigns, has its own hub and safe space near Baxter Park and is constantly striving to provide projects ready to build up youths to better themselves within the community they live in. Young people should feel like they are supported with equal opportunities to fulfil their truest and fullest potential. It is not right or fair that the most vulnerable people within society are the ones who are without access to the means for help.

‘I get it, I understand what you are going through.’

I seen volunteers, let alone staff, work so tirelessly in order to make a difference. Each time I hear a new idea or project I am inspired. I feel privileged to be working with people who have such strength and passion to empower, encourage and educate anyone who comes to them and feels like they do not have a voice and have not been heard. There is finally someone with a helping hand now, there to reach out when a young person is put down, made to feel like they are not good enough. Feeling Strong works to make young people in Dundee feel like they can change the world. Why? Because they can.

On a personal level, I have been in recovery from mental illnesses since the age of 10 years old. Luckily I have received the treatment, therapy and support to enable me to be and remain stable and well. However, it is still a shock when a doctor in response to a relapse hands you a piece of paper printed off from the NHS website entitled, ‘Selfhelp resources for mental health and wellbeing’. Such an act might have been severely detrimental to someone in the early stage of their illness. Obviously, there is still not enough awareness of the diverse range of ways that mental health can affect people as well as a lack of availability of support tailored to each person. Joining Feeling Strong as their Volunteering Lead has given me a new perspective on the potential of having a positive influence like them in our community. Never have

Words by Billianna Allen-Mandeville

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BETWEEN THE EARTH AND SKY An exploration of the meaning of community within the context of the ever-present climate change debate

Is there a university community? A laughable question, I’m sure you would respond. Certainly, we have our union, our bustling thoroughfares, our campus and all of its landmarks. Testaments in steel and stone. Is a community something forged from bricks and mortar alone? Of course not, you cry. It’s the friendships we forge. The shared experiences. The bonds we’ve made in living on this patch of Scotland together. Effectively, it’s the stories. A thousand experiences forming the tributaries of one vast river. A lovely image, but is it a viable one? We carry each of us histories, tongues, beliefs and experiences as rich and diverse as the stories we write. Faced with the sheer scope of the narratives, can we say with any certainty that a university community, or any community for that matter, truly exists? Complete with a homogenic voice? A uniform ideal? Or is it the case that there is no community, that the entire concept is just that, a concept? An illusion of homogeneity reinforced by social media and general agreement? Indeed, biology may even be set against us, the old trope of Dunbar’s Number (the argument that the human brain is only programmed to cope with our small-scale socialising of days long past, 150 people in today’s money) looming tall over the conversation. As my long-suffering editor will be relieved to hear, I don’t and never have subscribed to the Thatcherite notion that there is no such thing as society. The community section of the Magdalen can stay. But it makes for a compelling thought experiment, no? And one that I believe can go some way to explain a major issue.

Political disengagement appears rampant. Across the majority of regions, the turnout for the now infamous EU referendum, which at the time of writing seems poised to set the hounds on any fleeting semblance of democracy in a dying empire, stagnated around the 60% mark in Scotland and the six counties. The UN special rapporteur to Britain in 2019 labelled systematic poverty as the outcome of an ideological drive to uproot the welfare state and replace it “with a harsh and uncaring ethos”. Yet, the primordial fire of resistance seems dimmed of late. And why would it not? Even those active in radical activism can become overwhelmed by the idea that their actions seldom yield transforming consequences. Is it any wonder those most beaten down by events see their part in the play as anything other than inconsequential. Enter on cue, of all things, the drinking straw. It’s a curious thing really, the success of the campaign against plastic straws, both in its spread and seemingly its staying power. A swathe of people not typically active have taken up the commitment against microplastics, seemingly with enough sustained pressure to force the likes of Costa Coffee to take note. Do I see this as a significant victory in the fight against climate change? No. As has been broadly cited, only 100 companies are responsible for 71% of the globes carbon emissions. So long as a system exists that prioritises overproduction over sustainability then individual changes remain largely inconsequential weapon in the war on climate change.

Design by Melissa Cocker / Photography by Jim Beaudoin

SECTION COMMUNITY

However, returning to community engagement, I believe the movement as a whole represents two pivotal transformations. The first, that the cause climate change can’t simply be dismissed as an isolated one, an ideological battlefield championed by radical greens. Simply put, the climate crisis doesn’t represent yet another political game of chess, it is the chessboard. Class, race, creed, the one uniting factor among us is our residency on earth and our relationship with the land. The second shift returns to political disengagement. Movements such as this, though arguably inconsequential in the grand scale of the problem, serves as a very real and very potent example of a historical truth: power lies with the people. A transformation of the discourse proves both the palpable existence of a community, and the potential for it to be actualised in ways that could move mountains. It may well be the gateway to a greater engagement both with traditional politics and atypical activism.

However, it also may not. There are always greater machinations at play in the game of hearts and minds. Costa may well have banned plastic straws. But their acquisition by Coca-Cola, a company with a terrifying record extending from climate change to the murder of Colombian trade union activists in its factories, may tell the tale of yet another appropriation of a social movement by the smiling face ‘Woke’ capitalism. Through all this, it is our community’s job as an educated population to bring a critical eye to bear on the dark underbelly of the everyday. As for the paper straws debate, mine is a Guinness.

Words by Fiachna Mac Carráin

INTERVIEW

The Future in My Head When the leaves start falling and the sun starts hiding, it is inevitable to experience moments in which we think about our academic goals, responsibilities and personal life. A new academic year has come, and everyone is experiencing different kinds of feelings - some may be thrilled for their first year in a completely new place, others may feel nostalgic about their last months in university. The time of cold fresh drinks, smiling sun and laziness without guilt is approaching its end, letting us know that the summer dream is over and we should face reality. This doesn’t mean it has to be all bad. New friendships, interesting activities and fun are just around the corner. When we think about it, the university life runs a regular cycle – academic year, summer, academic year… etc. And now

Design by Neil Connor

we’ve hit the Restart button and the next year is about to begin. As a Psychology student, I know that Undergraduates and Postgraduates think differently on this matter, which is why I have approached Desislava and Lucas. Desi, representing the Undergraduate demographic of the University of Dundee student body, is keen on drawing and reading fantasy books, with Harry Potter being her favourite. Lucas has recently graduated with a PhD from Dundee. He just moved to Switzerland to continue building his career. He likes many things; from reading books (especially philosophical ones) to playing sports, like volleyball. I was very excited to hear the stories they shared with us about their new journey.

INTERVIEW

Maria (M): Why did you decide to study in Scotland and particularly in the University of Dundee? Desi (D): First of all, the education in Scotland is financially viable for EU students like me. I chose the University of Dundee in particular because of its modern and well-equipped laboratories and industry development opportunities. M: How did you decide to pursue a career abroad (first in Dundee, then in Switzerland)? Lucas (L): I wanted to be on a PhD program that allows me to study embryology from both experimental and computational approaches. I wanted to do it abroad, but still in Europe. Although there are not many places that offer such an opportunity, Dundee was an exception. M: What did you know about Dundee beforehand? D: When I decided to apply to the University of Dundee, I scouted carefully the quality of the programmes, science and student life in the city. Among the most appealing things was the opportunity to participate in many different clubs and meet people from all over the world. M: What did you know about Basel before going there, Lucas? L: Not much. I knew that people there spoke German, the Rhine goes through the city and Basel is really close to the border with Germany and France. M: What was your biggest fear before coming to the new cities? D: My biggest fear was the way I would manage my time. It is vital for me to be able to participate in additional activities and clubs, but also, to achieve good grades. L: I was not really afraid of anything in particular. I had been extremely focused on the PhD, so I did not have time to think about any issues in Basel.

M: How do you imagine your first year? And what about the future after that? D: I imagine spending many hours in laboratories, where I will do different experiments. In my leisure time I will go out with friends or participate in sports. I would be happy to join a student society, which matches my personality, too. L: I would like to become a researcher in Spain, if possible. I want to continue researching and learning about how animals can be formed from a single cell to a complete functional living being. In matters of personal life, I would like to go back to Spain, as most of my family lives there. However, it is not a massive concern for me right now, and I will see how it goes in the future. M: What is your goal for this year, if you have any? D: My goal is to find a balance between my university studies and my social life. L: Publishing a couple of papers with the findings of my thesis and settling now into my new position in Basel, Switzerland. M: What is the most important thing to you this year? D: My priority is to study. However, meeting new people is a part of the student life and I am very excited to get to know students from different parts of the world. In this way, I will explore their traditions and culture. L: Probably focusing on my research is my first priority, and then finding time to travel around. I am not too focused on being involved in many different activities, as I have had a lot of them in my time in Dundee and I want to take time to reflect on these. M: Can you compare this stage of your life with any other time you have been through? L: I think this time is really similar to the time I arrived in Dundee. However, I became experienced in solving many problems which at that time gave me some headaches.

Words by Maria Radeva

INTERVIEW

M: What should a person be like to undertake such an important step like moving abroad? D: In the first place, the person should be open-minded and adaptable. Another major characteristic is to believe in yourself and be adventurous. L: I think they should be quite adaptive, as travelling abroad requires for somebody who is able to face any kind of situation. If you are not closed minded and be overly controlling, then it should not be a problem. M: Is there anything else you would like to share? L: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did love my time in Dundee. I had many opportunities I could not have had in other places, such as exploring Scotland on kayaks, being involved in radio and live broadcasts and meeting many different people and traditions.â&#x20AC;? Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), we are not smartphones and we cannot just press RESTART. There is so much going on in our heads before every new beginning. We need time to weigh our feelings and to find motivation to do our best in the following nine months. You may focus on thinking and dreaming about the next four years, full of excitement and enthusiasm. Postgraduates face the real world with several years of experience, full of nostalgia and fulfilment, behind them. Desi will restart her life every September in the next four years, Lucas has opened a whole new page in his life. These are the most thrilling moments in our student life and we will think about them later on. We can take the best of this experience and save it as unforgettable memories.

COMICS

Illustration by Ellen Forbes

COMICS

Illustration by Harri Johnston

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Expecting Resistance: A closer look at Climate Activism It’s difficult to argue that there are more important causes to champion than action against climate change. In fact, it’s almost impossible.

s much as we have the capacity to ignore and side-line the issue, the viability of human civilisation and all life on earth tends to supersede everything. Activism around the issue of climate crisis has seen a renaissance in the past year or so with the rise of Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the Youth Climate strikes. To get the insider perspective, I met up with some young climate activists at the Beyond Borders international festival who were preparing to raise their concerns with the First Minister. Though the festival itself covered a wide range of international issues, I’d arrived firmly in the ecofocussed section of the weekend. After mentally paving over the fact I’d driven a petrol car to the event, I was easily immersed in the talks underway. Speakers included environmental lawyers, founders of environmental charities as well as the President of the New York Times (alas, this budding journalist was unaware that’s who it was when they were making idle small talk to him outside the café tent.) I caught up with Megan Rose, an activist who led the youth climate strikes for Glasgow that had taken place over the past year, to ask her about the movement more widely. As the ability of activism to effect change depends heavily on swaying hearts and minds, our discussion centred around the public perception of the climate movement. Megan doesn’t believe

Design by Helena Lindsay

the climate strikes receive fair media coverage, and it’s easy to see why; “A lot of the media focus on the idea that we’re truants, and doing it just to get the day off with less of a focus on the idea that kids can actually make decisions for themselves, research things and participate because they actually believe in a cause.” I asked her more broadly whether she thought some eco-activists bore responsibility for lack of engagement due to their manner of conveying the stark realities of climate change and whether this too often caused them to be perceived as “doommongers.” She feels that a balanced approach is needed; “There is a risk that when people see a future without hope they go numb and want to ignore it, but it’s really important to get through that grief. If you are doing outreach though, you’ve got to cut through the doom and gloom otherwise they’re not going to listen; it’s too scary to confront if you get just bleak facts without hope.” Yet, Megan is also clear that the media itself also has a responsibility to provide fairer coverage; “I’ve been invited on TV three times, every time to debate climate deniers; all about 50 years old with long journalistic careers. So coverage when we do get it tends to be unfair, especially when I can’t go and have to send one of our 14 year-olds who has no tv experience.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Though as well as converting the masses, successful activism will put direct pressure on power, which the Youth strikers seemed to be achieving. The First Minister had originally planned on doing a tree-plant photo op with the strikers but they had negotiated their way into a formal discussion where they were all able to raise their concerns; Scotland’s zero emissions target being too distant, the importance of peatlands in rewilding efforts and introducing a national programme of recycling in schools. Whilst on the latter issues, the FM was happy to say the Scottish government is or will be taking action, the issue of emissions targets was a real sticking point. When viewed next to the International Panel on Climate Change’s target of net-zero global emissions by 2050, Scotland’s 2045 target could easily be seen as inconsistent with its status as a “climate leader,” which is why the Youth Strikes advocate for 2030 as a preferred target. Sturgeon put it to the strikers that Scotland would not have the infrastructure to abandon fossil fuels so quickly, but was optimistic that as the target would be reviewed every 5 years

she expects that it would move to an earlier date. Jo Becker, an experienced climate campaigner and founder of Dundee’s Sustainability Society, seemed disappointed with her response but appreciated that the FM was being honest rather than making promises the government might not then keep. Megan was a bit more sympathetic; “She was as receptive as you could expect anyone to be whilst stuck in a café tent on a sweltering hot day after doing a speech with another event coming straight afterwards.” Nevertheless, these activists have demonstrated how well-organised protest can access and pressure power. More importantly, as there’s still a fair way to go before they achieve their aims, expect no let-up in climate protest anytime soon. Rory Bannerman

Words by Rory Bannerman

SECTION AFFAIRS CURRENT

Our Responsibility Solving the climate crisis is not a choice, it is a duty. This summer we have yet again experienced record temperatures and all arrows point to climate change as the main culprit.

We have a responsibility to act, especially because we live where we do and have gained the most from the industrial development of the past 200 years. We need to forge change because the most vulnerable ones on this planet will pay the price if we do not. We need to bring this change from below and above as a matter of urgency. Democracy needs critical and active citizens. We thereby need to demand better solutions from our politicians and reward those who want change. We have the power, we just need to use it in the ballot box. A free market needs critical and active consumers. We, therefore, need to demand more from the companies that produce our food, devices, and clothing. They need to respect human rights and our ecological system. We are also responsible when the products we buy harm the environment and the local people in the areas said products are produced. We need to change our habits and adapt to the reality we live in. We must reconsider our decisions and question whether all our material goods are necessary.

I do not propose that we abandon our lives and move into a cave and turn back time. Instead, we need to seize the opportunity and enter a better world. A world where we live in better harmony with the nature around us and in greater connection with the humans around us. A world that is full of innovation and energy and provides us with new products and ways to lead our lives. A world where diversity and individual freedom are supported, not undermined; that is the change we need to make. It is not the apocalypse, but a world of optimism, innovation, and freedom. This is not a political issue, but a human one. It is a set assignment. Regardless of whether you are a liberal like myself, a social democrat, a conservative, or something else, it should be a non-partisan and collaborative core task to protect the Earth that we have inherited. We cannot afford otherwise. We need to rise as critical and active citizens. We need to demand more from the politicians we elect to represent us. We need to make active choices as consumers to minimise our footprint and protect our fellow humans. We need to rise and actively do our part to save our common planet.

Design and Illustration by Leah Cameron / Words by Christoffer Nielsen

CURRENT AFFAIRS

A New Order Rises

Dictatorships in the time of democracy? To be ignorant of the Brexit situation at this stage would be an impressive feat. Our social media feeds are being constantly updated with the latest developments and anyone who still watches the nightly news these days is likely aware that their groans following the words “and the latest from Westminster” are being echoed throughout the country. If you want to escape UK politics for a while, it used to be you that you could turn to our ally across the Atlantic, the good old USA. Old being the operative word now. As we near the end of Trump’s first term, the man who pledged to “Make America Great Again” has managed to “Make America Old-Fashioned Again” and not in an endearing way. From Neo-Nazi’s to trickle-down economics, from loosening gun restrictions to rolling back rights for just about everybody who isn’t a straight, white, rich male, it looks like the leaders of the free world are leading their country right back into the 20th century and beyond.

To describe the UK or the USA as a dictatorship could be seen as liberal scaremongering in the age of political correctness but, regardless of your political affiliation, the current system, and the people currently running it, are walking a very thin line. Recent reports reveal that the proroguing of parliament in the UK (a delightful word we all now know how to use) had been planned and approved by our new (unelected) Prime Minister weeks in advance of the public announcement. In case there is still confusion over the issues, completely understandable if so, the Prime Minister is attempting to suspend parliament so that it cannot vote to block a no-deal Brexit. Essentially, he is halting democratic process until it suits him. His plan if that doesn’t work? Call a general election. For some, that may seem counterproductive because surely his support is so low that a general election wouldn’t work in his favour? However, with the sheer size of England (the area with the largest Leave and Tory voters), other parties don’t have much chance for a majority. With support so split between the minority parties in parliament, and Labour’s wavering base, even a coalition is at best unstable and at worst unlikely. Is this our future? Are we really seeing the rise of the far-right shrouded in drama and scandal? The wow-factor is entertaining for some at the start, but this isn’t a TV show. We can’t cancel it when it hits a little too close to home. We can’t rewrite the script when it goes too far. If we want to stop the rise of a dictatorship, we have to rise ourselves and show that this is not the world we want to live in.

Design by Helena Lindsay / Words by Mary Erin Kinch

FASHION

Getting Hype for Halloween

Halloween, in my opinion, is one of the best times of the year. You get to dress up, you get to eat lots of sweets, you have a fun excuse to scare small children, and it is always guaranteed to be a fun night out. Now, however, as an adult, I’ve realised that the really scary thing about Halloween is the amount of plastic that is dumped. According to the Fairyland Trust Survey of Plastic in Halloween Costumes and Clothing 2018, the amount of plastic was equivalent to over 100 million plastic Coca-Cola bottles. It’s time we made an effort to reduce the amount of plastic we use not only in our day to day life but at events like Halloween too. My number one tip for a sustainable Halloween costume is to make it yourself out of items you

Design and Illustrarion by Cait Maxwell

already have. With a little imagination you can make anything from the wardrobe you have: put your hair in pigtails, tie up an old school shirt with a checked skirt and voila! Britney Spears. A checked shirt with a floppy hat and there you go, you’re a scarecrow. Gel your hair up and wear a leather jacket-you’re Danny Zuko or one of the T-birds. You could even go old school, put a sheet over your head with eye holes and call yourself a ghost! I was lucky growing up to have a mother who loved arts and crafts and coming up with ideas for our strange ideas for Halloween costumes (I was an octopus one year, my sister was a wheelie bin). However, if you are not lucky enough to be an expert at arts and crafts, you can still create your own costume; with staples or Velcro, you can essentially make any costume you want.

FASHION

However, if you don’t want to go through all of that effort for just one night, you can always look in charity shops which will be up to their eyeballs in Halloween costumes at this time of year. You can also look through your friends’ wardrobes and do a swap for items. Not only this, but you can also rent your costumes if you’re really dedicated to having a traditional costume. If you are determined to buy one, buy locally at Party Wizard along Perth Road or Yvonne’s Fancy Dress in town. For costume themes, it is always easier to go as a group. In the past couple of years, I’ve seen Powerpuff Girls, MnM’s, the Scooby-Doo gang and even girls dressed up as sauces from Nandos. There’s also the possibility of dressing up as the Pink Ladies, the T-birds or the lion, scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy. As well as all this, don’t underestimate how good and easy to make pun costumes can be. Staple an empty McDonald’s chips box to the shoulder of an old top and be a chip on your shoulder (you do run the risk of smelling like chips all night though). I’ve also seen a Ghost Malone costume and a Luigi Board. For a pun group costume, why not dress up in your normal going-out clothes and wear animal masksyou’re party animals! With a little bit of creativity

you could do anything. There’s really no limit when it comes to costumes; it’s just pointless to spend your money on a costume you will use once and then throw in the bin. If you do buy a costume, try buying items that you could pull off in your normal day-to-day wardrobe or buy one and donate it later. With the focus on living a more sustainable, better for the environment lifestyle, there is also the sweets that will be handed out to potential trick or treaters. Vegan sweets include: Starburst, Love Hearts, Jelly tots, Skittles (original flavour) as well as Parma Violets, or any of the Pick ‘n Mix from the Perth Road’s Little Green Larder! Vegan chocolate is also available in shops like Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s if you look in their free-from section. For decorations for parties, rather than buying them, make them yourself, you could make string spiders web, egg -carton bats or you could paint the large collection of bottles that all students have lying around to make them look like ghosts or pumpkins. At this point, with the danger our planet is in, everyone in their daily life must make an effort to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Every little bit helps and your Halloween will be better and more fun, if you don’t have to worry about the amount of plastic you wasted.

Words by Orla Barr

FASHION

Rainbows? For Pride? Ground-breaking. Alexander McQueen, Christion Dior, Gianni Versace and Marc Jacobs. All gay and all fashion designers. There is a symbiotic relationship between queer people and fashion. We inspire, influence and often lead the field. In turn, fashion is a tonic for queer people to express our sexuality and gender. Just this year the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted an exhibition of queer influence in fashion, Camp: Notes on Fashion. This paid tribute to and showcased the exceptional history that exists between the LGBT+ community and fashion. This year’s Met Gala paid homage and celebrated the Camp influence that runs deep in the roots of fashion. Fashion has allowed queer people to not just live, but flourish and blossom. It has also been a tool to break down gender stereotypes in women. The iconic Chanel suit mixed ideas of masculinity and femininity. It took inspiration from sportswear and menswear to create clothes that were at the time liberating and practical, but also chic. It brought a somewhat androgynous appearance to women and played with gender. We can see how fashion is a tapestry rich with gay influence and there is a rainbow flag weaving all the way through it. However, this rainbow flag has become very literal. Never before has gay Pride been supported and celebrated like it is today; and never before have corporations sought to capitalise on the Pink Pound as much as today. Unfortunately, Prides are becoming more like the Absolut Vodka parade.

Design by Greg McIndoe

Fashion brands and retailers are not exempt from this capitalisation of pride. We are now subject to a range of t-shirts at the start of summer with rainbow coloured thin lettering, “PRIDE”. Rainbows? For Pride? Ground-breaking. If these were sent down the Project Runway catwalk, what would Michael Kors have to say? I’ll tell you. Congratulations, never before has pride been made so meek and a rainbow so dull. Years of struggle, protests and discrimination have boiled down some of the most uninspired and basic clothing. Now I’m not saying we all need to get dressed in drag, covered in glitter wearing leather harnesses, jockstraps fairy wings. Although I do think this is an excellent idea to be honest and would encourage all to do so. I am suggesting that it is the fashion designers who could put effort into their designs and make pride clothing something to be proud of wearing. Utilise and build upon the rich back catalogue of queer culture in fashion. Go back to the roots of pride and make fashion part of the protest, as a way to continue fighting for LGBTQI+ rights and fight for equality. Fashion has been used very effectively in protest quite recently. In 2017, in the Women’s March organised in response to Donald Trump becoming President, millions adorned the Pink Pussy hats. These hats created some striking imagery but also formed a firm sense of unity sending a powerful message. Next year at Pride we will see t-shirts that say proud on them, but let’s also see t-shirts that have some facts on them:

FASHION

84 % of people live in a country where same sex marriage is illegal. 1/5 of people live in a country where homosexuality is illegal. 89% of people live in a country where gay conversion therapy is banned. There remains a fight for LGBTQI+ rights and acceptance. Fashion has long been the queer communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest friend and has hel ped push forward and celebrate queer identity in all its forms. There are, undoubtedly, fashion designers who have plenty of talent, but we need more than just talent. It is high time for fashion to inject pride with some charisma, uniqueness and nerve.

Words by Greg Sutherland

INTERNATIONAL

HOW (SOMETIMES) GLOBALISATION ELIMINATES DISCRIMINATION Prejudice, discrimination and general stereotypes have been around for as long as humans have been, whether it was because of religion, ethnicity or because of gender. There are several different reasons for ostracism: some being envy, mistrust or the fear of the unknown. Most of these are very personal perceptions of situations, circumstances and conditions - however, the fear of the unknown could be removed rather easily. As Andrew Smith (the author of the “Grasshopper Jungle) said: “People fear what they don’t understand.” I truly believe that to be true; in order to reduce and to help eliminate discrimination, one needs to take away the fear of the unknown. Fear is an instinct and a reflex, that has been a part of human nature since the beginning of time - it is an essential part of who we are and it will never be any different. Fear is not only unavoidable but also highly important. Whereas it used to help us survive in the wilderness, today it aids us in not being run over by a car on the street. Fear is natural, especially the fear of the unknown - it used to save lives all the time. In today’s world, however, that fear is often related to non-lifethreatening circumstances such as languages you don’t understand on the subway, or a fashion choice that might look alarming to you.

Design by Neil Connor

Everyone has those thoughts and feelings and they are entirely normal; however, they’re often adopted unconsciously. And that is precisely the problem - most people don’t deliberately choose to be prejudiced against a group of people. Most people don’t even notice that they avoid certain people. Some have never encountered an opposed opinion or culture, which makes it easier to reject things you don’t understand. Take me for an example: I have a few rather posh friends - and quite often I make fun of them for their posh habits (e.g. buying expensive, polished clothing [and I mean expensive]) and because I happen to not spend a lot of money on clothing I like to point it out to them. In contrast to that, I think spending a lot of money on education is justified - which is hypocritical because expensive education doesn’t equal better education. No matter how famous your university was if you turn up to a job interview in a wrinkly button-down, dirty jeans and holes in your shoes, your prospects of getting the job shrink dramatically. My unconscious prejudice is meeting people who happen to have, for example, a Louis Vuitton bag - I assume that their values differ greatly from mine and I am less likely to find them sympathetic. That is an unjustified judgment based on my unconscious bias. Since coming to University, I have been trying to work on these attitudes - and our university has helped me a lot. 25% of students in Dundee are

INTERNATIONAL

international, (and the percentage is even higher if you, as many Scots do, consider the English and maybe the Irish to be foreigners as well) from more than 140 different countries which gives our student community a great deal of diversity and not only in origin, but also in opinions, values and personalities. I have learned and benefited greatly from my international experience - people I have met have broadened my view in various ways. From a Donald Trump-supporter to a Jeremy Corbyn-fan. I have had political discussions (mainly because I enjoy debating and politics a lot), but also cultural experiences of Bulgarian traditions (Martenitsas), Chinese New Year celebrations and everything else in between. This has helped me grow and eliminate my personal biases, and even though I never agreed with the Trump-supporter, we had a fruitful discussion. Our university and students invest a lot of time and money into allowing people’s insights into various aspects of life across the globe - maybe in the upcoming months you’ll try out a sport you’ve never heard of before, or you’ll join the Model UN society to get into debating, who knows.

don’t fear what you know and understand - and isn’t that why we’re all in university in the first place… to learn and understand the world?

What I do know is, we all have unconscious biases and we can work on getting rid of them to create a more just world. Go out there and get to know those who disagree with you. By broadening your horizon you minimize your unconscious biases. You

Words by Marlena Mazura

INTERNATIONAL

Challenges One Encounters While Living Abroad Four fears you will encounter and overcome while living abroad.

Design and Illustration by Gosia Kepka

INTERNATIONAL

By living abroad, you get to immerse yourself in a new culture, a new country and maybe even in a new language. Here are four challenges you will encounter and ways to overcome them: 1.

The Move.

Moving your entire life, all your possessions and everything you have collected during the years is probably the first challenge you will face. It takes so much preparation and detail because you need to figure out how to pack everything into a few suitcases. It can be so overwhelming that, as you’re in the middle of what feels like hundreds of moving boxes, you’re thinking to yourself: it would just be easier if I stayed here. 2.

Cultural Differences.

Not only is the language completely different, but it also seems like every single thing is extremely different compared to back home. The men wear skirts, sheep stomach is a delicacy and have they ever heard of insulation? Being in unfamiliar territory can really be intimidating. But do not forget that the magic happens outside your comfort zone, that’s where you grow. Opening to new cultures and languages helps you to understand the world around you.

Failure.

What was your reason for moving abroad? Did you follow a lover or perhaps better career opportunities? Whatever your reason was, sometimes things in life do not go as planned. Maybe you will face so many challenges that the only way out will be moving back home. But before you make any quick decisions, remember that it takes time to settle in when a change of scenery occurs. Maybe you won’t stay for what you were first planning on, maybe it will be something greater than you could have ever imagined.

Homesickness.

Going from living in perhaps the same city your entire life, where you have your friends, family and even your favourite café around the corner, to moving overseas can cause some anxiety. What if you won’t get any friends? What if you won’t like the food? What if... one question follows the other, but I can promise you those what-ifs can be amazing too. Just imagine that, what if you’re actually embarking on a new adventure? What if you will end up living the life you’ve always dreamed of? What if it will be amazing?! And remember, these days your friends and family will only be a phone call away.

Words by Lizzie Husum

LIFESTYLE

What Makes Us Human Perfectionism can be described as a virtue, a vice and as society’s favourite flaw. When asked to describe your greatest fault, perfectionism is an answer which is not only acceptable but in some ways desirable. After all what is wrong with a strong work ethic and attention to detail?

o be clear there is nothing wrong with ambition, the motivation to achieve is something that is common amongst us all. However, when taken to extremes, this can develop into an unforgiving, self-punishing attitude where every mistake consumes all our time and energy. The reality is that by pushing ourselves beyond what our natural abilities allow can lead to one of the most harmful and debilitating things we can do. At the very least, perfectionism can rob you of the simple pleasure of enjoying your achievements. Some may think this is something that only women experience, that men are more easy-going whilst women take life more seriously.

“I am here to tell you, you are more than enough.” That as well as being a grossly sexist stereotype, it is also completely wrong. I have long struggled with symptoms associated with perfectionism. For my first two years of university I pushed myself beyond what was good for both my physical and mental

Design by Iona French

LIFESTYLE

“The reality is that by pushing ourselves beyond what our natural abilities allow can lead to one of the most harmful and debilitating things we can do.”

health, fooling myself into believing that even a first class degree would not be good enough. Never being satisfied with the work I was doing meant that I had nothing but negative thoughts about myself and in many ways I had forced myself into a state of self-isolated misery. This article is not an exercise in self-pity but a genuine attempt to raise awareness for a way of thinking that is scarcely addressed by society, while growing amongst our generation. We are conditioned from a young age to measure ourselves by our grades and to work harder for the sake of passing exams. We are spending less time reflecting on ourselves and should be promoting our own happiness rather than placing pressure

on ourselves to be better. Ideas of a perfect life are planted in our heads and we compare ourselves to those who appear to have success even when this is romanticised or edited. People recast successes as failures - your grades are not enough, your looks are not enough, no matter how open and wonderful you are as a human being you feel you are not enough. I am here to tell you, you are more than enough. One of the most important lessons we can ever learn is that it’s ok that we are not perfect. Imperfection and even failure is never definitive, other options are always around us and the world will keep turning. Life changes, plans that you so neatly worked out in your head don’t go the way you imagined. Perfecting an imperfect person is not only unachievable but would seek to destroy what makes us who we are. Whether you believe you suffer from perfectionism or not, it is important that we cut ourselves a little more slack and enjoy each other. We are human, we are fundamentally flawed, and we should be proud because this is what makes us the unique individuals we are.

Words by Alexander Best

LIFESTYLE

Look UP

I first realised that I might have a problem when my boyfriend messaged me to get something from downstairs. On the way back, I paused for a few moments on the stairs to open Instagram in order to simply scroll through it. He began to chuckle from upstairs

Design by Neil Connor

and suggested that my Instagram use was compulsive and unhealthy. A few more weeks of his teasing forced me to admit that something needed to change. Scrolling through Instagram had become a time filler for me. In the moments where I was waiting

LIFESTYLE

for the bus, when I was in bed waiting to feel sleepy or even in the seconds it took for someone to get a snack from the fridge. However, I did want to be more present in these moments rather than scrolling through a screen of increasingly monotonous material. Spurred on by this realisation, I decided to monitor and reduce my social media use. I tried not to scroll on the bus in order to enjoy the world passing by. I began to notice little details of people in the street, like spotting a man walking a ferret whose collar was also a tiny bow tie. I stopped scrolling when I waited at red lights - by watching the traffic and not my phone I started a tally of people checking their phones whilst in the driving seat. This shocked me. Social media has become so sociologically and psychologically ingrained within human behaviour that it is causing us to become a danger to ourselves and others. Instagram seemed to need me as much as I thought I needed it. Over two days of having spent a total of 15 minutes on the app, I received half a dozen notifications from Instagram. Reading in an increasingly psychotic voice: ‘3 friends posted recently, be the first to like them’; ‘Lots of people added to their stories, don’t miss them, you must watch the highlights everyone else has posted’; ‘Why are you not up to date?! You have to check me! You need me!’.

“Instagram seemed to need me as much as I thought I needed it.” Social media is designed like that; to make you feel like you’re missing out. The resulting FOMO of feeling the need to keep updated on social media posts means that you’re actually missing out on the real world. Hopefully, I don’t sound too much like your mother, but there is a whole world out there if you put down your phone and look up.

Originally, I had downloaded the app to see the travel accounts, mostly hiking and natural wonder type things, for inspiration and ideas. These accounts were created by people following lives I wanted to lead. They showcase their incredible travel shots of snowy mountains, of minivan living, blue seas and windswept uninhabited Scottish islands. All incredible, however, they began to lose their lustre and initial appeal. Other than the odd post which I would save to add to my list of places I want to visit, nothing sticks in my head anymore. I’m so used to seeing these incredible posts of breathtaking landscapes that I’ve become desensitised to how wonderful they are. I rarely look at a photo anymore and think ‘wow’ and instead think ‘yeah, just like all the other ones’, rarely taking a step away from scrolling. The magic has gone. Not even taking in what I’m looking at, mindless, nothing sticking, nothing leaving a lasting impression led me to conclude that it can’t really be contributing to my life. Scarily, between 35% and 69% of people check their phones within 5 minutes of waking up. Personally, having scrolled for 10 minutes as soon as I’d woken up, by the time I had gone to the toilet and brushed my teeth, I wouldn’t for the life of me have been able to list even 5 of the god-knows-how-many posts I’d seen that morning. Yet, I remember the gist of pretty much every book I’ve ever read. For the moment, I’ve stopped scrolling in the lift and experience the awkward silences and examinations of the ceiling. I have stopped using Instagram as a mindless tool of ‘relaxation’, collapsing on my bed and losing half an hour to my phone and instead, make a cup of tea, curled up with my book under the window. Now, I feel relaxed, I giggled a bit at my novel and feel vaguely more intelligent. Believe me, that is such a better feeling than the soul-sucking, demoralising and low-self-esteem inducing mood that the glorious world of Instagram had offered me. Thankfully, I’m not that person always looking down at their phone anymore.

Words by Rose Kendall

SECTION LIFESTYLE

Let Us Take a Moment to Praise Pesto Cooking is a release. A time in the day that is exclusively mine and a creative outlet with instantly gratifying results. For me, the feeling of nourishing my body is unmatched in terms of satisfaction. Realistically, sometimes food can feel like the enemy, an inconvenience in your day, a chore on a difficult mental day or an expensive and time-consuming task. I’ve cooked my way through happiness, heartbreak, grief, excitement and everything in between. Throughout these times I’ve eaten frozen pizzas and instant noodles to see me through chronic illness, mental health illness and financial trouble. I spent a long time berating myself for this, trying to push myself further out of the cycle of self-care. It is a fact of life that some days we can labour for 3 hours to create culinary genius to match Gordon Ramsay and, on others, pouring boiling water into a pan of noodles is enough to exhaust us. Both experiences are valid and both are okay. It feels both hypocritical and apt in equal measure to be writing this on a bad physical and mental day. Yet, I know that doing so will contribute to breaking the cycle of being unkind to myself for such shortcomings. Being taught to cook before I could even walk has given me fond memories of sitting on the kitchen floor mixing a jug of every ingredient I could find to make ‘gravy’. Proudly, I believed that we were really eating my creation every night. I only found out, over a decade later, that my piece of creative genius would be thrown away. The kitchen continues to be a liminal space where I can close the door and focus on something, even if only for a moment. The last two years have been the toughest I’ve ever had. They have been consumed by a long physical illness which, at crisis point, had me asleep for 20 hours a day, unable to walk for more than 5 minutes or stand

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

up in the shower. Health professionals were drilling into me that I still needed to look after myself with uber-healthy meals despite the muscles in all my limbs seizing into cramp and my vision going black if I stood up for too long. The immense guilt I felt for not being physically able to create perfect, healthy and balanced meals three times a day led to me thinking that it was my fault for being ill even though it turned out not to be a dietary issue. During this time I experimented as much as I could. Adding spinach and chickpeas to every recipe made me reach the point where I still can’t look at a spinach leaf without feeling a bit bored. Maybe the biggest help of all was the pesto recipe I was given. Pesto pasta is a staple student meal but jarred pesto can be expensive, full of additives, and rarely suitable for vegetarians or vegans. This fresh version uses only a few ingredients and can be kept in the fridge or freezer for weeks or even months. You can use it to liven up pasta, risotto, salads or even add it to bread. The amount of fresh basil in this meant I was getting more iron than I ever did from eating dreaded spinach and it turned out to be a lot more pleasant! Throughout our lives, we will end up in numerous kitchens with different people, good and bad, but the one constant will be their ability to facilitate the ultimate exercise of self-care and love.

“some days we can labour for 3 hours to create culinary genius to match Gordon Ramsay and, on others, pouring boiling water into a pan of noodles is enough to exhaust us. Both experiences are valid and both are okay”

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Recipe: Makes 350g or approx. two shop-bought pesto jars: 1. Large bunch of fresh basil, stalks & all 2. 6 cloves of garlic 3. 2 small skinned tomatoes 4. Sea salt and coarse pepper to taste 5. 6 tbsp olive oil 6. You can also add: A squeeze of lemon juice, pine nuts or cheese 7. Put all of the above ingredients into a into a blender or juicer and blitz! 8. Keeping the stalks on the basil deepens the flavour and the tomato adds a welcome delicate acidity. acidity 9. Use fresh ingredients to make it taste even better.

Words by Rose Bache

SECTION OPINIONS

Like Mother, Like Daughter Both Fizz and Billi study at the University of Dundee. Being mother and daughter, they have followed very different paths to find their way here. Luckily for us, we have been given an insight into how their education brought them together again. FIZZ: I attended private school where I was always told by my teachers that I was stupid. As a result, I left at sixteen, not because I wasn’t intelligent but because I didn’t have enough support. My parents liked to remind me that my tuition was expensive and I did not want to “waste their money”. No one suggested that I could study A levels at a college or indeed that I had any alternative options. To be honest, I was let down by the system. Even at the 10 year alumni reunion, a teacher came up to me and said, ‘the ne’er do wells always seem to attend these events’. I have always loved reading and learning, especially history, heritage or art. My passion for those subjects is what I always tried to pass on to Bill along with the message that only you can choose your path.

Illustration by Rebecca Smith

However, I regretted leaving education and have made several attempts to return since. In 2017, I decided that if I did not, I would always wonder what could have been. The phrase: ‘right place- right time’ comes to mind as a university in Middlesbrough took me on to study history. My first year was extraordinary; I learnt so much about the course and myself. I was tested for learning difficulties which was a relief-filled revelation.. I wasn’t “stupid” but I was, in fact, Dyslexic. Sadly, a long-fought fatigue prevented me from managing the journey to university, nevermind the workload. I took a year out to get better but I got worse and had to stop working too. Taking time out didn’t mean that I wanted to stop learning. That yearn , passion and curiosity was and always will be there. Knowing that Billi has decided to make Dundee and Scotland her home, I looked into Distance Learning courses at Dundee. I am thrilled to bits that I have been accepted for Modern Scottish History. I wait anticipative and excited for my next chapter. After all, my story is nowhere near finished.

SECTION OPINIONS

BILLI: There were books everywhere, covering each surface, kitchen counter and windowsill. Growing up, my learning was being driven around castles, museums and landmarks which Fizz had read about. There was never a question of these trips being boring or repetitive because anything was better than being stuck in a classroom. Learning should be an adventure that encourages you to go outside and discover the world. Like Mum, like daughter - I left school early at age 12 due to illness. I missed years of school and when I did return to studying I was placed into a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). PRUs are run for children who don’t fit into or are removed from traditional education due to illness, expulsion and bullying for example. They provided the unusual opportunity for willing pupils to take qualifications. I owe everything to the teachers at my PRU because they reminded me that I am not defined by my past and that I control my future. However, at sixteen, I was still lost, terrified by the possibility of what life held. Fizz had always instilled in me the idea that whatever I end up doing I

must enjoy. So, I tried everything; one year I was hairdressing and the next I was on a construction site. People questioned my choices. There is so much pressure for young people to be decisive but there is little time allowed for them to figure out what they want to do. If I hadn’t had the support of Fizz and a few inspiring teachers, I would never have had the confidence to figure it out. I found the University of Dundee by accident. After finishing a college diploma, I had been accepted at a different university. However, the August before I was due to leave home, a work colleague from Poland told me that she was being paid a lower salary because she was “foreign”. Safe to say, I was furious. Yet, I couldn’t help her. I didn’t know how to. The heartache that swept over me was overwhelming. The urge to make a change, to make theirs and others’ lives better forced me to find another path. It has been three years since that day, and I haven’t looked back. I have found a home , a family for life and just like Fizz, I learnt a lot along the way. I have laughed, cried, loved and lost. From September, I will be starting a masters in Social Work, ensuring that I enjoy what I do. Losing those early years in school could have taken my life in a different direction but I’ve learned to learn from it and not have it define who I am.

Words by Billianna Allen-Mandeville and Fizz Allen-Mandeville

OPINIONS

Grow Up!

From the moment we’re pulled out of the womb, we’re exposed to a set of rules. Unknowingly we’re pushed through a machine that begins to mould us. Was it through the words of our parents, the looks of others when we do something out of the ordinary or the endless reminders from the media. We cannot really escape being influenced. Without wanting to we become just another person thriving for the same exact things. Little by little individualism gets lost. The attribute we had as children fades away; the world loses its magnificence and wonder. We’re encouraged to grow up; shut down, press everything deep inside by acting a certain way. Without noticing we start opposing change, fear the future and plan everything. We become obsessed with success, career and status. A result of this is that many young adults are lost; while they’re trying to find themselves they think they should have everything figured out. It’s no surprise why some start expressing themselves in peculiar manners; was it in the way they act, the stuff they support or consume. We’re desperate to go back and find that which has almost perished - the child inside of us.

Lately, I’ve started to think about what it means to be an adult. To be a functioning human being, who is capable to manoeuvre not only through labyrinths of bureaucracy but balance different human relationships. Growing up means that responsibility is not carried by our parent or guardian anymore but by us. There is no one else to blame but ourselves. But we shouldn’t exhaust the beauty that rests within us, by diving into a confined world. We don’t need to exchange one feature for the other, and definitely not on the expense of our well being. We should walk hand in hand with the child in us, for he often sees the brightest side of things, and keeps the joy in life. We often think the human value is measured in wealth and success, but I’ve found that’s not true at all. The most important thing is our experiences, our memories and relationships we’ve forged along the way. If we’d simply shift our perspective and realize what’s truly important, life would be much wholesome and full of meaning. As one lays in his deathbed he doesn’t regret not spending more hours in the office and acquiring more richness, but one regrets not venturing out to the world and truly immersing oneself in life.

Design by Louise James / Words by Daniel Pukkila

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SECTION + TECH SCIENCE

Get a Drip or Get a Grip Can a quick fix really keep you healthy?

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

SECTION SCIENCE + TECH The wellness industry is flourishing and the IV vitamin drip is one of the latest crazes to hit the UK. It’s an administration of fluids, vitamins and nutrients directly into the bloodstream, and the procedure promises to be fast-acting because it bypasses the GI system. Pop-up stalls are appearing in shopping centres offering IV drips to anyone that can afford them. Should you get IV fluids on demand? For many people receiving care in hospital or during an emergency, getting an IV drip is common. It allows fluids and medications to flow into a vein. In emergency medicine, cases of traumatic bleeding, overwhelming infection, or dangerously low blood pressure, IV treatments can dramatically increase a patient’s chance of survival. Here is the new trend: the option to receive IV fluids without medical necessity or recommendation from a doctor. A quick glance down the menu of some mainstream UK drip providers, and a few things stand out: the party drip, for example, which one may assume is full of ketamine or a mix of opioids. Alas, it only contains some saline, potassium and calcium. Retailing for £125, it promises to defeat even the worst hangovers. Sounds weird, but rather interesting - even great. Imagine dropping through the Overgate for a revival drip between Freshers events. Yes, it’s almost the price of a black card, but for those of us with sizable student loans - not a problem! Hook us up! The menu even features fat burner, beauty and mood booster drips, amongst many others. Supposedly, with the aid of just a few drips, we could defeat our hangovers and jet lag, become smarter, be happier, and all the while getting that perfect beach body ready for the summer. Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it a scam? Sounds too good to be true? Perhaps, but anything for a beach body, right? Sadly, there is really no evidence to support the efficacy of these drip treatments. Without medical necessity, these are not going to improve the health or appearance of someone already well hydrated and well nourished. Sure, some saline and potassium at a cost of £75 will hydrate you, but so will a glass of water, £75 cheaper. The wellness company ‘Get a Drip’ hit headlines for a fertility drip. The only

supplements medically recommended for women trying to conceive are folic acid and vitamin D: incidentally, the same supplements you can buy for a quid in Home Bargains. So, you wonder what on earth it contained to warrant such a hefty £250. Most thought it was nothing more than a disgraceful example of how women anxious to have a baby are exploited for profit. In the spirit of journalism, I rang a Scottish fertility clinic to enquire about fertility drips. The receptionist enthusiastically told me about boosting my chances of a pregnancy and how the doctors would tailor the IV solution to suit my body’s needs - she didn’t even catch on that I’m a man! ‘ Get a Drip’ received criticism from doctors and scientific researchers for the absence of evidence supporting the efficacy of any of the promoted IV drip regimens. Anaesthetist and ITU consultant David Jones declared, “I’m going to open a private practice of fanning people with a hat to cure their ills. £75 for 20 minutes. Exactly the same evidence base, and less risk.” Upon criticism from a pharmacologist and computational biologist, ‘Get a Drip’ snapped back asserting their drips are endorsed by a well-known nutritionist. Although, unlike dieticians, ‘nutritionist’ isn’t a protected title. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist without qualification. In recent years, MRIs, ultrasounds, recreational oxygen treatment, and genetic testing are among a growing list of things available that were once impossible to get without a doctor’s order. While patient empowerment is surely a great thing, on-demand IV fluids may not be the best example. These services are more about making money than providing a service good for your health. More scientific literature is drawing attention to the systemic problems with the wellness industry, but until regulating bodies start to engage more fully with questions around the efficacy and safety of treatment regimens promoted by the private companies who profit from us, we must do the research ourselves, exercising scepticism of claims sounding too good to be true. We need to call out acts of insensitive and immoral daylight robbery. As for Get a Drip? Get a Grip!

Words by James Dale

SCIENCE + TECH

How Dogs Stole Our Hearts Dogs’ secret people-manipulation weapon

Dogs were the first thing humans domesticated – before any plant, before any other animal – and remain the most widely kept companion animal in human history. The domestic dog (canis lupus familiaris) is commonly known in English as “man’s best friend” (and similarly in other languages), and with good reason. Cats dispute these theories, but have offered no evidence to support their beliefs and refuse all entreaties to debate the point logically, instead remaining generally aloof and condescending. Only in the last decade, researchers have made huge discoveries about the origins of our best friends. Researchers knew that DNA had been used to pinpoint Africa as the place where modern humans emerged, and hoped a similar approach could help them discover the birthplace of dogs. East Asian breeds were more genetically diverse - a hallmark of more ancient origins. As researchers continued to build their database, the pattern remained. In 2009, a genetic analysis of dogs from around the world was published, confirming that dogs had descended from gray wolves (the two share 99.9% of their DNA). The animals had likely arisen in a region south of China’s Yangtze River less than 16,300 years ago - a time when humans there were transitioning from hunting and gathering to rice farming. Their innate pack mentality, when sculpted with proper training, manifests as a high degree of loyalty and affection toward the humans that care for them, while their adaptability and intelligence make them useful helpers in a variety of tasks. Many of us are even happy to share living space with them, despite their disgusting habits eating their own faeces or vomit (and that of others), licking their butts, having smelly breath, disrespecting personal space, and keeping people up at night by barking, and they will eat practically anything, including their owners – don’t research this if you love your pets! Dogs are already renowned for their ability to interact with humans. It’s not just the walks and the Frisbee catching; canines seem to understand us in a way that no other animal does. For example, point at an object, and a dog will look at

Illustration by Rebecca Smith

where you’re pointing - an intuitive understanding of our intentions (“I’m trying to show you something”) that confounds our closest living relatives: chimpanzees. People and dogs also look into each other’s eyes while interacting - a sign of understanding and affection that dogs’ closest relatives, wolves, interpret as hostility. Dogs, but not wolves, establish eye contact with humans when they cannot solve a problem on their own. Eye contact also helps dogs know when communication is directed at them, as dogs tend to ignore human pointing gestures when our eyes are not visible. Unlike wolves, dogs seem to be motivated to establish eye contact with humans from an early age; their motivation to establish eye contact with humans seems to be an indicator of the level of attachment. Recently, researchers found that when dogs and humans gaze into each other’s eyes, both experience a rise in oxytocin - a hormone that has been linked to trust and maternal bonding. The same rise in oxytocin occurs when human mothers and infants stare at each other, suggesting that early dogs may have hijacked this response to better bond with their new human family. Further, researchers have discovered that dogs have muscles around their eyes that help them make puppy-dog eyes at you. They also found that wolves, the wild ancestor of the dog, don’t have these muscles. Dogs were physically influenced during the course of their domestication both in their behaviour and in their anatomical features. It was only in July that researchers showed how domestication transformed the facial muscle anatomy of dogs, specifically for facial communication with humans. Bottom line: the July study suggests that dogs evolved the cute, puppy-dog eyes look to better communicate with humans. It argues that the raised eyebrows and big eyes are more of a survival strategy than an expression of friendship. Dogs know all too well that we cannot resist their sad, infantile-looking eyes – an evolutionary trick to manipulate humans. The next time a dog looks up at you with those big, soppy eyes and your heart begins to melt, be aware: you are being manipulated by thousands of years of evolution.

SCIENCE + TECH

Words by James Dale

NEXT MONTH’S THEME: LIGHT UP

WHAT’S ON? 1-31 OCTOBER

2 OCTOBER

7-11 OCTOBER

10 OCTOBER

18-20 OCTOBER

27 OCTOBER

Black History Month

Mental Health Awareness Day

Mid Autumn Festival

55-hour Radio Marathon

DUSA’s Alcohol Awareness Week

DIWALI