Issue 81 - February 20 by The Magdalen

THE

MAGDALEN DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2020

ON SAFE GROUND What happens between the leap and the landing?

THE DOG GOES CRAZY IN THE FRYING PAN Idioms in languages in The Magdalen’s first bilingual article.

LEAP

MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF

MESSAGE FROM YOUR CREATIVE DIRECTORS

‘New Year, New Me’ seems to have been taken rather literally by the universe this time. New European Union and a new Britain thereby. New standards to political behaviour as dictated by the US. New outbursts of rage of Nature burning up Australia. But admittedly, also newly aired Winter Love Island to balance it all out. And one more new day added to this fresh decade’s February, giving us extra 24 hours to enter the next era right.

Hey everyone and welcome to 2020, a bit surreal that this whole university thing has been going on since 2017 for the two of us and it finally comes to an end this year. With that and this being our last magazine as Creative Directors, it’s a lot to take in.

Considering you have this copy in your hands, you have presumably noticed it all also means a new issue of us, packed full of content not to be missed. The Magdalen team has made full use of the annual break from January issue, and there’s not a page I wouldn’t highlight. To pick but a few, Community examines the relevance of living in the present for different people, Opinion looks at generation gap affecting politics, and the just released adaptation of Cats doesn’t escape our Arts + Ents critics either. What’s more, we, too, do not come emptyhanded at the delivery of new additions. Sport section is now a fixed segment within the magazine, and International arrives with multilingual articles, so drop the Duolingo subscription, we come for free! And as for the University life, we are officially back in full force. On behalf of the magazine, I wish you all the best into the next Semester. Inspired by resolutions, or just feeling it on a not-so-regular Monday, try something new over this period. Take a leap. And if you are struggling at any point, know that there is always someone to listen, as Nightline Director and our Science + Tech Editor in one person, James, hints on page 10. Happy New Year, and we hope you enjoy!

Barbara Mertlova

On that note, we’ve both been incredibly hubmled by this expeience and we’d just like to thank everyone that’s made this magazine possible during our run as Creative Directors; you’ve all been absolutely fantastic and we could not have done it without you. The fact that a magazine as complex as this, with as many people volunteering their free time to work on it, is able to come out consistently every month is absoloutely insane and it’s always such an amazing feeling seeing the fully collated and printed magazine up on the shelves . The designers, photographers and illustrators we have personally had the pleasure to work with throught this process have all been beyond fantastic and the writers that put together these amazing articles are just something else. As well as that, we want to thank you, the readers, for picking up and enjoying the magazine we’ve all put together, it’s always a treat seeing it shared on all your social media and seeing them flying off the shelves consistently every month. We’re both looking forward to seeing where the magazine goes next, but until then, please everyone have an absouletly fantastic Februray and an even better 2020.

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 Mae 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

CREATIVE WRITING Lizzie Husum INTERVIEW Mariya Radeva COMMUNITY Rose Bache CURRENT AFFAIRS Abbey McGrath FASHION Greg Sutherland INTERNATIONAL Daniel Pukkila SPORT Jack Hunter LIFESTYLE Billianna Allen-Mandeville OPINIONS Rose Kendall

COPY EDITORS Craig Robertson Erin Campbell Lauren White

SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY James Dale

PRINTED BY www.magprint.co.uk

PUBLISHER Dundee University Students’ Association

WITH THANKS TO VPCC, Hannah Skye Adams

CONTENTS FEATURE

ON CAMPUS

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

CREATIVE WRITING

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

LIFESTYLE

COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW

SCIENCE + TECH

INTERNATIONAL

CURRENT AFFAIRS

COMICS

OPINIONS

FASHION

SPORT

FEATURE

What happens between the leap and the landing? A discussion on currently unresolved issues facing our generation and how they affect hate crimes and minority groups. Here at The Magdalen we choose our themes on a rolling basis. They are decided by the whole editorial team and are intended to reflect the local, national and international areas of interest and debate at the relevant times. This month, our theme is Leap. As with every other month, the theme is open to great interpretation and can be taken as literally or in abstract as we, the team and you, the readers desire. In the literal sense, 2020 is a leap year and as anyone who has heard the delightful earwormesque rhyme knows, “February has one day more”. For the more abstract reasoning, the options are numerous and varied. February is LGBTQ+ History Month and when we do consider the history of the treatment of members of that community, we can all say objectively that the rights and recognitions gained by said community (through tireless, often unacknowledged and never unopposed work and sacrifice) have come on leaps and bounds.

Design by Neil Connor

A personal pet peeve of mine is when people state that minority groups have been “given a voice”. We have always had voices, we have always used them. We just weren’t listened to. We were ignored, discriminated against, killed. We still are. We still raise our voices. We do not stand down against injustice because we are not on the ground anymore. We are flying, through clear skies and storms, but we keep going. We have taken the leap, it’s just not safe for us to come down yet. If we don’t keep raising our voice, if we don’t keep fighting to live our lives the way every human being deserves to then we won’t land, we’ll crash. The people on the ground won’t catch us, they are waiting for us to fall. It’s not right, it’s not fair and according to the Geneva Convention, countless lawyers, politicians, leaders and academics, it’s not legal. According to just about every religion, it’s not moral, it’s not justified and it’s not kind. It is ignorant, hateful, yet spread throughout the world. We have leapt. We have flown far. We haven’t landed yet. Whilst acknowledging this month’s dedication to LGBTQ+ history, it would be a glaring omission to not say that all minority communities have faced and still face the same adversity. Rooted in imperialism, capitalist-centric and twisted hyperreligiosity, this adversity is not going anywhere fast.

FEATURE

If anything, it seems to be growing. Reports from the Home Office in 2017 show a large spike in reported Hate Crimes following the referendum on Brexit. The majority of these crimes were tied to racism, homophobia, religious associations and ableism. Better policing was argued to be a contributing factor for increased reporting but the sheer volume of the increase is highly unlikely to be because of that one factor. It is not necessary to go into great depth about the racial, religious and class factors that were influential in the Brexit debate then and now. Suffice it to say, they were in the extreme and often with a willful manipulation of the facts. Minority groups face difficulties when the political climate is calm. Brexit, from its infancy, has been the exact opposite of calm. It has been like that week in November of 2010 when the whole country was stuck under at least a foot and a half of snow. It’s oppressive, restricting and seemingly never-

ending and just when you think it’s over, you’re left with horrible slush that is even worse. We are still in the slush stage of Brexit. The snow has gone, we can kind of get on with our lives but the slush persists. And it’s everywhere and it’s annoying and it’s nothing new but by God we are sick of it. Weather in Britain isn’t exactly pleasant most of the time. Especially if you’re poor, homeless, reliant on public transport, in rural areas or in under-paid jobs. But now on top of all the usual unpleasantness of it all, we also have this slush that won’t leave. And even if it does leave, we’ll still have all the same problems as before except now they’ve been exacerbated by said slush. See how things can be taken literally and in the abstract?

As with LGBTQ+ rights and general social acceptance, we have taken the leap but not landed. For this particular leap though, the ground is getting closer and closer and for most of us, the government has either been poking holes in our parachutes or taken them away completely. Whether you like it or not, it is undeniable that the political and social situation in America has ramifications around the world. For a country that proclaims to be the leader of the free world, they really aren’t very free with the tolerance of things that go against their version of normality. However, discussing the state of tolerance in America is something we unfortunately hear enough of already. Therefore I will spare myself the pain of researching it and you the pain of reading about it yet again. The USA is a superpower by most political, military and economic definitions. Its actions ripple out over the globe. Most recently this can be seen with the drone strike in Iran. This leap into the unknown, to go with our theme, is somehow both old news and terribly perverse shiny news. Anyone with an ounce of objectivity knows what happens in war. Anyone over the age of 16 knows what happens when America declares war in the Middle East. Anyone who is Muslim knows what happens when the Western world goes to war with Islamic extremists. Anyone who is in a lower income bracket knows what happens when the army needs soldiers. Anyone living in a country considered America’s ally knows what happens when they say jump. Our leaders ask “how high?¨. This isn’t a leap we wanted to make. It is the epitome of going from the frying pan to the inferno. Except the inferno was started by the people making us leap in the first place. This is even more ridiculous when you consider that the world is literally on fire already without us adding to it. Australia is on fire. The total area destroyed by these fires covers just over the combined land masses of Belgium and Luxembourg. That is approximately 60,000 sq. kilometres (at the time of writing). These fires have been burning since September. The fire service is relying on volunteers and donations that at this stage will likely never be enough. It took ten days for billionaires around the world to raise €750 million for the Notre Dame. Those defending this fundraising say the money will go to restoring an icon and representation of civilisation and history. An abstract concept.

Words by Mae Kinch

FEATURE

In Australia, we are losing civilisation in the most literal sense possible and we have been for well over ten days. The impact of climate destruction on the fires has been debated. As with most debates on this topic, scientists have reached a general consensus following research and analysis. Politicians for the most part still haven’t quite landed on their opinion and next steps. Meanwhile, the fire is still burning. It is worth bearing in mind that despite its geographical position, Australia is considered a country of the Western world and does have significantly economical standing and international political alliances that even if they aren’t exactly doing much noticeable good right now, they still remain an option. Not every country has that. The fires in the Amazon made the news last year at an international level but it wasn’t actually a new story. Deforestation, either logging, burning or chemical destruction, is not new. Neither is the destruction of indigenous lands and peoples. Unfortunately, this is yet another “leapt but not landed” issue that we don’t have enough pages to do justice. However, I would implore you, if you aren’t already, to stay updated on these issues whether they affect you or not. It is incredibly easy to be selfish. It is easy to not take the leap when you don’t need to. It’s also a lot easier to make the leap when you have the support of the people already safe on the ground. We are all living on the Earth. We all breathe the same air. In both the literal and abstract sense, it is getting harder to breathe, to live on the Earth. Maybe not for you personally or for anyone you know. If that’s the case, you might want to think about getting to know more people. Neutrality is illusion and not one we can afford to promote much longer.

This year is the start of a new decade. For most of us, we recognise it to be the start of a new era. A lot is going to happen this year and it won’t all be good. It won’t all be easy and it won’t all be fair. It will become more and more attractive to just look out for you own little corner of the world. That won’t be enough. If we want to help ourselves we have to help each other. We have done so before and look what happened. Despite the general tone of

this article, it is undeniable that we have come on in leaps and bounds. That is because people stood with each other against injustice. We have made progress. We will make more progress. Neutrality is a luxury we can’t afford anymore. When I started to write this article, there was a particular quote that came to mind and stayed with me throughout. It’s one of my favourites and just about sums it all up. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead.

FEATURE

ON CAMPUS

Nightline Is a Confidential Listening For most students, their time at university is a really positive experience. For some, however, it can be characterised by periods of stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression. Rising fees, academic pressures and concerns about employability can all impact on student mental wellbeing. Nightline is a confidential listening, information and support service for students, running 8 pm to 8 am when other university support services are closed. Even during the weekend, hardworking Nightline volunteers will stillbe there overnight, operating

“I am so humbled by the skill and professionalism of the volunteers” Nightline services for their fellow students. Nightline volunteers are anonymous volunteers who are there for their peers without any expectation of thanks or recognition. Only last year, as part of a national Nightline Awareness Week campaign, our volunteers and alumni followed the theme of “Appreciation”. It was a great opportunity to send a loud, clear message of appreciation to the thousands of ordinary students who give up their time and sleep throughout term to help, sothat there’s always someone for other students to talk to, anonymously without judgement or fear.

Whilst the first Nightline was set up to reduce student suicides, today, Nightline Dundee receives calls from students troubled by a variety of issues: from academic stress, to bullying, to debt, to loneliness, depression or bereavement; from arguments with flatmates or worries about a friend to addictions, eating disorders or self-harm; from relationship or family problems to sexuality, sexual abuse or abortion. Nothing is too big or too small to contact Nightline about –whatever’s troubling you, Nightline is there to listen. My involvement with the service has been beyond rewarding. I cannot express fully what a great opportunity it has been, and how many opportunities have come forth as a result. My time as Director at Nightline Dundee has been invaluable –speaking both personally and professionally. My work here has cultured so many skills that have aided me in numerous other areas of life and work, and through my work here, I’ve made lifelong friends. I am so humbled by the skill and professionalism of the volunteers who give up their time to make sure fewer students have their education compromised by emotional difficulties, and I cannot overstate how ithas been to be part of it. If you are one of those volunteers, past or present, there is so much admiration and respect for you! If you would like more information, or to get involved, our website has all you need

www.dundeeuni.nightline.ac.uk Our Facebook page is updated with our availability; if you’d like to get in touch, our trained student volunteers answer calls, emails, and instant messages.

Design by Helena Lindsay, Words by James Dale (Nightline Director)

Nightline Dundee

What do YOU want to talk about? We are here to listen, not lecture.

Phone: 01382 381183 8pm-8am E-Mail: nightline@dundee.ac.uk Instant Message: dundeeuni.nightline.ac.uk Facebook + Instagram: @nightlinedundee

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ON CAMPUS

A University without Borders Bringing the world to Dundee campus

Illustration by Nicole McLaughlin

ON CAMPUS

As another successful Global Week draws to a close, The Magdalen’s Senior Deputy Editor investigates how DUSA is engaging International students on campus, why Global Week is important, and what Dundee is doing to make our University a home away from home. If you’re already hibernating in the library and Global Week taking place between 25 January - 2 February slipped your attention, you sorely missed out. As the name suggests, this week-long event organised by DUSA’s Vice President of Academia (VPA) Stuart Murphy and ice President of Engagement (VPE) Izuin Binti Abu Bakar celebrates that staff and students from 84 countries have come here to live and learn. With this in mind, Stuart and Izuin chose for each day to observe a different continent, hoping to reflect the unique customs and traditions that originate from each. It’s no mean task to bring the world to Dundee, as I found out. Stuart and Izuin have brought together a variety of University services as well as many DUSA’s international Societies, to host 20 engaging and diverse events. Reflecting on the week, its key value is in the impressive variety of events, ranging from a Global Trivia night to a club night dedicated to K Pop. There was something for everyone, whatever corner of the world you are from, including Stuart who admitted that his favourite event was the festivethemed RAG Ceilidh which focussed on raising funds for DUSA’s charity partner, Dundee International Women’s Centre. The idea behind the event was to come dressed in own country’s traditional attire, dance the night away and raise money for a cause befitting Global Week. Despite running annually, its importance never wavers, Izuin pointed out. “[Global Week] is about sharing colourful cultures with people who would otherwise not have the chance to see them”. Although Stuart and Izuin both recognise that it is a large event requiring a lot of hours and people involved, they are grateful that people do because it “is something we should embrace and showcase”.

the impact they have”. This month’s piece is written by International Staff Writer Marlena Mazura on the idioms of languages in a must-read on pages 50 - 51. That being said, to engage a group of students one week a year is one thing - we all turn up for exams after all. The trick is to achieve a year-round engagement, which is crucial to Stuart and Izuin’s roles on the DUSA Exec. They are always looking to encourage international Societies to bring their cultural festivals to campus, so that all students might enjoy them. You may have seen or even been involved in events like the MidAutumn Festival and Diwali. The former, Stuart remarked as a highlight of his year in the role and a “pure pleasure [that] will stay with me forever”. This collaboration with 6 other Societies saw DUSA host its most-attended walk up the Law, live performances, and free food. Neither Stuart nor Izuin are done there either, there are plenty of events to look out for with Holi and International Women’s Day coming up. We must also stress the inherent importance of such events. Sure, they’re fun and an excuse for a dance but as Stuart highlighted, they have a purpose of meaning, too. No matter how far you’ve travelled to study here, “being away from home can be really difficult at times”. Observing such cultural or religious festivals is crucial for embracing our campus’ diversity, and it helps create a sense of community. It’s easy to become isolated when you first move to university - a feeling which many students share, and something that Izuin remembers well after moving from Malaysia to study here 3 years ago. She found it hard “[to be] the first person to strike up a conversation” but she’s learned over her time here that “it’s best to just do it, if it doesn’t work out at least you’ve tried”. Stuart resonated with Izuin’s anxiety, describing himself as “really lucky” to have found like-minded people through Societies; something that at Dundee University we are in abundance of.

With such message in mind, The Magdalen’s International editor Daniel Pukkila has taken the leap and started to showcase bilingual articles due to “the message they carry and

Words by Rebecca Carey

ON CAMPUS

Yet, Pilar Duq, the Student Representative Council’s International Rep, reminds us that you can still be lonely in a crowded room. That is especially true if you are struggling to understand what they’re saying. To her, “language is one of the most problematic aspects that international students have to face.” There is pressure within socialising, but that’s without mentioning understanding lectures and writing essays. However, problems and solutions tend to come hand in hand. Pilar notes that there are tonnes of opportunities to improve your English on campus. You can attend free 10-week English courses alongside your degree, provided by the International College Dundee, and there are drop-in sessions available at the Careers Service to help with your CV and interview preparation. In your free time, you can try Languages Cafe with native French, Spanish and German speakers in a relaxed environment at 1.15pm on Wednesdays in the Global Room. In fact, there are groups on-campus dedicated to this very problem like Friends International Dundee, Peer Connectors and Reslife. The Languages Cafe is but one example of the Global Room being used as the ultimate home for international students. Izuin described it as “neutral territory” acting as a social zone that is somewhere between dancing at the Union and cramming for an exam in the library. Stuart also believes that it’s a place for everyone, with events from “St Andrews Day to Diwali”, and providing useful advice, as well as an opportunity to meet people and eat free food which is arguably something that transcends any language.

Choosing to study abroad and everything that comes with that is a rewarding but complicated decision. I asked Stuart and Izuin what they thought the biggest issues that international students faced were. Their responses ranged from language and cultural barriers, to issues common amongst all students. This combination of aspects to consider implies that the support an international student might need would vary from, say, my own. For instance, the International Advice Service gives out practical advice on visa applications, banking information and Brexit updates. With a small campus like ours, which however bustles with staff and students from 84 different countries, bringing the whole world to it seems like an impossible task. Events like Global Week, Diwali, Holi and the Mid-Autumn Festival are about creating a sense of community on campus. Services like the Global Room and the International Advice Service are vital for students to know that no matter how far away they are from their families or support networks, they have someone to turn to here. It’s these events, services and advocates that serve as a beacon to students, telling them that regardless of what is going on in the news or what lunatic is in power now, they are and always will have a home here. Key International Contacts: Stuart Murphy, Vice President of Academia: vpa@dusa.co.uk Izuin Binti Abu Bakar, Vice President of Engagement: vpe@dusa.co.uk Global Room: GlobalRoom@dundee.co.uk International Advice Service: uod.ac.uk/internationaladvice UoD Languages Cafe: j.knappe@dundee.ac.uk

ARTS + ENTS

Review: Cats The cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical befuddles both audiences and critics alike. I don’t know why Cats exists other than to snag a few hundred million at the box office and secure a seat at the awards table. So far, it’s done neither. The film’s director, Tom Hooper, already has an Oscar-winning, commercially successful musical adaptation under his belt with Les Misérables, but it seems that wasn’t enough. Instead he had to play God with his “digital fur technology”. Was it worth it? Considering the film’s studio had to pull their awards campaign due to a disastrous reception, maybe not. Unless of course a feline James Corden rolling around in a dustbin is your aesthetic pleasure. Cats is a concept that could only work in musical theatre. The stage show, based around a series of poems by T. S. Eliot, is essentially plotless: a gang of cats called the Jellicles gather once a year to make the “Jellicle choice,” deciding which one of them will get to “ascend” to the Heaviside Layer and then return with a new life. Each song serves to introduce the various cats and why they should be chosen. The spectacle comes in its astonishing visual design, exhilarating choreography, and genuinely affecting musical performances, the latter of which

reaches its heights with the iconic “Memory”. Hooper’s Cats retains almost none of this. The songs remain as introductory numbers for the characters — there’s Bustopher Jones (Corden), Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo), Macavity (Idris Elba), Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), Bombalurina (Taylor Swift), and Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), to name a few. There’s also Victoria (Francesca Hayward), whose role here is expanded to become the protagonist and audience stand-in. An awkward screenplay inserts plenty of dialogue (and cat puns) to provide her and the viewer with exposition to the point that the surreal magic of the original musical is all but flattened. While the film isn’t devoid of commendable moments, any sense of awe or emotional investment becomes lost in a disturbing sea of CGI and overactive editing. The lack of consistency with regards to the proportions of the cats in contrast to their settings is actually distracting, though not as distracting as the weird and incoherent costume design. Jennyanydots, for example, has the endless ability to somehow unzip her fur. Another uncomfortable moment comes in the form of a furred-up Dame Judi Dench breaking the fourth wall to repeatedly remind us that a cat is not a dog. At least it’s educational.

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin / Words by Samantha King

ARTS + ENTS

Review: Marriage Story Noah Baumbach’s latest realist drama is a deceptively simple tale of divorce, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

Shakespeare’s comedies usually end in marriage; after chaos, misunderstandings and miscellaneous obstacles the plot is neatly wrapped up when the main characters pair off together. And of course, this is a common narrative in many many (many) contemporary works. The love story we care about across film, theatre or literature, is the build up to the relationship, and it ‘ends’ where married life begins. But what happens after that point? After the wedding and ‘happily ever after’? Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story explores this, beginning not at the meeting of the central couple but at the very end of their relationship, when their marriage is beginning to break down. The film follows the divorce of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and the difficult process of pulling apart when their lives and selves have been so entangled.

Design by Helena Lindsay

ARTS + ENTS

The film (at the time of writing) seems set to do pretty well in awards season, with six Golden Globe nominations. This is perhaps in part due to the film industry’s loveof self-referential work which alludes to a nostalgic Hollywood golden age (think La La Land). Charlie is a director of New York theatre while Nicole is an actress aiming to get back into film in LA. Randy Newman’s Golden Globe nominated score is undeniably Classic Hollywood-esque, and there is at one point a small musical number, ‘Being Alive’ from Sondheim’s Company. The film deliberately compares itself to the love stories of the stage and screen, juxtaposing nostalgic ideals of love with the realism ofa very

“With its impressive performances and elegant, intelligent filmmaking, Marriage Story is worth a watch.” human relationship breaking down. And it is a realist portrayal, with aspects of comedy and tragedy mixed in together to create a compassionate, grounded perspective. One scene sees Nicole’s sister juggling between serving a bemused Charlie pie or divorce papers in a moment of bittersweet comedy. The moments of dry humour such as this break up a work that can sometimes become too thoughtful and slow, and add nuance to the film. It’s a film which manages to appear deceptively simple while doing quitea lot. The blocking of actors around the set is carefully planned and effective, with characters closed in by interiors and separated from each other by an assortment of

walls, doors, tables and gates. Even while sharing a space, Charlie and Nicole are atodds. The simplicity of the sets, with their muted colours, bring attention to the heart of the film: the performances of Driver and Johansson. It is nice to see both actors flex their skills a little more than they can in their respective Disney franchises. Driver’s Charlie is a lost man, caught in new territory that is becoming increasingly unstable. Nicole meanwhile wears many faces, trying to maintain a marble façade while a single tear tracks down her cheek, switching between the new woman she wants to become and the role of the wife she was. We feel for both characters -there is no monstrous partner with the other left as a desperate victim. Instead it’s the story of two people who have simply come apart from each other and now have to deal with a difficult situation. With its impressive performances and elegant, intelligent filmmaking, Marriage Story is worth a watch. Its emotional weight would certainly be more effective for anyone with more direct experience of divorce or the breakdown of a seriousrelationship, but even without that it manages to resonate. At times it perhaps lingers too long, and the 2 hour 17 minute run time could have been trimmed a little, but it manages to be fluid enough in its emotional range that it never feels dull. My only other suggestion is this: perhaps a Marriage Story movie night isn’t an ideal choice for an already floundering relationship.

Words by Mareth Burns

ARTS + ENTS

Review: Knives Out Rian Johnson’s writing shines in this truly modern take on the classic ‘whodunnit’ formula. There’s been a murder! Beloved murder mystery author, Harlan Thrombey, has been found dead in his “clue board” house. Though it looks like suicide, Benoit Blanc, “the last of the gentlemen detectives” is on the scene, and he suspects foul play. That’s the set up to Rian Johnson’s latest film, and one which seems on the surface to be a simple Agatha Christie homage, complete with a stately mansion setting, a feuding family as suspects and a detective with a truly outrageous accent on hand to solve the crime. However, what Johnson does is far more clever than this simple synopsis may initially suggest; there are far more twists to this tale than at first seem apparent. To say anything more about the plot would remove the impact of watching it brilliantly unfold for the first time as it truly is a film which relies on its surprises remaining unknown until the last possible moment. Johnson has managed to gather an impressively star-studded cast, with Daniel Craig leading the charge in a scene stealing, career-best performance as Benoit Blanc. Craig clearly adores the character and script (also by Johnson), and his delight is deftly illustrated on screen in his every wave of the hand, dramatic pause and doughnut-based metaphor. There is a lightness of touch and swiftness of emotion on display here which is a million miles away from his emotionally stunted James Bond. His fellow castmates are no slouches either, in particular Ana de Armas, who plays Thrombey’s nurse, Marta. DeArmas imbues Marta with an easy likeability, instantly endearing herself to the audience and showing a stunning emotional range.

Design by Leah Cameron

This comes across not only throughout the film but across single scenes, running the gamut of facial expression, subtle shifts in body language and an earnest delivery to create a strikingly sympathetic and likeable character. The rest of the cast is filled out by an entertaining line-up of big names, including a witheringly vicious Jamie-Lee Curtis, a slimy, insidious Michael Shannon and an ingeniously vapid Toni Collette. While each of their characters are fairly thinly sketched archetypes, they are clearly aware of this and play the stereotypes to the fullest. The players revel in their parts as they are each given their own moments both big and small to illustrate why they are such well known and successful actors in the first place. However, it is Johnson’s direction which allows the cast to work as well as it does. His focus is often on his characters, his camera capturing each individual’s subtlest movements, keeping the audience’s view singularly on the performances. This allows Johnson to achieve one of the most important tricks in constructing a murder mystery narrative - that of laying out all of the pieces in front of the audience through the film, but managing to distract them long enough that they are left guessing right up to the denouement. However, Johnson’s focus on characters is not to the film’s detriment, nor does it become flat or lifeless, with plenty of exquisitely crafted location shots and transitions showing a love of the ability of cinema as visual storyteller. All of this could fall apart if the script wasn’t narratively airtight

in every conceivable way. Thankfully Johnson has proven himself as a master of screenplay, creating a seemingly complex mystery with a beautifully elegant solution at the heart of it. There are flights of fancy taken to remind the audience not to take everything they see too seriously, such as Marta’s inability to lie without vomiting, but these fit well in the heightened atmosphere and tone created in the film. That said, the script doesn’t let itself run entirely on jokes and surreal indulgences, there’s a sobering political angle to the film, one which touches not only on racial inequality and immigration, but also on the imbalance of wealth within modern America. There is an awareness on the part of the filmmakers, and therefore the audience, that the Thrombey family is not necessarily the most sympathetic group of protagonists within a film and it is entertaining to see the many ways their greed manifests itself throughout. All of these disparate elements harmonise through the script which never feels overburdened with ideas. While the focus remains squarely on the murder mystery narrative, there is enough focus given to the characters, the humour, and the politics to make the film feel truly alive and concerned with more than simply telling an effective story (though it more than succeeds there as well). With news of a sequel following Benoit Blanc as he solves another case it is clear that Johnson’s attempt to create a modern and popular update of the Christie formula has been a resounding success. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

ARTS + ENTS

Words by James Kirkpatrick

ARTS + ENTS

review: Hip Priest

Design by Neil Connor

ARTS + ENTS

Edinburgh based band Hip Priest’s new single: catchy punk with a feminist message. Standing in the crowd of Hip Priest’s first Dundee gig in November, it would be hard not to get swept up in the atmosphere. They put on a vivacious, artsy performance, playing music infused with a raw energy that feels like it was written specially to soundtrack the dimly lit space that is Conroy’s Basement. Having just released their defiant, punky single at the tail-end of 2019, the band do an unnervingly good job of passing as a far longer running outfit than they actually are. Formed as a group of likeminded school friends in 2018, they spent the first few months of their existence practising covers in music classrooms after school and during their free periods. Since these unassuming beginnings, Hip Priest have vastly refined their tone. Their earlier efforts strived for an indie-pop jangle; a sound that was intriguing, but left the audience wanting something that had a little more depth. It was more of an auditory tracing of artists they admired than something personal and individual. Their more recent songs are righteous and punky, innately danceable, yet all the while they rage coherently against all that the band sees as wrong or unjust in society. I would lean towards calling it invigoratingly bratty, but it’s so much more developed, so much more informed than its Riot grrrl predecessors. The band self-define as post-punk, but clearly draws on a far-reaching and well-researched repertoire of influences, many of which are present in their single, ‘Tongueless’. The clunky, picked bass riff that starts off the track could easily have been taken from an early Buzzcocks demo; the simple, Garage-esque chord progression it underlies wouldn’t feel out of place on a Stooges record. Conversely, the drifty, slower B section seems rooted more in modern Dream Pop, and the swirling synths that lace the track lend a distinctly New Wave feel. The recording even harnesses some of the raw buzz of their live performances, punctuated as it is with shouted gang vocals. These patchwork influences coagulate into a highly effective vehicle of potent,

defiant rage. Tongueless is a track that spits in the face of authority, then raucously celebrates the denouncing of an oppressive patriarchy. Despite, as I have said, having built on the foundations left by Riot grrrl bands of the 90s, and moved away from their narrow scope, Hip Priest remain an innately feminist band. ‘Having three girls in our band, we find it really important to make our female presence known’ says Tess, one of the band’s guitarists; ‘the boys in our group equally celebrate their femininity…our themes are derived from very personal experiences such as loss, change, and love. Overall though we always channel that feminist energy into our music’ The lyrics of Tongueless capture this inherent feminist energy, referencing the Greek myth of Princess Philomela, whose tongue was cut out after being raped, so that she cannot name her abuser. Hip Priest has rightly identified this as a tale that has more relevance than ever, especially in the age of the Me Too movement. More than anything it is a protest song against all the predatory men who get away with their crimes, and an encouragement to their victims to speak out. The track was recorded in Dunfermline with the help of Brian Hughes of Screamin’ Whisper, another well-known name in Edinburgh’s underground scene. And he isn’t the only one; Hip Priest have integrated themselves with the alternative community, forming close ties with multiple different acts. Indeed, two of their members also play in the psych-rock outfit Chuli Devi. “We saw this new band Medicine Cabinet recently, they’re very cool and channel a similar energy to us,” says Tess, when asked about other young acts the band find themselves drawn to. “We like Hinds, Grimes, King Krule, Marika Hackman and Courtney Barnett too”.

All that being said, what can we expect from Hip Priest in 2020? “Well, we’re on tour with Screamin Whisper from the 21st to the 23rd – Edinburgh, Dundee, then Glasgow. We also have a lot of stuff we want to record, and a pretty good idea of what sound we’re going for, so there is still a lot to come”. Catch Hip Priest live at Conroy’s Basement on February the 22nd.

Words by Sam Harland-Sendra

creative writing

CREATIVE WRITING

The Leap of Faith It was New Year’s Eve, that time of the year again That when I’d stare up into the stars and re-read my past To look at how far I’ve come, and to see if the climb shall remain And to ponder how long this sense of achievement will last No, I don’t want to jump! Not from such a height! The height of my spirits, into another year of unknowns Where great tragedy may befall me, try as I might No, I’ll stay here, my love for this year only further grows. Eleven o’clock, the clock strikes, my mind lost in the stars Until a young me reached out from beside me And lifted me onto a rainbow road, which stretched afar through the galaxy of memories past and to be ‘Why are you so afraid?’ the child asked ‘Why do you hide your resolve behind such a feeble exterior? If only you ripped away the fears that, in this final hour, keeps it masked, You will once again be ready to traverse this world alone, and never feel inferior.’ The little one left me on the edge of the road, and returned to the platform from which I was led, The words spoken unlocking that determination that brought this year’s successes, There is no longer fear of the unknown; I relish what the new year has ahead And I’m once again ready to explore outside the starry masses And so, the clock strikes midnight And with no hesitation, I dash toward the white light at the end of the road And I greet the new year, and the future it withholds With a Leap of Faith.

Design and illustration by Lola Knibb / Words by Luke Perry

CREATIVE WRITING

The

Growth Identity of

A seed is planted in your mind, spreading through the red soil of your beating blood. You try to ignore it, or remove it like an unwanted weed, but this seed is a small resilient thing that is ingrained within you, and won’t let go. You soon realise that to truly destroy it, would be to destroy yourself. So you let it grow, silently, roots swirling and whirling around your purple veins and climbing across your bones like vines on a wall, becoming stronger and stronger every day. You wonder when those truthful flowers will burst and blossom through your skin, and you will become a walking garden of what you’ve always been. You can only flourish or fade away. People will try to uproot you, like you once did to yourself, but remember to stay grounded. You’ve grown strong enough to endure the fear, leap towards that truth and land on your own two feet. You have a place in this world,

and you were born to grow.

Design by Eryn Moreton / Photography by Domas Radzevicius / Words by Orla Davey

CREATIVE WRITING

White Feathers Fall Drawn by several cords pulled to different directions — tearing skin, thrown off balance. My hands are capable of transmitting what my spirit feels words that are flung all over are coming together to create golden strings the red thread breaking. They’re all drinking from the same pond feeding on each other’s scraps while their pockets filled with syrup crying, while they’re in their dearest dream — dancing in heaven, brushed with black ink. On the rooftops of fallen cities, the streets my father walked now renamed the café my mother sat at a writer’s workshop. And I who no longer carry hold possessions, dipped in self echoing that same deep desire of wandering clouds I often forget but as the touching of opposing waves I reunite. Slowly cutting the ropes, until I’m standing in place, while everyone else is running, in circles and I understand that I’ve not moved but kept telling my story.

Design and illustration by Gosia Kepka

DESIGNERS’ CHOICE CREATIVE WRITING

White feathers fall cover the eroded soil my imprints inside now chords of my heart’s psalms no longer the need to chase for everything comes to me — with the eyes of the earth the heart of the flowing sky I know that all is well. There is no ‘around the corner’ there is no tomorrow, yesterday only now. There is no need to reach the end for the beginning and end is the very same thing in a blink both are there and the middle is filled with my whistling; places in which I roam the love I give, receive and share basking in sensuality of the spirit, body and mind joy, and the so glorious song celebration of the victory of the only true fight that matters which never was a real battle I just chose to perceive it as such. I shall keep going and fall deep in love let the wind carry the feathers to me raise a child of true beauty and clarity flying while eyes shut and opened. In remembrance, In self, I bask.

Photography by Conchita Fraguas Words by Daniel Bringas Pukkila

25 25

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

Created by Nelly Conrad

DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE

Photography by Mae Kinch

CREATIVE WRITING

LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING T

he waves lapped upon the shore and invited me into them. I plunged

into the water and it’s coldness surrounded me. I felt the icy

I welcomed the wind’s cool embrace and felt its power encircle me

fathoms draw me deeper

I danced upon a mountain

I scrambled up the trunk of

within them until I felt new

so I could feel the wind upon

a gnarly, old tree. The bark

and clean. The waves roared

my face. It moved around

caught my knee and I watched

overhead but, down below the

me and through me, blowing

a single trickle of blood roll

surface, I felt safe and calm. I

my hair toward the sky in an

down my leg. It showed me I

had faith and, when I jumped,

unrestrained flurry. The land

was alive just as the rings on

the water caught me. My

spread out beneath me like

the tree told the story of a long

body felt weightless. Safe in

a map of things yet to come.

life, well lived. I leapt from its

the knowledge that this was

I welcomed the wind’s cool

branches and hit the ground

a good place, I allowed the

embrace and felt its power

running. Covered in mud, tired

water to flow gently around

encircle me. I climbed down

and bruised, I breathed in

me before resurfacing and

the hillside and walked out of

the air because I knew in that

swimming back to shore.

the valley.

moment that life is for living.

Design by Loréna Jurjanz / Photography by Arjun Kalsi / Words by Eilidh Henderson

LIFESTYLE

Mindful into a New Year Could ‘Mindfulness’ be the new way for students to improve their mental health and wellbeing? Roxana Pollack writes about what mindfulness actually means and whether it is just a concept created for the Instagram generation. As a student living in a constant stress bubble, I tried a cycle of things to improve my situation and relax into my routine. Since mental health awareness has increased over the past few years, I discovered about one thousand tips on relaxation. Mindfulness is a consistently reappearing concept; a staple buzzword if you like. If you have heard of mindfulness meditation, then you might agree that it is a weirdly hard thing to achieve. Looking at stereotypical portrayals of mindfulness, supposedly the only right way to practice is to sit in an outdoor space with your legs crossed in a lotus seat with the feeling that you are about to float into the air at any moment. Although, forgetting the countless carefully crafted Instagram posts, practicing mindfulness in a more down-to-earth way can be helpful when used with other forms of self-care. Originally mindfulness was created for people to use a meditative technique and focus on being aware, present in the moment and connected to their body’s sensations. In other words, consciously detach yourself from your worries and take some

Relax

time to breathe. Admittedly, a lot of descriptions like this tend sound pretty pretentious. As students, there are a million things on our minds because of our deadlines, social lives and work. Mindfulness allows us to rest instead of stress-watching Netflix, and gain a sense of agency around well-being and an awareness of our stress. Meditating is a well known way to do this; you could also take a walk, focus on your breathing, enjoy a cup of tea in silence or sit in a park observing the surroundings. While it sounds rather simple, it is surprising how much it can help with anxiety or overthinking. Like most selfcare advice, it involves changing a combination of simple everyday patternsthat can make a huge difference over time. We should view the current craze around mindfulness as an opportunity to critically look at our mental health needs. While it can provide solace in moments of distress and increase productivity, the technique ignores structural causes to mental distress. Don't be led into false expectations or view mindfulness as a quick fix for complex situations. Mindfulness can be a supplemental tool to improve thinking patterns and reactions to situations, but it needs to be integrated into a regime of care for there to be true personal physical and mental well-being.

Design by Helena Lindsay / Words by Roxana Pollack

LIFESTYLE

Leap Like Nobody’s Watching Inspired by February being UK’s LGBTQ+ History Month, we asked people from the community about some of their big steps: ones that have affected change, made a difference, and have made them proud.

Dundee University LGBT+ Society: We have recently managed to negotiate getting a gender neutral bathroom in DUSA, whilst also making a change to the outdated policy about the use of bathrooms. As a Society Committee, we feel that this is a leap in the right direction for students!

Mae (21): Two years ago, I didn’t really know what non-binary meant. Chalk it up to whatever you want (lack of media representation, lack of education, lack of simple acknowledgement...), but I remember learning about it and feeling something resonate. I pushed it away, deliberately didn’t think about it anymore, yet something lingered. It’s only been in the past four months that I’ve came out as NB and began to live my life with my preferred name/ pronoun/appearance. The difference is both subtle and staggering. Small things have changed, big things have changed, but thankfully, a lot has stayed the same. I still have the support of my wonderful family and friends, I am still the same person I’ve always been, and I’m still treated as such. I’m just not wearing someone else’s clothes anymore (figuratively and literally). I’m happier, healthier and more confident. I’m not naive, I know that things always being this easy isn’t likely, that I will probably be “coming out” and “defending” who I am for many years to come. But right here, right now, I am happy and healthy. That’s what expecting parents say when people ask if they want a boy or a girl, right? At least mine did. Guess I’ve stuck to their wishes after all.

AJM: Three years ago I attended a film night hosted by the LGBT sport charity LEAP. The film focused on the protests for Sochi Winter Olympics, and what people were doing to fight anti-gay rules implemented and enforced by the Russian government. The film informed me of the ways that sport can be used to unite people from different backgrounds, and as a result, I was inspired to volunteer with them and have done ever since. From, what I thought was an insignificant moment, I have leapt into a career in volunteering, activism and sport. Now it’s just time to change the world…

Barbara Mertlova (23): Recounting all the moments in my life I might consider transformational, I’ve come to the conclusion that as someone who is desperately terrified of routine, and as a result makes changes all the time, there have been a fair few leaps I have taken. Becoming part of the broad and diverse team behind this magazine, though, has been a major one of my life-changing leaps. Had anyone met me in first year – as I am sure is the case for many – I was a very different person. Deciding to turn my life upside down in many areas after a year of settling into everything new – university, country, language, lifestyle, you name it – with unsure key-presses, I typed up an email to the then Editor. Three years later, I have had the opportunity to help shape this little project through various positions, and while I can attest it has developed incomparably, it has without a second of doubt massively helped to develop me, as a person.

Design by Neil Connor / Words by Billianna Allen-Mandeville

LIFESTYLE

Anonymous: They say that you really find yourself when you come to university. For most people that means that they finally meet friends to have jägerbombs with on a Saturday night, or more optimistically, they get an idea about what they want to do with their lives after they leave here. When I entered halls, I was for all intents and purposes, an entirely different person. I mean, I was always me. I was always a girl, but it’s only now everyone else knows it too. I grew up on an island forgotten by time. I had no reference or role model to explain how I was feeling so the only thing I could do was push those feelings down and hope that one day they would magically go away. Obviously, they didn’t. When I finally got to university, I found myself feeling as alone as ever. Moving to a vibrant city like Dundee, I kept seeing people “find themselves”, join Societies and discover the interests that they wanted to explore. Sometimes, no matter how much you might want to, it’s not easy to accept who you actually are. I didn’t tell anyone for the longest time because how could I ask them to accept me, if I didn’t accept myself? I’m still learning, I’m still transitioning in all senses of the word. All I can say is that I’m looking forward to finding out who that person is when I get to the end of the road.

Scott Quinn: I’m the kind of a guy that likes to leap into projects with both feet, and sitting on the DUSA Exec for my second year, the VP of Fundraising (VPF) role has definitely followed suit. A lot of my time as VPF has revolved around working to see how DUSA can push boundaries, bettering our student experience and helping the charities that we fundraise for. This semester, a key part of that is the LOST Hitchhike that my team and I are implementing. Knowing that many Student Unions throughout the UK run this event, I wanted DUSA to do the same! Facing concerns of logistics, I took a gamble, did a load of research and was able to show that this type of event could be pulled off, both safely, and successfully! Happy to say the event is going ahead, it will likely raise thousands for the Dundee International Women’s Centre!

LIFESTYLE

Feminist Fajitas “No (wo)man is a failure who has friends” The month of February revolves around this one day; the 14th. It is known worldwide as the day to celebrate love, to gift your significant other something special, to celebrate them and your journey together. I question this premise every year when the day comes around. Why do we believe that the ideal, epitome of success and life itself comes when we are with someone? So much unhappiness is caused by people going out with someone just for the sake of it, or for the sake of what others think, or who they tell them to be with. This pressure, experienced by all, but felt heavily by the female gender surrounds single people over a certain age like a swarm of stigma and sexism. Recently, I turned twenty-four and I have barely begun what I want to accomplish in life. However, a cloud sometimes hovers over me, reigning a fear that I love what I study and long for a future career too much to stop or settle. This cloud is not just restricted to me. Forever it has been the dread filled dilemma for women, posed to them, that they have to choose between their career and their love life. I had quite a deep and clarifying conversation with a friend about wanting to find someone, the fear of growing older and loneliness. They asked what I wanted for the future. Until this moment, I hadn’t really given it much consideration. Yet, when confronted with the thought that I would be giving up my life, my current state of happiness and freedom, it is only then that I realised I wasn’t willing to give it up for anybody who would not allow me to be my truest self. Compromise is overrated. Moments of bravery come when you rid yourself of the wants and wishes of others. The biggest leaps come when you unashamedly accept who you are. These stereotypical patterns of thinking have lasted for over centuries. For, according to said patterns, a woman who has not given herself, her life and her career to another is not truly ‘a woman’. Throughout the world there is the belief that you suddenly become ‘The Leftover Woman’ when you have reached the grand old age of your late twenties without

Illustration by Nicole McLaughlin

marrying. This is not just a foreign concept and is disguised in the most unsuspecting places. Resounding across dinner tables in most households over the holidays were the cat-calls of relatives: “Have you got yourself a boyfriend”; “Can I set you up with my neighbour Colin?”; “Why are you single?”; “What is the point in a degree?”; “When am I getting grandkids?”. Speaking to anyone this way disempowers them by assuming that their sole purpose in life is to birth children and love a partner. No wonder then that I, and many others, feel demeaned by a day dictated by a commercialist society that has the power to inform others of what people should and shouldn’t do in terms of our love lives. To regain this power, I propose a day dedicated to the friendships that last lifetimes. When we gather together, as women, friends and human beings there is a feeling of community that lifts each other up, not fighting a competition to win the best date or gift. Life is messy, it is fun and unpredictable and to strive for perfection on one singular day is ultimately unreachable and unnecessary.

“The biggest leaps come when you unashamedly accept who you are” For all of you, this is a recipe that I have cooked (and undercooked), badly and messily, with groups of friends on nights where we felt that the world was against us but in this moment when everything mattered, nothing mattered, because we weren’t being judged; we wore our pyjamas and had stains on our clothes. With each splash of salsa and slice of red pepper, each worry we were holding onto and the bad days that we had, simply sizzled away.

LIFESTYLE LIFESTLE

Recipe: You will need: You will need: • Bell Peppers (red, yellow and green) • Tortilla wraps • Cheese • Filling option (chicken, prawn, tofu) • Onion • Tomatoes • Lime juice • Tomato Puree • Salt and Pepper • Oil • Cumin • Chilli flakes • Paprika • Garlic 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Place oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F. Slice your peppers, tomatoes and onion. Place in bowl with your filling option. In your bowl marinate your ingredients with lime juice, tomato puree, pepper, salt, crushed garlic, paprika, cumina, chilli flakes and oil ( I like my fajitas quite spicy but flavour to your personal taste). Once mixed, place frying pan on a hob and set to a medium heat. Add some oil. Place all marinated ingredients into the frying pan and sizzle until they are soft and a warm red/ brown colour. Whilst they sizzle away, pop your tortillas in the pre-heated oven to warm. Once ingredients are cooked, take out your tortillas, and get messy. Add cheese, sour cream, salsa or guacamole to your liking.

Words by Billianna Allen-Mandeville

33 41

COMMUNITY

One More Day It is a natural instinct of humans to wish for one more day upon ending something. What when we reflect on the importance of living for today? We have all said it before, we have all thought it, and we have all wished for it. We have all wished for that extra day. We have all thought, at some point in our lives, that having that one more day could change everything. It’s human nature almost, to say the phrase, “oh how I wish I had one more day”. One month ago, it was finals week, and this scene repeats itself every single semester before my eyes, I know it by heart; an immense number of sleepdeprived students wishing for one more day.Last year, my best friend’s mother passed away. Every morning when she yearns for her hug, and every night when she longs to hear her voice, she would call me up to tell me, “I would give a whole year of my life, for just one more day with her.” Another friend of mine gets together with the man she loves for one month every year, and every time following her trip alongside him to the airport, she utters the words, “I wish we had one more day, just one.” Mychildhood friend had to move from the town where we grew up. With all her bags packed, her parents waiting inthe car, she took a final look at everything she is leaving behind, and then started to negotiate how one more day of hanging out with her school friends could have made all the difference. I have a Syrian friend who had to flee his country post war. He often starts to reminisce over his country. With tears beginning to well up in his eyes, he prays and pleads for one day. One day to walk down the streets. One day to visit every alley he

used to walk on his way home, and every other one he played footballon with the neighbours’ kids. One day to have a sandwich from the falafel cart by his house, one day to have a last game night with his family.

One day to enjoy the peace before the storm. This is not an inspirational speech from a shrewd someone who won at life, quite the contrary. This is merely an invitation from someone who wants of herself and everyone else to believe again and reclaim carpe diem. In whichever way they see fit. Because even in the original Latin, “carpe diem” was rendered by different means; sometimes “harvest”, other times it was “pluck”, and sometimes it was to just “enjoy” the day. The one definite truth,

“2020 is giving us one extra ‘today’, and I promise you, today is a handful, just try and make it count” however, stands as “today”. Today is all we got and we should believe in it. We can go about our lives collecting days, minutes, and seconds, but the ones we wish we had will always outweigh whatever and whichever else. All we can do is try and make each one count. To not go a day thinking that we’ll have tomorrow, because that isn’t, and never has been a given. We have today. Maybe it does not seem as much. And maybe it isn’t. But 2020 is giving us one extra ‘today’, and I promise you, today is a handful, just try and make it count.

Design by Helena Lindsay / Words by Batoul El Bialy

Words by Rory Bannerman

COMMUNITY

MOVING FORWARD “Never been normal when compared to you, Frowning upon everything that I do, Stuck in a rut but desperate to change, Tired and sick now of living life so strange.” –Chris Traynor (Dundee resident) The wellbeing of Dundee is significantly affected by the use of drugs. Scotland's 'best place to live' is also the drug death capital of Europe. Drug-induced deaths have reached a public health crisis level for unintentional mortality; in Dundee, drug related deaths exceed road traffic accidents as a preventable cause of death. The situation has been called a public health emergency. It’s well known that the factors which can result in people’s involvement in the use of drugs are complex, and the difficulties receiving the right type of mental health support cannot be overstated. In August last year, using research from the University’s Leverhulme Research Centre, a report by theDundee Drugs Commissionargued that poverty was one of the root causes of Dundee’s drug crisis. Despite the commercial and cultural renaissance underway in Dundee, there is still persisting deprivation and poverty. The past decade of austerity, with sustained reduction in public spending, welfare reform and tax rises, has meant poverty, homelessness and food bank use increased dramatically -one in four children in Scotland live in poverty. Locally, the main food bank in Dundee is said to be the busiest in Scotland, and eight times busier today than in 2012. It’s no secret that drugs are easy to find in Dundee; Police Scotland reported that organised crime groups from Essex, Manchester and London are targeting Dundee for sales of crack cocaine –used more frequently as a party drug over the last year. On campuses, experimental and recreational drug-use pose significant challenges to universities across the UK. Responses from student surveys indicate the need to open the dialogue

Design by Helena Lindsay

surrounding recreational drug use amongst the student community. Danny Kelly, Team Manager for Harm Reduction Services at Hillcrest Futures, said there is "an appetite" in the community and on campuses to better educate the public, staff and students on overdose prevention. Overdosing; an intimidating word for sure, but what does it actually mean? An overdose happens when a person takes more of a drug or combination of drugs than the body can handle. Consequently, the central nervous system is not able to properly control basic life functions. Hillcrest Futures, alongside other third sector organisations, has been at the centre of overdose prevention efforts in Dundee, promoting the distribution of naloxone -a lifesaving overdose-reversal drug. Between January and June 2018, 283 Naloxone kits were issued by Hillcrest Futures rising to 477 by the second half of the year following the introduction of the ODnotMe campaign. Fiona Holt, a Harm Reduction Coordinator who established the campaign, recounted “We are promoting the use of Naloxone, which is an overdose reversing medication and we also provide training in its use. We’ve seen a huge uptake and if that even saves one more life it has been worth it.” The first six months of 2019 alone saw nearly double the number of Naloxone kits issued than during the same period a year earlier, increasing again to 531 kits issues between July and December. There is no avoiding the issue –new strategies are urgently needed to reduce overdose mortality, including greater access to Naloxone. Alongside improvements in Naloxone provisions in Dundee, Hillcrest Futures supply aluminium foil to people who experience dependence on heroin. Injecting drug use is the most dangerous way to consume heroin and so provisions of foil to smoke heroin could reduce harms associated with injecting, reduce blood borne virus risks, overdose risk, injecting drug use, drug related litter and drug related crime. Difficult as it might be to accept, for university students,

drug use isn’t just everybody else’s problem. In July last year, a drugs overdose death was reported at Loughborough University. Even on a campus with little drug use, students can still be affected by the level of drug use in the surrounding community. Universities can be huge drivers of change in communities and provide opportunities for the people that surround our campuses to reduce stigma and harm. By creating awareness of the dangers of overdose to those emerging professionals such as social work and medical students, as well as the wider student population, we can build greater community resilience that can respond effectively without barriers. Dundee University Students' Association are in support of Hillcrest Futures Naloxone provisions and exploring commitments to making it available during the new year. 90% of drug overdoses are preventable with the use ofNaloxone. DUSA’s commitment to stocking Naloxone is showing dedication to student health and safety, as well as the wider community. “More campuses should be doing it in some form,” Kelly discussed. “There might be a variety of ways to do that, depending on the size of the university, but getting Naloxone and getting it to students, staff and faculty is very important. Universities that don’t, and those that have their supplies of naloxone locked away in student health services, aren’t going to reap the benefits of that.”

Words by James Dale

COMMUNITY

Whilst learning about the issues faced by people who experience drug dependence, it became massively apparent that language matters. Language can have a significant impact upon health, wellbeing, and access to services. However, terminology used in policies, programmes, and research publications is often derogatory, stigmatising, and dehumanising. Kelly emphasised, “It is important to use person-centred language when working with people who use substances, as an individual is much more than their diagnosis or thesubstances they use. Using discriminatory language reinforces negative stereotypes which can prevent people from accessing services and support.You wouldn’t discriminate against others for their race or religious beliefs -discriminating against people who use substances is no different.” In addition to this it is vital to take a step back and

remember, “People who use substances are one of the most stigmatised groups in society. The language you use can help to challenge the stigma that surrounds substance use and can empower people to take control of their own lives. ”Dundee is changing fast, but the rates of positive change for this huge section of the community has been comparatively slow. As expressed by harm reduction workers in the city, the appetite exists for more help, awareness and education. The impact of the university and student community in driving change is huge. Beyond this and into the wider community, the use of respectful and appropriate language is a cornerstone of reducing the harm and suffering associated with drug use; the use of stigmatising and dehumanising language must therefore come to an end.

INTERVIEW

IS IT ALL WORTH IT? Have you ever thought about undertaking something so important that it might change your whole life?

Taking the leap sometimes throws up wonderful opportunities, but it can also cause many problems. There are countless reasons, such as current political and economic circumstances, the desire for a better life or education, or ecological viewpoints, that motivate people to shake things up. One of the most prominent examples for actions taken to challenge the status-quo was the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. The centuries of African slavery, racial segregation and discrimination had led to a mass protest movement fighting for civil rights. As a consequence, more and more Afro-Caribbean people started migrating to Western countries. That is a huge step and risk in someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, however, many people dared to chase their happiness. I had the pleasure to interview two individuals who are part of the black community and have recently established their life in the UK. Dr. Brunache was a lecturer at the University of Dundee in the Humanities department. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Mr. Joseph Benoit is a lorry driver and a happy father of 8 children.

Can you tell me more about your country of origin and your life there? B:Before the investment boom of South Beach, Miami was a piece of heaven. We spent a lot of time on the beach, in our gardens, eating tropical fruits off our trees. I had friends from many different cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Although, there were many problematic experiences that came with being Black, working class, Haitian American. J:I am from Mauritius, which is a place made up of Indian and African cultures. I was raised in a village, in a family-oriented and strict catholic environment. I was always surrounded by friends.

Design by Helena Lindsay

INTERVIEW

What kind of problems did you face in Miami, Dr. Brunache? B: We experienced several race riots, Haitian refugees willing to risk their lives, on flimsy boats for the chance of a better life than the dangerous socio-political situation in Haiti. With black and brown bodies literally washing up on Miami shores, the United States federal agency started describing the ‘’Four H’’ group of risk factors for getting AIDS —“homosexuals, heroin users, haemophiliacs, and Haitians.” Seeing other young Haitians and Haitian Americans lose their jobs, terrorised by blacks and whites and demonised even to the point that they felt no other recourse but to take their own lives... that sticks with you forever.

Did you face any difficulties during the migration process? B: There’s not enough time to discuss all the difficulties I have overcome. Homesickness hit me harder than I had expected. The lack of a Black community -at least at first -also made it difficult. The visa process was expensive and stressful. At one point, I was temporarily deported due to an application error. Thankfully, I have friends who helped expedite the process and got me back in the UK in less than a month.J:The biggest obstacle was the language barrier. My English was good, but I still found it difficult to understand the people from time to time.

How did you take the decision to migrate to the United Kingdom?

How did you find the period of settling down in the UK?

B: I met my future husband while I was finishing up my doctoral studies. I did get surprised reactions when I made the announcement. People worried about me having no family or friends, or if there even was a Black community in Scotland. Friends of colour even wondered who would help me with Black hair care. However, I received support from my closest friends. The decision was not hard —I have always been one for an adventure.

B: I came straight to Scotland and I was extremely excited. However, that wore away quickly and homesickness, the constant rain and the coldness of people kicked me in the gut. It took me a while to understand why making friends was so difficult. When I first moved, my husband introduced me to members of different Black communities. Things took off from there. Learning how to navigate the job market in Scotland was also a challenge, as there are fewer higher education institutions to apply to. Also, my area of expertise is not found in most Scottish university departments. In the end, I found the small joys in my students, and beautiful spots of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

J: It was not personally my decision. My dad came first and brought the rest of the family later. We sought a better life and more opportunities. As a 13-year-old boy, I was full of excitement.

Words by Maria Radeva

INTERVIEW

J: When we first came to London, I was excited and a bit nervous about the new school and friends. The process of settling down was normal without any major backlashes. We did not need the government help, as were already quite comfortable financially. How did this decision change your and your childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future?B:I have a very strong sense of self and what I want out of life. But letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be honest, everything is a gamble. I could have stayed in the US, maybe single or married. I may have left academia due to the steep competition of the job market or had a more successful career. Whatever the outcome, I do not operate out of fear and I take any opportunity, even if it is a huge challenge. Because of my modus operandi, life has been and continues to be an adventure with few regrets. J:I am grateful for all the decisions I have made. The life in Mauritius was quite nice, but the change was needed to make sure that my children were provided with more opportunities. All of them have graduated and started establishing their own lives. My family and I are quite happy now.

Is there anything else you would like to share? B: Before I left Miami, a lecturer told me that if I go, I will not finish my doctorate and I will probably end up being a maid at someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hotel. As you can see, that is not the case. My life has not been without challenges, but it is a phenomenal one. I finished my PhD and created a wonderful and happy family. I have become friends with some celebrities of television, music and academia. I am currently a lecturer at a Russell Group institution. I have had the honour to act as MC at the Scottish Parliament and introduce the First Minister of Scotland. My expertise has provided opportunities to be on BBC radio and television factual programmes. Our portraits had a tenure in the House of Commons at Westminster. Important historical events have shown that without a fight, no change will happen. Applied to our everyday life, taking the risk to go after your happiness is not always without obstacles. However, the difficulties people face only help them become better versions of themselves. Therefore, life is a game and the steps taken should not be followed by regrets.

Launch your next adventure. Launch next adventure. Be partyour of the 2020 elections.

Be part of the 2020 elections.

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Nominate yourself between 29 January and 21 February www.dusa.co.uk/elections Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) Registered Scottish Charity No. SCO16047

SCIENCE + TECH

TRAJECTORY OF AN INSPIRING WOMAN IN SCIENCE

I had the chance to chat with industry professional Nicola Marchant, who opened up about her trajectory through wearing different “science” suits, from scientist, to human resources business partner, global head of diversity and inclusion and focusing on bioethics, combining business and science skill sets.

With more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Nicola completed a degree in Pharmacology at the University of Dundee in 1984, followed by a PhD in King’s College London graduating in 1988, specialising in drug metabolism.

SCIENCE + TECH

How did your new role evolve from your previous company?

How did your trajectory as a scientist begin? After graduating in 1988 from my PhD, I was looking at in vitro models that could predict clinical drug-drug interactions, and the pharmaceutical industry was interested in how accurate these predictions were. So my first job was with a privately-owned French pharmaceutical company and they recruited me as a scientist. I spent eight years there, I got to set up my own lab, recruit my own team, and it was very exciting. At this stage I was married, we had a mortgage, and my focus was to get a job in an area of science that I loved.

Was it then that you had your first major career change? It was after I had been there for a few years, their HR pulled me in for a career discussion. They recommended I could either carry on climbing up the science ladder, or consider a career change as a Line Manager. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had any training in linemanaging or budget analysis, but I considered it and went to try something different. They covered my training and development in the role and then I was formally their head of drug metabolism in the UK. After being a line manager for a couple of years, they pulled me in again and said that in order for me to progress further, I needed to do a stint in France. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work for me, given that I had my family in the UK and so in 1996 I left the company and then went to work for what is now AstraZeneca.

At the time it was called Zeneca, before the company merger had occurred and this company was a much bigger organisation and required me relocating to Cheshire, where I was recruited as a manager for the pharmacokinetics department. Zeneca had a pharmaceutical side and agrochemical side, so I moved into agrochemical. Little by little I started moving away from my scientist side, and at this stage they were more interested in my leadership skills rather than my science. I had to lead the team of scientists. The way the department worked was that they only got paid for the work it did for the agrochemical side of the business. They needed me to do a change plan, where I could either bring more income in from other companies or had to downsize, and I opted for bringing more income in, and so that was me moving further away from my science because then they put me through courses on marketing and financial planning.

In this often hidden business side of science, what did you learn from your role as line manager? I met with accountants and lawyers to look at what kind of contracts we could produce to bring more work in. We also had to manage how we were bringing work in from other companies, specially when other companies were potential competitors, and so a lot of confidentiality agreements were involved. I had to learn what they called ABC costings, which involved the costs of running the lab and for example how much you would charge per sample analysis. I was also becoming more unique because whilst the scientists saw me as a scientist, the business leaders would see me as a business person, because of where my career had been going.

Design by Neil Connor / Photography by Domas Radzevicius

SCIENCE + TECH

How did you shift from your role as line manager to Global HR Business Partner? Still in AstraZeneca, my line manager and I had a career development review and he suggested I take on this role. At this point it forced me to think about, is this what I really want? And am I brave enough to do a big career change? What was attractive to me about this change is that it was within the same big company and no relocation was necessary. I then moved into human resources, which I would have never imagined. They had roles called “business partners”, where you sit on the management leadership team on whichever department you are assigned to and your role is to help them develop the people and the skills that they need to deliver the business strategy, the science. And so I stayed within the same department in Oncology and Infection as their HR Business partner. Oncology and Infection had departments all around the world, from the US and France to Shanghai, offering me a fantastic opportunity to learn about different cultures and travel as their global HR business partner alongside the department head, sometimes talking to unions, listening to staff and offering advice.

What are the major challenges that you faced in this new role? We built from scratch a Research and Development function in Shanghai, and my role was to investigate the high turnover rate in scientists, where lots of jobs were available but one of the problems of this high turnover is that you cannot develop your future leaders because they leave. We looked into why they would leave, what was the justification for that, and how we could retain them but still being something affordable for the company. I did a lot of that work in China and in India.

In your next role as a Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, what did it involve? I was tasked with finding out why in AstraZeneca, out of more than 50% of recruited women, only 20% progressed into executive positions. We ran focus groups from South America to Asia and found that women did not find these positions attractive due to the amount of hours and travelling time that it involved but a second element was unconscious bias from executives, which recruited profiles in their image, and so training was conducted to all senior executives and managers and we ensured that when they did their recruitments they had females in the recruitment panel. Nicola’s final step involved looking at the ethical component of the company, as the Vice President of Public Policy and Reputation and became closer to her science side advising researchers in bioethics, a role from which she then retired. It was really inspiring to hear about Nicola’s trajectory and often, as a life sciences student, there is no way that you can be exposed to all the different roles that you could fulfil, or all of the job titles that you can have, so sometimes you just have to take a leap and open your mind to a different set of skills and see where it might take you.

Words by Conchita Fraguas Bringas

SCIENCE + TECH

The Subreddit Known as “r” The far-right is making sure its voice is heard online. The internet pays host to vast amounts of information, and is practically indispensable to our everyday lives: whether it’s pictures of your latest night out, or the papers you need for your dissertation. This comes with a problem: what do you do when someone uses the internet to spread misinformation and hatred? The subreddit known as r/the_donald is a self-described “never ending rally dedicated to the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” and as of June of this year, has borne a yellow banner informing visitors that the site is under quarantine. This is in response to repeated violations of Reddit’s Terms of Service, in particular, rules against inciting violence. This isn’t the first time the_donald has received a slap on the wrist either. In 2016 Reddit stopped some of their posts from

Design by Lisa Dyer

reaching r/all - a collection of the most active posts on the website. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said at the time, “if we do not see the situation improve, we will continue to take privileges from communities whose users continually cross the line-up to an outright ban.” All of this raises the question, will this stop them spreading their ideology? The answer is no, according to one commenter who said, “the memes will still flow. I’ve seen them even popping up on Facebook from my normie friends.” Another boasted that he had been banned from Twitter eight times in four years for attempting to spread the pro-Trump gospel. But elsewhere the far-right have had much greater success spreading their ideas. The 2018 report Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on YouTube, published by Data and Society, identified a number of content creators connected through guest

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appearances and united by their disdain for social justice warriors (or SJWs), an umbrella term for feminists, Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists, LGBTQ+ activists and, to be perfectly frank, whoever they disagree with. These content creators may disagree on some issues, but these do not matter compared to the overall effect of them hosting each other. “By connecting to and interacting with one another through YouTube videos, influencers with mainstream audiences lend their credibility to openly white nationalist and other extremist content creators.” When more mainstream content creators such as Dave Rubin give a platform to racists such as Stefan Molyneux, and don’t challenge their racist beliefs, this allows the far-right to present themselves in a favourable light to more centrist conservatives and even left leaning viewers. What is even more worrying is that the YouTube algorithm is designed to optimise watch time. Former YouTube engineer Guillame Chaslot said in an interview with Daily Beast, “I realised really fast that YouTube’s recommendation was putting people into filter bubbles ... If a person was into Flat Earth conspiracies, it was bad for watch-time to recommend anti-Flat Earth videos, so it won’t even recommend them.” This means that YouTube acts to reinforce biases which people already have or even if people are still on the fence, they are less likely to come across viewpoints opposing those

they have already seen. After watching a number of right leaning videos for the purposes of researching for this article, I was suddenly swamped with recommendations for right-wing YouTube videos such as “Why you should be a nationalist” and “Build the wall.”

“What is even more worrying is that the YouTube algorithm is designed to optimise watch time” So what do we do? It’s not clear that demonetising or removing videos is effective. Many of these creators are funded via Patreon or, in some cases, by oil billionaires, and have other outlets too. It can also backfire in many cases. In 2017 many LGBTQ+ YouTubers found their videos were being flagged, age restricted and demonetised. But perhaps we personally can do something where social media companies cannot. If we see our friends falling down the rabbit hole of far-right content, we can speak directly to them and call out the veiled racism and antisemitism they may be picking up and repeating. For more information I recommend going to hopenothate.org.uk, a charitable trust which builds communities in order to defeat hateful politics.

Words by Callum Reid

SCIENCE + TECH

Social Media: Your gateway to connecting with long lost friends, organising political protests, catching car thieves and selling local goats!

Social media has surpassed the clichés of zombie teenagers glued to their smartphones, watching cat videos until 2 am, or stalking your ex from when you were 13. If you’re willing to get a bit creative, there are infinite ways that individuals and companies are manipulating and enhancing the existing capabilities of social media to create new ones and provide real world results. Older generations often mock the younger for their reliance on social media, but of Facebook users in the over 55 age bracket, 93% check the site daily. Now that’s a lot of “lunchtime drinks on a Thursday, aren’t we cheeky?!!” and reposted photos of grandchildren who are likely to disown their family when they grow up and find that photo of themselves, age 2, wearing a cowboy hat with a carrot stick up their nose! In comparison, only 85% of millennial Facebook members visit the site every day. This is probably down to the fact that young people and adults split their time between Facebook, and Instagram and Twitter… and YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Tinder, TikTok and whatever is going to be the next big thing. The possibilities are endless and more and more, we are seeing people using them in creative ways. One of the things about Facebook that is making members turn to other social media platforms is its controversial censorship i.e. taking down certain pages which Facebook deems inappropriate. In 2018, there was a mass shut down of 800 political

Design by Neil Connor

pages in the US, with Facebook’s reason being that the pages “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”. As a private company, Facebook can monitor its users pretty much in any way they deem fit. Unfortunately, with such a huge proportion of the population on Facebook and with plenty of people using it to aid their livelihoods, Facebook should use this power wisely to avoid creating divisions at best, or restricting freedom of speech with censorship at worst. In India, a group of women campaigning against the Citizens Amendment Act (which makes getting citizenship in India more difficult, through religious discrimination) found their protest related Instagram and Facebook pages taken down. Thinking laterally, they moved to Tinder, posting details of upcoming protests in their bios. The vastness and variety of social media platforms means that people can reach wider audiences depending on which ones they use. The women said they had a steady stream of positive interactions with people asking for more details and initiating discussion. In Kuwait, local farmers have taken to Instagram to effectively create an online market for their sheep. Each Insta post features an individual sheep for sale, with a full description and contact details of the seller. In rural areas, this makes trading livestock so much more efficient than having to haul sheep to central markets. Obviously, the sheep photos must be posted without filters, to avoid false

SCIENCE + TECH

advertising and pulling the wool over the eyes of potential buyers. In Surrey, the local police department have taken to Twitter with a vengeance and enthusiasm to rival Donald Trump trying to tweet his way out of a national crisis. During a ‘crime week’ event Surrey Police tweeted every car related theft in the county. One motivation was to raise awareness and highlight simple tips that people should employ to lessen the chance of having items stolen from inside parked cars. In the case of cars having been stolen, tweeting the colour, make and license plate of the stolen vehicle means that suddenly there are hundreds, or even thousands, of extra pairs of eyes on the lookout. Surrey Police basically crowdsourced a detective team - the general public - and put them to work helping to catch car thieves. In the States, the New York Public Library decided that Instagram stories was the ideal tool to get people to re-engage with classic novels. Tales like Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ and Lewis Carroll’s

‘Alice in Wonderland’ appeared, accompanied with beautiful animations and sound snippets. A paragraph or so of the original text appeared on each Insta story frame so that the reader could tap through the whole novel as they read. Somehow, the New York Public Library harnessed the fastpaced, image-based platform more often used to document fleeting personal moments, to provide full length novels. The public loved the idea and accessibility of reading a quirky little illustrated book on social media. The number of followers of NYPL increased by almost 75% so the stint was also successful as advertising for the Library. Social media platforms have a lot of negative press to compete with but here we’ve seen just a handful of the innovative ways that people across the globe are using social media to better themselves, overcome hurdles to gather support and engage new audiences. Ultimately, social media can be used to create communities in the real world, real world connections with real world resources. All you need is a little imagination.

Words by Rose Kendall

INTERNATIONAL

The Dog Goes Crazy in the Frying Pan Idioms in Languages

Learning the idioms of a different language is a way to not only understand a whole new culture but also the people forming it. It gives little insights into how the language and their speakers think - it shows their humour, and often even their beliefs. I can vividly remember when my English teacher in 7thgrade said to me that it will be raining cats and dogs – and I also remember the reaction of my class: boisterous laughter. Cats and dogs aren’t typically falling from the skies. This incident opened myeyes to the vast field of idioms, and more specifically the use of idioms in the English language. Things like “da wird ja der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt“ (‘the dog goes crazy in the frying pan‘), meaning something is surprising; or “von Tuten und Blasen keine Ahnung haben” (‘to know nothing about tooting and blowing’). translating into being clueless about something, are only two of my favourite German idioms. The first one stems from Schwanksammlungen about Till Eulenspiegel – a special genre where hilarious and absurd stories take an unpredictable turn, and someone ends up being made fun of because of their naivety. The specific saying refers to a story where Eulenspiegel boils a

Design and Illustration by Aylish Kelly

dog called ‘Hops’ taking his masters’ word to boil the hops, the plant (for beer), literally. A gruesome story if taken literally – but mainly amusing because of its dry humour. The use of idioms in the wrong language works the other way around too – as I have lived in Scotland for a while now, my friends and family have taken pleasure in picking apart my grammatically imperfect, and English influenced, German. In all fairness, I do not generally mess up the big ones, but small things like the order of words or direct translations from English to German do occur from time to time. Throughout the time I have spent with other internationals I have come to recognise certain idioms as specific German – and others as more broadly used ones. Language groups often share sayings – “Tomaten auf den Augen haben” (‘to have tomatoes on one’s eyes’) meaning to not see something obvious, is not only a strictly German saying but also used in Dutch. Knowing language-specific idioms is also helpful when mastering a foreign language – and it certainly proves your knowledge to a native.

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Das Lernen von Stichwörtern einer anderen Sprache ist nicht nur ein Weg eine neue Kultur kennen zu lernen, sondern auch die Menschen der Kultur selbst. Es eröffnet einen Einblick in die Benutzung und Menschen die die Sprache sprechen - es zeigt Humor und oft auch Wertvorstellungen.

natürlich die Pflanze Hopfen gemeint. Eine grausame Geschichte, wenn man sie wörtlich nimmt -aber vor allem wegen ihres trockenen Humors amüsant.

Sprichwörter wie “da wird ja der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt”, also ein Ausdruck der Überraschung; oder “von Tuten und Blasen keine Ahnung haben”, was Unwissenheit ausdrückt sind nur zwei meiner liebsten deutschen Idiome. Das erste stammt aus den Schwanksammlungen über Till Eulenspiegel ein spezielles Genre, in dem komische und absurde Geschichten eine unvorhersehbare Wendung nehmen und jemand wegen seiner Naivität am Ende ausgelacht wird. Der spezifische Spruch bezieht sich auf eine Geschichte, in der Eulenspiegel einen Hund namens ‘Hopf’ kocht, weil er sein Meister beim Wort nimmt den Hopfen zu kochen. Eigentlich ist

Im Laufe der Zeit, die ich mit anderen Internationalen verbracht habe, habe ich bestimmte Idiome als speziell Deutsch erkannt -und andere als eher international. Sprachgruppen teilen sich oft Sprichwörter -”Tomaten auf den Augen haben”, was bedeutet, dass man etwas Offensichtliches nicht sieht, ist nicht nur ein streng deutsches Sprichwort, sondern wirdauch im Niederländischen verwendet. Diese sprachspezifischen Sprichwörter zu kennen, ist besonders wichtig für den Lerner der Sprache und beweist in jedem Fall die exzellenten Sprachkenntnisse im Gespräch mit einem Muttersprachler.

Der Gebrauch von Idiomen in der falschen Sprache funktioniert auch umgekehrt -seit ich eine Zeit lang in Schottland lebe, haben meine Freunde und meine Ich kann mich noch lebhaft daran erinnern, als meine Familie großen Spaß daran, mein Englischlehrerin in der 7. Klasse zu mir sagte, dass grammatikalisch unvollkommenes und englisch es Katzen und Hunde regnen wird -und ich erinnere beeinflusstes Deutsch auseinander zu nehmen. mich auch an die Reaktion meiner Klasse: heftiges Fairerweise muss man sagen, dass ich nicht generell Lachen. Katzen und Hunde fallen in der Regel nicht keine schrecklichen Grammatik fehler mache, aber vom Himmel. Dieser Vorfall öffnete mir die Augen doch kleinere Sachen, wie die englische Wortfolge für das weite Feld der Idiome und den Gebrauch oder direkte Übersetzungen vom Englischen ins fremder Idiome in der englischen Sprache. Deutsche benutze.

Words by Marlena Mazura

INTERNATIONAL

The Year of the Rat

The Chinese New Year is celebrated all over the world and is the most important Chinese holiday. It takes place for many days and includes different festivals coloured by years of tradition. This year, we brought the Chinese New Year to Dundee to celebrate the beginning of the year of the Rat. Chinese New Year marks the ending of one year and the beginning of a new one, according to the Chinese calendar. The calendar shares similar properties to the Western calendar which is why each year, the Chinese New Year fluctuates between January and February. Similar to Christmas and Thanksgiving, it encompasses quality time with family and friends; celebrating the start of a new year which means new opportunities, a fresh start, and, of course, a big festive meal. Traditionally, families gather and gift red pockets to unmarried people or children within the family. A red pocket is, as it sounds, a red envelope containing money inside of it and is often decorated in red and gold. This gift is also a symbol to ward off evil spirits for the year ahead. This year we, the Dundee Hong Kong Society, have taken all of our resources to provide the best possible experience for Dundee students and families, in the celebration of the approaching new year, which this year is the year of the Rat.

Illustration by Patrik Vojtas

If nothing else, it allows you the opportunity of having a second go at your new year’s resolutions!

“[rat] is seen in Chinese culture as a sign of wealth and surplus and also as the beginning of a new day” On Saturday 25th January, we’ll have collaborated with Fantasia on an event called Chinatown. This will be our second collaboration with DUSA, which has been named the best student union in Scotland for the Chinese New Year celebration. With a professional team, we’ll transform Mono into Chinatown; the night will be filled with dancing to music from the far East under flickering neon signs. We’ll be serving complimentary drinks, and more importantly, fortune cookies that help one predict and navigate the upcoming year. A special cocktail will be crafted, as well as a photobooth available to fill one’s phone drives.

INTERNATIONAL

Traditionally the Chinese New Year is a long holiday, spanning several days. It starts with what is called Little Year, which prepares for and lasts until New Year’s Eve. This is followed by the Spring Festival. The New Year ends on February 8th with a Lantern Festival. To have as much variety and experience from Monday 25th to Friday 31st of January, we’re working with Dundee University and DUSA to bring Asia Week; a series of events that include Chinese New Year festive food and handing out Red pockets. The following day, we, with Dundee University Singapore Society, will be throwing a Hot-Hot-Hot Pot event. We’re using a specialised soup base to cook the food to make it as authentic and delicious as possible. People will have the opportunity of dining with their friends, boiling their own food and with the comfort and help of mouth-watering dishes meet new people. We are also preparing the soup in five different levels of spiciness for people to test out their spice tolerance. This is a great way to celebrate the Chinese New Year, gathered with friends in the warmth of fresh and traditional food. We’ll be closing and ending the Chinese New Year on Sunday 2nd February with the event of Dundee Chinese New Year Gala 2020. Dundee Chinese Students and Scholars Association has

invited University of Dundee Malaysian Society and us along with a fully supported team by DUSA the Union and the University of Dundee to assist in their annual Chinese New Year event. This year the Chinese New Year Gala show will be the biggest yet and it includes performances from a Chinese Folk orchestra, professional dance group performances, performances by pupils from Dundee’s Chinese School and talented students from the University of Dundee. Prior to the performance, there will be a market for viewers to buy items, food and drinks. This will conclude our celebration of the Chinese New Year. A holiday that originally was a ceremonial day to pray to the gods for a good planting and harvest season, as well as praying for the ancestors. It has changed through the years, but still holds great meaning in Chinese culture. It is customary for every family to clean their house, making way for good luck. It’s not unusual to see people decorating their windows and doors with red cut-outs and couplets with themes that include happiness, wealth and longevity. As mentioned before, the first day of the Chinese New Year will be on Saturday 25th and will initiate the Year of the Rat. The animal itself is seen in Chinese culture as a sign of wealth and surplus and also as the beginning of a new day.

Words by Dundee Hong Kong Society

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Your Guide to the 2020 Democratic Primary Season Across the pond, Americans are gearing up for the much anticipated election. Elections over. Brexit done. Normality restored. Well, none of those are quite true but I only have room to address the first one and at least it means we can turn away from the beleaguered array of British politicians to slightly sprightlier American counterparts. I feel that the main interest for us to follow the Democratic Primaries specifically, is that most UK mainstream political opinion can broadly fit within the range of the Democratic party. British leftists might relate to Sanders, centrists the same for Warren, and in the case of Conservatives, Biden with few major qualms. So if you want to hear your opinions being discussed, Dem’ primaries are often far more exciting than the eventual “defeat the evil Republican” general election campaigns. To this end, I give you an outline of the events ahead with all the authority of someone who followed every detail of the 2016 race while procrastinating for their A-Levels. US primaries aren’t like other elections in several respects. For one, they aren’t all ‘primaries’: i.e. regular ballot-casting elections. Many are ‘caucuses’; a more precarious format whereby

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voters turn up to debate with each other, divide the room into blocks for their preferred candidate, scream ‘aye’ or ‘nay’ as a chair reads out candidate names before being counted like aggrieved livestock if the yells are of equal volume. Because you can’t beat simplicity. Another difference is that instead of all going to one grand total, voters instead elect delegates who then vote for the candidate themselves at the National Convention. Some states do this proportionally, others reward only the first place result in a ‘winner takes all’ fashion. Lastly, the contest is state by state (though many are bunched together) and drawn out over several months so that you can savour every moment— which cable news networks of course cash in on. However, as the early contests are by far the most crucial, here’s what to expect in them: 3rd February: Iowa Caucuses Win Iowa and your face will be front and centre of the media cycle next to the word ‘winner’ as future contests approach, giving highly sought-after momentum to your campaign. Fail to make a dent in the vote share and most minor candidates decide this is the point to call it quits. Iowa’s importance means that for many months, candidates have been swarming its town halls state and have made sure to flavour their ads with rural images of honest farmhands to appeal to the

CURRENT AFFAIRS

around Iowa was a knife edge victory for Clinton, beating Sanders by 0.2% of the vote, and the only other candidate then dropping out. Despite a far more crowded field, it looks to be just as tight this time with divergent polls having Warren, Buttigieg, Biden or Sanders in the lead and, if caucusers are swayed on the day, it is impossible to predict a result until then. 11th February: New Hampshire Primary This state’s early primary status for both parties means it has high political engagement and plenty of residents have had multiple future Presidents appear at their doorsteps. Neighbouring Bernie’s home state of Vermont and giving the senator a strong endorsement in the 2016 race, it would be a shock if anyone else bested him in the polls here this time around. 22nd February: Nevada Caucuses Over 75% of this swing state lives in and around Las Vegas, so imagine Casino floors filled with placard-waving caucusers. Despite reports of chair-throwing Bernie-Bros at the last contest being unfounded, the debates will be heated nonetheless. Again, it will be seen whether the caucus format means anyone else can take it from Biden who has been consistently leading the polls here.

29th February: South Carolina Primary Unlike the previous three, there’s no chance of any Democratic nominee taking it away from Trump in November and the few Democrats that do exist here tend to the moderate right of the party. A strong showing for Clinton before, a significant win for Biden is to be expected. 3rd March: SUPER TUESDAY 14 States, including California and Texas, will host their primaries/ caucuses. Everything up until this point has been for the purposes of media momentum, yet for a single candidate to capitalise is a challenge in such a crowded field. Whoever climbs out on top after these results is usually expected to win the nomination. At the very least, expect the field to be whittled from four or five down to a final two. If any of the postulated agreements of joint tickets (e.g. between Sanders and Warren) then depending on the tightness of the results, this should be the point they’re put into action. Of course, there are plenty of other states voting between March and the June convention, and the chaos of US politics means you should expect enough mud-slinging, pact-forming, international crisis-reacting and gaffs occurring not to rule out an upset, so there may yet still be time for Yang vs. Trump.

Words by Rory Bannerman

CURRENT AFFAIRS

A LEAP FORWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY? How far have we come and how far do we still have to go?

he last decade will perhaps be best remembered for three people: Trump, Farage and Thunberg. In the UK, the realisation of a climate crisis has finally reached the doors of Westminster, with the government introducing new environmental policy in an attempt to do their part in tackling climate change. The Industrial Revolution in Victorian Britain was a time where environmental policy went as far as having sewage systems. At that time, the levels of black smoke were up to 50 times higher than the levels that we see today. It was not until the Great London Smog of 1952, wherein thousands lost their lives due to dirty air, that policymakers were prompted to take a leap forward and introduce the Clean Air Act 1956. This marked the beginning of modern environmental policy. Following this, the UK introduced the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Environmental Minister under Thatcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government, Peter Walker. EU countries quickly followed with their own ministers and at the first meeting of the Environment Ministers an Environmental Action Programme was established. This was a major step forward and has become a core area of European politics leading to legislation for all areas of environmental protection including air pollution, water protection, and control of chemicals. Despite these promising advances in Europe, the bourgeoisie of the world - China and America - have continued to grow their industries with

Design by Calum Stevenson

no effective regulation in place to combat their pollution levels. America has, in recent times, led the most important initiatives to combat climate change, however its progress has been stalled by President Trump withdrawing the superpower from the Paris Climate Agreement. Under this agreement, countries must plan and regularly report on their contributions to global warming, a useful mechanism which encourages continuous improvement in order to meet long-term goals of reducing the global average temperature. Today, we have four main areas of policy: regulation, financial incentives, environmental reporting and global policy agreements. Perhaps the most crucial is regulation, whereby governments can create rigid structures to control the behaviour of corporations. Financial incentives are a tool used by governments to create behavioural change on a more micro level. For example, the subsidy for purchasing electric cars, which has helped increase their popularity, combined with the promise to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040, is a major step in the right direction by the UK government. However, the year of 2040 seems a distant future and aiming to reduce this time limit should be a top priority. Reporting environmental impact is a tool utilised to minimise environmental damage in areas such as the construction of new projects and infrastructure like shopping centres and bridges. These systems are crucial in ensuring that damage to wildlife and pollution is kept to a minimum.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

The EU has also introduced the ‘EU Ecolabel’ which pushes businesses to go that step further when developing a new product or service to show that they have achieved an environmental friendliness requirement. As for global agreements, the UN has peddled most agreements on environmental policies and objectives. The climate summits are a platform to create these agreements, however, a stricter approach regarding adherence to these agreements remains to be taken.

‘Our house is on fire. We need to put it out’ The rise of social media has meant that environmental legislation has leapfrogged other issues. The ability to share photos and videos on a variety of environmental issues across a huge platform has created real awareness of serious issues.

Subsequently, many groups and campaigns have formed to combat climate change. The search engine Ecosia, who use their search advertisement income to plant trees, has planted over 80 million trees since it started just over ten years ago. Social media has been responsible for influencing mass environmental trends, a key example being veganism. The number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, highlighting the power of social media and their influencers, resulting in awareness of the vegan lifestyle’s positive impact. According to a study by the Oxford Martin School, a change in the world diet to veganism could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds and hugely reduced future climate damage. It does not seem unreasonable at all to switch to veganism nowadays, even if it is for a few days a week. Every small contribution can have

a big impact and with more options than ever in supermarkets and takeaways, is it really that difficult to do? To conclude, all of us on this planet need to take some sort of responsibility. Environmental policy can go far in helping to ensure industries must meet environmental standards and can encourage companies to switch from fossil fuels to renewables. However, it is just as important to affect change on an individual level. Why not purchase an electric car, go vegan or even just support one of the many charities and foundations of this movement? Social media has allowed us to take a leap forward in developing environmental awareness. Nevertheless, over the next decade, an acceleration of decisive policy is required. As Greta Thunberg would say: “our house is on fire”. We need to put it out.

Words by Gregor Smith

COMICS

Comic 1 - Ellen Forbes

COMICS

Comic 2 - Harri Johnston / Comic 3 - Lola Knibb

OPINIONS

Design by Neil Connor

OPINIONS

The stakes today are higher than ever. Politics is less a game than it is Generational Warfare. We might all be too young to remember the late Sir Bruce Forsyth’s iconic catchphrases in anything other than our regularly Saturday night dose of Strictly Come Dancing. 70s Game shows like ‘The Generation Game’ are something that will be lost to history. Despite pitiful attempts to bring it back in the 90s, the show dissolved into one-off equally cringeworthy specials which with each passing attempt made its reincarnations that much less nice to see you, to see you nice. It’s not that I have an overwhelming distaste for the show itself, just that some things belong to their own time in history. Our obsession to drag outdated attitudes and traditions into modern society simply because we associate them with an over-glorified past is a desperate attempt to cling to the memory of something familiar regardless of how good those good ol’ days actually were. The Generation Game is not the only bad decision of the 70s that we are revisiting and I’m not talking platform shoes and jumpsuits. The Economist believes we are “retreading” the 70s, repeating old patterns like they never went out of style. We remain as obsessed with Europe as in the 1975 UK referendum on the subject, continuing to question our role in the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Common Market. We remain in an increasingly turbulent political climate following our third general election in four years and despite this influx of political activity, we remain divided. The first time around, we voted to continue our relationship with an overwhelming 67%. Yet, this time, we weren’t so lucky or we were luckier depending on the glass you choose to drink from. The point is, we will not remain in the EU and by January 31st, all of this nasty business will finally be settled. We live in interesting times, the difference is now, we’re playing a very different game and no one thought to update the board, or the players for that matter. We brought back the Generation Game in the worst way. The risks are higher and frankly, the reward is a lot worse. In Brucie’s version, the different generations worked together, united despite their differences in expertise, all in the name of getting on TV and winning some prizes. I would argue that our version is a little

more… competitive? It’s a more ‘every person for themselves’ kind of a game which pins the different generations against each other. Sure, it might be harder to win but if you’re a big roller or a selfservingEtonattendingfloppyhaired maniac then I’m sure you’ll be just fine. You’re only really playing a losing hand if you’re under 30, they’re the ones that have to live with the damage for the longest. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, I’m sorry to say but I’d just fold now. Since you’re stuck with whatever future they choose for you anyway. You prove that, time and time again. You’ve tried to remain engaged despite endless referendum after generation-defining vote. You’ve taken to the streets in protest, encouraged others to use their vote on social media but for what? YouGov reported that if 18-24 year olds were exclusively voting in the recent December election, the Labour party would have received 66% of the overall seats with other left-leaning parties also performing very well. The position of the political right would have crumbled, with the Conservatives only gaining 12% of the vote and failing to win any seats at all. If we look at the over 65s vote exclusively in the same case, the result reverses with the political right outperforming every other political party in a monumental landslide. I want to be careful and not generalise, there are exceptions on both sides of this so-called “Generation Gap”, but regardless of how you want the world to look or what end of the political spectrum you are on, a gap like this can only spell disaster. However, the unwanted side effect of democracy is, as wonderful as it is to vote, not everyone is going to agree with you. It’s a fact of life that we all have to get used to, but when your life is repeatedly bombarded with historic votes and elections producing results you did not vote for, it’s hard not to lose faith in the system that enforced them. It’s a trend that has started to grow globally. With the Generation Gap almost tripling in some countries according to the Journal of Democracy, it’s easy to see how our faith in politicians and the systems that put them there, is crumbling at its foundations. I have to admit, I’m suddenly a little nostalgic for the simpler times of Brucie’s own game. I can understand that attachment to something familiar. At least I know the rules. Yet, as much as we might want to go back, the past is already gone. We can only play the game that is in front of us and nobody has won yet.

Words by Rebecca Carey

OPINIONS

I Don’t Care What You Eat

I am vegetarian, I have been for a long time, long before it was trendy and it’s a fact that I prefer to keep to myself. I’m happy eating what I eat and I really don’t care what you do. It’s not something I want to make a fuss about and it’s not something I’d like to draw attention to. I don’t preach about how much better for the environment or my body a plant-based diet is and I’d rather leave morals out of any discussion about what I’m eating. We all know where meat comes from, we’ve all probably seen a PETA type advert about battery farming etc. and we’ve all made our choices about what we want to eat.

“Don’t trot out lines you heard on a Netflix documentary to make it seem like you’re an overnight expert of plantbased diets as you chew a chicken wing in between sentences” Five years ago, upon my vegetarianism being revealed, reactions usually fell into one of two categories: “Oh, I’d like to be a vegetarian but I just don’t think I’d be able to get the right nutrition,” and the more curious, “If you were dying on a desert island with only a pig, would you eat it?”. Reactions recently have changed.

There is now a shift in social conscience and people are becoming more aware of the implications of eating meat, for the environment and the body. But there’s still a gap between what people know and what they’re willing to do i.e. adopt a plantbased diet. Increasingly in conversations, people seem uncomfortable admitting to me that they eat meat and inevitably come up with the same excuses. “Yeah, I mean, I’m basically vegetarian, I only really eat chicken,” is a pretty basic one. It’s great if you’re cutting down on meat products but why do you feel the need to tell me? I don’t care what you eat. With information about plant-based diets more readily available and a wider base of research into it in recent years, people are aware that it might be better for their bodies but unable or unwilling to commit fully. “I just feel like I have so much more energy now that I’ve cut out meat and dairy”, only to be seen a day later tucking into a baked camembert. I really don’t mind if you can’t stick to a vegan diet, it’s not for everyone and plenty of people are more comfortable with a flexible diet. But don’t try to justify it to me because you feel guilty. Don’t trot out lines you heard on a Netflix documentary to make it seem like you’re an overnight expert of plant-based diets as you chew a chicken wing in between sentences. If you feel guilty enough to be making excuses to me about what you’re eating, change what you’re eating. If not, there’s no need to try and justify yourself. Eat what’s best for you and enjoy it. I don’t care what you eat.

Illustration by Nicole McLaughlin / Words By Rose Kendall

OPINIONS

The Cosmic Calendar As we begin the new year, there’s something that might make 2020 a little more special. Perhaps that we have an extra day to enjoy it? This year is a leap year, which means that the month of February will have an extra 24 hours. What is the science behind it?

29th - must be added every four years to keep us in sync with the cosmic clock. Not only that, to adjust the uneven precision of fraction, three times in every four hundred years, we forget the rules and drop the extra day, while the fourth century forgets to forget. Yes, it’s complicated.

Although we say that a year lasts 365 days, it actually takes the Earth exactly 365.2422 days to orbit the sun. That’s almost a quarter of a day more, which amounts up to a whole day every 4 years. It may not seem like a big deal in the short term, but over decades and centuries, that missing quarter of a day adds up. Imagine throwing snowballs in July or chilling with beers on the beach in February! It’s better if we make a slight correction. This means that a ‘leap day’- February

If leap days seem fussy, what was it like before the Gregorian Calendar? In Julius Caesar’s time, a year was declared to last 355 days, with an extra 22-day ‘leap month’ added every 2 years. In 46 B.C. Caesar changed it to the modern 365-day system at the advice of Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer. Then, while he was at it, he also decided to give his name to the month we now know as July, in a true Caesarian style. Once every four years, people born on

February 29th get to celebrate their actual birthdays. The chances of being born on a Leap Day might be more rare than you think, as the odds are 1461 to 1. According to this, there are estimated to be around four to five million ‘leaplings’ in the world.

three times in every four hundred years, we forget the rules and drop the extra day If you’re not a leapling celebrating your birthday on this day, you may want to consider spending February 29th celebrating anyway - it falls on a Saturday after all!

Design and Illustration by Aylish Kelly / Words by Sasha Knudsen

FASHION

Milk, Super-Noodles and Gold Hoops

Jewellery can conjure up connotations of mysticism, objects which imbue sentiment and superstition. Jewellery can symbolise and showcase a person’s wealth, faith and power. Jewellery is a part of human identity and is intertwined in our history as much as it intertwines with our bodies. Despite these grand ideas, jewellery doesn’t escape our modern society and its flaws. Recently, one night I ran to my local corner shop to buy booze before the 10 pm cut off. I was bewildered to find in between the milk fridge and biscuits, under the flickering fluorescent lights was a shabby grey turn-style fixture full of jewellery.

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

This was perhaps the oddest placement of jewellery I’ve ever encountered. It was like an abandoned magpie’s collection of shiny objects, beaded bangles and crass bits of scrap metal. When do you ever need to buy bits of cheap metal alongside your milk and bread? As someone who studies jewellery design, the past few years I have been learning, experimenting and practising the skills and techniques used to make jewellery. I read about the rich history, the superstition that surrounds jewellery and views jewellery design as a form of artistic expression. So, you can imagine how deflating it was to find this fixture in the corner-shop. How quickly and easily jewellery can be cheapened.

FASHION

The frustration is that this ‘jewellery’ which I saw on sale lacks almost everything that can be associated with jewellery. It was devoid of any quality that makes jewellery so captivating and intriguing. Made from low-cost materials and displayed little craftsmanship. The design was thoughtless and there was no sentiment or symbolism to be found. In my own head, I have attached an ironic symbolism upon it. As it represents the worst qualities of our society. These objects were like the anti-jewellery. They are somehow jewellery but yet represent everything jewellery is not. Our habits of consumption have led us down a path of purchasing cheap metallic tactless objects that may as well be in the same category as one-use plastics. They are almost throw away and disposable. We have seen the move from plastic to paper straw, maybe next we’ll make the move from metal to some form of biodegradable jewellery. After a night out you can take off those earrings you got to go with your dress and put them in the food waste bin. Sadly, jewellery is nearly always seen as an accessory, never considered the main event. It is an afterthought or for many never even thought about. I doubt most would go as far to buy it in a corner shop. However, many do buy costume jewellery in high street shops, supermarkets or online retailers. The actual low price of this jewellery is not necessarily the issue nor is it being made from low-cost materials an issue. Although many closely associate jewellery designs with precious metals, the use of fabrics, plastics and natural objects are as much a part of jewellery design as any metal. Making jewellery from precious metal isn’t a qualifier for good jewellery. It can just make something that looks cheap very expensive. After all, an 18kt gold Gucci logo ring is priced at £1970. There is a Dutch jewellery designer, Gijs Bakker, who created a series of jewellery that featured real gemstones alongside fake gemstones made from plastics and glass. The metal used as well wasn’t necessarily precious metal. It may have been silver but may have also been aluminium or a plastic disguised as metal. Yet it was almost impossible to differentiate between these materials. This clever use of material can bring us to reconsider the value of objects that we purchase. Jewellery should be about more than what it is made of. We should have a wider approach on how we judge the value of what we buy. There is

value to be found in craftsmanship, sentiment, symbolism and well thought out design. Jewellery that is able to blend successful use of material with style, symbolism, sentiment and craftsmanship is what I would consider good jewellery. Jewellery has the potential to not just be the cherry on the cake. Jewellery can be the spice, that enriches and gives flavour not just to your wardrobe but to your life. These objects have the potential to carry so much sentiment and act as extensions of ourselves. “Jewellery should say Hello I’m clever and witty and stylish rather than Hello I’m rich” - Camilla Dietz Bergeron.

“I was bewildered to find in between the milk fridge and biscuits, under the flickering fluorescent lights was a shabby grey turn-style fixture full of jewellery” When buying jewellery, you should do so with thought and consideration, as they are multifaceted objects that can represent and be worth a great deal. Considered and mindful buying should not be confined to jewellery. Slow buying is one way to buck the trend of instant gratification and fast culture we belong to. This is difficult as wastefulness is everywhere and every purchase has a consequence. However, one simple way you can start is to not go buying any jewellery that is next to the milk fridge.

Words by Greg Sutherland

SPORT

A New Era in Modern Wrestling

The world of wrestling has seen a style shift in the last two decades, from the days of big guys chokeslamming to more agility-based displays of strength. Now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing a tonal shift with an emphasis on diversity and equality. Sports entertainment, or wrestling, is one of the largest sporting events on television. The scripted displays of athleticism and acrobatics paired with the soap opera-style drama provides something for most to enjoy. With most brands airing multiple shows per week and Pay-Per-Views (PPV) every month business is good.

Illustration by Nicole McLaughlin

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a household name that has undoubtedly dominated the scene for the last 20 years, regularly selling out 10k+ capacity arenas and running four brands under their franchise with full rosters of athletes. WWEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success is arguably less to do with the unrivalled skill of their athletes and more to do with a lack of competition. With the larger competitors of iMPACT and the cult indie scene lacking the financial backing to prove a threat, WWE remained unphased, until recent rise of AEW.

SPORT

AEW began with a tweet, a challenge and the ambition of three professionals. A tweet from a fan to Dave Meltzer (sport historian and journalist) asking whether he believed Ring of Honour (RoH), an alternative American wrestling brand, could sell out a 10k+ capacity arena was met with the blunt response: ‘Not anytime soon’. Cody Rhodes, Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) took this personally with Rhodes responding “I’ll take that bet Dave. I already gave them their biggest buy rate… put the Bucks and I on the card and 3 months to promote.” All being major players and title holders within the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), an elite Japan-based company and RoH brands, they did not struggle to rally support from fellow sports entertainers. Many key, current or former WWE listed athletes were targeted by the ‘Elite’. The legendary commentator Jim Ross, was amongst the first to sign, signalling real potential for success to fans of the event. As the weeks were counted down, new signings were revealed. Cody Rhodes was by no means a nobody. The golden boy of NJPW and RoH’s influence was built on a successful dynasty. His brother Dustin, better known as Goldust, controversially turned his back on WWE after a lifelong career when he neglected to renew his contract in support of Cody. Their father, a legend of unrivaled proportions, Dusty Rhodes was a key figure throughout wrestling’s recent history both on and behind the scenes. In a way, AEW owes its success to the Rhodes Dynasty and the inclusive push that has revolutionised the outdated industry. Formerly known as TNA, iMPACT is an American televised wrestling company that has poached many former WWE wrestlers over the years in their search for an alternative path. Few have remained and despite a following, the brand remains an unofficial bannerman for the WWE. AEW has been the first brand to unsettle WWE in over 20 years. It is also the first brand since the 90’s to sell out a 10k+ capacity arena that wasn’t WWE. It has beaten WWE viewings on multiple occasions and has continued to compete admirably against its development brand, NXT, in what has become known as the Wednesday Night Wars.

Although the continued financial success of WWE has been obvious since the expansion of its target audience to children, it was definitely at the cost of fans of the attitude era (the era of carnage before censorship). Suddenly, gone were the days of sexually charged storylines, steel chairs to the face and, trivial in comparison, swearing. Arguably the best thing to come from the WWE in recent years has been the televisation of its development brand, NXT. What was once a behind the scenes, opportunity for potential talent to develop personas, moves and confidence, has since taken to the main stage under the supervision of Triple H. A long career in the company has cemented his place on the management side as his performing days are coming to a close - and marrying the daughter of the Chairman hasn’t hurt either. Once in a while, the brand sees athletes promoted from NXT to Smackdown Live or Raw; WWE’s main rosters. These promotions are not always offered to the fan favourites or to the most successful, but often to performers that have clear potential to flourish with more room. The company has in recent years been the centre of controversy with the signing of a long term contract for an annual PPV in Saudi Arabia and a multimillion dollar contribution to its already unfathomable economy. A seismic event known as the Women’s Evolution has undoubtedly been a key factor in WWE’s continued success. The push of four key female wrestlers and the switch from the title of ‘Divas Division’ to ‘Women’s’ has been a long awaited development in the company. The 1 belt Divas title belt gained by winning a ‘Bra and Panties Match’ has now become 2 Women’s Belts won by any manner of match, under the same rules as the Men. Although WWE has made an effort to remain relevant, in real-world terms its themes are still outdated. True fans of the sport would agree that AEW is a welcome change.

Words by Jack Hunter

NEXT MONTH’S THEME: BLOOM

WHAT’S ON? 01 - 29 FEBRUARY

08 - 09 FEBRUARY

13 FEBRUARY

21 FEBRUARY

24 - 29 FEBRUARY

24 FEBRUARY

LGBT History Month

DUSA Exec Nominations close

Scottish Economics Conference

RAG week

Volunteering & Work Experience Fair

Start of Faritrade Fortnight