Issue 63 - October 2017 by The Magdalen

MAGDALEN

SIX SECONDS DARK SIDE OF THE CITY

OCTOBER 2017

ISSUE 63

FEATURE - IS THE UNIVERSITY HAUNTED?

Dundee Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Free Student Magazine

MAGDALEN ISSUE 63

FEELING ANXIOUS? NEED A RECHARGE? COME TO OUR SAFE SPACE FOR A QUIET PLACE TO RECOVER LOCATED ON LEVEL 4 TUESDAY NIGHTS - VOLUNTEER DEPENDENT

OCTOBER 2017

delicious recipes for pierogi and the perfect sangria, which (as a Magdalen first) is translated into Spanish and English!

This month we got to explore the darker side of Dundee: the haunted locations around our city and our campus, and the stories of paranormal activity happening all around us.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

ctober is a beautiful month of festivals and cultural holidays... My favourite being Halloween and the cinematic scares each year brings. Though the scariest thing about October is not Halloween - it’s realising summer is over, the colder months are coming, and it’s closer to New Year than you ever imagined.

We also chatted to local makeup artist, Muriam Ahmed, about her favourite Halloween looks and how to create them for when you’re out this Hallow’s Eve. And if you do go out and have a little too much to drink, you can find out how to cure that hangover in our Science Section! If you’re not a fan of all things dressing up or drinking, and you prefer a quiet night in watching some films, flip over to our Arts and Entertainment Section for some movie recommendations from our Editors. Need some snacks and refreshments? We’ve also got you covered with some

And if you’ve been keeping up with the latest American Horror Story and fancy some more political scares, Current Affairs have been seeking out the cults and the culture behind political memes and what they mean for politics in our generation. Mila Georgieva Editor in Chief

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mila Georgieva SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF

David White OPERATIONS MANAGER

DEPUTY EDITORS

Murray Glen James Russell ART & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS

Liam Biddle Rebecca Reid COMMUNITY EDITORS

Alastair Letch Taylor Petrie CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR

Becca Wilson CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR

Calumn Wilson FASHION EDITORS

Rachel Cairns Emily Fletcher INTERNATIONAL EDITOR

Shanley McConnell LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Malcolm Kyeyune OPINION EDITOR

Ellie Biggs SCIENCE EDITOR

Alex McCraw COPY EDITORS

Catriona Leslie Paula Lyttle Dervla McCormick Stephanie Smith

ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sarah Duffy DESIGNERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Aaron Donald Aidan Spence Bethany Dick Bryony Ogilvie Claire Pollock Coral Gallagher Crispin Joseph Dóri Szőke Duncan Adams Eilidh Shedden Fraser Robertson Iona Sorbie Jenny Hampton Julia Burns Leah-Ann Walmsley-Pledl Melissa Cocker Olivia Sharkey Patrick Hughes Piyanut Daodueng Rebecca Reid Rebecca Scouller Ryan McKnight Veronica Hamilton PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER

Nicole Cumming

Feature - Is The University Haunted?

10 14 16

Six Seconds Warrior Excerpt Jack

20 23 27

404 Politics In Prose Movie Night Picked Right Halloween Movie And TV Classics

28 30

Dark Side Of The City The Von Trapps Of Dundee

34 36

Corbyn vs. The Mogg: The People’s Choice National Front In Modern Scotland

40 44

Bringing Scary Back Being A ‘Tattooed Person’ Who Doesn’t Want To Be A ‘Tattooed Person’

46 48

How To Make A Perfect Sangria Blueberry Pierogi

52 54

Autumn Is Perfect Paranormal Investigators

58 60

Be Free This Hallow’s Eve Stories From The Other Side

62 64

Make That Hangover Flyby Radiant

CREATIVE WRITING

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COMMUNITY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FASHION

INTERNATIONAL

LIFESTYLE

OPINIONS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Daisy McConville Dom Iona Sorbie Jacob Scoular Nicole Cumming Remus Leung

SCIENCE

COVER PICTURES

Dom, Nicole Cumming PUBLISHED BY

Ana Ranceva VPCC DUSA Airlie Place Dundee, DD1 4PH vpcc@dusa.co.uk

PRINTED BY

The Magazine Printing Co. www.magprint.co.uk mpc@magprint.co.uk

CONTENTS

Ellie Biggs

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fabio Maragno

FEATURE

“rumours of

haunted locations...

his year for Halloween we followed some rumours of haunted locations around campus and ended up in a small room with high ceilings, concealing books from the 1500s. Some were bound with animal skin and had spines which looked anatomically correct; and if that wasn’t eerie enough, we even stumbled upon dictionaries so old they were devoid of words like “yolo” and “selfie” - time capsules of the English language, contained in boxes to ensure the spiders were kept out.

We were incredibly lucky to be granted access to one of the oldest parts of the University, and would like to thank Caroline Brown, Sharon Kelly, and the rest of the University Archives team for helping us out; as well as Kirstin Bannon and Katie Jowett for aiding our organisation of this spooky campus tour. Thank you, all!

Happy Halloween!

DON’T MISS ANY PREVIOUS MAGDALEN ISSUES

P.S.

Please do not go looking for the abandoned places on campus! They are preserved for a reason and we’d like to keep them in this condition for many more years to come.

ISSUE 62 issuu.com/themagdalen

Photography by Dom

Four.

But its tongue. I’m closer now and I can see its tongue, and part of me

by Rebecca Baird

Six.

There is a dead deer in the middle of the road and I am going to die. Here is a simple outline of my situation: I am travelling at around seventy miles per hour and it is pitch dark when it should be dusk. I cannot stop the car in time and when I hit the deer, my car will spin into oncoming traffic. And then I will die, possibly killing others in the process. I became aware of this roughly one second ago, when my headlamps illuminated the carcass of the stag which had conveniently dropped dead two seconds before that.

I have six seconds left to live, and that is that.

Five.

My foot is attacking the brake pedal with all the aggression and effectiveness of an impotent rapist as I hurtle towards the beautiful, hulking mass of doom before me. I am lucky, as my imminent demise has convinced time to slow, enough that I may appreciate the poetry of it all: the way the deer is lying, like a pre-pubescent boy slumped on his bed, exhausted by the task of growing. But of course, it is not growing – it is dead, and therein lies the poem. I see its blank eyes, staring with clouded pupil directly into my own and as I face my death - I literally face my death - nice touch, isn’t it? I marvel at the way

its untouched, unbloodied coat gleams an alien vermillion in the arid glow of my headlights, and I see an otherness in this once-familiar creature. Perhaps the most predictably unnerving feature is the eerie, bone-white antlers, like the dead, lonely trees upon which hungry ravens sit, waiting for a corpse like his. A corpse like mine. And it is all so perfectly tragic, written with such crafted brilliance, that I almost don’t mind the whole “certain death” thing.

Then again, I suppose most of the ways you can die are pretty dumb. In the instance of this poor, antlered fellow, I imagine he was bounding along, his might and majesty dramatically lit by the spectral fingers of the setting sun. Then all of a sudden, one single sinew in that beating mass of blood and bone collapsed, and down he went – a clumsy flailing of skittering legs and an unceremonious thud. Dumb. And what of myself? What am I to be? A glob of gooey flesh smeared onto the tarmac, unrecognisable; and all because a piece of reformed stardust grew muscles and a heart, put an engine on a tin can and then there was a dead deer in the way? Ridiculous. Dumb. Hilarious.

Three.

Of course, that’s not what the papers will say. Journalists are so concerned with the truth that they fail to consider the facts. They’ll report my death with the illusion of utmost respect; vultures, feeding on the carcasses of incident, they will lament the world’s loss of me in brassy headlines, using words like “tragedy” and “grisly accident”. It will oh so sombre and sleazy, spoon-feeding the morbid masses their hunger for gruesome calamity. All will tell, with wonderful literary embellishment, of how grotesquely unfair my death was – but tragically, none will acknowledge how joyously funny it is sure to be. If you don’t believe me, pick up that paper next to you; that one which stains your fingers with the world’s inky indiscretions - you love it because it is so selfishly sad an object. Pick it up and read the feebly bold headlines and consider how hilariously undignified death really is. Please, it would comfort me.

Seconds.

wishes I’d closed my eyes because what a goddamn ridiculous expression it wears, with its vacant eyes and this stupid, insolent tongue, sticking out all raw-pink and squishy and dumb. What a dumb way to die.

CREATIVE WRITING WRITING CREATIVE

It is brilliantly stupid and unabashedly ugly, and this is the fact of death.

Two.

Here we are: “schoolboy howlers crushed in stadium as exodus of fans leave in

rage”

Isn’t that pretty? Doesn’t it make your ribs shudder, weakening the very cage of your pitying heart? Children – mere children – crushed in a stampede of angry, drunken uncles and fathers. Sickening. And yet…silly. Imagine these tiny boys, little fingers still clutching their candyfloss sticks as their soft bones are broken by the heavy boots of the men that they will never become. Look at how their unwitting faces change from confusion to fear to vacant, stupid death as bellowing bison-men charge over them, uncaring. It’s crazy…crazed. It is brilliantly stupid and unabashedly ugly, and this is the fact of death.

DUSA BELIEVES THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIOURS ARE UNACCEPTABLE... UNWANTED SEXUAL COMMENTS, INCLUDING COMMENTS ON AN INDIVIDUAL’S BODY OR PRIVATE LIFE

Another! “minutes after take-off, rocket

headed into space crashes, killing crew and ground control”

Amazing. Don’t you love it? Belonging to such a bumbling, endearingly little species that we set our flying tin cans on fire and are still surprised when they fall and burn us? We are like the dogs we laugh at, who bring back the thrown ball and are shocked to our very core when the ball is thrown once again. How cute we humans are, oh, how adorably clueless.

COMMENTS DEEMED AS RACIST, RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBIC, XENOPHOBIC, TRANSPHOBIC AND DISABLIST UNWELCOME SEXUAL INVITATIONS, INNUENDOS (SEXUAL SUGGESTIONS), AND OFFENSIVE GESTURES

One.

Of course, not all deaths are dumb or silly or funny. I pray for the little ones (though not to anyone in particular); the ones whose mothers’ bellies sag and while pregnant still with the ideas of these children, they bleed. I pray for the generation stuck on the telephone, making money they cannot use to own a place they do not live in, whilst their parents decay and wither away. I pray for those whose life grants them no such courtesy of a physical death.

WOLF WHISTLING, CATCALLING, OR OFFENSIVE SEXUAL NOISES GROPING, PINCHING OR SMACKING SOMEONE’S BODY MOVING OR GRABBING SOMEONE’S CLOTHES WITHOUT CONSENT

But mostly, I do not pray, and since I have a deathcar rather than a deathbed, I’m not inclined to begin now. The ransom plot of death, I believe, is to fool us little sentient bags of meat into romanticizing this time span we all call “life”. We, like all meats, have an expiration date, and whilst I cannot make a strong case for what we ought to do about it –

EXPOSURE OF SEXUAL ORGANS

Shit.

ANY CONDUCT WHICH INTIMIDATES, DEGRADES, HUMILIATES OR VIOLATES AN INDIVIDUAL’S DIGNITY

Zero.

There is a dead deer in the middle of the road and I am going to die.

OBJECTIFICATION, FETISHISATION AND STEREOTYPING OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION LEADS TO A CULTURE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND ITS NORMALISATION.

Photography by Nicole Cumming

Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) Registered Scottish Charity No. SCO16047

CREATIVE WRITING

Wa r r i o r Georgia Cairns

The sword glinted, despite the twilight sky. It appeared to have its own presence that demanded attention, the crimson stained edges only heightening the fear it inflicted. The Warrior limped forward, one brown buckled boot dragged behind him, a red liquid trickling down his leg, swimming in the muddied puddles below. The battle was done. His army had been decimated. He walked alone among the corpses of his friends. The victorious shifted through the bodies looting what they could, paying little attention to the old man wading through the blood. The Warrior had ripped his colours from his chest only a moment ago and now he dragged the bloodied blue from a limp and lifeless man and threw it over himself. Survival. He weaved between the huddled soldiers trying desperately not to be noticed. The sword held perfectly steady, waiting. If he could just get past. If he could just get to the forest line. If he could just ignore the twisted and tortured faces of the corpses below his feet. He passed too close to an enemy. A young boy, far too young for battle, scavenging a body. The Warrior crept silently by. He didn’t dare breathe. There was a moan. A long, hopelessly desperate moan from below his footing. The Warrior gazed at the torso that writhed under his left foot. One of his. He didn’t know his name but he remembered his face. The way his exaggerated smile stretched from ear to ear when he’d first been given his weapon. The enemy looked up stunned. The Warrior watched warily as the kid’s expression shifted from surprise to fear to aggression and then finally to relief. He’d noticed the blue and recognised him as an ally. Thank god. The Warrior’s attention turned back to the still-breathing dead man.

He twitched and shuddered as the old man lifted his foot. Blood spluttered from his quivering lips as he gargled his cry for help. The Warrior sighed, pushing back the sadness that threatened to flood him. He lifted his sword, raising it high above his head. He blinked furiously, begging his tears not to surface. The kid grabbed his arm, too tight. The Warrior turned stiffly to face the enemy. Had the boy seen the sympathy in his eyes? Did he know? The kid grinned wickedly. Blood stained teeth twinkled in the retreating sun. His hair was slick and slippery, his skin pale and contorted by burns. His eyes gleamed as he looked excitedly to the crimson dagger he held. “Can I?” the kid giggled. His joy was excruciating. The Warrior hesitated. Every part of him begged him to say no. He wouldn’t, couldn’t let this evil imp before him steal the life of the brave man lying below. And yet, the Warrior’s eyes flitted down and his sword lowered. The kid laughed and began to straddle the living corpse. He played with the blade, letting the poor soldier watch in total fear. His eyes screamed and kicked and fought desperately, but his body only trembled. The Warrior bowed his head and stumbled on. Still the Warrior wandered through the dead. The trees seemed to retreat as he approached them, prolonging the journey. His feet were heavy, his injured leg like lead trailing behind him. His breathing was ragged, sweat slipping slowly down his skin. He looked up to judge the distance once more but he couldn’t see the trees, the beautiful green that promised everything would be okay. All he saw were bodies. Mounds of them reaching out their crooked crimson hands, begging him with eyes that screamed. They choked on rivers of red, whispering words he couldn’t hear but knew all too well. They were inviting him, inviting him to join them. He belonged with them. He should be dead. They were his comrades and his family and he had should have stayed with them. He shook his head, pushing the image back. Some cowardly squeaking voice within didn’t want to die. It screeched in defiance. A scared little shrill voice that overwhelmed him, forcing him forward. He wanted death, he knew that every inch of him wanted death. But the voice wouldn’t let him.

he wind folded over his figure. His black hair licked at his features, long and untamed and caught up so easily in the dance of the playful breeze. A shadow invaded his face, making his eyes too deep and cheeks too hollow. Age had etched itself onto his features, turning eyes that once held vitality into the black lumps of coal that now cowered in his sockets. He was a large man, with broad shoulders hunkered over in an aggressive stance. His hands, clutched to a two-handed long sword, clenched and unclenched, clenched and unclenched. He was readying himself.

White, grey, black – Red His cracked lips slip Between the sheets of brick. A screeching glisten surrounds You cannot interpret the eye that reads the book But to him You are poetry.

Liam Biddle

Illustrations by Julia Burns

Rusted, writhing -

CREATIVE WRITING

The most erratic of smiles,

He waits. An unfamiliar road, Purpose, the questions go but their correspondence - never makes it back. You share with Him the isolation and

Dusted and bleached Curving, calloused grin with wits sharper than his edges – Jack.

His white complexion blends to background.

From a void, the interwoven never spoken space infinitely chuckling, you amuse Him.

A familiarity in Your being

He appeared in ______ Place –

That anyone who is no-one

Because that’s all it ever seemed to be

Cannot make anew – have You met?

The template to an idea.

Solitary Confinement It’s just Him and You.

White, grey and black Flatten out the word ‘data’

Time a thread, an un-calculated expense

and inhabit it.

Fear a dread, who knows what’s known. But Jack?

Rows upon rows of identicality Every structure a shadow of itself

A forgotten solace, washed-over white

Recurrence occurring

Washed-up wood, once You

To live or exist, He has the final say

A play-thing for Them to psychoanalyse

Ruthless surveillance, He watches You.

But You’ve seen ______ Place through His eyes.

He shares with you the ______.

404_

Politics

I 20

n a world swamped by ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’, one might not be mistaken in believing it’s 2017 going on 1984. Orwellian dystopias have seen a surge in popularity after the latest US Presidential Election, along with a ream of socio-political writings like 404 Ink’s “Nasty Women”, which received an impressive 369% funding on Kickstarter. Published on the 8th of March to coincide with International Women’s Day, “Nasty Women” is a collection of personal essays on being a woman in the twenty-first century, and deals with a range of hefty, but relevant topics, from Brexit to contraception. The book’s title is taken from the infamous phrase used by Trump to describe opponent Hillary Clinton during a presidential election debate. The phrase ‘nasty women’ (in the fight against normalisation and sensationalist rhetoric) has been reclaimed as a positive and empowering title, symbolic of defiance and female rebellion. Although not best known for his avid interest in literature, Trump was at the top of the list to get a copy of the book, along with Piers Morgan. Taking their name from a common HTTP status error code— 404: Not Found, 404 Ink was created by female duo and #GIRLBOSSES Laura Jones and Heather McDaid. Two inspiring women who have defied expectation and tradition in the publishing industry to create a new, alternative, and UK-based, indie publishing house.

Prose

F R I D A Y

1 3

O C T O B E R

With more than twenty contributors, and thousands of supporters including Margaret Atwood, it seems only fitting that this the little red book be published in print, offering a more defiantly permanent stamp on the world than offered via the politically autonomous, fleeting world of the web. The theme of blunders and miscalculations continues to run rife in today’s politics, and in the UK’s recent coalition of chaos, we seem to have stumbled upon our own network error— 404: Majority Not Found. We are communicating with our server, but they are unable—or unwilling—to respond. Is there a broken or dead link between our political leaders and the people that they represent? Or have we just been Trumped? Nasty Women makes an bold attempt to bridge this gap in communication, to give the voices of women in 2017 a platform from which to be heard and understood. Although the future seems uncertain—and perhaps frighteningly nuclear—in the words of 404 Ink, all we can do is “keep telling our stories, and tell them loud.”

Rebecca Reid

DUNDEE fb.com/DistortedDundee

@ G e n e r a l D is t o r t

J O I N US !

Find out more at FB.ME/TAYPRODUCTIONSDUNDEE www.dusamedia.com/

WWW.DUSAMEDIA.COM/TAYPRODUCTIONS

MOVIE NIGHT PICKED RIGHT

here you go, flicking through a Netflix ‘to watch’ list, recommended for you or (please no) the Netflix Horror section in hopes of finding something scary, far from the cringe-worthy annoyingness that plagues the genre. I’m a sucker for the adrenaline that comes with a good horror film, the pinnacle of this experience however, is that one point in the year that people who dislike the genre, let their guard down and agree to join a scary movie night. There’s a safety in numbers, right? Then why are these people going off on their own -oh my the frustration! Example uno: Miscommunication – if you’re watching a horror film, that has good tension, ideas and jumpscares but a group of people who, when it comes down to it aren’t as scared as you’d be in that situation then something is lacking. Even when you’re watching horror, you want that flight or fight instinct to be at least marginally tapped into. There’s that one dude that pipes up with ‘well that’s just stupid, surely they should…’ and to be honest, they’re usually right. Can you imagine the satisfaction that comes with having that person sit in silence and be at loss on how they’d deal with the scary? At the very least, these are common thoughts that cross most audience’s minds when they watch horror flicks.

RUN BY YOU

HOW TO HORROR:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PRODUCTIONS

The concept of communicating well and still being at a loss in a scary situation is frightening and satisfying to give characters the intelligence they deserve - sometimes. A fairly new horror film that uses communication as a plot device is It Follows (2014) and currently resides on Netflix amongst a lot of sub-par movies but don’t let this one go by you. It’s got a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes if that aids your curiosity, here’s hoping your group hasn’t seen it already as it’s bound to hit the mark. If you tend to quench your thirst for fright often, I’d recommend The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017) - it even stars previous University of Dundee rector Brian Cox and boasts 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Using a classic isolation set-up, the film takes places primarily within a family owned morgue, a nice father and son combo to have your feels and fears satisfied because let’s be honest, we want older people to be safe a lot more than the typical jock and blonde pairing that make many bad decisions. This film has supernatural that’s backed up by practices and lore that help make it as scary as it becomes, brilliant acting and even a cat – so you have even more people to form an attachment with and then stress for an hour and forty minutes, but it’s an interesting stress that never becomes predictable.

With the remake of Stephen King’s IT movie adaption on the horizon again, the genre is somewhat returning to the classic movie monster roots but in more of a psychological twist, a formula that is slowly being perfected in recent years. The likes of John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) comes to mind, whether you’ve seen it a lot, there are unsubtle factors that make it more of an event movie that separates what’s happening on-screen to your own world. Intelligent horror comes with subtlety, something terrifying happens, but who’s going to believe you, where’s the proof? Jump-scares must be done right; Insidious Chapter 3 (the best of the three, and it needs no prior series knowledge) is an absolute diamond in the rough for actual scares. The rough being that it’s in a horror series with sequels which screams to a lot of people as cash grab and they’re usually correct. A top tier modern monster film currently on Netflix is The Babadook (2014) with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an absolute distaste for jump-scares – there is literally zero, you might not trust that though and I get

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Both It Follows and The Autopsy of Jane Doe have two very important similarities; they both feature this sort of hybrid of movie monsters meeting the monsters in your head. Pinpointing anxieties, fears and traumas with a sense of heightened normality that isn’t as extreme as Insidious - if you’ve seen it you understand the supernatural eclipses are not the relatable normalness that Horror often needs to connect more directly.

that. The film is creepy, unsettling and has scares, it’s simply non-reliant on jump-scares like displaced loud noises or screams that you can’t prepare for. This film lets you prepare and still ruins you. Bone Tomhawk (2016) is another modern monster film, set in the old west. Modern in the way they approach horror, it’s an amazing western and a truly horrifying build-up and climax that delivers and then some – but it is still a Western, so bare that in mind if you’re looking for start to finish horror for your movie night. Just remember, Netflix is a dangerous place and a student movie haven if you find the right picks, so happy hunting!

Liam Biddle Illustrations by Duncan Adams and Leah-Ann Walmsley-Pledl

HALLOWEEN H

alloween: the only time of year you’re happy to be seen dead in public, donning fake fangs, fake blood and applying liberal amounts of black contour on your face; when you’ll proceed to drink way too much and wake up the morning after looking (and feeling) perhaps more deadly than the night before. Oh, the joys.

Beetlejuice (1988) “Don’t even say his name. You don’t want his help! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” This movie follows the bizarre and supernatural story of a recently deceased couple whose home is bought by an unpleasant family. Invisible, hopeless, and in a real-estate nightmare, they call upon the help of a freelance ‘bio-exorcist’ to scare the invading family away: none other than the notorious Beetlejuice. But his freakish antics prove to be nothing but a hindrance to all involved. Coming from the unhinged mind of Tim Burton, this fantasy-comedy is sure to get you in the Halloween spirit. Expect entertaining dance scenes and unparalleled eccentricity. The Addams Family & Addams Family Values (1991, 1993) “I’m just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It’s just... I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade.”

This fantasy-comedy film series is very Tim Burtonesque, its sweet and just on the darker side if goofy, the most notable quirk being the family’s servant, a sentient severed hand named Thing. Both films are thoroughly entertaining, and although screwball, the Addams’ are an extremely loveable bunch whose lives are underpinned by good morals and strong family values. You’ll be hard pressed to find kooky, off-the-wall genius the likes of The Addams Family and Beetlejuice in movies nowadays (and if you do, let me know)! The Twilight Zone Though not strictly a Halloween series, the first week of October marks the 58th anniversary of this legendary sci-fi series, so it seems only fitting to mention it in this list. This anthology series spans various genres, from psychological horror to fantasy and thriller, and its macabre episode endings make it perfect for Halloween viewing. Typically, characters inexplicably find themselves in futuristic and often paranormal circumstances, having crossed over into “The Twilight Zone”. Ranked as the third best-written TV series ever by the Writers Guild of America, this is definitely one to look out for if you’re a TV series fanatic. You can currently watch all of these on Amazon Video, and I would highly recommend that you do. Even if you don’t get around to watching them all, at least check them out for Halloween costume ideas!

To get you into the Halloween spirit (or maybe ease you through that post-Halloween hangover), we’re highlighting some of the best and most entertaining Halloween classics to make your late-October viewing complete.

Originally appearing as a series of cartoons in The New Yorker the Addams family, an eccentrically gothic and immortal family who live in a suitably spooky old mansion, became a successful TV series in the sixties. In an early-nineties revival two films were made. In the first, a couple of imposters attempt to con the family out of their estate, only to come up against the relentless weirdness of the kooky family. In the second, the family are torn apart by the arrival of a new baby and the nanny hired to care for him.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rebecca Reid

COMMUNITY

DARK SIDE OF THE CITY A Tour of Dundee’s Spookiest Sites

Fo r those who’d prefer to keep cosy indoors with a nice book as the chilly weather sets in, there’s plenty of resources about the city’s dark past that can be found at the Central Library’s Local History Centre, located at the back of the Wellgate Shopping Centre; and in the university’s own archives. For those who are willing to brave the cold and get out and see the sites for themselves, why not get together with some friends and book yourselves onto a Dark Dundee tour?

Next time you’re out and about in the city, why not keep an eye out for these bits and pieces that provide a closer insight into the darker side of the city?

There’s a variety of tour themes for you to choose from- the ‘Dead Centre’ tour focusing specifically on deaths that took place in the City Centre, the ‘Twisted in Time’ tour looking at some of the city’s greatest myths, and the ‘Crimes of Passion’ tour doing exactly what it says on the tin. Even next time you’re out and about in the city, why not keep an eye out for these bits and pieces that provide a closer insight into the darker side of the city? Number 2 Roseangle - the ‘Murder House’ Right on the university’s doorstep lies a house infamously known as the ‘murder house’, as it was the scene of a double murder in 1980, in which a local elderly doctor and his

wife were beaten to death with a hammer. The crime wasn’t discovered until a group of medical students accidentally kicked a ball into the couple’s garden, and saw the bodies through the window. The building remained abandoned until 1989, when it played home to a group of students, but was abandoned again after only two years, and has remained as such ever since. The Last ‘Witch’ Grissell Jaffray was the last person to be accused of, and executed for the crime of witchcraft in Dundee, in 1669. There is a plaque in Peter Street just off the Murraygate (across from Tesco) commemorating the incident, as well as- perhaps more interestingly- a flame mosaic just below it, depicting her burning at the stake. RSS Discovery and HMS Unicorn The city’s two most famous ships might not be the most obvious places to go ghost-hunting, but there’s been enough paranormal interest in them over the years that they’ve even been featured on an episode of Most Haunted. The Unicorn in particular has been the site of numerous reports of shadows, moving figures and strange noises, all believed to be apparitions. For more information on Dark Dundee tours, go to www.darkdundee.co.uk

Taylor Petrie Photography by Nicole Cumming

hile Dundee may be known as Scotland’s sunniest city, it’s got a surprisingly dark history. From wars and witchcraft, to monsters and murder houses, there’s a wealth of ghost stories within the city to discover- and what better month than October to do so?

For a drama society that juggles organising, writing and performing multiple shows - pantomimes, to Fringe shows and original content - there is a lot to do. For many, not just students, the society presents itself as very relaxingly, promoting a sense of openness for all involved. Knowing that certain shows are organised over only a few weeks means the work is a challenge however it comes with satisfaction when the final production is in in place.

critics might ask? Fortunately, throughout the fringe, I managed to catch their two original shows: “Open Heart Surgery” and “Size Matters”. When seeing them perform at Sweet Holyrood (Sweet Venues also being a Dundee based events company established by a former alumni of the society) at the Edinburgh Fringe it was fantastic to see the actors in action. During the interview with the society most members around that table were actors, believe it or not! However, it is one thing to have a conversation about acting and another to see their art in person. “Open Heart Surgery” was conceptually fantastic exploring the ideals and reality of couples therapy and LGBT relationships. As Sandra, a struggling couple’s therapist, forces herself to work with Will and Leo, a same sex couple, she is conflicted and yet opens herself up through the process of providing counselling. It masterfully conveyed mixed feelings and self-exploration.

For new students, the society constantly takes on people regardless of past experience. The society is a good mix between new and longstanding members, a trait quite unique given how cliques can form easily or how dependant certain members can be become to the group. Lip theatre handles leadership with diplomacy; everyone has a chance to give input on what can be done. Everyone has the chance to present ideas for shows - whether classics or original concepts - that people can vote on. As opposed to an authoritarian model of choosing arbitrarily, there is thought and enthusiasm behind finding what suits the society which is, if anything, uplifting.

The portrayal of such intense characters was striking and clichés or misconceptions were nonexistent. Despite it also having a serious theme, the ironic humour and subtleties made for excellent entertainment. To know that this production was created entirely by the society is a reflection of their maturity, especially considering how much effort went into establishing such deep characters. Credit also has to go to the supporting cast as to establish the story as realistic, the side characters: Megan, Will and Jeff’s sister and the blunt husband of Sandra, all worked well to build the theme of the piece. Rob Currie- the writer and head of the society- did well to write something so meaningful, and it was all covered within the space of an hour none the less.

So, what about their actual performances? Are they any good, many of you objective (and slightly blunt)

For the second half of the Fringe run, LIP put on a comedy piece: Size Matters, written by Ewan Gray.

An insight into the illustrious LIP Theatre Company

s an ingenious way of acquiring a costume I wouldn’t have thought it to be a cause to one of the greatest issues within the UK. Hyperbolae? Perhaps. Though to find this out about the LIP Theatre Company and their costume sorting antics was an insight that many might overlook. As a student led theatre society in Dundee that has flourished over the last 25 years, there has also been countless hours of work behind the scenes to ensure its longevity; both as a great source oft entertainment yet also as an opportunity to open the doors to aspiring actors and theatre enthusiasts.

COMMUNITY

The Von Trapps of Dundee:

“The reason why the NHS is struggling is due to us stealing all their pyjamas.”

The play centres itself around a washed-up thespian actor - Jim Arrandale - and a phone call that could save his career. However, his egotism and inability to co-operate with his fellow actors and staff leads him to taking increasingly outrageous actions to save his reputation. To the delight of the audience, seeing such depravity and desperation in the character of Jim made for a fantastic evening. The supporting cast in this play were equally fantastic, as every character could be imagined within the setting. For something like this to come together within the space of a month, raised an interest in the idea of a Dundee based counterpart to the Fringe; to present a festival that supports the arts in Dundee. To this, Rob Currie responded: “A Dundee Fringe is not a new idea! JD Henshaw and Annie Marrs who run Sweet Venues (where our shows are) are both Dundee based and do a lot with the arts scene up here. They ran a venue in Dundee in 2015 with an aim to building up to a small-scale Dundee Fringe. In fact, this year Sweet are bringing several of their Edinburgh Fringe acts to Dundee Rep for a series of late night shows this autumn, so there’s definitely a Fringe buzz in Dundee post-August already! Would it be beneficial to the city to have a Dundee Fringe? Sure! There’s a huge arts scene in Dundee; with the Rep, DCA, Creative Dundee, the V&A and so much more. There’s a lot of performance potential too with societies at both universities, students at Dundee & Angus, and local schools, not to mention the various choirs, companies, writers and performers across the rest of the city. European Capital of Culture 2023,

right?! That said, there is nothing on earth like the Edinburgh Fringe!” The idea of arts benefiting the community of Dundee like this is fascinating and it is something that could help shape the future of the arts scene in Dundee. With local groups like Lip Theatre and Sweet Venues having a motivation to be behind it the concept of there being a Fringe is beneficial. For students, there would potentially be an avenue for having fun whether as a punter or performer. Equally, the potential economic benefit that a Fringe might bring is inspiring as it could offer employment to those in the arts scene of Dundee. That said, Lip Theatre has already done so much for the community: with student based plays, Shakespeare and a Pantomime all set to return for the upcoming semester. With a lot going on, the society remains consistent in being inclusive, especially for the year ahead. We look forward to seeing their shows in the near future. If you are looking to express your passion for acting, writing or stage management, then why not get in touch with LIP at www.liptheatrecompany.co.uk/ Or if you are interested in becoming a critic, then we at the Magdalen are looking for avid theatre buffs: https://dusamedia.com/magdalen/

Alastair Letch Photography by Nicole Cumming

FEELING ANXIOUS? NEED A RECHARGE? COME TO OUR SAFE SPACE FOR A QUIET PLACE TO RECOVER LOCATED ON LEVEL 4 TUESDAY NIGHTS - VOLUNTEER DEPENDENT

politically active young people organising a vision for their respective parties, counter to that of the mainstream leadership.

Curtis Large, Dundee University student and a youth campaigner for Moggmentum and familiar with the

Murray Glen

subculture of young,

If anyone has come across the plethora of political meme pages on Facebook, Reem Memes With a Right Wing Theme or Sassy Socialist Memes to name but a few, one can identify a growing trend: the rise of grass roots, often partisan-free activists spreading messages through Facebook content. No one, least of all The Magdalen is implying that memes represent a brave new front in political discourse, but what they could represent is clear evidence that there is a growing subculture of young, politically active young people organising a vision for their respective parties, counter to that of the mainstream leadership. This leads one to ask if the mainstream and subculture of british politics is about to collide.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

There is a growing

man himself said: “Momentum and Moggmentum certainly The two names which seem to dominate this online share a similar origin, the feeling of an acute disconnection sub-debate are Jeremy Corbyn between elected representatives and Jacob Rees-Mogg whose and grassroots party activists. wildly loyal online followings In the Labour Party this has Momentum and see them as future torchbearers of manifested itself as a conflict Moggmentum certainly share the Labour and the Conservatives between Blair’s centrist MPs a similar origin, the feeling parties respectively.1 Corbyn’s and a groundswell of Socialist of an acute disconnection grassroots support is nothing new. support amongst the younger between elected representatives generation.” He went on to His communications strategy has and grassroots party activists. drawn criticism from PR industry talk of Rees-Mogg’s prospects professionals who point out that the specifically: “Is it any wonder Tories’ communications strategy why Jacob has come to the front? leaves the public in “no doubt” as to their ambitions and A passionate Conservative and Brexiteer who carries the policies, whereas Corbyn has to, in their eyes, “change torch for limited government and personal responsibility. Like his approach”.2 What should be remembered though Corbynistas, we are returning to forgotten ideals. So we have is that Corbyn’s supporting campaign, Momentum, is both turned to previously sidelined backbenchers, who, like still thoroughly active on social media long after the the grassroots’ discontent, could be backbenched no longer” 2015 leadership campaign and is a self-styled “proFrom this evidence, we can see that as suggested, Corbyn” campaign group giving him a ready-made Momentum and Moggmentum represent a clear base for policy advice and PR support.3,4 The fact that Momentum has 165,128 likes compared to Scottish undercurrent in the supposedly united party Labour’s 24,394 likes shows just how much support messages. With Corbyn’s victory in his challenge Corbyn has from the internet and the previously for the leadership of the Labour party, a precedent disenfranchised Labour masses, especially the tech has apparently been set and is being explored by the savvy youth.5 After all, there has been no shortage of Conservatives in an attempt to prompt fresh leadership. articles explaining and dwelling on the fact that it was What appears to be happening is that the grassroots of the youth vote which gave Corbyn his position and the two major parties are attempting to enact a greater authority today. influence on the prevailing message of their leadership, perhaps seeing the political upheaval of post-Brexit Rees-Mogg or “the Mogg” to his supporters now snap elections and reshuffles as an opportunity to fill has a similar safety net of grassroots support for any any gaps in the multitude of voices gunning to be potential leadership bids.6 Perhaps not affectionately, heard in the field of policy ideas guiding the party but certainly deliberately, Mogg’s group has called towards the next parliament. itself “Moggmentum” and has taken inspiration not What is worthy of current speculation and future just from Momentum’s name, but also its methods of revision is the tangible impact this could have on future outreach. It too has put particular focus on its online presence, and through memes, has turned Rees-Mogg’s leadership. In the case of Corbyn, his popularity has already been cemented in large portions of the Labour character into an easily accessible pop culture figure capable of appealing to younger Conservatives. Perhaps movement, giving support from die-hard fans other MPs from his party front bench may not be able to bank the biggest example of Moggmentum’s influence on on in any leadership coup. The Magdalen will revisit younger minds is the news that a young supporter had this story later in the year to see what changes the two the group’s name tattooed on his chest, sending their groups have brought to the field. name into the public consciousness.7

ew younger readers will know much about the far-right political party known as the National Front (NF), an electoral irrelevance since the 1970s. Recognised as a militant group that espouses racial populism, ethnic nationalism and Holocaust denial, they have so far failed to convince the British electorate to send a candidate to any national parliament. Most NF members joined its “modernised” rival, the British National Party (BNP), in the 80s and 90s - but it refused to budge. While the BNP was enjoying its heyday in the late 2000s, with two Euro MPs, a London Assembly member and an appearance on Question Time under its belt, the NF chose to remain on the fringe of the fringe, rather than to disband. And there it remains; in this article, I want to be even more particular, I’m interested in the fringe of the fringe of the fringe, the NF’s current involvement in Scotland’s local politics.

I was surprised to see their name re-enter my consciousness earlier this year

The NF wasn’t always such a minnow. My Mum is from Camberwell, a working class community in South London. She remembers noticing NF activity

as a schoolgirl, especially during the race riots of the late 70s and early 80s in Lewisham and Brixton respectively. A tumultuous time in London’s modern history, she often recalls her teachers wearing “little yellow badges” (those of the since defunct Anti-Nazi League) and has been eager to share her political memories with me. Therefore, I’ve always understood the NF as a bygone from when Morcambe and Wise were still on TV. Needless to say, I was surprised to see their name re-enter my consciousness earlier this year, proposing two candidates for Aberdeen City Council, down from the six they nominated in 2012. Standing in the same series of local elections as a Conservative in Dundee, I’d often joke about being on the wrong side of public opinion; thankfully, the NF collected just 39 of the 69, 687 Aberdonian ballots cast. I, an English teenager, mockingly described by SNP MP Pete Wishart as “playing a Tory”, was comparably indemand with my 350 votes from the sagacious people of North East Dundee. Scotland is heralded as the historic cradle of enlightened, egalitarian ideals; but did you know that we elected a slightly different type of character in October 2015? Enter David MacDonald, Chairman of the UK-wide NF and member of Aberdeen’s Garthdee Community Council, an area encompassing the

It only took a couple of Garthdee Council meetings to surface the disputes that invariably come with the election of a contrarian politician. MacDonald rejected the Council’s attempts to assist a local Nigerian family in finding accommodation and subsequently forced the delegation to relocate after the Inchgarth Community Centre considered his leadership of the NF a breach of their equal opportunities policy. In January 2016, The Herald claimed that political activists, under the direction of MacDonald, who “quit the BNP as he did not think it was right-wing enough”, targeted recruitment drives at secondary school pupils in Dundee (as well as in Aberdeen and Glasgow). Warded off by Dundee City Council, copies of the notorious NF youth magazine, Bulldog, were widely distributed to local 14-16-year-olds.

I’d like to conclude on a broader political point about the future of Britain’s radical right. However contentious this may seem, the 2017 collapse of electoral support for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has the potential to be unhealthy for the future of British democracy. Fringe parties such as the National Front will be ready to fill the vacuum of right-wing populism left behind by UKIP, which is broadly recognised as a mainstream party with pro-democracy sentiments. As I write this, violent NF demonstrations are popping up across England and, as I hope you’ve learned, the machinery is in place for similar events to happen in urban Scotland. Let this be a warning.

During the 1970s, impressionable Bulldog readers were encouraged to report their teachers to the party structure if they were suspected of harbouring left-wing sympathies - an Orwellian blacklist was

Local NF activity is certainly worth keeping an eye on; in Garthdee we’re afforded a rare and microcosmic insight into the prospectus of an openly fascist political party and their view on how Scotland should be governed. By my, albeit rudimentary, analysis, MacDonald is the only neo-fascist politician ever to be elected north of the Border.

Curtis Large Illustrations by Fraser Robertson

A Profile of the National Front in Modern Scotland

subsequently featured in every issue.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

“Little Yellow Badges”

campus of Robert Gordon University, whose diverse student demographic represents 132 nationalities. Elected to a seemingly farcical post with just 18 votes, it would be easy to dismiss Cllr MacDonald as insignificant in an otherwise tolerant political climate. However, having been locked out of mainstream political discourse for so long, MacDonald’s NF has been eager to whip up local controversy in the past couple of years.

I love Halloween. I really love it, to practically American levels of enthusiasm, yet I have doggedly dressed up in the same costume (a witch) since I was 5 years old. This is not because I can’t be bothered, I love dressing up and I create a different outfit every year, I just have a very strong belief that Halloween costumes should be scary. In the eternal quest to be original and/ or sexy, traditional scary Halloween costumes seem to have all but disappeared. Sexy crayons and Mario characters just aren’t Halloween to me, and nor is Pop-art or Frieda Kahlo (if you must be intellectual about it, go as a dead shark, which at least used to be frightening). One thing that seems to be bringing about a resurgence of the scary costume however, is the growing popularity of gruesome Halloween make-up. Not only is it childishly fun to paint yourself in gore (and peel it off later), but with a little bit of extra make-up, you can tweak any costumes you already have― your sexy crayon becomes a sexy, dead crayon and you’re all set! Therefore, in the interests of not only your Halloween costume, but of Halloween itself, I’ve had a chat with Muriam Ahmed, a local make-up artist, for her tips on creating a truly scary make-up look.

So, Muriam, what would be your number one Halloween make-up look for immediate impact? Well, the most unusual thing I’ve ever stuck to my face was a Coke can! But my all-time favourite Halloween look has got be Freddy Krueger. Not only is Nightmare on Elm Street one of my favourite movies of all time, but the costume is a classic! To create this look you would need a big roll of kitchen towel, some liquid latex, a bald cap, face paints and spirit gum. It’s mostly just a case of layering product, and having a lot of patience with the products― just remember to have fun with it! Do you have a favourite ‘pretty’ look that’s still Halloween-y? BAMBI! Bambi is probably the prettiest look I’ve ever done, it’s child-friendly and the most adorable character I’ve painted. I normally specialize in special FX but with this one all you need is some card for the ears and some face paints, which you can buy from Hobbycraft or any craft store.

FASHION FASHION

The Magdalen speaks to local MUA, Muriam Ahmed, for her best Halloween make-up tips.

Well that does sound really cute although it’s not strictly scary― if you were going for a more gruesome look however, how does one achieve the gross and life-like wounds that are all over Instagram at the minute? To achieve a gross wound, I start by layering liquid latex and paper towels on top of each other four times to create a base. Using a tooth pick, I’ll pick at the ‘base’ to create a scab and get the texture I want and then begin to add colour: Use your foundation to blend the edges into your skin, adding shadows for bruising around the wound, then add runny and coagulated blood to the scab and you’re good to go! That definitely sounds impressive, but do you have any tips or looks for those who might not be that great at make-up? YOUTUBE. YouTube is the number one source for Halloween. I love YouTube and it’s where I learnt everything I know about special FX. A lot of people assume I went to college to learn these skills but all you really need is practice. If you’re not a make-up person

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UNWANTED SEXUAL COMMENTS, INCLUDING COMMENTS ON AN INDIVIDUAL’S BODY OR PRIVATE LIFE

however and aren’t interested in attempting a YouTube tutorial, there are inexpensive products you can buy, such as premade scars, and wound kits you can stick to your face. Eyeshadows are a good thing to have as you can create all sorts of bruising with them too. Do you have any star products that we should invest in for Halloween? Star products for Halloween have to include blood! In my kit I have a wide range of materials including caps, latex, gelatine, spirit gum, tissue paper, coagulated blood (all sorts of blood actually) and foaming capsules. The cheapest way to buy paints and craft products is, of course, online; one of my favourite websites is www.extrememakeup.com which has everything you could need and more! And finally, do you have any tips for those who would favour a more subtle look? If you don’t want to be over the top then stick to face paints or regular make-up; they are less hassle to remove and you can still create anything you can imagine. Halloween themed eyeshadows, in shades of orange, green and black are also great. You could even draw a tiny spider on the side of your face or a cobweb to indicate the theme. This would be more glam and less gruesome.

Rachel Cairns

COMMENTS DEEMED AS RACIST, RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBIC, XENOPHOBIC, TRANSPHOBIC AND DISABLIST UNWELCOME SEXUAL INVITATIONS, INNUENDOS (SEXUAL SUGGESTIONS), AND OFFENSIVE GESTURES WOLF WHISTLING, CATCALLING, OR OFFENSIVE SEXUAL NOISES GROPING, PINCHING OR SMACKING SOMEONE’S BODY MOVING OR GRABBING SOMEONE’S CLOTHES WITHOUT CONSENT EXPOSURE OF SEXUAL ORGANS ANY CONDUCT WHICH INTIMIDATES, DEGRADES, HUMILIATES OR VIOLATES AN INDIVIDUAL’S DIGNITY OBJECTIFICATION, FETISHISATION AND STEREOTYPING OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION LEADS TO A CULTURE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND ITS NORMALISATION.

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Being a ‘Tattooed Person’ who doesn’t want to be a ‘Tattooed Person’ I just came here to get tattooed and I honestly feel so attacked right now.

‘LOL, have you got enough tattoos? LOL, I don’t like tattoos, LOL.’ ‘Oh, thank you kind sir. I shall promptly begin the excruciating and extortionately priced removal process immediately. Good day.’ Now don’t get me wrong, most comments I receive about my tattoos are compliments. It is nice that a stranger would go out of their way to compliment you, so I try to be courteous. I smile and say ‘oh cheers’ and do my awkward laugh and then run away – because I am just as affronted having my body remarked on in positive ways as negative. The thing that does annoy me is when strangers think they can touch. This happens more than you would believe. In elevators, strange men have caressed my hand, or neck. On the bus, a man has literally held my hand. Often, when I pay my taxi driver he will actually grab my arm. It’s frightening, and to someone who has OCD, unsanitary. And, in my experience,

Now let me be clear, I know my tattoos are odd. They’re not exactly ‘common’. There are no roses, swallows, or stars here (okay, there is one, very small, very badly done star that I got age sixteen and still love because everyone’s first, underage tattoo should be shit, and it was a glorious day of teenage rebellion that I could never regret). My tattoos are weird is because, well, I am weird. I’m a creative person, and I’m not unafraid of waking up in twenty years hating all of my tattoos. I conceptualise, sometimes draw (badly), and try my best to explain them to the tattoo artist I feel is best for the job. I get tattoos that mean something to me. Even my own mother will say, ‘Well, Becca, if you don’t want to be noticed or commented on, why do you have all those tattoos? Why is your hair bright fucking yellow?’ And my answer is ‘because I just want to be me and not be bothered okay. God Mum, this isn’t a phase this is who I am.’ My point, dear un-tattooed friends, is this; I do not like being noticed. I also love my tattoos and will continue to get them until my whole goddam awkward body is covered in them. That’s just me. I can’t explain it. I don’t fit into the untattooed world where questions like ‘Omg, did that not hurt!’ are considered not stupid, and I also don’t fit into the world where being a ‘Tattooed Person’ is my whole life. It’s not my ‘lifestyle.’ None of my friends are tattooed. I know my tattoos are not for everyone and I genuinely feel no indignance about it. I’m just a person who wants to get her weird little tattoos and quietly go home, unnoticed. But that’s never going to happen. So, for now I’ll just smile, say cheers to the opinionated cashier at Asda and laugh like a maniac whilst trying to pack my bags as quickly as possible and get the fuck out of there.

Becca Wilson Photography by Nicole Cumming and Daisy McConville

“

I know my tattoos are not for everyone and I genuinely feel no indignance about it. I’m just a person who wants to get her weird little tattoos and quietly go home, unnoticed.

‘Oh, I hope that’s not just for Halloween,’ jokes the barista in my favourite coffee place on a rainy day in October, referring to my hand tattoo depicting a skeleton being rained down upon by dead fish. It has a point, I promise. And that’s the thing; they all have a point but the point is no business of hers. I don’t comment on other people’s appearances. It’s not my place. Just because I see a woman walking down the street with, in my opinion, the most truly unflattering haircut of all time, it doesn’t mean I’m going to take it upon myself to tell her so. It’s her hair. She likes it. Why would a stranger’s opinion change that?

when you politely ask the man on the bus to not touch you, he screams at you for the rest of the ride because he thinks you believe you are better than him.

FASHION

t’s hard to describe the sudden, undeniable, overwhelming realisation that one is a ‘Tattooed Person’. How did I get here? How did one, impulsive, exciting day in 2006 when I got my first (underage) tattoo turn into this? And by this, I mean the aforementioned, illustrious, mythical ‘Tattooed Person’ that I apparently am today. Let me paint you a picture. One tattoo becomes two. Two become four. Then over ten years later here I am with hand, chest and face tattoos and a desperate need to not be seen.

Para preparar el almíbar, calienta un vaso de agua y disuelve el azúcar en él.

Pela los melocotones y corta tanto los melocotones como las manzanas. Es posible añadir otras frutas, como naranjas o peras. Sin embargo, no aconsejamos el uso de naranjas, ya que la piel puede amargar la sangría y las peras pueden aguar la sangría.

Español/Spanish

Instrucciones

4 5

Vierte el vino en una jarra y añade el almíbar y el zumo. Remover el contenido.

Deja reposar la sangría durante dos horas a temperatura ambiente. Este paso es crítico ya que ayudará a crear una textura afrutada. De servirse más tarde, se puede dejar en la nevera.

Al servir la sangría, se puede añadir un poco de limonada para reducir la fuerza del vino y poner hielo.

Ingredientes

Para cuatro personas

Una botella de vino tinto joven (de ¾ de litro) 4-5 Naranjas 1-2 Limones 3 Cucharadas de azúcar 2 Manzanas 2 Melocotones Gaseosa o limonada

Para acabar, dos consejos: la fruta puede absorber mucho alcohol, así que precaución si se decide comer. Si se quieren añadir nuevas texturas y sabores, se puede añadir ron, pero con precaución, ya que puede alterar mucho el sabor.

Escrito por Lucas J. Morales en nombre de la Sociedad Hispánica

How To Make a Perfect Sangria English/Inglés

Ingredients Instructions For four people

A bottle of red, young wine (¾ths of a litre) Squeeze both the oranges and the lemons. You might be 4-5 Oranges tempted to use some juice, but doing so will change the 1-2 Lemons taste of the sangría. 3 Spoons of sugar 2 Apples 2 Peaches Some soda or lemonade

Finally, two pieces of advice: the fruit often absorbs the alcohol, so we careful if you are thinking of eating them. Also, if you want new flavours, you can add some rum but as it will alter the taste, don’t risk overdoing it.

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To help dissolve the sugar, boil a glass of water and add the sugar and mix it.

Peel the peaches and cut both the apples and peaches. You might think of adding other fruits, such as oranges and pears. However, we discourage this because the skin of the orange can bitter the sangría, and the water inside the pear can alter the taste of your drink.

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Pour the wine in a jar and add both the sugar and the juice. Mix it.

Let it rest for two hours at room temperature. This step is crucial as will help to create a rich fruity taste. If you plan to serve the drink later, you can leave it in the fridge.

When serving the sangría, you can add some soda or lemonade to decrease the strength of the drink and add some ice.

Written by Lucas J. Morales on behalf of the Hispanic Society.

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Exprime las naranjas y los limones. Puedes usar zumo de naranja, pero no tendrá la misma calidad.

Cómo hacer una sangría perfecta

Summer is coming to a close, and a great way to start the academic year is making one of the most popular drinks around the world: sangría, a traditional drink from Spain and Portugal. Read below for the recipe and advice on how to create a fantastic drink to impress your friends.

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Aún quedan días de verano y qué mejor manera de empezar el curso académico que preparando una de las bebidas más populares en el mundo -la sangría, una bebida tradicional de España y Portugal. En este artículo te presentaremos la receta y los consejos necesarios para crear una bebida fantástica con la que impresionar a tus amigos.

My mother is not the type of woman to cook by the book. She is not one to convert measurements, set up timers, or note things down. She owns neither a kitchen scale, nor a set of measuring spoons. She “just throws it together”, “just uses what’s around”, and “just happens to create some of the tastiest meals ever”. She doesn’t give up her secrets easily, and often the best answer you can get out of her is an honest, “I couldn’t tell you, you’d have to watch.” But this one time, we talked about a recipe that has taken various, albeit equally delicious, shapes and forms throughout history. And during this one time, I happened to have both pen and paper on hand. So before I forget, here we go: the perfect summer blueberry Pierogi.

Alex Szyk Photography by Iona Sorbie

1. 500g flour 2. 1 egg + 1 yolk 3. 250ml warm water 4. 1 tbsp oil (any neutral oil will do — my mother uses rapeseed) 5. 1/2 teaspoon salt In a large bowl, season the flour with salt by combining them together. Then, make a well in the middle and add the eggs and oil into the center. Use your hands to gently knead until combined, then gradually add warm water until the dough reaches an elastic, pliable consistency and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Cover the dough with a wet tea towel before setting aside to prevent it from drying out.

For the Blueberry Filling: 1. 500g fresh blueberries 2. 50g caster sugar 3. 1 tbsp breadcrumbs 4. 1 tsp vanilla essence In a large bowl, gently stir the sugar and vanilla essence through the blueberries using the back of a spoon until both ingredients are evenly coated.

Assembling Sparingly sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll a section of the dough-out until it is about 1-2mm thick. Use a glass to cut out rounds. Combine remaining dough scraps to roll out and use later. Place one round at a time on the palm of your hand and slightly stretch it at the edges so it becomes larger. Place 1-2tsp of the blueberry filling in the center (the

more the better, but bear in mind you’ll be closing the pocket of dough later so leave a clean rim!). Seal the filling in by bending the dough circle in half to create a half-moon shape and then pinch the edges. Use the back of a fork to create a stronger, more decorative seal. Set aside on a cutting board and continue until you run out of both dough and filling. In a large pot, bring lightly salted water and 1 tsp of oil to a boil. Place the finished Pierogi, a few at a time, into the boiling water and wait until they start to float. At that point, continue to cook for 1-2min. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain.

Plating Enjoy hot, plated with a drizzle of a court cream (18% is best), sprinkled with caster sugar and garnished with fresh blueberries!

The way I think about it is this: there are really only two types of pierogi in this world. On the one hand: the ones who practice flawless, measured perfection, and on another - my mother.

For the Dough:

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BLUEBERRY PIEROGI

EXEC

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Autumn is Perfect

On the plus side, these leafs make for great insta-worthy photos. The grey heavy late afternoons of autumn are a perfect time to get your hipster fix of pumpkin spiced candles, lattes, cookies, Philadelphia cheese (trust me, I googled it), and vodka (look it up and thank me later). Few things are more comforting than wrapping yourself up in the tangy smells of warm cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Damp afternoons are also great for dealing with the Big Question. The what shall I wear to the Legendary Halloween Party question. The question that has you tearing your hair out, literally (backcombing is lethal) and desperately trying to find the balance between sexy and scary and silly. You’ve trawled the charity shops

The lengthening gloomy nights are perfect for contemplating the prospect of hibernation. What would happen if you just turned off all your alarms? How long could you live in your duvet cocoon with the three chocolate croissants you’ve stockpiled, two cold cups of coffee and a Netflix account?

Would your flatmates even notice you were gone? Maybe one of them might bring you a fresh cup of tea? One can only dream. That last, alcohol soaked and face-paint smeared night of October is a perfect time to fulfil your fantasies and take home a nurse in uniform or some guy dressed as a hotdog (if you know, you know) from a Halloween party. Because what’s sexier than being crushed in a dancing crowd of three thousand people with pumpkins leering from the shadows? Some guy painted as the red devil hugged you, enthusiastically shouting your name (he might be the guy from your politics module, or he might be the one who always serves you in Starbucks, you’re not quite sure) and left a scarlet smear down your face. Delightful, but that’s the worst of Halloween. You might have that one flatmate who optimistically and adorably believes you might have little ghouls and ghosts turning up on your stale student-flat doorway asking to trick or treat. Said flatmate might buy a selection of extra sweets to give any trick-or-treaters but inevitably, six pumpkin spiced vodka shots in, someone gets the munchies and wonders if Maoams make good sandwich fillings.

Someone might eagerly suggest you all put in a couple of quid for Halloween decorations. This all sounds very cute and the idea of decorating your own house might make you feel grown up and like you’ve got your life so in order that you have time to choose, buy and hang decorations, but really, you’re mourning the loss of the late-night McDonald’s that that money would have bought. Home Bargains have tentatively put half a festive isle up next to their Halloween display and you’re not sure if you need to whip out a hair drier to start melting snowmen or use this as a signal to buy and eat your first advent calendar.

Autumn is beautiful. But this is just the last fiery send-off of summer. Summer trying to leave it’s rays of sunshine in the colours of the autumn leafs. But the leafs fall and rot. From here on in it’s only going to get colder and darker and damper and you’ll get more skint, more stressed and wear more jumpers. Bring on winter I say.

Rose Kendall Photography by Nicole Cumming

The frosty crisp mornings of autumn are perfect to spend in Dudhope park, tossing fiery leaves into the air to shower red, orange and yellow down upon you until your fingers are numb. Perfect for kicking your way contemplatively through piles of crackling leafs thinking about how much more romantic it would be to have a date walking next to you who you could entice back to your flat with the promise of hot chocolate to soothe the cold. But then you’d get stuck making awkward conversation with them and, just for something to say you offer them another cup of cocoa. And to your horror they accept and then you’re stuck for another half hour smiling tightly and mumbling along whilst they chatter on about who, from Love Island, they thought was hot. Maybe a small dog would make for a more fulfilling partner to walk around the park with. Probably a better cuddle too!

and only found skeleton pyjamas in a size age 10-11. You’ve trawled the internet and found nothing for less than £29.99. You trawl your wardrobe and decide that if the worst comes to the worst you can just wear that minion onesie, undone with a bralet underneath because c’mon, it’s a party.

LIFESTYLE

t’s the season of confused clothing: tank tops wrapped in scarves, beanies coupled with shorts, duffle-coats-on-top and fishnets-on-the-bottom. It’s a month of confused bank accounts which didn’t get double SAAS like last month and you’re bewildered at the prospect of spending money on food rather than books and booze. And it’s the month, quite simply, of orange.

TIME SERIES 1: PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS

Shaun and Evelyn are part of a team of paranormal investigators based in Dundee. Shaun founded Spiritvox Paranormal Dundee and Evelyn founded Other Realm Paranormal, however as of recent, the two teams have come together.

Shaun: “I am a licensed amateur radio operator; I used to do a lot of YouTube videos on radio technology when I came across a video by Danny the founder of Echovox. I got into contact with Danny who gave me new radio equipment to try out which in turn introduced me to Echovox and hence the formation of Spiritvox.” Evelyn: “I have always had an interest in the paranormal, however it is only in the last 10 years that I pursued this interest by getting involved with other paranormal groups and then starting my own.” Shaun & Evelyn met through the Spiritualist Church; a religion similar to Christianity in that they both believe in the fatherhood of God and life after death, however the main difference is that Spiritualists believe that they can communicate with the dead through mediums. The team relies on an Android application called Echovox designed by Danny of Big Beard Studios to carry out their investigations. Echovox is an application with broken down phonetics which allows something else to manipulate it. (Electronic Voice Phenomena)

“Echovox utilises echo’s. Once you hit record, it will record and then loop that recording back to you in real time or with a slight delay and every now and then it will come back with something extra (EVPs). If that something extra does not have an echo then it is paranormal.”

Why do you do this? Evelyn: “Its exciting, you can watch footage for hours and get nothing but once you do, it gets the adrenaline pumping.” Shaun: “Imagine it from their perspective, how hard the spirits work to make that 1 second happen. It must take a lot of energy and we appreciate that.” It sounds like there could be a lot of doubt and frustration involved. How do you deal with this? Evelyn: “Most of the time nothing happens, so it is often frustrating. We spend a lot of time putting things together. When something does happen, we look for a reasonable explanation first; Maybe it was a door? Or was it someone else in the room? Once we have exhausted all possible explanations, then we will consider it paranormal activity. Shaun: “The investigation part is easy, it’s the technology that is difficult; going through all the recordings trying to discern and make sense of it takes a long time. We also use trigger objects such as special lights which get distorted when interfered with.”

What do spirits look like? Shaun & Evelyn: “The human spirit is pure energy. When spirits manifest, they don’t show their true form. They will appear in their human form so that we know who they are and to avoid frightening us. Spirits are translucent and start off as balls of energy (orbs).”

Have you always had an interest in the paranormal? How did you get started?

EVPs are voices captured on an electronic device without a source. It is believed that EVPs are voices of spirits trying to communicate with us. When asked about it, Shaun said,

LIFESTYLE

ctober is a month of change; the leaves are turning red, the trees are shedding said leaves and it is getting colder. With all these changes, it is impossible for one not to notice how fleeting time really is. The end of the year is fast approaching, soon it will be time to set new goals and reflect on old ones. These realizations led me to question how I spend my time and then drove me into wondering what other people do with theirs. Therefore, I now share with you a conversation I had with Shaun, a security worker, and Evelyn, a mother of four, about their unique pass time.

Why do spirits haunt a place?

What are the most haunted places in Dundee?

Evelyn: “It can be because spirits have unfinished business or because they don’t know that they have passed on, or even they are afraid to move forward because of something they did when they were alive.”

Shaun: “Is there a most haunted place in Dundee? Dundee is a very old city.”

Are you able to help them? Evelyn: “Yes, most of the time. It’s like being frightened to go into a room and a friend reassuring you that the room is safe. We convince the spirits that’s its safe and that no one is going to punish them. A lot of this fear comes from religion. Religion teaches people that they will be punished for their sins once they die.”

Does it ever get dangerous? Evelyn: “No, if you are respectful to them they will also be respectful to you.” Shaun: “I hate when people shout at them and are abusive towards them. You are walking into their space. You should build a bond with them, it doesn’t just happen. It takes time.”

Does knowing and believing in this make you less afraid of death? Shaun: “Yes, I came into this field a sceptic. The more I investigate, the more I learn. Some people believe it’s against the rules of the bible but if that is the case then how come the spirits contact us?” Evelyn: “I am not afraid to die because I know I am not going to be punished, I am going to a better place.”

What do you believe happens after death? Shaun & Evelyn: “We (spiritualist) believe that we stay in the Spirit world and that we are here to learn. In the spirit world, they will help us understand better the consequences of our actions here on earth, not punish us. They will teach and help us heal.”

Evelyn: “Everywhere you go there are spirits, it is a case of being open to communication and that’s where mediums come in. Most people go through life not considering this but the spirits are always trying to contact us, often through moving things. It is done not to frighten us but to get our attention. The most active place I have been is Edinburgh Vaults, its freaky in there.”

What is the most memorable investigation you have been on? Shaun: “For me it has to be the backpackers hostel on our YouTube when the little girl called out “help” and the guy shouted out “hey”.” Evelyn: “The most memorable for me was in the underground graveyard in Malta when I didn’t realise I had walked into a spirit man but once I realised, he was already gone! I knew he was a spirit man because he was wearing a roman soldier’s uniform. I wanted to investigate.” “We are like the firefighters of the paranormal, people run out, we run in.” An antidote for a life well lived lies in the passion on what time is spent. Passion was evident all throughout my conversation with Shaun and Evelyn. You can find out more about their work by visiting their website Spiritvox Paranormal.

Malcolm Kyeyune Photography by Iona Sorbie and Remus Leung

alloween - that exclusive time of year when people who definitely shouldn’t be roaming the streets half naked get to roam the streets half naked - is once again just around the corner. But, it is not my place to make any poor judgements about the (in)appropriate behaviour some individuals exhibit and indulge in on the night of the 31st, and the lines to follow will certainly not consist of yet another rant about it all. Rather, they will include an alternative take on this holiday since, I would like to believe, that as a doctoral student I can provide deeper observations and impressions for my audience. So, without further ado, here they come. It feels as if I ought to be straightforward and begin with one truthful confession – I have never really given a damn about Halloween. Why? On one hand, I owe my lack of damns to my cultural heritage as a citizen of an Eastern European country. A place where the ‘holiday’ never really succeeded in blowing up and where my fellow country-men-and-women always seemed to misinterpret it as a pointless masquerade. On the other hand, I could obliterate my memories with alcohol at any given night of the year, without having to wear a special costume for it. Heck that would have made the whole process even more painful for me!

When I first moved to Scotland some five years ago, I was sincerely fascinated by the immense effort in which everyone, regardless of age, ascribed to conceiving and crafting their look for the night. The observations I made always brought me closer to wonder about one thing alone: what did our choice of a costume have to communicate and represent about us to those around us? What did it have to say about our passions, inclinations and most importantly – identity? According to modern psychology, identity is a form of socially constructed illusion and perhaps is why many of us choose to wear costumes that are scandalous, seductive or hilarious. However, our pick for fancy dress may also represent other things as well.

I have never really given a damn about Halloween.

Costumes are a communication device and in the same way that a policeman’s uniform announces his/ her identity, we choose to wear something that will announce ours. We may be a fan of the supernatural and get a thrill out of it pretending for a day that it exists. We may dress up like our favourite Disney character because we are feeling nostalgic about our childhood, or even as our pet, because let’s face it we all love doggos! Costumes and masks are also known for freeing one of their social obligations and gifting them with the ability to explore and become something which they have always wanted to be. Even if it is just for one night we can escape from the monotony. It is unlikely that you will see a woman who has a job within the hospitality industry dressing up as a sexy waitress. Young adults especially are in a peculiar stage of psychological development where trying on different roles is an alluring process. It is just our job to figure it all out and what we want to be. So alongside getting drunk, use this Halloween as an opportunity. As a chance to either unapologetically declare your identity and deep-seated desires to those around you, or to liberate yourself from all the emotionally draining expectations and roles you are trying to live up to. Or ideally, use it for both.

Kalina Marinova Photography by Jacob Scoular

What did our choice of a costume have to communicate and represent about us to those around us?

OPINIONS

Be Free This Hallow’s Eve

OPINION

’ll admit, before I started working as a bartender at DUSA, I couldn’t think of anything worse than missing out on a night like Halloween by having to work. However, I’ve now come to realise that by being on the opposite side of the bar, it’s just as easy to have a great night.

I’ve ever seen (stuffed into a sofa cushion no less) and a single, green diamante adorned heel... but not the shoe.

Okay, so I don’t get to partake in the ritualised binge drinking, nor do I have the opportunity to go home with a man painted Smurf blue, but it does have its perks: I still get to dress up (we usually have a different theme on each bar), I have a lot of friends within bars who like me are also working, so the FOMO isn’t too bad, and at the end of a long hard slog at work, we have a huge Halloween staff drinks on the following Sunday.

MOST OF THE TIME YOU’LL WITNESS SOMETHING - I.E. A GIANT OF A MAN DRESSED AS SULLY FROM MONSTERS INC. PROJECTILE VOMIT INTO THE CROWD

The first Halloween I worked at DUSA, I had only been working there a little over two weeks, so obviously I was nervous;I’d heard tall tales about how busy it was, how horrid the people became the more intoxicated they got, and that the clean-up job after produced all manner of weird and wonderful things. They turned out to be just that though - tall tales and the night proved to be, and remains, one of the highlights of my DUSA career so far. Far from the horror stories I had prepared myself for, believe it or not I feel I had more fun behind the bar, rather than out in front. Although in all fairness, the clean-up job did produce some strange things: the biggest bra I think

Now, don’t get me wrong,it can be horrendously busy and sometimes I want nothing more than to leap over the bar and start ordering drinks for myself.

And you’ll be gladder than ever that you were rota’d in to work that night. It is hard work, but with a great bunch of staff to work with the camaraderie is higher than ever on nights like Halloween: from comparing costumes, to complaining about the annoying girl dressed as Barbie and her even more irritating friend who’s come as her Ken, and best not forget serving drinks. There’s always something to be doing, something entertaining to see or even just someone to banter with, which ultimately makesfor a great night and keeps the FOMO at bay, even if only for a little while. Hayley Burns

Never in my twenty years of existence did I think I would have to refuse Jesus Christ (or at least a man dressed up as him) service at the bar – but I guess that just comes with the territory of being a bartender during the Halloween season.

The pill is made from a few key ingredients: liver hydrolyse, vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid, dihydromyricetin (DHM), n-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), and milk thistle (I will go on to talk about the effects of these later). It is recommended to take two capsules before you start drinking, and/or before you go to bed. The pills are also gluten free, non-GMO, completely bioavailable, and GMP certified. If you’re interested, they are available on Flyby’s website: www.flyby.co. So how do they work?

“

When you drink alcohol you are borrowing happiness from tomorrow.

Alcohol is known to suppress a hormone in your body called vasopressin, which is responsible for reducing urine excretion and helping your kidneys reabsorb water back into your bloodstream. With less vasopressin in your system, you’ll feel the need to visit the restroom more often, which can rapidly dehydrate you. In fact, depending on how much you drink, you can lose up to four times more than the amount of liquid you’re consuming - scary stuff! With so little water now left circulating your body, your organs begin to take water from each other. This is dangerous when organs begin to starve the brain of water as it can cause it to physically shrink, which is what gives you that splitting headache when you wake up! The nausea you experience is due to alcohol’s effects on your stomach acids as it promotes more hydrochloric acid formation. Too much acid can be harmful to your stomach lining, and for this reason, your stomach expels it - the burn you will feel in your throat is not from the alcohol itself, but from the over-secretion of stomach acid.

The first, liver hydrolyse, has been reported to have alleviating effects on ethanol-induced toxin build up. As the name suggests, it’s a liver enzyme and promotes activity which breaks down ethanol, thus removing it from your system faster. A study was even conducted involving rats which were fed small amounts of alcohol - it was noted that the rats which were given the enzyme boost were better at walking across beams and had a higher food intake. Vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid, on the other hand, are immune-supportive supplements. When your body lost all that water, it also washed away nutrients from its system - Vitamin C prevents malnourishment, helps the body heal, as well as being an antioxidant (which is why it’s present in a lot of cold medicine). Lipoic acid in combination with Vitamin C extends the activity of the vitamins in your system, and helps the breakdown of carbohydrates, providing more energy for your organs (and making that late-night stop off at McDonald’s sound even better!). Something which will help you feel more awake and alert are flavonoids, such as Dihydromyricetin (DHM), which are chemical compounds with antioxidant effects thought to improve cell signalling in the body. DHM has been used in patients who suffer from alcohol dependency to aid their recovery. The unpronounceable n-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), is perhaps the most important ingredient in these pills. It’s made from amino acids, which make up various essential proteins in the body, but its uses extend far beyond anti-hangover pills, as NAC has even been used in treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and for reducing cholesterol levels. But in this case, it’s more useful in preventing alcoholic liver damage and kidney failure. And finally, milk thistle, which you may have seen on the shelves of Holland and Barrett - it’s a flowering herb similar to a daisy, known to improve liver functionality and help reduce the risk of liver damage. All in all, it’s certainly a more beneficial cocktail than that tequila sunrise! You can see why the combination of the above would help get rid of that hangover…just remember to drink lots of water as well!

Mila Georgieva Photography by Nicole Cumming

Your liver can break down approximately one unit of alcohol per hour, so when your intake exceeds this, toxins build up and you get the effects of being ‘drunk’. Your movements are slowed, your vision impaired, and you may experience blackouts due to your brain functionality reducing. Flyby’s cocktail of vitamins and supplements combats these toxins to aid the body’s natural cleansing system whilst the detoxifying components of the pills help cure the late nights and prepare you for the early mornings.

So what were those fancy ingredients in Flyby’s pills?

SCIENCE

Make That Hangover Flyby.

ew York based company, Flyby, is setting out to fight hangovers one night out at a time, with the creation of their all-natural antihangover pill. Their CEO and founder, Eddie Huai, was inspired by a trip to Japan where he came across a ‘drinking supplement’ which worked its magic and reduced his hangover symptoms the next morning, despite his all-you-can-drink partying the night before.

RADIANT

Alex McCraw

SCIENCE

THE TRUE STORY OF THE GHOST GIRLS WHOSE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE KICK-STARTED AN INDUSTRIAL OVERHAUL.

round this time of the year, tales of monstrous beasts, mysterious figures and ghostly women become rife. We all enjoy a good scare, always safe in the knowledge that these monsters prowl only the depths of our imagination, never to be brought to life.

At night, they gave off a spectral glow. Their dresses fluttered with pale luminance; switch off the lights and even their teeth would fluoresce. But they were very much real: they were the ghost girls, factory workers of the radium companies of America, women whose lives were cut untimely short. The story begins with radium. Discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre, it soon became the new wonder element of its time, known for its brilliant glow and its ability to kill cancerous tumours. From there, the market exploded, everyone wanting to capitalise on this supposed new wonder drug, this ‘liquid sunshine’. If it could kill cancer, what else was it capable of? Suddenly radium was everywhere – in toothpastes and water, in spas, clinics, pharmacies, all claiming to have numerous health benefits. Anything you could think of, you could add radium to. The radium industry was booming – and it wanted to stay that way. Of course, the most famous use of radium was in the luminous paint used for painting the dials of watches, and later, instruments used during the wars. Dial painters were typically young working class women – the job was marketed as more glamourous and upmarket than typical factory work, and it paid better too, far more than most of these girls could ever expect to see. For many of these women, it was also the first time they would see radium: although popular, it was highly expensive at $120,000 a gram ($2.2 million

It helped as well that they were able to, even encouraged to, take samples of the paint and radium dust home, to use it on their faces, even on their teeth. They wore their best dresses to work, so the fabric would pick up the luminous dust, and glow in the dusky dance halls, bringing them almost celebrity status amongst their peers. Working class girls with access to a luxury typically only available to the wealthy – it wasn’t hard to see why few questioned what could go wrong. Besides, radium was good for you, magical even, that’s what everyone told them. Swallowing it would only benefit their health. Yes, these girls swallowed radium voluntarily, albeit it unknowing of its true effects. The dials they painted were often incredibly small, the brushes fine with a tendency to splay outwards and spoil the watch face if not carefully shaped through the technique of lip pointing – licking the brush back into shape. The best dial painters could paint up to 480 dials a day, licking their brushes double that at least, swallowing minute amounts of radium each time. Their supervisors told them it would put rosy in their cheeks, that there was nothing to fear. And the girls believed them, at least up until they started dropping like flies. It started with the jaw, normally. Teeth would loosen and fall out; ulcers would develop, seeping a constant stream of pus, seemingly untreatable. In extreme cases, the jaw bone itself would rot away from within: one dentist recounted the horrific story of being able to lift out one dial painter’s jawbone after it broke beneath his touch. Doctors were baffled. Radiation poisoning was still relatively unknown, the horrendous effects of radium swept under the rug by mercenary companies.

As more and more girls died horrific painful deaths, they were instead attributed to outside causes – syphilis, tuberculosis, anything but the radium which had allowed these companies to turn such a profit. Although it was unknown initially, radium once inside the body was treated similar to calcium, which is to say it was fast tracked to the bones where it was then deposited. And from here it could wreck untold damage, the silent killer that was quite literally destroying people from the inside out. The amounts of radium these girls swallowed, so small as to seem insignificant, were amplified from within, allowing alpha rays unlimited access to their bodies. Of the 3 types of radiation emitted, alpha rays are by far the worst. However, despite making up 95% of total radiation, they are easily blocked by even a sheet of paper. There is no such barrier once they are in the body. By the time radiation poisoning became more known to the public, countless dial painters had died or suffered the horrific side effects. A few of the workers had already attempted to take one of the companies, the US Radium Corporation, to court and had succeeded to a degree, settling out of court. It wasn’t enough however, and finally 5 women, led by Catherine Donohue, made what was to be their final stand against the companies: a case that would determine the outcome of every other lawsuit brought by dial painters. It was one of the first times an employer had been held directly accountable for the health and wellbeing of their workers, had been forced to accept responsibility. And despite every attempt by the company, Radiant Dial, to discredit the women and delay court proceedings (in the macabre hope of the workers dying before they could testify, for each of these women was living with an axe over their head), they won. In fact, they won 8 times.

This case would have resounding effects on industry of the time. In the wake of the court outcome, there was a scramble to improve safety standards, an increase in workers’ rights, the establishment of occupational disease labour laws. Women who had been considered disposable had won the first battle of the fight for workers’ right. It was a bittersweet victory. The changes came too late to save the majority of the radium girls. Catherine Donohue, who led the charge, died before knowing the truth of their success. Yet they were instrumental in saving the lives of countless other workers, and, for the most part, are forgotten. Radium has a half-life of 1600 years. Even to this day, Marie Curie’s notebooks remain radioactive, requiring visitors to sign a health waver to even come near them. Werewolves and vampires may not be real, but ghost girls are and they’re glowing in their graves to this day.

“

SUDDENLY RADIUM WAS EVERYWHERE – IN TOOTHPASTES AND WATER, IN SPAS, CLINICS, PHARMACIES, ALL CLAIMING TO HAVE NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS.

Well, except for a few.

today) and therefore a luxury only for the wealthy. They wouldn’t find a better offer.

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