Issue 83 - SUMMER 2020

THE

MAGDALEN DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / SUMMER 2020

ONE DOOR CLOSES... of the magazine.

The Magdalen interviews Tam, Dundee University’s beloved Security Guard.

ONWARDS

MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF

MESSAGE FROM YOUR CREATIVE DIRECTORS

It is in unprecedented circumstances that I am writing my goodbye letter to the magazine, and I want to start with only the sincerest wishes that you, your loved ones, and everyone around you are well and keeping safe. At the same time, I’d like to highlight my deepest thanks to the team, particularly our design branch, who have made sure we are able to deliver you this year’s final issue despite our world having been turned, quite literally, upside down.

Last month, we stepped into the role of The Magdalen’s new Creative Directors (don’t worry - we’ll stop using that title from now on). We bickered, we laughed, and we sighed relief when the issue was finally sent to print. We knew the role we were getting into would throw some challenges our way, but we hadn’t quite thought how on earth we would cope if a pandemic happened right in the middle of directing the second issue under our belt.

The way I’ve seen my team come together to make this happen is a depiction of how we’ve worked this year; strengthening connections between the individual aspects of the magazine, supporting each other, and aiming for the overall highest standard which celebrates the value of every little contribution. I am coming out of it on the other end richer with experience, but also friendships, and it’s become clear to me how invaluable those are when they come together.

We’ve spent the past few weeks in sheer awe. Life has been flipped upside down in every way imaginable, and yet our team have pulled through with sheer confidence.

This issue will stick with us for quite some time, for it has shown us that, even in a state of flux, your team will always be right by your side. We cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has put work into making this issue utterly astounding, from the content to the visuals, we appreciate it all.

I looked back at my first Editor’s message, just to find that what has definitely not changed has been my struggle to put into words the overwhelming feeling of pride, excitement, and gratitude when I look at our little magazine. While that may be the only thing that has stayed the same since last year, I hope I use this last opportunity to say my thanks in a way that does it justice.

As a point of information, while at the time of publishing we are making this copy online, we do hope that once our world has fallen back into its place, we will be able to print copies for you to pick up. If you’d like to stay up to date with us, or if you’re thinking of applying to work with us next year, follow @themagdalenmag on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, or direct your queries to editor.in.chief@dusamedia.com.

It’s been an unforgettable year, for many reasons, but for what this magazine has brought me, I thank you.

Keep safe, stay well, and the new Magdalen will see you in September!

Barbara Mertlova

We would like to wish Barbara, and the rest of the lovely team who are moving on to wonderful new chapters, the very best.

It seems only fitting that the theme for this issue is ‘onwards’. You have shown us what a team is all about and for that we are incredibly grateful.

Please, everyone, stay safe, and we’ll see you in September for a new issue of The Magdalen!

Lisa Dyer Louise James

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EDITOR IN CHIEF Barbara Mertlová

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Alexander Ferrier

SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR Rebecca Carey

ON CAMPUS Rebecca Johnston

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Lisa Dyer Louise James DEPUTY EDITORS Mae Kinch Erin Mckeown EVENTS + PR MANAGER Orla Barr PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGERS Domas Radzevičius Arjun Kalsi ILLUSTRATION MANAGER Nico McLaughlin

COPY EDITORS Craig Robertson Erin Campbell Lauren White

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

PRINTED BY www.magprint.co.uk

PUBLISHER Dundee University Students’ Association

CONTENTS FEATURE

06

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

13

ON CAMPUS

21

CREATIVE WRITING

24

INTERVIEW

31

DESIGNERS’ CHOICE

34

CURRENT AFFAIRS

36

COMMUNITY

40

SPORT

43

COMICS

46

LIFESTYLE

48

OPINIONS

54

SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY

58

INTERNATIONAL

62

FASHION

66

FEATURE

One Door Closes...

The 19/20 Magdalen Team Say Goodbye As our year comes to a close for this team at The Magdalen, we share little messages of reflection. More than anything, though, we’d like to share a big, heartfelt thanks -to youour readers, contributors, and everyone who’s made the time what it has been. We’ve had our minds blown with the enthusiasm and appreciation you’ve continued to show us, giving a whole new dimension to what we see as our purpose.

So the only thing we can say is a thank you and enjoy our last issue, The Magdalen will be back in September!

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Design by Lisa Dyer

Barbara Mertlova

Rebecca Carey

One door closes. And it is a pretty heavy door, if you ask me. My time at The Magdalen has packed an overwhelming amount into it, and I will be the first admit I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I admiringly picked up a first Magdalen from the Library stall, now nearly four years ago.

I’ve seen the magazine grow, become more visible, and for the team behind all of it to form true friendships, and I feel incredibly honoured and proud to have been able to be a part of its journey. I wish to thank our readers for helping to show us our value, our contributors for your continuous enthusiasm, but above anything, I wish to thank my team, for everything that you’ve embodied this year - you have made the editor struggle for ways to word it. I have the highest hopes and am so excited for what is coming up next for the mag!

Nobody could have prepared me for the stress you feel as a deadline approaches, or the frustration for that typo you missed - for all of it to just fade away with the overwhelming pride you feel when a new mag arrives. For someone that has spent the year writing for this very magazine, I cannot quite find the words to say goodbye.

Every editor, designer, writer and photographer has given their all to produce something truly special. So, instead of goodbye which I am still not prepared to do at present, I want to say thank you. Thank you to Barbara - one of my closest friends. I don’t know anyone else who could have led this team the way you have. To the rest of the team who I wish I could mention here by name; thank you for all your work and for making my experience with The Magdalen what it has been. It’s funny to think about the Mag going on without many of us, but I can’t wait to see what this little magazine does next.

(Editor-in-Chief):

(Senior Deputy Editor):

FEATURE

Nicole McLaughlin

Mareth Burns

I had done pieces for The Magdalen occasionally since my 2nd Year. When I saw the opportunity to become the Illustration Manager, I knew I wanted to take on the challenge.

I had always loved working editorially, and I felt this would be the best way I could experience it before heading out into the real world. I have been lucky enough to work alongside such amazing individuals, witness brilliant projects and pieces appear before my eyes. The most exciting part for me is seeing how people interpret the articles to illustrate. And at the end of every month, finally being able to hold this massive collaboration in our own hands.

I had written a couple of articles for The Magdalen last year, so when I saw that I could apply to join the team as a Staff Writer and contribute monthly, I thought ‘why not?’. I’m really glad I did! I’ve learnt a lot and I mean that in the most broad way possible! From personal organisation and practice in writing reviews, to general insight into how magazines come together - I think I’ve picked up a lot. It’s really nice to be part of something (and yes, it is particularly nice when people mention they’ve read your stuff).

Mostly, I just love how talented and hard-working everyone around me is. So much goes into every issue and it’s amazing to see it all come together!

(Illustration Manager):

Billianna AllenMandeville

(Staff Writer):

(Lifestyle Editor):

I have always loved writing.

When I was 6 years old, I wrote my first story called ‘The Unhappy Frog’ -My Grandmother who was so proud of this masterpiece she even bound and displayed it in her home for all to see. The Magdalen magazine has been a call back to my childhood, writing what I want, when I want and having the freedom and encouragement to do it. I think it’s sometimes so easy to lose sight of what we truly love and enjoy, whether that be because others think it’s not cool or we are urged into less creative pathways. This year, The Magdalen has been that reminder for me to put myself and what I want to do first and foremost. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity, to the team around me and the readers who pick up copies each month.

Thank you.

Words by The 19/20 Magdalen Team

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FEATURE

Lauren White

Rose Bache

Mae Kinch

I had been a frequent reader of The Magdalen in my first year at uni and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.

Inspired by ‘Devil wears Prada’, working on a magazine has always been something I was interested in. This was the perfect opportunity to do that, whilst getting to read the articles before everyone else on campus.

Being someone who notices the little things, Copy Editor was the perfect role for me. I have enjoyed every minute of copy editing the articles and working with the rest of the team who have been absolutely fantastic.

Everyone has been so lovely and welcoming; I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work for.

Thank you to the team for a great year and to all the readers.

The written word is so special it deserves the best treatment; being part of The Magdalen team has supported my love of reading and writing more than I could ever express. To be given the opportunity to regularly read and edit consistently incredible pieces, learning things about people’s interests and passions all the time, is an honour. The atmosphere of support, care and collaboration within The Magdalen is clear in the quality of the magazine we end up with every month and I am truly proud to have been part of this. Thank you to every writer, editor, designer, photographer, artist and reader that has come together to make this magazine what it is today.

As a writer, I do my best to avoid clichés but I can safely say, the best was saved for last when it came to my work with The Magdalen. This is my last year of university and also with the magazine, it is bittersweet but all good things come to an end don’t they? This team has gone truly above and beyond anything I expected, and I am so proud to have been a part of it. I am a better writer, editor, thinker and person because of my time at The Magdalen. These past two years have led to amazing opportunities and experiences that I will treasure. To each and every contributor, in each and every way, thank you for being a part of this with me. Again, clichés aside, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

(Copy Editor):

(Community Editor):

(Deputy Editor):

“I am a better writer, editor, thinker and person because of my time at The Magdalen.”

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Read all 2019/20 issues online

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MAGDALEN

MAGDALEN

MAGDALEN

DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2019

DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2019

PHILIP LONG: THE INSIDE STORY

THE READING ROOMS: A BRIEF HISTORY

In discussion with the Director of the V&A, beyond the one year anniversary

Your honest coverage of The Small Town Club’s closure

DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / NOVEMBER 2019

THE MAGDALEN’S MAGDALEN’S MAP MAP TO TO THE THE NEW NEW SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE DUNDEE DUNDEE THE

50 YEARS ON

Find out out how how to to positively positively contribute contribute to to the the environment environment as as well well as as local local economy economy with with Find

How the Dundee University Students’ Association began to shape the highest ranking student experience.

our map map to to sustainable sustainable lifestyle lifestyle in in Dundee.

Dundee. our

STUDENT POLITICS: POLITICS: RAISE RAISE YOUR YOUR REPRESENTATION REPRESENTATION STUDENT

REFLECT / RESTART

A look look at at the the student student representative representative structures structures on on campus campus and and how how to to get get involved. involved.

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SPARK UP

RISE

The Magdalen Lifestyle Editor’s take on what lifestyle means, the challenges Dundee faces, and how labels affect us.

THE

THE

MAGDALEN

MAGDALEN

DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / DEC 19 / JAN 20

DUNDEE’S FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2020

ON SAFE GROUND

The Magdalen’s Senior team looks into the alleged changing attitudes to alcohol consumption amongst students at British universities.

What happens between the leap and the landing?

Going Off GOING OFFCampus CAMPUS

THE DOG GOES CRAZY IN THE FRYING PAN

Is preparing to leave the safety bubble of university just as terrifying as we thought it would be?

BEING

Idioms in languages in The Magdalen’s first bilingual article.

LEAP

www.issuu.com/themagdalen

LIGHT UP

FEATURE

Rose Kendall

(Opinions Editor): The Mag hasn’t just been a Dundee thing for me over the last three years. My initial interview for the Opinions Editor position saw me sat outside a log cabin of a Wisconsin summer scout camp at 5 am.

The flexibility of working on the Mag has allowed me to edit articles on the train commuting to and from Antwerp whilst on my Erasmus exchange. And I can admit to trying to desperately finish an article on almost any type of public transport before I disappear off-grid camping for a weekend. You really can do it anywhere! For this, my second year on the editing team, it has been nice to feel a bit more an active part of The Magdalen family and the Dundee Uni community. And I hope my experiences with The Magdalen take me to new places and open new doors after I graduate.

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Domas Radzevicius

(Photography Manager): I still remember applying for the position on some sort of a whim, trying to challenge myself.

The next thing I know, I am working with all suchcreative and motivated people, making a magazine that most university students read (or at least flick through), and on top of that having my name in it. I am not going to lie, opening up an issue and seeing your pictures printed in it is a pretty good feeling.

Even though it wasn’t always a smooth ride, keeping up with deadlines or scraping for ideas some months, it has definitely been the challenge I wanted, and the things I got out of it in return wouldn’t let me regret it.

Jack Hunter (Sport Editor):

I have always had a keen interest in sports and science and through the magazine, I have discovered a further love for writing. I submitted a few articles for the magazine related to sport science and culture and saw it as a bit of fun; a way of ranting or rambling as I would in person, but if someone listened, it would be because they chose to. When the Sport Section opened, I felt it was almost made for me. I’ve written and edited for the magazine everywhere from a hotel boat in Budapest to a coffee shop in Vancouver and have loved every issue.

FEATURE

Maria Radeva

Erin Mckeown

James Dale

Probably the most exciting feeling during my three years in Dundee is when I hear my mom’s voice saying: “Maria, when is the next issue arriving?”. Although she does not understand everything in my articles, she is always so impatient, ecstatic and proud. Working in The Magdalen made me more passionate about writing, helped me develop my creative thinking and provided me with opportunities to meet so many interesting people. The team, especially in my first year, was so supportive they made me believe in myself and blossom in the way I would have never before.

I interviewed for The Magdalen magazine in the summer of last year in the hopes that it would be an engaging and educational project, allowing me a respite from the stress of my final year whilst simultaneously improving my writing skills. Unsurprisingly, within my first month as Deputy Editor, I learned that I had gained so much more than a fun new hobby. You truly gain access to a community of individuals who are warm, inviting, and driven, as well as creative powerhouses.

The spectrum of talent on the team is inspiring and propels you to push yourself to the best of your abilities; through the encouragement of my peers I have fallen in love all over again with writing about subjects which fuel my passions, and The Magdalen has given me a platform to craft my vision publicly.

I am exceptionally grateful to have been afforded such a fantastic opportunity, and the chance to both write and edit articles discussing a huge variety of science related topics. Seeing your own writing in print is massively rewarding, and I can only recommend more readers to do it!

(Interview Editor):

“The spectrum of talent on the team is inspiring and propels you to push yourself to the best of your abilities...”

(Deputy Editor):

(Science & Tech Editor):

Translating scientific discoveries into a compelling story is a challenging task, especially in our partisan era filled with “alternative facts”. Science is committed to exploring truth, and I was beyond pleased to host articles covering topics such as the value of scepticism, female representation in scientific fields, and just the plain weird!

Balancing commitments to The Magdalen, Nightline Dundee, alongside work has been challenging, but no less rewarding! As a result of my work here, I have met science communicators from as far away as Canada, and sat on a panel dedicated to separating sense from nonsense on the scientific stage. I hope the insights shared will inspire readers to get involved. Media plays a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public, and I am proud that The Magdalen is a part of it.

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FEATURE

Alexander Ferrier (Arts & Entertainment Editor):

I’ve been with The Magdalen for two years as a Section Editor, and it’s been a real pleasure.

I’ve sharpened both my writing and editorial skills alongside a talented bunch of bona fide bigbrains. It’s a swell community of homespun creativity and top-notch organisation. The Magdalen is a consistently well-oiled machine, and the lasagne was wonderfully crisp.

While the amuse-bouche was a little late in arriving, my son loved the Portobello! I would sincerely recommend The Magdalen to anyone who wants to shamelessly self-publish and attend mesmerising editorial meetings. I must be genuine - the magazine is a lovely, welcoming outlet with management that’d make Irving Thalberg jealous. Once you’ve been published, show it to yer ma and pa in Old Oskaloosa and they’ll brim with pride!

Erin Campbell

Orla Barr

I’ve been copy editing The Magdalen for two years now and, although I didn’t have much experience in editing, I’ve had a lovely time getting to know everyone involved; it has allowed me to establish many great friendships while also getting to indulge the nitpicky side of myself. As my ambition as a teen was to be part of the editorial team of an established publishing house, I’ve been able to fulfil this dream by working for The Magdalen; something my 16-year-old self would be proud of. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be surrounded by, and so I thank you all for making this year of The Magdalen a good one.

This was my first time working with The Magdalen and I can wholeheartedly say I loved every minute of it. From the meetings to the socials, it has always been so enjoyable and fun. Although my role was in PR, I did write an article and I was so proud of it and felt so glad I was given the opportunity. Thank you all so much to the lovely team, especially Barbara and Becca.

(Copy Editor):

(PR Manager):

“The Magdalen is a consistently well-oiled machine, and the lasagne was wonderfully crisp.”

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ARTS + ENTS

Interview: Esther Rose Design by Louise James

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ARTS + ENTS

With the release of her new single ‘My Favourite Mistake’, New Orleans based folk musician Esther Rose talked to The Magdalen about her songwriting, tradition, and the country/folk scene at large.

How would you describe your music to people who don’t know your work?

My band says that my style is very reminiscent of sixties folk and nineties alternative country, y’know, rock and roll. I play music with a lot of different people, so I just call it folk music.

I’m not that familiar with nineties country, is there anyone you’d recommend?

I’m thirty-three, so in the nineties I was riding the yellow school bus in the morning. It wasn’t that I listened to nineties country, just that it was piped into my subconscious via transportation. […] I was born in Detroit, but grew up in rural Michigan. That’s the music that was permeating the environment outside of my house. At home, it was totally different. My parents were bohemian and loved Bob Dylan, they were real hippies in the seventies, that’s where the folky stuff comes in.

I read somewhere that you were a fan of musicals as a child, is that right?

Yeah, definitely. I think it’s funny, because watching musicals as a young person kind of gives you this experience; you might think that people bursting into song and dance is more common than if you hadn’t watched them. My connection with songwriting and music has been so natural.

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Words by Alexander Ferrier

Your music, songs like ‘The Key’ and ‘Five Minute Drive’, reminded me of Bobbie Gentry. They’re very personal, with little bits of dialogue and daily mundanities put to music and becoming much more significant. Your last album in particular is deeply personal; do you find it cathartic to release really personal moments?

Does baring yourself publicly bring you any anxiety?

The first album that I recorded, I felt that insane anxiety over releasing, it was my first time ever sharing any ideas, y’know. I almost didn’t, and then my friend who engineered my record convinced me. For the second time around, I kind of knew already. […] When I’m writing at home, I’m writing for myself and for the person who inspired the song, I can’t wait to share it with them. I don’t really ever assume that any song I write is going to end up on a record. Bringing the songs to the band, they helped me be ok with my ideas, helped to validate them. ‘Five Minute Drive’ and ‘The Key’, I almost ditched those songs, but my drummer Cameron was like ‘these are great, let’s do this, let’s play these’.

I feel like that would make me nervous, releasing intimate moments to the public.

I was massively inspired by Sheryl Crow as a young one, her songs were all over the radio. I recently found out that her hit song ‘My Favourite Mistake’, she almost couldn’t release it, because it was such a personal recording. I’m so drawn to that song in particular. I like the personal relationship, when a songwriter is speaking directly about something, it draws me right in, that’s what I want.

ARTS + ENTS

Your work is described as ‘traditional’, yet people like Pokey LaFarge, whom you’ve worked with, really bristle at the ‘retro’ tag, how does that make you feel?

Well, nobody calls me retro, I’m not recreating a genre intentionally. Pokey has listened to so much old music, he’s a voracious listener to everything, and that comes out in his songwriting. It’s classic. I think that is a much sweeter word to use than retro or throwback: classic.

Retro can be quite patronising, you don’t want to feel like a novelty act.

The way that I record with analogue gear makes my recordings sound a certain way. If you play a Patsy Cline record, there’s the sound of tape. So the way that we record influences people to hear us in a certain way.

Do artists have a responsibility to preserve roots and traditional music? Is there a duty to do that?

I think it’s important for musicians to study the founders. It’s good to start at the beginning, and that’s a long journey. It’s fun, and it’s exciting. As we get farther and farther away from the earliest recorded music we’ll hear a cover of a song and we won’t know the original writer, having that knowledge is really important. Knowing that Lead Belly wrote ‘In The Pines’ even though you heard it from Nirvana is good to know; to have a sense of where we’ve been and where we’re going, to honour the people who invented our music, to know our history.

There’ve been some misguided attempts to ‘modernise’ country, like the song ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’. You could tell that record company executives were really trying to claw at the success of hip-hop and rap. Does the commercial appeal come into your songwriting at all?

I like to think of an artist at the centre of every great song, I like to think of somebody sitting alone with their pen, letting their inspiration flow. I try not to worry about what the rest of the world is doing when it comes to making music and money. I think a good song is a good song and hopefully it’ll just get recognised through time.

Lastly, do you have a favourite Hank Williams song?

No, you can’t do that, c’mon! I have different ones through time, I love ‘I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You)’, that’s one of my favourites.

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ARTS + ENTS

Review: Posted Sober We take a look at Dundee musician Michael Marra’s fifth studio album.

This album is a masterpiece.

Transcending the narrow folk genre he is often pigeonholed into, Michael Marra’s fifth studio album is an endless stream of lyrical and melodic delights. While there is much to admire about Marra’s endlessly entertaining and stylish wordplay, the musical backing is equally impressive (if not more so). What we have, then, is a collection of fourteen perfectly chosen songs, drawing on subjects as far ranging as letters from prison, declarations of love, hometown melancholia and even a ghostly apparition of Frida Kahlo making an appearance in Perth Road’s Taybridge Bar. Marra’s rough voice plays as a cross between Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, two artists that hold a clear influence on parts of

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the album. The first track, Albert White Feather, starts as a Frank’s Wild Years style dirge. There are thundering, ominous drums and a monotone chant-like vocal which eventually gives way to, of all things, bright brass sounds. It’s an exciting way to start the album, though not necessarily representative of the sound or feel of the rest of the songs, and might be off-putting to those listening on streaming.

Letter From Perth, however, is a perfect piece of pop songwriting. Breezy acoustic guitar and gorgeous soaring pedal steel combine to create a track that has all the makings of a lost hit single from the 60s or 70s. Marra is clearly taking great pleasure in the large backing band he has assembled for this album, utilising it to its fullest on Letter From Perth with lush production and gorgeous arrangements.

After this sunny outlook of a life beyond prison, the next track is an atmospheric moody piece. The Butterfly Flaps Its Wings ruminates on cause and effect and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Accompanied by fluttering flutes and a stinging guitar solo from Chris Marra, it’s a slow builder of a song which eventually develops its own power, much like the idea of a simple wing flap having huge consequences. Another excellent song is Reynard In Paradise, inspired by a fox running onto

Design by Lisa Dyer / Phototography by Arjun Kalsi

ARTS + ENTS

the field during a football game at Celtic Park; it is performed with just Marra on the acoustic guitar.

This song really highlights Marra’s lyrical gifts, showing empathy for the fox as well as cleverly using its limited understanding of the human world to the song’s advantage. Dovetailing from the warm openness of Reynard in Paradise comes the witty, barnstorming Angela Gunn. Taking the form of a list of instructions to a group of pub regulars as to how to behave when the titular Angela arrives, it is full of hilarious lines with brilliantly direct and blunt vocal delivery. The bouncy minor accompaniment maintains a sense of humour, while also remaining as straight faced as the vocal delivery.

“Transcending the narrow folk genre he is often pigeonholed into, Michael Marra’s fifth studio album is an endless stream of lyrical and melodic delights.”

Then there is Frida Kahlo’s Visit To The Taybridge Bar. One of the album’s key tracks and a true masterpiece, this song is delicately constructed, beautifully performed and highly intelligent. The harp and piano parts are gorgeously intertwined with Marra’s vocals and themselves, creating a fantastic rising motion throughout the song as

Kahlo ascends to paradise.

Other highlights include a song detailing a love affair beginning at a Bob Dylan concert in Edinburgh, the joyous and pleasingly uncynical All Will Be Well, the romantic and swooning All To Please Macushla, and the look into both Dundee’s and Marra’s family history in The Lonesome Death of Francis Clark.

This is one of the few albums that doesn’t put a foot wrong, one that stands as a singular, well defined collection of songs.

Marra could easily have just put fourteen of his newest songs on a CD and had done for it, but there is a sense that every song choice was deliberate, that every song had to earn its place. Witty, heartfelt, clever, melodic and celebratory, this album is proof that Marra’s status as a giant of Scottish folk is well deserved.

Long may he be cherished.

Words by James Kirkpatrick

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ARTS + ENTS

Review:

Portrait of a Lady on Fire The fourth film from French writer and director Céline Sciamma is her most breathtaking achievement yet.

A marked departure from the contemporary periods of her previous coming-of-age trilogy (Water Lillies, Tomboy, Girlhood), Portrait of a Lady on Fire captures the intimacies of womanhood within a stunning but repressive late eighteenth century France setting. It’s a remarkable portrayal of forbidden lesbian love that cements itself asan instant romantic classic, as well as a near masterpiece of the craft.

Told primarily through flashback, a young painter named Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to create a bridal portrait of the aristocratic Héloïse(Adèle Haenel), a young woman who is to be wed to a gentleman in Milan upon the painting’s completion. But Héloïse refuses to be painted (she is also not to be left alone following the recent death of her sister). As such, her wary mother (Valeria Golino) has Marianne pose as a walking companion,with the portrait to be worked on in secret. The conversations between the two women are scattered at first, but meaningful. Discussing their respective circumstances, for instance, Marianne notes she isn’t sure if she’ll marry. “You can choose,” says Héloïse,“that’s why you don’t

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understand me.” After a brief silence, Marianne gently puts back: “I understand you.”

Fire is, of course, aprevalent symbol, none so much as in how it represents the precariousness of the central relationship.A magnificent scene concerning a bonfire and a choral choir echoes this while also highlighting the film’s refreshing female presence. Sciamma often contrasts such moments with the imagery of crashing ocean waves, which becomes a recurring backdrop for much of thestory. Cinematographer Claire Mathon, meanwhile, appropriately provides a visual feast in her exquisite use of composition and colour, the apex of which comes in a ghostly shot ofHéloïse adorned in a wedding dress.

The script is just as exquisite. It magnifies both lesbian longing and a woman’s disenfranchisement with a sensitive wit, from matters of employment to that of forced marriage and abortion. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice plays a crucial role; likewise, a devastating use of “Summer” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. But the soul of the film belongs to Merlant and Haenel, whose mesmerising performances bring the house down: as Marianne, Merlant is measured yet quietly vulnerable, while the funny and fiery Haenel, in her second collaboration with Sciamma, delivers an absolute tour-de-force.

Design by Cait Maxwell / Illustration by Kirstin Moore / Words by Samantha King

ARTS + ENTS

Awards season is over and with its passing also comes an end to the accompanying bombardment of film star-related content that inevitably inundates the news cycle throughout the season.

However, the omnipresence of many actors on our feeds may be contributing to a decline in the number of people trekking to the big screen.

Throughout cinematic history, filmgoers have conventionally flocked to the cinema to see recognisable faces in their newest releases. However, in the last 10 to 15 years there has been a paradigm shift in the rationale behind the factors that drive us there. Despite some actors boasting hundreds of millions of followers, these are not necessarily equating to consistent box-office results.

Cinematic records are being broken left, right and centre, exemplified by last year’s mega-blockbuster Avengers: Endgame and its procurement of the global box office crown, overtaking Avatar in a position it had held for nigh on a decade. Endgame was the culmination of 11 years’ worth of films that formed part of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which produced 3 billion-dollar entries in 2019 alone. Unsurprisingly, as a result of its unmitigated success, the MCU has left every major Hollywood studio clamouring for an equivalent.

lucrative and prolific intellectual properties. The only members of the top 20 highest-grossing actors crowd who haven’t starred in either the MCU, Wizarding World or Fast & Furious franchises are Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Will Smith. Even Will Smith’s films, as recognisable as his name is, have recently struggled to consistently impress financially, most recently with Gemini Man. The live-action Aladdin performed extremely well, but its success was largely nostalgia-driven.

Nevertheless, there are always exceptions to the rule. An actor like Leonardo DiCaprio, for example, is a bona fide film star. 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood grossed $373.4 million at the global box office on an estimated $90 million budget.

This could be due to DiCaprio’s enigmatic nature; he maintains an aura reminiscent of the classic Hollywood epoch. His eschewing of social media to share intimate details of his personal life may serve to intensify his continuing popularity.

Therefore, the next time you head to an empty cinema specifically to admire the poreless complexion of your favourite actor, it might be worth bearing in mind that most would have probably just headed to Instagram.

Film stars with highest cumulative box office numbers are not generally actors you would associate with a varied pantheon of box-office successes; they are often staples of Hollywood’s

Design by Lisa Dyer / Words by Mark Murien

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ARTS + ENTS

PREGNANCY SCARE Before the release of Swallow (2020), a psychological horror written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis that follows a soon-to-be mother who develops pica (eating anything that isn’t food), I give a rundown of my top three favourite horror films about pregnancy and new mothers.

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Prevenge (2016)Written and directed by the brilliant Alice Lowe of Sightseers, Prevenge is a twist on the slasher sub-genre that, instead of featuring a masked man killing half-naked teens, turns the concept on its head by instead following an expectant mother as she carries out a killing spree, urged on by her unborn child. It is one of those rare horror-comedies that knocks it out of the park precisely because it uses dark humour as a tool to disarm the audience to excellently gruesome visuals, whilst inthe same breath kicking them in the gut with an evocation of genuine and female-centric pathos. As a directorial debut on low budget, with distinctly awkward British humour, combined with the fact that Low really was seven months pregnant during production, the film is so charming, in an albeit bloody, vicious sort of way.

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2

The Brood (1979) A personal favourite of mine from amongst Cronenberg’s wealth of infamous practical effect horror flicks is The Brood. Much like in Scanners or The Fly, Cronenbergis primarily interested in exploring the intersection between body and technology, in this instance the relationship between a husband, wife, and the children and/or spawn caught between them. With psychic dwarf-children slaughtering kindergarten teachers, nefarious psychotherapists, and possibly the greatest practical effects reveal of the decade (you will know it when it happens), this is a great and ghastly romp that could only have been produced in this period of horror films.

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Rosemary’s Baby (1968) If you don’t want to watch Mia Farrow (replete with a pixie cut) go fucking mental in a beautiful upscale New York apartment, then this film isn’t for you. But who in their right mind doesn’t want to watch that?

Like Prevenge, Rosemary’s Baby is so compelling because of Farrow’s incredible ability to completely dominate the screen with her hectic paranoia, something that you can almost feel with the character as the walls seem to close in on her, but also because it’s visually so stunning to sink into.

I won’t say too much about the plot, as it’s really pretty simple, and if you haven’t seen it before then it’s best to go in without a clue.

Design by Helena Lindsay / Words by Samuel Fraser

ON CAMPUS

Even Sunnier in Dundee The Dundee University Summer Society

As semester comes to a close and summer break approaches, most students look forward to their hard-earned holidays and the chance to relax with family, travel with friends and let the stress of exams and assessments melt away for the next 3 months. For some of those who plan to remain in Dundee over the summer, however, the prospect of spending this time in Scotland’s sunniest city is anything but warm and bright.

Many who have stayed here over summer in the past will know this. Once most students have left, the city’s nightlife tends to stagnate, a lack of friends and coursemates to socialise with can create feelings of loneliness and isolation, and having no work to complete or classes to attend often leads to boredom and long monotonous days.

After starting back at university

in my 2nd year, I spoke to a friend who had stayed in Dundee for work. They described how they began to feel lonely and even depressed after getting stuck in a cycle of working late evenings and sleeping through the days.

They had no motivation to get out and explore during the day as they had no friends around in the city to make plans with.

It was this conversation, along with seeing several social media posts from students complaining about the same issues that led to me asking the question; If there are many students stuck in this position, why is there no way for them to connect and come together? This thought was what inspired me to start up the Dundee University Summer Society.

enabling them to meet up and socialise, plan events and activities together, and ultimately enjoy their holidays in Dundee -including the Winter and Spring breaks as well.

The goal of the Summer Society is to create a new community for students to be a part of while staying here over summer,

Those who wish to get involved or find out more can find us through the Dundee University Summer Society Facebook page.

Still in its infancy, myself and those involved in setting up this Society are trying to spread the word about what we’re planning, in the hopes that we can reach as many people as possible that would benefit from joining.

When thinking about the longterm aspect, I would love to see this Society continue to grow in future years and become a permanent space for each new generation of students to form new friendships and ensure that no student has to feel alone during their summers in Dundee.

“I would love to see this Society [...] become a permanent space for each new generation of students to form new friendships and ensure that no student has to feel alone during their summers in Dundee”

Design by Gosia Kepka / Photgraphy by Arjun Kalsi / Words by Ross Young

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ON CAMPUS

Behind the Titles: A Wee Blether with Stuart Murphy, Vice President of Academia With the Student Led Teaching Awards (SLTAs) coming up, I sat down with one of the DUSA Executives, to find out how students can get involved. Stuart Murphy, the Vice President of Academia (VPA), very kindly offered to

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Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

let me quiz him to gain an understanding of such events, how students can appreciate their teachers through the SLTAs, and he also elaborated on what it means to be on the Exec.

ON CAMPUS

As a member of the DUSA Exec, being the Vice President of Academia, can you give us a brief outline of what your role entails?

So, my role as the VPA involves supporting students; something I’m really passionate about and really love doing. This includes supporting them on academic issues and welfare issues.

Additionally, I’ve helped with running the SLTAs, which has been a true honour as we get to thank our hard working staff. Acknowledged can be staff from lecturers to cleaners, counsellors or careers advisors, and so it’s been invaluable to help run the Awards alongside the School Presidents.

What would you say is unique about your role as the VPA? What is unique, I think, is that implicitly I get to work alongside staff from the University, which has allowed me to work alongside some really inspiring people including the students themselves. Additionally, I get to help run international projects, and to meet international students from different backgrounds, which I have always found really exciting. It is something I love doing, learning about new cultures and trying to improve their student experience around campus. We get to put on fun international events as well, which is also a great highlight of the job.

Is there a particular focus to your work with Societies?

I work with a range of Societies. I’ve worked with the Chinese Student Scholars’ Association, the Indian Society, Malaysian society, International society, and other Societies throughout the University as well. Those would mainly focus on International Academic Societies, which I have greatly enjoyed.

Would you highlight any other benefits to being on the DUSA Exec?

The key value I’ve found is that you really get to transform and make a difference in students’ lives, which is really rewarding. Working with a student and being able to help them go through something which is really challenging to them and overcome it is what has made me so appreciative of the job. Learning to truly listen to the student to then be able to support them through difficulties is really rewarding and something I love doing.

What are you working on right now?

A big part of what I’m working on now are the SLTAs. That means we are working to help recognise our fantastic staff, while doing all sorts of exciting things alongside that. We’re putting on a conference for staff and students with the key idea being to learn how our amazing Staff support Students.

I also worked on International Women’s Day, which was a really exciting, great chance to work alongside Izuin, our Vice President of Engagement (VPE).

Particularly within the Students Led Teaching Awards, I am working alongside our School Presidents to ensure the highest standard of how we thank our Staff.

What do the SLTAs mean to you?

The key value is that it is something where we get to thank our Staff, who do a great deal for the student body. Alongside providing education, they are recognised for helping with wider student issues and academic problems.

Teachers make a huge difference to our lives throughout high-school and university. I personally know that teachers have really made a difference and changed my life for the better.

So that is why I believe, as a student body, it’s important to have the opportunity to thank our amazing staff for the hard work they do and the impact they have.

Do you have any plans for future projects that you wish to undertake?

In the University, I’m very much looking forward to more international campaigns and events.

How can students get to know their DUSA Exec better?

As for the Exec, come and visit us, we’re really friendly! The Executive are based in the Hive, which is on Level 4 of the Student Union. We are always here to listen to whatever you have to say, provide an opportunity to chat, and offer appropriate help. As well as that, anything else you’d want to share, we love hearing from you and about your experiences, and taking on feedback.

Words by Eleanor Booty

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CREATIVE WRITING

Pushing Ever Onwards Watching the spring sky Waving the day goodbye Seeing the clouds roll Striding ever closer to your goals Where will time take us?

Where will we go?

Until you push onwards You’ll never know Feel that warmth on your face Know that under this sky You’ll have a place Now let your spirits fly For still we rise For its destiny that cries Crying for our realisation That we are our own salvation So don’t think of this as the end And push ever onward to the night Even in darkness your soul shall mend And even the blackest night shall be bright.

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Design by Gosia Kepka / Words by Luke Perry

CREATIVE WRITING

Into the Breach another chapter draws to a close the door to a new experience makes itself known a place that has been home becomes yet another memory while boxes begin to gather and belongings collect in piles to be packed away sun shining through the leaves of a row of plants gradually blooming in the glow of spring signs of growth and things to come stretching towards the light they are a reminder that it is time to move on travelling back and forth on a train bound for the future connections are there to be made; paths that could lead onwards, or anywhere, into the unknown blank walls of a new flat offer promise pages of a new book await being filled opportunities are abundant so, into the breach

Illustration by Nico McLaughlin / Words by Eilidh Henderson

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CREATIVE WRITING

Onwards tug my heartstrings, my compass and my guide my left my middle and my right my sunrise and my morningstar across the garden wall in ivy clothed across across past the burning lamppost in a warm and lively street until there is no music anymore except for hurried breath and hurried feet through oceans made of fireflies of neon green to where electric lights do fail where opposites remain unseen. past boU Nd arIes across the echo of a wood along the frazzled image of a road where beams of sunlight slice the sky spreading it wide across the canvas of my mind onwards behind the stars until the last piece of the sky where you go unnamed and i is a foreign word. onwards until we

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Design by Gosia Kepka / Words by Rebecca Raddatz

CREATIVE WRITING

Moving through Rain Birds can’t fly with wings too wet from rain.

Humans can’t fly regardless of the weather.

But rain weighs some people down.

Shielded with hands, an umbrella, a hood; feet shuffle out of buses with heads bowed.

Some rush. Quickened paces inviting strengthened force of water in return for less time spent in it. Perhaps that’s how that person argues too. Maybe they’re just efficient, determined.

Some scowl. Really scowl. Glare one way, then the other, but mainly up at the sky. Perhaps that’s how they face challenges. Or maybe they’re just sensitive.

Some come prepared. Always or for that day.

There are very few people who slow down to enjoy rain. Rain rolls off skin so easily, naturally repelled, even though a few layers underneath we’re made up of the same chemical compound more than any other.

Every now and then someone glides through the rain in a t-shirt. What that might say about them really depends on geographical location. And season.

Some dance in the rain, maybe you even sing. Understandable too, if just today.

Design by Cara Rooney / Words by Marleen Käsebier

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Ode to the Law

CREATIVE WRITING

Down from Dundee’s highest hill Through deep delirious mist Diving towards the opaque Tay A seagull observes the fall.

Dying black the dark blue sky The star renounces the night Vacating late the firmament And leaving for dusty dawn.

Below her the rough roads And unseen freezing streets The gull quietly flaps away To Edinburgh, the capital.

Yet as she flies, to comfort Those feeling blue at heart January fades, dissolves to fog And obscures the nightly path.

Chalk clouds on a blackboard Hide the remaining stars As angry cries the seagull call Forcing her to journey on.

No penguins live in London The magpies’ palace hosts A mandatory conference For those who roam the sky.

While the South seeks to bind With its spells the anxious gull Well knows she the Scottish hill Whither she now flees home.

In the grey huts and old mills The gull may brave her heart To steer afar, discover forth What lies north of the Law. The liberty of thunders cold Constitutes fresh fraternity: High soars the Dundonian gull Below her the sovereign sea.

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Design by Mareth Burns / Photography by Arjun Kalsi / Words by Clara Seyf ried

CREATIVE WRITING

Farewell Orange Tree Farewell orange tree. I will leave you there in our Andalusian patio and think about the warm summer nights during this icy winter in France. I must go, because red are our walls now. Shelter under the vine and drink from the crystal stream.

Enjoy the whiteness while it lasts for the crime was in Granada and it must never be forgotten.

Farewell lemon tree. I heard you saw the poet. He walked into the night between rifles, down a long street to an olive grove. They shut their windows, they shut their eyes. Said ‘Nor will God save you’ and fired. Oh, how still the Arabian night was.

Farewell orange tree. You who saw the poet fall, lit by the early stars –blood on his brow, lead in his guts –and saw him walking with her as she clapped.

You who heard him say ‘Now as ever, gypsy, my death, how good to be alone with you, in this breeze of Granada, my Granada!’

Farewell lemon tree. There are no roads. Roads are made as you walk. I am following the river that leads to the sea, but I beg you, please do not follow me. Stay by the fountain, as you always stood, under the shadow of the Alhambra. Let the weeping of your waters be the eternal reminder that the crime was in Granada, his Granada!

Design by Gosia Kepka / Words by Ana Dieguez Algaba

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CREATIVE WRITING

Shadows Beside Me the bleak eye of a burning, broken sky, implacable, it burrows like a loud drill pregnant with Tomorrow’s burgeoning liesthrough the cries in my throat trapped yet shrill. shadows follow, familiar and falter!

Attacked with stealth from five sides footsteps tap, rise; then suddenly alterno reflection I see in the tides my head turning, to see that which followstricky demons I feel back at my side dark thoughts crank, now Fear whistles and wallows... too quickly swallow some time from my life

the steps now they quicken, salt, dirt, sweat and fire

tempers my stomach to sicken the taste of sulphur, the sweet song of the lyre

the smell of the orchid to thicken clog the mines of my brain to a mire,

and my heart: a thunderclap, quite stricken

stopping. exhausted. I pant, seep and scan, attempt to corral former composure

gated back into the dens of my hands the vacant night: a veined, vast exposure the skewed lines of my palms hope to shorten the breaths I take to some regular span pleading, I look with vain hope to the sky, where the sombre, small orb above me drops pure liquid, stinging; to join with my eyes; enough to feed the sharp, scythe-stunted crops which nurture, new-birthed sheer terror to rise reflected in the mirrors below me till waving reeds blow and fleeting fear goes... are those shadows I see close behind me?

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Design by Cait Maxwell / Words by Aaron Tweed

INTERVIEW

WE ARE NOT JUST ‘SECURITY’, WE ARE HUMANS FIRST The secret glue that is necessary for a student community to stay solid - an interview with Thomas Simpson, Dundee University’s Security Guard best known as Tam. Stories like this warm my heart. Stories of gratitude and human connection. The University of Dundee has the privilege of hosting a diverse and international student community, provided with the space to thrive by being well supported. An important responsibility of the University is to keep this community safe. Therefore, a trained team of student workers, called Student Support Assistants or SSAs, are hired by Student Services to ensure the wellbeing of students in hall residences. In addition, residences’ Security ensures the safety of its students through nightly patrols and an out-ofhours service for emergencies or reports.

When it comes to a community, it is important to consider what brings people together. This glue is often forgotten about or taken for granted, but without it a sense community would not develop and grow strong. I had the opportunity to interview Thomas Simpson, a security guard, best known as Tam, who is a part of the security team at the University Residences. He has gained a good reputation with the students, voiced several times in the form of posts of appreciation on the social platform Dunfess.

He opened up about his 25-years experience in the security sector and his past career as a baker. He described what is to adapt into the line of security work and his role at the University, commencing three years ago, with one year working part-time and two years working full-time. I was interested in what he had to say about the student community, and his daily interactions with students.

Design by Molly Porteous

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INTERVIEW

What do you like the most about working in security at the University residences?

First of all, you learn and see new things every day.

I find it good to listen to the students and if they have got problems, they will come to see me. They will stand and talk to me, so I find it a lot easier to do my job. At the same time, they find it easy to approach me, and that is the way I have always worked, alongside managers, to find my way to help people. This is the reason why I have a good reputation on the campus. If I can help someone, I will do my best and if I cannot, I will find someone who can.

You meet a lot of the students, who are from all over the world and see what different people are like; they come from Spain, China, Italy, from various cultures. This is really good, because you get to know a lot of them and they get to know you.

I would not want to leave my job, because I really enjoy it. The management team is also good with me and I report back to them problems, which I cannot solve, so they can deal with them.

What have you learnt about your interaction with students?

At the start of the year, I introduce myself and explain to them the way I work: “I will treat you the way you want to be treated and I am here to help you�. When it comes to students, I believe that when you behave towards them the way they want to be treated, they will give you more respect. I give the students that respect, in return, they give it back and cooperate with me.

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Words by Conchita Fraguas Bringas

INTERVIEW

“This is your home for the next year, so you should treat it as your own home.”

When they first move in, I usually say “look, just remember one thing. This is your home for the next year, so you should treat it as your own home.

These are the rules and if you follow them the way you should be, you will be fine. And there is always the emergency out-of-hours number, where you can phone us, if you have any issues and we will be there to help you”.

If you see us going about, you can come and speak to us. If you feel that there is a problem, you find somebody to speak to, like the student support assistants or the management team, and they will help deal with it. If the students are safe, I am happy. This is my attitude and the way I work. If the students are in danger, this is when there is an issue, so I need to do my best to assist them.

How has building a student community helped you in your role as a security guard?

I have gotten to know well not only students, but also, student support assistants like Gonzalo, as I work closely with them. This is good for me because, if I have a problem, I know I can rely on SSAs and it works the other way around. I enjoy that, because we are working together, and we are learning every day.

What message would you like to give to the students?

Don’t be feart (Scottish slang for afraid)! If you see the security team don’t be feart, come and approach us, we are always ready to help. If you do not want to approach us directly, then talk to the student support assistants, get them to try and approach us. We are not security, we are there as people who can help and our number one priority is the students’ safety.

I have always tried to get the SSAs and security to work more closely together, and it would be really good to fully achieve this, as it makes the job we do way easier and more efficient.

Why do you think it is so important to have that person-to-person connection with students, that sense of community?

The way I look at it is that I stand outside and have a cigarette at 3 o’clock in the morning or half past two, when the Union closes and all of the students come out. And they all know where I stand, and if they are feeling frightened, they think “There’s Tam”, “Let’s go and stand where Tam is”, “We’ll wait with Tam until we get the night bus”, and if they have a problem, they know that they can find and approach me. Because we are not just security people, we are also there to help. Even though we wear our vests and we are referred to as security, we are there as humans first.

There was passion in his voice, and a sense of humbleness mixed with pride. He was proud of his work and contributions towards the safety and connectedness of our student community.

Furthermore, he was even prouder to be valued, to be approached as a person first and security guard second, to be a key pillar in the student atmosphere and ensure its safety. Tam is an example of those people, who can contribute significantly to the student life and help with settling into a new place by making students feel safe. I invite you to look deeper within your communities and identify those individuals who help you feel right at home.

Thank them, because chances are that you will positively impact them by showing appreciation for their actions and effort. Those people are often the unseen glue that makes the community become stronger, more connected and flourish.

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DESIGNERS’ CHOICE

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Photography by Domas Radzevicius

DESIGNERS’ CHOICE

Illustration by Cait Maxwell

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Is It Getting Worse?

We are experiencing a world of extremes, but what is the reality?

Last month, a video went viral in my home country, Egypt, of a father who threw himself on the railway when his daughter slipped onto the tracks, protecting her from a train passing by. Pictures and illustrations were going around everywhere celebrating who came to be known as ‘superdad’.

Another video, which also went viral in Egypt a few months ago, and I know how horrific this will sound, was one that showed a train conductor force two guys off of the train as it was moving, because they did not pay, or have the money to pay for their tickets. And this is the dilemma I struggled with all my life; which of these scenarios says more about our world and where we are heading?

One of the most inspiring professors of my Undergraduate journey, one which I had also presumed to be the most pessimistic person I have ever come across, was always somehow talking about how the world is becoming a better place. Maybe not in the utopian sense of it. But as a history professor, he went on about how more peaceful our world is becoming, if we look at it through a wider lens. And let me just point this out, I know blood is a far more intense story than can be measured by digits, but the number of human losses in the past 50 years still does not add up to the casualties of two world wars.

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Design by Lisa Dyer

This professor liked to talk with a veiled smile which only showed in the tone of his voice, about how objectively true it is that there are less wars and less famines, about how humans are generally becoming less prone to violence, and how people are becoming more concerned about the wellbeing of our planet and more actively involved in politics and climate change. I believed him. But I don’t know if I believed him because this is what history tells us, or because I wanted to believe that this is true.

“I believed him. But I don’t know if I believed him because this is what history tells us, or because I wanted to believe that this is true.”

I am one of millions bearing witness to an ongoing 9-year war in Syria, to attacks on desperate refugees, while the world stands watching. I continue to read about children starving in Yemen and in a handful of African countries, while governments are still spending their money on militarisation and nuclear weapons. Then I look the other way, and I see total strangers contribute

CURRENT AFFAIRS

to funds raised by friends for the widest ranges of causes, ones that possibly do not affect either parties. Personally, I am terrified of church bombings and mosque shootings, I am terrified at the thought of someone dying while doing an act as harmless as practicing their faith. But then I am reminded of an iconic scene in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, one of Christians holding hands, building a human wall around Muslims praying in Tahir square, shielding them during protests.

about international organisations choosing money over justice, about genocides and holocausts which should have very easily killed every piece of hope in our young hearts, and yet very passionately, very cheerfully chose to pursue the path of social and economic change post-graduation.

I go about my everyday life scared for my loved ones. Scared that they could be victims of someone's prejudice because of the way they look, think, or dress. Yet at the same time, and bear with me on this one, comes a band with as big a fan base as Coldplay and records their newest album addressing these issues, disclosing the biggest glimpse of hope of all.

It was then that I realised it is a choice. It is what we choose to believe.

It is safe to say that a foreign (non-American) movie won Best Picture this year for the first time.

You can choose to accentuate that, or choose to put more weight on the fact that president Trump mocked the Academy’s decision. By that I do not mean in any way to normalise tragedies or inadequacies taking place in our world.

Acknowledge them, please acknowledge them, but also still read Charles Dickens and watch airy musicals. Believe that maybe, just maybe, it is not getting worse. Maybe we are still capable of kindness and selflessness. Maybe it is not as insane as we fear.

Political dramas, along with political analysts, are not giving us much hope, and they make it exceptionally easy to believe in a deteriorating reality. But I choose to believe in the mesmerising number of students who went through a Political Science degree with me. Ones who sat alongside me in an International Relations or a European History class learning about mad men in offices,

I choose to believe that the anger and heart which lie within them, are bound to take them to better places, and suffice to take us along with them.

This is put rather perfectly in the words of Gramsci:

“We need pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will. Celebrate the good in humanity, but also fight for it to keep heading in the right direction as we move forward.�

Words by Batoul El Bialy

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Women have made significant contributions to a number of professions; from science, to law, to the arts and many more.

In particular, the progress made by significant women in the political background of the United Kingdom is remarkable.

This year marks 102 years since women were given the right to vote under the Representation of the People Act, 1918. However, this only extended to women over the age of 30 and it wasn’t until the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 that women finally achieved the same voting rights as men.

This came following years of demonstrations, actions, and petitions fighting Parliament for this right. Up until 1917 every single suffrage bill brought before Parliament was defeated, ultimately leading to further frustrations and causing demonstrations to become violent. As a result many women were sent to prison, during which time many engaged in hunger strikes as a sign of protest against women being denied the right to vote due to their gender.

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Design by Lisa Dyer

Without the determination and bravery of these women such progress would not have occurred and the political landscape would be very different today. Even in the 2019 general election a record of 220 female MP’s were elected.

At first glance this seems like a high number, and whilst it is important to celebrate this statistic, it is necessary to note that it only amounts to 34% of the total MP’s elected, with 429 male MPSs taking seats in parliament.

The 8th of March 2020 marks International Women’s Day and to allow students from Dundee University to celebrate, political or otherwise, Dundee University Scottish Nationalist Association and Dundee Labour Students (DUSNA) held a “Celebrating Women in Politics” event on the 1st of March. The event involved hearing from three female speakers from across the political spectrum; Heather Anderson (former MEP), Lynne Short (Dundee City Councillor) and Rosalind Garton (former Dundee East Labour candidate).

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Each of these speakers delivered fantastic speeches about their journey through politics and activism, how they got to where they are today, the struggles they faced, and the obstacles they overcame. It is hoped that the event and the speakers inspired as many people as possible to get involved in politics, whether that means campaigning or voting in an election for the first time.

“...we need to strive to break the norm and come forward to stand up for ourselves and other women in society.”

The speeches that were delivered were extremely eye-opening.

Whilst we associate many of the issues faced by women in politics with the suffragette movement, there are still many issues ongoing today. We still have so much to overcome. As women we may subconsciously back down in the face of conflict with men, possibly to avoid controversy, or simply because that is what has been drilled into us by society for so many years.

And in our heads we may be saying “why are we doing this?” yet we cannot stop ourselves from doing it. In this way, we need to strive to break the norm and come forward to stand up for ourselves and other women in

society. Too often when someone is discriminated against or being marginalised it can be difficult to speak out and say “no, that’s wrong”, but doing this is the only way that we, as a society, can educate ourselves, and others, and push back against discrimination. Doing this is the way that we as women can empower other women.

Politics is so important in today’s society and we must make use of our democratic right to vote that was fought for over 100 years ago.

Empowered women empower women.

Words by Lori Anderson - Dundee University Scottish Nationalist Association

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COMMUNITY

JUJU NODA:ďźšTHE NEXT STAR AND STEP IN FORMULA ONE?

An insight into the journey of Juju Noda; from a normal child to record-breaking Formula One driver.

Back in 2007, Lewis Hamilton entered the world of Formula One. Even in his rookie season, his talents were undeniable, losing

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Design by Abbey Wang

out on the 2007 Drivers Championship by only one point to his far more experienced rival Kimi Raikkonen. Hamilton went on to win 6 Drivers World Championships of his own in the future and counting. Not only has he broken numerous age-old records held by the legendary Ayrton Senna and

COMMUNITY

Michael Schumacher, but has also broken social boundaries by becoming the first black driver to race in F1, something that in 2007 must’ve been quite a shock to the system. Now, a thirteen-year-old Japanese girl Juju Noda seems to be the rising sun upon yet another new dawn for Formula One as the first full-time female F1 driver; not only that, but one with the talent to win championships. Although such a notion seems absurd considering her age, if you account for the feats she has achieved, her background and other young stars of the pinnacle of motorsport, it’s really not so far-fetched.

In 2011 and at the incredibly young age of four, she took her debut win in beginner class karting, since then continuing to rack up countless wins and championship titles in karting categories most would think she had no business racing in. Juju’s foremost crowning achievement yet is the fact that in 2016, at a staggering nine years old, she was the first ever primary school age student to test a Formula One car. Even more impressive, in only a year’s time she had broken a tracks lap record by almost an entire second. If that’s not a testament to her talent, who knows what is? Of course, she’s not the only driver of recent times to impress at a young age. Current Formula One driver Max Verstappen began his career at seventeen, currently the youngest ever age that someone has competed in F1. By the age of eighteen he became the youngest winner of a Grand Prix; this shows the climb is possible regardless of age.

Next, her background. Well, to be specific, her father, Hideki Noda’s background.

Despite not being particularly well known during his career as a Formula One driver, the fact he was a driver means quite a bit if you watch the trends. Bruno Senna, Max Verstappen and Nico Rosberg are just a few children of former F1 drivers who themselves have made it to the sport, with other examples such as Mick Schumacher still on the climb amongst the Junior Formula ranks. Not only this, but thanks to the family wealth, Juju also has plenty of

financial backing, a factor which is, perhaps sadly, almost as important as raw talent when trying to reach F1. Current F1 driver Lance Stroll continues to be financed by his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll; although his talent is clear, it can’t be ignored that his father’s backing undoubtedly helped him reach and maintain where he is.

As exciting as the prospect of having a new female F1 driver is, particularly one of such talent in her youth no less, we mustn’t be over-zealous toward the subject. Juju has just about become a teenager and may well lose interest in pursuing her dream of reaching Formula One. Hobbies and interests change, especially at that age, we’ve all been there. Additionally, showing huge amounts of talent in karting and Junior Formulas does not automatically lead to being the next superstar of F1, but it does help. The pressure that she will most likely face from the media is also an issue that cannot be ignored, as she would most likely catch the attention of onlooking journalists and paparazzi the moment she steps onto the big stage. It is important that the community keeps focused on the fact that Formula One is a sport where only results on-track should define your status, and should not be distracted by the Red Herrings media exposure can create.

In summary, Juju Noda has the potential to give the Formula One world what it has craved for so many years, a female driver and perhaps a female champion. Big teams such as Ferrari have already been quite open about a desire to enrol girls into their driver academy, and Red Bull with its Japanese engine provider Honda will be more than likely to want someone from home soil to race for them. So, the gates of opportunity are most definitely open to her. All we can do now is to allow Juju to grow as a person and driver and see what the future has in store for her.

Words by Luke Perry

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COMMUNITY

The Value of the Present We need to embrace the present instead of always thinking about the next step.

The university year is drawing to a close. We will soon be hearing the joys and relief from graduates (myself included), who have now finished their journey here at Dundee - a milestone in their lives and a journey they will never forget.

However, the questions will also start to appear: what are you going to do next? What career path are you pursuing? Have you found a job yet? Do you have your place for a postgraduate secured? The uncertainty of our future and our choices will overshadow the celebrations and our appreciation of this particular moment.

This obsession with the next step needs to stop; it puts an unnecessary pressure on our shoulders and reduces our enjoyment of the present.

Instead, we should bring the focus to what we are doing now, the people around us and the environment we exist in. I believe that will bring more happiness to our lives and make us appreciate the small things that happen to us every day.

I am not implying we need to ditch our ambitions or stop thinking about our future. In contrast, I think we need to drop the unnecessary obsession with always focusing on the next step and always demand from one

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another that we all need to take a step forward, higher and quicker.

The risk is that we will never appreciate where we are at any particular moment and instead worry about when we will reach the next step. A constant focus on the future can be damaging and rarely allows us to rethink our decisions and dreams, it doesn’t leave room to work out if we truly enjoy our lives.

I hope that our graduates will enjoy their day and celebrate each other as they deserve; completing university is an outstanding achievement. I hope they enjoy the present instead of constantly speculating about a possible graduate job or fear of the next step. I hope we all realise that we will go our own ways.

Some paths are very direct and vocational, others take a more twisting and unpredictable path.

It is all fine, nobody fits into the same particular box, we all have our own.

“I hope that our graduates will enjoy their day and celebrate each other as they deserve, because completing university is an outstanding achievement” If you see a graduate, or are one yourself, then ask them about their present and not their next steps. Let us enjoy the present and feel this moment; we need to be steady before we can continue onwards.

Design by Lisa Dyer / Photography by Domas Radzevicius / Words by Christoffer Nielsen

SPORT

Women in Sport: Why We Must End the Battle of the Sexes Commitment, dedication, respect. Three words I was taught to value above anything else, growing up in rugby. To me, these words translated to something far beyond the confines of the pitch, something applicable to everyday life. I swore by these growing up, and now these words carry far more weight than I could have imagined.

In 1972, a civil rights law was passed, Title IX. Title IX decreed: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjegated to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The impact on female participation in sport was remarkable, boasting a 1079% increase between 1972 and 2010.

Female coaches undoubtedly suffered as a direct result of this bill. Prior to 1972, female coaching was predominantly on a volunteer-basis and mens were competitive. By standardising the system and combining mens and womens coaching, by qualification, male coaches began to take over female sport. The percentage of female coaches in women’s sport plummeted from 90% to 30%.

However, that number is one again on the rise, estimated at 40% today.

Women’s sport struggles to gain proportional media coverage, with Adidas claiming that only 4% of media coverage is directed towards female sporting events. Many media outlets are still scared that giving airtime to ‘boring’ women’s sport is a gamble. However, smaller viewing numbers bring in smaller sponsors and advertisements.

Australian sport top tier coaching staff is currently only 14% female and 36% overall. Of the 14 teams currently in the Aussie rules female league (Australian Rules Football), only one head coach is female.

It’s a vicious cycle, for as long as women don’t have proportional representation, we cannot hope to get the

same numbers of women interested, training, supporting and rising through the ranks in sport. As engagement from the public and participants grows, big advertisement and media companies must take note. Sponsoring companies claim that women only secure sponsorship deals (which usually make up the vast majority of income for a professional athlete) a fraction of their male counterparts because

Design by Grace Neillands

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SPORT

women’s sports reaches smaller audiences and have less public engagement and pull, therefore they are undeserving of the same payouts as men. So increase the visibility of female sport in the media, interest and following will grow, and funding must follow.

It’s a cycle.

“46% of people who have been to a [women’s football] match reported to have been surprised with how professional it was and 74% thinking it underrated.” - The Guardian.

Scary statistics that highlight the level of ignorance surrounding the women’s game and the damage a lack of positive media coverage can cause. As summed up by Kelly Smith, former England football player, “women need to be respected and given the same platform to perform.

By doing this the quality gets higher and higher and with that comes better live and television attendances, sponsors, etc.”

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However, athletes are often still sexualised in many contexts.

Especially so in the case of the LFL (Legends Football League, formerly Lingerie Football League), a controversial branch of the most viewed sport on the planet. Picture this: a team of 7 battle hardened, feisty women decked out in shoulder pads, head guards and … push-up bras and booty shorts. Women, at the top of their game, with no choice but to don a uniform with a cropped jersey to ensure skin is on show. Depending on who you ask, some players are unfazed by this - it’s just a uniform or they’ve accepted that it’s part of playing the game at such a high level. But you have to question whether they will ever be valued for their skill, tactics and athleticism when players are set up to be objectified.

Thankfully, the NFL (National Football League) has taken legal measures to distance themself from this branch and is even

Words by Jack Hunter & Rose Kendall

beginning to see a normalisation of female coaches in more prominent coaching positions.

With figures such as Kathryn Ryan becoming the League’s first full-time female coach for the Buffalo Bills during the 2016/17 season, women currently occupy a host of coach positions within the top tier from strength and conditioning to defense and offence.

In further positive news, the public embraced the 2019 Women’s World Cup with open arms. The final, which saw viewing figures reach 11.7million, has also sparked a rise in pitch hires and football training involvement on a local level in the months that followed.

During the 2018/19 season, Peta Searle made history by becoming the first woman to be named head coach of a men’s AFL team.

A leap in the right direction, hope that the next generation of female Aussie rules players

SPORT

will pave the way for an entire professional generation of female coaches, not breaking the ‘cycle’.. but repurposing it.

Arguably at the forefront of the movement is Crossfit. A sport that has been rapidly growing in popularity over the past 10 years. The Crossfit Games is the ultimate competition to find the “Fittest Man/Woman on the Planet”. A number of events are undertaken by athletes, most in which both males and females compete side by side for their own titles. It is the ultimate display of strength, speed, power, athleticism and sportsmanship.

Women’s sport is developing, even blooming. It requires both urgency and patience. In time, generations of players will inspire further generations to lace up their boots and take to the pitch on a Saturday morning. However, in order to ensure success, the ignorant (intentionally or otherwise) must be educated.

Equal pay, equal coverage and equal access to facilities must be granted now or we risk tainting the very principles in which sports fundamentally stands for; Commitment, dedication, respect.

“Equal pay, equal coverage and equal access to facilities must be granted now or we risk tainting the very principles in which sports fundamentally stands for; Commitment, dedication, respect”

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COMICS

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Comic 1 - Ellen Forbes / Comic 2 - Lola Knibb

COMICS

Comic 3 - Nico McLaughlin

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LIFESTYLE

What Fear of the Unknown?

Being lost has never felt so good.

U

ntil I turned 18, I had never moved to a new house. It seems a bit strange, right?

Almost everyone has at least one moving story from their childhood. However, I had the same bedroom from ages of two to eighteen in a little bungalow on a street in the West of Scotland.

Originally, before coming to Dundee, I had planned on commuting to the University of Edinburgh for my first year of studying. Then I got my final grades at the end of sixth year.

From the sight of just a few letters, I felt broken.

Nothing I did could draw me away from the idea that I “screwed up”. Doing so, and badly, I ended up with my insurance choice. This meant that I was about to encounter the biggest change that had ever happened to me; moving.

Small changes always seem manageable. I went to a nursery in a town 10 minutes from my house, then onto a primary school with only one friend for company. Of course, making friends at such a young age is far less daunting. We have no real perceptions of each other, our differences or the reality of the world around us.

So, you hand someone your sand shovel when you’re finished with it and suddenly you’re eating digestive biscuits together every day before story time. In

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Design by Lisa Dyer

primary school you learn how to pronounce and spell each other’s names and there are only twenty-five of you so everyone knows each other; grouped at the same little table every day, probably named after a storybook character, and compete to be Star of the Week.

And then Dad tells me that I’m not going to the same High School as everyone who has encompassed your childlike world. Life seems to end right then and there. In that instance it feels like a loss; grieving the friends left behind, I cried and shouted and protested. Yet, the decision was made, placement forms signed, and in August 2010 I was back to square one.

Flitting between friend groups and trying so hard to be liked by whoever I could, which lead to the characteristic, and extremely failed, attempts to like every single band or video game I could. It took me two whole years to have a solid best friend but I cherished the summers where we spent everyday together, talking nonsense and taking countless photos. The idea of being “real adults” was finally in our sights, and I was convinced my amazing connections at home would hold strong, even though new ones might be made.

Exam results, panic and final sense of calm ensued.

LIFESTYLE

On the 1st September 2016, I was in a new flat, a new city and making new friends again. Now, things were different because I wasn’t angry. If anything, I was ready for whatever was waiting for me. Now, I was definitely scared but I had made sure to speak to people from my course as soon as that confirmation popped up on screen. These people were so different, so new, and for once they were also at square one as well. It’s amazing how comforting it can be to be totally lost with other people.

Returning home from university for winter break taught me so much in such a short time. Of course I missed my friends, but they didn’t really want to hear about any new friends. With each journey backwards and forwards I was growing into a different person, and I will continue to change. Yet, no love is lost for the ones at home, there just isn’t something holding us together every day, and that is okay.

Being forced to grow, at the right time, can be the best thing that ever happened.

Since coming to Dundee, I have moved house three times, all for various good and not so good reasons but, looking back, I absolutely wouldn’t change a thing. Approaching the end of my fourth and final year here, my friends are all looking to disperse into their own amazing adventures. Having reasons to move, to visit, to meet up, and to enjoy our time with each other hasn’t made me scared to lose them, it’s made me excited to have had the pleasure of knowing them, and who they will become during our time apart.

We will come back together when the time is right, but for now, it’s onwards.

“It’s amazing how comforting it can be to be totally lose with other people.”

Looking back, I am so glad that I didn’t end up getting the grades that would have kept me at home.

The people I have met and the experiences I’ve had have given me a whole new outlook that continuing my life in a small town would never have.

Words by Charlotte Kirkwood

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LIFESTYLE

The urge to try something new can be found at any time. The question is, will you take the risk and do it?

Do you ever get that urge to try something new?

I feel like that’s me every week; finding myself scrolling through Instagram, checking out the latest YouTube content, something catches my eye and all of a sudden, I NEED to try it.

This constant desire to find and try out new things derives from an obsessive personality,

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Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

which of course, then forces me to bring it up in conversation…to everyone I meet! Other people’s opinions matter to me; is it just me who thinks this idea is cool? Would it actually be practical to carry out? How would you even go about beginning such a project? All this inner turmoil usually gets me even more riled up and eager. Such tension might seem negative to some, but I am always ready to get stuck right into buying or preparing for whatever is needed.

LIFESTYLE

The research continues, the preparation, the practicalities … then it all slams to a halt. One person has turned around and smashed your idea with one spark of doubt, “Do you really need to…” or “Are you sure about this?” Self-doubt is a dangerous thing and can start to blaze inside your mind. Long story short, an idea can dwindle and die as quickly as when it was sparked.

Unfortunately, this is the fate of many plans and ideas. A discovery, the urge; doubt and the failure that occurs when you decide not to do it before quietly bowing out of the project.

But that didn’t happen this time.

I won’t lie, it almost had. An hour before I set off to do one of the biggest purchases of my life, my Mum walks in and unknowingly sets the doubt rolling through questions and frowns. However, I pushed through it, I stuck to my guns and went for it.

I bought a van…

Not just any van, a 2011 Ford Transit! Now some of you will be thinking, “Why on Earth has this geezer gone and bought a van?!” Well, to tell you the truth, I am building a campervan.

Ever since I can first remember, I have always had a love for adventuring, going new places with my

bike, taking on new challenges and learning along the way. Ironically, it is never about the outcome of these adventures, for me, it’s about the journey.

Pushing onwards, taking the risk and saying, “Who cares?”, to the doubters and the cool kids. What matters is that I have found something that gives me passion, drive and a glimpse into the not so distant future.

Don’t get me wrong, the looming sense of doubt is still there, but my hope is so much stronger because I can see my goal. All this work has been a huge success because not only has it had a positive impact on my self-confidence, but I have also learned a lot from it. No one should ever be scared to be proud of an accomplishment like this one; learning the ins and outs of something whilst forging happy memories along the way. In writing this article, I hope that this pushes one of our readers to take a risk and do something new.

Yes, maybe it won’t work out the way you wanted it to, but I promise there is always something gained along the way.

[If you would like to stay updated on my Campervan build, follow my Instagram stories at @craigmccracken]

Words by Craig McCracken

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LIFESTYLE

Satay Away The most surprising, unexpected thing can make you look back on what you know and be ready for what the future holds.

Satay sauce is the one thing that would always order from the chinese takeaway. It seemed like a treat; sweet and simple, but warming and spicy enough to wake up your pallet to, what seemed like, the millions of flavours that were imbued and marinated within it.

“It almost felt naughty, a treat and a guilty pleasure wrapped inside flimsy tupperware containers” Really, satay sauce reminds me of my mum. I grew up with just her raising me, we didn’t have a lot

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Illustration by Nico McLaughlin

of money, really we didn’t have any money. She worked and did everything and anything to give me the most in life so I never wanted for anything, and all the hope and pride she had, poured into me, giving me the resilience I needed for a future. That included spending as much time as possible with me, and giving me the options to explore and become who I wanted to be.

We would suggest to each other, almost telepathically, after a long week, that we should order a takeaway. It almost felt naughty, a treat and a guilty pleasure wrapped inside flimsy tupperware containers. We would go through the menu together, make a note of the meal number we wanted and dial. This technique would often get hugely out of hand as, combined, we would want the majority of what the takeaway could offer… sometimes more.

Of course, we could never consume the vast amount of our order; our eyes being far, far bigger than our stomachs, unfortunately, ever could be.

However, each time we repeated our routine, it never changed, because we found solace in this bonding, yet gluttonous time spent together.

LIFESTYLE

Satay Stew Recipe: Before making the satay sauce, you can pop some extra ingredients into a frying pan or a baking tray, fry or bake them and mix with the sauce to make a stodgy, warming stew. This recipe, at first glance, may appear to be a daunting, overly technical task, but what you end up with is an easy and simple bowl full of flavour and comfort.

Additional ingredients you might like to add: • • • •

Quorn chicken pieces Spinach Mushrooms Chickpeas

How to make the sauce: 1. Dice an onion into small pieces and fry until transparent and tender.

2. Add in two tablespoons of sugar. Stir until caramelised.

3. Pour in a few squirts of dark soy sauce. Mix in two teaspoons of chilli / curry powder and two crushed garlic cloves.

4. Once the soy sauce is fried off, place in a few blobs of chunky peanut butter (I prefer the sauce to be really peanutty for added flavour).

5. To thin the sauce, add in coconut or ordinary milk - the less you put in, the thicker the sauce will become.

Words by Billianna Allen-Mandeville

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OPINIONS

Fight or Flight We’re living in the age of ethical science fiction, with the closest thing to real-life Batman (Elon Musk) and Robin (Greta Thunberg) at the helm.

SpaceX has revolutionised the way in which we reach for the stars. It regularly relaunches flight proven rockets and became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Musk, a vocal opponent to fossil fuel, quit two advisory White House councils under the Trump Administration based on environmental policies. The US, fueled by the Trump Administration’s world grand dream of a “Space Force” went on to invest 72% of the worlds $26.4 billion defence total into military application of space research.

In 2018 the total number of countries investing in space programs was at an all-time high of 88, just under a 50% increase in the past 10 years. That same year, international governments invested $70.9 billion into military defence and civil space projects. The US contribution to that figure made up 58% ($40.9 billion) of the total.

Space soldiers aside, developments in science and technology from space programs have provided the world with means of making life easier and safer.

Studies into biomechanics and communication

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have led to developments in such technologies as prosthetic limbs and cochlear implants which have drastically improved quality of life for millions of people. Materials such as the heat reflective plastics we use in emergency blankets have been applied to every scenario from sub-zero exploration to the treatment of shock. We have a great amount to gain from space programs, but is abandoning Earth in search of our “Planet B” the answer?

Do we commit to the unimaginable and declare planet Earth a lost cause? With extreme predictions allowing us 10 years to turn the tables on climate change, is it more feasible to focus on the chances of a handful of humans being able to jet off and escape into space with the potential of finding inhabitable planets elsewhere? Terraforming planets, although theoretical, is a promising option with many viable ‘Planet B’s’ in our solar system including Mars, Venus and Mercury all existing within our ‘Goldilocks zone’ (Close enough to the sun to absorb its energy but not so close as to be damaged by it).

Stephen Hawking gave human life an estimated 100 years until extinction if we continued on our self destructive path. Do we fight hard for the planet we’re on - do we conserve the resources we have? Do we act together to recycle, to go vegan,

Design by Emma Biggins / Photography by Domas Radzevicius

OPINIONS

to consume less, to travel more sustainably? In the hope that it’s enough to sustain life for the majority of the population. A hope that the Earth might be greener again, given a chance to heal, and that humans will live on with a greater respect for the earth’s resources and understanding of how interlinked everything and all ecosystems are so as to better protect them.

Despite the rally call from nature’s sweetheart, Greta Thunberg, governments are not doing enough. The Climate Policy Initiative currently estimated that $360 billion is being spent between private and public investments on tackling the climate emergency. However, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an annual investment of $2.4 trillion is needed in the energy system until 2035 in order to limit temperature rise of 1.5°C. This proposed budget would tackle energy adaptations, coastal defences and reforestation.

At a UN summit in Copenhagen in 2009, developing nations declined a proposition to invest $100 billion annually into developing countries in order

to provide the means to contribute to tackling the climate emergency. This proposition would go on to become the Green Climate Fund (GCF) the following year. Although countries eventually contributed, controversial loopholes are being exploited by the likely suspects as to in what form the sum would be invested. It seems even a signature does not merit commitment in this modern day.

At this point we either need an ethical, humanitarian miracle or a scientific breakthrough in order to overcome extinction.

I propose the implementation of a Natural World and Human Preservation Council, consisting of those that are among Earths most intelligent, passionate and wise; Elon Musk, Greta Thunberg, led by Sir David Attenburgh. This council would investigate the possibility of preserving Earth and all its life. If it is discovered to be impossible, we build our ark, look to the stars for our ‘planet B’ and hope we are deserving enough of a second chance.

Fossil records tell us that life on Earth has existed for 3.5 billion years… here’s to another 3.5 billion.

Words by Jack Hunter

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OPINIONS

COVID-19: IDEAS OF IMMUNISATION “The hardest thing for me is that we live in a world where we want to prevent. We have nuclear submarines as the third line of defence.

We spend a lot of money to be prepared. But this is an evolutionary certainty whereas nuclear war is not – and yet we spend a lot less on this type of prevention.”

- Seth Berkley, Head of Gavi Vaccine Alliance, speaking to the Guardian.

Moving onwards, in the face of COVID-19’s (commonly known as Coronavirus) current pandemic status, is a task for how we define prevention. Understandably, it is a very difficult topic to be invested in, like how one likes keeping up with the American elections or Brexit. Sure, you can be invested from a life sciences standpoint, especially since it is a demonstration of learned concepts in disease pathology in the contemporary world.

However it is not something one can be politically invested in, since it is hard to antithesis with an opposing idea. The act of prevention has something that it prevents, an object or thing per se. It is the prevention of an opposite. This opposite is an illness however, something that we encounter every day

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Design by Louise James

and throughout history. So this is not as easy as a prevention of the political of sorts, as political ideas belong to the domain of language. Language has its structures; to propose structure is to presuppose a lack of structure. COVID-19 cannot speak, and COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate. If one was to support the idea of the spread, they would be trying to speak for it in a sense. To talk of prevention is not to be a reasonable mind; it belongs to something unconscious about our bodies behaviour, beyond our reasonable will. This is anxiety provoking. Most that keep up to date with the spread of the novel coronavirus are doing so out of anxiety more than anything else.

There is an animus of racism that follows a perverse logic on prevention of further spread. This has led to the conduct of synthesising inappropriate fears on university campuses. It prompted the Southampton Chinese Students and Scholar’s Association to coin the phrase ‘I AM NOT A VIRUS. I AM A HUMAN’, which has been displayed with useful and preventative information for student conduct at university. This is the primordial bio-political standpoint that speaks of power over others based on the externality of the body. Those who wear masks, or repeatedly cough while speaking a particular language are seen as targets of abuse.

OPINIONS

This is an abuse of our reasoning, to pre-suppose there is a distinct phenomenon we must avoid.

Anxiety reveals to us that it is not that simple.

Other than this being a horrific contradiction of student freedom, this speaks to anxiety’s synthesising of phenomena to attach a fear to.

Thus, it creates a structure of prevention built upon racism. This cannot be humoured as the answer.

There is no way to politicise COVID-19. As Berkley highlights, via comparison to nuclear warfare, we create politics around inventions of reason; words, weapons, nations. These are ideas that, in their contextual unfurling, create political structures.

Thus opposition.

“I think accepting that we can feel anxious about our bodies is one of the healthiest things we can do.”

Yet the politicisation of the body has led to the greatest atrocities history has ever seen. On an almost daily basis, we approach our own bodies as if we are sovereign to it. Yet it persistently interrupts us; the body’s interruption is non-linguistic. It is the sound, sight or feeling of a cough, rumble or

crack. From the smallest burp mid conversation to the greatest sprint to the nearest loo on a night out. COVID-19 is another symbol for what has persistently been a source of anxiety for humanity.

What are we to disease? What are we to our own bodies? COVID-19 is indifferent to our words and theories, because it has been with us since the start.

So long as we are human enough, we will cough and splutter. We can only talk about prevention insofar as we know our own tendencies and irrational activities, as the virus spreads through occasions as banal as touching and breathing. We can never prevent our own body’s interruptions, but we can reconcile with them, and this is why we carry our tissues and our hand sanitiser. I think accepting that we can feel anxious about our bodies is one of the healthiest things we can do.

This is not a threat to humanity as we know it. Far from it. However, we can only compare it to war, insofar as it violently interrupts our sense of (ir) rationality. So, care for your friends and colleagues around you in this new challenge we face. Stop and think if you find yourself gazing through them (and keep washing those hands). (last updated: 12 March 2020)

Words by Rory Brooke

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SCIENCE & TECH

THE ELEPHANT’S FOOT:

A BIZARRE NUCLEAR SIDE EFFECT Does the potential reward of nuclear power outweigh the risks?

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Design by Louise James

SCIENCE & TECH

Chernobyl has the ill fortune of being famous for a nuclear disaster which led to the city being filled with life threatening radiation and forcing locals to evacuate, essentially rendering the city a ghost town. Nuclear power is, in theory, terrific in generating power as the efficiency of fissionable materials are significantly higher than other energy generating processes, but the dangers which it poses are significant: resulting in a high risk, high yield scenario if an accident were to occur. This is because the high energy released by the nuclear materials can cause severe damage. However, a long-term danger from nuclear power is radiation; the dangers of its exposure are generally well known to be severely harmful to all life, causing mutations contaminating food and water supplies, and/or eventually leading to death.

Although the dangers of radiation and nuclear power are well known, because of the enormous amounts of energy, some effects are hard to predict - matter behaves differently at higher energies and temperature. One of these side effects of radiation was only discovered in 1986, something that looked like something from a science fiction movie: “The Elephant’s Foot”. It is a radioactive material, so radioactive it has motion, resulting in some investigators thinking it was alive, and is likely to be the most dangerous waste product on Earth.

This bizarre clump of mass emerged after the main reactor malfunctioned and melted the surrounding materials, fusing it in a clump of dangerous ionising radiation. The term “meltdown” comes from situations like this, because the carbon control rods which are used to keep the reaction in check, are essentially destroyed, and the fissionable material escapes, melting the equipment and surrounding materials. The Elephant’s Foot is mainly composed of corium, which is a lava-like substance, composed of silicon dioxide, uranium, graphite, zirconium and titanium. This combination of materials resulted in a highly lethal mass.

The radiation near The Elephant’s Foot back in 1986 delivered 4.5 grays of radiation in 5 minutes – equivalent to 4.5 million chest x-rays, and a 50/50 lethal dose. One could argue statistically that if two people were to go up close to The Elephant’s Foot, one of them would die. This bizarre level of lethality has earned it the nickname “The Medusa” - if one

stared at her, they would be turned to stone. A valid comparison, as if a person would be close enough, they would be exposed to such a high dose of radiation that they would probably die almost immediately.

The radiation level of The Elephant’s Foot was so ludicrously high, it produced so much heat that it melted the floor before settling into the lowest level of the reactor, where it continued to melt the ground. In fact, the mass is so radioactive and dangerous that the efforts to contain it continue to fail. Even more strangely, the only known method of inflicting “damage” is shooting it with an armour piercing AKM rifle.

ONE COULD ARGUE STATISTICALLY THAT IF TWO PEOPLE WERE TO GO UP CLOSE TO THE ELEPHANT’S FOOT, ONE OF THEM WOULD DIE The danger posed by The Elephant’s Foot is ongoing. As the mass was melting a hole in the ground, it was feared that it would eventually reach the water supply endangering the lives of people living nearby, leading to death and disease. It was most recently analysed in 2016, when the fears were slightly diminished. Ironically, the high level of radiation itself could be the factor. The intensity of the radiation is due to the half-life of the radioactive materials being low. In short, this means that half of the radioactive materials will decay in a short time, which is what produces high radiation. This phenomenon is what seems to have slowed down movements and therefore it may never reach the water supply.

We know that nuclear power plants generate immense power, however the dangers posed by potential disasters are so high, including bizarre phenomena which we cannot predict, such as The Elephant’s Foot. This suggests that although nuclear power is viable to produce energy relatively cleanly, no amount of precaution eliminates all risks of a disaster which ultimately costs lives.

Words by Victor Martorelli

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SCIENCE & TECH

THE SCIENCE OF PAIN, OPIOIDS AND ADDICTION Dundee, coined the “Drug Death Capital of Europe”, has made a lot of news - and for good reason. More than 400 people have died from drug overdoses in Dundee over the past decade.

The deadliness of opioids are classed as such from the ways in which they affect the brain and other parts of the body. However, these drugs have enormous value too. They are, after all, some of the best painkillers known in medical sciences.

Opioid [OH-pee-oyd]: An opioid is any member of the opioid class of drugs.

Opioids include drugs such as morphine, heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone. All of these drugs work by impersonating the brain’s own opioids, called endorphins, which serve as messengers between cells. As such, they are neurotransmitters.

When one brain cell releases endorphins, they float across a gap to another cell. There they sit on the outside of the target cells, binding to receptor molecules, as though landing in little docking stations. When they bind, the receptors can turn on, and off, activities inside the host cell. Those receptors are normally used by endorphins to inhibit the communication of pain signals, therefore dulling feelings of pain, and helping produce feelings of pleasure.

Opioid receptors exist in the brain’s pleasure centre, and on the nerve cells that relay pain signals. So, when the body releases natural endorphins, they

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Design by Louise James

not only fight pain, but also contribute to feelings of pleasure. But manmade opioid drugs are much more powerful.

So, put simply, opioids bind to opioid receptors that control how cells behave. When opioids bind to them, the receptors increase or decrease the activity of the cell. This minimises or even eliminates pain.

Opioids are much, much more powerful than our puny endorphins. People who take opioids can experience intense pleasure and even joy. They also fight pain far more effectively than our bodies ever could.

HERE’S THE PROBLEM The intense pleasure means that people may want to try them again, and again. As someone takes opioids drugs more and more, the body will grow tolerant, and so with time, the body needs more and more to feel good again.

Each time the effect of an opioid wears off, people suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, sleep problems, anxiety and more. What relieves those symptoms? More opioids. The longer a person takes an opioid, they will often need to take larger doses to avoid feeling sick. They may then become addicted to the drugs, and unable to control their use.

SCIENCE & TECH

The Drugs Misuse Research Group in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences have been investigating ways in which to tackle the emerging crisis of increasing drug-related deaths in the city, but it isn’t easy. Presently, many individuals are prescribed drugs like methadone - also an opioid, but working very slowly, which helps individuals avoid the misery of withdrawal. These drugs won’t provide the “high” people get from fentanyl or heroin.

It’s surprisingly easy to overdose on opioids; there are opioid receptors on areas of the brain called the medulla and the pons. Both areas help control how deeply and frequently we breathe. By binding to these receptors, opioids slow breathing, and at high enough doses, breathing will stop.

To prevent this, ambulance crews or others may inject a drug called Naloxone, an opioid antagonist.

It also binds to opioid receptors but does not turn them on. By taking the place of the opioid drugs, Naloxone can save someone’s life.

Naloxone [Nah-LOCKS-own]: Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that reverses an opioid overdose. Completely safe, Naloxone can be used in a suspected overdose situation; there are no exclusions from administering Naloxone where a drug overdose is suspected as failure to administer it may result in death of the person.

Anyone aged 16 or over can receive a Naloxone kit and training on how to administer it at the Harm Reduction Service at the Cairn Centre, DD1 1NA. You don’t have to make an appointment – drop in during opening hours. www.hillcrest.org.uk/futures/get-support/ alcohol-and-substance-misuse/odnotme/ Those affected by substance abuse can also contact the National Drugs Helpline for 24/7 help dealing with drug or alcohol use on 0300 123 6600.

At present, although some may argue that opioids are dangerous, doctors continue to prescribe them for pain management. They are simply some of the best painkillers available, especially for severe pain.

Words by James Dale

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INTERNATIONAL

The Thin Line Between the Real and The Magical “Searching I have realized that reality in Latin America, the reality that we live, in which we were brought up, which shaped us, is often confused with fantasy” The 17th of April will mark six years since Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s death, one of the most important authors of the 20th century. El Gabo, as he was intimately known, was a Colombian novelist, journalist and screenwriter who was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1982. Thanks to his work A Hundred Years of Solitude, Latin American literature is known around the world through a literary movement that brings together the real and the magical. Magical realism originated in the Latin American region between 1930 and 1940.

Authors such as Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel and Julio Cortazar contributed, with their work, to the expansion of this new trend. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that el Gabo is the major exponent of magical realism.

A Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) tells the story of the Buendía family through seven generations in the fictional town of Macondo and addresses topics such as solitude, love, memory, social protest, war, progress and incest. With his literary talent el Gabo captivated thousands of readers around the world and keeps awakening in each of them that

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Design by Louise James

magic that gives rise to new feelings and ideas.

The founding of Macondo has been compared to the colonization of America, its characters have been subject to psychiatric analysis in Los Locos de Macondo: Trastornos Mentales en Cien años de Soledad (The mad of Macondo: Mental Disorders in A Hundred Years of Solitude) (2012) and historical parallels have been drawn between the 32 wars which colonel Aureliano Buendia participated in and the Mil Dias war, occurred in Colombia between 1899 and 1902.

In a society where injustice, precariousness and the fight to survive reign, magical realism beautifies the daily life of the dreamers, presents a world of contrasts where time and space are relative, and no barrier exists between life and death; a world where the wonderful things are explained strangely and its characters introduce the extraordinary as part of their everyday life. Currently, in a globalized world, magical realism grants Latin America it’s own identity, detached from its colonial past and European sobriety, emphasizing on the wonder of its lands. Likewise, Garcia Marquez did not only introduce to the world the reality of Latin Americans, but it also enriched our culture meaningfully and gave us another reason to speak about it.

INTERNATIONAL

La Delgada Línea Entre lo Real y lo Mágico “Buscando me he dado cuenta de que la realidad en Latinoamérica, la realidad en que vivimos, en la que nos han criado, la que nos formó, se confunde diariamente con la fantasía”.

El 17 de abril se cumplen 6 años de la muerte de Gabriel García Márquez, uno de los autores más importantes del siglo XX. El Gabo, como le conocían íntimamente, fue un escritor colombiano, periodista, guionista de cine y ganador del premio nobel de la literatura en 1982. Gracias a su obra Cien años de soledad la literatura latinoamericana se dio a conocer al resto del mundo a través de un movimiento literario que combina lo real y lo mágico. El realismo mágico se originó en la región latinoamericana entre 1930 y 1940 y autores como Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel o Julio Cortázar contribuyeron con su obra a la expansión de esta nueva tendencia. Sin embargo, es indiscutiblemente el Gabo el mayor impulsor del realismo mágico.

Cien años de soledad (1967) narra la historia de la familia Buendía a través de siete generaciones en el pueblo ficticio de Macondo y trata temas como la soledad, el amor, la memoria, la denuncia social, la guerra, el progreso y el incesto. Es así como con su talento literario el Gabo cautivó a miles de lectores alrededor del mundo y continúa despertando en

cada uno de ellos esa magia que da origen a nuevas sensaciones e ideas. La fundación de Macondo ha sido comparada con la colonización de América, sus personajes han sido objeto de análisis psiquiátrico en (2012) y se han establecido paralelismos históricos entre las 32 guerras en las que participó el coronel Aureliano Buendía y la guerra de los Mil Días, ocurrida en Colombia entre 1899 y 1902.

En una sociedad donde reina la injusticia, la precariedad y la lucha por sobrevivir, el realismo mágico embellece el día a día de un pueblo soñador y fantasioso, presenta un mundo de contrastes donde el tiempo y el espacio son relativos y no existe un límite entre la vida y la muerte; un mundo en el cual lo maravilloso es raramente explicado y sus personajes introducen lo extraordinario como parte de sus vidas cotidianas.

Actualmente, en un mundo globalizado, el realismo mágico le otorga una identidad propia a América latina, separada de su pasado colonial y la sobriedad europea, enfocándose en la maravilla de sus tierras.

Así mismo, García Márquez no solo logra introducir al mundo la realidad del pueblo latinoamericano, sino que enriqueció significativamente nuestra cultura y nos dio una razón más por la que hablar de ella.

Words by Cindy Zetino & Isabela Martínez

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INTERNATIONAL

Cultural Diversity Multiculturalism is based on the notion that cultural identities and individualistic ways of thought should not be discarded but maintained and valued. The foundation of this belief is that numerous individuals, regardless of their faith or origin, have made a substantial contribution to the advancement of society.

T

he Diversity existing within the UK is truly astounding and should be appreciated, as many different ethnic and racial groups have contributed to the social, economic and cultural values of our society. It is important that as a country which exists due to these very contributions, that we harbour an environment of inclusiveness. The University of Dundee Indian Society (UDIS) ensures that all measures are taken to promote this very diversity and inclusivity within the university. We believe that the best way to promote diversity is to adopt a broader outlook and focus on all matters that are relevant to this subject, such as awareness of cultural backgrounds, how to tackle intolerance and enforce diversity in all environments including the workplace.

existing stereotypes in our society. We must reinforce the practice of avoiding prejudice, and refrain from assuming an individual’s character or beliefs based on their appearance for example.

To wholly comprehend the concept of diversity, one must acknowledge other theories that go hand in hand. The society in which we reside is not only diverse because of the existence of differing backgrounds – it is also other inherent differences that contribute towards diversity, such as difference of perception and opinion. We must have respect for other beliefs, experiences and perspectives. This form of acceptance allows us to gain valuable insight and explore other mindsets.

It is this very freedom of thought and expression that encourages personal growth and challenges

To conclude, the discipline of diversity is one that not only advances our society and promotes individual autonomy, it allows everyone to receive equal opportunities and be embraced regardless of their differences. This gives us the potential to progress in all fields, knowing that modernisation and creativity will not be limited due to this very acceptance.

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Moreover, one can also examine diversity from an alternative angle, as a result of the broad spectrum of definitions usually adopted by organisations and companies to incorporate such diversity into their workplace with ease. It is a common fact that sometimes certain categories of diversity such as language, gender, lifestyle etc. unfortunately place others at disadvantage due to employers’ discriminative natures. As a result of this, the law also provides provisions that concentrate on eliminating such barriers and discrimination in the workplace.

Design by Eryn Moreton / Photography by Arjun Kalsi / Words by Kiranpreet Kaur

INTERNATIONAL

DON’T ALWAYS TRUST WHAT YOU READ Claas Relotius, the rising star of journalism.

Young, pleasant and unassuming, that’s how he was described by his peers. He was known for his excellent writing skills, but foremost for his revolutionising journalistic discoveries. His award-winning stories were legendary.

For seven years (2011-2018) Relotius worked as a journalist and won 19 awards for journalism, among them the European Press Prize. His career had just started, and he became a staff writer for Der Spiegel (a prestigious and the biggest news magazine in Europe). The job was like a badge of honour for Relotius, becoming a staff writer at the magazine when you are young and inexperienced is nearly impossible – it’s like being hired by Bill Gates without having applied for the job. Both German and international journalism celebrated him for his masterpieces, but his very last joint article on the illegal immigrants of the US shattered his dream of becoming editor-in-chief at the age of 32.

The truth surfaced during the joined work, Moreno had found inconsistencies – for example, Relotius had supposedly infiltrated a militia, who shoots illegal immigrants on the border. If this sounds unbelievable to you, since murder is a crime in the

US, you would be right. Instead of going out and actually speaking to the militias that exist (who can’t even handcuff illegal immigrants, when they pick them up), Relotius based his article on the work of another journalist (who took months to infiltrate the organisation) twisted it and, mainly, forged the entire story. When Moreno realised what he was dealing with, he couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t unheard of to have journalists tweak their facts – but making them up out of thin air was UNTHINKABLE, especially not the next editor-inchief for Der Spiegel. The magazine is known for having extensive background checks on all and every fact a journalist writes for them, so Moreno knew that he needed more evidence to support his claim. While digging for more proof Moreno realised, that every article he investigated was at least partly falsified, if not entirely made up. Since the news broke in 2018, it has been discovered that nearly all articles Claas Relotius ever wrote were falsified and forged. He never became editorin-chief and isn’t a journalist anymore, but he managed to get by for seven years.

Fake journalism exists, so check your sources. If you want to read the full story, I recommend Moreno’s book: A Thousand Lines of Lies.

Design by Louise James / Photography by Arjun Kalsi / Words by Marlena Mazura

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FASHION

From toilet stalls to Scottish kilts, our clothes separate our genders and our behaviours, too.

How can we bring Venus and Mars together and revolutionise the world of fashion?

When you use public toilets on men’s toilets there is an image of a person in ‘trousers’. On the women’s there is a person in a dress or a skirt. These images make clear use of fashion to define gender. We go under the assumption that despite women

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Illustration by Iain Smith

commonly wearing trousers, it is absurd for men to wear a skirt or dress. Can you imagine the chaos if they did, men in women’s toilets and women in men’s toilets? Good thing we all have separate male and female toilets at home.

We attach so much symbolism and meaning within fashion. One of the most powerful is that skirts and dresses are, at least in the West, for women. They have become a gendered item.

FASHION

Oddly, we live in a country that seems to be an exception to the rule. The kilt is, of course, Scotland’s national dress. Scotland is a country that has a stereotype of rugged, brutish, hot headed individuals who are fiercely defensive.

So defensive that no one has argued about the fact that Scottish men sometimes wear skirts.

Except it’s not a skirt, it’s a kilt. However let’s just call a spade a spade.

It’s queer how thin a man’s masculine identity can be. A different word is needed to dissociate from what we see as ‘feminine’.

Men’s clothing has arguably never had the revolution that we saw with women’s wear.

Coco Chanel’s suit for women introduced in 1925 saw Chanel mix together the contrasting flavours of the feminine masculine. It was a recipe for success. Chanel created something revolutionary and refreshing, it challenged what women could look like, what they could do and act.

Women had a revolution in their fashion, as a result, women’s fashion has a much richer , interesting plethora of garments. They are able to mix, match, without restriction and with complete freedom. This reflects that feminism has largely been about women reflecting and fighting for what their role in society can look like.

For several years it’s been commented on that this is the year skirts become mainstream in men’s fashion. Recent articles from fashion journals, The Guardian, GQ all talk about skirts in men’s fashion. GQ Magazine wrote in 2019 that this would be the year that the men started wearing skirts; one year on, it still remains to be seen.

Runway fashion presents a much more exciting idea of what men could wear.

However, the reality of gender norms means that these designs don’t make it off the runway. They return underground, viewed as artistic, queer, and fantasy-like even.

It almost seems like seeing men on mars would be more realistic than seeing men in skirts and dresses.

Several designers have regularly sent men with feminine silhouettes and clothing on the runway. Established fashion brands like Versace and Vetements both recently featured skirts in their 2020 AW men’s collection at London fashion week. Alongside newcomers like the Art School and Scottish designer Charles Jeffrey, also featuring men in skirts in their recent collection, it’s no longer a shock or a gimmick on the runway. Usually trends trickle their way down into the high street and work their way into our wardrobes. I would argue that the masculine identity is stopping this.

Today, masculinity almost seems to be intrinsically linked to the word toxic. That is to say, being a man and being masculine is a poison. Masculinity is infected yes, unwell even, but it’s not terminal. The medicine, or at least part of the care plan, may begin with a new wardrobe containing skirts and dresses.

An ongoing, hard-fought battle, but overall successful. Under several waves of feminism, women have scrutinised and challenged what their gender could look like; masculinity has never been so scrutinised and reflected on so heavily in the same way.

It seems women have moved forward, while men have stayed put. They are locked in a cell of their own creation. Like most jails, this cell comes with a limited wardrobe.

Although fashion can seem to be superficial, it is argued to be linked to identity and other related socio-political matters. No, it won’t solve all the issues that come with gender roles, norms and expectations. However, we attach so much symbolism to what we wear that it holds significant power. As humans, we are extremely visually-oriented, and since fashion is very artistic, it allows us to express ourselves and can be a catalyst for change.

I’d challenge all men this year to wear a skirt or dress once, myself included.

Not only can this create more exciting fashion, but it also may be a starting point for a wider conversation about what a man can be.

Words by Greg Sutherland

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CORONAVIRUS STAY AT HOME SAVE LIVES Anyone can spread Coronavirus.

The only reasons to leave home are: To shop for basic necessities or pick up medicine To travel to work when you absolutely cannot work from home To exercise once a day, alone or with members of your household Do not meet others, even friends or family