Issue 84 - Freshers' 2020

themagdalen for students, by students issue 84

september 2020

Around 2 out of 3 students feel homesick in their first 6 weeks at University.

Talk to someone. If you haven’t yet made any friends, try the Counselling Service, the Chaplaincy Centre or Peer Connections (UoD). https://www.dundee.ac.uk/student-services/ counselling/self-help/homesickness/

REFLECT (verb) /rI’ flεkt/: think deeply or carefully about.

Reflect, pause, go.

COVID GRADUATION / Our feature article examines the impact of COVID-19 on this year’s Graduates. Pg 06

LOCKDOWN CHEF / Our resident “lockdown chef” reflects on their cooking journey and recalls family meals.

Pg 50

BLM MOVEMENT / In this timely article, the writer discusses the struggle against systemic racism. Pg 54

Find us online The Magdalen Magazine @themagdalenmag @themagdalenmag

Get in touch editor.in.chief@dusamedia.com

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Hello! Welcome to campus, welcome to the new Magdalen, and welcome to, yes, “the new normal.”

Welcome back to The Magdalen!

My name is Josh, and I have taken over The Magdalen from my predecessor, Barbara. Here, I wish to welcome you, and to discuss the changes in our new Magdalen.

It is important that you feel welcome, you feel your views and opinions are valued, and that you feel part of our diverse student community, we are ‘For Students, By Students.’

If you wish to contribute, either through engaging with our articles, and/or writing your own, then please send an email to: editor.in.chief@dusamedia.com We have introduced two new sections; the first is a Societies section which permits a dedicated space for Societies to reach more students.

We plan to also engage Sports Clubs here. Second, the On/Off Campus section which amalgamates several sections into one which enables us to cover more of the issues that matter to students.

Our first issue reflects some of the processes that The Magdalen underwent this summer: reflection, planning, and moving forward. It is rather fitting that these are the themes for our Freshers’ issue: reflect, pause, go.

Whether you’re reading from Dundee or afar, we hope everyone is keeping well, staying safe, and wearing masks.

Given the circumstances that have rocked the world, particularly in the past 7 months, we’re pretty proud of remotely collating an entire redesign, and the first issue under our creative direction! We hope you love the new design as much as we do, and are eager to see what the design team bring this year.

This months themes are reflect, pause, and go. We know this isn’t always easy, and might prove exceptionally hard moving into the new semester. From homesickness, to generally just finding your own routine again, starting a new semester is hard enough, nevermind the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

A change we’ve implemented this year to The Magdalen is a clearer understanding of our slogan, ‘For students, by students’. We’ve executed this by allowing each front cover under our creative direction to provide relevant resources to, hopefully, aid at least one person who reads the mag.

Now, more than ever, we have to stay connected as a student body. The Magdalen will continue online for this semester, allowing you an abundance of content each month to switch off and relax with.

You have my best wishes for what will be a different semester ahead. But together with strength, kindness, and compassion, we will come through the struggles and enjoy the good times.

Happy reading!

If you fancy getting involved with the design side of things, feel free to join our Facebook group, ‘The Magdalen Designers Group’!

Josh Harper

Lisa Dyer & Louise James

Stay safe,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SENIOR TEAM CREATIVE DIRECTORS EDITOR IN CHIEF SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR DEPUTY EDITORS

Lisa Dyer, Louise James Joshua Harper James Kirkpatrick Finlay James Beatson, Erin Mckeown

CREATIVE TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGERS ILLUSTRATION MANAGER SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS SOCIAL MEDIA FREELANCER EVENTS & PR MANAGER

Carlota Sainz, María Paula Huertas C. Cait Maxwell CL Gamble Emma Biggins, Katrina High Aylish Kelly Bethany Cameron, Orla Barr

EDITORIAL TEAM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ON/OFF CAMPUS CREATIVE WRITING CURRENT AFFAIRS FASHION INTERNATIONAL LIFESTYLE OPINIONS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SOCIETIES COPY EDITORS

Mareth Burns, Jaime Aries, Fyfe Howard Barbara Mertlová, Marleen Käsebier Jennifer Gillespie, Katie Stewart, Andrew Young Fiachna Mac Carráin, Luiza Stoenescu Ellie J. Jamieson, Sophie Murray Amelia Carrothers, Luke Burr David Smith, Joanne Lam Andrew Elton Alex St. John, Flora Caldwell, Catherine Baxter James Kirkpatrick Niamh Alexander, Kyl Tan, Kathryn Boyle, Samantha King, Kirsty Bruce, Anna Campbell

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

Lauren McDonald, Marcin Kielczewski, Sofia Rönkä

PUBLISHED BY

Dundee University Students’ Association

CONTENTS 06

FEATURE

12

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

20

ON/OFF CAMPUS

30

CREATIVE WRITING

36

CURRENT AFFAIRS

44

FASHION

48

LIFESTYLE

53

INTERNATIONAL

48

OPINIONS

62

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

66

SOCIETIES

FEATURE Design by Louise James

COVID Took My Graduation The untold stories of recent graduates of the University of Dundee

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FEATURE Words by Barbara Mertlova

In times of crisis, we turn to our communities, to figures of authority, to friends and to family, to understand what we’re going through and to ask for help. For many of us, Dundee and the University have been all of those things. We have built communities in between lecture halls, taken lifeforming advice from tutors and the Student Services, made unexpected friends in long Liar coffee queues, and found new families in the Global Room’s Conversation Cafés. We look for support in what feels familiar and safe. But, in a global pandemic, who is to blame if we don’t get it?

Covid-19, lockdown, and other restrictive measures have brought suffering of unimaginable scale to many lives across the world. In between the front pages reporting the tragic consequences of the pandemic, there are untold stories of things lost, experiences denied, dreams vanished, and most importantly, of trust broken.

The graduating students of Summer 2020 have experienced exactly that – the side effects of the pandemic.

The final year students have lost out on their last Semester with friends and tutors, sat exams at kitchen tables, pretended not to mind broken signal interrupting makeshift Zoom celebrations, seen job prospects swept off the market, and they continue to face uncertainty about the imminent future, some of which is felt that it could have been controlled better. Despite all of this, many shy away from speaking up, because

now is not the time to be bitter over what compares as ‘the little things’.

Still, the University has continuously failed to acknowledge its mistakes, communication via all channels has lacked significantly, and majority of the small wins have been achieved either by students and small groups of staff or by DUSA’s ceaseless lobbying.

acknowledgements coming from DUSA, yet the University maintains that they have “largely got [it] right”.

The University cites a “wide range of feedback” in support of the argument, saying that the “aim from the start of lockdown [had] been to try to update students when we have clear information”.

Reflecting back on the first signs of Coronavirus starting to have an impact on our lives in the UK, students remember mixed messaging from the University, DUSA, as well as from all other information channels. Some recall mentions of the University’s Coronavirus working group, who had been meeting since February, but its achievements have been limitedly felt by students in practice.

The prevalent sense is that “nobody knew what was going on then”; not the students, not the University, not even the Government. Students feel immense solidarity with that. What has lacked, however, have been “signs of humanity” within the leadership.

In disagreement might be the 18,000 students from over 140 countries which our University boasts. “When you see your own country go into lockdown and know people impacted

by Covid-19, while the life on campus goes on, it causes more distress and uncertainty”. Both DUSA and the University could have, students stress, ensured that the support for especially international students was timelier, and overall more efficient. "Not all students will reach out themselves” and it should be the responsibility of the institution to actively provide support early on in the process.

Students do not expect for those with decision-making powers to get everything right the first time in a situation where the world is dealing with a crisis that no strategy had planned for, although some students say they would have appreciated “more forward planning of online teaching and digital communication”.

The key demand for the University and for DUSA, though, has been to be more honest, transparent, and open with their communications.

This resonates with some of the

“The graduating students from the University of Dundee of Summer 2020 have experienced exactly that – the side effects of the pandemic”

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FEATURE

Students have expressed deep admiration for the work carried out by some of the University staff. The experience varied across Degree areas, and an understanding prevailed that any exceptional support depended on staff members’ passion for their job, rather than stemming from an overarching approach of the University. Many departments were seen to handle the situation with professionalism and empathy, trying to work to the best possibilities within the circumstances. Some staff have gone to great lengths to support their students, with examples ranging from a YouTube video put together by the staff of the Primary Education Undergraduate course, to interactive PowerPoints from History staff, to the School of Medicine’s exceptional effort put into organising early Zoom Graduation for the 5th Years “and their families”.

Students say that “if it hadn’t been for the lecturers, [they] would have felt completely let down by the University”.

Differences across Course areas are more pronounced when recounting negative academic experiences. Majority of raised complaints relate to lack of resources or access to such, especially among the school of Humanities and among DJCAD graduates, who told us they were originally “given less than a day to collect their work and materials” when the University had announced Campus closure. Some of the Degree Show work has not yet been recovered from studios, and hence couldn’t be included in the online showcase. Similarly, some Module structures have simply seen no attempts of replication, despite rhetoric promising so.

Finishing university during lockdown has presented a spectrum of challenges, as well as opportunities for some.

While those used to working in studios, labs, and doing predominantly collaborative work have often found it lonely and struggled with space or resources, the inner introvert in

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many of us relished in morning commutes from bedroom to living-room, enjoying the lack of pressure found in following lectures online with cameras off and microphones muted.

Such changes undeniably impacted upon our routines, but how have they affected academic outcomes?

The Magdalen couldn’t obtain substantive statistics from the University regarding the academic achievements of this year’s graduates. However, the University stated that their data show no detriment “in terms of degree outcomes this year, with the percentage of [First and Upper-Second Class Honours] rising compared to last year”. From our interviews, we find a broad spectrum of feelings towards the academic successes and whether or how these have been undermined by the pandemic. Many interviewees have graduated with the grades they hoped for, yet a significant proportion resigned to saying that they would have been satisfied with any passing outcome during such uncertain times.

“In between the front pages reporting the tragic consequences of the pandemic, there are untold stories of things lost, experiences denied, dreams vanished, and most importantly, of trust broken” The University continues to highlight the No-Detriment policy which Dundee had put in place. DUSA argues that it has been effective in many instances, as their team has seen “less requests for support with Appeals”, and majority of the ones they received have been unrelated to COVID-19. It is unclear whether that may imply that students who suffered due to the circumstances of the pandemic

FEATURE

have simply chosen not to use the Appeals system. DUSA further says that they have “heavily lobbied the University to implement a Safety-Net policy instead, but the University had felt that the No-Detriment Policy was sufficient.” The University told The Magdalen that “[our] `no detriment’ policy was the best method of ensuring fairness to students while also upholding the academic rigour and quality standards of our degree programmes”.

“if it hadn’t been for the lecturers, [students] would have felt completely let down by the University” The principal issue students take with the No-Detriment policy is the perceived lack of transparency and unclear communication from the University. Students either didn’t know if or how the Policy may have affected their results, or they often had poor understanding of its intended function in the first place. In the worst cases, some students felt that not only had the policy failed to protect them, but it further compromised the validity of their obtained degree.

Some students in Representative positions shared that the surrounding communication had been so confusing, that even in their roles of responsibility, they had difficulties explaining the policy and its application. “Introduction of such policy in times of immense societal

change should have been made as clear and explained to everyone as a matter of course”. Instead, some students have only “found out about it through ‘Dunfess’”. The mixed messaging often heightened existing feelings of insecurity and fears for the future.

Still after achieving their Degree, graduates continued to feel the impacts of the pandemic. A recurring issue brought to us regarded the delay of physical Certificates and Diplomas. Twitter account @HaveUni set up to lobby the University on behalf of the graduating year cited at least one evidence in which the lack of proof of Degree outcome resulted in a rejection for a position abroad. DUSA has since successfully lobbied the University “for clarity and communications” on this issue and emphasised the added option of requesting official transcript at no fee. This hasn’t stopped students from being perplexed by the justification that the Scottish Government’s guidelines did not allow for the necessary process, as other Scottish universities, such as the University of Aberdeen, had managed to proceed with delivering printed Certificates to their graduates. The University responded that due to the lockdown of buildings on campus, facilities such as the ‘in-house printing’ could not operate, causing a delay of the Degree Certificates into August 2020, which was, however, “communicated to all students who graduated in June 2020”.

Perhaps most strongly felt by every graduate this year has been the missed experience of a Graduation Ceremony and of Degree Show.

There is an overwhelming sense of disappointment central to all students’ stories, feeling disregarded by the University’s insufficient efforts to secure alternative ways of acknowledging and celebrating the Class of 2020. Graduation and the Ceremony itself are the “pinnacle of student life”. Covid-19 has taken many things, from very small, such as timely haircut appointments, to the most tragic of all, human lives.

But somewhere in there, recognition for the long years of work and effort, peaking in one day of celebration, has disappeared too. It has made students feel like they “haven’t graduated at all”.

“somewhere in there, recognition for the long years of work and effort, peaking in one day of celebration, has disappeared too”

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FEATURE

After extensive lobbying from DUSA, the University has at last committed to inviting all graduates of 2020 back for a physical Ceremony “when circumstances allow”. We were also able to acknowledge student achievements through online Celebrations in the last week of August, but the graduates say that those were “too little too late”. Many had already been induced into new jobs and started careers, while some less lucky had lost desire to celebrate. Students of Medicine, whose School stood out by putting on an early online Graduation in April, reflected more positively. “I will never forget my first job in Ninewells. It felt like a full circle going from medical student to working there and being able to help the NHS in a small way.”

Coming from the place of family and friends, a bright side has often resurged. Countless lockdown graduation stories have been shared, we have seen robes made out of bin bags, hats glued together of painted cardboard, relatives being ‘Zoomed-in’ to graduates’ homes. Students and staff emphasise outstanding sense of solidarity and kindness, found in coming together in recognition that we are living through a “period of profound change.”

“we have seen robes made out of bin bags, hats glued together of painted cardboard, relatives being ‘Zoomed-in’ to graduates’ homes” While having negative and at times catastrophic effects on individual lives, the pandemic has repeatedly highlighted an innate community spirit in us all. We have developed mechanisms of coping as individuals, as well as found ways of helping each other while staying apart, rebranding the national measures of social distancing as ‘physical distancing’. The student community particularly embraced technological opportunities, diving into virtual pub quizzes, game nights or coffee hangouts, altogether dubbed a “great experience, allowing to establish a deeper connection with friends”.

As we are now looking into the next Academic Year, as Certificates and Diplomas are being sent out, and an inperson Graduation has been secured, it may be the right time to revisit the theme of humanity. We have spoken with Scott Quinn, DUSA President, as well as Professor David Maguire, Interim Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University, to address some of the themes that remain of key concern to students. The conversations have

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been reflected throughout the article. In addition, these short statements might serve as a reassurance to some, especially continuing and new, students at the University of Dundee, who believe that we can acknowledge the mistakes made, learn from them, and look into a better, more empathetic future.

“Transparency and communication are values that we will be championing as we move forward into the next academic year. COVID-19 has, and will continue to create unprecedented situations, but I’m grateful to the staff of both DUSA and the University for the huge workload they are undertaking in preparing for the new Semester. We are working to ensure that as we move forward, students are aware of the decisions that affect them, and that their feedback is listened to, and issues addressed.”

The University says;

“The quality of the student experience is of paramount importance to us. We will continue to work with DUSA to support our students in every way we can. These are difficult times for all of us but together we can get through them.”

Data used for this article has been collected from over twenty detailed interviews with students of UoD, 40+ questionnaires, and numerous anecdotally shared stories. Included are responses from Scott Quinn, DUSA President, and Professor David Maguire, Interim Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee.

If you find that this article misrepresents the general view of students on behalf of whom it aims to speak, please contact us for more details at editor.in.chief@dusamedia.com.

Information contained in this article is accurate as of 7 September 2020.

FEATURE

“we can acknowledge the mistakes made, learn from them, and look into a better, more empathetic future�

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ARTS + ENTS Design by Louise James, Photography by María Paula Huertas, Words by Sofia Rönkä

Lockdown & Chill Watching films and TV series has proven an extremely popular lockdown activity in the UK. According to The Guardian, there have been 12 million new signups to streaming services while 40% of our waking hours are now spent in front of a screen. People seek entertainment during uncertain times like the CODIV-19 pandemic for various reasons: to pass the time or to take their mind off everything, but also to help process their feelings.

Out of all media we tend to pay the most attention to things that relate to us personally, and these things come and go as we live our lives and the world changes around us.

Knowing that someone else is going through something similar is comforting, even if they are fictional.

After years of postponing, lockdown left me with no excuse not to watch Game of Thrones, and its highly infectious, fictional illness Greyscale piqued my interest. A conversation held standing metres apart could have been taken straight from real life. Things like the fear of getting yourself and others infected, the worry for your loved ones, and the hopeful search for a cure were more than enough to make me empathise with the characters. Seeing how others coped with similar feelings truly made it easier to face my own situation.

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Another coping mechanism often elicited from film and TV is humour.

Sometimes even the smallest things seemed to remind me of the pandemic, but when a lockdown protocol was initiated in the newest season of Marvel’s Agents of Shield, the viewers in the room couldn’t stop cracking jokes about lockdown activities and social distancing.

Tackling a serious subject with a light-hearted mindset is very effective and goes beyond the living room, with the internet full of memes based on movie quotes - for example, how Spider-Man is not feeling so good once again. Laughter, especially shared, has the power to brighten even the darkest of times.

Because of COVID-19 I am now noticing things I might have completely ignored a year ago.

Now something as simple as Huey wearing a face mask in a DuckTales episode holds new meaning for me.

These stories we watch on a daily basis have become more than just time fillers and distractions: with their opportunities for relatability, jokes and sharing, they have helped me get through this daunting pandemic.

Thanks to media, I will always be able to better understand the world around me and my own feelings towards it.

“Laughter, especially shared, has the power to brighten even the darkest of times.”

ARTS + ENTS Design by Cait Maxwell, Words by Kathryn Haddow

Ref lection on

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Witches, Broomsticks, & Artist’s Block – Studio Ghibli’s

Message to Creatives

It’s mid-March and the world has gone into lockdown.

Nothing but time stretches ahead. Yet I, like many of my peers, find myself creatively drained. I can’t bring myself to produce anything. I feel that I’ve lost the ability to even do so. I also find myself thinking frequently about Kiki’s Delivery Service, a 1989 film following the story of Kiki, a young witch who leaves home and sets up a magical delivery service.

I originally watched the film in early March, and though I appreciated the classic Studio Ghibli fantasy I had no idea how relevant it would become.

Two-thirds of the way through, Kiki awakens suddenly unable to use magic. She is distressed. After all, her whole business centres around magical flight and, to an extent, her identity hangs on her magical abilities. Thankfully, Ursula - a painter living in the woods on the outskirts of town - arrives and convinces Kiki to take a break and stay with her.

In the following scenes creativity and magic are defined as clear parallels. Ursula explains that sometimes she cannot paint. Surprised, but not reassured, Kiki continues to lament

her loss. This is where Ursula gives some advice that stuck with me throughout the long months of quarantine:

“Then stop trying. Take long walks. Look at the scenery. Doze off at noon. Don’t even think about flying. And then, pretty soon, you’ll be flying again.”

The film reassures us that not only is ‘losing your powers’ normal, but it’s necessary. It’s not a personal failure but in fact a vital aspect of the creative process. Ursula explains to Kiki that experiencing an artist’s block actually developed her skills in the long run, giving her time and perspective to reflect on her work.

Kiki’s abilities come back just in time to save the day! It doesn’t matter that she flies with an old sweeping brush and not a proper witch’s broom. Her magic returns when she needs it and that is what the film promises to creatives.

Allow yourself to rest. When you need your skills, they will return all the stronger for it.

It’s too early to tell whether this will hold true for a pandemic lockdown. I’m not sure it’s what Hayao Miyazaki had in mind whilst directing. However, the portrayal of an artist’s block as natural and necessary is a vital way to frame our own creative process, no matter how ordinary or how unusual the situation.

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ARTS + ENTS Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Alex Murray

Creator’s Spotlight: Rachel Simpson Rachel is a third year Art + Philosophy student based in DJCAD. She is someone who wants to share her innermost feelings and make you feel something too.

She hopes to achieve that through her expansive and interdisciplinary practice.

Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel ‘The Waves’, Rachel’s latest project similarly titled ‘Waves’ takes a step back to appreciate the ocean and the serenity therein. An attempt to capture the peace associated with laying in it while juxtaposing this against its dangerous nature. Exploring the idea that the ocean takes just as much as it gives, like waves back and forth, a balanced cyclical push and pull.

With influences from philosophical ideas pertaining to comfort and shelter, Rachel’s work - which was once focussed on grief and the absence that such experiences bring, emerges from those waters into a new kind of calmness. It emulates many feelings, described by herself as being those of something otherworldly, misty, and peaceful. It is clearly work that has taken a lot of time and thought as it has gone through its development, though unfinished due to the unfortunate circumstances of this year.

Rachel’s work [...] emerges from those waters into a new kind of calmness.

She admits that she is not particularly spontaneous, her work tends to gravitate more towards sculpture and screen printing, both practises that take a lot of methodical planning and preparation. As she has grown as an artist, from paper printing, to textile printing, to even instances of sewing, her work has still embodied that delicate, time-consuming repetition that makes for thoughtful and intricate works.

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Alongside feelings of serenity and detail, another aspect that is seminal to Rachel’s work, though wholly incidentally, is her faith - She talks about water and its presence in the Bible, and how submerging yourself in the ocean, a vast space that we have so little understanding of, is much like giving yourself up to faith, and the idea of God as completely incomprehensible.

As Rachel continues her practice, she wants to continue working across different mediums, especially concerning printmaking - which is interesting considering she came to DJCAD in foundation year thinking she was going to be a painter.

Something that could only happen in DJCAD, a uniquely experimental environment. Much like Woolf’s novel Rachel takes seemingly unconnected ideas of faith and grief sublimates them through her interactions with bodies of water to create something wholly her own.

@rachelvsimpsonart

ARTS + ENTS Illustration by Cait Maxwell, Words by Kirstin Brown

Review:

Sally Hackett’s ‘A toilet is a wishing well’

@GENERATORprojects

This show represents a homecoming of sorts, as Glasgow-based artist Sally Hackett returns to the city of her alma mater - while art finally returns to the city. The installation features strong sculptural elements through which the artist is able to give weight to flimsy, fleeting feelings and a physical presence to a whole spectrum of emotions.

In the first gallery space, colourful, winged prints adorn the wall. The work - ’sad butterflies’ - recalls the Rorschach test, a psychometric examination of pareidolia, or the act of perceiving objects, shapes, or scenery as meaningful things to the observer’s experience, literally projecting their feelings. The mirror in the centre of the gallery floor also supports this narrative of psychoanalytic self-revelation.

The act of looking down suddenly becomes an act of looking within.

In this space, too, an army of animated figures - moulded out of bread, complete with painted faces and imbued with a restless energy - hang and cling or seep through the metal bars of grated baking trays. These works reflect the artist’s interest in the notion of pathetic fallacy (a term coined to describe the assignment of human feelings to inanimate objects). In these ‘bread-people’ we are able to see parts of ourselves, an actualisation of the modern aphorism big mood.

By repurposing garlic peels and toilet paper into dogs and swans, Hackett bestows a sense of wonder upon mundane materials of domestic waste. In doing so, she fabricates a fantastical world where two potato chips can fall in love and a toilet is transformed into a wishing well. This playful narrative of materials and objects evokes the joys and desires of childhood, and recalls a state of awe-filled, infantile bliss.

Paradoxically, the work probes other - and more challenging - realms of the human condition, with selfworth, heartbreak, and betrayal occupying the heart of the artist’s work. In one work, three ceramic figures lie on top of a bed of clay. Two of the figures hug on one side, interlocked in a lovers embrace, whilst another, the third, is turned away in grimacing pain.

And yet, the innate sense of humour permeating the expanse of the show provides a bout of well received tonic.

Alongside the sculptural works, short video pieces are projected onto several walls, transforming the gallery area into an expansive and immersive space.

Navigating a space between expansive, light-hearted wit and crushing loneliness, Hackett draws beauty and humour out of humble, mundane materials. She creates works that exist in the present moment, reflect the fragility and absurdity of the human condition, and allow for individual experiences of reflection and perception.

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ARTS + ENTS Design by Emma Biggins

The Art Spaces We Need To Support

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Scotland’s relationship with the visual arts is a long and enduring one. From our place as the seat of the Еnlightenment to our legacy of producing Turner Prize winners, throughout the country you can find innovative work being produced by people at the top of their fields. But all of this is in jeopardy as most arts venues face the reality of recession and eventual closure. So it is now our duty to support them while we still can.

The Lemond Gallery, Glasgow

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow

The Nicole Porter Gallery, Aberdeen

It may seem counterintuitive, but Scotland’s oldest museum, The Hunterian, is not its most popular.

Thus it deserves our attention.

Foundеd in 1807, The Hunterian is home to the world’s largest permanent display of the works of James McNeill Whistler and also has the largest single holding of the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Moreover, the variety of its highquality collections makes it a definite pilgrimage for all art lovers.

Opened in 2010, this gallery can be found on King Street in Aberdeen and, as its title suggests, is the home of the Scottish artist Nicole Porter. In addition to working on her own creations, she also offers portrait sittings and private one-to-one art tuition. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains closed to walk-ins for an undetermined period of time. The good news, however, is that it is open for visits by appointment, so do not hesitate to make one.

Established in 2000, the Lemond Gallery specialises in contemporary Scottish fine art. Initially, the gallery represented only six artists but has now grown to represent over 120 of the very best of contemporary Scottish artists across all media. This gallery has truly earned its place, functioning as both a stepping stone and a platform that elevates artists out of obscurity.

ARTS + ENTS Words by Georgi Zhechev

Enid Hutt Gallery, Fife

The Fergusson Gallery, Perth

Launched in 1990 in Kirkcaldy, the Enid Hutt is a wellestablished art gallery that also sells beautiful bespoke mirrors. The greatest advantage of the Enid Hutt Gallery is its diversity: it carries a huge range of work by Scottish artists and is the home to many unique pieces. If you are ever across the Tay, you should definitely pay it a visit.

J. D. Fergusson was one of the most influential British artists in the first half of the 20th century. He spent much of his career in France and is now most associated with the Scottish Colourist group. The Fergusson Gallery holds his vast collection of artwork and an associated archive, along with the archive of his lifelong companion, the pioneer of modern dance, Margaret Morris. Unfortunately, this wonderful gallery is closed for the rest of the year but next year, hopefully, it will reopen. To lose this space would be a great loss of an important piece of art history.

The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling Since its inception in 1874, the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum has played a very special part in the history of its city. It was founded as a gallery of mainly contemporary art, with a museum and a library reading room ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of Stirling, Dunblane and Kinbuck’.

Everyone who is interested in the history, the culture or the local painters, both known and unknown, should visit this mind-blowing repository and partake in this long tradition of publicly accessible arts.

The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh Originally built as a fruit and vegetable market in 1938, the Fruitmarket Gallery has been operating as a space for presenting art since 1974. The Gallery has presented solo exhibitions of work by significant artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Martin Creed, and Willie Doherty. It has also created high profile opportunities for Scottish artists such as Claire Barclay, Christine Borland, and Nathan Coley, ensuring an international platform for homegrown talent.

Although the gallery is currently closed for refurbishment and extension, supporting it must be a priority.

The Pier Arts Centre, Stromness Established on the island of Orkney in 1979, the centre was opened to provide a home for an important collection of British fine art donated by the author and philanthropist Margaret Gardiner. As a Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland, key works are regularly loaned to prominent exhibitions around the world. The Pier Arts Centre is a place which aims to enrich people’s lives through its educational programmes, and which definitely deserves our support and attention as fewer and fewer art spaces exist outside of the central belt.

An Lanntair, Stornoway An Lanntair is a hub for creativity in the Outer Hebrides. It is a multi-arts venue with every space stretched to showcase all of the arts in their multiple forms. In my opinion, this space deserves much more popularity and renown. This is the place which unlocks all the senses and takes people on an extraordinary journey throughout.

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ARTS + ENTS Design by Lisa Dyer

COLUMBUS REVIEW

A peaceful and profoundly human story In Columbus, director Kogonada asks us: what is it that makes art so special? Why do we resonate with it and why do we love it? Kogonada brings a lot of ideas to the forefront of his directorial debut, but his focus is not to answer every question he sets in front of the viewer. Rather, he wants us to see the quiet, healing power of art.

For this is a film about art’s ability to affect the soul, infused with a touching humanist story.

Columbus follows Jin (John Cho) who comes to Columbus, Indiana, after his father, a renowned architecture professor, has fallen ill. As his purgatorial status sets in, Jin meets Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), a Columbus-born architecture enthusiast who, like Jin, is faced with her own familial responsibilities. Together the two spark a peculiar friendship, founded by Casey’s love for architecture as she acts as a sort of tour guide for Jin, telling him the history behind each of her favourite buildings.

This leads me into our third main character that also inhabits the film: modernist architecture. Kogonada has a clear appreciation for this form of architecture as this type of building is a major focus in many of the film’s shots. But there is more to this than just sheer fascination. The buildings have meaning, both narratively and thematically. It is architecture that creates this bond between Jin and Casey. Through

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these discussions, Kogonada is commenting not only on architecture, but how the individual experiences art and its ability to bring people together.

Kogonada also wants the viewer to look at their own surroundings in a new light in the hope that they too will find something inspiring, something hinted at when Jin says, “You grow up around something and it feels like nothing.” A conversation between Casey and her friend Gabriel about the interests of each person is not only fascinating, but also manages to add a layer of humility to the picture, for no one art form is superior to the other. Books, games, painting, film, or architecture - it is irrelevant, it is about what resonates with you. The love Casey shows for these buildings is representative of the love for art itself.

A film that is brilliantly unique in its elegant simplicity, one that makes us reflect on our own connections to our friends and the things we love.

Cho and Richardson are unquestionably terrific.

Jin is cynical and indifferent while also friendly and vulnerable, a tricky role that Cho handles expertly. It is Richardson who really shines though, as she carries much of the film’s emotional weight while adding a needed contrast to Jin’s reserved personality. The chemistry between the two is both

ARTS + ENTS Words by Lewis Gibson

believable and sweet from their introduction, and their contrasting disposition allows for fascinating conversations throughout.

What really grabbed me, however, was the film’s ability to emanate tranquillity from the beginning.

Within the first few minutes both Kogonada and cinematographer Elisha Christian’s distinct visual aesthetic is apparent. Much like the basis of modernist architecture, Kogonada keeps it minimalistic. The camera remains still for the entirety of the film, while the symmetry and the depth of each shot is incredibly refreshing to look at.

Each shot could be printed and framed; they are that compelling. The lack of constant cutting is also a breath of fresh air, making you wonder why so many filmmakers ignore such a simplistic and stripped approach to filmmaking. It is a quiet film too, one that does not rely on much of a score. However, when composer Hammock’s score does appear it brings with it an ethereal and dream-like quality to the picture, as it too brings an air of tranquillity.

With this calm approach, Kogonada has created a film in which the audience can truly think and selfreflect on the ideas that he is presenting.

Ozu whom Kogonada has labelled his greatest influence, not only visually but thematically too.

Much like Ozu’s Tokyo Story, for example, Kogonada has concerned himself with humanity. For at its core, Columbus is about human connection and its necessity in a time of self-crisis.

This is what makes Columbus a truly special film - its pure humanity. Kogonada has created an exceedingly layered film, as conversations that may appear trivial are secretly and slowly building to a more profound message under the surface as he combines them with beautiful and thought-provoking imagery. A film that is brilliantly unique in its elegant simplicity, one that makes us reflect on our own connections to our friends and the things we love. It is understated, peaceful, slow, yet never boring. Throughout all the films I watched during lockdown this is the one that has stayed with me the most. No film connected with me quite like Columbus.

Kogonada’s inspirations are also clear throughout.

The perfect symmetry of each shot is wholly reminiscent of the way Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick frame their films. However, it is Yasujirō

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Louise James

University life often includes Sports. Amongst many recent transitions, came those in how we exercise. A reflection by students on sports under the impact of Covid.

With many abrupt endings this year, whatever form of physical activity may be part of your life probably had its own form of moving into the isolated, virtual world, if not being paused indefinitely.

While the average Brit has taken up a new form of exercise during lockdown, what has staying active been like for students and what about team sports?

Teams suddenly found themselves spread out in various locations outwith Dundee and regardless, unable to meet in person due to lockdowns. Holiday breaks are natural for students, but these shifts came unexpectedly - and with the dreaded unknowns of just how long it would last or how everything would be allowed to start back up again.

Scheduled events, such as Varsity and a team trip to Milan for Women's Rugby, were cancelled. Mesozi Mzia, Vice-President of Dundee University's Women's Rugby, reflects that everything ended "very abruptly".

Playing normally again as soon as possible is "what we're just hoping to have happen". In their case,

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hoping means following the SRU (Scottish Rugby Union) guidelines.

Additionally, the Sports Union has its own rules, with a new addition whereby every team needs to have a designated ‘Corona Officer’, the role of which becomes actively planning in prevention or for the case of stricter rules being put in place again. For Football, this might mean how balls must be sanitized, training in smaller groups, pausing training...

One sport that allows isolating individual achievements easily, is running. Virtual races have been a success as people could record themselves in various places and, though only virtual, soak up the motivation of a race.

Craig McLean, recent graduate and former Athletics member, reflects: "As someone who already did a lot of exercise before lockdown, I just had to find ways to adapt how I was training. “Luckily, the Uni's tri club, as well as a fitness group I know from America, started online sessions on Zoom, mostly bodyweight strength training. This was actually something I never worked on much before,

so it was a nice change.” “As for running, my motivation for that has been very up and down, sometimes I've been feeling great and going all the time, but other times the loss of the group and social aspect has contributed to periods where

“How Covid has affected us is personal. How it has affected the way we exercise depends on why we exercise” I haven't gone very much. Now I've just finished the second of two virtual relay races hosted by different branches of the November Project Group in the U.S. The first was 24 hours and the second 48. In teams, we broke it down into individual hour slots and used a Google Doc to track who would run when and then filled in minutes and mileage as we went. It was great to spend that time before, during and after talking with the people on my team, who I obviously haven't seen in ages and to be working towards a goal, even if we were all running alone."

ON/OFF CAMPUS Words by Marleen Käsebier

Unlike students in team sports that may have found themselves missing their preferred form of exercise, there are also many, such as Barbara Mertlová, that have "started to appreciate exercise in a completely new way". She reflects on her newfound yoga journey and exercising in general: "Despite the learning curve I have undoubtedly gone through with sport and exercise, for where I am today, I have to give credit to Covid. The global pandemic accompanied by local and national lockdowns has brought about suffering unimaginable to many of us, and it has affected if not all

“though we don't yet know when, I'm sure many of us are looking forward to highfiving a teammate face to face again” dimensions of individual lives. Yet on this one aspect, for me, it has finally helped me to cultivate a much healthier, more balanced relationship with being active.” “If you do one thing in your experimenting with

exercise (if you do two, try Yoga with Adriene), give yourself a chance to find what makes you feel good.

Challenge yourself, if that’s what works for you, but make sure to ask yourself why and find a good reason.

And on some evenings, just have that Deliveroo instead, sometimes the most productive exercise is forgiving yourself for doing no exercise."

How Covid has affected the way we exercise depends on why we exercise: is it to be part of a team? Is it to improve ourselves? No matter the motivation, digitalisation that has enabled socialising through virtual races or virtual workouts, is something that may have increased recently, but is unlikely to fade away any time soon. For some, online workouts from home mean less anxiety. On the other hand, though we don't yet know when, I'm sure many of us are looking forward to high-fiving a teammate face to face again or being able to call up someone to join us on a newfound exercise journey.

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Louise James

Love Film, Love Art, Love DCA! Dundee is a city that understands the importance of community, with the University at its heart.

Our Societies bring us together with like-minded people who have similar interests and passions. Our beloved Students’ Union provides ample opportunities to gather with fellow peers on a daily basis. Our department’s facilities are a gateway to learning with classmates in a fun and engaging environment. The little perks in a student’s life; going out for a coffee, lunching in the city or simply browsing in a shop also helps the economy grow and prosper.

However, these past months have put many businesses in jeopardy.

With lockdown easing across Scotland and the rest of the UK, the country has seen yet more heartache as many companies have fallen into liquidation.

Before lockdown, a few independent shops and cafes established themselves in our fair city and they deserve every bit of attention as their big name, big brand counterparts.

One such establishment has for the last twenty years been a major part of the city, and it desperately needs our help. The establishment is none other than the Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Dundee Contemporary Arts or ‘The DCA’ as it is collectively known opened in March 1999 and attracts over 380,000 visitors a year. It has been listed among the top 10 in the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland’s (RIAS) top 100 buildings from the 20th century in Scotland.

The DCA is home to two cinemas supported by Europa Cinemas.

Europa Cinemas unites theatres from all across Europe and showcases films produced by major corporations as well as small budget filmmakers from countries all around the world.

The DCA also hosts art galleries and exhibitions on a regular basis and displays artwork from a wide range of Scottish, British, and international artists. Past exhibitions have included works from: Mark Wallinger, the Turner Prize Winner Simon Starling,

Turner Prize Nominee Fiona Banner and Illustrator and Textiles Designer Johanna Basford. The DCA hosts a wide range of classes and activities throughout the year covering a wide range of interests – print, animation, photography, arts and crafts and so much more. The DCA’s principal aim is to enrich people’s lives through culture, creativity, cinema, by working with and bringing together people with passion for arts, and those who wish to express themselves creatively.

“The last six months, especially the summer season, would have provided the DCA with much needed income” However, like for many establishments across the country, the recent lockdown has heavily impacted upon the DCA, and its near future promises a constant struggle. The last six months, especially the summer season, would have provided the DCA with much needed income, which its

“a few independent shops and cafes established themselves in our fair city and they deserve every bit of attention as their big name, big brand counterparts”

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Words by Benedict Jackson

budget planning relies on. Given the circumstances, the DCA needs our help to overcome such boundaries.

On 5 August, the DCA Director Beth Bate published a message on the cinema’s website stating that £150,000 needs to be raised to make up for lost revenue. If the sum is not matched, the future of this long-standing pride of Dundee may be questionable. Any donations, big or small, can be made on the DCA website - www.dca.org.uk - or directly to the donations box at the top of the stairs in front of the venue.

to book cinema tickets in advance as money handling is restricted. The number of seats in both cinemas has been reduced in-line with social distancing measures. Face-coverings are required, unless you are exempt, though you may remove face covering if you are dining at its venue, the Jute Café. One-way systems are in place and must be followed directly at all times. After cinema screenings, there is someone to guide you out. Similar measures are in place in the art gallery and creative spaces, offering reduced classes and class sizes.

As with all art venues opening up across the country, social distancing will impact the number of visitors the DCA can welcome at any one time.

Such measures and restrictions will heavily affect the venue’s income emphasising further the need for additional support.

By the time this issue of The Magdalen is published, the DCA cinema will have welcomed many customers and visitors back since the re-opening, and will look forward to seeing old faces and many more new ones. So please, on behalf of the DCA, if you ever fancy seeing a film, sharing a drink with friends, or simply looking for something to do to pass the time, then head down to the DCA and dive straight into this treasure cove.

The cinema reopened on 4 September, but to completely new procedures. Customers are asked

“if you ever fancy seeing a film, sharing a drink with friends, or simply looking for something to do to pass the time, then head down to the DCA and dive straight into this treasure cove”

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Louise James

Is this the end of the Wurst and the Crêpes?

How Brexit is affecting the European societies on our Campus.

Having claimed nearly a million lives worldwide, the infamous pathogen Covid-19 understandably remains our most significant concern today.

Leaving the European Union no longer appears to be Britain’s top priority. We should not, however, underestimate the continuous effects Brexit has on both our academic and cultural experiences.

What might not yet have been noticed by the Scottish students, certainly haunts every European society on the University of Dundee’s campus.

The rules that make studying in Scotland affordable for most EU students legally derive from European Union’s treaties. Following the exit of the United Kingdom from the European structures, it will become substantially difficult, if not impossible, for our European peers and younger colleagues to study in Dundee. In other words: they will not get the education they might have dreamt about for all their lives.

The cultural Societies which bring together students from various EU countries on Campus, might eventually cease to exist even within the next three or four years. With the 2020/21 Academic Year being the last one to operate following ‘the old

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rules’, where Home Fee rates apply to students from the EU, it makes it the last term in which our European friends do not have to sell their kidneys to afford to study with us.

One of my European colleagues, when asked if they would be able to afford to study in Dundee, said: "Even though, as a socially privileged person, I would have the possibility to

Themed events, regional cuisine tasting, bake sales, pub quizzes or even Language Cafés . . . might all become things of the past . . .

co-hosted by Europeans might all become things of the past with little chance of being revived from the University’s archive sheets in the near future. Whether they will all fade away is not yet determined. The alternative exists. The current EU students' places might be taken by those Europeans who have the financial resources to afford such experience. It would, however, be another symptom of the commercialisation of British universities.

come to Dundee under the imposition of international fees, I would probably not come to the small city in Scotland and would have chosen England instead." Whereas it might sound quite pretentious and unpleasant, from a pragmatic point of view, when money is at stake, fees are the determining factor. In other words, for many, lower fees are what makes the Scottish universities stand out among other British institutions. Therefore, starting in 2022, each year will potentially see more European students leaving than joining our University.

The main words that remained in my head after the Opening Ceremony of the 2019/2020 Academic Year, were that “Europeans are welcome in Dundee”.

The emphasis put on this phrase made me feel truly a part of this great community in our city. Despite the University staff and the local students’ greatest efforts to reassure their European colleagues that they are welcome in Dundee, international students remain substantially affected by the decision-makers from the central Government. It is very upsetting to see that the access to British education for Europeans may soon be dictated not by their skills, but by their wealth.

Themed events, regional cuisine tasting, bake sales, pub quizzes or even Language Cafés organized and

Nevertheless, we do not have to wait another four years to see what happens to the European notion that

ON/OFF CAMPUS Words by Marcin Kiełczewski

our University is so known for. As the President of one of the European Societies myself, I find it extremely nostalgic to plan events for the upcoming future. Not only are our options significantly limited by the pandemic-related restrictions, but keeping the team morale up seems difficult when everyone around you knows your work is bound to become a thing of the past. Planning the budget, launching new cooperations and any long-term thinking, results in a feeling of uncertain stagnation or at worst even gradual dismantling of the organisation.

Alexander Arnaudov, President of the Bulgarian Society, is not too optimistic about his society's future either: “Even though Scotland is the home of some of the best establishments in terms of universities and colleges, the money drawback alone would cause a significant lack of interest and eagerness to come abroad

compared to countries that are closer to Bulgaria or provide a cheaper living standard.” “With my 3 years of experience being on the Executive Team of the Bulgarian Society and with those circumstances taken into consideration, DUBGS will definitely face the problem of having fewer new members and gradually falling out as a heavily active Society.”.

No matter whether the Sociexit will be as severe as I predict, taking into consideration the uncertainty and craziness of the present times, one thing is for sure: our Campus and Dundee will no longer be the same.

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Emma Sturrock

Has Covid-19 Changed Consumer Behaviour?

As lockdown comes to an end and normality starts to resume, will Covid-19 put the nail in the coffin of in-store shopping?

During quarantine, I wondered what a post-lockdown world would look like, realising how we take small things for granted, such as going shopping. Months later, I was back at Waterstones but with a few changes in place: such as wearing a mask, applying hand sanitiser and practicing social distancing. After my visit, I started reflecting on my experience and how wearing a mask for an extended period of time could put people off shopping before masks become fully accepted as ‘normal’.

Online shopping was already increasing in popularity before Covid, however, the worries that come with the ‘new normal’ make it tempting to shop online. Between being able to avoid queueing in front of shops, and goods getting delivered to your house, online shopping seems like the safest way. With a 21% increase in online orders in March 2020 compared to last year, it looks like businesses will struggle to get customers to visit their stores.

Despite this, there are businesses that have experienced positive effects - Broughty Ferry’s café Jessie’s Kitchen being one of them. Like many businesses, Jessie’s Kitchen had to adapt to the changing world. At the beginning of lockdown, the café found that there was high demand for fresh supplies which customers struggled to get in local supermarkets. Jessie’s Kitchen took initiative, despite reduced staff numbers (having gone from 20 to 3 under the furlough scheme), and organised selling of the stock they couldn’t use when the café was forced to remain closed.

With the gradual easing of restrictions, Jessie’s Kitchen re-opened on a takeaway basis, reporting extremely high demand for the new service. For sitting in, the café has reduced to half capacity to ensure social distancing, adding an outdoor seating area. Both of these continue to be fully

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booked, and in fact, Jessie’s Kitchen reports serving more customers on average than before lockdown.

Similarly, the Eat Out to Help Out nation-wide scheme has brought Jessie’s Kitchen an increase of firsttime visitors.

Covid-19 and the restrictions that came with it have changed consumer habits drastically, and these changes are set to remain for the foreseeable future. Most industries may predictably see an overall decrease in profit, due to factors such as people being hesitant to shop in stores and instead turning to online shopping.

On the other hand, schemes such as Eat Out to Help Out could offer a welcome boost to the hospitality industry.

Covid-19 and the restrictions that came with it have changed consumer habits drastically With months spent in lockdown, who isn’t craving a meal cooked by someone other than themselves or those lived with? What is certain, is that consumer behaviour is continuing to transform due to the pandemic.

ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Louise James, Words by Catriona Harrison

Beating that COVID Anxiety Adapting to the ‘new normal’ on campus.

I’m sure by now you’re fed up of hearing the phrase ‘the new normal’ and that you crave the sweet release of living in ‘precedented times’. Although we may have a while to wait for ‘normality’ to return, the good news is that campus life can still be fun whilst staying Covidconscious.

Although exercising and spending time with friends can help your wellbeing, sometimes talking to a trained professional is the best solution. The University provides free, confidential Counsellors, ready to listen and help.

Appointment booking or ‘self help’ information can be found at : https://dundee.ac.uk/student-services/counselling/.

Moving to university can undoubtedly be a stressful and daunting experience, fraught with anxiety, now heightened with Covid-19 in the mix. In this world of uncertainties and new obstacles though, one thing is certain - everyone is in the same boat.

Moving away from the familiar might call for a revamp of the Zoom quizzes, putting the lockdown practice into good use. No matter how far away you are from home, hearing a familiar voice echo around a foreign room can be grounding and reassuring, giving you enough encouragement to make the trek into the kitchen to talk to your new flatmates.

The same ‘do’s and don’ts’ still stand as a First Year’s handbook – make an effort with your flatmates, join societies, exercise, and ask for help if you need it. These recommendations are potentially even more important now, as, with the anxiety that Covid can bring, it is natural to want to isolate. While acting in accordance with the Government guidelines, it has never been more important to go to Magdalen Green for a picnic in the sun, to walk up The Law with your flatmates, or to go to ‘Big Tesco’ at night donning your mask. These things can still be done; life as we know it hasn’t evaporated into thin air, we just can’t go to Skint for a while.

As for getting the latest news about Covid, it can be easy to get stuck on Twitter or Facebook, refreshing your timeline for updates. Don’t let unverified social media accounts pull you into a dark place – no matter what a Facebook mum has to say about 5G or what Bob thinks about hydroxychloroquine. Stick to the facts. Focus on what you can control… And wear a mask.

It is true that a healthy body can have a great impact on a healthy mind. Dundee has many places to walk, run and cycle, whether alone or socially distanced with a friend.

Broughty Ferry Beach and St. Andrews are only a short bus journey away. The ISE is also set to re-open its doors on 21 September 2020.

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ON/OFF CAMPUS Design by Louise James, Illustration by CL Gamble

COVID: The Class Crisis On Campus Reflecting from a 5th year Medical student’s perspective on how students back on Campus are being supported and how Covid-19 measures might hinder lower class students.

U

ndoubtedly, every student has experienced their fair share of distress over last semester and the summer months, whether that be academically or personally. Although there remains hope among many that by Freshers’ Week, things will be somewhat back to normal, as a student who is currently back on Campus I would contradict such predictions. Things are not normal, not fair, and less than ideal for any student, though even less so for the financially unstable among us.

As a medical student, my final exams have been postponed until October and we, as well as the Fourth Years, are already back to our placements. Being one of the few students back on Campus, I have experienced an accurate account of the current environment: buildings are shut, the Library is closed (with no signposting of when it might reopen), The Union is silent and there has been no gym instructor blasting motivational words from the ISE. The Campus is eerie.

Insecurity of grades, mitigating circumstances, online exams, unfair results. This is how students who are yet to sit their exams are still feeling. This is months after the initial outcry from those who sat exams at the end of last year.

Continuing to have no campus rooms or library (except The Robertson Trust Medical Library) to study or sit online exams in, students have little option but to work from home.

This can often bring numerous obstacles, such as poor wifi, unreliable laptops, issues that come with flat sharing, and others. Such circumstances are likely to disproportionately affect lower class students.

Despite the common assumption that all medics come from affluent families or attend private schools (as is the stereotype), Dundee University has an excellent record of making applications fair for all students, accepting a significant proportion of people every year from more

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deprived areas. It must also be acknowledged that not everyone from affluent families receive the financial support they require at university, leaving them similarly disadvantaged. Covid-19 has brought to light, amongst many other social issues, exactly how greater wealth could advantage someone’s education.

This further relates to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results released in early August. Protests were held as it became apparent that students from deprived areas were receiving poorer grades than expected compared to students in high achieving schools. This creates an unfair boundary for these students when applying for university and in the extreme case, continuing the cycle of poverty.

Similarly, the final Medicine grades count significantly towards which jobs we will get as Doctors next year, as attaining better grades heightens the chances of getting your top choice.

“Insecurity of grades, mitigating circumstances, online exams, unfair results. This is how students who are yet to sit their exams are still feeling” It is necessary for me to acknowledge the controversial position of a soon-to-become Doctor, with a privileged position compared to many other final year students, due to the prospect of future job security, salary and social status. However, as someone who is not from a wealthy background, reflecting on the many educational barriers comes from a personal experience. Some have faced multiple hurdles compared to others to make it to this point and it is the University’s responsibility to ensure equal opportunity for all to succeed. That means ensuring

ON/OFF CAMPUS Words by Lisa Kilday

a fair chance at securing job offers, regardless of personal or financial circumstances.

There are calls for the University to acknowledge that they have, and still are, making mistakes in regard to Covid-19. The mitigating circumstances policy is progressive at its core, but the processes surrounding it need revised to make it more fair. The Library’s continuing closure is an added obstacle which the University has failed to address, and there has been little communication surrounding the aids in place for students who cannot study or sit exams at home.

No University has a guideline on how to deal with a pandemic whilst getting students through their exams.

Perhaps all we can do is reflect on our frustrations and speak up. I have no doubt that the University’s intention is to create equal opportunities for all and I acknowledge that they are working on it. But unless underprivileged students argue for change, unfair divides between class, race, ethnicity, sex and many other issues will prevail. It is our job to make change for ourselves and future students and there is no better time than now to do so.

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CREATIVE WRITING Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Valerya Krumova

Crossing Blind Yesterday I was at school.

Writing notes with ink stained hands, storing them away, unaware time was slipping with each new line; page by page until my pen was dry Today, school ended.

They took me from my bed, dressed me in a gown that didn’t quite fit, like I hadn’t yet grown into it They pushed me on the stage, shook my hand and handed me, in my left a scroll, in my right some scrubs Now I have a second skin, a blue skin.

I get lost under layers of blue and white, layers meant to protect us from one another

A stranger’s skin that bears my scars, my marks and moles.

They help me trace my path back to who I am,

We fight together, each one

Yet here’s a spot.

alone by the bed lamp, I peel away to uncover

a daily task

It’s a spot I bear inside me A collection, left by people that are gone but will never fade A spot I intend to keep but am afraid will be the end of me When they roll out the next body, I stand by and the spot drips into my thoughts, swells to hold another face I grit my teeth and swallow my tears, knowing sometime, that familiar spot will trace the path to the truth of who I am

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CREATIVE WRITING Design by Eryn Moreton, Words by Orla Davey

Follow me into the unknown.

Every step splashes and sloshes uncertain seas distorting our direction.

The future is a rippling fantasy – dare to touch it, entertain it, and it will break apart like shards of glass.

Good luck finding your feet when the certainty of straight concrete was replaced with downward slopes.

Soft moss will slip you towards jagged rocks – Nature’s daggers beneath your struggling steps.

Here come the waves.

Breaking news bulges from the earth like boulders blocking the sun.

Watch where you step!

Disease dithers and giggles in the dark places you can’t see, crashing around you with no cure.

Don’t go too deep, or you’ll drown.

Your poor brain has been softened by cities misted by misguidance then hardened by cash.

We used to throw money into this pool for fun but now we’re struggling to stay afloat.

Nature doesn’t treat us kindly, you know.

She loved us once, but we abandoned her, only crawling back when we couldn’t cope anymore.

But it’s too late.

We burned her kindness bit by bit ever since the day we turned away.

Now look at us – prisoners brought to our knees.

We thought we were so clever.

We thought we’d finally conquered the world but in the end the world has conquered us.

What do we do now, you ask?

All we can do – just ride the waves,

step

by step

by step

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CREATIVE WRITING Design by Lisa Dyer, Illustration by Noémi Gottmann, Words by Sofia Rönkӓ

Staying Inside, Huh? It’s finally Saturday! I would prefer to celebrate finishing the week’s work with an evening at the club, but nowadays even the wildest party animals have to stay inside.

Impossible!

But if there’s a will, there’s a way.

Since I’m not allowed to step outside the door, I have no choice but to spend the day learning spells. After seven years of studying, one swish and flick of my wand can transfigure godfathers into dogs, brew golden potions of good luck, and save the world from a noseless wizard.

Magic is truly fascinating, but what are my roommates up to? Oh, of course, they are jumping into green pipes again. Better join them, as it’s always fun to spend time with a pair of brightly coloured plumbers. I’ll help them save that poor princess too – it is certainly not pleasant to be kidnapped by lizard kings all the time.

Ah, finally the girl is safe in the arms of her Italian lover, so perhaps I should curl up next to my own sweetheart.

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And what better place to do that than on the world’s largest cruise ship.

Isn’t it bad luck to call it unsinkable, though? Anyway, it’s the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, and laugh at the energetic young couples running after each other. Such a shame it had to end with an ice-cold bath.

Without noticing, Saturday is almost over. But I have one more ace up my sleeve: the nightly surprise adventure.

Every night it’s something new or familiar or an unimaginable blend of both. Will I swim with mermaids? Or perhaps enjoy an infinite all-you-caneat buffet? Hopefully I won’t be late to class or lose my trousers. Better get comfortable and shut my eyes tight.

Staying inside on a Saturday, huh?

Well, I wonder what adventures Sunday brings.

CREATIVE WRITING Design by Louise James, Illustration by, Noémi Gottmann, Words by Luke Perry

The Mirror of One’s Past I have a strange mirror, as do we all one which does not show us a reflection but instead, from within us it will pull a figure of our past inflections Much like a gateway through time it sorts through the caves of memory with each puzzle piece picked with reason and rhyme it creates an image one wished was imaginary Has the same face, yet is drained and drooped Has the same eyes, yet their pupils are misty and visionless Has the same body, yet so reclusive and helpless and has the same mind, yet infected by negative distortion But the mirror shows different people different images perhaps if you looked to the mirror now, you’d see joy happiness sealed by a smile, Optimism lasting the ages perhaps representing better times, or even a mental ploy But it’s best not to lose yourself in the world of the mirror and the deep oceans of emotions it traps within for however recent the past is, the present is always nearer and a new frontier of life is always about to begin So hold your head up high, step forward and discover the world outside the past, ever onward

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CREATIVE WRITING Design by Lisa Dyer, Photography by MarĂ­a Paula Huertes, Words by Ana Dieguez Algaba

Train to Dundee

I watch the waves as they come and go.

Back and forth, to and fro.

Is it ever the same water that reaches for my bare feet?

They come, they go as if they were trains.

The lighted sign says: Next stop: Dunblane.

I see windows.

Squared, rectangular.

Brown, black, white.

All at the same time.

We are in Dunblane.

One stop later, Gleneagles.

A calendar on the wall: March.

Nothing but dust.

Next stop: Dunblane.

It has no pages, yet I flick through them: March, March, March‌ Next stop: Dunblane.

Two stops later, the sky is grey, the river is black.

Is it even the same blue water that once reached for my bare feet?

Three stops later: Perth.

There is no sun.

Rooftops are swirling, blending with the green grass.

The calendar says it is March.

Next stop: Dunblane.

A person looking back at me.

They are no one, they are faceless.

A shadow, a reflection.

Just like the numbers up to thirty-one.

Next stop: Dunblane.

The train stops: Dundee.

A bridge, a river, Magdalen Green.

The calendar on the wall: September.

The next stop is Dunblane.

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CREATIVE WRITING Design by Lisa Dyer, Photography by Lottie Belrose, Words by Andrew Young

This Sceptred Isle This bountiful island, this precious stone, this golden land has slowly lost its shine, replaced by a fake lustre and drone a place of nowhere and nothing; by design.

On history’s tapestry we are skimming only getting a distorted view, a cultural condensation clinging what we know becomes what we knew.

The dew shaken from the windows of an accelerating train called Progress, piercing the heart of this beleaguered land with an efficient and modern finesse.

And this train, in all its ferocious speed, has finally derailed what we most need.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Daniel Agnew, Words by Dawid Czeczelewski

KEEP YOUR

EYES WIDE OPEN

W

ithout a doubt, August 2020 has brought Belarusian presidential elections into the spotlight of Europe. After 25 years of living in a shadow of Lukashenka’s dictatorship, the citizens decided to rebel against the state run by the iron hand. It was a matter of time before our peers, who are surrounded with the same mass culture conducted by platforms like Netflix and Facebook, were fed up with the lack of democratic freedoms. Today, despite extraordinary viciousness shown by the security forces, Belarussians gather peacefully on the streets every day to demonstrate against the electoral fraud and lack of freedom of speech. On the day of writing this article, two protesters were killed by police brutality, hundreds were tortured and 69 are still missing. To add some kind of “black comedy” to the story, The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus said about those who disappeared during the protests: “a significant number of citizens went to work or vacation abroad”.

What shall we, privileged of living (mostly) in full democracies, do in addition to mentally support the protesters? I raised this question while being on holiday in my hometown, approximately 30 miles from Brest – the 5th largest city in Belarus. The border on the river of Bug has separated me from growing up under the regime. However, if we were to situate a non-physical border which we would be forced to cross to fight for our rights as Belarussians do.

Would we have enough power to fight?

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In the political debate there’s an apt parallel between democracy and autocracy. The best way to understand it is to think of it as a three-legged stool made of three variables – free elections, liberal rights of speech and judicial independence. If any of the attributes will get weaker, the stool might begin to wobble. Some of you may say ‘our rights are protected by the law and institutions, so there’s no reason to worry about it’ and it’s hard to deny. However, history proves that it’s citizens who need to protect democracy and their rights. The quality of democracy mainly rests on civil society and political culture and it doesn’t depend in any simple way on the Constitution. That’s why it’s so important to take an active part in your society.

“In the political debate there’s an apt parallel between democracy and autocracy.”

In 2017, Timothy Snyder published the book “On Tyranny” where he gives twenty lessons from the XX century as a response to the way of governance of Donald Trump.

As we delve into subsequent pages, we come across unprecedented, universal thoughts on democracy, which may give you an answer to the question how far from the “Belarusian border” we stand. In the shadow of Belarussians fighting for their freedom let’s have a think of our position.

Embrace a bit of trepidation as it’s what will protect us from a fall of the three-legged stool.

CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Louise James, Words by Marcin Kielczewski

Are these the Last Days of the European Dictatorship?

As an Eurocentrist myself, I like to think of Europe as a democratic haven, which by its policies sets up an example for the rest of the world to follow. It would be, however, extremely ignorant to disown the fact that the more East we go, the more the European dream turns into the European nightmare.

The decades of deteriorating respect towards the rule of law and the lack of resemblance between the actual and official results of the presidential elections led to a substantial series of protests in Belarus.

Following the most recent elections, Alexander Lukashenko proclaimed himself a president for the sixth consecutive term. The supporters of the democratic opposition, associated with Lukashenko’s counter-candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, began to gather on the streets calling for new elections to be held with the presence of the international observers and most importantly with the respect to the democratic standards. The country’s leader felt threatened by the vast crowds of people marching through the streets of Belarusian towns and cities and sent armed forces to fight the protesters. So far (22.08.2020) many have been hurt and one to four deaths were reported as a result of the clashes with the law enforcement. The uncertainty of the number derives from the unreliability of the official records and might be even higher.

What makes the current situation distinctive from any protests that took place in the past, is the extent of social participation: during one of the protests in Minsk, nearly 200,000 people were reported to have been gathered on the streets. What is also new is the form of communication.

The protesters used various encrypted online messengers to organize their meetings. As a result of that, the internet in Belarus was cut off multiple times as an attempt to halt the protests. In a country with a relatively strong IT sector that has led to serious economic losses. “. . . during one of the protests in Minsk, nearly 200,000 people were reported to have been gathered on the streets.”

Some of the observers suggest that the lack of defined leadership over the protests will eventually lead to decrease in society’s morale. On the other hand, the only way to avoid arrests of the protests’ leaders is not having any leader at all.

No matter whether the next days will bring any revolutionary changes, the Belarusian democratic spirit has awoken and the process of creating civic society has begun.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Louise James, Words by Annika Hudson-Laursen

Remote Working Can Improve Inclusion

T

he transition to distance learning and working from home in the last few months has been a big adjustment. It comes with many issues including lack of universal internet access and increased difficulty in managing work-life balance. However, for children and adults alike who did not thrive in “traditional” work settings, the change is a silver lining.

Parents and teachers in California reported to the Los Angeles Times that some children who were struggling in the classroom were actually flourishing in their online learning (Andrew Campa, July 29 2020). They no longer had to deal with the pressure of the social issues in school, like feeling uncomfortable in class, and were also more engaged. The teachers theorize that the anonymity of being behind a screen gives students courage to ask more questions and contribute more of their opinions, without fear of being judged, or distracted, by their classmates.

Remote learning has highlighted the need to acknowledge the ways in which children learn differently, and lessons from this period could be implemented to make future education policies more accommodating.

The potential positive impact of the “Zoom Era” reaches beyond the classroom. Nisha Kulkarni is a chronic illness advocate who has written about the issue of lack of accessibility in the job market. She says that the pandemic has proven to employers that work can be effectively done from home; something that employees with chronic conditions and disabilities have been lobbying for for years.

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She hopes that more employers will see the light and begin to offer flexible working arrangements, which will in turn open up opportunities that were previously closed to people living with health conditions because of their needs (Correspondence with Nisha Kulkarni, August 2020). This change is long overdue. For years companies have been passing up qualified candidates because they required a flexible schedule or a work-from-home arrangement, which the employer was afraid would be expensive or inefficient.

This time of social distancing has made it clear that it is very doable for many companies around the world. The extent to which companies will actually take this on board when hiring, is yet to be seen, but it is a starting point.

The “new normal” poses enormous challenges for all parts of society, from businesses to schools and not least individuals. It has also given us a rare opportunity to pause and reflect on the “one size fits all” attitude in schools and workplaces. If handled correctly, this experience could be a catalyst to changing that attitude and giving rise to a more inclusive society.

Remote work options and stories can be found at https://www.wearecapable.org/ More of Nisha Kulkarni’s work can be found on her website https://nishakkulkarni.com/

CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Karl Maclean

REMEMBERING2020 As September rolls in, and students return to campus, you could be forgiven for wanting to erase 2020 from memory. From the horrific fires in Australia; to the all-consuming pandemic; to the brutal murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

It would be easy to bury your head in the sand and wait for it all to blow over. However, forgetting the nightmare of 2020 will only make things worse. Remembering each tragedy will be tough, but as we move on, we are in danger of forgetting those who have left us, and of holding those in charge responsible. Furthermore, we risk forgetting the small but significant victories we won as a nation.

English footballer, Marcus Rashford, made headlines when he forced a U-turn for free meals for children during the summer holidays, a scheme that helps the poorest in the country. After the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, protests erupted around the world. Here in the U.K, we

came together and campaigned for substantial reforms. In Scotland, the SNP has voted to add British colonial history, ‘blemishes and all’ to schools in North Lanarkshire, after months of campaigning from the Scottish people and Councillor Danish Ashraf. Let’s not forget the students, who scored a major victory by forcing another government U-turn, in response to the shambolic handling of school exam results. These steps show the power the working-class and BAME communities of Scotland and the U.K have when we come together and organise for a common goal.

David Rovics, socialist commentator wrote, “The class will be repeated, until the lesson has been learned”.

Erasing the memory of 2020 will lead to more heartbreak and injustice.

The conservative government has overseen a major disaster, that to date, has left 41,000 dead and 220,000 unemployed in three months.

This is solely the responsibility of the government, who failed to see the

catastrophic impact Covid-19 would have; that consciously tried to leave children hungry; that continuously denies the systemic racism so evident in our society. This nation cannot afford to let the guilty party walk free.

It will be difficult and heart-breaking to reflect on 2020, but we owe it to everyone we lost, to keep fighting for equality and, as a university, we must continue to campaign for a fairer society.

“The class will be repeated, until the lesson has been learned”

Dedicated to George Floyd, Amhaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the countless lives lost to Covid-19.

Rest In Power.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Liam Palermo

2020 Vision?

Didnt see this coming.

“A lot has changed since March.” Is likely to be one of the most repeated phrases of 2020. A year filled with doubt, uncertainty, political upheaval, deadly viruses and a cacophony of disasters. What a brilliant way to start a decade, eh? It’s been a struggle for us all and, while we are adjusting to the return of university life, maybe we should reflect on it together?

On 23 March 2020, at 2030 hours, lockdown was announced. Panic ensued. Boris gave us just one night to prepare. For existing students, this meant abandoning projects, exams and placements. For gap year students, cancelled plans. For senior pupils, no leavers’ activities and a looming qualifications fiasco. Not to mention loss of part-time jobs. The mental challenge of surviving a global pandemic (with no loo roll) began.

On one hand, lockdown brought opportunities to start new projects, reconnect with our families and our friends

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(albeit online) and (never quite) get round to tidying our rooms. On the other hand, simply staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS wasn’t as easy for all of us as it sounded. According to The Lancet, “Population prevalence of clinically significant levels of mental distress rose [...] in April 2020, one month into UK lockdown” and “increases were greatest in 18-24 year olds”. Strathclyde University researchers discovered that 40-50% of people aged 13-24 felt their anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic.

“one quarter […] of 18-to-24 year-olds said they had felt hopeless as a result of the pandemic”.

This made sense. We were facing a world of unknowns.

No one had the answers to what a post-lockdown world would look like, how much normality we would feasibly be

CURRENT AFFAIRS Words by Cat Pritchard able to return to, or how long it would take. The nuance of the excitingly new situation wore off quickly, but we still believed that staying at home was the right thing to do. Of those who responded to surveys carried out for the Scottish Government in April, 85% said they believed the best action they could take was to follow Government guidance.

As time went on, those of us who were struggling had to learn new ways of coping with stress. The usual strategies like distracting yourself with work, going out with friends and journeying somewhere for a change of scenery weren’t an option in the face of furlough, social distancing and travel limitations.

However, we were able to distract ourselves with hobbies and games, we could call our friends for a muchneeded chat and we could find untravelled paths in our local areas to enjoy during our daily exercise. While it was difficult to feel in control during the crisis, the truth was, we were.

Every day we stayed indoors was another day we prevented ourselves or someone else from infection. For the progress we were making, the pain was worth it.

Whether or not we thrived individually between March and June, the hours we spent bingeing watchlists on Netflix, stretching out the strict “one run, walk or cycle per day” and enduring that friend who turned into The Quizmaster from Hell (if you don’t know who that was, then it was you!), it all paid off.

Due to our combined effort, we managed to suppress the virus to low levels, enough to enable us to reclaim some of our freedoms. The prospect of a return (or start!) to university life was on the horizon. As of July 10 2020, we entered Phase 3 of the ease of lockdown measures and education facilities could start planning for return. Welcoming news for us all.

This semester, indeed this academic year, may be part of the “new normal” but it certainly won’t be “ordinary”. We

are still, unfortunately, dealing with a global pandemic, climate change is still a thing and there are world leaders who would recommend a dose of Domestos to cure all. Blended learning and online pub crawls will change the campus landscape for the foreseeable future. This will be the year of the Freshers Week Zoomathon.

So, in conclusion, this year so far has been one big eye-test drive to Barnard Castle during which we realised that 20/20 vision didn’t give us psychic abilities. This version of 2020 wasn’t what we had in mind, but we’ve risen to the unforeseen challenge and made it to Campus against all the odds. Whatever you’re doing this semester, stay safe, enjoy your course and have fun!

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CURRENT AFFAIRS Design by Lisa Dyer

The Situation in Kashmir

I

documented. Much of the Kashmiri resistance since partition may reflect this desire for independence, though it is probably likely that much tacit support may come from Pakistan.

In the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, as millions of people raced to their desired side of the new border, the fate of many formerly princely states in India remained undecided. Among these were Hyderabad, which was eventually invaded and forced to accede, and Jammu and Kashmir, a majority Muslim state with a Hindu ruler. The prince eventually reportedly agreed to join the new Indian state, though forces loyal to Pakistan raced to carve out their own territory in the region.

The arrival of the Hindu-nationalist BJP government of Narendra Modi would naturally have been met with unease in Kashmir. The BJP have been accused of stoking anti-Muslim sentiment throughout India, and of reconstructing India’s past to promote its own narrative of Indian/Hindu historic unity, completely ignoring the importance of regional identity. The revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which deprived Kashmir of its autonomy and special status, would have been a shattering blow to many Kashmiris. The revocation of article 370 came after the Indian army sent in thousands of extra troops (it already stationed some 500,000 troops there), local leaders were arrested, tourists forced to leave, and communications shut down. Kashmir was placed under even tighter restrictions than before.

n the surreal crisis of Covid-19, much of the popular attention has been on infection rates, deaths, and government guidelines. While this is understandable, for much of the world, the traditional ailments of repression and violence continue unabated. One such area is the hotly disputed region of Kashmir, contested between India and Pakistan. Once known for its stunning natural beauty, its name is now synonymous with conflict and suffering.

The legitimacy of events in Kashmir are still argued by both sides to this day. It was certainly a complicated situation. A minority ruler in a state caught in a calamitous colonial decision by Britain to rush its exit from the subcontinent, resulting in unimaginable death and destruction. But as is often the case in disputed regions, the voice of the populace goes unheard. Despite the agreed special status of Kashmir and its autonomy in internal affairs, the plebiscite promised by the new Indian government never materialised and is still awaited to this day The reluctance of New Delhi to give the Kashmiris a plebiscite may not necessarily come from fear of Kashmiri union with Pakistan, but of fears of a desired Kashmiri state, free from Indian or Pakistani influence, as the Kashmiri sense of identity is well

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All this conflict and tension is a constant drain on Indian resources.

This move by the BJP may be little more than pandering to its core voters, though others suggest that it was designed to distract from economic issues. It opens the door to demographic change in the region, which will undoubtedly be welcome in New Delhi. A new wave of settler colonialism, akin to the situation in Palestine, could plausibly arise now in Kashmir. Therefore, tensions have been raised even further, and even in the last couple of weeks there have been violent incidents, like the killing of a policeman and two paramilitary officers at a checkpoint.

CURRENT AFFAIRS Words by Steven Monaghan

The strategic location of Kashmir is highly militarised against both internal and external enemies. As mentioned, India and Pakistan both lay claim to Kashmir in its entirety, and a new war between these nuclear powers has the potential to be catastrophic for all involved.

The strategic location of Kashmir is highly militarised against both internal and external enemies.

Pakistan, however, is not the only actor against Indian interests. China has a disputed border with India in Aksai Chin, and the two have recently been in conflict with the brutal deaths of 20 Indian soldiers (Chinese deaths not revealed) in a clash with clubs and stones, with some reports of soldiers being pushed off mountain sides or dying of hypothermia. China, for its part, has strategic interests in this area close to the vital Chinese Belt and Road infrastructure project.

and the disputed Chinese border are part of the geopolitical struggle of the region, and power politics, global or regional, rarely care much of the populations caught in the conflict. Therefore, much must change in Kashmir and the entire region as a whole before there is a chance for the people of Kashmir to be heard and the long enduring conflict there can finally be consigned to history.

All this conflict and tension is a constant drain on Indian resources. However, it is unlikely that New Delhi will concede ground, especially in the case of Kashmir, at least for fear of an autonomous or independent Kashmir gravitating towards its coreligionists in Islamabad. The situation is perhaps more difficult for India geopolitically as China and Pakistan have long formed close relations and could present a united front in the event of serious conflict. Partially as a result of this, India has begun to seek closer relations with the United States to provide a geopolitical counterbalance.

This international element to the regional conflict makes clear that the will and fate of the Kashmiri people is of secondary importance at best. Kashmir

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FASHION Design by Raechelle Gilpin, Words by Ellie Jane Jamieson

Textiles take on Quant!

A Review of the 21st Century Quant

After the nightmare that has been the scariest, dullest and most boring summer on record, it was amazing to see appearing suddenly on my newsfeed this flash of colour, happiness and the roaring success of five textile students currently homed within Duncan of Jordanstone - one of the most vibrant schools on campus! Our fantastic designers in question - Lucy Carrie, Emer Dobson, Sandra Junele, Humaira Khan and Jane Neave are all part of the 3rd year textiles course taking part in the “21st Century Quant” project which saw students researching and developing ideas inspired by British designer Mary Quant Buttersticks legacy within fashion and society whilst looking at current contemporary issues such as fast fashion, climate change and racism.

The work of these designers is exactly the kind of colourful inspiration the student community needed not only showcasing and celebrating their achievements but also the deeper meaning behind the work. Using the traditional Quant dress pattern that she is known for the designers incorporated issues that affect us all today from mass production within supermarkets.

Other designers focused on the rise of youth rebellion seen within the climate change protests and more recently the youth demanding government U turns.

We also see designers focus on gender stereotypes with the use of flashy bright acidic colours.

Our designers have shown us not only their incredible talent but also their transferable skills. For example, one previously studying within pharmaceuticals, then jumping to textiles using their knowledge of working with hazardous materials to create their own dyes from scratch! That’s the beauty of Duncan of Jordanstone; every student in the school of art and design has their own

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unique story and their own unique set of skills something the Dean Anita Taylor is always incredibly proud of. She recently called the works of the designers a “fresh and feisty take on her (Quant) transformational legacy.”

Our five amazing designers and the textiles classes of DJCAD (as the school is more commonly known) walk in the same footsteps as successful graduates such as Kirsten Nellie who graduated in 2014 from the school with their degree in textiles to then go on and have a career with big names such as Vogue and Net-a-Porter! Nellie also helped style the models of the 21st Century Quant for what would be the V&A’s first on location fashion shoot!

The fab five of DJCAD have done our student community proud and we thank them for bringing us a blast of colour in what has been a dark time for us all. We will be following their careers closely because we all know they are going to continue to do some amazing things!

Want to find out more on what our artists get up to?

Check out Sandra Junele on Instagram @sjartanddesign

FASHION Design by Margaux-Victoria Dufeu, Words by Erin Mckeown

Following the abruptly upsetting closure of the University of Dundee campus, disenfranchised students and faculty regrouped and fashioned a charitable solution in order to support neglected NHS workers.

Here at the Magdalen, we wish to celebrate our peers’ ingenuity and perseverance in the face of an unsatisfactory academic year.

In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, Boris Johnson and his irrefutably incompetent melee of cronies has failed to provide the tender, loving care we ought to be showering upon on our National Health Service. The explosive sweep of Covid-19 has devastated global hospitals, and with a reported 325,642 cases in the UK as of August (The Telegraph, 2020), the NHS has faced a dramatic depletion in its resources. The initial absence of government legislation regarding quarantine and the lack of enforcement of PPE in public areas has run the NHS into the ground.

All the while, the Conservative Party clap smugly on the side-lines, idly swanning off on holiday for “welldeserved” time off whilst ignoring the public’s calls to reward all NHS employees with a well-deserved raise.

The hypocrisy is equally as laughable as it is disgusting.

“With a startling scarcity of

disposable hospital scrubs available to protect the entirety of the healthcare workforce, the NHS pled for Johnson and his cabinet to step up. Instead, the community did.”

As of April, NHS Tayside began working conjunctively with local industries, the faculty and students of the University of Dundee, as well as local volunteers. Halley Stevensons Limited, a local company, specialising in waxed cotton, which can be dated back to 1864, provided a substantial number of the required scrubs in a bespoke shade of blue titled “Tayside Teal”. The small, personal touches the community has proffered towards our healthcare workers will be what we hopefully remember in the distant future; and, nowhere has this outspoken sense of gratitude been louder than in the creation of the “Scrub Hub”. A small workspace constructed within the Main Campus Library, the makeshift workroom was led by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) textiles staff and manned by students and local volunteers alike. The team simultaneously worked at constructing both scrubs and masks whilst functioning as a drop off zone for cut patterns from Kirriemuir company J&D Wilkie.

Any manpower was encouraged and appreciated: if you could sew, you could apply to receive a pack of fabric and pattern from the Scrub Hub and participate in the effort at home in lockdown. Jane Keith, programme codirector for Textile Design at DJCAD reported, “As soon as we were alerted by the NHS that there was a need for scrubs that we might be able to help with, we got thinking and moved quickly. We have students, graduates and a wider community of makers who are all keen to help in any way they can. Making hundreds of sets of scrubs to help protect frontline staff in the NHS is a great use of their skills.” (UOD, 2020) For a subgroup

forced to accept a disquieting end to their studies, robbed of exhibitions and opportunities to celebrate the hard work and dedication poured into their craft over the academic year, the opportunity to contribute to the community was seized eagerly, and amassed great success.

As a student who has spent most of my days in lockdown whittling away my time carelessly in retrospect, I was humbled when I heard about the efforts of my peers. Dundee is overwhelmingly influenced by its student population and, no matter how multi-faceted or unconventional our attributes can be perceived to be, we are often stereotyped as vapid, sometimes even selfish.

“I’m fiercely proud of how many students have defied the tired caricature of the “irresponsible student” [...]” [...] and undertaken such a pivotal role in the midst of a pandemic that has cost many the fleeting delights of the essence of the stereotypical student experience. We often are devoid of the autonomy many of our elders are established enough to experience.

However, when the time came, a number of us rose up to perform the job that our elected government was too negligent to undertake. Jaime Russell, a fourth year DJCAD student of Fine Art and Philosophy proudly informed me, “It was a wonderful initiative that brought together community, industry and the art school. People were so kind with their time and skills, though I look forward to a day when we don’t have to rely on the kindness of the community, but the stability of our governments to care for its own people.”

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FASHION Design by Cait Maxwell

Isolated Heroes Zero Waste Fashion Masks!

It’s time to talk about the fashion accessory that no one expected to become mainstream: the face mask.

As we adjust to the new normal we must embrace the inconvenience of one more item to forget alongside keys and wallets. And by embrace, I do not mean to just accept and adhere to the government rules, I mean to take it on board as a statement piece in your wardrobe.

Soon masks will be needing a drawer of their own.

As with every accessory, shopping around and finding a style that suits your own also applies to face masks. Right here in Dundee there is a body positive clothing brand, beloved by the likes of Miley Cyrus and Kate Nash, known as iSOLATED HEROES, @isolatedheroes on Instagram.

Little did they know, when they were founded in 2012, how apt their name would become. Their signature sequin and faux fur clothing are bright and colourful, and they have now extended their line to include ‘zero waste’ face masks during lockdown. Providing a wide variety of sequined black, rainbow, and mermaid themed masks, as well as the simple, but exciting, cotton patterned masks; there is a vibrant design to suit everyone.

If bold, local designs aren’t enticing enough, let me circle back to the ‘zero waste’ initiative. The sequin face

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masks are made from offcuts of Isolated Heroes’ sequin collections, meaning as little fabric as possible goes to waste. The inner layer is made of 100% woven cotton, a comfortable, breathable, hypoallergenic fabric which also has its advantages in being recyclable. However, the delicate nature of sequined fabrics does mean the reusable masks must be hand washed to preserve the shape and quality of the product. The same is advised for the cotton masks. It must also be highlighted that Isolated Heroes do not produce medical grade face masks; these are face coverings only.

Yet, I do not, by any means, imply that these masks are poor quality; quite the opposite. Isolated Heroes make the quality of fabrics and the craftsmanship a high priority, as well as ensuring a high standard for working conditions. To maintain this, they use an ethical supply chain, supporting a strong relationship with fabric agents that can trace the manufacturing process. Only UK manufacturers are used, which also helps reduce the business’s carbon footprint.

Above all, each mask, each piece of clothing, is hand embellished and hand embroidered by skilled seamsters, making your mask a painstaking memento of time and dedication, rather than a mass-produced commodity of fast fashion.

FASHION Words by Tomasin NicCailein Don’t just take my word for it, students across Dundee are enamoured with these local masks. Ellie had this to say:

“I absolutely love my mask! It makes me feel normal in an un-normal time. Having a mask that reflects my personality doesn’t make me feel like I am covering up. It’s a great talking point also; people asking me where I got it from, how great it looks and being able to say its zero waste and that the money goes to charity, all while supporting a local Dundee business just makes everything feel better.”

Each mask is £15, and should that make your student pocket squirm, it might put you at ease to know that through the sale of their facemasks Isolated Heroes have raised £1000 by donating £5 from each sale to Refuge, a charity, built for women and children, against domestic abuse. Did they stop there? Absolutely not. From the sale of face masks £250 was raised for The Black Scottish Business Fund, to support black and minority ethnic

creatives, and they have no intention of stopping their charity work soon. Considering the cost of quality fabrics, using UK prices and highly trained workers, the time this entails, and the generous donations made, £15 is a steal.

Every aspect of this brand I have mentioned so far helps develop a ‘circular economy’. A circular economy is a business model where products are created with their lifespan in mind; the idea being to reduce the pollution generated by maximising each stage of the process, by reducing, reusing and recycling, thus continuing the use of the resources. This is in opposition to the traditional ‘linear economy’ seen in most industries, especially fashion, where resources are taken, used and then disposed of, thereby causing pollution. Even some of Isolated Heroes’ profits can be argued to be circular, as the donation to business funds support growing local entrepreneurship that will hopefully invest their time in promoting a circular economy also.

So, when looking for something a bit more fashion forward and a bit more socially conscious than disposable face masks from the high street, the snazzy, handmade, local ‘zero waste’ face masks that donate money to good causes might just be the best option out there.

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LIFESTYLE Design by Emma Biggins

Cottagecore: A Deep Dive The rise of the app TikTok has recently caused many internet aesthetics to emerge - e-girls, e-boys, VSCO girls, soft boys, and my favourite; “Cottagecore”. Lack of gender specification aside, this genre of fashion and life reigns due to its stripped-down nature. The clothing is inspired by grandmas, vintage, Edwardian era fashion and farm wear, resulting in thrift or handmade clothes at the forefront of the trend. Cottagecore revels in crafts: sewing, knitting, crochet, baking, foraging, and gardening; all things that most of us just do not have time for in our oversaturated lives that flood us with things. That brings us to the question ‘why now?’, although the answer seems obvious.

The coronavirus induced lockdowns and quarantines have forced us inside, and with this action comes its equal opposite reaction, we want to go outside. A lot of us have either taken for granted having a garden or wished that we had one. It has also given non-key workers a lot of space and time, which many have used to practise these crafts. Baking bread is one of 48

those activities that can be so rewarding, but amidst university and jobs, a 45 pence loaf from Lidl fills that need. But with time, people are cultivating sourdough starters, kneading and experimenting with flours.

It’s almost like rejecting the technology and the rapid consumerism that we are presented with daily, and taking a small piece of the day and extending it into something wonderful. Cottagecore is about creating scenes of ideals, no longer in your cramped flat with no garden, no longer worrying about the multiple global emergencies. It is escapism through and through.

And this is not new. Mary Antoinette had her own hamlet, a pretend village where she played dressing up as a laywoman, as many nobles did at the time. Is Cottagecore just another version of this appropriation? As with any trend it has problematic undertones. Cottagecore has a reputation of rich, skinny, white girls appropriating farming culture and agricultural life. The aesthetics and inspirations are heavily westernised and steeped in colonialism. Rural

LIFESTYLE Words by Iona Rose Wheeler communities are often seen as being small-minded and unsafe places for minorities. But why then is this internet trend overwhelmingly queer?

Growing up in a village made figuring out my gender, sexuality and general identity quite difficult. I hated living in the countryside, the lack of anonymity made it a strange place to experiment, where everyone knows your name and feels comfortable to comment on your life. Now I am sure people from my village did not care about the time I cut all my hair off or the

Cottagecore is about creating scenes of ideals, no longer in your cramped flat with no garden, no longer worrying about the multiple global emergencies. It is escapism through and through. second time I cut all my hair off as much as I did, but nevertheless, I felt claustrophobic. But the appeal of Cottagecore as a neurodivergent queer person is the ability to relive the countryside lifestyle, visibly and proudly. The heteronormative, patriarchal, colourist and prejudiced values that rural life is synonymous

with, are being ignored in favour of anti-capitalism and ecofeminism. Cottagecore questions our societal norms; far more than you would expect from a TikTok trend, and I could write about it endlessly. It is idealistic, but we must acknowledge where these ideals come from, what they mean for us today and how they impact our own prejudices.

So, how can you incorporate Cottagecore into your life? Want to sit amongst wildflowers, reading Virginia Woolf poems out loud to a girl you adore, but the very sight of sourdough and mushroom foraging intimidates you? Take it slowly. Find a piece of fine china in a charity shop and eat or drink from it while gazing out the window. Turn that item of clothing you love but can no longer wear into a face mask. Make biscuits and eat most of them. Taking joy in the corner of my room that I adorn with plants, candles and art, transforming it into a warm, safe space. Turning a room into a sanctuary, a wardrobe into another world, and yourself into a vessel for love is powerful. I say this not to tell those who have chronic illnesses to ‘look on the bright side’ (because that would be just condescending) but to share the rejection of ideas that we are taught. The world is quite literally burning, so if you want to wear a long dress and go frolicking, there is no better time than now. Enjoy, make, love; that is what we have to live for.

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LIFESTYLE Design by Phoebe Wilman

The Lockdown Chef What first comes to mind when you think about good food? Is it your grandma’s homemade cooking that you adored as a child? Or maybe a greasy Big Mac from McDonalds because you just cannot help but indulge?

Whatever it may be, I believe one’s favourite meal always has a story or emotion behind it; like my dad’s signature steak and peppercorn sauce. I admire his pure, unadulterated passion for a good ol’ slice of sirloin. Even now, I can hear him saying “Remember Elan, you have to let it rest for a bit after it’s cooked!” The way he would wait in anticipation as I’d take the first bite; his sparkling eyes when he would turn away for a moment and look back to find my plate empty.

I could tell it filled him with joy to see his children enjoy the mouthwatering meals that he would pour his heart into. Ever since I was little, my mother and father have laid the table with the most gorgeous meals, never failing to impress friends and family. Until I started cooking myself, I never understood how gratifying and heart-warming it is to spread

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joy through cooking for others and leaving them with happy stomachs!

Which brings us to the present.

Initially, the worldwide pandemic resulting in Scotland going into lockdown seemed like the end of the world. However, soon I discovered it was not all doom and gloom.

Suffering from extreme boredom and restlessness, I decided to stop letting my poor parents slave away for me and banish those miserable microwave meals. It was time to try and whip up some seriously tasty grub.

“Until I started cooking myself, I never understood how gratifying and heartwarming it is to spread joy through cooking for others and leaving them with happy stomachs!”

One dish I have stood by religiously, is a big bowl of traditional Japanese noodles; but how was I to recreate something so authentic and bursting with rich flavours? As always, I allowed many recipes to discourage me from my quest. Following many failed attempts, I finally found what I was looking for. Whilst in a shop that sold authentic Asian ingredients in Glasgow, I came across a pack of fresh Udon noodles. Now, this, I had to try. Thus, the most beautiful noodles I have ever tasted were born. However, the cherry on top of

this mountain of noodle heaven was my dad’s reaction. To have him adore something that I made from scratch, and to tell me it was like something from a restaurant, was amazing. It filled my heart with so much joy that I was able to do for him what he had done for me for so many years. I never realised something as simple as a good meal and my father’s smile would mean so much to me.

LIFESTYLE Words by Elan Baird

Life really does boil down to the little things. It is not about money or materialistic matters; it’s the ability to bring someone happiness through something you created yourself.

That is where I find true satisfaction.

So, I wish to bless the taste buds of others by sharing with you this fantastic Pork Udon recipe.

Those wishing to get some cold, fresh Udon, there are a number of Asian Supermarkets around Dundee, which all have some form of noodle or other. I suggest you go to Matthews (15 Gellatly Street) or Wing Fung’s (47 Trades Lane) which both offer Udon. Beware, as prices fluctuate, brands change every month or so!

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LIFESTYLE Design by Phoebe Wilman, Words by Elan Baird

Pork Udon Recipe (easily made vegetarian by removing pork, and still tastes great!)

Ingredients:

Method:

• • • • • • • • •

•

Vegetable oil 1 white cabbage 2 packets of Udon Noodles Sesame oil 8oz of ground pork 5 spring onions Fresh ginger Soy sauce Toasted Sesame seeds

•

•

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Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a frying pan and add in 4 cups of very coarsely chopped white cabbage. Toss for 4 minutes at high heat and for another 4 minutes at low.

Remove and set aside in a bowl.

Cook up two 7oz packets of udon noodles (just go based on whatever the packet recommends). Once this is cooked, remove and toss into the bowl with cabbage. Add 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil and mix.

Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and add 8oz of ground pork.

Spread out and allow to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.

Once browned, break into small pieces.

•

•

•

•

Cook for another minute then add 5 spring onions (just the white and pale-green parts - set aside dark-green parts) coarsely chopped, along with 2 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger. Cook for one minute.

Add udon/cabbage mixture and ⅓ cup soy sauce. Toss until udon is coated in sauce.

Combine with pork mixture.

Remove from heat. Garnish with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, and the darkgreen ends of the spring onion (thinly sliced).

Time to eat! Enjoy!

INTERNATIONAL Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Marcin Kielczewski

What do the Slavs Argue About?

Why it will take years until Slavic people will be able to announce their very own end of history.

If you’ve ever heard of Nikola Tesla, you’re probably familiar with the debate on whether or not his input into science was more significant than that of Thomas Edison. This article does not, however, aim to solve this eternal dispute.

Quite to the contrary, it shows the issue from a wholly different perspective.

Moving down to the Balkans, the Southern Slavic people seem to be certain in their regard to Tesla’s superiority over Edison. They often or only argue over Tesla’s nationality.

Googling it seems idle: a Serb-American born in Croatia, carrying grand respect for Yugoslavia. It is then of no surprise that the year 2019 saw a diplomatic dispute between Croatia and Serbia both claiming Tesla to be ‘theirs’.

Nikola Tesla is a token. A token of what seems to be the burning problem in Interslavic relations. The centuries of wars and border moving (akin to the Huns looking for a new home) led to massive unplanned cultural and ethnic mixtures. In the time of nation-states, this is a potential source of the problem. It was only a couple years ago when the Polish government issued new passport templates to commemorate a centenary of independence, of which some of the themes included historical landmarks that can be nowadays found in Ukraine and Lithuania. Naturally, this too caused tensions between Poland and its neighbours.

Even ten years ago one could easily think that the borders in the East of Europe were fixed, settled and secured by various international treaties. The Euromaidan revolution resulted in Russia’s military aggression on Ukraine despite non-aggression pacts from years ago. So too, the recent protests in Belarus worry some of the international observers as they suggest military interventions might take place there as well. Certainly, it is not All Quiet on the Eastern Front.

Nikola Tesla is a token.

A token of what seems to be the burning problem in Interslavic relations.

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INTERNATIONAL Design by Katrina High

Why Minorities Should Stand with the Black Lives Matter Movement I am older than Trayvon Martin, but he should be older than me.

His life was cut short by a bullet to the chest while he was buying iced tea. He was seventeen and I was twelve when I read his name next to #BLACKLIVESMATTER. I am now nineteen, but he is still seventeen.

Since his death, the Black Lives Matter movement has grown more powerful. Fuelled by outrage and grief, activists are demanding people to be anti-racist, and are shunning those who remain silent - to be silent is to be on the side of the oppressor.

As a minority who is not black, what is my position in this movement, what are my responsibilities and is this even my fight? Such thoughts like this reverberate in other minority groups, each of us unsure of where we should stand in the Black Lives Matter movement.

help them in their own fight and some ignored the movement. I saw this played out in my social media with people calling out one another for ignoring other issues such as the crisis in Yemen or the conflicts in Kashmir or Gaza. It was like a constant tit for tat mentality. The root cause of these arguments was that we focused on pitting our pain against each other, deciding that the winner would be the one most deserving of justice and liberation.

But how can a winner possibly be chosen?

Each of us believes that our community suffers the most, which is understandable as we see the consequences of prejudice against our communities more clearly than anyone else. As an Asian, I can never fully appreciate the suffering faced by a Black person any more than they can appreciate mine. The focus we place on our individual/ community’s experiences allows for the continuation of a system which thrives in our division thus, pain should never be a competition, by doing this we undermine the experiences we each have faced and ignore the common enemy - the oppressive system that allows this to happen.

This movement isn’t about undermining the sufferings of minority groups, it’s about Black people who are suffering and have been suffering for hundreds of years at the hands of a system that doesn’t value their lives.

Only in our working together can we hope to dismantle the egregious system which benefits the white community the most, we need to move past our seemingly innate desire to fight one another and unify.

What use is our silence in this fight,

“to be silent is to be on the side of the oppressor.”

When learning about the movement, I became angry. I believed that the prejudice and hate towards myself and my community were being overshadowed by the Black Lives Matter movement. Questions arose: Didn’t my life matter? Weren’t my people in need of help too? Didn’t we also suffer at the hands of systemic racism? It became an internal argument, with many around me making statements that seemed to be more divisive than unifying; some chose to stay out of the fight believing that they had no place in it, others stayed out because it wouldn’t

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when all it does is help the system that allows racism to exist?

History shows us a pattern of oppression, prejudice and scapegoating, where minorities are almost always the victims. I recognise my people’s history and feel the scars it left, even now in the present, but so do many Black people too. Our native homes were forced under a white imperialist rule that left our countries in poverty, leaving millions dead and suffering; the trauma of the past leaking into the present, the burden growing heavier with each generation adding their trauma. The trauma that all minorities suffer is the same but different, the trauma is caused by ignorance and cruelty, the unwillingness to open the mind and heart to change. We owe it to ourselves, after decades of this oppression and prejudice, to open our hearts and minds in spite of our oppressors’ unwillingness and to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement to break this pattern through dismantling systemic racism.

Since Trayvon Martin’s death, more names have followed and the systems that run our governments have revealed themselves to be apathetic towards the cries of their most at-risk communities. In the words of Marsha P. Johnson, “[there is] no pride for some of us without liberation for all.”

INTERNATIONAL Words by Sehar Mehmood

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INTERNATIONAL Design by Louise James, Photography by Lottie Belrose

To Go or Not to Go?

A

s an international student, travelling is a major part of my life. I try to see my loved ones in my home country at least twice a year during winter and summer holidays. I enjoy travelling – it has become almost routine for me. However, this summer so many things changed, and travelling has gone from being safe and familiar, to risky and frightening.

Since COVID-19 started spreading and lockdown restrictions were put in place, the daunting question of leaving or staying arose. I decided to stay in Dundee for the time being, but I followed the situation closely in case I could still go home before the new academic year started.

Slowly but surely, measures were taken against the spread of the virus and things like face masks and social distancing became part of our everyday lives, bringing the number of cases down both in Scotland and Finland. Airlines started selling tickets again and I was on edge, waiting for the lockdown and the “14-day quarantine upon arrival” rule to be lifted.

By the end of July, it finally happened.

Rushing to my laptop, I managed to snatch a ticket for a flight with only two seats left. I would finally be going home. But two days before the flight

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I got a text from the airline about a rescheduling. Fortunately, it was only a question of half an hour, so no plans or tickets needed changing.

However, I didn’t anticipate how the travelling itself would be a confusing blend of paranoia and false security.

On one hand not too much seemed different, with the same familiar airport procedures from baggage drop and the security check to the flight itself. But on the other hand, the sea of covered faces and the constant battle to stay away from them was certainly draining.

The feeling lingered even after I arrived. A 14-day quarantine might not have been required anymore but how could I know that I hadn’t brought something unwelcome with me straight into my family home. In the end, I ended up needing the two weeks after all to start feeling safe again.

But the peace of mind didn’t last too long as I was messaged by the airline about my return trip. I was informed that one of my two flights had been slightly rescheduled again. Perhaps a 30-minute change was simply unavoidable when flying during the pandemic? This time however, I was also contacted about my second flight. It had been

INTERNATIONAL Words by Sofia Ronka

cancelled and no alternative was offered. I called the airline, but they were not offering new flights for the days I was asking. Problem was, I would have to be back in Scotland at least two weeks before the semester started so I could complete the self-isolation period. My only option was to apply for a refund and get a new ticket from another airline worth £200 more than the original.

“However, I didn’t anticipate how the travelling itself would be a confusing blend of paranoia and false security.”

Travelling during the pandemic is not convenient – but perhaps it shouldn’t be. Yes, I wanted to see my family, and yes, many countries rely on travelling and tourism, but, as the government advises, non-essential travel should be avoided for the safety of everyone.

But when travelling is done, it comes with a price. The chaos of ever-changing circumstances (cancelled and rescheduled flights as well as different self-isolation rules) adds to the already existing stress of catching the virus itself. However unpleasant, that stress is what keeps us wearing masks, washing our hands and staying 2 metres apart. So, if you are going to travel during the pandemic, you will probably come across difficulties and daunting situations, but the best any of us can do is follow the rules and be careful. Hopefully, travelling can one day be familiar and safe again.

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OPINIONS Design by Louise James

Are We Going to be the Next Lost Generation?

As we have all seen, Covid-19 has changed the way we live; we have all been locked down in our homes, big social events have been cancelled and now, students are graduating during a pandemic wondering what the economy holds for them.

With all of the negative news reports that come out, it is a struggle to remain positive especially since think tanks such as The Resolution Foundation report that young people in employment have been hit the hardest during the Covid crisis; with one in three young people being furloughed or losing their jobs, plus over one in three people having a pay reduction since the beginning of the crisis (Elliott, 2020). This will have a consequence on the mental health of young people who have been affected by Covid by losing their job or being on reduced pay as they worry about being able to afford to live independently. With students moving into private housing for the next academic year, there will be reservations about the expense of campus living as the benefits of student life, for instance the nightlife, are closed due to Covid. Also, there will be students who are wondering if it is worth moving into private housing in Dundee if the university decides to do online learning instead of a blended approach since they could save money by living at home while completing their degree.

Although it is easy to see the negatives during this recession there are some positives such as in the slump of 2008/09 an annual study from the Institute of Student Employers showed that many employers reported unfilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and digital vacancies showing that employers are recruiting

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OPINIONS Words by Emma Sturrock

graduates from a broad range of industries for jobs such as trainee project managers, teachers, marketeers and software developers (Reporter, 2020). Therefore, over a decade later, technology has improved so I believe that the digital industry is where students should turn to, as freelance websites allow people to register and advertise their skills in CV writing, admin tasks and design with their price and companies will hire them to complete jobs using one of these skills. Companies have adapted to Covid-19 as well, for instance BT announced in early February plans to hire around 300 graduates this year and they have removed any grade criteria associated with graduate roles due to the changes of university exams this year as long as the applicant completes their studies. BT are confident that they could drop their 2:1 degree requirement as they have a rigours recruitment process (Jolly, et al., 2020).

In addition an advantage of applying for jobs in the UK is that UK employers do not recruit by degree discipline as the Institute of Student Employers annual student recruitment 2019 survey showed that 86% of employers do not care what a student studied (Reporter, 2020).

When I was getting my Higher exam results I found out that I failed English; I was shocked because I was predicted a B and I passed the Prelim. Thankfully, I got good enough grades to attend Dundee and Angus College to study an HNC in Social Sciences which changed my life forever. I learned that my self-worth is not determined by grades and I found out about the Liberal Arts degree at the University of Dundee which allowed me to pursue history alongside other humanity subjects such as English Literature and Film Studies.

As I was studying Liberal Arts at the University of Dundee, the unexpected happened; as I was studying modules in History, English and Film, I started to drift from History and go to English. So, this experience has made me realise that everything happens for a reason and if I did not go through the UCAS rejections from History degrees and the failure of my English Higher, I would not be the person I am today.

Subsequently, we will not become the next lost generation because, as I found out myself, life is unpredictable and the universe has a funny way of putting you on your path.

I believe that we will not become the next lost generation because, in my opinion, everything happens for a reason.

I believe that we will not become the next lost generation because, in my opinion, everything happens for a reason. When I was in high school, I really wanted to pursue a history degree and I put enormous pressure on myself and then I reached my breaking point.

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OPINIONS Illustration by Cait Maxwell

WHAT SHOULD OUR

SCHOOLS TEACH US? In the wake of the recent ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) movement there have been various calls for a review, and a change, to what we are taught during our school days on the premise that our current society would be better served by a ‘de-colonising’ of the curriculum.

The general proposition of ‘what schools teach us’ surely must have a deeper focus, one which centres on determining the purpose of schools, after all, we spend the majority of our younger years in the education system.

I am of the persuasion that, away from teaching specific subjects such as Mathematics or Chemistry, the purpose of an education is to develop the pupil and allow them to be ‘the best person they can be’. We hope that once we have left formal schooling, having acquired much needed academic qualifications, we have been readied to integrate into mainstream society. It is in mainstream society in which one will encounter a plethora of people all of whom come from different backgrounds, and whom all voice different opinions and thoughts. Therefore, our education system must equip pupils with the necessary soft skills in which to both interact, and to improve the society they

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are inescapably part of. The reason why I have addressed this key issue is to stress the importance of schools in preparing pupils to interact with on another irrelevant of their race, nationality or economic status.

The issue is so very important in our current society after the widespread BLM movement here in the UK led to a real and timely conversation about addressing racism in this country. The calls for a change to our school curriculum have followed the line of wanting to ‘de-colonise’ the curriculum in order to tackle structural racism evident in today’s society. This would take the form of a wider and a more apparent inclusion of experiences faced by different minorities in subjects such as English or History, with more literature authored by people of minority or a larger focus upon historical experiences faced by minorities. Although, as an example it would be wrong to favour teaching of Stomzy over Beethoven in an attempt to diversify the music curriculum solely because Stomzy is a popular black artist.

It goes without saying that we live in a multi-ethnic and diverse society and therefore our curriculum should

OPINIONS Words by Andrew Elton

accurately reflect this by a fair inclusion of texts, works and accounts which represent all different strands of society.

It would be too easy to suggest that the curriculum should place more weight on the slave trade as this alone, while important, does not represent today’s society, it is only part of a very long and diverse British history. A wider and broader multi-subject approach to all parts of the curriculum would best ensure that pupils receive a wellrounded and well-balanced education.

It is important that our curriculum is a fair representation of both our past society and our present. Now, if we take the word minority to mean non-white then the minority makeup of the UK stands at 12.8% of our population. Therefore, caution must be taken if we change our curriculum, to ensure that any one section of our society is not overstated. I believe this could cause further resentment and lead to knock-on problems in the future of our society. I also think we must remain careful in the lexical choice of stating the need for a ‘de-colonising’ of the curriculum as it

suggests that our entire current curriculum is a form of neocolonialism, which it is not.

In order to improve as a society, certainly we must look to our past and address our mistakes as, this will enable us to move forward. This is apt for tackling and eradicating racism in our country. Schools must play a vital part in educating pupils on all aspects of our shared history, whether good or bad. A change to our schools’ curriculum is not an instant fix for racism, the very nature of racism in our country is complicated and multi-faceted. But I would suggest that anything which can be done should be done, any positive and agreed change to what we are taught will only bring our future society closer together. However, any change to something so important as the ‘national curriculum’ given its fundamental place in crafting the society of the future should not be rushed and, moreover I would content not done alone on the impulse of pressure groups.

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SCIENCE + TECH Design and Illustration by Gosia Kepka

MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN NORTH CYPRUS When local philanthropist Kutlay Keço first arrived in the village of Alagadi Turtle Beach, North Cyprus, he came across something unexpected: adult marine turtles traversing the seawater.

With the help of several British expatriates, Kutlay Keço conducted a preliminary assessment of turtle populations in North Cyprus in the 1980s. This turned out to be quite significant; with this revelation, they contacted UK universities and received a response from the University of Glasgow, who sent 18 Veterinary Medicine students for a more comprehensive study. Despite the ongoing conflict, this marked the start of marine turtle conservation efforts in North Cyprus. In the mid-1990s, the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) was founded, followed by the Marine Turtle Conservation Project (MTCP)

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launched collectively by SPOT, the University of Exeter’s Marine Turtle Research Group and the Department for Environmental Protection. A volunteering programme was introduced, with accommodation still provided by Keço 25 years on.

The Eastern Mediterranean remains a vital nesting area globally for both green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), listed respectively as “Endangered” and “Vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1996. Conservation and protection of these species began in North Cyprus much later than in many other Eastern Mediterranean countries and was mainly undertaken by SPOT. Conservation efforts involve monitoring beaches for adult female nesting activity. The location of her nest is marked, labelled and protected from predation by placing both flat and dome cages. A DNA sample may be collected and a satellite transmitter attached for tracking purposes.

Volunteers survey every single nest for signs of predation,

SCIENCE + TECH Words by Emre Beck

wash-over by tides and tampering with the cages, mainly checking for signs of hatching in season (late July to early October). Nests which are hatched by hand are excavated by volunteers: first shelved, then dug down in a column until the bottom of the egg chamber is reached. Several aspects of this are recorded for research. Live hatchlings are measured later in the day and released that night when they are less likely to be predated.

The life cycle of a turtle begins on the beach. After hatching, it must climb up the egg chamber column until it reaches the surface. With luck, this is during the night, when predators (namely crabs, gulls, dogs, and foxes) are inactive, and the sweltering Mediterranean sun can be avoided. It then crawls across the beach to the sea, dodges shallow-water predators and must start feeding before running out of energy. For 5-10 years, it surveys the open waters for food, migrating as far as the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean and growing to the size of a dinner plate. This pelagic phase is followed by a return to coastal waters and a period of further growth until sexual maturity is reached. When males find the breeding colony, mating occurs, followed by a highly methodical nesting process spanning May, June and July. The female returns to the beach it had hatched on initially and locates a suitable area of sand, before digging out a body pit in an appropriate position and orientation. It subsequently digs out a deep room in the sand where it will lay its eggs (the “egg chamber�), using its back flippers. After laying eggs, the mother covers the nest with sand and retreats to the sea, an incubation period of approximately two months occurs before the eggs hatch.

Three significant problems face marine turtles nesting in Cyprus: bycatch in fisheries, plastic pollution and climate change. In shallow waters, turtles may get tangled in bottom set nets and suffocate. SPOT is collaborating with local artisan fishers in Cyprus to develop alternative solutions, including change of equipment and development of LED lights, which reduce the incidence of bycatch.

Plastic pollution is primarily caused by marine littering washing up onto the beaches of North Cyprus. Plastic can harm turtles by ingestion, leading to choking, contamination or damage to internal organs; entanglement, which can damage their flippers and neck; and nesting of females and emergence of hatchlings is affected adversely.

Although the effects of climate change are yet unclear, sex determination is known to be temperature-sensitive. There is growing concern over potential imbalances in the sex ratios of populations, causing future reproductive rates to decline.

According to Professor Brendan Godley, events like public excavations and releases have resulted in growing public awareness of marine turtle conservation.

SPOT is predominantly funded by public donations and sponsorships, some of which are national mobile phone operator companies, as well as international volunteers who pay for their own expenses. Professor Annette Broderick stated that a significant rise in the green sea turtle populations nesting in North Cyprus has been observed, which she said they hoped was due to SPOT’s conservation efforts. However, the loggerhead sea turtle population has not seen the same increase; further research is required into this species. While the future of both green and loggerhead turtles looks brighter, continued effort is imperative, and can be brought only by enduring voluntary work and financial support.

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SCIENCE + TECH Design and Illustration by Gosia Kepka

TRANQUILLITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY During the COVID-19 pandemic rising technologies have been impacting the medical field and more specifically, the mental health field.

Anxiety and depression are now commonly acknowledged and are an accepted part of life within this 21st century; something now seen as inevitable to human nature and ways of life that value financial over emotional security.

With this ever-increasing rise, we have also seen the growth of platforms and apps that attempt to remedy and manage such issues, albeit for those with mild to moderate cases rather than severe. When thinking of the current events that are unfolding, it is simple to see the benefits of such services that may be accessed instantly and from anywhere in the world with a simple Wi-Fi connection. Who knew therapy could be so easy?

Technology and Medicine have been entwined since their conception and evolved alongside one another. Yet, time and time again, we see the development of technology come to a result that will aid physical ailments, from the humble thermometer to MRI. The Mental Health sector has been slower to adopt beneficial technological systems, due to mainly depending on the expertise of professionals and their interactions with patients. Within the last ten years, there has been the creation and marketing of thousands of applications catering to self-help and mental health services, not necessarily programmed by experts in the field. What we see is a general increase in the desire to improve our mental environments as quickly as possible.

Take one glance at any smartphone app store, and a plethora of programmes that aim to soothe and reset are available. Applications originally marketed by individual software companies are now employed and prescribed by the NHS, allowing patients to digitally journal and partake in a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, to identify thought patterns and behaviours in a bid to ease anxiety. For those not referred by a health professional, there are still benefits to be reaped in the use of applications readily available that promote mindfulness through guided meditation

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and logging of emotions. Due to the instant access, with no need to schedule an appointment, and simple user interfaces, it is easy to see the allure of a tool that may allow health care providers to save money and relieve some of the pressure from an already strained system.

‘‘By suggesting that patients attempt to utilise apps, such as Headspace, before seeking professional help, there will surely be a rise in public autonomy and responsibility for our own health.’’

Concerning this strained system, there has never been such a crisis within the NHS than right now. Cancelling non-emergency appointments for clinics and surgery has increased the already devastatingly long wait for help, leaving many people desperate for other options. Unless you can afford private care, one of the few options you have is the self-help offered by technology. Of course, this doesn’t work for every speciality, but it can alleviate the pressure on the mental health sector, including psychiatrists and psychologists. Additionally, there is the new fear of putting yourself at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 by entering a clinical environment, such as a GP practice, which is the first port of call for many psychiatric patients. This concern, as well as the abundance of professionals telling us not to seek ‘unnecessary’ help, has discouraged people reaching out for the counselling that they so desperately require.

SCIENCE + TECH Words by Chloé Bate and Lisa Kilday

By suggesting that patients attempt to utilise apps, such as Headspace, before seeking professional help, there will surely be a rise in public autonomy and responsibility for our own health. However, it cannot be expected to help those with severe conditions who require regular check-ins with their professionals. Once again, technology has come to the rescue in the form of video calls, allowing patients to ‘attend’ their appointments from home. Zoom has saved lives. This form of interaction might genuinely be an improvement on the old system, as psychiatric patients often struggle to attend appointments due to the nature of their conditions. It would be interesting to study if speaking to patients remotely, through apps, has increased compliance with appointments.

These last few months have proved to us that this new generation of treatment surrounding online access has become a vital tool in the fight to improve the population’s mental well-being. With government policies now beginning to make us aware about the future and to encourage a ‘return to normal’ attitude, we should not

lose sight of this opportunity to reflect on how we view and interact with our mental health; and to remember that “without mental health, there can be no health”. This contradictory cycle of social media harming mental health to then forcing reliance upon it when the ‘usual’ systems fail must come to an end.

In an attempt to search for peace, we must not lose sight of why we were looking for it in the first place. Reclaiming the time to care for the foundation of our overall health and taking a step back aligns with the ethos of many, if not all, of those applications that may be found on the blue-lit backdrop of today’s average phone user. Being pushed to get ourselves and the economy back to normal, we can only hope that we have learned to accept the benefits of self-help technology, and that ‘business as usual’ might look a little different.

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SOCIETIES Design by Lisa Dyer

Societies: Ice Skating Society

Women*’s Skateboarding Group

Dundee University Ice Skating Society (Best New Society 2019/2020). Our members range from first-time skaters to advanced competitors so everyone is welcome! We visit the rink weekly for various skating sessions as well as an all-levels competition. Get in contact with any questions via email (iceskating@dundee.ac.uk), Facebook, or Instagram (@duisssociety).

Are you ready to stir up Dundee with a Women*’s Skateboarding group?

Dundee University Artists Guild Dundee University Artists Guild is a newly affiliated society at DUSA which aims to provide students inside and outside DJCAD the opportunity to be part of a community, take part in accessible socials and give members the opportunity to expand in their learning or learn new skills! Art is for everyone! You can find us on Facebook (The Artist’s Guild Society At UoD), Instagram (@artists.guild.society) and get in touch by email (artistsguild@dundee.ac.uk).

Volleyball

This Society provides a friendly and supportive environment for those who want to pick up skateboarding or improve their skills together. At the same time, we want to further equalize the skateboarding scene in Dundee by creating a women*s skate community in the city. To sum up, whether it’s going for a skate at the Riverside or to one of our skateparks, it’s more fun with a crew! *Of course, this group is fully inclusive.

Participation Society DUPS is a society all about participating! We aim to keep people active and social by providing weekly sessions of sport as cheap and inclusive as possible. Previous sessions have included dodgeball, rounders and American Football, but we are game to try anything so please feel free to send us suggestions! Find us on Facebook: @dups.uod.

Join our amazing Dundee University Volleyball Club! We are a super welcoming multicultural club with loads of fun social events and a fantastic yearly trip abroad! We have a wide range of teams for all levels, from total beginners to more experienced players! If you are looking for a fun way to do exercise and a chance to meet loads of new people this is the club for you! You can find us on Facebook by searching Dundee University Volleyball Club or on Instagram under the name dundee_uni_volleyball.

Marketing Society

Sexpression

Law Society

We are a branch of Sexpression UK, where we give Relationship and Sex education to local schools and hold events on campus. With Sexpression you have the opportunity to educate yourself and volunteer in schools, giving inclusive sex education to young people.

Dundee University Law Society (DULS) is run by law students, for law students. We provide award-winning support in terms of careers, academia, and social events.

Students can expect various social gatherings (including the renown Dundee Law Ball) and informative career workshops that allow attendees to connect with the world’s top firms.

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The University of Dundee Marketing Society welcomes you into a community of individuals who share a passion for branding, marketing and communication. You’ll receive unique access to some of the most creative people in the industry, as well as regular workshops and masterclasses, allowing you to engage with other creative minds and discuss marketing.

SOCIETIES Words by Various Societies

Dundee WEMS

Self Defence Society

Dundee WEMS is dedicated to furthering students’ interests in wilderness medicine, combining clinical teaching with learning wilderness survival skills. Whether you want to join an expedition, learn to splint a leg with hiking poles, or manage polytrauma up a mountain, WEMS has something to offer every university student.

Want to learn a martial art for real life situations? We’re the society for you! We draw from Silat which focuses on usable self-defence techniques. With classes from absolute beginner to Jackie Chan advanced there’s one right for you. For more information, check out our Facebook- DUSA Self Defence Society.

Hong Kong Society

Taekwon-Do Club

The Dundee University Hong Kong Society is a place to meet new friends from Hong Kong and all around the world! Our society welcomes everyone who would like to learn more about Hong Kong as well as make connections, all whilst having fun. We organise a range of events in celebration of our rich culture, such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn festival! By joining DUHKS, there are many fabulous discounts from our sponsor restaurants to enjoy, including 10% off from our local Chinese restaurant Manchurian and 10% off from SuSushi. Check out our Facebook page, Dundee University Hong Kong Society, for more information! We are so excited to meet you all!

Courtesy! Integrity! Perseverance! Self-control! Indomitable spirit! The Dundee University Taekwon-Do Club invites you to the Dojang to begin your Taekwon-Do journey. It is a great way to exercise and learn self-defence, and no previous martial arts experience is necessary. And we guarantee you’ll never forget breaking your first board.

Low Impact Society Our planet needs YOU! The Low Impact Living society is an ever-growing student-led sustainability, zero-waste and ethical living society. Everyone is welcome; we share easy swaps, tips and tricks to lead a more eco-conscious lifestyle! All the events we run have sustainability at their core; we’d love to welcome some new faces!

Guide Dogs Our aim is to raise money and awareness for the guide dogs charity. Raising and training a guide dog is expensive and we are so happy we’re able to help! We regularly have visits from our furry friends and are currently sponsoring a puppy through the ‘Name a Puppy’ fund.

Ceilidh Society The Ceilidh Society is a newly affiliated society for everyone who enjoys a social night out with friends, whether they can dance or not. The Ceilidh Society is not, necessarily, focused on the dancing aspect of a ceilidh, rather, it’s about the fun of spending a night with friends.

The Ceilidh Society is aiming for a Ceilidh once a monthwe hope to see you all there!

Spectrum Society Do you find it hard to socialise? Our new society is hoping to connect people who find it hard to make friends through fortnightly events including board games, crafts and movie nights. We aim ourselves at people on the autism spectrum or those with social anxiety, however everyone is welcome!

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SOCIETIES Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by Politics Society

SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT 1:

POLITICS SOCIETY

H

ello there, and welcome to the Politics Society! I know what you may be thinking: “I don’t even study politics, why should I join?” Well, no worries, we are open to students of all walks of life and subject areas. Our society is not about arguing over left or right, or about having a big shouting match, we are here to provide you with a social network of students with our fun social activities, and a deeper insight into the wonderful world of politics with our 100% student run academic events. If that wasn’t enough, then we are offering free welcome packs with membership, including pin badges and loyalty cards which enter members into a prize draw.

In this brief article we are going to give you an overview of the past as well as future events of the Politics Society. Please take this with a pinch of salt, however, as due to the ever-changing situation with the virus, planned events are subject to change. But don’t worry! The society committee is trying our hardest to plan for certain events to be presented online and for possible socially distanced activities for the future. We know this is a hard time we are all going through, but we want to do all we can to still provide that social and academic network for students.

We are a very young society. At the time of writing, we’ve not even had our first birthday yet! But what a year we had in 2019. The society held several social events, including a

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classic politics-themed pub quiz which was brilliant fun. We have also offered opportunities for our members to learn more about politics from around the world in student run informallecture style talks. The ‘Global Politics’ series has so far covered the politics of Poland, and we plan to continue this fascinating series this year with talks on Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Finland and more.

So, what else have we got planned for the coming year? This year will undoubtedly be different from normal, but that said, we still have a full and varied programme planned. For members old and new we’re planning on holding a welcome pub quiz (possibly online) with prizes. We also have a cross party society debate in the works and a careers fair, on top of weekly meetings. Again, all of the above is subject to change.

Finally, the digital media arm of the society has been strengthened with the introduction of ‘Polcast’, or the Politics Society Podcast, on Spotify.

In the show, hosted by our Social Secretary President, university students and lecturers are interviewed about hot topics of political debate and interest. If you have any particular interest or specialisation in an area of politics and want to appear on the show, then please email the society at politicssociety@dundee.ac.uk.

Thank you for reading about the society and we hope to see some of you soon!

SOCIETIES Design by Lisa Dyer, Words by DUKS

SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT 2:

DUNDEE UNIVERSITY KINK SOCIETY

DUKS is a society that focuses on kink education and questions surrounding it. We offer an environment to meet like-minded people and allow a safe space for discussion around the topic of kink. Throughout the year we hold a number of events ranging from relaxed munches to more formal workshops. In our workshops, our main aim is to teach people how to practice kink safely, in particular at the Kink 101 workshop near the beginning of the year. With the current situation regarding lockdown, workshops are being rethought to be provided over video call, ensuring that these discussions can still take place with the opportunity to ask questions and broaden your understanding of kink. If there are any topics that people want more information on, we are open to suggestions on the focus on these workshops, with it being key that relevant and wanted things are being covered.

We make sure that all members feel comfortable in the society and urge open discussions on the community.

When not doing workshops, we regularly hold more casual events where feeling relaxed is a priority.

Everyone is welcome to all of our events! Some of our previous, themed events have included life drawing, bake-offs and rubber duck decorating (duckerating!) Creativity is key in getting the most out of these, with prizes often up for grabs in our competitions, and we’re sure that you can find an event that you’ll enjoy!

Our biggest event so far has been our day-long conference on the topic of “Gender and Kink”, where guest speakers were brought in to talk about their experiences surrounding the subject. Many different viewpoints were able to be explored, as well as there being a Q&A at the end of the day to further engage the topic.

We hope to hold similar events in the future when it is fully safe to do so and cover a wider array of topics.

Inclusiveness is a very important aspect of the society and we have previously worked with DUSA Engagement during body positivity week and we look forward to working more with them in the future!

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We make sure that all members feel comfortable in the society and urge open discussions on the community.

In the coming year, we hope to keep up the high standards of our events and try to surpass the strong expectations held to us. Hopefully as many of our events will be put on in the normal format as possible while also adapting, where needed, to the current climate. We are a unique, fun and welcoming society that tries to be as active as possible! We hope to see you at future events!

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DESIGNERS CHOICE CAIT MAXWELL @cmykait

20 AUGUST - 24 OCTOBER

Joseph McKenzie 26 SEPTEMBER - DUSA Freshers Photographs, 1964-87 4 OCTOBER @ McManus Gallery

26 SEPTEMBER

Roseangle Kitchen Café vintage sale

SEPTEMBER 2020 - Mary Quant Exhibition JANUARY 2021 @ V&A Museum