Issue 90 - November 2021

Dundee Student-Led Magazine

A Sea Change for Society? 06 A reflection on how the pandemic has made us reexamine what is important in life, the part we play in society, and how we treat others.

“Be Safe, Walk Safe, Don’t Walk Alone”: The Unwanted Anthem 30 A commentary on the police response to the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

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Money Worries 46 The debt faced by the University is the primary reason for unpopular decisions such as the school merger and pension cuts.

www.themagdalen.co.uk @themagdalenmag The Magdalen Magazine @themagdalenmag The Magdalen Magazine

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A message from your Editor-in-Chief:

A message from your Creative Directors:

The Magdalen is back.

We return for another issue!

My name is Marcin Kielczewski, and I have taken over The Magdalen from my predecessor, Joshua Harper.

While many had given up and had no strength to persist, Josh made The Magdalen flourish throughout the year of global fear, death, and retreat. Joshua, The Magdalen thanks you for your hard work, and I wish you all the best for the future.

The Magdalen is back with a fresh new look! We’re so excited for printed copies to be hitting spots around Dundee, filled with varied articles and designs by our talented team.

Reviving The Magdalen and bringing it to its prepandemic functionality would have been impossible without generous assistance from Barbara Mertlova, the 2019-2020 Editor-in-Chief. The new Magdalen is a mixture of what we were, what we learned, and what we long to be.

Returning to the Campus has raised many questions.

What is the role of print in the contemporary media industry? What are the ecological implications of our actions? We have decided to limit the print and raise our focus on the online distribution of The Magdalen.

We now have a website: www.themagdalen.co.uk.

Remaining unchanged after all we have been through would be disrespectful to the memory of what we had lost. While we’re here to stay, we’re also here to change. The Magdalen is a collective effort of over 80 students, each with a unique set of skills and a unique personality. We respect our tradition, but we focus on the ‘now’.

It can feel overwhelming to be back on campus, back in classes and back to socialising after a long hiatus so it’s more important than ever that we take care of our mental, and physical, health. If you’re feeling lost and you’ve got a little too much on your plate, there;s help and advice available online at: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/ student-services/. There are also a range of casual meetups and events organised by DUSA that can get you back into the swing of things - check out the back cover for some upcoming events on campus!

We want our design team to be an encouraging community for new and old designers to get involved and expand their design skills. This year we look forward to hosting socials and events with the whole magazine team to build a network of enthusiastic and passionate students. If you want to get involved with the creative team, get in touch!

Robyn Black and Zhaneta Zhekova

We revive, we return, and we remain.

Marcin Kielczewski

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acknowledgement

SENIOR TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTORS SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR DEPUTY EDITORS SENIOR FEATURE EDITOR CREATIVE TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER ILLUSTRATION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS EDITORIAL TEAM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CREATIVE WRITING CURRENT AFFAIRS INTERNATIONAL ON/OFF CAMPUS OPINIONS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COPY EDITORS

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

PUBLISHED BY

Marcin Kielczewski Robyn Black & Zhaneta Zhekova Luiza Stoenescu Andrew Elton & Marleen Käsebier Sofia Rönkä Lottie Belrose Karly Yu Militsa Ruseva & Sonia Hanke Mareth Burns Dani McFawns Luke Burr Sehar Mehmood Emma Sturrock Bronte Chalmers Flora Caldwell Cat Pritchard; Drew Campbell; Jeniffer Thomson;Kathryn Boyle; Kyl Tan; Maria Georgieva; Niamh Alexander; Pascale Lee; Rhiannon Burnett Akshay Anand; Dawid Czeczelewski; Freya Giles; Georgi Zechev; Hannah Hamilton; Ryan Petrie Dundee University Students’ Association

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contents 06 10

Feature

20

Creative Writing

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Current Affairs

40 46 52 56

International

A Sea Change for Society? Covid Could Actually Save Our Planet and Our Humanity

Arts & Entertainment

Desperation and the Search for Meaning in 1970s American Cinema The Green Knight – An Arthurian Legend With a Contemporary Edge LGBTQ+ Representation in Films ...

Review: Outer Wilds Echoes of the Eye Review: Wings Around Dundee The Return of Live Music Tuca and Bertie: Comfort Content

The Japanese Cliff Exhibits November Song Summer’s Cruel Love Attercop *no title* Revive, Return, Remain

Be Safe, Walk Safe, Don’t Walk Alone’: The Unwanted Anthem COP26 and the Importance of Nature-based Solutions Liberty vs Livelihood: America’s Battle with Covid Retweeting Bulimia Freezing to Death

The Only Ones Who See the Whole Picture ...

Determined to Remain Studying abroad: How Hardships Turn Into Rewards

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20 22 23 24 26 28

30 32 34 36 38

40 42 44

On/ Off Campus Money Worries Course Materials and Casual Meet-Ups Society Spotlight: Route2

46 48 50

Opinions Why Hospitality Needs to Change The Gothic Has Always Welcomed Me We Need To Talk About Afghanistan

52 53 54

Science & Technology Moving Forward: What The Past Year Has Taught Me Reviving our Natural Heritage From Test Tube Babies To Test Tube Pancreas?

Travel Tips For Outer Space The Cults of Denialism

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Feature

Words: Jake Roslin

A Sea Change for Society?

Covid Could Actually Save Our Planet and Our Humanity We live in opportune times. No, really, bear with me here.

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Design: Zhaneta Zhekova

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Mortality is something we’re usually too busy to worry about; not only dying from some new virus, but dying in general. All we really possess is limited time.

And not getting to live our ‘normal’ lives for a year and a half has made us realise how absurd they often were. Things like the sacrosanct five-day week of eight-hour workdays, plus unpaid travel time. The idea that we are lucky if we happen to enjoy our job. The countdown to the weekend’s excess of consumption to reward the preceding mundanity: expensive clothes and technology, plus alcohol to obliterate the memory of those five days. Suddenly, all this stopped. And if we began to do that job from home, it took less time and less angst, giving a new perspective on how arbitrary, even downright odd, most aspects of paying our way in the world in the 21st century really are.

“What was it like before the Great Pandemic, Daddy?”

“Bloody awful, my imagined offspring. While the sun shone, we travelled in metal containers to sit indoors in a building which gave us headaches, with mean folks who gave us anxiety. I sat at a computer, just like the one at home, and clicked at a screen. This made other people lots of

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Covid-19 is obviously very terrible. So many of us lost loved ones. Deceased scientists, musicians, sportspeople, will never benefit the world as they had been destined. Those of us who have avoided it so far are still at risk. At the very least, we have lost social adventures, human contact, and proper university experiences. Yet, to the dismay of capitalists, while home alone, we’ve had time to reassess what happens next.

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ocial evolution rarely happens gradually. People generally live slightly modernised versions of their parents’ lives, seldom needing to consider alternatives. Then, out of the blue, a massive event changes the course of history. A war, a revolution, a plague.

Words: Jake Roslin

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Director and Associate and Partner, which made us feel important, but we still daydreamed about Fridays, and those few weeks a year when we were allowed to go out and look at the rest of the world. They gave us money, sometimes quite a lot, but we spent it on houses we rarely saw, getting to and from work, itchy clothes to wear there, and what money was left, on distractions from the yearning pain.”

Of course, many jobs are genuinely essential for civilised life: health, education, rescue services. But many of us become capitalist cogs: an anti-climax after the heady intellectualism of university.

And as environmentalists and enthusiasts of the term Late Stage Capitalism explain, the endless economic growth essential for the capitalist ideology is incompatible with our planet’s survival. When that first lockdown ended and we were let outdoors, we appreciated nature anew. So, when Musk, Gates and Bezos came calling, trying to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened, we hesitated.Money, in its early simple incarnation, was a big step up from barter, but it has got rather out of hand. From inflation and cryptocurrency to disaster capitalism, there is always a new trick for the savvy to make even more of it, inevitably taken from those who least deserve to lose it. Currency has only existed for about 0.3% of the time Homo sapiens have, yet we still survived, and evolved, during the earlier 99.7%.

The big pandemic has led to a big rethink, dubbed “The Great Resignation”

by Wired and “The YOLO Economy” by the New York Times. A Microsoft survey found 41% considering quitting their jobs. “The early days of the pandemic reminded us that people are not machines,” the appropriately named business analyst Alison Omens told the BBC. Meanwhile it’s taught in schools that humans are merely factors of production, like a factory or truck. Just as easy to replace with another poor recruit or a less troublesome robot when worn out. Aren’t we a bit more special than that?

Technology has ended the need for full employment, but this needs to benefit everybody – trickle-down economics just doesn’t work. It’s time for the Overton Window (that narrow range of neo-liberalist options embraced by the Conservatives and now even Labour) to be thrown wide open.

The pandemic has also galvanised calls for Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Valuing a homemaker, carer, conservationist or charity volunteer as much as any clever financier, UBI is firmly on the agenda of more progressive lands like Canada and Finland. Like most progressive ideas, the only the magdalen issue 90

Design: Zhaneta Zhekova

We have lived through a rare historical cornerstone. Academics will talk about 2020 in 3020, but only if humankind still exists. Covid is our cue to make a sea change in the way we live, for our own sakes as well as the planet’s, which copes even less well than us with a culture of greed. The arbitrary way the industrialised world has turned out is not the only option.

“Everything that happens will happen today,” as futurist Brian Eno puts it, and the pandemic has made us realise tomorrow might be too late. Today, then, is when we must start building new ways of working and organising our lives – centred on the individual, the family, and a broader community of those who genuinely share our interests and not on the pound sterling. Ironically, SARS-CoV-2 may be what forces us to live our best lives, while we still can. the magdalen issue 90

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Forcing us to reassess mercenary existences and toxic consumerism has not been the only flip-side of Covid-19. According to the Office of National Statistics we now spend more time with family and friends: 34 minutes a day, up from only 6 minutes prior to the pandemic. We’ve reconnected with distant relatives and forgotten schoolmates. We’ve climbed mountains, swum in the sea, and watched seasons change and wildlife tentatively return to cities. We’ve learned to bake, craft, and speak new languages. After a brush with the guy with the scythe, the simpler aspects of life turn out to be more fulfilling reasons for stopping off at this strange rock in space than anything money can buy. We’re even in danger of becoming nicer people. This will not please our hierarchical overlords.

But the pandemic has really put into perspective the absurd nature of office politics, corporate shenanigans, and clichéd conversations. Or hiding from the world in an air-conditioned box, knowing it wouldn’t really matter if your job did not exist. It’s time to put ourselves and those we love ahead of the obligation we feel to honour parents and capitalism. Unfortunately, it took Covid to break our bizarre, habitual behaviour.

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obstacle is prejudice: boomers hating the idea that idealist snowflakes might have it better than they did. Van life, tiny houses, solar panel installation, boat restoration, off-grid living: all these wonders happily clog TikTok. Living by a lake in a fairy-lit camper-van with cushions and cats may be a cliché, and not everyone’s utopia. But I’m not seeing too many smiling, polyester-suited graduates shaking hands in some grim breakout room either. There are simply so many possibilities in life, and it’s extraordinary how narrow most of our expectations of graduate life have become.

Words: Georgie Zhechev

Desperation and the Search for Meaning

he mainstream Americancinema of the 1970s re-contextualised Classical Hollywood narratives by accentuating the struggleits main protagonists experienced in their quest for redefinition, understanding and sympathy in an increasingly hostile world. That contemporary trend in American cinema was undoubtedly influenced by the developments of European art cinema in the 1960s, and also by the global political situation that was prevalent at that time. By examining two films of that period, namely Five Easy Pieces (1970) and Being There (1979), I would like to emphasise the lasting impact and the legacies that this cinematic tradition left in the history of cinema and in the perception of cinema by the viewers.

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in 1970s American Cinema

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Five Easy Pieces tells the story

of an odd and perplexed hero, of a character who cannot even be called “a hero”. Robert Eroica Dupea, played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson, is rarely at one with himself or with the people around him. It is not a coincidence that Bobby is named after one of Beethoven’s best-known works, Sinfonia Eroica (1804), a work with a dubious history. That particular symphony was dedicated to the fearless warrior-liberator Napoleon who offered his services to the oppressed. However, after proclaiming himself an Emperor, Napoleon’s true aim got exposed – his real goal was to control, not to liberate. It was precisely Napoleon’s will to power, as Nietzsche would call it, and his hubris that appalled Beethoven and made him rededicate his symphony.

Like Beethoven’s third symphony, Bobby Dupea is a misguided, flawed

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and unstable man. He is not a Homo faber, a builder of his own destiny, he is rather a confusedHomo ludens, a playing man, who doesn’t seem to understand the rules of the game(s) he is playing. His unrealised potential clearly goes to show that it is not the background that matters most. What matters is the understanding of the self; the purpose which any human being sets upon their life; the confidence which goes hand to hand with the fulfilment of one’s goals and the respect expressed towards others.

In fact, as portrayed in the film, Bobby is a flawed but nevertheless compassionate human being.

Although he is confused, he is still struggling to find meaning, to feel at one with himself and theothers against all odds. The most important thing here is Bobby’s attempt to find happiness, to accept his own flaws and to learn to love the others for - or despite - theirs.

Both Being There and Five Easy Pieces are films about finding one’s own identity. While Bobby Dupea is the never-understood antihero, Chauncey Gardiner is the ‘too well-understood’ messianic figure that could apparently lead a whole nation. However, things are never as they seem.

The beat generation, the hippie culture, the Watergate scandal and other similar phenomena of the 70s urged artists to explore the previously unexplored side of the human psyche. They started emphasising not so much the happy and successful side of the spectrum, but the more rarely-discussed issues relating to loneliness, misunderstanding, disconnectedness and passivity.

European art cinema was undoubtedly a major influence as were the aforementioned events which marked US history.

Even today these films are highly revered (and such films are still made) because of their relation to the world as it is, not as we would like it to be.

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The second film that I am examining, Being There, is again centred on a protagonist who needs to find his place in the world. Chance the gardener or Chauncey Gardiner, as he is mistakenly called, is a man who can do no more than two things – gardening, as his name suggests, and watching television.

Chance’s numbness, his inability to read and write, his lack of expertise in any given field except gardening, makes him the perfect interlocutor.

Being simple is sometimes a blessing and Chance is the prime example for that. His Cinderella-esque story goes to show how easy it is for a man to become something in America, if one fulfils all the necessary requirements – looks, manners, behaviour, a certain skin colour, etc. When all those conditions are met and when the person that is being evaluated talks simply and obscurely (in the case of Chauncey himself) then that person is likely to be given bigger credit than they actually deserve. Chance’s deeply philosophical ‘metaphors’ are perceived as revelations related to the political situation in the US in the late 70s, when they are nothing more than the rules of gardening, one of the two things he is knowledgeable about. All in all, Hal Ashby’s 1979 film is a cautionary tale about overestimating and even glorifying mediocre people, about one’s obsessions with technology and its detrimental consequences, and finally about the value of being a nobody, a quality that may in the end equate you with messianic figures.

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Design: Militsa Ruseva

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Words: Angus Coleman

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Design: Lewis Elks

The Green Knight – An Arthurian Legend With a Contemporary Edge

Originally slated for release all the way back in March 2020, the film was yet another that suffered as collateral damage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Delayed until August 2021 in the UK only to be pushed back once again to September, it was finally released here.

The film is definitely gunning for the arthouse/independent cinema crowds who have come to expect more risky and original films from A24, a studio with a history of releasing somewhat more unorthodox pictures. This results in a film that goes in fascinating directions which a different studio might not be happy to sign off on. For me, the combination of classic ‘knights in shining armour’ tropes with surreal and experimental elements are what makes it work so well.

It’s Christmas at Camelot, and Gawain, the youngest of the knights of the round table, is eager to earn his honour and prove himself to the king (interestingly, never referred to as ‘Arthur’). An opportunity to do this soon presents itself in the form of the titular Green Knight, who rides into the hall and challenges any of the knights to land a blow against him. The condition of the game is that whoever lands said blow must ride to the Green Chapel one year hence and receive an equal blow in return. Gawain steps up and beheads the

knight, who picks up his head and rides, cackling, out of the hall. He must then journey to uphold his end of the bargain, and thus we have our adventure.

Gawain is played by Dev Patel, who delivers a grounded and emotionally understated performance that excellently communicates the wide-eyed aspiration of a young man seeking to prove himself. While we learn very little about his background prior to the events of the story, he acts as a good anchor for the audience as we take the journey with him and witness the wonders of the world the film builds. While there are no other characters who are as central to the story as Gawain (except possibly the Green Knight), Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris and others all perform very well in their roles.

It also helps immersion-wise that the film is breathtakingly beautiful (watch it on as large a screen as possible), using grand, wide shots to show off the glorious landscapes the story unfolds against. The lighting and colour grading also contribute to this.

The use of natural light sources in indoor scenes, such as windows and torches, was particularly impressive to me and really helps to ground the experience in reality, again creating a compelling juxtaposition between the realistic and the fantastical, the traditional and the surreal, the clichéd and the experimental.

The production design is also excellent, with setvs and costumes displaying incredible detail and craftsmanship. The world of The Green Knight feels at once like a place that could exist, and another universe entirely.

My only real gripe with the film is that some of the CGI could have done with a little more work. Giants that appear at one point, and Gawain’s fox companion in particular looked a little bit overlayed onto the scene in certain shots, but now I’m nit-picking! Finally, I need to mention the score by Daniel Hart, which uses a combination of sweeping choirs and period appropriate instruments to immerse the viewer to remarkable effect.

David Lowery’s The Green Knight is a quite astonishing film that proves to me that classical chivalric adventure stories still have a place in modern popular culture, and that these stories can be greatly enhanced by visionary and risk-taking filmmakers. It’s definitely worth a watch!

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Arts + Ents

t’s difficult to deny the storytelling power in the legends of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Throughout history, stories of knights, dragons, wizards and castles have always had a firm place in popular tales, the vast majority of which have grown out of Arthurian legends and other similar stories.

There’s something timeless about those images that stirs the inner adventurous spirit of kids and adults alike. However, in recent years adaptations based on the legends of the sword in the stone have been few and far between. The only recent ones that spring to mind are King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), and the TV series Merlin (2008 – 2012). While the latter received quite widespread popularity in its time, the former was a box office slump, failing to break even with its budget and costing the studio $150 million. Evidently, appetites for these sorts of films wax and wane. However, director David Lowery and studio A24 didn’t let that stop them from crafting one of the boldest, most risky and surreal interpretations of an Arthurian Legend yet in the form of The Green Knight (2021), and I am so, so happy about that.

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Words: Kitty McQueen

LGBTQ+ Representation in Films:

How Important Is It & How Can It Be Done Effectively?

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rowing up in a heteronormative world can be hard for those who don’t feel they fit into that label, especially when surrounded by media enforcing this stereotype. When I was little, the majority of movies within mainstream media portrayed solely straight couples falling in or out of love. The only representation I had either ridiculed queerness or focused on homophobia, and how being queer affected everyone else.

LGBTQ+ representation within mainstream media used to rely upon inaccurate stereotypes. Often, the queer character would be a sidekick. There to entertain and encourage the main character, with scarcely any depth or background. This is seen in countless films, an entire movie even surrounding the label GBF, called after the same name. This inaccurate character stereotype also commonly acted as the butt of the joke. ‘Gay jokes’, or subtle homophobia, was included within many early films and sitcoms. This doesn’t automatically make them unacceptable, but it’s cheap comedy that lacks wit and encourages bullying towards queer people. Above all else, representation should not be about badges of honour for directors. It should be for the audience.

In recent years there’s been a growing precedent in the amount of representation we have within films.

Brokeback Mountain’s release in 2005 was monumental for being one of the first LGBTQ+ films with mass mainstream success, nominated for eight Oscars, despite many countries refusing to release it. Within Brokeback Mountain, neither characters fully accept their homosexuality, experiencing violent hate crimes and homophobia throughout. While it’s certainly a

favourite film and excellent portrayal of gay struggles within a homophobic setting, it doesn’t capture the pride many hope for within LGBTQ+ representation. In 2005, a decade before same-sex marriage was ruled a right in America, homophobia was prevalent throughout western culture. At the time, the brutal homophobia displayed within Brokeback Mountain was an accurate representation of the struggles faced by many queer people. Having a mainstream film explore such topics meant that audiences were shocked into understanding and addressing how they treat queer people within their society. However, as times are changing, the focus of our LGBTQ+ films should reflect this.

“Representation should not be about badges of honour for directors. It should be for the audience.”

Though representation in mainstream media expands annually, there’s still a large part of the community who rarely see themselves represented well. A lot of the queer representation we do have is of white people.

Meaning that mainstream media as a whole is lacking with regards to queer people of colour. This of course makes up a large part of the community and should therefore be included just as queer, white characters have been. As well as people of colour, transgender audiences are often disregarded within film. A lot of the time, trans characters are portrayed by cis actors.

There is an array of examples demonstrating this within mainstream films, a few examples being Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club, Eddie Redmayne in The Danish

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Tangerine is an incredible film that includes both queer people of colour, and transgender characters.

Every trans character within Tangerine is played by a trans actor, making the performances honest and the representation accurate. Moreover, they were allowed a lot of input into the film’s creation in terms of dialogue and design, ensuring its authenticity. Another example of queer representation that I personally love is Booksmart, as it includes a range of queer characters that face no conflict surrounding their sexuality. The conflict instead relies on ‘will this person like me back?’, a common plotline for teen coming of age films. As a whole, the film tackles stereotypes and encourages its audience to be themselves, something vital for younger audiences to see.

I don’t intend to imply that every LGBTQ+ film released in modern times should have a happy ending or avoid conflict, as this would be both ridiculous and dull.

What I would love for the future of representation, are characters and plotlines that explore the various forms and fluidity of sexuality through natural scenarios. I’d love films that include queer people facing everyday conflicts within their life, resolved or not, without clinging to the idea that queer films must tackle exclusively LGBTQ+ related problems. I’d love for filmmakers to represent the variety of people within the world in their movies, simply because we exist.

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Girl or Hillary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry. In the Netflix documentary, Disclosure, trans actress Jen Richards talks about trans representation, discussing why cis actors portraying trans characters can be harmful. She states that when you see trans women off screen still as women, it deflates this transphobic notion that they’re men in disguise. She then discusses how, although cis actors sometimes portray trans characters well, they have to play up the ‘transness’ of the character. This often reduces said character to a performance of transness, rather than as a whole person.

Arts + Emts

Design: Robyn Black

Words: Sofia Rönkä, Design: Oisean Burnett

Review: Outer Wilds Echoes of the Eye 16

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Warning: Minor Spoilers for Echoes of Eye

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mong the students flooding the campus once again and society navigating its return back to normal, some people have had the chance to return to the completely different solar system of Outer Wilds. On September 28th, 2021, developer Mobius Digital and publisher Annapurna Interactive released an expansion for the award-winning game from 2019, beckoning players to put on their spacesuit and blast off to explore space once more.

Outer Wilds is an adventure-mystery puzzle game that relies on often very meticulous open-world exploration. The player can continue to find information, puzzle answers, lore, and secrets in every nook and cranny of the Outer Wilds solar system.

However, the expansion adds a whole new explorable area in the form of an invisible space station, ‘the Stranger’. It is admirable that story-wise it could have been there all along, even before the release of the expansion.

Inside the large river biome of ‘the Stranger’, the player starts slowly gathering information on a whole new alien race. It seems that the story of these aliens takes place before the events related to

the main game, so the player is piecing together a sort of prequel that ties to the main story. By being quite separate from the main game, the expansion presents as a new adventure of its own. For players who had already completed the main game, this was an easy way to return to it without a need to replay the full game and remember all the details from it. This applies even to some basic game mechanics as, for example, light is introduced as a new mechanic throughout the expansion, replacing some of the interactive mechanics often used in the rest of the game.

The world of ‘the Stranger’ also stands out atmospherically. Certain locations draw clear inspirations from horror games, which becomes quite evident when the player is being chased in the dark and ambushed with jumpscares. Fortunately, the developers added an option to turn down the level of creepiness for those who prefer the less heart-stopping tone of the rest of the game. These differences make Echoes of the Eye its own unique experience, rather than simply adding extra gameplay to the original game. It is just one more reason to set out on the incredible journey that is Outer Wilds!

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Words: Mareth Burns, Design: Zoe Arlidge-Lyon, Photography: Point One Photography

his September Dundee Rep was finally able to open its doors once more to audiences. As soon as I heard about Wings Around Dundee I knew I had to see it – magical realism? Dundee focus? A play in real life with an actual live cast and audience? Sign me up!

Wings Around Dundee, by John McCann, follows the Miller family of Jess, her brother James and granny Jeannie, as a lifetime of unspoken secrets come to a head.

The characters are helped along the way by two seagulls – less devil incarnate and more feathery therapists in this Dundee. The whimsical aspects are balanced by very real exploration of trauma, family and how to tell a story of identity (of place as well as self) when so much of it has been concealed. Jess and James are both mixed-race and black, and at one point James talks of how Dundee’s

jute mills traded in Osnaburg, a rough fabric used to clothe slaves.

Dundee’s hidden histories provide a backdrop which mirrors this family where traumatic history has been purposefully repressed.

Set during the first lockdown, it carries with it the legacy of everything happening at the time: the Black Lives Matter protests, disintegrating mental health and a mass self-reckoning as we became more isolated and the failings in our systems were exposed. But the strength of the play is that it is not trying to tell the definitive story of a global pandemic – it’s about one family.

This focus and intimacy is what may perhaps imbue the play with a timelessness other lockdown-based work might not achieve.

Post-lockdown theatre is back.

Wings Around Dundee beautifully

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exemplifies everything that recorded theatre can’t quite do.

The set design is creative and often breath-taking: highlights include a TV game show ‘coming to life’ and characters ‘flying’ over a foggy, glittering street-lit Dundee cityscape. The live element makes any clever use of staging that much more impressive. While a recorded show or film adaptation presents the viewer with whatever is on screen and is easier to take for granted, the immersive aspect of a live theatre performance invites imagination. The audience has to fill in the gaps of the stage’s stylised world for themselves and suspend their disbelief, an act which draws us even deeper into the action.

Most of all, sitting in an audience again sharing every held-breath and laugh was something wonderful.

I’ve missed theatre, and what a welcome back Dundee Rep offers!

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Review: Wings Around Dundee

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Words: Kirsten Moreton, Design & Photography: Robyn Black

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fter 18 months without live music, the world has seemed quieter. Something that once brought people together was put on hold leaving many music fans craving the heart pounding sound of concert amplifiers. However, those 18 months have ended, and live music has returned to Scotland. Iconic events such as TRNSMT have acted as a gateway back to normality for music fans in Scotland. And the excitement does not stop there!

Events are starting to take place throughout the country meaning postponed gigs are getting a set date whilst new events are emerging. With shows of all genres taking place in venues large and small, there is something for everyone. Dundee venue, Fat Sam’s, will be hosting a variety of gigs including the iconic You Me at Six, whilst there are many jazz gigs taking place at bar Number 57. Not only that, but there are also tribute bands, pop artists and orchestral performances happening in Caird Hall before the end of the year.

Gigs post lockdown have had an emotional atmosphere and a feeling of closeness as people celebrate being reunited with something they love. An example of this would be at Another Sky’s show in King Tuts, Glasgow.

The performance took place on August 11th, marking it one of Scotland’s first gigs post lockdown. There was

a real sense of community as fans belted out songs they had longed to hear since the tour was announced in 2019. Afterwards the group even said to fans, they felt a profound sense of relief and an emotional element of being back doing what they love. Similarly, iconic Scottish band Biffy Clyro had thousands of fans singing in sheer bliss until the show ended with the trio thanking fans “for a beautiful and emotional night.” Live music coming back has brought an element more than just something to do. It now brings a feeling of relief as well as the emotional atmosphere of being brought closer together with those around you.

“ There was a real sense of community as fans belted out songs they had longed to hear.”

Living post pandemic, we have all learned the importance of community and supporting your local venues. The arts have suffered during lockdown and getting out to see some of these shows is a fantastic way to support Dundee and the Scottish music scene.

Seeing these local shows is also a great way to start getting out again as music has always done an excellent job at bringing people together and that is something we need now more than ever!

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Words: Hannah Hamilton, Design: Robyn Black

ave you been stuck in an existential vacuum for the last year and a half? Maybe feeling hemmed into your bed by bad news and global crisis? Have you been scrolling endlessly through streaming sites looking for something that doesn’t remind you of world disaster?

Great! Well, not for you, but for the purposes of what I’m trying to say.

You need some comfort content.

This year has been stressful - according to Gallup it is the most stressful on record (these records don’t include 1832 though, so bear that in mind). In times of such crisis, there can be a certain feeling of guilt surrounding any worry over personal issues or joys.

The issues that once filled our lives like love, loss, and STD’s (to name a few) have sadly fallen to the sidelines.

This is where series like Tuca and Bertie have been a tonic to what ails us. Tuca and Bertie is an adult animated series by Bojack Horseman alumni Lisa Hanawalt that focuses on two 30-year-old, birds, and best friends- the titular Tuca and Bertie. The show has a sitcom/slice of life format with whacky animation and heartfelt story lines ranging from dealing with sex bugs to dealing with past trauma.

The show has some touching, and really beautifully depicted, moments that exemplify the mature potential of adult animation. Whilst not being as existential as

“

This kind of content, the kind that pays homage to the mundane parts of life with vibrancy and reverence, is more important than ever.”

Bojack Horseman, Hanawalt still does a wonderful job conveying the problems faced in adult life. In season one alone, Tuca and Bertie face anxiety (in a really catchy musical number, no less), adjust to newfound sobriety, and handle co-dependency within their relationship. These topics are not light but they are handled with humour and tenderness that, for animated birds, is strikingly human.

This kind of content, the kind that pays homage to the mundane parts of life with vibrancy and reverence, is more important than ever. The world sometimes needs reminding that life goes on even through times of trouble. We still have embarrassing body issues, lovers’ quarrels, job dissatisfaction, worries over our direction in life, demons and fears we still have to overcome.

None of these things are meaningless and they all deserve attention.

So, if you have been stuck in a vacuum, harassed by bad news, or even just stuck in a loop looking for joy on streaming sites, Tuca and Bertie has just the thing for you!

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Arts + Ents

Tuca and Bertie: Comfort Content

Words: Akshay Anand

THE JAPANESE CLIFF EXHIBITS ‘The Japanese say you have three faces.

The first face, you show to the world.

The second face, you show to your close friends, and your family.

The third face, you never show anyone. It is the truest reflection of who you are’

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Creative Writing

INT. V&A DUNDEE, RIVERSIDE ESPLANADE, THE WATERFRONT

I FACE The Sculpture Marbled, Licked on Top, Seductively,

Black and White Lacquer

Over Metal-Plate Inch-Thick Skin, Which in turn, Is Nailed to the Muscle-Bound Wood, Imposing, Rooted, In the Centre of The Room.

His Body Revived: c. 2020 With , Their Mouths,

They Were Nude In Their Captivation.

Mannequins Gather To Stare Brown and Blue Eyes, Which Soon Turn Green, Pink-Ringed Inlets, Drooling, Souls Dripping Out In Every Drop Of Envy-Induced Spit.

‘You see me now? Now I’m like this?’

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Design: Phoebe Wilman

II FACE The Mural It’s outside.

I am outside.

I can’t see you.

I’m here.

No, I can’t see you… I’m here.

No, you’re not.

I’m here!

That ain’t you…

Yes it is.

Wow… you’ve changed. Have I? ‘Have you?’

The Theatre Rehearsal IV -

Of everything.

I am powerful.

‘No, I’m not feeling it. Try again.’

Street-art at the entrance of the V&A celebrating the return of friendships and normality: c. 2021

I am powerful.

‘Better…’

I am… I… ‘No, no come on!’

I am— ‘Ugh, it’s just one line! We’ve done this scene three times already!’

I am powerful. *Snorts* ‘It’ll do.’

Will it?

‘Selfhood’ will be performed now, at the Waterfront, now that you’re all here, already watching.

Please Remain Seated.

Guest of Honour — Kengo Kuma the magdalen issue 90

Creative Writing

I don’t know…

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I guess I was tired… You know…

III FACE

Words: Rebecca Raddatz Design: Storm Dobson, Photography: Lottie Belrose

November Song

fighting at the tip of my tongue for release my words: nothing but cotton clouds kissing the blue of my mouth spit them out to breathe

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Creative Writing

you left. fall came. wearing its heavy chain of silver-gold that I grasped for something to hold onto. me in free fall and there

you in. last remains of the summer breeze brushing heather: my purple hues lavender: attached to the bruise of a heart that longs to breathe – release

unfreeze that weak November beat of my worn-out soul wondering where the autumn leaves go they dance to the rhythm of breathe – release – repeat fall fades. the sky bursts free from its chain and the pearls that scatter & roll beat through it all the faint and steady refrain: breathe – release – repeat – remain

Words: Writer’s Name

Design:Hunter, Your Name, Photography: Name Design: Megan Words: Hannah Hamilton

Summer’s Cruel Love

When you cast your eyes to me The rush of it makes me shiver If you said ‘I’d have your heart, prithee’ I would do nought but deliver So helpless am I before your glow From death I stir to feel it I can do nothing but grow and grow In hopes I can get near it

Then winter’s claw, both fair and unkind Drags me to the black I turn to the emptiness of my mind And fear I may never be back Cold and bitter the frost gnaws Killing with a breath Gnashing with its gruesome jaws; Tormenting my unlasting death.

Still the torture that strikes more than all Comes from the opacity above The dimness that seems to sprawl In the absence of your love Painful winters I have endured Awaiting your return If there was a tonic that cured, My love would no longer burn.

I ask you now, through trembling voice Urging myself through doubt Remove of me this unbearable choice Let me be without; I beg of you to set me free From this magnificent pain I cannot stand the ecstasy Than to be left alone, again.

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Now you stroke my face once more Coaxing me back to life What suffering would I be living for When you leave me again to the ice The means of my duress is The burning of your smile, Sweet summer caressesI am victim to your guile.

Section Writing Title Creative

I did not think I would ever feel it again The stirrings of your warmth through the darkness Long have I stood through winter, hence The brittle branches, the sparseness I never wanted you to see my decay After last you disappeared The good in me fell and drifted away As the cold of winter reared

Words: Ryan Petrie

Attercop

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Creative Writing

It began, as far as I know, with a death in the family in 1797.

Dr Arbuthnot was a Dundee man who had trained in divinity, philosophy, and theology, the subjects that held his undivided attention. What he read and what he actually believed no-one could really say; as far as accounts go, he did not commit his views and feelings on the subject to paper, which has proved for many a scholarly investigator a real puzzle.

But let me return to what I was saying about a death in the family. Old Arbuthnot, father to the subject of these pages, had died suddenly in his sleep; he was found that morning by one or two of the maidservants that had come to open his curtains and bring him his morning tea. Just as the curtains were drawn, they saw on the bed the body of their master’s father, twisted and, in the most horrid way, warped. The look on his face could only be said to be that of an extremity of an agony the likes of which we living souls will never know.

The news was broken to Dr Arbuthnot who summoned the doctor and the police. It was a subject of some curiosity that he would have even bothered with a policeman, when the doctor who had examined Old Arbuthnot, and whose patient he had been for some years now, said in as clear a way as he could that the old man had simply died of natural causes. His heart, it seemed, was the culprit; it had always been weak, since he was a boy, and now that he had attained a decent age— the old man was only seventy-three— he could not have had much of his strength or time left. The old man was carted away and a few days later was buried in the family mausoleum.

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Design: Oisean Burnett

The dog gave a curious whine then fell silent. Dr Arbuthnot put his hand on its head and started clapping, only to find that the coarseness of its hair had changed. It was a tall and proud wolfhound, known for their coarse hair, but this seemed wiry and clammy. He looked over the edge of his chair.

The face that stared up at him was not that of the dog, but that of a man with features belonging to a spider. The eyes, two prominent and six smaller surrounding ones, had the darkest pupils he had ever seen, and the bright yellow of fire. It looked as if it had crawled on its belly towards the chair, removing the dog as quietly as it was able. The lips were drawn up into a snarl, revealing black teeth, and at the sides of the mouth were strange mandibles, like those of a spider when examined up close.

To apply pressure to the pillow over his father’s face was not difficult. The final throes of death had frightened him, for his father had contorted and twisted, trying to escape. But it was no use. The old man was weak.

Dr Arbuthnot flew from his chair and watched as the creature rose to stand behind his chair, crawl over it, and lunge for him.

He sat in his study, congratulating himself, stroking the head and ears of the dog that lay by his chair and licked his hand when he brought it close.

It began, as far as I know, with a death in the family…

A spider crawled over the desk; a spindly brute with long legs and large abdomen; this little fiend was on a quest. Usually, Dr Arbuthnot would have dealt with such imposters in the harshest manner, but he

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Creative Writing

That night, Dr Arbuthnot sat up in his study and thought a long while about his now dead father.

What a brute he was, he thought; and to think that he would have to submit his life to that cantankerous curmudgeon any longer. It was not likely.

To leave the house was out of the question; where would he go? To remain was also unthinkable.

There had to be a way.

felt his generosity come out stronger tonight, and he let it pass.

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It is a curious thing to note, however, that before the coffin was lowered and set into the earth where he would lay for the rest of his days, one of the bearers took fright and almost dropped it. There had been no trouble to begin with, till he felt, crawling over his shoulder, a group of legs, and more than one set. He shivered and convulsed and almost dropped both casket and occupant inside. When he had found there was nothing on him, he continued his duty; a word would be had with the bearer by the funeral director.

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Creative Writing

Words: Michaela Lafferty

Bury the silence. Push it down. Fill it with aimless chatter and rehearsed laughter. For this shall pass while I remain. I stand still, each action painstakingly slow. The surroundings play on loop, a new face here and a worn-down buildin g there. It is all the same to me. Present but forgotten; a blurry face. Dipping in and out of fleeting moments. The people I’ve met, the sights I’ve seen, but who would believe a ghost?

Dig deep if you wish, but I am unseen. There yet not. Exchanging dialogue, mimicking the feeling and pretending that time is painfully quick when in fact, it is so very slow. So slow my ribs hurt from the drawn out inhale.

just like that, there is no time for any of it. Life tugging you down, pushing you to bury those roots. Dig them deep and never replant them. For this is what the next twenty to thirty years looks like. It is the same movie, again and again. Moving so quickly that they are a blur, following the same route, sipping the same coffee, and complaining about the same mundane events.

E x h a l e.

Remain. R e m a i n.

Sometimes I get caught up in the act. I become the role until the real me is shrouded in false memories, laughter, and pain. Stripping back those layers, shredding the names and the feelings. Tossing them on the floor, packing the suitcase in preparation for the next project. I wonder if it’ll be a hit. The spotlight appears and voila – introducing…

Never looking further than the exterior, seeing the shell and of course, the eyes. Lying to oneself, pretending to not seek out another. I am not special, there must be another. Someone with deceiving eyes and a hopelessness so loud that it drowns out all the noise. Each day, I stand. I stand and seek. Looking for another ghost. Someone lingering on the fringes of life. Seek ing the grey amongst the blinding colours of the everyday. Trying to find a reason to revive.

It is the eyes. They never lie. This is the most fascinating part of the never-ending days, looking someone in the eyes for the first time. Will they twinkle and shine or will they be so dull that it almost feels as though the darkness is swallowing you whole.

Is this their first life or last? Oh, how I wish that darkness would sweep into my very being. Bury me deep. I don’t often look at my eyes, they mock my existence. They tell the world that I am warm and happy. That each day I unravel something new, it’s all a lie. Those eyes have seen the best and worst of humanity, yet they still glow. They tell the world that I still find meaning in each day.

Those souls who wander in and out of this so-called life believe that they have moved me in some way.

Long ago, they did. Each interaction wove itself into my very essence and remained with me, guiding me on and stirring me forward. Now, I do not let such faces see those eyes. For they enthral and snare. Fool and deceive. This may be my first life, but it has been that way for a long time. I do not follow time. The moon and the sun are enough. The sun sets and rises. My own personal hell.

The days meld. The seasons change, yet I remain.

Looking for something but not really. Moving slowly in the fast lane, each step so painfully slow while the living go on as they always have. The darkness amongst the light.

Then it hits.

The eyes, glowing. The grey twisting and weaving itself around me, creating a whole new shade. Pushing through the light, picking up the pace and just like that.

R e v i v e.

Here I stand. Each soul in a hurry to get from one place to another. Telling themselves that tomorrow will be different, that they will seize the moment. I have witnessed this over-and-over again. Years pass and the magdalen issue 90

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Creative Writing

Design: Norbert Lawniczak

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Creative Writing

Words: Kitty McQueen

Revive, Return, Remain Content Warning: Death

the magdalen issue 90

than a blur of faces to pass by on their path to that familiar person. Somehow each reunion happens without hesitation, so sure in their familiarity of one another. I wonder if I’d recognise Maria now, or perhaps she’s forgotten my face. The crowd envelops me, and my anxiety heightens. Within my chest my heart pounds against bone and muscle, trying desperately to jump from beneath my skin.

Frenzied cries of laughter ring within the room, sending ripples of discomfort through my ears. As a group greet each other with hugs and shoves, my arm is flattened against me. Suddenly I feel very much in the way, so I decide to move. Making my way through the crowd in search of Maria, I try imagining how the past ten years will have altered her appearance. But I can’t get the little girl out of my head. I wonder if after all this time living with her instead, she’s morphed into my mother.

Suppose she’s taken after her in her hatred for me.

Hatred that would be justified by my desertion of her. Pushing the thought from my head I advance on, almost nearing the opposite of the herd. In an attempt to spot her among the faces alongside me, I instead spot the security guard. Eyes catching mine, she starts upon her path. Slithering among families to reach me. Raising it to her mouth, she whispers secrets into the device she carries and in an instant I turn from her. Turning my head in every direction, I long to be greeted with Maria’s youthful face, but the only gaze I find is that of the security guard. With every survey of the lobby, it seems less packed. As those who are reunited leave, the noise of the room becomes a quiet hush.

Standing isolated, I scan the notice boards for delayed flights in the hopes I haven’t passed my daughter in ignorance. Someone speaks behind me, an unfamiliar yet soft voice. The same security guard. The questions start, though they aren’t regarding me. Who am I waiting for, what flight were they on, am I a relative of theirs? The guard, whose face remains stiff and unsettling, speaks toward me with tenderness. Yet, for some reason, I’d have preferred her to be unkind. It isn’t until she mentions a crash that I realise Maria’s flight isn’t delayed.

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Heat floods to my cheeks as a security guard across the lobby surveys me. With raised cheekbones pulling at her blemished skin from within, her face appears tight and sincere, causing me to shuffle uncomfortably. I watch the floor, scan the ceiling, looking anywhere to avoid her accusatorial stare. Yet no matter where I look, I feel her eyes assessing me. Admittedly, having been stood without movement for twenty minutes, I do appear moderately suspicious. Twenty minutes, that’s how late Maria is. If it were anyone else, I never would have agreed to pick them up from the airport. The air is perpetually filled with the stench of disinfectant, and the crowds of people are either awfully enthusiastic or filled with irritation.

In fact, almost an entire decade has passed since I last set foot in an airport- to drop off Maria no less. Though a decade is a lengthy amount of time to be apart from your child, it seems almost an understatement to how infinite this time has felt. From the day she left, the hours of each day have hung lifeless in the air, as if frozen by time itself. Though my mind plays tricks on me, as the memory of her leaving feels so recent. The way her eyes turned from mine in such a haste, the subtle smile I’ve replayed in my head so often I can no longer decipher its authenticity. Awaiting her return in the cramped lobby I find myself searching for the same sixteen-year-old I abandoned.

Scanning heads in search of her ivory hair which could then reach past her elbows. Instead, my gaze again locks with the security guard. Still watching me, though seemingly with less scrutinisation.

Every so often she looks away, holding a device to her ear and listening intently. Witnessing this, my feet begin to shuffle awkwardly in an anxious haze. I should move, to seem less suspicious.

Maybe I could get a coffee, or go for a smoke, but what if Maria arrives and I’m not there? Between the security guard and me, a flood of people enter the room. Countless reunions transpire before me, of lovers and friends, families and business partners. Each reunion, no matter the context, has that moment of recognition. Eyes catching as everyone else becomes mere noise, nothing more

Creative Writing

Design: Oisean Burnett

Current Affairs

Words: Saarah Mehmood

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CONTENT WARNING Murder and Rape

‘Be Safe, Walk Safe, Don’t Walk Alone’: The Unwanted Anthem

O

n March 3rd Sara Everard was kidnapped by lone plain-clothed officer Wayne Couzens who used his position of trust to deceive, rape and murder Everard.

Since his arrest, politicians and police have been clamoring together responses, advising women to call 999, to run to a house or a passerby if they feel they are in danger when in presence of a lone officer. The response of Metropolitan police (Met) to gender-based violence is to advise women to

change their behavior, reaffirming that it is up to women to protect themselves rather than confront the imbed of male violence.

Within the Met itself there is a prevalent and seemingly unpunished misogynistic culture. Couzen himself had multiple allegations of indecent exposure, some just days before the murder of Everard, and was also allegedly nicknamed ‘the rapist’ by his colleagues in the Met. Despite the Deputy Commissioner’s, Steve House, insistence that there is ‘zero tolerance’ for misogyny

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Priti Patel has announced that an inquiry will be launched into the ‘systematic failures’ that allowed Couzens to remain an officer, stating at the Conservative Party conference “I can confirm today there will be an inquiry, to give the independent oversight needed, to ensure something like this can never happen again.” The inquiry has two goals, firstly to establish an official account of his conduct in the lead up to the murder of Ms Everard and second, to address and examine specific areas of concern such as workplace behaviour, procedures and discipline. As it stands the inquiry will not be on a statutory footing, this means that witness testimony must be given voluntarily and risks being frustrated by the police. In response to this news Jamie Klinger, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, states that the inquiry is not comprehensive enough: “it seems [to be] really specific about Wayne Couzens and not about the system that allowed a Wayne Couzens to happen.” “It’s not admitting that there is systemic misogyny within the force that allowed this to happen, and by not doing so it’s pushing it under the carpet rather than exposing [it] at all levels.”

Why does it have to take an inquiry to determine that a man who exposes himself should not be in the law enforcement? This is a reflection of the wider police focus on the male violence - a focus on murder, rape and assault rather than on combating the culture which allows it to get to this scale. The police response is nothing new and that is where the frustration lies.

The anger and dissent felt by women is often criticized by those who state ‘what else would you have the police do’. This completely dismisses the very real criticism and feelings of women - it has been proven repeatedly that putting the onus on women to protect themselves does not work.

“Don’t walk alone.” “Don’t walk at night.” “Don’t go out.” The police response is nothing new - and that is where the frustration lies. Instead of admonishing us as our parents, friends and relatives did, as we try to get on with our lives, appreciate the severity of gender-based violence, eradicate the prevalent misogyny within the police force and work towards systematic change.

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in the Met, there are currently two Met officers on duty who swapped misogynistic and racist messages with Couzen.

Current Affairs

Design: Storm Dobson

Words: Angus Coleman

COP26 & The Importance of Nature-based Solutions

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Current Affairs

T

his November, Glasgow will host the 26th UN Climate Change conference, also known as COP26. Many view the conference as one of the last chances to organise and attempt to effect real change on a level necessary to combat the unfolding climate emergency. In recent years, public discourse has emphasised the urgency of the situation, particularly with the increasing publicity surrounding activists such as Greta Thunberg, and larger movements such as Extinction Rebellion. Indeed, the term ‘climate emergency’ seems to have become a more widely used phrase than simply ‘climate change’. Whether or not the conference can move beyond words to actions and campaigners will be satisfied remains to be seen.

However, one thing that hasn’t been discussed as much by governments and policy makers is the importance of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to tackling the climate emergency.

So far, proposed strategies to counter climate change have mostly involved the de-carbonisation of the economy and industry, as well as the responsibility of individuals to change their lifestyles.

Comparatively little emphasis has been placed on the protection of natural environments, not just for maintaining biodiversity, but for helping to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, thereby lessening the impacts of climate change.

Academics and activists are now arguing for NbS as an important part of the response to the twin and connected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Essentially, NbS are methods of tackling climate change that work by preserving and enriching nature. This includes the protection and restoration of carbon-storing habitats such as peat bogs, seagrass beds and forests. Adoption of more climate-friendly farming and forestry practices and developing and maintaining greenspace in urban areas, such as parks and green roofs, are also potentially valuable contributions. In a 2013 report, data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that the management of land through farming and forestry contributes approximately 25% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions each year, so there is plenty of room for improvement here.

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Design: Ana Vich Cologan

While there have been some attempts by policymakers to implement NbS, they have often been misguided or ineffective. An example of this is the Bonn Challenge, a worldwide effort led by the German Government to bring back 350 million hectares of degraded forest by 2030. It sounds good on paper, but the problem is that much of the proposed afforestation is going to involve the planting of commercial forestry plantations.

Although plantations can be beneficial to local economies, new science indicates they are significantly less effective at storing carbon than natural forests. Possibly as much as 40 times

There is also the issue that plantations are harvested, and the wood produced often has a short life. The carbon that is stored will quickly be released back into the atmosphere by decomposing waste material when the plantations are harvested. By comparison, allowing forests to regenerate naturally is more effective, cheaper and requires less effort. It also ensures that forests grow where the conditions are suitable and appropriate tree species are involved. Plantations have a history of having the wrong trees in the wrong places and can even be damaging to nature in open habitats.

It is both surprising and worrying how little solutions like this are discussed by governments and policymakers. The IPCC has stated that roughly 730 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere before the end of this century to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and that changes to land use are vitally necessary if this target is to be met. As such, changes to agriculture, afforestation and protection of existing habitats should all be much more prominent in the discussion and should be high on the agenda of world leaders serious about their commitments at COP26.

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Current Affairs

Furthermore, NbS are often more affordable, as they rely on the maintenance of habitats and other spaces that already exist. This means that radical changes to lifestyle, infrastructure or business practices are not necessary for such strategies to work. It is simply protecting nature while allowing it to take its course.

less effective than naturally regenerated forests. This is due to soil disturbance and changes in soil microbial life that can release more carbon from the soil than the trees can lock away.

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The primary strength of NbS is that they can be used to address multiple problems simultaneously and have benefits for both nature and people.

For instance, the preservation of habitats that store carbon helps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere, while also protecting nature. And increasing green space in cities improves air quality while also supporting the mental health of local residents.

Words: Harry Anderson

Liberty vs Livelihood : America’s Battle with Covid

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Current Affairs

A

t the start of 2020, the United States and other American countries watched as the Covid-19 pandemic spread across Europe and Asia. A virus thousands of times smaller than dust particles has managed to bring the most powerful countries on Earth to their knees, spreading across the planet at a rate unseen by any pandemic before.

Given the close relationship between the US and the UK (which was dealing with the pandemic already), many expected the US to be prepared when the eponymous virus wormed its way into American society.

Quite the opposite.

Regardless of one’s political standpoint or moral views, it seems impossible to deny that the US has dealt with the pandemic in a horrendous fashion. For a country cited as the ‘Leader of the Free World’, the United States has fallen short of such a lofty title. At the time of writing this article, the US has not only the highest number of cases but the highest death toll, with a staggering 45 million cases having been confirmed and, although death rates have started to drop, more than 700,000 Americans ¥have lost their lives to the virus. A country with less than 5% of the world’s population possesses almost a quarter of its covid infections, a statistic that few would argue is indicative of success. America’s failure to adequately prepare for a global pandemic could be seen as a result of questionable leadership but could also be indicative of many deeper social problems that have plagued the country for decades.

“With many Americans viewing masks and vaccinations as an infringement on their freedom, is it really a surprise that covid continues to affect the US in a way not seen in other Western nations?”

With Covid-19 being at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it might seem unusual to look back at previous pandemics, but we can learn a surprising amount from how previous century’s countries dealt with their own pandemics. The 1918 Great Influenza epidemic (also known as the Spanish Flu) is widely regarded as one of the deadliest epidemics in human history, with the death toll ranging anywhere from 17.4 to a 100 million people worldwide. Medicine in the early 20th century was scant compared to modern day medical technology and more often than not, people in hospitals died simply from the lack of adequate resources. With a population more than 3 times what it was in 1918 and a bounty of medical and scientific knowledge, one would expect the modern day US to fare proportionately better than its 20th century counterpart. Such an expectation could not be further from the truth however, and the US’s covid deaths most recently surpassed the deaths observed in America during the 1918 pandemic. It seems almost impossible to believe; how could the world’s most powerful country, with near unlimited access to vaccines and ventilators, overtake the death rate during an era with no vaccines, no successful treatments and a far more basic medical system? The answer to such a question can be seen not only in America’s politics but also in the core beliefs of many of its citizens.

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Despite the comparatively optimistic outlook held by the Biden administration, the US still faces major challenges with its handling of Covid-19. As of October 7th, 186 million Americans have been vaccinated, yet the arrival of the latest Delta variant continues to ravage states with low vaccination rates. With many Americans viewing masks and vaccinations as an infringement on their freedom, is it really a surprise that covid continues to affect the US in a way not seen in other Western nations? With Europe hardly being the poster child for low covid deaths (Italy’s initial wave taking a heavy toll on the country), it seems counterproductive to compare the two. Yet the US possesses something that Europe did not: isolation and the foresight to act. Alas, such time was squandered and the American citizens inevitably paid the price of their leader’s negligence.

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America’s political system is defined by just how divided it is. Compared to other wealthy nations, America’s political split seems starker and increasingly more polarised. Most notably during the Trump presidency (and the start of America’s covid response), the 50 states that make up the US tackled the virus in remarkably different ways.

Blue States such as California or New York had mask mandates and mass vaccinations, while more Red states such as Texas or Montana seemed to rebuff such safety measures, with politicians from these states calling into question the severity of the virus as their own infection rates skyrocketed. This rhetoric was of course helped by the president of the US at the time, Donald Trump. Trump, along with several other world leaders such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, repeatedly dismissed the severity of the virus and disregarded the overwhelming evidence that the virus was (and continues to be) a threat. Trump’s indifference to masks and the adoration that millions of Americans held (and continue to hold) for him may also be a factor in covid’s disproportionate spread across the United States. With the transition to Joe Biden and the increased transparency of Biden’s government (for example publishing weekly Covid reports), the US may be on the path to Covid recovery in a way that perhaps would have been more difficult under a Trump presidency.

Current Affairs

Design: Phoebe Wilman

Words: Freya Giles

CONTENT WARNING before reading please be aware this article discusses eating disorders.

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Current Affairs

Retweeting Bul*m*a

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hatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most used apps in the world according to Business of Apps in 2021, and so when these websites crashed earlier this month- the world was swirled into a small-scale frenzy. Many found it peculiar that the websites just happened to temporarily close so soon after Frances Haugen became a whistle-blower and spoke out about the social media conglomerate’s irresponsible habits.

There were many worrying practices that came to light during this scandal. One that I want to take the time to focus on is how not only has the hypothesis that social media platforms increase both the likelihood and severity of eating disorders has been proven correct, but that the Facebook company was fully aware of this due to internal research but did nothing to stop it according to Wells, Horwitz & Seetharaman.

Indeed, eating disorders as a whole are classed as one of, if not the deadliest, psychiatric illness and so the impact these practices are having cannot be overstated. It is classed as one of the most fatal forms of mental illness for many overlapping reasons - malnourishment due to restrictive eating or over-exercising, issues with overactive stomach acid causing ulcers, osteoporosis, or an increase in suicidal ideations and attempts. The perpetuation of dangerous content online that glorifies or enables such disorders is no small issue. It has also been shown that the effects of isolation have resulted in an increase of eating disorders, as covered by Marsh from The Guardian, and so contributing factors to these illnesses need to be addressed now more than ever.

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Design: Robyn Black

Perhaps the crucial thing to understand about most forms of disordered eating is that it is highly competitive. The overall aim is to be as thin as possible, and of course this includes being thinner than everyone else around you as well as your past self, and so posts like these that include damaging advice play into all the worst caveats of the disorder. An anorexic person can look at a photograph of a ‘thinspo model’

(someone whose thinness is aspired to), knowing full well that it is severely edited, and still feel the swirling of envy and guilt that makes them want to engage with these habits. If the knowledge that your teeth and hair can fall out in clumps won’t stop the pursuit of perceived beauty, then some warped photoshop lines in the background sure aren’t either.

It is true, as one of the world’s richest men, Mark Zuckerberg, states in his recent blog post, that young people will also encounter problematic mental health content offline as much as they will online. Yet I do not think that this absolves these platforms of any responsibility over social welfare. Just because designer brands should hire more diverse models does not mean that Instagram does not need to stop advertising weight loss products to children as young as thirteen within hours of creating accounts as research from O’Sullivan, Duffy & Jorgensen this year shows. Statistics show that the average person spends over two and a half hours on social media a day with this number being even higher among young people the most at risk from eating disorders - and so these companies need to put in more serious precautions to help its user base. The flimsy ‘are you okay’ messages when someone types ‘starve myself’ into Instagram do not cut it for the over a million people in the UK alone with this horrific disorder. The first step Silicon Valley needs to take is realising that these algorithms pose a very real danger to millions of people, but it cannot be the last.

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There are many different ways that ‘pro-ana’ content (this meaning pro-anorexia but is one of many terms adopted by the online eating disorder community to dodge language violation breaches), surfaces online but the most pronounced form is perhaps bodychecking posts whereby photos of the ultra-skinny are shared to inspire envy and promote a negative self-image. These photos are often of celebrities, bikini/ lingerie models (putting every illustrious rib or ab on show) or fitness influences. Most of these photos are edited to make the coveted figure even more unattainable. Alongside this is often a slurry of gruelling fitness or workout guides and downright unhealthy diet advice. It’s not uncommon at all to find guidance to consume as few carbs as possible, to cut out most beverages and their ‘useless liquid calories’ or even to eat as little as 1,200 calories per day. Shockingly, this level is seen as ‘standard’ and not extreme among eating disorder circles. For reference, the NHS recommends that a 7-year-old consumes 1,500 a day to meet their needs, yet many people struggling with these disorders will push themselves further and further under the nutritional minimum in the pursuit of an enchantingly skinny body.

Current Affairs

“The first step Silicon Valley needs to take is realising that these algorithms pose a very real danger to millions of people, but it cannot be the last.”

Words: Dawid Czeczelewski

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Current Affairs

Freezing to Death Content warning: Humanitarian crisis

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Design: Oisean Burnett

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The mellow days of early autumn brought information about five bodies found in the forest near a migrants’ camp. Supposedly, exhaustion and hypothermia caused those deaths…

Just as the cycle of seasons reached autumn, marked by nature gradually dying, this vile Government came to take the same toll on its people in need. Although there are arguments in support of the barbaric practices of pushbacks and setting up razor-wire fences, there are no moral justifications for the lack of response to human beings freezing to death in the forests of Eastern Poland.

Our humanitarian landmarks need to be cherished unconditionally and globally, especially by those governments which claim to stand at the pinnacle of democracy to make sure no one is treated in an indecent way and to take an active part in setting up an example of compassion, justice and communion for the whole human race.

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On August 18th, a group of Afghan men entered Poland. However, due to the unlawful pushback they were all detained and then sent back to Belarus, while their asylum applications for international protection in Poland were denied. From a legal point of view Polish authorities acted against the Geneva Convention’s stance on Refugees, the European Union regulations as well as the Polish Constitution. Yet what may seem most striking is the inhuman way the Polish government dealt with the situation. As of September 22, a state of emergency was declared at the border strip and adjacent municipalities (interestingly, the first state of emergency in Poland since 1981), effectively preventing non-resident civilians, e.g., the media, activists and NGOs from entering the area and reporting on and recording that area. On top of that, the Polish authorities failed to comply with the interim measures granted by the European Court of Human Rights. The instructions included providing the asylum seekers with medical assistance, food, drinking water and shelter.

The only help that has managed so far to reach the stranded asylum seekers is the Polish Red Cross in cooperation with its Belarussian counterparts, yet the details about the migrants are unknown due to the ‘state of emergency’.

Current Affairs

oday the forests on the Poland-Belarus border are changing colour into autumn, unlike other years though they are also bearing witness to inhuman deaths of asylum seekers stranded between two countries.

The Only Ones Who See the Whole Picture Are Those Who Step Out of the Frame

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International

Words: Priyasha Bachu

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tereotypes happen in day to day life. We hear them from birth and they influence how we perceive this world. It affects how we notice our surroundings and what we remember for the future. They reduce the amount of processing we do when we meet a new person and deflect us from seeing the bigger picture.

A community/ nation shouldn’t be critiqued based on a picture a few stereotypes have painted.

Your opinion should be based on what you see, what you hear and what your feelings are telling you to do. Many countries have been mislabeled, their beauty and values ignored. They deserve to be spoken for and seen properly.

India A huge country with large populous cities and ever growing diversity, yet despite having a population of 1.3 billion people with one of the biggest cinema industries in the world, many dilute our vast culture to those who ‘speak Hindu’, ‘worship cows’ and speak ‘broken English.’ India has over 130 major languages for every 50km you travel you will encounter a new one. But I can proudly state that despite having so many languages, they are what binds us together as a community.

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We have one of the oldest languages in the world - Sanskrit.

Go and read up on its origins; it has some interesting stories to tell.

Many people view India as a poster boy for Third World poverty, and while India is a Third World country, it is also a developing country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It doesn’t help when Hollywood encourages these assumptions and stereotypes with songs like Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay and the worst of it all - Slumdog Millionaire. In Western media we are almost always portrayed as the nerdy sympathetic character, the taxi driver or shop clerk, and while many of us Indians did migrate to other countries to provide a better life for our children and ourselves, we also produced some of the best artists, writers and leaders in the world: Abdul Kalam, Kiran Bedi, Ayushman Khurana, Shreya Ghoshal, Ratan Tata and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Indians are more than IT guys or engineers, we have talents that reach out to all industries and sectors.

On the one hand, people travel to India in search of ‘cultural enlightenment,’ but on the other, they view it as a dirty, poor and chaotic country, emphasising its high ranking as one of the most polluted countries in the world, often overlooking its growth. It’s all the little places and things that make India beautiful. Visiting Hampi and Bidar, living the village life, climbing the Himalayas, kayaking across the Ganges, India is more than just spicy food , the Taj Mahal and Shah Rukh Khan.

I am probably biased in my opinion, but a visit to Kerala to see the largest bird structure in the world may change your mind.

I see India as one of the most beautiful countries out there, but, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t share my opinion. I am sure that when given the chance, this country will prove otherwise. For a second just look past the poverty, pollution, corruption and you will see the beauty beyond imagination. Many people have different opinions, so how about you make your own?

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With many of us taking over industries abroad and a higher number of us finally reaching higher places, people live under the notion that all Indians are uber smart. Funnily enough you wouldn’t believe the amount of times I’ve been told “aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?” But the irony is that people have been fed stereotypes that completely contradict that, with stereotypes about Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis being aggressive, involved in gang violence and having poor social skills. This is an example of how constricting and ignorant these stereotypes can be: the actions of one person don’t speak for the actions of many.

International

Design: Olivia Juliette Baird

Words: Remus Touart

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International

Determined to Remain T

here are a lot of tiny nations in the world who are working hard to survive in the midst of bigger cultures and languages. Two of those peoples are Võru and Seto who live in the Southeast of Estonia; more specifically, in areas called Võrumaa and Setomaa.

Setomaa is quite different. Estonia is, according to the constitution, a Lutheran state. This is not shown in everyday life, as only 14% of people consider themselves religious, most of whom are not even Estonians. Setos, on the other hand, are Russian Orthodox, and they actively practice the religion.

Võrumaa is a county in the Southeast of Estonia, while Setomaa takes up parts of Võrumaa and Russia next to the Estonian border. Both areas have their own dialects which most Estonians call languages, as they are difficult to understand for Northerners. Some decades ago, the biggest difference between Seto and Võru languages was the influence of Russian pronunciation and vocabulary in Seto, while Võru sounded more like Finnish. Nowadays, Estonian has started influencing both languages instead, especially since all official writing is done in the standard ‘Northern’ language. Võru and Seto languages are now so similar that even native speakers mix those two up at times. Both dialects have more of what Estonians call the ‘dotted letters’ - Õ, Ä, Ö, Ü; for example, the word küsima (‘to ask’) in Estonian would be küsümä in Võru and Seto. They are especially fond of Õ, a letter which is not that common in Estonian. For example, the adjective ‘silver’ would be hõbedane in Estonian, but hõbõhõnõ in Võru and hõbõhhõnõ in Seto.

Those differences come from the Russian influence which has played a big part in Seto history. Setomaa became a part of Estonia after the country’s war of independence in 1920.

Seto people, as opposed to the Võru people, did not think of themselves as Estonians. Religion was more important to them than any borders and they had been sharing it with Russians for centuries as Estonia had been a part of the Russian Empire. During the years right after the war, Estonians felt threatened by Russia, the Russian language and culture. This caused Estonia to try to eradicate all such practices of the Setos. So when the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1940, Seto people welcomed the soldiers with pictures of Stalin, red flags, and shouts of “Come and rescue us from the oppression of Estonians!” However, it became apparent that this new system would not support Setos either.

Speaking Seto was made illegal, many chapels in Seto villages were destroyed and upholding of traditions was prohibited. After Estonia regained its independence in 1991, Russia refused to restore the pre-USSR border between the two countries, leaving some areas of land, including 2/3 of Setomaa, on the other side of the border.

That is as far as the similarities between Võrumaa and Setomaa go, though. While Võrumaa is like the rest of Estonia in terms of culture and religion,

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Keeping your language and traditions alive is not so easy without the government’s active support, especially when you live far from your people.

Although the division of Setomaa has taken a toll on the Setos living on the Estonian side - due to the difficulties of visiting ancestral homes and places of worship - it has not made such a

difference in the lives of Russian Setos. In the 19th century, the Russian Empire offered people free land in Siberia, and many accepted the offer due to lack of land in Setomaa. As a result, there are not many Setos living in the Russian part of Setomaa anymore, having settled in Siberia many years ago. There is a small village near Lake Baikal where Setos still speak the language and live as Setos have for hundreds of years. Their practices and way of speaking have heavily mixed with Russian ones, but are still recognisable. Although it has been two hundred years, the Setos in Russia are proud to be Seto and proud to be upholding the traditions of their ancestors.

Seto and Võru peoples are tiny, and so are their languages. Despite that, they are working hard to keep their dialects and - in the case of Setos traditions alive. With or without the government’s help, they are determined to remain and are proud of who they are.

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Nowadays, Estonians’ attitude towards Setos is different. Their traditions and peculiarities are highly appreciated and the government funds all kinds of projects to keep the Seto community alive. Books, newspapers, weekly radio shows, theatre plays and much more have been published, broadcast and performed in the last years in Seto as well as Võru languages. Võru children are obliged to learn Võru in schools and, for the past four years, students in Estonia’s oldest university have been able to take Võru language classes. Even Peppa Pig has been translated into Võru and is broadcast on TV every day.

International

Design: Robyn Black

Words: Chelsea Dalscheid

Studying Abroad:

How Hardships Turn Into Rewards

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International

hen I applied to Scottish universities almost two years ago now, I thought I had overcome the hardest part: working hard to receive the required grades, heading back and forth to different administrations to pick up documents I needed, I even travelled to Brussels to take an English test checking my language skills. Little did I know, that was only the beginning of a lot of organizational work, which more often than not didn’t have anything to do with what you came to the UK, or any other foreign country, for: to study a subject you are passionate about.

The work you have to do to reach your dream of studying abroad can be underestimated, which is what I have found out. However, most of the difficulties I encountered weren’t in direct correlation with the university life itself, but with the unstable position the world and precisely the UK found themselves in. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the travelling rules have been strict from my first year onward. When I arrived from Luxembourg in September 2020, I was required to do two weeks of quarantine, which I willingly did because I knew it was necessary. Even though I thought I was prepared, it was harder than expected: it was the first time being away from my family and my hometown and on top of it all I had to do it all by myself. No one was there to support me during those first two weeks. I facetimed my parents every day, yet there is nothing that can replace a real hug when you feel sad.

Suddenly, you have to get used to the fact that you have to become a responsible adult. For me, the possibility of calling my parents and having them pick me up when I got homesick was simply not an option any longer.

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I know it can be hard to keep going sometimes, especially when you come from a country where English isn’t your first or even second language, or in my case fourth! (I learned english when I was 13).

Communicating in a foreign language the whole day is tiring, no matter how well you have mastered it. The embarrassment of blurting something out in your mother tongue is nothing compared to the pride of expressing oneself in a foreign language 24/7.

It might seem like I am giving you a rather negative image of what studying abroad entails, but the truth is that it brings so much to your personal development which cannot be replaced by anything else. As expected, doing things such as opening a bank account or moving to your first apartment helps you to become independent.

Furthermore, it pushes you to outstep the limits you previously haven’t thought of overcoming, like being more outgoing and asking for help when you encounter struggles. The social interactions with family and friends don’t necessarily have to suffer under the long distance.

On the contrary, they are strengthened. Different schedules and time zones make you appreciate the time you find to talk to your loved ones and coming home.

Being able to hug them after so long creates precious, treasured memories. Therefore, you can find yourself getting to know them in a way that may not have been possible . You discover your own boundaries, how much time you can or need to spend alone, and how well you can organize your time so that adulting, socializing and studying fit into your schedule.

All in all, the experience of studying abroad comes with a lot of ups and downs, yet the lessons you learn cannot be missed, they influence the process of growing up so much, and you will have stories you’d like to tell your grandchildren!

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After I had slowly become used to my own and sole company, I encountered new obstacles on my path toward independence and maturity, in September 2021, when I moved into my own flat. Last year I had a head start: I did not have to worry about where I would stay, because I stayed in university accommodation, where everything was already worked out for you. I didn’t have to worry about finding a suitable apartment, gas bills, electricity, home broadband… In a way it shielded me from all responsibilities. Here I’d like to include a little guide which would have helped me during the first few weeks. First and foremost, opening a UK bank account is the solution to all your payment-related problems.

Secondly, Internet connection does not set itself up overnight, it takes time, which is to bear in mind when many of your lectures take place online. Thirdly, and lastly, don’t let yourself be stressed out about all these processes, because once you have crossed them off your checklist, you won’t have to worry about them for a long time. As a reward, you have the chance to live in a place that can be solely yours and catered to what you like. It gives you the opportunity to create an environment you feel safe and comfortable in which is crucial for having a good university experience.

International

Design: Karly Yu

Words: Freya Giles

Money Worries

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On/Off campus

A brief discussion on how the debt faced by the University is the primary reason for unpopular decisions such as the school merger and pension cuts, and whether this is justifiable or not.

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can vividly remember this encounter during semester one of my first year a few years back. I was wandering down the Perth Road, on my way grocery shopping with a new friend I had made in class that day (the perfect bonding opportunity), when I saw something that caught my eye. A gaggle of students, the majority of whom were wearing red, were huddled together on the luscious green grass outside of the Tower Building, sporting posters and a giant banner. My friend and I tried snooping at what was happening, but we were too far away to make out the signs. Being the shy freshers that we were, there was no chance that we would approach the crowd, and so we continued on our way, the ensemble all but forgotten about by the time we reached the bridge.

I never discovered what that gathering was about, but I found myself reminded of it recently whilst looking at pictures from the picket outside the same building earlier this month, in protest of the University’s changes to staff pension rates. I’d seen some posts on social media (admittedly, mostly on Dunfess) talking about the issue, and people seemed less than pleased about the development. To begin with, I didn’t quite understand why the University would do such a thing, and so I did some digging and have connected together some dots to share with you.

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The first course of money-saving action proposed was the infamous school merger. The School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences are set to be combined together - resulting in 27 job losses, as well as numerous degree programmes being slashed. As of writing, there is no word yet to which courses may face the chopping block. It is frustrating that the staff will have to bear the brunt of this impact, by either losing their job altogether, or having a higher workload.

Admittedly, I have heard some grumbling about how the schools have ‘nothing in common’, but, as a Politics and Philosophy student with one foot in each door, I don’t really sympathise with this view. It is the people we should be worried about.

To justify this, the University has claimed that the merger will allow them to refrain from cutting the pay of any staff members; instead, it seems they’ve simply reduced the size of the pension of their lowest paid workers. They have changed from a ‘Defined BENEFIT scheme’ to a ‘Defined CONTRIBUTION scheme’. This small change in wording is going to see many lower paid University staff members lose out on up to half of their pension contributions. The affected staff members are realising that the money they thought they had secured for their old age might not be enough to see them through, and so, with the support of much of the student body, they have gone on strike.

Now, I’m no accountant or financial expert, but surely there must be better ways to increase the University’s funding level and to balance the books than taking away the well-earned pay and pension of its staff. The plan to increase the intake of International Students seems like a good start. It’s also true that the School of Life Sciences has an expenditure four times its closest competitor, and so maybe this spending should be examined. Naturally, cutting costs and saving money is never a fun situation for anyone to be involved in, and some sacrifices do need to be made to improve the situation. That being said, disadvantaging the lowest paid members of staff is not the right answer

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The gist of the situation is… we’re in debt. Of course, a large institution like the University of Dundee, with its thousands of staff members, tens of buildings, and more computing equipment than I care to estimate, handles a lot of cash. This means that naturally, keeping track of all the different comings and goings can, understandably, be difficult. That being said, it’s not too harsh to say that the University has not done a good job at managing its budget well. In 2019, the University of Dundee had the second highest deficit across all Scottish universities (according to The Scotsman, 4th March 2019). It’s normal for universities to be in some level of debt, but the University needs to take some action on this before it gets even worse. As such, a number of plans have been made in order to save money, and it is here where the contention lies.

On/Off campus

Design: Lucas Ferguson

Words: Ayanna Cullen

Course Materials & Casual Meet-Ups W

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On/Off Campus

e all know that feeling: it’s the start of a new semester and there’s always that tedious task of gathering materials for your new classes and in some cases, discovering a new city. Where can I get textbooks? Where can I meet for a catch-up with my friends? Dundee is teeming with student-friendly shops, attractions and cafes waiting to support you on your journey. I’m here to get you out and about, guiding you through the places that will help you through your university years.

Henry’s Coffee House A lovely little coffee shop located on the right-hand side of the square in front of the Caird Hall. Very popular with the locals so it’s an ideal place for meeting up with friends somewhere with a lively atmosphere. A large, yet not overwhelming, selection of drinks are available to help take the edge of that steadily approaching Autumn chill. If you’re not a fan of crowded spaces, try to avoid the peak meal times as it can get quite busy.

★★★★☆

Casual Meet-Ups Friends, food and fun. What more can you ask for? Whether you’re grabbing a bite or wanting to explore, here are some of the go-to places for a nice day out:

The Discovery

For those of you wanting to learn a little something. The RRS Discovery is located right on the waterfront at Discovery Point alongside the V&A. At a tenner per person, this self-guided tour shows you the legendary voyage of The Discovery’s expedition to Antarctica and even allows you to board the ship itself.

Even if you’re not a big fan of history, The Discovery is absolutely magnificent to behold.

Fisher and Donaldson Bakery Located on Perth Road and known for their “world-famous” fudge donuts, this sit-in or takeaway bakery is truly a hidden gem of Dundee’s town. Not only do they make the most delicious baked goods but they sell them at affordable prices. You’ll be pressing your face up against the glass and drooling over these delicious treats.

Pro tip: Watch out for McDonald’s special events such as the Monopoly event. Certain collectable stickers allow you to exchange them for a free burger, drink or wrap. Students like the word ‘free.’ the magdalen issue 90

Design: Karly Yu, Photography: Lottie Belrose

Course Materials While a lot of your materials are provided through the University, you may prefer to pick up physical copies so you can scribble down notes, always have them on hand, or simply as a keepsake after the class is over. Here are some of the main places to get these materials:

CeX

This delightful little shop is located on Reform Street, right in the heart of Dundee’s town. It offers quite a substantial range of books, all at an affordable, second-hand price.

What makes this shop stand out as a student one is that each section of books is labelled: Photography, Medicine, and Comic Books to name a few. This is quite useful as it provides customers - especially those with a particular book in mind - with a clear cut division of subject matter making it easier to find what you’re looking for. Easy to navigate and very affordable; this bookshop should be at the top of everyone’s resource list.

WHSmith ★★★★☆ Heading off the High Street and towards Marks & Spencer, you’ll find WHSmith. While some may prefer the more expensive Paperchase, WHSmith does the job, and at a much cheaper price. This store is very well known for its ‘Back to School’ deals that cover notebooks, pens and pencils, folders, planners and all the student resources you can possibly think of. A great store that will get you all the stationary you need without wiping your wallet clean.

Pro tip: Make thorough use of the resources given to you by the University: you are supplied with reading lists with online links to free materials, as well as having access to ‘Learning on Screen’ which the University pays a licence for. This allows you access to hundreds of recorded programmes, movies, and documentaries, as well as live TV. the magdalen issue 90

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Oxfam Bookshop

A large store located on Whitehall Street between the Wellgate Shopping Centre and the Caird Hall.

This store offers a wide range of DVDs, games, and box-sets and thus finding educational documentaries that go hand-in-hand with your course should be a piece of cake.

Also a good store for leisure purposes as there is always a good selection of movies in the reduced section for only a few pounds, as well as games compatible with PS4s, Nintendo Switches and XBoxes. The only downside to this store is that it really lacks finer organisation.

While the adult and children’s films may be seperated, that’s about as far as the categories go so it may take a while to locate what you’re looking for.

On/Off Campus

★★★☆☆

Words: Route2, Design: Tessa Minshull

Society Spotlight: Route2

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On/Off Campus

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tudying law does not mean that you have to become a paralegal, solicitor, advocate, barrister or judge. There are other careers out there too! For all of the law students out there who have not decided what career they would like to pursue, or are worried that they are not attracted to a ‘legal’ career post-university, do not worry! I can guarantee that most of your peers have either been in that position before, or are currently in that position right now. After all, around 50% of students each year graduate from their law degree and enter a job outside of the legal sector.

Therefore, without further ado, I introduce the newest University of Dundee Society, Route2!

“Around 50% of students each year graduate from their law degree and enter a job outside of the legal sector.”

Route2 aims to expose law students to careers outside of the legal sector, educate them on the importance of transferable skills, and guide them through different application processes.

As a ‘sister Society’ to the well-known and very successful Dundee University Law Society (DULS), Route2 will work alongside DULS to expose law students to careers outwith the legal sector.

These careers include: Civil Service, police, financial sector, media, third-sector organisations and charities, Human Resources, teaching, forensics, and many more!

Route2 will aim to host 3-5 employer events per semester which are open to any law student after paying their £1 membership fee. This is a one-off lifetime membership fee and will last throughout their entire university career. These events will involve the employer discussing their specific industry, and providing some useful hints and tips to help students through the application process.

This is also a fantastic opportunity for students to network, which is another skill this Society will help students to develop!

As well as employer events, Route2 and DULS will run joint workshops to inform students on how to develop an array of skills, and how to demonstrate these skills in job applications. Ultimately, students will be given the best shot at presenting themselves as the ideal candidate for any job they apply for.

Route2 looks forward to welcoming all students to the Society and cannot wait to see the fantastic opportunities that students are rewarded with as a result!

Find us on Instagram: @route2_duls. Facebook and LinkedIn handles to come, however if in doubt, head along to the DULS Instagram (@dundeelawsociety) or Facebook (@ DundeeUniveristyLaw Society) pages to find out more about Route2!

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Words: Hannah Hamilton

Design: Sonia Hanke

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Opinions

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Why Hospitality Needs to Change

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n a post-pandemic world, we are seeing many industries struggle to regain a stable business, none more so than hospitality. It was always going to be hard to bounce back from the last year and a half, particularly when your business relies on the gathering of people in your premises. Pubs and clubs have lost their momentum, it’s been one blow after another with restrictions, staff shortages, and supply chain issues.

Even now, as students return to campus and the government loosens its Covid-19 mandates, people have not returned to hospitality the way they might have been expected to. This could be for several reasons - the economy isn’t exactly booming - and fear of infection still looms for a great many people. At some point, you have to wonder if maybe the people just don’t want to go to pubs.

Even the people can be unappealing - nightlife venues are conducive to the kind of harassment most of us spend our lives trying to avoid. There are often no safeguards or active discouragement of harassing behaviour, which is honestly disappointing in this day and age.

Pre-pandemic, these factors did not seem to affect business but post-pandemic, it’s a different story.

However, there is an opportunity in the aftermath of the pandemic to evolve the hospitality industry.

Venues still have function as social places to gather which, after a year of isolation, we have been reminded is a valuable thing. The industry can profit, and benefit society - it simply needs effort and update by the people running it.

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Already some venues are implementing Covid-19 conscious systems, promoting customer safety schemes (‘Ask for Angela’ is a great example), and generally working to create environments that encourage safe social interaction. It makes sense to try - successful improvement of the space could open the doors to new demographics. Adults who are not part of drinking culture have little reason to feel comfortable in the current climate, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Nightlife venues can be fun, they can be great to blow off steam and socialise. If venues focus on creating safe, comfortable environments, the benefits can only be good for business. There’s little excuse to continue with the same old mindset when clearly, it is broke - fix it.

Words: Ryan Petrie, Design: Olivia Juliette Baird

or years, centuries even, the gothic has always been a safe haven for those on the fringes of society. The outsiders who have never really fit in, nor followed the normalcy of the world in which they live.

For those who have never fit in with modern culture, the gothic has allowed people of all races, genders, sexualities, to come together and be with like-minded folk who do not (and never have) slipped quietly into the roles that have been constructed for them.

And every act of rebellion is punished as best fits their crime: they are the outsiders, the social outcasts; they are the weirdos, the freaks. But in dwelling on the fringes of society has allowed growth of a kind never seen before. What modern society sees

As a queer person, the gothic has always fascinated me as much as it terrifies me; I have been an avid fan of literary horror as long as I have been able to read seriously, and it remains one of my favourite genres to read for pleasure, especially when the nights get longer and colder. The thrill of a ghost story never loses its power. The gothic’s magnetism for those who are queer and gender-nonconforming should not be as surprising as some people think. We have always been there.

Carmilla, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Dorian Gray. These characters and stories all have in

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Welcomed Me

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as one of the oldest and most clapped-out aesthetic movements in the world, has, in fact, a magnetism of a kind that is both fascinating and frightening.

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The Gothic Has Always

them the kernels of queerness, and queer folk see their duality, their pansexuality, the strength of those inherently queer experiences. Jekyll and Hyde’s duality is a powerful metaphor for the double lives LGBTQ+ folk have had to live before they come out; Dracula’s bisexuality is now as far as I know established fact; and Carmilla’s bloodlust for a young woman in Styria is still strong as the day it was written.

Need I say more of Victor Frankenstein’s creation yearning for love and acceptance, only to be met with scorn?

The queer community has made a home for itself in the gothic.

Our plea of acceptance is one the monsters understand fully, when society could never find it in its heart to listen.

Words: Saarah Mehmood

CONTENT WARNING before reading please be aware this article discusses war, torture & r*p*.

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We Need To Talk About Afghanistan T

he total British cost of major operations in Afghanistan amounted to £20 billion - a conservative estimate. An independent analysis nearly doubles this figure. For the US the cost was $820 billion, with another $130 billion spent on reconstruction projects.

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From this, it is fair to conclude that the only clear winner is the defense industry.

Money, however - although telling - is not an appropriate measure of the cost of Western involvement in the Middle East. This was a manmade calamity and its cost unquantifiable, affecting industrial development, the environment, the civil and human rights costs, and its most egregious - the cost of ordinary lives lost.

The western world portrayed itself as a protector of the people, yet it is the civilians who have suffered the greatest. 71,000 are estimated to have died in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Poverty, disease and environmental degradation exacerbated by the war killed tens of thousands more” (Simon Tisdall).

Facilitated by this ‘war on terror’, surrounding fragile regions have been pulled into conflict: Pakistan’s war zone, Russia’s attack on anti-Assad rebels in Syria and Yemen and the prosecution of Uyghur Muslims in China. This schism between the Western and Middle-Eastern countries has resulted in a knee-jerk reaction to resort to violence, as we side-step any form of conflict mediation or preventative action. This is especially clear when we consider that ‘global military expenditure’ has been rising since 2001 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute).

This reinforces how there is no way to measure all the lives, promise and relations lost in this ‘War on Terror’. This is a lesson on the dangers of complacency of the public, the ignorance that comes with believing that you are the righteous.

The most telling instance of the Western world’s involvement in Afghanistan is the creation of a militia known as the Northern Alliance. Created by several countries, including Britain and America, this militia was made up of warlords and criminals in order to fight against the Taliban regime in 2001. They were victorious and the headlines of the time urged us to “just rejoice, rejoice” (the Telegraph), the Sun crying out “shame of the traitors: wrong, wrong, wrong … the fools who said Allies faced disaster” and the Guardian celebrating: “Well, ha ha ha, and yah, boo. It was … obvious that defeat was impossible. The Taliban will soon be history.” This was not the case for the Afghan people, as the Northern Alliance’s march into Kabul - torture, castration and the rape of women and children followed.

“Masood’s forces and the Northern Alliance members committed numerous, serious abuses… Armed units of the Northern Alliance, local commanders, and rogue individuals were responsible for political killings, abductions, kidnappings for ransom, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, and looting.”

U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, February 2001 The few dissenters of this move to war were silenced through ridicule. The Telegraph published a daily list of “Osama bin Laden’s useful idiots”, dissenters were labelled as being ‘anti-American’ and ‘pro-terrorism’; they were mocked and vilified, their critique silenced, as we were enthralled in this crusade. George Monobit described this as a type of ‘McCarthyrite fervour,’ as peace campaigners were listed as potential terrorists by the FBI. Al Jazeera, one of the few outlets to challenge the move to war, was targeted by Colin Powell the US Secretary of State. After failing to convince the emir of Qatar to censor Aljazeera, the US bombed Al Jazeera’s office in Kabul.

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Design: Robyn Black

We vilified the Taliban in charge of Afghanistan for their extremist views whilst backing similar groups in Syria against Assad’s regime and shook hands with Saudi Arabia as they bombed Yemen with the weapons we sold them.

All that we gained in Afghanistan we lost in 10 days. We cannot wait another 20 years to clear out all that we did wrong. It is time to proactively question the legitimacy of our government’s action, the allies close to us, and methods used.

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Britain has a clear role in the Middle East as the US’s ‘yes man’. Having the world’s strongest military powers as a close ally is, at a glance, a great strength. However, the compromises made in pursuit of security have created an almost dependant relationship. For America, Britain acts as a middle man between them and the watching world. It offers a type of validity, a ‘phoney legitimacy’ to their involvement in the Middle East. Theresa May, in debate on Afghanistan stated (8/08/21) “What does it say about us as a country … if we are entirely dependent on a unilateral decision taken by the United States?” The answer - not much. Since the 1950s, Britain has not had a foreign policy independent of the US. It is time to disillusion ourselves and realise that Britain must learn how to act independently of the US, so that we can make decisions based on the interests of the British public rather than the interests of the US.

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“ It is time to proactively question the legitimacy of our government’s action, the allies close to us, and methods used.”

Mariam Rawai, an activist in the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan in writing about the Northern Alliance stated, “by bringing the warlords back to power, the US has replaced one misogynist fundamentalist regime with another.” This history begs us to pay mindful attention to those who are labelled as ‘communist’, ‘antiAmerican’ or ‘radical leftist’, avoid listening to those lost in mob mentality, look to those instead who are looking out for the most vulnerable.

Words: AditeeA

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Moving Forward: What the Past Year Has Taught Me T

he Covid-19 Pandemic has taught us many things about life and death. In this article, I attempt to list the three most important takeaways for me as a young scientist and part of a family of COVID-19 survivors.

Chapter 1: The Daily Struggle The beeping of ventilators, the constant loud struggle for each breath, and the agony of the frontline workers continued to haunt the hospital walls. It was as if each intubation tested the emotions of the nurses and doctors, and yet, a smile of a recovering patient instilled a sense of hope – and so began the process of an emotional revival!

These past two years have rekindled a need for mental health awareness. The frontline workers, the survivors, their families, and the isolated, silent observers - all underwent an intense emotional struggle to try and see a different world. A world where the value of each breath would not be accompanied by the struggle for oxygen cylinders, a world where the beauty of humanity knows no bounds.

To further elaborate on my mental health awareness in this context, let me share an anecdote. For me, I developed an awareness of my mental health when I was diagnosed with liver tuberculosis during 11th grade. I had to undergo intense antibiotics treatment for one year.

Although the medical treatment assured my physical recovery, the mental scars of the pain remain even today. And hence I know I need to take time out every so often and revive myself and renew my sense of hope.

The world will heal physically, but the survivors who felt the pain, the frontline workers who saw the rampant deaths, and the observers who lived through the alarming numbers and insecurity - all need an emotional revival. We have pushed through the pandemic unaware of the internal mental struggle that has accompanied us subconsciously. The way out of this mental struggle is through the means of exercise, yoga, and active mediation.

In our constantly busy lives, we often forget the effect that movement has on our mental health, and it is crucial that we tap into that to prevent stress in our minds. So, don’t forget to go on a walk or do some yoga occasionally - it will help you revive mentally for the next day.

Chapter 2: A Data Driven World A biological system often relies on positive and negative feedback loops for homeostasis. Thus, an effective way of conducting valuable research is through handling the data received in a manner that allows us to return with a good solution.

Modern biology is incomplete without the integration of technology. That may be its presence in the machines conducting electrophoresis, PCR, or NMR, or its addition to the multiple languages needed to explore life - the genetic code, R, and Python.

As a young researcher, understanding the importance of data management and analysis is key. Without the

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Design & Photography: Robyn Black

extensive global patient data collected over these past two years, we would not be in a place to devise effective vaccines and possible lines of treatment for those in need.

Chapter 3: The Self-Built Future “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” - Marie Curie

In addition to patient data, it will also be interesting to analyse the data of the people who were among the patients and yet didn’t contract the disease. This data will help us get at the core of their immune responses and work on building an ideal model, possibly even identifying daily habits that contribute to their unique immune system.

Most cultures across the world explore the emotion of fear and link it with the idea of the unknown. It is this unexplored area that can make a difference between life and death in a pandemic.

Variability is the only constant when it comes to exploring the multiple aspects of human bodies, and hence building a large database is the only way to look at the bigger picture.

The way ahead lies in exploring new ideas; chemical pathways and protein functionalities that will help us formulate new vaccine technologies, drugs, and therapeutics. As Madame Curie said, “now is the time to understand” the unknowns of life; to use that knowledge as a tool to navigate through the subsequent unknowns effectively.

To allow us to build this ‘ideal model’, we need to feedback the observations we make into the system, every small anomaly. Only then can we consider making an effective and accurate therapeutic model.

Now our eyes turn on labs and fieldwork to make a better equipped tomorrow. By remaining ahead in the race to understand ourselves better we can appreciate the beauty of existence, even after the year we’ve had.

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Words: Hazel Surtees

I B A H V I L V E R ING OUR NAT URA

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ecently, my grandad drove me up to the Cairn O’ Mount - a pile of rocks at the mouth of the Grampian Mountains. My grandad tells me those rocks, the cairn, can be seen from the tiniest sliver of sea that I catch at the bottom of the view, and were used by sailors for navigation.

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Beside us, three other families are parked to admire the view: the fields of Angus and Aberdeen cradled by the hills, unblemished by anything but pines for as far as the eye can see.

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The National History Museum ranked the UK in the global 10% for lack of biodiversity - and in the EU, we rank above only Ireland and Madrid. Our natural landscapes are devoid of wilderness. 15% of our native species are threatened with extinction and our animal populations have fallen by 60% since 1970 according to the National Biodiversity Network.

Unblemished by anything else, no matter how hard I looked. No native tree nor shrub. Only crows circling the air and smudges of dead heather. It was barren.

It’s not as though this desolate landscape benefits us. Deforestation has left gritty soil that is unable to hold water and prone to mudslides. Additionally, through straightening our rivers, damming them, and converting their floodplains to housing estates, they are no longer able to contain the same volume of water. Unsurprisingly, this leads to flooding.

The concept of rewilding - restoring our natural processes and biodiversity - marks a response to what is already an existential crisis: our rural spaces bear no resemblance to the wilderness Scotland has known for centuries. In fact, most of what we consider our ‘natural habitats’ are deeply alien and hostile to our native species.

“75% of our tree cover is forestry plantation, packed dense with firs and little else. “

75% of our tree cover is forestry plantation, packed dense with firs and little else, according to analysis by Rewilding Britain. Our fields are optimised for profit no matter the cost to the environment, leading to soil reliant on artificial fertilizers. The heather marked hills are mostly grouse moors, maintained by estates who profit significantly from shooting season. To preserve this, hillsides are burnt; foxes, stoats and voles trapped; raptors poisoned, amongst countless other crimes against our wilderness.

Scotland’s peatlands are invaluable to humanity for their carbon-storing attributes. The RSPB estimates Scotland’s peatlands hold up to three times more carbon than all the UK’s tree cover - yet they’re threatened by drainage for sport shooting, agriculture, and forestry. They estimate 80% of Scotland’s peatlands are damaged in some form, with evidence that damaged peat bogs release greenhouse gases instead of storing them.

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Design: Becky Mount

Rewilding Britain analysed data from rewilding sites across the country and found a 47% increase in full-time employment over 10 years. The sites had maintained economic activity through rewilding marginal, non-productive land.

Additionally, rewilding had allowed economic diversification and introduced new income through eco-tourism, education, and management of new, specialised livestock, such as native breeds of cattle which mimic the grazing of extinct bison in rewilded ecosystems and can be marketed as premium beef.

This data suggests rewilding may support attempts to halt rural land abandonment - a concept any student in Dundee, who has moved to the city from their rural home, will understand well.

Rewilding can occur through a multitude of methods, most based in reducing human influence on land and allowing nature to take over. Removing grazing sheep from fields can allow native forests to establish themselves, once young seedlings and shoots are no longer under attack from greedy grazers. Introducing

keystone species can revolutionise a habitat, and while wolves may still be off the table, there is room for other charismatic creatures such as beavers, lynx, wild ponies, and the sea eagle. Removing defunct dams and restoring floodplains develops river ecosystems, reduces flooding, and allows movement of the nutrients found inland to the sea.

In truth, when not under constant human stress, nature is a resilient and powerful force, and will quickly start to find an equilibrium, more sustainable and diverse than anything we’ve engineered in the world we currently live in.

By stepping back and allowing nature to grow, we will be a step closer to mitigating the consequences of the climate disaster and developing a world where we all, human, animal, plant, and every small thing in between can live in harmony.

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You may be wondering what the downsides are. What about the farmers who keep the country fed; the rural communities which rely on the timber industry?

Of course presuming the gentry who manage the shooting will be fine.

“Scotland’s peatlands are invaluable to humanity for their carbon-storing attributes. “

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Rewilding, nebulous of a concept as it is, may hold the solutions to all this and more. While the theory of rewilding originated in North America, it is now being called for across the world due to its many benefits.

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Words: Priyasha Bachu, Design: Amy Keir

From Test Tube Babies To Test Tube Pancreas?

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sn’t it funny how an organ the size of your palm can lead to one of the deadliest cancers known to humans? Located at the back of the abdomen and behind the stomach is the pancreas, one of the most important organs in digestion and management of sugar. With a 1% survival rate, pancreatic cancer is still extremely dangerous.

MIT engineers and scientists at Cancer Research UK - Manchester Institute have developed a new way to grow pancreatic ‘organoids’, tiny replicas, using already existing cancerous pancreatic cells. Prior to this breakthrough, the scientists at the institute developed a synthetic gel made of polyethylene glycol, since it doesn’t interact with living cells, and were able to recreate the biochemical and biophysical properties of the matrix that surrounds the tumour in the body.

But once the cancerous pancreatic cells leave the body, they often will lose their cancerous traits. And so a new protocol was developed for the gel and pancreatic cells grew successfully. One of the advantages of this new gel is that it is completely synthetic and can be easily manufactured in a lab.

Mice have a 99% genetically similar structure to humans which makes them the perfect test subjects.

Cancerous pancreatic cells were taken from mice to create organoids, and these were tested in the new microenvironment. Comparing these organoids to tumours in living mice saw that they were identical.

Furthermore, immune cells that normally surround tumours were also able to grow in the created microenvironment. And so the group is ready to take the next step of using pancreatic cancer cells from humans.

This technique could be used widely for studying the mechanism of cancer and how cancer drugs affect the tumour and its microenvironment. The Manchester group also plans on using the new gel to synthesize epithelial cells and to study endometriosis, and hopefully find an area of treatment.

We have come a long way from identifying pancreatic cancer to actually having a shot at curing it. If it’s pancreatic cancer today, what’s next? Could we start synthesizing organs for transplants? The possibilities are endless. But it’s a right step in the right direction and we couldn’t be more happy about it.

Now humans don’t test anything on ourselves first? So another model must be used.

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Words: Zara Findlay, Design: Zhaneta Zhekova

fter this past year’s living indoors, we all need a holiday.

But have you ever thought about travelling 238,855 miles to the Moon?

Rolling grey terrain and an abysslike sky may not sound idyllic to some, but for the modern space race, it seems like the move to the Moon couldn’t happen any sooner.

By 2024 NASA hopes not only to return to the moon but to colonise it with the Artemis Program.

Partnered with SpaceX, the Artemis Program aims to develop hi-tech spacecraft capable of landing humans at the Moon’s South Pole and keeping them there.

Despite the expected issues faced when leaving earth’s atmosphere, we will really be tested when we reach the Moon.

One huge problem is moon dust.

Unfortunately, this is not your

typical ‘makes you sneeze’ dust.

Due to the lack of erosion on the Moon, the dust is sharp and can interfere not only with equipment but with our health, as it is extremely harmful to breathe in.

An effective solution is hopefully coming, but some proposed ideas include protective paint, electron beams and ultrasonic vibrations to remove this dust.

Another problem is light availability.

The poles get the most frequent sunlight, equivalent to about 314 days per year. This keeps the temperature around a pleasant 0°C but the lunar night can get as cold as -173°C. The temperature isn’t our only problem when the sun goes down, because solar panels will be incredibly important energy sources, it’s essential they generate enough energy to outlive the lunar night.

So, if all goes well, what would the

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first ‘alien’ babies ever know? Apart from experiencing a 6th of Earth’s gravity and possibly bland cuisine, sampling, farming, exploring and repair work will fill much of their time. Unfortunately, there will always be enough hours in the day to get work done since the lunar day lasts 354 hours. Farming will supply the crops (human fertilised), and a supply of air, but what about water? Until we extract the ice found under the lunar pole, the water we brought will be recycled.

This adventure will help mankind discover some of the history of our Moon and colonising it would allow humans to venture even further away from our homely blue-green speck. But sadly, it’s not hard to imagine the Moon being exploited for its resources by the wealthy back on Earth.

So, who wants a holiday?

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Travel Tips For Outer Space

Words: Madhupriya Roy

The Cults of Denialism S

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cience denial, which the Hoofnagle brothers of the United States have defined as the use of a persuasive argument to create the illusion of a legitimate debate where none exists, strategy with the aim to reject a theory supported by science, has been pervasive for a long time.

CO P E R N I C U S Science denial goes back to the 16th century when Copernicus established the heliocentric model of the solar system. Copernicus’ theory seemed unbelievable to a lot of religious people and was viewed with suspicion of heresy. Galileo, who supported the Copernican model, faced a stubborn opposition due to the dismissive scepticism of other scientists and religious belief systems. Galileo drew political outrage and was persecuted for his theories. In 1616, cardinal Robert Bellarmine, a denier of Copernicanism, claimed that there was no evidence to support the theory, despite the theory already having been proved by Galileo and Kepler. Copernicus and Galileo were labelled as sinners by the Church because the Bible stated that the Earth was at the centre of the solar system and Copernicanism was fully rejected. Einstein received a political resistance similar to

Copernicus when he established his theory of general relativity as it challenged the long entrenched beliefs of most people. Einstein received many letters from laypeople who claimed to have proved his theory wrong. In a 1920 letter to his friewnd, mathematician Marcel Grossman, Einstein wrote; “The world is a strange madhouse. Currently every coachman and every waiter is debating whether relativity theory is correct. Belief in this matter depends on political party affiliation.”

T H E H O LO C A U ST In 1943, as their defeat in World War II became evident, the Nazis tried to destroy evidence of the Holocaust. Written evidence of the genocide was kept limited by the Nazis, for convenient disposal.

Holocaust deniers share one common trait, that is anti-Semitism

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and they also usually try to validate National Socialism as a successful political movement. Harold Covington, leader of the National Socialist White People’s Party voiced his attitude of denial on July 24, 1996: “Take away the Holocaust and what do you have left?

Without their precious Holocaust, what are the Jews?

Just a grubby little bunch of international bandits and assassins and squatters who have perpetrated the most massive, cynical fraud in human history...”

Famous Holocaust deniers are David Irving - who expressed his pro-Nazi stance in his books; and Opole University lecturer, Dariusz Ratajczak who was convicted of Holocaust denial in Poland.

Among others are Nick Griffin, leader of the far right British National Party, Robert Faurisson -

“It was an internment centre and part of a large-scale manufacturing complex.

Synthetic fuel was produced there, and its inmates were used as a workforce.”

C L I M AT E C H A N G E According to Adrian Bardon of the North Carolina Policy Watch; “… many Americans deny the reality and severity of climate change. A majority deny the

evolution of human beings by natural selection.”

John Shimkus, the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Economy claimed that reducing CO2 emissions would mean reducing plant food from the atmosphere, pervasive in American politics such as Oklahoma senator, James Inhofe, Member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Mo Brooks and the former chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Joe Barton.

COV I D - 1 9 Out of many of Trump’s infamous ‘untruths’ during the Covid-19 crisis, one that seems to most clearly voice his denial of the pandemic is: “With the fake news, everything is COVID, COVID, COVID”. Masses of pandemic deniers did not wear masks,

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flouted social distancing rules, showed indignation and outrage, threatening to file lawsuits when asked to follow Covid-19 guidelines.

The fear of disease and the side effects of the whooping cough vaccine gave rise to a community of science deniers called Dissatisfied Parents Together (DPT) in 1982 which then became the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), an organization that still exists today and is known to spread misinformation about vaccines.

Manipulation of facts, especially scientific facts, to drive political agenda has been employed by political figures for a very long time.

In the mass media, claims such as ‘AIDS is not caused by HIV’, or ‘the world was created in 4004 BCE’ or ‘cancer is not caused by smoking’ etc. exist so as to target deniers who build their faith through cherry-picking evidence.

Research and education are the best techniques to help disrupt this cycle of denialism.

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- removed from his teaching position for denying the Holocaust; and Albert Szabo and István Győrkös in Hungary.

Polish National Rebirth is an organization that spreads misinformation about the Holocaust. In its periodical, Szczerbiec in 1997, it published the following information about Auschwitz in the most insensitive manner:

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20th November

RAG SCAVENGER HUNT Take part in the city scavenger hunt and compete for amazing prizes with other people.

24th November

SELF-CARE FAIR As part of Minds Matter month, DUSA will be holding its famous Self-Care Fair. Come and see!

25th November

COFFEE CATCH-UP Take a break from university work and enjoy socialising with your peers over a coffee.