Issue 99, The Stag (University of Surrey Student Magazine)

THE

2021

ISSUE 99

JAN

STAG

BLACK LIVES VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE MATTER DISABILITIES The attainment gap at Surrey and beyond p.14

How one student copes with the nuances of both p.10

PHUBBING The phenomenon that’s affecting us all p.33

Yasmin Norvill Editor-in-Chief

Charlotte West Deputy Editor

Pete Ferguson Deputy Editor

Roisin McCarthy

Clarisse Fullerton Sports Editor

Darcey Cleary Head of Design

Hannah Gravett Features Editor

Maudlyn Nwagwu

Russell Sherrard Smith Politics Editor

Patrick Hope

Bethany Stone Head of Art

Francis Cousins Webmaster

Irene Garcia News Editor

Sustainability Editor

Lily Pearce Culture Editor

Leon Lynn

Head of Marketing

Head of Photography

Science & Tech Editor

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Contents.

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University Is Only As Good As You Make It Exploring the Finstagram Phenomenon Under The Skin: What You Don’t See The Rise of The Midsize Community Closing The Gaps

FEATURES

CULTURE 18 20 22

Revealing Guildford’s Secret Music Scene Reboots: For Better Or Worse?

Women In Gymnastics

SPORTS

POLITICS 24 26 28

Who Are Men’s Rights Activisits And Why Should We Care?

Biden Has Won - But America Can’t Be Fixed Overnight The Arts Are Important, And The Government Is Killing Them

SCIENCE 30 33 36

Ocean Acidification - Why You Need To Pay Attention The Phenomenon Of Phubbing: Psychology Vs. Smartphones Is It Possible For Space Travel To Be Truly Sustainable

SUSTAINABILITY 38 40

The Complex Issue Of Eco Privilege And The Green Economy Sustainable Fashion Is A Feminist Issue 3 THE STAG MAGAZINE

At present, being a student means living in complete uncertainty.

Between the weekly changes in government guidelines and the move to online university, it truly feels as if we are trapped in a state of limbo. Over the duration of the pandemic, students have found themselves continuously subjected to unfair judgements and scapegoating.

While the media and the government paint an unjust picture of us, we have shown enormous resilience and have continued our studies all while juggling the hardships of the past eleven months.

In truth, I have never been prouder to be a student than I have been as President of The Stag.

Over the past year, I have read and edited stories that have equally made me laugh out loud and brought me to tears. We are not merely a homogenous group of students but individual people all with our own experiences and opinions. Issue 99 is emblematic of that fact. It showcases the real depth of what it actually means to be a student in 2021, the

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issues that impact our lives and the topics we truly care about. There has never been a greater time to write about the things that matter to you.

The Stag is and will always be your platform.

As always, I am tremendously grateful for our growing team who have consistently offered their precious time to build The Stag into what it has become. In particular, a huge thank you to all the incredible new writers we welcomed aboard last semester (some of whom were published for the very first time!). Our year may have had to deviate from our original plan but nonetheless, we are striving to bring you the best content we can muster both online and in print.

I wish you all a happy and safe semester two and I look forward to bringing you our biggest and best 100th issue later this year.

At The Stag we are passionate about promoting artists we know our readers would love. Our Sunday column, ‘Centre Staged’, brings you exciting interviews with amazing artists both on the rise and well-known. Head over to our website to read interviews with British stars Bastille, and rising Surrey alumni, Dutch Criminal Record plus many more!

If you would like to have the opportunity to interview a band, get in touch at ussu. thestag@surrey.ac.uk

It’s Not Too Late To Get Involved At The Stag, we’re always looking for new writers, designers, photographers, and artists to join our growing team. Whether you are a novice or experienced, would like to be a regular member or just have a one-off contribution - we welcome you to get involved with our magazine.

We know the past few months have been tricky and we’re sure you have something to say about it, drop us an email at ussu. thestag@surrey.ac.uk or contact the editors directly to get your voice heard.

Contributors:

The Stag Online Keep up-to-date with Surrey’s official magazine by following us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (@thestagsurrey).

You will find our latest articles, our society’s socials, as well as future events and opportunities.

We also update our website multiple times a week with the latest news, features, and student opinions; if you want to know what’s happening on campus, check The Stag out online: www.thestagsurrey.co.uk

Writers:

Alice Brooks Bethany Burns Daisy Carrington Michal Frackowiak Betsy Goodfellow Isobel Kavanagh Bethany Moore Nduka Nduka-Eze Isabel Rolfe Rachel Quick

Designers:

Clarisse Fullerton - Creative Director Chanel Squire Emily Wootton

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F E AT U R E S

University is Only as Good as You Make It: Tips and Tricks for Getting Through This Socially Distanced Year

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s for many students up and down the country, my first term of university has so far involved far more hand sanitizer than I could ever have predicted. Sixth form’s Class of 2020 was stolen by the coronavirus, leaving us without the usual parties, proms or tearful end-of year ceremonies to make up for it. So, when the government assured us that university would be largely back to normal

by September, many felt cautiously optimistic.

A few months later, as I sat at my desk to watch my first online lecture of the year, I wondered what had happened to this hope that we could still have the traditional uni 6 THE STAG MAGAZINE

Univer s ity s tudents have been at t h e hear t of this pandemic, Dais y Ca r r i ng t on offer s an uplifting voice for e ve r yo n e at Univer s ity throug h her pos iti ve t i p s to ens ure we s till make the most o f o u r academic year. experience. It had become obvious by September that big, boozy nights out weren’t going to happen - unless your idea of a big night involves a 10pm curfew and a face mask, that is. And yet, the more I thought about the experiences that we were missing, bizarrely, the freer I felt. Although I was losing out on a fair few rites of passage, I was also being given a rare opportunity to be able to manage my time however I wanted (COVID restrictions aside).

Whilst it’s been a challenge, I’ve had a great time doing it. With that in mind, here are my tips for creating a perfectly imperfect university life:

1.

Keep in touch with old friends as well as making new ones.

University is a great place to make new friends, and I’ve met some brilliant people since starting at Surrey, but that doesn’t mean we need to give up on old friendships. I’ve heard lots of people say that they lost touch with their school friends once

they started university, but I didn’t want this to be the case for me. If you can’t regularly go home to visit friends and family, a quick phone call or even a text will help keep homesickness at bay. I find it helpful to be able to spend some time with the people I know and trust after a week of meeting exciting new people - it injects some familiarity into a time that feels very new and unknown.

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Get involved with societies.

When I was choosing which university to go to, I would roll my eyes at the suggestion of joining societies. It was only once I’d been to Freshers’ Fair that I realised there was such a wide range of fun societies here at Surrey - too many to get involved with them all, but I’ve certainly tried! And it’s a great way to meet people that you wouldn’t ever meet otherwise - I’ve made friends who are studying courses I didn’t even know existed! While socialising is undeniably harder this year, in this strange world of virtual meetups, some societies are still holding meetings in person and I would definitely recommend trying some of these out.

Most societies accept new members year-round, so it’s not too late to get involved. Even if it’s not something you would usually do, you have nothing to lose by going along to a session!

3.

Get involved in activities not run by the university.

There is always so much going on at the university, even with social distancing limitations, that it would be possible to never venture beyond campus, but sometimes we all need a break from university life. Admittedly, this year it is harder, when most things are either online or just not going ahead, but if you do your research you should still be able to find something to suit you. The Guildford Book Festival still took place this October, holding events at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre just a 10-minute walk from the university. If that’s not your thing, the Guildford Spectrum is a great place for those who like to keep fit, with an ice rink, swimming pool (with diving boards) and a bowling alley.

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Begin looking into career opportunities.

As an English Literature student, I went into my degree knowing that the job market is competitive, and after reading all the headlines in the news about unemployment, I realised that I wanted to have at least a vague plan for life after university. Hybrid learning gave a rare opportunity to let me do some research into careers, allowing me to complete my lectures whenever I want and use the rest of my time to join online events – something I doubt I would have done in any other year. Doing this is completely different to what I’m used to, but I’m finding that it’s paying off, and it has actually been quite fun! So far, I’ve developed an interest in possibly teaching English abroad or even pursuing a postgraduate degree in sustainability - two things that I’d never considered before and probably never would have done had I not began to get involved in so many of the university’s career events.

“Hybrid learning gave a rare opportunity to let me do some research into careers” Of course, these tips are ways that I’ve shaped my own experience, so while I hope that they’re helpful, they might sound like the kinds of things you’d never want to do. And that’s fine - if there’s one thing I’ve learned in 2020, it’s that putting yourself first is the most important thing you can do. Just remember, university is only as good as you make it, and this is no truer than in getting through this less-than-ideal year.

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FEATURES

Exploring the Finstagram Phenomenon:

‘It’s A Girl Thing?!’

Growing up in the age of social media has changed us as a generation. Whether your first platform was MySpace, MSN, Facebook or Instagram, our adolescence was dominated by this advancement in technology that altered the way we connect with one another, for better or worse.

Social media grants us the ability to share anything with anyone, at any time, but in recent years there has been an increased awareness of the impact that this heightened connection can have. It’s not just LinkedIn where our profiles must radiate professionalism anymore; Instagram and Twitter are also creating employability opportunities, as well as sparking romantic endeavors and building new friendships.

Understandably, this has caused users to seek out more subtle ways to share their lives.

Enter: Finstagram (‘fake Instagram’), a private account that typically has less than 50 followers combined of the user’s closest friends. It is a place to share favourite memes, the outtakes from group photos, nude - or semi-nude - selfies, emotional outpourings, and so much more.

For many it becomes an ‘online diary’, ideal to document and remember one’s life, and share it with their friends.

Speaking with Surrey student, Imogen Nichols, 21, she stated that her initial reasoning for setting 8 THE STAG MAGAZINE

Having a constant influx of social media, it has its positives and negative effects on society. Charlotte West reveals the new way to share our lives...the Finstagram. up a Finstagram was to “share the messy things I got up to or funny stories. I feel like when [women are] growing up we’re constantly told we need to be ‘ladylike’ and I definitely think that continues as we grow up but just in different ways. I think sometimes people see a girl who is a mess on a night out and are like ‘oh ew what a state’ but if it was a guy they’d just laugh about it.”

Finstagrams are primarily owned by young women (“It’s a girl thing”, as famously sang by the Bratz franchise), suggesting that the space provides an opportunity to truly show the multifaceted aspects of their personality. This is surely a reflection on the intense pressure on women to constantly perform, both on and offline, and an expectation to always be their ‘best selves’.

Finstagram becomes a place to breath; a nonjudgemental sphere for women to laugh at themselves in the best way possible.

In a similar vein, while young men may not need the Finsta platform in order to share

FEATURES their less-than aesthetic photos due to the lower standards of ‘perfection’ for men, it is interesting that they are less likely to have these accounts.

Other than sharing ‘messy’ photos, Finstagrams are renowned for being a space for individuals to overshare. Whether going through a breakup or struggling at university, long captions and teary Instagram Stories become the norm. Therefore, in our patriarchal society, where toxic masculinity still reigns supreme, it seems even a private and secluded space is not an acceptable platform for men to share their emotions. The vulnerability associated with these accounts is too effeminate for the boundaries of masculinity, implying they are ‘unacceptable’ for men to use.

James Greig noted in an article for i-D, “however endemic the practice [of oversharing] may be, it’s still usually thought of as a bad thing. We criticise the people who overshare as narcissists or attention seekers.” Maybe this judgement is understandable if the oversharing is done on a public profile, where it is mutual friends, vague acquaintances, or even strangers who are suddenly able to know the ins and outs of your emotional wellbeing. The difference with Finstagram is that it is a mutual space where both the account creator and their followers have agreed to be subjected to the highs and lows of their life - however frequently those moments may be shared. In this context, can emotional outpourings even be considered as oversharing, if this private space was always intended to be ‘a mess’?

There are levels to oversharing; in real life conversations there are certain friendships where you frequently have DMCs (Deep Meaningful Chats), and others that remain more surface level.

In the online space, even on an especially curated follower list, there is little way of distinguishing between these variations in friendships. As a result, maybe the nuances of sharing our lives online can never fully be achieved - not even in the selected privacy of Finstagram.

However, this judgement of online oversharing is problematic when it is often women that overshare online. Perhaps the stigma surrounding oversharing emerges from society’s habit of dismissing women’s pain, both physical and mental. Is the ‘Overdramatic Instagram Personality’ the new ‘Madwoman in the Attic’?

In spite of this stigma, for many, Finstagram acts as a way of coping with poor mental health; it

becomes a void to vent, without there necessarily being any repercussions from what the user may share.

“other than sharing ‘messy’ photos, finstagrams are renowned for being a space for individuals to overshare” This is even more crucial for queer, non-binary or transgender folk who may only feel safe, or ready, to share their ‘true selves’ in the sheltered space of a private account. The location of Finstagram within the online world then becomes vital for these communities; it grants them an escapism from the stereotypical expectations that permeate the main Instagram platform.

Ultimately, we have grown up sharing our lives on social media, and so it is unlikely that will change any time soon. Finstagram allows people to exist; not performatively to a big audience, but authentically for their close friends and, most importantly, for themselves.

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F E AT U R E S

Under the Skin:

What You Don’t See As society often forgets the existence of invisible disabilities, Isobel Kavanagh shares her experiences and spreads awareness for both sides of disability.

Like girls are to nightclub toilets, autoimmune diseases often show up hand in hand. I’ve been dealt two of them: psoriasis, and its obnoxious cousin, psoriatic arthritis.

In many cases, psoriasis is genetic, although for me it developed as a result of stress when Iwas ten. My Dad left, I relocated to the UK, new school, nasty girls (all the usual clichés), when red, scaly patches appeared all over my body from my scalp to my toes—it wasn’t pretty.

These scales are called plaques and are a result of my skin turnover happening far too quickly; seven times too quickly, to be precise.

Healthy cells are attacked and the skin ends up hot, sore and red as rhubarb. Sometimes the plaques budge with medicines with that have nasty names and scary side effects. Other times they’re stubborn and don’t budge at all.

Over a million people suffer from psoriasis in the UK, but often those who come across my plaques are encountering them for the first time. Arthritis, on the other hand, is a disease which people seem to have a greater understanding of.

They’ve heard of it, at least. To put it bluntly, there are mornings where it feels like I’ve been hit by a bus. Walking, jar opening, and many other everyday things we 10 THE STAG MAGAZINE

do without even thinking about suddenly become unattainable; inconceivable.

And yet I do it. I walk and I kneel and I tie my shoelaces and try to keep up with everyone else because I don’t want to be different. I don’t want to have to be helped, though sometimes I really need an extra hand. Occasionally, I drop my pot noodle on the floor because my feeble fingers won’t do their job and grip; then my knees are crying out and so am I and it all seems like rather too much of a hullabaloo for a twenty-year-old girl who looks completely fine. Because I do look completely fine.

“

Over a million people suffer from psoriasis

Most articles and insights into living with illnesses or disabilities aim to do the same thing: to better the understanding for others.

And my aims are no different.

My health enables me to look at life with disability from two perspectives: both the visible and the invisible. I hope that, while my experiences will obviously not cover those of everyone who lives with disability, I can make a fair contribution to the conversation surrounding inclusion.

I’ll start with my skin, and my experience with looking different.

When my skin is bad, it can be an unnerving sight. People stare, and I don’t blame them for doing so. I have been in situations where strangers have questioned my right to enter a public place for fear of my spreading an infectious illness. Measles, they think.

Shingles, perhaps. I once had a very concerned lady ask me, with a face of genuine horror, if the hundreds of red clusters that covered me were the work of the world’s most incessant mosquito. While we’re on the subject, psoriasis is not at all contagious. It is entirely to do with one’s immune system, and only presents itself on the body’s exterior.

But I’ve had cashiers ask me about it, teachers, children, Greek locals on the beach... the list goes on and really, it’s OK. Some have more tact than others, but generally, I know I would be contradicting myself if I used this space to encourage education and then turned my nose up when someone asked me to explain.

Psoriasis isn’t a disability, per se. But it limits me from doing things in the same way everyone else does. Bras can hurt like hell, as can waistbands and sunglasses.

Exercise is always a

drama. Certain fabrics can itch, chlorine is never a good idea and alcohol and tobacco leave me sore and aching the following morning.

The general consensus for the feeling is like a Fire Ant bite—not my words, but pretty accurate, I must say.

By contrast, arthritis is invisible.

The response is quite different, for nobody knows it is there.

With the exception of the age-old misconception that arthritis should only affect the elderly, people don’t tend to notice my slight limp on bad days, or that my fingers are swollen. Unlike my skin, I don’t have to tailor outfits to suit my joints or lather myself in moisturiser that smells of stale potatoes. With invisible disabilities, I really want to highlight the assumptions that are made in public. Sometimes I struggle with stairs and although I might trot across restaurant floors fairly daintily, it is a lot more comfortable for me to use a disabled toilet.

When faced with the odd sneer, I can’t help but think, nobody wants to walk around with a big sign that reads ‘I STRUGGLE WITH STAIRS’ around their neck, do they?

The reactions often differ. But seeing both sides of disability, both the very visible and the very invisible, I have noticed one key similarity. Oftentimes, it’s clear that stinging comments and the tonedeaf questions don’t come from a place of malice. Both responses come from one universal deficit— education.

However, things are going in the right direction. I was touched and impressed to learn of the university’s Sunflower initiative.

For those of you that missed its introduction, students can now pick up a variety of floral

F E AT U R E S merchandise; lanyards, cards and more that symbolise your need for a little extra help, time and space.

I don’t always wear the flowers, though I know when it is a bad day and I need to use a lift or disabled toilet so I won’t have a humiliating judgement made by somebody on my way out. The sunflowers can be collected at multiple points around campus, including MySurrey Hive, Stag Hill Reception at Senate House, and Manor Park Reception.

By shedding some light on my experiences, I hope to encourage you to be mindful. Remember that you never know somebody’s situation or limitations. If you need a reminder, go and stand at the foot of one of the many student accommodation blocks around here. Look at the square windows, at the different colours of light inside; look at the books and mugs and snacks stacked in the windowsill. Wonder what fills the photo frame that faces inward and remember that each little square holds someone who’s life is just as complex as yours. We might all sit squashed, masked up and unsmiling on trains and at checkouts, but it’s worth remembering the abundance of idiosyncrasy that surrounds us.

Some people have challenges that you won’t know or understand.

Whether you can see them or not, try to consider them. Inclusion isn’t that difficult, but it really does do a whole world of good.

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F E AT U R E S

Feel-Good The age of social-media, Bethany Moore discusses the ways in which our Instagram feed can promote happiness and body-confidence admist the midsize community online.

The Rise of the Midsize Community: Curating a Feel-Good Feed

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have always been an avid Instagram user. I loved the idea that you could create an aesthetically pleasing collage of your life, whilst also engaging in the lives of others’.

But there was a period in my life when my became quite a toxic place, as I subconsciously compared my life to the rose-tinted feeds of people that I didn’t even know. If you’re going through a rough time with your self-esteem or mental health, this comparison to perfectly curated Instagram accounts (that often are not indicative of real life) is only going to enhance those feelings of inadequacy.

However, 2020 became the year that Instagram transformed into a positive and uplifting place for me upon my discovery of the midsize community.

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The general consensus as to what constitutes ‘midsize’ is a UK size 12-16, but more broadly the term has come to represent anyone who struggles to fit well into clothes designed for the ‘standard’ body type and who also doesn’t quite fit into the ‘plus size’ category.

Size 16 is the average size for women in the UK, and yet this bracket is under-represented in the media and under-catered for in the fashion industry; the midsize community of Instagram has emerged to bring awareness to this, rebel against it, and create a sense of belonging for other average sized girls.

I found the midsize community through a creator named Abi (@midsizegal) who is one of many incredible midsize fashion micro-influencers. If you are a woman of any size you will know the utter pain of high street sizing; you might need to buy one size in one shop, and two or three sizes bigger in another – but, on top of this issue, certain brands do not design with curves in mind, even in the bigger sizes. Abi’s account is all about showing how to style certain trends on a midsize body and share which brands truly cater to curvy bodies; she then created the hashtag #MidsizeGals to encourage others to do the same.

I am someone who has been self-conscious about my body for my entire life and have avoided wearing the

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d Feel-G clothes I liked because I thought they would not look right on my body. As a result, finding accounts like Abi’s was such an inspiration to me and slowly started to give me more and more confidence to wear whatever I wanted, and feel good in it.

The more I continued to explore the community, the more I realised it is so much bigger than just fashion.

As I began to follow more and more accounts, my feed soon became flooded with so much positivity; messages of self-love, discussions on normalising the parts of our bodies that society has conditioned us to deem ugly, and an abundance of kindness and boosting up of one another. Since becoming a part of the midsize-gang myself, I have received so much support and have met many amazing people that inspire me and have helped me on my own mental health and self-love journey (such a cliché, but it’s true!).

However, with an ever-growing public space on somewhere like Instagram, negativity is always going to rear its ugly head, and this community is not entirely free from its own problems. One of the issues with labelling a category of bodies in this way is that it implies that you either fit within the criteria for it, or you don’t. I have witnessed women being told that they are ‘too large’ to call themselves midsize, and that

they should ‘just accept that they are plus size’ (which seems somewhat fatphobic to me). I have also seen slim women get hate for talking about their insecurities, saying that this is ‘insensitive’ to larger women, being told they are ‘too skinny’ to be midsize and are trying to get in on something that is not made for them.

The importance of terms like midsize lies with the idea that someone who may never have seen representation for their specific body type will be able to find a sense of belonging, but these terms should never be used to exclude someone or put them down. While midsize creators are there to raise their voices to normalise their body type, the message behind the movement remains one of lifting up anyone and everyone no matter what they look like. In this ever-growing community, the vast majority of the people I have encountered have no intention of making this an exclusive club, and jump at the chance to boost up people of all body types.

The negative comments discussed are truly not representative of the wider midsize movement, but it is still disheartening to come across them. To combat that negativity, I find that is has been so important to follow not only the girls in the midsize community that I now feel are a relatable category for me, but also to engage with a diverse range of creators of all shapes and sizes.

I think that we should all be curating a feed that is a constant reminder that all bodies have insecurities, all bodies are powerful, all bodies are worthy, and people of all bodies deserve to love themselves.

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FEATURES

CLOSING THE GAPS From social media to global movements, the world has come out to support the black community. Nduka Nduka-Eze offers a reflective and inspiring voice on the issue of racial inequality. Turn over to read more...

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FEATURES

The current socio-political climate has brought forth a wave of attention on issues faced by the black community. As though orchestrated by a sort of global hive mind, organisations have come out to show support for black communities; members of the public from all races have marched side by side in solidarity against police brutality; and certain members of the Hollywood elite displayed their exceptional talent in the sensational rendition; Je prends la responsabilitĂŠ.

I

n various forms, there have been calls to purpose, for organisations and individuals alike, to show support to black people across the globe.

Many of my peers at Surrey University have come to a political awakening. They have made it their duty to educate their peers on racial issues on social media. They have also kept their followers up to date on prevalent humanitarian crises in the world, and written pieces of their various experiences living in the diaspora.

The current dialogue on racial inequality shows a renewed interest, by a usually apathetic public, in the socio-political issues affecting them. Although there is a lot of talk on what we want to see get done, there is very little debate and difference in opinion on how we get there. In order to truly solve the most difficult problems of our time, we had better not simply take whatever course of action seems most popular at the moment- rather we must be able to ask all the difficult questions and make a dispassionate analysis of the facts.

Only then will the best solutions become clear.

This article does not serve as a report on racial disparities, neither is it a declaration of what policies should be taken or not taken. Rather it is a reflection on how we tend to look at these differences as well as an attempt at offering a better approach which will in turn aid us in devising more effective solutions.

In the University of Surrey there is a significant attainment gap between black and white students. Similar differences are found across

the top universities in the UK. But what do these disparities tell us? For us to put forth effective measures in reducing these gaps, we need to be able to study the various factors that contribute to the degrees students obtain.

The problem is these factors are so difficult to study due to the intentional line-blurring of student performance based on ethnicity. In Surrey, prior to the attainment gap report released by the former Vice-President Voice, Ajay Ajimobi, there was no statistical reporting on black student performance. All the relevant reporting on student performance based on race compare the outcomes of white and ‘BAME’ students. It is impossible to get a clear picture with this sort of reporting, as various ethnic groups, that perform very differently and face very different issues, are jumbled up. The resulting information is hence useless.

Then again these disparities have been better studied by various sources for years now and universities have put forth lots of effort into reducing them. Yet, when we look at the results in terms of gaps, we see progress, but at a slow rate.

Part of the reason for this is that universities do not exist in a vacuum. They are not the root cause of the disparities themselves as they operate within the larger society. The socio-economic issues uniquely affecting black students place constraints on the outcomes these students eventually get at the end of their programs. For example, students of any race who come from families with little generational wealth are more likely to drop out 15 THE STAG MAGAZINE

of their university programs, regardless of the policies the universities have in place. Knowing nearly half of all black-headed households, in the UK, are in poverty, negative educational outcomes should come as no surprise. The disenchanting reality is that there will be no easy or short-term fixes.

Knowing this, two questions come to mind. What are the steps black students must take in order to ensure success in the university right now, regardless of the external constraints? The second is, how can we students affect change in the larger social sphere, knowing this will be a long-term process?

Any group that focuses and relies entirely on what others may do for them is hence restricted by what others may do for them. The presence of racism or economic disparities does not negate this. If we study the fields where black people dominate like music and athletics, we will find that our success in these sectors is not simply a function of the lack of racism in these areas.

Rather it is the result of our undeniable talent and interest in pursuing success in these areas, and a culture that has followed which inspires a greater percentage of our youth to continue competing in these industries.

“The more educated we are, the more equipped we are, in making the right political decisions�

While the above holds true, the effort an individual makes to succeed is impeded or aided by the society he or she exists in. So how do we students effectively affect change in the larger society? University campuses have a great culture of activism and hence a lot of students who are usually apathetical towards politics are kept engaged with the politics going on in the wider society. Campus activism in the form of peaceful protests and signing petitions work as they give 16 THE STAG MAGAZINE

students the ability to hold authority accountable and make their voices heard.

However, in order to affect permanent long-term changes, a less spoken about approach is needed. Far too many individuals take part in political warfare without having a proper understanding of policies and their effects. The most important thing is education.

The more educated we are, the more equipped we are, in making the right political decisions. Keep in mind that when I say education, I do not simply mean reading books about how all whites are inherently racist or others of that nature. Such reads only serve to profit off of the moral grievances of black people, create more division based on pseudointellectual arm-chair theories, and offer no real utilitarian solutions on how we might achieve concrete success in the actual world.

Without in-depth knowledge, how else can one determine what policies are truly beneficial? Other than what they sound like on paper, what are the incentives they create? What are the indirect consequences? What are the justifications for preferential race policies other than their obvious intentions in helping marginalised groups? In the US, policies like affirmative action aimed at increasing diversity on campuses, have brought more black students into universities, but have not closed the racial attainment gaps. Part of the reason for this is that in order to get a predetermined composition of students based on their race, certain groups must be admitted at higher standards of entry relative to others.

The consequence of this is that there is a greater percentage of higher performing students in some races

relative to others, which in turn leads to certain races attaining a higher number of preferable degrees. In various universities, racial quotas have been pushed in order to increase the diversity of staff on campus.

The strategic implementation of such quotas for staff in departments like mental health, where feeling represented can have major positives, is a good idea. I am not convinced however, that a selection criterion of lecturers in highly competitive academic fields, based on their race, is a remotely smart approach.

Furthermore, racial quotas have overwhelmingly helped already well off, well-educated black adults seeking positions, as institutions are incentivised to pick token black faces to showcase their diverse culture. However, this serves to distract us from the root causes that keep a greater number of black people in disadvantaged positions in the first place. Popular top down policies such as these, attempt to reshuffle societal outcomes without any analysis on the factors contributing to the disparities in the first place and basically serve to paint up a broken kettle.

Bottom-up studies that look at the differences in educational outcomes within the different black communities making up the diaspora are often helpful as race is controlled and we are, hence, able to study other key variables that are often overlooked.

If the key variables are not addressed, those disparities will eventually re-emerge. A

well-functioning society should focus on creating equal amounts of opportunity whilst addressing the root causes of the negative disparities.

Diversifying our knowledge base and encouraging debate within a wide range of viewpoints also helps to sharpen our insight on the socio-economic issues affecting our communities. Black students typically only look in one direction for political and economic advice, delving deeper and deeper into our self-reaffirming echo chambers. As we are less critical of certain ideas than others, we become susceptible to being manipulated by organisations and politicians that spout the common tropes simply to purchase our support, without considering if they truly benefit us or not. As Noam Chomsky writes in The Common Good, “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum”.

Finally, I believe there is a case for some optimism.

Black students have indeed made stunning progress overtime considering blacks started further behind.

Between 2013 and 2018 the percentage of black students achieving first class or 2:1 degrees increased by 10.7 percentage points, much higher than their white counterparts who increased by 7.7 percentage points.

Progress such as this is hardly spoken about. This is so because, when discussing the progress black people in the UK have made, we typically speak in terms of gaps.

When we speak in terms of comparisons without any context of the trend overtime, all the progress made becomes non-existent. For example, the previous point raised can also be represented as; “in 2013 there was a 26.4 percentage point gap between white and black students, five years later in 2018 that gap has only dropped to 23.4 percentage points”.

History is filled with examples of minority groups, which have suffered routine discrimination and even violence, rising to affluence through focusing on entrepreneurship and education. Whilst we hold authorities to account, as it is the leaders of society, who have the greatest influence over needed structural change through policy making, the burden of responsibility also lies with us, black individuals, as we have the greatest influence over the culture we promote and the industries we choose to venture into.

This article was first published on our website in August, to read the full piece, with links to sources and more information, visit our website https://www. thestagsurrey.co.uk/closing-the-gaps/ 17 THE STAG MAGAZINE

CULTURE

REVEALING GUILDFORD Leon Lynn explores the rich and varied roots of music in Guildford, and what the scene is like today.

Guildford, and the university it harbours, is a special place. Not just because it longs to become a city (we have a cathedral, don’t you know?), but because of its large cultural influence both nationally and internationally.

Now, I apologise for misleading, this “secret” music scene isn’t exactly shrouded in mystery.

However, like Guildford’s undeniable shaping of the games industry, the town still lives and breathes a rich musical history and very few students at our university realise this.

The importance of Guildford’s music scene notably began in the late sixties, when British Rock ‘n’ Roll was exploding internationally (this article isn’t all loud guitars, hold on for the end!).

A little-known band called the New Yardbirds changed their name and booked a show at the University of Surrey’s then-Battersea campus to prepare for the studio. Their new name, you ask? Led Zeppelin. Their first gig as Led Zeppelin was the 25th of October 1968, in the Great Hall at the old campus, which has since been demolished. The 50th anniversary saw our university award guitarist and founder Jimmy Page an honorary Doctor of the University degree for his service to music. You may have heard they played at University Hall, but the Stag Hill Campus was not the sole campus until 1970, and Manor Park didn’t exist until the early 2000s.

However, one band which did grace University Hall was trailblazing rock band, The Who. On the 9th of October 1971, The Who played a secret 600-ticket show, exclusively for Surrey students, to warm up for their upcoming US tour. A few years later, an obscure punk-rock 18 THE STAG MAGAZINE

band called the Guildford Stranglers formed and played their first gig at the centuries-old pub The Star. They continued to play in Guildford, changed their name to The Stranglers and moved onto larger tours and musical acclaim. The Stranglers are now recognised as one of the longest surviving bands to have originated during the UK punk scene. When The Star was almost banned from hosting live music in 2019, The Stranglers supported the pub, even returning to unveil a commemorative plaque of their first gig, provided by PRS for Music, and play yet another gig.

Guildford’s links to classic rock and the subsequent alternative music scene today are evident in the frequent vinyl sales on the cobblestones; Ben’s Collectors Records Store at Tunsgate, the internetfamous Andertons Co. music store, and the live music scene itself. While currently stifled by the pandemic, the scene is still alive, kicking, and ready for revival. While Ed Sheeran was the last big name from Guildford, studying at the local Academy of Contemporary Music before leaving for a touring opportunity (that I think we can all agree paid off), the local scene has constantly seen fresh and interesting bands come from and into Guildford.

This is partly because the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) brings an endless stream of eager musicians here, partly through Guildford’s rich history, and partly through the large selection of supportive venues around the town. The Star, and other

CULTURE

’S SECRET MUSIC SCENE pubs, do allow student bands and almost anyone else to perform, but the main jewel in Guildford’s live music crown is The Boileroom. Part tattoo parlour, part Italian restaurant, part arcade, part comedy venue, part bar, part music venue, and ten minutes from The Friary, The Boileroom has become the centre of Guildford’s current music scene. It constantly attracts student bands, and they are even planning to run restricted shows soon; if you feel comfortable, I suggest looking through and see what catches your eye.

“...the town still lives and breathes a rich musical history...”

Notable student bands to have recently come out of Guildford include Dirty Rose, an ACM-graduate classic rock band, and Bearshoe, a fun punk band who played the university lake this Freshers’ week.

Both have performed at The Boileroom and are just a slice of what the venue has to offer.

Guildford’s fame and The Boileroom’s popularity have attracted bands from around the country.

Notable small performers include Brighton-born rock band Yonaka, and Welsh metalcore band Dream State. Yonaka were since taken on tour by metalcore giants Bring Me The Horizon in 2018, and now have original music in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Netflix series Warrior Nun, and Amazon Prime series The Flash. Dream State has since won the Kerrang! award for Best British Breakthrough Act. On the softer side are Boileroom regulars Somerset-hailing China Bears, a personal favourite that always put on a good show.

As promised, The Boileroom doesn’t just accept rock bands and has featured both smaller artists and established musicians of many genres.

Upcoming acoustic indie-pop internet star Orla Gartland played there in 2019 and Ed Sheeran gave an intimate gig in 2011. The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Bastille, Foals and The Magic Gang are among the big names that have recently played at the venue. Alongside this, The Boileroom nurtures new talent through The Project, a monthly youth music showcase giving emerging artists a platform. Other events like the upcoming multi-sensory art experience 100 Watt Club: The Art Parlour, or regular comedy guests Kick Back Comedy Club are also fantastic additions. Various nationwide bands are constantly added to The Boileroom’s line-up even now. Both the Boileroom and University of Surrey’s BandSoc have created Spotify playlists showcasing the local scene, named ‘#14yearsofBoileroom’ and ‘Guildford Music Scene’ respectively. They’re a great way to safely hear local bands from the comfort of your home or university flat.

So, now you know. Guildford has a claim to fame rivalling its cathedral, and a music scene alive even during the pandemic. I hope I piqued your interest to explore the musical landmarks and the local scene digitally or physically, and I wish you all the best in finding your next favourite band, or even joining the scene yourself.

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CULTURE

REBOOTS:

FOR BETTER OR WORSE? Rachel Quick discusses what makes a reboot effective, and how diversity in reboots can promote inclusivity.

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t is 2015. You are in the queue for the newly released Jurassic World film, and most likely you are in one of two positions. Either you are excited to see where your favourite franchise will be taken next by a new creative team, or you are saying “let it die.” I admit that I leant towards the latter. There have been plenty of franchises being revived in recent years, including the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters and 2020’s Scoob! These reboots raise an interesting question: how much do older franchises need to adapt for the current generation?

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Scoob! for example, incorporates characters with a history dating back to the late 60s. The film remains true to the original character designs for the most part, yet the atmosphere that the 2D animated TV show and films created seems to have been erased. With the addition of dabbing and the strange attempt at a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe, the franchise seems to have changed for the worse. The original tales of Scooby-Doo and the gang fit best as 30-minute episodes, so why did the film makers decide to insert one of the most iconic children’s characters into a generic mystery, besides the desire to bank on the viewer’s nostalgia?

The answer, most probably, is money. And it worked; Scoob! made $1.8 million on its opening weekend. I do not oppose reworking these characters for the modern era if there is a story that needs to be told, but it is a shame that many producers have forgotten what made the original source material so magical. What’s New, ScoobyDoo? (2002-2006) for example, still provides goofy yet riveting stories for audiences today, making the new film feel unnecessary in terms of building on the characters.

Let me introduce you to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020). The show features characters originally included in the 1985 He-Man spin-off She Ra: Princess of Power.

However, apart from the name and the occasional plot point, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power could not be more different compared to its older counterpart. We follow young but determined Adora as she gains the power to transform into a muscular and empowered figure of heroism.

With her new-found gift, she and her friends must defeat the ever-increasing threat of the Horde

CULTURE

army and her childhood frenemy Catra.

This show improves upon the original in almost every way possible. In terms of plot, character development, voice acting, animation and character design, the two shows are worlds apart. In fact, the 1985 character designs were extremely limited due to the fact that their body types were based on the She-Ra action figure, meaning most of the female characters look strangely familiar.

Showrunner Noelle Stevenson felt it important not just to give the characters a new lease of life, but also to include LGBT+ representation in a show aimed at children.

She notes, in an interview for Nerdist (2020), “I really wanted to represent points of view that we didn’t always get to see in media because I think that kids really need to see those narratives. If you only see one narrative and you experienced something different then you start to think, “‘Oh maybe I’m the weird one? Maybe I’m the odd one out?’”. This is a passion project for Stevenson; she wants queer people of all ages to feel represented and heard in her show. Double Trouble, the first non-binary character to grace Netflix, pushed for better representation not just in children’s media, but for a wider audience in general. An even greater step towards representation as made with Double Trouble, with Jacob Tobia (a non-binary actor) voicing the character.

It seems more shows are incorporating LGBT+ characters. For example, Netflix’s

Sex Education has announced the casting of Dua Saleh as the first non-binary character on the show. As someone who has spent an unwise amount of time on Tumblr’s #SheRa, I have seen the community that this show has brought together. It has indeed made people feel heard. Stevenson took a littleknown property that had not been built upon and injected it with much-needed life for the new generation.

If She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has taught us one thing, it is that rebooting old franchises is not always a bad idea; but there has to be a reason behind it. An audience can tell when something has been pumped out of the Generic-Film-Script-Machine to make money (Ghostbusters (2016), The Lion King (2019), Mulan (2020) and so on). To see your favourite franchise butchered with unnecessary flossing and average writing is never pleasant, so shows like She-Ra make a welcome change. I hope that studios will become more willing to take risks with franchises. We need brave people at the helm, who are prepared to look into the past and adapt for the better.

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SPORT

I N N GYM E M O NASTICS W

O

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at their gym.

This level of close familiarity is often seen more in female friendships, according to PsychCentral, as they are, in general, depicted as more emotionally supportive than other types of relationships. Dr Nicola Eccles states that the role of friendships in the lives of adolescent girls is vital, and this is equally relevant to young athletes as their career can even begin before their teenage years. In this way, the presence of friendships normalises gymnastics and allows young girls to experience the end of their childhood whilst essentially embarking on a career in competitive sport.

The popular teen show, Make It or Break It (2009), showcases perfectly the impact that friendships can have on an athlete. The programme depicts a group of young gymnasts on their journey towards the Olympics, documenting their lives through relationships with parents, boyfriends, coaches and rivalry teams. At its core the show comments on the changing relationships between four gymnasts and ultimately equates success with friendship, as the girls go from undermining each other to supporting their individual successes.

“Whilst modern ideals of female beauty are becoming more inclusive, there remains a pressure within the sport to achieve a lean physique”

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ver the course of the last hundred years gymnastics has become one of the most competitive sports worldwide with less than 3% of professional gymnasts performing at an Elite level. The culture of discipline, fearlessness and intensity which the sport often fosters can sometimes create an overly competitive environment. It is perhaps for this reason that successful gymnasts often have strong support systems through family and friendships.

In a sport where there is a large breeding ground for fear, gymnasts are repeatedly putting their lives at risk whilst competing under immense pressure, these relationships are necessary to create a friendly environment whilst empowering athletes and encouraging them to succeed.

As with all professional athletes, gymnasts spend most of their time training in the gym. Many young elite athletes opt for an online education or homeschooling to maximise time for practice. The need to start training at such a young age can disrupt their education and ability to socialise outside of the gymnastics community, meaning that athletes mainly socialise amongst themselves. This allows gymnasts to develop a strong understanding of each other, and often forming a second family

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By Clarisse Fullerton

Despite the competitive aspect of gymnastics, Make It or Break It shows that the foundation of the sport is one based on mutual success. This is evidenced through how the scores are executed: gymnasts are first and foremost teammates before they view each other as opponents. If an individual gymnast is awarded a high score on a routine, they go on to be collectively counted towards an overall award for the whole team- meaning each athlete is cheered on by one another as an individual achievement goes towards building a stronger team. This mutual loyalty between athletes builds a strong bond, which can also be reflected through their public image as Olympic teams, for example the 2012 USA Olympic team with the ‘Fierce Five’, (made up of Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Jordan Weiber) and the USA’s ‘Final Five’ at the 2016 Rio Olympics (with Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman).

SPORT

THE IMPORTANCE OF FEMAlE FRIENDSHIP IN COMPETITIVE SPORT Contrastingly, the pressure to fulfil this aesthetic image of a professional gymnast is enforced by society as a whole.

Female athletes in particular are expected to present a femininity and elegance; traditionally associated with petite, slight figures, whilst performing routines which require strength and muscle- which is more widely deemed acceptable and impressive in male gymnastics.

Whilst modern ideals of female beauty are becoming more inclusive, there remains a pressure within the sport to achieve a lean physique with numerous gymnasts such as Vanessa Atler, Kathy Johnson and Cathy Rigby developing eating disorders as a result.

Many female gymnasts have dealt with these influences from a young age as they usually begin practicing between the ages of four-six years old, meaning that the athletes are left very impressionable and vulnerable.

In fact, due to the acrobatic nature of the sport, gymnastics have the youngest average age of athletes out of all the games at the Olympics.

system which had oppressed their voices for so long. Over the course of just a week, mothers, sisters, daughters and Olympians came forward to confront Nassar in court, proving that there is strength in solidarity.

The strong communication and intimacy of female friendships is crucial in empowering women to live unapologetically and to be confident in their everyday Netflix’s documentary, Athlete A lives. As a sport which relies (2020), showcased the negative heavily on the mental wellbeing effects of starting at such a and the courage of athletes in young age as the athletes are order to perform dangerous taught to be so obedient that routines, friendships create a they questioned themselves and space of encouragement and their lived experiences. This was connectedness. Seen as a female seen through Dr Larry Nassar’s dominated sport, gymnasts sexual abuse of young female are able to form a stronger gymnasts from 1997 to 2016. bond through their mutual As individual gymnasts came lived experiences and create a forward with experiences of the supportive network within the abuse they suffered, more industry. and more women and girls were able to stand together publicly against Gymnastics showcases the Nassar. The reassurance importance of this bond that they were not alone in achieving the seemingly created an environment impossible each time a gymnast steps out on to the mat. of empowerment in a

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POLITICS

WHO ARE MEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Bethany Burns discusses how Men’s Rights Activists can actually be harmful, despite their misleading name.

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en’s Rights Activists (MRAs) are members of an anti-feminist movement who argue that men are discriminated against in society. Or, as Urban Dictionary more helpfully defines them, men who “delusionally believe that despite global patriarchy men are somehow oppressed.”

One of the most notable MRAs is Paul Elam, founder of ‘A Voice for Men’, a website aiming to encourage men, lifting them above the “din of misandry” (ingrained prejudice against men), and unhealthy demands of gynocentrism (exclusive focus on women).

Ironically, the same man penned an “open response to troubled men,” telling them to go and bother someone else with their problems, in much less palatable language.

Given the ever-increasing amount of time spent by teenagers online, it is only logical that these are one of the primary targets of MRAs. They do this through focusing on issues that impact men worldwide, namely mental health issues and suicide rates amongst men. Men’s mental health is a monumental issue facing our society, and there is a growing problem that needs to be addressed - however, despite the lip service paid by the MRAs, this is only a front for more insidious aims.

One of these aims is to end domestic violence 24 THE STAG MAGAZINE

‘hysteria,’ even though one in three adult women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime according to the Office for National Statistics. Another is to end false rape claims, with groups such as Men’s Rights Canada holding a “Don’t be That Girl” campaign in recent years, implying women frequently make false rape accusations due to guilt over one-night stands. Despite the vast amount of media attention a fake rape accusation garners, the average male in England and Wales has a 0.0002% chance of being falsely accused of rape; women however have a 20% chance of being the victim of rape or serious sexual assault.

So why does this matter? Men’s Rights Activists surely are on the fringe of society; a small group of men online posting worrying views, and more deserving of pity than fear?

Estimates have placed these men in their tens of thousands, and their sphere of influence is expanding, with certain politicians echoing some of their views, and leading people to their cause.

Donald Trump is one such person (perhaps unsurprisingly) who has this emboldening effect on MRAs. His descriptions of women as ‘fat pigs’ and ‘dogs’, assertions that putting a wife to work is ‘dangerous’ and calls for ethnic minority congresswomen to go and ‘help fix the totally broken and crime-infested

POLITICS

places from which they came,’ empower these groups. As Roosh Valizadeh, a proponent of neomasculinity and leading MRA, enthused: “when you talk like Trump, the first thought your listener will have is, ‘He sounds like the President of the United States’”.

In the UK, Piers Morgan is perhaps the most acceptable face of the Men’s Rights Activist movement, with his tirades about emasculation at the hands of a baby-carrying sling leaking MRA style claims into morning television discourse. In 2019, his bemoaning of the ‘war on masculinity’ waged by Gillette for an advert encouraging men to step in if they witnessed sexist behaviour or sexual harassment led to Twitter debates about how masculinity was under attack, and ‘not all men’. For the advert creator, it led to a barrage of horrific abuse, with rape and death threats. It’s easy to disregard public figures like Piers Morgan as extremist in some of their views or playing devil’s advocate to garner attention. However, the effect they have is giving views traditionally confined to MRAs and their followers a new level of acceptability.

Authors who have been speaking about sexism and gender inequality at schools across the UK since 2012 have reported a marked cultural shift in the last couple of years, with an increasing number of students questioning why they should believe a woman who claims

to have been raped, and repeating messages that circulate widely on MRA forums. This encapsulates why Men’s Rights Activists need to be known about, and not consigned to one small part of the internet; they are gaining power over young people and shaping their views.

Male suicide rates hit a record high in 2019, with men accounting for three quarters of deaths registered in the UK. Research has shown that men who feel they cannot speak openly are less likely to reach out for support or recognise mental health problems in themselves. Men's Rights Activists advocate gender roles that prescribe the ideal man as strong, stoic, and invulnerable, and this form of toxic masculinity only serves to harm those who encounter it. Despite their name, Men’s Rights Activists have little effect on men’s rights, beyond permeating the notion that men and women being equal diminishes the rightful place of men in society.

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BIDEN HAS WONBUT AMERICA CAN’T BE FIXED OVERNIGHT I made the mistake of staying up for the election

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on the night of November 3rd, hoping (naively and somewhat desperately) for a Biden landslide. This would be a pleasant, relaxing evening, I told myself.

Biden will win all the swing states - I only half-jokingly bet £5 with my friend on Texas going blueand I could be happy about an election result for once in my life.

Donald Trump didn’t emerge out of nowhere.

The conditions that propelled him to the presidency are deep and far reaching, quietly bubbling under the surface until they boiled over and became This did not transpire. impossible to ignore.

Even though pollsters We probably won’t stop and analysts warned arguing over what those about the ‘red mirage’, conditions are, and I where Trump would don’t have enough space initially appear to lead to do them all justice much has been said of significantly as Demthem already. Instead, ocrat-leaning mail-in I’ll focus on one in ballots get counted particular that deserves much more slowly, I be- more attention, mostly gan to despair (and drink because it’s quite boring, more wine than intended) as the failure of America’s political institutions. the early-counting states went red. Biden’s still going to win, the Listen, I know how little voice in my head said, but this wonkish that sounds but wasn’t the great repudiation of Trump that I had stick with me here.

By Ru

ss

She r r a r e ll d -

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ith

hoped for.

The story has a conventional good ending, as Biden did go on to win - quite convincingly, actually while I kept refreshing every news page incessantly for the next few days instead of doing work. I allowed myself to celebrate (and drink even more wine), but I spent a lot of time afterwards thinking about the implications for authoritarian populism, both in the USA and globally.

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(written nov 20) American democracy is unique, and that’s a bad thing. There’s a reason transitioning regimes even those overseen by the US - don’t build on America’s model. The Founding Fathers, who were aristocrats after all, were fearful of what they called a ‘tyranny of the majority’ (read: people who don’t own land). So they implemented a series of checks and balances- an Electoral College, which favours rural states (synonymous with Trump’s Republicans), a disproportional Senate (which favours… rural states), and a poorly defined President,

POLITICS among other things - and made America’s institutions nearly impossible to change. This sounded good at the time (and I’m making a lot of historians angry with this oversimplification), but those ‘checks and balances’ have been re-interpreted in various ways over the years until we ended up at this point - a government that moves at a snail’s pace and is unable to be respond to the needs of the people in the present day.

This was a problem before, but it was mostly swept under the rug because people still believed in bipartisanship and presidents largely adhered to this other, informal institution which in the last four years has been thoroughly dismantled - norms and conventions. These are somewhat hard to define beyond “things the President is expected to do”, and they rest on shaky foundations, but they hold up a surprisingly large amount of the political process. Trump has broken almost all of them - from interfering in Department of Justice investigations to refusing to Enter Donald Trump, who concede (at the time of writing), captured that ‘left-behind’ sentiment (and, er, racism) Trump’s shamelessness and lack of respect for convention has done to win the Presidency. He lost the popular vote thanks even more damage to an already to the Electoral College, of beleaguered system. After all, it’s course, but don’t let a good not illegal to break norms - it just makes you look bad. And Trump old-fashioned tyranny of the minority stop you from has shown that doesn’t really matter. having a bad time. Trump used the The Trump presidency exceptionally powerful office he held to enact travel is over (probably), and bans from Muslim-majority the damage he’s left is countries, damage America’s going to be difficult to international standing by fix - not least because pulling out of multilateral the Founding Fathers agreements (I’m still salty made it that way - but about the TPP) and it’s important to keep appointing a record number in mind that the last of conservative justices to four years were not the Supreme Court. Where an extraordinary blip, were these checks and nor should we expect balances then? Well, the things to return to rural-friendly Senate was ‘normal’. The United stacked with loyalists - and States’ institutions the (from 2018, Democrat) are broken, and their House of Representatives failure to contain will couldn’t pass very much allow his brand of without… the Senate. politics to persist.

That’s not very checked or balanced.

Joe Biden will be a good president. He has the same extensive powers that Trump did, and will be able to accomplish a lot with his hands tied by the Senate - restoring global multilateralism and international leadership, for one - but the office itself is inadequate to fix America. Without the sweeping mandate to enact fundamental changes that can attune the government with the people, who have only lent their popular vote to a Republican once in the last 28 years (Bush ’04 if you’re wondering), Biden can only at best stem the flow for some time.

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POLITICS

THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS KILLING THEM Betsy Goodfellow discusses the UK Governement’s lack of support for the Arts and their importance in British culture.

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any in creative industries are offended at the government’s treatment of the arts, especially since Rishi Sunak’s comment about retraining. The arts are not a hobby, those in arts industries are already trained in their career - they don’t need to work in cyber, as the ‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber’ poster suggested.

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“The positive impact of the arts on mental health alone should be enough to prove their value.”

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Rishi Sunak’s comment on ITV News exemplifies this disregard for creative industries, stating that people in these industries “should retrain and find other jobs”.

Sunak has since claimed that he was talking “about employment generally and not specifically about the music or arts sector” but the implication of his comment was clear: the arts are a hobby, not a valuable career.

While it is true that other careers are equally important, and potentially more ‘necessary’, for example medical professionals who literally save lives every day, the way we view careers and industries should not be a competition based around who is most valuable.

Imagine a world without the arts. It would be incredibly mundane: no films, tv, books, music, theatre, even photography, game design, website and graphic design; the world would be a depressing place to live in. Imagine if we’d had to live through lockdown without the arts – we all would have gone insane with boredom within a matter of days.

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Why then, doesn’t the government value the arts industry? According to the gov.uk website, in 2018, creative industries generated £111.7 billion for the economy. You’d think this immense income would be worth protecting. For context, in the same year the tech services industry generated a comparatively small £45.4 billion. It would seem logical to protect an industry that generates so much income and has been worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but perhaps this is too logical for our government. To their credit, the government has pledged a £1.57 billion ‘culture recovery fund’, including £257 million to save ‘theatres, arts venues, museums and cultural organisations’, though it is not only during the pandemic that the arts have been hard hit by the Conservatives’ questionable decisions.

As far back as 2010, at the start of the period of Conservative austerity, a scheme known as ‘creative partnerships’ was cut from schools; this used to pair professionals in creative industries to schools to help improve the teaching of the arts, encouraging children to involve themselves in these professions. Perhaps those involved grew up to work in creative industries that they wouldn’t have considered before this programme.

Regardless, its removal demonstrates that the Tories have never valued the arts, a trend continuing into the pandemic.

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I spoke to some arts students at Surrey to get their opinions on the matter.

TheatreSoc President, Lucy stated that “I can’t imagine that [a life without the arts] is a life anyone will find enjoyable.”

Those in creative industries “do a job of passion, and they are not supported for that” which raises the question of whether the government doesn’t value what may seem to be solely a luxury - though this train of thought ignores the fact that the arts are intrinsically intertwined into our daily lives.

Similarly, Musical Theatre Soc wrote collaboratively that “we believe that the arts are a vital part of culture and economy.

While many may view it as a luxury, we believe that it provides employment, escapism and joy for many people. Therefore, it holds as much value as other industries.”

Theatre can be seen as a luxury - tickets to a West End show are around £100 each - however as a self-confessed theatre-nerd I believe they are worth it; tickets pay the many creatives involved as well as the practicalities of staging a show, and the price is worth it for a few hours of pure joy and escapism.

In addition, MTSoc pointed out that “the community that the arts provide has a huge positive impact on the mental health of those involved. During tough times, such as during Covid-19, industries that lift public morale and offer an escape for those struggling are more important than ever.” The positive impact of the arts on mental health alone should be enough to prove their value.

Furthermore, TheatreSoc Events Coordinator, Thomas, raised the point that “our history and culture through the arts have defined our nation.

How will we be defined in the future if there are no more arts, no more treasured icons coming from grassroots?” So much of British culture is wrapped up in the arts; Shakespeare, Blake, Sir Ian McKellan and Dame Judy Dench are all examples that Thomas mentioned to demonstrate his point, all are quintessentially British national treasures, yet some believe that their industries are not worth saving. P ersonally, I’d like to see Boris Johnson tell Sir Ian McKellan that his job isn’t worth saving - I imagine it wouldn’t go down too well.

Even the ancient Athenians figured out that the arts are important to a civilised society when they introduced a ‘theoric fund’ so even the poorest members of their society could afford to attend their theatre festivals. If their government could figure it out way back in 350BC, why can’t ours in 2020?

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SCIENCE & TECH

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ...Why You Need To Pay Attention

Isabel Rolfe explains ocean acidification, its affects and how we can do our part to turn it around.

Our oceans absorb roughly a million tonnes of CO2 every hour (Kolbert, National Geographic).

The resultant ocean acidification is a topic often glossed over and forgotten, and so in this article, I have collated some information about what it is, and why it’s so deserving of our attention. I am hopeful that our damage to the environment can be rectified, but we are on the boundary of irreversible consequences if we continue to promote blind consumerism over the value of our earth.

Small changes we can make have the ability to shift the consumer market, and repair our damage, as I will outline further on.

What is ocean acidification, and what problems does it cause?

Since the industrial revolution, we have emitted so much CO2 that the atmosphere now has a higher concentration than it has

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in the past 800,000 years (and most likely much longer than that), and our oceans are absorbing 30% of the CO2 we have released over the past two centuries (Kolbert, National Geographic). This has been good for our atmosphere – without the ocean playing its role as the carbon sink, the planet would have heated far beyond that which it has (Borunda, National Geographic).

But it isn’t all good news. When the ocean absorbs the carbon dioxide, its pH alters, and in previous geologic timelines it has taken tens of thousands of years, and therefore life has had time to adapt and evolve. However, since the industrial revolution, the water is 28 per cent more acidic than it has previously been, corresponding to a 0.1 pH unit drop. This has a ripple effect – in a similar way to how acid rain erodes gargoyle statues, scallop’s shells become softer, corals lack density and die, causing habitat loss – it could even alter the way sound is

SCIENCE & TECH transmitted through the water (Borunda, National Geographic).

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has further supported this, explaining that when ocean acidification increases, “available carbonate ions bond with excess hydrogen, resulting in fewer carbonate ions available for calcifying organisms to build and maintain their shells and skeletons [ultimately if] the pH gets too low, shells and skeletons can even begin to dissolve.”

Has it ever happened before?

Ocean acidification is not a topic to be unduly dismissed – Science Alert recently published new evidence of ‘the geochemical trigger that may have started [Earth’s worst mass extinction].’

The process of the Permian-Triassic extinction, widely known as the Great Dying (around 252 million years ago), was better understood through a study into brachiopods, using a secondary ion mass spectrometer to measure isotopes of boron and carbon to measure seawater acidity.

Most likely caused by a huge number of volcanic eruptions, the brachiopods record a sudden increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the resultant warming and ocean acidification would have quickly killed species, and therefore the increasingly nutrient-rich waters would have caused oceanic oxygen levels to deplete, causing further extinctions. Marine biogeochemist Hana Jurikova stated, “This domino-like collapse of the inter-connected life-sustaining cycles and processes ultimately led to the observed catastrophic extent of mass extinction.” (Nield, Science Alert).

“THE ECOSYSTEMS WE ARE DESTROYING WILL IN TURN CAUSE OUR DESTRUCTION”

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SCIENCE & TECH What can I do to help?

Reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that we emit is not a binary process – little alterations have the ability to effect great change. You could try introducing a couple of plant-based meals to your diet each week, with red meat having up to 100 times the environmental impact of plant based food and being responsible for over six pounds of carbon dioxide per serving (Albeck Ripka, New York Times). You can also check for (and avoid) palm oil in your food. If you don’t wish to alter your diet, reducing waste, be it food, electric, gas or water also reaps huge benefits, as does reducing unnecessary vehicle miles, recycling where possible, dressing sustainably, and supporting companies making an environmental effort.

Another key thing to do is vote. Vote for those you feel are going to give our climate

crisis response the impetus it needs. Put your world first (Albeck Ripka, New York Times). For a sobering reality check, I would further recommend watching David Attenborough’s ‘A Life on Our Planet’ if you haven’t already.

The rate of ocean acidification is unprecedented – a study reported by Columbia University has suggested the rate due to human carbon emissions is faster than that during the four major extinctions of the last 300 million years. (The Earth Institute Columbia University) It is time to act. There is no excuse not to help prevent a problem you’re conscious of.

I want to make this clear – life will continue far beyond the point we make the Earth uninhabitable for humans. Certain species will become resistant, or already carry resistance – extremophiles have always existed. However, this is not enough. The ecosystems we are destroying will in turn cause our destruction, and to deny this is arrogant. We are dependent upon these ecosystems – this is our problem, and that’s why you need to pay attention.

“Can’t You Check Your Notifications Later?”

The Phenomenon Of Phubbing: Psychology VS. Smartphones

Michal Frackowiak discusses how `phubbing` can affect our relationships with our interactive partners, specifically how it can affect romantic relationships.

My friend is running 5 minutes late and I haven’t seen him in quite a few weeks as our postgrad lives have gotten busy. When he’s here and we order our coffee, I try to enquire about what he’s been up to recently, but in return I only get half sentences. His mobile is going berserk with all the notifications popping up, and he can’t stop paying attention or put it down. “Can’t you check your notifications later?” I ask. “No, sorry, it’s just this person I really need to get back to,” he says. I end up staring at the display menu behind the counter to kill the 5 minutes during which my long-time-no-see friend prioritises his WhatsApp and Facebook notifications over me.

What I’ve just described is a real-life scenario.

One that you’re familiar with. One that you experience on a daily basis. One that you may even generate on a daily basis. It’s called ‘phubbing’. The act of one using their phone in a social situation, and therefore ignoring their interaction partner. Sound familiar? I bet it does!

As a Psychology PhD student and researcher of emotion dynamics, I’m very much interested in how phubbing affects us in terms of mental health and signal exchanges between interaction partners. In fact, my personal frustration with my friends (and

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SCIENCE & TECH

myself!) being obsessed with mobile devices drove me to desperation, and last year, as a Master’s student, I first took up research on phone snubbing.

Smartphones have been around for quite a while, although as a 90s kid (barely, but made it to the final three years of the previous century, so it counts), I still remember the times when an Instagram notification did not jeopardise your conversation, and neither did the iconic Nokia 3310, which had little to offer apart from limited text capacity and the Snake game. And indestructible properties. However, very dynamic technological developments, and the adjustments that humans have made to learn how to use them, resulted in effective multi-tasking skills, thanks to which we can navigate between the real world and the virtual one. Inevitably, these two universes end up intertwining. But the question is: doesn’t it get too busy and overcrowded when your external Internet life spills over to your personal interactions? What do psychological sciences say about it?

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Psychology is quite unequivocal: phubbing has a negative impact on mental health and relations with others. The phenomenon of phone snubbing in social interactions has been frequently studied through the lens of romantic relationships. Researchers like Abeele and colleagues, Wang and colleagues, or David and Roberts, have found that partners who experience frequent phubbing are less satisfied with their relationships and do not trust their partners as much.

This is linked to experiences of ostracism, which can then lead to feelings of jealousy, negative emotions, and even Internet addiction. Very recent findings

by Kryukova and Ekimchik associated phubbing behaviours with depressive moods and depression, and suggested that men tend to have a more negative view of phubbing than women.

When I took up research on phubbing for my Master’s thesis, I already had a vision of how I planned to study the problem. I wanted to pay homage to experimental psychology, so I came up with a scenario that would allow me to study phubbing in a lab environment. Myself and other undergraduate and postgraduate students collected

SCIENCE & TECH

partners. data over 4 months, until the March 2020 university closure, when the study was indefinitely suspended.

Our experiment involved heterosexual couples filling out questionnaires and having a 5-minute chat during which one of the partners would start using their phone while the other would be sharing something stressful. The study relied on deception, so none of the partners knew what set of instructions the other half received. From the experiment, which triggered a whole spectrum of reactions, we learnt that the process of phubbing led to increased negative emotions in both partners, but it was the most prominent in partners who were asked to use the mobile phone, rather than those sharing the stressful situation. In terms of the questionnaires, we found that excessive phubbing behaviours in couples are linked to reduced commitment in females, increased anxiety and depression in males, and decreased relationship satisfaction in both. Additionally, my analysis demonstrated that phubbing acts in a relationship are associated with low trust in romantic

“I still remember the times when an Instagram notification did not jeopardise your conversation”

The results sound somewhat pessimistic, don’t they?

The negative connotations of phubbing seem to speak for themselves. But the role of psychological science and research is to learn from the findings and see how they relate to the real state of things.

It doesn’t mean that the use of smartphones is wrong, because ever since they first appeared, they’ve definitely enriched and bettered our lives in terms of health, communication, accessibility, intelligence, and general development. Nonetheless, we might want to stop and reflect on the subject for a minute.

How to make use of our mobile device and prioritise our social endeavours, so that technology does not distract us from face-to-face interactions, and therefore undermine communication with our significant others? I’ll leave that with you. Chances are that individual circumstances will define your phone use in social situations.

“We haven’t been hanging out in ages!” he says 20 minutes later, as we get up and ready to leave the coffee shop, and he adds “I feel like we haven’t spoken properly in light years! We need to meet again soon.” Yes, we haven’t. Yes, we do. But next time, please leave it in your pocket, I think, as he leaves and checks another notification as he bumps into a fellow pedestrian.

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SCIENCE & TECH

Patrick Hope discusses the chances of space travel becoming more sustainable, specifically how SpaceX and Blue Origin aim to achieve this.

Technology marches forward at an incredible pace.

In my lifetime, my family has gone from having a rental television thicker than it was wide, to our first flat screen TV, High Definition, 3D and now even 4K. Telephones were corded, had big buttons, and you couldn’t use the internet while somebody was on a call, whereas now they’re wireless and have screens. Nowadays almost everything is built with a ‘planned obsolescence’ in mind – if it breaks, we buy a new one, and all of this electronic waste piles up in landfills faster than ever. Even phones that function perfectly well often get sent to the dump if they’re not the latest and greatest model. We have shifted from an ethos in the mid-1980s where technology was built to last and electronic devices came with a repair manual and schematic in the box, to one where everything is a sealed unit and even the smallest issue needs an expert to take it apart under warranty – all while costing more up front. Companies like Apple make out to be conscious of their environmental impact by not providing a charger with the latest iPhone, asking customers to use old ones to save on waste – whilst simultaneously using a nonstandardised charging port that only their phones use, and providing a cable in the box that won’t fit any of your old chargers.

Some industries, fortunately, have shifted in the other direction. Energy companies such as SSE have focussed their efforts on using more and more ‘green’ and renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Farmers are using more sustainable feeds for their livestock, or switching to meat-free alternatives, and car manufacturers are cutting their offerings to hybrid or pure electric vehicles only. But perhaps the most surprising development is the change in attitude of the space industry. It’s been less than a decade since the US stopped using

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the Space Shuttle to reach space, which discarded the entire rocket lifting section during flight as well as requiring extensive refurbishment between launches due to much of the structure being stressed by spaceflight. Since then, the United States have been using Russia’s antiquated Soyuz launch vehicle, a modification of a Soviet ballistic missile built in 1966.

Not surprisingly, every part of this rocket is discarded after use too.

s almost“Nowadays everything isalmost built with a everything is built ‘planned obsolescence’ in with mind a

‘planned obso lescence’ in mind”

In the last 5 years or so however, there’s been an emergence of private spaceflight companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Blue Origin, and these companies have been focusing on reusable, cheaper launch vehicles. The US traditionally uses Atlas or Delta launch vehicles to haul their expensive satellites into space. Each of these launches costs somewhere in the region of $100-300 million. For comparison, a flight on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket averages at about $57m per launch. But the real savings come in the way these new companies approach rocket-building.

The Falcon 9 boosters were designed from the ground up with sustainability in mind – each stage uses the same engine, the same nozzle, and the same fuel, reducing tooling costs and waste. And like a scene from The Thunderbirds, the rocket boosters fall from space and land on a dime, allowing SpaceX to quickly refurbish and reuse it on another mission. Their current turnaround is 100 days to reuse a booster, but Elon Musk says they are aiming for a mere 24 hours.

SCIENCE & TECH

SpaceX is not the only company focusing on reusable launch vehicles, however. Blue Origin has joined the fray with the immense wealth of Jeff Bezos behind them, and on the 13th October 2020, they actually surpassed SpaceX’s record, reusing the same rocket booster for a 7th time.

Shortly after that, SpaceX successfully launched their 100th mission, recovering the booster in over 50 of them. In less than 5 years, it has become the norm rather than the outlier to see these rockets return to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. But even with this approach, there are still sustainability issues to consider. The Falcon 9 rocket, even being designed from the ground up to be sustainable, still uses kerosene for fuel. When burned, this produces both CO2 and CO (Carbon Monoxide). Because of this, it leaves sooty deposits all over the engine bell, which have to be thoroughly cleaned and refurbished before reuse, negating many of the environmental benefits of recovering the booster.

So, can it be done? Rocket fuel alternatives exist, in the form of hydrogen. It’s even more powerful and efficient than kerosene. But hydrogen requires a lot of money and energy to produce, and at the moment we have to use fossil fuels to produce it, reducing its appeal. On top of this, many parts of the rocket are still not recovered. SpaceX are

still yet to perfect recovering the nose cone fairings of their rockets, and their 2nd stage rockets are either left in space or burn up on re-entry, adding more CO2 to the atmosphere. Coincidentally, on the same day as Amazon’s record booster recovery, the International Energy Agency announced that solar energy now offers the “cheapest electricity in history.” By leveraging cheaper, more sustainable energy it will become more viable to produce hydrogen for more sustainable rocket engines.

And SpaceX are currently working on their latest offering, the Starship, which is designed to have every single part of it recovered, refurbished and reused. It may not be an overnight change, but I believe space travel has the capability as well as the trajectory to become truly sustainable – and it will need to, if we want to survive long enough to get off this planet.

“...designed from the ground up with sustainability in mind – each stage uses the same engine, the same nozzle, and the same fuel, reducing tooling costs and waste.”

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SUSTAINABILITY

But it’s not just me. According to the United Nations, in 2018 the ‘green economy’ had an estimated worth of $4 trillion in the global market.

Sustainability has become trendy and like any other trend, it has also become marketable, and crucially, profitable.

It’s a strange symptom of capitalism that with every new ideology that emerges there too arises an 38 THE STAG MAGAZINE

opportunity to sell. Back in 2016, you’d be hard-pressed to find a t-shirt that didn’t shout FEMINIST over some Parisian stripes. Even the LGTBQ+ community can’t escape the relentless taunt of a business venture, being sold a multitude of rainbow merchandise under the allusion of solidarity rather than for the capital gain of a multinational corporation.

“You don’t need to be fashionable to be eco-friendly”

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This mindless need to spend, spend, spend is no less true of my desire to live a little more sustainably. Bamboo toothbrushes, Chillys water bottles, tote bags, Diva cups and shampoo bars. If it’s got the word eco slapped in front of it, you’d be unsurprised to know it’s already at the bottom of my reusable shopping bag.

A HOARDER’S QUEST THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF ECO-

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As a self-proclaimed hoarder, the cogs in my brain are constantly churning with ideas on what to buy next and whilst my wardrobe is overspilling as we speak, this doesn’t just apply to my fixation with clothes. With each of my phases and never-ending flavours-ofthe-month, my bank account takes rather a savage beating. If I decide I like a brand and what it stands for, my basket is full. Just finished reading a new favourite book? It becomes my one sole purpose to acquire every known text by that author. If I have a new favourite colour, you’d best believe that it’ll be plastered throughout my life from my socks to my bedsheets.

Unfortunately (or fortunately if you’re a serial spender like me), sustainability is no such exception. But are the products in the ever-growing eco-in-dustry actually necessary? Do we really need glass jars for our pasta or beeswax wraps as a substitute for cling film? Whilst they certainly look the part, many eco-products aren’t always essential for embarking on a more green way of living and may even isolate those unable to afford such indulgences. The existence of the ‘green economy’ arguably makes these people feel inferior to those who can afford to splash out for their morals and arguably turns environmentalism into an exclusive and middle-class movement.

The truth of the matter that (and I’m far from innocent myself ) you simply do not need all these gadgets nor must you militantly follow trends in order to do your bit in the battle against the climate crisis.

SUSTAINABILITY

IN SUSTAINABILITY: PRIVILIEGE AND THE GREEN ECONOMY

By Hannah Gravett You don’t need to be fashionable to be With nearly 36% of the world eco-friendly; there’s no catwalk required living in poverty today, and approximately 14 million of them in Greta’s marches. being right here in the UK, it would be feverishly ignorant to Recycled jam jars work just as well as claim that we all have the ability to matching glassware from amazon (and save the world, especially when the saves another pound from weighing down Jeff Bezos’ already extremely heavy richest 1% have the means to really do so. In 2019, The Guardian pockets). Likewise, simple homemade revealed that a mere 20 cleaning solutions are great alternatives companies are responsible for a to a supermarket’s pricey eco-range and third of the world’s carbon old takeaway Tupperware will keep your lunch just as fresh as if it were in a glori- emissions, whilst Coca-Cola alone fied box from Cath Kidson. Just because is “the top producer of plastic you’re not the most aesthetically pleasing rubbish making its way into the world oceans”, according to USA environmentalist, doesn’t mean you’re a Today. These figures are bad one. If anything, by choosing not overwhelming and a kick in the to add to our already cluttered planet teeth for low-income families that and refusing to conform to unnecessary make sacrifices to lower their cartrends, you are going green in the truest bon footprints. of forms.

However, whilst we should definitely be thinking of ways to reduce our carbon footprint when we can, it’s important to remember that the ability to live sustainably is ultimately a privilege. Environmentalism is a class issue and for families and communities across the world living in poverty or by pay-check to pay-check, living green is often not even a choice, let alone a priority.

with money spare for their weekly shop.

Similarly, students discovering their own personal style can’t always avoid the likes of SHEIN when sustainable brands are often so expensive.

Ultimately, as ever, conversation around the eco-industry is complex and has its own plethora of nuances. How you choose to go green is personal and, most importantly of all, circumstantial.

Some of us use aesthetics to motivate a sustainable lifestyle. Some make-do with what they can afford, whilst others are simply trying to get by and don’t always have the means to be perfect environmentalists. What we can do as a society is save our judgeThe reality is, many people in our ment and shame for the very own country simply can’t powers that be, who have afford to be ethical vegans or drive wealth on their side yet electric cars. Escaping the claws of refuse to act rather than, fast-fashion may not be a viable rather than turning on option for a single mum working each other and scolding below the living wage. Sometimes a those suffering the most.

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SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABLE FASHION IS A FEMINIST ISSUE

“Sustainable fashion has become a trend in itself.”

Fast fashion has been a large concern for sustainability activists in recent years, Alice Brooks takes a look at the women who work in the garment factories, explaining how the patriarchy continues to take advantage of their professional lives.

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The Cambridge Dictionary defines fashion as ‘a style that is popular at a particular time, especially in clothes, hair [and] make up’. This way of thinking, however, is detrimental.

Fast fashion is the concept of making fashion more affordable, but it has only caused problem after problem for our environment. According to weforum. org, worldwide, the population bought 60% more garments in 2014 than they did in 2000, but only kept these items for half as long. Clothes retailers jumped from averaging at two annual collections in 2000 to five in 2011. And in Europe, the production of clothes has doubled since the year 2000.

This extortionate increase in consumerism and clothes production has come at a great environmental cost: the fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, using 700 gallons to produce one cotton t-shirt.

That’s enough for one person to drink eight cups of water every day for the next three and a half years! The industry uses over double this amount to produce just a single pair of jeans.

The fast fashion industry is also to blame for 10% of all emissions worldwide.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are at a record high and are thus causing rapid global warming and climate change.

Because of these impacts, many brands have begun to manufacture their products in a more ‘sustainable’ way. In 2013, Primark rolled out their ‘sustainable cotton range’, pledging to improve its sustainability credentials by training 160,000 cotton farmers across India, China and Pakistan by 2022, as stated by The Guardian.

Sustainable fashion has become a trend in itself and so green-washing was

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SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY born, with larger brands such as New Look, H&M, and Mango all following in the footsteps of Primark with their own sustainable collections. The only problem is that they don’t produce all their clothes in this ‘sustainable’ way – only, perhaps, ten garments in their sustainable ranges each year.

When we think of what sustainable fashion is, most of us would think about reusing and recycling – using recycled materials, buying from charity shops or browsing resale apps such as Etsy or Depop. But sustainability doesn’t just cover the material, it covers how these products are manufactured, how they are transported from one country to another, and how the majority female workforce is treated in factories and stores. Here lies the reason why fast fashion is a feminist issue.

Around the globe, gender (and more specifically being a woman) has historically been a source of discrimination and this prejudice still prevails today. According to cleanclothes.org, approximately 80% of global sweatshop workers are women. This is not by chance, it is the result of inequality: women, especially in lower income countries, are obliged to cook, clean, bore children, and take care of those children. By having these domestic responsibilities, employers take advantage of the cultural stereotypes that women are passive and flexible. In many factories, it has been found that women are only employed if they have signed an agreement forcing them to remain unmarried and childless throughout their employment contract. Employers don’t care about rejecting a woman’s raise request, quality of life or needs for decent working conditions, whereas, for men, they wouldn’t think twice. Men benefit from this patriarchal society and have the power to dictate the ins and outs of their professional lives. Unless we improve this gender divide, fashion will never be sustainable.

While not as severe as in less economically developed countries, women in higher income countries are also subject to inequality and discrimination. This, too, impacts fast fashion and consumerism. In the past, women were conditioned to wear what was ‘fashionable’ in order to fulfil their expected role as an impressive trophy wife for their husband. Although nowadays women dress to express their own love for fashion, this way of thinking has never left modern society – women are still under pressure to look a certain way and adhere to societal norms.

And men take advantage of this. According to the New York Times, although 85% of fashion graduates are female, only 14% of major brands have female CEOs. It is men who continue to force this idea that women must be up to date with fashion, pushing them to purchase more and more fast fashion every season.

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“But sustainability doesn’t just cover the material, it covers how these products are manufactured, how they are transported from one country to another, and how the majority female workforce is treated in factories and stores.”

}

Although companies claim to be sustainable in their approaches to clothes production, most of these brands still exploit workers in factories in lower income countries. In 2014, as reported by the Mail Online, Primark was under scrutiny for their staff working conditions. Garments made by workers in India and Romania had labels stitched into them that caused major concern - they disclosed the awful conditions that the staff had to work in. One label, found in the Swansea city centre store, read ‘forced to work exhausting hours’ and another said

‘degrading weatshop conditions’.

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SUSTAINABILITY

TIPS FOR BECOMING MORE SUSTAINABLE Brands across the globe need to change their mindsets when it comes to fast fashion. And there is a lot that we can do, as consumers, to encourage them to do so.

1.

First of all, don’t be swept up with the ever-changing fast fashion trends – at the time, trends may seem timelessa3a, but they are more often than not discarded by the end of the season. Not only will this way of thinking save you money, but you will no longer have those items in your wardrobe that you never wear.

2.

3.

Secondly, stick to the basics!

Choose items of clothing that will go with everything and have been in fashion for years.

Colours like white, grey, black, and camel can be mixed and matched, and you will always look like you’ve put the right amount of effort into your outfit.

Thirdly, don’t overbuy… With brands such as Primark making clothes affordable for all, it’s easy to get carried away with spending, but most of the time, you don’t actually need whatever item has caught your eye. Instead, we must remember the people behind the clothing – these needless purchases are fuelling their exploitation!

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By thinking and buying in a more sustainably, we as consumers can mould the fashion industry to suit our needs and desires.

If we stop purchasing the new clothing ranges, they will produce fewer new ranges. If we only buy from their sustainable collections, they will stop spending money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly and actually spend more money on producing more sustainable collections. If we only purchase from ethical sources, more brands will manufacture ethically.

We must work together as a human race to create a market that not only treats our environment with respect but our species with respect also. No woman deserves to be stitching ‘Feminist’ onto a cropped tee while working 16-hour days. It simply is not fair. And it needs to change.

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THE STAG ISSUE 99 // JAN 2021

r Students, By Students’ ‘For Students, By Students’ ‘For Students, By Studen