Issue 93, The Stag (University of Surrey Student Magazine)

THE STAG ISSUE 93 / FEBRUAR Y 2018 / FREE!

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENT MAGAZINE

NEW YEAR, NEW SEMESTER! 1

And best of all, new Stag! feat. TRAVEL / FOOD / NETFLIX / TV / SCIENCE / OPINION & MORE!

The Stag Editorial Team Head of Marketing

Alice Papadopoulou

Head Editor

Katie O’Brien

Head of Design

Matthew Nolan

With Special Thanks to Our Team Editors Opinion: Ricardo Mendes Creative: Rebecca Wilson Literature: Helia Daryani Sport: Michael Slavin & Declan Greaves Societies: Michał Frąckowiak Features: Megan d’Ardenne Food: Susanna Guri Music: Aaron Jackson Beauty: Ross Carter Fashion: Ewa Pospieszyńska Science & Tech: Adil Aslam Entertainment: Alice Papadopoulou Want to join The Stag?

We will be holding an AGM (Annual General Meeting) this Spring to elect a new 2018/19 committee.

Writers

Helia Daryani Emily Wooten Gabrielle Robert Alice Papadopoulou Ricardo Teixeira-Mendes Ryan Underwood Matthew Nolan Ivelina Dobreva Susanna Guri Reggie Lawrence Eve Willis Eva Lee Tom Bowins Nick Werren Alex Young Spencer Moore Aaron Jackson Jake Foster Megan d’Ardenne Paige Morrison Katie Pogmore

Design & Proofing Matthew Nolan Emily Lui Katie O’Brien Alice Papadopoulou Photography Melissa Kadirova Megan d’Ardenne Matthew Nolan Katie O’Brien Eve Willis Sinead Ashcroft Katherine Hastings Ivelina Dobreva Ffion Laver

Front & Back Cover Melissa Kadirova (wanderlissa)

Disclaimer: THE STAG© is an independent, not-for-profit magazine run by students, for students at the University of Surrey, England. Founded in 1967 as ‘Bare Facts’, the publication has undergone multiple rebrandings over the years, moving from a newspaper to magazine format in 2015. Today, we release new issues both in print and digitally a few times each year. For more information, please visit www.thestagsurrey.co.uk

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Head Editor’s Letter Hello everyone!

We are approaching the second and last semester of the year – it’s scary how fast it’s gone! Especially for myself being a final year student, my time at Surrey is quickly coming to an end. Last semester I finally started a sport I’ve wanted to for a very long time – Skiing! I’ve almost finished my beginner’s lessons now, crazy. At the start of this semester, we will have something called Refreshers’ Fayre – so maybe if you wanted to start a new hobby but put it off, this could be your time to start!

Last semester The Stag also filled our open committee positions – and for the first time in Stag history (I believe) we elected co-editors of a section!

We have a fantastic team of people working hard to produce some of the best content we’ve ever created, focusing on current world news and issues within the Surrey community. 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of The Stag (originally named Bare Facts), I hope we are doing it proud! The Stag have also been working closely with the union and other Stag Media to learn about the issues affecting students so far this year. The beginning of last semester saw widespread complaints of overcrowded and uncomfortable lectures, and economics students are particularly affected with Wednesday afternoon and off campus lectures. We are hoping this changes in Semester 2.

By the time this issue is printed, a motion will have been discussed at Exec regarding freedom of student media on campus. The Stag will be there as part of the discussion with the hopes of passing a great motion that works for every student media outlet on campus. This is a positive step forward for the union and student media. I will post the outcomes and what this means for The Stag when the issue is made available.

I have to close this editors letter on the topic of Semester 1 results – I wish everyone the best of luck with the results of their assignments and the recent January exams. Whilst it’s important to work hard in Semester 2, regardless of your Semester 1 results, make sure you take some time to relax! If you find you are struggling with course stress and anxiety, pay a visit to the centre for wellbeing. If you’re unable to get an appointment, they have some great booklets on stress, anxiety and depression with some CBT techniques that are very useful!

Katie O'Brien Katie O’Brien

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

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SCIENCE

Scattered Colours in the Sky, pp. 58-59 EARS Lunar Rover Competion, pp. 60-61

OPINION

#MeToo, The Victims’ Cry Against Sexual Harassment, pp. 14-15 Being an International Student, p. 7 The Illusion of Choice: Does Free-will Exist?, pp. 20-21 My Quarter Life Crisis pp. 24-25 Men, You’re Not Immune, pp. 22-23 18 Months On: The Present Climate of Britain Post-Brexit, pp. 46-47

ALUMNI

#ForeverSurrey, p. 6

TRAVEL

Essential India Guide, pp. 44-45 Voluntourism, pp. 28-29

FOOD

CONTENTS 4

Recipes for the Young, Busy & Broke, pp. 34-37

CONTENTS

TRAVEL

St Andrews, pp. 38-39 Riga, Latvia, pp. 40-42 ERASMUS+, p. 43

TELEVISION

American Horror Story - Cult, pp. 48-49

NETFLIX

Rip Tide, p. 55

GAMING

Super Mario Odyssey, pp. 30-31

MUSIC

An Interview with China Bears’ Frazer Proctor, pp. 50-51 Hunter & The Bear: An Introduction, pp. 52-53 An Interview with Hunter & The Bear, pp. 53-54

RESEARCH

Academic Spotlight, pp.56-57

LITERATURE

3 Young Adult Books That Break the Mould, pp. 8-12 The Need for Diverse Literature, pp. 13-15 Speculative Fiction, pp. 16-19

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photospreads, pp. 32-33 & pp. 62-63

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ALUMNI

#ForeverSurrey //Advancement (University of Surrey)

While you’re at uni, you’ll make lifelong friendships and connections, benefit from a huge amount of personal and academic support, and have access to endless student discounts so you can eat more pizza than you thought possible. But did you know that all this continues AFTER you throw your graduation cap in the air? Did you know that there’s a whole team dedicated to YOU, as one of our alumni?

That’s us… the Advancement team!

We help you sustain those connections you made, and through our extensive network on the Alumni Hub, you have plenty of opportunities to make new ones. You have continuing access to our careers service... AND you can take advantage of a range of

shows, not to mention a host of free events here on campus and free library membership. What’s not to love?!

‘Like 108,000 graduates before you, you are #ForeverSurrey.’

But we don’t just sit dormant during your time here. We work to secure funding for scholarships, hardship grants and prizes, Students’ Union clubs and societies, and campus improvements, so you and future students can have the best possible experience. Many of our generous donors are graduates themselves, because your predecessors are invested in those that follow in their footsteps.

They regularly come back to give talks, run career workshops, mentor current students like you and offer placements for the Professional Training Year and graduate schemes.

So when you joined the University of Surrey, it wasn’t just for the duration of your course.

Like 108,000 graduates before you, you are #ForeverSurrey.

Get ahead of the game and follow us on...

Facebook: facebook.com/surreyalumni Twitter: twitter.com/surreyalumni Instagram: instagram.com/surreyalumni

Being an International Student at the University of Surrey

OPINION

//Gabrielle Robert Making the decision to become an international student in any country can be a very daunting prospect.

From familiarizing yourself with the different currency to setting up your accommodation to navigating the streets of Guildford, the process can be overwhelming. With students from over 120 different countries, the University of Surrey has a very diverse student body and has in place a corresponding support system. As a third-year Canadian student, I’ve had the opportunity to experience some of the great schemes that the University offers; nevertheless, there are some areas in which the University has fallen short...

To begin with, the University provides a stellar international welcome program. International students are invited to arrive at the University a few days prior to class.

Within these few days, the University offers a variety of activities and talks, such as a walking tour of Guildford, a budgeting talk and a fish and chips dinner. I felt this was a great opportunity to familiarize myself with the campus and Guildford town.

In addition, I got the opportunity to connect with other Canadian students, as well as with other students from all over the world. Throughout the year, the University also ran some fun events such as a Starbucks Social and a holiday meal for international students who were staying at the University during Christmas break. Though these activities are amazing for providing international students with opportunities to network, I feel as though many of them are primarily catered to first-year students and perhaps fail at engaging second and third-year students.

In addition, the University services were really helpful and efficient when I required Visa documents, tax papers and mid-semester progress reports.

They were quick to provide me with my documents and took the time to

answer questions. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed at the University Accommodation Services, which failed to provide accommodation for all international students this year. With an influx of students in the past two years, international students are no longer guaranteed accommodation.

This has placed some international students in very difficult situations, as the Guildford rent is expensive, and it’s imperative to look for properties several months in advance in order to find appropriate accommodation.

For international students, this can be challenging as you might not always be in the country. I was in Canada when my UK friends started doing house viewings, so I had to fully rely on their opinion of the properties and the pictures that they sent me. This was

‘I would definitely recommend this University to any international student.

Nevertheless, there are definitely a few things that I think the University needs to improve on, in order to optimize the international students’ experience. ’ an insanely stressful situation. Another issue that came up was that, because I was an international student, I had no UK guarantor, which meant I needed to pay six months of rent upfront. I had not budgeted for this, which only made this situation more stressful.

Overall, the university should consider expanding their accommodation and maybe prioritize international students due to the additional difficulties they face. On a positive note, international students are super fortunate as the University is situated right outside Guildford town centre.

Image: Tim Sheerman-Chase (CC BY 2.0 license)

Guildford is a lovely town filled with amazing shopping spots and adorable coffee shops! Throughout my time in Guildford I’ve discovered that the town regularly runs great festivals and events such as the Christmas market on the castle grounds, free yoga, and a Christmas lighting ceremony! As an international student I’ve spent so much time exploring Guildford that it feels like a second home to me by now! However, I would have loved if the University announced more of these fun events on either the Student Union page or the International Students Facebook page.

Finally, my last recommendation is that the University create some type of furniture selling scheme. As an international student, one of the biggest things I dread is the thought of having to deal with selling all of my furniture at the end of my studies.

Thus, it would be great if the University created a forum in which we could sell our furniture to other students.

Overall, I have truly enjoyed my experience at Surrey. With an amazing town to explore and a great community vibe, there isn’t much to dislike about Surrey. I would definitely recommend this University to any international student. Nevertheless, after being here for three years, there are definitely a few things that I think the University needs to improve on, in order to optimize the international students’ experience.

LITERATURE

3 YOUNG ADULT BOOKS THAT BREAK THE MOULD 8

With studies taking up so much of our time, it can be difficult to make room for more leisurely pastimes like reading. It’s much easier to switch on Netflix and absorb visual content than to crack open a book and construct the visuals for ourselves.

But with contemporary Young Adult fiction, finding reading time can be a lot easier. YA books use language that is more accessible and can deal with issues the modern reader can relate to. It’s quicker to get sucked into these books, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable than reading Dickens or Austen. Just because the stories are about, and for young people, doesn’t mean that they are not worthwhile reading, regardless of your age. YA isn’t all about romance and vampires, but can discuss issues that are deeply moving and real.

So if you’re looking to find a connection to a book that you haven’t been assigned for class, here are 3 beautiful YA books that you might have missed in 2017 that stand out from the crowd. // Helia Daryani

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LITERATURE LITERATURE

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera Told through alternating perspectives, They Both Die at the End tells the story of two boys who are informed that they are going to die today. Knowing nothing about one another, Rufus and Mateo choose to spend their final day not in fear of the inevitable, but forming a new friendship and living their lives to the fullest.

Despite having elements of science fiction, the book is very contemporary in how it deals with the ways in which people are connected. It is about showing bravery in small ways and how a life can be fulfilling without having to be loud. The characters are distinct and their problems and anxieties are painfully real and relatable. For a book that creates a lot of heartache, there’s so much light and happiness that shines through it.

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Release by Patrick Ness Ness’ books always stand out from the Young Adult crowd because of their wholly unique concepts, and Release is no exception. It spans a single day in a boy’s life and how a series of small events change everything for him. The book is incredible at acknowledging the depth of teenage emotions, and at its core it explores how important all types of relationships can be to a person’s life. It doesn’t falsely romanticize relationships as YA novels are often accused of doing, but instead shows romances that feel genuine and are held with equal importance to friendships. A modern Mrs. Dalloway with a subtle magical twist, Release is a stunning story about hope in the face of hopelessness.

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LITERATURE LITERATURE

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Thomas’ debut may be the most important book published in 2017. It had 13 publishing houses auctioning for the manuscript, over 30 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list, and has a movie already in production – all for good reason. The Hate U Give is about a sixteen-year-old black girl whom witnesses the senseless shooting of her friend by the hands of a white police officer. Dealing with issues of racism on every level, The Hate U Give is about Starr’s decision whether to speak up and defend her friend, or stay silent and potentially more safe. Addressing the inherent racism in American society, as well as the prejudices towards activism, is such an important conversation for YA to be having, and makes this a book a modern classic that is absolutely worth reading.

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e h T

d e e N

r o F

e s r e v

i D //H

D a i el

i n a ary

e r u t a

r e t i L

As movements such as the #WeNeedDiverseBooks Campaign are becoming more prevalent in the world of children’s publishing, what is it that makes representation in literature so important?

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or this article I will be using ‘diversity’ as an umbrella term to cover a range of experiences as defined by weneeddiversebooks.org: “including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.”

For people who have always been represented by literature and the media, it is easy to dismiss the need for diversity. If your identity has been voiced by countless characters you have read about, then it is easy to assume that everyone else feels heard as well.

But the reality is that it’s rare to open a book and find a person of colour take centre stage. It’s difficult to find LGBTQIA narratives that aren’t just the ‘gay best friend’ trope. Literature likes to water down mental illnesses to romanticized falsehoods or a horror genre trope convention. Faith gets torn apart and criticized without showing religious people as people. And characters with disabilities are practically non-existent – unless they are there to be tragically killed in order to teach the reader a lesson.

People are much more than stereotypes and lessons, and they deserve to be visible. And this is part of what the push for diversity is all about: giving others an accurate portrayal of diverse experiences, and letting marginalized authors reach audiences that share their identity.

different experiences, and if anything, portraying this would enhance literature rather than be a detriment to it. Diversity is not a matter of being socially correct. It is about being realistic to the world we live in.

There are enough examples of fiction that allude to the multiplicity of the human experience, with science-fiction and fantasy narratives like X-Men using the oppression of a fictitious race as a metaphor for real life discrimination. However, metaphors aren’t enough to get a message across, especially when they skirt around the reality of issues by neglecting to focus on the under-represented people whose stories they parallel. Allusions to real world discrimination aren’t sufficient on their own, which is why Angie Thomas’ 2017 debut The Hate U Give is still very present in the consciousness of YA publishing (and likely will be for years to come). The novel does not allude to racism and discrimination – it deals with it first-hand. People often read for escapism, but some of the best literature is that which wakes the reader up to reality. For young people to connect with such real characters and stories is for them to be alert to the problems facing the world around them.

Marginalized identities are more than just labels. With them come different cultures, lifestyles and ways of living that people outside of those worlds may not be aware of. It is why the ambiguity of Dumbledore’s sexuality or Hermione’s race in the Reaching diverse audiences is particularly important when it comes to children’s literature. Young people need Harry Potter books aren’t enough to see themselves in the media they consume in order to to count as representation. Alknow that their experiences are valid. They need to know though these ambiguities can allow people to insert themselves that people like them can be heroes too, but also see that they aren’t alone in what they think and feel. Books, into a narrative and relate to film and television can make kids feel less like outsiders, a book in a new way, there is much more to reflectwhich is why the choice made by Disney Channel to finally show a young character dealing with his sexuality ing diverse experiences is more than following a trend. When content that repre- than out-of-text claims. sents diverse experiences is difficult to find, it suggests to Where representayoung people that may be struggling with their identity that there is something wrong with the way they are, or tion in literature becomes more that their voices don’t matter. Fiction often focuses on Western ideals of cultural expression and erases people complicated is when an auof different identities – reducing what is acceptable to only one norm. But in the real world there are so many thor chooses to write types of normal, and children deserve to see that this about an includes them. identity Regardless of genre, literature reflects society. Dystopi- that an novels such as The Hunger Games and The Hand- they maids Tale strongly echo reality. So why should repre- are senting diversity be any different? Every community, no matter how small, will have a wealth of people with

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not a part of. Novels published recently have caused a lot of hurt through the way in- which they inaccurately portray marginalized identities. But, representing other voices sensitively can be done. Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows has a character whose disability mirrors her own. However, the novel also represents several different marginalized identities in her six protagonists, and was highly praised for the accuracy of its research into truthful representation.

But, whilst we put these authors on a pedestal for representing other identities, #OwnVoices narratives are just as important. Coined by author Corinne Duyvis, the hashtag was created to recommend books about diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group. Not only is the movement important to promote the works of marginalized authors whose works have been traditionally excluded from the literary canon and the general world of publishing (a survey released by bookcareers.com in September 2017 found that 90% of the UK publishing industry is white British), but it is also vital in getting stories about first hand experiences about what it is to be a part of that identity. Promoting #OwnVoices stories is incredibly important so that the writers and readers that have traditionally been excluded from narratives can finally allow their stories to be heard.

Literature has never had a passive role in society – that much is evident from history. Even though it’s only fiction, literature can have the power to shape minds and enable people to connect with the world around them. Diversity is not just a trend that will fade out, it’s something that is needed: for the people who want to learn, the authors who want to share, and the readers who need to be heard.

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LITERATURE

Speculative Fiction: The Antidote for the Modern World // EMILY WOOTON

Taking the world’s current trends into account, does speculative fiction really deserve to be branded ‘fiction’?

Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid’s Tale, George Kraychyk // Hulu

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he rise of harsh regimes. Scrapping human rights. Environmental devastation.

These are horrors you might expect to read in one of the many speculative fiction novels currently gracing our bookshelves. But this is not a speculative fiction novel. They are global trends, they are very much real – and they’re impacting upon all of us right now.

But first, allow me to define the genre. Robert Heinlein, himself a science fiction writer, coined the term in the 1940s. It can be linked to the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres but has more recently become associated with dystopian fiction, novels that offer terrifying visions of the future.

Speculative novels tend to, indeed, speculate on what the world as we know it could turn into, and what that will mean for mankind. As Margaret Atwood, the Queen of speculative literature, so eloquently puts it, while science fiction has ‘monsters and spaceships,’ speculative fiction ‘could really happen.’

Her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which address the implications of infertility and gender inequality, is a stellar example. More well-known examples include Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which explores indoctrination, artificial reproduc-

tion and consumerism, and George Orwell’s 1984, from which ‘Big Brother’ was born (the method of control, not the TV show). With the advent of the two World Wars and dictatorships like Nazi Germany and Communist Russia, the genre’s popularity spiked in the twentieth century – and it’s not going anywhere.

Yet Atwood herself claims that all the genre’s good for is to ‘make sure you’ve got a lot of canned goods and a gun.’ I must say, she has a point. Dystopian novels don’t tend to offer solutions to defeating their dark depictions of the future besides mass-scale revolution, which, in some societies, is about as likely as winning the Nobel Prize for literature. And no matter how many accolades such a novel had collected, it won’t be much use when it’s burned by an overzealous dictator. The protagonists in Huxley’s novel, for instance, are either exiled or commit suicide, which certainly isn’t inspiring. But perhaps this reflects the futility of resisting commercialisation. Perhaps the suicide is resistance in itself. Perhaps there is a hint of irony in that factories can now spit out hundreds of Huxley’s novels at a time.

But, as they say, prevention’s better than cure – and speculative literature is one of the best preven-

tions out there.

The genre raises awareness of disturbing social and political issues by weaving them into its narrative and, while it might not teach you how to tackle them, it warns against twiddling your thumbs while they multiply. Take environmental welfare. None of us want to live in a dead world devoid of green things, a popular backdrop for the current crop of dystopian novels. They focus upon environmental disaster, like climate change and nuclear accidents, which might seem obvious to you or I, but perhaps not to everyone. Is the rise in eco-dystopias and the rise in environmentally-conscious charities, political parties and individuals really a mere coincidence?

This education is particularly important when it comes to YA (Young Adult) dystopia, marketed towards teenagers who are approaching eligibility to vote and will need to take such issues into consideration. One study conducted by the University of Essex found that less than a third of 16 to 24-year-olds were interested in politics. Before you lose all faith in the next generation, understand that, crucially, sales of YA books have leapt up by 150% from 20062012 – that’s huge. Of course, it’s not the same as consuming political

‘The genre raises awareness of disturbing social and political issues by weaving them into its narrative and, while it might not teach you how to tackle them, it warns against twiddling your thumbs while they multiply. Take environmental welfare. None of us want to live in a dead world devoid of green things.’

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manifestos or researching the current state of the world themselves, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Where else are kids going to learn about the issues the world throws at us? School can only teach you so much.

In their book, Contemporary Fiction for Young Adults: Brave New Teenagers, Basu, Broad and Hintz put forward that, ‘in emphasising the trials of adolescents, YA dystopias recapitulate the conventions of the classic Bildungsroman, using political strife, environmental disaster, or other forms of turmoil as the catalyst for achieving adulthood.’ That these novels mimic the coming-of-age process, albeit in an exaggerated fashion, are why they’re so popular with young adults.

However, as a good chunk of modern dystopian novels are targeted towards this age group, this means that many are slushy, brimming with love triangles that

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Murray Close // Lionsgate

prop up the narrative but add little to their speculative nature.

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is one such modern dystopian novel that, yes, contains a love triangle, but doesn’t deserve to be branded ‘slushy’. Katniss Everdeen is a far cry from a damsel in distress. Peeta Mellark is nowhere near an alpha male. Collins even goes so far as to comment on the ethical considerations of war, not least when Gale Hawthorne lends a hand at designing the weapons that kills a bunch of children.

Not the stuff of your typical fiction novel.

Generally, the extreme issues that speculative fiction challenges make for complex novels and complex characterisation. Protagonists of speculative fiction don’t tend to be mass-produced stereotypes with behaviour more predictable than the outcome of Eurovision.

By challenging the problems

with their society, authors can challenge stereotypical – and harmful – representations of gender or race or age, providing positive role models for readers of all ages to relate to. Characters can symbolise morality in a, seemingly, increasingly hedonistic world – or, in the case of the anti-hero, symbolise the lack of it.

In this manner, speculative fiction can empower and inspire change. After watching the film adaptation of The Hunger Games, who didn’t want to go and overthrow a government?

And perhaps we need to do it now more than ever.

What I learnt sleeping rough

OPINION

//Jake Foster

Homelessness is an ever-increasing problem in the UK. The latest official figures show that in England the number of rough sleepers has risen year on year for the past six years, with a 16% increase in 2016. Last year, an estimated 4,134 people slept rough on any one night; these figures are made more shocking when you realise that rough sleepers only account for 9% of the homeless population, the other 91% are sleeping in hostels, temporary housing or are reliant on sofa surfing.

While on placement I have had the chance to help organise and take part in a charity sleep-out, giving up my bed for one night to sleep rough on a business park just outside of Reading. Similar to the recent successful YMCA Sleep Easy event held on campus, the premise of this event was quite simple: Get sponsored to sleep rough in a cardboard box for the night and experience the uncomfortable and unpleasant reality of homelessness.

Fortunately the night was a success, we managed to raise over £8,000 for a local homeless charity.

In the days following it I sat down to pen an article about the experience, but was hit by a realisation I never expected: I enjoyed it. I enjoyed one night of sleeping rough far too much. I feel unable to write a gritty article about how awful the experience was due to the fact that I had too much fun doing it. Why? Please note: I am not for one moment suggesting that real homelessness is ‘fun’ or enjoyable in any capacity, what I have come to realise is that it is near impossible to organise a safe event that creates a true-to-life simulation of homeless-

-ness, because homelessness simply isn’t safe.

In our event we slept in a safe environment surrounded by friends and colleagues. We also had security guards patrolling nearby to ensure our safety. Even if uncomfortable, it is considerably easier to sleep when you know you’re safe. This is simply unrealistic. In reality homeless people are constantly unsafe and prone to assault and abuse, especially at night. In the UK, the homeless are 17 times more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than the general public. The constant fear of attack they have to endure is not something we can (or would want to) recreate during a sleep-out

‘In the UK, the homeless are 17 times more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than the general public. ’ event.

The other factor we were unable to recreate or empathise with is the feeling of hopelessness that the homeless have to face. No matter how uncomfortable our experience was, we were able to carry on in the knowledge that the next day we could simply pick ourselves up, go home, shower, eat and sleep in our own beds. Humans have an uncanny ability to endure great hardship as long as they have the

Image: born1945 (CC BY 2.0 license)

hope or knowledge that things will get better over time. For us this was always clear, but for the real homeless population there is no guarantee of a hot meal soon or a warm bed in the near future. The struggle to hold on to hope is a real issue for rough sleepers, and is another factor that we would never be able to realistically replicate for a one-night event.

So can we truly empathise with the homeless after sleeping rough for one night? No. Can we still sympathise? Of course. I believe the important point to take away is that we can never truly appreciate the struggle and plight of the homeless, the fear and hopelessness they endure is worse than any cardboard blanket or concrete mattress. The best we can do is fundraise, be sympathetic, be kind and pray that we never have to experience their pain for ourselves.

‘fundraise, be sympathetic, be kind and pray that we never have to experience their pain for ourselves’

OPINION

#MeToo

* Editor’s note: the following article contains topics of a sensitive nature.

T H E V I C T I M S ’ C RY AG A I N S T S E X UA L H A R R A S S M E N T *

//Alice Papadopoulou

REUTERS // Lucy Nicholson

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t the time I am writing this, MeToo is THE hashtag of the moment. Following the harrowing articles in the New York Times by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, who reported several allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein, and Ronan Farrow, who shared the victims’ stories down to the most disgusting details, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged women all over the Twitter-sphere to share their own stories. The result can easily be equated to a storm: a storm that broke out among any platforms that

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women could use – from the red carpet to YouTube to traditional media like The Guardian…

So, by now, you should shake your head in disagreement.

MeToo is not the hashtag of the moment. It is the hashtag of any moment, of our times, of our culture. Whenever this issue falls into your hands, MeToo should still be the hashtag. To deal with it as another trend that came and passed is wrong, because it would mean that once again we choose to turn a blind eye to a problem that has plagued our society, that we are opting for

silence and letting things go rather than staying our course and pushing for change.

But that silence is over, at least for now. And to just let this moment go would be a terrible waste of the amazing strength and solidarity that these women who have come forward have showcased.

Reading through the numerous stories about Harvey Weinstein and other Hollywood personalities hit by the storm, but also the accounts of women from all different walks of life (including, for instance, Henda Ayari’s story of sexual violence),

‘Actress Alyssa Milano encouraged women all over the Twitter-sphere to share their own stories. The result can easily be equated to a storm’ ‘MeToo is not the hashtag of the moment. It is the hashtag of any moment, of our times, of our culture.’ what we all suspected is confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Just as catcalling and weird stares in the street are just normal behaviour, so is sexual harassment: it is commonplace, nothing to to fret about. It is something to ‘confide,’ to ignore, to

cover up, to try and forget. Sexual assault and rape even more so. But what the MeToo hashtag achieved was to shine a light on the magnitude of the problem. It is not just an issue to be aware of, it is not just ‘one monster,’ as Guardian columnist Suzanne Moore pointed out… it is a cultural phenomenon. Various levels of predatory behaviour are swept under the rag, they are something to warn women about but never confront, something that is pestering us, but it’s not a real problem… and thus, something that is, indirectly, encouraged.

For those ready to object about how men are not represented, the MeToo may have started out focusing on women, but has also helped men come forward (although not enough). The Kevin Spacey incident (aka ‘the wrong way to come out’ story) has garnered a lot of media attention and it seems that many so-far ‘unfounded’ allegations are being noticed. One example would be Roy Price, the top entertainment executive of Amazon Studios, who was suspended following accusations of inappropriate

conduct. The list is growing – and there is an actual list that New York Times has compiled, noting the perpetrators, the allegations and the fallout, so keep an eye on that.

And we can make sure that this avalanche keeps going. Ronan Farrow has promised subsequent articles, aimed at uncovering the entire system that helped keep Weinstein’s secret for so long, while the entertainment industry is under increasing scrutiny and female heavy-

‘what the #MeToo hashtag achieved was to shine a light on the magnitude of the problem. It is not just an issue to be aware of, it is not just ‘one monster,’ weights are taking over awards season in support of the TimesUp movement.

But will this be enough to revise the confidentiality agreements/ clauses that, as Ronan Farrow put it, ‘purchased the silence’ of Weinstein’s victims? Will it be enough to actually prosecute him? Or will he disappear for a while, go to therapy, distribute some hush money and wait until there is an alternative hashtag to ‘obsess over’? Therapy may be needed in cases where people want to overcome their tendency towards sexual cruelty, but that does not mean they should not pay for behaviour that is recognised legally as a crime. Sexual abuse is not a mishap and therapy is not the prescribed way of solving the problem; sexual offences are crimes and this criminal behaviour should be punished as the law prescribes.

One thing I do know is that it is our duty to continue the conversation. We can stop when predators realise that, whether it’s a casual grope or a full-out assault, sexual harassment and violence against women and men is not permissible.

MeToo is not a fad; it is a turning point for the fight against sexual violence and it needs to be reinforced by further action.

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OPINION

* Editor’s note: the following article contains topics of a sensitive nature.

Men, You’re Not Immune The problem of sexual harassment and assault cannot be solved without some male introspection.*

//Ricardo Teixeira-Mendes

R

ecent events have sprung the issues of sexual assault, harassment and rape into public consciousness. Starting from the exposure of Harvey Weinstein and a slew of Hollywood figures, the wave of scandal has reached journalism, music and even Westminster- down to the heart of Theresa May’s government. What we are currently witnessing is a revolutionary wave of courage and scrutiny from women in all walks of life, finally in a position to expose injustices historic and current.

This wave of scandal has finally broken the barrier between media and celebrity and has begun to touch our daily lives. Women across the world, not only America but here in Britain, have finally started to examine the inappropriate interactions men have delivered to them over the course of their lives.

Importantly however, this is a topic of which the weight cannot simply be carried on women’s shouldersmuch of the introspection has to come from both sexes, and men as a whole need to take a look in the mirror.

Recently the BBC2 programme Newsnight devoted a portion of their show to a combative two-sided debate between 14 men and 3 women titled “The Problem with Men”. As you would probably expect the episode was crowded by a series of anxieties of (mostly) older men, worried that “political correctness” would destroy intimacy, flirtation and hamper the often-

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delicate idiosyncrasies of male to female interaction. This theme carried on in many right-leaning tabloid and broadsheet editorials, broadly saying the same thing: men who are innocent should not pay for the sins of the guilty. Collective punishment is, quite rightly, deemed cruel and unfair- but these men fail to grasp key details in this important conversation about power, sex and gender. These details make cases of harassment hard to spot for men from all walks of life.

I have always considered myself fairly progressive. I consider myself a feminist. I have felt that I stood up for equal rights between men and women. I have never catcalled or been intentionally rude to women, nor have I been discriminatory- but ultimately, I have not always been at my best, and often my usually good character and liberal credentials made me think that harassment and assault is the domain of other men, not anyone like me.

Men, regardless of how progressive, regressive, right-wing or left-wing they are will be capable of putting women into positions where saying “no” is far from easy and power over others can coerce women into positions they would rather not be in. The vast majority of sexual harassment comes this way. Men will almost always think that media horror stories about harassment and assault is not something they do, and more often than not, a misunderstanding of consent and the inability to pick-up

discomfort can mean that despite intentions, the effect of what they see as harmless flirting, light touches, or reciprocal attraction is the same as those celebrity predations.

In the past few weeks I have examined behaviours I made in the past. While I would never do something as obviously inappropriate and predatory as a catcall, wolf-whistle or grope, it’s worth remembering that even decent men will act out of line

‘the weight cannot simply be carried on women’s shoulders much of the introspection has to come from both sexes, and men as a whole need to take a look in the mirror’

under mistaken circumstances.

How many times have decent men flirted with women who were only flirting back out of politeness and convenience? How many times have such encounters resulted in women facing sexual advances under coercion? Saying no isn’t easy and often men cannot realise how women do not want to be in positions that men put them in.

This article isn’t about predators, the people we see in the media such as ex-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon who felt they could molest women without impunity. This is about men, people like myself, who for all their good character can find themselves almost inadvertently exploiting the grey areas in male to female interaction. I’m not calling for anything radical, I do not call for affirmative consent every five minutes, I don’t call for contracts to be signed before intercourse, but all I ask is that all men, particularly those who feel they’re probably immune to any real predatory behaviour to look at themselves and think: Have I went a bit too far when trying it on with a girl? Have I backed anyone into a corner they couldn’t get out of ?

Have I used alcohol or drugs as an excuse to behave inappropriately?

Who really is the vulnerable person in this interaction? Am I in a position of power over this person?

Hollywood and Parliament have become hotbeds of harassment scandals purely over the vast power lurking behind men who have used their status as an excuse to harass and assault women, but often these same men may think their behaviour was justified, or even consensual because they forgot that their status can be intimidating.

Asking myself these questions has unearthed uncomfortable truths about some of my past behaviours.

I’ve had times where women may have felt on the spot, where consent was given but not enthusiastically, and that comments, behaviours or

Photo by Leon israel signals I’ve made just weren’t fit for purpose in those instances.

The remorse and guilt I feel is a huge step that many men need to find within themselves, but it’s half the battle. People always want to see the good in themselves, nobody wants to think of themselves as a monster, but ultimately even small things pile up and enforce a power dynamic that women can’t easily break free of- often occurring without a second thought from seemingly good and moral men.

The other half of this process is moving forward and asking the same questions for the future, in order to ensure that we treat women with due respect.

Women can, and should, speak

out whenever cases of harassment, assault and rape come to light- they should be given all the necessary support they need and men who prey upon women, who hide behind power and status to abuse them, should be prosecuted and dealt with.

But to most men reading this, who aren’t predators, who think of themselves as decent and good men, think about times where you may not have intended to be a predator. Think of the times where the effect very well could have been the same. Without any male introspection we cannot break this cycle that leaves women vulnerable and coerced.

‘Without any male introspection we cannot break this cycle that leaves women vulnerable and coerced’ 23

OPINION

My Quarter-Life Crisis

Dealing with reality in an unreal world as a twenty-something...

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// REGGIE LAWRENCE

o describe what I went through at the age of twenty-three as a quarter-life crisis is many things; pretentious, preposterous, profound, potty; but perhaps, and perhaps most importantly, it is optimistic of a long life with many years ahead. With the exponential growth of technology and the rapid developments of new medicines I might even be right – they say the first 150 year-old human has already been born – or I might just get hit by the night bus on its way back from Stag Hill next Wednesday. Who’s to say?

Regardless, at this age, in this age, I feel justified in expressing a kind of uncertainty looming over my future and my now. We live 24

in precarious times where no one knows what’s going to happen next and this uncertainty exists in our society at every level of magnitude. Housing prices and the value of qualifications float like rubber duckies making their way safely across Niagara Falls, job security and the livelihood of industries are as susceptible to change as that one friend on a night out who’s going through a messy breakup and she’s already at the bar again ordering two more doubles, and don’t get me started on British politics and this Brexit malarkey.

But the alarming truth is our futures are relative to our environment and our environment is unstable. When you first come to terms with the idea that you have

no control over your future, the future being what we have been raised to think about when we think about our lives, you feel a bit shitty.

And that’s what happened to me and that’s how it felt. After graduating with my Undergraduate Degree in Music, of all things, I felt my career prospects were fickle and that no venture could ensure me of a life I had been conditioned to believe was desirable, successful, or was even just a good one. I’m not going to describe the state as being primarily depressed, although don’t get me wrong there were bad days, it was more the feeling of being without direction or purpose. It’s unfortunate but that feeling also happens to be good friends with

the delightful characters Frustration and Sadness and even has Anxiety listed as their emergency contact.

Through this time though, whether I liked it or not, with great struggle, I came to terms with these circumstances and came to the conclusion that there is no point, reason, or sense in feeling bad about what lies ahead.

And so that’s what I did. I decided to stop seeing the apparent uncertainty ahead of me as my impending doom and start seeing it as something to feel good about.

From there I figured out what I wanted to do and went for it; I travelled and worked in Italy for four months (if that interests you check out www.Workaway.info), I fell back in love with writing and my guitar, I passed my driving test and got a car, I worked as self-employed for a few years, and now I’m starting a PhD in, of all things, Music! I accepted the harsh reality that I will never be in complete control of the direction of my life and I have honestly never felt better about my future or my now.

And how boring life would be if it was all determined! Accept uncertainty, do your best to be comfortable with it, see where it leads, have a pint.

‘If you have a problem you can’t do something about it then don’t worry. If you have a problem and you can do something about it then don’t worry.’

- The Dalai Lama

‘…don’t plan too much. It may not come out right.’

- Tommy Wiseau as Johny in The Room 25

SCIENCE

The Illusion of Choice: Does free will exist? //Ivelina Dobreva

H

ow would you feel if I told you that you have no ability to make choices in your life?

What would happen if you suddenly realised that the concept of ‘choice’ and ‘free will’ has emerged out of social necessity? Or that your conscious thoughts and behaviours are simply governed by the laws of determinism? Determinism proposes that behaviour is caused by proceeding factors and is thus predictable. It is also often taken as equivalent to ‘naturalism’ or ‘physicalism’ – the view that every event in the universe, including human

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decisions and actions, is governed by natural laws. As such, ‘free will’, that is widely regarded as the ability to choose between possible courses of action, is inconsistent with the only possible outcome from a deterministic point of view.

In the field of Psychology, the concept of pre-determined behaviour is not new. The psychologist B. F. Skinner’s work is a classic example. He believed that concepts like free will are illusional terms.

Human behaviour, instead, is based on past experiences and therefore governed by the consequences of

previous actions.

The notion of determinism however, threatens the social structure people have built. If our actions are already pre-determined, does that mean we bear no responsibility for them? Would that be considered when deciding whether someone is guilty of murder or not? Did the murderer have a choice?

One can argue that thoughts are too complex to be pre-determined by previous experience. However, mental states emerge from neuronal communication, which has a chemical base. Your thoughts result

‘If our actions are already pre-determined, does that mean we bear no responsibility for them?

Would that be considered when deciding whether someone is guilty of murder or not?

Did the murderer have a choice?’ from chemical substances transmitted from one brain cell to another.

The molecules must obey the law of physics, so the outputs of the brain are dictated by those laws.

Therefore, humans and their actions are part of the physical world and bound by the physical laws, which are deterministic. This logical explanation works, but not fully. If we look at the subatomic level, there’s quantum physics, where particles are unpredictable. That’s where the wacky behaviour of the particles doesn’t fit in the deterministic view of classical physics.

For more than 30 years, neuroscience research has studied the relationship between brain activity and conscious decisions. A pioneering experiment by Benjamin Libet, conducted in the 1980s, divided the scientific world with its findings.

He measured subjects’ brain activity and asked participants to watch a clock, flick their wrist whenever they felt like it, and report the time they made the decision. Libet found evidence of brain activity initiating the movement approximately half a second before their conscious decision. These findings suggest that decisions are first made on a subconscious level and only afterwards are translated into consciousness.

Some criticisms are that participants shift their attention to the clock, which creates time mismatches.

Others interpret the brain activity merely as a sign that the brain is paying attention. However, despite the criticisms, the main finding was upheld. Libet did not interpret his experiment as an evidence of the inefficacy of free will. He thought that the consciousness still retains the right to veto an action at the last moment. People can still supress their unconscious impulses.

In 2011, Itzhak Fried and colleagues replicated Libet’s findings at the scale of single neurons. Fried’s experiments showed that there was activity in individual neurons about a second and a half before the subject made the conscious decision to press a button. Researchers could predict the movement with 80% accuracy, 700miliseconds before the subjects became consciously aware of their decision.

If we accept that our decisions are pre-determined and are result of subconscious brain activity, how could we explain the feeling of control we have over our choices?

Perhaps in the very moment we experience a choice, our minds are rewriting history. We foolishly think it was us who made the decision, when in fact it was our brain.

In Bear and Bloom’s experiment (2016), subjects looked at white circles and tried to guess which would turn red. As the red circle always fired randomly, participants were expected to correctly guess 20% of the time. However, when a circle

fired especially quickly, participants reported accuracy more than 30%.

Although subjects realistically didn’t have time to guess at all, they still reported correct predictions. It’s possible that the conscious experience of choice may be constructed after we act, but our brains make us feel like we made the choice. This aids in feeling in control of our world – an idea central for developing beliefs in free will. Another, less scary explanation, is that the brain simply cannot cope processing information in such short time scales. That’s why

‘Perhaps in the very moment we experience a choice, our minds are rewriting history. ’ it creates mismatches.

What can we conclude from these studies? There’s still an ongoing debate over the existence of free will among scientists and philosophers.

Some research has been done on the effects of claims such as ‘Scientists proved that free will doesn’t exist’.

Subjects who read them were more likely to cheat, steal and be less helpful towards others.

However, we can only speculate on potential effects on society, as more research is needed. There is a lot of uncertainty, and a single claim whether the world we live in is deterministic or not cannot be made. As on the individual level, I think it just boils down to what you believe in. Some people might find the thought of living in a pre-determined world uncomfortable. Others might see it as a world guided by certain forces or cosmic energies.

As for me, I’ll now go and make myself a cuppa. Because I just feel like it.

Image by Carlo Micheli.

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TRAVEL

Voluntourism noun

‘a form of tourism in which travellers participate in voluntary work, typically for a charity.’

//Eva Lee

A

s the shot flicks into focus, we see a young white male cloaked in what appears to be a Buddhist robe with a leafy-green backdrop. Yes, we’ve all seen the viral video ‘Gap Yah’; a monologue and satirical response to the ‘voluntourism’ phenomenon.

With glossy brochures and vibrant adverts seducing students with the promise of exotic adventures and enriching experiences, is it any wonder that thousands sign up to volunteer abroad each summer?

There is, however, quite rightly growing cynicism towards

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volunteering abroad. The underlying questions being based around the authenticity of these programmes; do they really benefit and bring about positive change to developing communities?

Recently, Richard Oliver, Chief Executive of the Year Out Group and Judith Brodie, Director of VSO UK have warned against ‘voluntourism’, encouraging individuals to ‘do their research’ before investing their time and money.

The Guardian newspaper also recently published an article on the

ethical implications of various voluntary orphanage programmes in Haiti. The article conveys a situation in which ‘volunteering’ in fact hinders the community; orphanage managers have been alleged to abuse and traffic children. Most of the children within these institutions aren’t in fact orphans and the managers of these initiatives receive a wealthy salary from unwitting volunteers.

Although this case may appear extreme and anomalous the damage of ‘voluntourism’ is much more widespread than some may seem

‘With glossy brochures and vibrant adverts seducing students with the promise of exotic adventures and enriching experiences, is it any wonder that thousands sign up to volunteer abroad each summer?

[But there are] underlying questions based around the authenticity of these programmes; do they really benefit and bring about positive change to developing communities? to believe. In a conversation with a trainee nurse, I learnt about her horrific week-long voluntary experience in Morocco. She recounted how on one day she was ushered into a room followed by a local nurse and a photographer.

Crying babies were then distributed between each ‘volunteer’ by the nurse and what she described as a ‘photo shoot’, commenced.

Whilst spreading a positive message is important, worthwhile voluntary work is often self-evidently less glamorous.

International Citizenship Service is a government funded organization which works in partnership with various voluntary programmes to send British citizens under the age of 25 years abroad to volunteer in developing communities.Although the programme doesn’t work with

specialists, the ICS programme does offer a stepping-stone opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career in charity work or volunteering in the future.

Last summer I embarked on my own journey with ICS and V.S.O (Voluntary Service Overseas) in Nigeria. During those three months we lived with host families and were paired up with other Nigerian volunteers. This set-up enabled us to be completely immersed in the community and way of life.

In the day we carried out a wide range of community work from educational initiatives in schools, medical testing for malaria and hepatitis to carrying out research on development in the community.

Community impact is something which is difficult to quantify and observe, particularly when volunteering for only three months.

The phrase that was ingrained into all of our minds from the very start of the programme, was voiced by our youth programme officer, Barny who said, we can each give a “little” and accumulatively, we can make a difference.

Back in the U.K, at the return review weekend, we, the volunteers, all had the chance to share personal stories and our emotional journeys, having been home for over a month.

A fellow volunteer spent her first week back home feeling low, guilty, experiencing a sense of homesickness for rural Nigeria.

However, she is now fundraising £1500 for the charity ‘Dig Deep’ and wants to pursue her idea of a business model based on ethical fashion: “As a fashion marketing student, I’m going to go back to university to tailor my studies around the environment and sustainable fashion. I’ve been inspired by seeing the amount of waste in Oke-Ode to learn about how the industry could become more ethical.” - Georgia Another student volunteer in my group was Paul who said ‘I would encourage everybody to volunteer at least once in their lives. To see the world, experience other cultures, to change lives’.

‘we all have power, energy and agency to impact the world’ On ICS one learns what it is to work as a team, what it is to help others, what it is to be kind. ICS is a life-affirming experience; it mobilises and motivates young people. It shows how we all have power, energy and agency to impact the world. These lessons and realisations are carried by volunteers, through the rest of their lives, and create ripples, encouraging and empowering others.

‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ - Margaret Mead.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Super Mario Odyssey V I D E O

G A M E

R E V I E W

//Tom Bowins Image: Nintendo – Super Mario Odyssey

I

t’s 3am. I lean back into my sofa and sip my tea triumphantly, cheeks aching from the smile that’s been plastered on my face for as many hours as I’ve been playing this game. The credits roll, and I’m fulfilled. Super Mario Odyssey is nothing short of a glorious achievement for Nintendo. It is simultaneously a near flawless homage to its predecessors and a breath of fresh air in the stale platforming genre of 2017. It brings a combination of exploration, tight controls and overwhelming amounts of fun to a recently repetitive genre,

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raising the bar for all platforming titles of this generation.

It’s a tale as old time. Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach to force her into marriage, and it’s up to our hero Mario to save the day and rescue her.

Accompanying you on this journey is going to be “Cappy”, a ghost-like entity that embodies your classic Mario cap, and has the power to possess the various denizens of the Mario universe. Using this power, you must run, jump, stomp and manipulate the foes around you to collect “power moons”, magical

moons”, magical entities that you can use to fuel your spaceship and

‘It’s a near flawless homage to its predecessors and a breath of fresh air’

give chase before the wedding bells toll.

It’s with the unique design of

“Whatever type they [Tory MPs] are, I have absolutely no intention of being friends with any of them. I have friends I choose to spend time with. I go to parliament to be a mouthpiece for my constituents and class – I’m not interested in chatting on.”

- Laura Pidcock, MP for NW Durham Image: Nintendo – Super Mario Odyssey

Cappy that the game transitions from a polished return to something quite wonderful. By throwing his hat, Mario can become his enemies, giving him access to a whole slew of new abilities, creating a huge design space for puzzles and exploration that has never been seen before in the Mario series. Cling to walls, become incorporeal and even possess the destructive power of a T-Rex with more than 50 different enemies to aid you.

This, along with the rest of the game, handles fantastically; the controls are tight and responsive, and the transition between Mario and his possessed counterparts is seamless. He retains all of his skills and athleticism from the original games, but comes with even more abilities, such as high jumps from ground pounds and bouncing from Cappy, to gain even more height and distance as you navigate the various perils of the Odyssey universe. The option for motion controls with the joycons is unobtrusive and not even needed, but can be sprinkled in for a more engaging experience for those that enjoy it.

The game itself is massive.

Spanning over 14 diverse worlds on your journey to save Peach, you’re looking at the realms of some 15 hours to reach Bowser, yet this hardly scratches the surface of the game. Troves of additional content

and challenges are offered for the more adventurous players, harking back to the challenge of the early titles such as Mario 64.

Each of these worlds has a well-defined personality, from the classic winter wonderland to a candy land filled with molten pink caramel.

Each is bright and beautiful. The friendly characters are simple in design, and yet both recognisable and likeable, such as the cutlery buddies of the food land.

They’re a joy to explore, and rewarding in both the precise platforming and clever puzzles that the game offers across the diverse landscape. An upbeat soundtrack helps to paint the scene while remaining non-disruptive to the experience.

And as always, Nintendo’s clear drive toward accessibility and family-friendly gaming is as clear

as ever, with a co-operative mode allowing one player to be Mario, and a partner to play as Cappy, providing additional jumps and a freedom to fly around Mario, defending him from aggressors.

There is also the new “assist mode”, which is for newer players, guiding them to key objectives with a GPS-like system and allowing instant recovery from falls, a feature that means children and parents alike can enjoy the game together.

When all of this comes together, it makes for an experience that is truly unforgettable, a heartwarming exercise in exploration and enjoyment for the whole family.

It is a game that I personally cannot recommend enough.

Have an article for entertainment?

Email: entertainment@thestagsurrey.co.uk

‘The game itself is massive.

Spanning over 14 diverse worlds on your journey to save Peach, you’re looking at the realms of some 15 hours to reach Bowser, yet this hardly scratches the surface of the game.’

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FOOD

RECIPES FOR THE:

YOUNG, BUSY & BROKE //Susanna Guri

We all know how important nutrition is to feeling and doing your best at university, but sometimes it’s not so easy to step away from the super-noodles, pesto pasta and chicken with rice. The meals I’ve included here are all cheap and easy to make, super healthy, filling, and plant based. I’ve made sure to only share recipes that are as good a day or two after you’ve made them as they are straight out of the pan. So the next time inspiration strikes, you’re ready to go...

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How to: 1. Boil lentils according to instructions (usually approx. 15 min with some salt) and strain.

2. Cook diced onions and peppers in olive oil over medium heat until slightly browned.

3. Add ¼ tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper.

4. Add chickpeas and cook for about 4 minutes.

5. Add spinach and cover until the spinach leaves have wilted.

6. Add your cooked lentils, salt and pepper to taste.

7. Prepare your dressing: combine tahini, lemon juice and garlic powder with some water until you get your desired dressing-consistency.

8. Drizzle your dressing over your salad and enjoy warm or cold!

Cooked protein-packed salad with Tahini-dressing //Susanna Guri

TOP TIP: For different flavours, experiment by adding different types of lentils to your dish.

Ingredients: 1 cup cooked chickpeas; ¼ cup cooked green lentils; 100g raw spinach; ½ white onion, diced; ½ red pepper, diced; ¼ tsp. garlic powder; salt + pepper; olive oil for cooking.

Dressing: 1 ½ t b s p . t a h i n i ; 1 t b s p . l e m o n juice; ¼ tsp. garlic powder; salt & pepper; water.

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FOOD

Spinach & sundried tomato carbonara //Susanna Guri

Ingredients: Ta g l i atel l e , a p p r ox . 4 s e r v i n g s ; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 250g mushrooms, sliced (optional); 200g sundried tomatoes, chopped; 1 cup of cream ( O a t l y ’s C r e a m y O a t /d a i r y ) ; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 100g raw spinach/kale; Salt + pepper; Olive oil for cooking.

TOP TIP: The tagliatelle can be substituted for spaghetti, linguini or whatever type of pasta your heart desires.

How to: 1. Boil pasta and strain, then pour the leftover oil from your sundried tomatoes onto the ready pasta, stir and set aside.

2. Fry up onion, garlic and mushrooms in some olive oil and salt until the water from the mushrooms has mostly evaporated.

3. Add spinach, let wilt entirely.

4. Add sundried tomatoes, smoked paprika and cream, stir to combine.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Mix the sauce in with the pasta and enjoy!

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How to: 1. Peel and boil potatoes, make sure they don’t get mushy.

2. Let cool completely, then cut up into pieces of desired size.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes and red onion.

4. In a separate bowl, combine red wine vinegar, sugar, rapeseed oil, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper into a dressing.

5. Pour dressing over potatoes and onions and mix.

6. Mix in chopped up dill, parsley and capers of desired proportions.

7. Let the potatoes soak up the dressing for at least an hour before enjoying as a side or on its own!

French potato salad //Susanna Guri !

Ingredients: TOP TIP: During step 5, add some extra oil over the potatoes if they seem too dry!

500g of potato; ½ red onion, chopped; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; fresh dill; fresh parsley; capers; salt + pepper.

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TRAVEL

Visiting Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews, Scotland //Matthew Nolan

I

n November 2017, I took a short trip to Scotland to attend a postgraduate open day at the University of St Andrews. This was my first ever visit to the University, to the town, and to Scotland itself. A wonderful trip allround for so many reasons, I hope to explain below at least some of what made this trip an unforgettable travel highlight of mine in 2017.

Located around fifty miles north of Edinburgh, St Andrews is one of the UK’s oldest, most prestiguous, most northern and most remote universities. Like Oxford and

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Cambridge, St Andrews has some very famous alumni, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is extremely academically-selective, and steeped in history and tradition.

All this I knew before I set off for the airport in November. What I was less sure about, however, was whether the students and staff there would be friendly, whether I would be good enough to receive an offer, and whether the University would be the right fit for me.

Early morning, I set out with my dad to the local train station, took a train to London Gatwick Airport,

and boarded a plane to Edinburgh.

All went extremely smoothly. Once at Edinburgh Airport, we discovered how the City’s tram line worked, and took the tram to a stop just outside Edinburgh, where our hotel was located nearby. We walked inside, checked in and dropped our bags off in the room, before heading back to the tram and venturing into the city-centre.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, particularly in the evening during the Christmas season. My dad and I walked around sightseeing that day, photographing places such as

Edinburgh Castle. As we dined at an Italian restaurant, my mind began to turn to tomorrow. I was excited but anxious about facing St Andrews.

Early-morning the next day, we walked to the train station and boarded a one-hour train from Edinburgh to Leuchars, the nearest station to St Andrews. At Leuchars, we waited for a bus, which took us into the town within fifteen minutes.

We headed straight for registration, which was located next to St Salvator’s Quad (see picture left).

Walking through that courtyard sent my mind spinning. I was in shock. I remember it was incredibly beautiful, incredibly well-maintained and above all else, an incredibly calm place. A group of friendly students directed us inside to the welcome talk. I instantly made use of the free coffee available.

The welcome talk was good, but the tour that followed was amazing.

No amount of Google-searching or prospectus-reading can prepare you for the real-life sheer beauty of the town and University buildings there.

We toured the library - which is markedly similar to Surrey in many ways - some postgraduate accommodation, some study spaces, and visited the beach (St Andrews is right on the coast), the cathedral ruins and main University buildings and areas.

My dad and I then went off for lunch at Starbucks, and did a small tour of our own around the town itself. A tour stop highlight was definitely coming across the coffee shop that famously claims it is ‘where Wills met Kate’.

Although St Andrews is quite remote, there is an abundance of shops and pubs of all types there: it is in many ways a smaller-version of Guildford.

In the afternoon, I left my dad and visited the English department to have a meeting with an academic about the postgraduate programmes there. I study English Literature at Surrey, and was interested in the MLitt in Modern and Contemporary

Literature and Culture. It turned out to be a group meeting, and both the academic and other students I chatted with were very friendly

‘Walking through the courtyard sent my mind spinning ... I remember it was incredibly beautiful, incredibly well-maintained and above all else, an incredibly calm place’ and interesting.

After the meeting, which felt at the time like an interview, my dad and I spent a bit longer in St Andrews before returning to the hotel and packing. We flew home the following day, drawing an end to our whirlwind trip.

A week or two later, I received an offer from St Andrews. I am now hoping to meet their requirements and start my studies in Scotland later this year. That being said, I have loved my time here at Surrey, and would happily stay on if I found myself in a position where I fall short of my firm offer.

If you are ever considering a trip to Scotland, either to Edinburgh or St Andrews, I could not recommend it enough. It’s a wonderful country, filled with lovely people. Just be sure to pack a pair of gloves, a scarf and a coat - especially in Winter!

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TRAVEL

RIGA, LATVIA //Eve Willis

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Winter blues may have officially kicked in, but fear not, Riga is the perfect winter destination to liven up the duller months. The dynamic and trendy capital of Latvia can be reached by Baltic Air for as little as £60 return from Gatwick. Indulge yourself in a cosmopolitan city that offers a treasure trove of rich history and culture, foodie heaven and a thriving night life....

What to do:

Where to eat and drink:

• The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia and the ex KGB headquarters are fascinating and chilling. Book the cell tour for the student price of €2 you get an incredible insight into one of the 20th century’s most harrowing chapter of history.

• Cheap eats include Big Bad Bagels and Street Burger they offer tasty and contemporary food, or the Lido chain suits those looking for a more traditional bite.

• Visit St Peters Church. The Medieval monument is one of the cities most treasured sites.

The platform at the top offers panoramic views of the entire city.

• The covered market located in four old Zeppelin hangars is not to be missed. It is Europe’s second largest market, and showcases the real and raw Riga.

• When visiting the old town remain vigilant as petty crime and pickpocketing does occur in these areas. The Riga Tourism police can be helpful in the event of any problems +371 67181818.

Where to stay: • The Naughty Squirrel Hostel is located centrally in the old town and was voted the best hostel in Eastern Europe. It is the ideal place to meet people and party, as well as to enjoy the bustling centre.

Dorm rooms available from £10.

• Air B&B is also a very good option when visiting the Latvian capital. Two bed rentals can be found for around £20 a night.

• Independent coffee shops such as MIIT, which offers a vegetarian breakfast buffet, or DAD Café are symbolic of Riga’s café culture and are well worth spending a lazy afternoon in.

• Riga has an abundance of bars, from the self service Easy wine and Easy beer (a dream come true!), to microbrewery Labietis for ale lovers.

The Armoury Bar is also a great option if you are looking for a bar with a lively atmosphere and quirky soviet-esque décor.

Where to party: Anyone who has an insatiable appetite to party Riga has it all! A city catering to all tastes ranging from karaoke bars that you try to avoid, but ‘ironically’ end up in singing Despacito in…? To the wannabe ‘hard rock café’ playing Russian folk music in the basement at four in the morning and heavy rock in the floor above. But so you don’t have to endure such nightmares, here are some of Riga’s best haunts…

• Puce is a favourite. A popular club with free entry, that attracts a crowd of young people and fellow travelers. It plays popular hits and slightly more questionable music in the downstairs cave… what is there not to love?

• ONE ONE is a cool venue, with the party taking place in an old factory. Hidden in the hip Miera street and nestled between other bars and restaurants it is a MUST. • Mainstream Kalkuk Varti is located in the old town with the

club predominately in the cellar with access to a balcony in which you can dance until sunrise.

Typically, €5 entry.

• Alternative Autentika which has recently emerged on Riga’s nightlife scene plays a host of Europe’s new and emerging indie bands, as well as dance and trance.

• Be mindful to never leave drinks unattended and seek trusted recommendations on other clubs and bars to avoid being scammed.

Don’t forget to pack warm clothes and check the Foreign Travel Checklist before you go for a stress free weekend of immersing yourself in the rich history and charm of Riga and drinking in the plentiful bars.

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TRAVEL

‘Riga is the perfect winter destination to liven up the duller months. Indulge yourself in a cosmopolitan city that offers a treasure trove of rich history and culture, foodie heaven and a thriving night life’

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ERASMUS+

TRAVEL

//Paige Morrison & Katie Pogmore

The Erasmus + scheme is available to all students at Surrey undertaking a period of study or work abroad in Europe. It is run by the European Council and supported by the Department for Education and British Council, aiming to provide young people with opportunities to travel, learn and develop professionally. The programme currently operates in 34 European countries and is free for anyone to apply. Surrey will help every step of the way in the application process, from choosing to do a study/ work placement abroad to the final pre-departure meetings. To find out more about when your degree allows you to travel abroad, please refer to Surrey’s Global Opportunities webpage.

Participating in the scheme allows you to experience a variety of new cultures, making new international connections all whilst enhancing your employability. As an officially recognised programme, you will receive a variety of useful tools on how to make the most of your experience, including language support and advice on becoming internationally employable. A key benefit is the Erasmus grant funding which entitles you to a fixed amount of financial support. This will vary depending on the European country your institution is to be based in - visit www.surrey.ac.uk/ student-exchanges/study-abroad/erasmus-exchange for more details.

Paige’s Story I study Veterinary Biosciences, and whilst there’s loads of great placement opportunities in the UK, I wanted the opportunity to live and work abroad for the year and so spent my Professional Training Year (PTY) in Madrid, Spain.

My placement was based at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, one of Spain’s oldest universities, in the centre for animal health. Here my work was based on various aspects of African Swine Fever; diagnosing it, evaluating its risk to Europe, looking

‘life in Madrid was just fantastic. I lived with 10 other students from across the globe, spent my weekends travelling and learnt Spanish! ’ into implications for farmers etc. The centre is the EU reference laboratory for the disease, so it was exciting and a privilege to be working with the leaders of that field, and work in high security laboratories.

Aside from the great work opportunity Erasmus opened the door to, life in Madrid was just fantastic.

I lived with 10 other students from across the globe, spent my weekends travelling and learnt Spanish!

The funding from the Erasmus scheme was a fantastic help and the online support system provided to help improve your language skills was also great. The whole experience was amazing, and really opened my eyes as to the opportunities working abroad could give me in the future, something I had never really thought about before Erasmus. If you’re interested in an Erasmus placement or considering doing PTY abroad, I honestly couldn’t encourage you enough!

in and out of work. During the week I was building up my industry knowledge, helping in congress management areas such as logistics, registration, speaker handling, marketing etc. In my free time, I was able to explore Belgium easily and in the company of other university placement students from the UK and beyond whom I had met whilst at work.

Thanks to the Erasmus scheme, I was able to live abroad in a much more comfortable and secure way. Support was always available; the financial support was especially encouraging.

It made me realise how many other young people like me depend on Erasmus throughout Europe as a means of opening up career opportunities. However, the experience is much more about doing something you can be proud of, exploring and making amazing memories along the way.

Katie’s Story Studying International Hospitality and Tourism Management and having already been on exchange in Year 2, I thought what better way to spend my Professional Training Year than travelling abroad once again.

My placement was based in Brussels, Belgium for a 12 month contract in an events agency. Here, I worked in a hugely multicultural environment both

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TRAVEL

ESSENTIAL INDIA GUIDE //Eve Willis

M

onkeys scampering across the gardens, whilst the sun hazily emerges around the curving banks of the Yamuna river. A gold film enshrouds the splendid white marble mausoleum, at 6am The Taj Mahal stands in all its glory. An iconic moment that brings many people to India. Are you tempted?

India has had a turbulent and troubled past, but now it is flourishing, teeming with life and fighting to be recognised for its diversity, fortitude and colour. An undeniable assault on the senses. If you are considering where to even begin uncovering the jewels and treasures of India, the north of this vast country offers the perfect introduction.

Start in New Delhi, the sprawling, mad and intense metropolis where old and new collide. After a nine hour flight, be prepared for a long wait in the immigration queue, despite procuring the necessary visas via the internet months before and a surplus of idle immigration officers.

The first indicator of the sometimes maddeningly frustrating bureaucracy of India. The noise and oppressive heat is palpable once you leave the air conditioned confines of the airport. A hair-raising taxi drive weaving through the rickshaws, mobile barbershops, entire families on one tiny motorbike intermingled with Holy Cows is how India will welcome you.

In the heart of Old Delhi amidst the hustle and bustle of street vendors

‘New Delhi, the sprawling, mad and intense metropolis where old and new collide’ and markets, Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques, stands built

by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656. With its

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impressive architecture and sheer size, the courtyard alone can accommodate more than 25,000 people, making it a must-see stop on your agenda.

A short walk away, situated in the Chandni Chowk district of Old Delhi, is the Sikh Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in the city. Before entering, wash hands and feet and cover your head.

It is important to respect local dress codes, especially in places of worship. The langar, a delicious free meal cooked for anyone that wants it, is representative of the Indian hospitality that you will encounter in every corner and it offers you an immersion into the tastes and flavours of north Indian food. Spend the evening at India Gate to soak up the holiday atmosphere.

Take the early morning train to Agra, the only way to travel in India, with panoramic vistas through the windows of your carriage giving insight into the microcosms of passing village life. Don’t forget to be careful when using any form of transport with your personal belongings. Start by visiting Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site, once the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty. It is within sight of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal and can be more accurately described as a walled city. Take a guided tour here and be transported back in time to the intrigue and rivalry of Mughal India.

A visit to Agra would not be complete without viewing the the Taj Mahal. To make the most out of this experience, it is worth hiring a reputable guide, they can ease the ticket buying process and get you near to the head of the queue.

Also, a good guide can give you great insight to the mysteries behind the mausoleum. Be prepared for a very early start in order to to catch the sunrise behind the building.

For a glimpse of the real Rajasthan,

visit Ranthambore National Park, the former royal hunting ground turned nature reserve, covering 392 km² of desert. Ranthambore was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1973.

You are most likely to spot a tiger on safari here due to the open nature of the terrain, yet with a population of 60 tigers a sighting is not guaranteed.

However, with an abundance of other wildlife, deer, antelope, crocodiles, turtles, wild boar and numerous species of birds, a visit to Ranthambore is a chance to see a lesser known, captivating and tranquil side of India.

Finishing in The Pink City named so for the terracotta walls of Jaipur’s historic centre. The pink walls originate from the direction of the Maharajah who requested the royal colour to adorn the city for the visit of Prince Albert in 1876. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan home of the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort and Jantar Mantar. It is a haven for bartering and haggling in the bazaars and markets that line the streets, but when shopping be careful that you don’t receive old 500 or 1000 rupee bank notes as they are no longer in circulation. If you visit during the hottest season, April through to June allow at least three days to fully do justice to this vibrant historical city as there is so much to see.The Amer Fort is one of Japiur’s principal tourist attractions and is set on the hill above the city.

Visitors to the fort should be aware that there are alternatives to the cruel bedecked elephant ride up to the entrance of the fort, you can either walk or take a jeep.

Before booking always remember to familiarise yourself with the local law and customs and check the foreign commonwealth website for advice and information. India is a vast and varied country but these northern destinations offer the ideal introduction to immerse yourself in the rich culture of India.

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OPINION

18 MONTHS ON:

THE PRESENT CLIMATE OF BRITAIN POST-BREXIT //Megan d’Ardenne

T

he UK work up to a shock result on the 23rd June 2016. Overnight, it was revealed that we, as a population had collectively voted to withdraw from the European Union. Since then, 18 months have gone by, and despite the pound slumping to the lowest it’s been in 31 years in the days following the result, has a lot changed in the day to day life of the British public?

According to a recently released YouGov poll the answer is no. The poll indicated that the number of people who believe the UK was wrong to leave the EU is at 47%; the highest proportion of the general public believing the UK made the wrong choice since the referendum. Data analysts suggest that the delayed EU negotiations in combination with the postponed triggering of article 50 are key reasons why the UK is somewhat backtracking on its referendum result.

Moreover, the official Brexit negotiations took over a year from the result to even start, and since official debates began in June this

‘According to a YouGov poll, the number of people who believe the UK was wrong to leave the EU is at 47%’ year a lot is still unconfirmed. For instance, Theresa May has 46

proposed delaying a full Brexit until 2021 and has asked European countries to agree to at least a two-year transition period during which the UK would continue to enjoy unfettered access to the single market, in exchange for paying the payments into the EU budgets.

So in terms in our involvement in the EU nothing has changed; we still make the payments and remain within the single market for at least another two years from now.

This is just one of the many broken claims that was promised to the general public if we voted to leave the EU, with another being that the weekly £350m going into the EU could be going to the NHS to improve our national healthcare services. In reality, the famous ‘leave’ campaign slogan has been demystified many times; mostly because the UK didn’t send £350m a week to the EU due to rebate being deducted before any money was sent in the first place.

Therefore, when we leave the EU indefinitely, there will be need for a money tree to be in place, to account for the rebate surplus.

Moreover, a concern has cropped up for the NHS post-Brexit that wasn’t accounted for during the campaigning, and regards whether the NHS will be able to recruit the staff it needs to keep the service running. For example, the number of nurses from the EU registering to work in

the UK has dropped from 1,304 in July 2016 to just 46 in April 2017, putting a strain on the already understaffed service, especially as 6.9% of nurses and 9.3% of our doctors come from countries elsewhere in the EU. Another promise that persuaded electorates to vote ‘leave’ was that the EU was in economic terminal decline and thus the UK would

‘in terms in our involvement in the EU nothing has changed; we still make the payments and remain within the single market for at least another two years’ be well advised to leave the union.

However, the latest projections from the OECD predict the UK economy will grow by 1% next year in contrast to the forecasted 1.8% growth for the EU, showing that our economy would potentially be better off if we voted to ‘remain’.

So there are questions that are yet to be answered: Is stringing out Brexit what remain supporters want? Is the slow pace of the negotiations leading Brexit voters to regret their decision? Should they be more frustrated and pushed toward a harder Brexit? And are the claims made by the ‘leave’ side merely empty promises that will never materialise?

Image by MirrorMe22: ‘Map of the United Kingdom showing the voting areas for the European Union membership referendum, 2016. Areas marked in blue show a majority of votes in favour of leaving the European Union, while areas marked in yellow show a majority in favour of remaining a member.’

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ENTERTAINMENT

American Horror Story - Cult

Modern Politics is the New Horror Show //ALICE PAPADOPOULOU

T

hrough six seasons of American Horror Story, we have seen it all: a haunted house, an insane asylum, New Orleans witches, a freak show, Lady Gaga’s hotel, and the bloody mess of Roanoke. The show is an anthology; it wipes the slate clean and creates a new universe each season. And while blood and gore can be found in abundance, what really makes the show binge-worthy is its compelling characters and the shocking (at times even exaggerated), yet emotionally complex, situations they find themselves in.

But season seven is a very different creature. I would never call myself a horror fan, but AHS appealed to me due to the paranormal elements that are at the core of the show’s dark anthologies.

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Yet there is nothing paranormal in the show that came out this fall – and that is the scariest part of it.

Season seven starts by capturing the reaction of the main characters to the 2016 Presidential Election and goes on to examine the toll it takes on the small community of the (fictional) town of Brookfield Heights, Michigan. First, the liberal lesbian couple Ally (Sarah Paulson) and Ivy (Alison Pill), who are watching the election on the TV at their friends’ living room, are overcome by terror and disbelief, while their young son Oz (Cooper Dodson) observes them helplessly.

Ally, especially, is severely impacted by the outcome, which triggers the phobias that used to terrorise her.

Her violent hallucinations make her question her sanity and the stabil-

ity of her marriage soon begins to suffer.

In contrast, the blue-haired revolutionist Kai Anderson (Evan Peters) thrives in the post-election chaos. It is the perfect time for him to put his radical policies at work and amass the votes he needs to secure a seat in the City Council.

Meanwhile, the town is rife with frustration between the liberal left and Trump-supporters and the creators don’t miss a chance to highlight the divisiveness, mistrust and hate between the different sides.

To make matters worse, mysterious forces wreak havoc at night, murdering people in horrendous ways and drawing smiley faces with their victims’ blood. Fear and paranoia ensue, clearly embodied by Paulson’s nerve-wrecked Ally, who

starts to fear for her family and herself.

And that is just the first few episodes. The show soon takes a turn to an even darker path, using the election as a backdrop to examine what happens when people’s lives spin out of control, when they fear for tomorrow and they are in a situation they cannot get out of. Locking into that fear, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk examine the psychology of cults, the make-up of the cult leader, the depth of female rage, the nature of paranoia, all sprinkled with an element of satire that targets the current social and political climate.

Three episodes stand out in the 11-episode arc. ‘Mid-Western Assassin’ garnered a lot of media attention, because it came after the mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas on October 1 and, coincidently, was dealing with that subject matter. The creators of the show made the decision to self-censor by editing the episode out of respect to the victims, but it is still quite impactful, with the opening scene showing people running away from gunshots at a radical political rally and the storyline delving deeper into the characters’ pasts and

their association with the cult.

Another unfortunate timing occurred when the episode ‘Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag’ aired. And although the incidents are horrible, they perhaps magnified the impact of the story.

As the online uproar against Harvey Weinstein and the culture of sexual harassment begun, the show examined the story of the radical feminist Valerie Solanas (Lena Duham), who shot Andy Warhol (fittingly played by Evan Peters) in the 60s and wrote the SCUM manifesto.

Although parts of the episode are the creators’ interpretation of the story, others mirror actual events.

Lastly, ‘Drink the Kool-Aid’ is another history lesson, but one that focuses on cults this time. Evan Peters transforms into various cult leaders, looking into their ideas and their leadership, with the peak of his transformation being – of course – Charles Manson. This is a class on the anatomy of the cult, but the history is used as a way to glimpse into Kai’s head – what does a cult leader think of what he has created?

Kai started out as a candidate for City Council with hidden

sinister ambitions and has now half of Brookfield Heights in his command – what is the toll of that ambition? We see him unravelling, not knowing who to trust and unable to figure out who is the mole in his group; we also find out how the idea of a cult originally came to him. This episode sets the stage nicely for the explosive finale.

All in all, AHS: Cult is a big departure for the series, relying on actual events and finding terror in everyday life. Although criticised as an over-thetop, messy approach to the political reality by some, I enjoyed this season as much as its supernatural predecessors. It is a show that has a lot to say and does not shy away from controversies (which is why critical response has often been mixed), but it feels like each episode pushes the boundaries more. Thrill-seeker viewers should give this season a chance; if you are not an avid horror fan or if the supernatural leaves you cold, then this season is still appropriate for you. And with all 11 episodes finished, binge-watching is in order… Just maybe not all at once. And not at night.

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MUSIC

An Interview with

China Bears’ Frazer Proctor //Aaron Jackson

Tell us about your band. How and when did you start out?

Hey Aaron, thanks for speaking to us! China Bears are a four-piece alternative indie band currently based in Guildford. We originally started when Ivan and I were in college with a different line-up. We then moved to Guildford for university where the line-up swapped around a bit until we arrived at the one we are now.

Describe the biggest struggles that you’ve undergone as an outfit.

The biggest struggle any band or artist has when they first start, in my opinion, would be finding the sound that defines them. I think we’ve definitely worked hard on our songwriting and soundscape to achieve this and it’s really fun to be in a position now where people are recognising that.

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How is the local music scene in Guildford? Have you been treated well?

Fortunately, we have a very warm reception in Guildford’s local scene, and it’s really where we’ve shaped our live shows. We have some great and hardworking promoters here like Chris Shepherd who runs shows at The Star Inn and the lovely Duncan Smith who books for The Boileroom. It’s great to have a landmark venue like The Boileroom on our doorstep, I’ve seen so many of my favourite bands there and we’ve been lucky enough to support some of them such as Gengahr and Declan McKenna.

What’s the highlight of your careers so far?

We’ve had the honour of supporting some great bands and recording and playing in some really quirky and cool venues such as The Natural History Museum. For me the highlight had to be opening the main stage at Victorious festival earlier this summer, it was a real privilege and step up from whatever we had done before.

Also, our launch show for ‘Hydra’ earlier this year at The Boileroom was a really special night. It was great to be supported by such a busy audience with some great bands playing with us.

How bright is the future?

The future is looking bright, we’ve got a few shows left in 2017 and some new music being announced soon so keep an eye out! We’re working really hard to write and perform something that we’re really proud of and can’t wait to share it in 2018.

‘The biggest struggle any band or artist has when they first start, in my opinion, would be finding the sound that defines them. I think we’ve definitely worked hard on our songwriting and soundscape to achieve this and it’s really fun to be in a position now where people are recognising that.’

- Frazer Proctor

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MUSIC

Hunter & The Bear: An Introduction //Ryan Underwood

I

n these times of streaming and online music, it’s rare for the Stag Radio post box to receive physical albums. So, when we received the recently released “Paper Heart”

by British Rock outfit Hunter & The Bear, along with a handwritten note inviting us to meet them at their Guildford show, we were certainly interested!

Hunter & The Bear aren’t brand new to the scene; university friends, guitarist Jimmy [Left] and frontman Will [Right] first banded together in 2012. The duo was later joined by Gareth [Centre-left] on drums and Chris [Centre-Right] on Bass. Over the years, they have released several EP’s and singles independently but this year the band embarked on their biggest jump yet, releasing their own independent album, funding studio time by touring the country. The band have also rubbed shoulders with greats supporting Eric Clapton and are not unfamiliar with the festival scene playing T in the Park and

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Reading & Leeds over the years.

The album itself is a powerful one and feels like a coming of age for the band. There is a clear contrast to be seen with their previous EP’s ‘Wildfire,’ and ‘Before I Come Home’ which have much more of a folk-rock inspiration. This change in sound is noted immediately with the opening track ‘You Can Talk’ with its punchy drums in the bridge leading into a strong anthemic chorus with vocals you can’t help but sing along to. This trend continues through the first half of the album. ‘Who’s Gonna Hear You’ stands out for me with impressive drumming by Chris, who is clearly not afraid to use all his kit in this one.

There is then a pause for breath with ‘I Am What I Am’ where Will shows his versatility as a vocalist; moving away from the catching riffs and beating drums to stand out and perform this heartfelt ballad. ‘D.R.K’ is next up and we are thrown right back into the action with a distorted riff and beat fit for headbanging. The album ends with

‘IX’ and ‘Nickajack’, the first of which provides an atmospheric and almost eerie introduction into the second.

The track slowly builds, starting with Will, again with emotive vocals. He is gradually joined by the rest of the band leading into a familiar sing-along chorus. It is followed by a whaling guitar solo; a fitting outro to the album.

Overall, an impressive set of tracks by the guys. All the tracks can stand alone, there isn’t one song you can pick out as the ‘single’, they are all high-quality modern rock anthems that would not be out of place in a stadium or in the Radio 1 playlist. I believe they can thank their tour-torecord model for this which meant they could only give all their focus to one track at a time.

Their live performance was also impressive. We took them up on their offer and headed down to their Boileroom show on the 14th November. During the pre-show interview, (see overleaf), we were told

the guys were playing 5 brand new, unreleased tracks. I thought this was a brave choice for their sell-out tour opener and was sceptical heading into their performance. But their experience touring shone through with the whole performance feeling

professional and performed clinically; with the new and old tracks moulding into a clean sounding set. They performed confidently and with great showmanship with some fantastic drum and guitar solos to get the crowd going. Although they didn’t

directly play the crowd they certainly kept them hooked with their talent.

I’m excited to see what 2018 has in store for these guys, I hope to see them upscaling in bigger venues and getting more mainstream attention.

Their music certainly warrants it.

An Interview with

Hunter and the Bear //Spencer Moore So, it’s the first night of the tour. Is it still nerve-wracking even with your experience touring?

[Jimmy] We are a little bit nervous but only in a good way.

[Will]: We always try and do something new when we go on a tour. So, this time we are touring with a set of 5 new songs which no one has heard before. So, it’s quite a big thing in your head going into the show. But once we get going tonight and get over the first hurdle everything will be fine. Overall, I think it’s good to be nervous.

You have quite an extensive and intense tour. How are you feeling about that?

[Will]: Right now, I can’t wait to just get stuck in and start playing the first gig. But the tour finishes with ten dates in a row with no day off. So, that’s going to be intense compared to what we have done in the past. We have played five in a row before but that felt like quite a lot especially with my voice. We’ll see. I might be a croaking mess by the end of it!

Since it’s such an intense tour do you ever feel you need a break from each other when you finish?

[Chris] Well not really, three out of four of us live together. Until we get a bunk bed set up.

[Jimmy] So whether we feel we need it or not, it doesn’t really matter. But I’m sure we will all want to go home and spend some time with our families. But really, we enjoy hanging out together so we don’t need too much time apart.

So, with the tour having many sellouts including tonight, do you see yourselves upscaling in venues for next year?

[Will] Where necessary, we are scaling the country this tour so it’s foolish of us to do it everywhere. We know we have key places around the country where our fanbases are where we can go up in venue size. But we are building good pockets of fans in places like London and Glasgow and we have already scaled up from our last tour in these places. And we are chuffed with the sellouts.

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‘Hunter is Jimmy’s surname and Bear was a nickname I had when I was little. When the other guys joined we all thought about changing it because it’s now not just a duo. But we decided Chris has taken ‘and’ and Gareth has taken ‘the’ So we all have part of the name.’

- Will Irvine

‘Paper Heart’ has been out for a little while now. What do you feel about the reception to the album in hindsight?

[Jimmy] It’s been amazing and a great year in general for us. We had been planning the release for a long time and it’s been nice to see especially after our album tour the increase in interest in us.

[Will] It’s been nice to see the fanbase growing and it’s taken things up a notch for us. We can say we are a band with an album now which is something we didn’t think we would see.

‘Paper Heart was an independent release for you guys. Do you plan on continuing with independent releases?

[Will] It’s funny because since we’ve released the album there has been a lot more interest in labels releasing things for us. It’s not something we are against, and we are happy to have them conversations if it seems right for us. We are releasing our next single ‘Skin Tight’ on the 24th on our own. So, after that, we will see if anyone is taking the bait so to speak.

Is there a song from the album that you feel was the most fun to record?

[Chris] I guess the main one for me as a song I enjoy playing would have to be ‘Hologram’. We recorded it in small batches, getting the money together in between to fund the studio time. By the time we got to the end of the album and recording both ‘Hologram’ and ‘Nickajack’, we were sounding super tight and it really solidified our sound I feel.

So, we have to ask. Where did the name Hunter & The Bear come from? It sounds a little bit like the name of a pub to us!

[Will] So when Jimmy and myself started the band, we came up with a list of hundreds of terrible names. But we decided to go with something that described us as a duo. So, Hunter is Jimmy’s surname and Bear was a nickname I had when I was little. When the other guys joined we all thought about changing it because it’s now not just a duo. But we decided Chris has taken ‘and’ and Gareth has taken ‘the’ So we all have part of the name.

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NETFLIX

NETFLIX REVIEW //Matthew Nolan

Rip Tide Running Time: 87 minutes Director: Rhiannon Bannenberg Starring: Debby Ryan, Genevieve Hegney, Naomi Sequeira, Andrew Creer, Valerie Bader, Aaron Jeffrey, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Danielle Carter, Marcus Graham and Kimie Tsukakoshi.

C

ora (Debby Ryan) is an upand-coming New York City teenage model. Coached by her steadfast mother, Sofia (Danielle Carter) towards stardom, Cora’s life unexpectedly hits a crossroads when a brief teenage breakdown of hers is captured on camera and shared online. As the video goes viral, and Sofia wrestles to get her daughter’s career back on-track, Cora flees. Boarding a plane to Australia, with no plans other than to live with her aunt Margot (Genevieve Hegney), a brightlydressed, emotional Cora ventures into a very different world than the one to which she is accustomed...

There are quite a few things I like

about this film.

First and foremost, it’s important to note that this is very easygoing, special-effects-free viewing. In this film, you’ll find no shaky-camera, complex fast-paced editing, or violent images or scenes. That helps make it a thoroughly relaxed affair throughout, with a simple but clear plot and a small number of actors set within beautiful locations. Films like this can definitely be refreshing every now and then, especially when so many of today’s titles revolve around intense, constant spectacle.

A great thing about this film is also that it focuses upon a young woman blazing her own trail in life and finding herself in the process. A romantic relationship develops between Cora and Tom (Andrew Creer), but Bannenberg ensures her film never moves to revolve around it. Instead, the film revolves around Cora’s rediscovery of her passion for fashion design, something which had been present within her since childhood but suppressed by her mother.

A secondary focus of this film is ‘A great thing about this film is that it focuses on a woman blazing her own trail in life and finding herself in the process. A romantic relationship develops, but Bannenberg ensures her film never moves to revolve solely around it’ Margot’s attempts to deal with grief over the death of her husband. I found the parallel between this young and older woman, both leaning on each other for support in situations

‘Rip Tide is a simple but beautiful, refreshing Australian-produced reminder of the importance of taking control of your life, stepping outside your comfort zone and listening to others’ in which there is a lack of a paternal figure, interesting. My favourite moment of the film is perhaps a scene in which teary-eyed Cora is told by her aunt, ‘Our family makes strong women, and you’re one of them. Be proud of that.’

All-in-all, Rip Tide is a simple but beautiful, refreshing Australian-produced reminder of the importance of taking control of your life, stepping outside your comfort zone and listening to others. It’s therefore an empathetic, inspiring, female-led, well acted piece, with beautiful cinematography and a simple, sweet message at its core.

Liked this review? Let me know! @matthewrnolan

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RESEARCH

Academic Spotlight //Matthew Nolan

With reading lists, lectures, seminars, exams and deadlines taking up as much of our thoughts and free-time as they do, the idea of fitting in additional academic material can seem both remote and unecessary. However, just as with other types of reading, it is always worth broadening your academic intellectual horizons whenever you can. Remember, you don’t have to read all of this extra research cover-to-cover; you can simply dip into parts of titles that interest you, and skip over areas that you don’t have time - or interest - in absorbing fully!

Here are three titles by Surrey academics that recently caught my interest...

Shakespeare and New Historicist Theory

By Neema Parvini One of the literary theories that has always stood out to me on my theory-based modules is New Historicism. This title, from Dr Neema Parvini, explores the theory at a great depth in relation to William Shakespeare.

What I like about this book most is how easy it is for readers to follow and understand what is being discussed, and how clarity is achieved without sacrificing along the way a sense of sophistication and academic rigour.

The main chapter that I dipped into, called ‘What is History?’, is a very thought-provoking and refreshing read.

The description below, of Hayden White’s perspective on history, definitely made me pause, reflect and reconsider my own: The historian not only selects evidence and fills in the gaps but also places emphasis on certain events, privileges certain individuals, and uses a whole host of narrative conventions to tell a story about what happened. (Parvini, 2017, p.24)

Shakespeare and New Historicist Theory is available now on Amazon.co.uk for around £20 in print, or £15 as an e-book. It can also be accessed online, in full, for free via the University of Surrey library.

‘ ‘History’ does not exist independently of people. Not only must it be recorded and written, it must also be told and remembered. In effect, history exists only when it is read or acknowledged.’

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Suffragist Artists in Partnership

By Lucy Ella Rose This title from Dr Lucy Ella Rose ‘explores the interconnected creative partnerships of the Wattses and De Morgans – Victorian artists, writers and suffragists.’

Although I have studied a range of both Victorian and women writers on my degree programme, the theme of suffrage hasn’t appeared in much detail. This, in conjunction with the wave of recent Hollywood sexual assault scandals, ignited my interest in the suffragist movement and this text.

The passages I consulted in this book are very well written, and the colour illustrations, including that on the front cover, are beautiful. Suffragist Artists in Partnership is available now on Amazon.co.uk for around £60 in print. It can also be borrowed, for free, from the University of Surrey library.

‘By focusing on neglected female figures in creative partnerships, the book challenges longstanding perceptions of them as the subordinate wives of famous Victorian artists and of their marriages as representatives of the traditional gender binary’

Literature & Sustainability

By Adeline Johns-Putra, John Parham and Lousie Squire Since the 2017 U.S. decision to pull out of The Paris Agreement, global warming and sustainability have become increasingly topical themes in societal discourse. However, until I came across this book, I hadn’t really considered the relationship between literature and sustainability, nor literature from an ecological perspective. A great read all-round; would highly recommend.

Literature and Sustainability is available now on Amazon.co.uk for around £70 in print (some of it can also be accessed for free on the Amazon ‘look inside’ preview function).

‘Literature is not death-driven, but rather auto-poetic, or ecological ...

Literary fictions, poems or prose, mimic the contingency and chaos of the bio-physical world.'

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SCIENCE

SCATTERED COLOURS IN THE SKY //Nick Werren

A

s I’m sure you’re aware the sky is blue, clouds are white, and sunsets are red. But why?

The Earth’s atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, a pinch of Argon and then a sprinkling of various other gases. So, our atmosphere is mostly Nitrogen and Oxygen, and the atoms of these gases generally like to wander around in twos. This is what we call a molecule, and both molecules are joined by a chemical bond that is about 300 picometres long (tiny!).

Their similar size is the reason why both Nitrogen and Oxygen are particularly good at scattering the same colour of visible light: blue! Like shaking flour in a sieve, this scattering means blue light gets separated out from the main body of white sunlight, cascading outwards, and filling the sky!

The process of scattering is key to all the colours we see in our skies, not just blue. There are three key forms: • Rayleigh Scattering • Mie Scattering • Non-Selective Scattering Rayleigh Scattering occurs for particles which are smaller than the wavelength of light hitting them, and is the reason for our blue sky. Because blue light has a smaller wavelength

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than red light, it can be scattered more effectively through Rayleigh scattering.

Mie Scattering occurs for larger particles, which are a similar size to the wavelength of light they’re scattering.

This leads to the colours in sunlight getting scattered outwards into our atmosphere, which is why dust, smoke and water vapour create pale hazes in our skies.

Non-Selective Scattering occurs for particles that are larger than the wavelength of light they’re scattering.

For large particles, like water droplets, this leads to an identical scattering of all visible light, therefore it doesn’t separate out different colours.

Water droplets scatter all the colours in white sunlight, creating white clouds!

You may have noticed that the blueness of the sky changes in intensity as you look down from the sky’s zenith to the horizon. This is thanks to gravity! Gravity pulls heavier particles down towards the surface.

Heavier particles are generally larger, so as your eyes approach the horizon you are staring through more large particles, more particles that generate Mie and non-selective scattering. This means you are looking at less scattered blue light, and more

scattered white light!

The next time you watch the Sun setting, remember that it’s a spectacle only shared by those close to you.

Elsewhere in the world, it’s mid-day and the Sun isn’t wreathed in a shimmering red. So how can you be experiencing one sky, whilst someone else experiences another? The answer, of course, is more scattering! The sunlight that reaches your eyes from a sunset has passed over someone else’s head, and that light has been scattered time and time again to create a blue sky for the people that it passes over.

When sunlight reaches you, so much blue light has been scattered that it’s effectively all gone. This leaves the longer wavelengths of light that haven’t been scattered so much, like the burning reds and golden oranges.

As the Sun gets closer to the horizon, this effect gets stronger, and the sky gets redder.

Hopefully I’ve shown you that science isn’t just a tool to use in a lab, it lives and breathes out in the natural world. Things that might sound boring, like scattering, are responsible for some of the most beautiful displays on the planet.

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SCIENCE

EARS Lunar Rover Competition //Alex Young

A

s the academic year began in October 2016, EARS, the Electronics & Amateur Radio Society, decided to build a model lunar rover and enter it into a student competition. The idea seemed ambitious from the start but we didn’t quite realise the scale of the task until much later.

The plan was to take part in the inaugural Lunar Rover Competition, held by UK Students for the Exploration & Development of Space (UKSEDS). We would design, from scratch, a model lunar rover weighing no more than 5kg, and able to fit within a cube of side 30cm, that would be capable of driving over a simulated lunar environment and retrieving a sample of “lunar soil”.

We would need to pass preliminary and critical design reviews during the year, design and build components for testing during the design process, and then build the final rover by the competition day in July 2017. We quickly realised the need for further funding, as the £500 offered by UKSEDS from the sponsors soon paled in comparison to the list of components

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that kept growing as the initial concepts were thought through. To that end, we approached the Department of Widening Participation & Outreach to make a proposition: we would organise outreach activities around the rover aimed at school pupils from September 2017, if they could give some financial assistance during the competition. Fortunately, the suggestion was very popular with the Department and we found ourselves with the backing required to build a lunar rover.

The team, consisting of electronics and mechanical engineering, physics and computer science students from first year to postgrad, was now committed to the project and met every Wednesday evening in the EARS makerspace. By spring 2017, we had mostly focused on the designs for the wheels and sampling mechanism, two of the rover’s most important features.

We tested many, probably too many 3D printed wheel designs at the Surrey Space Centre’s sand pit and ultimately settled on the design NASA

used for their Curiosity rover - we thought that NASA would appreciate our reaffirming their design. For the soil sampling we settled on a “scoop and comb” mechanism to simultaneously shovel and filter soil from the ground.

Alongside the more glamorous aspects of rover design came the equally important and challenging tasks: designing and building mechanical parts and electronic

‘We would design, from scratch, a model lunar rover weighing no more than 5kg ... that would be capable of driving over a simulated lunar environment and retrieving a sample of “lunar soil”. control circuits, as well as a method to remotely control the rover with cameras sending feeds over WiFi. In the words of Elon Musk, space is hard.

Nobody can hear you scream in space, but they can hear you screaming at

your lunar rover in the lab…

All too quickly, competition day loomed, and the rover was not quite (at all) ready. The team spent many nights in the makerspace and finally, the night before the competition, the rover was ready. We named it Elvis, the EARS Lunar Volatile Ice Sampler. The next day we arrived at the RAL Space test facility and were very impressed, if slightly worried, by the quality of the competition. Teams from Cranfield, Bath, and Manchester among others were present with a huge variety of approaches to rover design.

The first test went well, as we drove Elvis over some rough ground to the sample and were able to pick up 40 grams of dry ice. However, the extreme temperature of the dry ice rendered one of the cameras inoperable, a condition that we would not recover during the day. Many teams identified issues with their designs during this first run, and we found ourselves at the top of the leaderboard.

Next up, the vibration test. Elvis would be subjected to vibrations that simulate a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Fortunately, we had planned for this during the design, and although a few screws came loose Elvis survived the test more or less unscathed. Even a hair clip that we had used for the crucial task of holding the delicate electrical connection between one of the cameras and the circuit board in place somehow kept its grip.

By the afternoon, Elvis was back in the Mars yard and about to embark upon the day’s final challenge - a repeat of the first test, but with many more points available. Elvis was soon approaching the dry ice sample, although without the camera that gave us a direct view of the sampling machinery we did not have much hope for retrieving a sample. Fortunately, points were available both for distance travelled and amount of ice sampled. Our plan of “simply” driving to the sample and back was going well until Elvis started

to become more and more difficult to control. A brief moment of confusion was clarified when one of the wheels came loose - this was the source of our problems. The lack of lock-tite hadn’t helped. Unfortunately, we were not able to return to the starting point, although we were awarded some points for our efforts.

The day came to a close, and the scores came in. We were delighted to hear that we had won the competition, and our rover was still mostly in one piece - an unexpected bonus. It had been a fantastic experience to design and build Elvis, and we learnt a great deal from each other along the way. Most importantly, we had a huge amount of fun building and testing throughout the year, and I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone to get involved in projects like this, or start a new one. No prior experience required!

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THE STAG

I SSUE 93 / F EB R UA R Y 2018 / F R E E !

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENT MAGAZINE

For students, by students, always.

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