Issue 4 - March 2017

WessexScene.co.uk University of Southampton’s Student Magazine

March 2017

4

the history of

varsity

page 32

Welcome

ALICE HEARING Editor WESSEX SCENE TEAM Want to write for us?

Get in touch with a section editor.

Editor ALICE HEARING

editor@soton.ac.uk

Deputy Editor NUALA MCBRIDE

deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk

Head of Design MACKENZIE BROWN design@wessexscene.co.uk

HEAD OF IMAGERY BETHANY WESTALL image@wessexscene.co.uk

Features AMY PICKNELL

features@wessexscene.co.uk

Features ELLEN JENNE

features@wessexscene.co.uk

Opinion CARLY MAY-KAVANAGH

opinion@wessexscene.co.uk

Politics KIERAN HYLAND

politics@wessexscene.co.uk

Science & Environment SEBASTIAN STEELE science@wessexscene.co.uk

Lifestyle TALLULAH LYONS

lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk

Last but not least.

Here it is, our fourth and final regular edition of Wessex Scene for 2016/17.

Do you miss us yet? Whilst it might seem a little early to be finishing up, we’ve still got our collaborative mental health issue coming out in early May, just in time for you to devour before summer exams kick you in the shins.

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, dive into our best magazine yet and immerse yourself in the history of Varsity, mind controlled prosthetics and the importance of protests. From Instagram narcissism to the french election, this is not a magazine to miss.

Where did the time go? Grad ball has been announced, Union elections are over and Varsity 2017 now a beautiful thing of the past. It is the beginning of the end for this academic year, but don’t let that stop you from pursuing some extra-curricular goals. In early may, societies will be electing new committees. Fancy yourself the head of zumba soc? Do it! Want to be part of dog-sledding society? I’m sure they won’t say no.

And whilst you’re at it, why not write an article or two for the Wessex Scene website over from the comfort of your own sofa? Even if you haven’t managed to bag yourself as lot in our last magazines, we’re always looking for new writers and new content to go on our website. Let us know your views on recorded lectures, or write about your hobby! It’s not too late to get a byline so email editor@soton.ac.uk now to set up a writers account or to discuss any ideas you might have for content.

The editor

International CAMERON RIDGWAY

international@wessexscene.co.uk

Travel FREYA MILLARD

travel@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport JAMES MOSELEY

sports@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport TOM MORGAN

sports@wessexscene.co.uk

Pause TOM RANDALL

pause@wessexscene.co.uk

News ZéLIE SEDDON

news@wessexscene.co.uk

News Ela Crapnell

news@wessexscene.co.uk

News SAMUEL TYLER

news@wessexscene.co.uk

INVESTIGATIONS HARRIET MARTIN news@wessexscene.co.uk

MARKETING MOLLY EVANS

publicity@wessexscene.co.uk

VP DCI Cameron meldrum

vpdci@unionsouthampton.org

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FRONT COVER IMAGE BY SAM ELSTON WELCOME

SPORTS 30 How To Create A Professional Sports League: A Step By Step Guide by James Moseley. Images by Hermoine Cook.

ISSUE 4 MARCH 2017

FEATURES

LIFESTYLE

We need to talk about grief

04

instagram’s narcissicm problem

06

how to combat that deadline and exam stress overload

07

OPINION

top tips for staying productive over easter

20

how to spring into spring this 2017

21

the shopping spiral: youtube’s dangerous haul culture

22

the best... easter eggs?

08

INTERNATIONAL

why protests matter: by a protester

10

could emmanuel macron win the french presidency?

24

inclusive bathrooms are a necessity

11

remember the refugee crisis? it’s still a thing. here is why you should care.

25

is it time to revolutionize the house of lords?

12

TRAVEL

the lib dem surge: what does it really mean?

14

POLITICS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

genuine human connection: 16 a world of mind-controlled prosthetics and brain interfaces is nearly here

arty adventures

26

discovering bonny scotland

28

SPORT

how to create a professional sports league: a step by step guide

30

the history of varsity

32

PAUSE

wessexscene.co.uk

political society has fun social

34

non-repulsive law student discovered

35

@wessexscene fb.com/wscene @officialwessexscene WELCOME

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Features

Features

WORDS BY NUALA MCBRIDE IMAGE BY HEATHER RANKINE

Grief

is one of things that is often pushed into the corner. No one quite faces up to it nor knows what to say about it. Yet, it is something that just about everyone will experience during their life. It may be at different points in their life and to varying degrees; but it will be there.

fit this utterly incomprehensible, bewildering emotion into stages or a process. They provide some comfort and guidance for someone experiencing grief; but they’re only a guide. In my experience they identify the emotions associated with grief that I experienced / experience and put a label on them or justify to myself why I might be feeling a certain way. Yet, grief by nature is too varying and bewildering to be standardised.

Yet, why is it so hush hush? It’s that unspoken word, surrounded by pitying glances and whispers. People are happy to share their condolences for a person experiencing grief, though rarely have the gusto to face up to said person. It’s not a disease: it’s an emotion.

So what am I trying to say? Grief is hard, to say the least.

It’s bewildering, an emotional roller coaster. It’s an abstract thing that often can’t be quantified, or expressed easily. Don’t ignore it, don’t shy away from it. Stand up to it – discuss it, ask about, learn about it as sadly one day you will experience it too. But, most of all be understanding as grief can hit at the oddest moments and a person will do everything they can to not dissolve with it. Yet, sometimes they will and it’s not conquering them, it’s just temporarily knocked them over.

And, they will stand back up stronger and brave.

Grief is usually associated with the death of someone. Even though it applies to so many different circumstances – the loss of a relationship, the loss of a friend, the loss of a house, the loss of a job or even pet. Sadly, everyone will experience this harrowing emotion at some point in their life.

Death arguably is the hardest type of grief. The death of someone is not simply a loss. It leaves a vacant gap in someone’s life where that person should be and the future that was ripped away. The memories that were made are consecrated as these are now sacred, the relationship with that person is grieved, and the questioning whether one appreciated them enough.

And then there’s the multiple moments when you forget that that person is no longer there. The moment when you go to ring them to tell them about something that they would appreciate, yet they will never have the luxury of knowing.

To say the least, grief is an extremely complex emotion. It’s an emotion that is highly subjective to every individual and experienced at different times. My favourite analogy is that it hits in waves – some are big and engulfing, others small and some just catch you by surprise.

I am by no means an expert in grief, few people are. I will say that I’ve had a deep relationship with grief and I still am. Grief is there shadowing my life, the shadow is getting smaller as time passes but it will always follow me. The best friend to grief is time. The age-old saying – time is the best healer – is extremely true.

There are many models that try to compartmentalise grief, to FEATURES

The little sister to grief is bravery – the bravery to carry on with one’s life, even though it’s been turned upside down and everything they knew has been taken from them. Grief knocks the fragility of life, it reminds one how easily the simple act of living life can be taken away from you.

“

My favourite analogy is that it hits in waves – some are big and engulfing, others small and some just catch you by surprise.

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Features

Instagram’s NARCISSICM problem WORDS BY ELLEN JENNE IMAGE BY HARRY BENNETT When the illustrious photo-sharing app graced our smartphone technology back in 2010, no one knew what power and influence it would behold. And yet, just seven years later- it’s everywhere. You can’t escape it. Whether you see that girl over at the another table in Wagamama taking a snap of her chicken katsu curry, the various ‘gapyah’ photos on beaches in Southeast Asia, or for some unknown reason, various walls of graffiti that have been highlighted with the Clarendon effect. Even though this is great fun, is just putting random photos on social media really as innocent as we initially think?

With all sorts of effects, the video update, the various other apps you can download to make collages and the sometimes hilarious Boomerang, you have all the power at your fingertips.

Everything you need to make that perfectly lit, absurdly angled picture that’s the size of a post-it note. You’ll finally get there, you’ll finally be happy with your creation. But that’s not enough, not enough to validate how good the picture actually is.

It’s all about the likes. That tiny little heart button.

That’s what really matters. Even though it shouldn’t.

The problem with photo-sharing apps is that after a certain point, at which you gradually gain more followers- whether you know them or not, that your photos start to hit double figures. And it keeps going. And at one point you may even hit 100 likes. What an achievement. The want to share your pictures has now changed to a competition with yourself, to constantly be better than your picture before. It doesn’t matter as long as you rake in those likes.

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It’s almost as if it puts your mind at ease. People like your photo, therefore they like you.

But it’s not just about the satisfaction you feel, it’s the need to be seen. For people to know what you’re doing; every time you go out, when you go on holiday to that exotic destination, the ostentatious presents you receive for your 21st birthday.

Admit it, we’re all guilty of it at one point or another.

And sometimes this can be damaging. In some part of you brain, you know you’re being judged. You become aware that you may not look ‘right’. Scrolling down your popular page to see hundreds of skinny models, or diehard gym goers, where every aspect about their life makes you envious. You have to be like them. And everyone has to know about it.

That little rainbow coloured square has a hold over you. It’s not just about you sharing what you like, it’s what you think others will like. Because if they don’t, you’ll delete it.

The image that you portray online has to be different, it has to embody you. Whether that’s really you, or not. But no one else will know, they’ll just click the ‘like’ button and then scroll on to the next photo. It makes you feel good though, and so the cycle will continue. You’ll continue posting the photos you like, and if you get the notice you want, then you know it has worked.

FEATURES

??

HOW TO COMBAT THAT

DEADLINE AND EXAM STRESS OVERLOAD

WORDS BY CARLY MAY-KAVANAGH

IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE MIELLE

Nobody likes deadlines, and especially not exams. They’re stressful, you seem to spend all your time revising for them and there’s never any space in the library. So with Easter deadlines coming up, and then a whole surge of exams at the end of the year, we have a few helpful points to guide you through the process. As someone who does a BSc I’ve done my fair share of exams over the years, so here are my top tips on how to beat that deadline stress when it all feels like it’s getting on top of you.

Before the Deadlines •

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•

•

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Make sure you’re sleeping enough. Getting into a regular sleeping pattern can be hard – even with the best of intentions, if your flat are going to Jesters it’s hard to say no. Just make sure you’re getting around 8 hours of sleep every night, because you actually need sleep in order for your brain to remember what you’ve just revised. Sleep means memories are consolidated, so you’re more likely to recall them during the exam.

Be flexible with yourself and revision: everyone screws up on their revision plan. It happens.

Don’t necessarily plan our every single second of your day around revising specific things, just tell yourself you’ll do a certain module during a certain timeframe. That way if something happens and you don’t manage to, you can just push it back to another time rather than feeling like you’ve messed up on your revision from day one.

Take breaks. You can’t just work solidly for 15 hours, try to take at least one or two small breaks an hour to get a drink, stretch or take a quick check on Instagram.

Give yourself enough time to start revising and working on essays – don’t just start the night before an exam! You might pass, and I know there are wild stories about people starting their dissertations the week they’re due, but it’s not worth risking.

Don’t compare the way you work best with how your friend does. Everyone works in different ways.

During Deadlines •

Eat well. Don’t just live off of takeaways and instant noodles but actually cook, using vegetables and eating fruit. Your body will thank you.

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If it’s all getting too much and causing you anxiety, try talking to your doctor about it to see if you can get referred to counselling, even university counselling will work wonders.

Recognise when you’re stressed and talk to other people. It’s super easy to feel like it’s the worst thing ever and you’re alone but it happens to everyone, especially that one person who claims they started revising the night before and they really don’t care about the exam.

Keep everything in perspective – these exams and essays may seem like the biggest thing in the world right now but in a few years when you have your degree and never have to do exams again, you’ll wonder why you were so worried over them. Even put your modules into perspective – in second year, each module is worth about 4% of your degree so if you don’t get a first in it, don’t panic – it’s not going to make you fail your degree!

After Deadlines •

•

•

Treat yo’self – The most important point. Make like Parks and Recreation and spend a day looking after number one. Retail therapy, a day with friends, even just taking a day to yourself- it will help you unwind.

Don’t discuss answers after exams. It doesn’t matter what anyone else put for a question, you can’t change it now and who’s to say they’re right?

All it’s going to do is make you worry unnecessarily.

Realise that you can only do your best. If you’ve revised, worked hard and done the best that you possibly can, that’s all that anyone can ask of you.

Opinion

THE BEST...

EASTER EGGS? WORDS BY ROBERT PRATLEY IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL

With another major religious festival approaching, it only feels apt to return to writing about where one can find the absolute best deal for what really matters this April. The Easter Egg. Elusive in the final week running up to the event, these chocolate delights are a staple for most people – if you don’t get given one then there is no shame of course in buying yourself one.

Or two. Or seven. It’s totally normal, right?

As much as I’d like to wax lyrical about how I’m on the fast-train to medical problems, we have an actual issue to address here. Which egg is best value? By this, I am addressing weight, availability, price and, of course, taste. We’ll also note down any extra gifts or bonuses you get with each one of them. And because we are students, all eggs will be below £5.00 (student loans only go so far).

We’ll kick things off with the classic staple: The Cadbury Crème Egg Easter Egg. Seemingly around for eternity, this chocolate delight boasts a ‘medium’ egg with a separate Crème Egg included in the packet, for £1-1.25. It claims the weight is 125g, which doesn’t seem bad, until you realise that the chocolate tastes far too sugary, not like old Cadbury chocolate at all. Furthermore, the egg itself doesn’t weigh 125g, it weighs 100g, bolstered by an extra 25g Crème Egg, which has also shrunk in size in recent years. It’s widely available in all stores such as Poundland, Sainsburys, Asda and Tesco and the price range is cheap enough to make it viable to buy multiple ones. It certainly isn’t the best quality chocolate, but its edible enough and an okay gift. A rating of 3.5 seems fair for an average performance.

OPINION

Following up, we have the slightly unusual Zingy Orange (or Cool Mint) Matchmaker Chocolate Egg for around £2 in the larger supermarkets. Pretty widely available, but higher priced than its predecessor, the Matchmakers egg weighs in 162g, and also describes itself as a medium egg. For perspective, it is £1.23 for 100 grams, compared to the previous £1.00 for it.

Again, the quality is concerning, Matchmakers chocolate has become bitty in recent years and the only incentive with this egg is soured orange ‘crunch’, making up a whopping 6% of the egg for that extra £1.00. Less than 10 grams worth of it. The packing is a bit more colourful than Cadbury’s, but that is all it has going for it: 2.5 is the score.

Ramping up the price again, we have the Lir Cookie and Vanilla Easter Egg, an ASDA exclusive for £4.00. With an ASDA nearby, at least we aren’t too hampered by the exclusivity, but it is annoying. Nevertheless at only 165g in weight, immediately we can see a contrast between this and the other two. Compared to the Matchmakers Egg, we get 3g extra for £2.00. It is hardly cost-economical for the frugality of students, but it is saved by the fact it tastes so delicious. There is a good blend of crunchy sweet cookie and luxurious creamy vanilla, and the chocolate melts in the mouth. I still can’t justify a really high rating though, as although the packing is classy and refined, the price-point isn’t. 3.5 once more.

A poor show so far – I wonder if the rest of the Easter Eggs on our website have done any better? Visit wessexscene.co.uk to find out!

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WHY PROTESTS MATTER:

BY A PROTESTER WORDS BY NATHANIEL MCVEAGH A pussy-grabber is President of the free world, the UK is obsessed with an Article 50 which nobody knew existed in 2015 and Harambe is dead. The internet joked that 2016 was the worst year in a long time. The UK voting for Brexit and Donald Trump becoming the President of the US, alongside other events such as the deaths of many highly respected celebrities caused people to jump to this assumption. And of course, doing what the internet does best, the memes that came with these events were pretty hilarious.

Following all of Trump’s controversial orders came huge criticism from around the world, with claims that this was the racist act of a fascist. The Supreme Court managed to block the ban on grounds that it was illegal, leading to fury from Trump, however the issue still remains. Prejudice, discrimination and hatred have made their way into the highest office in the world.

Theresa May quickly became thrown into a controversy of her own as she refused to condemn Trump’s travel ban, even after the UN and Supreme Court deemed it illegal. Her complicity and refusal to speak out against the ban became too obvious to ignore and so on January 30th, up and down the country, thousands took to the streets to protest – their message: “YOU may be turning a blind eye to discrimination, suffering and illegal human rights abuses across the pond, Theresa, but the British public are not”. I was lucky enough to attend the protest at Downing Street and stand in solidarity with those who believed, like me, enough was enough.

Aside from the sheer size of the crowd, the diversity of those involved was also striking. Old men and women waved banners in support of refugees alongside Muslims and Christians who stood hand-in-hand with LGBT+ protesters. Between the constant chants of “shame on May!”, “FUCK MIKE PENCE!” and “Trump’s hands are way too small, how is he going to build a wall?!” there were prominent speakers from Ed Miliband and Owen Jones, to Lily Allen and British-Iranian

comedian Shappi Khorsandi. At risk of sounding extremely corny, it was genuinely beautiful to see so many come out in protest at the injustice we were seeing across the pond, and the refusal of these people to sit back whilst our government quietly complied.

But, there were those who disagreed: the alt-right; the emerging ideology which condemns refugees as terrorists and aims to put “America first” or “Britain first”. People like Farage and Hopkins will always be vehemently opposed to the work of the left and fiercely critical of anybody who attempts to promote equality through demonstration. Although disappointing, those opinions will never change, and although they may scream that they have the right to free speech from the rooftop, any demonstration which goes against their ideological view will be criticised for expressing the right which they so passionately defend.

And so, why do we protest? Donald Trump is not going to repeal his executive order just because a few thousand people descended on Downing Street to express their anger. What will we change?

There was a small victory when we saw the order blocked by the Supreme Court, but we are living in an age where discrimination is at an all time high. The fact that protests have become so widespread against Trump and the rising alt-right prejudices shows that as a nation, and as one human race, there is still a large percentage of us who will not back down in the face of adversity. When we become quiet, it means they have won. Maybe the protests won’t do anything to stop Trump and May pushing through orders which infringe on the rights of refugees, LGBT+ people, women and other minority groups, however we can show that, by opposing May and Trump, those groups are not alone. We will stand together as one as the political landscape shifts dangerously towards hatred and fascism and show we are not done fighting. Not yet.

Opinion

Inclusive Bathrooms Are A

Necessity WORDS BY EMMA PERRY IMAGE BY HEATHER RANKINE

G

enders that exist outside the binary have been becoming steadily more visible in the UK in recent years, though there is evidence to suggest they’ve been around in both our own culture and others for centuries beforehand. Politically, they’re not often acknowledged, and even within the LGBT+ movement, they face discrimination.

Simple things, like choosing which bathroom to use and getting people to call them by the correct name can be difficult for people who fall under the trans umbrella. Not having options available to them, such as pronoun badges or allgender bathrooms, can cause strong sensations of dysphoria, which has a huge impact on a person’s mental health.

Recently, a petition has appeared around campus asking people to sign their support for all-gender bathrooms arguing that the University of Southampton should have all-gender bathrooms, along with more widespread availability. Other local venues have them – The Edge, Southampton’s local gay club, has no gender restrictions on any of the bathrooms.

Not only are these bathrooms important for non-binary people, who may feel they don’t fit in either a male or female-gendered bathroom, it also sends a wider message of inclusivity, which will be felt throughout the LGBT+ community here on campus. It removes anxiety from nonbinary people feeling uncertainty about which bathroom to use and means that those who don’t conform to traditional genders can use the bathroom without feeling like they might face abuse or have their gender questioned. Often single-stall OPINION

bathrooms are offered up as a gender-neutral bathroom that those who are in such a situation can use, however frequently these are the already limited in supply disabled bathrooms and the accessible facilities are particularly important for disabled students.

All-gender bathrooms would also be inclusive of those from other cultures where non-binary genders are more common.

For those who are in the closet or questioning their gender, it removes the problem of deciding which bathroom to use when. In all-gender bathrooms, accessibility to hygiene products such as sanitary towels and tampons wouldn’t be gendered, enabling those who menstruate but don’t identify as women to access them with confidence.

This debate spreads far wider than just our campus. In America, there has recently been debate about which bathrooms trans women should use as cisgendered women claim that male sexual predators will use a false gender identity as an excuse to prey on them in public bathrooms. However, there’s no evidence to support this claim, and in fact trans women are far more likely to be the victims of sexual assault than to be perpetrators.

Those who identify as any gender should be allowed access to a bathroom that makes them feel both comfortable and safe, and all-gender bathrooms will truly enable this as well as sending a clear message that we have an inclusive, diverse campus.

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Politics

IS IT TIME TO REVOLUTIONIZE

THE HOUSE OF LORDS? The issues surrounding Brexit have put the Government, as well as British politics as a whole, under the spotlight. But one institution that has been under perhaps greater scrutiny than ever is the House of Lords. It’s vastly different demographic compared to the House of Commons has put it at odds with the current Government on many issues. In fact in the 2015-2016 session of Parliament, the Government was defeated 60 times (the highest number since the 2005-2006 session). In the current 2016-2017 sessions it has lost 16 times! So, as stated before, it has been thrust into the limelight.

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POLITICS

Politics WORDS BY TOM BROWN IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL More recently however, the House of Lords has been debating the decision on article 50. The demographics in the Lords made it a potential thorn in the side of Brexiteers due to its high number of Liberal Democrat peers, as well as some more personal interests of certain Lords especially those with business backgrounds. These defeats and this potential thorn has led even some conservatives to call for a House of Lords reform, which is usually a position held by the progressive left, especially the Green party. So how does this historic house work? And does it truly need reform?

Fun fact: The House of Lords’ full official name is “The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled”. But for the sake of all our collective sanity lets keep calling it the House of Lords. In its current format it is a house made up of 805 peers with 252 Tories, 202 Labour Peers and even 102 Liberal Democrats with 178 peers known as “Crossbenchers” or without proper party affiliation. On top of this, nearly every major political party in the UK has a peer or several, as well as 26 bishops who sit with the government.

Their role is to scrutinise bills pushed through the Commons and amend or agree to them before they are passed on to get royal assent and become a law.

According to all known Government sources and website materials the membership of the House of Lords is drawn from the peerage and other areas such as Bishops as previously mentioned. The Lords Spiritual are 26 bishops in the established Church of England. Membership was once an entitlement of all hereditary peers, other than those in the peerage of Ireland, but under the House of Lords Act 1999, the right to membership was restricted to 92 hereditary peers.

Very few of these are female since most hereditary peerages can only be inherited by men. While the House of Commons has a defined 650-seat membership, the number of members in the House of Lords is not fixed. There are currently 805 sitting Lords. The House of Lords is the only upper house of any bicameral parliament to be larger than its respective lower house.

opposition that would have seen the House of Lords changed in several key areas such as beginning to see the introduction of elected members in the house.

When looking at other western democracy such as the United States it is clear to see why the idea of a second elected chamber is not alien. An opportunity to elect members midway through a governmental term in theory allows for a greater chance for political interest and engagement and allows the people to hold their leaders to account on a larger scale than is currently available. Especially in the current UK political climate, we have seen by-elections take huge swings following Brexit so a second elected chamber could be huge in allowing the people to have a greater say in how their country is run.

However, there is a danger with this system. We have seen gridlock become a key issue in the US political system and has led to even greater partisanship and the rise of populism in the form of the Tea Party and Donald Trump. This may be in part due to the two party nature of the United States and a proportional representation system in the UK would lead to a broader spectrum of politicians being able to influence policy and would potentially lead to votes based on coalitions in this second chamber as opposed to majority rule as seen in the House of Commons.

What is clear is that when it comes to the Upper Chamber the issue is divisive, difficult and one with no clear outcome.

Benefits of an unelected House of Lords allows it to avoid issue around party loyalty as it does not have to fight its own elections and can instead focus on holding the Commons to account. However, by not being elected it does not accurately represent the people it is governing nor does it reflect a true democracy that perhaps the modern world requires.

This has made it subject to scrutiny before such as during the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and more specifically the House of Lords reform bill put forwards by Nick Clegg in 2012 that was abandoned due to Conservative POLITICS

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Section

The Lib Deb Surge: What does it really mean?

WORDS BY JACK SHEPPARD IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE MIELLE It’ll be fair to say that since the EU referendum last June, the previously vilified Lib Dems have made something of a comeback. In the first two weeks since the referendum, Liberal Democrat membership increased by 16,000 to 76,000, which increased again to 78,000 by the end of the year. They have also gained their ninth MP, when Sarah Olney beat incumbent MP Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park by-election. Besides Richmond Park, they were also very successful in the two other by-elections that took place at the end of last year, receiving more votes than Labour both times. At the start of February, they also announced that their membership had increased by 4,000 since December, over a quarter of which was in the week following Trump’s inauguration.

But what does this all really mean? Is this resurgence a reaction to disillusionment the public feel towards the politics of Theresa May’s Conservative and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour parties? Are the Lib Dems becoming the new voice of the centre-left? Will we see a Lib Dem Prime Minister in 2020?

Well, yes, possibly, and definitely not! Whilst this increase in membership is certainly good news for the Lib Dems, who were slowly slipping into the political wilderness just 18 months ago, it is not necessarily love for the party that’s causing people to join. Rather, this increase in membership is testament to a problem that has been created by Labour and the Conservatives over the last couple of years; those who align themselves to the political centre are being increasingly unrepresented in mainstream politics.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have recently moved away from the centre ground, under the leadership of Corbyn and May respectively. This has left many in those two parties feeling disillusioned, and so they have joined the party who are most known for sitting in the political centre. However, this negates the reason many political commentators give for the increase in Lib Dem membership: Brexit. During her POLITICS

speech in January, May announced that she plans to pursue a hard Brexit with Europe, thus betraying 48% of Britons who voted to remain, and many of those who voted leave but did not want a complete European divorce. Since this speech, Corbyn’s Labour Party has twice supported May’s Brexit Bill, even after none of their proposed reforms were accepted.

Therefore, with the two biggest parties fully supporting Brexit, there’s little wonder why so many people have joined Tim Farron’s party, when his is the largest party in England and Wales still fighting to allow the people to have a final say in the Brexit negotiations.

However, their increased membership does not necessarily spell Lib Dem electoral success. After all, 2020 is still three years away. Labour might ditch Corbyn, and try and regain the votes they’ve lost. Similarly, the Tories may attempt to move back towards the centreground. Regardless, 82,000 is still a small number, and quite frankly pales in comparison to the Labour and Conservative memberships of 540,000 and 150,000 respectively. Even though the Lib Dems may be gaining members, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will make significant gains in the next election. There’s also the question of where these new members come from.

About 8,000 of the Lib Dems’ 20,000 new members hail from London, and many from constituencies that have traditionally voted Lib Dem, so it’s unlikely that the party will gain many seats in constituencies they’ve never held before.

Therefore, whilst the number of Lib Dem MPs will probably increase after the next election, and may even reach the heights of 2010, it’s unlikely that we will see them become a serious political force any time soon. However, this increase should, nevertheless, serve as a warning to Labour and the Tories that, with their current policies, they are alienating a number of key voters.

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GENUINE HUMAN CONNECTION: A World of Mind-Controlled Prosthetics and Brain Interfaces Is Nearly Here

Direct brain interfaces are already here. Once a cornerstone of science-fiction, mind-controlled robotic arms and brainto-brain communications are now tantalisingly close to being everyday realities. Where might this technology take us in twenty years’ time? Could it even be what saves our species from extinction?

We can already read and write at the neuron-level. Take that in. Even with relatively basic implanted electrodes we can measure the firing of the tiny neurons in the brain, of which there are roughly 100 billion. This feat, however incredible, remains the easiest piece in the puzzle of deciphering the brain. Though fully understanding the signals produced by the brain is many years away, it is already known that certain regions of the brain correspond to certain actions. It is by this mechanism that, with enough observation, scientists are now able to understand the intent of a thought. As a result, they have been able to begin performing miracles in the field of prosthetics.

There are two main approaches to the problem: The first, useful for those who have lost their lower arms, is a ring of sensors around the upper arm which detect the muscle movement indicative of different movements of the lower arm. Once detected, they can tell a robot arm how to move 16

with extraordinary precision. The second method, however, is far more sci-fi. By using electrodes implanted over parts of the brain, scientists from John Hopkins University have been able to move the fingers of a robot arm using thought alone. Even more amazing than this is what the same University achieved only a year later with the help of DARPA: A mind-controlled prosthetic arm which can capture the user’s intent to move and return a basic sense of touch, using tiny pressure sensors in the fingers.

There are two main obstacles to bringing this device to market: Firstly, the cost – each specially-produced arm costs around $400,000 (£325,000) to build. Secondly, current devices take hours of practice while the machine learning algorithms decipher the signals coming from the brain – and this is for even simple tasks like moving individual fingers. Complex tasks like drinking from a glass or throwing a ball will require far more electrodes collecting far more data – it’s a problem of bandwidth.

To give the body credit, the input bandwidth of the brain is immense: the amount of information collected by the eyes every second is staggering. Our output bandwidth, however, is pitiful. Tapping on phone screens and keyboards and even speaking conveys far less information.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Science & Technology

WORDS BY SEB STEELE IMAGE BY SADIRA PATRICK

You Are a Cyborg It is often said that writing is like outsourcing memory. In the same vein, Google can outsource one type of intelligence – one to do with memory and information retrieval – but it is still limited by our output bandwidth. One could view systems like Siri as attempts to increase it. By using basic AI it deciphers, interprets and learns from what you say in order to return information faster than you could Google it – and it only gets better with time.

It is also evident that we are all reliant on our smartphones as means to remember and to communicate. Not only that, but they provide us with powers that the President of the United States would not have had twenty years ago – the ability to answer any question and connect with millions of people instantly. Furthermore, we all have digital versions of ourselves online, on social media and more. It’s not hard to see in which direction we will travel as the connection bandwidth to our brains increases. As the ex-Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, once said: “Imagine a very near future when you don’t forget anything because the computer remembers. You are never lost. You are never lonely.” At what point do we become cyborgs? Many would argue that we already are.

It is clear that this kind of Intelligence Augmentation (IA) is only going to rapidly accelerate in the near future. The connection to the brain will only improve and, if you believe Elon Musk (forgive me for constantly parroting on about him), in only twenty years’ time we may see the creation of neural laces. These are networks of electrodes which would interface with the brain at the neuron-level to create a third layer of computation, after the limbic system and the cortex.

This symbiotic digital layer could be easily implanted via the bloodstream which, since all neurons require a significant supply of energy, is like a pre-existing roadmap of the brain.

Intelligence Explosion In 2005’s The Singularity Is Near, Ray Kurzweil estimated the rate of calculation in the brain to be sixteen petaflops (flops being Floating Point Operations Per Second) and estimated a computer would reach that speed in 2013. A computer SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

beat that one year earlier. While the comparison between computers and our brains is like apples to oranges, it is a widespread belief that computers will reach the intelligence of humans at some point. The question is whether it will take twenty years or one hundred.

The mechanism by which an AI reaches human-like intelligence will most likely be one of rapid self-improvement – self-improvement which will not cease once it reaches human intelligence. This runaway creation of Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) is a major concern for the continued existence of humanity, for reasons I cannot explore here.

An often-touted solution to this crisis is the merging of man and machine, through intelligence augmentation like that which I have been discussing. We could think faster, remember more and have instant access to the entirety of human knowledge. If Kurzweil is to be believed (and his wild predictions have been proven correct for decades), this coming together would occur “incrementally” over the next thirty years, with the majority of that change occurring in the last five years or so. Kurzweil claims that, due to the power of exponential growth, we will experience 200,000 years’ worth of technological progress in the next hundred.

Are we really ready for such change? Will more people choose to remain as they are? James Barrat argues in Our Final Invention that, rather than embracing augmentation to keep up with the blistering rate of change, there is more likely to be a technological whiplash or rejection.

Of course, we may never get to that stage. It is likely the pace of AI development will vastly outpace development of human-computer interfaces, such that the dangers of an AI intelligence explosion occur before they can be reined in.

However, even if it is possible, this attempt at taming AI seems futile. If we have a neural lace with AI which is vastly more intelligent than us, who will take control? Assuming this AI can really think for itself, it seems doubtful that it would be “us”. Will this fundamental altering of the human condition be the only way to avoid extinction caused by ASI? Only time will tell.

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TOP TIPS FOR STAYING PRODUCTIVE OVER EASTER

WORDS BY SOPHIE OLVER IMAGE BY EMILY BEASLEY With exams looming and deadlines just around the corner, staying productive over the Easter holidays can be a tricky one. With only 24 hours in a day, it often seems impossible to make time for everything and everyone, balancing university work with seeing friends and family, as well as taking a well-deserved break to re-charge your batteries. However, by following these top tips, you’ll find yourself transforming your day of procrastination, into an uncommonly productive one.

1

As much as you want to, don’t stay up to 3am watching Netflix, save it for tomorrow. You’ll feel better and ready for the day ahead waking up after 8 hours sleep, rather than 4.

single minute of the day. Breaks keep you motivated, and keep you healthy, watch some TV, exercise, or even have a whole rest day once in a while; this will prevent tiredness and boredom, and keep you enthusiastic.

2

7

Get a good night’s sleep

Morning routine

To be productive, a morning routine is essential; it will set you up for a fruitful day, putting you in the right mindset, and will soon become natural.

3

Don’t skip breakfast

Food is your friend; an energising breakfast will wake you up, speed up your metabolism and get your brain working.

Also, take time out to eat lunch and dinner; it’ll give you a break from your work, as well as re-energising you.

4

Drink water

When you’re dehydrated you have less energy, so keep drinking and you’ll immediately become more productive, whilst also benefitting your health and preventing headaches.

5

Make lists

Every Sunday evening, plan out your week ahead, know what you need to get done. It is also so satisfying to see a list completed.

6

Take breaks

Being productive doesn’t always mean working every

Reward yourself

You completed everything you wanted to? You finished your assignment? Well good on you, go out for a drink with your friends, treat yourself to a relaxing evening; you deserve it. This will motivate you to get more done.

8

Turn off your phone

As much as it kills me to say it, turning off your phone will immediately transform your productivity. Cutting out that ‘ding’ when you receive a text or notification will prevent you from checking your social media every 5 seconds.

9

Be positive

The best way to become unproductive is believing that you won’t finish something, or you’re going to fail. Be happy, stay positive, and say YES; this will transform your mindset and motivate you to work harder.

10

Work out what’s important

Is re-watching all 4 seasons of Orange is the New Black more important than passing your degree? I would assume not. Have a reality check – work for 2 hours, then treat yourself with an episode. It’s about moderation.

So until someone finds a miraculous and incredibly genius way to give us more time in a day, following these top tips is the perfect start to adding hours to a previously unproductive day.

HOW TO

SPRING INTO SPRING

THIS 2017 WORDS BY GEORGIA JACKSON IMAGE BY HEATHER RANKINE

If you are anything like myself when it comes to New Years resolutions, then your goals for 2017 have most probably gone down the drain already. With dreaded exam season, the general dreariness of the weather and the post Christmas blues, January is not the season for positive change. It is such an uninspiring month of the year, it’s no wonder that so many people fail their resolutions before the month is out. However, do not fear! Spring is upon us and unlike January, it is the season of new beginnings and hopefully much better weather. It is the perfect time to get motivated and set yourself some new personal goals.

However, if you are stuck for some ideas on how to make some positive changes in your life this spring, then take some inspiration from my three top ways to Spring into Spring this 2017. Follow these tips to feel more fabulous this season.

Refresh Your Wardrobe We are all guilty of wearing the same clothes week in and week out. We all have that favourite jumper that we constantly wear to lectures and would have an emotional break down about if it accidentally got shrunk in the wash. However, although that jumper will always hold a special place in your heart, its time to let go and spice up your outfits. Whether it’s splashing out on some new outfits or wearing clothes that you already own but always forget about. Changing up your wardrobe is definitely a great way to feel more motivated, positive and generally better about yourself. A new outfit will not only make you feel good about yourself, it will also make you feel more confident.

Honestly, revamping your wardrobe is a great way to give your self a little bit of TLC and it is also a great catalyst for change. As well as this, Spring is the best time to introduce new trends into your wardrobe because the high street shops are always filled with beautiful new garments inspired from the designs seen at London fashion week. Therefore, this is the best time of year to experiment and try out a new trends.

Personally, getting fashion forward is my favourite way to feel more fabulous!

Make a Healthy Diet Change Making a positive healthy change to your diet is also a great way to feel better about yourself and improve and enhance your lifestyle. Now, I understand that cutting out chocolate at this time of year is pretty much impossible to do. Easter just isn’t Easter unless you eat copious amounts of chocolate. So instead, why not cut out or reduce your caffeine intake. Instead of your morning coffee, why not try drinking a mug of green tea. Admittedly it does have an acquired taste, but it is packed with antioxidants and health benefits. It is full of goodness which can help clear your skin, support your immune system and also help you lose weight. Although I love an Americano as much as the next person, I swear by green tea. It is my saviour after a Jesters Monday.

Invest Time in a New Hobby Taking up a new hobby is also a great way to feel more fabulous! Taking up a new sport, participating in a creative industry or volunteering is a great way to distress, clear your mind and enhance your skills. Getting involved in something new is highly rewarding and it is a great way to boost your confidence. Get out there and get involved!

The Shopping Spiral: YOUTUBE’S DANGEROUS HAUL CULTURE WORDS BY LYDIA ROSE HAWKEN IMAGE BY ABI BARTHEE

Lifestyle

T

he issue of YouTube ‘hauls’ is a tricky one. For those of you who have not come across one on your internet travels, its effectively a lengthy video where the YouTube starlet films themselves talking about whatever it is they’ve purchased.

Internet celeb, Zoella, posts regular Primark hauls which is a more accessible price-point for her younger viewers and other popular content creators upload ASOS and Topshop hauls on the regular where they engage their viewers in a discussion about the items and current trends. The problematic aspect, however, is the surge in ‘luxury hauls’ where YouTubers will spend thousands on the latest trend pieces and include them in a video that presents itself as your average weekly shop. I completely appreciate that what people choose to spend their money on is an entirely private matter that does not need to be commented on. Love fashion? Have the funds to indulge in several designers pieces a year? Go for it, it’s none of my business. However, when your job includes talking about fashion and beauty on the internet, this is when things get complicated….

As little as five years ago, not many people would know what you were talking about when it came to YouTubers, Bloggers, and Vloggers. Going on a shopping spree, filming yourself talking through each item, and then putting it on the internet for the whole world to see was not really the ‘done’ thing. Who would want to watch a ten-minute video of a stranger showing off their latest Topshop purchases? Turns out, a lot of people would. In fact, over three million people tuned into internetsensation, Zoella’s last ASOS haul in June 2016. But perhaps it is misleading to quote the figures of one of the most successful YouTubers of our time. For less well-known YouTubers (who are still successful enough to have made a career out of video content), ‘haul’ videos typically rack up around 100,000 views.

That’s still a mind-boggling amount of people who regularly watch these videos in their entirety. I confess that I am one of them. I love nothing more than being nosy and seeing what my favourite blogger/youtuber combos are buying this season.

The hugely popular Victoria Magarth of the ‘inthefrow’ YouTube channel and blog is specifically guilty of promoting unhealthy spending habits. I’ve been subscribed to Victoria’s channel for years but find the regularity of her ‘luxury hauls’ alarming. In the past year alone, she has posted nine of these hauls with the sum of the products featured totalling over £5,000 each time. I couldn’t quite believe it as I was adding the figures up.

What a lot of YouTubers fail to mention is that when they kindly ‘link everything below’ (internet links to the sites where you can buy the products mentioned), is that they make a percentage off their viewers buying the same items if LIFESTYLE

purchased within a 48-hour window of that first click. In light of this, it is therefore in inthefrow’s financial interest to purchase (or be gifted) more expensive items which benefits her if impressionable viewers follow suit and indulge themselves.

I wonder if viewers would be so happy to buy straight from their idol’s wardrobe if the financial perks of affiliate links were common knowledge.

Although it’s great to have an online community of likeminded people who similarly enjoy fashion, it’s worth considering that inthefrow’s audience tend to be a younger demographic who may now have a very skewed idea of what is ‘normal’ spending. Even though the creator varies her content with regular ‘Luxury Look for Less’ videos, where she finds ASOS dupes of designer items, it’s the consistency of her luxury spending hauls which are key for normalising a reckless, ‘binge-shopping’ mentality. Especially when you consider her younger, more impressionable audience who look up to her.

Whether they signed up for it or not, YouTubers have fast become role models for a lot of young people and they need to cater their content accordingly.

I am certainly not alone in how I feel about YouTube’s haul culture. At the end of 2016, a new video started doing the rounds on YouTube called the ‘Anti-Haul: Things I’m not going to Buy’ where other stars comically rejected the fadtrend. Fellow Brighton-dweller and Whistles-enthusiast, The Anna Edit, published her own take on this where she declared that she would also not buy into the trends of chokers and bomber jackets and was content with her wardrobe how it is, thank you very much. Safe to say, she is my blogger girl-crush.

YouTube’s ‘haul culture’ is only going to continue growing as more people continue tuning in and, when all is said and done, I will most likely be one of them. Although it’s important to be aware of when online creators are truly endorsing an item and when it’s an #ad, the thing about YouTube is that it needs to be watched with a pinch of salt. For a lot of creators, it’s how they make their living – which is great! – but as the site continues to grow, it’s important to stay clued up as to how it works and which online creators to trust. Equally, what is a ‘normal’ amount of money to spend on fashion is a very subjective matter; it’s only when you’re inviting the internet to pass judgement and watch that it becomes problematic. So although ‘hauls’ may not be the most student-friendly, there’s nothing wrong with a little shopping escapism from time to time. In my case, I’ll just be keeping it strictly high-street.

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Could Emmanuel Macron Win The French Presidency?

WORDS BY LISA VEIBER IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL Emmanuel Macron, former Economy minister under François Hollande’s government, creator of his own party En Marche, was defined by media as the third man at the beginning of the country’s 2017 presidential race.

Indeed, since the primary that surprisingly elected Fillion the Republican candidate, all the polls indicated that he would have to confront Marine Le Pen, the far-right Front National (FN) candidate in May. However, less than three months from the first round of the presidential election, the polls are telling a different story. The once outsider in this election now stands an actual chance.

How? First, Macron is associated with the centre-left of French politics. His disassociation from the Parti Socialiste (PS) turned to his advantage after Benoît Hamon won that party’s primary.

Hamon is known for his far-left views which have alienated some electors with more moderate and centred opinions.

Some have argued his views are too similar to Mélenchon, the candidate from the far-left party, further dividing the part of the French population that would have cast its vote for him.

Therefore, Macron could potentially attract socialist voters who do not feel represented by Hamon.

Furthermore, after the scandal surrounding Fillon’s wife emerged in January (when it was revealed that he paid her and his son for working for him while they, in fact, never did), the Republican has lost the trust of the electorate. However, as he still represents the only right candidate against Le Pen, he should not be considered a weak opponent to Macron.

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The international media has become worried by the political ascension of Le Pen, caused by the growing mistrust of mainstream parties (especially in the Presidency), and the recent wave of terrorism on French soil. Indeed, many French people are concerned about security and immigration, but are above all tired of traditional politics. This is why many are turning to the Front National and Macron. Yet, some are concerned that the newcomer has still to deliver a full manifesto, enlightening the electorate on his true policy positions.

Still, Macron has won the interest of many young electors who were feeling excluding from politics. Through his sense of innovation and progress, his use of social media and his dynamism, the leader of En Marche has made them feel included in this new presidential election. As Marine Le Pen is defined as the alternative from traditional politics, Macron is the modernism of french politics itself, perhaps for once in unity with modern time, and therefore modern problems.

However, since one interview in which he described colonisation as a ‘crime against humanity’, French politics and media have been turning his comments against him in a way that could damage his political image to the electorate.

France, unlike other former colonial powers, has not yet been able to overcome its past. The possibility for a Macron win will depend on how smoothly he can overcome this new obstacle.

INTERNATIONAL

Remember the Refugee Crisis? It’s still a thing. here is why you should care. claimed the attacks across Europe were all orchestrated by refugees, and these reports almost immediately followed the attack with little evidence to back it up. Notably the December attack in Berlin was by an asylum seeker, which allowed the media and Merkel’s political opposition to demonise refugees.

But this is entirely unrepresentative of refugees. Paris, Niece and Brussels were all devastated by terrorist attacks but they all shared one thing in common – they weren’t by refugees.

Perhaps all this media manipulation has just caused one massive dose of apathy. After being shocked and saddened by heart-breaking photos of war, we have become desensitised to shocking material. We disconnect from the reality which allows for politicians to so gladly sweep it under the curtain and remind us of our domestic problems. Although we face domestic problems, it does not excuse the brutalities of the Assad regime.

We have more refugees now since World War Two.

WORDS BY JOANNA HYNDS IMAGE BY SAM ELSTON

In 2015 one million refugees fled to Europe and in 2016 Europe seemed to stop caring.

Denmark passed a controversial law that allowed authorities to seize valuables and cash from refugees. Bulgaria’s police awarded an illegal volunteer force of ‘refugee hunters’ who detain refugees crossing their borders. Hungary built borders against their Serbian neighbours. In 2017 the UK ended their commitment to child refugees and newly elected US President Donald Trump banned migrants from 7 countries.

Portrayed as either the victims or the villains. From one media extreme of distressed children to an entirely different extreme of accusations of terrorism. Refugees have lost their identity.

In the years of crisis and media manipulation, refugees have been confused with migrants who leave their country for economic benefits. This difference between a migrant and a refugee is clear from the definition of a refugee: “a person who has been forced to leave their country”. These are human beings, ranging from students to doctors to husbands, sisters, human beings, all with their own identity and their own lives that they have had to leave behind. Europe faced a similar refugee crisis following the second world war, something we too easily forget.

And from victims they have become villains. Media reports INTERNATIONAL

Refugees aren’t limited to Syria, despite media attention which makes it appear so. War and famine is crippling South Sudan, Somalia continues to be a failed state, crisis continues in Afghanistan and Iraq, civilians in Eritrea are fleeing from conscription and poverty, and the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, are facing serious risk of a genocide.

The vast majority of refugees do not go to wealthy countries.

Refugees do not have the resources to get to a rich country and tend to settle in the first country they can get to. This results in poorer countries being forced to fit the bill of the refugees. Turkey currently hosts 2.5 million Syrians, the most of any country.

And when they do try and get to Western Europe they are putting themselves in danger. Refugees crossing the Mediterranean often travel in dinghies. Between January and October 2016 roughly 3,800 migrants died crossing. Even when on land, refugees risk their lives crossing borders in the back of suffocating trucks, from inhumane living conditions, and at the hands of those who want to exploit them.

One problem with the Western world is that it is consistently concerned by its own problems, but this shouldn’t come at the cost of disregarding the millions of persecuted people. As the crisis continues, risk of displacement, exploitation, life and death are at the hands of the ordinary citizens of the western world. It’s time to demand more, to remember that every human has the same rights and deserves a chance to live free of persecution and with the same opportunities as any other human being.

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Travel When you peruse the many reasons for going on holiday (not that it takes much convincing), what do you usually come up with? Yearning to get away from a temperamental British summer in favour of basking in the sun on a balmy Barbados beach? Or maybe you’re just desperate for a stellar night out in Space Ibiza rather than fifty sad shades of Oceana in the south of England? Let me open your mind to another criterion that may appeal to you, the art culture of the world. Many cities have rich and vibrant creative hubs; whether it be through elegant museums and architecture or modern street art. Here is a list of where to get started on your arty adventure this summer.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin is one of those cities whose art is deeply intertwined in its political history. The colourful portraits spanning the Walls are a revolutionary ode to the celebration of liberty after the fall of the barriers that separated East and West Germany in 1989.

Brussels, Belgium

If cartoons are your thing, make a trip to Brussels. Belgium is the birthplace of many Franco-Belgian comic books such as Tin-Tin, Asterix and The Smurfs. You will find quaint depictions of popular cartoon characters hidden away in many corners of Brussels’ streets.

WORDS BY FARIHAH CHOUDHURY IMAGE BY LUCY WHELLER

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TRAVEL

Travel Florence, Italy

Shiraz, Iran

Los Angeles, California

Bogotá, Colombia

Where aesthetic architecture is concerned, Florence is a strong contender. Dreamy, pastel-pigmented streets and breathtaking Renaissance architecture famously exemplified within the Uffizi Gallery amongst other museums. On top of that there’s the incredible interior design of the cathedrals and palaces in and around the city.

This city is often considered the epitome of edgy, and who doesn’t love the trendy L.A. art vibes plastered all over Tumblr? It encompasses contemporary art exhibitions, galleries galore and avant-garde street art, that exudes the Cali-cool on every palm-tree framing mural and conventiondefying graffiti display.

Vienna, Austria

Another up and coming city for young people, Vienna’s art scene is one that is not to be missed. Think London meets Berlin, Vienna houses some powerful street art, found in its many museums as well as on sides of buildings and structures.

The Middle East is host to a stunning history of Persian art and design. It is manifested today in luxury tiling and upholstery imported globally. Why not head back to its roots to view in person the beauty of the characteristic colourful mosaic, effortlessly incorporated into many mosques and public buildings within the city.

Fewer fancy art galleries and more raw, home-grown local talent, some of which has been recognised globally, and there are plenty more rising creatives hailing from Bogotá. This city has earned a reputation for being a Latin American art centre.

Melbourne, Australia

When you’re tired of lounging on beaches that all look more or less the same in ‘Stralia, head over to Melbourne for an unlikely art trip. Melbourne street art is celebrated and encouraged; it is vibrant and lively and there are plenty of street art walking tours for you to really get a feel of its creative scene.

ARTY

ADVENTURES

TRAVEL

27

Travel

discovering bonny scotland WORDS BY MARGARET ALLAN IMAGE BY SOPHIE WILLIAMS

A travel destination that I feel is often underrated is Scotland. Scotland may seem like quite a journey from Southampton, however it has plenty to offer and doesn’t need to be that expensive either. A few summers ago, I got the chance to do a road trip around Scotland and its isles. From this, I can now truly say Scotland is a travel destination you do not want to miss. So here are a few tips for places and things to consider when organising this grand voyage!

Transport Transport may seem tricky when considering the Scottish highlands and how best to manage these. There are easy and cheap coach services with Megabus and National Express, which can take you as far up as Inverness. Plus there is always the train to take you even further north. For our adventure, we rented a car, the roads around the Scottish coast and through the highlands are interesting at times. However, the scenery you get from that experience and the ability to stop along the way and really take it all in is well worth it from my point of view. If you have your own car, I would say that is your best option, or equally, if a few friends can club together to rent a car that could also be a solution.

accomodation I was lucky enough to have family along the way to stay with, which cut down our costs. If you don’t have this luxury, there are plenty of B&Bs and YHAs along the way. For the brave-hearted, camping is also an idea but I can’t say I would personally be too keen on that one.

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edinburgh The first stop we made was Edinburgh, which I absolutely adored. It’s a beautiful city with plenty of history and culture to dip into, including Edinburgh Castle (which Harry Potter is infamously based upon), the Royal Mile, endless museums and so much more. In the summer, Edinburgh is gripped by festival fever. Edinburgh is then brimming with different festivals and has something to please everyone, such as the famous Fringe Festival. If you go up the Royal Mile during festival season many people are there promoting their shows.

You’re bound to be overwhelmed by leaflets but it’s a great atmosphere and good way to find out what shows are on and if you want to watch any of them. There are numerous free shows meaning you don’t need to fork out too much to enjoy these festivals. Besides Edinburgh’s vibrant offerings of culture, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a dram of whisky and sample the divinity of haggis. All stereotypes aside though, there are some wonderful eateries in Edinburgh and something to tickle everyone’s taste buds.

TRAVEL

Travel

Isle of skye We also spent a few days on the Isle of Skye, which was absolutely stunning. There are only a couple of cities on this island but if you’re going to the Isle of Skye, you should really just take in its astounding natural beauty. There are plenty of opportunities for nature and coastal walks around the isle and to see fairy-tale castles, glens, mountains and more. I certainly can vouch that I’ve never experienced anywhere as beautiful.

It’s tricky to get around if you don’t have a car and you do have to get the ferry to the isle. So I would recommend renting a car at the very least for this excursion to make your journey simpler. However, I think it is well worth the effort.

orkney We also made a stop at Orkney, which is another group of islands at the very top of Scotland. Orkney is particularly interesting because of its extensive range of Neolithic sites.

These sites include old burial tombs, stone circles and even old excavated villages. It’s impressive to say the least and is very well-preserved with all the sites being very much intact. There is a bus service, which runs between all the different sites and is quite easy to take. Nonetheless, a car is always easier. You’ll need to take a ferry to get to Orkney but ferries are relatively cheap and it’s nothing too different from us catching the ferry TRAVEL

to the Isle of Wight from Southampton. The cities on Orkney are equally charming, as is its natural landscape. So for those more interested in walking than history, Orkney is another very different landscape to marvel and explore.

highland games On our return trip from Scotland, we got the chance to enjoy the highland games. The highland games can be found all over Scotland in the summer, the games are quite different and definitely something exciting to witness. These games test people’s highland dancing, caber tossing (tree throwing), athletics, bag-piping, hammer throwing and multiple other abilities. All the skills displayed were so different to ones I had ever seen performed but it was a really fun spectacle to watch.

Burger vans and beer tents also make routine appearances at these games, so you can really make a day of it all. It was the best way for us to end our Scottish adventure too!

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Sport

the history of

varsity WORDS BY JAMES MOSELEY IMAGE BY SAM ELSTON

On the 18th March we will have been treated to the 9th edition of our very own Varsity matchup between Southampton and Portsmouth, colloquially known as Soton v. Pompey.

Reading this, you will know the result, which I hope will have been another impressive victory for the Stags. Here, I will enlighten you as to the birth of this fierce rivalry, a history which is surprising poorly documented.

Varsity originated way back in 1827, when Oxford took on Cambridge in a cricket match which would spark a sporting rivalry like none other. The two universities now compete against each other in whole range of sport (including blind wine tasting… only at Oxbridge) This has grown into a yearly event which has even been broadcasted on national television.

Other universities soon took up the torch, with St Andrews and Edinburgh having an annual rugby game at Scotland’s home of rugby, Murrayfield, ever since the 1860s. Now any two universities close to each other can’t resist locking horns, with places such as King’s College v. UCL and Bristol v. UWE being typical matchups.

Strangely, despite the ferocity of the contest, Pompey wasn’t our first opponent in Southampton’s history of Varsity.

At an undocumented time before 2009, the University of Southampton would play Solent University for the local trophy. However, Solent weren’t really a tough enough opponent, summed up perfectly by this quote from the AU President of the time, writing this in his report in December 2008:

The first four years of this new, revamped Varsity would see Southampton crowned as the victors on all four occasions, all on home ground. Come 2013, the decision was made to have the location alternate between Southampton and Portsmouth to split the costs and to increase participation for both universities. However, the decision to have the day in Portsmouth along with having it at the start of the Easter Holidays was one met with a certain amount of opposition.

Concerns were raised over the worry that our best athletes would be unavailable on the day to make the trip to Portsmouth.

Whether this was a factor or not, the fact stands that this is the first and only Varsity that Team Soton have lost (Touch wood, hopefully we didn’t lose on the 18th, really sorry if we did!).

Since that loss in 2013, the Stags have gotten themselves back on track with another four more successive wins, two home and two away. Since then, the victories have become fairly comfortable, with a fair margin in 2015. The feat was repeated in 2016 where Southampton ramped up a score of 214-54, with another 52 points to be counted. Once again, the reporting of the finer details were omitted, but one can only assume that Southampton cleaned up like they did for most of the day.

Who knows, maybe this year Southampton will have sailed to yet another impressive win. Or maybe Portsmouth will have pulled something out the bag and reignited the spark in the old rivalry.

“We have sacked off Solent for our Varsity day (because they are rubbish) and are playing Portsmouth this year.”

And hence, a rivalry, dating back to the 1800s over fishing, and which continues into the modern over football, was strengthened.

SPORT

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Pause

POLITICAL SOCIETY HAS FUN SOCIAL WORDS BY TOM RANDALL IMAGE BY JAMES WORSFOLD

The world of stereotyping about university societies was thrown into turmoil today as it was revealed a political society at Southampton University held a social event which was considered a “fun and enjoyable evening for all involved”.

the night in question. Moving towards the lunatic fringe of student politics, it could not have been the Marxists because the event took place in Southampton, not at Tarquin’s townhouse in Islington, and neither could it have been the Greens as that would involve enjoyment.

The society, which cannot be named under strict SUSU reporting restrictions to protect the identity of the social secretary who organised this particular event, met at the Mitre before ‘crawling’ down Portswood Road and ending up in Jester’s, followed by a group meal at Manzil’s. Nobody fell out violently over an obscure aspect of party politicking or political doctrine. Noone with sociopathic tendencies interested only in a future political career of hypocrisy and corruption bothered to turn up, busy as they were sacrificing goats for a Corbyn/Farron/May victory in 2020.

Everybody went home contented and happy, with none of the wilder antics caught on camera for any future political blackmail.

Fears amongst students desperate for a career in politics are growing about undermining the collective reputation of sociopaths in blazers at the University of Southampton. If word gets out that folk here have fun on occasion, it could jeopardise the careers of literally dozens of future County Councillors and self-important media types.

Pause’s Correspondent was been baffled as to which society might have been responsible for this. The Liberal Democrat socials are a bloke sitting on his own and Labour would be incapable of organising their “drinks event in a brewery” social without vicious feuding and accusations of being a “baby-eating Tory”. Speaking of porcine interference, it could not have been the Conservatives as no police reports pertaining to gross sexual deviancy or burning tenners in front of poor people were filed in Southampton on 34

Not to be outdone, we have also been informed that several Sabbs at the union did a productive, honest day’s work befitting their salary and went out to the pub as friends afterwards. There was no union politics being living proof of the theory that Machiavellian antics are inversely proportional to actual power wielded. Said trip to the pub saw most of the money for beer spent on a vote on whether to drink beer or not, followed by a consultation as to which variety would please all interests. As a result, the budget for student societies and organisations has taken another hit.

PAUSE

Pause

NON-PRETENTIOUS LAW STUDENT DISCOVERED WORDS BY TOM RANDALL IMAGE BY MICHALIS RODOSTHENOUS

Cambridge University scientists have been searching for years in the hope of detecting what they describe as “non-execrable” sentient life within law departments at universities across the United Kingdom. The project, established in 1994, has hoped that the search for this hypothesised life form will aid future attempts in searching for extra-terrestrial life, intelligent life at Solent, or nonbigoted life in Saudi Arabia. A multi-million pound government grant funded this project, keeping with the government policy of transferring our national wealth to greasy haired lawyers.

Finally, the long-awaited breakthrough has come. The specimen, a 19 year old second year Law student at Southampton University known only as Student F to protect the privacy and dignity of his/her family after a High Court superinjunction, has been fully examined physically and mentally by government scientists at a secret research facility and found to be free of objectionable personality traits. Testing showed Student F was able to respond to stressful scenarios without quoting a legal decision from 1928 to back up their position. When cross-examined by a psychoanalyst, the Subject apparently responded to the questions in a considered manner, taking context of what was said into account. The typical behaviour, of course, is to grab onto one misspoken sentence like a dog to a pork chop and get argumentative over it.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, the future is not so

bright for Student F, there is no way he/she will be able to get a training contract and work within the field without being a tosser, but it can be hard for Law graduates to work in any other field, being tainted as they are.

Project head, Professor Clive Boffins of the Institute for Experts at Cambridge, told Pause that the results were “absolutely breathtaking” and he didn’t believe the test results when they first came in. “I dropped my jaw when I saw this set of data”, he told us while stroking his white beard. The student will greatly enrich science according to this interview, a detailed survey with the finest psychologists and doctors will confirm the preliminary findings: believed to be the greatest breakthrough since a Geography student who didn’t own a North Face item of clothing and 36 colours of crayon was discovered at Loughborough University in 1987.

A representative of the Law department has apologised profoundly for this lapse in a normally rigorous admissions process. There is talk of Law applicants being made to complete a supplementary personality test as part of their UCAS form, to ensure that only the “egotistical wise-guys”, as the spokeswoman put it, are offered places to study law at any British university.

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