Palatinate Durham’s student newspaper since 1948
Thursday 6th May 2021 | No. 839
Sport interview DURFC alum Fitz Harding after his breakthrough at Bristol Bears
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Once you have picked up this copy, please avoid passing it to others
Interview and Fashion talk all things corsets with young designer Harriet Feldman
One in four PhD students drop out
Luke Payne Investigations Editor
▲ Students have descended on Durham’s drinking establishments en masse as lockdown eases (Adeline Zhao)
One in four Durham PhD students leave study without achieving their target doctorate degree. The data, acquired through a Palatinate Freedom of Information request, reveals performance is particularly poor in certain departments, with Computer Science, Education, and History perfoming amongst the worst in their respective faculties. Palatinate received data from 10 UK universities counting the number of PhD students who left study between the 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years and how many of those students received a doctoral degree. The figures include some medical students and other doctoral awards, while a small minority of students leave study due to transferring to another university. At Durham, only 74% of doctoral students, who left study over the five-year period, received doctorates. This figure compares poorly with rival institutions such as Glasgow
and Imperial where figures are 93% and 91%. Only two of the 10 institutions surveyed had poorer PhD success rates based on the raw data. These were Strathclyde (68%) and Liverpool (65%). In response to the article, Durham University disputed Palatinate’s findings and said the true success rate was closer to 81%, after taking into account students transferring between institutions. It further claimed that it was not accurate to compare its data with other UK universities. In the Faculty of Science, a number of Durham departments are very successful at ensuring their PhD students graduate with doctoral degrees. Over 90% of Physics, Mathematics and Earth Sciences PhD students graduate with doctorates. By comparison, only 73% of Engineering and 69% of Computer Science students leave with doctorates. These rates are 10 to 20 percentage points behind comparable departments at Glasgow, Imperial, York and Leeds. Continued on page 5
“Relentless racial abuse”: LGBT+ PoC speak out on discrimination in Durham Katie Tobin Investigations Editor A Palatinate investigation has revealed concerns by Durham’s LGBT+ students of colour about their treatment by other students in the queer community. Students have reported feeling helpless, and have had no choice but to withdraw from college and University life for their own
wellbeing and safety. Palatinate spoke to students who discussed their experiences of receiving extensive racial abuse, particularly on dating apps, such as Tinder and Grindr, with other Durham University students. Currently, there are 5,995 Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students enrolled at Durham, according to University data. Such experiences of racism
by students of colour are nothing new. In 2020, Mirabelle Otuoze wrote about her experiences of racism. The 19 year-old said she had suffered racial slurs and felt “unwelcome as a student of colour”. Significantly, she claimed that these concerns were shared by other BAME students. The student who Palatinate spoke to claimed that the racial abuse he has received at Durham has been relentless. He noted
that, in June 2020, many white friends would post black squares in solidarity with the BAME community, but this was the extent of their activism or anti-racist efforts. He suggested that, despite their performative allyship, they would also commit acts of microaggressions like stating overtly white racial preferences in prospective partners like “blonde hair” or “I’m not really into black girls”.
However, the student noted that he found racism to be most prevalent within the queer community in Durham and that they’d found an amazingly supportive atmosphere within college rugby. “Being a person of colour in Durham is challenging enough, and being gay is also incredibly hard. But being both is just another level,” he said. Continued on page 7
Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
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Editorial
Inside 839 Satire page 3 News pages 3-7 Comment pages 9-11 Profile page 12 SciTech pages 13-15 Politics pages 17-19 Puzzles page 20 PalatiDates page 20 Sport pages 21-24
indigo
(Adeline Zhao)
Things new and old
E
xtraordinary times such as we have experienced over the last year bring many challenges, but they can also be an opportunity for major innovation. The last year has seen a great deal of change for everyone in Durham’s community of staff and students. Some of these changes have been covered and beckoned by Palatinate, be it stopping the University’s planned online restructuring ‘Unbound Education’, reporting on the SU’s democratic struggles, or covering Durham’s profound issues with safety, (in)accessibility and racism. However, in itself Palatinate has also changed fundamentally as an organisation. We’ve launched a broadcasting side, PalatinateTV. What the team has achieved already is simply remarkable, and marks a significant change to Palatinate’s identity.
“PalatinateTV will be unique in spirit to the newspaper, but ultimately inseperable.”
Endowed with only modest financial resources, but imbued with the creativity and intellect of Durham students, the PalatinateTV team grounds itself in the same principles that make our newspaper so valuable: serving the community, fostering the talent of students, and promoting transparency, accountability and truth. All of this is not to say that PalatinateTV will be all sober and serious. Like the paper, the
team is dedicated both to news and factual coverage, as well as to creative pursuits.
“Serving the community, ostering the talent of students, and promoting transparency, accountability and truth”
We hope that video media will appeal to a broader audience, widening the impact of Palatinate’s journalism in the University community and beyond. Beneath this aim lies a recognition both that modern journalists are required to be comfortable working on screen, in print, and generally across digital media, but also that broadcasting requires a completely different set of skills. A developed video side is long overdue at Palatinate, and the paper has given it a few goes in previous years. As a result, the new incarnation seeks to learn from the past; its large team has clear structures and aims for both the short and long term. This new, robust structure is especially indebted to the efforts of James Tillotson, Katie Smith and Sophie Garnett. Like Indigo, our arts and lifestyle magazine, PalatinateTV will be unique in spirit to the newspaper, but ultimately inseparable. PalatinateTV’s doors are open to all Durham students. If you are interested in developing valuable skills or simply having fun, do not put it off until tomorrow. Join our
contributor groups, pitch us your ideas, run for a role. Whatever your strengths, behind or in front of camera, in the editing booth, writing or researching, PalatinateTV (and the wider Palatinate community), are interested in what you can do. Since our founding in 1948, Palatinate’s strength has been as much in preserving the traditions of the past as it has been in fostering the innovatory spirit each new generation of students brings. We are strongest when we look both backwards and forwards, building on the work of our forebears, without being weighed down or strangled by it. Readers will know that our status as a print newspaper has been questioned in the last year, used as a political football. As much as we are forwardlooking, we are equally resolute in preserving our 73 year-old tradition of printing newspapers, still an essential part of British civil society, irreplaceable training for students interested in journalism as a career, and with a graceful tactility that defies easy description.
“This edition is replete with everything that makes Palatinate an indispensible part of Durham’s culture”
This edition is replete with everything that makes Palatinate an indispensable part of Durham’s culture. Four complete investigations on issues of great importance for students and
Editorial page 2 Books page 3 Features pages 4-5 Food & Drink page 6 Stage page 7 Interview & Fashion 8-9 Creative Writing 10-11 Music page 12 Film & TV page 13 Visual Arts pages 14-15 Travel page 16
Letters to the Editor
Disagree with something we’ve published? Send us a letter at editor@palatinate.org.uk and we will publish it in the next edition.
Follow PalatinateTV on social media @palatinatetv Palatinate TV PalatinateTV @PalatinateTV
staff alike; Comment, Politics and SciTech to inform and challenge your assumptions; Puzzles, Profiles, PalatiDates and Satire to lighten any gloom; and, in Indigo, art and lifestyle commentary which in quality we hope rivals any national newspaper. We hope you enjoy this issue, and, to students sitting them, good luck with exams! Toby Donegan-Cross Editor-in-Chief
Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham University. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk
Palatinate Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Tim Sigsworth & Toby Donegan-Cross editor@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Editors Max Kendix & Harrison Newsham deputy.editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Martha McHardy, Patrick Stephens & Theo Burman news@palatinate.org.uk News Reporters Kiara Davies, Keziah Smith, Poppy Askham, Orlando Bell, Isabel C. Davis, Josh Hurn, Jess Jones, Abigail Brierley & Cristina Coellen Investigations Editors Luke Payne, Heather Rydings & Katie Tobin investigations@palatinate.org.uk Satire Editors Ben Lycett, Hannah Williams & Adeline Zhao satire@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editors Cerys Edwards & Honor Douglas comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editors Ellie Fitzgerald-Tesh & George Simms Profile Editors Isabella Green & Izzy Harris profile@palatinate.org.uk Science & Technology Editors Ewan Jones, Faye Saulsbury & Elise Garcon scitech@palatinate.org.uk Politics Editors Sophie Farmer & Aisha Sembhi politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editors Anna Shepherd & Lilith Foster-Collins Puzzles Editors Harry Jenkins & Thomas Simpson puzzles@palatinate.org.uk Sport Editors Matt Styles & Luke Power sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Ben Fleming & James Reid Indigo Editors Hugo Millard & Millicent Machell indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editors Elle Woods-Marshall, Immy Higgins & Aadira Parakkat features@palatinate.org.uk Creative Writing Editor Jemima Gurney creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Stage Editors Charlie Barnett & Issy Flower stage@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editors Emma Tucker & Carys Stallard visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Sol Noya & Millie Vickerstaff books@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editors Emily Potts & Erin Waks fashion@palatinate.org.uk Food & Drink Editors Meghna Amin & Constance Lam food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editors Gracie Linthwaite & Emma Johnson travel@palatinate.org.uk Film & TV Editors Grace Marshall & Charlotte Grimwade film@palatinate.org.uk Music Editor Katherine Pittalis music@palatinate.org.uk Interview Editors Claudia Jacob & Aimee Dickinson indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk Chief Sub Editors Ishita Srivastava & Naomi RescorlaBrown chief.sub@palatinate.org.uk Sub Editors Chloe Waugh, Isobel Tighe, Mikey Canty, Rj Batkhuu & Susie Bradley Photography Editor Mark Norton photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editors James Tillotson & Adeline Zhao Illustration Editors Amber Conway, Verity Laycock & Samantha Fulton illustration@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officers Zoe Antonova & Nicole Wu social.media@palatinate.org.uk Finance Officer Sophie Garnett finance@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officers Alex Cowan, Amana Moore & Kate Pesenti advertising@palatinate.org.uk
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PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
Satire & News
Palatinate Satire University ‘deeply regrets’ Doublespeak for Durham dummies it has to punish bigot
Satire Editors: Benjamin Lycett, Hannah Williams & Adeline Zhao For more satire, visit www.palatinate.org.uk/category/satire
The University has sheepishly issued an apology after it reluctantly undertook the proper disciplinary measures against a student who repeatedly made offensive comments. The statement claimed they were “very sorry for any hurt caused”, after they heard the bigot was really “down in the dumps” about being given a punishment proportionate to their actions. The proof held against the accused included a few texts, a muffled audio recording, and the testimonies of 70 witnesses who saw him shout his garbage opinions from atop the statue
in Market Square - which he streamed live on Facebook and emailed a copy of the video to every University board member. A spokesperson called the evidence “inconclusive”.
“Boys will be boys, or sometimes will be outrageously derogatory and insulting. Aren’t boys daft?” Also in their statement, the University reiterated its commitment to “creating a safe and supportive community for all”, but that “boys will be boys, or sometimes boys will be
outrageously derogatory and insulting. Aren’t boys daft?” “Those concerned or affected by the student’s comments are encouraged to reach out to the Complaints Department, who are all fully trained to nod while they take your statement.” When questioned if the opinions expressed by the student were actually representative of a wider culture of disrespect, intolerance and prejudice in the city, the spokesperson replied, “Lol no”, then wiped their nose with a complaint form. We reached out to the bigot for comment, but we ended up wishing he’d stop commenting.
The concise handbook for saying what you don’t mean
Chapter 1 – Constructing a message “How are you?” Classic. Three words – I don’t care. This is simply convention.
“I know you’re super busy” I’m sure you could take 10 minutes out of your day to do what I’m about to ask. “Can I ask a MASSIVE favour?” This will not be a massive favour. It will invariably bely the definition of a favour.
“In the next couple of days would be amazing but no worries if not”
Finish it tomorrow. Or today? Please?
“Just checking in to see how you’re getting on with it” I’m not wondering how you’re getting on. I expect you to have finished it yesterday.
“Let’s have another meeting sometime next week” I have no idea what is going on, nor will I know any better next week.
This handbook was nominated for the Orwell Award (for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language)
£1m+ individual donors to Durham revealed Luke Payne Investigations Editor A Freedom of Information request submitted by Palatinate has revealed the names of individuals who have generously donated more than one million pounds to the University since 2015. Mark J. Hillery, a Collingwood alumnus and hedge fund manager, has donated almost £7m to Durham University since 2015. Hillery directs his large donations exclusively to Collingwood College. He has personally funded a 200-seater arts centre, a gym extension, a yoga/pilates studio, an enlarged junior common room, and a bar conservatory. Food wholesale boss Charles Wilson pledged £6m towards local scholarships, Durham Business School, and The Institute of Hazard Risk and Resilience in October 2019. Wilson is a Grey college alumnus and studied Geography between 1983 and 1986 at Durham.
“We are immensely grateful for the generous and increasing levels of financial support we receive”
Former Chief Product Officer of Netflix, Dr Neil Hunt, donated £2.7m to Durham in 2019. Dr Hunt’s gift was used to establish the ‘Hunt Programme’ which provides targeted scholarships, bursaries, and internship support across the Department of Computer Science and Collingwood College.
£2.66m was left by the estate of the late Geoffrey Argent FREng, an eminent electrical engineer and Senior Partner with Newcastlebased engineering consultancy Merz and McLellan. A Fellow of the Academy of Engineering, his donation was directed towards capital projects. Philanthropist and businessman Irvine Laidlaw, once believed to be Scotland’s second richest person, has donated £1.5m to Durham University through his undergraduate scholarship scheme. In 2006, he announced he would hand out his fortune over the next few decades to help society’s most disadvantaged people. £1.4m was left by the estate of the late Dr Anthony Ian Doyle who played a central part in the development of the University library, especially its special collections, throughout his career there. He was also a very active participant in the University and city life more broadly. Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Durham University, said: “Durham has a thriving global alumni community which plays an important role in supporting the University as ambassadors, through volunteering and providing career opportunities, and through philanthropic giving. “We are immensely grateful for the generous and increasing levels of financial support we receive from alumni, including those who remember the University in their legacy giving. This reflects well on the experience they enjoyed as students of the University and the lifelong levels of affection
and engagement our alumni and benefactors have with us. “It also shows that our donors have a shared belief in our sharpening mission and values, as we work hard to increase the diversity of the University community, provide greater opportunities for students from under-represented backgrounds, and develop first-class University facilities for the benefit of the University and wider community.” Andy Harston, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Durham University, said: “In the first phase of our Durham Inspired campaign, we have already received over
£43M in pledges from alumni, philanthropists, and charitable organisations around the world. “Supported by our Campaign Board — made up of committed alumni — we have seen record levels of both individual giving and global philanthropy, particularly from the United States where our efforts are supported energetically by our Dunelm USA trustees and volunteers. “Around 45 per cent of donations from the Campaign thus far have gone directly into student scholarship support, 45 per cent has enabled the pursuit of pioneering research —
including vital PhD studentships — and the remainder has helped to provide exceptional facilities for our students, staff, alumni, and the wider community. “We hope to continue and expand this trend of attracting major, transformational donations to ensure Durham remains world-class in everything it does. We also hope to widen giving opportunities across our student, parent, and alumni communities to ensure friends of the University are able to make a meaningful contribution to the areas of the University about which they feel most passionate.”
ADELINE ZHOUtrice Law) Adeline Zhou(Olivia Inspires) (James Tillotson)
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Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
News
266.8 tonnes of food waste produced annually by Durham’s catered colleges Tim Sigsworth Editor-in-Chief Durham’s catered colleges have produced an average 266.8 tonnes of food waste annually since the 2017-18 academic year, according to figures obtained by Palatinate through a Freedom of Information request. When compared with the average numbers of livers-in during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, this equates to 60.11 kilograms of waste per student per year. Collectively, the catered colleges have produced 532.79 tonnes of food waste during that period, spending £9.3m on food in the process. In 2020, the lockdown between March and July saw a dramatic decline in both waste and spending. Total spending on food by the catered colleges – Collingwood, University, Hild Bede, Van Mildert, St. Mary’s, St. Aidan’s, Grey, Hatfield, Trevelyan and St. Cuthbert’s – dropped from £3.5m in 2018-19 to £2.4m in 2019-20, a decline of 30.6%. The total amount of food wasted by the colleges was reduced by just under 42.0% over the same period, falling from 277.52 tonnes to 161.10 tonnes. Commenting on the findings, Nina Griffiths, Director of the University’s Operations, Colleges and Student Experience Division, said: “We share the concern of many over the amount of food that gets wasted and reducing food waste is a key objective in our environmental action plan. “We’ve made great progress over the last few years but we know there’s more to do and we’re absolutely committed to reducing our food waste further across all our colleges and catering facilities.” The data also revealed that the catered colleges spent an average of £554 per student on food in 2019-20, a small proportion of the fees charged for catered college rooms of £7,894 or £8,385. Last year, St. Cuthbert’s – where students are split between catered and self-catered accommodation – and St. Aidan’s recorded the smallest waste figures at 7.8 and 12.7 tonnes respectively, whereas University, St. Mary’s and Van Mildert colleges came in the highest with respective scores of 21.3, 19.2 and 19.1 tonnes. In particular, two colleges deviated substantially from the mean percentage decline in waste of 42.0%, with St. Mary’s – the
Seun Twins
Durham Students’ Union President
(Beatrice Law)
second largest waster – dropping by just 16.7% and Van Mildert’s declining by 58.6%. Indeed, St. Mary’s appears to be least efficient college for catering, and by some distance as well. This follows their muchcriticised provision of food to livers-in during the start of Michaelmas Term. In 20192020, the college wasted 61.4 kilograms per liver-in – a figure 37.9% higher than the amount recorded – 44.5 kilograms – by the second-placed college, Grey. St. Mary’s also saw a decrease in waste per liver-in of just four per cent between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years; this is vastly lower than the mean decline of 51.0%. The college also spent the most on food per liver-in during 201920, with their figure of £751 again being considerably higher than second place, Hild Bede at £634. “The variation in the amount of food waste across our Colleges is due to a number of factors including the extent of commercial business in different colleges, such as out of termtime holiday accommodation and weddings, and centralised provision of catering for events across the University,” Ms. Griffiths explained when asked what lay behind this deviation. When the outlier of St. Mary’s is removed, the mean spending by colleges on food per liver-in totalled £593, with Van Mildert’s spend per liver-in of £509 being the only significant deviator. This data suggests that St.
Mary’s catered offering is exceptionally wasteful, both in terms of spending and tonnage. In terms of spending, there were again only two colleges which deviated significantly from the mean percentage decline of 30.6%, but such deviation was far less pronounced. Collingwood recorded a decline of just 22.6%, while University slashed their spending by a larger margin of 37.5%. The most efficient colleges in terms of waste were St. Aidan’s and Hatfield, who wasted 33.0 and 33.6 kilograms of food per liver-in compared to a mean of 47.1 kilograms. St. Cuthbert’s and University were excluded from all per liverin calculations due to the lack of available data on how many of its students were catered and how many were self-catered. Student environmentalist group EcoDU told Palatinate that whilst there have been efforts by the University to put in place a comprehensive food waste disposal plan, “there is clearly more work that needs to be done in order to tackle food waste in college.” “It is surprising that St Mary’s in particular has such a high level of food waste, especially after the considerable effort from the University to have a centralised catering service,” they continued. “Clearly implementation of University policy is not even across the board. “Considering the lack of willingness by college management to put in place
student lead programmes such as selling left over food to livers out, there is definite doubt about whether food waste is likely to decrease in future.”
Catered colleges spent an average of £554 per student on food in 2019-20 In the University’s response to Palatinate’s findings, Ms. Griffiths said, “In recent years, we have introduced a number of actions to reduce the environmental impact of food waste, including turning food waste into biogas and converting fats, oils and greases into biofuel. We collect and analyse data on when and what students are eating to ensure optimum amounts are purchased. “To make this process more efficient, we are currently investigating the purchase of a new catering purchase system which could provide even more accurate data to our chefs to support more precise purchasing of ingredients and amounts. “Our annual Waste Awareness Week, including the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ challenge helps to encourage students to reduce their food waste as part of an overall education drive for students to only take what they plan to eat. “Since the start of the pandemic, we have also started donating any excess food to local food banks and charities such as Feeding Families who support people with emergency food boxes.”
Hi all, I hope you are all well, safe, and getting through this exam period. We’re in the final term of a strange year, but I’ve enjoyed seeing some Colleges finally being able to mark matriculation last week. Congratulations to everyone who started Durham this year and has been able to celebrate that again. I know it’s been an incredibly difficult time to start university, but I hope you are managing to find your feed in spite of everything. Here is a quick run-through on what your SU officers have been working on: Sarah (Postgraduate Academic Officer): Working on postgraduate access and participation; preparing welcome guide for new postgraduates and funding guide. Nailah (Undergraduate Academic Officer): Developing training for the decolonisation students interns; preparing timeline for institution-wide decolonisation work for 21-22. Ewan (Welfare and Liberation officer): Welfare training; supporting student sex workers; campaign on justice for students; student safety, especially on nights out. Anna (Opportunities officer); Organised the Durham SU’s Earth Day; created Durham SU’s online campaign for the Student’s United Against Fees (SUAF); ran hedgehog protection campaign; presenting to the University Executive what students want the University’s environmental sustainability approach to look like and integrating EcoDU’s research into my proposals. Seun (President): As usual, myself and the commissioners are working hard on the Culture Commission. Reminder, if there’s anyone who wants to be interviewed for the Culture Commission do not hesitate to get in touch with me at su.president@durham.ac.uk Stay safe Seun DO YOU HAVE A STORY FOR NEWS? HAVE YOU HEARD SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY THAT WE’VE NOT COVERED?
Let us know via news@palatinate.org.uk
PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
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News
“I envy other departments” Continued from front A Durham Physics PhD student told Palatinate that their department had a “very strong sense of community and provided many activities, both academic and social. This really helps students to feel less isolated, which I think can be a problem in other departments.” In the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, less than two-thirds of Durham PhD students within the Sociology Department, School of Government and International Relations and the School of Education graduate with doctorates. Only 55% of Education Durham PhD students graduate with doctorates compared with 86% at the University of Leeds and 81% at the University of Glasgow. This equated to 51 Durham Education PhD students leaving with non-doctoral degrees (such as Research Masters) and 36 leaving with no degree over the past five years. Within Arts and Humanities, the success of PhD students studying within the Theology & Religion, History and Classics and Ancient History departments was less than 73%. In their response to the article, Durham University provided some explanation of why some departments’ PhD students may be struggling to achieve doctoral
“The University, through its Research Degrees Committee, analyses thesis submission and withdrawal data annually. Where a department has a submission rate that is lower… departments are required to review the data and report on their action plans. “Recently departments have addressed this issue through a number of measures across the student journey that have shown positive results in improving submission rates. In particular,
departments have reviewed and enhanced their recruitment practices and processes to support students through annual progress reviews and training.” Not all students are satisfied that sufficient progress is being made to support PhD students during their programmes. Upon learning of Palatinate’s findings, a Durham Engineering PhD student provided this comment: “It was disappointing to hear that only 73% of Engineering PhD students receive a doctorate. It makes me concerned that the department really does not value its postgraduate researchers, especially after very little support has been provided during virtual working since the start of the pandemic. “Many PhD colleagues in Engineering haven’t had any additional support or check-ins from supervisors – if anything, it has subsided. It makes me wonder if the general lack of any community amongst Engineering PhD students and staff contributes to the higher drop-out rates. “I envy other departments which have reading groups, specialised research communities and department organised socials. This lack of support has made me feel lonely, frustrated and underappreciated for the research and teaching contributions my PhD colleagues and I make.”
University departments paid significantly different wages for teaching assignments according to data Palatinate has received from a Freedom of Information request. The pay band for lecturing within The Department of Archeology was between £31.25 and £53.00 per hour whereas Anthropology only paid between £9.28 and £16.03 per hour. For marking, the Department of Economics and Finance paid between £20.00 and £53.34 per hour whereas the Physics, Psychology and Sport Departments paid under £11.40. Analysis of the pay data using the pay band midpoints and weighting by the number of assignments, revealed several key findings about average payments for each type of work and highlighted the inequality between departments. The analysis showed that departments within the Faculty of Business on average paid twice as much (£25.78/hour) for marking work than departments within other faculties. The average pay for lectures conducted by casual workers
was highest in the English, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Music and Archeology departments (£42.13/hour) and lowest in Modern Languages and Cultures (£20.51/hour), Computer Science (£19.68/hour), Law (17.92/hour) and Anthropology (£12.66/hour). A former Computer Science demonstrator complained that they felt compelled to choose between “teaching at a substandard level because I wasn’t familiar with the material, or work for free” due to a reduction in paid preparation time. Adding that they were “far from alone in this” and “the department lost a lot of experienced demonstrators.” In their response to Palatinate’s findings, the University emphasised the amount of engagement their Casual Working Group had with the DSU, UCU, College and other representatives. They further added: “We cannot comment on the subjective thoughts of colleagues but we had the support of UCU and DSU. The changes which were implemented ensured that
degrees. “A number of our disciplines (Education, Theology and Religion and Business/ Economics/Management) have a significant proportion of mature students returning to higher education… financial and life challenges and changes for these students tend to contribute to withdrawals. “Science research is often conducted in teams whereas, in other disciplines, postgraduate researchers tend to work alone on their individual research topic. Differences in the proportion of part-time, mature, international and self-funded students between disciplines also contributes to differing outcomes.
Only 73% of Durham Engineering and 69% of Computer Science leave study with doctorates
Tributes paid to beloved cat
Martha McHardy News Editor
Hundreds of tributes have been paid to Badger, the Durham Cathedral cat, after he died last week following a short illness. Badger was a much loved member of the Durham community, with more than 3,000 followers on his Twitter account. In a statement shared on the official Durham Cathedral Facebook page, the Dean of Durham, Reverend Andrew Tremlett, announced: “Very sadly, after a short illness, he has found his place in the sun”. The statement continued, “Badger will be missed by all who had the pleasure of meeting him” and urged people with photos and memories of meeting Badger
to post them in the comments of the Facebook post. Over 500 people have shared memories and photographs of Badger on social media following his death, including the official University account. One Trevelyan College student told Palatinate: “An undeniable piece of Durham’s soul has left us, and we must not forget the joy Badger brought to all sorts of people who passed him in the street”. Durham Students’ Union also paid tribute to Badger, describing him as “never shy of a photo opportunity, but often looking a little grumpy while doing it.” St John’s College said: “We loved seeing Badger around Durham, especially while the streets were quiet during lockdown. Enjoy your place in the sun Badger.” (Durham University)
Durham’s inter-departmental pay gap for teaching Luke Payne Investigations Editor An investigation by Palatinate has uncovered the extent of department historical pay disparities for teaching activities. Average pay for demonstrating, tutorials, marking and lecturing varied by up to £44/hour between departments before an agreement to standardise payments was implemented in October. Until this academic year, significant proportions of undergraduate teaching activities, including demonstrating, tutorials, lecturing and marking, were covered by hourly wage workers on insecure ‘casual’ contracts, mostly performed by postgraduate students. Following a campaign by The University and College Union (UCU), and complaints raised by students to Vice Chancellor Stuart Corbridge, Durham University and UCU came to an agreement last year to limit the use of casual contracts and standardise pay for similar work. Prior to this agreement,
the default for staff is a fixed term employment contract and the number of casual staff in the University decreased. All casual staff and employees now have their pay aligned to the University pay scales and benefit from any cost of living increases which are implemented. This also allows for consistent pay for roles across the University. “Casual staff across the University perform distinct and valuable roles in supporting the University deliver its strategy. “This includes students who
(Amana Moore)
engage in teaching/related roles which provide valuable development opportunities. Following the Casual Working Groups, colleagues are engaged on consistent role descriptors and are paid in accordance with the relevant pay scales. “The University considers that everyone engaged must be fairly paid for all work that they are required to undertake. The new arrangements allow for consistency by way of role descriptors and pay aligned to the pay scales.”
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Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
News
Meet the Durham students running in the local elections Poppy Askham News Reporter
Local election polls open this morning, as hundreds of candidates contest 126 county councillor positions across County Durham. In a bumper year due to coronavirus postponements, such roles as parish councillors and the county’s Police, Crime
Anna Marshall
County Councillor candidate Green Party – Elvet and Gilesgate “I’m very used to representing students’ voices”, explains Anna Marshall who is currently Sabbatical Opportunities Officer for Durham Student Union. Marshall has been involved in local campaigning and student politics for several years and is concerned by the limited student
and Victims’ commissioner are also up for grabs. This year’s local elections have been markedly shaped by the pandemic. Record numbers of postal ballots have been requested and door-to-door campaigning has been limited by lockdown measures. The City of Durham’s current parish and county councils are currently engagement in local issues. “You’re a part of this community, you can’t really opt out in my view, so it will be mutually beneficial to have a student voice on the council”, she explains.
“The Green Party is on the right side of history”
As a Green Party candidate, environmental issues are naturally top of her priorities, but she also is concerned about
Declan Merrington
Parish Councillor candidate Labour – Elvet and Gilesgate
Tristan Pahl Parish Councillor candidate Conservative – Neville’s Cross “I want to see the vibrant Durham I knew from first year back”, explains Tristan Pahl, a third-year PPE student at Jospehine Butler, reflecting on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the local economy. “The upcoming elections
“I’m someone who has a lot of pride in Durham”, explains Declan Merrington, an Education Master’s student at Hild Bede. “I want to give something positive which is why I’m running for parish council - it’s the lowest form of government but it’s really something that can help us take
determine how Durham will look as we recover from the economic crisis”, he explains. According to Pahl, “in-person businesses such as nightclubs and bars need to be viable, which can happen more quickly with a Conservative-run County Council”. Pahl is also concerned about local transport provisions, isolating the A1M and East Coast Main Line as key routes in need of improvement to better connect
Govind Nair
Parish Councillor candidate Labour – Durham South “I’ve always wanted to connect students with the wider area surrounding them”, states Govind Nair, a second year PPE student at St. Aidan’s who wants to tackle the ‘Durham University bubble’ by increasing student participation in local democracy. “I think that cohesion between
dominated by the Labour Party, but nationwide the Conservatives are predicted to benefit from a speculated ‘vaccine bounce’. Amongst this year’s candidates are four Durham students, who are juggling campaigning and university commitments in the face of pandemic-era challenges, to try to boost student representation in local politics.
housing problems in her studentdominated ward. She proposes instating a landlords’ tenancy scheme to protect students and limit rising housing prices to help soothe town-gown tensions. Local election campaigns are the perfect opportunity to strengthen the Green Party’s visibility as a “viable option”, particularly for those who have become frustrated with Labour in recent years, according to Marshall. “I think the Greens have a really great shot at becoming
pride in Durham”, he states. As a candidate, he is concerned with the problems of unregulated landlords, strained town-gown relationships and the impact of the pandemic on the high street. He cites “building a partnership between locals and students” as a key step in solving these issues. “We’re doing great things as students, like the students who are raising money to keep the Dun Cow, a local business, open”, he explains, stressing the importance of students to
Durham residents with the rest of the country. He also opposes the city’s new bus lane, instead arguing for “more cycle lanes to enable local people to come to Durham City for leisure pursuits.”
“I care deeply about its future”
Although Pahl believes that splitting “student issues” and
local residents and students is extremely important because both populations want the same thing”, Nair explains. He argues that it would be beneficial to both locals and students to pursue goals like improving the city’s eco-friendliness through electric bus schemes and tackling rising housing prices by creating a landlords’ registry and addressing the University’s ongoing expansion. Nair also prioritises the
Where can I vote? Palatinate’s Quick Guide to the Elections See your polling card for where
you should vote. This includes: What are the elections for? • St Nicholas Church Hall, • Durham County Council Durham Market Place • Police and Crime • St Oswald’s Church Commissioner • The Hub, Durham • Durham City Parish University Council • The Spiritualist Church • Referendum for evaluating Hall, John Street (Viaduct) planning application
the third main political party”, she explains. Marshall urges students to see local elections as a chance to express what they “want to see in the world”, instead of “seeing it as a two-party race.”
She proposes instating a landlords’ tenancy scheme to protect students
“I really do believe the Green Party is on the right side of history”, she concludes.
the city’s economy. But it will take student representation in local politics to change negative perceptions. “I think it’s a great thing that students are getting involved”, he enthuses in reference to his fellow student candidates.
“Take pride in Durham”
Declan also highlights environmental issues as a personal priority as well as for “local issues” can be “divisive”, he states that he’d “like to involve the University by holding meetings on campus and inviting local residents for dialogue”. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know it as a student and I care deeply about its future”, Pahl concludes. “Going forward, I’d like to see the County Council deliver value for money – that means good quality public services and cutting waste.”
problem of sexual harassment on the roads in his ward and the city as a whole. He stresses the need for local government and police to take this issue seriously and involve students in the solution.
“The most important thing is making students realise they have a say in local politics” “The most important thing is making students realise that
his party and the wider student population. “You’ve got to vote red to be green” he argues, “it’s like a watermelon: green on the outside and red on the inside”. Issues like diesel emissions, waste management and green transportation would be some of his key focuses as a councillor. “I believe I have the interests of students at heart whilst also giving a local perspective”, he summarises. “I really do wish that students vote on the day for who they think is right”.
they have a say in local politics”, Nair explains, stressing that his ward is home to a lot of first-year students who aren’t currently greatly involved in Durham South’s politics and have been cut off from the city by lockdown measures. “A lot of people don’t really know that they can have control over the city and their circumstances”, he states, “I think one of the best ways to change them is by getting involved in local democracy and local politics”.
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Students have deleted all dating apps out of fear of racial abuse Continued from front
“Cis, white, LGBT+ men seem to be unaware of their privilege but, at the same time, they also seem to control the community.” “My friends tell me to report, block, and move on,” he added. “But this isn’t just a one-off – it’s relentless. But for men, it’s nearly impossible to date here without apps. But you get relentless racial abuse on them, and you can’t really go up to men without the possible threat of violence or abuse from them. It’s scary.” The student documented an encounter on Grindr, where he was referred to as both an “n word” and a “slave”. Another showed a conversation in which the student’s response to “hi” was the acronym for “All Lives Matter”, a racially charged response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The student also suggested that, for LGBT+ men, it is exceptionally hard to date and meet like-minded people without dating apps in Durham. This challenge has only been exacerbated by the absence of
opportunities for meeting other members of the community in person.
He was referred to as both an “n word” and a “slave”.
Jeremy Cook, Pro-ViceChancellor (Colleges and Student Experience), Durham University, said: “We do not accept any form of prejudice or discrimination at Durham University and we condemn any incidents of racism in the strongest possible terms. “It is important that such incidents are reported to the University so that they can be investigated. You will be supported and, after investigation, if individuals are found to have committed these offences, we will take appropriate and decisive action. Students and staff are also actively encouraged and supported to report these incidents to the Police where there are dedicated officers in place to respond to them. “While we acknowledge that we still have work to do, we are
working to build a safe, respectful and inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves and flourish no matter what their background, gender, race or sexual orientation. “We are implementing the recommendations of the Durham Commission on Respect, Values and Behaviour, which included input from students and staff, which we hope will encourage respectful behaviours from all of our community. “We also have an online Report and Support tool through which students and staff can report unwanted behaviour and seek support. “Unequivocally, we would encourage everyone across the University to be active in the fight against racism.” Another student Palatinate spoke with described worryingly similar experiences dating as a bisexual and non-binary person, saying that “the microaggressions are quite intense. Sometimes I can’t tell what’s overt and what’s accidental. I’ve had to roll with it, but it’s so heavy”.
They also explained their experiences of fetishisation, which “gets very weird when people date you to piss off parents.” They noted that this is especially hard if you are an LGBT+ person trying to date, and not just hookup. “When clubs were open people would grab my curly long hair. They’d touch it and pull it without asking, often hurting me. I say nothing to avoid escalating the situation and risking being attacked.” Whilst men were more overt, the students said that women would often use dog whistles like asking where they are from “originally” and calling them “exotic” based on skin colour. “It’s amazing how creative people can get with their racialised harassment,” they said.
“Sometimes I can’t tell what’s overt and what’s accidental” Both students have deleted all dating apps out of fear of being
subjected to even more racial abuse. Commenting on Palatinate’s findings, Durham’s LGBT+ Association said in a statement: “Any racialised dating preferences, overt racism, or racial fetishism are completely unacceptable in our community. “These behaviours have a negative impact on students, causing psychological harm, internalised sexual racism, and the exclusion of students from queer spaces. “The community should be inclusive for all and provide spaces for LGBT+ POC students to proudly express themselves and their culture without fear of racism, homophobia, transphobia, or tokenism. “We recognise these issues exist within our community and there is vital progress to be made. “The university needs to make students aware of its support systems, and ensure they cater to the intersections of Durham. This includes the counselling service and report and support tool.”
Alumna to swim the Channel in Disadvantaged pupils aid of student Tom Lazarides lose £7.3m in funding
Orlando Bell News Reporter Durham University alumna Florence Jackson is set to swim across the English Channel in order to raise money for Tom’s Fight, the charity set up in order to raise funds for the recovery and rehabilitation of fellow student, Tom Lazarides. Following a swimming pool accident in June 2020, Tom suffered significant spinal injuries, fracturing his neck in two places, sustaining a serious spinal cord injury, and then contracting rhabdomyolysis in hospital, a condition where damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly. Tom is a student at Hild Bede, studying Business Management, and before his injury, he played county-level cricket, rugby, and Durham University Golf. Florence Jackson, a family friend, has already completed two fundraising swims in aide of Tom’s Fight and the spinal injury charity Aspire. The first, ‘Flo and Five Guys’, was a 36km swim from Bath to Bristol completed in two days alongside five friends from University. The second, ‘Flo and
Three Guys’, a grueling 55km, four day, swim in the Caledonian Canal in Scotland.
70% of young people with spinal injuries end up in carefor-the-elderly homes
Swimming across the English Channel had been a long term ambition for Flo, but the coronavirus pandemic significantly accelerated her plans. With the help of the spinal charity Aspire she managed to gain a last-minute place on a channel relay in August and is now part of the Aspire Bulldogs squad. In June, Flo must complete a series of pre-crossing qualifying Channel Swimming Association tests in order to determine her competence for the task ahead. Emphasising the importance of Tom’s Fight, Florence stressed: “It’s not widely known but we were told that 70% of young people with spinal injuries end up in care-for-the-elderly homes because they are the only places with round-the-clock care provisions. That’s wildly expensive – and it’s incredibly bleak for a young person.” The cost of full rehabilitation
care is between £7,500 and £10,000 a week as the NHS does not cover the full process. Tom’s Fight has thus far raised an incredible £184,000 in order to help with Tom’s recovery. Tom’s remarkable story has created an inspiring response from both friends and celebrities alike. One friend, Cam Evans, has just completed his challenge to run 100 miles for the charity. Meanwhile, a 1,500km cycle by England Hockey player and Tom’s Golf coach, David Matthews, is currently taking place. Elite athletes from Mo Farah to Newcastle legend Alan Shearer have sent Tom their messages of support. (Kent Online)
Patrick Stephens News Editor Due to changes in how money is allocated, schools in the North East will lose between £5.16m and £7.26m, according to estimates by headteachers network Schools North East. Pupil Premium grants are calculated using the number of students eligible for free school meals, receiving £1,345 per primary pupil and £955 per secondary school pupil.
The number of students on free school meals in the North East rose by 5,400 between October and January
According to the new rules, the size of the grant for the fiscal year 2021-22 is based on the number of eligible pupils in October last year. Previously, the figure was calculated for January. The number of students eligible for free school meals rose by about 5,400 pupils between October and January because of the economic impact of the
pandemic, meaning the Grant is based on outdated statistics which are an underestimate. Mark Norton
102,000 children became eligible for free school meals between October and January of last year Pupils from lower-income families who qualify for the Pupil Premium grant would have been set to benefit from the money. The grant is intended to help exam results and progress at school among disadvantaged pupils. Pupil Premium funding has been used this year to deliver food parcels to families, help with internet access and utility bills, and provide transport so that vulnerable students could continue to attend school during the pandemic. MPs and union leaders wrote to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson in which they said: “We implore you to end this madness”. Nationally, 102,000 children became eligible for free school meals between October and January of last year.
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Living vicariously through confession pages Eunice Wu I still recall when receiving a ‘Top Fan’ badge on Durfess was the highlight of my week, which was perhaps a new low for me. Facebook’s algorithm had noted every time I tried to submit a confession, or when I refreshed the page for updates, or when I tagged a friend in the comments – the sum total of which had apparently surpassed that of a large portion of the page’s viewers. It made me wonder: what made Durfess so attractive? What is it about Durfess and Tindur that has me edging towards a Facebook addiction? Enrolling at Durham during a global pandemic meant that I have experienced close to none of the University’s traditions despite already having advanced through a third of my undergraduate degree. In a way, I was able to live the Durham experience vicariously through Durfess. I got to learn about the colleges, the cafes and house dynamics through a confession page instead of through my own eyes. Durfess painted an animated picture of Durham, allowing me to assign personality to the colleges as I walked past their grounds. Seeing comedic content on library announcements, summative
work or Zoom lectures has also forged a sense of belonging in me, like I was on the same boat as other people. With Zoom lectures or tutorials, you either don’t know how many others are in your class, or you see them enclosed in little boxes on your screen. The warped sense of reality makes you feel really isolated. Reading about the experiences of other students at Durham has helped ease that sense of isolation, even if the remedy is transient. Durfess’s transition into confessions with more serious undertones has also given me insight on British politics. As an international fresher, I arrived at university as a “double outsider”, but learning about how locals feel about lockdown and whatnot has really helped with my assimilation. I believe the anonymity is also a big part of why Durfess and Tindur have been hailed as mainstays of the Durham student experience. Anonymity strips people of the weight that comes with their reputation. The idea of submitting a confession without any consequences is appealing. While this can be dangerous, the moderated nature of these pages enables them to have relatively low toxicity. Without the fear of repercussions, students are more willing to speak up about heavy subject matters, usually sparking debates
and discussions in the comments of people inspired to follow suit. On the receiving end, people are also more willing to tune in and listen, as opposed to in real life where the value of your opinion may be measured by social class or status. The impartiality of confession pages that root in their anonymity is exactly what we need in the current climate, and this is where Durfess and Tindur thrive best. More importantly, confession pages bring connectivity. Sometimes we might get
advocate for online and how these actions really play out in the flesh. It prompts us to ask ourselves: are our #solidarity posts on social media really helping the situation? Can reposting activist literature on our Instagram stories enact long-lasting change? It’s fair to say that we’ve all spent plenty of time on our phones this year. Aside from mindless scrolling on TikTok, there has been a notable uptake in what critics have described as ‘token activism’. The most significant example that I’ve seen on my social media feed has been surrounding the conversation of racial justice, prompted by the Black Lives Matter activist movement. This was particularly noticeable when people first decided to change their social media profile pictures to a black screen to show solidarity with the movement. It almost felt as if there was a
pressure to conform to this show of solidarity, but for me it felt like a meaningless gesture. I fully support the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement, but I just could not fathom how posting a black screen was really going to improve the lives of those experiencing racial injustice. Thankfully, it seems that these social media ‘shows of solidarity’ have evolved into something more meaningful and targeted. By this I mean the posting of activist reading materials by individuals to help educate their family and friends on important societal issues. This is clearly more useful than the previous example of social media engagement as it is prompting a level of individual activism with key societal issues. Indeed, these education materials have shed light on issues I had not previously encountered. In many ways, with Covid-19
overwhelmed by feelings of stress or anxiety, especially with the world practically falling apart right now. In these instances, Durfess and Tindur feel like a warm hug. On a lighter note, Tindur grants people the platform to connect or reconnect, professing feelings of admiration they were otherwise too shy to express. If Durfess gave me comfort, then Tindur gave me hope. Not for finding love at Tesco Metro (but the thought is welcomed), but for love still being out there and that the ‘Durham
70%’ isn’t just an urban myth. To this day I’m still waiting for my confessions to make it onto Durfess, but in the meantime, I’ll continue incorporating reading confession pages into my daily routine, hoping it doesn’t spiral into a crippling addiction. Of course, my greatest desire is for the Durham student experience detailed in Durfess posts to eventually occur to me in real life, so that I can relive my fresher’s year in true Durham fashion. (Emma Jespersen)
Online activism: solidarity or just ‘slactivism’? Hannah Redman
Slacktivism – it’s such a fabulous new word, right? But unfortunately, what it describes is not so wonderful. Token activism, more colloquially known as slacktivism, is the emerging practice of people reposting images or articles in solidarity with the activist causes of the day, whilst enjoying their latest Starbucks coffee in a plastic-covered cup. It hardly screams ‘Great Thunberg-esque’ environmental sacrifices does it? This isn’t to say I’m pointing the finger, far from it – I must admit I’ve used a plastic straw in my time despite trying to be a self-righteous Geography student. However, token activism does point to an element of contradiction between what we
restrictions, this feels like the only way to engage with the activist organisations we support. But can this ever be a substitute for making your voice heard on a protest march, or making individual choices like buying from ethical clothing brands to do your bit to save the planet? Perhaps we are all pursuing a breadth of engagement with activism, but we should really be focussing on depth. Well, this is what the critics of token activism are saying anyway.
There is a contradiction between what we advocate for online and in the flesh
In many ways it feels like the term ‘token activism’ is just another way of attacking the actions of the ‘woke’ generation, but it might be worth taking note of some of their criticisms.
It is worth pointing out the upward progression of social media activism – we’ve certainly improved from those black screen days – although we could take bigger steps towards enacting meaningful change on issues that matter to us. Education is a really important part of that, and I support the work that my family and friends are doing on social media to educate others on issues like racial justice and climate change. Despite this, I can’t help but feel as if we could do more in the ‘real world’ too. Maybe I just like a protest march too much. Perhaps it will feel more real once the Covid-19 restrictions are over. Who can say if social media activism will be successful in the end? I certainly cannot, but I know one thing for sure: I want to be part of every step towards progress and justice. Slacktivism might not be such a great word after all.
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Everyone’s Invited – and Durham’s attending Phoebe Abruzzese A website at the heart of the recent private school sexual harassment scandal has now turned its attentions to universities. Everyone’s Invited, founded to allow young people to share their testimonies of a normalised culture of sexual assault, harassment and molestation, has reported 41 accounts pertaining to Durham University. As a woman who studies here, this isn’t surprising. Durham reeks of entitlement. In a normal year, there is a feeling that nights out are owned by the red trouser brigade, patron saints of rich male entitlement. With admissions from private schools increasing for the second year in a row, privately educated students are significantly overrepresented at Durham. The University is interwoven with elitism and public schools – the latter of which have been embroiled in the rape culture scandal over the past few months. It’s not surprising that some boys who go to schools where potentially criminal behaviours are normalised come to university and do the same. Even before I got an offer to come to Durham, I had some idea about what to expect. The Sun and The Daily Mail had recently named Durham as the UK university with, proportional to student body, the highest reported cases of sexual
assault in the country. There’s a history of sexual violence at Durham. It’s an issue which seems to crop up annually – with Durham named one of the worst offending universities for sexual assault in 2016, 2017, 2018 and now 2021. As has been said as every iteration of the same news story, journalists have exposed Durham for having a “vile culture of sexual violence” and “a conspiracy of silence”.
The city’s quaint cobbled streets hide something dark
In 2017, a senior University professor told Buzzfeed that these accounts showed students were trusting the University more and were therefore coming forward and reporting their accounts. Although this might explain the high number of cases reported to the University, it does little to elucidate the number of testimonials on Everyone’s Invited, where everything is anonymous. Even though Durham recently introduced a second permanent investigator of misconduct, the process of reporting a sexual offence remains a mystery to many. No mention of sexual assault rates is made to prospective students, nor do the University widely advertise what they are doing to fix the problem. 13 out of 14 students nationally choose not to report cases. However, movements are being made. In February, the University revealed that two students had
been expelled and suspended respectively for breaches of the Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy. Durham is a very insular university city, far removed from other universities named on Everyone’s Invited. University of Leeds, which ranks fourth highest on the list, has a myriad of clubs, pubs and bars compared to Durham’s handful. Durham has relatively fewer venues, with many events staged inside colleges, overseen by Principals and college staff.
Comparatively it should feel safer, being far smaller and having a lower crime rate. But the quaint cobbled streets do hide something dark. Wrapped in the guise of tradition, sexual assault and harassment can be legitimised as initiations, college bingo, or some kind of Durham student ritual. Our image as a historic university town, shrouded in Enid Blytonesque lore, has prevented us from changing. We are becoming archaically dangerous, and if we don’t change soon, we are sure to become a thing of the past as
prospective students choose to enrol in safer institutions. Durham has to change from the inside out. Untangling Durham from its laddish culture of sexual harassment is going to be a tough job; in some ways it is written into the foundations of the University. But with consistent action, change can happen. Hopefully, in the wake of Everyone’s Invited, the ongoing private school scandal and the murder of Sarah Everard, it is already on its way. (Thomas Tomlinson)
‘Diet culture’: between a rock and a hard place Samuel Rackind Without emulating Katie Hopkins, the British TV personality who has built herself a reputation as the remorseless, cold-blooded war criminal in the fight against obesity, I think we (Britain) may have a bit of a problem. The clue lies in the phrase “fight against obesity”. No in-depth research is needed to notice this. Despite the recent boom of trendy health bars and cafés that serve all kinds of expensive metropolitan foods (that most people may well be unable to afford on a daily basis), our culture has been victim of a pernicious encroachment by junk food. Is it right and healthy that I associate going through any transport hub, or even going into
town for the day, with getting an unhealthy snack? (Crêpes, supermarket goodies, pastry, you name it…) My hunch is correct: the gov.uk website shows that from a 2018 survey, “around 43% of all food and drink products located in prominent areas were for sugary foods and drinks, compared to just one per cent for healthy items.” What’s more, almost twothirds of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity, while one in three children are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Obesity-related illnesses cost our NHS six billion pounds a year. So we clearly have a problem – poor eating is evidently a public health concern. Upon his hospitalisation in an intensive care unit due to Covid-19 one year ago, Boris Johnson was converted. He finally realised that his weight, 17 and a half stone (111kg), was the
main factor needing attention. A staunch liberal, he never believed in a nanny-state. Until now. While it may be in line with many of our beliefs that what we consume is our business, as it was with Boris, one health scare has made him do a full 180. Sugar, fat, and salt in abundance are a similar public health risk to smoking – detrimental to our health and costly on our tax bill. I think it is clear something should be done.
Body positivity is a force for good but, like everything, should not stretch too far
Considering all of this, where does the body positivity movement fit into it? We are between a rock and a hard place. I acknowledge that unhealthy attitudes around dieting and sport are all too easy to adopt. Social media shows us the bodies
we so badly crave, and the knockon effects of this (and other societal factors) are rampant cases of body dysmorphia, bulimia, and anorexia – primarily among women and young girls, but this has also affected men, albeit in slightly different, maybe more hidden, ways. Body positivity is a force for good but, like with everything, we should not stretch it too far. The government’s ban on junk food advertising and the Better Health campaign to promote a healthier lifestyle should be welcomed with open arms. With everyday becoming increasingly indistinguishable from the next (thank God for this vaccine), lacking motivation and feeling deflated is normal and extremely common. Stripping us of our sense of forward progress, a crucial element of living, Covid-19 lockdowns have plopped us on our couches, unaroused at the
thought of replacing our usual sports with 5k runs. Increasing advertisements that encourage ‘diet culture’ should not be feared, if done sensibly. The risks of focusing too much on our appearances, what we eat and how much sport we do is very real. However, we must be careful and not lackadaisical when encouraging body positivity. Accepting our bodies as they are is a good mentality, but not at the cost of poor physical health. Being conscious about what we eat, how much sport we do, and how much extra fat we’re carrying is also good, but not at the cost of poor mental health. As a nation, we need to live more healthily. This must entail incorporating living a healthy lifestyle into the body positivity movement, and striking the right balance so that they work in tandem and complement each other, rather than work against each other.
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Debate: is ‘hybrid working’ the new normal? For: a well considered new working regime would bring net benefits Christopher Caden As we start to enter a postcoronavirus world, many will be wondering what we should take forward with us into the ‘new normal’ that is set to follow. Very little will likely be the answer, with many keen to jettison social distancing, lockdowns and mask wearing, not to mention ‘vaccine passports’ being the latest political battleground. However, there is one key thing we will take forward with us into the new normal: hybrid working. The business case for hybrid working is clear, offering greater flexibility for staff and reduced costs for businesses. Many companies will now be asking themselves how necessary some business trips are, as the pandemic has demonstrated the viability of online working. In the
US, nearly 450 million business trips occurred in 2018, with domestic trips at a cost of nearly $1,000 per person. While not all of these trips will be eliminated due to hybrid working, for businesses looking to save money, this is a clear starting place. Even on small scales where price is not a concern, people still value their time – how many students would be keen to trek from the back end of Gilesgate to the Science Site for a half-hour dissertation meeting they now know can be done over Zoom? Many may argue that the pandemic has shown the viability of Zoom to eliminate ‘one-off’ events, such as business trips or dissertation meetings. But can hybrid working really present a sustainable model for everyday working? Lloyds Bank seems to think so, with reports suggesting they will axe 20% of their office space by 2023, encouraging staff to work more at home and make
the office a place of meaningful collaboration. As well as reducing rent costs, there is little to suggest that productivity will be negatively impacted by a purposeful shift to home working. While the ONS did say that in the second quarter of 2020 productivity per hour worked dropped by 1.8%, this is in the context of overall major disruption to the economy, and it is still less than the 3.3% drop seen in the third quarter of 2008 due to the financial crash. Further to this, productivity is linked to workforce morale, a concern for business when twothirds of workers in January 2020 “dreaded” a return to work after their weekend break. With just under half of UK workers enthusiastic for hybrid working, could businesses not be presented with an easier way to boost the morale of their workforce, while reducing rent and simultaneously seeing little
to no impact on productivity? This is all without mentioning the clear environmental benefits such a shift would have. In 2019 nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK arose from transport. Only so much of this can be tackled through methods which maintain the status quo, such as carbon offsets or improvements in fuel efficiency. Hybrid working alone will not solve the climate crisis, but it’s a good start and an effective tool in the arsenal of policymakers.
As part of a wider hybrid working trial across the University, staff members coming onto campus looks set to become optional. It’s just another reminder that not even our universities care
about the productivity of their workers, measuring the success of students and lecturers is far more nuanced. Palatinate’s initial report on the hybrid working trial had a
meetings, like for dissertations, may do well from being moved online. However, this should be as far as it goes. In-person seminars and lectures provide a better
Hybrid working isn’t going away any time soon
Hybrid working isn’t for everyone. This is something the University recognises, and the door has been left open for individual staff members to reject these proposals. Further, the University acknowledges the importance of a lively campus as
the beating heart of the University community. So even if hybrid working becomes mainstream, still expect packed lectures and Billy B all-nighters from students. It is important to recognise that everyone is still figuring out what sustainable ‘hybrid working’ means, and this will differ between organisations and even between individuals. Whatever your stance on hybrid working though, the University should be praised for its collaboration with staff (including focus groups and discussions with trade union representatives) on exploring these proposals, rather than shutting the door on any dialogue on the matter, like Goldman Sachs CEO David Soloman has. Hybrid working isn’t going away any time soon: it’s good the University recognises this and is working constructively with staff to achieve a sustainable hybrid working regime which works for everyone.
Against: online learning was a last resort and shouldn’t continue George Simms Although it (mostly) hasn’t been the fault of the universities themselves, 2020-21’s university experience has been immeasurably worse than previous years. A key factor in this has been the introduction of online learning. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve found online learning significantly less effective, efficient and enjoyable than in-person learning. Oh wait, I do know about you, because a Palatinate survey earlier this year revealed that overall student satisfaction with teaching is down 50%. Seminars and lectures held over Zoom just aren’t as useful a learning tool as in-person classes. It’s easier to switch off and not participate and harder to built coherent discourse or relationships with your peers and lecturers. They should be an absolute last resort for students paying £9,250 to study.
Seminars and lectures held over Zoom just aren’t as useful as a learning tool
So, imagine my surprise to learn that the University are looking to make online learning a permanent part of Durham life.
travelling to lectures is really negligible. A minute number of students drive to their contact hours and I’d like to think that lecturers would still be on campus at least two or three days most weeks. I understand that every little helps, but the saving from 1,500 lecturers not driving to work a couple of days a week, a lot of whom use public transport anyway, really isn’t worth a stark drop in student satisfaction.
University is for educating students, not financially exploiting them
about our student experience and learning, as long as grades are going up. I know they’re not talking about online learning still being full-time, but even parttime is far too much. In principle, hybrid working sounds like Durham are taking a step into the future. A lot of the big firms are doing it to lower costs, so why shouldn’t we? These are the sentiments of university administrators who have forgotten that university is for educating students, not financially exploiting them. Whilst businesses only care
great line in it. We were told that, “the trial is a recognition that some may prefer to continue to do their roles remotely or not be oncampus for all working days.” Yes, and I’d love to be on a Caribbean beach with a mojito and a good book. We can’t all have what we want. Durham should pride itself on providing the best education possible, in person, rather than the bare minimum through a computer screen. Hybrid working has some benefits. I’m sure it can be effectively implemented amongst Durham’s administrators. Short
(Adeline Zhao) education, which is what students are paying for. We can’t allow online learning to become the new normal. It might save us a bit of time, but you’ll be hard pressed to find too many students who would trade a poorer education for a 15 minute walk. Hybrid working’s environmental benefits through lowering transport rates are often mentioned. Whilst this might hold true for big businesses, and may well do for Durham’s around 2,500 administrative staff, the environmental impact of the teaching staff and students
Some elements of hybrid working have a place in the new university experience. As long as it doesn’t infringe on our learning, the University can knock themselves out. However, we have to remember that online learning was brought in as a last resort and cannot become part of our new normal. What works for big businesses does not necessarily work for universities. We’re students, not clients. Durham will do well to remember that when deciding on their Hybrid Working policy. GOT AN IDEA FOR AN OPINION PIECE?
Send your thoughts to comment@palatinate.org.uk
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Profile
“Sexist, racist, ableist structures are still prevalent” Laura Murray, Medical Herstory volunteer and Durham alumna speaks to Profile about the organisation’s work and the issue of medical gender inequality in the UK and around the world
Izzy Harris Profile Editor Speaking with Laura, an Anthropology graduate from Durham who is now studying for her Masters‘ in Edinburgh, it was clear to see that working with Medical Herstory has had a huge impact on her. The not-for-profit organisation aims to advance gender health equality and does this through three portfolios of patient advocacy, medical education and undoing stigma. As a volunteer, Laura is part of the undoing stigma project and publishing team, she writes and edits online content, contributes to the newsletter, trials workshops, and is the representative of the organisation to Durham University due to her roots at St. Cuthbert‘s Society.
“Within Medicine sexist, racist, ableist structures are still prevalent”
Medical Herstory describes itself as a ‘youth-led’ organisation and is mostly made up of young people and students (mainly women and non-binary femmes) split into small teams with an accountability structure. Laura explained that since the group was set up in 2019 it has been restructured due to significant growth. Following a recruitment drive in the winter of 2020,
the organisation’s numbers doubled to 70 volunteers and 24 university representatives. Laura got involved following this drive and explained that she first became interested when she was introduced to it by a friend at a conference, being impressed by their professionalism. She stated: “It definitely aligns with my interests and passions, and I love the breadth of stuff you can get involved with”.
“Women really are underrepresented and under-researched, and the research that is there is underfunded. This has got to change”
Laura explained that she can’t stop talking about the organisation and has become impassioned about the issues that it represents, stating that “within Medicine sexist, racist, ableist structures are still prevalent”. She went on: “Women really are underrepresented and underresearched, and the research that is there is underfunded and this has got to change because it is badly affecting people”. Medical Herstory’s website displays the stories of women and gender-diverse people whose lives have been significantly impacted by male-dominated and male-orientated medical research. Laura feels that the feminist perspective that the
(Medical Herstory) organisation offers is incredibly important as it “allows space and consideration for the structural inequalities in health”. The organisation works with three different types of people: medical professionals, patients and the public. Laura described patient advocacy, clarifying Medical Herstory’s involvement by saying that “it makes for better healthcare as the patient is accurately relaying on what they are feeling and the doctor is actively listening. There’s an engagement with treatment that might not be the case if you are given generic prescriptions.” She recognises the sometimes deadly effects of a “one size fits all” policy on health and stated that through patient advocacy there is a creation of trust which is very important, especially if a woman needs to heal after being let down by healthcare. In our patriarchal society women’s opinions and feelings are often dismissed and ignored. Working with Medical Herstory has made Laura notice when internalised misogyny has made her disregard issues when talking about her own health. She illustrated this by saying “last week I was on the phone and after the call I realised ‘I just completely dismissed my own sentence talking to the doctor saying I feel pain here but its probably just because I slept funny’ and even though I know all of these things I still struggle to advocate for myself.“
Laura describes how volunteering has been a real learning experience for her but that she still neglected her own pain. This is ironic given that the organisation that she is working for publicises the fact that women are two times more likely to suffer from chronic pain than men and are more likely to be dismissed when discussing it. The group‘s website states that these injustices “are further exacerbated for low-income, disabled, trans, and racialised women and non-binary femmes. As a result, many women and girls struggle in silence with medical conditions due to being ignored or shamed. These presumptions have dangerous consequences, from lost hope and lost access to lost lives.”
“These injustices are further exacerbated for lowincome, disabled, trans, and racialised women and nonbinary femmes”
The organisation works across seven different countries. Laura jokingly explained that this can sometimes lead to difficulties in scheduling meetings, but that it is incredibly important as these issues span every nation. She
described it as a real issue in the UK, but on a positive note added that “there’s scope for change”.
“I just completely dismissed my own sentence talking to the doctor”
Laura explained that the government is currently carrying out a consultation called The Women’s Health Strategy and that the survey is still open for evidence. She recommends filling it out to try to push for change in Britain, where gendered health inequality is prevalent. Laura finished our interview by promoting Medical Herstory’s volunteering programme, saying that they are incredibly inclusive and that anyone who is interested should apply. She has really valued her experience with the organisation and described a sense of community that it has created for her during the pandemic alongside the opportunities that it has presented. If you are interested in finding out more about Medical Herstory, their website is medicalherstory. com and they are available on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram @ medicalherstory. (Medical Herstory)
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Science and Technology
Seaspiracy: a wake-up call or vegan propaganda? Rachel Diamond A new documentary about the fishing industry and its environmental and humanitarian effects has caused great debate. Seaspiracy, now streaming on Netflix, is a genuinely shocking investigation into the state of our oceans. Directed and narrated by vegan filmmaker Ali Tabrizi and produced by Kip Andersen, known for his all-exposing documentary Cowspiracy, it’s fair to assume that Seaspiracy was created with an agenda in mind. It tackles themes such as bottom trawling, unsustainable hunting practices, and even slave labour on Thai waters.
Seaspiracy is a genuinely shocking look into the state of our oceans
The film certainly makes a good case for veganism. Our eating habits are causing a tangible effect on the oceans, more than single use plastic or climate change. The idea of sustainable fishing is completely rejected by the documentary. Supposedly sustainable ‘dolphin-safe’ tuna labels are discredited. Tinned tuna is awarded a dolphin-safe label on the assurance that no dolphins have been harmed in the fishing process. In reality however, we discover that it’s difficult to guarantee that the tuna truly is dolphin-safe. Experts tell us how observers can be bribed and a lot of the time are not even on board. The exposé of the fishing industry continues around the globe, from shark fin soup in China, to infested salmon farms in Scotland. Viewers are overwhelmed with fast-paced, dramatic stories throughout. The result is somewhat exhausting and enough to put anyone off fish for at least a little while.
Seaspiracy (Samantha Fulton)
Perhaps more disturbingly, we learn that fish are more sentient than most people would presume, with research suggesting they have the capacity to experience pain and fear. While we see fish being chopped up in front of what we can only assume are its family and friends, biologist Jonathan Balcombe narrates about the complex social lives that fish lead. The imagery is harrowing.
The imagery is harrowing
At our current rate of consumption, the outlook looks bleak, but the film does offer a solution: to simply not eat fish. In Western society this seems simple: New Wave Foods is one company featured in the documentary. They offer plant-
based alternatives created from sea plants which are “just as delicious, just as healthy for you, but better for the environment”. Helpfully, there is also a plant based meal planner linked from the Seaspiracy website, albeit costing a monthly subscription charge. It seems ignorant to assume that this is an easy solution globally however. Over 50% of the world’s traded seafood comes from developing countries, many of these communities relying on fishing for food and an income. Tabrizi fails to acknowledge this, perhaps assuming his viewers on Netflix will have the means to access fish alternatives. Naturally the response from some critics in the industry has been overwhelming negative, with some even questioning the integrity of the film. Perhaps
one of the most contested claims is the fact the oceans will be empty by the year 2048. This terrifying statistic appears in huge red letters across the screen around 38 minutes into the film. However, numerous fact-checking organisations have claimed that this fact is wrong.
The director fails to acknowledge the cost of a fish-less diet on developing countries
They cite that the original author, Professor Brain Worm, has pointed out that the research is old and the conclusions probably dated. The claim originates from a paper published in 2006. The official Seaspiracy website however still maintains that
“the 2006 study has not been corrected or retracted”. Even some of the experts featured have since spoken out in opposition to the film. Mark J. Palmer is featured as a spokesperson for the Earth Island Institute, which is the organisation that provides dolphin-safe labels for tuna. He asserts that his statement was taken out of context and distances himself from the documentary. There is an increasing movement towards conscious, sustainable choices, a trend that Seaspiracy is capitalising on. But when we face conflicting opinions and half-truths from different sources, it’s difficult to know what to do. It’s even possible that Tabrizi’s militant attack on the whole fishing industry could cause more rifts and turn people away from organisations who are only trying their best to do some good. Personally, I will be trying to do more ‘fish-free Fridays’ in the future, but I am reluctant to take this documentary as gospel truth.
Editor’s Note Elise Garcon SciTech Editor
A
s we begin summer term, and reach the last two print editions of Palatinate, it is hard to reflect on this year without thinking of the impacts it has had on student journalism. As a relatively new editor, I have not experienced Palatinate at its full force: the loss of funding, Epiphany Term’s online editions, and Zoom editorial meetings are examples of ways that life has changed. Despite this, we have adapted. SciTech has increased its print pages from one to a consistent three. We have featured incredible, student focused content. Most recently, we have been nominated for Best Science Section or Publication at the Student Publication Association Awards. This section has taken impressive strides this year, and I am especially grateful to you, the contributors and the readers, for this progress. The growth of the contributor group lead us to create social media for our section, where we can spotlight your work. I can only ask that as the world opens up, that we continue to work together to cover its progress.
PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
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SciTech
Sunshine: Mother Nature's mood booster Katherine Deck We are all aware of the Sun’s importance for life on Earth. Not only is it our key provider of energy, allowing us to stay warm and plants to photosynthesise, but it also delivers a variety of human health benefits, ranging from increased bone health to a strengthened immune system. This is thanks to the Sun’s role in our body’s synthesis of vitamin D, commonly known as the “sunshine vitamin”.
Vitamin D, commonly known as the “sunshine vitamin”
Perhaps a somewhat unexpected side effect of regular exposure to sunlight is that it acts as a natural mood booster. Sunny days often bring with them a feeling of calm and content, but why is this? Our mood is largely governed by the neurotransmitters
serotonin and dopamine. Specifically, serotonin is essential for the maintenance of mood stability and sustained wellbeing, while dopamine, known as the ‘happy hormone’, is a key player in the brain’s reward system. Aside from their critical role in mood maintenance, among cognitive functions such as learning and memory, these hormones can have additional effects in the human body: serotonin is largely produced in the gut and can have a significant impact on gut health if in shortage, while dopamine is involved in the regulation of pancreatic function. What’s more, vitamin D, which is produced in the skin upon sunlight exposure, is shown to be linked to the regulation of serotonin itself. Both serotonin and dopamine have been shown to increase in response to sunlight exposure, which explains the Sun’s ability to impact our mental health. There are several examples illustrating the detriment that
a lack of sunlight can bring to someone’s health. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterised by bouts of depressive symptoms at a particular time of year, usually winter, when the daily hours of light are limited.
When it gets dark, the brain produces melatonin
surroundings, so that when it gets dark, the brain starts to produce melatonin, the hormone acting as a cue for sleepiness. In contrast, light sends signals to the brain that result in feelings of alertness. Sustained disruption to the circadian rhythm, as seen in shift workers, not only leads to sleep
problems, but can also lead to low mood and irritability. Although light therapy is not a comprehensive cure for mood disorders, it is without doubt that the Sun’s rays can have a positive impact on how we feel. So make sure to get yourself outside next time the Sun is out!
Making some Vit D (Verity Laycock)
Interestingly, the use of highintensity light boxes is emerging as a popular technique to combat SAD; this form of light therapy may be able to reverse the effects of a lack of sunlight. Similarly, shift workers who are consistently awake during the night, and asleep during the light hours, are at an increased risk of developing mood disorders. The phenomenon known as Shift Work Disorder is brought on by the disruption to the circadian rhythm, one of the body’s natural internal clocks. Normally, our sleep-wake cycles are in sync with the variation of light in our
“It’s like heroin”: gaming addiction at play In our featured long read, Paul Davis takes us inside the addictive world of computer games
Paul Davis “It’s like heroin, but it’s not heroin.” That is how my dad describes the experience of his two youngest children’s addictions to video games. My little brother currently struggles with gaming addiction, exacerbated by confinement during the pandemic; I went through it some years ago, too. My dad went on to list some of the specific behaviours he has observed across both of our experiences: “Unwarranted aggression, disruption of family dynamics, unauthorised use of credit cards, disappearance of cash, nutritional issues, hiding of food in the gaming room, lying, manipulation, falling school results, foul language, disinterest in family activities, dental hygiene neglect, weight gain, sloth…”
My brother currently struggles with gaming addiction; I went through it some years ago
Digital substance abuse Private clinics like Priory and Gladstones list eerily similar symptoms on their websites regarding the condition. They also point out the parallels between this behavioural addiction and substance abuse-related maladies. Consequently, they
approach treatment analogously, offering a range of counselling services such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and family therapy, self-help groups, 12-step rehabilitation programmes, and residential treatment programmes. Now, private practices are not alone in trying to tackle this modern affliction. In 2018, the World Health Organisation officially defined gaming disorder as “a pattern of gaming behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming, increasing and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.” Soon after, the NHS set up the Centre for Internet and Gaming Disorders as part of the National Centre for Behavioural Addictions to help young people like us grappling with gaming addiction. Claire Murdoch, the NHS’ National Mental Health Director, said, “Compulsive gaming and social media and internet addiction is a problem that is not going to go away when they play such a key part in modern life. The NHS is rising to the challenge, but tech giants need to recognise the impact that products which encourage repeated and persistent use have on young people, and start taking their responsibilities seriously too.” This puts the UK amongst countries like South Korea, Japan,
and China, where governments and companies have begun to act on growing numbers of gamingrelated disorder cases.
South Korea’s, Japan’s and China’s governments have begun to act on growing numbers of gaming-related disorders
The role of gaming companies, as pointed out by Claire Murdoch, is one of delicate corporate social responsibility. Some developers deploy addictive features and tactics in their games to keep players engaged. Free-to-play games, ones without an upfront cost associated with downloading and starting the game, are known for this. In particular, mobile games use time-gating systems such as “energy” to encourage microtransaction spending for continued access. Established gaming franchises are not free of this, however. EA (Electronic Arts) has been the subject of legislative discussion in Germany over the similarities of its almost ubiquitous “loot box” mechanics to gambling. In essence, players earn or pay for ‘packs’ that contain randomised equipment, cosmetic items, or gameplay advantages. There is a very low chance that players will obtain the item they want, and a very high chance that they will receive diddly-squat. The House
always wins.
Gaming and gambling: a fine line The convergence of gaming and gambling and the monetisation of in-game progress are issues of growing concern. Some games include trading cardstyle mechanics, such as FIFA’s Ultimate Team, where players earn the ability to use footballers randomly through draws, similar to loot boxes. A certain genre of games, “gacha games”, has this as its core mechanic. Early Pokémon games were partially censored or had their age ratings bumped up in the west for their inclusion of the Game Corner, a direct reference to Japan’s Pachinko parlours. Infamously, basketball game NBA 2K20 included a not-so-subtle slot machine that served the same function as FIFA’s Ultimate Team, rewarding players with playable basketballers.
Developers deploy addictive features and tactics to keep players engaged
More commonplace aspects of mainstream games could also be considered addictive tactics. High scores were brought in during the arcade era to encourage continued use. Social constructs like teams, clans, rivals, and communities fuel engagement in Massively-
Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. Clear challenges in the forms of levels or missions that are difficult enough to be interesting, but easy enough to be doable, along with an intriguing narrative, keep players glued to screens. When entertainment is too entertaining... Writing in The Guardian, Alex Hern points out a surprising realisation. Fortnite, a highly successful free-to-play game considered as “the poster child” for video game addiction, does not employ any of these tactics. There are no loot boxes, no energy system, no timers, and no ‘pay-to-win’ microtransactions. Individual games are short, and the rewards are purely cosmetic. Publisher Epic Games is seemingly in the minority of developers of free-to-play games who “hope to make more profit from 100 million happy players than a million exploited ones.” Hern continues, “this cuts to the core of the debate around gaming disorder. If the poster child for the condition can be linked to that dubious term despite avoiding the exploitative techniques that have been adopted by its peers, what are games supposed to do to protect players from themselves? Can entertainment just be too entertaining for its own good?” The scientific jury is still out on that one. Continued on page 16
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SciTech
“Low self-esteem, high impulsivity” be doing so to escape from an uncomfortable situation, or to mask underlying symptoms of stress, depression, or anxiety. The feel-good chemicals released in the brain when playing games can lead to them feeling the need to play for longer as the addiction gets worse. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. I have already mentioned the psychological and medication-based treatments available for those struggling with gaming addiction. A balanced parenting style, with emphasis on the benefits of emotional warmth in supporting self-efficacy, self-control, and autonomy through the promotion of time management, and avoiding overprotection and parental rejection, has been suggested as a positive influence for avoiding and recovering from IGD.
Continued from page 15 Neurobiology at play Since it is categorised as an impulse control disorder, gaming addiction is significantly more difficult to relate to causation than substance addictions. Moreover, it appears that not everyone is equally susceptible to developing an addiction to video games. Generally, gaming results in the release of the ‘happy chemical’ dopamine in the brain, triggering a reward response. The desire for online game play appears to be linked to activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal cortex, the parahippocampal gyrus, and the thalamus. An MRI study on the differences in brain structure between online gamingaddicted and professional gamer participants suggested that increased grey matter volumes of the left cingulate gyrus in progamers and of the left thalamus in addicts may contribute to the differing clinical characteristics of each group. Studying gaming addiction is complicated by the variety of games that exist. There are different motivators for playing single-player versus multiplayer games. It is thought that multiplayer games are most likely to cause addiction as there is no official ending, like there is with single-player games. The literature mainly focuses on addictions to multiplayer online games, so some papers define a distinct Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD).
Notably absent from effects of gaming disorder is the oftcited ‘aggression’
Risk factors are repeatedly identified as diminished social competence, low self-esteem, and high impulsivity, although the latter has been suggested to correlate only to total playtime rather than directly to IGD. Earlier onset of weekly gaming, e.g. before age five rather than 10, has also been associated with increased risk of developing problematic gaming. Other traits associated with IGD are not as well-defined as causes or consequences of problematic gaming. These include increased loneliness, higher anxiety, lower family functioning, and lower school performance. The latter study also found that those who exhibited problematic gaming behaviours tended to sleep and wake up later. However, care must be taken when evaluating the results of
studies utilising playtime as a metric. Based on a sample of 13,000 gamers, it has been suggested that raw playtime is an uninformative predictor of a gamer’s mental health. Better predictors of risk are reasons for engaging with games, such as achievement, escapism, and social context.
Reading the literature on this topic gave me a spooky feeling of relatability
Studies into single-player gaming addiction are far less plentiful, but one recent study found that addiction was more prevalent in online gamers than offline, and that maladaptive cognitions predicted both types of disorder equally, Another study explored whether there was any correlation between the type of game played and incidence of problematic video game usage. The researchers found no such correlation, and instead found that only self-rated impulsivity and frequency of playtime were uniquely and positively correlated with problem video game usage. Notably absent from any of the aforementioned causes and effects of gaming disorder is the oft-cited ‘aggression’. The literature suggests that there is only weak evidence that playing violent games at all is correlated with increased aggression, or even that it may not be correlated at all. Instead, it appears that aggression may be either a side-effect of frustration arising from the type of reinforcement
Just one more level... (Anna Kuptsova)
and difficulty of a game, or a withdrawal symptom specifically related to gaming disorder, and a poorly understood one at that. Myself, reading the literature on this topic gave me the spooky feeling of relatability that drives the superstitious to read horoscopes. One paper found that those with ADHD tended to prefer role-playing games, which just happen to be my favourite genre. Another found that, while ADHD symptoms were consistently associated with gaming disorder, more frequent associations were displayed with inattention associations with gaming disorder than other ADHD subscales.
Game play may be a means of self-medication amongst children with ADHD It happens that my particular flavour of ADHD is the ‘primarily inattentive’ presentation. Yet another study posited that internet video game play may be a means of self-medication amongst children with ADHD, and that treatment with methylphenidate hydrochloride, a common drug for treating ADHD, may relieve symptoms of IGD. Anecdotally, I can attest to gaming, in particular the welldefined feedback loops present in games, being one of the reasons I was drawn to gaming when I was unmedicated. After starting treatment with that same medication, my personal recovery from gaming addiction began, and to this day I find it
easier to resist the urge to game excessively when I have had my pill.
Is there a cure? With so many factors to consider, concerned loved ones may find it difficult to distinguish between avid gamers and those with addictions. The Priory group of clinics recommends looking out for the following features to ascertain whether an addiction has developed: Those with addiction will be preoccupied by the idea of playing certain games, which may last many months or even years. Even during conversation, they may struggle to talk about anything else other than their gaming exploits, while their hygiene, social integration, college, and work performance may all suffer as a result of intensive and prolonged gaming sessions. There are two primary signs of addiction. Obsessional thoughts: a person is so preoccupied by the idea of gaming that they will be focused so much on previous gaming activity that this can get in the way of developing social relationships and can interfere in major aspects of their life such as work performance as well as physical and mental health.
Gaming activity can get in the way of developing social relationships
Uses gaming to alter mood: another major sign that someone feels a compulsion to play video games is when they appear to
Feel-good games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons have provided a creative outlet
If sufferers can re-establish a healthy relationship with gaming like I have, they stand to benefit from the myriad of positive influences games can have beyond plain and simple fun. Games like Minecraft can be powerful educational tools and drivers of creativity. Motioncontrolled games like Wii Sports and Ring Fit Adventure can encourage physical fitness. Games of skill, such as shooters and driving games, can impart increased hand-eye coordination. Games that require problem solving (a feature of most games) can increase cognitive performance. Challenging games with engaging primary gameplay loops and clear feedback loops can instil motivation and perseverance. Pro-social games can help to break barriers in interpersonal communication. Feel-good games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons have provided gamers with a powerful creative outlet and recreational tool that has correlated positively with mental well-being during the pandemic. My gaming addiction began around the age of 10. I was dependent and impulsive, but with the right diagnoses, treatments, and support from my family, I was able to overcome my addiction. Today, gaming is still my main hobby, one that I consider a ‘healthy obsession’ that does not detract from but rather feeds into my well-being, social life, and career pursuits. Just don’t ask me how many hours I spent reaching 100% completion in Death Stranding.
PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
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Politics
Is the USA’s gun problem unsolvable? Anna Noble The US has more guns than people. Enshrined by the Second Amendment, gun rights have so far proved untouchable, but this comes at a deadly cost. In 2019, 38,300 people died from gun violence; statistics provided by the NPR in 2019 show that the US has a higher violent gun death rate – 3.96 per 100,000 – than Somalia, Thailand, Afghanistan, Syria, Cambodia and Yemen. From 16th March this year, CNN reports that there have been 45 mass shootings in the US; including four in which four or more people have died. Put simply the US has had more mass shootings in the past month than the UK has had in modern history. It is tempting to ask how many people have to die before the US would change its gun laws.
Polls have found that the majority of Americans want stricter gun laws
The recent mass shootings in Atlanta, Boulder and Indianapolis and renewed calls for stricter gun laws. Polls have found that the majority of Americans want
stricter gun laws: Pew Research found that 93% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans said they favoured background checks, including at gun shows and private gun sales. A 2019 Politico poll found that 70% of Americans support an assault weapons ban, including 86% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans. The US lags behind most of the world on enacting gun control. Most countries, when faced with mass shootings, have enacted robust gun control. In the UK, this was after Dunblane, in Australia it was Port Arthur; for New Zealand, the Christchurch massacre. The argument against gun reform is that the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms and as a constitutional right this should not be regulated. Yet this was written 200 years ago at a time when technology was vastly simpler, semi-automatic weapons capable of killing dozens of people in seconds did not exist. In fact, as The Washington Post highlights, the authors of the Bill of Rights “were not concerned with an individual or personal right to bear arms”, with courts traditionally ruling “right of individual citizens to bear arms existed only within the context of
participation in the militia”. This precedent was only overturned in the National Rifles Association-backed 2008 Supreme Court Case District of Columbia v Heller which found the Second Amendment gives an individual right to own a gun for self-defence outside of a militia service.
The price of protest is also growing
arrest, limiting their ability to organise. The price of protest is also growing: the Kremlin is considering classifying the Anti-Corruption Foundation as an extremist organisation, which would leave supporters vulnerable to criminal prosecution. Many of those protesting in Navalny’s name are openly critical of his political views. He refuses to retract the controversial views he upheld in the early stages of his career, and espouses Russian nationalist sentiments, demonstrated recently over his ambiguity towards the
Progress on gun reform has long been paralysed by the NRA
Progress on gun reform has also long been rendered paralysed by the NRA’s influence over court cases, Republican presidents and crucially Congress. In 2018, half of Congressional incumbents received financial contributions and/or support from the NRA. In reality this means that the NRA has ensured there is not enough support in Congress to enact gun control. However, there are arguments that progress could potentially be made if the gun lobby decreases in power, or its ties to Congress diminish. The NRA filed for bankruptcy in February and has decreased its spending on political matters: in 2018, gun control groups outspent the NRA.
Nevertheless, even with the NRA’s power diminishing, Republicans remain committed to the Second Amendment and their “thoughts and prayers” response to mass shootings. Bi-partisan gun control legislation is also unlikely when considering the hyper-partisan tensions which currently exist in US politics. If the US were going to be shocked into changing its gun laws by horrific mass shootings, it would have already happened; after Columbine or Sandy Hook or Parkland or Virginia Tech or Las Vegas or Orlando.
It is doubtful than any amount of deaths will convince
In truth it is doubtful than any amount of deaths will convince the NRA, Congress and the Supreme Court to support gun control. The best hope for gun control is that the Democrats either abolish the filibuster or significantly increase their Congressional majority in 2022 to gain the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to support such legislation. This is unfortunately unlikely.
From the Editors
Lilith Foster-Collins Deputy Politics Editor
This week we take a look outside of the UK with a focus on international politics. We have two articles about protest: both Navalny in Russia and Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong face prison for criticism of Russia and China respectively. Our contributors consider the future of protest in the two countries. We also narrow in on US relations with other states as Biden settles into the presidency: as Cuba moves away from the Castro name, could this lead to better relations with the US? And in a month where Biden met the Japanese President to discuss China and the Taiwan Strait, what implications might the alliance have for the region? A piece on gun control draws our attention to the domestic debates still raging across the Atlantic. And finally, something a little more personal: one student’s experience of traveling to Ukraine just as the conflict escalates offers a unique view of the divisions within the country.
The “final battle between good and neutrality” Sangeeta Unnikrishnan Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader and anticorruption activist, was jailed on charges of embezzlement in February 2021, in a move widely believed to be politically motivated. He began a hunger strike on 31st March in protest of being denied medical treatment, and three weeks later, he was moved to a prison hospital notorious for its abuse of inmates. Navalny announced on 23rd April that he is ending his hunger strike, after being examined by civilian doctors. Given his recent blood tests, as well as the lingering effects of his Novichok poisoning last year, his doctors have argued that he is in imminent danger of kidney failure or a heart attack. His request for access to his independent medical team, to address worrying numbness in his legs, continues to be denied. Russian responses have varied from dismissing any issue with his condition, to Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin, accusing Navalny of attempting to gain attention.
Since his arrest, thousands of protestors have come out across Russia in Navalny’s support. Mass protests occurred on 21st April, the day of Vladimir Putin’s annual address; an estimated 1,500 people were arrested, including several of Navalny’s closest aides. It appears that crowds were smaller than those seen earlier in the year. Many leaders of the movement have left the country to avoid
annexation of Crimea. An outspoken opponent of immigration, Navalny’s xenophobic comments caused Amnesty International to remove his status as a “prisoner of conscience”. However, Navalny’s treatment at the hands of the Russian government have rendered him larger than life. He is now a figurehead for a larger movement, a victim of torture, regarded on the international stage as he inches closer to death.
He is now a figurehead for a larger movement
Navalny’s anti-corruption activism, coupled with his nationalism, amplify the threat that he poses to Putin. He cannot easily be dismissed as a Trojan horse for US influence; he embodies several mainstream Russian views, with a demonstrated commitment to democratic freedom. Navalny’s demands to the Russian government have historically never ended as he hoped: for example, his findings of corruption by senior officials
have been followed by the promotion of the accused, or at most their quiet transferral. The state is determined to not appear weak, thereby refusing to give in to popular demands. This may indicate that the ongoing protests will be fruitless; combined with the Kremlin’s crackdown on the Anti-Corruption Foundation, they may be forced to an end.
The protests in Russia undeniably pose a significant challenge
Described by Navalny’s team as the “final battle between good and neutrality”, the protests in Russia undeniably pose a significant challenge to Putin’s United Russia party, in an election year where they may struggle to maintain their two-thirds majority. Whether they can spark tangible change, however, is yet to be seen.
(Evgeny Feldman, Creative Commons)
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Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
18
Politics
Biden and Suga’s Taiwan Strait meeting Ellie Agu Benson When Biden stepped into office in January earlier this year, he inherited an innumerable set of issues from his predecessor. High on the agenda was China, with the intractable trade war raging and tensions heating in the Taiwan Strait. Hence Biden’s first in-person summit with Japanese Prime Minister Suga on Friday 16th April was paramount for demonstrating the shape of AsiaPacific foreign policy during his tenure. The meeting signalled the US’ commitment to maintaining a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and the sovereignty of states under territorial disputes with China. Alleging their joint commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement released after the meeting, the US presented their strengthened alliance dedicated to confronting China’s “intimidation” in the South and East China seas. The statement showboated their reinforced alliance but, mentioning Taiwan for the first time since 1969, it was always set to aggravate Beijing. Thus we witnessed the hallmarking of Bidenist foreign policy. The utility of such an alliance is dubious. China has become an indomitable force since the happy days of Biden’s Vice-Presidency.
Quantitatively, China’s navy is superior to the USA’s, among other military capabilities. Its aggression in South China is not merely a facade. In contrast, Japan is a pacifist nation. Enshrined in their constitution is the declaration that “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” By national policy, Japan does not possess the firepower to be an effective comrade. However, American leadership is derived from projecting their power forward rather than relying on actual resources. In this case, one may question the effectiveness of a country dependent on their perceived power joining forces with the perpetual pacifist.
they are mistaken. Liberal internationalism is not merely a commitment to multilateralism – it is a commitment to the use of American military force. Support of ASEAN rejects this. Like Japan, the international organisation holds eminent respect for the strict sovereignty of the state, observing inherently non-interventionist policies. It garners the support of members under stringent norms of a prohibition against force. ASEAN support would substantiate into something insubstantial. Japan’s greatest benefit against China is its trade opportunities.
The countries are set to invest billions of dollars to produce advanced technologies, including 5G telecommunications networks, biotechnology and quantum computing. These sectors all form emerging fields where the US competes with China for global dominance and are all areas of Japanese technological artistry. Hence Japan opens a pathway allowing the US and other countries to circumvent reliance upon Chinese technology. This, however, is futile. Circumventing China would only exacerbate a trade war that should not deteriorate. Already
the tariffs have cost close to a quarter of a million US jobs and 0.5 per cent of global domestic product. By placing Japan as their de facto technology exporter, the US would only add to this malfeasance. Ultimately supply chain concerns and tariff damages demonstrate the interdependence of the global market. Aggravating Chinese trade is too costly. As such, alliances against China are ineffective. Western democracies should ditch such containment policies in place of pragmatic solutions.
(US State Department, Flickr)
Aggression in the South China Sea is not merely a facade
Perhaps Japan could act as a conduit for US to ASEAN affairs? As the centre of AsiaPacific regionalism, the US highlighted its support for the international organisation. Thus, US policymakers excitedly await the reciprocal message marking the return of American liberal internationalism. But
Living in a country at war: Ukraine’s conflict
Harry Drew In keeping with the general shambles that has been this year abroad, I decided to travel to Ukraine at the precise point that a war in the east of the country began to seriously escalate. After a year of plan after plan being dashed by coronavirus, when Russia banned travel into the country the decision to travel to Ukraine instead seemed logical. If you are unaware of the origins and causes of the war with Ukraine, I don’t blame you. I was shockingly oblivious myself at the point at which I found myself on a plane to Kyiv
(Saritarobinson, Flickr)
secure in the delusion that I had made a smart decision to leave the UK. The regions of Ukraine closest to Russia are predominantly Russian-speaking. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many people who considered themselves Russian now found themselves living in modern-day Ukraine. Since then, the east of the country has tended to support closer ties with Russia while the west advocate European integration. In 2010 the pro-Russia ‘Party of Regions’ led by Viktor Yanukovych won a closelyrun general election against the pro-EU party
‘Batkivshchyna’ led by Yulia Tymoshenko. The voting map will give you an idea about just how clearly the country is geographically torn. In November 2013, a series of protests broke out due to Yanukovych’s decision to suspend the signing of an agreement with the European Union and instead pursue closer union with Russia. In February 2014, a violent revolution took place in Kyiv, resulting in the ousting of elected president Viktor Yanukovych and the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. At this point a proEU government replaced it under Petro Poroshenko. Faced with a Ukraine tending towards the European Union, Russia made two key interventions. Firstly, Russian troops installed a pro-Russian government in Crimea, solidifying Crimea’s independence from Ukraine with a referendum on 16th March 2014. Secondly, Russia took the decision to militarily support the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbass region which, since the deposition of Yanukovich, had declared themselves
independent from Ukraine. Since 2015, there had been very few developments until a few weeks ago when Russia threatened war with Ukraine if they continued to fight the separatist governments in the Donbass region.
‘Ukraine doesn’t want Donbass and neither does Russia’
This threat has resulted in both countries amassing troops around the region, with some reports saying that Russia had moved as many as 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border. As you can imagine, arriving in a country at war with Russia to improve your Russian fluency is about as good an idea as going to Glasgow and loudly proclaiming that you are there to learn how to make the perfect English trifle. As a result, it’s not uncommon to have a conversation along the lines of: ‘What are you doing in Ukraine?’ ‘I am studying Russian.’ ‘In Ukraine, we speak
Ukrainian. if you want to speak Russian get on the next plane and go to Russia (followed by a long string of insults which, thanks to my complete lack of Ukrainian, I did not understand).’ Or sometimes you encounter the opposite viewpoint. While putting the bins out in sandals, an old babushka started making fun of me for not wearing socks. We joked about it for a few minutes until, with no prompting whatsoever, she began an extensive monologue on the glory days of the Soviet Union. Occasionally and tentatively, I have asked locals if they think that the war will escalate. ‘Of course not’, an International Relations student told me. ‘Everyone is happy right now. Ukraine doesn’t want Donbass and neither does Russia, really.’ It appears she may have been right as, at the time of writing, the Russian defence minister has just announced that they are withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border. Despite this superficial sign of de-escalation, however, the fundamental divide between pro- and anti-Russian sentiment is far from resolved.
PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
19
Politics
Jimmy Lai and democracy in Hong Kong Ian Cheung Hong Kong news tycoon Jimmy Lai, arrested last August following the passing of the National Security Law, was recently found guilty of participating in two unlawful protests back in 2019 and was sentenced to 14 months in prison. However, Lai faces further charges such as conspiracy to collude with foreign forces which could see him face a maximum sentence of life in prison. To many, this outcome will be depressing, but sadly unsurprising. Lai has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Beijing and there have been no shortage of attempts from Chinese state media to demonise Lai, labelling him as things such as the “black hand” behind the protests, or an “extremely vile anti-China element”.
Lai has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Beijing
In recent years, despite an increasing number of newspapers in Hong Kong folding to Beijing’s iron fist and avoiding any negative coverage of China,
Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, has refused to yield and instead emerged as a leading voice for the pro-democracy movement. Since 2019, the newspaper has published numerous columns criticising Beijing. As such, he was inevitably going to be a target for Beijing. The sentencing of Lai, amongst other pro-democracy leaders, was met with condemnation by the international community. Amnesty International’s AsiaPacific regional director, Yamini Mishra, accused the convictions of violating international law, adding that the sentencing of these activists “underlines the Hong Kong government’s intention to eliminate all political opposition in the city.” Indeed, participation in unlawful protests had traditionally been characterised as a low-level offence attracting fines, not hefty prison sentences. To some, this is an obvious attempt from Beijing to put a muzzle on the movement’s most vocal leaders and deter others from attempting to openly speak out against the regime, the first example of the Beijing’s National Security Law at play. The National Security Law was ratified last June at the height of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy
movement. On the surface its contents look familiar to similar security laws that exist in many other developed countries, but upon closer inspection, terms such as ‘sedition’ and ‘subversion’ lack concrete definition, which makes the ordinance particularly worrying.
Diaz-Canel may face increased opposition without the Castro name to support him. Further, within the majority of the population born long after the revolution, there exists a great generational divide.
a broader range of private enterprise in the country. Still, the current and persistent economic crisis threatens to undermine any gradual reforms, and calls for something more radical. Cuba’s gross domestic product dropped 11% last year alone, and shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine are commonplace. With the rapid growth of access to the internet across the country since it was
Nathan Law, who self-exiled to the UK to seek political asylum shortly after the passing of the National Security Law last year. What does this all mean for Hong Kong’s prodemocracy
Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, has refused to yield and instead emerged as a leading voice for the prodemocracy movement
Lawyers and prodemocracy politicians in Hong Kong have voiced their concerns for this seemingly draconian bill, labelling it as an easy way for Beijing to crack down on the pro-democracy movement and prevent any similar movements from materialising in the future. This fear seems widespread among the population at large, with 300,000 Hong Kong residents expected to emigrate to the UK alone according to the South China Morning Post, among whom was pro-democracy leader
movement going forward? As of right now, the future for the movement looks grim. With its leaders either being arrested or fleeing to the West, the movement will likely have to adapt to these rising challenges and move away from vocal and disrupting protests to quiet, underground resistance. Despite these pessimistic signs, Lai and Apple Daily refuse to surrender, reaffirming that their staff remain committed to defending press freedom. Regardless of whether you support Hong Kong’s prodemocracy movement, pressfreedom and the freedom of expression should be a fundamental human right, not something that results in arrest and imprisonment. Hong Kong’s future as a democratic and free state look bleak, but judging from its people’s resilience in the past, it most definitely will not go down without a fight. (Studio Incendo, Flickr)
The uncertain future of Cuban socialism Maddy Burt Raúl Castro’s decision to resign as head of Cuba’s Communist Party brings an end to over six decades of Castro rule in the country. Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the country since 2018, has been selected as the new leader, and must now manage a country crippled by an economic crisis alongside the pandemic. In 1959, Fidel Castro and his younger brother Raúl successfully led a revolution against the American-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. The 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion saw the CIA support Cuban nationals in an attempt to overthrow Castro, only to be quickly defeated by the Cuban army. Cuba’s alignment with the Soviet Union led to a trade embargo from the US, and relations have been poor to hostile ever since. During Raúl Castro’s speech in the Eighth Congress of the ruling party in which he announced his decision to step down, Raúl referenced the days of the 1959 revolution, whilst promising to continue to defend “the fatherland, the revolution and socialism.” Cuba’s Communist Party remains, but Miguel
Promising to continue to defend ‘the fatherland, the revolution and socialism’
The Party and older generation are sustained from the achievements of the original revolution, and many recall the difficulties that preceded the 1959 revolution, despite the hardships that also followed. The younger generation, on the other hand, are calling for economic and political freedom and a loosening of the grip that the government holds over the country after years of economic crises. In recent years, the country has been reforming, albeit slowly, with a hesitant bureaucracy afraid of sliding away from the original aims of the revolution and towards capitalism. In 2008, Raúl Castro’s government allowed Cubans to earn private incomes, whereas before all jobs had been government-provided. In January, Raúl allowed
first allowed on phones in 2018, and the legalisation of social media, the younger generation is finding solidarity through sharing their opposition to the government online. In 2014, Raúl helped facilitate an opening to Cuba with US President Barack Obama, but all progress was quickly reversed by Donald Trump. A 2015 poll revealed that most Cubans want a closer relationship with the US.
Diaz-Canel could find support in the younger generation and a chance to improve the economic situation by pursuing a better connection with America. However, this is by no means guaranteed. The Communist Party remains cautious of change, and Raúl Castro will continue to operate behind the scenes. The Party is still predominantly made up of a generation detached from the younger generation. Also, Joe Biden may not be in a hurry to pursue relations. The Biden administration has said that Cuba is not a current priority for foreign policy. Biden also has to face the fact that 45% of CubanAmericans support Trump’s embargo, and that the majority of Cuban-Americans supported Trump in the previous election.
The Communist Party remains cautious of change, and Raúl Castro will continue to operate
Either way, as opposition continues to build, the future of Cuban socialism is under threat from a generation pursuing an open and modern society.
(Taymaz Valley, Creative Commons)
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Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
Puzzles T
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Sudoku 839
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Answer the clues alongside the grid, filling in the columns. The solution must read horizontally in each row as well as vertically in each column.
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Place the letters in the grid so they spell out six five-letter words. Each letter can only move into a space in the row or column they are adjacent to.
Shakespearian King
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www.palatinate.org.uk/category/puzzles
__ Mater: place where you studied
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For online versions, answers and more puzzles, head to
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Puzzle Editors Harry Jenkins and Thomas Simpson
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Monty Hall Problem
Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what’s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat.
They then say to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Should you switch or not (assuming you want a car)?
PalatiDates: “Very passionate about having a clean kitchen” Dionne from John Snow and Elise from Hild Bede, Archaeology and Biology students, meet for a blind date on Zoom
Elise on Dionne
What were your first impressions of your date? Super pretty and really outgoing! I found it funny that we both signed up for PalatiDates whilst a bit drunk! What did you talk about? High school debate, collaging, Harry Potter-related crimes If you were on the admissions team, which college would you place them in and why? St Cuthbert’s. I feel like it’s quite an artsy college, so she’d fit in there How would they describe you? Slightly quiet with great taste in earrings How would you describe them? Really cool and passionate about things she loves. She also has a great sense of humour What was the most surprising thing about them? That she’s been in a David Attenborough documentary! Any awkward moments? Maybe I shouldn’t have had that extra glass of wine? What were your final impressions of them? Super funny, interesting, very classy with her Absolut Vodka. I think maybe I’m a little bit reserved for her? Would you meet up in person? I’d maybe meet up with her if she was up for it Marks out of 10? 8 (Anna Pycock)
Dionne on Elise
What were your first impressions of your date? Sweet cottagecore vibes What did you talk about? Drinking, uni, MUN, books and artsy stuff If you were on the admissions team, which college would you place them in and why? South, because they have such good vibes How do you think they would describe you? Very passionate about having a clean kitchen How would you describe them? Very lovely, pretty hair and funny What was the most surprising thing about them? She was wearing mushroom earrings Any awkward moments? Does getting too drunk to remember how the Zoom ended count? What were your final impressions of them? See previous answer, but ultimately they were great! Would you meet up in person? Yes, I would meet up in person Marks out of 10? 8
PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
21
Sport
Durham Women finish season just short James Reid Deputy Sport Editor Despite going much of the season unbeaten, Durham Women will spend another season in the FA Women’s Championship after a second-placed finish in the 202021 season. It was a season that had, for a long while, seemed to promise as a strong start saw the Wildcats top the league in October. After a 1-1 draw to open the season away at newly-relegated Liverpool, Durham picked up momentum with victories against Lewes, London City, and Crystal Palace alongside a draw with eventual champions Leicester City. It soon appeared to be a four-way fight for the title as 2020 neared its close, with Leicester, Sheffield United, and former Super League champions Liverpool all grouped closely together at the top of the table. A crucial win away at Sheffield United in November was sandwiched by disappointing draws with Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers to set up a crucial clash with Liverpool before Christmas. It was perhaps Durham’s best performance of the season as they dispatched a much-fancied Liverpool side 2-0 at Maiden Castle thanks to goals from Molly Sharpe and Emily Roberts. The result appeared to be vindication that Durham were the real deal and that promotion to the Super League was very much a possibility heading into 2021. Durham’s creator-in-chief Beth Hepple was in imperious form in the first-half of the season, with 11 goals in all competitions coming before Christmas.
“They will undoubtedly go into next season as one of the favourites for the Championship next season”
As the new year came and went, it had turned into a twohorse race, with it becoming clear that a place in next year’s Super League would go to either Durham or Leicester. A 1-1 draw with Lewes was not the start to 2021 that Lee Sanders’ side would have wanted, but four successive victories, including three 1-0 wins, kept Durham in touch with leaders Leicester, who went on an incredible winning streak after snatching a 2-2 draw against Durham in October. It set up a mouth-watering clash at Maiden Castle between the two in March in which only a win would do to realistically keep Durham’s promotion hopes alive. It was not to be, as a dominant
Durham narrowly missed out on promotion to the Women’s Super League with a second place finish (George Ledger/Durham Women FC)
Leicester side ran out deserved 2-0 winners. It was the biggest step towards the Tigers’ eventual Championship title, which was secured at the start of April. Though the game was only Durham’s first league defeat of the season, it left them three points and a game in hand behind Leicester, with the numerous draws earlier in the season – particularly against bottom-half opposition – proving costly in the bid for promotion. Despite conceding just one goal in the 2021 prior to the Leicester game, the goals had dried up too with Durham eking their way over the line in a number of games. Winning in such fashion is sometimes seen as the sign of champions, but it was ultimately Durham’s undoing as they were unable to break down a strong Leicester side with the likes of Hepple often constrained by the broader system utilised; Durham’s use of five at the back often limited the attacking midfielder’s ability to impact the game going forward. It was a loss that stung for Durham and they have gone on to limp home with a draw at home to Sheffield United and an unlikely loss away to Charlton alongside an impressive and valiant performance against Super League side Everton in the FA Cup, succumbing to a 90th minute winner. Despite what was ultimately a disappointing end to the season given an impressive start and going unbeaten in the league until March, there is much to be positive about for the Wildcats.
They have shown once again this season that they are knocking on the door of the Super League and are able to more than hold their place against teams with the backing of men’s Premier League sides. And Durham have also created a competitive team their own way, with no support or funding from a men’s team, roots deep in the community and a focus on developing their own players through Durham Cestria. Though there may be an element of what could have been for the Wildcats right now as their season has petered out with a bit of a whimper, the reality is that they are primed for another title challenge next season and will be better off for this campaign’s experiences. They will undoubtedly go into next season as one of the favourites for the Championship title, something that has perhaps not been the case in previous seasons. Moreover, manager Lee Sanders has already hinted that there may be a move to full-time on the cards which would only improve Durham’s chances, both in terms of training time and the potential to recruit players from further afield.
“They are knocking on the door of the Super League”
Durham have already shown their intent in this department with the addition of 22 yearold Ali Johnson from Blackburn Rovers in March, with the versatile wide player marking
her debut with a goal. Durham will be hoping that Johnson will be able to continue her goalscoring exploits next season, as goals were something that were relatively hard to come by for the Wildcats this season.
“They will go into next season far stronger than they entered the last, with another exciting season on the cards”
It is going forward that there is clear room for improvement. Just 34 goals were put away this season, compared to Leicester’s 54 and Sheffield United and Liverpool’s 37, with Durham often struggling to create enough chances in games to feed the likes of Bridget Galloway up front. This is contrast to Durham’s imperious defensive record, just 15 goals conceded in 20 games saw Durham boast one of the best records in the league led by the imperious Kathyrn Hill, who will surely be a contender for the club’s player of the season. Keeping their defensive steel while being more free-flowing and creative going forward will be the key challenge for next season. Too often this season Durham’s attacking play lacked fluidity and real creativity, often becoming truncated and met with a set and stubborn defence that is all too common in the Championship. But Durham will likely be better placed to achieve this next season, even without any new additions. The likes of Mollie Lambert and Bridget
Galloway have worked their way into the side after joining from Sunderland last summer and are now mainstays, with Lambert in particular looking like one of the best all-action midfielders that the Championship has to offer. There will be the boost, too, of players returning from injury. The absence of Abby Holmes and Becky Salicki for much of the season saw the likes of Lauren Briggs playing out of position, to great effect, at left-back, while Iris Achterhof’s season was cut short on the first day away at Liverpool due to an ACL tear. The Dutch forward is on her way back and is a welcome boost up front. These absences often left Sanders short on numbers, with the bench regularly comprised of just four players, but this also provided more opportunities for youngsters such as Lily Crosthwaite and Grace Ayre who will likely feature more regularly next season. The future, then, is bright for Durham despite the fact that there is perhaps a tinge of disappointment that it will be another season in the second tier. They will go into next season far stronger than they entered the last, with another exciting season on the cards down at Maiden Castle next year.
The future is bright
With crowds likely able to be in attendance next season alongside an incredibly tight-knit squad and perhaps the odd new addition, Durham Women will certainly be worth a watch next season.
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Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
Sport Sport
Fitz Harding: living the dream Matt Styles Sport Editor When speaking to Fitz Harding back in August, he had just signed professional terms with Bristol Bears off the back of an historic season with DURFC, winning the BUCS Super Rugby league title for the first time in its new format. Nine months on, the back rower has committed his immediate future to the Bears having penned a long-term senior contract with the club in March. This came having earnt himself a string of starting appearances in Pat Lam’s side – who are currently cruising at the top of the Gallagher Premiership – earlier than perhaps expected. Harding justified his new deal by making history five days later: scoring not just his first professional try but also the division’s 15,000th in a narrow 35-33 win against Harlequins. “Scoring a try is always something that I’ll remember for a long time,” he reflected. “I might not get many as a back-rower but it was great to get under the sticks. It’s not something that will define my career shall we say, but it’s always nice to break the whitewash.” Now in a changing room with the likes of Steven Luatua and Ben Earl, the 22 year-old likes to think he is beginning to assimilate the expectations of professional rugby and add real value to the team effort within a professional context. Beyond embracing the ethos of the club, Harding attributes his positive impact to a conscious effort to improve various elements of his game: namely his set piece, breakdown and general
defence work. “The last-minute wins at Saints and Quins were especially good, but that moment against Saints was the highlight for me because I showed myself and the players around me what I can do and that I can contribute to this team. Obviously there are loads of other ways you can do that but that was really special for me. “Each area of my game has a long way to go to improve. I think I have improved in lots of those areas and I’m hoping to keep continuing to do that.” Though Bristol’s style of play and heavy emphasis on “basic skills” naturally suits Fitz, one of the biggest challenges has been adapting the level of detail that is required at the top level. While at times missing the more liberating aspects of a university setting, he is relishing the added expectation of getting every detail right and launching himself into “challenging situations” for the sole aim of improving his game.
through the net and found himself in the IV’s. Plaudits have since been flooding in for him, whether it’s been at Durham or with Bristol, and he is really beginning to make a name for himself “ahead of schedule”. Handling the pressure of this new reality is something that he has had to quickly deal with, with the return of fans no doubt a daunting yet enthralling prospect for the youngster. “It is pretty surreal in some respects, especially getting some game time among the best players. I still have to pinch myself when I’m playing alongside some of these
players, but to some extent it has sunk in. I’m trying to absorb information from these top players and I’m really enjoying it. “I think pressure and expectation are ideas that come hand in hand in professional sport, so it’s something I’ll be exposed to a lot more in my career, whether it’s in training or in games. For me it’s just focusing on my roles and what I can do during the week rather than focus on the big picture; if I can focus in on specific
“It’s always nice to break the whitewash”
“I think I’m getting to grips with having detail to everything I do. “Detail is the thing that separates good players from great players, but I have become more comfortable with putting pressure on myself to get those details right.” When first stepping foot in Ashton Gate, Harding described it to us as a “surreal” experience, yet reality is well and truly beginning to kick in for the former Hatfield student, who at the very start of his University career slipped
details that’s a good way to handle that expectation.”
“I like to stay focused on the process”
The sky is the limit now for Harding who, along with the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Luke Northmore, act as a beacon of hope for any rugby players at Durham who possess even the faintest of hopes to make it in the big time. For now, however, he will just continue learning, enjoying his rugby and taking things one step at a time. “I have said before I like to stay focused on the process. Obviously every rugby player’s dream is to eventually play on that international stage but for me at the moment focusing on playing as well as I can for the Bears and getting more experience and improving myself as a player. Then one day hopefully it will happen.” “The university game is growing a lot as a whole which is really helping lads, obviously my journey is useful for lads from Durham but if you look at some of the other lads, Dombrandt and Northmore, coming through the university game to have good professional careers, it would be good to see more lads in the coming years.”
The Durham graduate has made seven starts this season (Bristol Bears)
‘The Ds can’t be handled by a single man’ Continued from back
to the cabinet this season.
Collingwood Women’s Football A Team
As an actress, Giorgia Laird is used to pretending to be a character outside herself. Quality, however, is something that can’t be faked – not that this Collingwood team need to
do that, according to Giorgia and Club President Leah Cotterrill. “Last year was an 18-0-win kind of season, very impressive play from Collingwood!” they declare, with all the cheerful selfassurance that only Collingwood people can justifiably muster. “Being back together now as a team is the best thing, but we also can’t wait to see Collingwood’s name back at the top of the league table!” What, then, is the magical potion these Collingwood players take to achieve their supreme athleticism and sporting prowess? That’s classified
Collingwood Women’s FC (left) are ready to dominate the league (CWFC)
information that Giorgia and Leah refuse to reveal. “A good magician never reveals their secrets. Guess the opposition will have to wait and see.” How mysterious.
Grey Men’s Football D Team
Last Freshers’ Week, Charlie Moore was a Senior Frep, responsible for ensuring the happy and safe induction of Grey College’s new wide-eyed students. He now faces a much more important task: leading the Ds to the mini-division 15 title with co-captain Josh Friend. Charlie is a poetic man. “The Ds are a way of life. Our mantra ‘All the Ds’ encapsulates our entire way of being because it doesn’t actually make sense but it makes
all the senses tingle.” Only a D Team player would understand the rush of excitement this motto causes. Last season, the Ds suffered a disastrous relegation from Division 4. Such poor form might agitate any other captain, but Charlie casually explains this away. “We lost our way last year given we only had one captain rather than two. The Ds can’t be handled by a single man no matter how strong that man is.” But then Charlie treads a wellworn path, partly blaming the relegation on “injuries to key players”. Palatinate dismisses this claim wholeheartedly. As one of those key players myself (some would say), I don’t recall getting injured!
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PALATINATE | Thursday 6th May 2021
Sport
DUWCC ready to make long-awaited return Ben Fleming Deputy Sport Editor After a year of restrictions, rules, and regulations, Durham sport is back in all its glory. Durham cricketers, in particular, who saw their entirety of last season cancelled with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, have been waiting longer than most. And whilst the sight of mistimed shots, long hops and questionable fielding down at the racecourse will be welcomed back with great anticipation, the high fives, post-game pints and wider cricketing camaraderie has been sorely missed in equal measure. Reflecting on this welcome return over the last week, DUWCC’s (Durham University Women’s Cricket Club) club captains, Anna Perkins and Antonia Welch, are full of optimism. “It’s great to be back in the sun. This has been one of the first years where there has been such a sense of community between the men’s and women’s teams and it’s great to see.” Anna and Antonia speak to Palatinate a few days after their opening round of fixtures, which saw comprehensive victories for both the first and second teams against Leeds and Hull respectively. “It was great to have two wins on Wednesday and see cohesion between players who hadn’t really known each other before,” they said. “There were standout performances from both skippers Helen Fenby and Indy Wood, supported by our freshers, so it is good to see that and their leadership roles working.”
“There has been such a sense of community between the men’s and women’s teams”
With such a positive start and the summer months ahead,
DUWCC will be looking to continue their fine BUCS record, having reached the final of the competition for the last three years in a row (DUWCC)
it would be easy to forget how tumultuous the last 12 months have been for the club as a whole, as Perkins and Welch explain. “We lost a lot of players at the end of last year. Combine that with financial cutbacks including to the fresher scholarship funds, and we expected this year to be particularly tough.” Yet, like most of Durham’s sporting outfits, DUWCC have risen to the occasion in this elongated and ever-frustrating off-season. At the start of the first lockdown, the entirety of the club took part in the University Ashes Running Challenge alongside 11 other UK university cricket teams and raised over £6,000. Internally, the club has also looked to make progress. Before the return to the grass, the club held a joint meeting, with both male and female members, to discuss sexual harassment and assault within universities; sharing experiences and striving to make a tangible and long-
term improvement to the culture within the entire club. With the focus of the club now firmly on on-field matters, the first few weeks could hardly have gone better, with the club now boasting enough members to launch a new third team squad, much to the delight of Anna and Antonia.
during his time that “the college is very diverse and people are showing interest in many activities.”
one of the first teams to bring this about would be amazing.” It is, indeed, this lack of reputation and ‘new kid on the block’ status is precisely what other colleges should be fearing. A thrilling sense of the unknown pervades the college, who will be looking to hit the ground running throughout the coming weeks. “It’s definitely interesting as no one knows what to expect from us so it should be really exciting. We’ve got a load of talent here
“We expected this year to be particularly tough”
“We’ve had probably the largest intake ever across squads ranging from complete beginners up to national standard. With the huge influx of cricket freshers, it just made sense to expand to a third team to make sure everyone could experience as much cricket as possible and ensure the club could keep growing.” For one of those players, Abi Curran, a second-year English student, it’s a welcome return to a sport that she started playing aged eight but stopped at 15.
“I can’t think of any other unis who have three women’s cricket teams, it says a lot about the importance of sport here at Durham. It’s exciting that more girls are playing cricket having grown up, like so many others, being the only girl at the crease.” “DUWCC has been a great way for me to get back into hardball cricket at a competitive level. The support from our captains and coach has been amazing and it’s been so much fun to start playing again and gelling as a team.” It is not simply the depth, but also the quality of cricketers present within the DUWCC squad that stands out. First team captain Helen Fenby, for example, has been selected to play for the Northern Superchargers in this summer’s inaugural season of The Hundred. “Fenners is a great character that’s for sure,” Welch exclaims. “Having such a high-class player definitely encourages everyone to play their best when she’s around
and provides an aspirational figure for some of our players who are aiming to go professional.”
so I think we might surprise a few people.” To see such talent, Pal-Born encourages readers to follow the club’s Instagram page (@south.collegefc), which feature clips of him “hitting row Z from 10 yards out.”
comprised of the B teams of Grey, Hild Bede and Hatfield. “A lot of the boys are looking forward to pulling through with the common Hollywood trope of the underdog being successful. I am all for it, no one knows anything about us; but they’re never going to forget who were are once they face us on the pitch.” He then added a final comment which was as enigmatic as the college which he represents: “‘Mon the owls. That is all.”
“We’ve had probably the largest intake ever across squads” With such a deep roster of cricketers at their disposal, it is no wonder DUWCC have set their sights high for the season. “We hope the first team will finally go all the way and win the BUCS Premiership and be national champions. It would be great if the 2’s could win their league.” As for right now, those are but dreams. But the foundations are in place, on and off the pitch, for a successful season in the sun for Durham’s female cricketers. The last words of my interview with the club captains reflect this most poignantly. “You’re always welcome at DUWCC.”
“‘Mon the owls. That is all”
Continued from back page Pal-Born hopes that “as the college grows we can add more sports. South doesn’t really have a reputation at the moment so it would be great to get as many people into college sport as we come out of Covid. A few top place league finishes wouldn’t hurt either.” Bull is similarly energised by such a prospect, having observed
“No one knows what to expect from us so it should be really exciting”
He commented, “I for one would love for sport to become a commonly spoken about aspect of South in the future, and to be
“The college is very diverse”
Contrasting with this bantering tone, Mr Bull sent out a far more ominous message to their minileague opposition, which is
Thursday 6th May 2021 | PALATINATE
24
Sport
“It’s great to be back in the sun”
Ben Fleming speaks to Durham University Women’s Cricket Club (page 23)
“I showed myself and the players around me what I can do”
Durham alum Fitz Harding talks his first season in professional rugby (page 22)
South set for maiden college sport voyage Matt Styles Sport Editor
College sport teams show coronavirus the red card
Hatfield College Boat Club are all smiles to be back on the River Wear following lockdown (Hatfield College Boat Club)
Luke Power Sport Editor
As college sport returns to much fanfare, so does Palatinate’s cutting-edge coverage of Durham’s most celebrated sporting megastars. Ahead of the season, we caught up with outfits as revered as Josephine Butler Ultimate Frisbee A Team to the most star-studded of them all, Grey Men’s Football D Team, to talk all things sport.
Hatfield College Boat Club
Keziah Smith describes herself as a “mega super fan” of Hatfield College Boat Club, but she’s more than that. Once a novice, she’s now the Novice Development Officer herself, and is more than happy to discuss Hatfield’s habit of transforming first-time rowers into certified speed merchants. “Last year we did well in the Novice Cup, placing first for our men’s boat and second for
our women’s boat… although in my opinion we only lost first place on a technicality!” Keziah tells Palatinate. It’s been a big lockdown effort to retain the strength and fitness needed to swish a boat down the Wear. “We have a HCBC Strava group and did a lot of running over lockdown. Once the gyms opened on 12th April, we began sorting ourselves out on the squat racks and ergs!” And with the boats finally hitting the water last week, Palatinate is sure this hard work will pay off.
Josephine Butler Ultimate Frisbee A
Cerys Fearn and her teammates have some scores to settle. In their first season back in the Ultimate Frisbee Premiership, they sizzled to second in the table, only one point behind Castle A – but having played a game less. Castle claimed they were the rightful winners.
Cerys is having none of it. “Despite unverified claims from Castle, Butler are confident we won the college Premiership in 2019-20! We were undefeated before Covid-19 cut the season short, and I think we’ve got a huge chance of claiming the Premiership title once more! Our team is stacked with new talent and DU frisbee players, so the other colleges better be prepared!” Maybe she’s right. After all, the club won Butler’s Club of the Year in 2019, an accolade no Castle representatives can hijack. Cerys points to the club’s special environment. “We have some absolutely fantastic women, and we’re not afraid to utilise them! Our inclusive club atmosphere really epitomises the spirit of ultimate frisbee and we’re very proud of what we do!” Even more formidably, this team is weatherproof and alcohol-proof. “We’re always ready to play, rain, shine, or
hungover.” Surely that’s an unbeatable formula, Castle?
Hatfield Men’s Rugby As
Johnny Wallace is ominously tight-lipped in his exchange with Palatinate, which we take as a sign of extreme focus and professionalism. Maybe history is a heavy chain around the neck; Hatfield have made every Floodlit Cup final since 2017, clinching the trophy in 2019. Could overconfidence be the downfall of Hatfield this term? Johnny claims that Hatfield “had the best team” last season, but the 2019-20 Easter Term league table offers evidence to the contrary. Hatfield finished third in the league, conceding almost twice as many points as champions Van Mildert A. Still, that Floodlit record is the envy of every rugby player in Durham and they’ll be hoping to add yet more silverware Continued on p. 22
With the news that college sport is going ahead this term, South College students are primed and ready to make their mark on Durham’s sporting landscape. Speaking with South College Men’s Football Club (SCMFC) President Jamie Pal-Born and A Team skipper Reuben Bull, Palatinate could gauge a palpable sense of anticipation ahead of the mini-leagues that are set to get underway this weekend. “I can only really comment on the feeling around the football club but I’d say ‘excited’ would be the understatement of the century,” Bull tells us. “I can’t imagine the feelings are much different across the different sports, for example there has been a lot of talk about the girls’ Netball teams hoping to assert some dominance!” Despite being a brand new college, Pal-Born echoed a similar sentiment and believes that South have done a fine job in getting people “involved and invested” in college sport. Like all colleges, their plans were majorly disrupted by Covid-19, with Bull among many others forced to quarantine in and around the time of trials back in Michaelmas Term, though the club are now raring to go and cannot wait to “show the other colleges what we’re made of.” They haven’t been completely starved of sporting action, though, with students in their respective households able to access the college’s MUGA (Multiuse Gaming Area) facility. In football’s case, however, there have only been three proper training sessions to date. Currently, not all sports have South representation on the college sport scene, though with the college only in its infancy the hope is to build a diverse, competitive and thriving sporting community that can rival “the big dogs” in coming years. Continued on p. 23
