The Founder
VOL. XI, ISSUE IV | JANUARY 2020 |
@RHULFOUNDER
Pay Up Paul Layzell
Student Solidarity with Royal Holloway UCU
to increasingly stressful working conditions, and 62.9% of staff at Royal Holloway are on casualised contracts, meaning they lack job security and a
reliable income. Finally, Royal Holloway has the 7 th worst university gender pay gap in the country, at 24.9%, while the national average is 13.7% for British
universities (RHUL UCU blog). This is the university of Emily Wilding Davidson, which prides itself on its feminist legacy. But when we have a Principle who defends the pay gap, blaming women and ethnic minorities for not putting themselves forward for promotion (The Telegraph), it is unsurprising that the university is not living up to its proud legacy. While staff are struggling to fight for their pensions, for better working conditions and to fight the gender pay gap, the highest ranking fifteen managers at Royal Holloway have received a 25% pay increase in the last year. A pay rise which sits alongside staff pay falling...
China censorship p.8
Films of 2019 p.17
Albums of 2019 p.20
IZZI VAUGHAN
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he recent UCU strikes saw my first time standing on a picket line, and it was quite a memorable experience for many reasons. Most importantly, because of why staff were striking, and what their struggle means for our university’s legacy. They give four reasons for their action: pensions, working conditions, job security and inequality. The UCU strike is a national cause, and the struggle of staff at this university can be seen across the country. Considering pensions, changes to the USS pension scheme since 2011 have meant that staff are expected
Image source: UCU
to make larger contributions to the scheme while receiving far fewer benefits, with an average loss of ÂŁ240,000 per pension scheme member. Rising workloads have led
Index News....................................................................................1 Opinion And Debate............................................................6 Features................................................................................9 Lifestyle.............................................................................10 Arts: Arts And Culture.......................................................13 Arts: Literary Reviews.......................................................14 Arts: Film...........................................................................17 Arts: Music........................................................................ 20 Sports..................................................................................22
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Continued on p. 6
2 NEWS
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Rail fares hiked by a further 2.7% at the start of the new year The Founder’s Stylebook 2017-2018
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ey and are calling for the syscapitalization Capitalize all principal words, including prepositions and tem to be changed in line with conjunctions longer than four letters; capitalize articles and words romshorter 2 January, millions CPI. This comes days after the than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title. of commuters will pay end of the Rail, Maritime and numerals an average of 2.7% more Transport (RMT) unions strike In general, write out the numbers one through nine; use figures for the for rail tickets, with some on South WesternRailway rest. However, write out any number that occurs at the beginning of a annual sentence passesor rewrite goingtheup by (SWR) trains, over a dispute sentence. One exception: you can start more than £100. The rise over of the role of sentences with a figure if it’s ais calendar year.the Somecutting special case marginally lower than last train guards. The Strike action numerals: year’s 3.1% rise, with Train meant severely reduced and companies saying that this is delayed services for 27 days the third year in a row where from the 2nd of December unaverage fairs have remained til January, for commuters on under the Retail Prices In- several lines, most effectual dex (RPI) inflation measure. for Royal Holloway students However, this measure is being the London Waterloo to higher than the most mildly Reading, which runs through used measure of inflation, Egham train station. Despite the Consumer Prices Index the end of strike action, dis(CPI). Transport Focus has ruption continued for a further said that a vast majority of week to allow guards to refresh rail users did not feel they their safety procedures. were getting value for monA spokesperson for TransJAMES NEAL
F
Image source: Get Surrey
port Focus called on passengers to ‘make their voice heard’ and claim compensation every time they suffered a delay or cancellation. Furthermore, they said: ‘We speak to thousands of passengers each year and we know that less than half feel they get value for money. After a year of patchy performance, passengers just want a consistent day-to-day service they can rely on and a better chance of getting a seat’. In response to poor performances by these rail companies, the Government have launched a review into the process by which rail companies are granted franchises. As a result, SWR has said it could lose its franchise, having declared a £137m loss this quarter, Northern Rail has also been stripped of franchise by the government over ‘unacceptable performance.’ In a statement to the press, the Government’s Transport Secretary, Shapps has committed to ‘putting passengers first’, by finding trails for reduced flairs, promising to tackle the ‘fragmented system’.
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The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. This means we are not affiliated to the student union or the college. We pride ourselves on our investigative journalism and aim to keep our readers up to date with news on and off campus. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor, particularly of opinion and debate pieces. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of its stories. To book ad space in The Founder, contact our managing editor at managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk. THE FOUNDER is printed in Cambridge by Iliffe Print
NEWS 3
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Australian Wildfires Continue to Devastate the Nation NIAMH HOUSTON
A
s the global environmental crisis continues, Australia has fallen victim to a relentless series of bushfires. The nation has declared itself to be in a state of emergency as fires have claimed an unprecedented
amount of land in addition to many lives. At the time of this article being written, 24 lives have been taken, more than four million hectares of land and over 1500 homes have been destroyed, and ecologists at the University of Sydney have estimated that a devastating sum of
Image source: The Independent
approximately 480 million animals have been killed. Although Australia seasonally deals with the rise of bushfires, experts believe that the country is witnessing it at an unparalleled level. The severity of the fires has never been seen this early in Spring, causing concern for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services' predictive services inspector Andrew Sturgess who warned that these fires were an omen of ‘the fire season we are likely to see ahead in the southeastern parts of the state, the driest parts of the state, where most of our population lives’. The fires began in September 2019 and several months later they continue to distress the nation, in addition to its global audience. Numerous celebrities including famous Australians Chris
Image source: The Independent
Hemsworth, Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie have donated large sums of money in addition to raising awareness with the hopes of assisting in fixing the crisis. If you would like to know how you can help the affected areas, there are plenty of resources and charities that you can donate to such as Red Cross Australia to help those who have been
affected by the fires, the largest Australian wildlife rescue organisation Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) to assist in caring for animals who have been injured, and New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRSF) to directly support firefighters who are working hard to combat the fires.
a fairly consistent tone from leaders – especially leaders who, along with Iran and the US, signed the Iran nuclear deal. Under the record, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return of lifting of crippling economic sanctions. Under Trump’s administration, the U.S returned to imposing economic sanctions on the regime whilst Iran have continued their nuclear programme. The response in Iran was understandably ferocious. The death of the second in command
caused a considerable amount of raucous: over 50 people died in a stampede at Solemaini’s funeral which was attended by thousands across the country. ‘Death to America’ could be heard loudly as Solemaini’s death – at least from the outside – and it seems to have provided unity to a nation that, no longer than a month ago, was experiencing its largest anti-government protests in decades. Foreign Minister Zaif claimed the killing amounted to ‘an act of war’ and Trump had been ‘misled’ by Mike Pompeo.
U.S-Iran Incident: Death of Qassim Soleimani DOMINIC TAYLOR
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n January 3rd, Iranian general Qassim Soleimani died as a result of a deadly US drone strike in Baghdad. This was the result of growing tensions between the two countries that, although heightened under the Trump administration, have their roots in the second half of the twentieth century. US officials claimed Soleimani was killed because intelligence suggested he planned four attacks on US bases in the region. In defending the attack, U.S
President Donald Trump said the US had killed ‘a monster’ and claims Soleimani had been travelling with the head of Hezbollah and his death had saved ‘a lot of lives’. His claims were, somewhat, supported by the head of Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollash militia group, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, dying with Soleimani. Answering how the US would respond to any retaliation from Iran to Solemaini’s killing, Trump claimed he had identified 52 cultural sites that would be hit ‘very fast and hard’.
In true Trump fashion, however, Trump and his aides acknowledged this would violate international laws the US had signed up to – with others claiming it would be war crimes. ‘You know what, if that’s what the law is, I like to obey by the law’. Khamenei has since warned the leader of Hezbollah that he may be targeted next by the US. Since the attack, most governments around the world have called for deescalation and a return to diplomacy from both Iran and the US. This has been
4 NEWS
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Sinn Féin Break the Three-Year Deadlock in Northern Ireland, Re-Entering Devolved Government ANNABEL DRUGAN AND JAMES NEAL
F
ollowing nine months of talks between the British and Irish governments, Northern Irish parties have agreed on a new powersharing deal. The new deal, named ‘New Decade, New Approach,’ promises meaningful reform on the controversial ‘petition of concern system,’ which while initially designed to ensure that legislation cannot pass without cross-community support, has faced considerable accusations of misuse in the past. It also will see the creation of both an Irish language
commissioner and an UlsterScots commissioner. This deal further includes the settling of an ongoing pay dispute with nurses and increases policing numbers. Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has promised a return to ‘genuine powersharing’. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster described the proposals as a ‘fair and balanced deal’. This landmark deal ended three years of deadlock at Stormont since the assembly and executive collapsed in January 2017. The collapse came as a result of the ‘Renewable Heat Incentive Scandal’, which centred on
Sinn Fein leader, Mary Lou McDonald (BBC)
a failed renewable energy incentive scheme, which as a result of Arlene Foster’s incompetence, cost the public almost £500 million. Since then several deal attempts
have failed. Sinn Fein promised that they would not go back into government with the DUP unless legislation for an Irish Language Act was implemented.
The deal does not grant Sinn Fein the Irish language act they once demanded, however, it does mark Irish as given legal status in Northern Ireland. British promises to increase Northern Irish spending is also understood to have assisted in seeing this deal over the line. The deal has been received well in the Republic of Ireland as Simon Coveney, the Irish Deputy Prime Minister said: ‘History is being made today’. Likewise, the leaders of Ireland’s largest churches welcomed the agreement, saying it offered ‘new hope’ and a ‘new start’ for Northern Ireland's political institutions.
NEWS 5
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Race for Next Labour Leader Begins
From Left to Right: Nandy, Long-Bailey, Starmer, Phillips and Thornberry (Labour List) JAMES NEAL
F
ollowing December’s disastrous electoral performance, Labour has begun its search for a new leader as Jeremy Corbyn announced that he would stand down as leader after having some ‘time of reflection.’ Labour’s new leader and deputy leader will be announced on 4 April. The election result was devastating for Labour, who lost 59 seats, reducing their seat share to 203, the worst such result for the Labour party since 1935. Vote share also plummeted 8 points from the 2017 result, lower than that achieved by Kinnock in 1992. Perhaps most stinging of all however is the loss of long-term Labour strongholds, such as Wrexham, Darlington,
Sedgefield and Workington – seats that have been Labour for decades. Several big names amongst the Parliamentary Labour Party, such as Laura Pidcock, Caroline Flint and Dennis Skinner also lost their seats. 5 candidates have entered the next stage of electoral proceedings after getting the necessary support from their parliamentary colleagues, namely; Rebecca LongBailey, Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips. Corbyn has stated that he would not be publicly backing anyone. In a recent YouGov poll of Labour party members, Keir Starmer appears as clear frontrunner at 31% as first preference, followed at second by Rebecca LongBailey at 20% and third at
11%, Jess Phillips. In the same poll, YouGov predicts a 22pt poll lead by Starmer over Long-Bailey once all other candidates have been eliminated and votes are reallocated. Long-Bailey is pitching herself as the ‘carry on Corbyn’ candidate, having been a stalwart of the proCorbyn wing of the party and behaving ultra-loyally towards Corbyn in her time in Shadow Cabinet and the NEC. In her announcement, she committed herself to Corbyn’s policy platform, however, she admitted that Brexit and Anti-Semitism harmed the party. She also argued that if she were elected leader, there would be no return to the ‘Tory-lite’ agenda of New Labour. Starmer, on the other hand, is seen as the more
‘moderate’ candidate, arguing that Labour needs ‘to rebuild fast to restore trust’. Starmer, who backed Remain in the referendum was a vocal advocate for a second referendum and kicked off his bid by visiting pro-Brexit Stevenage. Starmer has argued that under Corbyn the party lost the ‘public trust’ and that its election offer was overloaded. However, Starmer has said that Labour should not ‘lose sight of our values or retreat from the radicalism of the past few years,’ while also committing to a continuation of the parties ‘Green New Deal’ policy. Five Deputy Leadership candidates have also reached the minimum threshold of support to enter the next round, namely; the
front runner Angela Rayner, Ian Murray Dawn Butler, Rosena Allin-Khan and Richard Burgon. Regarding the electoral rules, for a candidate to be nominated, they must receive the back of 10% of Labour MPs and MEPs, while also requiring nominations from Trade Unions of 5% of CLPS. On the 21st of February the ballot opens, which runs on a one person, one vote system, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If there is no overall winner, votes are distributed, and candidates eliminated until one reaches more than 50%. Those who joined the party or became affiliated supporters before 20 January will be eligible to vote.
6 OPINION AND DEBATE Continued on from front page by 20% in real terms over the last 10 years (RHUL UCU blog, Royal Holloway Annual Report 2018/19). Staff are not striking for anything unachievable or unrealistic. They are only demanding a fair workplace and the pensions they have earned. But that is currently being denied by the greed of an education system which
prioritises profit over people. For students looking to show solidarity with Royal Holloway UCU, there are a few things you can do. Email Paul Layzell asking him to get UUK and UCEA, the employment organisations involved in the dispute, to begin negotiations with UCU. Talk to other students and spread the word about the strike and why action is being taken. If strike action is taken again, do not cross the picket line and do not go to class
(ONLY if you are able to). Importantly, be supportive of staff members who are currently taking Action Short of a Strike, meaning they work to contract and nothing more. Remember, staff working conditions are our learning conditions. We are all involved in the UCU dispute and have a responsibility because of that. For me, it was a privilege to stand alongside the staff of the university of Emily
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Wilding Davidson for my first picketing experience. On the last day, we all gathered in the pub, as we usually did for the regular Teach Inns. But that day was a little different. We all sat in the corner and sang protest songs and heard their stories and histories. It was a relieving feeling really, that kind of solidarity. That strength you can only get from a century old protest song, renditioned a thousand times over but still burning fires to keep warm the cold feet of striking workers. As
we sang Solidarity Forever, I was reminded of the film Pride, of a particular quote, which I would like to finish this article with in the hope that it sticks with you. A miner shakes the hand of a gay man and says: "That’s what the labour movement means. Should mean. You support me, I support you. Whoever you are. Wherever you come from. Shoulder to shoulder. Hand to hand."
The resurgence of the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ and the continuing demise of the French President, Emmanuel Macron ISSABELLA ANDERSON-PASS
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n Saturday 16th November 2019, the sun was setting on a cool winter’s day in Paris, tourist and locals dining in the brightly lit capital. When suddenly the romance and tranquillity of the Parisian air was penetrated by the thunderous shouts of the ‘Gilets Jaunes’; the sound of a social movement, to Macron’s dismay, that is becoming synonymous with France. This protest has proliferated much of the European press for the past year, although in the latter half of the year, all seemed to have quietened down. It seemed that Macron had finally been able to silence them. One year on, the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ rose again and the Parisian skies were filled
with thick, black smoke and the streets were overcome with the sound of sirens. Macron’s victory was shortlived. This protest has plagued Macron’s presidency for over a year after he raised taxes on petrol up to 60% compared to 20% in the UK. This act was an attempt to combat France’s pollution problems but equally angered the French population greatly. The increase in taxes has been perceived to have widened the gap between rich and poor by isolating the poorer areas on peripheries of cities with weaker public transport connections. Nevertheless, this protest turned from being a nuisance for Macron into a revolution against him. The resurgence of the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ saw them more violent and rambunctious than ever. While shouting the words of the revolution they set the streets on fire, turned over cars, vandalised shops
and even destroyed a WWII memorial. The response from the French government was harsh with the police using tear gas and excessive force – with one policeman even being sentenced to time in prison for his behaviour. The French police were branded Macron’s thugs all over social media as the once golden boy president’s popularity dwindles further and further.
After the resurgence of the ‘Gilet Jaune’, Macron’s demise continued with his announcement of his pension reforms. The unions responded with a nationwide strike on all forms of transport on 5th December 2019 which brought Paris and most of the country to a complete halt. This industrial action has continued into the New Year and is the longest strike in 30 years for France.
It haunts Macron’s already tumultuous presidency and has put him under immense pressure to calm the public tension as the French unions call for further walkouts and mass protests. The protests have already shown that they may be following the path of the ‘Gilet Jaune’. The protestors received a welcome of tear gas from the police as they mobilised in Gare de Nord, home of the Eurostar, on 4th January 2020. These are two of the worst manifestations in France’s history that have tormented Macron’s term as Chief of the Republic. All eyes are on the once ever so popular young president, waiting to see if he can restore
Image source: Tasnim News
order to the chaos that now surrounds him.
THE FOUNDER January 2020
OPINION AND DEBATE 7
A Centrist will not beat Trump Sex Work Needs to in 2020. A Leftist will. Be Decriminalised ZAFIR ZAFIROV
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ith the crucial Iowa caucuses less than a month away now, there is no better time to discuss why the Democrat party should consider a leftist candidate for their party's nomination. That is if they want to beat Trump, of course. There are still people today who wonder why Hillary Clinton lost the Image source: The Washington Post 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump. While there leftist movement made its of 15 dollars an hour, free are different answers, it is way into the political stage college and foreign policy impossible not to spot the and national discourse. based on actual diplomacy most obvious one: Clinton People like Alexandria rather than egocentrism. Talk was the embodiment of the Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie about brave ideas! What is Washington establishment. Sanders, running campaigns interesting is that all of these People had had enough of without any corporate ideas are polling incredibly amongst ordinary this by 2016, especially the sponsors and promising high forgotten ordinary folks of on bold ideas such as people. And how could it the Rust Belt states. Trump, Medicare for all and free be otherwise when they will entrepreneur outsider, came college, changed the way benefit the working-class and and told them everything they people think about politics not the elites and the ultrawanted to hear. He was going in America. Although today rich? The 2020 election will not to bring their jobs back, he was the democratic field is full going to save them from illegal of centrists, billionaires and be simply about electability many democratic immigrants, he was going flat out corporatists, there as to stop the endless wars that is hope for change. Bernie strategists are trying to cost them trillions of dollars Sanders and even Elizabeth present it – those same people and thousands of human Warren – albeit just a softer who lost to a reality TV star. lives. He was going to make version of Sanders – are It will be about courage and their America great again. amongst the primary left empathy. Courage to take on Although he lied to them, such contenders for the party's the Washington machine in its many manifestations, and populist rhetoric not only won nomination. These are people who empathy to stand behind the the White House but gave the democratic voters a good deal are not afraid to take on real people and be the voice corporations, big of those who cannot speak to think about. Are centrists – big interests, and for themselves; with these people like Clinton – who are money massively disjointed from the fight for every American. qualities comes electability. middle-class Americans, the Bernie Sanders alone has There is a leftist who offers proposed a healthcare these qualities, and with future of the party? It turned out, that is not reform, a corporate tax them hope. As we all know, the case. Since 2016, a strong plan, a minimum wage hope always wins at the end.
NIAMH HOUSTON
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ouis Theroux’s most recent and highly anticipated documentary on sex work will undoubtedly spark a much needed conversation about sex workers and their place in society. By this, I mean how they experience everyday life and the discrimination and prejudice that they face daily. Sex work has always been a practise within society; however, attitudes towards it and those who choose to do it have been constantly evolving. Historically speaking, sex workers have been diminished as ‘sluts’ or for their work to be viewed as a complete last resort. As we now know, this is not necessarily the case. Many people choose to work in this industry in a multitude of ways. With the rise of technology and social media over the years, sex work has expanded and taken on an entirely new definition, making it unrecognisable to those that continue to picture it how popular culture such as Pretty Woman has presented it. A fact that many people struggle to accept or even comprehend, is that sex work is real work; it may not fit into the conventional nine to five notion, but this does not make it any less valid as an occupation. Although this
is the case and there should be no negative ramifications for this, unfortunately that is not how our current society functions. Attitudes towards sex and sexuality have undoubtedly progressed over recent history; however, crime against sex workers is seen at unacceptably high rates due to sheer discrimination. According to Huff Post, globally, sex workers have a 45 to 75% of experiencing sexual violence within their career. Statistics this high cannot be ignored. Stigma against sex work plays a massive role into violence against sex workers. This is a societal issue that must be addressed at an institutional level. A massive contributing factor to this is the legislation surrounding sex work. As part of society’s infrastructure, the law helps guide individuals to decide what is universally accepted as morally right and wrong. In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to solicit or buy sex in a public place. By formally condemning sex work in this way, it puts sex workers at risk of discrimination and ultimately violence. Sex work should be decriminalised in order to provide sex workers with a safer working environment and to eventually encourage a society that supports rather than shames the profession.
8 OPINION AND DEBATE
THE FOUNDER January 2020
China’s Literary Censorship GRACE KEENAN
I
f you’re like me, you will know that China is a communist state, but probably not much else. After a little research, however, I can tell those of you who do not already know that China’s leader is Xi Jinping, who will be the leader for a very long time as in 2018 he changed the constitution so he cannot be fired. Not a very democratic start, but after recent events what can Britain really say in retaliation? The knowledge available to us is heavily policed with almost all Western modes of social media having been prohibited since the Great Firewall of China, and ultimately the effect on the publishing industry is also huge. China’s staterun general administration
Image source: flickr.com
of press and publication (GAPP) screens all Chinese books, so all publishers are state-owned and licensed by the government. It is of particular editorial interest for changing its own history, the history of its government (Tiananmen – Tibet – Taiwan), but it will ban anything. In the early 1900s, Alice in Wonderland was banned on the grounds that animals should not talk in books. The UK does have a big history of literary censorship too, but we are lucky to have the freedom to read books that have not been so heavily regulated by the government. Without trying to be essentialist, most Chinese books based on explaining Chinese culture stand for togetherness, honour and hard-work – values at the core of their culture, but the way they’re
expressed in some books (and with the knowledge that these books are controlled by the government) is quite scary. Speeches from government officials about the responsibility of the publisher to construct the image of China in the rest of the world have been emphasised. Publishers need to take it upon themselves to build an image of China abroad – sending out history books, leaving out all traces of brutality. The penalty for not doing so is severe; torture is very normal, imprisonment without trials is very normal and the death penalty is alive and well. Britain also sends books to China that have been edited so that they don’t contain truth but instead lies, so that they can be sold to the Chinese market. We must acknowledge the words of Roland Barthes, that when the work is written, the author is not the sole proprietor of that work, that the book is a free citizen. Going into a bookshop is a regular sabbatical, a break from life’s lunacy, a moment to reflect. So,
Image source: Before It's News
while we have the honour and opportunity to read Chinese books that are censored in China – as well as books and materials censored from their origin countries too – we must do them the service of actually reading them. We need to acknowledge what our responsibility is, if we are given the opportunity to faithfully report objective truth and the independent experts that defend it. Do publishers need a code of ethics? Bookshops and books form opinions, and it is vital that we educate ourselves and read books to form such opinions
Grace’s Recommendations: - Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister and Wild Swans both written by Jung Chang, who is banned from ever going back to China (and her books are banned too) - We Have Been Harmonised written by Kai Strittmatter; for a deeper understanding of surveillance in China - China: A New World Order on the BBC - ‘The Case of Hong Kong’s Missing Booksellers’ written by Alex W. Palmer for The New York Times
FEATURES 9
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Autism Awareness: LITTLE WOMEN: What you can do Greta Gerwig – snubbed and the power of of best director at the 2020 community GEORGIA HOWELL
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here are currently, approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children residing in the UK. The autistic spectrum is incredibly vast, it affects every person differently. However, autistic people do tend to share in certain difficulties and these affect how individuals perceive the world and interact with others. Being aware of the spectrum of Autism can be the first step to understanding it; I hope to share a small understanding as to what it is to care for an autistic child and change the way others think about autism and the way the brain works. On Saturdays, I take care of twin boys. The twins love walking, running and playing; however, they do also suffer with Autism. They are nonverbal, and, as such, they find other, less conventional, ways of communicating. Whether this is crying, or laughing, or lying down, squirming and wriggling, in the middle of the pavement, I have had to learn, and am still learning, how to understand them. The children I care for are interested in their surroundings, even if they do not always understand the implications of their actions. One twin in particular has an interest in people, his big blue eyes will focus on them walking by. Adorable. However, he does have tendencies to hold
a stranger’s hand, or tap them on the bottom. I used to find myself apologising to a passer- by, but I am beginning to understand that there is no reason to excuse a little boy for interacting with his surroundings in the only way he knows how. The need for sensory stimulation explains the touching, along with the lack of social skills typical of a nine-year old.Whilst most people are shocked that they have been tapped or touched, I am continuously amazed by the progress the boys are making through their interactions with their surroundings. This is just one example but spreading awareness of the intricacies of the Autistic spectrum is vital in creating communities in which individuals affected can feel safe and understood. On the National Autistic Societies website there is an entire ‘Get Involved’ section where you can discover opportunities to help and provide your own support. In addition, there are amazing charities that offer respite care and safe spaces, such as ‘Disability Challengers’, for families affected by Autism. Whether this be volunteering, donating or even expanding your own understanding, there is so much information out there that will help you to help others.
Golden Globe Awards MELISSA NOCK
‘I want to be great or nothing’ – Amy March
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ittle Women directed by Greta Gerwig, critically acclaimed one of the greatest films of 2019, has been snubbed by film critics. Despite being nominated for two Golden Globe awards, including Saoirse Ronan (Jo March) for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama’ and Alexandre Desplat for ‘Best Original Score – Motion Picture’, Gerwig did not get nominated for best director. In fact, the nominees for ‘Best Director – Motion Picture’ were all male. After doing a bit of research I found that since 1944 when the Golden Globes began, only four women have been nominated and only one woman (Barbra Streisand) has ever won. When you take into consideration that there is usually five nominees each year for the category of ‘Best Director – Motion Picture’, this is astonishing. There has been high demand for this category to be split into two separate categories: best female director and best male director, just as there is a category for best actress as well as best actor, and you can see why. However, this snub is
rather ironic and perhaps even laughable when you consider the message of the novel itself. Gerwig’s rewriting of the novel aligns with Louisa May Alcott’s wishes. The novel ends with Jo, arguably the main character, getting married, becoming a mother and founding a school: her desire for writing dimmed by her conformity to the gender roles of the nineteenth-century. Alcott, herself having never married, declared that Jo was originally intended to be a literary spinster, however, this ending could not go into print due to two reasons: the overwhelming public desire for Jo to marry Laurie (spoiler alert: this does not happen. He marries her sister Amy instead), but more importantly the authority of her publisher, who – comically portrayed in the film – declares that in a novel the author has just two conditions regarding the position of the female protagonists at the end of the novel: marriage or death. Gerwig’s snub therefore runs in affinity to the experience of the March sisters. Being a women artist is still a struggle today. Although marriage may not be the economic proposition Amy (Florence Pugh) so movingly regrets in her
speech to Laurie (Timothée Chalamet), when it comes to the arts industry, women are still not given enough credit. Consequently, the issues in Alcott’s novel remain just as contemporary today. At the heart of Little Women is not simply sisterhood and love but the question of which stories are perceived to be important and worthy of intellectual inquiry and interpretation. As Jo (Saoirse Ronan) states in the film: ‘It’s just about our little life. Who will be interested in a story of domestic struggles and joys? It doesn’t have any real importance’, this reality is so coldly reflected by the Golden Globe critics. This snub, underpinned in the title itself: ‘Little Women’, paradoxically increases my attraction and admiration towards Alcott and Gerwig’s masterpiece. To see the main issues of the novel play out in reality following the film version, is, although sad, somehow rather fitting. Therefore, I urge you all, in particularly the men who read this article, to watch this fantastic adaptation. Despite its connotations, it is not just a film for women. Greta Gerwig’s direction, if not appreciated by film critics, deserves to be doubly appreciated by us.
Im
10 LIFESTYLE
THE FOUNDER January 2020
New Year, New Stationery? ANTONIA ALUKO
F
eeling run down after having a month off is almost inevitable. I cannot speak for everyone but at the very least I can say that this holiday was the most unproductive time I have ever had. If like me, you spent a month doing absolutely nothing to do with university work, fixing the way you’ve been sorting things like online files, papers, pens and sticky notes are a great way
2. Acquire some new stationery Here are some easy ways to Nothing screams productivity like getting some new pretty do so: pens to show how prepared you are – even if you feel the 1. Buy a notebook I often sing the praises of complete opposite. my bullet journal but if that system is not for you 3. Spring clean then a run-of-the-mill diary This is the step that I find should do the trick. Figure the most excuses to skip or out deadlines and set some conveniently forget about. Go realistic goals. You will thank through your old notes and me later. You could even use re-organise. No matter what it for studying as well. The kind of way that you engage yourself academically, you uses are endless. to get back on track.
need to know where you are at and where you want to be. So, make sure that you at least start off the year with some organised files to let all those study vibes flow. I hope that with all these tips Term 2 will be a Image source: Antonia Aluko great one.
How to Motivate Yourself After The Christmas Break COURTNEY MCLAVEN
W
hile the Christmas period is a time to wind down and relax, the task of motivating yourself to prepare for term two can seem monumentous. While you may still be filled with wine and cheese, there are a few tips which can ease you back into a uni friendly schedule. Planning From January deadlines to new modules, the start of the term can be daunting. So, getting yourself a planner (grab one in the January sales!) may just save your life. By jotting everything down in one place, you can
really get yourself in order for the new year, having a physical visual of what needs to be done can relieve a lot of pressure. While everything may seem a haze after having an entire month off, getting yourself organised is the first step to clearing your mind. If you have a lot on your plate, then it can all be very overwhelming to get yourself back into studying, so get your tasks organised. Priorities Once you have everything in order, prioritise what needs to be done first and what can perhaps wait. By doing this, you know you are going to be able to meet deadlines and start the term off on a
high. This will give you the motivation you need to push through other preparation work, such as readings and research. Once you start on the work which you have prioritised, your mindset will be set to work mode and the rest will follow. Get yourself in the library early on to start as you mean to go on. Rewards Every piece of work completed is an achievement, no matter how small it may seem. When you begin to hit the books again, give yourself small incentives to keep going. For example, for every half hour of reading you do, make yourself a cup of tea or get a snack, or
for every thousand words you write, go out and see your friends. University work can be stressful and overwhelming, so it is important to find a balance between getting the work done and keeping your mind healthy. By doing this, you will be able to keep yourself happy which consequently keep your mind motivated.
new term; it is still important to bare in mind that all the hard work will lead to an overall success, getting good grades and eventually your degree which will lead you on your path for life. Seeing the bigger picture is a great motivator for us students, reminding ourselves that all the hard work being put in is worthwhile.
Positivity It may sound silly, but the best way to engage with the stress of returning to uni is keeping a positive mindset. By following the steps mentioned previously, you should already be feeling more positive about the coming deadlines and the
So, while the idea of going back after four weeks may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Plan, prioritise, reward and keep your mind filled with positive thoughts and have yourself a productive term.
LIFESTYLE 11
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Five Ways to Stay The Myth of ‘New Decade, New Me’ Warm and Look ALEX (ISABELLE) MECCANO-THOMAS
A
s we turn to face the new decade, it seems important to many that we set up goals and expectations for ourselves. ‘New Year, New Me’ is dwarfed by ‘New Decade, New Me’. But how successful are these resolutions? 49% of people expect to give up on their intentions by February and only 10% of people make it the whole year. So, if people are expecting to give up on their goals after one month, how are we expected to set a resolution for a decade? The reason behind this lack of commitment is called ‘False Hope Syndrome’. ‘False Hope Syndrome’ is when a person has unrealistic expectations of changing their behaviour. People often think it will be easier,
Image credits: Pxfuel
cheaper or faster, and the disappointment leads to the abandoning of their goals and often puts people in a worse off state than before the new year. Resolutions are the lie set by the society that is falling apart. People believe that a certain day of the year is the perfect time to start turning their life around. But if they forget, skip one day, or do not follow it to the T, disappointment sets in and they soon give up. So why do we do this year after year? Is it the human disposition to lie to ourselves with false hope? Or is it a true belief that we can become better? I admit that some people do succeed in following their new year’s resolutions. But what percentage of that will meet their new decade’s resolutions? And if so, how significant will these
resolutions be? If you are intent on setting a resolution, what should you do when you set it? While researching, I came across a great acronym called ‘Be SMART’, that allows for a realistic intention. Be Smart stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. This acronym allows for the most effective and rewarding goals that can actually be met and lead to success. If you are stuck on what resolution to make and are desperate to make one, maybe think about the people around you. Think of a resolution that can make the people around you happy and healthy? And if not that, maybe think about humankind as a whole. Can you donate more money to charity? Can you sign up for volunteer work? Can you reach out to someone in need? With the fires in Australia, we all need to do more for our planet. Can you recycle more? Can you go on a volunteer litter picking? If you are going to make a resolution, you had better make a good one.
Good This Winter SIMRAN GREWAL
T
his February I will be attending a concert with my friends. Needless to say that we are psyched. However, one stark fact has been blazing like a neon sign at the back of my mind since the concert was announced to be at the end of February: “What am I meant to wear?” It is 2020. By this point most of the very exciting things that you do are an event, and I admit I will be posting my adventures on Instagram just like everyone else, which means you need a killer outfit to go along with it. My fashion forward friends and I have sat around basically all winter to determine the best ways to stay warm but still look good. Get a cool coat Statement coats have always been a thing. It is pretty much child’s play in finding a coat in a shape and colour that you like. They also have ample pockets and will keep you toasty warm. Sick kicks I have specific platform stomping shoes for concerts – either a pair of boots or some platform Vans depending on the look I am trying to achieve – but shoes really tie together an outfit. Boots are a winter staple so perhaps try investing in a quality pair in the January sales. Whack on a hat Hats keep you warm. Enough said. They have come back in a big way over the last
decade too. Try a beret or a thicker knit beanie or bobble hat if the cold tends to get to you – the key is working it around your outfit. Statement makeup I love statement makeup. If you are worried your wintertime closet is full of dark colours and silhouettes then statement makeup is an excellent way to amp up your look from Steve Jobs to Style Icon. Just swipe on some bold pigment or a colourful lip and remember to blend. Not only will you draw attention back to your face, but you can sleep easily knowing that you probably caught everyone else’s attention that day. I can never spell ‘Accessorise’ correctly When I think of earrings now, my mind jumps to those statement resin-y looking pieces that jangle in my ears as I type this. Statement earrings are easily the best choice because they are typically the easiest seen accessory in the winter. But if your ears happen to be unpierced then fret not. Try making waves by way of a cool looking bag from Skinnydip – or even a cute pair of gloves or one of those giant blanket scarves for extra points and warmth. Now with these tips (DISCLAIMER: I am by no means a stylist) go forth and prosper with the knowledge that freezing for the fit is no longer a necessity.
12 LIFESTYLE
THE FOUNDER January 2020
2020 is a Time for Change:
Time for More Positivity & Less Negativity
PAULINA MOTYL
O
nly days into 2020, hundreds of people have started to write up their new years goals and put them into action. Gyms are full and libraries are visited more by students, however, it is necessary to put forward the idea that our mental health wellbeing should be placed higher in our hierarchy of importance, above fitness and education goals. This year we should advocate healthier relationships, personal growth and doing what is best for ourselves. We should look into ourselves to succeed, not at others. Let’s stop surrounding ourselves with negative energy and let’s think that ‘cutting the string’ away from
negativity is for our personal happiness and development. We should stand for ourselves and advocate what we support and condemn what we do not. Sometimes all we need to do is perhaps take a break from social media and think about how amazing life is – our life is always special and people do not necessarily have to see this on our Instagram or Facebook account. Every day is a new day, 2020 gives us 366 chances to make this year greater than 2019. We are given chances to fulfil our dreams, build on our aspirations, deepen relationships and shape our own character. As university students, every day is an opportunity to feel closer to where we want to be in a couple of years. Let’s use
lth! Good Hea - Sophie, Editor w e i v e R y Literar
Image source: pixabay.com
but this is normal, it is sad but it happens, we need to learn to go forward and know that we are worth so much more. 2020 will be our year if we start to focus on how we feel and aim to maintain our mental wellbeing, rather than spending time on
Succes Pulled pork and Sky News ! y t i r e s! p e! s ors ckh n to the Pa ur ret Pro to S v i , le Editor na, - Rand ditor minic, Do in Chie ing E f Sports Editor Manag
thinking how our behaviour SHOULD look like. If you feel like you deserve more than you receive then fight for your happiness!
Happy New Year (literally)!
Rest a nd S leep P u b li shing - Kaja, a lot! & Cr eativ e Des igner
What the team of The Founder wishes you for the new, year!
kin! S r a Cle ntonia, or - A le Edit hat y t w s r e Lif on o you i s s a ur p tivates o y o d Fin eally m iamh, r - N ditor E Arts
! ints eP , Fre ames or - J Edit ws Ne
Happy a for Wish Te r m! issa, - Mel
this new year to forget the downturns, the unhappy times and let’s focus on ‘bettering’ ourselves. What should be important to us is what we have achieved and will achieve, not what others are achieving. Given the opportunity, we should not compare ourselves to others, but instead should use society as a sphere of influence, and not view differences as a pretext for division but rather as an element which makes us unique. Energy we receive from others should be reciprocated; we should never put in more energy and effort into keeping a relationship, or friendship. Between the age of 18 and 25 we learn that sometimes people do not turn out to be who we thought they were,
Free Have Hong Fu n! Kong! e - So p e you hav p K o h e I h r i e e n, , Illu s Music jokes that w trato e f a E d itor r this year! really land h, Peace! - Niam r bate Edito - Graciela Mae, e D d n a n Opinio Film Editor
THE FOUNDER January 2020
ARTS & CULTURE 13
Hell Hath no Fury: Last Chance to See: Exhibitions Closing Soon Helena Hauss’ take NIAMH SMITH
B
elow is a list of exhibitions that will end at some point between now and the end of February. It is by no means an exhaustive list, and certainly a subjective one, but may contain some inspiration for an afternoon trip into London. Nam June Paik Tate Modern (until 9th February) A pioneer of Video Art, Paik (1934-2006) was a South Korean artist who constantly broke the mould throughout his career. Tate Modern's retrospective is a welcome celebration of an overlooked artist and an art form that has struggled to find acceptance in the art world – a particular highlight is the towering 1992 work Sistine Chapel. Eco-Visionaries Royal Academy (until 23rd February) The Royal Academy has long been one of my favourite London museums and, although somewhat a mixed bag, Eco-Visionaries contains some excellent pieces probing the role of art and design in the current environmental crisis. At its worst, it still provides food for thought; if it is really not your thing, there is always
Picasso and Paper (open from early February). William Blake Tate Britain (until 2nd February) At the Tate's other London museum, visionary poet and artist William Blake is the centre of attention. A must for any fan of Blake's poetry, the critically-acclaimed exhibition even includes a recreation of the first ever exhibition of his works. The Uncanny Freud Museum (until 9th February) The latest exhibition at the Freud Museum is not just for psychologists. Focusing on Freud's idea of the Uncanny, the museum plays host to an immersive sound trail, culminating in an interactive room full of fears. A unique way to test your nerve in the home of the father of psychoanalysis.
by an Oscar-winning cinematographer, visitors can learn about Rembrandt's revolutionary use of light through stepping into the artist's world. Also on show at the Gallery is Artists in Amsterdam (also until the 2nd), providing a spotlight on Rembrandt's lesserknown contemporaries. Moving To Mars Design Museum (until 23rd February) The Design Museum consistently put on stunning and thought-provoking exhibitions, and Moving To Mars is no exception. Looking at how humanity would survive on the red planet, visitors are transported into an immersive world of futuristic (and realistic) space travel. If you visit before the 9th February, check out Beazley Designs of the Year 2019, another exhibition showcasing the cutting edge of modern design.
Rembrandt's Light Dulwich Picture Gallery (until 2nd February) Further out than the other exhibitions, but a must see for those interested in Dutch art, Dulwich Picture Gallery hosts a collection of Rembrandt's works to celebrate 350 years since his death. With lighting designed
on femininity
Bakelite Robot by Nam June Palk (Flickr.com)
Image Source: helenhauss.net SVILENA IOTKOVSKA
T
Hauss creates a metaphor which carries a powerful mes-
wenty-nine-year-old
sage.
French artist Helena
On her website (helenahauss.
Hauss explores femininity
net), Hauss explains that this
in her recent project ‘Hell
project is ‘an approach to rep-
Hath no Fury’. This project
resent the inner strength and
features several hand paint-
fury that comes with being a
ed sculptures of weaponry;
woman, in contrast to an ap-
more
Hauss
pearance of delicacy we’re
presents us with a morn-
too often branded with’. The
ing star, a grenade, an axe
weaponry successfully depicts
and a studded baseball bat.
the inner strength, the power
What is extraordinary about
and the fury which is felt by
these objects, however, is
women whereas the fragile
that Hauss has chosen to
appearance and the floral de-
design them with blue floral
signs depict society’s miscon-
patterns which make these
ceptions of femininity. Hauss’
weapons resemble porce-
allegorical project leaves the
lain and evoke household
viewers questioning what it
tableware made of china.
means to be a woman and
Through the juxtaposition
what it means to be ‘the weak-
of the weapons and their
er sex’.
specifically,
fragile, delicate appearance,
14 LITERARY REVIEW
THE FOUNDER January 2020
The Last Wish – Andrzej Sapkowski KIARASH GOLSHANI
W
ith the Netflix series a monster success, the Witcher’s notoriety has skyrocketed. Andrzej Sapkowski’s stoic and monotonous protagonist continues to slay the hearts of audiences worldwide. Resident 100-Percent–British Beefcake Henry Cavill’s performance was particularly faithful to the source material, yet the source itself is still worth reading in my humble opinion. However, you might be asking, is the source material superior? After concluding my back-to-back of CD Projekt Red’s Witcher Two & Three (we do not talk about One), I naturally dived headfirst into the books, and was totally shocked
at the tonal shift. For a series so notorious for bleakness and grounded fantasy, the book’s tone is far more jovial and lighthearted. The tone strikes a peculiar equilibrium, so the stories end up feeling more like Shrek than any contemporary post-ASOIAF fantasy published nowadays. From a Snow White character with seven bodyguards, to The Beast from Beauty and the Beast slaying a vampire lady, Geralt of Rivia’s wild ride is not one to shy from the absurd. The format of the book is not a traditional novel, but a collection of short stories
with an underlying storyline in-between of Geralt having his injuries treated by several lovely priestesses. These stories are frequently segued by Geralt, or another character, mentioning a prior encounter or simply reminiscing. The issue now is that the Netflix series was devilishly good at adapting a substantial majority of the stories on offer in The Last Wish so many would deem the novels as ‘obsolete’. But, since you are reading the literature review section of this wonderful newspaper AND have managed to get this far down, I presume you are at least a smidge interested in books, and – if I guessed
these correctly – this book may be right up your alley. See, the Netflix series can do anything a TV series can do; you can view Geralt battle some mercenaries and get mesmerized, you can see him encounter Yennefer and expand their on/off relationship.However, watching means you are only experiencing it at a literal face value. The advantage of books is the advantage of The Last Wish, you are within Geralt of Rivia’s head and – for a time – you become Geralt of Rivia. What struck me when watching the series was that I understood what he was thinking during a particular scene, but my family did not. Not only
this, but the extensive descriptions and some superb stories unfortunately left out of the series made me realise that the book was the superior format for experiencing Sapkowski’s sword and sorcery opus. So, if you are feeling like you need more Witcher, or merely desire to get into the series in the base format, I highly urge picking up a copy of The Last Wish. To paraphrase my good friend, Geralt: “Witcher is Witcher. Book, game, show… Makes no difference. The format is arbitrary. The series is the same. If I’m to choose between one format and another… I’d rather choose the original.”
My Antonia: An unlikely heroine RUXANDRA VRABIE
C
onsidered to be the best work of the 1918 American writer Willa Cather, My Antonia is a realistic novel that contours a vivid portrait of the pastoral life of European immigrants in the American Midwest prairie. Cather cunningly portrays, in a simplistic and yet descriptive manner, the everyday lives and struggles of the immigrant society settled in 1880s Nebraska. Interestingly, Cather uses the narrative
voice of Antonia’s male childhood friend Jim Carter for the portrayal of its protagonist in the novel to subtly underline male misconceptions of women, which further reflects on the prejudice attitude of the American society. Despite having a male narrative voice, Cather encapsulates an interesting image of a strong and freespirited female character which struggles to adapt
and conform to the American immigrant pioneering society that she lives in. The novel begins in the late 1880s aboard a train where both young Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda are travelling to Nebraska to start a new life. The Shimerda family emigrate from Bohemia, Czech Republic to their new home in Nebraska having bought the land next to the Burdens. Recently orphaned
Jim Burdens adores his grandparents’ house and falls in love immediately with the beautiful and disturbing landscape of the neverending prairie. At the same time, he befriends thirteenyear-old Antonia Shimerda, bonding over their love of land, and it is this shared bond that will eventually make Jim fall in love with Antonia for more than twenty years. Cather cunningly hints that it is in fact Jim’s close
friendship with Antonia and their shared adventures that help shape Jim’s character, making him the successful man he is, and that the time spent with Antonia was in fact the most important part of his life. By having a male figure gravitate so strongly around a female figure, Cather not only depicts a persuasive female immigrant character through Antonia, but the embodiment of the emerging
LITERARY REVIEW 15
THE FOUNDER January 2020
modern American woman. In her teenage years, Antonia works as a farmhand alongside men to support her family financially, which does not only underline her physical strength but also her strong character, as
well as independence from any man, which is Cather’s way of depicting a slightly more liberal and open-minded America. Despite depicting a more modern and liberal America, Cather also highlights the importance
of the past and a sense of nostalgia for what has been. Jim’s eagerness of escaping from the boring life of Nebraska to the exciting life of a big city is replaced by a longing for the past and for the simpler life and he finds himself attempting
to recapture the past and reminiscing about Antonia and their life together. Even though Cather implies through Jim’s longing for the past that the modern industrialised America is engulfing the pastoral quiet American life,
the ending of My Antonia does justice to the voiceless woman depicted in this novel and manages to contour a powerful and interesting female character from the very beginning to the very end.
The Odyssey by Homer – Review
Images source: pxfuel.com SOPHIE DEAVILLE
Out of Homer’s two
The Odyssey begins by
works (not that we know
giving
first read The Odyssey
who
Homer
was),
background
when I was 16 years
have
always
old and, as this is the first
The
Odyssey
I
the
readers
some
tries to return home. From
the
fantastical
giving away too much of
stormy
the plot, each fantastical
information
encounters
preferred
on the situation in Ithaca,
travelling,
favourite
and mythical interaction is a
The
Odysseus’ home town, where
interaction has always been
learning curve for the reader
academic year in my adult
Iliad simply because of
Telemachus and Penelope
the scene where Odysseus
and for Odysseus himself in
life that I am not studying
the
nature
(Odysseus’ son and wife)
deceives a Cyclops named
his efforts to return home
it, I decided to re-read it.
of the tales and stories
have been left to survive
Polyphemus. Homer uses a
and restore his rightful place
I got so used to reading
of Odysseus, the main
for the past 20 years, since
play on words here and our
as King of Ithaca.
the book over the past 4
character,
never
Odysseus left to go fight in
hero calls himself ‘no one’ so
years that it felt unnatural
fail to make me chuckle.
the Trojan war. The situation
that when Polyphemus is being
Classics books, The Odyssey
to NOT be reading it.
The
narrative
in Ithaca is rather dire,
attacked by him, he calls out
has (rightfully) received vast
Despite having studied the
of The Odyssey enables
which leads to Telemachus
that ‘no one’ is hurting him. It
academic interest, but even
book in depth, I have never
the reader to be fully
searching for his missing
is a wonderful play on words
without this interest, the
reviewed it, so I thought
immersed in the situations
father, who we do not meet
that really shows the deceitful
book itself remains a timeless
that my yearly re-reading
in Ithaca, with Odysseus’
until Book (Chapter) 5, and
nature of Odysseus’ character,
classic and masterpiece of
tied in quite nicely with
son Telemachus, and in
it is here that the adventure
and it is one of the many stories
over 2000 years.
a review of this timeless
Ogygia where we meet
truly begins as we follow
in The Odyssey that made me
classic.
Odysseus, our hero.
Odysseus as he desperately
re-read it time and time again.
to
whimsical
which
cyclical
I
and
That being said, without
my
Like
most
Penguin
16 LITERARY REVIEW The Last Tycoon by F. Scott. Fitzgerald (Review) MEGAN WATSON
W
hen you hear the author’s name, F. Scott. Fitzgerald, you might automatically think of his iconic and beloved novel The Great Gatsby, perhaps for it ‘20s glamour and enthralling, extravagant parties. Well, if you were captivated by The Great Gatsby, then you will surely be enamoured by another of his classics, The Last Tycoon. Set in the 1930s, The Last Tycoon explores the superficial glamorous lifestyle of Hollywood while confronting the darker sides to the industry. With the Great Depression as a backdrop, Fitzgerald focuses on the effect it had on the movie industry and the lives of American people. Fitzgerald’s tragic novel follows the protagonist Monroe Stahr, a highly regarded studio executive who dedicates his life to his work. His dedication stretches so far that he regards ‘the studio as his real home’ rather than his actual house. We discover that Monroe’s wife, Minna, who used to be the star actress in his films, tragically died. Moreover, Monroe himself is extremely ill and does not have long left to live. An earthquake bursting a water main forces Monroe to the back lot to stop the flooding. And it’s here that he meets the pivotal character Kathleen, a woman reminiscent of his deceased wife. The novel reveals the upper-class elite culture of the ‘30s and, as in The Great Gatsby, the story is not without extravagant and luxurious parties. However, Fitzgerald’s novel is so much more than these ostentatious
parties, he also focuses on important topics like the injustice within society. Monroe asks Cecilia, daughter of the influential producer Pat Brady, to set up a meeting between him and a communist Monroe believes to be organising a union at the studio. In the midst of this superficial luxurious lifestyle, Fitzgerald calls out the injustice within the Hollywood movie industry and plays with Marxist ideals of the inequality in society: the rift between the upper and working class. The workers – writers, costume designers, architects, builders – are the people that ultimately make these movies, but they are often forgotten in the movie-making process and undervalued. What makes this novel truly fascinating, though, is that this was F. Scott. Fitzgerald’s last novel ever written and unfortunately never completed. The Last Tycoon is a short novel with just six chapters, yet the pages hold so much meaning, exploring injustice, tragedy, betrayal, love and loss. The discussion of universal and human themes is much like The Great Gatsby, and therefore also has the potential to influence others. A unique addition to the novel is notes originally written by Fitzgerald, allowing the reader the chance to see the potential the novel had and brief access into the mind of this extraordinary author. This classic novel is not to be underestimated. It is a must-read that lets the reader step inside the new world of Hollywood and enjoy all the themes we loved so much in The Great Gatsby.
THE FOUNDER January 2020
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – Philip K Dick MATTHEW SMITH
K
nown primarily as the novel on which the film Blade Runner was based, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is rich with philosophical questions and dystopian themes. The novel follows Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter tasked with killing or ‘retiring’ a group of rogue replicants. This task is particularly challenging as this new generation of replicants is extremely difficult to differentiate from humans and must be sat down and screened with a unique test. As the novel progresses and Rick retires more replicants, he is forced to question the morality of his work. The distinction b e t w e e n replicants and humans becomes unclear as his own humanity is put in doubt and he becomes attracted to a replicant. One of the most poignant moments in the book occurs when Rick finds a living toad in the wasteland and he excitedly returns it home only to discover it is not organic, but rather a cheaper commercial product which must have escaped from its owner. This failure by a
bounty hunter to distinguish fake from real begs the question, if the distinctions between natural life and artificial life are so obscure, why do they matter? More broadly this makes the reader consider what the key elements to humanity are, is a robot with some empathy more human than a naturally born psychopath who has none? In this grim future, the answers to these questions have real and frightening consequences and while this
pressures and consensus has over all of us. Philip K Dick shows us a world which has been ravaged by a devastating war fought for long-forgotten reasons and demonstrates that even here societal pressures can have an iron grip on the populous. Those who still live on earth spend what little money they have on animals or, if this is impossible, artificial imitations. This is because of the religiously mandated need to demonstrate one’s empathy towards living creatures now that they are tragically rare. The novel could be seen as bizarre and some could argue its broadly physical descriptions of women shows it was written in a less tolerant time, but I would argue against an interpretation as simple as this. After all, Philip K Dick exposes the dangers of religious dogma, the hypocrisy of a planet destroying race defining itself as empathetic and the dangers that come with grouping people. We must world might seem absurd to remember this story is told us, through the perspective of Philip K Dick uses it to a professional killer, can show us the power societal we expect him to be saint?
THE FOUNDER January 2020
ARTS: FILM 17
The Best Films of 2019
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n this month’s issue, The Founder’s film section writers have compiled their top ten list for the past year. 2019 offered an eclectic array of films, tying together an undoubtedly remarkable decade in film history - both in the work produced and the groundbreaking shifts and revelations surrounding the industry - in a neat, tattered, and exhausted bow. Along with the list is a brief review of one of the mentioned films - do not be fooled in thinking the reviewed film is their top film of the year as they were chosen at random (albeit each writer might have their reasoning which they refuse to share with anybody). GEORGE SIMMONDS (Student Writer)
GEORGIA DE SOUZA (Student Writer)
1. Marriage Story dir. Noah Baumbach 2. Midsommar dir. Ari Aster 3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood dir. Quentin Tarantino 4. Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig 5. Knives Out dir. Rian Johnson 6. Ad Astra dir. James Gray 7. The Irishman dir. Martin Scorsese 8. Rocketman dir. Dexter Fletcher 9. Ready or Not dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett 10. Motherless Brooklyn dir. Edward Norton
1. Matthias & Maxime dir. Xavier Dolan 2. Les Misérables dir. Ladj Ly 3. Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig 4. Marriage Story dir. Noah Baumbach 5. Booksmart dir. Olivia Wilde 6. Hustlers dir. Lorene Scafaria 7. Knives Out dir Rian Johnson 8. Our Ladies dir. Michael Caton-Jones 9. Honey Boy dir. Alma Har’el 10. Portrait of a Lady on Fire dir. Céline Sciamma
Marriage Story dir. Noah Baumbach [REVIEW]
Hustlers dir. Lorene Scafaria [REVIEW]
Noah Baumbach’s latest film, Marriage Story, details the emotional pitfalls and consequences of divorce in a manner that is at times both hysterical and heartbreaking. Marriage Story’s dual protagonists, Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson), as well as all of the supporting characters that surround the pair’s ordeal, are all made so believable through Baumbach’s dialogue and direction, with the first-class performances from his leads (and the rest of the cast) being the icing on this laughter-and-tear-filled cake of a movie. Every single character feels genuine, with Baumbach being able to create moments that are simultaneously side-splitting yet real, as well as emotionally devastating at times. Johansson gives perhaps the most honest and striking performance of her career so far, and Driver proves once again that he is one of the strongest and, perhaps, one of the most underrated talents working in Hollywood right now. Both manage to communicate their frustrations with both each other and the system that they find themselves being shoved through as they try to amicably navigate an end to their marriage, and will be on many shortlists when award season hits. Trust me when I say that you should look for this outstanding drama when it hits Netflix in early December. Marriage Story is available to stream on Netflix.
Lorene Scafaria’s summer film Hustlers presents an entertaining narrative of power, toxicity and trust within female relationships, unearthing a heart-warming platonic love story between the two leading women. Hustlers follows Destiny (Constance Wu), Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) and their group as they seduce and scam men, through their job in a strip club. Even though the dancing, music and short and tight clothing might be seen to sexualise these women, Scafaria manages to, instead, diminish the negative stigma attached to strip clubs, by using the setting to produce a commentary on women in the workplace. She creates depth for each character, giving them a voice and simple desires of wanting the best for their family. With big-name appearances including Cardi B and Lizzo, it was refreshing to see a strong female cast glorifying the support they shared for each other and proving that no one should be able to turn down a lap dance from Jennifer Lopez. Hustlers is available on DVD and digital download via Amazon and iTunes.
18 ARTS: FILM
THE FOUNDER January 2020
GRACIELA MAE CHICO (Film Editor)
HARRY MEAR (Student Writer)
1. The Farewell dir. Lulu Wang 2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire dir. Céline Sciamma 3. Booksmart dir. Olivia Wilde 4. Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig 5. Deerskin dir. Quentin Dupieux 6. The Lighthouse dir. Robert Eggers 7. Hustlers dir. Lorene Scafaria 8. Lucky Grandma dir. Sasie Sealy 9. Varda by Agnès dir. Agnès Varda 10. If Beale Street Could Talk dir. Barry Jenkins (UK Release)
1. The Irishman dir. Martin Scorsese 2. 1917 dir. Sam Mendes 3. Joker dir. Todd Phillips 4. The Lighthouse dir. Robert Eggers 5. Bait dir. Mark Jenkin 6. Midsommar dir. Ari Aster 7. Monos dir. Alejandro Landes 8. The King dir. David Michod 9. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood dir. Quinten Tarantino 10. Avengers: Endgame dir. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig [REVIEW]
The Irishman dir. Martin Scorsese [REVIEW]
Who would have thought that another reiteration of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women will be one of the most extraordinary and freshest films of the year? In her sophomore solo directorial feature, Greta Gerwig reinvigorates the story of the March sisters with so much love, empathy, and passion that it leaves the viewer with the vitality needed to conquer the new decade ahead. What makes the Lady Bird writer-director’s adaption so moving is that Gerwig’s attention to detail is so evident in the writing; clearly crafted by someone who has loved and studied the novel their whole life. Returning muse Saoirse Ronan flawlessly embodies Jo March, introducing the fiery writer to a whole new generation of aspiring raconteurs. While undeniably etched from Jo’s point of view, one of the stellar things Gerwig brings is her capability to unearth the reasoning behind a character’s flaw. Rather than painting Amy (strikingly played by Florence Pugh) as the spoiled sister, we see a girl who has always felt forgotten, merely trying to find her chance and place in the world. The ensemble cast is magnificent. Funnily enough, Meryl Streep’s take on Aunt March is most remarkable because she is riffing with the names that will soon leave their mark on Hollywood as she has. Whether you are familiar with the story or not, 2019’s Little Women is so utterly engrossing and magical that you lose yourself within its world; a comingof-age drama set in the American Civil War that marks itself an instant classic especially due to its intricate understanding of the seemingly timeless obstacles faced by women. Anchoring the writing is Alexandre Desplat’s breathtaking score. Gerwig’s brilliance at brazenly capturing characters on both paper and the screen forces you to fall in love with all of the March sisters; all of their quirks, each of their distinct spirits and flaws. Hollywood’s movie-churching machine does indeed have a remake, adaption, and sequel problem (amongst other things), but when an adaption is this good, when a reimagining is so utterly moving that an entire cinema holds their breath at the same time - collectively letting go tears and whimpers when the film cuts to the next scene - maybe, we should allow it. Little Women is still playing in cinemas.
At 3 hours 30 minutes running time, The Irishman is a gradual and climatic account of the life and rise of truck-driver turned hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) in the criminal world of Philadelphia for the better part of 5 decades in post-war and counterculture America. With Scorsese returning to his roots in mob crime drama, he brings with him a stellar cast echoing back to his first forays of films with the combined influence of Means Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Casino and the episcopal Goodfellas being a, sure enough, incentive to brave a viewing of what may be known as Scorsese’s magnum opus. The story, based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, centres upon Sheeran and his rise from a war veteran lorry-driver and charlatan to a core member of the Bufalino Crime Family following chance encounters with don Russell Buffalino (Joe Pesci) and Union Labour Leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). The story is dark, complex and unashamedly candid in its portrayal of mob life and activity with hints of humour, notably from Pacino, speckling the years spanning the mobs involvement with President John F. Kennedy and his administration to the infamous disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa at the zenith of the film, to the later years of reflection and degeneration in prison and retirement homes. The Irishman is streaming on Netflix.
THE FOUNDER January 2020
LUKE HETHERINGTON (Film Columnist)
1. The Lighthouse dir. Robert Eggers 2. Parasite dir. Bong Joon-ho 3. Monos dir. Alejandro Landes 4. Knives Out dir. Rian Johnson 5. Marriage Story dir. Noah Baumbach 6. Ad Astra dir. James Gray 7. Pain and Glory dir. Pedro Almodóvar 8. The Last Black Man in San Francisco dir. Joe Talbot 9. Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig 10. The Two Popes dir. Fernando Meirelles
Monos dir. Alejandro Landes [REVIEW] In a vague South-American country, dark silhouettes shift against pale mountain fog. The morally ambiguous tone and disturbing contrasts of Monos are set. The Columbian film follows a group of child ‘soldiers’ and their task of protecting an American hostage. And a cow. What unfolds is a narratological shocking journey that drags the viewer through the muck and blood of mountains and jungles, binding them into the overt and underlying horrors from the first striking frame to its last. Much of the film is centred on the group’s dynamics – birthday beatings, celebrations and military training – to mix their youthful antics with the distinctly adult behaviours thrust upon them by powers above them. Their shortcomings are often a result of this juvenile playfulness. Politically, it does not demand condemnation or outrage; the takeaway is simply that it is easy for morality and innocence to be robbed by contextual factors. By depicting several key moments off-screen, director Alejandro Landes forgoes sensationalising the topic, prioritising sensitive close-ups of the cast dealing with the aftermath. Thankfully for those close-ups, the film is backed up by a fierce ensemble of performers and a primal score by Mica Levi. Rarely do location scouts receive credit for their work in reviews; in Monos, ideal landscapes inform the psychological terror perfectly. They are isolated, yet comfortable in the rural areas, degenerating into regressive animals. Needless to say, the locales compliment Jasper Wolf’s stark, occasionally hallucinogenic cinematography. However - most importantly - the setting reinforces the moral juxtapositions of the anti-heroes, their situation and their youth.
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Memory: A Cats Review Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Abel Fenwick Christmas, I returned to the North East, And I searched for some way to Spend a day with my Nan. We booked tickets, Expected a fun nostalgia trip Then the horrors all began. Memories, all destroyed from my childhood I did enjoy the stage show (As you do when you’re young) Now the horror Of Rebel Wilson eating a bug Remains till my days are done. It looked somehow twice as bad As we were all assuming. The CG cat fur didn’t suit the actors, And still the hands were human. See it! It’s not a Marvel movie! A fact rare enough these days That it deserves some praise Please go with friends And perhaps imbibe a beverage or two It’s a… talking… point for days. Judi Dench is Judi Dench, And the dancing really stuns. It’s got some moments that are laugh out loud If you can fight the urge to run. Truly! If you get past the CG! And the plot that really Wasn’t needed for CatsIt’s enjoyable A fact which my Nana does confirm Though I envy her cataracts.
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THE FOUNDER January 2020
Albums of 2019:
Map of the Soul: Persona – BTS and Fine Line – Harry Styles repeat since they came out. The opening track, RM’s solo ne of my favourite ‘Intro: Persona’, gave new albums of 2019 was life to the group’s 2014 song BTS’s Map of the Soul: ‘Intro: Skool Luv Affair’ by Persona, released April 12 sampling its rock-style guitar th . I have been a fan of the vamp. I really admire RM’s K-Pop group – made up of rapping skills and how he Jin, Suga, used this song j-hope, to vocalise RM, Jimin, his internal V and conflict as a Jungkook – rapper, the since 2018 leader of and had the the biggest chance to boyband in see them the world at perform the moment, live at a K-Pop idol, We m b l e y and Kim S t a d i u m Image source: Pitchfork Namjoon. last June. The various ‘Mikrokosmos’ is such a musical styles that are calming and relaxing song to tackled on this album make listen to, and its beautiful 80s it so enjoyable to listen to, pop style accommodates each and there are three songs in of the members’ parts so well. particular that I have had on For me, listening to this song RENÉE LEWIS
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is like watching the galaxy unfolding right in front of you. Another of my favourites is “Home” for its smooth R&B feel and catchy chorus, which is enough to make me want to dance along. The fact that fans love BTS’s music despite not speaking or understanding Korean goes to show that music is powerful enough to transcend these language and cultural barriers. The group’s next comeback has finally been scheduled for February and I am anticipating their upcoming releases. Although I wasn’t a One Direction fan growing up, I enjoyed listening to Styles’ debut solo album from 2017 and since then it has been
so interesting to hear how trip with a group of friends. he has found his own voice ‘Adore You’, a rather simply since they constructed disbanded song in terms n e a r l y of the lyrics five years and melody, ago. Like is where I BTS, Fine feel Styles Line also displays his features strong vocals a mixture the most, of genres, especially in except that the chorus, the genres and the Image source: i-d.vice.com on Styles’ synth instrualbum all hark back to the mentation in the background 1970s, from folk to rock has been written so well. My and even a bit of Motown favourite song on the album on ‘Treat People With has to be ‘Sunflower, Vol 6’ Kindness.’ Despite being with its ska/reggae feel. I released at the start of winter, was not expecting Styles the songs on this album are to have written a song like incredibly summery and this, but it is a phenomenally have me even more excited composed song. for winter to end – ‘Golden’ is a song you would blast in the car on a summer road
Album of 2019: Titanic Rising – Weyes Blood 2019; how we’re bombarded with memory after memory as we advance at unknown rief is an utterly personal speeds. thing. Emerging from My favourite standout it is another. Natalie Mering track was Andromeda, as emerges triumphant in her my Spotify Wrapped 2019 fourth record as Weyes gleefully informed me. (It Blood; skimming the surface also reminded me how much of the water. In this dreamy I loved the album as a whole.) album, we search the depths ‘Let me in if I break / And be of the galaxy to find the way quiet if I shatter’ is a haunting to rise against adversity. ‘A statement of what it feels like Lot’s Gonna Change’ is the to be needed and what it is like album opener that places us to need. There is something firmly on a journey towards so powerful in the mundane; self- exploration, and what in an emotion that we take it means to emerge free. for granted, and the album ‘Born in a century / Lost to has accompanied me in long memories’ is a perfectly apt walks and silences and empty statement to describe the year periods in the night. Natalie KEREN TOMASOA
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Image source: Bandcamp
remains both somber and cheeky throughout, demonstrated in Something To Believe and Movie linked together. The former is a question as to what to hold onto in life, as we continue to fill our vacant lives with
objects resembling meaning. The latter is a tribute to the structural reassurance of a movie, as life is never what it seems. It’s the long silences in life where we are left to construct meaning out of nothing. Picture Me Better is a quiet song about Natalie’s friend who tragically committed suicide. In her live performance in London last October, she had the audience rapt in attention as we sang along to her lone guitar and her vocals. It’s the only track that doesn’t have the great swelling of an orchestra, and it’s a stark presence in the entire
soundscape of the album. Unlike the rest of the tracks, it’s a lot more traditional in instrumentation, and the softness of the lyrics encapsulate that feeling. Overall, this grand baroque pop album is nothing short of Natalie’s magnum opus. It’s an incredible journey into self-acceptance and the vast emptiness of life. It’s an exploration of grief and how to overcome it, and most importantly, she holds your hand while you break down bit by bit, and perhaps that’s what we need in this current time.
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THE FOUNDER January 2020
Album of 2019: Album of 2019: Withdraw – Fresh When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish
YUJI AOYAMA
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hoosing an album of the year for 2019 has felt like being asked to choose one person to be my best friend. Having recently delved into the local music scene and having watched my music taste match my emotional growth, it is hard not to feel equally strongly about every contender this year. But there is unmistakably a forerunner – a band whose members led me down this path in the first place, that had me attending up to three concerts a week and whose 2019 release I acknowledged more frequently than my own heartbeat. That band is Fresh, and the album is Withdraw. To put a lot of very complicated feelings simply, this album makes me happy. I love listening to it. In my eyes, every part of it is thoroughly entertaining and relentlessly enjoyable. The instrumentals are as fun and catchy as they are reflective of the mood of each song, working with piercing lyrics in perfect harmony to nail a wide range of expression on every track. It would be reductive and presumptuous to characterise any experience with a single emotion; as frontwoman Kathryn Woods confesses on the title track and opener ‘Withdraw’, “You can’t mass produce the feelings I have for you”. Every song is inimitable, with a genre-defying formula and expectation to stand in its own right, and endlessly relistenable, only becoming more enjoyable with each play. Sitting at 26 minutes, the album never overstays its welcome, always leaving
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Image source: Bandcamp
you ready for another spin, with singular tracks tempting you into another full listenthrough whether you planned on doing so or not. Perhaps the catchiest song on the record, ‘Going to Brighton’ is a perfect representation of all these traits, supporting personal lyrics (“There are things I learnt inside my head / That they can’t ever take away from me”) with endlessly headbangingly fun and upbeat instrumentals that I can and have played on loop to the point of saturation. The album as a whole deals with the anxieties of finding happiness and struggles with self-love, and peaks brilliantly on the stellar ‘Revenge’, as the heart-shatteringly screamed “I am valued, I am loved” hits like a therapist with a baseball bat and makes you desperately want to scream along. I have not yet found a reason to dislike the album, and I doubt I ever will – as I continue to see the band live in concert, my love of their music grows, and I can only wait to see what else they release in the future. I am more than happy to say that no release defined my year as much as this album was able to in just the last four months, and as I’m sure it will continue to shape the following years of my life, I hope those who give it a listen feel as valued and loved as this album urges them to.
ot everyone was familiar with Billie Eilish when her no-nonsense track ‘Bad Guy’ marched to the top of the charts early last year, but she is no overnight sensation. The silver-tongued songstress released her EP ‘Don’t Smile at Me’ in 2017, and has been on an ever-rising rollercoaster of stardom since. She’s headlined Coachella, graced the cover of Vogue, and been nominated for six Grammy awards – all before her 18th birthday. ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ (WWAFAWDWG) is Eilish’s first LP, and offers an exhilarating demonstration of her talent and ingenuity. First and foremost, Billie is intelligent. Unsettlingly so. It is hard to find adults, let alone people her own age, as startlingly eloquent – she turns words on their heads and makes them dance. Eilish proves throughout WWAFAWDWG that she answers to nobody. In ‘All the Good Girls Go to Hell’, a twisted tango with the devil in which Billie takes the lead, she reasons ‘Peter’s on vacation / it’s an open invitation’. She yawns in God’s face, sighing that the ‘pearly gates look more like a picket fence’. With a similar off-kilter energy, ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ is a smug reminder that Eilish has the power to take over the world, should she feel like it. When asserting ‘I’m gonna run this nothing town’, perhaps Billie is referring to the music industry, which has become
cramped with familiar faces and uninspiring stories; Eilish, the devious newcomer, here to raise hell and change the game forever. But behind the intimidating smirks and bravado can be found a deeply sensitive soul. While most artists commit to one persona, Eilish isn’t afraid to expose her vulnerability, embellishing it with her signature feathery harmonies. There is unmistakable concern in ‘ilomilo’, Billie wringing her hands as she
the other fragile, but tracks like ‘Xanny’ and ‘Goodbye’ demonstrate her ability to unite these opposing poles, marrying sincere sentiments with bass-boosted beats. Simply put, WWAFAWDWG is the work of a genius. While some musicians struggle to think outside the box, Eilish tears the box apart and rebuilds it from scratch. She plays with elements we thought were untouchable - modulating her voice to a childish squeal in ‘8’, a demonic rumble
Image source: Pitchfork
whispers ‘I tried not to upset you / let you rescue me the day I met you / I just wanted to protect you’. Eilish returns to her choral roots in the heavenly ‘When the Party’s Over’, to deliver the haunting couplet, ‘Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin’ / but nothin' ever stops you leavin’. It may seem Billie’s heart is split in two - one half haughty and
in ‘Bury a Friend’, and a robotic whir in ‘Bad Guy’. This Gen Z prodigy has a long and triumphant career ahead of her. Whether Billie will use her iron grip on fans across the globe for good or evil is for her to know and for us to find out, but one thing is certain: we’ll all be blindsided by what comes next.
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THE FOUNDER January 2020
Sports Personality Halfway Report 2019 H ELIOT RAMAN JONES
DOMINIC TAYLOR
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ith 2019 drawn to a close, the Founder takes a look at the BBC Sports Personality Awards 2019. The main award at this year’s awards – the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019 – was picked up by England cricket superstar, Ben Stokes. In winning the prestigious award, the cricketer had to beat F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton (who came second); sprinter Dina Asher-Smith (who came third); Manchester City and England footballer Raheem Sterling; world heptathlon champion Katarina JohnsonThompson and Welsh rugby union legend Alun Wyn Jones. The all-rounder was man of the match as England defied the odds to win their first ever to win their first ever World Cup at Lord’s. He scored a vital 84* in England’s innings – including the runs to tie the score against New Zealand. In England’s super over – when he seemed to be out of energy – he managed 8 runs off 3 deliveries to help England set an unreachable 15 runs to defeat the Kiwis. He was also the hero later the summer as he singlehandedly kept England’s Ashes hopes alive with an unbeaten 135 in the one wicket triumph against Australia in the third Test
at Headingley. Stokes was presented with his award by the Princess Royal and former Manchester United and Scotland legend Denis Law; Stokes is the first cricketer to win the award since Andrew Flintoff in 2005. In his victory speech, Stokes congratulated the other nominees, saying: “What you've managed to achieve as individuals and do for your sport is simply sensational”. He continued to thank his teammates, coaching staff, parents and his wife, Clare. England cricket’s awards didn’t end with Ben Stokes: the England’s Cricket World Cup team won Team of the Year whilst the Greatest Sporting Moment was, unsurprisingly, awarded to the moment Jos Buttler broke the stumps to seal victory in the final of the Cricket World Cup.
Doddie Weir, the Scottish rugby legend who is now suffering with Motor Neuron Disease, won the Helen Rollason Award. The Award is given to those who are recognised for their outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. It was introduced in 1999 in memory of Helen Rollason who died of cancer that year, aged just 43. The Young Sports Personality of the Year was given to Caroline
Dubois, who just managed to defeat Para-Swimmer Maisie Summers-Newton and skateboarder Sky Brown. Boxer Dubois won gold at the European Youth Championships in Bulgaria for the fourth successive time. Baroness Grey-Thompson was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution after winning 16 Paralympic medals and breaking 30 world records. Coach of the Year was given to John Blackie, who guided Dina Asher-Smith to World Championship gold in the Summer. World Sport Star was given to Eliud Kipchoge, who became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours. Finally, the Unsung Hero was awarded to Keiren Thompson. He runs the community project ‘Helping Kids Achieve’ in Nottingham – which was set up in one of the most deprived areas of the city, Bulwell. The Project, which was set up with his own capital, encourages young people to volunteer and take up leadership roles, with a number of those to have done so winning local awards. Thompson said he was attacked when he was younger and was left hospitalised after being badly beaten. The attack is said to have ‘inspired’ him to make a change to young people in Nottingham and stop getting into similar issues as those who attacked him.
aving passed the halfway stage of the Premier League season, the Founder takes a look at the Premier League sides; how they have performed thus far and where we predict they will finish.
1st Liverpool A+: Having only dropped one point thus far this season, the Reds look unbeatable. Every challenge the World Champions have faced they have met and then some. Jurgen Klopp has used the bulk of his squad and has benefitted from it. We predict: 1st 2nd Leicester City A: No one expected a title challenge from the 2015/16 title winners but alas, Brendan Rogers’ men have excelled. Jamie Vardy tops the league’s goalscoring charts and doesn’t seem like stopping anytime soon. With a limited squad, they’re likely to falter – thus far they cannot be faulted. We predict: 4th 3rd Manchester City B-: The reigning champions have underperformed so far this season and now look almost certain to hand over the title to their rivals on the Mersey. With the quality they have they’ll hope to put in a strong finish and challenge in Europe. We predict: 2nd 4th Chelsea C: Inheriting a young side with a transfer ban, many
had low expectations of the Chelsea manager. He has, however, proved some doubters wrong by sticking by his young side. His side have been inconsistent and should have taken advantage of the poor form of their rivals more than they have – they should have a successful end of the season though. We predict: 3rd 5th Manchester United C-: Again, the Red Devils are another top 4 contender who have failed for consistency this year and are only as high as they are due to the failings of others. We predict: 5th 6th Sheffield United A: A surprise package this year: Sheffield United were highly tipped to go down but have bamboozled everyone with their work-rate and tactics. With a limited squad, we expect them not to sustain their quality. We predict: 9th 7th Wolverhampton Wanderers B-: Wolves have continued from their good work from last year and could be set for another push for a European place this year. We predict: 8th 8th Spurs D: Spurs, who finished runnersup in the Champions League last year, have failed for consistency and have continued their shakiness under Mourinho. Improvement is, however, expected. We predict: 6th
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THE FOUNDER January 2020
9th Crystal Palace B: Mid-table mediocrity is just what most people predicted of Palace this season. They have been one of the key beneficiaries of VAR this season – especially in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in October. We predict: 11th 10th Arsenal D-: One of the most disappointing sides this year have been the Gunners. After challenging for a top-4 last year, the same was expected this season especially after summer investment. It didn’t materialise and it has taken the appointment of Mikel Arteta to restore any form of organisation or confidence. We predict: 7th 11th Everton D: Everton were expecting to challenge for Europe and that has failed to materialise. Mid-table mediocrity near to confirmed. We predict: 10th 12th Southampton C: After an early 9-0 drubbing many expected relegation but Hassenhuttl has picked up his troops well to climb the table. We predict: 12th 13th Newcastle B-: After the departure of Rafa Benitez many expected relegation but hometown coach Steve Bruce has stirred the Geordies away from the relegation battle. We predict: 15th 14th Brighton C: Premier League status should be maintained under Graham Potter who has thus far performed admirably.
We predict: 16th 15th TH Burnley C: Sean Dyche and his Burnley side have performed astutely as we have become so accustomed to. We predict: 14th 16th West Ham D-: At the start of the year, West Ham were aiming for Europe; a relegation battle was not what they would have wanted. We predict: 13th 17th Aston Villa F: After 12 summer signings Villa were aiming to avoid ‘doing a Fulham’ but it appears that’s the way their season is going. They remain dangerously close to the drop zone and, with Watford’s form picking up, they are in danger of returning to the second-tier. We predict: 19th 18th Bournemouth E-: Bournemouth were hoping to build on last season’s good work but they have been plagued by injuries following a lacklustre Summer transfer window. We predict:18th 19th Watford E: A couple of months ago Watford were rock-bottom and rightly so. Under Nigel Pearson their form has picked up and look a serious force again – relegation should be avoided should this continue. We predict: 17th 20th Norwich F: Norwich have been playing good football, at times, but they lack the required skill to make it in the top league. Relegation imminent. We predict: 20th
January transfer window The top 10 Premier League clubs JAMES NEAL
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t’s that time of year again. The January transfer window presents Premier League clubs with the opportunity to renew and refresh their squads and unload troublesome Danish playmakers. The Founder looks at the squads of the top 10 Premier League clubs and where they should look to improve this window. Liverpool: There is little room for improvement for unbeaten league leaders Liverpool who have irrefutably been the best team in the league this season. However, technically gifted Japanese Youngster Takumi Minamino seems to have been a bargain transfer for the reds at a price of £7.25 and looks set to strengthen this squad even further. Leicester: Brendan Rodgers’ foxes have impressed this season with stellar performances; a top3 finish now looks likely for the foxes. To improve, Leicester should look to sign a first-team winger while youngsters Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray develop consistency. With the £80 million from Harry Maguires’ transfer sale still in the bank, a swoop for a big-name player such as Lyon’s unpredictable Bertrand Traore would be advisable. Manchester City: City have failed to reach the heights of previous seasons, with several uncharacteristic losses this season meaning they currently sit far off top spot. To strengthen, City desperately need a topclass centre-back to fill
the void left by club legend Vincent Kompany’s departure. Aymeric Laporte’s injury only highlights City’s defensive lack of depth further. While not a cheap option, worldclass Napoli centre back Kalidou Koulibaly would certainly boost the defence Chelsea: True to the corrupt nature of football’s governing bodies and Chelsea’s backhanded style to ‘negotiations’, Frank Lampard’s side have recently had their transfer ban lifted and look set to make some big moves this window. While both would demand high figures, either Wilfred Zaha or Jadon Sancho would likely assist Chelsea in securing a top-four finish this season. Sheffield United: Chris Wilder’s Blades have been the season’s surprise package, impressing many with their tactical innovation and determination. However, further depth in midfield would likely be welcome, with the signing of controversial former England international Jack Rodwell possibly filling this void. Manchester United: The only consistent thing about the Red Devils this season has been their inconsistency. James Maddison appears to be on the radar and will improve the team. However, when even Ashley Young is turning down a contract offer, Man United will likely struggle to pull in many big names this window. Spurs: Tottenham have been as consistent as the bus services in Egham. With summer signings disappointing, countless injuries and an expected exodus of players aiming to finally win a trophy in their club career, Spurs definitely need a rebuild. To start off
with, an experienced signing would be recommended. James Milner would surely be the perfect signing for Spurs; although it is unlikely any amount of money would attract him stepping down from Liverpool. Wolves: Nuno’s Wolves have started the season strongly but, with injuries and a cup run expected in the Europa League, will want to strengthen his side. With the departure of Italian Patrick Cutrone, Raul Jimenez is their only striking option. Ergo, this signing of a striker to support him would be wise – Matheus Cunha could be a sensible acquisition from RB Leipzig. Arsenal: The Gunners have been disappointing this season, but under Mikel Arteta, improvements are irrefutably being made. Organisation, spirit and confidence have been brought back under the Spanish wizard’s reign. To strengthen, two key areas can be identified: a central defender, to replace the injured talisman Calum Chambers and a central midfielder. As such, Isco and Lewis Dunk would undoubtedly sure up the squad – though it is unclear if each player would move outside of the Summer. Crystal Palace: Big Roy Hodgson has impressed this season, with the excellent former England manager getting some superb performances out of his team. However, the club is yet to fill the void left by the departure of Aaron Wan- Bissak. They are likely to look at another rightback, with a stated interest in Lyon’s Rafael and Spurs youngster Kyle WalkerPeters.
Happy New Year all RHUL students! We hope that you had a restful and enjoyable festive break. The start of the New Year brings some exciting news. Having already provided nearly 400 rooms at the Pad and Podium for RHUL students, we are proud to announce our most prestigious and ambitious project to date, The Garage. Launching in September 2021 and situated in a quiet location very close to the RHUL main campus, The Garage will provide high-end accommodation for 166 students. Ranging from stylish studio rooms, standard studios, large executive studios to cluster en-suites with a communal kitchen and living space, The Garage will have all your needs covered. With a focus on exceptional quality and detail, the accommodation will include private study rooms, a large common room, a gym/fitness room and much much more. Watch this space for more updates on The Garage and find out how you can become a part of this new, inspirational living space. What a great start to the New Year!
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