Brig Newspaper Volume 52 Issue 3

STIRLING'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL.52 VOL.52 ISSUE.3 ISSUE.1

Lateral Flow Tests: Changes and Access Page 7

1 DECEMBER 19 APRIL 2022 2021

4 Ways to Get Yourself out of a Rut Page 17

THOUSANDS PAID

Solidarity with Ukraine. Image Credit: Ben Waddell

Free tuition bid for Ukraine students settling in Scotland

By Ben Waddell

STIRLING UNI TOOK £37K IN PARKING CHARGES SINCE 2017 Stirling uni car park. Image credit: Hannah McNicol/ Canva

EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON PAGE 2

News Editor UKRAINIAN refugees settling in Scotland will be allowed to attend Scottish universities for free and receive living costs, subject to parliamentary approval.

Under the new proposals from the Scottish Government, Ukrainians wishing to study a higher education course in Scotland for the next academic year will be eligible for free tuition fees and living cost support, providing they have applied to the Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family, or the Ukraine Extension schemes.

While existing Ukrainian students already started studying in Scotland and who are experiencing hardships will be eligible to apply for immediate financial help from a newly created one-millionpound International Students’ Emergency Fund.

Regulations which would enable the changes are due to be laid out in parliament in early May and, if approved they will come into force from August.

Continued on Page 4

NEWS NEWS

2

STIRLING UNI COLLECTED £37K IN PARKING FINES SINCE 2017, STATS REVEAL

EDITORIAL

By Iona Brownlie Editor-in-Chief

I never thought we'd get to this point.

My final paper as Editor. This is a bitter sweet. On one hand, I have never been so relieved because editing these papers has been nearly as stressful as my dissertation. But, on the other hand, it's emotional.

I also can't describe the feeling of being named SPA BEST PUBLICATION IN SCOTLAND 2022. When I got elected, this was a major mission of mine and to get there was surreal (and yes I did cry).

I started Brig in second year (a year too late I've realised now) but it has become the biggest thing in my uni life. I've met some of my best friends, and received some amazing opportunities all from this paper.

I handed in my dissertation last week and the realisation that the next thing for me is graduation is incredibly scary. The day after, I had to sit down and edit this paper.

Back in November, when we finally published a print edition after 18 months due to covid, this point seemed like a million miles away. I've never been so stressed over a few sheets of paper.

But, this past year, and all three of our editions this year could not be possible without my incredible team of editors, all the writers and everyone involved with Brig. It's been one hell of a year. I want to thank everyone for this year and I will never forget this incredible paper.

www.brignews.com /brignewspaper

@brig_newspaper @brignewspaper @brignewspaper

Car Parking returned in March 2022. Image Credit: Harry Williamson

EXCLUSIVE BY IONA BROWNLIE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF THE university received £37,600 in parking fines from university car parks since 2017.

An FOI obtained by BRIG shows in the past five years 10,023 permits were given to staff and students- 4240 for staff and 5783 for students.

It has been revealed 2019 was the year the university received the most amount of money from parking tickets.

They gave out 2176 permits for the academic year 2018/19 and 2553 permits for 2019/20.

Throughout 2019, 1269 tickets were issues, the highest number in the past five years. From this, £15,667 was paid to the university in parking fines.

In 2019, BRIG reported on Bridge of Allan residents slamming university management after members of the university community were causing chaos by parking in the village.

It later surfaced the cause of the problem stemmed from the

lack of parking space at the university as well as the cost of permits.

Currently a standard permit for a student is £107.04, a double semester and a residential permit is £53.76 however, this is only until 31 August 2022.

Usually a standard permit is £215.04, a double semester and residential permit is £161.28.

In 2018, the university saw £13,279 being received as payment for parking tickets being given. This was an increase from 2017, when only £5,551 was paid to the university when 2743 permits had been granted.

Despite going into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the university had received £2,861 in parking fine money. Car parking charges were then suspended until March 2022.

However, the FOI can reveal during the year 2021, when parking charges were suspended,

the university received £48 in fines.

Earlier this year, BRIG reported on the reintroduction of car parking charges effective from March 1, 2022.

The university has implemented a new automatic number plate registration system (ANPR) which capture registration plates as cars enter and leave the university grounds.

First Parking issue private parking notices on behalf of the University for anyone failing to pay for parking their car, if the following requirements are not adhered to: if you have not purchased a valid permit, if you have not paid for car parking in conjunction with the pay as you go permit conditions, if you have not paid the pay to park daily charge.

Since the reintroduction of car parking charges, the university has received £194 in fines, they have currently given out 2551

permits to staff and students.

There are currently 169 tickets that remain outstanding from the last five years however, information on the number of fines issues are deleted after two years when they have been paid, cancelled, or otherwise closed.

A University spokesperson said: “The management of car parking, including any associated charges, is essential to ensure a safe and accessible environment for all campus users.

“The University reviews the arrangements for parking each year to ensure that, as far as practical, the demand for parking and the availability of spaces is optimised.

“To provide an alternative to parking on campus, we also promote sustainable travel options and encouraged students and staff to benefit from these where possible.”

NEWS

BRAW ARTS GAMING FOODSPORT & TV FILM GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES POLITICS COMMENT POLITICS MUSIC FILM MUSIC & ARTS FOOD SPORT 16-17 14-15 18-19 16-17 26-27 24-28 10-11 12-13 20 8-9 6-7 6-7 10-11 TV 22-23 28-32 24-25 22-23

3

FACE MASKS TO BE DROPPED IN SCOTLAND Rebecca Kerr

THE legal requirement to wear a face covering indoors in Scotland has been lifted.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that wearing a face covering is no longer legally enforceable, but Scots are still being encouraged to don a mask when visiting crowded areas or on public transport.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The decision to move from legal requirement to public health guidance is just that. I’ll still be wearing face coverings in particular settings, and we’ll be encouraging other people to do similar.”

According to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scot-

Masks will no longer be legally mandated. Image credit: Canva

land has made “steady progress” in recent weeks and is edging closing to “a greater sense of normality and a more sustainable way of managing the virus.”

However, Sturgeon has backed the guidance for Scots to continue wearing face coverings wherever possible: “Our NHS is still under pressure and the most vulnerable members of our society can still benefit from additional measures to protect them from the virus.

“I strongly recommend members of the public continue wearing face coverings in indoor settings where possible, and particularly when significant numbers of people are present.”

Sports Ball Winners announced at first in-person event since

By Graham Fleming COVID Pandemic Sports Editor

Winners of the sports ball awards 2022 were announced at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh to mark the first in-person event since COVID. Representatives of sports clubs all around the university, dressed to their best, attended the special event on Friday April 8 to celebrate the best achievements of the university’s numerous sports societies.

The award ceremony at the ball included prizes for winners of club of the year, the president’s award, volunteer of the year amongst others - and students nominated each other for a chance at these glamorous accolades.

A union spokesperson commented after the award show and had the following to say: “Stirling Sports Union goes from strength to strength every year, and this year was no exception. A few key highlights for us was: men’s

football retained the BUCS Premier North title, and we also had 6 SSS conference cup finalists including women’s hockey, squash, tennis, men’s football and 2 basketball teams.

We had thirty teams finish top 2 in their BUCS league, we sent 3 clubs to BUCS nationals in Sheffield and the clubs also bravely campaigned for some very deserving charities including;

The Ball was the first in-person event since the pandemic. Image Credit: Stirling Union Website

Movember, SAMH and Start Up Stirling.”

After a successful year, most are glad to see the return of in person events to the university calendar to celebrate the success of the athletes.

The union also expressed relief at the prospect of being able to host in person events like this one in the future as well:

“It’s been incredible to get back to in-person events both on and off the pitch and the ball’s sell out success shows that there was a huge appetite for the event!

It was great to see everyone together, celebrating the Sports Union and having a good time. A huge thank you to everyone for coming and congratulations to all of our winners, nominees, commit-

tee members, coaches and players.”

The winners of the awards were announced on the night as men’s football took home the prize for ‘Club of the Year,’ Alice Cogget won ‘Sports Personality of the Year,’ while Esme Foxworthy-Bowers claimed ‘Volunteer of the Year.’

A full list of winners can be found on the Stirling Union website.

NEWS NEWS

4

STIRLING SAABS FIGHT FOR BETTER WAGE

By Iona Brownlie Editor in Chief

Saabatical salaries. Image Credit: - VP Communities Ukrainian Flag. Image Credit: - Canva

Continued from new £1 million International Students’ Emerthe Front Page In a statement regarding the bid, the Minister for Higher Education Jamie Hepburn said: “We are determined to do everything we can to give displaced people from Ukraine the warmest welcome possible and we want to ensure students arriving here have the support they need to start or continue their higher and further education.”

“By extending home fee status and living cost support to students arriving from Ukraine we hope to provide some stability and assurance at this deeply troubling time and ensure those forced to flee their homes can live safely and comfortably in Scotland for as long as they need to.”

Hepburn continued: “We have also created a

gency Fund. This will help Ukrainian students already in Scotland who find themselves in hardship due to their situation, to continue their studies.

“Education opens doors to opportunities and transforms lives for the better so it is absolutely crucial we remove any financial barriers those displaced by the conflict may face.”

While Scotland’s National Union of Students president Matt Crilly welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government.

Crilly said: “Our places of education should always be safe havens for all those affected by war and persecution – this is a practical step towards this vision,”.

STIRLING'S Sabbatical officers (SAABs) are looking to campaign for a fairer wage.

In February, BRIG posted on Instagram a video of VP Communities, Alyson Mackay speaking outside of the Scottish Parliament during the Rally for Education.

In her speech, Mackay said: " I grew up in an incredibly impoverished family. I am a first generation university student.

I have learning difficulty "I didn't think id make it to university but I foolishly thought that by the time I did...

I really did think maybe just maybe having a degree would change my future.

"But I've finished my degree now. I'm a sabbatical officer, I'm severely underpaid for the amount of work I do and I don't see this cycle changing anytime soon."

Mackay also said: "our lecturers, our staff, our commercial staff that work in these charities, they are all underpaid. A charity is supposed to exist because a government is not filling a need. "... every single one of us here is a part of a charity... why do

we need charity to be protesting, rallying outside parliament for fair working conditions."

Speaking to the crowd, Mackay said there was not enough support coming from the government and more was needed now.

BRIG spoke to Mackay and told us they are not underpaid in a legal sense, they do make more than minimum wage.

According to a figures we obtained Stirling Sabbatical officers make £17,689.16 per year.

In comparisons, the SAABs at the University of Edinburgh make £23,000 per year.

This salary can only be changed by the Block Grantwhich the Students Union receive from the university to fund the union.

Mackay says they need this to be increased because it's not just the Sabbatical officers that are affected, "it's pretty much every member of staff in our Student's Union.

In a statement, Mackay said: "Working in a third sector organisation obviously means none of our staff members took the job expecting to make a huge wage, all of the staff care

about improving the lives of students in Stirling.

"We want and deserve fair pay, when we compare our sabbatical salaries to the sector average ours is noticeably lower. In some instances, this is significantly less despite our roles covering more areas of responsibility than some counterparts.

"We wouldn't even be aware of this if it wasn't for the relationships our team has been able to build with other sabbatical officers around the country.

"The idea that it's rude to discuss salaries seems to exist to stop people from realising what they could be getting paid and asking for more.

"Depending on the Students' Union block grant outcome, there should be an increase for future sabbaticals at Stirling - I'm really glad I persisted in getting this for future sabbs.

"Across the whole UK, I think, sabbaticals and all staff in Students' Unions/Associations are paid less than they deserve for vital, often unnoticed work."

A university spokesperson said: “The Students’ Union is an independent, commercial operation and is responsible for decisions on remuneration.

“The University fully supports a vibrant Students’ Union and will continue to be a key funder of the Union and its services.”

Students report issue with study space of which was completed fice for the Macrobert Arts plugs November 2021.

Centre.

By Morven Mackay Film & TV Editor

RECENT complaints from students highlights issues with plugs at the study spaces in the atrium.

Complaints claim that the problem is affecting plugs on the desks and the mains at several tables.

This comes after a £21.7 million renovation of campus central, the first stage

This was the final stage of the university’s vast campus renovation that also saw new sports facilities, a new atrium refurbishment and a new study zone.

The last stage of the Campus Central programme was opened in November.

The new facilities included the Institute for Advanced Studies, the Student Services Hub and the box of-

A new food outlet was also opened selling sub sandwiches.

In 2019, BRIG reported the £21.7 million campus was set to increase study spaces by 50%.

A University of Stirling spokesperson said: “We are aware of an issue with a very small number of desks and are working to provide a solution.”

NEWS

POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

TEENS BANNED FROM STIRLING MCDONALD'S

McDonalds on Murray Place. Image Credit: Google Maps

ARTS 18-19

GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 20 22-23 24-25 26-27 Isla Glen

A S t i rl i n g Mc D on a ld ’s h a s b a n ne d u n d e r -1 6 s f r om e nte r i n g t he s tor e o v e r a nt i - s o c i a l b e h av iou r.

T he br a nc h on Mu r r ay Pl a c e w i l l no lon g e r s e r v e c u s tom e r s u nd e r 1 6 y e a r s old a f te r 6 pm i n a n atte mp t to c om b at t he i s s ue .

T he f a s t-f o o d r e s t au r a nt h a s e x p e r i e nc e d s e v e r e a nt i - s o c i a l b e h av iou r f r om te e n a g e r s .

St a f f h av e r ep or te d l y b e e n t he v ic t i m s of v e rb a l a nd phy s i c a l a bu s e , a nd d a m a g e h a s b e e n done to t he pr op e r t y.

T he ne w r u le appl ie s to c u s tome r s u nd e r 16 u n le s s t he y a r e a c c om p a n ie d b y a n a du lt .

Si m i l a r me a s u r e s h av e b e e n put i n pl a c e at t he C a me lon br a nc h i n Fa l k i rk .

A St i rl i n g C ou nc i l s p ok e s p e r s on said: “ T he C ou nc i l i s aw a r e

SPORT 28-32

5

of a nt i - s o c i a l b e h aviou r i s s ue s i n t h i s s e c t ion of t he c it y c e nt r e . “ E n f or c e me nt O f f ic e r Pat r ol s h av e b e e n i n creased in this area a nd C C T V c o v e r a g e i n t he v ic i n it y i s a l s o b e i n g mon itor e d . “ I n f or m at ion on t he s e i s s ue s i s b e i n g s h a r e d w it h k e y p a r tne r s , i nc lud i n g t he Pol ic e a s r e qu i r e d .”

Staff subjected to verbal and physical abuse

6

NEWS 1-5

POLITICS

The energy crisis is worth fighting for. Image credit- Andrew Preston/ Almay stock image

The energy and cost of living crisis is worth fighting Opinion: Rachel Swan, Politics Editor

IN recent reports we have read how millions of people across the UK are paying on average around £700 a year more for electricity and gas.

This is a result of several factors: Firstly, the energy price cap, i.e. the maximum price energy suppliers can charge households, has been increased across the UK as of April 1, 2022.

Energy providers have been able to increase bills to the average household by a massive 54 per cent This price cap is reviewed every six months, with subsequent rises likely to occur in October.

Secondly, a universal squeeze on energy supplies has increased the price of gas from last year.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed prices to rise even higher as sanctions against the warring nation mount. Russia is the world’s largest exporter of natural gas, though the UK receives little of its gas from them. However, naturally the knock on effect of Russian supplies to Europe could cause gas prices to increase again worldwide.

Don’t get it twisted thoughthe energy price increase would have occurred regardless of Russia’s recent actions and was planned to

do so. The recent increases are, in this writers opinion, an affront to the desperate needs of the average person, and an insult given the difficulties the global pandemic has resulted in.

Articles appearing in various widely circulated newspapers about boiling water in a kettle vs on the hob just compound and highlight how truly atrocious these circumstances are. Choosing between eating and heating your home are unconscionable dilemmas facing not only the poorest, but the average person.

All the while the UK’s Big Six energy providers made more than £1 billion in profit ahead of this price hike. As customers face soaring energy bills, the brass neck is astounding. A tale as old as time of shameless profiteering in times of hardship and uncertainty. SSE made over £600 million alone in profits before taxes according to Ofgem. Yes, that company that was forced to apologise last month for advising customers to “do star jumps” to keep energy bills down.

This is a direct challenge to the Tory ethos of hard work and meritocracy. Individuals earning above average wages in the UK are struggling.

It is a disgrace that the poor-

est and most vulnerable suffer under the government regardless, but how are they going to spin this now, when those on ry are also struggling? The façade is failing, a vanishing veneer of the lie that hard work is the answer.

Given the nature of our environment and climate change, it is obvious that humanity must switch to all renewable energy sources.

Recent reports from the UN suggest this must be done by 2025, that peak carbon emissions must occur prior to this if we have a shot at reversing some of the damage.

Why then are average citizens shouldering the burden of an arbitrary price increase to line the pockets of the usual array of fat cats when the world is burning because of our fossil fuel usage?

We should not accept this.

Our generation in particular is very active about social issues, rallying behind ending discrimination to any of our peers, passionate about holding those accountable.

Why then are we not angry about this to the same extent as I know we can be?

This effects us all within society universally, and only unified together can we take steps to fight back.

Despite calls from Tory backbench MPs to axe its 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance chancellor Rishi Sunak is pushing ahead with his alongside the hike in energy prices.

The fact is that the majority of us aren't talking about this, as though it is some far-removed issue from our realities, whether now or in the near future as we age.

Not to the same extent as some issues that arguably affect us less. These economic issues are deserving of that rage that fuels protest, are we going to let them get away with it? Again?

I worry that a whole host of economic disadvantages and injustices take up less of our activism as they are not as obviously devastating to the community.

The number of billionaires keeps increasing, our wages don’t rise as they should, and we are struggling to make ends meet working multiple jobs.

It is not to pit one issue against the other or diminish the importance of an issue, but there is a certain irony that some causes are railed behind, whereas others are ignored or not met with the same passion.

Perhaps there needs to be more social media posts about the energy crisis to

motivate a token share or performative profile picture.

I don't mean to be facetious or pessimistic, it is just an observation. many 'activists' will share some posts at the time of incident, then never again.

But that is far better than silence on the issue. Let's get that enthusiasm we can deploy for other issues laser-focused on this crisis.

In the wake of Johnson and Sunak's partygate fines, amidst Sunak's wife's tax non-dom status debacle, on top of secret second jobs, heaped on the absolute corrupt mess that is Johnson's ' i - re f u s e - to - eve r - re s ig n' ethos that has bled into the cabinet, I for one am beyond fed up of the seemingly constant notion that there are rules for them, and rules for us.

A tale as old as time. The class war is still here, just looks a little different.

We might not be visibly proletariat working in some industrial hellscape in a more appropriate and recognisable 1800's setting, but UK and global tax systems still benefit the wealthy, and average households will still be holding their breath in October when the next hike comes.

COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD SPORT POLITICS 7 8-9 24-25 10-11 12-13 16-17 18-19 20 22-23 26-27 28-32 Top 10 things Boris Johnson may struggle with if he was 'unaware' his birthday party broke COVID rules, getting "back to noror that there was even a By Rachel Swan those visiting vulner- mal" as COVID hopePolitics Editior able individuals in a fully becomes endemBig COVID testing care home or hospital, ic as opposed to being party at epidemic levels.

LATERAL FLOW TESTS: CHANGES AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ACCESS

1)Counting charming ducks at the park (how will he know how many there are?)

2) Singing 'ten green bottles' or any numerically based nursery rhyme 3) Keeping his new years resolutions past 12:05AM

4) Spotting exotic parties in the wild on safari 5)Time and space

6) Basic empathy, fractional understanding of human emotion 7) Vision, in general

8) Leading the nation during the unimaginable horrors of war and times of global uncertainty 9) Eye spy

changes are cominghere's what you need to know In Scotland, from the 18th of April, changes are coming to the way we deal with COVID symptoms, and how we go about testing and following procedures, which are changing again from the 1st of May. From the 18th of April, lateral flow tests will no longer be free to average members of the public. Until the end of April, NHS workers and those deemed to be working on the front lines of healthcare can still get free lateral flow tests due to the nature of their job. Those in high risk situations within their job can still apply for free lateral flow tests.

Those asked to test themselves for COVID, i.e. hospital patients or

will still be able to access free lateral flow tests until the end of April also.

With regards to the procedure to follow if you have COVID symptoms, until the end of 30th April, people people symptoms should isolate and book themselves a PCR test as usual, whether ordering to the home or going to a test site.

Vaccinated close contacts of positive cases should, until the 30th April, test themselves daily with lateral flow tests for 7 days, as usual.

However, from the 1st of May, people will COVID symptoms will no longer be required to test themselves, whether a PCR test or a lateral flow test. This is an attempt to start

10) Running a country

Party Gate. iMage credit: Ellie Foreman-Peck, The Financial Times

Lateral flow Test. Image credit: Vanguard Chemicals

This is obviously a massive change to procedure, and comes with a set of advantages and disvantages for people. Most noticeably however, is that individuals are nowhere near as protected when off their work with COVID, and individuals may feel they have to come in to work or get in trouble.

Physical test sites are also to close from the 1st of May, marking a drastic directional change in the way we deal with COVID. Track and trace is also ending, with the Scottish government sending the message that COVID is firmly getting put behind us due to the vaccination rate amongst the population.

8

NEWS POLITICS 1-5 6-7

COMMENT

A Student Guide to Rising Energy Bills

By Aysun Bora

The erasure of the (LGB)T in British society Image. Forbes

By Lucie Smith I guess this is when our Darwinian society has been brought to a startling halt.

It seems our faltering government cannot bear the heavy load of governing and after passing marriage equality and securing protection of human rights for a fraction of their population, they have thrown in the towel. Their actions (or lack of) show clearly where they stand on the protection of transgender rights.

The UK government’s disdainful response to protection of minority citizens’ rights is no secret and now transgender people are at the hands of their government’s inaction.

This is clear from the work of the present government’s missed opportunity to amend the current unrepresentative gender recognition act into the modern day.

The bill’s main objective is to aid transgender people in living their lives as the gender they identify with.

However, like all bills there is many pitfalls in the act.

One of the more notably damaging errors to the bill is the mandatory requirement that trans people live in their assigned gender for

a minimum of two years until they are officially allowed to change their name.

This clause is evidence of the lack of authentic research that could have been gained by talking to trans people themselves when creating this act. As the clauses lengthen the time these individuals go without support which can have a damaging impact on their mental health.

In response to the limited yet powerful public outcry on this clause the government has shown its far too common dismissive attitude and shows no interest in further amendments.

However, the government is not solely at fault; as our society culture has a part to play in this discrimation.

Britain, as a culture has a way of disguising our bigotry within comedy and slapstick then pushing it under the carpet and denying it ever happened . It wasn’t that long ago where staple British comedies like Rab C Nesbit and the IT Crowd used a poor excuse for trans characters as satire barely acknowledging their human existence let alone their identity.

Yes. Nowadays, there are

far more authentic portrayals of trans characters, however they are commonly fleeting moments in soaps and will usually get killed off coincidently shortly after they arrive.

Moreover, their portrayals always seem false, as if producers are trying to meet a diversity standard, and it’s just not good enough.

This harmful rhetoric surrounding transgender people is much more than just a joke but a complete disregard for the people in question, with a bewildering focus on the impact of the majority instead .

It’s the families that quickly turn over the channel when a rare trans character appears, hiding their flushed faces in a nature documentary, our health system writing people off as mentally ill and assuring them it’s just a phase, a school kid crying every morning because she wants to wear a skirt like the other girls, and doesn’t understand why she can't.

Its time Britain removes our stiff upper lip and embraces our diverse nature and differences rather than turning a blind eye because that is where our society truly fails.

THIS is a guide for students that have to deal with the rapid rise of energy bills in private accommodation.

Energy bills are going to rise by about 54 per cent according to Ofcom. The general cost of living will reach a peak in April 2022.

The pandemic, the overuse of energy resources in December 2021 and 2020 and the Eastern-European war caused an energy crisis that citizens all around the world will have to deal with.According to the 2022 research on student poverty from the NUS (National Union of Students) 60 per cent of students in Scotland are worried about their finances.

Brig went through different articles on how to save energy, so you don’t have to. Here are the best tips for students: 1. Install a smart reader or submit new meter readings frequently.

Accurate meter readings are the basis for paying for your energy usage. The numbers on your gas and electricity meter show your usage.

A smart reader will submit the readings to your supplier automatically.

Many energy meters in private accommodation are still manual to this day. Ordering a smart reader saves you a lot of hassle and money as well since your highest and lowest usage get submitted electronically. Most energy suppliers offer the installation for free. However, make sure to ask your landlord before installing one. If you are not able to get one installed, go out of your way and submit meter readings at least once a month.

Believe me, the work is worth it.

2. Buy yourself a robe and some blankets.

My flatmate and I used

to put the heating on a lot in our flat. Now, through the rising bills, we have realised that isn’t a luxury we can sustain. It was a mutual decision to buy some blankets together. Having priorities and understanding that you don´t always have to heat until the maximum can be quite helpful.

3. Turn down the temperature of your thermostat.

Even decreasing the temperature by one degree can make you save a lot of money. Putting your thermostat on automatic mode also keeps the temperature down during the night when heating is not that necessary.

4. Unplug your devices and avoid standby mode.

Most of us keep our electronic devices plugged in and on standby when they are not in use. However, in that case, you keep using energy throughout.

Small habits like turning off the switch after using one of the devices can already be helpful. In general, charging electronic devices for a long time is damaging for batteries. The more you charge your device the more the battery loses its capacity.

Then again you will have to charge it more often.

Electronics need maintenance just like anything else. Unplugging the devices that are not in use is a good step forward.

In general: you will be fine even if you are cold for a while. Truth is, most of us are just used to the ultimate comfort of a warm home and devices that are constantly ready to use. Not only is that detrimental to our energy bill but also to the environmental footprint that we leave. Changing small habits and being aware of our day-to-day energy usage can keep the bill down.

COMMENT

MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 16-17 10-11 12-13

ARTS 18-19

GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 22-23 24-25 20 26-27

SPORT 28-29

THE TALK: IT IS WHAT IT IS

9

Image Credit: Olya Kobruseva, Pexels.com

By Aj Whyte

Barbie.

Image Credit: Olya Kobruseva, Pexels.com

I never wanted to be Barbie

By Megan Taylor BARBIE is the voice of a generation, just not the one you think.

Barbie was, in my opinion, the first influencer, shaping the image and lifestyle of girls all over the world. From hyper feminine movies to tv shows. Barbie was created to give girls an inspiration, something young and aspirational, like a big sister you never had. Barbie’s ideology is centred around the idea that girls could play with Barbie and imagine their future selves.

The play revolves around being grown up with perfect hair, a “healthy” body, and a fashionable wardrobe.

Throughout its history, the doll has been criticised for perpetuating a different ideal – one about body image that can negatively affect girls’ mental health, but I would argue that the doll itself does not enforce that ideal, but the society that makes her does.

Ruth Handler, the creator herself was a businessperson and inventor. She was the president of the Mattel

but her most notable work was making prosthetics for breast cancer survivors. She was a trailblazer. In recent years Mattel has come under fire for not being inclusive and unique enough but they have listened, well kind of. Due to declining sales, a new collection of barbies was launched that celebrated diversity and inclusivity.

Using significant body parts to name the dolls such as petite or curvy is questionable and I agree that it draws attention to the body, making it a defining female trait.

Let’s be honest, Barbie was never the problem. It was adult society projecting their insecurities onto children’s toys. These dolls were made to be a vehicle for creativity and imagination. Barbie was just a tool for that. The problem is the message society places on Barbie. A girl who plays with Barbie may internalise unrealistic body images, while I would argue that Barbie’s original proportions would be unhealthy for a girl to strive for, so would the proportions of their favourite models and actors.

Yes, there is the unrealistic body standards of the 12 Dancing Princess or delicate Fairy Topia but the core themes of Barbie movies are sisterhood and friendship and what is more feminist and inclusive than that.

We should not shame woman for being more “femme” than their friends.

As a kid, I never wanted to be Barbie, I just wanted the car and tour bus and secret library. While I do think progress is slow, a lot of it is still good progress. Many modern Barbie shows are doing a lot to teach children, like when Barbie and her friend were talking about racial injustice and body confidence in her vlogs. Barbie is a good role model, telling me that just because you’re feminine does not mean you are weak. Still, to kids like me, Barbi e was my avatar, who could be a ballerina or a rockstar, but it never really occurred to me that the doll I was playing with wasn’t me. In my head, it was a movie and Barbara Millicent Roberts was called something else.

MENTAL health is a funny thing and having a mental health condition is even funnier.

Not-funny-ha-ha, more like wow-my-brainsucks-funny. Or somepeople-don’t-live-likethis-everyday-funny.

in counselling without a mental health diagnosis.

The thing is, with mental health, it’s something you have to take care of every single day of your life. And if you end up developing a condition, either because of a chemical imbalance or a trauma response or even a bit of both, it’s not necessarily something that can be ‘cured’.

That’s not to say that these comments are always coming from a place of ignorance or apathy but are based on love and concern. But sometimes these people don’t understand what it’s like living a fight with your own brain every single day.

Your own mind telling you every single day you’re not good enough, that you’re worthless, that nobody loves you, despite the glaring evidence that says otherwise.

A lot of treatments seem to focus on this, or at the very least the attitudes around treatments do. ‘Just go to therapy for a few months and then you’ll be fine’ or ‘just take these pills for a few months and you’ll be okay’. I have heard these comments in varying degrees for most of my life since an official diagnosis, and I’ve even heard them when I was

Mental health battles are not necessarily always something to win.

They’re something to deal with. They’re something to grow with or grow from. If I need to take a pill every day and talk to someone once a week for only an hour just to make it through, then I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. So that I do end up having a life. A life worth living.

10

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT 8-9 1-5 6-7

MUSIC

Junior Orchestra. Image: NYOS Junior Orchestra Twitter

NYOS Junior Orchestra Review: A joyous evening speckled with tender moments

By Sophie McVinnie Music editor

THE National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s (NYOS) Junior Orchestra arrived at the Albert Hall, Stirling in early April to perform an array of classical repertoire for an adoring audience.

Challenging themselves with Sibelius, Khachaturian and more, the miniature performers dazzled the crowd with vivid determination and infectious energy.

Conducted by Natalia Luis-Bassa, NYOS Juniors comprise young, aspiring musicians aged eight and over.

For some, this was their first orchestral experience, and they rehearsed for merely five days before readying themselves for performance.

But they were fast to fix minor timing issues

and their resilience and passion shone through their playing.

For many, like myself, it was a shock to hear how little rehearsal time they had.

As performers filed onto the stage, each member varied in height as it became clear how many different ages the orchestra had acquired.

As the principal violinist entered last, her short stature was acutely surprising and we watched with admiration as she took her seat, waiting for Natalia.

The concert set off to a steady start with Gayane: Suite No. 1 by Khachaturian.

A few string players sat in nervous suspense, their bows brushing off their strings, willing Natalia to lift her baton.

Alas, the piece’s bouncy nature was in their fa-

vour, and the nerves melted away as the players got more comfortable on stage.

The sound was impressive given their experience and age, and it swelled and shrunk to Natalia’s liking.

It seemed they might’ve had the skills to make it warmer if their instruments were professional or full sized.

I was in awe of their ability already.

Between Sibelius’ Karelia Suite and Borodin’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major: Finale, the orchestra’s confidence grew exponentially as timing resolved itself better, nervous plucks were deteriorated from the strings and players sat up readily.

In particular, a gorgeous oboesolo in the middle of Sibelius was beautifully executed

with a tone not far off a professional player. A quick nod from his desk partner straight after was most intimidate, and I felt a beam of pride appear under my mask.

Before the final piece of the evening — the flamboyant Conga del Fuego Nuevo by Arturo Márquez — a young boy from the brass section walked to the front to introduce the piece.

His sweet sentence stumbling and fidgeting as he read, put a smile on Natalia’s face, who’d stepped to the side to let him present, as well as a tender giggle from the audience.

This was a moment to be proud of — to watch Scotland’s young musicians play their hearts out and perform with ambitious professionalism.

They’d done countless parents in the audience

proud and only fed the question of what they might achieve next.

The final performance was filled with energy and enthusiasm, full of frenzied phrases that only encouraged a cheering standing ovation by the end.

As Natalia swayed and boogied at the front, sparks were flying high as the tuning hit spot on, notes were crisp and each bar was played with the utmost amount of poise and joy.

It was a pleasure to watch Scotland’s youngest and most talented musicians take to a professional stage and attempt expert repertoire.

It was not an easy task but they completed it with unmatched enthusiasm and diligence, making it a most wonderful and enjoyable concert.

FILM & TV BRAW

MUSIC

12-13

16-17

ARTS 18-19

Image: Theo Barrett (Instagram: don_flexington)

A chat with Aiden Driver: “I’m just trying to be happy, and music right now is the way to do that.”

By Rebecca Crockett EVERY second Tuesday of the month, around nine pm in Nicky-Tams Bar and Bothy, Aiden Driver steps up onstage.

Armed with just his voice and a guitar, the pop-singer is no stranger to being behind a microphone. But he describes it the same way every time: “Absolute panic…until the very moment I start. The most anxiety I will ever feel is before I sing my first note.”

But performing under pressure is a familiar feeling for Aiden.

The Lancashire born singer first moved to Scotland when he was 12 years old, forcing him to adapt to a whole new schooling system, all while coping with a stammer. A couple years earlier, a part in his primary school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat gave Driver the survival tools for his new environment.

Driver said: “I got to sing the big song in front of this municipal hall, like full of people. It was the best moment of my life.

I was then like, this is great! I wasn’t stammering. Let’s just keep doing this.”

From then on, Driver found ways to play music whenever he could, jumping from school choirs and busking.

The 21-year-old credits ‘Pump Up The Jam’, a song writing and band workshop based in Tolbooth studios, for increasing his musical confidence and helping to nurture this second language: “I couldn’t communicate through speech but whenever I did music, I was just fluent,” he said.

Now, after being featured in a showcase event in Glasgow’s Soulsa Bar and regularly gracing the Nicky-Tam’s stage, Driver is on the rise.

Audiences are lucky

enough to witness this growth in real time as he experiments with different styles and finds his voice.

From the dreamy yowls on his Love Ballad ‘Lucky On You’, to the space age synths on ‘Turn Back Time’, Driver is finding his musical feet and we get to see it: “I enjoy the fact that I’m still figuring out what type of music I want to make,” said Driver. “I’m enjoying creating anything right now.”

Nicky-Tams is a safe place for the guitarist — the bar’s open mic night every Wednesday offers musicians the chance to showcase their own talent: “Every time I go there, I feel like I’ve been enriched in some way…

Just to hear the things that come out of people’s minds, like how did you come up with that?”

Driver’s own creative

GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 20 22-23 24-25 26-27 process is slow work. He often waits for inspiration to strike. But once it does, there’s no stopping him — his single ‘Lucky On You’ is a perfect example. After hearing the melody in a dream, the song wrote itself: “I grabbed my phone, humming it into my phone, running for my guitar, leaping over my cat and the whole thing just spilled out in like an hour,” he said.

Driver plans to release music every month for the next year. His latest single, ‘One More Day’, is out now and blends choral harmonies with simple melodies: “I’ve put my whole soul into this, it sounds great.”

SPORT 28-32

11

Juggling everything that comes with being an independent artist is no easy job. But for Aiden, it is all worth it for that first note.

Driver said: “The release once I start. Then all I’m thinking about is “Oh, I’m playing music now”. It’s such a stress reliever.”

Clearly, this is just the beginning for the young performer: “I am never stopping because it makes me super happy, that’s all I could really ask for,” he said.

“Success in music isn’t the goal, I’m just trying to be happy, and music right now is the way to do that so I’m just going to keep that going.”

Aiden Driver’s Latest single is out now on Spotify.

Image: Theo Barrett (Instagram: don_flexington)

12

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11

FILM & TV

The magic of silent film

By Rachel Swan

From left to right Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, John Turturro and Britt Lower in AppleTV+'s Severance.

Image Credit: Esquire.

AppleTV+'s Severance is a must-watch

By Morven Mackay Film and TV Editor

EVERY day Mark. S (Adam Scott) wakes up in an elevator on the way to his office with no memories from his outside life.

At the end of the day, he doesn’t get to leave. Not really. Instead, his outside self – his outtie – takes over.

At some point, Mark’s outtie decided to receive the surgical procedure known as severance, a disturbing and ethically questionable process that divides your work life and your personal life via a chip in your brain – the ultimate work/life balance For the ‘outties’, they get to (literally) switch off from their workday and act like it never happened. It’s what everyone dreams of, right? A life of consisting only of free time, one where you can’t take your work home with you, even if you really wanted to.

But the workers on the severed floor of Lumon Industries – the innies – they got the short end of the stick. Their entire life is contained within the walls of the office – they don’t know if they have families, what their hobbies are, their own likes and dislikes.

We begin the show with Helly.

R’s orientation to the Macro Data Refinement (MDR) department, a small team made up of

four severed employees. Isolated from other departments, Mark and Helly, alongside their fellow refiners Dylan and Irving, spend their day in a windowless office completing repetitive and mind-numbing tasks, the only rewards for their hard work being finger traps and rubbers.

From the moment she joined the team, innie Helly starts trying to find a way out but it’s not as simple as just quitting.

Brainwashed by their company and its deified founder Kier Egan, the others try to keep her in line but, as they discover more about Lumon, they start to ask questions themselves.

Created by Dan Erickson, and directed by Ben Stiller and Aofie McArdle, Severance is one of the most exciting shows to come out of Apple TV+. The dystopian-esque future explores the apathy of office life and delves into the lengths that companies might want to go to in order to control their employees.

The retro-futuristic aesthetic, comprised of chunky computers and really old cars, carries on the trend of sci-fi shows meshing nostalgia with uncomfortable technological advancements.

The combination makes it all feel like it could actually happen (I mean, Elon Musk is working on some weird Neuralink brain chip so maybe severance is on the cards).

Each and every cast member acts their butt off, and we are able to see their talents showcased in difference ways as the story progresses. Seeing Adam Scott take on a dramatic role and execute it perfectly proves that he is more than just his comedic ventures.

It’s the other actors, however, that make it truly captivating.

The phenomenal John Turturro was in peak form, every second he was on the screen felt like they belonged to him. The relatively unknown Tramell Tillman is similarly astounding as MCR’s supervisor Milchick and was genuinely menacing at times (especially during the office dance party in episode seven).

The show is overflowing with religious references. Handbook passages are quoted like the Bible, renaissance painting depict the messages in Lumon’s teachings, and the employees talk about founder Keir’s presence like he’s some omnipresent ruler.

The 9 episode season was released on a week-by-week basis and sustained the tension and mystery from the first minute all the way to the last. They rounded it out with a genuinely remarkable finale. Every inch of the 40 minutes was tense and exciting. Even though there were some elements I had seen coming, it still managed to keep me

utterly enthralled (I spend most of the episode with my jaw on the floor).

The show has been incredibly well received by critics and with its last three episodes all scoring none point zero and over on IMDB, and the finale getting a whopping none point eight, it’s clear the public agrees.

Many of the questions the show raised throughout remain unanswered. Luckily it has already been renewed for a second season – is it bad that part of me wishes I could be severed until it returns?

Adam Scott. Image Credit: Vouge

LAST month, a special little niche gem of festival fare took place at the iconic Hippodrome cinema in Bo’ness, for the 12th year running. Hippfest, established in 2011, was back with in-person audience for the first time since 2019 as a result of the pandemic and COVID regulations.

The Hippodrome is thought to be the oldest example of a purpose-built cinema in Scotland, and as such it comes with a certain poetic harmony that it should host one of the UK’s only silent film festivals. It boasts the privilege of showcasing some of the finest restoration work and products of serious archival digging across silent film history and playing host to some of the best musicians in the silent film live musical accompaniment scene.

I’ve always had a huge interest in silent films as a big history and film buff and had the pleasure of volunteering at Hippfest this year in a crowd control and customer care capacity. Not only is it a fabulous opportunity for event management experience, but as a silent film lover there are definitely some wonderful perks! I found that meeting other film nerds in both the volunteers and the audience members to be my favourite aspect, discussing what we’d just seen and raving over the musical interpretation.

Whether that was the comedy action high jinks of The Mask of Zorro, the gothic horror playbook originated in The Fall of The House of Usher or laughing in unison with a sold out crowd to domestic comedy City Girl.

The combination of live music and film is one that should be experienced by everyone.

Too often silent film can be thought of, especially to the young general modern audience, as a purely academic or artsy venture that is seemingly detached from the Big Movies they see today and is deemed intimidating. Ironically some of these earliest usages of framing, narrative, and experimental camera angles on film can be found in abundant influence in todays cinema, with startlingly modern and innovative productions to be found in spades in the silent era naturally, as art and technical innovation is influenced by its predecessors.

Hippfest takes place every year in March, and regularly produces an exciting program of events for the connoisseurs and laypersons alike with an eclectic range of treats.

Experience cinema the old fashioned way sometime!

FILM & TV

Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2

By Jules Adamska

Attack On Titan. Image Credit: Newsweek

THE second part of the final season of one of the currently most popular anime is all finished. It is crushing, nostalgic and puts emotions above all else as it leaves the viewer even more attached to the characters and left missing the ones that are gone.

Part two of the season has started by continuing the cliff-hangers of part one, answering some questions, and making us ask even more – particularly those viewers who have not read Hajime Isayama’s manga, and have no clue as to what will happen next.

Attack on Titan, originally titled Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese, has been a fan favourite since its premiere in 2013 due to the one-of-a-kind plot, well-written characters, unpredictable plot twists, and the phenomenal score, which makes every flashback more emotional and every battle more epic.

The music in the final season part two is particularly good – with, arguably, the best opening and ending of the whole series.

The Rumbling and Akuma no Ko (translating to “Child of Evil”) are impossible to skip, being nostalgic and heart-breaking, adding an aura of finality to the episodes. Which is a shame they have been wasted as intro and outro of a part that turned out not to be the final one after all.

MAPPA, the studio producing Attack on Titan, has announced the (hopefully this time) final part of season four will premiere in 2023; something the fans did not expect back in January when the season picked up. The reactions have been mixed, with some tired of waiting year after year for new episodes, and

others glad to be getting any new content at all.

The most recent batch of episodes is good, belonging with the rest of the series. However, some episodes are lacking in certain aspects. They are tedious, with a clear attempt at creating a melancholic mood and focusing on emotion rather than action. However, while the attempt is there, this has not been executed without flaw. As aforementioned, the episodes come out a little dull, as there’s so many of them one after another.

Emotional scenes are good, but they should be evenly spread, not all put together.

A name that must be mentioned is Yūki Kaji – the voice actor of Eren Jaeger, the main character. He has proven himself an amazing actor by pouring his heart and soul into voicing Eren since the first season, but in season four he has truly shined.

Eren’s gut-wrenching, ear-piercing screams in episode 80, From You, 2,000 Years Ago, are enough to make you pause the video and reflect on your entire life while taking a deep breath because of how absolutely, disturbingly affecting they are.

Kaji’s performance is breath taking, attention-grabbing and steals the show, even despite Eren’s surprisingly small amount of screen time, which has peeved many fans in the second part of the final season.

Out of twelve episodes, he only appears in seven. For a main character, he seems to be missing from his own series, similarly to Boba Fett in The Book of Boba Fett. It looks like male protagonists in 2022 TV have a new trend – vanishing.

Taking over season four from Wit Studio, MAPPA changes the animation style slightly, showing time has passed in in the characters’ lives, but makes the titans’ design more 3D-looking.

The titans seeming to be taken straight out of video games, which, while their movements are shown in slow motion, makes them even more inhuman and unnatural. And certainly, all the more terrifying. This change of animation style marvellously highlights the change of perspective, making the viewer as disturbed as they were back in season one, not used to the image of huge monsters devouring people.

Unless you have a good reason not to, Shingeki no Kyojin is definitely worth the watch.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 3 premieres in 2023.

BRAW 16-17

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 18-19 20 22-23 24-25 26-27

SPORT 28-32

13

Jodie Comer (left) and Sandra Oh in Killing Eve. Image Credit: Digital Spy.

Can the femme fatale ever be feminist?

By Finola Clarke

THE return of BBC’s Killing Eve sees our favourite femme fatales make their return to our screens, the titular character Eve and Villanelle. I was curious to explore the concept of femme fatale and whether it can break out of the male gaze.

A femme fatale is defined as “an attractive and seductive woman, especially one who is likely to cause distress or disaster to a man who becomes involved with her” (Grubler). There are arguably already problems with this definition with it being centred around the relationship that femme fatale has to the men in her life, due to this the definition of “attractive and seductive” also aligns with the male gaze.

However, Killing Eve can be seen to take a somewhat feminist approach to the trope. In the first season of the show Villanelle lures her victim to his death via cunning and not via seduction. She still does it in style though, being arguably one of the most stylish characters on tv at the minute.

The refusal of Villanelle to rely on looks to carry out her kills allows her to flourish as a femme fatale who does not see the need to conform to the male gaze, she

can achieve her kills without having to rely on the appeal of her outward appearance. Her image is within her control and nowhere is this clearer from her fashion. With this control comes the ability to only sexualise herself when and how she wants to, making the femme fatale feminist does not mean taking all the appeal out of it but rather redirecting it to a gaze that isn’t male. Villanelle only dresses to impress when she wants to, taking away from the male gaze and into her own.

She is not forced to be a traditional femme fatale but rather redefines the femme fatale image to her own definition.

How does Villanelle redefine this image? It’s through her completely unhinged nature, she “is not dangerous because of her sexuality, she just ‘is’ because she is capable and wilful”(Grubler). Villanelle is a femme fatale who is allowed to be sexy outside of the male gaze. Villanelle’s control of her desires in the show is something that is shown in such a refreshing manner, it shows how a femme fatale can be a multifaceted woman with brains and beauty instead of just the latter.

Unlike the traditional femme fatale, the focus isn’t on her sex

Jodie Comer.

Image Credit: NME

appeal but on her unhinged murders, and the fact that she carries these out whilst controlling her own image. She exerts a control over her image which helps to reclaim the femme fatale as feminist, within a woman’s control instead of the ever-present male gaze.

With season four currently airing we are also seeing Eve being allowed to step into a

Jodie Comer. Image Credit: Digital Spy

more prominent femme fatale role. The season opens with Eve holding Konstantin at gunpoint demanding he give her a name and Helene’s location. Her motivation is clear, hunt down the criminal organisation ‘The Twelve’. Eve’s newfound femme fatale image is founded in her own want for revenge. Eve is reclaiming the femme fatale as a trope that operates around a woman’s needs and not the men in her life.

Overall, the femme fatale can be feminist if it can be shown to have an awareness of the male gaze and it either subverts this or completely redefines what it means to be a femme fatale.

Killing Eve has shown itself to be a show which is aware of the male gaze and actively works against this to give women their own narrative and agency. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the final season unfolds.

SPECIAL COVERAGE:

Tash Miller. image: Stirling Students Union

PUTTING THE ‘STUDENT’ BACK INTO THE STUDENTS’ UNION: TASH MILLER ELECTED UNION PRESIDENT

By Rebecca Kerr

TASH Miller has been elected to serve as the next Stirling Students’ Union President. She won with 209 votes, edging out Calum Brown by just nine votes.

Following two successful years as Sports Participation and Engagement Officer, Miller will hold her new position of Union President from June 1 2022 to May 31 2023.

Speaking after her election, an emotional Miller said: “Thank you to everyone who voted – it’s just unreal, I’m really going to remember this for a long time.

Thank you to the other candidates, my friends and everyone on my campaign team. I just really can’t wait to get started.

Thank you.”

In her role as Union President, Miller is committed to putting the ‘student’ back into the Students’ Union. She won on a platform of increased transparency, stronger advocacy, more safety education and accessible health and wellbeing support.

Increasing transparency in the Union and the university was at the forefront of Miller’s campaign. She plans on introducing annual meetings with Vice-Chancellor Gerry McCormac and other university leaders – but stresses that these meetings are not intended to be an ‘attack’.

Miller said: “The meetings will facilitate discussions and improve communication between different realms of the

university. They are for students to ask questions and for university leaders to be transparent, improve their reputations and let us know exactly what they are doing in their jobs. This will allow students to get to know our university leaders and, more importantly, it will give university leaders an opportunity to get to know students on a deeper level.

“I strongly believe that you can’t represent your students without knowing your students – who they are, what they want and what they need.”

Student safety, advocacy and health and wellbeing were also at the heart of Miller’s campaign. During her time as Union President, Miller is committed to upholding her campaign promises and proving that her manifesto “wasn’t just a manifesto”.

She will work in the Union alongside newly elected VP Communities Jess Reid and Sports President Murray Bushell.

Miller said: “I think Jess, Murray and I will work incredibly well together. The three of us all have different areas of knowledge and interests that will merge together really well. Then hopefully, fingers crossed, whoever is elected as VP Education will fit this dynamic as well.

“The common ground interest between Murray and I is sport – I’m very well versed in the Sports Union and I can step up to support Murray in his work

there. Similarly, Jess is well aware of how the rest of the Union works, so she can help me in that aspect.”

“I’m just so excited that we get to contribute to the next group of students coming to Stirling.

Using our shared experiences at university – things that we’ve loved or things that could be worked on – and gelling those together to create a more positive student experience.”

Miller’s campaign was grounded in an unfiltered love for Stirling – its students, its staff and its community. Luckily for Miller, who is in her final year at the university studying Criminology and Social Policy, she won’t be bidding farewell to Stirling just yet.

The transition from student to Sabbatical Officer is a change in dynamic that Miller predicts “will be strange, but one that I’m thoroughly looking forward to. I’m excited to really put my manifesto into action and to keep the same energy that I had during my campaign – fighting for students and a better student experience.

“I want students to look back on Stirling and say ‘that was an incredible four years where I learnt a lot and met some amazing people’. I want students to leave with the same sense of nostalgia that I’m going to leave with.

“If I can achieve this in my role as Union President, then I consider that a win.”

VP EDUCATION TO BE FILLED IN APRIL THE Student Union has called a by-election for April to fill the sabbatical position, VP Education.

Nominations opened at 9 a.m. on Monday 11 April with potential candidates having until noon on Tuesday 19 April to put themselves forward for the position.

This by-election comes off the back of the Student Union elections earlier this month which a Student Union spokesperson has confirmed as “the lowest turnout in recent years for the Spring elections”.

In the Spring elections not a single candidate ran for the post which is currently occupied by Calum Brown.

A spokesperson for the Student

Union said: “We are not aware of one of the Sabbatical Officer positions having no candidates in the main election in recent history.”

There will be a candidate briefing on Thursday 21 April followed by a Union husting the same day, both being hosted on Microsoft Teams.

Voting will take place online, running from 9 a.m. on Monday 25 April to 6.15 p.m. on Tuesday 26 April.

Results will be published online shortly after voting closes.

By Peter Humfrey

UNION ELECTIONS 2022

UNION ELECTIONS 2022: RECAP The new Union Team. image: Andrew Robson

U N ION E LECT IONS 202 2: T H R E E OF FOU R SA BBS E LECT E D VP COMMS AND SPORTS PRES UNCONTESTED, VP ED NOT FILLED

By Andrew Robson LAST month the results were announced for the Stirling Students Union Elections 2022.

13 candidates campaigned for positions in the run-up to results being announced on March 15.

Tash Miller has been elected as the new Union President with 209 total votes. Calum Brown came a close second with 200 votes. Fellow Union President candidates Louis Utieyin and Anastasia Mendini finished with 154 and 147 votes respectively.

The new Sports President Murray Bushell won with 560 votes.

Successful Vice President Communities candidate Jess Reid won with 494 votes. Reid ran unopposed following the withdrawal of Margaux Pierre for “personal reasons”.

Six out of the 15 part-time Executive Officer roles were also filled, with all candidates running unopposed.

The results were: Housing Officer: Dante Lopez has been elected with 495 votes.

Co-Curricular Officer: Juulia Spets has won with 508 votes.

Health and Wellbeing Officer: Zoe Crosher won with 500 votes.

Mature Students Officer: Michael Sammels won with

460 votes.

Engagement Officer: Lucy Wilson won with 516 votes.

Sustainability Officer: Nela Cadinanos Gonzalez won with 499 votes.

Following Bushell’s successful campaign for Sports President, he said: “A massive thank you to the 560 people who backed Bushell and a big thank you to my campaign team for helping me reach these people and for all your help throughout the campaign.

“I now can’t wait to get started on the 1st of June and putting my manifesto into action and to make sure the Sports Union continues to thrive. So again, a massive

thank you to everyone who voted and helped, and I’ll see you all on the 1st of June.”

After the election, Jess Reid said: “I am delighted to have been officially elected VP Communities, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to support and advocate on behalf of students. And as previously said the headline for my Brig interview, ‘I am ready to work’.”

Many candidates ran unopposed this year, with the Union calling a by-election for the unfilled sabbatical position of VP Education.

On this matter, Bushell said: “This year’s election was a weird one and I won’t skip past the fact I was the only

candidate, so I know I am very fortunate.

“Campaigning when you’re the only candidate always leads to one question, do I need to vote then? The simple answer is yes, the student elections are a massive part of getting student voices heard and a massive thank you to everyone who did go and vote. One position that wasn’t fortunately filled was VP Education.

All candidates’ tenure will run from June 1 2022 to May 31 2023.

unicorntours.co.uk

16

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13

Image credit: Vanity Fair

Image credit: Emine Bahar Bora, Aysun Bora

By Aysun Bora

THE VILLAIN THAT’S ALWAYS DRESSED TO KILL:

Villanelle

By Julia Benko THE fourth season of ‘Killing Eve’ was released on February 28, 2022 in the United Kingdom after almost two years. It is no doubt that in season four, like in the previous seasons, everyone watching will want a piece of Villanelle’s wardrobe! And how could we not?! Her outfits are daring, dapper and jazzy! Sam Perry, Killing Eve’s costume designer, knew what he was doing.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of my top five of Villanelle’s outfits throughout the seasons. Enjoy!

1. The dreamy floral maxi dress

I don’t know about you, but I, too, can see myself strolling the streets of Spain in this blue floorlength dress. It’s the perfect, soft summer look (and it has puffsleeves!). The colours and boldness of The Vampire’s Wife dress is bound to make one stand out in the crowd – perfect outfit for a killer assassin, eh? (Susie Cave, the name behind the brand, even dubbed it “The Villanelle Dress”!)

But maybe that’s all part of Villanelle’s genius. From most of the outfits we will see in this list,

she’s mastered the art of blending in as an ordinary individual by actually standing out.

2. The blood (thirsty)-red combo Elegance never looked finer th an this matching Lanvin red top and flared trousers, tied together nicely with a Gucci belt.

What’s less elegant, though, is shooting one’s would-be lover and leaving them to die in plain sight (note the gun in her hand and that sneaky grin on her face).

So I suppose we can establish that Villanelle is a very strategic outfit-planner: that red is sure to camouflage all that blood she spills. I hope her wardrobe is full of d fits, then. For her sake.

3. The collegiate get-up This dark academia-esque outfit with Raey khaki pants that Villanelle wears when she visits the Oxford University campus is how I aspire to dress every day for when I go to my seminars. It gives chic, preppy and comfortable – yes, please!

4. The impeccable 70s suit

EVRYONE is good in bed, right? I have never heard otherwise.

However, what happens when you cannot perform in the way you would like to?

Imagine you have waited for a while, and you finally want to have sex with your partner. Everything is perfect, you are in the mood but suddenly: it just doesn´t fit.

That is Vaginismus. According to the NHS: “Vaginismus is the body's automatic reaction to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration.” The muscles of the vagina tighten up automatically.

My mother has always been open about the problems in her life.

Showing vulnerability as a parent can be daunting but it helps you connect with your children. Intimate chats over a tea have been a big part of my upbringing.

My mum grew up in Turkey. Especially in her generation, sex was something that you have once you get married. Imagine the pressure, not being sexually active at all and then having to perform from one day to another.

She explains: “When we tried to be intimate on our wedding night, I noticed quickly that something was not going right. Even though I was not too nervous, I felt everything tensing up.”

Afterwards, my parents went to the gynaecologist. The doctor said that vaginal struggles were something common among women that decide to have sex at a later age. Although, It can even occur if you have previously had penetrative sex.

She sips on her tea: “I think the most traumatic part about this was that my hymen had to be broken by the doctor. Having to say ´no´ to my husband frequently was hurtful as well.”

She also talks about her own insecurities: “Sex is an intimate thing. With recurring difficulties on my side I often had the feeling of being the problem.

Therapy has been a key factor in my development. Learning more about the subject, educating myself and having open conversations about it was liberating.”

Therapy gives you tools to work on the problem and helps you to understand the subconscious problem beneath.

“I believe that talking about taboo topics is important for everyone involved. It makes younger people aware of problems that they may encounter, and it helps others that might be going through something similar feel less alone.”

In the end, sex is not about performing at all. Understanding that there is a problem and working on it alone or with a professional can be the first step to healing.

This bold print suit by the London-based Michael Halpern gives me life. Its psychedelic design is reminiscent of the 70s and is so hypnotic, it may as well draw anyone in – including Eve, with whom V shared a dance under the lights in the ballroom while wearing this stunning outfit.

5. The iconic pink princess gown And of course, how could I forget to mention the iconic pink princess gown?! Designed

by Molly Goddard, this dress single-handedly renewed the tulle trend for the remainder of 2018: from Paris runaways to fast-fashion stores like Primark.

The dress is perfect not only in its design, but also in its encapsulation of I Villanelle’s character: it is flamboyant, grandiose and screams extravagance – just like her. And we love to see it!

. Image credit: Canva

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 18-19 20 22-23 24-25 26-27

BRAW

4 WAYS TO GET YOURSELF OUT OF A RUT

SPORT 28-32

17

Agony Auncle:

Agony Auncle. Image credit: Ciara Tait

By Carly McKim EVERYONE goes through periods of time where they feel stuck. It’s normal to feel low sometimes, however, feeling like you’re living in Groundhog Day can be draining.

It leaves you feeling unmotivated. Luckily, there's plenty of advice out there to help us feel less lonely. Here are four tips to pick yourself back up again: 1. Be patient and forgive yourself It's very normal to go through difficult times. Just because you've been unhappy, and underperforming doesn't mean you're not capable of doing great things. Try not to beat yourself up too much. Instead, forgive yourself for not taking care of yourself, for not being as social or just not being completely on top of things. The important thing is that you’re trying.

2. Write. It. Down.

One thing I wish I'd known sooner is how good journaling is for the mind. For me, writing down thoughts, feelings and to-do lists can help me understand how I'm feeling.

Journaling has been proven to reduce stress and manage anxiety. If you're sitting here thinking "where do I start?"

I suggest searching up journal prompts to get you started.

There are loads to choose from online and you can even search for specific questions for example questions related to anxiety.

Image credit: Canva

How do I tell my girlfriend about my secret daughter?

By Freya Deyell Question: How should I break it to my girlfriend of three years that I have a daughter in Germany I've only met twice and never talked about?

me involved for being Scottish and Catholic. She followed her family's wishes and I have had little contact with her and the kid since she was born and have briefly met her twice when I went back to Germany for a little bit. My ex is now engaged to a guy and basically going to formally adopt our daughter. It kind of hurts that I never had the chance to truly know her, but I have really little feelings for our daughter due to never having her in my life.

Some background: Basically I was travelling/working in Germany during a gap year between high school and uni. Met a girl and we had this causal thing for a couple of months.

Long story short she got pregnant Answer: You were put in a wanted to have the kid, but her tricky situation due to your family (ultra Conservative and re- ex’s strict parents. This must ligiously Christian) didn't want have been particularly tough

to deal with at such a young age. Your daughter is not a part of your life (through no fault of your own). Now that your ex is engaged, you no longer have to worry about your daughter lacking a father figure.

However, it’s clear that this is something that is weighing on you. I believe honesty is the best policy here. Tell your girlfriend everything so she can get the full picture and the best chance to understand your situation. Always choose to talk in person rather than over text when it comes to serious topics like this – it’s easy to misunderstand or blow things out of proportion when messaging.

A graduates goodbye: what you need to know 3. Exercise Exercise is a great way to improve your mental well-being. I know this has been said a million times but don't roll your eyes too soon. Let me explain: the most common physical signs of stress include sleeping problems and loss of appetite. Exercise is a great way to get these intense feelings out of the body and leave us feeling calmer. Physical activity offers a lot of potential for improving our well-being. Even a brief walk for 10 minutes boosts our mood.

4. Surround yourself with likeminded people who make you happy If you're around people with lots of negative energy this will have an effect on you. I think the people you surround yourself with help you to grow into the person you become. I like to keep myself around positive, fun friends with similar interests as me as they remind me that life isn't that bad.

I hope these tips have made your day a little bit brighter and reminded you to take everything one step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is good mental well-being. But with enough patience, I'm sure we will all be just fine.

By Iman Mackenzie SPEAKING from the perspective of a oh-so-very mature graduate, I have the ultimate advice for you.

I’m being sincerely serious, there is much to be achieved before you flip the final bird to assignment deadlines and flatmate drama. Both of which I have successfully survived, though it took much gin and a lot of rewatching Twilight films.

Because as awkward as the adolescent can be, we’ll never be as bad as Bella Swan. You’re welcome, for reminding you of that.

Okay, so you need to do everything. You need to sing your heart out at karaoke at Kilted at least three times. You need to try the purple rain pitchers at Spoons because that’s basically juice. You need to let your flatmate convince you to sit in Kings Park on a sunny day with ice cream bought from the famous van.

There’s more because this is university: there’s always more.

No matter what year you’re in, you need to face drama. Doesn’t

Fou rt

Imag

e cre

h ye ar

d it : T ama

ra Ca

rton

-Ca rb

err y

matter if it’s yours or not: you’ll hear about it. There will be a lot of fun firsts and bittersweet goodbyes to those who you love but need to let go of.

My advice? Let yourself feel everything, just not all at once.

If you’re about to start your dissertation then goddamn Godspeed to you, baby. If you’re a first year then the word ‘dissertation’ shouldn’t even be in your mind.

Go back to flat parties and grabbing all the freebies at the Freshers Fair.

Did I do it all? Yeah, all the things I mentioned. Except I didn’t do it all, which is why I’m telling you to. There’s so much stuff I wish I did more of, I wish

ar t y e en fa n Fircsredit: a drunk

Ima

ge

I went to more Freshers events.

Sure, I saw the Venga Boys, but I missed every one of those paint parties.

I didn’t even care for them at the time, but I do now: major FOMO. It’s sad times saying goodbye to what has been my life for four years: this will be my last time in a Brig print edition.

Devastating. Speaking of, sample all the societies until you find a flavour that fits your taste, trust me, there’s something for everyone here.

And you’ll find your place, maybe not at first but it will happen. It always does, just in your own time. Trust me, you’re going to be okay.

18

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

ARTS

A love for the stage:

SUDS performs ‘Emma’

Image Credit: Hannah Coyle

By Hannah Coyle ON the evening of April 4, SUDS (Stirling University Drama Society) took to the stage of MacRobert Arts Centre to give the audience a pleasurable performance of Emma by Jane Austen.

Eilidh, who played Emma, told Brig:

Maddie and I realised we share a mutual love of brooding, toxic men, and the regency era has plenty. We drunkenly bonded over our love of the 2020 EMMA movie and realised how much fun it would be to see our friends take on this story.

The show has a great selection of characters, who are all equally as important within the story. They all develop throughout, and our cast have really brought them all to life.

It’s a really fun story. It’s been a nightmare couple of years, and I think Maddie and I both really wanted to bring a bit of fun back to people’s lives, whether part of the audience or cast. EMMA is fun, mischievous, awkward and romantic. However, it isn’t the typical romantic tale, one of the biggest and most important connections within the story is friendship.

Emma is a beautiful and intelligent young woman, (although she has the tendency to be self-deluded when meddling in others romantic endeavours), living at Highbury with her father, Mr Woodhouse (played by Edward Macmillan) and their long-time companion and trustee Mr Knightley (played by Michael Williams).

Emma soon becomes friends with a kind and naïve girl, Harriet Smith, and decides that she will use her matchmaking skills to find Harriet the gentleman of her dreams – despite being warned off meddling by Mr. Knightley.

Meanwhile, many old and new guests appear in Highbury, such as Miss Bates’s (played by Ellie Scoffield) ‘perfect’ niece, Jane Fairfax (played by Ceinwen Hemingway-Brunt), meaning the group must prepare for a ball.

Throughout her matchmaking, Emma realises she isn’t always as right as she used to think she was. She may be a bit oblivious when it comes to playing cupid.

So will she ever realise that love is right under her nose?

Eilidh captured the real essence of Emma, a young woman who has the leisure and power to intervene in the romantic lives of those around her. Her enthusiasm and passion for her role was evident throughout the whole performance, and no slipup stunted her ability to connect with her sophisticated and compelling character.

The charismatic performance

It is clear that SUDS are a passionate, hard-working community where teamwork is at the heart of everything they do.

of Frank Churchill (played by Daniel Brammer) created an engaging and warm connection with the audience. His sly winks, head nods, and brazen eye rolls added a pinch of fun to the serious toned scenes.

But without a doubt, the hilarity throughout the show came from Edwin Macmillan, his remarks on the chilly weather and catching a cold in almost every scene had the audience laughing plentiful. His demeanour gave the whole show an added essence of fun and love. Above all, he seemed to put the other actors at ease with his humour.

The performance was not without its mishaps, but what performance is? Perfection is overrated and mishaps allow us

to remember the tiresome work and passion that goes into these shows. If anything, the way they held themselves and carried on was testament to their professionalism as a cast and their enthusiasm for the art they have created.

Each and every cast member brought something special to the performance and is a credit to SUDS. But for me, Ceinwen Hemingway-Brunt’s moment on the piano was a memorable moment indeed. You could have heard a pin drop in the audience.

All eyes were on her. It was a truly beautiful scene.

It is clear that SUDS are a passionate, hard-working, community where teamwork is at the heart of everything they do.

GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 20 22-23 24-25 26-27

ARTS

By Lucie Smith THE bright lights of the stage have always been a safe haven for the outcast: people who don’t fit into the regimented bounds of our society.

They desire an open canvas to express themselves in their truest form.

The LGBTQ community has found their home in theatre, between the actors on stage, the production team, and of course the widely accepted narrative of queer stories that are featured in many theatre shows. However, the inclusive act that the theatre community portrays only stretches so far.

The theatre industry applauds itself for being a fierce ally for queer people.

However, in recent years it is clear the industry itself is only concerned with the most marketable letters of this community.

Within the many factions of the queer community, the privilege individual identities have is varied. Gay men do not get treated the same as trans and non-binary people. The lack of representation across the media is undeniable.

SPORT 28-32

19

The divide between theatre and the trans community We are having the same conversations about trans and non-binary representation as we about did gay representation over a decade ago.

Theatre was the first to act and break the mould, and why this not happening again is beyond me. Theatre didn’t pay a mind to the mainstream media reaction, and they shared the stories of queer people authentically and flawlessly as in their eyes. It was their fight.

However, the same cannot be said today. The theatre industry needs to be held accountable for its actions throughout the past years. The treatment they have shown to non-binary and trans actors is appalling. A prime example of this is the recent production of Jagged Little Pill, a new musical based on the music of Alania Morrissette. The show’s original form features Jo, a non-binary and queer teenager. Their plotline centres around their mother’s relationship conflict with their gender identity.

It is important to note this character was played by a non-binary actor in the off-Broadway production.

However, when the show was moved to Broadway, the character of Jo was changed completely. Jo’s pronouns were changed to she/her, and she was a lesbian. This dramatic change caused a limited yet vocal reaction, which led to the production company releasing a dismissive and vague statement disregarding the previous narration and identity of the character.

This sadly isn’t the first time this has happened. Countless times, trans or non-binary characters have been written out of scripts. Alternatively, cis actors have played trans roles with transgender people as their understudies. The complete dismissal of these issues demonstrates the disconnect between theatre and the queer community.

It’s clear that these issues arise from the closed minded and money hungry side of the industry. There is no excuse.

Theatre is one of the few industries in which queer people are in a position of power, so it’s their responsibility to take a stand and fight for all the many beautiful factions of our community when no one else will.

Illustrated by Emma Halliday Arts Editor

Poetry er Corn Trans Pride March playbill.com

Lavender Author Anonymous

I made her a lavender bouquet Picked the stalks one by one And tied them together with piece of twine.

e Credit: on Broadway. Imag

Jagged Little Pill. Image Credit: theguardia n.com

It rests in a corner in my room Waiting for the right moment.

The more I entertain the thought, the more it flickers and wanes.

20

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13

BRAW 16-17

ARTS 18-19

GAMING

SPOTLIGHT ON: VAMPIRE SURVIVORS AND THE COMEBACK OF THE AUTO-BATTLER

By Rachel Swan

PERHAPS comeback is the wrong term. The auto-battler never truly vanished in the sense that there’s always someone making an ‘insert genre or subtype of game here’, but certainly no auto-battler game was in vogue or at the forefront of discussion and streaming.

To be honest, there isn’t really now either, I’m just aware of a few gaining some traction and want to write about them. This is some real underground stuff, I say, tongue firmly lodged in cheek. Prepare for this elite secret. It’s basically all Northern Lion’s (the streamer) fault.

For the uninitiated, an auto-battler is a game in which your powers, spells, whatever to that effect, just happen automatically. This can result in auto-attack mechanics being used across a variety of genres and types of games.

Often these games are stat based, and harken back to tabletop ventures such as Risk, where surprise, in the battle stage your enemy could have popped out a few more soldiers than you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

To me, these types of games harken back to the flash game days of Newgrounds or Gamefudge respectively, as their abundance on that scene was clear. Relatively easy and cheap to make, they recall days of having seemingly infinite free time after school. Christ knows how we managed it.

Auto-attacks can be a component of a game’s attack system, as in RuneScape, League of Legends, Genshin Impact, and World of Warcraft, or they can be the basis for the actual game.

This is the distinct difference, and many games with auto-attack mechanics are not auto-battlers by nature.

Can you dig it?

I first saw auto-attackers crop up again as a modal way of playing Hearthstone, the free to play online card game that has a much better interface than Magic the Gathering, and thus has absorbed all my card gaming attention for the last four years.

Instead of manually attacking, you line up your forces and hoped to Beelzebub that your guys are bigger than theirs. It’s a nice little brain holiday from the more taxing Hearthstone decks, where you can’t just autopilot.

Vampire survivors is my current favourite. My boyfriend was rotting away watching Northern Lion streams and the man himself was playing it.

“That looks like the apex of doing nothing,” I said with a sneer, yet the shiny level ups and fancy items were calling me.

“It’s £2.99 or something,” he said with a haunted, hushed tone.

The game had already gotten to him. At that price I couldn’t resist a wee go.

Your objective is to survive horrific waves of a menagerie of spooks and crooks, gaining experience from your kills to level up. You’ll choose 6 unique weapons and 6 unique items as you

progress through these waves at each level peak, each with their own effects and strengths and weaknesses.

All you do is move around the map, with your weapons firing wildly. Each weapon has a different way of moving about the screen to destroy the hordes of the undead coming for your brains and intestines.

Your items are a range of goodies that can produce a multitude of effects, including increased projectile speed, reduced cooldown for weapons, and duplication of projectiles.

There are many combos and special secret evolutions of weapons you can discover, and your builds can be fairly different every time (unless you are

me and keep choosing the King James Bible and the Garlic.)

Most auto-battlers need a good interface, objective, style, or aesthetic to really work. At the end of the day it’s you just cutting about a screen killing things automatically and collecting experience.

Vampire survivors has this old school feel that I as a 20-something-year-old gamer yearn for.

A host of unlockables, eight bit City, secret cheats and codes, and cool weapon effects. This game wouldn’t work without the sense of progression and lovely dopamine hit you get when upgrading your Santa Water (yes this is real) for the seventh time.

There’s something about levelling and upgrading that is just an

addictive cycle, and vampire survivors understands that better than most auto-attackers. The simplistic design yet seemingly more complex gameplay or flowchart of upgrades and evolutions for weapons gives a sense of depth to an otherwise extremely surface level affair.

It has charm and will destroy your productivity and social life.

The solo developer of the game, Luca Galante seems utterly perplexed by the game’s success and its current 18,000 membership on the subreddit but is thankful for the reception it received. It’s a weird one. Tapping into exactly what the lizard brain desires.

You have been warned as to its unnatural powers.

allowing for many different styles of playthroughs that always bring you back for a new adventure.

The central concept behind the game's development is kicking people out of windows but in space. The game certainly delivers on this and much more.

The player takes on the role of a

disposable contractor performing various jobs to make enough money to take on your own grand personal mission, which allows your character to retire in peace.

The gameplay excels in its simple "time stopping" and "slowing mechanics" paired with a diverse set of tools to use on the job to help the player get themselves in and out of the problematic situations they find themselves in.

Still, both are vital in creating exciting and creative ways for players to escape from neardeath experiences, which is excellent, as it only takes one hit to render you unconscious.

This game embodies the term "no plan survives contact with the enemy".

For example, during one of my recent playthroughs, I accidentally walked out in front of a group of enemies, only killing one before the remaining two were able to fire their guns.

Hitting spacebar, I spent a few

seconds in a panic before recovering and thinking the situation through. Then, using a personal teleporter that allows you to swap places with an enemy I quickly spawned with my attack having one of them take the bullet meant for me while getting enough time to hit the other with a wrench before he could get another shot off.

The game has many ways of keeping you on your feet, from sentry guns to enemies who explode when killed. It's up to you as the player, to choose how you handle the situations. Whether it’s a sneaky and silent approach or gearing up with enough guns and explosives to kill every person aboard a ship.

After completing each mission, you'll get cash that you use to invest in better gear, from “fully automatic guns" to "Gadgets" with unlimited uses. Players can also buy new ships, changing how you either get on an enemy vessel or make it easier for you to

make a quick getaway.

Such as a personal tractor beam for when you inevitably decide to blow open the window into space is your best option for escape. With each mission completed, you build up a "liberation meter" that allows you to liberate the stations slowly but surely within the sector.

This unlocks better gear; the more complex the mission, the more progress you make.

The game's focus is on its gameplay. Still, it does have a light story that you have no obligation to follow. Yet, for those out there who enjoy a good lore dump, certain characters will be happy to inform you about the universe and why so many people are trying to kill you.

Heat Signature is a game I've been playing on and off for nearly four years now and is still a breath of fresh air every time I boot it up.

Vampire Survivors. Image credit: Gamer Journalist

WANNA KICK SOMEONE INTO SPACE? HEAT SIGNATURE HAS YOU COVERED

Heat Signature gameplay.

Image credit: Polygon

By Hunter Robinson HEAT signature is a fast-paced game where one slip up can mean certain death, making it an exhilarating experience from indie developer, Suspicious Studios.

It is a unique and charming game with its mechanics,

GAMING Looking for a new

adventure, a fun night out?

Come and try Stirling's first axe throwing experience at Game of Throwing

21 Get a discount by using the code Unlocked10 for an Escape Room FOOD 22-23

SPORT 24-28

Get a discount of 10% by using code Hatchet10 for Axe throwing

22

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

Starting Each Day With A Task Completed

By Molly Bishop Lifestyle Editor

GETTING into good habits is always easier said than done. I know almost every week starts with me setting myself a new routine, that slowly vanishes as the week goes on.

There is also a lot of toxic positivity in the world, where rich influencers will pop up on your social media timeline telling you how to be as successful as them or how eating more of this food will get your dream body.

But if you are someone like me, who struggles to quickly adapt to big lifestyle changes, then it’s important to understand that you may need to start making changes in much smaller bite sizes For those of you who were not forced to watch it in school - there is a famous speech on YouTube made by Admiral Harry McRaven, a four-star admiral who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations.

He addressed the University of Texas back in 2014, his speech now has 15 Million Views on YouTube. In his speech he started by saying “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

These words are met by a laugh from the crowd, however it is what McRaven’s says next that makes this speech so famous. “If you make your bed you will have accom-

plished the first task of the day, it will give you a small sense of pride and encourage you to do another task… and if by chance you have a miserable day you will come home to a made bed… and it will give you a sense of encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”

ARTS GAMING 18-19 20

LIFESTYLE

Monthly Theme: Traditions

The Meaning Of Traditions

Of course, this piece of advice from McRaven might seem small, but it also makes a lot of sense.

We should start each day by completing the small tasks like tidying your room, eating your breakfast, or even just simply getting out of Traditions. Image Credit:Jill Wellington bed. We all will have different challenges to By Ryan Barclay overcome each day, so why not take one small TRADITIONS, that is a be- or significant moments in join to discuss your trahaviour or activity which your life, can provide clo- dition with likeminded step at a time?

McRaven’s speech is still used as a source of inspiration for many people on those days where we are feeling so fed up with life’s pressures.

So for anyone struggling to start the day I would highly recommend giving it a watch.

But if you don’t have time to, or simply forget I will leave you with one of the speeches more valuable lessons: “If I have learnt anything in my time traveling the world it is the power of hope. The power of one person… you can change your life for the better… and maybe the world!” – Admiral H. McRaven

is repeated on a consistent basis which holds some form of meaning to the individual or to a broader group, and can have an impact on the lifestyles which we lead and the decisions which we take.

After a period of significant uncertainty due to the COVID -19 pandemic, traditions may have become of increased importance to you personally.

If you don’t currently have any traditions or if you want to revive an older family tradition, periods of change or uncertainty offer a unique opportunity to start a fresh and attempt to form a new tradition which you can then carry on throughout your life.

Some traditions have evolved over time, to include differing elements or meanings. The ability of traditions to mark the beginning, end of chapters

sure and reassurance.

During the pandemic, some people started to write diary entries to mark how each week was spent and to reflect on how it made them feel. In this way, traditions can act as a natural anchor and a constant during an evolving and challenging period in your life.

Traditions are not just about helping you to reflect on and understand external changes in your life, traditions can also offer a sense of community and belonging.

This may be through physical groups setup specifically to do the activity whether that be with friends, family, colleagues or even those who you meet in passing whenever the tradition is taking place.

There are also social media groups which you can

individuals who share enjoyment for the same or a similar form of activity.

This form of community around traditions and the ability to share experiences whilst also maintaining a personal aspect which is unique to you as an individual can be beneficial to feelings of motivation and wellbeing.

It allows you to have the space and time for personal reflection whilst feeling interconnected and united with others.

Traditions can be a great thing to have in your life, acting as a source of comfort during challenging moments or providing a sense of belonging. Therefore, traditions can play a part in improving your lifestyle and mental health and wellbeing, therefore can prove to be very valuable.

FEATURES FOOD 26-27 24-25

LIFESTYLE

SPORT 28-32

5 Easter traditions from Breaking Tradition - 5 ways to make around the world wedding traditions less sexist

23

Painting eggs. Image Credit: -Busuu Blog

By Charlotte Sutcliffe THE UK has some brilliant Easter traditions, from Easter bonnets to Scotland’s egg rolling. Although Easter is a traditional Christian holiday, some fun and beautiful traditions have are celebrated by non-Christians from around the world. Incorporating them into your own to create a new personal Easter traditions.

In the UK fireworks tend to be associated with November and Guy Fawkes night but over in Florence (Italy) there is an Easter tradition known as Scoppio del Carro meaning, “Explosion of the cart”.

A beautiful cart is lead through the streets and the Archbishop of Florence then lights a fuse during the Easter Mass setting off a beautiful display meant to encourage a good harvest.

You may not be able to get an Archbishop to set them off but fireworks in spring have the potential to look beautiful in those warmer evenings.

If chocolate isn’t really your thing then maybe get inspired by Papua New Guinea where decorating is the focus of the celebrations. As Chocolate melts in the heat of the country Easter trees are decorated with sticks of tobacco instead which everyone gets to take home.

Enjoy a good crime novel?

Draw inspiration from Norway where crime shows are played on TV and new detective novels are commissioned to come out just before Easter.

Granted the access to the mountain cabins that many

Norwegians spend their Easter in are not quite as accessible in the UK. However, the tradition goes back to 1923 where a book publisher promoted its new crime novel on the front pages of the newspaper but the ads resembled news so many people didn’t know what to believe.

Travel to the south of France if your Easter consists of hosting a large group of people.

It might not quite be the size of the southern France town, Haux where every year they use over 15,000 eggs to make an omelette for over 1000 people. Legend has it this dates back to Napoleon visiting with his army resulting in the first giant omelette.

The town make it a community event and taking the togetherness of Haux into the holiday really brings out the best of Easter.

This tradition isn’t too far from home but in the UK isle of Bermuda.

A simple but sweet activity including flying beautiful and colourful kites in the spring sun.

Finally put the Scottish wind to good use and get outside this Easter, you could even take it a step further and make and decorate your own kites with easter designs with Bermuda holding competitions for the best designs.

Normally held on Horseshoe Bay beach the Bermudians also eat traditional hot cross buns and codfish over the festivities.

Wedding Rings. Image Credit: Sandy Millar On Unsplash

By Robyn Duffy

THE idea of marriage can feel a little patriarchal to many who don’t want the run of the mill heterosexual wedding.

While it’s true that the concept of marriage has evolved a lot over the past few centuries, some still feel that it adheres to many sexist ideologies. There are, however, still ways that we can break those traditions.

This tradition is supposed to be the male equivalent of the bride’s bouquet toss, however, it’s a lot more sexualised and uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Many couples completely miss out on this tradition and many brides don’t even wear a garter on their wedding day anymore.

1.

The White Wed- 3. ding Dress ty White wedding dresses traditionally symbolised the ‘virginity’ or ‘innocence’ of the bride to be.

Nowadays, the ‘no sex before marriage’ rule doesn’t ring true for numerous brides, so why don’t we change the dress to reflect that.

sessions. This outdated tradition still sticks for many couples.

Ways to change this up includes a heterosexual couple both taking the woman’s last name, turning both partners' names into a double-barrelled surname or even both partners keeping their own last name.

5.

Giving the Bride The Wedding Par- Away

Within the wedding parties, there is a gendered divide, the bride has bridesmaids and the groom has groomsmen.

The bride has a maid of honour and the groom has the best man. However, many couples may both have women that they want to include in Many brides are choos- their party or vice versa. ing to opt for cream or variously coloured A great way to change dresses instead. Not only this up is by having codoes this turn the tables ed wedding parties such on the sexist tradition as brides men, grooms but it also allows brides women and so forth. to express themselves more.

4.

Taking the Man’s Name 2.

The Garter Toss Historically women Overall it’s just a bit would take the name of creepy isn’t it? Men gath- their husband as after ered around to catch a marriage she essentially woman’s undergarment. became one of his pos-

This relates to the point above. Traditionally the bride is walked down the aisle and given away by her father due to her leaving his possession and becoming the possession of her husband.

Now that grown women are not ‘owned’ by their fathers, they can choose how they would like to walk down the aisle.

Many still have fathers, mothers, grandparents etc walk them down the aisle as a sign of love and respect instead of the original meaning.

A great idea is for both the partners to be walked down the aisle by a close family member as a sign of support and love at a big moment in their life.

24

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13

BRAW 16-17

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE 18-19 20 22-23

FEATURES Credit: Student Union

The University of Stirling: big on recycling, not so big on recycling bins

By Carlin Braun THE University of Stirling does not shy away from branding itself as green. Yet it has come to Brig’s attention in recent weeks that a good deal of those living in lower-income student housing are missing recycling bins.

Back in 2019, Brig asked University Cleaning and Waste Manager, Bryan McIlroy, about the lack of recycling bins in University accommodation. He stated: “We have given students bins for general waste, recycling, food, and glass, and educated them on how to use these.”

In the past month, 109 students were surveyed by Brig on the provision of bins in various different kinds of accommodation at the University of Stirling. The responses collected in this survey do not support Mcllroy’s 2019 claim.

64 per cent of students reported that they only received a general waste bin on first moving into their flat, while 22 per cent reported that they received a general waste bin and a recycling bin. Only 6 per cent reported that they received a general waste bin, recycling bin, and food waste bin.

These statistics become even more uncomfortable when considering that the

majority of those who reported having no recycling bins live in flats which cost less in rent. The lack of uniform recycling bins within flats across a supposedly eco-friendly University is worrying, to say the least.

When students aren’t provided with the appropriate bins, the responsibility is placed on them to create their own recycling systems.

This can be especially frustrating for low income students – where is the extra money supposed to come from?

Vice President Communities, Alyson Mackay, said that this is an issue the Student Union is aware of and working with the accommodation team to rectify, by appealing to the University for funding.

She clarified that the reason this issue has taken so long to resolve since it was first covered by Brig in 2019 may come down to different Student Union teams placing the issue at conflicting levels of importance. In addition, she theorised that the University may be hesitant to invest further money into large-scale projects following the money it’s invested into renovating Campus Central, the Sports Centre, and repairs following floods three years ago.

Alyson reflected on her own time in Polwarth and how frustrated she was at not

having recycling bins, whilst her more affluent counterparts in Willow Court did.

She went on to say that the University probably makes the effort to provide recycling bins in higher-income flats, as they want to keep these high-paying tenants happy. Brig alum Abbey McKenzie noted that the difference in recycling facilities between flats reflects the view that the privilege of staying in more expensive accommodation affords residents certain perks – like bigger beds, for instance; the phrase, ‘you get what you pay for’, springs to mind.

Crucially, she underlined that proper recycling bins should be viewed as a basic amenity, not an elitist privilege.

As one student Brig surveyed put it: “accommodation monthly prices shouldn't be a barrier” to proper recycling. Another respondent pointed out hypocrisy on the part of the University: “I feel that the lack of recycling and food waste bins is very inappropriate for such an eco-friendly University.”

Student Union Vice President Education, Calum Brown, mentioned how forming the correct relationships with key staff members was important in getting issues addressed. But why should such fundamental problems require connec-

tions?

Recycling bins may seem like a silly topic, but they are arguably the most rudimentary component of any green scheme. One has to wonder, if the University fails to deal with the basics, whether the overall integrity of their green system should be put into question.

As former candidate for Student Union President Anastasia Mendini put it: “The University loves to boast its carbon-neutral Student Union and talk a big game about sustainability but fails to take actions at even the lowest level of proper bins.”

Mendini went on to say, “I believe that up till now, the ‘commitment’ towards sustainability has been more for show rather than for actual belief. Too many funds have been invested into appearance over working system reflecting these issues also on campus and the catering spaces.”

When asked what a good system of recycling would be, Mendini explained: “I believe that the University must provide the appropriate bins with appropriate signs in each flat of every accommodation. This means that every accommodation should have a general waste bin, a food caddy with provided biodegradable bags, and at least two bins for recycling with a detailed and

easy-to-understand list of what must be recycled.”

A University of Stirling spokesperson said: “The University is committed to the sustainable management of waste that minimises environmental impact and promotes resource efficiency – and the better separation of waste, reuse, recycling and reprocessing across our estate is central to our strategy. In 2021, the recycling rate across the University – including accommodation – was 94 per cent.”

“All university accommodation buildings built since 2012 have a mixed recycling bin in kitchens, and we are working with students to find solutions for those who do not yet have recycling bins in their flat.”

“In addition, we are currently rolling out new food waste bins to all of our student accommodation.”

It remains to be seen whether the Student Union’s efforts to address this issue will be successful, yet as the University continues its green agenda, this is undoubtedly an area in need of urgent attention. As the Student Union push forward in a campaign to get recycling bins in all student flats and educate residents on how to recycle, there may be some hope for the University of Stirling’s green future."

FOOD 26-27

FEATURES

SPORT 28-32

25

FlightRadar24: a quick guide

By Sonny Bailey

FlightRadar24. Image Credit: FlightRadar24. com

FLIGHTRADAR 24 is a a webstie that is designed primarily for the tracking of aircraft across the entire world. All aircraft that appear on the tracker are flying in real time, and the default colour for all plane types is yellow.

But why is FlightRadar24 getting talked about so much? The effects of the current war in Ukraine have seen multiple users take to the platform to safely track the flights of their friends and family.

This quick guide will outline the basics of the site and how to use it.

Upon first opening up the site, a large map full of yellow plane icons can be seen. Each differ-ent plane icon represents a particular kind of aircraft. For example, the biggest icon represents the Airbus A380, and the second biggest, the Boeing 747. This is followed by some of the main passenger planes you are likely to find at airports, such as from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer.

You can also find fighter

FlightRadar24. Image Credit: FlightRadar24.com

jets, business jets, helicopters, light propeller aircraft and even gliders on the site.

A search icon at the top allows the user to type in a flight number. If currently flying, a symbol next to the search result will show it is live. To track any other plane, click on any icon.

A menu will appear that shows the callsign of the aircraft, the details of the flight, how far into the flight it is, and how long it has until landing. Scrolling down this menu also reveals the air-craft type, registration, altitude and speed.

On the map a coloured

line shows the route of the aircraft. Purple colours indicate cruising alti-tudes.

White colours indicate the plane is on the ground. As a plane takes off, the colours change from white, to yellow, to green, to light blue, to dark blue and finally to purple.

You can also track the history of a past flight, by typing in the flight number. A play icon will appear beside the specific flight. In the playback menu, users can view the flight data chart showing the speed and altitude of the aircraft.

Military aircraft can be tracked on the site. The

flight path will look very different to a commer-cial aircraft. These planes perform specific exercises and tend to fly in random patterns and circles.

Another feature of the site is you can click on any airport pinpointed on the map, which will re-veal flight arrival and departure times, including past and future flights.

The versatility of the site is ideal, but the downside is that the free version only works in 30-minute periods. Simply refresh the page when the session times out and the flights can contin-ue to be tracked.

THE FIGHT FOR THE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE MUSE

By Charlotte Sutcliffe

AT school when you were younger when you would be required to talk about someone who inspired you you’d often say an Olympian, maybe a scientist or an actress or even a footballer.

Nowadays the celebrities and elites we choose to engage and follow has changed the discourse of inspirational characters.

Influencers and reality tv stars dominate our media intake whether active or passive engagement. As a result of their livelihood it creates a much more indepth access of the new generation of celebrities through phones, laptops, podcasts and televisions.

Their world is oversharing, connecting with their audience through authentic and detailed exerts of their life. It's a confusing and convoluted world to navigate but more and more people are finding the right people to follow online that inspire them, uplift them and motivate them.

Not every piece of media or every person you get inspiration from has to be in the traditional form. The word inspirational and the idea of credibility has been changing for years now and the bottom line of the matter is it does not matter who you are inspired by or take comfort from. If they genuinely help you in any

way shape or form their credentials and cv are not necessary. If their work online provides you with a safe space and content to enjoy that is allowed.

A blanket stereotype hovers over influencers, that they are uneducated, lying and or scamming and do not work. A lot of this can fall into classism and regional discrimination.

A key reason why so many look down on certain celebrities is because of the premeted bias held by either their origins or stereotypes based on where they are from. The likes of Geordie Shore and TOWIE revolutionised the reality tv scene which fed into the UK influenc-

er stream. These highly edited and forced shows did nothing for the stereotypes of the young people there.

There is a reason to be concerned. There is a disillusion that we know the people on our screens, we put our trust in them blindly without ever actually meeting them.

The recent scandal with Elle Darby shows this, where racist tweets resurfaced from a few years ago. Her cozy and personal content became tainted and many didn’t know how to feel. The danger becomes when you feel like you know these people you trust them and it

can be devastating when they betray your trust.

Suddenly someone who was a comfort and gave you your favourite recipe or morning routine inspiration isn’t a safe space anymore which can be incredibly difficult.

With the internet developing every single day the debate about influencers and their role in society is not going away any time soon. No one needs to give Molly Mae a Nobel peace prize for her instagram stories but the shift of it being acceptable to engage with whatever content you like online is a positive one.

26

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

BRIG'S BITES

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES 18-19 20 22-23 24-25

FOOD

LIVING WITH CELIAC DISEASE: ONE YEAR ON

WOMAN EATING BRUSCHETTA. IMAGE CREDIT: PEXELS

BY FREYA DEYELL

COUSCOUS AND AUBERGINE. IMAGE CREDIT: AYSUN BORA

AUBERGINE WITH COUSCOUS

BY AYSUN BORA

THIS recipe is an accessible recipe for any student at any skill level. It is also a great one for the student budget. Believe me, I have made this recipe at family gatherings with judgemental relatives, and I have made this for my friends as well. Everyone enjoys a little bit of aubergine in their life. So, here we go!

Ingredients: 1 aubergine 500ml water 2 tbsp salt 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp chilli 1 tbsp olive oil 100 g couscous 80 ml boiled water 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion 1 pepper 1 courgette 1 vegetable cube 1 Tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika Method: Step one: Pre-heat the oven at 200°C degrees. Prepare a big bowl with water and add the two tablespoons of salt. Wash the aubergine and cut it in half.

Place the aubergine in the water and let it soak for about 15 mins. This will take out the bitterness out of the vegetable and enables the addition of spices effectively.

Step two: Dry the aubergine halves and score each one of them with a knife. Mix up all the spices in a bowl. Spread the spices on the aubergine surface and rub the halves together so that the spices can spread evenly. Put some olive oil on the aubergine halves. Put both on a baking tray with baking paper and let them grill in the oven for about 30 minutes. You will know that they are done when you test the flesh with a fork and see if it is soft.

Step three: Put the stove on low-heat and start heating the pan. Add the olive oil afterwards. Chop up the onions in small cubes and start frying them. After they have started to become translucent, add the spices, the vegetable cube and the tomato/ paprika paste (if you have some available). Turn up the heat on medium heat.

Chop up the rest of the vegetables and stir them while they get fried.

Step four: Add the couscous to the vegetable and spice mix and stir it for about three minutes. Add the boiled water and turn the heat off. Try to use as little water as possible since you won`t drain it. If you need more, you can always add some later.

The couscous will soak the water up quickly. Put the lid on and let the couscous steam for about five mins.

Step five: Get the aubergine out of the oven. Plate the vegetable couscous with the aubergines. Feel free to serve with a sauce on top. I usually drizzle some vegan yoghurt. There you go! Enjoy the Mediterranean finesse!

Secrets to elevate your cooking: 1.

Always soak your aubergines in salted water. The vegetable tends to be bitter, and the salty water neutralises the flavour so the aubergine can take in the spices in the recipe afterwards.

2.

The base of Turkish cooking is spices, olive oil and onions. Whatever you choose to do with the rest of the recipe is a thing of preference. If you nail this recipe once you can leave out stuff, add other vegetables, and try out new techniques.

3.

Don’t follow the guide on the couscous packaging.

This is how you make fluffy couscous. The reason why Turks fry their grains is to add flavour through spices and to ensure a nice airy consistency.

If you boil your couscous, you will only make it soggy.

4.

Add the spices to the oil and fry them with the onions as a base. It ensures flavour from the beginning.

IN May 2021, I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease. Long story short, I was ill and now I can’t eat gluten anymore. I was relieved to finally understand why I was ill, but I was also worried. Food has always been such a big love of mine and plays an important part in my family. I was frustrated I could no longer eat my favourite things or enjoy a simple takeaway with my loved ones. Over the past year I have learned to live with it through trial and error. Here are the most important things I have learned.

1. Use the NHS Gluten Free Food Service I can’t stress this one enough.

If you live in Scotland and have a coeliac diagnosis you can get staple foods (bread, pasta, flour) for free through your local pharmacy. GF food can be pricey especially on a student budget, so this really is a lifeline service for a lot of people.

Make sure you use it to your advantage, we are so lucky to

have it.

2. If you accidently eat gluten, don’t panic Unfortunately, it’s probably going to happen to you at some point post-diagnosis. Referred to as being “glutened” in the coeliac community, it’s inevitable (unless you live in some miracle gluten-less bubble). It can be a painful and uncomfortable experience, but don’t worry too much.

If you rest and stay hydrated, it’s not a huge cause for concern.

3. Always bring a snack with you

I’ve learned this the hard way. Imagine you’re out at a café with friends, only to realise there’s nothing you can eat.

Keeping a cereal bar or pack of biscuits in your bag means you’ll have something at least!

4. Educate your friends and family Coeliac disease is so under diagnosed right now and not a lot of people fully understand what the condition is. Talk to those close to you about it (especially your family, as it is genetic!).

THE GOURD EXPLAINED

BY RYAN BARCLAY IN March, gourds hit the headlines after an appearance on ITV’s This Morning after someone submitted a gourd believing it to be a potato. It was a contender for the award of “world’s largest potato” in the Guinness Book of World Records. Since then, people have been searching the internet to learn more about the origins of gourd and how to unlock their flavours in food.

Whilst the term gourd may sound unfamiliar, it refers to a range of fruits which encompasses some popular foods, such as courgettes and pumpkins. So, if you have ever made a pumpkin pie or courgette casserole, you have already utilised gourd in

A PUMPKIN FIELD. IMAGE CREDIT: JAMES WHEELER ON PEXELS

your dishes.

There are a number of gourds which can be utilised in cooking whilst others are best left untouched to avoid illness. Turk Turban and bottle gourds are two easily identifiable gourds due to their physical appearance; both are consumable by humans if the gourd is ready.

However, the enjoyment of gourds does not have to be restricted to humans either as wildlife can also have a taste of a gourd.

There are multiple ways to cook an edible gourd. You can boil it in a pan, put it in an oven along with some spices or oils to add flavour and texture. It is well

known that gourds can be quite overpowering or sour, so adding additional elements like spices may become necessary in order for a gourd to appeal to your palette.

Once you’ve included gourd within your dish, you can repurpose any remaining leftovers for use in your kitchen as a container for juices, a mixing tool or a way to serve liquids. Other non-culinary uses for the food include birdfeeders or musical instruments. Gourds are great if you are trying to cut down on your food or even general household waste.

SPORT 28-32

FOOD

27

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ANONYMOUS UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING HOT CHOCOLATE REVIEWER

BY ISLA GLEN FOOD EDITOR AN Instagram account called @stirlingunihotchocolatereview began posting reviews of the hot chocolates from Scran, one of the food outlets on campus, at the start of March. The account quickly grew, and people began to wonder who was behind the engrossing reviews. Brig reached out for an anonymous interview.

“This account was the sort of really stupid idea, which you have late at night, but never normally go through with, except this time I went through with the idea. I thought, ‘I'm a regular customer here, what if I just suddenly reviewed its hot chocolate for no apparent reason whatsoever,’ just thinking that it would never come to anything. It's basically just because I drank a lot of hot chocolate from Scran, and I decided to try and make some joke about it.”

The account began as private reviews to their friends but was officially started on March 5, 2022. The reviews are scored out of one to ten and accompanied by a short creative description.

“In the interest of not

antagonising the staff at Scran, as long as it is hot chocolate and not just boiling water, they will always get at least a 5 out of 10,” said the anonymous reviewer.

“The quality can change quite a bit over the week, and we try to review them regarding each

other. However, the quality is quite consistent, so quite often it just depends on how I am feeling that day, sticking with the 'only scores above 5' rule if it is actually hot chocolate.

“Ten out of ten does mean something though. If it is ten out

of ten it means it really stood out from the normal quality of hot chocolate. In terms of the text reviews, I kind of just improvise with what I write.

“We plan to expand our scope, though for us the joke originally started that I just kept getting

ONE OF THE HOT CHOCOLATE REVIEWS. IMAGE CREDIT: @STIRLINGUNIHOTCHOCOLATEREVIEW ON INSTAGRAM

hot chocolate from Scran, which is why the review page mostly consists of Scran reviews. We are working on increasing the scope of reviews to other places around campus though, and that will happen if I become more confident with going to other places other than Scran."

The account has recently reviewed the hot chocolate at the Macrobert Arts Centre and the Starbucks located in the Union's underground.

“I think Scran just has my comfort hot chocolate in it. I always know what I'm getting, at least depending on who is serving that day. There is a difference in quality between the different staff at Scran. I, myself, know more people who are Scran hot chocolate addicts, and they are all on board with this crazy little thing I started up.”

Similar accounts have been set up in recent weeks, with @ garlic.dip.review.stirling taking to Instagram to review different garlic dips in the same style.

The reviewers are anonymous and not affiliated with the University of Stirling.

MEET THE STIRLING STUDENTS BEHIND TALES OF TASTY TUESDAYS

BY ISLA GLEN FOOD EDITOR

VEGAN TACOS. IMAGE CREDIT: @TALESOFTASTYTUESDAYS ON INSTAGRAM

MOVE over @ MuirheadMunchies, there’s a new student cooking page in Stirling.

Tales of Tasty Tuesday’s is a vegan student recipe Instagram account run by three University of Stirling students. It was set up in January by Aysun Bora, Emily Int-Veen and Margaux Pierre to motivate themselves to cook new things after enjoying an array of holiday foods.

Aysun and Emily do most of the cooking while Margaux looks after the aesthetic side of things, including photographs and the logo.

To find inspiration they use Pinterest and BBC Good Food, then adapt and veganise recipes depending on what ingredients they have available.

Aysun said: “I think for me it was the thing of doing something together and sharing food. I really love sharing food because that’s Turkish culture. I cook every day and doing something together was a very nice idea for me.”

The three friends each have different nationalities which

influences their dishes and is represented in their logo. The pretzel for Germany, Pide for turkey, and a baguette for France.

Aysun said: “Turkish people use a lot of spices and when I was an au pair I was with a Pakistani family, and they have a lot of spices.”

Margaux added: “In France we don’t use spices so much we do a lot of stew, broths, wine everywhere, stuff like that. It’s like different ways and types of cooking so it’s interesting.

“It’s also like an opportunity to try new foods, new cultures, and stuff. At least for me I’ve never been surrounded by different cultures of food so for me it means I can try new things and have fun at the same time.”

21-year-old Aysun said: “We’re having fun with it but at the same time we want to try out new recipes. Like we tried to make ‘tahdig’ for example which is quite complex to make. We’re trying to perfect some things and just try out new things and not make the same things repeatedly.

“It can be difficult when you already bought some things for the week and then you forgot about Tasty Tuesdays and then you go out on Tasty Tuesdays

and buy a bunch of new things.

Actually, maybe we should budget better! But also at the same time, all three of us do it.”

Emily said: “Yeah, we all just bring ingredients that we have at home already. Either, well like, if we do not have a specific plan, we will just get something together and think ‘Oh, we could do this recipe because we have 10 of the 12 ingredients.’”

In the future, they are planning to make vegan pizza, vegan sushi, vegan tuna and perfect the Tah dig.

“I also like the reach we’ve had,” said Margaux. “We have had a lot of comments – even if it’s from people we know like our parents or stuff. My mum, whenever Aysun posts on the story or some food my mum’s like ‘Oh my god!’ – because she does not speak English – ‘Give me the translation because I really want to make this now!’

So, I always laugh when people message that. Someone cooked cupcakes for us as well so that we could post a review.”

Tasty Tuesdays hopes to expand to more reviews and what the students cook throughout the week. You can find them on Instagram with the handle @ TalesOfTastyTuesdays.

28

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 18-19 20 22-23 24-25 26-27

SPORT

NEW SOCIETY BRINGS SHINTY TO STIRLING

BY ANDREW ROBSON

The shinty club are bringing are bringing an old sport back to life. Image credit: UoS Shinty Club

BY ANDREW ROBSON

THE inaugural Varsity event between the University of Stirling and the University of St. Andrews took place on March 30th with the Saints emerging victorious 37-25.

Stirling Sports Union President Sophie Charlton and St. Andrews Athletic Union President Jess Smith organised the event which saw over 600 competitors compete in 21 fixtures across the two campuses.

Charlton hopes that she has laid the foundations for further Varsity competitions in the future. She said: “When me and the Athletic Union President Jess started to arrange it, we didn’t want to arrange it as a one-off event we wanted there to be longevity to it, so if there was somebody who wanted to continue it next year they could.

“If Murray Bushell, who is next year's sports president, does want to that would be fantastic!

“Hopefully it is something that next year’s presidents do want to continue but if not it was a good event for a one-off as it was.”

Sports teams would claim three points for their respective Universities for a win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat. The results of all fixtures would combine to crown an overall winner.

Stirling won eight fixtures throughout the day. The men’s hockey, women’s hockey, handball, table tennis, tennis, badminton 1’s, badminton 2’s and ultimate

frisbee teams all emerged victorious while the women’s football 3’s match ended in a draw.

Stirling ended the day with 25 points which was not enough for victory as St. Andrews finished the day with 12 wins and 37 points.

Despite the defeat Charlton considers the day a great success, she said: “I’m just really proud of how it went overall. We had over 600 athletes, 2 campuses, 2 Universities, and 21 fixtures across the day.

“Yes, perhaps we didn’t come out with the win in the end, but at the end of the day when I was down watching all of the sports and seeing everyone competing there was such a good atmosphere. There was something extra compared to a usual BUCS Wednesday.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as expected with an event on this scale, some teething issues emerged. Charlton said: “Don’t get me wrong there were some hiccups along the way in terms of umpires pulling out or players getting Covid last-minute or perhaps some fixtures that we didn’t think would happen had to get added on or change venue.

“A lot was going on that week beforehand, and it was hectic but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a big event with over 600 students between two campuses.

“I don’t think there is much else we could have done.

Hopefully those foundations

DESPITE being one of the oldest sports in Scotland there has never been a shinty club at the University of Stirling.

But this year thanks to Drew Bain an all-new society has been formed for the traditional Scottish sport.

Bain only came across the game last September after a discussion with his friend Neil Sutherland.

But he's now been completely sold on it, and through the use of social media, has became founder and President of the newly formed club.

He said: “I was in the Gaelic Society for their give-it-a-go and I was talking to people, I met a guy called Neil Sutherland, he’s a bit older, he’s in his thirties I think, and I was just talking to him.

“He told me that he likes shinty so I

are there, if people enjoy it, they understand why they’re competing. Hopefully there is a base to build upon in future.”

Additionally there was an opportunity to donate to Ukraine throughout the day. The idea suggested by St. Andrews used the event as an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the cause. Charlton said: “It was definitely a bonus and it's these bonuses that we would look to develop in future years.

“I appreciate that we did not come out with the win, but it was very close in the end.

“A lot of the fixtures only had 1 or 2 goals in it so it could have gone either way.

I think it was really competitive.

“I know myself and Jess wanted to have a good matchup of teams – we didn’t want it to be a whitewash, we wanted it to be competitive with good, fun fixtures.

“The hockey and the football teams were able to field their 3’s their 4’s their 5’s and even their 6’s as well – so that was awesome as a lot of those teams don’t get regular fixtures so we were able to give them another opportunity to compete, and people could come down and cheer for them.

“It was a successful day overall, a few hiccups but nothing that you can’t improve upon in future.”

asked what it was, it sounded really good.

“At the time I didn’t have a sport to play, a lot of the bigger teams you need to be a decent skill level to join, so I thought ‘you know what I’ll just start the team’.

“After that, I just put a post on Facebook the next day and that was it.”

The sports club started in October, but training sessions have just started this semester.

Despite having never played before the first-year student quickly fell in love with the sport: “It’s just really fun, there aren’t many rules to get your head around, it’s a little rougher than other sports but way better craic and its great fun.”

"It was the way Neil described it, he said that it was like ‘a wilder version of hockey’.

“Neil just described it very

romantically.”

Bain has ambitions of growing the sports club, with the team looking for new members as it aims to enter a league next year, he added: “We’re really looking for people to join the committee and next year I think we’ll branch out a lot more and try to get more socials organised.

“This is what we want to brand it as, a really good club for socials.”

For anyone interested in joining the sports club, Bain said: “The best way to contact us is through our Instagram and we are looking to get a Facebook page started up as well.”

The sports club is mixed and open to all abilities.

More information can be found on the Stirling Uni Shinty Club Instagram page.

STIRLING VARSITY HAILED SUCCESS DESPITE DEFEAT

SPORT

Euan's Squash Revival Squash at However, with the help of

BY GRAHAM FLEMING captain Joe and the rest of the team, the club was able to gain SPORTS EDITOR promotion to the next division over the course of the current Continued from back page...

BUCS season. Club president Euan Harvey said the promo...Not having access to a coach tion was an ‘excellent opportualso hindered the club’s poten- nity to grow the club.’ tial, and was also a substantial He added: “It's been really stumbling block for the team to good the past year, but we've overcome: had a lot of struggles with inju“We couldn't afford a coach to ries and COVID isolations. take sessions with the players, “Despite this, we got promotso we weren’t getting develed! We were previously in diopment for the players you've vision six, the bottom division, currently got and you're not but our team has been playing getting new guys because there at a standard good enough for isn’t infrastructure in place. the level above.

“But now we've got a few “We know this because we beat players who can take training BUCS teams from that level, courses with proper qualificaso it's really because of COVID tions, so we are comfortable and having to take years out that we’re building the club in- to rebuild a team, we've had to ternally and really progressing start from the bottom.” these players, next year they’ll With the quality within the be in a position to coach them- club, the team reached the final selves. We are hoping that'll of the BUCS knockouts alongincrease our members, and the side their promotion. They narmore members we get the more rowly lost out to Heriot Watt funding we'll get from the uni- University, but captain Joe versity and then we can start Cromarty insisted there were bringing in external coaches. still positives to take: It's small steps which lead to “We narrowly lost 3-2 against an enhanced overall growth, Heriot Watt, one of our guys which is really important. was far up in the last set After a while of not being able but then just didn't manage to field a team in the BUCS to close it out, which was a competitions, due to COVID shame. isolation and lack of players “This promotion is a brilliant - the club were relegated to opportunity to grow even more the bottom division, despite - our competitive members the talent at the club being far are really wanting more of a above that level. challenge and wanting to play

more matches against players that are more our level, so we'll be moving up to division five and hopefully from there to division four as well.

In the future, the boys hope that the club can become even bigger through expanding the membership to achieve more success.

Harvey recounts when he started that the club only had one female player, but has since grown to two full women’s teams, one of their biggest successes in recent years: “One of my goals when I came in was to promote women within sport, one of my first points was that we didn't have any women’s team, “My job was to develop the club into a position to move forward. Without multiple competitive teams, you're can’t work up the leagues. You might have quality players coming into university but without infrastructure or training, these good players won’t associate with the university club.

“Without a platform to play they’ll go elsewhere. So, it was really important that we establish more teams within the university set-up and that we put ourselves out there to enter these competitions.

“My aim for this season was building us up from nowhere to get here, and getting to a place to push squash forward, hopefully squash will be a bigger club in years to come.”

Moore Named British Champ

BY PADDY HYDE

STIRLING'S Ewan Moore crowned British Univeristy Champion after winning the BUCS Individual Tennis Championships.

The BUCS Individuals Tennis Championships hosts the best University players in the UK. Players must win three matches in qualifying to be accepted into the final 32 players in the main event.

Moore seeded second, only dropped a set on his way to the final. The 23-year-old defeated number one seed Aziz Kijametovic in the final winning in straight sets 6-4 6-4.

“I played very solid and managed to win a lot of important long rallies,” said the first-year student from Fenwick, Ayrshire. “I was good at taking control of the rallies behind my serve and coming forward when I needed to. I got broken, and I managed to make it as difficult as possible on my opponent’s service games by making a lot of returns until I got a chance to break back.”

Stirling travelled down to the BUCS Individual finals in Loughborough with five players all making the main draw, a testament to the strength of Stirling’s tennis.

James Mackinlay reached the quarter-finals, Jed Alexander reached the second round, and

Yuri Syromolotov Netrebin and Ruairidh Fraser lost close encounters in the first round.

Moore joined Stirling Uni after graduating from Tulane University, New Orleans in the US in 2021.

The number one ranked player for Stirling played a key role in the Universities campaign in this year’s BUCS National Premier League. Stirling came runners-up, just missing out to Loughborough University in the final.

Moore said: “My first season for Stirling was great. We won a lot of matches as a team, and I enjoyed the team environment. Unfortunately, we didn’t win the cup match in the final against Loughborough. Nonetheless, it was a successful season.”

The young Scot plans to carry on his success into the summer.

Moore is currently playing an ITF in Nottingham.

“My plans for the summer are to play a lot of ITFs and hopefully the qualifying of some challengers in Britain,” said Moore. “I’ll mostly play in Europe and try to improve my world ranking along with some national tournaments to make some money.”

Ewan Moore. Image creidt: Sport at Stirling Twitter

29

the Olympic Games?

BY ISLA GLEN SQUASH is not an Olympic sport. The World Squash Federation (WSF) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, but its 2024 Olympic bid was foiled by others such as skateboarding, surfing and even breakdancing.

While approximately 20 million people worldwide play squash, the racket sport has struggled to grow in popularity despite it being one of the best sports for cardiovascular health and hand and eye coordination, as well as being playable all year round by all ages.

Many credit this popularity struggle with squash being absent from the Summer Olympic Games. The sport has been rejected from the Paris 2024 Games and previous applications. Although there are other prominent tournaments, such as the 2022 World Squash Federation’s doubles squash championships which are being hosted in Glasgow this month, they lack the strong exposure the Olympics gives.

Legendary squash player Jahangir Khan, former world no.1 and owner of six World Open titles and ten British Open titles, has expressed his disbelief at decisions to exclude it from the Games.

Speaking in the past to The Sun, he has claimed that it is ‘ridiculous’ that squash is still not considered for The Olympics.

“Squash is so different now from the 70s and 80s. We have new technology, better courts and better television coverage.

"We have improved in every way and the countries we cover are more than most other sports. I’m not sure there is even a proper circuit for skateboarding and breakdancing, for example.”

“We have been running bids for so many years and these sports weren’t in the queue and now they are. It’s really hard to understand.”

However, there is a strict criteria for a sport to be considered for the Olympics.

Firstly, it needs to be recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Committee and managed by a governing body so that the sport can gain International Sports Federation Status. The World Squash Federation has achieved this status, so qualifies for the Olympics. The body is responsible for enforcing Olympic rules such as the Anti-Doping Code.

Olympic sports must also be widely practised. For men, this is a minimum of 75 countries and four continents. For women, this is at least 40 countries and three continents. Squash easily meets this with more than 20 million squash players in 185 countries around the globe.

There are other ethical, funding and coverage rules sports must abide by in the Olympics Charter, all of which squash can meet. Sports must also improve the “value and appeal” of the Olympic Games and “retain and reflect” its modern traditions. Each year’s committee also looks for certain aspects, whether it be urban or youth appeal.

Finally, it comes down to a vote from the International Olympic Committee members.

All sports that meet the criteria can put forward an application for the next Games, and this is decided on ahead of time.

A common argument is that squash is difficult to spectate, yet recent years have proved that this is changing. In the 2014 Commonwealth Games final over one million people tuned in to BBC1. Additionally, the World Squash Federation claims that courts can be built within 25 hours to host 5000 people in 6000 square metres.

Squash may not have made the cut for 2024, but perhaps there are still hopes for 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics participation.

30

NEWS POLITICS COMMENT MUSIC FILM & TV BRAW 1-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-17

ARTS GAMING LIFESTYLE FEATURES FOOD 18-19 20 22-23 24-25 26-27

SPORT

ROBBIE IN ACTION FOR STIRLING AT RECREATION PARK. IMAGE CREDIT: GEORGE VEKIC

Sky is the Limit for Stirling Uni Footballers after Graduation

BY GRAHAM FLEMING SPORTS EDITOR STIRLING University footballers Conor Doan and Robbie McGale are setting their sights high in the football world after impressing in the Lowland League for their student team.

Both have enjoyed successful periods in the team which saw the students well up into the top 6 places of Scotland’s 5th tier , beside regulars such as Kelty Hearts, Bonnyrigg and East Stirlingshire before the season was cut short by the pandemic.

But now the promising pair are looking forward to life after university as they finish their final year at Stirling.

Dynamic midfielder Conor Doan says that he wants to ‘push himself as far as he can go’ after his final season: “My goal has always just been to just try and push myself and play at the highest level as I can really.

“I aim to play at the highest

level that I can, and if I do, I do and if I don't, then I don't. But it's just one of those things that you've got to go and do, for me anyway, that’s just one of the things that I'm aiming for.

CONOR DOAN TURNING OUT FOR THE UNI. IMAGE CREDIT: GEORGE VEKIC

Conor, who has over 100 games for the University, hailed the number of games that the club afforded him right from the start of his career:

“That's the good thing about playing in the University as well, you're playing in the first team straight away, you play regularly enough, get that experience - and then you're also coming away with a degree at the end, which is great for other jobs.

“I’ve got over a hundred games of Lowland League football under my belt and that's a really good thing because I'm still young. I'm only 22 just now and I'd say I've got a fair bit of experience, especially playing in the Lowland League, which is a really good standard of football.

“I was playing in the Juniors just before coming to the uni, and we were only training twice a week and then a game at the weekend, if you're not on the team then you're waiting a week or more for your chance. Whereas if you're not a regular starter for the uni team you've always got chances - I found that in my first and second year as a scholar, he wasn't starting me every week but you always get your chances in the other

teams. The gaffer always gives you a chance and you’ve just got to take it when it comes.”

Conor’s teammate Robbie McGale also has vast experience in the Lowland League with over 100 games, but Robbie also had the unique experience of going on loan to a high-flying Montrose side all the way up in Scotland’s 3rd tier - SPFL League 1.

Robbie said that playing games against the likes of Partick Thistle and Falkirk were vital for his development and career going forward: “The experience of going to Montrose gave me a good insight into what it'd be like in pro football because they're a top team in League One so If I can do it, I'm confident that most of the boys could make the step up.

“A few of the boys have played here and there in League One in League Two and I don't think going pro is something that the boys should be scared of. I think a lot of the boys would relish the challenge.”

With the football experience that Robbie has accumulated in Scotland’s professional leagues he hopes that this will give him a platform to push on in pro football, even if that means going part time with his degree: “I'm definitely wanting to go and play at a higher level and once I leave University, I'm still not sure about full time.

“I think obviously because the boys have got a degree behind them they're probably thinking full time not to be that worth it, if you have a good part-time job you can see a different angle to it, it just depends on your unique situation.

“I mean look at lots of parttime teams like Arbroath and Montrose, they’re great parttime clubs, they're doing so well. Whether the boys want to go full-time I don't know, I definitely think it still has that glamor maybe I had before but I think it's different if the opportunity arises you know it's a different scenario, so it just depends.”

SPORT

31

Uni Stun Rangers B with 4-0 Lowland League Rout University players stunned the club. Image credit: Rangers FC Website

BY JOHN TURNBULL

THE University of Stirling men's football team made it four Lowland League wins from four on Saturday with a stunning 4-0 win over Rangers B. The Glasgow giants sit almost 30 points ahead in fourth place but were shocked by a clinical Uni side who cruised to victory at Forthbank.

First-half goals from Scott McArthur and Conor Doan handed the hosts a comfortable lead heading into the break.

Rangers looked most like scoring first in the second half but Jamie Penker extended Stirling’s lead after excellent work from James Stokes, before Euan McGill grabbed a late fourth.

University of Stirling head coach, Chris Geddes said post-match: “I’m over the moon, and the boys are delighted. It was a tough game, the score line will say it wasn’t but everyone here knew it was tough.

“We had to keep our shape and throw ourselves in front of things at times and

Stirling Lose Out in Queen's Park Shield Final

BY JOHN TURNBULL

THE men’s first team deserved more from the Queen’s Park Shield final as the students left the Oriam with runners-up medals.

Geddes’ side was unfortunate to miss out on lifting the trophy after falling 2-1 to Heriot-Watt University, despite being in control for the majority of the game.

Jason Jarvis continued his fine run of form as he was named the game’s man of the match.

The midfielder gave Stirling the lead on 7 minutes with a pinpoint curled effort.

But as Stirling looked to build Ben made some really good on the right, who cut into on their early lead, Herisaves, but we were clinical the box past two defendot-Watt captain Craig Smith and that killed the game. It’s ers and slotted past Aaron levelled the game. After being a great win for us, I don’t Cervantes in the Rangersbrought down in the box, know how many teams have goal. Conor Doan was the taken four off the old firm next midfielder to get on the Smith stepped up and tucked teams this year. scoresheet. A pinpoint cor- away the penalty on 19 minutes.

“When you play these ner from Jarvis caused the teams, you need all of your Gers defence problems and The game opened up slightly after the equaliser and James individual players to play Doan was on hand to tuck Stokes was agonisingly close to well, and we did that. We away the loose ball. restoring Stirling’s lead, only got a complete performance Stirling were forced into and that contributed to get- defending well in the second for his effort to be cleared off ting four goals and a clean half as the visitors came out the line.

Chances continued to fall for sheet. firing. Ben Fry was called Stirling as the students con“We’ve got five or six games upon twice with two great trolled the second half, but left now and they’re all saves before Penker com-

against teams we feel we can get something against.

It’s great to beat a team like Rangers 4-0 moving into a cup final on Wednesday, so I’m delighted.”

The colts expectedly enjoyed plenty of possession early on but did not trouble Geddes' side in the opening exchanges.

The University looked as comfortable defending as the forwards did at the other end and after 20 minutes took the lead.

A productive Jason Jarvis found Scott McArthur

piled more misery on the young Gers.

The striker was in the right place at the right time to tap home on 50 minutes after excellent work from James Stokes.

And with a minute left Euan McGill capped a fine team performance, as the ball broke to the substitute on the edge of the box before coolly finding the far corner.

The win leaves The Uni 13th in the Lowland League table, two points ahead of Broomhill below.

they were dealt a sucker punch with five minutes left of regular time.

After a mix-up at the back Stirling failed to clear the ball before Heriot-Watt’s Campbell Marr got the final touch and ultimately found the winning goal.

Both sides have enjoyed previous success in the competition, but Stirling was looking for a 15th triumph in the Queen’s Park Shield.

A 4-0 win over Rangers B the weekend prior was the perfect preparation for a Stirling side with four consecutive away wins.

But after a narrow loss, the students will have to pick themselves back up again with three Lowland League games still to come.

Games against Civil Service Strollers, Dalbeattie Star, and Gala Fairydean Rovers will conclude an action-packed league campaign.

With the potential to move up to 10th place in the table, Geddes’ side still has plenty to play for, as well as an East of Scotland Cup semi-final against Linlithgow Rose to look forward to.

The men's first team. Image credit: @stirlingunifc ON TWITTER

VOL.52 ISSUE.3

19 APRIL 2022

Squash Team. Image credit: UoS Squash Club

FEATURE: How Students Turned the Squash Club

Around Lumsden on her graduation day (left) and with her trophy (right).

Image Credit: Maia Lumsden Instagram

Lumsden wins on tennis return

By Paddy Hyde STIRLING grad and Scotland’s number one female tennis player Maia Lumsden made a winning return on her competitive comeback.

A year ago, she didn't have the energy to get out of bed.

Twelve months ago, Lumsden was bed-bound; after she was diagnosed with long Covid, she feared she wouldn’t be able to return to the sport.

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get back and do it as a career,” said Lumsden.

“I was struggling to imagine myself on the court even for fun because I was feeling so bad.”

The Glaswegian tennis ace tried different approaches to try and speed up her recovery.

“I avoided certain foods and tried acupuncture, which is meant to help with energy. It did help some of my symptoms,” said Lumsden.

“The best thing was just making sure I was resting and not doing too much, which is quite tough.”

The 24-year-old marked her return as she won in her first competition back in the UK Pro League at Warwick University. In the final, Lumsden defeated Marni Banks 6-2 3-6 10-4.

Lumsden said: “It feels great to be back on court. I miss those competitive feelings you get in a match. That feeling of winning felt good.

“The last year has been tough; not having that feeling of be-

ing able to compete in competitions hasn't been easy.

“It just feels great to be back, playing the game that I love.”

Lumsden revealed she had no real expectations as she returned to competitive tennis after eighteen months away.

“In practice I was playing quite well, but I didn't have any expectations in terms of results,” said the Stirling University Masters student.

“The only goal was to try and complete the matches.

“I didn’t want to put any pressure on results when you’ve been out for that long.”

Lumsden’s time away from the game she loves has made her reflect on her tennis career and the challenges she's faced.

I’m far more grateful to be

able to actually play.

“I think going through something like this changes your mindset. I appreciate it more and try to enjoy each day and not think about results or anything like that. I’m just appreciating being healthy once again.” Said Lumsden Lumsden reached her highest WTA ranking of 250 in October 2019, the season before the pandemic. The Scot has high hopes for the summer season, but she is realistic: "After this tournament I plan to try and play some ITFs. “I’m not trying to set goals too far in advance; I'm just taking every day in the week as it comes and see how I get on week by week.”

WITHOUT any funding for a coach and only half a court to play on, the University of Stirling’s squash club's future looked in doubt, however fast forward a year and they now look forward to a BUCS league promotion and cup final.

When Euan Harvey and Joe Cromarty first stepped into the role of president and team captain, they had a whole lot of work ahead of them, but the club is now starting to look up after a troubling period.

The club was in such a dire financial situation that Euan admitted that some of the training equipment had to be sold to get the society off the ground.

When speaking to Brig about the challenges of rebuilding the club, he said: “When me and Joe came in it was a completely brandnew committee and we didn't really know what we were doing. We even had to sell some of the training equipment to get the club off the ground!

“Because of the university renovations, we struggled in terms of where and when we could train - we were reduced to one half court and weird training times.

We couldn't grow the potential of the club because we didn't have facilities, so I think this year has really been crucial for development and promotion..."

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29