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Smallenbroek
re-elected as president Credit: Harry Williamson
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strid Smallenbroek has been reelected into a second term in office as Union president. She will be joined by Jamie Grant, who was re-elected as VP Communities, along with
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newcomers to the sabbatical team Daniel Wright, who was elected VP Education, and new Sports Union President Caitlin Ormiston. Smallenbroek took a resounding majority in her race, winning 80.2% of the vote over Ryan Peter-
anna. Jamie Grant also won resoundingly over rival Rachel Bradshaw, taking 66% of the vote. The other two positions were much closer, both going to the second round. Sports Union candidates
Caitlin Ormiston and Ellie West taking 685 and 668 votes respecively in the final round, thus Ormiston being elected. The closest race was reserved for VP Education. In the first round, the candidates were separated by just six votes.
After RON was excluded, Daniel Wright was elected, but just eight votes separated him from Georgia Laverick. Such a close race between the two VP Education and Sports Union candidates ignited an continued on p.5
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2 Brig | March 2018
News
Strikes continue as staff reject deal between UCU and UUK
Hannah Kennedy News editor Ross Brannigan Editor in chief
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trikes are set to continue this week and into next after staff rejected a deal struck between the UCU and UUK. The deal between the Universities and Colleges Union and Uni-
versities UK was met with disapproval from members, who called on the union to reject the deal. UCU said “detailed preparations” will be made for strikes “over the assessment and exam period”. The union’s general secretary Sally Hunt said: “Branches made it clear today that they wanted to reject the proposal.
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“UCU’s greatest strength is that we are run by and for our members and it is right that members always have the final say. “The strike action for this week remains on and we will now make detailed preparations for strikes over the assessment and exam period. “We want urgent talks with the univer-
sities’ representatives to try and find a way to get this dispute resolved.” However, the strikes could go on much further than March 20. Brig recently reported on its website strikes could last for a further 14 days after the original schedule of strikes is complete. Times Higher Education reported on March 8 strikes could
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be scheduled to target the exam period. The University of Stirling was approached for comment on whether the strikes would affect this year’s graduation. However, a spokesperson said they did not anticipate strikes to affect graduation on June 27 and 28. If graduation were to be delayed, it could have ramifications for the Gannochy Sports Centre redevelopment, with works set to begin at the end of June. The university also stated it did not see these plans being affected. The original cause of the strike was due to a number of cuts being made to lecturer’s pensions, with most lecturers facing an average drop of £10,000 every year in retirement. The rejected agreement would have seen the set level of income in retirement protected for the next three years – taking effect from April 2019.
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This Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) had originally sparked concerns due to the estimation of it leading to a £6.1 billion deficit. Therefore, part of the deal must involve both sides committing to “meaningful discussions” in order to explore other options during the three year freeze – with a hope that by 2022 there would have been more apparent stability for the USS. Soon after the deal was announced, local UCU branches were voicing their concerns. More than 60 universities have been affected across the UK, and all branches rejected the new deal. UCU Stirling were tweeting from the event, and soon after the meeting closed announced the picket line would return at 8am on March 14. These events come just days after Gerry McCormac, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Stir-
ling, released a statement on the strikes after 42 members of staff from the university signed an open letter urging McCormac to issue a public statement of support. The staff expressed how they were “disappointed that senior management at the University of Stirling has remained silent” during the strikes and the vice-chancellor, on March 9, via the student portal, posted his response. He said: “I wish to see an end to industrial action, and will continue to support a negotiated and sustainable solution that preserves the best possible benefits that can be secured.” His response raising questions due to the nature of its materialisation – coming from a sense of pressure to respond rather than a desire to show support.
Editor’s Column
t was a wise man that once said “another year has gone.” And so it has. But without borrowing too many of Professor Albus Dumbledore’s finest words, I must start my final editor’s column with a word of thanks. The thanks goes to you, our readers. Be ye of the auld faith and still reading this little newspaper in its raw form, rustled together by a bunch of students – some of whom with very little editing expeience – but with heartfelt dedication; or if ye be one of those new folks reading this on the interweb, thank you all. Brig has had an amazing year – a record-breaking year – and it is thanks to the people who continue to support this publication that we can call ourselves the Best Publication in Scotland 2017. I also have to thank the incredible team I have had behind me this year. Every meeting, every issue, every article, they have helped keep the
blood moving around our newspaper – literally the heart of our publication. Without them, we wouldn’t have an amazing team of fresh, talented writers coming to the fore, and it is they I thank next. Without inquisitve, thoughtful and expressive writers, Brig could not exist. In my five years with Brig, I cannot recall an issue with so many non-committee writers getting their names into bylines, and I have a lot to thank the committee for on that point. Congratulations to you all on making Brig an incredible place to be these past five years. I came to Brig, like many in our society, as a dorky first-year looking to get involved in the university life. Brig might be a publication, but it is still a society – a collection of like-minded enthusiasts, who share a passion for
peoples’ stories and learning more about the world. No matter what your interest, Brig has a place for you to add your voice to the debate, and to give you a chance to practise your writing. And, naturally, we will always be here – as we approach our 50th birthday – to report the news that matters to students. After all, as Dumbledore said: “What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally the whole school knows.” Maybe it was the fault of the student paper. Thanks for the five years, Stirling and Brig. Adios!
3 Brig | March 2018
News
Strikes costing students in excess of £1000
Credit: Harry WilliamsonCredit: Harry Williamson
A thank you to our founder Ross Brannigan
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rig would like to extend a huge thank you to our founder, Paul
Martin. Since establishing Brig in 1969, Paul has been a pillar in the newspaper’s heritage, and continues to have a part to play in the paper today. Last year, our writers were fortunate enough to welcome Paul to Stirling University for our Big Brig Talk event in January for our Refreshers Give it a Go. It is with immense gratitude we received a donation from Paul for this issue, and so I, as editor in chief - one in a long line, which began almost 50 years ago - would personally like to thank him for his continued work with Brig.
Ross Brannigan Editor in chief
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he strikes by Uniersity of Stirling staff could cost students up to £1,011 in lost tuition fees, Brig has found. Students classed as international students pay over £12,000 for 24 weeks of teaching, while rUK students from the rest of the UK pay upwards of £9000. The strikes covered a total of two weeks of teaching time, which would cost international students up to £1,011, while English, Welsh and Northern Irish student could be losing out on £770. Scottish undergraduates do not pay tuition fees,
IN BRIEF
Nominations open to find inspirational women at Stirling Uni but costs the government £1,820 per year. Some students have taken action on the potential losses brought about by the strike by signing a petition to University of Stirling. The petition, signed by 1,053 people, was written before the strike, calling on the university to consider reimbursing students for the loss of teaching time. The petition reads: “We, the students of the University of Stirling, feel that it is fair and just that we are compensated for the loss of 14 days of our education. “The magnitude of the proposed strikes is unjustifiable and will be damaging to all students. “If the university is unable to reimburse us for the service we are paying for, something needs to be done to alleviate the con-
sequences of the strike. “But we hope that it does not need to come to this and a resolution can be sought between both parties before strike action takes place.” The petition does note, however, that the students support the strike, but feel that does not prevent them from seeking reimbursment. Similar petitions have been started around the country. The Telegraph reported that “tens of thousands of students have signed petitions demanding refunds for lost teaching time as a result of a lecturers’ strike over pensions”. Speaking to the Telegraph, Hannah Morrish from The Student Room said: “With tuition fees in excess of £9,000 a year, students feel it’s unfair that they are the ones who will ultimately pay the
Campus Redevelopment plans
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Paul has continued to play a role in the university at large. If you take a peek in the Stirling 50 Objects book, released for the 50th anniversary, Paul wrote a piece alongside myself and former editor, Dan Vevers, on Brig’s past, present and future. Again, thank you, Paul for your continued help, and I hope this column goes some way to expressing our gratitude.
he University is going through a brandnew redevelopment. This is going to include a modified Atrium, as well as a new three-storey building and a traffic -free Queen’s Court. There will also be new retail, catering, events space and student support services
facilities. However, a final decision on the project will be taken by the University Court next month. As the project progresses, the university will keep us updated on further developments.
price for missed tuition.” Charles Begg, an English student studying Politics and Economics, said of the strikes: “I believe that students who are paying tuition fees should be partially refunded, because the university is not giving us the service we are paying for. “We pay for an amount of contact hours with lecturers, through lectures and seminars so it is not acceptable for us to pay for a service that we are not being given.” When approached for comment on the reimbursement of tuition fees, a University of Stirling spokesperson said: “The university is doing everything possible to ensure that there is minimal impact on teaching and learning. “The university’s priority and commitment is to ensure that all students
are provided with appropriate opportunities to achieve the learning outcomes attached to each module and programme of study.” Due to the strikes causing major disruption to some students’ learning, many are being contacted to inform them their assignment and examination deadlines have been pushed back. This includes students doing dissertations, who, Brig has learned, are having their deadlines postponed for two weeks in some cases. However, strikes could continue for a further 14 days in April and into June. This would ultimately affect the examination timetable. Keep an eye on brignews. com for up to date information from Brig.
Anthology shines light on issues affecting women
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hattering the Glass Box which was published in February is shining a light on issues affecting women from sexual assault to gender discrimination. Writer and producer Ben Fletcher
who coined the idea for this anthology says “It came out nearly two weeks ago and is on sale in Barnes and Nobles in the US, Amazon and Waterstones in the UK and all over the world. “It’s slowly
building momentum, with a number of national media outlets in the UK and US watching to see if it hits off and is worth covering.”
As most people are already aware, this month is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate and feel inspired by women from all over the world. This year, Stirling Students’ Union will be holding a special award ceremony to honour this, but also to celebrate the achievements of women a little closer to home –– here on campus. If students have someone in mind –– whether it be a female student or staff member –– they can go onto the Union’s website to fill out a nomination form. There is no upper limit to the number of nominations someone can make, and each one comes under a different category. These include: Student/staff studying or teaching STEM subjects; Someone in a leadership
role; Studying/teaching a postgraduate course; An international woman at the university; Student/ staff in sports; An equality champion at the university. Nominations for all of the above will close on March 23, and a winner will be selected from the ten categories. There will be an awards night in Underground at 6-8pm on Thursday March 29. As the Union have stated, it will be “an evening of celebrating inspirational women on campus and in our community”. So, if you know a female who has inspired you here at the university and deserves recognition, then get nominating online now before it closes. Brig is an official supporter of the campaign.
Award winning conflict editor is coming to Stirling
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nternational Editor of Channel 4 News, Lindsey Hislum, will speak on “Being there: War corresponding in the 21st century” on March 21 at Logie Lecture theatre.
The talk will cover, the rise of citizen journalism, the impact of changing technology, social media and dangers to journalists on the frontline. The work of past war reporters including
Marie Colvin, Martha Gelhorn and Claire Hollingworth will also be reflected. Hislum has built an award-winning career covering conflicts including Kosovo, Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.
4 Brig | March 2018
Union elections
Smallenbroek sets mental wellbeing and seating space as second-term priorities Craig Munro News editor
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e-elected Union President Astrid Smallenbroek has said that her priority upon taking office will be mental wellbeing, echoing points from her manifesto and promises made throughout her campaign. Smallenbroek defeated her opponent Ryan Peteranna by 852 votes, gaining over 80% of the total votes cast for President. In her victory speech at Tuesday’s election results party, the incumbent president said: “Thank you to everyone that voted, thank you Ryan for putting up a fantastic campaign. Let’s get drunk?” In a night of extremely close results, the outcome of the Union President election stood out for its decisiveness. The Sports President race was decided by 17 votes, while the result of the VP Education race came down to
just eight. Peteranna told Brig: “I want to congratulate our new sabbatical team on their well-earned success, and hope they have an enjoyable and productive year. “I meant it when I said they will work to make students matter, because I know they have the skills and dedication necessary to achieve this. I wish them every success in their endeavours.” Smallenbroek will be working alongside reelected VP Communities Jamie Grant, as well as new additions to the sabbatical team VP Education Daniel Wright and Sports President Caitlin Ormiston. She says she is “optimistic” about the new team: “It’s going to be really good.” Naming her priorities for the coming year, Smallenbroek said: “I think mental wellbeing is a really big one on my list, another one is just seating space for students to be able to sit down in the atrium and just eat their lunch and relax and
things like that.” On the first 100 days of her second term, she told Brig: “I think I will be laying down a lot of the groundwork. It’s going to be quite a calm time, since it’s during the summer, so students won’t be around. So I’ll really be focusing on making sure I get all the groundwork in place before the hecticness of freshers starts!” The election results came at the end of a two week-long election campaign, during which mental health and the ongoing UCU strikes were among the most widely discussed and debated issues. Almost every candidate made mental health a top priority in their manifesto, with the Union President, VP Communities and VP Education nominees all pitching different strategies to help combat the issue. Both Smallenbroek and Peteranna indicated in their manifestos that they would aim to improve the university’s counselling services during their term. Smallenbroek’s manifesto also included promises to provide early intervention for people suffering from mental illness, combine the efforts
of the University and the Students’ Union to tackle poor mental wellbeing, and support international students through Brexit. Speaking in an interview with Brig earlier this month, she said “What I really want to do is look at the mental health problem; we shouldn’t let these issues escalate to where you’re in a crisis.” Similarly, both presidential candidates highlighted the need for improvements to the bus service to and from campus. However, they each took different approaches towards achieving these improvements. While Smallenbroek suggested working with the National Union of Students to put national as well as local pressure on First Bus, Peteranna said that he would continue with the current negotiations between the Union, Stirling Council and First Bus. A breakthrough in those negotiations came in January, when the Students’ Union forced First Bus to reverse their decision to withdraw four-week passes after a campaign led by Smallenbroek and VP Communities Jamie Grant. Grant reacted to the
most eager to vote in the union elections with 535 exercising their right in contrast to second years who had the lowest turnout of 295 voters. More undergraduates voted than taught postgraduates with 1,417 compared to 106 votes cast. The Scottish Nationalist Association was the club with the most voters with 89.5% of 19 members exercising this right which VP Communities
Jamie Grant has been involved in. Jamie Grant was also previously president of the Politics Society and this particular society had a voter turnout of 80%. 81% of the Labour society voted which Rachel Bradshaw played an active role in. The Gender Equality Movement was the society with the second highest turnout with 87.5% of its 24 members voting, Astrid Smallenbroek who has been granted a second
year as Union president has played an active role in this society throughout her time at university. Newly VP elect Daniel Wright was the treasurer and head of production for Air3 Radio in his fourth year which happened to be the media society with the highest voter turnout at 74.6%. Brig follows with 67.9% and AirTV with 57.1% of its members voting. The sports team that came out on top
reversal on Facebook by saying it “shows what we can achieve when we show up and speak out”. On the topic of the UCU strikes, Smallenbroek last month released a statement lending the full support of the Students’ Union to the UCU, while adding that the Union would work to ensure that the strike’s impact on students was minimised. On Tuesday night, it was unclear whether the UCU dispute would continue into the new semester,
after union members around the UK overwhelmingly voted against a revised pension offer. Several election candidates, including Smallenbroek, were pictured joining the picket lines outside the university during the campaign, in order to lend their support to striking staff. Pictures posted on Jamie Grant’s Facebook at the end of February show the two sabbatical officers holding banners in freezing weather, as
snow falls around them. In a post-results interview, the president told Brig she is pleased to have the opportunity to work on projects lasting beyond a single year. “From now on, I really get to focus on more long term projects that I couldn’t have finished in the last six months of my job. So, looking ahead and seeing how I can plan for the future, and make sure that students benefit the most out of all the work that I do.”
How the election was won and lost Rebekah McVey Analysis
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ith another union election now over, your newly elected sabbatical officers are bright eyed, bushy tailed and eager to make a difference to your student experience. The voting stats give some indication to the support behind each candidate. First years were the
was cricket with all 14 members voting - with Caitlin Ormiston having been president of the club for the past year. The team with the second highest turnout was touch rugby with 88.9% of 18 members casting their vote. Men’s football had the lowest turnout with 9%.
5 Brig | March 2018
Union elections Ross Brannigan
Union election sees huge turnout slump
Sam Ormiston Comment
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f the app r o x i mately 1 2 0 0 0 students who were eligible to vote, only 1,537 cast their ballots to elect our 4 new sabbatical officers. So why are students generally uninterested in taking part in our democracy? In terms of the VP Education position in particular, there were such similarities in the two candidates manifestos that perhaps people did not see the point in voting. And of the executive
officer positions that were filled, all winning candidates ran uncontested. There is always the option to vote R.O.N but even this seems pointless - surely it is better to fill the position than to have nobody elected to the role at all. Some societies and
sports clubs registered high turnouts but most of these clubs were associated with members running for the sabbatical positions. For example, 100% of the cricket team voted but their club president is Sports Union PresidentElect Caitlin Ormiston. Similarly, 17 of the Scottish National Association’s 19 members turned out to vote but they have close links with the reelected VP of Communities Jamie Grant. Both incumbents, Grant and re-elected Union President Astrid Smallenbroek won by huge margins
continued from front outpouring of emotions from both camps. Catilin Ormiston burst into tears and was speechless when asked for comment. Daniel Wright was equally as exhilerated, with his team of campaigners crying out with joy as Wright breathed a sigh of relief at the close result. Following her resounding re-election, Smallenbroek kept her speech brief and to the point: “Thank you to everyone who voted, thank you to Ryan, you put up a fantastic campaign – em, let’s... get...drunk!” Meanwhile, Ormiston, following her close victory, said: “I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone that voted, and to everyone in my campaign team. “A massive well done to Ellie as well, you did a great job. Thank you very much.” Despite securing almost three-quarters of the 110 potential voters in her netball team voting, West failed to beat Ormiston’s cricket team, who – despite being just 14 members strong – all turned out to vote. After she was an-
but this could simply be because they are familiar figures on campus, rather than the fact that their manifestos were stronger than their opponents. None of the members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations casted a vote, and in Venue, where the results were announced, there was
nounced as the victor, the cricket club roared in celebration and were quick to embrace her after she returned from the stage. Jamie Grant was keen to congratulate Rachel Bradshaw, saying she had given him “sleepless nights”, and that he was
“backing Bradshaw from the start”. He added: Thank you so much for this, it’s a real confirmation of all the work that we’ve done this year. “Thank you to my campaign team, my loved ones, my friends. Thank you to Rachel, you put up a fantastic campaign - you’ve given me sleepless nights, thank you so much guys. “Let’s have a great year ahead of us.” Daniel Wright said after his victory: “Thanks. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone that voted for me, I couldn’t have done it without any of you.
a severe lack of ethnic minorities in the room. All eight candidates for the four sabbatical positions were of a white-British background. Does this hint that ethnic minorities at Stirling University are simply detached from the Students Union? Whatever the rea-
son, it is clear that our newly elected sabbatical officers have a lot of work to do over the next year to increase student engagement, and to include all students to ensure they feel part of their education and part of the Students’ Union.
“Georgia, you did a fantastic job, I couldn’t have asked for a better candidate. “And, commiserations you put up a great campaign. “But, thanks everyone I hope I do a good job.” In other news, the most important polling of the evening could be found in Brig Newspaper’s Twitter polls. When asked what their favourite moment of the night was, 86% said it was the bar being opened. In the event of a tie, 72% of those who answered the poll said they would like the draw to be settled by a duel. Gripping stuff.
All photographs by Harry Williamson.
6 Brig | March 2018
News
REVEALED: Media societies come out on top in Clubs and Socs Ball shortlists Psychology & Mental Wellbeing’s Mental
Rebecca McCurdy
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he final shortlist for the annual Clubs & Socs Awards Ball have officially been announced. The event is being held on Thursday April 5 at Dunblane Hilton Hotel. Clubs and societies will be recognised for their efforts this academic year across 13 different categories at the Masquerade Ball. Brig can now unveil the final shortlists for the glamorous event. The media societies Brig and Air3 are among the most nominated, with both getting five nominations respectively, including a nomination for their collaboration of Scottish Women in Sport Awards coverage. Musical Theatre and LGBT are also among the top nominees, racking up four each.
Most Innovative Idea
Air3’s Podcasting Studio Brig’s BleedGreen LGBT’s Pride Week RAG’s Jailbreak Social Work’s Pay It Forward
Health Discussion
Best Publicity
Brig Drama Harry Mitchell (Air3) International Musical Theatre Best New Club PostGrad RAG Student Managed Investment Fund True Crime Women In STEM Best Committee Air3 Radio Brig International Musical Theatre UNIBOOB
Best Event
International’s Loch Lomond Trip LGBT’s Drag Show Media Soc’s LGBT Sports Panel Politics’ Abuse in Wartime Talk SUDS Women in Drama Wooden Spoon Angus Macdonald – The Forgotten Passport Disney’s Spotlight Last Minute Panic
Credit: Stirling Students Union
Jamie Grant Swearing Live on Air3 Radio Pol Soc’s Failed Valentine’s Speed Dating Biggest Contribution Brig GEM Kieran Daly Rachel Bradshaw Sports Union & Brig Media Team
Best Rookie
Carrie Graham Harry Whyte Ritchie Piper Shannon Scovel Siobhan Lamb
Unsung Hero Craig Wright Harry Mitchell Milja Bergenheim Ritchie Piper
Russell Macpherson
President of the Year Aliya Kenjegalieva Kieran Daly
Club Collaboration
Air3’s Charity Album Brig & Air3’s coverage of Scottish Women in Sport Awards Economics, Politics and Debating’s Brexit Debate LGBT & Musical Theatre’s ‘Big Gay Karaoke Night’ Credit GCA+D
Margareta Roncevic Milja Bergenheim Ruaridh Bell
Lifetime Achievement
Anuraag Mukhia Amy Beveridge Craig Wright Jack Mitchell Rachel Bradshaw
Club of the Year Air3 Radio Drama International LGBT Musical Theatre
The awards ceremony will this year be held at the Dunblane Hydro Hotel in Dunblane.
7 Brig | March 2018
Politics The Golden Dawn of ‘far-rightism’
ONES TO WATCH Repeal the 8th The campaign to repeal the eigth amendment in Ireland is underway, with the vote taking place near the end of May.
Veronica Kontopoulou
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he power of the media has over the world of politics is indisputable. Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, for instance, has made that clear. A recent politics lecture on fascism provided the ground for a ghastly realisation; while Nazi Germany’s calamitous fascist regime may seem like a concept buried in the past, the truth is, extreme fascism could make its reappearance at any time. From the “British Nationalist Party” to the French “Bloc Identitaire” party, the prominent rising popularity of farrightist, or ‘neo-Nazi’ movements throughout the entire world has raised much concern, especially amongst people who strongly condemn far-right wing policies and ideals. Prior to discussing the main causes of the birth of fascism, the lecture revealed the three main components that assemble fascist regimes. First, racialist basis: ‘natural inequality’, second, ultra-nationalism, and last, state authoritarianism, in other words, a state that makes all decisions with only little logical scrutiny. It was not long before it all clicked. Coming from a Greek background and being familiar with the current situation of the country, I could not help but notice the alarming similarities of a pre-Nazi Germany and current Greece. It does not take much other than a dreadful economic state of the coun-
try, a specific group of people to function as the ‘scapegoat’, the promotion of warm, patriotic feelings to a people suffering from nostalgia and finally, a very, very skilled orator to be trusted as leader. The Greek financial crisis is all but unknown around the world, loudly echoed in the media of countries. The influx of refugees has often been deemed as a heavy burden by the Greek people. An opinion, shaped by personal experiences and upbringing, is that the historically-oriented Greek education, as well as heavily custom-filled culture, promotes emotions of patriotism, arguably to the extent of chauvinism. Naturally, the final question is; which gigantic egomaniac would like to receive the honour of being Europe’s next Mussolini, Franco or Hitler? It is more than likely that the Greek far-right political party’s “Golden Dawn” spokesperson Ilias Kasidiaris would be eagerly raising his hand, were he presented with the question. That would have to be, of course, through the prison cell which he has been regularly visiting for the past few years, after numerous accusations for violent and slanderous practices. Coming back to the media’s power, one may find it difficult to remember the days when you would hear ’Greece’ and think of the rich history, birthplace of democracy and the mythical Greek islands,
Greece as it once was. It has been ten years since the first signs of the Greek Financial crisis, also known as ‘The Crisis’, made their appearance. Ten years of cut after cut, demonstration after demonstration, bailout program after the next; Greece has constantly been receiving bad news for the past ten years. Interested in knowing who treasures bad news? That is right, the media. Foreign media has been recording the process of Greece’s tumbling into a country of deep humanitarian crisis and chaos at every step of the way. Greece’s fame has undertaken a huge hit and so has the notorious pride of the Greek people. Now the Greeks are not only finding it immensely hard to find a job in their own country but also abroad, due to their utterly wrecked reputation. Papers across the world, have characterised and blamed the Greeks as ‘lazy’ and as ‘the reason why the whole EU is suffering’. The lenders are angry and so are the borrowers. But above all, the be-
trayed and used people of Greece are angry. Angry at the government that has been screwing them over for decades, angry at the media for lying straight to their face, angry at the foreign accusers, angry at the state they have found themselves in. Far-right organisations feed off that exact hatred and longing for the ‘better times’. They often offer the promise of ‘making *insert your own country here* great again’ by getting rid of *insert scapegoat-able minority here*. And so, extreme fascist parties, including the ‘Golden Dawn’, rise on austerity-driven despair (as an excellent 2015 article by the Guardian is titled 1). All the while, the media, with its ugly pictures and sensationalism driven reportages, is adding fuel to the fire, a fire that parties such as the Golden Dawn know very well how to make use of.
Martin Luther King Jr’s 50th Death anniversary April 4 marks 50 years since MLK was assasinated. Martin Luther King Jr changed civil rights for the better but there is still much injustice in America and the journey is far from over.
World Cup 2018 June kicks off the start of the world cup in Russia. Sports and politics are inextricably linked so could there be more drama off the pitch?
Rex Tillerson latest to be fired In the latest episode of “You’re fired!”, Trump has said goodbye to Rex Tillerson. Mike Pompeo, who is the director of the CIA, will replace him. Gina Haspel, the newly named director of the CIA, is the first woman to be CIA director.
Credit: Getty
8 Brig | March 2018
Politics
Toxic gun culture in America Michael Robinett, Autumn Kelso, & Jacob Robinett
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ver the last 5 years, America has suffered its worst mass shootings to date. Sandy Hook Elementary, Orlando’s night club, and most recently Stoneman Douglas High School were all conducted with the AR15. In Las Vegas, the shooter modified his AR-15 with a bump stock, an attachment that made it fully automatic. These are just some of the examples of the violence the AR-15 has caused in America, by Americans. These tragedies are due in part to profitable NRA lobby efforts to endorse AR-15 circulation. To start the discussion about American mass shootings, we asked Stirling students what they thought about guns and society: Q: Do you think the right to own a gun is a fundamental one? A: I don’t personally. I think it would be easier to deal with if there was a mental health background check beforehand because unfortunately, a lot of these people (shooters) seem to be mentally ill in some way and still been able to get ahold of a gun. I’m not saying that all mentally ill people are going to go and kill everyone – more likely to, perhaps. - Jennie Firth- Lake District, England- First-year, Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology student A: I don’t in any way believe that the right to own guns is a fundamental one. The phrasing in the Constitution itself is heavily biased, and the right to bear arms was originally founded to limit the power of the state government over the people. I think that the attitude that the bearing arms is a right and not a privilege, has led to the conundrum that we have today. Madeline Lomme- Colorado, USA- Philosophy, Politics, & Economics student. Q: Are we a safer society if more of us have guns than not? A: No. Inherently it makes us unsafe. You’ve got to think why guns are
designed and ultimately who carries them about. If you are carrying it about, you are saying “I’m willing to use it”. In America, you don’t necessarily have to be trained to carry one. If there is a loud noise, or you misinterpret a situation, you’re likely to pull out the gun and shoot somebody. – Hamish Tennet- Berwick UponTweed- First-year Psychology students A: There is no way that guns create more safety in society. They just make killing easier. Despite that guns are also used for recreation, at the end of the day they were and are designed to create as much damage to our fellow man as possible. - Madeline Lomme Q: What does the best gun legislation look like? A: I don’t think there is such a thing as perfect gun legislation, as there will always be a way of obtaining illegal firearms. However, in the case of the US, I believe that strict legislation limiting the possession of guns and obtaining them would be extremely beneficial from the standpoint of reducing mass shootings -Nikolas Salaforis- Limassol, Cyprus-
Philosophy, Politics, & Economics student. As these difficult questions indicate, American Mass shootings are not simply due to “gun love”. However, these responses only represent one side of the gun debate. In reality, the gun problem is a complex story of private interest profit and manufactured fear. Therefore, we should focus on how private interest groups, like the National Rifle Association (NRA), encourage endless gun purchase in America. The number of guns in America is now larger than the American population. Recent dialogue has challenged the relationship between the access to fire arms and mass shootings. The NRA denies the link of gun ownership to gun violence, specifically when it comes to rifles such as the AR-15. In the face of denial, they profit from ads endorsing AR15 purchase. They then redirect these funds into political channels, especially during or just after a mass shooting.
NRA ads are structured as a call to defence, “the AR-15 is the best rifle for the average American to defend their home and family against imminent terrorist threats”. This is insane. The average American is not susceptible to such frequent terrorist threats in a way that justifies putting semi-automatic rifles into the hands of untrained citizens en masse. They attempt to sell their point by generating a sense of fear, telling people “the only way for us to stay free is to have
whatever guns the bad guys have”. This does not address the obvious question “what if Americans are the bad guys?” Now, it is important to clarify just how the NRA makes money. The NRA does not directly sell guns. However, through lobby efforts and independent expenditures, it represents a political buffer between public accountability and gun manufacturers. They fundraise for manufacturers, earning
a small “charitable” contributions from some of their sales (depending on the manufacturer), and they earn quite a lot from NRA membership annually. After acquiring these funds, they pay executive salaries and divert the rest into political channels and ads (like those of the AR-15). While it is true that their direct campaign contributions are relatively small (measuring only in the several million), “If you add it all up -- candidate and party contributions,
independent expenditures, and lobbying -- the NRA has spent $203.2 million on political activities since 1998.” The problem has been recently crystalized by Florida senator Marco Rubio’s inability to say “No” in the face of Stoneman Douglas survivor Cameron Kasky: “Can you tell me right now, that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?” Many American leaders now ignore their constituents’ pleas so that they may more easily finance their next election campaign. Even though direct NRA contributions to individual candidates is relatively low compared to other private interests, their spending on other campaign essential elements (gun and political attack advertisements, fundraising, get-out-the-vote drives, etc.) effectively dominates America’s gun culture. If America is going to heal its gun culture, it must continue to deal with questions like those Stirling students responded to. However, this is not enough. If Americans fail to expunge the toxicity of private interest from gun circulation, nothing will change. Without this, profit motive will continue to monopolize the gun debate, leaving more and more mass shootings in its wake.
9 Brig | March 2018
Politics
From Hollywood to Holyrood Finlay Allmond
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third of all women working in parliament have experienced sexual harassment or sexist behaviour in the work place. This was the headline statistic from a survey conducted late last year and released at the start of March. Over 1000 members of staff including MSPS, their workers and those employed directly by the parliament responded to the survey which outlined the scale of the problem in Holyrood. In total, one in every five of the respondents had experienced sexist behaviour or sexual harassment whilst 21% believed that current procedures discourage the reporting of harassment. Of those who did choose to report harassment nearly half were ‘very confident’ that their complaint would be taken seriously. However, only 35% were ‘very confident’ that complaints of sexist behaviour would be taken seriously. Ken Mackintosh MSP, the parliament’s presiding officer, addressed the findings of the report saying: ‘For an institution which prides itself on openness, inclusivity and on having progressive working practices, a number of the findings make for difficult reading. I am sorry that people have experienced this type of behaviour while working here.’ The revelations of a culture of sleaze at Holyrood come in the wake of a number of recent scandals across the globe which started with the dramatic downfall of ac-
The global sexual harassment scandal hits the Scottish Parliament
claimed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. At Westminster a crossparty group recently published new guidelines to guard against abuse, the growing #metoo and #timesup movements have led to banning of walk on girls in darts and grid girls in F1. The Holyrood report is sure to damage the reputation of an institution known to offer a kinder and gentler style of politics than can often be seen
at Westminster. Speaking on the launch of the report former Labour leader, and member of the parliament’s executive body, Keziah Dugdale said ‘Holyrood is not immune to the problem’. She continued saying ‘it’s incredibly important we support those who have experienced this behaviour and ensure perpetrators are held accountable, our overarching aim must be to create a culture which prevents
sexual harassment and sexist behaviour’ Almost half of those who had experienced harassment or sexist behaviour identified an MSP as the perpetrator. This finding mirrors an accusation made by the lawyer Aamer Anwar last October who said he his clients had detailed to him a ‘catalogue of abuse’ that would have seen people arrested if it had happened in public. First Minister Nicola
Sturgeon MSP said she was ‘shocked and saddened’ by the revelations describing the results of the survey as a ‘disgrace’. Across the board the problem is dramatically weighted toward the experience of woman. 20% of woman experienced sexist comments compared to 2% of men; 16% had received looks or leers whilst 3% of men had; and 9% of woman complained of unwanted physical contact com-
pared to just 1% of men. Speaking directly to Brig on what the parliament plans on doing next a Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: ‘The Parliament took the decision to commission an independent survey to understand the nature and scale of sexual harassment and sexist behaviour at Holyrood. Having done that, we are now focussed and fully committed to addressing the problems that the
survey highlighted.’ A joint working group set up at Holyrood has begun to debate what the next steps are. These could range from new reporting methods to tough sanctions against those who are shown to act inappropriately. In what we could call the post-Weinstein age sexual harassment prevention seems to be the top of the agenda for major businesses and public institutions.
Euroscepticism rising – a trend that won’t disappear Aneesa Dastgir Politics editor
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nother election, more anger and more uncertainty than ever. Italy is the latest country to send shockwaves through the European Union. There is no hope for Europe at this stage. This may sound overtly pessimistic but all you need to look at n th e past political year is France and Germany. Euroscpeticism and populism in general has
long been rising in Europe and is not going to decline anytime soon. If the coalition if to become reality, it can only be between so many parties. For example, we have the Five Star Movement (M5S), being the biggest party but not enough to have a majority. They can partner up with the League – which would cause outrage! Or they can provide a double whammy in being M5S and the League as well as Forza Italia. This would
ensure that the country would be lead by the populists, far right and the right wing. Parliament meets for the first time on March 23. On this day, we will find out who will be joining who to form a colation or if fresh elections are underway. If we are to take anything from this latest election, it is that the European Union is becoming ever more fragile as time goes on.
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10 Brig | January 2018
Comment
We should support our lecturers for daring to strike Lauren Cullen
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trikes - yikes! What an inconvenience. How dare they? Yet dare they do. If you live in the UK then you have bound to have heard the news about the UCU strikes. This being that lecturers, tutors and others from universities across the UK are striking due to a massive change in their pensions and, overall, their pay. Didn’t they do this last year and the year before? Yes, but this year they have excruciating circumstances to deal with. Employers have announced changes to their pensions that are drastic but also devalue them beyond a doubt. To my understanding, after a brief discussion with my education lecturer and tutor, the pensions were made by a certain percentage of one’s pay times by however many years you had worked. Now, the employers want to tie their pensions to the stock market. To elaborate more: the UK is a capitalistic society that is bound to large peaks and dips in the economy. Now, if you are old enough to remember a recession or a stock market collapse, then you will no doubt share my horror in such an idea or notion to even be mentioned. However, here we are. This is a dangerous ploy. From my own perspective, it wouldn’t be something that I would let go or happen easily, as it puts one’s future at great risk while benefiting the employers themselves. You can argue that I am not so knowledgeable about these things
and I should just stick to my books, but I cannot. I stand with them with all, as everyone should. It could be said or viewed as an attempt to short-change teachers, lecturers, tutors and future educators or even those who work within the university sector that have a share in the pension scheme. All to save some pennies. Although, I have read that some in the sector have claimed it to be a cash grab from the higher ups, and I could agree, but I wanted to find out more. So I, being the overly curious and inquisitive person I am, marched down to the Stirling University picket line to speak to the staff who are opposing these changes. I spoke to both the President (Sam Booth) & Vice President (Joe Smith) of the UCU for Stirling about these changes, and to also get a better understanding of what is actually going on. I asked how they feel about the proposed changes. “Not happy. These are fundamental changes about how we pay in to our pensions. “Instead of it being a group pot that is guaranteed to pay out, it will be a individual pot that ‘may’ not be guaranteed.” They went on to explain to me that the cuts are argued to be anywhere from ‘10%-40%’ less from their pensions overall - to which my jaw nearly hit the floor, as I am aware yours may be too. Joe and Sam went on to explain that they do not take this action lightly, but that the overall majority of the union voted to strike. They emphasised that they love their work and students, but they have been shoved into a corner,
that they must fight to get out of it, and that this is the only way. The government are pushing a very ‘individual vs group’ mentality. It is affecting everyone in all walks of life, not just that of the educational sector. I went onto ask them: “What do you enjoy about teaching?” Joe said: “I enjoy the interaction from students. “I worked as a school teacher for ten years before becoming a university lecturer. I have worked at Stirling for five years now.” Sam didn’t comment as
he is the university’s head of IT. I was, however, very enlightened by Joe and his outstanding passion for his work, but also the union he is a part of. This led on to my next question: “What do you want?” “Employers to return to the table for meaningful discussions. These have been arranged for Tuesday (Febraury 27) but there are to be no talks about pensions.” This seemed fair, apart from the absence of pension talks, to me, but then Joe went onto say: “It is a pay cut, it’s not just about
the pensions overall.” I asked him further about the higher ups and their feelings, and he explained: “Half of the university leaders support the change and the others do not. “We are hoping more will come on our side soon, as they should.” By this time, I was enthralled by this clash of wills vs economics vs politics and people’s positions. I felt slightly raged that these higher ups would not take a stand with them in unity. It made me worried for future students, like my eldest daughter Bonnie, who is 12, and has her heart set on university. I asked: “If solidified, will it make you consider a change in career?” Sam said: “No, I am near the end of my career by only a few years.” Can’t argue with that now, can you? Joe said: “I would. When I was a school teacher, I was paid more than I am now as a lecturer. “People think we earn lots of money and in fact that is not the case. In fact, my pay in comparison is 20% less than what it was in the past.” He went onto say and agree with me that: “This is definitely wrong; employers have intentionally devalued teachers.” I asked this question as
I firmly believe that these people who spend decades of their lives dedicated to our betterment, to our education and enlightenment, should be honoured, not financially chastised for the gain of others. Where would I be right now without the finite criticisms of my HNC Creative Writing Course Lecturer Kevin Colrain (also Stirling University alumni), who clashed with me at every turn, but secretly loved my work and philosophical dedication to the course at hand! Likewise, John Clarke of the same course, that got me to write a perfectly funny comedy script, who put up with my nervous breakdown over it, and always applauded my bravery when performing my poetry! Or the indispensable patience of my Sociology lecturer from my Access to Degrees Studies lecturer Christine Muirhead, who understood I wasn’t her average student - she believed in me and made me believe in myself. I would not be at Stirling University without these people, I would not be a stable functioning adult with a job and a whole host of reachable attainable life goals that I have met before I turned 30. I published a book, for Christ’s sake - a book! I can also hope to say
much the same about all my other lecturers and tutors over the next four years of my degree. I may seem a little overly biased towards these educators’ plights, pays and pensions but, effectively, shouldn’t we all? Our future, our ability to think is in their hands… without them we are destined to languish in an ignorant abyss. Not creating, not revolutionising, not expanding, and not being one of the greatest institutions on the face of our earth. If we roll our eyes at them striking, then we shouldn’t have eyes at all. We should not complain in our own work when we do not get paid as much as someone else. We should just sit and be quiet. Accepting that fate. As a nation, we should be able to sympathise and support those who open our eyes as best they can, who have earned the right to hold a sign at the front of their establishment and protest what is a heinous crime against education as a whole. One can only guess what will be next. I hope that next there will be a suitable resolution for all.
Credit: Harry Williamson
2 Brig | January 2018
Music what’s on SAM SMITH @ THE SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW 23 & 24 March THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS @ THE SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW - 25 March anne-marie @ o2 academy, glasgow 27 march george ezra @ Usher hall, edinburgh, 31 March bastille @ usher hall, edinburgh - 11 april dua lipa @ the sse hydro, glasgow - 12 april the vaccines @ o2 academy, glasgow 12 April calum scott @ o2 ABC, glasgow - 13 april harry styles @ the sse hydro, glasgow 14 april not3s @ saint luke’s, glasgow, 18 april Manic street preachers @ the sse hydro, glasgow - 25 april eden @ o2 abc, glasgow - 25 april jungle @ 02 abc, glasgow - 3 may we are scientists @ The garage, glasgow - 10 may
imagine dragons light up glasgow
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sam ormiston
ouncing back onto the music scene with their third studio album Evolve, Imagine Dragons lit up the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on March 4. Supporting act K-Flay, an eclectic hip-hop artist from Los Angeles, impressed the crowd with her rapping abilities earlier in the evening but was inaudible at times, although this could be blamed on the heavy sound of the drums more than anything else. The Las Vegas rockers captivated the audience, performing an interesting mix of their newer material, as well as their old favourites. Although Evolve is worlds
away from previous albums Night Visions and Smoke and Mirrors in terms of style, the band has not lost their unique sound. And Dan Reynolds’ vocals are as powerful and full of fire as ever. Opening with ‘I Don’t Know Why’, the opening track on the Evolve album, the crowd were immediately engaged, but the arena erupted when the opening bars of ‘It’s time’ began to echo around the venue. Halfway through the gig, the band moved from the front stage to the centre of the arena, to perform some acoustic numbers. The sound quality was clear, and the crowd involvement was at its best in this section of the show.
The Nevada giants had the audience swaying to ‘Bleeding Out’, before getting the crowd fired up to ‘I Bet My Life’. I felt the transition between these two songs was symbolic of the changes the band has undergone in recent years. Previously more associated with the alternative rock genre, there is a more pop-rock feel within their new album. Describing 2018 as a year for telling his story, lead singer Reynolds used his platform to open up about his experiences with depression, as well as supporting the rights of the LGBT community. “I am disgusted with what is going on back home
in the states. We need to love each other… and to those who are struggling with depression, talk to someone. A friend, parent, or a therapist.” From a critical point of view, at times the gaps between songs were long, and the special effects and lighting were overpowering. This could not distract from the intensity of Reynold’s lyrics and the sheer power of his vocals and vocal range. The band returned to the stage for an encore, in which they performed bass-heavy ‘Walking the Wire’, followed by, of course, ‘Radioactive’. To finish with any other song would have been
inappropriate. Despite a change in style, Imagine Dragons have proved they are here to stay, and that they still possess the pas-
sion and enthusiasm that was apparent when the band first came onto the music scene.
Credit: Abigail Watson
Coldplay’s viva la vida ten years on PETER STEWART MUSIC EDITOR
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une marks a decade since Coldplay released their fourth album, titled Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Whether or not this only serves as a reminder of how old you are, everyone remembers, and will still occasionally hear the distinctive intro and unforgettable chorus of the world-beating single ‘Viva La Vida’. Less fresh in the mind may be the rest of the record, which has sold in the region of 10 million copies worldwide and gone double platinum in the UK. Let our track-by-track guide remind you of the album that made Coldplay the biggest band in the world.
Life In Technicolor Opting for an instrumental album introduction was one of many bold creative moves overseen by producer Brian Eno. An infectious loop, played on a santoor, repeats over tabla-like percussion. Conventional Coldplay sounds join and build to reach a soaring crescendo, defying all negative associations of instrumentals on rock records.
Cemeteries Of London
The darkest track on Viva La Vida and sharply contrasting a bright opening, Chris Martin has said his imagery was influenced by Dickensian ghost stories and medieval witch-burning. The minor key and 6/4 time evokes Spanish music and the folk genre.
Lost! The point where the album comes alive, ‘Lost!’ is recognisable from its dominant organ driven by a stomping, handclapping rhythm. Written long prior to Viva’s release, a piano version, ‘Lost?’, appeared as a B-side to ‘Violet Hill’ and is barely recognisable from the full version.
42 The forgotten jewel. The piano-led opening third recalls debut album Parachutes before heavy bass and guitar take over. The final section’s anthemic repetition is as nonsensical as it is thrilling: “You thought you might be a ghost / you didn’t get to heaven but you made it close”. The unconventional structure of the song, with no clear verses or chorus, is something the band had been trying to create for years.
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Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Love Another distinctive intro, the tack piano sound central to this song leads into the most, erm, Coldplay Coldplay song on Viva. Its wall of sound lent itself to becoming a confetti-covered live favourite. Picture a field of cherry blossom trees in summer. ‘Reign Of Love’ fades in from the album version of ‘Lovers In Japan’, contrasting it beautifully. Martin shows his dynamic skill as a pianist while he sings a soft, simple melody, closing the album’s first half.
Yes Taking its chief inspiration from The Velvet Underground, this track’s vocals are among the lowest Martin has ever recorded. Sexually charged and heavy on string arrangements, it is the first part
of another double track – although unlike ‘Reign Of Love’, ‘Chinese Sleep Chant’ is not named on the track list. It features swirling, distorted guitars and distant, barely discernible singing.
Viva La Vida What makes ‘Viva La Vida’ stand out as a Coldplay hit is its uniqueness next to their other big guns. Characterised not by ringing guitar riffs, delicate piano or inventive rhythms, but the string arrangements of Davide Rossi, it’s an ambitious attempt to reinvent their wheel — with emphatic success. Drummer Will Champion’s trading of the kit for timpani and church bells is a masterstroke with Eno written all over it, but Martin’s perfect melodies are still key. The ‘woahohhhh-oh-ohhhh-oh’ will be ringing round stadiums for years to come yet.
Violet Hill The heaviest song on the record, and indeed one of the band’s heaviest ever, ‘Violet Hill’ is a lead single oft-forgotten due to its succession by the above. Guitarist Jonny Buckland’s cascading chords and immediate riffs would be at home in any number of much meatier rock groups, while Martin’s vaguely anti-war message sees a darker lyrical tone return.
Strawberry Swing Although not quite what ‘Within You Without You’ was to Sgt. Pepper, there is an undeniable hint of African influence on the interesting guitar line. Martin has said that one reason for this was his mother’s Zimbabwean origins, and Buckland cited backwards guitar loops as
having informed his playing style. ‘Strawberry Swing’’s dreamy bliss is a stand-out moment, the refrain of ‘it’s such a perfect day’ quite frankly perfect for the most summery Coldplay song.
Death And All His Friends Despite the gloomy title, Viva La Vida closes with an exceptionally uplifting track. Just as with ‘42’, Martin sings over a sparse piano arrangement that progresses to a lively, catchy guitar, building to a full-band climax with choir and all. Completing the sixminute plus running time is ‘The Escapist’, an electronic collaboration with Jon Hopkins. If it sounds familiar, a snippet of this is also heard at the beginning of ‘Life In Technicolor’.
3 Brig | January 2018
Music
songs of my uni life The T in the Park rave: House Every Weekend – David Zowie
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usic makes memories. With this being my final ever issue writing for Brig newspaper, what better way to look back over the past four years than look back at the music that has made an impression on my time in Stirling. Here are some of the tracks that have made the biggest impression on me or are tied to some of my favourite memories from university. Be warned, as a regular frequenter of dusk some of these tracks may not be “good” songs but they’re tied to good times.
The Freshers’ Week anthem: Anaconda – Nicki Minaj Not only was coming to Stirling a bit of a whirlwind after getting my A-Level results, but I also arrived at my flat in Willow Court (yes, I was a Willow Wanker in first year) a day after everyone else. What better way to make a first impression that first night than by getting blackout drunk and twerking to this nonsense for half the night! On top of that, it has reached the point where my friends and I can recite all of Nicki’s verses from I in her voice… although it may sound a bit more like Tweety Pie.
Instead of a sunny holiday abroad in my first summer of university, I spent a weekend camping at the first (and frankly rather disastrous) T in the Park at Strathallan Castle with some of my best friends. We had the full festival experience, from drinking cans in the camp site to one of my friends getting some major heat stroke on the second day. It was a messy weekend and I loved every second! This track reminds me of it every time thanks to the people in a tent just a few away from ours blasting it all weekend on repeat at all hours of the day.
The frat parties: Shots and Squats – Vigiland, Tham Sway I have no idea where this track came from but out of nowhere it has kind of become a bit of a party anthem for the University of Stirling’s first fraternity.
There have been many parties featuring us all getting in a circle and bouncing like loons to this for three minutes.
The “I can’t remember what happened last night and I’m full of regret” track: Feels Like We Only Go Backwards – Tame Impala How many times have we all sworn we’d never drink again the morning after the night before? We’ve all been there. To me, this song is not only a really good track to chill out to on a hangover day but “It feels like we only go backwards baby, everypart of me says go ahead” kind of encapsulates that feeling the day after the sesh.
Music editor Jamie harris reminisces about the music associated with his memories of the past four years at university red, white and blue in all my life (and I watched a lot of the London 2012 Olympics). Nothing quite captures that American pride like a song that celebrates all things American, from Taco Bell to Las Vegas.
The track for when I was going stir-crazy being trapped in my flat for three days thanks to Storm Emma: Bored – Billie Eilish Not only is Billie Eilish one of my favourite new artists, but I near enough had this on repeat for the
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three days that I sat bored in my flat while there was a blizzard outside. The line “bored, I’m so bored, I’m so bored, so bored” really summed up how I felt.
The “I don’t want to leave
Nothing can prepare you for the intense patriotism of the 4th of July in the USA. I’ve never seen so much
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music editor peter stewart looks at scotland’s festival situation...
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120,000 festival-goers. DF Concerts, organisers of TRNSMT and TITP, have not confirmed if the latter is gone for good. In November 2016, DF announced that TITP would “take a year out to try to resolve the issues” that plagued the festival in its two years at Strathallan Castle, Auchterarder. 2015 saw DF face widespread criticism over traffic chaos, then in 2016, the deaths of two teenagers and a farcical cash machine theft machine made headlines. T in the Park was forced to relocate from Balado
trnsmt
location days fans price biggest act
in Kinross, its home of 17 years, due to health and safety concerns over an oil pipeline beneath the site. But the issues at Strathallan began long before a band stepped on stage, with planning permission delayed due to a protected osprey’s nest in the area. An official statement on the TITP website said that the purpose of the break was “so that we can once again deliver the kind of camping festival you are used to and deserve.” DF chief Geoff Ellis promised that TRNSMT “was not trying to replace” TITP, but it will do just
What line encapsulates the feeling of wanting to be an eternal student than “Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young”? Wish me luck…
The first summer in the USA song: America, F**k Yeah – Team America: World Police
can trnsmt replace t in the park? ill T in the Park ever return? It’s a question still without definite answer, but one that, for now at least, music fans in Scotland have stopped asking. The reason for that is TRNSMT. The non-camping festival held on Glasgow Green returns this summer, with headliners including Arctic Monkeys, Stereophonics and The Killers spread over two weekends. The 2017 festival boasted Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro and was a firm success, attracting
uni and have to be a real adult” song: Die Young – Kesha
that for a second year running — twice as long an absence as had been promised. But are there benefits to the sort of ‘dry’ festival of which TRNSMT is an example? Could DF and Scotland be paving the way for the future of music festivals? “Social media has a big role in it, as T in the Park was getting a bad reputation with viral videos of folk out their nut in campsites or in the arena after a full day drinking”, said Calum Heath, student and three-time T in the Park attendee.
“It’s sad as I felt camping was a really big part of TITP, however TRNSMT definitely is a safer option.” Drug-related deaths, including those at TITP in 2016, have forced festivals to take new approaches. Six UK events last year allowed testing of illegal substances in a bid to prevent harm. No serious incidents were reported at TRNSMT, where police made a total of seven arrests. 54 were made at TITP 2016. The logistics of TRNSMT make it a more straightforward operation than TITP
for organisers, with only an arena to construct. This, combined with a safer environment, could mean that it remains a likely prospect for years to come, free of many of the issues faced by TITP. Ellis has suggested that were in a camping festival return to Scotland, it may be an over-18s event focusing solely on either electronic dance music or guitar bands, running separate to TRNSMT. For fans like Calum, this could take away part of the thrill of TITP. “We’d go buzzing to see an act who we’d listened
5 120,000 £260 (5 days) Arctic Monkeys TRNSMT last year. Credit: trnsmtfest.com
TRNSMT takes place from 29 June - 1 July, and 6 - 7 July.
t in the park
location days fans price biggest act
Glasgow Green
to at house parties and such, while enjoying that freedom of camping and spending the weekend away from parents”.
Balado/Strathallan 3 120,000 £194 (3 days) Calvin Harris
4 Brig | January 2018
Film & TV
Pointlessly exhausting: Brig stays up for the Oscars
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Craig Munro Film & TV
in handing out an award, or a monumental upset in who received that award. Imagine if Denzel Washington had won the best actor award ahead of Gary Oldman? Or The Boss Baby had beaten Coco for best animated feature? Amazing. I would drink it up. To give them their dues, the Oscars producers tried to glam it up, bringing in an entertaining host in Jimmy Kimmel. He did a pretty good job – the running joke about the person with the shortest acceptance speech winning a jet ski worked very well. Sadly, they must have known that there was no way they were going to beat the pandemonium of last year. In the end, I was wearily unsurprised by Oscars night. The big awards, for the most part, played out like everyone expected them to. Guillermo del Toro won best director, as predicted. Frances McDormand won best actress, as predicted. Oldman won best actor, and Sam Rock-
well and Allison Janney won their supporting role gongs, all as predicted. The Shape of Water was one of two movies that were probably going to win best picture, and it did. I should have been more excited by a Guillermo del Toro monster movie winning the top award of the night – only the second fantasy film ever to achieve that, after Return of the King – but we’ve already been through months of promotion, campaigning and Oscar speculation, and it was approaching five in the morning, so it just didn’t hit me like it maybe should have. Only two of the night’s awards didn’t go the way I expected. Firstly, I thought that Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver would scoop the best editing award – it seems to have won it in nearly every other ceremony where it was nominated. It was a bit of a shame to see that wonderful film leave the Dolby Theater empty-handed. But the second surprise was more thrilling. In the
Credit: US Magazine
don’t know why I subjected myself to it again – every year, without fail. It starts so late. One o’clock in the morning. I was completely shattered four hours before it started streaming, but still I made myself stay up. The stream didn’t work. I had to sign up for a NowTV free trial account as quickly as I could when I realised that Sky was only showing the ceremony on a channel I wasn’t subscribed to. Took me twenty minutes. I missed Sam Rockwell winning Best Supporting Actor. And it was only then, after so many minutes of exhausted stress over finding which service I can use and learning how that service actually functions, after unplugging the HDMI cable and plugging it back in, it was only then that I realised this stream of the Academy Awards was going to be presented by Alex bloody Zane.
At this point, I wasn’t feeling brilliant about the choices I’d made. But I had a bottle of awful red wine from Lidl to finish, and my friend had brought a packet of Haribo, so I decided it wasn’t worth just quitting and going to bed. To keep me going, I reminded myself of what happened last year. It was a real drudge of bland sincerity and dull predictability, and by half past four I was moaning at the television to just get on with it. It was hopeless. Then up came nice, reliable Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway to present best picture and, of course, that happened. I went to bed that night with a big smile on my face, happy in the knowledge that my pointless insistence on watching the Oscars live had finally paid off. I got to soak in the spectacular destruction of the ceremony’s composed veneer live. As they say, it’s the hope that kills you. And I was desperately hoping that there was going to be either a monumental disaster
best original screenplay category, possibly the most competitive of the night, Jordan Peele won for Get Out. One of the best films of last year deserved more than that one Oscar, but I’m glad it was a major one. The result also made Peele the first black
screenwriter ever to win that award. After ninety years. That’s pretty special. By the end of the show, though, when Phantom Thread costume designer Mark Bridges came out on stage riding his brand new jet ski, I had finished the wine and was feeling
particularly ready for bed. Staying up for the Oscars is pointlessly exhausting and inevitably unrewarding. But if there’s one sure bet for next year’s Academy Awards, it’s that I will be awake for them.
5 Brig | January 2018
Film & TV
Brig’s Top 4 Vegetarian and Vegan Documentaries Rachel Talbot Film & T.V
W
hether you still love to savour a roast beef dinner or would do anything for a box of MacDonald’s chicken selects, there is no denying that a huge number of people around the world are now choosing to shun meat and meat products. Due to ancient beliefs around 38% of Indians are vegetarian and, closer to home, back in 2016 it was revealed that the number of vegans in Britain had risen by more than 360% cent over the past decade. A surge in celebrities who have both publically adopted a plantbased diet and urged their fans to follow suit include JayZ & Beyoncé, Liam Hemsworth, Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres. This makes a change from only electronic DJ Moby banging on about animal rights since the early 90s. As we all know, we can only be validated in our choices if celebrities are doing the same (!) Due to this global augmentation of nonanimal product consumers,
media has reflected the growing trend and various documentaries have emerged to urge as many people to go vegetarian or vegan as possible. These documentaries do not have to be solely for veggies and vegans just as ‘Making a Murder’ on Netflix is not solely for murderers. If you just want to learn more about this cruelty-free lifestyle out of curiosity, want to make the transition or simple want something more to binge watch, here are my Top 5 picks of the best vegetarian and vegan documentaries.
4. Vegucated
‘Murica: Land of the free and the cheeseburger. Also, the land of crippling obesity and diabetes. You may remember the smashhit doc Super-Size Me which followed an American man as he vowed to consume a diet of only MacDonalds for one month back in 2004. Well, Vegucated has a similar premise of Americans changing their diet for a specific time period. However, in this 2011 doc, three New Yorkers vow to eat only a strict vegan diet over the course of six weeks. Through this exercise the trio learn more
about animal agriculture which spurs them on to ultimately maintaining this animal and environmental friendly diet. The everyday meat-eater to super vegan transition is capable of inspiring your average Joe to switch up their lifestyle choices.
3. Earthlings
Moving away from a consumer-orientated point of view, Earthlings makes the transition to veganism and is much more concentrated around the animals which have to suffer endlessly in their day to day lives. Using hidden cameras, the documentary explores the huge industries which rely on animals for trade and which include the use of animals as pets, food, clothing, entertainment and for scientific research. Narrated by well-known actor, Joaquin Phoenix, and music by (you guessed it) Moby, Earthlings is a rude awakening and a slap to the face for those in denial of the extent to which the human race exploits its fellow animals for commodities and food.
2. Cowspiracy
For a very long time, we everyday people thought
that taking shorter showers, walking instead of driving and turning off switches when not in use would all help us save this little rotating orb we call home. However, Cowspiracy blew these beliefs wide-open. That’s not to say that practising these habits aren’t beneficial; it’s just that now, thanks to this 2014 documentary, we have realised the true extent of the damage which the agricultural industry is inflicting on our environment. Far more than a television left on standby overnight. Although it may feel like huge dramatic accusations are being made, this documentary, executively produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, is backed up with facts drawn from scientific reports published by the likes of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the World watch Institute and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These telling and pointed facts hold the mass farming of today accountable for global warming, deforestation and droughts. Indeed Cowspiracy makes us aware that, while the huge envi-
Credit: Kermode Uncut
ronmental organisations are hell-bent on taking to task fossil fuels, palm oil, mining and logging companies, the agricultural industry remains mostly unchallenged, thus opening our eyes to the ‘gag’ which the meat industry has inflicted on environmental charities.
1.Carnage
Topping this list in the number one spot is, in fact, a mockumentary. But please don’t feel cheated by this - the fact that this is not a feature-length film doesn’t make it any
less relevant. From the brilliant mind of comedy presenter Simon Amstell, comes a film depicting a Britain, set in 2067, where eating animals and animal products is outlawed. In an amusing, ironic twist, the new, solely plantconsuming generation are finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that their own grandparents ate fellow animals and were, in their words; ‘Carnists’; and to help these animal loving, sensitive Zen youngsters understand, Carnage attempts to explain how eating meat became
such second nature. It describes Britain’s eating habits and attitudes right back from the end of rationing during the Second World War until their present day utopia. This detached commentary on the way we consume today and into a fantasy future where the struggle for veganism is continued and ultimately won, puts our way of life into perspective and leaves us thinking, with the turning of the tide towards vegetarian and veganism, what will be the norm in 50 years’ time?
Shetland - the body count mounts in this stunningly bleak drama WHAT’S ON AT MACROBERT Chris Bond Film & t.v
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etective Inspector Jimmy Perez is back for a fourth series of Shetland, the detective drama based on the novels of crime writer Ann Cleeves. In the early days they told a story over two episodes, but in the last series and now in this one, all six episodes are devoted to a single story. This helps to keep down
Credit: Drama UK TV
the unfeasibly high death toll in the fictional Shetland, which boasts an annual homicide per capita rate to rival Midsomer. The real Shetland has a population of only 25,000 – and the kind of weather that makes you want to put off killing anyone until it clears up a bit. Shetland is a hugely successful export; it is shown in the US, Australia, Canada and across Europe, including all the Scandi-noir countries. It is easy to see why: it is solidly constructed, dark
when it needs to be and full of odd little touches. In episode two, I was particularly struck by the time given to a slightly Partridge-esque DJ interviewing the main suspect on local radio. “When you went to prison, Bill Clinton was president,” he says, “and a pint of milk cost 49p”. It’s little oddities like this which make Shetland different from your run of the mill murder mystery. Its chief pleasure however cannot be overlooked: the island is stunning. Even the crime
scenes are picturesque. It is probably not designed to make you think about moving to Shetland, but it still has that effect. All those bodies piling up over the last five years, yet it is still driving traffic to the tourist board’s website. I certainly had a look. The folk festival is in May, by the way. Dress warm. As far as series four is concerned, we are only just getting started, but it is proceeding as you might expect, with Henshall to the fore, exuding a quiet power, and not a drop of forced energy. The only issue I had with Shetland was the automotive “actors”. The lead was played by a Volvo V60 estate car which was featured almost comically gratuitously in some scenes, from which the viewer will have subconsciously discerned the usefulness of its electric tailgate and sprightly performance in solving a double homicide. I was surprised DI Perez didn’t turn to DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh and say:
“Aye, get forensics to see if they get fingerprints off that ticket. By the way, the Volvo V60 range starts at just £24,145, you know, and the T4 SE Nav model is currently available at 2.9 per cent APR representative with a £1,000 deposit contribution and three years complementary servicing when financed on personal contract purchase with Volvo car financial services, terms and conditions apply. DS Tosh.” Poor old Kia Motors, by contrast, were relegated to supplying “extras” – a background glimpse of a Sportage SUV dressed up as a police car, plus a Picanto hatch dumped in a field. Distracting, I must say, but they brightened things up a bit. When this goes to print the series will be coming to its climax, I would highly recommend a visit to BBC iPlayer if you haven’t been following up to this point.
THE MERCY MAR 16-21 I, Tonya Mar 16-22 Early Man Mar 17-25 lady windermere’s fan MAR 20 JULIUS CAESAR MAR 22 Finding your feet Mar 23-28 you were never really here mar 23-29 oh lucy! mar 26 BERNSTEIN CENTENARY MAR 27 The islands and the whalES Mar 29
6 Brig | January 2018
Arts
When art meets shoe
Anne Stoop
T
hey have been taking the fashion world by storm, street style inspired high fashion sneakers. While extreme design is not new to the runway in any way, shape or form it has never been so wearable -feet wise. When Balenciaga rocked the world by introducing their Triple S line, many fashion hearts stopped beating for a good minute. The mix of contemporary modern art, comfort and sheer genius erupted in many emptying their bank accounts to get their hands on the spice girl inspired footwear. With the members of rap group Migos and topmodels like Bella Hadid spotted wearing the new sneaker trend, it didn’t last long before the futuristic footwear appeared all over
The Nike Airmax 95, Source: twitter
social media. While their populairty rose through the roof in a matters of weeks, the price of a 1000 dollars makes the Triple S most certainly not a pair of sneaks available to the wide public. Giving the item an even more exclusive and cult feel. The release of the Triple S reaffirmed Balenciaga’s status as one of the most controversial and innovative fashion house in the current fashion world. With the start of the new year they have released multiple new colour options. Ever growing their presence. After the overwhelming success achieved by Balenciaga many other prominent fashion houses have followed in the high fashion sneaker trend. Louis Vuitton’s Archlight was to be seen on the feet
of many influencers during Paris Fashion Week. While the futuristic influence is directly taken from the Triple S, the high arch takes the sneaker trend to an entire new extreme. Giving the basketball shoe look a whole new meaning. Dior has taken the trend into account in a more muted, wearable fashion with their Dior Homme B22. The colour scheme is on made up of solemnly primary colours. The showstopper lends itself to a subtler fashionable look. While the big fashion houses might create the
trends, the more budget friendly brands who tailor to the everyday consumer follow suit rapidly; this for a tenth of the price. Triple S influences can be found all over many of Nike’s current bestsellers. The Nike Air Harache ID combines the chunky sole and various possible colour schemes from the triple s with the more wearable look from the Homme B22. The Nike Airmax 95 embodies the ‘ugly dad shoe’ to a tee. Fila’s Disruptor II throws it all the way back to the nineties, and specifically to a nineties tennis court. This is one of the most affordable chunky chaps out on the market today and is almost permanently sold out. With the futuristic sneaker trend now seeping through to highstreets fashion it is to be expected to see variations popping up in the displays of big retailers like H&M and Zara. Giving the fashion fans forced to live on a small budget also a chance to channel their inner spice girl. Whether you hate or adore this new chunky trend one thing can not be denied – it is one that is extremely comfortable.
The mix of contemporary modern art, comfort and sheer genius erupted in many emptying their bank accounts to get their hands on the spice girl inspired footwear.
The Louis Vuitton Archlight, source: Bloglovin
Source: teknemedia.net
Orange and Yellow, 1956 source: Mark Rothko
The Balanciaga Triplse S, Source: Who What Wear UK
Rothko and Me
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Anne Stoop oth my parents
are modern artists. A direct consequence of that fact was that my childhood was covered in a layer of art. As a nine-year-old I had a subscription the Rotterdam Philharmonic orchestra, by eleven I had seen more exhibitions of modern and classical art than I could count. I loved spending time in my father’s atelier. He would let me use all his paint, all his brushes and gave me big pieces of white paper to create my own little masterpieces. See, while I grew up with art being an essential part of my life I always found myself more drawn to less abstract art. Works from artists like Edgar Degas and Caspar David Friedrich felt like real life fairy tales. I could look at them for hours, dreaming about pastel colours
and ballerinas. It wasn’t until I saw a collection of Mark Rothko’s work that I fell head over heals with abstract art. Rothko’s painting look like coloured squares drawn by a messy fouryear-old. His work always felt like the perfect example of snobbish art. People rave about only because others do. I couldn’t imagine anyone could ever truly believe these ridiculous coloured squares had any real artistic value. I have never been more wrong. The second I stood in front of one of his massive paintings the colours devoured me. It was as if someone was pulling on my heart strings. The yellows made me euphorically happy, the reds made me feel as if I was watching a glorious sunset on sultry night in Tuscany. On the other hand, the paintings consist-
ing of dark colours made you grasp for air. It felt like any dark though you had ever had, any sad moment you ever experienced was embodied in those colours, in that painting twice your humanly size. I will never understand how one single man was able to create something that moves so many people in so many ways. That day it was not just me that jumped from one emotion to the other while I moved around the exhibition. Everyone there seemed to go through the exact same motions. It was a surreal, almost mystical or spiritual collective experiene among the visitors. The magic in his work comes to live when you find yourself directly in front of it. If there is anything I could advise anyone to do at least once in his life, it is to experience that Rothko magic for yourself.
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Gaming
8 Brig | January 2018
TOP 5 UPCOMING GAMES FOR 2018 has in store for you jACK GUPTA gAMING EDITOR
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he most common struggle of every student gamer is not having the funds to purchase all the latest games. Each year our bank accounts are bled dry as we try to keep up with the latest releases. Last year we were presented with some fantastic games and this year looks to be no different. To help you decide on what to spend your SAAS on I’ve highlighted the top five games set for release this year.
Red Dead Redemption 2 October 26
Rockstar are back with the prequel to the legendary Wild West game Red Dead Redemption. This is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, as fans have waited eight long years for its arrival. Red Dead Redemption 2
looks to be another gem in Rockstar’s ongoing list of successful games. The story this time centres around the outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the savage Van Der Linde gang. Red Dead fans will recognise this as “Dutch’s Gang” the former allies of John Marston, who he was forced to hunt down in the first game. Red Dead 2 will be set before the events of Red Dead Redemption and is set to be an “epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland” according to Rockstar. Gamers can expect the same open world environment, gripping story and fantastic online play. The joy of being an outlaw in the West, robbing stagecoaches and shooting up saloons is unparalleled. Therefore, if you can only pick one game this year make sure it’s this one.
A Way out March 23
A Way Out is an upcoming third-person actionadventure game developed by EA. The game focuses around Leo and Vincent, two prisoners who must break out and escape the authorities. The game is unique due to its story being specifically designed for split-screen cooperative multiplayer. This means that the game must be played with another player either locally or online. The game relies on the players cooperating with each other to progress through the story. Players will be faced with scenarious that can be approached in numerous ways. One example of this is during a prison escape one player must distract the guard whilst the other searches for tools to aid them with the escape. A Way Out looks to be a fantastic new coop game that combines a thrilling story with a great gameplay experience. The game is set for release on the 23rd March which means you’ll soon be able to pick up the hottest coop game of the year.
SPider-man Late 2018
Spidey is back and looks to be better than ever before. Since the PlayStation 2 Spider-man has really suffered in terms of video games. There was Ultimate Spider-man and Shattered Dimensions however neither could really capture the web-slinger as well as the films. Spider-Man looks to be the game that finally changes that, capturing what it really feels like to be Spidey. The game looks set to provide a vast open-world New York, action sequences resembling the ones in the Batman Arkham games and a plot that is not focused around a film. The storyline is set to be based on the comics and features an older Peter Parker who has been Spider-Man for eight years. The game features some of the classic characters such as the loveable Mary-
Jane. Insomniac Games have also included new characters such as Miles Morales the current SpiderMan in the comic series. This game looks set to fully explore the SpiderMan universe and finally give fans the thrill of swinging around New York and kicking ass.
Far Cry 5 March 27
Ubisoft are back with the latest instalment of the Far Cry series. Far Cry for those of you who have never played it, is a firstperson shooter series. The games are all about overthrowing evil dictators or mercenaries in far corners of the globe. The story usually focuses around a villain that has taken over a region and is terrorising the local population. You play as a nobody who has somehow found themselves mixed up in this and decides to take on the villain. Each Far Cry game is set in its own unique place and time normally far away from the protagonist’s homeland the USA. Each Far Cry game is set in its own unique place and time normally far away
from the protagonist’s homeland the USA. This game is different however as it is set in Hope County, Montana in the USA. It takes place in the modern day however it is only focused on Montana’s politics rather than the rest of the USA. The antagonist is set to be Joseph Seed a man who wants to protect Hope County from a disaster he is expecting. Therefore, he has set up Eden’s Gate which now control the region. Your task is simple, work with the resistance members and overthrow Seed. Far Cry 5 is also set to fully embrace co-op for the first time allowing you to team up with a friend and playthrough the entire game. This is therefore set to be another gripping game in the Far Cry series.
God of wAR April 20
Kratos is finally back on PlayStation after 5 years, in the latest instalment of the God of War series.
The trailer revealed several changes to the game that have never been seen in previous God of Wars. This game is set in the Norse Lands and follows the Norse Mythology, unlike the previous games which used the Greek Mythology. The story is still focused around Kratos however introduces his son Atreus and follows Kratos mentoring his child. This is not the only difference as it’s now a more modern RPG compared to the other games in the series. The combat has changed as Kratos’ signature double blades have now been replaced with an ice axe that can freeze opponents in one hit. The fighting does however still contain elements of the previous games as it’s still brutal as always. You will be faced by a variety of beasts and will hack and slash them to pieces in that classic Kratos fashion. This game certainly looks set to be a real masterpiece and offers a refreshing new take on the classic God of War series.
“what will another warning label do?” Esrb combats in-game purchases Nathan Mowatt
T
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has recently announced that they will begin labelling video games that have in-game purchases. This decision comes after months of backlash from the public about loot box systems negatively impacting people’s enjoyment of the games they plague. The majority of recent criticism appears to be stemming from Electronic Arts’ recent game, Star Wars Battlefront II. EA received so much criticism about the loot box system in the game, the in-game purchases were removed (stated to be returning later in 2018, albeit in a different form). This one game has spawned so much criticism that even politicians are taking notice, and in the case of Hawaii state Representative Chris Lee, some are taking action. State Rep. Lee described
Battlefront II as “a Star Wars themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money” going on to say, “it’s a trap”.
He later stated, “I’ve watched first-hand the evolution of the industry from one that seeks to create new things to one that’s begun to exploit people, especially children, to maximize profit.”. State Rep. Lee has since put forward legislation targeting exploitative monetization techniques in video games. So, what does the ESRB plan to do about these predatory practices that target children? They will
be labelling games that contain “In-Game Purchases” on the box. The details of the labelling can be found on their website in their rating guide, where they describe “In-Game Purchases” as; “In-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including but not limited to bonus levels, skins, surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads).” “In-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including but not limited to bonus levels, skins,
to bonus levels, skins,
surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads).” In my eyes, this is nothing. This is a protection so weak that Theresa May’s government actually looks “Strong and Stable” in comparison. Children are often allowed to play games that are rated 18+ even if they are many years too young. What will another warning label do? Not to mention that almost every game has some form of in-game purchasing options available, so it will be rarer to see a game without this label in most cases.
I believe, the only sort
of labelling that would work in this case, would be labelling games that contain a loot box system as what they are… gambling. Incidentally, according to Patricia Vance, the president of the ESRB, they don’t see any evidence that children are actually impacted by loot box systems in games, as the following was said by Vance to reporters in a recent call. “We were unable to find any evidence that children were specifically impacted by loot boxes, or that they were leading them toward some tendency to gambling. We truly don’t know of any evidence supporting those claims. We continue to believe loot boxes are a fun way to acquire virtual items; most of them are cosmetic.” So, according to Vance, they weren’t able to find any evidence of children being specifically impacted by loot box systems in games… I decided to have a little search around and surprise, surprise I found just a bit of evidence.
So, according to Vance, they weren’t able to find any evidence of children being specifically impacted by loot box systems in games… I decided to have a little search around and surprise, surprise I found just a bit of evidence. Belgian outlet, Nieuwsbald published an article all the way back in 2014 about an un named 15-year-old who spent around €37,000 on Game of War: Fire Age using his grandfather’s credit card over the course of months. This may be one extreme case, however in my search I found article upon article, with dozens of similar cases. A prime example is a Grunge article listing 15
instances of kids spending thousands of dollars each on a range of games. Just a surface level search of the internet revealed dozens of cases of children being directly impacted by gambling systems, as well as a wide range of other predatory monetisation practices in games. Vance’s claim that there is no evidence of this, is, in my eyes, a direct and intentional lie designed to dodge criticism. The ESRB and game companies themselves need to take action in removing these systems from their games, or legislators and lawmakers will do it for them, and the whole industry will suffer.
9 Brig | January 2018
Food
Veggie food for every mood
Six ways to Spring-clean your eating habits
Aine Donellan
T
esting out a cruelty-free diet for the first time, or long-time vegan looking for veggie-friendly restaurants to visit? Dreading that your choices will be limited to a green-leaf salad, topped with a sad tomato and some cucumber? Worry not, this article’s got you covered! Regardless of whether you’re considering treating yourself to indulgingly delicious carb-loaded foods, rich and gooey chocolate cakes, or fresh and colorful smoothie-bowls, there’s a wide variety of restaurants in Scotland with vegan options, catering for whatever food you fancy. Here are four must-visits for foodies in Stirling and surrounding areas. (Warning: food commas to be expected!)
choice! The tahini-drizzle that comes with the falafel is worth an award on it’s own, as well as the warm, crunchy pita on the side. Not only is their food supertasty, rich in flavors, and served in generous portions, but they also have the loveliest staff, catering you in a relaxed, homey atmosphere. Perfect for: A fancier dinner with friends/special someone Priceyness: ££
limited space available, the healthy and colourful food is well worth the wait! With a wide variety of freshly squeezed juices, wraps and salads available to go, you can also grab something to munch on while exploring the surrounding street (rumoured to have inspired Diagon Alley). Perfect for: brunching and giving you the best energy-kick to tackle your day Priceyness: ££
Holy Cow
34 Elder Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3DX Served in a snug, livingroom-like atmosphere, the food in this 100% vegan restaurant is fairtrade, organic and absolutely delicious!
Mediterranéa
4 Viewfield Place, Stirling, Scotland, FK8 1NQ If you’re looking for a proper-restaurant experience, featuring starters, a main-course and a glass of wine - this place is worth a visit! Located a convenient two minute walk from the Thistle Centre in Stirling, this cosy restaurant serves a combination of Spanish Tapas and Greek mezze food. With options such as falafel, baba ganouch and tabbouleh, as a vegan (or anyone who appreciate these marvelous creations), you are spoiled for
cheese and burritos. Several options include vegan-cheese, and other umami-flavored goodness, and the jack-fruit tacos that ooze of smokey bbq flavour is to die for! There’s also a wide variety of vegan beers, wines and other beverages (incl. nonalcoholic options) to sip while enjoying some live music or chilling by their pool table. Perfect for: Satisfying those salty, savory food cravings, and making fun memories Priceyness: £
With a menu that changes depending on the seasons, there is something to suit every taste; heaps of different burgers, savory salads, springrolls and soup. You can really taste the quality of the food they serve, and the time that was put into making it. And on top of this, their dessert selection that changes on a daily basis, is out of this world! This often includes mouthwatering creations such as rich, layered chocolatecakes with peanut butter swirls, fresh berry/citrusinfused cheesecakes and salted-caramel mousse. Anyone with a sweet-tooth will be jumping up and down in their seats after these treats. Perfect for: A mid-week treat with a group of friends Priceyness: ££
credit: Aine Donellan
Hula Juice Cafe
103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 2JP If you want your food to make your skin glow, and your gut to be a happy camper, this is the place for you! Only a train-ride away, this artsy café/ juicebar serves a variety of vegan options ranging from scrumptious avocado on toast, to fruity smoothiebowls, topped with crunchy granola and smothered in peanut butter. Although it can get quite busy with
Clean out your cupboards and fridge
credit: Aine Donellan credit: Aine Donellan
Heather Dalgleish
B
eing in charge of your own diet at university can turn into a bit of a hassle. But it doesn’t have to be a nightmare every time you head down to your local shop. Here are five student friendly meals guaranteed to turn your mealtimes from a drag into a treat - with little to no culinary expertise needed!
you from falling into the trap of frittering away that student loan on overpriced exotic takeaways. Whether it be from a tin, a sachet or made from scratch, a curry is a delicious blend
1. Fajitas
A simple dish guaranteed to be prepared quickly and relatively easily by anyone. Fajitas are a brisk dish to prepare, a pan-to-tablein-under-10-minutes job. Simply sprinkle the fajita seasoning mix with your choice of meat in a pan and serve in a wrapped tortilla with a variety of veggies! For the super savers, instead of buying
as the small pots of spices you buy will go further than you expect, and the minimal ingredients to most simple curry recipes means you won’t have to keep finding yourself re-buying the same ingredients every time you visit the supermarket. Careful when buying the spices though - branded versions can be somewhat extortionate so it’s always cheaper to go for the shop brand version.
3. Eggs
Popsugar
at £2 to comfortably feed two!
2. Curry
Another surprisingly easy dish to make, curry is a convenient and budget friendly meal that can save
of cheap and readily available fresh ingredients and spices, and will impress your flatmates (by fooling them into thinking you can cook!). Another tip is to make it from scratch,
ith winter overstaying its welcome this year, it’s likely rich soups, stews, pastas and feel-good desserts have become home menu staples. Forget cleaning out closets and scrubbing floors to welcome spring. Instead, start by cleaning up your eating habits. Here’s an easy plan to get you started.
Get control of your calories to help manage the extra winter weight you might have put on. Doing so helps counteract that mindless munching habit you may have slipped into over the chilly months.
Stuck in a Culinary Rut? five Student-Friendly Meals to Spice up Your Diet “kit” packs including all the ingredients for fajitas, many shops sell individual sachets of the powders with which to fry your meat in, which can be much more cost effective
W Premier Club
Revisit your portions
The Flying Duck
142 Renfield St, Glasgow G2 3AU Hosting a variety of events, including quizzes, comedy nights and gigs, this chill venue, serving only vegan food is the perfect recipe for a fun night out. Being mainly a bar, their menu still presents an impressive variety of cruelty-free “fast-food” dishes such as burgers and hot dogs, asian-inspired ramen bowls and comfort meals in the shape of macaroni-
Irina Nakon Food editor
One of the most versatile ingredients, and at such a relentlessly cheap price for free range, eggs are always a good weapon to have in your culinary arsenal. Eggs can be made into a diverse range of delicious and nutritious recipes that you will almost never be stuck for choice. Experimenting is a great
option as the web is filled with different egg-citing recipes for you to transform your plain scrambled eggs into an eggs-travagant (sorry) feast. Omelettes are always a solid choice as they are super healthy and, depending on your choice of toppings, can be served as any meal of the day.
4. Spaghetti Bolognese
A favourite of mine and a staple of any student’s diet, Spaghetti Bolognese is an unfalteringly easy, hearty dish to prepare and often leaves you with leftovers to spare. Another one for tricking your roommates into thinking you’re the next up and coming Michelin star chef, this dish can be prepared masterfully with the help of only a simple recipe and the most basic culinary skills and
Go through and toss any expired and processed foods to organise your fridge and cupboards for healthier eating. Think about the rule of five, adds Sunderland. After tossing heavy sauces, dips and snacks, replace them with bowls of fruit, pre-cut ingredients - And there you are, a masterfully prepared culinary treat that you (and your wallet!) can enjoy for days on end. - though with such a filling dish you might have to loosen your belt afterwards!
5. Jacket Potatoes
A standard British classic, the jacket potato is a reliable dish that even the worst cooks can prepare. With a smorgasbord of different fillings, the jacket potato can be adapted to suit any tastes. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add a little salt and butter to your jacket potato and have it as a side with a bigger meal. This is perfect for when you have too much food leftover to throw away, but not enough for a full meal - the good old jacket potato is the missing piece of this culinary puzzle.
veggies, plain yogurt for smoothies and dips and lighter salad dressings.
Slash your salt and sugar
White sugar is an instant hit to your body and is linked to diabetes, inflammation, and decreased immune response notes Brown. Cutting back on your salt lowers the risk of heart disease, and will give you extra energy.
Add probiotics
Probiotics help with digestive health, so add in yogurt or a daily yogurt drink.It can also help if you’ve been fighting colds and flus throughout the winter.
Change up your groceries
Tired of apples, bananas and root vegetables? There are some nice spring produce choices coming out, such as asparagus, mushrooms and berries. Other brightly-coloured produce making more of an appearance at our grocery stores or farmer’s markets include apricots,
green beans and broccoli. The more colourful the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins and minerals it has.
Ditch the dehydrating drinks
Has it been a winter of red wine, lattes and hot chocolate? Time to rethink your drinks. Start by reducing alcohol because it dehydrates the body. Cutting back on it will help keep the liver healthy since it is a natural detoxification system for your body. Ditto caffeine, another dehydrating drink, as well as those cans of diet soda lining the fridge door. Replace sodas with a big pitcher of water (add orange, lemon, lime or cucumber slice). Water helps you get hydrated, flushes the body of toxins and lets you be more alert.
10 Brig | January 2018
Lifestyle I have been sober for four months
Craig Stephen
Source: Caimlo Huinca
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dentity is an important part of our lives. We are constantly seeking others wo we hold common interests with. I personally feel lucky that I have quite a few important identities in my life: I am a student; I am a gay man; I am an athlete. But there are some identities that we try to keep hidden. For me, one of these identities I find difficult to share is that I am sober. Where my main issue lies in revealing my ‘big secret’ is that I have had to fight for the ability to own my sober identity. From the age of seventeen, I have
Anne Stoop
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had a somewhat tumultuous relationship with alcohol. I would excessively drink on a regular basis. On any given night, you would find me where the alcohol was cheapest. I was the party boy who you knew physically could not say no to an opportunity to drink. What I find the worst about that whole situation was that I was proud of myself. I wasn’t primarily a student, or somebody who loved music, but I was a drinker. I would proudly exclaim how much I could drink whilst the people around me would bashfully
explain to me the events of the night before. But that fervent pride soon disappeared and was replaced with something much more toxic. I had a new-found perspective, and I really didn’t appreciate it. So, in 2017, I gave up alcohol for Lent. I had tried a few times before to moderate my alcohol intake and become more sensible in my decisions. However, I had created an environment that wouldn’t accept that. “Just have one Craig. You know you want to.” “That’s funny, tell me another joke.” I was having to justify my own decisions because I didn’t have any other identity to fall back on. This month was my opportunity to rebrand myself. And it worked! Until my birthday and Sports Ball coincided with the end of Lent and I went on a threeday bender. The transition from the elation of a month’s worth of personal gratification to the banality of a hangover with a thudding headache was jarring. I had noticed a marked improvement in so many aspects of my life, but obviously I wasn’t worthy of these improvements yet. I was clinging on desperately to the version of me I had grown so accustomed to. I wasn’t truly ready to let go of that side of me. Fast forward to today
and I have now been sober for over four months. If I was able to pinpoint what exactly changed in my mindset, I would be halfway through writing my self-help book that would earn me my millions. But I guess the main shift has been that I understand what the word sober used to mean to me. Sober was synonymous with boring. People who don’t drink alcohol are fun sponges. They don’t know how to let loose and have a good time. But in the end, to be sober is to not drink alcohol. I can still do all the things that I did in my life before. There’s no minimum amount of alcohol to be consumed to let me sing karaoke. I don’t have to take a breathalyser test before I go into a club to prove that I’ve been drinking. I can still go out and have my fun, but in a way that I feel in control. So yes, I do find it difficult to identify as sober. I do still worry that people will judge me the way I used to judge sober people. But that doesn’t make me any less proud of my newest identity. It’s a badge of honour that I’m going to insist takes pride of place alongside the others. Student. Gay. Athlete. Sober. I guess I could get used to that.
In the loop with Stoop: Cheese
y perfect wedding proposal would be a ring covered in melted cheese in a cake of cheese in a world of cheese. I should note that I am allergic to dairy; my life is particularly challenging. As I’m of Dutch decent my life revolves around dairy products, in fact I wouldn’t even be surprised to find out my DNA is actually made out of gouda. If you think me and my love of cheese is like any other regular cow milk lover, I will prove you wrong. I have made a PowerPoint presentation about melted cheese for a university module once, I got a first. My love for cheese and my allergy for cheese was not one that has been around forever. I remember the dreadful day I walked into my GP’s office
with
vague symptoms three years ago, the second he mentioned the word dairy and allergy in one single sentence my milky heart broke. I have never fully recovered. You might wonder why I decided to share this bodily insight with you, the reader. See sometimes the thing you love most is not always the thing that is
best for you. While binge watching just a few more Friends episodes might sound like a great idea, that deadline is tomorrow. Yes, he is hot and makes you feel like a million bucks but be honest with yourself. Would you bring him home to meet mummy? And no, tequila is not always a great idea.
Don’t get me wrong, I subscribe to a highly impulsive ‘live now, worry later’ attitude. I will buy that cream filled cake or extra cheese pizza, but by now I have to admit that the consequences do not live up to those 5 minutes of taste bud goodness. It wasn’t until Will Smith’s latest Instastory hit with some old-fashioned life advice “self-discipline equals self-love”. I had to be honest, the fresh prince was right. By leaving the cheese on the shelf I truly show love to my glorious self. It’s been 4 days, besides the withdrawal symptoms and dreams about chocolate covered cheese puffs dipped in Ben and Jerry’s I’m hanging in there. I know my body is having a great time, my mind will catch up soon enough.
Source: mylittlestudy.com
How to stop procrastinating
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Charlotta Lundahl ni life. What even is that? Dancing to 10-year-old music a Wednesday night at Fubar, taking all the tequila shots and panicking over the fact you don’t have anywhere for next year yet. We are halfway through this semester, deadlines have come and passed and the thought of the upcoming exams have started to make an appearance in our conciseness. I don’t even want to count the endless hours I’ve spent on the fourth floor of the library watching videos of cats wearing hats, or how much money I’ve spent on coffee at various cafés around campus. All the time I’ve spent on avoiding doing the things I should be doing. I’m a sucker for procrastination, and I’m also very good at it. Some might say that I could be a professional procrastinator. I’m really good at avoiding what I have to do and spend all my time reading blogs and scrolling though click-bate articles and taking quizzes on Buzz feed (Which of Jesus’ disciples are you? I’m apparently Bartholomew). I know myself quite well too, which is why I have discovered techniques to make me stop procrastinating as start writing that essay. So here are my top five tips on how to make life a
little bit less distracting. 1. I like to have a tidy space around me. This works in two ways, step one is to clean (which is a form of procrastination, but you will thank yourself afterwards and your flatmates will love you). After I’ve tidied up the living room and my desk, I feel more motivated to open my computer and start working. 2. OmmWriter is an app for your computer which fills up the whole screen. You can select various backgrounds, relaxing music, and keyboard notices to keep yourself writing. The app does not correct your spelling mistakes, but I found that it helps to keep me writing. There is a free version of the app but I’ve got the paid version because I thought it would change my life in a very dramatic way. (It didn’t, but it is quite a nice to use, regardless). However, the later Word updates, which we can get for free through the university, has a ‘focus’ mode that fills up the whole screen and does almost the same thing. 3. SelfControl - this is exactly what I’m lacking. In weak moments, I will type in ‘Facebook’ in the search bar of my web browser without even thinking and will find myself scrolling down the endless feed for hours.
SelfControl and similar apps will stop you from doing just that. By adding my procrastination websites to the blacklist and set the timer, I can block those websites for as long as I want, giving me a window of time where I can’t access my go-to-websites. Instead, I will have to write that essay to make the time pass. 4. Similar apps for the phone. As I discovered, when I can’t access Facebook through my computer, I tend to pick up my phone instead. I have therefore downloaded an app called Forest to stop myself from doing so. In the app, you grow trees. The more time you give yourself the prettier and more trees you will get. It motivates me to keep myself away from my phone. This does not work if you hate trees, sorry. 5. Take breaks! Go for a walk around the loch on campus. Take a stroll over the bridge to Cottrell and wander through the A corridor. Get another coffee and small talk to the lovely baristas at Starbucks. Gossip in the library staircase but make sure that the people you are talking about won’t hear you. And remember to get back to your work, and start the cycle all over again.
11 Brig | January 2018
Lifestyle
Do go chasing waterfalls
Male skincare to try out
Ainee Donnellan
Charlotta Lundahl
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pparently, there are skin products, and then there are skin products for men. It is in itself a very interesting approach to make women the skincare norm as if we are the only ones who get dry, flaky skin or overproduce oils that make our foreheads shiny like galaxy glazed cakes. However, I assume this has to do with men’s fear of appearing feminine: in our society, men have the social power and women are subordinate. Therefore, everything that is seen as typically feminine will have a lower status. You can increase your status as a woman by separating yourself from these attributes: stop wearing makeup and dresses, dislike the colour pink and claim that you only have guy friends because “they are so much more fun and easier than girls anyway.” This works the other way around too: as a man, you can by skin products and protect yourself from femininity by making sure
they are in dark, masculine colours and that is says very clearly that they are specifically made FOR MEN. If you’re lucky, they might even be cheaper than the same product with the same content – but without the FOR MEN added on to them. Coming from a cold climate in the great north, my skin has always been dry and flaky. This something that I don’t mind. Unless those few days a week where I try to put on makeup. Suddenly, all my dry patches show up and it looks like my full face is about to fall off. One day, Midwinter 2014: I was broke, but my dry skin needed moisture. I went to one of the larger pharmacy’s, and picked the cheapest, closest item from a company that I didn’t mind: Nivea. It happened to be one of their products in their FOR-MEN-with-sensitiveskin collection. It ended up being a thousand times better than my old £1,000,000 Clinique mois-
Source: CassandraMyee
W
ith spring approaching, the days getting longer, and the weather showing slight signs of improvement, it’s officially time to exit ‘winter-hibernation-
mode’! Dust off your hiking boots, fill your bag with snacks, grab a buddy, and head out exploring our stunning Stirling area. Low on funds due to consuming one too many
V
ulnerability. Mental health. Stress. Pressure. Isolation. These words pretty much sum up the past five months. The pressure to do well at uni is imminent. Although, I have recently realised that these stressors are not coming from loved ones or lecturers. They are coming from me, everyone says
‘just do your best’. But what happens when YOU FEEL your best is not good enough. Do you hide away and crumble silently or do you put a smile on your face and get on with it. Perhaps there is a third option. Maybe, I should just breathe. Stop procrastinating on your phone, Kylie Jenner’s baby or her lip kits on Instagram are not adding any real joy to your
All pictures credited to Ainee Donnellan
Bracklinn Falls, Callandar Only an hour’s bus-ride away from Stirling, these waterfalls are definitely worth a visit on a sunny day! Located in the Callandar Crags just north of the pretty town of Callandar (featuring a Toy Museum, for anyone interested), there are circular walkways passing the falls. Head up to the car park, take your first right and you are set for a lovely turiser and is still my face’s best friend to this very date. I was therefore not surprised when I found out that the shaving balm in the same collection turned out to be an amazing foundation primer. It doesn’t have any added perfume,
two-hour hike through varied woodland. After the reasonably straining trek there are plenty of cafes and bars downtown to keep you going - check out Apple Jack’s for their selection of scrumptious cakes! How to get there: Bus 1,
and it’s very sticky which is excellent when you want your makeup to stay on for 8+ hours. It does not only stop by face to dry up into a flaky ball of sadness – it’s also way cheaper than traditional face primers from makeup companies.
Source: wpos.com
life. Stop online shopping to distract yourself, you NEED that money and for goodness sake get off Netflix. Friends will still be on there when you finish. Instead of hiding under your covers, which probably need washed. Use what is around you. There is nothing wrong with you because you don’t want to sit in the library and write another 1000 words,
nobody likes doing that. You just need to change your mindset. Use the student services to talk and your lecturers to get advice on what is stuck. Ask your course friends what they think the right route is and once you have all the information and the tools to apply yourself to get those grades you desperately want. Just breathe. It isn’t the end of the world if you get an extension because you need that extra week or if you just cannot focus on what is in front of you, so you lose yourself in the lives of complete strangers on YouTube. Just breathe and do what you can do, no matter how small. Wash your sheets, take a walk, talk to a friend, play piano or paint. Or, just be still for one second. Your mental health is more important than a pressure to attend every night out or get the perfect grade every time. Take care of your mental health and good things will follow. Or so they say, I am still learning.
59 from Stirling Bus Station (Stance 7) Top Tip: Those morning coffees not enough to get you buzzing? Bring swimming gear - dipping in a Scottish waterfall sure wakes you right up!
Doune Castle
We Are Our Own Worst Enemy.
Kirsty Macleod
hot beverages over the past few months? These day-trips will fill your spring with wonderful memories, without burning a hole in your pocket!
If you are more into Game of Thrones and Outlander than woodwalks, hopping off
the bus a few stops earlier would give you the chance of witnessing a popular film-location first
hand. This 14th century castle is open to the public, so enter the courtyard, take a step back in time and allow your imagination to roam free. Who knows, maybe you’ll spot Arya Stark sneaking around the corner!
How to get there: Bus 59 from Stirling Bus Station (alternatively a one hour bike-ride) Top tip: Get there between the opening hours (Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm) and bring some cash for the unavoidable entryfee of £6.00.
King’s Seat Last but not least, a full day spent enjoying the spectacular views featured on the walk across the Ochil peaks from Tillicoultry to Dollar will leave you amazed with the beauty of this country. Once you start the ascent, the sound of silence will surround you and for the following few hours, nothing but stunning nature will meet your eyes (well, besides perhaps a sheep or two). On the way down, the path passes by a wee castle, then winds through
Dollar Glen, which is full of bridge-crossings over deep gorges, and rumbling waterfalls. Acounting for photo- & food-stops, the route takes about five hours to complete. How to get there: Several services run from Stirling to Tillicoultry incl.
62/63, look online for most accurate schedule. Likewise on returning from Dollar. Top tip: Pack lunch if you’re not you when you’re hungry - there are not too many food options up the top!
Nominations are now open for RATE 2018 on your portal! Categories Excellence in Teaching - Faculty Exceptional Student Support Outstanding Guidance and Mentoring Innovation in Postgraduate Teaching Fantastic Feedback Innovation in Online Module Content I <3 My Tutor Faculty of the Year Student Service of the Year Faculty Officer of the Year Santander Outstanding Achievement
11 Brig | March 2018
Comment
Something to think about
Standing at the edge of a cliff :
life after graduating
Rebekah McVey Comment editor
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e live in a society where it’s like we need to achieve every life goal consecutively. We go to school, then into higher education and from there we start building our careers. While some students will have something lined up for after graduation, not everyone will be able to say the same. The future can feel like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff. You can see peo ple who’ve s u c cessfully made the jump to the otherside, but you don’t know when or how you’ll do it yourself. For those graduating soon who don’t know what they’re doing next, it can be hard to remain positive when you’re consumed by uncertainty. If you’re in the same position as me, one thing you do know is that you’ll be moving back in with your parents, but this isn’t at all a setback. We have our whole lives to build reputable careers and travel the world. We might want it straight away, but not accomplishing it from the get
Credit: blog.stir.ac.uk
go doesn’t mean we never will. It’s like pressing pause until we can figure out what we’ll do next. On the way back to Lukla from Everest Base Camp I met a French man who claimed to be a futime traveller. His spirits were high, and nothing could break them. Travelling the world alone, he was content learning about different cultures and eating macaroni cheese for almost every meal. The full-time traveller from France didn’t men tion his age, but if I was to guess, I’d say he was in his early 40s. He was happy taking life at his own pace and didn’t let the timelines of others dictate how successful he was.
He was going places and it didn’t matter how long it would take him to get there. What mattered was that he was happy, and he knew he’d get there one day. Countless times throughout university we’ve been asked “so what do you want to do you plan on doing with your life?” In first year this felt like it was so far into the future it wasn’t worth worrying about. Now that graduation is just around the corner, it feels like we should have an answer to this by now. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter if we don’t. People can be so engrossed in education (myself included) that we proritise it over what else is going on in life. Suddenly we’re faced with all these decisions to make and
it feels like we should’ve thought about them sooner. Between graduating and finding work, see it as an opportunity to better yourself. Save up money, do some volunteering and make time for friends you haven’t seen in a while. Students who went straight to university from school will have spent around 16 years in education. If you plan on working for the most part of your adult life there’s no harm in taking a break to make time for yourself. If it takes another five months or five years to find your dream job after graduation, that’s still something to be proud of. We can be guilty of comparing ourselves to other people’s achievements without fully knowing how hard it was for them to get there. One day you will make that jump into the rest of your life with certainty. When it happens how long it took you to do it or how much money you earn won’t matter. Your relentless efforts to get there is what’s important and that’s something
you’ll always be able to take pride in.
The price of freedom Aneesa Dastgir Comment Editor
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anchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, has been fined £20,000 for wearing a yellow ribbon. This yellow ribbon represents the struggle for Catalonian freedom and support for the independence referendum, especially those who were detained during the chaotic referendum. The FA said that the ribbon breached their rules on kit and advertising regulations Now, this is tricky territory. Guardiola insists he still stands by his beliefs of freedom for the people of Catalonia. The fine is not a huge part of Guardiola’s salary – he could pay that and still not be affected financially. It is the principle of the mat-
ter. When pink ribbons are worn, it is to support those who have fought breast cancer. Guardiola said that the symbol was “not about politicians, it’s about democracy”. Democracy is now extremely fragile in Spain after the atrocious violence that ensued after the referendum. The FA have come under much scrutinization, due to their various rules
and selective punishment. Their rules differ greatly from UEFA’s (Union of European Football Associations). They allow the ribbon to be worn in their matches. The FA allows the poppy, but wants to prevent all other political symbols in football games, solely focussing on the match. Pep Guardiola wore the ribbons in matches under UEFA’s rules, but will ad-
here to FA’s policy. Either way, the message has gained more attention now that the FA have fined Guardiola and when he chooses to wear the yellow ribbon, it will remain a talking point. We should not forget about Catalonia or sweep it under the carpet like Madrid has done. It has left a mark on democracy in Europe and Guardiola is one of many who will not remain quiet about the injustice that has occured. The price for independence is still being carried by individuals in Spain. Guardiola was right when he said to the chief of FA, Martin Glenn, that he “didn’t understand the reality.” Many do not.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
Grenfell: 9 months on
I
t has been over 9 months since Grenfell towers were completely destroyed by the horrific fire.
The reasons are vast,and many point the blame to housing failure by the government. It has been over 9 months since many citizens of the residence have been homeless. Grenfell tower is part of the ongoing class war. It has ignited a battle that was kept under covers for a long time.
The stark contracst of the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington, side by side with the towers. The wealth inequality that exists in Britain is shocking but not shocking enough Stormzy spoke out at the BRITS, saying to Prime Minister Theresa May: “Yo Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell?”. He continued by saying, “you criminals, and you got the cheek to call us savages, you should do some jail time, you should
pay some damages, we should burn your house down and see if you can manage this.” Stormzy It should not matter if you are rich or poor, we should all stand up to the wealth inequalities which exist in Britain. If we do not hold our government accountable for their actions, who will? Our government needs to ensure that the tragedy of Grenfell should never be repeated.
Can you excuse a racist because of their age?
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ost of us may be familiar with a racist old regular at a local pub in our home town. After a few pints, conversations quickly turn problematic. However, because of their age, nobody dares speak up against those opinions. Some might tell you they’re a nice person otherwise, but they just don’t like immigrants. They get a free pass because of their age and views were simply different back in their day. It can feel like they’ll probably never change their opinion and they aren’t open to the other side of the argument. While can acknowledge we have come along way, there’s still a long road ahead of us to a completely accept-
ing society. The very fact that groups
ity continues to slip through my fingers.
like Britain First still exist in the UK is case in point that we still have a long way to go. You’ll have no problem finding parody accounts and people mocking the far-right group online. Many will of course hate everything they stand for, and rightly so. However, the fact that they have over two million likes on Facebook doesn’t instil hope that their ignorant propaganda will come to an end anytime soon. Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen were jailed recently for religiously aggravated harassment. I wanted to feel hopeful about this, but their following see their actions as heroic. Blatant racists are being viewed as martyrs and my faith in human-
When do you draw a line at when to challenge racism? The regular old racist at the pub might seem harmless in comparison to Britain First. Nobody listens to them, but Paul and Jayda take islamophobia to the streets and command the publicity. At one-point Paul and Jayda only said things. But words never just stay words. They fester into something more ugly and hurtful by which point it becomes harder to stop. If everyone is to feel safe and welcome, we can’t keep our mouths shut. We shouldn’t draw a line on when it’s appropriate or not to challenge racism regardless of age of the person in question..
12 Brig | March 2018
Features
Brig speaks to disabled students at Stirling
U
Amy Beveridge niversity can be a struggle for anyone; however, studying with a disability can give students an extra challenge. Getting around campus, keeping up in lectures or receiving support may be more difficult if you have additional needs. In 2016, the University of Stirling launched the new Student Services Hub, hoping to be a “one stop shop for all UofS student enquiries” - including those relating to disabilities through the Accessibility and Inclusion Service. Brig spoke to three disabled students to ask them about their experiences studying at the university and the support that they receive, particularly through this new Hub. Hetty Mochrie is a fourth-year Sociology and Social Policy student. She is also the Disabled Equality Officer for the Students’ Union. Hetty has Asperger’s, a form of autism, and also dyspraxia, which means she has poor hand-eye coordination, so struggles with tasks such as tying shoelaces. She also has Meares-Irlen Syndrome, which affects how words are ‘seen’ on the page and makes it difficult to read.
"I find it quite hard to take notes quickly enough in class – I'll often find myself being a slide or two behind once I've finished writing notes for the first one." Sarah McLean is doing an MLitt Masters in Creative Writing. She has Leber’s amaurosis, which
lost property office. How they’ve changed it now is that all the student services are located in the Student Services Hub.” Hetty says there are a lot of other issues surrounding it as well. “The Hub is an open-plan office, so you take your ticket and you sit in the waiting area to wait to be seen by an advisor and where the advisor actually talks to you is within earshot of everyone else in the room. And since it’s all centralised now it could be anything – something as trivial as getting a new photo taken for your student ID card or something as serious as reporting sexual assault.
is a serious visual impairment, so she has no sight at all and is a braille user. Brig also spoke to Student C, an anonymous postgraduate Business Management student, who has dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Meares-Irlen Syndrome. Each of these conditions means that the students need extra academic support. Hetty said “I find it quite hard to take notes quickly enough in class – I’ll often find myself being a slide or two behind once I’ve finished writing notes for the first one.” She has found the compulsory use of ListenAgain in lectures useful for catching up. Sarah said that for her everything needs to be in braille technologically. The Accessible Formats team within Accessibility and Inclusion will convert books for her, so they’ll look for an online copy if one exists and they’ll put it into Microsoft Word so she is able to access it. Student C said that classes cause them a great deal of stress. “It takes me a lot longer than people without the disability to read and write. “Because of the MearesIrlen Syndrome I have to read things over and over again until I understand them. It affects me in lectures as I can’t always read fast enough and lecturers skip slides too fast. I fall behind easily.” Despite these struggles, they feel that tutors don’t always provide the extra help they need. “I suggested they provide lecture slides beforehand,
Henrietta Mochrie is the Disabled Students Officer. Credit: Stirling Students Union
but this didn’t happen.” Hetty has found her tutors have been more helpful. She said “My tutors have been mostly supportive. I’ve never had an extension turned down.” Sarah has also found teaching staff supportive, calling the Creative Writing department “spot on”: “There’s four tutors, and they go over and above. When we had our induction day they all came up to me and said to just let us know whatever you need. Anything I email to them they get back to me straight away – they make sure things are in the right format.” Sarah’s course-mates
also accommodate her condition. “For workshops we critique each other’s pieces, and they’re always in Microsoft Word format. Other students will send my feedback by email, rather than writing it on the document, so that’s helpful.” Hetty has not had the same support from her fellow students. She said: “There was one guy I was friends with before who wasn’t very supportive and who was saying that I shouldn’t be getting extensions and that I shouldn’t be getting support in exams - that I was too lazy to work.” Student C said: “The
other students seem to think I get treated like a ‘special snowflake’. Most do not understand why I get extra time in exams and find it unfair. I do explain my conditions - although I should not have to - but this rarely helps. I feel I’ve been a bit isolated as a result.” When meeting with an advisor from the Accessibility and Inclusion Service, some students found it more difficult than others. Hetty said: “The system was completely different when I started, because at the moment it is all centralised which is rubbish to be honest. There used to be different offices for different things – such as disabled services, financial advice and credit: Emma Simper
"saying that I shouldn't be getting extensions and that I shouldn't be getting support in examsthat I was too lazy to work." “When you’re talking to an advisor it can be quite distressing as everyone else who’s waiting can hear you and everyone else in the office can hear you. “There’s not much confidentiality going on there.” Student C agrees, and sees the Hub as a “barrier” to contacting an advisor. They believe the Hub in its current form should be scrapped altogether: “We need more trained staff and more drop-in sessions. Disability advisors need to be more accessible. “I found on a few occasions that staff members at reception have spoken to me in a condescending manner. This really isn’t required and made me apprehensive about approaching the service staff again. “It’s difficult enough - there is stigma from non-understanding people but you’d expect staff working in the Accessibility and Inclusion service to treat people with more respect.” However, Sarah defend-
ed the Hub, especially when comparing it to her experiences as an undergraduate at the University of Glasgow. “I think the Hub is a lot nicer, it’s a lot more spacious and more accessible, ironically enough. I think modern buildings are really good for accessibility.” So what can be done to improve the experience of these students? “Make the Hub better, more accessible, more confidential,” said Hetty. “Basically making it more like it was before.” She believed there are other things that would make studying easier for disabled students too. “I think we need more study spaces and more accessible study spaces, and more study spaces that have computers with assistive technology on them for all sorts of disabilities.” Student C sums up their experience, saying “I can’t help but feel staff aren’t concerned with my disability. They see me as the problem student, an annoyance, an inconvenience and don’t see my potential.” The Student Services Hub said: “We always welcome feedback and following the issue of students feeling they could be overheard as the Hub desks being brought to our attention, we have introduced some new measures. We have invested in privacy panels around front line desk, and have signs which students can point to or ask that they are seen in a more private area. “Also in response to this feedback we recently launched a new competition for the re-design of the Hub, and are currently working in partnership with the Student Union, and in particular the Disabled student group, to encourage competitors to re-design the Hub themselves using a software package. The winner will have their design realised and a new Hub layout will be created with maximum privacy a key intended outcome, obviously not withstanding the actual space restrictions.” VP Education Matt Adie and Union President Astrid Smallenbroek have been approached for comment.
13 Brig | March 2018
Features
Female travellers who inspired a generation Kirsten Robertson
Dervla Murphy Sometimes, all you need is a trusty bicycle and some good ol’ fashioned Irish grit. For her tenth birthday, Dervla Murphy was gifted a bicycle, and a secondhand atlas. Ten years later, Murphy set out to cycle from Ireland to India, facing one of the worst winters Europe had ever seen. Threatened with starvation, wolf attacks and robbery attempts, Murphy ploughed on and reached India successfully, chronicling her adventures in a series of novels.
tury woman. “There are two phases of enjoyment in journeying through an unknown country - the eager phase of wondering interest in every detail, and the relaxed phase when one feels no longer an observer of the exotic, but a participator in the rhythm of daily life.” Harriet Chalmers Adams In the early days of National Geographic’s publication, Californian born Harriet Chalmers Adams was a pioneer for female journalism. Her first assignment saw her travel to – as the New York Times put it – “twenty frontiers previously unknown to white women”. Adams had a diligent approach to extracting
to the trenches – the only female journalist given permission to do so. Her favourite place, of which she sent National Geographic upwards of 3000 photographs from, was Latin America. Her photos, reports and films from the region explored the day to day life of people living there, and inspired many Americans to explore the region. Tourism is growing faster in Peru than in any other South American countries, but it still has a higher than average amount of crimes directed toward women. “I’ve wondered why men have so absolutely monopolized the field of exploration. Why did women never go to the Arctic, try for one pole or the other, or
She received aviation’s highest honour when she was the first female pilot to be awarded the Federation Aeronautique Internationale medal. “Every flyer who ventures across oceans to distant lands is a potential explorer; in his or her breast burns the same fire that urged adventurers of old to set forth in their sailing-ships for foreign lands.” Gertrude Bell Bell’s work as an explorer, political officer, writer and archaeologist perhaps makes her the most influential woman on this list. She began her international career through map
Murphy later travelled alone with her young daughter, and ultimately created a wonderfully proud anti-stereotype of the typical twentieth-cen-
and faced her next challenge in exposing the maltreatment of patients in a famed New York asylum. Posing as a mental patient she wrote truly ground-breaking work about the true conditions surrounding psychiatric care, and this changed public perception. We have her to thank for the numerous mental health support recourses we have today! But her most famed endeavour was her around the world solo trip.
rope for 48 hours before weather conditions improved and allowed her group to carry on. Her book ‘Syria: The Desert and the Sown’ reached critical acclaim in Britain. The deserts of Damascus and the beauty of Jerusalem were vividly presented to the western world for the first time.
Today, the FCO advise against all but essential travel to the region. “It’s so nice to be a spoke in the wheel, one that helps to turn, not one that hinders.” Nellie Bly Perhaps one of the most
Taking in trains, planes, ships, and a coffee date with Jules Verne himself, Nellie’s solo travel was truly inspiring for young women of her day, and now. “It is only after one is in trouble that one realizes how little sympathy and kindness there are in the world.”
When travelling in Asia she gained the respect of Arabs, and even played a role in establishing the country of Iraq.
Her books were extremely accessible to young and old; she was an Irish celebrity rather than a historian or journalist and therefore people felt a personal connection to her writing. Murphy’s writings offered an insight into the politics of each region she visited, as well as vivid descriptions of the unadulterated beauty the wilds of the world had to offer.
credit: gohighbrow.com
fore leaving her plane. A true example of kicking ass in style.
She was asked by British Intelligence to guide soldiers through deserts, and frequently worked with locals to establish routes and shape imperial policy.
credit: Wikimedia Commons
the less than glamourous truths of each country she visited, and this was reflected in her writing. During her time at Harper’s Magazine, Adams was granted access
invade Africa, Tibet, or unknown wildernesses? I’ve never found my sex a hindrance; never faced a difficulty which a woman, as well as a man, could not surmount; never felt a fear of danger; never lacked courage to protect myself.” Jean Batten
work. She hiked mountains throughout the world, reaching peaks and forging paths that had previously never been discovered. When climbing Finsteraarhorn in 1902, she was trapped, clinging onto a
Furthermore, as a woman she was able to gain access to tribal areas that men would not be allowed to enter. Controversially, she is said to have unintentionally contributed to the conflict in modern day Iraq, through the Iraqi border lines she mapped for the British.
Jean Batten became one of the most famed and admired pilots of her era. Her solo flights across the world broke numerous records and brought her a wave of attention from international press.
credit: blog.nullfull.com
She was nicknamed the ‘Greta Garbo of the skies’ in relation to her striking looks and tendency to change into a silk dress and apply red lipstick be-
credit: smithsonian.com
unique travellers on this list, Bly was not only famous for replicating Jules Verne’s around the world trip (in 72 rather than 80 days) but was also a skilled undercover journalist in between her travels. Bly wrote from an early age in her native Pittsburgh, and began her journalistic career as a foreign correspondent in Mexico.
Born in New Zealand, Batten flew from England to Australia in less than fifteen hours, in spite of two crash landings causing her to postpone the attempt. credit: nzhistory.govt.nz
W
hether it’s business or hiking trips, camping or glamping – women of all backgrounds are exploring all of the globe. With such a high number of women choosing to adventure alone, let’s take a look back at those who forged the path.
After travelling extensively in the region, she was forced to flee after writing a series of articles criticising Mexico’s dictatorship. She returned to America
We have this variety of driven and unique women to thank for making international travel more accessible for women. Unfortunately, even today there is still progress to be made, as crimes against female travellers are still a threat. But with proper research and planning, alongside the Foreign Commonwealth Office’s advice, your journey is bound to echo the excitement, wonder and thrill of the women’s on this list. Bon voyage!
14 Brig | March 2018
Features
My thanks to feminism - past, present and future
M
Clara Fors Wisbyse arch is here, and with this month comes not only a widely varying weather scheme, sun, snow and rain all in one, but the celebrations of women in all shapes and forms. While the entire month is dedicated to Women’s History, March 8 is specifically known as International Women’s Day, and looking back throughout the years, there have been a total of 41 celebrated as we know them now. A lot of marches have been walked, thousands of signs have been held, and hours of chants have been sung in various protests for women’s rights, but what exactly has been achieved over the years? Let’s take a walk back down memory lane and look at the surprisingly silly things women could not do as shortly as 90 years ago, but can today. We sincerely owe our thanks to the former female generations and their courageous fight for our more equal present. First and foremost is the fact that females were not
even considered people in the eyes of the law until 1929, when they became people in their own right with the possibility to sit in senates. Whatever inequality today’s British women choose to fight for wouldn’t even be worth considering if this law had never gone through afte a former generation of women took it upon themselves to fight for it. If this is not worth commemorating and honouring during Women’s History Month, nothing is. Following this historically big step forward for females, there are a lot of other everyday rights that we as university students more likely than not take for granted. Back then things weren’t as crystal clear as they are now. Up until 1967, for instance, single women were denied access to the contraception pill. This was the situation even six years after it had initially become available exclusively for married women with distinct permission from their husbands. One can just imagine
the frustration and envy of every single woman out there in desperate need of it. As recently as the late 1970’s, women couldn’t even open a bank account and apply for a loan in their own name. This means that the grandmothers of today’s teenagers weren’t able to do something that today is consider an obvious everyday fundamental right. Maybe even more shocking for partying students, however, must be the fact that until a law change in 1982, women could be refused service for attempting to spend their own money in a pub. A big thank you should be directed to all women out there that fought for our right to now, in 2018, order a pint, pay for it and actually receive it. Today life is different, and Britain has come a long way in giving females a legal status equivalent to the one held by men. But informally, conditions between men and women are still very much unequal. The gap in wages be-
credit: factretriever.com
tween the genders in fulltime work for instance, is 10 percent, meaning that every £10 a woman earns, a man gets £11. In the long run, this is probably one of the most important things that is in desperate need to be corrected in our fight for an equal society. When it comes to certain types of jobs, specifically in politics, women are clearly underrepresented. Only 23 percent of reporters on national daily newspapers in the UK are women, and only one in four MPs are women. Is the concept of feminism the answer to our prayers of equality? As author Harriet Dryer emphasises in the beginning of her book The Little Book of Feminism, “Femi-
nism is defined as the ‘advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality for the sexes’”. Former feminists fought for the right to create a bank account, and the right to contraception pills in the fight for equality. Today’s generation is directly targeting the gender gap in another fight with the same goal: equality. Two strong women of today’s generation that fights for this and that definitively are worth keeping an extra eye on this Women’s History Month are Chimanda Ngozi Adichie and Linnea Claeson. Chimanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author that has written several books about not only her African culture, but also feminism. With her encouraging
women out there to seek for more and believe in equality, one can’t do anything but turn to feminism in order to strive towards an equal society. Linnea Claeson is a Swedish advocact for women’s rights that with her social media accounts sheds light on injustice towards marginalized people of society, but mainly stresses the subject of harassment of women online. With her strength to continue fighting harassment with humour, and emphasising the need for feminism in this fight, she encourages a whole generation to not be passive, but instead to use feminism in order to strive towards change. In another 41 International Women’s Days, one can only hope that a change in today’s society can be seen. Perhaps if turning to feminism now, another generation of females can stand stunned reading about the gender gaps in salaries and inequalities within professions, in another year, another March, another 90 years from now.
Books for your feminist reading The Little Book of Feminism – Harriet Dyer We should all be Feminists – Chimanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or a feminist manifesto in fifteen suggestions – Chimanda Ngozi Adichie Girls will be girls – Emer O’Toole
Aunt Em-ployability Emma Hill Student Engagement and Events Coordinator
It’s a busy time of year with assignment deadlines, dissertations, exams on the horizon and just general stress all round. It is hard to think of anything else at the moment but for many of you this is your final year and we’ve been getting lots of questions about life beyond university. What if I don’t get a graduate job?! First of all don’t panic! It can sometimes feel like everyone else is getting a graduate job except you but that is just not the case. Many graduates don’t get a job straight away. The current survey which checks what graduates are doing after graduating is changing its date from 6 months after graduating to 15 months after graduating. This change reflects the time it can take for graduates to find the right role and that some graduates will
Here to answer all your career questions
choose to take time out before committing to a career. If you are struggling to find a graduate role, then stay positive and make the most of your time while you’re job hunting. Think about what you can do to add to your skills and experience and make you more employable. You could undertake some voluntary work, work experience or travel to gain experience. Identify organisations that you would really like to work for and consider taking an alternative position with them in order to be in the right place when a graduate position comes up. You won’t necessarily find the perfect graduate role once you finish University, but by focussing on the employers you’d love to work for, you might open up opportunities for yourself you haven’t previously thought of. Apply speculatively for jobs and network. Don’t wait for the perfect role to
be advertised. If you send your CV with a tailored covering letter to companies you would like to work for, you might just be the one who stands out from the crowd. Recent surveys have shown between 50 and 60% of jobs are not advertised so by applying speculatively and networking effectively you stand a much better chance of finding a job. Make sure your LinkedIn profile looks professional and up-to-date and then link up with employers
and fellow graduates to find out about jobs when they come up. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile there is an online course through Lynda. com on the portal which should help. Make sure you ask for feedback from employers if you’ve been unsuccessful. You might not always feel comfortable doing this, but sometimes it is the best way to learn. If you can get some advice on how you can improve your application or interview then you’ll be much better prepared for any future opportunities. None of these guarantee a job, but they will definitely increase your chances. And remember the Careers and Employability Service can help beyond graduation so even if you’re not on campus we can provide support for graduates over the phone or through eguidance www.stir.ac.uk/ careers/students/advice Should I move to
London to get a job? There is a belief that all graduate jobs are in London. While it’s true that a large majority of graduate positions are in London it’s also true that 50% of the population in London are graduates so the competition for these roles is much higher. London is a vibrant, amazing city with incredible opportunities, culture, history and night life but before making the decision to move, you would need to consider several points. First of all who do you want to work for? Although some sectors including finance, legal, media and publishing are concentrated in London, it could be that the organisation you want to work for has offices across the UK. You might stand a higher chance of success if you’re flexible about where you can move to. Many big businesses are noting a shift in economic powers to cities across the UK and opportunities are opening up in
the regions. The cost of living is much higher in London than elsewhere in the UK. PwC estimated that while salaries in London are 33% higher than the rest of the country, the cost of living is 60% more. A recent Sutton report estimated that the basic monthly cost of living in London is £1019 per month. This is based on living in shared accommodation in the cheapest borough and travelling to and from work by bus. If you wanted to live more centrally and maybe go out once in a while, this figure would be much higher! So your graduate salary would need to be of a level to support this. Ensure you research roles and salaries in your sector (Prospects. ac.uk and Glassdoor. co.uk are great places to start) before making the move and work out if it is affordable for you Does the University know if I get a job
once I’ve graduated? Nearly 97% of graduates from the University of Stirling are in employment or further study 6 months after graduating. We know this because of a survey conducted by phone/online to ask recent graduates what they are doing. There are a few changes taking place which mean this survey will now be carried out 15 months after graduating, so anyone graduating in June this year will be contacted in September 2019. Make sure you respond to the survey when it comes out so we have an accurate picture of the destinations of our graduates. And don’t forget that the Careers and Employability Service is a friend for life! You can still use our services once you graduate so even if you’re changing your career direction in 10 years’ time we’ll still be here for you! If you would like to contact me with any career questions or concerns then just email me on emma.hill@stir.ac.uk.
15 Brig | March 2018
Sport
BUCS vs NCAA: What’s the difference and why does it matter? Shannon Scovel Sports editor
S
econds ticked by on the clock, but the Stirling forward stayed focused. She scrambled to gain control of the ball in the corner during her second hockey game of the season, desperate to squeeze in a goal before time ran out. Five seconds. Four seconds. Three seconds. Two seconds. One... And then the clock flashed 0.00. Or it would have, if there had been a clock to begin with. Instead, the student-referee looked down at the stopwatch app on her phone and blew the whistle. Game over. The coaches on both teams met each other to confirm the score. They compared notes. 8-0, they decided. Wait, what? The coaches didn’t know the score? They figured it out in the end, so that’s all that should matter, right? It’s not important that they had different statistics, or that a few of players had jerseys that didn’t match their teammates. It’s just about playing for the love of the game, it’s about competing, working together, enjoying the process. Scores matter, but life goes on, win or lose. That’s the general attitude of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) system, a league that differs in almost every way from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a league I competed in as a student-athlete in the United States.
"I have a much healthier relationship with sport now that I'm not an NCAA athlete" Whereas one system meticulously documents every point, with official rosters available on stylish team websites, in BUCS, the mood is lighter.
Championships are still wildly celebrated, but there is a different focus. A quick scroll through the NCAA rule book reveals 415 pages of complex, detailed rules about the United States governing body of collegiate sports, listing regulations for everything from academic requirements to recruiting to maximum hours of competition. Student-athletes live by these rules and rely on their member schools to help them stay within the confines of the NCAA. Emily Boardman (below), a four-year member of the University of Maine track team and a recently graduated masters student at Stirling, said that her team addressed NCAA rules every during what she calls an “eligibility talk,” and the group would discuss everything from grades, to drug testing to Title IX - the U.S. legislation that aims to prevent sex discrimination in federally-funded education programs and activities. Boardman never attended such meetings as a BUCS athlete.
Boardman after representing the University of Stirling in a BUCS Aquathlon. Credit: Shannon Scovel
BUCS, generally, takes a more laid-back approach to rules for athletes, with the eligibility and participation requirements remaining much looser. BUCS athletes must be students at a university, but other than that, participation remains open and more freeflowing than the U.S. system. The flexibility of BUCS allows athletes such as Boardman to experience life outside of sports, whereas at Maine, Boardman felt compelled to give all of her energy to track and field because of her athletic scholarship and the expectations from her team.
In the moment
“I have a much healthier relationship with sport now that I’m not an NCAA athlete. When I was in the NCAA, I defined myself by my sport,” Boardman said. “Now, this is something I still do, and I believe many BUCS athletes do it as well, but there is less pressure to have classes and athletics be the only two things in your life.” Boardman said she had “no excuse” to miss a practice as a track and field athlete at Maine because her practices were held at 6 a.m., and if she did miss a practice, or even if she was late, she could face punishments, such as extra wall sits or workouts. As a member of the triathlon team at Stirling, Boardman’s schedule has the potential to be just as busy as when she was a student-athlete at Maine, but Boardman has more freedom to pick and choose the workouts that she wants to attend. “You are also much freer to compete in multiple sports and try new sports, whereas in the USA, if you want to do a sport competitively, you have to be talented enough to make the NCAA team or hope that your club team is actually competitive/willing to teach new people, which is a hit or a miss,” Boardman said. Boardman’s love for sport shines through in her training, and she’s always up for a run or swim, but she’s enjoying her life and the flexibility that
the BUCS system offered her. She’s living a life less defined by athletics than it once was; yet, not all athletes appreciate this transition. A system under fire Any conversation about the NCAA, even jut in comparison to BUCS, in 2018 that does not mention the rampant scandals that have plagued the organization over the past several months feels lazy, as headlines about the NCAA now frequently come with words like “corruption,” “abuse” or “violation.” The NCAA makes millions of dollars off the success of its athletes, and, beyond a scholarship and maybe cost of attendance payments, these athletes do not reap financial compensation for the efforts in the moment. I recognize this problem, and I don’t want to downplay its importance. My experience with the NCAA, while nearly entirely positive, was shaped by my participation in an “Olympic” or “non-revenue” sport while my peers who competed in top-tier basketball or football programs that brought in far more money for the school may view the system differently. For me, the system offered a chance to compete, to experience the thrill of being a collegiate athlete and the chance to be a leader. I wasn’t paid, but that was to be expected as a swimmer. I was a student-ath-
lete, and that was good enough for me. Yet, the meaning of the terms “student-athlete” and “amateur” have been pushed further into the public eye after the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations launched a probe into the inside dealings of college basketball and the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a whole. Coaches have been arrested, players have been publicly named as violators, and the whole system seems to be under fire. The complex rules of the system make such policy changes and payment plans difficult, but, here in Scotland, thousands of miles away from NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, university sports have carried on as normal, free of federal investigation. Why? Well, the system is far less formal. Is that a good thing? That’s a matter of opinion.
NCAA president Mark Emmert has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Credit: The Sports Fan Journal
Comparing BUCS to the NCAA isn’t a novel venture. Writers have explored this topic before, and people with far more knowledge than me of economics, sports management and business have theorized as to why one system might be better than other. On the surface, the difference between the NCAA and BUCS is not difficult to discern. One system is more regulated, more professionalised and more structured. The other is more flexible, more relaxed and more open. Both create unique experiences for student-athletes and promote competition. BUCS promotes sports inclusivity, while the NCAA promotes the sports industry. “I think the way BUCS handles sport is perfect for where I am in my life - I no longer am looking to be a serious competitive athlete, more to enjoy sport and the benefits which come along with it,” Boardman said. “I don’t know if I would have preferred that during undergrad as well, but I did choose to be on an NCAA team under my own volition, as I was not recruited, and would make the same decision if I had it to make all over again.” Like Boardman, I’ve been through both systems too. I’ve represented my school as a Division I swimmer, and even though I’ve heavily documented the fact that I was not a star athlete, I had the greatest experience of my life swimming in the NCAA. The system worked for me, and I appreciated the disciple and the regulation that came with being a student-athlete. However, the NCAA only gives an athlete four years of varsity eligibility. My time ran out, and I was forced to “retire” after my senior year. I’m a BUCS athlete now, and I’m proud of it. Regardless of the system, I’m grateful for sport, and I’m grateful that both systems, even given their differences, have allowed me to represent my school.
16 Brig | March 2018
Sport When the Barmy Army took Marbella Jessie Hosking
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f you were to ask any British tennis fan, “Who are the loudest fans at a Davis Cup tie?”, you can almost guarantee that their response would be “the Stirling Uni Barmy Army”. I know mine would be. Coming from a small town just north of London, people often ask me why I chose the University of Stirling. The truth is, I hadn’t heard of the university until 2013, when Britain faced Russia in a Davis Cup tie in Birmingham. At the age of 14, I had no idea that years later I would be able to say that I’ve attended a tie with some of the most famous fans in the world. Whether Britain was winning or losing, the support and energy of the individuals whom make up the Barmy Army is second to none. In a team competition unlike anything else in tennis, it is here that the support of the fans can be the difference between winning and losing. Indeed, when it seems like the odds are stacked against Britain, you can guarantee that the Barmy Army would still be singing loud and proud.
team. Despite struggling physically after his run at the Australian Open, Kyle Edmund was chosen as the fifth member. Should the tie have gone the distance, Edmund provided another option for Smith to choose from. After losing one of our number earlier than we would have hoped due to visa issues, the Barmy Army arrived at our hotel in the centre of Marbella in the early hours of Friday morning. Just hours later saw the first day of play dawn upon us. After donning our special outfits, revising the chants and dusting off the drum, the Barmy Army began the idyllic walk to the venue. After what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at the Club de Tenis Puente Romano, which could not have been more beautiful.
Credit: Engel and Volkers Marbella
Credit: Flickr
So, on February 1, past and present university students reunited once more to travel to Marbella, where the British squad would face a tough test in the form of the hosts Spain. Before the tie had even begun, it seemed like the odds were stacked against Britain. With Andy Murray ruled out after hip surgery, the baton was passed to debutant Cameron Norrie, ranked 111 in the world. Captain Leon Smith also chose Liam Broady, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot to make up the remainder of the British
The first match of the day saw Liam Broady take on Albert Ramos-Vinolas, ranked 164 and 22 in the world respectively. After a valiant effort from player and fans alike, the man from Stockport fell in three sets: 3-6 4-6 6-7(6). Despite the loss, the particularly close third set highlighted the passion and heart Broady played with, as he came agonisingly close to claiming a set off a man who has been ranked as high as 17 in the world. The loss meant that Britain were 0-1 down going into the second singles rubber, which on paper should have been a relatively one sided affair. With Norrie taking on world ranked number 16 Roberto Bautista-Agut, it would take a monumental effort for the relatively inexperienced Brit to cause an upset.
For the first two sets it appeared to be one traffic, with the Spaniard playing at a high level to claim a 4-6, 3-6 advantage. Despite the deficit, this did not stop the Barmy Army from making as much as noise as possible, leaping up and down in our seats as if we were a collective jack-in-the-box. With the noise levels from the British support rising, and the home support diminishing by the second, Norrie claimed the next two sets. The deciding set saw some sublime shot-making which left both the British bench and fans stunned. Before we knew it Norrie had claimed the deciding set, 6-2, along with his first ever professional match on clay, to the delight of the travelling support. Indeed, in an interview after the match Norrie praised the “energy” that both the Barmy Army and the bench gave him in his first ever Davis Cup tie. I mean, just doing what we do best, Cam. With the Barmy Army in high spirits, we went into the second day full of hope (along with sore heads for some). The Saturday saw Murray and Inglot take on Pablo Carreno-Busta and Feliciano Lopez in the doubles, in an encounter which many (perhaps biased fans) believed the British pair should win. However, arguably the less that is said about this match the better, with Murray and Inglot’s disappointing performance meaning a 4-6 4-6 6-7(4) loss. After a less than satisfactory Saturday, the final day of play saw the reverse singles rubbers played. Given Norrie’s previous performance, we went into the Sunday knowing the difference our support could make.
Credit: Zimbio
Despite a courageous and
gutsy performance from Norrie, though, the world number 21 proved a step too far. He lost against Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(4) 6-2 6-7(4) 2-6. Despite the resulting loss for Great Britain, Smith praised the efforts of both singles players.Speaking on BBC Two, he said: “I can’t speak highly enough of what Cam’s done all weekend. I’m really proud of him. If he needs some sort of reference point in terms of how far he can go in his career he certainly got it this week. “Liam has gone about his business brilliantly and is only going to get better as well. I’m excited for both of them. If they focus and believe in themselves then their rankings will start reflecting that.” As slowly as it had come, my first Davis Cup tie was over in a flash. Despite the loss for Britain, and almost losing my voice due to the screaming, I will definitely not be forgetting the weekend in a hurry.
Credit: Charlotte Riminton
Whilst it was amazing to watch some high-quality tennis, it also provided an opportunity for me to get to know people I already knew better, and new people as well. With such high expectations going into the event, the weekend did not disappoint, and I can’t wait to be back for many ties to come. The next tie will come in September, with Britain’s opponent to be revealed in April. The importance of this tie cannot be underestimated, with Britain having to fight to stay in th World Group, an elite 16team division. You can guarantee, though, that the Barmy Army will be behind them every step of the way.
Stirling Swimmers Making a splash once more Chris Bond Sports editor
I
Credit: University of Stirling
t has been another successful season for the Stirling swimmers, as president Iona Steadman told Brig. “The season has gone really well, won all five of our league matches, came second overall in BUCS short course behind Loughborough who are always are biggest competitors along with Edinburgh” said Steadman. “We also have swimmers selected to go to Gold Coast, Australia for the Commonwealth games to represent Scotland.” The team ended the BUCS long course championships with a total of 209 points which meant they finished in third place. “Overall we broke 5 BUCS records! 3 on day 2 and a further 2 on the last day” said Steadman. “Kathleen Dawson broke both the 50m and 100m backstroke records and Duncan Scott broke the existing records in the 200m IM and 200m Freestyle. “Also, the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team (Duncan Scott, Martyn Walton, Jordan Hughes, Scott McLay) breaking the last record with a time of 3:21:12.” Steadman was keen to attribute the season’s success towards their coaches, Bradley Hay and Steven Tigg. “I think we’re successful due to the excellent coaches the team has, who put all their effort into making sure the swimmers can be the best of their ability but catering for
each individual and what they need in order to be the best of the best” she said. “It is also down to the swimmers themselves with their own determination to achieve. Showing up to all those training sessions, even the early morning ones, shows they want to be successful and breaking records in BUCS is one way of showing this determination. “Everyone goes above and beyond to represent this university and bring achievement back home with them.” Looking to the future, Steadman feels the club should be targeting top spot. “I think the club’s aims for next season is to try beat Loughborough in short course and to head up the leaderboard at BUCS Nationals. “Also, we want to keep our string of wins for league matches going as this is the third year we have been unbeaten.” As Steadman alluded to, the university will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming Commonwealth Games, with nine of the university squad representing their respective nations on the Gold Coast. Duncan Scott, Ross Murdoch, Craig Benson, Scott McLay, Craig McLean and Kathleen Dawson will be wearing the blue of Scotland, Calum Bain and Jamie Graham will turn out for Northern Ireland, with Aimee Willmott competing for England. The Games begin on April 4, concluding on April 15.
17 Brig | March 2018
Sport
Undefeated and unfiltered: Inside the success of women’s basketball Shannon Scovel Sports editor
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sk women’s basketball president Amanda McQueen about her experience playing for the University of Stirling team, and she will immediately launch into a series of stories. “I once got ejected from a game,” she joked before our interview even began. “I’m pretty competitive.” Note to self: always turn the recorder on the minute McQueen starts talking. After starting out as a player for the 1s, a team that is now undefeated in BUCS, McQueen moved on to start up a 2s team before taking over as president of the club. She now plays for the 2s and helps mentor the younger athletes on the team, but emphasised that she remains friends and teammates with the 1s and sees the two club as “one big team.” She still cheers for the 1s just as much, and she said that her experience with them her first year allows her to “feel what they feel” whether in success or in hardship. And this year, there is quite a lot of success to feel.
Credit: Vilius Kateiva
The 1s have soared to a 9-0 record in BUCS and, over the past month, have started earning victories by margins of over 40 points. The team notched a dominant victory over Queen Margaret University 101-33 on March 7, and, three weeks earlier, beat Dundee 1’s by 42 points. The wins have helped bring the team closer together, and Shannon Purves, a centre for the team and a close friend of McQueen, said it’s the team chemistry and cohesion that
Credit: Stirling University Women’s Basketball on Facebook
has allowed the 1’s to put up some of its offensive performances. “What we focused on a lot this year is how we all play together,” Purves said. “We’ve put in a lot of effort outside of court time to hang out together and get to know one another, and I think that makes a huge difference. “We’ve been a lot more structured this year, like everyone comes to training, everyone comes to games. You know how everyone plays, you know how to talk to them about the situation.” The team’s undefeated season led to an unofficial BUCS league title, and the 1s will chase a cup championship win in the coming weeks. The 1s remain one of Stirling’s most successful teams in 2017-2018, and McQueen wants to make sure the team earns the recognition they deserve. She’s been actively promoting the team on Instagram and Facebook, and she hopes to put together a fan bus for people who want to travel to the BUCS cup games. McQueen manages both teams in her role as president and believes playing for both the 1’s and the 2’s helps her to understand the needs of both teams. “I try my absolute hardest to do my best with everybody because I feel like if I do what I need to do for them, then
they will also do the same because we are friends and teammates,” McQueen said. “It’s been difficult to manage, but a lot of the players, they’ve started to respect that. I think it’s been difficult to have the two teams for the first proper time because it’s been a lot of games, a lot of fixtures.” A three-year member of the basketball club, McQueen has seen the growth and progress that the club has made during her career at university, and while she is proud of helping the second team become more competitive, she’s equally proud of how the 1s have risen to their unbeaten record. The president said she tries to set an example of leadership, organization and enthusiasm that the next president can follow.
transition. Basketball has been her life at university, and as she starts to move on from her role as president, she’s started preparing the lessons that she hopes to pass on to the next leader. “One thing that I would like to be followed is just to bear in mind all individuals and treat them as individuals,” McQueen said. “I think understanding that not everybody is at the same level, and everybody has different personalities and different goals, is very important. I would say there are many people who see the club in a different way, and I think understanding that is so important.” Before she leaves, though, McQueen and her club have one goal left: to win a BUCS championship. Purves Power
Credit: Vilius Kateiva
Letting go of basketball and handing over the reins to a new president, however, will not be easy for McQueen, and she’s already dreading the
Sitting at a table together in the sports cafe, McQueen and her teammate Shannon Purves seem like foils of each other. McQueen speaks quickly, often moving from anecdote to anecdote, while Purves is quieter, more private, and more selective from with her stories. She laughed and joked with McQueen, but she let her president drive the conversation, jumping in only when necessary. This same personality dy-
namic occurs on the court, Purves said, but instead of letting McQueen run the show, since she’s on the seconds, 1s captain Shannon Flippard does the leading. “I think my leadership is just that I try and help people as much as possible,” Purves said. “My leadership style is quite laid back. I just like floating around in the background, helping out. Shannon’s got all these amazing motivational speeches, and I’m just like, ‘it will be fine guys.’” The leadership of Purves and Flippard, however different, has been a key element to Stirling’s success this year. The 2017-18 campaign is Purves’ first full year with the team, having played for an Edinburgh national team and a Caledonia team last year. She’s embraced her role with the team, helping them rack up wins while filling up her individual stat sheet along the way. Purves notched 40 points against QMU on March 7, yet she’s more proud of her a s sists.
Credit: Carrie Graham
She hopes that she’s the kind of player people remember as someone who always worked with developing athletes, someone who created opportunities for others, and someone who made the game fun. “I’ve found that people play so much better when there is less pressure, especially if they are developing, so that’s something I try and do, just make sure I’m giving them as much opportunity as possible,” Purves said. “If they’re on my team, I’ll pass. If they miss, it’s okay. It’s just training or a game. It’s just about giving them as possible opportunity as possible.”
The focus on development and growth has paid off for the team, and head coach Amy Kirkland said the team’s success has been “three years in the making.” Undefeated seasons don’t happen by accident, and Kirkland credits her players for their commitment to the goal of winning. The players, on the other hand, credit Kirkland. “She just gives us a structure that we wouldn’t have without her,” Purves said. “So I think Amy is a big reason [for our success].” Kirkland came to the Stirling basketball club two years ago, and McQueen said she’s seen the coach and the team grow together over the past several seasons. As someone who both studies and practices the art of coaching herself, McQueen said that she’s enjoyed learning from Kirkland and watching her coach develop into the leader of an undefeated team. “I think Amy has also changed as a coach from this season to last season,” McQueen said. “I think she’s recognized her own development as a coach from last season to this season, she took it on head on, and it has been more proactive, it has been more her taking her role seriously because she is, in my mind, really outstanding with what she is doing, and I think that reflects on the success.” McQueen and her 2s teammates won’t be playing in the upcoming 1s BUCS game, but she’ll be cheering loud for her club; a club she has watched develop dramatically over the time at Stirling. She’s not done leading either. She aims to inspire the next leaders to carry on the vision of success into the future and develop an even stronger team in the years to come. “My mindset is that now we are going to do it again, we are going to get up there again” McQueen said. “I think being undefeated that calls for it. We are a performance and excellence university, and I think that we should strive for better.”
18 Brig | March 2018
Sport Continued from back page one agility and one conditioning session per week” he said. “The best way to think of it is that your ideal ultimate frisbee player should be someone like a wide receiver in NFL. They don’t need much upper body work – apart from shoulders – but you need a lot of core work. “I do a lot of things like weighted lunges, flexibility work and then a lot of squats for leg power. “Outdoors, it’s a lot of ladder work for agility and shuttle runs for conditioning and endurance.”
Credit: Stirling Blaze
With Macdonald coming to the end of his fourth year at the university, his thoughts – like many of his fellow students – will now be turning to life after graduation. However, as the man himself explains, he’s likely to be keeping busy in the months to come, with a new competition to focus on. “Next up for me will hopefully be the Club World Championships, which is kind of like the Champions League for frisbee. It’s every four years, and it features clubs from all around the world. “There’s four teams from the UK that go, and I’m playing with a team from the north of England that are hoping to be one of them. It’s in Cincinnati in July, so we’re aiming for that. “I’m also planning on going to Australia for a masters, so that will have an influence. If it ends up that I’m in fact going to be staying in the UK for master’s programmes, I’ll definitely try out for the UK senior team. “I’m hopefully going to be
around Stirling for six months or so after graduation though, so I’m definitely going to apply to coach the university teams.” The bond with his university club-mates is one that he is quick to acknowledge, following the Stirling squad’s constant support and fundraising efforts to ensure their teammate was able to make the journey to Perth. “It’s invaluable” smiled Macdonald. “I’ve been super lucky to have the club, and the Sports Union too, behind me all the way. Stirling has been perfect really, so major thanks to all of them.” Macdonald’s enthusiasm for ultimate frisbee is not only obvious, but highly contagious. Yet he remains aware of the main problem facing the sport he loves – one which not only exists in name, but is, in fact, the name itself. “The sport has a major issue in the fact that it’s called ultimate frisbee – it makes people go ‘that just sounds silly’” admits Macdonald.
Credit: @NKolovic
“At the top level though, it is pure athletes and insanely fun. It’s a great way to play sport too, because even at the highest level it’s self-officiated. The respect shown is amazing. “If it was called something else, people would have no hesitation. “If anyone at university wants to give it a go, just come on down to our sessions and try it out.” Whatever the sport may be called, however, one thing remains a certainty – Macdonald, and the rest of his team, are going to continue to enjoy it to the fullest.
SPORTING SNAPSHOTS Credit to Giulia Hadjiandrea and Viola Madau
March Madness, Stirling style Shannon Scovel Sports editor
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ater splashing, whistles blowing, players shouting. Sounds like madness...and that’s the point. The 2018 annual March Madness water polo tournament kicked off on Saturday, March 10 with over 100 participants, 10 teams and three dozen tenminute matches that paired friends against strangers and teammates against rivals. Stirling entered three teams in to the tournament, a 1s, a 2s and a team called Tri-ing- a combination of triathlon and swimming team members. The whole event, organised by club president Aidan Service and his committee, was designed to help bring together all of the water polo teams in Scotland for a weekend of fun, camaraderie and fundraising. The weekend also included, in typical Scottish style, a trip to the pub and a night out. “Everyone comes here to play water polo, but the social is also a bit of an added bonus,” water polo club social secretary Sam Manley said. “You have to make sure everyone enjoys themselves.” And enjoy themselves they did. Megan Waddell, a fourthyear student and the captain of the women’s team, finished out her last March Madness as a student at Stirling by helping her team fight for a top four finish; but it’s not the results, or even the games played that Waddell will remember from the tournament. Instead, it’s the experience of competing with the club and being part of the community that stand out to her as the important and valuable parts of playing in March Madness. “It’s a good opportunity to get everyone throughout Scotland together,” Waddell said. “Because water polo is such an inclusive sport, and we’re all such good sports really, it’s good to see everyone turn out.” The tournament structure allowed Waddell not only to
compete against other players from across Scotland, but she also had the chance to play on mixed team with members of the men’s team. Every game featured at least three women, and Service said that such a format allowed for more inclusivity and gave players the chance to come together and compete in a unique way. The top goal scorers from the tournament were also both women- Bailey Forbes from Aberdeen and Rachel Nicole from Glasgow.
Credit: Viola Madau
For Service and Waddell, the 2018 tournament offered them one final chance to compete in March Madness, but both say they hope to stay involved in the water polo community and keep up with the club. Service said he’s already
Credit: Viola Madau
been in touch with the National Swimming Academy reps about setting up pool time for next year, and he wants to see March Madness grow. “That’s been the goal the last three years, is to get attendance up, to get people enjoying the tournament, realizing what it’s all about because the more people that come, the more money we make, and we can grow the event,” Service said. “I won’t be here, but hopefully in the years to come, and the presidents that come after me can request more pool time and have a longer tournament.” Aberdeen and RGU also host similar tournaments at their pool, and Service would like to see the popularity of the event grow to match some of the other Scottish friendly tournaments. People have already told him how much they enjoy and look forward to the event each year, something that he takes great pride in as the president and organiser. The planning of the event takes nearly a year, Service said, so putting on such a tournament is no easy task. Service requires the help of everybody on his committee
to make sure everything runs smoothly. Manley helps out with the social side, while other committee members, including Waddell, Becky Northover, Jeanne Lambert, and secretary Robbie Stuart ensured that things fell into place in time to create a successful event.
Credit: Viola Madau
Service credited his entire committee with the execution of the 2018 tournament, emphasizing that while he did get the planning started, March Madness required a team effort. “You still want to have something to train for,” Manley said. “So it’s a good idea to keep having games. March Madness may have ended, but the players never stop working.
19 Brig | March 2018
Sport
Clansmen ready to say farewell to departing seniors Harry McArthur Sports editor
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s happens every year, some of the Clansmen’s key players will be graduating and moving on to their lives beyond education. This year, the group includes some of the greatest players in the history of the team, participating in four consecutive national finals and hauling in a hat-trick of trophies in that time. Those players are Keir Grummit, Osian Edwards Muthu, Will Underwood, Bence Kovacs, Thomas Campbell and Ashley Hopkinson. Grummit, an offensive lineman, came to the team with no prior football experience and has broken his way into the starting team. He has loved playing on the team and described his relationship with
his players and coaches as a “brotherhood.” He is now a leader in the changing room and always works his hardest to ensure opposing defensive lineman have a horrible day at the office. Edwards Muthu, a defensive tackle, has been a prominent leader on the team in his fouryear tenure. He is one of the
Credit: Katie Stepek
key figures in keeping morale up within the team. Head coach Victor Peredo said, “Coaching Osian has been a great pleasure as he always keeps us in a great mood and enjoying football.” Underwood, a stud in the secondary, has quickly converted into one of the staples of the Clansmen defence. His basket-
ball background is evident in the way he plays as he always displays solid footwork, and he utilises this to keep up with receivers. Head coach Peredo described him as versatile and a class act. Kovacs, another defensive lineman, is destructive in opposing backfields and is always near the top of the sack list for
the league. As a former captain of the team, Kovacs displays great leadership and acts as a role model for his younger peers. He has aspirations of playing for the Hungarian national team in the future and upon reflection he said, “My favourite memory is when I lifted up the Championship trophy in my third year as team captain.” Campbell, a running back, has been the offensive player of the year in his previous two seasons and looks likely to take the crown again. When asked about Campbell, Peredo said, “Thomas has always been a game changer for us. His work ethics and desire to be the best are an example for everyone on our team. “I honestly believe that he is the most dominant running back in British University football.”
Hopkinson, a free safety, has been the team’s MVP the last three seasons. Several players who have played alongside him, as well as alumni and opposing players, describe him as the best player they’ve seen play in BUCS. He is a hardhitting ballhawk and opposing quarterbacks and receivers fear playing against him due to his dynamic playmaking abilities. When asked, he named his ‘pick two’ against Durham as his favourite moment as a Clansmen, a brilliant play which is indicative of his excellent career as part of the Clansmen. With the reigning offensive and defensive MVP’s graduating it is fair to say this is an elite class of 2018. The focus will now be on the next generation of Clansmen, as they look to step up and fill the void left by the departing seniors.
Touch series Central to university club’s success Aidan Donaghy
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allum Hamilton, president of the University of Stirling touch rugby club, has been busy organising the annual Central Touch Series (CTS). So just what is the annual event all about? “Basically, the Central Touch Series has been running since the university club was first accepted, and without Stirling Storm the university wouldn’t have a club because we just wouldn’t have the wider outreach for players” said Hamilton.
Credit: Lauren Tait
“The last two years, it has
been myself who has organised the CTS as I am president of the university team and on the committee with Stirling Storm, so it all kind of relies on me to put it all together and set dates that suit the universities and the clubs too. “ T h e C T S
Credit: Lauren Tait
started out 5 years ago and was originally set up as a three day series between ourselves and Stirling Storm ,where the teams would play each other on three different days and the aggregate score winner would win the CTS. “In the past two years, though, we have extended it to include other central clubs with the hope of raising the
profile of touch in central Scotland. Previously, Stirling has competed in other touch competitions in Edinburgh, mainly the Scottish Touch Series (STS). The university club has a strong relationship with Stirling Storm, as Hamilton explains: “We kind of rely on each other - during summer, they rely on us for players for the STS and the Glasgow league. They take about seven or eight players of ours for their first team, and we rely on them a lot with organisation and drills. “As I said we wouldn’t be a club without them so a lot of credit to them and the work they do in the community.” “We are trendsetters in the fact that we are the first university - club partnership that’s going on. “Edinburgh is the hotbed of Scottish touch with a few teams that have won the STS and have been Scottish and National champions.”
Last year was the first that the CTS transitioned into a four team format, with the university club coming second overall. However, there was a feeling that they were hard done by, as Hamilton explained: “The way that they had initially set up the points system sort of worked against us because if you lost you still got a point. “So the team that won did so
Credit: University of Stirling Touch Rugby Club
with the point they got from the match they lost. It was a bit funny. “The year before that we tied it, both teams got one win and we tied on the last game, so technically Storm are still the holders.” “The reason I started playing touch is because it isn’t as contact heavy so it’s more fun, and with university touch that is something we try to focus on. “I don’t mind organising
tournaments, because it is fun to play and everyone at the university enjoys it too.” It’s been a mixed bag for the university in this year’s CTS. The last leg, to take place on March 18, will be a doubleheader for the club, with the national championships and the CTS games combined. Find out how they fared by liking the Brig Sport page on Facebook.
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Scotland’s university for sporting excellence Refreshers edition 2018 | Twitter: @brignewspaper | Website: www.brignews.com
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“The best week of my life”: Macdonald living ultimate dream
Credit: @NKolokovic
Craig Wright Sports editor
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sk Fraser Macdonald for his thoughts on competing at the World Under-24 Ultimate Frisbee Championships, and the smile on his face gives you the answer before he even speaks. “It was the best week of my life” he said. “It’s been really nice, because it feels like I’ve put in a lot of hard work, and this is where it’s got me. The good thing
about ultimate is that it’s a true work/reward relationship – you put in a good work ethic and you get your reward. “All my friends give me a lot of grief though, they make sure my head doesn’t get too big!” It’s been a landmark year so far for Macdonald, who competed as part of the Great Britain squad at the championships in Perth, Australia, back in January. Whilst admitting he was disappointed with the end result, the Stirling star was impressed by the overall scale of the
event. “Performance-wise, we felt really confident after pool play (the British team won five of its six group stage matches), then we choked in the quarterfinal against Australia. That was kind of gutting because we know we can beat them. “Experience-wise though, it was really good. The great thing about it being in Australia this time was the number of different nations that took part. “The last time the event was held it was in London, so you
had a number of European nations who could only field smaller, shallower squads. “In Australia though, teams like the Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong could all get there and get involved. The sport is definitely getting bigger.” If you’re reading this and you’re surprised at the fact that there’s a world championship for ultimate frisbee, you’re probably not alone. However, as Macdonald explains, being selected is by no means a simple process. “The governing body for UK ul-
timate send out a post asking if people want to try out for the U24 team” he said. “Normally you’d send in an application, and they’ll screen people from there, but there was something like 300 applicants this time around. They invited us all to a training weekend, then cut it to about 120 people, about 12 to a programme. “It means it still remained as an extended squad, but people still get the opportunity to train with things like a strength and conditioning
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(S&C) programme and structured training camps. “For a lot of ultimate frisbee players, they’ll probably be the best at their university, which is fine but means they don’t get these opportunities very often.” Indeed, Macdonald’s S&C programme provides an insight into just how much work goes in to making it to international level. “At the moment, my programme is three gym sessions, cont. on p.16