January Issue of The Glasgow Guardian (2020-2021)

WHEN IS IT TIME TO GET HELP?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BAD DAY AND MENTAL ILLNESS - PAGE 6 28 January 2021

TALKING TO GLASGOW’S HOMELESS THE REALITY OF LEAVING ON OUR CITY’S STREETS - PAGE 14

UOFG STUDENTS ROW ACROSS ATLANTIC

THE GG TALK TO THE PHYSICS STUDENTS BEHIND SEASTHEDAY - PAGE 32

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, INDEPENDENTLY INFORMING SINCE 1932

Issue 5 | Free

EDITORIAL: Support students and their grades Following the news that the University will not be reinstating the “No Detriment” policy, The Glasgow Guardian and other student societies call for new meaures to support students’ futures Holly Jennings and Jordan Hunter EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

We, The Glasgow Guardian, and the below signatories, call upon the University of Glasgow to consider student wellbeing and set students up for success.

We ask the University to adopt additional measures which will not cause detriment to the students all of our lives. We recognise the University’s reluctance to adopt the previously-instated No Detriment policy due to the lack of assessment available to base our degrees on during the “non-pandemic” period.

Regardless, we believe that there is the potential for more support from the University during these exceptional times we are in, that are arguably worse than when the No Detriment policy was initially implemented. Whilst some meashave been welcomed, these measures are not standardised across the University - and they are simply not enough.

Many struggles remain in place 2020, with us reaching new heights of the pandemic daily, as today we sit with the worst deaths per capita in the world, facing a lockdown we do not truly know the end date of. The University has claimed the No Detriment policy was created in response to a sudden adjustment to an online learning environment, but many students have still not adjusted to this virtual platform.

Students’ mental health has deteriorated and access to resources has only become increasingly more and abroad face social isolation and have to work in inhospitable learning environments. Academically, students have been unable to learn to a similar standard as they have had lack of access to the library’s materials since December, and the University’s study spaces are constantly at capacity.

Every group of students has still not knowing what a tradition-

al university experience looks like and living through one of the scariest halls experiences anyone has had to deal with, to Senior Honours students having perhaps one

essays should they wish to do so, with the higher of the two grades being used.

Pre-Honours students should return to a credit awarded system

experiences and likely not having the traditional graduation that so many students look forward to.

Postgraduate students and those with dissertations require access to a wealth of materials and software to complete their degrees, both of which have been minimised greatly in comparison to the usual breadth of access they would have in non-pandemic circumstances. Mature students, those with children, and those with caring responsibilities have faced additional pressure since schools and other relief services are currently minimised or unavailable. International students have faced either being separated from their families for an extended period of time or face the struggles that come from learning thousands of miles away including time zone changes and lack of community. Students from lower-income backgrounds or estranged from their families are disproportionately impacted in their learning experience as support networks and economic strain has harmed their learning experience.

as these marks have no bearing gression into Honours should be based on if they received the credit for the last two years. While the University has said that without assessments they would be unable to determine their suitability, we believe that their suitability cannot be determined from the last two years where they have been in an

Extensions and Good Cause We believe that several avenues of support can help promote a more fair and compassionate marking system for students. We believe all students should have a blanket seven-day extension applied to all assessments, such as the policy currently adopted by some departments, as well as easier access to Good Cause with more generous timeframes to submit these claims.

We acknowledge that these demands do not encompass every student’s situation, and there are still matters which will need to be taken into consideration for individual circumstances. However, we believe these demands to be fair and necessary for all students. We live in unprecedented times and we should respond accordingly, with compassion and understanding.

Resit opportunities made available and reinstating the Credit-Awarded system for pre-Honours For those facing assessment this year, students should have the

Recorded lecture and seminar materials Further still, all materials should be recorded, including all seminars and accessible to all students. Similarly, attendance should not be taken as a criterion for marking.

Students now have to contend with dents to attend every live lecture or tutorial. The option to record is available to every lecturer or tutor and should be utilised. Even for other students, the ability to look back in order to review can be ben-

Sincerely, Holly Jennings Jordan Hunter Editors-in-Chief of The Glasgow Guardian

Credit: Katrina Williams

Credit: Dorota Dziki - Illustrator Students Representative CouncilPresident Liam Brady and Executives Queen Margaret UnionPresident Ruaridh Campbell Glasgow University MagazineEditors-in-Chief, Graham Peacock and Lara Delmage Sub City RadioStation Manager Tom Willis Glasgow University Student Television-

tive and Unionist AssociationPresident Emma Margaret Currie Glasgow University Labour Club-

Glasgow University Conserva-

Continued on Page 2

Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist AssociationPresident Abby Hastings and Committee Glasgow University GreensSecretary Blair Anderson and Committee

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News

“We ask the University to adopt additional measures which will not cause detriment to the students during the most difficult period in all of our lives...”

Continued from Page 1 Glasgow University Liberal DemocratsPresident Benedict Anslow and committee Glasgow MarxistSecretary Rebecca Svege-Cornwell Glasgow University Politics SocietyPresident Breandan O’Caoimh Glasgow University Amnesty InternationalChairperson Rinna Väre and committee Glasgow University Dialectic SocietyPresident Gwendolen Da Sousa Correa and committee Glasgow Marrow-

President Mark Lennie and committee The 93% Club- Presidents Elis O’Keefe and Leigh Heron and committee Successful Women at GlasgowPresident Laura Larios-Jones and committee The Cecilian SocietyFrancisco Student Theatre at GlasgowPresident Iona Bremner Glasgow University Shakespeare SocietyPresident Sarah Montgomery Glasgow University Strategy and Security SocietyPresident Mellisa Aliouat and Committee Glasgow University Electronic Music Society-

Secretary Heather Lomax Glasgow University Psychedelic SocietyPresident Carmen Blaque Psychiatry Interest GroupPresident Lucy Dunn Glasgow University Exploration SocietyPresident Monica Perry Glasgow University Geography Society President Sam Malis Glasgow University Latin American SocietyPresident Katrina Finlayson UofG Save the Children SocietySecretary Sophie Hirshall Glasgow University Law SocietyPresident Paul Angelo-Deans

UofG professors urge for Scottish Erasmus alternative In a joint article published in The Herald, Professors Jim Murdoch and John Finlay from the School of Law argue that Scotland must form their own Erasmus alternative as the new Turing scheme is “highly likely to fail”.

backgrounds, which the UK government argues Erasmus did not.

Yet Murdoch and Finlay suggest that the failure of representation is a misconception; they cite that, within the Law department at the University of Glasgow, just under half of the undergraduates from under-represented socio-economic groups participate.

According to Murdoch and Fin-

“It has been suggested that it is possible for Scotland to bilaterally join Erasmus in the same way Northern Ireland has done...”

the new Turing scheme - there is no funding available for incoming students. Therefore, the ability to negotiate fee waivers and partnerships with leading global institutions is going to be highly restricted without reciprocity, especially given the lack of similar mobility schemes outside of Europe.

Although the challenges for the Turing scheme are evident, Murdoch and Finlay fail to point to the alternative for Scotland.

It has been suggested that it is possible for Scotland to bilaterally join Erasmus in the same

Luke Chafer REPORTER

Despite assurances from the government throughout negotiations, the publication of the Brexit future relationship treaty revealed that the UK will withdraw from the Erasmus+ scheme, grammes for students in higher and vocational education, a decision described by Nicola Sturgeon as “cultural vandalism”. Between 2014 and 2018, 13,957 students from Scotland took part in an exchange, accounting for 20% of the UK’s outbound mobility.

The scheme is set to be replaced by a nationally coordinated alternative dubbed the Turing scheme, costing £100m a year for 35,000 placements and targeting those from disadvantaged

Credit: Joe Elgar - Photographer

way Northern Ireland has done.

“The publication of the Brexit future relationship treaty revealed that the UK will withdraw from the Erasmus+ scheme...”

However, the feasibility of this has been challenged by Professor Cardwell of Strathclyde’s law department, as devolved administrations don’t have the ability to sign international agreements, which this would fall under, as well as the contention that it “undermines the new ‘UK wide’ Turing scheme.”

‘Listen to Students: Cancel Rent!’ campaign launches Joe Evans WRITER

The Union of Scottish Student Tenant Unions (USSTU) has launched “Listen to Students: Cancel Rent!”, a campaign to demand that universities, landlords and the Scottish government take concrete action to help students who cannot pay rent because of the pandemic.

“‘It has become increasingly apparent that organisations such as the Scottish Association of Landlords are seen as more important than students’...”

The demands issued by the USSTU include; - A commitment from universities across Scotland and the Scottish government to cancel rent for students living in accommodation provided by their university until face-to-face teaching resumes, including examinable material.

- The establishment of a relief fund for landlords whose tenants cannot pay full rent because of the pandemic, shifting the burden from the vulnerable tenants to the landlords and the Scottish government.

- Universities must make hardship funds available and publicise their availability, ring fencing a cally for students with housing diffunds streamlined and straightforward.

- Universities must provide guarantees to international students that they will assist with rent issues, and that will alleviate the need to pay rent up front. They must actively protect the interests of students studying far away from home in the uncertainty of a panport.

- Most importantly, the Scottish government must commit to listening to and prioritising the needs of students and tenants over the interests of landlords.

This campaign comes in the wake of research by the National Union of Students last autumn, which found that more than two thirds of students in Scotland were concerned about their ability to pay rent. The Glasgow University Student Tenant Union, acting as part

of the USSTU, gave the following statement regarding the aims and motivations behind the campaign: “The pandemic has laid bare endemic structural issues within higher education. The government and universities in Scotland must recognise that the marketisation of higher education and the prioritisation of bottom lines, rent, and fees comes at the cost of student well-being.

“Concessions that have been won through rent strikes - or university management’s fear of rent strikes - show how dire the Scottish government and universities have let the situation become.

Having to resort to such action, and campaigns such as “Listen to Students: Cancel Rent!” is a direct result of universities and the government’s refusal to listen to the voices of students. The fact that a seat at the table can only be won through such action is a damning indictment of the complacency and self-interest of university management throughout Scotland.

“The Scottish government has repeatedly claimed that all guidance towards students was drawn up after extensive consultation with “relevant stakeholders”, but it has come increasingly apparent that organisations such as the Scottish Association of Landlords are seen as more important than students, despite their lives, livelihoods, and futures being at stake.

“The actions of the government and universities since September have shown that neither care about the real stakeholders in this crisis.

No amount of apologetic, conciliatory, and condescending emails from universities will make up for the human cost of this crisis.

“The government and universities in Scotland must recognise that the marketisation of higher education and the prioritisation of bottom lines, rent, and fees comes at the cost of student well-being...”

The time has come for universities and the Scottish government to stop passing the buck to each to students. The time has come for students’ voices to be heard, and sis for which the government and universities are responsible. The time has come to listen to students and cancel student rent.”

28 January 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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News

Scottish student renters UofG study shows swapping spirits face a financial crisis due for red wine lowers risk of disease to the pandemic Lucy Dunn

Lauren Brooks REPORTER

nancial crisis with over 71% conrent as a result of the pandemic, according to a new survey.

A survey conducted by the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland has found that for the past four months 25% of students have been unable to pay their full rent and 33% have been unable to pay their bills in full. The survey also found that one in seven students fear they won’t be allowed to leave their tenancy agreement early as a result of the pandemic.

Matt Crilly, NUS Scotland president, stated: “These survey results highlight the crucial need for intervention from the Scottish Government. As things stand, students are being expected to pay rent for accommodation they can’t use.”

NUS Scotland believes such problems are likely to be intensi-

down as most students are still legally required to pay rent for their term-time accommodation even though they have been told by the Scottish government not to return till mid-February.

On this issue, Crilley commented: “We continue to call on the Scottish government to ensure able so that no student is left out of pocket while following public health guidance.”

It has also been recorded that the number of students living with parents has increased from 13% in July to 32% as a result of the panissues student renters are facing.

Crilly concluded: “Students have a legal right to leave their accommodation, which all landlords have a duty to uphold.

“If students don’t need to return this semester they should be told now. Students deserve better than yet another term of uncertainty.”

Full results of the survey can be found on the NUS Scotland website.

UofG announce Covid-19 drug screening and resistance hub

DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

Research at the University of Glasgow has investigated the effects of differing patterns of alcohol consumption, finding that red wine is more beneficial in the long-term than spirits and beer, and that eating alongside alcohol consumption is protective.

The prospective cohort study selected over 300,000 subjects from the UK Biobank, with a criteria that excluded non-drinkers and those with certain health conditions. The study found that drinking spirits, beer or cider was associated with higher death rates, end-stage liver disease and injuries compared to red wine. The study also found that when pairing red wine with food, and spreading the average alcohol consumption over a greater number of days, the risks of both blood vessel problems and death were reduced.

Spirit drinkers have a 25% higher risk of death and were 31% more likely to suffer a major heart problem compared with those who drank red wine, with similar stats found to match those who drank beer or cider.

Spreading alcohol consumption over three to four days reduced risk of death by 9% as opposed to drinking the same amount over one to two days, and accompanying a drink with food was found to reduce risk of death by 10%.

Claire Thomson DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

A Covid-19 drug screening and resistance hub, costing £2.5m, is to be created at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR).

The hub, which will be located on Glasgow’s Garscube Campus and which is created jointly by the University of Glasgow, LifeArc and the University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, will aim to “support and accelerate vital Covid-19 antiviral innovation drug translation”. The University will establish the centre for preclinical drug screening and resistance assays for the virus. Looking past Covid-19, the hub plans to support further research to help tackle other deadly viruses.

The new project, named “CRUSH”(Covid-19 Drug-Screening and Resistance Hub), is

which are routinely used in the assessment of alcohol-related health conditions: the Glasgow Coma Scale, the Glasgow Blatchford Score, the Glasgow-Imrie Criteria for Acute Pancreatitis, and the Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score. Dr Bhautesh Jani, who conducted the more recent study, has continued the Glaswegian research tradition: adding to the already extensive list of alcohol-related research.

Credit: Unsplash

GUSA freezes facility memberships

Credit: University of Glasgow Lucy Dunn

The Greater Glasgow and Clyde area has more serious alcohol problems than elsewhere in Scotland, the UK and even Western Europe. As stated by the NHS, Greater Glasgow and Clyde “has the worst four Local Authority areas in the UK for male deaths from alcohol and two of the four worst areas for women”.

In correlation with this, Glasgow turns out to be home to the following medical tools, all of

planned to become a key player in the research of pharmaceuticals that may be effective against Covid-19. Drug screening programmes are to be developed alongside an investigation into resistant viral strains, with aims to amplify understanding of the virus and to help address medical problems that may crop up in the fight to end the pandemic.

Professor Fiona Watt of the Medical Research Council, one of the organisations that has contributed to the CRUSH project’s funding, told the University of Glasgow: “Scottish universities are some of the world’s best, and their scientists are doing sterling work to research, understand and find solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic. This funding recognises the importance of their research and will enough them to continue working for the good of not just the UK, but the world.”

SPORTS REPORTER

All University of Glasgow Sport facility memberships were frozen on 24 December 2020 and they will automatically restart when facilities reopen. The suspension period is to be added onto any remaining length of membership.

“There remains

Complex...”

The facilities were closed following the Scottish Government’s de-

cision to move mainland Scotland into Tier 4 of Covid-19 protection levels in late December, which was subsequently followed by another national lockdown. As of present, for the reopening of the Stevenson Building or the Garscube Sports Complex, although the University have pledged to resume normal functioning of facilities once current lockdown restrictions are relaxed.

Reinstatement of Tier 4 restrictions resulted in the closure of all indoor sports facilities, including gyms and swimming pools. Outdoor exercise is, however, still permitted with no limit on frequency.

A maximum of two people from two households can meet for outdoor sport or exercise but must remain avoid crowded areas.

If the current lockdown were to ease enough that Glasgow entered Tier 3 restrictions, indoor sports facilities would reopen for individual exercise; indoor group exercise

would remain suspended for over18s.

pools...”

University of Glasgow Sport are continuing to promote and encourstudent body by delivering live virtual classes through both the UofG Sport app and various social media channels. Timetables of these classes are updated weekly.

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News

Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospital affected by Covid-19 restrictions -

Lucy Dunn DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

Changing to an emergency-only basis, Glasgow’s Small Animal lowing the most recent Covid-19 restrictions.

The Small Animal Hospital, on their Facebook page that they rangement or cancellation. In order to manage its patients in the the Small Animal Hospital has rewill help them “preserve impormain booked, and the Hospital advised pet owners that if they did not hear anything then they were to still come in. Owners are via 01413305848 if they are conNormally, the Small Animal Hospital sees pet referrals from

in-depth medical imaging of ani-

WRITER

3, 4, and 5) at the University of pared to join the vaccination team once they themselves have been vaccinated. health boards to inform them that vaccinators.

to help the vaccination process, as

The four-year graduate scheme gives successful applicants experience in working for the Scottish Civil Service

facilities. The Hospital’s emergenopen on both weekday nights and weekends.

“The Small Animal Hospital will remain open 24 hours a day for emergencies...”

The Small Animal Hospital will emergencies and aims to be as ap-

Medical students to administer Covid-19 vaccinations Ananya Srivathsan

Scottish government Graduate Development programme renewed

they will be learning these skills part of their “preparation for practeaching, and this will not hinder exam that have not been formally expected to know these for their and 5 that are in placements in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area are expected to receive vaccines der other health boards will have theirs provided by the respective health boards.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons Eilidh Ross

and active career management.

According to the programme’s

WRITER

The Scottish government Grad-

“Accepting a new intake every two years, this will be

the programme’s participants reach senior leadership positions within the Scottish government.

sented in Scottish government, disabled applicants and those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, are parcation process will entail have not yet been made available,

opportunity to apply since 2019...”

will be made available soon, ac-

government will be inviting ap-

Credit: Unsplash

a new intake every two years, -

onto the programme in 2017. plying for the programme with The Glasgow Guardian

-

application process back in 2017,

years, members rotate to a new placement every six months, followed by two-year-long placements in the second half of the programme. ated career path to leadership,

a place on the programme, as I am from a working-class backdescribing

the

average

civil

processes he had experienced, place on the programme.

“The ultimate aim is that the programme’s participants reach senior leadership positions within the Scottish government...” stating: “There are few proshort span of time, while also sponsibility to work on some of the most high profile policy areyear of the programme, has exOffice, International Trade and covery.

28 January 2021

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News

University involved in new £31m Students relying on foodbanks, study finds project examining dark matter Silas Pease DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

Researchers from the University of Glasgow are set to be involved in a new £31m study examining the nature of dark matter with hopes of improving understanding of its role in the universe.

The project won funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and is reportedly one of seven new projects aiming to transform understanding of the universe. Led the project will involve other organisations from both in and outside of the UK, including the University of Strathclyde, Illinois-based Fermilab, and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Germany.

The research goal is to use quantum technology to examine the spaces between photons at a great-

er capacity than has been achieved thus-far, in theory allowing for a better examination of dark matter interaction at this level. Researchers should consequently develop a greater understanding of gravity’s functioning in tandem with other forces.

“The research goal is to use quantum technology to examine the spaces between photons...”

According to CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, dark matter is thought to make up around 27% of the entire

portion than that of visible matter. light, meaning understanding of it so far has been based primarily on its interaction with visible matter.

Should this study come to any conclusions about dark matter, it may fects on our current understanding of the universe.

Professor of Photonics at the James Watt School of Engineering, ing the University’s involvement in the project. In a recent University expressed his pleasure in being involved in the study, stating: “I am excited to contribute my know-how in single-photon detection to the challenge of dark matter detection.

I am delighted to be part of this maleagues from across the UK and our international partners.”

Glasgow City Council providing funding to support children from low-income families Roisin McCann WRITER

An additional fund announced by the Glasgow City Council will ensure every child eligible for free school meals receives a fortnightly payment of £25 to support families during the current lockdown.

The grant was announced after the most recent lockdown restrictions have resulted in school closures until February. It intends to to families with children entitled to free school meals whilst children are learning from home.

The additional funding follows Glasgow City Council’s winter payment of £120 to children of low-income families who receive free

school meals. The newest funding will commence on the 22nd of January, to be received every two weeks until schools reopen. The local authority will deliver funds directly to the bank accounts of parents and guardians, who will receive £25 per child.

Glasgow City Council updated their grant provision following the fervent public outrage expressed food parcel provisions delivered to families with children entitled to free school meals in England appeared on social media.

In response to the the announcement on the Glasgow City Council’s twitter page, the Glasgow Community Food Network commended the initiative, tweeting: “Well done @GlasgowCC - a

Credit: Glasgow City Council Facebook

to providing school meals during lockdown.”

Acknowledging the additional funding, the Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team’s Food Promoter, Thalia Groucott, commented: “I’m glad to see that Glasgow City Council are sure that Glasgow children can eat while schools are closed. I’m pleased to see that this is in the form of a cash payment as, to my understanding, this is the most This is a good start in combating the issues with food insecurity in Glasgow. For now, we should be listening to families dealing with food insecurity and supporting them however we can.”

Lucy Dunn DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

A study by NUS revealed a number of students are needing to rely on food banks as 75% remain concerned about their future finances.

“73% of students remain anxious about managing their the pandemic...”

60% of students continue to feel the impact of Covid-19 upon their income, an NUS study found. Many have lost their jobs, whilst 20% are working on reduced hours and 10% have been furloughed.

The survey was carried out in November 2020, with over 4,000 student participants. Two in five students have had to seek financial help from their families, and a third have had to turn to their savings. A significant

number have used credit cards to help their finances, and 9% of students have used food banks.

Hardship funds offered by universities were accessed by 8% of survey participants.

Whilst families can support students in a number of cases, 50% of students state that the incomes of those who have supported them have also been adversely affected by Covid-19.

A huge 73% of students remain anxious about managing their finances during the pandemic, and three in four are “concerned” about how their finances will look after the Covid-19 era comes to a close.

“9% of students have used food banks...”

The National President of the NUS, Larissa Kennedy, commented on the NUS website: “It is astonishing that three in five students have been affected financially by the pandemic yet it has taken until now for the government to offer any meaningful support. Students deserve better than having to rely on foodbanks for their next meal.”

GU and Strathclyde Labour Clubs endorse candidates Giselle Inglis REPORTER

In a joint statement on social media on Wednesday 13 January, Glasgow University Labour Club (GULC) and Strathclyde University Labour Club (SULC) announced that they will be endorsing Paul Sweeny and Pam Duncan-Glancy for the Glasgow regional list in the upcoming MSP elections.

The announcement followed a student hustings which took place on the evening of Monday 11 January, allowing students to ask questions to and hear from each candidate on the Glasgow regional list.

In the statement, both societies claimed that the candidates were chosen due to their history of standing up for students and engaging with both clubs over many years.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, a candidate who is a strong supporter of the Green New Deal and climate policy, tweeted that she was pleased to announce the endorsement. She continued, saying: “Students lead the charge on so much in our movement, they are our future. Whether I am elected in May or not, I will always fight for the rights of students – in and

out of our movement.”

Paul Sweeney, former MSP for Glasgow North East, also took to Twitter to welcome the endorsement: “Both clubs have been an incredible support to me over the last few years, with dynamic and creative campaigns.”

“The announcement followed a student hustings, allowing students to ask questions to and hear from each candidate...”

Both candidates follow under Anas Sawar in the Glasgow regional list for MSPs, Sawar having just announced his bid for the Labour Leadership following Richard Leonard’s resignation, claiming he wanted to “rebuild Scottish Labour”.

A statement from the Glasgow University Labour Club about these endorsements can be found on their Facebook page.

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THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

Views

When is it time to get help for your head?

Hannah Patterson WRITER

We’ve all had days where we wake up and feel like the world is just too much - days where we feel like pulling the covers over our head and going back to sleep, turning off the alarm, ignoring the calls and pretty much taking a pass on the world of the living.

The likelihood is in this past year you’ve had more of them than ever before. The world has been particularly hellscape-esque and a lot of us have had less to motivate us, so it’s normal we’d be less vivacious than usual. But what’s a normal bad day, and what’s a mental health condition? How do you know when to just shake it off and when to see a doctor? For me, there are a few red f lags to be aware of.

“It’s important to remember that although your mental health issues are in no way your fault, they’re not your partners either...”

One of my answers is in the there’s likely a reason why. The odd duvet day is a fairly normal part of life, but usually, after a day or two of feeling miserable, I can manage to get myself out of bed and showered, leave the house and integrate (relatively) seamlessly into the real world. If I’m able to achieve all this and I start to feel a little more human, I can say that I’ve probably just been feeling some kind of way. But in times when my mental health has been in a genuine dip, my normal daily activities haven’t helped me feel like myself - quite the opposite, actually. I feel like an actor hired to play myself and I haven’t learned the lines, and no amount of normal everyday tasks make me feel more like my normal everyday self. If this goes on for a few days or more, I can usually say it’s time to seek some help.

Another major red f lag for many is appetite. While some say the heart is closest to the soul, I firmly believe it’s the stomach. Changes in the way

Credit: Emma Garcia Melchor - Illustrator we eat and feel about food are usually pretty good indications of what’s going on underneath.

For me, this usually displays as not eating anything all day, then binging on unhealthy food late at night. Other people might find that food doesn’t taste the same way it did before, or that eating is just more of an effort than it was before. If you were once a big fan of making a complex meal a few times a week but now can’t face more than tea and toast, or if food doesn’t occur to you until someone points out you haven’t been eating, it might indicate something a little deeper is going on.

Unfortunately, alcohol consumption is another common issue linked with depression, and it can easily be hidden in the university lifestyle. I am a big fan of a glass of red wine (or three) after a long day at work, and I’ll be the first to hold up my hands and say I drink more than I should.

But when I find myself needing to take a drink every evening, not because I want it but because I need it to cope, I usually know I have a problem on my hands.

I also know that sometimes drinking can help me fall asleep,

which is something I struggle with when my mental health is poor. If you’re feeling like you need to drink to feel numb/feel something, or to get to sleep/ wake yourself up, there’s likely an issue you’re not addressing.

“But what’s a normal bad day, and what’s a mental health condition? How do you know when to just shake it off and when to see a doctor?...”

I also tend to lose interest in having sex/masturbating or notice an inability to achieve orgasm from either (and really, what’s the point then). Often I feel like I would like to have sex but the idea of being naked is too horrifying, or the amount of energy involved is just more than I have to give.

I had always assumed low libido

meant not wanting to have sex, but what is even worse is wanting it but not being able to motivate your body to play along. For me, I can experience. Usually, if I’m in a bad mood or have had a few rough days I’ll lean on my partner for physical and emotional support, but when I am Feeling Depressed, I withdraw in all as mental health issues can put a massive strain on a relationship - and it’s important to remember that although your mental health issues are in no way your fault, they’re not your partners either.

Communication, as every selfhelp article ever has already said, is vital here. If you’re worried that cause of your mental health, don’t be afraid to talk to your partner about it. If they don’t want to work on it or don’t care, that will probably tell you all you need to know.

It’s important to say that this article is by no means an exhaustive list of signs and symptoms of depression. Every person has different experiences and different limits of what their own normal is.

“Alcohol consumption is another common issue linked with depression, and it can easily be hidden in the university lifestyle...”

However, there are no points in this life for bravery - if you feel like you’re struggling, seek help: from a GP (and remember if you feel you are in a mental health crisis that can’t wait until GP hours you can ring 111), from a friend, or from the numbers listed below, which are just some of the options out there for a helping hand.

CALM - 0800 58 58 58 or www. thecalmzone.net Samaritans - 116 123 Alcoholics Anonymous - 0800 917 7650 Relate (relationships advice) www.relate.org.uk

28 January 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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Views

Drinking the deadlines away Anonymous WRITER

In the pre-Covid era, and perhaps even more problematically in this Covid era, the stereotypical life of a university student revolves around alcohol. This stereotype covers various different things from party-induced binge drinking to drinking daily, to morning drinking, to getting drunk frequently, and to not being able to socialise without at least having one drink, or two, or three.

This reputation may be unsurprising to most, but it’s also highly damaging, as what it actually does is normalise dangerous drinking behaviours and coping mechanisms. It communicates to us students that it’s OK to get blackout drunk every weekend. That it’s alright to always lean on alcohol for comfort and relief from our problems and stressors. That it’s fine and normal, and perhaps even funny, to not remember the last time you went longer than a day without a drink. But it really isn’t: it’s actually quite concerning.

This is because, when this drinking behaviour becomes the norm amongst students and when the stereotype becomes

the reality, it can very easily escalate into alcohol dependency.

A recent report by the National Union of Students found that 60% of students in the UK use alcohol in social situations to relax, 70% use alcohol to fit in and 79% believe that drinking is part and parcel of their university experience. These are worrying statistics. Especially because we often laugh at the stories of excessive drinking that our friends relay to us, and at times we even commend their excessive use of alcohol in stressful situations.

Rarely, if ever, do we express loud and clear concerns about a friend’s drinking habits.

“My illness was disguised behind the damaging stereotype of what it means to be a university student...”

With the current lockdown restrictions and the various changes that this past year has brought, I went through a scary spiral. It took problemat-

ic drinking from a distant stereotype to it being my reality; from a laughing matter to an obsession; manifesting in several visits to A&E and notes in my medical record titled “severe alcohol intoxication”. What followed were subtle concerns from friends disguised as jokes which did nothing to change my mindset. I developed an ever-growing reliance on alcohol, a dependency that landed me first in my GP’s office, then in the waiting room of my community addictions team and finally, in a detox ward. All the while, I justified my drinking behaviours in my head by convincing myself that it was normal: this is what all students do. I’m not ill. I’m not dependent. I’m just being a student. I’ve got it under control.

But I had none of it under control. I was ill and my illness was disguised behind a damaging stereotype of what it means to be a university student. Based on this “norm”, it probably would have been more concerning to those around me if I were teetotal, rather than my dangerous reality. It is for this reason that we should be ever more concerned about how the stereotypes we hold both normalise and increase the prevalence of alcohol dependency amongst

students. In social situations, I now tell others “I can’t drink, because I’m on medication that essentially makes me allergic to alcohol.” Despite this, I’m still sometimes urged to have just one. This needs to change.

“There has never been a better time than now to re-evaluate our societal relationship to student drinking culture...”

Luckily, there has never been a better time than now to re-evaluate our societal relationship to student drinking culture. Covid has wreaked havoc on almost everything, including the usual pub and booze-filled freshers’ week. This, however, offers us a golden opportunity to remodel what the expectations and events of student socialising should look like moving forward.

It’s now easier than ever to plan daytime activities, online quizzes and other well-being centred events; shifting the focus away

from booze-fuelled socials and nights that cannot be remembered. It’s now easier than ever to make alcohol consumption at university less of an expectation and a requirement to fit in, and more of an informed choice.

Being a university student shouldn’t be an excuse to ignore our concerns over someone’s drinking behaviours, whether it’s binge drinking, day drinking, or utilising alcohol as a coping mechanism. If anything, problematic drinking in students should especially be cause for concern, as students are already under heavy academic and social pressures, possibly living away from home for the first time, and are therefore fairly likely to be suffering from poor mental health. Mixing alcohol into this only makes things worse. Now is as good a time as ever to begin re-evaluating our damaging reputation, challenging it, and changing the narrative that we attach to being a university student in the UK. My journey and recovery from alcohol dependency will be long, and I can’t help but wonder: if the world had held different stereotypes, if my social circle hadn’t normalised problematic drinking, would I still be where I am now?

New Year, New Glasgow University Ava Ahmann WRITER

weeks of a new year, it’s customary to pause and take stock of our lives, to look inward, and decide which habits we wish to shed and which we want to continue, and in doing so we formulate our resolutions for the year to come.

Universities, like their students, are equally capable of engaging in this valuable introspection and possibly better positioned than many of us to act upon their resolutions. The University of Glasgow, despite having a fruitful 2020 on paper, has much growing to do in regards to advocating for and ensuring the health of all its students as the pandemic continues to haunt us into 2021.

In terms of benchmarks and praise, last year for the University of Glasgow resulted in some ly UofG being named the Times Higher Education’s (THE) University of the Year, for the university’s investigation and subsequent recognition of its own involvement in the slave trade, and its attempts at reparative justice. Additionally, the University rose in both the THE World University Rankings and the Guardian league tables to 12th place.

However, despite these shiny titles, University of Glasgow was

not immune to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing the same administrative failures and injustices regarding access to health services that plagued the UK at large mirrored on a university scale.

Following a relatively chaotic departure from accommodation for most UofG students, the University then stumbled badly in its mission to provide students with a safe return to campus in autumn. The failure to stagger students or enable social distancing measures resulted in an outbreak of Covid cases, with

Credit: Unsplash

cel rent. With tier four going into sick often having restricted access to food and utilities. With a staggered return looming, and the subject of health weighing heavily on everyone’s minds, I think the University must focus its new year’s resolutions on ensuring a healthy year for all of its students, and in doing so must step into a greater role of publicly lobbying the Scottish government on student’s behalf as well as looking at expanding their testing infrastructure.

The word on the street is can-

students who travelled home for Christmas to delay their termtime return, it becomes imperative for the Scottish government to cancel rent in order to ensure that this delay is economically feasible for all students. The University has rightly provided students living in halls with the option of a rent rebate for the month of January, in addition to promising to move students who test positive for the virus to separate accommodation. Students in private accommodation, however, are faced told not to inhabit. The recently founded GU Student Tenants Union has been out front on this issue, gathering signatures on a petition addressed to the Scottish government; the University of Glasgow should voice support for this initiative as well.

Aside from rent cancellation, frequent and free testing is vital. ing through the University during high travel periods is ideal; however, it should be expanded for the entirety of term time in order to make testing access easier for students living in student accommodation. Otherwise, the nearest testing location is the Glasgow Caledonian University site, which is not particularly convenient for those in student halls to get to without using pub-

lic transportation, placing them at risk of infecting others or being exposed to the virus en route.

“The University of Glasgow, despite having a fruitful 2020 on paper, has much growing to do...”

The University of Glasgow aims to be a somewhat forward-facing institution, but many of its initiatives only skim the surface. Its tepid divestment from fossil fuels while simultaneously failing to divest from the arms trade reveals that they pander to the positive press that comes from being a “woke” institution so to speak, without truly detangling themselves from the harmful practices that come from running a university like a business. The next few months of the new year will be extremely important for the University, and their implementation of preventative measures as well as their response to any Covid-19 outbreaks in the student population will reveal the lengths they are willing to go to for their students and whether or not our fees prove more valuable than our lives.

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From Christmas to Zooming through semester Keto: problematic one post-Christmas diets Claire Thomson reflects on our first semester of Ciara McAlinden CULTURE COLUMNIST

Content warning: Body image Hi, I’m overweight. Today I’m here to tell you (and myself) why that’s okay, and why we need to stop with these relentless updates on weight loss progression and post-Christmas fad diets.

“Fat isn’t a bad word, and being fat does not make you a lesser person...”

At 21 years old, I have, sadly, spent around half of my life obsessing over a number on a set of scales and the bits of chub on my tummy, hips, back, chin, thighs, arms… you get the picture. Even more sadly, I think I’m in the majority of women my age when it comes to this. You’ll understand, then, why Instagram is my least favourite place to be in January. It’s encouraging to see people posting their Goodreads and Letterboxd goals for the year, but any notion of self-improvement is immediately steamrolled by the onslaught of weight-loss goals and comparison pictures. I’m sure you’ve seen them, the posts that focus on how fattening the Christmas period is, the posts that swiftly move from Christmas to Keto. Though I’m sure those sharing these messages mean no ill-will, it’s quite hard for me to grasp how they don’t understand the harmful sentiment of what they thing more disheartening than seeing a “before” picture that looks like you, only to see that the caption details how disgusting the person felt, or how awful they looked. It’s even more upsetting to see that their starting weight was the same as yours is now.

In ordinary circumstances, these posts are harmful and frus-

trating, but in the middle of a pandemic? During the most draining and traumatic year, that most of us have experienced? It’s just a kick in

online university

all how “disgusting’’ they were at a size 16, and for Weight Watchers to invade every ad break on TV. We’ve all been stuck in our homes for a year, working, studying, watching the government make one fuck-up after another – who hasn’t been eating more than they usually would? We have had no access to gyms, we have been encouraged to support independent takeaways and restaurants, and, in a lot of even get out of bed most days. And now Slimming World wants to let us all know that for the small price drop all of that disgusting fat that’s consuming us?

10 years of my life have been shrouded by this fat stigma. Fat isn’t a bad word, and being fat does not make you a lesser person than Instagram Adonises. We shouldn’t be lectured about our health by strangers with fatphobic values (if you don’t know what I mean by that, just look through Lizzo’s comment section on any social media platform). The pandemic has paved the way for me being the heaviest I have ever been, and you know what? Who gives a shit? Even if this wasn’t an immensely stressful and draining year, weight gain is a natural your person. But the fact remains, this has been a brutal year. Even if you are simply surviving, you are thriving – no amount of physical change can remove that fact.

It’ll take more than an article in a university newspaper to change opinions on this, and even as I write this, I am scrutinising my appearance – but the fact remains, the post-December diet culture is damaging, and painful to witness, and we have to stop buying into it. Eat what you like, provement that don’t damage your self-worth.

Credit: Ciara McAlinden - Culture Columnist

Credit: Jenny Dimitriadi - Photographer Claire Thomson SPORTS REPORTER

After those months of long queues outside the library, dark sleepless nights, and hoards of stressed students, our first semester is finally over. Online university has been a real rollercoaster, with many ups and downs - but with exam season having passed us by quicker than anyone expected, we now have the opportunity to ref lect on online learning. Fingers crossed it won’t last much longer.

“Zoom was not always the friendliest study partner...”

After that dreaded first week of confusion, those long, repetitive introductory lectures, and an overall lack of competency from everyone, it seemed that the only way was up. The thought of Zoom university was not appealing to me, so I set my expectations low to avoid disappointment. I’ll be the first to admit that I am awful with computers and technology, so the idea of having to complete the entire semester online was a daunting prospect, but I took it in my stride. Actually, I would even go as far as to say I have enjoyed online learning.

As a Modern Languages student, most of my classes were live, very interactive, and involved many a breakout room and group discussion. To say that socialising this semester was challenging is an under-

statement, and whilst the person-to-person contact of being in a lecture theatre or seminar room was missed, having most of my conversations camera-to-camera helped to suppress the desire to meet up with others. It can’t be denied that turning your camera on in a group of people is a really nerve-wracking experience, but it is important to remember that most people feel the exact same way. All it takes is for one person to bite the bullet and the rest will follow.

So whilst my f latmates sat day-in, day-out, watching long-winded pre-recorded lectures with very little social interaction during the day, I was engaging in various blethers with different classmates and lecturers, becoming more and more interested in the work and feeling some sense of normality. Naturally, there were some classes that didn’t go to plan and the sole idea of an online oral class was enough for me to want to turn off my laptop. Everyone I mentioned online oral classes to shuddered. In some cases, I didn’t have a scooby what was going on thanks to the ever reliable quality of Zoom audio, but at least I still had the opportunity to practice my speaking, right?

The amount of free time I have gained compared to my first year is enormous. Cutting out my travel time and being able to pop through to the kitchen for lunch has allowed me more time for productivity than I had before. I will be the last to complain about not having to do the walk to the University: Gibson Street is a killer.

The trials and tribulations of attending classes from your

bedroom were apparent to me right from the beginning. I’m sure I am not alone with my frustrations over the various breakdowns of Moodle at the beginning of term. On several occasions, my laptop decided that enough was enough and began to pamper itself with another update. Zoom was not always the friendliest study partner either, kicking out the poor, unexpecting victim of that class: for me, that victim was, more often than not, the lecturer. The buzzer for the front door is also often another problem. Recently, a workman came to the f lat to fix a few problems, and unknowingly to us, decided to test the smoke alarms, right when I unmuted my mic to speak - thanks for the warning!

If you, like me, struggled to find motivation or peace of mind this semester, I would definitely say that the most important thing to remember to spend time away from the screen (or uni work anyway).

Every evening, my f latmates and I would try to spend a minimum of half an hour after dinner, chatting, singing along to music, talking about our days, watching some mindless television, or just being silly - literally anything that would help us relax and go to bed with a positive mindset. For those times when you are ready to throw your laptop out the window, go out for a walk, no matter the weather. If you are feeling unproductive, confused, or generally in need of a break, put in your headphones and get outside in some fresh air. It’s such a good way to forget about everything and just clear your head (and also to boost those endorphins!).

“The amount of free time I have gained compared enormous...”

Last semester, I made so many new friends (granted, some of which I haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet in person), learnt to improve my time management and motivate myself, and - perhaps most importantly - recognised the importance of self-care. Whilst online university has treated everyone differently, and I’m most likely in the minority who have enjoyed it, I’ve found that it’s important to always try to find the light at the end of the tunnel: we can’t have a rainbow without the rain.

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It matters, to a degree I mean, how many of you are actually going to use that history/literature/theatre degree?

Sophia Della Sala SCIENCE AND TECH COLUMNIST

A doctor studies medicine, a lawyer studies law, and an engineer studies engineering. The circle of life. How beautiful. So that must also mean actors study acting. Oh, except for Tom Cruise. And Meg Ryan. And Johnny Depp. But you need to study politics to be a politician, of course. Unless you’re Angela Merkel or Tony Blair. And study...?

Degrees, for many, are a sort of rite of passage; the next logical step in life towards adulthood.

And for many jobs nowadays, degrees are a prerequisite. But is it a degree that gets you the job or the degree? Of course, some jobs require certain degrees: you can’t become a vet without having studmean that all vet med students end up actually being vets. Is that considered a failure? Is there any value in completing a degree that you will eventually never use?

“You have to actively seek out ways to actually acquire skills; they don’t just materialise alongside your diploma...”

I would argue there is - but more importantly, I think there’s a misconception in what “using” your degree actually means. OK, so you don’t treat dogs who have accidentally ingested too much chocolate, but you might have to speak in public, or write reports, or analyse data. You might end up in a position that requires you to interact with people daily or requires you to move to a new city every six months. That’s using your degree.

You may not be using your subject, but a degree is so much more than that - if you allow it to be.

Simply going to university doesn’t automatically equip you with all of these transferable skills that the Careers Service loves to highlight in their emails.

If that were the case, then we wouldn’t have hordes of university-educated anti-vaxxers, since we would all be able to “critically analyse” information, and all graduates would be competent “problem solvers” which, if you look at our highly educated government, we are clearly not.

At the end of the day, a degree gives back what you put into it.

You have to actively seek out ways to actually acquire skills; they don’t just materialise alongside your diploma. Some people are

Credit: Jenny Dimitriadi - Photographer lucky enough that they have a home life whereby these concepts are practised regularly, and so are already steps ahead. Others rely on books or listening to debates. tively communicate by watching three YouTube videos or going to a two-week workshop. Competence takes time to develop and improve, not dissimilar to enjoying wine: people aren’t born loving wine (everyone starts with lowgrade vodka mixed with squash to mask the taste), you develop a likeness for it over time, with the ability to like stronger, drier wines The peculiar thing about these so-called “transferable skills” is that they are only transferable in the context in which you learn them. A university should teach you transferable skills but also how to transfer them; sadly, a university degree itself is lacking this fundamental cornerstone. A university degree ultimately teaches you a subject in a lot of detail and depth - although sometimes it doesn’t even do that completely. degree and still, no one has taught me how to critically appraise a Chemistry paper, let alone any other complex document.

But if you go beyond just wanting to pass your exams (be that through joining a society, play-

ing a sport, or even just meeting new people), the knowledge you acquire is valuable and practical.

Whilst I truly believe that, I haven’t said it’s easy when competing for jobs that are outside your and polished you make out your skills to be, there could be someone else who has a Cillit Bang sheen whilst you’re sitting there as Tesco’s own brand, even though you know the ingredients are the same. It’s damn hard. It’s hard ing to say the least.

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“People set in their cobbled ways, thinking that you can only do what is written in Latin on your degree However, a study conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England found that only a third of students entered - the majority of students pursue careers outside their studied dis-

cipline. So perhaps the path isn’t too unbeaten after all, it’s merely newly paved tarmac as opposed to the traditional cobbled streets.

bled ways, thinking that you can only do what is written in Latin

hard to walk on anyway.

I study Chemistry and I love science. But last year, whilst undergoing my work placement year, I realised that working in the lab full-time isn’t for me. This was after years of just focusing on science and undergoing lab placements, and so since then I’ve been in a continual state of “what now?”. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or even like doing, for that matter. I like listening to podcasts by the Guardian and the New York Times, so maybe I could take a bash at journalism (even though this is the third draft of this piece and I’ve had to close my laptop in frustration many times). Although, when I suggest this to friends and family, many are bewildered. Most nod and smile and tell me that “science communication is a great alternative” and when I correct them and say that I’m not necessarily thinking of just science and tech opportunities, their eyes twitch and their smiles quiver.

There’s still the notion that your degree is your subject, and you’re naive to think otherwise. It is this mentality that renders a degree “useless”. People set in their cob-

“You may not be using your subject, but a degree is so much more than that if you allow it to be...”

But regardless of what a degree leaves you with, there’s an inherent value in learning. Most people choose a degree based on their interests rather than the job prospects (even though, of course, they go hand in hand, since you want to enjoy your job and area of interis invaluable, and the fact that it is so strongly linked to the prospect of making money rather than the worth of knowledge is a fundamental problem in our capitalist society.

Who knows if I will “use” my degree in the traditional sense, but I sure am going to let myself learn some skills which I will hopefully be able to transfer so that I can newly paved tarmac - without the fear of tripping on any cobbles.

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Self-care: beyond the glitz and glam Bea Crawford WRITER

Drink your water! Slap on a £30 Glossier face mask! Spend 60 quid getting your nails done every month!

If you’ve ever ventured into the “selfcare” side of the internet, you will have most likely been confronted with advice like this. Whilst I am a fan of a weekly face mask in the name of relaxation, it’s hard to deny that the idea of self-care has been trivialized in recent years as an excuse to treat ourselves to material possessions, rather than truly working to improve ourselves and our wellbeing. As important as treating ourselves — without excuse — may be, ous side to self-care that we all need to face up to. practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health”, doesn’t that apply to our mental health as well? This “uglier” side of self-care can be slightly harder to admitting to your more unfavourable traits, enforcing self-discipline day in and day out, holding internal interventions when things get bad.

It’s mentally wrestling with yourself, each day, in an attempt to conquer your inner demons. And, while treating yourself to a Chinese take-

away and a Twilight marathon, it may be some of the most important work we do in our lives. Working on yourself, making yourself a better person than you were yesterday — isn’t that the dream?

“In moments like these, self-care isn’t just “stay hydrated!” and “treat yourself!”; it’s an act of survival...”

Because, in all honesty, what good do shopping trips and luxurious baths do at the times when you arguably need self-care most: like at 2am, with the walls closing in on you, left alone with your intrusive thoughts?

A face mask will do little to truly help you on the days you can’t get out of bed until well into the evening, consumed by all of your own worries.

In moments like these, self-care isn’t just “stay hydrated!” and “treat yourself!”; it’s an act of survival. It requires not only the mental strength to confront these parts of yourself, but also the strength to commit to working on such parts every day in the hope of self-improvement.

Everyone has bad days, and there is

strength in being able to accept this fact, rather than beating yourself up over your mistakes.

It’s undeniably a challenge to do all of this owning-up and self-discipline, but doesn’t that make it all the more rewarding? There’s nothing quite like making that breakthrough, when you realise terms with whatever has happened to you. The day I realised that I could look at old pictures of myself without hating them, after years of hating my body followed by years of working to improve how I think about my body; that was a good day. Your challenges may be different from mine — an inability to open up to others, long-lasting ising, general self-destructive behaviour — but the central concept always remains the same. Fighting your demons is always a hard task, and committing to do so, perhaps over the course of your entire life, is all-the-more daunting. Maybe there’s no set end date to our struggles, maybe we never fully overcome our bad habits; we just learn to live with them in a more manageable way. But it’s the little milebeing able to look at old pictures of your body after spending your adolescence actively hating it — that make all of the challenges worth it.

Credit: Dorota Dziki - Illustrator At the end of the day, self-care is life. I’m not here to make the argument that the smaller, more matemental health; just that the grittier, “hard-truths” side of self-care is a long-disregarded practice that is arguably more important in our self-improvement journeys. While

with, and requires a lot of work to overcome our own self-destructive parts, it is also endlessly rewarding.

As a society, we need to confront this proach to self-care and instead place more of an emphasis on the internal work. After all, what’s the harm in having our brows down while we work on overcoming our self-destructive habits and inner demons?

Rise of the infographic: do they help?

Emily Hay VIEWS EDITOR

The rise of the Instagram infographics in 2020 brought with it a term which many had never come across before: unlearning. A quick google search uncovers that psyprocess through which we break down the origins of our thoughts, attitudes, behaviours, feelings, and biases. It’s asking ourselves: Where do these beliefs come from?” In a year like 2020 which brought about so much upheaval, it was naturally a time to question ourselves and the state of our own lives. It was also a year in which so much social the media and popular attention it had been worthy of for decades, so it also became a time for many own roles in the social structures in which we live. self thinking: we’re university students in full time education for a reason, why should we be spending time actively attempting to unlearn things? Shouldn’t we be trying to educate ourselves more ent viewpoints, rather than losing any? Well, yes – but that’s not re-

ally what unlearning means.

As we grow up, there are certain things we learn, some of which are taught to us, and some which just implicitly become parts of our lifestyles. More privileged children are taught to be afraid of those who have less than them; girls are taught its normal that they should be have scared going out alone; non-White children are taught they’ll have to be twice as good to get half as much; and we’re all taught that this is just how life is and we have to conform to it to squeeze any sort of happiness from it. But the thing is, if we begin questioning why the world is like this, why we’re taught these things and who seem nearly as inevitable as those in charge would have us believe.

It’s perfectly possible to change the world, one thought at a time.

Why do you think the Party in Orwell’s 1984 felt it was so crucial to crack down on thoughtcrime?

The things we unlearn can be big societal issues, but they can also be more personal things which society has taught you but which you feel are damaging to your own success and happiness.

If you’re White or able-bodied for example, you should consider unlearning the idea that everyone works for where they end up in life, and not only recognise, but

begin to dismantle, the systems which have propped you up whilst holding marginalised identities down. Equally though, you can unlearn things which contribute more to your own internalised unhappiness than they do to societal inequality; things like toxic

productivity, success only being unhealthy relationships with your body. What these things all have in common is that they don’t have their roots in our unseeds planted in our childhoods

which grow as ungainly as trees covering a window view: we have to start cutting them back to see what light they truly have been blocking from us.

“In a year like 2020 which brought about so much upheaval, it was naturally a time to question ourselves...”

So yes, no matter who you are, how educated you are, or which spaces you occupy in society, there will be something that you believe which may not actually

Credit: Emily Hay - Views Editor

you come across these beliefs in yourself you should be dismantling and questioning them. It’s not easy, but neither is going your whole life living with them, and building a better tomorrow is worth a little discomfort today.

People may love to bash Instagram infographics, but never has anything, let alone a pretty pink self and my beliefs so profoundly.

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Speaking out against accent discrimination

Manifestation: The key to unlocking your goals or just another TikTok trend?

Jasmine Urquhart INVESTIGATIONS EDITOR

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“The fact that so many still try and modify their speech at university tells me that we still subconsciously

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“The universe doesn’t owe us anything, even if we align our vibration with it...”

standing with accents...”

Made In Chelsea

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“Our mind is a powerful tool in shaping our reality, and manifesting seems like a reasonable way to get hold of what’s happening...”

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A Spiritual Entrepreneur, and

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Experience or exploitation?

Rothery Sullivan CULTURE COLUMNIST

There’s a debate in the young artist community over providing artwork for free: should artists have to give away their work with no compensation just for the sake of publicity and to build their portfolio, or should artists still be compensated no matter how little experience they have? I think in this situation there are multiple circumstances to consider - but overall, every artist should be compensated for their work in some sort

of way, whether it be with money, knowledge or both.

As an aspiring journalist myself, I wouldn’t want to give away my writing for free unless I was giving it to an organisation that I support. While it’s true that my skills as a writer improve every time I write a new piece, writing for free ultimately devalues the work, time and experience that I have put in over the years to develop my folio without writing for free publications, and so it’s important to consider which publications you’re donating your time and work to.

about is if I’m writing for an organisation that deserves my donation of time and work (which has some monetary value even if it isn’t paid for, as many free publications make their revenue from advertisements). I enjoy writing I’m a part of, such as The Glasgow Guardian, which helps to spread the voices of younger adults (that wouldn’t otherwise have a platform) and inform university students on important issues. While it can be argued that free publications hurt the journalism industry by discouraging consumers from paying for the content they read and forcing journalists to write for free, I think that many publications are free in order to provide a platform for voices that would otherwise not be heard. This being said, I would also happily write articles for free on behalf of not-foran article about an animal shelter desperately in need of donations), as the charity would be an organization worth the donation of my time. In regards to who you donate your writing to, this is a personal choice, but I think that it can be ethical in a multitude of cases.

However, I do think a serious issue exists with many organisations exploiting young, less experienced

Credit: AJ Duncan - Illustrator

journalists with the only form of “payment” being “exposure” or “portfolio building”. Often times young artists will jump at the opportunity to be published as it will give them a chance to get their name out into the writing community; think of how amazing it would seem to be published in a world-renowned newspaper because even if you wouldn’t be paid for it, you would still have the chance to get your name out there for publishers and potential employers to read. However, if the organisation pays their other journalists, then it is unethical for them not to pay you just because your portfolio is smaller, you’re younger, or you have less professional experience. If the work is at a high enough quality to be published alongside other paidfor pieces, then that work should be compensated for as well.

There is one contingency here though, and it applies to unpaid internships. There are some circumstances wherein an unpaid intern’s work will be published without monetary compensation, which may seem unethical at be situations in which the intern is compensated in knowledge, as their work may not have been at a high enough quality at the start of the internship, but with the help of

work is improved to the point of being worthy of publication. In this instance, the organisation pays for their interns work in the form of knowledge by paying its employees to teach, edit, and work with the intern to improve their skills. The intern is gaining the value of knowledge, which most would agree has monetary value as well.

Organisations should compensate their journalists for the quality of work they provide, not necessarily just for the level of experience the artist has. If the then it is up to the artist whether or not the publication is worth their time, but if the organisation pieces, then it is unethical to ask for a person’s work for free simply because of their age or small portfolio. I think this applies to all types of art, whether it be graphic design, acting, musical performance, etc, as many organisations will try to exploit younger artists who are unsure if they are deserving of a paycheck. Providing work for free should not involve another when you gain nothing in return, as this devalues your time as an artist and does not take into consideration the years of work you have put in to gain the skills that make you successful at your craft.

It’s not me, it’s you (and the covid denial) Is a difference in opinion over the pandemic a good enough reason to end a friendship?

Sophie Kernachan MUSIC COLUMNIST

In a year where political division has become evermore endemic and vicious, you might have thought an event like a widespread pandemic would be one of those instances where everyone comes together to tackle it. It’s a nice idea, that Hallmark-variety globalism where the politically divided set aside their beat an external foe, but one that, if 2020 is anything to go by, is completely impractical. From the inevitable politicisation of the pandemic in the wake of the US 2020 election, to outright insane conspiracy theories (never would I have guessed that a pandemic would be paramount evidence for the looming threat of QAnon’s imaginary deep state, alongside Hillary Clinton’s apparent insatiable thirst for the blood of infants, the coronavirus pandemic has created a delightful new divide in the populace. No doubt fuelled by social media and a rather pathetic government response across nations, opinions on coronavirus are now as deep-rooted as many people’s opinions on politics. And just like politics, people fall out over it. The question of political beliefs being relevant to friend-

ships and relationships has been asked many times, but with their similarities, does the same apply to coronavirus?

“You have every right to ‘be them off for it...”

The answer is as inconclusive as that for politics; it depends on the person and on their views. Lockdown-induced cabin fever certainly had its impacts on people’s social relationships. Forbes, for example, reported that only 18% of surveyed quarantining couples nication with their partner over lockdown. An understandable complaint; when you can’t work or breathing down each other’s necks for several months, even the most negligible of annoying habits can become unbearable. But opinions on coronavirus provided another notable obstacle for relationships, especially when it’s so easy to be yourself doom scrolling social media once again.

Covid-19 has seen several iterations of science-denier crawl out of the woodworks, manifesting in the form of your anti-mask relahave their Tinder date over at once, and acquaintances who think Anand laugh at the petulant childishness of grown adults that wouldn’t wash their hands because the government told them to, but now we’re here, with 2 million people symptoms for up to 8 weeks after contracting the virus (as many as 1 in 20, according to research from ourselves in a second hard lockdown, or is this the third?, it’s hard to keep count, opinions like these can become even more disheartening. But what makes opinions about coronavirus more frustrating or harder to ignore than other hot issues of the day, say, ill-informed rants about big tech and censorship?

Perhaps, most notably, it is how close this is to home for many.

Political opinions, by and large, can be kept to yourself. It’s a tired old trope, the idea of your racist relatives you only see at Christmas treating their extended family to slur-laden tirades about

everything wrong with the modern world. Coronavirus and its opposition, however, have led to a fresh wave of disinformation in the bowels of social media, with many-a ness of masks, vaccines, and the idea it’s all a ploy by the monolithic government to keep us down.

“Opinions on coronavirus are now as deeprooted as many people’s opinions on politics...”

It was somewhat disheartening telling my 73-year-old grandparents that anti-vaxxers were more common than a fringe faction of rabid science-deniers that anybody with two brain cells to rub together can disprove. I was quite shocked declaring she would not be taking the coronavirus vaccine, and how coronavirus has made her wonder quack study linking autism and the MMR vaccine was shot down so where science denialism has had a

place to develop and fester, it was a sadly unsurprising discovery.

You might think that the ableist bile linking autism with highly unpleasant, and sometimes even fatal, conditions or dystopian theories such as vaccine-inserted microchips were the worst of it, but it’s easier to ignore these people or cut is wading through the incredible close to us. You know the type, the ones that are very sorry for all those who have died, but “If I get it, I get it”. Less cartoonish than the ravings of anti-vaxxers, but just sceptical enough to believe this is on as if nothing was happening.

People who refuse to follow guidelines because it’s inconvenient for them. It doesn’t take much critical we’re making right now are for the greater good of people’s health, and acting like you can only catch coronavirus in your own personal ness long surpasses the point of being benign, and more becomes an issue of core values. And this far in, when people’s physical wellbeing is on the line, you have every

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Views

Vent to views: advice from our editors

This month Emily and Hailie discuss what to do post-graduation and talking to your GP

Emily Hay and Hailie Pentleton VIEWS EDITORS

I’m having a bit of a crisis about what to do after graduation. Since I was about 12, my heart was set on a career in journalism, but over the past week or so, I’ve completely changed my mind. Now I am trying to apply for other grad jobs, but I’ve never considered them before and I don’t know which ones to go for.

I feel quite lost about what to do now, and I don’t want to commit to working for a company in case I change my mind. What advice do you have for a fourth-year who has no idea what she wants to do for a career?

Emily: I. Feel. This. This was exactly the situation I was in last year, and still am in this year, so know that you’re not in this alone.

Throughout my honours years, various work experience placements had left me feeling blah about the career path I had previously thought I wanted, and being a 2020 graduate facing a vacuous job market only compounded the uncertainty. nal year student with no ideas for the future does: I applied for a Masters. This might not be the path for you; depending on if your Masters is teaching or research-based, the fees can be up to £10k a year, so you might not have the funds to do it straight away or you might not want to drop that kind of money if you don’t know of a course you’d love to do. I was really fortunate in the fact that mine is something of a passion project for me and I got a full fee-waiver scholarship, so it

felt like a no brainer since I’m still in limbo about the whole career situation; it gives me more time to keep asking me, “So, what jobs can you get with that?”, but fortunately I can just blame my doing it on not wanting to enter the jobs market in the middle of a pandemic.

Don’t feel the need to apply to grad schemes if you don’t know what you want to do just yet.

There’s all this pressure to get yourself into a good, secure job straight out of university, but you don’t need to know what you’ll be doing with the rest of your 50-odd working years right away. It’s perfectly acceptable to apply for jobs that you don’t particularly care about just to keep you on your feet until you do decide what you want to do. Or, maybe you’ll realise that you aren’t a career-focused person, and you’d rather just work to live, rather than live to work.

The latter is what high-achieving school and university environments would have us believe is the only way of being a successful member of society, but it isn’t a world-changer – most people are just normal, and that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy and successful in your own ways.

In the meantime, try and get a job that pays you something without taking up all of your mental energy. That way, you can be earning money whilst giving yourself the time and space to explore who you are and what you want from life outside of higher education, which can really skewer your world view. In the current careers market, it isn’t easy to get your dream job even if you know what you want, so you might as well try your hand at whatever

there is that you don’t mind doing.

When you’re not working allow yourself the concentrated time to try out new hobbies, or to test out potential jobs either by researching them, playing about with new skills on your own, or volunteeradmittedly this last one may be dependent on Miss Rona. In the end, you’ll either unexpectedly fall upon your calling in life or discover a job and colleagues that you’re outwith the working world. Both are perfectly acceptable - and rewarding - ways of being.

I think I have ADHD or ADD but I don’t know how to broach it with my GP or if it’s even worth it (for context, I’m a woman). I tried to discuss my anxiety with a GP and he was really belittling and invalidating despite the fact that I am sure about my anxiety disorder. That makes me even more nervous to bring up ADHD because I worry I would be made again to feel like I’m just trying to come up with excuses and making a mountain out of a molehill.

And is it even worth having the discussion? Like realistically, is the GP going to be able to help me with ADHD? Hailie: I have two magic words for you: dump him. The next time you’re trying to arrange an appointment, make a point of reyou, and sometimes they’re just plain ignorant. No single doctor has complete authority over validating your experiences - if you believe your anxiety is having as great an impact on your life, as it

sounds, then it probably is. A doctor is able to recognise symptoms culties and prescribe you certain medications, but there’s a reason that any further support involves a referral to a specialist: GPs usually aren’t mental health specialists. I don’t say that to undermine the profession, but to highlight to you that sometimes GPs do get it wrong.

As you’ve highlighted, the experiences of neurodivergent women and those assigned female at birth are so often misunderstood in medical spaces, meaning that it’s often challenging to get an initial assessment, never mind an fessional diagnosis isn’t necessarily everything, it can be vital to accessing support. It sounds as though it is important for you to explore: and so you should. Obviously, I can’t say whether you have ADHD or ADD. In this case, as it is for everyone, the person with the most insight into your experiences is you. My advice then is to take a note of the things that you feel are indicators of ADHD in your life: maybe you really struggle with exself zoning out in situations more than your peers.

An appointment pre-referral for assessment will probably involve your GP asking questions about whether you feel these traits and characteristics were present in your childhood - so I would also

I want to reassure you though that you aren’t “just trying to come up with excuses and making a mountain of a molehill” - even if you aren’t diagnosed with ADHD. If you feel strongly about engaging with your mental health and potential neurodivergence, then it is so important that you do. With NHS waiting lists being as tedious as they can be, it may take some time before you can see someone who can help you explore this better than your GP, but I would say that, as soon as you’re ready, you should arrange another appointlikelihood is that current circumstances being as they are, this will be an over the phone appointment, which means you can have all your notes out in front of you to make sure that you get the most important things across in that short space of time. Self-advocacy can be hard, but you are worth all the Have a question you’d like Emily and Hailie to answer? Click here to make an anonymous submission for our next issue.

this or discussing your behaviours with family or friends who knew you when you were younger. This may help to bring other things to the surface or help you to come to a decision about pursuing a diagnosis.

Contributors Editors Holly Jennings & Jordan Hunter Deputy Editors Rebecca Scott & Chloe Waterhouse Production Rebecca Scott & Tara Gandhi News Oliver Rudden, Matilda Handley, Silas Pease, Lucy Dunn, Holly Jennings, Jordan Hunter, Eilidh Ross, Luke Chafer, Claire Thomson, Erin Steinmetz, Roisin McCann, Giselle Inglis Views Emily Hay, Hailie Pentleton, Hannah Patterson, Ava Ahmann, Ciara McAlinden, Claire Thomson, Sophia Della

Salla, Bea Crawford, Sophie Kernachan, Jasmine Urquhart, Anastasija Svarevska, Rothery Sullivan

Sport Craig Smith, Thomson

Claire

Got thoughts?

If you would like to provide an anonymous

Features Jamie Salem Dalgety, Nairne Clarke Hopkinson, Ethan Marshall, Jordan Quinn, Ananya Venkatesan

Photography & Illustrations Allison Campbell, Emma Garcia Melchor, Ciara McAlinden, Jenny Dimitriadi.

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contact the editors via email. If you wish to take out an advertisement with The Glasgow Guardian, email the editors or the advertising manager.

Culture Rosie Shackles, Genevieve Brown, Katrina Williams, Heather McSwan, Pritchard, Max Kelly, Ananya Venkatesan Hailie Pentleton, Ernest Shiu, Sophie Kernachan, Trey-Daniel Kreyemeh, Dorota Dziki, Lucy Fitzgerald, Callum Johnson, Robin Fodor, Chloe Waterhouse, Mahee Mustapha, Lucy Dunn, Samyukta Vidyashankar, Blake Gray, Dylan Richards, Charlotte Macchi Watts, James Warburton Science & Tech Michelle Osborne, Thomas Such, Joas Sterk

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Online & Social Media Becca Luke, Rianna George, Tara Gandhi Holly Jennings, Jordan Hunter, Rebecca Scott, Chloe Waterhouse, Ollie Rudden, Matilda Handley, Silas Pease, Lucy Dunn.

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Contact editors@glasgowguardian.co.uk deputy@glasgowguardian.co.uk news@glasgowguardian.co.uk advertising@glasgowguardian.co.uk Get involved If you would like to get involved with this award-winning publication, come along links on our Facebook page). If you can’t make it to the meetings, you can still get involved by joining our contributor group on Facebook.

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21 January 2020

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

Features

The other pandemic: homelessness Looking at the issue from the perspective of those who suffer from it “As soon as you get into the shelter rooms, people ask you what you want? Do you want to buy anything?” Stewart also mentioned

Jamie Salem Dalgety and Ethan Marshall FEATURES EDITOR AND WRITER

It is absurd that today in Scotland, there are people who still live without a home, sitting on the side of the street, forced to ask for food and spare change. It’s even more alarm-

“It is a human response to want to help those less fortunate than yourself...”

out of the ordinary; that people sleeping on the streets in the winter has become normalised. It is sheer hypocrisy that within our society, while the majority of us agree that homelessness is wrong, this issue still perseveres and worsens.

that there is a variety of drugs in shelters: “Smack, crack, heroine, legal highs and xanax, all sorts of where he may not be safe on the streets, but the mainstream alter-

“Anon is a person not that much older than many of us, and yet they have found themselves in a circumstance so dire most of us could not even begin to imagine...”

Never has this issue been more evident than in the time of Covid.

Whilst most of us have been stuck indoors for the best part of a year, many haven’t had the chance to be.

Spending the day outside in the cold, not having the same access to medical services or basic resources to live, puts the homeless in even more of a precarious situation when it comes to Covid. As some of the people most at risk from the pandemic, they are among those who most need help.

It is a human response to want to help those less fortunate than yourself. This is intuitive. This is also why we sometimes willfully look away; it is easier to keep walking with our eyes pointed ahead of us than to turn our heads and acknowledge the unnaturalness of a human being sitting on a sleeping bag on the pavement beside us. This

With his father now gone, we asked if Stewart had anyone else to support him. He has a big brother who occasionally takes him out for lunch. However, he is unwilling to live with his brother: “I would go stay with them but he has a family and four kids … I don’t want to put my burdens on them.” Instead, Stewart told us he was aiming to

Credit: Emma Garcia Melchor - Illustrator doesn’t mean we are bad people, but it does mean we aren’t doing enough to engage with this obvious problem.

It seems odd that those who aren’t homeless seem to be the largest contributors towards the discussion of homelessness.

Stewart’s story On a cold rainy day, we met Stewart outside the Greggs on Byres Road, where he was sitting in the something to eat. We bought him a meal, introduced ourselves and he agreed to tell us his story. Stewart, an ex-joiner, was living with his famade homeless. Stewart’s father was in poor health and he woke up

his sleep and had passed away. He

shared: “I called the ambulance to say that there is no point, he’s gone… I tried to close his eyes to give him some peace, but I couldn’t, so I put a sheet over him.” After losing his father, Stewart’s residency He wasn’t in the tenancy agreement two weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Stewart tries to get just £25 a day, enough for him to escape from the cold to a hotel room for one night. If he falls short, he has to sleep in a close. We asked Stewart why he doesn’t try to get help from a hostel or homeless shelter, so often advertised as the safety net for the homeless. He replied: “I don’t want to go to the shelters because of the had issues with drug addiction in

the past, citing himself as having an “addictive personality”. However, he wanted to move past his previous issues with addiction and he doesn’t feel safe doing this in a shelter. Stewart elaborated: “If you dinnae have a drug issue when you went to a shelter, then you are guaranteed to have one when you left.

“Homelessness seems insurmountable when it’s common for people to ignore the very existence of a homeless person on the street...”

explaining to us that he is on “the list”. When he was living in Govan, Stewart felt like he “had it all”, fondly remembering that he was near enough to “throw a tennis ball into the Clyde”.

Throughout our conversation, Stewart repeatedly thanked us for getting him a cup of tea and a sandwich - but, more than that, he just seemed like he was happy to have the company. He explained that while some people give him money and most people don’t engage with him. However, Stewart said: “When people come to talk to me, it restores your faith in humanity.” He remarked that he is not comfortable taking too much money from people: “A woman tried to give me 60 quid … I said that was too much.”

Finally, we asked him about how him. He told us that many hotels were not taking him because of the potential risk, telling him: “We cannae take you because of Covid.”

Stewart believes: “Covid’s brought

21 January 2020

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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Features

“Every 17 minutes, an individual is made homeless in Scotland...” people together and brought them more apart.”

Ultimately, Stewart thinks that what has happened to him is unfair.

Stewart told us that he volunteers at a community cafe at Woodlands, believing himself to be a good person who hasn’t done anything to deserve what has happened to him.

However, despite Stewart’s awful situation, he isn’t bitter, and if get into a conversation with him, warm-hearted, caring individual.

“When he was living in Govan, Stewart felt like he “had it all”, fondly remembering that he was near enough to “throw a tennis ball into the Clyde”...”

The reality of homelessness Homelessness is an issue that continually provokes personal outrage but never seems to reach substantial collective action. Countless individuals have vowed to tackle, remove, solve, prevent, and cure homelessness, yet none have succeeded. Shelter Scotland shows that every 17 minutes an individual is made homeless in Scotland. The average life expectancy for a homeless person in Scotland is 39, compared ure is positive, it shows just how much work we have to do in Scotland especially. Despite a decline in homelessness in Scotland between 2010 and 2014, numbers were already rising steadily before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has only

been a further catalyst for homelessness.

Two of the most prevalent reasons that force people into is homelessness are disputes within the households, both violent and non-violent. For many, the transition into homelessness is just as awful as homelessness itself.

Anon’s story Every day, as cars drive by, Anon sits in “absolutely freezing” conditions on the same pavement outside a petrol station hoping to earn enough money to get a bed for the night. They asked us to not disclose their name. Anon was younger than most other homeless people we met ing their parents when they were 5 years old, they spent their childhood and adolescence in care until they turned 21. Anon told us that they had travelled from London to Glasgow for a fresh start: “It was going down-hill.”

Anon has been homeless for a few months, unable to get a job since moving up: “I would love to get a

When asked about how accessible council housing lists and the beneon who you have in your corner.”

Despite Anon having support, they are still waiting for their chance at needed housing but didn’t have someone in their corner? Anon was blunt - they’re simply “left to rot”.

Anon was trying to get a hotel room for the night, saying they’re safer than the hostels. Following our interview with Stewart, we asked Anon if they knew of any drug problems in hostels, to which they instantly responded that drugs are a big issue. The shelters were hardly a safe space: “Some hostels don’t give a fuck.” When asked if there was pressure from other res-

Credit: Emma Garcia Melchor - Illustrator

Credit: Emma Garcia Melchor - Illustrator idents at hostels to use, they told us: “I was that close a couple of times.”

Anon is a person not that much older than many of us, and yet they have found themselves in a circumstance so dire most of us could not even begin to imagine.

One of the worst consequences the streets is how negatively it has lessness is neglected and they fervently agreed. Many of their own experiences since becoming home-

“It is easier to keep walking with our eyes pointed ahead of us than to turn our heads...”

on them, experiences like being “beaten up three or four times sitting on the streets”. Following events like these, they told us: “I’m scared about living by myself - it would have to be supported accommodation because of my mental health and that.”

Like Stewart, Anon also spoke to us about people’s reluctance to interact with and give to the homeless: “Sometimes people will be funny about giving you money because they don’t know if you’re just going to go spend it on drugs.”

When questioned on whether this seemed unfair, Anon replied empathetically: “I get it where some people are coming from... I wouldn’t want to have that on my conscience.

If I gave someone money, they went and put it in a needle, they ended up ODing…dying…I wouldn’t want that on my mind.” When speaking about themselves, however, Anon said: “Because I’ve been sitting here every day, a lot of people have got to know me here, they know I’m genuine, and that I speak the truth… that’s why they help me out nine times out of 10.”

We asked Anon what they would change about the way homelessness is tackled. Anon replied: “Even if you ain’t got drug problems or alcohol (problems), normal people like myself should get more help”, and they should just be treated as “just It was Anon’s birthday tomorrow, but they didn’t have enough money for two nights in a hotel, so they’d be

back out on the streets: “A woman said she would help me earlier, and get a bed for tonight and tomorrow because it’s my birthday, but she’s never come back.”

This article was conceived from a desire to humanise the homeless experience through their stories.

This is not a novel undertaking, nor is it to be viewed as a poverty safari. It’s intended to give those who so rarely have a chance to speak a platform about a complex and intricate Unfortunately, sometimes the fundamentals of humanity - open doubt - are often not given to the homeless. Homelessness seems insurmountable when it’s common for people to ignore the very existence of a homeless person on the street.

We do not expect to produce radical positive change to the homeless situation in Scotland, but even if this article convinces one more person to have a conversation with a homeless person on the street, then it will have been worth it. In the past, we have walked past a homeless person without batting an eyelid, but we want to change that about ourselves. We hope you do too.

A selection of homeless charities you can support: Simon Community Scotland https://www.simonscotland.org/ Emmaus Glasgow - https://emmausglasgow.org.uk/ Shelter Scotland - http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/

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21 January 2020

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

Features

A hard pill to swallow: ‘Big Pharma’ and its sick necessity Jordan Quinn WRITER

During these turbulent times, the pharmaceutical industry is of supreme importance, providing the drugs and vaccines that save lives.

The necessity of the products these companies make gives them power over the consumers who need them.

Especially when such companies are granted the sole right to produce drugs by obtaining patents. In theory, along with their power and the public and market authorities, holding them accountable for their actions. However, a lot of very prominent pharmaceutical companies repeatedly conduct unethical practices and shareholders.

Some of the focus and scrutiny on the industry, unfortunately, comes from extreme and unfounded “anti-vaxx” conspiracy theories on “Big Pharma”. However, these pharmaceutical companies often escape deserved inspection and consequences for their actions, which aren’t well publicised by the media and can even be ignored by governments and institutions, including the University of Glasgow. Even with the knowledge of their violations, the essential nature of their products contributes to their records being overlooked.

“There is a pattern of western pharmaceutical companies being able to evade consequences of their trials...”

The NHS, despite being largely publicly owned, has outsourced suppliers and spent £18.9bn on drugs, at cost at list price, in 2018/19. The objective of pharmaceutical compavate industry, and they frequently price gouge in order to make it. This is best illustrated by the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, frequently called the most hated man in America, Martin Shkreli. After obtaining a patent for the drug Daraprim, over 60 years old and used to treat pa-

tients with cancer and HIV, he raised the price for a single pill from $13.50 to $750 overnight.

“The NHS, despite being largely publicly owned, has outsourced suppliers and spent £18.9bn on drugs...”

Similarly, the inventor of insulin sold the patent for $1 due to their principle of everyone that needed it approximately $5 a vial to produce, and in 2016 was $450 per month on average, leaving 1/4 of diabetes patients in the US to ration their medication. Individuals in societies without free universal healthcare need these medicines to stay healthy, sometimes even to stay alive, and health services who outsource production need them for their patients, so both are completely at the whim of the companies to produce them no matter the price. Individuals who

children that the drug was untested.

Further allegations were made that the parents were not informed of an alternative treatment which was both free and already approved to when sued by the Nigerian government, but evidence contradicts their innocence, and they eventually paid acin is now formally not approved in Europe due to concerns that it causes fatal liver disease. While the testing of pharmaceuticals is necessary in order to treat diseases and save lives, having informed and total consent is a basic prerequisite.

This abuse of rights is not limited mission drug, was tested in Uganda, leading to thousands of serious side which went unreported in order for testing to be continued. Streptokinase, an anti-clotting drug was tested in India resulting in eight deaths, pants weren’t informed they were part of the trial and didn’t consent to “Big Pharma”.

Even outside of cases with blatant

and do, die. true objective, there will be abuses in order to maximise it. In Shkreli’s case, it was well publicised - while other pharmaceutical companies have slipped under the radar. vant pharmaceutical companies today, receiving great publicity and government deals due to its 95% development is an accomplishment eagerly awaited by us all, making it all the easier to obscure its history.

Responding to an outbreak of measles and meningitis in Nigeria in administer experimental antibiotin unrecommended doses, to 200 children. The drugs were quickly revealed to be unsafe, with 11 children

not receive consent for the children to take part in a trial, taking advantage by not informing parents of ill

Credit: Nairne Clark Hopkinson

ethical violations such as the above, there needs to be consideration of how ethical it is to base testing in developing countries. Possibly selected for their greater levels of poverty, it begs the question whether those participants who take part in trials because without it they wouldn’t be alternative safe treatment for their condition. Can these people properly consent when they don’t have any other choice?

Another issue with testing in developing countries is that there is a pattern of western pharmaceutical companies being able to evade consequences of their trials because less attention is paid when it’s far away from their country of origin. In the 70s and 80s, two scandals over HIV contamination through blood docontaminated blood scandal in the UK, where samples weren’t tested thoroughly and stored individually, so patients receiving blood transfusions were accidentally infected.

After a highly publicised campaign, safety procedures around donating blood were increased. However, at around the same time, another

scandal occurred, much less publicised. Bayer, a German company, found out that their supplies of a product meant to treat haemophilia were tainted with HIV. They deemed them in Europe and the US. Despite knowing they were tainted, they sold their supplies to Asia and Latin America, hiding that they were unsafe in an attempt to not lose their investment into the supply. Many people died as a result of this, and it’s lack of publicity as well as their 2019 income of $4.582bn in 2019 shows a huge lack of consequences likely because of their decision to switch sales to developing countries.

“While the testing of pharmaceuticals is necessary in order to treat diseases and save lives, having informed and total consent is a basic prerequisite...”

Medicines are essential, and trials are needed to ensure the safety of them, a necessity which will always pose some risk to participants.

However, the essential nature of the drugs should not blind us to the unethical practises that some companies use in the trials, and allow them to escape consequences. Possibly a result of the extensive wealth of pharmaceutical companies allowing them to lobby governments, there are few regulations surrounding transparency in their practices. For example, GlaxoSmithKline published 20 years of clinical study reports, but only after it paid $3bn out in a fraud lawsuit that found it pushing drugs for unapproved usages, in order to sell more and increase profment make crime legal for the rich’’ applies here, with the large fortune of these companies allows them to be able to pay large chunks of money out in lawsuits as the only conselows them to continue their practise and retain their place in the market.

Using drugs for unapproved uses

21 January 2020

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Features

“Wherever there is profit as the true objective, there will be abuses in order to maximise it...” is also one of the causes of the American opioid crisis. With the University of Glasgow being no stranger to making questionable investments, particularly in the arms trade, its donations from the Sackler family are unsurprising. The Sackler family have donated large amounts to the University, opened the “Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research” in conjunction with Edinburgh, and Glasgow granted Dr Mortimer Sackler, one of the founders of the company Purdue Pharma, an honorary doctorate. Owning

and founding Purdue Pharma was how the Sacklers became one of the wealthiest families in America. Its production of the drug OxyContin, an opioid prescription painkiller in 1995, made up most of the com-

budget, primarily targeting physicians, they marketed OxyContin than other opioids so they would prescribe it more. Additionally, they

“Can these people properly consent when they don’t have any other choice?...”

of similar strength to morphine and is intended for severe pain rather than a weaker painkiller, many of those will have been unnecessary prescriptions. People started on Oxycontin could become dependent on opioids, which happened as

ly wealthy. Wealthy enough to act as philanthropists, donating huge amounts of money to universities across the UK and US, to galleries and museums. Most donations are graciously accepted, despite widespread knowledge of their part in the crisis, and Theresa Sackler received the Prince of Wales medal for art philanthropy. With these

By the time it was proven that OxyContin was no less addictive than other opioids, 14 million peo-

abused drugs in the US. Lawsuits have been made and settled against both the company and family over this, but still they remain extreme-

appears that pharmaceutical companies can use money obtained from harming people, to buy their way back into good public opinion.

or months prescription free.

ple had been prescribed it, which generated $3bn for Purdue in the

By any means necessary Theatre Editor Ananya Venkatesan provides an examination of violent protests Ananya Venkatesan THEATRE EDITOR

In unthinkable pain, crying out that he couldn’t breathe, as his assaulter pressed a knee over his neck, making it even harder to even take a breath, to stay alive. For eight minutes George Floyd fought for his life and then died. Died, because an institution that exists across the world to protect the people, fails to do so.

And it is in this gross failure, that it falls short in its basic human decency. An institution that is supposed to serve all, serves only the social elite who tend to look a certain way and have certain shared histories. And plea that will echo through the ages as the biggest civil rights movement to equality and life, Black Lives Matter activists marched on the streets, some in peaceful rebellion and others in violent protest.

Regardless of the kind of activism they were engaged in, government response to protests during the BLM civil rights movement was violent and cruel. Peaceful demonstrations were met with tear gas and police brutality, some states even calling upon the National Guard. The juswere considered threats to national security. Compare the response to a march on the street, to 6 January a “protest” where people took over the heart of Washington, the house of the government. One would think that walking in a road should be less of a threat to national security than armed civilians. What is ironic is that actions like these in other coun-

tries like Venezuela have seen the US government respond with military intervention. The cautionary and delayed action of the state to a predominantly White occupation of a government building and the violent equality of rights for the Black community is an indicator like no other, for the need for the BLM protests in mediate and structural change. unlike Gandhian ideals of utopian non-violence, I strongly believe that in some cases, violence can be the

“Unlike Gandhian ideals of utopian non-violence, I strongly believe that in some cases, violence can be the most powerful tool to affect change...”

One would assume that the crimes committed against the Black community warranted violent re-

movement. But, as the White-dominated legislative landscape that shapes the actions and mindsets of a country would have it, the protestors were demonised and even marked as “terrorists”. Apparently, there are “other non-violent ways to get legislative change”. violent protests, yay or nay?

tool for protestors to gain attention and traction, things that are essenintends to create chaos so detrimental to the government, be it in terms of cost, global image, or even internal goals of peace and security, that it forces legislators to pay attention and listen to the demands of the protestors — this scale of detriment is virtually impossible with peaceful protest. It creates the sense of doom, gloom, and gravity that the issue warrants; in the case of the BLM movement the systemic oppression of Black people. If no action is taken to solve the issue of systemic racism, that attacks the problem at its roots, and the result of this inaction is the disproportionate death and poverty of people of colour, things that have been talked about over and over again, it is not at all unfair for them to cause harm to the establishment that fails to support them. If the said establishment has any semblance of rationality, it would move towards working on uplifting the oppressed instead of incurring losses and endangering livelihoods. This is clear in the French government’s response to the violent protests against the police violence and security bill earlier questionable.

Unfortunately, we do not live in a rational world. It is irrational to be racist, for racism stems from ignorance. It is irrational to deny an entire section of your population equality even from a purely economic standpoint, as it is to allow them to disrupt governance. Yet all of the above behaviours do not just exist, but are prevalent in “mod-

Credit: Nairne Clark Hopkinson ern” society.

This extremely harmful ignorance and irrationality has led to tors as “nuisances” and “criminals”, creating strong counteractive narratives to the one of equality that the violent protests demand. This then creates a pattern of cyclical violence, that, make no mistake, was started by the state’s negligence of an entire community. But this, because of the very issue being fought against, leads to the protestors beputs inactive allies and self-identiing the core cause of the protests.

Because legislative change requires popular vote, the scales are further Many scholars in protest politics agree that historically, violent protests have brought to attention

the urgency of an issue, and are an integral part of the success of prosive societal and legislative change.

However, it is a dangerous tool to play with because of this irrationof protestors. So, from that one could assume that a combination of peaceful and violent protesting change. group blocking a road and stopping you from getting places, or rioting on the streets, remember that more frustrated than you are at an establishment that fails to do its job. So instead of cursing at them or complaining about how they issue and join in any capacity you

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White victimhood in Bridgerton’s rape scene Trey-Daniel Kyeremeh WRITER

Content warning: Contains description of a rape scene.I watched all of Bridgerton in one night. As a fan of Shonda Rhimes, no convincing was needed to get me to watch this highly anticipated drama. Besides, it was something to pass the time. While I enjoyed the series, it left me with the bitter taste of disappointment. What struck me was the scene of marital rape in Bridgerton’s sixth episode. We must ask, what are the implications of this act? Of its handling? Most importantly, how does the volatile nature of the character’s gender and racial identity shift the dynamic of the relationship between the two characters?

In episode six of Bridgerton,

“Black men have the nuanced experience of suffering in silence whilst constantly being portrayed as animalistic sexual predators...”

Duke, can have children but refuses to — this knowledge is gained without any understanding of why he would make this choice. Thanks to a miscommunication, she had previously believed that he was infertile. Daphne responds to this revelation by forcing Simon to inseminate her during intercourse.

She positions herself on top of the Duke to prohibit him from pulling out before he ejaculates, as he plans to. While this is not the sort of violent rape scene we have grown accustomed to on television, her actions constitute rape nonetheless. The issue at hand is that the series ends with this couple portrayed as the picture of true love and romance. Daphne, the rapist, does not have her actions addressed, let alone ever apologising for what she’s done. Instead, her character carries through the

cept of pseudo-righteousness.

Daphne seems to be excused from taking accountability for the overt act of rape. In fact, her deliberate, premeditated actions are almost glamorised. They are framed as a form of socio-political autonomy or reclaiming of power, in a gendered society. When watching the show, I did not share in Daphne’s misunderstanding of the Duke’s intentions. It seemed explicitly clear why he did not want children. I found it interesting that I, as a watcher, and she, as a listener, could understand speech. But watching her execute her plan was bewildering.

Firstly, I was trying to comprehend if someone could really force you to impregnate them.

Then I had to ask whether such a far-fetched retaliation was a legitimate reaction to being misled.

Perhaps it was for dramaturgical purposes that the brash and talkative characters skipped a conversation and jumped to something as awful as rape. However, that is how abuse works — forcing another person to endure extreme ac-

Credit: AJ Duncan - Illustrator

sense of entitlement to Simon and to having his children, an entitlement which also allows her to justify forcing him into a sham mar-

role reversal because the Duke is a Black man in Shonda’s take on Julia Quinn’s novel, a deliberate casting shift which has real ram-

unhinged character, no? Daphne

often silent victims of sexual violence because of toxic masculinity and gender roles. Black men have ing in silence whilst constantly being portrayed as animalistic sexual predators. Black men are often brutalised and dehumanised to a point where they are constantly scapegoats for sexual violence, from the inception of The Birth of a Nation. And racial legisla-

that white women are portrayed with such a level of innocence and fragility that when they commit such vindictive crimes their actions are somewhat dismissed.

Her innocent apparel and her frequent comparison to a diamond feels cruel and insulting.

This notion of her criminality raises questions of what perceptions would be if the character’s sexes were reversed and it was the Duke who used his strength to dominate Daphne and force himself on her. I don’t make this statement lightly and do not attempt to ignore the realistic and intrinsic relationship between biological sex and strength or muscle mass.

Nor how prevalent gendered violence is; especially in the form of rape. But I make this claim on the

presentation both dangerous and callous. The end result of their entanglement is that a Black man, who to an extent has been honest and transparent about what a relationship with him would look like, has been victimised, assaulted, and has had his pain made redundant and ignored. This is a presentation of a Black man that

ignores his humanity and strips him of being an empathetic character. The Duke seems to be a victim of abuse from the moment of his conception.

Other characters, such as Mari-

“I feel forced to reconcile being let down by Shondaland with having to be content with any presentation of diversity...” na, have both their oppressor and saviour take the form of White people. All the dark-skinned men have light-skinned wives. Black characters with substantial roles are left to light-skinned actors with phenotypes that compliment Eurocentric beauty standards.

The idea of melding 19th-century London with a post-racial society

white, pale, and light. I couldn’t help but feel pushed to the side.

The colourism was loud. The silence from dark-skinned characters was loud. It all just looks like pleasing the coloniser. These (possibly subconscious) mistakes should not be slipping through the cracks anymore. I feel forced to reconcile being let down by Shondaland with having to be content with any presentation of diversity. series with everything: riches, a husband, title, land, and now a baby boy? The privilege of it all is choking. It is dangerous to present rape without any acknowledgement of it as that. Black audiences particularly are going to be left both frustrated, devastated, and expectantly disappointed. As my friend who watched Bridgerton said to me: “A White girl with blue eyes and a pointy chin soaking up all the happiness in his/the narrative? Groundbreaking.

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Culture

Looking behind the pollution at Katrina Cobain’s Plastic Bag Museum Books Editor Sofia Stephens reflects on the visual and cultural significance of plastic bags Sofia Stephens BOOKS EDITOR

The trip down memory lane continues with the limited edition

familiar to people today.

that is remarkably similar to art.

the evolution of design to downoccasions such as the turn of the

think about pollution: turtles sufStreet branch of the exhibition sion of Finding Nemo where Dory is

-

peculiar occurrences such as the

the artistic and cultural value that nitely do not think of them as an instrument capable of highlighting

teenagers trying to settle on a hair colour. The sober and minimalistic style that features on the thousands of bags that we all keep under the

An exotic touch is given by the Euro-

perhaps time to reconsider this.

Katrina Cobain is the Glaser Plastic Bag Museum. The col-

hip-hop-y motif that decorates the

tries. The oldest one dates back to

The evolution of graphic design is especially evident: as the Coop plastic bag celebrating the new millennium pops with psychedelic green Co-op bag is brutally indica-

of which the average university student may recognise from their interrailing summer. The black Kilo Shop ately reminded me of happier times spent digging through every Kilo Shop in Paris looking for bargains while munching on overpriced pain au chocolat. This is perhaps just one example of how something as banal as a plastic bag can revive memories

“An exotic touch is given by the European selection of plastic bags, some of which the average university student may recognise from their interrailing summer...”

A whole branch of the exhibition is dedicated to bags advertising toof just how much advertising has

changed over the years in relation to consumer trends. Another example of this is a noticeable shift towards bags made out of more eco-friendly materials. As our preferences and environmental consciousness the plastic bags we packed our groceries in.

As there may come a day when -

reminiscing as we evolve.

The exhibition aims to become a physical one as soon as the health ever-growing collection representative of our social and cultural history. It is currently available online.

A book that changed my life: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton Dorota Dziki ILLUSTRATOR

I thought pinpointing a single book in my entire existence that changed

made its way to me is because the book is fundamentally about ships between women. Passing female group of uni friends seems

lived in my head rent-free ever since I read it: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton.

Thanks to its large font and page autobiography is up there with some of the easiest reads of my life and was a welcome break from the heavier texts I had to read for my course at uni. I read

ready religiously made its rounds through my new university friendship group which led to “Which bit are you at?” whispered to me throughout our otherwise sleepy I still forget to give that book back ing the circumstances in which Everything I Know About Love

shoved down my throat all my life. a soulmate that makes all your problems go away two weeks into uni is probably not alien to any young woman who grew up with romcoms

helped me identify with the life ex-

romance in her book the way it truly is for most people in their early

weird parody of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

and fairly amusing. I found it both comforting and refreshing to know someone shared this view with me.

“It offered a realistic outlook on what university life can really be like...”

Apart from being a thoroughEverything I Know About Love is full of importic outlook on what university life can really be like and broke down the harmful stereotypes about love and relationships that had been

tally on life conclusions that Dolly drew from her years of friendships and relationships. I think every ries endearing and relatable. I did to anything else. Her emphasis on the importance of self-love and appreciating your friends struck a chord with me. This book was comtertaining. It was like drinking a really nice hot chocolate on a cold Glasgow evening.

Credit: Dorota Dziki - Illustrator

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An album that soundtracks my life: Life in Cartoon Motion by MIKA Lucy Fitzgerald FILM AND TV COLUMNIST

Life in Cartoon Motion was the 2007 debut album from Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. aka MIKA. It was the ultimate soundtrack to my family road trips at age seven.

The riotous jollity of the 10-track project united us all: my mum who favoured blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer, my dad who vibed solely with folk legend John Prine, my eldest brother who was deep in his Linkin Park phase and my other brother who was content supporting the shameful late 00s period which grime veterans wish they could forget (think Wiley’s Wearing My Rolex). The extent of my musical engagement at this formative time in my life was simultaneous mastery of both parts in legendary breakup ballad Gotta Go My Own Way. In summation, Life in Cartoon Motion tered merriment that no one could resist, from the world-building ad libs at the start of Grace Kelly to

the obscure, wandering monologue of a mature woman at the end of the tranquilising Relax, Take It Easy. I mean, MIKA had the No.1 spot on Now That’s What I Call Music 66, for God’s sake!

“I never read too far into the meaning of the songs, as I just wanted to come along for the wild ride on this sonic carousel...”

Life in Cartoon Motion received a single star review from the Guardian and a 1.5 rating from Pitchfork – criminal! Both publications dismissed the body of work for its over-production and heavy reliance on children’s choirs, portraying the then 23-year-old as a wannabe Queen leading man, with Pitchfork stating: “This chart-topping UK

pop debut seems the smug product of Broadway auditions, karaoke sessions and Robbie Williams.”

the viewpoint of Lizzie Ennever, who, at the time of release, wrote in a BBC Music review: “Despite the endless comparisons with the likes of Freddie Mercury and the Scissor Sisters due to his falsetto moments (and there are quite a few of them here), what becomes apparent when listening to Life In Cartoon Motion, is that MIKA is very much es are clearly there, but there isn’t a hint of an adopted sound or a stolen style anywhere - MIKA is MIKA, and that’s all there is to it.”

Crucially, I never read too far into the meaning of the songs, as I just wanted to come along for the wild ride on this sonic carousel. I am Credit: Green Prophet ever so glad that the Genius Behind the Lyrics YouTube videos that accompany most new singles released today, did not exist in 2007, as no one wants to see a man squirm in an attempt to justify the good in-

tentions behind, “You take your girl and multiply her by four. Now a whole lotta woman needs a whole lot more.” Moreover, in my adolescence I maintained a committed relationship with Life in Cartoon Motion, although I vividly recall my fatphobic, middle-aged PE teacher’s tone-deaf selection of the euphoric Big Girls You Are Beautiful as a condescending warm-up self-conscious 14 year olds in various shapes and sizes.

“In our current pop landscape, we are starved of such male The reason Life in Cartoon Motion has endured into my adulthood is because I have not encountered anything comparable to its ecstatic dance-inducing, radio-bait simplicity since its release – plus,

it reminds me of a more insouciant time. In our current pop landscape, we are starved of such male kling gaiety of genre-bending Joe McElderry, I can think of no artist who performs with MIKA’s level of gleeful abandon.

Harry Styles, although manyhued in sartorial choices, is not so psychedelic in his sound. Troye Sivan adopts a more melancholy tone, one that seems to come naturally to the nihilistic insta-generation. YUNGBLUD is an androgynous icon but resides in the more pop-punk side of the industry.

Nowadays, you need to be the executive music producer on a children’s animation movie to create a tune that is purely high-spirited jubilation – see Pharrell Williams’ Happy (Despicable Me) and Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling (Trolls). I fear the only person who can carry MIKA’s baton of riotous jollity is Jojo Siwa, who will not let her dying scalp hinder her unrelenting energy.

Home Comforts: Flavours of Greece

Callum explores his connection to Greek food in the next instalment of our longest-running series Callum Johnson WRITER

At this time of year when meeting new people, whether it be in seminars, sports teams or societies, we are often faced with those awkward ice breakers. The dreaded “tell us something interesting about you”, which seems to have the ability to inhibit all recollection. One of the less stressful ones that I’ve been asked is, the slightly morbid, what would your last meal be. It’s based on the premise that you may learn something interesting about someone from their choices or be able to edge of food.

In reality, many people’s responses are similar; a Sunday roast at my grans, my family recipe tiramisu or my mum’s chicken curry. Even Gordon Ramsay said that he’d want roast beef, and Jamie Olding. These are all familiar, nostalgic, feel-good foods, in a time we all

want to feel comforted.

I have always found this stereotypical idea of comfort food being related to hearty family cooking, to relate with. I grew up in a busy household. During my teens, my dad was often working out of town.

My mum juggled her own work and commitments with ferrying my brother between his multiple football training sessions and matches.

Family meals were a rarity almost exclusively reserved for weekends and holidays when we would normally eat out.

I became accustomed to cooking for myself long before coming to university, although this didn’t bother me because I enjoyed it. It also allowed me to experiment in the kitchen without the watchful eyes of my mum. Then, when I started working as a chef during the school holidays, I began missing out on those few precious family meals. Instead, swapping them for a plate of sustenance to get me through the long shifts.

Credit: Unsplash

To me, comfort food, especially when at university, is all about bringing back memories of happier carefree times. For me, those memories lie in the small city of Chania in the west of Crete, Greece. It’s a place I spent a lot of time in, originally with my dad accompanying my mum on work trips and then many subsequent joyful family holidays.

I often think back to leisurely meals we had sat outdoors in cobbled perfect reward after a long day of doing nothing in the sun, the opposite of our busy life back home. All four of us sat around a table crammed with Greek salads, locally caught grilled which is a slow-cooked lamb with lemon, herbs and garlic.

Although the setting may be dif-

when I’m in need of a pick me up.

I’m an adventurous cook and like to test my pretty basic Greek language skills by reading recipes in Greek.

Normally I cook things like, souvlasoutzoukakia (meatballs) or moussaka. I am yet to try making my own phyllo for pastries, although, I’m not sure that I’d be willing to trade my sanity for some homemade tiropita or spanakopita (cheese or spinach pies). However, I must confess that more often than not, when I’m most found at MacTassos on Kelvin Way. I have recently found my cravings

for Greek food, my comfort food, intensify. Maybe because I wasn’t able to visit this summer or maybe because I’m yearning for pre-Covid times. There may be stereotypes or common ideas surrounding comfort food, however, it is an entirely personal thing. During times like these it’s important that as well as looking after each other we look after ourselves, so don’t feel guilty if own comfort foods.

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Culture

Is Spotify Wrapped a new national holiday?

Spotify Wrapped: A communal listening that has been lost in the age of headphones, or an exercise in marketing and data-harvesting?

Robin Fodor WRITER

If we read it charitably, Spotify Wrapped – the annual roundup of what albums, songs, artists, and podcasts Spotify users listened to most from 1 January to 31 October – regains the communal listening which has been lost in the increasing solipsism of headphones.

Whatever song we listened to at the start of the year on hard rotation, but have perhaps forgotten, can be reminisced; for the dedicated, we discover whether we were in the top 1%, 0.5%, 0.01% of listeners to a particular musician.

The innovation by Spotify’s marketing team, since Wrapped’s beginnings as a simple playlist, has been integrating this data into a shareable hot topic of social media trending – hence the “national holiday”.

But we shouldn’t be charitable about Spotify Wrapped, or at least the part of it occupied by Spotify-the-company rather than its 144 million global users. Every questionable aspect of Spotify Wrapped is tied intrinsically to the most problematic elements of its business model as a whole.

Spotify does not see the paradox in trumpeting The Joe Rogan Experience as its most-listened-to podcast – oddly enough, the pod-

cast it paid $100m to provide exclusively – when Joe Rogan questioned the motives of the Black Lives Matter movement, while at the same time they dedicate an entire section of their Spotify Wrapped marketing to what they claim are “the songs that soundtracked the movement”.

“Every questionable aspect of Spotify Wrapped is tied intrinsically to the most problematic elements of its business model as a whole...”

“A musician would need to generate 23bn streams on Spotify to earn what they’re paying Joe Rogan for his podcast rights”, music writer Ted Gioia tweeted in May; “Spotify values Rogan more than any musician in the history of the world”. Rewarding users for using Spotify as much as possible goes hand in hand with Spotify asking musicians, just a few short weeks ago, to take a pay cut from the already minimal amount they are paid each time a song is

streamed (one play = something like $0.003) if they will instead be paid in that elusive remuneration of “exposure”. Spotify Wrapped is built on this intangible “exposure”; Spotify doesn’t want you to think about how its content is not fairly remunerated, nor that it also – while collecting data on every song you listen to, how much, what time of day, and all that this implies (insert your own joke about listening to X at 2am) – collects data on what brand of headphones you use (£600 Beats by Dr they include this in Wrapped. Are people who like Taylor Swift more or less likely to have expensive more or less likely to have money matters because the best way to support a musician is not listening to them exclusively on Spotify, but it feels good to be in that top 1% regardless. At the last live gig I went back to, back in February, the artist left the stage telling us that if we kept Glasgow in the top 20 locations for him on Spotify then he would keep coming back.

Spotify has made their statistics matter, and I don’t think that best serves the consumer or the artist.

To return to that more charitable reading, what Spotify Wrapped purports to do, and to

some degree does, is to reinject the sense of “community” in music listening. When most Spotify listening is a personal experience, in headphones, now we can share the data directly onto social megram Stories). It becomes more about us discovering that one of never knew our friends were a fan of too. But aside from any controversy that Spotify may or may not have copied their templates for Instagram Stories directly from an unpaid woman of colour intern (which they did), it turns music listening into something it shouldn’t be – a challenge. Why should we stop and think before sharing these, to care whether our list is more valid, more on-brand

“Spotify has made their statistics matter, and I don’t think that best serves the consumer or the artist...”

Calling Spotify Wrapped a “new national holiday” might be said in jest, but it is in keeping with the

way that some have reacted to what is essentially free advertising. Whilst some Spotify consumers are Black Lives Matter protestors, it is not Spotify’s place to apportion part of Wrapped to how they were the “soundtrack of the movement”. Spotify lists Childish Gambino’s This is America as its number one “BLM song”, whatever that means in practice, in the same way that in 2018 they hid their meaningful data-harvesting behind the fun facade of which astrological signs people had lisSpotify to experience Black culture is great, but it’s not the inherent part of the business model that the Wrapped ranking is supposed to imply. None of this would be a problem if Wrapped were really just about sharing music taste.

Certainly, Spotify Wrapped does that community function – I discovered that a friend’s most-listened song was Vulfpeck’s Animal Spirits, a huge favourite of mine.

I also waded through many lists over the “national holiday” sharing period where I hadn’t heard of a single name. These experiences are what Spotify Wrapped should be about, but we get the same experience from just sharing what we’re listening to or recommending music to a friend. At least CD players don’t have adverts.

Credit: Spotify

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Project Ability: adapting Love letters to throughout lockdown the stage Hailie Pentleton VIEWS EDITOR

This past year has been an especially tough time for disabled peoimposed, many found themselves unable to leave the house because of shielding measures, relying on loved livery slots were scarce, and often had to forego the regular care and support they required. For some disabled people, the mass disruption to our routines has been especially exhausting, and the constant changing of circumstances has made it all the of circumstances thrust upon us this year have been pivotal in highlighting the all-too-common inequalities experienced by disabled people, inequalities that existed before the coronavirus showed up and slaughtered any sense of normality. We can only hope that the revelation of these inequalities will allow for the creation of a better environment wherein disabled people are welcomed, supported, and cared for.

One community that has both created and maintained such an environment is the Glasgow-based Project Ability, a local arts group that facilitates a variety of artistic opportunities for disabled people to come together and create. Since 1984, the group has helped to support hundreds of artists, working in partnership with disabled people from all walks of life to develop local and national arts projects. Al-

though it was initially challenging, the group found ways around the extra challenges posed by lockdown measures, and have continued to support disabled artists across the country. Elisabeth, the project’s director explained: “Many of our participants are experiencing extreme distress. Learning disabled people have reduced support [...] and are experiencing increased social isolation, which is compounded by digital exclusion. Learning disabled people are among the most disadvantaged people in our community; they are the most likely not to have internet access, mobile phones, tablets, or computers. People with mental illhealth are reporting increased social isolation, lethargy, anxiety, and depression.”

This year, Project Ability managed to adapt and thrive throughout lockdown, fostering connections old

amongst the group and encouraged their artists to enjoy creating in new and exciting ways.

The project also continued to support a group of autistic artists who, previous to lockdown, worked in Project Ability’s studio. The Autistic Artists’ Research Group formed in late 2019, with the original intention of visiting Glasgow’s galleries and museums and using these experi-

opportunities to their artists and hosted 9 exhibitions in their gallery, three of which were hosted virtually.

As recipients of the Scottish government’s Covid-19 wellbeing fund, the group were able to host a number

by the collective: “AARG has given me a purpose during lockdown.

have shared art tutorials via their social media, held weekly classes via video-conferencing, and hosted a postal art challenge. One of their tutors was also able to deliver weekly sessions in two learning disability inpatient units. Although many of their artists have struggled with not being able to access the studio, Project Ability has succeeded in continuing to foster a sense of community

skills. Thanks to the pandemic, their in-person plans were put on hold.

However, with the support of Project Ability and workshops led by Media Co-op, the collective has continued

topics, with a particular focus on documenting their experiences as autistic adults throughout the pandemic. One artist, perfectly capturing Project Ability’s impact, is grate-

Without that, I think I would have really struggled being on my own.”

Throughout the pandemic, Proimportance of connectedness and demonstrated the way in which art can create meaningful connections, both in-person and otherwise. This year has been challenging, not least for disabled people, but it has presented the opportunity for creators resenting the world through their medium of choice.

Ananya Venkatesan and others THEATRE EDITOR AND WRITERS

In this article, we celebrate theatre.

This art form has brought joy to many for centuries, and has been a salient part of the rich cultural heritage scene at Glasgow. With a heart full of hope and a future full of possibilities, this is a collection of love letters to the theatre, from theatre enthusiasts at the University of Glasgow Blake Gray - Writer Theatre doesn’t matter on its own. Nothing does. It matters because of the people. The people who express themselves and their characters to inspire an audience.

The people who dance across the stage in twilight ambience to shift props and pull curtains with pinpoint precision and silence. The people who look after the building and sets. The people who look after the other people, the costumes, the food, and all inbetween. It’s the collective energy of all that passion, all that intensity, all that drama, that haunts the walls of the theatres and venues we come to love. These histories, those stories, that passion, inspires our future - that’s why theatre matters, and why we should save it.

Samyukta Vidyashankar Writer Theatre has been a huge part of my world. Having to move halfway across the world for university gave me a whole new outlook on the theatre experience. The thrill of rushwet and windy streets of Glasgow, making sure you have enough time to purchase the fancy prosecco and sweet treats is incomparable.

It’s amazing to see stories being brought to life through music, detailed choreographies, and intricate stage designs. I think I speak for all theatre enthusiasts when I say that we’re eager to get back to the stunning venues and witness

Credit: Emma Garcia Melchor - Illustrator

Dylan Richards - Writer Rory and I had both expected a reasonably respectable evening at the Garrick Theatre; it was my treat for Rory’s birthday. I should admit that despite our best intentions, neither Rory nor I have read Cervantes’ Don Quixote, and thus were not aware of the extent of its

humour. The play turned out to be a total riot. Rory was gifted a late birthday present in the form of a bread roll to the face, thrown from the stage by Sancho Panza – played superbly by Rufus Hound. As the lights came up for the interval, our faces were in agony due to grinning from one aisle to the other. There was a gaggle of octogenarians in black tie who, unimpressed with the bread roll bouquets, waddled out of the theatre during the interval like penguins, bracing themselves for the January weather.

“Theatre doesn’t matter on its own.

Nothing does. It matters because of the people...”

Charlotte Macchi Watts Writer Bringing a friend or lover to the theatre and anticipating their response. Focusing on the action but also wondering what your side protheir eye. Then, for about 30 minutes, being completely absorbed into the performance and forgetting you exist. Remembering you exist. Feeling bewildered by how you forgot yourself for a moment.

Zoning out in that bit where the actor you’ve grown to dislike appears and thinking about the subway dering what the time is. Staring in awe at the lead actress, reciting her movements in your head.

James Warburton - Writer We are in a time of great upheaval and uncertainty where we must all learn to adapt. It must be said, however, the impacts of forcing this adaptability on theatres across the nation is somewhat concerning. Science, maths, technology istence as we know it; but the arts, with beauty, joy, and colour. They give life meaning, feel our hearts with hope, love, and every other conceivable emotion. So, while the sciences are necessary to survive, theatre is necessary to actually live.

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Culture

Glasgow’s multicultural culinary creations Although Glaswegian cuisine is seldom in the spotlight compared to other grand cities like London, Paris, and Milan, many well-known dishes available nowadays have strong ties with our city. Indeed, beyond

dian takeaway, chicken tikka masala has to go with a slice of well-baked naan bread. The way how the naan bread soaks up the curry brings my Friday night dinner to a whole new level!

Yet, moving away from my obsession with chicken tikka masala, I be-

scents, the Glaswegian food also pos-

interview with the BBC, Ali stated:

represent the cultural diversity and lifestyle in the city. What does the food tell us about the place we’re in?

Chicken tikka masala Created by the Glaswegian chef Ali Ahmed Aslam, owner of Shish Mahal

Asian spices but still wanted a bit of gravy on their meat.” Chicken tikka masala represents not only people’s craving for innovative food but also a celebration of multiculturalism.

With food being an integral part of a culture, the invention of the dish symbolically marks the importance of cultural exchanges and the celebration of diversity within the community. It highlights the fact that, through the process of experimenting with cultures and ingredients, new ideas will come to life. Ali’s bold choice of condensing tomato soup and adding

Ernest Shiu WRITER

chicken tikka masala was made from the successful experiment of mixing tomato soup with curry. Chicken tikka masala has been my guilty pleasure for quite a while. The sweet-sourness of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the curry make a symphonic sensation. Indeed, every time I order In-

it into curry not only pinpoints his excellent culinary instinct, but also his openness to combining new culture into his cooking.

The munchy box The Glasgow salad that I love (and hate) at the same time. While it is difbox, the popularity has never ceased.

As an infamous post-night-out treat, munchy box plays a huge part in party scenes in Glasgow. Indeed, with the demise of the shipping industry, the city has been transformed into a safe haven for independent music, gigs, and raves. The proliferation of night-out options fosters takeaway businesses to tap into the opportunity of the younger generation - crispy and

of a munchy box is more than the socio-economic shift of the city; it also highlights the cultural diversity of the city. You often see a munchy box -

babs, chow-mein, fried nuggets, onion rings, and a tub of curry sauce.

The varied boxes are often prepared

by Chinese, Indian, and Italian takeaway restaurants. Although it may

complement one another highlights the current formation of the multicultural city we are in. As poet Sean Wai Keung commented, the munchy box manifests “Glasgow’s diversity of cultures, and also works against the idea of authenticity within those same cultures.” Agreeing with Keung, the invention of the munchy box represents the social integration Glaswegian community - after all, with spring rolls, pakoras, and deep fried Mars Bars all together in one box, who wouldn’t be buzzing?

Beyond blending with other cultures, Glasgow gastronomy also thrives on its local cultural roots.

With drinking being an integral as-

Playing the MMORPG market Sophie Kernachan MUSIC COLUMNIST

Contrary to the political views I occasionally broadcast into the void on Twitter, in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) world, I am a ruthless, uncaring, unabashed capitalist.

“If I put this much effort into actual stocks and accumulating real life wealth, my worries lucrative career with an English Literature degree would be gone...”

Every day, my World of Warcraft bank alt dwells within the oppressive halls of the Stormwind auction house, feverishly checking the prices of crafting reagents, enchants, pets, mounts, waiting in eager anticipation for the market to tilt in my faactual stocks and accumulating real a lucrative career with an English

Literature degree would be gone.

I’m not alone in this obsessive quest for gold; there’s a plethora of forums dedicated to the topic, all players, predicting the scope of the future market so they can hit the ground running upon the release of the next expansion. It all seems rather serious - but in a world steeped in Covid-induced recession, with social mobility becoming ever more mythical, it’s cathartic to live out that sweet capitalist fantasy of starting with nothing. Through the power of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, you too can be absurdly wealthy!

But it would be untrue to say that the real-world economy doesn’t play

MMORPGs. Gold farming, the slow and laborious generation of online currency in MMORPGs, has developed a rather infamous reputation; perhaps brought to light by the Guardian’s 2011 reports of online gold farming being forced upon prisoners in Chinese labour camps, making the equivalent of around £470-570 every day. For some, gold farming is a legitimate career, achieved by long hours completing mind-numbing dailies and vigilantly monitoring exchange rates. It all sounds a bit depressing; so wound up in the oppressive, cutthroat competitiveness of real-world

capitalist systems. You’d think that for those who play casually, these games would be a much-welcomed escape from the stress of navigating tion would be very, very wrong. From a woman selling sex on Craigslist for 5,000 WoW gold to an EVE Online scammer swindling their fellow players out of the online equivalent of $170,000, the business-inclined

wealth in these games, and their economies are as cruel and relentless as our own. Perhaps even more so in the absence of in-game taxes allowing wealth-hoarding to run rampant.

And why shouldn’t it? In WoW, where a cool dinosaur mount costs 5m gold, bling to have their grip on the market.

But the capitalist dream doesn’t Bezos can only dream of. We only need to look at Final Fantasy XIV to see that landlords also get to play their hand in MMORPG economies.

In an eerie mirroring of reality, FFXIV has faced a player housing crisis since 2011, with wealthy players snatching up numerous land plots for themselves. Although players were presented with an array of land prices when the system was introduced to try and keep land distribution fair, allowing every player the joy of own-

ing their own house, it wasn’t meant

“It’s cathartic to live out that sweet capitalist fantasy of starting with nothing...” to be. Even new housing plots in previously untouched areas were quickly swept up, with two players buying 28 individual homes on one server.

pect of Glaswegian lifestyle, the city possible occasion. From Tennent’s lager to Irn-Bru, Glasgow has been the powerhouse of inventing excellent quality drinks. Indeed, the long history of the city being the birthplace of several reputable beverage brands is not a coincidence; it is established upon the fundamental Glaswegian desire for a good time.

The ideals of being welcoming to guests and valuing jovial moments are still very much centered in the Glaswegian community. Although physical gatherings are prohibited during lockdown, these Glaswegian values adapt to a new, digital space; after all, it is always the right time to have a pint of Tennents while catching up with friends on Zoom. From dishes invented from diverse cultures to beverages being the symbol of Glaswegian values, the gastronomy scene is a perfect snapshot of the rich, cultural landscape of the city.

What followed was chaos; more people waiting in queues than there were available houses, and servers crashing from the heavy player traf-

restrictions allowing players one plot of land each, but only after eight years of condemning players to online homelessness.

In all this talk about economies, remember folks: there are no moral billionaires. Except for my level 10 mage that lives above the Stormwind auction house. She’s cool.

Credit: Katrina Williams - Deputy Culture Editor

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Culture

Catwalk fashion brings the drama Deputy Editor-in-Chief Chloe looks at The McQueen empire, RiRi’s Fenty and beyond -

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Culture

Retelling ancient myths Home or away: cooking in modern times Dorota Dziki ILLUSTRATOR

As an avid cook and fan of everything going on in the kitchen (besides washing the dishes), I of university and acquiring my own cooking space both liberating and fuelled an interest in feeding myself, while also providing a creative space in which I was free to explore passion for cooking without my siblings bumping into me or my mum

“Whilst I don’t have a potato masher, there are no longer hungry siblings whining...”

The biggest con of cooking at home is that a lot of the time it’s a days on which you have to feed the enjoyment in doing so, especially on top of other housework. A lot of the time the aim for cooking at home is to make something edible for everyone, and make it fast so you can get back to doing something more interesting. Thus, for me, it was mostly repetitive. Cooking for myself in perience, fundamentally because I don’t have to do it. If I don’t want to cook I can chuck a Tesco pizza in the mates. This freedom has allowed me to view cooking as a hobby and not a chore, but unfortunately, no kitchen is perfect and there are shortcomings. I’ve found the lack of times; ever tried tenderizing meat with a frying pan? Or used a colander as a sieve? I used to question why my mum had all these seemcupboards at home; now I see that most of them do have a purpose.

Like many students, I do not have the funds to equip my kitchen the way I might like to. Whilst I don’t have a potato masher, there are no longer hungry siblings whining,

“when is dinner going to be ready?”

Mahee Mustapha

want, whenever I want. How many times have you opened the fridge at home and seen nothing you’re in the mood for? Well, once you’re in

From literary retellings to stage adaptations, from art and cinema to poetry and metaphor; the one collection of stories to which the western tradition is perhaps most indebted is Greek mythology. Stories of gods and heroes told millennia ago still echo strongly in the popular culture of today. Writers such as William Shakespeare and Colm Tóibín, philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus, psychologists like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, all used the stories and motifs of Greek mythology in their work.

They recognised the timelessness of the Greek tradition, the pertinence it bore to our everyday existence. They used the Greek legends not only to entertain but to instruct, explain and investigate all facets of human life. What is it about these myths that inspire us to delve into their depths again and again, and always come away with something new?

An answer may be found in the science of mythology itself. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell posited that myth is a transhistorical process of psychic reckoning. The Greek myths are to be taken seriously, not just as enchanting tales, but as expressions of wisdom that are encoded within all of us. We come back to the Greek myths time and time again because

own shopping, so the chances of much higher; and if you want to cook it at 10:30pm then you can do so without judgement.

This, however, comes with issues. Yes, you get to buy only the things you like, but if you forget an ingredient... well, that’s a different story. Ever had to sprint to the shop in your slippers in the middle of cooking because you’ve forgotten parsley or garlic, or you ran out of milk or salt?

In those instances, you either accept defeat and forget that ingredient ever existed, or you go doesn’t burn down. This problem rarely arises at home; my mum magically has everything I could ever need stashed away in a speeverything. It took me a while to remember to buy things like stock cubes or cooking oil, things that are always on hand at home to the point I don’t even think about them when I go shopping. Speaking of which; I did not realise how expensive feeding yourself was.

This freedom of being able to cook whatever you want unfortunately ing particularly hard. Home staples like cheese, fruit, meat and realised. In order to not spend my whole paycheck on three meals, I have had to make some shopping

“Home staples like cheese, fruit, meat and coffee cost way more than I ever realised...”

Cooking has become an integral part of my daily routine and I often look forward to it. Whilst it can be tedious or exciting regardless of where I’m cooking, at least at home my siblings can wash up.

WRITER

ourselves. The gods of Olympus and ancient heroes represent archetypes common and recognisable to all of us - Zeus the father, Hera the mother, Aphrodite the lover, and so on.

The concerns of the gods are universal concerns; even the most fantastical myths are rooted in some common human endeavour. When we hear the story of the Trojan War, we feel for Hector and Achilles, we emmade thousands of years ago. When Hector, with grim determination, decides that he will do his duty and face his death, we too are inspired to meet our battles head-on. When we read of the vicissitudes Odysseus experienced in his 10-year voyage, we can recognise his monsters and his fortunes in our own journeys.

But as cultures and values change, the stories change too, growing with the times. The Greeks admired their wily hero Odysseus, whilst the Romans, with their strong sense

Credit: Ernest Shiu of moral rectitude, cast Ulysses as something of a villainous charlatan.

Examples of old myths “changing with the times” proliferate in the modern era as well.

“Modern trends have seen many feminist retellings of Greek myths, giving female characters a voice through which they can tell their own stories...”

Take Disney’s Hercules for exammaterial that it makes the philandering Zeus look like the most loyal of husbands. In the original myth Hera, enraged by her husband Zeus’ power to kill the demigod Hercules.

She dispatches snakes to kill him in his cradle, compels him to do battle with monsters in the hopes that he is slain, and eventually drives him to madness so that he kills his wife and children.

Disney’s Hercules, in contrast, presented a tale that was far more palatable to the tastebuds of 90s middle America. Zeus and Hera are

parents, whilst Hercules’ uncle Hades, God of the underworld, is recast as a villain bent on world domination. After 1,500 years of Christian en to equating the underworld with Hell and Hades with the devil.

In even more recent years we have seen yet another shift in how the myths of Ancient Greece have been updated to match the mores of modern audiences. The Greeks, notorious misogynists, often disparaged the women of their society. To counteract this, modern trends have seen many feminist retellings of Greek myths, giving the female characters a voice with which they can tell their own stories. Two novels which have Cassandra by Christa Wolf and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.

It is fair to say that the Greek myths will continue to hold sway over the popular imagination of the west for millennia to come. Greek mythology has exhibited a remarkable staying power, a degree of adaptability that can hardly be matched.

Despite changes in attitudes and values, the ancient myths possess a universal appeal that transcends cultural mores. In 2,000 years we may have a rendition of Hercules playing on the theatres of Mars, a link to the past that is forever changing, but that will never be forgotten.

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Culture

Behind the controversy of Women Don’t Owe You Pretty The story behind the outrage sparked by Florence Given’s feminist memoir the smallest amount of additional

Lucy Dunn DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

Credit: Celtic Connections

The feminist “self-help” book that encer and activist Florence Given to fame mid-lockdown, unexpectedly became the centre of a horde of criticism by the end of 2020.

is entirely unhelpful for a reader as they attempt to explain Florence’s message to their friends and family.

It doesn’t take long before persistent questioning about why “this is a threat” breaks down her point, and the lack of a back-up explanation serves to detract from Florence’s overall work. A slightly more detailed deconstruction of certain issues would give this book some much-needed depth.

had previously endorsed Florence’s book with the quote “Florence is an absolute powerhouse” boldly proclaiming from the top corner of dorsement was removed from later editions of Women Don’t Owe You Pretty after Chidera became aware of how much Florence’s best-seller appeared to mimic her own debut What A Time To Be Alone, released in 2018 with massive success.

Credit: Jasmine Urquhart - Investigations Editor Both Florence and Chidera were on the roster of publishing house Diving Bell, and this may partially explain the similarities both books show. The issues that have arisen ly valid. Chidera stated that White women steal the ideas of Black indicated that the problem is inmajor social media outburst, Chidera pointed out that too many acquiet in the face of such blatant racial injustice.

Following the recent controversy surrounding Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, I thought that it was important to do a review in light of the issues that have arisen. I witnessed the fanatical frenzy that followed the release of the book, and was intrigued by Florence’s writing. I hope to provide a view of Florence’s book through the lenses of slightly-less-rosy-but-hopeful-

the readers more.

The author writes: “Once we are seen taking control of our own sexuality, we are a threat. A woman who has no shame […] is a threat to capitalism and the status quo.”

Simply stating “[this] is a threat”

ly-unbiased glasses, taking into account some of the problems that A front cover that stares you down, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is eye-catching and ater-style font and summery colour scheme. Before launching into its contents, a short blurb about Florence appears, citing her achievements and attributes. For someone sive list, which cannot be taken away from her. The next page shows more groovy fonts detailing the chapters: 21, to match her age at the time of writing. This is where the dirty laundry is aired: with expletives, orgasms, and sex mentioned frequently, this may be the point at which the parents of the young, female target audience exchange nervous looks and try grasp of their daughters. And that is precisely the reaction Florence appears to be going for. She says

things straight, jumping over the hurdles that convention and stigma impose when talking about traditionally “awkward” topics.

In podcast interviews, Florence has previously described herself as having written a “self-help book”, and yet online, Waterstones placed

one of the reasons for her online popularity. Yet when brief hints of vulnerability shine through in

rier: to which section does it belong?

Florence writes in her introduction that “this book is my interpretation” of the books of many other writers before her, notably Chidera. As a personal memoir, it functions well as Florence has centred almost every chapter around her own experiences, to the extent that sometimes her messages verge on being unrelata-

more for them than for her characteristic cutting tone.

“Following the

seem more personal than universal and the book feels, at times, contrived and only “self-helping” to a particular type of person.

Another problem is the oversimdiscussed in Women Don’t Owe You Pretty. As an entry-level feminist text, it has been commended for its beginner-stage information.

white feminist voice lacks a significant amount of credibility when discussing issues that don’t pertain to her own life, like when discussing Black or transgender people. ing her bit by adding in a sentence here and there about marginalised groups, but it feels performative, as she only scrapes the surface. If she had interviewed a selection of to paint a more accurate and resothe “self-help book” a far more Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is a quirkily-designed book that makes best when Florence is talking from to ever properly settle on a genre, voices and depth of explanation, takes away from the overall quality of the book. It has, as can be better seen on Chidera Eggerue’s Instagram, landed her in a very awkward situation in terms of both politics and personal reputation.

28 January 2021

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27

Science & Tech The delights and dangers of internet communities

From AOL to Tumblr and now TikTok, internet communities come in all forms

Michelle Osborne SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Throughout history, people have formed communities based on a common interest – similar jobs, shared culture, or even supporting the same football team. In the age of the Internet, the idea of community has divulged into something virtual and can now span continents and time-zones.

This idea of online communities has existed for a while, but since lockdown, these communities have grown tremendously.

Online communities were brought to the public originally through chat services. AOL became a service many could use to communicate online, primarily through chat rooms. These chat rooms could be both public and private, with the latter allowing for any form of chat to be tolerated. An October 1996 article in Rolling Stone found that half of these chat rooms were based around sexual acts. While AOL online communities, it also was safeguarding of these communities was brought into question.

“While AOL was one of the of online it also was

A prominent website for these communities during the 2000s was Tumblr. Like many teenagers, I spent many hours each night scrolling through Tumblr

and reblogging information about my favourite fandom (which I will not be disclosing due to severe embarrassment). It felt like a fun place where I could talk to those with similar interests to me. Anybody with an account would know – the “science” side, the “superwholock” side, the “hipster” side.

These would be the sub-communities within the website, and al“side” and felt safe to explore the community through the website.

Looking back, we probably should not have felt so safe.

Almost everybody made friends within their communities on Tumblr and would meet up with them. Everything we had learned about stranger danger was thrown out of the window: shared interests created a strong bond which helped to create trust.

It was easy to forget that anybody could create an account and join in, which could lead to negative consequences. Tumblr community guidelines currently say it should not be used for things such as exploitation or impersonation, but do not mention anything about meeting people from the website. It may be argued that the website should explicitly say more about this issue.

There were also “sides” of Tumblr which were not pleasant or healthy - in my early teens, there were communities which would glorify eating disorders, poor mental health, and abuse. I can even remember when the website edited its guidelines to include the restriction of pornography on the website, plus the backlash of this very decision! These communities would support unhealthy behaviours and often would suggest others should support them too.

Often the website would be a very toxic environment, and this has come to be replicated throughout internet communities such as 4Chan and Reddit nowadays.

However, having “sides” at all was unhealthy and toxic. People were shamed for their interests, whether it was a love for writing supporting big emo bands. I still feel subconsciously judged for my past interests now. These sides would have rivals and would be attacked by other people for no other reason but their interests.

This would be classed as cyberbullying, which is against the Tumblr Community Guidelines, but it caused a lot of distress for users.

This idea of “sides” of websites has not died down, even in the new decade. During the pandemic and throughout the rise of TikTok, there has been an idea of “sides” on the platform. The TikTok algorithm records what you’re interested in and shows you videos that it thinks you will like. Through this, it will show you only selected videos. This means that some people will see TikToks of people dancing and lip-syncing, while others will view endless hours of creators trying to make a musical. While this could be harmless, people have been dubbing this as “sides” of TikTok. As somebody who has viewed a platform being built on sides, this scares me. It creates divides in a larger community and can and potential bullying. Some creators have addressed this, but it is mostly ignored as large platforms Credit: Unsplash obviously will not contain people who share similar moral beliefs.

However, it could create grounds for people to be hurt.

Credit: Dorota Dziki - Ilustrator TikTok, unlike Tumblr back in the day, has up to date guidelines against cyberbullying, nudity, and graphic content, amongst many things. It has also been known to take down things which do not cause harm as a precaution and is very quick to remove content that goes against guidelines. While the platform currently works well to support a variety of communities, it is unknown whether it will manage to continue to support them as the platform grows.

However, they must be applauded for the current work they are doing as there are fewer reports of it causing bullying or issues than other major social media apps.

In the digital age, it was certain that a new form of the community would be formed. Communities on social media are vast and complicated, and we must learn to enjoy them but also control them to an extent. Some websites create positive experiences and some may be negative – hopefully, they will continually get better in the future.

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Science & Tech

How to wipe out humanity Covid-19 may not kill us all, but we’re not completely safe viruses such as SARS, Covid-19, swine flu and even the common cold, which is one of the world’s largest annual killers. As with the real world, in these pandemic simulations, the easiest way to kill humanity is with unpredictability - and a virus does just that.

“In these pandemic simulations, the easiest way to kill humanity is with unpredictability - and a virus does just that...”

Credit: Jenny Dimitriadi - Photographer Thomas Such WRITER

Over the last 13 months, the world has become engrossed in the tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, as we enter 2021, we are in the third year during which this virus has shaped and shifted the very foundations of our society. As I am writing this, the UK has passed 81,000 deaths from a global total of 2 million deaths and 94 million cases, with global cases rising exponentially. This begs the question: how deadly is Cov-

id-19, and what would it take for it to eliminate humanity? For this, I have turned to Plague Inc. - an increasingly real pandemic creation game in which the user crafts their custom bacteria, fungus or virus.

Since Alexander Flemming revolutionised the medical world with the invention of penicillin, bacteria have largely found themselves on the back foot when it comes to infecting widespread portions of the human race. Whilst still deadly and widespread, these bacteria are increasingly able to be countered

with steroids and antibiotics, reducing the risk of a widespread uncontrolled pandemic such as we see today. Thus, I found the easiest way to eliminate the human race in the event of a pandemic is with a virus.

My “research’’ on Plague Inc. showed that the great dangers the mutations of viruses pose (such as we have seen with Covid-19’s multiple strains) hinder progress on a cure. Because of this deadly combination of no antibiotics and mutating disease, the most infamous diseases of recent times have been

Not only is a virus the key to an unpredictable disease which may one day wipe out humanity, but the origins of said virus are key. My “research” concluded that the most efficient way of killing humanity is to have the disease spread in a semi-developed country such as China; it is far easier for viruses and other diseases to spread in less developed countries - but in order to successfully achieve global transmission, a host country must have the substantial international infrastructure to spread a pandemic worldwide.

Using this strategy in my “research”, I was able to play a game of Plague Inc. wherein the spread and threat of Covid-19 seemed minimal by using China as a perfect starting point to wipe out humanity. The key, as it turns out, is the spreading of the virus - something that Covid-19 has proved can be done very easily in our modern globalised society. The journey from China to Italy spreading the plague across Europe took almost 40 years back in the middle ages: in 2020, it took a mere 40 days for widespread outbreaks to begin in Italy spreading across much of Europe.

My research into the historical spread of pandemics and my attempts to create my destroyer of humanity illustrates a significant disparity between what happens in the real world

and the measures one may find in a simulator. Political realities and measures many may consider “draconian” or simply unrealistic heavily impact how a pandemic may spread and the eventual impact it will have on humanity.

Using Plague Inc., I was able to effectively kill off humanity in around a year using a fast transmission of virus, which also became gradually more lethal. This is essential to ensure the near-universal transmission of the virus, and to penetrate measures such as increased border security and isolated regions once the knowledge of the pandemic spreads. Whilst it is unlikely that humanity will be wiped out any time soon, it became clear to me that instead of nuclear war, alien invasion or the looming threat of global warming; the real threat to humanity and the eventual destruction of our species may come from something as simple as bacteria. While we like to revel in our scientific advancements of the modern era and the ascension of humans as Earth’s alpha species, it becomes clear that, when we adapt, our environment and the threats it poses adapt with us.

“The real threat to humanity and the eventual destruction of our species may come from something as simple as bacteria...”

Plague Inc. showed a clear pathway to killing off humanity - though, luckily, the Covid-19 threat in the program was combated due to immense political pressure, restrictions and record-making vaccine paces. The real threat, however, remains clear: if humanity becomes increasingly lax with preventive and managerial measures, it is obvious what the future may hold for us.

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Science & Tech

The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn While 2020 was a bad year for humanity, it was a fantastic year for astronomy Joas Sterk WRITER

While the Earth’s most recent orbit around the sun has been dominated by the many challenges humanity has faced, we were nevertheless given plenty of opportunities to gaze up to the sky and be awestruck. 2020 was a great year for astronomy! Whether it be the Penumbral Lunar Eclipses throughout the year, the comet NEOWISE lighting up the sky, or Venus shining at its brightest in April, there was certainly much to see in the skies. And, near the end of the year, fanatic sky watchers ter and Saturn came together for a spectacular show. Throughout December, the two planets came closer and closer to each other and culminated on the night of December 21, together with the winter solstice. Many stargazers had been eagerly awaiting this spectacle in the sky, and for a good reason, as it is a rare occurrence.

In the past, conjunctions of planets were often seen as signs of big events to come, such as the fall of an entire civilization or a natural disaster. Historical records show that humanity has had an interest in conjunctions for a long time, dating back to

Chaucer, for instance, described the great conjunction of 1385 in his poem Troilus and Criseyde, Cancer joined, were that such a rain from heaven poured down.”

“Throughout December, the two planets came closer and closer to each other and culminated on the night of December 21, together with the winter solstice...” tronomer perceived great conjunction in the year 1603, and, coincidentally, even got to witness a supernova the next year. that great conjunction must have also occurred in 7BC, and, in current times, this spectacle is often referred to as the Christmas Star. and Saturn happens once every

20 years and is therefore called omy, a conjunction is the alignment of two astronomical objects in the sky such as planets, moons, or asteroids, that appear to be very close to each other when observed from Earth. A conjunction between the moon and a planet happens almost every month; planetary conjunctions, on the contrary, are a rarer occurrence. The cause for this alignment of planets lies within in our solar system orbit the sun, and each of these orbits is elliptical and are slightly inclined regarding each other. According to NASA, it takes approximatemake a full orbit around the sun, and over 29 Earth-years for Satof the two orbits enables the two planets to pass each other every twenty years. Even though during the conjunction, the planets appear to be very close to each other, this is merely an illusion - fact is, they are still very far apart. For instance, a conjunction between the moon and Mars may give the appearance that the two bodies are close to each other, but the average distance to the moon is 238,855 miles, whereas Mars is approxi-

mately 44m miles from Earth.

Even though the two planets pass each other in the solar system several times in a lifetime, not all the conjunctions can be seen equally well (or at all). The planets pass each other with various distances between them and can be closer or further away from the sun. In addition to this, the conjunction can happen either during the day or the night.

All these variations in position and time are the cause of the variable visibility of the conjunction.

“It takes approximately 12 Earth-years for Jupiter to make a full orbit around the sun, and over 29 Earthyears for Saturn...” urn passed this close to each other was nearly 400 years ago, in 1623, while Galileo was still alive. However, the two planets were close to the sun when seen

from Earth, which probably made other people living at that time to witness the event. It has been a staggering 800 years since the last time the merge happened at nighttime when it was clearly visible. According to NASA, this alignment occurred at just a tenth of a degree apart. Nevertheless, the actual distance between the two planets still extended over hundreds of millions of miles.

If you missed the alignment this time, then you for sure will need a large dose of patience. The appear this close together again will be on 15 March 2080, in the early morning. But this time, the see as they will be down low on the horizon at dawn. The next time the conjunction will be as clearly visible as this one was will be on 24 August 2414. And who knows which planet we will be able to observe it from then?

However, there’s no need to worry; in the coming year, the skies many spectacular shows for all the avid skywatchers, such as meteor showers, a super moon, and even a conjunction of Venus and Mars.

Credit: Unsplash

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28 January 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

Sport Taking the plunge: exploring wild swimming Sports Reporter Claire Thomson shares her newfound love of wild swimming in Scotland Why should playing and having fun be only for kids?”

When swimming in open water, it’s necessary to take into consideration the risks involved to protect yourself and others. It is important to never swim alone. You should always have someone either on the side of the body of water, that you are always visible to, or someone in the water with you, and only swim if

Claire Thomson SPORTS REPORTER

During lockdown, keen swimmers up and down the country made the conversion to open water swimming after being faced with the challenge of the Covid pandemic, which forced the closing of leisure centres for over six months in Scotland. Wading into seas, rivers and lakes, more and more people learned about and enjoyed the benmaking the decision to continue it into the winter months as a form of both relaxation and exercise.

What started as an alternative ple has turned into an exploration through nature into the unknown.

Granted, swimming somewhere where you can’t always necessarily see half a metre in front of you (never mind the bottom) is not for everyone, but over the years, an increasing number of people have joined wild swimming Facebook groups, organised group swims and taken advantage of the social aspect of this adventure.

“What started as an alternative for lots of people has turned into an exploration through nature into the unknown...”

Joining the shoals of eager individuals, I too took the plunge for the self out of the water for the longest period since I began competitive swimming at seven years old. With no wetsuit at the beginning, I had thrown on an old swimming costume, grabbed a brightly coloured swim cap and headed for the beach.

Yes, on one hand, the experience was exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable after over three months of battling through lockdown, however, I quickly decided that the warm

various depths of water. It is strongly recommended that you carry a tow

Credit: Claire Thomson - Sports Reporter temperatures in the Firth of Forth in June were still too cold to me.

somewhere else to swim. My next attempt was in Loch Ore, a swimming and water sports loch. The the main positives and by this point, It took several swims to get used to the swans swimming around me, head and the dark water, where I could hardly see my hand just below the surface, never mind three feet below me. I managed to brave the water for about an hour before I shivered back onto the shore. What made matters worse was the Facebook post that circulated around the Fife Wild Swimming page of a then put back) in the very same loch I had been swimming in.

Wild swimming for me brought form of normality in my life as it really wasn’t easy to go from twelve or more hours in the pool per week to nothing at all. Over and above that, it was amazing to spend some time outdoors and discover something before this year. Training in nature, in particular, wild swimming has a

and mentally. Immersion in cold water provides a sense of relaxation, relieves muscle aches, increases positive thinking, and boosts the immune system, therefore perfect for students wanting to leave the screen behind. The natural endorphin high raises mood and creates an addictive urge to dive back in. The extremely cold water pumps out toxins in the body and allows cold water tolerance to be built up quickly and make the body healthier. More than cial aspect that surrounds the sport.

“More than the the large social aspect that surrounds the sport...”

This can take many forms, whether it is the swimming itself, the splashing around and having a laugh in the “bouncy” waves or the race to get sitting on the beach afterwards, in a desperate attempt to warm up and Through these quick dips during the summer months, I was able to talk to some people who had both

taken up wild swimming recently as well as those who were more experienced and made it a passion, swimming all year round. One woman that I spoke to told me about how that causes widespread pain and extreme tiredness. She commented on how swimming in the sea a few times a week, just in a swimming costume, gloves and socks, has remental health as she feels “grounded” in the water.

More recently, I was talking to a Glasgow University graduate who is a friend of mine, who said: “During lockdown 2.0, wild swimming became a haven, a refuge to which I could retreat after endless hours in front of a screen.” Furthermore, I’m not the only member of my family to give wild swimming a go this year.

My aunt was a keen triathlete when living in the Netherlands. She has now been back living in Scotland for several years, and too braved the cold temperatures, with more success than myself, I might add. She shared with me what has motivated her to continue skin swimming (no wetsuit) even in water temperatures of 5C: “I swim because I love the feel of being immersed in nature, it makes me feel good and I enjoy being with folks that ‘get it’ and don’t think I’m crazy. They are my tribe.

act as a buoyancy aid, and a brightly coloured swim cap to further increase visibility. Before swimming, learn about the area you are swimming in, for example, know the tide times, any currents, and the water quality, by asking others who have lots of experience swimming there.

Now that more and more students are being forced to sit at a desk in front of a computer all day, being outside in nature and exercising is more important than ever.Wild swimming could be a new adventure for those who are keen to try something new and escape day-to-day life.

“During lockdown 2.0, wild swimming became a haven, a refuge to which I could retreat after endless hours in front of a screen...”

My advice would be that, unless experienced, do not accompany the people who are breaking holes in the ice to swim at Dumbrock Loch, on the outskirts of Glasgow.

However, as the temperatures rise again into the spring and summer, it might be something to investigate further and have a shot at for many.

There are hundreds of people taking the plunge, every single day, in all weather, so why not join them, improve your health both mentally and physically, and most importantly, explore and have fun!

28 January 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

31

Sport

University side suffer Scottish Cup heartbreak Craig Smith SPORTS EDITOR

In the halcyon days before the Scottish Cup and all other football beneath Scotland’s top two men’s divisions were suspended, Glasgow University’s men’s team began their Scottish Cup journey for another year on 13 December. Phil Storrie, head coach of the UofG’s to The Glasgow Guardian about their Scottish Cup record be-

his close-range shot was tame and ily. Following this, the University side managed to settle by dropping deep in an organised fashion which prevented Linlithgow Rose from penetrating. Massive credit has to Lewis Gourlay, Calum Davidson,

getting on the ball, particularly the dangerous Kyle Wilson.

attack and they had that

The strategy of the University side required pace on the coun-

it went well clear of Fulton’s bar.

It is a credit to the University side that they forced Linlithgow into changing things up at half-time as more importantly, introduced star

Granger’s, either Scott or Colin, at

Coyne’s main attribute has always been his goalscoring and, sadly for the hosts, he demonstrated his class in this regard on Sunday afternoon.

deprive him of possession. The frustration they brought about in Linlithgow’s lynchpin was demonstrated towards the end of the half, as he

into the box was cleared poorly by the University side and the ball fell for Coyne on the edge of the box, a swift touch and hit from him saw Glasgow net. From there on it was

offside from Linlithgow, he slot-

only for Smith to immediately snap into the challenge and dispossess nation for the intensity of the opposition, he shrugged his arms, perhaps

his right foot to give the Univer-

teammates. Almost as soon as he

If Linlithgow managed to penetrate was no surprise when the University team opened the scoring Gourlay, who had a strong game

Baxter on the

the frustration which the Glasgow

scored more than 300 goals during his time at Linlithgow. It is hard to overstate the impact of Coyne in the second half, Linlithgow got forward with far greater urgency due to

Keelan Adams stepped up to

way of the visitors as Aiden Wilson played through Jay Sandison, but

“Their dream of a Boxing Day trip to face Brechin City in

failed to find sufficient elevation on his chipped shot to get

pace on the

second preliminary round of the defeat by East of Scotland Premier League side Linlithgow Rose at Glasgow’s home ground, the Penny Cars Stadium.

The opening exchanges suggested the University side could be in for

versity team was very impressive as they prevented Wilson, who Lin-

in the Linlithgow goal. More chances were to come, as a rap-

where the University team had competed hard against seemingly superior opponents but frequently came up short. Unfortunately, he would’ve been able to say exactly Scottish Cup game next season as

ter on the right-wing, who was a constant thorn in the side of the Linlithgow defence. However, the University side’s first big chance came down the other side, about halfway through the first half, when captain Robbie

defence, won a loose ball in the midfield and found Davidson between the lines. He subsequently threaded a slide-rule pass through to the menace that

minute.

The disruptive ability of the Uni-

under horrendous conditions. Linlithgow had Coyne to tie everything together, Glasgow was struggling to exit their own half. The writing appeared to be on the wall for

from Linlithgow Rose, again showmove which released Adams down the right. His drilled ball across goal almost found his on-running teamto disrupt. Five minutes later, in the for the University side. Their dream

Cup was obliterated in devastating ley; he lashed it into the net with his right foot in a way few, if any, on the pitch could have done.

Pre-game then both Storrier and Smith both sought to complement their squad’s overall consistency and solidity, with no outstanding talisdependability all over the pitch was undoubtedly shown in this game, but one must wonder what Storri-

Credit: Glasgow University Football Club

Coyne in his line up, someone who can raise the game of everyone around them and come up with moments of magic that instantly change games. That type of player certainly decided this game.

32

28 January 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

Sport

Students tackle world’s toughest row Physics students Miriam Payne and Nia Hunter spoke to The GG about their upcoming attempt to row the Atlantic Craig Smith SPORTS EDITOR

Everyone has fanciful dreams and ambitions, I doubt there are many of us who do not get lost in the idea of conquering challenges which in reality we will never bother to throw ourselves into, New Year’s resolutions which are quickly disregarded, or marathon ambitions thrown by the wayside. Miriam Payne was

over 300 individuals/teams have successfully managed to row the this challenge into context, this is lously, however, the women want to go further, as they are seeking to cross an ocean, and to become the

“There’s always so much to do and I think one of the things we didn’t

takes to get to the start line.” The -

Hunter described their current situation as involving, “lots of sending

sage we can both really get behind.” cological cancers with Wellbeing fect candidate according to Payne: “Wellbeing of Women do so much research and are at the forefront of science when it comes to the health of women and babies and for our

through the boat and through the ing but thankfully it went in between his legs so he didn’t get hurt.”

Marlin attacks are a danger inherent in rowing the Atlantic but the rarity of such incidents combined with the organisers’ attention to safety means Payne’s fears are not about her safety: “I think I’m more

-

been a dream of ours for a good few years now so I think that’s the overriding factor at the moment.”

with the current record standing at sues there.”

bigger by wishing to row the Atlanher dream. All she needed to do was what is known as the toughest row in the world.

It was a casual conversation that

fail to do: achieve her dream. On the way back from training at the Glasgow Green boathouse, Payne rowers, she told me: “One of the girls in the car said absolutely not, I think that’s the worst idea ever but Nia said that sounds interesting so I messaged her that night … and the rest is history.” Nia Hunter, another

“The duo is set to commence their 3,000mile charity row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean in December 2022...”

alities of the two third-year Glasgow

sonalities and that way we can maya bit more serious at times and then Nia makes me calm down a bit and other very well.”

“Just over 300 individuals/ teams have successfully managed to row the Atlantic...”

The duo is set to commence their 3,000-mile charity row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean in Deer Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a Credit: SeasTheDay2022

-

their boat, it means they could sell the boat later to raise further mon-

“They are seeking to become the youngest female pair to cross an ocean...”

already have done a mountain of tion, ranging from the struggles to -

the money raised so far for their two chosen charities, Wellbeing of Wom-

them in good stead for the adversities which they’ll encounter at sea.

It is a bold challenge but it is being

all that’s going on in the world, there mental health charities.”

Hunter also shared why they

hand, an unusual and scary incident in this year’s edition of the race has made Hunter aware of another

RHTM which is about rowing and

ing [the challenge] this year and a

the Atlantic throws at them.

To learn more about or donate to Miriam and Nia’s challenge, visit their website, or social media: @ seastheday2022 on Instagram and Twitter, and Seas the Day on Facebook.