The Glasgow Guardian: September 21

FRESHERS’ PAISLEY CRISIS

THE UNIVERSITY’S ACCOMMODATION MISCALCULATION - PAGE 2 6 September 2021

GLASGOW UNI SURVIVAL GUIDE

BECOMING PART OF THE UNI CROWD - PAGE 16

IN CONVERSATION WITH DMA’S

JOHNNY TOOK ON THE BAND’S UPCOMING UK TOUR - PAGE 20

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

Issue 1 | Free

Welcome back, World Changers!

Hailie Pentleton & Lucy Dunn EDITORS-IN-CHIEF @hailiepentleton & @lucyidunn

The time has finally come for Freshers to flood back onto Gilmorehill, and here at The Glasgow Guardian, we couldn’t be more excited to get back into the swing of things. For those students arriving in Glasgow (or Paisley…!) for the first time, we encourage you to make the most of your first year, to join different societies and sleep-in-late, to try a new sport, meet new people, and celebrate all the little milestones you will reach this year. Your first year will allow for so much growth and change and, at the risk of sounding like the Shreddies grannies, do not take it for granted. For returning students, this year is one for making up for lost time, with many of us having lost at least a year of our time at University to the pandemic. As we embrace a new way of living and learning, we should do so with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.

Now is the time to take all those opportunities you avoided out of fear in first year: carpe diem!

A lot has changed since classes were last in-person, not least in the realm of learning and teaching. To say that attending University online had its trials would be a huge understatement, but it also allowed for the development of more accessible and inclusive teaching practices we are pleased to see will remain in

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

place this year. For more about the future of blended learning at the University, see page five, for an interview with the Vice Principal for Learning and Teaching.

Perhaps most excitingly, this year will see the return of more traditional Freshers’ Week events, and social activities. Our Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) have expanded the traditional Freshers’ Week under the banner of UofG Welcome. Both

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the Queen Margaret Union (QMU) and the Glasgow University Union (GUU) will be functioning as near to full capacity as possible, putting aside their historical differences to collaborate on a Freshers’ Week for the ages, an absolute win for cross-campus relations - more on this on page four. We are encouraged to see our four unions working closely to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment, and can only hope that the University chooses to do the same.

Here at The Glasgow Guardian, we remain unapologetically on the side of students and are committed to holding the University to account. We are calling on the University of Glasgow for more transparency, accountability, and inclusivity this year, asking that they remain committed to student welfare in all their dealings. After a tumultuous year like the last one - with a lack of financial and welfare support for students isolating in halls; the infamous Murano 12

disaster; the harrowing report on racism at the University of Glasgow; and the start of the University’s own #MeToo movement with petitions to improve Kelvin Way’s street lighting, mass testimonial regarding safety on campus, and The Glasgow Guardian’s investigations into sexual assault - we need to ensure that students feel both safe and supported throughout such a pivotal time.

Whilst Glasgow looks forward to a fresh influx of new faces, and the SRC’s UofG Welcome events are in full swing, we appreciate that it may be hard for students to actually feel welcome when their accommodation for the year is up in the air, maybe being housed further afield due to oversubscription to University halls, or perhaps not yet even having found a flat for the year at all.

At the best of times, university is a whirlwind of ups and downs, highs and lows, and for the majority, one of the most life-changing experiences imaginable. But at its worst, university life can see you lost and lonely, helpless and distraught; afraid to speak up about obstacles you face because the system that’s in place to protect you would rather protect itself.

The University of Glasgow welcomes World Changers, but that world changing must commence on campus.

29/08/2018 14:36

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THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

News

Freshers “abandoned” as Glasgow University fails to house all new students Luke Chafer & Lucy Dunn NEWS EDITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @_lukechafer & @lucyidunn

The University of Glasgow has failed to house all first year students, leaving many without guaranteed accommodation a week before freshers’ week.

Applications for student halls were greater than the University had planned for, following an “unprecedented demand for the forthcoming year”, leaving a number of students with no other option than to take f lats as far away as Paisley, whilst others, losing out to the “first-come, first-served basis” system, have been left with nothing.

All students had been initially sent an email stating that “the University guarantees accommodation for all first year and international students”, however, following the oversubscription to student halls, a number of students did not receive University accommodation, despite applying before the deadline.

“A number of students did not receive University accommodation, despite applying before the deadline...”

Credit: Kirsten Colligan Instead, they were sent an email informing them that Glasgow was “pleased to report” the University has partnered with private accommodation provider, City Room Rentals, to provide accommodation for overf low students on a “first-come, first-served basis”. The latter email also stated that “under the terms of our Accommodation guarantee, we have an obligation to offer you a place in accommodation”, contradicting the earlier email detailing accommodation would be “guaranteed”.

Students had two options with City Room Rentals: either Collegelands on Havannah Street near the city centre, for £132 a week, or My PAD on Gilmour Street in Paisley, a 46-minute bus-and-subway journey from the Main Building, for £98 per week. However, several first year students have told The Glasgow Guardian that despite requesting accommodation from City Room Rentals, they have still been unable to secure a space. In an email sent by City Room Rentals to one student, they said that “due to unprecedented de-

mand it is highly unlikely that a place will be offered at Collegelands, as there is a waiting list of 100”. The email stated that, at its time of writing, places were still available at My PAD in Paisley, however many students are yet to receive any confirmation of accommodation.

A number of to-be first year students reached out to The Glasgow Guardian to discuss the ongoing situation. Fresher Sophie* told us: “The way the University has handled the situation has left me feeling isolated, and dreading an experience I had always dreamed of. With only one email, the support has been limited. They’ve just left us to fend for ourselves.”

“With only one email, the support has been limited.

They’ve just left us to fend for ourselves...”

Another first year student, Jack*, told The Glasgow Guardian: “Glasgow promised us accommodation and they failed to meet that guarantee. The University should be held accountable for their mistakes, and compensation for affected students is the least they can do.

Upon contacting City Room Rentals, I’m still waiting on an offer after three days of calling and emailing, a week before freshers’. Some of us just have nowhere to go.”

Perhaps most affected are international students, who require an address for visa applications. Eatisam, an incoming first year student from Pakistan, told The Glasgow Guardian that “due to this, my visa application has been delayed. My parents are under so much stress: they’re sending their son abroad and to this date [we] don’t know whether [I] will have a room to live in.”

Home students are also feeling the knock-on effects of not having a residence for the start of the semester: many have complained of not being able to complete their student loan applications, enrol to their courses for the academic year, or register with a GP. Another student, Stephen*, expressed concern “about the education itself” follow-

ing his “chaotic” first experience with University services.

Whilst securing accommodation for all students appears to have presented significant challenges, sorting transport to and from the Paisley halls has presented the University with another challenge. A representative for one of the University’s unions told The Glasgow Guardian that the University’s Transport Services were “scrambling” for transport to take students from Paisley to Glasgow’s West End campus, and had asked for volunteer GUSA drivers to drive unpaid trips.

“The University’s Transport Services were “scrambling” for transport to take students from Paisley to Glasgow’s West End campus...”

A post from the “GUSA Drivers 2020-21” Facebook group was shared on Twitter by a University of Glasgow student, stating: “The University has a shortage of accommodation spaces for new students this year. So, they are looking into housing some people in Paisley and, as a part of that, are trying to find ways to offer them transport into the University.

“We’ve been asked to check whether there are any drivers who would be interested in volunteering ([as] it’s not possible to offer paid positions to do this without getting a special license) to drive buses to/from the accommodation to the University.

These would be relatively long trips and [are] likely to be needed before 9am and after 5pm on weekdays over term time.”

Unite the Union told The Glasgow Guardian: “We do not support the proposal for volunteers to be driving these buses.”

A Glasgow student, who is also a driver for GUSA, commented on Twitter that: “You do need a D License to drive for hire or reward, so they’re correct in that they can’t pay [GUSA drivers].

But they can pay for professional drivers rather than relying [on] free student labour.”

The Glasgow Guardian spoke to the Glasgow University Student Tenants’ Union (GUSTU), who commented: “This decision by the University is, sadly, not surprising. As we have seen from their handling of the pandemic to the mistreatment of the Murano 12, they are once again putting financial gain ahead of the needs, comfort, and safety of student tenants. The University has ignored its own limits on student intakes. Last year, the rent paid to University accommodation increased from £4752 per student to £5764 per student with the University collecting £15 million in revenue. Instead of investing £15 million in building new accommodation for the increase in students, they have struck deals with private accommodation providers to house students 10 miles from campus.”

A University spokesperson said: “We understand the concern students have about finding accommodation for the new semester and we appreciate searching for a flat can feel daunting.

The University guarantees accommodation for all first year undergraduates and postgraduate students who are new to study in Glasgow, and continues with its planning to achieve this.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned above, please contact news@ glasgowguardian.co.uk. *For the purposes of anonymity, some names have been changed.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

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News

Glasgow rental market ‘in crisis’ as students desperate to find flats are left with nothing

The Glasgow Guardian speaks to students and letting agents to investigate the current rent crisis endemic in Glasgow.

Kimberley Mannion

DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @mannionkim

Following reports of an ongoing crisis in the city, and after the announcement that The City of Glasgow Council will launch a tenant-led commission to investigate the situation, The Glasgow Guardian spoke to a number of students affected by the current living situation. Whilst The City of Glasgow Council’s investigation will look into the rising cost of renting, living conditions, and how to meet demand, we have spoken to students about the real-life impact of the problem.

The crisis has noticeably hit students hard this summer as the search for a f lat has become even more challenging than before. Kyle, a University of Glasgow student, said one letting agency he spoke to received 450 applications for a f lat within a day of it being listed on Rightmove.

Emma, another Glasgow student, told The Glasgow Guardian that her and f latmates were struggling to rent a four-bed, and had resorted to looking at non-HMO properties as they were easier to find. When they did manage to secure a f lat viewing, they were quickly disappointed when, ten minutes before the viewing was due to take place, the letting agent phoned up to cancel as “the landlord had decided to rent the f lat to a friend”.

Another landlord had a “very rigid schedule” in place, where potential tenants could not put a deposit down on a f lat until they had first booked a physical viewing, to then be put through a vetting process. “We phoned up to say to the letting agent that we were serious about the f lat and wanted to put the deposit down without seeing it, but the letting agent told us we had to book a viewing first of all,” Emma said.

After about 20 minutes of discussion about this, the letting agent was said to have then revealed that the landlord had, in fact, already taken a deposit from candidates and was in the process of “vetting” them. “They’re giving away viewings for f lats that essentially aren’t available.”

“They’re giving away viewings for flats that essentially aren’t available...”

Third-year student Tess told The Glasgow Guardian she has gone to viewings and expressed interest in proceeding with the f lat on the same day, only to be told someone else had just signed for it. She has even shown up to viewings only to find out the f lat is no longer available, without being advised in advance. The closer it gets to the semester starting, the fewer new f lats are advertised every day and any new ones added are snapped up extremely quickly. For now, Tess and her f latmate are sleeping on a friend’s sofa, a situation she originally “laughed off as classic student living”, but recently she has become more worried, as the start of the semester edges closer.

Magda, a third-year student, says the search has proven so tough this year that her and her f latmates are considering renting a f lat further away and commuting to the West End daily.

Even with a more open-minded approach to price and location, the f latmates concluded that

Credit: Lucy Dunn

the main issue stems down to a sheer shortage of f lats this year. Magda’s friends are even considering taking an unfurnished property because there is simply nothing else available. Colin, a history student, is stuck at home in the Highlands in the third month of an unsuccessful f lat hunt. If he still has not found anything by the time classes start, he hopes the University will be f lexible with allowing remote studying.

The sentiment of this year being abnormal, shared by so many students, was confirmed to The Glasgow Guardian by Liz Houston at Kohli Properties. She says in her nine years of doing the job, she has never seen anything like this. “We have students on both the phone and email every day, asking us about f lats and telling us how desperate they are, but we’re unable to help them and it can be quite upsetting,” she says.

Kohli owns 104 properties, 67 of which are HMO licenced and have had nothing available for

weeks.

Kohli believes the f lat shortage stems from the coronavirus pandemic. Since the drop in student numbers in Glasgow last year due to online study left many f lats lying empty, many landlords decided it was more economical for them to sell their f lats, especially given the sales boom the property market experienced. Although banks offered repayment holidays, “these were not free months”, says Liz; payments were just split up over the remaining months of the mortgage, increasing repayments and interest overall.

Catherine Bruce, manager of D.J. Alexander property, told The Glasgow Guardian that the situation of other groups of society over the course of the pandemic has in turn shifted students’ position. Workers are returning to offices and now need a place to stay in the city, many employers are recruiting new staff who require accommodation and others want a

change of scenery after being cooped up in one home for the best part of the last 18 months.

The unfolding of all these factors at once mean that “demand is outstripping available properties on the market”.

“Demand is outstripping available properties on the market...”

An email was sent out to all University of Glasgow students on 27 August from the Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary, David Duncan, recognising the students are finding themselves in this year.

The email stated that the University is in contact with private accommodation providers and will post updates on private accommodation available on the Students’ Representative Council Advice Centre. Duncan also stated that: “Any student concerned that the availability of accommodation may impact on arrival in Glasgow and their studies is encouraged to please speak to their School/ Programme convenor as soon as possible.”

The struggle for students to find accommodation comes as a Freedom of Information request by insurance company Admiral found that Glasgow has the third-highest number of homes lying empty, compared against all of the local authorities in Scotland. 19 in every 1000 homes in Glasgow are vacant, making this the highest level, proportionately, in Britain.

As well as attempts to address the problem at a council level, following the working agreement between the Scottish National Party and the Green Party, a rented sector strategy is set to be published by the end of the year promising a new regulator, greater rights, and rent controls. In an article in the iPaper on 25 August, Patrick Harvie, Scottish Greens MSP for Glasgow, said that the rent control system could be based on affordability, in terms of average income, or on a proportion of market value.

Harvie said that paying attention to the “poor rental system” in Glasgow will be central to the working agreement.

According to Harvie, his party will “lead the way” on tenants’ issues including the decarbonisation of homes.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

4

6 September 2021

News

Glasgow Greens Secretary plays part in government coalition deal Kimberley Mannion DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @mannionkim

Glasgow University law student Blair Anderson was involved in negotiating the deal that was presented to the Scottish Greens’ party members that will see the party form a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament. Being a member of the Young Greens who stood to be a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2021, and co-convenor of Rainbow Greens, a group representing LGBT+ members of the Scottish Greens, The Glasgow Guardian spoke to Blair about the negotiations.

The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie MSP and Lorna Slater MSP, are to be the first Green party politicians

to take up ministerial office anywhere in the UK. Harvie is Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel, and Tenants’ Rights, while Slater’s title is Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity. Before it became official, the agreement had to be approved by the Scottish Greens’ membership, who voted overwhelmingly in favour at a party meeting on 28 August.

The Greens are required to back the SNP on confidence votes and annual budgets, and work together on agreed areas of common ground such as Scottish independence, tackling the climate emergency, and implementing rent controls. There also exists a list of areas on which public disagreement is permitted, including defence and security, the economics of sustainable growth and

private schools. Green MSP Ross Greer is on the record as saying that the list is not fixed, and could be expanded where disagreements arise.

“The Greens are required to back the SNP on confidence votes and annual budgets, and work together on agreed areas of common ground...”

Credit: UofG Greens

Anderson was involved in the party’s working group which was set up for the negotiations, called the Political Cooperation Working Group (PCWG), as a representative for the Young Greens over the last three months. The PCWG negotiated the agreement on behalf of the Green party, with the cabinet and the civil servants who negotiated on behalf of the Scottish Government. Representatives from groups within the party were part of the working group, including LGBT+ Greens, women, people of colour, as well as the Young Greens bringing issues of concern to the negotiating table.

“Scottish Young Greens have been the ones pushing some of the more radical policies, such as free bus travel for under 21s,” said Blair.

Given negative outcomes of coalitions or other forms of deal with governing parties for smaller parties in other parts of the UK, such as the Liberal Democrats’ poor election results in the aftermath of its coalition with the Conservatives, or the Democratic Unionist Party’s confidence and supply agreement with the Conservatives, The Glasgow Guardian asked Blair about his thoughts on the agreement.

“I think it’s the best deal we could get from the government, and I think it really pushes the government in a positive direction, and not just on the environment, as we care about a lot of stuff beyond the environment,” Blair commented. “There are risks going into government for the first time, but I’d much rather be in government rather than be in the opposition without the power to do anything”.

Students should be interested in the deal, says Blair, particularly regarding tenants’ rights and workers rights, as the Scottish Greens have recently negotiated a commitment to rent

controls, which “students will hopefully see the benefit of, in a few years time”. Fairer work has also been agreed upon, meaning that although the Scottish government does not control employment law, anything it gives public money to must first meet fair working criteria.

This includes paying the living wage and collective bargaining, which is especially important to students with part-time jobs.

Following the alleged “fire and rehire” practices that The Glasgow Guardian has previously reported on, following the Unite the Union protests outside the James McCune Smith Learning Hub in July, new changes may be particularly relevant to the staff reshuff le happening at the University.

“The Scottish Greens have recently negotiated a commitment to rent controls, which “students will hopefully see the benefit of, in a few years time”...”

In a statement given by Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens said: “I am delighted that our party members have given their support to this historic cooperation agreement that will see Greens enter government for the first time in Scotland, or indeed anywhere in the UK. With Greens in government, we will be able to deliver positive change for the people of Scotland.”

No more ‘Food for Thought’ as Fraser Building cafeteria closes Ananya Srivathsan & Lucy Dunn WRITER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @lucyidunn

Following rumours posted on the popular Facebook “confessions” page, GlasKnow, that the Fraser Building cafeteria was to shut permanently, a University of Glasgow spokesperson has confirmed to The Glasgow Guardian that this is the case.

The closure of the Food for Thought cafeteria in the Fraser Building is not standalone: 1A The Square Brasserie is also now closed, as is the Wolfson Link Cafe between the James Black and the Davidson building.

Discussing the closure of the popular cafeteria, the University spokesperson commented: “We want to ensure that our Univer-

sity catering operation provides good value and quality, whilst being convenient and meeting the changing needs of staff and students as we move out of the pandemic. To remain competitive with other outlets close to our campus, we have undertaken a thorough review of our catering operations and concluded it will not be viable to reopen a small number of consistently loss-making outlets on the Gilmorehill campus.”

Three new catering outlets have been established in the James McCune Smith Learning Hub on University Avenue instead, and the new study hub will have its own independent catering operations.

The University has commenced a fully-owned subsidiary company, UofG Commercial Ltd, which Unite the Union says is solely profit-driven, which will control new

catering facilities. The University has stated that it “[has] ambitions to grow jobs and opportunities as new buildings open on the former Western Infirmary site.” The University spokesperson also stated: “The changes have been delivered with no compulsory redundancies in the catering team.” However, according to Unite the Union, many have opted for voluntary release due to a loss of earnings following the catering system restructure.

GlasKnow’s post was swamped with just under 300 likes on Facebook, alongside a myriad of comments that reminisced on the character and atmosphere of the Food for Thought cafeteria. The Food to Go outlet will remain, however; as will the Starbucks cafe bar near 1A The Square Brasserie.

Credit: Adrian Welch via Glasgow Architecture

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

5

News

The future of blended learning The Principal for Learning and Teaching advises us on what to expect for the year ahead

Luke Chafer NEWS EDITOR @_lukechafer

influence, but we’ve had a year of practice.

Credit: Jenny Dimitrialdi

GG: I want to pick up on something you said about building redesign, which is mentioned in the strategy. As we are an old university, how will it be possible to replicate the benefits of a space like the James McCune Smith Learning Hub? Professor F.S: It’s a challenge. We have done it in some of the rooms. We’ve kind of maximized [redesigning the geography lecture theatres] and what we can do within the constraints of that space. There’s currently a lot of work going into the reinforcement and strengthening of our Wi-Fi generally in some of the older spaces, but you’re absolutely right, some we will just make really good, flexible learning spaces, but they might not be as “high tech”, if you like.

As the University of Glasgow confirmed its teaching will be “blended” this year, the effects of Covid-19 have led to a seismic shift in teaching and learning strategies across the entire higher education system. Beyond the immediate changes to mitigate health risks, a debate has been sparked across the sector as to how to utilise the experience gained from last year. The University has recently published its answer to the debate in the “Learning and Teaching Strategy 2021-25” which Credit: sets out Unsplash its intended aims to modernise the student experience.

We at The Glasgow Guardian sat down with Professor Moira Fischbacher-Smith, Vice Principal of Learning & Teaching, to unpick the strategy and discuss the year ahead.

The Glasgow Guardian: What can students expect from this year in terms of blended learning, and what do you expect it to look like across semesters one and two?

Professor F.S: It’s going to vary - and most of my answers will vary because it will really depend on your year of study and the course. Essentially, what we’ve said is that in classes where there are 50 students or more, we would want them to take place online, and we’ve done that for reasons predominantly to do with Covid-19, obviously. We do know that there are some students who have said that they would like that to be the longer-term arrangement for some courses where it has worked well. On-campus teaching will have smaller groups of up to 50, but those could be as small as 12 or 18, where they can expect to be in a room with their tutor and peers under a one-meter distancing strategy (including laboratories). The balancing combination will depend on the specific course design.

“On-campus teaching will have smaller groups of up to 50, but those could be as small as 12 or 18...”

GG: In an email sent out by David Duncan (the Chief Operating Officer) to students, he mentioned that, potentially, at the back end of this year we could see a return to larg-

er classes in person. Does that not contradict what was said in the longer-term learning strategy, that the focus will be to have larger classes online?

Professor F.S: No, I don’t think it does. I think it’s a combination of both, and if it helps, I wrote a little article myself talking about this. I think part of the challenge here is that we use the word “lecture” as if it’s this very easily understood, generic term that means the same thing no matter where you are. Let’s just park the word “lecture”, for now…

We’ve just designed a 500-seat lecture theatre in the James McCune Smith Learning Hub: we did that for a reason, as we still see value in students coming together. What that room does is allow students to collaborate with each other. You will probably have experienced fairly static lecture theatres with seats that don’t move, and you’re squashed in; it’s like going to the cinema. These are individual seats, with much more room to turn around and talk with someone behind you. There is so much potential in a room like that: it brings a different dynamic and gives us the potential to completely change the way we use physical

space in a way that more fixed spaces don’t.

The conversation shouldn’t be about how many people are in a room but what we are trying to achieve: what is the learning we want students to engage with, and what is the best design for that? In some cases, it is a prerecorded 15-minute online segment watched at your leisure, and then in class, you really dig deep: engaging, discussing, and developing. That’s where the combination of online and in-class can do things we couldn’t do before.

“The conversation shouldn’t be about how many people are in a room but what we are trying to achieve...”

GG: I just want to unpick that a little. In the article, you mentioned some of the

positive elements from the student feedback on online learning. I was wondering: was there anything that you came across that we thought just didn’t work?

Professor F.S: That’s a very good question. I think perhaps if there isn’t the opportunity, in an online station or course, for students to work together in pairs or groups, they’ve found that difficult as it can be harder to connect with their peers...I think [however] the complaints were mainly technical.

GG: Do you think there was enough consistency? Do you think that was potentially an issue, and will that be more uniform going forward, in terms of the blended learning approach?

Professor F.S: It’s a good question: I think consistency is important and knowing what to expect is important. I would say that consistency isn’t always ideal because you can get bored if everything is done the same way.

I think some people will have had more time than others to prepare, and in some cases that will be just because of the other demands that they had on them last year. So, I suspect that those factors had an

GG: The strategy states that it is committed to “excellent on-campus experience, but realizes that there are educational benefits of a blended approach”. What are those educational benefits?

Professor F.S: Knowledge is changing all the time and there is so much information out there, so why don’t we incorporate that into our learning? I would also say it’s not just about doing something online and not in a classroom, it’s about blending them all and actually engaging in technology in the class, not just either online or in a physical classroom. We are exploiting the affordances that technology brings us, and why wouldn’t we? It would be a funny university if we said “oh, we don’t use technology in the way that it allows us to”.

“We are exploiting the affordances that technology brings us, and why wouldn’t we...”

GG: Finally, the strategy also mentions fully online degrees. Who will they be marketed towards and how many programs would we expect to be fully online?

Professor F.S: At the moment, we already have a number of fully online degrees. We launched our first fully online course back in 2003, a taught doctorate, and this suits a certain student, but we are an on-campus provider and it’s important to offer that on-campus experience so I don’t expect a sudden shift online at the expense of on-campus.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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6 September 2021

News

World Changers in Focus Glasgow School of Art students file lawsuit against the institution

Kimberley Mannion

DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @mannionkim

The “World Changers Welcome” bunting reaching across campus is hard to miss as you walk up University Avenue. When applying to the University, the slogan found its way onto the majority of freebies and goodies handed out to bright-eyed applicants, designed to entice more of us, as young, ambitious, hopeful students, to the University of Glasgow under the allure that one day we too could become a “world changer”. In our new World Changers column, The Glasgow Guardian will look at the research being done by the University that gives it the ground to call itself “World Changing Glasgow”.

University of Glasgow researchers are to help shape the next steps of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in the UK. A £2.2m study called OCTAVE DUO, led by the Universities of Glasgow and Birmingham, will employ clinical trials to investigate whether a third dose of vaccine would improve the immune response from people with weakened immune systems. An initial study showed that 40% of immunocompromised and immunosuppressed people produced a low or undetectable immune response after having received the standard two doses of vaccine. UK Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This new study will play an important role in helping to shape the deployment of future vaccines doses for these specific at-risk groups.”

Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in the city this November, the University of Glasgow has developed new maps which forecast coastal erosion caused by the climate emergency. The maps predict that £1.2bn of Scotland’s buildings, transport infrastructure, cultural and natural heritage could face the challenge of coastal erosion by 2050. The Scottish Government has made a £12m investment in encouraging local authorities to put plans in place to face the prospect of coastal erosion, which these maps will allow them Credit: University of Glasgow

to plan for. Researchers collected over 2000 maps and images and carried out more than five million calculations to demonstrate the development of coastal erosion in Scotland over the last 130 years and make predictions on its future. Professor Jim Hansom, who led the research, said: “We need to act now to become sea level wise by planning short-term resilience measures and flexible long-term adaptation strategies.” The work is part of the Scottish Government’s Dynamic Coast project, funded by the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW).

The University has also launched two new online courses focused on climate solutions. The courses are available to anyone worldwide at a cost of £799, with 200 places per course allocated to people living in Scotland, thanks to the Scottish Funding Council.

Beginning 27 September, both courses, entitled Climate Change and Carbon Literacy, and Systems Thinking – Climate Change and Sustainable Decision Making, respectively, will last 10 weeks and require eight to 10 hours of study per week with final assessments worth 10 credits. Director of the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Sustainable Solutions, Professor Jaime Toney, stated: “These courses are designed to help learners find new ways to do their part to make those changes happen in their own lives, communities and workplaces, and to better understand the global context of climate change.”

The University of Glasgow also led a study in rural Tanzania tracking herds of cattle through GPS (Global Positioning System) devices, to better understand how diseases can pass from one herd to another. Livestock diseases, like foot-and-mouth, are common in sub-Saharan Africa and it is hoped the new research will help develop disease control strategies. The work found that targeted interventions at specific locations and times could reduce the burden of these diseases and require fewer resources than broad-scale blanket vaccination schemes. In some countries in the region, the livestock sector makes up 80% of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These diseases hence have a large impact on poverty and threaten food security.

The Glasgow Guardian speaks to one of the students pushing for legal action Luke Chafer & Lucy Dunn

Credit: Art School Racket

NEWS EDITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @_lukechafer & @lucyidunn

A group of postgraduate students at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) are filing a class-action lawsuit against the institution following their “unfair and callous” approach to the Master’s students studies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Glasgow Guardian spoke to Harriet, one of the students affected and a prominent figure in the push to legally hold the GSA to account, to delve into why the students are taking the institution to court in a process she described as “very emotional”.

Speaking about the “distinct lack of support” for her and her fellow Master’s students over the initial months of the pandemic, Harriet told us that “all one-year courses had their second semesters, seven weeks, cancelled”, and that there was also no contact from tutors within this period. Remote online learning “only started 10 weeks after [lockdown started]”, at the start of the third semester. However, due to the nature of their craft, many people “couldn’t do their work from home” due to the lack of supplies and studio space.

“There was a big gulf of silence from GSA,” she commented. In a report published by Quality Assurance Agency (QA A), GSA’s online provision was described as being run with a “perceived deficit in staff skills” and that “the institution has arrangements for managing academic standards, and the student learning experience, which are of limited effectiveness.”

“There was a big gulf of silence from GSA...”

Whilst acknowledging that going virtual for a time was unavoidable, the students felt that they “were not getting what they had paid for, and what [they] were getting was not comparable at all”. “For home students it’s £8,000 a year for the Master’s, and for international students it’s £20,000 a year,” Harriet told The Glasgow Guardian, emphasising the high costs all Master’s students had incurred.

She stressed that whilst the GSA were “open to talk at first, a wall went up” and there was “no discussion of fees”. After a period of time, Harriet said that students then received a “generic email that stated there would be no refund of fees”.

Students were also told that

the only two options were to either continue with the online learning or withdraw without a guarantee of re-entry. “We don’t want to make it all about money,” she said, but she emphasised that for the different quality of education students were facing, many felt there should be compensation, for both the second semester, and the cancellation of the renowned in-person degree shows where many students look to for the opportunity to get their “big break”.

In terms of student support, Harriet “didn’t hear of any”, saying it felt “non-existent”.

She told us that students had no contact with tutors for 10 weeks following the announcement of the pandemic. There were “no emails of support from GSA” and she stated that the art school “could have done so much better”. Sculptor Penny Anderson, one of the other front-facing students in the lawsuit, is disabled, and said: “My support assistant was furloughed with no consultation, alternative provision, or notification. All of which meant I did not feel able to accept the option of delaying the last part of my study until January this year, as I would have preferred.”

There were issues at GSA prior to the pandemic, The Glasgow Guardian was informed, including problems with studio arrangements, poor workshop access, and the length of time some students had to wait before receiving training with certain tools, giving the example of the welding induction that was “only given on the very last day of semester one”. These points were highlighted in the QA A report whose recommendations included: the provision of workshop and studio space; assessment design; addressing student feedback; as well as recommending greater independence in the complaints procedure.

Initially, the students opted to lodge a formal complaint to GSA. The complaint was submitted on behalf of “126 students from across all 5 schools”

at GSA, due to their dissatisfaction that they “were not getting what they had paid for, and what [they] were getting was not comparable at all”. Following the submission of the complaint, the group went to the SPSO Ombudsman however Harriet said: “They just sent it back saying that the GSA had done everything. It felt like they hadn’t even tried to understand.”

“It felt like they hadn’t even tried to understand...”

Following this, the students approached the QAA who subsequently published its summary which was described by Harriet as a “very damning report of failings in the provision of education”. Currently the group is being legally represented by Harper McLeod lawyers, and are looking to take GSA to court. The students are appealing for funding via a crowdfunder page online, and they are also holding an online art auction to contribute to their legal costs.

Regarding outcomes, the group would like to see a number of changes: current students would like a monetary return for the seven weeks of semester two in which they received no teaching. Others, who withdrew from the course, would like to have their fees written off for those seven weeks. Those that withdrew during the pandemic would like to be able to return to the GSA with their places on the course guaranteed, which is something that Harriet said the school had not committed to.

To contribute to the student fund, visit “Art Students Demand Justice for Failed Education” on CrowdJustice. The group are also accepting donations for their online art auction, the details of which can be found on their Instagram and Twitter pages, using the handle @artschoolracket.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

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If I could turn back time...

Our Views editors reflect on the mistakes and mishaps of their time in first year mentioned smoking a joint, and I very robotically responded “oh yes, I am drug-friendly”. I mean, I was being honest but I sounded like a massive narc, and rest assured, they did not talk to me again - just be yourself, and your people will come to you.

Ciara McAlinden & Rothery Sullivan VIEWS EDITORS @uncleciara

Rothery: As a Fresher, I was one silly goose; I thought I had my life figured out, and even though I went into university with an open mind I was still shocked by the growth that was waiting for me. I thought I knew who I was until I stepped into Kelvinhaugh Gate for the first time and realized I was alone in a new place where no one knew me.

I could be anyone I wanted, and I knew that there were so many things about myself that were about to change for the better. However, a lot of my personal development would never have happened without making mistakes along the way.

One of the scariest things about starting university is having to open up to a stranger for the first time. I remember sitting in my room one night, watching Gilmore Girls on my laptop and eating popcorn in bed. I was perfectly content with my lonesome Friday evening when I heard a soft knock on my door. When I opened it, I found a pouty-faced baggy-sweatshirting-wearing flatmate with tears running down her face. I welcomed them in with a hug, not knowing that this moment was a catalyst for one of the deepest and healthiest friendships of my life. The lesson I learned from this experience was the importance of opening yourself up to others despite the fear of rejection. We never would have become friends had they not reached out to me because I was too afraid to share my emotions with others. Not everyone will like you when they first meet you, but giving a little bit of yourself can go a long way in creating meaningful relationships. Looking back, I wish I had been less afraid of rejection; if I was a little braver, I would have been more authentic with my friends, and put more effort into my relationships.

“Not everyone will like you when they first meet you, but giving a little bit of yourself can go a long way in creating meaningful relationships...”

“Just be yourself, and your people will come to you...”

Credit: Jack Corban

Credit: Dorota Dziki (@drawing_dora) Another thing I learned my first year was the importance of taking yourself seriously. I had a lot of interests, but they were things I considered mere hobbies and nothing more. However, as I progressed through university I realized that these time-fillers were actually things that I was passionate about. I didn’t want to join societies because I was afraid that everyone would be more talented, passionate, and smarter than me.

I didn’t take myself seriously and I let myself believe that I shouldn’t pursue my interests unless I was the best at them. After quarantine hit and I missed out on the end of my first year, I realized how silly that mindset was; I would never

become great at anything if I never tried. As I joined the societies I had been jealously observing, I realized that everyone in them was just a student like me, looking for a place to pursue their dreams and people to share their passions with. I had everything flipped around; I took life too seriously but didn’t have any faith in my own abilities.

I’m glad that I grew to be the person I am today, but I would advise any fresher to take risks in their relationships because you never know what the benefits will be. Make sure to have faith in your abilities because people stop pushing you once you become an adult. Take control of your own

growth and although it’s hard, do your best to be brave.

Ciara: As a fresher, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll mess up in front of people. There’s honestly no shame in it, and more often than not, your hiccup will become a funny story that you’ll laugh at for years to come. I’m going to tell you a couple of mine, in the hopes that you can learn what not to do to avoid embarrassment.

We all want to make friends as quickly as possible when we start uni, but it’s crucial that you are your authentic self, and don’t try too hard to be “cool”. I know it’s a cliché, but when I had one of my first conversations at uni, someone

When it comes to your studies, I’m not going to lecture you; it’s difficult to find a work/pub balance when you start uni, but you’ll find it in time (perhaps prompted by a telling-off from your mother).

One important thing that I can tell you, however, is to make sure you’re in the right room for your lecture or seminar. I once walked into a room and took a seat, and everyone began speaking Russian - I don’t think I need to tell you that this wasn’t the English Literature seminar I had signed up for. Not only did I have to tell these strangers I was in the wrong room, I had to tell my actual tutor why I was late. So please, in memory of my wrong-doings, remember where you’re meant to be.

After finding your people and beginning your studies, the last thing you have to remember is to know your limits - at the very least, do NOT mix vodka, wine and Sourz into one bottle for chugging. Yes, sadly this is another one of my stories. It was a chilly November night in Queen Margaret halls, and, as you can guess, I mixed the lethal trio in a bottle and chugged. Exactly 20 minutes later, I requested that Wuthering Heights by the one and only Kate Bush be put on, so I could give a show-stopping performance. As I reached the chorus high note, my stomach gave up, and I vomited all over the communal bean bags before passing out on them … and let it be noted that I didn’t stop performing through this ordeal.

Do I wish that night had gone differently? No - it was just too fucking funny, and it brought me closer to my friends. Do I wish that I didn’t have such a killer hangover the next day? Yes, definitely.

I can’t tell you much - I’m now in my final year and I still embarrass myself on a weekly basis - but I can tell you that being yourself, keeping organised, and knowing your limits will keep you safe and happy.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

8

6 September 2021

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Dude, Where’s My Flat?

Georgie Whiteley WRITER

While many face problems further down the line, others are falling at the first hurdle: finding somewhere to live.

Within Glasgow, the West End is the de facto area most Glasgow University students want to live; it is (relatively speaking) safe, close to teaching facilities, features all local amenities needed, and, perhaps most importantly, where everyone else is. Not only does the West End afford you the ability to get out of bed and make it to a lecture within 20 minutes, but it also grants access to a bustling social scene, filled with your friends, their friends, and parties you are invited to solely off meeting a stranger while drunk. To many, a positive university experience hinges on this; after all, what is university without the hazy nights you can’t remember.

Thus, many remain committed to the West End within their property search, even when faced with borderline illegal tenancies and staggering rent charges (just be thankful you’re not renting in Edinburgh).

Quite obviously, this comes with a price; everyone is searching for the same properties in the same area. Flats are uploaded and taken down within hours, sometimes even less, and f lat hunting moves from being a one-month endeavour, to a three-month slog. Listings featuring multicoloured walls

Ishani shares her do’s and don’ts of online dating Ishani Mukherjee

With a new term comes new challenges or, as many have found, challenges which have resurfaced. The student rental market within Glasgow has never been one to favour tenants.

Horror stories permeate discussions: seeing your own breath as you exhale in a friend’s living room in winter, collecting keys to a f lat that hasn’t been cleaned, landlords refusing to answer a resident’s concern because they are female. While it’s highly important that everyone feels safe, warm, and well-looked after in their homes, perhaps the most frustrating problem within Glasgow’s rental market right now is actually securing a property in the first place.

“The most frustrating problem within Glasgow’s rental market right now is actually securing a property in the first place...”

Red flags on Tinder WRITER

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws) and carpets are snapped up and, even more baff lingly, those with no pictures have been reserved unconditionally due to their location. Prospective tenants face rejection everywhere: viewing lists which are full after an evening, phone lines which will keep you on hold for 40 minutes, applications which are often entirely ignored. As the university’s starting date looms closer and closer, students are still left without a nearby home.

“Flat hunting moves from being a one-month endeavour, to a three-month slog...”

Recently, the University released a statement acknowledging this lack of available accommodation. Some may question why this is the case, however the most obvious factor – and the most unique – is the prevalence of Covid-19. Many have been priced out of higher rents, either from rising rent prices in Glasgow, or from losing their job during the pandemic. Further, some rental properties have not returned to the market: smaller landlords have had to sell their properties, while other flats are being used as holding space for students who can’t return. This combination of factors has made renting a flat as a student unpredictably tough in an area which

was already in high demand in previous years. Despite the guarantee from the University of accommodation for international and first year students, this response doesn’t offer comfort to those in later years, and so, many have turned elsewhere.

Briefly searching Rightmove or Zoopla returns many vacant properties waiting to be snatched up, the only problem being that many are, at best, 40 minutes away, or at worst, over an hour and a half. And here, students face a conundrum: do you wait until you can secure a flat within the West End, or look elsewhere.

To many it doesn’t seem worth it; the commute is too far, too expensive, and the area might not be quite so attractive. To others though, it presents an opportunity. Flats in the East End or Southside are often cheaper than their counterparts in the West End. Similarly, both areas have their own culture; local pubs and independent shops flourishing in places where rent hasn’t reached untenable levels. A commute – easily walkable or cycled – can be a satisfying trade for those who find value in the local shops available and those who desire cheaper rent.

Despite these benefits, it might not be desirable. For many, convenience rules above all: the time it takes to get to university, the ability to see friends easily, and the capacity to feel safe in a student area. The flat hunt may be hard, but the West End and everything it brings (including the nickname ‘West End Wanker’) means the stress, the refusals, the unanswered applications, the long phone calls, and the letting agencies, may be worth it.

There is debate regarding what is an appropriate way to date or casually meet someone. As a fresher, there were whispers through the halls about Tinder’s reputation: it carries the benefits of meeting new people, especially during a time when you want to connect with people desperately, but it’s also notorious for its creepy, awkward and unpleasant interactions.

One boring night, my friends and I decided to sign ourselves up for some online dating action. The pressure of building the perfect profile can seem daunting: you must have some cute but candid pictures, and a good opening line is a necessity. We began swiping, and then came the realization: what do I do when I get a match? If you’re lucky, you may find someone you get along with, someone who has the same interests or has the same sense of humor. However, even the most perfect Tinder matches can often lead to horrific dates. After some surprisingly awkward dates, I wished that someone had told me about the red flags to look out for on dating sites.

The first one is to trust your gut. If someone constantly has to apologise for what they say to you, or they’re making you uncomfortable with their conversation topics, trust your intuition and unmatch them. No person that is making you feel unsafe is worth your time, no matter how attractive they are.

Secondly, look out for late night texts. If you are not explicitly looking for something casual, and someone texts you at a time that is consistently convenient for them, chances are they’re not the one for you. On the flip side of this, if you’re only looking for something casual and someone is texting you more often than you’d like or seems to be more invested than you, it’s a good idea to unmatch. If the per-

son you’re talking to isn’t looking for the same type of relationship as you, continuing conversation is just a waste of time. Another easy way to waste your time is to continuously put in effort with people who are clearly not interested. If you’re on Tinder to meet new people, someone who cancels on you regularly might not be someone you want to form a relationship with. A one-off incident is excusable, but it would be a waste of time to invest in someone that doesn’t value your time and energy. Although it can be a hit to the ego, it’s important to recognize when someone is just not interested. Lastly, watch out for people who make too many sexual innuendos. If all of your conversations consist of sexual jokes and juvenile innuendos, you might want to question this person’s maturity, or their compatibility with your personality.

If you don’t enjoy the conversation, this match probably is not for you.

“Although it can be a hit to the ego, it’s important to recognize when someone is just not interested...”

Bottom line, I have had brilliant conversations with some people that turned out to be disastrous dates, and met some really boring texters that turned out to be really interesting people.

The only way to know for certain if Tinder is for you is to give it a try, but remember to trust your gut, and be honest about your expectations.

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws)

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

9

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The final stage is acceptance: is my grieving wrong?

Editor-in-Chief Hailie Pentleton asks if there is a proper way to grieve Hailie Pentleton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @hailiepentleton

It would have been my Papa’s 80th birthday last week. I missed out on being able to go home and visit his resting place because I was waiting on another PCR test result. As much as she misses him, I don’t reckon my Granny would have been too fond of the idea of paying him an early visit. Once again, rules, restrictions, and the virus prevent me from being able to spend time with my loved ones at a difficult time.

As I write this, it has been 441 days since I last held his hand.

Lockdown started in March, we lost him in June. My partner and I were shielding through that whole period of time, meaning that with the exception of shopping deliveries, our contact with the outside world was very limited. I remember sitting on the edge of my bed crying into a bowl of porridge, shaking with tears, as I processed my loss. This was in April, months before the news of his actual death would be delivered by my dad from the doorway of my tiny Cessnock apartment. Somehow, I knew it was coming. We’d nearly lost him several times over the last three years, a cocktail of conditions threatening an early departure.

But this time it felt different. His care would be restricted, his company would dwindle, and I would probably never see him again.

year-and-a-half has taught me anything it’s that you can’t to-dolist your way out of grief. It isn’t a linear process; the only way to grieve properly is to let it wash over you in ugly, unpredictable ways. Those seven stages - shock and disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance - aren’t there to be checked off one by one. They’re there to confuse the absolute shit out of you as you try to make sense of your own, individual feelings.

Acceptance came first for me.

Having already resigned myself to losing a year-or-so of my life to a pandemic, I had to accept very early on that I was going to lose my Papa, and there was nothing I could do to make it any easier for anyone. It hurt, I lost sleep, but I had no choice other than to accept the inevitable. Then came the anger. In his final few months, I saw him once.

I moved in with my Granny and Grandpa when I was 16, meaning that I had become a young carer.

Until I moved away for university, I saw my grandparents every

day. My after-school special was a hot chocolate and an episode of Death in Paradise. Often, I’d have extra visits from my papa during the night, as he tended to wander about the house in the wee hours when his brain became a bit too much to handle alone. To go from spending the best part of your teenage years with someone, to only being able to see them once before their passing is heartbreaking. But the heartbreak would come later, I was too busy trying to tame my anger.

Up until this point, I had followed lockdown rules to the letter. It took a tearful call from my Granny for me to throw caution to the wind and drive home for what I knew would be goodbye. The guilt weighed on me so heavily that I could barely drag myself up their driveway. What if I somehow gave my Gran coronavirus? How would I manage to make it through the whole visit without hugging them. I wouldn’t, and it would be ludicrous to pretend that I feel guilty for it now.

In the midst of it all, I would see

an Instagram story showing a group of classmates having a party, pre-pandemic style. Then I would see red. How people could act so nonchalant at such a terrifying time was beyond me? But worse, how could I have been so silly as to think that staying away from my dying grandfather would keep coronavirus at bay? Whether complying with the rules was silly is neither here nor there, but the anger toward myself was unparalleled.

“It took a tearful call from my Granny for me to throw caution to the wind and drive home for what I knew would be goodbye...”

Now, over a year on, I am encountering stage one: disbelief.

I feel it every time I drive up to their house and realise that his car doesn’t sit in the driveway anymore. When I’m organising things for my wedding I have to remind myself that my Papa, the great dancer that he was, won’t be on the dancef loor beside me.

When Google Photos shows me videos of my Papa’s stand-up comedy, I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I’ll never hear his voice again. I realise now, that there really is no other way to grieve than to just let yourself do it. To do anything else would be inauthentic, and insulting to the ones we love. Tears will come when they come, and if they don’t you aren’t broken. There is no guide book to follow, no checklist to work your way through, and no need to pretend you are feeling things to fulfil out-ofdate expectations. What use is pretending to feel the “right” things when there is no right way to feel?

“His care would be restricted, his company would dwindle, and I would probably never see him again...”

I’ve always been terrified of loss, because I had no idea what to expect of myself. Being neurodivergent, I’ve never done things very conventionally: at the age of 21, my grasp of social cues is limited at times. For the best part of a year before I lost my Papa, I had panicked conversations with my therapist about what proper grieving should look like. Should I cry straight away? Am I supposed to, in line with the first stage of grief, act shocked, as though I can’t believe he’s gone (when logically, as much as it hurts, I can)? What if I don’t seem sad enough? What if I’m not sad enough. Patiently, he would wait until I was finished garbling on about the grief I had not yet encountered, and say “The only way to grieve is to let yourself feel things as and when they arise. You can’t script loss”.

And he was right. If the last

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

10

6 September 2021

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The Chronicles of a Black Gay Fresher Dating apps, dancefloors and downright racist encounters.

Alexander Benjamin WRITER

Starting university for me was an opportunity to explore who I am as a young, Black, gay man. I figured that going to a new city with new people would allow me to fearlessly express who I am without the worry of bumping into unpleasant old classmates or disapproving family members. This was coupled with the excitement of knowing I would meet new people, make new friends and, if I’m lucky, have a cute guy in one of my tutorials. Eager and starry-eyed I hadn’t truly considered the larger differences there would be in leaving home and heading to Glasgow.

Something I had never considered was the vast difference of demographics between my home city Birmingham and Glasgow. Birmingham is a multicultural city, with 42% of its population being non-White compared to around 12% in Glasgow. This wasn’t a problem for me until I realised that for some, I would be a novelty, an intriguing new-found spectacle.

Going out during Freshers week was sometimes a unique experience. Understandably, everyone wants to make friends, however some people take it to the extreme, being overly keen and randomly throwing out phrases such as “yass queen” and “slay” when I hadn’t done anything to warrant it. I didn’t really think anything of it until I got a message at 2am one

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws) night from a girl I had met the previous night explaining how she was from the middle of the countryside in Ireland and needed a change from seeing White people. I was torn: on the one hand she seemed so nice, yet on the other hand I could not stop cringing. Never in my life had I been asked to school someone on African/Black culture because she was such a fan of “jazz and hip-hop”. While I do love hiphop, I know little to nothing about jazz. It also renders the budding friendship artificial in my eyes as I feel like this person only wants to be friends with me because of the colour of my skin. Why can’t people just act normal around Black gay people?

Credit: Dorota Dziki

“Why can’t people just act normal around Black gay people...”

With the best intentions, people often made remarks of how “I remind them of Rickey Thompson”, or how we’re “so similar”.

As much as I love Rickey Thompson, I know for a fact that I do not look like him or even have the same personality as him. If I did, I would have started my

own YouTube channel by now!

In a similar vein, I am often mistaken for another Black person on campus. Frankly, these comments didn’t bother me as I viewed them more of a warning signal: steer clear! These can often be the type of people who also “don’t see colour” and “find Black people interesting,” failing to recognise that Black people can be very different from one another. I also think that those people would be very disappointed once they find out I’m introverted and cannot dance, and as a result don’t match up to the idea of me they have in their head. As in most cases, comparing someone to

someone else rarely ends well.

I was generally pleasantly surprised by how I was treated on dating apps. The bar is low, remember, embarrassingly low!

That means to say that while I still received creepy messages, often with racist undertones, they were no more prevalent in Glasgow than they were in Birmingham - as I said, the bar was very low. Nevertheless, I grew tired of using dating apps when I realised they were affecting my mental health, constantly being pulled every which way by people who either fetishized me or were repulsed by me. I have already written about the trials and tribulations of a young Black gay person on apps such as Grindr, so I won’t bore you with the gory details … I will say that if you are already familiar with what using apps like Grindr can be like in other cities in the UK, the experience won’t be too dissimilar in Glasgow; I still found it both nauseating and tiresome.

Generally, I found that people have good intentions. While being Black and gay has brought up some interesting situations, they have never been scarring.

It is mostly down to some people having very few encounters with Black people, and especially Black and gay people. All in all, Freshers’ week was a fun experience, although I wish some people were aware of how ignorant they can come across.

Eco-ableism and the climate crisis Hailie Pentleton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @hailiepentleton

With COP26 coming to Glasgow in November, the Scottish Government has announced the creation of the First Minister’s Environmental Council, a group of world-leading scientists and climate professionals established to advise the government on environmental issues.

As was noted by Nicola Sturgeon, “Scotland has a unique opportunity to show leadership [on environmental issues] on the world stage” - to have a hand in guiding how other countries approach the climate crisis. With such a platform comes great responsibility. Used correctly, the Scottish government could spur on a significant change in attitude towards what we ought to be prioritising when attempting to tackle such an immense crisis. However, there appears to be someone missing from the group’s membership list, a gap that, if not filled, will be felt by many. Maybe it was an oversight, but there is no one to advise on how environmental issues (and responses to them) impact on disabled people.

“There appears to be someone missing from the group’s membership list, a gap that, if not filled, will be felt by many...”

More often than not, disabled people are the last group to be considered in the decision-making process. The lack of preventative measures put in place for disabled people during the pandemic meant that six out of 10 Covid-19 related deaths were of disabled people. As Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glacy expressed on Twitter: “We’ve just seen what happened when disabled people weren’t involved in responding to one crisis [...] let’s not make the same mistake when responding to this one”. The UN Environment programme has highlighted that disabled people are disproportionately affected by

the consequences of the climate crisis. Compromised health makes disabled people more vulnerable to infectious diseases. When power gives out, they lose access to their equipment. When bushfires raze down villages, it’s far more difficult for disabled people to evacuate safely. We cannot address the climate crisis without accounting for the needs of the world’s largest minority group.

“We cannot address the climate crisis without accounting for the needs of the world’s largest minority group...”

The notion of eco-ableism is often overlooked, but it is so crucial to be mindful of when attempting to tackle the climate crisis. Essen-

tially, this is when environmental policies and activists fail to explicitly take the needs of disabled people into account when planning their response to the crisis or formulating sustainable solutions to environmental issues. Take, for example, the seemingly minor issue of banning single-use plastic straws. People decried this idea when it was originally brought up back in 2019, disgusted by the idea of having to use a mushy, paper straw for their McDonald’s milkshake. But for many disabled people, it was genuinely difficult to imagine a world where these could be banned. Alternatives like paper or metal straws just don’t work, and requiring disabled people to specifically request a plastic straw when they enter an establishment forces them to disclose their disability, and puts them at risk of discrimination. Or, consider the notion of car-free zones. In Glasgow, there are several car-free zones in place around schools across the city, to reduce traffic and encourage people to use other, more sustainable modes of transport. Whilst there are exceptions made for blue badge holders, disabled people who have not procured a blue badge from

their local council will be charged £50 for entering these zones.

The climate crisis is already here, and she’s not going to slow down any time soon. We have to act with urgency. But we also have to act with care, compassion, and consideration, for both our environment and for those people who will be disproportionately affected by the crisis.

Credit: Thoa Ngo via Unsplash

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

11

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Change your opinion, and then change it again with well-worn ideas formed as teens or young adults. Coming DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF into university, confident off the back of bagging a spot in the first From halls to seminars, to place, it’s easy to take advice and the debates chamber, to sitting “stay true to yourself”. In reality, round crammed pub tables, uni- the opposite is far more imporversity has no shortage of set- tant. tings to share your opinion, or We are in our formative years. grumble in disgust at the opin- University is a place to argue ions of others. The West End has about bands, or TV shows; Scotits fair share of conscientious tish Independence; shambolic high-achievers, comfortable international politics; how to Credit: Juliana Romão via Unsplash Rosie Shackles

pronounce Paesano (I have spoken to the owner; I was wrong … it is PIEsano). But, too much pressure has been put on sticking to your guns, arguing till you’re blue in the face, and never admitting you’re wrong. Discussion is healthy; so is calling out bullshit, and so is apologising if a mark has been overstepped.

And, most importantly, so is change. If you have the exact same views as you toss your cap

into the air four years after sitting alone in your first seminar, you have done something wrong.

Different backgrounds and experiences bring different levels of expertise on different subjects. Passion does not always equate to knowledge, and passionate and knowledgeable people will not always lead to the same conclusion. This is not to say that you should only have opinions backed by emotion or expertise; but a lesson I’ve learned is that at these junctions, your time is better spent listening, contemplating, and, more often than not, changing.

I’m still trying to do this myself, and it doesn’t always come easily …

I’m not a political junkie myself. I vote, I care, and I watch the 8 o’clock news. I came into university as a stoic nationalist, having missed out on a vote in the Independence referendum by a matter of months. From my first university post night-out

kebab to now, many kebabs later, Brexit has been actioned, a pandemic fucked us all over, and Glasgow University still invests in the arms trade. Some things have changed, some things have stayed the same.

Allow yourself to be moulded by the people you meet, the things you read, and the mistakes that you make. I’m not necessarily talking about a complete upheaval of thought, but offer to be open to difficult conversations that can bloom naturally in new environments. Amongst other changes, I am no longer (as stoic) a Scottish nationalist, and I have started pronouncing Paesano correctly (sometimes). As students, we will always encounter people with outrageously different views to our own, and that’s fine. But there’s no need to come out the end of university with the piece of paper and the same prisintely kept set of ideas you came in with. What would be the point?

Transparency required for essential texts Ciara McAlinden VIEWS EDITOR @uncleciara

“Now,” says the course convenor in an authoritative tone, “it is essential that you buy these six books, and you must take note of the exact edition that you’re required to buy.” Naive 18-yearold Ciara, with no idea how to use the library and a deep fear of messing up the first week of university, rushed out to buy all of her books right away.

I already owned two of them, but apparently it was absolutely necessary to get the newest edition of the texts. The other purchases seemed fair enough, anthologies mainly - anthologies that contain works that I could find online, I later realised. I also realised a couple of weeks in that one of my pricey books was written by a lecturer on my course; and was available in the library. In retrospect, only one of the six books I was asked to buy was needed for the course, and still helps me today.

“Only one of the six books I was asked to buy was needed for the course...”

Now let’s skip a couple of years to honours. My other subject, one that has always only required online reading, now has a suggested text that is available to buy. The man that teaches this course, and indeed wrote the book, tells us to just access it online if we can’t af-

ford to purchase it; he provides the class with a PDF of his book after explaining that it’s a helpful text for the entirety of the course. He details that he does gain income from student purchases of his work, but understands that buying a pricey book after paying for rent, bills and food is perhaps not viable to everyone in the class.

I’d like to preface how I feel about this by saying that I entirely understand and respect that writing provides a portion of income to lecturers. This being said, I feel that there comes a point when a lecturer should acknowledge the financial limitations of students. For a lot of people, SA AS is not meant to cover over £100 book purchases; it’s meant to cover living costs that we wouldn’t otherwise meet without a full-time job. The difference between these two situations that I’ve detailed is that one course understands this, and the other either doesn’t (or simply doesn’t care). What annoyed me in particular about the first scenario was the entire lack of acknowledgement that almost all of our texts were available online or in the library for free. As a student of literature , I fully expected to need to buy books at some point due to the nature of the course, but I also assumed that these could be borrowed, or second-hand from a charity shop.

I have since learned that my initial assumption was correct, and in fact, the lecturer of this subject seemed to just be trying to milk money out of new students that didn’t know exactly how necessary a brand new copy of an old book is. In my (skint) opinion, I prefer the way that my subsequent teacher

dealt with the situation; just as I recognise that book purchases form an element of his income, he recognised that we didn’t necessarily have that money to give, and provided us a way around it. In the end, I bought his book because it was a very interesting read that I’d like to keep beyond my days of Moodle and JSTOR accessibility. In scenario one, I don’t think the lecturer gave enough credit to

students for their love of learning, and assumed that books would only be bought if it was a necessity.

Now, I know it may sound cheap, but the fact is that we already pay so much in tuition and living expenses that purchasing books should be optional, and all necessary books should be kept in the library. Better yet, when they are available in the library, first years who aren’t

yet familiar with the university should be told this. It should be in the interest of those who teach us to be understanding and transparent. Trust me when I say that the work will be read, and even bought, but only when it’s viable to do so. So, lecturers - please be a bit more transparent with students, and especially first years. They’re nervous and naive, so just cut a bit of slack.

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws)

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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6 September 2021

Features

Picking a bone: Independence at University

Editor-in-Chief Lucy Dunn shares her experience of struggling with the uncontrolled and sudden freedom that comes with starting university

Lucy Dunn EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @lucyidunn

September 2016. Two days before my eighteenth birthday. £850 of SAAS freshly deposited into my famished bank account. I was leaving home and starting afresh, the sweetness of my long-awaited and inevitable freedom was delectable. What could go wrong?

“This is it,” I’d thought to myself when my parents dropped me off at Queen Margaret Halls, alongside three suitcases filled with a wardrobe I planned to replace as soon as financially possible, two IKEA bags packed to the brim with fake plants and overpriced bedding, and a bottle of Smirnoff Gold I’d hidden at the bottom of a handbag. I had been waiting for this moment for so long - it followed approximately two years of growing tension at home, especially under the loving, but undeniably overprotective, eyes of my parents - and I still remember the adrenaline-filled bubbles of excitement, coupled with a relative level of anxiety, I felt when moving in.

Halls were great, and I was lucky: I had an exceptional group of flatmates, and the flat above us made 11B their second home. But I had never had to look after myself before, and as much as I had craved independence, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing.

The issue of money was the most pressing, and recurrent, setback I faced. I knew I had to budget, but I was idealistic and irresponsible. I had been working full time all summer but I was young, superficial and aesthetically-driven, so I spent my first couple thousand on braces with almost nothing left over to let me live my life. SAAS had come in but I wanted to milk that £850 for all it was worth, and so without the bemusement of mum to veer me back towards straight-thinking, I decided that surely a food budget of £7 per week would be entirely satisfactory. This lowly funding

was, frankly, disgraceful. I lived off cuppa soup and low-cal crustless bread for the first two months, occasionally splashing out to Tesco’s own cereal bars, and sometimes even NutriGain when I was feeling boujée, though this would set me back a significant number of pounds I didn’t have.

“I knew I had to budget, but I was idealistic and irresponsible...”

So that was the cutting back on non-essentials sorted out; now the stuff I had no control over: nights out. Whilst scrimping on nutrition, I refused to turn down a club night. Freshers Week was particularly expensive, and I have no clue why because my alcohol tolerance peaked at a consistent half bottle of Echo Falls. Laziness likely played a part: I took taxis everywhere - including to lectures I was running late for. My Uber bill was obscene - I was going to check it for the purposes of this article but I’m too embarrassed to fork through those emails.

Binge drinking during Freshers’ Week is acceptable though - what’s more problematic is going out four nights a week in the lead up to your exams. There was a point, and I don’t know when, where any wholesome creativity left me and boredom equaled justification to go out. I wasn’t dragged along under peer pressure most of the time either; I remember, with great clarity, pitching to my flatmates why going to Hive for the third time that week would be worth it: “When you’re 60 and in a care home, you’ll look on these days and wish you’d taken these chances…”.

A lot of the freedom of university is stereotypically associated with drinking, and this was no exception to my life either. At school, I’d always had to try and sneak

back in undetected, training myself how to walk in a straight line down the driveway and spraying perfume in my mouth to get rid of the boozy breath (I have now ruined Prada Candy for myself forever: no perfume tastes as good as it smells). With there being no need to contain myself like this at University, I stopped watching how much I drank and, for a time, became invincible... Until I ended up on the floor outside Beer Bar, with security staff sternly telling me I had to get up or they’d call me an ambulance. “Please call me an ambulance!” I’d sobbed. I wish I could say my melodrama had faded with maturity.

With the increase in drinking, there was a decrease in thinking. I was already starting medicine off on a shaky foot - I’m not very good at science - but at the time I convinced myself that the whole year was crammable and it would all fall together of its own accord. To be clear: this is not the case. The only thing that got me through that exam was a month of no sleep and near-lethal doses of caffeine.

I think it was after my car crash - the result of tight corners and inexperience in handling these on the way to a hospital placement one morning - that I needed the most support and yet overly-independent Lucy was so busy trying to convince everyone else she was fine that she didn’t see the red flags herself. It’s a lot harder than you’d think to recognise when you’re not okay; your flatmates and friends have hardly known you for long enough to make the call either. I didn’t offload to anyone for so long that more damage was done - though thankfully now I’m back behind the wheel again, even if my competence on the road is slagged by cynical friends and family at any given point.

There are other issues with too much freedom at University too: it’s an emotionally charged time and, psychologically, coming of age presents huge challenges. I’m

Credit: Dorota Dziki (@drawing_dora)

sure many of us have ended up in situations we would look back on now with a lot of cringe and/or regret, only wishing we’d had some voice of rationality to pull us away. What’s the solution? I don’t really know. The problem was partly mine: I never made myself aware of available resources from the University, the SRC, the GP, or even just friends and family, because I never thought I’d need them.

We’re never as strong as we

think, and there’s no shame in admitting this. Coming to university has been the most life-changing series of events I’ve lived to date, and the freedom was enlightening. I still can’t budget, and I still can’t handle my drink, but I do know - a bit better - when to ask for help, and when to reach out to those around me for support. Independence is freeing until it’s not: don’t be shackled by your own stubbornness.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

13

Features

Liberté, égalité, pandémie Ross McCool WRITER

allowing both personal freedom and protection from those that would harm us.

Some may take the more traditional route and, understanding that we live in a democracy, emphasise that as we elect those that are currently in governance, we should be governed by this group of people during a crisis.

I think that we forget how lucky we are to live in a democratic nation. We tend to not only neglect that others do not share this privilege, but also forget the struggles that those that came before endured to ensure universal suffrage and the installation of justice and democratic values. Whilst we are a long way from living in a utopia (and there are still long ways to go to create a more open and accepting society), we have come far. As we exercise our democratic right to vote, we must accept the responsibility to be governed, as long as the government respects our rights and is free from tyranny, a sentiment echoed by John Locke, another champion of Liberalism.

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws)

Covid-19 has brought drastic change and calamity to the modern world. Within the United Kingdom, the public have not faced such curtails to personal freedom since the Second World War. From the introduction of the largest lockdown procedures that have seen the light of day, to the enforcement of masks and social distancing, our social interactions and lives appear dramatically different to those just two years ago. With the additional time that many have endured over the last 18 months, many have questioned restrictions, turning to philosophy (whether they are aware of this or not) to provide mental exercise, healthy curiosity, or a method of intellectual dissent.

“The public have not faced such curtails to personal freedom since the Second World War...”

These questions hail from some of the biggest areas of philosophy, ranging from the political philosophy - to question how much power and authority governments should have and how these are used - to the philosophy of mind: considering how our mental states affect our decisions and sense of self. We all have free will, or at least appear to possess this trait. This seems to be a simple facet of common sense: we have freedom within ourselves to consider our options and freely make a decision.

We can choose which overpriced coffee shop to order from or which bar to hit up to celebrate that end of exam season relief, but we can also use that freedom to consider how we should govern our lives, and how we should live within a community.

Some have come to the conclusion that governments have overreached and unjustly infringed upon the individual’s autonomy when considering the

current global pandemic. Whilst this may cause a knee-jerk and cringe-inducing reaction from some, it may still be worth considering this outlook. These arguments tend to present the view that governments have over-extended their power and inf luence on individuals. This reaction has typically appeared in discussions of Covid passports: a method to refuse access to travel, venues or events to people who are unwilling or unable to receive vaccination. Sections of society have raised concern that these could create systematic discrimination that is currently outlawed. The Scottish Human Rights Commission has stated their reluctance to support such measures, fearing the ethical and legal implications regarding the storage and availability of confidential patient medical history and further marginalisation of the homeless, refugees, and migrants within healthcare.

Such retort has proven challenging for even the most fervent supporter of vaccine passports to subdue, with many believing

that such measures would simply be Draconian and far from an example of Egalitarianism in practice.

We may also question the haste of passing reactionary and emergency legislation. Whilst many of these proposed bills and laws have an expiry date, such as the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill passed by the Scottish Government in April, there is still clear fear and doubt within some that these responses will remain temporary. We only need to look back at the “War on Terror” where many individual rights were stripped or curtailed in the effort to combat domestic and foreign terrorism. From internet privacy to our rights when detained under arrest, our personal liberties and the world around us has drastically changed as a result. While it could be argued it’s an intellectual fallacy to assume what happened before may happen again, this does not cease the fear and apprehension felt by some for what is still to come.

On the other hand, many have

turned their intellectual efforts to defending restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, with this situation providing a real experiment for many philosophical ideas, such as John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle. A central tenet of Liberalism, Mill argued that we should be free to act without government intervention unless our actions cause harm to others. This idea provides the genesis of the conversational piece: “They aren’t hurting anyone, so why shouldn’t they be allowed to do it?” So for example, I am free to run until I collapse as I am causing no harm to anyone else. However, it could be argued that Mill would support Covid restrictions, as someone infected with the virus has the potential to pass on the harmful disease which can cause a great deal of suffering, harm and even death to others.

Therefore, governments not only should introduce restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19, but they must protect those under their governance. I believe that this is the most sensible option,

“Whilst we are a long way from living in a utopia... we have come far...”

As lockdown measures are starting to lift in the United Kingdom, there has been a multitude of responses. These range from people continuing to follow government guidelines, those more reluctant to the easing of precautions, and those who plan to enjoy the latest easing of restrictions. For those continuing to follow guidelines, they will continue to wear masks and minimise unnecessary journeys, whilst those that plan to enjoy their regained freedom will throw caution to the wind, enjoying the return of clubbing, socialising, and many other liberties. Regardless of your outlook, the global pandemic has brought greater philosophical consideration to the general public. The ability to question how we live is the glue to a healthy society.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

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6 September 2021

Features

Thought Experiment: A Celtic Union What it might look like if Scotland and Ireland joined together Jamie Salem-Dalgety FEATURES EDITOR

As someone who’s from Northern Ireland, but grew up in Scotland, the concept of a Celtic Union has never been too far from my mind. Throughout debates surrounding both Scottish Independence and a United Ireland, I have generally sat on the fence.

I was born to a Jewish mother in the centre of Belfast (the ultimate neutral stance you can take in tensions between Protestants and Catholics), and at various times in my life I have identified to varying degrees as Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, and/or British. However, despite my primarily “apologist” views towards either side of both Irish and Scottish debates, there could be a quiet inevitability to the two campaigns’ successes.

Repeated electoral success for the SNP combined with strong “Yes” vote polling numbers for the last two years could indicate the future of independence. The coming results of the 2021 Northern Ireland Census may show that the Catholic population has surpassed the Protestant population, all but triggering a referendum for unification.

“Throughout debates surrounding both Scottish Independence and a United Ireland, I have generally sat on the fence...”

So, I pose to you the following thought experiment: were both Scottish Independence and a United Ireland to happen, what would it be like if the two banded together in this brave new world?

The concepts underlying a Celtic Union (sometimes referred to as Pan-Celticism) are not particularly new. Before the invasion of the Roman empire, much of Europe included historic groups that are retroactively considered Celtic.

They spread from the Alps region, through to France and Spain, with a particular prominence in Brit-

ain and Ireland. Developing from this period of history, Pan-Celticism became a politicised concept from the late 18th century.

Early on there were connections made by individuals and groups to create projects together. This came alongside the “Celtic Revival” which saw artistic movements harkening back to the Celtic period. During the early 1900s, there were three Pan-Celtic Congress’ organised by the Celtic Associations. Later on, there have been several further booms of Pan-Celticism spirit following the Irish Easter Rising of 1916, and during The Troubles.

As large parts of England and Wales were also historically Celtic, some may wonder why these would not be included in a Celtic Union. There is both an obvious political argument, and a historical one. Politically, there is less tangible support for an independent Wales, and it feels fairly intuitive that a United Kingdom-heavy England would show disdain towards adopting their Celtic roots.

The historical justification is a bit more interesting: there were two dominant insular Celtic languages in Iron Age Britain and Ireland.

The first, which you are more likely to know, is Gaelic - which modernised to Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx. The second were Brythonic languages which now include Welsh, Breton and Cornish.

This clear separation of language, and of the culture derived from it, suggests that it may be more logical to propose a Celtic Union of Gaelic countries.

We don’t just share a history, either. There has long been an awareness of cultural similarities between the two places. We have both leaned heavily into our Celtic ancestry to form the roots of our modern day cultures. We both actively engage in folk dancing such as ceilidhs (or “ceili dances” in Ireland) and our traditional music has strong similarities too (it’s no coincidence that we both refer to violins as fiddles). The Irish even have their own type of bagpipes called the uilleann pipes. Think of all the jam sessions that could take place in our Celtic Union pubs… and speaking of pubs, we both love them. I mean, the whole of the United Kingdom and Ire-

land all have similar levels of alcoholism, but the love for whiskey is definitely a characteristic unique to Scotland and Ireland.

“Think of all the jam sessions that could take place in our Celtic Union pubs...”

Our scenery of beautiful hills, glens, lochs, and loughs feels reminiscent in both places. Our surnames are built similarly too: last names prefixed by “O” in Ireland means you’re “of” the clan name that follows, just as “Mac” means “son of” in Scotland. But most of all, it’s the people. There is a certain type of attitude towards life that we all have. Whether people come to Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Ireland, we are all noted for our warmth. We perfectly balance the dichotomy of being a friendly people, with a cheeky smile making others feel welcome, whilst honing a certain self-deprecating darkness in our humour. There’s a reason that when I moved from Belfast to Perth at the age of five I felt as if I hadn’t even left home. So whether it’s our common use of language (I still can’t tell if “gaff” originated in Scotland or Ireland), or the way we live our lives, it doesn’t feel too hard to imagine being a common people.

“I still can’t tell if “gaff” originated in Scotland or Ireland...”

What would the benefits and incentives be for the countries to form a new Celtic Union together, though? From a Scottish perspective, there is a glaringly obvious one: Scotland and Northern Ireland were both heavily in favour of remaining in the EU, and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) is already in the EU… you can join the dots. In reality, the expansion of including Scotland and Northern Ireland in the ROI’s EU membership would be endlessly complex.

That being said, it would certainly

help Scotland evade that pesky EU waitlist.

A much more fun benefit would be the likely (literal) bridge built between the two islands. Sure, the UK government always suggests doing it anyway, but I think it would be much more entertaining to build one near the Giants’ Causeway linking to Scotland.

There’s already a whole folktale (the story of Finn McCool) around this anyway, and think of the tourism money we’d make?! In all seriousness though, the expansion of each country’s economies through a new union is appealing, and convenient transport routes between Scotland and Ireland would be a must.

On a more earnest note, a point of consideration should be made for the people on the other side of both potential referendums.

Neither Scottish Independence or the Unification of Ireland is likely to be won by a landslide (if they are successful at all), and in both scenarios it’s likely a fair amount of the population is going to feel pretty miffed. Whether it’s Northern Irish Protestants now feeling like a significant religious minority in a United Ireland, or British Unionists in both countries who feel unfairly severed from the United Kingdom, it’s impossible for someone to win without others

to lose. It is here, though, where I think a Celtic Union between the countries could do some real good. Scotland has a much larger spread in religion than the Republic of Ireland does, and by combining the countries together it starts to look a lot more religiously diverse - which, in my opinion, can surely only be a good thing.

Additionally, the common desires between Northern Irish and Scottish Unionists would probably get them a better seat at the negotiating table when it comes to the new relationship with the UK, and it’s probably in everyone’s best interests for that relationship to suit everyone - nobody wants to bear witness to a renewal of the violence that we know can come from political unrest.

At the end of the day this is all just a hypothetical. No-one knows how either referendum would turn out or if they would happen in the first place. Even if they did and a Celtic Union really was on the table, would Scotland really want to walk away from one union just to join another? As someone who still hasn’t taken a hard stance on either debate, I really couldn’t say… though, in my heart, as someone who has lived in, and has family from, both countries, a Celtic Union does sound just a wee bit fun.

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

6 September 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

15

Lifestyle

Returning to campus fashion-foot forward Approaching campus fashion from a new perspective post-pandemic Katrina Siân Williams

ways envied in other people.

I figured out what I liked and what suited me from TikTok, Instagram and copious amounts of online shopping. I began to value those occasional days I actually got to leave the house and show my newfound fashion off.

And yes, dear reader, I figured out eyeliner, even if I was about five years too late.

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER @katrina_sian

The pavements of Glasgow Uni’s West End campus have historically been packed to the brim with fashion-conscious students.

Back in those glorious pre-pandemic days when we had a strict ten-minute changeover between lectures (yet another thing you took from me, Zoom), my firstyear commute from the Boyd Orr to the Gilmorehill Halls was a weave between high-waisted mom-jeans and thrifted knitwear.

I was so intimidated by it all at the time. I remember staring in awe at those bottle-dyed heads bobbing up and down under the muggy Glasgow sky, astounded at how easily everyone seemed to have found their own style – which, to 17 year-old me, remained completely elusive.

But now I look back on it with a chuckle for two reasons. Firstly, because I know that those same third and fourth years whose boldness I found so amazing as a fresher most likely threw that crazy colour over their scalps in an impulsive rush in the hours before a night out, and secondly, because I do the same thing every month or so over my bathroom sink in order to retain my sketchy home-dyed black hair. And to think I once said I’d never dye it because I was scared of losing my curls!

“I remember staring in awe at those bottledyed heads... astounded at how easily everyone seemed to have found their own style...”

University tends to be a place where you just fall into things.

“And yes, dear reader, I figured out eyeliner, even if I was about five years too late...”

Bumping into someone at the li-(@veryberrykitty) Suddenly, at the tail-end of my Credit: Katrina Siân Williams brary leads to a long night of drink- second year, I was locked up inside, ing later on. Getting lost on your bemoaning myself for my wasted way to a lecture means you end up potential. I had been lazy with my finding a great group of mates. It fashion. For me, there had been no was the same for me and fashion overnight glow-up, but two stag– I picked up pieces here and there nant years of biding my time. I can from campus vintage sales, city turn out an amazing outfit next centre outlets, so on and so forth. week, I had thought. For now, I’ll But there was one thing that held just turn up to my 9am in another me back – a lack of urgency. snuggly (yet extraordinarily ugly) When you’re a student, all the sweater and bide my time until the way up until that last rush to get next night out. your dissertation finished, university feels as if it’s going to last “There had been forever. You live your life strutting through the West-End with a pair no overnight of rose-tinted glasses, happy in the glow-up, but two knowledge that the campus is your stagnant years playground for all those years to of biding my come.

But then Covid-19 hit, and time...” everything changed.

But – shock and horror - next week was no more! For the rest of that semester, and all throughout my third year, I realised, like many others, that I had been taking those style opportunities completely for granted. My closet was an unorganised mess of clashing colours and patterns. My makeup bag was wheezing for fresh air.

And, to my complete embarrassment, I hadn’t even bothered with teaching myself how to do eyeliner - at the ripe old age of 20.

Yet, deep in that muddy pond of self-pity, something glimmered.

Though the pandemic may have taken away pretty much every normal thing in my life, it did give me something I never would have had otherwise: time. Months of and months of it led me to find that style of my own that I’d al-

Now, as we approach a new semester, and the start of my final year, we’re also hopefully heading back to normalcy. And, with normalcy, comes those 9am classes I always used to dread.

That was the old me. This time around, I’ll be putting my best foot forward, no matter if it costs me an extra half an hour of sleep.

I’ve got one more year here, and, my God, I’ll be damned if I don’t milk it for all that it’s worth.

Personally, I’d honestly be surprised if the majority of the student body doesn’t follow in my footsteps. We’ve been locked up inside for over a year now, after all. I want to see fantastic fashion filing up and down University Avenue, stupendous style in each and every lecture hall – and everywhere on campus, in the West End, all over Glasgow!

But, then again… there is nothing better than the feeling of a cosy pair of slippers warming your feet during a late-night library study sesh. Similarly, nothing can beat your comfiest pair of joggers in a mid-morning seminar after a whirlwind, hangover-inducing night out … … To be honest, now that I think about it, I’ll probably end up in that 9am with an ugly sweater at least once or twice.

6 September 2021

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

16

Lifestyle

I’m sorry I’ll never be her

Editor-in-Chief Hailie Pentleton discusses the reality of the #ThatGirl trend Hailie Pentleton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @hailiepentleton

If you’re a chronic over-worker like me, you might have found yourself scrolling through #ThatGirl TikTok, desperately searching for the secret ingredients for self-love and success. Do smoothie bowls and organic shakes lead to academic success? Will early morning rises and earth-toned workout sets unlock eudaimonia?

Well, yes, and no.

Being “that girl” is all about having your shit together. She is the clean-eating, always-reading, ultimate girlboss that, admittedly, many of us aspire to; a perfect, pinterest princess. On TikTok, she is (usually) a conventionally attractive white woman, who starts her day at 5am, completes her to-do-list before the morning is over, carefully creates low-calorie colour-themed meals, all without a single hair out of place. Each snippet of her sunny morning is serene, aesthetic, and soothing. Content like this is intended to be motivational, and it can be. Sometimes all you need to get out of a slump is that kickup-the-arse that seeing someone

else living their best life gives you. However, the issue I have with #ThatGirl is that, for most people, it is an unsustainable way of being. Living a healthy lifestyle is an attainable goal, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and it’s never half as pretty as TikTok influencers portray it to be. The thing about having your shit together is that you don’t have to package it into neat little dymo-labelled boxes. Sometimes it’ll be all over the floor, up the walls, spread across five different notebooks…I realise this metaphor could have been a little more tasteful, but take my point.

“Being “that girl” is all about having your shit together...”

Aesthetics do, of course, motivate us. There is a direct connection between appreciating beauty and experiencing happiness, as is evidenced by Professor Abraham Goldberg of the University of California, who found that people are happiest when they are surrounded by beautiful things. Feeling

beautiful and appreciating beau- to get up before six: you just need tiful things often allows us to feel to listen to your needs. calm, reflective, and safe. When Of course, listening to your we feel happy, we feel hopeful, needs can be hard, especially afand are more likely to pursue ter such a tumultuous year-andthings that continue to make us a-half of never knowing what feel happy. But beauty alone does the next day holds. Trends like not deliver long-term happiness; #ThatGirl are started with good focusing solely on how things intentions, offering an ideal to aslook to other people deprives us of pire to as we try to drag ourselves so many of life’s other pleasures. out of a year-long slump. KnowAnd spending half an hour mak- ing that there is an entire coming yourself feel guilty because munity of women with the same your Friday morning is less Ruby ideals as you can be encouraging, Granger and more Fleabag does but as is the case with most wellnothing but waste time (time you could have spent doing that yoga routine you’ve had bookmarked for three days).

This trend also mistakenly treats productivity as synonymous with hustle culture; asserting the false notion that to be successful you have to be busy all the time. But as one #ThatGirl influencer @glowupjenner states in her bio, taking care of yourself is productive. If being that girl is about being the very best version of yourself, then you don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds on workout clothes, you don’t have to limit yourself to eating fewer calories than your body needs for the aesthetic, you don’t even have Credit: AJ Duncan (ajd.illustrates)

ness-based internet trends, we have to differentiate between the reasonable and the unattainable.

Clean-living, carpe diem content can help to spur on some motivation, but you don’t need it to become your best self. Hold yourself accountable, yes, but don’t hold yourself to the standards of an ideal that eclipses your own reality. Make your bed, but let yourself make mistakes too, and remember that there isn’t a single person who truly knows what they’re doing.

Glasgow’s Declassified Uni Survival Guide Ciara McAlinden VIEWS EDITOR @uncleciara

It’s a brand-new year at Glasgow Uni, and a lot of things have changed since the last; we have a fancy new building, we all have to wear masks in the library and, for some reason, against the wishes of all students and God himself, the Fraser building apparently doesn’t do pizza anymore. While we’ve gone through many changes and a highly irregular year, there are habits, traditions, fashions, and attitudes that act as an unstoppable force against the immovable object that is Glasgow Uni. And what happens when those two eventually meet? A Glasgow Uni wanker is created. In this comprehensive step by step guide to the life of a student at Glasgow, I’ll make it easy for you newbies to fit in with the crowd, and remind the rest of us of the essentials.

Step 1: Spend your student loan wisely. In this case, “wisely” refers not to a freshly opened savings account, nor does it entail batch making packed lunches to save on food. To put it simply, a chunk of that loan has to go on a North Face jacket.

“But Ciara”, I hear you cry, “it’s not cold enough to wear a puffer jacket!” You’re right – but being a Glasgow Uni student isn’t about comfort, or about dressing for the weather: it’s about wearing a winter jacket in the heat of early September and then wearing shorts in December. Want to really boil your socks off? Go buy a tiny hat as well. You know those beanies that hardly cover your ears? The ones that are too warm for summer, but not warm enough for winter? From what I’ve observed on campus, I think that’s the uniform for attending the GUU.

Step 2: Stay hydrated! Oh wait, you don’t have a Chilly’s water bottle? How are you supposed to let the lecture hall know that you’re drinking water if you don’t batter your £20 metal water bottle off of the desk every five minutes? Hydration really isn’t that fun or important if you don’t have one…are you sure you want to use a sports bottle? Well, okay then… enjoy trying to hear the lecturer talk over the sound of everyone else’s Chilly’s bottles, I guess.

“Enjoy trying to hear the lecturer talk over the sound of everyone else’s Chilly’s bottles, I guess...”

Step 3: You’re not at school anymore, so you can pack away your things whenever you like! Here’s a neat little trick I’ve learned to make yourself known as one of the cool kids: when it’s approximately three minutes till the lecture ends, put your belongings in your tote bag as loud as you can, and bring out the three essentials: tobacco, skins and filters. Lay back in your seat, and roll up your Amber Leaf nice and slowly, before just sitting with it in your mouth. If the lecturer still has the audacity to be talking after you’ve rolled a messy cig, a great way to spend your time is to secure your tiny hat and puffer jacket to brave the bitter cold sun of September that we discussed earlier.

Step 4: Accept that your tastes might change over the course of your time here. University is a great way to meet new

people who like the same things as you, but it’s also an opportunity to discover new interests. My tastes have changed so much that I’ve entirely changed my degree! There is one constant that we all encounter in our time at uni, though, and that constant is the EDM guy. This isn’t one specific person, but rather a character in place at every student halls, in every lecture theatre, and at every after party. Although it’s healthy to expand your taste, just remember this: you don’t have to pretend to enjoy yourself when EDM guy hogs the AUX. Step 5: Grab your GU mask, and have fun. Pick your favorite union, best lunch spot, lecture seats, and find your people; yes even you EDM guy. This year we are all getting used to campus all over again, if not for the first time, so just take the time to get settled and you will find your own niche of GU wanker in no time. Trust me, it’s unavoidable.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

17

Lifestyle

Advice on homesickness Cooking disasters: Tiktok Seitan in halls Pandemonium

Michelle Osborne WRITER

Freshers’ week is known as a week for partying. A time to get drunk, meet new people, or hook up with strangers: it’s a time to go wild.

It’s also a time of transition. For many students, it’s their first time being away from home and having responsibilities, like budgeting and cooking. It can feel very lonely without family and friends and can feel even worse when it seems like everybody else is having the time of their lives.

If you’re reading this thinking: “that’s me!”, then don’t worry: you are not alone. Although there is the expectation to have the time of your life, a lot of people actually hate freshers’ week. Many people don’t enjoy partying, meeting new people, or being away from their hometown.

It’s incredibly hectic and some crave a more relaxed time at university, rather than endless nights out.

Two years ago, I had my freshers’ week and absolutely hated it. I had never been away from my parents for long and I have never liked change.

Clubbing was definitely not my favourite pastime, so the idea of going out every night with people I didn’t know scared me. I also couldn’t get with anybody as I still had a boyfriend back home. Being away from everything I loved was frightening and, to me, it seemed like no one else was struggling in the same way.

“Being away from everything I loved was frightening and, to me, it seemed like no one else was struggling in the same way....”

Feeling lonely is one of the most horrible experiences, and it doesn’t necessarily help all that much even when you do know other people can relate. There are ways to get through it, though - take it from me! Having gone through an uncomfortable freshers’ week and homesickness at other points, I’ve put together some “Dos and Don’ts” for any freshers struggling during this transitional period.

Views Editor Ciara McAlinden recounts her brave attempt at a Tiktok recipe for seitan Ciara McAlinden VIEWS EDITOR

@uncleciara

DO go out as much as you can. Of course, this is easier if you enjoy clubbing, but it is possible to fill your days without enjoying nights out. During my freshers’ week, I got involved with a lot of the organised events during the day. There are plenty of daytime events ranging from quizzes, vintage sales, journalism and sports, and hopefully there will be more opportunities for in-person activities this year. There are plenty of opportunities to meet like-minded people that will also distract you from thinking about how strange this whole freshers’ experience is!

DON’T go home as soon as possible. I know it can seem like the most preferable solution, but it won’t help you in the long run. By returning home too early, you’re disrupting the settling process in your new flat. Unfortunately, you can’t be at home forever and your leaving day is always going to be traumatic. Instead, book your tickets home for later in the semester, around November or Christmas time: it’s close enough that you can look forward to it but long enough to get settled in and feel proud of yourself for staying.

DO keep in contact with loved ones. While I wouldn’t recommend running back to them as soon as things get a little tough, you should continue to keep in touch with family and friends over the phone. They can offer advice or just distract you for a while if you’re feeling lonely. It is a good reminder that there are people who love you, even though you may be a few (hundred) miles away.

DON’T ruin your healthy habits. It may be tempting to stop going on your morning runs or eating three meals a day, but these are the sort of things that will keep you going. Routines are great for keeping you happy in difficult times. To look after your mind, you must look after your body.

“Routines are great for keeping you happy in difficult times....”

DO invite other people to do things. Secretly, everybody loves being invited out by other people to socialise, and you should try and be the one to initiate it.

The more invitations you give, the more you’ll receive. Whether it’s a night out or a daytime coffee, any event can be the start of a new friendship. There is also no pressure! You may meet once, or you may become friends for life.

DON’T worry too much!

Everybody has wobbles at some point and there are always ways to get through it, and people around you who will be feeling the same.

It’s important to remember: freshers’ is just one week out of four years, and everything will become more normal and settled as classes start. University is a learning curve for us all: go at your own pace, and enjoy it where you can!

Before I begin, I need to clarify that I am no professional in the kitchen; I’ve set spaghetti on fire, put chocolate sauce in a casserole, and overcooked approximately everything that I’ve sat on a hob.

I have a plethora of stories I could tell about my cooking catastrophes, but my most recent one struck my heart with more panic than anything I have ever done before.

At the beginning of the year, my TikTok feed was filled with various “easy” vegan recipes to try out – I attempted vodka pasta and it was a hit with my flat! “Let’s keep this up,” I thought to myself, “I’ll make something new every week this year for my friends to try”.

This lasted exactly one week.

After my successful pasta night, I decided to try and make seitan, which looked delicious in every TikTok I had seen (and ridiculously cheap). The key ingredients included flour, water, and anything you would ordinarily season chicken with. Basically, the recipe required me to mix flour and water, leave it to settle, and then wash out the gluten until my little floury blob produced no residual white water. The original recipe was intended to feed two people, so this had to be doubled for the party of four whose bellies I wanted to fill.

To make a long story short, my cooking was a shit-show. There’s

a reason that the recipe was only intended for two people, because any more than that and the chef may experience flour-induced crying and anxiety. The mixing and sitting proved to be successful, but no one on TikTok tells you how hard it is to wash flour. After twenty minutes of trying to wash this gelatinous mound without dropping it down the plughole, the water was still running white. By this point, everyone in the flat had entered the kitchen to try and help me, but all of us were overwhelmed by the Ghostbusters monster that was trying to take over our kitchen. My laughing turned to tears, and the tears didn’t even wash off any of the fucking gluten.

We gave up. The water was still white, but my God we could spend no more time washing the bitch. Into the pot it went to steam, with all the herbs and spices I had set out before my spirit was killed by wet f lour.

According to TikTok, the texture should closely resemble chicken, to the point that it’s difficult to tell the difference, but alas, I had just spent two and a half hours making some kind of messed up soggy paprika-bread.

After my friends’ encouraging remarks about how tasty it was, we all refused a second serving.

I wish that I could provide a moral to this story, or a lesson we can all learn, but I think the only thing we can take from this is to never let me in a kitchen unless it’s to make toast. Even then, keep an eye on me.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

18

6 September 2021

Lifestyle

A freshers’ guide to overcoming gym anxiety Claire Thomson SPORTS EDITOR

@clairethomson01

There is absolutely no hiding the fact that the gym can be one of the most intimidating places in the world, and is, sometimes, the last place you want to be. However, with a positive mindset, a little self-confidence, and some help from your friends, you will discover a place filled to the brim with motivation, and ultimately, reward.

This year, the University gym, located in the Stevenson Building on Oakfield Avenue, is offering a large variety of classes to suit different fitness goals and skill levels, from spin classes to yoga to HIIT (high intensity interval training).

The majority of classes are instructor-led, so they are the perfect opportunity for budding gym-goers to get involved in a safe and friendly environment. Classes aside, there is also a cardio gym (Pulse), filled with machines - treadmills, stationary exercise bicycles, cross trainers - perfect for exercise novices. Below Pulse, there is a weights gym (Powerplay), which has a varied selection of free weights, weight machines, and lifting platforms.

These are ideal for building muscle and strength, and even if you’ve never picked up a dumbbell in your life before, Powerplay is not somewhere to be afraid of - it’s honestly not as scary as it looks, I promise!

With all these ravishing resources in mind, I’ve compiled some tips for eager student gym-goers.

Daunting though it may be to walk through the doors for the first time, the main thing to remember when taking those initial steps is that the feeling of anxiety is mutual. Gym anxiety is universally experienced by everyone, even the most accustomed gym-goers. It does not discriminate by size, gender, fitness levels, or strength. According to PureGym, 50% of nongym members have admitted that the very idea of going to the gym is scary. The hardest part is walking through those doors, because the minute you step into that gym, you are in exactly the same boat as everyone else there. You all have the motivation to get fitter or stronger, personal goals you want to achieve,

Credit: EasyJet

or a break from work that you want to take. Whatever your reasons for going to the gym, someone will share at least one with you.

You are not alone. Yes, you may not know how to work the machines, the gym etiquette, or the layout of the building, but in almost every gym, there will always be a member of staff or even fellow gym-goer more than happy to help. Most gyms offer an induction for new members, where staff will guide you around the gym, explain how to work or demonstrate each machine, and answer any questions you may have. It’s not always easy reaching out for help, but in the long term it will help put your mind at ease. Additionally, all the machines should have instructions attached alongside diagrams. Alternatively, why not find a gym buddy? Not only may this help calm the gym nerves, but you can both help and motivate one another, and share your fitness journey together.

Overnight transformations don’t exist: going to the gym is a process and achieving your fitness goals can take weeks, months or even years. You will get there eventually so take your time: start off slow, and stick with it! The journey should be an enjoyable one: you’re creating habits that will set you in good stead for the rest of your life.

On a more serious note, it is very easy to become injured when just starting out at the gym. If this is your first time lifting weights, it cannot be emphasised enough how important it is to start off light, practise using the correct form, and only build up the weight when you are 100% ready. Form can be a difficult thing to master - just because something feels good, doesn’t mean that it is working the intended muscles! I would recommend you watch videos on YouTube or online, and talk to a gym instructor or member of staff. Even simply exercising in front of a mirror can all help build correct form and reduce your chance of injury.

Finally: believe in yourself! We all have to start from somewhere, and even the tiniest bit of progress a day sets you in the right direction.

You can do it!

Slow and steady wins the race Katherine Prentice LIFESTYLE EDITOR @kprentice10

If you’re anything like me, the start of a new academic year is thrilling, especially your first at university. New pens, new diary, new timetable and a head full of ideas about the outfits you will wear on nights out with new friends, and how you are totally going to get involved with those societies. After all, there’s loads of time after work, and classes, and reading, and … oh. Starting uni full of these ideas in 2018 soon left me pretty burnt out, repeating a cycle I had been trapped in for years.

Starting back in 2021 after being at home for almost two years will be even more tricky. It’s important to ease yourself in, get settled and take on a workload that is going to be sustainable and enjoyable over the whole year, especially if it’s your first.

Tip 1: Settle in, first and foremost Of course, we primarily come to uni to study. But, one of the few things I did in my first year that I continue to stick by is taking time to focus on getting into the swing of things and meeting people first. You generally have a little while before graded work piles up, but for the first couple weeks it is more important to familiarise yourself with your new schedule and get to know the people around you. It is going to be exhausting to start traipsing around campus again, regardless of anything else you’ll have on, so number one is: make sure to pace yourself and gradually build up your workload.

Tip 2: Be a quitter As I said, meet new people! Go to freshers’ events, try out new societies, volunteer or try to learn a lan-

guage. These are all great, but you have four years! Don’t be too hard on yourself if it’s a bit much and you feel you need to take a step back. It is tempting to salivate over just how full your CV could look, but it will look a lot better if you don’t burn out and give up on everything all at once.

Cliché as it sounds, focus on enjoying things right now, and start slow. You can quit or join societies when you want to: first year is the best time to experiment, and you will always have time later to properly commit.

“It is tempting to salivate over just how full your CV could look, but it will look a lot better if you don’t burn out...”

Tip 3: Socialise and take breaks What is the point in meeting all these people if you don’t hang out with them? And I definitely mean hang out rather than just clubbing.

Grab a coffee in-between lectures, sit in the library together, or check out a new restaurant or pub. These kinds of breaks are essential, because, for me, university quickly became: cramming in work; clubbing; crying over comparative literature; “recover” - then repeat. Equally, take time for yourself. You don’t need to be doing something and seeing someone all the time - enjoy doing nothing every once in a while rather than mindlessly clicking through Moodle!

Tip 4: Plan ahead As well as setting aside time for yourself and to see friends, set

aside time to remind yourself of events and deadlines, fast-approaching or at the end of the year. I have never understood how people get through the year without a planner, or at the very least a list of important dates in your notes app. I personally skim my diary each morning, and read it properly once a week, but even by taking a couple of minutes a day to make sure you know what your next week, or month, or year will look like, your head will feel so much clearer. When I feel completely overwhelmed, breaking down what is going on over the next week or two has proven a simple cure.

Tip 5: There is still a pandemic...

Don’t be worried about missing out if you don’t feel safe enough going to clubs or socials yet. It is going to be nerve-wracking, and even just quite tiring, to jump straight back into the university lifestyle after the last 18 months.

You will meet people in classes and group chat and, throughout your entire time at Glasgow, you will constantly have opportunities to make new friends, so don’t panic about doing everything in your first week, or even year. Again, focus on what is best for you right now, and pace yourself as you see fit. People will understand - more than often be trying to figure out how to do the same themselves!

- and ultimately it is more important to look after yourself just now. Freshers week happens every year, and there are things going on in Glasgow every day, so just make sure you’ve found your feet first, before finding the balance that works for you!

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws)

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

19

Lifestyle

How low can you go?

Elena Adams discusses the rise of the low-waisted jeans fashion trend Elena Adams WRITER @_elenaadams_

CW: Body image The early 2000s are memorable for many things, particularly fashion. Celebrities at the time were seen wearing skirts and dresses over jeans, a lot of Von Dutch tees, and baggy army cargo pants. It’s safe to say that most of these trends won’t be returning, but low-waisted jeans definitely are. Low-rise trousers, jeans and skirts are a defining piece of early 2000s fashion; 20 years later, they’re back, baby.

“20 years later, they’re back, baby...”

Although they’re a defining piece of clothing for this era, low-waisted jeans were around for a long time prior. In 1957 “hip huggers”, designed by Irene Kasmer, were low-waisted jeans that were tight at the top and flared at the bottom. Although they were popular for a while, fashion later turned to higher-waisted styles in the 70s and 80s. Then, thanks to Alexander McQueen, low-rise jeans were put back on the fashion map in

1996 with his “bumster” trousers (essentially extremely low-waisted jeans).

These jeans aren’t alone in the return of early 2000s, or y2k, fashion trends. Small baguette bags, scarf tops, and tiny sunglasses are just a few items that have returned to our wardrobes. This resurgence of early 2000s fashion was always bound to happen, as trends do tend to cycle round every 20 years or so. Plenty of celebrities and models, such as Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, are currently wearing outfits that are nostalgic for the 2000s. The decade’s presence is even noticeable within the music industry, with artists such as Olivia Rodrigo incorporating the style and many cultural references within lyrics and music videos.

It’s not only celebrities that can be seen wearing outfits reminiscent of the noughties. Lowrise jeans, alongside many other trends, can be seen all over Instagram and Tiktok. Many are recreating looks from noughties celebrities and current celebrities, or putting their own spin on the different trends. The role that social media plays within the fashion industry is undeniable, especially when it comes to setting and spreading trends. Something might be popular for a couple weeks, but it doesn’t take long be-

fore another trend takes over, and the cycle continues. Fast fashion also plays a helping hand in supporting the rate at which trends change. Affordable, easily accessible clothing makes it so much easier to chop and change between trends without having to think about it.

However, it seems as though low-waisted jeans will stick around a while longer than most fast fashion fads. Despite some people’s hatred of them, they are back for the foreseeable future. But is it really low waisted jeans that many people are against? Or rather the harmful mentality that came alongside them in the 2000s? The beauty standards of the 2000s were all about being, slim, and having a flat stomach. So it’s no surprise that low-rise jeans were so popular when they clearly accentuated these features. Most pieces of clothing were created with this one body type in mind, it was trendy to be small and the clothes at the time reflected that. Anyone who failed to meet these standards was excluded.

It’s clear that over the decades women’s bodies have become trends that become more unattainable every year. In the early 2010s there was the “thigh gap” and around 2017 “hip dips” became a thing that needed to be fixed (some-

thing that’s actually not possible).

Just like clothing trends, women’s bodies are in a constant cycle of what is considered “perfect”. And the 2000s ideal of perfection only became more unattainable as social media gained popularity and plastic surgery became available.

As expectations change, no one ever truly comes out on top.

“Just like clothing trends, women’s Credit: Rachel Wood bodies are in a constant cycle of what is considered “perfect”...”

Even now, while there is a growing body positivity movement, it would be naïve to think that women’s bodies are no longer treated as a trend that goes in and out of fashion - or as an accessory to the clothing on the runway. Like fashion trends, it’s a vicious cycle that’s only glorified further through social media. So, while we may have reached a point in society in which we are the most accepting, there is still plenty of work to be done. The pressure that is

put upon women to fit into the latest trend is not only toxic but a standard that is impossible to meet.

So, low-waisted jeans? For me it’s a no, but if you like them then go for it! It’s not the return of a noughties fashion trend that’s the problem. It’s the continual pressure for women to meet beauty standards that are not only ridiculous but are also always changing. So, yes, trends can be really fun but they are for fashion, not bodies.

Credit: AJ Duncan (ajd.illustrates)

A handy guide to campus health facilities Denver Correia WRITER

Taking care of your physical and mental wellbeing has never been more important than now. Equipping yourself with the right resources is crucial, especially in times of health emergencies, when finding information could seem daunting. Whether you’re a fresher or a returning student, here is a useful guide to staying safe and healthy in Glasgow.

1: Registering with a GP Registering with a GP is a crucial step to access services provided by NHS Scotland, regardless of whether you are full time, part-time, visiting or have already registered with your GP elsewhere. Your GP is a lifeline, providing both regular consultations and support during emergencies, so it’s essential that you register as soon

as possible.

This can be done either online or in person – just visit NHS Inform Scotland’s Service Directory and enter your postcode to find your nearest GP. Alternatively, you can register with the on-campus Barclay’s Medical Practice, located in the Fraser Building. Enrolling is easy, involving a few simple forms around your medical history. You will likely be asked for a form of ID, so make sure to have this, alongside proof of your address, at the ready.

2: Dentists The Scottish Government has recently approved free dental treatment to all adults under 26. Enrolling with your local dental practice isn’t mandatory. Dental treatment is available on-demand by contacting a practice of your choice. Emergency treatment is available via NHS 24.

3: COVID-19 vaccines and tests NHS Inform provides useful advice on Covid-19 care, testing and vaccinations, which are open to all students. It is currently recommended that students get a lateral flow test regularly, even if you don’t have symptoms and are vaccinated. NHS Inform also provides an online tool for symptom assessment.

Being up-to-date on other vaccinations such as MMR, Meningitis and Flu is also very important to avoid potential infections. These vaccinations are freely available at hospitals and GPs. 4: Sanitary products and sexual health Sanitary products are free to all students in Scotland. The University of Glasgow provides a range of free sanitary products in several toilets &

communal spaces at different sites on campus and halls. Free contraceptives and testing kits for STIs are available locally from the Sandyford clinic, and HIV Scot.

5: Disability services The UofG Disability Services are an essential contact for any students requiring disability related support or accommodations. New students who have disclosed a disability during registration will be contacted by the Disability Services early in the academic session. Current students can visit the Disability Service webpage for examination and learning support.

6: Physical fitness Keeping fit is crucial to a healthy lifestyle, and if you live in University halls then you are entitled to a free Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) membership. Otherwise, membership can be purchased online

via GUSA website. Membership provides access to the University gyms, swimming pools, fitness classes, and GUSA Sport Clubs. Alternatively, Glasgow has lots on offer for exercise, from fantastic walking routes to Canoeing Club. Have a look at what societies are on offer and what is available around the city.

7: Mental Health Maintaining a good balance can be challenging, and the University’s mental health support system works to assist anyone who is struggling with therapy and counselling services. After a quick needs assessment, an appointment can be booked via the MyGlasgow Counselling & Psychological Services webpage.

A comprehensive list of mental health resources can be found in the online version of this article.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

20

6 September 2021

Culture

Johnny Took: The Glow, Gallagher, and Greenock

Our Editors-in-Chief Hailie and Lucy caught up with Johnny Took of the DMAs in the run-up to their long-awaited return to the UK Hailie Pentleton & Lucy Dunn EDITORS-IN-CHIEF @hailepentleton & @lucyidunn

Johnny Took, Tommy O’Dell, and Matt Mason make up the Sydney-based three-piece band that is DMA’s. Known for their Britpop vibe and having previously supported Liam Gallagher in 2019, the band are unsurprisingly popular this side of the hemisphere too. At long last, with their surprise EP I Love You Unconditionally, Sure Am Going to Miss You, the band are returning to UK shores this September, with dates in Edinburgh and Greenock. Choosing to play gigs in Dunfermline and Lockerbie over heartland hotspots in the past, the band have a soft spot for Scotland, noting TRNSMT as one of their favourite festivals.

Our Editors-in-Chief, Lucy and Hailie, sat down with Johnny to discuss the upcoming tour, how they coped during lockdown, and, most importantly: why Greenock?

The Glasgow Guardian: Morning! Or, evening, for you? It’s half eight in the morning here.

JT: [laughing] Yeah, it’s five thirty in the afternoon here.

Thanks for getting up!

GG: Thanks for chatting with us! You’re no stranger to Scotland, are you?

JT: I actually lived in Edinburgh for like 10 months? It was meant to be a year, but I had a tour in Australia near the end of it, so I thought I might as well just move back home. I’m super excited to get back, though; I had a really cool time in Edinburgh, and I’ve got a few mates in Glasgow as well that I’ve not seen in a while thanks to the pandemic.

And a lot’s happened since then: we’ve released a record since, which has been really great considering the obstacles of the last 18 months. It just feels weird we haven’t played these songs in Scotland yet.

GG: Yeah, the last time you played in Scotland was when you played TRNSMT in 2019, wasn’t it?

JT: Wow. Yeah. I think it was.

That was one of our favourite gigs, like ever. I still watch videos of it online sometimes; it was very nostalgic.

GG: So what’s your favourite city then, Edinburgh or Glasgow? Choose wisely…

JT: Oh, definitely Glasgow.

Definitely for doing stuff, nightlife, music, all that kind of thing.

But when I’d had a big night in Glasgow and would be getting the train back to Edinburgh, there was a part of me that was like “oh Edinburgh, it’s so quaint and beautiful”...

Scotland! And we haven’t been back over there yet, so that makes it particularly exciting for us.

GG: How’s it been being stuck in the studio over the pandemic?

JT: Oh, I’ve been spending all my time here. It’s been a bit hard; we’re in lockdown at the moment, so I’ve been recording stuff in Melbourne and sending stuff up to them in Sydney. We had a lot of momentum in the UK prior to The Glow, and though the whole world has stopped - it’s not just us - we’re just trying to keep that momentum snowballing now I guess, and get music out.

GG: [laughing] It’s… an interesting place. You’ll definitely experience a whole other subculture of Scotland, but it’ll be a good time.

JT: It looks pretty cool, like near the water and stuff? We’re playing the town hall there.

We’ve always played alternative places. Our biggest show, at the time, was when we played Motherwell, and then we also played Dunfermline. That’s how we got a name in the UK, we went to so many towns and cities we hadn’t heard of, you know, being from Sydney. We put in the time and the effort to go not just to all the big cities, but peoples’ hometowns as well. I think people appreciate that. And they realise it’s a bit unique as well, to go and

GG: You’ve got such a huge fan base over here; it must be weird being away from them for so long?

JT: Yeah, yeah, well it’s crazy: The Glow went number one in

GG: We saw that your first tour date is actually in Greenock, which is a... bizarre… location. Have you ever been to Greenock before?

JT: No, I haven’t actually.

What’s it like?

Credit: McLean Stephenson

travel to towns you wouldn’t usually.

GG: My cousin is self-declared as one of your biggest fans, and would kill me if I didn’t name drop his band, Easy Days. What advice would you give him, or anyone else, to get things moving, from your experience?

JT: I guess what I would say is: make sure there’s someone in the band who’s pretty much writing songs every day. From my experience, the reason that DMA’s was successful from the start was because of our momentum. We wrote something like 60 songs at the start. Some people think that because you’ve written nine songs, you’re ready to play a gig.

Maybe that works for some, but it doesn’t for me. I know that if I’ve written nine songs, maybe two of them are good, and others were just alright, you know? But when you’ve got 60 songs, and then you pick nine out of that, all of a sudden every song is pretty fuckin’ good. Then when people come and watch you, the first song gets played and they’re like “hmm, I really like this”, and then the next song comes along and they go “shit, this is pretty good”, and then at every song, they’re like “woah, that’s crazy”... Then they tell their friends, and their friends come and see the gig. And then they have the same experience, and then it goes on and on.

GG: You supported Liam Gallagher in 2019… What’s he like?

JT: Yeah, it was crazy. Liam’s probably like one of my favourite people I’ve ever met. Not because he’s that famous – although I’m not saying it wasn’t daunting meeting him – but he was so cool, and so funny, and just loves music. It was just a super nice experience meeting someone like that. And obviously we’re Oasis fans, and there’s a small crossover with our fan base, so playing with him in front of that audience was just great.

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6 September 2021

21

Culture

Schoolin’ life: Absence of the uni experience on TV Bea Crawford WRITER @bearuth9

If the new Gossip Girl reboot has taught us anything, it’s this: TV producers love to portray an edgy high school experience.

From Skins to Riverdale and Euphoria, the running theme across most teen shows today is that of the exceedingly gritty, where every child is sexed up and shooting up. But, in the midst of all these dark and twisted interpretations of a high schooler’s social and academic life, it seems like the university/college student has been pushed to the side.

Where is the consistent content for navigating higher education?

And, in the absence of such depictions, where does this leave freshers navigating a new alladult space?

Of course, the higher education experience has enjoyed some media portrayals in the past. The American film industry has long offered silly, frat-bro narratives, as well as the occasional Pitch Perfect or Legally Blonde which are, apparently, supposed to mirror our university experience. I would argue acapella aficionados and girlbosses only make up a small percent of a campus’ population. So, apart from very recent shows like Grown-ish and a handful of Normal People episodes, there are very few modern explorations of the stressy college years. This bizarre romanticisation of a chaotic, drug-and-excess-fuelled teenage experience has gripped TV producers since

the turn of the century. Yet, this affects not only its target teen demographics — making more “normal” high school experiences seem boring in comparison (it isn’t always orgies and opium) — but also those it leaves out. With little modern media to turn to when navigating the tricky experiences of new adulthood, the 18-25 age bracket is left insecure and disillusioned. Where are we supposed to turn to when faced with the challenges of university life, whether that’s living away from home for the first time, the trials of independent learning, or just navigating a new social space with fewer restrictions on where you can go and what you can do?

With the absence of these depictions on TV, there is a notable lack of relatable content in the media for our age range. Indeed, to crystallise, almost to comic effect, this very issue, Riverdale recently did a seven-year time jump, diving from high school graduation into the career and marriage dilemmas that come with being in your mid-20s.

“With little modern media to turn to when navigating the tricky experiences of new adulthood, the 18-25 age bracket is left insecure and disillusioned...”

There is also the argument that, surely, the university experience is more suited to more intense themes than the high school environment: legalised drinking, independent living, and more. Personally, my own high school experience was the furthest thing away from those presented in modern TV shows.

Living at home, with curfews and a reliance on public transport to get me here and there didn’t exactly allow me to attend many lavish Gossip Girl-esque parties or solve any mind-bending mysteries à la Riverdale or Elite.

And, sure, I have been as hooked on such shows as the next person; but should we be questioning our society’s obsession with children acting like adults, while new adults starting or returning to university are left in the dust?

Undoubtedly, series such as the original Gossip Girl were shockingly unique upon its premiere in 2007, in comparison to other, more earnest teenage series like Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creek. Watching 16-year-olds betray each other, make drunken scenes at high-class New York establishments and hook up behind their parents’ backs might have seemed like the most interesting thing on TV when it was in the minority. However, when every other show on TV exhibiting the adolescent experience follows the same shock-value formula, the magic somewhat wears off. If nothing else, teenagers can watch such shows and draw some semblance of relatability from it due to the protagonists’ ages; on the

Credit: Rojan Maharjan via Unsplash

other hand, the university student is left to fend for themselves.

At the end of the day, we all just want to feel understood; seeing ourselves and our experiences represented in the media is an essential part of this. We need to see our own circumstances mirrored in the media we consume: the awkward first days with new flatmates, the freshers madness, the general anxiety of heading into your honours years without

a dissertation topic. As fun as another Riverdale hate-watch may be, I think the TV industry should consider the university student when searching for the next big thing. Not only would it be less uncomfortable for the viewer to watch legal adults navigate sex and alcohol rather than literal children — but it would also give us university students something tangible to relate to during such turbulent times.

Make some NOISE: Glasgow’s loudest new indie band Lucy Dunn EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @lucyidunn

NOISE hail from Dumbarton, a town to the west of Glasgow just as colourful in its culture as rough around the edges. Nothing about the four-man-band’s King Tuts set was rough around the edges, though: the six song show was seamless in its execution, a mix of older songs intermingled with never-played-before gems - Victor being a particular favourite - from a lockdown-induced creative burst.

Their debut performance at one of Glasgow’s most renowned and

celebrated music venues made the pre-Covid cut in January 2019, and the sell-out gig, where the band supported The Nickajack Men, set a precedent for future performances.

It seems only fitting, then, that just as the first King Tut’s gig was before the pandemic, their second at the venue, as part of the venue’s Summer Nights festival, came as restrictions finally eased, the animated atmosphere a semblance of a return of some kind of normality.

The crowd livened as the band stepped on stage, most having followed the band from Dumbarton to the venue. Drinks in hand, the room – left semi-spacious after the previ-

ous band had finished playing – was packed within minutes. The twang of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Luke Doleman’s voice reverberated around the venue, his laidback enunciation and trademark vocals part of what makes NOISE so distinguishable in the indie rock scene.

The night started with the band’s latest release on Spotify, Clockwise, a preview of which was released as a phone recording in NOISE’s February EP as New Recording 204.

An air of melancholy filters through most of NOISE’s songs, the cleverly crafted lyrics serve to entice, meaning dripping from every word. And nothing about the band’s songwrit-

ing could be considered substandard: from first to latest release, the band’s originality sets them apart.

Even security, initially slightly prickled by the crowd, were nodding along in time.

Junior Khawli is lead guitarist, responsible for the characteristic riffs that punctuate every one of NOISE’s songs. A personal favourite is the centrepiece of TOUCH, a number from the February EP; the delectable notes of its guitar solo both tease and tantalise to the point you’ll be playing it on repeat for weeks. It didn’t, however, make an appearance at the August gig; the Summer Nights event kept its tempo firmly

upbeat, with firm favourite Third Time’s The Charm and upcoming release Victor both anthem-like in their popularity.

On bass guitar, Robbie Duncan holds up the underbelly of the music, adding complexity to NOISE’s sound. A brother act, Evan Doleman is the drummer, tying the songs together impeccably. The set drew to a close with Waltz, a guitar-heavy ballad that signified the end of NOISE’s first post-lockdown gig. The only criticism – and I’m sure the rest of the audience would agree – was that they didn’t play for longer; perhaps next time NOISE should take the main act slot themselves.

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6 September 2021

Culture

Why you should use The Storygraph (instead of Goodreads) Olivia Winchester WRITER @Liv_Winchester_

With its 90 million users, Goodreads has long been the place for book lovers to catalogue their reading, find recommendations, and become a part of a literature community. Goodreads was originally started by Otis and Elizabeth Chandler in 2006 with the aim of widening reading pools to include books by unknown or new authors with smaller budgets behind them. However, many remain unaware that in 2013, it was absorbed by the corporate fat-cat Amazon. Over the years, other competitors such as Shelfari have attempted to create new platforms but were speedily bought out

by Amazon and left undeveloped in order to eliminate its competitors.

Are there any real alternatives to Goodreads that can leave users guilt-free to enjoy without lining the ever-expanding pockets of Jeff Bezos? This week, I delved deep into The StoryGraph and examined whether or not the platform was a successful alternative for book-lovers worldwide.

Independent and Black-owned, The StoryGraph was created by CEO Nadia Odunayo in 2019; existing as both a website as well as an app.

Signing up is easy, and it even has a nifty feature that allows you to import your Goodreads library, so you don’t have to worry about losing all your data, or go through the hassle of potentially re-logging years of reading history. The design is clean and streamlined in comparison to somewhat cluttered Goodreads.

“The StoryGraph was created by CEO Nadia Odunayo in 2019; existing as both a website as well as an app...”

The whole service is tailored to your individual reading preferences, unlike Goodreads. On signing up you can partake in a survey that asks as much about what your reading tastebuds don’t like as what they do. Specific characteristics and gen-

res are provided such as LGBTQ+ authors, multiple POVs, mood, pace, and more; allowing users to actually diversify their preferences, which produces recommendations accurate to your taste.

This approach continues with the “browse all books” feature which allows you to search for your next read. Once again, you can be very specific in what kind of read you are looking for – creating an experience that is very similar to that of browsing a book shop. It also allows you to browse books you already own (and filter out potential triggers such as sexual violence or abuse. There are also challenges that you can join by searching for prompts such as the “Read More Female Authors Challenge”. The much-loved “reading goal” feature of Goodreads is also offered here, however it offers both a book or page goal, meaning if you enjoy reading longer texts you no longer have to see your goal stuck at 12 because you chose to read a Russian classic that summer …

However, The StoryGraph truly trumps Goodreads with its book rating and review system. GoodCredit: Unsplash reads only offers a five-star rating and a written review, but The StoryGraph is far more comprehensive, providing not only a decimal point star rating, but an alternative pace and mood rating, a review box, potential triggers in the text, whether LGBTQ+ characters were included, and so on. It provides not only a far more detailed review for yourself, but helps the algorithm tailor others’ search processes in the future.

Your reading statistics are far more aesthetically pleasing, provided in a range of chart and graph formats, allowing you to assess your reading biases in far more detail.

The StoryGraph also appears to truly value its users and is very much community driven. The owners consistently ask for feedback and input, providing a public roadmap for features coming soon – including stats for languages read, user created groups, and social media invitations. This is a site that is consistently growing and developing based on what users want. Overall, The StoryGraph offers more than an alternative, but an actual stepup to what Goodreads offers, and allows you and me a new guilt-free academic year of reading. I hope to see you there!

“That’s not music, that’s just noise!”

Why are the alien sounds of noise music entering the mainstream?

Callum Sneddon WRITER

You would be hard pressed to find any experimental genre of music conceived over the last century which has not been dismissed as “noise”. Almost every challenging new addition to the collective sonic palette is, at first, met with disapproval and accusations of its unmusicality. But what of the artists who intentionally employ harsh, dissonant sounds in their music, deliberately making the listening process uncomfortable or even painful?

With chart-topping pop stars like Charli XCX embracing the abrasive ear candy of hyperpop and glitch, and elements of harsh noise continuing to thrive on the experimental frontier with post-punkers like black midi, the genre has arguably never been more relevant.

So how did we reach this zenith of noise’s musical relevancy, where listeners clamour for more unpleasant sounds? A little knowledge of the genre’s storied history goes a long way towards answering these questions.

Tracing the genealogy of noise back to its roots, we can already uncover hints of what the sound would mean to listeners in decades to come. The 1910s saw the genesis of various modernist visual art movements such as Dada and Futurism, wherein European artists created absurdist works in-line with the growing anti-war zeitgeist. Here, we also find the first examples of noise being used to create musical art. In 1917, Italian artist Luigi Russolo composed works for a “noise orchestra”, using machines which he built specially. These works, and the swathes of public disapproval, would later inspire 1930s musician Arseny Avraamov to create his aptly titled Symphony of Factory Sirens.

Noise music remained the domain of lofty experimentalists for some time, reserved for the consumption of high-brow chin-strokers in the art world. However, by the 1960s elements of noise had finally begun to break through into the realm of popular music.

Boundary-pushing bands such as The Velvet Underground and The Beatles started to experiment with

non-musical sounds, incorporating these elements on songs like Tomorrow Never Knows, Revolution 9, and Heroin.

Though it was yet to be fully embraced by the mainstream, it is at this time that the “noise bug” truly started spreading. Among the ex-

“Noise music remained the domain of lofty experimentalists for some time...” cesses of the 1970s, noise gave birth to its most extreme, enduring, and influential iteration yet: industrial music. Bands such as Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten would tie industrial noise with postmodern horror and even the occult through shocking stage shows performed with instruments made of scrap metal, tools and even bones.

A testament to their sheer experimentality, songs such as Throbbing Gristle’s Hamburger Lady still impose the same feeling of shock today as in 1978.

It is hard to overstate just how important noise music in the 1970s was in the development of popular music across the genre spectrum.

On one hand, bands such as Son-

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

ic Youth combined the sound with more traditional ideas of rock and pop, reacting against punk to create noise rock and no-wave (which, in turn, would become core influences on grunge acts like Nirvana).

On quite another, the likes of Aphex Twin and Brian Eno digitized the ambient sounds of machines and early computers to create pleasing melodies, laying the groundwork for decades of EDM. In the contemporary era, no band has flown the flag of noise music quite as proudly (and successfully) as Death Grips. From their sampling and deforming of heavy machinery à la Russolo to their Throbbing Gristle-esque aesthetic of angry absurdism, Death Grips’ merging of classic noise tropes with their own brand of industrial hip-hop has done more for the genre than arguably any band that came before. Despite the frequent cries of “it’s just noise”, their innovations have changed the modern music landscape to an unbelievable degree. The ubiquity of industrial production found in hip-hop projects like Kanye West’s Yeezus and the meteoric rise of hyperpop and glitch on platforms like TikTok are testament to the band’s genre-defying influence.

Now that we have reached the end of this crash course in noise music, we can return to the main question: why have noise elements only grown in popularity over the century? It is still unclear what attracts listeners to noisy and abrasive sounds, but there is room to speculate. Much of modernist art was created in response to the rise of industrial society, the horrors of the war, and the increasing dominance of technology. Looking further down the line, we see that, as noise genres have developed, they often associated themselves with nihilism, the postmodern, and politics of dissent.

None of the issues of the 1910s have dissipated – if anything, many have begun tipping forward into cataclysm. Similarly, the music seems to ramp up to an ever harsher, noisier degree as global capitalism tightens its stranglehold: it is not difficult to see the glitching, scraping, screaming noise of modern music as an artistic cry of despair from the throats of an ever more alienated society.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

23

Culture

The power of the paintbrush

How Afghan art has become an integral expression of resilience and resistance Kimberley Mannion DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @mannionkim

Watching with the horror shared by the rest of the world as Kabul fell to the Taliban, amongst the most poignant scenes to me were of Afghans painting over images on the walls of their city that their new rulers would not approve of. It reminded me of something I had read a few days earlier in the book Farewell Kabul by Sunday Times chief foreign correspondent Christina Lamb, when she witnessed the restarting of “normal” life in Afghanistan in late 2001 after the Taliban had been driven out.

Lamb describes a man she saw in the National Gallery, scrubbing off the nature scenes that he had painted over faces on old artwork in order to prevent the Taliban from destroying them, as it was forbidden to depict living figures. Now, after a 20-year war and hundreds of thousands of lives lost, once again the right the man had to proudly display his artwork had been lost.

“The right the man had to proudly display his artwork had been lost...”

Painting even in the privacy of one’s own home would be a dangerous activity under Taliban rule, but to do it out in the street of the capital city takes a level of bravery and pride most could never imagine. Omaid H. Sharifi is an Afghan activist who co-founded Art Lords, a grassroot movement of artists which aims to transform the war-torn walls of Kabul into a “pleasant visual experience”. On 15 August, the same day his city fell to the Taliban, he shared a clip of a group painting a new mural on Twitter. He wrote that it reminded him of the movie Titanic, when the musicians continued playing right to the sinking of the ship. I think it would be hard to find a stronger show of spirit in a moment of such trepidation.

The Afghans continued to spread hope and joy through their art-

work, despite not knowing what awaited their future. As they painted, their fate darkened by the minute.

Those currently taking to their country’s streets come from a long line of brave and talented artists who have for years taken risks. Malina Suliman was born in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, in the year 1990, just before the group was formed. Her graffiti art is a representation of her repression as a female under its rule. Graffiti is her chosen medium of art, because, as she told the BBC in 2013, “to paint at home would not have served any purpose. I wanted to send a message to the girls in my situation to have no fear and to express themselves in public.” Suliman illustrated a skeleton wearing a burka on the walls of Kandahar, a piece which was branded “unislamic” and lead to her being pelted with stones in the street and being locked in the house for a year through her parent’s shame.

After a Taliban attack left her father’s legs broken, she fled her homeland and went on to study a degree in fine art in Mumbai.

is often criticized as an excuse for interventionism that fails to properly listen to Afghan women’s expressions and understand the complex nature of Afghanistan.

It is the quiet bravery of civilians - humans trying their best to carry on with normal life during such desperate moments,

that to me make the most poignant stories from warzones or hostile environments. More so than with a soldier fighting on the frontline, we can relate and empathise with a man trying to continue his hobby or a woman trying to send her daughter to school. We can perhaps be more understanding of what they are

going through, and thus hopefully prevent more wars from happening in the future. People trying to live out their everyday lives, humanity in extremis.

Art, and particularly women’s art, is an authentic expression from the ground of what it’s like to live under the Taliban, and it must be protected.

“I wanted to send a message to the girls in my situation to have no fear and to express themselves in public...”

As well as women’s position in Afghan society, Suliman explores the presence of the West in her country. One of her graffiti pieces showed an Afghan entangled between an American tie knotted to a turban worn by the Taliban. The art communicates to the western eye a message about their country’s intervention and “nation building”, in a perhaps much more effective way than a conversation ever could. “We don’t want western-style freedom but we want gender equality within an Islamic society,” Suliman told the BBC. The image challenges the western idea that Afghan women need to be “saved”, an idea which

Credit: Dorota Dziki (@drawing_dora)

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6 September 2021

Culture

Pathetic phallusy: How gent’s genitals have dick-tated comedy in film

A look into the “cocky” humour wielded by men in 2000s American movies Tomek Kutereba MULTIMEDIA EDITOR @TomekT4K

When it comes to raunch-coms, I have never been much of a fan.

There are, however, some obvious exceptions – one of which being Superbad which I treated like some sort of religious text during the less put-together phases of my teen years (let’s be honest, what’s changed?) Crucially, I always remember enjoying it more than most of its genre’s contemporaries as it saw the protagonists undergo some introspection as they traversed a difficult life junction: senior year of high school.

Characters were featured reacting negatively or commenting on the vitriol being spewed by the protagonists within the text. Its USP was its self-awareness, and that made it endearing. The same cannot be said for others. I have a love-hate relationship with films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

While it feeds into this mythologised view of sex and virginity that just isn’t healthy, and the ending is a tale as old as bloody time, I can’t deny that it is is rather sweet, and there is at least some merit to the themes presented.

it’s actually located on my cock” – Luke 25:17. (Just kidding, it’s Jonah Hill from Superbad).

“From jovial, childlike (albeit unintentionally homoerotic) humour... to cringe-inducing, clearly satirical tongue-in-cheek mockery...”

Clearly the likes of Apatow, Rogan, and their band of merry bellends care deeply about their phalluses and their capacity to

work at peak performance. Cumeth the hour, cumeth the man.

When this isn’t the case, it’s easy for a filmmaker to drop in a lazy, and overused erectile dysfunction joke, yet surprisingly, even Judd Apatow has his sincere moments.

In This is 40, Paul Rudd’s character is caught using Viagra by his wife, and a somewhat sad and bittersweet conversation ensues in which she says: “I don’t want a turbo penis, I like your medium-soft one.” There’s a surprising amount of nuance to this moment, and I think it offers candid commentary about a genuine fear that men worry about as they get older: to have your ever-so-reliable and trustworthy wee friend start to let you down in embarrassing

and anxiety-inducing ways. The inclusion of discussion about penis-based anxiety may make Judd Apatow one of the most wellknown filmmakers at the time to critique toxic-masculinity and its, to put it bluntly, hard-on for all things erect and dominant.

Such fears may be based in some truth, as Leslie Mann’s character later attests: “I don’t wanna have a husband who has to take Viagra to get a hard-on.” That’s certainly got to sting to hear, and though Apatow may not realise that not all wives, boyfriends, partners etc care about such a thing, there are certainly some who would react so negatively.

However, there is a darker side to dick-based jokes seen in films

“Its USP was its self-awareness, and that made it endearing...”

We all know the tropes, we’ve seen them countless times, and we’ve all heard super producers such as Judd Apatow, Seth Rogan, and Evan Goldberg – ultra-based penis aficionados – wax philosophical through the medium of film about what’s between a guy’s legs, and what its deep meaning is. From jovial, childlike (albeit unintentionally homoerotic) humour, such as Danny Masterton peeing in his own mouth in This is The End, to cringe-inducing, clearly satirical tongue-in-cheek mockery of characters attempting to be more masculine or mature than they are – “Well Jules, the funny thing about my back is that

Credit: Pippa Blundell

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

from this period that I want to mention briefly. Key word: briefly, as I feel the last thing the discourse needs is a cis-gender White boy giving his two-cents on the matter, but moreover because I feel everything I could say has already been said by Lindsay Ellis in her thorough video essay “Tracing the Roots of Pop-Culture Transphobia”. Films from this era, including raunch-coms such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin often utilised the old transgender “switcheroo” that turned the revelation that a woman the characters encounter actually has a penis into an immature, disgusting comedic punchline. It’s a sad, depressing element of late 90s, early 2000s comedy, however it needs to be addressed as such transphobia was very real, pervasive, and damaging. To steal a thought from Bo Burnham’s Inside – was it necessary? Was it necessary to have Ashton Kutcher’s character in Dude, Where’s My Car? gag and frantically clean his tongue after discovering the stripper who is coming onto him – shock horror – has a penis? Was it necessary to portray Steve Carell’s virgin character being set up with a transgender sex worker as a punchline?

I don’t think it was. I know that society still has a long way to go in terms of bettering the lives of and respecting the rights of trans individuals, but I’m honestly glad this period of film history is over.

“Films from this era... often utilised the old transgender “switcheroo”...”

Well, that’s all the time that I feel comfortable spending to write about dick jokes. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, their ubiquity was undeniable in the mid to late 2000s – and they’ll probably still pop-up unexpectedly from time to time. Truly a fascinating but regretful time: the cock epoch.

Anyways, I need to go, I think I saw that Superbad had been added to Netflix.

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6 September 2021

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Culture

A musical that changed my life: Billy Elliot Siobhan Meldrum WRITER @siobhan_bm

The year is 2015 – and the world is just beginning to fall apart. 16-year-old Siobhan is in the second row of the Victoria Palace, on her very first trip to London, with eyes as wide as a picket line.

Based on the film of the same name, Billy Elliot: The Musical is a story of fervour, belonging, and the perpetuity of hope. Set against the 1980s miners’ strike in County Durham, the musical follows young Billy in his newfound aspiration to become a ballet dancer.

Lee Hall and Elton John sprinkle moments of pure joy against a sky of bleak circumstance; the cheesy razzle-dazzle typical of musical theatre offset by, what my granny would call, “hooligan language” from the mouths of 11-year-olds.

I recently took part in The After Life Experience, a theatrical meditation that guides participants into selecting one moment from their life to spend eternity in. This was my moment. Billy Elliot facilitated not only my intense passion for theatre but validation for a young, closeted queer lost in politics and identity. It illuminated to me, if you’ll pardon the pun, the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Billy Elliot facilitated not only my intense passion for theatre but validation for a young, closeted queer lost in politics and identity...”

Billy’s – and, I suppose, my own – journey to acceptance and fulfillment is capacitated by his relationships and subtle lessons from other characters. The first of these is Grandma, who reminisces on her unhappy and abusive marriage, made bearable by the few nights her late husband would take her dancing. She laments that if she had her time again, she’d have “given them all the finger” and pursued her own dreams and happiness. Secondly is Billy’s best friend, Michael, who, in his sister’s clothes, is unreservedly and unapologetically himself. Expressing Yourself is a gorge of flamboyancy, complete with tap-dancing, polka-dot dresses; highlighting the value of holding onto your individuality, no matter what anyone else has to say about it. Mrs Wilkinson, who teaches ballet in the miners’ welfare, encourages the potential in

Billy before he can even recognise it in himself. Finally, there’s Billy’s dad, who sacrifices his pride by planning to return to work in order to give his son a chance.

This prompts the entire community to come together – to help one of their own.

I’m not a miner, or a ballet dancer, or even English - but I longed for this community, this camaraderie. And while it may not have existed for me in my very White, cishet, working-class village, there, on the Victoria stage, was the proof that it could exist. Tears plummeting down my face during the finale, I settled: If I cannot find it, I will create it.

If there’s one thing I took away from Billy, it wasn’t “follow your dreams”, but that those who love you will lift you towards them.

And you, in turn, even when the world seems despondent, cannot give up hope for what comes after.

“There, on the Victoria stage, was the proof that it could exist...”

It’s a lesson I’ve tried to live by, even more so in the last 18 months. It’s difficult, of course.

The world doesn’t just suddenly change because you’ve shifted your perspective, but it helps.

After every rejection email, every mental health dip, every newly imposed restriction, it helps to remember: the battle might be lost but not the war.

Billy Elliot is unfortunately no longer touring or in the West End, but a live recording of the musical is available for purchase.

My first post-lockdown gig: anticipation & anxiety Rosie Traynor WRITER

The last concert I attended was in February 2020, making this my longest period of time without live music since I was seven.

So, you’d be forgiven for thinking that having tickets to the upcoming Sports Team concert at SWG3 would have me even more excited than when Nicola said that we were allowed to hug our grannies again.

However, something I would never have expected as I left that final gig 20 months ago is that the thought of hundreds of people being side-by-side would fill me with more anxiety than excitement. After months of multiple lockdowns, Zoom calls, and socially distanced drinks with friends, how does one prepare for the return to sweat-filled mosh pits? I don’t think there is any one answer to this – jumping back into the deep-end can feel hard when there is no longer any government guidance to support you.

Anxiety aside, it seems only right that my first night back on the Glasgow gig scene was in SWG3 – the last venue in which I’d experienced the magical feeling of screaming until my lungs hurt.

I hold fond memories there Credit: Unsplash

of having lukewarm cups of water poured over my head as metal barriers bruise my sides (I promise it’s more fun than it sounds) whilst seeing some of my favourite acts including Declan Welsh and JPEGMAFIA. While Sports Team are not as close to my heart as the aforementioned artists, I’m a huge fan of their supporting act, Lucia and the Best Boys.

I must admit that I was looking forward to seeing one of my favourite bands in person for the second time. As daunting as the return to gigging post-lockdown feels, I firmly believe that it is important to support a wounded music industry.

“As daunting as the return to gigging post-lockdown feels, I firmly believe that it is important to support a wounded music industry...”

The negative impact of the pandemic on artists is no secret.

I was very fortunate to have spo-

Credit: Anthony Delanoix via Unsplash

ken to Keira McGuire, vocalist and guitarist for the Glasgow based band The Spyres, about the return to in-person events: “We couldn’t have asked for a better first gig back,” Keira said of the band’s first post-lockdown concert at King Tut’s. Unfortunately, bandmate Emily Downie caught Covid-19 at the event, which seems worryingly common in settings like concerts and nightclubs at the moment as there are virtually no

restrictions in place.

Life after lockdown is tricky to navigate, both for musicians and listeners. Keira explained that she was worried that, as a relatively new band, when Spyres returned post-restrictions they would have minimal support, saying: “we pushed ourselves to the front of all the bands and now we are going to just be sent right back.” Striking a balance between supporting the

arts and minimising your own anxiety is something many of us will soon have to come to terms with.

However, whether you’re queuing outside the door of every gig venue in Glasgow or sitting behind your bedroom door streaming your favourite artist, all of these contributions are essential in keeping the music industry afloat and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for us in the next year.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

26

6 September 2021

Culture

Does Hairspray (2007) still ‘hold’ up?

Film & TV Editor Lucy Fitzgerald looks back on a childhood musical movie favourite and reconsiders its themes through an adult lens.

routine (further 2020s parallels can be seen in Addison Rae’s proliferation of fame doing TikTok dances choreographed by Black content creators who comparatively have no acclaim conferred upon them). Ultimately, despite one “flaw” in her image, the Corny Collins crew permit Tracy’s entrance due to her possession of an overpowering currency: Whiteness.

Lucy Fitzgerald FILM & TV EDITOR @_LucyFitzgerald

“The musical film Hairspray (2007), directed by Adam Shankman, is a reimagining of John Waters’ much more risqué 1988 original. Set in 1960s Baltimore, the story follows the naively idealistic Tracy Turnblad, a largerthan-life high schooler brimming with optimism and big dreams.

She navigates the difficult dynamics of fame and family but along the way to self-actualisation she must confront discrimination. On her journey to stardom, her dewy-eyed outlook of the world is challenged as she learns of society’s ills in the form of virulent racist attitudes during this time of segregation.

With school offering her no stimulation and often finding herself in detention due to “inappropriate hair height” (her towering Jackie “Beehive” obstructing other students’ blackboard view - scandalous!) she yearns for a more exciting life. The lights and cameras are just out of reach – the contemptuous Mrs Von Tussle played with Cruella de Vil-lainy by Michelle Pfeiffer, is hellbent on keeping Tracy out of the limelight; that being exclusively reserved for her prima donna, carbon-copy daughter Amber.

Furthermore, the Black cohort of Baltimore’s dance scene is limited to a token, once-a-month airtime opportunity. Tracy’s indomitable spirit, both in her fight for justice and passion for dance, sets her on a mission. But with the station manager in control of their collective dreams, bigotry and nepotism protect the status quo.

“The Black cohort of Baltimore’s dance scene is limited to a token, once-amonth airtime opportunity...”

With every viewing, I am still tickled by the entertainment value of the ensemble cast. Elijah Kelly injects unrelenting energy

“When antiBlackness and fatphobia intersect, the most extreme form of intolerance emerges...”

Credit: Warner Brothers and charisma into the character of Seaweed. Christopher Walken, who is wackier than ever with his undulating voice, is endearing as Tracy’s father. Queen Latifa brings regal poise and killer vocals as Motormouth Maybelle. The late Jerry Stiller, from the original ‘88 cast, is in equal measure sleazy and benign as the manager of Mr Pinky’s Hefty Hideaway. John Travolta proves he still has Tony Manero’s nimble feet when playing plus-size lady-laundress Edna (“I have to negotiate pleats”) whilst James Marsden as the squeaky clean, Whiter than White TV show host got Twitter’s stamp of approval: “How do casting directors feel knowing they’ll never top James Marsden’s perfection as Corny Collins.” The town’s charming golden boy Link Larkin (Zac Efron) rocks Tracy’s world. With perfectly quaffed hair and supple knees, he is an ode to Elvis but with Zac at the very zenith of his High School Musical fame at the time, he comes across as more darling than dangerous. More pretty, less pelvic. And of course, John Water’s perfectly perverted cameo as The Flasher!

The way in which serious points are presented in a comedic manner in this film is, in my opinion, not nearly discussed enough. Twee songs and throwaway dialogue are

laced with political charge – Travolta’s cutesy Timeless To Me verse declares: “Fads keep a-fading, Castro’s invading. But Wilbur, you’re timeless to me.” It is also apparent in Edna’s discouragement of Tracy protesting: “You’ll be on lists!

You’ll be on files! J. Edgar Hoover will still be wiretapping your cold, dead body in the grave!” Just as the White supremacy presented in the film is as alive as ever today, such surveillance anxiety is equally relevant now with GCHQ and the NSA’s mass collection of data and infringement on civil liberties.

Shankman was serving the social realism!

“Shankman was serving the social realism...”

Around the film’s halfway mark, commenting hopefully on social progression, Tracy extols: “People that are different, their time is coming.” On the road to racial integration in Hairspray, progress is also made in the area of limited conventional beauty ideals prevalent in the local TV station’s typical casting standards. It is true that a symptom of White supremacy is fatphobia and it persists so violent-

ly that fat people are often denied basic recognition of their humanity.

When anti-Blackness and fatphobia intersect, the most extreme form of intolerance emerges. In a June 2020 IGTV post, Sonya Renee Taylor (author, poet and social justice activist) said: “We are not going to get rid of the oppressive system of White supremacist delusion while still honouring its henchmen inside of us. Because the systems of ableism, cis-centrism, homophobia, transphobia and fatphobia, they are the henchmen of White supremacist delusion… They are the systems that Whiteness uses to segregate within Whiteness. Again, it’s a system of hierarchy so all White people ain’t at the top. They create, again, these other areas of oppression so that there are still less and less and less people who are viable for the position of the top rung. We have to destroy the ladder.” So, in the social pecking order of Baltimore, Tracy is initially ostracised because of her weight, but she is eventually embraced for her dance talent. Seaweed, on the other hand, exercises a dance ability far superior to that of Tracy’s, yet remains unable to advance from his rigidly imposed, restricted position in the local entertainment scene. Tracy’s winning ticket into the show’s main cast was a performance of Seaweed’s own

What’s more, when I think of my personal relationship with this film, I recently realised Hairspray was my first proper introduction to race relations on screen, albeit a simplified, binary depiction, pleasantly packaged in the form of fun moves and melodies. With a more critical lens 14 years on, I contend that it may exist in the White Saviour category. Tracy, the White protagonist, is painted as the heroine, as the catalyst for The Corny Collins Show to become permanently integrated, as if it was solely her virtue that finally mobilised the town to think and act differently. A video essay entitled White Saviour Trope from YouTube channel The Take, when speaking of the symptoms of a White Saviour movie, states: “In the end, while the White Saviour is positioned as relatively selfless, the resolution almost certainly involves them being rewarded with some sort of personal fulfilment.” Indeed, whilst the finale number You Can’t Stop The Beat is a galvanising song of progress - a stance, or rather dance, of unity, the closing shot zooms in on Tracy - the White protagonist and her White love interest, sharing a kiss. So, the (White) Kids Are Alright. More sinisterly, the song Come so far (got so far to go) is relegated to the credits scene. As many disengage as the crew names appear, the result of this is that the audience, crucially the White audience, is left with false and the uplifting feeling that everything has been solved.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

27

6 September 2021

Science & Tech

Proceed with caution: avoiding Covid this freshers Writer Emma Duncan discusses how to navigate the lack of Covid restrictions this freshers’ week Emma Duncan WRITER

Last year, Murano Street Student Village lived up to its architectural profile: a prison. 600 freshers were self-isolating by the second week of the academic year and it had become apparent that the government asking students nicely to obey social distancing rules and not gather in groups hadn’t been quite as effective as Ms Sturgeon might have hoped.

This year, however, the national guidance appears to mirror that of a pre-Covid society. Safety is predicated on a vaccinated student population with 2021’s freshers’ week set to commence on the second week of September, 9am sharp, with events spread across the entire month (freshers’ flu be darned). With an end to most Covid-19 restrictions, are we set for another epidemic on a new and unimaginable scale?

“This year, however, the national guidance appears to mirror that of a pre-Covid society...”

Let’s have a look at what we know: 60% of under-25s are vaccinated, with universities and colleges such as Stirling University (and perhaps soon, Glasgow) bringing in local vaccination centres to help ensure vaccination of the entire student population. This - as well as a hopefully lower incidence in the community thanks to the vaccine - may go some way to alleviate the potential for a fresh Covid epidemic and restrictions on students. Whilst the majority of staff and students alike have experience with previous outbreaks and restrictions at university, most incoming freshers, if straight from school, may have not yet received their vaccines.

And not only are there concerns regarding restrictions - or the lack of them - but after the implications of the summer “pingdemic”, the widespread use of track-and-trace schemes appears to have come to an end.

In some, a sense of true freedom may have settled, as they step into the September sunshine, away from the stormy waves of coronavirus. The stark reality is, however, that this may just be the eye of the swirling cyclone of instability and infection: the real calm before the storm. Although hospital admissions are down, the number of positive Covid cases is beginning to rise again, leaving us not only wondering what will happen next, but when it will. This begs the question: will we see yet another period of student incarceration in halls?

Will the start of this academic year become a carbon copy of the last?

Whilst we can’t predict the future, and whilst we would hope that we are looking at the end of what has been a traumatic eighteen months - putting it lightly - my advice to freshers, and anyone else, starting university at this transitional time would be to enjoy yourselves, but remain cautious. We are not in the green yet, and flu season - both that of freshers’ week, but also of Christmas time - is just around the corner. National restrictions are easing, but I would advise all students to remain vigilant at such a pivotal point in the year.

But though remaining risk-aware may be a wise decision, we at The Glasgow Guardian’s Science & Tech section don’t believe it’s productive to be purely doom and gloom.

“My advice to freshers... would be to enjoy yourselves, but remain cautious...”

So, if you are a fresher picking up this paper for the first time, I wish you a warm welcome, and use this chance to offer out some positivity in the midst of the madness that attending university in a pandemic is. Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones and aren’t confined to your bedroom; go out and explore the beautiful city you’ll soon come to call home. Being a Science & Tech writer I’m compelled to

recommend the Science Museum on the south side of the city, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (which is just a stone’s throw away from campus!).

However, be aware of crowds: CDC and SAGE advice is that although the virus spreads minimally from surfaces and outside, big groups of people are the real hotspots. Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend missing a GUU Hive night - where morning-after re-

Credit: Ciara McAlinden (@mcalindendraws)

grets may not all be Covid-related - but ensure you’ve safeguarded yourself enough, and get vaccinated!

Even if you are indeed self-isolating from a Covid outbreak, and you’ve finally picked out the paper from the inside of your Freshers Welcome bags, welcome to the University of Glasgow! We’re sure you’ll have the time of your life, regardless of what is thrown your way.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

28

Science & Tech

You are what you eat

Writer Tristan Rees examines the environmental and ethical implications of overconsumption Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)

Tristan Rees WRITER

The world’s population is approaching 8 billion. The current production of human-edible crops worldwide could feed almost 10 billion people. If we are producing enough crop-based calories to feed an extra 2 billion people, then why are there entire countries starving?

“If we are producing enough cropbased calories to feed an extra 2 billion people, then why are there entire countries starving...”

Distribution issues, inequalities in wealth and opportunity, food waste, and the simple fact that many humans consume an excess of calories all play a major role in the disparity between the well-fed and the hungry. These aren’t the only causes, though: many of these calories, perfectly edible for people, are instead fed to animals, as part of the series of events that make up the meat industry. We feed animals calories to bulk them up for the slaughterhouses, and yet only 10% of the edible plantbased calories we feed them get converted into edible animal-based calories. What this means is that whilst 77 billion animals are slaughtered every year for human consumption, of the plant-based calories we divert from potential human recipients to these animals, 90% get wasted.

The conversion from edible plant food to edible animal food is not only an inefficient use of calories, but of nutrients too. There is almost double the protein in the same weight of raw soybeans as there is in raw beef.

But instead of feeding the soybeans to people, we first feed it to the cows that we plan to kill to produce… a product with half as much protein per 100g. Not only this, but cattle farming requires excessive land and water use requirements (between 5 and 10 times the amount of water is needed to produce the same number of calories of meat as edible crops).

And when you factor in the fact that cows actually produce greenhouse gases themselves (methane), surely it’s nothing less than obvious that producing edible plants easily outperforms animal farming.

“There is almost double the protein in the same weight of raw soybeans as there is in raw beef...”

The UK government has introduced policies to protect animal welfare. However, this comes at a cost to smaller farming operations who cannot compete with wealthier businesses. It also poses the risk of the market being undercut by cheap meat from countries with fewer restrictions. This would not only be a colossal environmental setback, but a disaster for animal welfare on the whole.

We can make changes to create a sustainable system so long as necessary institutional alterations take place; and it’s no longer

a case of how but when. The government needs to provide incentives to smaller operations to join the rapidly growing plant-based meat alternatives – a market that is set to boom thanks to the rise in popularity of veganism.

Taxes and subsidies can be used to steer the market towards a more environmentally-friendly future. If one role of tax is to dissuade malpractices, such as ones that damage the environment, then an emissions tax would clearly restructure the meat industry. On the flip side, subsidies for plant-based products would allow smaller operations to partake in the more sustainable plant-based option.

Alongside changing the regulations for the producers - the farmers - the government should help educate the consumers: the public. In the UK, all packaged goods must follow the food “traffic light” system to promote public health. The calories, fat, saturates, sugar, and salt of packaged foods are displayed according to the traffic light system to help consumers choose the healthiest options, with red being “unhealthy”, amber “okay”, and green “healthy”.

The same system should be introduced for food sustainability.

In such a labelling system, meat would be red, plants would be green, and amber would cover the food products in between: the food whose ecological footprint depends on air miles, whether it was grown in hothouses, or whether land was deforested for its production. The total emissions per calorie or per serving could be displayed with the colour-coded label.

Sustainable eating should be considered as important as healthy eating. A governmental-led focus on food that is grown and not bred would be a useful step forward. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report further confirmed that, on our current trajectory, we are on course for one of the most devastating climate disasters ever. We urgently need action in all sectors, none more so than the food industry, which accounts for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

To provide enough food for a growing population, we need to be producing it efficiently and sustainably, which means eating more plants and fewer animals.

“To provide enough food for a growing population, we need to be producing it efficiently and sustainably, which means eating more plants and fewer animals...”

Although thinking about it collectively may seem the most natural response when considering billions of people, our individual actions can also be incredibly important. As individuals, one of the single most inf luential actions we can take to reduce our carbon footprints is to go vegan. The famous French gastronome Brillat-Savarin said: “Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you who you are.” You can tell if someone really is an environmentalist by looking at what they eat. We should eat like all of our lives depend on it: because they do.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

29

6 September 2021

Science & Tech

Science in plain English: How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog Lucy Dunn EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @lucyidunn

When I first took Physics at school, I hated it. It was all parallel circuits and gravity and stuff that my 13-year-old self got absolutely no thrill from. In fifth year, it was an easier version of Maths, and it was then that I began to warm to it. It was only when, at Advanced Higher, I discovered quantum mechanics, that I started getting really interested.

It was particle-wave duality that got me hooked. Fascinated by the thought that, theoretically, this theory posited that you could be in two places at once, I was desperate to find out more.

Maybe the philosophy intrigued me more than the science, but I was desperate to build on the basics we’d needed to know for the exam. I asked my teacher if there were any alternative resources - keen bean, I know - to which I could look for more information, and it was then that he recommended Chad Orzel’s book: How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog. Bit insulting, I thought, but I’ll roll with

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty) it.

I’m not going to pretend that reading this turned me into a quantum physicist, or that I understood absolutely every page I turned. Many a time I went back to re-read, and re-read again, large chunks, and it’s almost certainly not the best book if you’re looking for a quick ‘n’ easy cover-to-cover by the beach. What I liked about Orzel’s book, though,

was his (relatively) conversational manner, and (sometimes) straightforward dialogues with his dog, with whom he decided to vent and argue and discuss quantum mechanics with. The small illustrations and relaxed style chilled me out: I felt less like I was reading about a niche (for any physics students reading this, I apologise. I realise quantum theory covers a num-

ber of topics and is really not all that niche) area of science, and more a slightly intense, elongated article from New Scientist.

Orzel’s primary skill is that he deconstructs the complexities, rids himself - for the most part - of degree-level jargon, and works through modern theories in a methodical and chronological way, whilst still ensuring his writing engages with the

reader, whatever stage they are at themselves. Dancing from theory to theory, from Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, to quantum electrodynamics, to - another fave of mine - the “Many-Worlds” theory, Orzel has produced one of the best entry-level resources to quantum physics that I’ve ever seen. In fairness, I’ve not seen many - I went for medicine over physics in the end - but, with its illustrations, casual exchanges of dialogue, and historical passages to evidence, I would hazard a guess that the list of similar books on the topic is exhaustive.

For anyone tempted to dip their toe into the murky water that is quantum theory, I would wholeheartedly recommend you start here. Don’t be daunted by the complex sounding chapter titles if you’re a novice in the world of physics - like myself and don’t pressure yourself to try to understand every concept mentioned. Broad with its target audience, there are definitely points that will go over your head. By the end of the book, I was no longer insulted: Chad Orzel’s dog is clearly smarter than I am.

Contributors Hailie Pentleton, Ishani Mukherjee, Rosie Shackles

Editors Hailie Pentleton and Lucy Dunn Deputy Editors Jamie Byrne and Rosie Shackles Production Katrina Siân Williams News Luke Chafer, Kimberley Mannion, Jordan Hunter, Ananya Srivathsan, Lucy Dunn Views Ciara McAlinden, Rothery Sullivan, Alexander Benjamin, Georgie Whiteley,

Features Ananya Venkatesan, Jamie Salem-Dalgety, Lucy Dunn, Ross McCool Lifestyle Genevieve Brown, Katherine Prentice, Madison Plumridge, Rebecca Richards, Ciara McAlinden, Denver Correia, Elena Adams, Hailie Pentleton, Katrina Siân Williams, Michelle Osborne Culture Chloe Waterhouse, Jodie Leith, Anest Williams, Fred Bruce, Katie Evans, Lucy Fitzgerald, Rachel Campbell, Sophie Kernachan, Bea Crawford, Callum Sneddon, Hailie Pentleton, Kimberley Mannion, Lucy Dunn, Olivia Winchester, Rosie Traynor, Siobhan Meldrum, Tomek

Kutereba Science & Tech Matt Laing, Emma Duncan, Lucy Dunn, Tristan Rees Sport Claire Thomson, Gabriel Wheway, Jordan Hunter Photography & Illustrations Dora Dziki, AJ Duncan, Ciara Mc Alinden, Katrina Siân Williams Online & Social Media Becca Luke, Katrina Siân Williams, Zein Al-Maha Oweis, AJ Duncan

Got thoughts?

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30

Sport

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

It’s time to put mental health before medals Is the sporting world finally ready to commit to confronting the mental health crisis?

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty) Credit: Rhiannon Doherty

Gabriel Wheway DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR

When Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympic women’s team event last month, the world’s greatest gymnast exposed that the heaviest burden of the Olympics is often the expectation to perform in them. Unlike most other athletes, Biles is held to the highest and most ridiculous expectations. She is not only the greatest gymnast in the world, but she is also a young Black woman dominating an industry that has continually discriminated against athletes of her race. At just 24 years old, she explained that she was far from the right frame of mind to perform the dangerous tumbling feats and subsequently pulled out of the individual all-around final. In the process of doing so, she has renewed a global conversation regarding mental health.

Athletes have continually come forward to speak about the staging of the Tokyo Olympics during the pandemic – and all its associated restrictions – has exacerbated the extensive pressures of performance. Biles poignantly stated, “we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do”.

“Unlike most other atheletes, Biles is held to the highest and most ridiculous expectations...”

Examining this disconnect between mind and body, Biles has continued the crucial conversation started by other elite athletes who have spoken openly about their need to prioritise their mental health. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka pulled out of this year’s French open, all-rounder Ben Stokes is taking an indefinite break from crick-

et, and retired U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian in history, has candidly discussed his struggles with depression. Sadly, there has been extreme targeting amongst critics; seeing Biles and Osaka as two vocal leaders regarding anxiety and race, many did not let them off easily. Public scrutiny, unrelenting pressure and racism took its toll, and a much-needed media break was taken by both athletes respectably.

Recently, an article in the Herald Scotland bemoaned the “cotton wool culture which will suffocate sport”, opening that the Olympics has become “infected” with a “snowflake sensibility”. Criticism in this sense is despicable and unjustified.

Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings also revealed that he sought the help of a psychologist before Euro 2020 to stop outside influences affecting his performances. I’d like to see Tyrone Mings tower over the spineless reporter at the Herald Scotland, pointing out every minor mishap in his writing, and then he may understand the harsh reality of his despica-

ble words. Mings was also criticised by Danny Mills on TalkSport, claiming, “If you’re going to come out and say it’s affecting your mental health every time somebody doubts you, then it’s damaging for people with real mental health problems.” This statement is of course ludicrous.

An athlete being overwhelmed by their feelings or experiencing any form of mental insecurity must be addressed, whatever their diagnosis may be. Thus, the stigma around mental wellbeing in sport is unrelenting; this is far from a normal job, yet mental health priorities should be observed, nonetheless.

“The stigma around mental wellbeing in sport is unrelenting...”

In response to athletes exposing elite sport’s mental health strains, Time magazine has claimed that the Tokyo Olympics has “changed the conver-

sation about athlete’s mental health”, citing Jessica Bartley, a psychologist and director of mental health services for the U.S. Olympics and Paralympic Committee. Bartley explained that her team would receive dozens of requests per day to support athletes’ mental health needs, mostly in the form of anonymous tips, which told of athletes battling everything from quarantine issues to intense fears that they would be unable to perform to the best of their ability.

Safe spaces and access to appropriate clinical help must follow these bold statements, or there is a significant risk that we lose some of sports most promising athletes.

Closer to home, scores of footballers have shared their personal stories, struggling with their mental health. The breadth of names, from World Cup winners to non-premier league midfielders, from staples of the early premier league years to those born after Euro 96’, from those with a whole career ahead of them, from both

the men’s and women’s game, is proof were it needed that mental health illnesses are ever-present and indiscriminate. In response to countless claims, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has a 24 hour wellbeing hotline and a wealth of resources, including swift access to a network of more than 200 counsellors.

There has been plenty of coverage citing depression and mental illness affecting those leaving the game, whether it be after a shining career or a decade in an academy. While athletes and footballers, in this case, have had their stories told and often been able to speak to the press about issues they are having, trying to name a manager who has publicly spoken about being affected is a harder task and the list abruptly becomes shorter and disengaged. The same must be said for non-playing staff, from physios to club doctors to nutritionists to coaches, and for the players’ families, who often pick up the pieces away from the pitch. How many of those are you able to name?

Statistically, they exist. One in four people in the U.K. will suffer from a mental health problem each year. Where are their stories?

On the very surface, athletes of any kind need private and personal support in order to thrive on the big stage. Sporting fans of the past and present must understand that taking yourself away from a damaging situation is more valuable than a piece of metal, a message that even those of us without Olympic aspirations would do well to heed. And, of course, it’s not only the athletes who suffer. A wealth of staff goes into the world of sport, nurturing, mentoring, and creating elite sports people we all look up to greatly. Their names are disregarded in this conversation when in fact, they’re vital. The conversation regarding mental health in sport is finally having its moment, but it is far from over.

THE GLASGOW GUARDIAN

6 September 2021

31

Sport

A welcome back to Glasgow sports Jordan Hunter INVESTIGATIONS EDITOR

While watching sports on TV is great, there’s nothing like attending a local game in person. Although there is no doubt that football takes up the attention of most sports fans, there’s plenty of sporting action across Glasgow that can provide you with that much needed fix.

Football: I don’t need to belabour about the magic of watching one of Glasgow’s top teams compete. The atmosphere of their European nights, the intensity of the Old Firm, and mastery of watching an SPFL league fixture, is a no brainer for any sports fan and honestly doesn’t need more explaining. Glasgow’s top teams, Celtic and Rangers, are always a joy to watch.

But, the city has much more to offer than just that. In Maryhill, a stone’s throw from Murano, lies the home of Partick Thistle which can give you

a stadium experience for often half the price. Along with Partick Thistle, there are plenty of great local teams to see, including the historic Queens Park and the many teams playing at the top level of women’s football in Scotland. Additionally, the national teams’ home in Hampden Park gives extra opportunities to see top international football. Especially with some critical qualification fixtures right round the corner.

Rugby: Whilst Murrayfield may be an hour away, there is plenty of rugger talent to see here in Glasgow.

Glasgow Warriors compete in the United Rugby Championship and are coming off a respectable European Club campaign. Tickets are very affordable and the level of competition is rarely matched in all of rugby. Just a short drive from the West End, Scotstoun Stadium can certainly be considered

a perfect option for any rugby fan.

Ice Hockey: Granted, ice hockey might not be the first sport that jumps to mind when it comes to Scottish sport, the Glasgow Clan are here to shake that thought process right up. Situated in the shopping centre at Braehead, the Glasgow Clan are a point of interest for even the casual sports fan. While they may be struggling in Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), the team is hoping to come back this winter and put on a show. Despite the competition not being comparable to the NHL or KHL, the physicality and passion are on par for any ice hockey team. For many Clan fans, it’s not about the skill or talent, but rather the joy of the sport and the experience that really is unlike any other.

Basketball: There is no doubt that the European style of basketball is starting

Credit: Adam Marikar via Unsplash

to catch up to the NBA and the Glasgow Rocks are looking to remain at the top of the food chain in the British Basketball League (BBL) as perennial competitors. Residing in the Emirates area, across the road from Celtic Park in Glasgow’s East

End, their state of the art stadium is well worth the trek. With society slowly opening up, they look forward to welcoming fans, hopefully in time for the first tip-off of the season in late September.

GUSA Freshers’ Week Here’s your guide on how to get involved in the 50+ sporting clubs that the University of Glasgow has to offer Credit: GUSWPC Facebook Claire Thomson SPORTS EDITOR @clairethomson01

Freshers’ Week is all about getting involved and looking for different ways to break yourself into university life. Finding your feet in a big pond is not always the most straightforward, but when you discover something you enjoy, the whole process becomes just a little bit easier. Every year, Glasgow University’s Sporting Association, GUSA, organises a variety of events during Freshers’ Week, to allow both incoming and current students to explore the world of university sport. From the Sports Fayre to “Come and Try” taster sessions, there are many opportunities to help make that first step into university life through sport.

This year, the GUSA Sports Fay-

re will take place from 12-13 September, in the grounds of the Main Building. There will be the opportunity to meet other students, signup for Sports taster sessions, watch some live Sports performances and ask questions to club members to find the specific sport, which is just right for you. Additionally, GUSA has organised a “Freshtival” of Sport on September 15 at Garscube Sports Complex for all incoming students.

The day will be packed full of exciting activities, including bubble football, rounders, tug of war competitions, and much more. Free shuttle buses to and from campus and all student halls will be running throughout the day to ensure you don’t miss out on all the fun! If you’re still looking for an evening activity after the Freshtival of Sport, Glasgow University Union (GUU) is hosting a big GUSA

Fight Night. With fights from the Boxing, Muay Thai and Taekwondo clubs, it’s not a night to miss!

“Free shuttle buses to and from campus and all student halls will be running throughout the day...”

Tickets for all events are free but need to be purchased beforehand.

Sport at university is a fun and easy way to build a healthy lifestyle, whilst improving your physical, mental and social wellbeing. It can provide you with so many unique

opportunities and experiences to travel, meet new people, represent the university, and participate in some spectacular social events.

Whether you are a complete novice, or an experienced athlete, there is something to cater for every fitness level, sporting goal and ability within the 50+ clubs that make up GUSA. There is absolutely no hiding the fact that trying something new when you don’t know anyone and are thrown in as the deep end is daunting and can be a nerve-wracking experience.

But realistically, what is there to be afraid of? In your first few weeks of university, you have nothing to lose so make the most of the clean state and try everything and anything because you might fall in love with a sport you’ve never even heard of before.

“Sport at university is a fun and easy way to build a healthy lifestyle...”

If all goes well, in those first sessions, you might have met your future flatmates, found your new favourite hobby or simply just had fun, so why not take advantage of what GUSA has to offer this year? And remember, there’s more to sport than sport!

For more information about GUSA Events during Freshers’ Week or to purchase tickets visit: https://uofgwelcome.native.fm/ group/45/gusa-events

Credit: Katrina Siân Williams (@veryberrykitty)