Contents
Glasgow University Magazine
FEATURES / 04-08
Grief and Defiance The Cost of Living Review of Scottish Craft Beers Toilet Graffiti Sprechen sie Englisch?
POLITICS / 09-14
Ukraine’s International Brigades The Grey Vote Lights, Camera, Contradiction Freedom of Exp****ion Anarchy in the UK
CULTURE / 15-20
A Visit to Good Press Unthank Comics: A Glance at Glasgow’s Comic Culture Something on High A Portrait of Kevin MacDonald Sencha’s Street Art Glasgow’s Electronic Scene: Then and Now
STYLE / 21-27
Featured Designer: Irina Gusakova The Rise of the Plus Size Model Galliano and the Directors of Fashion The Ethics of Fur The It Girl
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / 28-31 Russia: A Beleaguered Economy Student Spending Habits Deflation Defined The Tyranny of Tax?
Issue 2
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The Fleeting Hour
Daniel Patterson
DEPUTY EDITOR Abbey Fleming
Paul Butterfield
POLITICS EDITOR Sophia Gore
CULTURE EDITOR Lisa Monozlai
STYLE EDITOR Anne Devlin
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR Mashal Aamir
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Stephanie Scullion
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jessica Taylor
PHOTO EDITOR Aidan Morrissey
PROOFREADING Calum MacRae
COVER DESIGN Jamie Donald
ILLUSTRATORS Jamie Donald Ben Carollo Katie Catling Ito Aboutajedyne Zoe Williams
Meeting the STEM Challenge Intelligence, Beauty and Health with Designer Genomes? Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?
During this hectic period of essay deadlines, dissertation submissions and exam preparation, it is my hope that our latest offering can provide some respite as we enter the Easter recess. This issue of GUM kicks off with a moving account of Mashal Aamir’s visit to Peshawar in December. Elsewhere in Features, Abbey Fleming shares her thoughts on why the UK is lagging behind other European nations in our approach to learning foreign languages, while a photo-essay studies the art on display in toilets around Glasgow. Slaves to their work, several members of the GUM team took the liberty of sampling local craft beers and reviewing them for you. Unsurprisingly, two articles offer perspectives on the horrific acts of terrorism that took place in Paris in January. Mairead MacRae contrasts media coverage of the attacks with the mass killings by Boko Haram in Nigeria that same day and in the Politics section John Gillespie explains why tolerance must be the legacy of such incidents. The Politics section has us well prepared for May’s general election with pieces on the different parties’ campaign pledges and the growing significance of television debates. Meanwhile, Sophia Gore offers an anarchist perspective on the apathy hindering our democracy.
Culture provides an eclectic mix taking in literature, comics, music, film and art. Lisa Feklistova begins with a visit to Glasgow’s very own Good Press while elsewhere Jeannemarie Hamilton speaks to Scottish street artist Sencha about her efforts to empower women though art. Style Editor Anne Devlin presents another quality editorial; this time featuring designs by Irina Gusakova captured by photographer Peter Methven against Glasgow’s brutalist architectural backdrop. In Business & Economics we explore some of the most pressing issues of our time. Mehman Ismayilli considers what Vladimir Putin’s recent belligerence means for the Russian economy while Petko Nekezov and Martina Guzauskaite address global tax complexities and the UK’s deflation worries. Bethany Garner explores the reality of student spending habits. Last but not least, our Science & Technology section explores the potential risks of unfettered scientific and technological advancement. Emma Briggs addresses the ethical implications of so-called ‘designer babies’ while Theodora Strati discusses the potential benefits and hazards of artificial intelligence. We hope this latest installment of GUM provides you with sufficient food for thought this semester.
GRAPHIC DESIGN:
Jessica is GUM’s Graphic Designer and is responsible for producing the entire magazine. If you are interested in working with her or would like to see more of her work please get in touch. jessicacora.creative@gmail.com www.behance.net/jessicacoracreative www.facebook.com/jessicacoracreative
CONTRIBUTORS:
Mashal Aamir, Mairead MacRae, Aidan Morrissey, Alex Roach, Catherine Mackie, Luke Hurst, Ozlem Tas, Paul Butterfield, Abbey Fleming, William Monk, Rhys Harper, Josh Stevens, John Gillespie, Sophia Gore, Lisa Feklistova, Robbie Orr, Lisa Monozlai, Arnaud Brebion, Jeannemarie Hamilton, Joanna Velikov, Anne Devlin, Rhiannon Norman, Erika Koljonen, César Imbert, Jasmine Wilson, Mehman Ismayilli, Bethany Garner, Martina Guzauskaite, Petko Nekezov, Daniel Patterson, Emma Briggs, Theodora Strati
The views articulated in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Students’ Representative Council or the University of Glasgow. Glasgow University Magazine, John McIntyre Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ editors@glasgowuniversitymagazine.co.uk
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Daniel Patterson
Jessica Taylor
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / 32-35
Issue 2
The Fleeting Hour
EDITOR
FEATURES EDITOR
Glasgow University Magazine
Illustration by Jamie Donald
Features
Glasgow University Magazine
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Features
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
Grief and Defiance
The Cost of Living
Mashal Aamir visits the Pakistani city of Peshawar in the aftermath of a deadly Taliban attack.
Mairead MacRae examines how civilian casualties are reported by the media.
In December 2014 the world was left aghast at an attack carried out by seven Taliban extremists on Pakistan’s Army Public School. The pupils were mainly children of Army officials who had been engaged in robust military action against the Taliban throughout the year. The attack was over in minutes, but its perpetrators still achieved a gruesome headcount of over 140 slaughtered children.
He was polite and courteous but he felt nothing except the searing pain in his arm.
The massacre took place shortly after educational activist Malala Yousafzai had become the youngest ever Nobel Prize winner, and was an attack on a country that places a high value on education, in keeping with the Islamic maxim ‘seek knowledge from cradle to grave’. The intention was to deter children from pursuing an education. Instead the attack shed light on the strength and bravery of its victims and cemented their status as heroes.
I am in awe of the doctors who tend to the teachers and students - some who remain in hospital and have a long way to go to recover.
It was a surreal experience watching the story on the news from my home in Glasgow and then actually travelling to Peshawar where the attack was not just another news story but a day-to-day struggle for the entire nation. The whole country was quiet in solemn mourning. Grief tends to be a private affair but when I travelled within Pakistan I saw countrymen weep throughout the day; shop keepers, workers, businessmen and mothers, people who never even knew the children yet shed heartfelt tears and prayed for them. I soon realized that for Pakistan those were everyone’s children and the pain of the brutal massacre was felt nationwide. I was honoured to meet those children who survived and are under the care of staff in Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. One of them was Ahmed. He was the only child in class 9 who wasn’t killed, but lost his brother in the attack and sustained severe injuries. When I spoke to Ahmed I felt like I was talking to someone who wasn’t quite there; a boy with no spirit and no will to continue. I told him that on behalf of the students at the University of Glasgow, our thoughts and prayers were with him.
Another patient I met was Musa, whose pain was so acute that he struggled to sit up, speak or move. Musa seemed angry and helpless at what had happened, a young child searching for an explanation that no one could ever give.
Dr Imran, who was on hand at the time of the attack, recalls the last words of a dying boy he treated, ‘Where is my friend? Is he okay?’ This simple question reminds us of the innocence of that small boy, who even in dying was hopeful about the survival of a loved one.
“The word Islam translates to ‘Salema’, which is Arabic for ‘peace’. The religion teaches love and equality.”
Here’s a question: what’s the exchange rate on a human life? How many killings of unarmed African Americans equal the murder of a middle class white man? How many murdered prostitutes are worth one dead schoolgirl? How many immigrants killed in a race-hate crime can be compared to the murder of a single UK citizen? I should add that said immigrants may not be white and might speak in their native languages when they call their family from the bus. Does that decrease the value of their being? These unpalatable questions are asked and, more worryingly, answered every day by media groups, political institutions and law enforcement bodies. January gave us a small glimpse into some of the numbers involved. It showed us that, as far as the Western media is concerned, 1 murdered French citizen is worth approximately 118 Nigerian lives. In the aftermath of the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the subsequent violence perpetrated in Dammartin-en-Goele and at Port de Vincennes in early January, reams of newspaper print and hours of television were dedicated to reporting the atrocity. Newspapers, broadcasters and radio stations filled their coverage with moving illustrations and declarations of ‘Je suis Charlie’ to show their solidarity with the victims and to reinforce their belief in free speech. The murders in France constituted an appalling loss of life and this was deservedly reflected in the extensive media coverage they received.
Professor Aamir Khan, an alumnus of our university, is Head of Department at the hospital. He told me that, ‘In all my years in medicine I have never seen a situation in which doctors and nurses were crying while they attended to patients’.
“In all the talk about ‘European’ identity, we seem to have forgotten our universal humanity.”
When I returned to Glasgow my thoughts were still with Peshawar and it was difficult to return to my normal routine. I shared Musa’s anger at the severe loss of life and the terrorists’ false claim of being Islamic. The word Islam translates to ‘Salema’, which is Arabic for ‘peace’. The religion teaches love and equality. It condemns hurting ones that have hurt you and instead preaches forgiveness. None of these terrorists are Muslims.
However that same day Boko Haram set out on a killing spree in Baga, north-east Nigeria, having seized control of the town the previous weekend. In what Amnesty International described as the ‘deadliest massacre’ in the organisation’s history, the militants reportedly murdered over 2,000 Baga inhabitants. I read through numerous newspapers, watched the daily bulletins and listened to a variety of news reports on the radio that week. The massacre did not receive a single mention. The Saturday afterwards, a ten year old was sent into a crowded marketplace to detonate a bomb strapped to her body, killing 16 people. I checked my Sunday newspaper for a report on the bombing to find that there wasn’t one. That same Sunday, two suicide bombers, again believed to be children, exploded devices in Yobe state; killing 3 and wounding 26 others. The half-hourly radio news reports I listened to on my commute on Monday morning dedicated just two sentences to the attack. While the deaths of 17 French citizens received extensive coverage, the world’s media barely batted an eyelid at the murder of over 2,000 Nigerians.
All of the millions of children attending school in Pakistan are fighting a battle, and each and every class they attend is a defiant move against terrorism. These children are Pakistan’s greatest warriors.
To reduce any human life to a number is in every case crude. But these figures starkly convey the way in which the media places greater value on Western lives than on people from elsewhere. Evidently, media currency is determined by whether someone looks like us, speaks like us and shares our values. Witness how the media reported the heroic actions of Ahmed Merabet, the Muslim police officer who died defending the Charlie Hebdo offices. Applauding his bravery, the papers quoted liberally from a family eulogy of Merabet describing him as ‘French, Algerian and of the Muslim religion’. They reported how he was ‘proud to represent the French police, and to defend the values of the Republic: liberty, equality and fraternity.’ He was, journalists stressed, a European man who spoke a European language and believed in ‘European’ values. One of us. It was as if the mourning of Merabet’s death necessitated the reinforcement of his French identity as well as (or in spite of) his Muslim one. It seems that we grieve and celebrate those who share our ideologies and are one of us. In doing so, we alienate those who call elsewhere home or who do not obviously share our beliefs or cultural mores. So when world leaders met in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo attack to show ‘unity’ in the face of terrible violence, we must ask: unity with whom? David Cameron failed to even comment on the Boko Haram attacks. Unity was not extended by our leader to the Nigerians being massacred on their own streets. In all the talk about ‘European’ identity, we seem to have forgotten our universal humanity. It is often said that we have become desensitised to violence, but the outpouring of emotion that characterised the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks proves that this is not the case. We have merely narrowed our scope for who we deem worthy of our grief. The Charlie Hebdo attackers valued the defence of their prophet from a satirical cartoon more than the lives of 17 French men and women. Boko Haram are seeking a religious monopoly in Nigeria and were willing to murder over 2,000 in support of that goal. However we cannot continue to make valuations on who deserves our grief, our protest and our solidarity. We cannot continue to afford value to only those who are like us and who are us. We are Charlie but we should be Baga too.
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Features
Glasgow University Magazine
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Beer from Here
Illustrations by Ben Corollo
St. Mungo by WEST Beer A favourite of most quality West End pubs, St. Mungo’s lager provides a refreshing alternative to more generic macrobrewed lagers. For being just shy of 5%, the ease with which this beer goes down is a mark of exceptional craftsmanship, and if a considerably strong but easily drinkable lager is what you are after, then St. Mungo is for you. Glaswegian by birth, you can get this in so many shops and bars around the city that there’s almost no excuse not to give it a go.
Happy Chappy by Cromarty Brewing Co. From the northern seaside town of Cromarty comes a solid and full-bodied IPA. Happy Chappy’s use of tropical hops from New Zealand award it a zesty smell and taste. It is malty, aromatic, and perfect for after a meal. The lack of an aftertaste makes this a brief experience, however, which might be a problem for those who prefer their beers to have a lasting impact.
Onyx by Alechemy Brewing With a strong grapefruity scent, this black IPA establishes itself immediately. Strong, dark, and chocolatey on the palate with a distinct aftertaste of charred wood, Onyx’s rich smokiness is a joy to experience. A real winner from Alchemy Brewing Co.
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
Aidan Morrissey captures some of Glasgow’s most impressive toilet scribblings.
With new lagers and ales being launched on an apparently continuous basis, Scottish craft beer continues to stake its claim to the title of the country’s other other national drink. GUM’s tasting panel accepted the thankless task of sampling some of the diverse offerings from microbreweries across the nation – provided by our friends at Hippo Beers – and were even nice enough to record their findings for us.
East Lothian-based Knops Beer Company brew beer with the intention of bridging the gap between seasoned beer fanatics and casual drinkers. By our reckoning, their Musselburgh Broke courts the latter more than the former. There’s a sweet nuttiness to this highly drinkable Scottish ale, and it accomplishes a complex and distinct taste while being light and crisp. For hardened beer lovers, however, it’s likely to lack impact, and might best be described as a ‘session ale’.
Features
Toilet Graffiti
Aidan Morrissey, Alex Roach, Catherine Mackie, Luke Hurst, Ozlem Tas and Paul Butterfield try Scottish craft beers.
Musselburgh Broke by Knops Beer Company
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In bars, clubs, and venues, toilets provide a kind of thoughtful solace for you to take a deep breath, close your eyes, reflect on the evening so far, or get offered drugs. Oh yeah, and use the facilities. In these hushed oases, friendships are made and lost, hair is fixed, lipstick is applied, and hands are placed under the dryer for nowhere near enough time. Among the throng of enthusiastic pissers and self-soberers, art is made and toilets are able to develop a certain character. For most venues, this character is erased the next day when the WCs are scrubbed clean. Although necessary, there is a fine line between cleaning and over-cleaning. I find that the better venues usually keep their toilets squeaky, but allow them to accumulate their own spirit, be that through commissioned art, a ready supply of markers for any prospective philosophers, or simply just an ethos of ‘Ach, sure leave it there.’ Glasgow is a city of almost 950 licensed premises; by my estimate, that’s about 3,000 cubicles and around the same number of urinals, which is a bit too much to cover in one article. However, I went along to a few places that I felt had that balance between being very well-kept but still retaining a little soul. The Flying Duck on Renfield Street, the renowned Nice N Sleazy on Sauchiehall, and Squid and Whale on Great Western are venues that keep their bathrooms colourful with original hand painted art pieces. Although Bloc on Bath Street displays beautiful painted artwork, it still possess the amateur flair of other venues, as does Stereo on Renfield Lane. Mono at King’s Court and the 13th note on King Street allow a less visually striking yet much punchier artistic style.
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Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
Sprechen sie Englisch? Abbey Fleming considers Britons’ low take-up of foreign languages.
‘Sprechen sie Englisch?’ I tentatively ask. ‘No, I only speak Chinese.’ The German waiter replies through a laugh. What he really means is ‘of course I speak English and it’s funny you would even think otherwise.’
Fostering an interest and receiving tuition in a foreign language in early childhood is perhaps the most effective way of becoming multilingual. Starting French lessons at age 11 in the UK might seem early, but compare this to Western European countries where children begin English lessons on average at age 6, with some countries like Germany offering English classes as early as pre-school, and it becomes clear where the problem stems from. Research has shown that young learners can achieve fluency with the same ease with which they learned their first language, which explains why difficulty learning another language increases in tandem with age.
“Regularly referred to as the ‘universal language’, English has been deemed the dominant voice of international business.” The late start in learning a foreign language in the UK is erroneously paired with language classes only being compulsory until pupils are around 14 years old - an age at which many of our Western European counterparts are nearly fluent in English. Students in UK schools can expect to see foreign language classes on their timetable two to three times a week - a fraction of the hours devoted to teaching languages in other European countries. Not only do schools elsewhere designate more teaching time to languages; other subjects are often taught in English as a way to further immerse students into the language.
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Ukraine’s International Brigades
William Monk
Two wars are raging on the fringes of Europe.
I state that I’m lost and he gives me directions in perfect, flowing English. I manage an appreciative yet muffled ‘danke’ as I wander off. During the rest of my time in Berlin, I made an effort to use the minimal German I knew, but not once did I encounter anyone who wasn’t able to hold a conversation with me in English when my German (inevitably) faltered. While it was reassuring to know there was no shortage of English speakers, being in Germany yet speaking English was mostly accompanied by a wave of guilt, especially as some Berliners even apologised for their English ‘not being too good’ when they were practically fluent. Despite recently starting German classes, my skills didn’t yet extend much further than being able to introduce myself and state my age. Basically, I was on par with a German toddler. Except that they’d have already started learning English too.
Issue 2
As 2015 begins, in both Donetsk and Mosul people live in terror under the rule of militants. We hear every day about the flood of foreign fighters, from Britain and elsewhere, advancing into conflict under the black flag of IS. Less known though, is the flow of voluntary militants from around the world arriving to fight on both sides in Ukraine. Who are these people, where are they coming from, and why? Leaving aside the contentious issue of the Russian presence, combatants from an array of countries have been reported on the battle lines, with some estimates counting 12,000.
Illustration by Katie Catling
Still, while it might seem easy to compare the way languages are taught in the UK to in other European countries, there is one important factor that makes the contrast slightly unfair. Most Europeans are taught one other language – English - for a reason. It’s the obvious choice. Regularly referred to as the ‘universal language’, English has been deemed the dominant voice of international business. Certainly, other languages are widely used in this sense, but for many, learning another language before English is simply not an option. So for countries in which English is already the mother tongue, the question of what language(s) should be taught in schools is raised. The answer, as was the case in my own secondary school, may depend on the availability of teachers and the languages they can teach. Despite the fact that there is no clear contender for a principal foreign language in the UK, one thing is clear: the UK’s system of teaching and learning languages can certainly be improved. Whether this means lowering the age at which children are introduced to other languages or simply increasing the number of teaching hours per week in schools, UK citizens could be enjoying the benefits of multilingualism to a much greater extent than we do at present. While beginning the process early on is preferable, there are a variety of ways in which people can learn another language at any age. Regardless of the language learned, achieving multi or bilingualism can act as a stepping stone for work and study opportunities abroad and is an incredible skill to possess.
Rebel leaders have claimed a large number of these are American mercenaries defending the Kiev government. This includes some in the pay of US infamous private military company Academi (formerly Blackwater), who were tried for war crimes during the invasion of Iraq. However, the only proven American presence on the ground so far is Mark Paslawsky – a 55 year-old Ukrainian-American from New York, who died in the service of Kiev last year. Many of those fighting are paid mercenaries, but a surprising number are volunteers. The sentiments of the past – old scores and old loyalties – have drawn an unusual body of combatants to Ukraine. For example, The Atlantic spoke to an Armenian who had fought with the pro-Russian separatists: ‘my grandfathers fought for the Soviet Union, and I am fighting for it’. Moreover, the messy conflicts that have followed the USSR’s collapse have pushed some into the ranks. Reuters spoke to a volunteer from South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia, where the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia was fought: ‘they [Georgians] were killing us, and the Russians saved us. I came here to pay my dues to them’. Meanwhile, the opposing battle lines, have reported a handful of Chechens (some of whom are also waging war in the Middle East), whose native Islamic republic in southern Russia has long been fighting for independence. Some old loyalties stretch back even further. Both Spain’s El Pais and the BBC reported the presence of two far-left wing Spaniards in Ukraine, fighting in solidarity with the pro-Russian rebels. They see themselves as returning ‘a historical favour’ for Soviet Russia’s support to Loyalist Spain against Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
For Serbs who are supporting the rebels, the loyalty is older still. Russia has long taken the side of its Orthodox Slavic brothers – centuries ago, against the Turks and the Austrians (a cause of the First World War) and more recently in the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s. Most of these are believed to be mercenaries, but as The Economist writes, there is a ‘quasi religious, Slavic brotherhood element’; an eerie mirror of their ‘holy warrior’ neighbours from Kosovo and Bosnia fighting with IS. The BBC suggests also that ‘residual animosity’ towards NATO, which dismantled Yugoslavia in the above-mentioned conflict of the 1990s, has pushed Serbs into the rebel battalions, to challenge Atlanticist dominance. These cases illustrate the depth and complexity of the conflict, the multifaceted layers of issues at stake, and the power of the shadow of the past, which has drawn so many people into the fight. Like the war in Spain 80 years ago, many foreign volunteers see in the Ukraine conflict a battle for the future of the world. Some visions for this future are simply reprehensible. There is a neo-fascist and neo-Nazi presence in the ranks of the Kiev government’s forces that is magnified in the Russian media. But unfortunately it is not propaganda. The BBC spoke to a Swedish volunteer in the Azov battalion – infamous for its use of Nazi imagery – who claimed he was fighting ‘for the survival of white people’, and against a world where ‘it’s a bad thing to say I’m white and I’m proud’. The Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that ‘dozens’ of Italian neo-fascists are fighting with the Ukrainian far right; while the Azov battalion’s commander told The Telegraph he had volunteers from Greece and Ireland in his ranks. Some (perhaps romanticising the conflict) see the Ukraine as the next Spain - the front line in a struggle against fascism. The Italian press for example reports several young Italians – ‘ex-soldiers, and university students with a thirst for adventure’, fighting alongside the separatists in eastern Ukraine with a cry of No Pasaran. Others see it, like the Serbs, as a fight against globalisation and American hegemony such as the French volunteers with the rebels, who told Le Monde they were fighting ‘decline in national values and the loss of French sovereignty’. What all the volunteers have in common is the view that the conflict has meaning far beyond the borders of Ukraine and Russia.
Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
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Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
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The Grey Vote
Lights, Camera, Contradiction
Rhys Harper
Josh Stevens
That the major political parties, including the Liberal Democrats, are not exactly catering their campaign promises towards students this election cycle is unsurprising. This is to their disadvantage because biologists preach an esteemed theory that young people, by and large, outlive our elderly counterparts… As the speeches and soundbites of the past few years have indicated, our parliamentary moon is orbiting a greying planet, accessible via free bus pass. It’s not just Farage’s merry band of Caucasians, but the wider electoral faction to whom UKIP seeks to appeal. They are the perpetually angry, white, and greying Question Time type. The ‘type’ – that dangerous, inflexible word - whom seed-grown political leaders distastefully accept as acute representations of working class Britons without hesitation for fear of betraying their innate classism. They are the seemingly reckless swing voters who are thought to make or break elections. In response to their ugly anti-immigrant populism, Cameron descends further in to a spiraling pit of tedious euroscepticism while Miliband tells his reflection in the mirror that what voters really care about are lectures on wealth inequality. And we’re meant to be impressed. Students, typically young, typically unperturbed by Bulgarian neighbours, typically colourblind and left-leaning just aren’t getting a look in on the political landscape. But nor should this excuse their disenchanted apathy. As David Lammy MP summarised: the current election campaign is in very real danger of being ‘skewed towards the interests of the elderly unless more young people [can] be encouraged to vote’. But to vote for whom? Tuition fees are normally the main Westminster quibble pertaining to students (isn’t that right, Nick?) But in Scotland we are protected from these by a sword-wielding Nicola Sturgeon. It is well documented that Sturgeon battles the carnivorous winged monkeys sent by George Osborne to marketize our ancient universities. Protected by that and, to a lesser extent, the devolved parliament over in the Burgh of Edin; letting agency fees are outlawed up here by the shield of Holyrood. It can be tedious to decide between campaigns uninterested in your average University of Glasgow student but voting is as much a civic duty as pretending to care about the weather with your hairdresser. Take the Conservative Party. They believe in small governments and big foreheads. Asked why students here should vote for a party who have spent a great deal of time in government playing candy crush, the Glasgow University Conservative and Unionist Association said: ‘We’ll keep to our long-term economic plan to make sure students graduate into an economy where jobs and growth continue to be created.’
The influence of the mass media over British politics is escalating. The profiles of politicians are scrutinised more than ever as we enter an age of individualistic politics. More often than not, disputes are between senior politicians rather than the parties as a whole, with the majority of Prime Minister’s Questions being a red-faced theatrical to-and-fro between Miliband and Cameron. Illustration by Jamie Donald
This is an excellent example of sticking to the party line. Conservatives link everything back to the economy, on which they have actually missed their own targets, because it’s seen to be their strongest policy area. They are the aging, institutionalised ballerinas of politics. The Labour Party typically fairs better with students than the Tories: few object to the deus ex machina of tax rises when they are not yet actually paying tax themselves. A promise to limit unpaid internships to a maximum of four weeks will work well to attract students outside their NUS bubble, but an invisible front bench saps excitement out of voting Labour this time around. Not to mention assertions that the government’s scrapping of household registration is an attack on students, who are apparently clever enough to get in to MA courses but not quite capable of completing a basic online application. Contrary to celebrated contemporary myth, voting Green, UKIP or SNP is indeed utterly pointless. More Green seats decreases the likelihood of the most left-wing Labour leader in decades becoming Prime Minister while voting UKIP will help to erode a Conservative government that has promised to hold a referendum on British EU membership. Nor will voting SNP reverse last year’s referendum vote or bring about a redo: ‘once in a generation’ and all that. Nonetheless despite their flaccidity, votes casted resonate as a statement of civic frustration with the current status quo. But a wasted vote is better than no vote at all. Only half of students eligible to vote did so in 2010. How can we expect to have policies tailored to our interests if we refuse to engage? A recent study conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) suggests that the students could have ‘a decisive impact’ on this election. In which case I advise you to use your vote wisely.
In fact, the influential role of television in important political events is increasingly significant. You only need to look back to the independence referendum in which Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond’s verbal sparring was clearly reflected in subsequent opinion polls. So as we near the general election in May, how great an impact will these television debates really have? Well, in comparison to the referendum, there will be fewer undecided voters as many people are steadfast in their allegiance to a political party. However, the influence of the debates will still be critical in the short term as they are due to take place during April, affording the aftershocks considerable magnitude. Cameron’s recent display of ‘righteousness’ in his adamant refusal to cooperate without the Green Party’s participation, gives us a sense of the tactical grooming politicians will be subject to at the hands of campaign and marketing professionals. The reaction from the other leaders has been as expected, with Mr Farage urging the broadcasters to go ahead despite Cameron’s absence and the Deputy Prime Minister echoing the call by saying the broadcasters should ‘grow a backbone’ and push on regardless. Instead, broadcasters ITV and the BBC have included all major parties in the debates, with the Green Party, SNP and Plaid Cymru all being represented. There are plans for two debates involving seven parties and then a head-to-head between Cameron and Miliband hosted by Sky and Channel 4 respectively. Whether David Cameron turns up remains to be seen.
Clegg and his party appear to have been absorbed by the establishment while Farage offers a controversial approach to public life and has distinct opinions on ‘bread and butter’ issues such as immigration and the NHS. Farage already proved his ability to debate before the cameras last April when he dismantled Clegg over the European Union, a result which again was reflected in the elections the following month. UKIP came first with 33% of the vote and the Liberal Democrats came sixth with a paltry 6.61%, a devastating result for them. In sum, the evidence would suggest that in the short term television debates can be very influential, with a high viewer turnout (9.4m during the 2010 general election and nearly a quarter of the population watching the Scottish referendum debates). However as Clegg and Farage have learnt, the glory is short lived as increased attention means more scrutiny and it doesn’t take long for the credit to dissipate. The timing of them is key because in the month or so before the election it is critical for each party leader to perform, as the parties are fighting harder than ever to clinch a majority government. The significance of seven parties competing in a political debate in the run-up to a general election has proven that our outdated party system is losing steam. It is now unlikely that Britain will return to its traditional two-party politics, forcing politicians to make uncomfortable alliances if they’re hoping to get their foot in the door of Number 10.
The debates create a much-needed space for the least represented parties to put forward their agendas for the public to evaluate. In the 2010 election it was arguably the television debates that gave the Liberal Democrats the edge they needed to be treated as serious contenders. Nick Clegg impressed many people with his fresh and pragmatic approaches to issues while Cameron and Brown seemed to be tiring out as they had most to lose. Could Nigel Farage and UKIP be on a similar path?
General Election 2015 Rhys Harper and Josh Stevens share their thoughts on what is shaping up to be the UK’s most unpredictable election in decades, from the campaign promises to the televised leaders’ debates…
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Politics
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Freedom
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Exp****ion
John Gillespie explains why tolerance should be the greatest legacy after the Charlie Hebdo attacks
One might be forgiven for thinking that Hebdo’s cartoons of satirical blasphemy are not so different to questioning the opposition fans’ religious predilections on a stormy night in Glasgow. That is because in a sense it is true, but we must remember that it is not your views on the inadequacy of the opposition’s credo that will get you under lock and key - that is one’s right to hold - but the appeal to this to provoke. Pope Francis spoke of provocation, but in his own words he did not justify retaliation. Charlie Hebdo have the right to express their distasteful mockery as they are expressions, not fatal blows. The three men six feet below unmarked graves had no better right to turn to murder than any atheist has to kill a Creationist for preaching the Gospel.
Freedom of expression: the freedoms to say, to communicate, to articulate and to publish. It is an age-old principle crucial to every democratic community. However, our contemporary societies are far greater, more legally complex, and more cosmopolitan than ever before. For our information age Orwell blueprinted the demise of individual autonomy. Nonetheless, the principle is not pure. It is an ideal, an impossible epilogue. Attempting to incite a riot, claiming you have a bomb stowed away on a flight, sectarian slurs blurted through pie and Bovril, will all see righteous castigation in law for the unnecessary harm caused. The attacks on the streets of Paris that left seventeen dead have made many review their convictions. In the face of such horrors the worst thing we could possibly do is concede. With a concoction of hatred, extremism and an appetite for brutality, three men martyred twelve Charlie Hebdo staff members and mindlessly killed Kosher shoppers. Wounded but not paralyzed, the magazine emerged from its mourning period the week following the attacks, with a ‘Survivor’ edition that sold more than fifteen times the usual print run. Mixed reactions have ensued. Pope Francis II branded the attacks aberrational yet noted the provocation by Hebdo’s ridicule of the pith of Islam. Meanwhile French President Hollande said people do not understand his nation’s attachment to the value of free speech. Prime Minister Davutoglu of Turkey condemned the ‘Survivor’ issue as an open provocation but David Cameron noted the danger to free society when publications shy away from controversy. The ‘Je suis Charlie’ banner confirmed the support of thousands to the ethic of free expression yet a ten-thousand strong march in Chechnya demanded freedom from ridicule of the Prophet Mohammed. In this atmosphere, what is the imperative - to encourage mutual toleration or to offer capitulation? The latter would require a society of mixed ideologies to live without offending each other at all. However, can our cultures help but cross paths? Many of Charlie Hebdo’s secular cartoons will have dealt insult to those of faith in Abraham’s God in the same fashion as western consumerist ways are antithetical with Buddhist mentalities. Nevertheless, the views of Charlie Hebdo and its staff members are legitimate and they form a doctrine that people have a right to freedom in what they believe or express.
People of faith and secularists alike often hold sexist, racist and chauvinistic views and we should not attempt to rank the three in a hierarchy. For the cartoonists at Hebdo to stop their caricatures now would be to do so; it would allow the forced censorship of our media in favouring one politicallymotivated extremism disguised as religious fervour at the loss of another right to politically express in cartoon.
Illustration by Ito Aboutajedyne
To review our convictions in the wake of these attacks, then, would provide no victory. The law inhibits free speech in circumstances where it would threaten society or cause harm or discrimination. It does not, however, attempt to guide our ideologies. That is why using social media sites such as Tinder to light the flames of a relationship is one thing, using it to instigate violence is quite another.
“We do not have to enjoy what our critics say, but we should not violate them.” The maxim is tolerance. Christians and Muslims, atheists and theists, environmentalists and the chairmen of Shell tolerating each other’s views while using activism to motivate change, not succumbing to violence. Indeed, it is those with peaceful faith in God while serving countenance to the rights of others to have their own beliefs who are most ashamed by the events in Paris. Christians and Muslims, politicians and comedians have all been on the receiving end of Hebdo’s lampooning. However most do not react. We do not have to enjoy what our critics say, but we should not violate them. We must live our own creed and pay deference to others in our multicultural society. E.B. Hall summarized Voltaire’s attitude on the subject, creating an axiom as relevant today as it was for the 18th century writer: ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’.
Politics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
14
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
A Visit to Good Press Is it time to re-evaluate the role of the State? Sophia Gore
The importance of imagining an alternative to the current order ‘is not to lay down a precise programme for the future, but rather to provide a point of alteriority or exteriority as a way of interrogating the limits of this order’. With beady eyes and a flurry of backcombed wispy hair, supposedly stands Britain’s public answer to alteriority: Russell Brand. Though perhaps not quite the character one may have expected, our egotistical ‘enlightened’ figure has indeed polarised popular opinion. Unfortunately his hostile and ‘in-ye-face’ ego soon becomes frustrating to those like myself who genuinely feel he raises increasingly pertinent questions. His antagonistic public presence allows critics to simply dismiss what he is saying as a narcissistic publicity stunt. Nonetheless, his ideas are significant. We live in a steadily evolving age in which public spending on surveillance, security and international development trumps social welfare expenditure. International affairs take priority over the local and the days of government ‘with a human face’ have long gone. No wonder people are growing apathetic, for government now appears an inaccessible, internationally directed, behemoth institution. One increasingly feels the need to explain and justify our actions: guilty until proven otherwise replaces Habeas Corpus. Surely it is time to question the fundamental role of our ever-complex state. I find Cameron’s recent ‘snooping laws’ chilling. It seeks to allow security services to intercept communications so that no method or element of online communication is out of the state’s reach when ‘warranted’. The government’s evident reluctance to hold to account those implicated in HSBC’s recent tax avoidance scandal is reprehensible. And with inequality escalating, the precise role and legitimacy of Britain’s increasingly hostile state seems increasingly ambiguous.
The proliferation of appalling and tragic acts of terrorism has needless to say, dominated and dictated the political agenda. The government and media are aggravating a culture of fear and suspicion among the population; at a time when civilian unity would be valuable. What strikes me is the manner in which our politics is uniting around a fearmongering rhetoric to justify increased surveillance in order to foil and prevent such attacks. I am not suggesting that we should refrain from boosting our security. However, I do object to the haste with which the legislation that defends our rights to privacy is being revoked and whisked through parliament. In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, the Prime Minister said there should be ‘no safe spaces for terrorists to communicate’ or that the British authorities could not access; crudely suggesting that should they have had access to the terrorists’ Facebook messages the attacks might have been prevented. Terrorist attacks should not excuse the speedy escalation of government powers or the state’s desire to take advantage of the fear of its citizens. The value of a ‘Brand-esque’ anarchist critical perspective is to challenge and to create an open-minded platform from which we can objectively question the current role of the state. The necessity for an anarchic criticism has never been more pressing. Rather than dismissing anarchism as nothing but an unfeasible utopian ideology, I deny that this has ever been its nature. Instead, we must celebrate its creative disposition and utilise it to critique the current trajectory of our political structures. It is nebulous and non-linear, refusing to perceive the world as static or bound within the construct of ‘Bad vs. Good’ binaries. We need to be able to recognise that other, more holistic systems of government are possible. In contrast to the current political epistemology, anarchism is refreshingly artistic and optimistic. The value of this perspective has never been so salient.
This article hopes to re-claim the revolutionary theory of anarchism from Russell Brand’s grubby fingers. I agree that the current trajectory of government-civilian relations has taken an insidious turn that needs to be at least acknowledged, if not rectified. Background by Jamie Donald
Illustration by Ben Corollo
Based in Glasgow, Good Press stocks and exhibits independently published works of art and writing. Lisa Feklistova talks with owners Jessica Higgins and Matthew Walkerdine about founding this bookstore and project space and their passion for small press.
If I asked you to picture a bookshop, the first things likely to come to mind would be bookcases and shelves, and the spines of volumes, lined up one behind the other. Bookshops tend to look alike. That is the first thing I noticed about Good Press - it looks different from your typical bookshop. The space is dominated by tables, rather than shelves, and by the covers of books and booklets, rather than their spines. On a separate table, protected by a pane of glass, lies a series of drawings. Good Press exhibits original artwork on a monthly basis, and artist Sarah Ferrick’s work ‘New Prayer’ is the installation currently on display. I walk through Good Press slowly, taking my time to look around. In a bright and airy room with beautiful things in it, my main impression is one of lightness and of colour. Coming here was worth it for the atmosphere alone. But what exactly is Good Press? No ordinary bookshop clearly, but not purely an exhibition space for artwork either. According to their website, ‘Good Press stocks hundreds of self- and independently published books, zines, prints, comics, newspapers and other printed items from individuals and publishers across the world’. Rather than viewing Good Press as simply a store or an art exhibitor, Good Press owners Jessica Higgins and Matthew Walkerdine characterise it as more of a project space, aiming to aid and promote the production and distribution of independently published works. They have an open submission policy, meaning anyone can send Good Press an email with a description and pictures of their work. If able to stock, Good Press will start out with five copies of the publication in question, and the author or artist will get paid a percentage of the profit made from the sale of each copy. As for making copies in the first place, Good Press has a ‘Print Resource’ section on their website, providing information and advice on the best ways for authors and artists to independently produce their content, complete with a list of printing services across the UK. Additionally, Good Press hosts various events, such as lectures, working groups and networking sessions, centred around the production of creative works.
What sorts of publications are Good Press especially interested in stocking? That, according to Higgins and Walkerdine, is flexible. Literary writing, visual art, comics, photographs and even tapes and music are welcome. Looking around the store, however, the majority of the items for sale appear to be zines. Short for ‘fanzines’ or ‘magazines’, zines are self-published brochures, most often featuring original writing, artwork or a combination of the two. As a rule, the circulation is small, with most zines being published in editions of less than a hundred copies. It was a love of zines, and a passion for making them, that first caused Jessica Higgins to establish Museums Press in 2009. A self-proclaimed ‘small press publisher of art for leisure’, Museums Press publishes zines, books and other printed materials. Difficulties arose, however, when it came to distributing the printed content. Dealings with bookshops proved problematic, and so, in 2011, Higgins and Walkerdine established Good Press, exhibiting and selling works they wanted to promote themselves. Browsing through the zines on the tables, I find myself handling them with greater care than I would normally handle items in a bookshop. There is a sense of each zine’s uniqueness; handmade and copied by the handful, instead of standardised and mass-produced. The same is true for the rack of posters in the corner and the postcards for sale at the counter. Each individual work here feels original, genuine and carefully crafted. Somebody put real thought and effort into making these. Somebody cared. As I leave, I turn to Matthew Walkerdine again. ‘They’re beautiful,’ I say, indicating the zines. ‘Really!’ He smiles. ‘You should make one,’ he says.
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Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
16
Unthank Comics: A Glance at Glasgow’s Comic Culture An immediate artistic medium charged with socio-political commentary, comic books demand our full attention. Robbie Orr talks to independent comic book publisher, Garry McLaughlin, about the ninth art form and the growing prominence of comics in Glasgow culture.
As a naive newcomer to small press comic books, I went in search of an authoritative voice on the Glasgow scene. My research has led me here: a small cafe in the heart of Dennistoun sitting opposite Garry McLaughlin, the founder of Unthank Comics, ready to be enlightened. What attracted you to comic books? GM: Like most folk in Scotland I started off with The Broons, Oor Wullie, Beano and The Dandy, and as I grew up, I got into Spiderman and all of the other Marvel stuff. I remember reading The Night Gwen Stacy Died and thinking, ‘whoa this is hard hitting stuff.’ Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles influenced me, as well with its theme of expanding critical consciousness. I’ve always loved how immediate the medium is. You went on to found Unthank Comics, your independent publishing label. What led you to Unthank? GM: One of my first projects was with Jamie McMorrow on a series called Year of Fear. We liked the idea of putting a label behind it and settled on Laser Age Comics. I joined the Glasgow League of Writers (GLOW) around 2012 and became part of a small press generation that were moving away from the DIY style towards professional looking comics. So I set up Unthank as a collective of sorts, aimed toward building a reputation for work that pushed the concepts of the medium. You stock series such as Gonzo Cosmic and Freak out Squares, which certainly push boundaries with their futuristic and dystopian concepts. Do their themes reflect current trends? GM: It was more of a nice accident really. That’s the great thing about comics - they’re so instant that you can react to social and political trends and calls for diversity far quicker than TV or film can. Comics like Pop by Curt Pires touch on similar themes to Freak out Squares which is great because it shows you’re part of a movement rather than out in the comic book wilderness. Unthank is affiliated to a non-profit charity called Cosmic Designs, and you released Gonzo Cosmic as a free download. What influenced this approach? GM: While doing a creative apprenticeship quite late on at
Cumbernauld Theatre, I was introduced to Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, which concentrates on teaching people to think critically about their place in society rather than accepting what they’re taught and told. I then founded a charity called Cosmic Designs to deliver visual arts workshops to various communities. Freire was a big influence on that and Gonzo Cosmic, but the charity aspect is on hiatus right now while I concentrate on getting Unthank out there. In France they consider comics as the ninth art form. How does this compare to the scene in Glasgow? GM: The Glasgow comic scene is bigger now than it’s ever been, particularly in the small press. But compared to France, the wider readership hasn’t really caught up yet. But the comic book conventions have gotten really busy with the Marvel cinema explosion and courses are emerging that study comic books as literature in their own right, so the scene’s growing. I recently discovered The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, the sci-fi pseudonym of illustrator Jean Giraud, through the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune. Were you influenced by the illustrations of Moebius? GM: If you want to be good at art and comics it’s essential to have Moebius there as a standard. It was Frank Quitely (AllStar Superman and Batman and Robin) who introduced me to Moebius and The Incal. I’m a big fan of the clear line stuff from Europe, like Moebius and Frank Quitely, it’s refined and lets the colours speak for themselves. What events should we look out for in the comic book calendar? Where can we find Unthank? GM: The best Scottish con is the Glasgow Comic Con run by Black Hearted Press. It has good small press contingent and there’s a lot of big creators who come over from the USA. Then there’s MCM Scotland, an aircraft hangar style con with cosplayers and a thousand Fins from Adventure Time. In regards to Unthank, you’ll find us online as we’re taking a break from cons. Garry takes his last sip of coffee as I gather up his last titbits of knowledge. He even offers to pay for mine and, like the spoilt eight-year-old I am, I accept. Spilling out thanks I begin my journey back to the west end, mulling over a prospective con outfit (Princess Mononoke) and contemplating which Unthank comic I’d start with. Gonzo Cosmic #1 is available now on the Unthank website alongside Neverending #1 and Freak out Squares #1, but first I’m getting my hands on some Paulo Freire.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
17
Something on High After a while spent collaborating with UK pop/rock icons, up-and-coming British alt pop singer-songwriter, Sivu, released an LP. He talked to GUM about Charlie Andrew, old SUM 41 covers, and the fear and excitement he feels about his first solo headline tour. Lisa Monozlai
Sivu is the stage moniker of James Page, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter from St. Ives, England who released his first full-length album of introspective pop songs, Something on High, this past October. Along with being the supporting act for big names in rock and pop like Bombay Bicycle Club, The Staves and London Grammar, he collaborated with Mercury Prize-winning producer Charlie Andrew on his latest LP – the same producer of alt-J’s An Awesome Wave, named Album of the Year at the 2013 Ivor Novello Awards.
“I’ve toured a lot, but never on my own. It’s terrifying in the way a birthday party is – you worry about whether people are going to turn up.” It’s safe to say he’s been climbing his way into the spotlight ever since the release of the music video for his first single ‘Better Man than He’, which shows Page singing into an MRI scanner at a hospital in London. Directed by Adam Powell, the video was praised for its innovative filmmaking and bold look into the human body, so much that it has been screened as an educational tool at medical conferences and university lectures. The music video also unsurprisingly picked up a solid fan base for Page. Now with his first UK tour as a headliner, he’s due for a Glasgow gig at student-favourite venue Broadcast in March. ‘I’ve toured a lot, but never on my own. It’s terrifying in the way a birthday party is – you worry about whether people are going to turn up’, said Page with a laugh in an interview with GUM about his 2015 tour. Glasgow can expect a much more stripped back and intimate set from Sivu, which he said will be a nice change for him after supporting big tours held at venues that accommodate thousands of concert-goers. You can also expect falsetto vocals and ethereal lyrics supported by guitar, drums and the occasional powerful violins. His album’s opening song ‘Feel Something’ has hints of downbeat, soulful acoustics found in alt-J recordings, the following strings interlude ‘Rumination’ shadows the ingenuity of Bjork – who Page lists as one of his biggest musical influencers – and his latest single ‘Can’t Stop Now’ will remind you of an upbeat Bombay Bicycle Club tune. It makes for an eclectic album with a truly alternative sound, of which Page accredits his producer, Charlie Andrew, as the guy who made way for this untraditional pop LP. ‘He’s amazing,’ James told GUM. ‘I worked with him for the last two years and he’s the kind of producer who helps you envision where you want your songs to go and he never likes taking a traditional approach to things in the studio.
For example, if you were to have a drumbeat on a track, he would make sure to find something interesting in it - he would try to look at that simple drumbeat in a very new way’. Page moved to London five years ago and met Andrew in 2011. The two started recording together and Sivu, the Finnish translation of Page’s last name, became the stage name of Atlantic Records’ next rising singer-songwriter. Before London, Page spent years playing in various bands that never quite made it. He told GUM of his very first gig in a school assembly hall when he was 13 years old: ‘Oh it was awful. It was some rubbish punk band and I think we were performing covers of Sum 41’. Page grew up listening to his parents’ favourites - Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash and the Beatles - and as he got older he moved into listening to classics, Beck and Bjork. Now he’s inspired by the likes of Marika Hackman, alt-J, Money and Bombay Bicycle Club, particularly Jack Steadman (lead vocalist in BBC), who Page said would be one of the people he thinks ‘it would be a dream’ to collaborate with. Steadman samples vinyl, a popular trope in hip hop that has spread to indie rock, and Page’s pipe dream is to start experimenting with the method and alternative ways of crafting sound. He and Andrew have already done a bit of that on Something on High’s ‘Bodies’, where they made a strange wooing sound with a baked bean can, a nail and a battery, and then auto-tuned it out to fit the melancholy of the track. Sivu is on tour now. Nervous yet excited for his first headlining tour, he told GUM that the enthusiasm from Glasgow concert-goers, which he experienced first-hand this past October at his Glad Cafe gig, makes Glasgow a great music city and he’s always happy to come round.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
18
A Portrait of Kevin MacDonald An Oscar and BAFTA award-winning, multi-faceted Glaswegian director, MacDonald never sticks to a particular genre and represents the flagship of British filmmaking.
“Always in quest of authenticity, MacDonald pushed the vice up to interviewing the last surviving Munich terrorist in order to depict every side of the story.” After attending the prestigious Scottish boarding school, Glenalmond College, and Oxford’s St Anne’s College, MacDonald started directing TV documentaries. With his grandfather as a role model, he naturally became the subject of MacDonald’s first work, The Making of an Englishman (1995). Kevin MacDonald’s first taste of fame occurred not long after, in 1999, when he won an Oscar for his feature-length documentary One Day in September. Just like Steven Spielberg’s Munich, One Day in September narrates the events of the Palestinian terrorist attack on Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, also known as ‘Black September’. Always in quest of authenticity, MacDonald pushed the vice up to interviewing the last surviving Munich terrorist in order to depict every side of the story. Praised for its powerful and inventive narrative techniques, One Day in September sometimes seems like a fictional thriller rather than a documentary. MacDonald then carried on with an even more dramatized documentary, Touching the Void (2003). The movie portrays the true story of two friends, Simpson and Yates, climbing up the Peruvian Andes in 1985, up until the moment when Yates fell, shattering his leg and dangling over a crevasse on the end of a rope. Do consider that Simpson took the wrenching decision to cut the rope, leaving his assumed-dead friend kissing the void, only to incredibly survive the fall. Yates would then take four agonizing days to crawl back to civilization. Now you may have gotten the gist of it: MacDonald likes powerful stories, preferably true ones, where he can use his versatile style full of tension and emotion. It is at this time that he decided to take a break from documentaries and focus on feature-films.
Glasgow University Magazine
Jeannemarie Hamilton
Based in Edinburgh, Kim Grant has succeeded in her artwork under the moniker of Sencha, where her prints of contemporary women are bold and ooze confidence and style.
MacDonald’s first shot at film-making resulted in a hugely successful biographical-dramatic-thriller (what a melting pot), The Last King of Scotland (2006). Again, based on true events, the movie depicts the travels of Scottish physician Nicholas Garrigan (Glaswegian James McAvoy) to Uganda where he meets with the new President – brutal dictator Idi Amin (Forrest Whitaker). Winning Amin’s affections, Garrigan is promoted to personal doctor and becomes a close advisor. As the years pass by, he begins to realize what kind of man Amin is, fearing for his life as he loses control of the situation. Delivering a tour de force performance, Forrest Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Shot in Uganda, it has been said that the local population truly believed it was the real Amin giving speeches. Following this, and helped by his growing hype in Hollywood, MacDonald directed a Washington-based political thriller starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. Full of plot twists, it is acutely enjoyable. Critics pointed out clichéd aspects of the genre, but this is to be expected when you are switching genres like shirts.
Issue 2
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Sencha’s Street Art and Illustration Through bold prints and vibrant colours, 23-year-old artist, Kim Grant, has used street art and illustration as a platform to dissect and transgress the stereotypes of the modern woman.
Arnaud Brébion
What do Reggae music, the Peruvian Andes, and African dictators have in common? They all are topics covered by Scottish director Kevin MacDonald. His desire to cover everything interesting to him despite the content’s diversity may be inherited from his grandfather, Emeric Pressburger, famous screenwriter and producer in the 1940s. Talent indeed runs in the family as Kevin’s brother, Andrew, made a name for himself by producing movies such as Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and Sunshine. If for you ‘MacDonald’ only evokes the image of fast food, I now invite you to discover one of Glasgow’s most gifted and exciting talents.
Culture
Sencha distributes her artwork to various audiences. Her illustrative prints are featured in galleries throughout the UK while her street art paints the city of Edinburgh for onlookers. We are used to seeing graffiti artists tagging their street art with a stylized signature, but Sencha defies this tradition and uses a tribal pattern as her tag, giving ode to the way that woman dress and their exploration of style.
“Street art is so diverse - it allows anyone to redefine space and share artwork with the community around them. It’s an art form similar to advertising, only art doesn’t presume anything or push anything onto you.” Sencha’s aim is to channel the energy that circles around feminism into her artwork in order to create an aesthetic environment where poor body image and misogyny are a thing of the past. Exhibitions featuring Sencha’s latest prints and illustrations, called Vibes: Part I and II, were recently showcased in Glasgow’s renowned cultural venue, The Arches. Sencha sat down with GUM’s Jeannemarie Hamilton to talk nudes, street art and creative funding in Scotland.
After a tortuous detour by the Roman Empire with The Eagle (2011), MacDonald tried his hand at crowd-directed films with Life in a Day (2011), only to go back to his documentary roots with Marley (2012). As the first Bob Marley biography to be undertaken with the agreement and participation of the Marley family, it truly is one of the most fulfilling documentaries I have seen. In the past couple of years, he went back to feature-film with an interesting but flawed How I Live Now (2013) and the recent Black Sea (2014) starring Jude Law in a claustrophobic thriller taking place inside Soviet submarines… Tense.
Cliché as hell, but what inspired you to create the images shown in your exhibition - Vibes: Part I and II?
All in all, what makes up MacDonald’s style? Take an inch of real-life drama, don’t pay attention to the clichés, and add a zest of authenticity. Combine these qualities to create an ever-changing, thriller-infused movie. His next movie may be about penguins escaping from a zoo but I won’t mind. I’ll be first in line to watch it.
KG: Yes! It’s something that’s incredibly important to me. A new series I’m currently working on features several of my female and male friends in the nude. I want to promote body confidence and challenge the body norms that we face in society today.
KG: I just wanted to create bold, street art inspired images that expressed how empowered women can be. I also explored how we express ourselves with what we wear, hence the tribal pattern consistent throughout the series. It’s clear that your artwork responds to feminist culture. Is this a theme that you will continue to explore as your career develops?
Which piece in your collection are you most connected to? KG: I did a self portrait in Vibes pt. 2 which documented my struggle with how women are represented in society and touched on my own determination to not let my body confidence control me, but instead celebrate myself for what I am and will continue to be. Are there other artists that you identify with? KG: Frida Kahlo is a huge inspiration to me and my work. Her honesty and expressiveness is something I really want to hone. Do you find it harder or more flexible to work with such a versatile canvas in your street art? KG: More flexible, definitely. It forces me to think in different terms from on the paper and it is much faster paced. You have to consider different things like scale and composition on the building or wall. You also get to really interact with your environment where you are painting and get feedback from passers by. What do you feel is unique about street art in comparison to other mediums? KG: Street art is so diverse - it allows anyone to redefine space and share artwork with the community around them. It’s an art form similar to advertising, only art doesn’t presume anything or push anything onto you. Street art allows the viewer to interact with the art and the city and to make their own minds up. From speaking with Sencha, it is clear that she is aware of her role as an artist and will use her platform to transform the way that women are seen in society. Her display of images inspire females to stand up for their individuality and applaud their differences, and her use of bold colours erase insecurity and encourage confidence. At the same time, she indulges in and celebrates the weirdness that comes with being a young adolescent. Young women are in need of a voice in the art world and I believe that Sencha will be one of the wonderful voices shouting.
Culture
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
Glasgow’s Electronic Scene: Then and Now From the genius behind Glasgow’ s first independent electronic label through to the rising star Barrientos, here is a brief history of the electronic music scene in Glasgow.
What happens in the 90s, doesn’t stay in the 90s
There are very few clubbers who haven’t heard ‘Glasgow Jazz’ by DJ Q or ‘Late Night Jam’ by Sixteen Souls. These, and more tracks produced by the unique label, became soundtracks of many wild nights. Soon, other like-minded artists joined the fun and filled in the Glasgow electronic music scene with creativity and devotion. JD Twitch (a.k.a Keith McIvor), part of the iconic duo that gave Scotland ‘Optimo Espacio’ - one of the first weekly electronic parties in Glasgow - told GUM that learning about new music in the 90s was different than it is now: ‘For a lot of people, going to clubs was the only way they could hear and find out about the music.’ McKay said that while he was ‘growing up, there was no internet. You found out about clubs through word of mouth, flyers or record shops, like Raw Records, Rub-A-Dub. You found out about music from other DJs or from magazines’. Glasgow Underground signed big artists such as Romanthony, who worked closely with Daft Punk and provided vocals for their biggest hits, and Mateo and Matos, from New York who started making electronic music in 1985. They added a pinch of their US style - a mix of 70s French and acid house. This blended well with Metodi Hristov, a DJ from Bulgaria, and local artists such as Powder Productions. They started a hype that is ongoing, and will probably continue for as long as people want to have a good time. Because this is what electronic music is really about - getting into the groove, forgetting your troubles and absorbing the captivating sound. Electronic Scene in the New Century In the 2000s, pioneering DJs such as Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, and more, rocked Sub Club and the Arches. These artists were trend-setters. They created a music scene for everybody in Glasgow to enjoy and be inspired by.
Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Featured Designer Irina Gusakova
Style Editor Anne Devlin presents womenswear designer Irina Gusakova. A Masters graduate of GSA, Gusakova’s latest collection has been captured by Glasgow-based photographer Peter Methven.
Joanna Velikov
The crazy 90s transformed the music scene in Glasgow for good. With the establishment of the city’s first independent electronic music label, called Glasgow Underground, in 1997, founder Kevin McKay and his crew changed the game.
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A big role in this trend-setting was played by Rub-A-Dub, a record shop and landmark for creativity. Established in the early 90s, it started as a place where underground electronic music was sold. Now, it sells DJ equipment and technology, but it has not been left without its vinyl. Unsurprisingly, the scene in Glasgow bred over 70 labels, which wanted to create bold sounds. LuckyMe is one of the most renowned modern labels. Alongside Numbers, the result of the combined labels Dress 2 Sweat and Wireblock, they took electronic music to the next level. JD Twitch says that a big catalyst for changes in the electronic music scene was the rise of the internet. ‘There is probably a lot more competition now but also a lot more opportunities’, he said. ‘Before mass internet I had only played a handful of gigs outside the UK but electronic media enabled people all across the world to find out about Optimo’. ‘For me, it’s changed pretty drastically’, said Barrientos, a Glasgow-based DJ. ‘The change is linked with the rapid rise of the internet and the decline of people willing to fork out money for something that people find so hard to achieve.’ Barrientos is a part of the new wave of DJs, who seek inspiration from the past but work here and now. ‘The rate at which labels feed music out there, the PR campaigns, the quality of music has changed rapidly’, he added. ‘I think some suggest that electronic music now isn’t as good as it was in the 90s. There are some timeless tracks that cannot be beaten or replicated, but to suggest that our current crop of artists aren’t up to scratch is ludicrous’. Today, the new sound is an amalgamation of styles artists experiment and gamble with their music, mixing deep house with soul/RnB verses. They set a new trend of ‘happy hedonism’, of dancing and appreciating music. The Glasgow electronic sound has an unmistakable underground vibe, comprising a mix of funk, electronica and elements of reggaeton. The mixture of styles and DJs, from HEX, Italian F.T.G, to Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, contribute to this vibe and gives a fresh look to the electronic scene.
One of the most notable and inspiring things about cities like Glasgow is that they create a community of individuals from all over the world, thriving creatively. That is what Irina Gusakova, a recent graduate of the Glasgow School of Art’s MDes Fashion + Textiles programme, is a part of. From Ufa, she says a childhood in post-Soviet Russia meant incessant reading allowed her ‘to internally escape to different places’ and gave her ‘the desire to experience different cultures and lifestyles’ by ‘travelling and living in different countries.’ It is exactly this passion instilled at a young age, which brought her to Central Saint Martins in London as an undergraduate and now our very own Glasgow. Inspired as a little girl by princess dresses and her mother’s sequined leotard designs for a young gymnastic Irina, a fascination of textiles has followed the designer to adulthood. The stunning yet wearable collection featured, stems from a captivation with visual perceptions and illusions. The intricate Op Art-esque stripes of the collection were influenced by ‘eye-tripping patterns’ from artists such as Bridget Riley and Rafael Soto while the patchwork of Louise Bourgeois introduced Irina to a world of traditional hand crafted techniques, visible in the likes of the gorgeous yellow jacket. Such traditional methods are time consuming, taking up to 40 hours to complete. The silhouettes, however, are more reminiscent of the crisp lines of 60’s A-line shapes that the designer supplemented with ‘deep box pleats and folds that help to further enhance the optically illusory effect of the prints’. This fusion of interesting lines and flattering cuts make for an extremely appealing collection. With plans to stay in Glasgow for the near future to enjoy the city’s ‘vibrant energy of creativity’ and to avoid ‘wage-slaving’ for rent in London, Irina Gusakova is currently collaborating on an exciting multidisciplinary project with an architect/ interior designer friend. Working with Studio Kindness, based between Bangkok and Glasgow, the two are designing for organic cosmetics brand Organika. Irina says she loves ‘working across the disciplines with creatives from other design fields’, something she hopes to continue. Irina Gusakova’s collection fits perfectly with Glasgow’s own Brutalist architectural landscape, proving creative mediums are best utilised as a collective.
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Model: Eilidh Maxwell
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Model: Kirstin Gribbin (Superior)
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Model: Kirstin Gribbin (Superior)
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Models: Kirstin Gribbin (Superior), Melanie Pyne (Colours)
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Model: Melanie Pyne (Colours)
Creative Director: Anne Devlin Photographer: Peter Methven Make Up: Jodie Mann Style Assistant: Jeannemarie Hamilton Models: Kirstin Gribbin (Superior), Melanie Pyne (Colours)
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Style
Glasgow University Magazine
The Rise of the Plus Sized Model
Issue 2
Galliano and the Directors of Fashion
In a world where the skinny have reigned, the fashion industry is slowly accepting the plus size model. Rhiannon Norman considers this coming trend in female body image.
César Imbert discusses the return of Galliano to fashion as well as the increasing importance and presence of brand directors.
The fashion industry has always had a somewhat strained relationship with weight. Its common association with size zero models, backstage bulimia and other eating disorders make it very clear that models have to be stick thin to succeed in the industry. But times appear to be changing, particularly in the last year as it would seem that labels no longer see such a strong connection between being stick thin and being sexy.
Four years after being handed his notice from the house of Dior, John Galliano is back to fashion as creative director at Maison Martin Margiela. Scheduled at the very end of London’s Fashion Week the show was eagerly anticipated by fashion magazine editors, buyers and fans. Twenty-four looks were presented and each one of them showed how Galliano succeeded to merge Martin Margiela’s inheritance with his own creativity.
Last November, fashion powerhouse Calvin Klein chose model Myla Dalbesio to appear alongside the likes of Jourdan Dunn (UK size 6) and Lara Stone (UK size 8) in their ‘Perfectly Fit’ campaign. As a US size 10 (UK 14) model, Dalbesio is the largest woman to have modelled for the brand, which is significant in its efforts to appeal to real women. However, widespread controversy from both sides of the Atlantic surrounded her branding as ‘plus sized’ after the campaign’s announcement that she is only a size 14, and therefore far smaller in size than many ordinary women. However Maya Dalbesio’s body, although it is toned, is far more representative of the bodies of real women while every bit as beautiful as Jourdan Dunn’s size 6 stature. The rise of the curvier celebrity can also be seen as an influence on choices at the top of the fashion industry. Controversial celebrity Kim Kardashian West has almost thirty million Instagram followers and has released several clothing lines with her sisters. Despite being a UK size 14 and only 5”2, she recently graced the covers of esteemed magazines Vogue and Elle. Alongside husband Kanye, she also fronted a campaign for prestigious fashion house Balmain, defying the 6”0, size zero prerequisite typical of the most prestigious designers. Despite their recent rise in popularity, ‘plus sized’ models remain less common than they should - both on the catwalk and in advertising campaigns. As the fashion industry continues to evolve alongside society, we should all be hopeful that the use of models who reflect the sizes of real people will become common to the extent that the idea of being ‘plus sized’ will become redundant, and the term ‘models’ will describe all those who model for a living, regardless of their size.
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Each of the looks could be interpreted as homage to the brand’s DNA. The first look was specifically inspired by one of Margiela’s iconic pieces: the stockman waistcoat. Like Margiela, Galliano created garments made of re-used embroideries or fabrics and some of them were torn into pieces or not even finished. The palette of the show – mainly red, black and beige – was also a nod to Margiela. Overall, Margiela’s conceptual and ‘poor’ aesthetic was respected. Nevertheless, Martin Margiela’s key concepts were amazingly intertwined with Galliano’s baroque and exuberance. The massive sea-shells used as ornaments in many garments as well as the perfectly tailored coats and dresses are indubitably an illustration of Galliano’s craftsmanship. Other features, such as the sensuality of the models and their excessive make-up are also Galliano’s touch. Nowadays, working for a fashion house that doesn’t bear your own name seems to have become a common practice for both young designers and those more established. Alexander McQueen for Givenchy, Albert Elbaz for Lanvin or more famously Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel; all these worldrenowned fashion designers undertook the responsibility to revitalize old fashion houses. This creative exercise that consists of asserting your own style without ignoring what has been done before can happen to be very tricky. For sure, Tom Ford remembers the harsh letters sent by Yves Saint Laurent when he started to design the collections of the brand in 1999: ‘In 13 minutes on the runway you have destroyed 40 years of my career!’ However, after this first show, there is no doubt that Galliano’s creations for Maison Martin Margiela will turn out to be as brilliant as the ones he did for Dior.
Style
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
The Ethics of Fur
The It Girl
Fur has been a staple of many designers for centuries but in recent times it has become an image of heated debate. Jasmine Wilson considers the ethics surrounding the use of fur for style.
In a world obsessed by celebrity and status, Erika Koljonen considers the history of ‘The It Girl’.
Draped in a long, elegant and black fur shawl, Kim Kardashian stepped onto the red carpet looking as old school glam as a Kardashian sister can get. However, flash black to 2012 when Kim was at the centre of an unfortunate attack that left her covered in flour and branded a ‘fur hag’ by an anti-fur attacker. The fur debate is not a new one and the question of the ethics surrounding fur has always been at the forefront of fashion and celebrity culture. In recent times however, one can see that the debate seems to have cooled down somewhat and we have even seen the reintroduction of fur in fashion without the controversy. 2014 Fashion Weeks saw an upsurge in designers who chose to use fur in their collections. As models sashayed down the catwalk in fur designs from DKNY to Alexander McQueen, many prepared to experience the wrath of PETA and the flour wielding protestors.
The idea of the ‘It Girl’ has been a prevailing part of Western culture since the days of Edie Sedgwick. Rudyard Kipling coined the term as early as 1904, describing a particular quality of a woman being ‘it’ - just it. The likes of the Jenner sisters, Alexa Chung and others are known by pretty much everyone with access to the internet, and have garnered hundreds of thousands of followers across various social media platforms. These women are astonishingly famous, and yet no one really knows why - they just are, without ever really having accomplished anything except be famous and fashionable. Now I am hardly innocent here - a copy of Alexa Chung’s It is currently sitting on my desk, and I may or may not base some of my looks around her style.
Twenty odd years ago the fur debate was at its peak and celebrities left, right and centre vocalised their support of PETA and the end of fur farms and the fur trade. Models such as Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington called out the PETA mantra ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’. Why then in 2015 do the likes of Kate Moss, Lady Gaga and even model Cara Delevigne wear fur openly and without major confrontation? Many people today - myself included - who do not remember the anti-fur movement are not educated in the ethics debate surrounding fur. To read the arguments against fur you need search no further than the PETA website. A rather morbid read where there are countless harrowing facts and utterly grotesque photographs. You’ll learn that electrocution is the most common method used to slaughter animals due to the lack of damage it does to the fur and that one billion rabbits are killed each year for the fur trade. No one can deny the fur trade is cruel; however, should there be any exceptions? What about vintage furs and those passed on through families? Can we blame someone for the murder of innocent animals when they have inherited a fur coat that has been passed down through multiple generations? One way of looking at fur farms can be compared to farms in which we keep animals to be slaughtered for food - how are these two different? If I wear fur but I’m a vegetarian who has never eaten a steak then my argument may be that I am just as responsible for cruelty as the meat eater. Nevertheless, food and fur are not the same. Fur is aesthetic and in this modern day there are countless other materials that can keep you just as warm as fur but without the cruelty that the fur industry entails. Furrier Dennis Basso charges around £120,000 per fur coat - but how much would you be willing to pay for a coat whose history includes cruelty toward a helpless animal.
Western consumerism is at the core of the idea of the It girl - ranging from namesake bags such as Mulberry’s Alexa to high-street clothing collaborations. One could easily argue that this branding of a name has contributed to the commodification of women - or it could just be an incredibly clever, lucrative business move. These women are often called vapid and vain, without anyone ever even considering the fact that they have built million-pound empires based on their name - Paris Hilton being one of the more famous examples. It’s interesting how there are really no It men - is it just because in general women’s fashion generates more attention or is there something else to it? Is it because as a society we have rarely allocated the role of the stylish socialite to men? Is it really so deeply ingrained in our society that women are to be put on a pedestal and revered as these other-worldly, almost celestial objects? Or is it nothing more than a mere side effect of centuries of female objectification?
Illustration by Zoe Williams
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Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
Russia: Beleaguered Economy
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Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
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Student Spending Habits Bethany Garner distinguishes fact from fiction with regards to how students spend their money.
Mehman Ismayilli explores the geopolitical challenges that have wreaked havoc on the Russian economy in recent times.
Russia, the world’s largest country and a former member of the G8, is a leading exporter of oil and natural gas and a very important player in European energy security. However, it faces economic recession due to falling oil prices and the international sanctions imposed during the Ukrainian crisis. As a result, the Russian ruble has depreciated despite the Central Bank of Russia spending its reserves to support it, inflation is in the double-digits and unemployment is on the rise. The European Union imposed major political and economic sanctions in the hope that doing so would encourage Russia to change its behaviour in Ukraine, which so far has included the illegal annexation of the Crimea region and support for separatists in the east of the country. Restrictions included suspension of preparations for the 2014 G8 Summit in Sochi and measures targeting capital markets. In retaliation, Russia announced sanctions against the EU and its allies. As a consequence of these tensions, each side has limited its economic potential in one of the world’s most significant markets. Some experts believe that although EU sanctions are weakening Russia’s economy today, in doing so they are also compromising the long-term objectives of the EU and the United States. Other powers have wasted no time in taking advantage of the thaw in relations between Russia and the west. Russia has recently signed agreements with India on nuclear energy, natural gas and defence, while China decided to build a new gas pipeline and high-speed railway between Beijing and Moscow. During mid-2014, crude oil prices started to decline dramatically and in the beginning of 2015, prices fell below $50 per barrel for the first time since 2009. The oil market is looking for a new equilibrium price in the current competition for market share between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries. Background by Jamie Donald
The oil price is not only determined by supply and demand but by expectations as well. Current economic conditions, developed efficiency and growing renewable energy have led to a decreasing demand for oil. Current uncertainty in the oil market is largely due to the fact that major players such as Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies do not want to reduce their market share in order to restore the oil price. With $900 billion of oil reserves and production costs of approximately $5 per barrel, they have little need to. Saudi Arabia hopes that lower oil prices will stimulate economic growth and increase demand for oil. However in the meantime this spells turmoil for vulnerable economies and can even lead to financial collapse.
“For the sake of its economy, the Russian government would be wise to halt its actions in Ukraine and enter credible negotiations with the EU and the United States.” Declining oil prices have caused depreciation of the ruble of approximately 46% against the United States Dollar. The Central Bank of Russia has already spent close to $90 billion of its foreign currency reserves to support the ruble. The current crisis affects millions of migrants who mainly come from Central Asia to work and send money back to their home countries. According to the World Bank, remittance payments equal one third of GDP in Kyrgyzstan and almost half of GDP in Tajikistan. The ruble’s decline reduces the value of remittance payments, which are usually transferred as dollars. For the sake of its economy, the Russian government would be wise to halt its actions in Ukraine and enter credible negotiations with the EU and the United States. It should also accept policy recommendations and assistance from the IMF and the World Bank. In order to achieve more stable economic growth, Russia should become less dependent on the oil industry by diversifying its economy and attracting more foreign direct investment.
The long-lived stereotype of the ‘skint student’ is almost akin to a separate species. They can be found in their natural habitat, the myth would have it, eating Tesco value beans straight from the tin - having frittered away most of the money ear-marked for groceries abusing their livers. This tale of frivolous spending does paint an entertaining though inaccurate picture of modern student life. There has been a shift in the way that students earn and spend their money, following the tripling of university fees in 2012. Students were plunged into the complicated domain of loans and debt, and as a result may be becoming savvier with their cash than ever before. To bust the myth that the stereotypical student will spend a large sum of their money on booze, a recent UK-wide survey by Save the Student has calculated that the average spend on alcohol is around £9.80 per week. Of course this will all add up over time, but crunching the numbers shows that this still only accounts for 5% of a student’s living expenses. Comparing this to the average spend on food shopping, 14% of a student’s income, the influence of alcohol (if you’ll pardon the pun) is fairly small. If alcohol is not the fund-draining spectre it was previously thought to be, other avenues of spending must be explored to explain how we are allocating our money today.
“The average student spends around £24 per month on course books.” The greatest proportion of a student’s income in the UK is spent on rent. On average, this is £365 per month - around half of average monthly living expenses. The UK law requiring residences with 3 or more non-related occupants to pay for an HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) license is partly responsible for the relatively high rates students living with friends are currently charged. These licenses cost between £855 and £925 every three years and landlords must also foot the bill for the modifications required for their properties to meet HMO standards. The HMO law is difficult to avoid, although some students may be tempted to do so in order to lower their rents. However this is a tricky business as it can result in a £20,000 fine for the landlord and eviction for the tenants.
The average student spends around £24 per month on course books, which means that by the time they have finished a four-year degree they are likely to have splashed out £644. Second-hand books are always a good option if funds are tight, but finding the correct editions in good condition can at times be impossible. With these high costs, it’s no wonder that in 2012 85% of students eligible for a maintenance loan in the UK applied for one, compared to only 28% in 1991. However, despite this, it seems that we students are generally not as clued up on our loans as we ought to be. Save the Student found that 55% are uncertain as to the terms of their repayment. Despite the high take-up rate of maintenance loans, according to a recent study by The Times, more students than ever are working part-time whilst they study in the UK. Nearly two-thirds of students work part-time alongside their course, often to meet basic living costs rather than to earn extra spending money. Alison Clark, the director of the National Association of Student Employment, declared ‘Students are working harder than ever’ in response to this recent Times statistic. Whilst working part-time could have an adverse effect on a student’s studies, the time management skills and work ethic it demonstrates could be tempting to future employers. If students are indeed working harder than ever before, the UK is set to develop a formidable pool of graduates. So, students are becoming increasingly independent and much more sensible with their money than they are usually given credit for. Despite tuition fees and living costs rocketing higher than ever, the determination and common sense of our generation of students will hopefully see us through…and allow them to eat foods more nutritional than baked beans.
In my first year of university, I was horrified by another unexpected drain on my cash: course books. Of course you would expect to spend some money on the books required for your degree but the high prices of specialist texts, sometimes in excess of £50, came as a bit of a shock. Illustrations by Katie Catling
Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
30
Deflation Defined Martina Guzauskaite explains deflation and discusses the dangers of a deflation spiral.
While Japan has been under the claws of deflation for over a decade, it seems that deflation, which is the fall in the general price level, has also made an appearance in the Eurozone and is likely to pose problems for the UK too. The inflation rate for December as measured by the Bank of England was 0.5%, well below the bank’s target of 2%. This is the first time since the 1960s that the UK inflation rate has been this low and it may lead to deflation in the coming years if the Bank of England does not take action. The problems with deflation are economic stagnation and high levels of unemployment caused by lower consumer spending and increased levels of real debt. This is especially worrying for countries with high debt to GDP ratios.
“While many economists see deflation as having a negative effect on the economy, some have also argued the opposite.” While the UK is not yet in danger of the ‘deflation spiral’, steadily falling inflation over the coming months and years may lead to such a scenario. The deflation spiral occurs when the inflation rate is negative and continuing to decline. The fall in prices and wages slows the inflation rate due to lower demand. The supply of money in the economy tends to decrease and this causes the currency to appreciate. This in turn leads to even lower prices and wages. Background by Jamie Donald
The financial crisis of 2008 has left a scar on the UK economy. The Bank of England lacked the policy tools to put the economy back on track so turned to Quantitative Easing (QE), which involves the central bank buying bonds from commercial banks or private institutions. The result of this policy is lower interest rates of 0.5%. The United Kingdom is not the only country implementing QE. Japan, the United States and the Eurozone have also adopted this measure, to the tune of $1.7 trillion, $3.5 trillion and €1.1 trillion respectively. While many economists see deflation as having a negative effect on the economy, some have also argued the opposite. Economists claim that falling prices in the UK can result in boosted growth. They distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ deflation. ‘Good’ deflation is caused by improvements in productivity and technology that push down prices. The UK economy is thought to be experiencing good deflation since it was partly driven by a fall in oil prices, which is serving as a tax cut and thereby boosting the real purchasing power of consumers. ‘Bad’ deflation on the other hand, is where overall prices are falling because of insufficient aggregate demand, especially when individuals and businesses expect prices to fall further in the future and delay their purchases. It may even be possible for the UK inflation rate to turn negative in the coming months, meaning that interest rates will be lower for longer. While the UK is far from a deflation spiral, it is in contrast to the Eurozone, which is now implementing QE to offset deflation. While the long-term effects of Quantitative Easing are yet to be fully understood, we can see from the Japanese experience that deflation struggles are difficult to handle.
Business & Economics
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
31
The Tyranny of Tax? Petko Nekezov explains how big businesses like Google manage to evade tax and what has led to this becoming common practice.
In life all but two things are certain – death and taxes. While philosophers have long argued that the former is the great equaliser, the latter has come in for harsh criticism too. Understanding taxes is crucial in grasping how an economy functions. Recognizing why people don’t pay their taxes can help to predict and avert economic difficulties. In many cases, tax systems have been considered punitive in their nature and it has been argued that the very existence of a tax system presents a hurdle for economic growth. Every country’s tax system is undermined to some extent by tax avoidance. For example, the American government levies a hefty 45% corporation tax on the earnings of businesses. This means that all firms – from Fred Jones Accounting to Google - must give 45% of their revenue to the government. Or do they? While I am certain that Fred Jones pays his taxes, I know that for sure Google does not.
“When speaking about investing and owning company bonds and shares, most people think that they do not own anything that trades on a stock exchange.” Many large companies choose to locate their headquarters in territories such as Bermuda, Singapore and Ireland. What these places all have in common is the fact that they are tax havens, meaning that they levy minimal or no corporation tax. This has two consequences. In Google’s case, the government is not able to use the company’s finances to back its investments, meaning it has to borrow more. Secondly, Google is spending its money on accountants, tax specialists and lawyers to utilize loopholes, instead of creating job opportunities and helping to fund public services. When speaking about investing and owning company bonds and shares, most people think that they do not own anything that trades on a stock exchange. However, all of us are investors because we have private pension funds that are comprised of stocks and bonds from a company. Heavily taxing a corporation means not only that the owners of bonds will receive lower dividends but that the owners of pension funds will experience lower interest rates.
Illustration by Jamie Donald
One important reason why individuals might avoid their taxes is the lack of credibility they attribute to the government. Taking the United States as an example, we can see that the country has been through the global financial crisis and two unpopular wars in the past decade alone. What is more, during that period both major political parties have passed unpopular legislation like The Patriot Act and Obamacare. As a result, the American voter does not see an alternative to the political system, does not trust their elected officials, does not support their government’s policies and is more inclined to stow their money in offshore trusts, inaccessible to the Treasury. Another factor is the culture of the population. Certain nationalities have a higher tendency to pay their taxes than others. Germans, for example, enter the workforce at age 16 and expect to retire at 71 with very little in government benefits. What drives them is the strong belief in the law and a sense of collective responsibility to one another. A government cannot run effective social programmes without the adequate funding. A successful tax system is one that takes into consideration the culture of the population and the amount of taxation the population is willing to contribute. When designing tax legislation, authorities must keep this in mind, otherwise the only entities benefiting will be tax havens in the Caribbean and beyond.
Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
32
Meeting the STEM Challenge Daniel Patterson explores Teach First’s efforts to address the problems of educational disadvantage and the STEM deficit.
Two problems rooted in education are currently limiting Britain’s social and economic potential. These are educational inequality and the STEM challenge; our lack of professionals qualified in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The UK has one of the strongest relationships between socio-economic background and educational attainment in the developed world. This problem starts early but can hinder a child’s opportunities for life. At present, privately educated children have a 1 in 20 chance of gaining a place at Britain’s most prestigious universities. In contrast, the odds of a pupil eligible for free school meals being admitted to Oxbridge are 2000-1. 75% of our judges, 70% of finance directors and 40% of senior civil servants attended an independent school despite just 7% of the population being privately educated. This inequality renders our highest offices and institutions off-limits to those who haven’t benefited from the best education money can buy. As a result, those who hold positions of influence and the decisions they make are not always truly representative of society. Educational inequality matters because it is also linked to wellbeing, life expectancy and crime rates. Studies have found that spending time not in employment, education or training (NEET) is an important predictor of future low income, depression and poor mental health. In 2008, 50% of men and 70% of women in prison had achieved no qualifications at school or college.
“Teach First aims to improve academic attainment and encourage more pupils to pursue careers in STEM sectors.” The Social Market Foundation estimates that British businesses require 40,000 extra STEM-qualified graduates every year between now and 2020 in order to meet the needs of our economy. The business community is agreed that the UK’s continued economic growth will depend upon increased productivity in areas such as manufacturing, life sciences and research; sectors that currently rely heavily on immigration. A report by the Foundation concluded that, ‘expanding the supply of science and mathematics teachers is vital if we are to avoid a vicious cycle of self-perpetuating STEM skills shortages’. Unsurprisingly, it is schools in low-income areas that are hit especially hard by the STEM deficit, with less than one third of pupils eligible for free school meals achieving a Science GCSE at grade A*-C. In order for Britain to compete in the global race it is vital that more STEM professionals enter the classroom and share their passion with pupils.
The independent charity Teach First exists to address educational inequality and one of its priorities is working to overcome the STEM challenge. Teach First trains exceptional graduates to become inspirational leaders who can make a difference in the lives of Britain’s most disadvantaged pupils. Teach First runs a two-year Leadership Development Programme (LDP) that sees participants earn their PGCE qualification in the UK’s most challenging classrooms. The LDP is an opportunity to develop a great deal personally and professionally while affecting real change in schools around the country. Having a positive role model is crucial to motivate a child’s learning, not least in STEM subjects. By placing the strongest STEM graduates at the front of the class, Teach First aims to improve academic attainment and encourage more pupils to pursue careers in STEM sectors. The LDP is a chance to better prepare young people for their career, whether they envisage a lifetime of teaching or not. Not only can participants gain transferable skills, they also have the opportunity to complete a summer internship with partners such as Google and the Department for Education. Over two thirds opt to stay in the classroom after completing the programme and others go on to excel in other areas of society while continuing to represent Teach First as Ambassadors. Teach First are currently recruiting for the 2015 Leadership Development Programme for a wide range of subjects, including STEM, and welcome applications for deferred entry onto the 2016 scheme. Final-year student Madi Adamson has already secured a place on the prestigious programme and is looking forward to beginning teaching in the East Midlands this September. She said, ‘The LDP is a fantastic opportunity to develop a great deal while doing work that you know is making a real difference in addressing the challenge of educational inequality.’
“I wanted to make a difference, so I did” Robin Hartfield Cross Taught: Maths Now: PwC Graduate Scheme
Apply now for our Leadership Development Programme For more information, contact Katie: kwalkingshaw@teachfirst.org.uk
20% of pupils eligible for free school meals make it to university, compared to 86% from independent schools.
Change their lives. Change yours.
Katie Walkingshaw is Graduate Recruitment Officer for the University of Glasgow. For more information about the Leadership Development Programme, she can be reached at KWalkingshaw@teachfirst.org.uk.
Recruiting 2,000 graduates to tackle educational inequality
teachfirst.org.uk/graduates Charity No 1098294
Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
34
Intelligence, Beauty and Health with Designer Genomes?
Science & Technology
Glasgow University Magazine
Issue 2
35
Artificial Intelligence Friend or Foe?
Emma Briggs Theodora Strati
If you could simply ‘cut and repair’ your DNA to correct any gene, would you do it? With revolutionary gene-editing technology this could become a reality sooner than you think. Scientists in all corners of the world are jumping on the CRISPR/Cas9 bandwagon with hope of curing human diseases ranging from Huntington’s to HIV. Every day different lab techniques are used to ‘turn genes on or off’ in cells. This is an important tool in molecular research today and can be used to, at least in part, cure diseased cells. Although this is relatively easy in individual cells, how can this be achieved in a human made up of 37.2 trillion? To further complicate things, techniques are often not very efficient and to try and fix a fully-grown diseased organ, a significant proportion of cells will need to have their DNA corrected. Of course, if you are going to introduce something that will physically change DNA, it needs to be right or you risk doing more harm than good. Development of the CRISPR/ Cas9 system may be able to answer all of these problems and, as far as the research has shown, it’s looking pretty good. Simple bacteria evolved the clever CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism to protect themselves against viral infection. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) refers to a region of the bacteria’s DNA which is used to create guides for the Cas9 enzyme – the DNA cutter. The CRISPR DNA contains sequences which match up to sequences of invading viruses’ DNA, so that when copies are made and join to Cas9, these guide the enzyme to the matching site in the virus’s genome. Once there, Cas9 works like a pair of scissors and physically cuts the DNA to kill the virus. In this way, the bacterium can ingeniously rid itself of infection. By creating CRISPR DNA, which instead of matching the sequence of invading virus DNA, matches the sequence of the CFTR gene which causes cystic fibrosis in humans, Cas9 can be directed to cut the disease-causing gene. A healthy version of the gene can be introduced at the same time as CRISPR and Cas9, which the cell can then use. And hey presto, the disease gene is replaced by the healthy one. Last year a ground-breaking study from MIT used CRISPR/ Cas9 to cure fully grown mice with hereditary tyrosinemia, a type of liver disease. The CRISPR/Cas9 DNA was simply injected along with a normal copy of the disease-causing gene Fah and this resulted in every 1 in 250 liver cells using the new healthy copy
Although this may not sound like a lot, it was all that was needed to stop the mice from losing weight as a consequence of the disease. This was the first example of how the system can be used to treat fully-grown organisms rather than single cells. It doesn’t stop at genetic diseases either. In 2013 Hirotaka Ebina and colleges used CRISPR/Cas9 to find a way of ridding HIV-infected individuals of the dormant virus DNA which becomes embedded in the person’s own genome. This viral DNA is dangerous as it can lead to more of the virus being made. The group were able to physically remove the HIV DNA from human cells by targeting Cas9 to either end of the DNA and cutting it out, giving hope to HIV-positive individuals.
The first modern computer in history was the Turing Machine created in 1936 by Allan Turing. This poorly acknowledged war hero created the Turing Machine in his attempts to break Enigma, the method the Germans used for coding messages during the Second World War. This was one of the most important inventions, since it was critical to the Allies’ victory. As a result of one man’s invention, many human lives were saved and this has recently been depicted in the film The Imitation Game.
“Many scientists, such as Steven Hawking, have argued that artificial intelligence could be a potential threat to humanity.”
Today, almost 80 years later, computers continue to evolve. They constantly become smarter and in many cases are able to perform functions humans cannot. An illustrative example is Cepheus, a software programme developed by scientists at the University of Alberta that can beat any human at poker. A member of this team, Michael Bowling, says that ‘the whole interesting part of the game comes from the fact that you don’t have perfect information.’ Unlike chess, poker players hold cards that the other players cannot see. The team of scientists developed a programme that can handle any possible outcome and win in every single game.
There are many scientists who disagree with Hawking and believe that computers cannot become more intelligent than humans for three reasons. Firstly, they do not have the capacity to properly understand topics. Computers can answer questions about many issues but do not fully comprehend what they are talking about. They also lack mathematical insight so unlike mathematicians, only use algorithms. Finally, the computers do not have consciousness, which is crucial to everyday interactions.
All of this sounds reasonably straightforward but there are a few catches. Firstly, are we sure that Cas9 is going to cut the DNA only where we want it to? If the enzyme cuts DNA in other places too often, the consequences could be disastrous and potentially result in DNA mutations causing diseases like cancer. Another major obstacle is how to deliver the treatment to where it’s needed. Some other gene therapies use viruses, which the CRISPR/Cas9 DNA could be packaged into but this is not risk-free. Although problems still remain, CRISPR/Cas9 has major potential. Editas Medicine was set up in 2013 by world leaders in the field of gene-editing with a $43 million investment. The company aims to translate the technology into real therapeutic options where a bad gene is snipped out and replaced. They also claim to have already reduced off target cutting of the DNA. But will it get too easy? Preimplantation screening of embryos to allow conception of babies without certain disease genes is available in some countries, in spite of critics raising designer-baby fears. This method is limited though as the desired gene has to be available in one of the parents in order to select for it. However, with ever advancing gene-editing technology there may no longer be such limits and any gene could, in theory, be inserted. As the possibilities increase so do concerns. It may be possible that changing the DNA too much could result in unexpected conditions that modern medicine is unable to cope with. Different communities or generations may fear other ‘perfect’ people with access to genome editing. Even though gene-editing right now is sharply focused on curing disease, there are complicated ethical issues to consider. Why not snip away that gene that makes you prone to gaining a few pounds? What if you fancy blue eyes for a change? It may all be possible one day but for better or worse we’ll have to wait and see.
Any player can play and practice against this software at a public website the team has created for this purpose. Poker players argue that this computer is not interested in the strategy of his opponent or in getting more money by taking some risks, like most players do. Its strategy beats all the others in a safe way. Unfortunately, the possibilities of bluffing or of competition during the game are lost when playing Cepheus. This algorithm is programmed to play the simplest form of poker, Heads Up Limit Hold’Em, but it is still a major accomplishment. Even if you are the best poker player in the world, you do not stand a chance if your opponent is Cepheus.
The techniques used to develop the software can be used in some real world situations, for instance to ensure the maximum security of flights from terrorism. There are already programmes assigned for this but they are considered quite simplistic. Scientists believe that Bowling and his team could develop a much more sophisticated software. While this is impressive it would perhaps be wise to take into account concepts raised in films such as Frankenstein. A robot so advanced that it is not only a genius and possesses full physical abilities, but also has consciousness and feelings. Maybe that sounds too far from reality, but what if in the future computers are able to do all the things we do? What if at some point they act without taking orders? Many scientists, such as Steven Hawking, have argued that artificial intelligence could be a potential threat to humanity. He told the BBC, ‘the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.’
We are a long way from reaching full artificial intelligence but when and if that time comes, nobody knows what the outcome will be - increasingly helpful technology or hazardously destructive machines. The Imitation Game may have been a sweet beginning but will Frankenstein be the bitter end?