Summer 18: Generations

JUSTY

NOVEMBER 2013

NUMBER: 01

LOREM IPSUM SPACE FOR TITLE LOREM

FOOD MAGAZINE PAGES LOREM SPACE

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 1

CONTENTS

Front Cover: Catrin Stephen

Interested in having your business reach out to the University of Glasgow Campus, with a student body of over 24,000?

For information on placing your advertisment here, get intouch with us at:

k u . o c . u u g @ s e i r a r b li

2 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

Contents

WELCOME

Formalities Editorial

From the Board

Alumni Column: Paul Sweeney MP Politics

Politics Editorial

Fight for Your Rights!

As One?

The French Gréviculture!

The Page is your Platform Letters The Debates

Millenials are Rebels Without Cause Culture and Opinion

Vintage Vogue

Our Generation Sucks...

Does Your Mother Know...?

Cecilians through the years

Ms. Margo: Resident Agony Aunt

Art

Laura Schröter:The Satyr

Sophie Bryer

Street Watch Science

Music and Vinyl

Are we Human, or are we Dancer

Alcohol through the years Sport

Lad Culture 1-0 Scottish Football?

GURFC

CONTRIBUTORS

Keri Anderson Paul Sweeney MP Suzanne Elliott Manon Minassian Savannah Stark Matilda Handley Alexander Fraser

Harry Coloe Anya Brzeski Michael Cartledge Laura Schröter Sophie Bryer Alex Robertson Grant Drummond

Hello reader, Welcome to our final edition of the year: the "Generations" issue.

At this time of year there is a lot of change, we move from one generation of student board to the next, likewise one generation of editorial team to the next. In these times of change it gives us a good opportunity to reflect back on what has come before, as well as look forward to what is next.

Between every generation there come changes, be this social, political or cultural. But more often than not we see trends from even older generations come back into fashion. I have made use of this transition time to do similar. We have brought in some new columns, including an alumni and debates column, as well as revamp an old format from a decade ago, the agony aunt column - Ms Margo!

However, between generations there is always a thread that ties each to the next. In the case of G-YOU it is the fact it is a place for students to have a voice. There is always a ruckus on campus about free speech, and the availability to speak out. We provide that avenue! If you want to contribute, want to suggest changes, or even air grievances, tell us at "libraries@guu.co.uk" or come to contributors’ meetings starting again in September. If you really want you can go set up your own newspaper, but if what you want is a space to put your opinion out there, that space is here!

Owain Campton Editor-In-Chief

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor-in-Chief Design Editor Politics Editor Culture and Opinion Editor Arts Editor Science Editor Sports and Wellbeing Editor Online and Features Editor

Owain Campton Isabelle Thornton Catrin Stephen Bethany Tallulah Howard Daisy Thomson Skye Brettell Lucy Rawbone Laura Hannah Lucy Donaldson MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 3

FORMALITIES

H

FROM THE BOARD

i there folks! I welcome you to this year’s Summer edition of G-You magazine and with that hope that you are not completely overcome with final hand-ins and exams. I know this time of year can be a difficult one but the end is in sight!

It is important at this time in the academic year to not let the stress of exams get to you, looking after yourself is just as important as your grades and we at the union are here to help. This exam diet sees us, yet again, team up with the SRC, GUSA and QMU to bring you our bi-annual ‘Exam De-Stress’ initiative. Over the next few weeks, across campus, the four student bodies will be bringing you numerous opportunities to get you up and about away from your revision even if it’s just for an hour.

Whether it be mindfulness workshops, free gym classes, playing with puppies or simply even painting for an hour, our aim is to support you throughout this exam-season.

This student-led initiative will also be bringing you the ever-popular de-stress packs, which will be distributed by each student body as well as on level 3 of the library over the coming weeks. Keep an eye out around

A

campus and on our Facebook page for all the latest Exam De-Stress tips and event updates!

Whilst you are all overwhelmed with work, the Easter holidays have meant a relatively underwhelming month for the union. As most students return to their homes or become homed by the library, Easter has been a quiet time for us, with the beer bar and the kitchen being the only open spaces. However, a highlight from the past few weeks has been the Union hosting our largest annual debating competition earlier in April. Glasgow Ancients and Glasgow Women’s saw over 130 debaters from all over speak in our Debating Chamber and it was again, an incredible success!

Whilst we do love the union filled with you lovely lot, there have been up-sides to this peacefulness. Our new board of management have been given the opportunity to find their feet a little in their new roles and the organisation of upcoming events such as our end of exam Beach Party and Freshers’ Week itself are well under way.

This year’s annual All Day Beach Party will take place on Friday 18th May. With opportunities to enjoy some Al-Fresco

Open Mic with our Ents committee, take part in our beach themed event with the Games Com or just sit in the beer bar with your course-mates there’s something for everyone to enjoy before ending your evening where your year was sure to have begun: the HIVE. Whether you’re at the end of your first year at UofG or finally getting that degree, join us on the 18th May for what can only be a full day (and night) of fun-fuelled celebration!

In terms of Freshers’ Week, I can assure you that plans are well underway, and goodness me are we excited! Come September, we will have our huge group of new helpers, some incredible acts booked, and 10 days of events all planned for what is set to be another fantastic Freshers’ Week at GUU. All that’s left from me is to give a gentle reminder to look after yourselves during these next few weeks, and wish you the very best of luck. We can’t wait to see you back in September, have a wonderful summer, you are sure to deserve it!

-Keri Anderson, Honorary Secretary

Alumni Column - Paul Sweeney MP

year ago, almost to the day, Theresa May came back from a walking holiday in Wales and decided to call a snap General Election. I could scarcely imagine just how much her decision that day would turn my life upside down to such an extent that I am now writing this article from my office in the House of Commons, as the new Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East and the Shadow Scotland Minister on Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench.

As the late Charles Kennedy said, and as the gold leaf inscription above the debates chamber now proudly reminds us all, “The University may give you a degree, but it’s the union that gives you your education.” It is true that the more you put into this place, the more you will get out of it. This Union has moulded me into who I am today.

Being selected as a first-time candidate by the Labour Party and running in a snap General Election at such short notice was a bewildering and stressful experience, but I soon learned that the late Charles Kennedy’s words proved to be very true.

The skills I learned in running for GUU board elections, participating in hustings and taking part in the Union’s infamous Friday night Parliamentary debates during my time as a student meant that many of the skills I needed to be effective on the campaign trail, and now as an MP, came as second nature.

The Union offers so much for all its members; my advice to you is to throw yourself into this amazing place as much as you can during the time you have here at University.

While ending D*** F***** on the podium of the HIVE, surrounded by all your mates is an essential part of Union life,

4 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

and always will be, the GUU was the central pillar of my university life in so many other ways too. It was where I met many of my friends, be it through debating or getting involved with the Dialectic Society and eventually the Board of Management.

Cut your teeth at debating, building your confidence at public speaking and follow in a great tradition of political leaders and world champion competitive speakers who have emerged from the Glasgow University Union over the last 133 years. Join the G-YOU magazine contributors page, as many fine journalists and writers have done, and voice your opinion on what’s going on at university. Sing at Open Mic as Emily Sande once did, or head down with your mates and try your luck at the Beer Bar Quiz, which I always excelled at losing. There is something for everyone in our Union.

It’s also important to remember that this isn’t just a students’ union, but a members’ club for all generations who have passed through its doors. I ran as a Former Student Member on the Board of Management after I graduated because I had practical project management skills in my previous career in shipbuilding that helped to deliver the new HIVE extension. Alumni don’t run for board positions because we want to keep the Union the way it is, but because we want to support our student board members to make positive changes and safeguard the future of the Union. We want to offer the best possible experience for future generations of students, so they can have just as superb an experience as we did. If you feel you have a passion for what we do in the Union and want to make a change here, think about joining a committee, or run for a board position at the next round of elections – it will certainly be an education!

-Paul Sweeney MP for Glasgow North East Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland Former Student Member, Glasgow University Union, 2013-Present

POLITICS

POLITICS EDITORIAL

T

his issue’s politics section contains four articles that are linked by a singular theme: protest. Protest is central to the concept of Generations - protests are a space of political unity within generations - protests define generational politics - this is so important now when there are so many poltical wedges that segregate people within and between generation - with the current divisive political tensions worldwide, there is a struggle to form beliefs in a world where things are changing rapidly and social media becomes a competitive platform to be heard. Suzanne’s ‘As one?’ article explores the idea of generational difference in protest, touching on current polemic issues such as Women’s rights after the Women’s March in 2017, Repealing the 8th Campaign in Ireland and gun control in the US. Savannah provides an in-depth analysis of literary activism as a form of protest and its benefits for youth political self-expression. Manon looks at strike culture in France with the context of the 1968 protests in France, how strikers managed to get their demands met, and what this means for future government policies. Isabelle's piece looks at the protest that directly effect student life here, and across the U.K. Across all four we a given insight into what is going on around us, as it shapes our own generations identity.

-Bethany Tallulah Howard, Politics Editor

S

YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS! STUDENT PROTEST THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

ince the founding of the National Union of Students in 1922, it is fair to say that British student movements have always been on the right side of history. Students are famously more left-wing and generally optimistic about the future and therefore are willing to fight for what they think is right.

Over the years, students have had a propensity to fight for peace, justice and solidarity and some of the first movements for global peace was way back in 1962, during the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament when 90% of protesters involved were students.

Similarly, in 1965 the student led protest outside the American Embassy in Edinburgh fought against the terror brought about by the Vietnam War and subsequently led to wider protests throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK. In 1986, students were the first to conduct an anti-apartheid picket (which would last four years) in London’s Trafalgar Square in protest of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment. The picket – renamed ‘Nelson’s Picket’ became a tourist sight to see alongside Nelson’s Column. As well as the pickets, 18 universities across the country withdrew financially from South Africa in protest of the apartheid.

Student protests have been equally vocal regarding student and non-student issues but of course there has been a more forceful push for changes, that impact students the most. In 1973, up to 40,000 students organised marches, pickets, boycotts and sit-ins in defence of grants. Financial issues have been a reoccurring theme for student protests, as implementing financial restrictions on higher education extremely limits who is able to access university. After the election of the coalition government in 2010, there was a particularly volatile uprising in student protests. Nick Clegg’s empty promises to scrap tuition fees combined with David Cameron’s Tory belief that university should be a ‘privilege not a right’, saw the rise of university fees up to £9,000 and cuts of 40% to university teaching budgets. On November 10th of 2010, the first major student demonstration took place in central London with 50,000 student protestors. As several hundred protestors branched off to occupy and attack the Conservative Party Headquarters, the protest took a turn. Police began to kettle students and violent con-

frontation between the two groups ensued. The clashes between police and students resulted in arrests, injuries and ultimately the protestors cries being ignored. The coalition government passed the higher education reforms into a law on the 9th December 2010 and the repercussions of those austerity measures are still being felt today.

The UCU strikes (although not a direct student protest) were brought about by continuing austerity cuts and the Conservative government’s need to reduce the deficit. The cuts would affect lecturer’s pensions and therefore their standards of living. The 4 weeks of strike action affected 80,000 students at 30 universities across the country but despite this a Times Higher Education poll found that 51% of students supported the strikes and protested on the picket lines alongside lecturers.

With a no resolution to the UCU dispute in sight, there is a strong a need as ever for student protest. Now is not the time to give up, lose hope or hang up your placards. We’ve got to continue fighting the good fight.

-Isabelle Thornton, Deputy Editor-in-Chief

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 5

POLITICS

As One?

In an age of political protest and fervour, are the young and old united or divided in political advocacy and debate? with which they campaign and their cooperation with older generations has spawned a new sense of hope in the possibility of change. However, is this intergenerational cooperation as true as it would superficially appear, or are we still divided? Do parents and children see eye to eye? Are the progressive attitudes coveted by these movements shared or divided along generational lines? Attempting to answer this question might give us a better idea of the feasibility of the attainment of certain movements’ aims, from the achievement of gun control policy to the pursuit of the right to choose for women.

T

he political fervour that grips the world’s collective cultural consciousness has perhaps never been so potent. Activism and protest – in its superficial sense at least – appears to be on the rise, with marchers taking up banners and raising battle cries in the streets of many major cities in the democratic world. From the initial Women’s March in 2017, to the Repeal the 8th Campaign primarily based in Ireland, to the strikes of university lecturers on our own campus, to the recent March for our Lives for gun control in the United States, this complete and continual visibility of this fervour has changed the political landscape as we know it. The nature of the contemporary and some would say over-accessibility of information through our 24-hour news cycles coupled with the prevalence of social media has meant that the nature of this campaigning and activism is never far from earshot and never truly out of sight.

On top of this, the nature of the political discussions we are having on the news or in conversations between family and friends have evolved from the simple and well-trodden pitfalls of debates regarding an individual’s partisan-affiliation to conversations over ideology itself, what we believe in practical terms whether that be in the context of gun-rights or women’s rights, or more simply the value we place on human life itself and in what context does that value diminish.

Consequently, the success of these movements has been put down to the sheer number of supporters and perhaps, more crucially, the multi-generational support for initiatives and for what is deemed progressive thinking. More than anything, the voices of young people ringing out across the world stage and calling for change, aided by the prevalence of social media and the accessibility of communication, has played a key role in this manner. The vehemence 6 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

Perhaps the generational gap in belief is most evident in the context of the Repeal the 8th debate in the Republic of Ireland between older and younger women, not only within the nation at large but also within the movement itself over the campaigns aims. When I discuss the Repeal the 8th movement with friends from Dublin and Cork, they relay a similar story of the discussion of the Repeal Campaign between themselves and their mothers and grandmothers. These older women were said to be view comprehensive access to abortion less favourably than their younger counterparts, largely put down to the continued entrenchment of religious conservativism in communities in Ireland.

Comparatively, the March for Our Lives in support of gun control appears to showcase unity!

A similar sentiment emerges when I ask my grandmother her opinions, a second-generation Irish immigrant who even though raised as a lapsed Catholic herself, maintains a code of morality rooted in her religious heritage. A unified, multi-generational front is perhaps then unattainable given the pertinent divide in opinion between the legitimacy of different levels of accessibility, between abortion on demand and abortion under specific circumstances. The contention of this sentiment in the context of official policy-making was first illustrated in the lack of support for abortion on demand by the Citizen’s Assembly that convened in 2016. This leaves a conundrum within the movement as a whole as to how best to campaign inclusively and successfully.

What level of accessibility to abortion provides a winning formula for the movement

at large? The answer remains obscure, as does the unity of different generations of women within Ireland.

Comparatively, the March for Our Lives in support of gun control, originating in the aftermath of the Parkland Shooting in February this year, appears to not only showcase that multi-generational unity but also highlights how the progressive attitudes of young campaigners has consolidated those of older generations and helped bring the issue of gun control to the forefront of American policy conversations. Young figures such as Emma González and David Hogg had been outspoken in their campaign for gun control and their calls to end gun violence and have been the focal point of a nation-wide movement. There activism, solely dedicated to the issue of gun control, has been crucial in consolidating pro-gun control support in real terms, specifically as a voting issue, as argued by Vox’s German Lopez. The appeal to the morality of parents, of lawmakers and specifically their lamentation of politicians on both sides of the political spectrum willing to take funding from the NRA has been crucial at consolidating existing political and social desire to curtail gun-ownership. Much of the success of the March for Our Lives movement is also useful in that it capitalises on existing Democrat support for tighter gun laws that were previously not strongly enough held to become a decisive factor in campaigning for votes during electoral processes, consolidating generational unity in this regard. The take-away from this however is that taking the first step towards this advocacy and continued success of it, is not necessarily predicated on unity of groups but on the courage of individual actors to make their views known.

It would seem then, that the comparison of these two moments showcases that the alleged, comprehensive unity of these movements is not necessarily a given, particularly in the case of the Repeal the 8th movement. Then again, the unity itself is not necessarily the factor that gives most power to the movements in question. Individual voices appear to play the most significant role in the regard, younger voices emerging where otherwise they have otherwise been ignored have solidified this success. The question remains however, as to what extent do we need that cooperation of the old and young to achieve lasting change? Are young voices enough?

-Suzanne Elliott

POLITICS

The French Gréviculture!

T

he French government is worried. As we are heading towards summer, the reforms are piling up on president Macron’s desk, and the country seems to be getting inexorably closer to celebrate an explosive anniversary of May 1968 - risking a repeat of events.

Fifty years ago, the entire country was put on hold from March to June and completely blocked by general strikes involving millions of students demonstrating in the streets. With such a vast majority of people striking, the economic growth completely froze for several months, forcing government action. Eventually, with the government’s complete failure to address citizen’s concerns, and the rapid downturn spiral of the economy, the government had to call for general elections. This actually resulted in most of the strikers’ demands being met by the new government: the minimum wage increased, a fourth week of payed holidays became a right.

With Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform railways, trains are barely running and the reform which makes access to university more selective is pushing students to blockade lecture halls. There is a lot at stake for the President: he is gambling with the rest of his mandate. If the government backs up now, barely a year after the elections, it would appear weak and risk losing its political capital, resulting in the agenda that it set out in the presidential campaign being nearly impossible to put in place. On the other hand, if he holds on against the strikers, his legitimacy will be reinforced, leaving him on a highway to implement his liberal measures (simplification of the labour legislation, decrease in the taxes for high incomes, and privatisation of the railways). He would have succeeded where all the previous governments from left and right spectrum had been defeated.

For example, in 2015 François Holland gave up on liberalising the labour marker, in 1995 Jaques Chirac vainly attempted to reform railways…

There are numerous examples of Presidents who cracked down under the social pressure. Triumphing where everyone failed, for the ego of the president who likes to call himself Jupiter, this cannot be disregarded.

that as strikes are so common, they appear meaningless. Yet, according to a Slate article, the French average of days of strike during the last decades is at the same level as its European neighbours. So why is France renowned to have a strike culture if it does not physically strike more?

This goes back to 1864, when striking became legal but trade-unions remained banned for another twenty years: workers had no means to be legally represented in government’s talks or in board meetings. The only means they had to have a say, to be listened to and to gain more rights was through disruptive strikes. Trade unions became legal at some point; but it was too late – it had already become widely accepted that the only way to effectively oppose the government was through striking. This has been reinforced by the way several governments dealt with workers’ demands, ignoring civilised talks, until striking had to be used as a last resort.

So, striking does work to achieve one’s ends. It works through the fear of upsetting not only the strikers, but also the population who has to deal with the consequences of the strikes, which would be synonymous to losing the next elections, or, worst case scenario, having to call for new ones.

With the expansion of the service sector of the economy in the post war period, coupled with an economic growth, children of blue collars have become white ones, using the same and only mean their parents had to be heard and considered: striking.

To make sure that public opinion is on the government’s side and not the strikers’, Macron’s faithful little soldiers (the MP’s from La République en Marche) are trying to gain ground with an offensive in the media. On the 2nd of April, Gabriel Attal, a young MP, described France as being a country of Gréviculture (literally means strikey-culture), which articulates

-Manon Minassian

W

The Page is Your Platform

hen I think about changing the narrative of writing in public spaces and academia, Gloria Anzeldúa immediately comes to mind. A queer, feminist, disabled, Chicana writer, Anzeldúa gained notoriety for her book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, where she challenges the societal norms of identity and oppression. She speaks of marginalized individuals and communities overcoming a ‘tradition of silence’ by using writing for social action, transformation, and healing. This quote from Anzeldúa specifically speaks to me, so I’ve decided to incorporate her words throughout this piece. She states:

Why am I compelled to write? Because the writing saves me from this complacency I fear.

Activism is a broad term that incorpora-

tes political action across the ideological spectrum, but activism is essentially ‘engaged citizenry.’ Action is the alternative to complacency in a system that may disadvantage you, the others around you, or the environment. Some of us cannot just stand by and be complicit. As young people, we have distinct passions that relate to our own experiences and our empathy towards others. We are gifted with idealism. Idealism is what makes us strong, we have the naivety to see the potential for the world to be a better place.

Look at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students from Parkland, Florida. These children survived a traumatic school shooting, but they have risen to become a force to be reckoned with in politics. They represent an influential group of young students that are passionate and idealistic enough to think that one day children can go to school without fearing for their lives, that one day people with dan-

gerous incentives towards themselves and/ or others will not have access to a gun and use it.

[I write] because I have no choice. Because I must keep the spirit of my revolt and myself alive.

Like Anzeldúa, the Parkland students feel they have no choice either. The students Marched for their Lives, confronted their representatives, wrote letters to the editor, spoke on the news, and used social media to boycott advertisers. We each have specific skills we excel at, and acknowledging your strengths is essential in any action, political or not. Skills used for activism include writing, art, organizing, social media, and public speaking, which are just a few of the many necessary strategies needed for political and social change. Passion and idealism can be channelled into these strategies to

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 7

POLITICS

Continued contribute to an effective movement.

or issue we choose.

Considering campus publications, the serial killer story in the Medusa Review garnered a multitude of views and opinion articles in response, which prompted a discussion about free speech on campus.

As pointed out in the last G-You issue, conversations like this are important and productive. Ideas of free speech are constantly changing. Writing about the #MeToo movement and mental health creates awareness around issues people may have never considered before. Some people do think differently after reading someone else’s perspective. Writing raises awareness and inspires important conversation. In this way, writing is functioning as a form of activism.

I write because life does not appease my appetites and hunger. I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me, about you.

Because the world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a handle so I can grasp it.

Our world right now seems incredibly anarchic and dysfunctional. Sometimes it is hard to understand, especially at a young age, why there is still so much injustice and inequality when we have come so far. Each person processes their surroundings in different ways, but I love writing because it helps me think through all the various factors, the ways we engage with one another, and the ways ideas engage and intertwine.

Writing is a form of thought, an attempt to find words that capture views and ideas.

When we write to understand, we engage in reflection and the discourse of the topic

You can often identify a dominant narrative whilst reading. For example, in the news the representation of millennials is often vague and one dimensional, portraying them as lazy, self-absorbed tech addicts. By writing, you can redefine the narrative and you can rewrite the stories that have left others out.

You can choose to write about how millennials are not killing the fast food industry, but we are rather learning how to eat healthier at minimum cost. By just writing to change the narrative, you are creating space for discussion and taking ownership of your voice in that conversation, which can be transformational.

want people to know, you can discover things about yourself that transform your perspective. Women writing about their experiences of assault and harassment through the #MeToo movement has offered an unbelievable level of healing for so many.

We all have different skills and if you are passionate about political and social action, find the skill that works for you. Protesting in the street isn’t for everyone, but when you have people protesting, boycotting, lobbying, and writing, activism becomes a lot more efficient and effective. You pick your piece of the activism pie to channel your work ethic and talents. Writing can be challenging and difficult, but you don’t have to be the best writer, it’s your opinion that matters. Writing online can reach across the world, even if just to a few people. You can write for social action on campus and try submitting your work to raise awareness about an issue or send letters to your MP or the editor of a local paper. You can make people feel empathy and energy to go out and make a difference too. The more people that get their voice out there for positive change, the more likely we are to see progress. Writers like Gloria Anzeldúa show us just how influential words from activists can be for years to come.

[I write] to become more intimate with myself and you. To discover myself, to preserve myself, to make Finally, I write because I’m myself, to achieve self-auto- scared of writing but I’m nomy… more scared of not writing.

Because writing can play a role in understanding hard subjects, writing for political action is healing and transformative. Telling your story to an audience can help you process your experiences through reflection. By putting into words what you

Words on a page take the mic and draw attention to concepts and discussions you feel people should know and consider. Even though you may be young, you can inspire action. If you like to write, the page is your platform. Step up.

-Savannah Stark

I

Letters

f you are interested in voicing your opinion on any of the pieces you've read in this issue, and would like your letter published online or in the next issue, write to us at:

libraries@guu.co.uk

8 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

THE DEBATE

T

he Union has a rich history of debating, steming from its founding. However, only a few know about it or get involved. This column is intended to stoke discourse outside the usual set of Union debaters, as well as invite you into join with them. You can find them in the Bridie Library, Tuesdays at 6pm during term time, or on Facebook - @guudebating

-Owain Campton, Editor-in-Chief

This House Believes That Millenials Are Rebels Without Cause...

M

illennials, have been defined as rebels without a cause, in the sense that they apparently show a clear dissatisfaction with societal norms with no real groundings to base it on.

This definition suggests that millennials are rising up against prior generations, thus giving the impression that they are rebellious. Following the 2016 Brexit referendum, there was a large number of complaints voiced by millennials as many had voted to remain. This led to a dispute that the older generations had jeopardized their future by voting to leave. Arguably they could be viewed as rebels for voting the opposing way to older voters.

Further, it may also be perceived that they have done so with no clear cause, as young people are less politically active than any other group. In the referendum, 53% of 18-24 year olds voted, compared to 78% in more mature age groups. Almost half of all millennials not voting would suggest that they cannot have a real clear cause, as the group cannot be aiming for real political change if they do not present a unified, cohesive front.

From this, it can be inferred that millennials could further rebel against the government as they appear as anti-establishment. In posing this argument, a reference to older generations is useful.

For example, the peace-seeking hippe movement of the 1960s.

Compared to the clear vision they held, with the communes they set up, the millenial generation doesn’t have such an obvious goal. The hippies came as a response to the Vietnam war, presenting a counterculture which sought to change war policy through protests. Whereas, the Occupy movement (which was a response to the late 2000s financial crisis and Arab Spring) is a group that broadly seeks economic and social progression however are lacking in a clear agenda.

Millennials have also been the generation that has grown up with the internet throughout their childhood, witnessing great developments within technology. Often, millenials are part of online campaigns that receive “likes” on Facebook and signatures on other websites like “change.org”. This carries on the idea that they are rebels without a cause as it could be argued they simply jump on the bandwagon, agreeing with the flavor of the moment – which is typically one rejecting societal norms.

Instead of actually physically protesting their cause as was the trend in older generations, they now simply click a button on a computer screen. Although some of these petitions do achieve positive outcomes, many do not go beyond a basic online click.

Therefore, it can be argued that millenials are simply trend-following without any real cause to fight for.

-Matilda Handley

T

he premise that millennials can be ‘rebels without a cause’ simply doesn’t stand on even the briefest of glances at the world. Today, there huge numbers of current issues that young people are forced to take up as causes and fight for them. Firstly, there are the issues millennials see as directly facing them - such as the high school shootings in America, which spurred the recent March for our Lives campaign, where millions turned out in support of a cause which is still largely ignored by US politicians. Then, there are the issues that disproportionately affect millennials such as climate change as they have to live the longest with the consequences of past generations. These issues come on top of modern hardships such as finding a job or accessing the property ladder. Further, millennials have cause when they see a political system that shuts them out or simply doesn’t listen to their needs. For example, the systematic shut out of young voices due to the minimum voting age being 18, as politicians would much rather pander to older generations who are more likely to vote. millennials think and reason (often better than those twice our age) and they see these layers of issues and a lack of responsiveness to them. So, it is perfectly reasonable to expect them to take up a cause. Even if they don’t homogenously migrate to the same cause, it is still true that all millennials have something that they can - and do - campaign on.

However, why is it that millenials are specifically rebellious? And, how does this further prove that millennials do have a cause?

Part of it, is the systematic failure to actually listen to our voices, ideas, and opinions. Moreover, even when we are listened to and politicians get their ‘photo op’ with the young people for publicity, nothing productive ever comes from it. Some of these problems, like climate change and school shootings in the US, are so damaging and dangerous that radical change is required. This is when politicians tend to turn and say something like, “these young people know nothing of the real world.” The cycle of ignorance is continuous and being radical seems like the only way to break out of this biased regime - particularly for some voices who feel so crowded out that they have to differentiate and draw attention. For example, right-wing voices within youth culture are rarely ever recognised, yet, now, they are coalescing, particularly around figures like Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and the ‘Moggmentum’ movement.

So, with all these reasons to be rebellious, the ease of organisation afforded by social media and the rise of young leaders like Malala Yousafzi and groups like Momentum how can millennials be anything other than rebels with causes?

-Alexander Fraser MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 9

CULTURE AND OPINION

Vintage Vogue!

S

ometimes people ask me where I get my clothes, and sometimes I end up giving the slightly embarrassing answer of from the back of my parents closet. But this shouldn’t be embarrassing, retro and vintage fashion is more popular now than it has ever been, and I actually enjoy repurposing things to suit my own style. Getting unique clothes for free is a definite plus of having parents I sometimes have scarily similar taste to. However you don’t have to have a ‘quirky’ vintage taste to be reusing your parents’ looks. Sometimes I wear things from my mum, or the charity shop that people are surprised to learn aren’t fresh off the rack, because styles have a habit of coming back into fashion. Even if you don’t enjoy wearing second-hand, you’ll find that half the clothes in your wardrobe this year are throwbacks to retro styles.

Once worn daily on the playground in primary school but relegated once we reached teenage years, desperate to look more mature. Scrunchies may be part of a resurgence that comes from nostalgia for our innocent youth, or maybe just because they’re really fun and practical - either way they’re very popular right now.

Trends resurface all the time with subtle changes or worn in new contexts to update them, so you don’t have to go for styles that will make you stand out in order to get some use out of the previous generations styles. Trends that resurface tend to get worn in a different way, with a modern update or in a self-aware ironic way adopted by hipsters.

Dungarees are another denim style that have recently become popular again. They were another 80s and 90s classic that had been until recently banished to be exclusively the domain of cartoon characters, and children’s television presenters. This is the trend that I am personally most excited to see back, dungarees are very comfortable and have multiple pockets, so I feel as powerful as a man when I wear mine.

Never have rehashes of old styles been more popular. One trend that’s inescapable at the moment is chokers, and most people know of their origins as a 90s staple, seeing them brings back memories of old 90s TV classics. The choker has had moments throughout the twentieth century, resurfacing in the 1920s, 40s and a little in the 70s, but it never became as inescapable as it did in the 90s and early 2000s and it’s now very associated with that era. It was worn by all the women in Friends at various points, and chokers were a staple look for 00s icons like Lizzie McGuire.

2018 has also seen the resurgence of another accessory – scrunchies.

Another trend you can’t walk down University Avenue without encountering right now is mum jeans. These are those super high-waisted jeans which were originally popular with middle-aged women in the 80s and 90s. They were mocked in a 2003 SNL sketch and were seen as untrendy by teenagers until recently, when the style was adopted by hipsters and spread into the mainstream.

There are loads of great places in Glasgow to jump on these trends, aside from the main chain shops the West End has tons of charity shops and a few great vintage shops too. Great Western road has The Glasgow Vintage Co., Glorious, and Retro, all round the corner from each other. There’s also going to be a vintage pop-up fair at Tchai-Ovna on the 18th of May which will be a great event to get your hands on some cool clothes and help a good cause while doing it.

Our Generation Sucks...

O

ur generation is lazy. Our generation is self-entitled. Our generation are snowflakes. We can’t survive without the steady, satisfying shimmer of a screen. An hour without internet and all hell breaks loose. We’ve lost respect for ourselves, others, and most importantly- anyone who’s not us. Well, that’s what some would have you believe, anyway.

The shaming of our generation and utilising it as some kind of scapegoat has become commonplace. Normalised. In those few years between the ‘Millenial’ and ‘Gen Z’ generations, where many current university students fall, there is a gap. Many of us are not true millennials, having been born after 1996, but we are still 90s kids (or should that be kidz?). We bought and forgot about our Tamagotchis, traded Beyblades and Pokemon cards, listened to the Spice Girls, or Nirvana if you were actually cool. We caught the tail end of the decade of which brought us Friends and Crash Bandicoot video games.

But we were also one foot into the next generation, too. Afternoons watching Disney Channel at the house of whichever of your friends had it, getting to know Hannah Montana and her crew. We weren’t quite old enough to remember exactly where we when tragedy struck in New York on 9/11. We put concealer on our lips and learned ALL the words to Flo Rida’s Low despite being years too young to get into any club.

We’re also the generation suffering the most from loneliness. Perhaps it comes down to miscommunication and misunderstanding. It’s not difficult to see why that might be an issue. Even regarding the most basic things, there is a huge 10 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

difference in how we, as twenty-somethings, go about our lives comparatively to former generations when they were in their twenties. So far so obvious, right? And young people are fodder for the media. In 2016 it came out that millennials weren’t buying fabric softener. Headlines touting millenials as the ‘killers’ of Proctor and Gamble and other such companies. Shocked business journals and companies were at a loss over the drop in fabric softener sales, as though it was some kind of reckless decision on out part. They looked on in shock as they realised that maybe we are responsible for our consumer choices. Who knew? And it’s not just fabric softener. Our generation is also known as ‘generation rent’. Fewer and fewer of us are likely to buy a house. Of course, there are many factors in this, besides sheer will either to buy or not.

The average house price in the UK currently is £220,000, which is ten times the national average income, unlike in the mid-80s, when, at £31,000 the average house price was roughly four times the average wage.

Not that criticism of the youth is new in any way.

Young people, are still frequently lambasted for decisions we make (to be fair, I can understand the despair of older generations when we started fixating over orange spray tans and frosted tips, see Justin Timberlake). But being attacked for the ‘downfall’ of bars of soap amongst other things is a bit over the top.

As for other criticisms levelled at us, once again, it appears to be over a misunderstanding. People complained that reading newspapers in public places was causing people to be antisocial last

-Daisy Thomson, Culture and Opinions Editor

century, and now the complaint is of phones and tablets. There will always be criticism of the youth and technology. But it turns out that the young and the old not only have lots in common, but that they can mutually benefit from this. In a pretty adventurous program launched a few years ago in the Netherlands, groups of students shared accommodation with elderly members of society in an effort to combat loneliness.

Despite technology making us ever more omnipresent and omniscient, the Office for National Statistics showed that young people are far more likely to feel lonely or isolated ‘always or often’, than any other age category- the elderly included. And yet in these housing schemes, the reports came back with stories of positive relationships between the two generations. The expectation was that the students would cause problems by having parties and being too loud, but the real source of noise were the radios of the elderly turned up so loud. When students returned at 6am from parties elsewhere, they might be met by the older residents starting their day, and keen to have a share of the gossip from the parties.

Obviously the answer here is to have more nights out, and be prepared to have a natter about it with Mabel from next door.

-Anya Brzeski

Does Your Mother Know?

O

ur generation has a reputation for being the most progressive and open-minded yet, and I’ve definitely fulfilled that stereotype in my time so far at uni. Recently entering into a polyamorous relationship, being openly pansexual, and never refraining from being the forward thinking feminist I am, I’ve taken full advantage of how accepting the people around me are. However, have I been able to expect the same welcoming attitude from my parents? Not as much.

My mum moved over to Britain in the late nineties from the Czech Republic. Growing up during the sixties in a rural village, she often has differing opinions to the ones that I hold. For example when I came out to her it created a rift, because she can’t understand how I can be attracted to women and men. This has affected our relationship and often limited what I can tell her for fear of being judged for my actions, knowing that she would probably react badly.

The generational gap could be the clue to this divide. When my mum grew up, she was expected to get a man; date him for a few years, then settle down, wed and have children. If I was to tell my mother about my boyfriend, she’d ask if I see a serious future and could see myself one day marrying him. Though this is a bit hypocritical, as it is not what she did. My mother rebelled against the previous generation herself, deciding to focus on her career and eventually finding my dad in her mid thirties. But she did get married to him only a year and half after they met which is far from my expectations. Rather than this, my approach to the dating world is to try and be happy at that moment. Currently my life is very busy. As a first year university student, trying to take on a lot in extracurricular and focusing on my degree, getting married is far from what I want, and definitely not something that would bring much joy to me at this exact point. Polyamory is amazing and much more suited to me; I get the benefit of love from someone I care very deeply about, but also the ability sleep with others, and explore my sexuality. Marriage could happen sometime down the line in this relationship, but is not our primary goal, which may surprise my mother.

Other than it being a relationship I have only entered into recently, about a month old, I haven’t yet told my mum about it as I worry about her reaction. The thought of the man her daughter loves, having other lovers, is probably something that would concern her, as she believes in monogamy.

However, I am happy with him, and hope that when I do eventually tell her, she will accept this.

Relationships aren’t the only area my mum and I disagree on. My wardrobe is a constant source of conflict; not only are my skirts too short, but what I wear is too dark as well. Three quarters of my wardrobe is black, which displeases my mother as I'm youthful, and she thinks I should display the joy of this through colour. To add to this, she also often criticises my alcohol consumption. My mother has never drunk much alcohol, having spent her teens in a rural village in the sixties where there were a lot less opportunities. I fully partake in the nightlife side of uni as well as the studying and want to completely enjoy what might be the best years of my life but, according to her I drink too much and she doesn’t understand how attitudes have changed.

Now I’m at university I can just be myself. Rather than hiding away, I have the right to do what I want.

Politics is another setting for an unexpected generational divide. I am much more interested in politics than her. It is often argued that older generations learned what the value of their vote is, which means that they are typically more politically engaged. This somehow skipped my mother. She grew up in a communist country, which she resented. Yet, she still now doesn't try and vote into power a party she agrees with politically. It is me instead, part of the ‘apathetic’ generation of stereotypically self-interested teens that is interested in the political world, valuing everyone's vote, and encouraging her to do what I see as her civic duty.

But, is this a generational thing?

While my mum may have conservative ideas about relationships, my dad may have other thoughts. I explicitly remember a conversation I had with him when I was about 16 years old. He said that although he loved my mum, and had never cheated on her, he did sometimes look at other women and wonder if he would go after them if he was single. This makes me wonder if he was in my shoes, would he put himself in a similar situation to mine and try polyamory? This would enable him to not limit himself to only one partner but, possibly because polyamory was not a well-known or accepted thing when he was my age, I think my dad just chose to go into short lived romances, moving on whenever he was attracted to someone new. When we had that conversation I was with my first

Johanna Crighton CULTURE AND OPINION Joint Head Painter 2017

boyfriend, but even then I knew that monogamy might not be for me, though at this point I was only in a slightly open relationship kissing other people when we got drunk at house parties. However, I did keep this secret from my dad. He probably would have been too shocked that his young precious princess was anything but innocentsomething he still believes.

The difference between my parent’s perspectives of what a relationship should be, is a reflection that this may not only be generational. My mum’s traditional view that they should be leading to marriages, and my dad’s, a more liberal view closer to mine, shows that even people from similar generations can have hugely different attitudes. So the difference in opinions may not be caused from us being raised in different decades. But then, in every generation there are people who believe in different things from others, ones that are more or less forward thinking. So my father may just fall into this category.

Then again, the difference between my mother and I may be due to us coming from different countries, as well as (or rather than) from different decades. However at university I have met several people who grew up in the Czech Republic, all much less reserved from my mother (although they didn’t grow up during its communist era). This would lead me to believe that it is a mixture of where and when a person is raised which leads to the formation of their opinions. Growing up in London during the naughties exposed me to different ways of life, and both that time and place have contributed to my more progressive attitudes.

So, why this article? When people ask me why I decided to move so far from London to Glasgow to attend university I often jokingly answer that it was to get away from my parents. This may not actually be that much of a joke. Being so far away from the constant judgement of my mother has allowed me to expand. Back home I would be considered rebellious by my mum. Now I’m at university I don’t have to play into this stereotype, I can just be myself. Rather than hiding away, and sneakily doing things I have the right to do what I want. So, to answer the ABBA song and title of this article, no, my mother doesn’t know. She currently doesn’t know what’s happening in most of my life. But, that’s probably for the best for now as the generational gap has created such a divide between us and it might take her a while to accept the modern social norms I possess.

-Anon.

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 11

CULTURE AND OPINION

The Cecilian Society...

34,164,000 moments so dear! one thing is still missing. In 1986, the Cecilian Society made a decision that is still affecting the society today; they decided to leave the King’s theatre in favour of the Mitchell Library. This was proven to be a wise decision, as a few years later, in 1991, the King’s stopped allowing amateur shows to be performed. Due to the Mitchell not providing Stage Crew, the Committee of 1991-1992 set out specifically to create more things for our own 'techies' to do during the year. This, therefore, was the final action that created the Society we all know and love today.

T

his year, the Cecilian Society marked it’s 65th Anniversary. Founded at 3.30pm on Saturday 18th October 1952, this was a Society formed in honour of St Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Initially composed of various groups (including a choral group and an opera group) in 1955 the Opera faction put on their first show, the Pirates of Penzance, by Gilbert and Sullivan. This marked the beginning of their transformation into what is recognisable as the Cecilian Society of today, providers of quality musical theatre.

For sure, it has not always been smooth sailing, but I am here to guide you through some of the high (and low) points of what can be called one of the University’s most talented and valuable Society’s.

The founding members, it seems, where right to surmise that their endeavour stood “a reasonable chance of success”. Such was the success that, only three years later, it was recorded by the board that “the Charities Committee had agreed to take financial responsibility if we put on 4 performances of the P. of P. during Charities Week. [...] We have obtained the services of Mrs. Margaret Eadie as producer, and Mr. Sandy Brown has consented to conduct the orchestra. Rehearsals are already under way." Thusly, they were able to stage a full production of Pirates of Penzance (arguable the greatest, but surely the best-known comic opera in the world) to great acclaim.

This was the beginning of what would see the society grow in numbers and popularity. At their first AGM, membership was 8 people (including the 5 board members).

During the 1965 Whippings (what we know as Freshers Week), the membership was recorded at 340!

By the end 1968, the opera had become a huge undertaking, both financially and in terms of effort, that it was proposed to form 12 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

the Cecilian Opera Company Limited, to prevent any financial losses (of which there would be several over the years) from being incurred by the Society. By this time, the Opera was the Society's biggest activity, with the Committee recommending on 1st March 1967 that their successors should "run the Society as an operatic society and think in terms of those connected with the opera" (as well as recommending that "the first meeting should be an alcoholic gathering" and noting that the President "later asked Miss Johnston why she wore her suspenders too low"). This can perhaps be said to be the true beginning of the Cecilian Society as we know it today. But there were still a few changes to be made before the modern Cecilian Society would come to be.

Over the next two decades, the Society began to evolve in a changing world, continuing to produce beautiful shows, incurring a few financial losses (which they always bounced back from), gaining new members, and creating new roles, as well as moving to the King’s Theatre for performances. In the early 1980’s, the idea to start performing musicals was mooted with the society, however it was not met with much enthusiasm, as a set of minutes from 1982 declare: "It was decided that musicals are too difficult, as regards dance routines, acting, lack of chorus work also that they would be costly to produce with scene changes, costumes etc." However, the seeds clearly took root, for only two years later, in 1984, the society produced its first Musical, Kiss Me Kate. From this, the Society began to run a musical and a comic opera every year, however, by the time the new millennium came, the comic operas had all but vanished, and musicals where leading the way forward.

Musicals had taken over the Society, but

Before we get on to the society of the modern day, I wish to share two Cecilian Stories with you, that have become warnings to future generations. The first concerns the Pyjama Game, attempted to be staged in 1985. This was before the internet and during a time when most Tickets where bought on the night of the show. That year, there was a catastrophic snowstorm, resulting in no-one getting through, the cancellation of the show and the biggest financial loss in the societies history. The Second is of the terrible fire of 1996, which tore through the stores and destroyed sets, costumes and tragically, the presidents robe (The Glasgow Guardian wittily headlined 'Cecilian Society: Embers only’). The Morals; Always sell tickets in Advance, always safely store sets and costumes and, above all, the Society can take anything that’s thrown at it.

And so, we finish on a reflection of the Society today, by someone who has served 3 years and 5 shows (for clarity, its Me). From the moment I first met the Society During Freshers Week, I felt at ease with them. I had always been scared to sing in front of others, having been told in my youth that I was a terrible singer. However, to them, ‘Theatre is best when it is inclusive’ and though there are those far more talented than I in the Society, I have never felt anything other than accepted and valued with them (as several Production Team and board members have reminded me).

This is a society that welcomes all and rejects no-one, for we have a place for any who want it. Thank you Cecilian’s and here’s to another 65 years.

-Michael Cartledge

Ms. Margo

CULTURE AND OPINION

W

elcoming our new resident agony aunt! If you have any pressing or funny questions that you need advice on, send them to:

libraries@guu.co.uk!

Dear Ms. Margo, I’m broke AF at the moment....HELP!

T

he most basic place to start is to actually work out your budget, blissful ignorance in this case doesn’t lead to long term bliss. There are lots of budgeting apps and free sites online which can be a great place to start, or there’s a good old-fashioned excel spreadsheet. Remember to keep it flexible as you’ll probably need to spend more on heating in the winter than in the summer for example, but little things like that often get forgotten.

A great place to start aside from budgeting is through cooking for yourself. It sounds obvious, but lots of students don’t bother. Cooking from scratch, especially in bulk, is normally cheaper than buying ready meals. It can also be a great cheap social thing to cook meals with your flatmates, or have friends over for dinner that’s just as fun as going out somewhere but can also be personalised to your tastes while saving a whole lot of money.

Another thing to try and focus on is to cut out luxuries you don’t need like Starbucks coffees, bought lunches, and frequent takeaways. ‘Treat yourself ’ may be the motto of our generation, but you might find that cutting out little treats frees up money so you are less stressed in the long run, the ultimate treat.

Decreasing your overall stress about big worries like paying the bills means you’ll be less reliant on treats to make it through the day anyway. Obviously you’re still a student who will want to have fun with their friends, just maybe try not to mindlessly indulge.

I’m not saying that stopping buying avocado toast at TriBeCa will save you enough to buy you a house, but it certainly will mean you have an extra £7 to spend on a night out, or on rent… As a student it’s not about saving, because we are all skint, but prioritising where you spend your money. You can have a nice lunch with a mate for £7, or you can do your washing and honestly the choice is yours, well, mostly, your flatmates might have opinions about the smell after a while.

Dear Ms. Margo, I seem incapable of making good decisions after hive, please help me.

I

t happens to the best of us, few Glasgow students have been able to resist the pull of texting the wrong person, or even worse, going home with the wrong person, after a few too many pints of fun at Hive.

Maybe the best option is to embrace it and live a little? Unless your ‘bad’ decisions are truly life-ruining university is the ideal time to make mistakes and learn, and also get it all out of your system. You don’t want to be settling down to the nine to five after graduation full of regrets at missed opportunities. Make the most of it and your experiences will make good stories and even better learning experiences.

On a serious note, if you decisions really are life-ruining, get a trusted friend to look out for you on nights out and give them permission to stop you doing anything sober you would regret. You could also turn your phone off so you don’t call anyone you rather you wouldn’t.

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 13

ART

Laura Schröter The Satyr

T

his work depicts a sculpture by Jan Fabre exhibited in the sculpture park of the Krölle Müller Museum in the Netherlands, close to the German border where I live. I’ve visited the museum a few years back during a sunny day and took some pictures outside in the garden where I also came across several self portrait sculptures by Jan Faber. His sculptures have a highly polished shiny golden surface that reflects its surroundings in this case the luscious green trees and vegetation of the park which I tired to capture in my painting. Furthermore, horns of various animal species are attached to the sculptures emphasising their natural and feral connection. This particular work had the horns of a goat attached, so it resembled the mythical creature of the satyr or faun.

The faun as part of the old traditional ancient Greek imagery manifest a timeless, often negative archetype of the male sexual desire. The throughout mythology often desires the young beautiful nymphs and other beautiful females and, without restrain, pursuits them with disastrous consequences. This unwanted and obsessive pursuit is a phenomenon known throughout generations and is brought back into debate even in recent contemporary revelations of sexual harassment. The satyr as image alludes to a natural urge or feeling taken to an obsessive extreme which subsequently will end in tragedy.

Artist: Laura Schröter 14 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

ART

Sophie Bryer

I

thought this simple pencil sketch might suit the given theme of ‘Generations’ well, as it depicts myself alongside my brother and sister sat together as adults, whilst in each of our laps we hold our respective toddler selves.

I did this as part of my A Level coursework in 2013, and sought inspiration from our constant developing and evolving identity as we grow up, and how we perceive our former, infant selves and our childhoods. In doing so, we can observe the contrasting generational changes between our lives now compared with then, as well as in the age difference – no matter how great – between one’s siblings.

Artist: Sophie Bryer

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 15

ART

Street Watch!

E

nter “Street Watch”, G-You’s new feature dedicated to taking our readers on a tour around Glasgow’s finest street art.

T

his month’s issue draws our attention to a familiar wall space just outside your second home- the library. The piece appeared on Gibson Street last September, depicting the generational difference in protests, with the older woman looking tired in her fight for a free Palestine and a free Tibet, whereas the youth is simply concerned with their internet connection. This is particularly poignant given its proximity to the Glasgow University Campus, marking the change in student protests over the years. In the 60s and 70s, campuses across the country were alive with protests against the apartheid in South Africa, and the ongoing Vietnam War, compared to nowadays when student protests are rare, and much closer to home.

In recent years Glasgow University has seen few student protests- a small number of students at GU chose to support our striking lecturers at the picket line this spring (though only once it started to affect our course work), whereas before that we saw a general outcry at our rector nominations last year. Both worthy causes of course, but some might say the days of students being a driving force for change on an international stage are long gone, perhaps inspiring the recent street art outside the library.

The artist, who refers to themselves anonymously as “The Pink Bear Rebel”, has created a few exhibitions of protest across Glasgow, including a depiction of the Catalonian plight just off Sauchiehall Street, and the installation of a mock offshore tax haven on the round-about island on Woodlands Road. According to the bear’s instragram, an envelope of money is left at the sight of every new piece of work, as compensation for the residents in case they might want to remove the art from their wall. Thankfully, the piece in question has remained intact for all to see. Give the bear a follow on @thepinkbear.rebel for some political art and a chuckle!

-Skye Brettell, Arts Editor

16 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

SCIENCE

From Vinyl to Spotify

M

usic and technology have been integrated for a very long time. In ancient times, tribal music was all the rage. The ancient man used Buffalo horns, rain-sticks and drums as musical instruments. We have since then come a long way.

In the 1600s an Italian composer began Orchestras with the largest orchestra ever performing in the Queensland Music festival with 7224 musicians. Further on in 1885 the Gramophone brought music to the living room for the first time in history. It was the first device that allowed you to record and playback sound. People could suddenly put on a record, drop the needle and listen to the music of its time, perhaps a bit of The Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd or Miles Davis- King of Blue for more of a Jazz mood.

Of course, this was only in your living room though, what radio did was allow that needle drop to be broadcasted to that entire town, with the first ever broadcast on Christmas eve 1906.

This was then revolutionised by the Boom box, a symbol of pop culture and even fashion. However, in 1979 the invention of the Walkman by Sony changed the face of listening to music, making it easily portable and much more accessible. Interestingly, in 1998 the word Walkman was added to the Oxford Dictionary. After which the CD player drastically brought down the cost of music.

A typical CD is only 1.2mm thick and weighs no more than 20g.

From the 2000’s onwards music became pocket size, storage space increased and iPod became the new thing. The battle of Android vs Apple continued with MP3 players and iPod both being availa-

E

ble at the same time. More than 400 million iPods have been sold to date. However, the internet subsumes all of these prior technologies and from 2007 onwards live streaming music became available. Listening through iPhones and smartphones became possible and we can now access music pretty much any time, any place on the planet. However, this was considered to be killing the music industry.

Until the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, people where downloading and playing music for free. Now though we see more than 100 million paying subscribers worldwide. Companies and singers benefit greatly from these sites as each time their music is streamed they collect royalties. With artists like Drake helping power Universal Music to profitability last year, earning the company $1.1 billion in streaming revenue. But how can we improve or develop from this?

We’ve almost gone full circle and the turntables are spinning in the bedrooms of a new generation of music fans. The revival of vinyl. We very nearly saw the extinction of vinyl record with only a small number of music enthusiast keeping it alive. However, today we see streaming-addicted millennials have been jumping in on the newly risen trend of records. Thanks to torch carriers of vinyl records of the likes of Artic Monkeys who were among those who kept faith in the format in the difficult times.

-Lucy Rawbone, Science Editor

Are we Human or are we Dancer?

volution saw primates move out of east Africa and transform the earth into an actual planet of the apes.

By apes I’m talking about us. Like all other species ours was produced by the process of biological evolution. But where and when did we evolve, and will we be able to shape our evolution in the future?

Darwin came up with his first hypothesis after a trip to the London zoo where he spent time with chimpanzees. From this he made visible connections with chimpanzees and concluded that our common origin was African. This idea offended British royalty and proved academically controversial at the time. But Darwin is actually right, you, me and everyone else we know is technically African. Throughout history many scientists have found evidence to support his claim. Some of the most convincing clues came from the discovery of ancient human like fossils throughout east Africa.

One of the most well-known ancestors is Australopithecus Afarensis, we know so much about this guy because of a well preserved partial skeleton fossil named Lucy. No, I am not making this up!

They lived over 3 million years ago in what is known as today as Ethiopia. Their skull size is closer to that of a chimpanzee than humans. However, we know from Lucy’s body that she was habitually bipedal meaning she walked on two legs. This suggested that we started to walk upright before we started to evolve larger brain cells. From comparisons of human DNA and ape DNA the similarities between our strands are undeniable. We are most closely related to chimpanzees and then gorillas and orangutans.

Nevertheless, there’s no such thing as just one human history.

The Genus of Homo is the first humans to have emerged. We are Homo Sapiens Sapiens. But there were at least six other species of

humans around upon our first existence. Cousins of similar ability some may say. Some of them very successful, Homo Erectus for example survived for 2 million years. The last of the other humans disappeared around 10 thousand years ago. We don’t know what caused them to die out and some mixing was present from our DNA but not enough to be a joining of the species. Some of our cousins died off because they lost the battle over resources or others due to a series of minor genocides.

Today humans are truly a global species. Evolution hasn’t stopped and over the past ten thousand years humans have been changing in new ways due to the development of our civilisations. For most of our evolution we were hunters and gatherers, but an increasing number of groups began domesticating animals and plants, became sedentary and started to build infrastructure. This lead to certain biological changes like varying levels of immunity to different diseases and differences in body shapes and features.

Perhaps more significantly changes come with the development of cultural and technological evolution. More and more time was freed up for people to dedicate and prioritise science, sports, medicine, art, engineering, music or some may say article writing. In fact, accelerating cultural and technological evolution has led to the development of technology that could allow us to intelligently direct our own future evolution. This means that nature of our evolutions will be considerably different to the natural selection process that created us but instead an intelligent direction and manipulation.

-Lucy Rawbone, Science Editor MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 17

SCIENCE

A Boozy History

B

ooze, a staple of the university experience and a pillar of the GUU – rumoured to be the union with most bars per floor in the country. But what is it?

How old is it? And why did I agree to write this at 9pm on a Wednesday in beer bar? All good questions, and some of them have answers. This is my attempt to answer them using poor logic and a splash of poorly referenced facts.

Let’s start with the basics. The alcohol that is (mostly) safe to drink is ethanol. As made by yeast eating away at sugars. But unfortunately this kills the yeast off at 12-14% alcohol (the strength of wine). Because the yeast stops making alcohol, vodka needs distilling to make it strong enough for you to think another one is a good idea at 1am in the dark corners of HIVE. But where did it all start? Well it’s hard to say, most of the records simply don’t exist, maybe because of some form of Neolithic sesh wiping everything out, or it just being too damn good. But what we do have is firm evidence of Georgian wine in 6000BC (according to Guinness World Records). Those 8,000 odd years make every night out we’ve had or ever will have seem quite insignificant. But there’s more to the history of booze than just wine. Beer has just as long a history, dating back about 7,000 years ago in Iran, but

it’s not believed that it simply spread from there. It is believed that brewing of beer developed independently in many places, giving us things like the corn beer of South America and mead from Europe (some of which can still be found in the dark storage room of Chelmsford’s finest CO-OP). But going a touch stronger there’s our good friend Vodka, who can be dated back to the middle ages in Poland meaning that it’d still be fresher than the TESCO basics vodka stashed at the back of your cupboards after your flatmate tried it when they were skint. This is Glasgow Uni. So we’ve got to have whisky. However it may not be Scottish: there’s a debate about it having an Irish origin too. As the editor of G-You is Irish I’m inclined to agree, but as I need to be plastered to even have a sip of it, I won’t be too affected either way.

Booze has gone through a lot, maybe too much for a 500 word article, but we’ve seen the past what’s the best drink of the present? Perhaps the glorious pint of fun, luminous VK, wonderful off-brand vodka and I don’t know maybe lemonade? But it’s not really what’s in it that matters so long as you’ve got mates who’ll carry you home or maybe even drag you to the nearest McDonald’s at 3AM. It’s these moments that make it worth it, and have made all of our degrees a little bit harder to do, but a little bit more enjoyable to suffer.

-Alex Robertson SPORT

F

Lad Culture 1-0 Scottish Football?

ootball in Scotland today can be considered a paradox: more funding goes into into it than any other sport in the country. Specifically, £550,000 of National Lottery good cause funding is aimed at helping change the lives of young people through sport; and, in December 2017, the UEFA donated 50,000 euros to the Scottish Football Partnership Trust, following a nomination from the Scottish FA, to fund a project catering for nearly 500 young people across Scotland. So the question must be asked – why has the Scotland team not made the last 10 major tournaments?

Despite not achieving anything on a national level, football is widespread across the nation, and a love of it firmly ingrained in Scottish culture. Young boys in particular are encouraged to play and watch football from the moment they’re able to walk. Therefore, at first glance, Scotland has all it needs for success: good funding and a passion for the sport.

But, the fact of the matter is, we are just not hitting the winning formula - something is amiss.

their final years of school as they become sucked into a ‘lad culture.’ Friday nights are no longer for training, they’re for pints and chatting up girls. Regardless of their talent, football falls by the wayside in favour of prowling the streets with their mates, drinking and taking drugs. Thus, overall, a very small percentage of the good footballers, which have benefitted from Scotland’s excellent football schemes, are progressing onto a national level due to this ‘lad culture’ and a fear of missing out.

Ultimately, something needs to be done to encourage young boys to keep playing the sport. It is an achievable goal with a win-win outcome: less drug and knife crime in Scotland as well as an up and coming generation of football players, which will completely rejuvenate Scottish football.

The reason for Scotland’s lack of success can potentially be attributed to a growing ‘lad culture.’ As with most places in the UK, football is typically played by working class communities and is used as a tool to keep young boys off the streets and out of trouble. Traditionally, rugby is more likely be implemented through private school education and football through a public school education. A growing trend in the current climate, is young players becoming good, going onto play for Scotland youth teams before kicking the bucket in 18 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ

-Lucy Donaldson, Online and Features Editor

SPORT

GURFC: The Evolving Narrative of a Rugby Boy

A

s one of the oldest student societies at the university – outdating both of the student unions and the sports association – Glasgow University Rugby Football Club is dripping in history and tradition. Since it was founded in 1869, the different generations of the club have gone through many challenges and changes on and off the pitch, resulting today in a society that has, not only, a lot to give back to its members but also to the University of Glasgow as an entire institution.

Having homed British Lions and Scottish capped players in the last 149 years, the club is no stranger to individual success stories. And while these players were and continue to be a source of inspiration for GURFC members, the club has evolved to be about more than just solo achievement. The recent seasons have been incredibly successful for the club, with the first team winning back to back league victories, not to mention the memorable BUCS trophy win against Edinburgh firsts in March of last year. However, the current teams could not achieve what they do without their coaches, Stephen Leckey, James Wade and Jamie McCarthy. The newly appointed club captain Grant Drummond, has only words of praise for these three men stating, “Their knowledge of the game and coaching ability is second to none and has had

a massively positive effect on the way we play. It has been a large part of the reason for our continued success on the pitch.” The continued hard work of the coaches and overall unity of the club has allowed the introduction of a fourth team, to it’s already thriving three, for the first time in the clubs history.

Next season the club is hoping to continue it’s success of the first and second teams as well as pushing the thirds and fourths, with a 4 teams, 1 club, attitude.

A not so positive aspect of university rugby in the UK, as a whole, is this idea of the “rugby lad”, where by off the pitch they are seen as turning their socials into very anti-social situations.

In the past Glasgow has been no exception to this, however the narrative is changing. In recent times GURFC has not only behaved commendably off the pitch, the club has also begun to look into wider issues in the sport as a whole. An aspect that evolved last year, that Grant would love to continue and grow this year is to promote LGBT participation in the sport. He wishes to achieve this by the club partaking in the LGBT allies training course once again, as well as organising friendly matches with The Glasgow Alphas, an gay-inclusive rugby team in Glasgow, which in Grant's words will “show solidarity with fellow rugby players.”

Another giant issue within more abrasive sports, such as rugby, is the pressure that boys feel of having to live up to this “macho” persona. This mentality is a dangerous one, and one that GURFC are hoping to help quash this year.

By working with the Glasgow University Positive Minds group, as well as GUSA, the club is striving to de-stigmatize mental health in young men, encouraging members to be able to confide in one another, and therefore creating a healthy and supportive training environment.

The generational makeover that GURFC has seen in recent years is a dynamic and progressive one. By working together to tackle important and relevant issues off the pitch, the club has managed to achieve success on the pitch.

And so in a historical season for the club, all four teams can look forward to another prosperous year of rugby.

If you are interested in joining the club or want to enquire about doing so either email; captain-mensrugby@gusa. gla.ac.uk or check them out at the freshers fair in the Stevenson Building during Freshers week.

Interviewed: Grant Drummond -Laura Hannah, Sports Editor

MULTIPURPOSEMGZ | 19

20 | MULTIPURPOSEMGZ