Freshers September 16 Issue

NOVEMBER 2013

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CONTENT FROM THE BOARD President Fergus Grieg gives his lowdown on what to expect from the year ahead at union.

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RADICAL ALTURISM: A NEW APPROACH TO ENDING POVERTY Giving What We Can Society presents their ideas for an improved way regarding how we think about poverty.

REFEREN-DO OR DON’T? An overview of this summer’s multitude of poltiical complications, and some way of making sense of them.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SUMMER

Why summer isn’t only fun, it can be a learning curve too.

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POLITICAL PROFILES

The lowdown on campus political parties, how they describe themselves and how you can get involed.

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SOCIAL MEDIA: FRIEND OR FOE? Do the pros of social media outweigh the cons? How to make sense of your Instagram feed, and whether it’s true or false.

ON THE HORIZON

SOUNDS OF THE MOMENT A selection of the best music around to ease you into your new term.

What this month’s cultural landscape (and beyond) will hold, all in one handy place.

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GLASGOW’S BEST BITS Whether new to Glasgow or an old hand, we present you the highlights of this great Scottish city.

WELCOME

Hello! Welcome to the September Fresher’s Edition of G-You. Whether a new student or a returner we welcome you back with open arms.

Despite living in a city for many years, there always is (especially in a city like Glasgow) an abundance of sights and events to keep you occupied. Let us enlighten you as to such special places in our guide to Glasgow’s best bits, from music venues to clothing shops. It’s a great city to explore, for locals and visitors. Further afield, we have a guide on what to expect from your September cultural landscape.

If that wasn’t enough, we round up the Policial Parties on campus, ensuring you are in the know whether a politics afficiando or a novice. Much like these parties, we hope this issue offers a little something for everyone, old and new students alike.

PARENTAL GUIDANCE Should you listen to what your parents are telling you? Perhaps take their uni advice with a pinch of salt...

If you would like to contribute, please email libraries@guu.co.uk.Happy back to uni!

Anna Ireland Editor-In-Chief

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From the Board

From the Board Glasgow University Union President Fergus Greig gives us his take on what to expect from your year with the Union.

For Sunday we’ve teamed up with Glasgow University LGBTQ+ Society to bring you Colourfest! This was one of our biggest events last year and it’s sure to be even bigger with more paint and our Hive nightclub up and running with some of the best tunes for you to enjoy.

Hello and welcome to the Union’s in-house magazine, the G-YOU! If this is your first year at the University of Glasgow you may not have heard of the Glasgow University Union.

Let me tell you a wee bit about ourselves.

We’ve been a free social space for Glasgow University Students since 1885 when a group of students from Glasgow University Athletic Club (now known as GUSA), Glasgow University Dialectic Society and Glasgow Medico-Chirurgical Society sought to promote social interaction on campus.

Nowadays the Union hosts events weekly of a wide variety to encourage students from across the world to engage with one another. We also

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play host to events for clubs and societies from the Harry Potter society to the Wine society to the Ballroom Dance society and beyond.

The Union is not only for Freshers’ Week but hosts nights throughout the year like Halloween, Oktoberfest and St. Patrick’s Day. We also host weekly events including Open Mic, Beer Bar Quiz, Speaker training and Contributor’s meetings for this very magazine! All of these are hosted by our four wonderful committees: Debates, Games, Libraries and Entertainments. These committees are all made up of students who wanted to be more involved with the Union and gave up their free time to ensure you guys have an amazing time.

You can get involved in all of these to!

We also have our yellow-clad army of Freshers Helpers who are here for the sole purpose of welcoming you to Glasgow and the Union itself.

They’ll be around all week to help answer any questions and point you in the direction of the most fun events to go to. Not only that but they’re all current students with a wealth of knowledge to share as well as being incredibly friendly!

We’ve got a host of absolutely amazing events for you this week to make sure you and all your new friends have the best start to University you can!For those of you arriving early because you just can’t wait to get involved with all the fun we’ve got Beer Pong and Open Mic on to welcome you to the Union!

If you fancy a bit of a change the GUU plays host to some of the best Live Music in Glasgow and this Thursday presents Nina Nesbitt to the stage with support from local artists Model Aeroplanes and Ali Robertson. We’ll also be introducing you to our hit weekly club night afterwards in the Hive extension with a unique mix of music and our incredible facilities!

Friday we give you a Return to Tron UV Party! If you don’t know what this means just google Tron and you’ll get a sense of just how incredible the Hive will look for you! Finally on Saturday we let the Freshers and the current students come together for one last massive night headlined

by Scott Mills and Chris Stark.

I hope you’re all as excited I am for Freshers’ Week and are ready to find out a bit about this amazing city that you’re going to call home for the next four years!Please make sure to get out and amongst as much of it as you can!

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUMMER Amy McShane Views Editor Hello G-You readers, here I am talking about things that don’t matter again. Just as with anything else I’ve ever written, and also perhaps me in general, this article is not to be taken too seriously. September has arrived and brought with it the annual depression as the masses cry “2016 is pretty much over”. There are still four precious months of life left in 2016, does that not mean anything to us? She’s still middle aged. She hasn’t even reached retirement, and they say life doesn’t actually begin until you retire (I think I may have made that up). Kids trundle back through school gates and adults return to the grind as they watch the nights slip into something a little bit darker. For a small part of the population however, it is a revival. For students, September means ‘new’; new flats, perhaps new flatmates, new classes, new classmates.

New term, new you. Returning to the West End looms at the end of summer like a piece of bait on a rod. Byres road glints and gleams in the back of the mind, the union and Hive wait enticingly somewhere nearby.

The prospect of flouncing around campus in your cool new uni gear, walking along-

side the friends you lost to different parts of the world over summer and convinced, yet again, that you can actually get a first in your beloved subject (by January it will have slipped to ‘just pass’) you feel on top of the world.

However, it occurred to me recently that I ought to stop with wishing away my summer in excitement for what lies ahead in September. I tried to appreciate every single thing I did this summer not matter how banal and I felt so much better for it.

Now, Instagram has taught me that not all students need ‘wish away’ their summers, for some lucky ones spend their time covering as many continents as they can in four months, as opposed to covering as many hours as they can from various different jobs in four months (I’m not bitter at all, I swear), but I have no doubt that the majority of students can relate in different ways. I got to appreciate my family. I already feel lucky that it only takes a couple of hours to visit my parents and my brother back at home, but a fleeting visit over a weekend never really does it. I felt grateful to wake up and see them most days, the ones with whom I spent the first eighteen years of my

life and did everything they could to help me do whatever I desired once I’d left home.

I appreciated my mum telling me every other day how to use a washing machine, something I’ve been able to operate for at least the last decade of my life and I enjoyed a rare night out with my brother at the Fringe. Admittedly I appreciated that one a bit too much. I was sick in his bed. I also got to spend almost every day with the boyfriend I see just once a month during term time.

Something that I think was the most important and sometimes difficult thing to truly value and enjoy was working. Luckily, I do love my job at home; waiting at posh weddings and parties, but there are only so many eighteen hour shifts a person can take. So, I decided to broaden my horizons. I also did some events in London, I spent two days building marquees in Kent with my boyfriend (worst two days of my life) and for a few weeks I worked in a kitchen baking for local cafes.

What I began to appreciate was not so much the work itself but being surrounded by people who don’t piss about on a twelve hour-a-week timetable and go out every third night, but have bills to

pay and enjoy their jobs while they do so. Only being around people exactly like oneself every day can cause you to lose a sense of reality and context in society. This ‘normality’ is actually something I look forward to every year.

In a similar vein, I found value in my surroundings. Being buried in the West End of Glasgow, while delightfully green and leafy, can sometimes be a bit stifling. I happen to live in Scotland anyway and, while growing up I was convinced I despised my ‘hometown’ a hamlet in The Middle of Nowhere, I found ways to treat my days off like holidays. Breathing in different air felt good, no matter how boring I used to find it there. I even got to breathe in some Turkish air on a trip to Istanbul. I enjoyed that week in Istanbul like no holiday I ever have before. I appreciated my cat. My bloody lovely cat. This all sounds so enlightened and prophetic, I must point out that some parts of life are just crap, no matter how much you try appreciate them. One more thing I made an effort to enjoy was the use of my dad’s Fiat 500 (I have had a massive crush on that thing since I was seventeen and learning to drive). I enjoyed it so much that I mashed it up against a verge and now I am trying to make light of the enormous bill that Young Drivers insurance does not cover in a magazine article.

Haha.

I do hope that you, GYou readers, savoured every day of your summer holiday. I hope that you saw all the people you promised you’d see, earned a load of money to spend on £1 mixers and took at least one holiday; you deserved it.

I also hope you’re flipping excited for the year ahead.

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HERE SECTION / WRITTER MAYBE

RADICAL ALTURISM A NEW APPROACH TO ENDING POVERTY

Irene Tortajada Querol Glasgow University Giving What We Can Society

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f you are reading this, chances are you are in the richest 2% of the world’s population - that’s if you are expecting to earn £26,500 a year at some point in your life. This means you have more goods (or could acquire more goods) than 98% of the population. In other words, you’re loaded. Now you know where you stand in the global scale, what are you going to do with all that money? In this article, I’m going to suggest you give it away.

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here are still a billion people living in extreme poverty in the world today, and 5.9 million children die each year from preventable diseases in the world’s poorest countries. This is appalling, but the good news is we have amazing opportunities to help those in need.

In fact, the UN Sustainable Develop-

“Students across the globe have started chapters encouraging people to give smartly and more regularly.”

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ment Goals aims to eradicate poverty by 2030! But are each of us doing enough to achieve this? Peter Singer, a renowned philosopher, presents us with the following thought experiment to figure out the answer to this question:

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n your way to work you walk along a shallow pond and see a small child playing in it.

However, as you get closer, you notice the child is drowning. You look around for a parent, but there is no one. It clearly wouldn’t be dangerous for you to save them, since the pond is very shallow. But you’re wearing a very expensive suit which would get ruined if you got into the pond.

In fact, the suit costs £2,716. What would you do?

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he answer seems obvious: of course you would save him!

What kind of a person would you be if you didn’t? But Singer would ask you to think twice. Saving the child’s life implies sacrificing £2,716. For the same amount of money, it is estimated that the Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) can prevent a child from dying of malaria, a poverty-ridden disease. The question that follows is: what’s the difference between not jumping into the pond and not giving £2,716 to AMF? In both cases a child’s life is lost because we didn’t intervene. In both cases we didn’t intervene because we decided to keep some money (or something of monetary value) to ourselves. Singer claims the two scenarios are similar. He believes that if we should save a child in front of us for £2,716, then we should do the same for children who need our help just as much but happen to be across the world.

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he members of Giving What We Can, an organisation based in Oxford, believe the analogy holds, and have made it their mission to end poverty. They take an evidence-based approach to charity, which consists of evaluating poverty-relief interventions and recommending those that have the highest impact per pound spent.

Since it was founded in 2009, students across the globe have started chapters encouraging people to give smartly and more regularly. Giving

What We Can: Glasgow (GWWC: Glasgow) is one of these chapters; a group of committed individuals who coordinated our efforts two years ago to contribute to the fight against poverty. We hold events to raise awareness about inequality, fundraisers, and weekly discussions on effective altruism. Some of our past events include a talk by philosopher Peter Singer -which gathered over 300 attendees-, dinners, pub quizzes, talks by experts and a debate on local versus overseas giving. We have several events planned for this coming year, including a talk and a vegan picnic on Freshers Week, a giving game and several fundraisers, so keep your eyes peeled!

“..next time you are out spending money, consider spending some of it improving the world.”

“We have taken the pledge to donate 10% of our future incomes to charity...even a single person can make a huge difference.”

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e also put our money where our mouth is. This is why we have taken the pledge to donate 10% of our future incomes to the highest-impact charities. In fact, there are already 1,930 people who have taken this pledge through the Giving What We Can website! Even though this pledge only commits students to give 1% of our money (the 10% only applies to those with a full-time job), our collective impact is impressive: we have already donated a total $16,059,302 to charity! This is an incredible achievement, but even a single person can make a huge difference. In fact, if the average UK citizen gave 10% of their income to high-impact charities, then each year they could prevent 190 cases of malaria and 2 deaths, or treat 7,100 people from neglected tropical diseases!

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lthough donating 10% might seem like a big sacrifice, science tells us those who give more are happier. In fact, MRI scans show a “warm-glow effect” in the reward centres of the brain when we behave altruistically, and in 2010 a

study that considered data from 136 different countries showed that those who reported giving to charity in the last year were happier overall. In my case, it has also given me a sense of purpose I didn’t have before. Too often we feel that consumer goods are necessary for happiness. The newest iPhone, a nicer car, a more colourful dress. So we buy those, and feel satisfied for a while, only until a new, marginally better phone is on the market, and the dress we bought is not in style anymore. The happiness we get from these objects is fleeting; spending money and time on those who need it the most is a more fulfilling and stable source of contentment.

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here are lots of things that money can’t buy. It may be true that it can’t buy you love, happiness and companionship. But it can alleviate a lot of suffering, give you a sense of purpose and even save a life. So next time you are out spending money, consider spending some of it on improving the world.

It is with the help of people like you that we could be the generation that ends global poverty.

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ind GWWC Society on Facebook: www.facebook.com/givingwhatwecanglasgow.

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News & Politics

Political Parties On Campus Joanne Ferguson News & Politics Editor

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here are many, many political societies on campus at Glasgow University. So many that there’s no way I’m going to be able to profile them all. So like the Scottish Parliament, I am going to include the SNP, the Tories, Labour, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats. Some of the societies have even been kind enough to provide me with quotes from members about what they enjoy about their society, and what they hope to improve this year. I’ll also be listing the most senior exec members of each society, as well as email addresses, so that you are able to get in contact with the party you feel most passionate about.

Speaking to John McClusalong and give it a go, and key I haven’t met anyone who Name: Glasgow University Scottish National AssoFavourite thing about sociedidn’t enjoy it.” ciation ty:

President: Conor Higgins Vice-President: Beth Malcolm Secretary: Chris Duffy Email address: secretary@gusna.org

“HUGE ISSUES SUCH AS BREXIT MEAN IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS CONSIDERED.”

“My favourite thing about GUSNA is definitely how active we are with campaigning. For the last election we started canvassing sometime in January I think-I love knocking on doors and speaking to people, and while it’s great finding people who will vote SNP, it can be really interesting speaking to those with different viewpoints, or answering questions for people who are undecided. GUSNA is always really good at encouraging complete beginners to come

What to improve this year: “What we’ll aim to improve on this year will be our presence on campus- basically letting more people know that we’re here and trying to get as many people along to meetings as possible. We’ve campaigned on a lot of different issues and held many successful events in the past, and there will definitely be more to come this year.

We’re hoping to engage a lot more people, especially given the current political climate.”

Name: Glasgow University Liberal Democrats Name: Glasgow University Labour Club Chair: Nathaniel Butler-Blondel Vice-Chair: Kirsten Muat Email Address: glasgowunilabourclub@ gmail.com

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President: Joanne Ferguson. Yes, that’s me. If you believe I’m showing bias at any point throughout the year, feel free to get in touch and let me know Secretary: Cal Price Email: glasgow@liberalyouth.org

Speaking to Matthew Clark: Favourite thing about society:

Name: Glasgow University Liberal Democrats President: Joanne Ferguson.

Yes, that’s me. If you believe I’m showing bias at any point throughout the year, feel free to get in touch and let me know Secretary: Cal Price Email: glasgow@liberalyouth.org

Speaking to Amy Shimmin: Favourite thing about society: “The sense of family within our group. Last year we worked closely with Strathclyde Greens and Glasgow Young Greens to campaign for the Scottish elections and the EU referendum: it was amazing to see so many people - young people especially - get involved with something they really believed in. We welcomed Patrick Harvie, co-convenor and Green MSP, to our meetings, and ultimately saw tonnes of people from different backgrounds engaging in politics, some for the first time.”

What to improve this year:

“Being a Liberal Democrat was not easy or popular soon after winning my college’s 2010 mock election for the party. In the Glasgow University Liberal Democrats though, I found engaged, pragmatic and passionate friends, who have given me my confidence in politics and out party back. Working together we have enjoyed rebuilding the fortunes of the Lib Dems at Glasgow University, my highlight being Willie Rennie MSP engaging before our eyes in the Dialectic Society’s Scottish Elections debate this year!”

What to improve this year: “There is a great deal to be done in the #LibDemFightback across Europe and the UK to see us all continually united on the big issues of sustainability, economic growth and freedoms, civil liberties and social justice; while in Scotland, Glasgow City and University we must also focus on challenges to local democracy and creating greater opportunities and equalities for all in this society in which we live. With some new members who want to achieve these things with us, I believe we can look forward to a stronger future for Lib Dems on campus, in Scotland, in the UK and in Europe.”

“To keep up the momentum!

This year was our best since reforming after the independence referendum. While this year

Name: Glasgow University Scottish Greens there’s no specific election, there’s still huge issues at play such as Brexit and making Scotland heard, and it’s important students and young people are always considered. I hope next year we can continue to engage people on issues that affect us all - from housing to the fight for a peaceful and renewable future - and I’m looking forward to what will come next. We will also re-elect a new committee early in the year, so it’ll be exciting to see what energy theybring!”

Chair: Amy Shimmin Secretary: Mark Beattie Email: guscottishgreens@ gmail.com

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POLITICS

REFEREN-DO OR DON’T? Joanne Ferguson News & Politics Editor

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For most of this summer I’ve been trying to figure out how to write a politics article two months in advance, given that there’s no way of anticipating all possible developments – especially this particular summer. But it turnout out that this was unnecessary, as by far the most significant event in British politics, the EU Referendum, happened almost exactly two months before my deadline. I was never really going to write about anything else.

I realise that at least some people reading this will have voted Leave, but if you are a young person in Glasgow, or Scotland as a whole, it is inescapable that you are likely to have voted Remain. In Scotland, 62% of people voted Remain, as opposed to 48% in the UK as a whole. 62% is far higher than either of the 55% No vote, or the SNP’s 47% constituency vote at the 2016 Holyrood election, so it is clear that the wish to remain in the EU encompasses both sides of the independence divide. On this, it seems, Scotland is united. Additionally, 18-24 year olds, who make up the vast majority of students, voted 73% to Remain.

Therefore, if you’re a student in Glasgow, the chances are you voted Remain.

However, if we look specifically at Glasgow, where the result was 67% for Remain we see that turnout was only 56%. In fact, across Scotland, turnout was down at 67%, as opposed to 72% for the UK as a whole. This is particularly striking when compared to 85% turnout at the Independence Referendum two years ago. There have been various reasons offered for this drop, among which the idea of voter fatigue, and the suggestion that the EU Referendum did not mean as much to Scotland as the Independence Referendum. Either one of these could be true, or both, or neither, but it is pretty clear that the two referendums are tied closely together.

If you google “Scottish independence support post Brexit”, the first five results claim that “Support for Scottish independence is growing since Brexit”, that “majority of Scots still favour staying in the UK after Brexit vote”, “support for Scottish independence up to 53% post-Brexit”, “‘No real shift’ in support for Scottish independence post-Brexit” and “Scottish independence has nearly 60% support”. Obviously these results are more than a little inconclusive but what they do show is that the issue is high up enough in the public consciousness for at least three polling companies to investigate it (the 53%, the almost 60% and the no change).

A large part of this interest seems to be Remain voters t rying to find a route back into the EU. However, if this were a path Scotland chose to follow, there would be a few barriers that would have to be surpassed. For a start, as a new member we would be required to join the Eurozone. Even with the decline in the value of the pound, this is not ideal. It’s also questionable whether or not it would be possible due to the Stability and Growth Pact.

This is probably going to be quite a simplistic definition but the Stability and Growth Pact is a deal between Eurozone countries where they all agree to, amongst other things, keep their deficits below 3%. As of 9th March 2016, Scotland’s deficit was 7.8%, more than double the limit.

However, the pact has been broken before. Back in 2003, France and Germany both had deficits above the 3% limit.

Instead of being punished, they were allowed to maintain deficits above the limit in 2004. In fact, the Guardian reported at the time that one of those making the decision was the UK’s then chancellor of the exchequer, Gordon Brown. France and Germany benefited here from the leniency of their neighbours. Therefore, in order to enter the Eurozone, which it’s not exactly guaranteed we want to do at all, Scotland would need to be able to rely on the leniency of its neighbours.

Unfortunately for remain voters, there is one neighbour in particular who is unlikely to co-operate to the necessary extent. The independence movement in Catalonia has troubled the Spanish government for most of the current century. For example, in November 2014, two months after Scotland’s independence referendum, an informal poll was held in Catalonia that produced an 80% vote in favour of secession from Spain. Despite turnout being at a roughly 37%, the Catalan regional government has kept moving on the track to independence. The required leniency from Spain for Scotland is unlikely to be helped by the parallels between Scotland’s independence movement and Catalonia’s.

I would attempt to summate this article (this is actually my third attempt at doing so) but frankly it was hard enough to keep straight in my head the first time around.

If you could follow my train of thought, good job, and if you are a leave voter laughing triumphantly at my confusion, thank you for plunging British politics into one hell of a soap opera over the summer.

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Lifestyle

SOCIAL MEDIA: FRIEND OR FOE? Katie MacLeod Lifestyle Editor

In the age in which we live in, not having Instagram would be – unfortunately – on par with saying you smothered your mother in her sleep last night. It’s unheard of. Social media is genuinely great. It means you can connect with your friends who may be on the other side of the world, doing ridiculously cool things that you would love to keep up to date with. It also means your parents can take comfort in the fact you’re still alive by seeing you are continuing to tag your friends in memes on their timeline, despite not replying to their texts in a few (probably dark and hungover) days. It is useful; it is instant; and it is, annoyingly, incredibly addictive.

Summer for social media is like a 3 month long showand-tell day for late teens and early 20 year olds, putting 4 year old nursery children to shame. Want to know where I went? Want to know what I ate when I went where I went? Want to know who I went, to where I went, with?

The answers to all of these things are usually, “not particularly”….because if you were a close friend of mine, I would know most of those answers already. Apart from maybe what you ate. The reality is that we become interested in people we have no connection with in the real world, and we feel like we know them, even if we would walk past them on the street without even saying a ‘hello.’

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I don’t know about you, but that side of the online interaction makes me feel like a bit of a creep: “I know what you did last weekend and where you celebrated your auntie’s 46th birthday, but acknowledging each other on passing in the street would be a step too far.”

This compulsion we have grown to have with being so intrigued in what other people are up to in their spare time is becoming damaging when it is taken to the extreme. What’s hard is to know when that ‘extreme’ is. Summer is where this behaviour is experienced at its heights, with friends and acquaintances traveling to far-off lands, going on trips to beautiful scenic places and just generally having ‘fun’ with ‘fun’ people. We know all of this because it is all documented to the extreme scale, by some.

I absolutely love taking photographs of beautiful places and people I love, probably more than the next person, but suddenly there seems to be the desire to share these with others, to show that I, too, am having a good time and enjoying myself. Before, I would have taken these photos just for myself and for my own fond memories. Why is it no longer enough to have the satisfaction within yourself that you are really loving every minute of the activity/ trip/night out you are on, without having to justify that enjoyment to other people?

I was at work earlier on this month and an old friend I hadn’t seen for almost a year said to me, “how do you have time for a job?! You are always doing something different, or going somewhere new!” And I responded by explaining that they don’t know the ins and outs of what I’ve been doing with my time, they know what I have chosen to share with the world of social media. I post about fun trips and nights out and lazy days in the garden with the dog because that’s what people want to see. I don’t post about how I worked 6 days last week and by the time I get home I am so tired I lie on the couch and fall asleep until 10pm.

That interaction gave me such a wake-up call as to how perceptions can be so wildly different to the reality. The contrast of the image portrayed on social media as a perception of yourself that you want others to see, minus all the ugly realities of everyday lives. The ability to be able to do this to our image is why jealousy and feelings of envy can be so common and anxiety levels can soar. You think to yourself “why am I not having as much fun as them?” when, really, you need to take a step back and look at how your life may appear online, because chances are, people think that about you too.

Why do we even care though?

We are so much more interested in showing other people that we are doing fun things

and enjoying life that it can sometimes ruin the genuine ‘enjoyment’ in what we are doing. There is nothing more annoying than when someone asks you to ‘take a photo for Instagram(!!!!)’….Privacy is something rarely indulged in these days. A bunch of my friends and I were out for a meal earlier in the summer and we made the rule that we had to put our phones in the middle of the table, and the first person to touch their phones had to pay the entire bill. It was so refreshing to be able to sit with friends and laugh and be as idiotic as you like without the fear that it is being documented for everyone on Snapchat. It’s nice to just be with your friends, without the outside world’s eyes and ears too.

Essentially, Instagram is a platform for people to showoff. Contest that as you wish, but I truly believe that is the truth, so the next time you look at someone’s post and feel envious of their escapades just take a step back and think how easy it is for someone to skew the portrayal and perception of their life in a direction they wish. As cliché as this phrase is, our generation need to learn to live in the moment and enjoy what is happening right in front of them, without looking at it through a camera lens for the benefit of their online profile.

Songs Of The Moment

Say A Little Prayer Lianne La Havas The sun is setting, the sky is that crystal pink colour, and a slight breeze blowing right through that authentic balcony you are sitting on; this is the song that needs to be played. Lianne brings a stripped down version of a classic feel good song with a golden voice and a simple acoustic guitar.

Tom Smits Photography Editor

This Girl Kungs If you don’t put those ten fingers up for this song, you haven’t experienced summer. A song that has been played everywhere during my summer travels, and a song where you see everyone’s hands in the air. Not just a good beat, but also a sing-along. As a fellow Fresher helper says.. JUST DANCE!

So They Say Rukhsana Merrise

Chelsea Blakemore Beatenberg

A soulful voice, Rukhsana brings you a joyful and well-rested start to your day. Her confident presence and flawless voice managed to catch my eye at a little festival in London. She brought humour, fun, and a relaxed vibe to the mesmerised crowd. Although musicians despise comparisons, Ms. Merrise joins into a soulful Adele-type.

A band from South Africa bringing that folky summer to your ears. The first five seconds of the song just makes you want to jiggle and mingle. Recently collaborated on an EP with the popular band, Mumford & Sons, it would not surprise if these South African lads make big soon. As my mum says, their music just makes you feel good.

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CULTURE

ON THE HORIZON Caitlin Young Culture Editor

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etting back into the uni routine after the long summer can be hard but fortunately there is a tonne to look forward to this month to ease the unwanted pain of 9am lectures. So, whether you are looking for a soundtrack for your commute to uni or a film to go and see instead of visiting the library (the eyesore in the middle of University Avenue), we’ve got you covered.

MUSIC Twin Atlantic - ‘GLA’ Release Date: 9/9/16

Following their successful 2014 release Great Divide; the Glasgow boys are back with a brand new album. The highly anticipated fourth album was announced followed by the premiere of No Sleep, which gave fans an idea of what the new album will sound like. It has the classic Twin Atlantic sound, thanks to lead singer Sam McTrusty’s distinctive Glaswegian drawl, but it seems to depart from the more pop rock sound that was present in Great Divide and returns back to the slightly more rocky sound of their first and second albums Vivarium and Free, respectively.

Whether you have been a fan of the band since their humble beginnings or once they started gaining more mainstream attention, the new album will certainly be worth a listen.

Aluna George - ‘I Remember’ Release Date: 16/9/16

Bon Iver- ‘22, A Million’ Release Date: 30/9/16

The London electro-pop duo is back with a new album. The group cemented themselves as a band to watch after their collaboration with Disclosure in 2013 with the popular summer anthem White Noise, a year after the release of their debut album Body Talk in 2012.

You Know You Like It, a single from Body Talk, became their breakthrough hit and exhibits what is definitely their signature sound. In January of this year they released their EP I’m In Control, which could possibly be a hint of what we can expect from their second album.

Bon Iver are back after what worryingly seemed like an indefinite hiatus.

Justin Vernon leads the Wisconsin-based band in yet another unique musical direction on their third album. The teaser tracks released suggest that this album will be moving on from its predecessors signature sound. While Bon Iver are classed as the epitome of indie-folk, the songs show that there has been some experimentation with their usual

Bon Iver

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formula. One of the teaser tracks, 10 deathbreast, has a lot of similarities to that of Vernon’s collaboration with Kanye West – which might be what we can expect from the entire album. Or they could they could go in a completely different direction – Bon Iver are definitely not afraid of change. Whether that is the case or not it is definitely an album to check out.

FILM Sully Release Date: 9/9/16

WHAT’S ON Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Release Date: 30/9/16

Not to be confused with the Monsters Inc. character, Clint Eastwood is Tim Burton sticks to what at the helm of this biopic he does best - directing starring Tom Hanks as weird but wonderful filChesley “Sully” Sullenms. Adapted from a series berger. The film follows of young adult books that the American pilot and follows the story of a boy his crew that heroically who learns that he is of landed the US Airways Flia “peculiar nature”. The ght 1549 into the Hudson film follows his discovery River in 2009. Eastwood of a school that is home to directs this dramatic and children just like him and emotional telling of the what happens when he landing itself and what learns that he is the one transpired after that histhat must protect them toric day. Instead of being from a dangerous outside / WRITTER MAYBE classed as a hero, Sully HERE SECTION force. The cast is equally faces with a whole host of as impressive as the diaccusations surrounding rector; Dame Judi Dench, the landing. The film Samuel L. Jackson and Eva depicts how he deals with Greene star. Judging from this, his inner conflict and the trailer this will be a also the emotional impact crowd pleaser - not only that this has on his family.

‘Trainspotting’ Citizens Theatre 14 Sept - 8 Oct

Irvine Welsh’s cult classic takes up residence in Glasgow’s Citizen’s Theatre. Why not remind yourself of the antics of Renton, Begbie, Sickboy and Spud while waiting patiently for Danny Boyle’s much-anticipated sequel to the 1996 film. Sure to hold the same thrill and charm of the film version, the stage show follows the boys in Leith as they turn to drugs, what they believe is their only option due to the lack of work and

the bleak outlook during the Thatcher-era. Choose life. Choose your friends.

Choose to go see Trainspotting during it’s run from the 14th September to the 8th October.

Tickets can be found on the Citizen’s Theatre’s website.

“Choose life. Choose your friends. Choose to go and see ‘‘Trainspotting’ during it’s run from the 14th September to the 8th October”

LOOK OUT FOR South Side Festival 8 - 11 October

From the 8th October, Glasgow’s South Side will be host to the fifth South Side Film Festival. Screening animations, documentaries, features and shorts in some of the South Side’s iconic buildings – there is bound to be something for every film lover. The festival will have a focus on not just films from around the world but will pay homage to Scottish filmmakers – certainly fitting for a Scottish film festival.

More information can be found on the South Side Film Festival website.

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GLASGOW’S BEST BITS Caitlin Young Culture Editor

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lasgow is packed with top class music venues but the Barrowlands is definitely one of the best. Unlike larger venues the Barrowlands holds a certain charm and an atmosphere that is unparalleled. A bit of a disclaimer though, any gig here is guaranteed to be a sweatfest – but that’s part of the experience. The long list of singers and bands alike that have graced its stage is impressive to say the least. If a band you like has a show lined up here, don’t miss out on the chance to see them in one of the UK’s best music venues.

Barrowlands

King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Another landmark music venue, King Tuts is famed for showcasing new and upcoming bands. In 1993 during a twoweek period Radiohead, the Verve and a then unsigned Oasis played. This was the beginning of Oasis’ stratospheric rise to fame becoming the band we all know today. It still plays host to a lot of smaller bands but on the odd occasion bands who have played much larger stages return to their humble beginnings and perform intimate shows, so it’s worth keeping an eye on what’s coming up because shows like this sell out faster than you can say ‘Wonderwall’.

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This is definitely a gem of Glasgow’s West End and rightly so. With its stunning architect ure and scenic surroundings (Glasgow’s very own Hogwarts and Kelvingrove Park) it is the perfect place to visit.

A popular story about the museum is that it was built back to front and the architect jumped from one of the towers in despair over his mistake however this is nothing but a myth. With free entry all year round, there’s no excuse not to check it out.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Mr Ben’s Now the West End is definitely vintage shop galore, but one of Glasgow’s best vintage clothing stores is hidden in the city centre. Just a short walk from St. Enoch’s Shopping Centre you will find Mr Ben’s. From vintage Levi’s denim jackets to 80’s jewellery, it has the lot for a very reasonable price.

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reepy but in a really cool way, honestly. Situated next to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary the Necropolis is more like a museum than a graveyard, so much so that there are actually guided tours of its vast grounds. The Necropolis is full to the brim with stunning architecture and sculptures to go along with the many stories collated over the years. Note: not recommended to visit after dark.

The Necropolis

Bath Street runs parallel to its better-known contemporary Sauchiehall Street. While the latter is famed for pub, clubs and everything in between, Bath Street has slowly been building itself into a suitable contender in the battle for Glasgow’s nightlife. Over the past few years bars and clubs have been settling and making Bath Street their home. If you fancy a change from the o2 ABC, check out Flat 0/1 and St. Judes & Lola’s or if that’s not what you are looking for you won’t fail in finding a bar for some quiet drinks.

Bath Street

The Lighthouse The shining beacon of light for the sea of daily shoppers on Buchanan Street, figuratively speaking. The Lighthouse is a Charles Rennie Mackintosh museum, exhibiting signature pieces created by the Glasgow native and the history about Glasgow School of Art. It is also a great spot to get an Instagram picture worthy of 11 likes if you’re willing to climb right to the top. With views stretching over the city centre and beyond, it is a fantastic place to go and take in the scale of the city – and to count the many “People Make Glasgow” signs.

SWG3 Located in Glasgow’s trendy Finnieston area, SWG3 is regarded by most as a music venue hosting artists and DJs such as Todd Terje, Bonobo, George FitzGerald and many more. But it has much more going on than meets the eye. Artists’ showcases, galleries and theme nights are just a few things hosted at SWG3. Just this year it was the venue of choice for Glasgow University Charity Fashion Show. So no matter what you’re into, SWG3 is worth checking out – there is plenty going on!

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‘Freshman 15’: Learn to Embrace It Katie MacLeod Lifestyle Editor

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ny veteran will tell you that the “Freshman 15” myth is unfortunately incredibly real for the majority of us enthusiastic September students, fresh from a summer of being a slave to an employer to earn some money to allow for this 4 year-long sesh. To start off your first ever week at university you wake up in the morning. You drink.

You drink some more.

You probably get chips and curry sauce on the way home from the GUU. Then you probably drink some more. And then you go to bed. To do the exact same thing the very next day, despite the hangover, attempted to be cured by probably more chips and curry sauce, or chips and cheese if you’re wanting a change. This isn’t exactly a lifestyle you will find recommended inside the pages of Women’s Health…… or probably anywhere.

Needless to say, it is the best week of your academic year, but it does not bode on the ole physique quite as well as swapping the vitamin T(ennants) for a green T(ea) might do.

To put it in a more palatable way, absolutely every other thing that is going on around you during Freshers’ Week is 150% more important than trying to

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per. This involves acting like a fresher, disguised in a coloured t-shirt, that gives you some level of responsibility over the REAL freshers but still doing all of the same drinking, if not more. To put it simply, get used to it, and get over it, because it is just a result of a large load of fun.

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reasons why it is really not so bad: “MORIT, DEM SICERIO STATEMQUAM I got!!! I thought I looked . As soon as you exNOSTEDEATUAM ESUM HORUNUM quite good… When you perience that first bout ot only is it thatNONSULICAE see yourself inNESSE the mirror CRUM QUE TAM October, of disgusting you have one mi- every day of life, you don’t and even September ‘stuDEESID IAE FUR,thePOPUBLIAM llion and one other tend to notice pounds dentAURNIHIflat chill’, you will be things to do when you creeping on (as much as more than thankful for LIU ILI TUM INTIA IUM HILIBUS” first move out, sometimes everyone else APPARENTkeep trim.

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when that slight pang of homesickness hits, comfort eating is almost inevitable. Also, moving out of your family home might make you realise that you’re not exactly the whizz in the kitchen that you perhaps thought you were with the ease of your mam’s hand when needed, so sometimes a Dominos is merely the only answer. 2 for Tuesdays is there for a reason. I think I may have used the GUBOGOF1 Dominos code every single week of my first year; 2 for Tuesdays every day? That’s the kind of positivity I need in my life. These are all factors that leave room for an imminent increase in the weight around your wee tummy that all adds up to the infamous “Freshman 15”.

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was a victim of the highest form. At the time, my family never said a word when I came home in the December of my first year for Christmas, but now my 17 year old brother seems to have the sudden and overwhelming confidence to tell me how FAT

LY does), especially when you can use your newly found freedom regarding the mysterious world of the washing machine (I still don’t get it), as a pretty hefty excuse as to how tight your jeans are getting.

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ou think it only happens to Freshers?

I am about to be go into my 4th and final year of university, and can defiantly confirm that it does occur every year during the first couple of weeks back after summer. Despite your year as a ‘fresher’ being long gone, you will try to cling onto it for dear life, usually in the form of becoming a Freshers’ Hel-

that extra layer. Just think of it as a constant little blanket keeping you cosy.

It is vital for winter survival. No need for central heating = more money for things that we actually like

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. Your granny will be happy. They are always trying to get us to put on weight. Who’s

laughing now? “You’re looking too skinny, love, need to get some meat on those bones!” Spoke too soon, huh Gran?

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. You may realise you look fab carrying those excess pounds.

Who cares? Throw caution to the wind and stay as you are, you gorgeous/handsome specimen. . Sugar and alcohol ease the pain that come from both han-

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govers and studying. The two constant absolute guarantees in your university career. Give in to it, make life easier. Is it a vicious circle? You may say so. But it is one I am willing to catapult myself into again and again, unfortunately.

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. Lastly, you will hopefully realise that it really does not matter in the slightest.

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he bottom line is, yes, I, along with thousands of other new university students, gained (possibly more than) the “Freshman 15” but it really is not all that bad. Once you find your routine, and if you ever make your way to the uni gym and work out with the fit rowers, you will find your plateau once more.

It is not worth your worry when all you really should be worrying about is if you can really afford to miss ANOTHER 9am lecture.

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ife is very short. Have fun, drink the pints, eat the Dominos, and get a grip of the fact that a few extra pounds is neither the end of the world, or a permanent farewell to your #gymbod.

Parental Guidance

Jess Simpson Features Editor

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ike many others starting university last September, my parents were full of practical advice on how to successfully navigate the challenges of student life.

It may have been some thirty years since my dad studied English Literature, but seeing as I was about to follow in his footsteps, any advice he could give me was bound to be useful, wasn’t it? However, the world has changed a great deal during the decades that separate our university experiences. Sure, we may have a female Prime Minister again, but with other major changes in technology, education and even how we socialise, how much do we really have in common with students back then? Will any of the advice my parents were given - and in turn gave me - still be relevant in today’s university environment?

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ow, the classic dilemmas that young adults face when starting univer-

sity have probably been the same for a long time.

Take staying in touch with your family for example.

Last year, I was advised to “phone home weekly” so that my parents knew that I was still alive and well each Sunday. Now, that makes sense if it’s 1979 and you still have to queue for a pay phone. But nowadays, communication is so much easier! Curious about how long past a sell-by-date food can last?

Text your parents and ask!

Want to check in with your friends from school? Send them a Snapchat! Unlike thirty years ago, staying in touch isn’t a massive commitment, so the idea of scheduled communication is undeniably out of touch.

and education have changed in recent years. Once upon a time, sleeping in for a lecture meant that you missed out on course content. Nowadays, the lecture will be recorded and posted online, meaning you can take notes without even leaving your flat. As for rewriting the notes, why bother when you’ve probably already typed them up on your MacBook. Getting good grades at university used to be dependent on doing everything by the book, literally. But learning has become much less dependent on conventional study tactics, meaning that students can learn in their own unique ways.

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s for meeting new people, you can’t go wrong with “just be nice” or “be approachable.” Age old advice such as this has proven to stand the test of time so in that respect, some things may never change.

However, my parents also advised me that a good

hen it came to advice about studying, I was told to “attend all lectures” and “process notes as soon as possible.” And while this is by no means bad advice, my parents have not taken into account how learning

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way to introduce yourself to people in your accommodation was to “go door to door with a box of Celebrations.” Now, this was undoubtedly the best advice I was given. Turns out, you can learn a lot about people by which chocolate they take. Girl a few floors up who took a Bounty? No need to try and make small talk there (you don’t want to be associated with those types). Guy along the corridor who took a Twix?

Automatic best pals for life. This is pretty much the perfect way to woo people as well, this is a friendship-making tactic that will never date. n conclusion, you’ll get all sorts of advice for university, regardless of what year you are in, or even when you attended.

Most of it will prove helpful, but a good deal more of it will fall on deaf ears.

Ultimately, no matter how much advice you are given, you can never be fully prepared for any scenario. But if in doubt “just be nice.”

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