InQuire Varsity Special Edition 14.8

InQuire

DEAR

READER

Exciting. The word that most Team Captains at the University of Kent have used to describe Varsity. For one week out of the year, the old rivalry returns between UKC and CCCU, as each universities’ sports and activities teams compete against each other.

In previous years, some Varsity participants have become unsportsmanlike: students engaged in vandalism, violence, and verbal abuse. Hopefully, this year will be different.

In 2019, the theme that runs through Varsity is inclusivity, with Emily Window beginning the Inclusivarsity Campaign for this years games.

Wheelchair Varsity has been introduced; some players will be wearing rainbow laces for LGBT+ support; and those who thought they could never be a part of sport are receiving encouragement.

Fez and Emma, the two faces of InQuire’s Varsity special edition are a representation of how sport should be. Fez was game day captain for the American Football Falcons Varsity team, bringing them to victory as they clutched the winners sign; while Emma, captain of the Women’s Lacrosse team, has fronted her team as they remain undefeated throughout BUCS. Now all they look for is the Varsity triumph.

As much as we vote for our own teams, at the core Varsity is sportsmanship, determination and, above all, the team and UKC spirit.

Varsity is more than just holding the winners sign and putting another win in the Varsity score box. It’s about coming together with those who also share a love of sport. It’s about the mutual support for our teams and the feeling of being apart of something bigger. Teams don’t win matches simply because of their ability, they win because of their spirit.

Varsity is not about blending in, it’s about standing out for the right reasons. For ability, commitment, and enthusiasm.

We’ve tasted victory on Sunday, with the Kent Falcons—let it intensify the team spirit.

Sincerely, Megan Warwick, Website Sports Editor, working with Kiro Evans, Newspaper Sport Editor

INSIDE 8 Page Varsity Pullout

Meme

InQuire The University of Kent’s Student Newspaper

Meme Wars UKC vs CCCU

Student Tragedy Friday 8 February 2019 Issue 14.8

inquiremedia.co.uk

UKC student Lewis Homer, 20, found dead in Canterbury residence in November 2018 Tributes pile in for talented film making undergraduate “Extroverted, confident and allround cool guy”

By Alejandro Javierre News Sub-Editor

This article contains sensitive and graphic content that may be dusturbing for some readers.

A

n inquest has just finished following the tragic death of a University of Kent student who took his own life in November.

20-year-old Lewis Homer, a Film-Making undergraduate student, hung himself in his room in Somner Close, Canterbury on the 17 November last year.

An ambulance was called but despite attempts to resuscitate him, paramedics were unable to save him, and was later pronounced dead.

The inquest heard that Mr Homer had suffered from a history of issues with his mental health in relation to University stress, and reported having recurring suicidal thoughts to the Wellbeing Service.

The University Crisis team had reported in the inquest

that Mr Homer had been making a gradual improvement in his mental health around the time of the incident.

Friends described Lewis Homer as an “all-round cool guy” and an “all-round honest and decent” person. Mr Homer had ambitions of one day making films and writing film scripts after finishing his degree.

The inquest concluded that the death was suicide after the court was shown two suicide notes left by Mr Homer in his room and no suspicious circumstances were suspected. One of the notes thanked his “adoring family” and hoped that he will be “remembered in a good light”.

Assistant coroner Ian Goldup said to the friends and family of Lewis Homer that “I can only imagine the grief you have suffered”.

If you feel affected by any of the issues covered in this story, speak to University Wellbeing staff at 01227 826573 or call Canterbury Nightline for help outside of working hours at 01227 824848.

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News

Editorial Team: Editor-in-Chief Molly Hope

editor @inquiremedia.co.uk

Newspaper Editor Jesse Bedayn

newspaper.editor @inquiremedia.co.uk

Website Editor Daria Istayeva website.editor @inquiremedia.co.uk

News

Bill Bowkett

Newspaper News Editor

newspaper.news@inquiremedia.co.uk

Jordan Ifield

Website News Editor

website.news@inquiremedia.co.uk

Opinion

University meme pages sparks meme-row with CCCU and Canterbury UKC meme pages with over 6,000 collective followers sparks controversy in Canterbury.

Koeun Maisie Lee

By George Knight Head of Marketing

Newspaper Opinion Editor

newspaper.opinion@inqiremedia.co.uk

Matt Nuttall

Website Opinion Editor

website.opinion@inquiremedia.co.uk

Lifestyle

Katinka Pim

Newspaper Lifestyle Editor

newspaper.lifestyle@inquiremedia.co.uk

Sabrina Latchman Website Lifestyle Editor

website.lifestyle@inquiremedia.co.uk

Entertainment

Emmanuel Omodeinde

Newspaper Entertainment Editor

newspaper.entertainment @inquiremedia.co.uk

Matylda Makowska

Website Entertainment Editor website.entertainment @inquiremedia.co.uk

Features Corben Neyland

I

n early January 2019, students at the University of Kent established several meme and confessional pages on Instagram and Facebook, publishing meme content related to aspects of the University of Kent’s student experience and university life.

The two most popular pages are ‘universityofkentmemes’ and ‘kentfess’, collectively gathering over 5,000 followers. The ‘universityofkentmeme’ focuses entirely on meme content whereas ‘kentfess’ shares anonymous student confessions.

Other, smaller pages have also followed the two larger ones, notably ‘kentunifess’ and ‘Imjustukc’, as well as other more niche pages such as ‘ukcbinz’ which rates

Photos by @universityofkentmemes and @kentfess

appeared in mid- January and has since been locked in a rivalry with ‘universityofkentmemes.’

The conflict began when ‘universityofkentmemes’ began posting content which insulted CCCU, often accusing CCCU students of having lower intelligence, having

Newspaper Feature Editor

newspaper. features@inquiremedia.co.uk

Ellie Fielding

Website Feature Editor

website.feature@inquiremedia.co.uk

Culture Maryah Chughtai

University of Kent’s Canterbury campus waste receptacles. ‘kentfess’ relies upon student conShani Thomas fessions related to the university.

They are frequently sexual in theme Website Culture Editor and are labelled ‘#lovefession’, website.culture@inquiremedia.co.uk but also feature exclusive-to-Kent Sport Kiro Evans references including complaints Newspaper Sport Editor about Templeman Library’s Silent Study section and isnewspaper.sport@inquiremedia.co.uk sues with circuit laundry.

Megan Warwick These pages are not the first Website Sports Editor of their kind at Kent. They website.sport@inquiremedia.co.uk follow the success of another Instagram meme page, Science and Tech ‘university_of_banterbury’, Emma Leach which has produced simiNewspaper Science and Tech Editor lar Kent related meme conscience@inquiremedia.co.uk tent since 22 October 2018.

The page has seemingHead of Photography ly fallen behind the current Emily Heath pages due to a lack of posts, photography@inquiremedia.co.uk amassing to date 1,778 followers, around 1,000 less Head of Marketing than the most popular pages.

George Knight Relatable meme content marketing@inquiremedia.co.uk has also spread to Canterbury Christ Church UniTwitter: @inquirelive versity. ‘ccumemes’, a Facebook: InQuireMedia CCCU related meme page, Newspaper Culture Editor

newspaper.culture@inquiremedia.co.uk

Instagram: @inquirekent

disabilities and losing in the annual Varsity sports tournaments.

These accusations eventually elicited a response from ‘cccumemes’, who commented on a post which ‘universityofkentmemes’ captioned ‘@cccumemes if u wanna start a war, start a war.’ ‘cccumemes’ in re-

sponse accused the page of ‘disrespecting women, transgender, or people with functional diversity,’ referring to the Kent page’s post about Kent Union’s recent addition of gender netural toilets into The Venue nightclub.

They added “We don’t mind if you call us dumb, idiotic every word in the book but something’s are just out of place” and rejected demands for further conflict, concluding “we are going to have to pass, hope you go back to good content”. ‘universityofkentmemes’ rejected their allegations and argued they were “making light of a situation which has caused widespread speculation on campus”.

Since then the feud between the two has continued, with other Kent related page supporting the ‘universityofkentmemes’ and berating ‘cccumemes’ insults towards UKC. ‘universityofkentmemes’ has also recently had conflict with Stefan Sever, owner of Canterbury based event organisation company ‘Canterbury Vibes.’

After posting several posts which mocked Stefan’s relations with students, the page was temporarily disabled and reappeared with a post apologising and promoting Canterbury Vibes. ‘kentfess’ has avoided controversy and admins ensures the page is “for some fun … not to victimise individuals”.

They condemn ‘universityofkentmemes’ actions saying they “went too

far”. Instead they have a policy that ‘if someone is uncomfortable’ with their posts then message them and they will take it down straight away.

Kent’s pages have appeared later than other university equivalents.

The trend, according the Imperial College London’s Felix, began with the creation ‘Memebridge’, an Oxbridge based meme page in 2016. The page’s success of 23,000 Facebook likes led to the creation of more university exclusive pages.

Many equivalents to ‘kentfess’ have existed since 2018. The University of Leed’s ‘LeedsFess’ formed in November 2018, off the back of the success of Bristruth”.

Similarly, the University of Surrey’s ‘SurreyFess’ formed in the summer of 2018’ inspired by ‘Oxfess’ and the University of Swansea’s ‘Swanfess’.

These pages have shared similar success to ‘kentfess’, with ‘SurreyFess’ amassing around 6,000 Facebook followers since its creation, LeedsFess around 8,700 and SwanFess around 4,500.

Aside from difference of university, the pages all share similar problems. KentFess admins highlighted the difficult in “finding the right balance of what to post and how often”. These issues were echoed by other pages including SurreyFess’s admin who mentioned the difficulty in “consistently posting” and keeping in favour of the “students union and university staff”.

LeedsFess’s admins also mentioned they only accept the very highest quality submissions to please readers and often reject confessions considered controversial, including sales and consumption of non-medical drugs.

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

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News

Day in the life of a Kent Union President InQuire was invited by Kent Union to spend a day behind the scenes with Aaron Thompson, President and former Vice-President (Activities). Grace Pullford reports.

I

nQuire were invited by Kent Union to spend an entire day behind the scenes with Aaron Thompson, President and former Vice-President (Activities).

This exclusive view gives us a real glimpse into the life of a Sabbatical Officer at the University of Kent, with the responsibility of representing students at the University of Kent on a daily basis, from sitting in board meetings, to traveling to Medway, to sitting as a board member on the National Union of Students. Aaron is a busy individual, to the point where he spends the majority of

Photos by Aaron Thompson | Facebook

his spare time outside of office hours catching up on his workload.

With this year’s election rapidly dawning on us, everyone at the Kent Union is busy preparing and planning for the future.

With that in mind, this is the day in the life of a Full-Time Officer.

8.30am9.00am Every day begins with a meeting between the President and

Chief-Executive of Kent Union, shortly followed by a meeting with the Vice-Presidential Officers to discuss what took place the previous week and what the agenda for the upcoming week will be. From sitting in the meeting, I could tell the atmosphere was not only professional, but friendly and chilledout. It was most interesting to meet the other FTOs and see what their day-to-day duties involved as opposed to the Aaron’s. When I asked about the difference between the President’s duties and the VP Officers, Aaron stated that all officers have different aims

and ambitions based on their role, but they all still work collaboratively together, with Aaron overseeing and supporting the team with everything that is carried out.

10.00am11.30am During the morning, it was back to the office for a quick check up on emails and computer work before another meeting- this time, with the Kent Union elections quickly arising, to discuss student engagement. From this point, I was impressed with how much direct contact Kent Union has with outside organisations, committees and other university staff.

11.30am12.45pm After the third meeting of the day, it was back to the Kent Union office for a more thorough catchup on emails and various amounts of educational related research carried out from recent news reports and online articles shared around with the Union members.

3.00pm5.00pm The schedule for the afternoon consisted of another meeting across the campus with other members of staff in contact with the Kent Union.

By this time, I was amazed at just how much involvement the Kent Union has with not only every little detail of student experience and engagement, but also external departments across the entire university.

“The role is for anyone who wants to make change, and represent students’ voices - as long as you know what to change, anyone can do it.”

5.00pm As the day draws to an end, we go back to the Kent Union office where everyone and all VP officers are still busy at work. During this time, I had the opportunity to ask Aaron some questions about his enthusiasm for the role of Kent Union -resident, to which he replied: “The role is for anyone who wants to make change, represent students’ voices and as long as you know what to change, anyone can do it.”

Overall, the day in the life of the Kent Union President had not exactly been what I originally expected it to be; it was far better that at first-thoughts. It was a fascinating experience to witness first-hand how the Union helps to benefit students with their education, societies and activities to name a few, plus what the future of Kent Union will bring to everyone.

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News With study centres across Europe and strong European links in teaching and research, the University of Kent is considered the UKs European University (Photo by the University of Kent)

Universities could go bust in wake of no deal “The valuable exchange of students, staff and knowledge would be seriously damaged”

By Bill Bowkett Newspaper News Editor & Mark Slipchenko Writer

L

eading academics have branded a no deal Brexit as “one of the biggest threats” ever encountered by universities, adding that “it would take decades” for the sector to recover.

The heads of 150 UK universities and university groups—including Universities UK, the Russell Group and Guild H—have written a joint letter to Members of Parliament stating that “vital research links will be compromised, from new cancer treatments to technologies combating climate change. The valuable exchange of students, staff and knowledge would be seriously damaged.”

It has not been confirmed that the University of Kent is one of these signatories.

But academics such as Dr Phillip Cunliffe, who backs a clean Brexit, claims that university organisations are “confusing the constitutionally damaging withdrawal agreement, which must be voted down, with the future partnership, which is yet to be agreed”.

In a letter for the Guardian, he

writes: “The idea that whole countries should be forced into political servitude in order to qualify for academic or scientific mutual exchange is ridiculous, illogical and completely without evidence.

“Now is the moment to tell the EU that the UK will be a close partner in academic research in the same way as 15 non-EU nation states are at present and that the UK will pay its way, as we did before. This is a winwin situation which does not require the UK to surrender sovereignty or accept destructive conditions.”

According to UKCISA, during the 2016-17 academic year, 138,000 university students in the UK came from the European Union (EU).

With every student pay an average of £9,000 towards their university per annum, £1.2 billion in university revenue on an annual basis is brought into the country.

The realization of a no deal Brexit may hinder the ease of movement of EU students, also implying an increase in their tuition fees.

Many are anticipating a drop in the number of European students, accompanied by lower funds possessed by the universities.

The Russel Group reveal this to be already happening by declaring that the number of EU

students enrolling in British institutions has “fallen for the first time in five years”. It argues that EU is an “irreplaceable source of funding for UK universities”.

As of December 2018, there has been a 3% decrease in the number of EU students enrolling on courses this academic year (2018/19), with the biggest drop in postgraduate research courses.

Universities are also concerned about government’s proposal on migration, which was outlined in a White paper published during the Christmas period.

There may be greater restrictions on EU students after Brexit, as 130,000 students will need to have study visas and be sponsored by universities. Critics have branded this initiative as “unrealistic and unsustainable”.

Funding does not only involve student’s tuition fees, but also the inflows from European research funding schemes. British Influence statistics indicate that universities in the UK receive an additional 15% in funding from the European Union for research and development, on top of what the UK government already provides them with.

This is the same as 2.6% of universities’ total income, or in numer-

ical terms £730 million per year.

Leaving the European Union without an agreement puts these funds at risk and in addition encourages world-leading academics and researchers to leave to other countries with more stable research programs.

Vital UK research ranging from cancer treatments to combating climate change could be “compromised”.

Nick Hilman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) think tank, predicts a 57% drop in the number of students from EU, which equates to a £700 million loss in revenue.

There are additional claims that a no deal Brexit may require a government bailout to keep the educational sector operating.

On the other hand, some of the funds saved from the £10 billion net contribution to the European budget could be apportioned to finance universities.

Some academics argue that research is an area where we “get back proportionally more than we put in”.

The University of Kent have been approached for comment and have yet to respond.

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

News

Canterbury MP “let down” by silence from Brexit minister Last week in the House of Commons Rosie Duffield, Member of Parliament for Canterbury, told the government that neither the University of Kent nor Canterbury Christ Church University have received any communication from the Brexit minister or his Department.

She branded this revelation as a “real let down”.

The Labour MP followed up

on this speech with a Facebook post, writing: “I’m worried about how Brexit is going to affect us as a University town.

“With academic staff preparing to leave, funding at threat, and EU students being deterred from joining us, “I’m glad the [government]has finally agreed to reach out to our universities and address their concerns.”

At a glance

Photo by Parliament TV

University to develop ‘Virtual Queue’ to help traffic conditions after 29 March

By Olivia Warr Writer

T

he University of Kent’s business and computing schools have joined together to create a virtual queuing system that aims to reduce the impact of gridlock in Kent after Brexit.

The proposal was drafted by Simon Barnes, who has been working on the project since July 2018.

This digital system would mean that vehicles could join the virtual queue once they set out on their journeys. When delays form around Dover and the Channel Tunnel, drivers could be alerted and then held in different areas before entering the county.

This means that vehicles could be released in a fair and structured way, allowing drivers to take either breaks or different routes instead of being stuck in standstill traffic.

Mr Barnes stated that the virtual queue would mean that vehicles could be “proactively managed” in a similar way to a theme park that offers tokens rather than hours of queuing.

The virtual queue would be organised via an app, so it would be accessible to drivers.

As Brexit approaches, the need

for a system like this is growing. Dover and the Channel Tunnel have the highest volume of freight entering and leaving other European countries.

This means that after the UK’s departure from the EU, delays at their borders could create congestion that will cause gridlock on the roads.

Regular delays of up to twelve hours may occur and this disrup-

tion is expected to last anywhere between a few weeks and six months, depending on the conditions that the UK leaves with.

The virtual queue is an innovative aid to the disruption that Brexit will cause.

The system offers a fair solution to long and tedious queues and would ensure it is upheld by issuing penalties to drivers that ignore the scheme.

Furthermore, the forecast of traffic news and control would be more accurate and up to date, allowing drivers to choose whether they travel after having heard the traffic conditions.

It is hoped, depending on the quality of the data used by the app, that the virtual queue will begin testing in the next three to six months.

Photo by Geograph

H

olocaust Memorial Day was on 27 January and the theme for this year was ‘Torn from Home’.

People around the globe have been displaced from their homes due to war and genocide—The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust aim to commemorate and remember those who died in the

James Hoare, Britain’s first diplomat to North Korea, gave his take on North Korean Affairs for the Liberty Union on Wednesday 30 January. Having re-established diplomatic relations in 2000, Mr Hoare set up the British embassy in Pyongyang and is widely regarded as one of Britain’s eminent diplomats in Asia. He talked about his personal experience and perspective on current affairs.

Hoare told InQuire that US President Donald Trump “should be given some credit” for his work in helping to mediate peace between North and South Korea and organising the US-North Korea Summit last year.

Photo by shopblocks

Canterbury City Council have announced that they are going to clamp down on “reckless” Deliveroo and Uber Eats drivers in Canterbury and have urged the companies to take their moral and legal responsibilities seriously. A fortnight ago, a pensioner needed medical treatment after driver barged past him on a bike in Canterbury.

Photo by Catching Lives

Catching Lives has revealed plans for new homeless shelter in Canterbury. The charity wants to replace its current structure with a new £800,000 purpose-built facility, which would hopefully provide greater space for other agencies to work with their clients.

Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony held in Canterbury Cathedral

By Syan Bateman Head of Design

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Holocaust, and genocides since.

The Trust aims to encourage actions to build a better future and the service was one of them.

The memorial took place at Canterbury Cathedral with a thirty-minute service and the lighting of candles in remembrance.

People in attendance included the Lord Mayor of Canterbury and the Rabbi of Thanet & District Reform Synagogue.

It had a very inclusive atmosphere, with prayers in Latin, English, and Aramaic.

The Kaddish was recited at the end, which is a Jewish prayer to honour or remember the dead.

After the service, there was also the chance for discussions on the future and a possible interfaith dialogue, headed by Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, on the University of Kent campus.

Photo by Canterbury Cathedral

Photo by Molly Hope

Far-right activity on UK university campuses is rising and Holocaust denial is becoming more prevalent among the younger generation. Data, collected by The Independent, shows that antisemitic incidents were reported at 19 UK universities between 2015 and 2017, with the number nearly tripling in two years. Last year, Neo-Nazi racist graffiti was found on Eliot College.

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Opinion

You can’t sit with us: discussing Varsity mentality Photo by University of Kent

UKC Kayak Polo discuss their struggles being one of the “understated” sports teams without support from the University as Varsity returns

By Fabienne Gladwin Writer

K

ayak Polo is probably a sport you never knew existed, and up until this point it has remained largely in the background. In fact, it was only when in 1987 at the demonstration games in Duisburg, Germany, that Kayak polo (otherwise known as Canoe Polo) officially became recognised as a competitive sport. If however, you are one of those excited individuals scrolling through the various feeds of the Kent union website, eager to see what sports will be playing in the upcoming varsity, Kayaking won’t be one of them.

Despite being one of the more understated but violent sports of its time, it very often goes unnoticed. In its place sits the ever-popular sports of Rugby, American Football and Lacrosse.

Similar to all these more aggressive sports, Kayaking depends on solid rules and a high degree of safety instruction. One hit from the paddle and you could be capsized.

It is also one of the few sports at the University of Kent that genuinely relies on its younger, less experienced members to form the team. Whilst it is the more skilled and experienced members who help move the game along at a faster pace, it is the support of the other team members to block, trap, chase and score their way to victory.

So why do we not see this sport at Varsity? When in 2018 we posed this

question to Kent Union, they simply replied that there wasn’t enough money or interest in the sport for it to be included.

It is true that kayaking has heavy requirements. Perhaps one of the most important ones is the need for a swimming pool. In 2013, the Project team at Kent agreed that a swimming pool should be built on campus.

There however, quickly became a problem with funding and the project was shut down. Only two years after this, despite claiming to still not have the money to continue with the project, they instead invested 1 million into a 3GX pitch for, you guessed it, Rugby and the other more ‘fashionable’ sports. It is for this reason exactly that Kayaking has been excluded from participating in the Varsity games.

Despite the struggles, every year UKC and CCCU hold friendly competitive polo matches in the hope that someday Kayaking too will make the cut. Varsity nevertheless still needs to strive to be a more inclusive event, allowing more diversified and less popular sports to participate in the biggest sporting event of the academic year.

Either way, with or without the support of the Union, University of Kent Kayak Club will remain, with the support of its stellar committee (Amy Blaker, Antony Mason, Allana Bailey, Alexander Colenutt, Marx Yim, Corrina Winterburn and Zoe Stevens), dedicated to putting Kayaking at the centre of the cafeteria for once.

Gillette advert tackling ‘toxic masculinity’: why the backlash?

Photo by ArcherFX | reddit

By Jesse Cherdchuwichaikoon Writer

S

having company Gillette whose 30-year’old slogan is “The best a man can get” has created division over their new short film titled We Believe: The Best man can be.

The short film targets hegemonic, or ‘toxic’ masculinity in wake of the #MeToo movement. Gillette’s Brand Director explained that the short film provides a realistic insight into what is happening in contemporary society and aims to inspire change by acknowledging that the old saying “boys will be boys” is no longer acceptable. The short film tackles much stereotypical hegemonic masculine behaviour such as aggressive behaviour, objectifying or diminishing women, and sexual harassment. The short film, at the same time, also attempts to tackle and break this toxicity, pressing that men should be “accountable” for their actions.

The advert immediately went viral with over 27 million views

and counting on YouTube, and currently has 745,000 likes and 1.3 million dislikes. Whilst many have praised it as a positive message, there has also been an intense backlash. Many critics believe that the advertisement demonizes men and perpetuates an overly negative stereotype. Loyal male customers of Gillette have threatened to never purchase their products again; some even argue that the film was “feminist propaganda”.

Among the backlash were famous figures like Good Morning Britain TV Presenter Piers Morgan.

He tweeted: “I’ve used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.”.

What is often overlooked and misrepresented about the advertisement is its message on men being accountable. The film highlights male responsibility by

breaking up fights between boys and calling out other men when sexually inappropriate things are being said to women walking in the streets. The voiceover says, “we believe in the best in men: to say the right thing, to act the right way, some already are in ways big and small. But some is not enough. Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow,” The overarching positive message to fight against ‘toxic masculinity’ have been praised by PR expert Mark Borkowski. The real value of the new Gillette advert can be explained through his words, from which he believes the film “fantastically well-thought through campaign”. He adds that “it is no longer enough for brands to simply sell a product, customers are demanding that they have a purpose – that they stand for something”. The message for men to become more accountable and sensitive it is not an attack on masculinity.

Instead, it is an inspiration to be a better person.

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

9

Opinion

International Politics

Can Corbyn accept that Venezuela is a socialist experiment gone wrong?

By Bill Bowkett Writer

I

Photo by US Department of Defense

“A big beautiful wall”: The idiocy of Trump’s building of the Mexican border wall

By Emily Carter Writer

W

alls historically mean a lot of things.

Walls give stability to buildings by creating physical barriers, and they make things comfortable and safe. We can hit the wall however, and be stuck in a stalemate with our own point of view. Stuck behind that wall, we are often blind to others.

Trump is trying building a “big beautiful wall” that will run along the border between the USA and Mexico. This wall will act as a physical deterrent to stop Mexicans, and other people from Central and South America, from crossing the border illegally in their search for the American Dream. The wall will extend the existing 1/3 of the border that is already walled in by another 1,000 miles of heavy-duty steel boards. It is estimated to cost America $5.6 Billion dollars to build, maintain, and police.

Trump believes the wall is beautiful by keeping the Mexicans out: he will reduce crime, carry on the long-lasting war on drugs, and keep Americans safe.

Walls are neither big nor beautiful. Take the example of the Berlin wall, people woke up one morning to see a huge barrier had been erected overnight that separated East and West Berlin from each other which ran for 91 miles. Whatever side of Berlin you were on the night in 1961, where soldiers and construction workers worked hand in hand, decided your ideology.

West Berlin was set up as a democratic capitalist society. While East Berlin was occupied by the Soviet Union and was set up as a communist society, in which the economy dwindled and freedom was restricted. People living in East Berlin were treated as suspects

who would try to escape or flee the communist regime. There is no beauty in walls protecting people unless you believe oppressing and risking the lives of dissenters to be beautiful.

Hundreds of thousands of people became political prisoners as a result of objecting to the wall and even more were shot down trying to cross it.

What was actually beautiful, was the destruction of the Berlin Wall that led to the freedom of both sides to move freely and choose for themselves how to live. It was chiselled at, torn apart by hammers, but most of all by people’s rejection of it in 1989.

Trump’s building of the wall is symbolic of America’s need for power and dominance over other countries. Presenting the wall as solving America’s drug problem is an inaccurate understanding of the problem, because the American dream itself cannot be cut off by a piece of steel.

The wall itself is not the only problem. The idea of the wall is much more dangerous, the idea that divides people and oppresses them into accepting Trump’s narratives. The idea of building a big, beautiful wall has stirred up division that has now extended to debates about the funding of its construction. Trump wants the American people to submit to his views and pay more tax in order to fund it.

The Democrats disagree and think the wall represents a loss of freedom and Americans shouldn’t pay for it. Trump supporter Brian Kolfage however, has set up a GoFundMe page to fund the wall which had raised $11 million dollars just before Christmas last year.

You could only think such a wall was “big and beautiful” if you were blindsided by history and hitting the wall of your own narrow mindedness.

“The idea of the wall is much more dangerous, the idea that divides people and oppresses them into accepting Trump’s narratives.”

t has been horrific to see what has happened to Venezuela over the past few years, under the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Muduro.

After years of rule under Muduro, the country has turned from a thriving democracy to a fictitious dictatorship, with civilians risking retribution by rallying on the streets of the Caracas with a simple message to the administration; “estas terminado!”

The country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with 2 million Venezuelans fleeing the country, and an estimated 2.5 million predicted to leave by 2020.

This mass emigration is on the same scale as the Syrian refugee crisis.

Venezuela was once a powerhouse. It was the richest country in Latin America with the largest oil reserves and a pluralist state that was praised worldwide. By 2019, however, its institutions and economy are in shambles; the United states does not recognise Muduro as leader and UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has spoken out in solidarity against the fascist regime which silences opponents and rigs the system from within. The National Constitute Assembly is one case in point; Muduro replaced several Supreme Court Justices with cronies that have helped consolidate Maduro’s power as absolutist-in-chief.

Economically, there is immense poverty and hyperinflation, which has soared to 946 per cent – the highest of any nation state. The effects of all of this have all been documented. Public services such as hospitals are struggling to treat patients with the right medical assistance. The people have been hit hard. They struggle to pay for shopping and are resorting to eating rotten meat from bins just to survive. It seems that Maduro’s hunger for power is starving the populous into desperation.

When you have state intervention and social organisation in the way in the way Venezuela does, corruption and fiscal instability is inevitable. Over the course of a decade, government authorities have seized over 1,000 companies in the private sector and implemented a huge wave of nationalisation. Under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, growth was booming thanks to

oil. In his response, the populist leader brought in many welfare programs, such as improved healthcare and education. But this in turn led to a growing deficit, meaning that after his death in 2015, these programs could not be continued. Add to the fact that oil prices have tanked, and the sustainability of the economy has crashed to monumental lows. Maduro has also rigged the economic system to keep himself in power, giving his circle lower currency rates.

As the social and economic collapse of the Land of Grace continues, many politicians in Britain – particularly on the left of the spectrum – are refusing to recognise the nation’s tragic demise, claiming only that it was, as Kate Andrews put it, “[A] socialist experiment gone wrong”. Critics place the blame on external factors such as Obama and Trump, who, just this week, placed hard sanctions on oil and has backed a coup. Then there is the old age saying this is not the utopia philosophers had envisaged. Foreign actors did not cause Venezuela’s collapse, their leadership created this mess.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, had previously extolled the country as an example of how socialism and state intervention can function, which in his eye would provide a basis for governance.

The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, thinks the country’s problems were because it took a “wrong turn”. They are belligerently ignoring the reports from the UN, Amnesty International and America. McDonnel won’t intervene or say “stop” to Maduro. If the Islington North MP is to show real Prime Ministerial qualities and win the support of Britons, he should speak out, apologise.

What happens next in this ever-developing story is up for debate and scrutiny. At this time, military intervention – as suspected by Brazil’s new President Jair Bolsonaro – is a hasty reaction which might make the situation worse. But what is needed is a consolidated approach from neighbouring countries to think of a solution to support the population, which may include a negotiated settlement and general election. But what is clear is that the country cannot recover whilst Maduro is in charge, otherwise it will spiral continue to spiral into uncertainty.

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Editorial

Union Elections 2019: why this year should be different

By Maisie Lee Newspaper Opinion Editor

S

tudent elections 2019: How we all can grow from the drama How student election 2019 can be different Student elections are back.

Nominations are open again and the official campaigns for the fulltime and part-time officer roles are about to commence. Alongside the excitement and anticipation among students, however, is indifference.

InQuire, however, believes that the 2019 student elections will be different.

Each year at UKC comes with its controversies—the controversies in 2018/2019, however, are different.

September started with student and Union backlash to Tokyo Tea Rooms for cultural appropriation; Kent Union’s draft of fancy dress guidelines invited both ridicule and support from students; and Carl Benjamin’s visit to the University, and Neo-Nazi graffiti found on the wall of Eliot College before Christmas, have marked one of the most pivotal moments this year—starting heated discussions regarding free speech and student safety on campus. As

oppose to the Union’s use of Zayn Malik for a Black History Month poster in 2016, which comes down to a serious mistake, this year’s scandals have catalysed student discussion, among each other and with Kent Union.

Despite student division, each controversy this year has brought important questions to the table. Each controversy we have experienced has raised questions that we have, and should, all spare time to think about.

What has stood out, throughout the series of contentious issues, is the scale of student reactions, whether positive or negative. More opinions have been brought to surface, and, consequently, more important discussion. The University of Kent students, as a result, have become more aware of, and engaged with, the running of the Union and the University.

InQuire encourages students to utilise the elections as a space to address the issues they have felt compelled to talk about throughout the year. This is the chance for students to bring the many theories, arguments, and opinions of this year, into practice.

Photo by Kent Union

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Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

Travel

Fashion trends to look out for in

By Cait Rust Writer

2019

Lifestyle

Cheap

weekend away for Canterbury students

s high street retailers are beginning to swap out their Winter collections in preparation for the Spring season, here’s a guide for the trends to look out for in 2019.

Colour

Colour, as always, seems like an obvious one. But this season, it’s safe to say, colour is everything. Whether it’s the bright and bold hues debuted by the likes of Max Mara and Balenciaga, or the various shades of beige showcased in Burberry’s collection, 2019’s palette has something in store for everyone.

For the adventurous types, experiment with vibrancies to create a bold and playful look, displaying confidence and fun. For or those who crave sleekness and sophistication, however, the famous Burberry beige, alongside the browns and khaki’s which have jumped back, are perfect for subtlety.

Utility

Going along with the growing theme of denouncing gender stereotypes, designers have brought workwear – more specifically utility wear – to the forefront of high fashion (a trend which started to emerge last year).

With Fendi at the head of this trend, cargo pants and boiler suits are a style that will dominate this year. Keep it casual and pair them with chunky trainers or spice them up with heels and accessories for a more elegant look. You can find any of these in high-street stores such as Topshop or Urban Outfitters.

Athleisure

Every lazy girl’s dream. 2018 saw the trend of biker shorts emerge towards the end of sum-

mer and, not only are they returning, but they are being accompanied by more athleisure wear, such as the surfer style and tracksuits (think 80s sportswear – but better). Again Fendi, alongside Roberto Cavalli, Calvin Klein and Off-White showcased such tracksuits, biker shorts and even wetsuits (Calvin Klein) on the runway. Pair bike shorts with an oversized jumper for an effortless look, or a blazer for a more casual-chic, night out vibe.

Add a bum-bag across the chest to synch the waist and complete the outfit.

Patterns and Texture

Who says you can’t wear clashing patterns?

Not Versace, evident from their Spring/Summer runway collection, full of pattern on pattern on pattern. If you are still wary with the boldness of this choice, however, then begin with sticking to one. Some animal print, for example, or tie-dye, like the styles from OffWhite and R13. Or, as an alternative to the visual overload, textures are in too – especially ruffles. Whether it’s sleeves with ruffled cuffs, or a ruffle neckline on a shirt, they can be styled with skinny jeans and structured shoes, allowing the texture stand out.

By Kaya Brown Writer

how warm it was last year, one can only hope that there are heatwaves awaiting us.

On the other hand, if you are craving a get-a-way from Canterbury, there are still affordable options nearby to tourist around, such as Brighton and Bournemouth. These are perfect to visit if you fancy a scenic walk along a pier near the sea. Brighton is particularly known for its vibrant nightlife and quirky coffee shops, whilst Bournemouth is the perfect place to lie on a sandy beach and possibly take up wind-surfing lessons. Even in poor weather, entertainment can most certainly be found when you are near the coast, such as trying out water-sports, visiting a museum or experiencing local cuisines – all among what these places have to offer.

I always make an effort to travel when I can, because with travel comes exploration and with exploration comes adventure, even within the boundaries of not-so-dreary-England.

Flaunter.com | Unsplash

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James Baldwin | Unsplash

s university students, money always seems to be an issue when thinking of something nice to do with friends. At times, all we want to do is take a trip somewhere different and have a well-deserved break from it all. The chance to travel and see something new is on every student’s mind, so I decided to look into cheap places you can visit for a long weekend.

In Canterbury, we have many attractive locations and beach spots easily accessible to us, such as Margate or Herne Bay, both only 30 minutes away by train. Alternatively, a ‘dayrider’ bus ticket in town is just £7, which allows you to freely travel on buses throughout Kent. Although the weather may appear miserable and cold at the moment, in the summer the beaches in the county are truly stunning and worth a visit. Plus, based on

Jack B | Unsplash

Accessories

The Dad Shoe. Ten years ago, if anyone heard that the chunky, ugly trainers that ‘laidback dads’ are known to wear would become a trend, they’d have probably laughed in your face. But alas ‘the dad shoe’ is conquering the fashion world. As a statement shoe it can go with anything, add to jeans and a jumper making the lazy look more stylish, or pair with a slip dress and let the ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ play off each other.

Nathan Dumlo | Unsplash

Lifestyle Three restaurants to celebrate in after

12

By Alice Tomilson Writer

W

Varsity

in or lose at the end of varsity, finishing this classic university experience with a meal is a must to celebrate or soften the blow.

Canterbury hosts some great independent restaurants which also cater to the student budget. Adventuring away from the chain restaurants on the high street allows you to find some of the city’s best kept secrets.

The unique dishes and intimate environments provide a great way to continue the festivities of Varsity, as well as exploring the City in greater depth. Below are my top three picks for restaurants in Canterbury

• Pork & Co.

Located near Canterbury Cathedral is a restaurant that’s warm in environment and hearty in food. The exterior is covered in fairy lights and inside traditional tiles and wooden floors create a homey feel – great for a team celebration.

They are an avocado lover’s heaven, with a menu that has a Mexican and Asian theme, including tortilla pizza’s and tacos as well as satay burgers and a tasty coconut curry. Their ‘superfood cocktails’ standout as a unique alternative to the typical high-calorie cocktails usually found on the high street. I recommend the classic passionfruit martini, with an appetisingly healthy twist. If you have another game the next day and want to avoid a hangover, the black lemonade is a refreshing pick me up. The Skinny Kitchen is great for a mid-Varsity break when you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet or for any teams looking for vegetarian or vegan dishes.

• Chapter Sourdough Pizzeria & Bar

This is also located near Canterbury Cathedral. Chapter presents amazing views of the Cathedral, as well as a cosy environment at night, with large tables that are able to host big groups. The main menu is a great option for a cheaper alternative, with all the meals being under £10. Chapter offers Italian cuisine, and although is heavily focused on sourdough pizza, they have a wood oven Lasagne which is a great and filling option.

They also offer vegan variations for each pizza, which is great for a large ebook group with c a F | .

Co Pork & different Pork & Co. is famous for their pulled dietary needs. pork and their buttermilk chicken – which is Chapter stays a must have. If you’re not feeling as hungry, open the latest their nachos are the perfect size for a lighter out of the meal and their veggie menu provides anoth- three restauer great alternative to their meaty portions. rants, until They offer an array of sides, such as fries, 11pm on Fridays wings and the richest mac and cheese I have and Saturdays, ever tasted. Their garlic mayo is a definite which allows time contender for the best in Canterbury and to try some of their C they also offer a great variety of alcohol and wonderful Italian ha pte soft drinks to really aid the celebrations. I desserts, r|F think Pork & Co. is a highly underrated res- such as the honey, orange aceb o ok taurant, with amazing food and the perfect & almond cannoli. Chapter atmosphere for celebrating and solidifying Sourdough Pizzeria & Bar offers a that team bonding experience. moderately priced eat for a large team to spend the evening.

Varsity is a time for celebration, win or Located near Westgate Towers, this restau- lose, and what better way to build that team rant provides a healthier option for those spirit than with a hearty meal. Independent athletes who are watching their diet. Skinny restaurants are a plenty in Canterbury, so Kitchen brands themselves as a ‘healthy food perhaps it’s time to hit the back streets for hangout’, and they perfectly fulfil this claim. celebrating that win.

• Skinny Kitchen

Courting cake Nadya Spetnitskaya | Unsplash

recipe W

ith Valentine’s day approaching, this courting cake recipe came to mind as the perfect sweettreat to serve to your loved ones.

Passed down in my family for generations, I know it’s the idyllic romantic dessert for anyone with a sweet-tooth, with a shortbread-like sponge and a layer of jam oozing from the middle.

My Nan nicknamed it ‘Courting-cake’, as it is reminiscent of the dating attitudes of the time. It’s simple and easy to make, only requiring five different ingredients.

By Emily Carter Writer

5

Method: •

Ingredients: • Flour 6OZ/170g • Sugar 60Z/170g • Margarine 60Z/170g • One egg • Jam – half a jar

Combine the flour, sugar, and butter, stirring until you have a breadcrumb like mixture.

Create a well in the middle with your fingers and add the egg Gradually mix the egg together and the breadcrumb mixture until it holds together as a dough Cut the dough in half, keeping one half for the bottom part of the cake the other for the top Roll out the bottom half and place on to a greased baking tray Cover this with a layer of jam (flavour is up to you, though strawberry is my personal favourite) Roll out the top half and place on top of jam covered bottom Prick the top with a fork and dust with sugar Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown Once cool cut out into squares and dust

•

•

•

•

•

• • •

•

TIP: For an added touch of cuteSkinny Kitchen | Facebook

ness, try cutting the finished cake into heart shaped slices. Perfect when complimented with a gift as a part of dessert.

Gaelle Marcel | Unsplash

14

what are your expectat Equestrian Varsity is always a lot of fun whether you’re competing or not, as a big part of the club comes out to the yard to help and support each other. I am excited for the Varsity game and the day in general. I competed myself in my first year, and had a blast doing it—that year Kent won overall, and I placed 1st for my group. Our winning quality is high team spirit. I want to win and am quite competitive as a person, but I don’t believe in talking bad about the opposing team—it takes the fun and enjoyment out of the atmosphere, making the day feel tense and awkward. It should be inclusive and a fun day for everyone. We are ready with a healthy competitive instinct.

- Ina Stagrum Bach, President

Woman’s Cricket I’m excited but nervous. It’s my first varsity as captain, so I’m feeling the pressure.

We’ve won indoor varsity three consecutive years so far, so we’re in high spirits.

Despite losing to them in our BUCS game, we’re back and in it to win it.

Our winning quality is the team itself, we play incredibly well together.

Every player brings their own talent and quality to the team. I have every faith in my team, we’ve put in the training hours and deserve a win.

- Jordan Garland, Woman’s Cricket Captain

Woman’s Netball We’re nervous but confident for Varsity. The girls have been training hard, and we’ve been focusing a lot on the technical aspects of our play. I have no doubt that if we play our best we’ll win – but then again anything can change on the day. We have a pretty good track record for Varsity, with the majority of our teams winning their matches over the years. Last year our 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams won, with our 1st team narrowly losing. We’re hoping (and expecting) to have 4/4 wins this year. This year we have a really tight knit group of girls. We’re competitive and determined, but always supportive of each other.

Our friendships off the court make it so much easier to play well as a team on the court—this is our winning quality.

- Alex Straw, President

Woman’s Basketball I expect a win. We’re hungry for it and we’ve got a solid group of girls from last year who have become used to the pressure so hopefully with their experience they’ll be able to take the lead on the court, focus up, and bring home the banner.

We’ve got a lot of talent on the team, I’m happy to say. A couple of returners Celine and Itzair are great outside shooters and Celine’s layups are famous. And there’s Louisa, who’s captain this year, she’s got a lot of fight in her and she’s great at forcing fouls. Down in the post we’ve got Tino, Laura, Silvia, and Louise who all bring something different down low – whether it be a soft midrange shot (Laura), a sweet pop shot (Louise), a great box out (Silvia) and just great athleticism all round (Tino).

- KG Banjoko, Co-Captain and President

Men’s Hockey I’m excited to head into my final Varsity. We’ve had a strong season so far, with lots of positive results, so we are heading into Varsity with confidence that we can emulate last year’s result again this year. In my first year of Hockey, we lost 2-1 Varsity and last year we won 8-2, so it’s very mixed. We are in high spirits as a team, however.

We’ve bonded well over the last few months and are ready for what’s ahead of us. As always, we are in it to win it. We are a well organised and strong defensive team that’s up for the challenge posed by Christ Church’s attack.

- Ben Landymore, Men’s Hockey Chairman

Men’s Rugby We have very high hopes for Varsity 2019. Both the 1st, 2nds, and 3rd XVs will settle for nothing less than a big win.

Lewis Jacobs [is a player to watch out for]. Lewis plays Hooker for the 1st XV. Despite playing very few games this season so far, Lewis is one of the most naturally gifted players in the club.

[Also] Rob Hill. Rob plays winger for the 1st XV and is one of our top try scorers this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob manages to find his way onto the score sheet at this years’ Varsity.

- Harry Sams, UKC Mens 1st XV Captain

varsity?

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

tions of

Kent Snow

Woman’s Volleyball

“We are feeling great for Varsity and have been practicing with a positive mindset. In regards to our Varsity track record with CCCU, we have won every match for the past three years. We are high spirited and up for friendly competition but, honestly, we’re in it to win it. The best quality of our Varsity team is our team work as a women’s team, so far undefeated.

We also have great sportsmanship, which is great to see in the players. Do we think we are going to win? Yes. I’ll say no more.

I would sum up Varsity in one word by saying it’s non-discriminatory. It’s all about the Sport but, at the same time, it’s great support for LGBT cause and inclusivity.”

- Cassandra Png, Woman’s Volleyball Captain

- Paul Tucker, President of Kent Snow

1. How are you feeling for Varsity?

2. Would you say you’re high in team spirit or CCCU bashing? Are you playing as friendly competition or in it to win it?

3. What’s the biggest winning quality of your Varsity team?

4. One word to sum up Varsity

We are looking forward to the amazing opportunity to enjoy sports that we do not usually get to watch. Varsity will be a great chance to get to know new teams and see our team grow and develop their skills.

1st Men’s Captain: Dennis Kurtalic

There is not one person in particular to watch out for, but to see the teams come together is something we are very excited for.

1.) Primed and ready to go. Teams are fresh and have trained hard throughout the season in order to perform in these matches.

2.) Teams are all in high spirit, and are feeling the varsity motivation. Performances this year within BUCS have motivated us all! We’re all taking this very seriously as for most of us it is our last chance to beat CCCU and represent UKC.

- Jodie Robinson, Kent Cheer Game Day Manager

3.) The Tennis Teams biggest winning quality is our mentality and drive. We are calm and collected before matches, but motivated and fired up whilst competing.

Men’s Football

4.) Winners

I am expecting 3/3 wins this year. Our 1s are unbeaten in the league and our 2s have gone from strength to strength this season despite a shaky start. Our 3s have been due a Varsity win for years. This year, however, we have a much stronger squad, so I see no reason why a win cannot be achieved.

1st Women’s Captain: Birgit Burk 1.) Feeling pumped and really excited! It’s the event of the year, so the spirit is already there to play in front of everyone and bring the winning point to UKC. Photos from Facebook| Kent Sport

For our 2s, a player to watch out for is Kai Beck, his goal-scoring prowess is impressive. Four our 3s, Joshua Cunningham is one to watch. His pace and finishing have allowed him to score a lot of goals this season.

- Alastair Doe, Kent FC Chairman

[Look out for] One of our newest international members this year: Nina Blanchin, who grew up in the French Alps and first started skiing before she could walk.

She is a talented competitor and definitely one to watch out for.

Tennis

Kent Cheer

For our 1s, a player to watch out for is Will Baldry. He is the captain of our first team and plays CB, his calmness on the ball is second to none.

As with anyone here at Kent, we are expecting to bring home the win; but more importantly the opportunity to inclusively represent the university from a snow sports perspective.

2.) More like high in team spirit—if we have the right feeling and mood, we will smash CCCU anyways. They are nice girls so I’d rather win by just being better in tennis than they are, don’t want to go to war.

3.) How united our girls’ team is, and the team spirit/vibe we have. And of course, we’re just better at tennis.

4.) Vamos

15

16

The

Falcons Interview with Fernami Oke by Kieran McDonah

T

as any more than a normal game as, in the words of the Falcon’s Gee, ‘there is no competition when there is always the same winner’. Kwami went on to make reference to how the crowd had helped to carry the team to the win and that it is always a little bit sweeter to beat our rivals.

After the game, the Falcons’s coach was speaking of the importance of team trust as they look to win their second consecutive 1A South East division title. Following this, game day captain, Feranmi Oke (Number 40) spoke to the group to reaffirm how vital the victory was with a three-way fight for the division title ongoing (Kent, UEA, Queen Mary), whilst also paying homage to the fact that although the unbeaten season was derailed last week, the Falcons have not lost a regular season home game in the past 2 and a half years.

The game was best summed up by a quote from UKC’s very own game day captain: Oke told his team, ‘that is what Varsity is all about, sportsmanship’. Or you could argue that the word ‘blowout’ best summed up the game.

One win, thirty-nine to go.

Match Photos by Violeta Ivanova

he Kent Falcons sealed a strong win for University of Kent against Canterbury Christ Church University in the first 2019 Varsity game. The score was 46-0, the Kent Falcons American Football team helped UKC to draw first blood against our local rivals the CCCU Chargers in a game which showed off Kent’s potent aerial attack in a rush heavy 1A South-eastern division matchup. The game captured everything that Varsity is about, with a large crowd of both UKC and CCCU students turning up in droves to support their respective sides.

The sides were made up of both genders with each team having respectively sized rosters. The game was played with heightened consequences due to the results around the division in recent weeks combined with the pageantry of Varsity.

The game got off to an explosive start with Wide Receiver Tom Goddard (Number 45) showing the threat that he posed with an early touchdown, two more would follow as Goddard ran away with offensive MVP. When asked post-game about his performance in the Falcons, he added that he ‘hadn’t had a good couple of games recently’ and that the team’s coach was ‘on him with a lot of pressure’. Well, after a three-touchdown performance you would imagine Goddard will avoid a scathing this week.

On the other side of the ball an early interception set the tone and the UKC Kent Falcons never looked back.

The Chargers entered Kent’s red zone just the one time and, once again, they turned the ball over. The shutout was Kent’s second of the season and was another fine showing by a defense that last year was ranked nationally as BUCS’ number one.

After the game, line backer Tanaka Gee (Number 59) and Raguel Kwami (Number 30) gave an interview in which they spoke of how ‘defense always ball’s out’ and of how the match with CCCU shouldn’t be thought of

Photo by Emily Heath, Head of Photography

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

17

what are your expectations of Woman’s Football

varsity?

I definitely expect a fierce battle between the two teams, at least so far as women’s football goes. We have come so close to victory over CCCU for a number of years and have combined our teams into one in order to unify as a club and give them an unforgettable challenge out on the pitch. We want to take back that crown!

Without a doubt, every person who is part of Women’s football has worked incredibly hard this year. Perhaps the hardest in a long time, as the varsity squad will showcase a lot of new talent who joined the club recently. Have your eye on all of them I’d say, they’re persevering to solidify their amazing bond as a team.

- Tyra Ntege, Women’s Football 1st Team Captain Photo from Facebook| Kent Sport

Interview with Emma Ursel, 1st Team Captain, by Meg Warwick

“

I’m excited to be one of the front faces for InQuire’s Varsity Newspaper. It’ll be great to get Women’s Lacrosse out there in regards to Varsity. We are going into it with no losses. Varsity is also a BUCS game, so it’s a little more added pressure.

I’m feeling really confident in our group of girls for the Varsity squad. We get along well, training is so much fun and we can always have a laugh. Nobody

takes anything too personally. Everyone understands where I’m coming from when coaching. They listen. It’s just, great. We can read each other really well based off of hanging out at trainings and socials.

The season is going well, especially for the 1st team. We’ve had six games and six wins, plus we’ve got through to the cup round, so I’m very happy with it. The team has gelled well. The 2nd Team have improved a lot and we have some great development players. It’s nice to see the girls in the club play together.

Our 1st and 2nd teams train together on Monday and Tuesday, and then the other three teams on Sunday. Then we give match play to each, through BUCS and friendlies. We like to play against each other for challenges and to up our game. Then we have socials on Wednesdays, so we try the best to fit everybody into that social even though we have fifteen extra members this year—which is basically another team.

It’s been great to build those relationships with the other teams.

We are close with Men’s Lacrosse in terms of socials, they’re our family. We’ve got on well with American Football, a lot of our girls support their games and attended their charity event Black and White night. Ballroom and Latin also attended our event, and two of our players competed in their charity Strictly Kent Dancing event. We have definitely improved relations with them.

We raised £1,485 at our Lacrosse Charity Ball event, which was amazing. Our Varsity kit is also designed with the inclusivity strand in mind. One of our members Isabella Ebdon-Price organised a charity collection for refugees in Levos. We raised a lot of money for that, which was amazing.

We won Varsity in my first and second year. I believe we’ve never lost Varsity for Women’s Lacrosse, so let’s keep up that streak. We had a huge goal difference two years ago—31-1. It was impressive. I’m looking to beat that or get close.

I’m in it to win it—I’m not going to lie or sugar coat it.

As 1st Team Captain, this is what you look forward to all year. Varsity is a completely different atmosphere. It’s about winning and have those bragging rights. I do like the friendly competition as well.

We want those goals. We are so hungry to stay undefeated. We do not take a minute off from the game. We keep it within friendly boundaries, and we play by the rules, but we want to win.

I think we’re going to win. Let’s stay confident. CCCU know we want to be undefeated. If I had to sum up Varsity in one word, I would say ‘fun’—the energy is high—though, it’s hard to describe in one word.

Lacrosse is such a big family atmosphere. Everyone gets along. We usually start at the same level, so it’s nice to learn with everyone else. That’s why I joined. Why I’m still here. You gel so much as a team. We go the library together, we just have fun.”

womens

Women’s Rugby We’re pretty positive and excited for varsity this year. CCCU usually win as their team is a few leagues above ours but we’re in high team spirit. We’re super enthusiastic but mostly we love the game we play. I wouldn’t want to say if we will win or not, but we both have whole new teams this year so could be anyone’s game. Really looking forward to see. I love it when the university sports teams are working towards a goal together.

- Kaylea Mavromits, Women’s Rugby President

Photo from Facebook| Kent Sport

Men’s Lacrosse “We have a seven-year strike against CCCU, so we are feeling confident. Our season so far could be going worst. Last year we lost all our games, so we’re already doing better than we were. We’ve drawn three of our matches. In lacrosse, you don’t often see draws, let alone three in the first term. Our freshers played Christchurch and they only lost 1-10, but the freshers have only been playing for three months.”

– Alex Stewart, Men’s Lacrosse President

lax

Photo from Facebook| Kent Sport

9.15 am

1 pm

Men’s 1’s Indoor Cricket CCCU Sport Centre

3.30pm

Women’s 1’s Indoor Cricket CCCU Sport Centre

2.15 pm

Men’s 2’s Indoor Cricket CCCU Sport Centre

Men’s Football 1st UKC 3GX

7.30pm

Cheerleading UKC 3GX

6.30pm

Women’s Football 1st UKC 3GX

5pm

Dance UKC Eliot Hall

6 pm

2 pm

Men’s Lacrosse UKC 3G

11 am

Netball 1’s UKC 3GX

7pm

5pm

Netball 2s CCCU Sports Centre

Netball 3s CCCU Sports Centre

3 pm

Netball 4s CCCU Sports Centre

1 pm

Men’s Badminton CCCU Sports Centre

11 am

Women’s Badminton CCCU Sports Centre

3 pm

5pm

Women’s Basketball CCCU Sports Centre

Men’s Basketball CCCU Sports Centre

2 - 6 pm

Men’s Football 2s UKC 3GX

7.30pm

Men’s Tennis 1s UKC Tennis/ Netball Centre

6-10pm

Woman’s Hockey 1s UKC ASTRO

6pm

5pm

Men’s Football 3s UKC 3GX

Women’s Hockey 2s UKC ASTRO

4 pm

Men’s Football 4s UKC 3GX

2.30 pm

Women’s Tennis UKC Tennis/ Netball Centre

7pm

Trampolining UKC Sport Centre

Showcase Event Wheelchair Rugby UKC Sports Centre

4.30 pm

Men’s Hockey 1s UKC ASTRO

2 pm

2.30 pm

Men’s Rugby 2s UKC Grass Pitch 1

12 pm

1 pm

Men’s Rugby 3s UKC Grass Pitch 2

FEBRUARY

tuesday 19

Men’s Hockey 2s UKC ASTRO

12 pm

Women’s Volleyball CCCU Sports Centre

9 am

Jiu-Jitsu CCCU Sports Centre

12 pm

Women’s Lacrosse UKC 3G

Men’s Tennis 2 UKC Tennis/ Netball Centre

10 am - 2 pm

FEBRUARY

monday 18

Men’s Volleyball CCCU Sports Centre

9.30 am

FEBRUARY

sunday 17

Park Run 5K UKC Parkwood

9 am

FEBRUARY

saturday 16

Equestrian Trenley

11.30 am

FEBRUARY

friday 15

Pole Fitness UK Eliot Hall

3 pm

2 pm

Snow Sports Chatham

Swimming Kingmead

FEBRUARY

Thursday 14

FEBRUARY

wednesday 13

THE FIXTURES

Men’s Rugby 1s Canterbury Rugby Club

7pm

Canterbury Rugby Club

5pm

Women’s Rugby 1s

FEBRUARY

wednesday 20

18

tHE VENUES The Pavilion

Home of football, tennis, lacrosse and many other sports. Includes cafe and bar: University of Kent, Park Wood Rd, Canterbury CT2 7SR

CCCU Sport Centre

A variety of sports such as Jiu-Jitsu, Basketball and Netball will all take part at the away team’s sport centre: Pilgrims Way, Canterbury CT1 1XS

Kingsmead

Kent Swim boast a proud Varsity record, and they’ll be looking to add to their success this year: Kingsmead Road, Canterbury CT2 7PH

Eliot Dance Hall

Dance will perform for their first ever appearance at Varsity in Elliot Hall with a series of different routines. Come and witness history with Dance’s Varsity Debut: University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NS

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

19

Chatham

This is the place where Kent Snow will compete, with Chatham boasting a 200 metre long bristle slope: John Nike Leisuresport, Capstone Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3JH

Trenley

2 miles south of Canterbury City Centre, Trenley Park opened in 2000 and will host the Equestrian this year: Trenley Lodge/Stodmarsh Rd, Canterbury, CT3 4AR, UK

Canterbury Rugby Club

Always bringing on the biggest crowds at Varsity, the rugby fixture is a huge game and crowds are encouraged to come down and show support: 2 Merton La, Canterbury CT4 7BA

Parkwood Park Run

Our Athletics team will take part in a run through our very own Parkwood on campus: University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7SY

Looking back on Varsity 2018

InQuire’s former Newspaper Sports Editor James Bayliss casts an eye on the highlights of last year’s Varsity 1. Kent Dance win their first ever Varsity: The night was a historic affair, and that term isn’t used lightly here. For years the Dance society were performing in their own makeshift Varsity competitions that quite simply never held the same prestige or value. 2018 was different though. This time, Varsity was held in the week with every other team, society and athlete. The Rutherford/Elliot hall was filled as we gathered our places and watched a seriously high level of intense, emotional and electric dance.

What made the night so spectacular and jaw-dropping was the fact that no one had any clue who was winning. Theories and rumours flew around as fans tried to calculate the likely outcome, but ultimately there was no way to know. CCCU performed admirably,

2. A Snow-Stopper at the Pavilion: A blanket of snow, actually a duvet, landed on Kent as the American Football teams came head to head at the Pavilion.

For many it was their first taste of the sport so popular across

which made Kent’s victory even sweeter as they delivered a perfect performance to mark their Varsity debut.

the sea, but it certainly had a touch of English culture to it with weather conditions making it an awkward affair for both players and fans.

Kent ultimately cruised to victory, but the community aspect of the Pavilion-drinking and willingness to support your University no matter the weather highlighted what a joy Varsity can be and how it can truly united and lift the morale of the campus.

Varsity

InQuire

Sports VP Emily Window How are we feeling for Varsity?

Excited. Varsity has always been a really exciting time for me. My housemates competed in Varsity in the past, so I’d get excited with them. Competing myself in Trampolining was a lot of fun in itself.

I can’t wait to see everyone in action—let’s see what Christchurch come out with.

What’s the best way for students to keep up with Varsity?

We have a Canterbury Varsity page where you can find all the events. The TeamKent page will also be posting a lot of coverage of what’s going on, scores, all that. Any changes in fixtures will be announced. Student Media are doing amazing coverage, KTV will be doing live streams and InQuire Media will be doing interviews, match reports, photos—covering the whole week.

What is inclusivarsity?

The idea comes from other campaigns we’ve done, promoting inclusivity in Sports. Such as LGBT+, where we’ve done rainbow laces and a Varsity pledge. We want to take a further approach this year in Sport, we are looking at still supporting LGBT+, but also including disability by having disability Varsity matches. We are also, for the first time ever, hosting a trans only swimming session just after Varsity for our trans students, which will create a safe environment for them to feel that they can get involved in Sport as much as anyone else. It’s changing for the better.

Do you think UKC will win the most matches?

Hands down. Not even a question. Quite confident.

Do you have any advice for the students taking part, on pitch or off pitch?

Have as much fun as possible. We do want to win, but it is just a bit of fun at the end of the day. This is the biggest sporting event in the university calendar, you will have all eyes on you, all the university will be behind you. If it’s your last Varsity, hold onto that feeling.

Any messages for CCCU? Be scared.

What is E-Sport Varsity?

This is the gaming part of Varsity. It is a new competition between CCCU and Kent, playing Smash Bros, League of Legends, ect.

There’s suggestions E-Sports will actually become a big thing in Varsity. The events have grown so much in the past twenty years.

It is a great opportunity to do what you love.

What is UKC’s best sporting quality?

The team work. Most clubs play BUCS every Wednesday. As I’ve watched them play, win or lose, they’re there to have a good time.

They are happy to be playing sport. It’s about the pure enjoyment— not taking it too seriously. That’s what drives success.

What was Varsity like in the past?

I refer to the events of 2013/14 as the darker days as I send in a presentation at the student experience awards. We used to have a lot of behaviour issues, due to lack of security, alcohol, less regulations, no code of conduct. We came to a breaking point five years ago where there was graffiti, violence, defacing property and that was the straw that broke the camels back. Since then, we’ve created an operations group between Kent and CCCU where we work together since the summer to combat these issues and avoid them. It has helped to transform Varsity into the event it is now.

There is respect for Sport, and we can look to the future of Varsity.

That’s why we can branch out, run campaigns for change.

What is your one word for Varsity?

One word? Exciting is boring. I am pumped!

Photo by Emily Heath, Head of Photography

Entertainment

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

21

Sorry to Bother You is weird cinema at its finest

W

hen writer and director Boots Riley was asked to sum up Sorry to Bother You, he described it as This sounds frankly pretty

“an absurdist dark comedy; magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing.”

Photo by Annapurna Piuctures

crazy, but it doesn’t even begin to accurately depict how crazy and brilliant it is. The film begins normally enough, in Oakland, California, becoming subtly more and more absurd as it progresses.

The costumes and sets become less and less familiar but increasingly striking, dragging you into this slightly off-kilter world as the incredible colourful and intricate visuals are so immersive and

affecting. Every little thing in a scene at once has meaning and the practical effects are immaculate and at some moments disorientating, which just adds to the film’s overall effect.

Sorry to Bother You is not a horror film, but some moments are so disturbing that a feeling of dread is difficult to shake throughout the film.

This most likely comes from the fact that some of the more horrific aspects of the film’s reality are so close to

home in the current political climate they could just be round the corner, like Worry Free, a company that dresses modern slavery as an easy alternative to life in the film mirroring the treatment of Amazon workers today. The film has so many levels to its political commentary, but you never feel as if you’re being lectured at or ignored, such is the writing of Boots Riley who doesn’t just have his finger on the pulse of society but is examining its

very heart.

Despite its stark political commentary, it is also funny, jokes and visual gags come thick and fast with a few being so quick you could blink and miss them. This will surely warrant many viewings to fully appreciate the film’s full scope when it’s released on DVD or a streaming service. The soundtrack is also a gem in this diamond necklace of a film, written and performed by Riley’s own band The Coup, proving

he really is an all singing and all dancing filmmaker.

I can’t recommend this film enough to anyone and everyone because there is so much to it that it has something for everyone.

If it doesn’t reach its peak popularity now, it is destined to become a cult classic, so get ahead of the curve.

By Emily WebbMortimer Writer

Fyre Festival: the luxury music festival that went down in flames and in history

By Sophia Soliman Writer

F

yre Festival, which was marketed as a luxury music festival on a private island, full of models and elites alike, became notorious as one of the greatest viral scams of 2017.

On 18 January 2019, Netflix released Fyre, rehashing the scandal that led to the six-year imprisonment of a top organizer, multiple lawsuits, and millions of dollars squandered.

The documentary begins with the conception, marketing, and exponential rise of the festival. It was initially created to promote Fyre’s talent booking app. Co-owners of the company, young entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, chose to market it as a music festival for elites, with luxury accommodations, quality food, and an incredible musical lineup. Headlining acts included

Blink-182, Migos, and Major Lazer. Promotional footage featured top models such as Hailey Baldwin, Bella Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski.

The image organisers cultivated was something out of a dream. Instead, festival goers found themselves in a nightmare à la the Grapes of Wrath.

The documentary particularly focuses on the power of influencer-based marketing and the impact they intended their footage to have on the average person. They sought to cultivate an image of exclusivity and luxury while dangling its attainability for the average individual as the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rather than luxury villas, attendees found sopping wet tents set up in a gravel lot.

The tents themselves were leftover shelters from previous hurricane relief. Organ-

isation and information was nonexistent. Rather than the gourmet food that was promised, attendees were treated to slices of cheese on bread.

The image of that meal went viral on Twitter, with thousands watching the disaster of the festival unfold as attendees voiced their anger and dissatisfaction on other

storyline towards the panic among organizers as failure becomes apparent, the event and the social media storm, and the disastrous aftermath.

The central character of the documentary is McFarland, who is currently serving a six-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to fraud earlier this year. Smith paints McFarland as the charismatic conductor of his own destruction as he flippantly Photo by Netflix ignores the warnings of his team members and doggedsocial media platforms. ly pursues a facade of success The festival was quickly and luxury in his quest to “postponed.” Flights were finagle further funds for the then cancelled, attendees festival. inundated the local airport, Interviewees describe Mcand local workers sought Farland as an “operational after the pay they never re- sociopath” whose inherent ceived. charm and incessant posiFollowing the conception tivity allows him to “sell anand marketing stage, Direc- ything.” Among the poignant tor Chris Smith guides the moments in the documen-

tary is event producer Andy King’s recollection of McFarland asking King to “take one for the team” and perform oral sex on a customs agent so as to bypass payment for the import fee for the event’s water supply.

Maryann Rolle, local restaurant owner and last-minute caterer of the event, sat for a tearful interview in which she described the pain and abandonment she felt in the hands of organizers and McFarland. She was forced to spend $50,000 of her own savings to pay the employees who aided her with the event.

Since the documentaries release, she’s posted a GoFundMe page to which sympathetic audiences have donated $211,809 since January 14.

As the film’s tagline boasts, Fyre Festival holds fast the crown of “the greatest party that never happened.”

Puzzles Last Issues’s Crossword Answers Across: 1/10/19 We Built This City, 5 Utah, 8 Gratitude, 9/21 Ava Max, 11 Narcotic, 13 Eighty, 14 Grande, 17 Rotation, 22 Honeycomb, 24 Snap, 25 Chemist.

Down: 1 Wag, 2 Bearing, 3 Iris, 4 Truman, 5 Used Cars, 6 Apart, 7 Hatchery, 10 The Proms, 12 Stitch-up, 15 Nairobi, 16 Cognac, 18 Toxin, 20 Hyde, 23 Bot.

Crossword

Entertainment

7 2 4 9 1 9 3 5 4 8 1 2 3 5 4 7 3 2 5 7 8 4 8 6 5

Across 1. 1862 historical novel adapted for a 2019 BBC series starring David Oyelowo (3,10) 8. Juliette ___, French actor whose films include Non-Fiction (2018) (7) 9/21. A 1974 UK Top 5 single for David Bowie (5,5) 10. A toothless tailless amphibian with a warty skin (4) 11. The state of being out of any regular order; confusion (8) 14. See 7 Down 15. A solitary religious ascetic (6) 18. Drugs containing compounds such as sex hormones and vitamin D (8) 19. A 1978 UK No 1 single for The Vil-

1

2

3

lage People (4) 21. See 9 23. A protein hormone produced in the islets of Langerhans (7) 24. 19th-20thC US literary personality and founding member of the Algonquin Round Table (7,6) Down 1. A large edible crustacean, red when cooked (7) 2. A country in southeastern Asia which achieved independence from Malaysia in 1965 (9) 3. The twelfth part of a foot, equal to 2.54 cm (4) 4. The cover of the organ of sight (6) 5. Channels for broadcasting (8)

4

5

8

6

7

Sudoku Hard

Sudoku Easy

22

7 1

2 5 1 2

9 6

2 3 7

4 5

8

7 4 6 3

9

5

Fun & games Puzzles by Matthew Sapsed

Arrowword Barrack, Get up boo Desire

Smoking gun?

Still

3

Tyler Farr song (3)

Eagle's nest

9

4

4

6. Women’s ___, a movement of active feminists (3) 7/14. Irish author whose book Normal People won the 2019 Costa Book Award (5,6) 12. US actor whose films include Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) (4,5) 13. A rarer Arabic name for the Dead Sea (3,2,3) 16. Meghan ___, US singer whose singles include Just Got Paid (2018) (7) 17. A strange person or thing (6) 18. A scrap, fragment (5) 20. Brimful of ___, a 1997 Cornershop song remixed into a 1998 UK No 1 single (4) 22. A Guy Walks Into A ___, a 2014 Winning over

2 9 7

Side, squad

Smack

Cookie Shut Anger

10

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13 14

15

16

(Traffic) bottleneck

19 20 23

Film

Muslim city Boat of logs

Harvest

18

22

Mix

Untrue

Obtain

17

21

Plant seed

Large wading bird

Golf club

Dry Frozen water Find

Wager Well done!

Tree

24

Brief sleep

Symbol of respect

Average - rule

Science and Technology

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

23

Trump’s wicked wall

By Steven Allain Writer

F

or more than a month, the news has been dominated by the longest USA government shutdown in history. What sparked the shutdown was the lack of funding for Trump’s border wall with Mexico, one of his signature campaign pledges.

The main reason for the construction of a wall is to prevent illegal immigrants and drug smugglers from Mexico entering the USA as easily as they currently can.

This border is not only an important pathway used by people, but by wildlife too. Under the US Endangered Species Act, any construction “permitted, funded, or licensed by any federal agency” must be reviewed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in order to assess its impacts on endangered species.

We have similar laws here in

the UK that helps protect the habitats of animals such as newts, bats, and badgers.

There are more than 650 miles of permanent barriers that already exist along the border, Trump’s wall would see the length of these triple.

The barriers that are already in place cut through sensitive ecosystems and prevent species migration patterns, so there is already some evidence to draw upon. The US Fish and Wildlife Service predict that the construction will directly impact 111 endangered species and 108 species of migratory bird.

Habitats are also at risk including four wildlife refuges including the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and worryingly, an unknown number of protected wetlands. All of this could tip some species over the edge and lead to extinctions.

Due to a quirk in US legislation, the Secretary of Homeland

Security can waive any federal, state, or local protections for the environment to allow such barriers as Trump’s proposed wall.

The jaguar is one of the many species that could be affected by the wall, as well as loss of protection during its construction.

There is only one male jaguar known to inhabit the USA, with the construction of a wall it would certainly spell an end to their existence in the United States.

The construction of a wall to keep out illegal immigrants will also divide a vital corridor used by a plethora of species. From wolves to butterflies and even the USA’s national animal, the bald eagle.

There will also be a loss of jobs and the income nature tourism along the border creates, eroding the rich national heritage of one of the most biodiverse areas in North America.

Photo by tiburi | Pixabay

How much is your personal data worth?

Only $20 according to Facebook

By Emma Leach Science & Technology Editor

A

pple flexed their technological muscles last week and revoked enterprise certificates for Facebook and Google.

The revocation came about after an investigation carried out by TechCrunch found that Facebook had been using the enterprise certificate to gather the personal data of their consumers.

The Apple Developer Enterprise Program allows for companies to privately develop and distribute

Photo by geralt | Pixabay

applications internally to their employees, without having to go through the authorisation process that certifies applications for release on the App Store for consumer use.

TechCrunch found in their investigation that Facebook had used this enterprise certificate to distribute a Facebook Research VPN to consumers. The sideloaded application allowed Facebook to continuously gather a variety of sensitive information which covered: browsing history, location history, application usage, contents of instant

messaging, texts and emails, and photos/videos sent to contacts. All of this information was gathered in the background, in exchange for $20 in gift certificates a month.

Apple has long been openly critical of Facebook’s gathering of personal information, having previously banned Facebook’s Onavo Protect application which carried out similar activities under the guise of adding data protection to your phone.

Apple were quick to revoke the certificate following the TechCrunch investigation. The certificate was revoked for what amounted to two working days, but reportedly caused chaos as none of their in-house applications worked without the certificate. It later transpired that Google had done the same with their Screenwise Meter application, leading to their enterprise certificate also being revoked.

Both companies have now had their certificates reinstated within a couple of days, but the whole debacle sheds a new light on how our personal data is being handled, and potentially mistreated by tech giants. It demonstrates how thirsty they are for our personal data, and just how little they manage to pay to gain every last scrap of it.

How it works: Woodpeckers Why woodpeckers are the most metal in the avian world

By Emma Leach Science and Technology Editor

W

oodpeckers would make wonderful head-banging heavy metal fans, banging their beaks against trees thousands of times a day in excess of 10 miles an hour. So how come they aren’t permanently concussed?

Impacts over 80-100 g-force tends to be the range that humans start to experience brain damage, woodpeckers experience forces 1,000 times that of gravity.

The secret lies in the structure of their skull. The bone surrounding the small, smooth brain is spongy, acting as a cushion. Another bone called the hyoid bone, an attachment for the tongue, extends far back into the skull wrapping around it, sometimes as far as the nasal cavity or eye socket. It is thought that this acts as a cradle for the skull, reducing shock and rattling.

In addition to this, woodpeckers have also developed a membrane covering their eye sometimes compared to a third eyelid. A fraction of a second before impact, this membrane closes over the eye, literally stopping the eyeball from ejecting from the skull with the force of impact, and protecting the eye from any resultant debris. What could be more metal than that?

Do you have a pressing question about how something works? Email newspaper.science@inquiremedia.co.uk and you might see an answer in the next edition of InQuire.

24

Culture

Arts

Five highlights of traditional

Palestinian culture

By Timea Koppandi Arts Sub-Editor

the fractures, neighbours would form in a line and start stomping their feet while walking on the roof, evening out the mud and covering the cracks. This tradition not only inspired a dance that would become part of their tradition, but also solidified the importance of family and community within Arab cultures. For Palestinians, the Dabke is a form of narrative that strengthens and reminds them of their identity and shared experiences.

A

ny conversation about Palestine often turns into a conversation about the Israel-Palestine conflict and the many elements that contribute to it. This unfortunately means that many of Palestine’s interesting cultural traditions are overshadowed by political debates. How much do we actually know about Palestinian culture outside of its conflict? Having very little knowledge of the country myself, I decided to ask a Palestinian what his top five cultural traditions were:

Anette Skomsøy | Flickr

1. Keffiyeh

The Keffiyeh is headwear, typically made from mixed cotton and wool, which has black threaded patterns sewn on its white base. This tradition began during the Arab revolt in the 1930s, rose in popularity in 1960, and has since been associated with the Palestinian resistance movement. It is now viewed as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

2. The Dabke dance

Traditionally performed at weddings, the Dabke dance it is said to originate from the Levant region (today it can be roughly placed around Syria).

The Dabke, one of the oldest dances, is originally a Phoenician dance, and has inspired many other folk dances that are also performed in Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and by some Quasi-Bedouin tribes. The Dabke dance based on the seasonal weather change that all these regions experience. Usually the roofs of their houses were flat and made from tree branches and topped with mud. When the weather began to change, the mud would crack. To combat

3. Olive trees

Even though olive trees are popularly associated with Greek culture, Palestine has some of the world’s oldest olive trees dating back 4,000 years. The olive tree retains tremendous socio-economic significance to the Palestinians. Due to the harsh conditions that the trees grow in (draught and poor soil conditions), they represent the Palestinian resistance and resilience. It also bears familial import, as most of the olive trees in Gaza and West Bank are passed on from generation to generation.

4. Maqloubah 1789Photography | Flickr

This is a very popular Palestinian dish. It consists of vegetables, such as fried tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and eggplant, all of which are accompanied by either chicken or lamb and are carefully placed in a pot and cooked in layers. The casserole is then flipped, so that the bottom layers are facing the top. It is garnished with pine nuts and freshly-chopped parsley and served with salad and fresh yoghurt.

5. Kanafeh

Qing Qing Wu | Flickr

Nicknamed ‘the sweetheart of the Middle East’, the Kanafeh is a traditional dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry that is soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup, and typically layered with cheese or with clotted cream and nuts (depending on the region).

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire

Books

Culture

‘Insta-poetry’?

R

25

By Paru Rai Books Sub-Editor

upi Kaur’s rise to fame is a fascinating story, both inspirational and controversial.

She first gained popularity on social media as she posted her poems on Instagram and Tumblr. Eventually, she released her first self-published anthology Milk and Honey (2014), which went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. With her trademark style and form of writing, along with self-drawn illustrations that provide visual representations of her poems, she has been thrust into the midst of mainstream uproar.

While she has plenty of fans, however, there are those that dismiss her work as pseudo-intellectual, superficial, and amateur.

Essentially, this backlash has sparked a debate on poetry as a high art form, and whether or not this new wave of ‘insta-poets’ can be taken seriously in the literary world. Does her poems’ simplicity and accessibility make it mediocre? One of the reasons for her success is that her poems explore themes of femininity, ethnicity, and love. It is honest, touching,

and most of all a relatable text.

Her poems say things that people need to hear, especially for women and people of colour.

As a young Punjabi woman, she often writes about the struggles of women of colour: “Our backs tell stories / no books have the spine to carry”.

Her work is available to anyone online, with her large presence on social media. Unfortunately, this aspect of her success is where a lot of the criticism stems from, especially on the instant-gratification or ‘dumbing down’ of intellectual material online. It is a pity that people still scorn the evident power of social media, because if her words speak to someone, anyone, even just one person, and helps them in any way, then her purpose as a poet and artist is justified.

Ultimately, this whole debate relates to a much wider issue on high-brow and lowbrow liteature. This outrage harks back centuries as even the great of the past, in all forms of entertainment, have always faced this peculiar criticism of being too accessible.

Some of the most celebrated authors of all time e.g. Shakespeare and Dickens, wrote for the mass public and with the intent to entertain. Not to compare Kaur to these authors, but they are tied to the same critical narrative: where you take something that is widely enjoyed, and bash it on the basis of its popularity.

The traditional high-brow literary canon should be appreciated and lauded for its genius. However, readability does not undermine the content of the work. Sometimes the simplest words are the most impactful.

In short, let people read what they want to read.

If it brings joy, comfort and hope to someone, why start discussing its literary merit? Poetry should resonate with people, no matter how technical or beautifully written, it is nothing if it does not move you.

In this day and age, where few people are willing to pick up a book, it is something to celebrate that Rupi Kaur has sparked an interest in poetry again for the new generation.

Join Kent Sport on Thursday 14 February and get 20% off student membership.

Buy online at kent.ac.uk/sports/membership or at the Sports Centre and Pavilion receptions. *Discount price only available for purchase until 11.59pm on 14 February. From 15 February Gold £164, Silver £140. Memberships bought on 14 February are valid until 31 August 2019. See full terms and conditions online.

Book Review:

The Turn of the Screw

H

enry James’s The Turn of the Screw embodies a classic Victorian ghost story, however, with its subtle shades of controversy it seems to be a story rooted in the homosexual repression of a child.

Henry James cleverly forms a connection between the reader and the few characters that fill the pages. A young woman arrives at Bly, an isolated country-home in Essex, to care for two children, Miles and Flora. The Governess herself is an unwavering but likeable force in the novel. It is perhaps her courage, that mostly frames her as the ideal heroine of the narrative, and her consistency is well-crafted by James.

The unnervingly polite young Miles seems to be the real anchor of the novel, manifesting himself in the ghost-like figures of the two previously deceased residents of the household. James holds off on providing a definitive image of Miles, and this works well with the uncertain nature of the book as we are never quite sure if he is innocent or possessed. The only problem with this uncertainty is that it can be hard to form a real bond with the characters in the plot. Readers don’t tend to want to set themselves up for disappointment unless this somehow drives the plot forward. It is perhaps this open-endedness that can leave the reader feeling frustrated.

I admit I too found myself mystified by the final sentence and by the end I felt the need to investigate what really had happened. Whilst I found this an alluring way to encourage the reader to be sucked in, I can imagine that this might feel a little tedious for other readers, especially those who might not be used to the superfluous language of the Classics. This exclusive attitude does add a tinge of snootiness to the text and I believe that it is only really on a second reading where James’s work can be fully appreciated.

For the most part, James cleverly avoids alienating his readers through his provoking dialogue.

Whilst you might be tempted to close this book and start on another less arduous one, I would recommend you read it. I only suggest that if you do start reading The Turn of the Screw, you should definitely try and finish it. It is after all the ending that holds the most mystery.

By Fabienne Gladwin Writer

jeffsmallwood jeffsmallwood||Flickr Flickr

Culture

UKC K-pop Dance Society: Place highly in national competition

A visit to the Opera

26

Arts

“As you open the door, you are entering one of the most beautiful rooms you will have ever set foot in. Every inch of the ceiling is covered in some sort of detail, whether it be gilt, or a complex engraving—it is mesmerizing.”

W

UKC K-Pop Dance Society| Facebook

By Alejandro Javierre News Sub-Editor

D

espite the society being formed late last year, the K-pop Dance Society recently attended their first National competition and achieved a perfect score of 210 points—the only perfect score given throughout the competition.

The group attended the K-Pop University Nationals hosted at Reading University, where 17 Universities competed, with two teams from UKC K-pop—one male and one female group of 12 performers for the two competitions.

The competition assesses a single performance of a synchronized dance to a K-pop song based on 5 criteria: ‘synchronization’, ‘visual effects’, ‘performance vale’, ‘technique’, and finally an overall score.

In the girl-group competition, the UKC girls’ team, called KLASS, came top of their category with a perfect score, followed by a team from Coventry University coming in second, and a group from Edinburgh University coming in at third place.

The boy group did not score in the top 3 for their category, however, they still achieved a respectable 178.5 for their performance from the 3 judges in the competition.

The K-pop dance society president, Rachel Yeung, said “We got a lot of comments on our chemistry and our teamwork” from the judges.

“Overall, we practiced around 20 hours a week”.

One member of the K-pop girls’ group said: “Even though the girl group performed amazingly, we cannot ignore the hard work and dedication of the performers in our boy group team.”

UKC K-pop Dance Society is open to anyone interested in K-pop dancing, and has a public Instagram and Facebook page.

hile opera was a leading form of entertainment throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, it seems to have dwindled out of fashion in the modern age, particularly amongst the younger generations.

Whether because it is stereotypically seen as a form of entertainment for the more privileged half of society, or because that likeness and familiarity with classical music has been replaced for a love of Cuban DJs on a Friday night, I cannot quite say; but, after having recently watched Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Queen of Spades’ at the Royal Opera House in London, I would genuinely encourage any millennial to try it.

Situated in the middle of Covent Garden, The Royal Opera House is one of the most atmospheric venues in England.

As you enter the building you will begin to see men in black and white suits and women in beautiful dresses, however, the ticket prices do not reflect this with the cheaper options being available for around £15-£20.

You could easily spend hundreds of pounds if you really wanted to, and while the royal box probably does have a lot to offer, the brilliance of the shows are not wasted on the higher seated audience members as they get a spectacular view of the orchestra as well as engaging in everything that is happening on stage.

I probably spent more on champagne than I did on the tickets in the end. As the man’s voice announces that the show will be starting in ten minutes, you begin to make your way up and round to your seats. As you open the door, you are entering one of the most beautiful rooms you will have ever set foot in. Every inch of the ceiling is covered in some sort of detail, whether it be gilt, or some sort of engraving—it is mesmerizing.

As the lights dim, you are hit by the sounds of a perfectly timed orchestra.

The music is beautiful and you are transformed into the piece on stage as characters begin to appear and it all becomes one. Despite them singing in different languages (in my case Russian) there are subtitles for everyone.

‘The Queen of Spades’ offers a tragic love story which challenges the beauty of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, making almost everyone want to cry. When the actors take their final bow, you are hit with the realisation that you did not expect to enjoy the opera as much as you actually did.

By Erin Frost Writer

Wikimedia Commons

Friday 8 February 2019 InQuire 27

Music that celebrates nature:

What’s on...

Jessica Lauren is bringing her band to the Gulbenkian

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T

By Kateryna Slobodian Gulbenkian Correspondent

his spring the Gulbenkian will present a special treat for Canterbury music lovers, flavoured with world adventures, animal energy, empowerment, and strength driven from the nature. I spoke to Jessica Lauren, local musician from Margate and a leader of Naga Five about their group’s visit to the Gulbenkian, sources of inspiration and jazz.

Hello Jessica! Can you introduce yourself to InQuire readers?

Hello, my name is Jessica Lauren. I am a musician, I play piano, I compose music and I play with lots of different projects, but I have my own band as well.

I live in Margate, but like lots of people, I am DFL [down from London] and I came from East London a couple of years ago. I am with a label called Freestyle Records and we are coming to the Gulbenkian on 1 March. We are a five-piece band called The Naga Five.

We have percussion drums, double basses (I am playing keyboard and some percussion).

We have a special guest – woodwind player – Josephine Davies, who is joining us on saxophone and flute. I am very excited about that. We will be playing music from my album ‘Almeria’.

Naga Five is your band name, is there a special story behind the name?

Well, I really like chili pepper and very hot, spicy food. I have chilis in my bag always. So I thought I’d call it The Naga Five. The Naga is not only a very hot Indian chili, but is also a five headed cobra snake that is a God in Indian culture—the five heads are like each of us in the band.

What inspires you to write music?

I love music. I listen very widely to all sorts of different music. The album that we will be playing is actually an album that is a ‘love letter’ to the world. There is one tune about the Sahara Desert, there is another tune, Simba Jike, that is about a lioness. It’s got the energy of the pride of a lioness that her cubs. It’s like a musical version of David Attenborough.

Another tune is like driving along the coast in Italy, in a convertible car, with the sun sparkling on the sea. I am trying to take people to a magical space and give them experience of different atmospheres. There are lots of musical effects we will be using to reflect that.

It is not just about playing—when Josephine plays Simba Jike, it’s not just about her playing a saxophone solo, she is actually trying to be a lioness.

P h ot o

b y Je s s i c a L a u r e n

Why did you focus on the lioness?

People think that the lion is the boss of the pride; but actually, the male lion does not hang around much. He comes in to steal dinner, when women have done all of the hunting. He will steal the best bits until he had enough, and then will allow the women to have what is left.

After that, he may wander off on his own, perhaps giving the other guys a hard time. Later, he might come back to have his way with lioness, making sure his genes are passed on.

But, to be honest, the women are running everything— raising the children, hunting for the food, caring for the pride.

So, it felt important to represent the women of lion prides.

Simba Jike represents powerful female energy and we imagined and had photos of lionesses all around the studio when working on this tune.

I saw that everyone was closing eyes and imagining

lionesses taking shelter from the sun at midday after the hunt, cubs playing—it was such a wonderful image. Also, everyone who played on the album got a little toy lioness by their instrument. Here is mine (Jessica shows her toy lioness). It helped to be making the album in a heat wave in Ramsgate, instead of in the middle of winter. Hopefully, it brings a lot of warmth and we really need warmth at this time of the year.

This is your first time at the Gulbenkian. What is your impression of the place?

I am really excited to be coming!

I love campuses like this, I love the vibe, and ‘buzziness’. I also like the theatre, it is a very nice place to play in.

And, as I want my music to be accessible and not elite in any way, I want kids to be able to enjoy the music too, I want it to be for everybody. I want jazz fans to like it, but those who don’t necessarily listen to Jazz will enjoy it too. We really try to make it fun and interesting and everyone will be looking like pirates! I really love that when everyone in the band looks wicked, it makes me laugh and it makes me happy and proud. There’s lots to look out for.

Photo by Jessica Lauren

28

Varsity Photoshoot Our Head of Photography, Emily Heath, took the photos for this edition. She is a freelance photographer that specialises in portraiture and fashion editorials. She is working, and has worked, with agencies across the UK, including Savalas Models Newcastle, Nemesis Manchester, and First Models London. She has also had 3 photos published in Vogue Italia. Instagram: @emheath.photo

Friday 4 March 2016 InQuire

29

Do you want to be a journalist?

Introducing the Centre for Journalism’s new Year in Journalism programme

A NOTE FROM THE INQUIRE EDITORIAL TEAM:

This is an advertisement edited, written and designed

by Kent Union

How does the Year in Journalism fit into my existing degree studies?

A new programme exclusively for University of Kent students Would you like to learn the skills you need to challenge fake news and get work in a twenty first century newsroom?

Now, Kent’s award-winning Centre for Journalism is pleased to offer the Year in Journalism.

This freestanding, self-contained year, is open to students from other Schools in the University and can be taken after stage two or three (that is, between your second and final year, or after your final year).

Journalism is more than an exciting and glamorous occupation.

At its best, by informing what millions believe, holding power to account and challenging injustice, it reinforces the most cherished values of democratic societies.

The Year in Journalism is suitable for you if...

• You are a current Kent undergraduate • You are fascinated by current affairs • You want to have a career as a professional, multimedia reporter • You want to earn a valuable professional qualification • You would like to get real work experience including the opportunity to work as an intern at KMTV, the commercial television station for Kent

EXCLUSIVE:There is such thing as a free lunch Enjoy free lunch with staff and students from the Centre for Journalism at one of our kickstart lunches on Thursday, 28th February 2019 or Thursday, 7th March 2019 in the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer.

Come and join us at any time between 12:30 and 15:00 for a chat about the Year in Journalism with our team.

Book your place at the kickstart lunch by emailing journalism@kent.ac.uk

During the year, you will work exclusively within the Centre for Journalism on the Medway campus. You will learn in a live newsroom environment, complete with dedicated radio and television studios.

Your tutors will include working reporters, former editors of national newspapers and specialist correspondents.

You will study for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Diploma in Journalism. This professional qualification is the passport to a career in journalism. You will then return to your home School and graduate with your current degree title augmented with the words with a Year in Journalism.

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