Six Magazine - Winter Edition January 2024

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MAGAZINE

BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

TV Film Sport Culture Creative Writing Reviews Games

WINTER 23/24

EDITORIAL

Dear Reader,

What you’re about to read is the collective efforts of a group of college students stuffed in a classroom once a week, fuelled on the best hot drinks the S6F canteen has to offer. We’ve spent the past term writing like our lives depended on it; what you are holding is the final result, the fruits of our labour.

As a student-run magazine, we were somewhat tentatively given complete control of what to write. Apart from the odd edit here and there where we went a bit over the top, this is our voice as students. We’ve got every article an S6F-er could desire. Worried about uni?

You’re covered. Struggling under the cost-of-living crisis? We’ve got you sorted. Want to read a long-winded rant about the new Napoleon film? You’re in the right place baby, as all of those (and many more) can be found with just the turn of a page. They don’t get this kind of stuff at Scarborough TEC, let me tell you that.

So sit back, relax, and read away. We hope from the bottom of our frankly exhausted hearts that you enjoy reading this as much as we did writing it. It’s been a real pleasure.

Theo Drayton, Editor

Writers

Extra Help

Professional Assistance

Art & Design

Molly Murphy

Terri-Ann Barnes

Caroline Willder

Tallulah Mackenzie

Miles Andrijevska

Ollie Barnes

Tania Exley-Moore

Sophie Lancaster

Ruth Drayton

Trinity Knowles

Abbie Backhouse

Mia Warrener

Richard Milburn

Theo Drayton Joshua Brownbridge Lori Flanagan

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Review by Molly Murphy Dominated by glamour, humour and outstanding theatrics, the college drama department put on a magnificent performance of ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ at the YMCA theatre. With a sequence of charismatic choreography coupled with spectacular songs, the performance received a magnitude of applause at every opportunity. The plot follows the enthusiastic sixteen-year-old Jamie New (Dylan Preddle) as he struts after his dream career: being a drag queen. With the unwavering support of his best friend Pritti (Madie Wheeler) he must outshine all obstacles that aim to take the spotlight off him, such as Dean (Will Ireland) taunting him daily and Miss Hedge (Liv Miller) constantly reminding him to keep it real.

With commendable performances throughout, it is evident that each and every person involved put their best foot forward. With incredible chemistry between the cast, it was not all that difficult to imagine that we, the audience, were transported back into secondary school alongside the characters: plagued by upcoming exams, ecstatic about the extravagant prom, and daunted by the reality of finding ‘a real job’. All of the authentic aspects of Year 11.

Abbie Backhouse, who portrayed Margaret New, emphasised how “Myself and the whole cast absolutely loved performing ‘Jamie’ and the response we got from it has been beyond amazing. I couldn’t be prouder of the show as we all really felt like a family and the support we all gave each other was amazing. Can’t wait to see what’s next”. It is evident that the whole cast thoroughly enjoyed putting on the performance and have come out of it with positive memories, as did many who watched the fabulous show.

The daring drag queens, Loco Chanel (Matthew Davies), Sandra Bollock (Max Griffiths), Laika Virgin (Phoebe Cheshire), and Tray Sophisticay (Keane Liley) delivered a sequence of spectacular songs, including ‘Loco Chanel’ which was executed flawlessly. It was magical watching Jamie develop from a hesitant young boy to a fearless drag queen (Mimi Me) under the tutelage of the legendary Loco Chanel.

Overall, the performance was a theatrical masterpiece and completely deserved all of the praise that it received. To reiterate, all people who contributed to the show must be commended for their exhaustive efforts regarding the exquisite quality of the choreography and songs.

The Highlights of 2023 2023 was a year of highs and lows. We saw new monarchs, new relationships, and everything in between – the list is really endless. Apart from this list. Which does end.

10. King’s Coronation: May It’s not every day that a new monarch is crowned. In May of this year the UK controversially crowned King Charles III as the new monarch and the nation was treated to over an hour of boring royal tradition and monotone speeches.

However, we did get an extra-long weekend as a result!!

9. Eurovision: May The famous song contest made its reappearance for the 67th time. This time, it was in Liverpool.

Despite it not being the most glamorous of cities, it was still a spectacle and is one of the few things we get to look forward to every year. It saw Sweden take victory, just in time for ABBA’s fiftieth anniversary.

8. Daniel Khalife’s Escapade: September The UK was treated to about four days of action-packed drama as the national news followed inmate Daniel Khalife’s exhilarating escape from Wandsworth Prison. It was four days of nonstop excitement for the citizens of the UK as the alleged terrorist was running rampant across the country. The ninth of September came and we all thought he’d be halfway across the world in Peru or something… but alas he’d gotten as far as Chiswick.

7. Women’s World Cup: August Off the back of England’s Euro 2022 win, it’s fair to say the nation was filled with a little bit of excitement heading into the biggest stage of women’s football: the World Cup. The country got behind Wiegman’s team as they took themselves to the final. Spain clinched victory with a 1-0 scoreline, however the headlines weren’t celebrating Spain’s success or commiserating England’s defeat. Instead, all eyes were on Luis Rubiales, former president of the Spanish Football Federation, who took it upon himself to kiss Jenni Hermoso at the end of the game. She came out and insisted that she ‘did not enjoy it’ and felt she was ‘not respected’ as she never consented to the kiss. It highlighted the continued sexism still present in the women’s game.

6. Donald Trump’s Arrest: August The world was treated to a classic example of karma as former US president, Donald Trump, was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia on charges of plotting to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. Even as he’s fading from the spotlight, he manages to find a way to keep himself relevant. This time, he did so by being arrested – and not for the sexual misconduct allegations made against him by several women over the years.

5. David Cameron’s Return: November We’re in no position to laugh at America’s political decisions when David Cameron managed to claw his way back to frontline politics this November. Somehow, the man that initiated Brexit, which is a major factor in most of Britain’s problems even to this day, is back in power. And it’s not as if he’s in charge of defence or health or home affairs. No, he’s our new Foreign Secretary.

4. Prince Harry’s Book: January At the very start of the year, Prince Harry’s memoir hit the shelves. He’s been at the heart of the British media for the last few years, so it’s only fair that he’d have a shot at telling his side of the story. Unfortunately, the book was described as quite tasteless and there were a few lines in it that could probably be considered a bit TMI – you know the ones.

3. The Titanic Submersible: June One of the more unusual things to happen this year was the journey of Titan. It was a submersible designed to take paying customers down to view the wreck of the Titanic. Naturally, there was a small fee of a quarter of a million dollars to pay if you wanted to take part. But people were willing to pay. On its first planned dive, filled with millionaires, it began its descent on the 18 of June.

Shortly afterward it began its fated descent, contact was lost. Fears were not allayed when the submersible did not return at its planned time. Extensive searches were conducted in hopes of finding the lost Titan, but just four days later, it was concluded that it had imploded, killing all five occupants.

2. Barbenheimer: July Barbenheimer was one of this year’s biggest pop culture moments. It refers to the simultaneous release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. They were this year’s summer blockbusters and each were roaring successes. It has been a long time since cinema has taken such a prominent role in the media and it was very exciting in the world of film. But the fun isn’t over yet: it’s safe to say we can expect much more Barbenheimer action at the 2024 Academy Awards.

1. Timothée Chalamet & Kylie Jenner: April What more do we have to say? Who could have seen this celebrity pair coming? Two of the most famous people in the modern era and they’ve managed to keep this rumoured romance fairly private. But we all know how the media is when it comes to love – they’ll find their way in somehow.

So, 2023 was a year filled with shocking, confusing and questionable moments. And hopefully 2024 will be filled with many more!

By Trinity Knowles & Mia Warrener

GIVING THEM A STAGE HOW ITV HAS MONETISED FACISM

By Theo Drayton

To some, any programme featuring Ant and Dec is instantly a certified British staple, and no more so than in I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. Every year we see a new troupe of debatably famous, most cash-hungry stars take to the jungle and complete various grotesque tasks in a manic bid to win back the stardom they once had. It’s basically like low-brow Strictly.

And in recent years ITV have upped the ante by finding disgraced politicians to run the jungle gauntlet, because if there’s one thing the British love more than quality telly, it’s seeing someone in power get their comeuppance. With Matt Hancock, the infamous lockdown chieftain with questionable marital morals, reaching the finale last year, the Board of Directors at the top of Channel 3 have stepped up even further; this year, it’s none other than Nigel Farage in the limelight.

The architect of Brexit announced he was going to appear on the show earlier this year, to a level of public excitement that can only be described as non-existent. Almost instantly, Farage made it clear he was in it almost solely for the money – a record £1.5 million, according to most sources – and has laughed off his appearance with seemingly good humour, though I assume that it’s easy to laugh away embarrassment knowing you’re leaving a million pounds richer. Nigel’s commitment to tasks cannot be knocked, with an almost unending optimism and willingness to “take one for the team” almost – almost – earning him the respect of his fellow campers.

Do not let this jovial, teamwork-oriented side that he shows the cameras fool you; Nigel Farage is objectively a bad man, having built a career off of hatemongering and making himself the people’s champion of xenophobia. Arriving all reptilian smiles and fame-hungry control, Nigel beat the others to bringing up his controversy: “I’m a villain to some, a hero to others,” he said, making the split sound almost even. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it isn’t quite the 52-48 you’re used to, mate.

But this article shouldn’t be about Farage himself. We’ve all heard of him, though may wish we hadn’t; this is about the evil taking place higher up.

The fact that ITV, one of the most reputable broadcasting companies in the UK – second only to the BBC, realistically (which you can read about in my other article; I’ve really found my niche) – are giving this racist wretch of a man a stage to stand on, a platform to fun-wash his past twenty-five years of divisive hate speech, is utterly despicable. To monetise a man who has spent his career attempting to essentially cleanse Britain of all immigrants is questionable; to broadcast him defending his views and explaining his thoughts on one of the most watched shows in the country is completely unforgivable. You wouldn’t see Heinrich Himmler picking out his boxes on Deal or No Deal, or Benito Mussolini whipping up a spectacular ganache on Bake Off. The solution is simple; ITV need to stop giving a podium to such abhorrent people, and start thinking of the greater good over the ratings. Look at companies like Hugo Boss and Disney – affiliations with racist, fascist figures have tarnished their past.

The men and women at the top of ITV need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide which side of history they’d rather be on.

Whatever happened to the Manic

Clementine, Ramona, and Summer, in full pixie glory

Once upon a time, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl was a staple of any romantic comedy or love story, popping up their ditzy head whenever an optimistic mood lightener or a headache for the audience was needed. Now, however, an MPDG is a rare find, lost to time and harsh criticism. So where did they go?

First, for those of us who don’t spend their weekends watching terrible 2000s romcoms, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl is the typical female love interest of any dark brooding male lead; the one-dimensional bundle of energy there for the eccentric quirkiness and not so much the character development. Why flesh out a backstory when there’s so much to do, so much to see!?!

The best examples of an MPDG in action are such characters as Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim or Clemetine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; empty, undeveloped cardboard cutouts there to guide the male lead on a spiritual journey to happiness while maybe inducing a migraine.

Don’t get me wrong, these unabashedly girly girls are completely necessary and needed for the plotlines to progress – but was there really no time to flesh them out even a little?

And it’s not just girls: the Manic Pixie Dream Boy is also a thing. Just look at Gus from The Fault in Our Stars or Jack from Titanic – say what you like about the trope, but it does not discriminate. Marc Webb, director of 500

Pixie Dream Girls?

Days of Summer, talks about his own creation of an MPDG, Zooey Deschanel’s character of Summer. Deschanel, a repeat offender of playing the energetic ball of idiosyncrasies and hair dye (see Failure to Launch, 2009, Elf…), plays, in Webb’s own words, an ‘immature view’ of a woman. “Summer's not a girl,” he explains, “she's a phase.”

So where did they all go? The trope, if cliché, was incredibly popular and almost revered among early 2000s rom-coms and dramas.

What went wrong?

The sad truth is that the exposure and popularity of the MPDG was also its downfall.

The sheer amount of criticism was too much to possibly validate continuing use of the archetype – with critics and viewers alike comparing the trope to a modern damsel in distress, and highlighting the surface-level sexism at play, the age of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl was over.

It should be kept in mind that I personally have nothing against the idea of an MPDG; while I can understand the reasons for their downfall, films and books which contain such a character are not bad or flawed – Eternal Sunshine and TFIOS are both wonderful, wonderful experiences. Just got to take them with a pinch of salt, and probably two paracetamol.

By Theo Drayton

SIX’s TOP 6 ALBUMS OF 2023 Mac Demarco – One Wayne G

An all-time favourite to many. You may recognise him from songs on his album “This Old Dog”, however he surpassed many expectations last year by releasing 3 albums. Notably I would have to mention one that took us all by storm, “One Wayne G”, consisting of a whopping 199 tracks and a running time of over 9 hours. All of these tracks are previous demos dating back to 2018, allowing us to finally take a glimpse at Demarco’s unique and evolving process. Some of the best tracks in my opinion are ‘20190724’, ‘20230114’, ‘20201231” and ‘20210215 Ball For The Coach’.

Sufjan Stevens – Javelin

The master of all music returned twice in 2023, gathering sounds that recalls his earlier, intimate days as a songwriter. But it also drew on his lifelong inquiries on love and devotion after the passing of his partner. You can tell that every aspect of his songs are devoted to the meaning of the album, and in this case it depicts his long and loving relationship with the hushed longing of his voice, and the romantic sweep of his acoustic instrumentation. However, you may want to leave this one for a night you really feel like crying.

Lana del Ray – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?

The singer-songwriter’s ninth album arrived early last year on March 24th. The album came as a sweeping, confounding work-in-progress, full of thoughtful lyrics and loud interruptions. This self-made emblem of female vulnerability took over many people’s lives, with insatiable songs such as ‘Paris, Texas’, ‘Let the Light in’ and ‘A&W’, and noteworthy mention of ‘Grandfather, please stand on the shoulders of my father, while he’s deep-sea fishing’. A mustlisten hit.

Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

After contemplating retirement, Mitski returned with a new sound ready to show the world. The turmoil she felt for the world with Laurel Hell has evidently subsided and has come forward with an imagination that turns fireflies into stars, exploring themes of love, loss, over-indulgence and the raw reality of change. For the first time, it seems as though she has space to breathe, and is in a place of contentment in her life. It is truly refreshing to see a change within this 11 song and 32-minute album, with the notable tracks Heaven, I’m Your Man and My Love Mine All Mine.

Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume

The artist began their career in the world of experimental noise, and landed early last year with an art-rock, richly detailed album that feels like a culmination of all their escalating talents and ambitions. In 2017, the artist said that they “only want to make hits” and they have certainly achieved that this year.

Boygenius- the record

Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julian Baker coming together to produce their debut record, amplifying each of their songwriting and musical talent, and enriching the detail to heighten this emotional journey. This was longawaited for many years, and finally arrived on the 31st of March with 12 songs totalling up to 42 minutes.

By Miles Andrijevska

A BITTER DEFEAT Napoleon proves to be Ridley Scott’s own personal Waterloo A black screen. Words fade up out of the mist: France, 1789. A beautiful panoramic shot.

Marie Antoinette is taken up to the guillotine, a picture of melancholic apathy in the face of her fate. Peasants crowd round in painstakingly recreated costumes. The executioner looks down with a sneer, and the blade falls. A nearperfect opening scene.

Except Marie Antoinette didn’t die in 1789. She died in 1793. I can google that in literally seven seconds.

Historic inaccuracy is really something that has no place in blockbuster biopics; after the surgeon’s precision of Oppenheimer earlier this year, Napoleon had a lot to live up to, and suffice to say it did not provide. From the simple problems such as lack of a clear score, to more glaring issues such as, oh I don’t know, no mention of the Battle of Trafalgar, I found quite a few problems with the film, and a lot more than you’d expect from a $200 million budget.

But first, the good things. Joesphine, played by the wonderful Vanessa Kirby, stuns; while having Napoleon’s ex-wife take up maybe a third of the screen time is not a decision I would personally have made, she is definitely the silver lining of the entire thing, bringing some much-needed humour and emotion to the role.

The costume design is also laudable; clearly someone was doing their research, even if whoever was in charge of the subtitles wasn’t.

And that’s it. Those are the only two things I can compliment. And I’m actually trying to be positive here.

I could go full history geek here and pick apart every single minute detail, but it would be much easier (and I dare say far more enjoyable for

you) to focus on the more obvious problems; and god knows there are a few. The main issue, in my opinion, was Napoleon himself. Joaquin Phoenix was perfect in Joker, but the Emperor of France is a very different character, and it seems Mr Phoenix was not told this, as he mumbled through his lines in the same American drawl as he used for the clown prince of crime, with a manic awkwardness akin to that of a five-year-old with no developed social skills. Bonaparte as history shows him is a charismatic force able to mould a country to his very whim in a way no other leader has quite managed since. Phoenix decided to shun this image, instead giving us a socially anxious pervert whose only concern was siring an heir.

This side of the leader is the focus of the film: the marital, the romantic, the familial. And while this does give an insight into the inner machinations of the consul, I feel like showing just four battles, and five – count ‘em, FIVE – garishly aggressive sex scenes is a bit much.

The Frenchman was known for his military genius and tactical prowess, not for whimpering and stamping because he wanted another vicious bout of intercourse.

Overall, while its clear that the filmmakers put a lot of work into the movie, it does seem like they are lacking in certain key areas; actual historical factchecking, for example. What it does well, it does very well – but those are few and far between, and difficult to pick out when everything else is so laughable.

By Theo Drayton

TURN IT OFF LOVE! THE DECLINE OF THE BBC The BBC has been a staple of the British people for decades. Celebrating its centenary last year, the BBC as we know it now is the result of years of technological development and change; yet in 2023, it could be these very changes which bring about its downfall.

It’s no surprise that viewer counts for TV are dropping. With the age of streaming services well underway, TV seems irrelevant when there is so much more content available, more than could ever be found on the telly and so much easier to access. A TV licence costs around £160 – for this, you can get months of Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and any other streaming service you could want. Plus you need a VCR, a DVD player, and don’t get me started on the TV itself… The high cost compared to the low gain has led to TV declining over the past few years, and no organisation has been hit harder than the British Broadcasting Corporation.

In the past 5 years, the BBC’s viewership has dropped hugely – according to Statista, in 2018 around 70% of the British public watched some form of BBC entertainment; nowadays, that number has dropped to a half. The relaunch of BBC3 last year saw only a quarter of its viewership from 2016 return to watching, and the average amount of watchers in BBC1 primetime is now 6 million – just twenty years ago, any show with under 10 million would be deemed a failure.

Now, it’s easy to blame the rise of tech and dismiss the BBC’s troubles as the result of the march of progress. However, I believe that the true reason places much more blame on the channel themselves: recently, the BBC has simply given up.

Take Strictly Come Dancing, for example. In the 2010s, Strictly was one of the biggest shows there was. It would regularly make the rounds in magazines and news outlets due to a mixture of great publicity and certain celebs’ questionable romantic choices. It seemed as if everybody watched Strictly; yet today, it seems to have been swept under the rug, old and

forgotten.

With only one of the “original” judges left, and being regarded as The newest BBC ploy; Strictly, the a last resort Professionals will hit screens for out-ofwork actors later in 2024. who have bills to pay, Strictly simply doesn’t have the allure it once did.

And the BBC isn’t just losing its adult audience. YouTube and TikTok have stolen away many younger viewers, resulting in the heartbreaking news that CBBC will soon be discontinued. By 2025, the channel is set to be moved online, with childhood staples such as Tracy Beaker and Blue Peter only accessible via the web. This will surely be just another nail in the coffin, however – by releasing their hold over the younger audience, the BBC is fuelling their main problem: age.

The average age of a BBC viewer has been slowly creeping up since the turn of the millennium. In 2018, this figure hit 60, meaning the majority of the BBC’s viewership was retired. This would be fine – however, an aged audience cannot hold the company aloft forever, and as more younger people shun classic television in favour of streaming content, the BBC is struggling.

Overall, I personally doubt that the BBC is fully finished; with high view counts on recent “hot” dramas such as The Reckoning and Boiling Point, as well as the routine appearances of the immortal David Attenborough, the BBC still have enough to rake in enough talk to keep them afloat. However, it’s thin ice they find themselves on, and as the future rapidly approaches, who knows what could happen.

By Theo Drayton

BUYING AWAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

By Theo Drayton

When someone says “footballing nation”, the first come spring to mind will no doubt be the likes of Brazil, Argentina, England and Germany; pioneers and dominant powers on the international and regional stage, with homegrown players and powerful, respected leagues. However, there is another country which is trying to get onto this list, and not one anyone would expect; Saudi Arabia.

Since the groundbreaking news of Cristiano Ronaldo moving to the Saudi club Al-Nasser in early 2023 for over £75 million a year, many other players have followed in his wake; huge names such as Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema and Neymar have left the esteemed European stage for the Middle East, which routinely manages to outbid all of the top Western clubs on the best players. The intention, according to Saudi Pro League officials, is to build a league which can rival those over in England and Spain; money is, obviously, also a huge factor, with Saudi football’s viewership more than trebling within 2023 thanks to new fans coming in alongside their sportsman heroes, which in turn paves the way for lucrative sponsorship deals from the likes of Nike and Air Jordan.

However, there is a more sinister side to the argument – many see the investments the Saudi clubs are throwing out to every player they can as the beginning of the end, with football losing the last of its spirit.

What once was a game of skill and management has become a bidding war, where the richest owners can just buy the best players and reap the rewards.

It isn’t just players, either; the Saudi Arabian royal family swept in last year to buy Newcastle FC, adding to the list of Middle Eastern owners in the Premier League, alongside the likes of Aston Villa and reigning champs Manchester City. Earlier this year, there was controversy over the possible acquisition of Manchester United by Qatari owners, and though the deal fell through, the outraged reaction from the fans proves the point that Middle Eastern owners are sucking the life out of the game.

And it’s not as if the players who make the move can only benefit; Jordan Henderson, former Liverpudlian captain and regular England starter, disgraced himself by transferring to Al-Ettifaq, with an overwhelming amount of people pointing out that a move to Saudi Arabia, a country known for stringent social policies and questionable upkeep of human rights, somewhat undermined his work with many LGBTQ+ charities. Henderson may deny it, but it does seem as though he’s sold away his support for £700k a week.

And at the forefront of the debates is Cristiano Ronaldo, the man brought in as a poster boy for the league. Making the move that earnt him a comfortable £200 million, he had a great start to his Middle Eastern career, netting the highest goal tally the league had ever seen; yet the lack of competition in the Saudi Pro League meant that the once best striker on Earth wasn’t featured at all in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings, for the first time since 2004. The star had sold his legacy.

It’s clear that the Saudi League could be big – having recently moved away from simply buying the old stars and stocking up on young talents that have the potential to keep playing for another decade, the teams have ensured that their sides will stay fresh for years to come.

There may be downsides, for players and their clubs alike; however, the investment and support for football across the globe is indicative one certain thing: the Beautiful Game is here to stay.

COST OF LIVING GIVING US ALL A RUN FOR OUR MONEY Let's face it, the economy is something that is a part of our daily lives (though we may wish it was quite the opposite). This seems particularly appropriate in today's society as we sit and watch the value of the pound diminish into its worst state since 1985. The economic crisis of today is huge, with household bills being expected to reach at least £2000 a month

by January 2024, fuel prices on the rise again to an estimated 151.83p and Freddos at an all-time high at 25p a piece. It’s daylight robbery.

One of the main questions we initially have to face before even saving or spending money is how to earn it. The most common answer you will get from any responsible adult is to get a job – yet this isn’t as easy as it seems. Most jobs advertise online, and getting a place is more luck than anything else.

However, there is an increasing amount of people who are resorting to other ways of earning some extra cash on the side, most evidently through Depop, Vinted, and other second-hand sites. It is a relatively easy process of defining the condition of the product, looking at similar products to decide on a reasonable price and typing out a small description of what it is. This is also an opportunity to make more environmentally friendly decisions, help the condition of our planet and minimise our materialistic tendencies – all positives in this day and age.

Some might say evaluation is the key to prosperity.

People should have the right to basic necessities such as food, warmth and clothes, and whether these are granted through exploring alternatives should be considered. One of the simplest ways is to ensure that you are spending less than you earn.

This can ensures some stability to your savings which will be all too necessary for the future; alas, the most important decisions are often the hardest ones. How much are you really spending on Costa coffees? Is it necessary? Are you actually going to read that book from Waterstones, or is it going to sit on your shelf untouched for the next few months?

We find ourselves often relying on these minor things when realistically they cause a major impact on what is available to you later on, in a huge fiscal

butterfly effect. However, there are some knights in shining armour to save you from the dragon of inflation; there are student discounts available through sites such as UniDays, StudentBeans and Totum, which provide a wide range of price reductions across chain companies for fashion, travel, food and drink, wellbeing, technology and many more. Personally, it has been a great help to my financial state, and still allows me to not feel left out simply out of the anxiety that spending money may cause.

The rising prices in college aren’t much help to the events of the world; the necessity to go on trips, buying food or even partaking in college activities.

The college does however have certain procedures to help students overcome financial barriers, including finance for food, travelling to college, bursaries etc. which can all be found on the S6F website. Travelling is often a significant cost to many, yet vital in order to have a successful college experience. The college can offer multiple bridges to help overcome this burden, one including free travel for those with a household income of less than £28,000 per annum and who live more than 2.5 miles from college, which includes eligibility for receiving assistance with meals, trips and other college expenses. However, regardless of your household income you will be eligible for financial support, particularly if you pay more than £12.50 a week for public transport which can further enable you to have a stress-free college experience. It is only possible to apply through the online applications; however, if students need further support, they should feel able to contact Jonny in Student Services.

Although it all may seem daunting at first, the practicalities of it all are rather simple. This crisis has overwhelmed our lives for over a year now and does not seem to be temporary. It is time we find solutions for ourselves and secure our futures so we are able to look back upon the opportunities we managed to experience rather than not.

By Miles Andrijevska

Feminism, pink, and overwhelming thoughts of death: what else makes ‘Barbie’ Barbie?

This year the world is bathing in the aftermath of what can only be described as 2023’s very own cinematic atomic bomb. And no, I’m not talking about Oppenheimer.

Barbie finally set her 6-inch heeled feet into live-action cinema, with a 1hr 54m film directed by none other than actress and director Greta Gerwig. And with the help of Hollywood’s own Barbie doll, Margot Robbie, the pair brought life to the world’s most iconic piece of plastic, and made sure that she’s as blonde, as pink, and as feminist as ever. Barbie is the star of her own show, but Ryan Gosling leaves a lasting impression as her blond male counterpart, who is ‘just Ken’ (and beach, of course).

Though I hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect - besides neon roller skates, houses with no stairs, and glitter, of course - I can confidently say that the film lived up to my expectations; it was blonde, it was pink, and it was unapologetically feminist - everything I’d ever known Barbie to be.

Since her debut in 1959, donning the iconic black and white swimsuit, Barbie has been the hot pink dot at the centre of a mountain of controversy; a controversy that Gerwig didn’t hesitate to confront. It’s a well-known fact that Barbie’s stick-thin body and unnaturally pronounced curves have never found themselves popular amongst feminists. For obvious reasons. So it’s pretty easy for us to wonder exactly why Gerwig would choose such a notorious feminist villain to be the hero of her masterpiece?

Throughout the film we’re whisked alongside Barbie as she discovers some harsh truths about her world and our own. All in all, it’s clear that Gerwig’s intentions were far beyond that of a fun summer hit.

A trans actress, a diverse cast, a film written and produced by a woman. Gerwig wants to give us a Barbie that has moved on from her 1950s origins, perhaps in reflection of the modern Barbie dolls we see on our shelves today. Of course, the authenticity of this push for diversity could be (and often is) questioned. Gerwig herself throws digs at Mattel with Will Ferrel’s anti-heroic portrayal of its CEO as he works hard with his all-male team to ensure that the Barbies are thrown into to the confines of their box-prisons all whilst their under-appreciated female secretary saves the day.

Gerwig’s satirical humour and ever-present irony allows for a film that doesn’t quite take itself seriously. In fact, if there’s one thing this film can boast, it’s its sheer self-awareness.

Gerwig has worked hard to simultaneously dress Margot Robbie up to an uncanny resemblance of the infamous blonde, and strip Barbie bare, all the way down her to plastic breasts and curved crotch. And in doing so has reduced her to something to be moulded and shaped, all the way back down to the doll that she is. Like choosing clothes and shoes, Gerwig encourages us to choose our own Barbie – pick her clothes, pick her friends, pick her words. A reminder that Barbie can change, and a statement that she should.

I’ll admit that for the younger audience, who perhaps would miss the evil villain that is cellulite, it may not be the greatest watch. It’s fun and it’s pink, yes, but it’s so jam-packed with metaphors of womanhood and patriarchy, that it may become a little hard to understand.

The target audience is made clear; adult women, or perhaps more specifically, mothers.

From ‘Ladybird’ in 2017 and its heart-warming focus on a rocky mother-daughter relationship, to her smash-hit success 2019 adaption of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ and the strength of a sisterly bond, Gerwig provides us with stories of women that don’t often reach the limelight. As reiterated throughout ‘Barbie’: ‘every night is girls’ night.

Robbie as Barbie: as blonde, as pink, and as feminist as ever.

UNI LIFE – WHAT TO EXPECT & HOW TO COPE

By Theo Drayton (with help from Terri at Durham and Ollie at York) So, you're thinking about diving headfirst into the thrilling, confusing, and utterly bizarre world of university life?

Congratulations! Welcome to a world where caffeine flows like water and sleep is but a distant memory. This is your chance to prove to the world that you’ve shed the skin of childhood; gone is the dependent, workshy kid you once were. You’re a grown-up now.

Uni can at first seem scary, and why shouldn’t it? You’ve been stripped from home and family, now expected to cohabit a tiny flat for at least the next year with people you’ve never met and feed yourself on the pittance the local Tesco feels fit to pay you, all the while juggling the workload of your chosen undergrad course. It’s quite a big ask.

Well never fear, future freshman, for there is an answer: a few casual tips to help you with the looming prospect of uni life.

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The first few weeks are key If you do nothing else when you first get to uni, make sure you throw yourself into everything on offer, regardless of whether you normally would. Sports? Sure. Societies? Sign yourself right up. Bar crawls?

Maybe take it easy at first, but you get the point. One tip I received from Teri, a third-year student at Durham, was to prop open your door as soon as you get in and start unpacking. Inviting strangers into your new home may seem odd, but friends are few and far between when you first arrive, and you don’t want to leave it late to start socialising – there’s too much to miss out on!

Experiment Try new things! Universities are melting pots for weird and wonderful people, and as such you’re bound to find a whole host of new opportunities to experience. This isn’t just limited to the extracurricular either – your actual studies can be a place of experimentation. Many unis do not base your final grade upon much first-year work, if any – if this is the case, feel free to be adventurous in the modules you pick – spice up your experience with something you haven’t studied before.

Find the balance At all times remember; university isn't just about studying. Obviously the work should be a priority, that’s the main reason you’re there – however, it's also about forming lifelong friendships and creating those unforgettable memories you can regale your grandchildren with. Join clubs and organizations that interest you, attend social events, and strike up conversations with fellow students – getting the scales sat just right, with academia on one arm and enjoyment on the other, is a hard task and is different for every student. But after some trying, you’re sure to find the sweet spot.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help You’re an adult now, fending for yourself in the big wide world, and it can feel sometimes as if you need to do everything alone; grown-ups never as for help. Well, this is strictly untrue. It’s essential to know that there's no shame in asking for help, whether it's seeking assistance from professors, utilizing tutoring services, or confiding in friends or counsellors. At every uni across the country, there are plenty of resources available to support you, and they’re there for a reason – use them!

Most importantly: have fun Uni is a big step. It’s a whole new experience for everyone who goes, and yeah, it can be scary. But ultimately, as with anything, you’ve got to embrace it and throw yourself into uni life with a grin on your face. You’ll get back what you give out – so give it your all, open arms, and you’re bound to have the time of your life.

So now you’re 100% ready for uni and will have no problems whatsoever making the transition! It’s always going to be difficult, but the best things always are – so good luck!

COUNTRY COOKBOOK

By Trinity Knowles & Mia Warrener It’s time to shed light on some other countries’ star recipes. Here’s just a few you can try yourself.

FOCACCIA Focaccia is an Italian oven-baked bread. It can be served as a side dish or as a sandwich bread. It can come in numerous different forms: round, rectangular or square shaped. In Northwest Italy, focaccia dolce (meaning ‘sweet focaccia’) is a popular variant, sprinkled with sugar and can be prepared with raisins or honey.

Gennaro Contaldo’s recipe: INGREDIENTS: For the dough

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500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour 7g instant yeast 1 tsp salt oil, for greasing

For the topping

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2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle after baking 3 rosemary branches, needles only, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp flaked sea salt freshly ground black pepper

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For the dough, combine the flour, yeast and salt with up to 350ml/12fl oz lukewarm water, until you have a soft dough. Knead for 10-15 minutes (you can do this by hand or in a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook). Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, place into a lined and slightly warmed baking tray of 37 x 27cm/14 x 10¾in. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh rosemary, chopped garlic, sea salt and a little pepper.

Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples and then rest again for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 240C/450F/Gas 8.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until evenly golden-brown. Check the focaccia from time to time as domestic ovens can very often colour one side and not the other. Check and move the tray accordingly.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and immediately drizzle some olive oil all over. Leave to cool, then cut into squares

YEMISTA Georgina’s Hayden’s festive recipe: Yemista can be vegetarian or they can include minced beef or pork. Sometimes spelt ‘gemista’, it translates as ‘filled with’ in Greek. It is one of the most popular recipes in Greece. There are numerous different recipes, each with slight variations. It’s simple to prepare.

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10g/⅓oz flatleaf parsley 2 tsp dried mint 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 lemon, juice only 650ml/23fl oz hot vegetable stock sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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4 onions, topped and tailed 8 tomatoes, tops removed and reserved 2 round courgettes, tops removed and reserved 75ml/2½fl oz olive oil 2 tbsp tomato purée 250g/9oz medium grain rice

RECIPE 1. Start by preparing the onions as they will need time to cool. Cut the onions half way into the centre vertically, so that once they are boiled you can peel off the layers. Place the onions in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook over a medium heat for around 40 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the water and leave to cool completely. It’s worth doing this the night before.

2. When you are ready to cook the gemista, take the tomatoes and courgettes and scoop out the middles with a spoon to leave an empty cavity. Be careful not to scoop out too much of the tomatoes or they will fall apart. Put the tomato filling in a bowl to one side, and discard the courgette seeds. Arrange the prepared vegetables in a deep roasting tray, leaving space for the onions too.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

4. Lay out the onion layers (you probably only need the 5 biggest layers). Finely chop the remaining middle parts of the onions, then fry in a wide saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes over a medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato purée, ½ teaspoon sea salt and some black pepper. After a minute, roughly chop and add the scooped-out tomato filling and keep cooking until most of the juices have reduced but you're left with a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. Stir in the rice, toasted pine nuts, raisins, dried mint and cinnamon, season again, then add the chopped parsley. Leave to cool.

5. When the filling is ready, spoon into the prepared, hollowed out vegetables, filling them all by three-quarters so there's room for the rice to expand. Lay the large cooked onion petals out in front of you and stuff those also, leaving a bit of room for growth. Shape them into an ‘eye’ shape and nestle them into the tray, seam-side down.

6. Add the lemon juice to the hot stock and pour over the stuffed vegetables directly into the tray, so that it comes just over half way up the side of the veg. If there is not enough liquid, top it up with hot water. Replace the tops of the scooped out veg, drizzle everything with the remaining olive oil and cover the tray with kitchen foil. Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil, turn up the heat to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9 and cook for a further 20 minutes until slightly caramelised.

7. You can serve straight away, or leave to rest for a while so the flavours develop. Mix the yoghurt, dill and chilli flakes together and serve alongside the gemista

Now it’s our turn!

We put our culinary skills to the test as we attempted to make our very own treats. Both given recipes are accessible meals that anyone can try. Our review: fairly average meal, though we both agreed it would probably be a lot nicer if we were sat in Athens eating them. And now it’s your turn!

Biology Chemistry Physics Maths Art English History Geography Sport Psychology Media Library Quad Hub Orange Lanyards Phil Rowan Tania

Help Phil reach the lanyard!

PRINCIPAL’S MAZE

FICTION CORNER IF HOPE ENDS - Joshua Brownbridge The first feeling is of immunity; an overwhelming sense of protection pervades your existence all around you and your body. And yet, this feeling - as you are yet to realise - is only temporary, and later fragile.

The next feeling is of a raw and overwhelming emotion, a sense of power. A sensation of power over all of the people under you, feeling a sense of superiority. You scoff at their vulnerability and fragility beneath your hand, and below your seat of power; and synthetic, unwanted authority.

Yet this power creates a guilt, and a loneliness deep within your heart and mind. Without this guilt, you may indeed lose your only human emotion left inside of you - your conscience. Without the guilt, you are an automaton. A robot. Emotionless. Uncaring.

The guilt is now what overrides your mindset. "What am I doing?" But it is too late. You have already committed to your decision, as millions of lives are both directly and indirectly affected by your choices.

The great metal bird has departed, and you are human again, flying across desert sand towards a destination in which you either feel indifferent or strongly about.

But now, suddenly you are vulnerable. Not just to enemy fire, and the hostile arid land’s sheer heat, but to your own raw and empty, but fruitless emotions.

With a click of a button, thousands perish. You now no longer fight for any authority, you fight for your own irrelevant, redundant, shrivelled morals and own ethics. Gone like the people directly under you.

Underneath, the world burns. God's creation is gone. Souls suffer in the hell you have opened up.

The only difference is that now, you, an unworthy Godly of power, has reconstructed their own destiny - their journey bypassed from heaven to hell.

UPON INSPECTION – Anon

FORTUNE – Anon

Children burn ants with a magnifying glass

The palmist told me that my clammy hands showed no future. She cautiously read the flesh, picking around the sweat and slices into the skin. My homeline lay bulldozed, my sunline extinguished, my heartline beating no longer. But as she cradled my tiny prophecies in her spinal, seasoned fingers, I was simply happy to have a hand to hold.

Leaving charred corpses on the sidewalk.

I have since grown; yet still, As I hold this mental magnifying glass To you, I worry you feel the heat.

I worry that, under my scrutiny, You burn.

A CALL TO ARMS

Are you registered to vote?

It may seem far away, but for most upper sixths – and the older end of the lowers too – when the next general election rolls around, you’ll be eligible to vote. So make sure you sign up to vote as soon as you can – voting is of utmost importance in this country, especially now.

For the past two Prime Ministers, we have not had the option to vote. Since 2019, the Government has run autonomously, without any public say in leadership. Hell, the closest we’ve gotten to voting for an MP was when Matt Hancock went on I’m a Celeb. So please, whether you’re right-wing or left, Tory, Labour, Green, Lib Dem or anything else; if you care about the future of your country, register to vote and make a difference.

Thank you.

All views are those of the students; we tried to be as non-political as possible. Also sorry about the maze Phil.